Fred Chalenor Amy DeVargas Elaine di Falco Henry Franzoni
Caveman Shoestore was an avant-prog group founded in 1991 by bassist Fred Chalenor, percussionist Henry Franzoni and keyboardist/vocalist Elaine di Falco.
Bassist Fred Chalenor and drummer Henry Franzoni had frequently collaborated since 1976, most notably in the band Face Ditch.[1] While Chalenor and Franzoni were playing at a music festival in Portland, OR, when they met vocalist Elaine di Falco, who was performing in the punk group God Wads. The trio decided to form Caveman Shoestore and recorded a ten track cassette titled Rock in 1991.
Their debut studio album, titled Master Cylinder, was released by Tim/Kerr Records in 1992. The album drew from a wide range of influences, including Conlon Nancarrow and Black Sabbath, and was compared to Discipline-era King Crimson. They followed up that album with 1994's Flux, which featured Amy DeVargas on vocals. The band collaborated with Hugh Hopper for Caveman Hughscore, released in 1995.[2] After a ten year hiatus, the band reunited and released their third full-length album Super Sale in 2005.[3] A final album Frankensongs was recorded in 2006, finished in 2010, and released in 2020.[4] From 2011-2018 Fred Chalenor, Henry Franzoni, and Doug Therealt (Guitar) formed a noise improv trio operating under the same name.[citation needed] Mike Gamble (Guitar) sat in for one gig.[citation needed] Fred Chalenor died of early onset Alzheimers on June 23, 2018, and was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame in 2023.[5]
