The Ataris

The Ataris are an American punk rock band from Anderson, Indiana. Formed in 1996, they released five studio albums between 1997 and 2007. Their best-selling album is their major label debut album So Long, Astoria (2003), which was certified gold. Their high-charting single is their cover of Don Henley's "The Boys of Summer" from So Long, Astoria. The only constant member throughout their history has been singer/songwriter/guitarist Kristopher "Kris" Roe. The staff of Consequence ranked the band at number 37 on their list of "The 100 Best Pop Punk Bands" in 2019. In 2025, Terry Bezer of Screen Rant stated the opinion that the band was underrated, referring to "In This Diary" as "one of the best pop-punk songs ever written."

History

Kung Fu Records (1996–2001) Formed on November 1, 1996, and with the band's name a reference to the large collection of Atari video game cartridges of Roe, the band originally consisted of singer, songwriter, and guitarist Kristopher Roe and guitarist Jasin Thomason. Using a 4-track, Roe wrote and recorded demos in his bedroom, using a drum machine while he searched for a full-time drummer. The band's first big break came in 1996 when Roe attended...