ROCKING FRIENDSHIP THROUGH THE DECADES • DISCOGRAPHY • TOUR LIFE • RIFFS •
50+ years of monkey butt rock
Long Live the monkey butts
Evolution from gritty garage rehearsals to massive local arenas, 12 packs and loaded thimbles and playing whatever genre needed to make a few dollars and keep playing. This history is forged through years of pure passion, silliness and more, legendary guitar hooks, and a lifelong brotherhood to withstand each other and laugh at continually being buttheads. And each and every song is a fun reminder of our past, friendships and collection of our favorite songs and groups over the last 50 years. Peace, love and lots of hugs.
THE BAND
gary "scrods" sjogren
Lead Guitarist & Vocalist
sparkey markey
Lead Vocals & Bass
pete "knunclebreaker" jones
Drummer & Percussionist
GKM "Good keyboard music"
Keyboards & Vocalist
OUR LEGACY IN ROCK
🎸 SPARKEY MARKEY AND THE MONKEY BUTTS
The Band That Refused to Quit — It Just Constantly Recycled
1973–2026
🌈 1973 — THE BIRTH
Sparkey Markey and the Monkey Butts
Trippy psych-rock • shaky vocal blends • infamous backstage chaos
The chaotic ensemble where it all began.
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🍌 1976 — THE FIRST FRACTURE
Markey & the Cheek Tones
Sparkey leaves with two roadies and the tambourist.
The Electric Monkey Butts
The rhythm duo claims title to the “authentic brand.”
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🪩 1979 — DISCO FEVER
Sparkey Markey’s Disco Butts
One record. Long-winded tracks. Dangerous levels of satin.
Monkey Butt Boogie
Their anthem Shake Your Banana hits the lower charts.
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🎸 1983 — ARENA ROCK AWKWARDNESS
MARKEY
Sparkey’s solo era.
Tight leather. Stage fans. Total lack of context.
Meanwhile…
BUTT THUNDER
Three former members buy massive Marshall stacks.
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💇 1987 — THE GLAM ROCK PHASE
Sparkey & The Hairy Butts
Sky-high hair. Thunderous percussion.
The weeping ballad:
Every Cheek Has Its Thorn
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🎤 1991 — THE “CLASSIC” REBOOT
Sparkey Markey & the Original Monkey Butts
Shockingly, only one founding member shows up.
Giving birth to…
The REAL Monkey Butts
and weeks later…
The ORIGINAL Real Monkey Butts
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☕ 1995 — ACOUSTIC SESSIONS
Markey, Sparkey & Friends
Four barstools.
Three hollow bodies.
Seventeen ex-members debating royalty percentages.
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🎶 1999 — TRIBUTE ACT INVASION
Dark Butt Orchestra
Exact recreations of the 1973 setlist.
Nearly Sparkey
Critics argue they outshine the actual Sparkey.
Monkey Butts Experience
A group of strangers who never met the band.
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🍑 2003 — THE GREAT BUTT SCHISM
Disgruntled members form:
Phil & the Funky Butts
Bob’s Monkey Rat
Sparkey’s Other Project
The Grateful Butts
and
Sparkey Markey & Some Dudes From The Deli
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👴 2008 — THE CASINO CIRCUIT
Sparkey Markey’s Monkey Butt All-Stars
Gracing fairgrounds, gambling halls, and local reunions.
Marketing taglines state:
Including Past Members of Groups Including Former Members of Sparkey Markey & the Monkey Butts
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🎸 2013 — THE 40-YEAR MILESTONE
THE BUTTS
A grand revival tour.
Sparkey stays home.
So Sparkey books a parallel tour for:
SPARKEY
Both acts insist they alone hold the 40-year legacy.
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⚡ 2016 — A NEW ERA
Sparkey Markey & Company
Hiring players who weren't born when the band first split.
Meanwhile:
Joe Russo’s Almost Monkey Butts
Gains a baffling cult following.
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🍌 2020 — VIRTUAL CONCERTS
Monkey Butts From Home
Living members jam via webcam.
Nobody knows how to silence the drummer's feed.
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🏆 2023 — THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY
Five rival tours materialize:
Sparkey Markey & the Monkey Butts
The Original Monkey Butts
Formerly Sparkey Markey
Monkey Butts Legacy
The Official Authorized Original Monkey Butt Experience
All tagged as:
50 YEARS — THE ABSOLUTE FINAL TOUR
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🎸 2026 — THE MODERN LINEUP
After court battles, reunions, and roughly 47 alumni, the factions finally unite as:
SPARKEY MARKEY AND THE MONKEY BUTTS
DEAD & BUTT COMPANY
The Ultimate Farewell Victory Tour
1973 — ETERNITY
Founding members may or may not appear.
