First live show

At the Drive-In was founded in 1994 in El Paso, Texas , by guitarist Jim Ward and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala . The band played its first live show on October 14, 1994, at The Attic in El Paso, followed by a show on the 15th at the Loretto High School Fair. They released the EP Hell Paso in November 1994. Following Hell Paso ‘s release, the band members embarked on their first tour – a 2,000-mile trek across Texas. After a drummer change due to Bernie Rincon’s death, At the Drive-In released its second EP ¡Alfaro Vive, Carajo! in June 1995. The band then set out on another tour, this one in a newly purchased 1981 Ford Econoline and spanning 42 days and 10,000 miles across the United States. During these tours, At the Drive-In began developing a large underground following by mostly playing in basements and small venues across the western United States, with their popularity spread by word of mouth among fans. One such show that changed the course of history for the band was in a now defunct bar in Los Angeles, where the band put on an explosive performance for just nine people – some of them employees of the Flipside record label. The staffers were so enthralled by the show that they offered to put out At the Drive-In’s debut album then and there. After accepting the offer, the band first headed out on another 21-day tour of the Southwest ; they then recorded Acrobatic Tenement in Los Angeles for $600.