Editing Rocket from the Crypt (section)

===Formation===
After the breakup of his [[post-hardcore]] band [[Pitchfork (band)|Pitchfork]] in 1990, Reis formed both Rocket from the Crypt and [[Drive Like Jehu]] in July and August of that year respectively.<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|page=1024}}</ref> Envisioned as a [[punk rock|punk]]-inspired [[rock and roll]] band, Rocket from the Crypt's original lineup consisted of Reis, guitarist [[Andy Stamets]], bassist Pete Reichert, drummer Sean, and backing vocalist Elaina.<ref name="Pecorelli, 73">Pecorelli, 73.</ref> The band took their name from the then-defunct 1970s underground punk band [[Rocket from the Tombs]]. This lineup lasted roughly six months and recorded the band's debut album ''[[Paint as a Fragrance]]'', released in 1991 on local label [[Cargo Music]]. At this time, Reis began to use the [[pseudonym]] "Speedo" when working with the band. He was also simultaneously performing in Drive Like Jehu, who recorded their debut album around the same time. When Sean and Elaina moved away from San Diego, drummer [[Adam Willard]] joined the band under the stage name "Atom."<ref name="Pecorelli, 73"/> The rest of the band also assumed stage monikers, with Stamets performing as "ND" and Reichert as "Petey X."

The band soon added a [[French horn|horn section]], recruiting saxophone player Paul "Apollo 9" O'Beirne.<ref name="Pecorelli, 73"/> They developed a reputation for their creative and energetic live shows, taking unusual measures to encourage audience participation such as handing out homemade lyric booklets and noisemakers.<ref name="Pecorelli, 73"/> They released many [[vinyl record|vinyl singles]] around this time and began to attract a dedicated underground following. Reis recalls:
<blockquote>"It was really immediate; that's why we loved putting out singles early on. We recorded some songs for [[Sympathy for the Record Industry]], and two weeks later, we had some finished copies of them. The turnaround time was amazing. And by the time people were able to get them, it was still under a month. They're hearing something that is completely fresh&ndash;this is something we're doing ''at the moment''. We did that for, like, a three-year period."<ref name="Pecorelli, 73"/></blockquote>
Their second album ''[[Circa: Now!]]'' was released in 1992, followed by their first tour and music videos for the songs "Ditchdigger" and "Sturdy Wrist." The band also added a second member to its horn section, bringing in [[trumpet]]er Jason "JC 2000" Crane.<ref name="Pecorelli, 73"/> Around this time Reis announced in a [[fanzine]] that all fans with Rocket from the Crypt tattoos would be allowed into the band's shows for free, for life, causing tattoos of their logo to become an international phenomenon.<ref name="Pecorelli, 73"/>