Active Decades: 90 2000

Formerly known as Scared Straight, but wanting to have more fun than a straight-edge hardcore band, Ten Foot Pole converted into a powerful, aggressive punk rock band. While Scared Straight had releases on the Mystic Records label, Ten Foot Pole quickly came under the Epitaph umbrella, staying there until past the millennium.



Co-founder Dennis Jagard was born in Northridge, CA, but grew up in Simi Valley, CA. When he was eight, his parents made him take piano lessons; by the time he was ten, music was his way of life. He kept Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" in his bathroom tape player for months, listening to the same songs every day while showering. When he was 11, he struck a deal with his parents and wrote up a contract: He would be allowed to switch from piano to guitar with the understanding that he would turn the volume down when requested, and he wouldn't play the guitar when his dad was home. Jagard started gigging with his friends during junior high school, motivated by their love for heavy music and the hope that the girls would notice them if they were on-stage. As he grew older, he developed a love for street motorcycles, snowboarding, and reading, but the thrill of writing songs and seeing how music affected people shaped his career as a vocalist and guitar player.

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