3OH!3, oh three, my people – they’re the music that we can’t stand still to. And if you don’t dance (don’t dance), you gotta get tickets to see them live and take that chance. If you’re 3OH!3 fan, you’ll notice that that paragraph was inspired by the song “Don’t Dance,” which the band put out on their Holler Til You Pass Out album. If you’re new to the group and your friend wants you to go with them – here’s what you need to know.

Their name is pronounced “three-oh-three” and was inspired by the area code of their hometown, Boulder, Colorado. You know Boulder as the birthplace of Big Gigantic (another EDM band), Big Head Todd and the Monsters, and even The String Cheese Incident. The founders of the band, Sean Foreman and Nathanial Motte are in good musical company.

The Making of the Band

There are two major high schools in Boulder, Boulder High School, and Fairview. Each went to the other school, which means they didn’t meet each other until they were Freshmen in a Physics class at the University of Colorado (CU).

There’s a pretty big party scene in Boulder near the campus, so it was easy for the duo to get their first couple of shows. They made music and performed at bars, house parties, basically wherever there was a stage. Their hustle led them to get a spot on The Warped Tour (RIP) in 2007, which is when they really blew up.

Photo Finish Records and Beyond

After they got exposure on Warped Tour, the band got signed to Photo Finish Records, which is owned by Atlantic Records. They put out another album, Want, which featured the top ten hit single, “Don’t Trust Me.” Even if you didn’t listen to the band back then – we bet you know that song. Though it’s been about ten years since they had a number one hit, they’re still creating music together. These days it’s more chill-step than house EDM, but it’s good all the same.