by Kenneth Morton

(Reprinted from Issue 117 of Highwire Daze)

At press time, it was confirmed that Allen Shellenberger, the drummer for LA/OC rock band LIT had passed away from complications of brain cancer. I had the opportunity to interview Allen back in 2000, a year after their platinum selling A Place In The Sun threw the guys into the big time. At the very height of their career, and yet Lit always found time to be interviewed by Highwire Daze. Allen was the most easy going member in the group and was a lot of fun to speak with. I don’t think there’s been any band covered more in Highwire Daze than Lit, starting from their early Razzle days when they all had long hair and played the Sunset Strip.

Fame never went to Allen’s head – in 2000 he remained as grounded as ever – even as My Own Worst Enemy played on the radio 1000 times a day. Here is an excerpt from our interview…

When you first heard My Own Worst Enemy on the radio, do you remember where you were at?
Allen: Me and Jeremy were both in our apartment in Fullerton and it was almost like a scene out of that movie The Thing You Do. As soon as it came on the radio, our phone was ringing off the hook – and we were high fiving going, "Wow, this is great!" But at the same time, we were like, "Okay, let’s see if they keep playing it." It was awesome, but we wanted it to keep going. And it did.

It certainly did. So how did you feel when radio started playing that same song over and over, several times a day?
Allen: It was crazy! By that time, we were on the road. One situation was pretty weird – we had just got done playing Denver and me and Jeremy were driving at like 2:30 in the morning in the middle of Kansas. We were listening to this kick ass station and they were playing some really cool stuff. They played a Def Lepperd song and we were like "What the hell?" And then My Own Worst Enemy came on and it was trippy!

What does the album title A Place In The Sun mean to you now?
Allen: It comes from the old Sands Hotel marquee back in the day. Right underneath the Sands, their little motto was "A Place In The Sun." We sort of got that because we’re all into the rat pack and the 50’s thing. It also sort of symbolizes our first major label release and it means more to us than just the Sands Hotel thing. It’s our Place In The Sun – our time to give it a try again.

When all is said and done and the concert is over, what is it you’d like someone to remember about Lit and the music?
Allen: Just that we’re a kick ass live band who put out many good records that have good songs all the way through – and not just a couple here and there.

Did you have any messages for your fans here in Los Angeles and Orange County?
Allen: We can’t wait to get back to play. We’re gonna be headlining the Palladium which is another dream come true that we can mark off on our dream list. And we want to thank everybody for the support. It’s pretty insane to come home after a headlining tour and play the Palladium. We’re very thankful to our fans!

The following is a press release from Lit’s long time publicist Ken Phillips…

Allen Shellenberger, drummer for Orange County rock band Lit, lost his battle with brain cancer Thursday, August 13, 2009 surrounded by his loving family, the band, and close friends. He was 39 years old. In May 2008, Allen was diagnosed with a malignant glioma brain tumor and immediately underwent clinical trials, chemotherapy and radiation treatments at the Cedars-Sinai Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute.

Allen was a founding member of Lit over two decades ago and was able to perform with the band until last fall. In a statement from Kevin Baldes, Jeremy Popoff, and A.Jay Popoff, the band had this to say of their longtime friend Allen: "To know Al was to know laughter. He had a heart of gold and would do anything for anyone. Words cannot begin to express how much he will be missed. This was our brother and not a day will go by that we won’t think about him. Right now we’re trying to find the balance of mourning his loss and celebrating his life. Allen has experienced more in his 39 years than most people dream of in ten lifetimes. This is a tremendous loss for us, our fans, and also for Allen's family who took such good care of him during his battle with cancer."

Allen is survived by his daughter Giovanna Mackey, his mother Connie James, and his father Paul Shellenberger. Lit and Allen's family wish to thank everyone who supported the benefits for Allen.

Highwire Daze sends our condolences to Allen’s family and friends. Gone way too soon. I would like to dedicate this issue to Allen Shellenberger and thank him and Lit for the support they have shown this magazine, their fans, and our local music scene over

LIT links

Lit on Myspace: The Official Myspace Page for Lit!
The Highwire Daze Home Page: Return to the Main Page!

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