Tesla

They are named after scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla, who they learned about from a book called Tesla: Man Out of Time. Nikola Tesla got kind of a raw deal historically, with his peer Thomas Edison becoming much more famous. The band tried to raise his profile by giving the Smithsonian Institute a bust of the scientist, which they rejected. Tesla the scientist got a lot more recognition with the 2020 movie about him, titled Tesla.

Tesla is a very durable band, active since 1981 with a hiatus from 1995-1999. Their three core members - lead singer Jeff Keith, guitarist Frank Hannon and bass player Brian Wheat - have been with them since they formed.

They formed in Sacramento, California, where they build their following. A disk jockey at the local radio station KRXQ helped get them back together to tour by organizing a reunion concert on October 25, 2000 that was very well received.