New Digital Collection Includes Holiday-Themed

Rewrite of “Teenage Dirtbag” Plus Four New Tracks

Wheatus on Tour in the U.K. and Ireland This Fall

Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, puts a seasonal spin on one of the catchiest rock songs of the early ‘00s with Just a Dirtbag Christmas, the new EP from Wheatus.

The five-track EP is available on all DSPs starting today. Listen to it HERE

Just a Dirtbag Christmas kicks off with “Christmas Dirtbag,” a Santa-themed send-up of Wheatus’ signature song “Teenage Dirtbag.” It’s backed with three humorous holiday tunes (“You Made Me Believe in Christmas,” “Feels Like Christmas,” “Mean Christmas”) and a Yule Log-ready string quartet version of “Teenage Dirtbag.”

“We’ve talked about doing a Christmas song for many years, and this seemed like the perfect year to make it happen,” Wheatus founder, frontman and songwriter Brendan B. Brown says. “But after much discussion we couldn’t settle on just one idea, and we wound up with five! So we figured – why not make it an EP? There’s a big pop rock song, a vintage 1950’s number, a dark & heavy one, a classy instrumental, and of course we couldn’t resist a Christmas Dirtbag…we wanted there to be something for everyone!”

Additionally, Wheatus is calling all Christmas Dirtbags out there to help put together a special video with the band! Whether you’re on the naughty or nice list, throw on your Santa hats, sip on some eggnog (ingredients depending on age), and show us what being a Christmas Dirtbag means to you. Submit your video entries HERE for a chance to be included in an upcoming Wheatus video.

More than two decades after its original release, the original “Teenage Dirtbag” endures as a relatable high school misfit story and an irresistible singalong wherever karaoke bars are found. With a memorable video featuring the cast of the 2000 teen cult film Loser, “Teenage Dirtbag” became a worldwide smash, reaching the Top 10 of Billboard’s modern rock chart as well as eight Top 10 charts around the world. (It was a particularly sizable hit in Australia, not only reaching No. 1 but becoming the country’s second biggest single of 2000.)

The song enjoyed renewed popularity in recent years on TikTok, where users set montages of their throwback photos to the song. Brown recently went viral on TikTok duetting with a video of himself singing the song’s falsetto chorus toward the end of the track.

The band – lead singer/guitarist Brown, bassist Matthew Milligan, keyboardist Brandon Ticer, drummer KC Marotta and backing vocalists Joey Slater and Gabrielle Sterbenz – continue to perform live all over the globe. They’re making their way across the U.K. and Europe through October and November – with pre-show VIP packages available on most dates – before returning to their home state of New York for two shows on Thanksgiving weekend. Check out their full itinerary here.

Just a Dirtbag Christmas Track List:

1. Christmas Dirtbag
2. You Made Me Believe in Christmas
3. Feels Like Christmas
4. Mean Christmas
5. Teenage Dirtbag (String Quartet Version)

Wheatus 2023 Tour Dates

Oct. 13: The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom

Oct. 14: Hertford Corn Exchange, Hertford, United Kingdom

Oct. 15: Thekla, Bristol, United Kingdom

Oct. 17: Olby’s Creative Hub, Margate, United Kingdom

Oct. 18: Chinnery’s, Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom

Oct. 19: The Factory Live, Worthing, United Kingdom

Oct. 20: The Garage, London, United Kingdom

Oct. 21: Boileroom, Guildford, United Kingdom

Oct. 22: The Bunkhouse Bar and Music Venue, Swansea, United Kingdom

Oct. 24: Limelight, Belfast, United Kingdom

Oct. 25: Gleneagle INEC Arena, Killarney, Ireland

Oct. 26: Cyprus Avenue, Cork, Ireland

Oct. 27: Monroe’s Live, Galway, Ireland

Oct. 28: Townhouse Castelderg, Castlederg, United Kingdom

Oct. 29: Whelan’s, Dublin, Ireland

Oct. 31: The Drill, Lincoln, United Kingdom

Nov. 2: St. Mary’s Chambers, Rawtensall, United Kingdom

Nov. 3: The Parish, Huddersfield, United Kingdom

Nov. 4: The Clubhouse, Corby, United Kingdom

Nov. 5: Cambridge Junction, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Nov. 6: Epic Studios, Norwich, United Kingdom

Nov. 7: Tunbridge Wells Forum, Tunbridge Wells, United Kingdom

Nov. 9: The Globe, Cardiff, United Kingdom

Nov. 10: Palace Nightclub, Bridgewater, United Kingdom

Nov. 11: Moonshine, Portsmouth, United Kingdom

Nov. 12: The Soundhouse, Leicester, United Kingdom

Nov. 24: Spotlight NY, Huntington, NY

Nov. 25: Spotlight NY, Huntington, NY