Was Lenny and the Squigtones From ‘Laverne & Shirley’ a Real Band?

Lauren Novak October 1, 8:00 am

LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY, Michael McKean, David Lander, 1976-83 — Everett Collection

If you watched Laverne & Shirley, you may remember Lenny and Squiggy performing at the Shotz Brewery talent shows. Laverne and Shirley’s neighbors, played by Michael McKean and David L. Lander, had a band called Lenny and the Squigtones, and yes, you could actually buy their record.

McKean and Lander took the act beyond the sitcom, releasing an album in 1979 and performing live as their TV characters. They also appeared on American Bandstand, with a guitarist Spinal Tap fans would recognize.

They recorded a live album in Hollywood

Casablanca Records signed the duo, with Record World announcing the deal in its February 10, 1979, issue. They recorded their album, Lenny & Squiggy Present Lenny and the Squigtones, at the Roxy in Hollywood, produced by Hank Medress and Dave Appell.

The track list included “Night After Night,” “King of the Cars,” “Love Is a Terrible Thing” and “Creature Without a Head.” The record mixed music with spoken comedy, with McKean and Lander staying in character.

The record even appeared on the album charts. Cash Box listed it at No. 189 on its Top Albums chart dated June 2, 1979. Fans could see the group in person, too. In a 2009 interview with Miami New Times, McKean recalled taking the Squigtones on the road in 1979.

Christopher Guest played guitar in the band

THIS IS SPINAL TAP, Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, 1984

One of the musicians backing Lenny and Squiggy was Christopher Guest. On the album, he was credited as Nigel Tufnel, the character he played in This Is Spinal Tap (1984). McKean starred alongside him in that film as David St. Hubbins.

Guest also discussed the Squigtones during an October 2025 conversation at The New Yorker Festival. He recalled touring with the group in 1979 and using Nigel as his character’s name.

You could see him with the band on American Bandstand on June 9, 1979. The group performed “King of the Cars” and “Love Is a Terrible Thing,” and Lenny and Squiggy introduced their bandmates during the interview with Dick Clark.

David Lander’s daughter turned the songs into a musical

Decades later, the album became the basis for Earth to Squiggy: A Lenny & The Squigtones Musical. Lander’s daughter, Natalie, conceived the show, co-wrote it with Alex Ellis, and starred alongside her in a March 2026 run at the Garry Marshall Theatre in Burbank, California.

Natalie plays Squiggy’s daughter, Squigronica, while Ellis plays her friend Leni. The story has them perform the old songs in hopes of reconnecting with Squiggy, whom Squigronica believes aliens took to Mars.

On a June 2026 episode of Storybeat with Steve Cuden, Natalie said some audience members had loved Laverne & Shirley without knowing about the album. She also said McKean had attended the show’s first run.

“I feel so connected with him through writing the show,” she said of her father.