MUSIC
MERCH
PICTURE
ARTICLE
WEB
VIDEO
FANDOM

Public Display of Infection, more often shortened to “PDI,” was a nu-metal and hardcore influenced band from Glenview, Illinois that formed in 1998. The band’s final lineup included James Schoessling on vocals, Joe Edmonds and Roger Cuzelis on guitar, Nick Beller on bass and vocals, and Patrick Stump on drums.[1][2] Patrick also performs rap vocals on PDI’s track “Rude Awakening.” PDI played a small number of shows with local bands such as Grinding Process.[2]

Public Display of Infection’s only proper album was a five-song EP entitled Force of Change. Other recordings included two songs on the Glenview’s Finest compilation, and a live show taping filmed at The Afternight in Melrose Park, Illinois. Force of Change was notably considered entirely lost media until May 2025, after former PDI member Joe digitized and shared the tape with FOBAT.[2]

PDI is deeply important regarding the history of Fall Out Boy. Patrick auditioned for and joined the band in his freshman year of high school at only 14-years-old; it was his first ever band. Although crude, Force of Change serves as an origin point for Patrick’s true involvement in the Chicago hardcore music scene, which would eventually lead to him joining Fall Out Boy.[2]

Public Display of Infection
Band NamePublic Display of Infection, PDI
City of OriginGlenview, IL
Years Active1998-2000
Current MembersN/A
Past MembersJames Schoessling
Joe Edmonds
Roger Cuzelis
Nick Beller
Patrick Stump
Greg Tracy
Genre(s)Nu-metal, metalcore, ska, hardcore
Label(s)N/A
Associated
Acts		Grinding Process, Patterson
Websitehttp://mp3-2003.computer-legacy.com/artists/86/public_display_of_infectio.html

Formation

In 1998, Joe Edmonds, Greg Tracy, James Schoessling, and Roger Cuzelis were upperclassmen at Glenbrook South High School. They were all good friends and decided to form a band after talking about the music they listened to and were into at the time. At formation, Joe and Roger were on guitar, Greg was on bass, and James was on vocals. Although their MP3.com page states that the band began in 1999, they played a show on Halloween in 1998, so the webpage is inaccurate.[2][3]

After forming, the band soon realized they needed a drummer. Not having any available drummer friends, the band held auditions. After two initial auditions, including one with Chris Babb, who they wanted to be in the band but didn’t quite connect with them, Patrick Stump came to try out for the band. Immediately, the group decided they needed to have Patrick on drums. From there, PDI was born.[2]

Roger came up with the name Public Display of Infection.[2]

Active Years

The band began likely around August or September in 1998 during the early part of Joe’s junior year and James’ senior year. Patrick would have been a freshman. At this time, PDI began writing songs and practicing as a band. It is unknown exactly when Greg left the band, but it was likely very soon after its formation. Nick Beller, another senior friend of the upperclassmen, replaced him on bass for the remainder of the band’s existence.[2]

Very little is known in terms of stories and dynamics surrounding the band. According to Patrick, very little documentation of the band occurred, such as in the form of photos or video.[4]

One event known of due to word of mouth is an early show the band performed.[3] On Halloween of 1998, Public Display of Infection played a show in an unknown person’s garage. Friends of the band considered this show to be memorable, even many years down the line. Joe claims that Patrick, along with some of the other boys in the band, stole a nativity scene display from a house in their neighborhood. Patrick then painted the stolen property to look “bloody and hardcore.” They subsequently used it as a stage prop. Joe, just like some friends of the band, recalls this show being a great performance.[2][3]

Roger and Joe wrote together for PDI, then brought in drums and bass. They also performed covers, though Joe was mostly against the band doing covers. One of their covers was “Jump Around” by Cypress Hill.[3]

PDI played in a Battle of the Bands at Glenbrook South High School– it took place after school hours, either in 1999 or 2000. Each member had played in the GBS Battle of the Bands before in various bands. The band “recruited” lots of fans and friends to attend. Patrick was likely 14-years-old, and Joe was 16 or 17-years-old. PDI won with ⅔ of the vote, probably because they had so many people in their corner. They played only original songs.[2]

Patrick created the PDI MP3.com page.[4] Their page lists “Dekker” as a member, but neither Joe nor Patrick recall a Dekker as being a member of the band.[2][4]

Force of Change EP

In 1999, likely in the year’s first half, Public Display of Infection recorded their first and only proper release, Force of Change. This release was recorded by Sean O’Keefe in his then studio, Rosebud Recordings. Sean had only recently graduated from high school, so this was likely one of the earliest recordings completed in his studio. This recording session was also the first time Patrick and Sean met. The band had an incredibly positive experience recording with him. Following this, they would not interact again until the recording of Knockout’s Searching For Solid Ground, where they became fast friends and continued their close friendship to this day.[2][5][10]

PDI’s MP3.com profile description lists “original sound” under the Similar Artists descriptor. Although they did draw inspiration from other bands such as Earth Crisis, Sepultura, and Slipknot, their EP is notably unique in sound and presentation. The homemade and crude style of both the recording and its cassette artwork work in tandem with unconventional musical stylings. The opening track, “Halloween,” is a cover of the Halloween (1978) theme, and samples voice lines from the Evil Dead series of movies.[1]

The second track, “Rude Awakening,” is highly important to Patrick’s relationship with the Chicago hardcore scene and music in general. Although PDI was a nu-metal outlet, the song has a ska-influenced intro and outro, likely penned by Patrick.[2] This song also contains a hardcore-influenced rap performed by Patrick in its third half. Patrick recalls that he was influenced by Drew Furse’s raps when he played live with The New Jacks, a band Patrick idolized and desired to be in.[11][12] This rap is the earliest known recording of a Patrick vocal performance. Regarding the rap, Joe recalls, “He worked on it quietly in his basement and didn’t tell us about it. I don’t think he ever tried it with us until we were in the studio. [He said], let me just record this and let’s see how this works.” Patrick wrote the verse secretly a month before the recording session, and the members of PDI loved his rap after hearing it.[2]

Joe recalls that around 50-100 copies of the cassettes were made and distributed amongst friends. Patrick handmade the album artwork, as well as making individual cloth patches to place in each cassette case with a ballpoint pen.[2]

On the cassette insert, Patrick lists “Beldo” and “Gutter” as roadies for the band. These are Jeffery Beller, Nick’s older brother, and the late Keith Halls, respectively. Jeffery has made multiple Tweets directed at Patrick regarding PDI, including photos of hand-written lyrics and an Afternight backstage pass.[6][7]

Teenage Patrick’s very… “deep” lyricism

Live at the Afternight

On PDI’s MP3.com page, Patrick lists “PDI live at the Afternight” as an album. It also notes that a live video is “available upon request.”[1] The Afternight was a unique venue with a soundstage and professional cameras. Bands who performed would be recorded, and the band could purchase a VHS copy of their performance to promote their band. The master copies of these tapes are currently lost.[8] Joe Edmonds claims that he once owned a copy, but has been unable to find it after searching in recent years.[2] It is unknown who else in the band may have had a copy, or if any other copies exist.

Glenview’s Finest Compilation

Little information is known about this compilation. The only record of it on the Internet is a mention of it by Brian Silver in the comments of a Facebook post made by Roger Cruzeills. Brian notes that this compilation was recorded in his home basement and that PDI recorded two songs. It is unknown if these songs are different compositions from the songs that appear on Force of Change. Brian recalls Drew Furse providing vocals for PDI on this recording, although he was never considered an official member of the band.[9][3]  

Breakup/Hiatus

PDI officially broke up sometime in the spring of 2000. Nick and James, who were seniors, graduated from high school and moved to attend college. From there, the band naturally fizzled out, and most members went on to new bands and projects. Grinding Process’ website, around March of 2000, stated PDI was “back together,” but it is unknown what exactly this entailed. Most likely, nothing concrete occurred from this.[2]

Awards

PDI won first place in the Battle of the Bands at Glenbrook South High School, with original songs that they wrote. They won with a ⅔ majority vote.[2]

Musical Style

PDI’s musical style is hard to nail down, with a mix of nu-metal, ska, and metalcore. Their listed influences include Deftones, Slipknot, Soulfly, Sepultura, System of a Down, Earth Crisis, and Korn.[1][2] It is likely that Patrick’s contributions to the band were inspired by his love for The New Jacks and other local bands.[11]

Discography

Force of Change EP

  1. Halloween
  2. Rude Awakening
  3. Punishment
  4. No Answers 
  5. Blame Me

PDI Live at the Afternight

The tracklist is currently lost.

Glenview’s Finest LP

The tracklist is currently lost.

Touring

10/31/98
Unknown venue – Glenview, IL
W/ ???
[SOURCE]

??/??/??
The Afternight – Melrose Park, IL
W/ ???
[SOURCE] [SOURCE]

Trivia

  • Joe Edmonds, guitarist, had a senior project where he made a movie called Y2K, and Patrick acted in it.[2]
  • Patrick learned to play and practice guitar on one of Joe Edmonds’ guitars that he still owns as of 2025.[2]
  • Diatribe, a rap group, is thanked in the liner notes of the PDI group.[2]
  • Mike Day, who is thanked in the PDI demo liner notes, gave Joe Edmonds a copy of the Force of Change cassette as a wedding present.[2]

References

  1. Public Display of Infection. “Public Display of Infection MP3.com Page.” MP3.com: Public Display of Infection. http://mp3-2003.computer-legacy.com/artists/86/public_display_of_infectio.html.
  2. Edmonds, J., personal communication, 2025.
  3. Cuzelis, R., Facebook, 2016.
  4. Stump, P., personal communication, 2024.
  5. O’Keefe, S., personal communication, 2024.
  6. Jeffrey  [@BeldoRock]. (2018, August 16). @PatrickStump #TBT. [Image attached] [Post]. X. https://x.com/BeldoRock/status/1030153851515625472. 
  7. Jeffery  [@BeldoRock]. (2019, August 25). @PatrickStump. [Image attached] [Post]. X. https://x.com/BeldoRock/status/1165656531708370945. 
  8. Manzella, A., personal communication, 2024.
  9. Silver, B., personal communication, 2025.
  10. Levi, E. “URM Podcast 224” Patrick Stump and Sean O’Keefe, 15 Apr. 2019, urm.academy/ep-224-patrick-stump-s/. 
  11. Stump, P., personal communication, 2025.
  12. Re: Josh Rock Just wants to say… — Knockout Message Board, 31 Dec. 2001, https://web.archive.org/web/20020209012216/http://www.voy.com/45082/396.html.