Editing Beat Happening (section)

===Formation===
Beat Happening met while attending the [[Evergreen State College]] and began recording in 1983. The band took its name from a student art film, ''Beatnik Happening'', made by Bret's girlfriend.<ref name=LoveRock>{{cite book|last1=Baumgarten|first1=Mark|title=Love Rock Revolution|date=2012|publisher=Sasquatch Books|location=Seattle|isbn=978-1-57061-822-2|page=72}}</ref> The band's basic line-up was drums, guitar, and vocals, though when they formed, their only instruments were a pair of maracas and a Sears [[Silvertone (brand)|Silvertone]] guitar purchased at a thrift shop. Heather once joked in an interview that the history of the band could be told through a list of the various people whose drums they had borrowed. Heather and Calvin had been members of a previous band and approached Bret, who had no musical experience at the time, saying they ought to start a band and go to Japan.<ref name=LoveRock />

Early recordings made use of an [[Echoplex]] machine to add heavy reverb to Bret's guitar, in an attempt to mask his poor performance.<ref name=LoveRock />

The band traveled to Tokyo in 1984 with intentions of touring. Their first show in Japan was at the high school of a former exchange student Calvin knew.<ref name=LoveRock /> The band members recorded ''Three Tea Breakfast'', a five-song EP that marked the band's first release.<ref name=LoveRock2>{{cite book|last1=Baumgarten|first1=Mark|title=Love Rock Revolution|date=2012|publisher=Sasquatch Books|location=Seattle|isbn=978-1-57061-822-2|page=89}}</ref>