You might not have been alive when Operation Ivy was a touring band but if you’re a punk fan of any significant measure you sure as hell know who they are. The ska-punk act broke up in 1989 and the members are now active in their own bands (Rancid, Classics Of Love, etc). With the rash of reunions that seem to be popping up everywhere these days it almost seems odd that the members of Operation Ivy haven’t jumped on the bandwagon.
In a recent interview former Operation Ivy front-man Jesse Michaels briefly touches on the possibility of an Op Ivy reunion stating:
“Operation Ivy had kind of an unblemished record, as far as staying underground goes. It’s not because we were super-super-uptight about anything; it’s because we were a garage band. We didn’t get big till after we broke up. It feels to me that it would be kind of a shame to take that very pure thing and subject it to booking agents, cuts at the door for merchandise and all that bullshit that goes along with being in a bigger band. While it’s tempting—I’m not exactly made of money; I’m doing okay, but… [Laughs.] Money is a nice thing, and I know a lot of people would enjoy it, so while it’s tempting, I think it’s a little more classy to leave it alone. That being said, I wouldn’t completely rule it out, but the short answer is no, there won’t be a reunion. It’s very unlikely there will be a reunion, because it would be in poor taste. I’m very happy that people are still interested in that music and that it still has an appeal to younger kids.”
You can read the whole interview here.
Michaels’ new band, Classics of Love, released a new album yesterday on Asian Man Records. You can stream it here.