Brad Marino released his 5th studio album Agent of Chaos on April 3rd, and it truly embodies the sound he’s been perfecting for decades. For those not familiar with Brad Marino, he has created a niche in the art of power pop and garage rock. In all his releases, he originates punchy power pop with […]
Brad Marino released his 5th studio album Agent of Chaos on April 3rd, and it truly embodies the sound he’s been perfecting for decades. For those not familiar with Brad Marino, he has created a niche in the art of power pop and garage rock. In all his releases, he originates punchy power pop with classic punk and rock energy, and in his new release that identity feels more prominent than ever. On Agent of Chaos, Marino maintains his signature Ramonescore style by pairing sharp guitars with mesmerizing melodies and catchy choruses. The production has a vintage sound to it that complements the songwriting and overall vibe, giving the album a nostalgic and timeless feeling.
Agent of Chaos starts off with the track “Blowing Smoke”, an immediate burst of energy that sets the tone for everything that follows. With a 90’s pop punk, garage rock vibe, buzzing guitars, and infectious hooks, it wastes no time pulling you in to want more. It’s a perfect opener for this album, and just made me want to get up and dance. The next track “Dissin’ & Dismissin'” slows things down a bit and focuses more on groovy driven melodies. It’s a perfect track to help to show that Brad has range.
“Voodoo” brings the energy back up with catchy riffs and a strong melodic core. I feel like this is one of his best, most straightforward power pop moments on the album.
“Murder and Violence” is one of my favorites on this album. The dark-sounding title is a bit misleading, as it’s actually a pretty upbeat song, though lyrically it’s deeper that it sounds. I just really love the tambourine, the melodies, and the overall sound of it. I’ve always been a fan of songs that hide dark and disturbing lyrics behind upbeat and catchy melodies.
“I Don’t Want You Anymore” is another track that makes me want to get up and dance. With pretty straightforward lyrics, it’s super catchy and easy to remember. Followed by “Regards”, another upbeat, infectious track that surprised me with a harmonica! It works so well in his album, I absolutely love the classic rock feel it added. This is also one of my favorites on the album, another one that is very catchy, groovy, and full of character. “Calling Your Bluff” keeps that same energy with great guitar hooks and solid songwriting. This one oddly feels like a classic you could have been listening to for decades now, proving that Brad Marino keeps the true sound and spirit of punk rock and roll alive.
“Lost Without You” draws you in from the moment it starts til it ends. With straightforward and captivating lyrics, it’s another slower track that leans into that classic power pop and Ramonescore sound. The next track is my favorite on the whole album. “Devil May Care” is such a good song that I cannot stop listening to. The steel guitar, keyboard, tambourine, and melodies all come together in a way that is so incredibly addicting. It seamlessly blends an early sixties vibe with that classic vintage garage rock feel to create a perfect track, showing just how well Marino can expand his sound.
“Sick of You” picks things up again with one minute and forty-two seconds of fast, frustration-fueled energy. “Reason or Rhyme” just continues that, and really just encapsulates the true garage rock band feel. Like it makes me want to get up, write my own songs, and start a punk band in my garage.
The last track on the record, “Make This Last” is the perfect closer. It brings another reflective moment on the album. With a super catchy chorus, it balances melody and sentimentality with Marino’s signature punchy songwriting and guitar work. This song feels vintage and nostalgic in the best way, bringing the record to a satisfying close and solidifying that timeless feeling of Agent of Chaos.
In the end, Agent of Chaos is everything you would expect from a Brad Marino record, and more. It stays true to his signature blend of power pop and garage rock while delivering plenty of memorable hooks and vintage inspired energy. Catchy and full of personality from start to finish with enough variety to keep you wanting more. Significant songwriting, quality hooks, and a sound rooted in classic punk and garage rock are what make this record so fun, and bound to get stuck in your head.
On March 17th, the Bad Time Records tour stopped in Santa Ana, California. Kill Lincoln, JER, and BAD OPERATION took over The Constellation Room for a packed night of ska fun. Joining them for the West Coast dates was Orange County’s Half Past Two! After playing 924 Gilman Street the night before, they got to […]
On March 17th, the Bad Time Records tour stopped in Santa Ana, California. Kill Lincoln, JER, and BAD OPERATION took over The Constellation Room for a packed night of ska fun. Joining them for the West Coast dates was Orange County’s Half Past Two! After playing 924 Gilman Street the night before, they got to play a hometown show packed with familiar faces and longtime friends. After their set, we caught up with frontwoman Tara Hahn about the local ska scene, bands that she’s into right now, her fashion style, and more.
Dying Scene (Spike): Thank you so much for taking the time to do this, it means a lot to me. That was such a good set! How does it feel to be playing in your hometown?
Tara: I mean, we’ve only been gone for one day so it’s fun to come back, but yesterday when we joined up with everybody on the tour they asked the same thing “are you excited to go home?” and i’m like, “I just left… haha like I just came up here and now i’m going back home”, but yeah, it’s exciting.
Who are some local artists from Orange County that you like? Current bands or ones that have influenced you?
It’s so funny because I feel like I can say these names and maybe it’s like, not cool to say them right now, but I mean back in the day I started listening to Save Ferris and Dance Hall Crashers and stuff. They really influenced me to want to play. But now, there’s some new bands in Orange County like we had one of the members of Chudson up tonight. They’re new and doing a really cool thing. Chase Long Beach is an old one that we’ve been playing with for like 20 years now, but they’re still making music and they’re fun to play with. Also Hooray for Our Side. There’s a lot of bands, it’s hard to say.
What about some newer bands that you want more people to know about?
There’s a band on the East Coast, it’s my friend Kay and her partner, called The Doomstompers. They have some music coming out, and it’s really good. I love Kay’s voice. They’re really new and I want more people to know about them. Like I said, Chudson is doing some good things. I just like how they have a good following of young people, and I think that’s important that we keep the scene going. One of the things I experienced when we started was everybody was like kind of the old guard, and I would go to these shows and I’d be like “why are these like creepy old guys around” you know. I like that ska music’s become more young and queer and it feels a lot safer than it used to so I think those sorts of bands are progressing the scene, and that’s why Bad Time Records is good too. There’s just so many bands on the label that do that. Just check out all the bands on Bad Time Records and I think you’re in good company and got good listening.
Who are some people you feel have helped pave the way to help get you where you are today?
I think Mustard Plug does a good job of helping bands get out there, and The Toasters. They used to take us around and those were some of our first tours. We were like “this is so cool!” It’s really nice when those legacy bands help other bands out. Reel Big Fish used to do that with us. Reel Big Fish… we owe a lot to them. Aaron produced our first album, and he went to our high school. So we ran into him at this burger place and we were like “here’s our demo” and he listened to it and was like “I want to record you guys!” And I kind of think that’s a reason why we’re still here.
To me, your stage presence feels very natural and confident, like you just own the stage when you’re up there. Have you always felt such confidence?
I have been performing for a really long time. I did show choir in middle and high school, but I always thought I would be like a backup singer. When I started pursuing alternative music and being in bands, I really just wanted to be a backup singer, but then this happened! So it took a while to get to the confidence spot, and I still get nervous before every single show, but I guess that’s why it feels “natural” because I’m just like trying to have fun with my friends.
What advice can you give to women right now trying to make it in the scene?
I think first of all, just don’t give a fuck about what other people are saying you can and can’t do, and just don’t be afraid. There’s so many times where I felt like I had to shrink myself to sort of have a seat at the table, and I don’t think it’s necessary anymore. I feel that when women show up, and are their true authentic self, then people just receive it. It’s really important to be authentic.
Being a mom, a wife, the frontwoman of a band, how do you balance it all?
My partner is a very big supporter of what I’m doing, and I don’t think I could do it without his support. I don’t know how I balance it all. I’m literally always putting things on my plate and it makes me crazy sometimes, but I just try and remember, if I wasn’t doing this, I’d probably be even more miserable. I like to say yes to a lot of things. Music is everything, and my kids. I fully, 100 percent show up for them and support them and all that they do. And they support me! I just want them to know that you can pursue and do whatever you want to do. Be a mom and be in a band, that’s totally fine.
I’ll never forget the performance at Garden Amp with your daughter Neely, it was so touching. What do you hope she takes away from the song “Shine” as she gets older? It’s about her, right?
Oh gosh, it is about her. It makes me cry when I think about it.
I’m sorry.
No no it’s okay, I mean I think that’s the important thing about music, it’s like a cathartic thing. I know that she really likes the song, and I hope when she gets older she realizes that I’m gonna be there for her and support her in all the different ways. No matter what she wants to do, and I just want to see her thrive. That’s kind of what “Shine” is about, making sure that you nurture the person to be who they need to be.
Recently Half Past Two came out with a new song “Nightmare of You“, and it’s not really ska. It’s more hardcore, kind of pop-punky. Do you think you will ever release an album that isn’t ska?
Um, not that’s not ska. We actually didn’t mean to make that song not a ska song, but it just happened to be that way. You know, we want to show people we have range. We like ska music, but we like other music too. And I think it’s important to let people in the ska scene know, don’t gate-keep the other music, you know. We have other influences, too.
Like who?
I like to listen to a lot of post-hardcore stuff. I really love Scowl, and really girly indie bands too. I was just here at The Observatory seeing this band called Bad Bad Hats, and there wasn’t that many people here, but I was like “I love this band!” It was just girly, vibey music.
One thing that really got me into Half Past Two was your covers. You cover lots of songs.
We do!
Do you have a favorite cover that you’ve done?
I think my favorite cover is one we did recently. It wasn’t even a big band, but it’s our friends’ band Tiny Stills. It was a really slow song and we were like, “What if we just made it really fast?” I think it’s like under a minute because when I made the reel for Instagram, that thing went by. It just flies, and it’s so much fun. When we showed it to the band they were like, “woah, it’s so fast!”
So that one, and it’s fun to do other styles too. We did Suicide Machines and people always love to hear that song, just because it’s so not us.
My favorite is Holiday by Green Day, that was what first introduced me to you guys.
We were going to play it tonight! We took it out of the set because our horn player Patrick was like, I don’t know if I know it very well, and I’m like, ugh. We were going to play it and we could have dedicated it to you!
Hoping that Patrick knows it by the next time they’re in town.
You have a great fashion style, I love all of your outfits. I have to ask, who inspires it?
Actually my friend Tabby that’s here tonight! I mean, I own a lot of clothes, and I love dressing up, but Tabby and I have even more fun sitting together and coming up with outfits. He is like a fashion icon on his own. He’s really into ska and J-fashion, so it’s kind of like a match made in heaven. We literally do that thing like on Clueless where they piece the outfits together, we just like sit on the phone and like cut out my clothes and put the together. He like micromanages, he’ll tell me what to do with my eye makeup, my hair, all that stuff. But it’s fun. It’s so much fun.
What can fans expect from Half Past Two in the future?
You know, we’re a band that’s always working on stuff so we have some new stuff in the pipeline. We’ve been working on it for a really long time. We have, like, a concept album that we’ve… a concept album? That’s so weird. But we’ve been working on that for a while, and we’re hoping that it comes out this year. I just need to fine-tune a couple of things, so that’s what we got!
That’s so exciting to hear! I cannot wait for that. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I think what you’re doing is really cool! As far as I can remember, there hasn’t been a lot of people that go out and, like, report on music, especially in little communities and scenes like this, so keep it up. I think it’s really cool.
From talking about her early influences in the Orange County ska scene to opening up about confidence, family life, and the band’s future, Tara Hahn showed us exactly why Half Past Two has remained such an important part of the community for so many years. Whether she was shouting out new bands, reflecting on the ones who helped them get their start, or talking about pushing expectations, one thing stayed consistent. The scene only survives as long as we keep putting our energy into it. As the conversation wrapped up, Tara’s words about the importance of documenting and supporting local music communities really stuck with me. Scenes like this thrive because people put their time, energy, and passion, whether it’s on stage, behind the camera, or in the crowd. Being able to capture these stories and share them is something that means so much to me, and it’s a great reminder that keeping local scenes alive can take many forms. The important thing is simply showing up, while contributing and supporting however you can.
A few days after this conversation, Bad Time Records released 4 songs from Half Past Two’s new side project with Omnigone, Half Gone. It was a great surprise, with a perfect blend of both bands sounds. They also released a music video! Watch it here:
Follow Half Past Two on Instagram and stay updated on their website so you don’t miss any news on their upcoming concept album and future shows. When you get the chance to see them live, don’t pass it up!
You can check out the full video of the interview here!
On March 28th, The Garden performed a chaotic show at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium, which claims to have a capacity of 1,400… it seemed like they may have oversold. This crowd was massive, hard to move in, and deeply devoted, too. Even an hour before doors there was a line wrapped around the building. By […]
On March 28th, The Garden performed a chaotic show at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium, which claims to have a capacity of 1,400… it seemed like they may have oversold. This crowd was massive, hard to move in, and deeply devoted, too. Even an hour before doors there was a line wrapped around the building. By the time we got inside, the venue was completely packed already. Fans of all ages were claiming their spots, and unwilling to give up their view. The majority of the crowd were wearing some sort of clown inspired makeup or face paint. With The Garden and their fans having a black and white jester themed aesthetic, it made me feel like I was at an Adicts show.
While it was pretty clear who most people were here to see, spotting a few people with patch pants and jackets made me feel a little less out of place. I was a little bit surprised to see U.K. punk band The Partisans on this lineup. The Garden themselves even called it “another just plain wrong lineup”, but after doing some research, apparently they have known Fletcher and Wyatt since they were 11 years old! They even toured with then in Europe a couple years back, and it isn’t uncommon for The Garden to play with legendary hardcore punk bands. After the cancellation of Los Angeles’ 2026 C.Y. Fest, The Partisans couldn’t let their travel arrangements go to waste, so they found themselves in Riverside opening for The Garden. In my opinion though, The Partisans stole the show. Even the ones that didn’t know them to begin with I think ended up as fans. Hearing some of their iconic songs, like “17 Years of Hell“, “I Don’t Give a Fuck“, and “Bastards in Blue” live felt so good.
There was a pit for their whole set, and everyone was dancing. They absolutely got the crowd excited.
For a band that has been around since the late 70’s, their energy hasn’t dulled in the slightest. They were a great opener, and in a way kind of showed the audience where The Garden comes from. Modern punk artists The Garden, carry influences from early bands, like The Partisans. After them was a rapper named Ghost Mountain, who I don’t really have much to say on. That was my break time.
9:45 comes around and it’s time for The Garden to hit the stage. Starting off the set with “Horseshit on Route 66“, the crowd was already going insane. I do have to say, The Garden fans know how to pit. The energy in the room never died down once. People were crowd surfing, jumping, and moshing until the very end. Their high energy setlist included songs like “Clay“, “OC93“, and “This Could Build Us a Home“, which were some memorable ones.
Formed in 2011, twin brothers Wyatt and Fletcher Shears have turned The Garden into one of the most distinctive and influential acts to come out of Southern California’s underground scene. Being in the audience made it clear that they have found a deeply loyal and devoted fanbase here, and they have basically built their own community. With one on drums and the other on bass, they truly have a one of a kind sound that is hard to put into words. I’ll admit, I wasn’t fully sold on their sound going into this, I just didn’t quite get it. There are some people you just can’t really get into, for no particular reason. However, their performance was so dynamic and engaging that it was impossible not to walk away with an appreciation for what they do. Running and jumping around the whole time while still singing what they’re meant to, it really was a great performance, and their chemistry and stage presence was really astounding.
It wasn’t just the two of them, either. They had a giant jester just lurking the stage with them throughout most of their set. Depending on what you had in your system, he was kinda creepy, and I wouldn’t look at him too close.
With the energy of the crowd, The Partisans and The Garden put on a great show. Not just the music and talent stood out to me, it was also the sense of community. My friend is a fan of them, and like I mentioned earlier I could never get into them. While my plans to go to C.Y. Fest went down the drain (rightfully so), seeing The Partisans as the opener was a sign that I needed to make it to this show, and I’m glad that I did. It was definitely memorable, and I can say I walked out as a newfound fan of The Garden.
In just under two weeks, Doll Fest returns to California’s Bay Area for the second annual edition of its all-femme festival, following the success of last year’s debut. Taking place March 27–29 at The California Ballroom in Oakland, the weekend promises two days of live music, community, and celebration. With the festival quickly approaching, now […]
In just under two weeks, Doll Fest returns to California’s Bay Area for the second annual edition of its all-femme festival, following the success of last year’s debut. Taking place March 27–29 at The California Ballroom in Oakland, the weekend promises two days of live music, community, and celebration. With the festival quickly approaching, now is the time to secure tickets before they’re gone!
Doll Fest is much more than just a music festival; it’s a celebration. Founded by Maria Chaos, Doll Fest celebrates feminism, community, and the power of supporting one another. After decades of women being marginalized in the music industry, Doll Fest provides opportunities to empower marginalized voices that are often underrepresented. The festival honors activism, the Riot Grrrl movement, and the importance of women’s voices in music, creating a space for empowerment, resilience, and collaboration. By uniting like-minded people through music, art, and culture, Doll Fest amplifies feminine energy and community in a way that is inspiring. As stated on dollfest.net, “We are still battling for true equality against the archaic non-values of patriarchy, still fighting for the power over our own bodies, and still proving our worth as voices to be heard. Doll Fest intends to bring together like-minded folx who embody the true spirit of Doll Fest – through empowerment, resilience, and nurturing of communities. We are anti-homophobia, anti-transphobia, anti-racist, anti-police violence and strictly anti-fascist.”
This year, Doll Fest has expanded the celebration further than just the main weekend. Earlier in the month they hosted a “pre party” in Mexico City on March 6th and 7th, featuring DJ’s, meet and greets, and appearances from artists including Alice Bag, Bloody Benders, Trap Girl, and Ultraviolentas.
The Bay Area festivities begin Friday March 27th with a “pre fest” show at The Ivy Room in Oakland. With the lineup featuring Skip The Needle, Beneath You, Last Minet, and Wonderland Rejects, this undoubtedly is going to be a great time.
The next day, they’re moving things to The California Ballroom where attendees will have the opportunity to support various awesome vendors, make some friends, and enjoy live music from 2-10pm! There are some standout acts on the bill, like The Hellflowers, Suzie True, Descartes A Kant, and VIAL. The celebration continues Sunday, with another powerful lineup that makes it clear Doll Fest is bigger than ever. Performances from Bitchfit, War on Women, Girl in a Coma, and Bad Cop Bad Cop promise a high energy finale that you don’t want to miss. With a weekend packed from start to finish, this year’s Doll Fest proves once again why it has quickly become one of the most exciting and important femme centered festivals in the scene.
For those that can’t make it, Doll Fest will also be hosting “The Kids are All Right”, a fundraiser show on May 31st at 924 Gilman Street!
It’s benefiting for a great cause, Doll Fest has partnered with Bay Area Girls Rock Camp in an effort to support the the non-profit during a time when their funding is at risk. Donations will be accepted both in person and digitally, and with no presale for this show, just show up and give what you can.
If you’d like to support, you can click the image to make a donation.
Descendents are outright my ALL time favorite punk band. Being literally the first punk band I listened to, their music has such a lasting impact on my life. As their North American tour, with co-headliner Frank Turner and his band The Sleeping Souls approaches its final dates, Descendents continue to prove why they stand as […]
Descendents are outright my ALL time favorite punk band. Being literally the first punk band I listened to, their music has such a lasting impact on my life. As their North American tour, with co-headliner Frank Turner and his band The Sleeping Souls approaches its final dates, Descendents continue to prove why they stand as one of punk’s best timeless live acts. They recently came through Anaheim, California for two sold out nights at the House of Blues on March 5th and 6th. I was especially excited to catch them because I first saw them when I was a teenager at The Glass House in 2022, and it was one of the best I’ve been to. Needless to say, my expectations going into this show were pretty high, and they did not at all disapoint.
Starting the night was NOBRO. They are an all female band out of Montreal, Canada, and I didn’t know of them going into the show, but they gained a new fan. Immediately I was drawn to the drummer, she was playing the bongos! I loved them, they were a great choice as an opener. They really had a bold energy that hyped the crowd up and took control of the stage. It was already packed for them, and they had a good pit going! This is a band worth listening to, if you like high energy, gritty garage punk.
Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls were next. They kicked off the set with a cover of The Meffs “Wasted on Women”. This choice for an opening song was a perfect choice in my opinion, the pit opened up immediately, matching the band’s high energy from the beginning. Their set moved between heavier, more aggressive punk songs, like “1933” and “Punches”, to acoustic folk-punky singalongs, like “Be More Kind” and “The Ballad of Me and My Friends”. Even with these acoustic songs, the pit was chaotic! The energy in the room was so spirited and unified, everyone was singing, dancing, or moshing the whole hour and 10 minute long set. Frank Turner has great stage presence, and amazing talents. The way he interacted with the crowd felt very personable, and he truly made the show feel intimate. He took the time to reflect on different moments in his career, the meanings behind tracks, share stories, and even touched on the chaos unfolding in today’s political climate. One of the more memorable moments was when he performed a solo acoustic version of “Be More Kind”, a song written in an effort to simply encourage people to be nicer to each other. He explained that when he was writing it in 2016, he thought things were “as bad as they could possibly be”. He joked around about how silly that was of him, and how the song has even more relevancy ten years later. He gave a powerful sentiment on how hard it is to stay decent and compassionate in times like these, but how utterly important it is. “Don’t sink to their level. Don’t become hateful, angry, and small. Stay loving, stay kind, stay gentle.” He said that he’s seen a great example of that recently from the people in Minneapolis, and dedicated the song to them. It’s moments like this that make you walk away a bigger fan than you already were. After seeing him live and admiring how well a performer and person he is, this will not be the last time I see him live.
Now it was time for Descendents to hit the stage.
Bill, Karl, and Stephen came out, and then Milo… with something on this head.
He explained that a fan made it and gave it to him the night before. If anyone knows who said fan is, or if you’re reading this, let me know. I want to tell you personally how awesome that is! By this time, the venue was absolutely crammed. This was definitely a sold out show. Milo yelled “Everything sucks”, Stephen started the iconic first notes, and the crowd was going wild. I was in the back, but watching the energy of the pit made it impossible to stay there. I pushed my way through the crowd and next thing I know I’m shoving a bunch of dudes around singing our favorite songs together. I never left after that. They followed it with “Hope”, “I Don’t Want to Grow Up”, and “I Like Food”. You can imagine how energetic everyone was by this point. Then they played “‘Merican”, which felt amazing to hear live and sing my heart out to. Milo even switched the lyrics up to diss Trump and the current administration. “Rotting Out”, “Myage”, “Clean Sheets”, hearing these timeless, classic songs live again, there really is nothing like it. It was a night of nostalgia for me, and I’m apart of their younger generation of fans, so making friends with people who have been seeing them for decades never fails to make me happy. I don’t really have much to say, as Descendents never miss. They are always bringing their A-game, and honestly so was the pit. We never stopped, even until the encore, where we got “Jean is Dead”, “Feel This”, “Sour Grapes”, AND “Descendents”! Waking up sore, beat up, and with no voice is always worth it for these legends. This is the best show I’ve been to all year, and I’m already looking forward to seeing them with Social Distortion in October.
I made these pants for my first time seeing Descendents in 2022, and will be wearing them until I can’t anymore. I think it’s pretty obvious that they are my favorite introductory punk band. Scroll to watch the snippets of “Silly Girl”, “Bikeage”, “I’m The One”, “Good Good Things”, and “Sour Grapes”.
Mustard Plug held their second Ska Smackdown show at the GardenAmp in Garden Grove, California. This year, ska pioneers The Toasters joined them once again for a winter West Coast tour. With the two having a significant past there’s no doubt that they put on an unforgettable show. Frontmen Dave (Mustard Plug) and Bucket (The […]
Mustard Plug held their second Ska Smackdown show at the GardenAmp in Garden Grove, California. This year, ska pioneers The Toasters joined them once again for a winter West Coast tour. With the two having a significant past there’s no doubt that they put on an unforgettable show. Frontmen Dave (Mustard Plug) and Bucket (The Toasters) caught up with Spike at the smackdown, which featured an outstanding lineup of 10 bands. What started as a quick, lighthearted check-in turned into a heartfelt conversation about decades of sharing stages, DIY and political roots, and the family first mentality that has kept ska alive, even through an industry that was never built for it. In ska, “only winners, no losers.”
Dying Scene (Spike): What made you choose The Toasters for this years Ska Smackdown?
Dave: We’ve done a West Coast tour in like January/February going back for the last decade or something like that, and this is actually the second time we’ve done it (Ska Smackdown). We always try to get another bigger, co-headliner type band to do it with us, and we actually played with The Toasters right before COVID in 2020. That was an epic tour, so we were due to do it again. We always have a blast with them, they’re one of our favorite bands. One of the very first ska bands I ever saw, so they have always been inspirational.
Bucket: I first met Dave at the Club Soda in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1989 with The Busters. He showed up with his long hair and everything. Were you doing the radio show then?
Dave: Yeah, I was the music director of my college radio station and I was super into ska. So I met you there, and back then we used to have CMJ music marathons in New York City, right, and I don’t know if you remember this, but I thought Moon Records was like this huge thing…
Bucket: I had a little shop about the size of that toilet.
Dave: Yeah seriously, it was amazing. So I called you and I was like, hey can we get some records, and talked about how I was going to be in New York in a week, and you were like yeah! just come to this address. So I went to the address, like this 19 year old kid walking around Manhattan, or Lower East Side or whatever. I found it and I was like… this just looks like someones apartment! You had me come to your apartment, I remember that because your wife was there and you guys just had like a bookcase of records. It was the most amazing thing ever.
Do you remember the first show you played together?
Dave: I remember we played a couple shows at Rick’s Cafe. There was one in Lansing and one in Kalamazoo and I think we played both of those. It was probably ’92 or something like that. Back when he had Moon Records going, he was one of the first people to latch onto the song “Mr. Smiley”. He was like “Oh yeah this is great, we got to put this on the comp”, the Skarmageddon comp.
Bucket: That was a great comp. It’s amazing how many people I’ve talked to that have said those comps were what really provided them a portal to get into ska music in the first place. They were compilations of 2 or 3 discs with like 60 bands on there, pretty epic.
Dave: Yeah it was great. You could buy this one compilation, and at least know one song from every ska band in the United States pretty much. And the fact that you took the care to pick some of the best songs from each band, because a lot of people that do comps just want people to send whatever they have, and it can be really uneven, but that one was really good because he actually took the time to pick some of the very best songs.
Bucket: Yeah, we could very easily pick what we wanted. There wasn’t really anybody doing comps at that time, it got to a point where they felt like “too much”. I think we did three episodes and then we finally went up to three discs on Skarmaggedon 4, that was great.
Is there a specific city or state that you like to play in?
Bucket: Well I like coming out here because the weather’s nice. SoCal’s always had a really good ska scene, even back in the day. We played our first show in California in 1987 at Mabuhay Gardens, which was a Filipino restaurant in San Francisco. Then at night it wasn’t a restaurant anymore, they had a club there, like a soul club, and that was almost forty years ago now. California’s great but the ska incentive really moves around. Florida was really good for a second, Chicago has always had a big scene, it tends to move around. But now anywhere you go there’s a ska band, and it didn’t always used to be like that.
Do you see a difference in West vs. East Coast crowds?
Bucket: We get up earlier and we work harder on the East Coast. I think the bands on the West Coast have been a lot more traditional. Bands like Hepcat, See Spot, Ocean 11, all bands like that, and I think the bands on the East Coast have had a bit more of a hardcore edge. Certainly that was the case in New York because when we were coming up we were rehearsing in the same studio as Bad Brains, Cro-Mags, and Murphy’s Law for example. I think the gist is that is that people on the East Coast tend to be a bit more aggressive cause that’s how our lifestyle is.
What intertwines ska and politics so much?
Bucket: If you look back at where ska music came from in the early 60’s it was involved with the Jamaican’s gaining their independence from hundreds of years of British colonial rule, so that music was the backdrop for that. Then in England in the 70’s there was a whole 2 tone movement, which is really an anti racist movement featured around all the bands on the 2 tone label, which is black guys and white guys playing together. I think a certain part of that has kind of been lost in the states, but there are bands who have a political voice, which we definitely need a lot more of these days with all the nonsense going on.
Dave: It’s always kind of crazy when you have people online or whatever who are like “keep your politics out of your music”. I’m like, you have no idea what ska is, it’s history, or anything.
Bucket: Yeah keep your partying frat boy nonsense out of our social political scene, please. Ska has always been a social political thing, and in my mind there should be more of that and not less. People really listen to music as one thing you can agree on, whether you agree with people politically or not, so hopefully we can sway some of the lug nuts to come over to our side of the fancy.
What do you think is different about ska today compared to the past waves of it?
Bucket: I think I’d point toward the Bad Time Records phenomenon, which is a whole new way of approaching ska music. It’s a lot more punk, to my mind a little less ska. Equally so with what happened with ska punk in the late nineties, that was a bit of a curveball. Nobody really saw that coming. In fact, I turned down The Might Mighty Bosstones and Rancid from Moon Records. Oops!
How are you keeping up with the modern punk scene? Are there any bands that you’re into right now and want more people to know about?
Bucket: If I see or hear a band I like, I just try and take them on tour with us and hook them up with some gigs. That’s the best way to do it. You can’t send records to radio stations anymore and Spotify kind of sucks, so really the way to get people to listen to a band that you like is to put them on stage with you. Do it that way.
Dave: I can’t really speak for the punk scene because I’m not as hip to it as I used to be. I still love punk music, I just don’t know too many of the new bands. Unless they’re hyperlocal, like Rodeo Boys, kind of a breakout band out of Michigan. But in the ska scene and being able to tour and stuff, you see all these upcoming artists, and that’s kind of what I focus on as far as learning about new bands. Like Bucket said, we try to help them out, and it really is a family. That’s the cool thing about ska music, it’s always had a really great community about it. It’s one of the things that attracted me to ska in the early nineties because I had come from the ashes of midwest hardcore. In the eighties, I was going to all these hardcore punk shows because that’s what was there. Back in the day they were all friends, and would trade ideas, communicate, network and that sort of thing. Then that whole scene really fell apart in the late eighties, and then the ska scene was like this new fresh breath of air. I was really attracted to it because it did have the politics to it, it was danceable and fun, and a lot of other reasons. One thing that really stuck out to me was that it is like a network, a family, and that’s really stayed in a lot of ways as far as the ska underground, we all know each other.
Bucket: You’ll find that a lot of the bands that have been around for a long time are amenable to finding younger bands starting up and help them out, take them on tour, and give them advice. Be an uncle to them. The Toasters have always done that, and I think it’s one of the things that’s endemic in the scene. It makes it so it’s not every man for himself.
Dave: Bucket can take a lot of credit for that. He took us in when we were a little band and helped us out. He’s been like a role model in that way, and he’s responsible for a lot of third wave stuff and the philosophy behind it. He helped us out, and we help other bands out now that we’re a little bit bigger, and so it’s kind of injected into the scene.
Bucket: We really just made it into like a ‘do it yourself’ thing because it came pretty obvious to me early on that the music business and major labels weren’t interested at all in what we were doing and playing. I mean, they told me it was circus music when I went to CBS records in New York. So I realized that if we were to do this, we’d have to do it ourselves. So we just created a model of going on the road and doing your own merch, and marketing yourself. That’s been built up over the years and now everybody’s doing it, so it works.
Do you have any advice for ska bands trying to come up and make it in today’s industry?
Bucket: Play as many gigs as you possibly can. That’s the only thing that makes sense. Play as many gigs as you possibly can because your music now isn’t worth anything being diluted by Spotify and P2P sharing and stuff, so you can’t make money there. You have to put everything into your live performances and shows, and network with people like Dave and I, and other people like that. Make it work by using those kinds of resources. It was true in the eighties and it’s still true now.
How did you rack up this lineup today?
Bucket: We’ve known Half Past Two for a bit. The Goodwin Club, we played with them in San Diego last year. In fact, I turned them onto Dave Romano.
Dave: Yeah we actually played here a year ago with Voodoo Glow Skulls, and they played at that.
Bucket: It tends to be people either Mustard Plug or The Toasters know. You got to be in la familia.
And who do you think is going to win the smackdown?
Dave: We both won. We’re both winning. The crowd wins.
Bucket: Only winners, no losers. I wouldn’t hurt a hair on Dave’s head.
These two perfectly encapsulate what ska has always been about: staying driven, helping each other out, and being a family. Treating the scene like a community instead of a competition is what has kept The Toasters and Mustard Plug so great over the decades. If you haven’t seen them live yet, you need to fix that. You can find tour dates and everything else you need at thetoasters.band and mustardplug.com, and watch the full video to hear the conversation!
In 1982, a new all-girl garage punk rock band emerged from Los Angeles, founded by the late Paula Pierce. The Pandoras gained huge success and even became one of the first all female bands to be signed to a major label. More than 40 years later, her best friends Melanie Vammen, Sheri Weinstein, Karen Basset, […]
In 1982, a new all-girl garage punk rock band emerged from Los Angeles, founded by the late Paula Pierce. The Pandoras gained huge success and even became one of the first all female bands to be signed to a major label. More than 40 years later, her best friends Melanie Vammen, Sheri Weinstein, Karen Basset, and Natalie Grace Sweet continue carrying on her legacy and keeping the same energy that they’ve always had. I got to talk with them before their show at The Regent, and they reflected on special memories growing up together in the band, future plans, and why The Pandoras will always continue playing.
Dying Scene (Spike):I just want to thank you guys for everything you’ve given us throughout the years! Especially for women in the scene, you all are inspirational. You guys have faced lots of turmoil through the years, and have lost many members due to different things. Do you feel that your current line-up captures the true essence of The Pandoras?
Melanie: We are the music, we are the band, we recorded all the music. Paula (Pierce) and Kim (Shattuck) are our family. They’re our sisters, and the best friends in the whole world, we love and honor them. This is the music that we love, like I’ve played it my entire life. It’s so special that we still get to do this. We do it for us, we do it for them, and for everybody that loves our music.
Karen: As far as us carrying on the legacy of The Pandoras, we feel that as long as people want to come out and see us, we’re willing to come and play for them. We want to keep it going and we know Paula would love us doing this. We all got along great with her, she was wonderful. We became adults in this band so it’s pretty special.
Sheri: I agree. When Paula died, and Kim, it was the most horrific thing ever. They were our band sisters and our family. The fact that we still get to play all of Paula’s music and have fans out there singing the songs, it just means so much to all of us.
How significant was Rodney On The ROQ’s support for you guys in the early days?
Sheri: Huge. Huge. Before I was in the band I used to hear The Pandoras on KROQ all the time, so when I got the chance to be in the band it was kind of a dream come true because I was already a fan.
Melanie: Yeah, he played us first and he just kept playing us and it really caught on. Especially in Los Angeles at first, we played a lot of really amazing shows and tours. We got to tour with Nina Hagen and play with The Cramps and Iggy Pop, all kinds of cool people.
Karen: I remember being at home, because I was still living at home when I joined The Pandoras. Melanie and I got in the band and started recording right away, and one of the coolest memories that I have is hearing our recording played on Rodney’s show. I remember I had my little radio and I was tuned into his show, and he announced us and played our song. There is nothing like that. You will never experience that again, the first time is pretty darn special. Rodney was very important to us, obviously.
Tonight you get to play with another legendary band at their farewell show, TSOL.How does it feel to be on this lineup?
Melanie: Oh my god yes! Yes! We have played with them in the past years ago too. And The Zeros. It feels great.
Natalie: This is awesome, like this lineup is sick. I’m super excited. The Zeros are one of my favorite bands too. All of my friends from the East Coast are like “I can’t believe that’s one show”… I’m like “Yeah, just a Friday night in L.A. you know.”
In a few months you’ll be playing Little Steven’s Underground Garage Cruise. I’m sure you’re excited to play, but I want to know who you guys are excited to see?There’s so many awesome bands.
Sheri: Buzzcocks.
Big Star
Melanie: There’s so many. Our friends are Redd Kross of course. The Courettes, The Black Lips.
Natalie: The Ravonettes.
Melanie: Oh The Ravonettes! The Surfajettes.
Karen: Palmyra (Delran).
Melanie: Palmyra yes. Palmyra’s my bandmate. Karen and I played the cruise last year, it was amazing. It’s like nothing else. It’s and incredible and special thing to be apart of.
How do you think the garage rock and punk scene has changed throughout the years?
Melanie: As far as the garage scene, there’s a garage scene now. It’s really great. We’ve played with some of these bands, and it reminds me back when we were doing it. They sound like all the 60’s garage bands, it’s really good to see that’s still around. The punk scene, I was never in the early punk scene. That was more Paula’s time. She had a Darby Crash burn on her wrist and stuff like that. But I’m sure it’s changed somewhat, but it’s pretty amazing to see so many of the old bands that are still playing.
What advice can you give to a young punk girl like me trying to make it in today’s modern scene?
Karen: Join a band. No matter ho good you are, join a band. You will get better exponentially and immediately. You will have deadlines, rehearsals, people expecting you to show up knowing your songs. Just do it. Just join a band.
Sheri: When I got in the band, I had only been playing drums for like 3 years, and 2 of those years I was away at college. So it’s kind of like, just do it!
What can we expect from The Pandoras in the future?
Sheri: We’re going to Europe!
Melanie: Yup, we’re getting ready for our tour in May of Europe
Karen: And we just talked to somebody a few minutes ago about maybe going to Shanghai, China, and Japan. So that’s in the works. Mexico City again, we love Mexico City, our first time there was amazing.
Melanie: Yes, they are amazing. Just more touring and recording, all that fun stuff!
Stay updated with The Pandoras by following them on Instagram @thepandorasofficial. Check out our video interview!
After a decade and a half, Bad Cop Bad Cop just keep getting better. With a refreshed lineup and record label, it’s obvious that their connection has only grown stronger. I got to catch up with the girls, minus Linh Le, for a candid conversation about changes, growth, chemistry, and why this chapter has felt […]
After a decade and a half, Bad Cop Bad Cop just keep getting better. With a refreshed lineup and record label, it’s obvious that their connection has only grown stronger. I got to catch up with the girls, minus Linh Le, for a candid conversation about changes, growth, chemistry, and why this chapter has felt like one of their realest yet.
Dying Scene (Spike): I just want to say thank you for all that you guys do, especially for women in punk. I’m a huge fan of everything you guys do. One of that being Bad Cop Bad Cop’s album from this year “Lighten Up”. What was the recording process of this album like?
Stacey Dee: Everything was different this time. Over the last couple years we recorded in ways that were kind of uncomfortable and separated. This time we actually played these songs together and we recorded all the music together. We really spent a lot of time on this record together instead of being apart, which is just a way cooler way to make a record.
Myra Gallarza: Yeah, this time we actually got to play our songs and work on them together before we went into the studio. Where before, we would just go in the studio and we’d be separated. It was like, I would play on something I just heard and then try to make sense of it and stuff, you know. So this is the best record we’ve done in a really long time because we got to do it together.
Stacey: Well I will say this. Fat Mike would always produce if I want him to. I know he just retired, he’s a great friend of mine. I love him, but for the first time I didn’t want his opinions. This time I was like “I can’t give a fuck about what anybody else thinks of is, and wants to tear it apart. This is us.” I fucking really doubled down on, and we all did, on how this was going to sound, and this was fucking us. It wasn’t produced in a way where we had to change who we were. And that’s why this record is really fucking great.
What have you learned throughout the process of this release?
Stacey: This was a big change for us because we lost a lot of our production from years before, and a member. Then we gained Alex (Nicole Windsor), who was just so educated in music, and went to school for it. So there was a lot that she brought to the table in terms of structure and the way the things should go, or the wonderful ways that music works. It’s like, “you could do this, though, too, because it totally goes.” And it’s like “I never knew that”, you know?
Alex Nicole Windsor: Jumping into the band was so fun and exciting because I was a fan before I was friends with them and in the band. It’s a full circle moment for me to be able to jump in. I’ve always loved the harmonies and the songwriting and I’ve felt like being able to jump in and then add little bits here and there with guitar playing and the solos, the leads, and some of the songwriting stuff. Being able to bring my piece to it and that contribution felt like, for me, it felt very complete. It felt like we came together and we became this whole new thing that was, to me, like in “Captain Planet” when the rings all come together, it’s kind of like that. I mean, just the chemistry.
Stacey: Yeah, the way that we got to do this record together instead of apart was what made this record great. straight up. It sounds like us and it’s what our band sounds like. Myra was great on this record. She was like, “Take no fucking prisoners, I want to get through this day!”. And you did.
Myra: I’ll tell you, there was one song I swear to god I did 20 times… because some people couldn’t get their parts right. But that’s alright.
Stacey: Was that me?
Myra: Part of it was you, yes.
Alex: Something that was different too, like they said, in the past all these pieces would be taken and then put together and the record would come together in the end, whereas we kind of fleshed out the song ideas way before we got into the studio. So we knew what we wanted to do. And that allowed us to open up the time we were spending in the studio to have fun and add little bits and pieces of magic here and there, as opposed to like, “oh, let’s just figure out what we’re doing and hope we’re happy with it.” It’s like we know we want to do, now how do we make it fun, how do we have fun, and how do we add to it? How do we capture the magic of the songs? That’s really what it came down to.
You definitely did, we can definitely feel that when we listen to it. I think a huge theme of this record is self-acceptance and self-love. Can you telll me a little bit about your guys’ personal journey towards that?
Myra: This record is defintley about wellness. I mean we’ve always done records that are like, back in the day, breakups and silly things like partying and all that stuff. Then we got a little more political for a bit, we always are, but this record was more about wellness and all the things that the majority of us have been through. All lived experiences for sure. Whatever we write about is always referring to a life experience.
Alex: When it comes to the acceptance and the love and all that stuff, where we’re at in the world, alongside with who we are and where we’re at as people, it was just the right time for us to put a record out that reflected how we feel about everything, how we feel about ourselves, how we feel about the state of things, and how radical it can be to love yourself. Punk has always been kind of synonymous with anger and like masculinity, but we think that there’s something really punk rock about finding joy, finding strength in vulnerability, and being honest with yourself.
Stacey: Honestly, the anger and all that hostility comes from the side that we don’t want anything to do with, you know what I mean? So like being fucking empathetic to the point of saying, look, these are my faults. This is my shit and what made me crazy, wild and weird. I hope you’re okay, too. I want to connect with you. I don’t want you to go throw yourself up and off bridge or a building. Quite honestly I think that is a big part of this. Also, our past directors were unapologetically strong without reason. And I think that this record shows the reason. I think that’s the better thing, right? I don’t always need to be like “fuck you”. I need to be like “this is why I say that.” Well, once in a while, we should be (angry all the time).
Myra: With how things are going, it’s okay to be upset about these things, you know? It really is. We write about about talk about this is what we do because we’re very passionate about the things that we say, and the work that we do.
You’ve already played with some awesome bands already, but what is one that you would love to play with one day?
Stacey: Oh boy. Can we open for Iron Maiden? Never say never. Maybe The Go-Go’s won’t hate me anymore. Amyl and the Sniffers. I want The Distillers to come back. I’m a very big Brody fan and I want to see her come back in a very strong, important way. Who else? Green Day, I would love to open for Green Day. Oh my God. Green Day. That’s every punk fans dream, is so open for Green Day, or Weezer. That would be great.
Myra: Queens of the Stone Age.
Stacey: Yes. And Descendents need to take us on tour. Bad Religion needs to take us on tour. Yeah, Those are a couple fucking bands that need to take us out.
Myra: An ideal ideal show would be all our lady friends and have a ladies festival.
Stacey: Yeah, maybe we do a female festival. We’re gonna do it. More uterus and ovaries just hanging low.
Myra: Kathleen, if you’re reading, Bikini Kill. Please.
Stacey: Come on, Kathleen, come hang out with us, we love you. Remember at Riot Fest 2016 when we all hung out.
Myra: Shannon and the Clams, too.
We need to make that happen.
Absolutely that would be awesome. Now, what are some bands that you’re really into right now and you want more people to know about?
Alex: A lot of people know about this band already, but I’ve been on a Winona Fighter kick. Their newest record is just like unbelievably good.
Stacey: Catbite is great. Our old band member, Jennie, has a band called Reckoner. Go listen to them. The Last Gang. They are a band that’s coming up right now, a four-piece band of dudes from Long Beach that are really good friends of mine. Their music is so good that it makes me want to go sit and write music, really good shit.
On December 6th, Punk Rock & Paintbrushes held their 10th annual art show in Los Angeles where they showcased tons of iconic pieces. One of those featured artists was Lisa Johnson. You have definitely seen some of Lisa’s photos before. She’s worked with everyone from Nirvana and Linkin Park, to The Vandals and NOFX. She […]
On December 6th, Punk Rock & Paintbrushes held their 10th annual art show in Los Angeles where they showcased tons of iconic pieces. One of those featured artists was Lisa Johnson. You have definitely seen some of Lisa’s photos before. She’s worked with everyone from Nirvana and Linkin Park, to The Vandals and NOFX. She even took the photos for Smashing Pumpkins “Gish” cover, and Rage Against The Machine’s “Evil Empire” album. Plus all of those black and white Warped Tour photos, you know, the ones on the cover of the compilations? Yeah, that was her! She has had a huge impact on punk rock culture overall, and we got to ask her a couple questions about her career.
Dying Scene (Spike): Thank you so much for taking some time with me, I’m honored because you are such an inspiration to many. First of all, when did you get into punk music?
Lisa Johnson: The first time I heard it really, I just loved it.
It sticks in your blood.
Definitely.
When did you start taking photos?
I started taking photos really young because I had my dolls and I would set them up in like a certain little viviette, and I wouldn’t remove it because I wanted it to stay that way, so my parents negotiated with me. I could take a photo if I would deconstruct all of my elaborate castles that I’d built in my room. So, I took some photos but they did not come out correctly. And I had already deconstructed the castle, so that made my parents very frustrated. They said “do it yourself”. I was about five, and I basically couldn’t just be the art director. I had to do the photo too because my parents did not see my vision. So, yeah, at that early age. I ended up figuring it out.
Why do you lean towards shooting in black and white?
I really love photography in black and white. I think theres something very profound about it. Color is cool too, don’t get me wrong, but with black and white images, there’s just something historically significant. It just pops a little more, and there’s less of a distraction in the colors, you know? But I shoot in both.
Are there any bands that you’ve just really loved working with?
Oh yeah. I mean, there’s so many bands that I love working with. Some of them aren’t necessarily famous but they were a lot of fun. I really love shooting Rage Against The Machine, we have a really awesome work relationship, but it wasn’t always easy. We’d have like five voices trying to come to an equal footing into what we were trying to accomplish, but I think once we nailed it, it was really worthwhile. Suzi Moon is another one of my favorites, and a good friend. She’s always fun to shoot.
Can you tell me about some memories you have working with such legends?
Well, I will tell you a memory about that photo right there on the wall. He (Bradley Nowell) was watching “Sally Jessy Raphael”, and it was really hard to get his attention for the camera.
His wife (Troy Dendekker) wanted to get some work done, so she was like “here, I got to do the dishes, take the baby.” (referring to newborn baby Jakob). And he’s watching Sally Jessy Raphael, doing a photoshoot for a music magazine, had the dog (Lou) and the baby, and I was just kind of like “Could you just look at the camera? Just for a couple shots?” But I will never forget Sally Jessy Raphael. I wish I could remember the exact episode, but yeah, he was really into that show.
Did you ever think it would become as big as it did?
I guess I felt it, you know? I felt the importance of the child. Who else… Kurt was really fun. He would kidnap the camera, it was really powerful and I think he was almost afraid of how powerful his gaze was, like he didn’t know what to do with it. And his blue eyes, he was just amazing. And Chester, oh my gosh, Chester was so sweet. Those guys (Linkin Park) were awesome. I did some of their earliest photos and we were in Hollywood at their rehearsal space, and they thought it would be fun to climb up on the roof. And so we climbed up, we started at least, we went halfway up the ladder and I realized that maybe I was a little afraid of heights… and Mike (Shinoda) had to coax me up the stairs. But they were awesome. The night before the shoot, I got to take home the CD before anyone had heard it, and then I had to return it to them, you know, and I was just like… this is incredible. Belongs on the airwaves.
Are there any other photos you never expected to get as big as they did?
I actually think that more than that, there are some photos that I have that didn’t get big, and I don’t understand why not.
Like that Bert (McCracken) one. I love that Bert one. I guess a lot of people have that same shot, but to me it’s very special.
Is there someone that you haven’t worked with yet, that you would love to photograph?
Oh god, there’s a lot of people I haven’t shot yet. I don’t know, maybe someone like Billie Eilish or something. That would be a fun one to do.
Are there any bands that you’re into right now, and would like more people to know about?
How about working with Warped Tour for 30 years now, what has that been like?
So awesome and rewarding. That was a situation where I walked in, and I don’t think they realized how historically significant it would be. But I walked in knowing that it was, so I just started shooting it with that eye to the future looking back. That’s literally how I photographed it every time. So it’s the future looking back, and maybe that’s why they’re in black and white.
Also you work with The Punk Rock Museum too, right?
I do! Like I’m the director of photo acquisitions, and I’ve acquired most of the acquisitions there.
I can attest to that. Whether you’re alone, with a partner, friends, or family, your experience at The Punk Rock Museum will be one you won’t forget. Then you can see some of Lisa’s iconic work for yourself, and support these amazing women that work so hard behind the scenes. It is an absolute honor that I can now say I have a photo by one of the most iconic photographers in punk and rock history, Lisa Johnson.
I got a few minutes to talk with Noodles from The Offspring before his DJ set at Punk Rock & Paintbrushes 10th annual holiday art show in Los Angeles. We talked about being on the road, countries he’d love to play for in the future, and up and coming bands he’s been listening to. Dying […]
I got a few minutes to talk with Noodles from The Offspring before his DJ set at Punk Rock & Paintbrushes 10th annual holiday art show in Los Angeles. We talked about being on the road, countries he’d love to play for in the future, and up and coming bands he’s been listening to.
Dying Scene (Spike): I know you have a set to do so I’ll keep this short and sweet. This is such a great event! I know your wife (Jackie Wasserman) has some work on display, right?
Noodles: She does! For the first time ever. I’ve been trying to talk her into it for 9-10 years, and finally she hung out with Emily (Nielsen) over the summer and Emily talked her into doing it. She wont listen to me, but she listens to people smarter than me, so that’s okay.
I really like all of her stuff, it’s all really cool. Especially how she uses rocks?!
The eyes, yeah! “She Still See’s You”.
I love it. How are you keeping up with the modern punk scene? Are there any bands that you’re really into right now that you want more people to know about?
Yeah there’s a bunch and you know some have blown up in the last couple years, like Amyl and the Sniffers are great. They opened up for AC/DC the other day, so they’ve definitely come a long way. There’s a lot of bands, Slaughterhouse is coming up and doing a lot. A band called Pinkshift, I don’t know how long they’ve been around, I just recently discovered them, but they’re great out of Baltimore. The Rumours band, Die Spitz is great, Spunk is a fun one. There’s always up and coming stuff and a lot of local bands, and I love just finding new bands. Anyone that’s out there doing it and just kind of making noise, and doing it well, I love it.
That kind of ties in with my next question, what does punk mean to you?
Oh god, yeah. I’ve said a lot of things, like punk just means questioning convention or whatever, but really punk rock is kind of like Buddha hood. It’s like something you hope to attain, but might not ever actually achieve it. It’s just staying open minded. I’ve seen a lot of people, even in the punk scene, get to be about my age, and all of a sudden their minds are as rigid as their bodies are! So I think having an open mind and trying to step away from all the rigidity of thought, there’s something punk rock about that.
Did you ever think The Offspring would last 40 years?
Fuck no. I didn’t know how long it would last. First of all, we never thought it would be a career choice, you know. I’m hanging out with my friends like Melvin in NOFX, and the very first time we thought “wow man, these guys are actually making a living playing music”, was when we opened up for NOFX in Europe for like 6 weeks, but we were broke! You know, we all had day jobs and were going to school, but those guys were actually making a living so we thought maybe it’s possible. We saw Bad Religion making a living, but not a career choice, still it’s something we love to do, but never a career choice.
You just got back from tour, and now you’re going back on tour soon. Do you ever rest?
I got about a month and a half. I actually sleep better on the road sometimes. I get into a hotel room, put the blackout lights on, and I’m just out. It’s weird how that works, but a lot of times you have to get up early, and you’re traveling, and it’s crazy. The traveling is pretty brutal. The word traveling has the same root word as travail, so you know travails and travels, they do beat you up. But getting out and playing a show every night is what we love to do. That connection with the audience and fans, and when you’re resonating (with them), it’s the best drug in the world. It really is. There’s nothing like that.
Is there one country that has a really great reaction to you guys?
I wouldn’t say there’s one country, you see fans that are different all around the world. South American audiences in general are one of the most passionate and crazed, like there’s no boundaries. You kind of want to hold them at arms distance because they will rip you apart if you get too close, but they are so much fun to play for. They really are, and we’ve been fortunate enough to have traveled really all over the world. The only places we haven’t played are parts of Asia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Jakarta, and nowhere in India. I would love to play some of those places just to see what the fans are like there.
My last question for you, do you have any advice for a young punk like me?
Yeah, anyone trying to be creative, just keep following those creative things. Whether you’re writing, painting, I mean there’s tons of great art here tonight, there’s tons of great music in the world, just keeping doing it. If you’re in a band, play music with like-minded people that share the same love of the music, and be open to opportunities. If there are no opportunities, make some. Get out in people’s faces and eventually, if you’re good atall, people will notice. And have fun!
Getting first hand advice from Noodles himself, then dancing to his DJ set after was pretty damn cool. Check out the video on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube.
