Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES – ¡BLOW IT…AT MADISON’S QUINCEAÑERA! Twenty years after Me First and the Gimme Gimmes ruined Johnny's Bar Mitzvah, punk rock's premier cover band is back to wreak havoc on another important coming-of-age ceremony. This time, as the album title reveals, it was a Quinceañera. Nobody attending had ever heard of Me First and the Gimme Gimmes before, and nobody knew what to expect. "It was really tense for me going out to no applause—and to people actually walking away when we were playing," says frontman Spike Slawson. "A Quinceañera is a very celebrated and important event, not just in a young girl's life, but in the whole families. Mom and Dad were great, but it took the uncles a little while to warm up to me and our off-color jokes, though I think eventually they got it. Our process is to cast the line out and bring people to the point of— and beyond—outward expressions of displeasure like booing, and then hopefully reel them back in by the end of the set." Does that kind of make Me First and the Gimme Gimmes—especially on this record—the Andy Kaufman of punk rock? Possibly. But you don't have to be in on the joke to enjoy this album. Nor do you have to be a sadist (but it wouldn't hurt) to enjoy the one person politely clapping after Slawson introduces "Changes" at the beginning of the first of the band's two sets. "This is a Black Sabbath song," he says. "If you know it, feel free to sing along." Nobody does. But he interpolates birthday girl, Madison's, name into the song, and as the band speeds things up a little later, you can feel that heavy, early tension dissipate a very tiny bit. When he speaks to her at the start of "Dancing Queen," things loosen up a little bit more—though you could still cut the air with a cumpleaños cake-sized knife—and there are even a few cheers after the band sings "Happy Birthday." The turning point, however, has to be the wonderfully SNAFU'd cover of Olivia Rodrigo's "Good 4 U", which is a work of art in and of itself, regardless of context. And while it might not have gotten the exact same reception the popstar herself gets in arenas; it's still followed by enthusiastic screams. What's more, as it's wont to do, the band even manages to include a nod to a punk classic at the start, in the shape of "Ever Fallen In Love." "We just thought it was too perfect," remembers Slawson. "Nobody in the place knew who the Buzzcocks were or cared what the intro was or anything, so it was kind of lost on them, but that moment in the set I think was when the crowd was finally fully on our side. We had them eating out of the palm of our hands at that point, which was a good feeling because it was touch and go until then. But with that song we finally played something from this millennium." Recorded on July 15th, 2023, at The Soap Factory in San Diego, on this live outing, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes were completed by Joey Cape on guitar, CJ Ramone on bass, Swami John Reis on guitar, and Andrew "Pinch" Pinching on drums—a veritable punk rock supergroup, as ever, not that anyone at the Quinceañera knew or cared. However, they also had a horn section for the first time, courtesy of Keith Douglas and Jason Crane. Swami John Reis' father, John Reis Sr., even played accordion on the penultimate song, "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," the track made famous in 1975 by Freddy Fender. It all comes together to create a performance that rises (even as it's sinking) to the occasion. It would have been so easy for the band to play to a crowd who already knew and loved them, but that's not the Gimme Gimmes way. Besides, you get more sense of what the band is like live listening to this than you ever could from a slick performance in front of an adoring audience. For Slawson, that redemption arc is precisely the point. "I would like this to be considered indicative of what a live show by the Gimme Gimmes can be," he says. "The only difference is that there would be people that wanted to hear us specifically and came to see us. What happened at this show, to me, is better than unfettered, unconditional applause from a lot of people. Golf-claps from about five people is how I want to hear a live record. It's funny, and it doesn't stop being funny. Not only do outward displays of disapproval not scare me, but I might even crave them a little bit. I don't necessarily want to leave with people booing, but fawning praise makes me cringe. The girl had a good time, her mom and dad had a good time, her abuelo had a good time. And then when the DJ music finally played, her friends had a good time, too."

Originally perceived as a Brooklyn based punk band, SURFBORT is proving their cult cool translates coast to coast. Channeling inspiration from the 80’s punk scene to produce rousing, explosive music, their feedback strafed, guitar-shredding music says no to a digital age full of intolerance; they radiate love and friendship. All are welcome in the SURFBORT FREAK FAMILY! Touring with The Black Lips after playing the last Coachella, the band has also performed with The Dickies, Royal Trux, White Fang, The Garden, Martin Rev, Tijuana Panthers, The Mystery Lights, to name a few. The band continues to hail acclaim from peers and journalists alike: “The high degree of authenticity that permeates every aspect of Surfbort’s work makes the band a “distinguishable artistic entity. Live, Surfbort is akin to a stick of dynamite that self-ignites, producing a massive eruption that encapsulates the audience in the most incredible way. The band’s energy feels far from forced; it is raw to the point of being uncontrollably infectious.”- AMPLIPY MAGAZINE. “Machine gun volley of two-minute shards of sound that pummel you into a giddy mess while flicking two fingers to authority” - CRACK MAGAZINE. “The last (only) New York Punk band” - W Magazine. The Guardian compares the band with “The Spirit of Bikini Kill, Pussy Galore, Patti Smith and X”. It’s no wonder Surfbort was one of the handpicked collection of great bands originally signed to Cult Records, the indie label founded by Julian Casablancas of The Strokes/The Voidz. Surfbort was recently picked up by Iconic rock producer Linda Perry to be part of her new partnership with streaming giant SOUNDCLOUD, releasing the new album ‘Keep on Truckin’ in October of 2021. “There probably isn’t a single word in the English language that describes this feeling that Surfbort captures on Keep On Truckin’. It’s like smiling with a fat lip or winking with a black eye or laughing with a set of bruised ribs. The spirit of perseverance, finding some semblance of happiness after taking a mental/spiritual/literal beating. This theme throughout Keep On Truckin’: from the album’s title to “Life’s A Joke” (“Nothing’s going my way today, but it’s okay”) to the closer, “Cheap Glue,” a mid-tempo song that sees Dani vow to do “anything to help you find a solution” to a friend’s broken heart.” - HOLLYWOOD LIFE. The music video for “FML” features comedian and band leader/drummer of Late Night with Seth Meyers, Fred Armisen who walks around doing good deeds all day then transforms into each member of the band saving them from their extreme depression. Pro-skater, Lizzie Armanto makes her directorial debut and co-stars in the music video for "Lot Lizard," releasing in January 2022 and Tony Hawk is slated to star in the video for "Open Your Eyes." Singer, Dani Miller also recently guested on the GROUPLOVE track ‘Just What You Want’. Surfbort also starred in the 2019 Pre-Fall GUCCI campaign, performing at the press event and is featured in the FILM DIRECTED BY GLEN LUCHFORD. Singer Dani Miller is also the star of the launch of the worldwide campaign for GUCCI BEAUTY. Drummer, Sean Powell was the inspiration behind the lead Character the Academy award winning film, Sound of Metal. Surfbort is: Dani Miller- Vocals, Alex Kilgore - Guitar, Matt Picola - Guitar, Nick Arnold - Bass, and Sean Powell -Drums.

The Black Tones welcome audiences into their musical family every time they take the stage. Once you see them live, you’ve then become a part of their extended sonic kin. Founded by twins Eva and Cedric Walker, the Seattle-based rock ‘n’ roll band has grown from humble beginnings in their grandmother’s basement to receiving recognition from Guitar World, AfroPunk, KEXP, American Songwriter, Under the Radar and NPR, which said, ”The Black Tones are redefining Seattle music.” 

 

Over the past handful of years, the rock group has shared stages with Weezer, Mavis Staples, Death Cab for Cutie, Tank and the Bangas, Fishbone and many more. The group has also worked closely with Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready on several projects, including a cover of U2's "Pride (In the Name of Love)." And in 2019, The Black Tones released their debut LP, Cobain & Cornbread, which was engineered by the legendary Godfather of Grunge, Jack Endino.  

 

That album garnered the group many accolades, including the rank of #17 on KEXP’s Best Albums of 2019 list. Not to be outdone, The Seattle Times dubbed the group one of the 15 Most Influential Artists of the 2010’s. In 2020 The Black Tones released a limited edition 7” (“Where Do We Go Now” b/w “The Devil & Grandma'') on McCready’s record label, HockyTalkter Records. And in 2022, the rock band caught the attention of Sub Pop Records, which released their single, “The End of Everything” b/w “Mr. Mines.” 

 

While these accomplishments are lofty, Eva and Cedric keep their feet firmly on the ground, maintaining warmth and humility, joy and a sense of familial freedom. To wit, The Black Tones boast their own hate group-fighting 8-bit video game, “They Want Us Dead,” inspired by their hit single, “The Key of Black.” In the game, players can fight hate groups like the alt-right, slave owners and more as either Eva or Cedric, traveling back through time.  

 

Truly, for the band, music is as much entertainment and expression as it is a chance at activism. To change the world—or even a single person’s perception of it—through songs is an honor for Eva and Cedric and one it does not take lightly. Whether singing songs about the danger black bodies incur daily, spiders in their childhood bedrooms or fantastical “ghetto spaceships,” The Black Tones' charisma and infectious blues-punk approach is exemplary, essential and the stuff of deep roots.