Touring van, on the road, Interstate 5, "Last Match" tour, 2001. Punk band gets ready
to rock WaikikiBy Shawn "Speedy" Lopes
slopes@starbulletin.comThese are the specifics that even decades from now, Washington, D.C.-and-Baltimore-based band the Thumbs will recall when asked where they were and what they were doing when learning of last week's East Coast terrorist attacks.
"We were driving all night to Seattle from a show in Oakland the night before, and I was actually listening to a Spanish radio station at 6 a.m., and the broadcaster came on and said, 'Terrorista ... World Trade building,'" remembers guitarist/vocalist Bobby Borte, whose band mates -- all of whom grew up in the legendary Washington, D.C., punk scene -- know people who have lost friends or family in the tragedies.
"I don't speak Spanish, so I changed the station to another one, and the morning deejay was saying that a passenger plane had just flown into the World Trade building. I pulled over to a rest stop, and everyone started to wake up and listen to the news report. It was pretty surreal. All seven of us in the van didn't really speak the whole day; we just listened."
In the aftermath of the catastrophic events, the future of the band's tour hung in the balance, including this weekend's shows at the Pink Cadillac in Waikiki. Borte insists, however, that the shows will proceed as planned.
"We are checking the FAA Web site, trying to figure out if our travel plans will still work in light of last Tuesday's attack on the East Coast," he said. "The flights to Hawaii won't be a problem, but the flight from there to Japan still seems a little shaky. We talked to the Japanese Embassy in D.C., and they feel that all flights will be back to normal by next week."
With Bronson, Theocracy A.D., E.M.D. The Thumbs
Where: Pink Cadillac, 478 Ena Road
When: 7 p.m. tomorrow
Admission: $6, all ages (ID required for 21 and older)
Also: Sunday with Neural Void, Hellbound Hounds, 2face4 same venue
That's good news for Thumbs fans east of California, who are eager to see them live. Meanwhile, the rest of the world listens in as the Thumbs raise a spirited racket in the name of Washington, D.C., hardcore. The band acknowledges their sizable debt to such significant D.C. bands as Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Dag Nasty and Government Issue. Each has had, in varying portions, an effect on the Thumbs' sound and outlook.
"(The D.C. scene) has definitely influenced us, but maybe more importantly, it's had an impact on our attitudes toward playing music," says bassist Mike Hall. "We grew up going to Positive Force (a local youth activist organization) and Dischord (the trailblazing D.C. record label) shows in D.C., and whether you like the sound or not, it's hard to argue with the fact that they charge reasonable door prices, sell merchandise for reasonable prices, and that they respect the people at the shows -- no rock star (stuff)."
The Thumbs are also impressed with their label, Adeline Records, whose greatest assets are its promising roster (A.F.I., One Man Army, One Time Angels, etc.) and the endorsement of Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong, one of the label's co-founders. In late 1999, just as a lukewarm reception to a demo of Thumbs songs by ball-dropping punk labels nearly forced the band to press their own album, Armstrong reviewed their demo, liked it and offered to sign them.
"Right after Christmas, I got a phone call from Billie Joe," Borte remembers. "He left a message and said that Adeline wanted to put out the songs and get them on people's turntables. It was exactly what we wanted to hear. There weren't any weird conditions or terms. They liked the music, and they wanted it out on their label, end of story."
It's been a happy and mutually beneficial relationship for both parties, as band and label share a common dedication to punk rock and the lofty ideals of its familial community.
"I think we both lucked out because we've since realized that all the people involved have very similar personalities and a love for music and the punk community. We've all become very good friends. We try to write good songs, and they try to get the records in people's hands. I think that's how it should be."
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