Danny Secretion isn’t only just a stalwart of the Sacramento punk rock scene, he’s also a pretty swell guy. So swell, in fact, that he’s once again throwing what is sure to be an epic, five-day birthday bash that will not only rock your socks (if you’re wearing socks), but also benefit the American Cancer Society. This year, you’ll be able to wish Danny a happy birthday and hoist a giant middle finger to cancer at five venues in the Sacramento area: Wednesday, Nov. 15 will be hosted by The Powerhouse Pub (614 Sutter St., Folsom) and will feature performances by The Nickel Slots, California Riot Act and others. Head down to The Press Club (2030 P St., Sacramento) for The Ghost Town Rebellion, a comedy set by Submerge’s own Robert Berry and more on Nov. 16. Kevin Seconds, Slattern V (featuring members of Mr. T Experience and Groovie Ghoulies) and others will usher in a night of punk rock goodness at Old Ironsides (1901 10th St., Sacramento) on Nov. 17. Cafe Colonial and The Colony (3520 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento) will host an all-ages show featuring Kill the Precedent, The Danny Secretion Band and more on Nov. 18. Finally, on Nov. 19 at Blue Lamp (1400 Alhambra Blvd., Sacramento) you can get down with Sparks Across Darkness, Hobo Johnson, Ode to Saturday and more. Another great feature of all these shows is that you’ll be able to attend each one for a sliding scale of $5–$20, so you can have a great time for a great cause whether or not you have a lot of disposable cash. For a full list of acts, go to this Facebook event page, where you’ll find more info.

**This write-up first appeared in print on page 11 of issue #252 (Nov. 6 – 20, 2017)**

The O’Mulligans formed way back in 2003 (!) with the plan of banging out a few songs at a suburban Sacramento battle of the bands. This month, nearly 15 years later, they’ll release their first full-length album.

“We were listening to a lot of Dropkick Murphys then and wanted to sound like that,” said guitarist and one of the band’s two singers, David Lindsay. “We wrote a couple of songs in that vein and were like, ‘Oh, this sucks. These aren’t good songs.’”

They ditched the Celtic-punk routine right off the bat, and the battle of the bands never even ended up happening. They pivoted toward a more carefree shade of catchy punk rock almost immediately, but never fully resolved their repeated conversations about changing their name along the way.

“None of us are really even Irish,” said Lindsay during a recent phone interview. “It’s like a bad tattoo that we’re kind of stuck with. We just kept the name and started writing some goofy songs.”

The O’Mulligans piddled along as a side project for years, mostly playing friends’ parties, while all three members focused on their “more serious” bands. Things were sporadic until around 2011, when the band’s members started giving the band more attention—playing regularly and recording some demos and EPs, carving out a place in Sacramento’s punk scene.

This month, nearly 15 years after their formation, The O’Mulligans will release their first full-length album, Meh, at a show with The Moans and The Enlows at Café Colonial on Feb. 24, 2017.

“Admittedly Nostalgic”

The same week that The O’Mulligans emailed me an advance copy of Meh, I happened to crack open NOFX’s recently published memoir and I was scheduled to attend Emo Night at The Press Club for another story I was writing. Suffice it to say, it was a week spent dipping into the songs of my teens and early 20s. The new O’Mulligans album tucked itself beautifully into that week (closer to the NOFX than the emo), because it nods so deliberately to the past, sonically and in the lyrics, which are heavy on cultural references, both smart and playful.

There’s plenty to laugh at on the album, but The O’Mulligans aren’t the Bloodhound Gang or anything. They’re not a stand-up act.

“Contemporary music is seriously lacking in humor, but I don’t want to be thought of as a joke band,” said bassist and other vocalist, Jeff Florence. “I want to be a good band that just happens to make good jokes.”

The O’Mulligans tilt more toward the Offspring/NOFX/Vandals attitude in that they are clearly down to fuck around and are not hung up on taking themselves too seriously, but that doesn’t mean all they’ve got are jokes. Take that attitude and spike it with a heavy dose of early Green Day and you’re starting to get a feel for what the The O’Mulligans offer up on Meh.

“This album is a conscious throwback,” said Florence, describing not only the music, but the whole experience of the disc. “Have you ever shelled out hard-earned dough for a bare bones CD that sounded like it was recorded on a phone? I feel this CD is an accurate representation of us from the killer sound quality to the popping visuals. I hope anybody who digs our music will appreciate our admittedly nostalgic compact disc.”

The album’s artwork, by local artist Mark Stivers, is a bright and beautiful piece of pop art featuring the face of a blonde woman with popping red lipstick. The band’s name is slapped across the top in large comic book lettering. The cover is an absolute attention grabber, which is why its title, featured on the cover in the form of a white talk bubble from the woman’s mouth, is an anticlimactic beauty: Meh.

The album was recorded and mixed by Pat Hills at Earth Tone Sacramento. The bulk of the 14 tracks have been written and performed in their live shows for the last few years, but they needed to save up some money and set aside the time before pinning them down alongside one another.

“It just felt like time,” said Lindsay. “We had more than enough songs for an album, but it was mostly a financial thing. Fortunately for us, Patrick at Earth Tone is fucking killing it. He’s offering good services at an affordable price.”

The O’Mulligans have played together for nearly half of their lives. With Meh, they will have their first full-length under their belt.

“This band started out as a joke, and it still is a joke that makes us very proud,” said drummer Michael Luna. “This album is funny and we need some laughter right now, and what better way to do that than to throw in a couple of dick jokes?”

Take Me Back to 1994

The song “DJs” is a five-minute lament on the current state of radio music. The song makes a specific reference to 1994, which is the year Lindsay got his first CD—The Offspring’s Smash. He was 8 years old and had to share it wish his sister. She kept the CD, and they used that to make him a copy on tape. A year later he bought his first CD of his own—Green Day’s Insomniac. You can draw a direct through-line from those albums to what The O’Mulligans are making now, and as someone who grew up on that exact same music, it’s a treat.

The song “Your Pathetic Band,” a favorite of mine on the album, is built entirely of Star Wars lines, with the two singers trading verses—Florence singing from Luke’s perspective and Lindsay as the Emperor. “T.G.I.F” commits to its theme just as admirably, only this time it’s a rapid-fire run through Full House, Family Matters and the rest of the shows you spent your childhood watching. Some other standouts for me are the abrasive “Textual Criticism” and the catchy “Song in My Head”—neither of which are joke songs.

The band is a staple in the Sacramento punk scene whose hub is Café Colonial, where they’ll host their release party. (Lindsay even has a burger named after him on their menu.) The release party will feature two of their favorite local bands, The Enlows and The Moans—the latter of which which features Danny Secretion, whom the band considers a mentor.

“I expect and hope to be surrounded by friends and family,” said Luna. “The local punk scene is our family and if they were the only ones to show up, I would be happy. A few people from other bands have messaged us or told us they were looking forward to the album and that has meant a lot to me.”

I reached out to Danny Secretion for comment. “The O’Mulligans (Davey, Mike, and that other guy) are men of honor and conviction,” he said. “They are true professionals who fly the banner of local punk rock with pride. Most of all, I can’t get that fucking pizza song of theirs out of my goddamn head!”

Hear that pizza song yourself at the The O’Mulligan’s CD release show for Meh on Friday, Feb. 24 at Café Colonial. The show, which also features The Moans and The Enlows, starts at 8 p.m. and the cover is $5. Find out more at Facebook.com/theomulligans.

The Secretions are explicit in their support of the local punk scene, and front-and-center to that support has been an openness to the bands that have come up in their wake—many of which feature members who weren’t even born when The Secretions formed in the early ‘90s.

They are a firmly lodged staple in the Sacramento music scene, and their impact can be felt at venues all across the city on any given night. As you’ll see, those bands cherish The Secretions, not only as musicians, but as humans.

The Secretions will be celebrating their 25th anniversary on July 9 starting at 6 p.m. at the Colonial Theatre on Stockton Boulevard. There is a $10–$20 sliding-scale donation and all proceeds will go to the Pit Bull Socialization and Obedience Crew in Sacramento.

I reached out to some locals who have been close to The Secretions over the years to get a feel for the band’s influence. I’ve stitched together those stories (which run the gamut from hilarious to heartwarming) below, with some thoughts and memories from the band’s drummer, Danny Secretion, weaved in.

Photo by Kevin Fiscus

David Lindsay, guitarist for The O’Mulligans
I first saw them perform at their 10-year anniversary show at Capitol Garage when I was 15. I knew that playing music with my friends was all I wanted to do. It’s still all I want to do. 

Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to have my own band share the stage with Danny, Mickie [Rat, bass/vocals] and Paul [Filthy, guitar] numerous times and am lucky to have them as my peers, even though I still consider them my personal rock ‘n’ roll heroes. I’m almost 30 now, and I’m pretty sure I play it off quite cool in front of them, but I’m still a huge fan and I still aspire to be like them. The Secretions are one of the greatest bands to come out of Sacramento, and I can’t wait to see them continue for hopefully another 25 years. To this day, I know that they secrete and I suck.

Danny Secretion on how things have changed:
Twenty-five years ago, we knew all the other punk bands that were playing in Sacramento. Now, so many more young people are playing. Some bands have people that aren’t even in high school. That’s so cool. They’re out there playing and booking shows. Juniors in high school are asking us for advice on touring.

Jordan Stephen, vocalist/guitarist for Shot Trip (formerly Pilgrim)
Last summer, our good friends Simpl3Jack booked their “final” show at Cafe Colonial and asked my band and The Secretions to be a part of it. When they got on stage, The Secretions ripped through the entirety of the Ramones’ second album, Leave Home, as a tribute to Simpl3Jack heading off to college (even going so far as to replace the “Gabba Gabba Hey!” with a chant of “Simple Simple Jack!).

To see a band that had been around since before I was born humbly, and sometimes hilariously, trudge through an album of songs they had just learned to pay tribute to a couple of kids was amazing and completely inspiring. Without Danny and The Secretions, I might not have a place in any of the Sac music scene, but luckily, I do. And I’m eternally grateful that I do.

Danny Secretion on booking bands from tours past:
The 25th Anniversary show is going to be a show that you’re never going to see again. The Community and The Secretions are the only bands that play regularly. I don’t know if Final Summation or Social Concern are ever going to play again. Last time Ashtray played was two years ago.

Trying to get [some bands] back together can be like opening old wounds among the band members. Maybe there’s a reason they broke up.

All these feelings are going to come to the forefront. Me being a big crybaby, I’m probably going to be bawling the whole night, but in a good way. We want to celebrate this great trip that music has taken us on.

Liz Salmi, drummer for Luckie Strike (1997–2001)
One of my favorite things about hanging out with and being on tour with The Secretions is that no one in the band had a bad attitude. All of the people in my band self-identified as being a bunch of nerds, and The Secretions were always nice to us and fun to be with.

To save space on tour, Luckie Strike and The Secretions shared gear. As drummers, Danny Secretion and I shared a drum set. He sang in his band, and I didn’t. However, if The Secretions performed before us, Danny’s microphone would sometimes be left next to the drum set. Having a microphone is a rare treat for a drummer, and I always felt empowered to say things into the microphone during a show … If Danny could do it, I could too, and no one could stop me.

Charles Albright, guitarist for RAD
I was at Rio Americano High School when The Secretions played there in spring of ‘98. They set up and began to play. A crowd of jocks in the distance started lobbing insults and rocks. Danny said, “Shouldn’t you guys be at football practice?”

More insults, more rocks. They went into a song and Mickie yells, “Sorry we don’t sound like NOFX, motherfuckers!” Pretty soon an administrator appeared, pulled the plug and they were escorted off campus by police. One of the punkest things I have ever seen.

Danny Secretion on the story you just read:
That’s all true. We took the afternoon off work to go do that, and got kicked off of a high school. Bands that played the next two years had to sign a contract saying they didn’t know us.

Brian Faucett (aka Brian Hanover), owner of Revolution Ink and vocalist/guitarist for Hanover Saints
You’d think after 25 years there would be nothing left to Secrete with these guys, but you’d be wrong.

Rachel Hanna, singer for The Bar Fly Effect
I got to get up on stage with The Secretions at Danny’s birthday bash in like 2013. It was a Ramones themed show, and he personally asked me if I’d sing a song with them. The guys are so much fun and so accepting and loving of everyone in the scene, I can’t imagine life without knowing them. 

Sophia Flores, singer for Crude Studs
Around 2000–2003, most punk bands in Sacramento were fairly aggressive and politicized, or at least the bands I tended to follow. I wouldn’t go on to see them much until around 2006–2007, when I ran shows at the Javalounge on 16th Street.

These interactions, as well as the cooperative booking endeavors I would work on with them at The Hub, and later at Cafe Colonial, are really what showed me what these folks were made of. They strove to create opportunities for younger bands to gain experience, network and most importantly, play in a safe space. They were, and continue to be, the gateway drug to punk in Sacramento.

Danny Secretion on the annual Fuck Cancer shows:
Prior to my father’s death I was raising money for The American Cancer Society. When I lost my father to cancer, I pursued it more aggressively. I’m exhausted after those shows, but I go to bed with a smile on my soul. They’re therapeutic. I don’t want to just say, “Oh, cancer is bad.” I want to say “Fuck Cancer.” I’ve got anger in that.

Dal Basi, owner of Phono Select Records
The Secretions were one of the earliest bands I became friends with after moving to Sacramento in the early ‘90s. They blew me away with their limitless energy and buzz-saw rock ‘n’ roll, Ramones-inspired punk-roll blitzkrieg. To this day they continue to rock like a punk rock ‘n’ roll juggernaut. Every time I see them live I leave with a smile on my face. How many bands have stayed continuously good after 20-plus years?

What they do for local music deserves our respect. So, members past and present, thanks for the years of great memories, friendship and most of all, the rock ‘n’ roll!

Danny Secretion on the band’s “mentorship role”:
We can’t take any credit. If bands come to me for advice, I’m always willing to give it. The thing about being in this scene for so long is you see the people when they’re 14. A lot these kids’ first shows were Secretions shows because they felt safe and went on and developed their own bands. If we meant a lot to them, we succeeded.

Jordan Wolfe, bassist for Final Summation
The Secretions took us under their wing very early on and really became like big brothers. We could go to them for advice on how to play out-of-town shows and how to get merch made, but even how to handle life-changing events of the good and bad variety. They were also there for advice on life changing in general and how to handle it in a positive way. When our guitarist at the time, John Powell, sadly decided to take his life at 19, Danny and Mickie were the first two people at my house to make sure Bear [Williams, guitar] and I were OK. 

I’ve come to find that a lot of kids who gravitate to punk rock (the ones who don’t have a close friend or relative to hold their hand) are kids who think they are weird, or nerds, or get bullied … whatever. Outcasts of various degrees.

Once in the scene and going to shows, sometimes the same level of bullying from the “normal” world looms its ugly head and can make an already rejected person feel even more rejected. A band like The Secretions mean what they say and make it OK to be who you are, no matter how weird. Oh, you like wrestling and punk rock and horror movies but you also have a secret fascination with eating at every In-n-Out Burger in America? Cool, come out to a show and make some new friends so you have someone to go with you next time. THAT is what a Secretions show is like.

Anger and attitude and violence all have their place in punk rock, but the lovable geeky punks like Joey Ramone or a young Billie Joe Armstrong carve out an area for the not-so-angry, but still displaced. You’ll find songs to circle-pit to, songs to mosh to, songs to pogo to, songs to sing along with, songs to simply stand there and bob your head to, ALL at a Secretions show. There is literally something for everyone looking to have a good time. 

They were inspired by bands like The Ramones and The Misfits, both of whom have spawned generations of bands, and I think that helps build a bridge in seeing how they did the same thing.

I know people as young as 12 and as old as 70 that know who The Secretions are. I know people in countries all over the world who know who The Secretions are. That’s insane! But it’s extremely easy to understand. They take what they do seriously, but they don’t take themselves seriously. They are confident in who they are or have come to be, but they keep any amount of shitty ego in check. They have always been humble and happy to help any up-and-coming punk band, so long as a mutual respect was upheld, which isn’t too much to ask.

They write funny songs, but involve themselves with serious causes. They always seem to find a perfect balance in making something ugly beautiful, or something sad funny in a needed way. I owe them a great deal of thanks and still, after almost 20 years, I feel incapable of finding the right way to say thank you.

I hope they know it [has] all meant something, and it [has] never been taken for granted. There are stories, rumors, legacies, lore and so on, which is why they whave such a staying power, and we as a scene and a city are lucky to have them. 

Celebrate 25 years of local punk rock at The Secretions 25th Anniversary Extravaganza July 9, 2016 at the Colonial Theater, located at 3522 Stockton Blvd. in Sacramento. The all-ages show is a benefit for Pit Bull Socialization and Obedience Crew, with a $10–$20 sliding-scale donation at the door. The 6 p.m. show also features a stellar line-up of bands past and present, including Final Summation, Ashtray, The Community, Social Concern and Speeding In The Rain as well as DJ sets between bands by Rob Fatal. Find out more at Facebook.com/secretions

Thanks to the efforts of local musician Danny Secretion, another round of awesome FUK CNCR shows—also dubbed as his “lame-ass birthday benefits”—are heading your way. For many years, Danny has been donating proceeds from his shows to the American Cancer Society and the feedback from bands and attendees alike has been nothing short of stupendous. The event kicks off on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015 at The Press Club where a measly $5 donation lets you see and hear Gene Chowder (Secretion’s alter-ego act), Blame the Bishop, Little Tents, MAU and Scratch Outs. The party continues the next night at Blue Lamp, followed by Old Ironsides on Friday and then Saturday’s big blowout event at The Colonial Theater. Saturday’s soiree will feature three, totally different stages at three neighboring venues with Supreme Pro Wrestling (yes, wrestling), Kill the Precedent, Rat Stomp, Bastards of Young, The Enlows, Rebel Radio, The Secretions, Pilgrim, The O’Mulligans, The Hybrid Creeps, Crude Studs and Red Devil Lie. Buy special wristband tickets from Danny that will get you in to all four shows for a cheaper price. All shows are 21-and-over with the exception of the final blowout party. To find out more click here

This Band Walks Into a Bar …

So, two fat guys, a Mexican and a Japanese girl start a band…

What’s the punch line you ask? Dead Dads.

“Yeah, Dead Dads is the punch line,” Tony Silva of the Sacramento pop-punk band Dead Dads explains of their Facebook page’s band description. “It’s kind of like that NOFX album, White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean.”

“I think the three of the guys in the band are pretty immature and Lys is mature,” lead singer and guitarist Cory Wiegert jokes.

All jokes aside, if you’ve been around the Sacramento music scene long enough you know that bands are not just bands—they’re bands, within bands, within bands…well, you get it. A guitarist may moonlight in another band as its bassist, or a drummer may trade in his sticks for a guitar strap—Multi-instrumentalists are commonplace in this town.

Such is the case for the members of Dead Dads: its frontman, Wiegert, also plays guitar and sings backup vocals in the local bluesy rock band the Peace Killers, while Lys Mayo on the drums, guitarist Tony Silva and bassist Joe McKinney, also known as Joe Friday (yes, inspired by the character on the TV show Dragnet) also lend their skills to other musical outfits around Sacramento.

While the band also describes its brand of musical stylings on its Facebook page as “stoner pop-punk,” Dead Dads’ music is a fun romp in the world of pop-punk—you know, the cousin to punk, a fusion of fast punk beats and blaring guitar riffs with pop-y melodies and arrangements.

“When we first started, we didn’t want to just call ourselves pop-punk because we were mixing all of these kind of weird riffs and such, and so we started saying stoner pop-punk,” Silva explains. “I think it is a good way to describe us—I mean really we’re a pop-punk band. We take a lot of influence from the Bay Area pop-punk bands.”

The quartet began simply as a band of friends—going to shows and hanging out around the Sacramento music scene. What started off as something fun to occupy their time quickly grew into a full-fledged band.

“Our first show was in November 2011, and we had our first practice, probably, late September/early October 2011,” Silva explains.

“We didn’t practice very long before we started playing shows,” Wiegert chuckles.

“Our first show was for one of Danny Secretion’s cancer benefit shows,” McKinney explains. “And it was at this venue that was also an art gallery in Midtown—which I guess wasn’t a totally legit venue, it didn’t have the proper permits or anything. The name of the venue was a venue called, Digitalis, the show was going well and we were probably the fourth out of five bands [on the bill] and right as we were finishing up our last song the people at the venue working there came and said, ‘Hey, you guys got to stop…cops!’”

While the police may have busted up the renegade show, the band forged on and their efforts transformed from just playing music and having fun into a serious musical endeavor—ultimately materializing into their first EP, simply titled Ben.

“Once we did our first recording it started to get a bit more serious,” Wiegert explains. “It really was just to play local shows as first; we hoped we could do more than that. We’re just now starting to venture out of town, but there wasn’t a particular goal in mind. We found a small label to put out our album and I guess that was somewhat of a goal.”

Huddled around a cell phone in the back of Wiegert’s dark blue Dodge Caravan in the parking lot of their practice space (House of Hits Recording Studios in Del Paso Heights, near the Marconi-Arden Arcade light rail station and next to the 7-Up factory), the quartet spoke to Submerge about their early influences, the driving force behind their sound, the dynamics of the band’s creative process and their latest album Space Camp.

“I was a band geek starting in fourth grade, I played trumpet and all that stuff and then I heard Green Day and saw [the movie] School of Rock and I decided I wanted to play drums, and that was that,” Mayo says.

“Not many of the people my age like the music I like, and the specific music I had in my head that I wanted to play, which was some sort of pop-punk that was reminiscent of the old Bay Area pop-punk bands,” Wiegert, the elder statesman of the band, explains. “And we all smoke a lot of pot and get weird, so it just really worked out that way.”

And while you typically don’t see many females in town wailing away behind the drum kit, Mayo is quick to dismiss the idea that being a woman in a band with three dudes is anything remarkable.

“I don’t think it’s any different than having a group of four guys or anything like that,” Mayo says, elaborating on the guy-girl dynamic in the band. “They’re just my three best friends, so we inspire each other, we drive each other nuts, we write good music, we write some bad music, it’s not that much different than [any other band out there] … I’m in a band with girls as well, [and] to me I don’t think gender plays a huge role in the dynamic.”

The band’s second EP, released earlier this year, was recorded by a mainstay in the local music scene—Patrick Hills, who is also a musician in the punk band Bastards of Young. However, it wasn’t something that the group banged out in a couple of weeks—quite the contrary, whenever the band and Hills had any free time they chipped away at bringing the 10-song record to life.

“We started recording it, I think, at the end of the 2013 and we didn’t actually finish recording ’til probably around the summer of 2014,” Wiegert explains. “And then it took a long time for us to find somebody to put it out and everything. But we recorded it with a guy named Pat Hills at his place called Earth Tone studio in Rocklin. It was a long process; finally just in the last few months we were able to put it out.”

And yes, for all of you movie buffs out there, the inspiration for the album’s title did, in part, come from the teen flick Space Camp as well as a bit of mix-up with the lyrics during the recording process.

“What happened was, we were listening to Cory record his vocals for one song and one of the lines I thought he [sang that] he was going to space camp, and I just kept singing it over and over again and then yeah [it just stuck],” McKinney explains.

“Also, I missed seeing movies where people went to space camp. It is a total ’80s/early ’90s thing,” Wiegert continues. “When I was a kid I always thought it sounded so cool.”

The artwork for the cover, a collection of ethereal jellyfish on a black and gray space-like background, was brought to life by a friend whose artistic vision spoke to the foursome.

“We had a few different ideas…but a friend of ours Jessica Vosburg drew up the cover and then I colored it just using Photoshop and such—she did a sketch of it in black and white and we colorized it,” Wiegert explains.

“She drew that probably early 2014—it was probably one of the first album cover ideas we had and we tried about 30 other things and that was the one we always came back to, so two years later we liked it and chose it,” Mayo continues.

So, a jellyfish walks into space camp…OK, bad joke, but check out Dead Dads at their upcoming show and get weird!

For more info, checkout Deaddads.bandcamp.com or their Facebook page.

The Knockoffs and their place in Sacramento’s punk rock history

Country licks with a traditional punk-rock style. Twenty years of street cred earned within the ever-fluctuating Sacramento music scene. Not to mention the immeasurable amount of respect from bands such as 7Seconds, the Groovie Ghoulies, festival organizers and promoters alike. That old school, independent, do-it-yourself mentality all in the spirit of punk rock is still essential for members of The Knockoffs after all this time.

The days when flyers were handed out at shows and littered the walls of bedrooms instead of sidewalks. The times before the Internet was a main tool of promotion, when actual footwork and word of mouth were the standard codes of conduct for bands. These forgotten practices continue to resonate for these four men and after a three-year pause, they’re back and ready to play as loud as they can at this year’s second annual Punch and Pie Fest on Aug. 24, 2013 at Old Ironsides.

“They’re kind of like the elder statesmen of our community. I think that they’re a really important part of Sacramento’s punk rock history. They have been around for 20 years and they have been a great influence on the punk rock community,” says Punch and Pie Fest organizer and Bastards of Young bassist Sean Hills. “I have a lot of respect for them, and I think they are a great example of how to be in a band for that long without killing each other. They’ve been doing it right.”

It’s a roundtable meeting of sorts within the living room of vocalist and guitar player Tom Hutchison, or as his mates like to call him, “Little Tom.” On this Sunday afternoon Danny Secretion, Tom Amberson (aka “Big Tom”) and Bobby Jordan gather around a coffee table, television muted, to speak with Submerge about their love for punk rock music, keeping the scene healthy by ways of encouraging young talent and laughing so hard during practices until their muscles ache and eyes water.

“It’s like we’re in the eighth grade and someone’s parents are gone,” says bassist Jordan of the band’s camaraderie. “It’s one of the fibers of my life.”

Forming in the early ’90s, The Knockoffs have had their fair share of lineup changes. At times, certain members would even jump from guitar to bass and then back to guitar just to keep the process moving. Eventually, the guys found what worked and ultimately solidified their lineup.

Each person comes with their own unique set of experiences or outlooks complete with a list of either a second or third punk rock band they’re also heavily involved in. Like Secretions’ longtime run with The Moans, The Shitty Ramones and The Secretions; or Bobby Jordan doubling up with The Mr. T Experience. Hell, Amberson credits The Knockoffs giving him the opportunity to sit behind the drum kit and learn a completely new instrument by simply joining the ranks. All of these elements are finished with a traditional punk and rock ’n’ roll-style of vocals with just the right amount of gruff, thanks to Hutchison, especially heard within the playful lyrics during songs such as “You Make Me Sit Funny” from The Knockoffs’ second full-length album Sell the Move.

Yet, after all the changes, instrument shuffles and years tacked behind them, their chemistry works. And their time spent performing and practicing as The Knockoffs means more to each member than just another punk rock band they’re a part of. In the end, all members say they genuinely enjoy one another and have witnessed each go through life changes ranging from marriage to welcoming Jordan’s new baby girl to the family.

“Having a baby has made me want to do this even more,” says Jordan. “I want music to be around her while some people retreat in music with babies and families.”

Encouraging music within a younger audience is a duty each member of the band adopts with no questions asked; to them it’s necessary to keep the tight-knit punk rock community healthy. Both Secretion and Jordan recall bands like 7Seconds and the Groovie Ghoulies mentoring them, by means of showing them the unspoken codes of ethics, respect and even honesty when it comes to door money.

“We were really lucky that we had those bands take us under their wing,” remembers Secretion. “The thing that I notice is that the older bands kind of groom the younger ones. When you see bands like Mad Judy or Abandoned Generation, these kids are too young to even get into the shows we’re playing, but seeing them and the younger generation of punk rock, I know it’s going to be OK in Sacramento.”

These four men remember performing shows at Old Ironsides 20 years ago for five bucks. Fast forward a couple decades later and the guys are still playing shows at that price—and happily, which Jordan says is a testament to The Knockoffs, genuine love for the music alone. And they aren’t planning on closing their guitar cases or retiring their drum sticks ever—they’re all here to stay.

“We’re like an old, wore out, stinky pair of shoes,” jokes Jordan, sitting next to Hutchison and directly sending the rest of the guys into laughter.

“I’m looking forward to just playing my guitar as loud as possible and looking over my left shoulder and seeing these guys play their asses off,” says Secretion. “That’s going to mean so much. You ain’t seen the last of us.”

Photo by Allyson Seconds

Punch and Pie Fest 2 will heat up Sacramento Aug. 21–25, 2013 at The Press Club, Old Ironsides, Midtown Barfly and Luigi’s Fungarden. The Knockoffs will perform at Old Ironsides on Aug. 24, 2013 with Dr. Frank, Bright Faces and Arts and Leisure. For a full Punch and Pie Fest schedule, go to Punchandpiefest.com or go to Facebook.com/punchandpieproductions.

If Sacramento’s City of Vain looks like they’re having the times of their lives, that’s because they are

Words by Danny Secretion • Photos by Nicholas Wray

At the risk of sounding like one of those guys who hasn’t been to a local show since 1989, regales in days of yore and constantly reminds “the kids” about how shows were better back in the day at some venue that closed during the Reagan administration, I’ve seen a lot of bands from our local punk scene. Some good. Some not so good. When a band leaves you in such awe of what they present with both their live show and their music that it inspires you to the point of doing something you’ve never dreamed of doing (say, write your very first article for a magazine), that band is beyond good. That band is great. The band I speak of is City of Vain.

Just spending two hours with half of this band left me feeling rejuvenated and hopeful. The gratitude I have for them is immeasurable. Before this interview, I was fortunate enough to listen to rough mixes in Steve’s car. Set list standards like “New Helvetia,” “To You My Friends” and “Stuck Here With You” are delivered with all the power and glory of their live performances. Newer songs like “Moving Up Moving Forward,” “Out on an Island,” “Lessons in Social Class” and “Backs Against the Wall” will more than satisfy those of us who have been listening to this band for nearly two years. Fans of The Clash, Rancid, Bouncing Souls or The Specials who have yet to see this band perform live should hang their heads in shame. Your penance is to pick up two copies of Shaking Hands With Yourself and get your ass out to a show.

Your band consists of musicians from a variety of groups. What was it about this band that you wanted to do differently from your past music projects?
Newell Dunn: For me it was enjoyment. I wanted to have fun. After my last band, I had a long hiatus, so I was itching to play.
Steve Ross: I’m with Newell on that. I’d gone through relationships, had children and I realized I hadn’t done this [play music] in a while and that was my life’s blood before all that.

So did you approach music differently this time around than you did when you were younger?
SR: I appreciate it more!
ND: I appreciate that I get to play music again. I’m still playing music.
SR: I feel like to be able to get up there and for people to give you 30 minutes of their time regardless of where you’re at and who they are, to sit there and even sit through a song is still a privilege to me.

How did the different facets of our local music scene (the hardcore scene, the street punk scene, the pop-punk scene) react to you initially?
ND: I’ve played in hardcore bands and street punk bands before, and everyone I knew in this town from the hardcore scene were like, “You’re doing that? It’s so outside what you’ve done before.” But they all liked it. It was all positive. As far as the street punk scene, I played an early demo for Kenny Beasley [of Pressure Point] way before we even played a show, and he really liked it.
SR: Kenny is one of the most supportive people. He’s an icon that we hold dear. I’m blown away that he’s interested in what we’re doing.
ND: There’s a wide range of people who come to our shows. I’ve seen metal heads, hardcore kids, punks, people you look at and say, “normal.”
SR: I don’t think we ever stopped to think about who was coming to the shows. We were just extremely fortunate. Our first show was one of our best-attended shows, and we were just surrounded by good friends who were excited to see us up there and were intrigued because they hadn’t heard it. To this day, that show is ingrained in my mind as one of my most favorite times ever playing.

Because of the message you send through your music and live performances, I’m not alone in saying City of Vain is one of the must-see bands in Sacramento. Did you ever feel like you were on to something special and unique when you started playing bigger shows?
Minh Quan: I felt so, but it wasn’t because of the size of the show. We could play for one person or 1000 people, but for me it’s that I love playing the music and I’m up on stage with five of my best friends.
SR: When we go up there, we go up there as a unit. I make it a point to outwardly exude the fact that we are a family. You’re watching friends that hang out outside of this. We go out to shows together, because that’s just what we would do even if we weren’t in a band. If it looks like we’re having fun onstage, it’s because we’re genuinely are having fun.
ND: Having so much fun! I love it!

You’ve toured with bands that aren’t even from the same time zone as us. What’s your reasoning for touring with bands from across the Atlantic?
SR: Mike Bolado from the band Old Glory has done more for us than we’ve done for us. He’s quite possibly the seventh member of our band. He sees something in us that we often don’t even get, but he’s willing to go out there and book all these tours; he’s forged these relationships overseas with these bands. It’s honestly the best vacation you could ever spend going out with somebody from another country who is just as intrigued in your culture as you would be going over there.
Explain your experience in touring with this band. What are some of the more challenging aspects
of touring?
SR: 11 people in a van.
ND: Who is going to stay sober to drive.
MQ: Sitting between two huge guys, being wedged between Drew and Mike Bolado in the heat of the summer with a barely functioning A/C in Arizona. But it’s my high school dream to be in a band like this, to be able to tour and make good music and be with five other guys who are just as passionate as me. Honestly, the hardest thing about tour is jobs. Every time I would come back to a new job in a new place.

What’s something you think our local music scene has over other scenes you’ve experienced through touring?
ND: Passion. Heart.
SR: When we go out, we let it be known that Sacramento is where we’re from. We may malign our city sometimes, but we’re definitely proud to be from here. There’s an inherent amount of respect we get from people in other cities because of some of the bands that have come out of here.

What’s something you think needs to improve with the local music scene?
ND: Venue accessibility and more all-ages venues. When some of these bigger bands come through, I think some of these local venues need to step up to the plate and say, “We want to do this show, but we need to put some locals on.” Sacramento has its own amazing music scene that needs to be exposed to these bigger bands.
SR: You look at a promoter like Sean Hills [Punch and Pie Productions], who really has his ear to the ground experiencing what this city has to offer. He brings touring bands in and makes it a point to put them with quality bands from Sacramento. It boosts the Sacramento bands’ reputations and gives them an opportunity to roll out the red carpet for the touring bands, and in return have those bands reciprocate when our bands come through their towns.

Let’s talk about the new music. Your past music has been heavy on melody, positivity and accessibility without losing any musical aggression. What can people expect from new City of Vain?
MQ: More of the same…it’s just better. We put in more time and a greater effort. I think Steve’s songwriting is even better than before.

How did the musicianship of your band members inspire your songwriting for this album?
SR: This record was written after the decision to bring in Minh full-time. I’m extremely privileged to be in a band where everyone has the ability to contribute to make the songs better. As a songwriter, I can listen to other styles of music and hear something that intrigues me and then incorporate that into our songs because we have the keyboard, the two different guitar styles and that backbone of a strong rhythm section. It doesn’t take long for a song to take shape when everyone is open to collaborate.

How did the songwriting for the new album influence your musicianship?
MQ: Keyboards aren’t traditionally in punk rock. I had to do my research to figure out what’s right to play in the music. It’s definitely influenced the way I play a lot.
ND: It’s pushed me to play better because I enjoy it more. I’m able to “let go” and “have fun.” With Steve’s songwriting, we have a solid foundation from the get-go. I believe in this music like it’s my first band.

What style of music inspired this album?
SR: We all have our staples that we go to. The Clash is obviously a huge influence for me. The Specials were my favorite band from junior high to this day. That goes back to having keyboards in this band which links us to having the ability to do things like that in this band.

Tell me about two of the new songs, “Lessons in Social Class” and “Backs Against the Wall.”
SR: It’s all stuff that’s important to me that I wouldn’t hesitate to have a conversation with someone about. The goal is to provoke thought, not to propagate or profess any sort of stance or make people choose. There’s two sides to every story and if you’re intelligent enough to question something and make an educated decision, that’s what this country is supposed to be about. It’s not about hating or dismissing someone because they don’t agree with you, but really celebrating that fact. Also, telling both extremes to fuck off. You guys are on opposite ends of the spectrum, but you’ve gone so far one way or the other that you’ve forgotten the rest of us right here.

If this new music doesn’t get over with your fan base, what will keep you positive?
SR: We love doing what we do. There’s always going to be the critics, but I won’t lose any sleep over it.

If this new music takes off and sends this band to the next level, what will keep you grounded?
ND: Each other. We feed off each other as a group.
SR: We built this band on honesty and being genuine. To do an about-face would just be suicide. None of us would let the other person do that. This is about the six of us and the people who really enjoy this music.

It’s a safe assessment to say that 50 percent of the audience of any local punk show consists of your colleagues; many of them younger musicians in their first bands. What I’m trying to say is…Do you have any words of advice for the kids?
ND: Keep going! If you love it and you’re passionate, keep going.
MQ: Keep doing what you love.
ND: That’s the biggest paycheck right there.
SR: Learn from every experience you have. If you’re not having fun, you need to take a step back and not be afraid of having that open line of communication.

What about words of advice for musicians in their twenties, thirties, forties or beyond who are struggling with finding the joy that you have in playing music?
MQ: If they’re in their fifties and playing Eagles cover songs, they can go fuck off [much laughter].

OK, favorite song on the new album?
ND: “Backs Against the Wall.”
MQ: My favorite song on the record is “Lessons In Social Class,” but my favorite song to play live is “Stuck Here With You.”
SR: It’s tough for me because I’m critical of them all. I think lyrically I base it on that. I’m most proud of the lyrics on “Stuck Here With You” and “Backs Against the Wall.”

City of Vain’s release show for Shaking Hands With Yourself is on Thursday, June 13, 2013 at The Press Club. Crashed Out, Old Glory and Union Hearts will also perform. For more information on City of Vain, look them up on Reverbnation or on Facebook.

What would Sacramento do without our beloved Danny Secretion (of local punk legends The Secretions)? I, for one, do not want to imagine what our music scene would be like without people like him that are so passionate and dedicated to promoting good punk rock bands, both local and touring. Every year for the past several years Danny has put together a big-ass weekend of shows to celebrate his birthday and to also raise money for The American Cancer Society. For Danny, these shows are personal.

“Cancer took my father from me a little more than five years ago,” he recently told Submerge. “Cancer has affected so many of my friends and their families. Doing these shows for the past several years has been so unbelievably therapeutic for me.”

This year the shows will go down on Friday, Nov. 16 and Saturday, Nov 17, 2012 at Luigi’s Fungarden, both start at 8 p.m. and are all-ages. And the final show on Sunday, Nov. 18 will be at Press Club (21-and-over) starting at 5 p.m. There is a cool twist to this year’s event: all of the bands will be performing tribute sets!

“I always love ‘themed shows’ like this,” Danny said. “Bands picked a band to cover and I think it will lead to a very special and fun night for the folks who come out to support. You’re going to see local bands covering everything from Black Flag to Billy Bragg.” Some notables: The Left Hand will do a Misfits set, Dead Dads will cover Alkaline Trio songs, The Community are doing Bad Religion tunes and Cold Heart Re-Press are playing Murder City Devil tracks. Can you say “awesome!” and “yes please?” All proceeds from the shows and from the limited edition T-shirts that Danny has made will go directly to The American Cancer Society, so come out and hear some local bands play familiar tunes all for a good cause. For details on when certain bands will be playing, visit Facebook.com/secretions/events.

Every year, Danny Secretion of local punk band The Secretions throws a giant “Cancer Sucks” B-Day Bash and this year it is out of control. It’s six shows in just four nights featuring well over two dozen bands! Thursday, Nov. 3 is at The Blue Lamp; Friday, Nov. 4 there are two shows, one at Luigi’s and one at Digitalis Studios; Saturday, Nov. 5 the party is back on at Luigi’s; and then on Sunday, Nov. 6 there are two shows again, one at Luigi’s and one at Digitalis Studios. Proceeds from each night (each show is just $5) go to The American Cancer Society and there is also a “Fuck Cancer” T-shirt for sale, of which the proceeds also will go to ACS.

Sacramento Punk Legends The Secretions Are Set to Release New Record

The year was 1991. The grunge movement, in all its flannel glory, had fully engulfed the country thanks to bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam; the Governator was just the Terminator in Terminator 2: Judgment Day; Will Smith was just the Fresh Prince in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air; and two young punk rockers attending Sacramento State, Mickie Rat and Danny Secretion, would meet and form a band. “I would have to walk through the University Union and I would get my coffee and go to class and I would always see this guy wearing all black no matter how hot it was,” Danny recalls of Mickie Rat during a recent conversation outside Benny’s Bar and Grill. “Long-sleeve black shirt, black pants and motorcycle boots with these big metal plates on the front and he had kind of a Mohawk devil-lock. It was pretty awesome.”

Mickie was aware of his intimidating appearance and even admits that he was known as the “scary punk guy” around campus. The two would see each other often, but never really spoke until their paths crossed one afternoon under dreary circumstances. “We actually started talking at a funeral,” says Mickie, who at this point had already started a band. “Our original guitarist was the program director for the student-run radio and he passed away. I had seen [Danny] in the studio; we had shows near each other. We didn’t even really start talking until then,” says Mickie.

One thing led to another, Danny was invited to jam and The Secretions were born. “We still have cassette tapes of those practices and how we started every song with, ‘One, two, three, four!'” Danny says.”

The two recall that in those first days of practice, ending the songs in sync was not as easy as starting them. “Usually we would start out the song together but the ending would always end up disintegrating,” remembers Danny. “The guitar would stop, then the bass, then the drummer would just keep playing.”

Fast-forward 18 years and the two are still making punk rock music together. “We don’t know how to do anything else,” says Danny. “I think the thing that’s really helped attribute to us not throwing in the towel is coming to grips with the fact that we’re not going to be huge and famous.”

Money and fame aside, The Secretions are a very successful band. They’ve toured the country many times and released a handful of records, but more importantly, they’re great friends who love playing music together. “My goal was to always be in a band with friends,” says Mickie. “That’s pretty much what it’s always been about for me. I’ve been lucky enough to do that. I mean, some people are like, ‘Oh I’ll hire a bunch of guys to play my music.’ That’s never worked for me.”

What has worked for The Secretions for nearly two decades now is booking smart tours: Gigging every other month as opposed to every weekend to avoid over-saturating the market; recording and releasing high energy, addictive punk rock records; and connecting with their dedicated fans, appropriately dubbed Secretins, more deeply than most groups these days. The band—which currently consists of Mickie Rat (bass, vocals), Danny Secretion (drums, vocals) and Paul Filthy (guitar, vocals)—truly has withstood the test of time. With a new record, entitled GREASYHOTMEATCHEEZY, due out in July, a slew of tour dates including two appearances at the Insubordination Fest in Baltimore, Md. in late June, two Sacramento release shows (July 3 at the Blue Lamp and July 20 at the Boardwalk) and a two-week West Coast run with The Bugs, they are not showing any signs of slowing.

Where did the name GREASYHOTMEATCHEEZY come from?
Mickie Rat: Paul’s girlfriend.
Danny Secretion: We were driving to Fresno to play a show; it was like a Friday night so we had all just gotten off work, went home, cleaned up, drove around and picked up everyone. We pulled over to get some gas and something to eat and I just asked, “What do you guys feel like eating?” And she just blurted out, “Greasy, hot, meat, cheesy!” It was just one of those things. On the inside of our van there is just Sharpie tags all over and written up there is “GREASYHOTMEATCHEEZY” and we just circled it and were like, “That’s a great album.”
MR: It’s a running joke, somebody will say something disgusting and you’ll be like, “Oh that’s what our next album is going to be called.” She also kind of did that to goof on me because I’m a vegetarian and I’m allergic to dairy so she was like, “Hm, what are all the things you can’t eat?”
DS: Yeah, Mickie can’t eat too many things that are meaty or cheesy.
MR: But I like hot things and greasy things.

What else can you tell me about the record? How does it compare to past releases musically and lyrically?
DS: Musically I think it’s on par with everything else that we’ve done, it’s nothing too complicated.
MR: I think a lot of people are shocked because I’m more singing than yelling. There’s some different songs. Usually if I write a pop-y song that sounds kind of smoother and I sing kind of pretty on it, I’ll save it and not put it on the album. I’m getting to the age where you just stop giving a shit. A lot of those songs I didn’t want on the album, but then I was like, “Eh, what the fuck do I got to lose? Let’s just put them out there.” The opening track is like three-and-a-half minutes long, which is like the longest song I’ve ever written.

Yeah, that’s like three normal Secretions songs!
MR: Usually I write stuff that’s a minute-15, that’s like my average song length. I kind of wanted to write this rockin’ Joan Jett and the Blackhearts kind of song.
DS: It’s a fun song. That was the big risk that we took was putting a song that was so different from the others at the beginning.
MR: Yeah I really didn’t want to put it first either but eventually they convinced me.
DS: We were just like, “No, this one has to start it.” It’s one of those things where it’s going to make people listen to it. The next song is just classic punk all the way through.
MR: There’s some different kind of stuff on this one.
DS: It’s just a fun album. We’ve got the songs pretty much telling off certain people. That’s always been what we do, just kind of poking fun at people.
MR: It’s what we do best: pissed off punk rock.

You’re doing a listening party at Capitol Dawg. Whose idea was that?
DS: That was Mickie’s idea.
MR: It’s one of my favorite places to eat. I always hang out and talk to the owner. My girlfriend and I actually went there for the first couple of weeks and nagged the hell out of him to get garlic fries because he didn’t have them yet.

So I have you to thank for my stinky breath after I eat those, eh?
DS: The reason why he didn’t have them was really cool. He didn’t want to do garlic fries, because Jack’s next door had garlic fries and he didn’t want to disrespect them.
MR: But Jack’s has terrible fries, the only reason they are good is if they put garlic on them. A fry must stand alone, by itself, before you put anything on it. I am a total fry aficionado. If a fry doesn’t taste good with nothing on it then I don’t want to eat it.

You guys have a widely renown connection with your fans, a listening party seems like a good way to keep that strong. Have you done anything like this before?
DS: We did it last year at the Javalounge. I think prior to that it had been much more informal, maybe just inviting friends over to our house to get drunk and play our new CD. For Faster Than the Speed of Drunk we did something a little more formal, we had an actual listening party where we told everyone to come on over to the Javalounge and we played the CD. This year we thought about doing it again and Mickie had the idea of doing it at Capitol Dawg.
MR: We’re going to have a special hot dog recipe for the evening; it’s going to be the “Greasy, hot, meat, cheesy.” I somehow convinced the owner to do the 88-cent Pabst long necks for that night. He usually only does that on Mondays, but he’s agreed to extend it to a Thursday.
DS: Oh, that could be bad news for us!

What is this Insubordination Fest all about? Are you pumped to be a part of it?
DS: It’s a big festival, I think this is the third one; it’s basically Lookout Records mid-’90s: bands like the Mr. T Experience, The Queers and The Parasites. They just have this huge festival with all these pop-punk bands back East.
MR: It’s put on by Insubordination Records.
DS: This year the surviving members of The Dead Milkmen are going to reunite and play. Lots of other huge bands will be there. We play on the Friday night just as the Secretions. Then on Saturday we’re backing Wimpy Rutherford, who is the original singer for the Queers, so we’re going to be doing like all the old Queers songs.

That seems like kind of a big deal for you guys!
MR: It’s a huge deal.
DS: It was one of those things where I was talking to Wimpy about the possibility of him playing and us backing him up. I let the guys know, and Mickie didn’t want to get his hopes up.
MR: I was like, “I’m not going to hold my breath.”
DS: Then when we finally got the OK when Wimpy was given a slot and he said, “I want you to be my backing band, learn the songs,” then I let the guys know.

You guys recently did a video shoot for the song “Back in the Day Punk.” Will it include footage from your recent Club Retro show?
DS: Yes, we worked with our friend Rob Young, aka Rob Fatal. He’s a local DJ here in town. He’s an awesome filmmaker, and he’s absolutely punk rock. He’s very fast about how he films things; he’ll have you do everything about five times until he gets what he thinks is just right and then moves on to the next thing. We filmed the first part during the day at our friend Tom from the No-Goodniks’ house and that was a good time. Then we played at Club Retro later on that night and we played the song three or four times. And he just filmed the kids and filmed us. If you want to get people to really go crazy during your set, put a camera right in their faces. Everyone wanted to be on camera for that. We had a trampoline on-stage for people to jump out into the crowd.
MR: It was for stage diving assistance. In full disclosure, we stole the idea from Sloppy Seconds. It looked like fun.
DS: The first kid to do it was this kid named Tony Silva; he’s from Woodland, Calif. Mickie wrote a song about this kid because he’s from Woodland but he takes the bus, because he doesn’t have his drivers license yet, to Sacramento to go see punk shows. So all these kids complain about, “There’s nothing to do, this scene sucks.” And you got this kid taking the bus to pay a cover to go see a punk rock show.

What’s the song called that you wrote about him?
MR: It’s called “Tony Silva Rides the Bus.” It’s on our new record. He’s a really nice guy, but he’s kind of a klutz and always ends up hurting himself, you know the bad luck stuff always happens to him.
DS: Well, he was the first one to use the trampoline. I motioned to him with my head as I was playing the drums like, “Tony, go!” So he runs offstage full force, just jumps on the trampoline, soars into the air and the crowd parts like the Red Sea. He had gotten so far out he didn’t have the time to level out so he could land feet first, so he pretty much did a big elbow drop on the ground. It was captured on video by Rob and we’ll see if it makes it in the video or not.
MR: After our set he comes up to us and was like, “Yeah it kind of hurt, but I got right back up because I didn’t want anyone to think I was a pussy!”
DS: If anyone deserves a song, it’s Tony. I don’t know if we’re going to be bringing the trampoline to the Boardwalk though, because that’s a pretty tall stage.

Preview The Secretions new record, GREASYHOTMEETCHEEZY, at Capitol Dawg on July 2. Catch them live at the Blue Lamp on July 3 and at the Boardwalk on July 20. For more information visit myspace.com/secretions or secretinlifeline.blogspot.com