Fans and band agree, it's been on hell of
a ride
By Deborah J. Draisin
“Bouncing Souls, no one can beat
us; we drink beer and wear Adidas.”
– “Olè!” from Hopeless
Romantic.
While The Bouncing Souls have firmly secured
their place as punk/rock mentors, they are
still very much the same down-to-earth Jersey
dudes that they always were. Not that they
haven’t had their share of wrinkles
over the past twenty years…
“We’ve been through a million
different things… I think it’s
a combination of saying we didn’t know
what the hell else to do anyway and we gotta
work this out, you know? Then at the same
time being like ‘I love this;’
otherwise we wouldn’t have worked it
out during the difficulty.”
So states frontman Greg Attonito, one of the
three (yes, three!) lyricists for the band.
High school buddies and soccer competitors,
the Bouncing Souls began as a basement ska
band whose energy was so infectious that they
drew crowds even in towns where they were
virtually unknown. In case you’ve been
living under a rock, the Souls would be Greg
on vocals, “The Pete” Steinkopf
on guitar (second lyricist and backup vocalist,)
Bryan “Papillon” Kienlen on bass
(third lyricist and backup vocalist) and Mike
McDermott on skins (having taking the reins
from founding drummer Shal Khichi close to
a decade ago now.) The original plan was to
avoid college and the necessity of real jobs
by subsisting (however meagerly) on the road.
While touring, The Souls lived mostly out
of their van - lovingly dubbed “The
Hovelpod” - sometimes being granted
a bit of hospitality from random audience
members.
In between tours, the band roughed it in one
crash pad after another, throwing parties
to pay their bills. The parties became so
legendary that people from other states would
hear about them, and local bands like Sticks
and Stones would perform at them. In between
crash pads, they would rely upon their friend
and eventual manager/den mother, Kate Hiltz
(who was actually present when the Hovelpod
collapsed in flames at a toll line) for intermittent
jobs, futons to sleep on, the occasional hot
meal and even, when needed, some nursing.
These days, a day in the life of Kate could
flow something like this, according to Greg:
“Answer, like, endless e-mails, house
three people from New Zealand who just randomly
showed up with our producer, Ted, go to the
bank, run a million different errands, make
sure a million different things happen, pass
along information to lots of different people,
and remember details like all the time, like
always, all the time. She’s very underpaid.”
Kate has been honored, though, in the timeless
song “Kate is Great,” and, sitting
on Kate’s porch, having just said hello
to the boys while mid-recording in the basement
(the infamous sites immortalized in the “Kids
and Heroes” video) it’s clear
that Kate is more than just a manager, more
than just a friend, she’s a member of
the family, as is sometimes keyboardist, full-time
roadie and friend, DJ Values:
“I tour with them as their keyboard
player and do all the stage stuff - they asked
me to do it 'cause they're good friends of
mine. (At the time,) I had told Pete ‘I'm
not good - like I really don't know what I'm
doing.’ (He was) just like ‘Well
give it a try - we think you can do it’”
and the rest is obviously history.
While songs like “Joe Lies” and
“These Are the Quotes from our Favorite
80’s Movies” off the "Argyle"
EP had friends and audiences alike standing
back in admiration at how quickly the band
had learned to write catchy, cohesive and
brilliant punk songs that were fun to both
watch and play live, it’s their moving
ballads and wizened statements that get fans
in the heart.
From decade-long fan and band friend, Sean:
“My favorite record by any musical entity
is How I Spent My Summer Vacation.
I'd purchased the cd at a record store in
Elizabeth, NJ and when the intro to ‘That
Song’ came rocketing through my friend's
car stereo, I knew I’d found something
really special. The next 33 minutes are an
absolutely flawless blend of emotion, fun
and some of the finest punk rock ever created.
They are songs crafted so beautifully that
my definition of a great record has never
been the same. ‘Summer Vacation’
is the cd that you listen to three and a half
times through before you realize it's been
playing for almost two hours. With such honesty,
there's nothing in any medium that has impacted
me as much as the Bouncing Souls. Like a best
friend, their music has been a comfort - the
soundtrack for all of the different seasons
of life. Songs like ‘Whole Thing’
and ‘Gone’ made some of my own
worst moments tolerable...livable, while songs
like ‘Kid,’ ‘Anchors Aweigh,’
‘Night On Earth’ and ‘Simple
Man’ gave me some perspective on life
that my family wasn’t able to show me
growing up. Many of my own personal values
that I carry with me today I sing out loud
at every show or every late night drive, no
matter what the destination - these songs
are a comfort. Songs like ‘True Believers,’
‘So Jersey’ and ’87’
(have) taught me, and remind me with every
spin, what life is all about: experiencing
every last drop of life and doing it surrounded
(by) the people you love. In the summer of
2007, I was driving home from a friend's apartment
late one night, absolutely exhausted. My iPod's
battery had bit the bullet and I was all but
falling asleep at the wheel while scanning
the FM waves for something to give me a boost.
Drained and desperate for a spark, I stumbled
across the weak signal of a Staten Island
radio station who through the static was playing
‘Quick Chek Girl.’ It was just
one of those moments where you can't help
but think that somewhere someone (is) looking
out for you.”
From 18 year old Amanda: “I could listen
to the Bouncing Souls all day, and honestly
sometimes I do” (P.S: so does this reporter)
“They're my ‘stitches’ band.
There are very few songs from other bands
that can serve the same function. The Souls’
music has an ingredient in it that dissolves
problems and worries. I don't know how (they
do this,) but it works and it's absolutely
beautiful; I actually think it's magic. ‘Gone’
has always been my favorite song - I can still
remember the first time I heard it. I'm no
stranger to self-pity, so I can really relate
to the lyrics. The song is essentially self-descriptive:
you know, you're feeling sorry for yourself,
you listen to this song that makes you realize
(that) you're just being stupid, and tada,
all better. To illustrate my dedication to
this song, I have the words ‘my heart
is real’ tattooed simply over my heart.”
(Souls tattoos are also quite common within
the fan base – a large number of devotees,
including Sean and hopefully, someday soon,
this reporter, have in the very least the
broken heart logo.) “I think that speaks
for itself, and I actually don't want any
more tattoos because I feel like it would
be inappropriate for those words to have to
share my skin with anything else. I find those
four words to be the solution to all of my
problems within myself.”
From 38 year old new fan Leah: “Last
spring, I listened to The Bouncing Souls for
the first time and (those) songs became the
soundtrack of my summer. ‘True Believers’
was the song I’d play when life felt
like mere survival, ‘Kate is Great’
when I wondered where the hell my life was
going, and ‘The Gold Song’ when
I felt just a little too weary. Somehow, I’d
never managed to hear ‘Gone’ until
I saw it live. I know how this sounds, but
it was like a big wave of healing crashed
over us and took away our every pain. I’m
not exaggerating. My friend says that she'd
be scared if they didn't effect such positive
change, and she's not kidding.”
Bryan, photo by Eskepe
Seven albums later, having come full circle
with the wistful, beautiful album Gold
Record, the band has learned much about
themselves, about life and success, but also
about the deeper meaning behind making music.
“I gotta admit - from Day One, I was
a total glory hound, but I wasn’t honest
about it, you know?” reflects Greg “I’m
just starting to become honest about it now.
I was so insecure and unhappy with myself
that I needed so much attention – like
I needed all this love from outside. It’s
taken years and years, trying to get a grip
on it and accept that reality. Like, wow all
these people love me but I still have to accept
myself, you know? It doesn’t matter
if a thousand people love you - if you can’t
work it out with yourself, and who you are,
and know what you stand for, know that you’re
following your heart, and what the truth is,
it doesn’t matter. I was fogged by that
because all I wanted was like ‘You’re
the best, you’re the greatest.’
That was my like only food, and it’s
a sad place to be, truly. So now I think we’ve
really affected people’s lives in general,
and I’m a little wiser, a little more
worldly.”
He’s not wrong there. Fans are so devoted
to this band that they will drag their beaten
bodies to the other ends of the earth, literally,
to see them. At my first show, my friend and
I stood next to a soldier just out of Iraq,
watching the tears pour down his face as he
screamed every word along with the band (the
gang vocals that the band utilizes in virtually
every hook only furthers the power of those
words.) He announced to me that all he wanted
to do was get to a Souls show when he left
Iraq, knowing that that was the only way he
could truly feel healed.
I felt this for myself this past October at
Terminal Five as a club full of a handful
of women, but mostly adult males, sobbed shamelessly
as they sang along in one voice, watching
the band toss smiles at one another and at
us as we reached out to hug Greg or grab his
hand as he leaned into the crowd, and, occasionally,
rush the stage. The Bouncing Souls handle
these rushes with surprising calm. When a
fan manages to reach the stage, the band welcomes
them, puts their arms around them and shares
their microphones with them. I can’t
say I’ve ever experienced anything like
this before. You don’t have to just
take it from me though…
“The first time I saw the Bouncing Souls
live was, fittingly, at the Convention Hall
in Asbury Park, New Jersey” smiles Sean.
“The Souls were playing the Sunday date
of the new-defunct Skate and Surf Festival,
and I remember being so stoked to finally
see them, as being 16 and license-less had
hampered countless (prior) attempts. What
I took away from that first show was the energy
and unbridled joy. This was not a crowd, this
was a community; this was meeting those cousins
from Seattle for the first time - we didn't
know one another, but we all had something
deeply bright and powerful inside of us. (That’s)
an emotion I've felt run through me no matter
if it was seeing the Bouncing Souls in New
York City, Boston or Fort Lauderdale. (It’s)
this chaotic feeling of home, this amazing
feeling of knowing there's nowhere else in
the world I'd rather be, (and) that feeling
has never changed. It's never a difficult
task to assemble a crew to see The Bouncing
Souls - in fact, I've made countless friends
through this band (whom) I would never have
met otherwise. Also, this band has helped
enriched friendships with people that I've
known for years.”
“The first time I saw The Bouncing Souls
was at Bamboozle.” Amanda recalls “I
remember I was really, really excited. Most
bands don’t touch me the same way that
The Bouncing Souls do – and the show
exceeded my expectations. On that day, I was
sort of bummed and apprehensive about the
fact that it was very cloudy, and then I literally
watched the sun come out from behind a cloud
during ‘Gone.’ I have been that
excited every time I see them now, and they
exceed my expectations again every time too.
Even knowing and expecting that their live
shows are the culmination of that problem-dissolving
ingredient, they still blow me away. Seeing
them at indoor concerts, I may do so metaphorically,
but I still feel the sun come out of a cloud
every single time. I scream along well after
I lose my voice, and I bounce around like
a maniac, too. There’s something to
be said about the connection I feel with each
person in the crowd and on the stage at a
Souls show. So many bands are quick to boast
about having a tight-knit community, but I
feel like this is the only one that really
rings true. Once their set begins, everyone
feels all right to me. In fact, being there
or listening to their music makes me realize
that I’m connected to everyone in any
room. It’s like they say: ‘We’re
all one family.’”
From 15 year old Marissa: “My first
Bouncing Souls show was amazing. I went in
not knowing what to expect, but once the band
came on, this energy filled the venue; it
was an insane feeling - one that I hadn't
felt in a long time. There was this welcoming,
family-like atmosphere. During the show, I
found it amazing how if a kid got onstage
to stage dive, the band gave them a smile.
The band loves the fans, and the fans would
pretty much do anything for the band. That
is an amazing thing to be a part of. Everyone
was just happy to be there, happy to be looking
at the band onstage. I came away from that
show with an intensified love for the band
and the fan base. That first show will always
be one of my best memories. After the show,
I met Mike - he was truly one of the sweetest
dudes I have ever met. The band doesn't take
their fans for granted. Mike thanked my friend
and me for coming out and even thanked my
dad for allowing us to come out. The guys
are not only amazing musicians but grounded,
caring people - something very rare and very
special to find.”
“I’ve never met fans like Souls
fans” adds Leah “’This is
my first show’” was met with congratulations.
Their fans are in love with them, and it’s
a strong, passionate love. It’s girls
and women and boys and men singing at the
top of their lungs (with) tears on their faces;
it’s this aggressive joy all around.
They didn’t just sing along, they sang
their hearts out. It was a couple thousand
people embracing. The band walked off (at)
11:00 p.m., and I’d foolishly let go
of the barricade. When the guys came back
(out) for an encore I was, well, blown out
to sea. I was quickly sucked backwards one
row... two rows... three... there was no getting
back; it was a fucking riptide and it was
a little scary. Then I tripped and fell (over)
backwards... and no fewer than three sets
of hands caught me, lifted me bodily, and
set me on my feet. Suddenly I felt very safe
and stopped fighting and just let myself get
washed around in the sea of several hundred
giant singing sweating beautiful open-hearted
boys and men. Then a pit opened up behind
me so I grabbed the nearest large person around
the waist so I wouldn't go in and watched
them charging at each other. It happened again
and again – wrapping my arms around
strangers to keep from falling. We never even
looked at each other's faces - we just held
on and kept singing.”
Does the band know that they touch their fans
this deeply? You betcha: “The mystery
of why people are drawn to us is a hard question
to answer for me. I can only relate to the
music that I know, like ‘Oh my God that
moves me,’ so I guess that’s happening
to them when they see us. I have a different
experience of it. We’re writing a song
- we’re drawing on experiences and we’re
trying to build some experience to that music.
And it must be working, it must be somehow
genuine because it’s working on a very
personal level with everyone else, otherwise
they wouldn’t be so passionate about
it. So whether it’s an emotion, lyrics,
the music, a combination of both those things,
somehow we’re able to relate that to
people.”
Heading into a new era with the Souls - with
three “Home for the Holidays”
performances in a row at The Arcade at Convention
Hall, in what is considered to be their hometown
of Asbury Park at the end of December - the
final mix-down on the new album imminent and
the first single off of it to be released
on New Year’s Day, what can we expect
from the band this round?
“Twelve songs (one released on the first
of every month)” Greg promises “We
were talking about (going back to writing
about people that we know) – we’re
in that process. We were talking about getting
back to our real lives, because you can get
lost in like…‘What the hell am
I talking about?’ We’re getting
back to ‘What’s it about? It’s
about Lamar Vannoy!’”
“Funny you should ask,” Bryan
adds “I have always had the job of visualizing
not only a record cover but in a sense, an
overall theme to each record. It's a strange
trick of tying visual art in with lyric writing,
the musical vibe…everything, having
a hand in all of its creation. In the case
of this collection of songs, we've been writing
them with the intention of having them heard
one at a time. As per our idea of releasing
them one song per month, each song commands
its own turf, stands alone as its own sovereign
nation with its own personality, you might
say. Consequently, I don't think they all
sit neatly under one banner or theme, as did
perhaps the songs on ‘Anchors Aweigh,’
for example. The point of this collection
of songs is simply to celebrate, to have a
good time in ‘09 and have some new music
to rock as we party all over the world. The
artwork I'm cooking up will somehow pay homage
to our past 20 years but with a fresh twist,
because it's never about stopping the creativity.
We must all keep creating and evolving. “
Adds
Sean “With four individuals as dedicated,
talented and passionate as Bryan, Greg, Michael
and Pete, it's always a possibility that the
next album will be the best album. (The band,)
Kate and DJ are the essence of good in a world
abundant with douchebags...genuine, hardworking
people.”
A comic book has also been written by band
friend and devotee Liz Ballie entitled “Sing
Along Forever” – described by
retailers as a love letter to her favorite
band, and admired by Greg as “Really
clever and amazing! It’s a journey:
she’s going to Warped Tour, taking a
bus to the train. She gets to Warped and sees
us; we’re in the comic! It’s her
personal journey - she flashes back to different
times in her life within the comic. It ends
up with us all together – we’re
taking a photo in the comic, then you turn
it over and it’s a real picture of all
of us at the Warped Tour with her.”
Does the band want to leave us with an inspiring
thought or two? “All of the Descendants
(have great asses.)” Okay, anything
else? A band motto, perhaps, a credo to live
by? “Everybody wants to ‘crush
this’ or ‘crush that,’ like
if you’re gonna go get something done,
you’re gonna crush it. We’re going
to go crush that song – I find it coming
out of my mouth, and I’m like ‘Alright,
let’s go do that.’
Thanks, Greg, and do the Souls have to say
back to their fans for all this devotion?
“I can never say thanks enough, I think,
because here you’re following your dream
from when you’re a kid” Greg explains
“There’s some creative inspiration
inside you that you wanna express, and then
people are there to hold it up. Then not only
do they hold it up, but they’re carrying
it with them and it helps to carry them on.
So, I think, you know, what could be more
rewarding than having a life where you’re
bringing something to the world, and then
everyone else is grabbing it and then bringing
it back to you, and we’re carrying each
other along. So thanks for that, I guess I
won’t complicate matters, just say thanks.”
And all noobs can read up, listen up, catch
a vid and buy shit:
http://www.bouncingsouls.com/
http://www.myspace.com/bouncingsouls/
http://www.purevolume.com/bouncingsouls
http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/bouncing_souls/artist.jhtml
http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/bouncing_souls/artist.jhtml
http://www.chunksaah.com/artists/bouncingsouls.html
