No Vertebrae - Spine-tingling Ska punks from NJ

By Stephen Rainone & Kayla Flynn

No Vertebrae is an up and coming ska band that are just starting to make an impact on the music scene. With influences like Reel Big Fish, Big D. and the Kids Table, and Catch 22, they’re starting to branch out, discovering and creating their own sound. With the enthusiasm of a band loves what they’re doing, they’ve been opening for ska bands such as Big D, and Hub City Stompers at The Stanhope House. The show review and interview with No Vertebrae follows:

Boy oh boy! Who’da thought that No Vertebrae, a ska band that’s just starting out, could take the night away from a veteran ska band like Big D. and the Kids Table? No Vertebrae is really awesome! Listening to them you’d think that they were some obscure third wave ska band, but seeing them play live almost brings a tear to your eyes, with fond memories of the good old days of ska. They did some covers and got through a few original songs such as my personal favorite, “What Are You Waiting For?”

The one scary thing that happened during their second to last song where they covered The Bosstones’ “The Impression That I Get,” was that the lights went out in the club! Normally, newer or even older bands would freak out and/or just stop playing until the lights came back on, or call it a night. But not No Vertebrae! They did a skacoustic, fifteen minute set where we all sang, skanked, and had a good time! Part of the crowd would start to sing a song, and then the whole room, along with the band would join it! I know is was a ska show, but that was very punk of them!-Also, brave and adventurous!
When the power came back on No Vertebrae finished up their set, but not before leaving us all empowered with hope for the next generation of ska kids and bands! I love these guys, and HIGHLY recommend you see them!

With a multi-piece band doing an interview the questions and answers usually get to be fast and furious sometimes, so instead of trying to identify each band members answer, I’m going to use NV (No Vertebrae), as their collective response.

Q: What made you guys want to start a ska band?

NV: It just seemed like fun, we’re all in the school band, and the marching band. So, I guess we kind of all took up ska, because it’s a fun thing!

Q: What is everyone’s influences that made you want to play your instrument, or got into the music?

NV: My Dad played my trumpet in high school in his marching band, and so he just passed it along to me, and I’ve been playing it ever since. I play alto sax in the schools marching band, so it gives this band a little extra difference.

Q: I don’t think I’ve seen that in a ska band, just in a marching band.

NV: It’s a little something different and unique.

NV: I play the mellowphone, and I was talking to the music director at The Stanhope House. He was in a ska band when he was in high school, and he played the mellowphone. It was the only time I’ve heard that Instrument).

Q: What are the musical influences behind the band?

NV: Streetlight Manifesto, Reel Big Fish, The Waffle Stompers…They all looked like they were having so much fun, so we wanted to do it too!

Q: Will you guys be putting out a CD?

NV: We’ve been working on it. We can do it on our computer in the basement. A year ago we recorded some songs but it doesn’t have all our new horn players on it yet. So, we’re in the process of doing it, but it only has three songs on it so far.

Q: Have you guys thought about doing an EP first, or are you just going to do a full-fledged CD?

NV: We haven’t been doing a CD, we’ve been doing free downloads on Facebook. It’s like if we make a CD no one really wants them. No one uses CD’s any more.
Kayla: You should see Steve’s collection. He’s got like 300 CD’s!



Q: I have five binders full!

NV: We use CD’s but most kids now days, they put the CD in their computer and it goes to ITunes, and then you don’t have to touch the CD…

Q: I have a very select collection of vinyl records… I have a Keasbey Nights (Catch 22), vinyl, which is my favorite! It’s original, and I also have, Alone in a Crowd (Catch 22), too. That was an awesome find! Have there been any bands that you’ve been wanting to play with, or shows that you’ve been wanting to do?

NV: Well, we opened for Big D. and it was awesome! We’d like to open for bands like Reel Big Fish, Streetlight Manifesto, Mustard Plug… actually any ska band; we’d love to open for!

Q: Have you guys ever tried to play at Asbury Lanes?

NV: We’d like to, but it’s just so far away. It’s a long drive. We’ve been to Asbury lanes a lot, but just to listen.

Q: How did the band get started?

NV: We started with just a saxophone, and then I went to go see Streetlight. Just seeing them with all those horns, it was just like…we need to do that! So I just went to the marching band, and it was just like. ‘You-you-you- and you, do you want to play with us?’ So we got the horn section!

Q: How did you come up with the name of the band- No Vertebrae?

NV: I really don’t where…it was just out of the blue; we came up with it… We were starting another band like three years ago, and we ended up calling it Kids and Heroes, after the Bouncing Souls song…we came up with No Vertebrae, and we were tossing around names …we were staring a punk band…and now were a ska band, so it stuck. It took a long time to get used to it…no one liked the name for the longest time (laughing)!

Q: How do you know each other?

NV: We all went to school together, and some of us have known each other for years. But we were all good friends before we started the band; we’ve known each other for a long time.

Q: That’s a big, important thing for a band. There’s been bands that are like, ‘We’re friends but…’ sometimes they end up getting into fights, split-up, or go and do solo projects like with… I see fingers being pointed (everyone laughing as they point to one another)! The covers that you guys picked…you played Streetlight, Reel Big Fish, and one that you did last time you played here was, “Would You be Impressed…”

NV: We did “Would You be Impressed,” and another cover…I don’t know if you were at the Big D. show?

Q: Yeah, I was there.

NV: We picked it because it’s so energetic… we pick the songs we like! Today we’re bringing our cover of Reel Big Fish back, because I know you, and a lot of other people asked for it… Whatever songs we like we play. We feel like we’re ready now, at this level. But I still write songs on the computer…

Q: So, you’re working on new songs now? Do you have any back stories to some of the songs?

NV: Our newest one that’s finished is called, “Who Are You Waiting For?” I originally wrote because my brother Andrew, who’s our bassist, we live together, and I was waiting for him for a while, so I just wrote it! I thought it was really funny, so I thought we should make it into a song, and it was a good idea. Another new song is called “Warriors,” and the joke behind that is we have one t-shirt (a No Vertebrae t-shirt), so when Big D, played here we had like 70 people with our t-shirts on, so The Hub City Stompers who also played on the bill told us that we were, “Warriors,” so our new song is called “Warriors because of that.

Q: If you were to be a headliner at a show or festival, what bands would you want to open for you?

NV: Hub City Stompers… God, the list goes on! Are you going to limit us or just let the list go on?

Q: Just your top three.

NV: Waffle Stompers…if you see them live they use up the whole stage! They’re all over the place! We saw them, me and my family, at The Lanes and we were like the only four people there! They were awesome!

Q: The thing I notice at The Lanes is, when bands get like four people there, they play a LOT HARDER than when fifty people are there!

NV: Anyway, the other bands we’d like to have opened for us would be Reel Big Fish, Catch 22… We’ll play for food if you feed us before the show (Everyone laughing)!
With that, the conversation turns to talking about bands, shows, linoleum, Johnny Bravo…you know, the cool stuff! So, if you want to see the band live, or find out more about No Vertebrae check out: Facebook.com/noVertebrae,