Growing up in California pretty much every kid on my block had a skateboard and skated around the neighborhood. Fortunately for Christmas I was gifted a Vision Gator mini with Gullwing trucks and Hosoi OJ II wheels I was over the moon for this board! I even fell asleep with the board in my arms a few times. (true story) I would skate any and every day that I could by myself or with friends that's all we wanted to do. When I wasn't skating I was watching skate videos to learn new tricks or see how tricks were executed. These videos had soundtracks that the skaters would choose to have as their background music. One day I was watching the new H Street video and Matt Hensley's part came on where I heard a song that floored me like ka-boom this is what I've been searching for, the song was The Crowd by Operation Ivy. Flowing bass lines and palm mute guitar chugging along I had an eargasm to say the least. OpIvy had Punk fusion with Ska sensibilities that gave me drive and a sound that resinated to the core for me. I was in love. OpIvy formed in the Bay area Berkely and Oakland with Tim Armstrong on guitar and Matt Freeman on bass they only played as a group for 2 years and disbanded after their fandom exploded out of the atmosphere. Tim & Matt were life long friends and as time went on they formed Rancid which is another band that floored me even more! Rancid picked up where OpIvy left off so it was a Win/Win any one's book. I've always considered myself a skater who listen's to punk rock because being a punk rocker is a feeling that I have in my heart that will never escape me. See ya in the pit.

Til next time...