By Mike Seibert
“What band did you discover in high school that is still with you today?”
That was question we recently asked each other during our Slumber Party segment, and in a time when musical tastes are constantly shifting, it’s a question worth pondering. Even for those of us that may be closer to our high school years than others…
For me, that band is Bad Religion.
It was 1994, and I had already been hooked into the mid-90s California punk rock sound. With sarcastic lyrics that every high school kid could relate with and bouncy beach party guitars, it was no wonder that The Offspring and Green Day were dominating the Top 40 airwaves and MTV. This new sound (to me at least) hit me during those awkward high school years when, for most of us, our tastes and attitudes transition from what we liked as kids to what we keep with us into adulthood. I mean, I was a Metal kid growing up. I’d been a fan of AC/DC since I was 7, and I was into Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth in a big, bad way.
Also around that time, I saw the movie Clerks. It’s a day in the lives of two convenience store workers named Dante and Randal as they annoy customers, discuss movies, play hockey on the store roof, and other hilariously vulgar misadventures. I can wax philosophical about why that movie is important and influential to me in another post, but suffice it to say, I really enjoyed it.
On the soundtrack album for the movie, there was a song by a band I hadn’t heard of before named Bad Religion called Leaders and Followers. It caught my ear during the movie (it’s the song that plays in the aftermath of the funeral scene). It was loud, raw, and bitingly cynical, but with that familiar California punk vibe that I liked about those other bands. I hadn’t heard anything quite like it before and it struck the right nerve at the right time for me.
I was a disaffected and spiteful suburban high school kid, and Bad Religion’s music resonated with me in a way that I didn’t understand was possible at that point in my life. It was in their songs that I first discovered many of the tropes that formed the core of Pop Punk: Fast paced, distorted guitars with even faster chord progression, along with catchy hooks and melodic choruses that begged to be sang along with and lingered long after the song ended.
Bad Religion’s lyrics are caustic and articulate, with such a sophisticated use of vocabulary that I was often inspired to use a thesaurus while listening to their songs. But it was their extensive use of three-part harmonies with call and response that kept me coming back for more, adding dynamic range, along with depth and texture to singer Greg Graffin’s grim timbre. In the liner notes of their albums, they refer to their distinctive vocal styling as “oozin’ aahs”, and fostered my love of what I commonly refer to on the show as “woahs and heys”. They are a band that’s always been with me.
Even as I grew older and my interests continued to evolve, I never dropped off. I even stuck around during the Atlantic Records years where their albums became so polished and corporate, that even some long-time fans were driven away. They are a band whose sound has grown and developed over the years and has aged along with me. The themes and subjects they sing about on recent albums such as fatherhood, responsibility, and the obvious political climate resonate with me now as much as the lyrics to 21st Century Digital Boy connected with me during high school. Even now, I still see Bad Religion in concert whenever they come to Seattle. Which brings me to today…
Since becoming a part of KGRG, it’s been a “bucket list” item for me to attend a Bad Religion concert as member of the radio station staff. As a show host, I was filled with so much excitement for the opportunity to be able to give away concert tickets to our listeners. It’s a dream come true to be able to see one of my favorite bands while representing the station that has become such a huge part of my life. It doesn’t suck. If you see me there at the show, don’t be shy! Come say hi; I’m going to be proudly wearing my KGRG shirt, so I should be somewhat easy to spot.
In a time when, for some, music has become somewhat of a disposable commodity, it’s worth reflecting upon those bands that we grew up listening to and that we keep with us today. For me, that band is Bad Religion, the band that grew up along with me. What’s yours?
The Vox Populi Tour featuring Bad Religion, Against Me! And Dave Hause comes to Seattle’s Showbox SoDo, Wednesday, October 26, 2016.
Listen to Mike and Micki After Dark every Monday night from 9 to midnight.
