An Early Summer's Punk Rock Summons: Skid Tard at The Spigot

Joey Ramone himself said: “To me, punk is about being an individual and going against the grain and standing up and saying: this is who I am”. Going over classic vinyl covers like Black Flag's “My War”, The Circle Jerks' “Wild in the Streets” and other greats like JFA have been inducing a full blown walk down memory lane for me lately. When I walked into the Spigot to see my comrade Brook Taylor on guitar take the stage with Skid Tard, I knew that visions of California pipelines, trespassing to skate backyard pools, and anarchy patches on the backs of leather jackets in the 80's would leave me grinning ear to ear. Phil Burcher of The Bay and Precision skates takes over vocal duties, While Mark Anderson provides the bass. He was locking with the drummer well and noisily like my sludgy favorites “The Jesus Lizard” who blew me away many times and on many stages in years past.

Drummer Bruce Stephens and Lincoln punk icon Bill Jones also on guitar seemed elated to perform, for a crowd that was very excited to delve into something a bit rowdy and raw. People that may think Lincoln doesn't have much of a punk history are wildly misguided; seeing SNFU on the “And No One Else Wanted to Play” tour at the Malone Center had me not sleeping for weeks in anticipation. While we were waiting for the show to begin, I talked to longtime native Daniel Kelley about the drought of '91 when the East O St. Ditch was dry, and we would carve in trains ten to twelve deep on skateboards as the heat pelted the earth; at the time we all felt that our visions of Venice, La Jolla and the Hills of SF were just that much closer.

Burcher's presence on vocals had me drawing comparison to bands like “OFF!”, the Black Flag rebirth and abrasive punk rock element that still sweeps the nation. Hunter S. Thompson writes in “Fear and Loathing” about seeing a movement at it's peak right before the tide goes out and washes the true bastions of style away with it; reminiscing that San Fran would never be the same after mass development and certain attitudes were lost in time. Sneering aloofness, capturing the playful essence that punk was born on from the beginning, and a few questions for authority of his own were the proper finishing touches for Skid Tard's set. “Plastic Girlfriend”, “Keep what you feel”, “Government shutdown”, “Penguin Necktie”, and “Bandito” were some of the selections that Skid Tard belted out with well practiced bravado.

Hearing the group's set that Wednesday night as the summer humidity set in and Lincoln residents edged by on the sidewalks with bikes and high spirits, I was reminded of something that was begun way before smart phone apps could find you a place to eat or find a “plastic girlfriend” of your own. Parties where amps were turned up in hopes of getting a few last songs out before the cops came, water pipes bursting in dingy basements while mosh pits circled, and other Lincoln outfits of yesteryear like “Speedwobble” came to mind. Out there to cultivate years of friendship, not take anything too seriously, and stoke up your own memories of hopping a fence to skate a backyard pool, Skid Tard is an example of people who actually BUILT the local scene still belting out tunes and spreading the sometimes PBR-fueled good word.

Dre Future; The Hip Hop Superhero

Questions for Dre Future:

Dre Future is a performer and model currently living in Denver and getting ready to make very large waves in 2014. When I got a minute to catch up with him we talked about where he came up from, influences, and his clothing company. We touched on the state of internet marketing, the importance of a handshake, and the appeal of live shows. With a goal of spreading positivity and leaning away from the usual image of guns and drugs, his plans this coming year are to perform as much as possible, and gain huge momentum from the Rocky Mountain Region. While the nation itself is desperate to move into an era without bloodshed and turmoil, there are truly only a few individuals steering the ship in the correct direction; and captivating people from the stage at the same time. His tunes are available at:

http://www.reverbnation.com/drefuturehero

Were you rapping way before you attended Columbia in Chicago or is that where you really starting getting into it?

Dre: 

-         I first started rapping and making music in 2008 towards the end of my senior year of High School with a couple of really good friends of mine in a group we use to call Cool R Us. My first love was still basketball at the time, but when that didn’t work out as planned I started focusing more on music and transferred to Columbia College Chicago to improve my skills and give myself a better opportunity to succeed.

      What are some of the most influential albums you have ever listened to?

      Dre:

-          Some of the most influential albums for me are the first two Lupe Fiasco albums(“Food & Liquor” and “The Cool”)  Common’s “Be”, Kanye West’s “Late Registration”, Nas “Illmatic”, A Tribe Called Quest “Midnight Marauders”. 

       Do you think live music and shows are still hurting and people just have to try and hustle money on merchandise, or do you think that ticket sales have turned the corner into the positive?

      Dre:

-          I truly believe that giving people a live show is the best way to engage fans and even help sell merchandise. When you put on a great performance as an artist and give people a unique experience then ticket, merchandise, and album sales will increase because then the fans have such a good time that they want something to take home with them to remember how much fun they had and to support the artist that provided them with that experience.

      

      What is Denver like compared to Ohio in terms of crowds and support? Is it more laid back?

     

      Dre:

-          Well I’ve actually done a lot more shows in Denver and Chicago than I have in Cincinnati so far in my career mainly because I haven’t really been living there since I graduated high school. But Denver crowds have definitely given me the most love and support during my live performances.

    

      Do you have a favorite superhero theme, or is that persona more about what you think kids should be thinking about and ending the violent cycle we see today?

     

      Dre:

-          The superhero based theme for my style of music(Superhero Hip Hop) and clothing brand(Future Man) is definitely more centered around helping today’s youth to think in a more positive creative light. Most rappers talk about guns, drugs, money and violence which creates a false image for kids to follow and starts the that negative cycle. I look to provide a fun, unique and exciting way to inspire people to want to be more positive and help others. I hope to inspire kids to look within themselves to become the ultimate person that they want to be no matter where you come from. Why just be a hero when you can become a SUPERHERO!

     

      Did it take a long time for you to craft lyrics, or did it come naturally? Is it fearful, or just second nature?

      Dre:

-          The way that put together my music it usually takes me a long time to craft my lyrics. That’s mainly because I take the time to think about every lyric I write to make it very meaningful and shape it intricately to the beat so that I can change my flow up at any time and offer a larger dynamic of enjoyment for the listeners. Writing lyrics is slowly becoming second nature to me, but I do still experience writers block occasionally when I have a powerful message I want to covey to the listeners, but struggle with finding a unique way to do so that will capture their attention and not be so complex that it’s hard to follow.

 

      What were the first items that inspired you in the realm of fashion and design? merchandising is now truly one of the keys to success. 

     

      Dre:

-          What first really inspired me in the realm of fashion was when I moved to Chicago. I started getting in the modeling world meeting a lot of designers and photographers and developed a strong interest. Columbia College Chicago is an arts school so I started taking fashion design and art classes to gather all the knowledge I could about the business and developed my own clothing company(F.S.W) with two other really good friends of mine Daryl Wright a photographer from Jamaica and Michael Amaning an actor from London, England. We took our individual passions and put them all together in the fashion realm to form styles unique and different that appeals to most demographics.  

      Do you see the role of social media like Twitter as more important than ever, or is beating the pavement with flyers and real prowess better? There sure are opinions on both side of the debate. 

      Dre:

-          Personally I feel that hitting the streets with CD’s and fliers and actually being face to face with people makes more of an impact. Anybody can make a post online and tag people in it and most of the time it’s getting ignored anyway. A smile, a hand shake and a short conversation can go long way with the right people and it makes a more lasting impact because they have the opportunity to look you right in the eyes and see your true passion for what you’re presenting to them.

   What are some of your favorite artists now, and beyond?

     

    Dre:

-          Some of my favorite artist right now and beyond are Kendrick Lamar, Ab- Soul, J.Cole, Big K.R.I.T, Lupe Fiasco, Dizzy Wright, Tech n9ne, Rittz, B.O.B, Asher Roth, Common, The Cool Kids, Pac Div, Dr. Dre, Nas, A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, Talib Kweli, Most Def, Tupac and Biggie Smalls. I’m sure there’s more but that’s all I can think of right now...