Bands/Artists: Pennywise

Through its 10 year history, punk rock’s most infamous summer festival, the Vans Warped Tour, has garnered acclaim for propelling young talent to a national audience. With this latest two-disc compilation release, 50 bands have contributed songs showcasing their own brands of fury and fun. Highlights on disc one range from “The ... read more

We know you hate Bush, and we know you like music, so the only question here is do you have room for one more CD in your tiny cubicle of a room? The bands on this compilation - most, but not all of which are punk groups -intend this release as a unified outcry against the policies of the current administration. Musically, it is varied and w... read more

I should have been able to predict that my night would end up this way. No, not the usual way it does when I see shows at The Brick: alone, disoriented and throwing up in a dank alley on my own shoes. No, I should have been able to foresee that I would find myself at Safeway at two in the morning, piling USDA Choice rib eye steaks into a mo... read more

For a guy known to have a proclivity for putting Tabasco sauce in the eyes of his friends who pass out after drinking too much, Fletcher Dragge, the guitarist and co-founder of Pennywise, is much more sanguine about life and his seminal punk band’s place in it. “Life’s about having a good time and trying to make things better... read more

From the Ashes is basically Pennywise just doing what they do best: playing transitional punk rock with moderate melodies, crunchy bar chords and chronic, but subtle, vocal harmonies. Standard for the band, this release ranges from a self-reflective ambience (“Now I Know” and “Look Who You Are”) t... read more

While some formerly great Epitaph punk bands seem to have eroded into happy little teen-pop punk bands with cute little spiked wristbands, Pennywise has somehow managed to grow straight up from its roots, lyrically bagging on the world and all its corruption and generally trying to piss off the baby boomers. This album is particularly heavy... read more

Every summer, you can count on several things to happen: It gets hot outside; Baseball season erupts with breaking records and embarrassing scandals; Unless mired in summer school, students are set free to follow their whims; And the Vans Warped Tour comes to town. This being the ninth year of the annual punk rock cavalcade, one coul... read more

Back in 1994, when the very first edition of the Punk O Rama compilation series — the yearly sampler of bands signed to LA-based record label Epitaph — was released, the CD’s lineup was basically what the name implied; Bad Religion, NOFX, Pennywise and other such bands included on the compilation were... read more

This two-hour plus DVD acts as a time capsule for Epitaph Records, whose history can be traced back over 20 years. Not only do the videos range from early '90s Rancid and Pennywise to recent clips from Millencolin and Hot Water Music, but a short documentary, "The Epitaph Story," chronicles the timeline of the indie punk label fr... read more

I am on the tour bus with Fletcher Dragge, the guitarist for Pennywise, who is half-drunk, confused and sipping warm Zima after a long day at the Warped Tour in Boreal.
"What happened in Wyoming?" Fletcher laughs repeating the question I just asked him. "Well I think it started out with some games of pool, ... read more

If Punk Were Horses, the Kids would still Ride and Pay 28 Bucks at the Door

My experience of the Warped Tour was different than yours—that is, of course, if you went at all. I know this based on the laws of mathematical probability that dictate that no two bodies, be they animal, mineral or vegetable, can occu... read more

Notes on backstage behavior: The 'How-to-be-a-Rock-Star' Chronicle:

I never thought I wanted to be a rock star much when I was little, but lately I wouldn't recommend against becoming one. It's an interesting trade, to say the least, and though I wouldn't call myself well-versed in their entire vibe, I would say that... read more

It seems only fitting that Pen-nywise should be a part of Brett Gurewitz's Epitaph label. Though a product of the same community that produced hardcore punk legends Black Flag, the Hermosa Beach quartet plays more in the style of Gurewitz's old band, Bad Religion. Just about every one of this album's ... read more