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Traveling the miles along a star-kissed path, the first break came early for D.C.’s ska darlings, when they landed a 1992 tour opening for ska originals, Bad Manners. In 1997, Rancid’s Tim Armstrong signed them to Hellcat/Epitaph where they recorded two albums with producer Brett Gurewitz (Bad Religion): the genre-defining Willis (SPIN Magazine called it “An equal opportunity dancehall crasher — part ‘60s keg rock, part 2Tone and part Motown”) and Awesome Mix Tape #6 (CMJ noted it for “lacing a Stax shout-out feel with Caribbean rhythms”). The soul-charged Turbo was released in 2002 by Fueled by Ramen. The Pietasters shared bills with NOFX and Less Than Jake on the epic ’98 and ’99 Warped Tours, and followed with a stateside run with punk legend Joe Strummer Three years later, they worked as James Brown’s back-up band for one surreal evening (All Day was produced by James Brown’s engineer, Todd Harris). Not bad for a bunch of guys who started out as a teenaged underground band from D.C.
“We may not be rich but we can claim some amazing experiences,” says Jackson. It’s that experience, combined with a commitment to expand beyond their humble beginnings as a ska band, which are at the foundation of All Day, a journey through the swingin’ ‘60s and the soulful ‘70s that sounds right on time. |
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