written by Chuck Foster
UNMASKED! . . . d l i w e n o g Punky-tonk
When I first heard Jason and The Punknecks on MySpace a few months back, their ground shaking energy and immense diversity knocked me back a few feet. There are several seasoned bands out there in music land that know how to blur the lines of honky-tonk and punk, but these cats scramble the two like a twelve egg omelet with all the works and a bottle of habanero hot sauce, producing some tasty, yet smokin’ hot tunes from start to finish! Their act quickly hit the top of my “Must See” list, passing some fifteen other local bands. I contacted them through MySpace, which listed their hometown simply as “America”. With a current touring schedule that zigzags across this country like a blind man on acid almost 300 days of the year, I guess that’s a pretty accurate statement. With Jason and The Punknecks playing St. Louis eight to ten times a year I assumed Misery was where the Punkmobile rested those five off days, but Jason says that home is Nashville, Tennessee as of this past winter. And to name the members of this band would be as much of a challenge for me on space as it would be for Jason’s memory. Beyond Punkneck founders, Jason and Polly Punkneck, the band has a rotating list of musicians that join them on the road. For example, Jason says part of the tour might feature Kevin and Donna Frazier out of Nashville on upright bass and Sky and Kim on melodic guitar and drums. Then in St. Louis Jason says you’ll find Stephanie on the conga, but then find Jonas Westerlund on guitar in Los Angeles, not to mention numerous others in different cities that help them out year round. Jason and Polly founded the band some six years ago in LA. Jason says he was working in Hollywood, writtin’ songs on the curb in front of his tattoo shop on Hollywood Blvd. when he met Polly Punkneck through a friend; one he says he had to cock-block to get her in his band. From there he says the rest is history. After two years in LA Jason says the band had gotten pretty huge, playing any venue they wanted. But Jason wanted something more, to hit the road and build a true fan base. He and Polly then recorded some new material, creating this real-deal, outlaw bluegrass/ Punky-Tonk tourin’ act that has become their staple. “For Christ’s sake” he says, “we’ve been tourin’ the whole country doing it all ourselves for over 4 years now, either we are rockin’ or the world pities us. Either way, I just love our friends and fans across the country, especially in St. Louis, so much, that’s what keeps me goin’.” When it comes to influences who have sculpted this band, Jason
says there’s a “shit-load of them” like Hank Jr. and Waylon, but he also mentions The Ramones and Motley Crue with lots of laughs. Mostly though, he says that these people are more than mere influences, that after having lived some of their stories on the road, “ya really feel what they are tryin’ to say... on the road it’s real hard to say no.” When it comes to the punk scene today, Jason hesitates, not one of his strongest suits. “Well, I don’t know if ya want my true opinion on it. Personally, I think it’s all gone a little girly, no street feel to it... punk wasn’t about fallin’ in love, but more like hatin’ the ones ya love and lovin’ the people that loved you hate.” In laughter he does admit that there are still some bands out there keepin’ it real, “only ‘cause their parents weren’t yuppies.” Living on the road 300 days of the year has its fair share of ups and downs. Even though Jason says it’s all been good, he admits that eating sushi four days a week compared to peanut butter sandwiches every day isn’t bad at all. The worst experience for him though isn’t the financial hurdles, but the transportation woes that sometimes causes the band to cancel a show. He says the road is a tough life, that they always hit it financially broke in their minds. He adds that there are far greater rewards to the road than money and sushi, like all of their great fans. I asked Jason what advice he would pass a young punk getting into the scene. He says to pick it up, record an album and get some merchandise and tour as quick as you can get it together, and that acoustic acts can get things moving quicker. He also wanted to shout a “huge thanks” out there to Breedlove Guitars (www.breedloveguitars.com) for bein’ so awesome to them, and another to all the bands that have supported them. Beyond asking about their next St. Louis show at The Ten Mile House on September 26, a must-see show at a kick-ass venue, I wanted to know how the nude shots of Jason and the Punknecks on MySpace came about. In true punk fashion, he says, “With enough tequila ya don’t know whatcher gonna get from me...” Aint that the truth! Check these cats out on MySpace at www. myspace.com/jasonandthepunknecks, or you can go to www.punknecks.com. And be sure to come out and support them on September 26 at The Ten Mile House. It’s guaranteed to be Punky-Tonk gone wild!
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