Mike Park

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Mike Park
Mike Park

Mike Park is a Korean American musician and progressive activist. His musical ventures include Skankin' Pickle for whom he both played the saxophone and sang, The Chinkees, The Bruce Lee Band, and most recently an acoustic solo project under his own name. After his time with Skankin' Pickle he went on to found Asian Man Records, a label which he has successfully run out of his garage in California since 1996 with only minimal help from his parents and friends. Asian Man Records supports mostly ska and punk bands. Park will support any band as long as it is "anti-racist, anti-sexist and anti-prejudice". Park has used Asian Man Records to release his own music, in addition to providing a start for smaller bands to allow them to grow, including Less Than Jake, Alkaline Trio and The Lawrence Arms. Park strives to offer affordable music and rejects mega-chains who overcharge for CDs. Park's most important goal though is to end hate and hate crimes. Because of his strong convictions, in 1999 he formed the Plea for Peace Foundation an organization whose aim is "to promote the ideas of peace through the power of music", something which Park has been trying to do with his own bands and with the help of other groups.

Park recorded an acoustic solo album in January 2005 and in the fall of 2006 his Plea for Peace Foundation plans to open a youth center. It will be the first venture undertaken by the charity that isn't a global or national music tour.

Park was the impetus behind the Spring 1998 "Ska Against Racism" tour. The goal of the tour was to promote awareness about racism and raise money for anti-racism organisations such as the Museum of Tolerance. The national tour included The Toasters, Less Than Jake, the Blue Meanies, Mustard Plug, Five Iron Frenzy, MU330, Kemuri, and Mike Park himself.[1]

Contents

[edit] Personal life

Mike is currently taking some time off from touring and recording in order to spend time with his wife and raise a family, expecting to be back on the road sometime in 2008. His first child, daughter Maggie Elizabeth was born on 17 November 2006, weighing 6.46 lbs.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Solo

For the Love of Music
2003
North Hangook Falling
2005

[edit] With 'Skankin' Pickle'

Year Title Label
1991 Skafunkrastapunk Dill
1992 Skankin' Pickle Fever Dill
1994 Sing Along With Skankin' Pickle Dill Records
1996 Live Dill
1996 Green Album Dr. Strange

[edit] With 'The Chinkees'

  • "The Chinkees Are Coming" CD
  • "Karaoke with the Chinkees" 7"
  • "Peace Through Music" CD
  • "Present Day Memories" Split CD with Lawrence Arms (out of print)
  • "Searching for a Brighter Future" CD

[edit] With 'The Bruce Lee Band'

  • "The Bruce Lee Band" CD
  • "Beautiful World" EP

[edit] References

  1. ^ Steininger, Alex (04 1998). Ska Against Racism. In Music We Trust. Retrieved on 2007-02-17.

[edit] External links

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Persondata
NAME Park, Mike
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION musician, activist
DATE OF BIRTH
PLACE OF BIRTH
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH
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