Big D and the Kids Table

Big D and the Kids Table

Big D and The Kids Table performing in San Diego circa 2004
Background information
Origin Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Genres Ska punk, reggae, dub
Years active 1995–present
Labels Fork in Hand, Asian Man, Household Name, Springman, Bad News, SideOneDummy, Stomp
Associated acts Crown City Rockers, Suburban Legends, Tip the Van
Members
  • David McWane
  • Ryan O'Connor
  • Derek Davis
  • Alex Stern
  • Ben Basile
  • Logan La Barbera
Past members
  • Steve Foote
  • Sean P. Rogan
  • Dan Stoppelman
  • Jon Riley
  • Marc Flynn
  • Chris Bush
  • Jon Lammi
  • Gabe Feenberg
  • Jason Gilbert
  • David Lagueux
  • Max MacVeety
  • Chris Sallen
  • Brian Klemm
  • Nick Pantazi
  • Paul Cuttler
  • Chris Lucca
  • Matt Pick
  • Thomas Mann

Big D and the Kids Table is a ska punk band formed in October 1995 in Boston, Massachusetts when its members converged in college.[1] Their first release was on their own Fork in Hand Records label,[2] but have since teamed with Springman Records and SideOneDummy. The band has been noted for its strict DIY work ethic,[3] such as engineering, producing, and releasing their own albums and videos and self-promotion of their own shows.[1]

In 2000 the band recorded a gangsta rap album, Porch Life, and distributed it unofficially via cassette tape. In 2003 the album was officially released on CD through Fork in Hand.[2] They have also recorded splits with Melt-Banana, Brain Failure, and Drexel.

Big D and the Kids Table have played 200 shows a year, on average,[1] in support of bands including The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Dropkick Murphys, Rancid, and Alexisonfire, and have become regular performers on the Warped Tour. The band has also performed in the Summer of Ska Tour 2006 and the Ska Is Dead tour.

In the fall and winter of 2007 the band embarked on their first-ever large scale headlining tour, The Steady Riot Tour, named after the 2007 release.

Name origin

Different stories exist about the band name's origin, especially about running over pets named Big D. However, lead singer Dave McWane has said that the band actually got their name when a friend, Conor Donnelly, told him that if he ever started a band he should call it Big D and the Kids Table, so he did.[4]

Band history

Early years (1995–1998)

Big D and the Kids Table was founded in 1995[5] when members converged at Berklee College of Music in Boston.[6] Despite a frequently revolving lineup, the band built up a large local following almost immediately, packing clubs, halls, dorms, and basements in and around Boston. The band formed their own label, Fork in Hand Records, to put out their first album, Shot By Lammi, a split with Boston punk band Drexel, a side project of several Big D members (under assumed names).[6] Soon, their label was releasing albums by a stable of Boston-area bands, building a vibrant punk/ska scene around them. Following Shot By Lammi, the band released a Live EP. Early on, they also began their tradition of holding an annual Halloween concert at home in Boston.

Good Luck, How it Goes, Strictly Rude (1999–2009)

In 1999, Big D signed on to Mike Park's Asian Man Records and released their first full-length album, Good Luck.[6] Big D picked up the award for Outstanding Ska Band at the 1999 Boston Music Awards.[6] The band returned in 2002 with The Gipsy Hill EP and continued with their busy show schedule (playing an average of 200 shows a year), as a split EP with Japanese noise rock act Melt Banana appeared in 2003. Also in 2003, the band released a gangsta rap album of their songs recorded in 2000 on their own Fork in Hand Records. Fueled by a DIY work ethic since early on, the band's small fan base kept growing through touring and promotion, all with little label support and money. Big D hooked up with part of the summer's Warped Tour and played at Vegas' Ska Summit.

In 2004, the band signed to Springman Records and released How It Goes.[6] They headed out across North America in 2004 on the Ska Is Dead tour with Catch 22, Mustard Plug, and the Planet Smashers. Following the release of How It Goes, Big D released several music video variations of their cover of The Specials' "Little Bitch", taking place in Montreal, St. Pete, and on Warped Tour. While continuing to tour with bands such as Suicide Machines, Reel Big Fish, and Streetlight Manifesto, the band released a limited edition EP entitled Salem Girls for Halloween 2005.[6] This was the first recording featuring new drummer Jon Reilly. Also in 2005, "You Lost, You're Crazy" from How It Goes appeared on the Warped Tour 2005 Tour Compilation as Big D toured with Warped Tour again.

In March 2007, Big D released Strictly Rude and proceeded to tour with Anti-Flag, Alexisonfire and Set Your Goals in the Spring of '07. That Summer they were on the Vans Warped Tour and followed it with a Fall US Headlining tour. In the summer of 2008 they were a part of the Shout It Loud tour along with Less Than Jake, Goldfinger, Suburban Legends and Westbound Train. In early 2009, they did a short east coast tour with The English Beat.

Fluent in Stroll, and for the Damned, The Dumb and the Delirious (2010–2012)

Fluent in Stroll was released by the band on July 7, 2009. They spent the summer promoting the album playing the entire 2009 Warped Tour.

Following the conclusion of the Warped Tour, they embarked on their 2nd headlining tour, which took place throughout the fall of 2009, called the "Not Fucking Around tour." It was named after the track on the new album (in the same way "the Steady Riot tour" supported Strictly Rude). illScarlett served as direct support for the majority of the tour.

Sean P. Rogan departed the band in 2009. After Rogan's departure Suburban Legends' Brian Klemm filled in as touring guitarist through 2010. Then in 2011, Nick Pantazi from the seminal Boston ska band Big Lick joined Big D on Guitar. Chris Lucca of Suburban Legends joined the band on trumpet around this time.

On June 25, 2010 Big D played the Carson, California stop on Warped Tour. This was the only stop on the tour the band would go on to play that year. In an interview done on the same day for thepunksite.com, McWane stated that the band is set to release their next studio album entitled, "The Damned, The Dumb and the Delirious" in 2011. On January 5, 2011 the band announced on their Facebook page they would be playing the entire 2011 Vans Warped Tour.[7]

In late November 2011, the band announced they were cancelling the remainder of their European tour in support of for the Damned, following lead singer Dave McWane's diagnosis with thyroid cancer.[8] After surgery and radiation, McWane was declared cancer free, and the band went back on tour in April 2012.[9]

Stomp' & 'Stroll (2013–present)

In early February 2013, it was announced that the bands' next release would be two separate records, one ska/punk album, and another reggae/stroll/dub record. Stomp and Stroll released on June 11, 2013.

Big D and the Kids Table performing in The Masquerade, Atlanta - 2013.10.29

In September 2015, it was reported that the band would be providing theme music for an American-produced animated special featuring Domo, the mascot of Japanese public broadcaster NHK, entitled Domo Rock!, starring veteran actor George Takei.[10]

Members

Former members

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Splits

Music videos

Compilation albums

Remix albums

Compilation appearances

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Strictly Rude - Bio". bigdandthekidstable.com. 2007. Archived from the original (web) on 2007-10-28. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
  2. 1 2 "Strictly Rude - Disco". bigdandthekidstable.com. 2007. Archived from the original (web) on 2007-11-01. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
  3. ↑ "Warped Tour 2007: Big D and the Kids Table". warpedtour.com. 2006. Archived from the original (Web) on 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
  4. ↑ "Interviews: Big D & the Kids Table". Punknews.org. November 8, 2003.
  5. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/artist/big-d-and-the-kids-table-mn0000759454/biography
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p437557/biography
  7. ↑ Vans Warped Tour
  8. ↑ Big D and the Kids Table on Facebook
  9. ↑ http://www.punknews.org/article/46402
  10. ↑ Callan, Patrick (18 September 2015). "Domo rocks out in new special". Kidscreen (Kidscreen). Retrieved 22 September 2015.

External links

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