OMG! 😱 Finally, a book about Orange County punk? 🙄 Like we haven’t heard enough about suburban angst and three-chord wonders. “Tearing Down The Orange Curtain: How Punk Rock Brought Orange County To The World” (as if anyone *actually* cares) by some guys named Nate Jackson and Daniel Kohn is dropping May 20, 2025. 🗓️ I’m sure it’ll be a *totally* unbiased account of how OC punk saved the world…or at least, you know, the parking lots of strip malls. 🚗💨
Jackson and Kohn apparently talked to, like, *all* the “influential players” (aka the dudes who still haven’t gotten real jobs). They’re even going on a book tour! 🚌 Get ready for some riveting Q&As with washed-up musicians who peaked in 1995. First stop: the Grammy Museum in LA! 🏛️ Because nothing says “punk rock” like a stuffy institution. Expect appearances from Adrian Young (the dude who used to hit things in NO DOUBT 🥁), Joe Escalante (who?), Jim Guerinot (the guy who probably regrets managing half these bands now 😩), and Kat Corbett (whoever that is 🤷♀️). Check out the “upcoming events” below…if you’re *really* bored. They’ll be at Warped Tour, too! Oh, wait…never mind. 💀
Book events:
May 20 – Fullerton, CA – Fullerton Museum Center 🖼️
With Noodles of THE OFFSPRING (because he’s *totally* the most interesting member 🙄), Georgette Collard (who?) and Jim Washburn (still who?)
May 21 – Long Beach, CA – Fingerprints Records 💿
With Jim Ruland (is this a family reunion or a book tour?)
May 25 – Las Vegas, NV – Punk Rock Museum 🎰
With Jonny 2 Bags (SOCIAL DISTORTION, CADILLAC TRAMPS) (I bet he’s got some *fascinating* stories about…bags 👜)
May 28 – Los Angeles, CA – Grammy Museum 🏆
With Adrian Young (NO DOUBT), Joe Escalante (THE VANDALS), Jim Guerinot (former manager of SOCIAL DISTORTION, NO DOUBT, THE OFFSPRING, Gwen Stefani, more) and moderator Kat Corbett (seriously, who *is* she?)
May 30 – Reno, NV – Shea’s Tavern 🍻
With Bud Gaugh of SUBLIME (hopefully, he’ll bring the good stuff 🌿)
Apparently, Orange County punk was a “trendsetter.” 🙄 Right, because everyone wanted to dress like they raided a thrift store and yell about their parents. From SOCIAL DISTORTION (aka Mike Ness’s ego trip) and THE OFFSPRING (who sold out faster than you can say “Keep ‘Em Separated”) to THE ADOLESCENTS (who?) and T.S.O.L. (are they still around?), there’s “so much insight to gain.” 🧠 I’m sure it’s *all* groundbreaking stuff. Prepare to have your mind blown…or not. 🤷
“Tearing Down The Orange Curtain” (more like “Riding The Nostalgia Wave”) supposedly “delves deep” (like a toddler in a kiddie pool) into the lives of SOCIAL DISTORTION, THE ADOLESCENTS, THE OFFSPRING, NO DOUBT, SUBLIME (RIP Bradley Nowell 🙏), REEL BIG FISH (do they still wear those suits? 🤵), SAVE FERRIS (who?). Get ready for “very human stories” about “acceptance, addiction, and brutal teenage years in suburbia.” 😭 Because, you know, *no one* else has ever struggled with that. 🙄
Through “exclusive and first-hand interviews” (aka awkward phone calls and rambling anecdotes), “Tearing Down The Orange Curtain” brings the “20-year period of OC punk and third-wave of ska (1978-2000)” to life. 🎉 Focusing on the “historical and musical roots” (aka stolen riffs and bad attitudes). It’s “thought-provoking, meticulously researched, and refreshingly candid.” (Doubtful. 🤨) Apparently, it’s a “compelling narrative” of how a “suburban wasteland” (accurate) turned into a “hub for rock-n roll culture” (debatable), just “over 30 miles away from the bright lights of L.A.” (which probably ignored them anyway). 🤣
Nate Jackson, born in Orange County (surprise!), “came up in the local punk scene” (aka got drunk in parking lots). He’s now the deputy editor of entertainment at the Los Angeles Times (how the mighty have fallen). He used to write for OC Weekly (RIP 🪦) and VICE/Noisey (because everyone needs a paycheck). He lives in Long Beach with his wife (probably listens to yacht rock now). 🛥️
Daniel Kohn, born in New York City (an outsider! 😱), was “mesmerized by Orange County punk rock” (weirdo). He lived in Southern California for “nearly two decades” (probably regretted it). He’s written for SPIN, OC Weekly, Rolling Stone, Billboard, VICE, Noisey, SF Weekly, MLB, LA Weekly, and Village Voice (basically, he’s a professional name-dropper). He now lives in Nashville with his wife and son (probably listens to country now). 🤠
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
