By Nate Jackson And Daniel Kohn (Da Capo Press/Hachette Book Group Inc)
By Eleni P. Austin
The highest compliment you can give any book about music, is that it makes you want to listen to the music you’re reading about. As I dug into Tearing Down The Orange Curtain by Nate Jackson and Daniel Kohn, I found myself rifling through my CDs and revisiting bands like T.S.O.L., Adolescents, D.I., Agent Orange and The Vandals. I even felt compelled to listen to stuff that I really wasn’t into back then, like Social D. and Sublime.
The book is co-written by Nate Jackson, an Orange County native who has played in OC bands and was the music editor for The OC Weekly, and Daniel Kohn. Originally from the East Coast, Daniel became mesmerized by the OC Punk scene as a kid. He’s spent the last 20 years writing about music for publications like Spin, The OC Weekly and Rolling Stone.
To paraphrase The Sound Of Music, these guys go back to the very beginning, and it’s a very good place to start. Back in the mid ‘70s, Orange County cities like Costa Mesa, Fullerton and Placentia were regarded as placid suburban utopias. But thanks to a club in Costa Mesa called the Cuckoo’s Nest, a local Punk scene began to emerge. Nascent bands like the Crowd and Shattered Faith were the earliest progenitors of the aggro OC Punk sound. Soon they were opening for acts like The Ramones and 999 at The Cuckoo’s Nest. That paved the way for T.S.O.L., Adolescents, and The Mechanics.
The pugnacious sound of Punk Rock went hand-in-hand with aggressive sports like surfing and skateboarding. It also immediately labelled these rebellious kids, that formed bands or followed them, as enemies of the police. Clashes were inevitable, but the music kept flowing. Venues like The Cuckoo’s Nest, Safari Sam’s, The Doll Hut and Fender’s Ballroom provided a safe haven for bands and fans.
The book takes a deep dive into the origin stories of Adolescents, T.S.O.L., The Vandals, D.I., Social Distortion, Sublime, No Doubt, Offspring, Cadillac Tramps and many more. Behind the scenes guys like Gary Tovar, Paul Tollett (Goldenvoice), Jim Guerinot (manager of Social D. and Offspring, as well as C.E.O. of Time Bomb Recordings) and Kevin Lyman (architect of the Vans/Warped Tour music festival), also receive their due.
It’s a dense and intricately detailed history of the Orange County scene , land of sand, surf and slam dancing. If you were there, the book brings up a plethora of memories. If you missed out, Nate and Daniel take you down a rabbit hole of snarling vocals, buzz saw guitars and blitzkrieg beats. The music was sometimes raw and sloppy, but always authentic. It’s the perfect summer read for those of you that insist on wearing your Doc Martens or Creepers on the beach.
