![]() ![]() Rather than look “punk,” Descendents have actually been punk, eschewing all of the things bands “should do” in favor of playing angular and often discordant pop-inspired songs with melodies and harmonies. There’s something about this band that transcends time: Maybe it’s the heart-on-sleeve lyrics or the fact that the members never succumbed to punk’s tired mohawk-and-spikes aesthetic. And judging by the reaction from Wednesday night’s crowd, I wasn’t alone. Sure, they’re a little grayer (or balder) than they were during the 80s (and 90s), but seeing Descendents still gives me goosebumps, probably because I’m a little grayer than I was when I first heard them on a punk compilation tape a friend made for me in 10th grade, myself. More than three decades and a few lineup changes (the group has included guitarist Stephen Egerton and bassist Karl Alvarez since 1986) later, songs from the band’s 1982 classic Milo Goes to College and its follow-ups (the 1981 EP Fat) were best received from the mostly middle-aged crowd, which pogoed like Reagan was still president throughout the quartet’s 90-minute performance. As part of the first wave of American hardcore, the original foursome-singer Milo Aukerman, guitarist Frank Navetta (who passed away in 2008), bassist Tony Lombardo, and drummer Bill Stevenson-wrote surf-inspired hardcore blasts about the sorts of things in which high school boys (which three of them were) care: food, fishing, and girls. The performance marked the first time in 19 years that the group had played in its hometown. Except, of course, for Wednesday night, when Hermosa Beach pop punk pioneers Descendents played an unannounced show to approximately 200 people. He claims that parenting is the most challenging thing he has ever done, although he has stated that being in a band has been more rewarding.For an area with such a rich cultural history, the south bay region of Los Angeles County sure does suck. The first full length Descendents album (released in 1982) was titled Milo Goes to College, as he had gone to school at UC San Diego.Īukerman has been married since 1996 and is the father of two children. in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and his passion for academic research within this field has caused the Descendents to be inactive for extended periods. He is known for his bespectacled, unabashedly nerdy persona and self-deprecating, "anti-rockstar" demeanor.Īukerman attended Mira Costa High School, with fellow members of the Descendents.Īukerman holds a Ph.D. Aukerman has also provided backing vocals for other musicians, and, while attending college (between stints with the Descendents), briefly fronted the long-defunct San Diego band "Milestone" who released one independently-produced album.Īs a musician, Aukerman sings in a mid-range tenor, and his generally upbeat lyrics encompass such universal topics as girls/rejection, dependence upon caffeine, and the neverending quest for good food. The initial single had caricatures of the three original members, and the drawing used to symbolize Milo, invented by a high school classmate, was used on many of their albums afterwards and has since become a popular tattoo among fans (a notable example being Travis Barker the drummer for Blink-182). While not an original member, he joined after their first single (Ride the Wild/It's a Hectic World). Aukerman is perhaps most widely known for being the lead singer of the early Los Angeles area punk rock band the Descendents, a group widely considered to be pioneers of modern "pop punk". Milo Aukerman (born 1964 in Lomita, California) is an American singer, songwriter and research biochemist. ![]()
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