(From 2007 to 2013, I worked as a web producer, copy editor, and features and sports writer for the Houston Chronicle. During that time, I unofficially covered the punk/emo/ alt scene, and many of these interviews with bands like blink-182, Alkaline Trio, Taking Back Sunday, Descendents, and others can be found in my book “Hey Suburbia: A guide to the emo/pop-punk rise.” During my time writing for the Chronicle, I covered various Warped Tours, concerts, X-Games, and other events for a variety of chron.com blogs like Peep, Guy Stuff, MIKED, 29-95, and others. Unfortunately, most of those blogs and content have been archived, and are no longer available. I still have video interviews from this time ( early 2000s low-quality videos and Flip Cam recordings), and some of the content is just too good not to live on. From the vaults interview will be a new series revisiting these stories from some of punk’s biggest names.)
The first installment (right in time for Halloween season) is Matt Skiba ( Alkaline Trio/ blink-182). There are three video clips below,- two where Skiba talks about his love for surfing and motorcycles that was recorded on his bus prior to a show in Houston. The last video ( very dark quality) is from Warped Tour where I interviewed Skiba on the bus, and includes which includes interesting information about the never-made “American Scream” video, and the one song the band would never cover.
Warped Tour interview:
-by MIKE DAMANTE
(Mike Damante with Matt Skiba through the years.)
The 13 best Alkaline Trio songs
If you are a fan of pop-punk, Mike Damante’s latest book “Hey Suburbia: A guide to the emo/pop-punk rise” is out now, and features interviews with Alkaline Trio, blink-182. Descendents, New Found Glory and others.