March BEAT

THE ATARIS: PUNK ROCK ENTREPRENEURS WITH MIDWEST ROOTS

by Brad White (with Ernie Thomas)

     The Ataris, one of the biggest punk rock bands on the face of the earth
in 2001, has a powerful Midwest connection that makes all Chicagoland punk
fans proud.

    The group’s lead vocalist/guitarist/songwriter – Kris Roe – hails from
Anderson, Indiana, perhaps the unlikeliest of places for the saga of a punk
rock icon to begin.

     “I’d write my own songs on a four-track,” recalled Roe of his Hoosier
days spent in a homemade bedroom studio. “Me and a guy named Jason messed
around with an HR16 Alesis drum machine making tapes of songs I’d written.”

     The Vandals, who have been an integral part of California’s punk scene
since the early 1980s (touring with the likes of Pearl Jam, No Doubt and The
Offspring) were playing a headline show in Cincinnati and some of Roe’s tapes
landed in the hands of Vandals’ bassist Joe Escalante, who was in the process
of forming Kung Fu Records.

   “(Joe) wrote to me about a month after the concert,” said Roe. “He liked
my songs and wanted to put them out. I explained we were just two guys
without a drummer. He told me that was no problem. The next thing I knew,
the old drummer from Lagwagon (Derrick Plourde) moved to Indiana and we
practiced in this tiny one room apartment. We practiced for like a month and
recorded what would be the first album, then went on a small tour with The
Vandals.”

     Roe and Plourde soon relocated to Santa Barbara. Jason stayed in Indiana
and left the band. The adventurous duo put together a full time band soon
fell apart.
     Not discouraged and still having the staunch support of Escalante and
Kung Fu behind him, Roe, put together the current line up of The Ataris and
has never looked back.

    “The first band lasted maybe six months,” recalled Roe. “After that, I
put together a band with three of the closest friends I’d made after moving
out there [ Mike Davenport (bass/vocals), Marco Pena (guitar/vocals) and Chri
s “Kid” Knapp (drums) ]. That was three years ago and it’s been the four
of us ever since.”

    Touring with the likes of Blink-182, NOFX, Social Distortion, and Nerf
Herder pushed The Ataris into the heart of the punk/indie scene.

   This February, The Ataris released their third full-length album for Kung
Fu, End Is Forever. To support what looks to be their most commercially
successful release, the band again hit the road with their mentors, The
Vandals.

     “I feel this (new album) is a lot more aggressive,” said Roe. “The
vocals are much more pissed off sounding. There are songs that are a little
mellower, because we have gotten a bit more diverse with this one. I’ve been
listening to people like Tom Waits and a lot of indie rock stuff lately.”

    The ferocity of the new album is attributed to Roe going through a bad
relationship while writing the material. Today, Roe is happy and content.
“I got married in April of last year and if I were to write that same album
today, it would be 150 per cent different. It would be a 180 degree turn
around.”

   Aside from making music and records with his own band, Roe has started
producing other young bands. “I like producing and would like to do more of
it,” said Roe. “I’m (currently) producing a band called Useless ID from
Israel, who have a good pop-punk style. They’re going to be on our label,
Kung Fu. I also produced Antifreeze, who are from Greenbay, Wisconsin.
They’re like Weezer or Green Day, kind of straight ahead stuff.”

   While not living the rock ‘n’ roll high life yet, Roe is doing well
enough that he has been able to give up a series of menial side jobs.

Instead of working for others, Roe and his band mates have become
entrepreneurs. “We just opened up a punk clothing and record store called,
Down On Hailey, at 414 East Hailey Street in Santa Barbara,” said Roe. “We
did our record release party there with a live acoustic show.”

   Speaking of capitalistic ventures, Roe just licensed his original song
– “The Radio Still Sucks” – to Apple Computers for a new commercial. The ad
is for their new product – ‘i-tunes’ – and encourages people to say screw
the radio and burn their own CDs. To check it out, go to
www.apple.com/quicktime and click the ad with the green computer.

     Even if they are selling more units, The Ataris are not selling out.
The band still answers all their snail mail and email personally and remain
true to the punk ethic of staying grounded and real.

     Write to them at: The Ataris, P.O. Box 23509, Santa Barbara, CA 93121
or via email at their web site: www.theataris.com

– Brad White
(Ernie Thomas assisted on this article)