Original San Diego punk band regroups and re-energizes

The first time I saw the Executives play was when I hired them to open for a Penetrators show I was promoting at the La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas.

Lead singer Mike Jenks explains 35 years later why there was all that costly damage, like the trashed bathroom doors, to the historic theater.

“That was the first time that the San Diego and North County punk scenes converged. Because of that, there was a certain amount of chaos. There were a lot of sub-sect skirmishes back then.”

At the time, the local punk scene had just a handful of bands, including the Carlsbad-based Dils, “the pioneers of all pioneers,” who had by then moved to L.A. “At the time we were about it for North County,” says Jenks. “We made it a point to get out of the North County bubble and get down to San Diego. I would go to all the shows at the Skeleton Club, the Lions Club, the Zebra Club. We would open for the Misfits, the Gears, and the Buzzcocks. We were in the first wave [of punk]. That’s how we got slotted in.

“The scene started getting violent with people getting really pissed off around 1982. That’s why we moved on.”

Jenks says the Executives have done what several other early SD punk bands — Battalion of Saints, the Targets, the Standbys, Upbeats — have failed to pull off. “We got back together with all original members,” including bassist Chris Goldsmith, drummer Bill Gerber, and guitarists Dave Sharp and Matt McEwen.

“We couldn’t resist asking to open for the Penetrators when they reunited at the Casbah a few years ago.” That led to a Belly Up show with the Buzzcocks in January.

“This is unbelievable for us. We’re in our 50s, and these [headliners] are in their 60s. It’s inspiring to see how committed they still are.”

I note that it probably doesn’t hurt that Goldsmith oversees the Belly Up booking crew.

“That’s not true. We got passed up twice. We wanted to play with Gang of Four and the Adolescents/Weirdos.

The Executives appears July 30 at Belly Up with Stiff Little Fingers.