Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Never want to stop

Documentary chronicles the “third-wave” of ska

A still from documentary Pick it up! Ska in the 90s.
A still from documentary Pick it up! Ska in the 90s.

Makers of the documentary Pick It Up! Ska In The 90s recently waged a quite successful Kickstarter campaign. The filmmakers set-out to crowdsource a rather modest $40,000 and (as of early August) have nearly tripled that goal with over $118,000 in funds.

The film chronicles what most have come to regard as the “third-wave” of ska. Bands that fall into this category include Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, No Doubt, Hepcat, and San Diego’s very own Buck-O-Nine. Lead singer Jon Pebsworth was interviewed for the film and appears in the trailer for the documentary.

Sponsored
Sponsored

After shuffling through a handful of musicians very early on, Buck-O-Nine’s core lineup was set by 1992. The band was notable from the start for being a melting pot for diverse musical influences. Founding bass player Scott Kennerly was a fan of the Dead Milkmen, while other band members gravitated towards either reggae or hardcore and skate punk. Perhaps due to this genetic makeup as a band, they found success within various scenes.

“It wasn’t just ska kids that liked us,” guitarist Jonas Kleiner explained. “It was surfers from South Mission, and skaters and kids from Tijuana. It just started growing and growing and it wasn’t just ska. We would play on punk rock bills. Back when Blink-182 was Blink, we would play on the same bills. The kids who loved Blink loved us and vice-versa. At the same time, there was a total ska scene here, and lots of history of ska music here in San Diego. We felt like we were a part of it, and also part of some other thing too.”

By 1996, ska had begun to take the airwaves by storm. No Doubt and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones had major success with radio singles as the movement once again caught fire. Buck-O-Nine rode the wave when they released Twenty-Eight Teeth in 1997.

“I won’t lie, it was incredible. It was huge. We were playing so much. At least 250 or 300 dates a year. That was the peak of our touring. The way it really impacted us was seeing more people in the audience, and more people buying our shirts. You notice more people showing up that weren’t there a time before. Then, all of a sudden, it’s way more people and they have your shirt and they’re singing songs,” Kleiner said.

Past Event

Goldfinger and Buck-O-Nine

  • Friday, August 31, 2018, 7 p.m.
  • House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Avenue, San Diego
  • $24 - $60

By 1999, ska began to slip back into the underground, and the activity of Buck-O-Nine slowed down considerably. The band stopped touring full-time around 2001, but still averages, according to Kleiner, about 25 shows a year. They have a new album set for release in 2019 and will open for Goldfinger at House of Blues on August 31, for a bill that includes the Suicide Machines and Suburban Legends.

“The one thing about Buck-O-Nine is that we have a camaraderie,” said Kleiner. “The seven of us are incredibly close friends. So, to us, just the fact that we can continue and have our friendships evolve…we just never want to stop.”

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Gilbert Castellanos, Buddha Trixie, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Shane Hall, Brian Jones Rock ‘N’ Roll Revival

Grand Socials, gigs, and record releases in Del Mar, City Heights, Solana Beach, Little Italy, and Ocean Beach
A still from documentary Pick it up! Ska in the 90s.
A still from documentary Pick it up! Ska in the 90s.

Makers of the documentary Pick It Up! Ska In The 90s recently waged a quite successful Kickstarter campaign. The filmmakers set-out to crowdsource a rather modest $40,000 and (as of early August) have nearly tripled that goal with over $118,000 in funds.

The film chronicles what most have come to regard as the “third-wave” of ska. Bands that fall into this category include Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, No Doubt, Hepcat, and San Diego’s very own Buck-O-Nine. Lead singer Jon Pebsworth was interviewed for the film and appears in the trailer for the documentary.

Sponsored
Sponsored

After shuffling through a handful of musicians very early on, Buck-O-Nine’s core lineup was set by 1992. The band was notable from the start for being a melting pot for diverse musical influences. Founding bass player Scott Kennerly was a fan of the Dead Milkmen, while other band members gravitated towards either reggae or hardcore and skate punk. Perhaps due to this genetic makeup as a band, they found success within various scenes.

“It wasn’t just ska kids that liked us,” guitarist Jonas Kleiner explained. “It was surfers from South Mission, and skaters and kids from Tijuana. It just started growing and growing and it wasn’t just ska. We would play on punk rock bills. Back when Blink-182 was Blink, we would play on the same bills. The kids who loved Blink loved us and vice-versa. At the same time, there was a total ska scene here, and lots of history of ska music here in San Diego. We felt like we were a part of it, and also part of some other thing too.”

By 1996, ska had begun to take the airwaves by storm. No Doubt and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones had major success with radio singles as the movement once again caught fire. Buck-O-Nine rode the wave when they released Twenty-Eight Teeth in 1997.

“I won’t lie, it was incredible. It was huge. We were playing so much. At least 250 or 300 dates a year. That was the peak of our touring. The way it really impacted us was seeing more people in the audience, and more people buying our shirts. You notice more people showing up that weren’t there a time before. Then, all of a sudden, it’s way more people and they have your shirt and they’re singing songs,” Kleiner said.

Past Event

Goldfinger and Buck-O-Nine

  • Friday, August 31, 2018, 7 p.m.
  • House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Avenue, San Diego
  • $24 - $60

By 1999, ska began to slip back into the underground, and the activity of Buck-O-Nine slowed down considerably. The band stopped touring full-time around 2001, but still averages, according to Kleiner, about 25 shows a year. They have a new album set for release in 2019 and will open for Goldfinger at House of Blues on August 31, for a bill that includes the Suicide Machines and Suburban Legends.

“The one thing about Buck-O-Nine is that we have a camaraderie,” said Kleiner. “The seven of us are incredibly close friends. So, to us, just the fact that we can continue and have our friendships evolve…we just never want to stop.”

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Not enough Readers in Mission Beach

Mayor Todd Gloria's skin color
Next Article

The Digital Currency Wave Hits the Shores of San Diego

Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.