A punk primer
Bad Religion is still a way of life for these guys and their legions of fans
When Brian Baker and his bandmates get together to rehearse, playing their instruments is only a third of what they do.
“The other part is eating Mexican food and talking (smack) and arguing about the songs we’re going to play,” the guitarist said during a recent telephone call from his home in the Washington, D.C., area.
It’s the perfect window into the inner workings of Baker’s band — eminent punk rock outfit Bad Religion — that first got together in Southern California in 1979.
The group will be in town Wednesday to play the McDonald Theatre.
While they’ve forayed lightly into other genres over the years, in their hearts Baker, Mike Dimkich, Greg Graffin, Bretty Gurewitz and Jay Bentley are punks. Even 2013’s “Christmas Songs” album is a hardcore reimagining of holiday standards.
But unlike any band formed around the same time that has flamed out or only tours on old albums, the now-five-piece not only has become what Baker calls “part of the fabric” of punk music but has remained extremely relevant over the years.
“Thirty years ago,” Baker says, “Bad Religion was a Southern California punk rock band that would play shows with other punk bands. And now Bad Religion is in sort of the starter kit for all people who discover punk rock.”
Remaining relevant partially has to do with the lyrical styling of songwriters Graffin and Gurewitz. There were never any songs in the Bad Religion catalogue about teenage angst — and definitely nothing that would make a man in his 50s look silly (or creepy) for singing.
“When they were 15 they were already old,” Baker said. “They were so concerned about these incredible things. When I was 15, I was really concerned about (things like), ‘We’re out of Chili Cheese Fritos? We’re (screwed).’
“These two were actually writing about things that mattered to them and had a global view when they were kids, and so that’s kind of nice. Our topics can remain relevant because it’s actually what comes out of these people.
“It’s not contrived. It’s fantastic.”
Substitute for another guy
It’s that writing that attracted Baker in the first place.
He’s been playing guitar since he was 9. Before he was in Bad Religion he was in another one of those all-important punk bands he says is in the “starter kit” for kids getting into punk: Minor Threat.
After Threat broke up he formed other bands — Dag Nasty and Junkyard among them — and played with Tommy Stinson’s band Bash and Pop. And then in 1993, Bad Religion’s “Recipe for Hate” was released, which cemented Baker’s love for Bad Religion.
“When ‘Recipe for Hate’ came out it was one of those —‘This is the best record ever and I’m an idiot, if Dag Nasty hadn’t broken up we could’ve gotten to this point.’ This self-loathing of how great that record was,” he says.
Baker ran in the same circles as Greg Hetson (who recently left the band) and Gurewitz. He planted seeds with them separately.
“I had told Brett years before, if Hetson ever leaves would you call me, I’d like to be in your band. I told the exact same thing to Greg Hetson.”
In 1994 Gurewitz left. Baker was in.
“I didn’t think it would last 21 years though,” he said with a laugh. “I thought it was more of a two-year plan.”
Now, Baker acknowledges that even though he never thought his involvement would last this long, there’s nothing he would change.
“There’s this certain awareness that came to me in my late 40s, that idea of what you could’ve done or changed is just really silly. I was in the band for well over 10 years before I realized it had been 10 years.
“My best friends are in the band. We still really love each other and I really love playing guitar; especially to people who like listening to it.
“It’s cool because lots of people come see us who are really into the band, and it’s just a joy.”
Returning to the studio
Any fan will be excited to learn that the prototypical punks are looking at getting back into the studio this year.
“Brett and Greg are writing and we’re going to work this year, but hopefully we’ll be able to record in the fall, which I’m excited about.”
The final insight — gleaned from Baker’s statement about what they do when the bi-coastal members actually are in the same city rehearsing — has to do with the arguing over what they’ll be playing.
They argue because while Bad Religion has a catalogue of nearly 300 songs, for years they were playing the same ones.
Thankfully for fans (and Baker, who says “I don’t want to play the same thing every night, would you?”) that all ended in 2013. It’s a decision Baker admits he was surprised took them that long to figure out.
“Someone was like, ‘Why are we playing basically the same set every night like we’re a Broadway show?’ ”
Baker said they decided right then and there to quit with the same old playlist. For the past few years, they have come up with different songs to play every night.
“I mean, you have to have some idea that there are some people who are coming to see Bad Religion who have never seen us before and they probably want to hear some of their favorite songs. But half the show we can pretty much do whatever we want, maybe play one song eight times.
“See, we’re a punk band. Punk rock.
“Just ’cause we’re old doesn’t mean we’re not punk!”
- Jackie Varriano