Big D and the Kids Table
Big D and the Kids Table
“Big D was never a fortunate band during the times when ska-punk was fresh,” says David McWane. “We were and still are orphans of the scene. So it was always a challenge for us to pay for studio time, get a record out, buy a van, go on tour or play with bands we thought were the best. But while not having grand opportunities, or ‘hook-ups’ if you will, Big D always overcame those challenges with positive drive. Persistence is a gift. And I think every Big D member would say we are very proud to have overcome that kind of a challenge.”
McWane, the lone founding member of Boston’s Big D and the Kids Table knows those challenges well. With ska suffering the usual ups and downs of music genres, it would seem like the band was never destined to make it in the post-third wave world but with an honest tenacity and complete dedication to their craft, here they are, slightly over 20 years later. And there have been other challenges; with a revolving door of members that has seen some stability in the last six or seven years, McWane also had a bout with thyroid cancer back in late 2011 which he beat with surgery and radiation.
A strict adherence to the DIY ethos has helped too as well as remembering the “old school” ways of building a scene, especially in an American musical landscape that has been violently changed by technology and big business, a change that McWane felt at home, “Boston lost a lot of our important meeting places for musicians and other forms of artists. There are less places to go hide from society and meet with those who want to hide as well.”
But being deterred is not something Big D and the Kids Table does well. Having recently put their energies into re-releasing their back catalogue on vinyl has brought a resurgence of older songs into their set, giving this tour a great compilation edge to their long and varied career, an added bonus for a band that already puts on a great live performance.
“One, we aren’t looking to be famous; we are just hopelessly addicted musicians that can’t stop writing songs and then playing them on the road,” he explains. “It’s wonderful. It’s our version of money, it’s our fancy car, it’s our religion if you will. And two, there is nothing better than playing a show where the audience is pretty sure they aren’t going to like you and you have to prove to them you’re the mother fucking best. When you play shows to an audience that already loves you, that’s more entertaining. I like proving myself.”
Big D and the Kids Table with Counterpunch, The Snails, The Sensible and Sandwich Club at 8 pm on Thursday, April 21 at Respectable Street Cafe, 518 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach. 18+, $12 advance, $15 at the door. RSVP
~ Abel Folgar
