homegrown silentbob She's Anti (John E.) Sitting in her class Sophisticated, anti-social brat She never speaks a word That's why she's sitting in the back No one knows her name I never knew that she existed Then one tragic day She came to school and went ballistic With an ak in her right hand She shot the cheerleading squad and ran They're all dead, They're all dead She's alone in her class There's no one left for her to blast She's always kicking ass Masochistic, Gothic, dressed in black No knows her name I never knew she was sadistic On April 28th She came to school and went ballistic With a rifle in her left hand She blew away the football team and ran They're all dead, They're all dead Chorus 2: She's a bitch, she hates everyone She's one of those Anti-girls Pessimistic and cynical She's a victim of this lonely world, yeah I know she hates me She's a little insane And she's crazy She's kookie, ookie, dookie They're all dead, They're all dead, Chorus 2X: 000802 ... silentbob Surfer Girl (Adam) I was at the beach, sitting on the sand When I saw this girl Dark brown eyes, and a dark olive tan She was watching the sets With a surfboard underneath her arm The first moment I saw her I knew she'd do me some harm She's so good She came out of the water From the best session I'd seen Man, she had the biggest chi chis I had ever seen She put down her board, and sat down next to me And played a soft ole lonely tune, on her ukulele I don't know what had happened But I'd fallen asleep The next morning I woke up She was sleeping next to me Chorus: I fell in love with her I'm so in love with her I fell in love with her My little Surfer Girl She got out of bed Waxed up both our boards Grabbed me by the hand and then she took me out the door We surfed all that day long At least eight hours straight Man! I knew she was the one And damn I couldn't wait Well I asked if she loved me She said, "Yeah well I guess" So I asked her to marry me Dammit, you know she said "yes" Chorus: I was at the alter In my tuxedo-o-o Waiting for my Surfer Girl Man, where did she go Later on that day A friend to me did tell-ell-ell That she went to Mexico To catch a, to Catch a, to catch a 10 foot swell That Bitch Chorus: My Surfer Girl 000802 ... silentbob One Night Stand (Johnee) Hey all you girls, I've seen you at the parties. I've seen you getting drunk, making fools of yourselves. But its okay! I'll get together with you anyways. Just as long as I never see you again. You say you want love, bud do you think I really care? All you were was a "one night stand" and all I wanted was your sex... Come on all you gurlz lets get together. We're gonna have a great time. I'll take off your clothes, then take off mine... and then we'll begin to dine!! Hey all you girls, I'm feeling really horny. I've got a big ol' boner sticking out of my pants. But it's okay! I'll get together with you anyways. Just as long as I never see you again. One time possession and you don't mean shit to me. All you wanted was a relationship and I just wanted you to suck my dick! 000802 ... silentbob At first glance, Home Grown may seem like just another punk band from Southern California. But on closer inspection of their music and lifestyle, observers find a far more complex picture of a tight-knit unit that has earned the respect and loyalty of fans and peers alike. "We love all kinds of music," explains singer-bassist Adam Lohrbach, "and I’m sure it shows in the music we make, with some influences reflected more than others." The quartet’s various stylistic leanings are fully revealed on Act Your Age (Outpost Recordings), their major label debut. First and foremost, it’s punk rock that informs Home Grown’s adrenaline-pumping "heavy pop," as singer-guitarist John E. Trash likes to call it. "I’m all about getting a reaction out of people," insists Trash, whose joking nature has helped earn the four-piece its reputation for wild, anything-can-happen live shows. "I like to write a song and have people think, ‘Wow, he’s really mad!’ or ‘Yeah, I hear ya!’ I write what I feel and feel what I sing, but I always try to maintain the pop-ness of it." Caffeinated tempos, spiky power chords, surfy touches and formidably melodic hooks surround a range of emotions on Act Your Age. From salutes to the ideal girl, the carefree joys of childhood and all-around good fortune to hard truths about schoolyard shootings, teenage angst and heartbreak, songwriters Lohrbach and Trash speak volumes to young people everywhere. Not coincidentally, the band had its beginnings where young people often meet — high school. Trash, guitarist-singer Ian Cone and drummer Bob Herco attended the city of Orange’s El Modina High School (Cone and Herco were in the same guitar class). In 1993, the three friends graduated and decided to put a band together. "It was a blast," Herco says, recalling the casual sense of fun that inspired them. "I didn’t even buy my first drum set until after high school. We just kind of learned as we went along. We said, ‘Okay, let’s be this band — we’ll play wherever and try to get some money and beer. Ian was the only one who’d even been in a band before." "I was a big Metallica fan, like everyone else in the band," relates Cone, whose stinging leads are a trademark of Home Grown’s sound. "Then I started listening to Operation Ivy and NOFX, ska punk bands, and the other guys got into that stuff, too. We started out playing covers, then moved on to originals." Their first practices — in Herco’s garage — were more rough than ready, but the vibe that would later distinguish the band was present even then. With another friend on bass, they figured they had just about hammered out the details. "I was kinda the odd man out," reports Lohrbach, who attended Estancia High School in Costa Mesa. (He’s also unique in that, unlike his bandmates, he dug ‘80s alternative bands like Depeche Mode and The Smiths.) He met Trash through a mutual friend. As fate would have it, Home Grown was scheduled to play at a party one night when their bass player didn’t show up. Trash turned to Lohrbach. "I’d never played bass, only fiddled around on guitar," he confesses. "John sat down with me and taught me six songs in about 20 minutes. I messed up more than a few times, and all I could think was, Oh my god! Kids are looking at me!’ But it was all good, and I started practicing after that." Home Grown’s earliest shows were typically at such gatherings. "They were full of kids partying — drinking, smoking and making out," reports John. Club shows around Orange and Riverside counties followed. It wasn’t long before the group hit the studio to record a demo. A listing in local scene magazine Mean Street attracted the attention of the folks at upstart indie Liberation Records, who made room for Home Grown on their 1995 compilation Punk Sucks. The success of that collection encouraged the label to release the band’s debut album, That’s Business (1995). Though recorded on a shoestring, That’s Business sold briskly. This helped Home Grown land opening gigs for hot local acts Blink 182 and Unwritten Law. They’ve since warmed up for Sublime, Save Ferris, The Dickies, The Circle Jerks, Face to Face and The Aquabats. Soon, punk-friendly companies like Vans Shoes and Billabong Clothing came forward with endorsements, outfitting the guys in snappy attire and keeping their crowds happy with swag. By 1996, all this activity had drawn the interest of Swedish label Burning Heart, which released Home Grown’s EP Wusappaning?! that year (it was recently issued domestically on San Diego’s Cargo Records). The songs "She Said" and "Alternative Girl" later became most-requested tracks on L.A. radio stalwart Rodney Bingenheimer’s specialty show. Home Grown cuts found their way onto the soundtracks of several top surf/skate/board/ski films, including Warren Miller’s 1996 epic, "Snowriders." The band also contributed to an Operation Ivy tribute record and the soundtrack to "Half Baked." With no tour support, Home Grown embarked on the first of several bologna sandwich/van-and-trailer tours with punk bands The Grabbers and U.S. Bombs, who Lohrbach describes as "these older guys in leather jackets who made us feel like clean-cut Irvine kids." The highlight of the trip was Home Grown’s headlining spot at The Milk Bar in Jacksonville, Fla. "We’d never played there before and it was sold out," Lohrbach remembers. "We’re, like, ‘Oh my god, everyone’s singing the words!" Outpost Recordings A&R exec Jon Sidel was alerted to the band by an assistant at Outpost, who also happened to work at Tower Records in Costa Mesa, one of Home Grown’s strongholds. Signed to the label, the band went into the studio with producer Clif Norrell, who has engineered records by Soundgarden, Weezer, R.E.M. and Henry Rollins, among many others, and produced discs by The Refreshments and Velocity Girl. Working at Louie’s Clubhouse (owned by Outpost co-head Scott Litt and the site of recordings by R.E.M., The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana and Days of the New), Home Grown and Norrell set to work on what would become Act Your Age (released June 2, 1998). "When we made our first album, we were really pressed for time and had a tiny budget," Herco points out. "With this record, we took our time and had fun." "We clicked with Clif right away," adds Cone. "He kept the vibe going and was incredibly patient about all the stuff we wanted to try. Scott Litt would drop by, too, and share his ideas. It was like having two great producers for the price of one!" Despite the presence of these professionals, the recording process was hardly a staid, nine-to-five affair. "On one of the last days in the studio," Cone relates, "they woke me up from a dead sleep at 4:30 in the morning to record guitar solos. It was like, ‘Huh?’ But I listen to them now and they sound great." With Act Your Age, Home Grown has managed to expand their range while holding fast to their hard-won strengths. "Our sound is moving toward the more rock side of pop," Cone concedes. In terms of subject matter, Trash ventures, "My songs are a little snottier; I’m more of a pissed-off guy than Adam is. In seventh grade, I got trash-canned by an eighth-grade girl. You just don’t forget that stuff. People affect me, and that’s what I write about." Of course, even angry tales like "She’s Anti" and "Bad News Blair" appear in upbeat musical settings. "The dichotomy of the music and words makes things more twisted," concludes Trash. Lohrbach, meanwhile, admits he’s moved on somewhat from his jokey early material. "I guess I started growing up," he muses. "I started writing about life, the good and the bad. Too many songs these days only focus on the negative. I try to find a balance — just like I do in life — and get that message across in my own way." Not that the goofy romantic fantasy of "Surfer Girl" will be turned into an Afterschool Special anytime soon. "Even if some of the lyrics are serious, we try to keep on the bright side," Trash insists. "That’s basically our message: The world can be a really bad place, but find a way to be happy." The members of Home Grown stay happy by surfing, skating, boarding, going to college and playing their explosive live shows. Despite the flashes of anger and petulance in their lyrics, the guys rarely stray from the breezy attitude and solid esprit de corps that has defined them as a unit. "We’re all good friends, and that’s how it’s been since the beginning," confirms Lohrbach. "We’re still tight. As long as we’re having fun, we’ll keep going. The moment it’s not fun anymore, it’s not worth it." 000802 ... nocturnal I think this is the second time in a week I've been listening to something that has led me to something you wrote about the band. I thought no one knew who homegrown was. you have superb taste my friend. 010403 ... silentbob and im in love with you 010403 ... nocturnal is that so? well then I would have to say you have superb taste in two areas. hehe. 010403 what's it to you? who go blather from