Music Scene
D.C. punksters cruising at Pink Cadillac

• Group playing its first gig in Hawai'i

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Guitarist/vocalist Bobby Borte, right, and bassist Mike Hall are two-thirds of the pop-punk band The Thumbs, in town for a gig at Pink Cadillac. Claim to fame? Just staying alive in the finicky punk market Meghan Rich The Thumbs 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) Pink Cadillac, 478 'Ena Road $6 255-7040, 808shows.com All ages welcome At press time, the Thumbs' concert was still on, pending the scheduling of airline flights.

Better yet, a punk rock band, with an in-your-face smugness and no pretense.

Easy enough. It's not like you're looking for a multimillion-dollar contract with some big, powerful label who'll just take over your music and your life and start dictating what you do, say and — help us — wear.

You're not selling out.

You're a punk rock band.

"It can be frustrating at times," said Bobby Borte, the 29-year-old guitarist and vocalist of the Thumbs, which is gigging at Pink Cadillac this weekend, "but you are involved in something that you can put all your energy into and really make it whatever you want it to be."

The Thumbs know exactly what it's like trying to keep a band together.

To demonstrate the point: In the six years they've been together, the D.C.-based, aggressive pop-punk band has had 10 drummers. The revolving door of percussion has altered the sonic character of the band over the years. And for a while they were without their lead bassist, who jumped ship to pursue a career in animation. Lead guitarist Mark Hall moved to bass, which he confesses is his first love, turning the once edgy pop-punk sound into something more cohesive. The guitar parts were streamlined and the instruments blended together.

But in that span, they've managed to put out a slew of seven-inchers and a couple of full-length albums that have been called "short, sweet, aggressive" and "catchy as hell" by critics. Fans have given them a no-pun-intended thumbs up.

But every band's got problems. And despite dealing with signing contracts, booking shows, staying fresh and paying bills, the Thumbs wouldn't trade their existence for any other.

"I don't there really is a downside to being in a band," Borte said.

A punk band, no less. Even in a time when punk rockers have shed their edge, these pop-punkers remain true to their roots.

The punk scene "has definitely changed a lot," Borte said, "but the basics are still the same. I think the word 'punk' is synonymous with 'D.I.Y.' (do-it-yourself), and that idea is still alive and kicking. You can make the word mean anything, and I think we choose to make it evoke a certain sense of community."

That community includes struggling punk bands who want nothing more than to do what they love — play music — for the rest of their highly romanticized lives.

And the Thumbs, relative veterans on this new punk scene, know what it's like to be out there.

"You help people and bands along the way, and it always come back to you," Borte said.

Their advice to other starry-eyed punk rockers?

Hone the craft before cashing in.

"I would say that bands need to really work on playing together for awhile before they start to tour," Borte said. "New bands today are only learning by example, but the result is that they are forming and immediately hitting the roads, and you are seeing a lot of bands out there that shouldn't be. Play locally, write great music and then hit the road and play your hearts out, and someone will get into it."

And like any great band, there's disagreements among the troops.

"I think the opposite," said Mike Hall, the band's 29-year-old guitarist. "I don't mind seeing young bands go out and tour before they're really ready. It's the best way to improve, really. You get to play every day, and you get to see what it's like to be out there. What I would say, though, is sometimes bands that just start out are too quick to record their stuff or are worried about 'getting signed.' I think it's great — record some songs on a four-track, make a few demo tapes to hand out to people, and go out and play a bunch of shows. What a great experience."

The one thing they do agree on is just that experience.

"Touring is the greatest way to see the world," gushed Borte. "You arrive at a show and play and meet really cool people, and they tell you where to eat the best cheap food, see and do the most interesting things in their area, and then you crash at their homes. For a night, you are part of their family and, after time and lots of tours, your motivation for going includes seeing all your old friends on the road. That's why we love it and do it as much as we can."

Group playing its first gig in Hawai'i

Random facts about some of our favorite phalanges:

• The Thumbs claims D.C. as home — though the members really hail from three neighboring states — putting them in good company with hard-core punk bands, such as Minor Threat and No Trend, that have emerged from the area.
• About that name: "Everybody asks us and, sadly, there is no clever story behind it," said vocalist/guitarist Bobby Borte. "It's just a band name that I've always thought was cool — simple and solid."
• This will be the Thumbs' first gig in Hawai'i — and they've purposefully scheduled free days to explore the new terrain. They'll be on the prowl for something fun to do.
• The future? "Try to write 50 great punk songs, 100 great punk songs," Borte said. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see."