The Offspring Go Atari

[Dolt]

I just got the press kit for the new CD by the Offspring in my office and low and behold--in their 8x10 promo pic, there's Dexter Holland sporting an Atari fuji shirt, front and center.

 

Either we're cool and corporate punk, or the Offspring is old. I imagine Joeybastard would have a comment on this...

[video game addict]

..or they shop at hot topic..

 

In a related news story I saw that blink82 guy with a "know your roots" shirt with the NES pad on the front of it the other other day...

 

[Megamaniac]

Does anyone know the story behind the band "The Ataris"? Just curious if anyone knows anything about them or why they chose that name?

[Dolt]

Here's the bio at allmusic.com

 

by David Cornelius

The Ataris have produced three full-length recordings of relatively cookie-cutter pop-punk. Taking more influence from mainstream alternative acts than the punk artists they tour with, the Ataris were discovered by Vandals founder Joe Escalante in early 1997, after songwriter Kris Roe met him at a Vandals concert. Impressed by the his demo tape, Escalante asked Roe to put together a full band and record for his label, Kung-Fu Records. Roe picked up and moved to California in search of bandmates, and eventually added guitarist Marco Peña, bassist Mike Davenport, and former Lagwagon drummer Derrick Plourde. Plourde was later replaced by new drummer Chris Knapp. The newly-formed Ataris made their first record Anywhere but Here for Kung-Fu Records, and soon came to the notice of Fat Wreck Chords owner Fat Mike.

 

Realizing the opportunity to move to a stronger, better-grounded label, the Ataris willingly signed to Fat Wreck. They quickly issued an EP, Look Forward to Failure, produced by several members of the Descendants. Early in 1999, the band released their second full-length album, Blue Skies, Broken Hearts... Next 12 Exits. Since the album's release, they toured with such popular acts as MxPx, Blink 182, and Homegrown before issuing Let It Burn in 2000.

[joeybastard]

I just got the press kit for the new CD by the Offspring in my office and low and behold--in their 8x10 promo pic, there's Dexter Holland sporting an Atari fuji shirt, front and center.

 

Either we're cool and corporate punk, or the Offspring is old. I imagine Joeybastard would have a comment on this...  

 

All good things (especially punk, Chuck Taylor Converse, Ozzy,etc), eventually gets absorbed by the mainstream and ruined by overexposure. The Offspring suck IMHO, but maybe they like Atari, the 2 aren't mutally exclusive.

 

Hell, we have people on here who like Supertramp and Atari!

[Mr.FoodMonster]

I just got 'Splinter' yesterday, pretty good I say. But thats pretty cool Dexter had an Atari shirt on. The Offspring are pretty old, around the same age as most of you are, so I'm sure they have just as fond of memories as you all do. But, it could just be that he was wearing a shirt that and an atari logo on it. Ya never know

[tyranthraxus]

No surprise, the Atari Fuji has been a popular shirt amongst skaters and

punks for a while now. I see more kids of the Nintendo generation

wearing it than older folks.

[joeybastard]

The Offspring are pretty old, around the same age as most of you are,

Phrased as only a 15 year old can phrase it

 

I would guess the Offspring to be slightly younger then me, I'm 32 and I guessing they're in their late 20's. probably more Nintendo Generation then Atari.

[Room 34]

I was thinking the same thing, Joey!

[Dolt]

I'm pretty sure they're in their late 30s-early 40s, actually. They were around for something like 10 years before they broke in 1993.

[Room 34]

I just checked The Offspring's website, and their first album was released in 1989. So if you were to assume they recorded that album when they were 15 then they'd be the same age as me (29). I would guess Dolt is right... mid-30s at least.

[Brad2600]

I've never seen them mention Atari in one of their interviews..in regards to the Offspring. Maybe Dexter just put the shirt on cuz the AR rep said it was "in". Who knows?

[NovaXpress]

Dexter was born on 12/29/66 so he's old enough to have seen the first Ataris. He also has a Doctorate in microbiology. I'd guess he makes a bit more money as a rock star.

 

Those fuji logo shirts have been popular among ravers for ten years.

[Mr.FoodMonster]

The Offspring are pretty old, around the same age as most of you are,

Phrased as only a 15 year old can phrase it

Hey, figured it would make more sense to say that, and it was true =D

[Room 34]

Well... it's good to know that in the eyes of high schoolers I am officially "old."

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

 

Ya punk!!!!

[Mr.FoodMonster]

I think anyone more then twice my age is old =P

And, I mean they are older then most people think, and all those facts brought up proved it. Didn't mean you were all old folks barely figuring out the computers donated to 'the home'

[Room 34]

I suppose the "twice your age" rule is (somewhat) valid.

 

Maybe that's why people have a mid-life crisis in their 40s... they realize that most of the people twice their age are already dead!

 

(See... I'm still young enough that I can joke about that. )

[joeybastard]

Hmmm, they are older then me? I'm surprised. I was basing it on having never heard them before the early nineties so I thought they were younger.

 

I still don't think they're too good, Atari fans or not. After all, I think the band The Ataris suck really bad. I don't think they should even be allowed to use the name

[Room 34]

OK, so which is worse, the band The Ataris, or Infogrames?

[Dolt]

OK, so which is worse, the band The Ataris, or Infogrames?

 

Six of one, half-dozen of the other.

 

(and when you use phrases like that, you KNOW you're an old coot).

 

I write about the concert industry for a living so I go to a lot of shows; I'll often invite friends to join me for an evening out. When I first started at this job, friends would jump at the chance to go out, have a few beers and hit on chicks.

 

I first realized I was getting older when my friends started saying "I wanna see that band, but I haven't seen my wife all week so I'm staying in."

 

Then it was "I saw that band on VH1 once, but gotta take care of the baby; can't do it, dude."

 

Now it's "Never heard of them...but when the Who come around, gimmie a call."

 

These are the same people who bitch that there's no good music being made anymore. There really IS, you just have to turn off your radio (not MTV; they don't play music), get on the net and find it. When you find a good new band that you can enjoy for years to come, it's as sweet as finding a Wall Ball with instructions in the wild.

[Shaggy the Atarian]

While browsing the morning paper today I found the picture of The Offspring sporting the Atari logo. Nice shirt To be honest, I had no idea that they came through Salt Lake until I read this this morning. Here's the pic for any interested...