Soon after, a mutual friend, Tal Bayer moved in. He was very much into ska and reggae and suggested that the band play some of the catchy songs that they loved to drink to. It proved to be the direction they needed, as well as an easier style to cover. Soon, The Slugs were skipping classes and practicing for hours to learn songs by Madness, The Specials, Bad Manners, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Skatalites, The Business, and others. Unfortunately, the name The Slugs was already taken and the band needed a new name. Some British neighbors used to refer to the heftier guys in the band as Pietasters, which is British slang for "fat guys". The name stuck and The Pietasters were born.
A few months later, a similar band from the DC area, The Skunks asked The Pietasters to play a local ska night at a bar in Georgetown. The Pietasters were still rough around the edges, but when you’re in college, quality stage performances take second place to getting free beer. Soon, The Pietasters were playing every dive bar in DC. The manager of one such bar befriended the band and helped them record their first record, The Pietasters, more commonly known as Piestomp.
In the summer of 1993, The Pietasters set out on their first national tour in a used school bus they'd bought for $900. The tour was haphazard with stops in Ohio, Oregon, Kansas and even many stops in Canada. By the end of the tour, almost all of the original members quit the band. To this day, only trumpeter, Carlos Linares, and lead singer, Steve Jackson, remain as original members.
The Pietasters auditioned many players and decided on Jeremy Roberts, Toby Hansen and Alan Makranczy as their horn players, Rob Steward (Covington) on drums, and Paul Ackerman on keys. Tom Goodin remained on guitar. The new line-up continued to tour whenever possible, and soon attracted the attention of Bucket Hingley, front man of The Toasters and owner of Moon Ska Records. He asked if The Pietasters wanted to be a part of a tour package called, "Skavoovie 94". The Pietasters accepted and were soon touring with The Toasters and The Scofflaws. The tour was much more organized than their last outing and proved to be very educational. By the end of the tour, The Pietasters were scheduled to record "Oolooloo" on Moon Ska with Victor Rice producing.
Oolooloo came out in the summer of 1995. The Pietasters continued to tour the country, and even managed to record "Strapped Live" between stops in Raleigh, NC and the Black Cat Club in Washington, DC. "Strapped Live" was released in 1996 and quickly became a fan favorite and the closest thing to a live Pietasters show. Throughout this period, The Pietasters had been recording new songs, re-recording older ones, and recording some covers. The results ended up as "Comply", and the song selection foreshadowed their next release.
While touring with The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, the band made a stop in Los Angeles. Backstage at the show, Tim Armstrong from the band, Rancid, approached the band and asked if they'd like to be a part of a new label he was putting together. The Slackers, Hepcat and Dropkick Murphys were already committed and he wanted The Pietasters on board.
After clearing such a move with Moon Ska, The Pietasters signed with Epitaph Records and their next album, Willis was recorded and released in 1997. A tour of the US soon followed as well as their first ever tour of Europe. The Pietasters also made appearances on the Warped Tour and opened for such acts as The Reverend Horton Heat, Cherry Poppin Daddies, and Ozomatli.
By 1999, The Pietasters were in the studio again to record Awesome Mix Tape #6 for Epitaph's Hellcat Records. They finished the album and hit the road again touring Europe with the Warped Tour, then the US again with the Pilfers and Spring Heeled Jack, and closing out 1999 with an opening stint for the legendary Joe Strummer. Years of touring finally took it's toll on Paul Ackerman and Tom Goodin, who amicably left the band. Bassist Todd Eckhardt also left the band and was replaced by Jorge Pezzimenti of The Decpticonz. Erick Morgan, formerly of The Skunks, took over keys, and Toby Hansen replaced Tom Goodin on guitar.
In late 2001, The Pietasters were well into recording their next album when they learned that former bassist, Todd Eckhardt, had died in his sleep. The news was extremely hard on The Pietasters and their fans. The Pietasters soldiered on and released a new album Turbo, a nickname of Todd's, in 2002. The new album's blend of Jamaican riddims and Northern Soul won praise from fans and critics alike. It even caught the attention of James Brown who asked The Pietasters to be his backing band at a sold-out concert in Washington DC in 2003. The following year, The Pietasters released their first ever DVD, Live at The 9:30 Club. In 2006, The Pietasters played the International Ska Circus in Las Vegas.
On August 21, 2007, seventeen years after their inception, The Pietasters released a new studio album entitled, "All Day".
Discography:
Studio albums:
The Pietasters - 1993 on Slug Tone Records
Oolooloo - 1995 on Moon Ska Records
Willis - 1997 on Epitaph Records
Awesome Mix Tape vol. 6 - 1999 on Hellcat Records
Turbo - 2002 on Fueled by Ramen
All Day - 2007 on Indication Records
Rare Albums, EP's, Singles, and Others:
The Ska-Rumptious 7 Inch"" - 1992 on Slug Tone Records
All You Can Eat (EP) - 1992 on Slug Tone Records
Soul Sammich - 1994 on Slug Tone Records
Ocean - 1996 on Moon Records
Strapped Live! (live album) - 1996 on Moon Records
Comply - 1996 on Moon Records
Out All Night (Promo) - 1997 on Hellcat Records
Out All Night (EP) - 1998 on HellCat Records
Yesterday's Over (Promo) - 1999 on Hellcat Records
The Pietasters 1992-1996 - 2003 on VMS Records
Live at the 9:30 Club (DVD) - 2005 on MVD
Band members:
Current lineup:
Stephen Jackson - vocals
Toby Hansen - guitar, trumpet
Jorge Pezzimenti - bass
Rob Steward - drums
Alan Makranczy - saxophone
Jeremy Roberts - trombone
Carlos Linares - trumpet
Jon Darby - keyboard
Past members:
Talmage Bayer - vocals
Tom Goodin - guitar
Pat Kelley - guitar
Todd Eckhardt - bass
Chris Watt - bass
Ben Gauslin - drums
Eric Raecke - tenor saxophone
Rob French - trombone
Caroline Boutwell - farfisa
Paul T. Ackerman - keyboards
Erick Morgan - keyboards
Jeb Crandall - keyboards
Fat Sack
The Pietasters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Check you back, how it is, shut your mouth you stupid kids
It's hard to tell how much you're seen
But you missed the point again
Thanks a lot you've had your say
Time to move to another day
Another day another time
Certain win no simple thing for you
Floodings stick and waters too
But the families whatchin' over you
With a man in love, tell that shit
Well step right up and take some licks
Burbon jungle's what you get
Sorry my brother broke your chin
Steady yourself you're out of time
Drinks gonna come and you're gonna find
Another day another time
Spend your weekend home there wasting time
Certain win no simple thing for you
In my head you do not see
10 brass knuckles gonn bash your teeth
See my sack, oh so fat
Me and mother fuckers gonna get my back
Another day another time
Spend your weekend home there wasting time
Certain win no simple thing for you
Another day another time
Spend your weekend home there wasting time
Certain win no simple thing for you
The Pietasters's song Fat Sack is a socially-critical song that talks about the wide gap between the mainstream society and the marginalized groups, including the young kids, who are ridiculed and misunderstood by the former. The song's lyrics depict how the mainstream society secludes themselves from the 'misfits' and formulates their opinions without giving a second thought to the 'outsiders'.
The song starts with "Look at them, way out there, is it hard to think and fall in here," which suggests that the people outside of the mainstream society have a different perspective of things and it's difficult for the people who think inside the box to understand their point of view. The following line, "Check your back, how it is, shut your mouth, you stupid kids," clearly shows the insensitivity and disdain the mainstream society holds towards the people who are different from them. The song also criticizes society's obsession with materialistic possessions and their inclination towards wasting their time doing frivolous activities.
The chorus "Another day another time, spend your weekend home there wasting time, certain win no simple thing for you" emphasizes the idea of wasting time and how society rarely thinks about the misfits in the community. The line, "In my head, you do not see, 10 brass knuckles gonna bash your teeth" portrays the anger and the frustration faced by the marginalized group, who is not getting justice and won't be heard by them. Finally, the song's title, "Fat Sack," is a metaphor referring to the support system the marginalized groups need, which the mainstream society is reluctant to provide.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at them, way out there, is it hard to think and fall in here
The singer ponders the difficulty of understanding those beyond their immediate surroundings.
Check you back, how it is, shut your mouth you stupid kids
The singer chastises the listener for not paying attention and being foolish.
It's hard to tell how much you're seen
The singer expresses uncertainty regarding the extent of the listener's awareness.
But you missed the point again
The artist accuses the listener of misunderstanding the situation yet again.
Thanks a lot you've had your say
The artist sarcastically acknowledges the listener's contribution.
Time to move to another day
The singer suggests that it's time to move on and focus on the future.
Spend your weekend home there wasting time
The singer criticizes the listener for being unproductive and idle.
Certain win no simple thing for you
The artist highlights that success is not straightforward for the listener.
Floodings stick and waters too
The artist lists some of the challenges the listener may face.
But the families whatchin' over you
The artist acknowledges that the listener has support from their family.
With a man in love, tell that shit
The singer encourages the listener to share their emotions openly.
Well step right up and take some licks
The artist advises the listener to persevere through hardship.
Burbon jungle's what you get
The singer describes a difficult situation that the listener may encounter.
Sorry my brother broke your chin
The singer expresses regret for someone else injuring the listener.
Steady yourself you're out of time
The singer warns the listener to prepare for a challenging situation.
Drinks gonna come and you're gonna find
The artist predicts that a difficult situation will be followed by a period of relief.
In my head you do not see
The artist feels that the listener doesn't understand their perspective.
10 brass knuckles gonn bash your teeth
The singer threatens violence against the listener.
See my sack, oh so fat
The singer refers to their own success and abundance.
Me and mother fuckers gonna get my back
The artist has a group of friends who support them.
Another day another time
The artist repeats their earlier call to move forward and focus on the future.
Spend your weekend home there wasting time
The artist again criticizes the listener for being unproductive and idle.
Certain win no simple thing for you
The singer repeats their earlier observation that the listener's path to success is not straightforward.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEPHEN LEWIS JACKSON, THOMAS GLENN GOODIN, TODD BRYAN ECKHARDT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brian Branco
Wearing headphones, playing hacky sack with my best friends, smoking a Marlboro light and having fun... old times
Skratchable
honestly who goes out of their way to "dislike" this song? you must really hate the pietasters, g&t's, and all their fame....oh wait.
Cree Beck
not unheard of, just safely out of the limelight... not liking this, now that's unheard of
MrPhatdizzle
Oldschool.
Sam Lebsack
MrPhatdizzle good shit