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
Movin On Up
The Pietasters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Double vision crossing, now my head full of sin
Stumbling along watch the car lights pass
I wish I got the number of the girl in class
Cool malt liquor is the fuel of life, drowns the sorrow, pain and strife
All I'll have to serve is a big red bowl
Swimming in toilet pee in your pool
Walking down the street with a bottle of gin
Double vision crossing, now my head full of sin
Stumbling along watch the car lights pass
I wish I got the number of the girl in class
Blood clots, seed like, mouse in traps
Scurry for the cover before the attacks
Movin' up on you tonight
When the fist start a flying I'll be feeling alright
[Chorus:]
'Cause I'm bigger than you and I'm badder than you
Bigger than you, and I'm badder than you
Bigger than you, and I'm badder than you
And I'll beat you down like George beat Weezie
Walking down the street with a bottle of gin
Double vision crossing, now my head full of sin
Stumbling along watch the car lights pass
I wish I got the number of the girl in class
Cool malt liquor is the fuel of life, drowns the sorrow, pain and strife
All I'll have to serve is a big red bowl
Swimming in toilet pee in your pool
[Chorus 2X]
The Pietasters’ song “Movin On Up” paints a vivid picture of a night out gone wrong. The first verse describes the singer’s intoxicated stumble down the street carrying a bottle of gin. His double vision causes him to struggle to navigate his surroundings, and he laments the missed opportunity to get the number of a girl in class. Despite finding solace in malt liquor as a way to escape his problems, he is left with nothing to offer but a bowl of punch swimming in toilet water.
The second verse takes a darker turn, with imagery of blood clots and mice in traps scurrying for cover. The chorus declares the singer’s superiority over others and his willingness to fight if necessary. The repetition of “bigger than you” and “badder than you” portrays a sense of bravado and a desire for dominance.
Overall, “Movin’ On Up” captures the desperation and reckless behavior that can accompany heavy drinking. The lyrics evoke a sense of chaos and confusion, with the singer struggling to maintain control while drowning his sorrows.
Line by Line Meaning
Walking down the street with a bottle of gin
I am casually strolling down the street, carrying a bottle of gin with me.
Double vision crossing, now my head full of sin
I am heavily intoxicated and my vision is blurry, making me feel guilty for my actions.
Stumbling along watch the car lights pass
I am struggling to walk straight and am observing the passing car lights while doing so.
I wish I got the number of the girl in class
I regret not asking for the phone number of a girl I liked from my class.
Cool malt liquor is the fuel of life, drowns the sorrow, pain and strife
I have turned to drinking malt liquor as a coping mechanism to deal with my problems and emotions.
All I'll have to serve is a big red bowl, swimming in toilet pee in your pool
All I have to offer is a big bowl filled with substances that are disgusting and repulsive, like urine in a swimming pool.
When the fist start a flying I'll be feeling alright
I will feel okay and empowered when physical violence starts to occur.
Cause I'm bigger than you and I'm badder than you
I am asserting that I am physically and mentally superior to you.
And I'll beat you down like George beat Weezie
I am threatening to physically harm and overpower you, just like how George Jefferson treated and overpowered his wife, Weezie.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Christine Yarian Perren, Curtis James Jackson, Frederick Perren, Leon Ware
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dead
on Set Me Up
The song is about former DC mayor, Marion Barry.
On January 18, 1990, Barry was arrested with a former girlfriend, Hazel Diane Moore, in a sting operation at the Vista International Hotel by the FBI and D.C. police for crack cocaine use and possession. Moore was an FBI informant when she invited Barry to the hotel room and insisted that he smoke freebase cocaine before they had sex, while agents in another room watched on camera, waiting for Barry to accept her offer. During the videotaped arrest, Barry says of Moore, "Bitch set me up.”