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
Wasted
The Pietasters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or getting shit from my friends who shall remain nameless.
Can't be led around by other people's standards,
When the way you feel's the only thing that matters.
It's hard to believe there was a time
When this love might have ended,
Come on everybody,
Wouldn't give you more than you can handle,
Couldn't let you OD, be the man's example.
I never stop to think of, 'cause like just keeps on movin',
Hope that I can find you 'fore my night is ruined.
It's hard to believe there was a time
When this love might have ended,
Come on everybody,
Come on let's get wasted.
We love the dirty girls,
Drag them back to our broken world.
Let my freakwig flag unfurl,
Whole room spinning like a tilt-a-whirl.
Some people reject it, even though they want it,
Tossin' out a freebie makes a liar honest.
It's hard to believe there was a time
When this love might have ended,
Come on everybody,
Come on let's get wasted.
Come on everybody,
Come on let's get wasted. (Wasted all the time.)
Come on let's get wasted. (Wasted all the time.)
Come on let's get wasted. (Wasted all the time.)
Come on let's get...
The song "Wasted" by The Pietasters brings out the unapologetic nature of its narrator who is satisfied with his own choices, however unconventional they might be. The song starts with the line "Drinkin' beer for breakfast makes the whole day painless" which could be an exaggeration or just giving a peek into the singer’s character. He doesn't worry about the opinions of his friends, who criticize him for his behavior, stating "Can't be led around by other people's standards, When the way you feel's the only thing that matters." He believes that his choices are his own to make and takes his decisions without much worry.
The chorus, "It's hard to believe there was a time, When this love might have ended, Come on everybody, Come on let's get wasted," seems to imply that he could have lost his carefree nature and love or may have been judged by society in the past, but now he is back to being himself and wants everyone to join in for a good time. His disregard for his friends' opinions doesn't mean that he doesn't care. He wants to ensure that they are not harmed and protects them, "Wouldn't give you more than you can handle, Couldn't let you OD, be the man's example."
The last two stanzas of the song speaks of the singer’s love for a wild and carefree life. He loves to party, get drunk, and bring the wildest girls to his broken world. He wants everyone to let go of their inhibitions and have fun, "Some people reject it, even though they want it, Tossin' out a freebie makes a liar honest." The song ends with an invitation to everyone to come with him and get wasted.
Line by Line Meaning
Drinkin' beer for breakfast makes the whole day painless,
Starting off the day with a drink can make everything seem easier.
Or getting shit from my friends who shall remain nameless.
Receiving criticism or judgment from friends can be hurtful.
Can't be led around by other people's standards,
One shouldn't live life according to someone else's expectations.
When the way you feel's the only thing that matters.
One's own feelings and emotions should guide their actions and decisions.
It's hard to believe there was a time
When this love might have ended,
It's difficult to imagine that a relationship was once on the brink of ending.
Come on everybody,
Come on let's get wasted.
Let's have a good time and get drunk together.
Wouldn't give you more than you can handle,
I won't burden you with more than you can handle.
Couldn't let you OD, be the man's example.
I wouldn't let you overdose and become an example for others.
I never stop to think of, 'cause like just keeps on movin',
I don't stop to think because life moves too quickly.
Hope that I can find you 'fore my night is ruined.
I hope to find you before my night is ruined.
We love the dirty girls,
Drag them back to our broken world.
We enjoy being with promiscuous girls and bringing them into our chaotic world.
Let my freakwig flag unfurl,
Whole room spinning like a tilt-a-whirl.
I let my freak flag fly and the party becomes wild and disorienting.
Some people reject it, even though they want it,
Tossin' out a freebie makes a liar honest.
Some people refuse something even though they secretly desire it. Giving something away for free can reveal the truth.
Come on everybody,
Come on let's get wasted. (Wasted all the time.)
Come on let's get wasted. (Wasted all the time.)
Come on let's get wasted. (Wasted all the time.)
Come on let's get...
Let's keep having a good time and getting drunk all the time.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: T. ECKHARDT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
fitzgibbs
Heard this in puddle cruiser
SuRapOp1
Wooo Hoooo
congajack
one person disliked this video because he or she was nothing but a hater on getting wasted
Ben Riffle
Two people dont like a drink with breakfast
Johnny Only
FREAKY REEKY BROUGHT ME HERE