heidicuda's Blog

While kicking it with Rick Thorne at the Vans Warped Tour's opening day on Friday, my son's friend Karim pulled me aside and said: "I've never been on a tour bus." So we bid adieu to the BMX-legend, who was living his dream by debuting his first-ever band, Good Guys In Black,

on the Skate-Punk stage that day (and by the by, GGIB is straight up, no chaser, positive old school hardcore, just like Thorne himself), and off we went in search of a big blue bus rumored to be stashing those punk rock pirates, Pennywise, from Hermosa Beach, California. Sho' nuff, we bobiddled our way onto the motorhome and while not quite a den of inequity, it was enuf to tickle the fancy of a tween. In a few short minutes, Pennywise frontman Jim Lindberg taught 11-year-old Karim how to pick up hot chicks on a bus with a proper "What up?" nod, and guitarist Fletcher offered us what limited alcohol-free libations he had on deck. When it was time to hit the main stage--tour founder Kevin Lyman saved the best band for last--the pied pipers of punk made their way through the crowd, and when we landed backstage, there was a massive sea of South Bay locals ready to yodle the chorus to Brohymn. I took my usual place, to the right of Jimmy, and entered nirvana.... xoxo hsc

(below left, Karim and my kid on stage with PDub, Warped 08)