heidicuda's Blog

If you're suffering from the bittersweet symphony that always accompanies the pending doom of Labor Day, head to San Diego on September 6 and revel in the knowledge, that in SoCal, we can claim on endless summer.

As Slightly Stoopid brings its succulent brew of smooth Cali reggae stylings to San Diego's Open Air Theatre, all you'll be pondering is just how right the Beach Boys were when they declared no end in sight of warm nights, hot girls and cool ocean breezes.

Slightly Stoopid, with its part-ee vibe and Dead-like jams, formed as teens in Ocean Beach and were quickly scooped up by Skunk Records, an indie label founded by Sublime's Bradley Nowell and producer Miguel Happoldt.

Childhood chums Kyle McDonald and Miles Doughty, who share vocals, bass and guitar duties, headbanged their way into the music biz as huge fans of Motley Crue, Guns 'N Roses and Metallica, and in 1995, just out of their tween years, founded Slightly Stoopid and never looked back.

"We've been sentenced to life on the road," says McDonald, who says the band averages about 200 shows a year. Stoopid also includes musicians C-Money (trumpet/sax), RyMo (drummer), DeLa (sax) and Oguer "OG" Ocon (congas/harp/percussion).

Despite thumbing its nose at major labels, the band's attracted a mondo fanbase (known as Stoopidheads) and put out its new and crazily titled album, "Slightly Not Stoned Enough to Eat Breakfast Yet Stoopid" on its own label, Stoopid Records.

The September 6 show marks the final date and a homecoming for the band's "Tailgate 2008 Summer Tour," which also features Pepper and legendary reggae greats Sly & Robbie.

Doughty says the main reason Stoopid's opted to do things DIY is because they wanted to maintain 100 percent creative control over their career.

Listening to the new album, it's clear that freedom reigns. Just as Sublime never fit any industry mold, Slightly Stoopid is in a class by itself, as comfortable covering a Grateful Dead song (check out the smashing version of  "Know Your Rider") as creating fab new jams like "On and On" and reminding kids to just say no on "No Cocaine."

"We keep it real and our fans appreciate that," says Doughty. "And we're in it for the long run. There are so many bands who take the major label route, get a hit song and are able to milk it for a year or two. Then they scratch their heads and try to figure out, just what they're gonna do for the rest of their lives. We have longevity and we've worked hard for it."

If Stoopid is as Stoopid does, then these boys ain't so dumb.

xoxo hsc