Californian punk rockers Audio Karate to reunite for tour dates to support the Descendents
Southern California based pop-punk group Audio Karate is reuniting for a series of shows to support their idols Descendents this fall. The band took to Twitter to express their excitement at having the opportunity to actually tour with their idols. For those who don't know, it was Manhattan Beach's punk legends Descendents' Bill Stevenson who launched Audio Karate into fame after producing their 2004 studio album, 'Lady Melody'.
The album marked a sudden turn in their sonic approach - a much darker and angrier feel as compared to their earlier material. Packing growling vocals, layered melodies and catchy hooks into songs like 'Jesus is Alive and Well (And Living Mexico),' 'Hey Maria' and 'Gypsyqueen.' The record straddled pop-punk convention and technical oddity, with unique key changes and riffs that seemed to sound “wrong” while sounding gloriously right. Even Stevenson wondered how they did it, marveling at times during their recording sessions: “Technically, this shouldn’t work.”
Just one year after their greatest work though, Audio Karate, unfortunately, disbanded, influencing a decade of pop-punk in their wake and garnering fans from some of the biggest bands in the genre.
The announcement comes just a few days after the band recently revealed the re-issue of their beloved 2002 debut album 'Space Camp' on 12" vinyl for the first time ever, via Wiretap Records and Hidden Home Records, in conjunction with Kung Fu Records. According to a press release, the reissue comes on the heels of the album turning 15 years old last year in 2017. The pressing is limited to 250x copies on Electric Blue and is expected to arrive/ship in early July. The vinyl quickly sold out on Wiretap Records' website, but a limited number are still available via Hidden Home, so fans can still get a copy if they hurry.
'Space Camp' was originally released in 2002 on Kung Fu and featured the songs 'Nintendo 89', 'Rosemead', 'Drama Club Romance' and more. Audio Karate would go on to play shows and tour in support of the album with bands such as Rise Against, The Vandals, NOFX, The Ataris, Tsunami Bomb and Blink 182.
Find the complete schedule of Audio Karate's 2018 tour below and visit their new website for tickets and more information:
Audio Karate 2018 Tour dates (supporting Descendents):
May 3 - Ventura, CA, Ventura Theater
May 4 - Chico, CA, Senator Theater
May 5 - Sacramento, CA, Ace of Spades
May 6 - Berkeley, CA, The UC Theatre Taube Family Music Hall
Oct. 4- Spokane, WA, Knitting Factory Concert House
Oct. 5- Seattle, WA Showbox SoDo
Oct. 6- Portland, OR, Crystal Ballroom
