Legendary LA punk band The Dickies will headline this year’s Zombie Walk, taking place tomorrow in Downtown Long Beach. They will wrap up a full day of music (16 bands, I think), games, film screenings, and goulish festivities.
When it comes to listening to music, I admit that I was a late bloomer. The first record (yes, those 12″ vinyl things that came in colorful cardboard sleeves) I ever purchased was the Electric Light Orchestra’s Out Of The Blue. It was a double album. I had a rare clear blue vinyl version. I loved it.
My exposure to heavier stuff was gradual. Thanks to Rodney Bingenheimer, I began listening to The Clash, The Pretenders, and other bands emerging from the punk scene. I’ve got to be honest, though, that The Dickies really helped me to bring the punk aesthetic more fully into my developing mind. While their original songs were fantastic, it was their interpretations of classic songs and TV themes that, for some reason, helped it to make sense to me. I’ve been an avid fan ever since.
34 years later, singer Leonard Phillips and guitarist Stan Lee are the only remaining original members in the band. They’ve never stopped playing, though, and have actually experienced a resurgence in popularity in the last few years as new legions of fans from around the world have discovered them anew. Of course, there are folks like me who loved them as kids, and can enjoy them again in our ‘golden years.’
I had the opportunity to speak with Stan by phone. It was a rather informal affair, and we bounced around from subject to subject. It was great fun for me, and he seemed to enjoy it as well.
To learn more about The Dickies, visit TheDickies.com. For a complete list of performers, and details about tickets, for Zombie Walk, visit ZombieWalkLB.com.
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