Akimbo: Legacy of Brewtality
By James Ballinger
Photos by Hollie Huthman
Akimbo used to be a band. That still sounds strange to say. For fifteen years Akimbo existed in some form – from the earlier, more punk influenced days, to the final bow as one of heavy music’s finest at the Comet last August. At that point, Akimbo could have been the best band from Seattle. As far as I’m concerned, they were better than The Fucking Beatles*. For years the backbone of the band, bassist and vocalist Jon Weisnewski and drummer Nat Damm, churned out record after record of sonic perfection. Shellac with dinosaur balls, if you will.
The band released their swan song “Live to Crush” on vinyl last Saturday as a limited 500 hand numbered pressing. But more on that later. I met Nat and Jon at their rehearsal space recently and discussed all aspects of the band over quite a few beers. Also, I talked to former guitarist Jared “Burke” Eglington and final guitarist Aaron Walters by means of the interwebs. I can assure you, I had a few beers then too, for continuity sakes. So sit back, pour yourself some Sleepytime Tea, a shot of tequila, a biscuit or cookie of some sort, and enjoy. At the bottom, I’ve added some interviews and stories from fans, band members, and other folk that wanted to speak up in memorandum.
*The Fucking Beatles were a pretty shitty band.
It all started back in 1998, back when Nat and Jon were just starting high school. “It was gym class, and I had a homemade shirt I wrote Minor Threat on with the little sheep. Nat walked in, late to class, with an “Anarchy Shall Prevail” shirt, and a Dead Kennedys logo on the back, and I was like, ‘That guy, we’re going to be friends,’” Jon remembers. “I knew them for some time before I joined,” former guitarist Jared “Burke” Eglington says. “I was playing in a few bands for a while before and knew Jon and Nat. The first version of Akimbo was totally different than today; they had a sassy keyboard component! But I always dug it. If we go way back, Jon and Nat had a punk band called The Dissidents. I always have and continue to love them as a rhythm section and friends.” That rhythm section would remain intact for the entire lifespan of the band. “Our first show was Halloween of 1998,” Damm says. After recording a split with Teen Cthulhu, a 10” called An Army of Evil Robots Programmed for Human Destruction, would follow. “Worst album name ever,” jokes Jon. After that, the final recording with guitarist Kyle Iman would take place. “We did a song for the Is It Dead compilation. Funny thing about that comp, it was done by Rock and Roleplay records and Dylan who did Crash Rock Records. They had the contact at Sub Pop. Half the bands were awesome; half of the bands were really shitty. Basically, Dylan was like, ‘Hey, there is this great metal scene going on and you guys aren’t doing anything about it. He either charmed the pants off of them or was annoying enough to get them to do it so he would go away,” says Weisnewski. After doing their first West Coast tour in support of An Army of Evil Robots, Jon had started on booking their second outing down the coast. “It was all set and ready to go,” Jon says. “Then 2 weeks before we are going to leave, Kyle just said he didn’t want to play in the band anymore. We had a show coming up, and he said that would be his last show at the Paradox. After that, we were like, ‘Ok, we aren’t quitting and going on the fucking tour’, so we started just calling people. We called this other guy, who we knew was a guitar player but was playing drums at the time. He played in a band with Burke, he was like, ‘Burke is the guy you want to talk to. He lives to play music, and he’d do it in a second.’ I had already known Burke from going to shows, and we went to community college together, so I knew him from seeing him around there, too. He was down, got the time off work, showed up, rehearsed the songs, and went on the tour.” “Back then we were just in our early twenties. We were all about tour. And we did a lot of it. We were broke as hell,” Burke says. “Nat had this Dodge van that was so incredibly unsafe. The exhaust manifold was Swiss cheese, and it leaked into the cab. The heat was stuck on which was great in the summer, but it seldom left us stranded.” The band would go on to record their first full-length and first recording with Burke, Harshing Your Mellow. Recorded to tape at Uptown Studios with Wes Weresch, the album is full of punk and hardcore styled aggression. “We went there because we saw that Enemymine recorded The Ice In Me there,” Damm says. “We want to go to that guy and get that sound. We didn’t get that sound. To be fair, though, we did it in 3 days,” jokes Jon.
After Harshing Your Mellow, Akimbo would go on to release Elephantine. A major step forward in the bands music, Elephantine would ultimately be the defining point in the band’s sound going forward. Full of big riffs and slower tempos from time to time, the breakdowns in the song structures would prove to be signs of the band heading in a bigger sounding direction. “I think it was when we started to listen to Black Sabbath that was it. We were both into punk, rock, and metal, but there was this point where we both started to listen to Black Sabbath. That slowly became all we listened to. To Burke’s credit, he brought a lot to that record, he loves classic rock and always did,” Jon says. “We had a lot of eclectic influences, but the best I can say is we are guys who grew up with punk and loved rock. In our van we had a boom box and would listen to terrible third generation cassette tapes. We would go from Minor Threat to Creedence, Misfits and Karp to Led Zeppelin, etc. I think that is reflected in Elephantine in ways and can be said for many Northwest bands. All of us are the age where we grew up with insane hair metal making us want to play. It’s hard to admit but true, at least for me. I wanted to play guitar because of bands like Def Leppard and Quiet Riot, initially,” says Burke. “Burke wrote Delilah 3 days before we recorded that record, I was like, ‘Whoa, that’s fucking awesome, and now we are going to record it,’” remembers Damm.
Shortly after that, the bad went on their first European tour. “There was this band, Transistor Transistor from the East Coast,” says Weisnewski. “We had played some shows with them and were friends. This guy in Europe booked a tour for them, and they said it went really well. We just wanted to go to Europe. So, we got this guy’s contact info, and hit the guy up. So he was booking a tour with this band from Philadelphia called Snacktruck and said he could put us on with them. So we were like, ‘Fuck yeah, anything. We’ll go.’ The van had no heat in the middle of winter, and the gear he provided was really shitty gear.” “The drum heads on this little Sonor kit were warped. It looked like they had been beaten on for 10 years, and here we are renting this, at least put on some new heads! It was horrible. But it was also lots of fun. The first show we played there was in Munich, in this old Luftwaffe hospital from WWII. They had these bunkers underground where they would put soldiers who were badly burned, so people couldn’t hear the screams of them being soaked in oil. It was all dilapidated; it was a squat, essentially,” Damm says. “We were a machine for some time; we were going down and playing shows in the bay area for just a weekend. Like drive to San Francisco, play two shows and come back. At one point people thought we were a local band down there,” Burke adds. “Honestly, we never got a lot of offers,” says Jon. “We just worked really hard. For a long time, I booked the tours. We wanted to tour. Nat and I set up our lifestyle to be able to tour whenever we wanted to, for as long as we wanted to. I would book from my home; I’d do it at work, that was like a second job at the time. A lot of the time when we would get on support packages, it was because we had met bands, they liked us, we liked them, and we’d work together. So we would be like, ‘Hey, let’s do a tour together.’ So I’d book some shows, I’d get in touch with their booking agent, etc. We had a brutal work ethic.”
This brutal work effort would soon work against Burke and cause the band to change the line-up when touring and doing shows at home. “We added two guitars really because of the rigorous tour schedule. If one guitarist couldn’t go, the other could. Pretty weird sounding in retrospect, but it was around that time that touring was getting harder and harder for me, one year I went on tour for eight months out of the year between different bands,” Burke says. “I loved it, but it was not financially feasible. I was still finishing college and began a career, got married. But Jon and Nat were tour animals. In fact, there are a handful of guitarists who went on tour while I stayed home and never played on albums.” Weisnewski adds, “Burke started going to school and getting a real career job. Burke was a shift manager at FedEx, and because he was the shift manager he could just schedule himself off for two weeks and go on tour. Then, he decided to get his degree and go into financial services, so he basically got to the point where he couldn’t tour. We had to do awkward stuff; we’d book a U.S. tour, and he would fly to the East Coast. We’d drive the van to the East Coast and do nothing, just drive. Then he’d fly out there we would play a few shows and then drive back home. So we were like, let’s get a second guitarist so when we play at home we can be a four piece, and when we tour we can be a three piece. That was the idea, so we got Dustin Brown. Dustin was a good friend of ours from way back in the day, and a fantastic guitar player.” “We had a handful of friends like Demian (Johnston), or our friend Chuck (Rowell), who was in The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower. They were never full members, but because of scheduling issues with Burke, or between Dustin leaving or Burke still being there or whatever, when we wanted to do a tour we’d ask Chuck or whoever, ‘You want to go play guitar with us for six weeks?’” adds Damm. “We’ve always had this curse with guitar players,” says Jon. “They’re fuckin’ bastards. Every damn one of em”, Damm chimes in. “We even played as a two piece a couple times, just Jon and I. We played at the old Firehouse once, and two or three shows down the West Coast, one with Big Business in San Francisco, which was really fun actually. Then when we got to San Diego, that’s when we played with Chuck. We had never played with him, and we were supposed to do this full U.S. tour. Burke and Chuck had been on the telephone playing guitar with each other learning the songs and listening to the record. So we spent a day in his parents’ garage learning the songs and the next day we played a show.” “Same thing with Demian,” Jon adds. “We had a tour booked, Burke couldn’t go, and we asked him to go on tour with us. We had a pretty big show a couple weeks after we got back with Converge, and I had such a good time playing with him I asked him to play the Converge show with us.”
After recording their third record City of the Stars, some bad luck on tour turned out to be one of the most important shows of the band’s career. Growing up listening to bands like the Dead Kennedys and Nomeansno from the label Alternative Tentacles were influential to the band’s sound, but getting a chance to put out a record on that label founded by the legendary Dead Kennedys frontman was a high water mark in the band’s career, and those records would go on to be some of the band’s best material. “On that tour with Demian, we had a show get cancelled in Pittsburgh, right out from under us,” remembers Jon. “We heard through the grapevine that The Melvins were playing in Pittsburgh the same night as us. So, our show got canceled because the promoter didn’t want to compete with The Melvins. But, he canceled because he wanted to go to the show. So, because Nat was in the Tight Bros., he actually knew Dale. So, we were like, ‘Nat, can you try to get in touch with Dale to see if we could play?’ So, we met up with some guys from the internet who were fans and offered us a place to crash. The next morning we woke up with a message on Nat’s phone from Dale. He was like, ‘Yeah man, come to the show, it’ll be great!’ So, we busted ass to get to the show, and that was right around when Jello and the Melvins were starting up. So, not only did we get to play with the Melvins, but we get in there to set up, and they are doing their soundcheck. We had no idea, then all of a sudden there is Jello Biafra on stage, and he is like an idol to us. We both grew up listening to the Dead Kennedys. He watched us play too, so that’s kind of how it got started” says Weisnewski. “We got asked by The Melvins to play again in Seattle. We were so stoked, you know. We knew that time it was Jello and the Melvins, and Jello pulled us aside downstairs in the greenroom area, and he’s like, ‘So, you guys got a label?’” Nat says. “And we were like, ‘Yes, but don’t worry about it,’” jokes Jon. “That’s when he asked us, and the whole night Jon and I were calling each other like, ‘We are going to put out a record on Alternative Tentacles.’ It was awesome.”
The first record released on Alternative Tentacles is 2006’s Forging Steel and Laying Stone. While proving to be a difficult time personally for the band, the record itself is a major turning point musically. Recorded at Ironwood by Joel Brown, who had done the band’s Elephantine, the bands big riff sound finally had the right production to match. Some of the band’s best material resides here. “The Tight Bros (From Way Back When) recorded at Avast, the first one, with Stuart (Hallerman), which was awesome,” Nat says. “You look up at the shelf and you see all these old Soundgarden tapes and stuff. He bought this old studio called Ironwood, which is now Avast. They were renovating it, and we got the big room. It was just this awesome room, there was just all this shit going on with us at the time personally. But I’m happy with the way it turned out.” Recorded with two guitarists at the time, this would ultimately be the last record with longtime guitarist Burke, and new guitarist Patrick Cunningham. “Patrick, who is a great guitarist and songwriter, toured with us for a while and played on the album. Pat was struggling with heroin then, kind of a trip. He’s doing great now though,” Burke remembers. After parting ways with Cunningham, Akimbo found themselves looking for another touring guitarist. “We put the word out, and heard from Aaron (Walters). “We didn’t know him; it was weird, almost like a job interview. But it turns out he was a really, really good guitar player.” Jon says. “I used to really like to drive around at night listening to music”, recalls Aaron. “One hazy night I was listening to Sonic Reducer, and I heard this amazing song. It had this breakdown that was so slow. I mean it was so slow I got the giggles really bad, and I had to pull over. Turns out it was “Uranaburg” by Akimbo. A few months after that, I was poking around on their MySpace page and found this little blurb at the end of one of their blog entries about looking for a guitar player with interest in being poor, touring all over the country, and the ability to play “War Pigs” front to back. So I got in touch with them. It worked out.” “We did a tour with Aaron with Torche, which went well. Then we did a tour with The Sword, and that’s when things really started to click,” Jon says. “So, at the end of that tour we were coming up from San Francisco on our way to the last show, and I was like this feels right as a three piece. So, we called Burke from the van, and told him things were working out well, and that’s how it stayed.”
With the final line-up now fully intact and remaining a three piece, the band geared up to start recording again. With the intent of recording another full-length and a concept EP, the band heads to Louisville, Kentucky to record with Chris Owens (Lords). These sessions would birth Navigating the Bronze, and Jersey Shores, a concept record about a series of shark attacks along the Jersey coast in July of 1916. Booked as a three week session, the band seemed to have a luxiourious amount of time to get everything tracked, even if it’s somewhat unorthodox to record two records at once. “That was always the plan,” Jon says. “When we set out to do Jersey Shores, it was more of like we had a fun little concept EP. As we continued to write it the songs got longer and longer, so we decided to just treat it like an album.” The band spent the first eight days recording all the drums for both records. Unfortunately, something happened with the hard drive, and all the work was lost. “Chris is running around, freaking out, and saying the files are gone. The hard drive just went tits up and died. We even called this forensic data recovery guy who does contract work with the FBI to recover files from hard drives, and he’s like, ‘Sorry dude, it’s gone.’ Then he tried to charge us 500 bucks, and I was like it’s satisfaction guaranteed, and I’m not satisfied goddamnit,” recalls Nat. “So, then I went back and did them all in three days, then I got really sick. It was brutal. But, it was still fun. We had these airsoft guns we bought. We drank so much beer that we had all these empty cans all over the place, so down this hallway we would set up target practice, to kill time, drink beer, have coffee, top raman, good times. Both Jon and Aaron flew back home to Seattle to see their girlfriends at the time, and I stayed there. I don’t even remember what I did. But then, right in the middle of when Aaron needed to be there to do
guitar stuff, his grandfather passed away. So we had to fly back to Spokane for the funeral and what not.”
After the release of Jersey Shores, the band started booking a huge tour to support the release of the record. “That Jersey Shores tour definitely felt weird, Jon remembers. “We were all really excited about it; we were all really happy with the record, too. So, we booked this huge tour, and nobody showed up. It was a five week tour, and we played to empty rooms almost every single night. It was a bummer. And by that point we were already kind of nationally established too.”
Last May, Akimbo made the decision to hang it up for good. It was something Nat and Jon could tell was in the air; Aaron just wasn’t having fun playing. “A long time before we broke up, I said multiple times, if something doesn’t work out with Aaron, I’m done. It’s so good, I didn’t want to bring someone else in,” says Jon. “One day at practice we were just like, “Hey man, what’s up? You don’t seem very excited to be here and playing music.’ And he said basically, ‘Well, you’re right.’ So, we had this very frank, boring discussion about it, we didn’t see any reason to keep it going, and that was that.” “It was general malaise,” recalls Aaron. “I wasn’t enjoying most things having to do with music at the time. There was still a lot I loved about it, mostly hanging out with Jon and Nat. But, it started to feel like work that I really didn’t want to do. It was a hard decision that took a really long time to make.” After the show was set for August at the Comet Tavern, the announcement was made.
The last show quickly sold out, and Akimbo played a set full of 19 songs from the band’s entire catalogue. Even though the band wanted to do a last show to punctuate their career, they also wanted to raise some cash for recording the final record. “As shitty as it is to say, we didn’t have a lot of money, and we didn’t have a label ready to put out the record. So, we wanted to raise some money for the sessions,” Jon says. During the show, the band plays a set with former guitarist Burke (now playing with Bitches Crystal and Caligula), full of older songs they hadn’t played in a while. “We played forever; I was useless the next day. My arms were jelly; I couldn’t even pick up a cup of coffee. I guess with all the bullshit in-between it was around two hours,” Damn says. “What bullshit?” Jon answers back. “What bullshit? I made some sandwiches. I’m a sandwich artist.” “I would file sandwich-making during a show bullshit,” Nat quickly replies. “It was pretty funny though.” “It was a long term joke we had, Burke would just go buy a burrito, a sandwich or something before we played and would just be eating it. So when we would go play Burke would just take it up on stage and set it on his amp. Play a song, take a couple bites,” remembers Jon.
The band had one last piece of business to attend to – making the final Akimbo record. Recorded a week after the final show, Live to Crush would be the band’s swan song. “We had all of the songs done. Some of those songs are a couple of years old; we just hadn’t had enough to make a whole record out of,” Nat said. The decision to go with producer Matt Bayles was a simple one after Nat and Jon’s other band, Sandrider, had recorded there previously and been happy with the way it turned out. Live to Crush is nine tracks showcasing Akimbo at their peak. It’s a crushing record, full of all the big riffs the band is known for, while even getting a little weird in the process. The opener, “The Fucking French” is classic Akimbo, and the record doesn’t let go until the end. The album’s closer “Building a Body” is a lyrical and musical sequel to one of my all-time favorite Akimbo tracks, “Digging a Hole.” “’Digging a Hole’ was the only song where I wrote the lyrics first, so ‘Building a Body’ is a sequel,” Jon says. “The lyrical concept behind digging a hole is about all these horrible fucking assholes in the world, who do horrible shit and just die and get away with it. They never have to answer for it, you know. They do all this horrible shit and have a nice life, then die. So, I’m digging a hole to Hell to find these people and give them what they deserve. “Building a Body” is about after I just fucked up all these people in Hell, but there are still assholes getting away with shit back in the world. So, let’s take all this shit in Hell and build a golem and send it back up the hole and just have it break everything.” Released digitally April 16, and as a limited 500 copy pressing on vinyl for Record Store Day April 20th, the record easily stands amongst the best of the band’s work. “I think it’s a good record, and I’m happy that we did it. I mean, only City of the Stars did I get back and was not really stoked on,” say Nat. “I’m really happy with the record; I think it’s the best one we ever did,” Jon concludes.
As for what’s next with the members, Jon and Nat are currently finishing up writing on the next Sandrider record and will be recording again with Matt Bayles at Red Room soon. Burke is currently finishing up a record with Caligula and is also still active in Bitches Crystal. Aaron Walters is currently playing drums in Stres, with his friend Josh Bolof.
Carly Henry (Formally of Starbird Booking)
When did you first hear Akimbo?
This, I don’t exactly remember. I do remember that I hadn’t really listened to them until I moved to the PNW but you learn pretty quickly what bands are regional faves when you arrive there. I don’t remember the first show I saw or how I ended up buddies with them so early on, but I do know I became a huge fan instantly. And saw them many, many times….so much so I lost count. While Aaron and Jon are fantastic musicians, truthfully I think my initial draw to them was watching Nat drum….the style that dude has is incredible. I often found myself wondering if he could fit inside his kick drum (I think he can).
Any interesting or funny stories about the band you’d like to mention?
Aaron fancies himself a better parallel parker than me to which I say ‘oh hell no, bitch!’. We have yet to have a park-off to prove I am the champion, but we all know the truth. Once, they were supposed to play my birthday show when I lived in Bellingham and they had to cancel because there was 2″ of snow on the ground. According to them, they had nearly bald tires. According to me, they are pussies. I am a huge fan of Nat’s “Shit I Like” Facebook page. Speaking of shit, that dude has threatened to shit on me because I drunkenly stepped on his sleeping bag.
Do you have a favorite Akimbo track or record you’d like to talk about?
I’m going to go ahead and say – without owning the new album yet – that “Jersey Shores” is my favorite Akimbo album. I feel like people dismissed it a bit because it was a ‘quiet’ album, but I think it’s hard for a band that has been so previously full on and in your face, to pull back and make something more “minimal” and have it kick just as much ass.
Anything else you’d like to add about the band?
While I am sad to see them pack it up, I can’t really say I’m crying too much since Sandrider is alive and kicking and probably one of the best bands around right now. Akimbo had a hell of a run and going out on top is better than turning to shit and then skulking away. Mostly I just miss seeing those dudes around at shows and shooting the shit, so here’s hoping Sandrider tours the East coast at some point.
Jake Weller (Seattle Rock Guy)
When did you first hear Akimbo?
I was a little late to the game on Akimbo, first seeing them around 2002-2003 — around the time that Elephantine came out. I was in love immediately. I must have seen them every time they played for the next two or three years. I took my wife to an Akimbo/Torche show on our second date. She wasn’t quite ready for it.
Any interesting or funny stories about the band you’d like to mention?
They used to throw down mightily at 2nd Ave Pizza. It was a tiny little all-ages venue in the back of a great pizza joint downtown. You could fit probably 40 punk kids (equal to roughly 25 metalheads) in there at one time. It was pretty DIY, to say the least. They had a really questionable electrical setup there, and two modest amps turned up to 3 would tend to dim the lights, let alone the thundering setup Akimbo played through. One show in particular, they busted into the first song and blew the power on the first note. One of the pizza cooks came back, flipped the breaker switch, and got things rolling again. Nat clicks off and right on the first note, lights off, power’s out again. We call out for pizza guy, and he does his thing. Take in mind, he wasn’t in a hurry. It took him several minutes to flip the breaker each time. So, power’s good to go, and they try a third time — same fucking thing happens. I honestly have no idea how many times they attempted to start their set after that; I left after the third try, shaking my head and grinning. That place could barely contain Akimbo, and it finally gave up trying that night.
Do you have a favorite Akimbo track or record you’d like to talk about?
I am fucking shocked that the opening riff to “Rockness Monster” didn’t accidentally make an appearance in any song I have written since hearing it the first time. It has been stuck in my head since that first listen. I hum it as I walk around, everywhere I go. I wake up and time my movements to it daily. It will forever be on rotation in my brain, and I have absolutely no problem with that.
Anything else you’d like to add about the band?
RIP – “Eat Beer, Shit Riffs.” You were the greatest motto a band has ever known.
Michelle Cable (Panache Booking)
When did you first hear Akimbo?
I first heard Akimbo nearly a decade ago. I ended up working with them because of our mutual friends in this band Genghis Tron.
Any interesting or funny stories about the band you’d like to mention?
I’ll never forget the various road stories of traveling with Akimbo to SXSW several years back. A caravan of Panache bands (Akimbo, Green Milk from the Planet Orange, The Mall, Yip Yip) started in Los Angeles and made their way to Austin through some of the weirdest touring conditions. Leaving Los Angeles we made our way to El Paso, Texas where we all ended up spending the night in the same warehouse, entertaining ourselves with the shaky face game and some other game where various members of each band punched each other in the stomach which Akimbo had introduced us all too. With plenty of bonding under our belt, we prepared for a pre SXSW show in San Antonio TX where our entourage joined up with Israel’s Monotonix and literally 30 other bands who had all been booked at one venue for one hellishly long showcase. There was probably one audience member per band that actually paid the cover to get into the event. Those 30 kids stayed for every band though. The owners of the club had so generously provided one of Texas’ worst apartments for all 30 bands to crash at. A shit stained towel in a doorless bathroom, a closet of 50 bottles of butterscotch schnapps and a kitchen full of knife hits greeted us. That was the beginning of what ended up being one of the best road trips of my life. Despite the crazy conditions of traveling around SXSW, I remember laughing more then I ever have with those guys.
Do you have a favorite track or record you’d like to talk about?
I think Circle of Hair will forever be my favorite Akimbo song, but I do love the title Wizard Van Wizard..
Anything else you’d like to add about the band?
Akimbo will forever be like brothers to me. They really did become family through our years of working together. I was really sad to hear that the band was calling it quits as they truly do put on one of the most heavy and obliterating live shows ever.
Tad Doyle (TAD, Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, Witch Ape Studios)
When did you first hear Akimbo?
I don’t remember what year it was but one of the bands that I was in was rehearsing a set at the old Olympic Foundry and I stepped out of our room and was heading outside for some reason and as I was heading out I heard this seriously insane band practicing across the hall from us and I stopped what I was doing and just leaned against the wall and listened to the punk rock metal bliss that was blasting from behind the wall. It sounded INSANE! It was as though the music coming from that room reached out and grabbed me by the throat and said, “Listen here fucko, pay attention or we will break your damn neck!” Well I listened and could feel the energy emanating from that room. I listened to a couple of songs and just as they stopped I pushed their door open and there were three sweaty wild eyed guys in a small room that couldn’t have been larger than 10 square feet. I think I commented about how much I really liked what they were doing and asked what the name of their band was, then I said something to the effect of, “Keep on cooking up the cookin’s” or something similar and I shut the door behind me. I went back to my rehearsal room and told my band that they had to come out into the hall and give this band a listen. Akimbo were fast, heavy and feral.
Any interesting or funny stories about the band you’d like to mention?
I was lucky enough to be asked by Akimbo if I would like to join them on guitar to play a set of Black Flag covers with Tom Glose from Black Elk singing. We did two shows, One at the Comet in Seattle and one at The East End in PDX. I had a blast playing those songs and I even got some free guitar lessons from Aaron Walters so I could be brought up to speed for the show. I remember thinking to myself that I was playing Black Flag songs with one of the most intense rhythm sections and guitar players along with one of my favorite vocalists in the Northwest. It was surreal. You should have been there and if you were, you know how rad it was.
Do you have a favorite Akimbo track or record you’d like to talk about?
All of the Akimbo tracks and albums are great.
Jeff Johnson (Dog Shredder)
When did you first hear Akimbo?
I first heard Akimbo about 7 ½ years ago when I moved to Bellingham. Wish I had known about them a lot earlier!
Do you have a favorite track or record you’d like to talk about?
My favorite album is Harshing Your Mellow. It’s their most brutal album in my opinion. There’s just so much aggression and energy on that record. I love it! My favorite song though is Lungless from Navigating the Bronze. It’s just got that fuckin’ groove that I can’t get enough of.
Anything else you’d like to add about the band?
I wish they were still a band. It was always a privilege to share the stage with them.
Nate Newton (Converge/Doomriders)
When did you first hear Akimbo?
I’m not exactly sure what year it was but Demian Johnston was playing in the band and they ended up opening for one of my bands, but again I can’t remember which one. I can’t remember what they sounded like either. I just remember that Demian said he was playing a band and they were called Akimbo.
Any interesting or funny stories about the band you’d like to mention?
One time Aaron wrote this really weird email to Kurt Ballou which Kurt then shared with me because it was so weird. Basically Aaron wanted an introduction to First Act guitars but instead of saying “Hey man, do you think maybe you could hook me up with their A&R guy?”, he wrote this really long email about how he’s really good at guitar and he thinks that Kurt is good too but Kurt isn’t better than him, though he wasn’t saying that he was better than Kurt either, but if he was at least as good as Kurt then he should get a guitar too because it’s only fair. I really wish I saved it because it was amazing.
Do you have a favorite track or record you’d like to talk about?
Navigating The Bronze tore my head off. I think that entire record is perfect beginning to end. When Converge did a weekend of shows with Neurosis at Neumos a few years back each band got to pick an opener for each night of the show. I picked Akimbo for our night and the Neurosis guys had never heard them before. That night was the first time I heard the material from Navigating the Bronze and it left quite an impression on me, and more importantly the guys from Neurosis. EVERYONE was blown away.
Anything else you’d like to add about the band?
They never had qualms about having afros. I respect that.
Jesse Raub
When did you first hear Akimbo?
In high school, I started getting really into heavier music and was a big Blood Brothers fan. Then I saw Akimbo open up for the Blood Brothers at the Ascot Room in Minneapolis, and I never listened to the Blood Brothers again.
Any interesting or funny stories about the band you’d like to mention?
When I was 19 and writing for Punknews.org, I somehow convinced Jon through email to let me hitch a ride with the band from Chicago to Minneapolis, and Minneapolis to Rock Island, under the guise that I would write about the experience. I was living in Chicago, I came from Minneapolis, and my girlfriend was living in Rock Island. Jon signed off the last email he sent agreeing to let me tag along with the phrase: “I hope you like beer.”
I still to this day can’t imagine why the dudes of Akimbo were so cool with the whole thing. The hardline rules were that I had to expect to buy my own meals, as the band was only able to pay each member $5 a day for food for this trip’s budget. The guys couldn’t have been nicer, more polite, and managed to destroy every stage I saw them play. By the time we got to Rock Island, I was so tired and worn out from just two days on the road that I actually missed the show and just slept on my girlfriend’s couch. The next day she drove me to Chicago, where I had to make up a final exam I had skipped in order to take the tour.
It was on this trip, as well, that I first learned of Akimbo one day inventing the use of grilled cheese sandwiches as buns for a cheeseburger. Years later, all the restaurants would try their attempt at this, but I now know the true ultimate contribution that Akimbo gave to the world.
Do you have a favorite track or record you’d like to talk about?
“Delilah” was the first track that Akimbo played live the first time I saw them, and it’s still one of my favorites, but Jersey Shores was really the culmination of six dedicated years I had waiting and devouring Akimbo albums. The depth and scope of Jersey Shores, along with the flow of the album caused me to drive up an hour to Indianapolis to see the band play the entire album in a basement show. I had stopped going to many shows over the years, and hadn’t brought earplugs. The room was maybe 10 feet wide, with cinderblock walls, and by the time Akimbo finished playing the album, I couldn’t hear anything. Literally. When people talked, I saw their mouths move, but heard only scratchy digital robotic buzzing. It was interesting trying to interview the band after the show, but being able to catch the entirety of that album made it worth it.
James Reeves (Into the Storm)
When did you first hear Akimbo?
Thanks to the polybeasts that rule this time-stream 17 year old me happened upon a terrifying trio at the UW HUB in the year 2003. The reason for my chance was the closing act, Pretty Girls Make Graves. Obviously, I was a fan of this band (like reeeally fucking into them). Topping this headliner off was another fan favorite of mine during that time: The Blood Brothers. Mother-flipping “…Burn, Piano Island, Burn“! Anyhow, Can you guess who opened this mother up? Akimbo. Now, this shit hall full of nasty acoustics was packed butts to nuts around the stage pretty much all the way to the opposite end of said hall. At the back sat multiple fold out tables. It was there I claimed my seat. Akimbo began and at first I felt odd. A bit of wretch in my belly. This feeling was new, I had yet to befriend booze…After time progressed I felt what would you say…Drunk? Boom. Suddenly, Nat Damm charmed me for life like some sort of rhythmic snake demon. Clarity engulfed me; the essence of Akimbo was the drunken glorious stupor. Shit fucking yes. Sold.
Any interesting or funny stories about the band you’d like to mention?
Nothing fancy here, I’ve been smitten with a fan like whimsy. Always an attempt to play with them, never successful. Shit happens.
Do you have a favorite Akimbo track or record you’d like to talk about?
Simple. Jersey Shores(2008). The rawness of the drum production and the skill level of the band, plus Neurot Recordings, resulted in a masterpiece for the boys. Plus, I saw them do it up with Neurosis & Converge before this record was brought into this world, so it has an extra magic.
Anything else you’d like to add about the band?
Reincarnation is a thing. The band in this case lives on, at least the dual-linked hearts: Sandrider takes the throne!
Ben Verellen (Harkonen, Helms Alee, Constant Lovers, Verellen Amps)
When did you first hear Akimbo?
I think I saw them at the old firehouse in Redmond the first time I saw them. I just remember them being really fast and noisy.
Any interesting or funny stories about the band you’d like to mention?
Harkonen played w/ Akimbo at a bowling alley in Bellingham and Nat was playing a kick drum that was two kick drums glued together end to end. I was pretty mind blown by that.
They recorded two records in one session while on tour in Louisville, which I thought was inspiring. You can just tell those dudes grew up together learning music, they probably speak the same secret language. I think a lot of good music comes from people sticking it out and getting good at playing together over the years. They’ve got that mind meld and that’s probably why they are so prolific with the heavy jams.
Do you have a favorite Akimbo track or record you’d like to talk about?
For the record release show of ‘Jersey Shores’, they bought a bunch of lights to rig around the stage and asked me to perform the lights. I had a week or so to familiarize with the songs, which was cool because Akimbo always came across to me as a brawny punk band with chops. Really raucous on the surface, but delving in there’s a ton of intricate detail in their music. Super geniuses.
Anything else you’d like to add about the band?
I can’t wait to hear their new work with Matt Bayles. Anytime the new record comes up in conversation, Akimbo dudes get really smiley, which is a good sign.
Will Bassin (Serial Hawk)
When did you first hear Akimbo?
I moved to Seattle in 2006, within about 2 years of getting acquainted with the Northwest music scene I had my first taste of Akimbo when I got my hands on City Of The Stars. As much as I enjoyed that first listen, I was immediately hooked upon listening to the records that followed, specifically Forging Steel and Laying Stone. Cue the riff at the beginning of ‘Rockness Monster’… such a great record!
Any interesting or funny stories about the band you’d like to mention?
Somewhat random, but two buddies of mine from Florida that I went to High school with and knew from all kinds of bands/shows from back then would end up forming this really rad electronic duo called Yip-Yip. Later they would end up playing lots of shows and going on many tours, which would eventually lead them to playing some shows on the road with Akimbo. Small world type moment when I first learned this, crazy shows I bet! Check out Yip-Yip, I love those dudes.
Do you have a favorite Akimbo track or record you’d like to talk about?
Man, there are sooo many riffs from these guys that I love so much! Picking a favorite is tough, but overall the Jersey Shores record is probably my favorite of theirs to listen to. I love how great it sounds, how well it was recorded, that warm tone, the songs, the concept and story behind it…. and of course the crushing riffs throughout. All of it. It’s a masterpiece.
Anything else you’d like to add about the band?
I’m sad that it’s over and I think about them often.
Melissa Bird (Photographer)
When did you first hear Akimbo?
I think it was 2001. I traveled extensively from 98-05, so I had to think about this! I know for sure it was a show with The Ruby Doe at what I think was Off Ramp (The 2nd one), & I was totally blown away. I bought a CD and T shirt right away, and remember gushing at Nat about what a maniac he was.
Any interesting or funny stories about the band you’d like to mention?
I’m too fat to wear the shirt I bought 12 years ago now. So I had my mom cut it up & sew it on as a Back Patch for my Jacket. It’s BADASS!
Do you have a favorite Akimbo track or record you’d like to talk about?
Honestly, I’m just getting into their recorded work. The one CD I had was promptly stolen or lost. I bought everything I could at their “Last Show”… and I adore it all! I can say that the many live performances I have attended over the years have always been amazing and made me feel so fortunate to live in a place where I get to see such unique and accomplished bands play with unbelievable line ups.
Anything else you’d like to add about the band?
If you never saw this band live, I’m so sorry for you!
Tim Keener (Smooth Sailing)
When did you first hear Akimbo?
The first time I ever saw Akimbo was in Bellingham when Chiribin’s was still open. That place didn’t stand a chance against the mighty Akimbo! Patty Oiye had given me copies of their albums the weekend before the show and I loved them immediately but fuck-me-running seeing that shit live for the first time was powerful! Finally, I had found a local sound that fit my tastes perfectly! Deadly heavy, shred guitar mixed with groove loving drums! Jesus! And to be that close to such a small stage… baptized in rock, I would never be the same. They became and remain my all time favorite Seattle band, hands down.
Any interesting or funny stories about the band you’d like to mention?
Akimbo is the one band each of the members of Smooth Sailing all love and adore equally. Each dude has varying taste in tunes, but something about the flavor those guys have was a uniting force for our band. We would all go to their shows as a gang, blast their records in the van, we were fanboys. Me especially. Though I know they’re all just regular dudes like myself, I always get star struck talking to them and act like an idiot trying to pretend it wasn’t a big deal to be chatting them up. I will tell you this, I bailed on my lovely girlfriend’s birthday party to go to their final show and crowd surf my balls off and it was the fucking highlight of my life!
Do you have a favorite Akimbo track or record you’d like to talk about?
It’s hard to pick a favorite album of theirs because like most fans I love them all. I love Elephantine, I love Jersey Shores, I love Forging Steel…but for whatever reason I listen to Navigating the Bronze the most. I love how the whole album fits together, each song is pretty dynamic, I love Nat’s drum solo, I love the production, dunno… I just really fucking dig that album!
Jesse Roberts (Sandrider, The Ruby Doe)
When did you first hear Akimbo?
The first time would have been when the Ruby Doe played with them at Graceland back in 2003(?). I was super impressed with them right from the get go. Nat was playing double bass on that huge bass drum. That thing looked so tough! He was set up sideways so I could really see what he was doing. You could tell even then that they really put everything they had into the performance and it really left an impression on me. We had to play after them and I remember standing there thinking “These guys are ripping shit up! We better play well!”
Any interesting or funny stories about the band you’d like to mention?
The first time I played played with Jon and Nat in the Akimbo practice space, I noticed that they had written the structure of a couple songs on these wood shelves that Nat had built around the room. Although songs sometimes change over time, I liked the idea that I there was ever any question about those arrangements, all would be settled by the shelf. I guess there’s more than one way to squash an argument with a 2×4!
Do you have a favorite Akimbo track or record you’d like to talk about?
I really like Jersey shores as an overall record. I listened to it a lot while I was painting the cover and it really stands out for me as a result. The theme for that record is really interesting. I think Jon was moving in a more melodic direction on that record vocally which combined with the musical delivery made for some great hooks. I’m a sucker for concept records as well, so that only strengthens its case. That being said, Live to Crush is fucking great too!
Anything else you’d like to add about the band?
They’re just great musicians and really solid dudes. I’ve always found their live performances to be inspired and memorable. I feel really lucky to be playing with Nat and Jon in Sandrider now as well. They’re funny as shit and a blast to play with. It’s been a real honor and pleasure.
Jason Bledsoe (Noise-A-Tron)
When did you first hear Akimbo?
My first encounter with Akimbo is still my most memorable. It was Feb of 2006 when we first moved back to Seattle. We hardly knew
anyone, and were quite eager to get out there and see what was going on in the Seattle scene. So naturally we went to a shit ton of shows.
Things were definitely different from what I remembered from my teenage years. There was a whole 70’s revival thing happening. More on
the straight rock and roll side of the 70’s (as opposed to the psych vibe as of late). We saw some good bands here and there, but to tell
the truth we were a little disappointed. One night we ended up at El Corazon kinda by accident. As it turned out Thrones was playing.
Obviously Lea and I were stoked! The people we were with were not (they bailed, we stayed). Moments later a band started shredding from the side bar. We were instantly drawn in. It was Akimbo nah doi! They played with such ferocity, we were entranced. This was my first
experience coming back to Seattle that reassured me that quality heavy as FUCK music was alive and well in Seattle. Not to mention Thrones rulz! (with a Z). One of the best times I have ever seen them due to the fact that we had no expectations, and were completely blown away. Followed closely by the Black Flag night at the Comet with Tad Doyle on guitar. (fun times)
Do you have a favorite Akimbo track or record you’d like to talk about?
Song wise I would have to say Dangerousness has a special place in my heart. Simply because it was always our kick off tune every time we would start a tour of our own. That song meant tour had officially started.
Anything else you’d like to add about the band?
“How can anyone shred the drums so well in pants so tight?” -Brian McClelland (He’s Whose Ox is Gored) quote during a conversation about Akimbo. Just stuck with me.
Eric Christianson (Grenades)
When did you first hear Akimbo?
Around 2000 or 2001 (can’t remember now) my then bandmate Andrew had a tape of their “Army of Evil Robots Programmed For Human Destruction” 7-inch. We listened to it on the way home from practice.
Any interesting or funny stories about the band you’d like to mention?
Burke was over at my place a couple of years ago, after a show. For whatever reason I showed him my copy of the Akimbo/Teen Cthulhu split 10″, which they did before he was in the band. He looked at it, smiled, and said “This record is terrible”.
Do you have a favorite Akimbo track or record you’d like to talk about?
Even though I really dug Harshing Your Mellow, Elephantine really made me love Akimbo. The riffs on that record are so good, especially “A Far Out Trip Through a Hard Rock Tunnel” and of course “Delilah”. I religiously bought every record they did after that.
Anything else you’d like to add about the band?
Growing up in Bremerton, they were one of the Seattle bands my friends and I always liked or looked up to. I’m stoked that my bands were able to share the stage with them a few times, and I’m stoked that I’ve gotten to know those guys and that they’re solid dudes. Dorks, even… which is even better.
Demian Johnston (Great Falls)
When did you first hear Akimbo?
I guess I first saw/heard them when my old band, Playing Enemy, played with them at the paradox in the U-District. Not sure when that was exactly. Probably right around 2001/2002. I don’t remember much except they were going berserk. I think Jon was standing on his giant bass cab at one point and I thought “man, we are going to have to step it up.” We never did.
Any interesting or funny stories about the band you’d like to mention?
Hmmm, I have a lot of memories traveling around with Nat and Jon during my year in Akimbo. They were so much fun to be around. It was such a change from the stiffness of my other band at the time. If we had a day off on tour Nat would get on the phone, find any appropriate show within a state or so away and we would drive. We got to stop in Birmingham Alabama once just to hang out and freak out my friends from Philly that were playing and stay with my buddy Jason. We once just ended up opening for the Melvins in Pittsburgh because Nat worked that. Funny stories? Not really but pure fun. That was what Akimbo was for me. I was sad when I couldn’t stick with them.
Do you have a favorite Akimbo track or record you’d like to talk about?
Well, I knew City of the Stars the best as that was the record that had just come out when I was touring with them. I would have to say Elephantine is basically a perfect album though.
Anything else you’d like to add about the band?
Jon and Nat. These guys are constantly making music as big as their friendship and it’s hard not to want to be around it all the time.
Jerad Shealey (Old Iron)
When did you first hear Akimbo?
I first heard Akimbo back in about 2004 or 2005, I think. It was just a few years after I’d moved to Seattle. I seem to remember them having two guitar players when I first saw them. It’s hard to say exactly because my memory is awful, but I remember knowing who they were and being stoked to see them open for The Melvins fronted by Jello Biafra at Neumos. I think that’s right around the time they signed to A.T. So yeah… 2004 or 2005.
Any interesting or funny stories about the band you’d like to mention?
Well… The first guy I met from Akimbo was John. He posted something on the Akimbo “Myspace” page about taking donations for a new tattoo he wanted to get across his stomach. He wanted the word “EGGNOG” is big Old English font because he was excited about the upcoming holiday season and really loved eggnog. I saw the post and thought it was hilarious. Since I tattoo for a living I offered him the tattoo for free as long as I could get photos afterwards for my portfolio. He agreed and we set an appointment. A few weeks later, John shows up and breaks the bad news to me. The giant “Eggnog” stomach rocker was not such a hit with the other folks involved in his life and to avoid any trouble he decided that it just couldn’t go on his stomach. I was a little disappointed but suggested we still tattoo him, so he got the word “Eggnog” on his arm instead. Everyone wins. After that, John and I would always say hello to one another at shows and he even came back to get a 20 sided dice tattooed on his elbow.
The next guy I met was Nat. It was kind of a random meeting. I was at El Corazon for a show and standing in the bar between bands chatting with some folks. I was right in the middle of being introduced to someone and reached out my hand to shake theirs when Nat, on his way to the beer line, sees my outstretched hand and intercepts it. He had no idea who I was, but apparently he thought I was trying to shake his hand. Now when I see Nat, I shake his hand on purpose.
Do you have a favorite Akimbo track or record you’d like to talk about?
My favorite Akimbo track is “Harpoon” from the album Elephantine. I’ve always been into rhythm section oriented bands (like Jesus Lizard, etc.) and this song fits into everything that I love about music. The intro riff is creepy and awesome and then right at 0:53 it kicks you in the dick and prolapses your anus. It’s a great song.
Anything else you’d like to add about the band?
Akimbo was an awesome Seattle band. I’m glad I had so many opportunities to see them play. They will be sadly missed, but I look forward to to seeing what each of the past members come up with in the future. Sandrider is an amazing band and so is Caligula. Go check them out!!!!
Prof. Jake Stratton (ex-BloodHag)
When did you first hear Akimbo?
When we played with them and Teen Cthulhu at a house show, late 90s.
Any interesting or funny stories about the band you’d like to mention?
I can barely remember my stories about me.
Anything else you’d like to add about the band?
When we met, they were still kids and it’s awesome they’ve kept the same attitude and energy through the years. Their albums keep getting better.
Adam “Superfan” Noble Bass (Ladies’ Choice)
When did you first hear Akimbo?
I really started hitting shows hard after I turned 21. I’m pretty sure the first time I saw Akimbo was when they opened for Candiria at Graceland with Teen Cthulhu (June 26th, 2002). Bought a shirt from them, probably the first of thousands of concert tee’s I now own. Very excited I just unearthed it; you’ll see me wearing it out soon.
Any interesting or funny stories about the band you’d like to mention?
There’s a great picture of me in the collage within ELEPHANTINE, see if you can find it! I look much more threatening than I actually am. It was taken at either 2nd Ave Pizza or Redmond’s Old Firehouse, never really sure which. I would lose my shit during their sets, back when I had the energy to – I miss them already, now that they’ve joined the days-gone-by ranks of Playing Enemy, Teen Cthulhu, Wormwood, BloodHag, Botch (whom I only caught at their last two Seattle shows) and too many other great bands to recall.
Do you have a favorite Akimbo track or record you’d like to talk about?
I used to go see them all the time, I was the articulate heckler requesting “PINK BATHWATER!” or “…IN THE NOOSE!”; songs they were usually happy to play back then, but hardly played in the second half of their existence.
I actually made a mix tape when I first got HARSHING YOUR MELLOW, that was just my favorite riffs/breakdowns of the entire record, with all the segueing hardcore speed punk cut out, it was actually pretty cool. But when ELEPHANTINE came out, I knew I couldn’t do that, they wrote such a perfect record, HARPOON is My Jam.
Anything else you’d like to add about the band?
Man, those guys could handle more than a few beers, and they were always generous with them!
Jeffery McNulty (ex-Bloodhag, Android Hero, The Seattle PA)
When did you first hear Akimbo?
BloodHag played with Akimbo pretty early on. We played out at KTUB but it wasn’t at KTUB it was at the old person’s home next door. We played with Akimbo and Lords of Light(speed?) anyhow Akimbo had their first guitar player then and he had kinda more of a new wavy singing style, they cut a record at my studio with my friend Kaanan around the same time I did the Teen Cthulhu demo album… I’m not sure but there might be a 7″ out there of that stuff… I should go through my 7″ collection and see. Jon didn’t start singing until after that dude left I think. That’s when it was like oh shit these guys are fucking heavy.
Any interesting or funny stories about the band you’d like to mention?
My favorite story is the one that is recounted in my blog about how Artemis Pyle had a “cannon” drum as well… it’s pretty rad but personally, I would try to get as near to the front of the stage as possible or other times actually on stage they were so damn good, so for their last show I was leaned over in that doorway at the Comet behind the stage just totally losing it and rocking out and Nat had to bump me to move back because he had been hitting me with his elbow and I hadn’t even noticed. He was like dude are you ok? And I’m like, Fucking perfect man!
Do you have a favorite Akimbo track or record you’d like to talk about?
I was lucky enough to do the mastering for their first full length. I really like that record but I always worried I put too much high end on it and was relieved when they remastered it for the AT re-release. Elephantine is probably their best record although there was nothing like seeing them play Jersey Shore all the way through at their record release party! I was astounded and walked up to Jon and told them he was in the best band in Seattle. I still think Akimbo is one of the best bands to come out of Seattle, ever. World class for sure.
Anything else you’d like to add about the band?
Well their swan song is indeed a masterpiece. Their records hold up even 15 years later, I still have them all and I’m proud of it! Plus they broke up while still on top which is the best way to go out man, instead of having a drummer die on you when you are already kinda washed up (Zeppelin, the Who etc…)
