Authored by Fernando Pacheco from the Honolulu-based ska band Pimpbot
“Punk Rock Dad”
Author: Jim Lindberg
Copyright: 2007
Copy: Hardback given to me as a “surprise” gift
Gizzle (gist): Jim Lindberg, formerly of the punk rock outfit known as Pennywise, shares moments of his life before, during and after becoming a father three times over.
Is it relevant to musicians who aren’t dads?
Absolutely! This book is relevant to any musician, or other entertainer, that would like to live a life off the stage. If you plan to spend 365 days of the year eating cup o’ noodles and living off of canned goods in a stinky tour, this may not be the best book for you. The lesson in this book is one that I also learned when touring with the band, Mustard Plug. It’s not impossible to continue living your life in addition to being a touring musician.
Early in the book, Lindberg reveals that if you take away the screeching guitar and screaming obscenities, he’s just a normal guy. Like most of the guys in my band, he graduated from college because that was the norm and moonlighted as punk rock musician while working a 9 to 5 job. I believe the marriage and pregnancies that followed in his life are metaphors for balancing elements that are important to you in the real world with your life on stage.
The Big Question
Lindberg takes readers through the journey of his life to answer one question:
Why should your kids listen to what you have to say when you, yourself, are singing songs like “F@#k Authority?”
As Lindberg and his cohorts enter the “graying of punk rock,” the question is answered with the belief that there aren’t any rules in parenting and aging. It’s about walking the fine line of having the spirit of punk rock’s independence and nonconformity while holding onto one’s own dignity.
That itself, proved to be variated in this book when reading snippets of parenting experiences lent from other punk rock dads, such as Joey Cape, Tony Adolescent, Noodles, Fat Mike and Greg Hetson. The different levels of youthful idealism can be gauged, just as when I speak to other punk rock dads in Honolulu’s punk rock scene.
Credible Parenting Book?
I wouldn’t make this the only book that an expecting father would have in his library, nor would I make this a parenting bible. What I would suggest is having this be the introduction “dad book” as it serves useful in the transition from the selfish life of a musician to a responsible parent. I used this as my intro book both during our miscarriage and with our first baby due next month. Other parenting literature and media through a pregnancy will attempt to fill in the never-ending holes of knowledge.
Leave a reply