Everyone’s favorite skate punk covers band Me First & The Gimme Gimmes are releasing their new album ¡BLOW IT…AT MADISON’S QUINCEAÑERA! this Friday (6/14) via Fat Wreck Chords, but you don’t have to wait until then to hear it–a full stream premieres in this post. A spiritual sequel to 2004’s Ruin Jonny’s Bar Mitzvah, which was recorded live at an actual bar mitzvah, ¡BLOW IT…AT MADISON’S QUINCEAÑERA! was recorded at an actual quinceañera and apparently no one in attendance had ever heard of the band. “It was really tense for me going out to no applause—and to people actually walking away when we were playing,” says vocalist Spike Slawson.
It all went down on July 15th, 2023, at The Soap Factory in San Diego, and the Gimme Gimmes’ rotating supergroup lineup included Joey Cape on guitar, CJ Ramone on bass, Swami John Reis on guitar, and Andrew “Pinch” Pinching on drums for this show. They also had a horn section (Keith Douglas and Jason Crane), and John Reis’ father John Reis Sr. played accordion on “Before the Next Teardrop Falls,” popularized in 1975 by Freddy Fender.
“Speaking for myself personally, I’ve been waiting a long time to knock playing a quinceañera off my bucket list,” Spike says. “The only flaw in our approach (aside from the VERY occasional clam) was that we didn’t really know any songs from the current decade (or millennium, for that matter).”
“Black Sabbath? No response. Captain and Tennille? Crickets. Juice Newton? Madison and co. were unmoved. Turns out one Olivia Rodrigo song was all it took to get the youngsters on their feet, but it was definitely touch and go there for a while (Abuelo dug the Vicente Fernandez). Did I mention that we are also available for weddings, bat-mitzvahs, funerals, estate sales, etc?…”
“I would like this to be considered indicative of what a live show by the Gimme Gimmes can be,” he adds. “The only difference is that there would be people that wanted to hear us specifically and came to see us. What happened at this show, to me, is better than unfettered, unconditional applause from a lot of people. Golf-claps from about five people is how I want to hear a live record. It’s funny, and it doesn’t stop being funny. Not only do outward displays of disapproval not scare me, but I might even crave them a little bit. I don’t necessarily want to leave with people booing, but fawning praise makes me cringe. The girl had a good time, her mom and dad had a good time, her abuelo had a good time. And then when the DJ music finally played, her friends had a good time, too.”
Tracklist
1. Changes
2. Love Will Keep Us Together
3. Dancing Queen
4. I Could Fall in Love
5. Estos Celos
6. La Ultima Muñeca
7. Happy Birthday
8. Por Tu Maldito Amor
9. Good 4 U
10. Queen of Hearts
11. Camino de Guanajuato
12. Before the Next Teardrop Falls
13. De Niña a Mujer
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes — 2024 Tour Dates
21 Jun 2024 in Scheessel, Germany @ Hurricane Festival
22 Jun 2024 in Neuhausen Ob Eck, Germany @Southside Festival
23 Jun 2024 in Zürich, Switzerland @ Saal, Dynamo
26 Jun 2024 in Wiesbaden, Germany @ Schlachthof Wiesbaden
27 Jun 2024 in Leipzig, Germany @ Conne Island
28 Jun 2024 in Vienna, Austria @ Arena Wien
29 Jun 2024 in Geiselwind, Germany @ Mission Ready
30 Jun 2024 in Ysselsteyn, NL @ Jera On Air
2 Jul 2024 in Paris, France @ La Machine du Moulin Rouge
3 Jul 2024 in Kortrijk, Belgium @ BOLWERK
4 Jul 2024 in Berlin, Germany @ Astra Kulturhaus
6 Jul 2024 in Hunxe, Germany @ Ruhrpott Rodeo
14 Aug 2024 in Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
15 Aug 2024 in Reno, NV @ Virginia Street Brewhouse
17 Aug 2024 in Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Hall
19 Aug 2024 in Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
21 Aug 2024 in Denver, CO @ The Summit
22 Aug 2024 in Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
23 Aug 2024 in Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
24 Aug 2024 in Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
27 Aug 2024 in Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
28 Aug 2024 in San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
30 Aug 2024 in Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
1 Sep 2024 in Seattle, WA @ Bumbershoot
2 Sep 2024 in Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
3 Sep 2024 in Bend, OR @ Midtown Ballroom
5 Sep 2024 in Chico, CA @ Senator Theater
6 Sep 2024 in San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom
7 Sep 2024 in Monterey, CA @ Golden State Theatre