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Recent Articles

Recent Articles by Tom Bowker

National Features >

  • Broward-Palm Beach New Times

    Sexual Healing

    For Florida's sole remaining sex surrogate, love is a many splintered thing.

    By Michael J. Mooney

  • City Pages

    Your Friendly Neighborhood War Profiteer

    It's not just giant companies cashing in on America's defense industry.

    By Jeff Severns Guntzel

  • The Pitch

    Supersizing Sonic

    How a throwaway idea at the Barkley ad agency became the "Sonic Guys."

    By Justin Kendall

  • Houston Press

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Nervous in Suburbia

The Ataris' pop-punk won't hurt your mommy

By Tom Bowker

Published on November 28, 2002

Ataris guitarist Kris Roe has lived the pop-punk dream. He escaped his shitburg Indiana hometown by passing along a demo to the Vandals' Joe Escalante. Offered a record deal over the phone, Roe informed Escalante that he didn't have a drummer. "No problem, kid; I know lots of drummers," Joe answered, and within a month, ex-Lagwagon stickman Chris Knapp was dispatched to Indiana -- resulting in instant cred among the Hot Topic throng. Roe followed Knapp back to Santa Barbara and the rest is skate-trash history: four albums, two hair-metal compilation tracks, and one Fat Wreck Chords EP -- which in today's economy equals one fat-cat major-label deal. With their Sony debut set for release in February, this may be your last chance to jump on-stage with the Ataris and play rhythm guitar on "San Dimas High School Football Rules!"