A loud roar from the Cherry Poppin' Daddies rang through the phone during an interview call from San Diego.
"Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry," said guitarist Jason Moss. "But (our album) `Zoot Suit Riot' hit No. 19 on the Billboard charts! This is the highest it's ever been."The Daddies were in the bus getting ready to play the San Diego show, the second stop of the tour, said Moss.
"The first show was in Phoenix," he said. "It was 114 degrees. So in a word it was hot."
Moss also found some good things to say, however.
"Now we get to tour on buses instead of vans, which break down literally every five minutes," he said, as the rest of band audibly agreed in the background.
Another plus for Moss is that his band shares the stage with the likes of Bad Religion, Rancid and the Rev. Horton Heat. "I'm excited to be involved in a tour with them."
Initially meant to cater to the surfing-skating-snowboarding crowd, Warped has become one of the most diverse music festivals to tour. In addition to the aforementioned bands, there will be the heaviness of Korn, the punk of Unwritten Law and the ska of Save Ferris and the Specials.
The Daddies, which formed in Eugene, Ore., in 1989, has a history as diverse as its host tour. Playing a mixture of punk, '60s rock 'n' roll, ska and classic swing, the Daddies have built a large group of fans.
"Zoot Suit Riot" is a compilation of the Daddies' swing hits from three independent albums. The title song and video are currently receiving extensive play on the radio and on MTV.
The Cherry Poppin' Daddies are scheduled for the Warped Europe Tour this fall and the Warped Australia Tour early next spring. And the band will headline the United States in between.
"Well, I've never been to Europe," Moss quipped about the Daddies' nine-year "overnight" success. "If the band breaks up any time soon, hey, I got a free European trip out of it."
Though the band members enjoy being on the road, they will be glad to be home, if only for a short while. "I miss health-food stores and girls with armpit hair," Moss said.