A month ago, Unwritten Law had to cancel a few tour dates because of a bomb attack.
A pipe bomb detonated on the porch of the San Diego home of guitarist Steve Morris, causing him to temporarily lose his hearing.
But according to guitarist Rob Brewer, Morris is now doing fine, and the band is back on the road.
"It was scary there for a bit," Brewer said during a phone interview from Birmingham, Ala. "But Steve's all right. He was more scared than hurt."
Unwritten Law — Brewer, Morris, bassist Pat Kim, drummer Wade Youman and vocalist Scott Russo — will be among the bucketload of bands that will hit the Utah State Fairpark Saturday, Sept. 28, for the X-96 BASH. The show will feature performances from Our Lady Peace, Reel Big Fish, Dashboard Confessional, Audiovent, Chevelle, Face to Face and Custom. There will also be motocross, BMX and skateboard demonstrations.
Getting back on the road is good for Unwritten Law, said Brewer. That's where the band feels most at home.
"Playing music was something that has always been important to us," he said. "It was all about doing the songs and having fun. And that hasn't changed."
Still, it is hard to keep a focus when you're on the road most days of the year.
"We do miss out on being with people we want to be with," Brewer said. "We miss birthdays, weddings and special occasions when we tour.
"But the other side of the coin is seeing our fans react to our music when we play in their city," he said. "It's a pretty good job, and we enjoy it. And when we do make it back to our families, it's always nice to catch up."
Unwritten Law is currently touring in support of its new album "Elva," which took some time in making.
"We actually went into the studio in 2000 and recorded some songs," Brewer said. "But after listening to what we had, we scrapped just about everything and decided to go back into the studio and do the whole record over with a new producer (Josh Abraham)."
The band had most of the new songs arranged on acoustic guitars before laying down the tracks, said Brewer. "But we didn't know how it was going to sound up to the day we mixed the album.
"We wanted to do different things with the music, and this album is the result," Brewer said. "It's more rewarding for the band to do different things. That way we don't get burned out."
Saturday bash
What: X-96 & Sony BASH
Where: Utah State Fairpark
When: Saturday, Sept. 28; gates open at 10 a.m.
Tickets: $16 (467-TIXX or at the gate).
E-MAIL: scott@desnews.com