Trying to classify Less Than Jake's music has never been easy. The band has three chord guitars like Blink-182. But it also has saxophones and trombones. Less Than Jake has been labeled as everything from ska-punk to pop-punk to hard rock to hip-hop.
The correct answer is all of the above.
"People try to pigeonhole us as much as possible," said LTJ drummer Vinnie (the band uses first names only). "I'm cool with that. I can't change people's perceptions of the band."
Even though he doesn't let it bother him, Vinnie said people still shouldn't try to categorize his band as exclusively one type of music. "Is it fair? No, it's not a fair assessment at all. It's one-dimensional. Being judged as one thing is unfair."
Vinnie's own musical influences show the diversity of the band — Green Day, the Ramones, Kiss and The Jam.
The Gainesville, Fla., band, which recently completed a summer on the Warped Tour, will be one of the many acts performing Saturday during the X-96 BASH at the Utah State Fairgrounds. The daylong show also includes Eve 6, The Used, A.F.I. and Alien Ant Farm. But as with all BASHs in the past, this year's show will also feature GT BMX Air Show and South Valley Motor Sports Freestyle Motocross demonstrations.
Less Than Jake began as a trio in 1992 and later added a horn section. After many years of having a strong underground following, the band has finally reached some mainstream success, including a video in regular rotation on MTV.
But Vinnie says the recent success is all relative. "We're not Avril Lavagine or Justin Timberlake. We've had some moderate success. No one is banging down our door. We're not in any mainstream at all. Most kids don't know who we are."
That realistic outlook is one of the standout characteristics of the band and its music. Less Than Jake's latest album, "Anthem," is basically that, songs that could be used as anthems for any adolescent's life. "That's real life that's happening. That's my life, that's my family. Sometimes it stings a bit. But that's what music is for me, to make a point, to make a connection. It's not about being a downer, it's my observations."
But that's not to say the Less Than Jake band members don't know how to let their hair down. For an example of that, all one has to do is look at the band's "Greased" album, which is all ska covers from "Grease." On the latest album, they put their own spin on Cheap Trick's "Surrender." "We do things to keep things interesting," Vinnie said.
And as for the band's live show, "When we play live, we make it a fun time. It's entertainment."
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