So without further ado, I give you the March MOTM, SBC’s very own… akkaquill
So, like, ASL? What’s your name, where do you come from?[/B]
My name is Lenny, I’m currently 19 years old, and I’m from south eastern Wisconsin.
And you’re a proper OG member on SBC, member #171, you’ve seen the site totally change from what it was back in 2003, we’ve moved the forum around a lot, and content has obviously gotten a lot better. What do you think has been the biggest change since you first joined?
Well seeing all the staff when I joined disappear over the years was interesting, and all the different ideas that came about (and the ones that are no longer here), like skate stories, the rep system, etc. I guess there’s been a lot of drastic changes since the beginning, but I’ve kinda seen it all change slowly so it’s not really that different to me. There hasn’t really been a biggest change in my eyes.
And I guess just as importantly, what has made you stick around for this long? You have after all been on SBC for almost half a decade…
The message board is in my favourite’s haha.
So, outside of SBC, what’s your life all about? We’ve all probably seen various threads by you over the past few weeks, what’s life all about right now?
Well my life basically consists of skateboarding, working, and playing shows with in various hardcore punk bands. I’ve been running a punk venue since I was 17 years old and I’m also working on starting up a skate company right now. These past few months though I’ve really just been working on moving into my own place, and the past few weeks I’ve been living at a friend’s house due to some problems at home with my father and brother. Hopefully I’ll be moving into a 3 bedroom house in a week or two with a friend and her cousin, and then I’ll be setting up my screen printing studio and getting my skate company going.
…I’m not gay.
Something that really got me in the last question, you run your own punk venue? And when you were 17? Pretty hardcore… Any issues with not being old enough to drink and actually running the place?
Well, I don’t drink, I’m actually straight edge, so that was never an issue for me. That also helps me keep tabs on what’s going on as well during shows because my mind is clear ha-ha. As far as other people drinking, I don’t ID anyone, and I let them all bring their own alcohol so it’s really up to them what they want to do. We’ve never had any issues with police before and it’s in a country setting so there’s not many people around to complain about noise etc.
So when you’re at work, what are you doing? I’m assuming putting on gigs doesn’t make you any real money?
Actually my venue is the only all free punk venue in Wisconsin, and for all I know maybe the only all free punk venue in the country. We’ve never charged for a show because I don’t enjoy paying to watch my friend’s bands play, and I’m sure no one else does either. We also get a much larger turn out because even if the bands are no good people don’t feel like they’re getting ripped off since it cost them nothing in the first place. So no, I don’t make any many off the shows, and while we’re on the subject I actually don’t make any money off my band either. We burn all our EP’s ourselves and hand them out, and we sell our LP CD’s at cost. My source of income is Cousin’s Subs, and in the past I’ve worked at a bait shop, software company, skate shop, and unloading trucks, among other things.
That is pretty mad… Sounds like you’ve had a hand in a lot of stuff though, which is pretty cool. More jobs than I’ve had that’s for sure. What came first for you then, punk or skating? And is there a link between them for you? What got you skating in the first place?
Skateboarding was a really popular thing years 6 and 7 where I live, and back then I wasn’t into it. It started fading out around year 8 and that’s when I picked up my first board. I’m not sure why I became interested in it at that point since all of my friends were quitting, but I met a lot of new guys at the local park from surrounding districts so I pretty much always had someone to skate with. I’ve been riding for 5 years and some odd months at this point and I doubt if I’ll ever quit.
As far as which came first, that’s kind of iffy. I had been listening to Formula 1, a melodic hardcore band, since I was 10 years old, but I didn’t know what genre they were at the time and I had no idea other bands like that existed. I picked up on Dead Kennedy’s, Black Flag, and a few other fairly well known punk/hardcore bands around the same time I started skating, and from then on I kept skating more and more and delving deeper and deeper into punk music. Skating and punk rock fell hand in hand for me, and the more I got into each topic the more it pushed me to do the other, if you know what I mean. They just work together for me. I skate with punks and I play punk rock about skating haha.
I had no idea you were such a punk… So, I reckon it’s about time for my obligatory top 3’s… it’d be a shame to have another MOTM without them. What are you top 3…. Bands?
My top 3 bands would be, hmm, this is tough haha.
JFA
Modest Mouse
JFA for sure because they’re a huge influence on me as far as skating and music
Oh go on, just one more space…
Die Kreuzen is a sick hardcore band circa 1981 that played in the same punk scene that I’m apart of now. They aren’t around anymore but they were from Milwaukee. Modest Mouse has been apart of my life for a long time now, and I listen to them everyday. They’re one of the few bands I listen to consistently. Sad Sappy Sucker is the best album, I’ll fight anyone who says Lonesome Crowded West is better 😀
Favourite Skaters? Pro or otherwise…
Well, to be honest, I don’t care about pro skateboarders or anything in the industry haha. I love the 1031 team and I love the Creature team. That’s about all I can say. Not much of a top 3 haha.
…I will accept your answer… Despite its Non-top 3 format. Grumble…
Cars?
Oh man, I don’t know anything about cars. I don’t think I could even name 3 cars off the top of my head. Uhhhh, Cavalier, Windstar, Ranger. I guess I’ll choose those. I drive a Cavalier, my Mom has a Windstar, and my Dad has a Ranger hahaha.
Fair enough… I’ve pretty much just got one question I really want to ask. You’re obviously down with the guru’s presidential crew, and you’re George Bush Jr… Who did you vote for?
I voted for McCain for his economic experience/plans. I didn’t look at social issues because I don’t care about them. I’d choose to keep us out of a recession before I chose to lets gays marry, but it seems most of America’s youth thought otherwise. They seem to be regretting it a bit now. My political views can basically be summed up as a Libertarian-leaning-Conservative. I’m more left on social views, when I even have an opinion on them, but I believe in free enterprise and I’m very Conservative as far as economic issues go.
He Skates!!
And what did you think of good ol’ George W?
I was too young to understand the issues when he was elected, I’m still only 19 years old, but looking back on it all I can safely say I would have voted for Bush for his first term based on economics. Second term I’m not sure because of all the complicated issues going on both socially and economically, so I can’t really say. I can say though that even now I’m still not in any position to have a real opinion on those matters.
A punk who can in some way back up his views, and understand the limitations in his understanding, I have to say I’m impressed, it’s a rare thing.
Haha, thanks.
I wouldn’t mind knowing more about this printing thing you’re setting up, I assume its t-shirt printing?
T-shirt and skateboards, we’re also doing 1″ pins, stickers, patches, etc. The printing and everything is for the skate company, and also for band shirts and merch for the local scene I’m a part of. I like to think I put a lot into the scene, I’m one of the most DIY guys around here haha. I get a lot of respect for it, which is all I’m looking for haha. I just want to be a part of it all and be friends with everyone, meet all the bands etc. My venue is one of the first to get messaged in Wisconsin for touring punk bands, we’ve seen bands from Florida, Texas, Missouri, New York, Indiana, etc
Any names I’d recognise?
Hmmm, Routine Scheme, Scumbags, Atrocities, Heretics, Fight To Die, I don’t know, they’re pretty low key I guess.
…Where did akkaquill come from?
Akkaquill was a word I made up for a yahoo s/n in 6th grade. At the time I thought it would be a cool Pokémon name, but since then it’s just been a meaningless word that I use for everything online. It’s never ever taken no matter what website I’m on.
So, still into Pokémon, don’t see you in the SBC Pokémon Thread? IT’S EPIC!!
I didn’t even see that thread haha. I play the Game Boy games a little bit, but I’m more into battling the cards. There’s been a lot of people getting back into it now that we actually understand the rules haha. There’s a decent amount of college freshman from my city who play now.
Fantastic stuff. I must say, I never understood all of the rules to the game when it was mad popular first time round, how kids are meant to understand I have no idea.
I guess last of all… do you want to say anything to SBC? The lime light is yours…
Check out www.myspace.com/trashskateboarding, that’s the skate company I’m starting up. Add and support! We’ve got a promo up on the page it’s also in the footy forum somewhere.
And I guess that’s pretty much it, I don’t really have much else to say besides that little self promotion plug haha.
