Blake Evaristo is breathing new life into pop-punk with Action/Adventure, a Chicago-based five-piece band.
From going viral online to diversifying the punk scene, Evaristo is doing more than just contributing to the genre–he’s shaping it. Evaristo chatted with Revue from the back of his tour van, which will be making a stop at The Pyramid Scheme on December 6th in support of Tiny Moving Parts.
How and when did you first fall in love with music?
I have a sister who’s seven years older than me. She was very much into the pop punk realm of that era, we’re talking the 2000s when Fall out Boy was getting huge, and you had bands like The Starting Line and Newfoundland Glory. I’d always sneak into her room and listen to those CDs.
After taking piano and guitar lessons as a kid, when did you decide to start performing?
At one point I started a band in high school with a bunch of friends. I think it was my sophomore or junior year, when we threw a show in the local bowling alley, and a whole bunch of people came and sang along and knew the words. I always tell myself I’ve been trying to chase that high ever since, because that’s when I was like, ‘I want to do this forever.’
How did you meet the other musicians in Action/Adventure once your first band parted ways?
I stumbled upon this Craigslist ad which was labeled ‘20-somethings looking for singer.’ I sent over my resume kind of like, ‘Hey, here’s all the bands I’ve been in, and here’s like the shows I’ve done, and here’s some music, tracks, and everything.’ Adrian, the drummer, who ran the ad, responded with one word, which was ‘Tight.’ So I drove about 45 minutes to meet up with the guys and practice, and here we are ten years later.
Your song “Barricades” went viral online, which led to some major supporting slots on tour, as well as your record deal with Pure Noise Records. What was that overnight success like?
“Barricades” was on TikTok, and within a day it got over a million views and definitely changed the course of our story. It got us all this attention from new people, labels. I kind of have to hand it to that platform. It’s definitely changed the way the industry has grown and we’re appreciative of that success, but we also struggle with it as well.
In what way?
As a creator and musician nowadays, it’s easy to get caught up in the algorithm. I feel like a lot of bands are curating content and making music to suit those algorithms that are ultimately unpredictable, and it’s not always the best sounding music getting pushed.
I think we’re in a better place realizing that, or at least what I say onstage to people is, don’t let the algorithm dictate your worth. I think that’s important especially now in this industry of quick hits and short form content.
Branching off your internet success, you also started a video series with the hashtag #PopPunkInColor. Can you tell me more about this movement?
Growing up in this punk scene for us, there weren’t many minorities or people of color in there. It was a weird feeling where you felt a little alienated or tokenized. It’s crazy because, when we go on tour and we share our stories, we have so many other people say ‘Wow, it’s so cool that you guys exist. I wish I knew you guys in high school.’ It just kind of brings a real sense of community into the punk scene.
Punk has definitely come a long way, and there’s a lot more representation and diversity now, but I’m pushing that narrative that’s like, ‘Hey, if you feel different, you’re not alone.’
Pop-punk as a genre is having a resurgence in mainstream culture. With bands from the 2000s performing again at throwback festivals like When We Were Young, how have you celebrated the nostalgia of this genre while still progressing in the current scene?
There’s a lot of positives, and there’s a lot of weird uncharted territories. On one hand, it’s super cool that a lot of these bands that we love are coming back and we’re getting a chance to share the stage with some of them. But on the flip side, I hope a lot of these returning fans also find the time to discover new bands. Because we’re still very much a new band, even though we’ve been around for a while. Rising tides raise all ships, and that’s what we’re hoping for.
What’s your dream for Action/Adventure?
The dream really is to go on a headliner and be able to sell out 300 to 500 capacity venues with everyone singing back. Obviously sky’s the limit, we definitely would love to play the biggest rooms ever, but when you’re in that dingy punk venue with the crowd right in front of you, that’s what I see on the horizon for us. I’m really hoping for that.
Tiny Moving Parts + Action/Adventure + Greywind
The Pyramid Scheme
68 Commerce Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
Dec. 6, 7 p.m.
pyramidschemebar.com
