r/Ska • u/FriendsWithSalad_pdx • Jul 09 '25

Discussion Anyone know about Operation Ivy?

Post image

(Of course you do đŸ€˜)

ALL I KNOW, IS THAT I DON’T KNOW!

926 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

228 comments sorted by

285

u/draymondlean Jul 09 '25

They started in 87 and ended in 89. If you have a garage or amp they play anytime.

111

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '25

Too much attention unavoidably destroyed them

107

u/unclefishbits Jul 09 '25

And that attention put pressures internally on the band because Jesse was very skeptical of the popularity and where that would lead versus DIY punk. And the attention amplified Tim's struggles and addiction issues.

But as a 48-year-old that grew up in the Bay area, & post Dead Kennedy '80s & punk's blow up... what they did to unite the scene and bring us all together is one of the happiest times and moments for punk and ska, it cannot be overstated.

63

u/FantasticClass7248 Jul 09 '25

Sorry what we were actually look for is

We got a million years touring out like this
Hell no no premonition could have seen this

35

u/boobymix Jul 09 '25

Matt said fool me once shame on you Didn't fool me twice he went back to New Orleans

5

u/thinsafetypin Jul 10 '25

I love that line so much.

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15

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '25

47 year old EBHC..... Damn I miss the early 90's....

I heard Jeff Ott (crimpshrine/fifteen) has a newer band. Ya know anything about it???

4

u/unclefishbits Jul 09 '25

No way. I do not. Very cool and fun rabbit hole to look up all the guys :-)

4

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '25

Most definitely.... Last I heard he was nursing/helping addicts. The hunt continues. What part of the Bay ya from??? Born in S.Bay, earned my stripes in Oaktown/Berserkly

2

u/unclefishbits Jul 09 '25

I was a little suburban punk on the peninsula and all those spent plenty of time in San Francisco almost all my music was either Gilman or Berkeley square, the latter I miss a lot. I assume you have seen turn it around, the story of East Bay punk?

3

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '25

Great doc!! Yeah I was a lil San jo punk kid till I went up to Oakland and got all crusty. I loved 924-The best club in the bay in our early days. I live up in the Redwoods now but still check "the list" every time I hit the bay to see if there is a decent show.

Last time I was at Gilman cinder block and larry Livermore did a tilt set. I think it was a retching red show or some shit.

3

u/unclefishbits Jul 09 '25

It's so funny I have thought to go but I totally remember this awesome mod dude, I was maybe 17 and he would be at Gilman and he must have been maybe early 30s even though I thought it was fifties, and he always wore a t-shirt with sharpie that said too old to be cool and on the back too old to be punk.

I've never even thought to go. I'm going to check it out man. Thank you :-)

Redwoods are good. I'm in nature out in Marin, I am very pleased with it but I still make it into the city for comedy and music a lot. Try to get me out of my grumpy old dude on the couch face LOL

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2

u/suburbanpride Jul 09 '25

Oh man I miss those days. I spent so much time at Berkeley Square. Gilman, too, but for some reason we landed at Berkeley Square more often in my memory. Ah to be a teen in the 90s again


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7

u/BankshotMcG Jul 09 '25

Making a pilgrimage to Gilman my first time in the Bay, I was initially like "Just indulge me," to my girlfriend. We were both surprised to see scores of other people had done the same and left their thanks.

4

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25

It trips me out that people go to Gilman to tourist it. It's fkn awesome, just trippy. Hope you can catch a good show while you're in town!!! Even if nothing is going on @924 there's so ,so, many great places to catch shows... Have a blast and lock your shit up tight in Oak/Berk.

2

u/NoPalpitation9639 Jul 11 '25

I'm going to Gilman in a few weeks too, it's a long way from London but worth the visit

2

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '25

Holy shit, no kidding. Are you seeing a show? Enjoy the bathroom. On a serious note, I wouldn't be flying into this fkn country right now. We are stopping trans people before they can even get to the Canadian border to check their passports, immigrants are being rounded up illegally and forced into camps, and the revolt of the people has begun.

But shit, if you're still planning on coming, strap your boots up tight and punch a nazi.

Happy travels

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3

u/unclefishbits Jul 09 '25

love this story.

2

u/Medical_Olive6983 Jul 10 '25

Bay Area native here as well!

2

u/xMyDixieWreckedx Jul 11 '25

Same age, same place. Gilman was such a huge part of my life in the 90s. Looked the other day and it was $30 to see the Subhumans, I was shocked.

6

u/Sman2020 Jul 10 '25

They were in a four door car, not knowing what was going on

8

u/Resident-End6323 Jul 09 '25

4 kids on tour. 3000 miles

8

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '25

Its just the four of us

5

u/Any_Flower7521 Jul 09 '25

yeah man the core of us

1

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25

Was just the four of them. I mean us. Fuck

1

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '25

[deleted]

1

u/kilgore_root Jul 12 '25

No one who hasn’t looked up the lyrics knows a single word Tim Armstrong is singing. There’s a lyric in “Olympia WA” that supposedly says “I watched a thousand people come home from work” I sang it as “mahatsathousandbeacallfromher” for like ten years. I was actually pissed when a buddy told me the lyrics. I liked just singing the random noises I was hearing.

105

u/ArwingElite Jul 09 '25

I know things are getting tougher when you cant get the top off the bottom of the barrel

26

u/swampy138 Jul 09 '25

Wide open road of my futures looking fucking narrow

5

u/ScottOSU Jul 09 '25

Green Day covered op ivy on 1039 / smoothed out sloppy hours !

3

u/natigin Jul 10 '25

When they play live they sometimes have a fan come onstage to play guitar on a cover of Knowledge, it rules

2

u/swampy138 Aug 10 '25

That’s how i got into punk originally because that is how I found op ivy

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88

u/Skunk6977 Jul 09 '25

My Knowledge of Operetion Ivy is pretty limited.. All I know is that I don't know
 All I know is that I don't know nothing.

18

u/looneyfool423 Jul 09 '25

Find the sound system I think it could save you.

7

u/Secret_Bees Jul 09 '25

Just give it a

BANKSHOT

2

u/natigin Jul 10 '25

Or at least bring you back up

5

u/Willietrailblaze Jul 10 '25

And

That’s

FINE

51

u/Mr_Night78 Jul 09 '25

"Back in school, you ever get busted for trying to walk and have some administrator tell you, 'Son, you can shirk your obligations and try to be different from your peers, but the responsibility of your future is gonna find you!'"

Even as a very college oriented individual, this still resonates so fucking much.

5

u/The_Wombles Jul 09 '25

Part of that was my senior yearbook quote. There was some controversy about it being allowed. Eventually it was!

70

u/mcvoid1 Jul 09 '25

I don't know nothin'.

21

u/CensoryDeprivation Jul 09 '25

And that’s fine.

10

u/Awwwmann Jul 09 '25

That’s all I know

23

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '25

Primus sucks.

12

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '25

Started in 87. Ended in 89!

12

u/BlankTard Jul 09 '25

Amy Winehouse

7

u/kaplanfx Jul 09 '25

Not an Amy Winehouse, but an Amy Winehome

3

u/NeverShitposting Jul 10 '25

I hate that I laughed at this.

4

u/Zomgzombehz Jul 09 '25

Matt Damon

6

u/FantasticClass7248 Jul 09 '25

Everyone stared in awe when we screamed

Matthew Perry!

11

u/thewaybaseballgo Jul 09 '25

I feel so incredibly old right now

10

u/FriendsWithSalad_pdx Jul 09 '25

You and me both! (tbh, this was a tongue-in-cheek post riffing on the recent r/ska “does anyone know” trend.)

My band, Friends With Salad, plays a song about feeing old at shows:

“Over My Age”

3

u/thebigphils Jul 09 '25

I saw Big D play an OpIvy cover set a few years back and was so sad to see a lot of the younger fans didn't seem to know OpIvy that well.

2

u/beyondthisreality Jul 09 '25

Me too, and I’m not even that old

56

u/MasterOffice9986 Jul 09 '25

yea they copied reel big fish who is was the first ska band ever. its called 2 toned ska music

28

u/Spicercakes Jul 09 '25

I thought that No Doubt invented ska

26

u/ShiftlessElement Jul 09 '25

You’re confusing No Doubt with Sublime.

2

u/Toothless-In-Wapping Jul 10 '25

It’s when Gwen was with Green Day.

12

u/RightToTheThighs Jul 09 '25

Actually it was smash mouth

12

u/1liLlllllIIIIii11 Jul 09 '25

Love guy fiery's music so much! 🌞

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8

u/HoosierSquirrel Jul 09 '25

Them copying RBF was a pretty Rancid thing to do. 1/10.

4

u/grubas Jul 09 '25

It's how it became known as Rancid Bitch Face.

8

u/boot2skull Jul 09 '25

Actually, reggae started first.

5

u/Allegiance10 Jul 09 '25

Man, them’s fightin’ words!

3

u/FantasticClass7248 Jul 09 '25

Are you there jah it's me Ras Trent

2

u/akennelley Jul 10 '25

bro over here tryin to get smashed by ska nerds

1

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '25

I went to see RBF after they released the Unity cover. The crowd was yelling for them to play Unity. The lead singer looked annoyed and played it by himself real quick in like 30 seconds and moved on, I thought that was fucked up

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11

u/TastyDeerMeat Jul 09 '25

I was Dave Mello in a past life. I learned this through hypnotherapy.

10

u/VegasConan Jul 09 '25

Sound system gonna bring me back up yeah

1

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '25

One thing that I can't depend on

35

u/thunderbag Jul 09 '25

They kinda sound like Rancid.. like 50%ish.

7

u/Linger_On Jul 09 '25

đŸ€ŁđŸ€ŁđŸ€ŁđŸ€Ł

3

u/Toothless-In-Wapping Jul 10 '25

Just like The Transplants


12

u/AmateurHorologist960 Jul 09 '25


 and that’s fine!

20

u/aaroncarnes In Defence of Ska Jul 09 '25

There's an extensive discussion about them and their history in my book, In Defense of Ska

3

u/ComedianStrong9827 Jul 09 '25

Where can I buy

6

u/aaroncarnes In Defence of Ska Jul 09 '25

https://bookshop.org/p/books/in-defense-of-ska-the-ultimate-expanded-edition-aaron-carnes/18618163?ean=9781955904711&next=t (Operation Ivy section is in the chapter titled "Book Your Own Fucking Life"

2

u/dubsnipe Jul 09 '25

So sad this only ships to the US!

2

u/aaroncarnes In Defence of Ska Jul 09 '25

Where are you? There might be other options

2

u/dubsnipe Jul 09 '25

El Salvador.

2

u/aaroncarnes In Defence of Ska Jul 09 '25

It's on Amazon. Maybe you can order it on your local Amazon?

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1

u/FantasticClass7248 Jul 09 '25

I reread your book often. Thanks for writing it.

2

u/aaroncarnes In Defence of Ska Jul 10 '25

Thank YOU!

9

u/simon_sparrow Jul 09 '25

they’re no crimpshrine

3

u/spare_parts_bot Jul 09 '25

You need to quit talkin Claude

5

u/obeythemoderator Jul 09 '25

That's Dave Mello's old band.

4

u/RightToTheThighs Jul 09 '25

One thing I can depend on

4

u/jaywalkingly Jul 09 '25

Check out Common Rider if you haven't already

5

u/No_Influence_1984 Jul 09 '25

The reason I got into ska punk

5

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

5

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '25

They’ve got potential!

3

u/Skunk6977 Jul 09 '25

And then I woke up enough to see I was late to the party with the dad joke. Oh well. LOL

3

u/ConfusedObserver0 Jul 09 '25

https://youtu.be/vxZZE4ic118?si=YAII8IS8yEh41-NL

Here’s a good start on the east bay scene. Really good punk doc. Learned about a ton of stuff I didn’t know

3

u/dikbut Jul 09 '25

Was surprised to have Raid by Doom Regulator come up on my discover weekly a bit ago. Cool hearing his voice again.

1

u/Rude_Machine Jul 14 '25

He sounds great on that track - but it’s too Tim Timebomb

Love his feature on Bruce Lee band song “Generations”

https://youtu.be/2sgAlJRyxuE?si=R-FnwGIKVpHiHSzx

Explosive vocals and he takes it up

1

u/Rude_Machine Jul 14 '25

Also this is a kick ass Tim Timebomb song feature Jesse Michaels “living in a dangerous land”

https://youtu.be/0YWLJlmBihI?si=gj-coJTwwCjO_B7F

3

u/acexprt Jul 09 '25

Never heard of her.

3

u/Pooncheese Jul 09 '25

The position being taken! Is not to be mistaken!

3

u/Portland_st Jul 10 '25

Amazing band! They gave us Rancid.

2

u/FauxReal Jul 09 '25

Yeah it was a joint CIA/US Navy operation to wiretap Russian intercontinental phone lines during the Cold War.

3

u/FantasticClass7248 Jul 09 '25

Operation Ivy was the eighth series of American nuclear tests, coming after Tumbler-Snapper and before Upshot–Knothole. The two explosions were staged in late 1952 at Enewetak Atoll in the Pacific Proving Ground in the Marshall Islands.

2

u/FauxReal Jul 10 '25

Yeah technically the one I mentioned is Operation Ivy Bells. I knew of the nuclear test but couldn't remember the details, so thanks for that!

2

u/MushyLopher Jul 09 '25

What's an operation ivy?

1

u/Slow_Perception Jul 10 '25

It was a rather large acid bust

2

u/Special-View1419 Jul 09 '25

Before you start with Operation Ivy, I would suggest you brush up on the Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

2

u/rudeboyrave Jul 10 '25

Boastones were kicking ass in 87-89 that’s the Skacore era

2

u/Smiles_will_help Jul 09 '25

I had a super rare copy of grease and garbage by them that a buddy of mine borrowed back in the day, never saw it again :(

2

u/Toothless-In-Wapping Jul 10 '25

The only good thing (however tangential) my brother did that involved me.
He bought Lookout! at Rolling Stones record store as my mom got a tattoo at Jade Dragon and we listened to it on the way home.
Sound system.

2

u/dwreckhatesyou Jul 10 '25

On the west coast this album is so mandatory that it just shows up in the mail with coupons.

2

u/Postal_dude_420 Jul 10 '25

I love flexing my op ivy shirt

2

u/AxBait Jul 10 '25

It's funny how watching labels like Fat Wrekcords sell their catalog with the retirement of their founders reminds me how fragile the history of music is. OpIvy was the one of the foundational bands of Look Out Records, but they collapsed into bankruptcy years ago, so may great albums are being lost to business reasons.

1

u/Dabuck10 Jul 09 '25

Take Warning! Take Warning!

1

u/Chalutzertron Jul 09 '25

Never heard of her

1

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '25

Who?

1

u/Stoutlager Jul 10 '25

Does anybody know about water? How about oxygen? The food we eat?

Sorry to be sarcastic about it, they’ve been so influential to so many ska bands over the years that it boggles my mind that some of the younger generations of rudies haven’t heard of them or are just hearing them for the first time. Much love to any op ivy fans!

1

u/Loose_Balance_1577 Jul 10 '25

You just made those words up

1

u/Inevitable_Plate3053 Jul 10 '25

If you’re a legit Common Rider fan you know them

1

u/crypticexile Jul 10 '25

who doesn't lol

1

u/explicitreasons Jul 10 '25

I basically don't know about anything else.

1

u/Sman2020 Jul 10 '25

I know you know. But I did meet a dude recently at a show who plays in a bay area based ska/punk band, and hadn't heard of Link 80. That kinda blew my mind

1

u/litewait75 Jul 10 '25

Nah, never heard of them

1

u/christopheryork Jul 10 '25

Oh yeah. Incredibly influential and beloved band. They did no wrong and left us wanting more.

1

u/TurboCW Jul 10 '25

I love my op ivy vinyl

1

u/Ralewing Jul 10 '25

Common Rider

1

u/xiii--iiix Jul 10 '25

Never heard of them

1

u/Ortizzer Jul 10 '25

May have heard of them once or twice

1

u/Marples3 Jul 10 '25

Hollywood undead does a cover of their bad town song

1

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25

Whatever happened to the guitar and bass player?

1

u/DickStartMyFart Jul 10 '25

The guitarist became a child sex predator. 👍

1

u/ConstitutionalDingo Jul 10 '25

Banger album that sounds like it was recorded inside a garbage can. Still know every song!

1

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25

HELL YEAH

1

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25

Classic shit

1

u/TexPerry92 Jul 10 '25

Never heard of her

1

u/akennelley Jul 10 '25

you got me with the title-redeemed with the text in the post

1

u/jordy1971 Jul 10 '25

All I know is I don’t know nothing

1

u/thepostsmaker Jul 11 '25

Never heard of em

1

u/PreparationHot980 Jul 11 '25

All I know is that I don’t know nothing

1

u/DepartmentFun2853 Jul 11 '25

I heard the lead singer wanted to be a brick layer.

1

u/cookingman8 Jul 11 '25

Great band

1

u/DavidJ____ Jul 11 '25

Probably a new band. I heard of them before they were big.

1

u/TrainingFancy5263 Jul 11 '25

Must be a local band or something. Never heard of her.

1

u/Distance-Willing Jul 11 '25

All I know is that I don’t know nothin’

1

u/Aesterix_ Jul 11 '25 edited Jul 11 '25

“Common Rider was an American ska punk band, formed in 1999 by Jesse Michaels (guitar, vocals), Mass Giorgini (bass) and Dan Lumley (drums). The band's name is taken from a Japanese TV show, Kamen Rider (Kamen Rider means "Masked Rider" in Japanese.)”

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Rider

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eltQAd6O1O8&list=RDEMjMKFp85qAFlgCBUQBXBklA&start_radio=1

1

u/sintmk Jul 11 '25

I certainly hope so.

1

u/CoffinNailsBamBamBam Jul 11 '25

If you don’t know yet

It’s just a matter of time Sick body Sick mind

1

u/SliceThinly Jul 11 '25

Best band ever! Check out Common Rider. I believe that is Jessie Micheal’s band afterwards. Tim Armstrong went in to Rancid.

1

u/Rude_Machine Jul 14 '25

Also “classics of love” following common rider 
 I know that’s a name of a song by that band

But it’s also the following band

1

u/WaRancidOly Jul 11 '25

Who doesn’t

1

u/Center_Mass705 Jul 11 '25

STOP THIS! WAAAAAAR!

1

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '25

Yes I wish they continued. I'm 17 and would gladly go to a show!

1

u/RacerDaddy Jul 12 '25

Probably the single most important Punk record ever made, or top 5 somewhere.

1

u/SchwillyMaysHere Jul 12 '25

I doubt anyone in a ska sub has ever heard of these guys.

1

u/ConversationBulky757 Jul 12 '25

Every commute to high school in the 90’s I had to put up with this album on repeat, paired with the smell of old car internal exhaust leaks. Brings back memories.

1

u/grdstudio Jul 12 '25

saw them at the berkley square

1

u/Night-Spirit Jul 12 '25

They making a comeback and playing a show soon

1

u/Lost_Philosophy6872 Jul 12 '25

Before OpIvy, they were a band called Basic Radio. There are videos on YouTube. Check it out

1

u/Mpaxton88 Jul 12 '25

They were big in Hawaii back in the early 90s. I think it was because of a local radio station playing them.

1

u/Chain-Slinger Jul 12 '25

I have original T-Shirt of theirs from the 90s. It’s a key part of my retirement plan.

1

u/FightingPC Jul 12 '25

I believe the artist for cover was Marty ( Meatball), could be wrong

1

u/[deleted] Jul 13 '25

🐐🐐🐐

1

u/saltedbeagles Jul 13 '25

Sometimes I play them on my sound sysytem.

1

u/TripleJ_77 Jul 13 '25

Crucial band. Total revelation when I heard them in 89. Raw energy , talent, great lyrics. Freaking loved 'em!!

1

u/slyzard94 Jul 13 '25

Sound system

1

u/supressedpotato Jul 13 '25

Try to describe it to the limit of my ability

1

u/supressedpotato Jul 13 '25 edited Jul 13 '25

Now do you know Pulley OP? They’re punk but I loved both of these bands.

1

u/Etch_man Jul 13 '25

Nope. Never heard of them sorry.

1

u/Weird-Ad7562 Jul 14 '25

Take warning.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 14 '25

I know that things are getting tougher when you can't get the top off from the bottom of the barrell.

1

u/Rude_Machine Jul 14 '25

I think Jesse Michaels career post op ivy is so underrated And maybe that’s what he really wanted after all

Common rider (squirtgun backing)

Classics of love (hard girls backing)

Classics of love (2021 ep - hardcore)

His Hard times podcast interview is one of the few moments I’ve heard him go on.

I don’t need an op ivy reunion. I need more Jesse Michaels music

All I know is that I don’t know was my high school yearbook quote

1

u/TJ_Wiggles Jul 16 '25

Never heard of em

1

u/JA26JB Jul 25 '25

Love their self titled album, actually no misses in the whole thing which is insane, similar to Catch 22 in that way.