In Defense of Ska ep 185 Dave Mello (Operation Ivy, Schlong, Jewdriver)

Operation Ivy are one of the all-time greatest bands to play ska or punk. The group formed in May 1987, and broke up two years later. As of this moment, they’ve never played again. Their 1989 album Energy grew more and more popular since their breakup. Their influence on punk and ska in the 90s and beyond is immeasurable. 

Today, we talk Op Ivy with drummer Dave Mello. We get into their early years—Op Ivy’s first show was in Dave’s garage—their rise as a Gilman band, their one and only US tour, the long recording process of their iconic LP, Energy, their breakup and their legacy. We cover it all! 

We also talk about their show with Fugazi, the time they played with Dead Milkmen, and how former IDOS guest Kamala Lyn Park booked their one US tour. We talk hedge diving, playing with GWAR, and how they moved into a more ska direction while on tour. 

If you want to hear Dave Mello’s take on an Op Ivy reunion, sign up to the IDOS Patreon and listen to our extended interview. We also talk about his other bands Jewdriver and Schlong (specifically their Punk Side Story album) 

Make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast.

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

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