Big D and the Kids Table - The Good Ole American Saturday Night

They don’t really make a guidebook for ska punk bands entering their fourth decade, but even if they did, David McWane and the rest of BIG D AND THE KIDS TABLE probably wouldn’t be interested in reading it.

After all, one of the key foundational principles of BIG D AND THE KIDS TABLE has always been that they play by their own rules and abstain from tying themselves too closely to any one scene. It’s why the spirited Bostonians have not only survived, but thrived as entire generations of ska-based bands came and went behind them.

And as their first new album in five years, The Good Ole American Saturday Night, shows, McWane and the band are continuing to evolve and grow even a dozen records into their career — all without compromising on the things that brought them success in the first place. In fact, BIG D AND THE KIDS TABLE’s 12th full-length release explores new sonic ground while returning to the familiar faces at SideOneDummy Records along with the ska royalty duo of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ Joe Gittleman and Reel Big Fish’s Matt Appleton as producers.

But aside from working with Gittleman (who also produced BIG D AND THE KIDS TABLE’s Strictly Rude in 2007) and Appleton (who also engineered the new album and produced their last album, 2021’s Do Your Art), The Good Ole American Saturday Night is everything fans of BIG D AND THE KIDS TABLE should come to expect after 30 years. It perfectly balances McWane’s relentlessly positive energy with the catchy melodies, tight musicianship and unforgettable tongue-in-cheek lyrics that have kept audiences engaged all along.

Of course, while other bands may be more negative given the current social injustices, political turmoil and other unpleasantries in the world, McWane remains steadfast in his optimism. If there is one message BIG D AND THE KIDS TABLE wants their hungry listeners to digest on their new album, it’s to “love more.” The Good Ole American Saturday Night absolutely contains their stapled punk rock messaging, but this time it’s being delivered in a positive way, with the mission to allow their listeners to feel empowered, inspired and loved.

“As a lyricist, I cannot take serious songs seriously,” he says. “I like music to take me to a fun place, like the Beastie Boys. I’m a hardcore kid and a Little Richard fan, so I just want to bring the party and wake everybody up.”

Yet as a band that does its best to not take themselves too seriously (thematically, at least), there is one ongoing point of pride for BIG D AND THE KIDS TABLE. Since their Berklee College founding in 1995, the group has consistently served as the flagbearers for ska music when no one else wanted to touch the genre. McWane and his crew have proudly wielded their horn section when playing with punk, emo, post-hardcore and other rock acts across various continents, decades and trendy musical movements.

“I feel very proud that we held the ska flag during the emo/screamo time when everybody had to shed it, and now every time there’s a new wave of ska with new bands, it makes us feel like we made it to the end. We connected the bridge, so we can relax a little bit — because we do really care about ska.”

So more than 30 years in, what’s the secret for BIG D AND THE KIDS TABLE’s sustained success? Perhaps it’s that they’ve always kept their strong New England identity as a working-class band. BIG D AND THE KIDS TABLE always brings explosive live concerts when they hit the road (and the songs on The Good Ole American Saturday Night provide the TNT for just that). They’ve toured all over the world (including booking their own tours in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines), played massive stages, landed on a Billboard chart and checked nearly everything off of their musical bucket list (although McWane admits he would still like to play a late-night broadcast TV show, if anyone’s offering), but they’ve never reached the point of major commercial success that would add external pressure. Instead, they’ve been able to largely avoid the “industry” pitfalls bigger bands face while doing everything their way.

“One thing that’s really great about BIG D AND THE KIDS TABLE is that we never made it too big, so we have a freedom that many bands don’t,” McWane says. “We’re not writing to the public or for a label. We love and are addicted to music. We write songs to make each other musically satisfied. We also like to write music that we know will make our shows and future tours a proper live music riot! Get in, jump off the stage and have fun! We don’t have a goal with the music industry. We like going to the party, but we don’t like throwing the party. We like being the incorrigible, rabid Anthrax of the ska scene. We don’t want to be Metallica.”

And on The Good Ole American Saturday Night, BIG D AND THE KIDS TABLE certainly bring the noise.