Operation Ivy's Jesse Michaels preps new music; 924 Gilman hosting livestream fundraiser

UPDATE: 924 Gilman livestream lineup announced!

Jesse Michaels, frontman of Operation Ivy, Common Rider, and Classics of Love, and more, hasn’t released any of his own music since Classics of Love’s 2012 debut album (though since then he guested on songs by his former Op Ivy bandmate Tim Armstrong, Leftover Crack, and Rise Against, and co-wrote a song with Tim Armstrong for the newest Grade 2 album), but it looks like he’s finally getting ready to change that! Punk News reports that he posted a video to Instagram of him recording to analog tape with Sharif Dumani (Exploding Flowers, Alice Bag Band) and Peter John Fontes (Los Nauticals) and wrote “Makin tracks w the homies.” (Punk News doesn’t say, but it must have been an IG story, unless it was a post he took down, because the video doesn’t appear to currently be up.) No real word yet on what exactly this will be or when we’ll hear it, but exciting news!

UPDATE: 924 Gilman livestream lineup announced!

In related news, 924 Gilman — the iconic all-ages, DIY, nonprofit Berkeley venue where Operation Ivy, Green Day, Jawbreaker, Neurosis, and other bands got their start — is hosting a livestream festival this Saturday (5/16) to help raise money to keep 924 Gilman open. Epitaph Records is partnering with them for the fest (as is Clif Bar), and they say, “Over the next couple days, we’ll be teasing out our amazing lineup and other surprises we have for the event.” Hopefully some of the classic 924 Gilman bands will be involved.

In other related news, Jesse Michael’s former Op Ivy bandmate Matt Freeman (who, like Tim Armstrong, is also in Rancid) has been playing some Op Ivy songs on his Instagram during quarantine. Op Ivy drummer Dave Mello was recently busy with Kicker (which also includes members of Neurosis and Dystopia, and Pete the Roadie).

Watch some classic 924 Gilman videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6vqsUkCAIo

—

RELATED:

* 12 classic ska-punk albums to prepare you for the impending ska-punk revival

* 10 must-have Lookout! Records albums