Var from No Idea on Cal Robbins

Interview with Var of No Idea

by: Brett Mathews

An interview with Var, the biggest No Idea nerd!! I love you man. You and Jennifer have proven to be some of the most inspirational and important people in our generation’s underground, and you continuously remind us through your actions.

Tell me how this auction came about?

I have known J. for years. I think I first met him in 1990 or thereabouts. We have never been close, just due to proximity, but anytime I have ever been around him, I have felt an instant connection. If we lived in the same area, we’d probably hang out and /or find ourselves in the same places often. He is a great guy and has put a lot of energy into the little microcosmic world we live in, both as an active musician and as the hands and ears behind the mixing board, recording other bands. Anyhow, every few years we would end up in the same place. The last time he was here with Burning Airlines, I found out that he had been married within days of Jennifer and I being married. Freaky! A few years later, 2006, and whata ya know? Jennifer and I have twins and we find out that J and his wife Janet have a little boy… born 3 days apart! So there have been these connections, both in the work we’ve done and in our lives behind the scenes. When we first heard that the Robbins family needed help, it really hit home. We contributed to the cause. Now that a little time has gone by, Jennifer was feeling that it was time to pitch in again. We figured that even with a large amount of support initially, the expenses would quickly eat that up… and there would need to be a round two. And a round three. Examples being AGAINST ME! playing a few benefit shows, and someone recently organized a run of benefit auctions. Both of these raised a fair amount of money. So we just stopped what we were doing one day this week, dug through a few boxes, and up went our own auctions. It feels like a small thing that we are doing. But much like the obscure 7” that really gets you through the day, it is these small things that make all the difference.

Just as we were influenced and reminded by others’ actions to raise money for Cal, our actions have already influenced others to do the same. It’s like a snowball rolling down a hill: it gets bigger and bigger as it goes. We make an even bigger difference together. (Okay, so I’m from Florida. I don’t really know much about the physics of snow. But you get the idea!)

What items are up on the auction right now?

We grabbed the first box we saw and pulled a few things out of it. It’s a pretty good assortment of bands, from one end of the spectrum to the other. Both hardcore and Thrash… haha! But seriously, we pulled some of the heavy hitters and a selection of bands, top to bottom, left to right: HOT WATER MUSIC, AGAINST ME!, LESS THAN JAKE, SMALL BROWN BIKE, LATTERMAN, OFF WITH THEIR HEADS, PLANES MISTAKEN FOR STARS, ASSHOLEPARADE, FIFTH HOUR HERO, AMPERE, RINGERS, THIS IS MY FIST, THE DRAFT, CHUCK RAGAN, BRIDGE & TUNNEL, GRABASS CHARLESTONS, RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS, WHISKEY & CO., and more to come. We will add more every few days over the next week or two.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE AUCTIONS

What items do you envision going up?

It really depends on what we find when we dig through the boxes. Certainly a couple more HWM records, THE HOLY MOUNTAIN, at least one more AGAINST ME! test, and other random test pressings. I expect that we will find something unique along the way as well. We’ll see!

What are your thoughts on the collector nerds, and their sweating?

I always like to get a cool version of a record that I really like, if I can. It is just a facet of records that is unique and makes them so special. I appreciate this drive in other people, even though the lengths that some go to are absolutely INSANE, haha! What is cooler than die-hard music fans? They are oftentimes some of the most committed people, who spread new music and new bands to their friends and the world. It’s all about that word of mouth. The fact that we can have fun and make records on a bazillion different colors, while at the same time making some people really happy… that’s amazing. In regards to making the collector nerds sweat by putting these rare records up for auction… well, I’d like to think we were not melting anyone’s brain in the process, and that everyone participating is excited to get their hands on something they really want… and they know that it is going to help a friend in need.

Any last words?

Do what you can, when you can, someday you will need a helping hand. (Wait, is that a lyric?) Anything, even the smallest gesture, makes a difference.

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