Operation Ivy

The Berkeley, Californian ska punk band, Operation Ivy, was founded in 1987. Although the band was together for only a couple years, they are considered with spurring the 1990s punk revival movment. Operation Ivy members, Jesse Michaels - lead vocals, Tim (Lint) Armstrong - guitar and backing vocals, Matt Freeman - bass and back vocals, and Dave Mello - drums and backing vocals, were able to blend hardcore punk and ska or ska-core. This band had a major underground following even though little mainstream success. They are said to have paved with way for bands like Green Day and Sublime. While together, 1987-1989, they released four albums, four compilations, and sixteen live and rare recordings. Energy (1989), is the band's only studio album. Even to this day this album is considered to be one of greatest punk rock albums of all time. Their name, Operation Ivy, was taken from a series of American nuclear tests. As most punk bands, Operation Ivy's lyrics carry the tone of disgust against mainstream conformists and a heavy desire for social justice. Upon disbanding, Armstrong and Freeman performed/joined other bands such as Dance Hall Crashers, Rancid, Devil's Brigade, Social Distortion and the Transplants. Mello and Michael's also continued to play music as well. The history of Operation Ivy is chronicled in a song by Rancid entitled, "Journey to the End of the East Bay."  According to the lyrics, Operation Ivy fell apart from obtaining success at such a fast rate. There are reunion rumors, but according to Michaels and Armstrong, no reunion will ever take place. They echo each other statements in saying that is time to move forward with their lives because revisiting the last 20 years of their lives wouldn't feel right.