"A Little Older, A Little Wiser"

Punk rockers rejoice! The Bouncing Souls, one of the last bands remaining from the third wave of punk rock are coming to Buffalo on Wednesday, May 5.

For the last fifteen years, The Bouncing Souls have been fueling the punk rock scene with their own brand of fast-paced, humorous and catchy punk rock. Their sound echoes that of the Ramones, but the Souls have always added their own flair to the genre through their hilarious lyrics and undying love for argyle clothing.

Brunswick New Jersey's Bouncing Souls have enjoyed longevity without compromising their traditional punk-rock views or conforming to any new musical trends. While their sound has developed and their lyrics have matured over the years, they have managed to adhere to the same format that has made them staples in the punk scene.

"We're always evolving as a band, the lyrics are getting a little heavier lately and definitely darker, and the music is a little more complicated. We're branching out in substance, but we stay true to our roots," said Pete Steinkopf, the band's guitarist.

While their upcoming album on Epitaph Records, "Anchors Aweigh," has shown continued development both musically and lyrically, fear not, the results are not likely to disappoint even the pickiest of fans. After all, it wouldn't hurt to mature a bit from the "We drink beer and wear Adidas," ideology of their 1999 album, "Hopeless Romantic."

The album deals with mostly the same subject matter that fans have grown to love, specifically heartbreak, drinking and punk rock unity. The only difference is the growing wisdom the band uses in its discussion of these things.

"Everyone's looking for something in life," said Steinkopf reflectively. "For us, writing this album was like a quest for that, or to find out what that is."

Whatever it is The Bouncing Souls are looking for in life, it's enjoyable and therapeutic to hear their "quest" for it. Tracks like "Blind Date" and "The Day I Turned My Back On You" explore the trials and tribulations of romantic life while others like "Kids and Heroes" and "Born Free" begin to take a more sweeping look at larger issues within the music scene and even the political world.

"We're not a political band, but we live in a time when the least political people have to be aware. It's a serious time and it's hard not to get up there and start screaming about it," said Steinkopf.

On "Born Free," the album's most politically charged song, vocalist Greg Attonito sings: "A nation's future stands in doubt / Peace and love are on the way out / Why can't they just let me be? / How I live is up to me."

"Our future's unwritten. Our next record could be about fuzzy bunny rabbits, but we're always going to do it our way," said Steinkopf.

While it seems even the most loyal punk rockers undergo changes over the years, according to Steinkopf, some things will never change with The Bouncing Souls.

"We made a stance a long time ago that we would never be on MTV and we will stand by it. The mainstream is filled with s---ty bands and a lot of great bands never get any exposure. We want to be heard but not on MTV," said Steinkopf.

The Bouncing Souls are set to play The Sphere located at 681 Main Street Buffalo May 5 at 6 p.m. Tickets are $13.50, available at the door or through Ticketmaster.