Against Me!

In "Piss and Vinegar," a new song by Against Me! (currently touring with David Dondero and Matt & Kim), lead singer Tom Gabel advises music commentators to be "a little less professional, a little more up front and confrontational." On August 14, he may have taken a similar approach during...

By Michael Roberts

September 6, 2007

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In "Piss and Vinegar," a new song by Against Me! (currently touring with David Dondero and Matt & Kim), lead singer Tom Gabel advises music commentators to be "a little less professional, a little more up front and confrontational." On August 14, he may have taken a similar approach during a visit to a Florida coffee shop. Gabel reportedly became incensed upon seeing an Against Me! flier that had been defaced and took his anger out on 22-year-old customer Jared Smith, precipitating an assault charge. There's no telling at this point exactly how the incident went down — Gabel denies hitting Smith — but there's no lack of aggression on New Wave, the group's major-label debut. Sleekly produced by Butch Vig, who was behind the boards on Nirvana's Nevermind, the disc is thoroughly old-school punk with anthemic lyrics. For instance, "White People for Peace" features Gabel saluting "protest songs to stop the soldier's gun." Perhaps he should give peace a chance in his personal life, too.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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