At the historic Stork Club in Oakland, California I met Jokes for Feelings. They are band with creative and hilarious lyrics, a great punk sound, and charismatic members. I soon found out that frontman, Josh Raphael, is also one of the founders of a local rock union. Union 69 will eventually revolutionize the way that underground punk operates in the San Francisco Bay Area, and eventually the country.

We were stuck hanging out in the back room because the only female in the band, the adorable Amy Aimless (blessed with a name that lends itself to rock singer), is only twenty years of age and not allowed to actually be in the club, except when she’s on the stage. We made the interview unnecessarily long, so the owner couldn’t make her stand in front of the bar in the cold. She was only allowed inside pre-show while the interview was going on.

As a result, I spent more than an hour getting to know the boys (and girl) from Jokes for Feelings. The comedian of the group is definitely Sean Jacoby, on bass and back up vocals. During our time together, his bandmates kept reminding him that I was recording him, he kept insisting "I want this on the record!" He would make an interesting celebrity. He kept me entertained with stories of his day-job at a human tissue bank ("I love dead things," he said), an unsuccessful and painful penis piercing, and the fact that he is an ordained minister in "some online religion thing," even though he doesn’t actually believe in God.

The genius and the most entertaining part of Jokes for Feelings is their lyrics. Their most recent CD, 'One of Us Sucks' EP, includes the titles 'Dork Song', 'Sausage Party', 'Punk Latino Jew', and '40 Year Old Teenager'. They also have songs entitled 'Sesame Street', 'We Suck', 'Tickle Me Emo', and 'Important Song'. The songs are written in collaboration by Raphael (guitar & vocals), Josh Vanskike (guitar & vocals), and Jacoby. Rumor has it that DJ Guzie working on two songs called 'Porno Mustache' and 'Vagina in My Face'.

Just before the song 'Sesame Street' played, I was speaking to the owner of the Stork Club. When the soft theme song to the show we all used to watch before nap time started playing, I excused myself immediately. The whole room was surprised by a punk song that starts, "Sunny Day, Sweepin’ the clouds away, On my way to where the air is sweet..."

My favorite Jokes for Feelings song was '40 Year Old Teenager'. Tony Acosta (drums) had the inspiration for this one. He was dating a girl whose 40-year-old mother constantly wore the daughter’s clothes. "She looked like a wrinkled up fifteen year old," joked Acosta. One night, during the 2 am Denny’s visit we’re all so familiar with, Acosta, his girlfriend, and her mother were sharing a plate of cheese fries. He started drumming on the table and came up with, out loud (with the mother in close earshot), the hook for the song: "Forty year old teenagers with teenage clothes, oh no, those clothes gotta go go go." Another favorite was 'Dork Song', written in part for Raphael’s surprisingly hot fiancée, Maria.

The Joshs (as the band calls them) met while warming a little league bench at age twelve and started the Kamikazee Hit Men, a band well known to Southern California rock fans. Aimless and Acosta came to the band through craigslist ads, and everything has fallen together for the rest of the group. The most interesting addition is DJ Guzie, who adds an interesting edge to the comedy-punk sound.

Jokes for Feelings is not on any label, but they are members of Union 69, a revolutionary concept for punk rock. Union 69 is a new venture, with Raphael and a man they call Uncle Lou behind the wheel, it is going to take off and be hugely imitated. The concept of a union seems contrary to punk rock, but it is a non-profit organization with no dues and is focused entirely on helping local bands get gigs and make money. It consists of local rock bands and Uncle Lou told me he has actually refused to take money from members who wanted to contribute financially. I would not be surprised to find more local rock and roll unions like this popping up. They can find anyone a great band for an event in the Bay Area, but they focus on helping up-and-coming bands book and promote their shows.

With influences from NOFX to Billie Holiday and from Metallica to Mix Master Mike of the Beastie Boys, Jokes for Feelings puts on an entertaining show. The music is pretty good, and they even played one song that ended in a mini-mosh pit. The best part of the show, however, is Raphael’s jokes and commentary. He did a 2 minute sound check about his prostate... quickly followed by Aimless doing her’s and closing with, "I don’t have a prostate." I had hoped to see Jacoby talk a bit more on stage, contrary to his personality he took a bit of a back seat to Raphael.

They have done minor tours in Southern California and have a good quality CD (produced at Seventh-Circle Studios in Oakland) out right now, with another one in the works. They proudly carry on the legacy of punk rock that was started with the Gilman Street Project in Berkley, and they do it quite well.

Official Jokes For Feelings website