Hard working, hard touring, hard drinking '90s punk-influenced amazing musical mashup band. More punk than Bungle, less metal than Scatterbrain (but not by much), and odder 'n' quirkier than the rest, One Eye Open built their reputation on being a different kind of a band. Though they were well immersed in the ska-punk scene, and had elements of each within their songs, it was never quite that easy to pinpoint their style. It is perhaps for this lack of transparent marketability in a scene so clearly defined by a specific style, that they watched several of their hometown peers (Reel Big Fish, Sublime, Save Ferris, and many more) go onto greater success, while they struggled to pay the bills. It's not as though they were without accolades. Known as a band's band they were on such labels as Dill Records, Very Small Records (comps, 7-inch, split LP with Schlong), S.O.S Records (Derek from Suicide Machines/Alkaline Trio's label), No Idea and many more, played countless gigs with every known band in the punk scene, and even served as Ipecac Record's The Kids Of Widney High backup band for a spell. Live, they put on quite a performance, often theatrical and colorful--sometimes drunkenly sloppy--but always inventively entertaining. It wasn't out of the ordinary to walk into a One Eye Open show and find a homemade ten-foot tall tiki god staring you down, or a free Flowbee haircut station, or have a flying grilled cheese sandwich hit you in the head. On stage you never knew what to expect, and on any given night they would have a special theme cooked up with songs made up on the spot, costumes and bizarre giveaways.
In true unorthodox One Eye Open fashion, as legend has it, one day they got sick of the Orange County ska-punk scene and decided to quit what they were doing (college, jobs, girlfriends) and moved the band to a small town in Massachusetts, followed by a plan-it-as-they-went never-ending tour of America. That tour wound up lasting over two and a half years and they broke up on the road in the middle of Kansas in the late '90s, poor and desolate, and now forced to endure a long, quiet, uncomfortable road trip of shame back to Southern California in a deteriorating Astro van. After time had passed, they returned to the scene for a few well-attended reunion shows post break-up. Those who had the good fortune to see them, will never forget.
In true unorthodox One Eye Open fashion, as legend has it, one day they got sick of the Orange County ska-punk scene and decided to quit what they were doing (college, jobs, girlfriends) and moved the band to a small town in Massachusetts, followed by a plan-it-as-they-went never-ending tour of America. That tour wound up lasting over two and a half years and they broke up on the road in the middle of Kansas in the late '90s, poor and desolate, and now forced to endure a long, quiet, uncomfortable road trip of shame back to Southern California in a deteriorating Astro van. After time had passed, they returned to the scene for a few well-attended reunion shows post break-up. Those who had the good fortune to see them, will never forget.