2. The Lookout! Offices Were Infested by Cave Bears that Craved Ska Bandmember Flesh
As we’ve discussed before, bears and punk rock go together like cheap malt liquor and orange juice – a violently winning combination! So it should come as no surprise that Lookout! was under constant threat of bear attacks thirsting for third-wave ska band meat to feast on for most of their fledgling period. It’s still unclear how the bears first developed a taste for ska bands. Some theorize it was the Berkeley High School marching band bus disaster of ‘84, which left trumpet player meat just laying out at the bottom of that ravine for any wildlife to taste test. Others believe it to be the ill-fated Mighty Mighty Bosstones Forest Festival the following year, which as we all know is how the band lost their original Dancing Guy to a reasonably provoked mauling. But regardless of how the bears originally garnered their interest in the label’s ska offerings, they inadvertently affected the entire course of ‘90s punk – culling the West Coast’s supply of annoying horn sections, and significantly reducing the impact that ska would have in the years to come, Lookout’s bear infestation is something we can all be grateful for.