Punk Rock Dad: No Rules, Just Real Life – A Candid Memoir on Fatherhood, Music, and Family

by Jim Lindberg

Jim Lindberg is a Punk Rock Dad. When he drives his kids to school in the morning, they listen to the Ramones, the Clash, or the Descendents and that's it. He goes to all the soccer games, dance rehearsals, and piano recitals, but when he feels the need, he goes into the slam pit at punk shows and comes home bruised and beaten—somehow feeling strangely better. While the other dads dye their hair brown to cover the gray, Jim occasionally dyes his blue or green. He pays his taxes, serves jury duty, votes in all major elections, and reserves the right to believe that there's a vast Right Wing Conspiracy—and that the head of the P.T.A. is possibly in on it. He is a Punk Rock Dad.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music, Biography, Parenting, Memoir, Autobiography, Punk

240 pages, Paperback

First published July 10, 2007

Reviews

[da AL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honest & humorous.

[Mac Dubista Keso The Bibliobibuli v(=∩_∩=) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The real deal
A Funny read

+It was the funniest, most honest book about parenting, growing up (or not wanting to), life in general, also very touching. From mosh pits to bottles, breast pumps, diapers, minivan, and Warped tour and PTA meetings. It's got something for everyone.

+If you are a punk rock parent or not this will speak volumes to you! Amazingly written! Insightful and smart! You could hear his voice and obvious heart he wrote this book with but on the other hand, you feel like he took the words right out of your mouth.

+Jim Lindberg is very good at describing situations, and you can picture him going through all the drama, ups, and downs of life and yet feel the unconditional love he has for his family. All the uncertainty of being a So-Cal Punk Rock guy, staying true to your beliefs while raising 3 daughters...it's all in there.

+Jim writes as he speaks. It's just like sitting there hanging out and listening to him tell you the tales of his life. You really feel like you are in his shoes when you are reading this book and the language is soothing and makes you feel right at home. He is witty, clever and doesn't write outside of his ability or use words that normal people do not understand. It's funny how the more you read this book, the more you realize Jim is just like everyone else. This is a great Sunday morning read that you won't put down all day.

+It's sincere and still very cool! I didn't like this book I LOVED this book! It's not a typical "parent" book it doesn't have a "step by step" or "how to" as other parent books do. However, it's so smart you feel like you can take away a few useful notes. It's a punk book at its finest that just also happens to be an honest account of parenting. No more could have married these two points finer than Jim! After you read this you have a renewed faith that punk or not everyone can be a good parent if they want to be!!!!

^_^

[Kat Jacobi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew that this book deserved 5 stars before I even read it, just because I loved the documentarty "The other F word" based on Jim's book. As a former punk rock girl I loooved seeing how you deal with growing up (yes even in your forties) when you're playing in a punk rock band on the one hand but on the other hand want to raise and educate your three daughters to sometimes not "fuck the authority". You read the book as if listening to a good friend of yours, which makes it an easy read. The honesty of the different struggles are one of my favourites, having kids and being responsible isn't the most fun and easiest thing to do - still he wouldn't change a thing - what a great statement. Acutally I think Jim Lindberg is a pretty good writer and has a very own 'voice'.

[Jason Farley · Rating 3 out of 5]

First chapter was great, some of the other chapters were appalling and some had some good advice and creative ideas. It laid out plainly the tension between raising and loving kids and being postmodern. Not exactly a must read, but not a waste of time. Also, if you still have a little punk rock in your soul, it will alleviate the need to blast the dropkick murphy's or nerfherder or weezer in the garage while you work on your sermon (metaphorically speaking, & taking a completely hypothetical situation) to stay sane while living in a city where the checkers at safeway move in slow motion because they have been taking smoke breaks in order to burn down the spice rack (to take another hypothetical situation that might have happened to someone on the way home from church yesterday).

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good quick read. it was a little scattered, but that worked with the punk rock diy attitude. I read it because I saw a trailer for the documentary "the other f word" about punk musicians who have kids, which came about because of this book. there were some funny parenting moments, and a little advice...it definitely made me want to see the movie more to get the other dads' experiences.

there was some frustrating editing errors, though...at one point he used the word wreaked when he should have used reeked. and I found myself saying out loud "oh no!" when I saw "Derby Crash" just a few pages after it was written correctly as Darby. sigh.

[Kirsty (alkalinekiwi) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never really got into Pennywise though after reading this I might go out and get one of their albums.
A mishmash of punk, parenting, relationships and observation subjects. I'm not planning on having kids and I'm not very punk (though I like a lot of the bands mentioned by the author) so I picked this up purely out of curiosity.
Found this a good, easy to get into read though there were a few parts that seemed to repeat but there were parts that had me laughing out loud so all in all it gets the thumbs up from me.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a title that I got as an advance review copy and I later ordered for the library's collection. Jim Lindberg is a member of a Southern California hardcore punk band called "Pennywise" which I had never heard of but I still enjoyed how he made the transition from rocker to dad in the 'burbs! Very funny and insightful although toward the end it became more of a parenting book than a punk rocker’s memoir. This is a book that I ended up passing along to friends who are rockers and parents.

[Ed Wagemann]

Why Everything You Think You Know About Punk Is Completely Wrong:
http://generation-add.blogspot.com/20...

[Bill Doughty · Rating 2 out of 5]

No disrespect to the author, but I found the book about as interesting as the music of his band, Pennywise, which is to say not very much at all. It's not really bad or anything, but it just didn't grab me. Plus, I am many things, but none of them are Punk Rock Dad. Dorky Beatle-esque Indie Rock Dad, maybe, but not Punk Rock Dad.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spent my early teen years listening to Pennywise, so when I was pregnant and browsing for an even slightly entertaining book on becoming a parent, I was delighted to find this book written by the lead singer of Pennywise!

Hilarious stories about potty training and fear of toilets and trying to keep his hardcore dignity as an aging punk rocker while raising his daughters.

[Emanuel Ramos · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the author's story, and I could relate to some of what he wrote, I couldn't get past the clumsy prose. Who edited this? That being said, there are some nuggets of wisdom buried in this book. But is it worth reading? Maybe not. Unless you're a punk rock fan, then yes by all means read this book.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pennywise is a band I have been into since 1992. Cool read for anyone that likes punk music.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing was great and everything was put together really well. Better than I expected from a old school punk rocker.

So while I liked Jim (and I dig Pennywise) and his writing, I slowly noticed that this is really just a cliched bunch of dad stories with the F-word thrown in frequently. Not that it’s a bad thing, I think it’s exactly the kind of book I would have written if I were him. It just means that his stories aren’t especially interesting or engaging because I’ve heard similar ones a million times.

But that almost didn’t matter because it was so refreshing to hear a voice that sounds like mine talk about fatherhood.

[The Rudie Librarian (Brian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The wife and kids slept in a little this morning and I was able to find a little time to finish this book I had been working on. It is a rough but real look at transitioning from being a carefree punk rock lead singer, to being a loving husband and father while maintaining your identity. I am reviewing Punk Rock Dad by Jim Lindberg of Pennywise.

#PunkRockDad #JimLindberg #Pennywise
#TheRudieLibrarian #Ska #Punk #Books

https://therudielibrarian.wordpress.c...

[Matt Gosney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a passer-by sort of interest. Read it because it was by a punk rock guy and because it was touching on a life event I was starting to consider. It covers everything regarding becoming a dad and relationships. The discipline, the dealing with other parents, the dirty stuff, the maintenance of your marriage etc... I can say I learnt a lot and it was in a language I wanted to be spoken in.

[Sain'tJAHn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I broke rule number one of the book universe. I was turned off by the cover of this book and initially moved it to the side. When I eventually got to it it turned out to be a pretty entertaining book with some of the same sentiments and experiences I had as a first time dad.

[Michael Norwitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The lead singer of the band Pennywise writes a slim biography in punk rock and an account of his experiences as a parent. Pleasant enough read, covering the expected universal childrearing type stuff.

[Adrianne Erickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book with my husband who is a fan of the band Pennywise. This book made me laugh out loud! I appreciated Jim’s point of view on parenting.

[Rob Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jim Lindberg is an author; father, husband, and former lead singer of the punk band Pennywise. In Punk Rock Dad the author discusses his struggle with being a punk rocker while yet being a responsible and attentive father in an engaging and humorous way.

This book resonated with me on many levels. I have just entered a new phase in my life that is similar to the one Jim has lived for some time. Almost nine months ago I began dating and eventually moved in with a beautiful woman who has two small children. For most of my adult life I have been single and lived as a bachelor. For the past several years I have spent much of my time hanging out with friends; going to shows, writing and partying. Suddenly, after living like a “crazy man” for many years, I find myself living the life of married man with two children. Adjusting to this new lifestyle has been both challenging and rewarding. Jim says that the frustrations of life with children often drive him out of the house where he attends punk shows; moshes, and drinks. I have found myself in a similar position several times. When I’ve had enough of the irritations of life with children I have left the house to attend shows or to just hang out with my friends playing video games; smoking and cursing. Jim says that it’s these times that allow him to recharge his batteries and to cope with life at home without blowing up.

His devotion to his children is always clear despite these struggles. He states that, “The active role I’ll be able to take in helping boost our kids’ self-esteem is never giving up in the search to find something that interests them. I can turn them onto music by buying them a secondhand guitar or drum set, get them involved in sports by taking them to basketball games or skate contests, or go down to the tide pools and try to get them interested in marine biology. If you haven’t introduced your child to all these things in an endless search to help them find something they’re interested in, you haven’t done your job.” In one endearing and touching passage Jim describes how his children proclaimed that he no longer played with them. He builds a tent in the backyard, camps out with them, and stays up all night playing games with them.

Not all of his efforts at punk rock parenting succeed, but the author seems to understand some very real and sometimes hard truths about being an adult. Truths that would seem at odds with the punk lifestyle but which the author says are important to impart to his children.Jim explains that “At a certain age we begin to realize that, like it or not, there are some rules that will keep you alive. We find out that our happiness-or at least staying out of really shitty situations-is eventually what becomes most important in life, and it’s hard to be happy when you’re in jail, on skid row, or dead.”

Jim was, like me, also middle-aged when he wrote this book. Also like me he dresses much like he did when he was fourteen. “Levis 501s, Vans slip-ons, and a surf shop T-shirt and baseball cap.” He believes that his own refusal to grow up and dress and behave like other typical middle-aged adults gives him a unique perspective on life and that he can bridge the generation gap with his children, and eventually realize the dream of a better world envisioned by punk rock. Jim declares, “If instead of forcing our religions, dogmas, and short-sighted way of thinking on them, we could encourage to them to think for themselves, and show them how to be gracious and tolerant, rather than selfish, and close-minded, maybe we could in fact make this world a better place, simply by being good parents. Wasn’t this supposed to be the underlying goal of punk music in the first place that we were to expose society for the sham it was, in the dim hopes of replacing it with a better one?”

Jim’s passion for music and for punk ideals is clear through the entire book. He says that punk, “Is not a fashion or an age, but a way of looking at the world and finding your place in it, and like country, rock ‘n’ roll, blues and hip hop, it’s going to be around a long time, as long as someone isn’t willing to settle for the status quo and has an amplifier and guitar to tell the world about it.”

While Jim may or may not have achieved his goal of balancing punk ideals with the reality of adulthood and responsibility is debatable, his clear love for his family is never hidden. His passion and love for his subjects and his passion for life also come through clearly in the book. It’s refreshing to read something by someone so in love with his family and with his punk rock roots. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who struggles with remaining true to their punk rock roots while trying to balance that want with the one to be a good parent. I would also suggest it to people looking to read something fun but with a good heart and a unique perspective on life.

[Jeffrey Sandberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was hilarious and its nice Jim has such a great sense of humor. The very end, I mean like the last 2 or 3 paragraphs, he opens every door in his mind at once, blinds, shutters, the cosmos and life everlasting in view of creating music and it left me feeling mystified and knowing at the power of his art as a punk rock musician. After the hilarities throughout the book it's nice to see Jim's reflections interspersed. My brother has a tattoo of this band on his leg, and I grew up with them almost as a spiritual movement(long before I can see the cover of Reason to Believe). Not anymore but especially for any punk rock fan this book is top kek or top form! Buy it if you listen(ed) to Pennywise

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It's a quick, fun read that anyone can pick up regardless of just how "punk" they are or how many kids they do/don't have. First thing's first, this is not the history of Pennywise. This isn't even an autobiography of Lindberg. Sure you get snippets here and there, but they're nothing more than a sentence or two.

This is what it's like growing up in the punk rock era of the 80s and putting music to the side to raise a family. He starts off different sections with various punk rock lyrics and figuring out which songs they go to is just as fun as reading about his adventures into working off a hangover and being a good dad at his daughter's soccer game, or trying to sit through a parent teacher conference being the guy singing "Fuck Authority" on the radio.

[Zot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Positive message on parenting from the lead singer of Pennywise. This is not a tell all book about the band. While Lindberg is a decent writer, he's no Henry Rollins. Not a bad read, but my edition had a couple of glaring spelling errors. It's definitely punk rock to follow the rules of written English. Could have used one more editorial pass.

[Mark R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jim Lindberg starts his book with an anecdote dealing with a parent-teacher night for his kindergarten-aged daughter's class. The teacher asks what he does for a living, and through a couple of questions learns that he's the singer for a punk rock band, and asks, "Isn't your current single called 'Fuck Authority'?" This leaves Lindberg feeling somewhat embarrassed and confused, and he spends a decent chunk of the rest of the book talking about, and questioning, how one can have a punk rock anti-authority attitude throughout life and yet instill a healthy amount of responsibility one's own kids.

Eventually, in the last chapter, he comes back to this first story, the one dealing with the radio-savy kindergarten teacher. This gives "Punk Rock Dad" a pleasant and wholly appropriate book-end. In between the first and last chapters, he talks about growing up in the punk scene, his suddent entrance into fatherhood, and the best methods he's come up with for raising his kids. The sections where he speaks openly about his own desires and fears regarding age and rebellion, and a general feeling of slowly becoming out-of-date.

The book moves at a fairly fast pace, and Lindberg switches between anecdotes, which are often quite funny, and casual essays about what it means to be punk, what it means to be a good father, and just about everything related to the two.

[Jenergy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favorite quotes--

"On our white minivan we have no less than three life-size decals of Britney Spears's face stuck to the windows. A friend saw me driving the wife and kids in it and said he was going to the record store to trade in all his Pennywise records. I told him to get me the new Christina Aguilera while he was there because the kids were begging me for it."

"I would have just went through the torture of unbuckling and taking off the onesie and recovered from the ungodly smell, and then cleaned and wiped up the skid marks from all the nooks and crannies and baby folds, and swabbed everything down, and then it's time to put on a new diaper. But the baby is wriggling around too much and they always pull their legs up and try to stick their feet in their mouth when they're on their back so you have to hold their legs down with one hand and try to strap the diaper on with the other, and the diaper has to be positioned just right but it never is because the baby's butt is squirming all over the place. Then, when you pull one side over and Velcro it on and try to do the other, the first side pops open, then the legs go back up and then it's done finally, except both legs are out one hole and I had to use duct tape to get it to stay closed."

[Nikolas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose this book because I saw it at the store and the title was very intriguing being a fan of the punk rock genre of music. The book is about a man named Jim Lindberg the lead singer of the band the punk rock band Pennywise. His life is the constant hardcore punk life and then his world is turned upside down when he finds out his wife is pregnant. My favorite quote is "For him, it becomes the song of life and the slow, constant draining of it, one that before had seemed pointless and corrupt, but is now filled with purpose." I liked it because it was very eye opening to show the life a child can bring into a fathers life. I loved the writing style because the author was telling about himself from his own perspective and he didn't hold anything back. I would recommend this book to anybody even people who do not like the punk rock genre. It is a very funny book that I really enjoyed overall.

[Matt Byrde · Rating 3 out of 5]

To me it seems that if you want to relate to this book, you need look no further than the title. If you grew up in the 90's listening to Rancid and AFI, and you currently are, or soon will be a new Dad, this book will be fun and nostalgic for you. If you don't fit into both of those character types, then I think this one might be lost on you.

I appreciate that Jim admits freely that he is an insecure, aging, jaded grump like everyone else, and not some forever young skate-punk hero. However, he does tend to go on a bit long about punk rock ideology (or lack thereof), which I would have loved when I was seventeen, but kind of just falls into the noise now that I'm older.

I personally would have appreciated more advice on more anti-autoritarian parenting, but the writing tends to be more anecdotal side of things.

Generally a decently informative, nostalgic, and funny read, but only for a select range of people.

[Shawn Fairweather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a lot of fun reading this. Having been a fan since Pennywise started playing out, I grew very interested in Jim's perspective on parenting once he decided to leave the band in order to be close to home to raise his girls. What transpires is something that I can see myself facing when the time comes. Coming to the realization that we all have to inevitably grow up to some degree and how in the hell are we going to handle it. Especially those like myself who have tried to buck the system whenever possible. Lindberg does well in some regards, not so well in others but I tend to think that goes for all fathers. The important thing being that you can stop and you will only get better at it as you journey along. This was not written by an "expert" so its filled with identifiable reality. Its dirty, stressful, unforgiving, but also rewarding and loving. A great read that took no time to get through.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you know who Jim Lindberg is you probably know him as the lead singer of Pennywise. Jim is also a family man and the father of three young girls. His book focuses on his role as a father vs. his role as the leader of a punk band and the transition from his free living punk rock life to the whirlwind life of changing diapers and running to soccer games. As someone facing impending fatherhood it was humorous, frightening and at times even touching. While I really did enjoy this book and it was nice to see a take on parenting from someone who seems to look at things in a similar manner as i would, I probably would have enjoyed it more if not for my obsessive nature which made this the third such book i’ve read in the last 6 months, the other 2 being Alternadad by Neal Pollack and Crawling by Elisha Cooper. I guess each go round of dirty diapers stories gets a little less “fresh”.

[Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at how to ratify telling the younger generation to 'fuck authority' while instilling a respect for parental authority into three little girls, Punk Rock Dad is at once both poignantly thought-provoking and laugh-out-loud funny.
Mixing tales of life on stage with play dates and PTA meetings, Jim Lindberg captures the scarey world of being a new parent while trying to hold down a job in a punk band.
The roles aren't easy, and the telling of it could have been harder, but Lindberg manages to do it with a wit and charm that would flummox those who think people with spiky hair who scream for a living have minimal brain cells.
They're wrong, the people who stop their children playing with the Lindbergs are wrong, and this book is a real eye-opener.
And I say that as a man who doesn't have children...

[Chris C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's funny, because this book couldn't have come along at a better time. My wife and I are thinking of having kids but our thoughts are filled with self doubt as well as doubt in the stability of society as a whole. Ok, maybe I shouldn't speak for her, but I am concerned with those at least. Jim writes in an extremely conversational tone and tells his story with the humor and sarcasm expected of a punk front man. It was really great to see that the rigors of childrearing are pretty universal (*please take with a grain of salt.) Basically I am trying to say is that in a world where "the celebrity" is thrust into the position of role models (whether they like it or not) it's refreshing to see someone in an unordinary position be effected by the ordinary travails of life.