What Is A Hoobastank - T-Tees - Your Answers Await, Life's Questions Unraveled

What’s in a name? When it comes to the band Hoobastank, it depends on which member you ask. Music reporters have tried time and again to get one straight, honest answer from the band members on the meaning of their name, to no avail. Although when I recently spoke with lead singer Doug Robb, I was assured I was getting an exclusive on the actual meaning.

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“Well, Hoobastank is a Californian or, in the area that I grew up, it’s a slang term for someone who has a shoe fetish,” said Robb, 25. “Such as Dan [Estrin, Hoobastank’s guitar player] and myself. We have lots of shoes.”

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Somehow, I am still filled with doubt. Hoobastank, performing with fellow rockers 311 Wednesday at Sunrise Musical Theatre, seem to have an “exclusive” answer for several publications. In a recent YM Magazine issue, Estrin stated that it meant hopscotch in a foreign language, and Robb said it was what the ‘H’ stood for in Jesus H. Christ. Other reporters have mentioned that it is bassist Markku Lappalainen’s middle name. Alas, we may never know the truth.

Hoobastank, whatever that means, was formed in 1995, after Robb and Estrin joined forces when their former bands broke up. Later, thanks to a want ad and connections, Lappalainen and drummer Chris Hesse joined the crew. Their first writing efforts, which turned into 1998’s self-released They Sure Don’t Make Basketball Shorts Like They Used To, were more rooted in ska and punk than their self-titled sophomore album.

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“You know what it was?” Robb said. “We used to have a couple of horn players. It’s a different time. We were teenagers and what we did, we were just joking around. The songs were just all over the place.”

Lately though, Hoobastank isn’t being compared to No Doubt or Less Than Jake. Their musical style has evolved to the Incubus realm of rock, minus the DJ. The comparisons probably come mostly from the fact that Robb and Incubus’ singer Brandon Boyd have similar voices, but true fans can easily tell the two apart. Either way, Robb knows that the comparisons will stop in time.

“It’s just something that is,” Robb said. “If you didn’t have them to compare us to, who would you compare us to? Maybe it’s a good thing that it’s only one band we’re being compared to. Right now it’s so early, in time we’ll just let people get a feel of who we are.”

Hoobastank may sing about heartache and hypocrites, but they do so in a refreshing, happy-go-lucky way.

“I think our music is a good representation of our personality,” Robb said. “It’s not tortured or strange. All the lyrics are written out of personal experience, but I’m not the type of writer that preaches messages. The album is like a musical diary, sort of, that’s it. I’m not out to change the world. We’re real guys that try to make music. We’re pretty down to earth.”

So down to earth that Robb has yet to identify himself as a celebrity. He enjoys “kicking it with the people at shows,” except maybe when fans get a bit too personal.

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