Rock n' Roll Renaissance

For 20 years, Hawai‘i’s punk rockers survived through the changing ways of pop culture. Today, those bands are redefining success while leaving space for a new generation.

By: Emili Phomsouvanh Gabriella Galán and Thomas James

On a Friday night at Proof Social, the crowd gathers early. Instrument cases pile up near the stage, beer glasses rattle on the bar, and the room tightens as bodies press closer together. When the music starts, there’s no separation. Musicians and the audience share the same space, shouting lyrics back and forth under the low ceiling.

Punk bands based in Hawai‘i have been around for decades. Groups like ‘Smitz808’ and ‘Hell caminos' took the stage in the early 2000s. Spanning from various genres including SKA, rock, punk and reggae, these groups are navigating the changing music scene on Oahu.

From physical media to streaming, local bands stand at the front of it all. As the music industry shifts to a new community post COVID-19, these bands are learning how to stay grounded in the tight-knit community that shaped them. Through it all they remain in the spotlight of Hawai‘i’s punk rock music scene. 

Smitz808 has been a player of Hawaii’s punk scene since the early 2000’s. Known for blending SKA rhythms with sharp punk energy, the band quickly found their place among local crowds. 

The name Smitz came before the band ever played a show. Sitting in after-school care with time to kill, John “Johnny Random” Sanchez filled a page with nearly 50 possible band names, scribbling them down while everyone else finished their homework. 

When he brought the list to his friends, they voted, crossing out names until only one was left. 

“The majority picked Smitz,” Sanchez said. 

At the time, he was 12 years old and hadn’t learned to play an instrument yet, but the name stuck. 

“He was like, ‘We’ll learn,’” Sanchez said. 

By the time they took it seriously, he had taught himself guitar and started writing songs.

The band officially formed in 2005 through a mix of school friendships and connections. When the band started to practice that summer, Sanchez brought more than a dozen songs that he had previously written. 

“We had like 15 songs from the get-go,” he said. Their first show at Coffee Talk Kaimuki gave them a starting momentum. 

Two decades later, Sanchez is the only original member, but the band’s identity hasn’t changed. Today’s lineup includes guitarist-vocalist Rob West, bassist Timmy Corker and drummer Nick Ramos. Their sound blends SKA, punk and reggae, a reflection of influences like Operation Ivy and Bad Brains.

 “We cater more to our interests than to the demographic,” Sanchez said. “Either you like us or you don’t.”

What has changed is how the band shares its music. In the early days, MySpace was their main platform and CDs were still something fans bought

. 

“Streaming wasn’t really taking off yet,” Sanchez said. “It was feasible to sell CDs.” 

By their 2017 album release, the response was different: Why are you still making CDs? Sanchez still hands them out “like business cards” though vinyl has made a comeback, something they plan to use for their next album, “King of the Cul-de-Sac”.

Social media has become essential for keeping their audience connected. For their 20th anniversary show in June, Sanchez combined old-school flyer stapling with targeted Instagram ads. 

“Now you can hit people in Croatia if you want,” he said. “The sky’s the limit if you’re creative.”

Alongside Smitz808, another band, Hell Caminos describes a similar 20-year journey. Michael Camino, the camino, mentions the group's uniqueness. 

“Many bands have come and gone through the scene, and I don’t know why we are still around.” Camino said. “The only reason I can think of is that we all sing in the band.”

Michael has been playing on and off since 2004.  His contribution is playing the upright bass.  Other members of the band include “Nick Danger” the guitarist and “Handsome Jack" the drummer.

Because each member sings, Camino feels this makes the band emotionally invested. Danger described his relationship with the fans as pretty exciting.

“I’ve said this for years,” he added.  “Like, I don’t care the size of the room.  I just want to play to a full room.”

For Hell Caminos, a good show isn’t about the number of people who show up.  Instead, a good show means an audience with a vibe.  This looks like the room being packed with people drenched in sweat, rocking out and enjoying the music.  

Satisfying a crowd looks different for every performer.  Danger shared his recipe of hitting the crowd hard in the beginning, closing strong, and playing songs the band wants to play in the middle.

“Like, I think it kind of makes sense to play crowd favorites,” said Danger. “First two or three songs, last two songs, Hit ‘em with crowd favorites.”

The most recent time the Hell Caminos took to the road was 2006. They haven’t toured in 19 years.

Touring back then looks different than it does today– especially for a small band based in Hawai‘i.  During that time, MySpace was the dominating social media platform.

Mike Camino booked the entire tour using MySpace.  Along each stop, Hell Caminos sold CDs and t-shirts to make ends meet.  The money from merchandise went towards gas, food and coffee, plus AC… something luxurious for a punk band.

“Back then we’re giving it a really hard push.” Danger said.  “We’re trying to move a lot of CDs and shirts and now, I mean, half the shows we show up to, we might not have anything for sale anyway.”

Although the band still promotes their performances through social media, they often rely on hope for a positive turnout.

Being around for 20 years has shown Hell Caminos how different generations evolve in the music scene.  

“Back in our day, when we were playing our second show, we sucked,” Danger recalled. “We were playing first.  There was nobody there to watch us.”  

He compared Hell Caminos second show to a new band's second show.  

“I show up, it’s their second show, and they sound like they’ve been playing for 10 years,” he said.

He said that he is very happy to see this—happy kids are gaining an interest in live music.

The feel of each show put on by the older guys continues to inspire a new generation of punk bands who've begun leading the scene with a commanding charge. 

Kainalu Kolivas was introduced to the Honolulu punk scene in 2019 by his friend. As soon as he was introduced, he got to experience the energy that the old guard bands like Black Square, Smitz808, and The Hell Caminos brought to each show. 

“Let's play music,” Kolivas said. “Like, why not? We vibe well together, let's play music.  And that's kind of how Dreams of Future Machines started.” 

Inspired by the older bands and their ability to bring so much intrigue to each show, Kolivas and his friends decided to start playing music together in late 2019.  This was the inception of Dreams of Future Machines. 

During Covid the band recorded their first album Give You Everything at New Town Recorders in New York. Shortly after the release Dreams of Future Machines played their first live show in Honolulu. 

“It went off, like it was crowded, and I was like holy shit!” Kolivas said. “You guys are here for us? That is insane.”

There was an obvious want for new bands coming up in the Honolulu area.  However, Kolivas was getting bored of going to the same old venues like Proof each and every week. 

“I think it’s fun to try and search out new zones.,” he explained. “I was shopping at Harbors [Vintage] one day and had to go to the bathroom, the bathroom is in the back. I walked into this room and was like, ‘what is this? It's just a big room.  I went up to the cashier and I asked her what's going on with the back room, you guys ever think about playing live music?”

Eventually Kolivas got in touch with the owner, who told him his band could try out a live performance there. The first show at Harbors was for their single release In a Wash.

“The whole reason I wanted to find a new spot was because there were no all-age spot…,” Kolivas said. “The kids need to experience that, the kids need to know that this is here.”

Dreams of Future Machines and Kolivas went on to throw shows there for a solid six months, giving the younger generation of punk rockers a chance to have their own place to have fun. 

“Its become a whole new hub,” he said. “I feel like it awakened a whole new side of the scene. People that otherwise would not be able to come out are now regularly hanging out, meeting people, getting inspired to start their own bands. I told (the owner) this is exactly what I was hoping would happen with this space.”

For the new generation of punk rockers Kolivas felt it was important to create a space for all ages to come together and be a part of the community. Along with opening for Smitz at the Proof Anniversary event, Dreams of Future Machines threw seven all-age live shows at Harbors, which they call “Third Space,”, and which has continued to fan the flames that keep the Honolulu punk community alive. 

“Look at the past generation,” Kolivas said. “Look at the guys that are the guys from the past generation. What can you learn from them? How can you grow from watching them?” 

The main component that sets the Honolulu music scene apart from larger scenes is the symbiotic relationship between the older bands and the new generation, the older venues, like Proof, and the newer venues like Third Space at Harbors Vintage. 

The older generations continue to learn and try to keep up with what the new generation is into, and the young generation tries to grow from what the old generation did in the past to be successful. 

At its core, Hawai‘i’s punk scene is a cycle of passing the mic. The older bands built their sound in small rooms and DIY venues. Today, they still show up at Proof Social, drawing crowds, and welcoming whoever walks through the door. 

The younger generation is doing the same, just in their own way.  Kolivas and Dreams of Future Machines built Third Space at Harbors specifically so that teens and first-timers could have the kind of access they never did.

That shared responsibility is what holds the scene together. These bands aren’t competing to stay relevant; they’re actively lifting each other up. The past 20 years have shown that on an island with limited venues and limited reach, collaboration matters more than competition.

As new bands form and old bands continue to evolve, the scene keeps growing, not because of industry backing or viral moments, but because musicians keep choosing to show up for one another.

And in Honolulu, that’s how punk survives.

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