Big D and The Kids Table is a unique ska band that’s been around for about a decade and moving up the ranks of popularity despite some haters of the ska music genre. As Ryan from Big D explains to Label Networks TV live from the Vans Warped Tour last week, it’s a tough life to play within the midst of the recent crop of young up-and-coming bands turning out recontextualized punk, emo, and indie, but Big D perseveres. One way has been to provide lyrics and meaning to their songs such as “Hell on Earth” to bring attention to the global climate crisis, and other songs that are dedicated to raising awareness for the Save Darfur non-profit organization.

When Big D and The Kids Table first played Warped in ’05, they were mostly on the smaller stages or moving up to the Hurley stage. However this year, as most bands do that gain popularity, they’ve been gracing the mainstage on more occasions and are one of those slow-roasting break-out bands creating a new funnel in music as their version of ska provides a refreshing change for those ready for something different.

Big D and The Kids Table has caught on in Europe as well, and will not be able to play-out the last week of the tour because of booked gigs at the European festivals including Redding and Leads. What this indicates is that while some music genres get dissed in their attempts of be unique, sticking with your passion can play out in the end as the doors open to change and progress, which is where Big D and The Kids Table move in.