Punk Globe: Where did the name of the band “The Bollweevils come from?

Daryl: The band name came from randomly picking the name from a book. Our original bass player ran his finger through a book and Bollweevils is where his finger landed. We could have been named Toxic Bubblegum but that didn’t stick. The Boll weevil is an Interesting bug. It destroyed the economy of the South by ruining the cotton crops. They couldn’t eradicate that insect until 1989. Pretty resilient.

Punk Globe: How did the band form, Daryl?

Daryl: How the band formed was through the mutual love of Naked Raygun. We all would go to the same shows and meet up as “the survivors in the front”. We would always be upfront, center stage, watching Raygun play. We would survive the deluge of stage divers and the dreaded skinhead wall of death that would smash you from the back, and this built our bond of friendship. Ken and our original bass player were looking for a singer. They saw me singing along with every word at shows and liked my look. They originally were going to ask my buddy Paul (“Bring back Paul from our Weevillive record”), but I got the call. They had done one show with the bass player singing as a three-piece but figured they needed a dedicated singer. I think they made the right choice! 

Punk Globe: any favorite bands?

Daryl: We have a bunch of favorite punk bands Of course Naked Raygun is a favorite of ours. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be a band. Hell, my first show was opening for Raygun at the Cabaret Metro during the Metro 9th/10th Anniversary shows. We have a broad range of bands that we love. Descendants is one of my favorite bands to exist.Bad Religion is another. Circle Jerks, Government Issue, The Freeze, Gorilla Biscuits, Minor Threat, Husker Du, Samiam, Jawbreaker. This list could go on and on. Our staples come from Chicago, like Articles of Faith, and Effigies. Our friends like 88 Fingers Louie, Alkaline Trio, Apocalypse of Hoboken, and  Smoking Popes. This is tiring into me just naming bands. It’s just too much.

Punk Globe: What was the Chicago punk scene like when you guys started?

Daryl: The Punk scene when we started was  a mix of the old school mentors like Raygun, and a bunch of of us new kids. The scene felt gritty and unified but at the same time, you could see the factions forming. There was this regional separation of suburban and city bands. Everyone would come together for the big shows like Raygun, but there was a barrier to break through if you wanted to play the burbs as a fledgling city band. The good thing is that we as bands all worked together in the beginning. The shows were a diverse mix of music that we all considered Punk. It wasn’t about emo shows or hardcore shows. We all went and had a good time. Over time, the separation of bands into factions became more apparent. It was stupid scene politics, which are the worst. Like crabs in a barrel, we tried to drag each other down. Tried to claim someone wasn’t a real “Chicago” band because they were on a California label. That was the claim many had against us and bands like 88 Fingers Louie because they were on Dr. Strange and they were on Fat. Looking back  We wasted a bunch of time on dumb infighting, instead of helping each other as we did in the beginning. All that being said, the early days of the scene were an amazing time. The 90s Chicago scene is still considered one of the best times by many. The live shows back then were electric. It was energy all the time. Everyone gave 100 percent and this pushed everyone to advance. The crowds were supportive and you could see a great show almost any night of the week. We had the Fireside Bowl which was our place of worship in the Church of Punk Rock. There were other places that existed, The Third Floor, The Wrigley Side, McGregor’s, the Elmhurst VFW, house shows, and when Mark Ruffalo got shows going at the Metro again,the man that was the pinnacle. Still one of the best stages to play, period. We all grow up looking back at our past waxing nostalgic. They were our best of times.