Dave Scott Schwartzman dove head first into punk rock at an early age. At 14 he managed a New Jersey band called The East Paterson Boys Choir. In 1981, at the age of 15, influenced by the emerging sounds of hardcore bands like Bad Brains, Circle Jerks, and Black Flag, he started his own band with friend Paul Richard. They would call themselves Adrenalin O.D.
A.O.D. (as they would be known) formed their own path through the ’80s American hardcore punk scene. They were faster and funnier than anyone else. Their songs dealt with the New Jersey suburban experience while injecting a much-needed dose of sarcasm and humor. The band would tour North America extensively, release dozens of records worldwide, launch New Jersey’s first punk-run independent record label (Buy Our Records), and influence bands as diverse as Metallica, NOFX, Anthrax, Bouncing Souls, and Screeching Weasel.
Schwartzman was also a regular columnist for the influential punk magazine Maximum Rock n’ Roll, a writer for New Jersey’s first hardcore fanzine, Assassin Of Youth, and the host of New Jersey’s first punk cable television show, Alternative Static. Along with Adrenalin O.D. guitarist Bruce Wingate he also co-hosted and created the groundbreaking yet short-lived punk comedy podcast This Show Sucks With Dave and Bruce.
His new book, If It’s Tuesday This Must Be Walla Walla: The Wacky History Of Adrenalin O.D. from DiWulf Publishing House is a 300 page magnum opus that chronicles the band’s hysterical history, complete with unseen photos, flyers, and a complete A.O.D. discography. The book has received rave reviews for its humor and conversational writing style. Respected hardcore website No Echo described it as “…like sitting in a bar next to a great storyteller who can present their vivid recollections in a way that makes you feel like you were actually there with them when it happened.”
