By Staff | January 13, 2026

Dan "Bopper" O'Day is a veteran musician who launched his career in Vermont with the brass punk group River City Rebels, a band that has maintained its longevity through numerous lineup changes and several distinct creative eras. After a period on a major independent label where he learned difficult lessons about the importance of retaining music publishing rights, O'Day transitioned from raw vocal delivery to a more melodic and confident singing style. Currently, he is focused on a new project called Steppin’ Razor Blades—a high-energy blend of traditional ska, reggae, and punk attitude—while continuing to develop future material for the Rebels. Now older and wiser, O'Day maintains his stage energy through a dedicated vegan lifestyle and daily exercise, focusing his lyrical themes on social messages and his musical legacy.

We have been big fans of Bopper for well over 20 years, after seeing him perform at The Knitting Factory with The River City Rebels in December of 2002 with Catch-22 and Bigwig (yes, that is a hell of a lineup). It’s an honor to be able to interview him.

Bopper, welcome! You started River City Rebels right out of high school in Vermont with a sound that eventually got dubbed "brass punk." Looking back at the Racism, Religion and War era, how does it feel to see the band’s 25th anniversary come and go?

To be honest that line up of the Rebels was very short lived from Racism, Religion and War, so the anniversary felt like more of an accomplishment for me personally since I’m the only member active that was on that first album. The Rebels have been through 6 different stages with members coming and going over the years. Its been the key to keeping things fresh.

During the early 2000s, you were on Victory Records, one of the biggest indie labels in the world. What is the most important lesson you learned about the industry side of music during that whirlwind time?

I would say I’m grateful for Victory. They gave us a shot when no-one else would. I learned nothing last forever and that it’s a bad idea to sign over your publishing rights. I kind of bums me out that I don’t own the rights to my own music. Live and learn…..

You’ve mentioned that a high school class called Rock and Roll Fundamentals was a huge influence on you. If you were teaching that class today, what’s the first thing you’d tell a 16-year-old kid who wants to start a punk band?

That class was everything to me. It gave me a reason to go to school everyday. As far as the first thing I would tell a kid that wanted to be in a punk band …. I would tell them you better love it because you will never have money or security from it. It will however give you family, adventure and purpose.

You’ve been very open about your past struggles with alcohol and how getting sober changed your life. How has being sober altered your creative process or your energy on stage compared to the Drunken Angel years?

I struggled for about a decade and wasted a lot of time, burned bridges and treated people really bad. All things I regret. I was sober for the first 3 RCR albums so going back to the sober process wasn’t that tough. My energy is great now, I’m in better shape than I’ve ever was thanks to a strict Vegan diet and daily exercise.

In 2014, you did a show that was intended to be the end of the Rebels. Was there a specific spark or moment afterwards that made you realize you weren't actually done?

I was in the worst state of mind in 2014. The drinking was non stop and my mother had died a few months before that show. I had pretty much lost the will to live. I was just hanging on. It was shortly after that show I quit drinking. It took me 5 years to get my mind and body back to a good place. Once I hit that place of being ok I knew it was time to get back out and get in the punk rock trenches.

While River City Rebels always had horns, Steppin' Razor Blades feels like a deep dive into traditional ska and reggae. What made you want to move away from the grittier punk sound and embrace these specific riddims?

I’ve always loved ska musc. The Rebels were born out of my old ska band that had dissolved so there was always a loose connection to it. Most of the touring RCR did was with ska bands. This new band Steppin’ Razor Blades isn’t that far removed from RCR. It’s pretty much a 50/50 blend of ska to roots rock and roll. It’s high energy and relies on the punk rock aesthetic and attitude. I love it and can’t wait for people to hear our debut album coming this spring on Screaming Crow records.

"Steppin' Razor" is a classic Peter Tosh reference. How much does 1970s Jamaican political reggae influence the lyrical themes you're writing for this new project?

It’s really important to have a stance and a message especially with the crazy shit that is happening in the USA right now. We do touch upon some of those issues with this upcoming album.

Your vocal style has evolved from raw punk shouting to more melodic, soulful singing. Was that a conscious training of your voice, or just a natural progression as you grew as a songwriter?

That was me learning how to sing and finding my voice. Early on I was very self aware of my singing. I wasn’t very confident. Practice makes perfect and with my case it wasn’t perfect but it was all my own. I’m excited to only have to do backing vocals in the Razor Blades.

The new River City Rebels EP, Pop Culture Baby, features a fresh lineup. How did you go about selecting these specific musicians to help carry the Rebels' torch into 2026?

It was pretty much an All-Star lineup from people in the scene. At the moment RCR is on the back burner with The Razor blades taking priority. I can say the next RCR album is like 70 percent done and will be finished one day.

You’ve said the new material is about showing what the band can do now. How does the upcoming full-length album differ from the "Americana with neck tattoos" vibe of previous albums?

RCR now is pretty much picking up where we left off in 2004. A straight up punk rock and roll band. The Americana elements we did from 2006 to 2012 pretty much ended when all the musicians that help craft that sound left the band.

The Rebels have always had a big following in Europe. What is it about the European punk scene that keeps you heading back across the Atlantic after all these years?

We haven’t been to Europe since 2011. We went over twice and had a blast both time. Europe really supports independent music and they take care of touring bands. It was night and day from touring the states. I hope to make it back one day.

Ending a song with the spoken words "dead by 37" is extremely powerful. Was this self-referential, and if so, how differently do you feel now about life, longevity and your own legacy?

That was an inside jab at someone and was in really bad taste. It was never about me, but a lot of people did think it was. I’m 47 now and feel like I have a lot of wasted time to make up for. I think The new Steppin’ Razor Blades Album “Stay Sharp” is a great start toward making it up.

Back In The Trenches: An Interview with Dan “Bopper” O’Day of River City Rebels and Steppin’ Razor Blades

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