Swami John Reis

Since the early '90s, John Reis has been one of the busiest and most influential figures on the San Diego punk/indie rock scene as a founding member of the bands Rocket from the Crypt, Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes, and PLOSIVS. The common thread in Reis' projects is a love of the power of aggressive, straightforward rock & roll without a reliance on clichés, and a willingness to crossbreed punk with rhythm & blues (Rocket from the Crypt), indie rock (Drive Like Jehu), garage rock and surf (Hot Snakes), and hard rock (the Night Marchers), with Reis offering up muscular guitar and gritty, passionate vocals at every turn. As a solo artist, he indulged his passion for surf music on 2015's Modern Surf Classics and added some pop touches on 2022's Ride the Wild Night, though they boasted the energy and melodic punch that's his trademark.