In his Vancouver band’s storied, three-decade history, Joe Keithley has pulled the plug on D.O.A. before. This time though, it’s personal. Or, wait, is it business?
Keithley is vying for a nomination that will enable him to run to become the NDP’s member of the legislative assembly in the riding of Coquitlam-Burke Mountain, B.C. As such, he’s spending his time knocking on doors to speak to residents about what matters most to them.
“I’ve always been a man of the people,” Keithley says over the phone, “and what I’ve learned through music is, you have to listen to people and try and do something to straighten things out as best you can.”
It’s the kind of work that is putting the pioneering punk institution D.O.A. on the blocks; the band embarks on their farewell tour of Canada with Ontario, Quebec and East Coast dates beginning this week.
“Put it this way: if I’m elected, I won’t be able to do any D.O.A. shows for four years,” Keithley explains. “If I get re-elected, I won’t be doing any for eight years. If I’m elected for 12 years, maybe I’ll be premier and can laze around. I’m joking, right? So yes, it is a farewell tour in that sense. But if I’m defeated, I still own my guitar.”
Best known for writing outspoken anthems that challenge the status quo and encourage free thinking and even a bit of anarchy, Keithley was involved in the NDP just out of high school. He says that, while he’s been trying to change the world for the better from outside of the mainstream, this is his chance to do so from the inside.
Anyone wondering about his conviction here should note that he’s gone all in, announcing a D.O.A. farewell tour before he’s even won a nomination to run for office.
“Y’know what, I’m a confident guy,” he says. “I believe the people of Coquitlam-Burke Mountain will make the right choice. I have a deserved reputation as a straight shooter and I’ve spent a lifetime working on projects that help people and I think that will see me through. But obviously, I have to combine that with a whole lotta work.”
As for D.O.A.’s last stand, Keithley says fans can expect a few songs from their latest album, We Come in Peace, and then music from throughout their catalogue with an emphasis on early material like “Disco Sucks.” Western Canadian dates are planned for mid-November, with a final Vancouver show — including potential surprise guests and faces from D.O.A. past — in December just before Christmas.
“I think people can expect a robust, swashbuckling, no-holds-barred music extravaganza,” Keithley says of the farewell tour, in his best politician’s pitch-man voice. “That’s what people are gonna get every night. I guarantee it!”
To hear the full conversation, you have two options. You can download an MP3 if you right-click and “Save target as.” Or to stream it, press play.
See D.O.A. on their farewell tour of Canada beginning this week.
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D.O.A.'s Joe Keithley running for B.C. NDP nomination