It’s about time we had a decent ska/punk band. Here they are, folks! Originally from Asheville, the fearsome fivesome Dawn of the Dude certainly are stealing the show all over North Carolina, gathering fans at both local and out-of-state shows. According to their site on purevolume.com, DOTD began as a joke band for members Digi and Asher about two years ago. Hearing their album Release the Awesome, you would never have guessed the band is that young. Their music is generally not sickeningly critical or romantic, but instead the songs sport surprisingly tame lyrics. If you take away the trombones and the trumpet, their sound is similar to popular rock and punk bands like NOFX or The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Add in the horns, played by Adam and Colin, and you just have a great listening experience. The vocal performance and lyrics can be attributed to the original pair, Digi and Asher. Digi also plays the guitar, and Asher plays the bass. Newest member Matt is the drummer. All five are responsible for the energetic and unique character of the band. And it’s a lot of character, I can assure you.If you’re into ska bands, I encourage you to check them out for yourselves. I caution you, though; their sites aren’t exactly family-friendly. Some listeners may be turned off by the crass comments and cursing on their pages. If you can get past the tactless Web sites, Dawn of the Dude may be worth it. Find Dawn of the Dude at purevolume.com/dawnofthedude, or at myspace.com/dawnofthedude. Upcoming shows are listed on their MySpace page.