Warren Oakes leaves AgainstMe!

Thu 11th Jun, 2009 in International News

Early last month, Tom Gabel of Florida punk stalwarts Against Me! announced it was time for drummer Warren Oakes to leave the band. Having joined the line-up in 2001 after the departure of Kevin Mahon, Oakes was asked to move on by the frontman.

“We told Warren this afternoon that we are going to look for a new drummer,” Gabel wrote in a blog post. “I told [the rest of the band] that I didn’t want to play music with Warren anymore. They both agreed that this was a necessary step, it’s been a long time coming. Warren’s heart hasn’t been in this for a while now.”

This week, Oakes formally announced his departure in a very cordial tone. “I’ve spent the past 8 years making beautiful music with my best friends and sharing it with amazing people all over the world,” his statement reads. “Thank you so much to everyone who helped make the dream a reality, especially Tom, James and Andrew. I’ve had the time of my life, and I owe it all to you.”

The drummer has already moved on to his next project (no, not helping out Billy Corgan). He has opened a Mexican restaurant called Boca Fiesta in his hometown Florida, where you can enjoy delights like root beer on tap, pizzadillas and pulled pork.