The Best Star Wars Pilot Even Cooler Than You Thought
While the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy ended up being a big pile of Bantha poodoo, Oscar Isaac was one of the better additions to this galaxy far, far away. As Poe Dameron, he embodied the kind of effortless cool that made us fall in love with Han Solo way back when. If you didn’t think the actor could get any cooler, you might need to sit down for this next part: before he was an actor, Oscar Isaac was in a ska band that opened for bands like Green Day.
This is something that the actor told Jimmy Kimmel years ago, but for some reason, most Star Wars fans don’t know about it (probably because everyone was busy arguing about The Last Jedi). Back in the day, Oscar Isaac attended the University of Florida at Miami, and he got together with four friends to form a ska band. By itself, this isn’t too impressive, as chances are that you have a few friends who tried their hand at creating a band back in the day before letting that musical dream die.
Interestingly, Oscar Isaac had multiple bands before he had a ska band, giving him a chance to experiment with different genres.
Here’s the really surprising part of Oscar Isaac’s ska band, though: while very limited footage of it remains online (perhaps Disney has been doing an Empire-like purge of old videos), it’s obvious that this band was creating some genuinely good music. It’s not “good for a garage band,” but “When will these guys be on Spotify” good. Isaac’s Christian band was known as the Blinking Underdogs, and for a shining moment in time, it seemed like they were destined for musical stardom.
… the reason that Oscar Isaac is more known for great onscreen performances rather than great ska tunes is that he eventually left the band to study acting at Juilliard.
In case you think I’m the only one who digs the sound of Oscar Isaac’s ska band, get this: the Blinking Underdogs opened for some very big bands back in the day, including Green Day. They also played on Warped Tour and in other major musical festivals. It’s a little hard to imagine, but long before he was an action figure, Isaac was somebody that you could mosh to while wearing your favorite Vans (while trying to keep your JNCO jeans from falling down, of course).
Interestingly, Oscar Isaac had multiple bands before he had a ska band, giving him a chance to experiment with different genres. While the Blinking Underdogs were most successful at ska, they began life as a punk band. At one point, Isaac himself was focusing more on creating folksy music, which is just too perfect: the man who loved folk music eventually became a kind of sci-fi folk hero in Star Wars.
Back in the day, Oscar Isaac attended the University of Florida at Miami, and he got together with four friends to form a ska band.
Speaking of which, the reason that Oscar Isaac is more known for great onscreen performances rather than great ska tunes is that he eventually left the band to study acting at Juilliard. Certainly, audiences are fortunate to have someone so talented to bring many powerful roles to life. However, I can’t help but think that if he had stayed the course, Isaac could have become just as big a singer as he ever was an actor.
These days, Oscar Isaac is too busy acting to jam with his old friends, but I’ve got my fingers crossed for a reunion with his old ska buddies. In a world where “somehow, Palpatine returned,” it’s entirely possible that we could get a Blinking Underdogs reunion. If so, I’ve got a shiny bit of Beskar for the nerd that convinces them to play the cantina song from A New Hope.
