Against Me! Lose Drummer

06/09/09 11:19am

by Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

Against Me! drummer Warren Oakes has left the band to open a Mexican restaurant in the band's hometown of Gainesville, Fla.

Against Me! posted a message on their website on Monday to wish Oakes good luck with his endeavor and say they "don't rule out the possibility of some day playing music together again." Oakes just opened the restaurant, which is called Boca Fiesta. You can see the menu here.

"I've spent the past 8 years making beautiful music with my best friends and sharing it with amazing people all over the world," Oakes said in a statement that you can read on Against Me!'s website.

"I've had the honor and privilege of traveling with the most dedicated road dogs on the planet and sharing the stage with the greatest bands. I have been embraced by so many with such graciousness and hospitality and love. Thank you so much to everyone who helped make the dream a reality, especially Tom [Gabel, singer/guitarist], James [Bowman, guitar] and Andrew [Seward, bass]. I've had the time of my life, and I owe it all to you."

But despite the amicable tone of Against Me!'s message posted to their website, Gabel recently wrote on his personal blog that he was going to to tell Oakes the band were going to look for another drummer. In fact, the post seems to suggest Oakes may have been fired.

"Andrew, James and I made the decision a couple days ago over lunch," Gabel wrote. "I told them 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."

Oakes joined Against Me! in 2001 just before the release of the band's Against Me! Is Reinventing Axl Rose debut album. He has drummed on all the band's albums since, including 2003's As The Eternal Cowboy, 2005's Searching For A Former Clarity and the band's major label debut, 2007's New Wave.