Maybe you’ve heard, maybe you haven’t, but a little record label called Asian Man Records is celebrating its 30th birthday this year. For the unfamiliar, Asian Man was started by Mike Park of Skankin’ Pickle, after parting ways with the band and their label, Dill Records.

Mike Huguenor, of Shinobu, Hard Girls, and other bands, recently published a book about the history of the label, Elvis is Dead, I’m Still Alive: The Story of Asian Man Records. It’s both exhaustive and feels like it barely scratches the surface of what has been, to me, one of the most influential labels in independent music, as well as one of the most important names in the scene.

I first encountered AMR thanks to Less Than Jake. It was sophomore year, I had gotten into them thanks to some friends in my high school computer science class. Our Pascal and C++ lab time would mostly be us blasting third-wave ska and doing silly coding tricks while our teacher, Mrs. Ligarski, let us run amok. Having picked up their albums Losing Streak and Hello Rockview, what research I could do pointed me to another album, Pezcore. I asked my friend who worked at Record Town to order a copy.

When it arrived, I opened it to be greeted with not just a CD, but also a folded paper catalog of the other releases from the album’s label, Asian Man Records. Unfolding it, I saw albums and bands I had never heard of, even in my exploring musical rabbit holes on All Music Guide. Slapstick? MU330? Softball? Who were these people?

Also a revelation: mailorder. You mean I could just stick some (well-concealed) cash in an envelope and these mysterious records would show up at my house? (I was never a Columbia House scammer) And way cheaper than buying CDs at the mall. $8 for an album, and $4 for the various compilations? Hell yeah.

The cheap punk compilation is, of course, a relic of the ‘90s now, but how many of my peers’ tastes and lives were defined by these sample platters? Asian Man’s were not the first punk comps I would purchase; that honor goes to Epitaph’s Punk-O-Rama either 3 or 4. But Mailorder is Still Fun! and Misfits of Ska would prove to be huge for me. That opening blast of “Acceleration 5000” by the Blue Meanies was mind-blowing. All these years later, it has lost none of the potency.

As I voraciously consumed albums from Alkaline Trio, the Lawrence Arms, and even bands that weren’t connected to Slapstick in some way, I started to pay more attention to Mike. By this time, it was already easy to find stories about how this label was run entirely from his parents’ garage, and it was pretty much a one person show. This, too, was revelatory. This was probably my first real understanding of what DIY meant, in a practical sense. This guy, at his parents’ house, started and ran this business because he needed to release his band’s music.

While the label has strong ties to the third-wave ska scene, there’s been a diversity that I think people underreport. Lemuria, Laura Stevenson, Joyce Manor, and so many other bands without horn sections have put out records or gotten started on Asian Man, and often gone onto bigger careers. And maybe the one constant from all the bands whose paths have crossed Asian Man is how great Mike is.

From a business standpoint, it’s hard not to see why. Famously, all deals are done with a handshake, and an agreement that the band and the label will split profits 50/50. Mike is very upfront that he’s not gonna do a ton in terms of promotion or work; this comes up repeatedly in the book. And if something better comes along, he always encourages the bands on the roster to make the moves, to do what needs to be done for themselves and their career.

The more you read Mike’s newsletters, or blurbs in the catalogs, or listened to his bands (The Bruce Lee Band, the Chinkees, or his eventual solo work), you encountered an incredibly funny, and thoughtful person. Someone who cared deeply about calling out injustice, for making the world better. The Chinkees’ album Peace Through Music wasn’t just a title, it was a thesis.

Treat people fairly. Recognize injustice. Fight against it. Support your community. Have fun. Art is power. Important lessons, and for me, they started with a folded piece of paper in a ska CD.

When, back in 2011, Mike announced an Asian Man Records 15th anniversary party in San Francisco, I knew I had to go. I hadn’t crossed the country since my uncle’s wedding in high school, and I’m pretty sure I went (deeper) into debt to afford it, but go I did, meeting up with friends from various punk and ska message boards and having an amazing week. Seeing bands like Toys That Kill, Spraynard, the Broadways, Bomb the Music Industry!, and so many more was amazing. I can so clearly remember being at Slim’s and watching an incredible night with The Chinkees, MU330, and Slapstick. Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba took the stage the drunkenly embarrass Brendan during Slapstick’s set, which is quite the feat.

Maybe the most important moment of the whole week, though, happened outside the legendary Bottom of the Hill. Mike was outside, clearly thrilled at everything that was happening. I said hi, told him I had flown out from Boston for this, and briefly told him how much he and his label meant to me. He was friendly and gracious, and seemed honestly shocked I would travel all that way. I’m sure he heard variations on my story hundreds of times over the week.

The fact that this label is still going strong, 15 years later, is incredible. It’s still run from the same garage. The ideals and values haven’t changed. Mike’s having another big bash for the 30th in September, again at the Bottom of the Hill. It sold out almost immediately, without a single band being announced. I sadly cannot make this one, but I look forward to hearing stories and seeing pictures and videos.

Here’s to Mike Park, and Asian Man Records. 30 amazing years, 400-plus releases, and so many people inspired. Thanks for all the music. PEACE.