It took throwing up on his drum kit, coughing repeatedly in the face of a pretty girl, and being minimized by doctors before finally getting the diagnosis that would forever change his world. Despite a couple brutal go-rounds with cancer, he beat that shit into the ground, and he is cancer free today. Rob’s been to hell and back and lives to tell the story. thankfully. That’s horrible,” he said.Īnd he should know. I called Rob and had to immediately tell him about what I just saw.

“When you go to the hospital and unexpectedly get diagnosed with cancer, at least you have your nofx tank and pajama pants on,” the post read. A dude posted a picture of himself decked out in a NOFX tank and pajama pants with a goofy grin and thumbs up in a hospital room. Serendipitously, the first thing that popped up was a post in a punk group I follow. I was nervous and excited to talk with Rob, so while I was waiting for our call, I decided to kill some time on Facebook. I highly recommend that everyone read this book, and then pass it along to another friend who will enjoy it. It's a page-turner that will leave you begging for more. But, just as Rob lands the cute girl and his band is offered dates to perform on the Warped Tour, Rob is diagnosed with cancer at 17 years old and his life is thrown into a tailspin.ĭie Young With Me sheds humor on the darkest of days. Pretty much every one of us can relate to that. (I know that doesn’t add up) It's about a punk kid growing up in 'Shitsville, USA,' starting a band with his brother and friends and pining for the hot cheerleader. Rob’s book, Die Young With Me, is 50% love story, 50% cancer survival, and 100% punk. (To read the full interview, click here) I'd been feeling a little jaded on punkers lately, but after spending an hour talking to one of the most humble and down-to-earth punk rockers on the planet, my world feels like its been turned back on its proper axis, and my faith in punk is restored. I wanted to interview Rob about his book and encourage all Mable Syndrome followers to read it too. I was so touched after reading the book that I reached out to Rob to let him know how much the book meant to me.

It's a punk rock story that grabs your soul and doesn't let go. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to throw up this book is not for the faint of heart. In Rob's new book, Die Young With Me, he does just that and more. But not everyone is able tell their story in a way that is both relatable and inspiring. We all have shit in our lives we've had to deal with, and frankly, I appreciate people who have a little baggage. My favorite punk rockers are the ones with a good story. Rob Rufus, drummer for Blacklist Royals and The Bad Signs, opens up to us about his new book, how punk rock helped save his life, and the punk rock chicks he digs.

Die Young with Me by Rob Rufus