Danny Secretion is a Sacramento punk musician and scene figure, best known as the drummer and a vocalist of the long-running local band The Secretions, which he co-founded in 1991.[1] His legal surname is Reynoso — he performs and is widely known under the stage name "Danny Secretion."[2][3] Beyond the band, he is recognized as a community organizer and mentor within Sacramento's punk scene — most prominently through the annual "Fuck Cancer"/"Cancer Sucks" birthday benefit shows he runs for the American Cancer Society.[4][5][6]
At a glance
- Co-founded The Secretions in 1991 with Mickie Rat after the two met at Sacramento State.[1]
- Plays drums and sings in The Secretions; has also played in The Moans, The Shitty Ramones, and Luckie Strike-era collaborations.[1][7][8]
- Originally joined The Secretions as a guitarist; according to Wikipedia, Mickie Rat recruited him at the funeral of D.J. Willis, the band's original guitarist who was killed in a vehicular accident.[3]
- Toured as drummer for the Groovie Ghoulies on their first North American tour, which also featured Screw 32 and The Queers.[3]
- Was the recording and touring guitarist for Kepi Ghoulie's first electric solo efforts.[3]
- Also plays guitar for The Knockoffs and bass for Captain 9's & The Knickerbocker Trio.[3]
- Performs a solo/alter-ego act billed as "Gene Chowder" and "The Danny Secretion Band."[6][9]
- Hosts an annual multi-night birthday benefit for the American Cancer Society, motivated by losing his father to cancer.[4][5][10][6][9]
- Widely cited by younger Sacramento bands as a mentor and supporter of the local punk scene.[10][11]
- A Sacramento local: a "local musician" and "stalwart of the Sacramento punk rock scene."[6][9]
Role in the scene
Danny Secretion functions in the Sacramento punk community in three overlapping roles: musician, benefit promoter, and mentor.
As a musician, he is the drummer and one of the vocalists of The Secretions, the band he is most identified with.[1] According to Wikipedia, he originally joined The Secretions as a guitarist — Mickie Rat recruited him at the funeral of D.J. Willis, the band's original guitarist, who had been killed in a vehicular accident.[3] The Secretions went on to play roughly 800 shows over their 25-year run (1991–2016).[12][3] He has also been a member of multiple other local punk outfits, including The Moans, The Shitty Ramones, and (per a fellow musician's recollection of shared tours) a peer relationship with Luckie Strike, with whom The Secretions toured and shared a drum kit.[7][8] He also plays guitar for The Knockoffs and bass for Captain 9's & The Knickerbocker Trio.[3] Outside Sacramento, he toured as the drummer for the Groovie Ghoulies on their first North American tour, a run that also featured Screw 32 and The Queers.[3] He was likewise the recording and touring guitarist for Kepi Ghoulie's first electric solo efforts.[3] He performs solo material under the alter-ego "Gene Chowder" and has billed performances as "The Danny Secretion Band."[6][9]
As an organizer, he runs an annual birthday benefit concert series for the American Cancer Society, variously titled the "Cancer Sucks" B-Day Bash, "FUK CNCR," and the "Fuck Cancer" shows (also self-deprecatingly called his "lame-ass birthday benefits").[4][5][6][9] The events span multiple nights across several Sacramento-area venues, with low sliding-scale cover charges and proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.[4][6][9] He has described the shows as personal and therapeutic, tied to the death of his father from cancer.[5][10]
As a mentor, he is repeatedly named by younger Sacramento bands as a guide and advocate. He wrote Submerge's profile of City of Vain — described as his first article for a magazine.[7] Dead Dads played one of their earliest shows at one of his cancer benefits, and The O'Mulligans publicly count him as a mentor through his band The Moans.[13][11]
Local status
Danny Secretion is unambiguously local to Sacramento. He and Mickie Rat met as students at Sacramento State and formed The Secretions there in 1991.[1] Submerge repeatedly frames The Secretions as a "Sacramento band" and "Sacramento punk legends," and describes Danny as a "local musician" and "stalwart of the Sacramento punk rock scene."[1][5][6][9] Evidence quote: he is "of local punk legends The Secretions" and "another round of awesome FUK CNCR shows... thanks to the efforts of local musician Danny Secretion."[5][6]
Timeline
- 1991 — Meets Mickie Rat at Sacramento State and co-founds The Secretions.[1] According to Wikipedia, Mickie Rat specifically recruited Danny as a guitarist at the funeral of D.J. Willis, the band's original guitarist who had been killed in a vehicular accident.[3]
- 1998 — The Secretions play Rio Americano High School and are escorted off campus by police after a confrontation; per Danny, bands that played the next two years had to sign a contract saying they didn't know the band.[10]
- 2009 — At roughly 18 years as a band, The Secretions (Mickie Rat, Danny Secretion, Paul Filthy) release GREASYHOTMEATCHEEZY, with a video shoot for "Back in the Day Punk" filmed with local DJ/filmmaker Rob Young (Rob Fatal).[1]
- 2011 — Runs the "Cancer Sucks" B-Day Bash: six shows in four nights across The Blue Lamp, Luigi's, and Digitalis Studios.[4]
- 2012 — Birthday benefit features themed tribute sets by local bands (e.g., The Left Hand covering Misfits, Dead Dads covering Alkaline Trio) at Luigi's Fungarden and Press Club.[5]
- 2013 — Writes Submerge's City of Vain profile; appears in the Knockoffs feature as a guest/affiliated musician.[7][8]
- 2015 — "FUK CNCR" shows return for four nights; the bill includes his "Gene Chowder" alter-ego act and The Secretions.[6]
- 2016 — The Secretions celebrate 25 years — roughly 800 shows since forming — with an anniversary show at the Colonial Theatre, a benefit for a pit bull rescue group; numerous local musicians testify to Danny's mentorship.[10][12][3]
- 2017 — Annual "Fuck Cancer" benefit runs five nights across venues including Powerhouse Pub (Folsom), Press Club, Old Ironsides, Cafe Colonial/The Colony, and Blue Lamp; "The Danny Secretion Band" is among the acts.[9]
Benefit shows for the American Cancer Society
The annual benefit is among Danny Secretion's most visible contributions to the scene. He began raising money for the American Cancer Society before his father's death, then pursued it more aggressively after losing his father to cancer.[10] The events have grown into multi-night affairs across the Sacramento area — six shows in four nights in 2011, four nights in 2015, and five nights in 2017 — with low, accessible cover charges (often $5, or a $5–$20 sliding scale) and benefit T-shirts, all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.[4][6][9] He has described them as exhausting but therapeutic.[10]
Scene relationships and mentorship
Multiple Sacramento musicians credit Danny Secretion and The Secretions as mentors and supporters:
- David Lindsay of The O'Mulligans first saw The Secretions at their 10-year anniversary show at Capitol Garage at age 15 and considers them rock 'n' roll heroes.[10]
- Jordan Stephen (Shot Trip, formerly Pilgrim) credits The Secretions with helping him find a place in the Sacramento scene.[10]
- Jordan Wolfe (Final Summation) describes the band as "big brothers" who offered advice on touring, merch, and life, and were present after a bandmate's death.[10]
- Sophia Flores (Crude Studs) cites cooperative booking with them at The Hub and Cafe Colonial, calling them "the gateway drug to punk in Sacramento."[10]
- The O'Mulligans consider him a mentor via his band The Moans.[11]
- Tony Silva — subject of the Secretions song "Tony Silva Rides the Bus" — later played in Dead Dads, whose early show was at a Danny Secretion cancer benefit.[1][13]