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David McWane Could Use Our Help
March 15th, 2026 by Jimmy Alvarez
The year was 1987, I just landed my first gig in music as a board operator at a small AM radio station in Long Bech, California. Since then, I have been very-very lucky; I am still working in this industry. During this journey I have been fortunate enough to meet a ton of people. Some meetings were great; some were Ok and some not so great – that happens over 30+ years. From time-to-time you hear good things about certain artists; and sometimes that too works out and sometimes it doesn’t. Meeting David McWane was definitely a very positive moment in my life.
I can’t recall the exact year, but it was the middle of summer, and it was in Pomona, you got it – it was my summer at the Warped Tour. I got to meet many of the bands, but it was a chance encounter that I would never forget. We just got done shooting a band, and the photographer I was with said, hey let’s go check out Big D. I knew the name, I knew “Shining On,” but other than that song I wasn’t familiar with them – that would change very quickly.
The show had already begun, and the lead singer stood behind the mic in complete control of the crowd. I remember it like it was yesterday – the lead singer said, “Thank you for checking us out. We’re from Boston Massachusetts – we’re Big D and the Kids Table,” and they segued into their Specials cover of “Little Bitch.” Needless to say, the crowd lost their minds.
Since then, I have gotten to know Big D and their lead singer David McWane. He turned out to be not just a great entertainer and lead singer, but an even better person. I try to stay objective when I write stories, but for this one, I will just speak truth as I see it.
McWane is one of those guys that was brought up right by great parents and has surrounded himself with a band of brothers that puts out insanely cool music. They have traveled the world together and put out era-defining songs and are the class of the third wave of ska.
I once asked Kevin Lyman, the organizer of Warped Tour, which were his top 5 bands to have ever played Warped tour. He named Big D in that list, and it was because of McWane. He called him a “stand up guy.”
As for me, yeah – he turned out to be the real deal. Someone who cares about people and the world we live in. He goes above and beyond often, something I have always admired about him.
Sadly, a few years ago David was diagnosed with throat cancer. As you could imagine it was a dark and very scary time for him, his wife, his parents, loved ones, bandmates and fans worldwide. Luckily with treatment he was able to make a recovery. Like the Phoenix, McWane and Big D was back at it putting out music and touring.
All who follow Big D had an inkling something was up when they canceled their Mexico tour without much explanation. The fear I had and a few of our friends had was that the cancer had returned. Truth is, I don’t know and neither do any of our collective band of friends that love this band. We just all wish for the best.
We finally got the answer. The band posted on their socials; “Today we’re launching a GoFundMe for our friend and bandmate, Dave is currently in treatment for cancer and hasn’t been able to work, and the financial strain has started to build. He’s always been someone who shows up for the people in his life — his friends, his band, and his family — and now it’s our turn to show up for him. If you’re able to donate or share, it would mean a lot. Thank you for helping us support Dave while he focuses on getting through treatment.”
His fans are so taken by this news, many well wishes were posted on the band’s social media pages … one person wrote “One of a kind, emphasis on kind.”
For the moment, we are holding our collective breath that he will be OK. For now, we are going to spread the word that he could use some help. Cancer sucks and can hit any of us, so this news hits us all hard as we know so many people that have been stricken by this horrible disease.
Stay tuned for more detail as they become available. In the meantime, if you have room in your heart and your wallet, please help one of the very good people in the music industry, David McWane. Please donate anything you can to his GoFundMe page in order to help him get through this difficult time.
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