Relient K Bassist Bonds Over Ben Kenobi

Relient K bassist John Warne understands the Force all too well after having a rather public run-in with a few of Darth Vader's Imperial lackeys. When he and his bandmates toured the United States last year with Fall Out Boy, one of their shows was invaded by a group of stormtroopers from a local 501st Garrison to promote the DVD release of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. Warne, a long-time Star Wars fan, had plenty to say about the last film of the saga.

"We as a band watched it at the midnight showing in Providence, RI, while on tour," Warne recalls. "Some of the guys from Good Charlotte were with us, which was odd to me since they had already seen it having gone to Skywalker Ranch to watch it with George Lucas himself some weeks before. Lucky!"

"I thought Revenge of the Sith was a masterpiece and totally rounded out the double trilogy," Warne continues. "It exceeded my expectations. Probably the most moving part to me was Obi-Wan's impassioned speech to Anakin Skywalker after cutting off his limbs and leaving him for dead. He was angry, confused, and hurt, but not seething with hatred. That dude never loses his cool."

Obi-Wan Kenobi's level-headed, yet easy-going demeanor is one of the reasons Warne identifies the most with the Jedi Master. "Hands down my favorite character in Revenge of the Sith and the original trilogy is Obi-Wan. He's a Jedi that channels his passion into furthering justice with compassion. And we all know that what guys want most is justice... and to be involved in a heist. One out of two ain't bad."

Kenobi wasn't the only character who impressed Warne in Sith. Anakin's tragic downward spiral into the dark side made Warne think the line between right and wrong isn't as blurry as we might like to believe.

"I understood how it could happen, how Anakin's desire to save others left him vulnerable to the influences of the dark side. However, I felt that it happened a little too quickly to be entirely believable. Of course, there is a gray space between each person's definitions of good and evil, but I don't entirely subscribe to the 'what might be right for you is not right for me' axiom. There are absolutes, and people deceive themselves when they say there aren't. Evil is committed when a person compromises his or her integrity even on the smallest level, leaving the character in a weakened state. It's a snowball effect in either direction. Ultimately, for good or bad, we become who we are by the cumulating effect of the smallest of choices we make."

Episode III also answered many nagging questions for Warne as he watched the story unfold. "Of course, I wondered before Sith came out how it would be that Anakin could turn to the dark side," Warne says. "There was a bit of foreshadowing in Episode II that partly laid the foundations, but seeing Sith really fleshed it out. I also wondered how Yoda's and Obi-Wan's exiles would come about, so that was cool to see as well. I was also really glad that Sith was a much darker movie than the first two prequels. It was very much like The Empire Strikes Back in that regard, but even more so. I think this allowed you to be drawn into the characters more."

This isn't the first time Warne's pondered questions about the Jedi and their fight against the Sith. Long before Revenge of the Sith hit the big screen, Warne witnessed his first glimpse into a galaxy far, far away as a young kid. "I believe my first Star Wars memory was when I watched A New Hope in the theater when it was re-released," Warne says. "I was too young to really understand what was going on but old enough to know that, more than anything, I wanted to be Luke Skywalker. Episode IV made me become a fan. I really had no choice in the matter. I wanted a lightsaber and to use the Force, and knew that, armed with these tools, I could overcome insurmountable odds like good ol' Luke himself. I even wanted to go into Tosche station and pick up some power converters."

Warne had to settle for playing with Star Wars toys. "Sadly, I was never able as a kid to get more than a few Star Wars figurines, and toys that came in C-3PO's cereal," Warne says. "I do remember, though, that one was a Boba Fett and the other was one of the guys in red who flanks the Emperor. My friend down the street was lucky. He had the Ewoks' trees (complete with a bunch of Ewoks), a Millennium Falcon, a walker, and a ton of figurines including Lando. I would go over to his house, cruise around the galaxy, and perhaps a Han Solo would find its way into my pocket by the end of the afternoon -- by accident, of course."

Though Warne doesn't consider himself a hardcore collector he does admit to having at least one pride and joy item. "The one item I have my mom recently found in storage in the garage," Warne says. "It's a picture book of Return of the Jedi, and I was astonished to see it again. It looks so '80s and awesome."

His appreciation for Star Wars never waned, and as he entered college, Warne couldn't resist showing off his geek pride. "During the first week of my freshman year in college, I was talking to this young buck that was living on the same floor as myself, and we decided it would probably be an excellent idea to dress up in faux Star Wars attire, grab some 'sabers, and stage duels at different points on campus," Warne laughs. "I was able to get a few cheers, but by and large we received mostly weird looks."

Bewildered expressions are the last thing Warne sees now with his alternative Christian rock band Relient K. The band, originally hailing from Canton, Ohio, has a loyal legion of fans who appreciate their catchy rock melodies and witty lyrics saturated with Biblical and pop culture references. In 2000, Relient K released their debut EP called 2000 A.D.D., and followed that same year with their self-titled debut full-length release. In 2001, the band released their sophomore album, The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek, which included a rather obvious reference to Star Wars with the fan favorite song "May the Horse Be With You."

To show their appreciation for their much younger fans, the band covered the song "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" for the "Veggie Tales" movie Jonah. In 2003, Relient K released Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... but Three Do -- which was later nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Christian Modern Rock Album. In 2004, the band showed their festive side with the Christmas album Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hands which included old-fashioned carols and not so traditional songs such as "Santa Claus Is Thumbing to Town" and "I Hate Christmas Parties." That same year the group released their long-expected fourth album, Mmhmm which landed them on TRL on MTV with their hit songs "Be My Escape" and "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been."

While Relient K is touring and working on their new release for 2006, Warne says he can't wait to do a marathon viewing of all six Star Wars films. "I've been looking forward to an Episode I-VI marathon for quite some time," Warne says. "I'm going to watch it straight through from the beginning and let Star Wars goodness roll over me."

Now that the film saga has come full circle, Warne has a few theories as to why it continues to warm the hearts of fans from all generations. "First, I would say, is that fact that it begins with the classic hero myth. No one can resist that. And in contrast with other sci-fi and fantasy films, Star Wars doesn't get too techie but keeps the storyline front-most in importance. Of course, it also doesn't hurt that Harrison Ford is the best Han Solo there could be."

"I would like to think that we feel more nostalgia about the original trilogy than our kids might about the prequels since the films were so revolutionary in a number of ways. But as long as the new ones are making a connection, that's what matters most."

To find out when Relient K will be playing in your area and to read their tour blog, visit the official Relient K site here.

Stay tuned to Star Wars Rocks for more interviews from some of your favorite bands and celebrities.