Gary "Sinner", center, and Shelby, right, make up two-thirds of the Chop Tops. "Hotrod," left, has been replaced by T.K.

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Playing the Vans Warped Tour has opened up an entire new world of fans for the Chop Tops, a California-based rockabilly group.

"It is a big honor to go out and really shop our music to a broader audience of kids who have no idea about the roots of rock 'n' roll," drummer Gary "Sinner" said in a phone interview from the road. "It is like giving a history lesson, only doing it with humility. It is grueling, hard work, but it has been as rewarding as any other tour date that we've done."

The Santa Cruz trio — specializing in a mix of straight rockabilly, psychobilly and surf rock — played select Warped dates before setting out on its own tour, which stops at the Surly Wench Pub on Saturday.

Band members only recently quit their day jobs to take on the music business full time.

Here is a closer look at who you'll be seeing.

Instrument: drums.

Old day job: manager at a copy shop.

Influences: God, the devil and Johnny Cash. "Those are three massive influences on our music. God for obvious reasons, the devil for similar obvious reasons, and Johnny Cash because he is a badass. The guy lived a hard life and dedicated it to rock 'n' roll. You've got to respect that."

Favorite drink at a show: Red Bull and water. "I'm not really a boozehound. I don't drink anymore. I have already had enough to drink for five lifetimes."

Favorite type of venue: a toss-up. "I like the honky-tonks and rustic places with clout and class. At the same time I like the high-end new venues with the kicking sound systems and proper insulation."

Why Sinner started the Chop Tops: "I played in a few bands before the Chop Tops. I saw a lot of pitfalls, a lot of ego, people turning on each other. I left my last band, thinking I wanted to have a group where everyone has equal say. The history of this band has been a partisan relationship where we are totally listening to each other and making things work. We've had some turnover, but we've cut down the fat and come down to a really solid three-piece band of brothers playing together and having a good time."

Instrument: guitar.

Old day job: Web site developer.

Influences: Carl Perkins, the Stray Cats and punk bands like the New York Dolls and the Sex Pistols.

Favorite drink at a show: Jack Daniels and Coke on ice.

Favorite type of venue: historical venues. "There is one in Brisbane, California, called Demarco's 23 Club. Carl Perkins played there. Eddie Cochran played there. Then there is a place like Cain's Ballroom in (Tulsa) Oklahoma where the Sex Pistols played. If the sound system sucks and the venue has historical value, that's cool. If the sound system sucks and there is no historical value, then they suck."

The Warped Tour experience: "The Warped Tour is interesting. There are a lot of screamo bands. We hear a lot of screaming. I don't have anything against it, but when you hear it all day long, you can go a little crazy."

The Surly Wench: "I loved it. I even have a shirt from our last visit in 2005. That was a great, great crowd on a very hard tour."

Instrument: slap bass.

Old day job: carpenter.

Influences: The Rev. Horton Heat, Stray Cats, the Hillbilly Hellcats.

Favorite drink at a show: Budweiser or gin and tonic. "I figure gin and tonic is really low-impact on your liver. I am trying to drink for the long haul."

Favorite type of venue: "I like playing the seedy dive bars. The flow is a little looser. There is no pressure to perform a certain way. You can let your hair down a little bit more."

His start in rockabilly: "I've always been an upright bass player. I used to play jazz and orchestral stuff. I was introduced to the slap bass by a friend of mine. I liked the way it sounded. I was used to playing jazz bass or playing it with a bow. I fell in love with how it sounded when it was slapped. I was offered a job with the Devil Heads and then joined the Chop Tops after that."