Two young, attractive men embrace, kiss each other on the lips, and then hold up a sign reading "Just Married".  It's a pro-Gay commercial from the Human Rights Campaign, right?  Nope.  It's a music video by Head Automatica, an all-straight punk-pop band from Long Island, New York.  The video, for the song "Graduation Day", exemplifies how people drastically change lifestyles from high school to adulthood.  In this case, a hot teenage jock comes out years later and marries his cutie pie boyfriend.  Head Automatica vocalist Daryl Palumbo, a supporter of Gay-hetero male friendships and Gay marriage, loved the concept of the video when it was first presented to him. 

Head Automatica performs live in Seattle, at The Fenix (formerly The Premier), on Sunday night, November 19.  The concert, part of MTV2's "$2 Bill Series", also features 30 Seconds to Mars (fronted by actor Jared Leto) and Cobra Starship.  Tickets, priced at $22, are available at www.ticketswest.com or at the door (price may vary).  Gay rockers, this show is for you! 

In Palm Springs, California rehearsing for the group's upcoming tour, here's what Daryl Palumbo had to say when he got comfy inside "The Music Lounge". 

Albert Rodriguez: Your music video for "Graduation Day" has a Gay scene in it.

Daryl Palumbo: Yeah, there are two dudes kissing in our video!

Rodriguez: Did the band come up with the concept for the video, or did someone else?

Palumbo: When word gets out that we're going to do a new video, the directors who want to direct it make a treatment (concept).  Tony Petrossian submitted the treatment that blew my mind the most.  One of his ideas was to have people from high school slipping the script.  There were those kids who picked on you in school, the wild jocks, and now I'm sure a lot of them are out of the closet homosexuals.  So, one thing was to have the ultra good looking, Republican, pseudo-fascist, jock teenager in high school admit he was Gay and marry a man in the video.

Rodriguez: Not only is he Gay in the video, but he kisses his partner and gets married. 

Palumbo: It's amazing, isn't it?!  I love that part!  I'm glad it happened!

Rodriguez: It's very cool for us Gay folks to see that in a mainstream music video. 

Palumbo: For as lighthearted and as cheeky as it seems, with the Gay flag and the boys kissing, I think it's great!  I think it shows the level we're on.  I wish all people could address it like that, rather than the way it seems to be addressed in our society, Gay marriage that is.

Rodriguez: Obviously you're pro-Gay and pro-Gay marriage.

Palumbo: Of course, of course!  If you're Gay and you're in love with a man, who the fuck am I to tell you that you can't marry him?  If I fell in love with a boy, I'd fucking marry him!  I don't know why it's a problem.  Especially, I don't know why it's a problem for the Catholic Church.  I'm Catholic and I have no problem with Gay people or Gay men, being hit on by Gay men, or hitting on a Gay man.  I just don't understand why someone would think that their opinion is enough to dictate what someone with a different lifestyle can or cannot do. 

Rodriguez: A straight friend of mine, who I've known for about five years, recently asked me why I've never hit on him.  He felt kind of insulted that I'd never made a move on him. 

Palumbo: (laughs) I'd be like, "Fuck you!  You've never hit on me!"  Or, I would offer it to a Gay friend and be like, "Hey, am I not attractive?!  Because you've never fucking hit on me!"  

Rodriguez: I didn't know straight men had that kind of sensitivity. 

Palumbo: I think most straight men don't have that sensitivity.  But we here at Head Automatica absolutely do have that sort of sensitivity! (laughs)

Rodriguez: Do you have Gay friends, or does your girlfriend have a Gay entourage?

Palumbo: Of course!  I have a girlfriend, and I have plenty of Gay friends, some of whom have hit on me numerous times in the past. 

Rodriguez: What goes through your mind when you see Seattle on your tour itinerary?

Palumbo: I love Seattle!  I get excited.  I think you guys have great record stores.  For some reason, I enjoy the rain when I'm in Seattle.   I really like playing there.  I have good friends there. 

Rodriguez: Describe a Head Automatica show, for those who haven't seen the band live.

Palumbo: It's a fucking crazy rock and roll show.  It's overly high-energy pop music.  It's punk, it's pop, it's live, and about as much energy a band can give you in a rock show. 

Rodriguez: You appear to have a very charismatic, outgoing personality on stage.

Palumbo: I'm not a charismatic dude, or I won't admit to it, but I'm a fucking showman.  I love being on stage.  When people are getting off on what we're doing for them, there's nothing that gets me off harder than that.  I love to entertain people.  I love putting on a show. 

Rodriguez: What happens on the tour bus?  Lots of sleeping, drinking, and DVD watching? 

Palumbo: A lot of wine gets drunk.  DVDs get watched.  Weed gets smoked.  Books get read. 

Rodriguez: Do you notice any big differences between the US and UK music audiences?

Palumbo: I find that people overseas wait a long time for their favorite American bands to get over there.  They save up their lunch money for weeks and go see these bands from other countries, and they freak out.  I think American audiences are very spoiled.  I've come to find that American audiences get everything served to them on a silver platter, so they don't realize how special it is to see a great concert when they finally see it. 

Rodriguez: Some artists are notorious for leaving things behind while on tour, like socks or underwear.  What about you?

Palumbo: No, no, no.  I don't really lose too many things, thank god!  I try to be meticulous.  If I do a show and sweat too much and my underpants get soaking wet, I tend to leave them behind in the dressing room.

Rodriguez: Ooh.  We could sell those on eBay! 

Palumbo: (laughs and pauses) Yeah, of course.