Lodi, a small borough in New Jersey — with half the population of Kaimuki — is known for just two things:

The strip club Satin Dolls that served as the fictional Bada Bing in HBO's "The Sopranos" and the horror-punk band the Misfits.

And depending on who you're talking to, the bar might be just a little more famous. Not that the band cares. (They're punk, remember?)

While the strip bar may live on in syndication history, the Misfits have tattooed their fiend skull on music history, influencing such bands as Blitzkid, Metallica and My Chemical Romance.

"The Misfits have had an unmistakable influence on the music world," said Jason Miller, concert promoter and self-professed Fiend (Misfits fan) who even sports the band's famous skull tattoo on his leg. "Yes, they have had lineup changes and a bit of controversy in their long history, but this is their 30th anniversary tour and how many bands have lasted that long?"

The Misfits are in Hawai'i for the final show on their milestone tour. It's only the second time the band has played in the Islands.

So how does a punk band from Jersey wind up in Hawai'i for a concert?

"Through a lot of contortion moves," responded original Misfit and vocalist/bassist Jerry Only in an e-mail. "We wanted to end our U.S. run on a good note and the timing worked out well. We couldn't think of a better place to end this leg of touring."

In 1977, at the height of the punk movement — and a year after punk icons The Ramones and the Sex Pistols took the genre above ground — the Misfits tore onto the music scene, heavily influenced by the powerful punk sounds of the time.

A year later, though, the band found inspiration in campy horror and sci-fi flicks, creating the horror-punk sound to which the Misfits have been inextricably linked.

Sure, the change cost some band members — Franche Coma couldn't handle the touring, and Jim "Mr. Jim" Catania wasn't fond of the new horror-punk direction and quit — but this new style of punk lured a devoted following that has survived changing band members, the mainstreaming of punk and, well, that Devilock made popular by Only.

That, alone, is impressive.

"We've changed very little, but at the same time, a lot," Only said. "I think we have grown into our shoes."

We tracked town the 48-year-old punk rocker at the airport getting ready to depart for a show in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Q. The Misfits have been an inspiration for dozens of bands and artists over the past three decades. Who/what has been your inspirations over the years?

A. My earliest influences with rock 'n' roll were the bands that originated it in the 1950s. Elvis, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Jay and the Americans and so many others. They were the original punkers.

Q. Why has the connection/fascination with all things horror endured, both with the band and with fans?

A. It seems to be the most constant media. People are always fascinated by what people can dream up. Imagination is always more entertaining than real life.

Q. What's the most common misconception about the Misfits?

A. I'd say it's a misconception between a horror image and the occult. We're a window into the twilight zone; we're not something anti-religious or religious or even political for that matter. We just want to be entertaining to our fans without trying to preach about things they should decide on their own.

Q. How would you describe your "fiends"?

A. Fiends are very loyal to what we do and actually provide us with the strength we need to keep it going for as long as we have.

Q. What's something most people — even your die-hard fans — don't know about the band?

A. We were once offered, back during our early CBGB days, to be the band for a Fruit of the Loom commercial!

Q. How has the punk scene changed from the '70s? And would you even consider today's punk punk?

A. The scene changes only as the audience changes. The original punk, like The Ramones and the Sex Pistols, still endures; the punk scene is an attitude more than it is an art form. Today punk seems to be a lot more accessible. Bands like Green Day have taken it to the highest level possible in the music industry and it's punk, so there you go.

Q. What's your biggest disappointment about today's music industry?

A. Today's music industry doesn't have the potential that it used to have for bands to grow. It seems to me that things are on a smaller level and although it lends the artist the ability to do whatever they want, it also limits the amount of production that most bands can bring to the people in a live atmosphere.

Q. Favorite horror movies of all time?

A. My favorite is the original "Frankenstein" with Boris Karloff.

Q. What do you love/hate about going on the road?

A. I love seeing the kids and playing the shows, and I hate being away from my family. When you're home, you can't wait to get back on the road, and when you're on the road, you can't wait to get back home. So, it's hard to say what you really want. The music and the hanging out with the fans make it all worthwhile, though.

Q. What's the secret to your longevity? How have the Misfits been able to retain its edge, not sell out and keep a very loyal legion of fans?

A. I think it's the work ethic we've always had. We've turned down opportunities many times over the years because they were not representative of what we're all about. Our cause is more important than anything else and we never give up.

Q. Anything you regret?

A. Not really, no. I think every decision you make leads you to where you go. I try not to regret what I've done but deal more with where I am.

Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.

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