It’s not a stretch to say that when Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker gets behind his kit he is an animal. The hard-bashing, in-demand producer and collaborator attacks the skins like they owe him money. But in a new PSA for Humane World For Animals (formerly known as the Humane Society of the United States), Barker, 50, steps out from behind his drums to share a very special message about taking action to stand up for animals as part of the organization’s Small Steps For Good campaign.
“I haven’t eaten meat since I was 13 and I’ve been a vegetarian since then,” Barker, 50, tells Billboard about his longtime meat-free lifestyle. “I didn’t like the taste at the time and then I figured out where hot dogs and ham and steak came from and there’s not a chance … ‘nope, can’t do that!’ I’ve always loved animals and I never liked the taste of meat.”
Barker says he teamed up with the Humane World For Animals because he felt a kinship with their mission. Plus, the goals of the campaign felt like a natural fit for him, including adopting pets from local animal shelters, not wearing products made out of real fur and using cruelty-free products such as those from his own vegan wellness company, Barker Wellness.
He’s been such an outspoken advocate for animal welfare that Barker says some of his favorite designers will make vegan versions of their clothes or sneakers for him and his next collab with VANS is planned as an all-vegan shoe. “All my clothes are vegan-friendly,” says Barker, who describes his daily “uniform” as Dickies pants, all-vegan Vans and a T-shirt.
He’s also happy to put his money where his meat-free mouth is, including investing in L.A.’s upscale plant-based Crossroads Kitchen after chef Tal Ronnen pitched him on the idea at a Bad Brains show. “The other day I was at Jay Leno’s garage and we drove some cars and when I left with my 84-year-old dad I said, ‘let’s eat at this spot,’ and I could tell he wasn’t thrilled,” he said of his choice of Lotus Vegan, a spot he remembered riding his bike to when he lived in North Hollywood.
“And then during our meal, I said, ‘dad, I eat at these places because they’re all vegan and they need the support to stay open for business another month,’” says Barker, who became vegan after his the horrific 2008 plane crash that took the lives of two of his best friends and the plane’s two pilots. “Rather than eating at a restaurant that has vegan options, I like to eat at an actual mom-and-pop, struggling vegan restaurant doing their thing.”
The 30-second PSA opens with Barker in suburban dad mode, chilling out in a cream-colored turtleneck sweater, glasses and jeans, lamenting, “Being good? I always thought that was boring,” before he rips off his shirt to expose his famously inked-up torso. “But f– that. Good is never boring!” he says as the jazzy soundtrack switches to a punk rock beat.
Slipping into a Cookie Monster-blue jacket, Barker says, “Faux fur is way cooler than real fur. Plant based in plant based!,” he adds as he digs into a bowl of beans. “I always support people doing good in the world … just do good. That’s the move.”
“Creating a better world for animals takes bold systemic change, and it starts with the small choices people make every day,” says Humane World for Animals president/CEO Kitty Block in a statement. “That’s the idea behind our Small Steps for Good campaign: Showing that everyone has the power to make a difference for animals. Travis has inspired people for years by using his voice and platform to advocate for animals in a way that is authentic to who he is. We hope this campaign encourages others to discover their own small steps and see how those actions can add up to meaningful change.”
As for whether Barker’s wife, Kourtney Kardashian, or their blended family are on board the vegan train, Travis says that he doesn’t judge anyone for their choices —his good friend podcaster Joe Rogan is a loud and proud meat eating hunter —but he said his daughter Alabama has been a vegetarian her whole life and his other kids eat vegan when they’re out to dinner with him, including the couple’s two-year-old son, Rocky Thirteen.
At the end of the day, Barker says the campaign’s message is perfectly clear: “Be nice to animals. It’s not that hard and it won’t cause too much of an identity crisis for anyone.”
Check out Barker’s PSA below.
