Daniel Brown with his son, Nico.
For smaller venues and bars that don’t have a kitchen, the popup food vendor Rebel’s Rations comes through in the clutch. Punk rock musician Daniel Brown is passionate about music, but also loves to feed the people with his menu of inventive burgers and pizzas. Find him at the Scurvy Dog in Providence and Myrtle in East Providence, as well as a few other places.
How did you first get into cooking and why do you love it so much?
When I was a kid, I loved to cook for my friends. We’d all hang out at my house and play games. I’d play music, and I would always make everybody food and cook for my family. I used to make a lot of different sauces and hot sauces, and we’d always experiment.
What kinds of things did you make back then?
All different kinds of burgers. One of my burgers is pretty wild, it is a broccoli-infused burger. It’s half-veggie, half-meat, and I made pizzas and random snacks.
So you played music and cooked food. That must have been a juggling act, but you do the same now. You’re balancing both worlds of music and food.
I love creating, from being an artist and a musician as a young teen, to growing up and doing the same exact thing. It’s definitely a lifelong passion.
Can you explain how your business works?
I am a popup catering person. I have a mobile flat top grill, and I can do exactly what I do at Scurvy Dog or Myrtle, including burgers and pizzas. I make the best of what little I have.
Do you have a set schedule, or is it different every week and people should follow you on social?
I would suggest people find me on Instagram, @rebels_rations, to follow where I’m at and what I’m doing. I’m at Scurvy Dog in Providence every Wednesday, 6-10 p.m., on Fridays 6 p.m.-2 a.m. and on Saturdays 8 p.m.-2 a.m. I appreciate Terry and Jamie at Scurvy for giving me a place to start and grow my business. They’re always supportive. I’m at Myrtle in East Providence the last Tuesday of the month for open mic. And I’m also there the first Thursday of every month for the Strange Bird Variety Show, as well as various other events.
You always serve at Wednesday night pool night and on weekends at Scurvy Dog. Is the bar also going to bring back live outdoor music this summer?
The Scurvy Dog mega parking lot shows this year take place on Sunday, May 25; Friday, July 4; Sunday, August 10; Sunday, August 31; And Sunday, October 12. Me and my son, Nico, cook outside at every one of those parking lot shows. I might even perform. They’re always fun, and have free music.
Smash burgers from Rebel’s Rations.
Tell me a little bit about the meaning behind the name Rebel’s Rations.
Growing up as a punk kid in the ‘90s, I’ve always had a punk mentality, like anti-normal, trying to be unique and artistic. I want to impart that into my food with non-traditional flavors, bringing together things that people normally wouldn’t. It just fit that name; making food for other rebels.
Tell me about some of the menu items? They’re offbeat and creative. Is there a particular menu item that is different from what you might find elsewhere?
All the flavors mixed together for my house burger sauce, the rebel sauce, to the spicy salsa. It’s just putting different things together to make them taste delicious. Every week, I have a burger special and pizza special. I never try to run the same one unless I have repeat customers that might love a certain special and asked me to run it again.
You’re also in a band. What’s the name of the band?
The band is Brown Apples. It’s just me and my drummer, Mikey Apples. We were born out of the pandemic. I had another band, but my drummer had passed away. We had a release party, and I was going on tour, so my friends filled in, my brother filled in, and Mikey Apples filled in. We just kept the band going with some new music. We’re a gut punk, all original band, higher energy. We were up for multiple Motif awards for best live act and the best garage band. Hopefully we have an album out sometime soon.
Daniel Brown performing with his band.
What’s the meaning behind the band name?
I was picking apples with my son, Nico, one day, and I picked up an apple off the ground that was all brown. I texted Mike, and I was like, how about we name the band Brown Apples? I literally still have that apple in my house.
Awesome. That’s symbolic. Also a little punk. Is Nico also helping you out with Rebel’s Rations?
Nico is my fifteen-year-old son. He helps me out during outdoor shows and parking lot shows. I’ll probably hire him to work with me at certain events as my first full-time employee. Nico’s been around bands. My ex and I were in a band back in the ‘90s, and he’s always been around music and food.
You’ve said you love cooking for people at Scurvy Dog and Myrtle, and wherever you go. What do you love about it? What do you think about the community at those places, and how does it match your cooking style?
I love interacting with people. I like to see smiles on their faces. I love constructive criticism. I want to know if something’s not right or if I can fix something. At Scurvy, you get a lot of people that aren’t afraid to tell you how it is. And it’s great to be there because I personally have been going there for many years. It’s nice to find food there and be myself. But also when I work at Myrtle, I can be a quiet, respectful person that plays acoustic guitar or piano. So it’s nice to have both aspects of my personality. I’m glad that I have support from all of them.
Pizza from Rebel’s Rations.
And you get to watch people enjoy your work, which is cool.
Definitely. Like for someone who makes a movie, it might take a while to see people’s reactions to it, but when you’re making food or making music, it’s live and right in your face. I touch base with people when they get food and I say, ‘Hey, how was it?’ I love to get that person-to-person contact. And they’ll tell you right there on the spot. It’s such good feedback; better than a Google review. instagram.com/rebels_rations
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