LIFEVEST RECORDS
|| PNW Tree Dwellers ||
YOU CAN ONLY PUT TWO THINGS ON AN IPOD/WTV YOU USE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC; ONE BANDS ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHY, AND ONE SONG FROM ONE BAND. WHAT'RE YOUR CHOICES??
If I had to pick one band's discography, that's Broken Social Scene. There are so many unique sounds and textures between all of their releases that I'd never get bored. And a single song from another band? Chicago's "Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon." You wouldn't make me break up a suite, would you? It's so well-arranged. And you can't beat Terry Kath in his prime.
WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU REMEMBER BUYING?? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHOW??
The first record I remember buying is an Aerosmith live album. They were my favorite band as a kid, though I haven't listened to them much since. I remember pretending this blue and red padded toy baseball bat was a guitar and "playing" along. On the opposite end of the spectrum, my first show was NSYNC. I think I was about 10. No regrets.
FAVORITE VENUE??
My favorite venue to attend is the Fox Theater in Oakland. It's beautiful, and the sound is pretty consistent, and I've seen a lot of my favorite bands there, so I've got a ton of memories wrapped up in that place. My favorite I've ever played is probably Amnesia in San Francisco. It has a great vibe and a practical layout. I'm a sucker for Christmas lights, and they use them to light the stage. I love it.
WHO ARE YOUR FIVE FAVORITE LOCAL BANDS??
I'm lucky to live in a city with some incredible talent. A few of my favorites are:
It's hard to narrow it down. I'm pretty consistently impressed by the band's we get to play with.
WHAT IS THE FIRST RIFF/SONG YOU REMEMBER LEARNING HOW TO PLAY??
I basically taught myself how to play guitar listening to Metallica the very beginning of Nothing Else Matters doesn't require you to use your left hand at all, so I probably annoyed my parents playing that arpeggio over and over. Most of my first riffs were the usual suspects for a metal kid. Master of Puppets, Crazy Train, etc.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORST/MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT ON STAGE??
In high school, my band got threatened on stage once. Long story short, the band before us went on well past their set time. There was a curfew, so the band after us ended up getting cut. They blamed us, despite the fact that we were only two songs into our set. They came out on the stage while we were playing and called us some colorful names and said they'd see us out in the parking lot. The show was shut down immediately. The real irony is that they shared members with the band who went on too long!
YOU CAN ONLY PUT TWO THINGS ON AN IPOD/WTV YOU USE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC; ONE BANDS ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHY, AND ONE SONG FROM ONE BAND. WHAT'RE YOUR CHOICES??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU REMEMBER BUYING?? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHOW??
FAVORITE VENUE??
YOUR FIVE FAVORITE BANDS YOU'VE PLAYED WITH OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RIFF/SONG YOU REMEMBER LEARNING HOW TO PLAY??
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORST/MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT ON STAGE??
YOU CAN ONLY PUT TWO THINGS ON AN IPOD/WTV YOU USE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC; ONE BANDS ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHY, AND ONE SONG FROM ONE BAND. WHAT'RE YOUR CHOICES??
Well heck, this is a tough one. I guess it depends on if I’m going for quantity or quality. At the current moment the answer would be Duster’s discography, and the song would be December, 1963 by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. I also love the entire Pavement and Brand New discographies and feel like I’m betraying those artists for this answer.
WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU REMEMBER BUYING?? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHOW??
I don’t really remember the first record I bought that well, CDs were way too popular and purchasing them was never that satisfying. I do remember buying a Chiodos album when I was in high school. I was such an “emo” kid back then. I do, however, remember my first concert. I saw Styx, REO Speedwagon, and Foreigner at The George. That was an amazing experience and I still wear the shirt my parents bought me at that show.
FAVORITE VENUE??
My favorite venue to see bands is Neumos, they have great sound and book awesome groups. My favorite venues to play so far have been Crocodile and Black Lodge (which is an incredible DIY space in Seattle)
WHO ARE YOUR FIVE FAVORITE LOCAL BANDS??
My five favorite local bands? Well I hope you know that this is in no particular order but I’ll start listing them.
City Hall
I feel like all those bands are doing some very interesting shit, and I really dig it.
WHAT IS THE FIRST RIFF/SONG YOU REMEMBER LEARNING HOW TO PLAY??
I’m just like everyone else, I fucked heavily with “Smoke on the Water”, after that I decided to learn (kinda lol) how to play bass.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORST/MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT ON STAGE??
I think that I’ve had mostly nice experiences on stage and I have more stories about those moments, I guess I try to forget those horrifying moments on stage. With that being said the one thing that comes to mind is when we played at Real Art and my bass amp was off for the entire intro to our set. Turns out when I opened my case (which was behind my amp) I shut off the power to my entire bass rig, which resulted in an entire 30 seconds of embarrassment. After that I just turned the damn thing on and we played a great set!
BART STARR
(Mastermind - Graduating Life)
(Guitar/Bass/Yells - Mom Jeans)
(Guitar/Vocals/Activites - Meet Me in Montauk)
YOU CAN ONLY PUT TWO THINGS ON AN IPOD/WTV YOU USE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC; ONE BANDS ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHY, AND ONE SONG FROM ONE BAND. WHAT'RE YOUR CHOICES??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU REMEMBER BUYING?? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHOW??
FAVORITE VENUE??
YOUR FIVE FAVORITE BANDS YOU'VE PLAYED WITH OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RIFF/SONG YOU REMEMBER LEARNING HOW TO PLAY??
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORST/MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT ON STAGE??
YOU CAN ONLY PUT TWO THINGS ON AN IPOD/WTV YOU USE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC; ONE BANDS ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHY, AND ONE SONG FROM ONE BAND. WHAT'RE YOUR CHOICES??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU REMEMBER BUYING?? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHOW??
FAVORITE VENUE??
WHO ARE YOUR FIVE FAVORITE LOCAL BANDS??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RIFF/SONG YOU REMEMBER LEARNING HOW TO PLAY??
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORST/MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT ON STAGE??
YOU CAN ONLY PUT TWO THINGS ON AN IPOD/WTV YOU USE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC; ONE BANDS ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHY, AND ONE SONG FROM ONE BAND. WHAT'RE YOUR CHOICES??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU REMEMBER BUYING?? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHOW??
FAVORITE VENUE??
WHO ARE YOUR FIVE FAVORITE LOCAL BANDS??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RIFF/SONG YOU REMEMBER LEARNING HOW TO PLAY??
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORST/MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT ON STAGE??
LUKE HOGFOSS
YOU CAN ONLY PUT TWO THINGS ON AN IPOD/WTV YOU USE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC; ONE BANDS ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHY, AND ONE SONG FROM ONE BAND. WHAT'RE YOUR CHOICES??
Arcade Fire discography and AM 180 by Grandaddy.
WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU REMEMBER BUYING?? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHOW??
First record - Phish - Slip Stitch and Pass (live album lol). First show I saw was Toad The Wet Sprocket.
FAVORITE VENUE??
WHO ARE YOUR FIVE FAVORITE LOCAL BANDS??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RIFF/SONG YOU REMEMBER LEARNING HOW TO PLAY??
Sloop John B by The Beach Boys
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORST/MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT ON STAGE??
I dropped my bass on stage and broke it during banter when opening up for Jimmy's Chicken Shack in Charleston SC as a teenager.
YOU CAN ONLY PUT TWO THINGS ON AN IPOD/WTV YOU USE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC; ONE BANDS ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHY, AND ONE SONG FROM ONE BAND. WHAT'RE YOUR CHOICES??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU REMEMBER BUYING?? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHOW??
FAVORITE VENUE??
WHO ARE YOUR FIVE FAVORITE LOCAL BANDS??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RIFF/SONG YOU REMEMBER LEARNING HOW TO PLAY??
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORST/MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT ON STAGE??
YOU CAN ONLY PUT TWO THINGS ON AN IPOD/WTV YOU USE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC; ONE BANDS ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHY, AND ONE SONG FROM ONE BAND. WHAT'RE YOUR CHOICES??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU REMEMBER BUYING?? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHOW??
FAVORITE VENUE??
WHO ARE YOUR FIVE FAVORITE LOCAL BANDS??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RIFF/SONG YOU REMEMBER LEARNING HOW TO PLAY??
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORST/MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT ON STAGE??
YOU CAN ONLY PUT TWO THINGS ON AN IPOD/WTV YOU USE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC; ONE BANDS ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHY, AND ONE SONG FROM ONE BAND. WHAT'RE YOUR CHOICES??
I would have to go with the Velvet Underground's entire discography (minus Squeeze, because let's be real, that's not a VU record without Lou) and then Best of Friends by Palma Violets. Every time I listen to that song, I think it has the potential to grow to be my favorite song of this generation.
WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU REMEMBER BUYING?? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHOW??
First record I remember buying was ordering the Black Angels' "Phosgene Nightmare" online because it was a record store day exclusive when I was way younger and it had a track on it - The Boat Song - that I fell in love with and needed to be able to listen to whenever I wanted. The first real show that I went to (not including Green Day as an angsty middle schooler ) was Cage The Elephant and Showbox Sodo. It was such an incredible experience and definitely shaped me.
FAVORITE VENUE??
Favorite venue to see live music has got to be the Neptune, I love that place. Favorite to play up in Bellingham is probably Mind Palace or Mosh Eisley, and in Seattle probably either Sunset Tavern or Salmon Town.
WHO ARE YOUR FIVE FAVORITE LOCAL BANDS??
Five favorite local bands (in no particular order):
(Some of those include Seattle bands, and I left off obvious choices like Chastity Belt)
WHAT IS THE FIRST RIFF/SONG YOU REMEMBER LEARNING HOW TO PLAY??
First song I remember sitting down and learning was probably Blister In The Sun or the chords to Well Respected Man.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORST/MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT ON STAGE??
Yikes, fortunately I haven't had that many terrifying stage moments myself. The main thing that I hate to see when I'm playing though is people being overly-aggressive in the crowd, especially when it's directed at people who are just looking to dance and have a good time.
YOU CAN ONLY PUT TWO THINGS ON AN IPOD/WTV YOU USE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC; ONE BANDS ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHY, AND ONE SONG FROM ONE BAND. WHAT'RE YOUR CHOICES??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU REMEMBER BUYING?? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHOW??
FAVORITE VENUE??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RIFF/SONG YOU REMEMBER LEARNING HOW TO PLAY??
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORST/MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT ON STAGE??
YOU CAN ONLY PUT TWO THINGS ON AN IPOD/WTV YOU USE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC; ONE BANDS ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHY, AND ONE SONG FROM ONE BAND. WHAT'RE YOUR CHOICES??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU REMEMBER BUYING?? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHOW??
FAVORITE VENUE??
WHO ARE YOUR FIVE FAVORITE LOCAL BANDS??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RIFF/SONG YOU REMEMBER LEARNING HOW TO PLAY??
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORST/MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT ON STAGE??
YOU CAN ONLY PUT TWO THINGS ON AN IPOD/WTV YOU USE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC; ONE BANDS ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHY, AND ONE SONG FROM ONE BAND. WHAT'RE YOUR CHOICES??
That would easily be the entire discography of The Cranberries. Each and every one of their songs hold so much meaning and nostalgia for me. As for one song from one band, I would have to choose “This Must be the Place” by Talking Heads. That song is a sort of anthem for me, and speaks to me no matter what mood I’m in.
WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU REMEMBER BUYING?? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHOW??
The first record I ever purchased myself was Avril Lavigne’s “Losing Grip” Lol, it was perfect for my pre-teenage angst at the time. The first band I remember seeing live as a young girl was Collective Soul, one of my Mother’s favorite bands, and again very nostalgic to me.
FAVORITE VENUE??
My favorite Sacramento venue is hands down Cafe Colonial. One of the last remaining all ages venue in the area right now. I just feel at home there, and like I can experiment with any kind of performance I need to give in that moment.
WHO ARE YOUR FIVE FAVORITE LOCAL BANDS??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RIFF/SONG YOU REMEMBER LEARNING HOW TO PLAY??
My dad taught me to play “King of Pain” by the Police when I was probably 10 years old. In fact those super simple power chords were the base of a lot of songs I wrote afterwards, and how I learned to play guitar more seriously later on.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORST/MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT ON STAGE??
Hmmm, that’s a good one! I can’t say that I’ve had a super embarrassing or super scary moment on stage (yet?)
But one very poignant moment does come to mind. It would have to be the first time we performed our song “Blue Lights” which is a very personal song written about the aftermath of reporting sexual assault. In the crowd was one of my best friends who is also a survivor of sexual assault. She had heard the song many times, but during the live performance had such a strong emotional reaction to it that she actually passed out. I wasn’t sure what was happening so I had to go forward with performing the song, though I wanted to run off stage and just hold my friend. Luckily, she was surrounded by friends who knew her battle, who all came to stand beside her during the song. It was a very emotional moment, but it was also very cathartic, and beautiful to witness a community that would hold that space for us, and listen to such a difficult subject with empathy and solidarity
YOU CAN ONLY PUT TWO THINGS ON AN IPOD/WTV YOU USE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC; ONE BANDS ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHY, AND ONE SONG FROM ONE BAND. WHAT'RE YOUR CHOICES??
Entire discography: Kanye West. I kinda want to say Weezer or Joyce Manor but neither have as many good albums to last me for the rest of time.
One song: When You Were Young (The Killers)
WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU REMEMBER BUYING?? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHOW??
First record I bought was Back In Black by AC/DC I think. They were my favorite band for an embarrassing amount of time.
FAVORITE VENUE??
The Redlight. I have always loved house shows and those boys in Fremont always make us feel welcome.
WHAT IS THE FIRST RIFF/SONG YOU REMEMBER LEARNING HOW TO PLAY??
First riff I learned was I think Hit the Lights by Metallica. After AC/DC Metallica was my favorite band and I learned a lot of their songs but I could never play them right because I was never good enough at guitar.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORST/MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT ON STAGE??
Worst moment was probably when I was playing with Seacats and forgot how to play the chorus so when the other instruments drop it and the guitar is supposed to bring us to the chorus I just stood there and played something super wrong. Then I thought I remembered it and played it wrong again for the next chorus but in a different way.
YOU CAN ONLY PUT TWO THINGS ON AN IPOD/WTV YOU USE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC; ONE BANDS ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHY, AND ONE SONG FROM ONE BAND. WHAT'RE YOUR CHOICES??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU REMEMBER BUYING?? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHOW??
FAVORITE VENUE??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RIFF/SONG YOU REMEMBER LEARNING HOW TO PLAY??
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORST/MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT ON STAGE??
YOU CAN ONLY PUT TWO THINGS ON AN IPOD/WTV YOU USE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC; ONE BANDS ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHY, AND ONE SONG FROM ONE BAND. WHAT'RE YOUR CHOICES??
Would have to say Courtney Barnett’s discography – though a very close second is Chasity Belt.
Single song – Weird Girl by Mommy Long Legs. That song literally got me though fall quarter last year.
WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU REMEMBER BUYING?? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHOW??
I don’t recall the first album I got, probably because most of my own pre-teen music was digital. I was really into musicals like Mamma Mia and some Disney Channel stuff. Also Pop queens like Lady Gaga and Marina and the Diamonds.
My parents also shared a lot of their music with me. They loved blues music like BB King, Muddy Waters, and the like. They were also into stuff like Zepplin, Cake, Bonnie Raitt, Elvis Costello, Heart, and some other 70/80’s era stadium rock.
My first concert was the 107.7 Summer Camp festival at Marymoor Park. I remember seeing The Givers and Naked & Famous and being so mesmerized by the badass babes in those bands. My first house show was at Affirmation Palace in Bellingham where I saw what was then Fallopia perform.
WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU REMEMBER BUYING?? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHOW??
FAVORITE VENUE??
In Bellingham we are lucky because we have so many fantastic venues seeking to support the local scene. My favorite would have to be Mothership - & yes I am bias haha it lays very near and dear to my heart. Because of the amazing people in this town, virtually every show we have ever had at Mothership has been a delight to play and/or host.
WHAT IS THE FIRST RIFF/SONG YOU REMEMBER LEARNING HOW TO PLAY??
When I was little & learning to play piano I’m pretty sure it was the Star Wars theme song. On guitar, the first song I learned to play was Chinchilla by Cub because it consisted of the only three chords I could play at the time – A, D, & E.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORST/MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT ON STAGE??
At our first Seattle show last year, I broke a string in the middle of our set and I decided to just replace it right then and there because I had extra strings in my bag. It was exhilarating because I had never tried to change a string that fast, or in front of anyone before - also I had only been playing guitar for about 6 moths at that point. It was definitely a milestone for me.
YOU CAN ONLY PUT TWO THINGS ON AN IPOD/WTV YOU USE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC; ONE BANDS ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHY, AND ONE SONG FROM ONE BAND. WHAT'RE YOUR CHOICES??
As of right now, I’d probably put on both the Big Thief records, because that’s all I’ve been listening to lately anyway. Have you listened to “Capacity” yet? Really quite good. As far as a single song right now, probably Kendrick Lamar’s “Money Trees,” because that song always finds its way onto the stereo in the summer.
WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU REMEMBER BUYING?? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHOW??
The first record I ever bought was Blink 182’s “Take Off Your Pants and Jacket” from the local Sam Goody. Which is like a pretty dated sentence. I must have been in 7th grade? I recently listened to that record the other day though, and a lot of those songs still hold up. Or, maybe I haven’t really emotionally matured since I was 13, haha.
The first concert I ever went to was Mudhoney opening for Iggy Pop and The Stooges. It was Bumbershoot, I was with my best friends, and I remember crowd surfing to the front and trying to climb onto the stage during “No Fun” before being pulled away by a bouncer.
FAVORITE VENUE??
My favorite venues are those smaller, sorta niche rock bars where you can catch your friend’s band play, or see cool, up-and-coming bands that are passing through town – places like The Shakedown, Chop Suey, Neumo’s, Barboza. I’ve seen some great shows at The Showbox, also.
WHAT IS THE FIRST RIFF/SONG YOU REMEMBER LEARNING HOW TO PLAY??
The first song I learned was Nirvana’s “Polly”, probably, as well as some old Beatles songs. I loved learning Nirvana songs when I first started strumming guitar because the chords were so simple, but the melodies were beautiful and the lyrics were always really dark and mysterious to me.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORST/MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT ON STAGE??
I’m basically always terrified and malfunctioning on stage, but I don’t think I’ve had any particularly bad equipment meltdowns in a long while. My high school punk band had plenty, though, so hopefully I got them out of the way early. Fingers crossed on this one.
One time, we played a show in a friend’s garage and my half stack blew up, rendering the internal electrical equipment a smoldering ruin. It was pretty awesome until I realized I had to replace the amp.
FIVE FAVORITE LOCAL BANDS??
My favorite Bellingham bands, past and present, are: The Palisades, The Cat From Hue, A Cozy Kitchen, The Violins, and Cumulus.
Also really digging: Great Grandpa, The Wednesdays, The Co Founder, Sun Dummy, and Winnebago.
YOU CAN ONLY PUT TWO THINGS ON AN IPOD/WTV YOU USE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC; ONE BANDS ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHY, AND ONE SONG FROM ONE BAND. WHAT'RE YOUR CHOICES??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU REMEMBER BUYING?? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHOW??
FAVORITE VENUE??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RIFF/SONG YOU REMEMBER LEARNING HOW TO PLAY??
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORST/MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT ON STAGE??
YOU CAN ONLY PUT TWO THINGS ON AN IPOD/WTV YOU USE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC; ONE BANDS ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHY, AND ONE SONG FROM ONE BAND. WHAT'RE YOUR CHOICES??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU REMEMBER BUYING?? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHOW??
FAVORITE VENUE??
WHAT IS THE FIRST RIFF/SONG YOU REMEMBER LEARNING HOW TO PLAY??
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORST/MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT ON STAGE??
YOU CAN ONLY PUT TWO THINGS ON AN IPOD/WTV YOU USE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC; ONE BANDS ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHY, AND ONE SONG FROM ONE BAND. WHAT'RE YOUR CHOICES??
Oh geez. This question brings me back to the days where I’d go to the library and pick out all the CDs with the coolest looking album artwork, as any curious thirteen-year-old would do, and rip all of the albums onto my 80 GB black Ipod classic and listen to none of them. I think it was like a challenge of how much music I could really fit onto an Ipod. Like I had over 500 albums on there but just listened to the Odd Future tape I downloaded off LimeWire (shouts out to LimeWire). No but seriously, I’d put Thee Oh Sees Discography on there, because ya know… the album artwork...just kidding...not really. John Dwyre is one of my biggest influences as a musician because of his incredible use of rhythmic song structures and powerful dynamics. The one song I’d put on my Ipod would have to be “Lord of Lightning” by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. That song is so f***ing epic, it just makes everything you do while listening to it that much more cool.
WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU REMEMBER BUYING?? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHOW??
The first record I ever bought (drum roll)... was The Young and The Hopeless by Good Charlotte. Good Charlotte and early 2000’s pop punk is without a doubt my absolute guilty pleasure. THIS IS THE ANTHEM THROW ALL YA HANDS UP WAAAOOOOW DON’T WANNA BE JUST LIKE YAAAAOUUUU. I mean how could you not slam the door to your room while listening to that. The first show I remember going to was The Night Watchman (Tom Morrello from Rage Against The Machine). My friend Gene and I were super stoked off of RATM because we could both play Bulls on Parade on Guitar Hero 3 with our eyes closed, as any thirteen-year-old does with their spare time. So we saw him play at East Street Record in lower Queen Anne in Seattle. We couldn’t stay to get his autograph because it was past our curfew though… :(
FAVORITE VENUE??
My Favorite venue to see shows at is for sure The Crocodile in Seattle. I think it’s so dope that there’s an all ages section with a balcony. It feels like they really care about underage patrons! Plus I met Soulja Boy outside his show there. He is a lot shorter in real life.
FIVE FAVORITE LOCAL BANDS??
Not in any particular order. CHECK OUT ALL OF THESE BANDS THEY ARE ALL RAD AF.
1. Walrus (Hallifax, Nova Scotia)
2. Naked Giants (Seattle, WA)
3. GOON (LA)
4. Recreation (Santa Barbara)
5. Cactus (Silicon Valley)
WHAT IS THE FIRST RIFF/SONG YOU REMEMBER LEARNING HOW TO PLAY??
Probably Iron Man by Black Sabbath. When I was like seven or eight, I had this little amp that I could strap to my waist. I’d run around the house with my little Squier mini Stratocaster playing Iron Man over and over again.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORST/MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT ON STAGE??
We were playing at The Twilight in Portland, and the minute I switched my amp on all of the tubes blew. I’m not sure if there was a power surge or what, but my amp was tanked. So I had to run my dry guitar signal through the PA and it sounded terrible. I gave up halfway through the set and started jumping around and screaming while trying to forget that my amp broke. Later that night Isaac (best friend/ drummer in Step Dads) tried to fight me, it was a Twilight Zone S*** Show. Isaac and I hugged it out in the morning and I got my amp fixed. All’s well that ends well...