Robbie (Humans)
SPB: How does being in a band compare to being a forest fire fighter?
Robbie: Being in a band is somewhat similar to being a fire fighter.
Reason #1: In both jobs you have to carry lots of awkward things in awkward places. Firefighting wins out on this though, as the things are more awkward, as are the places you carry them. For instance:
"Robbie, please take this massive helicopter net that is very tangled through that swamp and beyond into the 6-foot high thorn bush and wait for further instructions."
"Yes Sir!"
25 minutes and 165 wounds on forearms and face later.
"Is this far enough?"
"No. take it even further."
Reason #2: You feel like a rock star when entering a new town. Again, firefighters win on this account as well though, because when you're entering the town, instead of 1 very tired friend with you, you have 20 chest thumping men and women who are burly and sexy and you all take over a bar and hotel for 3 days of "rest" from the fireline. It is here that you try and meet girls, end up getting in fights, eat hot food, make friends with the local coffee shop and usually end up helping the locals move, or painting a house or something. ROCK STAR STATUS
Kyle Bishop (Grade)
SPB: Who is your favorite 1970s artist?
Kyle: Black Sabbath
Jonathan Ashwell (Flannel Gurl Records)
SPB: What is your favorite record store? How did you discover it?
Jonathan: Like coffee shops where ever we go, we try to visit any and all independent record stores when visiting a city we have never been before. We try and treat any visit to any record store as something that is particularly special and should never be taken for granted. We have only visited Graveface Records and Curiosities in Savannah, GA once. This visit to Graveface was special to us because our friend and famous graphic artist, Ryan "The Hornet" McCardle, worked there. We typically only get to see our friend about every 6 months and while we were on our way home from Fest 11, we asked Ryan if he would be working that day and he said yes, hence why we stopped by. (If he wasn't working I doubt we would have stopped by because it was about an hour out of our way from our destination, which was home.) The record selection was vast and the curiosities were just neat. We got to hold a copy of Boys Don't Cry by The Cure on vinyl and we both cried a bit, Kimmi more so. It wasn't for sale, but it is still neat to hold artifacts. Also, right around this time Black Moth Super Rainbow just self released Cobra Juicyfollowing a super successful Kickstarter campaign and they made those masks to promote the album. One of the masks were there that day and we happened to come by it and I kept pestering Ryan that we were going to put it on and wear it around the shop. We always tell our friends who are going to be driving through Savannah, GA to stop by this shop because it is special and one of a kind.
Ben Grey (Dear Boy)
SPB: What is your favorite TV theme song?
Ben: I'm afraid you've touched on a bit of a nerve because I love TV theme songs. I will give you three.
* Twin Peaks & Angelo Badalamenti - Too much has been written about this piece of music, so I'm just going to go ahead and spare you. But I will say that it's just insane how something can set a tone for a show that has such inarticulate tone. It's perfect and I'm sure this is the first you're hearing of that.
* Friends & The Rembrandts - This song is so ubiquitous that you don't really even realize how rad it is. Sounds like The Housemartins meets The Soup Dragons meets The Hoodoo Gurus and it totally works on its own. It's so classic that you can't even listen to it.
* Perfect Strangers & Jesse Frederick / Bennett Salvay - I don't want anybody to think I had these names at the ready. Looked it up. Glad I did. This track is so under appreciated. It's legitimately triumphant and crazy well composed. I love it. Unapologetically had it on my Winamp in jr. high. The only tune that is soaring enough to hype you up for Balki.
