TRAINWRECK'D SOCIETY

Dave Anthony [Interview]

I am desperately obsessed with stand up comedy. I’m not certain if this has been made perfectly clear here, as I’ve only showcased a few comedians thus far. But, I really love the medium, and I find the folks involved to be the most interesting people alive. And Dave Anthony is one of the best in the business, whether you feel like you know him or not. He’s a pretty damn hilarious guy, and he also happens to be a very important figure on one of the greatest television shows to have aired in the last 20 years.

For the last 4 years, Dave Anthony has portrayed, well, Dave Anthony, in the amazing IFC comedy Maron, which is semi-based on well, Maron. Dave plays a “friend” of Marc Maron’s character, well, Marc Maron (alright, I’ll stop that, but it did work, right?). But, most importantly, he is a brilliant stand up comedian, which is what he will always will be, and should be, primarily known as. His chops as a stand up has made him a genius writer for television, and a genius in whatever he takes up in the world of being fucking hilarious.

Most importantly, he is fucking hilarious, and should be noted as such. So, please enjoy some wonderful words from what might very well be one of my favorite interviews I have done to date. I sincerely mean this. I really do admire this man, and I adore his work. And you definitely should as well! And after a the following words, I’m certain you will. Or maybe you won’t. Fuck it. Just read. Reading is good. Enjoy!

When did you realize you were meant to be a stand up comedian? What inspired you to join such a dark yet relentlessly hilarious way of life?

I have never wanted to be anything else. From as young as I can remember, I was trying to get my parents to let me watch stand up comedy. As I got older, I would try to stay awake to make it through Saturday Night Live, so I could watch Evening at The Improv. I didn’t have the greatest upbringing, so making people laugh was a big deal. And I think the poor upbringing gave me a darker outlook and allowed be to learn how to make stuff like that funny.
As just a simple fan of stand up, I am always hearing that we may be in the “Golden Age of Comedy”. Do you believe this to be true?

No, not even remotely. I guess you could say it’s the Golden Age in the sense that a lot of comedians are doing it and are funny. But who is talking about anything important. It’s mostly people talking about ghosts and watermelons. Not much that really truly matters. The alternative comedy world, as it used to be called, was created because comics wanted to get away from the clubs, do more interesting things, and talk about subjects that were unapproachable in a club. Now alt comedy is mostly people talking about things that have no substance. Or they are being weird. I’m fine with the weird but it’s disappointing to see the direction alt comedy has gone in. Mainstream comedy has and will always have the problem of not truly being able to tackle a subject. And when a comic does, he really breaks through. Chris Rock is a great example.

So, no, I don’t think this is a Golden Age. I think it’s a wasted opportunity. Much more is being done overseas with stage time.

I love to hear heckle stories, as I know for a fact that it is something I could never deal with. So, what is our favorite heckler situation? And do you have a tale of when you tore down a heckler, and/or a time when one got the best of you?

I’m never good at these stories. For a long time I was really horrible at dealing with hecklers when I first started. I would go from zero to enraged and it wasn’t funny. Just me insulting people. When I went to New York, I really learned how to shut them up and fast. I guess the best story was when I was at Comic Strip Live in New York. There were a few guys at a table being really loud. Insulting all the comics. I was going on later, so I had to watch these guys ruin the show and no one was doing anything about it. The comics weren’t saying anything, the bouncers weren’t doing anything. It was very weird.

So, when I go up onstage, I just rip into these guys. Really, really tore into them. Then when I got off stage, I was informed they were in the mafia. As they came out of the room, I was sitting in a booth, and they made a comment to me. I wasn’t the type to back down then, even when facing someone who could seriously hurt me. I called them “animals.” Probably not the best move.

They attacked me, trying to hit me, next thing I knew, I was on top of the table, kicking at their heads and the bouncers were breaking it up. They then were taken out. I stayed in the club until it closed. When I left they weren’t outside and I never heard anything else about it.

Random ass question: I know you have written for The Talking Dead, and are a huge zombie fan. We just spoke with John Migliore, who has famously performed a zombie over 30 times and in every “of the Dead” movie to come out in the last 20 years or so. So, same question for you…why zombies? What appeals to you when it comes to zombies? Is there a possible philosophical reason for this?
I’m fascinated with end of times situations. It may have been how I was raised, sort of figuring everything out on my own. There’s a fantasy part to it, envisioning myself out there, fighting for survival and being the one who could do it. It’s sort of the opposite of super heroes, right? They come in and save the world. The world is already toast and I’m just trying to make it. Oh, it’s my childhood.

Your role in Maron is without a doubt one of the finest supporting acts I have ever seen. Just fucking perfect, really. And then you found yourself as a writer on the show!? How did you land this role and eventual writing gig? Where you friendly with Marc prior to show, as I can only assume you were based on your on screen dynamic?

Wow. Thanks. I am always surprised to hear that considering how long I struggled in show business. Marc first brought me in as an actor for one show in season one. The producers really like how we worked together and talked about bringing me back in Season One but it didn’t work out. For Seasons Two, Marc wanted someone in the room who was a comic, could write, and had a, as he calls it, “curmudgeon attitude.” Also, he wanted a guy who had been on the road for a long time and maybe not had all that much success. Me! So, I was brought in as writer and because of our relationship in the writer’s room, tossing jokes back and forth, I ended up being in the show more.

I have known Marc since 1992. Yeah, the relationship is a heightened version of our real life one.

When you look back on your time during this show, what would you say you are most proud of, if anything? Now that it is all over, what do you think of your work and the product over all?

The episode called “Racegate.” I think a lot of shows try to tackle race and they end up getting scared about how to approach it, which leads to watered down nonsense. We didn’t do that. We had a lot of discussions about it. I think it was the only time I yelled at anyone in the writer’s room. I really took my time to work on that episode, locking myself away in a hotel room for a few days. I did a lot of research and learned how black comics perceived the comedy world and why it is so different from how white comics do.

It’s hard for me to look back and my work and appreciate it. I know we did something unique, grounded, and, particularly for addicts, important. I’m proud of it and don’t think I’ll be allowed to work on something that true and honest again.

Through very little research, I have come to learn that you have done some work with the USO. So, what have your experiences been with the USO? Where did you travel to?

Ha! I just did one show. In San Diego. So, I can’t really speak to that. Drew Carey asked me to go to Faluja when it was really heating up over there and I just had my kid and was too scared. How about that? Total tough guy helping out the men fighting by cowering in his Los Angeles apartment.

So what is next for you, good Sir? Anything you would like to tell our readers about?

Oh, shit. I don’t know. I’m super into my podcast The Dollop. I’m working on a pilot that never seems to get done because of the podcast. Hopefully you’ll see me on some other shows. I’ve just sort of taken it easy since Maron ended but am gearing up to get back out there now.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

I coach Little League. Yesterday, during a game, I told our second baseman to take five steps backwards. The batter hit a ball, which bounced in front of the plate, then flew to the second baseman. He didn’t even have to move and caught it. Then he started celebrating. Jumping up and down and running around. Everyone started screaming at him that it was a ground ball. He ended up not getting the out. It really made me laugh. I gave him the game ball for the catch and celebration.

Find out more about what Dave Anthony and check out The Dollop, at daveanthonycomedy.com.

NEMR [Interview]

I find it pretty incredible how so many of us American comedy fans have an unwarranted and sometimes unknown predilection towards thinking we are the only ones who can dominate the comedy world. Of course, it’s not unwarranted to state that we sort of invented the thing as an official format, although one could argue that the idea of standing in front of a bunch of people and desperately trying to make them laugh is a task that has spanned centuries. Hell, some people used to get their god damned heads cut off for doing what we now simply call “Bombing”. Point is, beyond the likes of John Oliver, Trevor Noah, or the “King of Cunt” himself Jim Jeffries, the whole world has something to offer. New comedy scenes are popping up all over the place, and are making their way over the pond and into our clubs and concert halls. And today or subject, Nemr is no exception.

Nemr has built his how brand of acclaim in his country of birthplace of Lebanon. I know, as Americans, when we first think of Lebanon, we think “funny”. But the Lebanese community has proven that the know a bit about what it means to be hilarious and who is doing it right. Because they love Nemr, and he is doing it right. He is not just a hilarious Lebanese comic, he is a hilarious comic who happens to be from Lebanon (technically, although he’s been in the U.S. longer that I have!). He has a brilliant act and is naturally funny in all the ways a professional stand up comedian should be. And we are so damn happy that he was willing to share a few words with you lucky ass reader(s). So please, enjoy our interview with the hilarious Nemr.

What drew you into the world of stand up comedy. Do you derive from the mentally unstable mindset like so many other artists in your field? Or something nicer, perhaps? And what keeps you wanting to stay in the game?

I first fell in love with Stand Up Comedy when I was probably four or five years old in San Diego. When my family left Lebanon it was because of war, so you can imagine it wasn’t the happiest of times. I was almost two years old when we came here but my earliest memories of laughter were of my parents watching Stand Up Comedy and filling the house up with laughter. Maybe it was the fact that I hated darkness, or maybe it was something unrelated and all of it was coincidence, but I always saw stand up as the one thing that always worked, no matter what the circumstances, a societal super hero. If you think about it, it’s kind of an antibiotic. Take too much of it and it becomes harder for you to laugh at anything and you need stronger and stronger comics. Until one day you die because nothing makes you laugh anymore. Except stand up just keeps getting better, so you keep living. As for what keeps me in the game is, well, there is still too much darkness, I have a lot more work to do.

Who were your guys growing up? What were some of your earliest influences?

Dana Carvey was the first stand up comic I ever reacted to by saying, ‘When I grow up I’m going to be a stand up comedian!’. I memorized a set for him that I didn’t entirely understand but I would repeat to anyone and everyone I came across. Also, Bill Cosby, I know that’s not a popular person to bring up today, but those were the first specials my parents watched and I would watch with them. That was when I was four or five years old. Then when we went back to Lebanon I continued old school. My mom had cassette tapes from her childhood in London of Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, Steve Martin, Don Rickles, all the greats doing stand up and I could not stop listening to them. Then when the internet happened it progressed. Bill Hicks was a major influence, then Lewis Black, Mitch Hedberg, Dave Chapelle, Chris Rock, Pablo Francisco and many others. Now it’s all of the above and Bill Burr, I have so much respect for Bill.

What would you say is the biggest difference between American audiences and those in the Middle East? Are there certain subjects you feel as though you have to stray away from?

I think the biggest difference is in the Middle East the audiences are much more sophisticated in what they’ve been exposed to. You don’t need to be politically correct or draw things out for people to get them there, everyone has experience so much life in so many different places that it’s surreal how real everyone is. In America it varies in terms of how out the bat real I can be, but I feel that pushed me to become a craftier more clever comic. To find ways to bring people up to speed to an idea, a concept, a tonality, in tens of seconds. There are no subjects I can’t discuss there, but I know there are many that America isn’t ready for here. But in time, the beauty of this adventure, I’ll have created subjects between the two worlds that nobody would have thought to even bring up, and that’s really what’s great about this. Not what you can or can’t say, but what you have or haven’t even thought was something to be said.

How do you feel your success in the Middle East is spilling over into the states? What are your audiences generally like on this side of the pond?

I love American audiences. Arab audiences here are very jaded and in many ways old school in their mentality, the majority having left two or sometimes more generations ago they carried prejudices with them that Lebanon has long overcome. What’s interesting is putting them in a crowd with Americans, side by side, when they see other Arabs, Americans, Asians, Europeans, black, white and everything in between, nothing does more to elevate everyone up to a celebration status of being together as opposed to being apart. I couldn’t do that without American audiences.

And to their credit, American audiences are incredibly powerful for comedy. They’re savvy, love and respect the art form, and absolutely support the hell out of you if you gain their respect. They’re the ultimate crowd. Arab crowds are the same but they have a lot of emotional baggage that Americans don’t have, I think the world really benefits when they sit in a room together, Arabs and Americans. Well, anyone with Americans really. I think you’ll see by this paragraph alone, I’m terrifyingly proud of humanity in general.

I understand you are a fan of heavy metal music. One of our staff writers is known at Metal Mattson, and can go on for days about it. He always likes to ask what people are listening and what would they recommend. So, I will ask it for him? Who are your bands?

Metal Mattson is obviously a very intelligent individual! I absolutely love heavy metal music. It’s very visceral, aggressive, passionate, brilliant and unpredictable. I grew up very heavily influenced by Rage Against the Machine, especially Zach de la Rocha and his lyrics. They stood for something while sounding like nothing else. Later on it just got heavier. My biggest influences would have to be Death, Megadeth, Napalm Death, (so much death, how Lebanese) Sepultura, Kreator, Meshuggah, In Flames and Dark Tranquility. The coolest thing ever by the way, Dark Tranquility are playing the Gramercy Theater the day after my show, how surreal.

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to plug?

Right now I’m at the point in my career where everyone congratulates me constantly for my success, but I don’t feel like I’ve done anything. So I can’t wait until I get where I want to. So please check NEMRCOMEDY.COM for all my shows and updates, and if you’re in New York I hope I hear you laughing at the Gramercy Theatre on Thursday. I hope as many people as possible follow me closely, it isn’t an adventure when you aren’t surround by incredible characters.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

Earlier today actually I saw a girl, probably 3 or 4 years old, crying for ice cream until her father buckled and let her have some, but only after he wrapped her up and made sure she only had small bites because it’s incredibly cold here in New York, but then she started crying because it was too cold, and he said, ‘I told you!’ Of course this did nothing to stop her crying, so he told her if she didn’t stop he would eat the ice cream and as soon as he put it to his mouth she stopped and told him, ‘Daddy don’t’. Well that’s what made me smile, but that happened in my mind, what I saw was a dad annoyingly tell his daughter she couldn’t have ice cream and she cried.

To check out tour dates and more from Nemr, be sure to make your happy ass over to NEMRCOMEDY.COM

Bradley Wik [Interview]

I love music, but more importantly I love songwriting. I am a huge sucker for that beautiful singer/songwriter sound. I am that musically ill equipped sucker who has no artistic ability but has read too many God damned books, and feels like all music should be poetry. Poetry. That’s what it is all about! I’ve never understood some people, even those I respect and adore (I’m looking at you Marc Maron) who can say “I’m not a lyrics guy/lady”. In my brain, I can’t understand that. It’s about the fucking words, man! I want to hear that poetry set to a great guitar sound! Of course, if the guitar sound is not on point, it’s going to be awful. So, I think it all works together. I just put an emphasis on the words that are being sung so sweetly into my ears for my enjoyment.

And that is where I bring in the great Bradley Wik. Sweet shit, this guy is an amazing singer/songwriter. I dare say he is one of the best. I got a bit of flack some years ago for calling Eric Earley of Blitzen Trapper “the son that Bob Dylan wished he would have had”, but I dare say that Bradley Wik is tied with the genus if Eric (Again, I’m not trying to offend Jakob or his fans, it’s just a descriptor of talent, I love me some Wallflowers). I just love the idea of storytelling in musical form. And on far too few occasions we are unable to witness such beauty in song told as well as the likes of Dylan, Prine, or Cohen in this day and age. But, I truly believe that Bradley Wik is one of those guys that just fucking gets it. They have that emotional response to the world that should be required for all modern day singer/songwriters. Honestly, when I listen to this man, I want to do my damnedest to try and remove the idea of a “singer/songwriter” out of the equation, and just call them artists. What Bradley does with music is no different than what Ralph Steadman does with a canvas. It’s art that moves you in so many different ways. And it should be looked at as such.

So with that, please enjoy one of the best interviews we have ever had here at Trainwreck’d Society. He had some incredibly heart felt and warm responses during our digital interview, and I could not be happier to have been introduced to this beautiful human being. Buy his album(s), see his shows when he comes to your town, and goddammit love one another, I know this is what he would really want. Enjoy!

When did you first realize you wanted to play music for a living? What were some of your earliest influences? Who were your “guys”, as Maron may ask?

I was seventeen the first time I ever thought seriously about music as a career choice. Up until then, and from a young age, all I had ever done was play and watch sports. Growing up in Wisconsin, all I could imagine was playing shortstop for the Milwaukee Brewers or wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers. I dreamed of getting the final out of the World Series or catching a touchdown from Brett Favre at Lambeau Field. That changed suddenly when I tore my achilles tendon in High School. That helped me realize that I wasn’t talented enough to accomplish those goals. The next summer, when I was seventeen, I found myself working fifty hour weeks at a factory making Harley Davidson parts and accessories. While my friends were out on Friday night partying and being kids, I was going to bed early so I could get up at 5am for work on Saturday. I couldn’t imagine myself doing that for the next forty or fifty years. Music was something I always loved so dearly but wasn’t really an option coming from a town of three thousand people. That fact made me all the more determined to make it happen.

Early on in my guitar playing days, I fell in love with folk and blues music. I could learn three chords and play along to my favorite Carter Family, Woody Guthrie, Son House or Leadbelly songs. My buddy’s mom had learned a lot of those old songs from her mother and was more than happy to teach them to us. A sort of passing of the torch. From there, I found and began my obsession with Bob Dylan and I knew a journey to New York City was in my future. But my big madeleine-dipped-in-tea moment was when I found my mom’s old vinyl copy of “Born to Run.” I felt like Indiana Jones uncovering a priceless artifact, except this one belonged on my record player and not in a museum. I’ll never forget gently removing the album from a stack of old records, blowing the dust off, just like in the movies, and putting it on the turntable with excitement. So much excitement, in fact, that I put in on upside down. So, the first song I heard was side B, track one: “Born to Run.” To this day, I can’t fully explain what happened in that moment, but, needless to say, it rearranged my fucking molecules and I was off into a new world. Like Bruce, I still had to go through my folk music phase, but Rock N’ Roll was always my one true love from there on out.

Your 2012 release, Burn What You Can, Bury the Rest, is still one of those amazing go-to albums that never disappears from my playlists. It’s been a few years, so could you tell us how this record has affected you? Have you experienced much change since the album came out into the world?

I really didn’t know what to expect upon releasing that album. It was our debut record and my first record ever. I was very confident in the songs but secretly I was just hoping we could sell through the thousand or so CD’s that were sitting in boxes in my living room. I know so many talented people who have worked so hard and put all their time, energy and money into an album that sits in boxes, collecting dust in a closet. It’s such a disheartening thing to see. Music can be very cruel as there is no direct correlation between talent, work and success. But, we (with lots of help from my extremely amazing girlfriend) worked our asses off promoting and were fortunate enough to get lots of support for that record in print, online and from radio. The shows very quickly got better (getting paid decent money as opposed to a six pack of PBR and whatever tips we can scrounge up) and we had to get better as a result. The more we moved forward, the harder we had to work to keep it going. It’s sort of cliche, but we had to learn how to be a “real” band instead of four guys who play music, drink beers and do a few shows a month to try and impress girls. But I think the craziest thing was when the record first came out and I was still working at a local paint store, random people would come in and recognize me from the album they bought after hearing us on the radio or my picture on a show poster or article they read, etc. It was weird to be in dirty, paint-covered work clothes and have someone ask for picture. But that will always seem weird to me, I suppose. The album has a wonderful picture of my handsome face on it and someone always wants one when I’m tired and sweaty after a show or something. Go figure.

So, your song “This Old House” is a very important song to me, for reasons I can’t even fully express. Let’s just say it this song hit me at exactly the right moment in my life, and I interrupted it as such. But, now that I have the chance to ask you, can you tell us what this song is really about? What was the inspiration behind this brilliant track?

It warms my heart to hear you say that about “This Old House.” My goal in making music has always been to try and give back, at least a little, of what music has given me. Music has been the backbone of my life and I define chapters of my life through music. The Wallflowers’ “Three Marlenas” was my middle school girlfriend and, subsequently, my thirteen year old broken heart. Sun Kil Moon’s “Glenn Tipton” was the breakup from the first girl I ever loved. Springsteen’s “Racing in the Street” got me through the end of the next relationship. Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” saved me in my darkest of days. I think my favorite thing about music is how personal it is and how the same song can mean so many different things to so many different people depending on when it passed through their lives and what they needed from it. A relationship with a song can be a very singular and powerful experience. As a songwriter, I’ve always felt that some songs come easy, and you just have to sit down and write ‘em out, but some songs you have to earn. “This Old House” was one I definitely had to earn. As a musician, I could talk about songs, especially my own, for hours on end (just ask my girlfriend…) but I’ll give the Reader’s Digest version. Buy me a couple bourbons sometime and I’ll give you the whole story…

I had been living with this girl for a little over three years. We met in Seattle, moved to New York City together and then headed back west to Portland, OR. We were young. She was just eighteen when we started dating. I was only a year older. She’d had a tough life up until that point but was strong and trying not to show it. We would end up going through a lot together, and the years we spent in New York definitely changed things for us both. Things were already pretty rough when we left New York for Portland and only got worse once we got here. Neither one of us felt a connection to Portland the way we did to New York, and we both desperately missed our old neighborhood in Brooklyn. Our lives were spent looking backwards, which is dangerous. But soon I had a new band and was playing music again. She never got comfortable. The relationship had gotten so bad that I kept hoping she would leave me. But she wouldn’t. We said horrible things to each other. It was obvious to everyone, except us, that this needed to end and we would both be better off apart. Finally, months later, we broke it off and she moved out. I, for emotional (and financial) reasons, had to move out of our apartment. I found the cheapest and shittiest place I could in the neighborhood. I didn’t have a car so I had a buddy help me carry all my shit down the block and up three flights of stairs to the new place. The only upside of the new apartment was that it had a fire escape that I could sit out on and smoke cigarettes and drink while looking out at the city. I never write songs when I’m still very emotionally invested; I want to understand what I’m writing about from both sides. It took months and months to get to that point. But one night, after a couple bottles of wine, I was listening to music and staring at the wall when it finally made some semblance of sense. Looking around, they never fixed anything in that apartment, they just painted over it. I could see nails, holes, painted over outlets, all sorts of damage, evidence of the people who came before me. I started to think about all the life that had happened in that shitty apartment. I wasn’t the first to live there and I certainly wouldn’t be the last… We’d had our good times and our bad times, and like most relationships, it was more likely to end than last forever. We were just chapters in the middle parts of our stories, with many before and many after.

So you are a Portlander. How do you feel about the current state of the Portland music scene? Do you think things have improved over the years, or is the scene dissipating? Also you performed at my favorite spot, the Ash Street Saloon, How was that?

I’ve been pretty unimpressed by Portland’s highly-touted music scene since arriving here. When I first got here, about six years ago, I heard a lot of comparisons to Austin, Seattle and even Nashville, and that simply hasn’t been the case. While there are a handful of nice venues to play, like the Doug Fir and Mississippi Studios (and I could throw Ash Street in here), many have closed down and there aren’t any places you can count on to have quality music night after night. It’s mainly just trying to find out what touring bands are coming through town and cherry-pick those. We’ve found much more success in touring and getting out of town for shows. Portland’s scene has always struck me as standoffish as opposed to accepting, unlike so many other cities I’ve played.

But, I definitely have a lot of great memories from playing Ash Street. We’ve played there a handful of times and it’s always been a fucking memorable experience. Definitely the worst toilet situation from a venue we’ve played (which includes the Satyricon before they closed it a second time) but in a very Rock N’ Roll/charming way. The stage is great, the sound is great and the crowds are always drunk enough to let loose and have some fun. I remember one time, after some heavy rains they were having issues with the power and said there was a chance we would get electrocuted but we could play if we wanted, which, of course, we did. I broke a string during one of the songs and it snapped me in the hand hard and scared the shit out of me. I thought I’d gotten shocked and said to myself, “Well, this is it,” and promptly forgot what song I was singing. Of course, it all turned out fine, and we put on a hell of a show to try and warm up the cold, wet crowd that braved the weather to come out. Another time we played there, I remember I was so sick. I was a mucus-producing machine, was coughing like crazy, was losing my voice and I could barely stand up without getting dizzy. But, we had promoted the piss out of the show and had some great other bands lined up so I didn’t want to cancel last minute. With the right amount of Nyquil, bourbon and tea, I got through it. Can’t say I remember the whole night (I briefly blacked out at the end from exhaustion, and probably in part because of the Nyquil/bourbon in my system) but I’ve been told that I pulled it off pretty damn well. Ash Street always seemed to be a jumping off point for the rest of the night. Rarely did the night end there. There were always places to go, girls to meet, bottles to drink and cops to avoid. I’ll say this, I’m glad my shitty apartment was within stumbling distance. It was always: throw the guitars and amps in the van and see where the rest of the night takes you.

So what is next for you and the Charlatans? I understand a new record is completed, and about to hit our ever-yearning earholes? What can we expect on the next effort?

We learned a lot going through the process on the first album about what to expect, what we like, what we don’t and, most importantly, what the vision for the next record would be. We kept hearing after shows that people wanted a record where we sounded the same as we did when we played live. I love the first record and the songs that made the cut but our live shows were always much higher energy and a little unpredictable. Obviously, there was no way to jump off the stage, dance with the crowd and end up spinning around on the floor, Angus Young-style, during recording, but I really wanted to capture that same feeling the best we could. We found a great studio that was built into an old warehouse building where we could all get in the middle of the large live room and play together, as a band. We’d spent years playing together and months crafting the songs and I wanted the recordings to reflect that. So, we did it old school: one room, live, to tape. We did bring in a piano/keyboard/organ wizard (so many thanks Chris Hubbard!) and did some vocals/background vocals after but most of the record was recorded in that room. Is it perfect? No, but neither are we. Neither is Rock N’ Roll. We’re all a little rough around the edges and Rock N’ Roll wasn’t meant to be spotless, it was meant to be real and to make you feel something. I miss that humanness in modern music. I wanted to make a record that feels like it could have come out in the ‘76 or ‘86 or 2016, and I think I accomplished that.

This could seem morbid, but work with me here: If you were given the chance to give a memorial performance at the wake of any one of your influence, past or present/dead or alive, who would it be? What would you play? 

Morbid as it may seem, it’s not the first time I’ve thought about it. I’d love the opportunity to honor Bruce Springsteen with “Reason to Believe” or Bob Dylan with “Visions of Johanna.” But if I could only choose one, I would go back and play for Jeff Buckley. His voice has carried me through the worst of times. I would cherish the opportunity to make a small gesture in repaying my debt to him. The song I would choose is Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released.” I think most great artists struggle with a feeling of inward loneliness that rarely dissipates. It’s hard to reconcile the physical world around you with the world that you live in most of the time. It doesn’t feel like you quite belong to anything, anyone or anywhere. What you see or feel doesn’t match up with what you’re supposed to know. I think that’s the world Jeff Buckley lived in. I think he’s in a much better place now, one that works to understand him, as opposed to here where he tried to understand us.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

Bill Murray singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” like Daffy Duck during a World Series game at Wrigley Field. Bill Murray is certainly one of a kind, and goddamn it, the world is a much better place because of him.

And finally, check out this well done filming of Brad & Co performing the fore mentioned “This Old House” at the Doug Fir in Portland, OR. Nick Kostenborder is the original YouTube poster, and again, he did a great job. Check it! Oh, and be sure to make your way to bradleywik.com for more information and updates on the new album and tour dates and what not. Enjoy!

Matt Costa [Interview]

If there is one singer/songwriter that I have always loved and respected just so damn much, it will always be Matt Costa. In the early 2000’s I was a huge fan of everything that Brushfire Records was putting out. I loved Jack Johnson, and if you check out Part 7 of our From The Vault series, we still defend Jack to this fucking day. I love many of their other artists, but I can say without a doubt that Matt Costa was always the best, and is still the best to come out of that line up.

And Matt has proven that he is a creative mastermind with his latest project doing the original soundtrack for the film Orange Sunshine, that is absolutely beautiful. It’s something completely different from what his fans might expect, but it is fucking brilliant and needs to be heard. It is absolutely brilliant, and must be heard. The album will be out on November 11th, and is a must hear. You are going to love this album, I can guarantee it.

So, with that, I am so happy to say that we got a few words from Matt, talking about how he got into the world of music, what keeps him going, and a bit about his work on Orange Sunshine. So please enjoy!

When did you first realize that music was meant to be the reason for your plain of existence?

When I was a kid I heard Jerry Lee Lewis playing piano. A little later my Dad showed me The Who’s Tommy and Cream’s Disraeli Gears, I wanted to live in those worlds; the sounds were so powerful. I wouldn’t say that those influences are obviously apparent in my music, but that was my first introduction to Rock and Roll as a very young kid. I didn’t start writing music till I was 19. Since then I keep going further down the rabbit hole.

When did you first have that “Holy Shit, I’m a working musician now”. Basically, when did you  realize your art was officially your world?

When I started being able to pay rent from money I made performing or selling records. My girlfriend at the time was working and going to school. We we where living in Sacramento. She would come home, after I had gone through about two pots of coffee, and I would be running around the house like a mad man singing melodies and running over to catch them on the piano with a tape recorder. I was also learning a lot of songs. Whatever songs I could get my hands on; preferably the older the better. She couldn’t handle it but my wife now can.

Can you please tell us a bit about Orange Sunshine? How did you become a
part of this project? And  what drew you to this story?

I received an Email from a mutual friend of the director his name was Klee, named after Paul Klee the Artist, but pronounced Clay. Because his name is Klee I always trust him. He explained that William Kirkley was making a documentary on the Brotherhood of Eternal Love called Orange Sunshine. The title was familiar to me and the story was a local one. I had read some stories about this group and their drug smuggling history. I currently live in Laguna Beach where the story took place. Klee connected me with William Kirkley. He asked me to write a few songs for the film, and shortly after I submitted those he asked if i would be interested in scoring.
While the sound is obviously a bit different than those just tuning back in from your days on Brushfire Records or your recent EP’s, that is obvious, there is also a strange essence to this amazing record that is undeniably appealing. But, what else was different for you in completing the music for this film? What were the main things you were looking to do differently on this record, and do you feel like you accomplished them?

I let the film dictate the moods. It was a different approach for me, with the exception of about 3 songs, there aren’t many with vocals. I let the film be the lead and that was refreshing.

And I must throw it out there, “Call My Name” is a brilliant single. Simply goddamned brilliant! Can  you tell us specifically what you were trying to convey in this beautiful
psychedelic doo top (as I would call it) track? Is there a personal reason this track exists?

Well thanks!! The song is a traditional sounding love song but untraditional in a sense that it is referencing enlightenment brought on with the Orange Sunshine LSD that was spread throughout the world. Its refrain “I Need Your Love” is a call out to the Brotherhood of Eternal Love. It appears for brief section when two of the characters get hitched. They start a conservative life in Orange County and quickly realize after taking LSD that they need more from life.

I read on your website that John Steinbeck was once a fellow dweller of your community. Did you find  that his essence still lived among the residents? Real question, would you
consider Steinbeck’s work to be a major influence on your own work?

The Cottage where Steinbeck wrote “The Pastures of Heaven” sits on top the steepest street in town. You wouldn’t know that one of the most Important literary figures in the 20th century lived here, there no placards and there aren’t any streets named after him. I do a radio show on Tuesday nights and the DJ before me has a screen saver of the western flyer; the boat Steinbeck traveled to the Sea of Cortez. Sometimes he will quote Steinbeck on his show or he and I will talk about our favorite scenes from his novels. My favorite Steinbeck book isn’t an official novel but “A Life in Letters,” where his personal trials and creative process are revealed. Steinbeck has definitely brought me closer to my home state California.

Your hit single “Mr. Pitiful” appeared in numerous films and trailers and yada yada yada. I know this  is all old news. But, I have to bring it up because our old friend and fellow TWS interviewee, John Hamburg, was the man behind the Paul Rudd fronted comedy I Love You Man, so I have to ask, how was it hearing your track set as the background to such a goofy, yet undeniably sweet, moment in comedic history?

Honestly I’ve never seen it, but I have seen all his other films and loved them. The one thing it did do is make my family believe I really made it as an entertainer.

What would you consider to be your greatest non-artistic influences?

My Wife, Family, and Friends.

I know you are currently on the Orange Sunshine kick at this time, but do you have any foresight into what will be next? What is the next thing we can look forward to hearing
from you?

I’m writing new record and looking forward to sharing it.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

My friend lost a tooth. It was one of his front teeth. He has long hair and
A beard and a big missing tooth gap. It’s a strong look. I love him.

You can catch Matt Costa on a few West Coast dates. Each night features a screening of the acclaimed film Orange Sunshine with a concert to follow by Matt Costa performing songs from and inspired by the film. A Virtual Reality Component is included taking you inside the minds of “The Brotherhood of Eternal Love”. Here are the dates for November:

November 15th – Los Angeles, CA @ The Masonic Lodge at the Hollywood Forever Cemetary

November 17th – San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s

November 20th – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon

November 21st – Portland, OR @ The Albert Rose

November 22nd – Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s

TWS Week of Horror Day 9: Daniel Myrick [Interview]

When I was just a young lad of about 14 years old, I came across a story on the internet about a  group of twenty-something who went on a literal documentary style witch hunt and died a mysterious death. And pretty soon their footage was going to be in a theater near me. I was hooked. This was REAL! I was so excited, I logged off of the internet so I could make a phone call to a friend to tell him we HAVE to see this!

This, of course, shows just how damn old I am, but more importantly how vulnerable we once were to brilliant advertising techniques. I am talking of course about the now legendary horror film we all know and love known as The Blair Witch Project. A truly classic film that, in all sincerity, could not truly be replicated, ever. “Found Footage” or handicam oriented pictures have come since, but none of them have been able to, or even tried to, convince us that this was some REAL stuff. And I feel so bad for anyone who was not able to feel that very real sense of terror. The film recently had a very successful sequel hit theaters, so we were very excited to be able to get a few words out of one of the film’s original creators, Mr. Daniel Myrick, who has gone on to do some more amazing work in the last couple of decades since The Blair Witch Project came into fruition. Besides creating one of the highest profit margins imaginable in the world of film, Myrick has continued to bring some amazing work to screen. So please enjoy a few words with the legendary Daniel Myrick!

What made you decided to enter the world of filmmaking, and more specifically the world of horror filmmaking? Was it always a dream of yours?

I’ve always loved movies. When I was a kid my mom bought me my first still camera where I learned how to start thinking in terms of telling stories visually. Eventually, that led to a video camera where I started shooting short films. I’ve always liked the sci-fi/horror/thriller genre and grew up on great films that inspired me at a young age. And yes, it was always a dream to make movies.

It really seems like today’s generation of younger audiences could never fathom the success behind The Blair Witch Project. It truly was our generation’s War of the Worlds, having us all freak the hell out about this “found footage” and going to a theatre to be scared absolutely shitless. Do you feel like something like BWP could happen again? Is it a surreal experience knowing you were a part of something so historical?

I think anything is possible. Blair Witch came along when everyone was getting pretty set in their ways in the horror genre, so it shook things up in a big way. No reason why it couldn’t happen again. And yes, it was (and is surreal) being that Blair was always a ‘small’ movie, by design. We never expected it to become so huge.

What were those initial years like coming off of the surprise success of The Blair Witch Project? Was there a feeling of like, “Well, what the hell do we do now?”

Oh, yeah. Ed and I did a 180 and wanted to go out and do a comedy. Partly out of not wanting to try and jump back into the same genre due to the inevitable comparisons that would be made. However, I consider myself very fortunate to have had such a success in my career and it makes me feel great to know it had such an effect on so many people.

While I absolutely adore The Blair Witch Project, I must confess that I have been truly impressed with the work you have helped get out into the world that may not be as historic. You are the man who brought films like Rest Stop and Sublime to us. You seem to definitely have a gift as a producer as well. So, what are you looking for when you are looking for films to bring to the world of horror? What sort of characteristic are you searching for in a film? Beyond possible profitability, of course.

I like concepts/films that challenge convention. Provocative subjects are what get me excited and I like to try and bring those kinds of stories to the screen, as well as being unpredictable. That’s when it’s really a fun ‘ride’ for me, when you’re not exactly sure where things are going to end up.

I also remember enjoying your 2008 film Solstice quite a bit. You managed to shoot a brilliantly terrifying performance from Elisabeth Harnois that was spectacular. Can you tell us how this project came to life? Where did this surreal story come from in your mind? Is it any way from personal experiences?

Solstice was based on a foreign film called Midsummer. I was approached to write and direct by producer Bill Block (one of the producers at Artisan that bought Blair) and ultimately landed at Endgame Entertainment. It was a great experience to work with Elisabeth. We hit it off immediately during the auditions and really wanted to have a character driven ‘horror/thriller’.
The full fledged reboot of The Blair Witch is now out, in which you were an executive producer for. Can you tell us anything about the premise of this film? What should an anticipating viewer prepare for?

It’s much more in keeping with the original style and mythology of the original, which both Ed and I appreciate. I really like the idea of a whole new generation of film goers having a Blair Witch film to call their own.

Do you have any big plans for this coming Halloween? Any traditions with the family and what not?

I’ve got two kids, so Halloween is a big deal every year. Fortunately, for us, the street above us goes nuts and has a massive ‘block party’ that we always attend. It’s a blast.

What is your favorite scary movie?

Good question and hard to answer. Definitely classics like The Exorcist and The Shining rank up there. But on any given day, Jacob’s Ladder and Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer are still some of the best ever.

What was the last thing that made you a smile?

My kids.