NP: I AM NEON PHOSPHOR. SO, HOW WAS THE GIG?
MW: it was amazing
SC: pretty good
MW: ok, it was pretty good
AK: pretty good? pretty good my foot
MW: i didn't get ten years added to my life and we didn't discover a cure for cancer
AK: aerosmith is pretty good. we were awesome
MW: so i guess i wasn't, you know, amazed
SC: it wasn't as good as an elliott smith show, i'm afraid
MW: no, that's a lie
AK: yeah man, elliott smith would've been jealous
MW: elliott smith's shows, especially the later ones, were nothing special
AK: and then he would have stabbed himself, twice.
MW: that's pretty low, man
AK: yeah, but on the record, his girlfriend totally killed him
MW: ok, so he would've been so jealous his girlfriend would have had to kill him
AK: exactly
MW: all right
NP: OKAY, SO WE'VE ESTABLISHED THAT THE GIG WAS AMAZING. WHAT WAS YOUR PERSONAL HIGHLIGHT OR FAVORITE MOMENT FROM THE SHOW?
MW: when i kicked the cable out of my tuner pedal during "get things done," so that the last minute was filled with buzzing
AK: that was hot
MW: i mean, i'll always remember that, i don't know if it was a high so much as highlighted
AK: but even better was when i had my tuner on, and thus my guitar muted, during the first three chords of save the day
MW: yeah, that was pretty good too.
SC: i didn't hear that, actually, i was too busy looking at my fingers
MW: i guess that makes the whole show a highlight for you, steven. wait, no. the highlight of the show was being told afterward that people were singing along or when that guy came up and tipped us
AK: well if we're not being funny anymore i agree
SC: yeah i couldn't believe it. they sang along to "how many kids did you trick" apparently.
AK: yeah the guy was singing to "you're so very nice" also
MW: i mean, i love to bitch, but that was bad ass
SC: who pocketed the tip, by the way?
AK: well it wasn't me
MW: who knows?
AK: and it wasn't steven, so hmm i wonder who that leaves
MW: i think it's safe to say we'll never be sure were the money went, and that it's best to leave it [at] that
AK: sure sure
MW: where that really shoots a hole in my case. the man who can't spell necessarily is a thief
AK: totally
MW: next question
NP: HOW DO YOU FEEL THAT THE NEXT GIG IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER?
SC: i think it'll be phenomenal
MW: it's the lava lounge
SC: everyone will be there
MW: because it's the lava lounge. it doesn't matter how much we practice -- we've got moxy, and moxy and the lava lounge are like friends with benefits or some shit.
NP: TO THE FOLKS WHO ARE STILL UNDECIDED ABOUT GOING, WHY SHOULD THEY SEE THE TONICS AT THE LAVA LOUNGE?
MW: because they don't want to be assholes this coming wednesday, or maybe "gilmore girls" is on USA network or something. but this is rock and roll
SC: it'll be a milestone in rock and roll history
AK: it'll be a whole ton of fun, and if we like you, we'll buy you a drink afterwards
MW: you know, i've used the verb "to be" almost exclusively in the past couple of clauses. i just want to go on record as being aware of that
AK: you're so copulative, mark
MW: oh, that was good
AK: i know
MW: i won't lie, i love my copulae
SC: what the hell is a copulae?
MW: it's what makes the publicist cry, but without it my poetry dies. it's also pluralized [from copula]
SC: ah, i see
AK: poor steven
MW: he's not missing much
AK: you are an english major too. but you were born in the Orient, let's not forget.
MW: copulae is linguistics faggotry. we call it a linking verb in my occident
NP: NEXT QUESTION. SO THIS ONE'S ABOUT ALEK. DID HE LIVE UP TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS?
MW: hell yes
SC: excellent drummer
AK: absolutely
MW: the guy knows both music and how to play the drums
AK: what a great drummer and a great guy
MW: yeah, and he's a great guy. that's a ridiculous combination. you can't ask for that
SC: i hope he enjoyed playing with us. he should be a full-time member of the tonics
MW: he should
AK: absolutely
NP: HOW ARE THE REHEARSALS GOING? YOU'VE BEEN USING THE PASADENA REHEARSAL STUDIOS LATELY.
MW: mad props to alan
AK: the rehearsal's have been intense. tiring. but lots of fun
MW: oh, yeah. they're tough
AK: the fact that alan makes PRS such a great and friendly place also helps a lot
MW: mad props to alan
SC: the songs actually get more fun to play as the rehearsal progresses
MW: that's definitely true. we get to treat the songs as songs and not as orchestrations subject to infinite levels of revision
AK: well put
SC: we're still revising the songs, though. for instance, the save the day bridge is 10 times better thanks to this bom-bom-bom rhythm that arta jammed up
MW: yeah and that sort of adjustment is fun
AK: that's what playing live is all about
MW: exactly, there's no slaving away in a tiny room. well...
AK: it's a slightly larger room and there's no computer in it
MW: and we get to jump around a little
AK: yep
MW: that stuff counts for a lot
AK: absolutement
MW: this is rock, not the GREs
AK: that's french, bud. oh wait a minute, i thought you were dissing me. never mind
MW: hahaha. calm down, edward said
AK: what did i say?
MW: you thought i was dissing you
AK: i know. i was making a pun there. say, said. never mind
MW: no no, there's an ayn in that
AK: yeah, but how's whitey to know that? or steven for instance? he's not from that part of the orient? okay, question time
NP: SPEAKING OF JUMPING AROUND, DID YOU ENJOY THE DIZZY RIDERS WHO CAME AFTER YOU GUYS?
AK: the dizzy riders had an extremely fun show
MW: yeah, they did. they needed a bigger crowd
AK: yeah really, with some slam dancing by the stage. still, mark, you did well on that count
MW: i tried to give back some of the craziness they were throwing out
AK: but they were just what i needed after our set
MW: hey, my job is to be the nut in the band
AK: some punk rock craziness
MW: exactly
SC: they gave us these cool picks and free cds
MW: there was that, too
AK: i love that pick. i'm going to bring it to the lava lounge as a backup pick. put it on my guitar in case i drop my other pick and need a quick replacement (they stick to the guitar).
MW: and they were extremely encouraging, which i really appreciate, from an established band
AK: yeah that was great
MW: but the pick was totally sick, too. that rhymes. that should be the new slogan: "the sick pick"
SC: no more, "where's my pick?" says arta. like at the beginning of heart of darkness
MW: yeah, arta had a real phobia concerning lost picks back then
AK: i still do, deep down. but i've beaten it back
MW: whole recording sessions hinged on the recovery of a single medium gauge pick
AK: haha
MW: you fought the disease. he's a fighter. we're all stronger for it
NP: REGARDING THE ALBUM, HOW DO YOU PLAN TO PROMOTE IT?
MW: i think that's a great question. hmm...
AK: yeah, damned if i know. we need some help
MW: we're going to give away for free at the lava lounge, just as we did at the blue cafe
SC: yeah
MW: and we're going to gig again as soon as we can. we're just getting warmed up
AK: yeah
SC: i don't want to go home with a bunch of cds next time
MW: no, they've all got to go
AK: yeah they're all going
MW: the next gig could be pretty important
SC: i think we'll be fine
MW: who'll get a cd? an A&R guy? who knows? bottom line is that we're going to make some fans
SC: we might have to make some more this weekend, with liner notes that actually have notes
MW: hmm, that'll cost some bread, yo. just refer them to the website. that way they get lyrics & a bio, as well as more info than they could possibly comprehend
AK: the website needs more info and pictures of us that aren't from 4 years ago
NP: ARTA, SO YOU DESIGNED THE ALBUM COVER. WHAT WAS YOUR CONCEPT?
MW: go for it arta
AK: my concept was to make it look as much as possible like an EGA shareware video game from 1994
MW: haha
AK: think AOL's Top Picks list
MW: duke nukem 2!
SC: best in the series
AK: you got it
SC: i thought it was based on EGATrek, though. we should cover its theme song
AK: yeah, there was that aesthetic
MW: i think the RP300 was made for covering video game theme songs
NP: BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN? THE BLUE AND RED AND BLIMPS AND THE CUBE?
SC: those blimps are supposed to look like bombs
MW: you forgot the beetle with the fat oil stain
SC: the one with the biceps
MW: yeah. i think, in the context of the latest VW ads, that the photo on the back has some heavy handed commentary
AK: what VW ads?
MW: "on the road of life, there are passengers and there are drivers"
SC: "drivers wanted"
MW: what they forgot to mention were the giant stains left by the vehicles in transit and the muscle men who take pictures of them. i mean 1) all that motorized individuality totally covers your life in oily residue 2) you have to be a goddamn muscled monster to keep track of it all. you have to be able to fight the man
SC: and the man is symbolized by the cube on the cover
MW: yeah, the cube is all about people and stuff
NP: THAT'S ENOUGH READING MATERIAL FOR OUR READERS. LET'S GET A FINAL WORD FROM ALL OF YOU, BEFORE WE CALL IT A NIGHT.
MW: arta, go first
AK: huh... oh sorry, i was reading
MW: jesus, this an interview, dude. your space sims can wait!!!! ... !!!!!
AK: sigh, you have no idea how right you are. and i won't tell you. i've got nothing to say
MW: i tried to soften the blow with punctuation
AK: come on the 28th, you will have a good time
MW: yeah
AK: and listen to the album
SC: wall of sound
MW: to quote an amazing song, "rock is alive"
AK: haha
MW: the last of the copulae, before myself to bed i lay
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