Over the last year or so the amount of road trips that I'm supposed to take have been piling up to an obnoxious number. I took care of one last night by heading up the fine city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the last Chinese Telephones show. They've broken up before and frankly, even though they seem pretty dead set that it's over, I'd be surprised if they actually stay broken up this time but since the lovely gentlemen of Pigs on Ice were opening and I hadn't hung out in Milwaukee for over a year I figured what the hell, I'll go.
Whenever I travel into the great state of Wisconsin something invariably goes wrong. Whether it's a car breaking down in the middle of nowhere, a hippie snoring so loud that he keeps everyone in the house awake, traffic problems forcing the band I'm traveling with to miss their slot or heat in the house we're staying at being broken, Wisconsin and I have a complicated history. Luckily for me the thing that went wrong this time was relatively minor and early on in the day. By now I should know better, but I assumed that going two stops on the blue line would not take over a half an hour and I'd have plenty of time to hop on the Metra train to the south suburbs to meet up with my ride. WELL I'LL BE DAMNED, IT DID TAKE OVER 30 MINUTES! I would've been better off walking. I missed the 1:30 train and had to kill an hour in the Metra station at LaSalle. Oh well.
After the CTA debacle everything transit was smooth sailing for awhile. The always gracious Kevin was to be our escort to Milwaukee, but before the real journey could begin we had to head out to Palatine to pick up the other members of our travel company, the J's known as Jerry, Jason and Jen. It was cold and rainy but that wasn't dampening our spirits as we crossed the Illinois/Wisconsin border and drove past the never-gets-old-novelty of the "Bong Recreation Area" sign and the mystery known as the Mars Cheese Castle. We had plenty of time before the show had to start so finally, after years of waiting and ridiculous expectations, we pulled off the road and entered into the promised land of the Mars Cheese Castle.
Tiny Jerry in amongst the fog. So we get in there right before closing time and I'm honestly overwhelmed by the amount of cheese I'm surrounded by. Rows upon rows upon rows of varieties that haven't even come to me in my wildest dreams. Then to my delight there's a little sandwich counter and a novelty store in the back. Being the smug asshole that I am I had to get a grilled cheese; I couldn't keep the shit eating grin off my face as I place the order and waited. Holy hell was it good. Jen and Jason trying the samples at the front. Oh novelty bumpers sticks, how I've missed you. Pictures like this are why the term "FIBs" exists.
In the fifteen minutes we were in the Cheese Castle the weather went from not great to terrible. The fog overpowered the feeble lights of the car and the rain picked up speed, making navigation of the back-roads around the Cheese Castle a white knuckled drive. At one point we weren't 100% sure if we were going the wrong way on a one way road but we survived. Within a half hour we're in the city and putzing around inside the Borg Ward. Standard punk time was in effect so we had plenty of time on our hands to explore. I call my friends Brian and Katie to ask what's cool to do. They point out that there's a gas station a block down and that's it. We were already in said gas station.
I should've bought the water gun, damnit. Marveling at the local candies soon turns tedious (but seriously, a BBQ watermelon sucker? Sounds gross) so we hop back in the car to putz around some more. Eventually happening upon a liquor store I accomplish the second thing on my list of "Things to Do in Wisconsin" by picking up a case of Blatz and some Schlitz Malt Liquor, both fine delicacies that aren't available to those of us south of the border. Isn't it beautiful? As a dedicated Schlitz fan, let's just say this was my Christmas. Jerry the cop breaks a law. This is totally going to bite you in the ass when you want to run Palatine with an iron fist.
We head back towards the Borg Ward and kill some time in the car until Brian calls at 6:45 to tell me the show was operating only on semi-punk time and the first band had already finished up. Hmm, alright. We walk in right before some band plays and I can't remember for the life of me what they're called; the only thing I remember is that I was told they're ex-members of the Modern Machines, a band I never really dug that much and that the new one was pretty boring too.
I was really impressed with the Borg Ward as a whole. The front is an art gallery and behind a divider is the show space. For you Chicagoans, it reminds me a lot of what The Humility Gallery (RIP) had. The back room had more than enough space for a decent sized turn out and if you weren't too into the band, just head back to the front and chat; hell, they even had chairs set up so you could sit down! Whether you were discreetly drinking a Pabst from a glove and getting semi-rowdy or chowing down on Subway party sub looking at the murals, you were having a blast. I give The Borg Ward a pretty big thumbs up.
So back to the show. Possible Fathers came up next and played what seemed to me to be a 12 minute at the most set, with at least three of those minutes taken up by instrument switching. They veered between traditional punk and slightly more oddly timed stuff. Either way I liked the music and the absurdity of the instrument switching.
Coming up next was the in-imitable Pigs on Ice. Last time I saw these guys was a complete disaster of a show. A Sunday night bar show to four non-paying customers with cheese metal bands and equipment problems. They hated it, I loved the train wreck aspect of it. As is to be expected, seeing them in their own town and in a much better environment meant they played a much better set. Also since the last show they've added a full time lights person, so if you will, imagine a snuff film of Scratch Acid, the Butthole Surfers and Shoot it Up having a knife fight. You kind of get the idea. I deduct one level of awesomeness because they packed up their stuff and left before I got a chance to pick up the split cassette with Possible Fathers, which was part of the reason I decided to drive up there. So Eff You, Pigs on Ice, you beautiful bastards.
Penultimately came Ohio's The Dopamines, a strictly formulaic three chord pop punk band in the Weasel/Ramonescore vein. Don't read that last sentence as an insult though, because if you know me you know I eat that stuff up, especially at shows. I enjoyed the brief set quite a bit and will most likely check them out again next time they pull through town.
I'm still not quite sure how I feel about pre-announced last shows. On one hand it's great to know that you get one more chance to see the band and lose your mind, but the lead up and the aftermath of said last show just leaves me bummed out, whereas an abrupt break-up announcement is painful but brief; "Like a band aid, RIGHT OFF" to quote Jerry Seinfeld. Either way, it was time for Milwaukee and the whole world to say goodbye to the Chinese Telephones again. Doubling as a release show for their CD collection of out of print vinyl releases, they delved pretty deep back into the catalog to play some songs I'd never had the pleasure of seeing live. The crowd was actually quite a bit smaller than I was expecting considering it was a home town show but those that actually showed up got decently rowdy and into the show; lord knows I did my fair share of shouting and fist pumping. R.I.P. Chinese Telephones, you'll be missed. Probably see you again in a few years when Razorcake throws a million dollars your way for the stadium reunion tour.
Set List - stolen by Mr. Jerry Tell Me Tell Me Better Than The Next I Think I Can Breathe Now
It's Starting Again Smiling Game Of Pricks (Guided By Voices cover)
Those Hot Milwaukee Nights Stay Around Live Like This
Back To You Again Basement Child Super Rock Fun, Go! I Can't Be Right
-Encore- Crying In The Chapel This Time Next Year
Video of "Live Like This" and "Back To You Again" with crappy sound. I apologize in advance for my impulsive grammar nazi-ness.
Here are the last two songs EVAR from the Chinese Telephones, "Crying in the Chapel" and my personal favorite "This Time Next Year."
After the show I finally met fellow Daghouser Dan Celebrity and just as expected he's a stand up individual. Thanks a million for the 7"! The drive home was smooth sailing, completely devoid of the fog, rain and wind that plagued us on the drive up. Overall I can't think of a better way to have spent my Thursday night.
By the time this tour rolls through Chicago it will have been five and a half years since the last time I saw the Swingin' Utters. Damn. Obviously an email interview but it gets the job done.
Bill Molloy:First off, just out of curiosity, what is the current count of side projects emanating from members of the Swingin’ Utters? My last count had it around nine or so but I’m pretty sure I’m missing some.
Darius Koski:Here's a little breakdown... There are 6 at the moment (7 if you count the Utters), but I think it was around 8 or so a while ago... It's kind of convoluted and incestuous, but we're a San Francisco band, and that's just how we do it out here...
Johnny: Druglords of the Avenues, Filthy Thieving Bastards
Greg: Viva Hate
Bill:I’ve read different reports on when the band actually formed, but based on the several dates I’ve seen thrown around you guys have passed your 20th anniversary as a band within the last year or two. Was there any sort of celebration for it? I’d seen something online about Kevin Wickersham coming back and playing a show or two, was that true/related to the anniversary?
Darius:Kevin just filled in for a show that Spike couldn't make... which was fun, and the first time we'd played on a stage with him in 12 years, I think. It would have been nice to have some sort of celebration, but I've always thought it was kind of tricky to nail down exactly when we started. Greg, Kevin, Johnny and Aric Mckenna started Johnny Peebucks and the Swingin' Utters in '88. From '88-90 they were a cover band that played mostly parties and a few small shows. I joined in '90, Aric left soon thereafter, and we started writing originals pretty immediately, and playing more shows. Our first release was, I think in '91, maybe '92... We had 2 singles and a 9-song 10-inch before our first full length, which was in '95... so, I don't know, I guess it's been twenty years... It's pretty much been the same band for that whole time. Kind of. I don't know, see what I mean?
Bill:What was the impetus behind the recent b-sides collection? Is there anything missing from the compilation that you know of?
Darius:I've been wanting to compile all this stuff and release it for several years now. We recorded a lot of stuff from '90-'95, before our first full length release, and since then there have been songs on 7-inch singles and compilations that most people haven't heard-- a lot of them didn't make the record we were recording at the time, but I think a bunch of them should have... There are also some really badly recorded (like, recorded on a ghetto blaster at a practice session) songs that have never been released, mostly because they're just not good songs. I've saved everything over the years (like all those cassette recordings of our practices.... YAWN). There are also plenty of different versions of previously released songs--we released several of these on Hatest Grits, but we didn't want to release them all, because really it gets a little redundant. We tried to pick versions that really were different in some real way, no just "different" versions because they were from another recording session... It wouldn't have been all that interesting, believe me. So, I think there's always gonna be some stuff that people won't here, but I think it's, uh... for the better.
Bill:Darius, in an interview with AMP Magazine a few years ago, maybe late 2005, during the promo period for the last two Filthy Thieving Bastards records you mentioned that you don’t really listen too much punk rock any more. Was that in reaction to preparing and promoting the folksier project, and now that the Utters seem to be getting more active have you been delving more into punk again? Are there any younger bands out there that you’ve gotten into lately?
Darius:I almost regret saying that, because it sounds like I just don't like punk rock anymore, which would make my being involved in the Swingin' Utters kind of silly... but really I don't listen to a whole lot of punk rock, mostly because I'm so fucking judgmental of music in general, and there just aren't a lot of (new) punk rock bands I like all that much. I like the Spits, and I like a bunch of songs by the Soviettes. There's a band out of Sacramento called Boats! that are pretty cool... I don't know, I'm not really obsessing over any new punk band at the moment, but that's probably because I don't really go out that much, and the only bands I really see are either my friends' bands that come to town, or bands that are playing with one of my projects.
Bill:During the downtime of the last few years how active have the Utters been?
Darius:We play every few months, really just long weekends. We never really completely stopped playing live for more than, I don't know, maybe we went for a 10 month stretch or something. I mean, when you're not making records, you're just not an active band, are you? But we've basically covered the west coast--mostly northern and southern California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona... not much, which is frustrating because I REALLY miss touring... but we were just in Texas a couple of months ago for the first time in several years, and it was great.
Bill:Dead Flowers, Bottles Bluegrass and Bones seemed to be noticeably faster and harder than your previous albums. Was this a reaction to the forming of the Filthy Thieving Bastards and having a different outlet for some of the softer material?
Darius:I pretty purposely wrote harder songs for that record, because it just felt like that's what we needed to do. I don't really know why, it just seemed like it was actually a different direction for us or something. I mean, there's only so much "experimentation" that you can do when you're a punk rock band. There was the hard stuff, like Elation or No Pariah, but then If You Want Me To and Shadows and Lies were really soft, really mellow. I like that contrast, and that's what I've always gone for, as far as the songs I've written for the band. We all have really eclectic tastes in music--we all listen to just about every genre. I don't care if it's traditional Greek music, big band, rap, soundtracks or Throbbing Gristle--if I like it, I like it. I like listening to music. Filthy Thieving Bastards has made it a lot easier, though. I write a lot of country/folk/pop/mellow kind of stuff--way more than I write punk rock--but in the last few years I know which songs are Utters songs and which songs are FTB songs.
Bill:How do you decide what band your songs go to? Is the writing process different for each band?
Darius:I generally consider FTB to be my "country" band, or kind of also my "pop" band, as in more or a 60's, Kinks kind of pop. Johnny writes punk stuff for that band as well, but I just refuse to write any punk for that band, because I don't really think of it as that kind of band at all--but Johnny writes pretty much in every genre for that band, which I love. He's really raised the bar, as far as songwriting goes for the Filthy Thieving Bastards. I haven't written much for the Re-Volts. That's got a bit of a more specific post-punk kinda vibe to it, I think. I don't know, it can get a little confusing I guess.
Bill:How long exactly has Jack been with the band? Has the dynamic changed with getting someone a bit younger?
Darius:Jack's been with us since either late '03 or early '04.... and I think we sound better than we ever have. I know that sounds like something some asshole rock star or professional athlete would say, but it's true. He's an old friend of ours, he's an awesome rhythm player, has a beautiful voice, and we all just adore the guy to death... oh and HA! I always thought he was a lot younger than us as well, but I'm only 6 months older than him.
Bill:How involved is the band with the upcoming tribute record on Red Scare Records? What was your initial reaction when Toby pitched the idea? Is there any information you can confirm about the status of it?
Darius:I'm not all that involved in it. I've been asked to be more involved, but that feels a little weird and self-important to me. I have no idea what the status is, as far as when it's coming out or anything. It's really flattering.
Bill:Are there plans for any new Utters releases in the near future?
Darius:I'm hoping that we'll be in the studio in May, for a new full length on Fat.... but who knows if it's gonna happen in May, so I'd say you can expect a new record somewhere between fall '09-early spring '10.
Bill:It’s been over five years since the band last hit the Midwest; has it been that long for the East Coast as well? Do you have any hopes or expectations for this upcoming tour after such an absence?
Darius:I'm just really excited. We're going to be touring more regularly again, finally. I really just want to be a real band again, that releases records and goes on tours--so as long as the Utters exist as a band, we'll be doing what we're supposed to do--touring and recording. Maybe not as much as a lot of other bands do, but as much as we can--we've got jobs and kids, etc. so it's not as easy for us, but we're all into it and we're all ready.
Bill:Now that Bush is finally out of office, will Spike have to retire the “Fuck Bu$h” stickers on his bass? On a more serious note, the Utters have always been extremely outspoken advocates of the working class. Are you optimistic about the incoming administration’s ability to deal with this economic crisis or are we already too far down?
Darius:I've got stickers on my guitars as well! I think we should take blow dryers to them and retire them. Be done with that piece of shit, finally... What a fucking stain on our country's history. I'm as optimistic as a reasonable person can be about Obama. I like the guy, but I only trust politicians so much. Either he's for real (like, a real person), or he's just another great politician like Clinton or Kennedy--which isn't always a great thing to be, as far as I'm concerned. I like to think somebody like MLK was for real, you know... and everybody's got this wish that Obama is gonna be that guy... As far as the economy, I can't really say I'm very educated about economics, but... recessions always end, don't they? I'm not sure it's going to be Obama that digs us out, but I'm sure things will get better, economically at least, in the next couple of years. In all other areas, I think the future is pretty bleak and kind of terrifying, what with the environment, and people hating us and all, but that's another discussion entirely...
Something tells me this guy has done some interviews before.
BillMolloy:Hello?
Mike McColgan:Hey Bill this is Mike McColgan how are you?
Bill:I’m not too bad.Do you have time to do the interview now?
Mike:Yeah absolutely.
Bill:Alright.So the new record was your first on Hellcat and I always kind of wondered, Brass Tacks was your own label but under DRT?
Mike:Yeah, we still control the rights to that imprint.So it’s likely in the future that we’ll re-visit putting out artists and putting out releases but right now we’re just tied up with promoting State of Grace and getting ready to tour the US and Canada and Japan and Europe so we’ve got a full plate but down the line that’s something we’ll re-visit.
Bill:I was always kind of curious about that.A lot of bands seem to be doing the opposite of what you’re doing, leaving established labels and starting up their own stuff.So State of Grace has been out for about six or seven months now, so you’ve had some time to live with it and have done some touring on it already, how does it compare when you’re playing the songs live to the older ones that your fans know better now?
Mike:I think songs like “Kevin J. O’Toole,” songs like “Mean Fist,” songs like “Free” (pause) and even when we play the cover that was on State of Grace, “Into The Valley,” those get big responses from the crwd and it feels like the more we tour the more the songs become well known, you know, like “Not Without a Purpose” or “Back to the World” or “Savin Hill” or “Fighter.”They start to carve out their own niche when you present them to fans and give it time to permeate.And when you play it live as opposed to when it’s on a record it always takes on a different manifestation, there’s always a different vibe and I think people lock into our stuff more when we play it live than they would if they just listened to it sterile at home or in a car.
Bill:With the new record, at least what I got from listening to it, it definitely seemed a little more scaled back on the pace; it seemed much more of a traditional rock record.Was that an intentional thing?
Mike:I think… (pause) Any time you make a record, creatively, the outside influences influence you directly or indirectly.You know, with Savin Hill, Back to the World, Fading American Dream and State of Grace, each release is a window into where we were at the time we made it, with what we’re listening to and what we’re feeling.I don’t think it was a conscious decision of “well let’s slow it down and go for a big arena rock record” or anything like that.That never came up.I think what we just did was we just worked on the songs we had and we tried to make ‘em sound as good as possible.The thing with us, our mantra has always been to say, play and do whatever we want, you know what I mean, and not be afraid of the outcome.I mean if we’re going to be true to music and true to making records and doing it on our own terms that’s how you have to operate.You can’t play it safe and say “well we have to move at this clip tempo-wise to keep the kids happy or to keep our listeners happy.”You have to please yourself first creatively and it has to mean something to you legitimately or it’s not going to resonate or translate when you play it live.It’ll be contrived and distant.You have to be honest about it and present the songs win, lose, die or draw.I’m not concerned if we… if we were to succeed or again if we fail miserably I’m happy with either.I’m happy with either.To be as far along as we are now, to have four records and be on Hellcat and to have done all we’ve done, it’s gone beyond our expectations.
Bill:Yeah because when you started off it sort of a project type deal, play a couple shows and see what came from it?
Mike:Yeah, we had real humble expectations.“Well let’s play, play local shows and maybe record.”When we did that it took on a life of its own, and there was more of a demand for us than we had anticipated when we started so we kind of got swept up in it and I don’t think I have any regrets about that.I’m happy about all that we’ve done, all the tours we’ve been on and going from doing it half-way to all the way, 100%, you know.This band is a full time endeavor now, and it has been for quite some time actually, since September 2004.I mean, I’m just eternally grateful for being able to make records and being able to play live and do what I’m doing.Touring with the bands we have, doing the Warped Tour, being on Hellcat Records and having the opportunities we have, it blows my mind every day.
Bill:Since we’re getting back into the older days of the band, at what point did you notice that your audiences became an actual Street Dogs crowd instead of the curiosity seekers that knew you from Dropkick and the other guys from previous bands?
Mike:I’d say around when we released Fading American Dream in ’06 and we went on the road on our own, then I could see that there was a Street Dogs crowd.There were even kids who didn’t know that I had sang for DKM before and would come up to me at the merch table and say “You guys sound a lot like the Bouncing Souls or DKM.”
Bill:(hearty chuckle)
Mike:I don’t feel beholden to let the kids know I was in another band or “this is my pedigree.”I feel more comfortable with people finding that our on their own, you know what I mean?Because even though on stage I’m a ham and very gregarious and out-going, when I talk to the fans I’m not a grandstander or an ego driven guy.I don’t like saying “this is what I’ve done.”I even cringe a little bit when I read or bio and see all that stuff written about it, but it’s our story.It is my story and it is what I’ve been through but I don’t want to ever bee construed as a guy who’s full of himself.I try to stay right, keep my feet on the ground, just do the best I can.But to get back to your question, yeah it was around ’06 that I started to realize that we did have an audience and it was exclusive to us.I’ve seen it on the Warped tour this summer and the follow up tour, the State of Grace fall tour in the US.Even in Europe when we went with Flogging Molly I could see our people coming out too.I’m grateful for it.
Bill:It’s kind of funny that say that time period because I remember the first couple times I’d seen the band it was a good show, great always, but in Fall of ’06 on that Bouncing Souls tour is when you started playing at least one Dropkick song.I can’t remember for the life of me what it is but I know there was one.
Mike:I think it was either “Road of the Righteous” or “Get Up.”
Bill:That’s it, it was “Get Up.”
Mike:When we were rehearsing for that tour I just thought for fun “let’s kick a couple of them around” and we ended up doing it on The Gold Tour.I think once we’d completed The Gold Tour I felt comfortable walking away from doing that because we had a pretty deep arsenal of songs on our own.
Bill:Yeah by that time you had three records already.
Mike:I just wanted to present those to people, things of that nature.I don’t really get much of that anymore.I mean when we first started I got a lot of that but now I don’t get that any more at all, which is kind of shocking because I had expected that to continue at least on some small level, but it really hasn’t.And the Bouncing Souls, you want to talk about an institution or a band that does things on their own terms, they were coming up on their twentieth anniversary.Those are the greatest guys and truest guys in this genre, or in this business, period.They’ve been nothing but friends and a great positive example to us.
Bill: Yeah I’ve worked a couple shows with them and they’re always super nice, really helpful.
Mike:They really are an amazing band and great people.We were very, very grateful for the opportunity they gave us in ’06 to be on that tour.It was a really big tour for us.
Bill:It definitely was.In Chicago you played The Metro, and before you were playing at the old Bottom Lounge and the IrishHeritageCenter then all of a sudden you’re playing in a place that holds one thousand people.
Mike:Last time we were in Chicago we played Reggie’s Rock Club with Flatfoot 56, that was a great show.Chicago’s almost, I mean Boston’s where we’re originally from and that’ll always be home, but Chicago’s like a surrogate home.It’s an amazing city, you’re lucky to live there.
Bill:Yeah it’s a pretty awesome scene, there are always at least one or two shows every week.I’m low on money so I can’t go most of them.
Mike:Common problem these days.
Bill:Now obviously you started in Boston, but was it just you that moved to LA, are the rest of the guys still in there?
Mike:Actually I’m in Los Angeles and… it’s a funny story.I’m in Los Angeles, our drummer Paul is in Los Angeles and the other guys are in Texas.Johnny moved to Texas because his wife and her family live there.You know we have a pretty rigorous touring schedule every year.We’re clocking in at about an average of eight months out of twelve ever year.My wife is from Los Angeles, his wife is from Houston.We just wanted to be considerate of their needs and how difficult it is when we’re out on the road and away.That kind of precipitated my move over here and his move to Houston.I mean that’s where we’re all living right now but at the end of the day we started in a little club in Somerville, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston.In our minds, our hearts, our souls and our spirit that’s our home.It’s where it all started so that’s what we feel comfortable saying, that we’re from Boston, because that’s where it all started and you can hear it in the music and how we present ourselves.As the sports fanatics that we are that’s where we choose to keep it.
Bill:Has the geographical distance made the writing process more difficult?
Mike:Well generally when we go to make a record, we’ll allot a certain amount of time, usually about a month, for writing, demoing, pre-production.Then on the heels of that we’ll go into tracking in the studio which takes about the same amount of time.I think what we plan on doing with our next release, we’re looking at January or February of 2010 to do our next release on Hellcat, start up the next release cycle.Until then we’ll just promote State of Grace, go all over the world for that.That’s how we do our records, get together for that time to work on songs, whether it’s in Los Angeles or Houston or even if we travel to Boston.Maybe find a little place in Cambridge.We find a way to make it work.Where there’s a will, there’s a way.When people are in all the way for a project they make it work, you know?There are a lot of bands that are spread out in where they live.
Bill:With this upcoming tour, the Crooked Drunken Sons tour, on the promo poster it’s billed as the first annual.Are there any grand ambitions to make this a yearly thing?
Mike:(pause)Um… (pause).I wouldn’t like, I’d like to see it go more than one year.We have the Swingin’ Utters headlining shows with us and to have Shot Baker there it’s a dream come true.I mean, that’s a bill that I would pray for and then it happens.It might go beyond on year.If it does, it does.If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.It’d be nice to be able to go every year around this time and take some bands you love out on the road, have some big shows and get people their money’s worth, you know?
Bill:You’ve been doing work with OxFam lately.Care to explain how that came about and what exactly you do?
Mike:Well I bumped into some of their representatives at the Shamrock Fest several years ago.Basically what they’re trying to do is help impoverished people, people hit by a natural disaster, trying to empower people to grow food, empower them to be educated, help people get the inoculations and shots they need to stay healthy.I don’t think they have a political agenda; they just want to help people, so that appealed to me.That appealed to all the guys in the group.We put them out on front street because, we just… there are kids out at shows and they want to make a difference, they want to do something.They’ll tell you stories about their lives and they want to help out.We feel like OxFam gives a chance to people to maybe donate a little bit or volunteer.I feel like it’s a positive thing, for change, for one person at a time.It’s pretty wide sweeping.So that’s why we got involved.It’s just the right thing to do to help people and reach out to the less fortunate.
Bill:Is the food drive for the upcoming tour going through OxFam?
Mike:Well basically what we want to do when we go out on the Crooked, Drunken Sons tour is collect canned goods, find local food banks in the cities we’re playing and just hand the food over to them to get to people that are homeless.I think generally speaking in most cities, food banks and homeless shelters and places like that, when they distribute food, not only can they locate canned goods but they can find who to hand them over to.As far as fire department relief funds, we think what we want to do is split up the dates to alternate canned goods and donations to fire relief agencies.I think what will most likely happen is that people will contribute to both so each city will get something to the right agencies.
Bill:Now when you were talking about why you worked with OxFam earlier that it’s not very political.Now going back you’ve said things like that for awhile, I know on the first record you had “Don’t Preach To Me” about celebrities talking about politics.But within the last couple years, the Street Dogs have gotten huge and within certain circles you are a celebrity.How do you deal with that?
Mike:You know it’s funny because the last… (pause) In our way of thinking in the band we definitely don’t think we’re huge.We’re not you know, selling millions of records or showing up on TV or radio or anything like that.So we feel like we’re still grassroots, accessible, organic, not on a bus, know what I mean?So in our way of thinking we aren’t so huge.And even if we did, if that happens, the big thing with us is that we want to stay accessible to the people that come and see us.Whether that’s just talking at a show, in the club, at the merch table or afterwards, because without for fans you’re zero, you’re nothing.They sustain you, maintains you and allows you to do what you’re doing so there’s a big level of gratitude on our part, towards that.I think what I mean to say is that when I talk to them, there is debate and discussion over certain things.When we express things through song or our website, our myspace, our facebook, whatever, we’re not trying to indoctrinate people.We’re not trying to say “if you don’t think like us, you’re wrong.”We firmly believe in freedom of speech and freedom of choice.And I stress that when I talk to people when I’m at shows or even in interviews.We’re not heavy handed or self righteous or raging from a bull pulpit.That’s not our style at all.The weirdest thing about standing up on stage, it’s definitely going to bring you under some scrutiny or under the spotlight sometimes, but I don’t think I would ever tell people “you gotta think like me” or “you gotta get this or you’re wrong.”That’s certainly not how we conduct ourselves.We want to write about what’s inside of us, what compels us, what alienates us, what makes us happy, what makes us sad or glad.So that’s how we’ve always liked it.I think when I wrote the song “Don’t Preach To Me” I felt that in certain instances there are celebrities, actors, actresses, even big sporting figures that express their views and got a little too self righteous, got a little too full of themselves and made it into “this way or the highway.”In a democracy and freedom, the first amendment always gives space for people to have different opinions and different beliefs.That’s what the whole system’s based on anyway as far as our government.
Bill:Alright, I just have one more written down question and it’s not even a real question actually.What are the top five worst things about the Yankees?
Mike:(chuckle) Top five worst things about the Yankees.I’d say number five, A Rod.Number four, Derek Jeter.Number three, Jason Giambi.
Bill:Cheater.
Mike:Two, Brian Cashman.And number one, George Steinbrenner.
Bill:Yeah, you got pretty much what I would’ve said.Any last words, thoughts, questions or anything?
Mike:No, just thanks for the interview and hopefully this year coming up we can play Riot Fest.We talked to the Bosstones about it and they said it was great.They love Chicago just like we do so it’d be fun to play there again.
Bill:Yeah I’m kind of bummed you guys aren’t able to play the Chicago date on this tour with the Utters, but it happens.
Mike:I think what we may do potentially is in the summer go out with The Aggrolites and swing through Chicago, maybe even do two nights in a smaller venue.Generally every time we go through there, and I’m not just kissing your ass because you’re giving me an interview, we genuinely love the city.It’s the type of city where there’s so much stuff and it’d be great to live.
I started this blog to simply be a play list archive for my internet radio show, but since then it's grown into a place for me to put up record reviews, full interviews, and other assorted things that I see fit.
The "Raid" part was originally part of a pun that now makes no sense but I'm stuck with it.
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