Riding Shotgun With Pilotdrift
Pilotdrift are, quite possibly, like nothing you've ever heard before. Hailing from Texarkana (you know, the border between Texas and Arkansas), these space cadets create a beautiful noise somewhere along the lines of the Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev, with extra otherworldliness and aural theatrics. Pilotdrifter Kelly Carr put pen to paper (or, fingers to keyboard), so read on for his thoughts on state lines, phallic symbols, and rock operas (don't rule them out just yet). Come for their cosmic grandeur, stay for Britpop legends Supergrass, both appearing at the 9:30 Club February 12th ($20).
Touring is: A great adventure to be experienced to the fullest!
Our first gig was: The Living Room here in Texarkana.
Our favorite venue to play is: We really like the 9:30 Club in D.C... really any place that is non-smoking.
Hygiene on a tour is: Actually rather high I would say. Sometimes I even wipe my butt.
Our favorite thing about touring is: Feeling the fresh energy from a crowd.
And the least favorite: Venue staff that act like football coaches. That's all I will say about that or else I'll... seriously that's all.
City with the best audiences: Whichever city we are in at the time. HA!
The band member most likely to disappear after a show is: John David.
The tour bus/van smells like: Nothing really. Maybe pistachios. What a weird word.........Pi-sta-chios!
Laundry is: a) washed regularly, b) washed irregularly, c) we go shopping a lot:
I don't think anyone wears the same clothes twice, except maybe pants before washing.
What's the most unusual item on your rider?: We don't really have one, but it would be fun to request a Llama for petting pleasure.
Who controls the music in the touring vehicle? And what are you listening to at the moment?: Whoever is driving. But John David tends to blare it louder then the rest of us. Currently I am listening to the Shortwave Set.
Your new favorite watering hole after being on tour? And/or the best place to get greasy, hangover-curing food?: No one really drinks hardly. But I will say that you gave me a rather entertaining mental image of a man hanging upside down over a puddle of water, eating pancakes and Orange Juice... And his name is Todd. No reason... he just looks like a Todd.
Most amusing memory from your current or most recent tour:
Following Eisley at 4 in the morning. They never know where they are going, even with GPS. Our Vans did 3 full doughnuts in an intersection one time. It was like ballet. Although other cars in the area were not appreciators of the art.
What bands have you toured with that you wouldn't mind teaming up with again? Or, any bands you'd like to tour with in the future?:
We have only toured with Eisley and the Polyphonic Spree. Both of which were great times. Other bands? Supergrass is one, that dream has come true. Air would be cool (no pun intended). Bjork, Beck, Flaming Lips, Goldfrapp. Heck, any music that I listen to.
Apart from the obvious cd, what's the merch item of yours that you think people should shell out for?:
We are working on getting more, so there isn't much outside the shirts, stickers, and buttons. I think it would be cool to have an old drinking mug with Elephant Island on it.
Not many bands can be likened to Andrew Lloyd Webber. But "Jekyll and Hyde Suite" (my personal favorite) is very rock opera-esque. Are staged rock operas a la the Who up your sleeve for the future?: Probably not, but "who" knows. (pun intended)
Have you been to the top of the Washington Monument?:
Did not know you could do that. That would be an enjoyable view. Or is this a joke referring to the phallic nature of the monument?
Have you ever ventured to other state-line cities, such as Norlina or Florabama?:
Nope. Had to Google those, it appears that these places exist. I'm sooo over the whole state line phenomena, I've moved onto congressional district lines now.
What band most influenced your sound?: Not sure.
What would you like people to be saying about Pilotdrift in 50 years?:
"NBC live here at the Big Apple for the 25th annual "Pilotdrift Appreciation Parade." We hope everyone is enjoying this national holiday. For those of you that might still be somewhat interested in the Super Bowl (in which we, without question, interrupted for this glorious occasion), highlights may be shown at the end of the parade, if we have time"
Utterly unrelated, but please recite a line of poetry: Our soul has escaped like a bird out of the fowler's snare. The snare is broken, and we have escaped.
And finally, it's BigYawn's round. What's your poison?: What's with the Yawning? Go take a nap!
Thanks to littlebigmanpr.com and Allison V. Smith for the picture