Riding Shotgun with Dirty on Purpose

aybe it's because after seeing them live I couldn't stop gaping. Or maybe it's because I will sometimes listen to "Mind Blindness" on repeat until my brain glosses over (in a good way). It could be because their name is one big mock. I love Dirty on Purpose for all of the above, and for a whole lot more to boot. And after reading the gospel of DOP-er Joe Jurewicz (graciousness! Creedence! Guinness!) and going to see them March 25 with Soft Complex and Heros Severum at DC9 ($8 - bargain), I think you'll be smitten, too.

Fill in the blanks:

Touring is: not being at work.

Our first gig was: pretty good actually. It was the first and last time all of our friends came to see us play.

Our favorite venue to play is: Mercury Lounge, NYC.

Hygiene on a tour is: a hard word to remember.

Our favorite thing about touring is: being able to play songs in your sleep by the end of it.

And the least favorite thing: not seeing my girl Sophie.

City with the best audiences: all of them. Anybody who comes is the best.

The band member most likely to disappear after a show is: DJ, in letters we can't fit on a page.

The tour bus/van smells like: dudes, dreams, and illegal substances.

Laundry is: washed irregularly.

What's the most unusual item on your rider?
"exotic mood enhancers". We asked our booker if that meant a velvet Elvis painting when we first saw it, but he assured us it was standard, and we'd be very pleasantly surprised if any venues decided not to cross that one out.

Who controls the music in the touring vehicle? whoever is awake.

And what are you listening to at the moment? Silversun Pickups.

Your new favorite watering hole after being on tour? Death by Audio, on the couch.

And/or the best place to get greasy, hangover-curing food? Coney's on Bedford Avenue, or Anytime on N. 6th [ed. - both in Brooklyn].

Most amusing memory from your current or most recent tour? Hank the sound guy at Young Avenue Deli in Memphis. He rules so hard.

Please name the city you wouldn't ever play in again? Or, if not a particular city, which venue makes your skin crawl?
We got into a fistfight at a show here in the city at some shithole called Blaggard's. It's not really a venue, but a benefit show got moved there after a bunch of miscommunication, so we ended up playing there. The sound guys were these a-holes who only were sound guys because they bought a shitload of equipment and rented it out. Then they locked us in the bar at the end of the night and said no one was leaving until they got paid. It was a fucking cancer benefit. Everyone played for free. So Jay from A Place to Bury Strangers, and Oliver from Art of Shooting changed his mind. We all got a few good shots in before the cops showed up. Lovely evening.

Apart from the obvious cd, what's the merch item of yours you think people should shell out for? We make all of our own t shirts.

Have you been to the top of the Washington Monument? No, why? What's up there? Is there beer up there?

You've got lots of major publications paying you lots of compliments lately. Do you have a particular media source that makes you happiest with their affection? Loose Records and the Deli.

The first time I heard your band name, my mind slipped into the gutter. But I read recently that the name is actually a tongue-in-cheek homage to the current Brooklyn scene. Please explain the meaning behind the name.
Well "current" meaning 4 years ago, though I guess it still applies. It's about dirty models. The dudes who make enough money to wear decent clothes and have a decent apartment, but don't. On purpose.

Does Dirty on Purpose have an all-time favorite band (or bands)? Bedhead is my all time favorite band, followed closely by Creedence.

What sort of excitement do you all have planned for this year, apart from the upcoming tour? We're going to release that damn album if it kills us. Hallelujah Sirens. North Street Records. 2006. You feel me dog?

What would you like people to be saying about Dirty on Purpose in 50 years? That we were totally friggin' awesome.

Please recite a line of poetry: I just did, it was beautiful, you should have heard it. You would have probably cried a little. Very touching.

And finally, it's BigYawn's round. What's your poison? Guinness. And weed. Just not in the same glass.

Just can't get enough? Head over to www.dirtyonpurpose.com, or www.myspace.com/dirtyonpurpose.

© 2007 BigYawn, all rights reserved