Riding Shotgun With Sound Team
Texas -- just say the word and it brings to mind the land of big hair, J.R. Ewing, and some damn fine music. Representing said good music this week are the psych-rocking, undeniably most awesome Austin-ites of Sound Team. See what's on the mind of not one, not two, but three members of the latest band of Lone Star goodness. Bill, Matt, and Sam have plenty to say about post-show behavior, quality diner food, and Sound Team tees (and cassettes). Read on, and then check them out May 19th, at the Black Cat ($12 - with Elefant and Aberdeen City). I'm beginning to think Texas isn't so bad...
Fill in the blanks:
Touring is:
Bill: like running laps on a giant donut. You never reach the end. After a certain point, everything feels like a tour, even a trip to the corner store.
Matt: not-that-bad.
Sam: a crazy dream, floating in an ocean of gasoline.
Our first gig was:
Bill: too loud.
Matt: too loud.
Sam: loud.
Our favorite venue to play is:
Bill: our studio.
Matt: the Troubadour.
Sam: Beerland, TX.
Hygiene on tour is:
Bill: hit and miss.
Sam: On or off the road, we take hygiene seriously.
Our favorite thing about touring is:
Bill: the shows.
Matt: coffee.
Sam: the music.
And the least favorite thing:
Bill: the smell of the van.
Sam: eating bad food.
City with the best audiences:
Bill: Austin, of course.
Matt: don’t know. . .all.
Sam: Austin and New York.
The band member most likely to disappear after a show is:
Bill: all of us.
Matt: all.
Sam: The whole band.
The tour bus/van smells like:
Bill: dirty socks.
Matt: try not to think about it.
Sam: electricity.
Laundry is: a) washed regularly, b) washed irregularly, c) we go shopping a lot:
Bill: I never do laundry. Sam does his all the time.
Matt: Why did they let the turkey join the band? Because he brought his own drumsticks!
Sam: A.
What's the most unusual item on your rider?
Bill: Enrique.
Matt: Don’t have one.
Sam: what’s a rider?
Who controls the music in the touring vehicle? And what are you listening to at the moment?
Bill: Whoever drives. Right now, I’m listening to a bird singing outside my window.
Matt: Whoever’s driving gets to pick, unless we’re listening to a book on tape. Dan Brown. John Grisham.
Sam: The driver controls. I’m listening to “Fresh Air” on NPR.
Your new favorite watering hole after being on tour? And/or the best place to get greasy, hangover-curing food?
Bill: Thumb's Up Diner in Atlanta.
Matt: “Watering hole. . .watering hole. . .” (shrugs). We went to a good breakfast place in Atlanta called the Thumb’s Up. Bill found it.
Sam: Thumb's Up in Atlanta – amazing!
Most amusing memory from your current or most recent tour?
Bill: Michael asking out a SI swimsuit model.
Matt: Jordan pulled the ol’ “sugar-ee-doo,” and Sam and Gabe both fell for it in the same meal. Hilarious.
Sam: The van was buried in a blizzard in NYC, and when Gabe was trying to drive it out, a crowd of people gathered around yelling advice. It’s hard to make it sound amusing in an email.
Please name the city you wouldn't ever play in again? Or, if not a particular city, which venue makes your skin crawl?
Bill: Helsinki.
Apart from the obvious cd, what's the merch item of yours you think people should shell out for?
Bill: Cassette copy of our “Work” EP.
Matt: Our t-shirts. They have a good design and will almost definitely increase your appeal with the opposite gender. We also have cassettes for some reason.
Sam: Hand-stitched t-shirts.
What's your dream bill, be it bands past or bands present?
Bill: Homer (Greek lyrical poet) singing “The Odyssey” over 1,000 chanting monks.
Matt: It’s dark outside. We’re in a smoky bar. There’s a band trying to tune up, but they can’t seem to get in tune. Then Michael walks up and says it’s time for us to load the trailer, but he lost the keys. That’s when I wake up.
Sam: Can. Radiohead. In space or on the moon.
Have you been to the top of the Washington Monument?
Bill: No.
Matt: We have a website.
Sam: No.
Who or what has been the biggest influence on you as a band?
Bill: Water.
Matt: Building/having our studio.
Sam: Tradition.
What would you like people to be saying about the Sound Team in 50 years?
Bill: "I think I heard that name somewhere."
Sam: "Yes!"
What would you most recommend to a first-time visitor to Austin?
Bill: Barton Springs.
Matt: The clichéd answer would be Barton Springs, but it is a really nice place. Worst jukebox in town is at La La’s Christmas bar. You can play Yahtzee there though. Las Cazuelas is a good taqueria on the east side. Best pizza in town at Home Slice. Vegans and macrobiotic types will enjoy Casa de Luz. They have that drum video game at this huge arcade-type place called Main Event, but you’ll need a car to get there. So rent a convertible.
Sam: See the bats, eat tacos.
Favorite (non-Sound Team) team?
Bill: San Antonio Spurs.
Matt: Michael, Bill, Jordan and Sam are from San Antonio, so the Spurs I guess? We like sports.
Sam: sports team.
Please recite a line of poetry:
Bill: Thank you for being a friend, travel down the road and back again. Your heart is true, you’re a pal and a confidante.
Matt: One can’t have it both ways And both ways Is the only way I want it
Sam: ”Round and round in a widening gyre/The falcon cannot hear the falconer/Things fall apart…”
And finally, it's BigYawn's round. What's your poison?
Bill: Hemlock.
Matt: Is the kitchen closed? Probably so. Just some beers and soft drinks then. Thanks BigYawn.
Sam: Coffee.
For even more from your new favorite Texans, head on over to www.soundteam.net, or www.myspace.com/soundteam.