Riding Shotgun With Birdmonster
Looking for something to do this Labor Day weekend? Never mind the beach, it’s all about Birdmonster. Heads will doubtlessly be nodding emphatically to the buoyant Bay Area foursome that’s all rock all the time. Bring some earplugs, and don’t forget to request some Don Henley. Dave Klein, Birdmonster’s geetar and peeano master, had lots to say about all things Birdmonster, from movie monsters (Mumra!) to riders (L. Ron!) to favored tour hobby (Ms. Pac Man!). Read on for the word of Dave, and then head over to the Black Cat for this highly-recommended (by me, anyway) show Monday, September 4 ($8, with the Sammies).
Touring is:
More common nowadays than it is for us to be in at home.
Our first gig was:
At StudioZ in San Francisco. They billed us as "Bird to Monkey" and we
thought it was hilarious.
Our favorite venue to play is:
Bottom of the Hill, again in San Francisco. It's a very loud,
straightforward rock and roll club with a lot of history. Other standouts are the Hideout in Chicago, the Black Cat in DC. We've also heard great things about the Mercury Lounge in NY and are really excited about playing there soon.
Hygiene on a tour is:
Regarded as something of occasional importance.
Our favorite thing about touring is:
Not being in an office, cubicle, or similar corporate environment.
And the least favorite:
Not having sex. Followed very closely by being forced to eat fast food.
Band member most likely to disappear after a show:
Well, Justin is the most likely to pass out at a bar.
City with the best audiences:
New York, DC, and San Francisco. San Antonio is crazy! When we
played there w/Tapes, there were drunk stage divers fighting with each
other near the stage -- at the end of “Spaceman,” Pete stepped out near the front of the crowd and they tried taking his guitar from him while he played.
The tour bus/van smells like:
71 more months of payments.
Laundry is: a) washed regularly, b) washed irregularly, c) we go
shopping a lot...
We wear capes. Only capes.
What's the most unusual item on your rider?
The unabridged, collected of L. Ron Hubbard.
Who controls the music in the touring vehicle? And what do you like to
listen to while tooling around on tour?
Whoever is riding shotgun. We listen to Ryan Adams, the National, Les Savy Fav, Bruce Springsteen, Andre Nickatina, Bob Dylan, the Band, Bad Religion, Wilco, Archers of Loaf, Clarence Carter, the Smiths, the Beatles, Outkast, TV on the Radio, Modest Mouse, Built to Spill, and shitloads of Crooked Fingers.
Your new favorite watering hole after being on tour? And/or the best
place to get greasy, hangover-curing food?
Zeitgeist in SF is a great bar, with huge outdoor benches and strong
drinks. As for hangover-curing food, we eat so much greasy crap on tour, I generally attempt to remedy my hometown hangovers with fruit and vegetables; once it becomes apparent that this does not work I'll usually grab a burrito at El Ferralito in the Mission.
Most amusing memory from your current or most recent tour?
Singing folk spirituals with New Orleans hobos while playing a mini guitar at 3 in the morning.
Favorite tour activity (other than the gigs themselves):
Ms. Pacman, but only the ones with the speed chip... slow Ms. Pacs are the ultimate tease.
Are there any bands you've played with that you'd like to tour with
again? And/or bands that you have yet to tour with that you'd like to?
I would love to do more touring with Division Day and Tapes N Tapes. Would love to tour with Cold War Kids, Stephen Malkmus, Neil Diamond, Bucket Head, Queensryche…
Please name the city you wouldn't ever play in again? Or, if not a
particular city, which venue makes your skin crawl?
[Diplomatically left blank]
Apart from the obvious cd, what's the merch item of yours you think
people should shell out for?
We have stickers with a moose parachuting on them. The good thing is that they are free, so all you really have to shell out really is a few words.
What cover songs, if any, do you/have you played live?
We played “Here Comes Your Man” once, and used to play an old Zombies' song. The next task is to learn Don Henley's “Heart of the Matter.” I can't wait.
Do you ever get sick of each other when you're on the road?
It's funny, we think we do, but then when tour is over and we don't see each other every waking hour of every day it feels strange, like something is missing.
What's the first thing you do upon getting home from a tour?
Eat, sleep, sex, bathe...not in that order.
Have you been to the top of the Washington Monument?
Nope, but we did drive by it 5 times when we were lost in DC last time we played there. It's quite impressive.
What would be the ideal Birdmonster mascot? Or, who would play Birdmonster in a bad Japanese monster movie?
Mumra.
What would you like people to be saying about Birdmonster in 50 years?
“Krakow!”
Please recite a line of poetry:
I'm a sucker for Eavan Boland, but I don't have any quotes memorized.
And finally, it's BigYawn's round. What's your poison?
Peter: Vodka Tonic
Justin: Gin Gimlet
Dave: Fat Tire
Zach: Assorted Wine Coolers.
Recommended Birdmonster-related reading can be found at www.birdmonster.com or www.myspace.com/birdmonster.
picture by Chad Wadsworth