The Haymarket Squares Raise a Riotous Ruckus

Photo by Joe Maier

It isn’t everyday that a local band releases a well put together music video, let alone throws a music video premiere party. Yet, punkgrass stalwarts The Haymarket Squares did just such a thing. Unfortunately, this undertaking isn’t as simple as throwing together a quick YouTube video so there’s no video link as of yet. In this case, the band got together with local film director Matty Steinkamp to work out some studio time to pull out all the stops for this particular endeavor. After only seeing one day of the video shoot, one could see how elaborate of an undertaking this was between the costumes, lighting, props, videography and more.They even rounded it all out with a stellar cast and incorporated the use of fire, which was fun to work with. Even with all of these efforts, the fact that a link won’t be available until early next year goes to show how fantastic the final cut will be as they finish what is likely polishing up some final touches. Regardless, the video premiere was marvelous, including new and older supporting acts that put on quite the show.

Photo by Joe Maier

Klezmer funk project Jerusafunk kicked things off delightfully with their wonderful blend of these styles with an old-school sixties soul feel to it. Especially for being a band that partially appears to include a drum circle, one might expect some very hippie vibes from this collective. Gratefully, this unique conglomeration doesn’t fit into any particular square peg, exceeding what many likely would expect from them. Instead, one is left wanting more of this group between the strings, percussion, horns and the solo woodwind on stage played by clarinetist Jessie Demaree.Her clarinet is a lovely addition to their intriguing sound. The horn section really adds to their carnivalesque style, which includes alto sax player Austin Rickert from such projects as Bacchus and the Demonsluts as well as Naked Pizza. Guitarist Chris Del Favero rocked out for the crowd in what appeared to be red vinyl like something out of the eighties. Bassist Isaac Parker got hella funky for the crowd as well. Considering how overwhelmingly awesome these cats are, it feels required that they need to be seen more than once.

Photo by Joe Maier

Gothic rockabilly punks The Limit Club set the stage for one helluva performance like they’ve always done over the past ten years. Few rockabilly bands have captured my interest in general, let alone locally. But everything about these cats is noteworthy. Bandleader Nick Feratu stands out by shredding away on guitar and thrashing around the stage. Upright bassist NickDave got the crowd shakin’ as he slapped the bass. Maintaining the backbone of the band is Juan Carlos, not just because he’s a stand-up drummer (he literally stands while he plays) but because of his vivaciously energetic technique. And when guitarist Monty O’Blivion isn’t rockin’ out, he’s wailing the hell out of his sax. The Limit Club has gone the distance, from Arizona to Austria, and they’ve shown that they’re certainly worthy.

Photo by Joe Maier

Punkgrass band The Haymarket Squares have been a mainstay out here in our community for over the past five years and it shows. They’re one of the hardest working bands out here. They started off their set proving this by debuting their latest music video for their latest crowd pleaser “Let’s Start a Riot”. All the energy and time that they’ve put into it is definitely noticed. The quality is impressive as it stands and, short of giving away any spoilers, let’s just say that it definitely riled up the crowd for the Haymarket Squares live performance. From there, the band jumped right into their amped set. Stand-up bassist Marc Oxborrow led us story to story through their set while laying down his bassline that gets the crowd dancing. Guitarist John Luther threw down to get the joint rockin’ while he crooned. Mark Sunman shredded on mando, screaming, when he wasn’t serenading everyone on accordion. Slide guitarist Mark Allred swooped around the fretboard frantically when he wasn’t booming out his bass vocals. Fiddler Jayson James went to town on the violin like it’s going out of style. And, if that wasn’t enough for the audience, they unplugged to join the crowd at the end of the show to rock out with everyone surrounding them and shouting along. As always, The Haymarket Squares know how to entertain just about any crowd and throw one helluva party.

~ Garyn Klasek

The Rev Heats Up the Valley of the Sun

Photo by Joe Maier

Rockabilly isn’t meant for everyone. Yet, somehow, there are some musicians that can fuse the genre quite well with other styles and make something unique despite sounding classic. Reverend Horton Heat is just such a man, capable of blending rockabilly with old-school country, punk, rock and even surf music. Seeing them at Denver Riot Fest, there’s no surprise as to why this band has a loyal following. Even the crowd that had collected for L7 on the neighboring stage was enthralled with the stage presence and energy of the Rev. That’s exactly what’s in store for those who catch Reverend Horton Heat.

Photo by Joe Maier

Kicking off the show was L.A.’s The Lords of Altamont, a rock band heavy in roots music, rhythm & blues and garage punk. The first thing that made them stand out was their intense energy as lead singer Jake Cavaliere leaped atop his keyboard, mic stand and all, while the band rocked out. If there’s one thing these cats can do, it’s maintaining their dynamic power and audience interest throughout their invigorating performance.

Photo by Joe Maier

Next up was Riverside’s soul punk combo The Bellrays. Anyone who’s heard them before, or been lucky enough to see them play, can certainly see how a band like this has been able to wow anyone and everyone over the past 25 some-odd years of their existence. Vocal frontwoman Lisa Kekaula alone riles up crowds like it’s nobody’s business. Her soul powered voice and parlance make her stand out among many of the vocalists of today. Equally tantalizing, however, is the rest of the band. Guitarist Robert Vennum doesn’t just shred but also entices fans when he solos. And that’s when he’s not harmonizing or singing an entire song. Bassist Justin Andres, as well, got the crowd shaking with his superb bass playing abilities. Even drummer Stefan Litrownik really threw down hard at the kit.

Photo by Joe Maier

Closing out the show was the incredible Reverend Horton Heat. Straight out of the gate, it was absolutely noticeable how much the size of the crowd increased just before their set. And there was no end in sight to the vitality being thrown right back at the audience by the band. Early on, a small pit broke out but don’t mistake that for lacking venom, as security broke up a fight. This didn’t sway the band one bit, though. The Reverend himself, Jim Heath, serenaded fans on guitar while crooning into the microphone. After 30 years of performing, the man’s talent for entertaining is certainly noticeable. Accompanying him was upright bassist Jimbo Wallace who seems to have a fan base all on his own. He got the crowd moving with his fierce slap bass technique. At one point, Jimbo laid his bass on its side and continued playing while the Rev prance up onto it, rockin’ out for the audience. If their unique friendship and stage presence wasn’t enough, drummer Scott Churilla showed off his amazing skills, going so far as to play a song length solo that only so many drummers could keep up with. This was one helluva killer show to catch throughout.

~ Garyn Klasek

Losing Our Minds With Off With Their Heads

Photo by Ben Talty

The last time Off With Their Heads came toured through town, it was with The Menzingers and both bands put on one helluva show. This time was no different for Minneapolis melodic hardcore punk band Off With Their Heads, who stopped in Tempe with Pennsylvania pop punkers Spraynard and Portland indie punk rockers Lee Corey Oswald. Opening up the show was Tempe melodic punk band New Colonies.

While they were certainly melodic and talented, they didn’t have quite the poppy energy that I was expecting to encounter at this particular show. I could certainly enjoy their resonance and drive, though. The guitarists in particular provided a great mix of both momentum and harmony. The more punk rock elements that New Colonies provided led well into Lee Corey Oswald’s set. Despite obviously being heavily influenced by punk, I really noticed their more rock leanings. Even with that fierce power, they seem to balance it well with indie pop melodies similar to Jets to Brazil, which was very noticeable between the guitarists and Lee Ellis’ Blake Schwarzenbach-ian vocals. Corey Ciresi’s frantic drumming definitely drew attention as well.

Up next, Spraynard brought incredible energy and fun to the show. At the same time, they maintained intriguing melodies between guitarist Pat Graham and bassist Pat Ware. Regardless of their poppy intensity, they still know how to rock hard. I had heard this band talked up for days before the show and I wasn’t let down. Following this was yet another great show by Off With Their Heads. They stole the show with their more hardcore elements while maintaining some sweet harmony. The energy bounding back and forth between guitarists Ryan Young and John Polydoros truly enchant listeners. This is only built on by drummer Ryan Fisher and bassist Robbie Swartwood. If their fun thrashiness wasn’t enough, Young’s chaotic vocals are the topping on the cake. Overall, this was a fantastic show to catch some new and old fascinating punk bands.

~ Garyn Klasek

Hooten Hallers' Scorching Chillicothe Fireball Album

Photo by Brian Heffernan

They say that there’s nothing new under the sun which can make things complicated when trying to make unique music that’s both fresh and inspired. But that’s exactly what Missouri trio The Hooten Hallers accomplish with their brash take on Americana roots and blues. They’ve developed what they call hillbilly soul yet don’t stop there by fusing it with their brand of Americana swamp country blues rock. If that wasn’t enough, they add a twist of junkyard stomp through both their instrumentation and performance. Their latest release, Chillicothe Fireball, sets the bar for an eclectic meld of traditional and current music.

"O, Jolene" Chillicothe Fireball

The album kicks off with a high energy Americana blues tune “O, Jolene”, which The Hooten Hallers made a killer music video for through Boxcar Films. The vocals alone are incredible, whether talking about John Randall’s soulful and haunting Tom Waits-esque singing, Andy Rehm's sultry swing-jazz style vocals reminiscent of Katherine Whalen from Squirrel Nut Zippers or the rest of the gang-style sing-along backing vocals. Straight out of the gate, however, Paul Weber’s harmonica swoons the listener along with Kellie Everett’s sax. Even the faint piano tickling of Chris Baricevic slowly builds in volume. The band builds on the blues in “It’s Hard to Trust Your Baby” while rocking it a helluva lot harder, especially as far as Randall’s sick guitar playing. The band simmers things down for more N’Orleans styled blues jam “I Know Everything”.

The Hooten Hallers mellow out beautifully with their more country influenced blues song “Trouble Is” while Randall serenades on guitar and he and Rehm croon together seductively. The country side of the record stands out on “Here Comes Authority” by way of both Randall’s acoustic strumming as well as his ability to swoon on slide guitar with the assistance of Weber’s harmonica. They pick up the pace again on country rock jam “Garlic Storm” when Rehm really goes to town on the drums only to slow things back down with bluesy N’Orleans gospel country tune “Grinding Up the Bones”. They really rock it out between Randall’s guitar, Everett’s sax and Baricevic on keys.

Chillicothe Fireball’s energy picks right back up through Rehm’s fierce drumming and Randall’s wicked guitar licks with country rock song “Coming Down the Mountain”. The Hooten Hallers get back around to the blues while reaching peaks of rockin’ out in “Used to the Truth”, especially with Randall’s hypnotic guitar. The album winds down impressively stripped down to Baricevic tickling the ivories something fierce with some light percussive assistance from Rehm and Randall and Rehm carrying the listener out with their invigorating vocals in N’Orleans flavored Americana tune “One More Heavy Mile”. Whether one has seen and/or listen to these cats before, Chillicothe Fireball is one helluva sensational record that will leave the listener foaming at the mouth for more.

The Hooten Hallers are scheduled to play Tuesday, Aug. 25th at Rips Bar located at 3045 N. 16th St. in Phoenix.

~ Garyn Klasek

Whiskey Shivers Delivers on New Album

Courtesy of Whiskey Shivers

Many bands try to blend traditional music with modern and rarely do it well. Austin’s bluegrass Americana quintet Whiskey Shivers does just that. One minute, they’re playing bluegrass at punk blitz speeds and the next they slow down for an Americana tune while still rockin’ out with an alternative edge. Their latest full length album, which is self-titled, has an impressive spread of folk tunes with their own current flair.

Whiskey Shivers kicks off with an intense bluegrass track called “Free” performed at a supersonic punk tempo. Immediately, frontman Bobby Fitzgerald stands out with his amazing fiddle skills alongside percussionist Joe Deuce who blows minds with his washboard abilities. Even James Bookert’s banjo playing is hands down magnificent and guitarist Jeff Hortillosa lays down some astounding solos. The following few songs reduce the pace down to a more old timey Americana feel. “Friends” has a train-hopping feel to it with occasional sing-along moments. The next song, “Pray for Me”, is more of an uplifting gospel country jam that has just enough of a poppy melody to make it catchy. This is followed by sprightly country song “Angel in the Snow”.

About a third of the way through the album is “There is a Time” which features vocalist and violin player Kelsey Wilson from Austin indie pop band Wild Child whose vocals wonderfully complement Fitzgerald’s soothing country tenor-ish voice. A radical direction is then taken in “Graves,” a gospel tune that sluggishly and eerily brings the hammer down with Deuce’s percussion being accompanied by full band vocals. The momentum is immediately picked back up again with the punkgrass jam “Hot Party Dads”. Fitzgerald’s talents on harmonica are very noticeable on the next song “Give Me a Reason”.

Whiskey Shivers gets extremely eccentric on “Been Looking For” by experimenting with a more alternative sound with astonishing acceleration and solos from everyone in the band. They immediately simmer down for a somber country jam called “Long Low Down” which is when I noticed Andrew VanVoorhees gifted upright bass skills in the forefront. The album is closed out with the swift bluegrass sounds of “Swarm”. In the long run, not only is this Whiskey Shivers album worthy of being played on rotation but it pumps the listener up to see their ingenuity in a live setting.

Whiskey Shivers are scheduled to play Sunday, August 23rd at Rebel Lounge located at 2303 E. Indian School in Phoenix with Some Dark Hollow and The Shivereens.

~ Garyn Klasek

Reason Unknown Interview

Photo by Patricio Gonzales

Reason Unknown hit the Phoenix scene back in 2006. They bring a political punk voice to the local Phoenix scene in the same vein as bands like Anti-Flag and DC Fallout. It can be said there is some NOFX influence to be found in their music, but their sound associates more with the former bands mentioned above than the latter. They are a band that has opened for numerous national acts, including Agent Orange and Swingin’ Utters, with the list only continuing to grow. I got the chance to sit down with them, and learn more about this great local band.

Joe: Alright, let’s start off with whoever wants to answer. I didn’t specifically write these to anyone in particular, but I’m sure everyone has a unique answer to some of these or most of these. How did you guys end up meeting each other and getting together, forming this band?

Travis: That’s a good question.

Scott: I’m the late comer.

Travis: I’ve known Scott since I was sixteen, seventeen.

Scott: We were both friends for a long time.

Travis: We both played in separate bands when we were younger.

Pat: I met Scott in 2000. We actually needed a guitar player. We were playing a show and we had a fill-in guitar player because our guitar player had left. We met Matt at Jugheads.

Matt: My old roommate, the old guitar player for Sorrower (Billy), pretty much forced me to go to the show. I didn’t want to go and we showed up. Todd Seres was filling in for their guitar player and after the show Todd kind of forced me to meet them. He said “Hey, here’s your new guitar player!”

Travis: Yea, actually, yea, outside he’s like “Here’s your guitar player.” [laughs]

Joe: A kind of fateful night.

Pat: Of the nine years, he has been in [the band for] seven.

Travis: And before that it was pretty much started. It’s funny because me and our original drummer were in a band that was not very good. But it was like, more like practice and stuff. Then it went on hiatus, and then Pat joined.

Pat: Originally I came in as the singer, and we had this guy Robert as our guitar player. He lasted a month because his wife didn’t like him doing it.

Travis: Yea, he was going to play guitar, and we were going to find a singer.

Pat: And we were a three piece. We couldn’t find a singer and we said “Fuck it.” Me and Travis will sing. Then Scott joined in 2010.

Joe: So five years now.

Pat: Yea, we’re still waiting on an album with him on it. [laughs]

Joe: So none of those prior albums have him on it?

Travis: Uh no.

Pat: We recorded a seven inch that was supposed to come out through a certain label. But they fucked us, and he has since disappeared.

Joe: Nameless label?

Pat: It’s not nameless, but I’m not going to get into too much shit slinging.

Joe: Off the record already, we already are going. [laughs] Alright, well this is more individual, but what got you guys into playing music?

Travis: I’ve always been into music since I was younger. Played drums, little snare drums when I was a kid, then moving onto guitar, and then bass. I always liked reggae and ska, so it made me want to play bass. Scott has like a family history.

Scott: I was born into it. My grandpa was a drummer, and my dad was a drummer. I was pretty much born with it in my hands. It’s always been my dream.

Pat: I was just instilled with a love of music from my father when I was kid. Then, when I was twelve years old I heard my first punk rock record, which was Citizen Fish’s Wider Than a Postcard and that was it!

Matt: For me, I just started. My dad always played guitar and my mom was a pianist. So we always had a musical family. When I was probably eleven, I started playing my dad’s guitar. Then he gave it to me at twelve. So I learned on this twelve string acoustic guitar how to play major chords and stuff like that. My sister gave me my first electric guitar when I was thirteen. I started getting into punk at that age. I started learning, I think, Face to Face, which was one of the first bands I got into.

Joe: On your own?

Matt: Yea, I just sat there and listened every day. I tried to play along with all the songs. Learned power chords, obviously, and kind of went from there. I was always destined to be in a punk band, I guess.

Joe: [to Scott] Did your parents, your father and grandfather, teach you?

Scott: Yea, it was mainly my dad who was teaching me. Grandfather would once in a while when we would go visit, but I was in the fifth grade. I started the school band, and that’s when I got really polished up. I was in drumline, and punk rock bands when I was sixteen.

Joe: So we have two bands, and high school band.

Travis: When we were sixteen years old, we used to play in a band.

Scott: Separate bands.

Travis: Yea, separate bands, but we always played together.

Pat: Yea, I think we’ve all been in bands since high school.

Joe: Oh no, I meant in high school band then.

Travis: Oh no, I wasn’t in high school band. That was when I was in elementary school.

Pat: I think I was in my first band when I was eighteen. My first band was called Food Stamp Barbeque.

Matt: My first band was The New Republicans, then we found out Shane MacGowan already had a band called The New Republicans.

Travis: You could be The New New Republicans. [laughs]

Matt: The New New Republicans. Well we broke up a long time ago, and I’m in this band.

Pat: The Shane MacGowan New Republicans. [laughs]

Joe: Well do you guys play any other instruments?

Travis: Guitar. I played piano a little bit. I suck at drums.

Joe: That’s why you have him [Scott].

Travis: Yea. [laughs]

Scott: I can play power chords on the guitar; that’s my limit.

Pat: I can play the A.C. Slater beat on the drums. [laughs]

Travis: The Stamos, the Stamos beat?

Pat: Yea. [laughs]

Matt: I can play a little piano here and there, very rarely. All that year or two [I rarely played] because I never learned how to read music. Yea, I’m that guy. I think we are all that guy.

Travis: Yea.

Matt: That is pretty much it. I fuck around with my friend’s drums every once in a while. I have no desire to play them.

Joe: So what was the most influential musician for you guys growing up? It sounds like it was mostly family for Scott.

Scott: Yea, I will definitely say family had a huge influence. As far as drummers I idolized growing up, [there were] Neil Peart, obviously, and Buddy Rich: jazz musicians. I grew up listening to a lot of jazz because of my grandfather. For the most part, it is all family.

Matt: The obviously cliché Kurt Cobain. Kurt Cobain and Trever Keith were my two. Then I got into Screeching Weasel and Ben Weasel, The Queers, and all that.

Travis: Mine is pretty standard: Matt Freeman obviously. I think that [goes for] every bass player. Then any ska bass player.

Pat: Mine is the other half of his, Tim Armstrong, since I was fifteen years old.

Joe: He is amazing; those are a lot of amazing musicians. So what is your favorite local venue you like to play in the Phoenix area? If you have a preference?

Travis: I always liked Yucca. I always have a good time at Yucca; they put on great shows.

Pat: Yea, Ben is always fair to everybody so Yucca for me too.

Travis: There are a lot of other good ones. First thing that comes to mind is [Yucca has] always been really good to us, good to bands.

Pat: Club Red is always fun.

Travis: Club Red is always fun.

Pat: The soundman is really good.

Travis: Yea, the soundman is always good at Club Red.

Joe: So how does the writing process work for you guys? Is there a certain one person, or multiple people?

Travis: It is kind of everybody. Sometimes Pat will come into the studio with lyrics, and we will kind of have an idea of how certain things will sound. We will mouth it out, and start playing it. Sometimes I will come into the studio with lyrics, and sometimes chord structures. Sometimes our songs are songs that Matt had played when he was twelve. It’s kind of everybody. It’s always our writing process. Usually we will confuse the shit out of Scott because we will change the song about forty times. He’s looking at us all confused. Dude, just let him try; he’ll figure it out. [laughs]

Pat: You might as well stand there as they go back and forth. “Hey, you got that?” [laughs]

Travis: “I don’t know, I’m just going to play.” Just play it out; you’ll figure out how it plays.

Joe: Then he adds the drumline, the correct drumline.

Travis: Yea. [laughs]

Joe: What is your favorite moment playing with this band?

Scott: The tour was a blast.

Pat: Yea. For me, my favorite show we ever played was the grand opening for the new Club Red, opening for Authority Zero. Playing for a thousand people; that was amazing.

Travis: That was awesome. I guess a pit broke out. That was a good time.

Joe: In the humidity.

Travis: Yea, humid and what it smelt like because, I guess, the toilets backed up. Everyone was miserable, but it was fun. Everyone had fun.

Matt: Yea, I can agree with that.

Scott: [My] top two shows were definitely Authority Zero and The Adicts. The Adicts put on a killer show.

Pat: They put on a great show.

Joe: A spectacle in their own.

Everyone: Yea.

Joe: So what’s a favorite local band of each of yours? That is not your own band. If you can narrow it down.

Travis: I’ll name drop my homies, Knuckle Buster. Our boys!

Scott: I really enjoyed Common Tongue when we played with them.

Pat: Common Tongue is sick, and puts on a great show. For me, it’s Knuckle Buster, No One Wins, and Black Mountain Moonshine.

Travis: Obviously, you have the really good ones that have been around forever. No Gimmick is really good. LightSpeedGo is really good.

Pat: Authority Zero doesn’t count anymore. [laughs]

Travis: Authority Zero!

Joe: They’re local. Jason plays enough locally. [laughs]

Matt: I’m a big fan of Pork Torta, but they are from Tucson. [laughs]

Joe: Alright, what do you guys have coming up in the future for the band?

Travis: We have an album we have to record. We have eleven songs, but we need one more. Our last two [albums] we did only had nine songs on [them], so we made a point that we were going to do twelve more [songs]. We are at eleven, so hopefully we have it before the Adicts [show]. We are playing with the Adicts on October 26th. Hopefully it is recorded before then. Then, hopefully soon after that we [have] a lot of great plans., like a seven inch we want to throw out soon after. It’s been awhile since we put anything out musically, so we want to put a bunch out.

Joe: And you said Scott isn’t on any of them.

Travis: Yea and we want to remedy that since he has been in the band longer than our original drummer.

Pat: Then, we should, in the next couple of months, have a tour van and tour more.

Travis: The big thing is to get out of the state.

Joe: Expand the fanbase.

Travis: Yea. [It’s] a little different when you go out of state. You’re treated as a touring band, not a local band.

Pat: Our first destination is, of all places, we have a following in Utah. Of all places!

Travis: They have the most reason to rebel. [laughs]

Joe: Well what’s your current favorite musicians, local or otherwise? Or, what are you currently listening to?

Travis: What have I been listening to? I’ve been listening to a lot of Teenage Bottlerocket after that show. I’ve been listening to a lot of that. Those guys are rad.

Pat: I’m currently listening to a lot of Sturgill Simpson.

Travis: Oh, the Copyrights. I’ve been listening to a lot of Copyrights from that show.

Pat: And always Rancid. Always listening to fucking Rancid.

Scott: I’ve been listening to The Water Rats from Brazil.

Pat: So good.

Travis: We played with them in Las Vegas. Super cool guys who came all the way up from Brazil.

Matt: I haven’t really been listening to anything, to tell you the truth. [laughs]

Travis: Matt is a huge Bette Midler fan. She hasn’t put out any albums in awhile. [laughs]

Matt: I’m too busy working. I listen to a lot of old- actually this is what I’ve been listening to -a lot of old rocksteady stuff: old Melodians, and I don’t even know who is all on it.

Pat: We were supposed to play with them.

Travis: What? The Melodians?

Pat: Yea, remember?

Travis: Oh yea, that’s right.

Pat: That was another botched job by that certain record label.

Matt: I’ve been jamming The Specials a lot lately, for some reason.

Joe: So what are your favorite non-punk genres?

Travis: A lot of reggae, ska.

Pat: Reggae.

Matt: Ah country, old country, classic country.

Pat: Yea, the American, the outlaw shit, the underground movement. So much outlaw shit going on.

Matt: Jazz and blues.

Scott: I have a lot of roots in ska and reggae, of course growing up with this guy [Travis].

Joe: And you’ve said jazz.

Scott: Jazz definitely [while I was] growing up, but my guilty pleasure is all the metal and even the prog rock sometimes.

Travis: Scott’s going to be a prog rock drummer. [laughs]

Joe: Alright, now to the Clark Kent part of it, what is your normal day to day life? Like, what kind of jobs do you do?

Travis: I work for a structured cable company. Wake up, go to work, and have a daughter. Do that thing. Same ol’ mundane life.

Pat: Work construction, have two kids, and getting married again soon.

Scott: Work at a county club. I went to culinary school; cook there. That’s pretty much it.

Matt: I work for the local cable company and then I bartend on the weekends.

Joe: What are some of your favorite hobbies then? What do you do for fun?

Matt: I’ve been golfing a lot lately. Golfing, and playing guitar obviously. Just those. A hobby [guitar] since it’s not quite a job yet. Yea, that’s pretty much it. Just go to the drive-in theater and drink beer.

Pat: And all types of ill shit. [laughs]

Travis: I play videogames every once in awhile.

Scott: Skateboarding.

Travis: Yea, skateboarding.

Scott: Softball.

Travis: Yea, Scott is a huge softball player. [laughs]

Scott: Camping, and fishing.

Pat: Reading romance novels and masturbation. [laughs]

Scott: Masturbation is a given.

Pat: No, romance novels. [laughs]

Travis: Pat has Danielle Steel’s last book written on the back of his shoulder.

Pat: Oh yea, I celebrate her entire bibliography. [laughs]

Joe: Favorite videogame?

Travis: I don’t know. That’s a good question. The last one I played was the new South Park: The Stick of Truth. That was really hilarious.

Scott: NHL

Joe: So he’s the hockey fan of the group?

Travis: No, I like hockey too.

Pat: Pong!

Travis: Pong?

Matt: Anything 1970’s.

Joe: So keeping up with it.

Matt: I don’t keep up with it. My favorite videogame is Burgertime. [laughs]

Joe: That’s a pretty good game though.

Travis: Frogger was pretty rad.

Joe: I ran out of questions on here, but let’s go out on one more music question. Who is your favorite musician you’ve met in person or favorite moment meeting them?

Pat: Mine was just recently. I met the Anti-Flag guys at Punk Rock Bowling and Elvis Cortez of Left Alone. Fucking huge fans of all those guys.

Joe: The Justin and the Chris’s.

Pat: Yea.

Travis: The lead singer of Kemuri. He was super cool. It was hard to talk to him. He didn’t speak a lot of English. I was asking him about a lot of records and he didn’t really understand. That was awesome.

Matt: When I was in my former band, and we were in the studio, Joe Queer showed up, and we were playing with The Queers that night. Joe Queer actually showed up to the studio while we were recording. I got to sit and fucking hang out and talk to Joe Queer about writing music, writing lyrics. That was probably my favorite moment of meeting someone, especially through my childhood growing up, who I considered a punk rock god. That was pretty cool.

Pat: Are they the ones from Indiana?

Matt: No, they are from Massachusetts.

Pat: I don’t know anybody from Indiana. [laughs] Except for Larry Bird.

Scott: When we played with Break Anchor, we got to meet Jay from The Suicide Machines.

Pat: Yea, add that to mine too!

Matt: He was really cool. I guess the other time was meeting all the guys from VGS [Voodoo Glow Skulls], I got to play with them and Flogging Molly at Mesa Amphitheatre in 2005? Something like that. Before I was in Reason Unknown.

Joe: Then I saw you play I believe.

Matt: Yea, we were the first or second band, middle of the day. I mean, it was terrible. It was hot as balls. Yea, but that was cool. I hung out with VGS the entire time. As a matter of fact, I got kicked out of that show because I went to take a piss and we were a local. They were real assholes about locals even being backstage. I literally got carried out and thrown out of the fucking gates. A couple of guys from VGS were walking by, and I was like “Hey man, they fucked me here.” [They said,] “Oh dude, no worries.” They took their laminate off and threw it on me, and said “Let this motherfucker back in.” Then I mooned everybody later. [laughter]

Joe: That sounds awesome. That was an awesome story.

Pat: That does sound awesome.

Joe: Well thank you guys for doing the interview!

~ Joe Maier