Michiana Music (June 2009)
By Mario Bourzac
1. Q: As a solo artist, what has been one of your more memorable shows?
A: Being solo has its share of comedic moments -- I remember playing a teen club once, in Quincy, when these kids come crashing in...’cause they’re late, evidently...and somebody asks, all out of breath, “Is the first band here yet?” To which I turn to the guy, and -- in my best posh English accent -- inform him, “Dear boy, I AM the band!” The look I got -- ah, priceless!
2. Q: What inspired you to begin playing music?
A: When my late friend, Tony Salazar, died -- age 39 -- of a brain aneurysm, in May 2005. He played guitar and released two CDs that are still worth checking out, X-Rays Of A Skeleton, and Original Twin. When he died, I figured, "Whatever you want to say, you'd better do it now."
3. Q: What/who are some of your influences?
A: There's so many -- I already named one, my dear friend Tony, who was the most schooled musician I ever played with, and from whom I learned much -- about life, as well as music. For current music, I like KT Tunstall and Carbon/Silicon, Mick Jones's and Tony James's new band, 'cause they're moving on -- not just wheeling out the old hits (Clash, Generation X and so on), which is what most folks in their position tend to do. Also, a lot of Brit stuff -- Libertines, Oasis, Paul Weller, etc.
A lot of '60s Mod stuff -- Creation, Kinks, Pretty Things, Smoke, early Who, Yardbirds. A lot of '70s/'80s punk staff -- from the Clash, to the Jam, Sex Pistols and US hardcore, e.g., Black Flag, Husker Du...there's so many, I could go on forever.
This is more of an "in-your-own-words" sort of thing: they sent me the questions, so here my answers! But it's a cool thing to do, in that you can offer more thoughtful, in-depth responses, or stick to brief one-liners, if that's where the mood takes you. Of course, I wrote a lot more than they could print, so I'll post it... if I can ever find what happened to the rest of those answers. (12/31/20)
UPDATE (1/01/21): After doing a little bit of searching, I think I've found a possible source for the above questionnaire...it's a little murky in my mind, obviously, since it was so long ago.
Basically, it's a "one-sheet," or a page-long summary for bookers, promoters, publications, to give them a quick read on who you are, and what you've done. I'm not sure I actually sent this version out anywhere, but I'm thinking that I used as it source material for the above questionnaire, because the language is pretty similar. Anyway, I'm presenting it here now, (with address and personal info omitted, for the usual obvious reasons).
BONUS ONE-SHEET
WHAT'S THE STORY BEHIND THE NAME?
There's the obvious one ("Your last name's too long") but actually, it's a takeoff from an Iggy Pop lyric ("I'm bored, I'm chairman of the bored"). I figured, "That line's too good to let him have it, so I'll take it."
DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE.
I've often called it "untamed folk," one and his guitar, no tricks, no gimmicks, everything straight to the point. If pressed, I'd say, "folk-punk," because I've played both types of bills.
SO WHAT KIND OF STUFF DO YOU PLAY, EXACTLY?
To name a few examples: my songs talk about what's happening today, from idiot bosses ("Fetch 'N' Step," "Mission Statement"), to the idiot box ("Moral Decay On TV"), and how people use and lose eachother ("The Adult Schoolyard," "I Fired The Dog").
Other nights, I'll throw in '60s/'70s-style spy themes -- which can serve as a springboard for improvised medleys that include commercial parodies, and covers from the Clash ("Julie's In The Drug Squad," "Koka Kola"), Kinks ("You Do Something To Me"), and the Who ("Squeeze Box").
WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCES?
If you mean "current CD player faves," I'd cite Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros (Rock Art & The X-Ray Style), the Hold Steady (Boys And Girls In America), Dave Davie (Unfinished Business anthology), the Who (BBC Sessions)...I could go on forever.
Personally, though, my biggest influence has to be my late friend, Tony Salazar, who taught me those first chords (A, C, D) and helped me take it from there. Without him, I wouldn't be holding a guitar, let alone playing one. After he died in May '05, I figured it was time to get serious about what I did, without losing the fun...every show I do is for him, in a way.
WHAT ARE YOUR IMMEDIATE PLANS?
Since 2005, I've focused on shaping my songs through live performance (mostly in Hillsdale County, with the odd trip to Coldwater, and Jackson: I'm always looking for new venues). (Note: Obviously, when I moved to Southwest Michigan, I would have changed these locations to suit the new one.)
However, many of the songs I've played now will be released on a cassette through Shitsuck Tapes, a label in Finland. They came to me, based on a description they'd read on my site. Right now, a spring release looks most realistic; the working title is Fireside Originals From The Floorboards (7-9.05). (Alas, none of this happened. Ah well.)
WHAT DO YOU DO ON YOUR DOWNTIME?
I've covered a lot of ground as a newspaper editor, and author, too: my first book, Unfinished Business: The Life & Times Of Danny Gatton, appeared in 2003. For more details, please visit my website.