Interview with Chris Mendez

Let's see what we're working with here.

This would start with sort of like the foundation like the beginning of how you became not became sort of you like your introduction to music it's like I imagine it was something the lines of when you were a child. Yes. So how did you become like introduced to music as like a form of music.

It was it was my dad. My dad was somebody who loved music very much and music but he loved art music especially he liked to play the drums. He loved to play guitar the hand in Oregon Yeah. So he just he loved music so he basically introduced me to that. He had gotten a drum set for my oldest brother for Christmas. My brother took a few lessons but didn't really stick with us. I think the drum set was more for my dad but he would play the drums from time to time and then I must have shown interest or he would I remember him sitting near the drum store when I was they say I was months old. I mean at least just kind of hit it around and I just remember doing that. I remember at that early age I have some vague memories of doing that and sticking with it stick with it. Then before you just years old years old I was I was playing I was playing the drums or you know at least able to be able to play along with records. And that was my interest that was my main interest was drums and singing to mostly the drums of the drums. And that was my dad that was my dad. I mean he was the one who would wake me up at night.

Rich was on The Tonight Show Oh yeah you wake up out of a SOUNDS LIKE riches on the couch.

Yeah. Yeah. You know he's got me going with that. So yeah I was always interested in the drum music I just kind of grew from there. I mean even in grade school I remember being more interested and yeah the drums drum heads for my drums the what Doobie Brothers albums I did have. Yeah yeah yeah there's always music. It's always music. It's more so than my studies but gotta gotta make your priorities straight.

Yeah that's right. That's seems like a lot of.

I guess I'm not going to make a generalization but that's sort of the same way it was with me yeah like my dad would was very much like a musical person and would always be like playing it for him it was acoustic guitar right.

So you know he would always be like.

Why would he have already gone to bed. All right. But you know before he would go to bed I would always be able to hear from the other room him playing acoustic guitar and just playing like some Eric Clapton or something like that which was which was always sort of cool except.

My dad always told OK he put a record or something. Start playing and he just listened to what the drummer said. Yeah but the drummer is doing that. So yeah it's Faizabad because I was I never took lessons really never took a lesson you know.

So all of your drumming that you do a self-taught self-taught. Wow.

The only time that I actually went to lessons learned to read not ever. And I still don't know how to read. Yeah I can't read a lick of music. But they felt it was important when I was in high school joining the school band. You should have read his countenance was counting his rhythms. But it was too late. Yeah I already had my mind was doing. And you know the way around it. You know when I was doing marching band or even concert band I would tell one of the guys and someone you know show me the part and I'll do it yeah just show it to me and I will know it.

Yeah yeah yeah because it's because like once you learned like a certain way right you have it like that's the way it's engraved in your brain or it may not be like the right way of knowing how to yeah play but I wish I could do it works it works.

Yeah the part I could play with. That's the thing that I found very interesting that his especially of the drum line. And later on and bands and stuff because I was always a drummer in a band. You know when I was in bands because I could sing. You sang so we'll put you out front we'll get another drummer but you sing. Yes. But what I found out was a lot of the dirt with a lot of drummers and drum line they could play they could play the rudiments. They were great. They had no feel. You know I was very robotic. They could read. They could read. It was perfect. They couldn't feel that. Translate that into play. You know. You're not. It was two on that.

Yeah. Now yeah I find myself falling into sort of that robotic problematic that sort of robotic Crameri because like the sort of music I've taught myself is like electronic right.

But you know I've sort of messed around with like drum modeling programs where they you know they'll like they'll create like a sample of someone hitting it a different velocities and it matters that it's of making my own sort of drum lines. Right.

I found that just because I've never had a whole lot of experience with playing actual drums I sort of fall into that. Yeah. Robotic right. Yeah right.

I mean that really sounds drum machines. So yeah yeah for a while. You got a new record. I've always been interested in recording. Yeah. Well I guess my interest in recording probably started when I was or years old my older sisters brought home an album by Steve Bass and Robin Thompson. Yeah they've got this album together. And you know what it is local cinemas. Wow you guys really Tony you know the records that were coming home are you know my siblings are bringing home that was like a big deal that was like oh that's how California or New York. It was like a here's somebody in town that made an album. Wait a minute. OK. OK. How how does this work. And so I'm getting interested in recording and stuff like that. It's the other thing that got me interested in recording as there's a movie about Jan and Dean who are a surf duo back in the s alongside the Beach Boys and a movie called Dead Man's Curve. And yet only days of their career that they got together and Jan's garage. And he with two reel reel tape recorder and recorded a song and and it was really the single thing so that's how you do. Yeah. So look out the years in recording.

Yeah. Anybody. Yeah it's not. Yeah yeah.

And that's cool because I feel like a lot of times know the sort of gender or the public eye recording music is sort of seen as like this kind of a lofty thing right. You have to you know you have to it particularly with like pop and you know more public charges that are probably a day like grab in hip hop and things where you hear about you know you go into the studio.

Yeah where it's really like if you want to you can do this in your garage. Right exactly. Yes. Yeah absolutely.

So was like doing marching band in high school and things like that was that sort of like your first introduction to like performance.

Yeah I mean as far as like publicly yeah yeah yeah. And aside from I have to tell you the story was one of the first concerts I ever went to. BILLY JOEL Oh yeah. Second Street tour. This was . April fools day. So I'm not the only reason I remember that was because Billy Joel kept on going and other songs he was playing Led Zeppelin and then he says ok ok ok. Are you doing so McCartney It's. But yes that whole experience you go into the coliseum sitting there with Billy Joel and his band just really being just amazed by the volume the volume and just the whole atmosphere the lighting Yeah it's really taken with that. So that inspired me. I was about eight years old. So all I'm going to turn you know the upstairs into the coliseum and I'll get my own contest. You know just that it I would I would have as far as lighting went. I had you know a cardboard box with holes cut out of cellophane or cellophane. Nice. Just take like a little lamp. Yeah. So I had light colored lights and I had an amplifier that my dad had for he had an electric guitar at one time a microphone. So I said yeah.

Just so that was kind of that was the spark that made you be like I want to do that. Yeah yeah that way.

And you know you know my for family and I figured that I could have a captive audience if I gave my concerts on Fourth of July and Thanksgiving because everybody was over here.

Gotcha started with like some family performance. Like yeah sure sure.

That was the start of it. So that's the start. Yeah yeah. Marching band I was in a couple of bands in high school you know where I was either the lead singer. Yeah but even that I mean we just did a couple things here and there yeah wasn't until my senior year that I joined a band that between performing with the first band that I played with in high school and joining the band my senior year I got into a sound you know running sound for bands. Yes. Again I was recording also. And once you know a lot of my friends got wind of that. He has a four track recorder in his house he has set out we can record his house yeah. So recording the bands from high school you know they come over and recorded and then also running a live sound for one of the band. Yeah I guess I guess the band that I've run out for figured out while we have them in the band we don't have. Yeah you know I was thinking I was making at least half of what they were making. I was making you know whatever they were pulling in that I was taking half of that away from a bigger sounding going to be as good as I can make you sound. So yeah yeah that's true. OK here. And you know I didn't I was using their equipment. Oh I had to do a show and just you know put the mikes up and know it's very very simple. Yeah. What like you get it.

That's that's what's interesting. It's like yeah because like I know just from my experience at work you know doing you know a lot of music that is like electronic space all of like you know the inputs and outputs and wires and things like that it's not that's it's not that complicated right.

But to people who don't know what they're doing and it's like wow this person Exame do that you could you know create this idea that oh you're doing such a difficult task and not everyone knows it.

I mean exact Yeah you know that's the same thing again you recently worked at the recording studio with the taters last CD. Are sitting there and know everything's on Pro Tools bosomy is for and I don't know. I don't really Perpetual's. I just don't understand. Yeah yeah I like that. I like to be more hands on. I would like to thank my recording center right now consists of it's a track it's digital as yes.

But what an underrated format.

I know and I love many just because you do so much with it and you know again it was something that came and went very quick. Yeah. But I like the fact that you know like mixing console portion of his hands on me. If you want more high end you talk it's instant gratification. You don't have to go into a computer and find it and then type it in and stuff Yeah I hear it now. Yeah. It's just instant gratification.

Yes or swappable made yeah. Just for free. Yes no I totally get that.

I know a lot of people like and you know they think yeah there is there are a lot of benefits and I totally get it.

So yeah. But yeah.

When I joined this band my senior year they were already playing a lot of shows and stuff and then we were we were looking into a lot of the clubs downtown which was a big deal for us. Up until that point we were playing YMCA parties. So like I said we go to a place downtown Max's Corner Cafe which was that was big time for Yeah for us I was like wow playing a real club. You know then we're teenagers. Yeah yeah that's that's you know that was probably the first side from like yeah not talent for human knowledge. Yeah that was probably yeah probably actually the very first time getting up onstage singing in public was the talent show. Yeah very nerve racking Yeah. But it was cool.

Yeah. No I totally. Yeah cause I think a couple of weeks ago September I don't remember September October sometime around there.

I played like my first official show down in the Kerry Town. Yeah.

And it's even though like you know what you're doing right. It's still the play now right. So how it's like when you were in like these bands in high school. How did the process go of late finding shows. Was it sort of like you know you're selling CDs to people or like it was a whole different thing back. Yeah.

Now I'm so impressed with the way things are done now and because again in this day and age it's also readily available to everybody as far as recording. Yeah. You could make a CD you heard of that now. One of the other bands in high school and they had money or their dad had money. Yeah but they they made a . Yeah. Now I was like wow wow.

You know like press their press there. Wow.

I saw it in school. That's awesome.

Yeah Ed had this stage show and everything and it was pretty cool. Know of course you know we weren't doing that. We were making fun of me for doing it but you know Meghan was like pretty little. Yeah yeah.

Yeah it was you know they were like a glamorized heavy metal kind of hair. Yes. Hard for me one of them.

Yeah I mean because the technology them and CDs were just coming out. So you can record us many moons away from where we were. Yeah. That takes you. That's where it was that our demo but the games that the band was going we now said it was the YMCA. It was you know some of her friends parties play Dominion pizza which is up here. Beverly Hills shopping center Oh Buckhead is Oh yeah there is a pizza place there and they'd have vans. That was one of the places that we play the big the big thing was always the battle of the bands and that was it. And then Chevrolet every spring brought. Oh yeah they had a whole stage set up and professional sound. They had six or seven bands from the area high schools. Yeah. And we we took the bet we we won Yeah we were we were the winner. Valdes Chevrolet that was that was big deal. I was like yeah yeah we won we won the battle.

So kind of a big deal. Know just in front of us. Yeah yeah. That's awful. So all of that was sort of like this.

That's what I thought life was going to be was was you know keep the band going yeah this is great.

Did you have this vision of being like a rock star sort of thing.

Or at the very least. I mean pretty much what I'm doing. Yeah. You know you have your band your playing gigs. Making money. I mean you know I could get rich off of it. But you're at least making enough to support. Yeah yeah but I'm doing yeah. Gas in the car and keep pairs of drumsticks. Yeah yeah it is kind of pays off all that you still keep your day job. Yeah there you go. Service.

Let's see.

Please.

It's FREE HERE simming I know how to navigate my ah.

So what was your sort of like introduction to I guess sort of like the bureaucracy of like the Richmond music scene and how like this sort of behind the scenes work of the way music is sort of flows the rich from honestly you know the music scene.

I don't know for a long time after high school. I had a couple bands after high school that took me you know. So I was in my early s in my early s I joined the band with one of the anesthesiologists at the hospital. Yes. And he was a drummer. He was the drummer. Actually what happened was he came into this band and overtook it. Basically just weaseled his way took it over and he had the wherewithal or Jerry all of the sound equipment. Now let's move rehearsals from my house and my thing and try that initially higher and things got fed up with it and laughed and said I heard that before. Yeah yeah. So he was looking for you know a guitar player and singer. So it ended up myself my friend chipped guitar player he plays guitar he plays he it. We joined up we joined forces because Shippen I had always been doing music since high school he was in the band but I was in senior year and we just kind of stuck together.

We were we had a couple bands after that just seemed like a pretty decent project to get into.

So between the drummer and his wife who actually hooking together she told her how she put money back on because we were so we played our first game like maybe eight weeks. You know after the initial rehearsals and stuff which for me that was that was freaky because I would always rehearse my bands six to eight months before I even get a gig. Yeah.

Oh now we got yeah handed down. Yeah yeah.

So we were booking these gigs and stuff and we played we played Innsbruck. I don't know how we got that after hours. Yeah. Holy cow we did some festival thing like how did we get here.

The band wasn't really that great what it was.

I don't know because all this happened a few years after the band had to go and we had some personnel changes and stuff and you know I brought in some other people that I knew. And then musically got really good and we were really tight and we were still doing pretty good gigs but nothing against rock has come way you know we came to. It was like yeah oh wait. But yeah I bet it was a nice set up just like I said we had somebody booking the shows but we kind of just ran in our own circle. It was a yeah we were really I don't feel like we were part of the Richmond music scene. Yeah we were doing her thing and we tended to I want to say turn our nose up at these people but we just couldn't deal with Yeah sure. And that was for several years with the standards we had this band and we just lived in our own. But we do what we do.

We're now part of Yeah yeah whatever else is go yeah.

And then because it was after that you know after that and broke up and then I took a year off put another band together and did that for a few years you know as usually you know to keep a band together is very difficult. Yeah it was after that I decided well the easiest thing to do in a ship and hire friends would get along let's do an acoustic thing acoustic do. Easy Yeah yeah and we did. We took a while for it to you know we were rehearsing it but we weren't really out to get a gig it was kind of like let's just kind of do this just very slow. See what happens see what happens see if we're Gesher a good sound. And he's fine if he was a guitar player and lead because his playing congas nice and years trying to see who does. I was like you know let's make it more sparse that really so bad. You know there's no way to make it so it's not going to be a full it's not just helpful. Yeah it just. But at the same time you know you're used to hearing things the way you hear them. You know somewhere along the way ship it from one of those loops stations and that ends well that will solve any problem that we have. Solo. I want to solo over some people. And that was what we did. We did that for several years. Eventually we added a bass player and again you know when you add another person other dynamic you know they're free or free radical yeah.

Another set of for a hopeful scene. Yup and yeah it was good it was good to have it again. You run into this problem where this third person I mean his priorities were different. He was married have a baby. Another one on the way. Yeah I remember that we didn't get bought. We were like setting up it's like yeah.

What. Yeah.

Thankfully Chip and I could just go into you. Yeah it was like. So that's basically that brings us to one that haters came into the picture. That's real. I had well ChipIn I've met the haters back in we were Chippenham were doing.

We were on the roster for the benefit senior center out its Sartre's museum and then we got on the bill.

Somebody recommended us but we were on the bill with the taters. Susan Greenbaum I think was a headliner. I was like How can helped get here. And so we did our set.

Craig and Brad showed up so at that point the taters was there with the bird taters. This was after they had transitioned to transition to taters.

It was Craig Brad was king was their drummer or their drummer. That time they've had a drivers and it was just the three of them I guess.

They're just doing it as a trio and I've always had another guitar player somewhere that would do shows with them.

But you know for a long time it was always the three guys, Yeah.

So yeah I met them and then we hung out wash their set the whole time we were playing our set Craig and Brad kept coming up to the stage. We had to do a show with you guys. We got to do a show with you guys you guys. Yeah you're playing the exact same kind of material we do. It would be great. We should do a show together. Ok that's cool. You know Chip will you go. Who are these guys. Mediator's I don't they like to watch their sets we watch their set. The next thing we know they're calling us up onstage to sing Cecilia. Simon Garfunkel Yeah. Okay that was fun. Oh yeah you know when you do get together you know we play a lot of shenanigans.

Josh you come off we'll do a show together it'll be great. Yeah yeah okay. That sounds like fun and and for whatever reason wasn't up for it is it's.

If you want to particularly care to do it so anyway that was in . Well fast forward to 2008 . We finally made it happen. We know by it you mean doing a show with them with the Taters what did happen was the idea just kind of dropped in the you know I felt really bad about it. They wanted to do a show with us that would have been cool and it didn't happen we just you know. But one night I went out to see the caterers play. They used to play a lot of grandpa. These are three job and that's about more criminals right now.

Terrance West correct. Yeah I think yeah I think I've been there once. Yeah.

So I wanted no one wanted to see reintroduce myself as I felt like her. Yeah.

And this was after like four years of not the only doing this for . So no so no. Gotcha yeah.

And yeah I hate the name of argue it was two guys named Gus. You know that was always the thing with two guys to you. Hi I'm Chris. He's chipper you guys named Gus that was your anyway. So yeah. So for the first years probably even after I joined the band Greg referred to me as Gus and each time he saw his little brother right there that yeah he just because he didn't know my name or he wasn't going to remember us.

Thanks Craig. Yeah exactly. So you know whenever you would just watch come up and sing with us tonight.

OK. So I did that and I'm like any time I would see them there I guess you know they were playing out there because he was off again with citizens and a songs. No big deal. One night I was doing that and they just finished the set and Craig came over he's talking to me. And I noticed the last song that set their drummer was really rushing. He was he finished the song before they did. I just kind of put your drummer tonight into the fire. He's from Texas. He said You play drums don't you. Yeah. He said it's good. Now

this is Craig talking. Yeah yeah. It's just just left it at that. OK.

So anyway cut to and we finally put joint show together. Pointing out that national coffee and he wants you guys come now you'll play it between our sets. Then we'll jam. It'll be great. Yeah okay fine. Now at this point in time this was they were playing middle of the week and it was an acoustic thing which nationality always prefers. They didn't like having bands haven't they. So when we were invited and I come in and he introduces me to the sound person and he said yeah he's the drummer of the group that's going to be was a drummer. What. Oh no no it was a small kid. It's a cocktail kit it's very cool. We're not going to like it. OK. So anyway one of those things where you know you're sitting there and they start the show and Greg was like you know we'll do a few songs and then he said I'll call you up and then you know you just you just sit in on a couple songs with us just playing your drums. Ok now I know this is going to happen so I was busy listening to you know just the lines that I had.

And so you would build up so they would call you up to do drugs.

But there was it's sort of just listening to the song and sort of just doing whatever you feel.

OK so it's not like oh yeah because he said Yeah oh you know here's what I will call you up and you said with us a few songs of ours. The drums. OK. And my. What's wrong. Well I don't know yet. Just to be off the cuff and that point in time. And now I'm not going to live without it. I need to know what's going on. Yeah and I said you know I know these songs of yours. OK we can do that. Yes deals. You know I got out there and play and you know just play what I heard off the CD Yeah and Craig and Brad are kind of chuckling to each other and it's like one of those you know like you know the movies that were you played the really suave kid is playing you know it was going right. So it was like yeah we did that and then you guys played and we all jam right at the end of the night. Credits Brad approached me or Craig approached me. He said Yeah you know we were doing a recording session on Sunday we're revamping coconut Jori. Are you available yeah sure you'd come in and he said spring up bring aforetime or something. So you know it's something different than what we have.

OK. So did that session.

OK that's fine.

And the I would just get e-mails occasionally. We have this show are you available to do the show us OK. Was sitting here. I knew that they were having issues with their drummer but here their drummer was picking and choosing what shows he was going.

Yeah if he wasn't worth the time he wouldn't give Hillblazers go play as an acoustic trio just Yeah yeah I can't take it.

Yeah. So I was getting calls more or less to come into play. I didn't think anything of it Waterlily elsewhere around the scouting Yeah there you know they want you in the band. So again this is a big deal. And this went on for a couple months and finally by November this condition you guys just initially planned August August by November around Edie's is like a full playing with them and at the end of the night I'm packing up my drums and I see Craig and Brad go off to the other side of the bar and they're talking you know they were there for a while I was packing up and they come back and I hear Brad great. And he sings. This OK. So then I got an email from her and a couple of weeks after that I think well I'm going to go have this talk with our drummer. You know I give them as many chances. You know I'm going to talk to one more time saying if you can't play the way we want you to play then we're going to depart company. But there is a basically we have a lot of stuff coming out and I want to make sure that I have a drummer onboard in case this goes off.

Oh yeah yeah. You know I have time in my schedule for that.

So that was how that was how you came to be with that. Yeah. I've been sitting in for the past eight years yeah.

So there was never ever a official oh hey you're sitting here. Gotcha gotcha.

So up until before you got to the point where you were doing eclectic roots pop these are the sort of like what sort of genres was to go into guys named Gus you said was like acoustic sort of.

Yeah we were do things like that.

We were doing what you're most accused again. Yeah sure. The early on we were in Beatles. Yeah. Yeah sure.

Sure sure the stuff yeah. What about Johnson. What about the bands that you like in high school like the one that won battle the bands and things like that.

That was more of a classic rock. Ok yeah. So one of the two you play we that's what we did a very very heavy on Eric Clapton to buttercream. Remember when I had just joined that band the band just learned Layla. So that was the whole but yeah that stuff. Do. There now.

Was that sort of was that sort of style notably popular in Richmond.

Again it's hard to say when the local music scene at that point in time the bands that were around at that time earlier in the and you had a really good local music scene. It was one of those music scenes that there was a point in time where you could be from Richmond Virginia and you could make it huge. Yeah I mean it could happen. Yeah like you can make it in Richmond and be huge. Yeah.

There's so many different like varied artists that have come out of Richmond surprisingly Yeah. Like you have like we tried to think of an example to contrast what I was going to say. But I mean like compared to say dictators for example and then compare that to something like Ghawar if you're familiar. Right.

So you just really distinct things well that's probably the last that I think really happened from Richard the war on national. Yeah that's the thing. You had a lot of bands that were up and coming and playing gigs around here. So we're. Getting signed to major labels. You know that was a early s. Try to think oh there's another band called Firehouse late s. They were kind of like a hard rock from here. They got signed I guess. Yeah it definitely was a period of time when you could actually make it on a national level. Rich yeah but yeah the other things that we were doing yeah we were we were just teenagers.

Yeah. Because I feel like now in terms of like Richman's scene it's a lot of aside from being a lot more independent. Yeah I guess that's sort of the main thing where there are certain areas where you can pick up distinct styles like you have like a lot of gritty sort of horns noise rock coming out of like VCU and things like that. Right.

And then I guess that's sort of like the main like stick out. Sure it geographer you know because like I mean I don't know if I can say that there's a certain genre associated with Bonnier or something like that.

Right hand over. It depends on what everybody wants to I guess work influences are so how did how did the sort of tator following come to be.

Because I mean like and I don't mean this as in any sort of negative way but had a lot of Taito shows you see a lot of the same people here and they.

Not that that's bad in any respect.

But like how did that sort of I guess you could say cult following the Oh yeah but I have to say that before I started playing with it was probably because you know what I mean you've experienced the show. Yeah. I mean it's like because I mean I can relate to it. It's like a musical version of Chinese food. You you you experience it and then it's over you know and it's like the next day you know hopefully you would tell your friends or your family.

Yeah I had the best time when I saw this band. And funny they were so funny always they say I don't really. Yeah I was so good at that. That's a pretty fair yeah. It's just a mystery to it and it's not anything you can say all they do is this and this was just so great and hilarious.

Your music was bigger. That was wonderful.

It's just this whole thing. Yeah that's yeah that's definitely I definitely see that because I know like was the first tator show I saw.

Probably it.

I know it was tools. I don't remember which one is I think I've seen three shows that are still there and they are all different.

Yeah that's the cool thing. Well it's like yeah it's like they're they're all different. But you can tell it's definitely tator show right. Right. Well yeah I I don't know if that sounds dumb it's like we don't know. No no no kidding it's a tator shirts or Vado or you know who shows say yes that's right. No because it was because I remember I saw you that is was Friday or Saturday. I don't remember right away Friday because it was.

I saw you guys that are tools that day and then the next day was the Irish Festival saw you guys the next day the Irish. So let's see where these what is your favorite of all the shows you can do not just with the taters but with any band. What

is your favorite venue that you've played at and what made it your favorite venue.

Well recently I have to say playing that one cultural arts on the roof was that was that that was so bad I missed that. That was just that was amazing. But overall I'd have to say national coffee and tea. And each time the band plays band. I think that was probably one of the first gig. Well one of the main gigs that the band has always played in the band because play there so many times you know it's just it's a nice atmosphere. Yes it's a decent venue. I know it's had some issues recently but hopefully they'll get it back together. Yeah yeah.

I mean it's a decent size. Yeah. It has a great room.

Great sound equipment. Yeah.

Yeah. So in the recording process for the taters.

How does how does that play throughout the whole writing and recording process is there.

How does that work is there like a hierarchy or is it sort of like if someone comes in it's like hey I had this idea did it and something like Oh that would sound cool with this.

What I've come to learn in eight years with which you kind of already know if you if you've seen the band is you know it's correct. Craig does the footwork he does the majority of the writing. And I think that's probably more so. Currently you're in there later on. I think initially it was probably Kragen Brett had writes Yes the number of songs in the first few CDs. But then when you get stuff like I guess they did menagerie in that workaround. Brad really did contribute ways of original material. Here are a few songs on there.

You know the cover song. So yeah you know.

Like when we did the first official recording that I was on was the Halloween CD.

Yeah and yeah Craig had ideas for the two songs shuffle on how we didn't really have the instrumental song he had he had the title and he had parts of it.

Greg really grabbed hold of it and took it to help him finish it. The title came before the song yeah he had this interesting title I guess milling around and that's you know that's how some writers work yeah I've done stuff like that before.

I can very rarely pick out a name for a song before hearing the final product.

Sometimes it's something you write down you know.

Yeah very title. That's fair. But then the problem for me is I find out what this song does that title go best live. Right. Right.

Well I mean it's it's even before music is you know the music is realize you know you might just write down a title and say Hey I make a song. Yeah. And then later on I know this might work for this.

Yeah he's getting the kind of hatred towards that. Yeah yeah I believe he had the song he had.

The basic music he played just the a b ab going. And then Greg took it and all these other elements to the. That's usually how it happens. I think you know I know when they recorded menagerie I was not present for that session or those sessions for menagerie. I heard it was a nightmare. Just because you know I had his songs and very basic demo form.

And then you have gradu telling him I don't really hear anything there.

I can't I can't really hear when to play there. What do you want. I don't.

And that struck the nerve racking.

Yeah and that's sort of kind of gets into what it was and that's next. As does Craig being at the top ever sort of cause problems or frustrations.

Oh yeah I mean I think it doesn't.

I'm talking to you or Elize or Laura definitely seems like Craig is the one that we're just like yeah he's just kind of weird.

Oh know it's his it's as it's as he says it's an issue.

Oh yeah.

I'm not going to say this interesting because when I first saw you know like a video or before I knew anything about any of the members right.

I was under the impression that Brad was the front man yeah.

And so yeah it's interesting you know seeing that it's actually Craig you know the one who's created the head of it puts it all together which is either I've been in that position before you know looking back on it you know and I know how it goes. Because if you're in that position and if you're shilling footwork and you're putting out the money to finance stuff you're going to do it your way. That's just the way it's going to be because you know it's your baby. That's the. It's your show. Yeah and I've been in that position now looking back on it now it's like well you know I can see where if I had listened to other people in the past it could have gone a different way and maybe everybody would have been happier you know. And that's not to say that you know initially Yeah you know we did discuss things like you know I think he had resigned himself to the fact that at a certain point that bread just wasn't interested and the creative you know day to day grind of what are we going to do. Yeah. Both the same time at home. Have you asked them Have you time and I remember when it was shortly after I came in we we all sat down. It was it was the band and Mike we all sat down to Craig's house and we talked because it was all very exciting because you know I came in and they were all young. How about we have somebody that we work with now. It's very positive. We were just throwing out ideas.

Not so much me because I was new. Yeah sure. I remember that night. You know we're talking about Scott and Greg and everybody everybody's coming up the stuff and we wrote down things that OK fine. And we thought well we'll try to keep that momentum going you know we'll come back you know we'll do what we can do this year and we'll come back next year and have another one of these me. This is great. I remember the second year meeting and I think it was Don Pablo.

Brett couldn't make it.

You know Greg and Mike and I were there and that meeting kind of took this turn of Greg criticize and a lot of stuff but not really coming up with any solution solution. Yeah.

So that didn't go over very well you know from now on.

I was just getting the you know the three of us that were not going to as Greg and we're not going to have Branca's used to be here. So yeah the following year. OK. The three of us in Alan are things that I can't say. Remember the first time we did this we had lots of ideas that were great and we really didn't.

We didn't really attack a lot of them. Some of them but we didn't attack everything. Yeah sure back to that.

And after that after that there were no more meetings. Maybe they're just crying as they say I every every year. This is somebody who voted off the island. I did there was a period where just just to ensure everybody would get a fair shake.

You know it's easy to do.

Yeah. You would if you're having to make a set list for a show or quit songs and stuff you know we do some of the songs. But there was a period where I was realizing that I was getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop to say you know or some other that's saying oh yeah I felt that you know if a band is doing a set of like or saw these you know I mean of course you know there's different configurations I mean. Yeah. Craig and Brad when they do duets and stuff that's great and that's the sound of the band they should up they should do that. So you know I was kind of looking at kind of equaling it outside. OK so songs get one they do three songs as do their OK. We'll have great do a couple songs I'll do a couple of songs yes or no. You know that's what seven songs are taken on the other eight. OK. You know them they can go for it and go to Kragen or go to grad. Very well rounded. Yeah very well rounded. You don't get bored. Yeah that's the thing. The thing I always worried about even when I was you know in the band you know the energy geologists and all that stuff because we had a number of singers and I always tried to keep it even though I was doing the majority of it. But I always tried to break it up because you know you just if you don't have that dynamic stage show and winding up then it gets more.

I don't care who you are I don't care who singing is going get more especially if you have a voice. And I was also kind of making a transition. I remember playing a show at Tool's one night and we finished the set and Craig was complaining Yeah you know where you got my voice tonight. You made us with what you have four singers in the band I suggest you use the didn't want to hear that he just turned walk. But it's the truth yeah yeah yeah I certainly don't want to be doing the show. Yeah I've been in that position before. Yeah. I mean you think it's great but there's a lot of work that goes into that. Sure it's hard. Sure sure. Where you know the band is depending on you to do that and you've got to worry though. Can I do it. Oh really good tonight. I've been here. It's horrible. Yeah but yeah if you have the vocals used Yeah sure. That's the thing about this group is that the four of us we have all fronted bands. Yeah yeah. So we've all been really vocalists so it's not like you know you're going to get. Oh you know here comes crazy old uncle Jeb sing a favorite.

It isn't over yet enjoy it. We all know what we're doing.

Yeah yeah. You're working on an album now. Correct. We are currently we recorded the show the th anniversary of the band back in August.

So currently we're going through that material right now to see what what we can use like a live love like my real life. Cool. And then of course the next project will do which is at overate or which we did.

After all these years as Christmas. Because we need to do that. Yeah. You know our audience wants it. I think that's the job as an entertainer Yeah it's just that. So yeah the current project is the live CD. I to hear it here. But you know from what I understand is.

I heard the show was recorded as well. Not necessarily in the same method I don't know if you were doing. Well they had they had audio out from the board going to the camcorder. Yeah yeah well yeah I kinda hear that. And is that how is that how the th anniversary shows.

Well the the video footage was different for the audio.

Well the audio was actually we had remote equipment from Ashlynn brought in and the engineer that we've worked with in the past Don McElroy who runs Slipp this recording studio was there to engineer and everything down. Yeah. I understand there's some files that you hear.

Yeah I would occasionally you know put on the headphones that are connected to the yeah the camcorder and it sounded good. Did it. Yeah I mean the whole show was amazing. I don't think anyone's going to that moment.

But you know that's what I'm going to do that show that there wasn't really anything that we that whole concept of the Tager and that that was correct. I mean we probably bandied about that idea that jester knows talking to teenagers but that he had his friend construct all that stuff. Yeah I thought it was impressive. And not even knowing he just kind of stuck. Just use your own judgment. Yeah. Just this guy was hard to say. But once you were done. And now I trust your judgment. I'm sure we'll be fine but we didn't really. I don't think so that day of the show. Did we really have an idea idea of what the show was going to be like. Well yeah well of course Brad will be Rod Serling.

Okay but again aside from being up there in a suit and doing a rock throwing Prussian what were you going to do.

Yeah. You know unless Brad had that ideal and said Oh we'll just take some of the stories he would tell and just trying to get them into what the haters are.

Yeah. Okay so that was actually what I was when asked if that wasn't. Was that were those like you know where he's like you know little backstory and he did little did he know he's about to enter. Right exactly. Was that right. Was that like written by Brad or given to him by Craig.

I have an idea that the two of them were in on it together. Well like I said my my thought my feeling was that it happened that day when I arrived. To set up they were already sitting at the table writing. So it happened that day. Which again. That's that's just the the genius of those two that you can do this. You know initially when we did things like the first Halloween show that I was involved with and I said Wouldn't it be funny if we took their sound person would always do a welcome National Coffee Tea and so have you hadn't died where we get started. You know the fire that you're on here you know right and up there and this whole spiel Yeah you know before she started like adlibbing it was getting longer and longer and longer. But she had this spiel that she would do. And I said what would be funny if we did it pre-recorded it and you know but it was like how when version of it you know ad so I was like yeah let's do that. So you know credit Bret came over here one night and I had written out you know just from one of the videotapes that I shot of our show. Yeah I got the whole thing. I just wrote it out here. Here's the copy. You know Brad starts doing you know Vincent Price you know and you know Craig is doing you know Renfield and they're just doing this and it's serious. They did the same thing. You know when we did the Christmas show.

You know Brad is Santa Claus. You know Craig as you know the elf you know I want them to get them. Yes.

Oh baby hurry hurry. Oh

yeah Brad has a really versatile voice which I think is really cool. Yeah he says you know he'll do like the typical like you know thing like dictators sound that sort of eclectic currents pop music all that stuff like that that's sort of like I don't want to say older sounding stuff like that classic sort of thing but then he'll like flip on me and do witchcraft. All right. And it's like he what. Yeah he is he is good.

I mean if you're everyone in the taters is ridiculously talented. Yeah. Which is really I think what makes the shows so special.

Yeah that's what you know when you put the four of us together it's like a force to be reckoned with. Yeah yeah yeah yeah.

Yeah yeah. No I mean oh to cheer. I wish. I mean I wish I could say that the I guess probably individually. You know we had cultivated this years on our own and that's what we bring to the table when we're all together. That's what happens. It's certainly nothing we rehearse and put us on stage and you know we're getting it's July.

There you go. There will be times throughout like each shows that I will be just like awestruck.

It's something that everyone does.

I think there will be different points right like it will be like holy cow like you know it will be like bread doing some sort of like lounge Vogel's or Breg being absolutely incredible solo setting five songs in the world.

So exactly how are you doing.

Like really play tight drum line number or it's just like it all meshes together. Yeah it's yeah. And this isn't meant to be like some big like kissing ass. No no no not through. We don't take it that way.

Yeah it's it's one of those that I don't know how to explain it. But I knew before I started playing with them what they were up to and they said it was one of those nights that Grandpa Eddie's you is sticking around for that infamous thermostat and that's when I was blown away. Wait a minute. That you really are going through it sounds like I love this stuff. When I was like OK I know where they're at. OK that's that's cool. And then you that discussion.

Boy I wish I was in a band like that's good. Never never. Oh you know I wish I could join these guys. I wish I had a band like this.

But you know you all get it.

There you go. I'll leave it there.

Now having been with them for a while and having been you know doing music enrichment even longer and sort of having a feel for the area and the way you know different things operate in Richmond.

Is there anything that you don't like about the sort of scene in Richmond or like the way certain things are handled.

That's always good.

I really can't complain because my role in it. I'm very fortunate to be in with the group. Yeah.

Very fortunate in that aspect.

And allegiance to the involved is the scene at all know because like I said before playing with the haters I was playing and I was obviously out and about getting gigs and doing stuff but it wasn't I wasn't really part of that scene. You were the Richmond music scene which now I guess I have some respect.

Yeah that's the thing. You know a lot of a lot of the players and stuff out there. How do you actually play with through that Hagar's as it is one of those Baudry.

What's your background. Where did you come from. Because we had never heard we heard of you.

Yes. I've been doing it.

But yeah I mean just hearing crowd talk without the music scene. It's not. It used to be back in the day.

But yeah it's it's it's frustrating because you know there's a feeling that Richmond doesn't regard musicians like they used to.

It's kind of like this. Oh yeah. Afterthought of that you have. Yeah. And I don't know. I don't know if it's just a marketing thing. I don't know if it's maybe we're not marketed right.

Because when you see somebody like Susan Greenwall and everybody says Green and she's always out there she's always there she delivers things she's doing.

And regardless of whether you like her hurt or not. But you know who she is. And she's constantly there. Now she has had a market yeah a word. Case in point.

You know I was I was at work you know hospital and there was somebody whose birthday and hands go around working hours you know our stuff.

And comes Susan groundball with her guitar it's like OK Reunion's is great.

She goes into the wow. Just like a birthday greeting saying OK send you know birthday.

Happy birthday.

I've never thought of that. You know I mean you know singing telegrams but Susan Griebel how he sang happy birthday his OK.

Never seen the movie Clue. Yes. Because I never I. Because you said singing telegram president rides a. Ham singing telegram back from Haiti.

Great movie but what do you see Mary's doing to doctors. OK. Because I know my mom used to get sick Mary's Hulka and it was in the cardiovascular unit. Oh really. Yes. And on top of all that she is the exact same birthday as you really like gear and everything.

Yes. September 15th oh my god yes. I found that so funny.

So it was like it was a text to me or something like yeah like oh snap it's Chris's birthday tomorrow. I'm like wait. It's my Mom's birthday tomorrow. What do you do. Oh snap. Wow. All right just and then it it's just for kicks.

Held his ear for me. All right. OK. This is interesting just funny.

But so in terms of getting a feel of your experience with the haters or operations music scene or anything about your musical history is there anything that you would think that I am or that you haven't said yet or that I'm missing in terms of things that would be particularly interesting or important to now.

If I had to sum it up you know it it all boils down to remembering why you got into music.

Yeah. And just really just you know no matter what you've got to keep your sense of humor about it. Yeah yeah. Yeah it's true.

You really can't take yourself to zero because there's so many things you know that you've got to go along the way. You know you're going down.

This but he does that to keep your sense of humor. Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah. One point in time probably when I was think some of the late bloomers apparently when I was in my late s you know yeah I wanted felt Yeah. I want to be famous. That's what I want. Yeah I want to be. Duncan Sheik or you know tell Bachner we're be out there guitar. Yeah. But yeah and it's getting to play music you're having a pretty steady gigs. Yeah. You know when the band gets together you know we go you know we're not the type that will hang out or you know we well yeah the off times is we don't really see each other.

Yeah but when we get together it's definitely that thing happens that we do. Yeah. So yeah yeah.

Yeah I have to say yeah I'm very pleased with the way things are. Sure. I'm pleased with that. No not completely satisfied. I mean it's like a can you really complain sort of thing. I can't complain. I can't say that I'm not satisfied. Any musician any artist you satisfied. You know I want something else now.

Yeah. What would what would bring you to the point where you'd say you're satisfied.

Probably recording the next CD of original material now getting getting a song or two. Yeah that I wrote.

Get yeah. Getting that get my hands in.

Yeah.

Or made a joke with realize that I was talking about on time.

I think it was it was before I was a for a some point and I had I was showing her some material I was writing. And somehow the topic of the taters came up. So we had the glorious idea to make current day renditions of not not like tater Isingiro but like.

Baby. So take songs like that. I had I had I had no idea that she'd take it to the level she took it.

It's I mean I've only heard like the you know the the first part of the verse and the chorus is really not much you know. Yeah it's all was really good making that play. Taking that idea and running with it making it into like a full song.

I mean yeah. Thinking back you know trying to figure out you know I was five years old. But it's like where did that come from. The only thing that I could think of that must have been somewhere back here was a superstar by the Carpenters. The baby baby baby baby baby.

Baby baby baby. Yes.

That had to have been somewhere.

My sister does the same thing. Show the the differences rather than listening to like the carpenters. We'll be listening to like pop music right. So she has this long journal of.

I'm going to stop here. We're pretty much done.