“The two-man crew’s music is a bluesy wrecking ball, . . . their tuneful charisma separates them from the legions of garage-rock imitators.” – LA Times. The band is playing Smith’s Olde Bar tomorrow and they joined us for our 5GB series.
What’s the first gig you ever attended?
Devlin: My mom took me to see Kriss kross when I was maybe 8 or 9, it was epic. They did a laser show for “I missed the bus.”
Chris: Wilson Philips. My aunt took myself and my cousin. I remember it being fucking awesome. Every person there was screaming “hold on” as loud ad they possibly could.
Alex: The first gig that I ACTUALLY remember attending for the sakes of my own enjoyment was at the Glass House in Pomona, CA to indulge in my youthful indie pleasures. The bill was The Dismemberment Plan and Minus The Bear…roughly around a decade ago. MTB had just put out Highly Refined Pirates, which is an album that I still hold really close to my heart.
What is the best gig that you ever played/performed?
D: The troubadour in LA has such a storied history and being able to play to a sold-out crowd (thanks to Anthony Green who headlined) was one of the best experiences we’ve had as a band.
C:The most surreal gig we ever played was a MUSACK benefit in a backyard in Los Angeles. We shared a bill with acts such as The Soft Pack, Tijuana Panthers, Childish Gambino, She and Him and Yo La Tengo. Meeting YLT made my year if not my very infant music career.
A: I’d like to believe that every gig is getting better..so the best show I’ve ever played is most likely going to be the one I play tonight.
What is the best gig you have ever seen?
D:Shortly after releasing her first album Joanna newsom played a show at the Vic theatre in Chicago that was curated by jeff tweedy for Wired Magazine. For whatever reason we were the first people to arrive and i got to lean on the stage right in front of her for her set. We were close enough to see every emotion, every note. It was great.
C: I’m really into Stoner rock and fortunately am good friends with Al Cisneros so we were in London the same time his band SLEEP was reuniting to headline ATP for 2 nights.That show completely blew me away. One of the most underrated bands ever.
A: I have a severe Paul Simon obsession, so catching him at the Fonda in Hollywood last year was as close to a spiritual experience that I’m likely to have. It was my sermon. My church pew to rest my worries upon. He was touring with most of the contributors on Graceland, and did most of the album to a T. He kept saying…”It feels so good to be playing a club again.”, and that really portrayed his love for intimacy, which has always been so apparent in his writing. I’m getting sentimental just thinking about it.
What is the gig you would most like to play?
D: I’d do anything to play with Bob Dylan, even when we play in the same city on the same night im aware of it, which is admittedly very sad. but It would be amazing to play the metro in Chicago. It’s a perfectly sized room, and when a band would play there it would often be the last time you could see them before they move on to exclusively playing theaters. Admittedly there are many places in Chicago I’d rather go to see a show, but The Metro was one of the first venues I went to regularly so I’ve got a soft spot.
C:Speaking of ATP, I would love to play the one in Minehead. It’s out in the country side and it’s usually a family amusement park with crazy rides everywhere. But for ATP bands and fans take over and it’s amazing, it’s not like a coachella or something where you are out in the heat and like 2 miles from the band. No real VIP areas and you can see people from all kinds of bands walking around. We like to call it Rock and Roll space camp.
A: For this one, turn back the clocks a little bit…to December 1983. David Byrne and crew were transmitting some real intergalactic presence with the obviously infamous ‘Stop Making Sense’ show, recorded over the three nights the Heads played at the Pantages Theater. The energy of the set, the second natures coming naturally to that stage…it’s always given me some form of hope that there are still moments of momentary loss of sanity for the greater good of expression and orchestration. I want to be on that stage. To be a part of that feeling. That sound…the one you can’t escape…THAT’S what keeps me playing. Pure inspiration.
What would be the lineup for your dream gig?
D: Cody Chesnutt
The dead ships
Bob Dylan
I like that even in my wildest dream we’re not headlining
C: Sharing a bill and re-uniting the smiths and sleater Kinney.
A: If someone could get Peter Hook to play bass with Johnny Marr, with Prince as the master of ceremonies…I might be able to get some sleep at night. Maybe sprinkle some Bjork and Beth Gibbons on backing vocals, and have me in the middle of it all…slapping a tambourine and shaking with excitement. Then, of course, I would wake up with wet sheets and embarrassment..because a dream like that is much too good to be true.
The Dead Ships play the Smith’s Olde Bar on Wednesday, Oct. 24th
