Guest: Chris (drummer, songwriter, mover & shaker)
[Currently the time stamps are just estimates]
Phill 0:05
So where to begin? This guest tonight go way back to before Nu metal was a thing. His friendship has been paramount in everything musical in my life. From my taste in music, to writing songs in his basement, to playing reunion shows nearly two decades after the fact. I would like to welcome a hero I call by their first name, Chris.
Music 0:25
Chris 0:41
What up, Phil?
Phill 0:42
What's going on, bro?
Chris 0:42
Not much, man. Thanks for having me. This is awesome.
Phill 0:45
Yeah, man. Thanks, man. Yeah, I know that we had spoke a little bit yesterday. And we just kind of had our own like mini podcast thing going on. But yeah, today, man. I just wanted to just kind of talk about you and just like you know about your life kind of life trajectory and, you know, in music or whatever else you want to talk about, bro.
Chris 1:08
Aight, cool.
Phill 1:09
Um, let's talk about what got you into music, man, because that's how we met. Like, I think in ninth grade. You were like, "Yo I'm starting a band. I heard you play bass." And I was like, "Yeah, yeah, cool."
Chris 1:22
'cause there was. I mean, literally, there was nobody who played guitar and bass in 1994. I found the only two people who did. But uh, I mean,
Phill 1:33
It would be a kind of thing that you've done over the years, man, you've kind of always started,
Chris 1:38
we'll get- that's partof the trajectory. I think it's still so that it's just like, well, like, stop, keep going. You know, we'll get to that actually. 2018 I finally burnt myself out a little bit after, you know, 1994 to 2018. And then I was just like, "Alright, I gotta- I need a break." It was the you know, Sitting there as like, "This is the first time I haven't had like a weekly band practice since 1994." Like, but I mean, going back to the beginning, like the first live music thing I actually remember is sitting on my dad's lap watching Buddy Rich. It's actually the first thing I remember. I don't really remember. You know, the sounds. I was probably like three or four. I think it might have been at Bayshore High School actually.
Music 2:51
Chris 2:55
I can remember what the stage looked like, as you know, my my dad play drums and still does and his dad played drums. So they were always around. Um, I remember I tried to start playing when my dad tried to get me interested in it somewhere around like '88 when I was like seven or eight, um, but like, you know, Tony Hawk was huge in the Bones Brigade was a thing. So skateboarding was cool. I like yeah, a lot. So like, yeah, it didn't click with me then. Then somewhere around like '89/'90 in fifth grade. I picked it up and started you know, taking like little lessons with my dad. And then within the next year, like Nirvana hit. I was like, Okay, all right, I get it. But even leading to that I would always like, see live music on TV and just be intrigued by it. You know, I'm just watched the drummer, look at his setup, like, the things he did. But I mean, yeah, once you know Nirvana, really hit was like, well, I could play those Beats
Phill 4:02
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's true.
Chris 4:04
And then a lot like a lot. Yeah, a lot of the bands that came in the wake of that, you know things like Soundgarden and Pearl Jam like- Soundgarden introduced me to like 7/4 and 5/4, you know, and this was around the time that like, music started in Brentwood because as you know, we start in seventh grade. So for school district that's pretty renowned for its musical program. Um, it's incredible that we start, you know, on average four years later than most kids. Yeah, like, that's a real testament to the power of the Brentwood music department.
Phill 4:41
Yeah, man. I mean, it it definitely was something to behold. I think, um, you know, just how much how much focus was was put on it and like, I think a lot of parents were into it as well and the teachers were passionate about it.
Chris 4:58
Absolutely. Yeah.
Phill 5:00
And the teachers were like tight too, because I remember like they would they would talk with each other and like they would say this. I remember like hearing like the backroom talks about, you know, them talking about like, Oh, it was a really good, you know, in I dunno, a violin player that's in seventh grade now and like they had like a network and shot going on.
Chris 5:17
Well, that's actually something I was gonna bring up to you when you talk about trajectories. So, like I said, we started seventh grade music and it was automatically I picked the drums. And at this point, I already started to learn how to read (music) understood time signatures and syncopations. And my music teacher in seventh grade was Mr. Chris Foty. I was his first class.
Phill 5:20
Wow.
Chris 5:21
So within a week, he had my whole schedule changed and moved me into the eighth grade band and seventh.
Phill 5:52
Wow. Wow.
Chris 5:54
So that was the start of my kind of leap frogging through Brentwood. 'cause after that summer of '94, I was put into Green Machine and most ninth graders, you know, it was a little tough to get into Green Machine in 9th grade. And I started in ninth grade on snare drum.
Phill 6:15
Wow.
Chris 6:15
I didn't even start in the pit. I didn't start on bass drum. So here I- I am 13 years old-
Phill 6:20
And that was like the ultimate percussion one. It was that and the other one was the five drum-
Chris 6:26
Quints.
Phill 6:26
Yeah, it was like the two big boys.
Chris 6:29
Yeah, I was 13 got thrust into that so like how much you had to memorize had to learn how to march I was terrible at it. You know, Mr. Cannon had to take me aside and like teach me because I couldn't grasp on like leading with your left foot. While playing whatever complex thing on the snare drum I had to play. So it was it was
Phill 6:48
Yeah, man. That's the next level.
Chris 6:50
Yeah, so before you know, I went into ninth grade. I'd spent six weeks in the summer in drumline. So that was kind of my opening into just like, oh, "Wow, this is serious. This isn't just like, you know..."
Phill 7:04
This isn't playing Little Mermaid.
Chris 7:06
Yeah, like, you know, fourth period band class. Yeah. And you know, stayed with Green Machine for four years, snare drum on the whole time was the section leader senior year.
Phill 7:19
Yeah, that's right, man.
Chris 7:20
And then actually what Aaron was saying with the with the musicals now she got in in ninth grade. That's incredible.
Phill 7:26
Yeah, yeah, man. Yeah.
Chris 7:29
Usually the musicals reserved specifically for like 11th and 12th graders.
Phill 7:33
Yeah, it's like basically varsity. It's like,
Chris 7:35
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Phill 7:36
Yeah, like varsity sports.
Chris 7:37
What I wound up doing one in 10th grade was my first one was Gypsy because I don't know if you remember Amy. She had a twin sister. And she she was like the top-dog drama. She was really good. But uh, I think she played soccer too, or something. And she was like, "Ah, I'm not going to do whatever sports" so like, you know, use the lingo that we use now "I got the call."
Phill 8:02
Yeah, yeah. That's interesting. Yeah, man. Yeah, I was gonna say, Man, just like, um, you know, like, I've been living in Japan for 15 years working in Japan. And one thing that's very different from high schools here and schools here is that you just choose one extracurricular activity and that's all you do. So like, you're either playing drums or playing saxophone, or you're or you're playing soccer or you're playing baseball like there's no conflict of interest and you just do what you do and that's something that I always thought was like- I don't know if it's- you know, I'm just you know, I if it's a better thing or worse thing we always thought is very just this interesting because I remember I was in football but also like music as well. That's interesting that you know, you were able to, you know, "get that call". Because you know, someone who said you know what, I want to play soccer this year or something is so so random man.
Chris 9:00
It never clicked on me like that. Like, I mean, I played you know, little league as a kid and I still like baseball. But yeah, man, especially in high school, it was just like, "I do drums, that's what I- and see even to this day, like, you know, I can't- I could barely play a power chord on guitar. I've been playing in bands for so long and I could almost play a Ramones' song. You know, I might have an ear for arrangement, you know, just being part of somebody different styles over the years and being a part of a songwriting process you know, I could be like don't- that chords not working? You know, did take some theory to do so you know, but like in terms of playing anything with strings, my hands do not understand it.
Phill 9:41
So yeah, dude. Alright, so this is interesting. So you kind of grew up, you know, first experience was, you know, that you kind of remember and I'm sure that the huge Buddy Rich fan, is more like you know, jazz here we then you have like musical stuff with started with Gypsy and then Leader of the Pack and stuff. Then there was Green Machine, which is marching band stuff. But you ended up getting into hardcore and punk, which seems a bit a, you know, kind of a sidestep, if you will. So like, yeah, how did that all happen, man?
Chris 10:18
Yeah, I mean, it was- it was that you know, "grunge explosion", which is still a pretty awful word because I mean, these bands came from aspects of college rock, you know, aspects of hardcore, aspects of punk like, you know, Kurt Cobain loved the Black Flag, like Pearl Jam knew who the Bad Brains were. But the general people listening to a lot of music didn't know that you had to dig for that. So the more and more I would listen to these bands or see a T shirt that someone was wearing, you know, it's- so many people have the same story, you know, you read the liner notes and see what bands thanked what and then you just keep digging an-
Phill 10:58
it's like the first Wikipedia rabbit hole.
Chris 11:01
Yeah, man like you can you now you could go on Spotify and you know type in minor threat and you're getting every band that was on discord records in the 80s
Phill 11:11
Back in the day, man you had to
Chris 11:12
You had to get the right to the discord house in DC you know or Maryland or wherever it is. So yeah, it was just the dating of it and the big thing was having an older sister that you know, she's two years older than me and she you know, she would hang out with the with the you know, the "freak kids" in the high school
What was that dude's name, man? Anton.
Aton, yeah, she'd hang out with him, this girl Velvet. Roy, Frank was another kid and and he's you know these were people go into the PWAC Rick from the Casualties Um, so they were into local stuff and you know, my sister would turn me on- I remember she let me borrow one tape. One side was a, like a Bad Religion mix and the other side was a one of the V.O.D. EPs wow you know before the Full Length was out and then it used to be this place called "The Shop"
Phill 12:07
Yes I was an ask about this, man.
Chris 12:09
Club Voodoo- it was part of Voodoo or Caffeine
Phill 12:12
For for kids, right?
Chris 12:13
They had- The Shop was like the teen night so we would go to that this is this is like late '94 and it was at that show I got handed a flyer for a Silent Majority at the PWAC and it took me- so that might have been '95 and didn't get to the PWAC until 96 but at that point like I had done enough digging that like Sick of it All was in my world and Orange 9 mm, like- and then you know it just kind of snowballs because then you're like you see what label this records on and then you-, you know, you see it in the store with another band you know with the same label and you know you buy it sometimes it's awesome sometimes it's crap, but yeah man and then once you know I went to the PWC, it was all over. I think the second show I want to there might have second or third show was the 516 Compilation record release and that was two CDs of just...
Music 14:03
Chris 14:19
Relentless, man, "Listen up. To what. I. Have to. Say."
Dude, I was actually watching relentless videos like a month ago in quarantine that's where it me-
Music 14:31
Relentless ()
Chris 14:39
But um, it blew my mind that there was like, you know, 30 bands that are all from Oman.
Phill 14:46
Yeah. Yeah.
Chris 14:49
And then I mean, you would, you would get the flyers You know, there was nothing really posted- there was a couple of kind of user groups on the internet. But, you know, nothing really to, you know, "Oh, I got an invite to this show.". No, I remember the PWAC had a hotline, you could call.
Phill 15:05
I remember that you could call the hotline. That's right, man.
Chris 15:08
And they would just- they would just be a voice recording, listen on shows for, you know, the next like, month and a half or whatveer it was.
Phill 15:12
I remember that. I remember calling that a few times.
Chris 15:14
And that, you know, I think that really just got creative juices flowing. I was seeing local guys that, you know, you start looking up to, you know, and then obviously, some of the records that came off a lot of them were just, you know, to this day, you know, so pinnacle.
Phill 15:28
Yeah, yeah. And really influential to, you know, influential to the bands that that bands today find influence from so it's kind of like, you know, like yeah.
Chris 15:43
And you know, they were, you know, you look back on it now, we were so young and they were like what 20? 23
Phill 15:47
Yeah, they were kids themselves.
Chris 15:50
Exactly.
Phill 15:51
Yeah, so that's, that's awesome, man. So So here you are, you know, you kind of being, for lack of a better word, "groomed" to be, you know, this kind of professional drummer, right? At least through through school, right? Because you're having all these experiences playing in different contexts you know because marching band is you know that that's no joke, I- you know I don't know for a lot of people know what it is but yeah
Chris 16:16
It's a lot of work, man.
Phill 16:17
It's tough- it's tough, man.
Chris 16:18
And you know 120 pound high school me was like a 45 pound Yamaha snare drum on me 90 degree heat and some field and Pennsylvania band camp like- how did I not just crumble.
Phill 16:29
It's probably illegal today. But um, but yeah, man-
Chris 16:34
But that also though one thing- I didn't mean to cut you off but one thing I noticed kind of quickly in high school and by all decent measures me you and the cruiser rode with, you know, we were good kids, you know? Yeah, we did our teenage dumb shit for sure. But um, you know, there would still be jazz band in high school. I quickly found out or realized that the more music I do in high school, the more high school I get out of Okay, 'cause you'd be able, "Oh, I can't I get out of the day of school because I get to do St, Patricks Day in the city. Yeah, we have some competition for you know, the wind ensemble. And yeah, we get to miss, you know, Friday to a Monday or something like that, you know. So like I quickly realized that was just like this kind of Yeah. But at the same time, I remember there were days I would, you know, come in high school the regular time and I wouldn't get home till close to nine o'clock because, you know, you get marching band after regular classes, and then you'd have an hour and then Jazz band rehearsal. Was that like,
Phill 17:34
I remember that. I remember that.
Chris 17:36
Some really long day. Yeah, man. I remember that man.
Phill 17:39
I remember that going to football practice and then having my bass and going right after football practice to jazz pen and stuff. Yeah, man. So yeah, man. Hats off to Brentwood, man. It definitely, I think kept us out of trouble.
Chris 17:53
Yeah, I have a feeling that that's going to be a reoccurring theme.
Definitely
'cause I mean I- I mean, it's, it's corny to say I guess but it is kind of like a badge of honor. I mean, I work with the guy, you know, he plays he's a guitar play plays in like a cover bands and stuff. He used to do originals. You know he's from North Brownwood he you know, he went to high school Mr. Cannon taught the drumline, yeah. And you know, he's he's like, I'm still proud I'm from Brentwood.
Phill 18:22
So yeah, hats off to Brentwood, man. Definitely- definitely helped a lot of people, man. I think-
Chris 18:30
Yeah,
Phill 18:30
Yeah. All right, man. So let's fast forward a little bit then. I guess let's go to when, you know, we start, you know, trying to play shows. I remember that was kind of a tough thing in the beginning, was trying to kind of, you know, break into the local scene.
Chris 18:52
Yeah, it was.
Phill 18:54
Yeah, man. So...
Chris 18:55
You know, a big part of the reason we just weren't good enough. You know, I'm gonna be flat out and I- if that's one thing I have learned in the different types of bands that I have done is like, if you're good, you're going to get shows people are going to come. It not a secret, you know, but,
Phill 19:15
Rr if you know people...
Chris 19:16
You know, that exists, but like, you know, by and large if you're a good band, and you play great live, you're gonna do okay for you. So, at least in my experience, that's, that's what I've seen. But, uh, I think really, you know, because we didn't really start rolling until we were doing that band Akin when you were singing and that's really like, when you couldn't get booked at like Deja One places that were having the bigger shows. That's when Kool Beans really started.
Phill 19:48
Yeah, Kool Beans. That was a whole thing, I forgot about that.
Chris 19:50
Now it was kind of like in a scene for a little bit. You know, it's like us and the Waiting Process, Shallows of the Mundane.
Phill 19:57
Yeah, yeah, that's right.
Chris 19:59
But I think- really big change was a less kids were going to shows they're getting smaller, you know, from from the back having 2000 kids to see V.O.D., to Deja One which probably had, you know, 800 kids and they're going to see at a Sick of it All the bigger shows. 2000 Kids showing up to shows to 800. And by the time, you know, local seven was a thing in 2002 You know, it was half of the size of Deja. So everything went down and halves. And then I think a big part of that was, you know, there was a changing of the guard; a lot of the movers and shakers a lot of those bands broke up. And I think by the time it was Local ' and it's just kind of like we're me and you were doing The Reformation and we kind of really became a you know, band known in the scene was because they're- the older bands were gone. They reformed To the newer bands, they were not necessarily as- you know, they were playing different styles. You know, Bloodred was totally a different style from Silent Majority.
Music 21:14
Phill 21:34
Yeah.
Chris 21:34
But at the same time a bunch of younger kids started coming to shows and they were identifying, you know, with Strong Point, Subterfuge and The Backup Plan. Mm hmm. So there really became a new kind of teir of Long Island bands, which I think the Reformation became a part of that, especially 2002 you know, literally to the night before you move to Japan. Like, we play our last show.
Phill 22:01
Yeah, where was that? That was Saints & Siants?
Chris 22:03
I actually uploaded it to YouTube last year. Yeah, man, you played that show and you called me from the airport the next morning at 11. Like we packed the van open, like, 2 in the morning or whatever it was.
Phill 22:15
Yeah.
Chris 22:16
You literally played a show and left. It's one of the most badass moves ever, man.
Phill 22:21
That was our life. But yeah, man, I mean, you know, thinking back you know, just how, you know, how much we've done together. You know, and music has always been a part of that. You though- I have always- so we've had our bands and I guess The Reformation was probably our biggest project together in terms of what recognition?
Yeah, recognition, spending time together. Like we were just, you know.
Chris 22:52
To this day The Reformation best working band I was ever in. It was just so much fun. Like, I think it was We were only band for like two years and we did- we did so much like-
Phill 23:04
Yeah, I was thinking all the shows we played like different universities and we played it that a brewery in in Manhattan wherever it was when a Duncan saw Kevin Bacon and
Chris 23:14
That was when we played the Knitting Factory and
Knitting Factory, that's what it was.
and yeah, then in fact, we unloaded the van on the sidewalk and I was like, "OK, I'll stay with the gear until, you know, you guys-" 'cause I didn't want any coffee and you, Duncan and a Rob park and get coffee. And I think Duncan was like getting sugar and putting it in his coffee and he looks up and he's just like, "You're Kevin Bacon, right?"
And then and then you will come back and I'm sitting outside of the Knitting- the Old Knitting Factory when it was on Leonard Street, you know, with the gear and they're, like, "Yo, we just met Kevin Bacon." I'm like, "Yo, man, I miss everything."
Phill 23:49
Yeah, yeah, there's so many stories, man. We can go on on about that. But like even before that, so let's like rewind a little bit back so that because like you had played for other bands as well. So you would- you were kind of like you were busy man. I mean, think you play for like South Paw for a while, I think
Chris 24:09
South Paw was right after high school. Actually, it's the only band I've ever been kicked out of. But you know, totally understandable looking back on and now I didn't have the hardcore chops to really play that but you know, but because of that band I did get to meet the wonderful Hugo
Yup, yup.
And through that after Akin kind of dissolved and we went our separate ways for a little bit. And I think we just spent so much time together in like five or six years that
Phill 24:40
Oh, yeah, it was like everyday.
Chris 24:41
A little sick of each other finally. So, like-
Phill 24:44
Definitely.
Chris 24:45
When that happened, I hit Hugo up and we started the band Last Picked At Dodgeball and that's
Yes, yes.
Yeah, that was the third time I met. You know, the late Robert McCallister I'd actually met him
Phill 24:56
RIP.
Chris 24:56
Met him at the first show I went to with the PWAC And he was like all punk rocked out. And then he showed up to a South Paw practice like two years later. And he's wearing like FuBu. And I'm like, "Yo," I was like, "Is that the same dude who had like red liberty spikes and like, ripped up Queers shirt?" And then I was like, "Okay. He- I don't know if he remembered me." And then when I started the band with Hugo, he was like, "Yo, come to this address. This kid's got a drum set there." I show up at Rob's doorstep, and he's like, indie rock guy. So I'm on his drum set, and I'm like, "Is this same dude..." It was.So it took me three times to meet Rob before, you know, we clicked.
Phill 25:43
Yeah, yeah. Maybe he was trying to find himself, I guess.
Chris 25:46
Yeah, you know, we're all young. And then what happened with Last Picked at Dodgeball that broke up in great fashion. Fighting Fitzgerald, brothers.
But we're all still friends. And me and Rob are left with nothing to do. And I called Duncan because he was into The Ref- ah not The Ref-. He was into Akin and Last Picked at Dodgeball. So I hit him up and we started writing and couldn't find a bass player. And I think around that time we both started going to Stony Brook.
Phill 26:21
Yep.
Chris 26:22
We have one class together, I think.
Phill
Maybe some sociology-
Chris
With David.
Phill 26:26
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I think it was some sociology thing. Yeah.
Chris 26:29
And yeah, I remember I think it was just like, "Yeah, man, I'll help you out. I'll help record the demo." And then it was just like, Well, after we'd like jam we were like, "You want to just be in the band?"
Phill 26:49
Yeah, I remember that, yeah man.
Phill 26:51
Yeah, no, it was Yeah, man. I was um, lots of good memories there man. And the lifelong-friendships because that I had known Duncan just some part- Like 'cause I was a big partier as well.
Chris 27:02
Yeah.
Phill 27:02
And I and I had met up with him- bumped into a few times.
Chris 27:06
You'd see him at The Forum and stuff too
Yeah just in I think from Kool Beans as well.
Exactly, oh yeah a Bayshore kid. Him and Shaun.
Phill 27:14
Yeah Shaun, man, represent. So yeah dude like you were just- you just been busy, dude. You were just like a busy busy drummer, man. And did you want to do drums professionally? Like, if you want you don't have to, I mean, can you share about like your thought process?
Chris 27:28
It's a funny thing like, you know, it's all great until you know it becomes your job. And it's like, "Well, would that have a job?" You know, um, I don't know I never really looked at it that, you know, far out there was always looking even more what's in front of you what you need to keep do to keep going. So like, you know, when Last Picked at Dodgeball. I looked at Rob said, "Okay, here are our options." You know, when you announced to The Reformation you were moving to Japan. I found myself in the same position again with Rob, because when you left remember Duncan was singing for Thieves and Assassins.
Yep, yep.
Then were- and right after you left, like within that summer, you know Duncan's like, "Alright, we're going on tour, man, later." So it was again, just me and Rob and looked and said, What are our options? And around that time you know, another kid from Brownwood Joey started poking his head out again and I'm going to show his because I know he had gotten kind of jaded. At some point with with Long Island. And through hanging out with me and Rob, he kind of got turned on to bands he never heard like Hot Water Music and Avail and Strike Anywhere and that kind of stuff. And then it was like, "Joey, you want to jam with me and Rob?", and we started doing that and cut a couple of demos and remember Thieves (and Assassins) got back from tour and we were hanging out at Chris's house. And I had like four songs on a CDR... CDRs... Jesus. Um, you know, no vocals or anything. No bass. It was just me, Joey and Rob and I played it for Duncan and he's like, "You have bass player?" I was like, "Nah" he's like, I"'m playing bass." It's like, "Alright man, you're a guitar player but you know I'm sure you can get by"
Phill 28:25
Go for it
Chris 28:58
You know became- wound up becoming a great bass player.
Phill 29:10
He killed, man.
Chris 29:12
Yeah, and that's that's what started Capital.
Phill 29:15
Yeah, dude. So, alright, so I could just this hold off on capital a little bit.
Chris 29:20
Yeah that's a that's a decade long chunk longest most you know successful longest running band I had you know,
Phill 29:29
So okay, yeah we talked about 30 minutes already.
Chris 29:32
Yeah, I mean yeah, I might be the guest that brings this thing off the rails, dude ,sorry.
Phill 29:39
It's all good. You know why- I don't like the question why. So what made you decide not to pursue music as a profession? I know you probably had a lot of people in your ear from a young age saying you know, "Be a music teacher" or "Become a studio musician" or you know You know, "Major in music" and and you didn't. You know, I think you still majored in psychology.
Chris 30:05
And minored in business. Um, I toyed with the idea in high school, you know, going to school for music, but um, it never clicked. I'm like, the idea it as
Can you flesh that out a little bit? Like what what didn't click exactly, man?
Um, it's not that I was a bad student I just didn't particularly like school.
Phill 30:27
Mm hmm.
Chris 30:27
You know, music was a real easy way to escape from it, but also, you know, get credit in school. And I knew I didn't want to be an educator. And I don't know, I guess I never really thought about it much. And the idea of, you know, being a studio musician, like, wasn't even on the table, just because from a technological standpoint, like now, you could be a studio musician from your home and track drums if you own a small studio and just email it away.
Phill 30:54
Yeah,
Chris 30:55
Like, yeah, you know, even you know, 10 years ago, that wasn't even kind of a reality. So yeah, I dunno.
Phill 31:03
Yeah, okay. Yeah, I was I was always curious about that because like, you know, I you know, I think the kind of music that you ended up you know playing your most of your life was, you know, I guess challenging compared to like, other genres of music, I mean I'm not like shitting on pop music or anything but I'm saying like, you know, I was it that like, because it's always seemed like you really wanted to push the boundaries of what you're doing like all the time like you always are challenging yourself.
Chris 31:31
There was and I think a lot of that actually made me a worse musician.
Phill 31:34
Okay, you know,
Chris 31:35
Because they say my mid 20s when you know capital became a thing and you know, Joey, really being as good of a musician as Joey is, really with the soul into shape in terms of, "Rob don't don't put your finger there" or you know, telling me like, "No crash cymbal, there." Really approaching songwriting different- where The Reformation we were just throwing everything at the wall. Just having a blast so like, going from that and then when Duncan asked me to do that, band, Make it Plain he had with his wife at the time, then you're going into just, you know, solid beats, really thought out parts, really engaging in the song. You know, which was a total turnaround from stuff I've been playing and if- if even if you look at the last capital record, we did, like, there was no fat on those songs. Some of it might be technical, sure, but everything is there for a reason. So...
Phill 32:34
Yeah, so what- 'cause like, you know, that is what I kind of really enjoyed about songwriting with you. Was that in- was that it was just pushing the limits. You know what I mean? Like, just, I don't- I think, you know, at least for me, and maybe, you know, I interpreted it the wrong, like a wrong way, but I was just trying not to do things that were not acceptable, but-
Chris 33:03
like conventional, almost?
Phill 33:05
Yeah, conventional. Yeah, I really just wanted to challenge myself and push myself and I don't know where it came- I think I was trying to follow you. And it just kind of became something I've internalized even today, you know, even like making, you know, sampling stuff and stuff. I'm like, "Yo, how can I make this easy for myself?" You know, you know, what I mean?
Chris 33:28
You know what's funny though about that is the reverse, so that like, okay, when I had to do other bands that didn't require that or wouldn't tolerate that.
Phill 33:36
Mm hmm.
Chris 33:37
It's it's not as easy to be as simplistic sometimes. Mm hmm. And what I've learned now that I, you know, I've had, I've had a gig in a fun Halloween cover band the last five years. Um, you're gonna get work from your feel, your time, you know, what kind of a person you are, you know, to be around. More than, you know, the crashed boom, Bang 32nd note fill you can do around backwards with your eyes closed.
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Yeah. Do I work on stuff like that? So sure, do I still work on my chops? Sure. 90% of the stuff I've taught myself in the last five years, I will probably never use in a band. Like I finally unlocked some concepts that like Thomas Pridgen did in The Mars Volta, though. I'm never using that shit in any of the bands I'm gonna be in. But I can do it now, you know. But that's, you know, part of, you know, pushing yourself and if you can do some of that hard stuff, you can do a lot, you know, and take away from it, but- and sometimes it's, it's a lot harder to play less.
Phill 34:45
Yeah, yeah, I think- I think a lot of artists say that, but it's so you know, but it's so hard to, you know, to do it until you realize that yourself.
Chris 34:54
iIt could be a really subtle thing, you know.
Phill 34:59
All right, cool, man. Thanks for you know for sharing so much.
Chris 35:02
No problem man.
Phill 35:02
Yeah man so can you just share some of your like your achievements up until you know Capital 'cause I think Capital as a band I remember when- even I heard your guys first album I was like, "Holy- holy shit man you guys have fucking you know Tommy from Silent Majority singing and it's his fucking Joey, you know, fucking Rob and Duncan and you you guys started a band" like, "What?" and this is the- you know it was just like, "Yes" this is- it was kind of like this is the band that I always wanted to be in but it was like "Yo, this is awesome, man I'm so glad you know like my favorite band is made up of you know people that I that I know". I never really had a chance to really kick it with with Tommy I'd see him over the years at a Suffolk Community College and that shows and stuff, you know, we knew each other but um yeah was just like, so awesome. This is the best band ever and I know everybody in it, I'm like, tight with everybody in it. Yeah. So, so yeah, what kind of like what are some? Like, you kind of touched on a few things but like, how did you stay consistently in the music? Like what was driving you? What was- what was like the, the focal point of you sticking with music because it's so easy to drop out of the scene because as you know, we weren't making money.
Chris 35:28
No.
Phill 35:36
It was a you know, it's you know, and the merch - we made so much merch and we lost money on that, you know what I mean? But, you know, is part of it was for the love of it, but, you know, this is, you know, our 20s supposed to be making money now. You know, we've, you know, had student loans to pay, you know, we kind of try to do both things and- what kept you moving, man? I mean- and like what what did you did- was something that you've learned in the past? Was something that you aspired to be in the future? Because I know that let's end with this. I know that getting being cool and being famous was never something any of us gave a shit about.
Chris 37:04
No, no.
Phill 37:04
Right? We just did it. We just try to keep it real, we do- like you know like my favorite apital shirt "Don't Front" like we never fronted who were, what we were about. You know, we were just doing it because we love music and we had a kind of a message to show and we wanted to kind of give back to the community that kind of helped us grow up, you know, and giving a place for for like you know, teenagers or you know other people our age a place to chill in a kind of community but anyway so like what-
Chris 37:33
You just of kind of hit it man I wish I had some kind of deep profound thing but it was- it kept me grounded, it kept me happy, it kept me sane, I've met so many cool people what's it's like that Rancid lyric When I've got the music I've got a place to go". Always have a place to go and it- By this point like it became such a character trait of me. It's like, "Oh yeah, that's Chris. He's a drummer. We get." like, I was known for it. But it was- it was really a thing of just joy. I wasn't like, you know, chasing the dragon. Like, you know, we had some crazy band that we did really well and I want the glory days back or anything. Nah man, like that was just literally a love for the instrument and a love for just making music with people, you know?
Phill 38:25
Because, you know, I think- you know, growing up we were kind of seen a wasting our time by playing hardcore or punk or whatever, like-
Chris 38:37
Oh, you always got a question, "Oh how much money you guys make? You guys get chicks?" and all that and it's just like, "Oh god..."
When I was doing, the last- you know, every time I would leave, work to go on a longer tour and get back they'd be like, "Ah, so tell me about tour?" and it's like, "I read three books"
Phill 38:56
Yeah, I read three books
and what do you want me to tell you about?
Yeah, fucking Rob rip the nasty fart in the van.
Chris 39:02
Yeah right, it's like...
Phill 39:06
So yeah you just did it for the love of the music and
Chris 39:09
That's it man I wish it was a crazy story that, like I found some deep you know introspective thing and it's and even to this day it's because it's like... How many dudes you know in the in their 40s are still getting together on a Sunday morning at 11 to get sweaty in a practice studio? You know, some dudes will have like, you know Poker Night or you know, get together and watch, you know, football games. It's like, you know, this is what me and my friends did.
Phill 39:36
Yeah, all right, nice, man. So yeah, okay, so Capital, man. What- So, you, you know, you played the CD for, you know, for Lovrich and everybody and um. And Duncan was just like, "Yo, I'm playing bass."
Chris 39:52
And then we jammed and we're like, Alright, let's let's try to get a singer. I'm sure go actually try it out. Okay. Then I don't know if it was Chris from On the Might (of Princes) or might have been General George
Phill 40:06
Mm hmm.
Chris 40:07
I get confused. One of them was like, yo, Tommy is looking to do like a melodic hardcore band. He wants to do like an Avail/Seven Seconds band or something. We were like, "Oh, yeah?" And Duncan met him at Merch Direct where he worked and gave him a CD and he was like, "Cool, can I come down?" And that was literally it.
Phill 40:28
That's nuts, man. So Alright, man. I don't you know, I know. We're all based and we're not you know- nobody's you know, like, super cool, but dude, man. Silent Majority, dude. Come on dude.
Chris 40:38
It was a total trip, man. The first time he started singing me, Duncan, Rob, and Joey are all just staring at the floor while we're playing like
Phill 40:46
It's like, "Oh my god, man. This is the fucking great- right. It's the great.
Yeah, it was just, you know?
So how did he take it- I mean, I- hopefully he'll come on the pod but yeah, like- because obviously you know, he he was like the you know, the The generation- not the generation the kind of like the generation before us.
Chris 41:03
Yeah he's a good six years older than us, I think.
Phill 41:06
Yeah so yeah it was he was he was you know like everything was was cool like you guys geek out and say like, "Can you sign my, uh, Life of a Spectator CD?"
Music 41:20
Chris 41:48
No, I remember one of the first practices we had we were talking about a something Silent Majority I was like, "You know, I don't know if I lost it or it never had it but the second Silent Majority seven inch. I don't have the insert" and he's like, "Yo, I threw out like 15 of them like a month ago." I was just like, "Oh, Man." I mean, early on, he did give us the okay if we ever wanted to cover a Silent Majority song just because he knew he wouldn't have to sing it. Like...
Phill 42:18
Yeah, yeah. You give the mic to the crowd.
Chris 42:20
Exactly. But we were all really pretty against that because we didn't want to be known for that because capital was really a different beast––sonically, anyway, you know? Yes, definitely harder. Well, yeah, we eventually did do it at our last show with with Rich playing guitar. We did 2 Silent Majority songs.
Phill 42:27
Yeah, so I saw that yeah. Yeah, so like, Yeah, can you just- yeah like his talk about the band? Because like, once again, like this is something that you know, you kind of started or you and Rob started. And, yeah, like, what did you guys think? You guys were going to be a band for 10- for a decade? Or was it just something-
Chris 43:00
No, man, and I think a big part of that longevity was, keeping it fun. Um, Tommy was adamant when he joined, he was like, no touring, you know, we wound up doing like, you know, four days here or something like that, you know, a weekend there. But he was like, you know, touring, I don't want to work because he's, you know, at the time he was engaged, um, yeah man and we just really worked hard at being good, like writing good songs playing them well, really thinking out our parts. And just keeping it fun, I think I think and I've seen it happen to a lot of bands, you know, they might have a good run of it for you know, some for a really long time. But it comes to the point where, you know, everybody gets cooked and I feel like if Capital was doing a lot of touring and stuff like that, like we would have probably fallen apart somewhere.
Phill 43:56
Yeah, a little bit earlier. Maybe.
Chris 43:58
Yeah, you know, but Keeping it fun and keeping it the way it was. I mean, at the end when we weren't even really doing much. We were like, let's just play once a season and just have fun with it, you know.
Phill 44:11
Yeah. Because you know, you guys are pretty big. Like-
Chris 44:17
We didn't we didn't try it all. It was, I think it was because we were good word of mouth helped. Um dare I say the start of streaming and, and bands having social media because we had a MySpace page where you could click on it and instantly hear the songs like yeah, that was a new thing. And that's what ultimately got assigned to Revelation Records, which for all of us was a huge trip because it's like, "Oh my god, that's this revelation. It's Warzone, Youth of Today, Sick of it All, Gorilla Biscuits. You know, it's everybody. And that came because this guy Bob who was the a&r guy who's, you know, working for them out in California but he was from New Jersey and seen Silent Majority. And lo and behold, Dan was actually working at Revelation.
Okay.
So he goes, "Hey Dan, do you know these guys from Long Island?" and Dan's like, "I know-", he's like," I know all of them. Who's phone number do you want?" and that's how we ended up being on Revelation Records.
Phill 45:26
Wow man. So yeah, dude, it must have been a trip man because I remember just being room dude. 'cause I remember being in your room and like throwing your Wolverine toy in the fan and launch it- so like and you know looking at like you know all these bands and stuff and like like High Standard you know just like your Bad Religion collection, you know, like just all these bands, you know, that, you know, we're just on these labels and this- it seemed you know that's, Epitaph, but I mean it. It seemed like you know, like, "Wow", like this was something that for me that I never you know, would expect myself or anybody that I know to be- get signed by those labels.
Chris 46:10
Yeah, I mean I mean like and the first thing out of my mouth because I was kind of the point of contact for talking with Rev (Revelation Records). The first thing I said was like, "We don't plan on touring at all." They were like, "That's fine." I was like, "Okay." Um, but I mean, even right before they call I think it might have been Duncan was like, I think he was wearing like a Shock One's shirt. And, you know, they were on Rev and all those Rev bands had the star on the back of their shirt, the logo, and someone was- I don't remember who said it, but someone was like, "Man I'd signed to Rev just to have that star on the back of my T-shirt"
Music 46:14
Phill 47:24
Yeah, man, that's, that's Yeah, dude. So that is kind of a testament I think to you know how dope Capital was because you guys like get we're not gonna tour- and that that was like touring for anybody who doesn't know listening, touring touring, especially for you know, hardcore bands is what you kind of have to do, you know what I mean? Like it's just in-
Chris 47:49
Yeah you can be the hometown hero for as long as you want, that's that's maybe what capital did to an extent but we were- I mean capital was around we were in good company on Long Island with you know Crime in Stereo, Kill Your Idols were was still doing this thing, you know, we- there was some good bands.
Phill 48:05
Yeah. So yeah man just 10 years how many how many album- what seven albums?
Chris 48:11
No now we did three full lengths, a seven inch, a live record, that was digital only, and we actually had an early live record that was the first time we played CBGBs-
Phill 48:24
How was that? And that's an achievement too, man. I mean,
Chris 48:28
Yeah, almost one of the last hardcore shows ever at CBGBs. It was one of the last Sundays.
Yeah, I see people, you know, even in Japan with a, CBGBs shirt, man, I'm like, you know, people, somebody- I don't go at like random people on the street or anything, somebody I'll know, it's like, "Yeah man. My friends played there and shit." And they're like, "What? Really?"-
It's like, you know, by the time I played there, I mean, I'd been there. You know, how many times you know. We- I begun going to shows there since you know, like, 1997, I think. So- But I mean, I'm not gonna lie like there was that moment where I sat down behind the drums on stage and CBGBs was just like, "Fuck... The Ramones stood here. AC/DC has played here. I think Guns and Roses first New York show was here, like..." the list goes on and on. I mean, even Dave Matthews Band played CBGBs. Like, Shakira, played CBGBs, it's ridiculous.
But yeah, I mean that you talk about a venue having bones even if the bones were held together with stickers.
Phill 49:35
And that show was nuts too man. I mean, it's- So, like you, you kind of did it, man. I mean, you know, and that that's just kind of like, I think it's hard, you know, you know, for me, you know, because I, you know, like best friends. You know, I'm saying so, like, you know, but like someone who doesn't know you, right? You know, but I kind of knows your band and they see you there. Like, you know, there just like, "Oh, wow!" you know, I remember looking at bands and stuff and like, "Oh, wow", you know, they're like kind of bigger than life a little bit. You know what I mean?
Chris 50:08
Yeah.
Phill 50:09
And, you know, how did it you know there How did it just kind of, you know, how did you see yourself? Like when you looked at to the crowd like what were you think- like, you know, what was going on in your head? 'cause your never that dude you're never like- "I'm just I'm just fucking Chris, man" like, you know.
Chris 50:24
I mean, we didn't let it get to our head. The Reformation had a couple of big shows. We did get to open for the Get Up Kids.
Music 50:32
The Get Up Kids
Chris 50:40
That was a pretty big show. But all the big show's capital got, we had a couple, I mean, the CBs (CBGBs) was one thing but you know, CBs is a- was a shithole of a room, you know. When when Pennywise came through with Strung Out and they asked Christian from from Cleanser, "Give us a sampling of the local bands we want to pick one to open for us." and they picked Capital.
Wow.
Then it's like, "Oh, now I'm soundchecking in an empty Irving Plaza." This is a little different. Yeah, yeah. Or you know, when Sick of it All is like, Yeah, come do a weekend with us. It's like, "Well, yeah, you're not playing bars if you're going out with sick of it All." And again, those were things that, you know, were offered to Capital that just we got on account on on our strengths. How good of a band- like Pennywise literally just listened to the CD we put out on Rev and there were other Long Island bands in that running I won't name names. You know, it was ultimately the dudes in Pennywise choice and they picked us.
Phill 51:54
So, I mean, come on, man doesn't get better- you know, it doesn't get, you know, I mean, like-
At the time, I wasn't really a big Pennywise fan anymore but there was a time where like,
Yeah, we used to listen to their albums in your room.
Chris 52:03
It was huge to us. Oh yeah man are Nelson's car listening to you know, Full Circle. So that, you know, they gave us a shout out on stage was just like, "Wow, you know, 16-year-old me head would explode."
Phill 52:14
Yeah, dude, seriously.
Chris 52:18
You know, everybody says this, "You know you don't look up to heroes like that and punk rock and hardcore" and it's like, "Yeah, no, you do"-
Phill 52:24
It happens.
Chris 52:25
It does happen.
Phill 52:26
happen. Yeah man Awesome, man. So yeah, man. I mean, yeah, dude. So there you have it, man. Just like you know, pretty much 20 years of you know, up until that point, right? Of just, you know, doing hardcore doing, you know, playing in bands, playing shows. And yeah, you said like the love- just the love of the music- sounds kind of corny but it's true, man the love of the music.
Chris 52:51
It does but I mean, it's it's really all there was up until, you know, 2018ish just when I bet kinda of cracked just because I remember like September, I was doing three bands. I was doing a cover band which averages like 25 song sets. I was trying to keep this other project together, which was really like on the Mazzy Star kind of tip of things. Yeah, like a, you know, a female vocalist on acoustic guitar, Greg was on piano, and it was really like to a click at like 40 BPMs.
Phill 53:02
So was it was and I was playing like a snare drum, a tambourine and a bass drum.
Oh man that you would have beat yourself up. If you saw yourself as a kid.
Chris 53:42
Like I took that gig for the sheer challenge of it And it turned out to be a lot of fun and he really enjoyed it.
Phill 53:47
Awesome, man.
Chris 53:48
And then at that time, I was still doing Remnants with Dan Brenner.
Music 53:58
Phill 53:59
You guys did some touring too, man.
Chris 54:01
Yeah, yeah, the Remnants did four tours, there was one I couldn't do because I had work obligations. But yeah, I was doing those three bands, you know, at least three practices a week. And it was somewhere in like, mid September of like, 2018. I looked at my calendar, and I was like, I still have like something like five or six local shows left on the year and then like another 10 or 12 days on the road. Just like the years almost over, and I still have like 20 shows left. Yeah, like, you know, less than 12 weeks left in the year. So after that, you know, after that tour, Dan decided to, you know, put Remnants down felt like and kind of run its course. And then I just kind of stopped and took a breath.
Phill 54:54
Yeah, man,
Chris 54:55
You know, since literally since 1994 to 2018 just nonstop, and I thought I was trying to remember every band is I think it's something like 16 bands all together.
Wow, man.
Or different projects. Yeah. Even did like hip hop with a you know the guy Ed? Hi-Q?
Phill 55:16
Oh yeah. Yeah.
Chris 55:17
He did stuff with Adam. I wound up with working with him. And he was like, "Wait, you're from Brentwood and you know, a dude named Phill in Japan?" He's like, "You mean Phill Bennett?" And then it turned out remember we went to that hip hop show? I think Adam did that was like down the street from CBGBs. Yeah, yeah, Ed played that show. Okay, and here I am, like, you know, 12 years later working with kid.
Phill 55:38
Awesome, man.
Chris 55:39
And he was like, "Yeah, I do a set what a live bassist" He's like, "You want to play drums?" I was like, "Sure, send me the tracks".
Music 55:53
Phill 55:54
Yeah, man, I just I just look up to so much dude. Like, I know it sounds corny me saying that shit.
Chris 55:59
Nah, I appreciate it though.
Phill 56:00
But uh, nah, man like you. You did it, man. I mean, like, I just remember just chilling your room with all those band posters on your wall. Your immaculately kept CD collection. That was like- where you always kept that shit in alphabetical order and shit, dude, I remember you'd be like, "Yo, dude, man don't fucking mess with the CD- I just put them in alphabet-." So like you were just so I fucking focused
Chris 56:24
Dude now my CDs are in books and like binders somewhere in a closet. I couldn't even tell you yet
Phill 56:27
because I now graduated to vinyl. Right? You like-
Oh yeah, if you see me reorganizing my record- it's literally- I'm Hig you know type fidelity's junkies.
But yeah, man, I mean, um, you know, we're talking you know, 55 minutes. Yeah, we can go- we can go definitely go over. I just kind of want to just sidestep because we definitely focused a lot on music. And it would sound like that's all you do is music, but nah, man. You're actually an avid reader. You're an avid you know movie watcher, and you know avid comic fan.
Chris 57:08
Yeah man I'm gonna be honest in the last 15 years cooking has become
Phill 57:11
Ah, cooking oh yeah maybe yeah you always were into cooking as well man you definitely appreciate- it I think that definitely your mom. Your mom and your dad.
Chris 57:17
Another thing even talking with like you know- yeah definitely from my mom but like even talking to like Joe, you know?
Phill 57:23
Yeah, yeah man.
Chris 57:24
Helping him cook a lot and seeing that, you know, that's what he does for a living and I'm just like, "Damn, and I this is too much of a catharsis for me to ever want to entertain that being like a living",
Phill 57:35
But you always were into-
Chris 57:36
So maybe I looked at drums the same way.
Phill 57:38
You will always into- I remember that scene from Goodfellas when they're talking about making the- like cutting into garlic slices.
Chris 57:47
Yeah, with the razor blade.
Phill 57:47
Yeah, yeah. I mean, you were just like, "Dude, man, this sounds so good".
Yeah man so -yeah man so what else have you like been like doing, man? Like recently just like what kind of other, like you know, I know we always talk about you reading books and stuff and yeah so what other stuff have you been into, man?
Chris 58:26
Yeah The Last of Us took up a lot of time and then it just left me feeling not good about people
Phill
Yeah, games.
Chris
Not a whole lot because you know I do I do have a pretty significant job. But um, when you work so much and you're still doing bands as actively as I am. It does eat up a fair amount on time because even if we don't practice all the time, I'm still making it a point to try to get down to the studio once a week. Wow. To you know, get some time in. COVID hit me kinda hard like I didn't pick up sticks literally like two mon- about two months 'cause it was just like what is- what's the point? what's going- and nobody knows still even now like
Phill 59:14
Especially for live music.
Chris 59:14
Yeah at least now, you know, it's safe enough, you know, you can get four guys in a room. You know, we're always six to eight feet apart anyway you know so like once everybody felt comfortable doing that and everybody was itching for it, you know?
Phill 59:30
So are you going to try to still pursue more projects going forward? Are you going to try to you mentioned
Chris 59:35
Yeah, man I got I got-
Phill 59:37
You mentioned cooking I gonna try to like you know start start cooking some some particular cuisine or anything dude, like, you know what-
Chris 59:44
I got an air fryer free from my job because I was there for 10 years. It was like, "Pick out a gift" and it was like a golf club or like a watch. And I heard enough friends talk about how much they love their furniture. So I I finally perfected wings.
Phill 1:00:00
Nice dude.
Chris 1:00:00
That was one of my COVID projects. I was going deep like soaking it overnight and buttermilk and pickle juice, I was going- I was in a wing hole son.
Phill 1:00:13
Nice man.
Chris 1:00:14
But um the projects that- I mean it's funny you say that like when COVID hit, I noticed a lot of musicians went two ways either they just didn't pick up their instrument at all, or some people went into uber create, mode. And we're like writing songs, emailing them to each other recording, putting songs together. It was really one or the other. And now that you know, New York has done such a good job of taking care of it that things are a little more back to normal, like I got an email two songs by my guitar player from the cover band who's doing kind of like really, really different takes on so songs that are in our set. I'm really low fi recordings. He's like come by just like you could hit pots and pans if you want, so that is going to be more of like a percussion experiment. Um, there's a new project I got offered. got sent six songs for that that got four down pretty good on that. And I'm doing Vinny and the Hooligans with Vinny. He's, uh, he just sent me three songs he demoed.
Phill 1:01:27
Wow, man.
Chris 1:01:28
So yeah, Sunday, I went down to the studio and I had know, the works there, you know,
Phill 1:01:32
Wow man, so your still getting it in, dude.
So yeah, here I was saying 2018 I needed that breather. You know, less than two years later-
You can't escape it, man. It's something you love, man. Yeah, man.
Chris 1:01:47
There's a gratification in that that, you know, I get called for these things because, you know, I've put the work in, you know, and I take it seriously.
Phill 1:01:54
Yeah, man. That's- yeah, man. It's definitely admirable, man. And that's why, you know, yeah man I want to do this this this podcast with you just to- your hustling.
You're hustling I think it's a I think it's a great idea I really loved hearing Phil and Aaron like I
Chris 1:02:10
I just I know that if you when you eventually get Jeff on here it's gonna be so unbelievable.
Phill 1:02:15
Everybody's mentioned Jeff.
Chris 1:02:16
It's gonna be so loud
Phill 1:02:17
Everybody has mentioned Jeff, man. He'll be on, man.We're talking and trying to figure a good day.
Chris 1:02:22
Dude, we were on that one coach bus in high school. And you and Jeff would just not stop laughing but the bus driver look just like the singer of Sick of it All.
Dude, and he yelled back, "Who's firing hot chili back there?!" which made you guys lose it even more? Oh my god. Dude, I almost threw up from laughing on that trip.
Phill 1:02:45
That's what I can say, man. Yeah, man, this you know, high school man just like the whole crew of people that we used to roll with man we laughed non-stop man. I mean, I think that's why we've been able to just be chill all these years because that's all we did was laugh, man.
Chris 1:03:12
I'm having like a flood of too many thing now just like oh man, it just went from like the CI you know, Cherry Lane train tracks.
Phill 1:03:21
Yeah, mean yeah dude, ah man just, yeah we- yeah man I want to say too much.
Chris 1:03:28
Yeah man we got we've done an excellent job of not you know yeah exposing too much...God summer 1997 alone. Any any summer I could relive '97 don't even have to think about it.
Phill 1:03:46
But yeah, man. Yeah awesome so it's so cool that you're still doing music. And you know I think something that maybe not a lot of people understand possibly I mean Maybe they do maybe I'm being a little bit too privy or wherever but you don't make bank from playing all this music right it's just like you're not like rolling in dough like you still working nine to five job you what I mean so
Chris 1:04:16
The Royal royalty statements I've gotten from records it's adorable it's just like, "Aww".
Phill 1:04:25
So yeah man I mean so let's- because Okay, so you unique situation you know you are by all accounts a professional musician, right? And you do make money you know, from you know, gigs but nothing that you can retire off of, I'm assuming maybe, I don't know if you can, but like, you know, like, you still have to work, right? A regular job and stuff. What would you tell someone that wants to do music as a lifestyle? I think at this point, you probably could pursue it as a job because you definitely have the the resume, you definitely have the experience, obviously have the talent. But you know, you just it's not it's not what you want to do. But you know, obviously the people that are out there. Yeah so what would you tell someone that want would want to do music in a more professional way based on what you know.
Chris 1:05:19
In this day
Phill 1:05:20
Is it even possible?
In a non COVID world? And I hate to say it because it makes me sound like you know, the old man on the lawn but like the social media game is unbelievable, important for just promoting whatever it is you're working on or if you're just, you know, a gun for hire, getting yourself out there that way, like is to see if you're not on that. I think you're going to sink
Chris 1:05:48
Because that, I feel like a lot of that birthed out of just the death of the music industry. The the real death of physical media. So yeah, there's a vinyl you know, resurgence but like like, that pales in comparison to what CDs would sell. Like, what is this Thriller? Still the biggest record of all time. That's never gonna not be beat. Like that will stand for the rest- and I think ABBA gold is like number two like that's like even bands now that I'm you know the main band and the guy who sings for my cover band like they're not doing full lengths anymore they put out digital EPs and Vinny and the Hooligans is gonna do the same thing because like, people's attention spans are so short. You know what I was asking you last night like when you when do you actually listen to a record? Because I never listened to an album, beginning to end rarely on like Spotify at home I will because I'm just like, shiny box thing makes me want to something else. And that's why even you see, I guess it was kind of always that way in hip hop that the single drop but like pop music in general now is just basically of of singles.
Phill 1:07:01
But it's like it's I think. Sorry go on.
Chris 1:07:04
Like the idea of the album is kind of gone.
Phill 1:07:07
yeah so social media you tell them to
Chris 1:07:10
Social media on
Phill 1:07:13
Are being in bands even worth it like you know is like- 'cause like we did bands- well maybe the thing has changed cuz you've been in the music scene you know consistently I've I've kind of you know dropped out of it but you know I think bands before more like friendships or relationships like it was never really a business transaction, for hardcore, maybe for other types of music it was but
Chris 1:07:36
See I will say this hardcore now is gigantic
Music 1:07:41
Okay.
Chris 1:07:42
It's been having such an uptick the last couple years like and even some great bands from Long Island like Backtrack who recently broke up. I mean dude they play Bangkok like their last tour where they were like all they went around the world you know, Incendiary from Long Island like, they don't even tour anymore with the fly out to the west coast and play like three huge sold out shows. Like hardcores really big right now there's the YouTube channel hate5six. This guy Sony, who's out in Philly, just films these shows and like, there are so many really good young bands. And there's a lot of kids super interested into hardcore because it's like everything else. It's so accessible now, like, it's just delivered right to your phone. And I mean, I check it out. It's it's not for me anymore. You know, it's it's a different generation. Um, if anything, I always hear it and I'm just like, oh, now I'm gonna go listen to whatever band you remind me of.
Phill 1:08:46
You talk about that yesterday.
Chris 1:08:48
Yeah, I was telling you this the other day. Not to take anything away from them because they're really putting the work in and they're good. And I'll say that the musicianship in hardcore has definitely stepped up as well. There's some really good players.
Phill 1:09:03
Okay. Yeah, so it is a it is something yeah. Because I mean, like, you know, I think we came up with a lot of people, especially in Brentwood doing music. And surprisingly, the most successful people that I'm aware of are people that were told our music is a waste of time and it sucks. And, um, you know, we, you know, everyone that was into like, you know, you know, punk hardcore, you know, like kind of alternative stuff has actually done quite well. Not not monetarily or whatever. But um, you know, more so able to do what you love and do it consistently. So, yeah, would you say that that is more of advice you would give just like kind of like be real. Just consistently do music and you know, then just be good at it. And you also mentioned like personality and stuff as well and you know,
Chris 1:10:00
That's a big thing, man. It's like, you know, if you want to do a band or anything really creatively driven, you don't want to do it with an asshole, you know?
Phill 1:10:11
Yeah,
Chris 1:10:12
First of all, it's going to be a miserable experience and Second of all, whatever the outcome of it is, I feel is going to be, you know, not compromised, but not up to what it would have been. You know, not to say that like, you know, interpersonal tensions or you know, love hate relationships and music don't lead to great songs. But by and large, if you're doing something to have a good time want to be around good people.
Phill 1:10:38
Yeah. Yes, is a relationship that that's one thing I realized, and I think, you know, are the testament that you know, we've been friends for so long and we will continue being friends 'till we go into ground is you know, through forming these relationships and, you know, with other people and ourselves and we- I'm definitely am a better person because of it, I think, you know,
Chris 1:11:04
I agree. I mean, people will be like, yeah, being in a band like being married to four other people.
Phill 1:11:08
Four other stinky ass dudes.
Yo, for real, like, there's a lot of truth to that, man.
Chris 1:11:14
There's a lot of truth to that.
Phill 1:11:16
But aight, man. Like once again, man, thank you so much for just, you know, sharing your insight and stuff. And, yeah, man, I think social media definitely has changed the game up. But I mean, yeah, we were talking for about an hour twenty minutes. But yeah, man, thank you for sharing so much.
Chris 1:11:36
No problem. Thanks for having me.
Phill 1:11:37
Yeah, the final question. As you know, this podcast is kind of aimed at people who are learning English and language learning in general. So yeah, do you speak any of the languages? If so, yeah, please share.
Chris 1:11:53
I do understand Spanish better than I speak it. Partially growing up, you know, going to Brentwood but I also had to take four semesters of it in Farmingdale for my Associates (degree). And I was just- now like they actually changed it a few years after that where you only have to take two because it was brutal. And kids just-
Phill 1:12:13
I remember you learning Spanish
Chris 1:12:15
Um, but, yo man. I got two awesome Spanish ladies at my laundromat that I drop my laundry off to. And you know, we we speak and- because they actually speak good English too, but uh, we kind of go back and forth and about a month ago I was dropping my laundry off and my bag was getting all ripped up because one of the cats was just like, "I'm just gonna fuck your towels up". Like it was it was on a mission. So you know, she was just, "Ah you got to get a new bag" and I told her I have two devil cats and Spanish was like, "Tengo dos diablo gatos". So, you know, they always like they always find it funny when you know when the white dude dropping his laundry off can say a curse in Spanish. But they're really nice. Like, I'll get them a little song for Christmas. So you know, I've known them now for Christ, like 11 years?
Phill 1:13:09
Wow.
Chris 1:13:09
Yeah, man. They're awesome.
Phill 1:13:11
They're like family basically.
Chris 1:13:12
I'll see- I saw one one the street walk in like a year ago and I just honked and we waved at each other. Yeah, they're nice
Phill 1:13:19
That's awesome man. Yeah man, I remember you studied Spanish, man. That was tuff man.
Chris 1:13:24
Like I know they there's a cognitive year where it's easier to learn a language. But, man, I definitely ate shit learning- trying to learn Spanish at like 19. Like, the advanced-level stuff was just like, "Wow, I'm- this for this for an associate's degree? Come on now. This is brutal. brutal."
Phill 1:13:47
Awesome. So, yeah, brother. Yeah, thank you, man. I appreciate you doing this and yeah, man. I just want to let you know that you are a hero that I call by their first name.
Chris 1:13:58
Ah man Phill, appreciate it. I love you, buddy.
I love you too, man.
Phill 1:14:01
Yeah, if there's anything that you want- if people want to get in contact with you or any bands that you want to plug?
Chris 1:14:07
Um, got Vinny and the Hooligans to find out on Facebook Instagram. Um, and I do my cover band is a Cover Me Badd. Two Ds which is yes a ripoff of Color Me Badd. You can find that on Facebook, too.
Phill 1:14:24
Okay, cool. Cool.
Chris 1:14:25
Two projects I got going on now, with another one in the oven that I gotta get contact with those fellas.
Phill 1:14:32
All right, cool, man. Well, once again, thank you, man.And yeah, peace, bro.
Chris 1:14:37
Aight Phill be good.
Music 1:14:37
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