Tuesday, June 16, 2015

RUN-ON SUNSHINE

Today I had a peanut butter and banana and jelly sandwich for lunch. It was messy and delicious and it stuck to the roof of my mouth and bled all over my hands as I wrested with it. Afterwards, I had to wash my hands and face just to make sure I wasn't going to be all sticky, despite licking all the jelly drips off...only to find little resilient sticky spots after I had sat back down.Even later into the day, when I had washed my hands twice, I found a bit of red preserve stuck to my arm. ...And the funny thing is, I actually find that to be a lot like...eating a sloppy sandwich. 
...What, you thought I was going to make some dumb analogy about Lifer resilience or something? Dude, get over it. It was just a fucking sandwich. Go read a young adult fiction novel if you wanna wring overwrought meaning out of something so insignificant. 

...I'm sorry. I love you. Don't leave. Where are you going?...

You can walk out that door, but my memory will stick to your mind like Smucker's Strawberry jam!!!

...damnit. Here's an interview with Arizona's Run-On Sunshine:


One cool cat. And the feline's nice too.


Hello and welcome to the Richard Dreyfest blog. Who are you and what is it you plan on doing at Dreyfest?


My name's Mullarkey. I've played music with bandmates before in various projects, but this summer I'm touring the solo version of Run-On Sunshine. During my set at Dreyfest, me and the audience are going to dance, cry, and meow, all at the same time.


Taking a quick glance at your social media, I see a photo of you at a Blanks 77 show in ‘96- you are obviously a lifelong rocker! Can you give us a brief background of your involvement in underground music, including any big life-changing events that steered you in the direction you’ve taken?

Yeah, I guess I did see that band once or twice. I've been to so many shows that memories of some blur, while others stand out...like I can remember every detail of every time I saw Fugazi or Jawbreaker.

My involvement with music started purely as a fan. Then I began writing about music for magazines in Connecticut and Florida, as well as my own zine, No Bare Feet. Then I moved to Austin, then San Diego, and in those places reverted to just a fan. Then I moved to Tucson and went to so many shows that everyone in the town knew me for that. I'd promote a show occasionally if some band I loved and was friends with was coming through. Then after years of holding back my lyrics and song ideas from the public, I finally started being in bands when my friends gave me a chance. The first one was Monster Pussy. I had more songs than could fit in one band, so I started Run-On Sunshine, which has had solo a capella and duo forms, but now it's me making music on synth and percussion. Meanwhile, playing shows naturally went along with setting up more shows, so now I'm helping out touring bands any time I can, wherever I happen to live.
Some life-changing events along the way have been DIY fests like Brootal Sun Fest in Tucson and Indie 500 in Phoenix. I've gone to shows of all sizes and types over the years, but these days I'm almost entirely focused on all ages/DIY-DIT (do it together). That's where both the community and the best music is!
 
You also run a label, is that right? What sort of stuff do you release?
I created Cat Cassettes to have a label to release my own music on. Mostly it's still that, though some friends have also put the Cat Cassettes stamp on their tapes, like my friend Alex who's had a band called Hip Don't Dance and a brilliant solo project, Trochee Trochee. Me, him, and our friend Kim are in a band called Teen Planet. It would be cool to have more music on Cat Cassettes, which isn't a label with lots of money behind it, but friends just helping each other release their music.

Plus I've helped out at a Tucson-based label, Bloat Records, that has been releasing weird and awesome music since the 90s! 


You’re currently living in Tuscon, correct? What is your attraction to the place? Sun? Good Mexican food?

I lived in Tucson for 12 and a half years. I was attracted to it because it was like nowhere else on earth: the combo of an other-wordly desert and downtown that was pretty much entirely taken over by artists and music-makers. It's changed since, though the desert is still beautiful...money moved in and downtown is a lot more like lots of other places. Tucson, though, is still one of the nicest places you can be and there are great people and bands there. I moved to Phoenix in 2013 because I was ready for a change and it has the best music venue ever, The Trunk Space, along with all the great bands who play there and volunteers who make it possible. I'm happy to be helping out here while I can but I know the time to move on will arrive. I can only live places with warm weather year-round and tons of sun. Winter even in Phoenix/Tucson is too cold for me. So eventually I'm heading back to Florida...Tampa/St. Pete. 


Best moment for you last year?
Probably the second of the three shows I played with Teen Planet before my band mates moved away. I've mostly been a singer live, so it was such a thrill to drum in front of people locked in with my awesome band! That show was at The Trunk Space and included Bad Hex, Idaho Green, Priests, Psywave, and Tk and the Irresistibles!
 

If you were a sandwich, what would be on you?

Lots of avocado. Plus tempeh and many vegetables. 


Star: Wars or Trek?

A hard choice as both have a place in my heart, but I'd have to go with Star Trek because they have Leonard Nimoy, possibly the coolest person ever. And George Takei! 


Are you more prone to boredom or having too much to do?

I always have too much to do. Between my full-time job, my volunteer work, and my music, I've overwhelmed. I never get time to read books any more, which is sad and I hope to get back into that some day. Any free minute of time, I can find 100 ways to fill it. 


Favorite Richard Dreyfuss movie:

I had to do some research. I could say The Graduate, as wikipedia tells me he had an uncredited role in it! But I'm sure you mean movies where he had a prominent role, so I'll go with Close Encounters. 


How can we hear your music and learn more about you?

If people want to know more about me, they can ask! run.on.sunshine@gmail.com

Sunday, June 14, 2015

NO CIGAR

Four days of 85 degree summer heat had made me very thirsty, so one day last week, instead of napping through the hottest part of the afternoon, I wandered into a nearby speakeasy and had a drink. Wary of the hot tar and burger smell perpetually wafting around outside in the hot months, I stayed there into the evening, then into the night, and then got kicked out, and then hung out in the parking lot, and then passed out in the parking lot, and then got ran over by a leaving patron, and then went to the hospital, and then was released (something about a sprained toe not warranting the doctor's time) ... At 7 am, I decided I should probably get a pita or something, and actually made it to Rimrock Mall...where I realized they don't have pitas. 

Wacked out, exhausted, and starving, I met a Cinnabon worker who told me he'd let me have two Minibons if I got rid of the annoying guy who had been hanging out there all day, ordering one item at a time and making critical assessments of each product aloud, as if anyone nearby actually gave credence to his opinions. I sensed the greasy young man's wish to be heard by an audience and approached him. After stroking his 10 day old neckbeard in thought, he agreed to interview Billings' No Cigar for the blog (the condition being that he had to go home immediately to do it), so he hiked up his ridiculously oversized pants and toddled out. The Cinnabon guy thanked me and even threw in a Tropical Blast Chillatta! Below, you'll see an interview with No Cigar, conducted by Dustin "living reddit" Waterson.



There's nothing more frightening than thinking you're taking a photo of an empty park at night,
only to see this staring back at you when the flash goes off


Umb, hello, good sirs. (heavy breath) Would you please introduce yourselves for our audience? (breath, breath)

Zach:  I'm Zach.  I sing and play bass.  
Nick: I'm Nick. I sing and play guitar. We have two other members... Colton(drums and vocals) & Chris(Guitar and vocals) They don't like interviews... or were busy... or don't check their emails...


Dow, I hear you are a very active band. (breath) Can you tell us about what you’ve been up to this year? (slightly heavier breathing).

Zach:  I spent most of the last year not working and playing video games.  I think the other guys were writing songs and being productive.
Nick: Indeed, we have been writing new songs, making  new videos, playing shows, and bugging people on Twitter to listen to our music. 



(labored breath) As sombeone who enjoys cloaking thembselves in black, I amb referencing my adult extra-large duster, I also happened to notice that sombe of you like to wear black often. (breath) Is there a particular reason for that choice?

Zach:  I have several reasons for wearing black:  I have a white cat, so it's a good way to get myself covered in very visible animal hair.  I am messy, so it's a good way to hide stains from food and garbage.  The color also gets pretty hot in the sun, so it's the perfect way to stay sweaty and smelly all summer long.
Nick: Pretty much what Zach said... and Johnny Cash.



Umb, dow, I do believe I saw you in concert last year and you had the MASH themesong playing before you took the stage. (breath) Being an avid television, Netflix, Hulu Plus, movie, Amazon Prime/Instant Video, youtube, vimeo, cloudload, itunes, googleplus, vudu, epix, crackel, vines watcher, I was well acquainted with the song. Why did you choose that particular theme? (breathing, breathing, breathing)

Zach:  I'm pretty sure Nick had that all picked out to start the set before anyone else even joined the band.  He's a big fan of the show I think.  I think it's old.  And smelly.

Nick: Hahahaha



(breath, breath) I (breath) thoroughly (breath) enjoy the monster art (breath) that is on much of your (breath) merchandise and website. (breath) Whose work is that? (breath)

Zach:  AJ Ostlund did that...right?  I think? 
Nick: Yes, AJ did all the "Monsters" artwork... and any of our good logos, posters, etc... AJ probably did those too. All of the "ehh, at least he tried stuff", I probably did. 



(breath) Minimalism (breath) or maximalism? (breath, breath)

Zach:  Yes?
Nick: I'm probably somewhere in between. 



(breath, breath, breath)Umb, what is it(breath) that keeps you in Montana ?(chip bag crinkling)

Zach:  I have no desire to live anywhere else at the moment. 
Nick: Family, friends, work... low population density...



(munch)(breath)(munch)Umb, dow, (breath) if you all had to pick one way to die, what would you pick, and, umb, (breath)(munch) why?

Zach:   My way to die would be grow old at a very low rate over 10000000000000000000000000000 years.  Because I'm afraid of dying.
Nick: Refer to the minimilism vs maximilism question. Quick and painless leaves no time to prepare... long and drawn out sounds painful and sad... 



(doritos munching)
Urmph, sombeone told me that you have sombe exciting things coming up. Could you endlighten the readers?


Zach:  Fall tour; going west and down the coast.  Something like that.  Hopefully some more songs sang by me, since I'm the best.
Nick:  Denver Underground Music Showcase in July, Magic City Markers Anniversary Party on July 31st & of course Dreyfest in August. We did end up on a free compilation cd by Rise Or Die Records featuring 50 bands from 50 states. It will be passed out at Warped Tour dates across the country. That's pretty cool... oh yeah, and another self-booked west coast tour in the fall.


(breath) Dow, do you all have some (Dorito flecked cough) links you’d like to share?(chip bag crinkling) 

Zach:  You can check out my world record speed runs at https://www.youtube.com/user/zachblasterson1
Nick: www.nocigarmusic.com We're pretty much on every social media site ever. #nocigarus



Umb (pant, pant), dow (breath)...umb (breath)...(wheeze)I, umb ...(increasingly labored breathing)...I think I may be having a heart attack, (breath, breath) so I may have to cut this interview short, my apolo-




And with that, Dustin collapsed. We rushed him to the hospital, where the ER doctor warned me that "this better not be another toe sprain" but I pointed him in Dustin's direction. As it turns out, he had inhaled quite a bit of the Code Red he was drinking, and the doctors had diagnosed it as a new form of pneumonia! Dewmonia. 

...No worries though, he recovered just fine. And then died of a real heart attack the following week.



SEE YOU AT DREYFEST!


FEST PROPAGANDA!



Ladies and Joims: Billings-based arts and entertainment magazine Noise & Color has a feature in their newest issue about little ol' us! Thanks to the staff and writer Tony Killebrew for their time and print space.

http://www.noiseandcolormag.com/