Post by tackhead311 on Sept 11, 2009 16:19:36 GMT -5
i got to talk to co founder Brian from the Bottle Rockets enjoy !!!
The Bottle Rockets is an American rock band formed in 1992, currently based in Saint Louis, Missouri. The founding members were Brian Henneman (guitar, vocals), Mark Ortmann [2] (drums), Tom Parr (1992-2002, guitar, vocals) and Tom Ray [3] (1992-1997, bass guitar). Current members are Henneman, Ortmann, John Horton (joined 2003, guitar) and Keith Voegele [4] (joined 2005, bass, vocals). Most members of the group have contributed compositions to their catalog of original songs, as have Robert Parr (Tom's brother) and schoolteacher Scott Taylor (who writes lyrics for some of Henneman's tunes).
As noted in the New York Times by William Hogeland, the Bottle Rockets' songwriting has been likened to Woody Guthrie's folk style in spirit, smarts, and satire. Henneman's, Ortmann's, and Taylor's lyrics succinctly and endearingly encapsulate the common experiences of the everyman, and are set to stirring, rousing, searing rock 'n' roll.[5][6]
Considered to be the godfathers of the '90s alt-country/roots rock revival along with peers Uncle Tupelo, the Bottle Rockets are seasoned contemporary storytellers from Middle America.[7][8] Their songs "Welfare Music", "Kerosene", "Zoysia", "Baggage Claim", "Blind", "Wave That Flag", "Align Yourself", "Middle Man", "Rich Man in the Graveyard", and "The Kid Next Door" are examples of social commentary in the Bottle Rockets' original hybrid Woody Guthrie meets Neil Young meets The Replacements American roots music sound
1 How did you guys meet and come up with the idea for the Bottle Rockets? Is there a story behind the name? Did you ever think you guys would last so long and leave such a imprint on music?
There was a kid in my neighborhood named Bob Parr, I had a guitar, he had a bass. We started writing songs together somewhere around 1978 (check Bottle Rockets album credits for "R. Parr", he's still around...), we got a singer named Scott Summers. We found a drummer named Evan Sauer.
Evan quit, we found a drummer named Gary Blechle, Gary quit, and Scott Summers and Bob Parr's schoolteacher, Scott Taylor (check those credits again...), introduced us to a drummer he taught, named Mark Ortmann, Mark joined around 1981, Scott Summers quit, I started singing, and, the rest, as they say, is history.
We never thought, for one minute, about anything like longevity, or leaving imprints, we just did whatever it took to make music. Me and Mark are the survivors, as far as actually getting out and doing it goes.
The name was thought up by Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar.
We were recording our first album, and didn't have a band name.
Jeff and Jay came to Athens, Georgia to sing on our album, and were writing band names in a notebook as they drove down.
We saw "Bottle Rockets", about halfway down the list, and said, "THAT'S IT!!!"
Bottle rockets are a very simple form of entertainment, with a hint of destructive power, and a bit of danger. Perfect name...
2 Brian what are your influences ?
Aye-yi-yi. Very wide ranging. Too huge to get too in-depth with. The big ones are Ronnie Van Zant, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, John Prine, Phil Lynott, Tom Petty, Hank Williams (Senior...), John Anderson (The country guy, NOT the Yes guy...), it just goes on and on...
3 The Bottle Rockets are considered the Godfathers of the Alt Country music scence, do you agree with that? If so how does iit feel?
I don't know what that means. I'm thinkin' it's a compliment, based on the way they call Neil Young "The Godfather Of Grunge". I guess it a way of sayin' "Old dude, ya done good!".
I don't feel old yet, I'm still on the journey. The whole "Godfather" thing snuck up on me...
4 Your 15 th anniversary just happened how awesome was that?
More awesome than our 10th, not as awesome as our 20th will be...
5 Your new CD Lean Forward how was working on that ? Can you describe what direction you guys have take on it?
Making it was a great experience. It's always a pleasure to work with Eric Ambel. I have no idea what direction we took with it. Can't see the forest for the trees. I didn't even realize I was an alt-country Godfather...
6 Biggest crowd the Bottle Rockets got to play for? Your Favorite venue? Your least favorite venue?
Biggest crowd was a festival in the Netherlands. 70,000 people. It was like playing to an empty room. All the heads looked like carpet. Favorite venue? There are many good ones, I can't pick just one, I WILL say, I really like the High Dive, in Champaign, Ilinois, I have no idea why, but, we always have a great show there.
Another fave is The Cluny, in Newcastle, England.
Least favorite place I ever played was called "The Go Lounge", in Orlando, Florida. It's not there anymore. Concrete stage, concrete floor, concrete walls, P.A. mounted BEHIND the microphones, so you had continual squealing feedback, every moment. Sounded like complete ass in there.
It was a torture chamber, not a music venue...
7 Have you played the game Rock Band or Guitar hero ? How do you feel about the music games? Would you like the Bottle Rockets music in them?
I have zero interest in any of that stuff. I have never played them, and never will. It's one thing I can honestly say "never" about. I like mechanical things, not virtual things. I have real guitars, no way I'm playin' a fake one.
If anybody wants to put our music in there, have at it, we'd appreciate the royaty checks...
8 Brian what are some of your favorite bands to tour with?
Lucinda Williams is always a treat, she treats us like kings.
The Allman Brothers tour was SO logistically easy, plush, and, teeming with amenities, plus, they were such nice guys, it wasn't even like touring, it was like vacationing in a space station full of legendary hippies.
Bobby Bare Junior alway creates an interesting time on the road.
Will Hoge's fun.
Any Slobberbone/Drams variant.
There's a lotta nice folks out on them there highways...
9 What is your some of your favorite food on the road?
Any southern BBQ, particularly North Carolina. Me and Mark have a fondness for the low-budget Krystal Chik sandwiches. The Majaraja Indian Buffet, in Madison, Wisconsin is a universal favorite.
There's a little taco place in Belton, Texas we like.
When we're short on time, Wendy's is the go to "quick solution" stop. They have somethin' for everybody.
The other guys like Subway for that, but Subway smells bad, and everything tastes too much the same to turn me on very much...
10 Bottle Rocketpalooza who would be on that bill?
Neil Young And Crazy Horse, The Pretenders, Tom Petty And The Heatbreakers, John Anderson, Kathleen Edwards, J.J. Cale, Otis Gibbs, The Reverend Al Green, Richard Thompson, and, Lee Ann Womack with Buddy Miller's band. Ray Davies would be the emcee...
11 What does the future hold for the Bottle Rockets?
If I could predict that, I'd be...like...a magic wizard or somethin'...
12 Any advice for young people starting out in the music industry?
Good luck, it's weird out here...
13 Brian what are you enjoying musically today?
Today, I'm all about Waylon Jennings. Tomorrow, who knows?
Thank you Brian it always a blast to chat with one of your heroes!
The Bottle Rockets is an American rock band formed in 1992, currently based in Saint Louis, Missouri. The founding members were Brian Henneman (guitar, vocals), Mark Ortmann [2] (drums), Tom Parr (1992-2002, guitar, vocals) and Tom Ray [3] (1992-1997, bass guitar). Current members are Henneman, Ortmann, John Horton (joined 2003, guitar) and Keith Voegele [4] (joined 2005, bass, vocals). Most members of the group have contributed compositions to their catalog of original songs, as have Robert Parr (Tom's brother) and schoolteacher Scott Taylor (who writes lyrics for some of Henneman's tunes).
As noted in the New York Times by William Hogeland, the Bottle Rockets' songwriting has been likened to Woody Guthrie's folk style in spirit, smarts, and satire. Henneman's, Ortmann's, and Taylor's lyrics succinctly and endearingly encapsulate the common experiences of the everyman, and are set to stirring, rousing, searing rock 'n' roll.[5][6]
Considered to be the godfathers of the '90s alt-country/roots rock revival along with peers Uncle Tupelo, the Bottle Rockets are seasoned contemporary storytellers from Middle America.[7][8] Their songs "Welfare Music", "Kerosene", "Zoysia", "Baggage Claim", "Blind", "Wave That Flag", "Align Yourself", "Middle Man", "Rich Man in the Graveyard", and "The Kid Next Door" are examples of social commentary in the Bottle Rockets' original hybrid Woody Guthrie meets Neil Young meets The Replacements American roots music sound
1 How did you guys meet and come up with the idea for the Bottle Rockets? Is there a story behind the name? Did you ever think you guys would last so long and leave such a imprint on music?
There was a kid in my neighborhood named Bob Parr, I had a guitar, he had a bass. We started writing songs together somewhere around 1978 (check Bottle Rockets album credits for "R. Parr", he's still around...), we got a singer named Scott Summers. We found a drummer named Evan Sauer.
Evan quit, we found a drummer named Gary Blechle, Gary quit, and Scott Summers and Bob Parr's schoolteacher, Scott Taylor (check those credits again...), introduced us to a drummer he taught, named Mark Ortmann, Mark joined around 1981, Scott Summers quit, I started singing, and, the rest, as they say, is history.
We never thought, for one minute, about anything like longevity, or leaving imprints, we just did whatever it took to make music. Me and Mark are the survivors, as far as actually getting out and doing it goes.
The name was thought up by Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar.
We were recording our first album, and didn't have a band name.
Jeff and Jay came to Athens, Georgia to sing on our album, and were writing band names in a notebook as they drove down.
We saw "Bottle Rockets", about halfway down the list, and said, "THAT'S IT!!!"
Bottle rockets are a very simple form of entertainment, with a hint of destructive power, and a bit of danger. Perfect name...
2 Brian what are your influences ?
Aye-yi-yi. Very wide ranging. Too huge to get too in-depth with. The big ones are Ronnie Van Zant, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, John Prine, Phil Lynott, Tom Petty, Hank Williams (Senior...), John Anderson (The country guy, NOT the Yes guy...), it just goes on and on...
3 The Bottle Rockets are considered the Godfathers of the Alt Country music scence, do you agree with that? If so how does iit feel?
I don't know what that means. I'm thinkin' it's a compliment, based on the way they call Neil Young "The Godfather Of Grunge". I guess it a way of sayin' "Old dude, ya done good!".
I don't feel old yet, I'm still on the journey. The whole "Godfather" thing snuck up on me...
4 Your 15 th anniversary just happened how awesome was that?
More awesome than our 10th, not as awesome as our 20th will be...
5 Your new CD Lean Forward how was working on that ? Can you describe what direction you guys have take on it?
Making it was a great experience. It's always a pleasure to work with Eric Ambel. I have no idea what direction we took with it. Can't see the forest for the trees. I didn't even realize I was an alt-country Godfather...
6 Biggest crowd the Bottle Rockets got to play for? Your Favorite venue? Your least favorite venue?
Biggest crowd was a festival in the Netherlands. 70,000 people. It was like playing to an empty room. All the heads looked like carpet. Favorite venue? There are many good ones, I can't pick just one, I WILL say, I really like the High Dive, in Champaign, Ilinois, I have no idea why, but, we always have a great show there.
Another fave is The Cluny, in Newcastle, England.
Least favorite place I ever played was called "The Go Lounge", in Orlando, Florida. It's not there anymore. Concrete stage, concrete floor, concrete walls, P.A. mounted BEHIND the microphones, so you had continual squealing feedback, every moment. Sounded like complete ass in there.
It was a torture chamber, not a music venue...
7 Have you played the game Rock Band or Guitar hero ? How do you feel about the music games? Would you like the Bottle Rockets music in them?
I have zero interest in any of that stuff. I have never played them, and never will. It's one thing I can honestly say "never" about. I like mechanical things, not virtual things. I have real guitars, no way I'm playin' a fake one.
If anybody wants to put our music in there, have at it, we'd appreciate the royaty checks...
8 Brian what are some of your favorite bands to tour with?
Lucinda Williams is always a treat, she treats us like kings.
The Allman Brothers tour was SO logistically easy, plush, and, teeming with amenities, plus, they were such nice guys, it wasn't even like touring, it was like vacationing in a space station full of legendary hippies.
Bobby Bare Junior alway creates an interesting time on the road.
Will Hoge's fun.
Any Slobberbone/Drams variant.
There's a lotta nice folks out on them there highways...
9 What is your some of your favorite food on the road?
Any southern BBQ, particularly North Carolina. Me and Mark have a fondness for the low-budget Krystal Chik sandwiches. The Majaraja Indian Buffet, in Madison, Wisconsin is a universal favorite.
There's a little taco place in Belton, Texas we like.
When we're short on time, Wendy's is the go to "quick solution" stop. They have somethin' for everybody.
The other guys like Subway for that, but Subway smells bad, and everything tastes too much the same to turn me on very much...
10 Bottle Rocketpalooza who would be on that bill?
Neil Young And Crazy Horse, The Pretenders, Tom Petty And The Heatbreakers, John Anderson, Kathleen Edwards, J.J. Cale, Otis Gibbs, The Reverend Al Green, Richard Thompson, and, Lee Ann Womack with Buddy Miller's band. Ray Davies would be the emcee...
11 What does the future hold for the Bottle Rockets?
If I could predict that, I'd be...like...a magic wizard or somethin'...
12 Any advice for young people starting out in the music industry?
Good luck, it's weird out here...
13 Brian what are you enjoying musically today?
Today, I'm all about Waylon Jennings. Tomorrow, who knows?
Thank you Brian it always a blast to chat with one of your heroes!