Interview: Shawn Adolph
Listen up kids, your band sucks. Stop playing music!! All kidding aside and without sounding too cliche, I’d say go back to the basics. Early American music is where it’s at. Jazz, Blues, Soul, R&B, early Punk. Pick up these following records: anything by Charlie Parker, Howlin’ Wolf, Jimmy Reed, The Bar-Kays, Wilson Pickett, Birthday Party (actually from Australia), Tales of Terror, Big Boys, etc. and so forth. Buy these records, borrow these records, steal these records, just get your hands on them and listen to them every day, over and over again. Listen to them with an intensity and an understanding of what music is supposed to be. Listen to them because they’re great fucking records. They were pioneers and rightfully so. Most importantly don’t emulate these bands or any band. Be your own creation. Put yourself into your music.
Weird Party have yet to put anything out. We’re in the process of recording and have discussed releasing some of that material on a 12” EP, glow in the dark vinyl in 3D, not sure with who or whom yet.
File sharing is a great way to find out a lot about bands you wouldn’t think about. I can’t say if it’s hurting or helping music. I can’t say if it’s right or wrong. I do know that T-Pain is refusing to release his newly mastered album because according to him, people aren’t buying music anymore. But who gives a shit about T-pain?
I didn’t know Jeff before we started this thing so in a sense I’m glad Weird Party exists because Jeff is one of the nicest guys I know.
I’ve heard this before and I’ll repeat it. Houston is the redheaded step child when it comes to the music “scene”. We are neglected, no doubt. But, that doesn’t mean we aren’t at fault. I think it takes a lot of work to be a relevant city (scene) in music. You have to have passionate people that promote the shows. You have to have passionate venue owners that work well with bands and promoters. You have to have a passionate audience that wants to support music and not be so fickle. I remember when I first started going to shows in Houston and I loved every thing about it. Even if the bands were sub-par, it was still a great time. Back then there were so many venues to go and see a lot of great local and national acts. There still are great local bands but something’s just not the same anymore.