Interview with Chad Staehly from Hard Working Americans

Tour starts today. What can we expect from that?

Well, we’ve got a few new songs that we’re gonna be performing tonight that are gonna be coming out on this record early next year so we’re excited to play some new songs and this is our first show together since last December, so it’s been quite a while since we’ve had a chance to play together. Everyone’s super excited.

Is there a city that you’re most looking forward to on this tour?

There’s a bunch of great stops on this run of shows between festivals and playing a bunch of our favorite places. One of our favorite shows from last summer was actually at Iron City in Birmingham. We’re looking forward to getting back there as much as anywhere.

What do you think are some of the struggles facing touring bands right now?

Well, I mean money. [laughs] There’s no other way to put it. It’s so expensive to tour, even if you’re crammed into a hotel room and downsizing as much as possible, just gas for a van and a hotel room every night is $500 plus, so it’s always a money thing that makes touring difficult. And then there’s the thing of a band can be like a marriage and it’s a very intense relationship with your bandmates and top of that you work together every day, you travel together everyday, you’re usually sleeping in close quarters, so navigating all that personal stuff is tough too, but I think the money thing is the most difficult piece of touring. A lot of bands come home from the road broke.

Do you have a favorite aspect of touring?

Well it’s the music. I always tell people that we get paid to be truck drivers or travelers and music is our hobby. That’s our passion and that’s what we love to do so those few hours of getting to play music is what makes everything else so worth it.

Do you have a strange or memorable moment from the road?

[Laughs] There’s a big ole’ list of those. Let me see if I can come up with a recent one. Just last night as we left for tour to head to Virginia, we hung up our tour poster on the wall and used this new app that will make a picture talk so now there’s a female head on our poster and now we’ve started to make her talk and say things and we’re calling her the voice of reason and she’s going to post something everyday.

The members of Hard Working Americans come from several different backgrounds and different eclectic bands. How do you find a happy medium when y'all are playing together?

Right now, it’s not anyone’s main project, although we all want to continue to do more and more with it, this band is a refuge for everyone. Everyone wants to be here doing this. We’re all having fun doing it. There’s no pressure. It’s just a fun thing. That’s what drives everyone to show up and do this together. It’s a lot of fun.

Would you consider Hard Working Americans a concept band?

You know, some could argue that. Todd, our lyricist and writer, he’ll think of an album in terms of a screenplay or a movie and he was the one that named the band so he certainly had some thoughts behind how this band was supposed to go. As far as I understand, of course, the guys who get up at 6 o’clock in the morning and go put in 12 hour shifts at the paper mill or the factory, they’re no doubt hard working Americans. But people from other walks of life are hard working Americans too

Do you have a personal favorite Hard Working Americans song?

I would say right now that it’s one of the new songs that’s gonna be on the new record. It’s called “Roman Candles” and people should be able to hear that hopefully at one of these shows coming up or when the new record comes out early next year.

What would you say is next for the band?

Putting out this new record. It seemed like everyone reacted really well to the first record, but it was an album recorded of other people’s songs so I think some people looked at like “Oh, these guys are just a supergroup or whatever that is just getting together for fun to do this record of covers.” There was certainly a bit of reaction like that, so to be able to put out a record of music we wrote together and that really carries our own voice, I think that’s exciting for everyone to take that next step together.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Well you know the old saying goes “Never miss a Sunday show” so we would just encourage everyone in Birmingham to show up and make Sunday night feel like a Friday night.

Halestorm, The Pretty Reckless, & Starset Iron City Birmingham, Alabama 4/28/15

Halestorm always puts on the best live shows I have ever seen and tonight in Birmingham was no different. 

The first band of the evening was Starset. I was not quite sure what to make of them and I am still not entirely sure now. They were very astronautical. I think that is a word. 

They played

First Light
Rise and Fall
Down with the Fallen
Carnivore
Antigravity
Telescope
My Demons

Following Starset was Taylor Momsen's band, The Pretty Reckless. They are a great live band. I just wish Taylor liked photographers more. Her hair was in her face the first three songs and that made our jobs a little bit more difficult, but we managed. 

They played

Follow Me Down
Since You're Gone
Miss Nothing
Sweet Things
House on a Hill
Heaven Knows
Make Me Wanna Die
Going to Hell
Fucked Up World

Then, it was finally time for the almighty Halestorm. 

They played

Freak Like Me
Scream
Mz. Hyde
Amen
Dissident Aggressor (Judas Priest Cover)
The Reckoning
Rock Show
I Am the Fire (Double Neck guitar)
Dear Daughter
Drum Solo (Arejay)
Mayhem
Apocalyptic
I Miss the Misery

I Get Off
Sick Individual
Here's to Us

Before Dear Daughter, Lzzy told a story about her mother calling her one day and asking if she did a good job raising her kids. That conversation inspired her to write the song. That story made me cry like a freaking baby and then I wanted to call my mom. 

The evening was perfect and I cannot wait to see the band again at Rock On The Range in a few weeks.

Marilyn Manson Iron City Birmingham, AL 4/26/15

Last night, Marilyn Manson performed to a sold-out crowd at Birmingham’s Iron City.

Fans wrapped around both sides of the building, waiting and eagerly anticipating the night’s performance.

When the doors opened, the scene looked like a herd of rabid animals trying to make it to the front of the stage.

Leading off the evening was Knee High Fox from Los Angeles, CA. They were an average Manson-esque band led by singer Christine Connolly. They were intriguing enough to get the crowd in a frenzy for what was next.

Marilyn Manson appeared on stage through thick fog and bright, red lights.

Throughout the evening, he played fan favorites (The Beautiful People) and deep cuts (Third Day Of A Seven Day Binge) which made the hardcore fans freak out.

The full setlist:

Deep Six

Disposable Teens

mOBSCENE

No Reflection

Third Day of a Seven Day Binge

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) (Eurythmics Cover)

Tourniquet

Rock Is Dead

The Dope Show

Killing Strangers

Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode Cover)T

he Beautiful People

Irresponsible Hate Anthem

Coma White


The evening was a weird, kooky evening for fans and by-standers alike.

Flogging Molly Iron City Birmingham, AL 11/24/14

Edit this setlist | More Flogging Molly setlists

AFI Iron City Birmingham, AL 10/9/14

For the second time in one week, AFI made their return to Alabama. Last week in Mobile, this week in Birmingham.

Personally, I have anticipated AFI's trip to Alabama for years because they have never come to my home state until this year. I was beside myself with excitement.

The opening band was Nostalghia. They were just one clown short of the circus.

Their singer had a white, lace dress and very long black hair to accompany her smudged white make-up. She started out whispering into the mic and all of a sudden, she let out this blood curdling scream. It scared the pants off me and I wanted to cry. I was happy then they were over.

AFI is one of the best bands from almost the last two and a half decades and that is my completely biased opinion.

They played songs across their catalogue, some popular and some that only the die-hards would know.

The set included:

The Leaving Song Pt. II

Girl's Not Grey

I Hope You Suffer

File 13

Love Like Winter

Ever And A Day

Medicate

Heart Stops

17 Crimes

The Leaving Song

The Days of The Phoenix

Veronica Sawyer Smokes

Kill Caustic

Miss Murder

Greater Than 84 (My favorite from Burials!)

A Deep Slow Panic

The Conductor

Silver And Cold

During File 13, Davey forgot the words and just laughed as the band played on. He then tried to throw the mic to a guy in the audience but it ended up hitting the barricade. He eventually caught back up with the words with some help and continued to laugh with the crowd.

The crowd flipped their stuff when Ever And A Day was played. I do not blame them. It was exciting.

Veronica Sawyer Smokes was also a very nice surprise from Crash Love.

After Greater Than 84, Davey asked which songs from Burials we wanted to hear. Of course there was array of different answers, (I wanted The Conductor), but they played A Deep Slow Panic. Afterwards, Davey said he guessed he would play The Conductor.

The evening was filled with die hards and causal fans alike and I anxiously await the day AFI comes back to Alabama.

Interview with Lake Street Dive

While on their lunch break, Indie-Folk band, Lake Street Dive, took a few minutes to sit down with me. Throughout this interview we talked about numerous different topics, including what Roll Tide meant.

So here it is: my interview with Lake Street Dive.

Rachael - Singer

McDuck - Trumpet and Guitar

Bridget - Bass

Calabrese - Drummer

How has the response been to Bad Self Portraits?

B: Shockingly, good.

R: For us, it was way beyond our expectations, as far as how many copies have sold. Our fans seem to really enjoy it.

C: Yeah, especially since we recorded it and had to wait a year before it came out. The entire year we were playing all the songs from the album on tour. A lot of people who came to our shows during the CD release year were already singing the lyrics to it because they watched Youtube videos and the like. It was nice to have people who had the patience to stick with us.

B: Between the time that we made the record and the time it came out, our fan base grew significantly, so we were releasing the album to a much larger audience than we ever thought that we could when we were in the studio making the album, which is fun to think about in the sense that we were free of any sort of pressure at all in the studio. We were making this album because we wanted to be making an album. There's probably no one that cares if we put out an album or not. It was liberating that way.

Do y'all have a favorite song off the album?

M: What About Me is really cool. It's an example of the song that the recorded version is noticeably different than the way we do it live just because we have this fun percussion drum thing that drives the rhythm of the song. The drums on that were like a studio trick that we recorded and looped, then we played to it and kept it in. There's a lot of fade out and a lot of silly studio talking and shouting at each other. It's fun for me to go back and listen to and there are still surprises in our music instead of just hearing the record for me and having it be exactly the same.

C: I feel similarly about the song Rental Love. It was a song that was done in the style of a lot people that we admire like George Harrison or Harry Nielsen: a slow Rock ballad but gradually burns and burns. We don't really get to play that live because it's all about the piano on that song, so it's special in that way. When we get the chance to break it out, it's really fun. We never really did before.

Favorite song to play live?

B: I'm loving playing a new song of mine called I Don't Care About You. It's just got this crazy energy. It's expressing an emotion of anger, which we don't often do. It's sort of fun doing that on stage. You spend all night being all happy and then this song comes around, it's like "Rawr!"

[Entire band bursts into laughter]

R: For me, picking a favorite song would be like picking one of the band members as my best friend. It's Bridget!!! Today, it's Bridget! I really love performing Just Ask. That's one of my favorite ones. It's very "me-centric."

C: She wouldn't say this, but it's a chance for Rachel to showcase her deeper, spacious side of her musicality.

R: Now, he's my best friend!

[Laughs]

C: McDuck feels all alone.

You can be my best friend for the time being if you'd like. Is this your first time in Alabama?

R: It's the band's first time.

M: First time playing. Definitely driven through it.

I'm sorry. I'm probably not supposed to say that. Ooops. What can fans most look forward to at a live show?

C: There is so much opportunity to dance. They can really look forward to that. If they're worried about having the chance to dance in their pants, they shant's. Take a chance and dance. Seriously.

B: We try to provide as much of a journey through the show as we can. We don't want it to be one thing or experience. Highs and lows. Just feel all riled up at one point and just totally send you focused on the words that Rachel is singing. Like watching a movie, you don't want to watch a whole scene the entire time. That would be really boring.

You played Bonnaroo this year. How was that? I was there. Y'all were great. How was that for y'all?

R: It was really fun. A festival like that with so much hype and clout, there was definitely a stronger level of nervousness and excitement for the set. For me, I'm from Tennessee so I grew up knowing people who would always go to the festival so it was very exciting. The set itself was super super fun. The crowd was amazing. We know we played early in the day, so you never know what you're going to get with an early set at a festival. It went the best it could have gone and we had a good time. Then there was a super jam at the end of the night and we played "I Had The Time of My Life" with like seven other bands and Ed Helms.

Would you say that's the most memorable Bonnaroo experience for you so far?

R: Oh, absolutely. I was standing next to Seth from The Avett Brothers, singing "I Had the Time of My Life"

Having the time of your life? Pun intended.

R: It was hilarious.

What's the most rewarding experience you've had so far?

R: For me, we did this concert that The Cohen Brothers and T-Bone Brunette produced. It was a live concert in New York with a slew of other incredible artists. They filmed it and everything. The day itself was incredible because we were interacting with all of these idols: people whose music we've grown up listening to. We got to hang with Elvis Costello backstage and I hugged Joan Bias(?) several times. For me as a band, I still maintain that that was the greatest day of my life. It was so fun the entire time. The performance was amazing. The other performances were amazing. The interactions with everyone we had were amazing. I don't know when I've felt more excited. Also, I met Paul Rudd.

[Laughs from the entire band]

C: Yes, he is very good looking.

Anything else you want to add?

M: Stay in school. And we are excited to be here.

R: Yeah, we are pumped to be in Birmingham. We just took a sweet bike ride. It's a beautiful city.