Gangbang Interview with @BottomDollars, @TheNuclears, and @Deathrow_Tull; at @sxsw and on tour now!
The Bottom Dollars
The Nuclears
Deathrow Tull
The Bottom Dollars are one of Brooklyn, NY’s finest undiscovered quintets right now and they’re hitting the road right now with their self proclaimed “brothers-in-rock:” The Nuclears & Deathrow Tull.
I was introduced to the group by someone I hardly knew who asked if I had any vacancies on a showcase I was throwing in Austin and, after YouTubing their cover of “Higher and Higher” for about 45 seconds, I knew they’d be a good choice to rev up the crowd.
The venue wasn’t ready for the ruckus about to unfold; the band sounded great, exuding a confident rock n’ roll attitude that never passed as egotistical; only starved for the next party. And boy… Do they throw a party! Just look at their Facebook profile, and know the boozy toast and smiles are for real, and what they’ll come with when you see them perform.
I was lucky enough to wrangle up a member from all three “brothers-in-rock:” Brian Cherchiglia (of The Bottom Dollars and Deathrow Tull), Brian Maverick (of The Nuclears), and Stephen Rawking (of Deathrow Tull) to talk about the tour and what’s in store when they all finally make it back to the Big Apple.
Interview:
G – Hi there and thank you very much for taking the time to speak with Live High Five! First of all, welcome! You guys ready to hit the road or what?
Brian (Cherchiglia) – Yep.
Brian (Maverick) – Getting there… Me, Mick (Maverick, lead guitar), and Sean (Spada, keys for all three bands) are all moving right now, so we’re literally just dumping all our stuff in the new place and then jumping in the van the next day.
Steven Rawking – But is the road ready to be hit? Benjamin Franklinstein (our bassist) has been working out…
BC – I think Franklinstein is going to hit us on the road…
G – Dunt dunt dunnnnn! So, how long has each band been around and when did you guys start playing shows together? Do you remember the moment that you really felt the groups come together that made you decide to make this thing happen?
BC – For The (Bottom) Dollars and Deathrow Tull…about three years now.
BM – Bobby (Atoms, bass guitar), Mick, and myself started the Nukes (The Nuclears) when we were kids in Washington, DC and moved up here when we finished high school. We moved into this old 19th-century German opera house in Bushwick and started throwing rock & roll parties in the basement with the guys from the other bands, who also just happened to live in this big weird building, too. It clicked pretty much instantly.
SR – Yeah, we’re sister bands…or stepbrother bands…wicked stepmother bands? The Nukes were a part of DRT (Deathrow Tull) for our first show at Brooklyn’s Shea Stadium. We were like ants in a hive for a while, mining awesomeness…so now it’s time to share some of the gems we’ve unearthed.
G – Cool, cool. What are your personal favorite tracks of each other’s bands, or what song would you give to someone whose never heard you before, and why?
BC – My favorite Nuclears song is “Sleaze,” but those fuckers won’t play it.
G- Dafaq, guys?!
SR – The new song by the BD’s “Six Twenty Six” gets me all misty…and I don’t care what The Nuclears play, I just want it loud.
BM – For my money, “Morning Thunder” is The Bottom Dollars’ best tune yet, and Deathrow’s “Name Dropping” has never once failed to get a room going. Plus, beyond their own stuff, I can’t think of two groups out there who have a better selection or tighter execution of “holy-shit-are-they-really-playing-blank?” covers in their live sets than The BD’s and DRT, and somehow neither band ever lets those sort of instant crowd-pleasers eclipse their original material.
G – I can attest to that… Right on, fellas! So, tell us about about your upcoming tour down to SXSW 2013? What are the deets so people can check it out?
SR – BandsInTown knows…I probably wouldn’t even know if it wasn’t for those knowledgeable music hounds.
G- Interwebs!
BC – Haha, the power of the Internet. Getting Rawking to the show on time…
SR – Rawking!
BC – The tour is pretty extensive. We’re hitting the vast majority of the United States over six weeks starting with New York, DC, Nashville & Tuscaloosa with The Nuclears. Then, Deathrow (Tull) is going to join us for a second (and free) show in Nashville. From there, all three of us are heading to SXSW and then we’re taking DRT to the Pacific Coast and hitting LA, Frisco, Portland, etc. Then, we’re making our way to Denver via Seattle to meet up with The Nuclears for some action in the Rockies, and then, Deathrow Tull will be meeting the two of us in Rock Island, IL so we can all can track sessions with Daytrotter (whom we absolutely love, and we couldn’t be any more excited about bringing the Dollars back for a sophomore). And then, we all head back east through the rust belt as one very large, thirteen-headed triumvirate.
G – Uhh… What just happened here? I’m going to have to go back and re-read that a few times to make sure everything is in place. Make sure to shoot me all the links and dates to put them down, duders. (All dates and links below)
So Brian (Cherchiglia, of The Bottom Dollars,) you guys are a party band, and the world needs more good time Rock n Roll bands out there celebrating all of us sinners. How hard have you guys been going for it on the road, and what venue has gone off the hardest for you since you’ve been out thus far?
BC – Well, we’re fairly industrious people, so we’re naturally driven to stay on timeline and keep busy, and touring is kind of reflexive towards that get-shit-done attitude. Plus, as a band, you’re a small business, and the number one rule of product recognition is to expand your market reach; That’s where a lot of groups miss the boat. There’s nothing that can be more destructive than staying in one market… It limits your output, you know? So, the second there was a healthy enough demand, we started basing our goals around the live show, which made us put on better shows, which brought us bigger audiences, which means more In-N-Out Burger…
G- Fuck yeah! Double-double animal style, light well fries, chocolate shake!
BC – In response to the second part of that question, I don’t know if there’s a particular venue that “popped off” more than the others, but our shows in New Orleans have been pretty fucking epic, same AS with each time they let us back in Brooklyn Bowl. Talk about a great place to play…the whole experience of doing a show at BK Bowl is a total blast.
G – No question… Brooklyn Bowl is one of my favorite venues in NYC, and the fried chicken is out of control! Sp guys, can you give us a few examples of any bands or artists in particular that influence your style for the folks that haven’t heard you yet? Who do you typically like to listen to, and are there any acts you think we should know about?
BC – The Dollars have a strong old soul & rock n’ roll influence like Sam Cooke & The Band, as well as some of the newer rock guys like My Morning Jacket and TV On The Radio. I find that bands are often apprehensive about crediting their contemporaries as influences, but I’m shameless with how much I love those two bands in particular. I can only hope that we’re considered ‘contemporaries’ someday (for the record). Tull’s got a heavy Talking Heads influence, as well as classic hip hop groups like Outkast, Beastie Boys and Run DMC. Deathrow is more of an amalgamate of outside influences, and The Dollars are more like…a bunch of dudes making rock and roll.
SR – I just found out about this band called Ava Luna that pretty much melts my face into pudding. And the band loves pudding, so I’m lucky to still have cheeks. I also love Tune-Yards.
BC – Ew, dude. Tune-Yards? I mean, she’s a sick musician and all…but come on.
SR – You’re the only one who doesn’t like them. Poo Poo on you.
BC – It’s a she. She’s a Tune-Yards, and her name is Merril or something.
BM – The Nuclears are into Motor City proto-punk, the British Invasion heavyweights, and 1970s FM radio guitar gods.
BC – As Ky (manager of The Nuclears) so eloquently puts it: “The Nuclears are Thin Lizzy + The Stooges, The Bottom Dollars are Bruce Springsteen + Bruce Springsteen,” and then she had Deathrow do an 80’s prom-based photo shoot so DRT (in her brain) should be the equivalent of “Molly Ringwald (the actress) +Molly Ringwald (the Danny Brown tune).” Ha! Got ya, Ky!
G – (laughing) Oh jeez… You just named off like 4 different sections of a record store. Let’s put it like this, if you want to Rock and have a good time over drinks, these are probably the shows to see!
And speaking of good times, what is the craziest or most memorable show that The Bottom Dollars have played to date? Where was it and what was it like?
BC – Probably our last show at Brooklyn Bowl. I was in horrible shape (I’d just gotten my heart broken, lost my day job, was in like…day four of not eating or sleeping), moping like a jackass and we did this mega-band version of (Bruce) Springsteen’s “Atlantic City” with our friends The Hollows and Drew Schultz (The Four Tops, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin) and it like, fixed everything. Swear to god! There were like twelve us on stage, and for a second it was it was like “Is this how cool it is to be The Boss?” haha!
Not only was it was by far and large the coolest piece of live music I’ve ever been a part of, but it was such an incredibly therapeutic, wonderfully cathartic experience and it made me better (or at least better than I was) and like, glowingly grateful for the wonderful community we’ve built here in New York.
BM – I can vouch for this. He was, in fact, moping like a jackass.
BC – …like a jackass.
G – Those heartbreaks can be crushers, guys. We’ve all been there, but it’s good to know that the power of Rock n Roll triumphs over all!
So lastly, what advice can you give some of the other young, up and coming bands everywhere who want to make it in music, on the road, and as a musician?
SR – Don’t give up. Don’t settle for mediocrity; be awesome or go home. Be good to people, because that’s what builds strong bonds and relationships and that’s what the industry is becoming more and more about. Self-centered / Self-important “artist” types can get a bootie in the booty.
G- Excellent. How about you, Brian?
BC – Well said, man. That, and that nobody is entitled to success. We’re in a rough industry that requires sacrifice and your heart should always be in it. If you truly want it, you have to be alright with the prospect of it not working out. As cynical as that sounds, its actually fairly optimistic. You need to be willing to work hard, get fired, lose your apartment and run cycles around the country a few times a year…and not feel guilty that the rest of your friends are starting families, getting married, buying property. Its not about them, its for them you know?
G- Another good one. Brian #2, knock it out of the park for us!
BM – Hit every windowsill stage like it’s MSG. If you’re playing for the bartender and his dog, give the bartender and his dog a great show. Try to be the best band on the bill every night, change yer strings twice as often as you think you need to and bring twice as many socks as you think you need. If you find yourself a kind-hearted woman who accepts and supports your poor career choices, don’t throw it away trying to reenact a bullshit Continental Hyatt House rock star fantasy you read about in some dickbag’s memoirs. And you don’t get to be Keith Richards until you are Keith Richards.
BC – Damn right.
G- I feel like I just grew an extra inch. Good stuff, guys! We will see you at SXSW! Be safe on the road and rock hard!
THE BOTTOM DOLLARS’ OFFICIAL “FLY CASUAL” SPRING TOUR DATES
————————————-
SAT 3/2 MERCURY LOUNGE (NEW YORK, NY) – w/ THE BOTTOM DOLLARS, THE NUCLEARS & DEATHROW TULL
Adv Tix: http://bit.ly/WDMyO9
SUN 3/3 JAMMIN JAVA (VIENNA, VA) – w/ THE BOTTOM DOLLARS, THE NUCLEARS, MERCIES & MORE
Adv Tix: http://bit.ly/WibHji
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FWibHji&h=2AQEFq9Ya&s=1
TUE 3/5 THE BASEMENT (NASHVILLE, TN) – w/ THE BOTTOM DOLLARS & THE NUCLEARS
FREE
WED 3/6 EGANS (TUSCALOOSA, AL) – w/ THE BOTTOM DOLLARS & THE NUCLEARS
THU 3/7 NATIONAL UNDERGROUND (NASHVILLE, TN) – w/ THE BOTTOM DOLLARS, THE NUCLEARS & DEATHROW TULL
FREE 8pm
FRI 3/8 PRYTANIA BAR (NEW ORLEANS, LA) – w/ THE BOTTOM DOLLARS, THE NUCLEARS, DEATHROW TULL & SEX PARTY
$5 9pm
SUN 3/10 SUPER HAPPY FUN LAND “SXSW OVERFLOW FEST” (HOUSTON, TX) – w/ THE BOTTOM DOLLARS, THE NUCLEARS & DEATHROW TULL
Adv Tix: http://bit.ly/13kxGC
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F13kxGC&h=JAQG0ADQ6&s=1
TUE 3/12 SXSW MUSIC & FILM FESTIVAL (AUSTIN, TX) – SHOWTIMES TBA
WED 3/13 SXSW MUSIC & FILM FESTIVAL (AUSTIN, TX) – DEATHROW TULL – 11pm
“The Perpetual Tour Show” @ SPIDERHOUSE
(also featuring 9th Wonder, PremRock, Willie Green, Baxter Wordsworth, Warren Britt 7 more)
FREE
THU 3/14 SXSW MUSIC & FILM FESTIVAL (AUSTIN, TX) – SHOWTIMES TBA
FRI 3/15 SXSW MUSIC & FILM FESTIVAL (AUSTIN, TX)
THE BOTTOM DOLLARS – 7pm
“Dangerous Creatures of the Deep” presented by UnRegular Radio & ChanneL3 @ THE AQUARIUM ON 6TH
(also featuring The London Souls, Sydney Wayser, TAB The Band, Norwegian Arms & more!)
RSVP FOR FREE: http://do512.com/c/sx2013/event/2013/03/15/dangerous-creatures-of-the-deep
SAT 3/16 SXSW MUSIC & FILM FESTIVAL (AUSTIN, TX) – SHOWTIMES TBA
THU 3/21 RILEY’S MUSIC LOUNGE (SAN DIEGO, CA) – w/ DEATHROW TULL
SAT 3/23 CENTRAL SOCIAL AID & PLEASURE CLUB (SANTA MONICA, CA) – w/ THE BOTTOM DOLLARS & DEATHROW TULL
SUN 3/24 NECK OF THE WOODS (SAN FRANCISCO, CA) – w/ THE BOTTOM DOLLARS & DEATHROW TULL, MOFONE
TUE 3/26 CLUB 66 (ASHLAND, OR) – w/ THE BOTTOM DOLLARS & DEATHROW TULL
WED 3/27 MT TABOR THEATER (PORTLAND, OR) – w/ THE BOTTOM DOLLARS, DEATHROW TULL & TBA
SUN 3/31 HIGH DIVE (SEATTLE, WA) – W/ THE BOTTOM DOLLARS, BROKEMC & TBA
TUE 4/2 SURFSIDE 7 (FORT COLLINS, CO) – W/ THE BOTTOM DOLLARS & THE CUT
WED 4/3 HERMAN’S HIDEAWAY (DENVER, CO) – w/ THE BOTTOM DOLLARS, THE CUT, THE NUCLEARS & TBA
FRI 4/5 SCHLAFLY TAP ROOM (ST. LOUIS, MO) – w/ THE BOTTOM DOLLARS, THE NUCLEARS & JACK BUCK
SAT 4/6 AMSTERDAM (ST. PAUL, MN) – w/ THE BOTTOM DOLLARS, THE NUCLEARS, EXILES & BROKEMC
SUN 4/7 DAYTROTTER STUDIOS (ROCK ISLAND, IL) – W/ THE BOTTOM DOLLARS, THE NUCLEARS & DEATHROW TULL
WED 4/10 GROG SHOP (CLEVELAND, OH) – w/ THE BOTTOM DOLLARS, THE NUCLEARS, BROKEMC & DEATHROW TULL
SUN 4/14 JOHNNY D’S (SOMERVILLE, MA) – w/ THE BOTTOM DOLLARS, THE NUCLEARS & DEATHROW TULL
Adv Tix: http://tktwb.tw/VSlD10
DEATHROW TULL LINKS
https://twitter.com/deathrow_tull
http://reverbnation.com/deathrowtull
http://myspace.com/deathrow-tull
http://deathrowtull.tumblr.com/
http://facebook.com/deathrowtull
instagram @deathrowtull
THE NUCLEARS LINKS
http://thenuclears.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/thenuclears
http://www.twitter.com/thenuclears
http://thenuclearsblog.tumblr.com
Instagram @TheNuclears
BOTTOM DOLLARS LINKS
http://www.thebottomdollars.com
http://www.soundcloud.com/the-bottom-dollars
http://thebottomdollars.bandcamp.com/
http://www.twitter.com/bottomdollars
http://www.myspace.com/thebottomdollars
Instagram – @thebottomdollars
LIVE HIGH FIVE 