Interview: Pizza!

Here's the entire transcript of our 1.5 hour IM conversation last night w/o edits w/ Pizza!, who Rock Insider call "kind of the raddest thing ever" and Classical Geek Theatre say "continue to evolve their deconstructions of punk, new wave, and post-punk" and "keep getting better and no obvious end is in sight."

(They're part of one of those "new music showcase" thingies along with Automatic Drawing and The Broken Remotes at Boardner's of Hollywood on Tuesday, November 18th.)

pizza! (9:32:13 PM): hello
pizza! (9:32:24 PM): dis be pizza
RFSL (9:32:31 PM): OMG
RFSL (9:32:34 PM): Here we are.
RFSL (9:32:38 PM): How's it going?
RFSL (9:32:45 PM): How you doing tonight?
pizza! (9:32:59 PM): it's going well! we might need to wait a second to get started because dunc is still on his way.
pizza! (9:33:10 PM): but he ought to be here soon
pizza! (9:33:14 PM): how are you?
RFSL (9:33:22 PM): I'm pretty well.
RFSL (9:33:43 PM): I am hopelessly addicted to the nuclear wasteland that is Fallout 3 on the Xbox 360.
pizza! (9:34:02 PM): rand just finished playing it for 8 hours straight and says it rules
pizza! (9:34:14 PM): he just got to the "ghoul underworld"
RFSL (9:34:20 PM): Ahh. Me, too.
pizza! (9:34:24 PM): also he has a mini gun
pizza! (9:34:33 PM): oh shit, ya'll are fallout buddies
RFSL (9:34:42 PM): I never get tired of shooting Super Mutants.
RFSL (9:34:51 PM): It's funny because it's true.
RFSL (9:34:59 PM): It's like single-player World of Warcraft.
pizza! (9:35:25 PM): rand says it's funny to stick hand grenades in their pockets
RFSL (9:35:35 PM): You can do that?!
pizza! (9:35:43 PM): oh yeah
pizza! (9:36:12 PM): he says: "go into sneak mode, hit a (when you get next to them)...
pizza! (9:36:24 PM): drag a hand grenade over to their side of the screen...
pizza! (9:36:29 PM): and then run like hell."
RFSL (9:36:30 PM): Oh geesh.
RFSL (9:37:53 PM): Good meeting you guys at The Eagle Rock Music Festival.
RFSL (9:37:59 PM): You have a good night there?
pizza! (9:38:44 PM): yeah it was a real honor to be asked to play
pizza! (9:39:04 PM): and the festival was really splendid. i (geoff) saw a zydeco band on a hotel balcony
RFSL (9:39:06 PM): Such a great line-up this last time.
pizza! (9:39:21 PM): yeah it was probably the best abe vigoda show i've been too
pizza! (9:39:24 PM): to, not too
pizza! (9:40:02 PM): duncan just got here so now we're all here except alex, who isn't going to be able to make it
RFSL (9:40:25 PM): Ah, alright. We can start all officially.
pizza! (9:40:35 PM): cool
RFSL (9:41:02 PM): Want to preface any answer w/ initials and I'll replace w/ names later?
pizza! (9:41:35 PM): sure... oftentimes we might speak as a group but if things are particularly individualized we can tell you who is speaking
RFSL (9:41:44 PM): Cool
RFSL (9:42:02 PM): So, how long have you all been playing together? How did you start up?
pizza! (9:42:39 PM): we started as the new motherfuckers nearly four years ago
RFSL (9:42:57 PM): Same line-up?
pizza! (9:43:15 PM): no, rand joined later - beginning of 2007
pizza! (9:43:44 PM): we were a very different band when we started up - kind of jangly simple rock and then later really crusty punk
pizza! (9:44:23 PM): or not crusty - just fast and silly
pizza! (9:44:39 PM): we played a lot of parties around USC
pizza! (9:45:03 PM): and it was great because the parties always had free beer so tons of people would come and get wasted and see our band
pizza! (9:45:18 PM): that's also how hootie and the blowfish started, but it was a different USC
RFSL (9:45:52 PM): I'd feel bad if I just left that one hanging.
pizza! (9:46:01 PM): then i guess we got a bit older and started writing better songs and then rand joined and now we're Pizza!
RFSL (9:46:03 PM): But I'm blanking on a good Hootie and the Blowfish joke.
RFSL (9:46:11 PM): Why the name change?
pizza! (9:46:39 PM): we changed our name for all the apparent reasons
RFSL (9:46:57 PM): Gotcha.
RFSL (9:47:23 PM): You guys seem to have the ability to play about every club in town.
RFSL (9:48:44 PM): Meaning you can play Spaceland and The Smell and so on.
pizza! (9:48:59 PM): oh, well there are a lot of other clubs, right?
RFSL (9:49:11 PM): There's something for everyone in your music.
pizza! (9:49:18 PM): we haven't played "the viper room" yet
pizza! (9:49:39 PM): nor the bar in the guns n roses videos
RFSL (9:49:50 PM): Which one is that again?
pizza! (9:50:23 PM): the rainbow one on sunset. the bus drops axl off there at the beginning of "welcome to the jungle."
RFSL (9:50:34 PM): Oh, geesh.
pizza! (9:50:35 PM): and i think that's where they have their wedding party in november rain
RFSL (9:51:04 PM): Man, when Axel and Stephanie Seymour broke up... I just couldn't look at love the same way any more.
pizza! (9:51:41 PM): but regarding your comment -- we have pretty diverse interests, and we're pretty restless when it comes to composition, and hopefully that makes us a good and diverse group
RFSL (9:51:52 PM): Yeah, you list your influences as: Sparks, Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen, Queen, the Homosexuals, Talking Heads, Devo, the Staples Singers, Ol' Dirty Bastard, classical music, video game music, girl groups, post-punk music, musical theater, country music.
pizza! (9:51:56 PM): i don't know if they really loved eachother
pizza! (9:52:24 PM): that's a short list but pretty apt
RFSL (9:53:19 PM): I've heard people say that your songs are so diverse that it sometimes seems like each one is from a different band.
pizza! (9:53:33 PM): hmmm... maybe
RFSL (9:53:35 PM): (That was a compliment, by the way.)
pizza! (9:53:51 PM): oh, it sounds really great. we don't necessary hear that, though.
pizza! (9:53:57 PM): necessarily
RFSL (9:54:19 PM): What's your approach to making songs? How do they come together?
RFSL (9:54:31 PM): (Adam from Fol Chen sends his love, by the way.)
pizza! (9:54:45 PM): oh we send our love right back
pizza! (9:55:08 PM): how do we make songs - we take our cat, the fattest one, and we kiss him and kiss him and kiss him
pizza! (9:55:19 PM): and laugh!
pizza! (9:55:31 PM): then go to the garage and yell at eachother
pizza! (9:55:32 PM): and whistle
RFSL (9:55:34 PM): That's the best answer I've ever heard.
pizza! (9:55:44 PM): usually duncan shaves his beard in tyler's bathroom before we practice
pizza! (9:55:57 PM): he's so baby-faced right now!
pizza! (9:56:43 PM): would you hackie-sack with a screw-driver? that's what rand and tyler are doing right now. odd boys.
RFSL (9:57:08 PM): I think I would.
pizza! (9:57:19 PM): oh yeah i forgot that you guys had so much in common
RFSL (9:57:28 PM): What was your first show as Pizza!?
pizza! (9:57:56 PM): opening for the soft-boiled eggies record release - at the hollywood bowl! - in august of last year
RFSL (9:59:03 PM): How was that?
pizza! (9:59:04 PM): why so glum?why aren't you r
pizza! (9:59:22 PM): it was pretty awesome. we're still struck by the enormity of the moment
pizza! (9:59:39 PM): barack obama was there
RFSL (10:00:01 PM): That guy...
pizza! (10:00:46 PM): that guy is great! a true "egg in the cloud"
RFSL (10:01:01 PM): He gets my vote.
pizza! (10:01:08 PM): you haven't voted yet?
RFSL (10:01:26 PM): I did. I had to do a provisional ballot b/c I was in San Francisco at the time.
RFSL (10:01:41 PM): I could have voted twice b/c they didn't check my info.
pizza! (10:01:41 PM): do they count those? don't you need to go to your precinct?
pizza! (10:01:56 PM): would that make you a "super-delegate"?
RFSL (10:02:20 PM): I want to be a super delegate!
RFSL (10:02:28 PM): I'm going to go get it printed on a card.
pizza! (10:02:43 PM): don't forget this afternoon's floor vote, senator!
pizza! (10:02:53 PM): that's from "ballard street"
RFSL (10:03:06 PM): What are you guys doing, recording-wise?
pizza! (10:03:19 PM): we're just lookin' for a good swamp
pizza! (10:03:26 PM): we come from the swamp, so it's comforting
pizza! (10:03:33 PM): it's nice to record there, good ambience
pizza! (10:03:55 PM): we're hoping to make a new record soon
pizza! (10:04:01 PM): because we really like our new songs more than the old one
pizza! (10:04:04 PM): s
RFSL (10:04:39 PM): How much of your set now is new versus what was on your cd?
pizza! (10:05:01 PM): it's mostly new, we only play a couple of the songs from the cd these days
pizza! (10:05:17 PM): just the "hits"
RFSL (10:05:41 PM): You posted the full album for download online awhile back, yes?
pizza! (10:05:47 PM): we're working on a new easy-breezy tropical number that we're way into
pizza! (10:05:57 PM): yeah we've given everything away for free sofar
pizza! (10:06:04 PM): an album and three eps
pizza! (10:06:17 PM): that's the swamp way, you know
pizza! (10:06:21 PM): we were raised well
pizza! (10:06:24 PM): "dreams of my father"
RFSL (10:06:27 PM): My dachschund just did a running jump off the couch.
RFSL (10:06:38 PM): He kind of hung in the air there for a second.
RFSL (10:06:50 PM): Where are you guys all from?
pizza! (10:06:50 PM): that's cute
pizza! (10:07:07 PM): our gray cat is going to type from now on
RFSL (10:07:08 PM): I think dachschund means "cute" in German.
pizza! (10:07:13 PM): we're all from different swamps
pizza! (10:07:49 PM): some of us are from northern california and some of us are from the deep south
pizza! (10:07:54 PM): you can guess who is from where
pizza! (10:08:10 PM): your guess is as good as ours
RFSL (10:08:10 PM): When did you get out here?
pizza! (10:08:26 PM): early in this century
pizza! (10:08:36 PM): before the war
RFSL (10:09:36 PM): What are your favorite and not so favorite things about living and playing in a band here?
pizza! (10:10:23 PM): the best part is dryness. we had a big problem with gear in the swamp.
pizza! (10:10:40 PM): i think alex got electrocuted once.
pizza! (10:10:57 PM): oh! and the babes! we love cali-chicks!
pizza! (10:11:37 PM): now the bad part- the weather.
pizza! (10:12:41 PM): and traffic, like, getting to gigs is too easy sometimes. we prefer long car rides with other cars who are in bad moods.
pizza! (10:13:01 PM): there was a lot of traffic in the swamp
pizza! (10:13:58 PM): why so glum?
RFSL (10:14:26 PM): Do I seem glum?
pizza! (10:14:36 PM): it can be very inspiring when people are sad.
RFSL (10:15:08 PM): What are you guys working on right now? What's new?
pizza! (10:15:13 PM): so where are you from?
RFSL (10:16:02 PM): I'm from Chicago then I lived in San Francisco for awhile. Then here for the last near five.
pizza! (10:16:58 PM): do you have major hometown pride for obama right now?
pizza! (10:17:38 PM): geoff is from alabama and he has hometown pride for the crimson tide
pizza! (10:17:44 PM): roll tide
RFSL (10:18:07 PM): Yeah, he's the guy. He's like one of those presidents in a movie that you wished existed in real life.
pizza! (10:18:32 PM): do you mean that you don't think he's real?
pizza! (10:18:46 PM): it seems clear that he is.
RFSL (10:19:11 PM): I'm glad he's real. It's like reality got pretty cynical there for awhile.
pizza! (10:19:32 PM): scratches an eight year itch
RFSL (10:19:49 PM): It's nice to have pride and hope in a president.
RFSL (10:19:53 PM): Oh, yes...
pizza! (10:20:11 PM): on election night there was a big party on the corner of alvarado and sunset
RFSL (10:20:27 PM): Did everything feel a little different today? A little clearer? Like how the air is after a storm?
pizza! (10:20:33 PM): everyone just screaming and spraying champagne and getting cars to honk their horns
pizza! (10:20:44 PM): like after a sports game
pizza! (10:20:55 PM): or a gladatorial contest
RFSL (10:21:00 PM): A sports game that actually counts
pizza! (10:21:01 PM): or a hunt
pizza! (10:21:28 PM): a successful hunt, whence you shot many antelope
pizza! (10:21:43 PM): food is life for us
RFSL (10:22:00 PM): You think it'll change what kind of songs you make?
pizza! (10:22:20 PM): yes!!!!!
RFSL (10:22:26 PM): How so?
pizza! (10:23:17 PM): there is positive air in our band room, it kind of condenses in a musical way on things, christmas is air.
pizza! (10:23:24 PM): it is all around everything
RFSL (10:24:25 PM): Even more positive than before?
pizza! (10:24:45 PM): one of the most optical sensations was watching the speech
RFSL (10:25:35 PM): Yeah? I heard all the speeches while driving back from SF. It was kind of surreal.
pizza! (10:26:10 PM): is this really happening? yo! u seen the audacity of blood?
pizza! (10:26:41 PM): google that shit, speaking of inspiring things we like, have you googled stairway to stardom yet?
RFSL (10:27:26 PM): "Back in the 1980s, a public-access television channel in New York City aired Stairway to Stardom, an amateur talent show many see as a low-rent precursor to American Idol.
Thanks to the dedication of a few die-hard fans, Stairway has now become an Internet cult hit. One of the program's devotees, Mitch Friedman, shares his thoughts about why this ultra-low budget talent show has such long-lasting appeal."
RFSL (10:27:36 PM): Did you ever seen Oingo Boingo on The Gong Show?
RFSL (10:27:59 PM): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTRd1a5MVMw
pizza! (10:28:17 PM): yes! that is the google! never has charm been so audiaciously busty
RFSL (10:28:52 PM): So what are you guys listening to these days?
pizza! (10:29:23 PM): wait! we wartching oingo boingo on the gong show now!
pizza! (10:29:32 PM): live blog feed in 3 2 1 ....
RFSL (10:29:35 PM): Give it a few minutes...
pizza! (10:29:40 PM): trophy, he got one.
pizza! (10:29:50 PM): so that how the show works
pizza! (10:30:02 PM): why is oingo boingo on this?
pizza! (10:30:09 PM): they were knights?
pizza! (10:30:23 PM): oh shit
RFSL (10:30:28 PM): How was Danny Elfman scarier than The Joker when he just wore pleated pants and opened his eyes really wide?
pizza! (10:30:34 PM): rocket
pizza! (10:30:39 PM): accordian
pizza! (10:30:59 PM): pants like robin williams in aladin
pizza! (10:31:15 PM): it's my first day as a women and i'm already getting hot flashes
RFSL (10:31:23 PM): That reminds me of Halloween in SF. Everyone had costumes on in the entire town and they were mostly really fantastic.
pizza! (10:31:40 PM): there' the chinese new year guy i always see dressed as a dragon
RFSL (10:31:41 PM): Buddy Hackett!
pizza! (10:32:04 PM): celebrities get to rate it
pizza! (10:32:07 PM): ????
RFSL (10:32:11 PM): Shari Lewis!
pizza! (10:32:15 PM): bud hackett
pizza! (10:32:24 PM): rocket
pizza! (10:32:37 PM): why is it tough?
RFSL (10:32:37 PM): "I don't think we should let this band go until we develop a vaccine for weirdness..."
pizza! (10:32:48 PM): bug hackett sux
pizza! (10:32:56 PM): buggy mc bugg bugg
RFSL (10:33:00 PM): But Shari Lewis...
pizza! (10:33:09 PM): tha was my first love song to nico
pizza! (10:33:18 PM): funny? that was serious shit
pizza! (10:33:29 PM): an easy gong
RFSL (10:33:42 PM): That announcer was a CIA operator.
pizza! (10:33:50 PM): so is rand
RFSL (10:33:50 PM): Or at least he liked to say that.
pizza! (10:33:59 PM): 24 points so far
pizza! (10:34:09 PM): rand really is one
pizza! (10:34:21 PM): for real
RFSL (10:34:36 PM): The CIA. The CI ain't kiddin.
pizza! (10:34:48 PM): what?
RFSL (10:34:59 PM): Public Enemy lyrics.
pizza! (10:35:07 PM): i'm confused by this- who is the ci? (says alex)
pizza! (10:35:20 PM): we listen to public enemy
pizza! (10:35:25 PM): end live blog feed
RFSL (10:35:33 PM): I got a letter from the government, the other day, I opened and read it, it said they were suckers. They wanted me for their army or whatever.
pizza! (10:35:44 PM): oh, those are the lyrics?
RFSL (10:35:48 PM): Or words towards that effect.
RFSL (10:35:54 PM): Yes!
pizza! (10:36:02 PM): we like nwa
pizza! (10:36:29 PM): "slim shady, please stand up"
RFSL (10:36:44 PM): So what are you guys listening to these days?
pizza! (10:36:58 PM): books on tape
pizza! (10:37:13 PM): did you hear about chrihton
RFSL (10:37:24 PM): I'm totally listening to Red Badge of Courage.
RFSL (10:37:28 PM): Yeah...
pizza! (10:37:28 PM): jurassic park is on every playlist on itunes
pizza! (10:37:40 PM): steven crane, man
RFSL (10:37:51 PM): I listened to that on one of my first road trips. I wanted a baby raptor afterwards.
pizza! (10:38:00 PM): maggie: girl of the streets!
pizza! (10:38:55 PM): did you know that t-rex didn't live during the jurassic? oh wait... did he? (says duncan)
pizza! (10:39:33 PM): we are mostly listening to creed and sevendust, mostly
RFSL (10:39:52 PM): I'm mostly watching Oingo Boingo videos on YouTube.
pizza! (10:39:54 PM): and "cumbersome" by seven mary three is in heavy rotation!
pizza! (10:40:09 PM): oingo boingo is good
pizza! (10:40:20 PM): only a man
pizza! (10:40:24 PM): that one by them
pizza! (10:40:31 PM): orange juice!
pizza! (10:40:37 PM): cheetos!
pizza! (10:40:52 PM): wait and "my life" by billy joel
RFSL (10:41:02 PM): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jItz-uNjoZA&feature=related
pizza! (10:41:10 PM): oh another???
RFSL (10:41:24 PM): Danny Elfman lives in a house that slants to the right!
pizza! (10:41:46 PM): this is cool
pizza! (10:42:11 PM): danny elfman is weird
pizza! (10:42:14 PM): but cool
RFSL (10:42:18 PM): Yeah. In the best possible way.
RFSL (10:42:30 PM): He's like the best weird guy from the 80s.
RFSL (10:42:40 PM): Then David Byrne.
pizza! (10:42:52 PM): what about mark mother's ba?
RFSL (10:42:53 PM): That's my informal list, at least.
pizza! (10:43:01 PM): and ronald reagan
pizza! (10:43:11 PM): ?
RFSL (10:43:13 PM): Yeah, he would probably have to go in as 1.5 on a list of two.
pizza! (10:43:24 PM): did i forget dean koontz?
RFSL (10:43:26 PM): Ronald was more of a scary clown than weird guy, per se.
pizza! (10:43:36 PM): no no he was totally weird
RFSL (10:43:44 PM): Yeah?
pizza! (10:43:51 PM): a regular "alexander hamilton," if you know what we mean
RFSL (10:44:03 PM): Danny Elfman can dance!
pizza! (10:44:06 PM): meaning from the west indies
pizza! (10:44:17 PM): this is cool
RFSL (10:44:29 PM): Sorry, I'm trying to keep the live blogcast alive.
pizza! (10:45:02 PM): oh!
pizza! (10:45:13 PM): wait i think it's ending
RFSL (10:45:16 PM): How was practice?
pizza! (10:45:35 PM): christmas was in the air!
RFSL (10:46:04 PM): It's like the Monty Python song in Meaning of Life where it's Christmas in Heaven.
pizza! (10:46:24 PM): we don't know that one
pizza! (10:46:27 PM): by heart
RFSL (10:46:43 PM): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TvaRcovy2I
pizza! (10:47:17 PM): do you want us to live-blog this too?
RFSL (10:47:46 PM): That would be okay.
pizza! (10:47:49 PM): because we're watching last of the mohicans and it got really god just now
pizza! (10:48:04 PM): really good! not god.
pizza! (10:48:49 PM): they appear to be praying over someone's grave now
RFSL (10:48:57 PM): Yeah, this is pretty good too.
pizza! (10:48:57 PM): i've never seen the movie so i don't know what's going on
RFSL (10:49:03 PM): But I'm a sucker for musicals.
RFSL (10:49:30 PM): Last of the Mohicans should be made into a musical.
RFSL (10:49:36 PM): Like The Last Starfighter was.
pizza! (10:49:38 PM): it kind of looks like the cover of U2's 96 world tour shirt
pizza! (10:49:57 PM): "last of the mohicans tour - 1996"
pizza! (10:50:20 PM): i think they scored the movie 2
pizza! (10:50:27 PM): the sequel
pizza! (10:50:29 PM): that is
pizza! (10:50:46 PM): the sequel to "i know what you did last summer"
pizza! (10:50:50 PM): (on your world tour)
RFSL (10:50:51 PM): I love inspirational songs from the 80s where the lyrics don't mean anything at all.
RFSL (10:51:01 PM): You're the best! You like stuff!
pizza! (10:51:07 PM): no no the streets were really never named
RFSL (10:51:17 PM): You hold the future in your head!
pizza! (10:52:11 PM): it's bedtime. do you have anymore questions?
RFSL (10:52:18 PM): Yeah, I was just about to say.
RFSL (10:52:54 PM): Do you have any inspirational words to share with the young people of America on this evening of evenings?
pizza! (10:53:10 PM): hold on. it'll get better.
pizza! (10:53:20 PM): we can make it if we try.
pizza! (10:53:36 PM): life is a series of individual decisions
pizza! (10:53:44 PM): we are all federalists, we are all republicans
pizza! (10:54:04 PM): so get that
pizza! (10:54:21 PM): repek
RFSL (10:54:28 PM): Excellent.
RFSL (10:54:40 PM): Gentlemen, thank you very much for your time.
pizza! (10:54:49 PM): remember the maine
RFSL (10:54:54 PM): I'll post this tomorrow around noon.
pizza! (10:55:13 PM): coo. signed pizza.
RFSL (10:55:14 PM): And send you a mail to let you know that it's alive.
pizza! (10:55:17 PM): ps, no edits
RFSL (10:55:23 PM): Deal.
pizza! (10:55:28 PM): hot shit!
pizza! signed off at 10:55:33 PM.
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