5 Questions with Rags #4 - Jim Infantino (Jim's Big Ego)

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It's not often a brother gets to talk to the leader of the "Greatest Band in the History of Recorded Music," but I recently had the pleasure of talking to such a human being, the great Jim Infantino of Jim's Big Ego. You might not know them, I mean they're just another local fucking Boston band, but they are oodles of righteous and everyone in every city should listen to them. My love of JBE came from the aftermath of a slightly awful relationship. Infantino's remarkable lyrics and (un)pop sensibilities have changed the way I look at things and given me insight time and time again. (He is also responsible for "Vandals," one of the best pieces of writing I've come across. Check it at the bottom after this interview.)

This is a big one for me and I hope you dig it too. A big thanks to Jim for not only taking some time to answer my silly questions but for all his rhythmic musings that continuously sooth my soul. 

1. If you had to choose between sight and sound, which would you keep and why?

<Long, thoughtful pause> I think I would keep sight, interestingly. Because I've always been fascinated by sign language.

Really? What got you interested in sign language?

Well, as a mode of communication that's unique and I'm very interested in teaching myself new language-type skills. I'm actually terrible with language but I enjoy the challenge in the way it challenges my mind to learn new methodologies in terms of communication and thinking.

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5 Questions with Rags #3 - Joshua Szirmay-Corrales

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Josh is a rad guy. He's one of the youngest music-nerds I've ever met and he knows his shit. His passion for the shit is seemingly limitless and he's even managed to set down the path of Music Promoter, helping with the curation of the Studio CMCT Stage at this year's Rifflandia Festival. Actually, I met Josh at Rifflandia a couple of years ago when I overheard a conversation he was having with the mighty Dane -the fearless head of the Victoria Ska Society- about Reggie Watts. Reggie was set to play later in the day and Dane hadn't a clue what Watts was all about. I couldn't help but chime in and Josh wholeheartedly agreed with all of my gushing. See, good people like Reggie Watts. You can't deny that shit!

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Usually I end with the question from the last person, but I’m going to ask this one first because of the nature of the question. Alain Williams, comedian who used to be around town and now he’s in Vancouver, he asked this question and it’s simply…“Sup?”

 Sup?....WHAT?! Ummm…wow. Oh my god. Nothing much, I guess. Not much. I feel like I should answer more but the fact is just…wow. I was not ready for that.

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5 Questions With Rags #2: Alain Williams

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I think I met Alain Williams at a staff party for the Martlet, or something and though we didn't talk more than a few minutes, we were both intrigued by each others' presence at the time. Dude is into hip-hop and stand-up comedy (My favourites!) and is some kind of kung-fu warrior. He even has balls I can only dream of, getting up on stage and doing his own stand-up comedy - How cool is that shit? We haven't really struck up any kind of real friendship (For reasons that probably don't extend far beyond mutual laziness) but Alain's a homey, for sure. Props.

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1. If you had to choose between sight and sound, which one would you take and why?

 

That’s a tough one. Oh man. I will talk myself through this and come to a conclusion for you. I’m a big fan of visual art so sight is obviously very important. I thought I was going to be a visual artist before I found out I don’t have the patience for it. So, even now, I draw and do things like that but it’s had to take a backseat to everything else in my life. Sound is so potent though. I think it’s become more important to me than the visual has. I can look at something for a short time and be wowed by it and enamoured by it but then my attention goes elsewhere. Whereas with sound I’m basically addicted to it. I need a pair of headphones everywhere I go. The first day I got here to Vancouver my a cat chewed through my headphone chord so my roommate lent me her headphones. Any other time I would have been like, “Oh no, it’s fine.” But this time I was like, “Give me those fucking headphones.” Not even just for music, which is important, but listening to podcasts and stand-up and things like that. So I’m going to have to say sound.

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5 Questions With Rags #1: Dan Bern

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Not only am I proud to say that Bern is the first entry into this new (hopefully ongoing) series, Five Questions With Blake, I am overjoyed to say that Bern himself actually helped CONCEIVE this idea in the dark of Hermann’s Jazz Club in my hometown of Victoria, BC, after his show on October 3. The questions come from myself and four other fans that I spent the evening with, including my good friend and screenwriting guy Ben Rollo. In future I'm hoping to include not just musicians, but people from all walks of life and disciplines who might have some interesting things to say. But for now we start where everything seems to start for me, music. So, without further ado, I give you the first of this simple little thing that I hope is going be around a little while.

(Note: This was conceived and executed in the most impromptu of manners. I did not have a recording device of any kind, just a notepad and pen culled from other members of the group. I pieced this back together from hastily and terribly written notes.)"

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I'm back because it's time to get ready for Garden City Grooves.

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I haven’t been around here much. It’s been a busy summer. There has been a lot of music to check out and discover and good times to be had. Fuck, I don’t need to explain myself to you! Ahem…The rain has come back to Victoria, probably closer to the “Summer’s-gone-for-good” kind of rain. It is time to wind down. But not really, because we still have this…

Even in the sea of exhaustion and near concert-burnout I can’t help but get excited for this. LAST YEAR WAS SO MUCH FUN. But it can be hard to get it up for a roster of acts so obscure that you might consider yourself lucky to know even one of them. See, the fine folks behind Garden City Grooves are, like myself, gigantic music nerds. They read liner notes to see who played what on a given track. They track releases by small labels they trust. Etc, etc…We know these definitions, yes? I can move on? Good.

I’ve come back out of hibernation to help you get ready for three super-duper groovy nights in my lovely home base of Victoria. Really, I’m just letting you see me get myself ready because until a few weeks ago I only knew a couple of the acts on here.  

DUTCH ROBINSON (of the Ohio Players)

Sometimes I get leery when I see a member of a once prominent band on a marquee with their former band name anywhere near. It reeks of has-been. BUT THIS RULE DOES NOT APPLY TO SOUL MUSICIANS. Soul is just too timeless and all that. And come on, The Ohio Players! That’s some legendary shit right there.

Brother ain’t resting on his laurels either and is producing and releasing his own stuff. Though the site that’s supposed to host the album for sale, www.downloaddutch.com has not been down for at least the last couple of weeks as of this writing.

I don’t know what you’d call this…it’s kind of adult contemporary jazz, but it’s most definitely soul, not much funk on this one. Let’s just call it CLASS. Dude lives in Vancouver (After spending 20 years on the East Coast) and this will be his first time in Victoria. Pretty stoked on this one.

Kárà-Kátà

I don’t know much about afro-beat music. I mean, I know Féla because I’m a human being that likes music. I know Ali Farka Touré because I have a friend who was fairly obsessed with him at some point. I really love Paul Simon’s Graceland. Apart from that my knowledge is essentially non-existent. But it’s undeniably fun, groovy stuff. Some of the best dancing I’ve ever had is to afro-beat groups I could never in a million years name for you. Again, I know nothing of these cats but if you’re looking for something to get loose to, I can’t imagine going wrong with this.

The Steadies

How in the fuck does reggae music have any influence in Saskatchewan!? It makes no sense to me at all, but this is pretty sweet stuff. It’s slick and funky and sugary and seems like a pretty awesome way to start out this festival’s opening night. This just keeps getting crazier…Earl Periera of Wide Mouth Mason is the bass player and singer in this band. This is blowing my mind!! I like a band that puts in miles and according to their bio they play over 100 shows a year. This is shaping up to be something to get excited about.

Downtown Mischief is a very large group of local cats who I have no beef with. I saw them at Ska Fest and they were pretty fun. The everything-but-the-kitchen sink approach is something I fluctuate pretty wildly with. There’s an undeniable energy about these guys though and it’s pretty hard not to want to dance at least a little bit.

I wish I had a lot more information to give you, dear music lovers, but alas, I do not. All I can do is remind you that this is a festival run by people who genuinely love music and want to bring you sounds that make your rump shake and your soul feel good.  I'll be moving my ass and you should be too!

Get a FULL FESTIVAL PASS FOR ONLY $33.33 at gardencitygrooves.com