On Sunday Feb. 20th, I got to see Stab City do a really good show with Heller Keller, Vietnambla, and Bird Mad Girl. I got to interview Dan Catalinotto, the singer and bass player for Stab City the day after.
1. That was a pretty raucous show last night with the technical difficulties and the double-encore.
Yeah! It was a fun one! The more raucous, the better. We're definitely used to technical difficulties. Sometimes you can play through them,and sometimes you just have to stop the show until they're sorted out. Last night we had major PA feedback, but you never know what to expect when you're playing in a grimy warehouse space. That's why DIY shows are so fun, they're unpredictable.
2. How has 2011 been for you guys so far?
This year has been pretty good. Slowly working on new songs, and playing a wide range of shows. There's a lot of momentum going in all directions, it feels like. The key will be to figure out which direction to go so that we progress musically and hopefully get to play to many more people in many more places by the end of the year.
3. What's the next big step for Stab City?Tour?New Releases?
We recorded two songs with Joe Cardamone in his studio, which was a lot of fun. Our friend Walt is finishing up the album artwork and soon we will press a single - "Colisum/Vomitorium". We'll send it around and make a video for Colisdeum and see if it gets us anywhere. We'd love to tour all over the states and beyond. Right now, our only outside of LA plans are to be playing in Las Vegas at the end of May during Punk Rock Bowling weekend, but a couple trips to the Bay Area or San Diego could happen before then, too.
4. So what is the history of Stab City?
5. Do you think your sound have changed much since you first started?
Bobby and I have been the constant members of Stab City, I think since 2007. We played in a couple other bands together before then, and decided to try something with just the two of us, jamming in Bobby's dad's garage. Eventually we added guitar players and started playing a ridiculous number of shows, and have slowly evolved over the years. We started with more of a blues-rooted sound that we have now, and have gone through a couple of guitar players. I think we're getting more and more collaborative and weirder and weirder as time goes on, especially since Kyle joined on guitar about a year ago. Weird is good. I like to be challenged by my own music, and when the songs are the product of three odd brains, you never know what the end product will sound like. The last time we were in the studio to write a song (the now tentatively titled "Xtina"), we said we were going to try and write a warped pop song...this eventually turned into us doing something in 5 time with an extended Lawrence of Arabia-like intro...yeah, sometimes we can't reign ourselves in, but that's the fun of it - trying new things and seeing where they go.
6. Who are some of your favorite bands that are playing aroung the Los Angeles area?
I love Fantastica Bastidas - Henry and Sonia have a rare chemistry. I like Turrks, who used to be called Bipolar Bear. My honest favorite local LA band is Narwhal Party, which sounds like I'm cheating because Kyle is the singer/guitar player for that band. But it's totally true; there's a reason Bobby and I asked Kyle to join Stab City when we were looking for a guitar player last year.
7. You guys seem to pull influences from everywhere, but what are some of your biggest?
Initially, my playing in Stab City was influenced by old blues murder ballads and darker rock bands like Queens of the Stone Age and The Bronx. Lately, I've been into stuff like Pissed Jeans, HEALTH and Liars. I love old African rock music, and I wish it influenced my playing more, but I just don't have those chops.
8. Dan, I heard you went to Haiti. What was it like?
I was in Haiti for work, doing disaster relief stuff following the earthquake. It was an incredible experience and made me grateful for how good we have it here, while teaching me that there's more to life than my own selfish worries. I was also reminded that you can never understand a place until you visit it yourself. I just barely started to understand Haiti in the two months I was there; I would love to return. We've actually been invited to play in Port-au-Prince. This is something we have to make happen, whatever the financial and mental cost.
9. What are your rigs like?
Mine's currently broken, so whatever I can borrow.
10. Anything you want to add?
No. Thanks, Wolf!
Yeah! It was a fun one! The more raucous, the better. We're definitely used to technical difficulties. Sometimes you can play through them,and sometimes you just have to stop the show until they're sorted out. Last night we had major PA feedback, but you never know what to expect when you're playing in a grimy warehouse space. That's why DIY shows are so fun, they're unpredictable.
2. How has 2011 been for you guys so far?
This year has been pretty good. Slowly working on new songs, and playing a wide range of shows. There's a lot of momentum going in all directions, it feels like. The key will be to figure out which direction to go so that we progress musically and hopefully get to play to many more people in many more places by the end of the year.
3. What's the next big step for Stab City?Tour?New Releases?
We recorded two songs with Joe Cardamone in his studio, which was a lot of fun. Our friend Walt is finishing up the album artwork and soon we will press a single - "Colisum/Vomitorium". We'll send it around and make a video for Colisdeum and see if it gets us anywhere. We'd love to tour all over the states and beyond. Right now, our only outside of LA plans are to be playing in Las Vegas at the end of May during Punk Rock Bowling weekend, but a couple trips to the Bay Area or San Diego could happen before then, too.
4. So what is the history of Stab City?
5. Do you think your sound have changed much since you first started?
Bobby and I have been the constant members of Stab City, I think since 2007. We played in a couple other bands together before then, and decided to try something with just the two of us, jamming in Bobby's dad's garage. Eventually we added guitar players and started playing a ridiculous number of shows, and have slowly evolved over the years. We started with more of a blues-rooted sound that we have now, and have gone through a couple of guitar players. I think we're getting more and more collaborative and weirder and weirder as time goes on, especially since Kyle joined on guitar about a year ago. Weird is good. I like to be challenged by my own music, and when the songs are the product of three odd brains, you never know what the end product will sound like. The last time we were in the studio to write a song (the now tentatively titled "Xtina"), we said we were going to try and write a warped pop song...this eventually turned into us doing something in 5 time with an extended Lawrence of Arabia-like intro...yeah, sometimes we can't reign ourselves in, but that's the fun of it - trying new things and seeing where they go.
6. Who are some of your favorite bands that are playing aroung the Los Angeles area?
I love Fantastica Bastidas - Henry and Sonia have a rare chemistry. I like Turrks, who used to be called Bipolar Bear. My honest favorite local LA band is Narwhal Party, which sounds like I'm cheating because Kyle is the singer/guitar player for that band. But it's totally true; there's a reason Bobby and I asked Kyle to join Stab City when we were looking for a guitar player last year.
7. You guys seem to pull influences from everywhere, but what are some of your biggest?
Initially, my playing in Stab City was influenced by old blues murder ballads and darker rock bands like Queens of the Stone Age and The Bronx. Lately, I've been into stuff like Pissed Jeans, HEALTH and Liars. I love old African rock music, and I wish it influenced my playing more, but I just don't have those chops.
8. Dan, I heard you went to Haiti. What was it like?
I was in Haiti for work, doing disaster relief stuff following the earthquake. It was an incredible experience and made me grateful for how good we have it here, while teaching me that there's more to life than my own selfish worries. I was also reminded that you can never understand a place until you visit it yourself. I just barely started to understand Haiti in the two months I was there; I would love to return. We've actually been invited to play in Port-au-Prince. This is something we have to make happen, whatever the financial and mental cost.
9. What are your rigs like?
Mine's currently broken, so whatever I can borrow.
10. Anything you want to add?
No. Thanks, Wolf!
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