Beat Alley

Flatfoot 56 came to Denver with Street Dogs and others to play at the Marquis Theatre.  For some reason that night they decided not to allow ANY photographers in.   Seriously?  So I couldn’t shoot the show but  I was able to get an interview with the beloved boys from the South Side of Chicago.

Interview with FLATFOOT 56   10/09/08  -
 
Beat Alley (Stacy):  Who are all the members in Flatfoot 56 and what do each of you do? The members of Flatfoot 56 are Tobin Bawinkel (Lead singer/ lead guitar), Kyle Bawinkel (Base guitar and background vox), Justin Bawinkel (Drums and vox), and Josh Robieson (Bagpipes, and Mandolin)
 
Beat Alley (Stacy):  What is the history of Flatfoot 56? We started in mid high school as three brothers who wanted to play punk rock. Josh joined six months later and brought with him guitar and bagpipes. We had known him for years because of a school basketball team that we all played on.  We toured for years and built up a following and created a strong family of fans who we are very proud of. These people are amazing and we are honored to be able to call them our friends. In 2005 we signed to Flicker records and released two records through them ("Knuckles up" and "Jungle of the Midwest Sea"). Before these releases we released two albums on our own and some demos. We have also been a band that has made it our mission to do what we do as hard as we can. We have played thousands of shows everywhere from the 48 mainland states to Japan and Europe. 

Beat Alley (Stacy):  How is the tour going with the Street Dogs?  Touring with them is a blast. They're veterans who have shown us alot about the music world both on stage and off. They're also fun to mess with because they dish out jokes all the time. They're a great band to tour with and some awesome guys. Glad to call them friends.
 
Beat Alley (Stacy):  For those people out there who know nothing about you, how would you describe your music?
Hard hitting Celtic Punk rock with some of folk influence.
 
Beat Alley (Stacy):  What is the message you want to follow you and/or your performances?
We want people to come to our shows and be encouraged and inspired. If that means dancing their guts out or just sitting back and cowering in the back then we hope they enjoy themselves.
 
Beat Alley (Stacy):  Where do you get your inspirations for your lyrics? There are many sources for inspiration as far as lyrics. I think just being an observer of daily life and the world around us is probably one of the biggest inspirations for Flatfoot 56 lyrics. Good song writers are ones who really identify with listeners through looking at life in creative and observant ways.  
 
Are they accidental or daily life events? a little of both. We are a very real band who like to talk about the struggles and trials of life.

Beat Alley (Stacy):  Any particular highlights you would like to tell us about since the beginning of Flatfoot 56?
I think our last minute chance to go tour japan with flogging molly has been one of the biggest highlights in our band. Also my brother Justin getting married to our longtime family friend and band supporter, bitsy. It was awesome to add her to the Flatfoot family.

 
Beat Alley (Stacy):  Any particular lowlights you would like to forget since the beginning of Flatfoot 56 that you would like to share?
Our First two albums haha (rumble of 56, Waves of war)
 

Beat Alley (Stacy):  What can your fans expect from Flatfoot 56 in the future?
Touring, Touring , Recording, Touring, Hockey matches, Touring
We are also going to be writing and recording a new record in the next few months. We need to get some new stuff out for the folks. People have been bugging us about that.
 
Beat Alley (Stacy):  Here is my question I ask everyone, if you could be any super hero or cartoon character who would it be and why?
We all love and grew up watching Batman and we appreciate him for just being a normal dude who was just really smart.
 
Thank you so much for answering my questions and look forward to meeting you guys on Thursday night at the Marquis Theater in Denver.  Hooray, Southsiders!  Ha.
Thanks, Stacy. it was great to meet with you and thanks for your support. Hooray Chicago!

Check out www.flatfoot56.com or www.myspace.com/flatfoot56 for more info on these guys.

 Denver, CO; Ogden Theatre: First of all, you may be asking yourself, ‘Who is Down?’ Down is a marriage of sorts of 4 bands you may already know. Phi Anselmo and Rex Brown of Pantera, Pepper Keenan from Corrosion of Conformity, Kirk Windstein of Crowbar, and Jim Bower of Eyehategod make up this new breed of band. I know Down’s music, but I had never been to a Down show and didn’t know what to expect. Should I prepare for the intensity and anger of a Pantera show, or should I expect the laid back style of the Southern Rock drawl of such songs as ‘Lies’ or ‘Learn from This Mistake’? Either way, I was there, eager to find out.

8 o’clock rolled around…the crowd chanting ‘Down, Down, Down….’, I was expecting the band to come out and blow my face off, responding to the energy that the crowd was showing them. All the sudden the lights went out. The crowd roared. Waiting in anticipation. Then it happened. A one hour home video of Down a la Vulgar Video or 3, Watch it Go with a slew of 60s and 70s videos that have inspired the band along the way shown on a white backdrop about 4ft by 4ft. Bands like Kiss, Ted Nugent, Deep Purple, and many others. I have to say, this isn’t what I was expecting, and I don’t believe anyone else in the crowd was either, because it became quiet as if they just saw their brother and sister kiss for a split second too long and were wondering exactly how they should react. The crowd got into the videos at first, but after about 15 min they started chanting ‘Down, Down, Down…’ again off and on for the remainder of the hour, trying to antagonize the band to come out and give them what they paid for.

Then it came….the hour was over. The crowd suddenly got loud again. They came out one by one, first Jim, then Pepper, then Kirk, then Rex, and finally Phil. The moment we had all been waiting for was there and it was everything anyone could have hoped for. They came out and shook the Ogden from it’s foundation. This wasn’t the angst that each one of these bands has had in the past. This was a more refined band. It’s like each member of this band had found their center in this band and drew inspiration from the music, the fans, and each other. They brought intensity, skill, and harmony and it was not from a place of anger. If you have ever seen Phil in concert before, you can attest to the fact that he is angry, and would have beat you down if you crossed him. This was a different Phil. A different band. At one point during the show, he stopped in the middle of a song and kicked an unruly fan out because they were ‘embarrassing Denver’ by fighting and not contributing to the collective synergy of the audience. Down was feeding off the positive energy of the audience and vice versa and this person was not adding to the music, but taking away from it. This would not have happened 5 years ago. I don’t know what changed Phil and the group but something has and it affects the music in a positive way. Down continued to absolutely crush every song they played, at times tearing the roof off with songs like ‘I Scream’ and slowing things down perfectly with songs like ‘Lies’. They did not disappoint, nor did they leave anything on the stage.

Down played for over 2 hours with no opening band, and that’s exactly how it should have been. No band could have equaled the intensity, nor the showmanship that Down showed. Down has definitely paid homage to the bands they so admire and they have etched out their own niche in Southern Rock. You can definitely tell who their musical influences are while sounding like none of them and all of them at the same time. Although Down sounds like no one else, they are a new breed of bands redefining what Southern Rock is with bands like Norma Jean.

When all was said and done, I had forgotten about the hour long home video and, along with everyone else in the jam packed Ogden, left wanting to hear more. Down came and gave everything they could and the fans knew it and were grateful for it. They left no one disappointed. If you want to hear very good music, written and performed from the heart, go see Down and buy their album. I have, and I recommend it!

                            ---DannyB

Beat Alley (Stacy):  Flogging Molly is back in Colorado.  You must really like playing here. 

Dennis (FM): Well, Denver was one of the first cities to ever take to Flogging Molly.  I don’t know if anyone else in the band has ever told you this?

Beat Alley (Stacy):  No, I haven’t heard that.  Seriously?

Dennis (FM): The first time we played here we played in a bar.  I will never forget it for lots of reasons like the promoter made us pasta, it was great.  Then we showed up there (the venue) and the place was packed.  Yeah, I was like, what the fuck? (laughter!) The tour was still on the East coast, why is everyone here?  No one has ever heard us, what is going on?  You guys must have played us on a college radio station.

Beat Alley (Stacy): Well, that is the first time I heard Flogging Molly was on a LocalCollege station radio 1190 out of Boulder.

Beat Alley (Stacy): How long have you been playing music and what have you played?

Dennis (FM): How long?  Jesus, too long (laughter).  Over 20 years.  The guitar I was best at, but I used to play the piano and have played the drums.  The guitar is the lightest to carry when you move out of your parent’s house as a teenager.

Beat Alley (Stacy): So when can we expect a new album?

Dennis (FM): We were in Blackwater in Ireland, and started writing for the new record.  We wrote seven songs.  We are playing three new songs tonight. 

Beat Alley (Stacy): Thank you so much for talking with me tonight.  I really appreciate you taking the last few minutes before you go out on stage with me tonight.

Dennis (FM):  No problem, anytime, and thank you for interviewing me since Nathen was tied up with his family.