So much to pick your brain about. But I can't wait to ask you about some of the more odd and surreal things you've witnessed at all the gigs and shows you've been to. It's some of the most fascinating answers I've ever heard here. For starters, tell us about Mr. Peppermint's performance! Well, Mark Ridlen and myself produced a Tiki-Meets-Texas compilation in 2003 called Texotica, and one of the most surreal moments I've ever witnessed was Mr. Peppermint [Of Captain Kangaroo fame, father to Butthole Surfer Gibby Haynes] performing "Yellowbird" with a coconut-clad go-go dancer.
Wow. More, please. You've seriously got our attention. Probably one of the oddest gigs I've played was the Flamingo Hotel with my old band Shanghai 5, between Wayne Newton and JJ "Dy-no-mite" Walker. Next on the bucket list would be spinning a party for David Lynch, who was in attendance for AFI Dallas Film Festival, and he stood there and talked with me about music for quite a while. Although it's not local, I highly recommend David Lynch's first solo record Crazy Clown Time!
Nice. So, one of my favorite questions to ask here is about musical background in your childhood. Your answer is, again, definitely one of the most interesting I've heard. You mean my Dad? He was the Southwest marketing guy for Capitol Records from the late '60s to the mid 70's. He got to represent Brian Wilson, Lou Rawls, Buck Owens, Wings, Ike & Tina Turner Revue and Wayne Newton.
That's amazing for a kid to grow up around. It didn't stop there, did it? Mom played a lot of music at home? Soundtracks, Exotica, jazz, funk and comedy records were always on the hi-fi console. And Soul Train was a Saturday afternoon staple with my mom! I was barely in big boy pants, and the dye was cast after staying up late with my dad watching The Midnight Special with bands like Blondie, The Cars, David Bowie, Roxy Music, Kraftwerk, War, ELO, and New York Dolls. We also went to a lot of live shows, jazz festivals, and local music concerts.
And you're carrying on the music bloodline to your own, I understand? I am! I'm now the dad of a four-year old boy who loves music, who claims he's going to start a band called Toy Division when he's six or seven.