From: tceh000@convex1.tcs.tulane.edu (eugene hopstetter)
Subject: Jesus Lizard interview
Nntp-Posting-Host-[nntpd-13787]: convex1.tcs.tulane.edu
Organization: Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 16:48:06 GMT

Here's a description of my night with Jesus Lizard, Wednesday, August 
12, 1992. 

I interviewed David Yow and drummer Mac for about an hour, during my 
show at WTUL, 91.5, New Orleans. I couldn't tape the interview, because 
David had an advance cassette copy of their new lp _LIAR_, so the tape 
deck was used up. They were late because their van had broken down 
on the road, but still managed to do a sound check at the club and come 
down to the station for a chat. Real nice guys. 

Here's what I garnered, in bullet form. All dialogue is paraphrased, so 
don't quote it as fact. I don't want to start any dubious rumours.

%	The new lp will include a new recording of the cut "Dancing Naked 
Ladies", which Yow played for me, and it was a much more brutal 
recording. He called the recording on the _Wheelchair Epidemic_ 
7" a "turd covered in boiled shrimp." Played another new, equally 
brutal cut called "Gladiator."

%	The split 7" with Nirvana has not even been pressed yet. The cover 
art is not done. No telling when it'll be out.

%	Yow did the cover drawing for the _Wheelchair Epidemic_ 7", but 
was not happy with the printing job. He said the cover for _LIAR_ 
will be even more provocative, but offered no details.

%	The song "Nub" is about some Spanish kid who left his arm hanging 
out of a train window in Chicago.

%	When asked who's releasing the record, who produced and 
engineered it, he said "Touch and Go, as usual. We produced it, 
and our skinny fag friend Steve engineered it." When we went off 
the air, Yow said "Our skinny fag friend is Steve Albini. Steve's 
engineered all our records, but we don't put his name on them 
anymore. Actually, he recommended that we don't. Because when 
we did do it, all people wanted to talk to us about was him."

%	When I asked Yow how he felt about being a cult star, or about 
being the leader of what a lot of people consider to be the most 
important band in the country, he said, "Who, me?" I told him that 
Bob Bert had said that about Jesus Lizard when I interviewed him a 
while ago. Yow didn't seem too impressed with that.

%	I asked them if they'd ever want to play arenas, in front of hundreds 
of thousands of screaming fans. "It'll never happen," Yow said. I 
said, "Oh? You're more popular than you think. What if Joe MTV 
comes knocking on your door and wants to play the Jesus Lizard 
after all those Nirvana and Pearl Jam videos?" Yow's response: "I'll 
slam the door in his face. That's not what the Jesus Lizard is about. 
We've had several big record companies sniffing our butts. We just 
let them buy us lunch, and drinks, then tell them 'Ah, we're busy for 
a while. Try us again later.' Jesus Lizard will always be on Touch 
and Go." 

%	I offered the guys a place to sleep, because the promoters hadn't 
provided them that courtesy, but they ended up staying at Ken 
Schenk's (sp?) house. Schenk played guitar in the much-missed 
band 86, for whom Mac played drums. [Editors note: Schenk's living 
in New Orleans now, and has started a fantastic band called Krash, 
who sound much like Drowning Pool and Abecadarians, and are 
fantastic live. I'm trying to get a tape out of them for WTUL. Definitely 
a band to keep an eye on.]

%	Talked to David Wm. Simms about Rapeman. He said 'It just kinda 
fizzled out." When asked about bootlegs [drool, drool], he said, "I've 
heard two. Both sound awful, and I wouldn't recommend them." [I'd 
still kill for a copy of one, though. Anybody?]

%	During the interview, I kept calling Mac "Max" (I'm terrible with 
names). Yow then said to me, on the air, "Alright, we're gonna call 
you 'June' for now on." (My name's Gene). On stage, he looks at me 
and says "This song's for June." The smartass. At least he didn't kiss 
me... He's definitely into audience participation. Gave the mic to a 
girl at the beginning of "Mouthbreather" and made her scream for 
minutes (he had kissed and rubbed her all over a couple of songs 
earlier, much to her boyfriend's chagrin. Heh.). He spent most of the 
show in the audience, or on top of the audience, actually. 

%	Live sound was flawless, marred only by Yow's occasionally 
knocking drum mics out of the way. He was excited about the four 
stage monitors the PA man provided him. Performance was ass-
flatteningly, brain-numbingly, head-bangingly, butt-whompingly 
brutal. Played about 15 songs, then did a three-song encore. See 
them, or die trying. 


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+ gene hopstetter - tceh000@convex1.tcs.tulane.edu. I don't represent Tulane! +
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+ We are not what we eat, WE ARE WHAT WE DON'T SHIT, and that is it!"         +
+  --Victims Family.                                                          +
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