Every journey must reach its close, for a moment at least. And so our chain latches shut at SXSW, until the next festival ties us all together for more dirty reveals and awkward moments, with downer vibes from Potty Mouth, end-of-the-night ever-loving good vibes from Big Ups, and dead-end morning delusions with Bully.
How does the chain work? We ask each band we talk to give us three questions to ask the next band, who proposed their own for the following band, and so on. Today’s third and final installment starts with questions across punk universes from the Black Lips to Potty Mouth, leads into a weird Target-related sleep-state with Big Ups, and emerges in a anti-political comfort zone with Bully.
For more of our 2014 SXSW chain letter series, check out Part 1 and Part 2.
POTTY MOUTH
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Mid-show at our final night at the Longbranch Inn, we took a break from the Imposition to get caught up in the nervous energy of Northampton’s all-girl punk group, Potty Mouth. The ladies laughed and lamented their question set but shared some love for RuPaul before passing on a Tiger Beat-style query to Big Ups.
Who’s your daddy, and what does he do?
Abby: Oh, weird. I don’t like that question.
[All laugh]
Abby: Can the answer just be: I don’t like that question?
I guess it could be, though I’ve never gotten than answer before. Is your dad incognito?
Abby: No, it just has weird sexual connotations.
Well, yeah! Alright, we’ll accept “no comment.” Would you rather: Lady Gaga or RuPaul?
All: RuPaul!
Phoebe: I don’t like Lady Gaga, she rubs me the wrong way. She’s like, working hard and stuff… also, I’m just way more into what RuPaul’s doing than what Lady Gaga’s doing.
Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moon light, and what was it like?
Abby: Our answer is just, “Wait… what? Why?”
Phoebe: Abby’s classic line.
[All laugh]
What are your three questions for the next band?
What is your favorite kind of hot sauce?
Do you have a good sleepwalking story?
Who is your celebrity crush?
BIG UPS
As the Brooklyn band loaded into their van, finishing up a day packed start-to-finish with shows, Big Ups’ charismatic lead singer, Joe Galarraga, stopped to share some unexpected love for a friend of El Duderino (if you’re not into that whole brevity thing) and to haunt us with remembered warnings about the bad mix of children and plastic bags.
Who is your celebrity crush?
I’m going to give you two. First one is John Goodman. I love every movie I’ve seen starring John Goodman. I love his facial expressions. I just feel like he’d be a really loyal person to be with. My next celebrity crush is Natalie Portman because I think she’s fucking badass. Remember that band, Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head? I don’t know… she just does whatever the fuck she wants. She rapped on SNL, it was mad cool. She just doesn’t give a fuck.
What is your favorite kind of hot sauce?
Hmm… I have a favorite one, but I don’t know the name. I’ll go with Tapatio. It’s good for bloody marys. It’s good on a quesadilla…
Bloody marys are an important…ingredient in life.
Yeah, exactly. Need ‘em! Can’t live without them! Had one this morning.
Do you have a good sleepwalking story?
I have a good one from when I was 10 years old. I don’t really remember what happened, but I woke up in my mom’s closet inside of a Target bag, like a really big one, and I was still really little. I don’t know how I got there, but that was where I slept that night, apparently.
[Laughs] No, no real branding that happened from that childhood experience. Only important that it was Target because they have those huge bags! It’s weird. Big bags to buy a lot at once.
What are your three questions for the next band?
Why are apples and tomatoes the only fruit that get really mealy and bad?
Who’s your favorite president, and why?
If you had to describe your look or approach in terms of personal style, how would you describe it?
BULLY
On the last morning of SXSW, when the sun was hidden behind gray clouds and bursts of light rain splattered Impose’s guests at The Grackle and only a few free beers had hit our poor stomach walls, we took it mad easy for the final three questions of the chain letter with lead singer and guitarist Alicia Bognanno from Nashville’s Bully. After her opening set, she leaned into bench seating with us, where we were hanging low like creeps, chins smacking the table, to talk about not talking about politics and keeping it casual.
Why are apples and tomatoes the only fruit that get really mealy and bad?
Because they’re the freshest. I don’t know. [Laughs]
Who’s your favorite president, and why?
Oh, really?! Do I have to answer that? I’m not talking politics. Um, yeah, I don’t know. Obama because he’s president now. [Laughs] But I say that because I just don’t… I’m not someone who will publicly say anything about politics.
Sometimes I even don’t say anything privately about politics. [Laughs]
[Laughs] Exactly. So I guess if I have to answer that, it’s Obama, just because he’s president now.
If you had to describe your look or approach in terms of personal style, how would you describe it?
Comfort. T-shirts and old boots, whatever’s most comfortable.
Until next fest, xoxo forever!
