Interview with Two Tone Wolf Pack (The singer at least.)

When I saw Two Tone Wolf Pack play the other week at the Hi Dive (Denver) I knew immediately that they were hot. Not just hot, but they could sing well too! What with the singer's low manly grumble to the bass player's "fuck me" falsetto. And don't get me started on their accordion player! HOLY HELL!

When I'm not dreaming of being gang banged by these guys, I also find the time to appreciate their dark and haunting atmosphere of their amazing music.

And here's a pretty picture of the awesome dudes *via my friend Lisa Cooke's Truly Rejected magazine*

And now for the inappropriate (and sometimes racist) questions!

Enjoy! :-D

1: Well... So here we are... Any last requests before I swing you from a dead tree?

Look! Over there! It's a diversion!....

2: I just saved you. What kind of pants would you buy me for saving your life?

Easy. Filson Double Tin Cloth Pants... Wind,Water,&Fire Resistant, and Guaranteed for life as long as you don't put them in the washing machine.

3: Let's talk about your bass player. Does he get a lot of groupies? I'm sure you all do, but what about him?

To help keep his anonymity, we'll call him Danathan Evanderfield Garzan. He's more or less knee deep in groupies, and can't hardly do anything but beat them off with a stick.

4: Let's just get this out of the way... Show me your feet!

He misread my request. No one should have to look at shoes covering wonderfully wonderful bare feet! GRRR!!!

5: By the way, who are you and what do you do in the band? For anonymity's sake I'll go by Johnald, and I play Vocals and Sing Guitar.

6: Why Americana / Folk instead of hardcore metal or pop punk or hardcore pop punk? Americana/Folk is the people's music, and has been for way longer than any of those others..... also it's cheaper gear.

7: If I'm talking to the right person, show me your beard!

Ladies, he has manliness to spare! Seriously, this doesn't make you wet?

8: How did you guys meet up and make such wonderful music?

it's called dating. you mean when&how did we start going steady? Mainly online dating websites is how we met.

9: What brand of guitar do you have? (or bass, drums, accordion, whomever may be answering this)

I try and play my '51 Stella Harmony when ever I can.

10: What is your take on Obamacare? Shouldn't we all be denied healthcare just because it makes Republicans upset? Or if you are a Republican then, why?

Well if we're gonna be taxes to a Government, and a government is supposed to ensure our well being why wouldn't that include being allocated heavily towards health? I'd rather spend that money on health than on some vauge terms like "the fight against terrorism" or "the war on drugs."

11: What sort of influences influenced you guys? I mean musically, not your sexy pants.

I would point you towards reading the Introduction to Alan Lomax's Prison Songs Volume 1 "Murderous Home" Also a lot of Pop Music.

12: While we're on the subject, what kind of pants do you prefer?

I prefer pants that fit well. You know 30"x34" is Slim Fit.

13: If you could only save two people in the world and transport them to safety on a NASA rocket thingy, what kind of ice cream would you eat?

Little Man's Salted Oreo Ice Cream. Easiest question yet.

14: I'm sitting here drinking a diet soda. Entertain me!

Look! Over there! It's that Diversion again!

15: What is your name? And why should I capitalize it? Are you really that primpy and such that you can't stand to have your name un-capitalized?

You're not my real Dad!

16: If you could eat any fish, which one would most likely get blood thrown on you from PETA

Orca's? I think that's a mammal? Baby Dolphin? no, that's a mammal too... This one's too hard. Can we skip?.... Nope, I've got it! Fish sticks! But more because of the industries they're made by that what kind of fish it is.

17: What is your take on cows? Should we eat them? They are pretty stupid creatures. One time I punched a cow and it just sort of looked at me. I mean... What the fuck man!?

Hey man Cows and Dads are Cops too ya know.

18: Do you guys have a website or something you'd like me to post?

www.twotonewolfpack.com (of course!)

Plus you can get their facebook stuff here!

And listen to their darkly sweet take on... You know what? They are sort of a punk Munly.

Anyways: Here's their music!

19: When you sweat on stage, are you thinking of mass genocide?

not regularly.

20: Why the name “Two Tone Wolf Pack?” I mean, does it have significant attachment or did it just sort of came about as a way to book shows? Personally I think you guys should be called “Those sexy guys in that band that does the music and such!”

Two Tone Wolf Pack was originally a gang name. A gang for kids who only want to wear Wolf T-shirts. I think we just admired that audacity.

Also, Thanks. You're pretty cute yourself.

And now for a picture of a pug being all pug and shit. :-D

Two Tone Wolf Pack and Reverend Deadeye 10/02/13 Hi Dive

Two Tone Wolf Pack and Reverend Deadeye 10/02/13 Hi Dive

By: Dave McGhee

Honestly, I came into this show not even certain which genre of music I'd be hearing that night. I decided to meet up with my friend and local music scene icon “Lisa Cook” (The Emmas / Turbo Knife Fight). She said that it would be awesome to see each other again so I had agreed to come to the show. Anyways, thing being, I was there. With two of my trusty Ativan I entered the Hi Dive and, quite frankly, got my ass handed to me by Satan himself.

The first band was a lovely trio of fine young men (not to be confused with fine young cannibals). They were normally a foursome. The accordion player filled in for drums and did a fantastic job! They called themselves “Two Tone Wolf Pack.” The singer sounded like he had chugged on moonshine and smoked free leaf tobacco for seventy years nonstop, despite his young age. His growl is comparable to that of local scary Americana band man Munly. Plus the entire time I kept thinking to myself “This is what it would sound like if Munly did Soundgarden covers!” And immediately I had the wind knocked out of me. Not because of the music, but because tall people be bumping into me.

Stupid tall people...

Anyways, the bass player had to be the most talented of the bunch. He sang very high and very soulful for a white dude. At least I think he was white? It's really dark in the Hi Dive. Leave me alone!

That being said, he made me wish I had a vagina so I could have throw my panties at him. What a passionate performer! His bass lines were bouncy yet driving and the music kind of rolled forward with the rhythm of a broken down steam engine on its last legs. The last minute lineup thingy resulted in the drummer not being there and the accordion player had to fill in on the drums. And to be honest, he wasn't that bad. Even my partner Frank, who was with me, who is a drummer and even he thought the guy gave his all during the show. He did a fantastic job of singing and playing, and not just simple harmonies – quality stuff.

I didn't see the Reverend Deadeye set up. But once I had come back inside after a quick smoke break with Lisa, the whole stage was set up with an instrument case and a metal washtub with a tambourine inside, a hi-hat with a black rubber hand sticking upward and a few other seemingly random objects . His microphone was obviously his since we can assume that the Hi Dive doesn't have such scratchy sounding microphones just lying around. Maybe if the band had a rider they could request one? Riders are cool. You should join a band and get to the point where you can get a rider. Then you can request nachos!

The whole set began with the setting off of a delay/looping pedal, which through the awesomeness of modern technology, started blasting through the P.A.a prayers and revelations that a mad old church tent revival preacher would shout to his congregation whilst breaking and cracking his voice from his own passion.

While this was going on the Reverend went from his set up to the button up shirt and tie hanging on the back wall of the stage. I was wondering why someone would put their laundry there and just leave it. I mean, who's on that friendly of terms with the Hi Dive where they can stash things like a personal self storage? I mean... Yeah. What? Of course.

Once he started up I swear I went through three stages of disbelief. First was the “What the hell?” Then came “Oh my God!” Then that segued finally into “Praise God!” I swear I was a believer that night. Lisa and I raised our hands to the sky with glory as the faithful reverend preached his own brand of Kentucky fried revival stuffamajiggers!

As much as I loved the guy both onstage and off, he did seem to go on a little longer than one would think was appropriate. My partner felt the same way. It just got grating after a while. I loved his music but it was just like listening to death metal, there is a limit to the amount of energy spent on keeping up the energy. Great, great show though! I am certainly a huge fan of both bands now.

Or should I say, a betwotonewolfpackandreveranddeadeyever?

Plus I just want to hand it to everyone who supported the show. Nice people are a rarity and except for a few people, my eccentricities were well tolerated. I just have to warn you people. If you bump into me, common courtesy dictates that you bump me on the opposite side. Only when things are symmetrical then one can achieve oneness with the one while being one with the zero. Then you get into binary and honestly I suck at numbers.

But the funnest and most notable song had to be "Fuck the Devil!"

Seriously, check it out! Ha ha!

Just thank God I didn't drink that night. I might of taken off my shirt and wailed like a mad man to the awesomely high energy local openers! Then again the people who know me probably wouldn't of thought all that that much odd about it. I'm just sort of like that.

Gotta love me!

Listen to Two Tone Wolf Pack here!

And become a believe with the Reverend Deadeye here!

My rise to awesomeness!

            When I was about sixteen, I sent out a demo to Blackheart Records and I actually got a reply! Though sadness soon sank in because once I heard what my voice sounded like, I didn’t want to sing that way anymore. So I tried being more manly, which resulted in me being waaaaaaaaaaaaay off key most of the time. My only saving grace was that I could scream, but screamo is for bitches so…

            I came to Colorado when I was about eighteen and tried to form a band here, which was unsuccessful for about four years. When I finally did get things together I was disappointed at the lackluster response my songs were getting. I thought they were good. Well recorded and such. But something was missing I suppose. But what was it?

            Honestly I have no idea. I remember making a demo on a four track and it was just me and John, the drummer for Ginkins. That demo was The Milkshakes first ever recording. It was just a joke that we did while we were drunk, but when I showed it to people they told me that they actually liked those songs. For another year I sort of just had to mend myself from the break-up of Ginkins. Then one day I found a drummer from another local band and he agreed to play with me. So I called up Brian from Uneven studio and set a date and time to record some songs as a duo.

            Honestly it started out as a joke band. It was making fun of the hipster scene and the sound of it. I didn’t even have enough songs to fill an album, so I just made up about five of them on the spot. We basically recorded live and only overdubbed one vocal track (two on a few of them, but not something so dramatic as to take away from the first track). In about three hours it was recorded and mastered and I had something to show people now. It just took off locally. It was insane!

            I know a lot of bands are used to playing for a packed house but not me. I was dumbfounded at how many people were starting to show up for the shows. We even got reviews in the Westword and a few other magazines. I think one of them was a call girl list with music reviews? It was cool.

            But it didn’t last. I weirded out the drummer, Fez, and I got way into heroin.

            It’s sort of funny how I never made a song about using heroin. Maybe I just feel like it’s not something to write about, although it would fit the style I suppose?

            After about five years I resurfaced and recorded some solo songs. It was cool but I would have really liked a drummer to play with then. No worries though. Because I have a new boyfriend and guess what? He’s a drummer! So we’re going to get together and see what happens as soon as I get another guitar. My friend Gary said he’d learn how to play bass, which is cool because I’d really like to include him in on it.

            So expect it soon. Still writing my book on evil republicans. I need to update this blog more often huh?

            I’ll try to keep up. I promise.

My day back down on south Broadway.

                I used to go out a lot. I was pretty well known by the old scene crowd (although some over thirty elitists would disagree on the decade in which said old scene occurred. I’m looking at you Tom!) so when I got a little bit of money together I decided to go back down on south Broadway to the old hang out spots. It had been planned the week before with my best pal Erin; I’d buy this week if she would buy the next.

                It was a sunny Friday afternoon and to be honest I was pissed off that it had not been cooler that day. I prefer to dress up in as many layers as I can normally. Stupid weather…

 As I waited at the bus stop with Erin and her daughter Victoria I began to notice all the cracks in the sidewalk surrounding me and the anxiety was showing in my face. Erin looks over at me and begins to laugh. Apparently my little quirks amuse her. Well, better that than her being freaked out by me, which happens more often than not.

                The 0 bus came up to its stop on seventeenth and California and the two were up and ready to get on the bus, but I slowed things down by avoiding all the cracks in the ground. I do this when I’m nervous; I haven’t been down in that area in so very long. It felt like I was going to an intervention or something. I was just expecting Matt and Allison to just show up and give me lip about my three drink limit at Sputnik. It’s really not all that bad and it’s most likely in my best interests. But I just didn’t want to hear it that day though.

                The bus dropped us off on Ellsworth and Broadway and it all immediately flooded back to me. The place where Fancy Tiger was was once the home of Chielle. That was a cool place. Old time scenesters Sara Tea, Wendy Marlow, and Alisa Dowel used to own it until they went their separate ways and moved to east Colfax and then to that great boutique shop in the sky. I liked Sara Tea. I once wrote a song about her and everyone always asked why I would list such horrible drug substances in the chorus. It had nothing to do with her. It was just some of the things that I had tried to get my frequent migraines to go away; Percoset, alcohol, vicoden and cocaine. Although I wouldn’t recommend the latter because you will only want more and the high goes away after you’ve been doing it for a week. Plus it’s freaking expensive!

                Instead of telling kids that they shouldn’t do drugs their parents should just make them buy them with their own money. Sheesh!

                Anyways… We got off at our stop and head toward Go Fish on the right side of Sputnik. It’s a very good sushi place and cheap at that. If only they gave out hot towels and had wasabi bloody Marys it would be the totes! Erin and I had a cigarette while Victoria fidgeted around the entrance until we were ready. Once inside the waiter sat us at an outside table and gave us the menu and drink list. Erin had made me promise that I was going to have sake. I decided to go all out and ordered pineapple sake with some sort of honey beer. Both were disgusting but I drank them up anyways, for Erin’s sake of course. Then I drank hers and we ordered more and by the time the sushi was ordered I was pretty hammered. The proof in this pudding had to be the amount of sushi I had ordered. When it came Erin and I were speechless. Victoria pointed at me and started laughing about how much of a drunk I am. I had ordered a fucking party tray it seemed, a very, very expensive party tray.

                But life is too short to waste time grumbling about stupid and delicious decisions.

                The only cure for this was more sake. By the time we finished I had two to go boxes and an itch to go over to Mutiny Now across the street and pillage books like a literary Viking, sans the rape of course. As I signed my name on my card receipt and the waiter brought over three complementary glasses of sake, Erin and I were dumbstruck because Victoria was underage, although she was just fourteen she could easily pass for twenty one. At least now I suppose she could. Wow…

                What happened next is a source of controversy amongst us consenting adults and one adolescent. After all that jazz we headed off to Mutiny Now and I think I bought a Chuck Palahniuk book. I can’t really remember because I have so many books and I was drunk at the time. That could explain where this book about male hookers getting raped to death with dildos came from. I probably asked the owner for a recommendation or something. So far I’m at the part where the psychiatrist bangs a tranny.

                When that was over we went back across the street and into Sputniks. I was hoping to see someone I knew so I began investigating while my two female friends found a spot at the bar. To no avail I went back outside and saw that the Hi Dive was open. I didn’t want to abandon my friends but I wanted to see if I could find someone I knew. Going in was like a flash back to the old times. I can’t even begin to describe the many times I have fallen off that stage drunk… It was empty anyway except for Nathanial Radcliff and his group of two. That familiar adrenalin rush went through my head and with a smile on my face I went up to him and say what’s up.

                I got up near him at the bar; he still wasn’t paying any attention to me so I tapped his shoulder and got his attention.

                And this is what I said… “I hate you.”

                Nate laughed and slapped me on my back and asked how I’ve been. I told him that I had been diagnosed with Aspergers and that’s why I am so out there. He didn’t believe me at first but I said it a second time and he said “Whatever”, which is the best response that one could hope for with this guy. And with a smile and a heavy heart I left them be. I had nothing more to say to him and he was trying to mack on his woman so I came back to Sputnik and sat at the bar beside my friends. The bartender came up, a cute guy with a hipster beard, and asked us what we wanted to drink. Erin wanted to get the fruitiest girl drink they had and he gave her something that looked like it had been aborted by a gay pineapple. I forgot the exact name but it was definitely stronger than my white Russian. So when I finished that I ordered a long island and told the guy to cut me off after three drinks. I got my long island and started to bullshit with the bartender. After a while I asked him if he remembered me but he said no. It will take me a little while to get used to this new scene.

                Whilst drunken off my ass I decided to whip out Erin’s laptop and do my psych homework. I would have gotten a ninety if I hadn’t listened to her… And in my drunken stupor I accused her as being everything that is wrong with my life. But this was remedied with a few more sips of her strange brew. Then all was good again.

                After that it was pretty much a blur. A cab was called and I think I left a ten dollar tip for the bartender with the cute butt; he in turn hugged me with his big manly hipster arms. Either way it was a good time for all involved.

                The next morning I awoke in my underwear with no sheets on and the sushi to go containers had been left out on the floor from the night before. With a moment’s hesitation I started to eat said contents. A little day old raw fish never hurt nobody.

…

…At least nobody I know of.