Scenesters, it's shaping up to a be a blazing hot afternoon on the kickball fields, so stay well-hydrated with today's Cork and Barrel KVKL special: Ska's Modus Hoperandi IPA. As for us, we'll spend our early evening in the air-conditioned comfort of Frank's, letting Michael Buck serenade us (update: do NOT shout requests: make sure all requests are properly submitted in writing at least three hours prior to showtime).
Other events of note: our buddy James Dean Rose is at the Replay matinee with a CD release party and the madmen of Cloud Dog are opening for prolific folkie Paleo at the Replay late show (Paleo once uploaded a new song a day to his website for an entire year: listen and learn about that project here ).
But we're devoting our space today to an interview with Jerad of Prag (of LFK and KC), who'll be rocking at the Bottleneck this Tuesday, June 19 with Sons of Bill. Prag's Facebook bio lists only this: "You know who the fuck we are." But we're not entirely sure that you DO know who the fuck they are, so please enjoy this chat about the band's name, their fondness for Ween, and the evils of the Bush administration.
Check out Prag on Facebook here and on Twitter here.
Chip: So what the hell does Prag mean? It’s a drug reference of some sort, I’m guessing. Am I right?
Jerad: A Prag is the subservient role in a Jailhouse relationship: prison + fag put together. Me and my friends were big fans of the HBO series Oz about men in prison and we would always say "dude if we were in jail, man, you would be my prag" just razzing each other. We love gay folks and don't mean any offense but, yeah, the name just stuck.
Chip: I'm going to go ahead and pretend it's a drug reference, if that's cool.
Richard: Your Facebook page lists a pretty wide array of influences, including several comedians (Neil Hamburger, Bill Hicks). What role does humor play in the Prag sound or the Prag mentality?
Jerad: We don't like to take ourselves too serious even though we take our music seriously. I find it a little annoying when bands are uptight about time slots... "indie cred"....their rep...what kind of equipment you have. So, if it ain't death I'm usually laughing about it.
Richard: Describe the Prag sound to our readers, as pretentiously as possible.
Jerad: We don't want to sound like anyone else. We like to think of ourselves as punk rockers but not in the traditional safety pin, Mohawk type of way. Maybe if Black Flag and the Rolling Stones had a three-way with a synthesizer out would pop Prag. We use fender and hollow body guitars along with Moogs, an iPad, and a Roland Mc 505 groovebox.
Chip: You guys sure do seem to like Ween a lot. My favorite Ween song has got to be “Piss Up a Rope.” What’s yours?
Jerad: Great question. I'll go with "Your Party" off of the last one, La Cucaracha. I always play it anytime I'm throwing a shindig.
Chip: What’s up with that Condi Rice “illuminati” image on your FB page?
Jerad: I was just fucking around with Photoshop one day and came up with that image and it seemed to sum up how Prag felt about the Bush administration, corporate greed, and money in general.
Richard: My favorite Prag song is “Real Talk, Son.” Give our readers some “real talk” about why they need to attend your Bottleneck show?
Jerad: If you haven't been PRAGGED out yet it's a unique experience. We keep it heavy for the fellas but sexy for the ladies, you know what I'm saying? Prag shows aren't an all-boys club.
Chip: You’ll be sharing a bill with Sons of Bill and they seem like more of a straightforward, rootsy outfit. Will their fans be fucking terrified of Prag?
Jerad: It's a distinct possibility...but we are a pop band at heart who just wants to get the asses shaking, you dig? I think it will be a blast. Our favorite bands are Bruce Springsteen and the Stones along with The Stooges and Black Flag, so there's some middle ground there.
Here's Prag looking like bad-ass rock stars:
1 comment:
Prag - Building a better tomorrow today.
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