1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:01,720 Speaker 1: Taking a Walk. 2 00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 2: You know, I come from a very musical family, so 3 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:08,480 Speaker 2: I'm spoiled and ruined and that's regarded. I get in 4 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 2: through the back door, you know. I walked in into 5 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 2: my father's band rehearsal and thought that that's just how 6 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 2: things are. There's a drum set and there's an amp. 7 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 2: In that sense, Ukraine wasn't any kind of you know, 8 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 2: a third world country that didn't know how it goes 9 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 2: like now, like I grew up to, like my dad 10 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:30,160 Speaker 2: rehearsing like door songs. 11 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to this episode of the Taking a Walk Podcast 12 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 1: with your host Buzz Night. Buzz's guest is Eugene Hoots, 13 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:42,279 Speaker 1: a Ukrainian singer and composer and the frontman for the 14 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 1: hardcore punk band Google Bordello. Joined Buzz and Eugene next 15 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 1: on Taking a Walk. 16 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 3: Well, I'm Buzzsnight. I hosted the Taken a Walk podcast 17 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 3: and we love having in person walks, but from time 18 00:00:56,920 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 3: to time it's virtual. So we're gonna go to the 19 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 3: virtual Taking a Walk hotline and special guests enter and 20 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 3: sign and please. 21 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 2: Oh hello, thank you for having me. I'm Eugene Huts. 22 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 2: I'm the lead singer of gog Overdel songwriter you know 23 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 2: New Yorker over the last twenty five years. 24 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 3: Well, you are a man of diverse interests, and we're 25 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 3: going to hopefully touch on that. But most importantly, first 26 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:26,320 Speaker 3: I want to find out how is your family in 27 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 3: the Ukraine. 28 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 2: You know, people are holding up all right. I mean 29 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 2: it's it's kind of almost you know, impossible probably for 30 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:41,959 Speaker 2: a lot of people to imagine this situation, but u 31 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 2: Grainy people are pretty resilient and stoic on their historical 32 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 2: hard drive. It's just things went in such a way 33 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 2: that they build up these traits, you know, and that 34 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 2: comes to its full service right now. You know. It's 35 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:03,120 Speaker 2: just absolutely mind blowing what they could adapt to and 36 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 2: how they persevere through it, including my family. It's just 37 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 2: quite large back there, you know. So it's important to 38 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:13,640 Speaker 2: stay in regular touch, you know, and let them know 39 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 2: the world is thinking about them and concerned with the 40 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 2: same things you know with them. 41 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 3: Is there ever a moment where you feel they're giving up? 42 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 2: Hope? No, that's just something not on Ukrainian hard drive, 43 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 2: you know, to put it in one sentence, it's nobody 44 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 2: in Ukraine was you know, brought up with a silver 45 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 2: spoon and people who do well, they earn it. And 46 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 2: there's a lot of you know, just down to earthness 47 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 2: about it. Down to earthness and unwavering optimism, you know, 48 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 2: which I know from my very own family very well. 49 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:58,079 Speaker 2: You know, because you oftentimes, especially being a transplant and 50 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 2: an immigration, which is nothing in compare lison to the war, 51 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 2: you know, but that is still getting uppruited and tossed 52 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 2: around and carving out a new place in a new culture. 53 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 2: It still requires quite a degree of that, you know optimism. 54 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:19,519 Speaker 2: Is there some kind of genetic optimism? Yeah? 55 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:22,079 Speaker 3: Tell me about your last trip there. 56 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:26,239 Speaker 2: Well, this was just on September. I was able to 57 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 2: visit twice since the beginning of the war, which is 58 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 2: less regular than usually. I'm there every year. Well, I 59 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 2: mean this is also technically every year. But it's just 60 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 2: h yeah, you know, it's it's important to get there 61 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 2: and if you have capabilities of getting there and and 62 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 2: just spend face to face time, you know, because people 63 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 2: there they know that, you know, world supports them and 64 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 2: and but it's different when they see it face to 65 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 2: face that people can't you come there and you spend 66 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 2: time with them, and it's not by any means normal 67 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 2: what they're going through. But there's a lot of layers 68 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 2: of life that people just manage to be normal. Of course, 69 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:22,479 Speaker 2: there's air raids and sirens and all that right now, 70 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 2: but it's it's a very different kind of war. I mean, 71 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:28,719 Speaker 2: you get app on your phone that warns you about 72 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 2: air raid fifteen to twenty minutes ahead of time, and 73 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 2: you go to the shelter or don't. You know. I've 74 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:41,840 Speaker 2: seen people just wave that and not really you know, 75 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 2: comply to the sheltering. But I think they should definitely should. 76 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:51,039 Speaker 2: If they can't, you know, it's it's kind of amazing 77 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:56,480 Speaker 2: for them to master yet a flow of life, you know, 78 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 2: doing their work, doing their studies. People continuing with what 79 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 2: they do, you know. I mean, academics keep working, you know, 80 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:08,159 Speaker 2: fashion people keep designing, you know, and you know, musicians 81 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 2: keep playing. Of course, it's in a very transformed a 82 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 2: lot of times kind of unannounced and undisclosed locations. I 83 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:20,720 Speaker 2: mean even when I played there, you know, and the 84 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:28,920 Speaker 2: concerts were basically unadvertised and let no word of mouth, 85 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 2: and a lot in like two hours before that happened. 86 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 2: You know, Just things like that. 87 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 3: You know, tell me how you got connected first to music. 88 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 2: You know, I come from a very musical family, so 89 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:46,359 Speaker 2: I'm spoiled and ruined in that regard. I get in 90 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:49,559 Speaker 2: through the back door, you know. I walked in into 91 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 2: my father's band rehearsal and thought that that's just how 92 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:55,679 Speaker 2: things are. There's a drum set and there's an amp, 93 00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 2: so you're looking at it, you know, in that sense, 94 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:04,359 Speaker 2: Ukraine wasn't any kind of uh you know, third world 95 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:08,359 Speaker 2: country that didn't know how it goes like now, like 96 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 2: I grew up to, like my dad rehearsing like doors songs, 97 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:18,479 Speaker 2: you know, so like you know, and in fact, and 98 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 2: then it was that underground activity and wasn't bey means 99 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:25,240 Speaker 2: and he couldn't have any kind of career out of that. 100 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:28,839 Speaker 2: So it was a work of passion. And my father 101 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:34,200 Speaker 2: and his brother who's a painter, Mihailo he they had 102 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:36,880 Speaker 2: a lot of influence in me. Just I kind of 103 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:41,840 Speaker 2: downloaded all their hipster accomplishments, you know, as I as 104 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:46,599 Speaker 2: I appeared into the cradle, you know, just next to 105 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:50,040 Speaker 2: my crib was standing and my dad's you know, a 106 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 2: track recorder with you know, beatles and rolling stones and 107 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 2: doors and uh shugis Velvet Underground and yeah, I know 108 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:01,159 Speaker 2: all the good stuff that wasna the craft work. 109 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:02,080 Speaker 1: Like. 110 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 2: They were just so ahead of time that when I 111 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 2: got into punk rock years later, you know, and some 112 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 2: on some party finally, like some some punk rock kids 113 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 2: who were like older than me, a little bit like 114 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:16,240 Speaker 2: my kind of sages, they were like, yo, forget all 115 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:18,760 Speaker 2: this like hardcore stuff you're listening to. This is the 116 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:21,640 Speaker 2: new stuff. This is like and they played kraft Work. 117 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 2: I was like, oh my god, like that I heard it. 118 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 2: I was like three years old, you know. 119 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 3: I only remember that one song by them, Autobahn. 120 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, well it's a great song, but it's just such 121 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 2: an influential band, you know, that wrote the whole bible 122 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 2: of new aesthetic and of minimalism, and you know went 123 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 2: on to influence like Joy Division and all the bands 124 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 2: that came out out of Joy Division. You know, just 125 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:50,720 Speaker 2: highly influential bands. But I think that that comes kind 126 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 2: of from frequenting on my dad's rehearsals, which was not 127 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:58,200 Speaker 2: his main profession. That's, as I said, work of passion, 128 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 2: but also a pain the studio, you know, my uncle. 129 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 2: You know, just so we're just guys with like long 130 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 2: hair and dirty pants were like covered with paint and 131 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 2: you know, just just like smoked a lot and you know, 132 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:14,200 Speaker 2: had a fireplace, melting glass in the studio and blasting 133 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 2: like some crazy ass broad rock you know, you know, 134 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 2: like playing like King Crimson. And you know I was like, yes, 135 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:25,680 Speaker 2: I was like, you know, I was like, that's the 136 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 2: good hang you know, sounds great. Yeah, I mean it 137 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 2: wasn't like all the time. It was kind of a 138 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:38,080 Speaker 2: sacred place that should go a few times a week. 139 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 2: But I was familiar with those places and it was 140 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 2: a home for me. So you know, that went on 141 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:48,439 Speaker 2: to become more of a home for me. 142 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:53,199 Speaker 3: Leader tell me about the origins of the band, Go 143 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:58,440 Speaker 3: Go Bordello and explained to the audience the background, you know, 144 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:01,320 Speaker 3: why the name of the band. It's important, give them, 145 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:02,320 Speaker 3: give them the lowdown. 146 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 2: Yeah I can do that. I mean, over the years, 147 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:08,560 Speaker 2: I kind of I get to know how to put 148 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:11,720 Speaker 2: this book into three sentences. 149 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 3: Oh, come on, we've got time. If you've got time, Yeah, 150 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:17,200 Speaker 3: all right. 151 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 2: So it doesn't have to be three sentences. Here we go. 152 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 2: I guess kind of like did the kind of extra 153 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:28,319 Speaker 2: eccentric punk rock genre that's we kind of known for, 154 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:31,679 Speaker 2: you know, the so called gypsy punk is the word 155 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 2: out there on the street to to describe the band. 156 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 2: What does this mean? I mean, this was kind of 157 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 2: actually very pretty loose term for a very ambitious new 158 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:46,000 Speaker 2: kind of punk rock that we were set out to 159 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:50,320 Speaker 2: originate in the very beginning and you know, turn onto 160 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:54,080 Speaker 2: centary time was, you know, around two thousands. By the time, 161 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:57,840 Speaker 2: I was already playing numerous punk rock bands, hardcore bands, 162 00:09:58,559 --> 00:10:03,560 Speaker 2: electronic industrial band and some experimenting with all those things, 163 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:06,520 Speaker 2: you know, since I was a baby, and I just 164 00:10:06,559 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 2: felt like, Okay, I think that I think punk rocket 165 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 2: is an amazing thing with all this diversity, but it 166 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 2: kind of seems like it's running out of steam. You know, 167 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 2: what else can we infuse it with. And on a 168 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:25,200 Speaker 2: parallel note, I guess some my kind of nostalgia or 169 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:28,720 Speaker 2: where it came from, where that all those melodies of 170 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:32,640 Speaker 2: that old world magic were kind of boiling up to me. 171 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:34,880 Speaker 2: You know, I was like, already it's been some years 172 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:37,800 Speaker 2: since I left Ukraine, and I kind of start really 173 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 2: jonesing for these melodies, you know, just they were running 174 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:43,760 Speaker 2: through my veins. I mean, I was born and raised 175 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:47,280 Speaker 2: in a place outside of the Kiev, which was populated, 176 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:51,199 Speaker 2: I mean Sholoma Lake and wrote the Tevie the data Man, 177 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 2: which is the Fiddler of the Roof proto story in 178 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 2: where I was born and raised in Boylka, just fifteen 179 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:03,079 Speaker 2: kilometers outside of Kiev. So that's a place where the 180 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:10,959 Speaker 2: very unique makeup. There's Romani population, there's Jewish culture and 181 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:16,440 Speaker 2: traces of all that, like deeply seated melt down of 182 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 2: you know minorities, you know, roman Age, Jewish, you know Ukrainian. 183 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:29,560 Speaker 2: It's not a village, but it's not a suburb of 184 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:32,440 Speaker 2: Ei there. It's just like this unique town. There's still 185 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 2: a whale to get water from, but it was more 186 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:40,439 Speaker 2: on comparatively modern side by the time, hanging out and there. 187 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:44,560 Speaker 2: You know, it's just kind of really left impact. Those 188 00:11:44,559 --> 00:11:50,280 Speaker 2: were my essential childhood memories, just going down a dusty road, 189 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 2: stumbling into a wedding that people are having, having a 190 00:11:54,679 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 2: band play, going into that wedding, you know, being treated 191 00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:00,240 Speaker 2: as a you know, as a regular because I live 192 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:03,320 Speaker 2: around the block. When I was like five six years old, 193 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:07,400 Speaker 2: like doing my Tom Sawyer hackeled very finn activities basically, 194 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:11,920 Speaker 2: and so that kind of start subconsciously, I guess at 195 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 2: that point, jonesing for recapturing that, and I thought, wow, 196 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 2: you know, I have all this collection of gypsy music 197 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:23,280 Speaker 2: that I've been collecting over the years. I need to 198 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 2: start putting that in andto my music. I need to 199 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:31,360 Speaker 2: start melting this into this one retro futuristic vision. And 200 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:33,720 Speaker 2: the one thing that really helped me out with that 201 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:36,000 Speaker 2: is that I met here in New York City. I 202 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 2: scouted out. I mean I went after that. This was 203 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:42,559 Speaker 2: not accidents. I like went after these people after Sergey 204 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 2: and Uri are amazing, you know, virtoso players who were 205 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:51,199 Speaker 2: were virtual Us was like, it's nothing that you meet 206 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:54,280 Speaker 2: too often in punk rock world. You know, guys with 207 00:12:54,360 --> 00:13:00,320 Speaker 2: classical training, finished conservatory, and you know, once I got 208 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:04,960 Speaker 2: them on a Google Bordella train, we became unstoppable because 209 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:10,480 Speaker 2: we had that unique vision of this retro futuristic gypsy 210 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:14,839 Speaker 2: music inspired punk rock with all those elements from early 211 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:19,360 Speaker 2: punk and hardcore to classical music and everything in between. 212 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:23,120 Speaker 2: You know, that's really the kind of the genesis. Since 213 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:26,920 Speaker 2: you maybe more than a few sentences to describe there 214 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:30,600 Speaker 2: it is. There's the matrix, it's beautiful, yeah, and then 215 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 2: the huge cut onto it. You know, in New York 216 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:35,960 Speaker 2: City is a very receptive place. People know it when 217 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:38,880 Speaker 2: they see it. They have a very great taste here. 218 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:43,160 Speaker 2: And in particularly, we were embraced by scene that was 219 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:46,960 Speaker 2: kind of art punk scene and post punk, which was 220 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:53,080 Speaker 2: pretty massive at that time. So our bringing you years were, 221 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 2: you know, playing with bands that were like Speedball Baby 222 00:13:57,120 --> 00:14:03,600 Speaker 2: and Donga Dan and Heroin Chics with like people from 223 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 2: Swans and just like really really all that New York 224 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:13,679 Speaker 2: Lower East Side art good stuff that speaks through music. 225 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:16,080 Speaker 2: You know, that was our scene. 226 00:14:16,679 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 3: So I know when you first came to the country, 227 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:25,600 Speaker 3: you first went to Vermont, but ultimately do you feel 228 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 3: there was something kinetic that was driving you to New 229 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:30,280 Speaker 3: York City? 230 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:35,200 Speaker 2: Oh? Yeah, I was set on going to New York City. 231 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:39,240 Speaker 2: It was perhaps for the best that I went to 232 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:42,680 Speaker 2: Vermont first, because I mean I didn't speak any English, 233 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:48,520 Speaker 2: and yet back then it was kind of a gateway, 234 00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:50,680 Speaker 2: you know. I mean I would find my way around 235 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:52,760 Speaker 2: New York City as well, because where I grew up 236 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:55,080 Speaker 2: in Kiev, moved to Kia when I was five years 237 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:58,440 Speaker 2: old with my family. It was not so different from 238 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:01,760 Speaker 2: like growing up in the Bronx. Now that you know, 239 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 2: I know the city well, you know, it's just like similar, 240 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:09,720 Speaker 2: you know, desolate the outskirt with a lot of project 241 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:15,360 Speaker 2: buildings that looked kind of unfinished because they were unfinished actually, 242 00:15:16,680 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 2: you know, I mean the whole Soviet economy was so idiotic. 243 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:25,000 Speaker 2: It was just hustled and it was so correct mean, 244 00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 2: it was still covid Tunion back then, so it was 245 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:29,680 Speaker 2: so corrupted that they would have people moving in into 246 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:34,440 Speaker 2: unfinished buildings with like no windows and you know, like, yeah, 247 00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:36,800 Speaker 2: it's ready to go, move in and put in your 248 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:41,360 Speaker 2: own windows, you know. And then you know, people would 249 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:44,440 Speaker 2: move in and put in their own windows, and the 250 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 2: building was you know how unfinished buildings looked unpainted, there's 251 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:52,480 Speaker 2: no tiles, and then you know, the corrupted government was 252 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:55,000 Speaker 2: just like, okay, well they're already living in there, so 253 00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:56,800 Speaker 2: what the fuck they like it? So I guess we 254 00:15:56,800 --> 00:15:59,720 Speaker 2: don't have to really put the tiles in or painted, 255 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:01,800 Speaker 2: you know, so you'll just be living and just kind of. 256 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:04,320 Speaker 1: How is that? 257 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 2: You know from the get go, from the get go, 258 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 2: looked like ghetto, you know. And now the district in 259 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:15,560 Speaker 2: Kiev is called a belong is considered to be like 260 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 2: actually wanted the well to do districts but for first 261 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:23,600 Speaker 2: ten years of it, when we got in there, it 262 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 2: was just kind of like not so hard away, not 263 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:28,840 Speaker 2: so far from like the Warriors movie. 264 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:35,760 Speaker 3: You know, you're a historian though of sorts of music, 265 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:39,840 Speaker 3: and obviously when you made that move to to New York, 266 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:44,320 Speaker 3: you were really honed in on some particular bands that 267 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:48,040 Speaker 3: had great influence on you. To talk about the bands 268 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 3: at the time you moved in that were still part of, 269 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 3: you know, the scene. 270 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 2: The reason why even though well being in New York, 271 00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:01,000 Speaker 2: while even being in Vermont for first years, I knew 272 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:04,600 Speaker 2: that I was gonna go to New York anyway, is 273 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:07,920 Speaker 2: because of son Accuse. This is the band that's kind 274 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:13,320 Speaker 2: of a central hypnotic force in my trajectory. Beyond their 275 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:17,919 Speaker 2: music being distinctly singular and innovative and just reaching a 276 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:21,479 Speaker 2: full absolutely like a singular kind of frequency, you know, 277 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:24,880 Speaker 2: beyond that, they had a kind of a heroic act 278 00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:27,639 Speaker 2: to them. And they went to play in Ukraine in 279 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:33,720 Speaker 2: nineteen eighty nine, which was a revelation and really a miracle. 280 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:39,159 Speaker 2: This was a very still isolated time for Eastern Europe 281 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:43,440 Speaker 2: and the only people who would go there it's like, yes, 282 00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:47,359 Speaker 2: Gorbachev already opened the gates and some Western musicians started 283 00:17:47,359 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 2: to command. But they were like Billy Joel kind of 284 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:55,679 Speaker 2: mainstream rock en roll musicians that had all their paperwork 285 00:17:55,680 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 2: in order because they're massive entities. But for underground bands 286 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:05,440 Speaker 2: to go and play music that's extremely pioneering, that wasn't 287 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:09,479 Speaker 2: a thing. There was no established route. Even though I 288 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:12,160 Speaker 2: asked my friends now who put on that show, they 289 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:15,439 Speaker 2: were like, we don't really understand how it all came together. 290 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:17,560 Speaker 2: I guess some guys from a lot of we are 291 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:22,399 Speaker 2: cold and said that this progressive avant guard band is 292 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:26,919 Speaker 2: doing some kind of a heroic extent through Europe, and 293 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:30,800 Speaker 2: we got them somehow to come in here to Vilnius. 294 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:35,919 Speaker 2: So the show in Kiev happened. It was on the 295 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:39,960 Speaker 2: wings of Sonacuse, one of their peak records, and band 296 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:44,920 Speaker 2: had many peaks. It was daydream Nation tour, and wow, 297 00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:48,679 Speaker 2: we were all considered ourselves at that point the pretty 298 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:53,320 Speaker 2: savvy experts on all things alternative. We had a great 299 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:57,280 Speaker 2: connection with Berlin. We knew very well, like I showed 300 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:02,639 Speaker 2: Annoy about and Bush Lamerica actual Frown Shaft and Birthday Party. 301 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:07,560 Speaker 2: You know Nick Cave's old bands. Listening to Bauhaus and 302 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:10,800 Speaker 2: the Ball and aside from like GBH and you know, 303 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:14,120 Speaker 2: the kind of more usual kind of things for punk 304 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:19,560 Speaker 2: rock pil and classics pistols of course, but this was 305 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:24,200 Speaker 2: like completely another side of that whole music. The show 306 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:27,359 Speaker 2: was held actually not so far away from my home. 307 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:30,200 Speaker 2: I didn't know what to expect. I just kind of 308 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:33,359 Speaker 2: went there with my bandmates. It was like blowtorch in 309 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:41,680 Speaker 2: your face, you know, like all the alter tuning and 310 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:46,440 Speaker 2: resulted in such a hypnotical effect and just the whole 311 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:52,520 Speaker 2: presentation that they were playing this art punk hardcore. But 312 00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:55,560 Speaker 2: they looked kind of like normal people, Like they kind 313 00:19:55,560 --> 00:19:59,560 Speaker 2: of looked like professors from like younger professors from like 314 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:04,119 Speaker 2: you university, had this kind of academic kind of a 315 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:07,240 Speaker 2: style to them in a certain way. All I need 316 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:10,960 Speaker 2: to know now after the show, all these tribal beats 317 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:17,359 Speaker 2: and all these songs that have this extended instrumental, prolonged 318 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:20,879 Speaker 2: captotic sections, I'm going to go there where this music 319 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 2: came from. Yeah, it's just it was such a formative 320 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:27,840 Speaker 2: experience for a lot of people in Killo. Everybody who 321 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:30,920 Speaker 2: was there, all the two three hundred people that were 322 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:35,960 Speaker 2: there at that show, they were under the spell of 323 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:38,240 Speaker 2: it for sure and remain to be under spell of it. 324 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:42,520 Speaker 2: So I kind of knew that I need to go 325 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:49,320 Speaker 2: there where like that music had like a geographical aside 326 00:20:49,359 --> 00:20:53,840 Speaker 2: to it, or like I need to land on that soil. Yeah, 327 00:20:54,359 --> 00:20:57,560 Speaker 2: so that was kind of I guess the vector for me. 328 00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:01,480 Speaker 1: We'll be right back with more Taking a Walk Podcast. 329 00:21:06,359 --> 00:21:08,800 Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Taking a Walk Podcast. 330 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:12,000 Speaker 3: Did you ever get to play at CBGB's while it 331 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:12,719 Speaker 3: was still around? 332 00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:17,119 Speaker 2: Yeah, of course I get to play there several times 333 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:21,560 Speaker 2: before gol Verdelo. I had another band shows, several bands, 334 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:27,440 Speaker 2: and we drove up from Vermont and played CBGB twice 335 00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:32,159 Speaker 2: and Connie Allen high I think even continental this was 336 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:36,320 Speaker 2: like ninety four, ninety five, ninety six, even while living 337 00:21:36,359 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 2: in Vermont, which is extremely art spirited, probably have heard 338 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:43,520 Speaker 2: of legendary things about it, like you know, bread and 339 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:48,320 Speaker 2: Puppets events two put it to main a kind of 340 00:21:48,359 --> 00:21:53,879 Speaker 2: a legendary Now punk hardcore teen sent especially teen Center 341 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 2: that was turned into this punk hardcore warpex where we played, 342 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:02,040 Speaker 2: you know, dozens of times. That was started by Bernie 343 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:06,400 Speaker 2: Sanders and his wife Jean Sanders. Oh wow, Yeah, Yeah, 344 00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:09,639 Speaker 2: that was kind of modeled after these teen centers that 345 00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:13,800 Speaker 2: they had in Holland and Germany had a more European 346 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:17,440 Speaker 2: kind of way of running it, which was letting kids 347 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:20,800 Speaker 2: run it, and you're letting kids book it. That's why, 348 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 2: you know everything like the most progressive hardcore bands of 349 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:28,640 Speaker 2: that time, like you know Shelter and you know Matt 350 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:33,960 Speaker 2: boll and Agnostic Tron Quick saying. Anyway, we just had 351 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:36,960 Speaker 2: like a train. It was like a revolving door of 352 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:41,880 Speaker 2: all the basically coolest music from DC and New York 353 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:46,800 Speaker 2: City and Boston. You know, so we were well exposed 354 00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:50,639 Speaker 2: to everything, and if something wouldn't come our way, just 355 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:54,440 Speaker 2: go to Montreal, which was an hour and a half 356 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 2: away and see like John Spencer or Nana Snails or 357 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:03,520 Speaker 2: Nirvana or Nick Cave. But yeah, we kind of who 358 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:05,840 Speaker 2: got He played so many times in Burlington and it 359 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:08,199 Speaker 2: was really influential. You know. 360 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:11,760 Speaker 3: We had on a previous episode that Danny Fields so 361 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 3: central to lou Reed and obviously the Ramones, and we 362 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:20,200 Speaker 3: took a walk around the village and when we got 363 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:23,879 Speaker 3: to the site of CBGB's, I mean it really it 364 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:29,600 Speaker 3: really cuts it him not seeing CBGB's there. How does 365 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:32,359 Speaker 3: it make you feel when you see the absence of 366 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:34,880 Speaker 3: these places that have disappeared. 367 00:23:36,119 --> 00:23:41,720 Speaker 2: Oh boy. Yeah, Well, Danny has such a you know 368 00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:47,480 Speaker 2: impact on the whole history of of of everything, of 369 00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:53,400 Speaker 2: everything cool. I was lucky to meet him and fulfill 370 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:56,600 Speaker 2: my thirst of knowledge of some of those things, you know, 371 00:23:57,160 --> 00:24:03,440 Speaker 2: And he's such an incredible person to drive about that specifically, 372 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:08,240 Speaker 2: So I can see how that just can be tramatic. 373 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:11,480 Speaker 2: It's not the same, let's put it sway. For me, 374 00:24:11,520 --> 00:24:16,000 Speaker 2: it's slightly less traumatic. But listen, I moved to New 375 00:24:16,040 --> 00:24:20,359 Speaker 2: York City because Sonacuse is the vector, but there was 376 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 2: a vector to that, to those National Treasure institutions. It's 377 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:29,200 Speaker 2: partly traumatic for me too. That's probably what we should 378 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:33,520 Speaker 2: have begin with, because talking about having a walk through 379 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:39,720 Speaker 2: New York, I have a particular attachment to Alphabet City 380 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:44,680 Speaker 2: and that you know, Ukrainian Village and all the Lower 381 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:48,080 Speaker 2: East Side, all the pockets of it, because I lived 382 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:50,960 Speaker 2: in for a long time and many places over there. 383 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:55,399 Speaker 2: But also because it's not that it's just CBGB and 384 00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:58,920 Speaker 2: Cornye All and High and Brownies and Pyramid and Sidewalk 385 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:03,280 Speaker 2: Cafe where I start it started over as a singer songwriter. 386 00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:07,600 Speaker 2: It's that it's in Ukrainian Village. It's a block away 387 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:11,960 Speaker 2: from the Selka Corny Island high When I I meant 388 00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:15,639 Speaker 2: the first to play there while my oldest old dance 389 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:18,280 Speaker 2: around the corner, I would find that there's a Ukrainian 390 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:21,920 Speaker 2: restaurant next to the punk rock Club, and there's a 391 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:26,240 Speaker 2: Ukrainian bar, you know, just around the block from CBGB's, 392 00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:32,040 Speaker 2: and there's a Ukrainian sports bar just around the block 393 00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:35,800 Speaker 2: from Brownies. And I was like, what the fuck? This 394 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:40,120 Speaker 2: is magic like this, I could not you know, this 395 00:25:40,359 --> 00:25:45,600 Speaker 2: is fantasmagori, like it's coming true. 396 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:51,160 Speaker 3: He Danny loved taking me over to the Ukrainian Village area. 397 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:54,440 Speaker 3: I mean he that was very special. All was special, 398 00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:58,320 Speaker 3: but for Danny, I could tell his very close you 399 00:25:58,359 --> 00:26:00,920 Speaker 3: know association and. 400 00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's especially for you know, I mean he 401 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:08,680 Speaker 2: has so much mileage in there and all these events 402 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:12,119 Speaker 2: and I continue to discover up until these days, amazing 403 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:17,000 Speaker 2: things about that. It's not that it's just called Ukrainian Village. 404 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:20,199 Speaker 2: I mean the culture is there just crashed the surface 405 00:26:20,280 --> 00:26:24,040 Speaker 2: and you'll find out that like New Order first show 406 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:27,879 Speaker 2: in New York City was in Ukrainian National Home. I 407 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:30,000 Speaker 2: was like somebody told me about it, and I was like, no, 408 00:26:30,119 --> 00:26:34,280 Speaker 2: way interesting. And then I looked it up and there 409 00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:38,120 Speaker 2: was a picture of you know, Bernard Sumner New Order 410 00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:41,520 Speaker 2: on stage with a backdrop of Ukrainian poet you know, 411 00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:45,320 Speaker 2: Tarasha Chenko, you know, and yet of course it's an 412 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:49,320 Speaker 2: Ukrainian National Home. And then I scrashed the surface part 413 00:26:49,359 --> 00:26:52,440 Speaker 2: there and went to talk to people, the old timers 414 00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:55,639 Speaker 2: who were there, and they're like, yeah, we had like 415 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:59,439 Speaker 2: Misfits and Chromacs and everybody else player on the regular basis. 416 00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:02,320 Speaker 2: I mean, why is that a surprise? I mean, Ukrainian 417 00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:07,400 Speaker 2: has love music. I was like, damn, that's some incredible history. 418 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:10,600 Speaker 2: How did that come together? And they were like, well, 419 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:13,159 Speaker 2: they didn't have any place to go, and you know, 420 00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:16,320 Speaker 2: we love to party, so I had to just play 421 00:27:16,359 --> 00:27:20,600 Speaker 2: here and let's make a deal and they and so 422 00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:21,080 Speaker 2: we did. 423 00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:22,720 Speaker 3: Oh wow. 424 00:27:23,119 --> 00:27:25,879 Speaker 2: So it's like it's goes on and on. Similar with 425 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:28,280 Speaker 2: Polish community too, I mean, as you know, one of 426 00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:34,480 Speaker 2: the venues warsaw As it's just Polish National Home converted 427 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:40,840 Speaker 2: to a very successful, awesome venue in Greenpoint. And you know, 428 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:45,159 Speaker 2: Ukrainian Polish people are very kindred spirits, and many of 429 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:48,240 Speaker 2: the venues that we play across the country, and you know, 430 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:51,919 Speaker 2: and especially in early tours, you know, we played a 431 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:56,280 Speaker 2: lot of great venues in in uh, you know, Cleveland 432 00:27:56,320 --> 00:28:03,200 Speaker 2: and Chicago that were basically old Polish Ukrainie, a lotvan 433 00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:09,640 Speaker 2: social polls that we're remodeled as venues for rock n roll. 434 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:13,879 Speaker 3: Don't hang up on me, yakshimash. 435 00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:14,760 Speaker 2: Yeah that's Polish. 436 00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:20,399 Speaker 3: Yeah, I know, that's all I've got. That's all I got. 437 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:25,760 Speaker 3: Tell me about you play worldwide, So tell me about 438 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:29,000 Speaker 3: some of your favorite places all over the globe that 439 00:28:29,119 --> 00:28:29,879 Speaker 3: you love playing. 440 00:28:31,280 --> 00:28:33,680 Speaker 2: I'd say, well, there's two kind of different ways to 441 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:39,120 Speaker 2: ask for that. Culturally, you know, I'm kind of a 442 00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:44,240 Speaker 2: really huge fan of Japan and Latin America. Of course, 443 00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:50,160 Speaker 2: they have very distinct culture and so a lot of 444 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:53,800 Speaker 2: that is very appealing and just awesome when you get there. 445 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:56,200 Speaker 2: It's a bit of sands that you landed in a 446 00:28:56,240 --> 00:28:59,280 Speaker 2: different planet. They have their own way of running things, 447 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:03,840 Speaker 2: you know, in life style is distinctly different, and the 448 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:08,040 Speaker 2: audiences are super you know, enthusiastic, and as you know, 449 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:14,880 Speaker 2: Japan is extremely well informed and super receptive to anything 450 00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:18,240 Speaker 2: that's new. So we always did super well in Japan 451 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:23,240 Speaker 2: and played awesome shows actually with Sonacus one of the festivals, 452 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 2: and you know, people just there get so excited. It's like, 453 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:31,440 Speaker 2: I remember we played the festival and it was during 454 00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:34,400 Speaker 2: the earthquake. But then we'll get off the station. You know. 455 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:36,280 Speaker 2: There was news that there was an earthquake during the 456 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:40,160 Speaker 2: show and that there's one more coming probably later on 457 00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:43,400 Speaker 2: in the evening, but the promoter still asked us to 458 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:46,480 Speaker 2: play an after party. We played another show a couple 459 00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:49,840 Speaker 2: hours later. It seemed like they had a holden things 460 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:52,440 Speaker 2: and things were supposed to work out, and work out 461 00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:55,600 Speaker 2: they did only when we got to hotel and partying 462 00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:58,400 Speaker 2: and I started seeing from the balcony from we were 463 00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:02,040 Speaker 2: like a fifty six year floor on the balcony and 464 00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 2: I start seeing the pool downstairs. It just kind of 465 00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:07,560 Speaker 2: looks like, you know, a glass of water if you 466 00:30:07,680 --> 00:30:11,680 Speaker 2: just shake it in your hand, just splashing all over 467 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:13,920 Speaker 2: the place. And I was like, well, that's okay, it's 468 00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:17,520 Speaker 2: that thing. And anyway, nothing went off the rails. That 469 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:19,360 Speaker 2: kind of will stick in your mind, you know. 470 00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:21,160 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, I'd say. 471 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:25,160 Speaker 2: The festival didn't step just the wife went on as normal. 472 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:30,800 Speaker 2: That was pretty suitable. Suitable earthquake. I mean water was 473 00:30:30,880 --> 00:30:32,640 Speaker 2: splashing pretty far out of the pool. 474 00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:38,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, I'd say, you know, jeez, that gets etched pretty 475 00:30:38,240 --> 00:30:39,840 Speaker 3: severely in your brain, right. 476 00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:43,000 Speaker 2: Yeah. By the time, I had like twelve Roman cokes, 477 00:30:43,040 --> 00:30:45,520 Speaker 2: so I was easied into it. 478 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:54,360 Speaker 3: You know, tell me how your acting career began and 479 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:55,440 Speaker 3: has evolved. 480 00:30:57,320 --> 00:31:00,600 Speaker 2: I don't know. There's really a way called career. And yeah, 481 00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:03,600 Speaker 2: it was in several movies. It would be a career 482 00:31:03,640 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 2: if I pursue. 483 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:07,720 Speaker 3: It acting hobby. Acting hobby. Then how's that? 484 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:13,760 Speaker 2: Yeah? Okay, that works. You know. Everything Is Eliminated is 485 00:31:13,800 --> 00:31:16,600 Speaker 2: the first movie that kind of fell out out of 486 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:21,320 Speaker 2: the sky. Probably there's some sense of so called love 487 00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:24,600 Speaker 2: attraction that was at work, because it's kind of several 488 00:31:24,640 --> 00:31:27,880 Speaker 2: things were aligning with that. A friend of mine, a 489 00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:31,240 Speaker 2: Ukrainian artist, you know, gave me a book Everything Is Eliminated, 490 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:34,360 Speaker 2: just literally like a month or two months before the 491 00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:38,520 Speaker 2: news of this film casting came up. I actually kind 492 00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:41,120 Speaker 2: of poked around it and didn't really read it, but 493 00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 2: I thought it was interesting and the way it's written 494 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:47,600 Speaker 2: in such an unorthodox way. And I think that the 495 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:52,120 Speaker 2: writer of the novel, he came to my party in 496 00:31:52,200 --> 00:31:55,840 Speaker 2: Bulgarian part and another writer told me about it, you know, 497 00:31:55,920 --> 00:31:58,920 Speaker 2: so it's kind of on my radar. A movie people 498 00:31:58,960 --> 00:32:01,640 Speaker 2: reached out and said, we're making The System in european 499 00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:05,120 Speaker 2: kind of spirited movie, and would be great if you 500 00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:08,080 Speaker 2: could maybe collborrit on soundtrack for that. You know, your 501 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:11,360 Speaker 2: band kind of has a n act for that. And yeah, 502 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:14,800 Speaker 2: I was like, yeah, okay, let's meet up. And it 503 00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:17,840 Speaker 2: was only during the meeting. It was really music that 504 00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:20,000 Speaker 2: led me onto it. You know. It was during the 505 00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:23,560 Speaker 2: meeting that Leave Schreiber, you know, who directed the movie, 506 00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:27,800 Speaker 2: and kind of was hey, like listen, okay, well music 507 00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:30,520 Speaker 2: is one thing, but you my friend done any acting 508 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:33,080 Speaker 2: by any chance too? You know, I had a kN 509 00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:35,560 Speaker 2: eye for it. You know, it's like, maybe you should 510 00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:39,640 Speaker 2: commit for a screen test tomorrow. So it's like, yeah, 511 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:42,240 Speaker 2: I'm not a post to it. I guess that went 512 00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:46,840 Speaker 2: okay because like three weeks later I was, you know, 513 00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:52,160 Speaker 2: doing rehearsals for the film in Prague where the production 514 00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:58,000 Speaker 2: was set. So once again, music led to that acting. 515 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:00,840 Speaker 2: It's something you can, I guess win a certain extent, 516 00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:07,480 Speaker 2: but it is a very different lifestyle altogether. You can't 517 00:33:07,680 --> 00:33:12,880 Speaker 2: really wing that lifestyle it's just absolutely different way of living. 518 00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:15,840 Speaker 2: I mean, you have to wake up at six am, 519 00:33:16,120 --> 00:33:18,680 Speaker 2: and that's like when I go to bed. It's a 520 00:33:18,800 --> 00:33:24,160 Speaker 2: drastic change of lifestyle. So when everybody after, you know, 521 00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:28,040 Speaker 2: that film had really great reviews and was like, actually 522 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:30,440 Speaker 2: people still keep discovering it. So one of those like 523 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:33,720 Speaker 2: revered kind of pictures, you know. Yeah, I was like 524 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:36,760 Speaker 2: really encouraged by a lot of people like, hey, you 525 00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:39,360 Speaker 2: got to like move to LA and do that whole thing. Yeah, 526 00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:41,720 Speaker 2: you winged it, and you can wing a lot more 527 00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:46,200 Speaker 2: of it. You got to still do all the you know, 528 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:49,640 Speaker 2: legwork and do all these castings and get up in 529 00:33:49,680 --> 00:33:53,280 Speaker 2: the mornings and do all that stuff. And it's not 530 00:33:53,320 --> 00:33:56,000 Speaker 2: so much getting up in the morning. I've got up 531 00:33:56,160 --> 00:33:58,360 Speaker 2: plenty of times in the morning to go and do 532 00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:01,400 Speaker 2: music radio and all that stuff. And you know TV 533 00:34:01,600 --> 00:34:04,800 Speaker 2: and all those TV shows are shot very early in 534 00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:08,520 Speaker 2: the morning and aired that night. So whether you got 535 00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:11,080 Speaker 2: thirty minutes of sleep or two hours of sleep, nobody cares. 536 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:13,080 Speaker 2: You just wake up and you go and do it. 537 00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:18,440 Speaker 2: I was just like, let me meditate on this for 538 00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:23,920 Speaker 2: five seconds. The asp words, no, I don't want to 539 00:34:23,920 --> 00:34:27,920 Speaker 2: move to LA, and I don't want to abandon my lifestyle. 540 00:34:28,760 --> 00:34:33,000 Speaker 2: I'm a night towel. I'm a night towel kind of workaholic. 541 00:34:34,320 --> 00:34:36,319 Speaker 2: It's a kind of a thing that tags along with 542 00:34:36,680 --> 00:34:40,600 Speaker 2: Gogo Burdello, folklore, you know, partying and festive activities. But 543 00:34:41,239 --> 00:34:47,960 Speaker 2: my way of partying is basically a maniacal workholism of 544 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:49,879 Speaker 2: things that I like to focus on. 545 00:34:50,520 --> 00:34:52,160 Speaker 3: So what are you working on now? What are you 546 00:34:52,200 --> 00:34:53,040 Speaker 3: focusing on now? 547 00:34:53,480 --> 00:34:55,560 Speaker 2: Well, exactly last night I went to bed at six 548 00:34:55,760 --> 00:34:59,720 Speaker 2: thirty am because I was mixing my new project, Buzzle Panther, 549 00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:02,880 Speaker 2: which is a new band that I play in and 550 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:08,319 Speaker 2: also produce with Brian Chase from Yeas, another iconic New 551 00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:13,200 Speaker 2: York City band, and also coming from that bubble of 552 00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:15,880 Speaker 2: you know, turn of the Santary bands that I was 553 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:19,959 Speaker 2: talking about earlier. It was a very fertile time. There's 554 00:35:19,960 --> 00:35:22,200 Speaker 2: a lot of interest in that era. Now I can 555 00:35:22,239 --> 00:35:26,319 Speaker 2: see why because some really really amazing bands came out 556 00:35:26,360 --> 00:35:29,439 Speaker 2: and artists, you know Regina Spector and also started out 557 00:35:29,480 --> 00:35:33,319 Speaker 2: on Sidewalk Cafe meaning restarted, you know, I mean I 558 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:38,319 Speaker 2: restarted there under great curation of Latch that was a 559 00:35:38,360 --> 00:35:42,000 Speaker 2: great guy who was also a songwriter. I think he 560 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:44,960 Speaker 2: lives in UK now, but he was running that kind 561 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:47,839 Speaker 2: of he called it anti folk fest kind of a 562 00:35:47,880 --> 00:35:52,400 Speaker 2: thing and open mic nights and he was really for 563 00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:55,840 Speaker 2: kind of empressario kind of a knack to him where 564 00:35:55,880 --> 00:35:59,120 Speaker 2: he could just tell people right away who came in 565 00:35:59,200 --> 00:36:02,160 Speaker 2: for the first night open mic. You know, he'd be like, listen, 566 00:36:02,520 --> 00:36:06,480 Speaker 2: that was good. Why don't you take like a Thursday 567 00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:10,440 Speaker 2: night and you know, do a set. And you know 568 00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:14,240 Speaker 2: he kind of helped Goglebrdello. Back then we called huts 569 00:36:14,280 --> 00:36:17,440 Speaker 2: and the Bella Bartoms the first formations you know of it. 570 00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:24,440 Speaker 2: Regina remembers him very you know, warmly. So anyway, circling back, 571 00:36:24,760 --> 00:36:28,719 Speaker 2: this new project, Puzzle Panther is a band that kind 572 00:36:28,760 --> 00:36:32,080 Speaker 2: of speaks of kind of New York continuity. You know, 573 00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:35,080 Speaker 2: the principal songwriter in the band, it's not me, it's 574 00:36:35,080 --> 00:36:39,000 Speaker 2: not really my band. It's Victoria Espinoza, who is a 575 00:36:39,320 --> 00:36:45,080 Speaker 2: lead singer. She's the principal songwriter, very strong, brilliant new songwriter. 576 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:51,120 Speaker 2: Her friend cab On Tempa from Butchwick. They workout material 577 00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:53,440 Speaker 2: that just like you listen to it and you just 578 00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:55,200 Speaker 2: like can't tell that they kind of grew up on 579 00:36:55,200 --> 00:36:59,240 Speaker 2: a steady diet of ramones and Yeah Yes and Talking 580 00:36:59,320 --> 00:37:04,319 Speaker 2: Heads and Sonic Youth once Again and Blondie and there's 581 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:07,400 Speaker 2: a bit of grung genancy. But it's kind of dancing 582 00:37:07,440 --> 00:37:11,440 Speaker 2: around that New York cool thing that you know, Velvet 583 00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:12,400 Speaker 2: Underground started. 584 00:37:12,560 --> 00:37:15,319 Speaker 3: That's tremendous, that's tremendous. 585 00:37:15,239 --> 00:37:17,560 Speaker 2: And you want to get behind things like that because 586 00:37:17,640 --> 00:37:22,400 Speaker 2: it's just New York City has such an incredible musical 587 00:37:22,480 --> 00:37:26,000 Speaker 2: legacy and like you don't, we don't want to see 588 00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:27,320 Speaker 2: slip away, you know. 589 00:37:27,320 --> 00:37:29,799 Speaker 3: Like no, got that right? 590 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:32,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean come from New York City that that 591 00:37:32,760 --> 00:37:36,879 Speaker 2: go on influencing entire world. Yeah, it might might get 592 00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:40,600 Speaker 2: hyped like crazy in London and receive all the stamp 593 00:37:40,640 --> 00:37:45,240 Speaker 2: of approval from Enemy and the rest of the British 594 00:37:45,280 --> 00:37:49,480 Speaker 2: press before it like gets blown up worldwide, but kind 595 00:37:49,480 --> 00:37:53,480 Speaker 2: of originates here. It's a New York City's kind of workshop. 596 00:37:53,600 --> 00:37:53,799 Speaker 2: You know. 597 00:37:54,920 --> 00:37:58,600 Speaker 3: So in closing, what would you like to learn that 598 00:37:58,640 --> 00:38:05,160 Speaker 3: you haven't learned about creating music, producing music? Whatever? 599 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:10,680 Speaker 2: Wow? I guess one of the things is I naturally 600 00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:15,120 Speaker 2: found myself in this like a position of producer over 601 00:38:15,160 --> 00:38:18,480 Speaker 2: the years because I produced, or at least co produced 602 00:38:19,040 --> 00:38:23,160 Speaker 2: all Google Bordella Records with amazing people like you know, 603 00:38:23,280 --> 00:38:28,080 Speaker 2: Rick Rubin and Stevel Binnie and Victor van Vogt, you know, 604 00:38:28,160 --> 00:38:31,799 Speaker 2: Andrew Schepps, Walter Schraffels. I worked with a lot of 605 00:38:32,239 --> 00:38:38,760 Speaker 2: amazing people who have a very serious, serious insights into 606 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:43,760 Speaker 2: how great music gets captured, and they made some sidebar 607 00:38:43,880 --> 00:38:47,120 Speaker 2: notes along the way. It was a natural time for 608 00:38:47,160 --> 00:38:50,440 Speaker 2: me to start applying a lot of the engineering and 609 00:38:50,960 --> 00:38:57,799 Speaker 2: musical empresardio skills, two projects that inspire me. It's just 610 00:38:57,800 --> 00:39:01,560 Speaker 2: basically as simple as that. Like Puzzle Panther is just 611 00:39:01,640 --> 00:39:04,839 Speaker 2: in my immediate vicinity, you know, and our bass players also, 612 00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:08,880 Speaker 2: you know, He's he was also born and raised in Ukraine, 613 00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:11,400 Speaker 2: been living here for twenty five years, just like me. 614 00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:15,719 Speaker 2: I'm very close to that band in particular, but there's 615 00:39:15,840 --> 00:39:18,520 Speaker 2: new bands popping up in the city, and I think 616 00:39:18,520 --> 00:39:21,680 Speaker 2: that historically it's an important moment to cham in on 617 00:39:22,160 --> 00:39:25,320 Speaker 2: as much as you can to preserve that continuity because 618 00:39:25,520 --> 00:39:27,759 Speaker 2: when that I kind of fractured the scene in a 619 00:39:27,760 --> 00:39:30,280 Speaker 2: lot of ways, you know, I mean it was already 620 00:39:30,320 --> 00:39:35,040 Speaker 2: prey fractured for other reasons. There was a kind of scene, 621 00:39:35,080 --> 00:39:39,040 Speaker 2: and a powerful scene and a fantasicle until about two 622 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:42,040 Speaker 2: thousand and five six seven. But when all our friends 623 00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:46,160 Speaker 2: became successful a lot of them did, the scene dispersed. 624 00:39:46,480 --> 00:39:49,320 Speaker 2: Everybody was just out on tour all the time. Of course, 625 00:39:49,760 --> 00:39:54,120 Speaker 2: new bands form all the time, but there was something 626 00:39:54,239 --> 00:39:57,560 Speaker 2: magical about that particular wave that we were part of. 627 00:39:58,160 --> 00:40:01,160 Speaker 2: I didn't feel like that was quite such a flucker 628 00:40:01,280 --> 00:40:06,000 Speaker 2: momentum afterwards. Listen, turn of the Center is not nothing. 629 00:40:06,080 --> 00:40:10,360 Speaker 2: It's a special astrological time, and of course there was 630 00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:13,760 Speaker 2: some astral help on that. It's like an open portal. 631 00:40:13,920 --> 00:40:16,279 Speaker 2: People are more open minded, you know, they want to 632 00:40:16,320 --> 00:40:19,600 Speaker 2: get rid of old crap, and they were more open minded, 633 00:40:19,719 --> 00:40:22,160 Speaker 2: and then I think people just get more closed minded. 634 00:40:22,200 --> 00:40:26,040 Speaker 2: Then seemed kind of dispersed a little bit, and then 635 00:40:26,239 --> 00:40:31,520 Speaker 2: pandemic was just really messing with everyone. So now, you know, 636 00:40:31,640 --> 00:40:35,280 Speaker 2: anything that's kind of has like a fountain like energy, 637 00:40:35,800 --> 00:40:39,640 Speaker 2: regardless of its style, you just kind of want to 638 00:40:39,680 --> 00:40:42,439 Speaker 2: support it because you know, we need it. I mean, 639 00:40:43,480 --> 00:40:44,080 Speaker 2: we need. 640 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:46,200 Speaker 3: New good music now more than ever. 641 00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:52,480 Speaker 2: Right, yes, seriously, and agitated music that stylish music with 642 00:40:52,640 --> 00:40:55,399 Speaker 2: a touch of anger to it is kind of coming back, 643 00:40:55,560 --> 00:40:58,080 Speaker 2: you know, or some of it is driven by anger 644 00:40:58,120 --> 00:41:03,400 Speaker 2: because the world became a distort a place again. Yes, 645 00:41:03,480 --> 00:41:07,399 Speaker 2: it's a method of therapy really to pro create this 646 00:41:07,560 --> 00:41:10,040 Speaker 2: kind of art that can be healing. 647 00:41:11,080 --> 00:41:16,320 Speaker 3: Amazing, Eugene, boy, we scooped up almost an hour here 648 00:41:16,360 --> 00:41:20,319 Speaker 3: and I feel like we just got started. I'm very 649 00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:21,400 Speaker 3: grateful for your. 650 00:41:21,280 --> 00:41:24,160 Speaker 2: Time, Yil. That was a pleasure talking for sure. 651 00:41:24,640 --> 00:41:27,960 Speaker 3: I really enjoyed it, and I wish you well, I 652 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:32,160 Speaker 3: wish your family well. Thank you so much, and our 653 00:41:32,200 --> 00:41:34,960 Speaker 3: heart is there and I'm grateful that you were on 654 00:41:35,040 --> 00:41:37,880 Speaker 3: Taking a Walk, albeit virtual. 655 00:41:38,200 --> 00:41:40,680 Speaker 2: Thank you for hale on Man. Absolutely, thank you so much. 656 00:41:42,040 --> 00:41:44,520 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a 657 00:41:44,560 --> 00:41:48,440 Speaker 1: Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends 658 00:41:48,520 --> 00:41:52,040 Speaker 1: and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking 659 00:41:52,040 --> 00:41:55,960 Speaker 1: a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 660 00:41:56,160 --> 00:41:58,440 Speaker 1: and wherever you get your podcasts.