A big thanks goes out to Chris for being cool and giving me pins (which are cool and still on my bag), and for being random and doing this interview with us.
Joanne: What inspired you to begin making music?
Chris: Uhhhm. It beats working 9-5. Hold on..
*cheers from downstairs for Bowling for Soup*
Chris: Okay, go!
Joanne: How did you wind up opening for Bowling For Soup?
Chris: Uh, we met them on the Warped Tour this past summer, and I bothered the lead singer Jaret and he was nice enough to put us on a week of their tour and then it went so well, we got along so good with them, the reaction was so good that they invited us to do the rest of the tour, it's almost like a Cinderella story *laughs* and I am incredibly, incredibly stoked to be here talking to you, right now.
Joanne: Well I guess that kind of answers the question 'How has the tour been going so far?'
Chris: It's been unreal! Excellent! We couldn't be happier. We booked our own small tour that kind of sucked and we had to cancel it all to do this one. So we were really excited to get on a better tour.
Joanne: Score.
Joanne: What's the worst part about being out on tour?
Chris: Lack of showers.
Ashley: That's what DJ said.
Chris: Having to drive erratic hours, um, that's about it, everything else rules.
Ashley: I think I'm going to go on tour.
Joanne: Okay, have fun!
Joanne: What is the most valuable thing you bring on tour with you?
Chris: My wallet.
Joanne: Not value wise but like personal value.
Chris: My wallet. *laughter* It's got pictures of my friends, pictures of my family, it's got money, it's got my ID, it's got my credit cards. My wallet. And my cell phone.
Joanne: Cell phone?
Chris: Cell phone, cell phone.
Joanne: That's what everybody says. That's what Diffuser said and I thought it was funny.
Chris: Cell phone.
Joanne: Cell phone.
Chris: How was Diffuser? Were they nice guys?
Joanne: Yep, we interviewed them right here.
Chris: Ah really? How was the crowd?
Joanne: It was the All American Rejects so it was kind of scary.
Chris: Packed to hell?
Joanne: Yes.
Chris: Sold out?
Joanne: Yes it was next door and it was insane.
Chris: Oh it was in the big room.
Joanne: Yes.
Chris: Okay. Does the big room have a different name?
Joanne: Yup, the Avalon.
Chris: Oh so Avalon and Axis are the same thing, but Axis is the small side of Avalon.
Joanne: Not really…
Chris: But that big room is Avalon?
Joanne: Yes.
Joanne: What are your plans for after this tour?
Chris: Um, we finish recording our record…oh I have the same sneakers.
Ashley: Sweet.
Chris: I like them a lot.
Ashley: They're really comfortable.
Chris: Those are my favorites. They got really dirty.
Ashley: Me too.
Chris: It's the same style but it's just a different color.
Ashley: Yeah, I stole them from my friend.
Chris: You gotta keep all this stuff in there.
Joanne: Yeah, I will, don’t worry.
Chris: So our plans after the tour are to finish our CD, so we're going to try and find a label for it, so it can come out and hopefully more people can get it than the last one.
Joanne: What's your favorite venue to play?
Chris: Any of the House of Blues. Any House of Blues and Japan.
Joanne: Our House Of Blues doesn't have shows.
Chris: Really? That sucks.
Joanne: Do you have a least favorite venue?
Chris: Uh..jeez, there's a lot that suck. Um..let me think of one that really sucked.
Joanne: Here.
Chris: Nah, this place is cool. Uh…I'll finally get one for you. *long pause* Taco Toro in Minnesota, that was kind of sad, yeah.
Joanne: Never been there.
Chris: Nice people ran it, nice people ran it, very cool people but it was a taco restaurant.
Joanne: How do you play in a taco restaurant?
Chris: Ohhh, we make it happen.
Ashley: You could play Burrito Max down the street.
Chris: Yeah, they had a super duper burrito that if you ate it you get a free t-shirt. And I ate it and then they said "We're all out of shirts."
Joanne: Aw.
Chris: Yeah, it was one of them nights.
Joanne: What's one of the craziest pranks you've pulled on another band?
Chris: Ooh. We tried to cricket another band's van, and just stuff it with crickets. But it didn't work, but we tried really hard to do it.
Ashley: Which band was this?
Chris: Our friends Solemite from Oakland, California. Good guys.
Joanne: What's in your CD player right now?
Chris: Nothing! But if I had…how many disc changer? Gimme a number.
Joanne: I don't know. Three.
Chris: A three disc changer, right now I'd want to listen to Phil Cody, Weezer "Blue" the blue record, and Alkaline Trio "From Here to Infirmary".
Ashley: I have that one, I got it for free.
Chris: Love them.
Joanne: If you could put together your dream tour who would be on it? Like, Army of Freshmen and any other bands.
Chris: Um…
Joanne: Bands that are broken up, dead, whatever you want.
Chris: Oh wow, I'd like to open up for The Beatles. Army of Freshmen and The Beatles would be nice.
Joanne: Anybody else?
Chris: Well there's tons upon tons upon tons.
Joanne: Pick three.
Chris: I'd love to play with The Hippos, I'd love to play with Tom Waits, Randy Newman. These are just people that I like. I don't think we fit with them but I'd like to play with them.
Joanne: If you could meet any person dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Chris: Uh, Jesus.
Joanne: Why?
Chris: I would like to meet him and say, "Is it for real dude?"
*laughter*
Joanne: What is something your fans would be surprised to find out about you?
Chris: I am 48 years old and married with 7 children.
Ashley: Hahahaha.
Joanne: What question are you sick of answering?
Chris: How did you get your name?
Ashley: Every single band says that.
Joanne: I should just ask that question.
Chris: Do it!
Joanne: What advice do you have for up and coming musicians?
Chris: Play with your friends, don't play with jerks or assholes. And make sure you are always having fun.
Joanne: Any last words or shout outs?
Chris: Please visit armoffreshmen.com and we want to thank Toxic for even having the interview with us on a total whim because I walked up to you and gave you a pin and that's the only way that this happened. And I want to thank you for being so spontaneous and interviewing me right on the spot.
Joanne: And I want to thank you for being spontaneous enough to do the interview!
For More Information:
• Official Site: www.armyoffreshmen.com