Legendary Minneapolis Quintet Exclusive Single Release Interview

Who doesn’t love new and different Rock and Roll -music they can’t find anywhere else that sounds great and innovative? The Goodbars of Minneapolis are one such band. And The Gauntlet is proud today to introduce the first single from the 4rth release which will be built one single at a time. To listen click on the link below the interview.

Additionally, we spent some time with the whole band. This Band has great chemistry and pedigree. They are fearless and will try anything. I am certain you have not heard a single like this.

We started with the interview in Skype. Unfortunately, we had some technical difficulties.


The GooDBarS Interview:

Cast:
Vox Preston
Kit Bart
Lead Axe 1 John
Lead Axe 2 Michael
Bass guitar Todd

Interviewer Kenny from The Gauntlet.

[Introductions of The Goodbars Members]

The Gauntlet: Bart, you look young man.

Bart: So do you Ken, long time no see, you look like you did the last time I saw ya.

The Goodbars: Raucous laughter

Mike: I think he looks crazy.

The Gauntlet: I’m bat shit crazier than a shithouse rat.

The Gauntlet: John, do you guys have 2 lead guitars or lead and rhythm?

John: We both play lead [Mike and myself]

The Gauntlet: Thanks a lot for Introducing yourself guys. We had a pretty nice day here in Kansas City, MO. It looked like you also had a nice day up in Minneapolis. What was it 55 or something like that?

The Goodbars: Yeah you bet it was great.

The Gauntlet: Up in Minneapolis if it gets above 50, you get the frisbees out.

The Goodbars: Laughing and agreeing.

The Gauntlet: I lived up there for a while, Bart and Myself both grew up in Minot, ND. This is a place where the cold feels like needles flying into your face. A place where if you are not prepared you could die on the way to the garage.

The Goodbars: Agreeing laughing.

The Gauntlet: So is that your homebase?

Mike and Todd: Yup, Right here in Northeast Minneapolis.

The Gauntlet: Is that Stillwater?

Mike: Actually, we live in the city of Minneapolis.

The Gauntlet: Ok so was its you, Preston who lives in Stillwater?

Preston: Yes, I live in Stillwater.

The Gauntlet: Ok gotcha. So are you guys in your practice space.

The Goodbars: Yes

The Gauntlet: Ok great. I have some comments and questions about the single you guys are about to release – which I like very much. It’s a very tight composition, I love the gang back-ups with the female overtones which it seems are becoming a trademark for the The Goodbars. I have never really heard it before in Rock-n-Roll I don’t know maybe it’s a part of your genre: Punk-n-Roll.

Bart: We actually made that genre up.

The Gauntlet: No shit! I asked my one of my writers if he was familiar and he had one of these long explanations about post-modernist fusion with Rock-a -billy and Skiffle. I now know he was making it up as he went along. At any rate I love that component it’s a totally fun and natural addition. I guess it’s part of what makes you guys who you are. I love the lead vocals which are somewhere in the timbre of The Sword front man but waaaay on the more accessible side, and not like Blue Cheer or something. And your voice has great projection with none of that worried sound, totally in charge driving sound. The theme and lyrics are great. The Guitar riff is really cool, it has a really catchy groove and the bottom holds up very strong. The mix is really good as well. Are you guys happy with the mix?

The Goodbars: Oh yeah definitely

The Gauntlet: What about the bottom end?

The Goodbars: Yeah, we like the way that came out as well
Preston: This single came together actually during my audition for lead singer. We added a few elements and cut it right there.

The Gauntlet: That’s incredible. And who is the lyricist on this single?

Preston: That would be me.

The Gauntlet: Do you do the vocal melodies as well?

Preston: Yes.

The Gauntlet: I love the theme that I perceive is there in “Way Down” because I have spent a shitload of time down there. Is there a personal experience that was inspiration?

Preston: When thinking of lyrics based on the song title, it reminded me of going to First Avenue with my girlfriend, it was pretty much my first hand exposure to panhandlers and those that would be deemed "down and out". I would always want to talk to them because I felt so bad and wanted to try and find a way to understand their situation but the more we went and the more interaction we had I started seeing that we aren't all that different. There were times they probably had more money in their pocket that I did and I would see them laughing together and realized that we all have the same problems it's just a matter of perspective... There are times I could use a handout too but still find the strength to keep on trying ..so no matter how "way down" you are, you have to maintain a glimmer of Hope and recognize that we all can have the same struggles whether you live in a mansion or a cardboard box ..we all have times we have to make it work somehow and maybe we are just fine in the end!

The Gauntlet: On the single the opening Riff gets in about 3 seconds and there’s what sounds to me like a polyphonic bend. Is that that two guitars bending at the same time? What exactly are you doing there? It’s a really cool surprise by the way

Mike: It’s one guitarist, that’s me and I’m using a wah – wah pedal.

The Gauntlet: That sort of introduces a melody lead under the riff, and pulls the groove up. Is that you too?

Mike: Yes that is me as well.

Bart: The Single Album Art is actually a part of a picture that fits with the other singles we will release to that together complete the picture. I’d like to give a shout out to Johnny Jones, who did that concept as well as most of our art all the album covers, the website, the videos, he really does amazing work.

The Gauntlet: Yeah he’s always had that gift, among many others.

The Gauntlet: Guys I gotta tell ya, I’ve covered a lot of independent labels from the big ones down to the real small ones. These labels have roster’s anywhere from 20 to 40 or so bands. Every one of them has a quantity of shit on them, compared to you guys. Now I am not trying to say that you guys are a little bit better than shit. But….

The Goodbars: (Raucous laughter.) Various members making jokes like “Hey were a little bit better than shit!” We should change our names to “a little bit better than shit” or “…that could be the name of our next record”

The Gauntlet: That came out wrong, what I meant to say was you guys could easily hang in there with some of the best of um.

The Goodbars: Well Thanks.

The Gauntlet: Let’s talk about the name a little bit; “The Goodbars” I thought that you were the guys that Diane Keaton was trying to find in that film…

Bart: Yes, Yes, that’s it, no one gets that. You know cause the film was a little dark and unusual and about a lady looking for a perfect mate – Mr Goodbar.

The Gauntlet: When do you mark your foundation?

Bart: Well I started in a band called the Squabs with Michael here and was with them for about… (figuring times) I guess I would say about 10 years. I guess that would make The Goodbars age about 10 years now.

Rest of the The Goodbars: Yeah 10 years is pretty accurate.

The Gauntlet: We were talking about audience and females a minute ago. I cover a lot of extreme metal which is mostly a male phenomenon with a few females scattered. What does your female crowd look like in terms of percentage

Bart: We have a lot of female fans.

John and Bart: yeah, I’d say it’s about 50/50

The Gauntlet: Half! Holy Shit! That really warms my heart.

The Gauntlet: Are you guys a house band anywhere?

The Goodbars: No

The Gauntlet: How often do you guys play live.

Todd: I’d say about once every six weeks or so, we don’t want to saturate our region.
The Goodbars: (Agreement.)

The Gauntlet: Do you have any fans with Tattoos of The The Goodbars?
The Goodbars: (The Band looks at each other) 2 people. Yeah one for each record so far.
The Gauntlet: Wow that is so cool. That’s really a big au mage to the The Goodbars. You’re in a small group with that. Very Cool.

The Gauntlet: What about Rockfest in Wisconsin. You guys were on the Big stage not like the pre-party or something. You got great billing. That must have been cool. Did you audition or something? How did that come together?

Todd: Actually that was a connection of mine. A great promoter here, John from Viking Rocker Productions, sets us up as support for many larger acts that come through the city. He is really a great connection and great supporter of The Goodbars

The Gauntlet: Yeah you want to hang onto that one. Shifting gears here: Can you tell me what it was like to play with Lemmy.

The Goodbars: What? (Looking at each other quizzically)

The Gauntlet: I saw a video of The Goodbars and Lemmy Kilmeister on stage together.

Bart: Oh that was a tribute Band. (Laughing)

The Gauntlet: Well Damn he looked like Lemmy, The outfit, boots, the beard.

The Goodbars: Even the mole, and he sounded a lot like him as well.

The Gauntlet: Tell me about your taste for fine wine and cuisine?

The Goodbars: (Discussing amongst themselves, where this question came from)

The Gauntlet: This was in the Facebook bio. So tell me are you guys hundred dollar a bottle wine drinkers or are we talking Mad Dog 20/20?

John: Mad Dog

The Gauntlet: The bio also says that you guys enjoy hookers and blow.

Bart: Now that one’s true

The Gauntlet: (Jokingly) Now blow, what is that? Is that some new type of bubble gum?

Bart: Yeah, its used to blow bubbles.

The Gauntlet: Funny, I interviewed a guy who I swear must have been an 8-ball deep and the fucker talked for 8 hours. At about 3 ours the cameraman was smashed and passed out and let the tape roll and I was cornered with no escape. Any of you guys been in that situation.

The Goodbars: (laughing and talking amongst themselves and then in unison) “YES!”

The Gauntlet: What is you biggest Spinal Tap moment?

Bart: Playing at this club last Christmas Eve, of all fucking times, at this place on the border of Wisconsin and Minnesota, where it was like Spinal Tap going to the Air Force base in the movie.

The Gauntlet: That is perfect.

Bart: We cleared that Joint out like you wouldn’t believe

Todd We were not a fit, didn’t have enough Waylon

The Gauntlet: Was there a chain link fence in front of the Band?

John: There should have been!

The Gauntlet: Tell me. Is this serious? What’s the endgame? Are you guys serious about what ya got goin here?

Todd: Any time you’re writing music and you are creating something its serious. I think we all have our other things outside of this stuff. But this is very serious to all of us I would assume.

Preston: Yeah, I mean when you’re writing you are not thinking of other stuff. You wanna make it cool and you find things within yourself and then all of a sudden when it’s done with its unbelievable, cos you got a song and and it’s like oh my god we’ve got a song and there’s a passion there I don’t think can be duplicated anywhere. I mean you can’t just make it happen, you either have it or you don’t. But I think that passion is the real important part.

The Gauntlet: Yeah that’s why for me it’s such an amazing art, because here you are changing frequencies and air pressures and changing the feelings of the audience by something you did. You cannot fake that. It’s truly an amazing gift.

The Gauntlet Ok so is there a universal theme you would say that flows through The Goodbars writing of lyrical content? Is the plight of man or anything like that?

Mike I think it’s pretty much girls, cars, whisky and Satan isn’t it.

The Gauntlet Yes I noticed that too

Mike I think that’s pretty much it

Ken There’s a Christian group – The Westboro Baptist Church. They have noticed that your logo capitalizes G,D,B,S and they believe it stands for God is Dead, Begin Satan.

Bart Oh wait God is Dead, Beelzebub – Supercool. (Laughing)

The Gauntlet So of you guys, who has the coolest pastime besides music? (silence) Anyone do falconry or anything.

Bart: I don’t know this is just kinda what I do in my spare time.

Todd: I think I’d like to try Falconry.

The Gauntlet: Yea me too, but you gotta catch one to get into those guilds.
You guys like guns, I know that. What are the gun laws like in Minnesota?

Mike: They’re pretty moderate. They’re not as crazy as Texas or not as free as Texas, but they’re a lot more free than Chicago or New York.

The Gauntlet: So you cannot conceal and carry here?

Mike: Yeah you can carry period, you just need a permit to do so.

The Gauntlet: Ok what kinds of music do you listen to when you are not listening to your own?

Bart: I’ve really been into Queens of the Stone age lately. Marilyn Manson’s new album is really interesting I think.

Todd: They’re looking for a base player I heard.

The Gauntlet: As musicians can any of you or all of you say that there was a moment in your life when you absolutely knew this was what you were gonna do?

Bart: I think that Listening to AC/DC Back in Black, I knew right there that’s what I wanted to do.

Todd: Kiss - Dressed to Kill. I knew when I listened to that – DONE.

The Gauntlet: You know I found some pictures the other day of that time Bart and I went to see Motley Crue/Ozzy Osbourne when they toured together.

Bart: Why did our parents even let us go? I mean we were 16 fucking years old, and our parents let us drive to Minneapolis, what were they thinking. I still can’t believe that

The Gauntlet: Yeah like what did they think we were going to do sit in our room and play cards.

The Gauntlet: What do you guys think happens on the other side? Whats behind the door? I’m talking about Morrisons’ door – death.

John: Nothing…Dirt and Worms

Bart: I donno, I think everybody has an energy that continues on and I don’t know what happens but I think something happens.

Preston: I got it, We have all already experienced it, before we were born. I don’t know, I’d like to think were a part of everything. I just love the universe and cosmos stuff.

The Gauntlet: Actually Barts, point is more or less the First law of Thermodynamics: Matter and Energy can neither be created or destroyed it can only change. I also like Prestons’ idea but I don’t like not being able to stay cognizant of yourself. I have a sort of scenario I guess that I wish it was like; you walk through the door and all those who have gone before you yell surprise and say “Wasn’t that a Mind Fuck down there?”

Bart: I hope that’s exactly the way it is man, I do.

The Gauntlet: Alright last question. In this hand I got a pill. If you take this pill you will have immortality. Do you take the pill? Todd lets go to you first:

Todd: No

Mike: (thinking) I might, I might

The Gauntlet: Wow that’s the first time I have heard that, you are alone in a group of one. 98% do not take it, John how about you?

John: I think I’d take it man, life is good.

The Gauntlet: Welcome to the 2%, I am also in that group.

Preston: I’m with John, I definitely love this life, so I would take it, but I would hope there would be a way out.

The Gauntlet: We’ll say that you can call Kervorkians Great, Great, Great Grand Child. Bart what about you.

Bart: No, I don’t think I would. I think I would get bored after a while. I actually read an article about this a long time ago. And the suicide rate went way up. And the situation was not good.

The Gauntlet: Ok that’s all I got, so now tell us fans where we can get the new single “Way Down”

Mike: You can get it through iTunes, CD-Baby, Amazon – all the primary places.

Todd: Pretty much every digital outlet, and at the Goodbars.com

Todd: You can also get a download card at our show on Nov 10th.

The Gauntlet: Well gents, you’re a great bunch a guys, thank you for being authentic and letting me interview you. Thanks for putting yourselves out there. I’ve wanted to do this for a while now, because we want to give our fans music they can’t find anywhere else.

Bart: Hey, Ken I just wanted to say that your questions were not like any other questions we have done in an interview and it was real refreshing

The Gauntlet: Bart thanks for saying that, it means a lot. I hope I can find a way to get up there on the 10th and then eventually after the EP drops we can do this again.

All: Goodnight, take care.


And now for the moment you have all been waiting for, the next big thing. Click Here and TURN IT UP. www.thegoodbars.com

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Tags:  Interview, The Goodbars, Minneapolis, MN, Way Down, New Single

Kenny Larson    October 27, 2017