Ctulhu on the Radio

Tanner's band, From the Mouth of Cthulhu, had a two-hour radio interview last night on Castle Rock Radio. As far as I can tell, it's a web-only "radio" station, but they had a studio, a DJ, and real microphones hanging from those rubber band contraptions that make you think of Orson Welles and stuff.

The entire band was there, as well as Aaron (the band's manager) and a few of their most loyal supporters. The host was a fellow named "Rockin' Roller" or something like that, and he seemed to have a genuine interest in and affection for the guys and their music. He interviewed each of the band members, played each of their songs (at least twice), and tried to engage them in interesting conversation.

Well, good luck with that effort, dude.

As a serious fan of the group, and someone who has great affection for each of these kids, I enjoyed the program and all of the interactions. But as a former DJ and interview moderator, I recognized that the average listener would probably tune out after just a few minutes. These kids are each bright, articulate, and full of fascinating ideas...but (with the exception of Phillip, who handled himself pretty well) they came off as just another batch of slacker teenagers who just wanna, like, you know, play music, man.

Phil's mom called in to the show, and so did his grandfather. Those were interesting and touching moments. I thought about calling in myself, but realized that I'd just seem to be copying Phil's folks, and that seemed pretty lame. I did type in a few questions for the band via the online chat feature, but their answers were short and bland.

So, I guess I'm going to have to use my professional radio experience to coach the band on how to give a dynamite interview. This means that we'll have to write down some biographical information, dredge up the most interesting stories of their individual musical histories, and fine tune their storytelling about how the band was formed and which other musicians have influenced them. They also need to work up a few "unplugged" tunes they can either play or sing at a moment's notice. And it wouldn't hurt to promote their web site, their concerts, and their other upcoming appearances with a bit more enthusiasm.

Oh, don't worry -- I won't turn them into a bunch of obnoxious self-promoters, like some kind of musical congressional candidates. I just want to help them be...uh, less dull.

Of course, I also need to keep in mind that the fans who did tune in to the show didn't seem to mind it's lack of pacing and dynamism. They seemed to genuinely admire the band and their music. One fan from Ft. Collins even said she'd pay a lot of money for a lock of Phil's hair...which is probably a great compliment (disturbing as the image may be).

Anyway, if I find out about any other events in advance, I'll try to let you know about them. The next things on the calendar are:

From the Mouth of Cthulhu
10-25-2008 15:00 at Wax Trax Records - All Ages - FREE!
638 E. 13th Ave., Denver, Colorado 80203
Cost: FREE! Saturday afternoon show with friends iluminado, and CassoVita from Santa Fe, NM.

11-06-2008 20:00 at Larimer Lounge (21+)
2721 Larimer St., Denver, Colorado 80205
Cost: $3 with a ticket from us, $6 without
with Eugene’s Axe, Lions the Brave, and Some Friends Of Mine. Show starts at 8, we play at 11. It’s a 21+ show.

In the meantime, I'll keep you posted on the progress (if any) of our "Enhancing Interview Skills" project. And if you know any big-time radio producers or anything, let me know. Thanks, and enjoy the music!