TNT’s Top 5
5. NOFX – I just want to party with these guys and play some drinking games, maybe spit some beer in their faces for once.
4. Tim Armstrong – I’d love to share a drink with this man to find out how he started Hellcat Records, you know, pick his brain a bit and maybe help map out a plan for my future label.
3. Willie Nelson – Okay, Nelson makes my list because a good friend of mine who is a security guard has told me some wild stories about hanging out with this man on his tour bus. Drinks were not the main focus on that bus. I’m interested to find out why he chopped off his braid and where it is now.
2. Chuck Berry – I think it’s important to know where your music comes from, therefore, I knew Berry had to make my list. “If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry.” – John Lennon
1. Jerry Garcia – I regret never hearing this man’s voice live, therefore, a conversation would just be sublime. Sure, I’ve read many books about the GD culture and the time period, but hearing it from this man would be the biggest mind-fuck ever! I miss Jerry.
Angela’s Top 5
This list is composed of musicians who I would love to sit down and have a conversation with because their presence on stage and in their music is so much larger than life, I just have to know the thought process behind it all. I feel like I could sit down with these guys, drink all night and have a great time.
5. The Amish Outlaws – They are a cover band, who are all in fact, legitimately Amish. But they rock the hell out something fierce and I did in fact share a drink with them. They were gentlemen and bought me shots all night as we interviewed. I later stumbled home drunk as anything and it was awesome.
4. Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys – He’s Brian Wilson. He’s a legend and genius. GENIUS. Definitely a brain I would love to get inside of over some booze.
3. Joey Ramone of the Ramones – I feel like if I could have had the chance to sit down and have a beer with this guy, the wealth of things I could learn about music would be infinite. Just like the Ramones music, I feel in his simplicity of living, there is brillance.
2. Freddie Mercury of Queen (he’s only in the number 2 spot because he’s dead and I can’t ACTUALLY do this) – I love Queen. I love Freddie Mercury. Yet another brilliant, brilliant musician. He’s just amazing.
1. Jack Terricloth of the World/Infenro Friendship Society – Because if you’ve learned anything about this band from me by now, it’s that each show is basically a giant punk rock party in three-piece suits bearing the theme Drink, Dance, Destroy. Being the frontman and leader of such chaos, Jack is an awesome guy. Having a drink with him is only natural and right. And I bet if I got a hold of him, he might actually agree and meet me at a bar in Brooklyn somewhere.
Hoverbee’s Top 5
5. Bjork – I’d like to sit down with this Icelandic goddess and ask her where she gets the inspiration for her outrageous music video styles and album covers. She always has some new, strange costume jewels glued to her head, or fantastic CGI that transforms her into something else.
4. Echo & The Bunnymen – Of all the albums released by this band, Flowers is by far my favorite. I do love the classic sound and style of the band, but Flowers was a bit different for them. Last year, the band released Fountain and I was hoping it would be like Flowers instead of their classic sound. I liked the album, but was disappointed that they chose to return to their roots. I’d like to ask them if they plan on releasing another album that is less like the original sound.
3. John Lennon – I’m sure there are many things that music lovers would like to discuss with Mr. Lennon, but I’d like to ask him the true meaning behind the song Come Together. This song has such cryptically strange lyrics that it makes me rack my brain. Phrases like “toe-jam football,” “monkey finger,” and “mojo filter” need to be elaborated on. I’d also like to ask him if he likes Aerosmith’s version of the song.
2. Eric Burdon – I love his voice so much that I sometimes try to imitate him when I sing. It’s such a deep, burly, and robust voice. I’d like to ask him if he developed his singing voice by basing it on other artists he loved or if he just opened his mouth and that’s the way it came out. Any answer he gives is fine by me.
1. James Brown – I’d like to ask “The Godfather of Soul” what it feels like to be a bandleader. He directs the other musicians in the band on many of his songs. He is known to say things such as “horns,” “bring it to the bridge,” and “hit it and quit.” I’d like to know if he made these decisions purely on instinct, musical composition, or a little of both. I’m curious if there is a sense of power that accompanies these commands. I’d also like to ask him how he feels about his influence on rap music and what are his favorite hip-hop artists.
Mark’s Top 5
5. Dave Brubeck – There would be nothing like sitting in a half empty jazz club, discussing music, history, life, piano technique and asking endless “Take Five” questions over gin and tonics. He is walking musical history.
4. Charlotte Martin – Her warm and friendly demeanor made me feel like we were old friends getting reacquainted, and that was just from interviewing her. All that’s needed is a few bottles of good wine for some lively and meaningful conversation.
3. Alan Wilder – We both share a love for some of the finer things in life: cinema, travels, restaurants and art. It’s always nice to enjoy the company of a like-minded individual.
2. The Police – I could just picture knocking back a few with Sting, Steward and Andy, listening to everything from old tales of the road, to artistic influences, to what it feels like waking up ridiculously wealthy.
1. BT – If you’ve ever read his blogs or twitter posts, you would see that not only is he a psychically talented audiophile, but also a highly observant philosopher, positive thinker, poet, film scorer and adventurer, all in the body of a punk rock genius. It would be nothing but multiple rounds of imported beers with a true renaissance man.
Klone’s Top 5
5. Courtney Love of Hole – Seriously, even if she’s not everyone’s cup of tea, this starlet has literally been through hell. Fate seems to have been on overdrive when Hole’s early 90s album was titled “Live Through This”. Recently, on a business trip to California, I wound up watching the “VH1 Behind The Music” episode on Hole and I had a new-found respect for Courtney Love. I can imagine catching a drink with her would be quite an eye-opening experience…provided my drink doesn’t get mickied or anything.
4. Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins – I have a feeling after catching a drink (or a few) with Courtney Love, I’m going to have some serious questions for Billy Corgan. Not only do I love The Smashing Pumpkins and find myself curious as to what the 90s phenomenon was like from the artist side of things, but also to get his side on the rumors and stories that come from camp Courtney.
3. Jack Black of Tenacious D – I love Tenacious D. They are hilarious. Especially since they are the “working class heroes” for overweight white guy guitar players who are into sex and drugs (there are dozens of us…DOZENS!!!), and for those reasons alone, I’d love to not only grab a drink with Mr. Black, but tear up the Jersey Shore boardwalk in search of guidos and guidettes to demolish…WITH OUR ROCK!!!!!
2. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails – Nine Inch Nails is Trent Reznor…enough said. Who wouldn’t want to get a drink with this guy?
1. Maynard James Keenan of Tool – In what could very well be the last act of a desperate fan, I think the ultimate mind-fuck would be imbibing some witch’s brew with one of the most twisted minds in rock and roll history. Something tells me this would be more likely to be the moment where you find yourself saying, “Well, I always wondered what a week-long peyote trip would be like,” knowing full well that this is Maynard’s typical Friday night. (NO, this is not a known fact, just an assumption by someone who has spent close to two decades trying to figure out what Tool is really all about, and coming up with “drug experience” as the only possible explanation. Seriously…these guys are probably huge FRINGE fans…)
Honorable Mentions: • Jerry Cantrell of Alice In Chains – The reason he didn’t make the list is because this would be a conflicted encounter. Something tells me I’d spend most of my time asking questions about Layne Staley, instead of focusing on Jerry Cantrell himself, and that would just be unfair. Cantrell is awesome and amazingly talented, so I wouldn’t want to embarrass myself or insult one of my heroes, or ask him about something he doesn’t want to talk about so much;
• Ke$ha – Might be the only opportunity to poison this bitch and end the nightmare that is her voice broadcast over the airwaves;
• (Posthumously) Peter Steele – Short of Ozzy Osbourne, I can’t think of a better artist to ask about death (especially now that he’s been to the other side.) Rest in peace, Peter Steele.
Nevermind The Posers 