Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

from a post on ninebullets.net:

It’s funny. Sometimes you can spend so much time in search of new music that you miss the obvious…The bands busting their ass right in your town. Such is the case with The Heathens….it took a mix cd with “Busy Nights and the Meat Market” mailed to me from Rhode Island to finally hear them…

Personally, Orlando bands qualify as a local bands…they are always playing in and around Tampa just as Tampa bands are constantly playing in O-town. This Sunday, The Heathens will be part of the Bobby Bare Jr. bill @ New World Brewery. At the beginning of November I wrote :

These guys have some growing to do to completely break out of the local scene but they seem to have the necessary ingredients. I, for one, look forward to supporting them on their trips to Tampa…

and this is the time I am actually gonna get to see them. Here are two tracks so you can get a feel for them:

mp3: The Heathens - Stickin’ Around
mp3: The Heathens - Busy Nights at the Meatmarket

Come out Sunday! It’s New World….how can it be bad?

Recently, Matt Butcher, the singer of The Heathens was kind enough to answer a few questions from me. This is a modified version of the
Benard Pivot questionairre…you may also recognize it as the questions James Lipton asks on Inside the Actors Studio. It has also been used on a regular occasion by Scott over at Stereogum…..and now, I’ll use it….after the cut:

SoF: What is your favorite word?
MB: antidisestablishmentarianism
SoF: What is your least favorite word?
MB: —-
SoF: What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
MB: cool people doing cool things.
SoF: What turns you off?
MB: ignorance
SoF: What is your favorite curse word?
MB: ————-
SoF: What sound or noise do you love?
MB: chan marshall singing
SoF: What sound or noise do you hate?
MB: britney spears singing
SoF: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
MB: flight attendant
SoF: What profession would you not like to do?
MB: dentist
SoF: If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
MB: “Well I’ll be damned…”
SoF: Favorite show you ever played? and why?
MB: Opening for hank III. It was early in our career. we were pretty drunk. It was fun as hell.
SoF: Favorite venue you have ever played?
MB: in front of a trailor at the foothills of the Appalachian mountains
SoF: Favorite live show you ever saw?
MB: Crooked Fingers at Common Grounds
SoF: Most amusing moment as a musician?
MB: See Favorite Venue question
SoF: Top 5 albums currently rocking your iPod/CD player?
MB: Cat Power, “the Greatest,” Ray Lamontagne, “Till the sun turns Black,” Leonard Cohen, “Death of a Ladies Man” Gram Parsons, “GP,” the Rolling Stones, “Sticky Fingers”