The Barstow Boyz bring back Sunset sexy like Timberlake in a Nightrain tornado of sleaze. After brief run-ins with the Mexican federales, Danny Bonaduce and flag-lovin' fuddy duddies, the Costa Mesa contingent of unrelenting arena-rock-lovin' badasses is ready to take the stage and serve up the sizzle. We checked in with Barstow Boyz (who may or may not consist of members from your favorite local bands) frontman Rim Morrison for a long overdue chat.
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How is your Orange County audience different than the rest?
Orange County audiences are different than audiences in L.A. because people in Orange County actually like music. So, yeah, that is kind of different. But audiences are all pretty much the same. A lot of people like to think that their audience is smart, that they catch on to things. But I like to think our audience is pretty stupid. I know that my intellect has not progressed past age 12. We've toned down the hardcore pornography though. People got too confused.
One of my favorite things about a Barstow Boyz show is how great everyone looks, the amazing sense of style throughout the room and on stage. Who is your style icon?
The Maytag repairman. I like to think of myself as a cross between him and Archie Bunker. I mean, I am thinking that in my mind anyway. I don't know if that is what it's actually like for other people looking at me. But I'm all like–I'm bored, I have nothing to do and my son-in-law is a meathead. And I don't even have a son-in-law.
What is the most underrated band from the late '70s, early '80s that the Barstow Boyz covers?
People don't appreciate Al Stewart. But we don't cover Al Stewart.
Why don't you cover Al Stewart?
Because people don't appreciate him. We don't want to piss people off. There's already enough stuff making people angry. We were talking about this the other night. If one of us mentions a band, we're like, 'Oh yeah, do you remember that song,?' 'Oh yeah, I hate that song.' 'Oh we definitely have to do that song.'
In the past we've done some stuff by Aerosmith, Jethro Tull. maybe some Who– stuff that people genuinely like. But it's the stuff that we might say, 'I really like it but for all the wrong reasons' that we like to throw in.
It's that same feeling you get knowing that even though you are vegetarian you can get away with eating the French fries at McDonalds that are fried in beef fat. It's kind of naughty, but you're not betraying your true core.
It's like you just looked into my soul.
Jim Ladd has that effect on me, too. The DJ on KLOS–'Lord have mercy.' He has that sort of fire in the belly effect because I feel like I did something wrong by turning the dial to him. Like when he goes off on his pseudo Ray Manzarek shtick.
The origin of the Barstow Boyz–no one really knows this but we were going to be–this still may happen–a homoerotic cover band of the Doors, called the Back Doors. Hence the name: Rim Morrison. It could still happen though. Keep your fingers and others things crossed.
So what's the future hold for the Barstow Boyz?
Hopefully we won't have to sleep nine days after this performance, and hopefully we can get back up and do it again before the holidays are over. As long as we can continue to find spandex to fit us, and people will still come by the stage and dance on it and help us test its capacity, we'll keep rocking.
The Barstow Boyz tear it up at La Cave, 1695 Irvine Ave., Costa Mesa, (949) 646-7944. Fri., Nov. 19, 9 p.m. 21+.
