Last year I introduced you to the wonderful delight that is Jawbreaker
Day (if you forgot, click here).
in 1995. On the record is a song called “Sluttering (May 4th).”
Jawbreaker has a devoted fanbase and the Internet is prime real estate
for nerds doing nerdy things. Put the two together and May 4 becomes
Jawbreaker Day.
For this year's extravaganza, I tried to track down
all three members of the band (singer/guitarist Blake Schwarzenbach,
bassist Chris Bauermeister and drummer Adam Pfahler). As you'll see if
you keep reading, I got the rhythm section, which is pretty cool for
super fanboys such as myself.
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Also, I have no way to confirm this other than a quick (and I do mean “quick”) Google search, but as far as I can tell, these two don't appear in interviews together often. Bauermeister's online presence is damn near nil. At least to strangers anyway, which makes my job all the more difficult. Maybe he's on the Facebook or the Twitters under an alias, but I'm not privy to such information.
Having two out of three members for this year's post means it's going to be hard to top this for Jawbreaker Day 2013, but there is one way this train can keep on rolling. I'm looking at you, Mr. Schwarzenbach.
When did you first hear of Jawbreaker Day?
Adam Pfahler: I remember people talked about it on the Blackballrecords.com “Blackboard” message boards.
Chris Bauermeister: When Adam sent me this email.
What was your first reaction? What do you think of it now?
Adam: I think it was cool. But really, isn't every day Jawbreaker Day?
Do you celebrate May 4th in the Mission in a '63 with 10,000 miles, a
pack of Chesterfield Kings, hanging out with a girl who pierced her nose
way before it was cool?
Adam: Four references in one sentence? That's got to be a record!
Chris: Haven't figured that out yet — I suppose I'll be driving to Canada for a
nice weekend vacation with my wife (though I had planned that already).
Many people (myself included) think “Sluttering” is the best song off
Dear You. That's not a question, but feel free to reply like it is.
Adam: I love that song. But I think the best song is “Accident Prone” and I've thought that from the very beginning.
Chris: The bass isn't loud enough.
Since Coachella is fresh on everyone's minds…have you been offered
to play the festival? If not, I'm assuming there have been some decent
offers from others, right?
Adam: Yeah, we get offers for
reunion tours and festival spots pretty regularly, from Coachella to
playing a wedding party for friends. Last year Lorne Michaels offered us
$3,000 to reunite on “Saturday Night Live.” No, that was the Beatles.
Chris: To quote Sergeant Schultz, “I know nothing! Nothing!”
Adam: Lotta. Those guys are my friends.
After so many years, what's it feel like to know so many people still
care about a band you were in for a relatively brief period of time?
For example, when you see people still getting the logo tattoo, how does
that make you feel?
Adam: I can relate because I care for this band a great deal. I always try to get a photo of the tattooed peeps.
Chris: Ten years (1986-1996) isn't really that brief a period of time, but I
suppose I'm flattered; it also helps me when I'm down to know that I
was part of something which still has some sort of lasting impact –
though I'm waiting until we're listed under “classic rock.”
Adam, you operate a video store, correct? Once Netflix and the Internet
kill hard copies for good, do you think you might get into the pay phone
business?
Adam: The Internet couldn't punch its way out of a wet paper bag.
How often to people come into your job not because they are high and want to rent “The Room” or “Troll 2,” but to see you?
Adam: Sometimes they come in high and want to see me.
Adam, have you seen any of Blake or Chris' post-Jawbreaker bands live? If
so, how tempting was it to yell “Kiss the Bottle?” at them? I ask
because whenever I've seen Blake, that's what happens.
Adam: I see them every time they come through, so I've seen Jets To
Brazil, Thorns Of Life and forgetters. I saw Chris' Mutoid Men last
time they played Gilman. I yell out for “Freebird” like any fan.
Let's just say I was part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and
I wanted to hear “Jinx Removing” performed live before I died. Would
knowing that the Internet would crucify the three of you if you said no
be enough to get you to perform in my hospital room?
Adam: What if we just showed up, watched you die, then ran through a two hour
set? That would be harsh.
Chris: Censure by computer is irrelevant in my case: I don't really check any
sort of online message boards or social media regularly and could care
less what the Internet says about me, it's not a personal friend of mine
with whom I have day-to-day human interactions – you really should get
out more and stop trying to blackmail people with your imagined death.
Name one band that you haven't been in that you know every drum fill.
Adam: The Clash.
Final question: How often do totally nerdy fanboy geeks such as myself ask you lame questions such as these?
Adam: Not nearly enough!
Chris: Only when Adam passes it on or some new student in town figures out who that old fat guy with the glasses used to be.
