This Wednesday, Dec. 17, Stephen Steinbrink, formerly of French Quarter, is setting up a great show at The Hangar, which is part of the growing, dark side of the Tucson music scene. And not dark like evil, dark like hidden.
It’s something you wouldn’t hear about unless you were out Sunday night after Thanksgiving drinking in Bsnsns, a newly founded show space, alone except for Steinbrink who is a true purveyor of great music. His show this Wednesday combines the talents of Alas Alak Alaska, Fancie, Adrian Orange and himself.
Not to paint an exceptionally scenester picture of Steinbrink, which he is not, but ever since I saw him play his heart out on the floor of the small, all-ages club to a crowd of three, he has garnered my respect.
Steinbrink’s music is also a true testament to his character. His vocal range is astounding and his lyrics are so poignant he reminds you of Jeff Mangum or Say Hi To Your Mom. His solo performances are likeably overstated, instantly catchy, twistedly memorable—basically adverbially adjectival.
Here’s Steinbrink in his own words describing the bands you will hear at The Hangar:
ALAS ALAK ALASKA – Weird, occasionally frightening, obliquely beautiful space music. Nothing like it in the world. From Sacramento, Calif.
FANCIE – From Berlin and Sacramento. If Joni Mitchell said, “F—k you, Crosby,” and took a few hits of E and went skydiving with a boys choir. Electronic yet organic R&B.
ADRIAN ORANGE – Who knows? This man from Portland, Ore., has done everything, from afro-pop, fucked up folk, to his latest project, “AOK” a psyche(o)delic hip-hop explosion.
Below, we delve even deeper into the mind of Steinbrink, who takes us on a trip through the magical chasm that is his mind. We discuss understanding the flaws of Phoenix, Steinbrink’s musical past and the sad fact that television signal hacking is soon to be a thing of the past.
This is going to be your last show in Tucson for a while because you are moving (back?) to Phoenix.
SS: I’m just a little lonely here. I’m mainly going back to live in a shack that is attached to a friend’s house for a ridiculously small amount of money per month. I also want to become a professional urban fisherman. That, and I really want to start a band that sounds like Naked City with my friends James Roemer and Ann Marie Philipp.
Is part of the reason for leaving your disillusionment with Tucson, which has lost its appeal for underage music in recent years?
SS: I wouldn’t say I’m disillusioned, I just think a lot of people in Tucson don’t realize the importance of all-ages shows, which can be discouraging for someone who doesn’t understand the appeal of music in loud bars. I just shudder at the thought of not having been able to attend all those weird shows when I was younger, and I think it’s sad that there aren’t too many places where younger kids can go to concerts and feel accepted.
I agree with you more or less, but Bsnsns and The Hangar are such promising venues at the moment. It’s sort of the ebb and flow that every city has to deal with, isn’t it?
SS: Yes and no. I don’t know really. I really love both of those spaces and they have a lot of promise. I’m excited to see what happens.
I’m so skeptical of Phoenix, but you seem to have a certain affinity for the city. I know you’re looking forward to being back in the capital, so what does Phoenix have that Tucson doesn’t as far as under-21 clubs go? How about the music scene in general?
SS: I understand the flaws of Phoenix. It’s ugly and big and stupid. The smog is terrible, and nothing is in walking distance, but I think these things make us kids work a little harder at making our own fun. I’m just so proud of the fact that the community in Phoenix can support a flourishing all-ages scene with shows happening almost every night in living rooms or places like the Trunk Space which has been open for five years and Modified Arts which has been open for a whole decade. That is incredible. Everyone works really hard to stay active, creative and consistent, which is something I haven’t seen anywhere else in the country.
What about Los Betos in Tucson? Do they have one in Phoenix?
SS: I think there is one in Phoenix on 24th Street, but I’m not sure. It’s probably bad. Tucson does have better Mexican food, I will admit.
The last time I saw you play, it was on the bare cement floor of Tucson’s Bsnsns. You asked for a recording device to capture the moment. What exactly do you want to record from your last two years of living in Tucson?
SS: I don’t know. I’ve been thinking of making a live record or something. Like Frampton Comes Alive! or some shit—really polished and fake.
Speaking of Frampton, let’s talk about your music history. Tell us a little bit about your beginnings as a musician, pre-French Quarter and French Quarter itself.
SS: I played a lot of music when I was a lot younger and went on my first tour my first year of high school in a weird band called “Black Feet.” That band ended suddenly, and I realized I didn’t have any of my own songs to play. I started going to shows in high school and was introduced to the DIY and punk community in Phoenix and got the idea to start my own “band.” I bought a four-track tape machine and learned how to write and record songs in my parents’ garage. It hasn’t changed much; I still do everything the same way, more or less.
You are listed under your own name for the show on Wednesday. Is that how you are currently playing?
SS: Yeah, I think it’s time. The band name didn’t mean anything at all. I saw the words “French Quarter” printed on a T-shirt when I was 14 and I thought it would be a good band name—pretty stupid and meaningless. And the “band” has always been me, for the most part anyway, so it makes sense for me to start performing under my name.
Tell us a little bit about your new album Ugly Unknowns, which is slated for release in early 2009.
SS: Well, it’s a bunch of new songs that were recorded in a bunch of different places on a lot of different borrowed gear over the span of a year. I like it. It’s a louder pop record. I‘m really excited about doing other projects for a while after this tour. I think I might take a break for a while and try my hand in the independent fast food industry. Like, making really cheap junk food with good ingredients at an extremely low price, almost free.
You’ll also be touring in support of Ugly Unknowns starting Jan. 2. Is this sort of a New Year’s resolution that cannot fail? It is an interesting time to tour.
SS: I like it! I did a tour last year in January and it was great. Nobody really tours in the dead of winter for some reason. Maybe because it’s cold or something? I don’t know.
Your show at The Hanger in Tucson looks great, but apparently there is also a Hanger in Concordia, Mo. What up with that?
SS: The Hanger in Concordia is a tiny all-ages music venue in a even more tiny town of 1,500 people. The show was so good and refreshing. The kids that came were so stoked to hear music and acted really goofy and excited. There was this complete lack of pretension that some people bring to shows, which made the experience of playing there so pure and cool. Definitely one of the best shows I’ve ever been a part of.
On your MySpace page, you have compiled a list of past shows that is incredibly archived. How did you retain all this knowledge? Were you constantly keeping it up or have you been slowly piecing it back together?
SS: I think it’s cool to have a list. I don’t know. I like lists I guess.
What’s your fascination with hacking into analog television broadcasts in the 1980s?
SS: Ha! I’m just sad that television hacking will be impossible come February when they get rid of analog television. It is this totally unexplored medium that has been really misused since its inception. Free media is so powerful and, if used more creatively, could really be a great tool for the spread of good information. I guess the Internet has sort of replaced the need for TV, I suppose. I like TV better though.
It’s sad to see you go, Stephen. Are their any last words you’d like to impart on Tucson?
SS: I don’t know. Cut your losses. Live it up. Play bass.
Stephen Steinbrink, along with Alas Alak Alaska, Fancie and Adrian Orange, glide into The Hangar this Wednesday, Dec. 17. The Hangar is located on 512 N. Echols. Come out and support the local scene around 8 p.m. The show is $5.
