Features
Interview with Bassist Mick Mahan, “No Excuses”
Photo, Meghan Gaucher
Interview with Bassist Mick Mahan, “No Excuses”…
How did you get started playing bass to where you are today?
At a really early age, around the age of four, I was paying attention to music and was able to recognize the feelings and emotions it could evoke. That’s what music is all about… a gift that can make you happy, or give you any number of different emotions and feelings. A song that had a big impact on me was Del Shannon’s “Runaway”. It’s a minor-ish kind of song, has a great vibe and it’s an emotional piece. That really struck a chord with me and I became interested in the effect music had on other people and what it would be like to do that kind of artistry. Once the Beatles hit, that was it, I was done. Everyone in the audience was crying, screaming and going crazy. Each of the guys had such a strong personality. They had their own thing and each was definitive. From that point on, I wanted to play guitar.
Photo, Meghan Gaucher
My Uncle Eddie had a country vibe, did a lot of Hank Williams songs and stuff like that. He would sit in the living room and sing and play on an old Gibson single cutaway guitar. I was young and it was the first time I had seen anyone performing live. It was so amazing and so cool to me. I didn’t have a guitar so he gave me his Gibson until I could buy my own guitar. It was a Vox Ace, sort of a Strat knock-off and it had three pickups on it. I think I probably paid two hundred dollars for it at Dusi Music, a local store. Years later when I met Chuck Rainey, he told me he bought his first bass at that same music store. Chuck Rainey is a bass hero to everyone, but particularly to me because we’re from the same side of our hometown. We have a lot of the same influences and I consider him a kindred spirit.
After I bought the Vox, I got in a band called the Illusions with guys older than I was. We started playing dances and private parties, and I made a little bit of money. Shortly before I got into high school, the band I was playing in lost our bass player and I ended up doing it because… well, somebody had to do it. I borrowed a bass from a friend and bought records, 45’s, to learn the bass lines. It was right around the time Led Zeppelin arrived on the scene and John Paul Jones was a highly influential bass player for me. What he was doing at the time was sort of a fusion of R&B, true R&B like James Jamerson, mixed in with a rock player. Bass lines like “Ramble On”, that’s like a Jamerson bass line. I had no formal education it was all learning by ear and emulating as closely as possible. When you learn bass lines, they’re so much about the feel. You can learn HOW to play the bass lines, but trying to get the FEEL of that into your playing, is a whole other thing. Winter in Ohio has pretty foul weather, and it lent itself to staying indoors a lot. It was easy to stay home and learn music. I wasn’t interested in learning how to read music, or approach it from an educational standpoint. During those days, people didn’t necessarily teach you what you wanted to play, so I taught myself. Bass is underrated, but it’s the heart and soul of the rhythm section. Bass and drums create the foundation for a band. I liked that role. You have to like repetition without becoming bored. Bands want a foundational kind of player to hold it down.
Photo, Meghan Gaucher
Ohio was a great place to grow up in the sixties and seventies. There were some amazing bands and a lot of the local musicians from Cleveland and Youngstown went on to have great careers. That whole pocket of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan was such a hotbed of great music to experience. How many kids grow up going to see Joe Walsh for 50 cents and are fortunate enough to be around that kind of musical power? You take a guy like Gregg Bissonette, who can play any style with authenticity and just bring it 100% all the time. He came from Detroit and had that kind of influence. Chad Smith is also from Detroit and had that same influence. The influence was pretty incredible and the bar was set really high. Once I moved to Los Angles, I realized in order to compete with that level of player, I needed to get my act together. To be a journeyman in Los Angles in the 80’s, you had to read music and you had to know how to speak the language. That’s when I got turned on to studying at The Grove School of Music. I found that something I thought was not effective became very effective, because I was able to communicate the language at an educated level. I was successful at learning the educational aspect of music at that point because I was older and ready to digest it, and also the way education was approached at The Grove School. Even now, I’m able to incorporate that same approach when I teach. I’ll volunteer to teach an elementary school, and because the kids understand their ABC’s and know how to count, they can grasp the notes and a scale. If you present music and music education to kids in a fun, simplistic way, they’re going to understand it and hopefully develop a life-long appreciation for it. At a young age when you’re really open and sensitive to these things, they’re able to bring it into their world and make it their own. As a kid, I had some great musicians to go see all the time who were able to influence me into doing what I do to this day.
Tell us about some of the artists you have worked with.
Throughout the 70’s and 80’s, I worked with artists like Lisa Hartman, Rick Springfield, Ambrosia, Philip Bailey and The 5th Dimension. That’s how it was back then. You got one or two gigs and then things started moving. I worked for songwriters and composers like Boyce and Hart, Henry Mancini, Prince, Bobby Caldwell, Jack Tempchin and dozens more. There was so much work going on that you could easily transition to several different musical situations: playing, songwriting, and getting into the publishers’ studios and cutting demos. Songwriting and composing became a passion. I wrote songs, film cues and TV music incessantly. In the 90’s and into 2000 I worked with artist such as Montrose, David Foster, Sheryl Crow, Alan Parsons, Sophie B. Hawkins, Barry Manilow, Dixie Chicks, Marc Bonilla and the Dragon Choir, Keith Emerson, Glenn Hughes (The Boys Club) and Martina McBride. Around 2005 I was involved as principle with the formation of California Transit Authority (CTA), Danny Seraphine’s project after a many-year hiatus. That was great being able to do those two records.
Photo, Lisa S. Johnson
The Woodland Hills Drum Club was an amazing experience I had through my association with Mark Craney. We would set up three drum sets and guys like Mark Craney, Gregg Bissonette, Doane Perry, Vinnie Colaiuta, Terry Bozio, Richie Hayward, Myron Grombacher, Tris Imboden, John Robinson and Will Kennedy would play with Larry Wilkens on guitar and me on bass. We played for ten years doing a Monday night jam thing, and a couple times a year we would throw a benefit. One night, in walks Tony Williams, and you just hear everyone go “Oh my God, Tony Williams is here”. Tony didn’t play with us, he just stood there and watched. The respect we all had for that guy was just amazing. The Drum Club introduced me to so many musical connections. Mark Craney once told me, “You don’t play the bass, you negotiate it”. That’s something I carry with me all the time. He had a profound impact on my life and I remember him saying “No Excuses” and he brought it every time. Every drummer has their own personality and where they place the beat, whether it’s in front, behind, or in the middle of the beat. I’m kind of a middle of the beat player. I loved those drum collaborations and the drum community, because it’s such a strong community. These guys are competitive, but they share their knowledge and they’re proud of it.
This whole thing with Pat Benatar came at probably one of the worst times in my life. It’s post-earthquake in Los Angeles in 1994 and I’m on my hands and knees in my kitchen, chipping up and replacing old tile and the phone rings… It’s Neil Giraldo and he said he got my name from Myron Grombacher and some others and would I “like to come audition for the band?”. We’re just talking, getting familiar with each other when call waiting clicks in and I say, “Would you mind holding for one sec, I got another call and I’ll get rid of it?”. At that same exact time that I’m on the phone with Neil, Doane Perry from Jethro Tull calls and says Ian is putting a band together, and asks if I would be interested in doing that. Well, there was no work in LA at the time because the earthquake had devastated everything, and here I am on my hands and knees in the kitchen, laying tile and all of a sudden, I get a call for TWO great gigs. I talked to both guys and thought about it a bit more. Pat and Neil were a family and a team. My wife at the time was pregnant and the whole family situation really appealed to me, so I chose the Benatar gig. First, I go play with just Myron and Neil. Then I went back and played with them a second time. Finally, it was time to meet Pat to ensure that I was the right choice for the band. She comes into the room and asks to see my socks, so I lift my pant leg up…she sees the white socks and says, “Ok, you ARE from Ohio, you’re in the band”. That was it and I’ve been with them ever since. It’s been great working with people of that caliber… she never sings a bad note, consistently great night after night and he’s an amazingly talented guitar player.
Photo, Lisa S. Johnson
What gear do you use when on the road?
I’m using two TC Blacksmith amplifiers. These are 1600watt amps, and I’m using them bridged into four 4×10 cabinets. That’s a firm sound, and it doesn’t even have to be loud. I play a lot of Fender basses these days. I really like the product that comes from Fender right off the line. Even as a manufactured bass, it’s the first electric bass and provides a solid classic sound. Their quality control is so high and so good. Another one of my favorites that I use for almost all recordings are my Tobias basses. I have several Tobias basses that I absolutely love and believe that Michael Tobias is just one of the best luthiers on the planet. He has a design that fits my hand, my personality and unbeatable playability. It’s just a well-designed instrument. Bartolini pickups have always been my favorite sound. The growl is what I love about them. You still get plenty of clarity with the right amount of grit. Lately, I’ve been checking out the Vintage and Fret King basses and really impressed with their basses. I have a Vintage Jaco fretless jazz and a Fret King Perception 5 string and they’re great instruments. As far as the acoustic basses, I use Boulder Creek. You just plug it in and you’re off to the races. There is no feedback making a bunch of noise with the Boulder Creek acoustic basses. The Boulder Creek products are very high quality and sound amazing.
Any advice for aspiring bassists?
Yes, it’s actually an obvious answer: Practice! Practice! Practice! Keep your hands on the bass as much as possible. Make friends with your instrument. When you work on things that challenge you, it ultimately makes you play better. Rehearsing the same licks will not get you to a new level, but playing things out of your comfort zone will. That’s not to say that you don’t practice your normal warm up exercises, scales, etc., but constantly push yourself.
So what’s happening for you currently?
The Pat Benatar summer tour will be starting up soon, along with the usual gigs and sessions in Los Angeles. Writing and recording are a constant in my world. And after many years of research and planning, I’m finally realizing a dream of mine this year and opening a pizzeria called “Parma Pizzeria Napoletana”. As one famous pizziola said to me “You should make great pizza because you’re a bass player and you understand feel”. It’s an interesting comparison between music and pizza, because I consider them both to be an art. I’m a foodie… so it makes sense.
Visit online at:
If you are an electric bass player, this is an exciting time to be alive as this relatively new instrument evolves around us. Some creative individuals have taken an active role in this evolution and made giant leaps in their own direction. Lee Barker is one of these inventive people having created the Barker Bass.
Fortunately, Lee is also an excellent writer (among so many talents) and has recently released his book “Plausible Gumption, The Road Between a Christmas Toolbox and The Barker Bass”. This book is a very fun read for everyone and shares a ton of details about Lee’s life in general, his experiences as a musician, a radio host, and a luthier. Now I am fortunate to have the great opportunity to gain even more insights into this renaissance man with this video interview.
Plausible Gumption, The Road Between a Christmas Toolbox and The Barker Bass is available online at Amazon.com
Interview and photo courtesy of Holly Bergantino of Bergantino Audio Systems
With an expansive live show and touring, Mt. Joy bassist Michael Byrnes shares his experiences with the joyful, high-energy band!
Michael Byrnes has kept quite a busy touring schedule for the past few years with his band, Mt. Joy. With a philosophy of trial and error, he’s developed quite the routines for touring, learning musical instruments, and finding the right sound. While on the road, we were fortunate to have him share his thoughts on his music, history, and path as a musician/composer.
Let’s start from the very beginning, like all good stories. What first drew
you to music as well as the bass?
My parents required my sister and I to play an instrument. I started on piano and really didn’t like it so when I wanted to quit my parents made me switch to another instrument and I chose drums. Then as I got older and started forming bands there were never any bass players. When I turned 17 I bought a bass and started getting lessons. I think with drums I loved music and I loved the idea of playing music but when I started playing bass I really got lost in it. I was completely hooked.
Can you tell us where you learned about music, singing, and composing?
A bit from teachers and school but honestly I learned the most from just going out and trying it. I still feel like most of the time I don’t know what I am doing but I do know that if I try things I will learn.
What other instruments do you play?
A bit of drums but that’s it. For composing I play a lot of things but I fake it till I make and what I can’t fake I will ask a friend!
I know you are also a composer for film and video. Can you share more
about this with us?
Pretty new to it at the moment. It is weirdly similar to the role of a bass player in the band. You are using music to emphasize and lift up the storyline. Which I feel I do with the bass in a band setting. Kind of putting my efforts into lifting the song and the other musicians on it.
Everybody loves talking about gear. How do you achieve your “fat” sound?
I just tinker till it’s fat lol. Right now solid-state amps have been helping me get there a little quicker than tube amps. That’s why I have been using the Bergantino Forté HP2 – Otherwise I have to say the cliche because it is true…. It’s in the hands.
Describe your playing style(s), tone, strengths and/or areas that you’d like
to explore on the bass.
I like to think of myself as a pretty catchy bass player. I need to ask my bandmates to confirm! But I think when improvising and writing bass parts I always am trying to sneak little earworms into the music. I want to explore 5-string more!
Who are your influences?
I can’t not mention James Jamerson. Where would any of us be if it wasn’t for him? A lesser-known bassist who had a huge effect on me is Ben Kenney. He is the second bassist in the band Incubus and his playing on the Crow Left the Murder album completely opened me up to the type of bass playing I aspire towards. When I first started playing I was really just listening to a lot of virtuosic bassists. I was loving that but I couldn’t see myself realistically playing like that. It wasn’t from a place of self-doubt I just deep down knew that wasn’t me. Ben has no problem shredding but I was struck by how much he would influence the song through smaller movements and reharmonizing underneath the band. His playing isn’t really in your face but from within the music, he could move mountains. That’s how I want to play.
What was the first bass you had? Do you still have it?
A MIM Fender Jazz and I do still have it. It’s in my studio as we speak. I rarely use it these days but I would never get rid of it.
(Every bass player’s favorite part of an interview and a read!) Tell us about
your favorite bass or basses. 🙂
I guess I would need to say that MIM Jazz bass even though I don’t play it much. I feel connected to that one. Otherwise, I have been playing lots of great amazing basses through the years. I have a Serek that I always have with me on the road (shout out Jake). Also have a 70’s Mustang that 8 times out of 10 times is what I use on recordings. Otherwise, I am always switching it up. I find that after a while the road I just cycle basses in and out. Even if I cycle out a P bass for another P bass.
What led you to Bergantino Audio Systems?
My friend and former roommate Edison is a monster bassist and he would gig with a cab of yours all the time years ago. Then when I was shopping for a solid state amp the Bergantino Forté HP2 kept popping up. Then I saw Justin Meldal Johnsen using it on tour with St. Vincent and I thought alright I’ll give it a try!
Can you share a little bit with us about your experience with the Bergantino
forte HP amplifier? I know you had this out on tour in 2023 and I am pretty
certain the forte HP has been to more countries than I have.
It has been great! I had been touring with a 70’s SVT which was great but from room to room, it was a little inconsistent. I really was picky with the type of power that we had on stage. After a while, I thought maybe it is time to just retire this to the studio. So I got that Forte because I had heard that it isn’t too far of a leap from a tube amp tone-wise. Plus I knew our crew would be much happier loading a small solid state amp over against the 60 lbs of SVT. It has sounded great and has really remained pretty much the same from night to night. Sometimes I catch myself hitting the bright switch depending on the room and occasionally I will use the drive on it.
You have recently added the new Berg NXT410-C speaker cabinet to your
arsenal. Thoughts so far?
It has sounded great in the studio. I haven’t gotten a chance to take it on the road with us but I am excited to put it through the paces!
You have been touring like a madman all over the world for the past few
years. Any touring advice for other musicians/bass players? And can I go to Dublin, Ireland with you all??
Exercise! That’s probably the number one thing I can say. Exercise is what keeps me sane on the road and helps me regulate the ups and downs of it. Please come to Dublin! I can put you on the guest list!
It’s a cool story on how the Mt. Joy band has grown so quickly! Tell us
more about Mt. Joy, how it started, where the name comes from, who the
members are and a little bit about this great group?
Our singer and guitarist knew each other in high school and have made music together off and on since. Once they both found themselves living in LA they decided to record a couple songs and put out a Craigslist ad looking for a bassist. At the time I had just moved to LA and was looking for anyone to play with. We linked up and we recorded what would become the first Mt. Joy songs in my house with my friend Caleb producing. Caleb has since produced our third album and is working on our fourth with us now. Once those songs came out we needed to form a full band to be able to do live shows. I knew our drummer from gigging around LA and a mutual friend of all of us recommended Jackie. From then on we’ve been on the road and in the studio. Even through Covid.
Describe the music style of Mt. Joy for me.
Folk Rock with Jam influences
What are your favorite songs to perform?
Always changing but right now it is ‘Let Loose’
What else do you love to do besides bass?
Exercise!
I always throw in a question about food. What is your favorite food?
I love a good chocolate croissant.
Follow Michael Byrnes:
Instagram: @mikeyblaster
Follow Mt. Joy Band:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mtjoyband
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mtjoyband
I am sure many of you are very familiar with Mark Egan as we have been following him and his music for many years now. The last time we chatted was in 2020.
Mark teamed up with drummer Shawn Pelton and guitarist Shane Theriot to produce a new album, “Cross Currents” released on March 8th, 2024. I have been listening to this album in its entirety and it is simply superb (See my review).
Now, I am excited to hear about this project from Mark himself and share this conversation with our bass community in Bass Musician Magazine.
Photo courtesy of Mark Egan
Visit Online:
markegan.com
markegan.bandcamp.com
Apple Music
Amazon Music
Bassist Adam Sullivan…
Hailing from Minnesota since 2012, By the Thousands has produced some serious Technical Metal/Deathcore music. Following their recent EP “The Decent”s release, I have the great opportunity to chat with bassist Adam Sullivan.
Join me as we hear about Adam’s musical Journey, his Influences, how he gets his sound, and the band’s plans for the future
Photo, Laura Baker
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Bergantino Welcomes Marc Brownstein to Their Family of Artists
Bergantino Shares: The innovative bassist/sonic explorer/DJ Marc Brownstein discusses his life of touring with Disco Biscuits, the current tour with the new album “Revolution in Motion, and more!
By Holly Bergantino
Marc Brownstein is the king of “Trance-Fusion” – a subgenre that his band Disco Biscuits has been in the center of for the past two decades. As a founding member of the band from their days at UPenn, Marc has quite the experience under his belt, and each tour has gotten more and more exciting. Disco Biscuits is currently on tour with their new album Revolution in Motion, a full multimedia experience accompanied by a 25-minute animated film that tells a story of intergalactic travelers finding their way on Earth.
D. J. Brownie! What made you want to be a musician and start playing bass and who drew you to it?
I was drawn to music after John Lennon was assassinated. I was raised in NYC and the city was just going crazy. I was 7 years old at the time and my thought was, wow why is everyone freaking out so much, this guy must be really special. And so I started to check the Beatles out and that was the beginning of my journey with music.
A question from one of your fans and fellow bass players Karina Rykman: “How do you keep your bubble of positivity intact and thriving”?
Well it’s funny she should ask. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the run of positivity we are experiencing now began right at the beginning of tour at the beginning of January 2023 when we had Karina opening for us for a week. I can say that her positive energy on tour definitely left its mark on the rest of our tour. Some people are so naturally happy and positive that it leaves you feeling that way, sometimes permanently!
Besides the bass guitar, what other instruments do you play?
I dabble with piano, guitar, and I can make my way around a drum kit if I get into it for a few weeks. I’ve played flute and saxophone as well at different times. I also play the double bass. But I would say Piano is my second instrument at this point. I play everyday.
What is your favorite (and least favorite) thing about touring?
The best part of touring is the 4 hours on stage with the band. But also getting to visit so many great places all of the time. That’s the silver lining. The only thing I don’t love about touring is missing my family.
Tell us about your first music teacher. What lesson did you learn from this person and still use today?
My first music teacher, Mrs. Koslov, 2nd grade, I just was at her funeral a few weeks ago. I eventually became best friends with Mrs Koslov’s son and we stayed in touch for my whole life. She taught me a lot but really she was the one who gave me the courage to perform. My first public performance ever was a piano version of Eleanor Rigby.
What was the first bass you had?
This is tough. I think I had a standard Ibanez jazz style bass first. Within a year or two I got an American Fender Jazz bass.
What are the basses you have and use now?
My main bass is an Elrick 5 string by Rob Elrick. I also have a Q5 Modulus and an Alembic 5 as well. Oteil (Burbridge) sent me a Roscoe custom 6 during the Pandemic that I like to play. I also have a Sire Marcus Miller, a newer American Fender Jazz bass, a custom Ibanez SDGR, an Ibanez BTB and an Elrick 5 string Fretless bass which is my main bass at home.
Who were the musicians who inspired you and what qualities do you admire about them?
I was deeply influenced by Phish when I discovered them in college. I admired their ability to mesh jazz, classical and rock Improvisational styles. I was very inspired by classic jazz musicians. Miles. Monk. Coltrane. Dexter Gordon. Cannonball Adderly. Mingus. This is the generation of musicians that laid the groundwork for what we do now.
You studied and started the band Disco Biscuits at UPenn. Tell us more about the origins.
The band just sort of linked up in the quad (dormitory) and we started to set up our gear and jam for fun. Within a short time I realized the guys I was playing with were really talented and so I applied to the New School for jazz and went and spent a year crash coursing music at a high level so I could return to Penn and start a band with them.
You have a new album “Revolution in Motion,” that you’re currently touring on. How is it going?
The tour has been amazing. It’s one of the best tours we ever had in our career. We sold out more than half of the shows and are receiving really great feedback across the country.
I watched the video on YT for Revolution in Motion. The Choreography, production, color, cartoon characters, and theme were so much fun. Space aliens and psychedelic art, pop ups like a comic book, and you in your alien jump suit with your baseball cap were amazing. Loved! How was this collaborated?
We have a co-writer on this project named Joey friedman. He conceived of the concept for the album and he had a very specific vision for what the visuals would look like. He spent hours and hours with the animators (Blunt Action) and the AI animator (Todd Kushnir) working through each iteration to make it come to life in the way that it was conceived.
How would you describe the music you create for Disco Biscuits?
We always hoped that the music we created would be the weirdest and craziest music of all time but we describe it as Trance-Fusion, which was a name that was drawn from jazz-fusion, the mixing of jazz with rock and roll instruments. We found our own sound by mixing trance music with rock and roll instruments, hence the genre title. It was renamed jamtronica many years later by the folks over at SiriusXM who started a radio show called the Jamtronica show to highlight acts from our scene. I was the host of that show for the first 3 years.
Describe the creative process when you write new music.
These days the creative process is a team effort. Usually we start by combing through improvisational sections of music from the tours to see if we can find any melodies or chord structures that are song worthy. When we find it we bring it into our DAW (ableton) and creating a grid. This is easy for us because we often play to a time clock on stage. From there we start building out the structures of the new piece of music while Joey and maybe me or Aron or Jon will start working on some lyrical concepts. Within an hour or two we start to record some of these initial lyrics and melodies and Jon usually starts to adapt them and tweak them to make them comfortable for him to sing. Usually within a few hours we are able to walk away with a very advanced demo of a new song. It’s been an extremely fruitful experience that has left us with albums worth of the best material we’ve had in decades.
The lighting for your shows is amazing. Who does the lighting design work and choreography for the tours?
Our new LD is known as Herm, but his name is Alex. We know him as Herm though. He came to us from the band Twiddle at the beginning of this year and has totally revitalized the visual elements of the stage show. He’s a really great fit and we feel grateful to have been linked up with such a massive talent. It was luck and timing and some might call it fate.
How would your bandmates describe you?
My bandmates would probably describe me as energetic and talkative and headstrong but also they might notice that I’ve become really good at going with the flow and backing their creative instincts. They may further describe me as anxious and nervous but may also notice that these elements have been remediated of recent. Mostly I think they would describe me as loyal and dedicated.
How did you find Bergantino Audio systems?
I was first introduced to it by Ed Grasmeyer who I know as Mike Gordon’s tech in Burlington. I was playing a show at Nectars and needed a backline and Ed came and set me up with the ForteHP2 and I was blown away by the tone. I then noticed Karina Rykman was using Bergantino as well and that’s when I started to think I needed to get in contact with the company. Karina was opening for the Biscuits on Boston and that’s where I had the chance to demo the forte hp2 in the context of the biscuits stage show. I haven’t looked back since that night.
Tell us about your experience with the Forté HP2 on the tour?
There are so many things that I can say about it but the most notable is that I’m not struggling to hear the frequencies that I want to hear on stage anymore. I used to have to boost the bass everywhere. In an EQ pedal, on the preamp on the actual bass. But every time you add a little of those low frequencies in those other places you risk degrading the tone of the signal. With the Forte HP2 there is a punch button that gives me exactly the frequency I’m looking for. 100 hz. 4 db. It’s perfect.
Did you think Jim talked too much when you met him in Boston?
I will never notice when someone talks too much because chances are I’m out talking them.
What’s your process for dealing with performance anxiety?
I used to self-medicate for this purpose but I was recently in touch with a psychiatrist who has helped me regulate my own chemical imbalances and I have found that my performance anxiety isn’t really an issue when I have the proper amount of dopamine in the system!
Imagine that you’re at a party and it’s a little stale. What’s the “party trick” (or hidden talent) that you’d bust out to liven the place up?
Before the app existed I was known as a real life fruit ninja. I take a big knife and people throw fruit from across the room and I chop it in half in mid-air. It’s not the safest party trick anymore because I lost vision in my right eye a few years ago and I’m not as accurate as I used to be!
What hobbies do you have outside of music?
I love sports. I love reading. I love word games. I love gardening. I love hiking/running/moving. My biggest hobby was snowboarding for many years but I’ve grown injury prone and stay off the mountain these days.
What is the most trouble you ever got into?
Well, I managed to stay out of trouble until college. But before weed was legalized I had a series of run-ins with the law and spent a night in the clink in Amherst Mass during my freshman year fraternity pledge trip. Luckily this isn’t an issue anymore for those of us who don’t drink or smoke cigarettes but prefer a little of the wacky tabacky to cool down.
What is the message you would give to your fans?
Well I give them so many messages all the time but the most important one that I try to remember to keep constant is a message of gratitude. Thank you so much for sticking with us through thick and thin, through ups and downs, for decades now you have allowed us to live our dreams and have the most blessed lives possible.
How do you feel social media has impacted your music?
Social media is a double edged sword. It has allowed us to create a strong community where everyone feels like a family but for someone like me who gets addicted to things easily, I really have to be vigilant with practice and writing and other aspects of my life not to spend the whole day scrolling and wasting the time away.
What is your favorite song of all time?
Right now my favorite song of all time is probably a short and beautiful little ditty by Labi Siffre called Bless the Telephone. I would suggest everyone take the 1:29 to listen to it and feel the bliss.
What did I miss for a question that you would like to share?
Bass players don’t really get to play solo shows, at least not my style of bass, so I’ve had to learn how to DJ in order to perform by myself at times and I would suggest coming out to see a DJ Brownie show at some point.
Last one! Describe your perfect meal!
I love to eat great meals. I’m partial to Asian foods but the perfect meal to me is one slice of pizza from Freddie and Peppers on 72nd and Amsterdam in NYC. PERFECTION.
Follow Marc Brownstein:
Instagram: @marcbrownstein
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www.discobiscuits.com
Gear News: Future Impact V4 Guitar & Bass Synth Now Available in the U.S.
Interview With Barker Bass’s Inventor and Writer Lee Barker
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #4 – Boutique and Vintage Basses, Dress Code for Summer Gigs
Gear News: Ibanez & Graph Tech Launch Multi-Scale Bass with Cutting-Edge Tuning
Album: John Entwistle, Rarities Oxhumed – Volume Two
July 15 Edition – This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Gear News: Future Impact V4 Guitar & Bass Synth Now Available in the U.S.
Gear Review: Joyo Monomyth – A Versatile Modern Bass Preamp
Luthier Spotlight: Garry Beers, GGB Basses
