Spooktober, The 13th Month On The Calendar
By Matthew Toledo - 6/12/2008
Brian C.R. and bassist Miguel Evanosky first met while Miguel was working at the Burrito Buggy here in Athens, Ohio. One night, drunk and bored, Brian talked his way inside the buggy and volunteered to cook chicken and beef so that Miguel, a vegetarian, wouldn't have to handle meat. "I was really annoying that night and got in fights with the customers," said Brian during an online interview with the AMN.
It wasn't until later, after a chance encounter at a local dumpster that the two became friends. Brian explains, " I saw Miguel and his buddy jumping out a dumpster, then like later, we became friends."
Dumpsters, and their content, play an important role in creation of Spooktober. Both Miguel and Brian are avid "dumpster divers". They have found and recovered everything from items of clothing, to food, to musical instruments in area dumpsters. To them, the word dumpster can be used as a noun, an adjective, as in "dumpstered food," and even a verb, as in "dumpster." Spooktober's drummer, a fully-functional Casiotone 405 keyboard, was dumpstered by Miguel.
It wasn't until late November 2007 that the two decided to become a musical act. The decision was quick and mutual. Brian explains, "I was over one day 'cause I was good friends with a girl that Miguel lived with, it was coincidence that he was there. He had that old Casio out and his bass, while he was practicing we started to make like all this horrible music for like 3 hours, it was so loud. Then he was like 'I think we should start a band, because anyone else would have stopped by now.' Then, like, I showed up with my guitar the next day and he was really surprised I could play, that was like 2 days before October."
Originally, the duo envisioned performing songs with religious overtones. It was only after Miguel had recovered dozens of dumpstered halloween masks, costumes, and plastic tridents that the band tweaked their focus from organized religion to the supernatural. Mere days after their initial meeting, they had concocted seven songs. On October 3rd, they opened for a band on the road from Pittsburgh.
The band continues to evolve on a rapid pace. They even managed to catch the ear of the successful regional hip-hop superstar, Jesty Beatz, who has since collaborated with the group on several occasions. Jesty has even recorded and produced recordings of the group. Mere months after their initial show, Spooktober is in the process of planning their east coast tour which is slated to begin this July. Tour stops include New York City and Philadelphia. I recently had the opportunity to chat with the band.
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AMN: How did each of you guys find yourself living in Athens.
Brian: I am originally from Columbus, Ohio. I came here when I was 17 to be a student.
Miguel: I moved here when I was 17 to live with my sister.
Editor's note: Miguel's sister, Tessa, is a local musician, bartender and a sound person on rotation at the Union.
AMN: It seems like you guys settled on your unusual lineup from the at your first serendipitous jam session. Does this mean that if a clarinet was lying around instead of a keyboard, you'd have one of those in your band instead?
Brian: Yeah we'd be like a noise band, 'cause I cant play that crap, but I would have still put my heart into that
Miguel: We would never have a clarinet in our band.
AMN: Do you consider Spooktober a noise band, because I hear definite pop overtones. Then again, at your live shows, you state once in a while that your next song will clear the room. Your songs can be catchy. Noise is rarely catchy.
Miguel: No we are not a noise band
Brian: Yeah, like pop music is like the most important thing in my life. It's like the only music I acknowledge.
AMN: Was that sarcasm?
Brian: Yeah, I am smiling, But no--if you ask my friends, I seriously, seriously, only love pop music.
Miguel: Hits.
Brian: Yeah, I love to make pop, I want to make hits. I like people dancing and singing a long.
AMN: At the recent Gun and Knife house party on 186 N. Congress, you managed to get a bunch of the people there to start dancing. One girl even said, "I love that song!" Do you pay these people, or is this all part of your master plan?
Miguel: Those were my girlfriends.
Brian: Yeah, Miguel totally gets chicks to move. If it clicks with certain people, it's really rad. I am always at the Union dancing like an idiot. So, when people dance like idiots to my stuff, it's great!
Miguel: We have really nice people that come to our shows
Brian: (Sarcastically) I don't care for them.
AMN: Miguel, you mentioned to me in a previous conversation that some of your influences include groups like They Might be Giants, Captain Beefheart, and Frank Zappa. I take it you like your pop quirky flavored?
Miguel: Uh, those are just the bands I grew up listening to. As far as I am concerned, I know all the songs and I can sing along to them, so it's pop to me.
Brian: Yeah, like, growing up for me, I was really into straight pop like Weezer's "Blue Album." It is, like, really incredible. But, listening to Mig's tape of "Flood" by They Might Be Giants has been a real eye opener. Their songs are really smart and catchy.
AMN: Give me an example of your "smartest" lyric.
Brian: Ours, like, as in our band?
AMN: Yep.
Miguel: Ooh. (pause) I like "Ghosts Don't Exist", "Don't let them taunt you, because I haunt you, don't listen to them when they saaaay...Ghosts don't exist!" Our smartest one though would definitely have to be "When I say 'spook' you say 'tober'"
Brian: Yeah. People don't say hello to us on the streets anymore, they just yell that.
AMN: So, how exactly does a Spooktober practice work? Do you come with songs already formulated or do you guys just make up stuff and throw out what doesn't work?
Miguel: We don't throw away any material.
Brian: Literally, there is a lot of physical garbage in our practice space. I got pissed when Mig threw out this Budwesier box that was, like, the first beer we drank in there.
AMN: You should have kept it. You could of sold it on eBay when you guys become rich and famous.
Brian: Yeah, but we can always make more empty beer boxes.
AMN: Let's get back to talking about your song writing process.
Brian: Oh yeah, like, we write independently. Like, I'll come up with some guitar deal, then, like, Mig plays. But seriously, it's not a song until we select the beat--and that changes things a lot.
AMN: And by "select a beat" you mean literally selecting a beat on your Casio keyboard. What type of Casio is that anyway?
Miguel: It's a CASIOTONE 405!
Brian: Uh it's, like, seriously our third member. The band would break up if something happened to it. There is a band called Faux Slang from Philadelphia and they have one too. That's the only other one I've ever seen.
AMN: It is the drummer, after all. In a way, you have one of the best drummers in town. It is easy to work with, never shows up blitzed, and knows all of its parts. I've heard it live, and some of the percussion voices sound very analog for a twenty-year-old, transistor-based instrument.
Miguel: It sure beats Chris McKee.
Brian: Big shout out to that dude, he's actually really cool.
Miguel: --and our neighbor.
Brian: Yeah, I agree, show me a drummer that can do what "Cassie" does.
AMN: When and how did you guys get the idea to collaborate with local rapper, Jesty Beatz?
Brian: Like, I went to his show when I was a freshman at O.U., and I, like, just wanted to see David Banner, the rapper, and when he [Jesty] was an opening act, I boo'ed him really bad. But he was awesome. Later, I went to a show Jesty had at the wire--rest in peace--and like, introduced myself and was like, saying I wanted to play music with him then. I had a lot of other projects with him but they were terrible and he was just being nice. Then we got this job in October playing the downstairs at the Union at like one in the morning on a Wednesday and, like, I made him come out and he flipped out. So, I made him, like, join the band--sorta.
Miguel: It was Jesty's idea.
Brian: Yeah, he's too famous. I can't make him do anything. I have no pull.
AMN: How often does Jesty come to Spooktober practice?
Brian: Hmm. It'd be hard to put, like, a percent. Plus like, our practices aren't really, like, practices. We hang out, like, all day most days and play music really often, like. "J" comes around a lot but, like, we always just goof off. Last time we said we were gonna work out all these songs, but we just went to the elementary school and played basketball.
Miguel: Sure did.
AMN: You guys are pretty mellow. What is it like working with someone like Jesty Beatz who is--for lack of a better word--driven.
Brian: He's so incredibly professional and stuff, we are really just kid-stuff compared to everything he does. He's on, like, our Casio level--like robot perfection. I'll just say "rap here"' and then he does and its incredible. He doesn't need much notice.
Miguel: Jesty Beatz is the greatest person of all time. Me and Brian get along when he comes around.
Brian: Yeah, Mig and I hate each other pretty much. So like, when he comes it's this special treat and we are all happy. All the projects we have done with him are, like, a dream. Usually recording is, like, a soul crushing experience but he makes it rad.
AMN: Did you guys enjoy playing a fully packed show at 19 South as part of a Jesty Beatz bill?
Miguel: It was ridiculous.
Brian: That was the most surreal night of my life!
Miguel: Our contribution made no sense to that show.
AMN: Were you concerned that you might receive a harsh reception from all the hip-hop fans that showed up to see Jesty?
Brian: I was super nervous. Miguel is way tougher than me. He had just shaved the sides of his head that day and he came out in girl clothes and a wig. I had also sprained my ankle two hours before the show and couldn't here shit. We had no time to set up.
Miguel: I got super drunk.
Brian: Plus, it was like Mars up there--super hot, everything was red, no oxygen. It was really crazy.
AMN: Did people get into it?
Brian: Yeah, sorta. Jesty is an absolute genius when it comes to audience psychology and stuff. He shoved us into the set at, like, the perfect space and had us play for the exact right amount of time. It wasn't long enough for people to get pissed and it was a good switch. It was all his idea. I was really terrified.
AMN: Time to get geeky. This is, after all, a web site for musicians. What gear do you guys play?
Miguel: We have never paid for any of our equipment.
Brian: Yeah, we never researched or bought our shit, so we are bad at names and stuff. I got a Gibson SG from a guy I know who's basement flooded and I fixed it all up. The casiotone 405 was in a dumpster
Miguel: I 'd like to thank Ibanez for making my crappy bass.
AMN: I sense that dumpster-diving is a theme with you guys. I was only recently introduced to something called the "dumpster diet" in Duluth, Minnesota while on tour. Some guy, who works at a grocery store, calls a bunch of folks when they throw out expired frozen food. Then, all these DIY house party guys grab the food, keep it frozen, and cook it at house shows for themselves and the bands. How often do you guys dumpster dive, and what, besides "Cassie" the Casio, are some of your favorite finds?
Miguel: I go dumpster-diving everyday. We had a house show and fed the band from Chicago with all-dumpstered food. I do what I gotta do. A man's gotta eat!
Brian: Yeah, like, my favorite find was in one dumpster. Mig found like 200 disposable cameras and like 300 cases of Chip's Ahoy Cookies. I was there but I don't jump into the dumpsters, it smells terrible in there.
AMN: Man! Is that where you found the cameras for your recent Union show? I thought you bought those.
Miguel: Yes
Brian: I hope you washed your hands.
AMN: Where, in your opinion, are some of the sweetest dumpsters in town?
Miguel: It's a secret.
AMN: Understood.
Brian: Every dumpster is sweet to Miguel. I don't think he's ever not liked a dumpster. But I can tell you: if you are in Columbus, check out Trader Joe's. It makes my DIY friends foam at the mouth. Well, we actually have been dumpster-diving like nuts all this week thanks to the student move out. We are getting, like, all foam and carpets and futons to sound proof this new DIY spot on Brown street here in Athens.
AMN: Ok. Just a few more questions. What are your long-term goals for the band? Ever think about touring? Or is Spooktober strictly a weekend-warrior gig for your personal enjoyment?
Brian: We are heading out this July and doing, like, DIY shows all out east. Right now, it is just a few dates. We are doing all the booking on our own, it's sorta slow going.
AMN: Any good shows so far?
Miguel: We don't even have all the dates yet but Pittsburgh is looking good. So is Philadelphia and New York City.
AMN: I always ask this next question. What is in your CD player, or record player, or tape player right now?
Miguel: David Bowie
Brian: I just got Cherry Blue by The Birthday Suits
AMN: If you had an infinite budget, what would you purchase to improve Spooktober?
Miguel: Money.
Brian: A haunted house--like, a huge haunted house, and, like, at the top is a show space. But I don't care if it has a show space or not, just like, a really awesome haunted house, with animatronics stuff and like, actors I have to pay to wave chainsaws. That, or a girlfriend.
AMN: Well put! It was nice chatting with you. Break a leg on your upcoming tour.
Brian: Thanks, Matt.
Miguel: Thanks.
