LOGAN GREENE - LOGAN GREENE & THE BRICKS/DOCTOR DINOSAUR
Name: Logan Greene
Band(s): Logan Greene & The Bricks, Doctor Dinosaur
Duties in the band(s):
-Bricks: singer/songwriter/guitarist
-Dr D: singer/songwriter (1 of 4)/bassist
Logan. What can I say? He’s a total sweetheart. Hailing from Tucson, AZ, Logan plays in a ton of bands, books a ton of shows at Dry River (among other spots), tours relentlessly, and has created a totally rad DIY-based fest in Tucson called Brootal Sun Fest. It’s an incredible feeling when you can say you know someone as devoted and dedicated to music as Logan is. He breathes it, sweats it, ummm let’s just say music is his life. Logan’s a completely unbiased guy that not only makes great music but gives the opportunity to many bands to have their music exposed in the Tucson music scene. When I first had the opportunity to play Dry River, I seriously thought I was in heaven. Being in such an environment that’s soaked with so much knowledge about the culture of art in all mediums is not only uplifting, but mind blowing. If I lived in Tucson….I would probably be there everyday! As for this this interview, Logan talks a bit about himself, Dry River, and Brootal Sun Fest. Here’s Logan spitting out the truth.
Goofy
Favorite beverage?
Dr. Pepper. Hands down… I’m an addict.
Elevator or the stairs?
Stairs… less likely to break when I jump up and down.
Adopt the Michellin man into your family or change your name to Gusher? Yes like the candy. Gusher Greene.
…um… Michellin Man. Family is family. I would love him like a brother.
Favorite sports team/teams? That’s if you follow sports.
I do bowl on occasion, but I couldn’t tell you anything about any famous figures in sports… so no favorite teams.
Taz or Bugs Bunny?
Tough call… Bugs would be more fun to hang out with, but Taz doesn’t give a crap about anything… so, if it’s a one-night engagement, Taz for sure. But if it’s for more than a day, I’d rather hang with Bugs.
Any favorite television series/shows?
Right now I’m SUPER into Adventure Time. Seriously, if I could be anyone in the world it would be Finn from that show. I’d like to model my life after him.
Would you rather be a doctor or a dinosaur? You can’t be both!
Well, I suppose I’d pick a Dinosaur because if I had the money and dedication I COULD be a doctor in real life… I don’t have a clue on how to be an actual dinosaur.
Do you have any guilty pleasures?
Romantic Comedies are kinda my thing. Seriously, I even love the movie “He’s Just Not That Into You” … yeah, it’s bad.
Do you have any pet peeves that drive you crazy?
When other people have crazy obsessive compulsive tendencies, it drives me nuts. My great annoyance in them is almost an obsessive compulsive behavior in me.
Personal
First time going to a show (Who, When, Where):
My sister used to play at Skrappy’s in Tucson all the time when I was in middle school in 1999 and she was in high school. Her band was called The Dishwashers. However, my first concert I went to without my parents was KFMA Day 3, in 2002 with System Of A Down, Saves The Day, Social Distortion, Unwritten Law and Gob. I saw so many boobs. It was crazy.
What made you want to play music?
I wanted to be cooler. Playing music made you cool, it still does. However, once I realized how cool music is, I stopped bothering with trying to be cool and just started to play cool music. But nu-metal still rocks.
What was your first instrument and how were you introduced to it?
I started playing bass in 2001. My dad was a musician and he had some equipment. My friends wanted to start a band, so I learned bass. Then I picked up guitar, drums, banjo and a bunch of others.
I know you’ve been involved in a ton of bands. Can you list all the bands you’ve ever been in?
It’s not a good list, haha… (in chronological order, earliest to most recent):
Failure Piss Of Doom
PMS (Post Monkey System)
Augminished & Demented
Sharx With An X
Bonegun (later Shotgun Royale)
We Are Lightning
The Devil’s Sideshow
Boogie Nazis
Church Girls
Golden Alphabet
Neon Wizard Poster
Royal Blood
Octopus Place
Red Beard
Bangarang
Logan Greene & The Bricks
Doctor Dinosaur
The Robotnics
…I’m probably forgetting some…
Which bands are you exactly in these days? Feel free to talk about each one as much as you would like.
I’m playing mostly in 2 bands. Doctor Dinosaur and Logan Greene & The Bricks. We both tour pretty often and are constantly putting out CDs, etc..
I’m sure that you are acclimated to the weather, but do you like the Tucson heat or are you more a of chilly temperature type of guy?
I can’t stand the cold. I seriously freak out. So, the heat is kinda my thing. There’s nothing better than getting into my hot van and just sort of sitting there and baking… well, maybe there are better things, but I definitely prefer it over the cold!
Any records that you can definitively say changed your life or the way you perceive music?
Jeffery Lewis’ The Last Time I Did Acid, I Went Insane. I got this CD when I was in high school. This girl Amanda gave it to me, she was really hip on these sort of things. It made me realize that music could be recorded really well or really poorly and still be amazing. It truly opened my eyes to underground music and folk music and anti-folk music and DIY music and lo-fi music and singer/songwriter music and trippy acid induced jams… all at once.
CD, tape, or vinyl - what’s your favorite format?
CDs are really useless… tapes suck all around… vinyls are inconvenient, but I guess they are the best of 3 evils. As long as they can be converted into a digital format somehow, the format is kind of whatever. In truth, live music is really where it’s at. There’s nothing better than music being performed by an actual human being. That’s why people still pay $5 or $25 or even hundreds of dollars to see performers play great music.
What are a few albums that you’re blasting constantly as of late?
I can’t stop listening to ROAR from Phoenix. This guy Owen Evans put out a 6-song EP and it’s amazing. It’s for free on Quote Unquote Records. Go download it. THAT’S what I’m blasting.
Also, I just started writing an album critique blog called ‘Best Listened To..’ (bestlistenedto.blogspot.com), so stayed tuned to there for updates on other things I like/dislike.
Most memorable tour?
Doctor Dinosaur did about 30 dates last summer. We played at Crucial Fun Fest, with Defiance Ohio and a couple dates with Andrew Jackson Jihad. It was seriously, such a great time. But it’ll soon be trumped by the 60+ dates we’re doing this summer.
Are there any favorite cities that you have to absolutely put down when planning a tour?
We played Crucial Fun Fest in Lexington, Kentucky two years ago and we will keep coming back there as long as they’ll have us! This year the fest is in Berea, KY we’re just as stoked to be a part of it. We’ve made some GREAT friends all over, but we’d be down to tour all the way to KY and not play any other shows because of the people there!
Scariest touring story you would like to share?
I was busking late at night in downtown San Diego by myself and I was starting to get heckled by some drunk thugs, but I kept playing and after like 15 minutes, they started to hang out and even rap to my acoustic guitar playing. Then, they were suddenly so friendly and gave me 25 bucks. I was so scared and then suddenly so stoked.
Dry River
Dry River is one of the most inspiring DIY collectives I’ve had the chance to play at. Knowing that such places exist is heart warming. Dry River rules. How exactly was it formed and when was it founded?
The collective has been around for 5 or so years and I’ve been a part of it for about 3. It was started by a bunch of people who were tired of not having an awesome place to go in Tucson. Most of the originators aren’t in Tucson anymore, but the fact that the collective lives on is a testament to its greatness.
Can you describe the majority of Dry River regulars? Is there any specific age or niche of music everyone is into? How about the kids that go to college… I’m sure they have their fair share of raging parties but do you see them going to shows as well?
Well, Dry River has formed a very particular place in the Tucson community. The people who go to shows on a regular basis are just people who want to see good music of ALL genres. Because Dry River hosts TONS of bands with TONS of musical backgrounds, any regular has to be pretty open-minded when it comes to music. A lot of the people who come are in school whether high school or college and depending on the show, you’ll see anarchists, punks, preps, kids, adults and anyone else who simply enjoys music. Though every space is going to have a stigma of being a certain kind of place, Dry River truly attempts to accept ALL kinds of people.
What has been the toughest thing about keeping Dry River going and prospering in Tucson’s music scene?
Having a collectively run space is a very tedious process that has to bend to the need and whim of a rotating door of collective members. It sort of works like waves where one month things are ahead and one month things are behind due to the energy of the people running the space and utilizing the space. Sometimes things suck, but most of the time things are awesome. The most difficult part is that there is no guarantee of its success at any given moment. It is a constant struggle to keep it alive and that’s because of the way it’s run. But, that’s the way the space WANTS to be run as to be as inclusive to all types of people as possible.
Are there any Dry River shows that stand out in your mind…where you’re like “holy (insert expletive)! I can’t believe this is happening!”
Built To Spill asked to play at Dry River. We had to use the back courtyard because the show was too big to fit inside. Kimya Dawson, MDC and tons of others have played the space too, but even BTS and those can’t compare to the awesomeness that was local band The Tics exploding a drumset mid-song on a New Year’s Eve show one year. Seriously some crazy stuff has gone on, I’m so glad the space is still around!
What advice would you give to people who would like to adopt/start up some type of DIY collective establishment as you have?
Don’t be lazy. If you want something to happen in your hometown, you have to make it so. Be dedicated, even when things aren’t going well because with patience, the honesty and care that you put into your space or city or life will come back to reward you in a big way.
From my initial reaction at playing in Tucson, I felt like people are actually pretty embracive of the local scene and what it has to offer. Is there anything in particular about the Tucson scene you would like to change? Any parts of the scene that you absolutely love?
There’s a lot of good things going on in Tucson. It’s one of those towns that you could go play Europe and everyone gets super stoked on your music JUST because you’re from here. There’s a ton of awesome bands doing awesome things and that’s been what drove me to get involved here. The problem is that there’s this desert mentality of laziness that I see in Phoenix and El Paso and Las Cruces and really anywhere here in the Southwest. A ton of bands will either get successful or be on the verge of success and then stop putting positive, progressive energy into what they do. It really saddens me to see bands do well and then hit a stop because people aren’t dedicated enough. Beyond Tucson, the entire Sonoran desert suffers from this mentality and I don’t know why… maybe it’s the heat.
Brootal Sun Fest
I’m totally bummed I’m not going to be making it out to Brootal Sun Fest this year, but to everyone out there that has no idea about it, what is it all about and where can people find more information about it?
Brootal Sun Fest is my response to Crucial Fun Fest. It’s a 3-day music festival with awesome DIY bands from ALL over the country. The fest is $15 for about 50 bands at Dry River and Skrappy’s and happens over the course of March 11th-13th, 2011. This is the second year and we are super pumped about it here in Tucson. Bands like Andrew Jackson Jihad, Watercolor Paintings, The Wild and TONS more are playing. www.brootalsunfest.com for more info.
A large variety of neat bands will be playing this year. One notable band that most people know is Andrew Jackson Jihad. I know that your bands, Logan Greene & The Bricks and Doctor Dinosaur, will be playing as well. Heck even my native land rockers, Ralpheene, are going up there! Are there any bands in particular that you’re super stoked to see?
ROAR is playing and I haven’t seen him since the summer, so I’m stoked to see what he comes up with for the fest. His sets are always invigorating. Also, newbies American Lies are probably going to blow everyone away this year. They are awesome dudes from soCal who tear it up with pop-punk jamz.
I read that Las Cruces’ SB’s Late Night Lunchbox is going to cater the food. Rad!! That’s awesome that you guys are incorporating art, music, and even food from all over the place! What’s the selection process like when trying to decide who exactly is going to be a part of Brootal Sun Fest.
In truth, it’s mostly people I know from touring so much! But we do allow open submissions of art and music for anyone who is in the know of awesome DIY music in the southwest. We pretty much filled the bill with as many great bands as we could and aren’t going to have any filler, so we’re really hoping the DIY community and the Tucson community sees that and spreads the word!
To wrap things up…..
What are your future plans in regards to anything that to deal with music?
-I’m starting a record label which will be both local and regional. I’m starting it small, but by the end of this year I hope to have 5 or so releases together. It’s called Diet Pop Records and more info can be found here: http://dietpoprecords.limitedpressing.com/. Other than that, I’m touring, booking shows and planning on years of Brootal Sun Fest to come. Music is my life.
end.
Like I haven’t said it enough….Logan is an awesome guy. If you’re ever in Tucson, go to Dry River/check out one of Logan’s shows. Follow up on his bands and when they’re on tour…go support them if they’re driving through any of your hometowns! As for Brootal Sun Fest, Logan listed all the information, but if you have a short attention span and forgot what you read, go to www.brootalsunfest.com. If you’re in the Southwest…hit it up for 3 days of fun.
If you got this far give yourself a pat in the back and headbang for 3 minutes straight.
Chris
