Q & A with Jeff Raines of Galactic at Bonnaroo Music Festival

 In the midst of all the great music flowing through Centeroo, I was able to snag another interview, this time with Jeff Raines of Galactic.

Q: I saw your show in Lexington at Buster’s. What is different with your show now than in the past?
A: We invested into a light show for YA-KA-MAY, giving another dynamic to the music.

Q: One of my favorite parts of that show was Stanton’s amazing drum solo. Is that a part of every show?
A: There is usually one drum solo per night, so he goes all out. Don’t want too many drum solos, they get boring. We get involved and bring up instruments for him to bang out, so it keeps it interesting.

Q: Do you prefer to play festivals or clubs?
A: We like playing clubs in the winter time, festivals in the summer. Small clubs are more intimate, which lets the music come out.

Q: What area(s) do you like to play in most?
A: We just got back from Japan, probably the favorite. Also France and Spain are up on the list. Domestically, the food towns are well received.

Q: I ask all guitarists: What is your preference for guitars?
A: In Galactic, I prefer a Gibson 335, gives you a James Brown sound and is versatile.

Q: How has the absence of Theryl DeClouet, or “House Man” been for the sound of the band?
A: It was a struggle to write for House Man. We maxed out artistically with Theryl and when his physical condition worsened, we had to move on.

Q: Corey Henry adds a lot to the sound, but is always listed outside of the band. Is he going to be around for a while?
A: Corey has been playing with us for a few years. He is part of the band at this point, in my opinion.

Q: What is it like working with Cyril Neville?
A: It’s a little intimidating with Cyril, being a NOLA legend, but they musically gelled and got along, which made it all work.

Q: Who are you hoping to see this year at Bonnaroo?
A: The Black Keys and Bassnectar.

Q: What events are you playing soon?
A: We are playing the Harmony Fest in California after Bonnaroo and at Red Rocks with Umphrey’s McGee the July 4th weekend.

Printed in the KY Kernel, 6/30/10

Q & A with The Constellations at Bonnaroo Music Festival

You never know what kind of talent you will find at a music festival. At Bonnaroo, music lovers of all kinds will surely find something new and fresh, it just depends on how well you can navigate Centeroo.

I was fortunate enough to spend a little time with some members from The Constellations before their Thursday show at the Troo Music Lounge: 
Elijah Jones — lead vocals, 
Trevor Birdsong — guitar, 
Alania Terry and Shab Bashiri — vocals, claps and percussion.
(in photo order, SB, EJ, TB and AT)

Q. So, I have to ask you about the “Perfect Day” video you had on Playboy.com. This was my first experience getting a taste of the group. It seemed provocative and edgy, yet was well directed and seemed to cater toward your demographic. Tell me what all went into the video.
A. Elijah Jones: That video was shot in an old 1800s cool house in midtown Atlanta with about 70 friends of the band. It turned into a party with friends, not staged, all real. Eric De Fino was the director and did a great job capturing the moment. All that were involved were comfortable with their bodies, no hired video hos.

Q. There is one part of the song that pulls it all together — the cowbell. There is a band, Here Come The Mummies, that uses a cowbelt. Any chance that will be added to the instrument list?
A. EJ: We’ll definitely add cowbelt in the future. No objects or materials are exempt from being used.

Q. Who are some of your influences?
A. EJ: I grew up on funk, listening to Bootsy Collins. I would say that my two main influences are Cee-Lo and Tom Waits. I pictured Cee-Lo’s voice in the streets of Atlanta.

Q. Trevor, what style of guitar do you prefer?
A. Trevor Birdsong: I like Teles, prefer Fenders.

Q. Not often do you get to work directly with one of your influences. How was the experience with Cee-Lo on the track, “Love Is A Murder”?
A. EJ: Cee-Lo actually approached and introduced himself. Having him work with us was a blessing from God. He has impeccable taste.
TB: ­Individually hung out with crew. Couldn’t find a nicer, more genuine guy.

Q. Speaking of influences, you have a Tom Waits tribute on the album “Step Right Up”. When I heard this, it reminded me of Heath Ledger’s voice in “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”. Is there any correlation?
A. EJ: Even though the voice sounds a lot like Heath Ledger in the “Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” it was made a few years back. It was one of the first tracks to gauge outside interest. (I) changed lyrics and was nervous about writing a Tom Waits song, and that’s just what came out. I would love to meet Tom Waits, he is a great influence.

Q: How did you end up getting signed?
A: EJ: Virgin Records bought album as is, which is rare. Rob and Alex had four favorites, not “Felicia,” while other record companies wanted “Felicia” and carbon copies of that.

Q: Tell me about opening up for Snoop Dogg.
A: SB: We had to fight against the Snoop crowd. Doors opened at 7, DJ for 2 hours, movie for 45 min, then The Constellations go on stage. Crowd booed because it wasn’t Snoop.
TB – The crowd thought we were the backing band for Snoop. The cool thing about an 8 person band is there is still a crowd to play for.
EJ – “Felicia” was dedicated to the ladies, except the one who was heckling all night.

Q: We know the face of the franchise is Elijah, tell me a little about the front man.
A: SB: Elijah wrote a song on a box as it was the nearest material. Music plays in that man’s head, real music comes to him that way. Ben Allen saw something in Elijah and opened his studio to him.
AT: I remember seeing him conduct with his finger, orchestrating his musical thoughts

Q: Coming up in competitive ATL, is the competition healthy or hungry?
A: EJ: No competition in ATL other than hip-hop. Very supportive of music, receptive to different styles. Fuels and pushes envelop to get best out. We have actually played with B.o.B.
TB: Any genre works in Atlanta
SB: More known for hip-hop, like Black Lips and Deerhunter.

Q. It took you a little over two years to develop the album. Do you think the follow-up will be easier or more difficult?
A. EJ: (There are) no expectations on the second album, just as there were no expectations on the first. (We’re) just having fun without worrying about the product. Pressure might actually be good, so bring it on!

Printed in the KY Kernel, 6/30/10

Bonnaroo 2010: The Road to Backstage

Bonnaroo. Most music fans on this side of the country have at least heard of this festival. Between 80,000 and 135,000 attended this year’s installment, which marked the ninth go-around. For me, it was my first.

Bonnaroo is one of those things you think you know, but until you go, you have no idea. With almost 200 performances over nine stages in four days, there is no way you can possibly make every show you might want. The mighty X-factor in the system: heat. With temperatures soaring over 95 degrees and the unrelenting humidity, you have to not only plan your time, but heat management comes into play.

With trying to cover the event, I was given a handicap in the beginning. It took me six hours of roaming around the grounds of Bonnaroo without a wristband, flashing my iPhone e-mail confirmation for a press pass like it was a badge. After talking to countless people and walking for countless miles, I finally met up with fellow presser Matt Jones from Under The Radar. Media wristbands intact, the Bonnaroo experience is locked and loaded.

Though I missed my first interview with NEEDTOBREATHE due to the wristband fiasco, I was able to interview The Constellations and a get short interview with Jeff Raines, guitarist from Galactic.

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s Bonnaroo business! You cannot have a large festival with thousands of people without some commercial areas. What is known as “Shakedown Street” consists of hundreds of businesses, ranging from food to glass wares, clothes to hand-made musical instruments. Food vendor Bearly Edible was one of the most popular destinations. The reason: $1 garlic grilled cheese sandwiches. Over 20,000 sandwiches were served to the Bonnaroo population, me devouring six over the weekend.

With the heat bearing down, another hot spot was the lemonade stands. However, these aren’t your quarter lemonade stands. A large lemonade would cost you $6, though you could bring the compostable cup for free or cheap refills.
For those who couldn’t stand the stench that a music festival grants you, there were showers set up for $7, with complimentary Garnier Fructis hair products.

After the festival, I stayed for a couple of days after to volunteer with Clean Vibes. The goal of Clean Vibes is to divert as much waste from landfills as possible through recycling and composting. Last year at Bonnaroo, there were 261,480 pounds of recycle waste. Though it’s not an easy job, it is rewarding to help keep the grounds clean and help the Earth. There was a large contingency from Kentucky working the fields for their Bonnaroo ticket, showing that the Bluegrass can go green. Read more about volunteer opportunities at www.cleanvibes.com.

Overall, the Bonnaroo festival was an incredible experience, making me crave non-stop music. Unfortunately, I did not meet my primary mission in interviewing Stevie Wonder. The runner-up prize was seeing his performance, which was worth it all. Next year will be the 10th anniversary, so I would imagine that the event planners will be pulling out all the stops.

Rumors are already starting to swirl about the 2011 lineup, par for the course for Bonnaroo. With around 340 days until the next festival, you have plenty of time to prepare and plan for your spot under the sun, surrounded by music.

Printed in the KY Kernel, 6/30/10