Friday, 4/25/97 Mightier than ever Armed with a new album and
the runaway success of the ska genre they helped to create, The
Mighty Mighty Bosstones brave the road … and ‘The Jenny McCarthy
Show.’
By Vanessa VanderZanden Daily Bruin Contributor They may smile
as the camera swings toward their cherubic faces. They may dance in
their grey suits like mad bopping ska kids. But they don’t have to
like it. At least, when it involves MTV. "I don’t watch MTV, but
whatever," says lead singer Dicky Barrett of the legendary ska
band, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, who play Saturday at the Palace.
"It exists. It’s like asking me what I think of McDonald’s. We’ve
made a video for every single song we’ve recorded. They never play
them." Quickly, Barrett is ushered out of the dressing room by a
"Jenny McCarthy Show" gofer. He has to give an interview to the
show’s spunky blonde host, Jenny McCarthy. But, after taping four
back-to-back versions of their new hit song, "The Impression That I
Get," amidst a room full of pepped-up, spikey-haired ska punks,
Barrett seems glad for a change of pace. Sort of. "It feels a
little dumb," he admits just before exiting the cramped,
whitewashed room. "But, there’s so much good stuff involved in
doing what we do that every once in a while, when the dumb stuff
comes along, we really overlook it." "Good stuff" includes the
Bosstones’ current tour for their fifth and newest album, "Let’s
Face It." After travelling the road for six or seven years, the
Boston-based band enjoys the adventuresome side of their job the
best. Still, gigs that involve shooting MTV videos do come up, as a
concession to the advertising department of their record label.
"The KISS cover song that we did for the ‘Kiss My Ass’ tribute
album got played on ‘Beavis and Butthead,’" explains a tired Tim
Burton, the band’s thin saxophonist, whose black rimmed glasses and
flat-topped hair hearken back to the days of Buddy Holly. By now,
he is the only member remaining in the disheveled MTV dressing
room. "They kind of made fun of it," Burton says. "I mean, they
were actually into it, which is sort of an insult in itself. The
whole video was the director’s idea; again, it’s not something we
had total creative control over." Yet, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones’
eight-member band does have complete freedom in conceiving their
brassy, pounding music. Their uplifting songs and often darker,
more in-depth lyrics reveal the maturity the aging band has
developed. With influences ranging from Black Flag to Neil Diamond
to AC/DC, the Bosstones continue to refine their sound to involve a
more stable style. "When we first started out, I don’t think we
were really very good at playing more straightforward ska,"
reflects Burton. "It’s only recently that we’ve gotten better chops
and feel more comfortable playing more of a real ska tune. We used
to mix it with metal or punk that we were more used to playing."
Pushing the boundaries seems to pervade the Bosstones’ style.
Earlier, when taping the music shoot for "The Jenny McCarthy Show,"
the band went against the show coordinators, playing an older song
for the enthusiastic audience dancing in the lounge-style set.
Likewise, instead of mingling only with other ska musicians, the
Bosstones have toured with bands as varied as Sonic Youth and NOFX.
Such an uncategorical attitude lends to a wide fan base. "With our
music, we really appeal to a cross-section of ages," says Burton.
"We get metalheads and skinheads. That’s something we’ve always
really strived to do – put a lot of different people together and
make it a real comfortable experience." Similarly, the group’s
eight-member make-up allows every night to be a successful show.
While one player may feel a little "off," another will undoubtedly
be sharper than ever. And the slick suits help too. "When we first
started wearing them, we used to wear really heavy, loud suits to
go against the heavy metal look that was popular at the time,"
Burton grins devilishly. "I think it shows respect for the audience
because it’s boring if … I mean, I can’t tell you how many times
we’ve had bands open up for us that were wearing the same sweat
pants at set time that they were wearing during sound check at 10
o’clock that morning." Taking their live shows seriously, the
Bosstones spend anywhere from 100 to 200 days a year in concert.
Outside of that, studio work and song writing take up a lot of the
band’s time. As Burton can attest, creating a song can be a tedious
process. "You just sit down and fuckin’ hash it out. There’s no
magic formula," he exclaims with a surge of energy. "Everyone
contributes. You have a cup of coffee and fuckin’ write a song.
It’s just hard work that takes a long time." The work has paid off,
as the octet plans to visit Australia and much of the U.S. later
this year. While in L.A., some members will go to shows while
others talk of getting either sushi or fondue and picking up
"girlies" on Sunset. But, as the rest of the group scurries out of
the dressing room after finishing their interview with McCarthy, it
becomes clear that road life keeps things exciting for the
Bosstones. "We just got back from a three-day trip to Las Vegas,"
explains drummer Joe Sirois. "It was weird because slot machines
were going in the background. I made $395 but I already blew it on
wine, women and song." CONCERT: The Mighty Mighty Bosstones play
the Palace with Pie Tasters and Swingin’ Utters on Saturday.
Tickets are available at Ticketmaster outlets only (not over the
phone) for $15 plus those fun handling charges! For more info, call
(213) 480- 3232. Mercury Records The Mighty Mighty Bosstones bring
their brass to the Palace on Saturday. (l.-r.) Ben Carr, Dennis
Brockenborough, Tim Burton, Dicky Barrett (seated), Kevin Lenear,
Joe Sirois, Nate Albert (seated), Joe Gittleman.