THEYYYYYY’RE BAAAAACKKKK (An interview with Eric Axelson of The Dismemberment Plan on their short reunion tour)
When The Dismemberment Plan was last touring, I was too young to know any better, and even if I did, I couldn’t drive a car. Thankfully, they announced a bunch of dates a few weeks ago. I plan on going to the Chicago one, myself. Check out what bassist Eric Axelson had to say about their upcoming reunion tour:
Other than the re-release of Emergency and I, did anything else inspire the Dismemberment Plan reunion?
Not really. We got in the basement to kick around some songs, and it felt good, so we decided to play some shows to celebrate the re-issue’s release.
Have rehearsals for the shows started? If so, how have they been going? Is anything different about playing these songs again?
We played a little over the summer, and then realized due to scheduling that we couldn’t practice consistently until early December, so we’ll start playing on the regular then. It was fun over the summer, though sometimes it’s funny to relearn songs, some that we’ve played thousands of times.
You’ve had a one-off reunion before, what kind of feelings do these kind of events generate? Do you get nostalgic playing with the guys after all of this time?
It’s a good time and does bring back some great memories. I think in our day we played over 700 shows, maybe 800? So it’s cool to be able to get on stage with the guys again.
You’ve had to add shows due to the demand for them in New York and DC. What is your response to the demand for these shows?
We just weren’t sure how the initial shows would sell, so when the sold out we talked to the clubs, and our booking agent, and decided to add two more. It’s a bit more than we’d planned initially, but we want to make sure that more people can catch a show.
How has your musical influences changed since the release of Emergency and I? How do you view the record differently since its release?
I think for me, personally, I don’t listen to as much current music as I used to. I mean, stuff like Dirty Projectors and Peter Fox really blew me away, but I do need to get back in the mix and start seeing more of what’s out there. As for the record, I’m glad it’s coming out on vinyl, because there’s a lot more “air” to the record now. You can hear some of the room where we recorded, and the lows are a lot more full. I just need to buy a record player now!
Are there any plans to have a Detroit date? What do you remember about playing in Detroit around the Emergency & I days?
There aren’t any plans for a Detroit date right now, but we had a great time playing the Magic Stick when we toured. It was always a feisty crowd, a little like being back in DC, and there were people that we always saw and came up to say hi when we came through. And on the last tour, I remember we swapped a local (well, Ann Arbor) brewery some guest list spots for a case of their fantastic beer. I think they’ve moved to Colorado since then.
Could you see a new album coming out of this?
Probably not, but you never know. When we practice, we always mess around a little first and see what happens. It’s not in the plans, but then again neither were these shows.
Lots of thanks to Eric Axelson for doing the interview
Advertisement
this is cool. proud of you!
Becky
October 5, 2010 at 9:35 pm