Ya Hafta Pay To Be the Bear
From Pat and Ryan's High School Newspaper
Of all the bands that I like I would have to say that the Mr. T Experience is way up there on the list. Why you may ask yourself? Well at the first show I went to I got to meet the band and they weren't jerks [like some musicians can be]. I've been to many shows since that night and, I would have to say that anytime I go to a MTX show it gets better and better. However, the band has had many members over the years and here is a quick run down on who's who:
- Dr. Frank is the commander of the "MTX Starship." He's the only original member of MTX, and plays guitar and sings and all that good stuff. He also writes almost all the songs (Jon Von wrote some songs when he was in the band). Aside from MTX he is currently in the Bomb Bassets with Joel and Jym.
- Jon Von played second guitar for MTX from the beginning until he quit following the European tour in 1992. He briefly rejoined the band for a series of reunion shows, but it didn't work out. His last recording with MTX was on "Vive La France" which appeared on the compilation Can of Pork. After MTX, Jon was in the now defunct Rip Offs. He has also been known to play in a Monkees cover band in Sacramento with his girlfriend and Leesa from the Creamers.
- Byron was the original bass player, but quit MTX after the recording of Big Black Bugs Bleed Blue Blood in 1989. I don't much about other bands Byron has been in, although as a teen he was in the Bent Nails.
- Alex was the drummer from the very beginning of MTX, and continued to play with them until 1993. His last MTX recording was the song "Hello Kitty Menendez" for the compilation Soda Punx Once again I don't know what bands he played in before MTX, and I'm not sure what bands he's played in since.
- Aaron played bass, and replaced Byron before the Big Black Bugs tour, but his first appearance on an MTX recording was the Shonen Knife cover "Flying Jelly Attack" on the compilation Every Band Has a Shonen Knife Who Loves Them. His final recording with MTX was ...And the Women Who Love Them in 1994. At this point in time I don't know any of the bands that Aaron was in before MTX, but after leaving he went into Samiam.
- Jym is the current drummer for MTX. His first recording with the band was on ...And the Women Who Love Them. I'm not sure of all the bands that Jym was in before MTX. I do know that he was in a band called the Slambodians immediately before MTX, but I don't know any of the others currently. Jym is also in the Bomb Bassets with Frank and Joel.
- Joel is the current bass player for MTX. He first appeared on Alternative Is Here To Stay in 1995. Thank goodness, because without him the band would no doubt be no more!! Joel is also a member of the Bomb Bassets, with Frank and Jym, and even wrote some of the songs that were on the last album!
So anyway, after going to a Mr. T Experience show (no, Mr. T Is Not in the band), and reading all the interviews that lead guitarist/singer/all around swell guy, Dr. Frank (who scored the highest on the S.A.T.'s in the nation when he was in High School), bassist/backup vocals/the bounciest man in Punk Rock, Joel (the National Merit Scholar), and the Strong, Silent Drummer (and other "stuff") Jym, we decided to ask if we could interview them also. After short email conversations with Dr. Frank, we were told we would be able to interview them at their next New York concert, May 9th at Coney Island High.
Before the show, Dr. Frank was too busy with other interviews, but after the show (opened by the Heartdrops, followed by The Teen Idols), we were told by Joel to go backstage and wait. Unfortunately, the rest of the band was busy with post-show activities to be there, but we did get to interview Dr. Frank. (By the way, Dr. Frank was nice enough to pose for the photos that would have been used to liven up this article. However, they did not come out so we regret to inform you that we have none to show, so put that in your pipe and smoke it.)
Right before we interviewed Dr. Frank, on stage the band had a few comments towards people that have fanzines. So, here goes nothing, you might learn something:- They're favorite Star Wars character is Chewie.
- They're favorite Breakfast Cereal is Cap'n Crunch.
- They're Anti-Nazi.
- They feel that World War 2 Was the best World War.
Pat: I heard you were getting married or you are married or something like that, is that right?
Frank: Well not yet, I've gotta, um, my girlfriend is British. So if it all ends up working out, she's supposed to live here and then we'd be getting married. If not, it's like a far off thing.
Ryan: It doesn't look like it's happening?
F: Well I don't know yes or no, but it's like if, well alot of road has to intraverse before that were to happen.
P: We lost our connection then but we got you these (hands Frank $5 gift certificate to Wendy's).
F: (laughing) That's cool, that's excellent, thank you very much.
R: So now you can go out and get cheeseburgers.
F: You know what, that's the nicest thing anyone has ever given me (laughing).
Alex: We had something nicer but it got ruined in the rain.
F: What?
A: We had something nicer but it got ruined in the rain.
R: In our school, we have this joke. There's three people there: there's us, people who like professional wrestling, and people that are into rap and they're always doing eastside, westside. So Pat tell him what you came up with.
P: I made up mid-west style.
F: Made up what?
P: Mid-west style.
R: That's Pats rap.
F: Oh yeah?
A: So he made an award presenting that you were the most mid-west style kickin' band.
F: (laughing) Wow, okay.
R: It sorta got ruined ...
F: It got ruined huh?
R: We had alot of spare time ...
F: Well this is great. I'll treasure these (laughing)
R: For those people who don't know can you just sum up the band?
F: the Mr. T Experience is a punk rock band. We've been together for like 12 years (with various members) and, most of the songs are about girls and, that's about it. That's about all you can say about it really.
P: What were your favorite high school subjects?
F: You know, I slept through high school. I can't really remember much of it. My main memory of high school, was being locked in the locker. Which used to happen about everyday, and other than that it's all a blur. Sorry but that's it.
P: We've heard the "History of the Concept of the Soul", what grade did you get on it?
F: I think I got a B+.
P: And we've been learning about earthquakes in science, you're from California, what do you think about earthquakes?
F: Earthquakes are alot of fun. I've really thoroughly enjoyed all the earthquakes I've been in. The really big one, from about '91 or so, whenever that was, Wilmapieta (I think that's the spelling for it, not sure). That one, I was walking down the street at the time and, I saw a guy fall off his bike. The road really did, you know (doing swerving gesture with his hands at this point), the earth moved under my feet, that was kinda cool. And I saw a building burn down, I never saw that before. I mean a whole building just burned down, it was a Pinks Department Store. And so me and my friends just sat there watching it and I mean I thoroughly enjoyed that earthquake. They're alot of fun, it's like an amusement park.
R: Does anybody still have jobs outside the band?
F: Nope, this is, punk rock is our job.
R: What was the last job you had?
F: The last job I had, I worked for the University of California as a computer programmer.
A: Let me get some pictures (Frank makes funny faces).
P: And since you seem to be performing during the night, do you watch alot of late-night TV, or like morning cartoons?
F: Uh, you know that I, the only. I wake up, I usually wake up pretty early because I can't relax to sleep very much. I always watch, I end up in the hotel room and what's on when I'm up is like, Montell Williams, Jerry Springer, Jenny Jones, that sorta thing. So I watch alot of that when I'm on the road.
P: And, does it make you feel old to see shows you watched on TV as a kid on "Nick-At-Nite" already?
F: I'm very used to that, I mean that doesn't make me feel old. It makes me feel old that my band has fans that are in high school like you doing, I never thought I'd get this whole thing. But TV is ageless, TV is timeless.
R: Who's the black private dick that's a sexmachine to all the chicks?
F: Who's the what?
R: Who's the black private dick that's a sexmachine to all the chicks?
P: I heard it was Jym.
F: You know that would be Shaft.
P: And do you think that since he's 20, Urkel should go off the air?
F: I hadn't realized Urkle was still on the air. You know, I think he should do whatever he can get away with. That kind of basically goes for us all.
P: Who would win in a fight between Rick "Superfreak" James and Robert Van Winkle a.k.a. Vanilla Ice?
F: I've heard that Rick James is a twisted guy, so I'd bet on him. But you know I really don't know much about Vanilla Ice (does anybody?).
R: When you're on tour, do you stay at friends houses, hotels, etc.?
F: We stay, these days, we stay in hotels, Motel 6 usually.
P: Do you enjoy touring?
F: It's alright, yeah.
P: Are there any bands you like to tour with more than others?
F: Well, you know we ...
(At this point some guy with a giant pompadour interrupted us. He proceeded to see how many times he could say fuck in a conversation. We never did get the question answered so too bad I guess.)
R: In the past, I've heard you don't like your names getting circulated. So how come in the Generations I album, it has all your names, first and last?
F: It was a mistake, they messed up.
P: How has country music effected your songs?
F: Well you know it showed me the way to go. It's an ideal to aspire to, that is very hard to achieve. It's the idiom that has the most, purest form of songwriting art or whatever.
R: On the CD of "Our Bodies, Our Selves" where did the Girl Scout Song come from?
F: You know I was just checking the mike and I didn't know they were recording. I was just goofing off and then they ended up recording it and putting it on and not telling me.
(For those of you who don't know after the last song on that album there is a gap of space and then another song, right before that song is the Girl Scout Song, confusing eh?)
R: Recently, on the internet there has been discussion about hidden lyrics, where if you play the songs backwards. In "Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba" you hear "you are ugly", and in "With My Looks and Your Brains", you hear "My pickle, your pickle, I run, phonebook".
F: That's what I've heard, I've never actually witnessed it, but some people have told me that.
P: Where did the ideal for "Vive la France" come from?
F: Well we had the song "God Bless America" that was a short song that we knew how to play. So we just though we would, everytime we had a request for a compilation track, we were just gonna do that song with different lyrics. So it would be easy and that was one of the set of lyrics.
(What Pat meant to ask is why they picked French instead of Spanish, German, etc.)
P: Was "Marine Recruiter" based on true events?
F: Yes.
(For those of you who don't know, this song was on the first MTX album and it is about a "Marine Recruiter: harassing Frank.)
R: A kid I used to hang out with, his brother went into the Marines and he came back and he's insane.
F: Really, insane?
R: Yes it's scary. In interviews we've read...
Lady: We've got an interview for you over here, MTV.
F: Oh yeah, MTV whooo, alright.
(At this time I handed Dr. Frank the lyrics to the R.E.M. song "Can't Get There From Here" along with the lyrics that he sung when MTX covered that song.)
R: In interviews we've read we heard you still don't know the lyrics to "Can't Get There From Here", and we were running out of time, so we found them and we've got them here along with yours.
F: (laughing) You've got them side by side, that’s excellent, can I keep this?
R: Yeah sure.
F: Yeah alright, that's educational.
R: Was "Disconnection" based on true events?
F: Yes.
(For those of you who don't know the song "Disconnection" is about Frank's old girlfriend going insane, it's also on the first MTX album.)
R: In some interviews we've read that there is one song where you made up the words as you went along, can you tell us what it was?
F: I don't think there's anyone, where I actually made up the words. Some of them are kind of haphazard. But, I don't think I ever made them up. If I were to make them up as I went along, they would be way worse than they are. I mean, I can't really think very quickly.
R: Do you like doing the tribute albums?
F: You know, not really. I mean it's like they give you some money to record with, you might as well do it but, I think it's sort of a spent idea really.
R: Was the video for "I Fell For You" based on an episode of "The Monkees"?
F: Not particularly, I mean I guess the same idea but not particularly, specifically any episode.
(For those of you who don't know, this video does look like an episode of "The Monkees".)
R: Does the cover of "Road To Ruin" sound good?
F: I think so, you know I'm biased, but I think it came out alright.
(For those of you who don't know, Road To Ruin is a Ramones album.)
R: Is it going to be released on Lookout! as well as Skull Duggery?
F: No, just Clearview.
P: When will your solo album be coming out?
F: I'm hoping to finish it by the end of the summer.
R: In the "Big Black Bugs" liner notes, you talk about not "taking the world by storm", do you ever wish you had?
F: Sure, but there's nothing you can do about that
P: Do you have any advice for struggling bands or musicians?
F: Just don't take my advice, because I've totally blew it, you know. Do something different than what I did.
P: If for some reason you were forced to change your name, what name, band name might that be?
F: George, you know I don't know. When we got a new drummer, when our original drummer quit, we were looking for a new one and we were gonna start calling the band "That Girl". We tried to change it to "That Girl" but it didn't stick. So I don't think we could ever change it because we wouldn't fool anybody.
P: Do you have any comments to people who don't like punk music, just because it is punk?
F: Well that's as good a reason as any, because your allowed. That's one of the great things about being an American. You're allowed to like what you like, so you can not like what you don't like.
R: Do you have any funny stories you want to share?
F: Not really, I mean if I had some funny stories I'd be laughing alot more. I don't really have any, I mean everything is just sorta goes on and on until it stops.
(Before anybody gets more confused than necessary, allow me to explain. One day, Pat, Alex and myself were in the car with my dad. He is a jazz musician, hence, he was listening to the jazz station, WBGO if you were curious. The song was very odd and part of the lyrics to that song happened to be "ya hafta pay to be the bear". We kept saying this over and over as an inside joke of sorts for the past few months. When the time came for writing questions for the interview I was a Pat's house doing a science project. We had spare time and after the first question I thought up {the Shaft one} this one came up. So, now that is all out of the way, on with the interview.)
P: We heard on the radio and we wanted your opinion, do "ya hafta pay to be the bear"?
F: Do you what?
P: Do "ya hafta pay to be the bear"? His dad put on a jazz station.
R: We were listening to one of the jazz stations and that was one of the lyrics to a song.
F: Do you hafta...
R: Do "ya hafta pay to be the bear"?
F: Do you hafta pay to be the bear, I have no idea what that. I don't even know how to approach that one. I can't even think of anything to say. I suppose if you really wanted to be the bear you'd hafta pay something. I don't know (laughing).
A: You've confused Dr. Frank you're evil.
R: Yep, I'm evil. Yeah, that's all of them.
F: That's all the questions?
R: Yep.
P: Thank you.
F: Thank you very much, I know that may not have been the interview of your dreams ...
R: That's alright.
F: But, I'm glad that we did it.