Ian's Interview with Kathi Goldmark,
founder of the Rock Bottom Remainders
founder of the Rock Bottom Remainders
| Three Chords and an Attitude! |
| "This band plays music as well as Metallica writes novels" Dave barry |
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What happens when a bunch of bestselling authors get together and
form a garage band, then go on tour?
In the case of Stephen King, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, Dave Barry,Tad
Bartimus, Roy Blount Jr., Michael Dorris, Robert Fulghum, Matt
Groening, Barbara Kingsolver, Al Kooper, Greil Marcus, Joel Selvin,
Amy Tan, Dave Marsh, Mitch Albom, Ridley Pearson and a few
others...what happens is...THE ROCK BOTTOM REMAINDERS BAND!
form a garage band, then go on tour?
In the case of Stephen King, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, Dave Barry,Tad
Bartimus, Roy Blount Jr., Michael Dorris, Robert Fulghum, Matt
Groening, Barbara Kingsolver, Al Kooper, Greil Marcus, Joel Selvin,
Amy Tan, Dave Marsh, Mitch Albom, Ridley Pearson and a few
others...what happens is...THE ROCK BOTTOM REMAINDERS BAND!
The band was formed in 1991 by Kathi Goldmark and they briefly toured
on a bus (The Three Chords and an Attitude" tour) . They've also released
an album/CD titled "Stranger than Fiction".
The tour was chronicled in a now rare book "Mid-Life Confidential" and
photographed by King's wife Tabitha. Not the greatest of Rock Bands, as
Dave Barry comments "This band plays music as well as Metallica writes
novels", but they are legendary to their group of fans.
The following is an interview with Kathi Goldmark done by myself and
Sandi of Bobbles and More.com in 2005.... published here at Collectors
World Online for posterity. Enjoy~
on a bus (The Three Chords and an Attitude" tour) . They've also released
an album/CD titled "Stranger than Fiction".
The tour was chronicled in a now rare book "Mid-Life Confidential" and
photographed by King's wife Tabitha. Not the greatest of Rock Bands, as
Dave Barry comments "This band plays music as well as Metallica writes
novels", but they are legendary to their group of fans.
The following is an interview with Kathi Goldmark done by myself and
Sandi of Bobbles and More.com in 2005.... published here at Collectors
World Online for posterity. Enjoy~
Who was the most difficult author to tour with and the most fun?
K.K.G. When I started the Remainders, I chose authors partly because they
were avowed rock & rollers, and partly because they were sweeties. So no
one was difficult in terms of ego-trips or stuff like that. Some scheduling has
been difficult-that's a whole other story. The most fun guy on the tour is
always Roy Blount Jr. And the most fun gal is Amy Tan-she has a surprising
appetite for practical jokes, perfect for a rock & roll tour.
Is the group planning to put out a CD featuring songs from the 50's and 60's
as is their specialty?
KKG: It's a way-too-kept secret, but most of the Rock Bottom Remainders
appear on Stranger Than Fiction, a CD of 40 singing authors that I produced
about 5 years ago on my own label "Don't Quit Your Day Job" Records on
which Stephen King, Amy Tan and other original members of the band
perform sime viable oldies with pro-muscician help. (www.dqydj.com)-Other
than that, I don't think there will be a CD released. We're much more fun as a
live show than to listen to. You can find a few downloadable recordings here
and there, though. There's one of my songs performed by the band with an
introduction by Dave Barry on my publisher's
website:www.chroniclebooks.com/andmyshoes.
When will the Remainders tour again and will they be near Nevada?
KKG: We usually tour for about a week every year, and I don't know when
we'll be anywhere near Nevada. Check www.rockbottomremainders.com for
updates. If you're ever in Miami, Florida, the weekend before Thanksgiving,
we almost always play there at the Miami Book Fair. Not very close to Nevada
I'm afraid....
Who picks the songs for the play-list?
KKG: We all do. Usually about a month before a tour or a show, Dave Barry
sends an email to everyone with a proposed set list and a request for song
suggestions. We have a few rules-we do best on simple songs (4 chords,tops)
and NO MODULATIONS are allowed.
Where do the Remainders practice...in Stephen King's garage?
KKG: We would be a lot better if we ever practiced.
How many states do you tour yearly?
KKG: We usually pick a region and do 3 or 4 cities in one week. A recent tour
included St. Louis, Chicago, detroit and Cleveland-for example.
How did you get all those famous authors together in one place at the same
time?
KKG: That's the amazing thing. It was easier than I thought it would be. I
knew them all from working in book publicity, and chose a first-gig venue
during the weekend of a big publishing convention in Anaheim, California. I
was honestly shocked when I sent out this weird invitation to a bunch of my
author friends to start a band, and they actually said yes? Then I had to make it
happen.
Will we ever see the RB%R's on TV?
KKG: I don't know...we've never actually played live on TV, but "60 Minutes"
has filmed us twice-once for a Dave Barry profile and once for a Stephen King
profils. We were the B-roll.
Why is Don Henley on the RBR tribute page? Is he in the band?
KKG: He wrote a really nasty review of our first show for the L.A. Weekly. It
was someone's bright idea to have an actual rock star review us, and he took
no prisoners, ultimately inspiring an amazing band-wide correspondence that
involved Amy Tan's pretend gangster Uncle and some IRS letterhead. If you
can get a copy of our book, Mid-Life Confidential, the whole sordid story is
there in the appendix.
Who is the best singer in the band and the best musician...and the worst?
KKG: Dave Barry is a good guitar player, and Ridley Pearson is a good bass
player. That's all I'm gonna say.
Can you tell us a little about the charity "America Scores" and if the
Remainders support other charities?
KKG: America Scores has after-school programs in a whole bunch of cities for
underprivileged kids. The deal is, if the kids want to play soccer they have to
write poetry and if they want to write poetry they have to play soccer. It's a
terrific program and you can find out a lot more about it at:
www.americascores.org.
Thanks for your interest in the Rock Bottom Remainders. If you want to have
the most fun you can ever have in life, go out and start a rock & roll band!
Love to you all.
Kathi Kamen Goldmark
Founder (and Remainderette). Rock Bottom Remainders
Author of "And My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You".
K.K.G. When I started the Remainders, I chose authors partly because they
were avowed rock & rollers, and partly because they were sweeties. So no
one was difficult in terms of ego-trips or stuff like that. Some scheduling has
been difficult-that's a whole other story. The most fun guy on the tour is
always Roy Blount Jr. And the most fun gal is Amy Tan-she has a surprising
appetite for practical jokes, perfect for a rock & roll tour.
Is the group planning to put out a CD featuring songs from the 50's and 60's
as is their specialty?
KKG: It's a way-too-kept secret, but most of the Rock Bottom Remainders
appear on Stranger Than Fiction, a CD of 40 singing authors that I produced
about 5 years ago on my own label "Don't Quit Your Day Job" Records on
which Stephen King, Amy Tan and other original members of the band
perform sime viable oldies with pro-muscician help. (www.dqydj.com)-Other
than that, I don't think there will be a CD released. We're much more fun as a
live show than to listen to. You can find a few downloadable recordings here
and there, though. There's one of my songs performed by the band with an
introduction by Dave Barry on my publisher's
website:www.chroniclebooks.com/andmyshoes.
When will the Remainders tour again and will they be near Nevada?
KKG: We usually tour for about a week every year, and I don't know when
we'll be anywhere near Nevada. Check www.rockbottomremainders.com for
updates. If you're ever in Miami, Florida, the weekend before Thanksgiving,
we almost always play there at the Miami Book Fair. Not very close to Nevada
I'm afraid....
Who picks the songs for the play-list?
KKG: We all do. Usually about a month before a tour or a show, Dave Barry
sends an email to everyone with a proposed set list and a request for song
suggestions. We have a few rules-we do best on simple songs (4 chords,tops)
and NO MODULATIONS are allowed.
Where do the Remainders practice...in Stephen King's garage?
KKG: We would be a lot better if we ever practiced.
How many states do you tour yearly?
KKG: We usually pick a region and do 3 or 4 cities in one week. A recent tour
included St. Louis, Chicago, detroit and Cleveland-for example.
How did you get all those famous authors together in one place at the same
time?
KKG: That's the amazing thing. It was easier than I thought it would be. I
knew them all from working in book publicity, and chose a first-gig venue
during the weekend of a big publishing convention in Anaheim, California. I
was honestly shocked when I sent out this weird invitation to a bunch of my
author friends to start a band, and they actually said yes? Then I had to make it
happen.
Will we ever see the RB%R's on TV?
KKG: I don't know...we've never actually played live on TV, but "60 Minutes"
has filmed us twice-once for a Dave Barry profile and once for a Stephen King
profils. We were the B-roll.
Why is Don Henley on the RBR tribute page? Is he in the band?
KKG: He wrote a really nasty review of our first show for the L.A. Weekly. It
was someone's bright idea to have an actual rock star review us, and he took
no prisoners, ultimately inspiring an amazing band-wide correspondence that
involved Amy Tan's pretend gangster Uncle and some IRS letterhead. If you
can get a copy of our book, Mid-Life Confidential, the whole sordid story is
there in the appendix.
Who is the best singer in the band and the best musician...and the worst?
KKG: Dave Barry is a good guitar player, and Ridley Pearson is a good bass
player. That's all I'm gonna say.
Can you tell us a little about the charity "America Scores" and if the
Remainders support other charities?
KKG: America Scores has after-school programs in a whole bunch of cities for
underprivileged kids. The deal is, if the kids want to play soccer they have to
write poetry and if they want to write poetry they have to play soccer. It's a
terrific program and you can find out a lot more about it at:
www.americascores.org.
Thanks for your interest in the Rock Bottom Remainders. If you want to have
the most fun you can ever have in life, go out and start a rock & roll band!
Love to you all.
Kathi Kamen Goldmark
Founder (and Remainderette). Rock Bottom Remainders
Author of "And My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You".
Ian's Interview with Kathi Goldmark,
founder of the Rock Bottom Remainders
founder of the Rock Bottom Remainders
| Kathi shown here with Stephen King. |
| Stranger Than Fiction CD featuring music from the Remainders band members and many other musicians! |
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