Weekend Nachos Interview 2012

Happy Halloween Everybody! here's a Weekend Nachos/Spine Update w/ snyder. interviews with to the point, mindset and sex prisoner are up next/in the works.

How's the spine tour coming along?
 
the Spine tour actually just ended last night...it was fucking great! it was our 1st real tour besides just a weekend so we weren't sure what to expect but it turned out awesome. some of the "bigger" shows were D.C. and Boston, lots of people were there and we got a great response, i couldn't believe it. for Spine to be able to visit those cities for the first time ever and be received so well is almost unheard of when a band is first starting out, we felt lucky as shit to be able to experience such a thing.

Are you guys happy on how the to the spine 7" came out?

Definitely, it came out great. the layout looks good, the covers were printed well, the record sounds really good too, our friend Mike/Mark recorded it. I put it out on my new label Bad Teeth Recordings so I'm still getting used to distribution and webstores and all that nonsense.

Is bad teeth releasing anything else?

I hope to!!! right now money is tight, i am still trying to break even with the Spine record and that takes a verrrry long time when a band is new and not hyped or anything. but things will be okay, i plan on doing my label for the rest of my life if i can! i'll never make any money doing it, at least i don't think, but whenever the funds present themselves, i'll put out more records for sure!

Why did you decide to release the spine 7" on bad teeth instead of tooth decay?

well, Tooth Decay was a label i did with my friend Nick and we decided years ago not to use that name any more. he has his own label now Cowabunga Records and now i have my own again...working together was cool but i am glad to do my own thing. i like knowing that the label is 100% mine and no one else's, it's just the way i am.

Lets get to the nitty gritty, the new weekend nachos single "watch you suffer" when can we expect a song to drop?

it's undecided, because we have the 2 songs recorded for the single but we do not know when we should let everybody hear it, haha. we are thinking Dec. 1st is when everybody will get to hear the new jam. it's going to appear on our full-length in 2013 so we're really hoping that this 7" single on A389 will hype that up a little bit and give people a small taste of what's to come. i'm ridiculously fucking excited about this new LP, it's our best work for sure.

When will you guys be writing the new lp?

we are in the process of writing it now...we got about 4 songs that we're pretty happy with, it just takes time. i can't give a definite answer as to when we'll be finished and ready to record, but that's a good thing, it means we're really working hard and not rushing anything. the WN supporters will have to just wait and see.

Are you excited to be playing with INFEST at maryland death fest?

to be honest, i'm more excited to play with CARCASS, does that make me a true hardcore poseur? obviously if it does, i don't care. Carcass is one of my favorite bands of all time, i really am just looking forward to seeing them without clearing my entire bank account to make it happen. i am very lucky to be able to travel with my band to go to this show and see a bunch of bands that i like.

Rumors about playing with INFEST down here in LA in the spring, confirm/deny?

how the fuck did you hear about that? my answer to this question is that Rocky V is very underrated and should be appreciated more as a legitimate part of the series. i think a lot of people feel that the 5th one isn't good and they're incorrect about that.

Last words?

yeah, everybody stay true to what they believe hardcore is about because only you can decide what that may be... the fashions, the records, the shows, the zines, the drama, the messageboards, etc. are all just filler. let the hardcore community help you understand yourself before you try to understand the hardcore community cuz that's all that really matters in the end. look out for "WATCH YOU SUFFER" in January on A389. don't fight at shows.

Spine Interview 2012

Do you like youth crew and powerviolence? Then Spine is right up your alley!  Intervew by xMORRISx

How did you get involved with hardcore/sxe?

(assuming you are asking about Straight Edge and no Sorry Excuse, my other band haha)

Antonio- I've been involved in hardcore for about 10 years now. I started out with my dad dropping me off at shows, to doing a local zine, and eventually fronting a band (Sorry Excuse). When I was younger I was really into any type of extreme music and things just built from there until I found what I thought was the reason for what I liked, which was punk. As far as straight edge, I honestly don't know when I officially "claimed". I've never been into drugs or drinking at all. I've never been drunk or done drugs before and straight edge was something to call what I actually was.

Snyder- In 1997 my main goal entering high school was to try and hang out with skateboarders because that was my main priority at the time. Through a local clique, I found punk rock music and I loved it. I just ended up at a garage show one day when I thought we were just going skateboarding. I always had musicianship in my blood so when I discovered this fast, angry noise with seemingly no limits, I immediately got behind a drum set and started raging. As for straight edge, well I've never been high or drunk in my life. Just never had any desire to do that shit...maybe I can chalk that up to me never really having trust issues with my parents when they told me that it was a bad idea to do that shit, haha. Spine is not a straight edge band.

What made made you guys play your style of hc? how did SPINE come to together?

Antonio- Well, I had talked to the drummer for a long time (sings in Weekend Nachos and played in Harms Way) and the original guitarist (who played in Harms Way) about playing stuff similar to Imprisoned (first Harms Way 7 inch) with a Boston edge to it. The og guitarist was totally into it but couldn't get on the same page with the drummer (keep in mind this is all happening in Chicago and I live in Kansas City). I couldn't really push anything since I was 9 hours away, so I just let it be. I feel like the we did a great job of capturing that on the demo. It's got a powerviolence feel to it with some youth crew-ish parts peppered into it.

Snyder- Antonio and Hofacker were starting a band, and Hofacker and I had once played in Harms Way together but we both quit at the same time for unrelated reasons. This sparked my interest when I found out we were going to jam again. Naturally, we wrote some hard ass shit. I think Spine is a lot more punk influenced than Harms Way ever was though. It's got a real SSD/Impact Unit feel to it, but mixed with faster shit like Infest and Youth of Today.


Did you guys enjoy your tour with weekend nachos and dead in the dirt?

Antonio- The tour with WN and DITD was amazing. First of all, I haven't toured Cali before (the other guys in SPINE hadn't either and the first time I was there was last August for 3 days in SF) so this was an experience for sure. We had some great shows out there which really made us feel at home. Seeing WN and DITD every night was a huge plus as well. We really appreciated the fact that they brought us along for a few days, and for that, we will forever be grateful. Playing shows out of town is awesome, but it takes a back seat to visiting new places and meeting to people.

Snyder- Those shows were a blast...I had more fun playing in Spine than I did with the Nachos because I love playing drums. Being a frontman is cool sometimes but it's nice to just sit in the back every once in a while. Honestly, the best part about the whole trip was getting chicken and waffles with some of my best friends...and going to Galco's Soda Pop Stop.

When are you guys coming back to cali?

Antonio- I hope we come back very soon. The next opportunity we have, we will be back!

Snyder- Who knows, man. All of us are busy with other things like raking leaves and delivering bottles of milk to suburban homes.

What did you think about the show in la @ the mime?

Antonio- The show in LA was one of my favorites on the tour. Seeing Lack Of Interest was definitely an experience for sure. ACxDC and DNF were great. And Disapproval was on point (one of my favorite new SoCal bands). Our set was also really fun at this. People went off, which is always great to see. The only downfall was the reentry issue. That was the hottest show I think I've ever played before. I get why they couldn't let people out (for fear the show would be shut down) but with that said, it was a sauna!

Snyder- It was a great show and there were like 300 people there...but honestly the whole experience was just stressful and uncomfortable for me. I was stuck in the back doing merch and there was almost no room to do it all night. On top of that, I passed out twice (not once) from the intense heat. That's no fun. But as always, playing drums for Spine was the highlight because I am most relaxed when I'm on the drums.

Anything in the works for spine?

Antonio- Yes, we have a 7 inch coming out at the end of the summer, be sure to check it. 6 new songs.

Snyder- Yep, that 7" is something we're all really excited about. We might be planning a short tour in September too. This is probably when the 7" will come out, too. Keep your eyes peeled for the SUBHUMAN E.P.

 How do you feel about being a hispanic/latino in a mostly white scene?

Antonio- It most definitely makes things interesting at times. Being Cuban it can make it extra awkward when a lot people are embracing communist symbols or wearing shirts of Che. Aside from the political stigmas, I hardly notice it. In KC, I'm one of the few latinos involved in hardcore so there isn't much room to flex mis raices.

Snyder- I'm a Jew so no comprende, hermano. Los Crudos are one of the most important hardcore bands of all time.

How did the name el bello come about?

Antonio- Ah, El Bello was the nick name for my late grandfather. He was always known as "El Bello" or "Nene". I was super close with him and before he died he had said that when he passes that I would take the title of "El Bello". So since then I've just decided to add that into different things (we did a Sorry Excuse, El Bello edition of the last 7 inch) just to keep his spirit alive.

Snyder- Antonio's got spiders in his hair, for sure.

Positives and negatives in hc?

Antonio- There are many positives in hardcore. One that I touched on earlier is the traveling aspect. Hardcore goes two ways for me: what you can do for hardcore (booking shows, doing labels, zines, doing bands, etc...) and what hardcore can do for you (take you to new places, meet new people, experience new things, mature and grow). Those things listed are important for any scene to keep thriving. At the end of the day, it's amazing to say that your hardcore band took you to states you've never been before and experience things you never thought you would. That's one of the best things about it

As most people know, there are many negatives to hardcore. One thing that gets under my skin the most is flipping merch. Going to a show just to buy merch just to sell it online to turn a profit isn't punk at all. Waiting in line to buy someone a record/tape/or shirt because they couldn't attend is. The whole merch thing is a beast in it's own right and I don't think it will ever die out. It's all about supply and demand and I get that. It would just be nice to hear kids helping out each other with stuff like that, than trying to turn a profit off each other. 100$ for a shirt you just paid 10$ for is insane! Plus, you have more luck just contacting the band.

Snyder- Hardcore is something I love because of the energy and the awareness. The main thing hardcore has given me is a sense of self-worth in a world that would otherwise see me as fucking nothing. I am able to do my own thing here and it's not about how it's received by other people...it's about me feeling good about myself. The world of hardcore has provided me with an isolated place to understand and cherish. If this little world didn't exist I would be out there in the real world going insane. As for negatives, well one of the main problems in hardcore are the people who expect hardcore to be a perfect place and therefore they dwell on things like cliques, bullying and violence. Just stay positive and treat others the way you want to be treated and your influence will rub off. Always remember that you're not involved in hardcore for other human beings, you're involved in hardcore for your own connection and understanding of yourself.

Bands you support?

Antonio- I support a bunch of bands. I'm not going to go through the whole listing out process, just because I don't want to leave anyone out. But I will say there are a ton of great bands from Kansas City that are worth checking out. Not to mention that the Midwest has one of the best scenes that many seem to forget!

Snyder- I support any band or individual who doesn't feel the need to follow OR lead...they just live. If you're out there living and expressing yourself in the most respectful way towards others that you possibly can, we are on the same page.

Last words?

Antonio- Just be yourself. Too many kids get wrapped up in what shirt they just bought or the Nike's they have on. It's cool if you like that stuff, but you don't have to. Most people write me off as a jock/meathead when they first see me. Then they see one of my bands or meet me and everything changes. Be yourself, like what you like, and don't make any apologies. Life is too short to not.

Snyder- Yeah...merch is not as important as barbeque is. If hardcore isn't your #1 priority, I get that...just make sure it's barbeque instead.

Weekend Nachos

Demo
Torture
Weekend Nachos / Chronic Bleeding Syndrome Split
Punish And Destroy
S/T 8"
Unforgivable
Black Earth
Two Things At Once
Worthless
Weekend Nachos / Lack Of Interest Split

Defeat The Christian Right: WEEKEND NACHOS INTERVIEW 2012

This Interview was done A while back. around the time the BLEED E.P. so i guess this interview took place around 2010 early 2011? i took the time with this interview so i could know more about my favorite band. hopefully it shows. i hope you enjoy reading this as i enjoyed getting this interview together. here it is! I would also like to add that John/snyder/caution what ever he goes by these days is a really chill dude and helped me out a lot these past years so support them! go to their shows and grab some merch.

Usually when bands come up with names they make it sound generic especially hardcore bands,they try to come up with tough names. how did you come up with weekend nachos and was the name embraced by people right away or did people get turned off by it?

the name "Weekend Nachos" doesn't mean anything, and since the beginning i didn't care if anybody approved of it. a lot of times, people will judge a book by its cover and i think that's retarded. in the same manner, people will expect a band to be fucking awesome based on a cool band name. i also think this is retarded. when we first started, no one liked us specifically because of that name. in fact, a lot of people still don't listen to us because of that name. which is cool, i back it, those people can fuck off forever, i don't care. since day one i never cared if anybody liked our band. we've always been a great band. sometimes it's even funnier watching the people who "slept on this band and just recently came around". great, you're admitting you missed out on something that you could've been digging for over 5 years now...nice work, poser.

Can you tell me the history of tooth decay records from its birth and why it met its demise and will you release anything new or is tooth decay finished forever?
Are you guys planning any new material after the bleed ep?

Tooth Decay was started by my friend Nick and I, and our first release was the Weekend Nachos "torture e.p". it was a learning experience for both of us and to this day remains as the best selling Tooth Decay release. in some ways i think we just got lucky with it, but in other ways, it actually is a great record with a great recording and we worked hard to make it look good, too. Tooth Decay died because i eventually needed money so badly and i just took my half of the funds we had and the label was put on hold for a while. Nick was living in California for a while but he lives in the Midwest again so maybe we'll start it back up again, who knows. we're both in the same state again and my financial issues have been over for years, so i hope that happens some day. 


We are, actually. We've been working on new songs lately, i'll keep things a bit "mysterious" here and refuse to comment on what they sound like, but as usual expect a record different than all the others. I am pretty sure this is going to end up being another full-length. We enjoy doing LP's.



When you guys played at the blvd cafe in california I asked you about sidewalk but we didn't get to finish our conversation. if its alright with you can you tell me about sidewalk and any other bands you are/were involved with?


Sidewalk was a bad band that i was in, i don't want to sound like a dick but there's not really much to say. i'm not ashamed of it, at all, but there's not a whole lot to say about it besides that fact that we sucked and i eventually realized that. i have good memories of that band but it really isn't something people should talk about anymore, haha. i'd like for it to fade into obscurity and never be mentioned again. there are way better bands to talk about that were around in 2003...American Nightmare, Carry On, Mental, Desperate Measures, No Warning, The First Step, etc

Are you the only one that is straight edge in WN? How did you get into straight edge?what made s.e. Apart of your life?do people give you shit for being straight edge and do you think there's always going to be assholes that talk shit to people for being driffrent?

again, i don't wanna sound like a dick but straight edge is something i don't enjoy talking about that much. however, i will give in and elaborate just to state that this is something i decided quite recently, actually. yes, i'm straight edge, and will be forever, Drew is too, but i am 26 years old now and it's just a small part of who i am. it doesn't need to be made into a big deal anymore. the older i've gotten, the less i've cared about straight edge one way or another. i don't drink, i don't do drugs, i don't smoke either, but these things don't need to define a person's existence. they are personal choices and that's it. straight edge is great if you're young and you need something to identify with...i know, i've been 17 before. but honestly, i'm too old to be putting this kind of label on myself. it doesn't mean anything to me anymore, it's a part of who i am but it's really not THAT big of a part of who i am.  it's time to stop defining myself in this way. i'm totally over it. a lot of other straight edge friends of mine will probably be all bummed out and maybe even a little pissed off by that...and you know what, that's just another one of the problems i have with straight edge. it's bullshit to judge other people for a personal choice that doesn't affect you in any way at all. and if it's taken me over a decade to realize this, then so be it.

How did you get involved with hardcore?what are your influences and what are your favorite bands of all time?

hardcore is something i was always looking for...an angry, hateful subculture that basically belongs exclusively to those who understand it. i was never one to fit in or even WANT to fit in. there was always that level of seperation between myself and pretty much everyone else. my peers didn't really get me, my co-workers didn't really get me, often times my family didn't really get me either. hardcore is something i'm definitely glad i found, and it was bound to happen. i went to a few punk shows because the people i skateboarded with were into it, and i just found my place. it was all really natural and i was instantly hooked. i am influenced by a million different bands...it would take to long to go into it. basically if you listen to Weekend Nachos, whoever it sounds like to you is most likely a band that i am influenced by. WN is a big giant cesspool of our collective influences, we let it all out into this band.

When are you guys coming back to cali?

That's a good question! We are planning on possibly coming out there in the Spring of next year, I don't think anything will be set in stone for a while though because we really have to get ready for Europe in a few weeks...once we get back from Europe, we will begin figuring out the next U.S. tour. Hopefully we'll get to do some more shows with IN DISGUST this time!

Why aren't you in harms way anymore?

The straw that broke the camel's back was an argument that i got into with the singer, James, one night over some bullshit. I won't go into details because we are good friends and there's no need to, it's over, all friends go through shit like that. But really, my decision to quit was also based on general differences in ideas and agendas for the band. Those guys were sorta on the same page with where they wanted to take Harms Way and I was not on board with it...it's that simple. Those guys are still doing their thing and I'm stoked on anything that happens for them because they're all my good friends. I'm actually pretty excited that they seem to be turning a few heads these days. More people like them now than when i was ever in the band, haha.

Are you guys planning to start any new bands?

Well, since the first half of this interview took place almost 7 months ago...yes, Drew and I have actually started a new band very recently. It's called CYBORG and the demo just got recorded! if anybody wants to check it out, go to playfastordie.com, you can download the entire 9 song demo for free. For fans of Hellnation and Spazz. 

Any funny tour stories?

Too many, but i definitely always tell the story of when our old bass player, Varg, almost got us killed by a bunch of gangbangers on a street corner in D.C.  These dudes were legit thugs, not just a bunch of wiggers, and Varg started coming on to them in the gayest possible way. They were not into it to say the least, and i thought we were about to actually get shot, haha. I laugh about it now but at the time it was really not funny at all. Varg is nuts. 

Has your fan base changed from early W.N. to now?

We have definitely turned a few heads over the years. I think in the beginning, we had a very cult following of maybe 2 or 3 kids in every major city, maybe even less depending on where we were. Now, i feel that number has grown and the name "Weekend Nachos" is definitely more well-known and widely respected by various scenes and crowds. I'm not saying we're a big band now, i still think we're one of the way smaller bands around, but i can definitely say that things have grown for us gradually since 2004. I have never been one to care one way or another, but i do enjoy playing to 50-100 kids every night as opposed to 15-20 people every night.

Can you tell us how the new LP is going to sound?

Nope, sorry! I will say that any fan of W.N. will not be disappointed at all. It will rage harder than ever.

Why did you make bleed a 2 song LP?

We wanted to do another E.P. but not just something that people would forget about like any random 7" of ours. We already did a 7" as our first release and it's the most preferred material of ours so we wanted to try and do another 7" that would have a different feel to it. Once we decided on doing some sludgier stuff, we realized we had too much material for a 7" and made it a 12" instead. It still has the feel of an E.P. though, cuz that's what it is.

What do you do when you don't play?

I work and hang out with my girlfriend, mostly. We like to go out to eat and watch movies, that's mainly what we do with our time. I am kind of a shut-in, actually. My purpose in life is to do Weekend Nachos, make money, and be in a relationship that lasts. The other guys in W.N. are different, i think they have a lot more going on, but you'd have to ask them.

Any bands you support?

There are some, but i know i would leave somebody out if i attempted to list them all. I have a lot of out of town friends who are in great bands, so i'll name drop a band that I'm not friends with at all...Trapped Under Ice. They are probably my favorite current hardcore band, i really hope they do a new record soon.

Any last words?

Yes, thanks for the interview and for caring about what I have to say! We will hopefully be in Cali again soon and keep a look out for a new 7" single on A389 Recordings followed up by a brand new full-length on Deep Six and Relapse.