It’s been a couple years since my last interview with Dredg, and within that time, I’ve become infatuated with Dan The Automator projects Handsome Boy Modeling School and Lovage. As I get reacquainted with Dredg vocalist Gavin Hayes and guitarist Mark Engles over dinner on Sunset Blvd, Hayes chimes in on the renowned producer.
“Dr. Octagon, Handsome Boy, Lovage — he’s done a lot of great work. Growing up in the Bay Area, most people dig at least one of his things.”
Over a late afternoon lunch on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip, Asking Alexandria guitarist Ben Bruce expresses his admiration for actor Charlie Sheen. “I just want to meet him. I just want to party with him. I wish he’d call me and say ‘hey, come to my house tonight, and let’s go crazy.'”
I was listening to Glassjaw’s Worship and Tribute album a few weeks back, and thought to myself: what’s former guitarist Todd Weinstock been up to lately?
Weinstock — who had been a member of Glassjaw from 1996 to 2004, and appeared on all releases from the band’s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (1997) debut EP through second full-length Worship and Tribute (2002) — has stayed pretty busy since he and the group parted ways in ’04. Following his near-decade stint with Glassjaw, Weinstock handled guitar duties for electropop band Men, Women & Children, lent his talents to a project dubbed Cubic Zirconia, and stayed active DJing in New York City. Today, one of his more recent endeavors: producing bands.
It’s Friday night in West Hollywood, and Periphery guitarist Alex Bois just picked up an unexpected souvenir. “We got a $100 ticket [for parking on Sunset Blvd],” he exclaims. “But it’s ok, it’s Friday night and we’re here in Hollywood.”
Perhaps optimism like this is the key ingredient in fueling Periphery’s momentum. With only one release under its belt, the group has become an international touring force, headlining shows in unfamiliar territories, and supporting heavyweights like The Dillinger Escape Plan and DevilDriver. Now with the band’s second album in its writing stages, the D.C. area based sextet has one primary objective: for this record to destroy the last.
A lot can change in 18 months — especially if you’re Dance Gavin Dance. Since my last interview with the band in September 2009, the group has seen a number of lineup adjustments (most notably the return of original vocalist Jonny Craig and screamer Jon Mess), released a new album Downtown Battle Mountain II, and more recently, has been under heavy criticism for Craig’s now-infamous MacBook scam (in which the singer convinced fans to wire transfer hundreds of dollars in exchange for a laptop that was never delivered).