This month's LUCKY CHARM HAWTIE is Brynn Holland Soderlund. The daughter of San Francisco's metal scene staple, Sven Soderlund, shares her thoughts on music and how it has been such an important part of her family ❤
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| Brynn with Tim Alexander of Primus when she worked at Pirate Cat Radio |
1. What are your top three favorite bands and why?
The Mars Volta, they're one of those bands for me that when you listen to them you don't just hear the music you feel it. They are like a good acid trip, an exorcism or religious experience especially when you see them live. I think for some people they're an acquired taste, because they're known for all these kinda trippy sounds and have been known at times to write 12 minute long songs and unfortunately at times in the press been labeled prog rock, I think they're so much more than that. I think Omar and Cedric are amazing. They have great stage presence and they are two fine latin boys with fros that defy gravity. I think what separates them from most bands is the latin influence in there music.It's also because of them I discovered salsa music (which I love). I could go on and on about them but I'll just say this, there one of the few bands where I've listened to every album from beginning to end with no pauses. If you haven't seen them live go check them out, so you can get the epic awesomeness that is Mars Volta.
Faith No More is also one of my all time favorites. My Uncle Tony is the reasoning behind why I love them so much. One of the bands I remember being his favorites and him bragging about when I was growing up and blasting in the car or in the house was Faith No More. He had every album and I listened to all of them from beginning to end and loved them. Mike Patton actually has a very distinctive voice and can put out anything and it's awesome. I love anything he's involved with musically, Mondo Cane, Mr. Bungle, Peeping Tom, all that stuff he puts out on Ipecac (his record label) it's all great. For the longest time I wished they would do a reunion tour and play here and when I found out they were playing The Warfield last year I almost died. I was so happy. Me, my Mom, and Uncle went, (he had to come, of course). One of the highlights of the night was when Mike Patton did a somersault right over our heads and stage dived, I'll go on the record and say that was the best show I've been to in my whole life. Not that I thought they weren't gonna be awesome but if I had known they were gonna be as great as they were I would have gone to all the 3 nights they played there instead of just one. The whole thing was such a beautiful experience as cheesy as that sounds and I'm so happy my Uncle Tony was there to experience that with us. It wouldn't have been the same without him. He kinda of turned me on to them without intentionally doing it, thanks Uncle.
Last but not least The Horrors. I think I discovered them back in 05' or 06'. I was skimming through an issue of Rolling Stone and what caught my attention was a photo of this band. They have great style. There music sounds like a mixture of english punk, garage, 60's girl group, and new wave. I love them and I can't wait to hear there next album that comes out.
2. What is the first concert you remember attending?
Well technically I don't know the first concert I went to, beings I've been going to shows ever since I was still in the womb. My Mom remembers going to some shows when she was pregnant with me but probably doesn't remember the first one when I was in her stomach. Even after I was born I think my Mom took me to a show when I was a baby and she said that I started headbanging in her lap until I got tired and fell asleep [Sven says it was Morticious and My Victim at Morty's when she was 10 months old]. I think the first big concert I remember going to was KISS at the San Jose Arena. It was their reunion tour, I was like 7 or 8 so it was like 96' or 97'. I'm glad I saw them when I did because Ace and Peter were in the band. My Mom's boyfriend at the time, and my Uncle came with us, I remember them just sitting there drinking their beers being total party poopers, but me and my Mom, we had a blast. We got up and started dancing, it was so fun. We were all decked out, my Mom had totally made these outfits for that show. She wore this latex pencil skirt that she had made and wore these awesome Luichiny shoes. I remember wearing this little white halter top, my glittery silver skirt, my silver Doc Martens, Hard Candy Lipstick, and this silver body glitter my Mom painted on my shoulders. I think it was in honor of Ace Frehley that she dressed me like a little space cadet. I also remember going to see this band called Orange 9mm who were this post-hardcore band from New York with my Dad at Slim's and seeing Spike 1000 at this place called Transmission. I wasn't even old enough to be in that place but luckily my Dad talked to the manager and he let me in. I don't remember if those shows were before or after the KISS show, but yeah those are the first ones I remember attending.
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| Sven and Brynn, Then and Now |
3. What are your thoughts on the music scene?
I think it's great, and it's one of the main reasons why I love that I was born and raised in San Francisco. There's alot of intertwining and six degrees of separation between the Rock, Punk, and Metal crowds in S.F. One of the things I love about the Metal crowd specifically is it has kinda this family feeling about it. How loyal people from these crowds are to the music. These people have been around playing in bands, promoting shows, starting festivals, doing radio shows, starting record labels, going to shows long before I even existed and they're still doing it. After going to Tidal Wave and Slayer at the Cow Palace last year it made me think of something Rob Zombie said about Metal culture in the documentary Metal: A Headbangers Journey, he said something like "it's so fucking huge and yet some people don't even know that it exists" when I saw all the people at Tidal Wave and that huge sea of heads at Slayer and to think there's so many people out there who love this music and have some how still kept it's integrity and somehow still stays an outsiders music is awesome. In some ways I feel very lucky to able to witness it and be apart of it from time to time. It's a feeling of being apart of something awesome and bigger than anyone can comprehend. I think thats what's so great about it and draws people to it. It's like one big dysfunctional family, but at the end of the day were all in it for that main reason that brings us all together in the first place, THE MUSIC. Something we all love, are loyal, and passionate about and we'll stick by until the end and keep music scenes like the Rock, Punk, ah hell we'll throw in the Salsa and Hip Hop communities as well just for good measure, and Metal in the Bay Area here and thriving.
4. What are the next few shows you plan on attending?
Deftones are coming in June at The Warfield, I'm definitely going to that. Raphael Saadiq, I've wanted to see him for the longest time, I'd like to check out Aloe Black. Black Lips are playing at Great American in June. I've seen those guys I think 2 times, there shows are crazy, as soon as they start playing everthing starts flying. En Vogue at Yoshi's, I've never been to the one in Oakland. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. I'm sure I'll hear about a bunch of other ones, there's always a million shows I want to go to.
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| Being creative as usual |
5. If you could meet anyone and ask a question, who would it be and what would you ask?
Ah man, that's a really hard one, there's so many people I'd love to meet alive and dead. First ones that come to mind are Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Faris Badwan, but what I would want to ask them I can't say cause my parents are gonna read this, hahaha! just kidding, I think my Mom already knows what I'd really want to ask them but my Dad, I don't think he wants to know. Seriously though I think I would ask Omar what he thinks drives him to put so much material out as he does and what his favorite salsa record is, and Faris if I could listen to his whole record collection, what's his favorite girl group song, and what kind of cheese he likes (I've heard he likes cheese) and what's his favorite dish so that I know what to make him when we get married. Others that come to mind are Vincent Gallo, Johnny Thunders. Some other interesting people like Aleister Crowley or Anton LaVey. Phil Lynott, Syd Barrett, Joey Ramone, various women in Rock 'N' Roll like Anita Pallenberg, Sable Starr, Cynthia Plaster Caster, and a million others.
THANK YOU BRYNN (we need to go salsa dancing soon!!)
