15 Questions with Confidence Man

What inspires you to play music?

DH: The love of the Baby Jesus. He's a little Cuban man who lives down the street.
GB: My insatiable desire for constant attention and adulation.
BK: I want to make people feel good and inspire them, also I like filling out questionnaires.
JS: Hearing frequent if not constant music in my head. Notice no one mentioned the ladies. Bunch of liars, us.

Do you guys have a political message?

DH: Yes, Dewey defeats Truman.
GB: Well, not a huge message, though we're not big fans of the current administration, but then again, who in their right mind would be?
JS: I think if you look at our lyrics you will see fairly clear messages. I'm not happy with Bush but you'll never see me with a Kerry button. I think it's a good time to be Independent.

What can people expect at one of your shows?

DH: To get tanked and listen to some swell music.
GB: Good wholesome fun for the *entire* family. And if James has his way, somebody's ass is going to get spanked! JS: A lot of frenetic rock.

Do you have any big projects coming up?

DH: Well, my students are working on a pretty big book report. Then, they might do a diaramma. One day, Brett might get circumcized.
GB: Perhaps a quick tour of Europe--we are loved in Belgium! There and perhaps Branson, MO. BK: I'm planning quitting and joining Good Charlotte.
JS: More out-of-town shows. And hopefully some licensing deals we keep getting teased about.

Kurt Cobain, genius or hack?

DH: Hack with great influences.
GB: Somewhere in between. Nothing pleases an audience more than an artist with some serious dysfunction. I guess that's our true calling as musicians...
BK: Musically a hack, but a genius with a shotgun.
JS: I think he was a genius, not on the level of Hendrix or Chuck Berry or anyone like that, but I think he synthesized a lot of different things and made something that was new and, now, is very used.

Who are some of your favorite unheard of bands?

DH: Los Hermanos Rodriguez, Gist, Band of Brothers, etc.
BK: TEOS, Los Hermanos, Snuggle GB: I do enjoy Gist (but I'm a sucker for any math rock). Do signed bands count? If so, count me in for Cursive, At The Drive-In (defunct), Shiner (defunct), Grade (defunct), Two Skinnee Js (defunct) and Strike Anywhere. They are certainly well known, but to actually "hear them on the radio" would be something of a miracle. (By god, it would be a "Miracle of Modern Living"--onsale now for $8 at CD Baby.) But, then when you have the gracious owners of the air waves (like Clear Channel), who needs all that variety anyway. Just give me the "best music of the 80s, 90s and today" and my brain can be sleep.
JS: I like a lot of the Local 221 bands. Also Canadian Invasion. On the slightly-heard-of level, Granddaddy and Mercury Rev.

Who is the worst band to come out of DC?

DH: Good Charlotte.
GB: Does Good Charlotte count--they're out of MD, right?
JS: Congress.

Is Henry Rollins really gay?

DH: If he is, you can bet your sweet @ss you'd be the one receiving!
BK: No but I hear the puppet on his right hand is.
GB: Is that word on the street?

Do you feel Rock music is an appropriate vehicle for promoting social change?

DH: Absolutely. Unless you're Kiss. Then I guess you'd be promoting costume change.
GB: It can be a start. It takes a lot to get people rallied around any type of social cause. I tell you one thing if the Bush Administration doesn't inspire people to get involved, I'm not sure what would.
BK: Yes. Janet Jackson has done great things in the social change department lately.
JS: Yes.

Are you gay-it would really help us out if you "came out" to DCSpore.

DH: Does the pope sh!t in the woods?
GB: No, though if I do, I'll make sure that DC Spore is the first to know!
BK: To quote Homer Simpson, "I don't go in for those backdoor shenanigans."
JS: I'm not gay, but I think I understand what it is to be a lesbian.

Whats one thing you would change about the music industry if you could?

DH: I'd like to see it become a little more daring with who it promotes.
GB: would change "Sony" to "Sonny". "Sony" sounds, ah, I don't know, so Japanese. "Sonny" sounds so much more cheerful.
BK: I think the 8 track needs to come back.
JS: If I could change one thing about the music industry, I would have them sign us, with no recoupment clause.

Do you think music has the power to make people feel good and inspire them?

DH: Absolutely. But on the other hand, it can depress the hell out of them and demotivate them. I suppose it's the difference between The Captain and Tenille. You know, like two polar opposites working together.
GB: Sure. I know when I'm really inspired by great music, I often tap my index fingers. Kind of like I'm typing out some crazy song on this invisible typewriter. Sometimes, I'll tap my feet as well. Normally, I don't do that kind of thing.
BK: Yes. Take Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake, they both inpired tons of people after the Superbowl.
JS: Yes.

Do you think music also has the power to make people feel bad and do bad things?

DH: I kind of think listening to Ted Nugent might want to make you hurt Ted Nugent.
GB: Perhaps, but these are probably the same people that are easily fooled by parlor tricks.
BK: I know listening to Henry Rollins makes me want to have gay sex.
JS: Yes. Do you as an artist feel you have a responsibility to not inspire your audience to do bad things?
DH: What kind of bad things could we possible inspire them to do? Well, except maybe our song "Beat Up a Hippie." Is that bad, though?
GB: Sure, but the average Confidence Man fan is smarter than that.
JS: No. We don't control our audience - I think they are very strong-minded.

How dangerous is music?

DH: When it wields knives, very dangerous.
GB: Oh, its dangerous, my friend. Very dangerous. Music can make most people do some crazy things--haven't you seen "Foot Loose"! Those crazy kids were exposed to music and they were doing all sorts of dangerous looking moves. I know if I tried anything like that I would definitely hurt myself. BK: About 62% dangerous.

JS: More dangerous than guns, but not as dangerous as Karl Rove.