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Lucky Boys Confusion- Not Confused At All
10/19/01- Sitting down to talk shop with Lucky Boys Confusion lead singer Kaustubh Pandav (Stubhy) is always a great time. The band's album, Throwing The Game, has been my personal most-listened to album by far for all of 2001, and it also came in first place for BUMrock's Top Albums Of The Year. Stubhy's answers are always well thought out and rational. So much so, that after my original interview, I wanted to give it another go with most of the questions coming from you, BUMrock's fine, fine readers.
So when they came back to town in October, I made sure to meet up with Stubhy again, armed with your questions from all over the spectrum, many laced with worries of their favorite band's increasing popularity as they're more and more known outside of the Chicago area. Here you'll find three different areas of interest- 1) The written article featuring many of your questions. The questions are in teal and the answers are in blue. 2) The live video of their performance that night at Valentine's in Albany, NY. and 3) The video interview of many more of your questions.
How did Elektra Records find out 'bout u guys? And if you could have a show with any 3 bands of your choice, dead or alive, who would they be? (Sam- Lemont, IL)
Elektra Records found out about us just as all the other labels did. We had been doing really well in Chicago, selling out shows and stuff like that, and then when Q101, the major alternative radio station added us into heavy rotation, they all took notice and swooped in and checked out our shows at the House of Blues and The Metro and from there on they knew we had what they wanted.
Part 2:
1) The Wailers (Bob Marley)
2) The Beatles
3) Nirvana
Do you feel that what you talk about in your music is apporporate for younger audiences? (Katie- Limerick, PA)
Not worried about it. If you don't like it, don't listen to it. I sing about my experiences, music has been my way of venting and talking about life. If you like my messages... go for it. If not... fine. Yeah, some of the things I talk about probably aren't appropriate for 12 year olds and stuff. But you know, that comes with the territory. There's a lot of other bands that people can listen to- like Creed and whatever the fuck that shit is. Listen to that. We're not good kids. We're the hoodlums of Downer's Grove and Naperville who happen to play music.
I know you guys have had a hard time ever since signing with Elektra. How do you deal with all the accusations and rumors going around? How would you respond to a fan who accuses you of "selling out"? (Courtney- Naperville, IL)
Wow... uhh... if we're selling out, I want to know where the money is, because I don't have any. I don't think we're selling out- the only thing we're selling out is The Metro and The House Of Blues every time we play. To the kid who would ever say we're selling out- what's going to college? What's getting good grades and following everything your parents told you to do since day one? That's selling out. I'm following my dream. I've struggled so hard and so much to be where I'm at. To say I'm selling out, I don't think anyone would say that. I don't think any kid in the suburbs that got good grades all throughout high school and went to college to follow their dreams to do something... people who only go to college to get that piece of paper so they can make some money- you're the sellouts.
Where is your favorite place to play live? (Danielle- Northlake,IL)
Chicago! It doesn't get better than your hometown. I like Florida a lot, I like Atlanta. This place we just played in Poughkeepsie (NY), The Chance, was really awesome. The Bowery Ballroom in New York was really great. In Florida I liked the Sapphire Supper Club. For the most part I can't remember venues. I just remember towns. I care more about the kids in the crowd than the venues themselves.
You guys have been around for many years together, although you have now started to see limelight outside of Chicago. While I hope it lasts forever, how long do you think you will be together? (Nate- Coal City, IL)
As long as it's still fun. We get along real well, so... as long as it's still fun.
Why don't you play more old school songs. When will you stop changing their old songs which were perfect before. Will you wear paper bags over their heads so they'll stop attracting teeny boppers to shows (Sarah- Chicago, IL)
Wow, you're really mad, aren't you? If you have been a fan for a long time, then you will have noticed that the original "Fred Astaire" that we put on Growing Out Of It is different from the Soapbox Spectacle version, and that's different from the Throwing The Game version. Reasons for that is, even though you may think they were perfect- we didn't. We have short attention spans, we like to change our stuff around. We get bored of playing the same stuff. As for an old school set, if you were at the last House Of Blues shows, we played a lot of old songs. But as we write more music, there's going to be less space in the setlist to play the old stuff. We can't really play all the old songs because the new people need to hear the new songs, too. We try to play our old songs once in a while, too. If you come to enough shows, you'll hear all of them. As far as the paper bag thing... i don't know. How am I supposed to see? You were a teeny bopper once. A fan is a fan, as long as they listen to the words and hear the music and see what we're about, then that's all I care about.
What's the new tour bus like? Is there anything you miss about "the lucky van"? (Julie- Downers Grove, IL)
Hell no! We get to sleep! Somebody else does the driving so it's not a hassle having to have Joe stay up all night and worry about him driving. I couldn't sleep having one of my boys driving the van all night. This is very comfortable and it's fun but it's not something we're planning on having forever. So yeah, the tour bus is great. We're having a really good time.
What's the fan reception in Japan like? Do you have plans on going back anytime soon? If you could tour any foreign country you wanted too, where would you go? (Julie- Downers Grove, IL)
Fan reception is Japan was awesome. It was great. We had a really good time. People there are really great and nice and sweet and brought us gifts. We plan on going back there as soon as we can. As soon as we can get a tour set up.
I'd also like to hit up Europe and Australia. I'd like to hit up India for my own personal reasons. Realistically Europe and Australia would be great. I think Germany would be really fun.
I want to know everyone's favorite all time band. (Etta- from Woodstock, IL)
I think I can do this, but if I'm wrong... sorry.
Adam- Operation Ivy, Sublime, Bob Marley, The Beatles; Ryan- Beach Boys; Joe- Guns n Rose; Jason- Red Hot Chili Peppers; Stubhy- The Beatles, Nirvana, Bob Marley
Adam is always credited with more things than just "guitar/vocals" on your albums. But the list is always growing! How many things can he actually play? (Becky- Downers Grove, IL)
He excels at piano and guitar and vocals. He's a really good percussion player. He dabbles a little bit with the turntables, nothing extraordinary. I think for the most part he has a natural ability... he has a lot of music in him.
Are y'all happy with the new CD, even if you didn't get as much freedom on it as previous ones? (Claire- St. Simons Island, GA)
Yeah, I'm happy with the new CD. I really like the new songs that are on it. And I really think it represents us pretty well. Yeah, there's issues with not have complete creative control, now realize we had a lot of creative control- but complete creative control? You'll never have that if you're signed with a label. The way I look at the whole label thing is... the put a lot of money into you- it's like your parents sending you away to college. If you come back F's, they're going to turn the faucets off and tell you to go get a job and say "You're not going to spend our money wasting it away". So that's how they look at it. They're putting a lot of money into it, so we gotta make it work. But yeah, I like our record. I'm not embarassed of it. I think people should go out there and check it out cause I think they'd dig it too.
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