I look homeless, he looks neo-biblical.
Sitting down with Zach (aka Big Zach, aka New MC, aka White Jesus) makes the discomfort refreshing. The discomfort of not having a day job, and relying on… well, fiscally no one but yourself. You produce your own paychecks, you book and manage yourself, you either fail or succeed at your own hands. Lovely, fun, peachy keen? Always, but being at the mercy of your own work falls equivalent to breathing in a choke hold. Audience members scream to keep on keepin’ on, folks that care for you urge to tap out and give up, and your brain begins to believe you just might never escape. Meh, I don’t need to ask Zach to know he’s escaped a hold or two… or fifty. At this point, tapping out will never be an option. Perhaps it never was, and we were destined to meet at this coffeeshop to discuss the strategy and tact of selling out the Cabooze. Perhaps we were meant for music as much as music was meant for us.
A little background on Zach, to my knowledge: He’s from the Southside of Minneapolis (yes I capitalized “Southside” like any novel or film title, eat it), runs with one of the longest standing hip-hop crews in the Midwest, Kanser, and kills the capacity at venues with his live band More Than Lights. He also has a solo act under the monikers we mentioned previously. To get specific, Zach is responsible for facebook status updates such as…
“Played the Marriot w/Brother Ali, cops gave MTL a $250 fine for having a party in our hotel room. Raged face so hard I ask a girl if she would be my girl friend she said- I dont understand are you asking me out? I said- No dates no getting to know each other we just go straight to love. She said- I'm on acid and your confusing me. Tried to talk her into it for 3hours till she finally said no. NYE is the best holiday!”
and
“10 yrs ago un-named Heiruspecs member told me he lost his V-card while a Kanser tape was playing in the background. This past weekend I went home with a rand-O in S.Dakota n b4 I broke the 3 month drought i was on she threw on Heiruspecs A Tiger Dancing. Weird hearing homies in the background but I knew the song "Fives" was song 5 on the CD witch meant that I rounded the 20 minute mark... I didn't make it to track 7.”
Jea, that last one made my top quotes. Zach has achieved feats and a reputable consistency in music more than myself, so we sit to talk about it. How do I do it Zach? 1000 people stacked into the Cabooze? Word of mouth, fliers, posters, faceook, online game?... all of the above. When it comes down to it, my team’s plan of attack hasn’t really been any different than his. Again, it’s the consistency. Standing outside of 1st Ave on the coldest winter night to hand out fliers to exiting guests. “Cold as fuck” comes to mind, but keep your eyes on the prize and you just might be able to trick your body into believing it isn’t so bad… and it isn’t. People that grab fliers from you in winter are more likely to show up to a show than the summer-goers.
Think about it, if you’re willing to take a piece of paper from someone’s hand in a deadly frozen tundra, colder than the cryogenic freezer that put Snipes and Stallone under in Demolition Man, then that person is most likely going to carry that flier home. It’s too cold to unveil your hand again and throw it away, so chances are, the fliers serve their purpose in winter more than summer. At worst they wind up in a garbage, serve as a coaster, ass wipe, note pad… whatever it becomes, it’s there in someone’s presence, right where it needs to be.
Departing the conversation, I pick up my bright red Trader Joe’s Bag full of promo to mail to Milwaukee, toss on my backpack, and make way on my bicycle. Stopped at the print shop downtown to pick up a giant white garbage bag of posters and fliers for Milwaukee and Mpls, and somehow balance on my bike to the mechanic to pick up my car. Biking down Nicollet, passing by the barbershop, ganj in the cold air, one of the barbers yells, “Full load, huh!?” Bursts into laughter with the other barber next to him, I nod and smile. What else can you say in an intersection of immigrants, dealers, folks on the blue collar grind while biking with two large bags of paper and a backpack barely stitched together?
At this point, I don’t look homeless anymore. I look like I just robbed Aldi and made off with a bike in the process… to the unnerving, naïve eye, this may seem out of step. However, Zach understands… I understand… as well as Nicollet Ave.
Again, the discomfort is refreshing… (grin creeping my face) I prefer it.
What're you sitting there for? Let’s sell out the Cabooze.
2 ways you can help:
1. Post this vid to your facebook wall, or click “share”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDaq4OpncSo
2. Go to the facebook event
and invite your friends in one-click.
Wha? You don’t know how to invite your friends in one-click? Here’s how:
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