In a blink of the eye, the Nemo Showcase is upon us. We figure there's no better way to kick things off than with an interview. Bostonist caught up with Morning Theft, a NYC-based band with strong Boston roots. They join the Nemo Showcase, playing tonight at TT the Bear's as part of the Lunch Records line up.
Morning Theft comprises Rob Holmes (vocals, guitar), Peter Kim (lead guitar), Dan Byrne (drums), and J. Patrick Holden (bass). Our good friends at Gothamist describe their music as "Pearl Jam meets Travis, Nirvana meets the Cure, the Pixies meets Radiohead," and frankly, we can't sum it up any better. Bostonist got a little Beantown-centric with our interview questions for Rob (he and Peter relocated from Boston to the Big Apple in 2003), but lucky for us, Dan and J. Patrick were good sports and beefed up the balance of the content. More show details and Nemo coverage after the jump.
What is the J. in J. Patrick Holden?
Dan: He's just Pat Holden. The J. is for just.
Rob: I always thought it stood for "Jesus." I guess I learn something new everyday.
(Rob) Did you and Peter Kim play music together in Boston?
Rob: Yeah, one of my best friends from high school was Peter's roommate at Brandeis University. Somehow or another we met and started doing home demos in his dorm room, until we got sick of that and formed a band with two friends in Boston after we graduated college. Then he and I moved to Brooklyn together.
(Rob) What were you doing in Boston and why did you leave?
Rob: We were barely keeping our jobs and just decided to go. Peter got a really great job offer down here, so we just decided one day to do it. Boston was tough for us as a band and it seemed like New York was the place to be.
(Rob) Now that you're a big time New Yorker, what do you miss most about Boston?
Rob: Man, I can't tell you how much I miss Fenway Park. Nothing to me beats going to Fenway with my dad or a few friends, having an overpriced beer and hot dog. I miss Davis Square a lot. I used to live there and really had a blast. I also miss getting drunk at the Middle East Upstairs and half-priced burgers Saturday night at the Pourhouse. Oh, and the Pill dance party, of course.
(Rob) What's your favorite Boston venue?
Rob: The Paradise. By far. No venue is as good. I love TT the Bear's too, only because it's like Morning Theft's second home, it seems.
How did Morning Theft become involved in the Nemo Showcase?
Rob: I had seen Superdrag for NEMO in 2003, which initially introduced me to the whole organization. Paul from Lunch Records contacted us and wanted to put together a Boston Vs. New York showcase. Who were we to say no?
How did the band get together in New York?
Dan: I met Pat over the Internet through ads.
Rob: Peter and I had a bass player we moved to New York with and after she quit, we found Dan through her Friendster profile. God bless modern technology. Dan went to high school with her and was playing in a band with Pat. We started rehearsing together and playing shows right away
and it just went from there.
What was your creative process for "The News Says It's Raining In New York"?
Rob: Wait, there's supposed to be a creative process? Ha ha. I'm not sure. We had recorded a few songs for Paul Buckley at Lunch Records, who put them out on the "Four By Four" compilation CD. After that, we were headed to the SXSW Festival in Austin and realized we needed a CD to tour behind and pay for gas, so we did a few more songs and had the discs pressed ourselves. We locked ourselves in a barn in Westchester, NY, that had a studio in it and worked for a few weekends.
What do you think of Neil Young covers? They seem to be abundantly popular as of late. Does Morning Theft have a favorite cover?
Dan: I'd always rather hear a Neil song over some generic 80's ironic thing. As for us, we've covered Def Leppard's "Hysteria" (80's ironic thing) a few too many times, so I guess that's my favorite MT cover.
Rob: We played "Broken Face" by the Pixies once. As for Neil Young, the Pixies covered his song "Winterlong" and made it probably the best cover of any song ever. Neil's become untouchable as far as covering him.
Do you live in Brooklyn and pal around with CYHSY and Conor Oberst?
Rob: We played with Clap Your Hands once or twice in the city. At the time, they went on at like 2:00 a.m. and there were maybe 10 people dancing for them. Now they're selling out venues around the U.S. Good for them. They seemed like nice guys. Bright Eyes used to live on the same corner as me in the East Village. When he moved, the whole neighborhood seemed less sad.
Is music your full-time gig or are you still working for The Man?
Rob: The music is a full-time gig, but we're still working for The Man too. You can't avoid it, especially considering rent in New York is about 9 times more expensive than anywhere else.
What's the all-time best concert you've ever been to?
Dan: It's a toss up between Ministry (Filth Pig Tour) or Phish (Sugarbush 95).
Rob: I saw the Pixies a month or so ago for their "secret" show at the Paradise. Took a bus up after leaving work early, saw the show, and then took a 2 a.m. bus home to New York and was at work at 7 a.m. The best show ever. A close second is the Radiohead show I saw in August of 1997 at Harborlights. Absolutely incredible.
Morning Theft @ TT the Bear's
Tonight, September 30, 8:00 p.m., $10
w/ The Bon Savants, Plain James and Passenger
For more information on the Nemo Showcase, check out the Globe's full coverage report.
Photo credit: Jonathan Purvis
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