CityZine brings you LA band, The Briggs, as part of our Know Your LA Bands series. If you haven’t heard of these guys yet, you must have been living under a rock. The Briggs are an aggresive, adrenaline rush, punk rock band who has toured with local favorites such as Bad Religion and Flogging Molly. Ferocious and in your face, this band has the musicianship to keep fans and impress strangers.
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Now after six solid years of touring with the modern greats of punk, they have released their fourth studio album, Come All You Madmen. The album is furthest thing away from being safe. Honing their skills into an album with no limitations, The Briggs provide tracks that give the hype credibility. Fans will be pleased by icnonic guest appearances such as Brian Baker (Bad Religion, Minor Threat) and Dicky Barrett (The Mighty Mighty Bosstones), just to name a few.
You’ll find The Briggs kicking off their summer as part of The Warped Tour on June 20th. Get your tickets for Sunday and relish in their outrageous performance along with many other bands that will have you deaf by Monday morning. Doors for The Warped Tour open at noon. If you can’t make it on Sunday, catch them on Fuel TV’s The Daily Habit on June 27th.
LA.CityZine got a chance to speak with Jason LaRocca (vox & guitar) before their big tour of the summer. For being such an intense perfomer, we got to know him as a genuinely good guy who wishes to be more involved with charities and to stay positive. Check out the interview below as he tells us about meeting Bruce Springsteen and other memorable band stories.
Could you give a brief description of your music?
We blend old school punk rock with a modern feel. We have a lot of American folk thrown in the mix too.
How many fans do you have on MySpace? How many of them to you actually know?
37,000-ish. I personally know about 10 out of all of them.
Do you prefer gearing up for a tour or coming home from a tour?
Both are amazing feelings when they happen. All I can think about before a tour is going out and having a great time. All I can think about when a tour is over is coming home and being alone in silence for a few days.
If you could play a different instrument in your band, what would it be?
Drums. I really love the drums.
How long have you been playing music? How many instruments can you play?
I have been playing for about sixteen years now. I can sing, play guitar, bass, drums and a bit of piano. Chris, the drummer, is pretty good piano player too.
Where do you see your music in 10 years?
Being played instrumentally in supermarkets.
What would be the best compliment someone could give you about your music and why?
That it makes them feel really great or that it made them see something in a new way. I think you always want to have as profound of an effect as possible with your art.
What’s the best piece of advice someone has ever given you and did you take notice?
Joe Gittleman (our producer) has given me some great indirect advice. “Stay positive.” I think you take it for granted when you have to actually apply that to the things you specifically deal with on a daily basis. I’ve been able to get through the last few difficult months with that very attitude. Stay positive.
What would be the best piece of advice you could give someone trying to break into the music business?
Don’t depend on it to make you money. Just be a part of it because you love it. By all means, make it as successful as you want; just don’t rely on it in a way that requires you to compromise your art.
What’s your most memorable experience on the road story?
Meeting Bruce Springsteen backstage after a show in New Jersey. He came to the Starland Ballroom with his son and two of his friends to see us with Bad Religion. After the show we met them backstage and Bruce said, “Great show.” It didn’t matter if he really meant it or not; It was still pretty damn amazing!
Dead or alive. What 5 acts would you have play with you at a festival?
Green Day, Violent Femmes, The Clash, Bob Marley and Nirvana
What’s your favorite song to play live? Why?
“Charge into the Sun.” We actually just did a music video to the song and it was a lot of fun!
If you could rid the world of one song, what would it be?
“In-A-Godda-Da-Vida” by Iron Butterfly
What messages do you hope your songs send out to listeners? If any.
Hmmm, I guess one thing would be the idea that an individual can be important and more effective to the world around them than they might think.
Who would you like to see open for one of your shows?
Foxboro Hot Tubs! (Haha.)
What’s your favorite LA radio station and/or DJ? Why?
I like Indie 103.1. They play a lot really good up-coming bands and keep it very fresh on their station without overplaying songs. Plus they have Joe Sib’s Complete Control radio show and that’s pretty rad too.
Who do you play your music for?
Anyone really. I have no particular preference. Overall though, I like it when people are engaging and like to move around which tends to be younger people, I guess… Oh, and groupies of course.
Do you support any local charities? If so, who? If not, would you like to?
Well, I would like to support more charities than I do currently, for sure. I don’t do enough and I know that. But I support Heal the Bay, Music Saves Lives and Citizens Commission on Human Rights.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Watching Top Chef and The Biggest Loser…
What’s the best cure for a hangover?
Vitamins, water and sleep.
What would be your perfect LA day?
In-N-Out for breakfast, hang out at the beach, dinner at “Dusty’s” and a movie at the Arclight.
What three things could you not live without?
My friends, my family and cheese and crackers
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
Taxes.
Tell us a fact about yourself we probably don’t already know.
I used to have really long hair!
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