meatloafing

We’ve heard about the beards, the found-object instruments, and the fancy new record label. But Parts & Labor are also just dorks who enjoy drunken video chatting at 3 a.m. In the midst of a European tour, BJ Warshaw, the sometimes-spokesperson for P&L—“Brooklyn’s Sweethearts”—sat down (kind of) for an impromptu IM-terview.

9:36 PM
BJ: I’m playing Wii in England. Dan says hi.
Mollie: Hello. tell him I saw the pic of him on the nudist vacation
BJ: He says, “augh!”
BJ: We’re gonna kill zombies now.
Mollie: I want to interview you for meatloafing
BJ: Resident Evil IV is totally calling.
BJ: This is the interview. Now. Start. Go. Ask.

Mollie: Who are your musical influences?
BJ: Tiny Tim, Elton John, Steve Miller, and Kermit the Frog.
Mollie: what kind of clothes do you wear when you write music?
BJ: Slutty.
Mollie: When was the last time you bought shoes?
BJ: Two weeks ago via that web site.. um.. fucking.. ask Andy what it’s called.
Mollie: zappos?
BJ: I bought Converse against my conscience cause they didn’t have the New Balance I wanted.
BJ: Yeah, Zappos.
Mollie: Converse aren’t everyday shoes—not enuf support
Mollie: Favorite guilty pleasure movie?
BJ: I don’t have guilty pleasures in life. Just pleasures.
Mollie: please elaborate
BJ: I only like things that I like. I love the Muppet Movie. And Airplane. And the My Little Pony Movie. I had that on video tape when I was a kid.
Mollie: So I really like Dan [Friel]’s solo stuff. I haven’t heard as much of yours.
BJ: Dan’s solo stuff rules; his new record kills.
Mollie: I haven’t heard it. Can I have a copy?
BJ: Yeah, come to the Cardboard showcase on Oct. 18th and I’ll give you one.
Mollie: Where is the showcase?
BJ: Cake Shop.
Mollie: Lineup?
BJ: Shooting Spires, Flying, Big Bear, Gowns, Pterodactyl, High Places. Gonna kill.
Mollie: oh, fabulous

beer

BJ: Maybe Ecstatic Sunshine, too.
Mollie: I’ve not heard of them
BJ: Ecstatic Sunshine, really? They are great. Don’t know if you’d like them or not, minimal two guitar ambient throw down.
Mollie: Do you think you’ll merge your individual projects and have like Parts & Labor 2?
BJ: Maybe? it kind of already is… each our solo projects sounds just like and not at all like P&L.
Mollie: Yeah, I agree
Mollie: Do you shower in England?
BJ: A little. I’ve showered twice in a week.
Mollie: I need photos of you guys for this

Mollie: haha
Mollie: Where’s Dan?
BJ: Playing video games.

9:50 PM
BJ: Somebody punched me in Amsterdam. This random jogger.
Mollie: what happened?
BJ: Just out of nowhere, I was walking down the street. Hit me HARD in the shoulder and yelled, “What the fuck you want?” I’d been in the city for all of 30 minutes.
Mollie: what kind of guy was it—I’m assuming it was a dewd
BJ: Totally random and scary and funny.
BJ: Track suit. A chav.
Mollie: what is chav
BJ: Jock asshole. Chav is like.. Brit slang for a frat boy.
Mollie: Ok, well, sorry to hear about that.
BJ: But their version of it… greasy short hair, lager lout…
Mollie: I’d imagine your beard would scare people away
BJ: Kind of the white trash of England.
Mollie: ahh.

BJ: I was wearing a very gay looking winter jacket and a bright orange hunting knit cap. I think my fashion- forward sense offended his tight little jock mind.
Mollie: and how’d you respond?
BJ: I was jet lagged and dumbstruck, and I said, “Hey Dan, did you see that guy punch me?” as the dick ran off.
Mollie: heh. Dan’s tall but very unmenacing
Mollie: So the movie Into the Wild—original songs by Eddie Vedder. Every time one played, I laughed, even though they were good. It just amused me.
Mollie: So I went home and downloaded some Pearl Jam.
BJ: Which movie is that? Who directed?
Mollie: Sean Penn
BJ: I think I’ve heard of it. I played “Even Flow” last night at the place we slept at. Because it was in the iTunes. It holds up, yo.
Mollie: Pearl Jam: Ten
Mollie: good record

Mollie: I need to hear YOUR new record
Mollie: I keep hearing people rave about it
BJ: Mapmaker?
BJ: It’s streamable here: virb.com/partsandlabor
Mollie: oh cool. I’d like a physical copy also
BJ: We’ll give you one.
BJ: Our next record is going to be amazing. I think.
Mollie: I feel like if we dated then I get lifetime free copies of stuff. Seems fair, unless the music sux in which case I wouldn’t want it
Mollie: but I’m a P+L devotee
BJ: No, since we’re FRIENDS you get lifetime free stuff. That’s more important anyway.
Mollie: Yes we are bff. I have a poster of yours in my apt, by the bathroom. It’s the poster for your show at n6 with m+k, no things..
BJ: That was a great show. Pre M&K famous.
Mollie: yeah. fun time.
Mollie: I’m getting kinda tired
BJ: Okay.
BJ: Let’s end it pictorially. Send me a photo and I’ll respond in kind.
Mollie: um, I have a mud mask on right now. I’m not taking a pic. Maybe I will—hold on.
BJ: USE THE MASK
Mollie: fine but I’m doing it with one of those filters
BJ: Fine.
Mollie: let me get a prop
BJ: tapping my foot over here.

BJ: Whoa…
Mollie: heh
Mollie: I’m going to have to write a short intro about you
BJ: Tell the world we used to date.
Mollie: no
BJ: Honesty is the best policy.
Mollie: Benjamin Warshaw, a musician with whom I have had intercourse—
BJ: Haha.
Mollie: has a new record coming out
BJ: Right now we’re in Manchester, UK. At Ben’s basement apt, he put together our show. Tour lasts until Oct. 17th, we fly home for the Cardboard showcase, and then leave on a US tour on the 22nd.
Mollie: where in US?
BJ: West coast and back.
Mollie: you know what’s frightening? you have the video chat feature, as do I. Let’s do it for just a second.
BJ: Lots of things frighten me.
BJ: Oh, we could do that!
Mollie: Just gimme a second. I gotta wash my face
BJ: This is gonna be weird.
Mollie: no it’s weird for the first few minutes, then it’s fine
BJ: You look like a fucked up zombie pixelated weirdo.

Joe Wong (Parts & Labor’s new drummer) and I e-meet—a very special moment

BJ admires my Oneida t-shirt

10:30 PM
Direct Instant Message session ended
Reconnecting to BJ…

Mollie: uh bye

The person is not currently online.

P&L and Trencher play November 17th at the Silent Barn. The new Shooting Spires record dropz on October 30th.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 8th, 2007 at 6:15 pm and is filed under chats, interviews, music, travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.