An Interview With Imperial Stars, Part 1: Band Has No Regrets, Worked With Madonna, And Been Offered a Reality TV Show. For Realz?


On Tuesday, Christopher Wright, Paul Arabella (aka David Paul Hale) and Keith Yackey got on a semi, headed for the 101 freeway and blocked three lanes of traffic at 10:20 a.m. to play one song. The Garden Grove trio, collectively known as Imperial Stars, played their song “Traffic Jam 101” for a captive Los Angeles audience–commuters who were stuck in the traffic jam that the three caused.

Soon after the stunt, the CHP came to arrest Imperial Stars and tow the semi; on Wednesday, the band was released from jail and celebrated in Hollywood after posting $10,000 bail. Since then, Wright, Arabella and Yackey have been pretty busy; they've done the rounds of TV networks, press interviews with everyone from Ellen Degeneres and Inside Edition to the OC Register.
In this interview, Imperial Stars reveal they knew exactly what they were getting into, and what they were going to get out of it. They've been offered a reality TV show, money for a benefit concert and more. Are they idiots for pulling a stunt that got them arrested–or marketing geniuses?

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Seriously.



So you don't regret pulling the stunt at all?

Wright: We regret the inconvenience, however we are very passionate about what we do. If you guys want to join us on the 30th, we're going to be building a park for homeless children in Placentia, we're going to be participating, I can get you more details if you guys want to get more involved. If you want to build this park in your own town, please do that. Come to our benefit concert, and come to our event and understand it a little better.
Did you expect to go to jail though?
Wright: Of course, we put ourselves out there to get the message across.

Arabella: We went to jail already and we still have court dates on Nov. 3. We know we're going to get punished for this, but for the right cause, absolutely.
Did you expect them to impound your musical instruments and the truck?
Wright: Absolutely. 
Will that affect your playing at all?
Wright: Well, we have one of Orange County's biggest recording studios; if you look under Christopher Wright, we've done soundtracks, we've toured Australia. But a lot of people don't know who we are so on the flip side of the coin it's a battle–it's not like 'these guys are trying to jump on the bandwagon with nothing.' No. We have platinum and gold records already for soundtracks. We've done a lot of work–we've worked with Madonna. 
Arabella: As far as the instruments are concerned, we're really not losing them. 
Will you get them back?
Arabella: We may get them back, we may not. We may lose the whole truck.

Wright: The company that owns the truck right now, they may lose the truck.