Editor's note: Nolan Hall plays guitar/bass for Costa Mesa rockers–they call it “post-pop,” which works for us–quartet Japanese Motors. They open for Black Lips Jan. 20 at Detroit Bar.
Psychedelic swamp rockers the Growlers, of Costa Mesa, launch 2010 with an Eastern U.S. tour opening for Dr. Dog, which recently signed to Anti Records (Tom Waits, Neko case). Having just put out their first official full length record under the Everloving label, the Growlers have seen a great deal of success in the past year. They're currently in rehearsal mode, prepping to hit the road in late January. I sat down with Brooks Nielsen to fire off a couple questions at their studio in Costa Mesa. Their rehearsal space, by the way, is amazing. It feels like walking into a bad acid trip, or maybe a good one? The Growlers are touring behind the 2009 release Are You In or Out. If you don't have this record, get it from itunes or visit everloving.com.
OC Weekly (Nolan Hall): Is this your first tour venturing into the east?
It's our first tour past Nevada. We've been up to Washington and back a couple times, but we're excited for this one. It's 18 dates with Dr. Dog, and then we booked some of our own stuff after the tour on the way home.
Are you all traveling in the famous Growlers Bread Truck?
I don't think the bread truck will make it, I'm meeting this hippie in Oxnard to buy an old 35-foot diesel school bus. This hippie dude converts the inside of them, with beds and living space. Its gonna be all six growlers plus a merch person to balance out the tribe. It gets a little crazy on tour when everyone is all cooped up.
And I saw you guys have a warm up show in Vegas?
(Laughs) yeah, sounds kinda ridiculous. The next day we have the longest drive of the tour to New York, everyone will probably be hungover. Bummer for whoever has to drive that day.
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Any plans while you're on this tour besides playing shows?
The past tours have been strip-club tours, and that's not gonna happen this time. We're done with that. I'm just excited to see other parts of the U.S., test out my stereotypes–guidos in New Jersey or New York models. And I have family in Wisconsin so it will be cool to see them while we're touring.
Are you guys ready for the freezing cold weather?
That's what everyone keeps saying. I think so. Everyone's Moms keep asking us if we are gonna be warm enough (laughs).
Have you guys been recording? Or start recording?
Not at the moment. We're just gonna stock up on new songs for now, and since Are You In just came out, there's no rush. We're going to the East Coast, where no one has heard of us. If people want more recordings they can always find more stuff. But playing shows always makes us want to record even more, sometimes only playing shows gets a little stale. But we got a generator we're gonna put in the bus, and set up our mini mixing board, and record demos while we are traveling.
Click for more info on the Growlers.
Growlers 2010 tour dates
Jan 23 – Bunkhouse Saloon, Las Vegas NV
Jan 27 – Revolution Hall, Troy NY *
Jan 28 – Higher Ground, Burlington NY *
Feb 1 – Mohawk Place, Buffalo NY *
Feb3 – The Crofoot (Pike Room) Pontiac, MI *
Feb 4 – Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI *
Feb 5 – High Noon Saloon, Madison WI *
Feb 6 – The Mill, Iowa City, IO *
Feb 8 – The Waiting Room, Omaha, NE *
Feb 11 – Video Saloon, Bloomington IN *
Feb 12 – Newport Music Hall, Columbus OH *
Feb 14 – Union Pool, Brooklyn NY
Feb 16 – TT The Bears, Cambridge MA
Feb 17 – Black Cat, Washington DC
Feb 18 – Piano's, New York NY
Feb 20 – Rony's Bar, Chicago IL
Feb 22 – Hi Dive, Denver CO
* Dates with Dr. Dog
