Soul punk powerhouses The Sh-Booms having upcoming shows at Carrboro's Cat's Cradle on September 19th, Charlotte's Snug Harbor...
Soul punk powerhouses The Sh-Booms having upcoming shows at Carrboro's Cat's Cradle on September 19th, Charlotte's Snug Harbor on September 21st, and Charleston's Pour House on September 22nd. We spoke with band leader Al Ruiz about life on the road, fried chicken, and his dream music festival.
Describe your music for our readers who may not be familiar with you.
I call our brand of noise "Garage Soul" or "Soul Punk." We are heavily influenced by 60/70s Garage Rock/Soul/Punk/Psychedelic/Surf. High intensity live show, loud band shredding behind Brenda's rafter shaking vocals.
What's the first concert you attended?
Ha ha, oh man. Stone Temple Pilots. I was a kid!
What's the strangest gig you've played?
In 2017 we played Savannah Stopover. NPR sponsored the stage... but it was in a church. I thought we would catch on fire just loading in, but it ended up being really awesome. They let us drink beer backstage, amen.
What's the craziest thing a fan has done at one of your shows?
We did a show one time and some folks legit ripped my pants off!
What's the first thing you look for when you hit a new town?
FRIED FUCKING CHICKEN!
How do you spend your days on the road?
A lot of it is in the van recovering from the night before. True crime podcasts, new playlists, that kinda thing. Last run we had a day off in Chattanooga and we went hiking atop Ruby Falls, so that was awesome. Cleveland we hit Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, Virginia Beach got some sun and sushi. Finding the time to explore is the challenge.
Do you have any pre-show rituals?
Some liquid courage, stretches, peek at the crowd looking for weirdos.
What's some advice you'd give to a band embarking on its first tour?
Be considerate to everyone's needs, fighting sucks! We all get along really well, we even time our bathroom breaks accordingly as we are on a constant time constraint. Team effort!
Final question: You're the opening act of a music festival. You can get any five artists, living or dead, to perform on the bill with you. Which five acts do you choose and what song do you all perform together for the final jam?
That is a loaded question! I dunno, Curtis Mayfield, Iggy Pop, Roky Erickson, Eric Burdon (The Animals), and Sharon Jones. Perform "Time Of The Season" by The Zombies.
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