by Kelly La Croix
Maybe I’ve written about this before (any long-time Dreyfest blog readers can corroborate/ridicule my lack of originality here), but I have a buddy from Livingston who I see on occasion and we usually catch up on old friends while we bullshit. A while back, he and I were talking about a mutual friend and he described the person as a “typical Montana guy. Columbia gear, loves the outdoors.” I was kinda dumbfounded by that assessment of what a typical Montana guy is like. I think our perceptions of what a typical person is like depends on a few factors, among them: your location, your social circles, the amount of money you have, your education, your job, and probably a few more that I’m being too lazy to think of. At the risk of getting it completely wrong and/or upsetting some of the readers, I have made a handy list for what a typical Montanan is like depending on region. Please send all disagreements to Waste Division because I don’t want to hear your angry ranting.
If you are from _________, you are likely:
Missoula: Are socially liberal or further left. Love bikes and microbrews or hate them both because people you don’t like enjoy them (pick one). Attending college or hate college attendees (pick one). Or are into meth.
Billings: Work a difficult physical job and have to drink a lot in order to deal with it, or work in a hospital. Or are into meth.
Great Falls: Moved from the hi-line, related to someone in the airforce, hate it and want to leave, or love it and want to join the airforce. Or are into meth.
Livingston: Live there only part-time, have shit loads of cash, wear lots of Columbia gear. Or are into meth.
Bozeman: See Livingston. Or a long-time resident who loves snowboarding/skating.
Butte: Into meth.
Here’s an interview with Bozeman’s Timmy and The Tourette’s Syndrome:
Hey guys. Who am I talking to, what do you do in the band, what do you do first thing in the morning?
Timmy: My name is Timmy. I play sk8guitar,drums, drum samples,vocals,write songs and words. The first thing I do is grind and drink coffee.
Scott: I play bass and enjoy drawing show posters. I wake up to the sound of crows in the tree outside my window.
You guys are a two-piece, right? It sounds like you use drum machines/drum samples on your recorded material. Is not having a drummer an intentional choice? Do you use drum sounds live?
We are a two-piece by choice. We have more freedom in our personal lives and it adds a special element to the band. We do use drum sounds live. Timmy built a stand-up, 4-piece drum kit.
What are the best and worst things about being a two-piece band, rather than having three or four or five members?
The best thing about being a two-piece is the flexibility, connectedness, and the opportunity to Rawk and write music together. There is no down side.
Your FB page was made in 2015. Assuming the band has been around at least that long, you've got to have at least one crazy, funny, or stupid show story. Please share!
A drunk guy hijacked the elevator at 2:30 in the morning on a sub zero night in Big Sky and stalled it between the floors. We couldn't load our gear for close to an hour and earlier that night the drunkard had to be dragged out of the bar- she had him by his ear. That was a cold load out.
I'm super curious about the guitar I've seen in your photos. ...Is that a skateboard converted into a guitar?? Did you make that yourself?? I don't wanna get super-gearhead here, but what kind of equipment is strapped to that thing?
Timmy: Yes, the guitars are made from recycled skateboards. I have made 3 so far. I have been a skater for 34 years and just got the urge to make a sk8guitar to create my own sound that could not be replicated. I usually Frankenstein them together with primitive tools and minimal fabrication. All the parts are different on every guitar and only a few parts are bought new, the majority of the electrical and wired components are pulled from old guitars and reused. My main guitar is a Creature board that was given to me from a great friend and ridden hard. It has 3 humbuckers, and a fender strat neck.
Favorite movie at ten years old.
Timmy: American Werewolf In London
Scott: King Kong
I've heard from friends that Bozeman is pretty cool at the moment. Confirm/Deny?
The scene is thriving with tons of inspiring bands and always improving.
Are you guys Bozeman natives? Like, as people, not the band.
Timmy: I am not a native to Montana but am a native of the Earth. I was born in Pennsylvania and moved to Montana in 1993. I never left and it's been 24 years in this most wonderful state.
Scott: I moved here in 1980 from Colorado.
Using only words to emulate the sounds that your instruments make, what can people expect from you at Dreyfest?
Timmy: Non-typical style and textures that form a melting pot of sonic soundscapes.
Scott: Close your eyes, imagine what music sounds like, that's our sound.
It's bedtime. What's the last thing you do before going to sleep?
Timmy: I try to play my sk8axe before bed and listen to the stream from my window falling asleep.
Scott: Lately, with summer being here, I try to get outside for a bit.
There you have it: my Bozeman analysis holds up! These guys are long-term residents and love skating! Or at least one of them does. And I also wrote that introduction after I interviewed them, so who’s to say I didn’t tailor the intro to match their replies. I am disingenuous!
Also, please don’t write to say that I left out Helena or some small town you were hoping to read about. The small towns are more peaceful but terrifying versions of their closest bigger city and let’s just not pretend anyone cares about Helena.
See you at Dreyfest!
