Jersey Beat Music Fanzine
 



By James Damion


During my three-plus years of visiting Seattle's Singles Going Steady, I've never once left the store without a bag of records and a rewarding conversation with Byron Wilson. We've talked about everything from his time as a volunteer at the all-ages North Berkley, California nonprofit Gilman Street Project, to his longstanding passion for cooking, to playing in his own band, to his knowledgeable and downright friendly tenure at Singles Going Steady. I wanted to share those conversations with JerseyBeat.com readers in this interview.

Q: During my visits to Singles Going Steady, we’ve had numerous conversations about music and just about everything in general. I was interested in finding out more about the area of California you grew up in.

Byron: I grew up in San Francisco. We lived in the mission district ( 13th / Minna ) which was a very different place in the 70’s. My parents are both artists and we lived in what was basically a warehouse. We lived upstairs which was a normal house, but downstairs was a giant workshop which was p retty great for a kid. We eventually moved across the bridge to Marin county to a town called Novato .

Q: What first attracted you to hardcore punk and how old were you when you started going to shows?

Byron: Actually, I went to shows at The Mabuhay Gardens when I was a little kid ( I saw Crime, Avengers, 6 O’Clock News and others..) because a friend of my dad named Brenda booked a lot of the shows and made a lot of the flyers. She lived around the corner so she took me a few times. I still really only cared about KISS ..to be fair, I was 8 years old. Sometime in 1980, Brenda made me a tape that had Buzzcocks, Jim Caroll, English Beat, SVT, Dead Kennedys, the Zeros, Magazine, the Vapors, Tom Robinson Band, the Offs, and some other bands which I listened to over and over ( in fact, I still have it)

By then, I already loved The Clash and Ramones, but it was the Dead Kennedys that really intrigued me. I had the ”Police Truck/ Holiday In Cambodia" 7” and it was just so different than anything I had ever heard. I would spend my weekly allowance on records. The Bay Area has great record stores and I took a lot of advice from the strange people working behind the counter. Everything for me changed in ‘85. I saw Dead Kennedys, Descendents, Social Unrest and a band called Sea Hags. The show was in an old movie theater in Novato. That night I started learning every punk song I could get ahold of on my guitar. I listened to MRR Radio, subscribed to Thrasher and MRR. I made mixtapes for everyone and then I started meeting all these creative people. I graduated high school in ‘88 and by that time, I was in a band and going to shows pretty much every week. Between Berkeley and SF there were shows nightly. Man, I really took that for granted. Thrash Metal was so popular in the bay ( as well as the great funk threat of ‘89 where EVERY show had some dumb funk band with a dumb name “ Psychofunkapus”, “ fungo mungo” etc...brutal ) that when I finally went to 924 Gilman street Project, as corny as it sounds, I felt at home. The shows were so much more fun than the thrash shows I saw. I didn’t necessarily dislike Exodus, Metallica, Death Angel etc. but their shows weren’t as fun.


Inside Singles Going Steady


Q: We talked about Gilman St. Project. What originally brought you there and how did you become involved?

Byron: I can’t explain how important that place was to me. I remember going to see
Operation Ivy. It was the first time of going to Gilman. The people were just having fun.
Some were reading, some were drinking coffee, one person was making a want ad flyer looking for an “aggressive punk band” ,and some were drawing on the walls. It felt like outer space. Strangers were all saying HI to me and it was a really fun / creative scene. I got involved because it seemed weird not to do so. First, I was just helping to clean up after shows. Then, eventually attending the meetings. I still think of how intimidated I was meeting these people but they were so outgoing and friendly that it makes me laugh in retrospect. (Oh right, I heard about Gilman ST Project and OPIV from KPFA radio.)

Q: My knowledge of the club is limited to interviews with East Coast bands that played there, tape trading, and the documentary “Turn it Around.” Can you describe your own experiences while providing somewhat of the vibe the club and shows provided?

Byron: Well again, it was exciting and felt like you could do this.. Be in a band, do a zine, etc. So many bands from pop punk bands like MTX or Crimpshrine to super-fast hardcore bands to just flat out weird bands. I do think that if you were a tough guy kind of band (like when Slapshot played.) You probably had a different response and less welcoming with the audience. I’m sure it was cliquey , I didn’t really notice it but ...

Q: What were some of the best acts you experienced during that time?

Byron: Operation Ivy were easily the best . I saw so many bands play that they all kind of blur together. J Church, Jawbreaker, Oppressed Logic, Screw 32, Swingin’ Utters,
Capitalist Casualties , Christ on Parade, Gauze, 7 Seconds etc., etc., etc.

Q: We talked about the band Fang. What was it about them that scared you?

Byron: I went to see Verbal Abuse play at The Mab. I was around 15 or so and by then, i was going to shows most weekends( as long as my homework was done.) There were sketchy people at shows, but not scary. Then that all changed when I went to that show. All the drugged up super-duper sketchy people from the south city showed up. In the southern part of the city, it was more like what you hear about southern CA shows. Way more violent, drugs etc. Anyway, first I saw someone openly selling speed, like band merch on a table. Then a fight broke out. This huge mountain of a person (who was in a pretty good oi! Band .. I can’t remember their name, they did one 7” in the mid 80’s) punched a kid, which knocked him out, and grabbed the kid's cigarette like nothing had happened. Fang was there and really what I meant was that their scene was scary. (Although.. I mean the story of Sammytown is well documented ) Every time I saw him , he was out of his mind and erratic. He yelled at someone about his knife and “ next
time I see you....” .. Oh and then B.A.S.H. (Bay Area Skin Heads) who honestly had a pretty great acronym showed up and tried to beat up the bands, crowd and just look menacing. Nikki Sicki made fun of them from the stage. Tough guy that I was, I sat down in the back with my friend and drank coffee. Back then there was an 11 pm curfew so I didn’t see Fang (which headlined that night;) incidentally, Verbal Abuse really were good and fun live.

Q: As an outsider looking in. it’s hard to imagine someone leaving the sun drenched weather of California to the rain soaked streets of Seattle. What was it that brought you here? Was it some kind of witness protection situation? Did a drug cartel put a hit on you?

Byron: Well obviously I went into witness protection. Just like the Simpsons did in the episode "Cape Fear." But since I was in SF, replace “sun soaked” with “heavy fog and damp,” but the real reason I moved was even more silly. I moved on a whim. I went to see Swingin’ Utters in Santa Cruz and my friend was thinking about moving to Portland and I was kind of thinking about moving to NYC and we realized that moving to Seattle was easier. It was cheap (sweet Christ, has that changed.) and my mom lived in WA. So we could stay there while we found a place to work and live. We made a deal “No new job, girlfriend or band. We’ll move in two months” and we did. Talk about weird.

Q: How long after arriving in Seattle before you were manning the counter at Singles Going Steady?

Byron: Not very long actually. I started coming to the store after seeing it when we went to see Groovie Goolies play the Crocodile. The old owner Pete (XpeteX) and I had mutual friends. At first Jim’s band Whorehouse of Representatives was on tour. So I filled in for him. When he got back, I then filled in for Derek when his band Murder City Devils were recording and touring. Eventually I just kept working to now where I'm the only one who works here.

Q:The store is within walking distance of two Seattle landmarks, Pike St. Market and the Space Needle. Do you get much foot traffic from tourists? If so, what’s the typical reaction?

Byron: You know we do. We get the usual “Got any Nirvana?” Eventually I noticed that a lot of tourists want to talk about their scene or a show or band that they saw. It’s cool. Everyone has a couple stories in ‘em. I like people and love hearing their stories . It’s like that Weakerthans lyric “ in love with love and lousy poetry.” A few years ago, a hostel opened and that’s been bringing in a bunch of tourists who often ask things like, after seeing our section “What’s new Crust”. When I answer them “s opposed to used?” their blank expression is delightful. Sure it’s petty, and I do explain the genre, but nonetheless, delightful.

Q: The store is located just blocks from where the recent demonstrations, riots and looting took place. Were there any break ins or vandalism?

Byron: No. Thankfully we’ve had pretty good luck within all that. I mean crazy shit has taken place in here but we’ve been spared from that. (Sadly, before this interview went into editing, the store was broken into.)

Q: For those coming out west or just in general, what does Singles Going Steady offer that other independent record stores might not?

Byron: I don’t know. I mean, we are a store that carries mostly stuff that we’re passionate about. A lot of it is almost philanthropy. We don’t have much money, but we buy records from underground bands that by in large remain unknown. Sure, some make it but I like that we have an Oi! Section, a Crust section, a hardcore section, a Kraut rock section, etc. I don’t really order a lot of top ten bands... not out of principal but because they are available everywhere else. I’d rather stock a couple extra copies of a harder to find band.

I will say that this store is as much as a hang out as a functioning store. I obviously like to chat, and like to talk music with people. I’d like to think that when someone comes in , they feel comfortable and that they are welcomed to talk and relax. I don’t think most stores have that much of a chatty vibe.

Q: Having worked in record stores in sketchy areas in my teens and twenties, I came to expect a mix of shoplifters, mentally ill and high as fuck visitors. Being in the area you are, I’m sure you’ve been forced to deal with your share. Can you share some of these experiences and how you dealt with them?

Byron: Man, there’s not enough time in a year to begin to go into the absolute nuttiness of being here for 25 years starting with the scary blood-soaked attack (just the one time, but that was enough.) A bloody trail was left in the carpet (even after deep cleaning) for months... to the nonsensical. Examples? Well there was a mostly naked woman (she was wearing a full body lace thing that, well, was basically nothing. Let’s say that Facebook would not allow a photo of her.) Anyway, she came in, scooped out some mayonnaise, smashed it on her head (it was then I noticed the two black eyes,) said some gibberish, walked around the store, talked to our Pinhead mannequin, ran and hopped in tiny circles and then ran outside. Of course a favorite of minem was this gentleman that came in the store, dropped on all fours and acted like a dog. Sniffing and walking like a dog around the store. He hung out by old show flyers, just sniffin’ around. He was hanging around for about a half hour until he casually stood up, found a Mighty Mighty Bosstones CD single, handed me a dollar, and thanked me for my time before running off. There was the chap who stole a shitty concrete bust of Aristotle from some front yard (still covered in mud) and wanted $10,000 for it. Or the guy whose arm was in a sling and dried blood on his shirt who asked me to zip up his zipper. When I told the chap that I was “ good” and wasn’t going to do that for him. He got mad and yelled, “Why you wanna see my dick?.“

I mean, there’s not too much you can do. If they cause a problem, I'll kick them out. For example, I won’t let anyone ask for spare change from customers in the store. It’s really sad and mostly they don’t cause any problems

Q: As someone who’s become more and more active in cooking over the years, I think our little exchange over the possibility of your being a contestant on Master Chef really intrigued me. Can you give me a background on that passion, any schooling/training/kitchen experience you might have?

I don’t know. I’ve always really liked cooking. Some of my earliest memories are being in the kitchen and cooking. I remember making my grandpa an omlette that I flavored with cinnamon. I mean that had to have tasted like crap. Sorry Pa! To be fair, I was around 5 years old.

It was when I first went to Paris that I started getting serious about cooking. All those amazing spice markets. It was unreal. Even though I grew up in the bay area where great food (and even better coffee) was commonplace. I wasn’t very experimental. My visit to Paris, on the other hand, was crazy. I loved the African markets near Barbes Rochechouart and except for the spiciest fucking bowl of soup imaginable, I loved all the unique (to me) spices and foods.

I started buying anything that smelled or looked good and hoped for the best. I did some courses by mail with workbooks and the like. Honestly, by the time I came back, I was passionate about it. I love going into a grocery store because it’s a gigantic menu. I rarely have anything in mind before I get there. Whatever looks great, or is on sale, etc. becomes dinner. Shari made us always have a Sunday night meal together and for 19 years we do. ..and watch the Simpsons.

The Master Chef thing happened by a “hey, wouldn’t it be funny if...” The L.A. fires last year changed my plans (the casting call fell on the same date and got cancelled.) But I'll do the next year they do them. I’ve done the interview and filled out the HUGE forms so it’ll be a lot less stressful next time.

Q: What would you consider your specialty?

As a whole, I'm pretty Eurocentric and that comes through in my cooking. Lately and for
Master Chef I’ve been trying my hand at other styles (Thai, South American etc.) and that’s been fun.

Q: Just about every record store I’ve ever been to, there’s been an employee hell bent on telling you about their band, upcoming show or force feeding you their latest demo. I’d been coming to the store for three years before you even mentioned yours. Can you describe the band and what your plans are going forward?

The Unemployables. I got the name from the "Mr. Plow" episode of The Simpsons.

Lisa: “Dad, who watches TV at 3 in the morning?” Homer: “Alcoholics, crazed loners, the unemployable.”

Ean from Sicko said that we sound like a “1988 Gilman” band, and that’s fair. We have that kind of poppy Crimpshrine sound. I guess you can take the kid outta Gilman but not the other way around. Haha. It’s something we do for fun. I’ve almost always been in a band. We are on a few comps. But mostly we practice weekly and play a show every 4 months. We had a good momentum last year. We played out more often, were doing good shows, and even making some money instead of the usual “three beers each” which was a neat change. Our last show was the Seattle PopPunk Festival that Ean puts together. The highlights for me was that Sicko and The Ergs! played. It’s amazing that Seattle has so many great bands and community... Kids On Fire, Subjunctives, Drowns, etc. Anyway, we played the festival, (and for the first time we were all pleased how we played). Shari and I went out of town for a few days, came home ready to record again (to put out a 7”) only for the world to stop.

Singles Going Steady, 2219 2nd Ave Seattle, WA 98121
Find them online here...


back to jerseybeat.com l back to top

 

 
 
Loading
Jersey Beat Podcast
 
 


Home | Contact Jersey Beat | Sitemap

©2010 Jersey Beat & Not a Mongo Multimedia

Music Fanzine - Jersey Beat