The Festy Five: Leftover Salmon
The Festy Five is a a quick-fire, short answer round. It’s how we like to finish our interviews.
We recently caught up with Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Greg Garrison and Andy Thorn of Leftover Salmon. They had just finished their soundcheck at Blue Ox Music Festival in Eau Claire, WI.
After the bulk of the interview, we hit them with the Festy Five. Of course, with this crew and their joking, nothing is quick and short, so here is the extended Leftover Salmon Festy Five:
Ok, so lastly, we have what we call the Festy Five… these are kind of silly, quick, mostly single word answers…
Andy Thorn: Pizza
1
What was your first concert?
Vince Herman: My first concert was at Three Rivers Stadium, it was Bachman Turner Overdrive, Johnny Winter, Dave Mason, Foghat, Styx, Kansas and a band called Bonaroo.
Andy: I don’t remember – it might have been Spin Doctors and Soul Asylum.
Greg Garrison: Bon Jovi with Cinderella opening up.
FGN(Jason): Me too! Holy Crap! Where was yours?
Greg: Rosemont Horizon, Chicago.
FGN(Jason): The Spectrum in Philly!
Vince: Awesome!
Andy: That’s funny as shit!
FGN: Drew?
Drew Emmitt: Doobie Brothers and War at Folsom Field in Boulder
Vince: Nice!
2
What was your first music festival?
Vince: Camping was in Wilson Kentucky, I think it was called the Wilson Bluegrass Festival. But the first one I got turned onto bluegrass music was called the Smokey City Folk Festival in Pittsburg.
Andy: Merlefest. That’s the first time I saw these guys (Leftover Salmon) actually!
Greg: Rockygrass
Drew: Same, Rockygrass, but it was called “Rocky Mountain Bluegrass Festival”
3
What was the last album you listened to?
Vince: I think it was The Bluegrass Album with Tony Rice.. Doyle Lawson …who else…
Drew: J.D. Crowe?
Andy: The Bluegrass Album Band?
FGN: Was that the same last album for all of you?!
Greg: No, we don’t have a whole bunch of music going on. We can’t figure out… you know with bluetooth, and different iPod inputs and stuff… depending on the bus there might absolutely nothing you can plug anything into! It’s kinda weird…
FGN: You need like a 22-year-old on there to show you how to work the technology…
Vince: I was just talking about the last piece of vinyl I put on the turntable.
Andy: I have a lot of vinyl. I don’t think I’ll remember what I put on last!
Greg: I think the last one I listened to was Jason Isbell, Something More Than Free, his new one.
Drew: The last one I put on when I was home was Mountains of Venus. Jimi Hendrix.
(Note: We think maybe Drew meant Valleys of Neptune? Not sure, though!)
4
What was your high school prom’s theme song?
Vince: Well, I wrote the class theme song…
“Come on down and bring your lady,
Party with the Class of Eighty.
Don’t mean might, don’t mean maybe,
We’re gonna get wild and crazy!
Find a place that’s nice and shady,
We don’t mind if we look lazy.
Cause we’re the one and only
Class of Eighty!
Ode ley Ode Leeeeeeeeyyyyy!”
Andy: Yeah!!
(Listen to Vince Herman sing his Class of ’80 Theme Song!)
Vince: 1980 was also the peak year of marijuana use amongst American high school students. So I’m proud to say that I’m a member of the Class of Eighty! And that is why there is such a song as that!
FGN: Nice! I don’t think we’re going to make the rest of you answer that question now!
Drew: No, I don’t think we need to! That was pretty great!
Vince: Really? Come on!
Andy: I don’t remember at all…
FGN: I can guess, it was probably Wonderful Tonight!
Greg: Yeah, I think that’s what mine was!
5
OK, last one: Bert or Ernie?
Vince: Bernie!
FGN: I think we’ll just leave it there…
