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Photo by Emily Ibarra via RX Bandits' MySpace
The RX Bandits, everybody's favorite progressive/reggae/rock band from Long Beach, are back in town. Playing two nights at the Troubadour, this is the perfect opportunity to whip out your dancing shoes and skank your way onto the dance floor. Their explosive live show will blow you away. I first saw them when I was sixteen and haven't gotten over it since. We caught up with Steve Choi, the RX Bandits' guitarist for a quick and dirty one on one interview.
: : The Quick and Dirty 5 Questions with Steve Choi, guitarist for RX Bandits : :
What is the best/worst thing about playing in Los Angeles?
Los Angeles is an awesome place for music and culture, love it or hate it no one can deny the amount of creative energy flowing around the city. In turn, there's a lot of half-asses and charlatans, so the people doing their thing and keeping it real have a little further upwards to swim. If you can have any sort of longevity with your fanbase in LA you know you're up to something substantial, so LA is really good for people seeing what they're made of. The worst part of playing LA is having to be in LA.
Do you consider yourselves artists or entertainers?
I think being a musician is unique in that it blurs the lines between those things. Performing is definitely fun, but for us the music is where the art lies, not performance.
What inspired this new album? Was there a particular moment in time, a feeling, or theme?
Making music for people to listen to and enjoy. Not as common as one would think.
If you could change one thing about the music business, what would it be and why?
I'd speed up the breakdown of the corporations that control the sales and distribution of music they don't make. And now, to support their whole wasteful structure bands many times get the bum deal on simply putting out their own music to make a decent living.. The gears are turning.
What was the craziest thing you ever saw at a show?
I don't really know whats crazy or not anymore in the surreal alternate world that is being on stage and touring. There's something almost every night.
This interview and post is by Molly Bergen