Last Stop on Pop Evil's US Onyx Tour & Star Treatments Charity. Contributed by Tara Lilly Williams

To celebrate the end of the US “Onyx” tour we caught up with Matt DiRito & Pop Evil at The Machine Shop in Flint, Michigan. The band wanted to play the last show in their home state before heading overseas. They wanted to give their incredible fans a special treat by playing their 1st single, “Footsteps” off of their upcoming album “Up” for the first time. Leigh thanked fans for traveling from all over the US & Canada to celebrate their last show.

Their fans are a rare bunch traveling with the band to many shows. Connie Malone and her 76 year old mother Ann made the trip all the way from Texas. Terri Wollovetz said that she had been to over 20 of their shows. The fans stood in line wearing ponchos for several hours of heavy rain just to hear them play. Melissa Brown from Kentucky & her friend Camille Mathis rocked their ponchos in line outside the venue for four hours in the rain. Melissa said, “I would stand outside in the rain, sleet, hail,or snow. Seeing Pop Evil live is worth it”. They rocked the Machine Shop & left the crowd pumped up for their “Footsteps” tour.

Pop Evil Is:

Leigh Kakaty – Vocals
Chachi Riot – Drums
Dave Grahs – Lead & Rhythm Guitar
Nick Fuelling – Rhythm & Lead Guitar
Matt DiRito – Bass

Check out photos from the show by Tara Lilly Williams:

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We had the opportunity to discuss the band & his charity Star Treatments with bassist Matt DiRito.

POP EVIL

Tara: Which song best spotlights you, your instrument, & favorite PE song?

Matt: Goodbye My Friend starts with just bass guitar. There are a few on the new album that I am pretty partial to, but off the old albums I really like Silence and Scars

Tara: The song goes 100 in a 55. How fast have you driven & in what car?

Matt: 130-135 on my Harley

Tara: Do you & the band have a pre-show ritual?

Matt: We usually crank up Sevendust and jam while getting dressed.

Tara: Do you do anything special to get in “the zone” pre show?

Matt: I don’t speak to anyone about 30 minutes prior to the show to get in my “zone”.

Tara: It looks like I am catching the Flint, MI show right before you guys are headed overseas. Do you have a country that are you most looking forward to seeing/playing & why?

Matt: I really love Sweden. It just has a cool vibe about it, and our boys from Avatar are from there!

Tara: How does the overseas crowd differ from your US fan base?

Matt: The overseas crowd doesn’t know our radio singles, only the songs that they can look up online. The songs they want to hear can be very different from the ones requested here in the states.

Tara: How did this album arrive at the albums name?

Matt: Up. Its a common theme with the album. Its about moving forward and leaving all of your baggage behind.

Tara: You guys seem to get a lot from the little ones at your shows too. Are there special ones you want to give a shout out to?

Matt: Our little ones are the biggest fans. We appreciate any chance we get to say hello to them and spend some time with them 🙂

Tara: You seem to reach for Spector’s basses. What draws you to them?

Matt: Spector is a bass company, not a guitar company that also makes basses. They focus on making the best basses with the best sound possible.

Tara: Is there a favorite bass & which songs does it vibe best on?

Matt: I love them all equally… with that said- there is a new P-style bass that I had made custom from Spector. It sounds good on the new songs.

Tara: How does this album differ from Onyx?

Matt: Onyx came from a very dark place and the new album Up is about getting out of that dark place. Its a lot happier. It reflects a lot on enjoying exactly where you are at in life.

Tara: Do you prefer the ballads/songs where the crowd sings over the band or the heavy head banging, crowd surfing, mosh pit songs?

Matt: I prefer the songs that people sing along with. It usually means that they have connected with it in some form, and that’s really the whole point in what we are doing.

PERSONAL

Tara: What instruments do you play?

Matt: Bass guitar primarily. Also saxophone, guitar, and a little keys and drums.

Tara: How long have you played guitar? Self taught or lessons?

Matt: 15 years, self taught

Tara: We know you are an avid hunter. Do you have a favorite weapon?

Matt: I have a really bad ass Cabot Guns 1911. Its the Rolls Royce of my collection.

Tara: A prey favorite? Which animals have been in your cross hairs?

Matt: I still like deer hunting. Its a great excuse to hang around with your buddies in the woods and there isn’t much skill involved.

Tara: Any other hobbies or things you are into?

Matt: Rebuilding motorcycles…anything hands on.

Tara: I know that you have overcame hard personal struggles. Is there a motto or advice you want to share with someone struggling?

Matt: Theres a book called The Secret that explains a lot of my thinking. Its all about where you keep your state of mind. Focus on the good and you will see more good come your way.

Tara: You & the guys have loyal fans that travel state to state to watch you play. For the Flint show I’ve heard about 15 “Chip chicks” are meeting up before the show. Are there any fan/friends that you would like to say something to?

Matt: I love my chip chicks…they make me blush 🙂

Tara: What songs would shock fans that you play, sing, have on your itunes from the…

Matt:
70’s-Earth Wind and Fire

80’s-Prince

90’s-Alanis Morissette

2000’s-The Used

2010+-Lady Gaga

Tara: Which bands influence you from todays’ rock?

Matt: Papa Roach. Love those guys approach to the music industry

Tara: There is a bunch of female fronted bands out. Which would you like to see open for you?

Matt: Open a show or their shirt?

Tara: How many tattoos are you sporting now?

Matt: I don’t have a count. Ya get to a point where you no longer have tattoos, you are just “tattooed.”

Tara: Describe high school Matt.

Matt: Scrawny, long black hair, Marilyn Manson shirts, drove a hearse.

Tara: What 5 things would shock us about you?

Matt: Most of my life is on display and Im not sure there are many things that would shock anyone. Im shockingly boring. haha

STAR TREATMENTS

Tara: What inspired you to start this charity?

Matt: I was inspired by watching a little girl go through chemo treatments… I’ve always wanted to help and one day the idea just popped into my head!

Tara: What do you hope to accomplish?

Matt: I hope to get the kids in better spirits so they feel more confident going into the battle that faces them. Also, I want to help families that can’t afford the out of pocket expenses to get back and forth to the hospital.

Tara: How does it work?

Matt: We work with the tour bus companies and give them a tax write off to use their bus for a day. They benefit, because we will be using a bus that is otherwise not in use.

Tara: Is there a time table of when the 1st child will get the 1st Star treatment?

Matt: As soon as I have our insurance in place I am ready to sponsor the first family!

Tara: Are you wanting other bands to sponsor trips & swag?

Matt: Yesssss, absolutely! The more bands the better! I’ve got ties with quite a few bands just from touring. As it approaches I’d love for more people to help network!

Tara: We know that there are a few ways that fans can help donate to ST. Can you give me a link & short statement on how each works?

Matt:
Star Jars

Take your loose change and drop it in a jar for Star Treatments! Contact [email protected] for details

Fully Loaded

Its an erotic romance novel starring yours truly! 50 percent of proceeds go to Star Treatments http://authortheresahissong.com/fully-loaded/

Amazon Smile

Sign into amazon smile and Select Star Treatments as your charity. They will take a percentage of your eligible orders and donate it to Star Treatments http://smile.amazon.com

Tara: How does the monthly donation work?

Matt: You can sign up for monthly donations rather than donating a larger portion all at once. A lot of people just start out at $10-$15 a month, but can go as low as $5. Each month it will be auto deducted from your account and you will be added to our monthly newsletter, along with receiving a tax deductible receipt. Having steady monthly donations helps us to budget our funds coming in. http://startreatments.org/donate/

Tara: Lastly, is there anything you would like everyone to know band/personal/ST?

Matt: I’m very excited to get Star Treatments up and going! I can’t wait to fill you all in as we sponsor our first family and hopefully many many more!

Contributed by Tara Lilly Williams

Live concert photos by Tara Lilly Williams Photography

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