Music has been my passenger on my rollercoaster ride of my life, with my during my highs and there to comfort me during my lows. No matter what mood I was in, music was always there to share in the moment. So many times when someone mentions an artist or a band, I can go back and remember the first time I heard them or how I was introduced to their music. It is almost like when someone asks you about how you met an old friend or boyfriend. You always know the facts.
Well, I can remember the first time I ever heard Dramarama. I literally was fresh out of high school and loved a variety of styles of music. I would rock out to RATT as we went cruising the El Camino, go to a Hank Williams Jr. concert in the summer, dance to pop music in the nightclubs, and enjoyed a lot of New Wave and Mod. But there was this one friend I worked with name Jane but we called her “Chain”, she was so free spirited and cool and I just loved being around her. One day we were out partying after work, and at a school playground, swinging on the swings and she had this big CD player, not as big as the big boomboxes but big enough to lug around and fill it with 8 C Batteries! It was 1 am and we were standing and swaying on the kids swings, complaining about our soon to be ex-boyfriends! Chain told me she was going to play a song I would LOVE! So she popped in a CD, Cinema Verite by DRAMARAMA. Went straight to Number 4 and cranked up “Anything, Anything (I’ll Give You)”. That was it… My love affair with Dramarama began and has not stopped since.
Fast forward 25 years and here I am still enjoying Dramarama and they are still going strong as ever, if not even stronger! They have “fourish” of the original members since as they put it, they didn’t start with an original drummer. Mark Englert is on Lead/Rhythm Guitar, Peter Wood on Lead/Rhythm Guitar, Mike Davis on Bass, Tony Snow on Drums and John Easdale Singer/Songwriter/one heck of a cowbell player. One of those original members, John Easdale caught up with us for a short interview. We are pleased to share that interview with you:
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Music Junkie Press: Thank you so much for taking the time out to talk with us here at Music Junkie Press! First off, your music has personally been a huge part of my life and I have to thank you for that! Now let’s talk MUSIC! What are you currently working on?
John: We are putting the finishing touches on our next batch of new music, which we’ve been working on for a few years.
Music Junkie Press: That has me extremely excited!! We have been able to catch you guys play in SF last year and truly it is just as amazing as when I saw you play live almost 25+ years ago. Vocals impeccable, etc. How have you been able to maintain such a high quality of your music and I have seen other bands have a remarkable change since their original performances?
John: I think maybe we have improved over the years, mainly because we started caring about our audience and trying to “give them their money’s worth,” so to speak, or at least not stink up the joint. In the past, we were self-centered and arrogant, and if we wanted to be so drunk we could barely stand up, that’s the show you got…
Music Junkie Press: You guys truly put on a great show! How old were you when you first started writing music?
John: I probably tried when I was 7 or 8, but I started trying for real in my teen years…
Music Junkie Press: Do you have a particular songwriting process or ritual?
John: Nope…it’s 99% inspiration, 1% perspiration…just let it come out, rather than force it.
Music Junkie Press: What was the first concert you ever went to?
John: Bebop Deluxe, Styx and the Dictators at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ.
Music Junkie Press: Do you currently live here in California? If so, have you frequented the Sunset Strip lately? What are some things you miss from there?
John: I never really frequented the Strip…usually only went if I was playing or if I was going to see a band…and when we moved to California, we were already on KROQ, so we paid most of our “dues” at clubs in NJ.
Music Junkie Press: If you could go back and talk to your 14 year old self, what advice would you give to yourself?
John: Just let it happen…everything good that happened to us happened because of the music, combined with extremely good luck…seems like every time we tried to make things happen, we were disappointed!
Music Junkie Press: I noticed the upcoming event 80’s Second Chance Prom coming up, can you tell us more about this special event?
John: It’s us, along with Martha Davis & The Motels and Bow Wow Wow, and it should be a good time. I always say I can only hope the audience has as much fun as we have…if they do, then we have succeeded in our mission!
Music Junkie Press: That sounds like a totally fun night! In the past 20 years, with the technology advancing at a such a rapid rate, with the addition of the internet, social sites, digital cameras, etc is there something from today that you wish you had when you were growing up?
John: Wisdom…
Music Junkie Press: You have so many iconic songs that I truly love! Do you have a personal favorite and why?
John: I always say, “I love all my children!”
Music Junkie Press: If I could peak into your Ipod, what might I be most surprised at finding in there?
John: I have never owned an iPod…I still buy CDs and have a big record collection…you might be surprised at the country, jazz and classical music…and as I get older, rather than new music, I find myself going back and discovering older music that I’ve never heard from the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s.
Music Junkie Press: Lastly, is there anything else you would like to share with our audience?
John: I don’t think people realize how much we appreciate still being here and doing this after all this time…I often say the shelf-life of rock bands is comparable to dairy products, so the fact that we are still playing shows, making new music, etc. is nothing short of a minor miracle.
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Dramarama has a couple of upcoming events that if you are even remotely close to, you have to go! One is the ’80s Second Chance Prom in Walnut Creek with the Motels and Bow Wow Wow. Details can be found here on the Facebook Event page. The second is a show that I am hoping to not miss, is Dramarama on September 7th at one of my favorite places, The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, details here. Also make sure to check them out on Facebook so you can keep up to date on their shows and new music.
and to Chain…. wherever you are…. Thank you for giving me the gift of DRAMARAMA!!
~ Marisol
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheDramarama
I will leave you with that very first song that had me forever hooked, “Anything, Anything (I’ll Give You)”
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