20 Questions with Taddy Porter

Michigan's favorite Oklahoman rock band Taddy Porter recently found themselves back in Michigan just in time for the holidays and the first big snowfall of the year.

On Saturday, December 4 the band closed out their tour with Rains and Evans Blue in Pontiac at the Eagle Theater.

Then on Monday the band played a free acoustic show in Mt. Clemens at the Hayloft for the WRIF's charitable Christmas party.

On Tuesday the band, along with Like A Storm and headliners Alter Bridge, opened their tour at Pontiac's Clutch Cargos.

Before the show, I caught up with Taddy Porter armed with some fan questions and band members Andy Brewer, Kevin Jones, Doug Jones and Joe Selby were quick to come up with colorful answers to all of them:

Q: How did the rest of the last tour with Evans Blue end up going?

Andy: It was amazing. It actually went really well. We had a good time. I would have to say the tour was successful. People were coming out and we made some new friends and stuff so it went well.

Q: You played an acoustic set at the Hayloft last night for a WRIF Christmas party. Did you get a lot of people to come out despite the snowstorm?

Andy: Well you know what because last night the weather was so bad there were people there but not as much as you would have hoped. But it was good. It was for Adopt-A-Family [looks at Kevin] That was it right?

Kevin: Huh? For what?

Andy: Adopt-A-Family last night?

Kevin: Oh, yeah, yeah!

Andy: And there were silent auctions there. It was cool. We gave some stuff and it ended up being a good time. Took us awhile to get out here because of the snow as well but it was fun.

Q: The Hayloft is a great venue too. Mike Scott from Critical Bill is part owner and I know they were all coming out to the show tonight.

Andy: Oh yeah. That's cool. The Hayloft was fun.

Q: I had some of your Michigan fans send me some questions to ask you. One that I saw different variations of was from people who did manage to brave the storm and come out to see you last night. They wanted to know about the worst and longest drive you guys have had to do.

Doug: Oh well we had that one...

Kevin: Sula, Montana to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. 30 hours.

Doug: 30 hours straight through. We were really, really delirious by the end of it.

Kevin: Oklahoma City to L.A. is like 25 hours. New York City to Oklahoma City is what 25 or 26?

Joe: 26 and a half.

Doug: We've got one coming up. We're doing Tulsa to Spokane, Washington so with all the snow and everything it'll probably be like three days!

Q: With Christmas on it's way, what is the best Christmas gift you have ever received?

Andy: That's a great question. You know the most memorable Christmas gift for me is when I picked up my first guitar.

Kevin: I remember one time I got a choice between either a Sega Dreamcast or a PS2 and I chose the Dreamcast and I loved it. Yeah, I'm a big fan of that so bring it back! [the rest of the band laughs]

Doug: Yeah. Mine would be the Creepy Crawler Oven.

Kevin: That was awesome! I played with it too.

Doug: The Game Genie!

Kevin: Game Genie. Also a very good one.

Q: What are your plans for the holidays this year?

Andy: We're on tour. We have some time off.

Q: You're off for Christmas? Are you playing for New Years?

Andy: Yeah, we have five days off. Of course we're gonna go home and do that. So it'll be good because we haven't been home for more than like three consecutive days for awhile so we're looking forward to that. That's for sure. I think we're playing New Years Day.

Q: When does this tour end?

Kevin: This tour with Alter Bridge lasts through January 8.

Q: Then will you be jumping on another tour?

Kevin: I'm sure we are.

Andy: Yes, probably.

Q: You toured with Alter Bridge vocalist Myles Kennedy when he was playing with Slash. Is that how you got on this tour?

Andy: Yep.

Kevin: Mark Tremonti [Alter Bridge guitarist] said that Myles requested us and said he wouldn't go out unless Taddy Porter came.

Q: I'm sure it won't surprise you but a lot of people wanted to know when you are finally going to be playing "Long Slow Drag"?

Andy: Well I think whenever uh...

Kevin: Not on this tour.

Andy: Yeah not on this tour because it's a rock and roll tour. It's more I think around the time that we release our third single is when we'll start playing "Long Slow Drag".

Kevin: The main thing is getting the piano to come out and setting it up.

Andy: We have it. It's a vintage piano and expensive.

Q: You have the new video for "Big Enough" and it seems to be getting a lot of media coverage. Have you seen a positive reaction to it?

Andy: It has. Yeah, it's been awesome. We've seen lots of good things about it. It's only been out for a short period of time so it's still gaining more press so it's cool. It's good to see.

Q: One interesting question suggested was if you could invite any 3 people to dinner living or dead who would that be?

Kevin: Living or dead ooh...

Doug: Whoa...

Andy: Abraham Lincoln...

Joe: What was the question?

Kevin: 3 people living or dead for dinner. We're all answering this one. We all get our own vote. I'm calling that right now!

Andy: Okay, unfortunately I've gotta go take care of something. [Exits interview]

Doug: Okay Andy's first one was Lincoln.

Kevin: Living or dead...[looks at Joe] all you, go!

Joe: Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Keith Moon.

Kevin: Okay, Joe's are Hendrix, Morrison and Moon. All three very great choices. I'm gonna one up him now. John Lennon...

Joe: I almost said that.

Kevin: Yeah and Bob Dylan. I'd like those two to be together. I think I'd just like to hear what they would talk about. I think that would be awesome. Now I gotta choose someone really cool from way back in the day like uh Alexander the Great!

Doug: I'm gonna have a cool dinner. I'm gonna say Jon Bonham, Keith Moon and...

Kevin: You can do living.

Doug: I know I though about that too. I was like I don't want to take John Cusack to dinner.

Kevin: Bob Dylan's still alive.

Doug: Um Malcolm Young. Not Angus Young but Malcolm Young.

Joe: Steven Tyler. One of my favorite books is Walk This Way. Actually our manager Rick Smith is in that book.

Kevin: He is a great guy.

Q: Well my next question kind of goes along with that. If you were doing a Hollywood movie about the band who would you want to play you?

Kevin: Charlie Day from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia.

Doug: Marlon Brando.

Joe: Jack Black.

Q: What's one word you would use to describe the other band members?

Doug [who is distracted by his phone]: Say what?

Kevin: One word to describe the other band members.

Doug: Okay, cool. Give me one minute.

Joe: One word for everyone or each person.

Q: You can use one to encompass everyone if you want.

Kevin: Joe I'm going to describe as sookie.

Doug: I'm gonna use interesting.

Kevin: One word for everyone?

Doug: Yeah, interesting.

Joe: Crazy!

Doug: Then I'm taking that one too. Crazy or interesting. I went with the nicer way of saying it...interesting.

Joe: Intriguing.

Kevin: Then I will lump everyone in as sookie.

Q: Do you have a philosophy to live by?

Kevin: I have like 4,000 philosophies to live by. Mostly Aristotle.

Doug: You don't need a parachute to skydive, only if you want to do it more than once!

Joe: The road to success is filled with...

Kevin: People.

Joe: ...is filled with fans who go the extra mile. Something like that.

Doug: Yeah something lame like that.

Q: What do you consider the greatest album ever?

Doug: Oh wow that's a really, really hard question. I'm gonna go with...

Joe [shouting]: Jeff Beck's Truth!

Kevin: I'm gonna have to go with The White Album. That's my problem I can't choose between that Sgt. Pepper or Abbey Road. It's just cuz they're such great albums front to back.

Doug: Electric Warrior by T. Rex.

Joe: That's a good one.

Kevin: It's awesome.

Q: Coming from Michigan fans and the fact that you've spent so much time out this way, do you have a favorite hangout in the state?

Kevin: The Machine Shop.

Doug: Of course! [Joe nods]

Kevin: And Marvin's Magical, Mechanical Museum [Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum in Farmington].

Joe: God Bless Marvin's Mechanical Museum!

Doug: PF Changs.

Kevin: Hoops Bar and Grill.

Q: Finally, if you can close with one word to describe the show tonight what would it be?

Kevin: Swagger.

Joe: Tremonti or four...

Doug: Four? I'll say peace.