Interview with the Band, Parks &Recreation

If you are looking for the Perfect Love, I can't help you, but I can help you find the perfect band! Check out the guys of Parks & Recreation. Their style is groovy and they're very talented musicians. The band was ever so nice to answer a few questions I had for them. Let's see what the hottest band from Portland Oregon is up to.

SM- Introduce the band.

PR-Well, the band is Bob Ham on drums, Anthony Georgis on keyboards and synthesizers, Joe Ballman on bass, and me, Michael Johnson, on vocals, guitars, and pianos. Bob made a name for himself in a group called Rally Boy, me and Anthony have been playing together since High School, and Joe still gets royalty checks from a neo-swing band he was a member of in the 90s.

SM- Where did your band name, Parks & Recreation come from?

PR-Well, we used to be called Reclinerland, but sometime in 2005 we decided to change our name and start a new band. Joe sent everyone a list of prospective names, of which The Tigers, The Summer Lawns, and Parks & Recreation were our favorites. Weeks of debates and discussions followed. When we got booked at the Sasquatch Festival in May, 2005 the booking agent told us he wouldn't book us unless we were called Parks & Recreation. That solved it. The name works great for us, because it nods to the kind of summery, suburban sound we're going for.

SM- If someone wanted to catch a show in the upcoming month, where should they look?

PR-If you want to know where we're playing, you should get on our mailing list. We're working on our next record right now, so we're playing small shows at the moment: house parties and such. Later in the year you'll be able to check the regular listings to find us. You can also look on our website.

SM- Do you dance, and if so, how much?

PR-Well, I know Bob loves to dance. He had a dance party on his birthday one year. I can't speak for the rest of the fellows, but I, for one, love to dance. I can swing dance, salsa, and I can even do the charleston. When I go out to shows, I love to stand in place and move around. If I go dancing to clubs, I'm always the first person on the dance floor and the last person to leave. I went to three proms in High School!

SM- Awesome, I love to dance to, I guess that's why I asked that random question? Last one, what was the inspiration for your song, Perfect Love.

PR-Perfect Love was inspired by a phenomenon called cybering, or cyber-sex, whereby people have imaginary sex with each other by logging into virtual "rooms" and typing back and forth. Perhaps you've heard of this phenomenon? The song is kind of a satire. Although, even though the particular interaction between WellHungStud32 and his prey Star69Grrl in Perfect Love is kind of sinister, I don't think there's anything wrong with cyber-sex in general. I think it's been a long time since cybering was an anomoly in modern relationships.

SM- Wow, that's a deep song, huh? LOL

If you guys are dying to hear this song, Perfect Love, check out http://www.myspace.com/parksandrecreation. I would like to thank, Michael Johnson and the band for allowing me to interview them. Don't forget to sign up on their mailing list to get info on where these crazy guys will be playing!