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Fan of the Month! |
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For the record, what is your name?
Linda Marcas, a.k.a Jackdaw, a.k.a Pencil Fairy
Where were you born, and where did you grow up?
Born, Toledo, OH; grew up in Toledo and its suburbs, Southern California for ten years, and back to Toledo area again by the time I was 15, until I moved to Massachusetts when I was 18. Then back to Toledo in 1978, and have stayed in Northwest Ohio ever since.
What were your main interests, entertainment and otherwise, growing up? Any obsessions you don’t mind people knowing about?
Reading, reading, and more reading (fiction); TV, movies, and music; artsy-craftsy stuff. For a while during high school, I was so obsessed with Tolkien's Lord of the Rings that I memorized the Elvish alphabet (okay, so I didn't use all the characters, such as multiple variants of the letter "R") and kept my diary in Tengwar. But I wasn't the only one; I actually had friends who could do the same, and we'd leave notes for each other on study-hall chalkboards, uber-geeks united. I think I also read every Tarzan book ever written, and most of the "Saint" books, before I was 14.
Tell us about your musical endeavors and any musical instruments you play…
Oh, it's a sorry tale… When I was in fifth grade, they lined us up at school and had us sing back a note that some guy plunked on a piano, to "test" us for possible musical talent. When my turn came, the guy said to me, "Little girl, why don't you just go home and play the radio?" Talk about embarassing moments! But, if you get me drunk enough, I'll still sing "The Eddystone Light."
What accomplishments are you most proud of at this point in your life?
Feh. Getting through my childhood without losing my mind; surviving my first marriage without being shot (NEVER marry a man who shot his mother, even if you later thought you could have cheerfully shot the old bat yourself); helping my current husband raise his two kids (signed notes to the school "Wicked Stepmother") and getting them through high school without jail time or pregnancies. And getting the Red Elvises to play in my Tiny Town, of course, but I had a lot of help with that, from hubby and friends.
What are your favorite movies?
"Six-String Samurai," of course. "The Lion in Winter," "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" "A Clockwork Orange," "Tank Girl," "Down By Law," "Stranger Than Paradise," "Motorama," "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert," "A Boy and His Dog," "Powwow Highway," "Rollerball" (the original), "Death Race 2000," "The Man Who Would Be King," "Wild at Heart," "Lawrence of Arabia," "Crumb"... Ah, what the hell, I just like movies, mostly foreign or indies, cheesy low-budget sci-fi and fantasy, and long talky things based on stage plays.
Do you have any favorite books?
Dangerous question. I have a reading disorder: I "binge" read. When I find authors I like, I tend to check out or buy all the books they've written, or as many as I can get my hands on, and read them all in a couple of weeks. But, okay, favorites: “Dhalgren” by Samuel R. Delany; the Lord Peter Wimsey series by Dorothy Sayers; “Accordion Crimes” by E. Annie Proulx; “Sometimes a Great Notion” by Ken Kesey; “Hotel Transylvania,” “Blood Games,” and most of the others in the St. Germain series by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro; lots of things by Tanith Lee. I used to read fantasy and SF, but now it's mostly mysteries and crime. Oh, anything by Carl Hiaasen, and, although “Lullaby” is the only Chuck Pahlaniuk I've read, I need to check out “Fight Club” before I rent the movie. I'm old, I've read a lot of books, and I hesitate to call anything a "favorite" if I haven't re-read it sometime in the past ten years, because I might have changed my mind since the first time I read it.
What music are you into, in addition to Red Elvises?
Damn, now I know why I put off doing this questionnaire… I still like the 60s rock of my teen years, Cream, Doors, old Stones, Jefferson Airplane, that stuff, plus Tim Buckley and Phil Ochs. Have tons of British folk-rock, such as Pentangle, Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, and all their solo offshoots. I was buying Clifton Chenier zydeco LPs years before Paul Simon made it popular, and the whole Latin and Lounge craze came at least five years after I'd started buying thrift store Mancini and Perez Prado LPs. I'm still waiting for Hawaiian slack key and pedal steel to get trendy (I really hope it doesn't), and my Tango section keeps growing. The vinyl is measured by the yard around here.
When, where, how, etc. did you first hear and experience Red Elvises?
Same old story, rented SSS and fell in love, sometime in the spring of 2000, then went to see them live and became obsessed.
About how many times have you seen them?
28, unless I left a couple out.
What is it about Red Elvises that draws you to them, that you like the most?
Fine musicianship and offbeat lyrics, and they really seem to enjoy their work. It's just impossible not to have a happy feeling, listening to them or seeing a show. Add to that the fact that I've never, ever seen them be rude to a fan; they're all approachable, nice guys, and they seem to like my cooking.
What’s the furthest you’ve traveled to see them? And do you have a good story around that?
Hard to say, because of the Adventures of Harriet, the Little Red Zippy Car. The longest road trip I've been on, Redheading around the countryside following the band, totalled 3,044 miles round trip. I suppose the furthest from my doorstep that I've ever seen them would be at T.T. the Bear's, I think from Toledo to Boston. For stories, check Red Pages archives, because there are too many for here.
Which show is your favorite out of all the Red Elvises shows you've seen?
How odd, but I think it's still the first time, at a tiny bar called the Old Miami, in a sketchy section of Detroit. It was hot as blazes, July 3, 2000, and they didn't dress up, and I went dashing into the bar with CDs I'd brought for them to autograph, gushing, "We drove over 100 miles to see you!" Ha! I didn't know, at the time, that this is by no means unusual for RE fans…but they didn't laugh..
Any other standout, all time great memories of shows you've seen so far?
Oh, Czar's 505 in St. Joseph, MI, stands out… It was my 48th birthday, and they had me up on stage and sang "Happy Birthday" to me. (blush).
What are your favorite Red Elvises songs?
"Siberia," "Tango," "My Love is Killing Me," "Superment," "Sad Cowboy Song," "Belly Dance," "Kegga Beer and Potato Chips," "Scorchie Chornie," "Strip Joint is Closed…"
What would you like to see them do in the future? Any ideas? Anything you’d like to say to the band?
I'd really like a new live album, particularly one recorded in Russia (they could call it “Souvenir Samovar”); maybe more songs in Russian, or at least a verse or two, when they do put out a new album. I'd definitely like to see them in a film again, something light but starring the band, like "Help" was for the Beatles, or see a documentary of life on the road in the Big Red Van, so folks could really appreciate how hard they work. Guys, you know I love you all, and I really hope you keep on rocking.
Okay, last question… Do you have anything you’d especially like to say to all the fans?
Join the Red Army!!! Don't wait around for the band to do it all, get involved and spread the word about Your Favorite Band. Think of things that YOU can do, within your means and in your area, to promote the Red Elvises. For instance, for under $20, you can get a self-inking rubber stamp made, with the band's name and web address on it, that you can stamp on the back of all outgoing mail…it sure makes paying bills more fun! Go see them on weeknights, even if you have work or school the next day, because they can't make a living playing only weekend gigs for your convenience. Talk to club owners and promoters, and get them to check out the band, particularly if you've been bitching that they never come to your town. E-mail the Sharon Osbourne show, and tell her you want RE for musical guests…whatever, just think of something, and do it.