Our Fan of the Month for October is a great guy with a terrific family too. I met Charlie, his
wife Kathy and their three sons at Musikfest this year. Charlie and Kathy have been very loyal Red
Elvises fans for years now and it's about time they got some recognition! I was honored
recently to be invited to spend an evening at their home in West Virginia; for more on that see
my Red Road Trip write up elsewhere in this issue. They have framed autographed Red Elvises
posters and other memorabilia on just about every wall that I saw, plus, like most Red Elvises
fans, they're very cool, fun and friendly people so it was a really fun experience spending more time with them. And now, let's
see what Charlie has to say... |
Fan of the Month! |
For the record, what is your name? Charles Pepper Where were you born, and where did you grow up? Takoma Park, Maryland. Stayed in the same general area till I met my wife, Kathy, in 1981, then we eventually moved to Charles Town, West Virginia. |
Checking out new music, I used to go to the 9:30 club, when it was called “The Atlantis” in Washington, D.C. and see the new punk acts, I also have a extensive underground comic collection (R. Crumb, Freak Brothers, etc.) that I started in the early ‘70s.
Tell us about your musical endeavors and any musical instruments you play…
I play guitar and sing (badly, but I like to do it anyway).
|
What accomplishments are you most proud of at this point in
your life?
My wife and I have three sons and we own our home in West Virginia, also my extensive music collection.
|
|
What are your favorite movies?
“Evil Dead 2,” “Cry Baby” and “Clockwork Orange”
Do you have any favorite books?
“Catch 22” by Joseph Heller, “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kesey, “Trout Fishing in America” by Richard Brautigan and of course the “Harry Potter” series.
What music are you into, in addition to Red Elvises?
Bonzo Dog Band, Grateful Dead, Dan Hicks, Southern Culture on the Skids, Aqua Velvets, Insect Surfers and Bland. Interviewer's Note: Bland is the name of the band the Peppers' oldest son, Jeremiah, is in. Watch out for them, they're quite good!
When, where, how, etc. did you first hear and experience Red Elvises?
In late 1999 I rented “Six String Samurai” from my local video store (it looked like my kind of movie). I remember laughing when the bad guys left town wearing the Red Elvises’ shoes, so they kind of stuck in my mind. Then in early 2000 I ran across the “I Wanna See You Belly Dance” CD and when I listened to it I thought there wasn’t one bad song on the whole CD. I was hooked.
About how many times have you seen them?
Fourteen and a half times so far.
What is it about Red Elvises that draws you to them, that you like the most?
Their sense of humor, may be the red hair, or maybe just because they smile a lot.
What’s the farthest you’ve traveled to see them? And do you have a good story around that?
Four hours plus to Musikfest and when we were checking in to the hotel we met Dave Korbobo. As we were talking [he] showed us Zhenya’s guitar. It turned out to be a great weekend.
Which show is your favorite of the Red Elvises shows you've seen?
The Sterling Hotel in Allentown, PA. Igor, Oleg and Zhenya signed my Martin D15 guitar.
Any other standout, all time great memories of shows you’ve seen so far?
The half show – I (designated driver) drove three and a half hours in rain and rush hour traffic to Lancaster, PA. (Chameleon Club) with a van load of partying people, parked right next to the Red Elvises van, went inside the club in time to see them packing up their gear because they just finished. We got our hugs though, so it wasn’t a total waste of time. P.S., the club website said 7:00. The band’s said 9:00; we got there at 9:15. But the last time I had been there they didn’t start till 10:30. Note: the club wouldn’t answer the phone.
What are your favorite Red Elvises songs?
“Jerry’s Got the Squeeze Box,” “All I Want To Do,” “Running Away,” “Odessa” and of course all the rest.
What would you like to see them do in the future? Any ideas? Anything you’d like to say to the band?
A Broadway musical!
Oleg doing diapers!
Maybe a “Best Of ” with bonus tracks to try and get some airplay.
Okay, last question… Do you have anything you’d especially like to say to all the fans?
Attend more shows, bring your friends and above all enjoy life!
Charlie painted and stenciled this door to a small building out by their pool Russian style! (And yes, that's your humble interviewer unintentionally reflected in it taking the picture...)