Fan of the Month!
Interviewed by Kayt

K-Dog with Oleg and your humble Interviewer, photo from K-Dog's camera

For the record, what is your name? Karsten O. Johnson (But mainly I go by K-Dog) Where were you born, and where did you grow up? I was born May 18th, 1970 in Ventura, CA and moved (with the help of my folks) when I was three. We moved to Largo, Florida (near Tampa), which is where I grew up. I went to NY from 1993-95 for a little change of scenery and shoveled enough snow to last me a while (about three and a half lifetimes to be exact).

What were your main interests, entertainment and otherwise, growing up?
My main interests included catching snakes and keeping them as pets. I wanted to be a herpetologist. To avoid any suspicion by those dirty minded readers out there, this is a snake biologist). Then the hormones kicked in, at which time I suddenly wanted to become a gynecologist instead.

Tell us about your musical endeavors and any musical instruments you play…
Besides the organ (only occasionally) I have dabbled with the piano and guitar. My biggest love though is singing. I have been working on the whole head resonance thing but it is definitely not as easy as it looks. As my friends will tell you I have trouble sticking with instruments but I have been practicing voice daily. Carnegie here I come baby!

What accomplishments are you most proud of at this point in your life?
Being chosen to be a Red Elvises fan of the month! Anything after that pretty much pales in comparison but recently I was also asked to substitute DJ on a local radio station, WMNF Tampa. This is a commercial free, listener supported station that plays a wide variety of music. The Sonic Detour, which is 4-6 PM every weekday, is an eclectic rock mix that I've listened to for many years. This is also the station who brought the Red Elvises to Tampa for the first time about seven years ago (more on that in a sec). I have discovered a bunch of great music listening to the Detour and wanted to give something back. I sent the station a mix of songs not commonly played on the radio and they sent me a letter a few months later asking me if I wanted to do some programming. My first and only show was on December 22, 2005. It was the shortest two hours of my life. What a blast! It was (and hopefully will be again) a chance for me to give some great musicians (the Elvises included) some well deserved air time.

What are your favorite movies?
In chronological order my top five are: Breaking Away, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Waking Ned Divine, Mumford, and 40 Year Old Virgin.

Do you have any favorite books?
Those are the rectangular paper things with words and stuff in them, right? Assuming so, I have recently read a couple great ones - both by Scandinavian authors. My sister Freya lived in Helsinki for a few years and discovered these two little gems. One is called "Year of the Hare" and the other is "Popular Music". Both are well written and quite insightful. The humor is subtle yet strong. My favorite book of all time is Chuck Yeager's autobiography "Yeager."

What music are you into, in addition to Red Elvises?
I listen to all types of music - some mainstream stuff but mainly less appreciated bands that somehow remain below the radar. Bands like Morphine, The The, Mason Jennings, Saybia (a Danish band introduced to me by my sis who lives in Holland), Dandy Warhols, Spain, Ween, The Presidents, Marcy Playground, Red Elvises, etc. I also like some old standards like Frank Sinatra, Harry Bellefonte, Neil Young, John Denver, Willie Nelson, Dick Dale and Joe & Eddie. Then there's Bob Marley, Ozomatli, Leo Kotke, Jack Johnson, Josh Rouse, Erasure, Tracy Chapman, Sinead O'Connor, Marc Cohn, Augustus Pablo, John Lee Hooker, and Frank Morey. And when it's time to rock out there's Bad Religion, Chili Peppers, Tantric, Powderfinger, Everclear, and A-Ha.

When, where, how, etc. did you first hear and experience Red Elvises?
I first heard them about five years ago at a cool pub called the New World Brewery in Ybor City (the old cigar making district in Tampa). The jukebox is always hip and I heard "I'm Not That Kind Of Guy" playing one Friday night while hanging out with some buds. I was instantly intrigued and went over to the jukebox to see who it was. Hmmmm... the Red Elvises. The album title: "I Wanna See You Bellydance". Sounded rather interesting. I went online a couple days later and found their site. I checked their tour schedule and saw that they were coming to play The Skipper Dome in Tampa a few months later. Went and saw them, met them, had a great time, and bought my first CD. I was hooked.

The CD had made their jukebox because a bartender working at the pub had seen them play a concert called Tropical Heatwave a few months prior. This is an annual event organized by WMNF Tampa. Heatwave is a concert, normally the third Saturday in May (to ring on a high note the warm, sunny days to come) and features about 15 to 20 diverse, talented and (usually under appreciated) bands. They play during the day and into the night and are usually divvied up, with bands playing in about six different cool venues all right near the Cuban Club on the Ybor Strip (closed off to traffic so that the "over-served" don't accidentally walk into any cars). Check out www.wmnf.org for details. It's always a great time. This is their 25th Anniversary so if you can come on over and check it out!

About how many times have you seen them?
I think about 12 times. I'm not totally sure because the New Years 2002 show was like seeing them twice (while I was there) but the next day it was like I had almost not seen them at all. In any case, I have quite a ways to catch up to Miss Kayt Owens - 100 times and counting! Wow! Okay, so this is a good time to give Kayt a little well-deserved recognition. Kayt is a sweet gal from Monroe, NC who is perhaps the most passionate Red Elvis fan of them all. Among many other Red Elvises tasks and feats of kindness, she also runs the Fan of the Month stuff. So next time you see her at a show, give her a big Red Elvises fan hug and buy her a shot - buttery nipples are her favorite.)

Interviewer's Note: Aww, gee, K-Dog, thanks for those sweet words! I like to think of myself as "from" Los Angeles, CA but temporarily living in North Carolina, although I've lived in five different states in my time. And buttery nipples? I have to confess I don't actually know what those are! But thanks to Oleg I'm now quite a fan of tequila shots...just don't let me have too many! A buttery nipple does sound intriguing though, maybe I'll have to check that out...

What is it about Red Elvises that draws you to them, that you like the most?
The music. Whether I'm listening to them live at a show or on a CD in the car, their music is so great. Great lyrics, beats, melodies, humor ("Sex In Paradise" and "A Keg Of Beer And Potato Chips" come to mind) and their unique style. However, I think it's their versatility that makes them exceptional. Part of this comes from the fact that both Igor and Oleg write and sing songs. However, I think most of this versatility is from being open to lots of musical styles, which is certainly reflected in their music. When people ask me, "So what type of music is it?" I always pause. It's difficult to put them in a pre-defined category, although their bumper sticker tagline, "Kick Ass Rock and Roll from Siberia" pretty much sums it up. "Rock and Roll" for sure but it's rock blended blended with rockabilly, traditional Russian folk, ska, surf rock, country, disco, and... For this reason, they attract a broad range of listeners. Just look around at the crowd at a show and you'll find everyone from 15 year old kids to 75 year old bikers. Between me and my gang of friends, our musical tastes vary widely. But we can always agree on the Red Elvises.

What’s the farthest you’ve traveled to see them? And do you have a good story around that?
A few pals and I drove 250 miles from Tampa to see them play the Bamboo Room in Lake Worth, FL (near West Palm Beach) last November (This doesn't quite compare to Kayt driving 800 miles to Tampa to see them for the 100th time or flying from NC to CA to see them play New Years - but it's a start). So we got to the Bamboo Room that Saturday night and we were used to hanging out with a very up beat crowd at Skippers. It was reserved seating and the majority of folks looked like they could use a double Red Bull and vodka (double on the Red Bull). (For the record, Melody, a cute blonde that I met there, was totally into it - a true fan all the way).

We were sure that as soon as the Elvises got on stage people would get in front of the stage to cheer them on. Wrong. Of course our small group got up and sang and danced along with them. It felt very weird. Partly because our butts were right in the face of people seated in the first row of tables. But mainly because these guys are such a party band and to have everyone just sit there with their hands folded in their laps was like a bad dream. But little by little the music gradually worked this lethargic group out to the dance floor. By the end of the show almost half the place was dancing, singing, sweating, and even bellydancing it up!

Which show is your favorite of the Red Elvises shows you've seen?
I really think that each show is better than the last. They keep getting tighter and their music keeps getting better too. The most memorable one though was New Year's 2002. Those guys put on such a great show that night and ringing in the new year with them was special.

Any other standout, all time great memories of shows you’ve seen so far?
The time when my friend Adam kept yelling "Boogie On The Beach" even after they had played it and Igor said, "We already played that one."

What are your favorite Red Elvises songs?
If I had to narrow it down: "Rocket Man," "Boogie on the Beach," "Love Rocket," "Winter Reggae," "Tchaikovsky," "A Keg of Beer and Potato Chips," "Sad Cowboy Song," "Darling Lorraine," "Strip Joint is Closed," "Hanky Panky Kind of Love," "We've Got The Groove," "200 Flying Girls," and "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You" (so much for narrowing it down).

What would you like to see them do in the future? Any ideas? Anything you’d like to say to the band?
If there were anything I'd like to see them do more of it would be more traditional Russian songs. When they do them (from time to time) we don't know what they're singing but there's just something about it. When they are playing in Russian they seem to be transformed a bit - like they can let loose a little more. At their most recent show I bought the "Limpopo" CD, which had Igor and Oleg and a couple other guys doing nothing but Russian songs - recorded ten years ago or so while they were living in Russia, I think. Once again, you don't know what the hell they're saying but musically it's got some real chutzpah!.

I also think a couple familiar covers would be fun too. "Susanna" (done originally by a Dutch rock star), Chris Isaac's "Wicked Game" and the 50's song "Blue Moon" are all fun and the crowd gets into them. Their original stuff is so great that they don't need to do covers but the Elvises are such showmen that they can pull them off very well. Plus, it lets their fans know a little more about what music they like. How about, "Back in the USSR"?

Lastly, I want to say that I think you guys will go down as one of the best bands in history. I'm happy to know of you and to have gotten to know you as well. Long live Rokenrol!

Okay, last question… Do you have anything you’d especially like to say to all the fans?
One of the reasons the Elvises are becoming as popular as they are is because of their approachability (is that even a word?). I think they enjoy mingling with their fans as much as we do with them. The guys are all very down to earth, without any of the typical arrogance that often comes with talented musicians. They are always hanging out before, after and in between sets. And in their leopard suits and gold shoes they're not too hard to find. If you haven't already, make it a point to say hi to them and tell them how much you like their music. And if you're a girl, get up on stage during "I Wanna See You Bellydance" and shake your stuff baby! Viva Los Elvis' Rojos!

Karsten's pal Dan Wittenberg (right) shows off his Red Elvises Edition fire truck in balmy Spokane, WA.

Photo by Kayt Bachelor K-Dog likes dancing with the ladies!	Photo by Oleg And posing with them too!

Wondering how YOU can become a future Fan of the Month? It's very easy! Just write to: redelvisesfotm@yahoo.com to nominate yourself or a friend. And when you see the band perform live please remember The Red Pages -- send in your photos and write ups of the shows so other fans can enjoy your experiences too!