Fan of the Month!
Interviewed by Kayt
Our August Fan of the Month, Mike, was "discovered" in Raleigh, North Carolina, hanging out by the merchandise table before the show. He was telling me how he managed to get Red Elvises posters into a scene in a movie that you'll have to go see to know whether that scene stayed in or got cut (full story below). Later he was dancing madly in front of, and on, the stage and took some pictures for me with my camera (which you saw in the July issue). He's a fan with lots of dedication and energy! Join me in welcoming our newest Fan of the Month!
For the record, what is your name?
Mike Shapiro
Where were you born, and where did you grow up?
I was born in Amboy, IL, (100 miles west of Chicago - population 2200) but in 1977 our family was lucky enough to get a place in Montana and we've been there pretty much ever since. My brothers and I worked summers and eventually full time for Chico Hot Springs, and the brothers (Ned & Dan) now own and operate the Pine Creek Lodge. I saw my first Red Elvises show at Chico and my second the next night and ten miles down the road at Pine Creek. Six of the nine Red Elvises shows I've seen have been at Chico and Pine Creek - back to back - 10 miles apart in Paradise Valley, MT. I now live in Carolina Beach, NC, which ain't bad, but it's not Montana.
What were your main interests, entertainment and otherwise, growing up? Any obsessions you don't mind people knowing about?
As a young boy my main interests were torturing insects and making fun of classmates, but I've moved on now and list my hobbies as skiing, fly fishing, kayaking and rock hounding.
Tell us about your musical endeavors and any musical instruments you
play…
I took piano lessons as a child, played trumpet in Junior High, but now I just play the bongos on the dashboard and the steering column/wheel. The key is being able to steer w/ your knees during the longer drum solos...
What accomplishments are you most proud of at this point in your life?
Being invited onstage by Elena during "Bellydance..." (see accompanying photo, above). It's all gravy after that...
What are your favorite movies?
Among my favorite movies are "Dr. Strangelove", "The In-Laws" (w/Peter Falk & Alan Arkin), "My Favorite Year," "Slapshot," "Spinal Tap," "Trading Places," "A Fish Called Wanda," "Kingpin," "Swingers" and "The Freshman" (both versions - Andrew Bergman and Harold LLoyd) Oh - I almost forgot "Borat!!" Great Success!! High Five!!
As a side note, I work in the movie business (I'm a set dresser - we "dress" sets) and last fall - October 2006 - I was working on a movie called "Death Sentence" starring Kevin Bacon, John Goodman and Kelly Preston. We were shooting near Greenville, SC and I talked a bunch of my co-workers in the Art Department into seeing Red Elvises at The Handlebar. Everybody loved the show, and long story short, we wound up taking a few Red Elvises posters back to set and getting them in the movie! Originally we had them placed outside a backstage club entrance where a shoot out takes place, but that scene got cut out of the shooting schedule, so we wound up putting the posters in a scene at an ice rink, during a Junior Hockey League game. The director, James Wan, was like, "Hey, those aren't hockey posters..." And we were like, "No, but they wouldn't have just hockey posters and signs, and they're the right colors, and besides, these guys are a great band..." And he goes, "Oh, they're a great band, well... that's a cool poster - leave 'em in!" So who knows if that scene'll make the final cut, but the movie - "Death Sentence" (it's kind of a Charles Bronson one-man-vigilante thing) is scheduled to come out August 31st and that scene should be in the first twenty minutes or so...
Interviewer's Note: Great job, Mike, we'll have to watch for that!
Do you have any favorite books?
My current favorite book is "I Like You - Hospitality Under the Influence" by Amy Sedaris
What music are you into, in addition to Red Elvises?
My favorite artists other than Red Elvises include Elvis Costello, Van Morrison and Tom Waits. I once got to direct Tom Waits in a promo for Island Records after working on a film with him (the forgettable "Cold Feet") and he's one the best people, show biz or otherwise, that I've ever met. [Also,] Graham Parker, Warren Zevon & Corky Butcher - "you know Corky Butcher? bing bong! bing bong bing dilly illy ding ding!!?"
When, where, how, etc. did you first hear and experience Red Elvises?
I first heard about the Red Elvises from my brother Ned, who owns and runs The Pine Creek Lodge with my other brother Dan. He told me about an amazing band he'd seen at our old hangout Chico Hot Springs. He told me what a great time he had (he's an incredibly "unique" and energetic dancer - ya gotta see it to believe it - trust me!) and that he'd got to talking with the band and that they had an open date the next night and he and the band worked out a deal to play at Pine Creek, about ten miles up Paradise Valley. He was so excited about it he called me in N.C. to tell me about the gig and how great the band was. The next time they came through Montana I made sure I was there!!
About how many times have you seen them?
I've seen Red Elvises nine times – six times in MT, once in Greenville, SC, once in Raleigh, NC and once in Madison, WI, when the whole family was in town for my nephew's wedding and just happened to notice that Red Elvises were in town! In the words of Igor, "Shapiro boys in Wisconsin - most unexpected! Most unexpected!"
What is it about Red Elvises that draws you to them, that you like the most?
The thing I like best about the Red Elvises is that they're not just any band - they're your favorite band!! They've got such a great positive energy. The music is great and the show is even better. They're entertainers as well as musicians, and everyone I know who has seen them has been thoroughly entertained. The first couple times I saw them they had a couple guys playing horns and sounded a little more ska-ish. I thought it couldn't get any better than that, but then they added Elena, WOW!! And just when you thought it wasn't gonna get any better than that they added Beth, (again - WOW!). I guess the thing I like most about the band is that in a world where we've become conditioned to accept disappointment and lowered expectations, the Red Elvises buck that trend and that mindset and kick it squarely in the ass! They're always better than you remembered! They're always better than you hoped! And, most importantly, they're always the best time you've ever had!!
Any standout, all time great Red Elvises memories so far?
Favorite show memories include dancing under the stars at Pine Creek,and then drinking tequila with the band until 5:00 in the morning! And organizing two group trips to see the band. I rented a 15-passenger van and got ten fans (seven of them new to the band) to the show on June 14th in Raleigh, NC. Elena was gone due to visa trouble, and those of us in the know missed her but the newbies were raving about the band all the way back to Wilmington anyway! And of course, my favorite memory would be the aforementioned invitation from Elena to Bellydance on stage at The Handlebar in Greenville, SC!
[Also,] I'd like to relate a somewhat amazing experience. I don't know where it fits in...but here goes... A week or so after the show at the Pour House in Raleigh several of us who had made the trip were sitting in a bar in Carolina Beach, NC. There was a good band playing but they were wrapping it up just about the time we were settling in. As they signed off for the night the frontman for the band added one last thing, "And if you ever get a chance to see a band by the name of the Red Elvises, don't pass it up! They're a great band and a great show and you just can't miss them!" We about fell out of our seats! Of course that band's name - "The Craig Woolard Band!" We had a nice chat with them, swapping Red Elvises stories, and have since gone out of our way to see them again! What goes around comes around, or something like that!
Interviewer's Note: What a cool story, Mike! The Craig Woolard Band opened for Red Elvises at the Winston-Salem, NC Ribfest in June. They're a nice bunch of guys and very talented too! I hope lots of people will go see them if they get the chance!
What are your favorite Red Elvises songs?
My favorite Red Elvises songs are "Closet Disco Dancer," "200 Flying Girls," "One Way Ticket to Japan," "Juliet," "My Love is Killing Me" and the new one "Drinking with Jesus."
What would you like to see them do in the future? Any ideas? Anything you’d like to say to the band?
In the future I'd love to see the band make it to Wilmington, NC - I notice the fall schedule has them in Raleigh & Greenville with some holes yet to be filled... And also - just to make sure there are no more visa troubles for Elena, let's just get married, for the good of the band!! Even my girlfriend (thats her backside in the above photo), who is also a huge fan of the band (and a giver), has signed off on this to ensure no more Elena-less shows.
Wow, Mike, she is a giver! Whatta girl! Heh heh... Okay, last question… Do you have anything you’d especially like to say to
all the fans?
To my fellow fans of the band all i can say is this - you gotta see the Red Elvises in MT, at Pine Creek. I know I may be biased 'cause it's my brother's place and I drink for free there, but you gotta understand - my family is originally from Mother Russia - so my mom makes the band a bunch of authentic Russian food - beet borscht, kascha, fish pie (it sounds revolting, but just ask Oleg -he loves it!) etc., and then they play on a bandstand in front of a lawn that looks out across Paradise Valley under a star-filled Montana sky. It's kind of like a mini Hollywood Bowl or Greek Theatre. I've never seen a bad show from the R.E's, but you owe it to yourselves to see them at Pine Creek!
Thank you, Mike, you did a great job, on the interview and with your movie poster-placement efforts! Hope to see you again sometime at another North Carolina show!
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. Or if you see me at a show just come over and say hi, introduce yourself and tell me you'd like to be a Fan of the Month. 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!
|