me: aha!
hello!
Stu: well good morning!
me: got any coffee in you?
Stu: presently imbibing.
me: great!
when you wanna do our interview?
Stu: oh i thought we just started!
me: rock.
let's play free association first.
ready?
Stu: set
me: rock
Stu: plymouth
me: turkey
Stu: rollup
(huh)
me: twister
Stu: hardly know 'er
me: you win
or wait
does that mean i win?
Stu: we'll call it a draw.
me: okay.
i'm nervous about this interview!
weird.
Stu: you should be. i'm one scary s.o.b.
me: i can just feel everyone (our bandmates especially - one in particular has already checked the blog three times this morning) waiting for this one...
yeah. you're terrifying for sure.
okay
let's do this.
Stu: oh, that was me, sorry.
me: heh
rrriiiiiiight
who are you?
Stu: i'm Stu. i play guitar and sing a little in This Blue Heaven.
me: you're the first to get that right! good job! A+
you know, the problem with this interview is i already know all this stuff. every question would be leading. like...
did you get a lot of A's in school?
i know of course you did, so if i ask you that, then it's like i want everyone to know you're a smarty pants.
so
i guess i should just ask totally bizarre questions, maybe.
Stu: wait i want to answer that one!
me: do it
Stu: ahem.
i got a B in math in 5th grade, and a B+ in theoretical physics II senior year college.
me: ...
Stu: the rest were A's. BOOYEAH.
me: smarty pants smarty pants
Stu: oh man, was i pissed about that B in 5th grade.
still am. i was robbed. we was robbed!
me: do you think of yourself as a perfectionist?
Stu: does the tin man have a sheet metal...
sure, yes.
me: what's the earliest memory you have of being frustrated that something wasn't, y'know... right.
"perfect"
Stu: hm.
having a hard time thinking of one. i guess for me it's about stuff that i have control over, so...i think i end up working on it til i'm happy. frustration is just an early part of the process.
but i do remember in middle school one kid calling me a perfectionist and i took it as name calling and got really upset :)
me: really! was it a mean kid?
Stu: oh--not really.
in general i mean. lots of kids could be mean sometimes and really nice other times.
y'know. that whole growing up thing.
oh! also in middle school, maybe 6th grade there was a group writing project in english class, where we got put in small groups. i wasn't happy with what anyone came up with so i basically did the whole thing myself. that might be the earliest memory.
although it was sort of out of necessity b/c no one else was really trying.
GOOD STORY STU.
me: i think that's a perfect story.
i hated group work for the same reason.
and now we're in a band.
mark described it as an enlightened democracy
any idea what he meant by enlightened?
Stu: i avoid politics.
me: me three.
how would you describe the band dynamic in three words or less?
Stu: position players.
me: twss
what's your position?
Stu: wait does that sound no fun?
i tried to work team in there somehow.
me: sounds plenty fun to me...
absolutely
aaron dodged the "roles" question a bit... is it a squishy issue?
Stu: interesting.
well i think we all play the various roles at some point.
me: mm.
what's your favorite role in the band?
Stu: i think i'm the indian chief.
(can you say that? my high school mascot was the "Indians.")
my brother called me that once.
me: where i grew up, you couldn't be an indian for halloween.
it was on a list.
along with witch
hippie
basically anything a person could conceivably be
Stu: you couldn't be a hippie?
me: although come to think of it
i don't think rock star was on that list.
those jerks.
yeah the iowa city list was featured on that show...
politically incorrect?
was that it?
Stu: with bill maher, yes.
me: that's the one.
so, now you see.
Stu: said the blind man who picked up a hammer and saw.
me: are you saying that in your dad's voice?
Stu: i'll try to type it in his voice now:
i SEEE! said the blind man, who picked up his hammer and SAW ...
me: you still need to call your mother.
Stu: crap.
me: guilt!
Stu: it's been like a year by now.
me: maybe she's forgotten she even has a third child.
Stu: (not true, for anyone reading. MAYbe 6 months.)
me: terrible.
Stu: (also not true.)
me: ...
Stu: (okay true.)
(haha NO not true!)
(::nodding::)
me: i can see it will take a really good question to get us out of this loop.
so... how 'bout them sox?
Stu: 3 in a row!
me: twss
Stu: oh HO!
me: all right
Stu: k how bout this:
ask me what i did this morning.
me: (i'm gonna pull a fred and barney on you right now to demonstrate who's in charge of this operation.)
no that's a terrible idea.
gah.
hmmmm
oh i know!
hey stu, what'd you do this morning?
Stu: great question mackenzie!
me: thanks!
Stu: why, i bought a new guitar!
me: wait NO WAY
which one did you get???
the blue one?
Stu: i got a blue early 90's telecaster plus.
me: holy crap!!!
did anyone else bid? did you get it for the price it was at last night?
Stu: with the humbucker lace sensors in the bridge.
me: (that must be for the folks at home 'cause i don't know what that is.)
Stu: nope, i was the only bidder! i'm telling you, these auctions that end first thing eastern time are totally rigged in our favor.
first thing in the morning.
me: genius.
well good for you!!!!
Stu: yay!!!
me: what're you most looking forward to about that show?
Stu: the naked audience.
me: oh um
Stu: oh wait am i confusing this with mark's interview?
me: yeah, if the world conformed to mark's version of ideal, well...
there'd be no shoes, probably no clothes for most people, and probably no mornings.
sounds okay actually.
what's your ideal audience? in one word
Stu: so to answer your first question, i'm looking forward seeing if we can pull off all the surprises we have in store.
me: like when we all get naked halfway through the set?
.... oh whoops.
Stu: and also playing with so many great bands who are also great friends.
me: ruined the surprise.
that is nice, isn't it?
Stu: GAH mackenzie. thanks for RUINING the big finale.
me: guess we'll just have to think of something else.
Stu: socks maybe?
me: or shorts
that'd be a real shock.
Stu: or jorts.
me: ugh. no jorts.
Stu: jean jackets and jorts.
and doc martens.
me: you're killin' me smalls.
if you could open for anyone in all of history, who would it be?
wiat.
*wait
perfect audience, first.
try to keep up, will you?
Stu: oh, right.
smiling.
and arms anywhere but folded.
me: (i'm having a swoony moment.)
yes. like in their pants.
or, better - in each others' pants.
let's shoot for that.
okay now the opener question.
Stu: great question!
hm....
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...
me: oh c'mon, i know the answer to this. let's get on with it so i can imagine fooling around with the edge backstage
Stu: well there is an obvious answer: U2 in 1992, Zoo TV tour.
me: actually he wasn't as hot then.
Stu: but as brandon would mock that one...
me: bah.
Stu: BAH.
ok final answer.
me: well
Stu: sticking to it.
me: what do you say to the U2 haters?
Stu: OH GO F*CK YOURSELF YOU COLD HEARTLESS JERKOFFS.
ahem.
did i say that out loud?
me: oh you bleeped it out for me!
thanks!
how do you feel?
Stu: dirty.
me: ...
in a good way?
sorry, i'm still backstage with the edge.
Stu: right, me too.
me: let's move on, shall we!
awesome.
um.
i had a good one.
what was it?
...
um.
of all boston musicians, who would you most want to scuba dive with?
Stu: that's just crazy talk.
me: fair enough. walk on the beach with?
Stu: wait.
i'd scuba dive with Tad from Sidewalk Driver.
me: and the romantic walk on the beach?
still tad?
Stu: hm. present company excluded?
me: (swoony moment #2)
yes - outside this blue heaven.
Stu: this is a romantic walk?
me: it's on the beach. just saying.
(travis richter is holding his breath right now.)
(and probably just spilled his coffee.)
Stu: (was gonna say...)
me: (poor trav.)
Stu: has to be current?
me: uhhh i guess not?
Stu: ok kim deal.
me: mm
maybe she'd like to join us with the edge backstage....
Stu: maybe!
me: okay how about if you were going to take a member of the boston music scene (current now) with us on the tardis?
(that's the doctor who time machine for the folks at home who don't know, but if you don't know you REALLY should watch the show and i'm not gonna tell you again.)
(today)
Stu: i'd love to hear brendan boogie trash talk the Doctor.
me: ha!
where/when in the universe would you want to go first?
Stu: the beginning!
me: really!
Stu: that might not be theoretically possible though.
me: (swoon 3.0)
i think they go to the very end of the universe at some point in the series.
Stu: (maybe i'd have a better grasp on that if i'd gotten a better grade in theoretical physics.)
me: twss
Stu: oh! "grasp"!
good one, peter.
me: yeah yeah ha ha
what do you believe in?
good night.
me: haha ha ha
do you know that video has no sound?
that's so, like... existential
Stu: no it does, only on 1 channel.
put in your other earbud!
(twss)
(ouch)
me: oh i have all the sound shifted to the right one. can't have both earbuds in at the same time.
that's not existential at all.
omg i love susan sarandon.
okay, but what do you believe in?
Stu: i believe life is the universe's way of marveling at itself.
me: (do i really need to count the swoons after 3?)
what do you know for sure.
Stu: you live, you die.
also, arrested development is and will be the greatest sitcom ever.
me: what's one thing you don't know but wish you did?
Stu: if the tardis could travel to the beginning of time without disintegrating. that would be helpful in deciding how much stock/time/fantasy to put into this Doctor Who question.
b/c it's really tugging at my core.
me: what is your favorite moment in the course of playing a show (general or specific)?
Stu: (really? nothing? tugging?)
me: (that's what your mom said.)
Stu: ( )
me: :D
Stu: when the music takes over and you suddenly realize you haven't really been conscious or in the way of it, and several songs or even the whole set has gone by. it doesn't happen all the time but it's magic when it does!
sometimes your mind gets in the way of the music, y'know?
me: i do.
do you think of yourself as a mystic?
Stu: not on the whole? but it's important to chase that sense sometimes, i think.
me: right now on facebook, the boys are (not entirely unobnoxiously) scrambling to say how well they know you... and, ironically, that the gist what they know is that you're a bit of a closed book.
what do you think would surprise them the most about you?
Stu: i don't know!
drawing a blank.
me: are you a closed book?
Stu: i don't think so.
i'm just not a movie :)
you just have to open it, see.
not literally.
that would hurt.
me: what are you reading, lately?
Stu: that's a little personal, don't you think?
j/k
i'm re-reading watership down.
cute little bunnies.
me: aw, there. now aaron can say TOLD YOU.
Stu: also all the music rags.
as per usual.
me: do you read poetry?
i have a favorite poem question on my list...
Stu: not of my own accord :)
me: yeah yeah
Stu: shel silverstein's "my beard"
me: okay one word answers, fast. ready?
Stu: set.
me: what makes you happy?
Stu: kitties.
me: what pisses you off?
Stu: waste.
me: what cracks you up?
Stu: vonnegut.
me: what freaks you out?
Stu: money.
me: (you needed another guitar! don't worry!)
what makes you go "hmmm"?
Stu: interviews.
me: what turns you off?
Stu: heat.
me: do you hate me for locking us out of your room the other day?
Stu: nope.
me: whew.
okay tell the folks your myers-briggs type.
Stu: INTJ*
# moderately expressed introvert - 44%
# moderately expressed intuitive personality - 38%
# moderately expressed thinking personality - 25%
# moderately expressed judging personality - 33%
me: typical ;)
do you think of yourself as moderate?
Stu: moderately
sure, yes. except for my "extreme" vegas getaways every few months.
me: oh - and aaron wanted to know if we're closer to the kind of music you want to be making.
Stu: closer :)
me: that's just the kind of answer that'll drive him batty. :)
do you wanna ask me anything?
Stu: ok yes. when are you going to work in some mandolin or guitar in the band?
me: hmmm...
probably after i'm done with your mom.
Stu: well she's been wondering the same thing, so.
me: you win. :) maybe i'll take the mando on vacation.
OR
Stu: totes.
me: maybe you'll let me play your new blue guitar!
Stu: maybe.
me: you still haven't fulfilled that promise.
of letting me play the electric with the volume cranked (or at all).
that's how you got me to audition in the first place.
so thanks for nuthin.
Stu: oh. next rehearsal!
me: :)
k
are we done here?
Stu: you're the boss!
me: i could do this all day!
(twss x 3)
oh
one more question.
is it 5 - 3 = 2 or 5 - 2 = 3?
Stu: yes.
me: see how much you've accomplished since kindergarten!
what's really bugging me right now is that i thought of like 12 great questions for you in the course of this interview and then forgot all of them.
Stu: i got nothin'.
me: probably because of the swooning.
or the chocolate croissant i had for breakfast.
terrible.
Stu: lucky!
me: way'll. can always do a follow up.
all right you're off the hook!
now back to ichat.
Stu: goodbye everyone!
me: thanks for the lovely conversation!
have fun storming the castle!
Stu: goodbye FW!
INTJ: The outside contractor
INTJs are solid, competent personalities who may seem aloof and even arrogant, but who are typically highly skilled in any field which interests them. INTJs are confident in their skills and knowledge, self-assured, and imaginitive; their exceptional problem-solving skills make them ideal architects, auto mechanics, and tools of the evil empire. While it requires the driving will to conquer of an ENTJ to imagine the Death Star and the evil genius of an ENTP to invent its devastating weapons systems, the skill and technical prowess of the INTJ is what makes the whole thing work.
The INTJ sees life as a problem to be solved. For that reason, the INTJ is the person a company brings in from the outside to streamline production processes and identify redundant assets for termination. The INTJ's combination of analyticial problem-solving skills and complete and utter disregard for the morality or consequences of his actions also make him ideal for the job of hatchet man, CIA operative, and helpdesk operator.
RECREATION: INTJs are often baffled by the strange and incomprehensible recreational rituals of other people, such as going to parties, watching television, and having sex. Instead, they prefer to spend their leisure time installing twin missile launchers in their cars to deter tailgaters and playing chess with megalomaniac CEOs of the Tyrell corporation.
COMPATIBILITY: Silly person, INTJs don't have relationships! They may, however build their own friends.
Famous INTJs include J. F. Sebastian and Sgt. Apone.
