This is my second attempt at interviewing The Lawrence Arms. The first time was at a very sold out Against Me! show back in 2003 (sadly enough, a few days after the Cubs' blew a 3-1 series lead to lose to Marlins, blowing their chance at getting into the World Series) that had people breaking into the show by climbing through the Church windows. The show got shut down, and I was able to do a quick interview, which I accidentally taped over a short time later.
This interview with both Brendan and Chris came out much better and still managed to talk about the Cubs while also alluding to a pre interview story that Fat Mike told in the dressing room. If you don't own Oh, Calcutta! yet, than you are doing your ears a major disservice.

PL: State your names and favorite board games.
BR: My name is Brendan and my favorite board game is Stratego. I like that game a lot.
CM: My name is Chris. I've always liked Clue, and also Scrabble.
PL: Except Scrabble brings out a lot of fights.
BR: Scrabble is also the game that my mom used to make me play.
CM: Risk.
BR: Oh, Risk. I loved Risk.
PL: That was such a great indoor recess game. It would take the whole half hour.
CM: Risk could take days. Its the game of world domination.

PL: Would you rather have a show sell out where people couldn't get in or play a smaller show that everybody gets to get in who wants to?
BR: There's great things about both, but realistically, selling out a show is awesome. When a show sells out, it means that, as a musician, you've done your job. You put as many people as possible in there.
CM: But at the same time, its awesome for everyone who wants to see you to be able to see you, but thats the nature of being successful. If you play a show with NOFX, that is going to sell out all these clubs on a nightly basis; the only way for that to happen is for people who want to see you not to be able to see you.
BR: Having said that, you have to be stupid to not want to sell out shows. Of course I'd rather have sold out shows over not sold out shows. It sucks when its our fans who can't get in because we're playing big shows. Thats just unfortunate. Its an unfortunate side effect, but a much more important side effect is me having to go get a real job.
PL: Real jobs can be fun too, sometimes.
BR: Thats true. I used to have a summer job putting my finger in Japanese business guys' dickholes.

PL: Do you think the origins of punk rock were about acceptance or about looking down on everyone that wasn't like them?
BR: I don't know if I could speak about that with any sort of authority. I have no idea. The reason I got into punk rock was because I felt an excitement about being disconnected to things, and that really appealed to me, and I liked the way the music sounded. I thought the dudes that were punk rock were most like the dudes I wanted to be like when I got older. That had everything to do with why I got into punk rock. In 1977, I was one, so I had no idea what was going on then.
CM: I think the main reason I got into punk rock music was because the music sounded good, and me and Brendan were friends. I think the reason we got into the punk rock scene had to do with us feeling that we were doing something really cool and different, and also feeling like there were other people interested in these kind of things. So, it wasn't really looking down on people; it was more like finding that commonality between you and your friends and finding something that was really kick ass and you felt like you were a part of it.

PL: What do you think the Cubs' chances are this season?
CM: I think the Cardinals are gonna be worse, the Astros will be worse and the Brewers will be better, so that puts the Cubs in the same position that they are always in, which is if their starting pitching can stay healthy and they can score some runs, they can do well, and most likely, they'll find some way to fuck it up. It pretty much depends on the starting pitching.
PL: Kerry Wood is getting surgery, but they say he'll be better by the start of the season.
CM: They say he will, but who knows.
PL: I just want them to win.
CM: It'd be pretty nice, but I'll tell you, the White Sox are gonna be good.

PL: That brings me to my next question: When the White Sox were in the World Series I though it was good because I hate the Astros (I no longer consider them to be a team-they have been officially crossed off my list), so I thought it would be good because Chicago would get a championship, but I was listening to sports radio and they said that Cubs' fans weren't happy about that because they wanted the Cubs to be the team to bring a championship to the city.
CM: I was happy about it. I'm a Cubs' fan, but I've got nothing against the White Sox. It was awesome that they won the World Series. They were an awesome team, too.
BR: What kind of Cubs' fan would you be to root for the Astros during the World Series?
PL: I wasn't rooting for them
BR: I'm just saying, if you hate the White Sox more than you hate the Astros, you've got to get your fucking priorities together.
PL: I was possibly considering going for the Yankees over the Astros if that happened, and I hate the Yankees. I don't think the Astros should be in this league at all. I think they should be in the American League West.
CM: I think Texas shouldn't be in the Union, so...Take that Texas.

PL: Whats one movie you think everyone should see?
BOTH: "Fast, Cheap & Out of Control."
CM: Great movie. One of the best I've seen. Also, "The Fog of War."
BR: "Fast, Cheap & Out of Control" is one of the most profoundly unbelievable piece of art of any medium that I have ever seen. Its unreal.
CM: And "Jack Frost" and "Cheaper by the Dozen 2."
BR: Also, "All Anal Access 23." Its so much better than 24 or 22. I don't know if it lives up to the first ten.

PL: Whats a little known fact about Chicago?
BR: The Italian beef was invented there.
CM: This guys' got a a pretty good piece of Italian beef.
BR: Thats true.

PL: Is there anything you want to say about your album (Oh, Calcutta!)?
BR: Its totally sweet and you guys should all buy it.

Interviewed by: RF

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