Nardwuar: The Human Serviette

Interviewing Nardwuar, the amazing music journalist from Vancouver, British Columbia, who has interviewed everyone from James Brown, Jay Z and Joan Jett to Cory Feldman, Crispin Glover and Cynthia Plaster Caster was a bit intimidating but since I've know this fun loving, sweet hearted man for over the last 18 years, I thought I would give it a go. 

I was visiting some friends in Seattle last month. While having dinner in Capitol Hill at Lost Lake, they casually asked me what I wanted to do that night. I of course asked what bands were playing in town. My friend Kerry pulled out her iPhone and began to list bands, when she suddenly mentioned The Evaporators who happened to be playing that night right around the corner at The Comet Tavern. I stopped her from listing any other bands. That was it. Nardwuar was in town and I happened to be a block away! We finished our hearty meals, headed out into the kind of rain I hadn't seen since I moved down to LA and headed all the way around the corner to see The Evaporators play.

Nardwuar is a performer's performer. His ability to rouse a jaded crowd into a frenzy is notorious and that night at The Tavern was no excpetion. The following photo essay shows exactly just how much fun Nardwuar and his merry band of mindblowingly good musicians can conjure. His exuberance is infectious. That level of energy can been seen in his video interviews and what has endeared us to the man and the legend.

Julie Pavlowski Green
Saturday, October 26, 2013

Julie Pavlowski Green: Who are you?

Nardwuar the Human Serviette from Vancouver, BC, Canada! Check out dootdooladootdoodootdoo.com for more info!

JPG: What is a skookum and why should we visit The Tomahawk? 

NTHS: The Skookum Chief Hamburger is from the Tomahawk BBQ in North Vancouver, BC Canada. What’s on it? Egg, bacon, weiner, meat and cheese. Basically three meals in one. Bryan Adams once worked there as a dishwasher and my band The Evaporators shot our “Hot Dog High” video there! 

JPG: When did "The Evaporators" form and where was your first gig?

NTHS: We Evaporators formed on Feb 20 1986 in Vancouver BC Canada and our first gig our High School’s “Variety Night”  where we performed The Sonics “Shot Down” and The Cramps “Human Fly”. You can check out an early Evaporators performance from
1987 here. 

JPG: What is the story behind the song "Ripple Rock"?

NTHS: The song ‘Ripple Rock’ is about blowing up a rock called, Ripple Rock, located near Campbell River, BC (not far from Pamela Anderson’s birthplace!). For years Ripple Rock had been a hazard to ships travelling the narrow passage called Seymour Narrows, so the authorities had to find a solution, which was to blow it to bits!

JPG: When did Nick Smuggler join the band? Did you guys grow up together in Vancouver?

NTHS: Nick came aboard in June 2012 and, yes, I have know him for along time! He actually witnessed the very first Evaporators gig and also plays in the wonderful Tranzmitors! Plus we can’t forget he played drums and sang in The Tonics who do anamazing version of the theme song to the Canadian Television classic “The Littlest Hobo”.

JPG: You said your Farfisa was originally owned by Trent Ruane from "The Mummies". Are "Thee Goblins" a tribute to the Kings of Budget Rock?

NTHS: It wasn’t “the” Mummies Farfisa, but Mike Olson from Olivelawn kindly gave me one of Trent’s Acetone Top 5 Organs that he had acquired. I feel honored to have it my possession! Now, The Evaporators "open up"ourselves by performing as Thee Goblins (just organ and drums). 

Thee Goblins wear tiny University of Washington cheerleader jerseys on top of white bedsheets and we actually formed before I even knew what Budget Rock was!

JPG: When did you start interviewing celebrities, porn stars and heads of state?

NTHS: I just love to learn info and find out WHY? For instance, Art Bergmann once played in a great punk band out of Vancouver called The Young Canadians (aka The K-Tels). On their 2nd EP they thanked my High School in the liner notes. So I had to find out, why? So guess who was my first interview on Sept 26 1985? Art Bergmann! Hawaii is one of my fav songs ever! 

JPG: Was it for your radio show at the University of British Columbia's campus statin CiTR or for the local cable TV show Soundproof? 

NTHS: It was actually for neither! It was for “home use!” But later, in October 1987, I got a radio show on CiTR in Vancouver, which I still do till this day! My CiTR show is also rebroadcast on WFMU as well! Check out the Nardwuar Audio Vault here. It's so cool you mentioned SoundProof as it was a highly influential cable access TV show in Vancouver that let bands like the Young Canadians, Engimas, Pointed Sticks,D.O.A., Subhumans and many more play live on air! Sadly, it’s long gone, but I was able to contribute to it for a few years in the early 90s. 

 

 

JPG: Kreayshawn seems to encapsulate two of your favorite flavors, creating a bridge between the underground garage/punk scene with a celebrity rapper. How did it feel to interview her?

NTHS: I couldn’t believe that she appeared on a Trashwomen LP when she was 5 years old! Elka, her Mom, is so cool! And as an added bonus, I mentioned Oakland’s Zachary’s Pizza in the interview, and to my surprise, a few weeks later, Zacharys sent me a gift certificate for some free Pizza! I knew I wouldn’t be there for awhile, so I gave the gift  certificate to the band Real Estate! So I love the fact that a Kreayshawn interview helped feed a band from New Jersey!

 

JPG: Do you find that people are more open to being interviewed by you since you are a Canadian or do you think it is because you set them at ease with your affable personality?

NTHS: Being Canadian, I don’t think makes a difference, but living in Vancouver BC, where there are fewer media outlets probably does. For instance, when like Lady Gaga plays in LA there are tons of people that want to talk to her, while in Vancouver, the number is a lot less great. In fact, when I 
interviewed her, I was slotted in after the local student high school paper! She even had time for them which was awesome!

JPG: Your knowledge of each subject you interview is mind blowing. How much time do you spend preparing before you encounter your subjects?

NTHS: I do my radio show on CiTR every week, so each week I generally focus on a different interview. I am never prepared enough for interviews though! There is always something you miss!

JPG: Tell us about your favorite types of cheese.

NTHS: Mainly old aged cheddar and other assorted cheeses like Huntsman. Although I do think unpasteurized cheese is too stinky!

JPGS: Do you have a Tom Guido story to tell us?

NTHS: When The Evaporators played The Purlpe Onion with The Hi-Fives and Sinister Six I do remember he kept playing The Makers over and over on the jukebox. It was an honour to play the ‘Onion and I was especially excited to meet Sven- Erik Geddes from Planet Pimp Records that night!

JPG: Your energy is infectious and has not deminished one bit since your sint in the hospital back in 1999. Has your approach to life, music or your interviews changed in any way?

NTHS: I was so lucky that from the minute I got into the Hospital, people were writing letters of encouragement telling me to keep going. That is something I will never forget: how people I didn’t even know were so incredibly kind to me. As a result of all the good vibes, I think I actually came out stronger. At least mentally!

JPG: What did you have for lunch today?

NTHS: A garden burger, as I am trying to cut down on the amount of Skookum Chief hamburgers I wolf down! Thanks again so much for the interview and photos Julie! Keep on rawkin in the free world and doot doola doot doo …

JPG: Doot do!