popwreckoning

The artists on this year’s Pac Sun Tour are some of the hardest working musicians in the business, but they all found the time to speak with me. Here’s an interview with hip hop/punk/genre-infuser extraordinaire P.O.S. about the tour, his many projects and  how he balances music with fatherhood.

Bethany, PopWreckoning: This tour is a bit of a change from what you normally do. You normally go out with the Rhymesayers. Why did you decide to go out with Pac Sun?
P.O.S.: I decided to do this tour because it is always fun to play shows for different crowds that have never thought about me before. It is always fun to just be out and be on tour.

PW: I know you’ve been known to have a little animosity toward modern hip hop. What could be done to kind of change that view?
P.O.S.: Nothing. I don’t complain about modern hip hop. I don’t complain about anything. I just make things that sound different and hopefully people will get that its different and something can be totally different or better or whatever.

PW: I love some of the samples that you find for your music. Like I think it is well known you have punk, but then you also have Japanese jazz. How do you come across stuff like that?
P.O.S.: I’m a fan of music. I’m always looking for something to listen to and from there it goes.
PW: Right. But it goes beyond just music. You reference pop culture like YouTube videos that are popular. Do you spend a lot of time on the internet?
P.O.S.: I don’t really. I don’t spend that much time on the internet. I just kind of research bands I like and visuals that I like and go that way.

PW: More recently, you were up for an MTV Woodie award. Did that have any impact on you?
P.O.S.: It’s cool to be nominated for something on a national level, but no real impact. I don’t really think about stuff like that.

PW: You used to produce under a different name and now you’ve started using your own name. Why the change?
P.O.S.: I didn’t want anybody to find out the other producer was me. I just wanted to make beats as well as rap and if the beats were too crazy then I could blame it on somebody else.
PW: So why did you start using your own name?
P.O.S.: Because I stopped caring.

PW: Now as a father, has that changed how you tour?
P.O.S.: Being a father affects how I tour when it’s not a new record. When it is a new record, I tour just as much. That’s the hardest part about touring, but it’s my job. I got to work.

PW: You always seem to have a bajillion projects whether rap, hip hop, punk, whatever. What are some of the things that you’re working on now?
P.O.S.: My band, Building Better Bombs, has a full-length coming and we also have dance record coming under the name Marijuana Death Squad and just more rap music.

PW: As its nearing the end of December, we’re reaching the end of the naught decade. Do you have a favorite musical memory of the last ten years?
P.O.S.: Ten years is huge. I got to sing for NOFX at Warped tour this year. That was fun.
PW: Is Warped tour one of your favorite tours?
P.O.S.: No. It is fun, but I couldn’t do it all the time.

PW: I don’t want to take your time for too long and it is really loud, so we’ll end it here. Thank you. It was nice to meet you.
P.O.S.: Good to meet you too.

P.O.S.: website | myspace | @ pac sun, beaumont

Rock, electronica, hip hop…oh my! Pac Sun Tour offers a diverse line up and it going into the show, I knew this could either be really scary or something truly special. It wasn’t long before I could confirm that this the latter.

For select major cities, a local band is given the chance to open the show after winning a Battle of the Bands competition. Headliners Saosin came up with the idea to help local scenes out. For the Kansas City show, piano rockers A.M.I.M. won the battle and kicked things off. I’m not sure if they just brought a lot of their friends or if they just impressed the audience that much, but people were really into their set. I could see some potential. They had great stage presence and had skills on their various instrument. They were unified and didn’t overpower each other, which would be easy to do in a young band. However, they still have lots of room for improvement before they can start taking over radio waves. Lyrically they are a  bit weak…”It’s been three years. It’s so sincere. The chandeliers have disappeared.” Um, wtf?

After A.M.I.M. was Eye Alaska. These guys might have been my favorite act of the night even if I thought some of their set got a little repetitive. I went into their set with a curiosity. I hadn’t really heard them, but I had heard that their pianist/guitarist is the brother of Thrice‘s Dustin Kensrue. Eye Alaska stand out on their own and I after hearing them, while the brother connection most likely helps, they don’t need it. They don’t sound anything like Thrice, so the tidbit should just fade aways as some random trivia as they continue making their own impression on thew world of music. They were phenomenal and I think they’re poised to blow up as big as other popular warped bands likes Paramore. I’ve heard them described as “new wave,” but aside from the piano on a few songs, I don’t get that at all. They’re more pop rock/alternative. They’re incredibly hardworking too. The guys are doing acoustic instores at practically every stop and they’re down to earth. Even if their brand of music isn’t your style, their work ethic alone should make you want to support them.

I had similar feelings toward P.O.S. Hip hop isn’t my usual style, but I just wanted to support the guy. Again, you had yet another down to earth guy (in fact, all the bands on this tour were super down to earth, humble and genuine) that has music different than your usual expectations associated with that genre. Forget how Soulja Boy made you hate hip hop with his sleazy “Crank Dat,” P.O.S. actually has something to say with his music and he samples a wider variety of influences such as jazz. This is hip hop the way it was meant to be. The way that groups like Run-DMC envisioned it. Not those guys other guys on MTV that are wearing so many grillz you can’t even understand a word they’re saying.

True to their name, Innerpartysystem brought a party. With a light show that they say is actually a bit toned down from their usual show, they had carefully thought out their presentation just as thoroughly as their set list. The electronica beats effortlessly glided the party from one song to the next so the crowd keep up with “Don’t Stop” and other songs without a stop.

I’m not sure I can do headliners Saosin justice for their performance with a full review since I was off doing interviews during much of their set. From what I did see, I enjoyed. They are an alternative rock group with high energy and an edginess that makes them appeal to the screamo-sort of loves-to-mosh crowd, yet they have a softness and a vocal control that makes it so they’d still be pretty awesome for a guy to take a girl out on a date to see. With the way the various genres that opened for them and their own ability to appeal to various genres, I could see why they were given the headlining slot.

The tour continues until December 20. Check out additional information and dates here: pacsun.com/pactour.

PopWreckoning has interviewed all these bands. Check out the interview with Innerpartysystem here. The rest are coming soon!