Dad Rock: Cris Kirkwood on life in Meat Puppets
Patrick Foster and Jim Lenahan, USA TODAY 9:03 a.m. EDT June 27, 2015
Some 35 years after forming in Phoenix and a little more than 20 years since their peak popularity, the Meat Puppets are still rocking clubs across the USA. With a solid core of well-known songs — including Backwater and Lake of Fire — and a reputation for mixing punk, country and psychedelia into a jammy stew, the Meat Puppets revisit a time when rock music had few rules and seemingly limitless possibilities.
Cris Kirkwood, an original member with older brother Curt, visited USA TODAY for an interview on the Dad Rock podcast. Hosts Patrick Foster and Jim Lenahan chatted with the bassist about the '80s punk scene, major label success in the '90s (including gold album Too High to Die) and the Meat Puppets' now-legendary appearance alongside Kurt Cobain on Nirvana's seminal MTV Unplugged show.
All episodes of Dad Rock are available on:
iTunes
Soundcloud
Stream or download the Cris Kirkwood episode of Dad Rock here:
https://soundcloud.com/dadrockshow/ep-18-meat-puppets-cris-kirkwood-in-studio
Some highlights from the interview:
On hosting his own podcast, The Cris Kirkwood podcast: "I'm the middle child ... so something in my personality requires that affirmation, and I get it by being lugubrious."
On whether the band members thought they'd have such a long career: "From the get, there was the idea of being able to play for a long time. We were real conscious about not specifically painting ourselves into one corner, really keeping the field kind of wide open, the palate kind of multi-colored. So it doesn't surprise me that I am (still playing in a band); it kind of grosses me out."
On punk fans' reaction when the Meat Puppets broadened their sound: "(It was) kind of gross, really, because they were prone to expressing themselves salivically, if you will."
On band turmoil, mostly due to Cris' struggles with drugs: "It was completely my fault, and I wish it hadn't happened, definitely. And I would caution anyone against the dangers, the pitfalls that are out there. ... It just figures that it'd be me. It gets back to that little brother crap. ... I'm a nice guy. I'm a sweet dude, and I'm a real hard worker. I love doing this. I'm as enthusiastic as the dickens. For it to be me that actually tears us apart at the point when things actually started to get more fun — there was a monetary element that was involved ... (and) I made it so that we couldn't continue to do it."
On playing with Nirvana on Unplugged: "MTV didn't want them to do it. ... Cobain's telling them, 'We have a guest that we want to bring on.' And they're for sure like 'Eddie Vedder.' And then instead it's like, 'No, the Meat Puppets.' And they're like, 'What?' "
Music featured in this episode, plus additional songs by the Meat Puppets and their collaboration with Nirvana on MTV Unplugged:
Follow Dad Rock on Twitter @DadRockShow
Email Patrick and Jim at [email protected]
For more about Dad Rock episodes, visit dadrock.usatoday.com.
For more about how to hear the show, check out our About page.
Accessed: 7/6/15
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2015/06/26/dad-rock-podcast-cris-kirkwood-on-meat-puppets-highs-lows/29363363/
Patrick Foster and Jim Lenahan, USA TODAY 9:03 a.m. EDT June 27, 2015
Some 35 years after forming in Phoenix and a little more than 20 years since their peak popularity, the Meat Puppets are still rocking clubs across the USA. With a solid core of well-known songs — including Backwater and Lake of Fire — and a reputation for mixing punk, country and psychedelia into a jammy stew, the Meat Puppets revisit a time when rock music had few rules and seemingly limitless possibilities.
Cris Kirkwood, an original member with older brother Curt, visited USA TODAY for an interview on the Dad Rock podcast. Hosts Patrick Foster and Jim Lenahan chatted with the bassist about the '80s punk scene, major label success in the '90s (including gold album Too High to Die) and the Meat Puppets' now-legendary appearance alongside Kurt Cobain on Nirvana's seminal MTV Unplugged show.
All episodes of Dad Rock are available on:
iTunes
Soundcloud
Stream or download the Cris Kirkwood episode of Dad Rock here:
https://soundcloud.com/dadrockshow/ep-18-meat-puppets-cris-kirkwood-in-studio
Some highlights from the interview:
On hosting his own podcast, The Cris Kirkwood podcast: "I'm the middle child ... so something in my personality requires that affirmation, and I get it by being lugubrious."
On whether the band members thought they'd have such a long career: "From the get, there was the idea of being able to play for a long time. We were real conscious about not specifically painting ourselves into one corner, really keeping the field kind of wide open, the palate kind of multi-colored. So it doesn't surprise me that I am (still playing in a band); it kind of grosses me out."
On punk fans' reaction when the Meat Puppets broadened their sound: "(It was) kind of gross, really, because they were prone to expressing themselves salivically, if you will."
On band turmoil, mostly due to Cris' struggles with drugs: "It was completely my fault, and I wish it hadn't happened, definitely. And I would caution anyone against the dangers, the pitfalls that are out there. ... It just figures that it'd be me. It gets back to that little brother crap. ... I'm a nice guy. I'm a sweet dude, and I'm a real hard worker. I love doing this. I'm as enthusiastic as the dickens. For it to be me that actually tears us apart at the point when things actually started to get more fun — there was a monetary element that was involved ... (and) I made it so that we couldn't continue to do it."
On playing with Nirvana on Unplugged: "MTV didn't want them to do it. ... Cobain's telling them, 'We have a guest that we want to bring on.' And they're for sure like 'Eddie Vedder.' And then instead it's like, 'No, the Meat Puppets.' And they're like, 'What?' "
Music featured in this episode, plus additional songs by the Meat Puppets and their collaboration with Nirvana on MTV Unplugged:
Follow Dad Rock on Twitter @DadRockShow
Email Patrick and Jim at [email protected]
For more about Dad Rock episodes, visit dadrock.usatoday.com.
For more about how to hear the show, check out our About page.
Accessed: 7/6/15
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2015/06/26/dad-rock-podcast-cris-kirkwood-on-meat-puppets-highs-lows/29363363/