Shaun + Dan Knight + Ryan
Interview with Shaun and Dan
- - - - - -
The Band : B !
The Time : Early March 2005
By Philip Kramer
The Time : Early March 2005
By Philip Kramer
PK : Are you all from the Twin Cities and how did the 2005 B ! come together ?
PK : B ! is Dan Knight - the taller B, Shaun Ware - the wider B and Ryan Bynim - the shorter B. Are there any nick names that have come up?
Dan : Do you want the nick names that we gave each other or do you want the nicknames that people yell from the crowds? . . . Naked Dan and Big Daddy.
PK : You're working on a new album for 2005.How is that going and what can you reveal about it at this time?
Shaun :The new CD is coming along really well. Honestly it has been a hard album to make because we've all been going through a few things and just trying to remain focused,but you knowsometimes the greatest moments come from some of the most tragic and difficult experiences. I am sure this will be a great disc once it is complete because if it isn't it won't come out. But we're working with some very cool and talented people and just working on putting a foot to the ass of our sound.
PK : I remember when Dan Knight played drums up front at the Cabooze. What would you like to say about those days?
DAN : In a way i kind of miss it. I don't miss hauling all those drums but i miss it. The band was at a different place then. I would say it was a lot more experimental.
PK : How have things been going with your new drummer Ryan Bynim and how has his B experience been thus far?
Shaun : We hate him and he hates us so it's all good. It's going really well. Ryan is a great drummer and pianist and i know he'll only get better with time.
Dan : yeah we really don't like him much ! ! ! ! ! !
PK : How long did it take to record the album "Degenerator" and did some songs come together more so easy than others?
Shaun : It took about 2 weeks altogether,4 days of recording in Cali.3 days of recording here, 4 days of vocals, and 3 days to mix and all that. For me the hardest song to nail was probably "Highya" due to the chords.
Dan : Don't forget the two hours it took to right that on the plane.
PK : What are your favorite songs on the "Degenerator" album and what songs seem to be most popular among fans?
Shaun : I love all the songs on Degenerator, I'd say She, and Highya are pretty popular.
Dan : I would say My God and When it's over.
PK : How were the shows playing with 'Fishbone', 'Kings X' and others?
Shaun : Awesome.It felt like nothing I've ever experienced before just going out and winning over a crowd that had hardly or never heard of you,just dope.
Dan : I was like a school girl. I was bouncin around yelling it's 'Fishbone' and 'King's X' fxxk ! Every national act that we have played with has been very cool. When you do these kinds of gigs and you pay attention you can really learn a lot of stuff.
PK : Have there been any shows where things just didn't go very well?
Shaun : Oh yes. You just have to focus and get it done. People are paying to be entertained, so you gotta bring it no matter what.
Dan : Oh hell yeah !!!!!!!!!!!
PK : What comes to mind with the phrase "To B or not to B" ?
Shaun : 2003, we pretty much almost broke up. Somehow we kept it together.
PK : Is your hardsoul sound a style and approach as individuals more so than a detailed musical technique or math equation?
Shaun : Ain't no math involved in this here. It's really just the combination of our individual musical ideals and personalities working together.
PK : What would you like to say about the work you've done with the Detroit Pistons?
Shaun : I've never had more fun being a jackass in my life. I'm not sure if i was sober all the time either.
Dan : Yeah that stuff has been a lot of fun. Here is something funny. One night I was in Mankato and some guy at the bar said that I sounded like Ben Wallace (the cartoon version of ben) and he had no idea that it was me doing that voice.
PK : Are there any particular music venues that you always seem to have a good time playing?
Shaun : We have a good time wherever we play because we don't care about the politics of gigs, pay us and stand back has always been our motto.
Dan : or just pay us.
PK : You all speak english, yet Shaun has his own good time lingo. What would he like to say about B and the music?
Shaun : We're a whoop-ass band with whoop-ass music, and any sombitch that doubts it can come to the show and get ya cabbage turned to coleslaw byaatch . . . hows that?
PK : What are some of your favorite Minnesota area bands?
Shaun : My personal favorites are Landing Gear, Like Hell, the Rolling Blackouts, the Spectaculars, and everybody we have a link to on our site.
Dan : There are a lot of bands that I like.
PK : Would you like to say something about your fans and supporters that help make things come together well for the band?
Shaun : The HARD-SOUL FAMILY are just so freaking incredible.They get the CD, they request songs at radio stations and from us, they are all over it.Telling friends and using word of mouth getting people out there to support us.We could never thank them enough. so,THANK YOU ALL again.
PK : I think your phrase "We are B !" well answers the question about what B means. Some may like to think B stands for 'Banana Cream Pie' or 'Beer, Babes and Bottle Rockets' or maybe even 'Bong Crazy Happy Hour'. Are there any other B phrases you've heard of or would like to beat the drum about?
Shaun : badass black band, big brotha's bringin' it, i forgot the other ones but i do think it's funny when people tell us what they think it means or stands for - ever since we added that damn exclamation point . . .
PK : I'd like to toss out some older band names and see what you might have to say : The Beatles, Jefferson Airplane, Motorhead, Black Sabbath, Bob Marley, Blue Oyster Cult, Jimi Hendrix.
Shaun : I love all of those bands, but i was most profoundly struck by Bob Marley and the Beatles. They just all wrote deep, deep, songs about the love and chaos happening around us all. I think that is a great gift when even though you don't live in the streets anymore you can still tell the stories and still touch the people and inform people who may not know of the trials of life that our neighbors may be facing. I really believe that the goal here is to learn to co-exist and these cats had the music to prove that.
Dan : I have a deep deep love for the older bands. You think about waht they had to work with and how well they still sound. I am an 80"s guy. I just really miss the times when everyone in a band had to be pretty damn good. This two chord skip rock shit drives me nuts!!!!!!!
PK : What would you each like to say about B as you head into 2005 and beyond?
Shaun : I'm proud of what we've done so far and look forward to a long and weird future. I would like to personally invite anyone who reads this to come out to our shows,to buy our cd's, and just to support us if they love the music.
Dan : Wear a helmet !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- - -Dan : To be honest none of us are from here. I think thats
why we kind of had a tough start here. Minneapolis is kind of a hard egg to
crack. People reallt stick to their own.
I feel we are from here now though.
I feel we are from here now though.
PK : B ! is Dan Knight - the taller B, Shaun Ware - the wider B and Ryan Bynim - the shorter B. Are there any nick names that have come up?
Dan : Do you want the nick names that we gave each other or do you want the nicknames that people yell from the crowds? . . . Naked Dan and Big Daddy.
PK : You're working on a new album for 2005.How is that going and what can you reveal about it at this time?
Shaun :The new CD is coming along really well. Honestly it has been a hard album to make because we've all been going through a few things and just trying to remain focused,but you knowsometimes the greatest moments come from some of the most tragic and difficult experiences. I am sure this will be a great disc once it is complete because if it isn't it won't come out. But we're working with some very cool and talented people and just working on putting a foot to the ass of our sound.
PK : I remember when Dan Knight played drums up front at the Cabooze. What would you like to say about those days?
DAN : In a way i kind of miss it. I don't miss hauling all those drums but i miss it. The band was at a different place then. I would say it was a lot more experimental.
PK : How have things been going with your new drummer Ryan Bynim and how has his B experience been thus far?
Shaun : We hate him and he hates us so it's all good. It's going really well. Ryan is a great drummer and pianist and i know he'll only get better with time.
Dan : yeah we really don't like him much ! ! ! ! ! !
PK : How long did it take to record the album "Degenerator" and did some songs come together more so easy than others?
Shaun : It took about 2 weeks altogether,4 days of recording in Cali.3 days of recording here, 4 days of vocals, and 3 days to mix and all that. For me the hardest song to nail was probably "Highya" due to the chords.
Dan : Don't forget the two hours it took to right that on the plane.
PK : What are your favorite songs on the "Degenerator" album and what songs seem to be most popular among fans?
Shaun : I love all the songs on Degenerator, I'd say She, and Highya are pretty popular.
Dan : I would say My God and When it's over.
PK : How were the shows playing with 'Fishbone', 'Kings X' and others?
Shaun : Awesome.It felt like nothing I've ever experienced before just going out and winning over a crowd that had hardly or never heard of you,just dope.
Dan : I was like a school girl. I was bouncin around yelling it's 'Fishbone' and 'King's X' fxxk ! Every national act that we have played with has been very cool. When you do these kinds of gigs and you pay attention you can really learn a lot of stuff.
PK : Have there been any shows where things just didn't go very well?
Shaun : Oh yes. You just have to focus and get it done. People are paying to be entertained, so you gotta bring it no matter what.
Dan : Oh hell yeah !!!!!!!!!!!
PK : What comes to mind with the phrase "To B or not to B" ?
Shaun : 2003, we pretty much almost broke up. Somehow we kept it together.
PK : Is your hardsoul sound a style and approach as individuals more so than a detailed musical technique or math equation?
Shaun : Ain't no math involved in this here. It's really just the combination of our individual musical ideals and personalities working together.
PK : What would you like to say about the work you've done with the Detroit Pistons?
Shaun : I've never had more fun being a jackass in my life. I'm not sure if i was sober all the time either.
Dan : Yeah that stuff has been a lot of fun. Here is something funny. One night I was in Mankato and some guy at the bar said that I sounded like Ben Wallace (the cartoon version of ben) and he had no idea that it was me doing that voice.
PK : Are there any particular music venues that you always seem to have a good time playing?
Shaun : We have a good time wherever we play because we don't care about the politics of gigs, pay us and stand back has always been our motto.
Dan : or just pay us.
PK : You all speak english, yet Shaun has his own good time lingo. What would he like to say about B and the music?
Shaun : We're a whoop-ass band with whoop-ass music, and any sombitch that doubts it can come to the show and get ya cabbage turned to coleslaw byaatch . . . hows that?
PK : What are some of your favorite Minnesota area bands?
Shaun : My personal favorites are Landing Gear, Like Hell, the Rolling Blackouts, the Spectaculars, and everybody we have a link to on our site.
Dan : There are a lot of bands that I like.
PK : Would you like to say something about your fans and supporters that help make things come together well for the band?
Shaun : The HARD-SOUL FAMILY are just so freaking incredible.They get the CD, they request songs at radio stations and from us, they are all over it.Telling friends and using word of mouth getting people out there to support us.We could never thank them enough. so,THANK YOU ALL again.
PK : I think your phrase "We are B !" well answers the question about what B means. Some may like to think B stands for 'Banana Cream Pie' or 'Beer, Babes and Bottle Rockets' or maybe even 'Bong Crazy Happy Hour'. Are there any other B phrases you've heard of or would like to beat the drum about?
Shaun : badass black band, big brotha's bringin' it, i forgot the other ones but i do think it's funny when people tell us what they think it means or stands for - ever since we added that damn exclamation point . . .
PK : I'd like to toss out some older band names and see what you might have to say : The Beatles, Jefferson Airplane, Motorhead, Black Sabbath, Bob Marley, Blue Oyster Cult, Jimi Hendrix.
Shaun : I love all of those bands, but i was most profoundly struck by Bob Marley and the Beatles. They just all wrote deep, deep, songs about the love and chaos happening around us all. I think that is a great gift when even though you don't live in the streets anymore you can still tell the stories and still touch the people and inform people who may not know of the trials of life that our neighbors may be facing. I really believe that the goal here is to learn to co-exist and these cats had the music to prove that.
Dan : I have a deep deep love for the older bands. You think about waht they had to work with and how well they still sound. I am an 80"s guy. I just really miss the times when everyone in a band had to be pretty damn good. This two chord skip rock shit drives me nuts!!!!!!!
PK : What would you each like to say about B as you head into 2005 and beyond?
Shaun : I'm proud of what we've done so far and look forward to a long and weird future. I would like to personally invite anyone who reads this to come out to our shows,to buy our cd's, and just to support us if they love the music.
Dan : Wear a helmet !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FOR MORE INFO AND HIJINX VISIT US
www.weareb.com
B ! is based in Minnesota