SJF

Bryan, I noticed two women who got excited when you mentioned an ex-wife in one song.  Then they noticed that you didn’t have a wedding ring on.  They were very happy.

Bryan

I can’t wear it for my day job, but I am married.

Zeke

(still flying high after playing a great show)

Bryan

This is the first band he’s had that’s ever played live.

SJF

How long have you guys been playing together?

Zeke

A year and a month.

Bryan

The last time Brent and I were up here was in October of 2003.  We had a meeting with Chris Ricci.  We sat down and played him our rough mix.  Brent was saying, “This is our business plan.  This is what we’re going to do.”  Chris looks over at me and I’m just smiling.  He says, “This is all fine and dandy but what do you want?”  Brent says, “We want to play the Saliva show.”  (band laughs)  Chris says, “I don’t think it’ll be a problem.  I’ll see what I can do.”  We come out going, (sings) “I’m walking on sunshine.”  (laughs)

SJF

What did you guys think of tonight’s show?

Bryan

For all locals, it’s not bad. 

SJF

I was impressed with the professionalism of all the bands so far tonight.

Zeke

We played a really good show here a few weeks ago.  About 300 people.  Every band sounded great. 

SJF

What are your favorite places to play?

BLU

(in unison) Here!

Bryan

Here and the Mainzer Theater in Merced.  Home away from home!

SJF

What’s next for you guys?

Brent

World domination.

SJF

Are you going to implant things in our brain?

Rich

We already have.

Zeke

We continue doing shows as a band.  We continue doing business as a band.

Bryan

We’re going to out promote everybody.  We’re going to hand out more flyers.  Talk to more people.  Post on more websites.  We’re going to do whatever it takes to get our music out there.

Zeke

Every show we’re going to get better.  It’s going to build and build and build. 

SJF

I don’t know if you noticed, but there were a lot more people up there in the front for you than for the other bands.

Brent

That’s because of our hard work.

Bryan

It wasn’t our best draw, but comparatively, we’re very happy.

Brent

For a Tuesday night.  I don’t think we can be doing any better than we’re doing right now for a local, unreleased, scratch-the-surface band.  Before we go any further looking at major labels, we need to be sure we have all our ducks in a row.  We bring fifty [people] tonight, on the 25^th we’ll be able to bring 150 with more promotion.  It’s about penetrating the market.

Bryan

Penetration!  (everyone laughs)

SJF

Any plans to record?  I know you have a three-song demo.

Bryan

We’ve been trying to record for about eight months.

Brent

We have a place that we can record but we have to fit in when other bands aren’t using it.  (Editor:  I can tell you how they scored this deal, but then I’d have to kill you.)  We went in to record, but we went in too early.

Bryan

We were unprepared.

Brent

Now we’re ready to go in a second time, but now we have to wait.

Bryan

We put together a very good three song demo.  But we grew as a band in that first six months to a year.  Now, we’re ready to go back.  We each have different experiences that we draw from.  We built this building really fast and we’re noticing that there are these little blocks that we were missing.  We have to go back and fix them while we grow.  It’s a challenge.  It’s always a challenge.  Every time we meet as a band or play a show, there are things we notice that we need to do. 

SJF

How did your trip to Portland go?

Zeke

The scene up there is unbelievable.  They welcomed us with open arms.

Bryan

They were apologizing for the turnout and it was one of our better shows.

SJF

Did you just do one show?

Bryan

We did Friday night in Yuba City.

SJF

(laughs) Alright!

Bryan

We drove by the club and went, “Oh my god, we are not playing here.”  When we walked in, they had a stage, lights and sound!  We get a beer tab! 

SJF

I think just being a resident of Yuba City earns you a beer tab.  (everyone laughs)

Bryan

They cut us off really fast.  We played in front of about five to ten people, but they looked at us with their jaws on the ground, saying “You are awesome!  Where did you come from?!”  I jumped off the stage with t-shirts saying “Ten dollars!  Ten dollars!  Two for sixteen!”  Then, Brent, the only sober guy in the band drove for a few hours to get a hotel room.  Then we headed up the next day.

Zeke

That trip was really good for us as a band.  The shows were good.  But as a band, that was the first time we went somewhere alone.  Without any wives or girlfriends.

Bryan

We got things talked about that we don’t talk about.  Being males we don’t talk.

Zeke

We had time to just think.

Bryan

And we grossed each other out as fully as possible.  Being big guys, the best thing about Portland had to be the cake.

BLU

Oh yeah!

SJF

The cake?

Bryan

Robin from Crave Magazine let us crash at her house and when we got to her house after the show she had this big sheet cake with “Welcome Better Left Unsaid” and our picture on it.

Zeke

3 am and we were cutting cake.

SJF

So, how’s it going with significant others?

Brent

I have three kids.  And a girlfriend.  It’s a fine balance.  Sometimes we get focused on this one thing. 

Bryan

The nice part is that it’s not just one of us that has a spouse or children.  Jason and Rich are really understanding.  They don’t give us too much crap when I have to say “I can’t come to practice because my kid is sick.”

Rich

We try to be.  We all have our separate lives, too.  We have to go to work in the morning.

SJF

What do you guys do for your day jobs?

Jason

I work at a music store.  I manage the accessory department.

Brent

I’m a male stripper.

SJF

I thought you looked familiar.

Brent

Actually I am a software engineer.

Zeke

I am a welder.

Bryan

I own an awning cleaning business and I also work in a machine shop.

SJF

Whenever I see awnings, I think of you.

Bryan

You should.

SJF

And I can’t say that about everyone.

Rich

I am a professional beer drinker and a video game player.

Bryan

He could write a review for you – in Spanish.

SJF

What are your favorite local bands, other than yourself?

Bryan

In all honesty, I support anyone that is willing to do their part.  Promote their shows.  Play good sets.  Be professional.  Any band that isn’t professional and acts like a rock star, I could care less.  We work hard to put on a show.  All we ask of any of anybody else is that they do the same.  There’s a lot of good bands, but we want to be the best.

SJF

What’s your favorite thing about being in Better Left Unsaid?

Zeke

The best part is the music.  As five people we each bring so much.  No matter what the other bands do, we’re going to give it 150%.  Anybody who tells you that it isn’t a high to look out there and see all those people is lying.

Bryan

To see people respond and react to the things that you do.  Watching one of these guys walk to the front of the stage to play a part by themselves and see 150 people scream and yell – better than any drug.

Brent

It’s so great to be with these four other guys and I can look them and say “How was that?” and know that they are going to give me an honest answer.

Zeke

What did you think of the show?

SJF

I thought it was excellent.  I’ve seen you guys once before, and I don’t know if it was because I was more familiar with your songs, but I really felt like you’d gelled a bit more.  I was in the middle of the crowd, so it was fun to watch the audience respond to you.