7 1/2 Questions with John Iskander of Parade Of Flesh

If you've followed the blog for awhile you might remember the "7 1/2 Questions" feature we've neglected for sometime now. The format was seven questions, followed by a "7 1/2" question that was completely inane. This interview is actually more than 7 1/2 questions, and I hope you don't mind. Today's subject is the very entertaining John Iskander of local booking geniuses Parade Of Flesh, an entity with a more creative and interesting approach to booking shows than just about anybody in Dallas proper. Speaking of which, I'd like to thank John for doing something about the stagnant music environment in Dallas, rather than just sitting around waiting for Sloppyworld to come along and save everything.

You recently stated on the comments section of the blog that "if more people push and try to make positive things happen in the music community, then it is worth it for the kids/fans/anonymous." What type of positive things would you like to see happen here?

Positive things like more shows and more PACKED shows. Yes, the key is packed or at least a consistently solid turnout. So fucking what if ‘so and so’ played here already, there before, or they are about to play at XXXX in a few weeks. If no one attends, then was it really worth it? As much as I love claiming to see “my favorite band(s)” with only 15 people back in 199X or 200X, I still never forget going to shows so packed you wanted to vomit, having bruises all over your chest, back and ribs just from the knocking of sweaty elbows, or even the odd pleasure of being deaf for days afterwards. I would love Dallas to be considered another ‘required’ stop when bands tour through Texas. I noticed even Denton getting passed by now, which boggles my mind. At this point who is asleep here, the fans, the bookers, the agents, or the bands (national/local)? Dallas needs to be known for more than plastic surgery, tons of restaurants and great shopping. On a national level, booking agents know Dallas has had consistently shitty draws at shows over the past few years, and another negating factor is it is more financially feasible to route bands via Austin>Houston>New Orleans (or vice versa towards the west coast). Not necessarily my personal opinion, but shows, bands and music all revolve around money; otherwise shows would be free and we would not be paying guarantees. A fellow local booker told me once, some bands you book just for the beer sales. With that in mind, we would rather book less shows. Yes, the clichéd ‘quality, not quantity’. Despite the actual economics, the bookers, the kids, the fans and even the anonymous all have to make it worth it for bands to stop here. Money and a really good, consistent crowd over time will lead to word of mouth from kids to more kids, bands to other bands and bands to agents etc. Every industry is incestuous, so when you do something notable or have something good going on, people will hear about it soon enough.

Is there anything that's happened since you started Parade Of Flesh that you feel is a progression in the right direction?

Even with my unwanted hiatus, all of it has moved in a great direction. I started Parade of Flesh right when I moved back to Dallas from Philly in 2003 for the sole purpose of posting videos clips and audio bites of stuff I had taped. And in the past few years, videotaping bands at certain venues became arduous and youtube.com came along and made my site completely irrelevant. I uploaded everything to youtube.com and then took my site down from 2005-6, while I focused on other things. I poorly booked shows and house parties from 2003 to 2005 with a variety of folks: Chris (who I still currently work with), a large dude named Michael (who has since wandered off to Las Vegas but is now headed to Austin), and a creepy older guy (who straight-up disappeared on me). In the passing time Chris and I got wise, learned from our prior mistakes, watched venues, bands and people fuck up and then got organized and really serious. And I mean ‘serious’ only on the point of bringing in good acts and having events that stand out. I think people will be delighted with our upcoming fall calendar and hopefully we will create more of a following for our shows.

What do you feel are the major drawbacks to dealing with the local music community?

A few people seem to be demanding without warrant and expect handouts, such as assuming because you book shows that you must book them on this particular date with their pre-determined line-up and their friends’ bands. Brush that aside and there has not been any drawbacks to dealing with the local music community. Please knock on wood for us.

You've had everything from noisy punk to folk to pop to metal to DJ performances as part of Parade Of Flesh events, but it's always of a particular quality that separates the acts from their brethren and the shows often make for very aesthetically intelligent combinations. Is that by design or do you consider it a random process? What do you tend to look for in the bands you seek out?

It definitely is not a random process, I think I am really picky, but in no way ‘music Nazi’, but probably a ‘music snob’. If we are paying bands out of our pocket, for best-case scenario to maybe break even, then the bands we book better be fucking good. Absolutely no filler nights! We both have full time careers outside of the music industry and we don’t have time to fuck around with bullshit shows. It is as basic as only booking what we fancy. I would even take a hit on a show, just so I didn’t have to drive to Denton on a particular evening. At this stage in my life it is financially worth it for me to break even or lose of few dollars, and mentally worth it just to go home when I want to and to be alert at work the following day. I know that might seem insane to some, but if you can pull off what you want in life, then you should make it happen for yourself. We live in a selfish society and people want things on their own terms, and we love shows to end by midnight and be done. I get tired of shows running till after 1:40AM (FOR BEER SALES), getting home between 2:30-3:00AM and then trying to get to work by 8/9AM.

A good example of what I was speaking about before is pairing Ashlee Cromeens with Best Fwends as well ask Akkolyte and Koji Kondo in an upcoming show. That may look weird on paper but I bet it will be a really good in execution. Can you give me any insight into arranging such a lineup?

Just a few years back when Dallas had a nice crusty-hard core party scene going (a little history lesson for the kids: Spiderbabies, Moontunes, a few houses off lower Grenville and in east Dallas, The Sanctuary etc.) I loved going to those shows, but I would get tired of the same music all night. There is so much of one genre I can stand in an evening. Having a diverse line-up of bands for a show is like listening to the radio: just wait a few minutes and you know a different song/band is coming right up. Granted you can’t expect it for every show you book, but you can at least make an attempt. Also, if you book a show, (for example), that is strictly indie-pop, a) you already eliminate all people who hate indie-pop from stepping foot in your venue that night and b) what if there is a larger/bigger/better indie-pop show that night, ouch, that will hurt your guarantee(s). Plus when you book a diverse line-up you, obviously, get a mixed crowd, which makes for interesting conversation.

You were the first entity that started booking cool shows at Pastime Tavern and now I noticed you're bringing the acclaimed Numbers to Public Trust. Was Pastime Tavern just a hangout that you thought to start booking? Can we expect more Public Trust shows or is this an experiment? We had a show there when it was still Art Prostitute and it went fairly well.

When I booked a few shows at Pastime Tavern a couple years ago, I did it with a guy who was friends with the owner. The final gig was because the guy forced a bigger show, put it outside and it lasted maybe 20 minutes before the fuzz arrived. Chris and I still frequented Pastime and then approached the owner earlier this year with our plans. Pastime Tavern has a limited capacity and we wanted to host two or three larger shows this year, so we went on the hunt for a larger space. The Public Trust was our first and only choice to hold our fall showcase(s) because it is an appropriate space for the headliners, which I am exclusively announcing in this interview:

Thursday, October 4th, 2007 at the Public Trust

NUMBERS w. Faux Fox

Ghosthustler to DJ all evening. (and hopefully a live set too)

Sunday, November 11th, 2007 at the Public Trust

AIDS WOLF w. The Undoing of David Wright

Church of the Snake and El Paso Hot Button

Pretty Vacant Djs to DJ all evening.

(& hopefully a Seripop Art Show that afternoon)

Also, if anyone has an available space/venue, current or planned, then please let us know if we can host an event there. We like to move shows around so folks don’t get tired of frequenting the same spot.

What type of stuff do you typically play at your DJ night at Monkey Bar?

It’s all over the place, but there is a planned progression and flow. Every week I come in with a new/fresh playlist that moves from psychedelic and garage to post punk and rock for the first hour or two and then I DJ off Traktor for a more electronic based set for the later part of the evening. I can almost guarantee stuff in the realm of Spiritualized, the Animals, Beehive and the Barracudas, David Bowie, Wire, The Icarus Line, even sneak in Das Oath or Some Girls when I get the chance and then move towards Aphex Twin to a Crystal Castle remix of Liars. I really like cover songs too, so I always toss in some, such as Mogwai’s version of Guns ‘N Roses’ “Don’t Cry” or even Sonic Youth doing the Carpenters, Robert Palmer and/or Madonna. After that it depends either on the crowd, my friends, or how tired/sober I feel. My slot is four hours on Fridays, so it’s a nice change when people bring in ipods or cds; it gives me a break and it’s interesting to know what people want to hear. Also, since I don’t listen to the radio I get to filter out what supposedly “cool and hip” people listen too. So every Friday from 10PM to 2AM: “15min of Shame” at Monkey Bar, b.y.o. ipods or cds with a 3-5 song playlist (or roughly 15 minutes, duh) and I will buy you a drink or a shot. This summer I have had live bands and guest DJs on Fridays and I am going to continue that on a random basis.

Have you always been based in Dallas? The frequency of artists you've had associated with Buddyhead, ThreeOneG, GSL strikes me as being partial to the West Coast and I by no means mean that as an insult. I think the West Coast has been smoking New York and the surrounding areas in the past few years, actually.

It’s funny you asked this question because I just returned from Los Angeles about two weeks ago and imagine that, I was with one of the above mentioned offenders. I think a lot of it is from taping bands for so many years and running with a sketchy crowd while living in Philadelphia. It is insane how many bands stop in Philly. Having the highest concentration of universities and students outside of Boston, Philadelphia always has decent crowds at shows: All genres, all nights of the week and at all venues. Even the infamously harsh Buddyhead gave me a positive write up in regards to some of my old videos and audio clips I had posted on Parade of Flesh back in 2003 or 2004, (during the hey-day of their blog, shuffled with all the industry gossip, phone numbers, pranks and insults). I am not even biased but it is amazing how many West Coast labels have released such consistently good albums. Swami Records out of San Diego is ruthless for it; their entire catalogue is solid. ThreeOneG, GSL, Dim Mak, Sound-Virus, Ipecac/Hydra-Head all have a great rosters of bands and continue to release amazing stuff, not every single thing, but I will say a majority is.

Are you getting hit up all the time with labels and bands trying to desperately book something last minute for a stop in Dallas? Has there been a lot of non-Metroplex attention in general?

A lot of fillers and garbage requests came in at first. A lot. Then it completely died off and it seems that bands and agencies I approach love that we only do 2, at most 3 shows a month. Initially we had to take 100% of the initiative. Now there is definitely less pestering on my part and shows are slowly flowing in like hot lava out of your girlfriend’s panties. I think the random and last minute requests died off because folks realized we are selective and don’t book that many shows. It probably scared off most of the filler bands or at least annoyed them enough not to bother us anymore.

PS-What's up with all the porn?

Big, big fan. My girlfriend goes out of town and now she calls me a pervert. Disregard porn’s intended purpose, it makes for a really epic scene when presenting someone a gift wrapped in it.