Interview with Mike Bucayu

CHIP NOLD: So what did you have for breakfast this morning?

MIKE BUCAYU: Had coffee for breakfast, coffee and more coffee.

CN: Let's see.

MB: And a hike.

CN: A hike? Okay I might even turn on the right thing. Well, it looks like it's--

MB: That one of those real sensitive mics.

CN: Yes, pretty sensitive. Okay, all right this is Chip Nold. I'm interviewing Mike Bucayu in the basement of his home in Fern Creek. And we're going to talk now about his life and times. Okay, so when and where were you born?

MB: I was born in North Dakota Fargo, North Dakota June of 1967. The same week that Sergeant Pepper's was released.

CN: Okay, so when did you all come to Louisville?

MB: Dad was in training for doing his residency to be a doctor. So we moved from Fargo to Baltimore where he went to Johns Hopkins. And then I believe what happened was he got his citizenship after eight years or something. He and mom did and the second he became a citizen he got drafted so they needed physicians. So he got stationed at the Naval Base in Philadelphia and stayed there couple years and then moved outside of Philadelphia, to Pottstown the birthplace of Daryl Hall and QE shoe polish is from there and then moved here in '74 after the tornado.

CN: Okay. So you were seven I guess?

MB: Yeah.

CN: Okay. All right. And where in Louisville did you live?

MB: Lived off of Brownsville Road and Watterson, so it was called Winding Falls but it's now part of Indian hills.

CN: Okay. All right. So you said your dad became a citizen and your mom or were they both born in the Philippines?

MB: Uh huh. So we're first -- my sister and brother first generation Bucayu in America.

CN: And so then your father was a doctor, did your mom work?

MB: She was a registered nurse until she had us so it probably would have been easier to be a nurse than raising us.

CN: Okay. So just how did you first get interested in music? What are your early memories of listening to and playing music?

MB: I tell this to people all the time my mom was saying she was so adamant about us learning how to play piano and violin and I assumed that she played to that her parents made her learn how to play that stuff. And later on of course, I found that she couldn't play anything. But she got us started. Shit I don't know, maybe like four playing piano and then into the violin and kept up with that. I guess my first band was the Global Youth Orchestra.

CN: Okay.

MB: The first time I played with a group of any sort and that was played with them I think if I remember correctly, I may have been first chair second violin and my sister was first chair first violin and I think when we would audition to get into the Youth Orchestra we'd always play duets and it worked out well.

CN: How long did you stay in the Youth Orchestra?

MB: Probably until, maybe 6th grade.

CN: Okay, all right. So how did you get involved in the underground music scene? Or if there's a step I'm skipping fill it in.

MB: See throughout grade school or actually, when we lived out in Pottstown, our next door neighbors were from England. And so they were huge Beatle freaks and then--

CN: Am I knocking on--

MB: Oh no, you're fine.

CN: Okay.

MB: And so God turned us on the Beatles and I remember my mom had some Beatles records and I never put two and two together that Meet the Beatles was the same Beatles as the Let it be Beatles. And incidentally, one of my first records I 4:00think was Ringo Starr year 16 with 45 that and devil woman on the other side. And then I remember going to school listening to -- the bus driver would always play Wings Ban on the Run. And that was neat. Moving here in grade school, we're all -- there's a bunch of us like listen to the Beatles and we listen all different stuff AC, DC, Kiss everybody was big on Kiss.

And then at that time too, maybe sixth grade, dad was going to these Filipino doctor conventions and they'd be all like in Boston or Florida different places. 5:00And I think at that time some of those big city Filipinos were into new wave and all that kind of stuff. So I think because I was trying to remember the first time I really started listening to things like that was not rock, maybe something different, like Blondie and the cars and all that stuff.

And I think maybe around that time -- because also being a big Beatle freak I was buying this is probably started on my record collecting was wanting to collect or get every Beatle record and I had this huge fascination with Apple Records how cool that was. So I was buying up all those records 45s and LPs, even the A tracks. I got elephant's memory, A tracks.

And so with that, getting some of those Yoko records where it's just like it was 6:00screeching. But then listening to that and hearing John Lennon's guitar work was really cool. And then later on reading about B-52's Love Yoko Ono's, it's like we've got to hear B-52's. That I think around seventh or eighth grade, is maybe when we're all getting into new wave that kind of stuff and hanging out around the Vogue and getting in the Sex Pistols and remotely hearing about Dead Kennedys.

And of course we start spray painting St. Matthews, like the big parking lot that was behind Bacon's. I don't think it's there, no it's not there anymore. But we spray painted the hell out of that with all this new wave punk stuff. I think that's where -- going to the Vogue is where I first met like Irv and the Moore Twins.

CN: Okay.

MB: And so and that might have been about eighth grade and I don't know all that stuff pretty cloudy back then. And I'm trying to figure out the transition from all that into I think some of the conventions we went to with dad like in Boston I bought some -- I started buying some hardcore records. And even out in LA, I bought some compilations and different things. And probably the only other place around here that I was able to get to was Pyramid and they had a bunch of you know punk and they also had all the Beatle bootlegs.

Because I'd hang out there a bunch looking for the Beatle bootlegs and they had certainly had plenty of them and then for some unknown reason I don't know how Bob and Lou started ordering hardcore records and punk records but least I had them. I don't know, I'm trying to think what else there was that got me wrapped up in that kind of thing. It was probably just being a kid and going through all pre-pubescent getting into puberty and you're into -- your hormones are crazy and you're just into exciting, stupid, crazy things sometimes.

When you're invincible and then the music just riles you up and nobody else listens to it. And you don't want to be like those people just it's not trying to be different but it's not understanding why they follow the rules? And not 9:00that I wanted to be a rule breaker but there's something that's exciting.

CN: Two things you mentioned maybe you could tell me anymore about or anything that you remember. The first you talked about hanging out at the Vogue probably worth describing it. Just you and I both know what the Vogue was but for history the Vogue.

MB: See I think when we first started hanging out there might have been me actually going was probably seventh, eighth grade going to see some movies up there, having our folks drop us off. And then we'd see some people out there of course all the Rocky Horror people up there and then we went to Rocky Horror a few times and then they started having what is the music war and went to that a 10:00few times.

And that was mind boggling and life changing too. Because we got exposed to so many different bands XTC I forget who else was in that. But I mean that was a great movie and I finally got that on DVD, it's unreal. Saw Decline of Western Civilization there, I think that was the St. Matthews magnet for I guess likeminded weirdoes.

CN: Right, I'm sorry, yeah. I mean they'd show it was an archive--

MB: It wasn't like the showcase.

CN: Yeah, they were showing older movies or--?

MB: And not doing the mainstream thing. Yeah, like Clockwork Orange people always go there. That's a good place or it's a good movie for grade school kids 11:00and young teenagers to see over and over and over.

CN: Okay. So then tell me about Pyramid Records.

MB: Pyramid was corner of Bonnycastle in Bardstown and I forget what it is now. It was on the West side of Bonnycastle in Bardstown. And I don't know, how long it'd been there and just looked like some little head shop records, bunch of records and had that smell of patchouli some kind of incentive burning all the time and as always Bob every now and then you'd see Lou.

CN: Well, do you remember their last names? I don't.

MB: Bob Nord and Lou I forget, but Lou owns Electric Ladyland. I guess they both 12:00work Electric Ladyland now. But they had a band called Black Tiger they did covers and I don't know they're interesting people Lou is a little more out there and kind of Bob was the more introverted kind of check out these records and real low key. That's why I'm like trying to figure out there, I guess they're bonehead hippie-ish people. But I couldn't understand how they had punk rock records, but thank God they did.

CN: Yeah, it wasn't a particularly punk or new wave-oriented atmosphere. I mean, I don't know if we ever really had a record store that--

MB: I think it's just classic rock that was around back then because the 13:00punk new wave records were so scarce anyway, that was also the place where you walk in the door and they had all those flyers. And so that can be like the advent of people advertising their or shows or people looking for -- people are playing their bands.

CN: So what's the first show you saw?

MB: I don't even remember. I just remember going two events. And I do remember Brian Hearst always kicking me out because being the only Filipino probably looked like a little 10 year old even though I was probably maybe 15 close enough and sneaking in to see a show I'd stick out and -- because I remember he 14:00had his head shaved I think I'd always see that shaved head walking towards me I'd say damn he caught me again and I don't know who I was with.

Well, the first show I recorded on jam box I remember was Squirrel Bait, Malignant Growth and Maurice. But I think I'd gone to some shows before that or some of those little punk parties with their bands and maybe '82, I don't know '81 I don't know what year those were in fact. The show I recorded though with that lineup the Squirrel Bait Maurice and Malignant Growth was maybe early '84 could have been late '83 I'd have to see the flyer on it.

CN: So who's in Maurice thing?

MB: It was Rat, Britt, Brian and Nettle was playing bass because that was -- I guess out of the ashes of Languid Flaccid. That's one of those things too when I'd see those all ages shows downtown at the B, mom can I get a ride and it's like "No, you can't go down there." So I'd have to wait till there is convenient times where I could get to a show because I never wanted to B I always just saw the flyers.

CN: Why did she not want to take you down there?

MB: I don't know, maybe she had this thing about downtown just from living in Philadelphia it's like it's not safe.

CN: Right.

MB: We're in the burbs now, so let's just stay.

CN: First beat was on a very sleazy block.

MB: Wasn't it next to the porn shop?

CN: There was a strip club, I mean, all kinds of stuff. But so you never got to the all ages shows at the B and then Tewligan's do all ages shows?

MB: I don't think so, I think we were just getting in there. Because I do remember The Poor Girls always playing, you see their flyers everywhere and then the occasional punk rock ones.

CN: Okay. So then how did you start playing with Maurice, how did that happen? I'm assuming this your first band then.

MB: Yeah. What was it? I think I'd put up something at do-op shop to start a hardcore band or a punk rock band and the person that got back with me was Gravy Dave, is Gravy Dave.

CN: So Dave Meyer is his last name.

MB: And Rich Napper, Jackboots. So they came over to my folks' house and it's like, holy shit. Because David is old beater car and he just, I mean, he had to look. And I thought, luckily my folks aren't home and we talked about stuff and ended up hanging out with them and I guess I was playing guitar and Dave was playing bass and then Napper was playing drums and just banging around stuff. And so they tell me about more about Malignant Growth and AYCD and I think around that same time I've met Wayne who--

CN: Wayne Piatt?

MB: Yeah, I think his girlfriend had -- was friends with my sister. I don't 18:00know, from the Dave Meyer's thing and Napper thing, shit I don't know what the transition was. I think they were wanting to do something like AYCD. We may have played something at the punk house on Hepburn that first punk house on Halloween. I don't know what year that was. I think we tried to play something it was probably a disaster, and yeah.

CN: You said something like AYCD, what do you mean?

MB: Because I think they had just disbanded or something. I don't remember if they're wanting to -- if Tommy their guitar player--

CN: Is that Tommy John?

MB: No, Tommy -- shit I forget what his name is. Took my time but he maybe he left town or something and they wanted -- I mean I don't know why they wanted me on guitar because back then I mean not that I'm a great guitar player now but I certainly wasn't like a real guitar player back then I could do bar chords and stuff. But maybe, maybe so because since it was all just bar chords and just real simple. And that could have been when I first met Rat and all those guys through them. Because Dave Meyers he did take me to a few parties on the south end and I think we'd gone to some Malignant Growth practices too.

I do remember one time I just had my driver's permit and my folks were having a party at their house and I bugged them so much to let me take the car even though I had my permit and that this older Filipino buddy of mine would be the one watching me drive. So we drove out to, it might have been Dave Meyers house off Cane Run Road and Malignant Growth played out there and I guess that's where I was hanging out with -- started hanging out Irv and the Moore Twins. There are so many bits and pieces.

CN: So what was your impression of that?

MB: Just more excitement, something different it's excitement in the unknown. 21:00And I guess I've always been like that getting into things that you just never know. I mean it could go bad it's always a 50/50 shot. I'm just going to do it and see what happens and that's a bad way to go but luckily it's -- most of the time it's gone decent way.

CN: Yeah.

MB: And if there's been failure the wrong thing to do -- I mean, all that stuff has made me who I am now. So I guess it's always said the sum of all my failures and that's what -- that's great. I don't run from failure it's like sometimes you just have to and then you just work from there.

CN: I guess I wonder about Louisville. Louisville has this weird quazi. Some of the segregation but some of just different types of people keep to different 22:00parts of town. Just wondering was there anything -- I mean how did that strike you?

MB: So probably like the factions it seems like some people might look at it like factions of the South end, East end, versus the highlands. But maybe for all of us we're at that age where, like for me I couldn't go out to the South end, I mean it's too far away. And I could make it to the highlands on the bus right.

CN: Right.

MB: Yeah, so I don't think there is any intentional kind of taking sides and I'd always been interested in all that like your all's music, the Babs, Malignant Growth, all that stuff. Because what we had, I mean we were trying to find those 23:00records and here it is you guys are -- where I can't go see you or can't get any that kind of stuff. So we had to go look for and I guess the meeting place was the highlands for everybody.

CN: Sure. And I'm not saying that it was factions I mean it's just an interesting thing that I think lots of people met through the meeting of all. That people from different parts of town met.

MB: It's different upbringings and then it just -- when we all met is all those different experiences and you know could have expanded my experience by meeting some of those guys. I mean those guys are crazy as shit they did that. It's like why can't I do that stuff too? And I probably did. And they knew a lot of music and then I was buying a bunch of records just because I was trying to find as 24:00much of this stuff as possible. And we all start trading tapes or just saying listen to this band, listen to this band or that band, sucks but I like it.

And I think at that time, he might agree there's such an explosion of music that was like wow because reggae Ska and all that stuff that became accessible. And I don't know if it's live, probably partially on TV and for me it was going out of town with my folks and meeting these other Filipinos that were getting into this music.

CN: Right. So where were you going to high school?

MB: St. X.

CN: Okay, is that right? Okay.

MB: And yeah, I ended up living at the punk house because -- let me see what year was that, I might have been sophomore or junior or something. But I don't 25:00know if I was working or, either way this is a funny story. Me and a couple buddies we thought we'll just buy a big bag of weed and sell it and we'll have money. And so I think we bought a quarter pound and we split up three ways it's like it would have just been easier to get a job. And probably I was working, I might have been working over at GD or at Caesar or Burger King just get more money.

And so I was at my folk's house I was taking a shower, got out of the shower, drying off and then all sudden my mom throws the door open holding my portion of the weed. And she's like, "What is this screaming, what is this?" And then she's 26:00acting like she's sniffing it she's like, "I'm getting high already. You wait till your daddy gets home." And I thought, oh shit. And so I just packed up my stuff because I thought -- I mean there's -- I could try to explain to them that I don't like that stuff I just wanted to make money.

A lot of my friends love smoking pot and I cannot stand, I tried and tried to like it and I hated it.

CN: That's terrible getting busted for something you don't even like.

MB: But it goes back to, I could have just gotten another job. But it ended up being looking back it was a good experience. I mean, because I think I was always in trouble with my folks anyway. So I left home, packed up a backpack and 27:00I remember getting a can of spam and I thought, well I'll just walk to this girl's house and I know she'll let me stay at her house because we're -- she'll sneak me up in her room. And her brother goes to St. X and then I'll sneak up and we'll go to take the bus together. So I forgot, I think she went to Sacred Heart.

But I remember walking through Seneca Park to get to her house because she lived on Taylorsville Road. And I'd walk through St. Matthews just walking and I thought I'm hungry and I remember eating that spam and then getting halfway through the park and thinking I don't have any damn water and that stuff is so salty. Yeah, that's one recollection I have of that but got there I stayed at her house I guess her parents didn't even know I was, I mean living up in her room.

I don't know maybe a couple weeks and then finally I somehow ended up at the 28:00punk house and living at that punk house was -- I think Sean Moe and was it -- maybe he was living there with Laurel Fay and then Dave and Wendy lived there and then some other guy.

CN: Dave and Wendy?

MB: Gravy Dave and Wendy Watson and I think there might have been one more person. On the second floor there is a big walk in closet with a window and I somehow ended up in there.

CN: Because you're still going to school?

MB: Yeah, I went school every day. Well, there's a couple times, a few times because I mean, we're always drinking. I mean, I was getting good grades. I 29:00mean, I think I was getting A's and B's still. Yeah, I get up every morning there's a few times where we didn't have a phone I'd have to go up the street and I don't know if it was Mark who was living up the street or somebody and I'd use their phone and I'd act like my dad with "This is Dr. Bucayu my son Michael is sick today, he won't be at school" and they wouldn't question it.

So I'd just sit there and like, all right, cool. And at that point my parents had totally cut me off. They said nothing, we're not giving you any money. You know, it's your decision. You think you know so much you stay there. Don't ask us for anything. The only thing we can do that we're obligated to do is pay for school. And if you screw that up that's on you.

Because they'd always told me how important school was anyway. And there's no 30:00way I was going to miss any school. I wanted to throw my nose at them that I was getting A's and B's still.

And there's a liquor store up at Grinstead and Bardstown and coach stopped right there and I'd go up there all the time. I went up there one time, because we needed beer, and I got a collection of money, went in there and I think I might have gotten a case of beer, put it up on counter and they're asking me like, "Do you have an ID?" And now here it is I'm 16 or 17 and acted like I couldn't speak English. And then then they said, how old are you? And I finally told him I was 22. And so I'd go there all the time they'd just sell me beer and booze. It 31:00worked out great.

I was thinking I must have been really fucked up at that point to be sitting there going to do that because they were nice as all get out. And then the last time I went up there when the scam came about when they realized it's like no. I went in there to buy more beer and they're like "We understand you're not 22 and we can't sell to you anymore." And I tried to make that real confused like immigrant look like "What are you saying?" So I left and then that Monday when I went to school my teacher pulled me out, my English teacher and he gave me a sob story about like "I saw what you do those people out there that liquor store.

"They're the nicest people I can't believe you did that and your parents pay for this education, you do all this drunk shit blah, blah, blah. I used to do that when I was younger I got drunk and swim across the river I'm lucky to be alive and--" what he was saying was correct. But I'm sitting there thinking at that 32:00point like hey, I'm a teenager. That didn't affect me or anything I was already probably gone by that point with going where I was supposed to go on that mysterious road for me.

And that might have been -- oh no, I think it was the --I'm trying to get my times right. That was the first time I played with -- at the punk house was the first time I played with Maurice when it was me and Rat, Britt and Brian.

CN: So how did you get into that?

MB: That I don't know, but I'm glad I got into it. I think at that point too I 33:00don't know if I was really hanging out with -- I think around the punk house I was -- me and Pajo were really hanging out a bunch going to shows and stuff. And 34:00then we'd also done this little solution unknown thing on four track just he and I just recorded stuff.

CN: Oh so I didn't know that, so that was even before playing out solution.

MB: Yeah, I mean it was just us two and we were listening to Meet Man Records and yeah it's very juvenile but funny and just fast bar chords stuff. Actually before I was hanging out with Dave a lot I used to hang out with his older brother Butch. But his brother, he and I used to listen to Elvis Costello and jam and all that stuff too, together. But somehow Dave and I started hanging out 35:00more and it's just he's a big head banger big metal head.

And I always say I introduced him to MDC Millions of Dead Cops let him borrow that record and he let me borrow Metallica's Kill Them All and so I think he got the short end of the stick. I mean we just went crazy on that Metallica record and then when I got into Maurice, kept on bringing Dave with me to band practice and we'd leave practice and I had some practice tapes and I wish I still had them.

And we'd go to his house or my house and we'd mess around with those same songs and when Brian decided he wanted to go, he wanted to play the Squirrel Bait I was like I got the guitar player. And I just remember the first time Dave 36:00practiced with us he set up and we went through the whole set he knew every song and then Britt and I were laughing, Rat was on the phone. I mean I was like my God this is just crazy. Because it was a lot more hardcore than with Dave in the mix it was just this kind of stuff has never been heard before I mean this was something new having a guitar player like Dave.

CN: Just because he was more of a metal shredder than--?

MB: So it's way before any crossover it's just because he might have had some of that metal stuff but the metal licks and all that stuff. But we I don't know it was just--

CN: Describe it. What was it about nobody's heard this?

MB: Just a hardcore band and Britt being the drummer that he is and just the combination of just all of us together at that point it was like an explosion of organized chaos in a way. Because it sounded like Britt could just completely go crazy on the drums and Pajo can go completely crazy on the guitar. And then Rat is screaming it's like I wish -- I might actually have -- oh I do have some recordings and stuff. Yeah, I wish we would have been able to record something in the studio at that point the very first practices with the Maurice because that was, I don't know incredible.

CN: It was like a discovery almost.

MB: Yeah, because we played a few shows with some bands. And there's this band from Italy called Raw Power and we played a show for them and they are like we opened up for them. I think whenever we opened up for bands it was just a different sound. Because I think the hardcore thing was riding high too like all the Misfits and Samhain, Black Flag but nobody had that Maurice sound, nobody.

CN: Just to backtrack a little bit, you just brought Pajo in, how did you know him?

MB: They lived pretty close to us but my folks were friends with his folks. His dad was a doctor and so we'd be around the same circles. And so I guess he's 39:00like the middle kid too, the middle Filipino kid syndrome.

CN: Okay, that was interesting. Okay, all right. So you start playing together with these guys and you say you see you got something and it's different talk about how it developed and where Maurice played and all that.

MB: If you listen to some of the early practice tapes or the live shows and then towards when we disbanded, you're going to hear a lot of things changing and for the better. I mean you can do three chords for so long. And then Britt and Dave 40:00started -- I think Britt's something was wrong with Britt his brain was getting out there and it was awesome because he'd write some of that stuff and then this material that was offbeat and Pajo be embellishing and they totally fed off each other.

And it got to a point where it was like with their musicianship -- I was just in awe. I mean I can play decent, but those guys were like the masters. And Rat and I, Sean and I will be like Black Sabbath on speed. Those guys liked who knows what. I mean, they're drawing from musical influences everywhere. And then what 41:00was there whatever was in their heads, because they were that musically inclined.

I'm the jack of all trades, master of nothing on instruments I can do chopsticks on the piano or something. I can play the mantle and I played little banjo guitar and all that stuff. But those guys are the kings of what they play. When we disbanded the ashes rose Slint and Kinghorse. And I think that fit who -- Sean and I were -- and Britt and Dave. I mean, that was the directions we were 42:00supposed to go.

CN: Right.

MB: With Maurice, we got to play out of town I wish we could have done more but we're still teenagers. And it was amazing our folks let us go on this -- we did a tour with Samhain we played one show with Samhain at the Jockey Club and Sean was buddies with Danzig so I guess he wanted a tape of us. I don't know how that all came about but we ended up doing a mini tour with them.

We played here at St. Albert the Great which I don't know how Bart White House pulled that off. The band looking like Samhain playing at the St. Albert's Gym off Westport road and with all these punk rock kids. And then we played Columbus, Ohio and played Detroit which was really cool cold. And then came back 43:00for a day and then we played in Bloomington. But it was us in a van and then our friends like John Toombs and Catch Bell just wheel rolled them we all want -- I mean everybody's in different cars.

I remember driving back from Detroit and I was in -- I didn't ride in the van I was with John Toombs and Pajo and we pulled off at a rest area to sleep and I think me and Pajo woke up. I don't know what happened but we started screaming at John get up wake up drive, drive and jumped his ass and he freaked out and started driving and I mean it's just crazy stuff.

That's the same trip too I think Kevin Mitchell's was with us and we are at some rest area.

Yeah, there was the dueling vans, there was a Samhain's van and then there was the Maurice van and there's the cars that were following us up. We get up I think we were throwing food at Schiller's vans and then we stopped at a rest area and we're running around the woods and there's like this big log going across this muddy creek and I'm thinking I can make it across and then we're all chickened out and then Kevin Mitchell comes up and he used to always wear those white jazz shoes. So I mean that's almost given where this is going.

But he's like get the fuck out of my way you pussies, he starts going across that log over the muddy creek and just falls in. And I wish I would have kept a journal back then of different things. I didn't think about that, I mean, who thinks about that stuff. What else did we play? We played one of our shows we 45:00played with the Descendants down on Broadway at this Bingo Hall. I remember when that happened yeah and that was really neat. I'm just thinking that's like 30 some odd years ago, 31 or 32 years ago.

CN: Were they a pretty big band by that point or?

MB: Yeah, descendants were, yeah. And a lot of those bands were big by our standards back then. It's not like the Misfits now band huge and it's like they only gather for X amount of time and X amount people really song right. The other thing that was going on during Maurice, Pajo and I were -- I guess we might have started or I might have started going to Louisville. We're hanging out with like the John Toombs and Bart White House like some of these eastern 46:00guys these trinity guys Ballard guys.

And we from that Solution Unknown cassette that we had done, just for fun we had drinking buddies and stuff we formed Solution Unknown like the band. And so it was Eric Schmidt singing he'd gone Trinity and then Kent Chappelle was playing bass, Pajo was on drums and I played guitar and then we recorded one record. We recorded our first seven inch at Howe's place at sound on sound in his basement. I think the drum room was a laundry room, it was all sectioned off pretty funny.

But Todd's name is on the record but he -- for some reason -- oh he didn't join us until after that record came on. But that was fun just to record a record and that thing is 30 years old.

CN: How do you distinguish Solution Unknown from Maurice?

MB: Solution Unknown was just a fun band. It was like a joke band in a way. But it's just fun to sit there and just play hardcore and because when I look at our playing schedule all -- I kept track of all that and I kept track of all the --I think all the Maurice shows. And a lot of more like overlapped there'd be Maurice one weekend and Solution Unknown, it's like Solution Unknown ended up almost being like one of the house bands at Charlie's.

CN: Okay.

MB: With the Uninvited and which that was another interesting chapter to the scene was Charlie's Pizzeria.

CN: Talk about that. I was going to ask you about that.

MB: And I don't know how that started, where it seems like all of a sudden it was there and then punk bands playing there. Maybe it was Wayne working there or Chris Abromavage working there.

CN: Let's set it physically and the neighborhood.

MB: Because it was the corner of Highland Avenue in Bardstown. I think it's some Mediterranean place now or no.

CN: Yeah, so Middle Eastern place right?

MB: Yeah, but it was next door to that and it's now part of the kitchen for Jack Fry's. And it was never a huge crowd there but it was always a punk rock version of cheers I guess. Because there's always the same people in there and then when there are shows, I mean of course more people show up. But it was Franco there, Steve Sampson, Wayne just all the regulars. I think all the endpoint kids would hang out there I've got a few shows. I think I've got a few videos from that place too.

That's where I guess the scene was getting a little more of its identity like the straight edge kids and we had these hardcore kids and then you had the artsy kids and then you had the metal punk kids that was cool. And there again, I don't think it was intentionally doing the factioning thing. It's just what people liked. And there was the interesting sense of seeing unity, it's like this is our place, this is our world, this is -- then I think most people are open to having people come check it out. Who else was playing around back then? I don't know Uninvited, Fading Out was playing, but Bulls right 86?

CN: Bulls did not probably -- we were playing then we never played at Charlie's but yeah it was that time period.

MB: Violents of the Sun which was Chris Abromavage's band, Spot played, Endpoint probably played.

CN: Well, I guess the key thing that we haven't explicitly said is that it was all ages because it was a pizza place it wasn't a bar like Tewligan's was.

MB: And they did sell beer. But since it was a restaurant, we could still get beer even though we were under age. And the straight edge kids, they wouldn't drink and everybody's pretty orderly. It got wild in there a few times. And back to the Solution Unknown thing, John Toombs and I, he was like me, we collected a lot of records. And that discord thing and the early touch and go those labels, SST.

All those early labels were so cool to me and fascinating and so I'd always hunt those records down and I'd actually found a few of these Discord records at Pyramid that are really rare now. And I don't even know if they knew what they were doing. It was just do it I mean I don't think anybody knew DIY back then. And so I thought well, I'm going to try and do a record label because there's so much cool music in Louisville.

And so I figured I'd name it after Britt's fanzine Self-Destruct because when he did that fanzine he is always sitting there pushing and promoting Louisville punk and hardcore. I thought that would be fitting for the label and modeling off of the discord model where it's local bands and had I had more money but working at [unintelligible] or and St. Anthony's and this nursing home in Prospect. I mean couldn't do that many records but that Solution Unknown record was the first one I think we did 300 of that.

And then there's some friends of ours had a band called Big Deal and they're from the east and they had this pretty much the same discord or DC influenced hardcore and then the third record I did was the Louisville Sluggers the very first one. And I think Fading Out was on that, Spot was on that, put a Solution Unknown track and I think and Big Deal. And that worked out really well because I'm hoping to do number four here soon.

And I didn't realize the records I mean I was going to end up putting out that many records but there's so many good bands like Better Days started doing their records.

They did Bush League, they did Indignant Few and Scott Richter had Slam Deck. And there was always a little competition and stuff in a way but it wasn't like I didn't wish -- I mean I don't think anybody wanted -- we don't talk shit about each other. If you look at it it's like all of us had X amount of money and if it looks like we're putting out our friends well that's because we know our friends and we like this music. Because I'm doing this band and I'm not doing your band doesn't mean I don't like your band. I'm not Bill Gates. I don't have that money. I mean had I had that money, I would have been doing a lot more records. Both Louisville Sluggers thing I tried to include everybody in terms of if I don't have your band on here, I want the record stores, I want the record labels, I want whomever supports our little music community to give me something and I'll put it in that record.

And that worked out well because Louisville Sluggers two and three I mean those were just stuffed for ads for local businesses and labels. I don't know if you feel but you probably do is that there's the Louisville music scene is a lot to me it's above a lot of other towns or cities our side. We had that long dance band, we had Squirrel Bait, we got Slint, we got these bands that are groundbreaking but it's -- some other cities don't have that kind of output that we did. And, even now we've got My Morning Jacket. People talk shit about that and it's like -- and I'm just happy we've got all these bands that come out of Louisville. I mean, what comes out of Nashville? You hear me out? I don't know if there's what's coming out of Nashville.

CN: Jason and the Scorchers, I guess.

MB: But seeing how long ago was that? But now do they have I mean, we've got this unique thing. And I guess it might be there's a unique experience here. I mean everybody thinks so one way or the other. It's a very liberal minded thinking the high ones and maybe it's just that we've had such good music here that people, strive we've got things to strive for. I mean how many bands in town maybe got influenced by Squirrel Bait, Slint I mean not the Slint thing I mean look at Crain and those guys took it to another level. And even Parlour, I wish I had a chance to go out and see more bands now but it's not the same experience for me when I was 15 and 16.

And I want to let these folks have their experience. I mean I don't want to be really any kind of input on how they deal with their music community now. With the exception of course I'm mean serving the Ritchie White record, American Lesions Record and we get that Malignant Growth Record and then that Louisville Sluggers Four whenever I get that one done.

But for these kids to their experience of I went to this show and I remember this show. I don't know if I was their age having me tell them like, "You can't do that, you've got to do this." They'd be like "Get away from me old man." And just let them grow organically I mean just like some of these don't--

CN: I think it is well a couple things I mean you've said a lot about it but I mean why do you think that Louisville is a different place? How do you think it's different either from the national scene or other local scenes?

MB: It seems to me that even though we do have some national acts that come out of Louisville, it seems like the bands are huge for the city rather than them being huge for the rest of the country. Just the different styles of music of everybody being a step ahead of everybody else. And not intentionally, we're going to do this to be different from somebody else, but like Freak Water and Willow doing their thing. And how many people have they influenced in town?

Like with Kinghorse would us being together now still, I mean be worth anything? I mean, it's run its course and most of those people that saw us back then are probably in their 30s, early 40s. Attorneys, doctors, ranchers or whatever. I don't think they're thinking I'm going to do some stage guys and all this stuff they've got kids. I don't have kids I might do stage guys I don't know. I don't know what the experience is here. I think it's just the influence of we've got a very artistic town even outside of the music.

And that's what's sad about the highlands when I look at the highlands now because it is not the way it was in the 80s. It's so mainstream now its people are getting boxed in and nobody's -- I mean, people get outside the box. I mean, they stand out but it's still like it was crazy free thinking in the highlands. There's weirdoes and beatniks just walking up and down the street and burnouts and drunks and then nerds.

CN: Cheap rent does a lot.

MB: And now it's all going sky high. It's like that's why we're out here in Fern Creek. Because it's like, I've had my experience there and I don't need to relive it, like continue living it because that was a great chapter for me. I mean it's like years of a chapter but in those years there are so many little mini chapters that have gotten me where I am now. And when I think, I think I'm pretty lucky to have the experiences that I've had. Because I think it's probably a very unique experience and that goes back to and I just get into things that not to get in trouble but just to see.

CN: Well, so chronologically we were just getting to Kinghorse.

MB: We had broken up, Maurice had broken up and I think Solution Unknown we're still playing around just had -- Todd may have been getting ready go to college and I think Britt and Dave had started messing around and they found Ethan. I think I remember being down on JCC and I think Sean was gone there for some classes too and maybe we hadn't played in a while or done anything it was just that there there's a little low. I mean I was still playing that Solution Unknown thing but just the realization of when Maurice broke up, that Britt and Dave had a direction, they didn't know what direction it was but they were strongly minded into going that direction.

And I think Sean and I knew we had Black Sabbath on speed I mean that's we're into this hammering these people and so I forget who we had on drums first, might have been to add Bill, Bill Heitmann. I think he played drums for Dot 39 which was John Hawkins and I forget who else was in that band. And then the first guitar player we tried out was Alex Durig.

CN: So yeah, Mark mentioned that when I talked to him, I didn't realize that thanks.

MB: And he's a great player but it didn't work out because I mean for me, it was a different rock 'n' roll thing. His guitar style was different from what I was thinking in my head. And also because I was thinking Mark Abromavage the whole time. Especially, the Fading Out and just all the riffs that he wrote I mean it was I mean, he's like the riff master in Louisville to me. He's always had the hooks and so when we all realized and I think Alex and Sean and I it just didn't work out.

No hard feelings for anybody. And I forget how we got Mark but I remember going up to Mark's place on Bardstown Road, he had some lick and that sounds cool and it ended up being a -- what song was it? Maybe Awaken I don't know. I don't know the first what song it was, but it's exactly what we're wanting I think all of us. And then I forget how Kevin got in the picture and I could be wrong but I think he had heard Solution Unknown had gone to DC to record I mean that's how gang ho we were about the DC and all that stuff Dag Nasty.

We record an album at Inner Ear Studios in DC where Minor Threat and all those guys recorded and I think maybe Kevin heard that because I'd written a couple songs on there. And maybe he watched us when we played with Fading Out at Swiss Hall we played before them and I think maybe he called me up wanting to do a band. Like I said I could be wrong and have the memory wrong but either way he got in and so it's Sean, Mark, me and Kevin and at that point it was almost like when I joined Maurice with Pajo.

Sean, Britt, Dave and me it had that same magic where it's just a punch in the face. And so and I don't know maybe Sean and I would just sit there and egg each other on of like, we got to kill everybody, fuck everybody up we got to see this, in which we probably did and that was great back then. I mean for those shows that we did and course that band ran its course. Looking back, the touring was fun I mean, it was all hazy for me. I mean, I was probably just drinking beer all the time and because if I didn't look at our tour itinerary I wouldn't even know what place we played. But it's just cool to be out on the road.

I remember one time we played in Florida. And so I brought my boogie board and that was that. I was like, fuck you, you don't got to go out there and beach and I'm like, I'm the one driving most of the time. So let's see, we played in San Antonio. And we had a day off to get to Florida and I was like, "Hey guys, let's go to New Orleans" and they're like, "Fuck that place blah, blah, blah." And I'm thinking in the back my mind it's like I'm driving and so I took the exit to New Orleans I was like "Oh shit." So we get to New Orleans and I can't remember like them being shitty but it's like well we're already here so let me start drinking a bunch of hurricanes and gunk bucket Dirk Gaskin was with us. Because he's always with us he's the side guy then. I don't know how much we had to drink but somehow we left there and ended up in Florida on the beach.

And we got to the beach and this was a weird thing and it was a hard thing to visualize, but Dirk jumps out of the van and he starts stripping off his clothes and runs out in the water. I may have had my clothes on and just jumped out in the water because I think I kept the same clothes on the whole time. Just didn't change nothing dirty but he got back to the van. And he had some towel and it was just the way he was using that towel was flossing his groin. And we we're almost like -- and then we play couple shows. And this may have been two different times we went to Florida, I don't know. But when I had that boogie board, we got a hotel room in Daytona because I think I did the same thing. I was like "Let's go to the beach, fuck the beach. Fuck you and your boogie board we aren't going to the beach." But course we ended up at the beach so I think they're probably cursing my name.

But in the hotel room I'm like no shit, I'm out there riding the waves. And one by one they come down and Mark's all, "Give me that." And he's out there trying to ride the wave with this blue hat. I didn't get that thing back and it's like these sons of bitches you hated that, you didn't want to go and Mark's out there riding. One time he got hit by some big wave and he gets out of the water, didn't have the hat on so we scramble we're trying to find a blue hat, we found it for him. A very un-punk rock hat he'd always wear that, has a blue fishermen's hat. Because on that Kinghorse thing we're doing a lot of pranks then but he's sitting in the lobby of the hotel and Kevin called down there and what's paging for him it's like, "Can you get that guy a skipper." He's sitting in the lobby with a blue hat and he can hear it like, "Skip, skipper, skipper, skip." And he got on the phone he was like, "You motherfuckers."

CN: My recollection is that Kinghorse had some of the biggest crowds than any Louisville alternative or whatever you want to call it, band saw.

MB: And I think at that time its timing too because all those little factions around during Maurice and the early Endpoint, Deathwatch then you had other punk rock kids. They're getting more people in their crowds, you know more of their friends and the friend base started growing. So around that time and I guess when there's a punk rock show everybody punk rock would show up. And I mean, because it was crazy how bigger crowds got. And then even then, Endpoint would get these crazy crowds.

Something we wouldn't think of when Squirrel Bait would play or when Maurice would play and it was just a difference of two, three years and then it exploded. And I think people started feeling a little more safe and secure about hey, I'm going to be this way. I'm not going to be -- they want to be rebellious. A lot of people hit their rebellious time at the same time I guess and they all did it together, which is cool. And I think we're on the edge of getting out there and just watching it and just giving them a soundtrack to be wild and crazy.

CN: It's a good band for that.

MB: And then I don't know what happened towards that with -- we had recorded the album, totally didn't sound like what we wanted it to sound. It sounded like Danzig Junior but it was just cool to have somebody else pay for the record. And it was cool for the experience somebody else flying us up to New York, flying us to LA to have Danzig produce it, it's those little experiences that other people don't get to experience. So no matter how much we joke about Danzig it's still just like you're part of his little world at some point.

And I'm sure I get along with Danzig now but at that time because we're just such smartass and I think when we were recording Roy Orbison died. And so I asked him, I said, "Hey, Glenn, since Roy is dead does that mean you're going to be the new Traveling Wilburys?" And so that I think that's where if you listen to Kinghorse record, you can barely hear the bass. So I think that's probably where that came from. I mean, maybe the bass playing wasn't that great I don't know. But he's pretty pissed off about that and didn't talk to me after that. But I thought it was a great line.

CN: Really?

MB: Yeah, "Fuck you, man Roy was a great guy." Because they wrote that song, Less Than Zero together. They wrote a song together or something.

CN: I didn't realize that.

MB: They did that Less Than Zero soundtrack. That's why I said that I was like, "So you going to be the new Traveling Wilburys?"

CN: So you didn't feel the record really sounded like you guys?

MB: No, I mean, I would have loved to have heard a wall of guitars and then let Kevin cut loose on the drums too and then let Rat just scream his way through the whole thing. Because it seemed to me Danzig was on his first LP came out, the first Danzig record came out and it was just a subdued, stripped down Rick Rubin produced thing and so I guess he's trying to do that to us. I still like our other demos better than the record but I mean people love that record and it's just I heard it differently. But like I said I'm glad we have the record and even finding a Japanese version of the CD was cool.

And we might take things for granted but there's kids or they're not kids anymore it's like -- I was in Indianapolis and some guy was like "I want to go see Tears for Fears." This guy was up there he brought his daughter to go see that and she had some old Tears for Fears shirt that he got. And he said, "You Mike Bucayu?" And I was like, "Yeah." He was like, "Man you are Kinghorse fan." And he says because he's 47 years old. He said, "I was just listening to you on a few days ago. He says, I listen to your record when I work out." It's like how random. He's like, "Look it's even on my phone I told you." I thought well that's cool. I mean, that happens every now then and of course I appreciate that.

I mean because I was on the other side and being a cocky son of a bitch back then. But I guess it added more to their experience of they wouldn't want some dude Bucayu playing on stage like hi guys I'm a part of your life. And also I think at that time when Kinghorse -- I don't even know that we actually said we're splitting up but I probably just gave the impression that I'm done I mean I was. I think I was living in excess at that point too and my brain was just -- I mean I was fighting a bunch, drinking a bunch doing everything and I was like, I'm going to end up being one of these burnouts on Bardstown Road. And not that I was tiring of the people it's probably more tiring of what I was doing. And that's when I had my little sabbatical and just left town.

CN: I didn't realize that, where did you go?

MB: Well, I mean, it was just a short little trip because I mean, I was drinking a lot and trying who knows what and going nowhere and it was always the same people I was around the highlands. It's the same crowd. And so when I went out west and I'm sure a lot of people do this little sabbatical probably do the same route I did, but got to Yellowstone and stood on top of the tallest mountain in there. I wanted to strip off my clothes and just beat it because I'm looking around 100 miles all the way around and it was free except for the gas to get there. And I thought my world is bigger than the Highlands, even though that's where my world was so much because playing music but I was like this world is too huge for me to sit there and I think there's a lot of soap operas back home and a lot of time me making some soap operas too.

And so it took me a while to detach myself and that's where I pulled the plug on everything. It's like, no more electricity. And that's when I started going on those Bluegrass Festivals. And everybody I met there, I had that same feeling of excitement from when I first heard new wave and punk. And hearing the Stanley brothers and just like I got to have every Stanley brother record. I got to get every Bill Monroe record and then I started digging deep and disappeared in that for 20 years. I actually was in a Bluegrass longer than I was in punk rock. And then now, coming full circle lot of my Bluegrass, heroes are not here anymore and I start going to shows a few years ago so Juanita and I don't think I may have seen them back in the early 90s or so. I don't remember because a lot of that so cloudy and saw Ritchie White and just got excited again seeing local bands.

And then I saw a few others and then reconnecting with everybody again was super cool because it's like there's some people that stayed the same and then there's some people that evolved but were the same people but accumulating more experience. And that was really cool and Steve Rigot was -- and hanging out with him and just not realizing that he was sick or anything or he wasn't back then. And--

CN: Talk about him a little.

MB: As long as I've known him, I mean he's always just super nice. And we always talked about music and always talked about -- it's like, "Hi Mike, how are you?" And I remember working with him on the end tables record and I was like, it's got to be telling him, it's got to be flamboyant. It's got to be something that fits you and then also fit the music. And--

CN: This is the seven-inch?

MB: The seven-inch. The one I did and it's a White Glove Test and Trick or Treat, which I thought I'm very lucky that those didn't get on that first seven-inch. Because I mean those two are my favorite tracks. And so there's another example of well, that's a record I'd love to do let me just ask all I can do say no and they were into it so it's like yes got to do that. I went to go visit Rigot a few times when he was in the hospital and it was just, it's sad to see, just knowing that he's going to have that struggle and it wasn't going to end up good.

But in the years of being in this scene, our Louisville underground scene, every year it seems to me there's two, three, four people that pass away and whether by suicide or drug overdose. And so after a certain point it's not that I'm not sad, it's numbing and expected and I hate to lose anybody. I hate to see anybody in our scene pass away but it's -- I was talking to my wife I said, "I don't think that's normal for people to know that many people in a span of years that die."

CN: And therefore it's going to get more frequently.

MB: But in our circle it's because we have more people that do drugs or do suicide thing it's like we've got a very emotional circle of friends and Sasquatch tribute too and I'm glad everybody was a part of my life we can all be a part of it. When I talk about the sum of all experiences, it's just like all this stuff because Michelle says I'm a hoarder. Calls me a hoarder about everything, which early on when I was doing the record label, I said I was trying to find everything that was local.

When Steve Jan came up to ear X-tacy I'd always be like, "Man do you have any end tables records?" And he told me he's like, "Yeah, come on over my apartment." And he lived over where maybe Dido's one of those apartments right there. And so I went over there and he's like, "You could have those right there." And he's using a stack of Endtables records to hold up a shelf, there's no sleeves. So I mean, I had a stack of those Endtables records which I think I probably gave away all of them.

But trying to find all the Circle X records, just anything, getting Your Food, that record and that's how I was trying to not intentionally archiving Louisville music. But from that span of the early 80s till maybe 92 is I tried to buy everything local and after a while I was like there's so much stuff and I'm not that rich. Because even me being close friends with Dave, he was putting out a lot of records, Will's putting out a lot of records and also at that same time was when I was like, now, sneaking over here I'm out of here. And in that whole time period when I was gone, they put out so many records Dave, Will.

CN: You saying Pajo. They're both really Pruitt.

MB: I mean, even Freakwater. And I mean there's just records I don't have and I just figured, well, somebody else collected on stuff. I'll have my stamp on this. And it's like, I wish I could have documented more I've got physical things I can say, look, we've got flyers, I've got notebooks. But you never think well, this what I was doing that day or this was going on because I've actually been keeping a journal not like a diary but a journal for the past 14 years.

So I can flip back 14 years and pick out a date and say, all right, this happened I did this, did this and I mean, it's all up and down and it's cool. I don't know I think collecting the music things in Louisville, I'm glad we did the White Glove Test Book because that should have been documented. I'm glad I've got all those old 78s of those old country people I wish I had more. And just having as many music people from this town and to be a part of it you know, I might have a little blip here I guess. And that's fine. That's cool.

CN: So you play in the Ritchie White Orchestra?

MB: Yeah, we put out their record and then their bass player took a little hiatus so they asked me to play and I thought I hadn't been on the stage in years and I had a blast playing with them. I mean totally different from anything I'd ever played for because it is, playing Kinghorse, playing Maurice, Solution Unknown. And this was more catchy pop. It was an interesting experience but getting to play out in California we went out there, flew out there which was expensive.

Is a long story about that where it's basically we all had to pay to play out there and I'd take off few days from work and difficult and challenging to explain to the wife. Like "Hey I'm going out with his band we're going to play an LA and San Francisco is that okay without me?" When we got back we got to play with Sean Lennon's band which Caesar said he had requested us which, hell that's cool.

There were some people if we played that show they were like I think we sold out of the records we had there. I'm thinking cool because we were spot on that night and then we played with Lydia Lunch. Yeah, the first time I got back on stage for a show like that was that Rigot benefit. And I think I screwed up the song there, but I mean, it'd been years of before that I've been on stage and having to go to band practice. I'd have to leave work and then go to the practice space at 11:00 at night it's rough and then -- so playing in a band now's is out of the question for me. I mean I never say never but I'd be the third wheel on there because if these guys really want to do a band I've got so much stuff going on its -- I've already had -- it's the been there done that moment.

CN: Yeah, we've been talking an hour and a half.

MB: It's good I don't have any beer here.

CN: What are the important things that we didn't talk about that you think people should know about?

MB: I don't know, I think question is right I think everybody's going to have their own unique experience with doing this. And we've talked about before, it can stem from what part of town he grew up at and your upbringing and then how you got exposed to this music. For me I was always in time I guess I'm just an adventurous person of trying -- wanting to experience different things. And as I said pretty much my whole life, growing up the way I did and moving around when we did when I was younger, we had to be on our own.

Moving from the naval base, apartment complex to live now in the country outside of Pottstown. I mean where we we're way out in the sticks and had a few neighbors but basically we just ran out around out in the woods that's maybe that's where I got my love the outdoors too. And then moving here where my mom had always been growing up, she would always tell us, you all are Filipino. You're born here in the United States, but you're born Filipino, you look Filipino, people are always going to look at you and so if you do bad then you're making all of us look bad.

And she said, you let those people know and she didn't really mean it like this, but you show them that you're better than they are. And I think she was meaning that -- for me, I took it as I just need to blend in because growing -- when we were in Philadelphia, there's black kids, there's Chinese kids, we were just kids. And so that's the way when we got here I blame my not eating seafood on that, that moving here. I'm not going to bring shrimp and fish to school lunch because everybody else is eating bologna sandwiches I want bologna sandwich.

I want to just be like those kids. I don't want to stick out, weird stuff. And then what I learned too is people do look at me because I'm Filipino. And in a way, I somewhat benefited. Because, let's say, me going to Bluegrass Festivals. When I first start going to Bluegrass Festivals when they realized I wasn't Japanese, I'd get quizzed on what do I know about Bluegrass. Can you play Bluegrass and then I would have to somehow turn it around like I'm playing this can you play?

And did you know about this Stanley brother's song? Did you know this about the Stanley brothers? Did you know this about Ralph and the connection to this? And so we all save face and we all became good buddies. And then also at the festivals so they end up remembering the Filipino guy at the festival and some of them I was known as the Fil-Billy.

CN: That's crazy, I didn't know.

MB: Which was awesome. When Alison Krauss would play here it's like they knew me, it's like there he is I mean because I'd chase after a little bit I mean not chase after but kind of. But of course before I'm married.

CN: Right of course.

MB: But the guys in the band knew me which was flattering, they'd always remember and a lot of the bigwig Bluegrass guys would always remember me. And I'd be able to talk to them and they remembered my skin color and the way I look but it wasn't about that ultimately it's like, oh, yeah, yeah.

Because we always recognize people. When we look at people, it's like, oh, yeah you're that person because aside from your face, you have this, these distinguishable marks. But yeah again everybody's got a unique experience. It'd be interesting to hear other people's and hopefully some of my memories parallel other people's memory and hopefully, it wasn't part of that haze that I was in. And I'm sure everybody's going to have that problem where they connect the hazy parts but if we had a long time we can expand on things.

CN: You mentioned your parents and I guess that's one thing I was thinking about. I mean the last time you mentioned your parents in the story you'd moved out and they were saying they're cutting you off except for paying for your schooling but I know I've seen you, pictures with your dad and stuff. How did you mend it with them?

MB: I think they realized that coming from the Philippines -- in the Philippines, the children are extremely respectful and I wasn't what they were expecting. Because my contact with all my other, all the other kids my age and they didn't make me bad they didn't make me rebellious right. I think they realized well, you just do what you want then you know so much. We love you, blah, blah, blah, blah and I forget what after all that stuff after the band started getting some sort of notoriety or getting some sort of success with the music then we got to be friends. I mean it's not that we we're never friends, they just said all right go do that stuff and then they're saying that well he's been doing and he's getting it, good, he scared the shit out of us whatever.

But after a certain point I always talked to my folks and in the past 15, 20 years I've called my folks every day and I still call my dad every day. I hear people say I wish I would have talked to, done this or and I don't want to have that moment. And then when I look at my dad he -- another huge influence well both my parents that they came over here it's like them jumping into the unknown. And they pulled it off and I think that's where I got it from some of that wayward soul thing is from my dad because I mean he loves to travel, always has loved to travel. And he's got a wealth of experiences from all his travels and so I'm just racking up my own.