ASG FRONT MAN, JASON SHI, TALKS WITH AN IDIOT
Interview by Beth Parker
ASG is clearly one of our favorite bands, here in North Carolina,
especially here in Wilmington, the guys' hometown. After just coming off a
little stint in Florida, the fellas are back home and ready to relax a
little, but that doesn't mean that they won't be rockin' the home crowd.
The band still has a lot on their plate before the fast-approaching new
year, and front man, Jason Shi, filled us in on their upcoming plans.
IDIOT: So, you guys just got back from touring in Florida. How was the
weather, the people, and most importantly, THE TOUR?
SHI: Well, for a band that includes surfers, Florida is always a good tour
destination. We've always been well-received in the Sunshine State, for
some reason, so we love it! Good weather, kind folks, and rock-out nights.
IDIOT: Sounds pretty nice, but we are really glad to have you home! Now,
you guys have a big "homecoming," full of local shows here in the ol' NC,
coming up here at the beginning of November (*see show dates at the bottom).
Aren't you glad to be home for the holidays? What are your plans for
Thanksgivin'?
SHI: We are playing at Marrz on November 17th with Weedeater and Black Tusk
(from Savannah, GA), and it's an all-ages show, so the younger crowd can
have fun too!! As for Turkey Day, we are all going to do what good Carolina
boys do and go eat with Mom!
IDIOT: There you go! That's what I'll be doing too. Turkey and dressing
and all the fixin's with Mom. Mmmmmm.... Okay, okay, back to the case at
hand - We're only a couple of months away from 2007. What's the band
already have going on in the new year?
SHI: 2007 should be another fun year for ASG. We plan on recording a new
album in March, and then releasing it by early summer '07.
IDIOT: New bands are popping up, left and right, wherever you go. Do you
have any favorite new bands - either local bands, here at home, or local
bands that you've encountered in cities you've toured in, or new bands that
shared the stages of the Warped Tour with you guys, etc, etc...
SHI: Well, let's see - 95% of Warped Tour bands are completely horrible, in
our humble opinion, so we can count that out!! New bands that get spins in
our van's cd player are Big Business, White Tiger and the Bed of Roses,
Skeleton Witch, Predecessor, and the new Mastodon record.
IDIOT: Oh man, I totally agree! Gotta love those crazy White Tiger boys!
And I've played that new Mastodon, Blood Mountain, 800,000 times in my car!
It's so rad! I love them. Readers - check that sh*t out! Now, how come
the band's website ( www.asgnation.com) isn't as updated as the Myspace page
( www.myspace.com/asgmusic)? Do you think that you see more response from
your Myspace account than you do from your actual band website?
SHI: Well, our "official" website should be just as up-to-date as our
Myspace page, and since I am responsible for that, I guess that I am at
fault. But, you must understand, the fishing has been really good down here
at the beach!! Myspace is the greatest invention ever for bands. For all
those bands that think that Myspace is lame or stupid - get over it - it's
the best thing for a small band. It's like a website on really, really good
crack.
IDIOT: Ha! I never thought about associating Myspace with crack, but I
catch your drift! What are your plans for Halloween? I'm going to be at
Marrz for Silver Judas and Gollum - I love those guys! I'm going as Slash!
SHI: I will be dressing up as Tanner from the Bad News Bears movie, and
I'll be hitting up all the haunted houses, along with my smoking-hot
girlfriend, Shelly.
IDIOT: Awww, that's nice! Cool costume idea, too. Ok, last one...all of
us fans at home are anxiously awaiting your return. What's one place, other
than your own bed, that you can't wait to hit up, once you are back in town?
SHI: When we get back from tour, I will hit up my own toilet and the China
Garden on Eastwood Rd. Then, I will "hit up" my woman, grab a stiff drink
at King Neptune's, walk the dog, find out where the fish are (biting), and
then start practicing for the next gig.
Thanks a million for the interview, and happy holidays to come!!
ASG is clearly one of our favorite bands, here in North Carolina,
especially here in Wilmington, the guys' hometown. After just coming off a
little stint in Florida, the fellas are back home and ready to relax a
little, but that doesn't mean that they won't be rockin' the home crowd.
The band still has a lot on their plate before the fast-approaching new
year, and front man, Jason Shi, filled us in on their upcoming plans.
IDIOT: So, you guys just got back from touring in Florida. How was the
weather, the people, and most importantly, THE TOUR?
SHI: Well, for a band that includes surfers, Florida is always a good tour
destination. We've always been well-received in the Sunshine State, for
some reason, so we love it! Good weather, kind folks, and rock-out nights.
IDIOT: Sounds pretty nice, but we are really glad to have you home! Now,
you guys have a big "homecoming," full of local shows here in the ol' NC,
coming up here at the beginning of November (*see show dates at the bottom).
Aren't you glad to be home for the holidays? What are your plans for
Thanksgivin'?
SHI: We are playing at Marrz on November 17th with Weedeater and Black Tusk
(from Savannah, GA), and it's an all-ages show, so the younger crowd can
have fun too!! As for Turkey Day, we are all going to do what good Carolina
boys do and go eat with Mom!
IDIOT: There you go! That's what I'll be doing too. Turkey and dressing
and all the fixin's with Mom. Mmmmmm.... Okay, okay, back to the case at
hand - We're only a couple of months away from 2007. What's the band
already have going on in the new year?
SHI: 2007 should be another fun year for ASG. We plan on recording a new
album in March, and then releasing it by early summer '07.
IDIOT: New bands are popping up, left and right, wherever you go. Do you
have any favorite new bands - either local bands, here at home, or local
bands that you've encountered in cities you've toured in, or new bands that
shared the stages of the Warped Tour with you guys, etc, etc...
SHI: Well, let's see - 95% of Warped Tour bands are completely horrible, in
our humble opinion, so we can count that out!! New bands that get spins in
our van's cd player are Big Business, White Tiger and the Bed of Roses,
Skeleton Witch, Predecessor, and the new Mastodon record.
IDIOT: Oh man, I totally agree! Gotta love those crazy White Tiger boys!
And I've played that new Mastodon, Blood Mountain, 800,000 times in my car!
It's so rad! I love them. Readers - check that sh*t out! Now, how come
the band's website ( www.asgnation.com) isn't as updated as the Myspace page
( www.myspace.com/asgmusic)? Do you think that you see more response from
your Myspace account than you do from your actual band website?
SHI: Well, our "official" website should be just as up-to-date as our
Myspace page, and since I am responsible for that, I guess that I am at
fault. But, you must understand, the fishing has been really good down here
at the beach!! Myspace is the greatest invention ever for bands. For all
those bands that think that Myspace is lame or stupid - get over it - it's
the best thing for a small band. It's like a website on really, really good
crack.
IDIOT: Ha! I never thought about associating Myspace with crack, but I
catch your drift! What are your plans for Halloween? I'm going to be at
Marrz for Silver Judas and Gollum - I love those guys! I'm going as Slash!
SHI: I will be dressing up as Tanner from the Bad News Bears movie, and
I'll be hitting up all the haunted houses, along with my smoking-hot
girlfriend, Shelly.
IDIOT: Awww, that's nice! Cool costume idea, too. Ok, last one...all of
us fans at home are anxiously awaiting your return. What's one place, other
than your own bed, that you can't wait to hit up, once you are back in town?
SHI: When we get back from tour, I will hit up my own toilet and the China
Garden on Eastwood Rd. Then, I will "hit up" my woman, grab a stiff drink
at King Neptune's, walk the dog, find out where the fish are (biting), and
then start practicing for the next gig.
Thanks a million for the interview, and happy holidays to come!!
