The 2013 Summerland Tour is a U.S. multi-city tour featuring a flood of 90's-era nostalgia rock hits and new music from Everclear, Live, Filter, and Sponge. Harkening back to an era when alt-rock was king, this year's Summerland hopes to have some throwback fun by playing hits, covers, and even live karaoke with audience members. Through July with reasonable ticket prices at rock venues around the country, this "Vegas" –style show has been selling out throughout the nation with the potential to continue for many more years to young and old alike.
In a recent interview, Everclear frontman Art Alexakis discusses the success of the tour stating, "We've been on bigger tours, but we've never been on better tours." In addition, he describes the potential for next year's tour being a "Northwest Grunge Summerland Tour" possibly featuring bands like Alice in Chains, Cake, and Presidents of the United States.
Alexakis also details the creative differences that led to Mark McGrath and him parting ways after 2012's Summerland Tour to create competing tours this summer, saying "He just wanted bands that have huge hits. That is what he wants to do. He doesn't care if it's alternative or whatever." Delving into a wide range of topics, Alexakis goes on to give an update on his current political causes and expresses how grateful he is to celebrate 24 years of rock solid sobriety.
Everclear is an American rock band best known for their radio hits spanning more than a decade including, "Santa Monica," "I Will Buy you a New Life," "Wonderful," and "Father of Mine," just to name a few. Later in his career, Art Alexakis became a political activist lobbying for special concerns, which include drug awareness policies, deadbeat dad and mom initiatives, and support of military families.
Being a 90's band, do you hear your material today being played under the 90's banner more often than genre specific to your sound which is primarily rock?
Since we are a 90's band, I guess so. I don't know if you listen to satellite radio, but on the 90's on 9 channel, it would fit to hear Ace of Base, Everclear, and Rage Against The Machine all on the same station. To my recollection, though, I do not remember ever hearing those entertainers playing at the same time together except maybe a "NOW" record. I think it's cool, but it is weird. Honestly, I'm just a rock n' roll guy.
In your opinion, what was the reason why 90's rock bands like Everclear found success?
I think that many of the successful rock bands of the 90's cut our teeth and came of age on bands of the 70s like Cheap Trick, Aerosmith, and Led Zeppelin. These heavy guitar bands made melodies and wrote great songs. I don't think that there is anything wrong with that. I think that there are many bands in the early 2000s that did that as well and took it to a new place like Jimmy Eat World and many of the Warped Tour bands of ten years ago.
I think Everclear's success has a lot to do with whether or not you are a fan of classic rock. I think that many of the guys and gals who came of age in the 90's were into alternative music, which really wasn't alternative, but melodic guitar rock.
The Summerland Tour has been billed as a 90's nostalgia tour. Will the rock spirit of the 90's find a comeback? Do you think that that guitar heavy rock sound will return to dominate the mainstream again?
It all changes and comes in waves. Before Nirvana hit, what was passing for rock was spandex, hair band rock and what was passing for pop was electronic hair music. The whole alternative Seattle thing just kind of stripped that down to dirty dudes with long hair who looked like they hadn't taken a shower in a week or two just playing ROCK! I was like, finally, F-I-N-A-L-L-Y! Give me some rock, man.
There is definitely a thing of nostalgia on The Summerland Tour. I own up to that and embrace it. At the same time, for this tour, my criteria is that every band is playing their iconic hits and that they play their iconic hits in a way that fans are going to dig. I think that that's fair to fans who want to hear the music for what it means to them. That being said, the bands on this tour are bands who are still putting out records; real bands.
This tour is going out there doing 90's stuff including many covers as well as karaoke where they bring people up on stage. It's fun, but it is more of a Vegas-style thing. It's all rock bands. Every night that you come and see this show, it is a fucking rock show!
How has the tour been going for you so far?
As far as all the people are concerned, I haven't been this happy on tour, I don't know, if ever. Chad Taylor, the guitar player/leader of Live, was saying the same thing. We've been on bigger tours, but we've never been on better tours.
Every night, one of the things that I feel is due in part to social media that really gets me is that the place is almost packed for the first act, Sponge. That's an anomaly for a rock show and no one leaves during our set until we're done. I just don't see people leaving. I have done other package tours where if you're the headliner, regardless, people are going to leave because they just get tired. They hear hits, their favorite tunes, get tired, and go home, but that's not what is going on here.
Also, I priced this thing so that it would be competitive and affordable. No one is getting hurt. We are selling more and more tickets per show. The promoters aren't getting hurt and everybody's happy. In addition, promoters love this show because the crowd is primarily older so they are selling a much more beer on their part. It's cool.
To me, I see many people having fun. I gotta tell you, though, I see many young kids in the audience. I come out after the show, jump in the pit, start signing autographs, and saying hi to people. I stay until the very last person wants to say hi. We've always done that. We can't set up a booth cause of a curfew thing so I just jump in the pit and do it. The point is that I meet many young kids who were embryos 15, 20 years ago when we were coming up.
Imagine that, embryos rocking out to Everclear. I dig that because my daughter, who recently turned 21, loves classic rock. Her favorite bands in the world are Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, and Cheap Trick. Is it an accident or did she learn it from her mom and I driving around, rocking out to great rock bands? Of course, that is what it was.
I heard that the most requested music for younger kids in the last couple of years has been Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Beatles, and music like that. I get it. They're great songs. If you have never heard them before, never grew up with them, then they are brand new to you.
Classic rocks, as well as, the bands on The Summerland Tour are still relevant. In your opinion, will today's mainstream music always be as relevant?
It depends on how you define relevancy. Is it relevant to us? Of course it is. Will it always be relevant to us? Probably, but I don't think that we will be 80, 90 years old listening to electronic music or whatever is hot at the time. I'm going to be listening to Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, The Pixies, Sonic Youth, Public Enemy, and everything that I listen to now.
In terms of bands relevant to you, who would you like to see performing with you on future Summerland tours?
I have a huge list of bands. Honestly, I don’t know which bands will do it. Next year, I know I want to record a real hard and heavy record like 1995’s Sparkle and Fade; No keyboards, just guitars, and record just like that. If we do it like that, I will like to see a bigger artist headline the Summerland Tour like Alice in Chains or do a Northwest Grunge Summerland Tour with the Presidents of the United States and Harvey Danger, if they’re still around, or L7.
In addition, I think Cake is one of the best bands to come out of the 90's. They’re truly alternative music that was a commercial success. They’re one of my favorite bands and I would love to have them on Summerland. I think that would be a very cool, fun tour to do. There are many bands, and I’m not going to name names, that I wouldn’t have on Summerland that you’d think I would. I really just don’t enjoy their music. I think they’re derivative.
How have the changes in the music industry such as the influence of the internet affected your perspective on music, performing, and songwriting?
I don’t think that it’s any different for me than most people who have been through it. We were lucky to have come up in the tail end of the golden era of major labels when it was shooting out of the ground with stupid money. Nowadays it’s much more of a realistic thing because major labels have morphed into two or three labels at most. The big fish kept swallowing the smaller fish to where, now, there’s no real competition.
It just seems to be that what you’re calling the industry is not really an industry; it’s more of a business account. The people that are doing the real business are the smaller independent labels and the subsidiaries that have branched off. For instance, Filter, has a deal with Wind Up, which was really big with bands like Creed, but now they are concentrating on heavier bands and connecting with active rock radio. They’re doing it and acting like a label such as setting up interviews without any 360-degree control deal. They’re real labels. I think that that’s a great sign.
Also, I think that the social media aspect is great. I interact with fans on Twitter and Facebook every day. @artalexakis and @everclearband, I get into something that is a different world. When I was little kid, you would never meet a band unless you are a hot girl. Guys like me didn’t meet bands. Now the access has changed so any fan can interact with their favorite band. I think that that is awesome. I love the access and the ability to cut through all the bullshit and connect.
The 2012 Summerland Tour was a collaborative effort between you and Mark McGrath. What were the creative differences that led to the split between you and McGrath for the 2013 tour?
I started Summerland and I asked Mark to do it as a partner. We did it and I didn’t enjoy the way it went. He has a different ethos about bands than I do. He just wanted bands that have huge hits. That is what he wants to do. He doesn’t care if it’s alternative or whatever. He says that in interviews and that’s totally cool. I told him last year at the end of the tour after a couple of weeks that I didn’t want to do it with him. I said that I was going to do Summerland by myself. So I am doing what I want to do.
My criteria for 2013 is that I wanted it to be more rock and that I wanted it to still be real bands who are putting out records. That was it for me. Those were the only differences.
What is the “Stand Up Man Up” Initiative?
Thanks for asking about that. “Stand Up Man Up” is going after the deadbeat dad/mom bill. Back in the day, I went in front of a house subcommittee to testify about this bill. It looked like it was going to pass. However, with the whole Bush-Gore thing, it didn’t go anywhere. There were bipartisan problems. Now, I am trying to bring that back.
Simply, every city, county, and state has different guidelines and laws that make it difficult for people who have judgments against people, for example, pertaining to child support. However, because of different laws, county and state, there are ways for people to avoid following through with these judgments placed against them. It’s mostly dads, but there are women who also do it. The percentage is 85-90% fathers.
This petition, if turned into a bill, will go after people on a federal level. If you don’t pay your child support, the IRS will take it out of your paycheck. Then, it’s not going to be just the state and county that you’d be screwing with, but the federal government.
The other part of this initiative change how most states currently conduct paternity tests where one has to wait for thirty days after the child is born. However, once the woman is pregnant, they can test for paternity through a blood test. It used to be invasive where you would stick a metal rod into the fat of the baby and that can be dangerous for the baby and mom. Now, with technology, it is safer and easier to do a test through the blood.
It’s great! If you are a man and have sex with a woman unprotected, I have always felt that you’re responsible for that pregnancy. Do not have sex with a woman with whom you are unwilling to have a child. Be a man. Raise that child. If you’re willing to man up, then you’re fiscally and financially responsible for that child’s life. I don’t see that as controversial. Be a grown man or woman. Own up to the responsibilities of your actions.
How has working as a sober artist affected your life? What advice do you have for other artists struggling with sobriety?
I have no problem talking about my sobriety. I have 24 years sober. My sobriety is older than my daughter is. There are other sober guys on the Summerland tour. We get together on the bus and check in.
Alcoholism is a disease and I’m not ashamed of it. I’m proud of the fact that I can support my children and my wife. I fight my disease every day. I know it sounds like a cliché, but I go out there against this one day at a time. It’s really true. Even after 24 years, every day I want to go down into that hole. I fight it. It has been the hardest thing in my life.
My addictive personality has helped drive me into the guy that I am today. It wraps all of my success and failure into one and being grateful is what it is all about for me. I will wake up in the morning filled with this dark shitty cloud where I’ll just be down. Every day when I feel like that, I’ll make a list of all the things that I’m grateful for in my life. Once I get halfway down the list, I’ll realize, 'what am I unhappy about?' Really?
Everyone looks at me. They're like, ‘wow, you’re doing this tour, and all this stuff,’ but they don’t know my problems. We all have problems. Even after I had success and money, I was miserable. I was much more miserable. Even though I wasn’t drinking or using drugs, I was feeding my addictive behavior with sex, power, and not being the guy that I needed to be. Inside, I was not being clean. I may have quit doing drugs, but my heart wasn’t clean.
Fighting this is a never-ending thing. It’s not just for a couple of years, but for the rest of my life. However, I can do something about my problem and with my life. I’m not just sitting around in a room doing drugs. Think about that. How crappy is that? I think about all the hours, days, and months that I spent in a room doing nothing but drugs with ugly people. We hadn’t brushed our teeth. I think, 'what is sexy about that?' What’s fun about that? That’s not fun.
I had my first child when I was 30 years old and that’s when I think my life really started. I got sober when I was 28. I had been clean for a few years, but I wasn’t sober. I started my sobriety on June 15, 1989. I wasn’t signed until I was 30. Success didn’t happen until I was 30!
People are going to tell you all sorts of crap. Don’t listen to them. Listen to you. Don’t ever give up. When people ask me if I can give them advice, I say, 'no I really can’t give you specific advice except for the fact that if it is something that you really believe in, don’t give up.' If you give up, someone else won’t. If you give up, you’ll never know. Also, that doesn’t mean that you can’t morph into something else. Maybe performing isn’t your thing, maybe it’s producing, or something else, but you cannot give up.
The Summerland Tour hits Los Angeles, June 28, at the Wiltern, 7PM. Tickets are available at Livenation.com.
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