Roger Kunkel and Hattiesburg native Stoo Odom first played together in the seminal Thin White Rope. Based in Davis, CA, the group became an influential "cult" band in the '80's and '90's, citing Nirvana, Modest Mouse, and Lydia Lunch among their ardent fans. After multiple albums, Europeans tours, and MTV appearances, the band split in 1992.
Kunkel (guitar/ vocals) has remained in Davis, forming the Acme Rocket Quartet and Cloud Seeder as well as launching a solo career. Spanning bluegrass, jazz, and Krautrock, from delicate acoustic sounds to raging feedback, he won't bore you, that's for sure.
Odom (bass/ vocals) formed San Francisco's Graves Brothers Deluxe before returning to his native New Orleans in 2013. Known in NOLA for his work with the Sleazeball Orchestra and R. Scully's Rough 7, his solo work involves upright bass and his own twisted compositions, with a (hopefully) tasteful smattering of electronics. Odom was one of the founders of the original Alternative music programming on WUSM back in the Eighties as well as a fixture in several local bands. He took time from his preparations for TONIGHT's gig at the Grill & Grocery downtown with Hal Kolodney as their opener.
PINE BELT NEWS: What was your introduction to Hattiesburg musically? Share some memories of the early scene and how it took shape.
STOO ODOM: We (the Primordial Sid's kids) learned about college bands while still in 9th and 10th grade. We went to all-ages shows by 3 Humans, Akademik Dismissal, and Legion of Decency. Those shows helped us realize that there were actually minds vaguely like ours out there. This was a blast to discover. Very soon people five to ten years older than us were welcoming our High School bands into their world. There was no stratification in the underground scene. It was freeing and inspirational.
PINE BELT NEWS: When you joined Thin White Rope, did it seem like the time here in bands prepared you for this and did it suddenly seem like the sky was the limit?
STOO ODOM: No, I was absolutely unprepared. There is a huge difference between playing for 50 people at Tal's Dart Bar and 8,000 in Denmark. I was definitely made fun of for my greenery - but I was also nurtured. Like the Hattiesburg days, I was very lucky in my early career to always have older folks to guide me through the twisted mazes.
PINE BELT NEWS: Today as a globetrotting solo artist (and with your Sleazeball Orchestra), is it still exciting to create and play music today? What do you think fuels your energy to keep doing this and staying inventive?
STOO ODOM: Always exciting. It's even more exciting and freeing now that I feel no need to be a rock star again. I do make a living off of music. I am thankful for that and do not really want to be any more famous. Too many people recognize me already. As far as creativity goes, I still have the same need for it that I did as a teenager. Now that I mostly play jazz for a living, being able to stretch out on playful/experimental gigs is even more rewarding. I feel like I'm doing something naughty - and I love it.
PINE BELT NEWS: Finally, how does it feel to return to your hometown and return to playing with Roger Kunkel again? What do you feel this tour is offering you as a writer/performer and what impact do you hope these shows will have?
STOO ODOM: It's good to be back living in New Orleans after long stints in California. But you gotta leave where you're from to really appreciate it. Hattiesburg has also come a long way since I grew up there. It's nice to see. Roger and I have done a couple of gigs in San Francisco, and this led to his idea to come here for a mini-tour as a duo (we've never done this before, and Hattiesburg will be our maiden voyage). Looking forward to taking my newer styles and mixing them with the old Thin White Rope sensibility. I hope people listen, take notes, and get inspired to take chances!
