52nd City

Quick Q/A with: Davy Rothbart, Found Magazine

Got a chance to talk to Davy Rothbart after his gig at Mad Art Gallery last night, about an hour after a large number of well-wishers and inscription-seekers had gotten a few minutes with him, as well. The Found Magazine, er, founder was pleasant and amiable, as always, despite a long day and the looming treak across town to crash on a patron's floor. (Hint: she happens to blog here.)

If you weren't at the event, hopefully, this'll give a hint, though seeing him freak out in the front seat of the impeccably-detailed Found van prior to the gig... well, that you had to see-and-hear that for yourself.

52nd: How does St. Louis differentiate itself from any other city that you visit?
Rothbart: Well, there’s an incredibly vibrant arts community here. A lot of creative-minded people. I dunno, we go to a lot of cities and there are cool people in every city. It’s always encouraging and exciting to see people doing great stuff. But every time I come to this art gallery, Mad Art, there’s an amazing show on the wall. I’m not always that much for visual art, but I love what they have here, every time. Once or twice, is pretty fluky, but five times? We always get a really great response.

52nd: What was the quality of the finds tonight?
Rothbart: The finds that people brought over to me?

52nd: Right.
Rothbart: They were quite good. There were actually quite a few dirty ones. Which is good. I don’t know if that says something about the City of St. Louis, or not. But, no, there were some really good ones.

52nd: What was the reaction like tonight, overall? How’d it feel onstage?
Rothbart: It’s been different for me on this tour, because normally it’s just all Found stuff. And that’s pleasing to people. I have so many to choose from and in the magazine I put in the most powerful, potent ones. To read them, I put in the funniest ones. It’s a laugh-a-minute. Reading my story is always nervous. It’s quieter. Will people be tuned? You can usually tell from the first few paragraphs if people are tuned in, or not. And they definitely were. To hear people chuckling, or even when it’s silent during the silent parts of it, that's nice. Even during the serious part, where I talk about Mighty Mike and Katie together and it’s that still, then you know people are getting it. It’s good to know that people are really paying attention.

52nd: What do you listen to before the show? I saw you out in the van and…
Rothbart: Oh, oh! I listen to that Metallica song “One.” The fourth track off of “…And Justice For All.” It’s my hype song. Do you know that song?

52nd: Sure!
Rothbart: Yeah, it’s fucking great, yeah. I listen to it every day. Sometimes I forget to turn it off. I usually drink before the event and during the event and after the event, so my brother’s the one checking the car and then track five comes on and it’s blasting. And I get scolded. So I have to remember to turn it down.

52nd: When’s the next time you get to shoot hoops?
Rothbart: That’s a good question. The next few days we’re heading out west.

52nd: This next one’s a short hop, but then it gets heavy.
Rothbart: It does get heavy. Maybe Denver, if not probably when we get to the Bay Area.

Rothbart's "Lone Surfer Tour" continues tonight in Columbia, MO, with his brother, Peter, sharing the stage on vocals and guitar. Check out the site at foundmagazine.com for details.