Newspaper Page Text
angle here. Thomas Pridgen, drummer for the Berkley,
CA-based rock trio The Memorials, can lay it all out
for us: "It's a business to go to school," he says, speaking to
Flagpole while on tour in Detroit. "The education [system]—
they're trying to make money."
Years ago, Pridgen was across the nation from his home
town at Boston's Berklee College of Music, where he'd been
that school's youngest-ever recipient of a scholarship at the
age of 15. He decided against finishing his degree because
opportunity was already knocking: after playing with various
California gospel artists and on the strength of a single audi
tion, he put in several years on the drum throne with The Mars
Volta on several tours and records. Beyond that, he's done
extensive session work with rock artists such as Juliette Lewis
and Foxy Shazam, rap groups like Blackalicious, Slum Village
and many others.
"That was part of why I dropped out; I also dropped out
because it was starting to cost me money. I didn't want to
start paying to go there because I was auditioning teachers.
The drum teachers would go, 'Come in here,' and we'd basically
be picking the next drum teachers. So, I don't know... I think
Berklee was great because I met amazing people, but I don't
think it was helping with what I'm doing now."
Two such people he'd studied with at Berklee would later
become close collaborators. In 2009, Pridgen left The Mars
Volta to form The Memorials alongside vocalist Viveca Hawkins
and guitarist Nick Brewer—both Berklee attendees. While ses
sion work could easily be a road to comfort for any of these
extremely talented musicians, all three seem far more content
on the touring circuit than at school or working on other peo
ple's music. Having released its first self-titled record earlier
this year, the band is touring steadily this spring and already
plotting the next album. "I feel like our sound is becoming
more solid; with that first record, we were experimenting," says
Hawkins. "Now we're just kind of deciding what we like the
best—becoming more mature with our sound."
With such a diverse history in session work, it makes sense
that Pridgen's band would be as eclectic as The Memorials are,
combining elements of Tool's moody gloom, Faith No More's
knotty, hard funk rock and even some of The Mars Volta's poly
rhythmic intensity.
Hitting the road running doesn't lack for pitfalls, says
Brewer: "Right now, clubs don't promote, so if you have one
night that's amazing, and you have 400-500 people there, and
then you can have a night where there'll be 20 people there.
And that 20-person night sucks if you don't make any money.
That's how we put gas in our tank; it's by selling merch."
And then there are the obligatory zany club situations, such
as the sound guy freakout they experienced in—where else?—
Las Vegas. "He said we called him a honky," laughs Hawkins.
"Who says 'honky?' Like, who has ever heard anyone call any
one a honky in the last 20 years?" They shrug off the thought
that, as an all-black band, racism is anything to seriously
contend with. "I mean, I'm black, so I experience racism if I'm
going to Wal-mart," says Brewer. "I don't dwell on that type of
shit; it's normal."
Jeff Tobias
ITS
TIME TO
SATURDAY, JUNE 11th
DRINK SPECIALS • PARTY STARTS AROUT 4ish
r- t "■
u
1
tf
| Always Organic or Natural,
Always Days from Harvest,
Always Delivered.
Home Delivered
Organic Produce and
Other Local Goods!
■ i
£-xp * Sr/ rfbot'f'Sf - A/rf* / '<wi'C *' /J Z Ci .' I
Nature* (larcien
r>r i JVT.KtiD
i
Sign up today and receive $5 off your first box!
(770) 441 9976
www. mvturesgardendel ivortxi. com
No Commitment • Customizable Boxes • Free Deliverv
ALCOHOL RESEARCH STUDY
□ We are recruiting participants for an alcohol research stud/.
□ Participation will include three in-person assessments including
questionnaires, interviews, and two Magnetic Resonance Imaging
(MRI) brain scans.
□ You will be compensated $180 for 12 hours of participation.
□ Call (706) 542-6881 for more information.
This study is being conducted by the Department of Psychology
at the University of Georgia.
SB
The University of Georgia
MAY 25, 2011 FLAGPOLE.COM 15
