Chicks Dig Prog Rock- June Featured Artist 3's Joey Eppard

Chicks dig prog rock. If you know me, you know this is a phrase I often utter. This said, someone tipped me off about a band called 3. They are an amazing Prog band who have toured with the likes of prog veterans Coheed and Cambria. I caught them live at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood on Monday and they blew me away. I'm not a fan of the Knitting Factory main space. It's too loud, but when 3 took the stage I didn't seem to mind too much. Their music is so intricately crafted around Joey Eppard's vocals and guitar that I was smitten. Especially after I e-mailed him some questions and got the answers. I totally have a music crush on him. Here's the Q and A:

Drunk Groupie:I know bands don't like to label themselves, but music journalist love to. So, instead of me deciding, what bands would you put yourselves in the same category with and why? What would you call it? Lately I've been using the term Prog Rock, but by my definition of new Prog Rock, I'd not only be including 3 and Coheed and Cambria, but Mr. Bungle as well.

Joey Eppard:Some one once referred to us as being a modern day classic rock band, we like that one. We also don't mind being called progressive because at least it suggests moving forward musically which is what we aspire to do. Yeah we fit with Coheed and definitely have some things in common with Mr. Bungle. Ultimately we're a collective of individuals and everyone brings there own stylistic influences to the project. That’s what gives us such a dynamic sound and that’s why we tend to reach listeners regardless of there backgrounds.

DG:Now to lump you in to that "Metal" thing...I've been watching all the "Metal" happenings on VH1 this month, so I've been determined to figure out what Metal is and where it's going. Your video's been on Headbangers Ball. When I was in high school it was all Grunge, where do you think Metal's headed now?

JE:I think we're living in an era where Metal has become more and more technical. I mean some of these young drummers out there are just ridiculous in there metal chops. I think the screaming thing has become a bit of a novelty although there are those who do it well and did it b4 it rose to pop prominence. Ultimately, no matter how many notes you can play it still comes down to the song and the melody, regardless of genre.

DG:The crowd was really responsive last night. It was an amazing show. Do you find you're playing to bigger and bigger crowds? Are you getting more groupies?

JE:Yes, our audience is steadily on the rise. The great thing about this band is that we draw people from all walks of life. We have very loyal fans following us from show to show. It amazes me sometimes how far people will drive to see us play.

DG:I'm going to say when, not if, you're the biggest band ever what will your dream stage show be like? Will you go all Pink Floyd with giant, inflatable pigs or keep it toned down and just use the incredible energy you already have?

JE:We are always going to stay true to our art, and stay true to who we are. Should we have the means to push the envelope further, and create a more elaborate show, we definitely aspire to do so. We will do it in our own way, and we will not hide behind smoke and mirrors.

DG:I loved the Alien Angel video and the reference to the movie They Live. (My parents had it on Laser Disc when I was little and i was obsessed with it.) Who came up with the concept, you guys or the director?

JE:I came up with the idea of using They Live. I wanted to portray the concept of a hidden manipulation of our reality. They Live provided a perfect means to do that, with a Sc-Fi twist. The director Chase Pearson was great to work with. We were able to make a fantastic video at a modest cost. I even took it upon myself to design and construct the mask for the alien.

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