25 years ago dada burst onto the scene with their debut album Puzzle. Songs like "Dizz Knee Land" and "Dim" peppered the airwaves and gave the trio of Joie Calio, Michael Gurley, and Phil Leavitt their first taste of rock stardom. Although the band stopped releasing studio music in 1998 they are still together. They have weathered the storm of label turmoil, musical changes, and time. In 2017 they will embark on a 25th Anniversary "dada Forever Tour". Joie Calio was nice enough to sit down and answer a few of our questions.
Joie Calio - Yes, I do for the most part. We weren't really
a part of the early '90's scene as much as just music lovers with a band that
came together in that era- that kept a lot of the trappings of the times out of
our music, which gives it a shot at staying fresh as time marches on. We were
all trying hard every day to be the best we could be. There was a lot of
passion for the craft. Of course, I think certain songs sound stronger than
others at this point but no one was phoning anything in. There is some really
great musicianship on those tracks but above all the songs were the thing. I
think we all hit our personal strides at the same time.
Is your
25th Anniversary tour a celebration of the past or a precursor of what’s to
come?
I'm gonna say this is a celebration of a band
and its music that has remained together for a very long time, and that in
itself is worth celebrating. The fact that at this point we aren't recording
new dada music right now doesn't take anything away from the musical legacy
that we three all respect. I don't think anyone knows what the future holds for
dada in the studio but for now just that we are all friends and still enjoy
kicking out the jams is a good sign we will be around for a while.
How did Puzzle change your lives? How have your musical interests change over
the last 25 years?
There's no doubt Puzzle dramatically changed
all our lives for the better. It's the only record any of us have that sold
500,000 copies and the only record with a song that was constantly on the radio
and TV. Not to say there haven't been other successes, there have, but Puzzle
gave us a foundation and a fan base that is still present today. Personally, I
really appreciate the fact that our first record did so well. It made going
forward musically from there much easier. To answer the second half of that
question- I have been listening to a very wide range of music since way before
dada. I will say I was more tuned into what was being recorded by other artist
and played on the radio back then than I am now. It definitely helped keep the
song writing mojo intact, sort of a personal competition for the times. I still
love discovering new songs and artists but more often than not, it's something
from the last century. Now I'm in competition with the last 60 years or so.
What were your influences then and what are they now?
Well I guess I partially answered that but,
more specifically back then I was listening to R.E.M. and Nirvana of course. I
liked some stuff by Smashing Pumpkins and Sonic Youth, The Pixies, The Posies.
Pretty much heavy on alt rock at that point. But at the same time, I was really
getting deep into '50's & '60's jazz. Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Billie
Holiday, Duke Ellington et al. In general, though I am into an extremely vast
array of music and musical genres. I love to DJ on the bus or with friends and
can get pretty deep into things just by what I have downloaded on my phone.
America, Amy Winehouse, The Animals, Aretha Franklin, Beatles (of course),
Black Keys, Bo Diddley, Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry, The Cramps, Cream, Curtis
Mayfield, David Bowie, Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield, Elvis, Father John
Misty, Gary Clark Jr., Jerry Butler, Jimmy Lloyd, The Kinks, Little Walter, Lou Reed, Love, The
Meters, Merle Haggard, Nada Surf, Neil Young, Ramones, Ray Charles, The Rolling
Stones(!), Roy Buchanan, Seals and Croft, Shuggie Otis, Slim Harpo, ZZ Top...
that's just a taste. I'm music sick.
Looking
back would you change anything in the history of dada?
Well yes and no. As hindsight is 20/20 you can
always see things you could have done differently or maybe better, but I also
feel very lucky with the amount of accomplishments dada has made. I know a lot
of very talented people who could have had as much success/luck as dada but for
one reason or another never got out of the gates. So yes, I wish every record
we made went triple platinum, we toured with The Stones, and our songs were
found to cure the worst diseases on earth- but I'm happy we have gotten as far
as we have as well.
Your
recordings are one thing but do you feel it was your live performances that set
you apart from other artists in that genre at the time?
We definitely enjoy playing live and have
always had a respect for anyone who can bring their raw talent to the stage-
not just hit the marks and cash the checks. But that isn't to say we had the
market cornered on that. It's just nice to be recognized for the live shows
because we put a lot of heart and effort into them and go out every night with
the mindset that if there are minds to blow in the audience then it's our job
to get that done.
What was the most surreal Rock Star thing that happened to
you while touring in the 90’s?
There were many! One that I will always
remember was a 1993 show in Porto Portugal opening for Depeche Mode. We were
warned during sound check that the reason we got the opening slot (just after
coming off the Sting world tour btw) was because the band that was previously
opening got tired of being pelted by garbage. Was it a road crew prank trying
to "big-league" us young punks or a report of the facts? We didn't
know so I was prepared to accept my shower of crumbled Camel-packs and plastic
beer cups with honor. But what happened when we came out and played the opening
notes to "Dim" was quite the opposite of my expectations. No garbage-
just 10,000 fans rocking-out, bouncing up and down to the beat of every song we
played that evening! We were big in Portugal and nobody told us. Surprise!
How do you feel the music industry has changed over the last
25 years and where do you see yourselves fitting in?
As we all know there have been many seismic
changes in the music business over the past 25 years. Probably nothing more
devastating to its mechanics than the rise of the internet and the subsequent
miscalculation of its importance and relevance by the music business. I don't
think they really knew what to do with it at the time, which led to some big
mistakes with far reaching consequences. We don't have the time or space or
patience to listen to my entire take on what happened but the obvious impact is
that the system that was in place, for better or worse, was changed forever. To
answer the second part of the question, I see myself "fitting in" now
as I always have, by not over thinking the business and just working hard at
being the best singer/songwriter/musician I can be. Then when we have a
finished song or record we deal with the business as best we can with whatever
assets we can. It's not easy now and it wasn't easy 25 years ago, just
different. Presently dada is more focused on the live performance so that is
what I am focused on for dada- until the focus changes.
Will your 2010 recording sessions ever see the light of day?
Good question. I'm not sure about that but just
the fact that you are asking tells me it's a "maybe" from the magic 8
ball.
We want new dada music!
Tell us when our dreams will come true.
I love that dada has a seriously dedicated fan
base and proud that we have been able to stay relevant for so long. I also
appreciate that some dada fans have given the band 7Horse a listen. That is a
much easier band to predict the future regarding new recordings- only 2 guys
(Phil and myself). With dada there are 3 members and that makes it a bit more
difficult to pin down. But don't lose hope! I foresee some sort of dada
recordings in the future.
Thank you Joie. It's been a pleasure!
Make sure to see dada in a town near you.
2/16/17 Canyon Club Agoura Hills, CA
2/17/17 The Rose Pasadena, CA
2/18/17 Coach House Orange Country, CA
2/19/17 Hotel Utah San Francisco. CA with 7Horse
2/21/17 Bunkhouse Saloon Las Vegas, NV
2/22/17 Metro Music Hall Salt Lake City, UT
2/23/17 The Blue Bird Denver, CO
2/25/17 Riot Room Kansas City. MO
2/27/17 Beachland Tavern Cleveland, OH
2/28/17 Sculley’s Columbus, OH
3/1/17 Shank Hall Milwaukee, WI
3/2/17 The Double Door Chicago, IL
3/3/17 The Amsterdam Bar and Hall Minneapolis/St Paul. MN
3/4/17 Firebird St. Louis, MO
3/8/17 Rogue Bar Phoenix, AZ
See you when the needle drops!
Fran
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