Monolith Music Festival Artist Spotlight: Phoenix

One of the bands I will not be missing at this years Monolith Music Festival will be the Parisian foursome of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix ( I did not get a chance to see them the last time they rolled through the Mile High). I recently had a chance to catch up with French band and discussed topics from Saturday Night Live to Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Read my interview below. Make sure to catch Phoenix as they play the Southern Comfort Stage on Sunday at 7:00 p.m.

AWD: Was the emergence of Brit-Pop an influence on your sound, if so what bands influenced you?

Phoenix: Whatever band was shoe gazing (shoe gazing is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980's). I was into. What was great about growing up in Versailles is that you could be influenced by every kind of music. You were not stuck with one style since there was none that was popular in Versailles.

AWD: What was your reaction to the home-made video for “Liztomania,” and did you ever watch any of the 80’s films that were the influence for the video?

Phoenix: We liked it a lot and decided on post it on our website right away. Yes we are are big John Hughes fans and have seen all his movies. I went to see Ferris Bueller's Day Off in a movie theater recently and sound of the Ferrari's engine is much better on big speakers.

AWD: What can we find currently playing on your iPod’s?
Phoenix:

"Smoke gets in your eyes" by Brian Ferry

"Street Hassle" by Lou Reed
Bitte Orca by the Dirty Projectors
a lot of Van Morrison

AWD: You guys recently returned from Japan, what was it like experiencing first hand a different culture and what are your fondest memories of Japan?

Phoenix: My favorite memory is watching Metallica and Daft punk at Summer Sonic 2006. Otherwise I love to eat and shop in Japan...

AWD: What was it like playing on “SNL”, and who would you consider your favorite “SNL” character of all time?

Phoenix: Too hard to pick up a favorite character - would be like having a favorite child Bill Murray, Molly Shannon, Kristen Wiig's characters are among my favorites.

AWD: You guys are about to embark on a North American tour starting here in Denver at The Monolith Music Festival, what should the fans expect and are their any surprises?

Phoenix: I just wish it'll be better than last time we played there which was a magical night. It happened to be the day Michael Jackson died. Once the show was over, we played his hits in the venue and all danced for 2 hours. A very nice memory. Regarding the show, expect fast and slow, quiet and loud, bright and dark and total devotion for the Denver crowd.

Here is actual footage from that show...

AWD: Finally “it’s 20 seconds to last call” what drink do you guys order?

Phoenix: I'll get a Martini hoping I'm at the Laundry bar (where the best martini's are)