Bunnie's Beats

When I left my house on Thursday morning, I set out with cookies in tow determined to interview the Miniature Tigers at their gig at the Star Bar in Atlanta. As it turns out I wasn't nearly as determined as I thought I was.

I listened to their debut album, Tell It To The Volcano, on the drive over, carefully analyzing the words just in case their lyrics held some sort of poignant message I'd previously overlooked. After finally finding parking in little five points, which believe me is easier said than done, I made my way to the venue trying my best to not look like a bag lady with my groceries in tow.

Barry the brave manager greeted me with a firm handshake, warm smile, and the usual pleasantries. He let me know he'd let the guys know I was here and they should be along soon. We chit chatted momentarily before he was needed elsewhere. He's a handsome man with a broad grin and kind eyes. Although he can be a bit formal when he's trying to get the guys in line, he's overall very pleasant and welcoming. He apologized for being horrible with names before correctly guessing my first and last name. I was pleasantly surprised and a little pleased I'd managed to be memorable out of the hundreds of people on the last tour. It was hot and muggy as Georgia summers tend to be. Members of the two other bands were hanging around outside and introduced themselves. All around friendly guys. Alex, the bassist, was the first to arrive and greeted me much as Barry had explaining he'd be back shortly.

I made my way inside, as direct sun is bad for the Silk milk I'd brought along with the cookies. Charlie, the lead singer and guitarist, was sitting at the bar restringing his guitar. He looked up and smiled politely and greeted me with a hug asked how the trip went and trying his best to make conversation while adjusting the guitar. He asked about the cookies and drive over, how my life had been progressing since we last met and how school was coming along. He asked if we should go ahead and take care of the interview and I explained I'd rather wait until all the guys were available. I asked if any questions were off limits and he said no, not really. He did say he wouldn't answer where the band name came from as there was no real explanation, it just came about. Charlie isn't quiet what you expect in an up and coming indie rock star. He's quiet and comes off as a bit shy before the show when he's soaking it in and checking the venue's vibes. He's attractive and garners attention easily from the girls in the crowd but seems somewhat oblivious to it. He seems to be confident once he's on stage and in his element but a bit out of place just mingling in the crowd. It probably doesn't help that he's taller than most everyone else. The Tiger's headlining tour is coming up and he looked a bit weary but was looking forward to spending some down time with his father in Arizona in between tours.

The next Tiger to arrive was Algernon, one of the group's renaissance men. Algernon has a warm smile and confident, but relaxed, stride that immediately puts you at ease. Like his band mate he seems unaware of his obvious attractiveness. I explained to him that I was hoping to do an interview with them all and was waiting for everyone to get together. He was nice enough to entertain me and talk music with me while waiting for everyone to file in. He's very talented and plays a variety of instruments, but doesn't brag on himself. When complimented he simply smiles sweetly and is very gracious about the whole thing. It's as if he's used to the compliments but refuses to let them get to his head.

Rick, the other renaissance man, came along shortly and was equally welcoming with a tight hug, warm smile, and childlike excitement buzzing around him. He's a slight, tall man with a handsome face. He's very talented playing an array of instruments. His independent project, Alvin Band, helps show the depth of his quirky, offbeat personality. He's very friendly and forthright, stating his opinions openly as though he'd always known you, seemingly unafraid of a disapproving peer. He'd just purchased some sunglasses for a film he's making with some friends and was eager to gather everyone's opinions. We were in agreement they were a bit 70's for his 20's production even if the electric blue were painted black. In fact they were a bit early Elton John. Though it's not entirely difficult to picture Rick as an eccentric, wealthy musician in the future. He'd fit the bill easily. You get the feeling things come easily to him, as if he can just sense the people he's near so he immediately comes off as your new best friend.

Alex, the bassist, had joined us by now and took some time away from Sports Center to throw in his opinion on Rick's glasses. Alex is the youngest of the tigers and the quietest by far. He's not unapproachable, but in fact very friendly. He seems to focus easily and get lost in his own thoughts. He's tall and slender and seems to put out a mild Lennon like zen vibe. Seemingly confident in his own person, despite ever changing surrounding. He's quick to discuss the sports and explain the difference between the two teams and why he's pulling for one. Rick is kind enough to input that he does hate the Lakers and the two of them discuss basketball at length. Admittedly I was a bit lost at this point as I don't follow anything related to basketball and was content to smile and nod along.

As the evening progressed the subjects changed from which girls had a crush on which band member, to sports, to favorite bands, to the snobby girls running around five points. Some girls had given Rick hell earlier in the day on his shopping exploration and he was quick to dismiss their opinions. Which is good as they probably hold little to no value. Each of the girls seem the same. Each one assuming to be cooler, hipper than the last. Each one thinking they are the last word on what should be or what is in style. Although the guys in the area are just as trendy and fashionable as the ladies, they're far less likely to make any comment regarding your inferior coolness. A beer or two helped calm the nerves and make the conversations flow more easily and before I knew it sound checks were being done and my interview was postponed until after the sets had been played.

The bar filled quickly and you could almost feel the electricity dancing about the room. As the tigers took the stage you could peer out amongst the crowd and almost see the thought bubbles. The guys were discussing the opening band, some familiar with them, some unfamiliar, and some too drunk to care about anything other than having an awesome time. Most girls were searching over them, trying to decide which one was the cutest and which the hippest. A few girls in the crowd were obvious fans biting their lips in anticipation. A redhead whispered to her friend how cute Charlie and Alex were, but her brunette friend quickly dismissed her opinions stating that clearly Rick and Algernon were the hottest as anyone who can play the keyboard is obviously the better to take home. As the set began the energy shifted with everyone picking up on the vibes of the band and easily settling into a groove as if they'd been listening to them all their lives. It's an interesting thing about the Tigers. Their music from the guitar, to the drums, to the vocals seems to transcend any established barrier. The lyrics themselves are quirky and sometimes unexpectedly angry for such a smooth melody, such as Tell It To The Volcano. That being said, any Tigers fan can tell you that their music seems to appeal to every generation in some form. My grandmother said it's the first time she's really listened to an album since Roy Orbison, a fact which Rick seemed exceedingly complimented by. By the end of the set it was clear they'd won over the crowd and would have a good crowd for the next tour.

All in all by the end of the night when it came time to interview we were all a bit worse for the wear. Everything was pretty distracting. A girl came along who'd managed to make it despite a broken foot, Hell's angels were still out, and the idea of something to eat was increasingly distracting. I did manage a question or two. I asked the goal for an international tour and was told the hope was by the end of this year. I asked the favorite moment of the tour, Algernon finally got his hands on orange juice that morning which he'd been craving all tour, Charlie and Rick said the interview was the favorite part and I think I burned myself a little with the profuse blushing and thanked them for their flattery, and Alex was in process of describing his moment when Hell's Angels came through with other plans. A listener asked if Charlie was gay and if not would he like her number, his answer was satisfactory but PR perfect. Charlie is in fact straight but does not want the number of homophobes. Alex pulled the van around and we discussed him following me to Steak n' Shake for some greasy goodness but an offer had come up for the guys to crash out in a hotel nearby and they were all understandably tired. So we said our goodbyes, each of them giving a healthy hug and a polite and seemingly sincere see you next tour. I headed off to get unhealthy food with a girlfriend and the Tigers headed off to the next adventure.

Overall it was a good night. The group seems to be headed in a successful direction with the New York Post recently writing a very favorable article about them. My favorite moment of the night was discussing guest list names with Rick. Cindy Lou Who and Dr. Chocolate Pudding being my favorites of the bunch. The music and the people are good and I'm looking forward to seeing them on the next tour and maybe if I'm lucky getting to party with them a bit. Hopefully next time I'll remember to do the interview before I'm too intoxicated and tired to do one properly and I can avoid dropping the F bomb in every other breath. Good times, good guys, good friends, good tunes. Oh and as for Rick's question, I'll never tell which one I have a crush on. I'll wait for my friends to sell me out on that one.