Dim Lights Thick Smoke Promotions interviews Mike Keneally

Posted on October 8, 2008 by urbangraffito

In this two part audio interview, DLTSP chats with Mike Keneally about his early influences, his love of progressive music, learning to play the entire Gentle Giant catalogue, Drop Control, joining Frank Zappa’s band, the realities of being in Frank Zappa’s band, DethKlok, the power of performing live, his current release “Wine and Pickles”, Radio Keneally and more.

Part 1, Part 2.

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I am a writer, editor, publisher, philosopher, and foole (not necessarily in that order). Cultural activist and self-described anarchist.
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3 Responses to Dim Lights Thick Smoke Promotions interviews Mike Keneally

  1. Clenn says:
    October 8, 2008 at 11:49 am

    Gentle Giant, without a doubt my favourite band. Too bad there is no chance of seeing them play again! Unlike Jethro Tull and Adrian Belew at the end of this month :).

    Nice interview, I didn’t give any of the albums he plays on a good go.

  2. Kevin Hoover says:
    October 8, 2008 at 6:33 pm

    Tull completely reinvented Aqualung when I saw them a few years ago, giving the old tunes a “Secret Language of Birds” treatment. It was just like what Frank did with his music live – reinterpret it from another angle just as valid as the original iteration.

    Glad Mike remembers “In Concert.” What about “Don Kirschner’s Rock Concert” and “Twiggy’s Juke Box?”

  3. urbangraffito says:
    October 9, 2008 at 8:36 pm

    [quote comment=”2579″]
    Glad Mike remembers “In Concert.” What about “Don Kirschner’s Rock Concert” and “Twiggy’s Juke Box?”[/quote]

    I don’t even remember “Twiggy’s Juke Box” Kevin. When and where was that show broadcast?

    I do recall, “In Concert”, “Don Kirschner’s Rock Concert”, and many was the night I snuck past my parent’s room (slowly closing their door as I passed) to watch the “Midnight Special”.

    Those were the days before music became purely a business, and an appearance on any of these broadcasts could really make or break an artist’s career.

    Today’s audience doesn’t know how good they’ve got it. It was all so new to us: music videos, musicians on television (Europe was far ahead of North America in that regard). We had vinyl records, concerts, and AM/FM radio — that’s it.

    One of the reasons I like Keneally’s music is that he both came out of that environment, and transcended it (through playing with the 88 band). To me, of all the former alumni, he most carries on the Zappa spirit in his music. It’s complexity. It’s playfulness. It’s sense of Otherness. Most of all in its originality. Anyone who listens to “hat” or “Boil That Dust Speck” should come away with the same opinion.

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