Living it Up at the Palladium on Oct. 26
By Andrew Jones

WAAF has come through once again to present us all with the “World Championship Tour” show at the Palladium. The show is on Oct. 26th and features Atreyu, Every Time I Die, From First To Last, and Chiodos. It is definitely one of the hardest major rock tours going around right now. I was lucky enough to get a chance to talk to Keith Buckley, lead singer of Every Time I Die, to chat about rock music in general and to get an idea about what’s it’s like for the band on the road.

Pulse: So how do you guys feel about this tour? I know you just got off the Warped Tour, but do you think this one is a little bit more your speed, not just straight punk or hardcore acts?

Keith: I do, you know, I mean the Sounds of the Underground Tour was a fairly middle-of-the-road tour for us because every band that was on it we’ve played club shows with before, you know what I mean? It was good, it was a great representation of where the hardcore/metal scene is. But, you know, it was the same kids we’ve been playing to for years, so, it was a great tour, but I think the Warped Tour was finally a big step forward.

P: Do you think [The World Championship Tour] is kinda just keeping things moving, or do you think you’ve stepped it up with this one?

K: This one I definitely feel like we’ve stepped it up, it was just finally the perfect thing at the perfect time where a lot of good opportunities came out of it, you know? We made a lot of new friends and a lot of new connections that are really helping out the band. I mean, doing tours that you’re comfortable with is great, but it’s a step sideways, certainly not a step backward by any means, but finally doing something like this and taking the risk and coming out of it having made an impression on Warped Tour among huge bands like NOFX and Under Oath and stuff. I feel like we went into it feeling like we were just going to be a side stage band, but we came out with a really good feeling of how everything went over.

P: How are you guys together on the road? Do you all get along well, or is everybody kinda…?

K: Yeah, it’s cool, and there was a lot of distractions on the Warped Tour, you know, if anybody gets on your nerves you can just go do your own thing. Buses always make it a little easier, but I’m a little worried. We’re doing the next three months straight in a van. I don’t know, it’s gonna be…

P: It’s gonna be smelly, I’m sure.

K: It’ll be a Full House episode, but with a lot more swearing.

P: Now, would you guys consider yourselves any specific genre, or maybe combo of two or three? And for that matter, what’s the band’s take on genres in general?

K: They’re so blurred, and right now it’s just odd because, you know, what used to be ‘metal’ is now picked up by mainstream which makes it ‘rock,’ and I just don’t understand things like that. Bands like Taking Back Sunday you can’t even categorize. I guess that’s ‘rock.’ But is it ‘emo?’ I don’t know. It used to be. It just depends on who listens to it. So, I don’t know. I’d like to think of us as a rock band, basing that on what we like to listen to, and our attitudes towards everything.

P: Do you think you could come up with one word that would describe your genre?

K: Sure. Sh*tcore.

P: Excellent, man. So, other than any general “take over the world” stuff, what are the band’s immediate goals for after the tour or beyond?

K: I want to attend the VMA awards.

P: Attend the VMAs? Alright, well that’s a pretty good specific one.

K: Or host it, whatever.

P: Well, hey, short term, long term. Cool man, well good luck with the tour and most of all good luck with the van.

K: Thank you very much. You’ll see us and we’ll be the guys that are absolutely miserable at that point.