PipemanRadio Interviews Raven's Banquet at Rocklahoma 2024

0:04 Hey, you have done to censure. See wow crazy you wake up America. It's time for the Adventures of Pipe Man on W four C Why dot Com. Wis pomp Beach is number one Internet radio station. Here's your host, the pipe Man. I just want to see your feel you see no CENSI fail. Even able buser.

0:50 You show a pocon. No. This is the pipe Man here on the Adventure's pipe Man dot You for see Why Radio And I'm. Here with Ravens banquet Man. Nice. Yeah, so here you are rock fucking Homa. Yeah. How's it feel like? I've been seeing you guys all weekend, so you've gotten to really experience rock Lahoma. Yeah, tell us about your experiences so far. It has been interesting to say the least, you know, I mean, this is our first year here just as people and as artists getting to play this this amazing event and with all these people just having fun. You know, we come down from San Antonio. You know a lot of this. A lot of the people down there are really into like scream oh and heavy metal, you know, like slip Knot and stuff like that. Who are even playing here and to see people really enjoy the band, and you know when we're up on stage, people are like, you know, raising their fists with us, clapping, get really getting into the end of the game.

1:49 Uh, it's been it's been amazing. You know. We've been passing out stickers for the band and just trying to get people to come check us out, and a lot of people really just enjoyed. Us and you know, been to the strip of a few times hung out. Ah there you go. Yeah, did Dave take you over there or you just found it on your own. The first night that we were here, Dave actually found our photographer during the night, and then the next day we met up with him over there and hung out for a little bit. And uh, that's kind of how we found him, was actually just by going there. We actually hung out with him last night and metow I met up with him over at the striper Pole. Oh yeah, I was hanging out with them too, But I don't remember if you were there when I was with them. But then you missed the best part of tonight, going to better than a stripper pole, bus booths and buttholes.

2:38 I did see that. We passed that a few times. Every time we passed it, like when we're walking around, nothing was going on there the first few nights, so we were just like. Okay, you gotta wait till later. People like leave, they they leave the venue, go to the stripper pole and then they go there, ah. The stripper poles, the appetizer for everything exactly. And he used the proper wording because of all the festivals I do, this one is different. Yeah. Yeah, Now we know that, you know, Danny Weimer took over the event, and you know, some stuff is a bit a little bit more. Uh. I guess, you know, it's not super laid back. I guess as it usually as we've never like I said, we've never been here. We've had some friends that have been coming up and have been here for you know, years, they said that the event is a little different. But I mean, I mean, we've had a fun time. We haven't had any issues. Security has been really cool with us.

3:24 You know, it's there's been no issues. But I know that, you know, you do kind of have to watch what you say and and the way you talk and stuff like that. So we try and keep that in mind. And the thing about the Danny Wimmer festivals is some people may complain that it's not as lax. Yeah, that's him protecting the artists. Yeah, I mean protecting the attendees and running it right instead of like a ship show. Yeah, I mean you don't. You don't want people walking around backstage and all of a sudden you're like, who is you? Who are you? Where'd you come from? You know the way it used to be anybody got backstage and on stage? Oh yeah, yeah, Now I get it, man. I mean, you know, I know that Netflix.

4:05 Yeah, you're right. Actually, Brando is you know would Stock ninety nine? You know that documentary that came out on Netflix and shit, just watching that, it's like, I understand why they got so much security nowadays and keep everything pretty tight and you know knit. Yeah, so it. Makes sense, man, And I think you know, it's hard as as regular people being out there. You're like, man, these guys suck and it's you know, they're assholes, and it's like no, man, they're just doing their job. They're doing what they're paid to do. They're out here enjoying the festival, but they also have a job to do. And it's also heart being an artist and having no escape, you. Know, like, to me, this area, the artists area is your. Escape, Like it doesn't mean you don't want to be out there with the people or agree to it, but there's times you need you time and not people like constantly around you or whatever.

4:54 You Yeah, and so for example, we were just in the catering after we played, we decided to go to catering eat and I turn around the singer Lamb of Goddess standing right behind me, you know what I mean. But I'm not one of those guys who's like, can I get a picture? Can I get a picture? I'm just nodded and walked off. You know. It's just, you know, people have lives there. We're like everybody else, you. Know, exactly. So you know we're in a restaurant or something like that, you know, just chill out, you know. Totally, and just be cool. I tell people that come with me to these festivals to help me out. I'm like, don't ask for like craft, don't ask for a selfie. This is their safe zone. Yeah from that, Yeah, so you know, yeah, it's nice. It is nice. So how would you guys, as artists, describe to the listeners your music without using a genre a genre without using a genre like I hate fucking genres because it boxes you in as an artist.

5:49 Yeah, yeah, like you have to do it this way. I don't believe that we work with different sounds. I mean we're not super heavy, you know, we're not like scream Oy like I said earlier. But we're also not super light either in our playing. You know, we try and have a mix of both heavy songs but songs that people can you know, really enjoy and connect with. I mean, as artists, that's what you want everybody to do. You want to reconnect on your songs and stuff like that, and so we try to not only get the musical aspect and the musical feel of these songs, but we also want people to connect on them on a lyrical level as well, and so we try and write with some more I lost the word for a second there, but all right, more deeper meaning, you know.

6:30 And so I think. Lyrics are totally important, like that's what we relate to. And that's also misconception when it comes to rock music metal music. People don't even know the words and they make these assumptions like what happened with Gojira at the Olympics. I don't know if you saw, but so many people on. Socials were like there. It is proof of Illuminati and they have this devil worship band play in the Olympics. It's like, fucking read the lyrics. Yeah, they are the farthest from devil worship you could possibly but be. Yeah, that's saying about whales in the environment. Yeah, and that's what's what's funny is So I've never been a good urafan.

7:12 I never was. I never really listened to that music. Like I said, I'm not big into that, like screaming and stuff like that. But after watching that performance, I got really in them. I was like, you know what, I really like their performance. I like the song that they played on ware looking for It. They just recently actually put out that song on their stuff. But I went and started listening to their music and started looking at the lyrics. I'm like, Oh, these guys like are talking about the Amazon rainforest and all this other stuff. I'm like, I can get behind this man. You know. I like what they stand for. I like what they're pushing for. You know, they're pushing for connection. They're not looking to make any like you know, go tear down the walls and do all this other stuff. They're just like making. They're trying to make Yeah we got they're trying to make it like we got one home, you know, take care of it and yeah, but rock about it, you know, keep it interesting.

7:54 One and then again like if you're not into that guy of music, you can't understan stay in the lyrics. Yeah no, you know, so you automatically think because it's that, it's like devil worship. Yeah, it's just stupid. And I guess maybe for me as an artist personally, you know, not into it, but I can respect that art. You know, there's a lot that goes into it. There's a lot of It's just like if I was writing a song and it's the feelings that I had, but they're just conveying. There's differently and that's what's cool about you know, music is everybody you know interprets things differently. You know, it's all conveyed differently, and it's just a it's a very beautiful thing. Man. You know, I don't take it for granted any any time.

8:36 I don't take having music in my life for granted at all. Outside of your band, each one of you probably has a different answer. What is the most impactful lyric you ever heard in a song? That you related to and impacted your life. I think for me, I mean, there's several songs that I could think of, but it's by alter Bridge. It's life Must go On. And the line is the sun always sets, the moon always falls. It feels like the end. Just pay no mind at all and keep rolling, keep rolling, Life. Must go on. I love it. You know, there's a lot that goes on with life, especially even in the music business. It's all not it's not all glamour, you know. No, there's fights, there's issues, you know, there's stage grumlins like we had earlier today.

9:20 We had some stage grumlins when we were playing. But you get through it, you know, and you have a good time. You know. You have to look at the positives, so totally now and there is a lot of shit to deal with. So the good part is making music. But then there's everything else you have to deal with that people don't realize you have to deal with. They're like, oh, what a great life. You just get up there and play around and you know, travel, and that's come on, Yeah, that's not. What it is, that's not how it works. But what about you, Johnny, You got any lyrics? Yeah? I do. You might be expecting this, but it is a dream theater song, I am, but it's the Ministry of Lost Souls. It's like a fifteen minute song, but it's about someone who kind of sacrifices themselves to save another person they love, and just the way they deliver the message and kind of like go about it. It's kind of a slower song, but it picks up at the end it kind of gets like hopeful. But just listening to it, it does make me to ride sometimes.

10:27 Nice. It should give you an emotional response. Yeah, that's really what music is about for me, is that it makes people feel something, whether it's like anger or sadness or happiness, whatever, but you move someone to feel something, and that's really the goal. Do you have one? Oh? Yeah, So this one is relatively simple. It's from a Chili Peppers song that I it's my favorite song of all time. It's called Goodbye Angels, and it's just one lyric that really resonated with me at the time. It's suicide is never gonna save you. I love that. Yeah. My old thing in life has always been every time I was down in that dark place. Yeah, what if it's worse?

11:09 Yeah? Rock Bottom. All has always got a basement. Right like, and if you kill yourself, what if it's worse, then where you go exactly what you're gonna do? Yeah, you're now, Yeah, wherever you are, you're there or now. Yeah. So that's what always kept me from never thinking about doing something like that. Absolutely doesn't work for everybody, and that's the key. Everybody has fine what works for them? Absolutely? How about you? What about Yeah? I was thinking about while you guys were talking, And one song in particular I can say is called Dark Signs by sleep Token, and that song in particular is about just about depression. The cryptical lyrics in the beginning of the song it's all real, mellow, real smooth, and again it just talks about depression of the singer with his love that he cannot really reach, that he feels he just feels one way, he feels happy with him, but the other way he feels not so disconnected, puts a block over because he doesn't trust this this entity.

12:20 And so I really love the sound that they produced in that song and overall the music that they've they've put out. I listened. I listened to their albums like take Me Back to Eden Sundowning and it's very very good stuff. Nice. Now. One of the things I love about those answers is that it shows that your band is unique because you have so many different influences that come into music. If I nowadays a lot of bands if follow like this algebraic equation. Form me a lot, yeah, and this is how you do it.

13:03 And I think the blending of different genres influences is what makes a band like your stick out against the rest. Yeah, And for me, like music, you can there there is some algorithm to it, you know what I mean. But but in our experience, there's never really been like a set way of making music, you know, I mean, yeah, nothing is consistent. I saw an interview with Stevie Ravaugh and they asked him a question about like him, like the way that he plays compared to the way that Jimmy Hendrix played, and he was like, well, Jimmy Hendrix was inspired by other people. You know that were you know, older than him. And then you know, Stevie Ravon was inspired by Jimmy Hendrix and you know other different people, you know, and that's kind of how it goes. You know, It's like we're inspired, Yeah, it's a cycle, you know. But some people like to just go for one thing and they're like, yeah, no, we want to sound exactly like these people. And especially nowadays, I know that that's going on a lot music as a lot of people are trying to sound like everybody else.

14:03 And it's like, but you want to build on top of that, you know, you can jump on the train or you can start start up a whole new new. Thing, because you're not gonna go on anywhere like that, because then how do you stand now and it's. Already been done? Yeah, So why is somebody to chews you over to one that originally did it? Yeah? And for me, for me, if you're going to do if you are going to follow a pattern or follow another type of music or sound like that, go for something that doesn't have a lot of stuff in it. Like for us, we all agree that alter Bridge is a very great band, great lyrics. He's one of the most amazing singers I've ever heard. To me, the best singer of all time. You know, he's up there with Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington and everybody. And we try and sound similar to them because of the impactfulness of their music and their lyrical writing, but we also try and have our own stuff with it.

14:56 You know. It's like we want to have the same kind of feeling and we want to give the same feeling. Because there's I'm a lot of out there like that. The only other band that's really liked that is like Seven Dust and Mammoth, you know, and Mammot's up and come in and they've got some really good stuff. It's another band that had some really impactful lyrics from from one of their songs, you know that what he talks about, it's basically tell him talking about his father's death, you know, and you know, just a great, great song man. Totally and yeah, I mean for me, I'll give you my lyric. It's from bring Me to the Horizon. I Can't drown my demons. They know how to swim. I'm like, that's fucking brilliant. That is it really is.

15:36 It's so true. Yeah, you know, and it's stuff like that that can change your life. That's why it's lyrics are so important. Yeah, they really are. Man, they can they can either uplift a song or bring a song down. You just gotta you gotta flow it, and you gotta make sure what you're saying. You know, you got to know that at all times, whatever you say is gonna make it. It's like being on social media, you know, Yeah, whatever you put out is going to be seen and it's going to be interpreted like differently. But you want it to be interpreted in a good way. But that's not always the case. But you you try and. Try to go for that totally. And I think too you're great musicians and great artists have a and you have a signature sound is what counts, you know, Like you were talking about Mammoth, anybody hears Eddie his guitar, you know it's Eddie, you know Mark Tremani, you know it's him. Yeah, you know, And that's how I think any.

16:39 Artist needs to do. Like yeah, so certain degree of formula, but then. You have to add what's you that people can say that's this band? You got to balance stuff. Out, you know exactly, how do people reach you on your socials on the web, buy your merch because it's the only way bands survive nowadays. Yeah, you know, I know that. I think people don't realize how much. It costs a lot, you know, just specifically for us, we just took a motor home and a truck out here, you know, and the motor home on a full tank of gas is two hundred dollars. Yeah, just for a full tank and that that's you like five feet yeah.

17:21 Yeah. But people can check us out on you know, all streaming platforms Spotify, Apple, iTunes, you know, stuff like that, and can go to our socials on Instagram and Facebook at Ravens Banquet and also if they want to get a little bit more in depth and I this is a little older, but you can go to our website Ravensbanquet dot com. But on that website, we have a calendar that we update that tells you that you can and you can scroll through the different months and it tells you what time we're playing, and what day we're playing and where we're playing. That's so we have a calendar so you can, you know, make sure, Hey, are they coming by. Yeah, no, let's check it out. Le's see the calendar real quick. Yeah, let's go check them out. They're going to be in our town here in. A little while. I love it. So now we try and to make it very easy for people to access our stuff and get a hold of.

18:06 Us, you know, very cool. Is there anything you guys need to tell the listeners that we haven't covered already that they should know? For me, I would like to just say thank you to everybody that has come out today. Thank you to Danny Weimer and the you know, entire production crew, everybody that's been helping us out, help us get our gear on the stage, off the stage, and it's been an amazing event. We're so happy to be out here. We hope to be back here next year walking out with you guys and hopefully doing another interview with you. Man, this has been fun. I love hearing that, by the way. Yeah, man, And so just thank you to everybody that's been here. Thank you to everybody that's listened to the songs. If you haven't listened to the songs, please go check us out. You know, like you said earlier, we survive off of you guys listening to us in US selling merch. Fortunately, we don't have merch for sale online because even that is expensive. It's seventy dollars a month just to sell a few shirts.

18:55 Wow, that's bullshit. It's yeah, it's insane. So we had to end up taking that down. But you know, come check us out of shows. We got you know, fresh we even have fresh merch at this show. No, I know. We've made special shirts just for this. I love it. So just thank you, thank you, thank you. We love every one of you, and God bless you well. Thank you for playing here at Rockklahoma and killing it. And thanks for being on the Adventures of pipe Man. Thank you man, we appreciate it. Thank you for listening to the Adventures of Pipe Man on w for CUI Radio.