Calabrese - January 2010

Interview with

Calabrese

Death by Stake: with the Calabrese Brothers. Everybody if not once in their life has had the chance of attending a circus, correct? Well, what about one of the many others side attractions that are offered amongst that criteria, such as a travelling Vampire show? Well, now boys and girls is your time to shine and experience the wonder and wisdom of CALABRESE! But what is a CALABRESE per say? Phoenix, Arizona showcases not only the blistering heat waves all year long but is overrun by a trio of brotherly Vampires, who have taken their last name and enforced it as their band name, brothers Davey (drums), Bobby (guitar / vocals) and Jimmy (bass / vocals) Calabrese.

The family trio also having papa Calabrese along for the ride showcasing their merch table - combines the gothabilly looks with B-movie drive-in lyrics revolved around a Death Rock sound that has been described as "melodic, hook-laden, catchy, fun, horror-theme Rock with a punk attitude" adjustment. Blasko of The Death Rides and Rob Zombie states, “I think CALABRESE is one of the top Horror Rock bands I have heard.” The band has unleashed two full-length albums whilst in their musical careers, ‘13 Halloweens’ (2005) and ‘The Traveling Vampire Show’ (2007) with ‘They Call Us Death: Calabrese III’ due out this coming March. CALABRESE are quickly gaining an intentional audience invading the lives of humble citizens from the entire globe. The Calabrese brothers caught up with me after their performance to briefly discuss the turn outs of what is to become of the Vampire society they consider their own.

Reflections of Darkness (RoD): First off, Happy New Year and give me a brief history of how CALABRESE got started.
Band: Happy New Year!
Jimmy: The world didn’t end, so that’s good. Dave alright, go for it!
Dave: I never answer anything, my mother Judith Calabrese gave birth to us so the devil… uh I can’t do this. The band started in 2000-2001, 98? Laughs, what’s a brief history how do we sum it up?
Bobby: We were all into music and were all in various bands so then me and Jimmy decided that all the bands we were in weren’t quite what we had wanted so we made our own band like The Misfits and White Zombie, Ramones, punk rock stuff, so then we recruited Dave and beat him to learn how to play the drums so now he is emotionally scum, so that’s why he hurts his drums, jumping and acting crazy in front of the audience and that’s how it started and that was it.

RoD: How about your upcoming third release, ‘They Call Us Death: Calabrese III’, what can fans expect from this release in comparison to your other releases.
Bobby: The new record is a lot darker, at least I think so, and it’s a little technically advanced but we don’t want to look like we’re trying too hard. We listened to a lot of music that we like, and blended a lot of heavier sources and darker lyrics.
Dave: Everybody should pre-order it because it’s delicious.

RoD: Your lyrics are horror based obviously, but you tend to revolve your sources around Vampires, why the fascination with Vampires?
Dave: One word… Twilight!
Bobby: He saw the wrong movie. Type O Negative did that Brooklyn Vampire thing, so we can’t really base us off the Mummy or Frankenstein so we picked Vampires.
Jimmy: Before the whole Vampire thing exploded we blended our style into it.
Dave: The Lost Boys and all the classic Vampire films we had watched growing up got us into the whole Vampire craze.

RoD: Do you consider yourselves Vampires?
Dave: Yes.
Bobby: We might be it’s for you to decide… suggest you pick up the new CD and decide for yourself.

RoD: When will ‘They Call Us Death: Calabrese III’ officially be released to the ghoulish hands of the world?
Jimmy: I believe we decided the street date would be March 20th towards the end of the month if you pre-order it you get it earlier along with getting some post cards and other merch signed by us.

RoD: Do you know what the first single and video will be?
Jimmy: Good question. I think it’ll be one of the two songs we have on our MySpace page, which is either ‘Black Anathema’ or ‘Violent Hellfire’, and we’re probably will be working with Brian Pulido (Spookshow Records) again. We have a possibility working with some animators here in California so we’re working on that.

RoD: Are you guys familiar with this other horror punk act, Church for Sinners? Would you ever consider touring with them or this other act known as the Dead Vampires?
Dave: We did a few shows with them at the Knitting Factory. We’re not too familiar with the Dead Vampires though we do know AFI.

RoD: What does 2010 have in store for CALABRESE?
Bobby: The new CD release, new comic book, music video, everything we are finally living our dreams come true starring me, these guys aren’t in it. *laughs* Go out on tour, in the New York and Boston areas and the rest of the world.

RoD: How did you get to perform in The Graves film?
Jimmy: I got a connection with Brain Pulido we met him and he’s also a creator and writer making a variety of comic book characters and at the time we were making ‘Voices of the Dead’ and he then offered us apart in his new movie and had a rocking time in our brief four minutes of screen-time.

RoD: Do you guys use any stage props or effects during your performances?
Jimmy: For the Halloween shows we use blood, we also use strobe lights among other effects.

RoD: Which horror icon does your band represent and why?
Jimmy: I don’t know hopefully we can sum it all up taking all the best horror icons out there.

RoD: Have you ever had a fan approach you with a wooden stake ready to strike?
Dave: I don’t think they’ll be a band then.
Jimmy: Nobody has yet come with us with a stake, except perhaps a steak and potatoes.

RoD: Do you have anything else to say to the Vampires that may be reading this?
Dave: Come out come out where ever you are.
Bobby: If there are any Japanese Vampires that promote shows in Japan we want to go to your country.
Jimmy: That’s about it, thanks for keeping Vampires alive.

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