Clear the decks and get your mind out of the gutter, folks. This isn't a Q&A on the home world of Captain Kirk, the undisputed king of gettin' some in space. It's Seven Questions In Heaven with Bay Area band Planet Booty, whose fun-loving outlook and infectious grooves may inspire some ass-shaking of your own.Describe your music for our readers who may not be familiar with you.
2 Live Crew and Talking Heads have a baby in outer space.
Who are your musical influences and idols?
James Brown, Prince, Marvin Gaye, Parliament, Al Green, Fela Kuti, Ween.
What was the first album, cassette, or CD you bought with your own money?
Outkast, Aquemini.
OK, so a concept album morphs into a phenomenon and then that translates into a much-heralded live show that sort of defies expectations. What can someone walking into one of your performances expect?
Sweat, dancing, funk, laughter, and more energy you've seen at a show in a long time.
Noticing that your live shows are almost exclusively in California, is that because you like to work close to home? Any chance you'd book an east coast leg?
The task of booking shows on your own is arduous and movement from outside our home state has been slow, but we have been building a solid foundation in California moving outward from there. We plan on getting up to Portland and Seattle by the summer's end but if the opportunities present themselves out East and made sense for us, of course we'd go! We will be out East eventually, as we also have our eyes set for Chicago and the Midwest origins for almost half the group.
With the release of the Success EP, you're reaching a broad audience with its synth-driven funkiness, but the live shows pull back the curtain a little with horns, guitars, drums, etc. Would you pull a rabbit out of the hat for your next release with say, an acoustic folk or blistering rock anthem album?
Planet Booty's original foundation was built on the idea of crossing genre lines which is apparent in our first album Germart Present: Planet Booty. We definitely aren't afraid to switch it up. Though funk comes out naturally for us, we approach music like we approach our philosophy on Booty: accepting of all different styles. It just has to feel right!
Is the disco ball mirror-encrusted derriere you are all so lovingly adoring in the photos modeled after anyone's booty in particular or is it just a universal ideal?
Not anyone we know particularly though it was acquired because of its shapeliness. It should be noted that Nathan Germick, Keyboards/Co-founder, bought the Booty in mannequin form and hot glued each mirror piece by hand, a feat many hours and hot-glue burns in the making.
Also, the disco booty doesn't represent what we believe to be an ideal Booty at all, it's merely the funkiest possible fixture used to inspire all and set the mood to "just right" in any environment. A message we try to push is that the ideal Booty is really your own and that you should celebrate its existence. Here's a little Booty proverb that sums it up nicely:
"Although the booty has an eye, it does not see. It is blind to class, affiliation, ethnicity, gender, appearance and sexual orientation. Booty does not grade on a curve because your curves are perfect."More Planet Booty: Official | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
