Yay – we have many words from our highly literate Best of Philly Winners Reading Rainbow! It was no contest this year by the time our jury cast their votes. The bedazzling duo Rob Garcia and Sarah Everton made winning look easy like the friendship that they’ve developed. You’ve read plenty about Reading Rainbow from us, and recently XPN’s Bruce Warren so let’s see what the champs have to say.
The Deli: When did Reading Rainbow form as a band?
Reading Rainbow: March 2008
TD: What is the origin of your band name?
RR: It’s obviously taken from the T.V. show, but we thought it would be funny/interesting to take it out of context. So it’s not only nostalgic for 80’s childhood, it has a redefined meaning that sounds pretty mystical. But we’d understand if people think it’s dumb, band names aren’t that big of a deal in the end anyway!
TD: What are your biggest musical influences and what bands (local/national/international) are you currently listening to?
RR: We’re directly influenced by early punk and 60’s psychedelic. We are obviously really into VU and just straight forward pop with lots of vocal harmonies. Currently we have been going through a huge Beatles kick. Aside from that, we’re currently listening to the 100 Flowers album, Loaded (VU), and Bo Diddley. Current band-wise we are huge into Grass Widow (San Francisco), King Khan and BBQ, and Eternal Summers.
TD: What’s the first concert you ever attended and/or first album you ever bought?
RR: Rob – 1st concert: B.B. King with my parents when I was 12. 1st album: Led Zeppelin – Houses of The Holy (?)
Sarah – 1st concert: one of those shitty alternative radio station “birthday bashes” (104.7 THE BUZZ!) I think Our Lady Peace and Semisonic played. I was 12. 1st album: Nirvana – In Utero
TD: What’s your take on the Philly music scene?
RR: There’s tons of bands and it’s hard to keep track of what’s going on! We are recluses, and when we aren’t playing shows, we are recording/practicing/chilling with our cats watching music documentaries or Strangers with Candy.
TD: What are your plans for your March tour and trip to SXSW?
RR: We are carpooling there with our good friends Eternal Summers from Virginia. We are hauling ass to get to Texas by the 16th, so we are only playing 2 shows on the way down. Our plan is to just play as many shows as possible when we are there and haul ass back to get to school and work by the 23rd.
TD: What are your other performances and recording plans for 2010?
RR: We want to keep playing Philly and NYC pretty regularly (and B-more more this year), and we are hoping to do a tiny tour with Woven Bones from Austin in May. We are going to VA to record 10 songs in February. We want to record and tour as much as possible with what Rob’s work schedule allows, and be as prolific as possible for the rest of the year!
TD: What was your most memorable Reading Rainbow show?
RR: One really memorable show here in Philly was the first time we played The Ox in November with Beach Fossils, Eternal Summers, and The Spooks. There weren’t that many people there but we had a drunken, self-indulgent, love-fest between the bands. SUPER FRIENDS.
TD: What’s your favorite order at the Deli?
RR: Every time we play in Brooklyn we go the Brooklyn Deli on 2nd and Bedford before we drive home at 3am. We usually get roast turkey with Swiss on wheat, and they give you a free banana with each sandwich. And they sell Kombucha. It rules pretty intensely.
– The Deli Staff