Christmas is here! We sat down with a bunch of bands and artists to discuss this special time of year! Take a look and see what everyone had to say! Hope everyone has a great Christmas and holiday time this year!
[Our thoughts are with those affected by the tornadoes in our home area of Dallas-Fort Worth, TX. Hoping for a speedy recovery!]
Troy Lano (Then, Now, Always founder)
(FaceBook/Twitter/Instagram)
BS: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
TL: After traveling all year long there is nothing like coming back to where it all started and hanging out in the familiarity of friends voices and family’s laughter. The time spent away makes these times even more of a special occasion.
BS: What is the best holiday memory you have?
TL: From Holidays past my favorite memory for Christmas and new Years was when my best friend asked my wife and I to be The Padroni and Madrina (Spanish for God Parents) to their new born daughter.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
TL: It’s a hard toss up between Scrooged and Christmas Vacation.
BS: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
TL: I am pretty similar in many ways to Uncle Eddie (Clark Griswold’s brother) in Christmas Vacation. The wife and I do live out of an RV and are staying in the backyard of my best friends house indefinitely until touring picks back up. Sometimes I feel the urge around Christmas time to wake up in my robe, we’ll say coffee in hand and sewer hose in the other and yell “Shitter’s full!’ Ha.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas song?
TL: Bing Crosby “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas” I sing that incessantly around this time of year in that awesome low baritone voice.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=GJSUT8Inl14
Valerie Gentile
(Twitter/Instagram)
BS: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
VG: Vacation & presents!!!!!
BS: What is the best holiday memory you have?
VG: I was 14 and I convinced my Dad to buy me a drum set. Next thing I know we’re were going to Sam Ash and leaving with a 4 piece Groove Percussion kit. This was the first “real” instrument I ever owned.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
VG: Die Hard & Batman Returns.
BS: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
VG: I would love to be a resident of Halloween Town from Nightmare Before Christmas. I like the idea of being in a weird happy strong goth community thats opened to new things… like Christmas!
BS: What is your favorite Christmas song?
VG: Madonna’s “Santa Baby”.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=zH1wyHs5S_w
Grayscale
(FaceBook/Twitter/Instagram)
BS: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
Dallas: Wreaking havoc with snowballs.
BS: What is the best holiday memory you have?
Nick: When we were younger, Collin and I went off of a ramp sledding. He was on the bottom and hit his face and knocked himself out. We still laugh about our overly ambitious sled stunts today.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
Andy: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
BS: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
Derek: The Heatmiser, because he can shoot lightning bolts and balls of lava. Also his theme song is incredible. Way better than Snowmiser’s.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas song?
Collin: “Father Christmas” – The Kinks. That song rules.
Davey Muise (Vanna)
(FaceBook/Twitter)
BS: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
DM: The life break that occurs during the holidays where I can breathe for a minute and spend time with the people I love. Family and friends are so important to me and my life keeps me from them most of the year. Holidays are my unplugged and recharging time.
BS: What is the best holiday memory you have?
DM: I grew up in a prankster family, (obviously) I love joking around. My uncles were always so funny with me being the only male grandson. One year think I was about 10 or 11, I got my first leather wallet and all my uncles kept saying “Ohhh let me see that” and they were all passing it around and stuffing $1, $5, and $10 bills into it saying it was a magic wallet. I ended up with like $70 and a new wallet, best Christmas ever! Haha
BS: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
DM: I supposed Home Alone is a non tradish Christmas movie I always enjoyed. It’s A Wonderful Life was also a frequently viewed flick in my house during the holidays too. I like to laugh so Christmas comedies are my favs.
BS: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
DM: Krampus. I like the idea of a huge demon scaring kids into being good haha.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas song?
DM: No lie, Mariah Carey singing “All I Want For Christmas is You” I had the biggest crush on her growing up and always thought she was talking to me in that jam. ?
Sweet Ascent
(FaceBook/Twitter/Instagram)
BS: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
SA: I love special times with family. I don’t get to see them as much as I’d like so any time with them is awesome!
BS: What is the best holiday memory you have?
SA: My sister got married at Christmas time a few years ago. It was so great to be involved in that and then just do my family’s Christmas!
BS: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
SA: Die Hard
BS: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
SA: Bruce Willis. Because Bruce Willis.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas song?
SA: “Merry Christmas (kiss my ass)” by All Time Low.
Kindler
(FaceBook/Twitter/Instagram)
BS: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
Kindler: It seems that there is just something about the holidays, whether it be for reasons of faith, personal conviction, culture, or family, that invokes a spirit of unity and giving among people. The next step might be to aim to remain in that spirit year-round – but it’s still worth celebrating while it’s here, even if only for a season.
BS: What is the best holiday memory you have?
Kindler: We traveled to Lexington, KY around Thanksgiving last year and played a show with a band called Dream The Electric Sleep. They have become dear friends and mentors and are just a fantastic band – they’ll absolutely blow your head off live.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
Kindler: Elf!
BS: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
Kindler: Our guitarist is named Nick and it’s really just short for Nicholas. You see where this is going… 😉
BS: What is your favorite Christmas song?
Kindler: It’s hard to beat “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”. We’re good friends with an incredible pop band that lives nearby called, Citizen Shade, that put out a great version last year for Relevant Magazine’s Christmas compilation.
Coventry Carol is another great piece. It’s one of the few that explores a very different side of the normal Christmas narrative.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFnM8pSsyUU
DVO
(FaceBook/Twitter/Instagram)
BS: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
DVO: Family, Love, Giving, Smiles and the DESSERTS!!!
BS: What is the best holiday memory you have?
DVO: I have so many, But my brother and I every Xmas wake up super early and sneak to the Xmas tree and check to see whats under the tree! We still do it and we’re grown ha ha!
BS: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
DVO: The Nightmare before Xmas By: Tim Burton!!!!
BS: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
DVO: Santa because I like to give and I don’t have to pay for chocolate chip cookies ha ha!
BS: What is your favorite Christmas song?
DVO: “Silent Night”
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/216998494″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”300″ iframe=”true” /]
My Body Sings Electric
(FaceBook/Twitter/Instagram)
BS: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
MBSE: I don’t know what my favorite thing is, but I have a long list of things I don’t like about the holiday season, starting with: egg nog, shoveling snow, driving in snow, walking in snow, going outside when there is snow, wet socks, when my glasses fog up after I walk into a warm room from a cold outside, pine-tree needles, tinsel strands that stick to your clothes, the list goes on and on… Bah Humbug! Just kidding!
BS: What is the best holiday memory you have?
MBSE: When I was a kid, my dad use to always do the gift thing on Christmas Eve. He told me that he made special arrangements to have Santa Clause come by our house earlier than any other houses. Well, one year, I was already beginning to grow suspicious of this claim, when around 8:30, my Dad brought up the fact that no one had checked the mail yet that day, and he asked me to do it. Now, I was especially suspicious, but I decided to at least play along. After walking out the door, instead of going to get the mail, i waited and placed my ear against the door to listen for noises. As soon as I heard a disturbance, I busted back into the house. And sure enough, there was my dad, frantically trying to maneuver presents from the top of the closet to under the tree. Busted, Dad! I’ll always remember that.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
MBSE: We’re all definitely huge fans of Christmas Vacation. I remember watching it last year in our agent’s apartment in LA, and everyone was laughing hysterically. I also have a soft spot for Babes in Toyland with Drew Barrymore and Keanu Reeves. I think I got that movie from a Pizza Hut as a young kid. Thanks Pizza Hut.
BS: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
MBSE: Unfortunately, I would probably be the Grinch. He seems grouchy, but deep down he’s actually not a bad guy. Haha. And he gives me hope. If he can get in the Christmas spirit, then so can I!
BS: What is your favorite Christmas song?
MBSE: Here’s my top 5:
5. “Frosty the Snowman”
4. “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”
3. “Carol of the Bells”
2. “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey
1. “Dirty Rotten Christmas” by the Dirty Rotten Rhymers. Might have to dig deep for that one, but be warned, Parental Advisory!
Zero Holds
(FaceBook/Twitter/Instagram)
BS: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
ZH: All the parties, and food, and spiked nog.
BS: What is the best holiday memory you have?
ZH: When we used to invite the whole town to our house on Christmas Day for kegs and leftovers.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
ZH: Bad Santa
BS: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
ZH: The ghost of Christmas future. So we can tell Scrooge to cram it.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas song?
ZH: “Oh Christmas Tree”, or “Grandma Got Run Over”, that’s a good one. Ha
Bethany Becker
(FaceBook/Twitter/Instagram)
BS: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
BB: I really enjoy everything about it! I love the happy holiday atmosphere along with all of the traditions and special events that come with it. I always look forward to getting out the decorations each year and try to keep them up as long as possible J Also, I love celebrating my savior’s birthday with my family.
BS: What is the best holiday memory you have?
BB: Do I have to pick just one? Haha I love the holidays! Since I was a little kid I’ve always been really into traditions, so my memories of decorating the Christmas tree and Gingerbread houses with my family each year and setting up the nativity scene are very special to me. Of course, opening awesome presents on Christmas morning is always good too J
BS: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
BB: Elf! Definitely Elf.
BS: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
BB: An angel 🙂
BS: What is your favorite Christmas song?
BB: “Mary, Did You Know?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJZzIdCKSi0
Nick Vombrack (The Record Podcast and Dr. Manhattan)
(FaceBook/Twitter)
BS: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
NV: What’s not to like? Eating all the food, spending time with family, no work. It’s the bessst.
BS: What is the best holiday memory you have?
NV: The year I got a Fisher Price Power Wheels Jeep was pretty sweet. But since my birthday is close to Christmas, the holidays are always a blur. I am looking forward to celebrating my daughter’s first Christmas this year though.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
NV: Christmas Vacation, hands down. “Kiss my ass, kiss his ass, kiss your ass, Happy Hanukkah.”
BS: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
NV: The Grinch. I’ve always wanted to try a can of that Who Hash.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas song?
NV: Depends on the activity: The Drifters – “White Christmas” (while decorating the tree), Mariah Carey – “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (while Christmas shopping), Vince Guaraldi Trio – “Christmas Time Is Here” (every other minute of the holiday season).
Charles Ellsworth
(Twitter)
BS: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
CE: As cliche as it sounds, my favorite thing about this time of year is to watch people from all different backgrounds and walks of life come together and raise a collective middle finger to people still claiming that there’s a “War On Christmas” by wishing everyone they pass a “Happy Holidays.” It’s kind of the nicest “F*ck You” you’ll every see. That and sugar cookies shaped and decorated to look like snow men.
BS: What is the best holiday memory you have?
CE: My best memory would have to be singing Christmas Carols at the Nursing Home when I was a kid. At the time I was terrified and really hated it. Sometimes a patient would mistake you for their Son/Grandson and they would either yell at you or start crying and try to touch your face. It could get kind of creepy. Looking back on those experiences I remember that the majority of the folks really appreciated the sound and energy of children singing. I think it’s probably some of the most joy I can remember helping bring to a room and I don’t think i’ll ever forget the feeling it gave me when I realized the significance of what I was being part of.
One time I got super drunk at a Christmas party and puked in my friend’s sink. That’s probably the worst memory.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
CE: I think it’s going to have to be a three way tie between Gremlins, Elf, and Die Hard.
BS: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
CE: I would be “Gus Polinski” who is played by John Candy in Home Alone for a lot of reasons.
He seems like a really nice dude, who doesn’t mind offering this woman a ride.
He plays Polka music and he plays it well. He’s the ‘Polka King of The Midwest’ for goodness sake.
‘Polka King of the Midwest is definitely cooler than any title i’ll ever have, official or not.
Last but not least, this would mean John Candy, or at least a John Candy twin, would still be alive. With all of these Start Trek and Star Wars reboots, I think it’s about goddamn time for a Spaceballs 2, but how the hell are you going to have Spaceballs 2 without Barf?
BS: What is your favorite Christmas song?
CE: “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” performed by Frank Sinatra
Wild Sun
(FaceBook)
BS: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
WS: Company holiday parties.
BS:What is the best holiday memory you have?
WS: The year Linkin Park Hybrid Theory and Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 both dropped right before Christmas.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
WS: Rudolph, the claymation classic.
BS: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
WS: Santa, because he gets to kiss all the mommas!
BS: What is your favorite Christmas song?
WS: Transiberian Orchestra’s rifftastic rendition of “Carol of the Bells.”
Isaiah Dominguez
(FaceBook/Twitter/Instagram)
BS: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
ID: I mean.. what’s NOT to like about the holiday season. I love the lights, evergreen trees, decorations… but I think my favorite part is the music. I suppose that’s pretty stereotypical for a musician to say music is my favorite part of Christmas, but it really does resonate with me! Without it, I don’t think the season has the same feel.
BS: What is the best holiday memory you have?
ID: My favorite memories around the holidays always center around meeting up with my family in Ashland, OR. Most of my family lives in southern California (I live in WA) so when I was a kid we used to meet ‘halfway’ so that we could all celebrate together without having to drive 20-some-odd-hours to get to each other. It was usually a week of just hanging out with family and relaxing.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
ID: ELF! or It’s A Wonderful Life that’s totally a classic. OR The Grinch with Jim Carrey.
BS: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
ID: Yukon Cornelius! That’s the guy from Rudolph right? The prospector-y mountain climber? He’s my favorite classic holiday character. Who doesn’t love the guy who befriends a Yeti!?
BS: What is your favorite Christmas song?
ID: Ok so for modern Christmas songs, I have a lot of great memories with “Ho Ho Hopefully” by The Maine. Going more traditional, “Oh Holy Night” or “The Christmas Song” really put me in the spirit!
Lauren Strange
(FaceBook/Twitter/Instagram)
BS: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
LS: My favorite thing about the holiday season is that it’s socially acceptable for me to wear as many sparkles as I usually do on a regular basis.
BS: What is the best holiday memory you have?
LS: My family is pretty musical/artsy, so we usually have a singalong of Christmas carols around the piano at some point during the holidays. That’s something I remember doing from when I was very young.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
LS: My favorite Christmas movie is the original animated How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
BS: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
LS: Cindy Lou Who? One of my mom’s nicknames for me is Laurie Lou Who, so that’s probably pretty fitting.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas song?
LS: My favorite Christmas song is “Merry Christmas, Darling” by the Carpenters. Can’t beat it.
The Drama State
(FaceBook/Twitter/Instagram)
BS: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
Ronnie: I love the lights
Ryan: AH! I have to give a very unpopular answer on this one I think. I don’t like the holiday season so the best part is when it’s over. (laughs)
Ramsey: I love the time with my family and friends.
Eric: Christmas feasts and being with friends and family.
Mike: To be honest, it’s the color. From the snow outside to the decoration color; I love it.
BS: What is the best holiday memory you have?
Ronnie: When I was 8 I woke up to an acoustic guitar out on the front porch with a note that read “Sorry it wouldn’t fit down the chimney, Ronald. Merry Christmas!’ – Santa” Thanks mom!
Ryan: Oh man, um, let me think.
Ramsey: I’ve had some really great ones, so it’s a bit hard to name one in particular.
Eric: I have an awesome family and growing up all of my holidays were great.
Ryan: Probably getting a ps4 cause i’m a huge nerd?
Mike: Spending the holiday with my girlfriend’s family. They just know how to make the holidays great. Seriously love that family (laughs)
BS: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
Ronnie: A Christmas Story, duh.
Ryan: Die Hard. Hands down. If you don’t consider Die Hard a Christmas movie then we can’t be friends.
Ramsey: Scrooged all day. Bill Murray is boss!
Eric: Christmas vacation.
Mike: Dude without question; A Christmas Story.
BS: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
Ronnie: Probably Kevin McCallister in Home Alone. You have to respect that kind of hustle at a young age.
Ryan: The Grinch. For obvious reasons. Plus having green hair would be kind of tight.
Ramsey: I’d say Tim Allen’s son in “The Santa Claus”. That was me as a kid. How much I loved the holiday season and my undying faith to “holiday spirit.” Plus he whined a lot, I did too as a kid. (laughs)
Eric: Santa. Milk and cookies, dude. Milk and cookies.
Mike: I would be Santa for sure. Who doesn’t like to bring gifts to people and make them happy? Seriously best character of the holiday season.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas song?
Ronnie: “Put The Lights On The Tree” OR “Did I Make You Cry On Christmas Day? (Well, you deserved it)” by Sufjan Stevens
Ryan: My favorite Christmas song is any Christmas song that is played with the volume all the way down. BAH HUMBUG!
Ramsey: I do enjoy a lot, but I think I’ll go with the classic “White Christmas”. The song was, has it’s own holiday melancholy, and you can’t help but fall in love with that.
Eric: “Carol of the bells”
Mike: “The Little Drummer Boy”. It brings the feeling back to when i was a little kid. I had these drums that my grandfather got me for christmas and each year after that grandma would call me her little drummer boy. (Laughs) she still calls me that to this day.
War Games
(FaceBook/Twitter/Instagram)
BS: What’s your favorite thing about the holidays?
WG: My favorite thing about the holidays is getting to spend time with my family. We’re all busy all the time so getting to see the members I don’t get to see often is always nice.
BS: What’s the best holiday memory you have?
WG: My favorite holiday memory would have to be my Uncle David’s relentless rearranging of my grandmothers nativity scene into rather suggestive poses. It makes for a good laugh!
BS: What’s your favorite Christmas movie?
WG: I think my favorite Christmas movie would have to be Elf. It’s not exactly a traditional Christmas movie, but I still crack up when I see it! Even after at least a million watches.
BS: If you could be any holiday character who would you be?
WG: I’m gonna have to stick with Will Ferrel’s character in Elf on this one. I have 32 sweet teeth so being able to justify putting maple syrup on everything by not knowing any better would be awesome!
BS: What’s your favorite Christmas song?
WG: To be honest I don’t have a favorite Christmas song. Radio and shopping centers have been playing the same songs since I was a kid, so I really try to avoid it as much as I can, haha.
Icarus the Owl
(FaceBook/Twitter/Instagram)
BS: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
Joey: Califa Farms Almond Holiday Nog
Zach: Sitting on Santa’s lap
Rob: Black Forest Hot Chocolate
Tim: Pumpkin spice
BS: What is the best holiday memory you have?
Joey: Watching Home Alone in my under garments.
Zach: I was the kid in the video who got the Nintendo 64.
Rob: Having chinese food for Christmas dinner.
Tim: One time it snowed.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
Joey: Deuce Bigalow
Zach: A Muppet Family Christmas
Rob: Terminator 3
Tim: The Nightmare Before Christmas
BS: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
Joey: Obviously the bird lady from Home Alone 2.
Zach: Ernest because he saves Christmas.
Rob: The Terminator 3 because reasons.
Tim: Jack Skellington. Because I look like him.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas song?
Joey: “Tootsie Roll”
Zach: “Bizarre Christmas Incident” by Ben Folds
Rob: “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash
Tim: “Christmas List” by simple plan
Agree to Disagree
(FaceBook/Twitter/Instagram)
BS: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
Bobby: I would say my favorite thing about the holiday season is getting together with the family. On Christmas Eve, my family has a big gathering and that’s usually the only time I see certain family members that I don’t get to see often, so it’s nice and it’s always a good time.
BS: What is the best holiday memory you have?
ATD: There are so many from when I was a kid and even around more recently, but if I had to pick one, it would be when I got the Nintendo 64 when it came out around that time. I’d say it’s a tie between that and the year I got my Fender Precision bass that I use currently.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
ATD: Christmas Vacation, hands down.
BS: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
ATD: I probably would have to pick the Heat Miser from “The Year Without a Santa Claus”, only because I don’t mind having a warm Christmas. In fact, I just hate the cold in general.
BS: What is your favorite Christmas song?
ATD: Everything Christmas-related that the Trans-Siberian Orchestra does is just amazing, but for a particular song of theirs, I would pick “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24”, which for those that don’t know them, it’s their version of “Carol of the Bells.” If you ever get the chance to, check out their work, then go see them live. You won’t regret it.
