Welcome to our 3rd annual Christmas Roundtable!
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!
Art by Ron Swann and Joseph Arnold
Dad Brains
Patrick Pedraza – Dad Brains
Isaias Gil
BBE: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
IG: I like how people get really kind and it’s like they’re cramming for a final exam of being kind and caring for others. They go over the top and deal with everyone with a positive disposition and love.
BBE: What is the best holiday memory you have?
IG: My uncle throwing parties and having people of all sorts of demographics enjoying time playing music. Except for naked Ben. Ben, if you read this then I’m sorry. It was just weird… for everyone. Hahaha
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
IG: Die hard. I’m not sure if it’s holiday ish but I dig it. Yippiew-ki-ayyy Christmas lovers!
BBE: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
IG: Bruce Willis in die hard! Or Batman. I love Batman and I’d pick him year round. He’s a total boss!
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas song?
IG: None of them. It starts right after thanksgiving and I can only Christmas so much. I like Michael Bublè’s Christmas album but only from January to October. Nothing from thanksgiving to the 26th of dec. Hanson had a great Christmas album too. I dig those songs.
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Small Town Titans
Jonny Ross of Small Town Titans
BBE: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
BBE: What is the best holiday memory you have?
JR: It’s tradition in my home to read “The Polar Express” every year. I have many memories of reading this great book out loud over the years growing up.
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
JR: Elf. Hands down. (Sorry not The Grinch haha!)
BBE: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
JR: I’ll go with the snowman who narrates the classic Rudolph claymation movie. I’ll narrate that great story any day!
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas song?
Alive in Barcelona
Cameron Douthat (Guitarist) – Alive in Barcelona
BBE: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
CD: My favorite thing about the holiday season is getting time to spend with my family and reflect on what I’ve experienced during the past year. I’m a sucker for year-end lists, and I love being able to look back on all the great albums, movies, and video games released during the past year and revel in all the media that inspired me creatively. I’m also currently enrolled in a PhD program, so having a break from school is something I always enjoy.
BBE: What is the best holiday memory you have?
CD: My favorite holiday memory is receiving a drum kit from my parents for Christmas when I was 10 years old. My dad is a musician, and many of my family members on his side are also musicians, so I was ecstatic when I was given an instrument of my own. I played that drum kit for hours on end every single day up until I left for grad school, and I consider that drum kit to be the catalyst that led me to pick up the guitar and eventually join Alive in Barcelona.
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
CD: My favorite Christmas movie is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. No matter how many times I watch that movie I still find it just as funny as the first time I watched it. My uncle Mick also reminds me of Cousin Eddie in the best way possible, and his Christmas outfits are always unique to say the least, so I drew lots of parallels between my family and the Griswold family when I was growing up.
BBE: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
CD: Does John McClane count? If so, that’s the holiday character I would want to be. Die Hard is such a badass movie, and if I was even 1/10th as cool as Bruce Willis I’d feel pretty content about myself. If we’re being honest, I’m probably more of a Tiny Tim type. I have the world’s worst immune system and I’m constantly ill, so my physique is pretty far away from action-hero standards.
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas song?
CD: My favorite Christmas song is Carol of the Bells, for sure. Specially, the August Burns Red version of Carol of the Bells. The melody for that song is so infectious, and I think the arrangement August Burns Red put together for the song makes it sound even more epic. Plus, August Burns Red and Christmas go together hand in hand. Matt Greiner is the little drummer boy we all deserve.
Valentin Marx
BBE: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
V: My favorite part of the holiday season is definitely spending time with my family and having time to reflect. It is the only time of the year where everything slows down for a few days and I can kind of take stock of everything that has happened.
BBE What is the best holiday memory you have?
V: My best holiday memory was my first Christmas in New York. I was really struggling to make ends meet and adjust to the new lifestyle. My girlfriend at the time convinced me to go on this Caroling troupe with a bunch of strangers. We essentially went from one store front to the next singing through some classics in front of unsuspecting bystanders. I hear they still do this every year. It was FREEZING Cold but ended up being a really amazing experience, and I think back on it every year.
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
V: Favorite Christmas movie is Bad Santa. Perfect mix of raunchy humor and human redemption holiday magic.
BBE: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
V: I would love to be Frosty. I’ve always wondered what it would feel like party hard for a day, then LITERALLY melt away
BBE:What is your favorite Christmas song?
V: Give Love On Christmas Day by the Jackson 5. Great vocals by the entire group, but especially young Michael Jackson. A must for any Holiday Playlist.
Lullwater
BBE: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
LW: Getting to spend time with my nieces and nephews
BBE: What is the best holiday memory you have?
LW: Making campfires with my Dad and talking about the new year.
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
LW:It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone
BBE: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
LW: Kevin McCallister because I want to boobie trap my house
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas song?
LW: Silent Night
Releaser
Releaser
Jeremy: tbox. Just kidding. chrismas music on the radio
Duane: catching up with family
Jeremy: when my family pulled together to get me my favorite guitar
Duane: after opening all gifts, my parent asking me to get them a drink from the fridge in the garage, only to see my new drumset.
Jeremy: Christmas Vacation
Duane: It’s a wonderful life
Jeremy: Cousin Eddie from Christmas Vacation. “Smells like fried pussycat”
Jermey: Last Christmas by Wham!
Andre: Carol of the bells
After The Calm
After the Calm
BBE: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
Jonathan: Seeing family more often, it’s always good because it makes family get together and even sometimes people travel. I always enjoy seeing my family.
Henry: My electric bill is significantly cheaper. We are in AZ so the summers are horrible.
Logan: Really just spending time with my family. We’re at home basically all Christmas day.
David Nunez: Spending time with your loved ones you don’t see too often. Doing the festive stuff like going to Glendale Glitters is always fun.
Kody: Family
BBE: What is the best holiday memory you have?
Jonathan: A lot of times after opening presents our cats will play with all the wrapping paper and we even put the sticky bows on their heads. It’s funny to see them playing with everything.
Henry: When Santa was real as a kid, we left him a tortilla instead of cookies. When I woke up, he ate a few pieces of the tortilla.
Logan: I swear I saw Santa take off from a house in front of mine when I was 8 years old. My parents told me it was their decorations. But the next morning, nothing on the roof!
David Nunez: For me it was getting my Nintendo 64. It was the first system I could call my own. Before, it was my older brother that got all the game systems.
Kody: Spending time with my cousin last year.
BBE:What is your favorite Christmas movie?
Henry: Gremlins.
Jonathan: Home Alone 1 and 2 since my family watches those every Christmas.
Logan: Christmas Story
David Nunez: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Kody: A Year Without A Santa Clause
BBE: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
Henry: Tim Allen’s Santa Character from The Santa Clause because he always gets fats and hair no matter what he does.
Logan: White from 8 Crazy Nights. Just cause he’s so carefree.
Jonathan: Definitely Will Ferrell in Elf because he is hilarious.
David Nunez: I would be Jack Skeleton, dude is legit. He’s the pumpkin king!
Kody: Santa, 364 days off
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas song?
Logan: I honestly don’t like Christmas songs. A Day To Remember had a great Christmas song, does that count?
Jonathan: Grandma Got Ran Over by a Reindeer, it is a bit messed up but it always makes me laugh.
Henry: Jingle Bells Batman Smells because its been over 50 years and Batman still smells.
David Nunez: I don’t think it’s necessarily a Christmas song but rather I like to listen to it during this time of year. What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
Kody: Any lofi mix
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Photo by Liza Boone
Arlene Zelina
Marlene Oak
Marlene Oak
Camu
Camu: I don’t have an absolute favorite but I’ll go with Bad Santa.
