Localized Appreesh is our weekly thank-you column to the musicians that make the Bay. To be considered, contact emilysavage@sfbg.com.
Not only does San Francisco punk act Grandma’s Boyfriend have the best name ever, but the group took it upon itself to add its own questions to the Localized Appreesh survey. Truly, a band after my own heart.
While it doesn’t have any shows this week (check back in early May for a house show in Oakland, and a show June 7 at Knockout, plus July 3 at El Rio), Grandma’s Boyfriend is celebrating a milestone: the release of brand new six-song seven-inch EP on Loglady Records, which can be downloaded here.
It’s agile power pop/snot-punk joy, the Romantics meet FYP, with darker lyrical themes straddling anxiety, fear, love, and redemption. Check out the EP, then check out their answers below. Just make sure to hide the octogenarians.
Year and location of origin: Grandma’s Boyfriend (originally RubberThumbFoolAroundRachelSweat) formed in San Francisco in October 2009. George joined summer 2010. Thea joined in February 2012. We are all San Francisco natives.
Band name origin: While visiting a friend of ours’ parents, that said friend asked us if we’d met her grandma’s boyfriend. We said “no.”
Band motto: “Fuck if I know.” That’s what it is.
Description of sound in 10 words or less: Rock ‘n’ roll sensori.
Instrumentation: Mike: rhythm guitar and vox; Malcolm: drums; George: bass and vox; Thea: lead guitar
Most recent release: Our self-titled seven-inch. For some reason a lot of them are about getting killed and lost love and girls that just take things too far. It’s being released on Loglady Records later this month (pre-orders up now!!!).
Best part about life as a Bay Area band: The fog.
Worst part about life as a Bay Area band: Bands that form in San Francisco and then move to New York and still try to claim SF.
Interesting tour story: While touring in Japan two summers ago, we arranged to take an overnight bus from Yokohama to Kobe. One of the bands we just played with in Yokohama took us out for “all you can drink” at some restaurant. After drinking and eating for two hours, we were in a rush to get to our bus before it left. Our new friends kept assuring us there was a bathroom on board. There wasn’t. We tried to sleep it off because we weren’t sure when we’d get to a rest stop. I remember waking up in the back row of the bus in the pouring rain to George pissing into a water bottle between Malcolm and myself.
First album ever purchased: Mike: It’s Time to See Who’s Who, Conflict; Malcolm: Rocket to Russia, Ramones; George: Bad Hair Day, Weird Al; Thea: Nevermind, Nirvana
Most recent album purchased/downloaded: Mike: Slave to Love, Symbolick Jews; Malcolm: I vacuumed the floor at Recycled Records for a Smashing Pumpkins tape; George: A copy of Born in the USA Mike found in a box of tapes; Thea: Received a mixtape from a friend of Reigning Sound, True Widow, and the Parting Gifts
What do you see when you look in the mirror?: Mike: Catholic guilt; Malcolm: I’m not answering this. This is question is dumb; George: Fuck if I know; Thea: Solitude, tranquility and balance
Favorite local eatery and dish: Mike: Golden Era – everything; Malcolm: El Castillito on Church & Duboce – burrito; George: Brother’s Pizza – pizza; Thea: El Toro – baby super prawn burrito, no lettuce, no tomato!