Punktuation-What is the name of your band?
The Anniversary
P-Is there any symbolic meaning behind it?
A-Nope...we just wanted a name that wasn't trying to be off the wall...something simple...Adrianne came up with it.
P-How long have you guys been together?
A-About two years so far...we played under a different name with a different drummer for about a year before that though...
P-Who are the current members?
A-Justin ---guitars and vocals
Adrianne---keyboards and vocals
Josh---guitars and vocals
James (me)---bass
Christian--drums
P-What inspired The Anniversary to begin playing to the hearts of crowds everywhere?
A-Hearts of crowds...I'm not sure how to answer this, but it seems like all of us have been doing this forever...it seems natural to keep moving forward...does that not make any sense at all or what...
P-Was there any memorable experiences from your recent tour with Hot Rod Circuit?
A-The Hotrod guys are great...we still talk with them every few days....a lot of crazy ass shit happened to us on tour...we got two flat tires in St. Louis...and a very drunk man pulled up in his car and helped us put the spare on backwards...We were kicked out of two peoples houses while with Hotrod...once for reasons I can't say...the other involved Josh falling through a plate glass window...we loved touring with Hotrod, we are going out with them again in april towards the northwest.
P-Are you guys happy with the feedback you've been getting from the release of your debut LP 'Designing A Nervous Breakdown'? A-We have only seen a few reviews, but so far I'm really surprised that we are getting so much feedback...I figure even the people who talk trash on it are helping us out...
P-What plans do you guys have for recording in the future?
A-We are recording a split 7" with Hotrod next week...I'm not sure of when it will be released, probably pretty soon though...
P-How does The Anniversary feel about the Atari video game system?
A-The megahit video game, Pong® launched the electronic game industry in 1972. Atari, a new enterprise led by the legendary Nolan Bushnell, was the company that created and launched that game. Fueled by Pong's success, Atari grew rapidly, delivering a series of hit games for the coin-operated, video-arcade market, including Breakout® and Asteroids®. In the 80's, Atari expanded into the home market with the Atari 2600® video console, selling tens of millions of games to home players. Popular titles for the home system and video arcade markets included Centipede®, Missile Command®, Tempest® and Battle Zone®.
As part of its strategy to deliver the best in electronic games, Hasbro Interactive acquired Atari and its games in 1998. Now Hasbro is reinventing Atari games for PC, video and Internet platforms, adding the latest graphics, audio and technology to make Atari games even more exciting and accessible. With both new and classic games, the Atari brand now offers the ultimate in arcade action.
P-Do you guys play video games quite often?
A-Our drummer is a fanatic....no joke.
A-Who are some of your influences?
A-Music and drugs...(thats a joke). We all listen to mostly classic rock stuff....Zeppelin, Zombies, Beatles, Beach Boys, The Who.....
P-Who writes the lyrics and what sort of messages would somebody listening to them hear?
A-I don't write the lyrics, that is Justin and Josh's area....
P-Is there any rituals you guys have while playing or practicing?
A-We like to yell at Adrianne a lot and make fun of her because she is a girl.
P-What is one of the highlights of playing to audiences?
A-It brings whole different level of energy to a show....
P-Is there one moment that stands out from a certain show you guys played?
A-The great shows all blend together, but the bad ones are the ones I remember most...and those are the ones I don't want to think about...Illinois...ouch.
P-What might somebody get out of seeing an Anniversary show?
A-This is a trick question, right?
P-Do you have any final words of wisdom?
A-Keep an eye on TRL...it is where the real music is at.