God Save The County

Interview With BLACK LIST

Orange County

From Issue 2.1, September/October 2005

We want to be portrayed as guys who...I don’t know.  Just make us look cool,” said guitarist Ryan Kronebusch, 17, after deliberating over how he wants readers to see Fullerton band BLACK LIST.

It could have been the fact that Kronebusch was sipping beer from a grocery store bag in between his answers to interview questions when BLACK LIST met up outside of Ron Jon Surf Shop at the Block at Orange for their interview, that could have made them seem kind of cool in a teenage, rebellious sort of way.

It could have been singer George Tanner’s “I Was a Teenage Fuck-Up” shirt or bassist Juan Palacias’s Germs T-shirt, that could have added to the coolness factor.

It could have also been the fact that BLACK LIST plays music  inspired by bands like D.I., The Adolescents and Minor Threat, which are not styles all too prevalent among Orange County bands and backyards of today, that could have made them seem cool in an alternative sort of way.

But, the five members of BLACK LIST  are pretty cool-if not underappreciated as a legitimate band in their own Orange County backyards.

“It’s kind of a bummer,” said singer George Tanner, 16, of being underappreciated.  “The kids our age are not into the same music as us.”

“We’re underrated,” added bassist Juan Palacias, 17.

Kronebusch added that half the time, people who ask them to play at parties take them for granted assuming that BLACK LIST will always play for them.

That’s not to say the band is complaining considering parties are their favorite places to play.

It’s just that, BLACK LIST would seem to do better were they a band during the 1980s rather than in 2005.  As Kronebusch put it, Orange County seems to be dominated by emo right now, and as Tanner put it, BLACK LIST can hardly relate to the bands of today that call themselves “punk” (as most of these bands lean towards thrash and hardcore).

Not only are they sometimes ignored at shows, but music purists might claim them more worthy of Ramones-style talent than Rolling Stones all because they claim to be a punk band more than anything else.

“People don’t respect our music abilities,” said Tanner in defense of their style.

Rather, all too often, bands like this are written off by music snobs as carbon copies of the past.  However, none of that really matters considering they don’t care how people think they should be playing.  Incidentally, despite what Kronebusch cringes about as a bad recording, their music is something worth stopping to listen to rather than something to sit and analyze based on the merits of their skills.

“We wanted to have a band,” Tanner continued.  “If we sat in the garage on the guitar learning ‘Stairway to Heaven,’ we’d never be able to do what we wanted to do.”

“We’re not like super musicians,” added Kronebusch.

Ironically though, they said they practice three times a week, which shows a fiercely high level of dedication most bands don’t have.

BLACK LIST, which also includes rhythm guitarist Mheat Baul, 17, and drummer Dennis Shoemaker, makes up for what others may see as a lack of technical playing, with their live performances, which Kronebusch said are full of energy and lots of stage diving by Tanner.  With this band in particular, they seem to prove that it’s the energy and intent one puts into the band that matters more than minor technicalities.

Taped on a cassette recorder, the band has posted three songs on their myspace site.  As of late, they are unsigned with no real intention of looking for a label with Tanner saying he’s not sure the band is ready for that right now.

Started a year-and-a-half ago, the name BLACK LIST came straight out of the dictionary mostly out of convenience more than any serious meaning.

“We’re not communists or anything,” said Kronebusch in reference to the name.

Band manager, Robby Kronebusch, 15, does booking for the band which has played at places such as Chain Reaction in Anaheim. 

Although, the band has decided not to do anymore pay-to-play venues, which is how places such as Chain Reaction operate.

“Well play anywhere as long as we don’t have to sell tickets.  We’re not worried that people will think we’re little bitches just because of where we play,” said Kronebusch after announcing that their next show was at a church.

All in all, BLACK LIST may be taking cues from the past, but they are completely original, which just might aid in saving the county’s music scene after all.

There, Mr. Kronebusch.  Is that cool enough for you?