How does a band that has lasted so long never lose an original member?
I guess having the big picture and goals that we all want to reach, you try to set aside little bitchy squabbles and
stupid arguments for the sake of a larger purpose. And hopefully come out in the end as friends and business partners,
and a great band that everyone remembers.
What happens if you ever get tired of each other while on tour?
After the tour is done, we get time away from each other to have our own lives with our families ... our girlfriends
or fiancé's ... wives... or whatever. We try not to book a year long tour.
(laughs)
Do you remember the first big break the band got?
I guess our first huge break ... hang on ... (consults bandmates)
... yea, I think Ozzfest in 2001. Or just being signed to a major label was a big deal back in the day. I'd say
that Ozzfest was a big break for us, it got us in front of a lot of faces and helped us sell a lot of records... it was a
really good tour.
How do you take care of your voice?
I try to take it as easy as I can and try to pace myself. Try to get as much
rest, drink as much water ... not party too hard. I try to take it easy when I'm down, and I go for it when I'm not.
I heard you broke your ankle on stage in December (2007) and still
finished the set, tell me about that.
December second, during the beginning of the first song. I had to finish, it
was in front of twelve-thousand people, so. I was being clumsy, jumping off the front box and rolled on my ankle...
it was bad. It still hurts a little bit, just a little bit. I try to take it easy ... as easy as the rock will
let me... (laughs)
What else would you like to see happen with the band in the near future?
Probably a few more broken bones... (laughs) some more touring and hopefully
a lot more records.
Is MySpace the band's official website now?
Yea, it's such a go to thing for people now days. People like to put all their
eggs in one basket when they're surfing the web so they kind of sit on MySpace ... and we wanted to make that easy for them
to do. And you can post all of this without having to pay so much money when it's pretty much the same thing.
It's easy for people to get in touch with us business wise and fan wise, it's the way we go.
I read that your first job was a lifeguard, how did you get involved in that?
I was a swimmer in high school, I got it because my brother was a swimmer and he was
making twelve dollars an hour at seventeen years old ... it was good for me. I was trying to put myself through school
and it was a good paying job.
Are you guys big gamers?
I'm playing Tiger Woods right now. (laughs) Well, I have it on pause.
(laughs) I'm a huge gamer, our bass player is a tremendous gamer... our guitar player, not so much... he likes playing
Tiger Woods.
What's one of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to the band?
That the singer is black. (laughs) I'm Puerto Rican Dominican. I
guess that's the biggest misconception. Everybody is like, "How does it feel to be black in rock..." I'm like,
"I'm Puerto rican, I don't know".
Tell me about this tour you guys are doing.
It's great, it starts off with Bury Your Dead --- really cool guys. Then it's
us, then the boys in Machine Head, you know they're rockin' the show every night... then it's the guys in Hell Yeah.
And you are headlining a few show in-between?
Yea, playing some off dates.
How's the new CD doing?
It's doing good I guess, I try not to put my mind into that.
The crowd is receiving it well so far?
Oh yea, they're singing
the hell out of it... so I guess it's selling... or they're downloading it, but either way they're getting it.
What are your thoughts on downloading music?
It's there. That's like saying, "How do you feel about this new flying machine
they call an airplane?" ... downloading is downloading, you deal with it.
