Kingpin
Virus: Why are you in Kingpin? What was it that made you decide this is the band you wanted to put your time and effort into?James: Because I love music. They were also the first people to call me back when I was looking for a band to play with. We also just really clicked the first time we met and jammed together.
Jeremy: Because everybody in Kingpin is my best friend and I love jamming with the unique styles that Jay, Ron and James bring to the table. I always knew this was the band I wanted to put my time and effort into because we don't try to put ourselves into a specific style of music. We always try to provide versatility to keep our following interested, and so people won't put a label on us.
Ron: Because I live to play music. I knew right away we had the potential elements and versatility to appeal to a wide range of people which in turn would make Kingpin successful.
Jay: Fate- I don't believe in coincidence, and we just clicked when I first met the guys. We had so many different influences, yet we all liked a lot of the same music too. Plus they're all really fucking talented.
Virus: Where do you feel this band is going, and what do you hope to achieve with it?
James: I feel we have the potential to be signed and tour the country with some of the best bands around. My goal would be to make enough money playing guitar that I would need another bullshit job to make ends meet.
Jeremy: I feel this band is going to the top eventually. I also hope to get rich and famous and tour the world!
Ron: I feel this band is going to the top. I think things can only get better not worse. I don't expect to have "Creed Status", overnight and fame & money isn't everything. I just want to get paid decent money to do what I love more than anything in this world.
Jay: I believe that all it takes is to get noticed. If we get the chance I think we could be very successful.
Virus: You moved onto the Club Wars final a few days ago, tell me about your experiences with the Club Wars, and what you feel winning will do to spread the word of Kingpin?
James: I think it was very good for us. For the past two months it has been the most talked about thing in KC at least at least on the music scene. Advancing to the Final and winning only got us talked about more. There was also a lot of new exposure for us as well because there were a lot of people who came to the show that weren't there to see a specific band. The prizes don't hurt either.
Jeremy: I think winning Club Wars was a good way to get ourselves some more exposure that I feel we deserve. We've been busy the last couple of months and it's nice to get some credit for it. Extra special thanks to everyone who showed up!!
Ron: It definitely opened more doors for us, and more importantly more publicity and recognition.
Jay: Club Wars was great for the band. We got to play two big Westport bars we'd never played before, and the TV and radio promotions made getting fans to come out so much easier since a lot of people heard or saw the commercials. There's no such thing as bad publicity, so winning is bound to help us out.
James: Pure Talent, No really, I would have to say it's because we all put in our two cents in on any given song. Someone comes up with a basic idea and everyone builds on it from there.
Jay: We just try to do what comes natural to us and that's that.
Ron: I always have felt that a great band is a versatile band, that way the music can appeal to a large audience and it can please more people.
Jay: That goes back to the diversity of each member's musical tastes. Everyone in the band is open-minded and unselfish, so that makes agreeing on different styles easier.
Virus: What is your favorite Kingpin song? Why?
James: Tough one, I guess right now my favorite song would be Get Up.
Jay: I'm not sure? I guess if I had to pick one it would be Pain because it jams and because of what the song is about, It's pretty emotional.
Ron: I like them all, but if I had to pick one it would be Then What, because that song is really funky and I get to use several different techniques.
Jay: Get UP- Probably because it's new, and it sounds so different from everything else out there. Plus the crowd response to it has been kick-ass.
Virus: I'm not sure if you've had this comparison, but the general vibe with Virus is your sound, while distinct, shares many similarities with Pearl Jam. Our web guy's conclusion was "...like Pearl Jam, but with dirtier guitars." Do you hear Pearl Jam in Kingpin?
James: I've heard that before from some people I've also heard Creed. It has to just be Jay's voice because the music doesn't sound anywhere close to Pearl Jam. I like the band though.
Jay: Nope
Ron: I have heard that, but I don't agree. Jay just has a similar sounding voice, but if you think about it many singers nowadays do.
Jay: Vocally I can see that, we've covered Pearl Jam and I've listened to them for years, so they're definitely an influence, but musically I can honestly say I don't hear it at all.
Virus: What are your favorite local clubs to play?
James: The Beaumont Club, America's Pub, The Grand Emporium, and The Guacamole Grill because I get to watch Worm's dumb ass jump In the fountain and get kicked out of the bar every time we play there.
Jeremy: The Beaumont Club kicked ass, I also like the Grand Emporium, and The Guacamole Grill, ( so I can jump in the fountain ).
Ron: Grand Emporium, because it has the best sound.
Jay: America's Pub is awesome to play. The sound is great in there and everyone that works there was really cool to us which is a rarity.
Virus: Who are your favorite local bands to play shows with?
James: Anyone who's cool and is there to have a good time.
Jeremy: Stop.Go.Ethic, Green Means Go!, Shudderbug, and any other band who doesn't suck! Stop.Go.Ethic, Green Means Go!, Shudderbug, and any other band who doesn't suck!
Ron: Stop.Go.Ethic
Jay: Jade Raven and Stop Go Ethic are cool to play w\and the people in the bands are fuckin' cool. We've played w/ a lot of cool bands in the last 3 years but those two stand out to me.
Virus: What is the CD you play most often?
James: Rage Against the Machine, Sublime, and Disturbed.
Jeremy: Beck - Odelay
Ron: Infectious Grooves
Jay: I'll dig out a CD and play the shit out of it for a month straight, then switch to listening to something totally different for another month. I flip-flop a lot between Sublime, Dave Matthews, Metallica,the Doors,etc. I could never say which gets played most.
After winning the Club Wars and adding to their already rapidly growing fan base, Kingpin are exploding. If you're a close enough drive to Kansas City, check them out, and support them when they go on the road.