Racket’s Head Honcho recently got to talk shit, I mean, have a conversation with Jim Suptic. Jim used to be a Get Up Kid, now he’s joined every other member in the side-project bandwagon. Now Jim makes music with the Blackpool Lights, which is good, because the Get Up Kids broke up and Jim was getting bedsores.
Racket: Hey man, what’s up?
Jim Suptic: Nothing much, just driving in the middle of the desert, trying to get to the next show.
R: Fuck the desert. It seems that the Blackpool Lights just sprung up after the last bout of Get Up Kids shows; I was wondering if it was some kind of rebound relationship?
J: No, basically I had a bunch of songs I had written with the intent to be solo material, and then The Get Up Kids broke up and it ended up being a full time band. But it wasn’t a rebound. Rebound sounds pretty negative, and it’s not.
R: I have no idea what the fuck Blackpool Lights are. Tell me.
J: Blackpool’s a town in England, and they have these lights. It’s like a resort town. We heard it on The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour and George Harrison said people were going to see Blackpool Lights. And that’s the story.
R: Low-rent fireworks…Got it. What’s a question you’ve never been asked in an interview, but want to be asked?
J: That’s a heavy question. That’s something I’ll have to think about.
R: You think about that.
J: I don’t know. With The Get Up kids, the questions I wish they wouldn’t have asked were questions about being emo.
R: So, you hate emo. Good. Favorite book…GO!
J: Probably Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut.
R: Ooh, Vonnegut. That’s deep. Don’t be a show off. There’s a shitload of charities and non-profit organizations out there. Which one do you NOT care about?
J: (laughs) What charity don’t I care about?
R: Yeah, which one do you not give a fuck about?
J: Is PETA a charity?
R: It’s a misguided cause. We’ll accept it.
J: My friend just gave me the finger…The North American Man-Boy Love Association. I don’t like that organization, either.
R: When is it appropriate to wear the band’s shirt to the band’s show?
J: (repeats question to self) Never!
J: Correct! Three hundred points to Jim. Going back to shitty emo questions, have you ever met Connor, and if so, does he hate being known simply as Connor?
J: I have not met him.
R: If you did, would you punch him?
J: Probably not. That’s not my style.
R: Would you try to make him cry?
J: Nope. I harbor no ill will.
R: What’s your myspace friends count? I know you have one.
J: (sighs) I do have one.
R: I knew you would.
J: I do base my entire life around it.
R: Do you!?
J: No, but I do think people get obsessed with overly checking it, like an addiction. I check the band’s page more than mine.
R: What’s the friend’s count?
J: Like sixty-three or something.
R: You need more people or you’re less of a person. Also, I hate hairy people.
J: Umm.
R: What kind of people do you hate?
J: Hairy, shirtless people. The one’s that get out of the pool, shake off and they’re dry.
R: That’s disgusting. The people in PETA are crazy, by the way.
Have you given any thought to your question?
J: Are you then going to ask it?
R: Duh. Yeah.
J: What if I just give you the answer?
R: Okay, yeah. Give me the answer and I’ll guess the question. I rule at Jeopardy!
J: Macaroni and cheese.
R: What is your favorite substance to be covered in while having sex?
J: That is correct.
R: Yes! I rule!
J: That, and tapioca.
R: Sick shit! What are your thoughts on chugga-chugga hardcore?
J: It’s not my thing.
R: Do you think that if you can’t make out the lyrics, the band shouldn’t be writing them?
J: Sure, whatever.
R: Okay… Full-length album. What’s the deal?
J: The full-length should be coming out in March. It’s good, it’s awesome! We like it, we’re proud of it.
R: What news story are you tired of hearing about?
J: We’re on the road, so we haven’t heard any news stories. Maybe,
“What Lucero’s drinking tonight!” We don’t know what’s happening. There could be a war going on…Wait…There is.
R: Name that show: “Sadness is for poor people.”
J: Family Guy?
R: No, false! The correct answer is: Aqua Teen Hunger Force!
J: Aqua Teen Hunger Force!? I knew that! Damn it!
R: Dumbass. Do you have anything to add? Basically, I’m tired of asking questions.
J: If I wasn’t ridiculously hung over from last night, I’d be more inclined to. I threw up last night.
R: That’s disgusting. I hate you.
J: And I didn’t eat last night; it was a weird kind of puke.
R: To everyone: Jim is disgusting. He puked macaroni and cheese all over himself and then proceeded to have sex in it.
J: Well, that’s the only way I can get an erection.
R: I’m so done talking to you.
I hope that was disturbing enough for you. I thought it was pretty gross myself. I totally told him that he is disgusting.
-Jonathan Yost