Pheaturing Kevin Steele From Mojo Gurus

PHIRST OF

Welcome to the Peverett Phile, the web's most updated blog, brought to you by Advil, Tylenol, and  Gatorade. I am sick right now, either with bronchitis or pneumonia, so don't expect a long ass blog today, kids. Did you see that video of the woman who jumped into the water to see the polar beers? I thought she was looking for a bottle of Coke, or was on Coke. When I was watching the video I thought why couldn't it be a hot chick in a cotton white dress? What made it worse as well was she was British. Phil Spector has been found guilty of second degree murder. You know times are changing when California’s putting the celebrities in jail. He got sentenced to 18 years, and his hairdresser got 20. His wig was found guilty of grand theft poodle. After 30 years of marriage, Mel Gibson and his wife are getting a divorce. He blamed the divorce on irreconcilable differences, commitment issues, and the Jewish people. In Hong Kong, a group of billionaires have built a life-size replica of Noah’s ark. It is big enough to hold 150 animals or almost all of the Octo-Mom’s kids. Did you pay your taxes? I lied on my tax return this year. I listed my occupation as “comedy writer.” There were tea party protests on tax day. People have been mailing tea bags to members of Congress to, I guess, express their dissatisfaction with taxes and government spending. Nothing shakes a politician up like a complimentary bag of tea. Bad news for General Motors: They had to recall over 1 million cars for safety reasons. The cars were easy to locate... they were still in the showrooms. Car sales are down this year, but marijuana sales are up. So today, General Motors introduced a new car made of pot. Obama is receiving high marks for the way he handled the pirate situation. But with all the problems we have right now, who would have guessed our new president would have to deal with pirates? What’s next, dragons? Ghosts? Well, I have a good blog today, with a top ten list, one blurb on a new dead phamous person, April 17th in History, and the fantastic interview with Kevin Steele from the kick ass band Mojo Gurus. So, let's get down to business before I crash.

From the home office in Groveland, Florida, here is this week's top ten list.
Top Ten Features of the New Yankee Stadium
10. Due to a recession, only has two bases.
9. Restroom floors are pre-soaked in urine for your convenience.
8. Pitcher's mound is now made of delicious Hershey's chocolate.
7. Battery dispenser in the outfield bleachers.
6. In addition to runs and hits, digital scoreboard keeps track of stabbings.
5. It's known as the "House That A-Rod's Cousin Built".
4. In-seat urinals -- no wait, that was old Yankee Stadium.
3. 24-hour steroid kiosks.
2. No corporate seats in the upper deck to prevent executives from jumping.
And the number one feature of the new Yankee Stadium...
1. Three locker rooms: Yankees, visiting team, and Madonna.

Marilyn Chambers: Under the green floor.

1792

The Guillotine is tested at Bicetre Hospital in Paris, decapitating a sheep and a number of human cadavers.
1961
In an effort to overthrow Fidel Castro, 1,500 Cuban exiles make a series of amphibious landings at the Bay of Pigs. After it becomes painfully obvious in just a matter of hours that the forces were trained, equipped, and armed by the United States, President John F. Kennedy withholds necessary air cover. In three days of fighting, Cuba captures 1,197 of the rebels and kills approximately 200.
1965
The FBI Laboratory in Washington reports their inability to make out the vocals on the hit single "Louie Louie." Thus, the Bureau is unable to determine whether the record constitutes obscene matter.
1969
A Los Angeles jury convicts Sirhan Sirhan of assassinating Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Sirhan receives a death sentence, but it is later reduced to life in prison.
1974
Vinnie Taylor of Sha Na Na dies of a smack overdose.
1984
London police officer Yvonne Fletcher is shot dead and ten bystanders are wounded when a gunman in the Libyan Embassy opens fire on a crowd of protestors gathered outside. One week later, the British government cuts off all diplomatic relations and the Libyans are deported. The Libyan Government finally "accepts general responsibility for the behaviour of its diplomats inside its London Embassy at the time of the shooting" in July 1999, and pays an undisclosed sum to Fletcher's family.
1997
After a newspaper publishes photographs of Belgian paratroopers committing human rights violations during a 1993 UN peacekeeping mission in Somalia, Belgium's Defense Minister Jean-Pol Poncelet announces that the elite fighting unit may be disbanded. The photos depict one soldier urinating on a Somali corpse, and two men swinging a child over a campfire by the wrists and ankles.


Today's guest is the singer for the band Mojo Gurus, get the picture now, a guru of some sort? 
The Mojo Gurus just signed a multi-album record deal with True North Records. The label released the new Gurus CD "Let's Get Lit With.The Mojo Gurus" early just a few weeks ago, and it's fantastic. So, please welcome to the Phile... Kevin Steele.

Me: Man, your music kicks ass! Very Georgia Sattlellitesish. Hello, how are you? Welcome to the Phile.

Kevin: Thank you. I'm doing fine, and thank you for having me. I'm a big fan of your father and his work in both Foghat and Savoy Brown. Chateau Lafitte ' 59 Boogie! Those were the days, man.

Me: So, did you read the interview with Dexter Romweber? What did you think?

Kevin: I did. Great job. Dex is a childhood friend of mine so I always get a kick out of seeing what he's up to. He's quite a character.

Me: The band is from Tampa, right? Do you guys still live down there?

Kevin: Yes, the Tampa Bay area of Florida. We all currently live there.

Me: Kevin, who is in the band? And how long have you been playing together?

Kevin: Doc Lovett is on guitar, he's been with us for about two years now. Vinnie Granese on bass, Vin's been playing with me for over ten years. The newest member of the firm is Mark Busto on drums at a little over a year. And of course yours truly.

Me: I know your first album came out in 1999. How many albums have you had since then? I would love to hear a live album from you guys.

Kevin: Well there's "Mojo Guru" the album you're referring to then "Drinkin' T.N.T. And Smokin' Dynamite" followed by "Hot Damn!", then "Shakin' In The Barn" and now our latest release is "Let's Get Lit With The Mojo Gurus". As for a live album, we've always found it a bit difficult to capture the energy of our live show in the studio so the idea of recording live appeals to us very much. We'll just have to wait and see if it's in the cards or not.

Me: I looked on Youtube I found a video for the song "Tiger Lily". Was that your first video? You guys would fit on CMT easy, you know that.

Kevin: Yes it was the Gurus first video, shot on a ridiculously small budget right at the house I was living in at the time. I don't know that "Tiger Lily" would quite fit the CMT format but we certainly do have songs that would. We're a rock 'n' roll band first and foremost but there are strong Americana, roots, and country influences in a lot of our music.

Me: I have to ask you about working with Jack Douglas who also worked with Dexter. He is a legendary producer. Was he fun to work with? Did he tell you any stories about producing Lennon or Aerosmith?

Kevin: I don't believe Jack ever worked with Dex but he has worked with Lennon, Aerosmith, The New York Dolls, Cheap Trick and the list goes on. A very impressive list for The Mojo Gurus to be included on. Yes, he told us many stories (all in confidence I'm afraid) and no, it was not fun. I have a tremendous respect for Jack's body of work but he was not fun to work with and I would never do it again.

Me: You guys have a new album out called "Let's Get Lit With...". How is that album different then your past albums? Someone named Jody Gray produced it, right? I take it that's a guy.

Kevin: This answer ties directly into a couple of the things I've mentioned above. Jody Gray, who by the way is very much a guy, is our live sound engineer and has been for many years. He and a partner of his also own a recording studio. This allowed us to record "Let's Get Lit" in a very relaxed, homey, family kind of atmosphere. Jody knows our music and what we're going for as well as we do. We have never had so much fun making a record and I think it shows in every track. I can only speak for myself here but I found it to be quite rejuvenating after coming off the much more cold and sterile studio experience of working with Jack.

Me: Didn't you guys recently do a concert with Graham Parker? He is one of my favorite singers in the world. Did you get to meet him? I am supposed to interview him soon.

Kevin: We did and I did get to meet him. Had my picture taken with him as a matter of fact. Lovely guy, great talent. Don't know if he'd remember me, though he was complimentary of the band that night.

Me: So, what bands are the Gurus into?

Kevin: The classics mostly, the Stones, the Faces, the Black Crowes, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Hank Williams, Muddy Waters. Believe it or not, both Marc Bolan and Ian Hunter have been big influences on my lyric writing. We have this sort of glam meets twang thing going. I'm rather fond of the White Stripes right now though I must say there's a bit too much hype. I see a lot of Marc Bolan in Jack White.

Me: There's a few readers of the Phile that probably don't know what Mojo Gurus means, so do you want to tell them?

Kevin: No, there's a lot to be said for a little mystique. So little left these days you know.

Me: You guys should do a tour with Mojo Nixon and call it the Mojo tour. What do you think?

Kevin: I'm game if Mr. Nixon is.

Me: Do you have a website you would like to plug? And anything else you want to tell the readers of the Phile?

Kevin: www.mojogurus.com is our website , we also have a myspace www.myspace.com/mojogurus, look for our record, and ourselves, The Mojo Gurus coming to a venue near you.

Me: Thanks for taking part and I wish you a lot of luck, guys. You fucking rock!

Kevin: Thank you, it's been entirely my pleasure. Hope to meet you one day and maybe you'll get lit with the Mojo Gurus too. 

Thanks, Kevin, and thanks to the Mojo Gurus management. Brett, you're the best. So, I am now gonna take some meds and try to crash, kids. The Phile will be back next Phriday with the band The Whiskey Saints. Thanks to Wikipedia, and again to Kevin Steele. Drop me a line at the peverettphile@gmail.com. Remember, spread the word, not the turd. (Cough, cough!)