The Punch List with Matadero’s Lindsay Holler
Metronome Charleston‘s weekly Punch List puts local musicians on the spot with a questionnaire that touches on music, venues, gear, records, vices, and more. This week, songwriter, vocalist, and bandleader Lindsay Holler (of Matadero, the Western Polaroids, Oh Ginger) responds to the list.
1. What is your favorite local hang (hangout/bar/venue) and why?
“The Upper Deck is my current favorite hangout/bar. It’s walkable for me, so it’s my ‘neighborhood’ place, and I love the bartenders and regulars! If I lived in West Ashley, I’d be all up in the Tin Roof’s business, probably.”
2. You know you’ve played an excellent show when…
“Everything lines up: the band is into it, the energy is there, everyone’s on the same page, the crowd is into it … also, that there is a crowd. There’s almost no feeling like it in the world.”
3. What was the last show you attended that really got you fired up in a good or bad way?
“The last Matadero show, back in January at the Recovery Room. It was Sam Sfirri’s birthday, and there was as champion amount of celebrating. Also, probably the Gillian Welch/David Rawlings show last year at the Charleston Music Hall. They sounded other-worldly, and it was so stripped-down. Sometimes as an artist, I wonder if such a stripped-down and bare-bones aesthetic is viable, and then I see those two put on such an amazing show. And the audience respected the sparseness of it. It was captivating.”
Lindsay Holler with Matadero at the Royal American (photo by John Birkenheuer)
4. Define your musical style in exactly 10 words.
“Passionate, quirky, dynamic, moody, controlled, sincere, blue, mix ‘n’ mingle, defiant.”
5. What’s your theme song?
“‘Exit Music’ by Radiohead. It seems like that song has always been in my back pocket, sort of. Kinda always hanging around. The music comes across as very visual, which I would like in a theme song. An exit before the bad stuff starts. I’ve had a reputation before as a bit of a ‘bolter.’ Also, I’ve tried to cover it several times, and it’s never quite come off perfect. There’s always some little wrinkle. I think the song chose me.”
6. Gear-wise, what’s is your irreplaceable baby?
“My guitar. It’s a 1973 Gibson. It was time to get a ‘grown-up’ guitar, so I went around to a few places, not sure about what I was looking for. I wandered into a Martin room and there was a very out of place old guitar hanging up on the wall. I bought it right on the spot.”
7. What’s the most overplayed album in your collection?
“Rain Dogs by Tom Waits. I still remember exactly when/where/how I heard this … 1995, upstate New York, playing scrabble and eating pizza with eggplant on it. My friend put on ‘Tango Till They’re Sore,’ and I immediately said, ‘Who’s this?'”
8. When was the last time you were genuinely star-struck?
“Several years ago, I opened for Marc Ford at the Pour House. I had grown up a huge Black Crowes fan, mostly during Marc’s stint with the band, so it was a really big deal to me. It meant absolutely nothing to anyone else in my band, at the time. They all thought I was acting like a weirdo. Marc was nice enough to sit-in on a song with us, on ‘On the Beach’ by Neil Young. I remember just staring at him while he was playing this crazy awesome solo, and thinking, ‘Holy shit!'”
9. What’s your poison?
“Vodka soda, lemon and lime.”
10. In 10 years, I will be…
“Able to find balance.”
Matadero is a heavy four-piece rock band in the Charleston scene fronted Lindsay Holler (also of Western Polaroids and Oh Ginger). Holler sings (and hollers) alongside electric bassist George Baerreis, pianist Sam Sfirri, and drummer Ron Wiltrout. Some local Holler fans might be surprised by the complexity and density of the band’s rumbling style.
The quartet has already recorded a handful of original tunes at Ocean Industries with engineer Eric Rickert, and they’ve performed on stage as part of the ongoing Eclectic Evenings series, hosted by the local chapter of Music Initiative.
Matadero shares the Tin Roof stage with new local combo the Farm Upstate and indie-rock powerhouse L Brown Odyssey on Thurs. March 7 at 9:30 p.m. Admission is $5.
Look for Matadero’s new three-song EP online at matadero.bandcamp.com.
Photos by John Birkenheuer.
Lindsay Holler with Matadero at the Royal American (photo by John Birkenheuer)
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About the Author
Ballard Lesemann is a musician and writer. Born and raised in Charleston, S.C., he spent years playing in bands and working for Flagpole Magazine in the bustling music town of Athens, Ga. He returned to his hometown and served more than seven years as the Charleston City Paper's music editor. He's better at drumming than he is at playing guitar.
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