Corn Mo, who can rock the accordion like no other, has toured with Ben Folds and the Polyphonic Spree, as well as jugglers and a sideshow circus. His band .357 Lover is performing tonight at (le) poisson rouge. Corn Mo took some time to tell the Press about life, Corn Mo style.
When did you discover the accordion was your calling?
A year after high school. My high school bands were mostly metal. When I went to music school, I saw a band called Brave Combo, and they were doing things that Yngwie Malmsteen wouldn't do.
How did .357 Lover get together, and what's behind the name?
.357 Lover got together back in '96. The line up has changed some, and the accordion has been replaced by the piano. That may change again. I wrote a list of names that I thought were good band names. That was the only one on the list that didn't suck as much as the others.
What are your plans for the (le) poisson rouge show? Any surprises in store?
We're going to attempt to make an ordinary set list into a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure rock opera. There will be five dungeon masters on stage and no dice.
What is Ben Folds like when he's drunk? I feel like he cries a lot. How about the Polyphonic Spree? Are they all secretly cruel and cynical?
I've never seen Ben Folds drunk. In fact, I've never seen him drink alcohol. I've never seen him cry either. I hate seeing people cry with glasses on. It kills me. His old drummer was fun to drink with. We had some good drunk fueled arguments about bands and music in general.
The Polyphonic Spree was like a church group. There were kids on the bus, so having stupid fun was limited. [Spree members] Tim and Julie are pieces of gold. Really sweet people. And Julie's brother, Bubba, is one of my favorite people of all time. He was going to go on "AOL to get us some hook ups" once, but it didn't work out. We went to Disneyland instead.
Are muttonchops great facial hair or the greatest facial hair?
Muttonchops are the greatest of facial hairs. I've sported them for over 15 years. However, last year, I went to Europe with Ben and didn't bother to bring a razor, growing a full-on beard. I was going to shave until some kid on the subway told his MILF mom that I looked like Aragon [from Lord of the Rings]. She said she didn't know who that was.
How is your new album Diorama of the Golden Lion, different from your two solo albums, The Magic is You! and I Hope You Win! No more inspirational album names, for one.
Diorama has been in the works long before the other two albums. Some songs were thrown out, some were added. The Magic is You! and I Hope You Win! were solo Corn Mo albums. This one is the whole band, .357 Lover. Some of the songs were recorded back in '98. Some this year. It's stupid that it has taken so long, but I think the time is right.
What Corn Mo's plan for the future? Touring, more circus type stuff?
We did a rock opera earlier this year, and it's being rewritten right now. We're also hoping to record another album as soon as Diorama is released. And then go on the road.
