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        Goo Goo Dolls >> Goo Goo Dolls >> Buffalo News - Robby interview
        
(Message started by: nmf016 on Jun 5th, 2005, 11:57am)
Title: Buffalo News - Robby interview
Post by nmf016 on Jun 5th, 2005, 11:57am
Found this while perusing the paper this morning online.  (I miss being away from Buffalo and the paper version)

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20050605/1053455.asp

PEOPLETALK
Robby Takac
By JANE KWIATKOWSKI

6/5/2005  

Bassist Robby Takac calls Buffalo his anchor, the place where he created Good Charamel Records, where he launched his Music Is Art Foundation - and where he delivered apple cider as a kid. Next year marks 20 years for the Goo Goo Dolls, the band he started with John Rzeznik. At age 40, Takac is a homegrown guy who's done well, not only for himself, but for his city.


PT: What would you do if you were mayor for a day?

RT: I thought about this long and hard. I would call all three news networks, I would call MTV. I'd call USA Today - every single talk show in America - and I would announce that tomorrow morning we are marrying any gay couple who wants to come to Buffalo. Niagara Falls is the honeymoon capital of the world, is it not? Just the media would fill every hotel room in this town. And then of course down the road there will be some fighting because they will try and annul everything, but that means more media. Go out a hero, Tony! Save the city at the last minute.



PT: You're good for Buffalo.

RT: It's fun here. It's easy here. I can talk to people here. I can go to City Hall here. I can tell them I have a problem with my neighbors and they will listen to me. I dig it here. I really enjoy it. And I find it challenging and frustrating at times.



PT: Who do you admire in Buffalo?

RT: Lance Diamond, a lot. He is one of my heroes. To think about the changes that have happened in his lifetime - just in society. To see him be able to survive just because he loves what he's doing. That's been a huge, huge inspiration. (Albright-Knox Director) Louis Grachos, as well. I love that guy. He trips me out so bad.




PT: Are you married?

RT: Yeah. This is the second time. I've been married for three years and my wife is amazing. I met her in Tokyo about 12 years ago and our paths crossed again in Los Angeles about seven years ago. We've been together since, Miyoko.



PT: Did you always have this raspy voice?

RT: No. It's from singing, screaming. Wouldn't it be funny if a little kid had this voice?




PT: Your music festival is June 11 and 12 . What makes it different from the others?

RT: This was born of a righteous idea. This is my neighborhood, man. I own property. I own a business. One of the things I loved the most about summer was the Allentown Art Festival. I saw my first hippie there when I was a little kid. HERE Eighty bands we're having this year. We're having performance art with human suspension teams and sword swallowers and a '50s style burlesque. We're having a children's area where they can make CDs and then get to design the covers. We're having a gospel brunch Sunday morning. On Saturday we start with jazz. We're trying to make it as diverse as possible this year. Pez just gave us 1,500 free dispensers to give away to the kids.


PT: What's the oddest job you've had?

RT: I used to ride around in a refrigerated truck and deliver apple cider. I used to clean toilets at Gold Circle and K-Mart. I used to sort baskets at Buffalo Wholesale and Florist Supply. When you're in a band and you're a kid, you do whatever comes along. We sold hot dogs. I set up PA systems, but at the same time I was music director of a radio station, the old WUWU. I was a disc jockey at the old City Lights in the '80s, spinning gay disco music.




PT: What did you know back then?

RT: What I knew was you graduated from high school and you put your car up on blocks in your mother's driveway and you worked on it and got drunk at night. That's what everybody did where I grew up. I kind of had to get out of the suburbs to escape the madness.



PT: Tell me your best Goo Goo Doll moment.

RT: The first time that we played the Aud. At that moment, standing on the stage playing, it was like a church atmosphere for this rock guy. You know? That's where I saw Cheap Trick. That's where I saw The Who. At that moment, I could not believe what was happening. Probably that and the day I paid my student loan off.




PT: What is the quickest way to your heart?

RT: Show a true passion for whatever you are doing, and if I feel that's there, that is a direct route to respect.




PT: What's best about being a musician?

RT: That I don't have to have a real job, that it allows me to do all of these great things and I don't have to do the one thing that I dreaded my entire life: to sit in one space and be miserable.




PT: What bugs you about it?

RT: Not being home to see my wife every day. That really bums me out. It's really hard to have a relationship. You really need a great person to understand that, and I'm lucky enough to have found one.


Title: Re: Buffalo News - Robby interview
Post by DrPepperGoo87 on Jun 5th, 2005, 12:23pm
??? why would that be the first thing he'd do as a mayor? that's a little odd. that's definitely not what the first thing i'd do would be. to announce a gay wedding marathon in Buffalo?? hmm...whatever. i could just see that falling to peices. there's too much discrimination against gay marriage. i'm not but a lot of people are.  it's sad. :(

thanks for sharing that interview with us!! ;D
Title: Re: Buffalo News - Robby interview
Post by goober_1013 on Jun 5th, 2005, 12:45pm
i think the main idea behind having gay marriges in Buffalo was to get more publicity, money and people flowing into Buffalo, get it some attention. . .thanks for the interview, i really enjoyed it!
Title: Re: Buffalo News - Robby interview
Post by nmf016 on Jun 5th, 2005, 1:04pm

on 06/05/05 at 12:23:25, DrPepperGoo87 wrote:
??? why would that be the first thing he'd do as a mayor? that's a little odd. that's definitely not what the first thing i'd do would be. to announce a gay wedding marathon in Buffalo?? hmm...whatever. i could just see that falling to peices. there's too much discrimination against gay marriage. i'm not but a lot of people are. �it's sad. :(

thanks for sharing that interview with us!! ;D


Like Mandy said, the gay marriage thing would draw attention, people, and the media to Buffalo.  I personally am a little disappointed that that's why he would allow gay marriage.  If I were mayor, I'd do it just because I honestly think it's right to allow gay marriage.
Title: Re: Buffalo News - Robby interview
Post by SassyMay on Jun 5th, 2005, 1:48pm
well robby is a good guy so i'm not going to say anything about his opinon even though that would not be the first thing i did or didn't do with buffalo!but thanx for the interview!
Title: Re: Buffalo News - Robby interview
Post by buffalowing43 on Jun 5th, 2005, 7:45pm
haha...i dont think he is gonna be mayor of buffalo any time soon, so no need to worry about gay-fest '05.
Title: Re: Buffalo News - Robby interview
Post by DrPepperGoo87 on Jun 6th, 2005, 12:23am

Quote:
haha...i dont think he is gonna be mayor of buffalo any time soon, so no need to worry about gay-fest '05.


LOL...no, that's not what i was worried about. i'm not against gay pride or anything like that. it's the fact that he would first use his power to publically announce a gay wedding marathon in Buffalo. i understand what reasons all of you are saying might be behind Robby's announcement but in my opinion, that's still a little odd. he could find a different way to attract attention to Buffalo if that's what he's aiming for. i'm not sure why he would use something like gay marriage to attract attention. and that's the FIRST thing he would do?? hmm. makes me wonder a bit. i'm not disrespecting him; i'm just questioning his ideas.
Title: Re: Buffalo News - Robby interview
Post by LouAndNic on Jun 6th, 2005, 5:49am
Very interesting article, thank you for posting :)
Title: Re: Buffalo News - Robby interview
Post by Caroline on Jun 6th, 2005, 8:48am

on 06/06/05 at 00:23:23, DrPepperGoo87 wrote:
LOL...no, that's not what i was worried about. i'm not against gay pride or anything like that. it's the fact that he would first use his power to publically announce a gay wedding marathon in Buffalo. i understand what reasons all of you are saying might be behind Robby's announcement but in my opinion, that's still a little odd. he could find a different way to attract attention to Buffalo if that's what he's aiming for. i'm not sure why he would use something like gay marriage to attract attention. and that's the FIRST thing he would do?? hmm. makes me wonder a bit. i'm not disrespecting him; i'm just questioning his ideas.
I think it's a great idea. Buffalo will never again be a manufacturing giant and it needs help pronto! They can't rely solely on tourism either. To save the city, it has to find a service industry that will attract people with money to spend. Weddings are a huge service industry and many gay couples have disposible incomes to spend. The proximity to Niagra Falls is a natural tie-in for the wedding industry. The city could bill itself as a gay wedding capital and the dollars could fly into Buffalo revitalizing it's economy. Vermont had some boost in it's economy when they legalized Civil Unions and couples flocked there to marry.
Title: Re: Buffalo News - Robby interview
Post by babsil30 on Jun 6th, 2005, 8:59am
interesting interview! thanks for sharing!  :D

-Babs
Title: Re: Buffalo News - Robby interview
Post by Lea on Jun 6th, 2005, 11:11am

on 06/06/05 at 08:48:02, Caroline wrote:
I think it's a great idea. Buffalo will never again be a manufacturing giant and it needs help pronto! They can't rely solely on tourism either. To save the city, it has to find a service industry that will attract people with money to spend. Weddings are a huge service industry and many gay couples have disposible incomes to spend. The proximity to Niagra Falls is a natural tie-in for the wedding industry. The city could bill itself as a gay wedding capital and the dollars could fly into Buffalo revitalizing it's economy. Vermont had some boost in it's economy when they legalized Civil Unions and couples flocked there to marry.


I understand that Buffalo's economy is in trouble...but I have to agree with those expressing bewilderment at Robby's seeming ease with the concept of USING gay rights as a platform to gain publicity and business for the city.  :-/
Title: Re: Buffalo News - Robby interview
Post by buffalowing43 on Jun 6th, 2005, 5:20pm
lets not forget that south buffalo would be completely vacated if that were to happen ;D
hmmm...maybe Robby DOES have a good idea.

um...to keep this band related...i remember hearing Johnny talk about running for mayor jokingly too, i'd like to hear what the first thing he would do would be
Title: Re: Buffalo News - Robby interview
Post by DrPepperGoo87 on Jun 6th, 2005, 6:07pm

on 06/06/05 at 17:20:53, buffalowing43 wrote:
lets not forget that south buffalo would be completely vacated if that were to happen ;D
hmmm...maybe Robby DOES have a good idea.

um...to keep this band related...i remember hearing Johnny talk about running for mayor jokingly too, i'd like to hear what the first thing he would do would be


i'dd like to hear what John would do too. might be interesting.
i'd still like to know from Robby why he would use gay marriage to attract people to Buffalo though.
Title: Re: Buffalo News - Robby interview
Post by Raven on Jun 6th, 2005, 6:49pm
You just have to love Rob's sense of humor.  :hahaha:
Title: Re: Buffalo News - Robby interview
Post by crazy4goo on Jun 6th, 2005, 7:56pm
I love Robby and the Goos, but his reply to the mayor question's a bit to "left" for me.  Great interview, thanks


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