First/Last-Jason Baldinger (House of Assassins)

Band photo courtesy Cathy

House of Assassins
Carnegie Library Main Branch
Sunday, July10, 2011
Oakland

These guys are a "psychedelic-country" band who wear there Pittsburgh pride proudly on their sleeve. They say they sound like 'Yinzer Bukowski' so what else needs to be said, right? They are playing the quiet room of the main library this Sunday at 2p.m. and I encourage you to stop by as I love these intimate gigs. This will be their only public appearance this summer and the band is working on releasing some music in the fall. Guitarist/vocalist Jason was nice enough to participate in this 'acidtwang' edition of First/Last Fridays.

The first album you ever bought?
Bon Jovi ‘New Jersey’, I was twelve, it was a cassette and I bought it at a mall.

Your last album bought?
Albert Ayler ‘Spirits’ and ‘Swing Low Sweet Spiritual’ LP reissues. There is nothing that sounds like Ayler, I can't even begin to tell you what his records mean to me.

Favorite album of all time?
Van Morrison ‘Astral Weeks’. I can listen to this record anytime any place and even multiple times in a day and never get tired of it.

Least favorite/most disappointing album?
This is tough one. There are so many bad albums over the course of the years I don't think I could pick just one.

First concert attended?
Lollapolooza,1994. The Flaming Lips were great. I got kicked in the head by Yamakata Eye, and I still don't know why Nick Cave played at 5 in the afternoon.

Last concert?
I think it was the Weird Paul Rock Band's 99 cent Variety Show a couple weeks ago at Howler's. A comical drunk evening is had by all.

Favorite concert ever?
ICP Orchestra at Pitt Public Health Auditorium. German free jazz show that happened sometime in the 90's, it stands out because their drummer was smoking a joint and pretending he was a bird running along 5th Avenue.

Least favorite concert?
After Snowpocalypse, my other band The Skirt Tasters was supposed to play at Garfield Artworks with Pj Bond. No one showed, even if you did show there was no place to park, so we stood around for two hours before canceling the show. I have others but it might be indiscreet to pass them along.

Favorite thoughts, experiences about Pittsburgh?
I co-produce WRCT: A Live Show, which airs local live bands Thursday nights on WRCT (not during the summer). I've been doing that show for 8 years now so I've had the opportunity to see and hear a lot of bands over that course of time. It's always a little odd to me how tied together this music scene is, but at the same time there is, for the most part, such a camaraderie within it. That camaraderie and cheap it is to live in this city, really brings about a robust arts culture. Its what I love most about Pittsburgh.



Thanks Jason. I am totally into the sound you guys have. Speaking of 'Astral Weeks', I love this story from Peter Wolf.