Chapter 13 Paradise Rock
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Paradise Rock
“Paradise Rock FM! It’s Anna Banana in the house! And that was the ‘City Song’ by Nightstalker! Clint! How do you like it?”
“You’re asking me? It’s just acid! I’m sure James and Parker took a cue from The Doors’ ‘Ghost Song’ here. Those two are up to something.”
“Tristan M. James and Eliot Parker really exceeded all expectations here. It’s not often that the second album hits as hard as the debut.”
“Absolutely. And I’m sure they know exactly what they’re doing. We’re talking about two perfectionists drawing inspiration from all sorts of genres. The two albums are already being called masterpieces. It’s probably only a matter of time before the awards start rolling in.”
“Now, Clint? What’s up? Can we count on the guys? Do you know anything more about the upcoming interview?”
“I’m still hoping Tristan James will be there. I doubt Parker will show up. He’s never been one for the spotlight and is pretty tight-lipped about interviews.”
“Today is Tuesday. The concert at the Whisky a Go Go is on Saturday. Why there? The club only holds five hundred people.”
“Well, looking at the tour schedule, it seems they want to celebrate the small stage one last time.”
“As you might have noticed, we’re celebrating Nightstalker and getting pumped up. The countdown is on—concert is on Saturday, and we’re giving away three tickets! We’ll tell you how to enter later, so stay tuned! But back to Nightstalker for now.
“Clint, you’ve interviewed the guys several times after the release of their first album.
There are probably a few listeners who don’t understand the hype about this band.
That’s why we want to take the remaining days until Saturday to take a closer look at the guys.
Who are they? Where are they from? What secrets do you know about them? ”
“Well, Anna, I don’t know them that well. But yeah, let’s take a closer look. Who do you want to start with?”
“You tell me. I’m totally into Tristan James.”
“I’m still hoping he shows up for the interview tomorrow, especially since I’m working on a pretty big research project. We should probably wait for James. Since I don’t expect Parker to show up, why don’t we start with him?”
“Eliot Parker, the guitarist. Also known as Leaf.”
“Leaf grew up in San Francisco. He’s 27 years old, and a self-taught guitarist.”
“He’s from Frisco? Isn’t the drummer from Frisco too?”
“Yeah, as far as I know, Leaf and José Martinez have known each other since they were kids and even came to Los Angeles together. Leaf worked at Amoeba Music as a salesman for a while. That’s where he met Tristan James.”
“I think Leaf is totally hot. He seems more like the quiet type. Do you know if he’s already taken? The guy doesn’t have an Instagram account, nor is he active on social media in any other way, which I think is really unfortunate.”
“The band is also good at keeping it a secret. During the first tour, there were some rumors that Parker and James were together, but that’s never been confirmed.”
“What! Parker and James? Seriously?”
“Yeah, but since Leaf hardly gives interviews, it’s difficult to get that kind of information, dear Anna. And as we all know, James is very secretive about his private life.”
“That’s why I invited you, dear Clint. Tell me more about Leaf. I want to know everything. Why does everyone call him Leaf?”
“Well, as far as I know, his mother died when he was nine. She fought against cancer for several years and lost her hearing in the process, which is also why he knows sign language. After the last tour, he visited a facility for deaf children a few times. It turned out that his mother used to call him Leaf in sign language.”
“Wow, I wouldn’t have expected that from the guy. To me, he’s a rocker, through and through.”
“Oh, I can reassure you, he is. Toward the end of the last tour, it turned out he has a penchant for drug use. A source once told me he started experimenting with heroin early on. Since Nightstalker was last in the studio, it was said that he’s clean.
But after the album release three weeks ago …
Somehow, I doubt that’s still the case.”
“Are you implying that Parker might have relapsed?”
“It’s possible. Of course, I hope not. The tour dates are set. The band plays concerts five days a week. That would be a really big challenge for a drug addict.”
“They’re not just playing in the US, but also in Europe, Asia, and Australia.”
“Exactly. You have to be fit for that. Most people think it’s just a never-ending party, but it’s hard work and requires a lot of energy from the artists.”
“Well, let’s hope you’re wrong, my dear Clint. Anyway … I can’t wait to see who you’ll be interviewing tomorrow. You’re going live, right? Tell us again, what time?”
“It starts at two o’clock. And I advise you to tune in. This is the only interview the band is doing before their tour starts. Here in Los Angeles.”
“Here in the studio?”
“No, unfortunately not. The band’s management wanted to prevent fans from gathering in front of the building, so we’re meeting somewhere else.”
“You heard it! At two o’clock, we’ll switch over to Clint and Nightstalker. I can hardly wait! Let’s listen to another song right away. Here’s one from the first album White Light!”