Interview Brought To You by the Letter “M”

Taking Back Sunday’s “Tell All Your Friends” will always always be on the Band of the Day playlist; so you can only imagine how excited we were to interview one of our favourite bands. We sat down with drummer Mark O’Connell to talk about Vince Vaughn, fire trucks, and the “M” word amongst other things.  Did Mark and Fred enjoy the movie “The Break Up”? Find out in…

10 Questions with Taking Back Sunday

- By Mattias and Dave-Os –

1. We read Adam Lazzara has a crush on Brad Pitt. Who would be your celebrity crush?

Mark: ...it has to be a guy!! I think …huh you know I really like Vince Vaughn.
Matt: Vince Vaughn is awesome.
Mark: He’s a good guy, funny; we were just watching “The Wedding Crashers” last night. Funny as hell but you know what he looks really good in? The movie “Swingers”. Great movie!
Matt: “Made” was good.
Mark: “Made” was good too.
Matt: Did you see “The Break Up”?
Mark: I did see it. Me and Fred [Mascherino] actually saw the break up together on a plane ride from Australia to Japan and “we’re like you know the movie really is kind of like depressing”. We thought it was going to be funny.

2. Being more into the mainstream now as opposed to a few years back when you were still underground, what do
you think separates you now from bands today that were like you before when you were still trying to break through? What did you do differently from the ones who aren’t famous today?
Mark: I don’t know if we did anything differently. I just know that coming up to every show, it was like we needed to prove something every time. Every show we were like “alright were going to go out there and kick so much
fucking ass and we’re going to win all these people over”. Whoever we were opening up for we were just like “Yo let’s just kill it tonight and win all these fans over”. I
think we did that, and that was a big part of why we got bigger and why kids like to see us play live.
Matt: So the live show… that’s what took you guys…
Mark: Definitely think so.
Matt: Oh speaking of live show… I heard you guys get a lot of injuries from your antics on stage.  What do you think was the worst one for one of the band members?
Mark: Well of course Matt got hit in the head really hard once with Adam’s mic.  The worst one by far was when Adam fell off the stage and broke his hip. A long time ago when we were opening up for Midtown, Adam fell off the stage and broke his hip…the show ended.

Matt: Whats the worst injury the happened with a crowd? I’m only asking because at the Warped Tour a few years back, you guys split the crowd up and then made them charge at
each other; it was really intense.
Mark: Ahh yea yea… we were actually told to stop that.
Matt: you don’t do it anymore?
Mark: Nah. I mean there have been a lot of injuries with kids coming out with broken noses and so yea… There have been no deaths, Just toss of broken noses.

3. “Tell All Your Friends”, “Where You Want To Be”, and “Louder Now”: Describe each album in one sentence each.
Mark: Hmm that’s a hard one. Each album is a different memory of a time in our lives. “Tell All Your Friends” – Very young. “Where You Want To Be” – New beginnings. “Louder Now” – Growing up.

4. Straylight Run. You did the drums for their
album right?
Mark: I did drumming for like two tracks on the demo, not on the album.
Matt: So with the whole fall out and all, are you on like both sides?
Mark: Well the thing with that is Shaun [Cooper], the bass player for Straylight Run has been a friend of mine since kindergarten. We grew up together so we’re still very good friends to this day.
Matt: Can you all hang out together? Are you the bridge?
Mark: Ummm no… and pretty much… yeah… it would be awkward if we all hung out together.

4. So you played Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, Conan… is it any different playing for TV as opposed to playing for your usual large crowd? Do you get more nervous?
Mark: Sure. It’s like you only get one chance its like “let’s go out there, kill it and try and sound our best”. It’s just weird because it’s like “Wow, Jay Leno is right there and he’s saying our name”. It’s just so weird.
Matt: which one did you like playing for out of the three the most? I’ve heard Jimmy Kimmel is the best.
Mark: Yeah Jimmy Kimmel was so much fun. I think it’s everyone’s favourite to go to because it’s such a laid back environment.  There’s a green room and
you get to hang out with people; it’s a lot of fun.
Matt: Do you get to hang out with celebrities?
Mark: Yeah like Matt [Rubano] got to play pool with Seth Green and we were just screwing around.

5. I read your favourite song to play is “Error Operator”. Is that your favourite Taking Back Sunday song?
Mark:” Yeah it’s the one I enjoy playing live, but have you ever heard “Slow Dance from the Inside”? It’s on the second album. I have to say that that’s definitely one of my faves.

Matt: What song do you least like?
Mark: I’d have to say a couple: “Head Club” and “I am Fred Astaire”.

6. What’s something quiet that you’d like to be louder now and conversely what’s something loud that you’d like to be quieter now?
Mark: Every metalica album from “The Black Album” on, I’d like to be louder now. What I’d like to be quieter… musically?

Matt: Anything

Mark: Fire trucks… yeah.

Matt: Fire trucks are pretty loud but they have to be.

Mark: Yeah they have to be loud. You’re right.

7. What’s the best way to “break someone down so badly”?
Mark: I think really tearing them a new asshole and just letting them have it.  Words sometimes can be more powerful than fists though.

Matt: What’s the worst word you could use?

Mark: I think moron… I didn’t like idiot too… but yeah moron is my least favourite word in the world. I think it’s my own personal thing.
Matt: What would you do if someone called you a moron?
Mark: You mean like right now?
Matt: Sure.
Mark: Well I’d get very upset, but right now if you called me a moron, I’d know you didn’t really mean it.
Matt: *laughs* I wouldn’t do it anyways. I don’t use the “M word”.

8. If you could take parts from several animals to make the ultimate animal what would you use and what would you call it?
Mark: hmm I’d take the legs of a giraffe, the body of a dog, and the head of a monkey. *laughs* I’d call him monkey-dog-giraffe.

9. If you could have superpower, what would it be?
Mark: if I had superpower, I would be able to go into the future and the past.
Matt: Really? Because In a previous interview, you said you be “Mark O’Condo” and you’d be an interior designer.
Mark: really? Wow that’s... Did I say that? I might have been drunk.

10. Who would you like to see next on Band of the Day?
Mark: Did you ever hear of Lamb of God? They’re one of my favourite bands.

A Monkey-Dog-Giraffe? Although it does sound quite appetizing, I don’t think it beats South Park’s ManBearPig. Thanks again to Mark for opening our eyes, and helping us realize that hey, sometimes words really do hurt.  Put down those words, and pick up those bats kids.  

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The Botd Team