Featured Artist

How did Johnie 3 get started? Jay and I started the band a few years back, we were neighbors and we were into the same kinda music. Neither of us knew how to play guitar at all.  We both got guitars and basses around the same time and haven't looked back.

Was any of in you bands prior to Johnie 3? I played my first show when I was 16 years old in an oldskool punk rock band called, The Ignorantz. Kc was in The Reynolds as well as The Coinceided.

Tell Us About your band. We play short fast songs

Style of Music (political, EmO, Funny, hardcore, rockstars, ..etc) ROCK

Favorite place to play and why? Anywhere in South Jersey w/ The Sheckies. Those shows have always been great and the parties afterword are always a good time.

Funniest thing you've seen at a show? Stiv from The Hollywood Blondes getting covered in peanutt butter during a show in cleveland and he kept playing like nothing was even happening! I put a huge clump right in his hair!

Craziest place you've played? Chappas in Brownsville, Texas aka The Dark South. There was a whore house next store and it was a stones throw away from Mexico! I never thought we would ever end up playing somewhere so close to Mexico! Everyone at the club was awesome n took care of us however the bartender didn't speak English. We just had to point to the beer...

Are you on a label? If so, who? Our last 2 records were released on Cheapskate Records. Our next record which we are recording right now and we hope to have it mixed and mastered by Mass at Sonic Iguana. We hope to have it in stores nationwide as well so we will see how that all works out...

Any groupie stories? TONS, who doesn't like chicks? Who doesn't like when girls kiss other girls? Gotta watch out for the jailbait though.

Who's your favorite bands right now? I listen to The Steinways almost everyday. The Leftovers, Delay, The Copyrights, The Unlovables.

Who writes your songs and how are you inspired to write them? Jay writes them and u would have to ask him.

When you play at a show are you all serious or do you just fuck around?? We get trashed.

Any pre-show rituals? Drink as much as u can, shots, smoke, then play

Does or did any of you get stage fright? I was alittle nervous when we played this fest in Baltimore. It was soldout and the crowd was made up of all the top people in the game. After a few beers though, I was good to go. We have played soo many shows that its hard to get nervous. Playing shows in our hometown is kinda nerve racking cause u know everyone and dont wanna look like a douche bag up there since u know everyone who is watching.

What's your favorite song that you play right now and why? We got these new songs that are new and fresh and alot of fun to play. Hang The Dj, Allison, Miss You, Annies Got Herpies are some fun jams.

What does it mean to you being in Johnie 3? I am doing what I want to do not only in a band but also in life. Everything that we have wanted to do or accomplish we have done that and gone way behind. I will always be playing music and its a big part of my life and one of the few things I care about.

What do you do when your not playing? Well its not like I am in this band just to have something to do or just to play on the weekends. I haven't had any sort of job in a long time. We practice and play shows as much as we can. We record and do alot of promo work and that sorta crap which sucks but ya gotta do it. I like to go to shows all the time. I also work at a bar in Youngstown called The Draught House but its not actually like work cause I can drink on the job.

How does your families evaluate the fact that your musicians and not a banker or whatever? Most of them think its cool that we can tour and stuff, they don't really like the music which is understandable. They also think we make lots of $$ from playing shows which of course is not true at all! My dad thinks I should be doing something better with my life, but this is what I want to do. As long as I am happy, thats all that matters.

If you check out TV on any given day often you see "punk" video clips or sound bites from bands like Something Corperate, Rise Against, AFI, Greenday, etc.. What are your thoughts on the influences of Punk Rock on the mainstream? ITs good and bad in both ways. U can argue this all day. On one hand its good cause it may open peoples minds up to other forms of more underground scenes of punk rock but on the other hand it totally ruins the ideas and main purpose of punk rock.

What is your current evaluation of the current punk scene? As far as any kind of scene there are tons of great bands that we are good freinds with and love doing shows with them. They have us in their town and then we hook em up with shows in our town or where ever. The Insubordination Records Fest that was in Baltimore this past June was HUGE for all these bands and friends and it was a great way to bring everyone together so I would say as cheesy as this sounds, that its the best it has ever been since we have been around.

Who are your musical influences? Motley Crue, The Apers, Darlington, Ramones...

Any bands you really want to do a show with and why? NOFX cause those guys can party.

Who's the craziest band you've ever done a show with? The Lazy Indians from Atlanta. They dumped fish guts and fish heads everywhere and them smashed all their gear! IT RULED

Descibe the stage presence of Johnie 3.  fast falling down drunkeness with some songs in between.

Has your style of music changed at all since the band started? If so, why? Not at all. We are alittle better than when we first started but we still play the same 3 chords...

Favorite Band of all time (from each band member please) Myke-Johnny Cash Jay-Ramones Kc-The Police

What are your general thoughts on the world today? Gas is way too expensive

What's your favorite part of being in a band? touring and traveling and seeing places u have never been too and meeting new people at shows n stuff everyday who are always really cool. But u do meet some real dicks along the way but not usually.

What are personal thoughts on the mentality of today's america? I'd rather live in France

What are your thoughts of the whole Warped Tour traveling circus? The Warped Tour is the only tour that brings and offers such a huge setup and so many bands and it only costs about 30$ which is really cool. We have played a few of them and they have been great, but there are waaaaaaaaaay too many new skool screamo/emo crappola bands on the bill nowadays. I wouldn't pay to see the show at all these days. I remember when it first started in 96 and was at the parking lot of the Agora and it was $13! and back then it was Sublime, Social D, No Doubt, 311...

When you look into the crowd, what would you say are the kind of people at the shows? alittle bit of everything from the homeless guy off the street to the young bucks. We try to play mostly all ages shows if possiable cause the kids are more into the music and they got their parents money so they usually buy lots of crap.

How did you come up with the name Johnie 3? from the classic 80s movie, short circuit. The robot was called Johnny 5. I don't know who came up with the clever spelling though. Everyone always spells it wrong!

What makes Johnie 3 different from other bansds? We are taller and can drink more

Anything you want to add or say. I am not wearing a shirt and haven't been this entire time

Anyone you want to thank  thnkx Turtle @ Punk Rock Review

    ***Thanks to Johnie 3 for the interview, check them out on Cheapskate Records or MySpace