Category Archives: Episodes

Episode 11, The She's

Episode 11: The SHE’S, part 2

Sammy, Hannah, Eva, & Sinclair of the the She’s.

After a hard year of acing chemistry, we’re gearing up for summer, digging through our drawers for that bikini we bought last August, maybe a little white lipstick, and our ancient tube of Bain du Soleil. Nothing says summer like kicking back and sipping warm PBR on a blanket while picking sand out of your sandwich. Yeah, that does sound nice… Too bad nine days out of ten this summer we’ll be freezing our asses off, wrapped in six layers, knowing there’s no way in hell we’re going to stick one toe in the water at Ocean Beach. But it’s not a total loss—bands like The SHE’S are writing songs that are so perfect for summer, they’ll keep us warm while we’re holed up in our apartments, fighting back the fog. Continue reading Episode 11: The SHE’S, part 2 →

Episode 11, The She's

Episode 11: The SHE’S, part 1

Eva Treadway of the She’s.

Now, we don’t know about you, but back in high school we didn’t have a lot of experience with filled-out rich bitch popularity queens, jocks in corvettes, or vaguely racist portrayals of exchange students. When we were 16, our main priorities in life were pretending we already knew how to smoke cigarettes and trying to seduce our junior year crush with some strategically requested Color Me Badd at our birthday party. We just kind of figured everyone’s high school experience was like that, until we heard that not only have The SHE’S already played the same shitty dive bars we’ve played, and not only have they already played venues we could only dream about playing, like the Fillmore, but that they’re also only 16, for chrissakes. Continue reading Episode 11: The SHE’S, part 1 →

Episode 10, Hate Factory

Episode 10: Hate Factory, part 2

Backseat Sear Episode 10: Hate Factory part 2
Sierra & Katelyn harmonizing in Hate Factory.

Hate Factory is like that pajama party gone bad—you know the one. It starts out innocently enough with hair braiding and prank calls. Then, a few hours after the lights go out, your underwear is in the freezer, your hand is in a glass of warm water, and the pizza delivery guy’s been duct-taped to your dad’s La-Z-Boy. And while you may end up spending your next month’s allowance on a cleaning service and tips for the pizza guy, you’re happy as hell to be invited just the same. Continue reading Episode 10: Hate Factory, part 2 →

Episode 10, Hate Factory

Episode 10: Hate Factory, Part 1

Backseat Sear Episode 10: Hate Factory part 1
Sierra shares her secret for making it big with Jaime and Sierra.

A pair of lady roommates strumming ukuleles and harmonizing sweetly on neo-1930s love songs—what could be more innocent than that? As it turns out, pretty much anything. Don’t be fooled by the doe eyes. Hate Factory turned out to be our girls-gone-wildest ride yet. But then again what do you expect from a back seat full of girls who subscribe to the bonobo school of conflict resolution? Continue reading Episode 10: Hate Factory, Part 1 →

Episode 9, Social Studies

Episode 9: Social Studies, part 2

Jessie of Social Studies.
Jessie of Social Studies.

The smell emanating from the back of the van, the bitching and moaning about how your stash of expired Slim Jims has mysteriously disappeared, the license-plate game for the nth fucking time, passing the last rest stop for 150 miles just before that last beer hits your bladder. It’s like Vacation all over again. The real question on our minds here at Backseat Beat headquarters is not which member of Social Studies would play Clark Griswold, but rather, what the hell did happen to that stack of nudie books this high? Continue reading Episode 9: Social Studies, part 2 →

Episode 9, Social Studies

Episode 9: Social Studies, part 1

bsb09-05
Natalie & Michael of Social Studies.

Everyone knows that senior prom is basically a bunch of horny build up followed by dashed hopes, drunken disappointment and, if you’re one of the lucky ones, bad sex and a not-too-exorbitant dry cleaning bill. We’d been trying to get Social Studies to the prom—um, into the back seat—for months. It turned out to be nearly as tough as convincing your date to wriggle out of that Jessica McClintock taffeta nightmare, but far, far more satisfying. Continue reading Episode 9: Social Studies, part 1 →

Episode 8, The Definite Articles

Episode 8, Part 2: The Definite Articles

The Definite Articles.
The Definite Articles.

Everyone knows what happens at the end of Revenge of the Nerds. The Tri-Lambs mop the floor with the Alpha Betas during the Greek Games, using their big brains and a Vader mask to demolish the meatheads in competition and score with the hot Pi Delts. The lesson of the movie is plain—the geeks shall inherit the Earth. Continue reading Episode 8, Part 2: The Definite Articles →

Episode 8, The Definite Articles

Episode 8, Part 1: The Definite Articles

Sean & Arjun of the Definite Articles.
Sean & Arjun of the Definite Articles.

It’s a damn shame my public high school didn’t have an orchestra. No orchestra means those kids contentedly playing D&D in a corner while everyone else was busy pretending to get laid before their 17th birthday were denied achieving their full nerd potential. In addition to reaching Level 10 wizarding status, they could have been honing their skills on classical instruments that would someday result in them rocking the panties off a crowd of adoring fans. I have seen this alternative reality, and it looks a hell of a lot like The Definite Articles. They collectively prove that you can love Star Trek, attend ComicCon, and be effing hilarious to hang out with while completely shredding the bow of your instrument. Continue reading Episode 8, Part 1: The Definite Articles →

Ash Reiter, Bands, Episodes

Episode 6: Ash Reiter

Backseat Beat Episode 6: Ash Reiter
Watch Ash Reiter and her band literally  rock out.

At this point, we pretty much assume that a given Backseat Beat shoot is going to involve some kind of risk to person or property. Our shoot with indie-pop outfit Ash Reiter dawned sunny and clear as a bell, so we settled on a picturesque kind of danger—the risk of bodies and equipment tumbling hundreds of feet from a bunch of boulders down a canyon tucked into a fold of the urban landscape. Continue reading Episode 6: Ash Reiter →

Episodes, Still FLyin

Episode 5: Still Flyin’

Backseat Beat Episode 5: Still Flyin
Sean Rawls breaking it down in a downpour with Still Flyin’

It was supposed to be a joke—a fake reggae band backed by a stage full of non-musicians drinking beer on couches. But somehow, along the way, the joke band became a living breathing organism, which itself became an unholy cross between a party band supergroup and an international exchange program.

Still Flyin’ may be the only band in the world for which a) you’ll never see the same line up twice, and b) it doesn’t matter because regardless of how many people are playing which instruments, you’ll be dancing your butt off. In most bands, if someone splits, it’s a crisis. But when your band resembles a Cecil B. DeMille epic, with a cast of thousands and a core lineup that overlaps with more stellar bands than we have space to name check here, you’re guaranteed to bust a block every time. Continue reading Episode 5: Still Flyin’ →

Bands, Episodes, The Downer Party

Episode 4: The Downer Party

Sierra Frost Rocking out with the Downer Party
Sierra Frost Rocking out with the Downer Party

If it’s Friday night and you’re facing a quiet evening at home, perhaps playing Farmville while finishing off the cold second half of the burrito you bought for lunch, then the Downer Party would be the perfect soundtrack. The perfect soundtrack, that is, to burn your ears off with hook-laden tales of whiskey-soaked debauchery, and to propel you off your fucking couch and into that loud dive bar you’ve been meaning to go to but haven’t yet because it’s on top of a hill and you only have that stupid fixie. Continue reading Episode 4: The Downer Party →

Episodes, My First Earthquake

Episode 3: My First Earthquake

Backseat Beat Episode 3 My First Earthquake
Rebecca Bortman Belts out the hits with My First Earthquake

Taking turns in the back seat today is local indie-pop sensation My First Earthquake, also known individually as Rebecca Bortman (vocals), Chad Thornton (keyboard, bass), Andre Salcido (drums), and David Lean (guitar). We kidnapped the crew for an adventure of fiery proportions at the Box Shop, a metal shop, arts community and performance space in the Bayview/Hunter’s Point neighborhood.

My First Earthquake has been busy this year gigging regularly, launching a Rock Band version of one of their songs, and cranking out a perfectly crafted 4-song EP entitled Crush, which has generated tons of great press for the band as well as one incredible fan video that pretty much sums up how the locals feel about these kids. The band is almost finished songwriting for a new full-length album, for which they’ll be launching a Kickstarter campaign this fall. Chad assures us it’s “a little darker and punchier than the more recent stuff, but with plenty of danceable beats and the like.”

In episode 3, Rebecca, Chad, Andre, and David play one of the songs from Crush, and Rebecca rocks some crazy flame-throwing action in between her witty lyrics. What can we say? Shooting this episode was hot. Special thanks to Box Shop founder Charlie Gadeken for letting us film on site.

myfirstearthquake.com

Episode 3 of Backseat Beat was published on The Bay Bridged on September 13, 2010.