Interview: Quentin Black (Alienator, Reek Minds)

"That mentality of being able to wave away the risk in pursuit of possibly doing something really fucking sick is what I've gained from skateboarding."

Alienator, Q bringing up the rear, rocking the Battalion Of Saints tee.

There’s a running list in my head. It’s comprised of people who shouldn’t be burdened with work and bills and all of life’s ruinous garbage. They should be left to hang out, have fun, do whatever, cuz they’re the people that make every situation infinitely better for those around them. Quentin Black’s the reason that list exists. He’s slotted into the #1 position.

We met almost 20 years ago. My band, Monument, played our first show in his parents’ garage in a small town 45 minutes outside Milwaukee. I was 25 and still failing my way through college. Quentin was 17 and about to dip into a heady case of Senioritis. In the next decade we’d play in two bands together, go on a few tours throughout the US, and have a short stint as roommates.

Even as adulthood pulls everyone into their own orbits and Q’s on the West Coast, I still talk to him more frequently than most of the friends I’ve ever known. He’s just one of those people, with an inescapable vibrance, that you always want to have just a phone call/text away. You want to shout out the latest obscuro hardcore ripper you’ve uncovered? He’s up for hearing about it. You want to dabble in lowbrow humor? He’s game. Is this overly sappy? Probably, but I don’t care. Quentin rules, and that’s the bottom line.

A heavily edited version of this appeared in the Shining Life Press Fanzine Compilation. Here’s the full text in all its glory.

---

What are some things that you miss about the Midwest?  Bands, food, landmarks, traditions, whatever.

I’m just a simple Wisconsin boy, so the first two things I miss the most are obviously proper cheese curds, and Culvers’ frozen custard.  You got Tillamook Dairy out here, and they try hard, but really it’s no comparison.  And of course, the Green Bay Packers.

As serious as I am about those things, I sincerely miss the more close knit feeling of the punk scene in Wisconsin and Milwaukee in particular.  It might be because of the age I was when I lived there, or the time period I was there, but I miss that a lot.  The idea of there being a small neighborhood in which a huge amount of punks, artists, and musicians living in close proximity, like I experienced in the Riverwest neighborhood in Milwaukee, seems basically unfathomable here in Portland.  The obscene cost of living and gentrification seems to have destroyed that in Portland even before I moved out here.  The idea of an “affordable” neighborhood near the center of the city doesn’t really exist.

In that vein, I also miss all my friends from Milwaukee, of course, you, Eric, Chris Ellis, Bubba, and many more, and man I miss seeing Holy Shit!

In a similar vein, what’s the good shit in Portland that Midwesterners might not know about?

Not sure if Midwesterners don't know about this, but I think it's hard to grasp until you get out here how amazing the natural beauty is.  I love the Midwest's lakes and greenery, but the insane forests, mountains, and coastal region out here is hard to imagine coming from flatland country.

Although the amount of the year when it doesn't rain is really fucking short, the 3 to 4 months it's not constantly pissing rain is the best sunny weather you can ask for.  No humidity, almost no risk of rain and if it's too hot you go in the shade and it's like 10 degrees cooler, it rules.  

As for the punk scene, the amount of resources available to bands out here because the city has had such a strong punk scene for decades is incredible.  A big part of that is thanks to Keith and everyone involved in Blackwater Records and Venue.  At least in our corner of the scene, they are indispensable. The record store is amazing. They have a ton of practice spots they rent out for dirt cheap that is in the same building as the record store, and the venue/restaurant is all ages, doesn't charge bands a dime to play, and facilitates the punk scene unlike anything else I've seen in that city.

Young Q, Bored Straight days. Year? Location? No clue.

What were the things that took you by surprise when you moved?

Honestly, one of the most surprising things was actually meeting people that were into the same type of punk and hardcore I was, and how quickly I met people that were like-minded.  The first couple months I thought "man, everyone here only plays crust and Amebix style shit,"  but luckily I knew Erik from Rik and the Pigs and Mongoloid, and the crew of dudes he hung around had very similar tastes and attitudes as I did.  I can recall the exact time I knew things were going to be alright. Leah and I went to this basement show, sometime in 2014, and “Steve” played.  It consisted of Sam (Mongoloid, Alienator), Kyle (Alienator, Reek Minds), their buddy Camden (also from WI, Appleton to be exact) and Shadow (St. Louis guy, friends with Lumpy and The Dumpers guys) and it was ignorantly fast and lacked any pretension of any of the crusty or motor-charged stuff I had seen while being out there, and knew ‘ok there is sick fast hardcore out here.’  I'm pretty sure that is the first time I met Kyle who ended up introducing me to all the guys I now play in bands with out here. He played drums in Steve and is one of the best drummers I've ever played with.

Along those lines, although the scene out here is massive, because of just how many people are playing and places you can play, the punk scene is (maybe not surprisingly) very fractured.  The pop punk scene is completely separate, and even the larger hardcore scene is fractured into at least two, maybe three scenes. There's the scene that frequents Blackwater that I would say I spend most of my time with, but there is also a kind of "heavy hardcore" scene that we almost never cross paths with, which skews more towards the younger crowd. Although, we have been seeing more and more younger kids coming to our shows, and some folks crossing between both scenes, I guess I'm always taken aback by just how much punk and hardcore is going on at any time in the city. It's almost impossible to keep up with and it doesn't get any easier the older I get. But it's really encouraging to see.

What prompted you to play drums?  Are there people whose style has guided you?  Is it difficult constantly playing in bands with insane drum rippers (BS, FLawns, Reeks, Alienator)?

It was because of my early obsession with punk and just music in general.  It's been so long it's hard to pinpoint exactly what initially prompted me, but hey, like a lot of people my age (or not) I might be a poser to say this, but I fucking LOVED Green Day as a young kid, and I think I probably thought Tre Cool was the coolest guy ever born and my dumbass young self probably wanted to be just like that. Also, it's cliche, but getting into DIY punk and hardcore I think it does instill into you that it's possible for you to play an instrument and play out. It's not a pie in the sky thing saved for only the best of the best. You can learn as you go and still be a part of a scene even if you still kinda suck at first. As for why drums over guitar?  Probably because I just wanted to beat on shit, and make the most noise possible to annoy the shit out of my family, and it worked!

The biggest debt I owe to, is without a doubt, Eric Mayer, without him I would almost certainly not have stuck with the drums or maybe even playing music at all.  He basically taught me everything when we started playing in bands together back in Hartford.  It's his style and approach to drums that informs how I play to this day.  Other than him, I think Brandon Ferrell from Government Warning, Jensen Ward from Iron Lung, and early 2000's thrash and hardcore that I was obsessed with while I was first learning the drums is what I've been trying and failing to mimic forever.

I actually think playing with insanely ripping drummers makes it easier on me.  I don't know how the fuck it happened, but except for one band (Quitters), I've played with someone who is easily better than me at drums, at least in my opinion.  But really, it's huge being able to bounce ideas around with someone who rips, gives you good ideas, and pushes you to play super well.

Final Bored Straight Tour, Summer 2012, back when I still had hair.

On the subject of rippers, you currently play alongside some true skate rats.  How has skating influenced you?  I always think of you as the guy who walks into the park and finds the highest place to drop in. 

If it wasn't for skating I would've never got into any of this, and that's not hyperbole.  If I hadn't started skateboarding, I have to imagine I don't meet 90% of the dudes I grew up with, I probably don't get introduced to DIY punk through friends of friends, and I very likely never stick with the drums or music.  God damn though, everybody in Alienator, except for yours truly, can do shit on a skateboard I could only dream of. But, I'm good to get a laugh from everybody trying some goofy shit while Kyle is busting a 5 foot frontside air out of the 6 foot bowl, which he should actually stop doing because it seems like every other time he goes out and rips he comes back with a new fucked injury, including almost going into toxic shock from an infection on his hip.  Anyway, he's alright and is starting to tone it down a bit, so we don't have to cancel practices or shows.

As for dropping in, that is the one thing I know for sure I USUALLY can't fuck up, even though nowadays I'm apt to fuck it up more often, and when I do I am taking a lot longer to pick my chunky ass off the ground.  At the risk of sounding very cheesy, maybe it's that mentality of being able to wave away the risk in pursuit of possibly doing something really fucking sick is what I've gained from skateboarding.  Thinking back to moving out to Portland, it was probably incredibly stupid and risky in a lot of ways, but for some reason I kind of just pushed that aside and thought it was worth it.  Although I miss the Midwest, my friends and family, all the time, I think the risk was worth it.  I think that goes hand in hand with DIY punk too. Going on tour, making records, putting on shows present financial, social, even physical risks, but you still fucking do it because when it works out it, there's nothing comparable to the feeling you get while you're doing it.