TENTACLES: TEN QUESTIONS WITH MATT RONAN
Matt Ronan drums and sings in our band and is unofficial music director since he is more fluent with chord structures and note names and isn't scatterbrained like me and Steve. He also plays in Junebug and The Porchlights and serves on percussion with The Band Who Fell To Earth and KC's annual Thundergong productions. He teaches second graders--lucky kids!--and is one of the best cooks I know.
Tough on all 3!
For cook I'd take Grant Achatz from Alinea in Chicago, crazy food showman. I bet he'd like the challenge! Menu is all up to him, surprise me.
3 bands...gotta mix genre. Let's go Robert Glasper for the first act, Brandi Carlile next, finish with Bob Mould blowing the windows out.
So many venues in the world. Dreaming of a beach in the south Pacific, more realistic would be the Uptown Theatre in KC, so many great memories there.
2. What's your current creative project or projects? What do you want folks to know about it?
Dan Jones and the Squids are just wrapping up a massive songwriting/song learning COVID stint. I love all the new stuff! It's raw, fast, heartfelt, and sometimes challenging. As a drummer I'm as free and melodic as I want sometimes, and I get to power smash other times. I feel like it's the band i've been trying to join my whole life (with friends I've had since 1988). Live release soon!!!
3. What's a brick and mortar business you've always wanted to work at, something you'd even do for free?
I'd love to do a very specific baking job- make a thousand bagels a day at Meshuggah or throw pizza dough all night at Il Lazzerone in KC
4. What does your ideal creative day look like?
No schedule, just the creative juices taking me/us where they will go. Settling into a comfy spot like Dan's attic and letting things rip! Sometimes we swap instruments- that's fun and valuable! Also, something recording just in case magic happens.
5. What’s your favorite record right now?
Sometimes the day gig is stressful...Everybody Digs Bill Evans always helps.
6. What's the last book you wanted to buy 100 copies of and pass out to friends?
Good Omens- Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
7. It’s a hot summer night and there’s beer in the cooler. What movie would you most like to show in your back yard or on a wall in a public space?
Fletch? Grand Budapest Hotel? Airplane?
8. How do you take care of your creative practice and stay inspired and energized?
The day gig is as a schoolteacher for 8 year olds, so my time is limited. Yet...the job requires constant creativity! In addition, I get to play guitar a lot for the kids and I can connect my schoolteacher ideas to music in a way that helps a lot of kids to learn. I also get inspired in nature, in my kitchen, dreaming... I find the specific time to play the drums whenever I can and I cherish it!
9. What made laugh the hardest this week?
You're Doing Great- Tom Papa
10. How would you have handled winning the recent ONE BILLION DOLLAR powerball jackpot?
Now that's a billion dollar question. Obviously set my kids and family up safely. Travel is important and so missed, there are so many places I want to experience. I'm happy with the stuff I own (actually, I might hire someone to get rid of most of my stuff). I'd find ways to give most of it away in society-improving ways, I'll do a lot more research when the winning ticket comes through!
