Doing an interview with Jaret Reddick is a great way for us to catch up. It’s also very hard not to sound like the “I was there, man” guy. I was. I was there at Greenway Alley, Chelsea Street, Old Town, and Beer Garden watching the madness and energy that only Bowling for Soup could provide. I remember seeing them in the local paper when they played Freedom Fest and thinking, “Man, they made it.” Little did I know they were destined go on to play a sold-out show opening for Bush, where they would win over the audience, get signed by Jive records and have a scene in Britney Spears 2002 film Crossroads. That’s it, right? They can’t possibly do MORE music for movies, get nominated for a Grammy, and write a theme song for one of my favorite cartoons of all time (yeah, I’m a fan of both the band and the cartoon). I’ve loved every inch of their success.
The boys are back in town. Ready to tear downtown a new one at this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Downtown Street Festival. “We had been talking about doing something at the Iron Horse for a really long time,” Reddick discussed, “I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve been talking to Dean (Faulkner) from AA Bottom, who are playing on the inside stage, so I think we’re going to have a few surprises. It’s going to be a pretty amazing day.”
Jaret loves to make a memorable moment. Like when they played the Falls at Bully’s for the second Louder N’ Hell. “That was a fun day… we were opening up for Everclear and played Skid Row’s “Youth Gone Wild” with Minor Prophets. I grew up with all those dudes but hadn’t played with them in years so that was a lot of fun.”
Bowling for Soup had to take a brief break from touring, but that didn’t stop Jaret from keeping occupied. “As we wound down on the touring, we’ve kept ourselves busy with music. We released Drunk Dynasty late last year. We also released our acoustic album Live In A Freakin English Church. We did a DVD with that as well. Phineas and Ferb ended after 9 years, but I’m still voicing Chuck E. Cheese.”
Enough accomplishments for a lifetime, right? Well get ready for more Reddick, because he has additional plans in store without the band. “I’m about to start doing a solo show called Heartache and Hilarity. It’s essentially like a Storytellers, a retrospective type thing about me. How the songs relate to what was going on with the band or in my life. It’s a very different look at some songs that Bowling for Soup fans may know, but they’re presented in a different way.”
Putting Bowling for Soup’s music in a box is much easier than putting the people who listen to it in a box. Good ol’ boys, metal heads, people who love rap, punk rockers, and anyone who enjoys a melodic kick in the face can all agree that their music is universally enjoyable. Get ready for the noise Saturday, March 11th, in downtown Wichita Falls. The St. Patrick’s Day Downtown Street Festival will also feature a Bigloo reunion, No Limits and Martin Byrnes. Grab your tickets, because it promises to be an unforgettable one.
– James Cook
