PENNSYLVANIA CONNECTION are a great sludge/scum rock type band with a really cool sound, and great fuckin lyrics. There's nothing more fun than going to a party where there's hard drug use and abuse and jammin out to these dudes on the stereo while your getting fucked up. If they ever come to Pittsburgh, i'll make sure to be partying hard with em, Bushmado style. I'm proud to have the Pennsylvania Connection as the featured band for October 2003. Enjoy!
Interview with Griff and Jesse
Featured Band October 2003
Interview by DJ BUSHMADO
BUSHMADO: What's the Pennsylvania Connection story? When did you form? Who is all in the band?
Griff: Pennsylvania Connection started about 3 years ago. I began working on some 4 track demos after the demise of my last band (Jerkstore). I played Jesse some of the tunes and he demanded to put vocals down for the tracks. The tracks just kind of sat in limbo until Jesse's band (3 Input Woman) broke up, in the spring of 2002. After that we started putting an actual band together. We got Timmy from 3 Input Woman to play drums, and Bobbo took over on bass. We started playing out in August of 2002.
BUSHMADO: What part of Pennsylvania are you guys from?
Griff: Levittown, Bucks County.
Jesse: Quakertown. I fuckin love it here. Cops never hassel me, they're too busy bustin' kids huffing paint behind the railroad tracks and shit. Plus I can always find parking. Beats Levittown.
BUSHMADO: What's new with the band? any recording or touring plans?
Griff: We just finished recording some shit at the Death Star in West Philly. One of the tracks is going on a split 7" with Hellblock 6, the other tracks are on our new CD "The Heavy Days" which we are putting out ourselves. We plan on playing out as much as possible, hopefully it will be a busy and well traveled winter.
Jesse: New bass player, Lou Ceccoli. He played guitar for my old band, 3 Input Woman and has been in numerous bands with Griff through the years. We're all stoked to have him on board.
BUSHMADO: Play any cool shows lately?
Griff: Every show we play is cool...um, we toured around with the Moistboyz for a few days last January. We have a lot of great shows coming up with a lot of cool bands...Dixie Witch, Hellblock 6, Robot Dicks, Dragon Green, Place of Skulls.
Jesse: Played a couple shows with All Night. Those fuckers bring the goods.
BUSHMADO: What bands do you usually play shows with? Is there much of a scene where you are from?
Griff: Philly's got a pretty good scene as far as heavy rock goes. Hellblock 6 is a great Philly band, we play with them a lot. Dragon Green, Solace & Robot Dicks play here with us quite a bit as well. Apollo Creed is another awesome Philly band. Everybody comes through here, so, you usually get to check out a lot of bands.
BUSHMADO: Who and What are your influences, both musically and lyrically?
Jesse: Lemmy, Iggy, Ozzy, Bon Scott, Stanley Kubrick.
Griff: Musically, I guess Black Sabbath, Black Flag, Venom, The Melvins, The Obsessed, Pentagram. As far as a lyrical influence, I guess just sex & drugs.
BUSHMADO: Who usually writes the lyrics?
Griff: I write the music and lyrics.
BUSHMADO: Are you currently working with any Labels? What exactly is Land O Smiles?
Griff: No label as of yet, we don't really know how to go about "shopping for a label." Maybe one of your readers will hook us up. Land o'Smiles Musick Club is a secret society in here in Bucks County. It's so secret that I can't talk about it.
BUSHMADO: Who came up with the name "The Pennsylvania Connection" and is there a specific meaning behind it?
Griff: Pennsylvania Connection is a swingers' magazine. I thought it had a nice double meaning as far as sex and drugs.
BUSHMADO: What merchandise and releases do you have available? do you have T-Shirts? i'd definetly wear one?
Griff: We have a new CD, "The Heavy Days," out now, and that split 7" with Hellbock 6 is comming out on Worldeater Records. T-Shirts, and a wide range of other quality products, are in the works.
BUSHMADO: What is the song "Angry Dragon" about?
Griff: It's about filthy sexual activity in public.
BUSHMADO: So you guys are "Scum Rock" can you elaborate on that term?
Griff: No.
Jesse: I'm a "Scum Bag"
BUSHMADO: If you can remember, what was the first concert/show you attended?
Jesse: Cindi Lauper. My Mom bought us tickets for my sister's birthday. Two weeks later I saw Twisted Sister open for Judas Priest.
Griff: without parental guidence? I guess, Black Flag at City Gardens, 1986.
BUSHMADO: Top 10 Favorite Bands?
Griff: of all time? Motorhead, Black Sabbath, The Stooges, Suicide, Black Flag, Whitehouse, Saint Vitus, that kind of shit.
BUSHMADO: Top 10 Favorite Albums?
Griff: shit, um, the first 8 Black Sabbath records, Motorhead's "Overkill" and Black Flag's "Damaged," I guess.
Jesse: Gotta add "Appetite For Destruction", "Reign In Blood", and the Dwarves "Blood, Guts & Pussy".
BUSHMADO: Top 5 Favorite Movies?
Jesse: Rosemary's Baby, A Clockwork Orange, Audition, Man Bites Dog, Fingered(R.Kern)
Griff: yeah, sounds good. throw Gummo in there too, I guess.
BUSHMADO: Best live band(s) in your opinion?
Griff: out there right now? Hellblock 6, The Hidden Hand, Dixie Witch, High on Fire, Mastodon, All Night.
BUSHMADO: Does the Pennsylvania Connection party much?
Jesse: I wouldn't call what I do a party. I like to do drugs though.
Griff: What ya got?
BUSHMADO: Which do you prefer: Uppers or Downers?
Jesse: I can't choose why should i have to?
Griff: I'll do whatever. If I gotta choose, I guess, downers.
BUSHMADO: Favorite Beer?
Griff: Magic Hat's Heart of Darkness, but I'm mostly a Yuengling man.
Jesse: Doesn't really matter. I'll drink whatever.
BUSHMADO: Favorite Liquor?
Griff: shit, I like a lot of liquor...Knob Creek, Stoli, I've been big on Bombay Gin lately. Absinthe, if you have it.
Jesse: Doesn't really matter. I'll drink whatever.
BUSHMADO: Favorite Drugs?
Griff: The free ones.
Jesse: I smoke alot of weed. Really like cocaine, speed. Pills are cool but I can't keep the names straight. I usually don't know what I'm holdin', just if they're an upper or downer.
BUSHMADO: Favorite Titty bar/strip club?
Jesse: Cloud 9 Showbar in Harleysville of course. I'm the DJ there, best job ever. Get to play Ted Nugent & AC/DC all night and the strippers give me money.
Griff: They're girls are hot too. Most of 'em are under 21.
BUSHMADO: What are your thoughts on the world in its current state?
Jesse: I feel really good about it. The masses are more controllable than ever before. I feel proud to live in such a satanic age.
Griff: We are all certainly doomed.
BUSHMADO: Anything you'd like to add or close with?
Griff: If our band comes to your town, check us out, and give us drugs, and, don't take any guff from any of these swine.
Jesse: Someone put out our fucking music and get our asses on the road worldwide, you fucking pussies.
Pennsylvania Connection website
Pennsylvania Connection cd review
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