Capillary Action, Band

How have the Les Claypool dates been? Jonathan Pfeffer: Absolutely astounding on all counts. The crowds were massive and thoroughly psyched on what we were doing (except maybe Atlantic City). Not that I was expecting to get pelted with tomatoes-- which was one of my fears when we opened up for Beirut earlier this year in Amsterdam-- but I was surprised by just how warm of a reception we got. Claypool's crew went above and beyond the call of duty to make us feel welcome too; any time there was some kind of technical or scheduling snafu, Claypool's crew made sure we weren't left to fend for ourselves. I'd like to think there was a certain level of respect between the two camps based on how long both of us had been out on the road (Les for 2.5 months and us for about 4). We'd never played spaces quite that huge or with an artist revered on such a scale as Les, so it was an eye-opening experience in a lot of different ways.

You've played with a lot of interesting bands, who is on your wish list to play with? J: Os Mutantes, Deerhoof, Icy Demons, Omar Souleyman, Dick Hyman.

Sam Kulik: Tuba maverick Dan Peck.

What musicians, dead or alive, would be in your all-star supergroup? J: Baden Powell, Albert Ayler, Han Bennink, Kurt Cobain, and Diamanda Galas.

S: I wouldn't even lead the group; I'd just put Sun Ra, Igor Stravinsky, John Daker, Raymond Scott, Miles Davis, and Hildegard von Bingen in a room together and see what they came up with.

Your sound is pretty abstract, how else would describe it? What has influenced it? J: I usually say something like 'jazzy, chaotic, tropical, all-acoustic avant-prog-pop.' The songs are all pretty personal so there's a unique kind of friction between the often intense subject matter and the most pronounced musical elements: frantic pacing, convoluted song structures, dense harmony, etc. I'm most inspired by all the amazing NY musicians I'd like to consider both peers and mentors: Hi Red Center, People, Skeleton$, Extra Life, Talibam, Blarvuster, Dirty Projectors, Kayo Dot, Zs, Tyondai Braxton, Stars Like Fleas, Little Women, Mostly Other People Do The Killing, etc.

S: I have described it as sounding like a bunch of OCD kids with no musical experience, in an asylum, all playing percussion instruments together.

What bands are you currently listening to? J: Our rental car has a satellite radio so we've been listening to a lot of 'Afternoon Advice with Tiffany Granath' on the Playboy Channel but aside from that: Yma Sumac, Louis Andriesson, Quinteto Armorial, Tira Poeira, Mayo Thompson, VUK, This Heat, and Sun City Girls are all in heavy rotation on the iPod right now.

Do you have a favorite New York celebrity sighting or encounter? J: We played at the Cake Shop last year and I spotted Craig Wedren from Shudder to Think perusing the merch area. I talked his ear off about how much of an inspiration "Pony Express Record" was and he was really gracious about my nervous fanboy banter. We stayed in touch after that and we ended up opening for Shudder to Think in Seattle later that year on their reunion tour. Dreams do come true!

Which New Yorker do you most admire? J: George Costanza.

S: David Byrne, Brian Lehrer.

Please share your strangest "only in New York" story. J: This past February when a cracked-out and barefoot woman berated me for 15 minutes in a subway station because I wouldn't give her a pair of socks. She called me a goddamn liar about 30 times and said I would end up in the gutter with her someday. Bummer.

S: it was the day I moved to New York, actually. Kind of a "welcome! your life will be weird here" story...it was the last day of August 2004 and I went down to the World Trade Center to participate in a RNC (Republican National Convention) protest. I was by myself and was eating a mango and just wandering around waiting for the crowd to start marching toward Madison Square Garden. But there was no parade permit issued, see? So the cops were saying--bullshitting, really--"yeah, you guys can march, it'll be fine," and the march stepped off. Meanwhile I had finished my mango and had the seed left over to throw away, but there were no trash cans at the World Trade Center because of 9/11! So I stepped off with the march, mango seed in hand, thinking, "okay, I'll find a trash can somewhere along the way" and after about 30 seconds of marching I saw one on the other side of the street. So I crossed the street, pitched in the mango seed, and then heard the police captain behind me shouting, "alright! Everybody on this side of the street is arrested!" And the 300 people that I had just crossed the street away from to use the trash can were all surrounded by cops on bicycles and taken off in paddywagons. I just sauntered off, trying not to look suspicious. If I had been taken in by the cops I'd have really been screwed: I was moving into my very first apartment the next morning!

Given the opportunity, how would you change New York? S: I'm a big bicycle advocate. There's been a lot done in the last 2 years to improve bicycle safety but still more to do! That, and I'd like to see bands get paid some decent money once in a while.

Under what circumstance have you thought about leaving New York? J: I'm trying to figure out a way in!

S: I never really intended to stay; New York is the perfect place for me to be at this point in my life but there will be a day in the next couple of years where I wake up and realize, "okay, it's time to go." Who knows? That might be the same day my landlord doubles my rent, or my girlfriend gets pregnant, or my house gets broken into. It'll hurt to leave, but I think I'll be able to go at the right time.

Best cheap eat in the city? J: Tiny's Giant Sandwich Shop on the lower east side. I always forget the exact cross streets-- is it on Norfolk and Lafayette? It's right around the corner from the Cake Shop, which we used to play quite a bit, so I'd always make a point of stopping by Tiny's when I was in the neighborhood. You can get this $6 veggie burger called the Big Mack Daddy that hits the spot for a price that's nice.

S: I cook for myself: recently rediscovered Berry Fresh Farm in Astoria to get my groceries. It still has the same "Grand Opening" sign it did when I used to shop there 4 years ago. Best place to get a 3 lb. box of cherries for $3.

Best venue to play/hear music. J: I've only played there once but I think Zebulon might be my new favorite spot in town-- great atmosphere, friendly staff, a dependable calendar, and you actually stand a chance of getting paid. The Stone, Cake Shop, and Death By Audio are all solid places too.

S: I'm a regular volunteer and attendee at the stone and feel very comfortable with its vibe. My favorite stone story is one night when I was working the door and Shannon Fields was playing with Shelley Burgon. They were improvising some relatively esoteric stuff, and a group of latecomers (my assumption Japanese tourists) were a little thrown off. One left his seat to come ask me, "are they tuning?" I said, no, this was the music, and it blew his mind. One of his companions came over a minute later and asked if the music had started yet. When I said that it had, she replied, "you mean it's going to stay like this??" The group ended up leaving, but Shannon and Shelley were $35 richer for them having come in and loved the story.