Interview: The Menzingers Ready For Two Nights At Home In Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- How do you pack to go away for five weeks?
Even after nearly ten years with The Menzingers, singer and guitarist Greg Barnett hasn't quite figured it out. "I do it all the time, and I never really know what to do. You kind of can't over think it. There's Targets everywhere. If you need to get new toothpaste, get new toothpaste" Barnett explains from his South Philly home.
The band is once again packing up and leaving Philadelphia to canvas the country with their brand of heartfelt chest-thumping rock. It's a blend of confessional sincerity and shout-along hooks that turn their shows into a mess of crowd-surfing limbs with fist-pumping adulation.
The Menzingers have worked their way up the ranks of the city with basement shows to opening spots and recently headlining tours. One such tour begins this week in Boston, but quickly routes the band back home to Philadelphia with two nights on Spring Garden St. at Union Transfer.
"The insane part is that, the backstage, there's like two hundred friends backstage" laughs Barnett as he talks about playing in Philly. "It can be a little bit difficult trying to get in the mindset of like, ok you are here to play. You're not here to hang out with your friends. Besides that, it's incredible because your friends and family all get to come. We don't get to play here as much as we would want, but when we do it's a really great time."
Philadelphia is home to Barnett and The Menzingers. At least it has been for the past eight years since they moved from Scranton. "The band started in Scranton and we grew up there, obviously we have roots there - but I've been living in Philly for eight years now. The band became serious in Philadelphia" explains Barnett diplomatically. "People in Scranton always get angry when we call ourselves a Philly band and it's kind of vice versa here too. If we can pick both we'll pick both."
The band falls somewhere between Vice President Joe Biden and EXTRA's Jerry Penacoli on the list of those who have gone from the Electric City of Scranton on to bigger things. When pressed though, Greg's affection for Philadelphia comes out much louder. "I mean I love my hometown but I just kind of identify with this city a lot more. This city kind of took us under its wing and this is where we really got success here so it's kind of hard to go against it" he says.
The blunt honesty and open heart of Philadelphia isn't hard to find in the music of The Menzingers. Beyond the surging riffs and roaring choruses, there's a lot of profound fervent storytelling - often about the people and places that make up the city. "Yeah. It's all true" says Barnett with a smile. "Names are switched and things like that. I don't want to go into it too much but they're all true stories. I've said it before, I've never really been all that good at writing fiction and kind of just more take from my life, my friend's lives."
The Menzingers play Union Transfer in Philadelphia on Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24. To hear more from Greg Barnett of The Menzingers, check out the full interview below.
