Josh Fimbres is known for his sense of humor: He’ll often crack jokes and tease you. When he and Josh Hall are onstage as Thr3 Strykes, they are known for putting on a great show, full of aggressive and in-your-face rap music with a punk-rock attitude. Thr3 Strykes recently put out a new album, CMNCTN-BRKDWN. For more information, visit www.thr3strykesmusic.com. Josh Fimbres was kind enough to recently answer the Lucky 13; here are his answers.
What was the first concert you attended?
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” had just debuted. He brought out Dave Grohl to play a few songs, and I went nuts! This is 1993, so Nirvana still existed. That night also coincided with my first beer, and I puked the whole way back. (Thanks, Uncle John!) Mom was screaming so loud in between songs that Tom literally said, “OK, darling! I hear you.” She still talks about it. Pop let me stay home from school the next day, rock ‘n’ roll!
What was the first album you owned?
In the days of cassette tapes, my dad and his brothers kept me laced up with mix tapes, everything from Hendrix and Edgar Winter to King’s X and Judas Priest. But my first tape was the original self-titled Black Sabbath record. I was rocking my little toy harmonica to “The Wizard” at age 7.
What bands are you listening to right now?
My daily playlist is all over the fucking place. Lana Del Fimbres—I mean Lana Del Rey, Suicidal Tendencies, Warpaint, Humble Pie, and a dash of 311 with a splash of Chuck Berry. A Pantera song a day keeps the Top 40 away.
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?
I call them “fall down rappers.” You ever notice that shit? It’s sounds like they’re falling as they sing or mumble or whatever you call that bullshit. Then they repeat the hook 83 times, sheesh! More like boraphyll!
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
Led Zeppelin in their prime, or Jimi Hendrix. Early ’90s era Wu-Tang Clan, or Beastie Boys.
What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?
I can listen to Elvis’ “Blue Christmas” any time of day or year. It’s kinda musical, but I also have had a severe ASMR (Autonomous sensory meridian response) video habit—these role playing, whispering, tapping audio trips. There’s an English bird I listen to nightly … calms my soul and puts me to sleep.
What’s your favorite music venue?
I still get high on the West Hollywood classic spots, and made my mark on a few, too. (I have a lot) of good memories at Glen Helen (Amphitheater). Locally, The Date Shed; my DNA has been left there on occasion.
What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?
Sometimes I feel like it’s a curse, but I hear, “Life’s the same, I’m moving in stereooo. Life’s the same except for my shoooes. Life’s the same, you’re shakin’ like tremolooo. Life’s the same, it’s all inside you,” by The Cars, from their song “Moving in Stereo and All Mixed Up,” every fucking day.
What band or artist changed your life? How?
By age 3, I was already jumping on tables pretending my toy rifle was a guitar mimicking Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne and Van Halen. But it was Rage Against the Machine’s debut album and second album, Evil Empire, that became the soundtrack to my life trip. At 15, I scored my first drum set. I wanted to play like Brad Wilk and taught myself to play off those records. Fast-forward to age 18, and they played a small fest called Coachella. I was high on their set for three days and genuinely thought, “I wanna do that.”
You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?
I’d be asking Dimebag Darrell to not go to that shithole of a venue where he was killed onstage.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
That’s heavy. For now, I’ll say Suicidal Tendencies, “How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can’t Even Smile Today.” The verses start slow soft and sad; then the fast break-down at the end hits, at which point a pit breaks out around a river of whiskey. The sky rips open, and lightning flashes. My spirit pops up to do the guitar solo; a pterodactyl flies by. The song ends; I moon everybody, and Grandpa Carlos scoops me up in his heaven cruiser. Tip your waitresses; after-party at Morrison’s crib!
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
311’s Transistor. There are a ton of songs, and it takes me back to a pretty far-out era in time. I have to hear it in order; each song sets up the next. I can also smell the high school naivety and reefer.
What song should everyone listen to right now?
Because it’s a Saturday night when I’m doing this, and I’m in a fucking rock ’n’ roll, bang-your-head mood, let’s crank Rainbow’s “Man on the Silver Mountain.” Party on, Garth! (Scroll down to hear it.)
joshie my boy.. love the kid known him since first grade… pretty sure it was his first stage appearance doing the safety kids..