Local metal band In the Name of the Dead had a brief hiatus after front man Tetsuo Olivarez went under the knife for back surgery—but the band has recently risen from the dead (pun sort of intended) for a couple of recent gigs at Bart Lounge. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/inthenameofthedead. Bassist Robert “‘Woody’” Wood recently answered the Lucky 13; here are his answers.
What was the first concert you attended?
311 and the Phunk Junkeez at (the University of California, Irvine) Bren Events Center in 1996.
What was the first album you owned?
Michael Jackson’s Thriller. The first CDs I ever bought were Nirvana’s In Utero, Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral, Pantera’s Far Beyond Driven, and Beck’s Mellow Gold (good old Columbia House). All of these albums have withstood the test of time, I might add.
What bands are you listening to right now?
I mostly listen to NPR, but when I turn the music on, it is mostly Gojira, Syrebris, Alice in Chains, Bad Religion, Dethklok, Satyricon and Sepultura lately.
What artist or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?
I never understood the cult of Elvis. I never got that the Rolling Stones were something special. I don’t understand why everyone thinks the Red Hot Chili Peppers are so great. (Anthony Kiedis is quite possibly the worst lyricist ever.) Lately, I just do not get why people like Ghost; it baffles me. I also don’t get why Joe Wangler of Dali’s Llama answered in his Lucky 13 that he never liked Tool, and he’s a tool for not liking Tool.
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
I never got to see Alice in Chains with Layne Staley; that would be No. 1. GG Allin just for the show. Nirvana would have been great to see. And motherfucking Neil Diamond!
What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?
I don’t feel guilty for any of the music I like, but it is often surprising to people that I absolutely love Neil Diamond and Cat Stevens.
What’s your favorite music venue?
To see shows: SOMA in San Diego. To play at live: Schmidy’s Tavern was my favorite, and now I’d have to say Bart Lounge is a good spot.
What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?
“You’re Welcome” from the Moana soundtrack. Either that, or any main lines from any Sia song. (It’s music that my daughter loves, so I get to hear it all the time!)
What band or artist changed your life? How?
It sounds cliché for someone my age, but Nirvana. I first heard Nevermind when I was 12—just going into the angry-angst years. Then Bad Religion and Rage Against the Machine showed me that I could direct my anger and intellectualism into music. And Bieber; that little kid’s got moves!
You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?
I was going to say I would ask Sid Vicious if he really killed Nancy, but he wasn’t a musician, so … I would ask Ted Nugent to take a long walk on a short pier.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
I have three: “The Wind” by Cat Stevens; “Imagine” by John Lennon; and “Bro Hymn” by Pennywise. Maybe I would add “Disco Duck” for some levity.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
Alice in Chains, Dirt. That album is the reason why I play bass.
What song should everyone listen to right now?
Gojira, “Stranded.” (Scroll down to hear it!)