photo by Josh Kessler

In the spirit of full disclosure SFist has got to admit that we tend to find bass players awfully cute. Maybe it’s their aloofness, or the way that the bass line provides the melodic underpinnings for the entire band? At least that’s what Eric Allen, bass player for the Apples in Stereo tells us. The Apple’s new album, New Magnetic Wonder, has been on heavy rotation the last couple of months—"Same Old Drag" is already slated to be an SFist best of the year. You can see the band play tomorrow night at the Independent—their live shows are killer, and it’s been a long time since they’ve played in SF. In the mean time, sit back, and check out what Allen has to say about crowds telling him to turn it down, travel tips, and style advice.

What’s the best show you’ve ever played and what made it great?
Probably in Tokyo opening up for Cornelius. It was huge, we felt like we were in Beatle mania... screaming fans, pushing and everything.

What’s your favorite venue to play?
Great American Music Hall. We’ve played there three times. It’s beautiful, there’s something so romantic about it because it’s so old and beautiful. Just knowing the history. The Dead, scenes from Behind the Green Door, it makes our trashy rock show seem classy. There’s not a bad seat in there.

Where are the best fans?
Detroit-- they’re just out of their mind. Even if there’s just 150 people it sounds like there’s 300 because they are screaming, jumping around, all of them out of their minds. Just people in Detroit are kind of tougher and wilder, so if they like something you’re going to hear bout it.

The Apples in Stereo// 03/23/07// The Independent// Tickets $15// Show at 9 pm

What’s your favorite song to play?
That changes every night. At this moment “Defiant Dignitary” we haven’t recorded it yet but you can hear it on the tour. We worked it up in practice, started playing it. It’s a blast playing it so it’s been exciting. It sounds like a classic rock song—it has a total AC/DC Angus Young guitar solo. And lots of cow bell. It’s just a blast, total classic rock maybe we are class rock, and we just don’t’ know it yet.

What’s the lamest crowd request you’ve gotten?
“Turn it down, it’s too loud”. It’s pathetic. It happened in England. We have a lot of rich harmonies which we’re doing a lot more of now that we’re a six piece now. We were bashing it out in a Ramones-ey fashion. People sometimes think we’re gonna sound like Belle and Sebastian. But we’re getting feedback and making noise. At the end of the first song that night (which is a track on the new album) there’s feedback, because we’re trying to get it-- we’re holding our guitars in front of our amps... ala Jimmy Hendrix. It’s one thing if your neighbors tell you to be quiet, but not your crowd.

One thing people never notice about my music is…
The Bass player.

What SHOULD people notice about the Bass player?
The bass line is melodic and holding things together.

Is there a San Francisco sound?
I think it changes like what are the big band now-- DJ Cheb i Sabbah Maybe a psychedelic. The Hippy sound. It’s cliché but extended guitar solos.

What’s the best description of your music you’ve heard?
I think psychedelic pop is the most concise… yah.. I think our songs our pop songs in a Beatles sense.

Favorite musician from the bay area
Jack Cassidy from Jefferson airplane.

Advice for aspiring musicians?
Don’t spend too much time concerned with what other people want. Just do what makes you happy, and what you enjoy playing. When the Apples first started playing in Denver there was lots of garage, punk and hard core bands. With the Apples, we’ve always played on old equipment-- it was cheap at the time, and we don’t like the stuff at Guitar Center. People would say “with new equipment, you could sound like anyone”. There’s a part of every person that wants to appease and appeal, and fundamentally you have play what you like.

Something all bass players should know:
Just because you play the bass doesn’t mean you’re and idiot. It’s not like, “I can’t get the chick so I’ll get the four string”. I’m sure there’s some rock bass player in the 50’s, or going back to jazz that fit that--maybe they’re the guys that brought the reefer. The lead guitar and lead singer get all the attention. In most good bands if you take the bass out, it would sound thin, what’ interesting melodically is going on with the band is the bass player.

Have you spent time in the Bay Area
It’s a been a few years we used to play Kilowatt, GAMH, Bottom of the Hill, Bimbo’s-- we played Warfield opening up for Pavement.

Favorite Bay Area Stereotype and whether or not you buy into it
It’s the old beatnik at City Lights Book, he’s balding, but has a pony tail tie-dyed tank top. Looking through Lawrence Farengetti book. I do believe he exists, I’ve seen him and I salute him.

SF has the BEST
Burritos.

You have two hours and $15 bucks to kill in SF, what are you going to do?
I’m going to go to Black Market Music and look at things I can’t afford. And then I’m going to go to Amoeba and run my credit card up.

Tell us a San Francisco Story
Opening up for pavement in the Warfield... our first show with them on tour... pretty crazy...

Question you'd ask if you were doing this interview
Where do I get my shoes?
I found them in a store in St. Louis. They look like they have strips of aluminum foil on them. The tops are white like spats. At the same time they look they’re used for hiking. I just got them a week ago. They’re comfortable like slippers.