PipemanRadio Interviews Candlebox at Welcome To Rockville 2025

0:04 Hi, you love done too? Yes, that's shirt. Wow? Where you you? Welcome to Rockville, North America's largest rock festival is finally here. This is pipe Man here on the Adventures pipe Man W four c Y Radio, and I'm here. With Kevin Martin from Candlebox. Nice. Nice, So first thing I want to say right off the bat, you're my second interview today and you're the second one that made a comment about my T shirt. So I made the right choice. You have to make these conscious choices of what shirt you're gonna wear what day, and now I feel, no matter what happens the rest of the day, I was successful.

0:48 Exactly. Well, some of us are going to know what that shirt is and some of us aren't. That's the point, right, Oh that's old guys like we know that band, right exactly. It was so funny because he was just telling me that he actually got into a fight with Darby. I'm not surprised. I'm not surprised. I really like to be flying the wall for that. Yeah, exactly. So welcome to Rockville. Yeah, thank you very much. Exciting. It's a big place, right, did you drive on the speedway. I've been asleep. I just will go up even it's because I don't know. We may have took the bus around for us, Ben, I don't know. I love it. I love it. So have you played Rockville. Before we did it when it was in Jacksonville? Oh yeah, that was years ago.

1:29 I don't know how long it's been. I want to say maybe two thousand and seventeen or sixteen we played it. That makes sense, Yeah, it makes sense. Yeah. I like it in Daytona better. Yeah. I also like it better because I live in Palm Beach. So right, Jelo drive Yeah, it's like I had to fly home from Sonic Temple game. My vehicle drive up here. Jacksonville's another couple hours. Yeah. So I like it. And so what keeps you going after all these years? It's funny. I said I was retiring in whatever twenty twenty three, and then I went out and did some dates with Bush last year because I just couldn't pass that up because I love those guys. I've known Gavin for shit going on thirty years now, So it was kind of like it's the fans doing these is so great because you get to see like we're playing the same stages ever, clearing Bush, catching all the other shows at the end of the night. It's really just about the music that brings the crowds together and how great the fans are. It's hard to tour, certainly in this day and age. I'm fifty six years old, and I didn't think, you know, when I was twenty years old started this band. I had to be doing it this long, right, So it's really I think it is the fans and the music that brings the people together.

2:33 Really, I think, I think too. One of the things good about today compared to when you started, it's a more united fan base. We were just talking about that before, about like back in the day, back then, everybody had to be segregated and you couldn't have festivals where you had certain bands playing and other bands. It was like this is it and that's it. You know. I had Woodstock, you know, ninety four and ninety nine. That was about it where you got those kinds of things. You're right, yeah, as we all have. Age is Pete. As the older we get, the more we get to remember all the bands and get to know everybody, and so you have those friendships that you've made over the years. You get to catch up with people Peter Klett. Ladies and gentlemen, no need to be sorry. I went to pick up my family.

3:13 Hell of that walk that comes first, and it is a hell of a walk anywhere in this festival. So oh well, I was outside the track. Sorry about that. But you're here and that's all that counts. We were stalling till you got here. Yeah, Okay, okay, I can't do the real air of you yet, so just let's just stall. But here you are. Welcome to Rockville. Thank you. That's where we kind of left off. We were talking about where I welcome the Rockville and how festivals in the past or other things that past. What's cool about twenty twenty five is you can have a united front of fans opposed to genre specific I can't like this band because I like this band that we all lived. Yeah, And the thing about festivals like this is there might be people coming to see a certain genre but then stumble up upon a band that's not and be like, Wow, that's actually pretty good.

4:01 I like that, and it opens up a whole new world to them. That's why I love about festivals. By the way, you know, like some of my favorite bands, I found them at a festival, and I've never heard them before. But I am the type that I'll go see different sets. I don't have to go to my favorite band every time, and that's the only band. Like the people that go to festivals are like, oh, so and so dropped out, like what's happening right now? And oh, that's the only reason I'm going to festival. Well, that's just dumb if you're doing that, good to their concert because it's not even their real show at a festival. Festival, so you can learn new music. In my opinion, Yeah, it's fantastic, man. Yeah, angry to be here, greatest therapy in the world.

4:43 So tell us about Okay, so like you guys are like back to almost original again. Now that's kind of cool, Like how did that happen? Pete came out and did a couple of dates with us last year we got with bush. I was like, hey, you want to come back, can do the tours next year? You want to come back and be a part of the band. It's like absolutely. So it was really just a matter of a conversation figuring it out and Scott and BARTI they both have kind of real jobs. Beat nice to do music for our lives. Yeah, so easy for us to get out there and go to rehearsals, and for Barty and Scott it's not. So. I don't know if you'll ever see the original band tour entirely again, but certainly we may do shows together. But this is a pretty great thing.

5:23 Yeah, that's like amazing whenever I hear stuff like this, like after what was it, eight nine years something like that, Yeah, it's like that just amazes me because usually that doesn't happen. So like, were you guys in contact the whole time and still friendly and stuff, because you know, a lot of times it is bad blood or whatever, which it wasn't with you guys. But I love hearing the positive side of things like this. Yeah, in hindsight, it all worked well because I had young kids. I was able to be home to raise them still do music. We'd reach out to each other here and there and talk, and as time went by, I was like, hey, let's hang out when you come through. I'd love to sit in on a set. And that's started to happen and the connection was there, and like you said, he said, you know, let's do this, and so it was perfect timing and I don't know if it would have ever worked as well had it not been that span of time.

6:12 Probably. I'd also like to know, like, how do you find a difference in the chemistry of working together now opposed to working together ten years ago and twenty years ago. Maturity for one, yeah, growing up, differences in life perspectives. Nowadays, it's more like whatever works, it's just easier because we know what to expect and how to navigate. It a lot easier, I think. And do you find like it getting back together it was like playing on one of those comfortable old shoes that you had, Like right, absolutely. I've said it many times. Nobody plays guitar like Pete. He's one of the greatest guitar players I've ever jammed with. And I've toured with some amazing musicians. We've toured with some great bands, Metallica, Rush, and I put Pete right up there with Alex Lifson. And when he steps on the stage and picks up that guitar, that's that tone, that's what started this band thirty years ago. Those fingers and this voice, and it is literally like riding a bike, and it's the fastest twelve speet I've ever been on I don't go for that twenty one gears.

7:11 I love it. So what's your guys, passions outside of music? Golf that you're proving your age now? Yeah, no, I've got a bourbon that's coming out this year. So I've been working half the past two years. And yeah, it's really in family. A lot of it is spending time with my son and my wife. My kid's seventeen, about to turn eighty. I'm about to lose him in a couple of years, and his summer we're going to Europe with him and looking at some schools. Yeah, that's my passion is my son and my wife and being with them. And I really love that. I love that, And you know it's funny. It does go quick, and it's like one day my kid was turning eighteen and now he's forty, and this one's almost going to be. Eighteen in a few years. You know.

7:51 It's like it's wild, you know, and that's his dad, you know, and his dad is forty. I'm like, I'm not even fucking forty. How did that happen? How about you? Passions outside of music production? Music production? I love to mix music in the studio. I used to be a golf fanatic with that kind of Florida's too hot for golf. Yeah, no doubt. I live down in West Palm Beach. I don't know how these people go on the golf course and sit in that heat like that and you're not moving that much. Yeah, October's okay, But really just the kids raising the kids in production music mixing is my favorite. Yeah, and I love hearing the family kid aspect of it because I think not many listeners realize.

8:32 What they think of this rock star lifestyle, but they. Don't realize you're just normal people having normal families, doing normal things. You just have been playing music for a living and it's actually your passion. So you're not hating your job because it's your passion. No, I feel extremely fortunate for my life is definitely don't take it for granted anymore. What else is on the horizon after Welcome to Rockville for you guys? There's a show in Maryland in two days night, and then we head home home and start rehearsals for some shows in July, and then some things coming up later in the year, and then there's some possibilities there. We're not gonna put it out there yet. But people have to watch for it though. R Yeah, keep your eyes, keep your ears fields for sure.

9:14 And how do people say it again, keep your eyes on the internet. There it is. And how do people like follow you guys on socials, on your website and all that stuff, and buy your merch most importantly, because that's the best way that. Pays the bills. Exactly. Yeah, it's you know, we're on It's candlebox on Instagram, It's candlebox on Facebook, It's I don't know what other we have, candlebox, TikTok, yeah, candleboxrocks dot com. It's all. I mean. I think if you just type candlebox and Google, it gives them all to you. And the Google is a great thing. I love the Google searches. Right right, and it's even better now with the AI. It's like I'll search stuff and I'm like, I don't even have to scroll out. I just read the AI. Yeah, yeah, exactly. So one story, good or bad in this whole musical journey, and it might be a different story for both of you.

10:00 What would be the one you're going to share with your grandkids? Oh man, That's why I love that quite wo'ds talking ninety four was pretty incredible. It was the three hundred thousand people and we'd been touring with Metallica that summer. We'd already toured with Rush earlier in the spring, and nothing really prepared me for stepping out on that stage. We'd done seventy thousand with Metallica, you know, that summer, but it's a completely different beast when you have three hundred thousand people in that wave of people. It just goes on and on. And we headlined that Friday night, co headlined with Violent Fems. Which is great and wow. And so I think I'll probably talk about that whole weekend because we were able to see all the bands on Saturday night as well, watching Henry Rowins delight, watching Green Day get pelted with mud. All of that was an experience I'll never forget. That's probably what I'll share it with my grandchildren.

10:46 Nice I would second that. But also I like to tell the story about how the band actually got cut off. In the very beginning, we were in a van on tour and the trailer started wabbling and it literally down the freeway I five and it just spun around all the way, crashed through the medium and we went facing the opposite direction, on the opposite side of the freeway, didn't flip. Nobody got hurt. It was on I five, that's a I had passed the semi and the trailer started wabbling. All of a sudden, the veils turns, and it was amazing, and we all it was one of those things in a movie where the smoke cleared and everybody's like, what the hell just happened. You know, it's funny that you mentioned Woodstock because I went to nineteen eighty three US Festival, which was supposed to be the Woodstock of the eighties, and I was there on Heavy Metal Day, also three hundred thousand people, and it's still one of my most memorable experiences. And I've had lots of them on the Sunset Strip through all the eighties. That one was, like. The funniest thing I told this yesterday was David Lee Roth forgot the words.

11:52 They ain't talk about love. Eddie was looking over at him. They're headlining heavy Metal Day, and he just looks at the crowded he goes, I fucking forgot the words, and the whole crowd roared, except one guy who heckled him. He's like, I'm gonna fuck your girlfriend geez. And I'm like, that's one of those memorable moments right there. Anything else you guys want to let the listeners know about that we haven't covered already. Now. I think it's we're good. There's exciting things coming, so keep checking in. I love it well, I love that you're here. Welcome to Rockville. Thank you, and thanks for being on the Adventures of Payment.

12:32 Yeah, no word, everybody. This is Kevin and Peter were with Candlebox and you are listening to the Pipe Man on W four c Y radio dot com, W FOURCY dot com, W four cy dot com. Thank you for listening to the Adventures of Pipe Man on w for CUI Radio.