MM - Introduce the band members to us and where do you
call home?
Dennis Beidler - Bassist and Backing Vocals
Brett Griffiths - Lead Guitar and Backing Vocals
Paul Topete - Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar and all Keys
Howie Z - Drums
We call the Allentown-Bethlehem area of Pennsylvania Home.
It is located an hour north of Philadelphia and an hour and a half west of
New York City and 3 hours away from our nations Capitol of Washington DC
(were we play at a lot of pro-Rights rallies).
We are located ideally for playing in some of the largest US major markets MM - When was the band formed and how did you all
meet?
The original Poker Face was started in the summer of 1989.
It has gone thru 10 versions.... meaning that anytime that someone left
like a drummer, guitarist the new kid meant a new version...
The current version of Poker Face has been together for 3 years now. It is
the longest version running and what I call the Real Poker Face. All of us
have the same or similar Politics and Spiritual outlook.
What I did differently with this crew is that I prayed to Father (God) and
asked Him to send me some good help. I feel that we are on a Godly mission
to teach others to LOVE, teach Freedom and to teach Individuality... MM - Describe your music and who do you think it
would most appeal to?
We are writing Political Protest Music to put our Politicians on notice
that they have been passing MANY, MANY Rights Infringing Bills, and we
will NO Longer tolerate this Tyrrany.
Our Prostiticians are there to insure our Freedoms, not to take away our
God given Rights.
Our sound is a cross between Creed like lead vocals, Days of New acoustic
guitar flavouring, Alice In Chains Harmonies and Led Zepplin like riffs.
Lately you might want to add a dash of Incubus meets Tool
The music is what i call Driving-Groooving Rock and Roll. It's the kind of
schtuff you want to listen to while you are in your car going about 85-95
miles and hour. Feels soooo good, the music takes YOU on a ride.
Our music appeals to those who just like good Rock and Roll, but we are
finding many Freedom minded folks to also be buying our music for the
message contained in the music.
They range from 7 years of age on thru 72 years old. Its been quite a trip
on this music playground. MM - Why the name Poker Face?
Out of the names we were kicking around, this best described our attitude.
We want to be left alone, to be free as we want to be...responsibly, so a
Poker Face is one that doesn't broad cast out strength or weakness... Its
one of Don't Fuck with me.... I could be the Coolest person you will ever
meet, or I could be the biggest bad ass, so treat me with respect, and i
will do like wise. We reflect like mirrors what we are given from others..
MM - What instruments/equipment does the band use?
We try to buy as much of our products that are made here in America. Its
like support your neighbours job, because the one you are helping might
ultimately be YOURS.
So we buy Peavy, Alesis, Mackie, Ensoniq, Martin, Ernie Ball there are
exceptions but we try to do the best and what's right.
MM - What bands/artists have inspired you the most
over the years?
Pink Floyd (we want to be our generations version of them, Peter Gabriel,
Police, Beatles, Yes, Rush, Doors
MM - What one possession could you not live without
right now?
My Greens Interlinear Bible (It contains the Hebrew and the Greek right
along side the literal translation as well as the King James Version...lots
and lots of useful info) MM - What was the first concert you ever
attended?
The Kinks in Philadelphia I was 14years old, a local Pennsylvania band by
the name of Kix opened for them
MM - What do you feel has been the bands biggest
accomplishment so far?
Being recognized within the Freedom Loving community that we are leaders
and defenders of our God given rights. Where there is injustice, and it is
something we can do about it, we show up and support it/them.
We have given of our time to a number of worthy causes and events over
these past few years. MM - What came first for you, the music or
the politics?
Both..... I started playing the suzuki violin at 2 yo. First words out of
my mouth were Rockefeller, Rothschild, and Dam those International
Gangster Banksters... :-)
1st disc was solely about pop-love boy meets girl type of shit. Then in
the making of the second disc NEXT! half way thru it the message changed
from boy-girl lyrics to Political in content.
It was after an epiphany I went thru in 93-94. A lot of changes occurred
some good, some not so good, but they made me stronger as an individual
and made me think what my purpose here on earth is really about.
It wasn't about the selfish lifestyle my society keeps trying to reinforce
that its all about me syndrome. The sooner that attitude dies amongst us
all, the better life will be on this rock we call home will be.
MM - Who writes the songs that you perform? Is it a
solo effort or more of a band thing?
Mostly on the first 3 discs it was pretty much a solo effort or pseudo
band effort with the folks that were currently in the band at that time.
And when there wasn't a complete band I would collaborate with other
co-writers that would help me polish the songs I had in my head.
One of them being VB Wolfe... She is a world renown lyricist that has
written hits like 'I Want To Know What Love Is' - Foreigner bought it, and
'I Cant Fight These Feelings Any Longer' - REO Speedwagon bought that
one. She writes mainly for country artists like Willie Nelson, Reba
McIntire, and the deceased Conway Twitty.
Another main collaborator for the 2nd and 3rd discs is a friend by the
name of Eric Beebe. We record at his studio called the Farm. He has also
been one of my main guitar teachers.
He has helped co-write and produce the sound of what people recognize as
"The Poker Face sound" ie, wall of sound coupled with 3-4 part
harmonies...
I would have to say that this next effort of ours #4 it is totally a BAND
sound. It is hot, it is a thick wall of sound, in that each of us are
putting in our own unique signatures adding to the overall flavour of our
sound.
It is what I have always dreamed about, but it took until now to get here.
I am working with mature players, both in their sound and behaviour.
We all have the right priorities, and it isn't a selfish-self centred
attitude I find amongst many artists. We are brothers first and approach
everything we do in that light.
MM - How have the music press responded to you so far?
They love it. As an indie they cant believe how well it was produced,
especially when I tell them how much was spent on it. It is better then
most major label efforts out there.
From the music production to the Insert and disc artwork, to the info
contained on the disc, there nothing out there that has such a co-hesive
look and sound that we have.
If we wanted to sell out, there would be many labels interested in us. But
for us, signing with a label is a death sentence.. Signing with a label
represents the worst thing that could happen for us. They would get to
control the content of the lyrics and video we want to share with the
people.
In today's world there is NO room for differing of opinions out side of
what the world elite want for us. So Poker Face MUST stay independent.
For the sake of Freedom we go on alone.
MM - If it was your last day on Earth, what would you
do?
Love God with all of my heart, spending time with those I love like Family
and Friends. Time with them is always so precious, and there never is
enough time ever to spend with all of them. Basically I would call
together a party for those that mean the most to me and celebrate life
until it ended.
We are only going to a better place were Love, Peace & Trust reign
supreme. Love is the ticket to ride, if you don't have it or know it, you
don't get to go...
MM - What was the last CD you bought?
Incubus - kicks ass.
MM - If you could to choose one conspiracy theory that
the govt. would come clean about, what would it be?
The New World Odor and the Illuminated-pukes behind it. Solve this and all
other Conspiracies would Unravel. Check into the Venetian Conspiracy, much
of today's world corruption emanates from this initial infection source...
MM - Have you got into any trouble for expressing your
views or is it a case of all publicity is good publicity?
All publicity good or bad is good for us. We know that many folks will not
like us for our politiks.. Cool. We don't want these Intolerant Haters of
Freedom on our side, for They are the enemy.
Bad press turns the folks that agree with our politiks into ardent fans.
Many have come to love us when someone tried to blast us for our views.
Good press sometimes seems like we brown nosed somebody to get the good
press, or that we are just being stroked by like minded folk doing the
interviews/reviews.
MM - Do you have any plans to tour outside of the US and if so, do you think
the lyrical content of your music would alienate people from outside the
US?
We would love to. Right now it is the Economics of things. Also because of
our politiks I wonder if Germany would arrest us if they knew we were
coming.
Germany has arrested several thousands of folks because of political
things they have said, written or recorded. This is what happens when you
truly don't have the First Amendment protection like we are supposed to
have. Truth becomes a casualty in this circumstance..
We do try to tour here in the US as much as we can, but again for economic
reasons it has only been east of the Mississippi river.
We are hoping to change this as we become stronger and larger as a band.
More and More like minded folk are offering us their help in what ever
means they can. They feel that by helping us out, it insures their
freedoms as well. We are fighting the same fight...
The statist-assholes or what we call regimeists try to defame us by
calling us Anti-Government, but what these one world idiots forget to add
in that little hate rant is that we are Anti-Corruption In- Government. We
need to clean house of all of the entrenched career criminals that pose
themselves as legitimate governors/politicians. MM - When you die would you like to be buried or cremated? What final
words/phrase would you like used for your epitaph?
I would want to be cremated. A lot of Funeral home owners are a sick
breed of people. You have to be to deal with dead bodies day in and day
out. I don't want some necropheliac to start playing with my dead body
because he cant get laid any other way :-) Seriously though, we are dust
and dust we shall return, so why not expedite the turning to dust??
As for my epitaph I would like it to read ...
'Music is the glue that bonds the soul of man to God"
- music is the one thing that God gave to us that allows us for even just a
second to know how intense Spirituality really is.
Like go to a Pink Floyd concert ... see the visuals, hear the beautiful
music, sing together with your brethren the positive-love invoking
lyrics... its like what church is SUPPOSED to be. You can also fast and
pray to get there as well. But .... there are many folks who do the
hallucinogenics to try to get to a spiritual place as well, but it is a
very dark-satanic place once you get past the illusions/fantasies being
presented to you. Trust me I KNOW FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCES what I write
about.
I am one of those with an enquiring mind. I need to know for myself,
experiment for myself, come to my own conclusions, because I have found
out that many do not know what they speak about, or have very different
experiences then what I have had. And this is one of them... sorry i
digress.... MM - What song would you choose as the soundtrack
to your life?
'Id Rather Die Then Be Your Slave' song 10 off of our last disc 'Sex, Lies
and Politiks' it says it all. it calls the tribal families to the mat. we
know who They are, and someday we will do something about them...
MM - If you could be any comic book character who would
you be and why?
Superman.... I always thought it was pretty cool that he had x-ray vision
:-)
MM - Have you ever done any cover versions?
....of music that we play now or that we have recorded...uh no.... we
might consider some song if it is with in our message or musical sound
MM - Rap-metal music is everywhere these days, what are
your views on it?
Hey, Music is a Big enough playground for everyone to play on. Rap-Metal
will continue to have its listeners just like the hair bands of yesteryear
still have many, many fans today.
Music changes with the generations that follow. As humans... we all need
to have our own 'Thang' which separates us from others. We are a very
cliquish lot. For the good or the bad, its just the way we are wired how
about a rap-polka-mariache band... I don't know anybody doing it, but it
just might happen... that's how crazy music can be.
For me the more of it the better, I just happen to like good 'ole
fashioned Rock and Roll MM - What CD's, MP3's do the band have available
and where can they be obtained?
3 out so far and another on in the writing recording process
1.'Game of Love' 1993
2.'NEXT!' 1996
3.'Sex, Lies and Politiks' 2000
4. 'Made In America ' - early Spring 2002
also if you want to listen to a bunch of Poker Face tunes via Real
Audio you can go here for a bunch of songs on poker radio:
http://www.pokerface.com/pfr.ram
MM - You have 2 websites, one for the music and one for
politics, how did this come about?
We are just trying to protect the Poker Face name on the World Wide Web.
From last count I think there are over 10 different groups using the name
poker face.
From England to Canada, Australia, Holland, Portugal, Korea, Japan Texas,
California a few others I am sure I missed as well as the dozen or so that
I contacted that no longer use it.
Because we do not have the funding, we can not shut these other folks down
yet. We do have the longest Use of the name as well as selling our product
Nationally as well as Internationally before ANY of these other groups
even formed.
For now we try to keep the .com site for music and Band happenings.
The .org site will become our Political action page to inform others of
what is REALLY going on in the world today.
We might also be picking up the .biz and .info sites as well as they come
about
MM - Lastly, is there anything you would like to say to
all your fans out there?
To our fans ... Thanks for listening, thanks for your support. We are only
getting bigger and better. We want to eventually make the Poker Face
experience the ultimate multimedia event of their lives, like I said
before along the lines of the Pink Floyd shows that i have seen.
We have many friends that can make this happen, we just need the ability
to afford their talents and tools they will need to wrap this show around
us.
We know what we want and are working very proactively to get there.
Peace, Love and I'm outta here.... PT
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