Scene Point Blank: Going back to the idea of remembering older touring experiences, I remember playing basketball after a Sioux Falls show probably in about 1997 or something.
Tim Barry: No shit? That was probably one of the last times we went through there too. Well, maybe '98. I'm trying to think of playing basketball. I played basketball all the time so whenever I?no shit. I think I vaguely remember it now. At that time that about the only thing I carried with me was a basketball and I always tried to get a pick-up game going.
Scene Point Blank: At that time I had long hair and?it was a different time.
Tim Barry: I probably had dreadlocks or some shit. No, actually I wouldn't have, but what a terrible phase that is. [Laughs].
Scene Point Blank: Yeah, you can always look back at it that way.
Tim Barry: We've all done something like that. Sioux Falls, man, I went through there on the Revival Tour I was just on and it was such a fucking pleasure to be back there. It seems like everything got routed in different directions across country. Trips, they would go through more the midsection? I don't know why I kept getting routed further through middle and it's so fucking refreshing to be there for the first time in seriously ten years or so. On that last run that I did, you can tell playing there that the folks were really excited a band came through. They're saying a lot of bands haven't been coming through for years. It went fucking great man and everybody was wonderful. It was a really nice change from going through normal places.
Scene Point Blank: With how much you're on the road I can see the benefits in hitting different cities.
Tim Barry: It's also a whole new challenge because playing there, there's very few people who had heard any of my music and that's refreshing in a lot of ways because in some places I've played multiple times, I get onstage and it's like, "Wow, everybody's singing along," and it's really fun to play a place where you're really obscure. It's a refreshing challenge and I really really really embrace that kind of shit.
Scene Point Blank: I'm sure even more so after doing Avail for so long that you had a built in audience and were headlining shows.
Tim Barry: At some point it just gets kind of easy ?cause as soon as I go onstage I know that when I start singing everybody's gonna be singing along. That's not a bad thing; it's a beautiful thing. It's luck that got me into a position that that can happen, but it's nice to be able to start over and try new things too.
Scene Point Blank: I'm sure you're getting sick of Avail questions, but I might have one or two more.
Tim Barry: Alright. It's a relevant part of my life, so it's understandable that people are interested.
Scene Point Blank: I know you're not particularly active, to put it mildly, but is Avail going to be doing anything outside of Richmond anymore, maybe like a record without a tour or it's just kind of?.
Tim Barry: No, there's nothing planned. At all. No tours, no records. You know, we never officially broke up, but we ain't doing nothing. That's the only thing I can really say about it. As you mentioned, everybody's just had kids and I wouldn't even be in a band with people who have newborns who want to go on the fucking road. It's bullshit. It's irresponsible and those guys are responsible and I respect that.
Scene Point Blank: So it's just everybody's favorite word: hiatus?
Tim Barry: We never even use the word hiatus. We're just not doing shit. I do figure that it's healthy for bands to break up ?cause then when they get back together they're much more popular and promoters offer you more money. [Laughs.] That's a joke, because so many fucking bands break up and reunite and then their goddamn reunion shows are $30 and they make $15,000 bucks at the show, I'm like, I'm gonna break up right now and go get onstage and see if I can make some more money. [Laughing.]
Scene Point Blank: It's the musician's 401(k) plan.
Tim Barry: Totally, totally. Someone's gotta do it. [Laughs.]
Scene Point Blank: Alright, well that's kind of wrapping up a lot of my questions.
Tim Barry: I hope I did any justice to your questions. I'm nervous about the show so, when that happens, I kind of talk in circles so I apologize.
Scene Point Blank: It's all good.
Tim Barry: I'm gonna get back in here and thank you so much for thinking about these questions and whatnot, I appreciate it.
Scene Point Blank: Thanks. Good luck on your tour.
- Official Website: http://www.timbarryrva.com
