Cheap Chick started before you joined. It started around 2002?

It did. I'd heard about them, and ... Have you ever seen that movie called Tribute? A documentary.

I'm trying to remember. I read some stuff abuot it.

Well, I saw it, around 2001. And I thought it was the funniest thing in the world.

Wasn't it a Queen tribute band, and a KISS tribute, and one more ...

A Monkees tribute.

Missing Links?

Yeah; that's it. They showed all these tribute bands, and they're kinda makin' fun of them, and I thought it was really funny. And then, of course, I found out about this band, and I thought, "Well, this is too embarrassing, I can't do it. Tribute bands are a joke!"
But then, I thought, "Gosh, Cheap Trick was one of my favorite groups when I was a teenager, and this would probably be fun," so (laughs) I gave it a try! So, yeah, I started in 2003. Pam started it in 2002, and then she pretty much changed the whole lineup in 2003, and we've been solid since then. And we've done a lot of stuff; it's really been great.

You were the second singer in Cheap Chick?

Yes, that's correct. Actually, I don't know if anyone told you, but when they needed a singer, they ... Well, Pam didn't want to stop playing, so they had a karaoke night, but the band was there, so they had all these different people get up there and sing songs. So, she told me, "If you want to be in the band, just come on down to this karaoke night and sing. You can try out that way." And I thought, "Ooooookay, I guess ..."
So, I go down to the Knitting Factory, and there's all these people getting up there and singing songs. So, I got up and I sang, and I guess it worked out okay. She's really clever; she always thinks of clever, fun things.

So, that was your audition? Karaoke night?

Yeah. It was kinda funny. It was a little bit daunting, but, anyway, it worked (laughs).

But, Judy and Robin weren't in the band yet then?

Well, Robin wasn't. We got Robin later. So, Pam is the only original member now. She went through one of everything before she settled on us. I think they were around, four months, maybe, before I joined. Judy came in, I think, around November or December (2002), and the karaoke night I did was in January (2003), so it wasn't that many shows with other people. But it really came together when we got Robin, that's when it all really fell together, and now we've been together for over three years.

But this is a band you had some affinity for.

Well, I wouldn't have been in any other tribute band, I have to say. I mean, (Cheap Trick) for me was really important, I used to see them all the time when they'd play, and I can't imagine being in a different tribute band. This was the only one I could do, really.

But, when you were a kid, you wanted to be Robin Zander.

Well, it is true (laughs), when I was a teenager.

I think you've touched on something there, though. Some of these tribute bands can kinda go overboard, don't you think? It almost becomes parody.

Right. And that's why I was nervous about doing it. I didn't want to be a parody, you know. Plus, the fact that we're female, to me it seems like ... Obviously we can't be just like them. We don't get up there and think we are them, it's totally different. And that's the reason it could work. I really don't think I could be happy in a Go-Go's tribute band. But because this was a different gender, that was okay to me.

And, there's an all-male Go-Go's tribute band.

I love that. That's terrific. They're great. I mean, (laughs) they're really good.

(Laughs)

But, you know, sometimes I see these tribute bands and you see these guys and you think, "Guys, you're not that person. What do you think you're doing?" Obviously, with me, I'm definitely not (Robin Zander), I'm just singin' the songs. I'm not trying to really be him.

Do you remember your first show with Cheap Chick?

I do. It was ... yeah (laughs).

Were you nervous about it?

No, it was the sound was terrible, and it was not a very good place, the crowd was obnoxious, and I just thought, "Oh, my God, what am I doing?" No, I was never nervous doing that. I think I get more nervous if I'm singing my songs, and I've got my peers watching me. I think they're judging me or something. To me, Cheap Chick is always easy, because I'm not singin' my songs. I mean, well, if you don't like it, well, I didn't write it, you know? Even though, I feel pretty confident with their stuff and I like it. But with my own stuff, I can be insecure and think, "Oh, they don't like it" or "It's boring" or that kind of thing.

And, you mentioned the Dime Box Band, which is the country band you're in with Pam.

Well, I thought that, at some point, I really should do what I'm best at, and what does suit me and my voice best, and I should go back to doing country stuff because ... I'm from Texas, and it's in me, and I should do what I'm best suited to. So I just started that up again, and Pam said, "Yeah! Yeah! Let's do it." So that's how that got started.

And there have been a couple of changes in players there.

Yeah, we started off with the Cheap Chick drummer, but she got this job where it would be real hard to play, and we wanted to play just about every week or so. And we had this guitar player but she was just too busy all the time and could never play. So now we got a fiddle/mandolin player and a guitar player and a drummer. And Pam plays an acoustic bass - not a standup bass - more like a dobro bass. And it's pretty cool, we have a good time.

And this is all original material?

Well, we'll do a Johnny Cash cover now and then or something, but, yeah, it's all original, basically.

And most of these are yours?

Definitely.

Tell me about the EP you did a couple of years ago.

You know what? There were these people who had a label, and they wanted to put out something by me. And I was like, "Oh, I don't know; I don't really have anything and I'm busy ..." So, finally, I just got together five songs, so we finally got it together and gave it to 'em, and put that out. And it's cool, it's good. There's a Love song on there, from the band Love, that turned out really well. And we played around. We played England to support that thing. And we played around here, and it's cool. But, you know, it was kinda low-key.
And, actually, I have a full-length album almost ready to go, but my husband is always gone, and he's the producer-engineer guy. But, in the meantime, I thought, "I should just get set up with the country band, because that makes sense." So I was talking to Pam about it, and that's how we got that going. So now we're working on something to get out with that. So the (solo) thing is in the can, but it isn't mixed, but I guess it will come out eventually.

So there are plans to do a Dime Box CD?

Absolutely. We're recording now, and there are a couple of different folks who said they'd put it out for us, which is nice.

Tell me about your gear. I know there's a white Telecaster ...

You are right, I do have a white Telecaster that I use in Cheap Chick. I have a black Telecaster and a Rickebacker 12-string, but also a Switch 12-string and a Cedar Ridge acoustic guitar (

NOTE: Also made by Switch. - T.W.

) that I use in Dime Box Band and a white Switch Oscar that I use in Cheap Chick. I was really glad to get the Switch, because my first really good electric guitar was (an early 60s) Rickenbacker 12-string. And I've had it so long and it's so nice and so old and so on and things really get banged up when you take 'em out that I really didn't want to take it out anymore. I got the Switch and now I can leave the Rickenbacker at home.

What about amps?

I use a cool red Drive amp for Cheap Chick and for Dime Box Band. It's a a darkish, almost maroon-type, red, a G 120 amp like Robin. And Pam has a cool red Drive bass rig, too. We all match! They even have white ones which I thought about, since Robin Zander is the man in white, but I thought it would get trashed instantly ... I use Audix mics and try to never be without a Swirlygig (drink holder) on my mic stand.

Are you surprised with all the endorsements you've been able to get, playing in a tribute band?

Yeah. Oh, yeah. It's ridiculous, isn't it? (laughs) But Pam is such a great wheeler-dealer, and she has just been an inspiration (laughs). She can make all kinds of things happen. But yeah, it is amazing. It's crazy. But, it's Pam; she's the one.

So many of the tribute bands play shows together and so on, is there sort of a community there among all of you?

It depends a bit, I guess, but yes, I think there's a community. And Pam knows everybody. I'm not really going out unless I'm playing, so I don't really know that many people. But, I think it is, if you're out there doing stuff like that. I know some of them because they're friends of Pam's, and some of them have actually shown up to see some Dime Box shows, so there's some people I know, because they're really just around a lot and show up to different shows. But, I basically just go out when I play and then come home and pay a babysitter $10 an hour. So I don't dilly-dally too much.

Gees! I need to get into the baby-sitting business.

Yeah! Can you believe it? Yeah, it's 10 bucks an hour. It's amazing. But, yeah, I think there's a scene there and some of those people hang around and know each other and stuff like that.

What do you kids think of mom playing in a rock band?

Well, they're into it. Matter of fact, today they were having practice with their own band, they were working out songs with their friend and they were working very hard.

What ages are we talking about here?

My kids are six and eight, and their friend is nine. They switch off between guitar and keyboards and percussion. And they all write songs and they all arrange them, so that everybody's got plenty to do, backing vocals and everything. So they've been working very hard lately.

So they really like mom being in a band?

Yeah! They think it's cool. So it must be alright.

Tell me about Cheap Chick's Japan trip.

Oh, yeah! I have to say that was really fun. I mean, I had been there before, and I had actually been at the Budokan before, which was really exciting for me, being such a Cheap Trick fan I was thrilled to be there. That was back in '94 - I actually saw Lenny Kravitz there. But yeah, I really like Japan and that was really fun to go there. Everybody was really nice.
The more Cheap Trick moment, though, was going to Rockford and being in their town. And meeting all kinds of people - it seemed like every other person grew up with them or was friends with them or, you know, their dad knew their dads. All that kind of stuff, and that was really fun.

Yeah.

And having breakfast with Rick (Nielsen) at his restaurant was really nice, and he was really sweet. It was a lot of fun. That was really a highlight. The tour of Japan, of course, but this was really a highlight.

He has a restaurant there?

He does, yeah. He is a prominent businessman in Rockford.

How did the fans there treat you when you played?

Really well. You know, (Rick) has his spies out checkin' us out and reporting back to him, which was pretty funny. We were a little bit nervous, but ... You know, again, if we were guys it'd be pretty hard, but since we're not, (laughs) it's a whole different thing. And so, everybody's always been real nice. Everybody in that town was really nice and we had a good time. We hope to go back before too long.

So, where did that photo from a couple of years ago, with Rick and a Cheap Chick T-shirt, where did that come from?

Oh, yeah! That was just at some show, and he got ahold of one. Oh, God, he's so funny. He was probably saying all kinds of nasty things. He was probably holding that up and saying, "Yeah, I slept with every one of them!" And, "Oh, yeah, ha-ha; right, Rick." But, he's into it. He likes it.

He has not yet been to one of your shows?

No! He tried. They were playing that same night (of the Rockford show) and he was so sweet. He called, I guess before we played, and said, "I really want to come but I'm playing an hour away and I can't make it." It was really nice. So, it never has worked out, but maybe someday. They're pretty nice.

You've met all of them?

No, I've only met two, just Rick and Tom (Petersson), but they've been very nice. But, I've met all but one of Rick's kids and a couple of Robin's, and they were so sweet. When we were there a couple of Robin's kids' bands were playing and one of Rick's kids' band was playing, and so we went to see 'em, and it was pretty fun.

So you have not yet met Robin Zander?

Noooooo ... not yet. I don't know; I'm a little nervous about that. I don't know if I want to, you know. You don't want to meet your idols, you know (laughs). I mean, somebody who was your idol when you were 14, you know, you just kinda want to keep it that way.

Well, sometimes that could be disappointing, but it could be really nice.

I'm not worried about being disappointed, I'd just rather keep the mystery.

To preserve the mystique?

Yeah, exactly. You know, you get to be grown up and there's not all that much mystique left in the world, so I'd like to keep a little bit.

How much longer can Cheap Chick go?

Probably a lot longer, actually. I would think a lot longer. I don't see any reason why it wouldn't keep on. I mean, the intensity or the amount of stuff that happens could ebb and flow, but I don't see any reason for it not to continue for a long time.

As long as you're all enjoying it?

Yeah. And, you know, we all get along really well, and have a good time, and so ... I don't see why not.

Ultimately, would you like to do more of your own music, or ...

I'd like to do both. I have a really good time with the girls and I'd like to just keep on. Both, you know?

For more on Kristi:

www.kristicallan.com

www.cheapchick.com

www.dimeboxband.com

www.wednesdayweek.com