>THE SOUVENAIRS: Pablo Schwartz-guitar & vocals • Rob Ruckus-bass & vocals • Brahim Rouas-drums & vocals • Mike Powers-guitar, keys, & vocals JW: Alcohol, “loose women”, carousing, I can totally see that being controversial... P: A lot of it is very “blue”... about weed, or cocaine, or sex. Some of the stuff we’re doing too, there’s substance there, there’s things to learn. It’s interesting and fun, different, challenging to learn. R: But you had a good teacher. Pablo’s father was a music teacher here in town… P: Yes, my dad was a band teacher here in Vegas and a musician. R: There’s some Vegas history here too, we used to get drunk after Punk shows and go watch Sam Butera perform down at Sam’s Town… P: That’s right! We once went to a Punk gig and then saw Billy Eckstine downtown afterwards. There’s a history here with Jazz and Punk and old Vegas stories...we come from all of that. JW: Cannabis is a big part of your life Rob as a regular consumer, cannabis advocate, contributor to this magazine and working in a dispensary. Does cannabis influence The Souvenairs sound and aesthetic? B: I mean, historically, a lot of these old Jazz type songs were written under the influence of cannabis. I love weed! R: We’re not necessarily a “cannabis band”, not everybody in the band consumes all of the time. I personally do, though (laughs)... so since I do, we maybe get booked at some cannabis-friendly events or our videos get shared representing a cannabis-friendly community or event. P: We cover the genre or the combination of genres that we’re doing and some of the songs happen to be about weed. Some are about love, or alcohol, so there are a lot of varying topics covered with this type of music. JW: If The Souvenairs had a cannabis strain, what would it be called and what would it consist of? R: I’m going to have to say it would be a hybrid, it would be something nice and fruity crossed with an O.G. We’re playing organic music, why shouldn’t we have our
own organic Souvenairs strain? JW: Are there any songs that you’d like to perform that reference the “Jazz cigarette”... R: Well there’s some we already do...Cab Calloway (we’re huge fans), and a lot of his songs have cannabis references. We play a lot of those songs… P: The material is there. A lot of the folks back then smoked pot and wrote songs about it B: Fats Waller talked about it in “If You’re A Viper”... R: “The Reefer Man”... M: “When I Get Low, I Get High”... P: “Minnie the Moocher”... M: A lot of these songs, the references are implied without the lyrics coming right out and saying what they’re about. P: Our setlist usually contains a few songs about weed… R: But one thing’s for sure- if you ever go hear us play, you can guarantee that I will be high! JW: What plans do The Souvenairs have on the horizon? R: We’re going to continue doing everything we can as things allow. If things open up and they’re safe for us to go play, then we’re ready for that. If not, we’re just going to keep learning more great songs, we’re going to keep making more videos, I’m gonna keep printing t-shirts and masks and kazoos...all kinds of fun things! M: We have a whole schedule of films and songs and things that are going to go into the
new year. P: All those great things that happen when you’re forced into this situation (pandemic/ quarantine) what we’ve been doing, getting our merch straight, all these great videos, recording, coming up with new ideasthese are all great. But the no-gig thing is devastating. It’s difficult. Gigs are what it’s all about. But if there’s a will, there’s a way! B: It’s not that we need the attention, but, we need the attention! (laughs) When you play to the audience, the energy level drives you. JW: Famous last words? R: Just keep holdin’ on, everything is gonna be just fine. We always get through things, we’re humans, we’re musicians, we’re artistswe always find a way. We will find a way. P: If you are a club owner that has a stage with a back entrance I will get my screw gun and some clear silicone, and we’ll get some plexiglass, and we’ll make it so that you can have live music again. Call me! B: Be you, be true, you’ll never be sorry. If anything has been shown to me this year, it’s how vital honesty is. It’s the simple interactions, just like this, that matter the most. M: I have three words: life goes on. To learn more about The Souvenairs, you can follow them on Facebook @TheSouvenairs IG @mpsightandsound, @rob_ruckus_vegas mpsightandsound.com/souvenairs
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