Rock ‘n’ Roll High School 38: Get a Clue, It’s Bootsy

The always awesome Casey Daniel from 7Mary3 is at the helm of Rock ‘n’ Roll High School today. I love hearing about what musicians were into in high school, at a time when tastes are becoming fully formed but are still very much subject to the influence of peers. The sway that the other kids at school can have is an interesting one–a band could lose all points with the cool kids if too many people started to like them. I know I was guilty of abandoning certain artists if, say, Buffy the cheerleader (mythical classmate–some of my high school friends read my blog) started to think they were totally rad. Call it my contrary side. It sounds like Casey didn’t jump ship when The Red Hot Chili Peppers became massive–he was just trying to expand his classmates’ musical horizons.

Casey Daniel

Bishop Moore High School, Orlando, FL, Class of ’92, Currently: Bassist – 7Mary3, Singer/guitarist – NerVer, Producer – Old Groove Studio

Band and/or song that reminds you the most of high school: Ahhh, high school. I think the song that reminds me most of high school was “Give it Away” by the Chili Peppers. It was the first time that all the other kids in school were listening to the same music that I was. I had been listening to the early Chili Peppers stuff and learning the basslines, and the few other kids who played instruments, along with myself, were like a cult until that came out. After that people started listening when I told them that the Eazy-E that we were listening to was made from all the old Bootsy Collins songs.

Favorite piece of music memorabilia (poster, t-shirt, etc.) in high school: My senior year in high school, the drummer from the band I was in caught a drumstick from the second band on the Lollapalooza tour, Tool. We kept it on a mantle in our practice room for the whole two months that we played together. We were mostly derailed by our singer only having one lyric – f*ck – and the Led Zeppelin box set coming out.

Band that you hated that everyone else at school seemed to love: I was never able to get into Queensryche. I wanted to silence their “Silent Lucidity” so bad. There was plenty of bad music, like Color Me Badd and Enigma, but none that I heard as much as the Queensryche tune. It still haunts me to this day.

Best show or concert you saw in high school: I got to see Rage Against the Machine within a month of graduating high school as the first band on Lollapalooza. That still ranks as one of the best performances I’ve ever seen. They had the smallest crowd of the day, but the largest crowd participation and response I’ve ever witnessed. Groove, attitude, energy – they had everything that makes music click for me.

Best high school make-out song: If I could get a girl to make out with me in high school, I would listen to Michael Bolton on repeat and celebrate the guy’s entire catalog, whatever it took.

Learn more about what Casey is up to at 7M3.com and NerVermusic.com. Seven Mary Three’s most recent record is Day and Night Driving.