Kansas City band Berwanger, fronted by Josh Berwanger of The Anniversary is headed to MOTR Pub on Sunday, November 6th! Berwanger is preparing to release their sophomore album Exorcism Rock on Doghouse Records on November 4th. It was recorded in seven straight days of early mornings and late nights. Inspired by nightly viewings of Apocalypse Now and fueled by red wine mixed with tequila.
We sat down with Josh Berwanger prior to the show on Sunday about coaching basketball, song inspiration, and Perfect Strangers trivia.
It’s quite impressive that Exorcism Rock, was recorded in seven straight days. How long did it take to write those songs and where did you pull the inspiration from?
I had been working on the songs since the first LP Strange Stains came out. I draw inspiration from life experiences and a lot of it came from touring so much on Strange Stains and finding myself and the band in bizarre situations.
I’ve heard that you coached high school basketball. How does that compare to being in a band?
There are some things that are very similar. You need talent to succeed (well not always with a band), you need to have a goal, you need to work hard, you need to get along and be there for each other. However, there are a lot more ways that don't compare, lol.
When you tour, do you still hear The Anniversary requests from the crowd?
Honestly we haven't heard this once. We have heard a couple times requests for Only Children songs which was my band after The Anniversary and before this project.
If so, does that annoy you?
It wouldn't annoy me. Our fans are really respectful and also know there is no chance we would play one.
What can one expect from a live Berwanger show?
Usually a pretty fast and energetic set with plenty of booty shakin' going on, possible shots of Zima, some Perfect Strangers or Small Wonder trivia.
What is next for Berwanger?
We will do a short regional run the first week of December and start planning out touring plans for 2017. Also begin working on a new album.
