This is the inaugural episode of Allston Pudding’s brand new series, “Good Mark/Bad Marc,” in which staff writers Mark Zurlo and Marc Finn play good cop/bad cop on unsuspecting bands. In this episode, Marc Finn (a.k.a. Bad Marc) conducted an interview with Noah Rubin, drummer for SKATERS. These New York-based rockers just released their fantastic LP Manhattan, and are in the middle of a bunch of tours at once. They play tonight at Brighton Music Hall.
Allston Pudding: We’ll kick it off pretty easy. How’s tour been?
Noah Rubin: It’s been really good. Really long, Just did SXSW, and now we’re finishing up our 3rd week of the American tour, we’ve got a week and a half left.
AP: Sick, yeah. Looking forward to you guys coming on Saturday.
NR: Yeah, we’re looking forward to it. I lived in Allston.
AP: Right off the bat, I gotta get something out of the way. I checked your Wikipedia entry, and I think it might be the greatest thing ever. Do you guys know about this?
NR: I think I saw it, yeah. It’s the real story; it’s not fabricated.
AP: Glad it’s true. So we’re gonna try something new, here. This isn’t an ordinary Allston Pudding interview. You, Noah, and SKATERS are the inaugural interviewees of our brand new series, Good Mark/Bad Marc. I’m bad Marc, and I want to see you suffer. Good Mark, who sent some questions in, is basically your biggest groupie. You ready?
NR: OK! I don’t know what’s going on, but shoot.
AP: Ok, so this is from Good Mark: which city would you like to be given the key to?
NR: Oh, New York!
AP: New York, right on. Shoulda guessed that.
NR: Is that from Good Mark because it’s an obvious answer?
AP: Yep, exactly.
NR: Ok.
AP: Here’s one from Bad Marc: You’re all on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean, and one band member must be sacrificed. Who is it?
NR: I sacrifice myself.
AP: Aww, that’s sweet. This is gonna get meaner.
NR: Yeah. You set me up good, though. It’s like Good Mark was behind Bad Marc on that one.
AP: We’ll see how you think when we keep going. Good Mark asks: preferred venue to play a show: Yankee Stadium, or Fenway Park?
NR: Fenway Park, ‘cause I was born in Newton, Massachusetts.
AP: You guys have roots in Mass—
NR: (interrupting) But wait, wait, can I answer: they both suck.
AP: I’m putting that in there.
NR: Don’t! (laughs)
AP: Bad Marc asks: Your van breaks down. Who’s fault, and why?
NR: You’re trying to turn me against my bandmates!
AP: That’s what Bad Marc does, man.
NR: Ok, ok, I get it. I like this, actually. Um, I guess I’d have to blame Dan [Burke, bassist], because he drives most of the time. I would somehow make it his fault. I wouldn’t be doing anything; I’d just be playing Zelda in the back.
AP: Way to throw Dan under the bus that you’re also driving. Good Mark asks—
NR: Good Mark!
AP: Yes, Good Mark. Good Mark asks: when you have a sandwich named after you, what will it consist of?
NR: Ok, it’ll consist of corned beef, sauerkraut, Russian dressing, swiss cheese on rye. It’s called a Reuben, and it’s named after me. But on the Noah Reuben, you take out the corned beef, substitute thinly sliced turkey bacon, and it comes with a side of sriracha that you dip it in. That’s the Noah Reuben.
AP: Bad Marc: who’s mom is in last place for band mom?
NR: That would have to be Dan. We’ve never met her before. We’ve never met Dan’s family. Dan has 14 brothers and 3 sisters, and then he has a whole section of half-brothers and half-sisters. I don’t think even he knows who his mom is. So that one’s gonna have to fall on Dan.
AP: Fair. Back to Good Mark: Jimmy Fallon, Conan O’Brien, and David Letterman all want you guys on their show on the same night. Who do you choose and why?
NR: Is it the year 2014? Gotta go Conan. Conan all the way. Conan’s from Brookline, I’m from Newton. I love him.
AP: Bad Marc: Lassie 2 is getting made. It’s a sequel. How do you kill Lassie?
NR: Am I the villain?
AP: All of SKATERS.
NR: We feed her to our pet shark, Sharkie.
AP: Fantastic. Last questions: Good Mark: Manhattan. Great album, or greatest album?
NR: Just great. The greatest album doesn’t exist. If it was, we’d be done, I’d be bartending. Mission accomplished.
AP: So Manhattan’s just a great album, then.
NR: Thank you!
AP: No problem. Bad Marc asks: Manhattan. Bad Garth Brooks tribute album, or the worst Garth Brooks tribute album?
NR: (laughing) I’m gonna go with….dang. Thing is, I actually like Garth Brooks’ songs, so it can’t be the worst. We should cover a Garth Brooks song.
AP: That’d be awesome. If you guys work out that cover before Saturday’s show, Good Mark is going to love you forever.
NR: Really? We’ll do it!
AP: Really. Thanks for being our inaugural “Good Mark/Bad Marc” band!
NR: Cool man! Are you gonna make it to the show?
AP: Good Mark will be there! Bad Marc’s out of town, though.
NR: Wait, isn’t it the same guy?
AP: Nope, Good Mark sent in his questions, he couldn’t be here.
NR: Wait, I’m so confused. There are two people at Allston Pudding named Mark?
AP: Yep!
NR: OH! Got it.
AP: Any other shout outs you want to give?
NR: Yeah, shoutout to my dad and little brother Nathan in Westwood!
Listen to SKATERS’ new record Manhattan, and check them out tonight at Brighton Music Hall.