We've Got A Flyer On You: Rx Bandits, Peace'd Out, The Chinkees Multi-instrumentalist Steve Choi (The Witzard Interview)

We've Got A Flyer On You will (hopefully!) be a new recurring column here at The Witzard. It's set to feature, examine, and re-visit mixed bill/genre, once-in-a-lifetime, iconic, and otherwise noteworthy Punk/Hardcore show flyers and their corresponding line-ups. As often as possible, we plan to speak directly with the promoters, bookers, flyer artists, soundmen/women, show attendees, and, most importantly, the artists themselves. If all goes well, we're even hoping to, eventually, cover a handful of shows we attended ourselves in years past, as well. For this slightly re-vamped edition of We've Got A Flyer On You, we'll be spotlighting a noteworthy musician, rather than a singular infamous show, for each installment.

Steve Choi is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, writer, engineer, and long-time member of Post-punk/Hardcore band Rx Bandits (RXB.) In addition to RXB, Choi has spent time playing with The Bruce Lee Band, The Sound of Animals Fighting, Trust Foundation, Machines, J MOON, Peace'd Out, and most recently, The Chinkees. The California native has either produced or engineered albums for Peace'd Out, The Chinkees, The Velvet Teen, Vinnie Caruana (The Movielife, I Am The Avalanche,) Weatherbox, Anthony Raneri (Bayside) and more. Steve Choi is currently readying the second season of his podcast, The Musician's Guild.

I. What are some of the most varied mixed bill/genre show line-ups you would say you were fortunate enough to partake in, Steve?

Steve Choi: Being a band that didn't fit in anywhere, Rx [Bandits] has gotten to play many, many mixed bills. Back in the days when university shows were a big thing, we would play some very diverse line-ups: Naughty By Nature with Rx Bandits at UNLV, Rx Bandits with Saul Williams at UCLA, Rx Bandits with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony at UC Riverside, Rx Bandits with The Game at USC... there have been many more!

II. What were the circumstances behind the fabled Daryl Hall for President Tour '07 featuring Gym Class Heroes with Rx Bandits, P.O.S. & k-os?

Choi: I think Gym Class [Heroes] were trying to have a pretty diverse bill and I know they liked our band, so they asked us to do the tour. We took a while to decide, but, ultimately, went out and did it.

III. When we spoke in preparation for this very interview, you mentioned Rx Bandits had played a lot of shows with Hip-Hop artists (such as Naughty By Nature, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Saul Williams & Freestyle Fellowship's Aceyelone.) What do you think made promoters, bookers, etc. place Rx on such Hip-Hop-leaning bills?

Choi: I think our band being musically diverse and eclectic made us an easy choice for a non-Hip-Hop group, as groove and rhythm have always been a large part of our sound. Also, many university shows were trying to replicate the large and diverse rosters of festivals at the time.

IV. Do you have any particular memories or stories you would like to share/tell from Rx Bandits' aforementioned shows with rappers and Hip-Hop groups?

Choi: Rx [Bandits] did a cruise with 311 & [Chali] 2na from Jurassic 5 was in the room next to us. He was really cool and nice; blazed so deep all day.

V. What were some of your personal favorite aspects about being able to play mixed bill/genre shows with so many different type of bands and musicians?

Choi: For us as young musicians, it was really validating, as we rejected the trend at the time of skinny jeans, tight T-shirts, and watered-down Emo, which defaulted to Pop-punk. To know that we were seen as a real band that [had] something to offer—musically, outside of our typical scene—was extremely flattering to us.

VI. What are you currently working on, if anything, in a musical capacity?

Choi: Currently writing new Rx [Bandits] material, writing new Peace'd Out, and getting ready to release Season 2 of The Musician's Guild Podcast!

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