The young’uns of Museum Mouth are quickly making a name for themselves on the noise punk scene. They’re breaking out of the mold in Southport, North Carolina, a small village near Wilmington, where nary a touring band can be found.
Let’s check out what Museum Mouth members Savannah and Karl have to say about growing up in a village where the main social hub is none other than mom-and-pop killer Wal-Mart and the local music scene consists of reggae cover bands.
What’s your town’s nickname?
It’s not really a town; it’s more of a village… without a nickname.
What’s your nickname for your town?
When explaining it to other people we call it Wilmington because no one knows about our village.
Why do you live there?
Because living with your parents is rent free! The same goes for your car.
Did you grow up there? If not, what brought you there?
Haven’t you heard the buzz on the interweb? We’re all babies! We grew up here and still live here! Well, Graham lives in Raleigh, or whatever.
What’s the weirdest thing that has ever happened to you there?
Someone came to one of our show because Karl looks so much like Tom Gabel… But not really.
What is your favorite local attraction (monument, park, etc)?
Savannah says: her bed. But if only you knew… Our biggest local attraction is probably Wal-Mart.
What is your favorite local event or festival?
We were blessed to have Rad Fest upon us once. Thank you Chason.
What is the best time of year to be there?
Winter cuz no one else is here.
Who is your favorite local celebrity?
We had a girl who lives here featured on MTV’s 16 and Pregnant. Classy, right?
Where is the best place to drink and what’s their specialty or happy hour?
Don’t know, don’t care but Wal-Mart is open ’til 11pm.
Who has the best jukebox (and what’s in it)?
Waffle House. Waffle House tunes. But we don’t actually have a Waffle House… It’s 45 minutes away.
Do you play music there? If so, where is your favorite place to play?
The only place to play music in this village is Karl’s basement.
Does where you live influence your music?
Yeah, there’s nothing to write about except ourselves and the occasional crazy dream.
What is your favorite place to see live music and what was your favorite show there?
The best real venue around here is The Soapbox, and the best show we’ve ever seen was a show we played there with The Measure (SA).
What is your favorite local band?
Technically, there is only one other band in the village and it will always be an unrequited love. Apparently we’re not very popular among reggae cover bands.
What is your favorite diner or restaurant and what is their best dish?
We’re poor and we have a lot of down time, so we mostly just bake and cook at home. But, Baked With Love has a killer roasted red pepper soup.
What is your favorite record store and what was your best find there?
No record store in the village, but if we extended this to Wilmington, we did see Caddywhompus play there! That ruled!
What is your favorite local publication (alternative weekly, zine, website or blog)?
I don’t think you understand how much this does not apply to Southport.
What is your favorite local shop?
The Dosher Flea Market is pretty sweet.
If you could live anywhere else, where would that be?
A place with a music scene.