CHRIS' QUARANTINE RECOMMENDATION OF THE DAY (5/6/20): NARDWUAR THE HUMAN SERVIETTE!

CHRIS' QUARANTINE RECOMMENDATION OF THE DAY (5/6/20):

 

NARDWUAR THE HUMAN SERVIETTE!

by Chris La Vigna (@Chris La Vigna) 

Nardwuar: A Canadian treasure!

Today's Q-Rec is going to be a quick one, because this man doesn't need much of an introduction, or even an explanation really. His birth name is John Ruskin, but to legions of underground music fans and interview obsessives, he is better known as Nardwuar The Human Serviette, Canada's number one media personality (I have no hard data to back that up with, but it feels true to me so I'm writing it here)!

Nardwuar has been a fixture in North American media since the late eighties, when he started broadcasting his radio show from CITR 101.9 FM, the radio station over at the University of British Columbia, which airs every Friday afternoon to this day. But soon enough he branched out into doing video interviews with pretty much any musician that has toured through the Great White North: Ty Segall, Billie Eilish, Tyler The Creator, Joan Jett, Marilyn Manson, Snoop Dogg, My Chemical Romance, Nirvana, N.E.R.D., and countless more! He's also interviewed comedians like Eric Andre, Marc Maron, and Charlie Murphy (R.I.P.)

Nardwuar is famous for his unique interview style: he's incredibly energetic, asking his questions at a rapid fire pace which tends to render many of his subjects flummoxed. He's also famous for doing astoundingly in-depth research on his subjects, often surprising them with specific gifts that reference some of their earliest works or artistic influences. This famously made Lil Uzi Vert so uncomfortable that he actually fled his interview! But Nardwuar isn't just some stunt ambush journalist, he's a passionate and knowledgable guy who's able to get thoughtful and sincere answers from his guests. It's as though he shocks away the various defense mechanisms these celebrities have built up from press junkets over the years and gets to the heart of who they are and what they do. They have no choice but to answer genuinely, and each interview is a thrill to watch because of it.

Back when I was teenage suburban punk, I'd spend hours listening to his interviews with hardcore icons like Ian Mackaye, Henry Rollins, and Jello Biafra, all of whom he's spoken with multiple times over the decades. But you people are lucky, because he's had another fifteen years or so to record an innumerable amount of additional interviews, with an even wider range of personalities. I recommend checking out his YouTube channel and clicking the first video that entices you. Soon enough, you'll be hooked and going down a rabbit hole with Nardwuar. 

Here's his interview with The Misfits circa the release of the cover album PROJECT 1950 to get you going! Have fun! Keep on rocking in the free world, and remember, Doot Do Da Loot Doot....