Chris Sutter wanted a drum set. His father, however, decided to buy him an acoustic guitar and a book of AC/DC tabs instead. Though his percussive aspirations never came to be, the Meat Wave front man made the most of the situation by starting a nameless basement project with a friend in middle school, then a full-fledged band in high school that he’s not exactly eager to look back on. Graduation found new influences and collaborators coming Sutter’s way, which brought about the formation of Truman & His Trophy—a band that brought the suburban Chicago kid to the Windy City proper to join the city’s vibrant music scene. Then along came Meat Wave.
Prior to playing a show at X-Ray Arcade, Sutter joined My First Band host Tyler Maas on the Cudahy venue’s patio to talk about his musical origin and his embarrassing stint in an emo band, talk about early shows at roller rinks and malls, explain Meat Wave’s Onion-influenced name, and talk about getting to tour with Hot Snakes and play shows in Europe. Along the way, Sutter discusses the band’s forthcoming album and his affinity for Boulevard Brewing’s American Kolsch, and Maas talks about the approximately 2,000 times he’s seen Meat Wave play live.
My First Band is sponsored by Boulevard Brewing and Bradford 2020: A Charity Calendar. The show is edited by Jared Blohm. You can listen to My First Band on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, and wherever else you get podcasts. Music used in this show comes courtesy of Devils Teeth (“The Junction Street Eight Tigers”), Truman & His Trophy (“Jake Babe”), and Meat Wave (“Run You Out”).