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I Want to Be in a Boy Band
“Lestat’s is my favorite spot to hang out and perform,” says singer-songwriter Josh Damigo. “I’m pretty much there every night. I’m a huge fan of acoustic music, and the soundman Louie Brazier and I just sit back and talk about life and music and catch up on the latest celebrity gossip. I love ordering their Snickers latte, which has hazelnut, chocolate, and caramel.”
Damigo grew up in San Jose, where his musical career began when his mother signed him up for piano lessons at the age of 6. “I absolutely hated piano because my teacher kept giving me classical pieces,” Damigo says on his MySpace page. “I quit [piano] when I was in sixth grade…at 16 I taught myself to play guitar. Two weeks after that I had my first show. I was playing at churches. I was mostly singing [because] I was a much better singer than a guitar player.”
Damigo appears Saturday, September 27, at Lestat’s.
WHAT’S IN YOUR MUSIC PLAYER?
1. Third Eye Blind, Best of Third Eye Blind. “I’ve always been influenced by this band; they’ve been my favorite group since junior high. ‘Motorcycle Driveby’ is my favorite track because of its honesty and transparent lyrics.”
2. Ben Harper, Live from Mars. “I’m not usually big on concert CDs, but the crowd is really amazing on this. If you see me on the freeway rocking out and swerving lanes, I’m probably playing air guitar to this CD.”
3. Bushwalla, Autodidactical Freestyle & Radical. “Billy ‘Bushwalla’ Galewood has been such an inspiration and good friend to me. His new CD absolutely rocks, and his song ‘Gangsta’ with the line ‘It’s hard to be a gangsta with a basket on your bike’ reminds me of my own struggles trying to be a G.”
4. Jason Mraz. “I can throw in any of his CDs, and I’ll probably sing every word. I may be a little behind the vocals, but I’m pretty sure I get most of the words right.”
5. Switchfoot. “They’ve always been a huge influence, even before I moved to San Diego. I never thought I’d get to meet them, but I’ve been able to on a couple of occasions. Jon Foreman’s lyrics are amazing.”
DESERT-ISLAND DVDs?
1. Three Amigos. “Possibly the best movie ever.”
2. Once. “I have watched this musical movie at least ten times in the past year. In the title scene, when Glen Hansard is singing ‘Say It to Me Now,’ I find that to be a pure example of a songwriter putting his whole body, heart, and soul into a song.”
3. Across the Universe. “I think the music and performances in this movie are top-notch. If you haven’t seen it, quit reading this article and get to Blockbuster.”
4. Talladega Nights - The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. “I shot milk out my nose twice during this movie.”
5. Casino Royale. “I’m a bit of a 007 fan.”
BEST CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER?
“I played at Stateside in Santa Barbara, and an older man came up to me after the show and said, ‘Young man, don’t you ever stop playing, you’ve got something special,’ and he walked away. My friend came up to me and asked how I knew Kenny Loggins. I honestly couldn’t remember who Kenny was. When I got home, I freaked out when I realized he’s the guy who wrote and performed the music in Top Gun.”
LAST BOOK READ?
“I started reading How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie, but I didn’t finish it. It had more than a hundred pages, and my ADHD kicked in.”
MOST VISITED WEBSITES?
“I’m addicted to MySpace, Facebook, and Fuzz.com. I mostly search for new music on those sites.”
TOP FIVE GUILTY PLEASURES?
2. Cheetos Puffs
3. Brownies or cookie dough
4. Yogurt Mill in El Cajon
5. Lestat’s chocolate chip cookies
SECRET SHAME?
“I want to be in a boy band.”
RECURRING DREAM?
“I have a weird dream that I’m a character on Saved by the Bell, and then I get drafted by the Boston Red Sox.”
WORST JOB?
“I had to work as a door-to-door salesman for a company that was similar to Staples. I lasted four hours before I quit. I felt like a human pop-up ad.”
SOMETHING ABOUT YOU FEW WOULD KNOW OR GUESS?
“I can name all the U.S. presidents, in order.”