Have Drums, Will Travel

Before moving to North County, singer-songwriter Spud Davenport drummed for various L.A. and San Francisco bands, the most successful of which was Toymuzic. After learning how to play both guitar and keyboard, he penned the tune “Overnite,” heard in the 1983 Brat Pack movie Class.

“I was writing songs long before I learned the drums,” says Davenport. “I briefly tried to learn the accordion, and I still struggle sometimes with guitar. Damn sausage fingers.” Davenport’s first solo album, Green, was released in 2007.

“While a lot of my heroes are British, I must send out big props to our great American songwriters and composers — my heroes — such as Paul Simon, Tom Waits, Johnny Cash, Randy Newman, John Hiatt, Warren Zevon, Steve Earle, and Frank Zappa, all of whom are odd and oddly present in my music, somehow.”

In addition to his solo work, Davenport schleps his vintage Gretsch drum kit around with the Shamey Jays and performs with the Messy Necessities.

WHAT’S IN YOUR MUSIC PLAYER?

1) Gregory Page, Bird in a Cage. “This one’s in top rotation. Freakin’ awesome songwriting and production.”

2) Guns N’ Roses, Chinese Democracy. “I’m still trying to decide if I like it. It’s a mixed bag.”

3) The Shys, You’ll Never Understand This Band the Way That I Do. “My favorite new band, with killer bluesy, early rock ’n’ roll songwriting.”

4) Frank Zappa, Live in New York. “I’m a huge Terry Bozzio fan, and I can’t get enough ‘Titties N’ Beer.’ ”

TOP FIVE DVDs?

1) The Kings of Comedy.

2) Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete First Season.

3) Rain Man.

4) This Is Spinal Tap.

5) “And Halo with my Xbox…does that count?”

QUOTABLE QUOTE?

“Warren Zevon once said, ‘Enjoy every sandwich,’ which says so much.”

GREATEST FEAR?

“That Tom Waits will never play another live show in San Diego.”

MOST MEMORABLE DREAM?

“The one where I got my johnson stuck in this…wait a minute, that wasn’t a dream.”

WHO SHOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE?

“I think Paul Reubens would be hysterical.”

HARD HABIT TO BREAK?

“Just the U-T sports section.”

WHAT CELEB DO PEOPLE SAY YOU LOOK LIKE?

“The drummer from Iron Maiden, and they’re right.”

SIMPSONS OR FAMILY GUY?

“Doh!”

TV COMMERCIAL THAT MAKES YOU SQUIRM?

“All the Viagra and ED commercials…how do you explain that stuff to your young daughter?”

WHAT MAGAZINE DO YOU READ IN WAITING ROOMS?

“Medical journals, on how to avoid ED.”

THREE THINGS WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT SPUD DAVENPORT?

1) “One of my neighbors, and an early drum student of mine, was Mike Bordin, of Faith No More and Ozzy Osbourne’s band.”

2) “I had retired from music and didn’t play drums in a band for 15 years, until Dave Howard twisted my arm to start the Shamey Jays with him in 2007.”

3) “When I was single, I dated the three-breasted space hooker from Total Recall and the señorita in Devo’s ‘Whip It’ video. Those were the days.”