Cal State Long Beach’s 2010 Smorgasport on Friday kicked the night off with a band known as Education, whose extraordinary journey landed them at CSULB, all the way from San Antonio, Texas.
After their set, which included six of their own original songs, as well as one cover, the Daily 49er sat down with the band and discussed how the group got their start, the inspiration behind their music, as well as some other bizarre moments — one in which includes a rare encounter with Conan O’Brian.
The four members of Education were anything but boisterous. The humble indie-rock combination that mixes simplified lyrics with a catchy, off-beat rhythm began after guitarist Brian Baker, 27, and bassist Andrew Kerr, 28, met in high school and began playing together.
Kerr picked up lead singer and guitarist Phillip Bowman, 28, while working together after high school. Drummer Alton Jenkins, 22, met Bowman outside a nightclub in Texas while watching another concert. Eventually, the four musicians joined together and began writing music in order to create nothing short of pure magic.
Daily 49er:What brings you guys to Long Beach of all places? How did you make your way all the way from San Antonio to our campus tonight?
Brian Baker:We began touring about 23 days ago for a total of 80 days. Mainly, the tour began after playing a music festival in Las Vegas, where we decided that if we were going to do this and really go on tour, we should just do it. Right then, we all decided to quite our jobs, we bought a school bus for a couple hundred bucks, and figured that was it. We hit the road and here we are.
Daily 49er:What is your biggest inspiration behind your music and lyrical content in general?
Phillip Bowman:It’s just like anything in rock ‘n’ roll — passion, heartbreak, heart ache, fuel, hard times, good times and anything that just keeps anyone going.
Daily 49er:What is the craziest thing that has ever happened to you guys on the road while touring?
Baker:We actually were in LA when the Emmys were being filmed just a couple of weeks ago and we found a way to sneak onto the red carpet with all the celebrities. Conan O’Brien actually walked right passed us and we practically peed our pants. We were literally speechless.
Daily 49er:What’s the meaning behind your name, Education?
Bowman:Education applies to all aspects of life. The way you’re brought up, you just have to constantly be educated in life. You learn something new everyday. I was actually driving to Austin one night and saw a billboard for ‘Get your education online at Phoenix College’ and it just really stuck out to me and I thought, man, not only is it catchy, but education is everywhere in life, and you always need it. Its got a ring to it and it means a lot to us.
Daily 49er:So you guys basically jumped in a rusty old school bus and headed to California with nothing — just to play music. What keeps you guys going and what continues to inspire you guys to play music everyday?
Andrew Kerr:At the end of the day, you realize you have one life and you realize what’s really most precious to you and what you love doing the most. And when we meet people who really appreciate our music and what we’re here for, if we can go around the country playing music barely getting by, that’s good enough for us. Its always just one step at a time, one brick in the road.”
Check out the band’s Facebook page, keyword “education-rock-music,” for moe information and upcoming tour dates.
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