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Whether you know anything about Ghostland Observatory or not, there’s a good reason to see the band’s show Saturday at the LC Pavilion.
It’s free.
Paying nothing to see a group that usually plays shows with tickets priced at $30 or higher—that’s a deal you can’t pass up. Ghostland Observatory, an electro rock duo from Texas, will play at the Bacardi B-Live show at 9 p.m. June 27. Anyone 21 and older can get free tickets at the Bacardi Web site. Also on the bill is mashup artist Z-Trip, a popular DJ from Los Angeles who has played sold-out shows worldwide.
Metromix caught up with Thomas Ross Turner—one half of Ghostland Observatory—before the band made the trip up north from Texas for the first time. (They’ve never played a show in Ohio). While talking with us, Turner discussed his famous cape—which he wears every show—and also talks about the night he met his wife, and why that night led to some smelly pants.
You guys are known to have a bit of a unique stage presence, complete with a cape you wear every concert. Is the way you act on stage fairly natural for you guys, or are you trying extra hard to be entertaining for the sake of the show?
It kind of just developed into this thing that it is now. It all started out with two guys on stage just doing their thing, and then all of a sudden we got capes and pink pants and lasers and lights involved. Things have just been getting crazier and crazier.
Speaking of those lights, do you guys use those lasers because you like it when other bands add that visual aspect to their show, or is it just something you think works well with your music?
If it’s done right, it always looks good. I’m really into tight programming. You can tell when a show is pro. I dig that. It always helps the performance.
Getting back to those pants you mentioned, I’m aware that you wear the same pants (and shirt) at every concert. Is that a superstitious thing, or what’s going on there?
It’s not a superstitious thing. It’s just something I’ve always done. It’s like, once I’ve got my stage pants, stage shirt and cape on, I’m ready to go.
So how did you decide those were the special clothes you were going to wear every concert? That’s a lot of pressure to put on a pair of pants.
A friend of mine gave [the pants] to me. We were fixing to go out on the town, and he was like, ‘Dude, check these out. They don’t fit me, but they’ll fit you.’ That was the night I met my wife.
You’d never met your wife until you put on those pants?
I didn’t know my wife existed before that night. Then I put on those pants and went out and met her.
And I understand she’s the reason you wear that cape every concert. I know she made it for you, but my question is—why? Were you guys just sitting around one day when she suddenly went to the other room to make a cape for you?
I was talking to her, and I was like, “Man, I need to have something kind of unique for the stage.” I don’t move around a lot; I’m either at the keyboards or drums, and I can’t leave my station. I needed something to fix that deal, and she was like, “All right, let me work on something.” A few days later she showed me the cape. It works.
If you’re wearing that cape and those same clothes for every show, haven’t there been some nights on tour where you haven’t been able to get them washed for a little while?
It gets [rough] after a few shows. Especially the pants. When we first started out we were doing the van thing from coast to coast. Everything we had was in there. … We’d go with no hotel room for like a week, with no shower for like four days. If someone would let us stay with them, that was a complete bonus.
This Columbus show is a little different than most, simply because it’s free. Have you been a part of any shows like this before?
We did another one of these things. I don’t know if it was a Bacardi show, but it was set up by the studio or something. I think that kind of show is pretty neat. People aren’t stressed out about coming up with cash at the door, they can just go in and enjoy themselves.
