READ IT AT LOS ANGELES MAGAZINE (in print too)

Have you ever met Taylor Hawkins? The man is a human rock ‘n’ roll fireball of conversation, a So Cal cypher of surfspeak and chill’thusiasm that will delight your ears even as he’s going on and on about how guitar bands are dead. Look, it’s been said before that Dave Grohl and his bros are a bit… reactionary when it comes to music that isn’t traditionally analog. But they’ve built something worthy with their Cal Jam festival, a place for shred’ficianados to gather and worship at the altar of chord, to revel in strings and necks and amps and whatever. Also, they have those big, tall, skinny flappy guys that typically cameo at used car lots. And camping. And Garbage, the band, who use samplers and stuff. So there’s something for everybody. Ish. Anyway, Hawkins was a delight to interview, and he and bassist Nate Mendel are pretty self-aware. :)