Illinois Entertainer January 2021 | Page 18

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EXENE movies , and The Decline of Western Civilization was on one night . And you guys looked like kids ! EC : I was 23 , I think . And I haven ’ t seen

politics , and information . But if we did it without any technology , people can do it again with all the connections we have now . They can find each other , be in a group , and have that same fucking great feeling . And now more than ever , when the world is going crazy , and people are feeling really unsteady , that ’ s when you need that kind of community . Tough times make for good art .
IE : How did you hook up with the Keith Ross guy ? EC : We got information on the “ Goodbye Year , Goodbye ” video concept , and we all saw his preliminary

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that movie for a long time . But there was a time back in the ‘ 80s when it was hard to keep track of where things were going in the L . A . scene . But that was quite the crazy vortex of really powerful energy spinning around a crazy group of people , drawn together by no technology whatsoever — just by wandering down the street and finding each other . And I think people right now are leaning more towards social media just to get culture ,
sketches , and we thought it was a great idea . I know the video just came out , and I haven ’ t seen the final version yet . But I know that it ’ s making people happy and that the animation is great — I know that much . And it was such a gift . And anytime anybody releases anything now — like a video they did themselves or something , whatever it is — it ’ s just wonderful . It ’ s like a present from the universe .
X , 1984
IE : And the John Varvatos campaign ? That was unexpected . EC : That ’ s another one of those things where they just approached us , and it sounded like a great idea . So why not ? Why not , indeed ? It ’ s just funny how these things happen . And I love those connections when people cross-fertilize like that . I think it ’ s great .
IE : Well , Alphabetlandis sort of a wild gift in itself , something fans were not expecting this already surprising year . EC : Yeah . It was a , uh , baby born late in its mother ’ s life , I guess . But something really cool about it , I think , is the fact that it happened at all . But you know what ? I think it ’ s just perfect for the times .
Tom Lanham
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