Oshkosh, Wisconsin could seem to be an arbitrary location for a vampire rock popera, however for songwriter and producer Dru DeCaro, it made good sense. “We just need the whole thing to suck you in,” he tells AP. “This little town does that. It’s way spookier than LA.”
Hosted by the “haunted,” historic Howard Theater is Blood/Love, a contemporary vampire musical expertise helmed by high pop hits and raucous punk music. Co-written by DeCaro and Carey Sharpe, the two-night-only occasion transforms the aforementioned venue into “The Crimson,” a gothic nightclub teeming with vampires. The story blends vampire lore and the thrill of nightlife to create its personal model of theater expertise.
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For DeCaro, the songwriter behind Em Beihold’s viral hit “Numb Little Bug” who has collaborated with Miguel, Vic Mensa and FLETCHER, this has been an exciting ardour venture.
Ahead of the two performances Oct. 27 and Oct. 28, we spoke to DeCaro about the spooky topics that impressed Blood/Love and the way the success of “Numb Little Bug” modified his life.
How did you provide you with the idea behind Blood/Love?
Carey Sharpe, my writing accomplice, owns a haunted theater, for starters. We knew we have been going to place some large, elaborate story collectively; it was the starting of lockdown, and all people was making an attempt to occupy themselves. Anyway, we stored throwing paint at the wall, simply writing to write down. When we stepped again, it appeared like stunning blood splatter, and actual stylized. Somewhere alongside the approach, it began to write down itself like a damned Ouija board. It nonetheless feels fairly out-of-body.
How did the success of “Numb Little Bug” change issues for you?
I signed a publishing take care of Position Music. I like them. The circle is increasing, and I’m discovering folks in these locations that I genuinely care about and lean on and who I would not have allowed myself to belief even not too long ago. The success of “Numb Little Bug” began rather a lot of folks reaching out.
Can you inform me about the premise of Blood/Love?
A trio of vampires terrorizes a bustling metropolis, and one dusky nightclub particularly so. This fateful evening a band performs, whose singer has his personal darkish secrets and techniques and unnatural powers, and whose path ought to by no means have crossed with the toothsome threesome. There is love, there may be loss of life, there may be dance and rock ‘n’ roll and all method of devilry. Ultimately, the vampires should resist their inescapable humanity, simply as the rock star is questioning his godlike fame and cultural immortality. Will give up and sacrifice save all these unholy souls? Or will urge and habit condemn that they don’t go light into that good evening?
Why select Wisconsin for the rock popera?
The theater has an immaculate vibe. Last 12 months round Halloween, we have been locations to run the present in LA, and nowhere got here near what we wished. I feel once we take the present to New York or Vegas or wherever is subsequent, we’ll need to construct a complete spot in our picture.
Why did you select this particular home to host the rock popera in?
I want I may simply present it to you. You’d get it. The Howard is strictly the place anyone would wish to do that. When I first moved to LA, I obtained a job bartending at Viper Room. For years, each week I’d be serving drinks, reserving reveals and enjoying units there, simply tremendous home-field benefit. I’d be the one at the finish of the evening hanging off the roof, placing my very own band’s identify on the marquee for the subsequent evening. Even touring throughout for years after that, it is nonetheless my favourite venue in the world. The Howard is like that now.
What was the course of of making Blood/Love like?
We did not actually watch rather a lot of horror flicks or hearken to rather a lot of musicals or something. Carey and Erin Boheme have been already coming from a theatrical, fantastical sort of place, and me and co-producer Snakechild have been already punks who relished a chance to interrupt in and spike the punch of a scene that in any other case would not invite us. So, it was an ideal storm of opposites attracting. We hardly agree on something, so once we unite on Blood/Love particulars, we all know it is good and new and doubtless magic. Mostly Carey and I sit round late at evening and attempt to inform a narrative that we might wish to go see.
[Photo via Dru DeCaro]
What different vampire media/leisure impressed the manufacturing?
I’ve by no means correctly watched one of the Twilight movies, so I haven’t got a lot to attract from there. But I like Bela Lugosi, Blade, H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe and peculiar, darkish East Coast writers like that. And Elvira and Lily Munster? I imply, come on. So a lot model.
Which artists have been you impressed by when creating this?
I listened to rather a lot of Bauhaus and Danzig. We’ve been at it for two-plus years, so I listened to rather a lot of music. I feel perhaps it appears like that, like a complete journey. We did not know the way it ended till we obtained there. I obtained to write down a lot of songs. All the stuff I dig made it in there someplace.
Do you might have plans for the rock popera to hit different cities?
You know I would like Broadway so unhealthy. I would like the East Coast vitality. I would like the gothic shit. I wanna kick in the door. So, that positively looms on the market. But I simply learn not too long ago that Dear Evan Hansen began in D.C. That’s the place I’m from. I would not thoughts an excuse to return dwelling and scare the hell out of all people.
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