When the Bouncing Souls toured in the fall of 2001, we caught up with guitarist Pete Steinkopf at The Rave in Milwaukee. We discussed the new album, How I Spent My Summer Vacation, life on the road, BMX riding, and everything 80's.

XROXX: "The True Believers Tour" is different in a lot of ways from some of the other tours you've done in the past. It has more of a fan based, warped tour type feel to it. How is the tour going and how have the fans been responding?

PETE: It's been really good. We just wanted to put together a cool tour. We were thinking of ways to make it special, so we decided to call it the "True Believers Tour" because that's one of our favorite songs on the record. We just tried to put together a good tour with a lot of good bands for the fans.

XROXX: A lot of the bands on the tour like Madcap and Flogging Molly hooked up with you guys on the Warped Tour, right?

PETE: Yeah. We know all of these bands from tours we did in the past, and we went on tour with One Man Army a long time ago.

XROXX: It seems as though you guys have gotten a lot of good publicity as of late. You're getting great reviews for your new record, you've done the Reverb show on HBO, and you've headlined the Warped Tour. How has the increased exposure affected the band as a whole?

PETE: It's all been good. The Reverb show really helped and we've been getting a lot of good press for the new record. We're trying not to take anything too seriously. We just want to concentrate on business and make good music.

XROXX: There has been a lot of talk about Greg's (lead singer) move out to the west coast. How will this impact the band musically? Have you thought about incorporating any west coast sounds into your style?

PETE: No. We're from the east coast, we're an east coast band, and that's a big part of our personality. It might be a little bit harder to practice, but that's about it.

XROXX: The Bouncing Souls are known both in and out of the punk community as being a very hard working band, practically living out of your tour bus year in and year out. What do you do on your off time when you're taking a break from touring?

PETE: I hang out with my cats, my girlfriend, and ride my bike. Basically anything to kind of recuperate from being on tour all the time and just chill for a while before we head back out.

XROXX: BMX riding has always been a big theme with the Souls over the years. How did you guys get into the sport?

PETE: When I was a kid I used to race with my friends. Bryan (bass player) and I used to be in rival BMX gangs, and we just kept our bikes from when we were young. I've had the same bike since I was fourteen, and it just turned into older dudes riding their bikes around. It's kind of a joke, but it's still the best way to get around the city.

XROXX: How have the tragedies of Sept. 11 affected the band both individually and as a whole? Do you guys have a different outlook on what you do day in and day out since the incident?

PETE: We actually left for Europe on the 10th. The next day we were in Scotland walking around town, and as we were heading back to the gig someone came up to us and said "Did you hear someone flew a plane into the World Trade Center?" and we were just like "No way!" I mean we had just gotten to Europe and we still had a month to go. We were just freaking out. I had missed the whole vibe of things in New York as it happened. My girlfriend was there by herself in our apartment and she said it was just totally freaky. I think things are going to be different for a long time. This whole thing has changed people and the way we look at our own safety. The whole perception that America is invulnerable is totally cracked and its going to affect our lives for a long time.

XROXX: As a band, do you prefer playing outdoor festivals like the Warped Tour or going from city to city playing smaller clubs?

PETE: I think clubs are better, but I love the whole vibe of playing outdoor festivals. There are lots of bands playing and you just get to hang out which is a lot of fun. It's a whole different thing and a lot of fun to be a part of, but there's just something about being in a club where it's hot and everybody is just crowded in. That's where I think the energy's at.

XROXX: One of my favorite songs you guys have ever done is "These are the quotes from our favorite eighties movies." Now that we're in the new millennium, have you ever considered doing a song like "These are the quotes from our favorite nineties movies?"

PETE: No, because eighties movies to us are just total nostalgia. It's when we grew up, and that's really why we wrote the song. To change that would really ruin the whole tune. To me, the song is about reflecting back, joking around, and just having a good time. We would play on stage, and kids would jump up and throw in their favorite movie quote in the middle of the song. It's just a fun thing to do.

XROXX: For the record, what is your favorite John Cusack movie?

PETE: Say Anything, and then Grosse Point Blank. I thought that was a great movie, too.

XROXX: I just want to thank you again for your time and good luck with the rest of the tour.

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