Jack:  So, what's changed in the Cold-Blooded Three since we last shared a bill together?

J.D.:  Not a whole lot- we have a new keyboard player now, Jason, and Justin's playing more sax, but that's about it.  It's still basically the same old song and uncomfortable white-guy dance.

Jack:  I think "Uncomfortable White-Guy" should be its own genre.  Memphis is kind of a tough town musically.  What would you change if you could to make it better?

J.D.:  Well, I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "tough" - there is some competition here, in the sense that the average Memphis musician/songwriter is significantly better than his/her counterpart in another city, and maybe that raises the bar a little.  But it's still nothing like a major market.  For better or worse, there's a bit of a "small pond" element to Memphis as a city.  And to be honest, compared to the other places I've been around, the music scene in Memphis is fairly easy to navigate.  But that's just my opinion.  

I will say this:  Memphis has a pretty poor self-image.  We're like the Chicago Cubs of mid-major cities - deeply entrenched in a culture of losing.  That's what I would change - our outlook.  

What do you find difficult about Memphis?

Jack:  The apathy of its denizens, which could be due to…I wish more people made it out to shows.  I wish we got to put on earlier shows, cause I think there's a whole audience that no one's getting to.  Try getting a bar to have an 8:00 start time, though.  

Is sharing a bill with The Original Cyndi and Shortwave Dahlia the closest you've gotten to doing another Johnny Romania show?  Are the other Romanians still playing shows and making music?

J.D.:  For those who don't know, I guess I could explain that Johnny Romania was a band that I had going with Justin from the Original Cyndi for a while, kind of a synth pop/experimental thing that you, Jack, were also a member of for a few minutes.  

Jack:  Literally!  I had to take a bathroom break and never looked back!

J.D.:  I guess this would be the closest we've come to an official re-union, although, in all honesty - Justin and I never really stopped making music together.  The other guys who were in it for a while make up a virtual who's-who list of marginally successful local musicians, including members of Snowglobe, the Rockwells and Shortwave Dahlia.    

Jack:  How flattering of you to include us with those other guys – they were all probably in JR a lot longer than I was!  You have a significant part in the running of Makeshift Music, don't you?  What's the best thing about running a label?

J.D.:  I guess you could say that.  Makeshift is really more of a collective, but we do have somewhat of a label also.  I don't know if there's an really interesting "best thing" for me to mention, but the work is rewarding.  I'm passionate about the music that my friends make, for the most part - I've been really lucky to meet and befriend so many talented folks.  It's humbling for me, and, come to think of it, maybe that's the best part.

Jack:  Speaking personally, we've met and played with some phenomenally talented people in our short time on the block.  Lastly, what is the worst (to other people, at least) music that you actually like?

J.D.:  Well, there's probably tons of stuff in my record collection that some people might think of as "uncool" - the Monkees, Herman's Hermits, John Mellencamp, Phil Collins, Faith No More, Depeche Mode and I could go on and on.  But truthfully, I don't care who thinks it's bad.  Well, except for me.

Thanks, Jack - looking forward to the show Saturday!      

J.D. Reager & the Cold-Blooded Three on MySpace