Fright night

>> Datsons All-Nighter guests the Phobes aren’t afraid to rock

by LORRAINE CARPENTER

Power pop, post-punk and mod merge happily into the Phobes’ formula, a winning concoction for this Washington, D.C. duo, a trio if you include one of several revolving drummers, a quartet with their touring organist (and let’s not confuse the issue with session strings). Childhood friends in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Eric Litts and Chadd Ritenbaugh reunited years later in D.C., confident in what they wanted to do with their lives. And with Litts on vocals and Ritenbaugh on bass, the duo proceeded to rock with two albums, their own label (Beat Neat-O) and a growing European following. Prior to their first Montreal gig at the Datsons All-Nighter, the Mirror questioned Litts about the ’60s, the Betsy and the fear.

Mirror: First things first—you guys have any phobias?
Eric Litts: Oh man, I’ve got tons. We all do, actually, that’s why the name stuck. Just getting up on the stage at first was really nerve-wracking. It takes time to build the confidence to totally rock out.

M: What about your own personal phobias? Anything printable?
EL: Oh, just normal things, or what I guess would be normal, like planes. I’ll fly when we have to but I’ll definitely have a few drinks beforehand. Boats too. And Chadd’s claustrophobic.

M: It must be hard for him being on tour, living in a bus or van.
EL: We have a very nice van, fortunately. When we got signed to the [now defunct] Street Songs for Modern Rebels label, we got enough money for a proper van. Bands we encounter on the road are always in awe of our awesome van. You can almost stand up in the centre, it’s got captain’s chairs, it’s really comfortable. She hasn’t let us down yet. We call her the Betsy.

M: Are you into scooters? They’re scarce in Montreal.
EL: They’re popular here, scooters are all over town, but Chadd and I ride motorcycles. I’ve got a Honda Shadow, he’s got a Honda F4.

M: Hmmm, mod rebels. But what’s up with the ’60s thing? There’s the All-Nighter here, there was a mod weekend in Chicago recently. Toronto—
EL: There’s definitely a wave happening and people are starting to notice, it’s true. I’m sure it won’t last but people like us will keep doing it. The cult following never ends.

M: But do you feel comfortable being linked with such a specific genre?
EL: At first, we intentionally tried to be as mod and garage as we possibly could be. We wore the matching suits and Rickenbackers and Voxes because that’s what we wanted to be, but then we had to ask ourselves, “How long can we do this?” The ’60s influence is still there, but that’s only one element of what we’re into. We still love that music, of course. And for events like this we’ll definitely have fun with a few classic covers. :

With the Datsons, the Insomniacs and DJs Mimi La Twisteuse, Davy Love and the Self Preservation Society at Lion d’Or on Saturday, June 22, 9pm, $12–15