CMW 2008: The Saint Alvia Cartel
Monday March 03, 2008 @ 04:00 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff

The Saint Alvia Cartel (Photo By Nikki Ormerod)

Hometown: Burlington, Ontario
Official Website: www.myspace.com/thesaintalviacartel
Members:
Greg Umetsu Taylor
Ben Rispin
Greg Fisher
Rob Pasalic
Matt Richmond
Brandon Bliss

For a band that have only been around about two years, The Saint Alvia Cartel aren't wasting any time racking up the accolades. Following the release of their eponymous new album, they've been gathering praise from all corners, not to mention dates on the Vans Warped Tour and a showcase at South By Southwest. Cap it all off with a Juno Award nomination for best rock album, and this bunch of punks from Burlington are ready to make the Cartel their most successful venture yet. ChartAttack got a few words from guitarist/vocalist Rob Pasalic:

So, you're about to play the big industry event that is Canadian Music Week. What's the most shameless thing you've ever done to promote your band?
Rob Pasalic: Christ, I don't know what to say here… The most shameless thing? I really wish I had a good answer for this. You know what, I don't think there's very much that's not shameless about being in a band. It's a pretty self-absorbed fuckin' choice of lifestyle to begin with. There ain't a whole lot more shameless than that!

What's the hardest part about being an up-and-coming band?
I guess, aside from the usual trials and tribulations of the general struggle of being in a band, it's just trying to get by doing what you're doing. But I don't know what context you mean by "up-and-coming," because there'll be so many times when people will be like, "Oh, you guys are doing so well, everything's taking off" — and yeah, it's true, everything's going as cool as we'd want it to — but at the same time, you're still broke and struggling. You're by no fuckin' means a millionaire, that's for sure. I was visiting family a while ago, and I was hitting up a cousin for a lift, and she said, "Well, where's your car?" and I was like, "I don't have a car. I hitched a ride here." Then she was like, "What do you mean, you don't have a car? You're successful!"

How important is it for your band members to circulate and flirt with the audience before or after the show?
We're a pretty party-oriented band, so I don't know how much of a conscious effort that requires, but we like to do what we do and have a good time, that's for sure.

Have you ever stolen from someone else's rider? If so, who was it and what did you take?
Ah, fuck, I think I've stolen enough booze off of enough peoples' riders. Usually the best is when you're not even playing the show with them — you just show up to drink their booze.

Have you ever been graded before according to ChartAttack.com's Rock 'n' Roll Report Cards?
I really don't know. I don't think we have. [The Cartel scored an 83 in our NXNE 2007 report cards.]

Does the idea of being graded bring back bad memories of being in elementary school or high school?
Oh fuck, no. Fuck, no. I got really good marks in public school, and when I dropped in and out of high school, I always got kinda good marks until I gave up on the whole school thing altogether. (laughs)

Have you done anything new or interesting this week?
Man, I feel like a yutz for not having cool answers to these questions! I would just make something up, but I'm sort of in a lull this week. Um… I got stuck in traffic this week… wow, I feel like a complete lame bastard right now. We can always use the stock answer of "hookers and blow." O.K., I snorted cocaine out of a guy hooker's butt. Actually, a guy hooker snorted cocaine out of my ass. How about that?

The Saint Alvia Cartel play the Horseshoe Tavern on Saturday, March 8 at 11:10 p.m. as part of the annual Chart/Horseshoe/Canadian Music Week showcase.

—Caitlin Hotchkiss