Jack Xander Talks 'Casino Heist' | LPtv

Hey, this is Lindseay Parker for LPTV here at Licorice Pizza, the place formerly known as the Licorice Pizza Record Store for the just for one night only. It is the Royal Pensioner Hotel and Casino and Bar and Grill. It's four things in one. And here we are with the master of ceremonies, Jack Xander himself. He's very excited. I'm excited, too. We are here to celebrate the vinyl release of Casino Heist, hence the the whole big spiel I'm doing. The reason I'm wearing a tuxedo, it's a special occasion. Congratulations, Jack. Thank you, Lindsay. Thank you for dressing up for the event. Apparently, I'm so dressed up. You've drafted me to do some kind of like monologue in a really bad French accent in just moments from now.

The worse the better. Uh, I think I can I can do that. I think I can do that. So, Casino Heist is a concept album. You

had me a concept album. The minute I heard the word concept album, like I'm all about it. So, I'm just going to ask you, what's the concept? What's the elevator pitch, as we say in the biz? Well, uh, everybody finds themselves at uh, uh, an old, decrepit casino in the French Riviera once in their lives. And, um, there's always a band in the corner, the dustiest, quietest, darkest corner of the room. And we are that band. Rock and roll duo Jander and Leger Mander. Um

and uh the record it came together. Um

after this experience, I was like, "Oh, you know, this would be the the best place for a band to play ever." And I had all these live recordings from um KXLU record show radio show and we put

them together and we made them live. So wait, you went to the French Riviera? Yes, it was Was it the Riviera? was somewhere in France and there was a casino and you took a gamble artistically and here we are. See what I did? So, what made you want to do it? Besides obviously have you having this fun trip like what was it about this casino like concept albums are kind of like a different you know a different vibe for maybe someone who comes from your background the indie background the KXLU background. Yes indeed. I mean, it was really like I couldn't think of we were trapped in this place and I couldn't think of a worse place to be trapped and they were like, "Yeah, it was all right cuz I was there with my grandma and her boyfriend, but there was a lot of other old Europeans there and um it was a really an Elton John cover band. Um, which was very cool. Uh, but uh I just was, you know, it was it was very long.

The concert was long and I was like, "Okay, this would be a great uh concept for like almost like like almost like hell, you know, where it's like, you know, I mean, I I kind of when I thought of being trapped in a casino hotel, when I saw the visuals, well, it reminded me of The Shining. Am I Yeah. Yeah. Very inspired by The Shining and just like, you know, weird looking people in a room. And the casino director, I had to take his picture. He's on he's on the vinyl. that probably doesn't know, but um he he had, you know, a little mustache and a bow tie and this kind of nice but shabby suit and like he had a certain way about him that I was very inspired by. So, does Casino Heist have a plot? Is it a story? What's this?

What's the plot? So, set the scene. You start at this casino. Um you're trapped as the listener in the audience. And uh as the show moves on, things start to go wrong. There's a a break-in at the casino. The guests are cordoned off into these quarantined like little sections, containment pods, and um you know, it's just this further devolve as you go deeper and deeper into the rings of hell. Is that going to happen in the store out there? Like are are there pods? What's going on? No pods tonight. Uh pods next time, but uh we're very lucky we get to escape. So, is this like one of those like I could see you having like a residency maybe in the French Rivier where you have like kind of some escape room like when they have it when there's like those immersive theater things like those who done it murder mystery theater things. If people are scared enough by the performance to um to want to actually leave then we're doing a good thing. I mean we don't want people to leave the store. We want people to buy well not without buying your record first. Buy it then leave.

This is true. And they're trapped. So even if they want to leave, they can. We have locked the doors of the store. You cannot leave. So but is there thoughts of doing this in like a visual element like a rock opera, a theater thing going to, you know, off off off off off Broadway be awesome. The further off Broadway the better. Uh, but yeah, just to have like a bunch of people, old people, and have a guy in a suit and I want, you know, I want people gambling away their money and their pensions while my music plays. It's got to be gone by the end of the song. As long as they have enough to pick up Casino Heist on vinyl at Lish Pizza. Uh, were there any kind of concept records, classic ones that, you know, maybe inspired you to do this that you're a fan of? Yes.

Um, I I I was a little kid and like my first like record record was like Tommy. I love, you know, it's awesome. Tommy the movie. Tommy the album. Yeah. But have you seen the movie? Never seen the movie. Movie scarred me for life. I don't want to spoil it for you. The Tina Turner acid queen scene scar when I saw on cable scarred me for the I was scared. So like like you were saying, I was terrified, but I remember it still. The baked bean scene freaked me the hell out. Baked bean scene. I got to see the baked bean scene. Really? I can't believe you haven't seen it. Are there any other like I don't know, Fam of the Paradise, like those type of I like all that. Like, by the way, go follow cult musicals on Instagram. You see all this stuff. Someone should post about yours as well. Yeah. Any others? Um, I'm trying to think. There's one record by um uh Dr. Dog called The Psychedelic Swamp, which is amazing, and it's it's concepty, but it's not so like, you know, story. It's more like the songs tell the story. Have you made music videos or playing to for this album? Uh,

nothing videowise. I mean, there's a bunch of videos of us doing the record because it is a live record. We did it all in one take um like at a radio show and like so the the video of the actual recording exists and then some music videos will probably be made as well. How did KXOU get involved for people watching this who aren't in LAX? We're so lucky to have KXOU in LA. It's at it's I guess it's a college radio station. I mean, it's at Loyola Marramount, but it's it's more than just that. I mean, it's like my favorite station whenever I'm driving and Bluetooth isn't working. 88.95.

Yeah, 88. That's They're always playing some crazy and the the DJs are fried out of their mind and like they're taking their time with the It's just It's the best. It's the best station. And like um uh uh yeah, I met this guy Chris who runs a show called Noise Pollution, which is 12 on Wednesdays. And it's awesome. He's just like he does the traffic, you know, if you if you're ever stuck in traffic at 12:00 a.m. on a Wednesday. Um, in LA that is quite possible. It's definitely possible. Um, but yeah, it was like wild and random and the recordings were nice and they did the recordings come first and then you decided to do this concept or was it all chicken or egg? What? What? How did How did it happen? Egg.

the egg would be the music and then you

know it was like oh we already did a live record at the Moroccan lounge which was called Jerry Manders one uh and

everybody was like why'd you do a live record and now I had all these other live recordings and it was like oh we're really going to do another one but uh but the concept I think really sells it you know if you're looking to buy it the concept sells it will there be a sequel apart yeah J I guess it' be Trey A part and a Trey and a cat. We're

getting them all. So, if this was made, if Casino High was made into a musical, like the cult musicals I'm talking about, who would it star? Besides yourself, of course. Christopher Walkin,

Walkin Phoenix, Sis Ghost. No, he's alive. Um, and uh I think that's

probably it. They could play all the characters. Yeah, that's Yeah, I mean you're an ambitious guy. What else? And you used to be known or are you still known as Jack HW? Is this just for this project that you're Jackander? Jack HW has a lot of like I mean, you know, this is like more refined music. Jackander Jack HW's way off the wall, you know. Does is this a new era? Have you or do is this just an alter ego, I guess, is what I'm asking. It's a new era, but from time to time if there's something that like I can't risk putting out, I'll just put it out on Drah HW for anybody.

Well, if we're go since you've had different eras, I would be remiss if I didn't ask about there sort of happening outside there unofficially. We're having a Pack Wolves reunion tonight. You apparently were in a band called Pack-a-Wolves when you were eight years old with Well, tell me about because we have at least one member of Pack-a-Wolves at the store tonight. Yeah, it was one of the most stacked bands to ever exist out of eighth grade. I don't even think it was that late. I thought you were eight years old. Eight years old is probably closer. Yeah, eighth grade. I pack of wolves. I had missed it. But uh yeah, we had Tyler Brown on bass and we had Kinoa Young Ru Vivar on guitar. He wrote a song called The Insane Lane hit. Um Aiden Stern ripping the keys. My brother Alfie on the drums.

What kind of music was it? Rock and roll. So, you were basically born to do this. I was I was basically born to do Casino Heist. The record. It's all come together. So, apparently we have You're about to perform. We have um a couple opening bands tonight. You might be able to hear them a little bit on this video. And then you've somehow drafted me to do a monologue that I'm going to do on Instagram live. I used to be an actress. used to be is the operative word, but I'm dressed for the occasion. So, can you explain what your my I mean, I guess I've been cast in Casino Heist along with um Wen Phoenix and Christopher Walkin, hypothetically. What am I going to What are you making? What if what have I gotten myself into, Jack? I don't know yet, but it can't nothing could go wrong. It it'll it'll be perfect. You know, possibly go wrong. That's a Simpsons quote. Got to quote the Simpsons. All right. Well, I'll let you get into character and I need to get myself into character, but is there anything else you want to talk about with Casino Heist or anything you you have another album called Slander coming out soon, which I guess is coming out under the Jack Xander name. I've heard it's a bit of Brit pop. I heard it's a bit of synth pop. I heard it's a bit of rock. Again, checking many boxes for me.

What can we expect from that? I'm going to be DJing those tracks tonight. It's a lot of electronic type of stuff. I mean, you know, the the the live album is very bandy, almost quasi punk, if you will, but uh the I will wonderful. Uh but the other stuff is more like uh like beats and boops and things and it it's got a different type of vibe and I'm trying to make them go like this. And that record will be we're obviously going to hear a little preview tonight, but when will that record be out? That's a good question. Thought so. Track by track. It will come out gradually over the course of this year.

Hey, cool. Well, you're a busy guy, so uh I'm gonna get into character. I may I I mean, I am going to read my monologue off my phone. I'm sorry. I'm so unprofessional, but I'm going to do my best. And in the meantime, it's really cool to see someone taking artistic chances and doing something so out of the box. And you know, you're an interesting guy. I'm waiting for Casino Heist Party. A folly casino heist with walking Phoenix and Lady Gaga. What could possibly go wrong? All right, thanks for watching. Thank you so much, Jack.