Josh Xmas: Portrait of a Tortured Artist, Pt I
The first time I saw Josh Xmas and the Dyslexic Postcards play was for promoter Cancer Michaelangelo Mulero's birthday show in 2004, at Churchill's Pub in Little Haiti. Coming onto the stage decked out in man-liner, Mötley Crüe t-shirts, sparkly shirts, platform boots, blow dried hair, and a gaggle of gorgeous women were Josh, brother Atom Xmas, and whoever else at that moment was occupying the revolving door of second guitarist, bassist, or drummer.
And boy did they suck.
It was like getting Angelina Jolie back to your apartment only to find out that she has a penis. I grew up in the 80's, a huge fan of the hair metal greats, Mötley Crüe, Guns n' Roses, Ratt, and Poison, and here it is 2004, the promise of the return of rock n' roll greatness... and it falls flat on its face.
Actually, after Josh and I got closer, he told me that several guys in the band were drunk off their ass and that Josh couldn't think of anything other than smashing his guitar over their heads for fucking up the show.
I don't remember the next time I saw them, it may either have been at I/O Lounge (now the Vagabond) or it may have been at Churchills again, it doesn't really matter. Either way, I was COMPLETELY blown away. At some points groovy, at some points metal, at other points pure and unadulterated rock n' motherfuckin' roll. The return of a rock god and his name is Joshua Xmas.
I wish that I could say that enthusiasm and positivity can make anything work, but they don't. After that show I started "managing" the Dyslexic Postcards, but I'm pretty sure that managing doesn't mean futilely trying to keep together a group of guys who were self-defeatist, self-destructive, drug addict, alcoholic, unbalanced people.
There were moments when I was sitting in one member's house trying to hold him together as he weened himself off heroin by alternately using zanax and cocaine. Or taking time to solve the relationship problems of another member because for some reason every time we had a big show his girlfriend always started a gigantic fight fucking up his entire mindset. Not to mention the arrests, the impounded vehicles, the completely disorganized practices, and my favorite, beating up hippies.
I had to stop managing them and it was one of the last project I was involved in before I took two years off from the local music scene. And yeah, it was incredibly difficult and trying and burnt me out faster than the Santa Anna winds destroy famous people's homes. I'm a nerd, I don't get that lifestyle, I don't get why anyone with that much talent would throw it all away for what... a high? A girl?
But, and this is a REALLY REALLY big but, I can pop in those burnt CDs (and I am the ONLY person in the world with all these songs) labeled "Dyslexic Postcards - DP EP" or "Dyslexic Postcards - 212 Sessions", and listen to some of the best music I've ever heard in my life.
Sometimes I feel like Dyslexic Postcards are my little secret. Even though I really hope that someday Josh can pull it together to get the fame and success he could get if only he got his shit straight.
This interview took place in Josh's apartment in Downtown Miami. My favorite thing about Josh is that he doesn't hold back - he's extremely quotable. In an industry of politically correct and pre-approved answers Josh just doesn't give a fuck. Hopefully I can keep this going as much as possible, Josh's stories are nothing short of remarkable.
Also, check out their myspace page, www.myspace.com/DyslexicPostcards.
RD: We’ve been working together for a long time now. 3 years ago, I went to cover a show because [an old friend from High School] interviewed you for [Unite Magazine], and I went to cover a show and do some pictures for the cover. Do you remember how we started working together?
Josh Xmas: The show right? You saw us play at Churchill’s once (for Michaelangelo’s birthday party in 2004).
R: That’s right, I forgot about that one. Then we met at the show at Liquor Lounge. You still had Randall [playing bass] back then. After that I started managing you, then things got crazy, then imploded. Ok, so, that was all 2005 or something. You know what is a good marker was Hurricane Katrina, because remember you were supposed to do that Katrina Benefit Show [Miami Reaches Out] when I was still managing you guys, then something happened with Jo-el [drummer at the time] or your brother last minute so you couldn’t play the show?
J: Then I ran away to Texas.
R: Yeah, you ran away to Texas... [Both laugh] Why did you run away to Texas again?
J: I don’t know man. I’m not sure if anyone wants to read this. I went to Texas to get married.
R: You went to get married???
J: Yeah.
R: You married that girl???
J: No, I was going to get married, I was engaged to get married.
J: I knew her for like two weeks, then I asked her to marry me, I told her we should go to Vegas, and then Katrina came and wiped out all the power, and I was like, ‘what am I going to do? I’m bored. Why don’t we go and get married.’
We were going to go to Vegas, but she’s like "no, my mom would disown me, I want to get married with my mom there." So we took a Greyhound to Texas. There’s nothing like being really close to someone to make you realize you don’t want to be with them.
The funny thing about that story is that in the second day we got kicked off the Greyhound because I got in a fight with a Security Guard in Georgia or Alabama. They kicked us off the bus, and I made a big stink and the lady in charge was like, ‘look, you guys just have to lay low till this guy’s shift is over, which means you're going to have to take the next bus out which is in 3 hours.’
So we ate shit at a Waffle House until we could come back, but then the cops came. They kicked us off the Greyhound property.
Then we got up to Texas and I called it off, and made her Step-Father rent a car and he drove us back to Florida. I never saw her again.
I met her at a woman’s three-quarters way house [that a friend would let me into], and I would go over there to pickup chicks.
R: You had a friend that was like a super fat girl…
J: That was her, she was the head of the three-quarters way house and she would let me in. I was the only guy allowed in there, and there were like 50 girls in this one house, and I would go to hang out.
This can not be printed.
R: It’s interesting. [Laughter] All names will be withheld to protect the innocent.
I remember you going off to Texas, but I thought you just [wanted to get away].
J: No, I didn’t tell anyone [that I was getting married].
R: But really... why the fuck would you do that??
J: I was in love with her, I really was. I was sober for two years, the first two years ever in my life. Every girl that I’ve ever been with, including when I lost my virginity, I’ve always been high. I was a year and a half clean, then I met this girl and I experienced all these cliché feelings that you read about and I just thought it was real because I was sober. I thought to myself, “this is the person I’m supposed to be with, it’s fantastic.” Then the Hurricane came, and everything got swallowed by it. You know what I mean? There was no power, when you hang around with somebody for 24 hours, and just hang out with no distractions you start asking, “man, is this meant to be?”
R: Let’s get on to the whole sobriety thing. You are now clean… for how long now?
J: 53 days.
R: After spending how long [being a user]?
J: It’s been like 3 years. When I was living with [a former employer], and I started smoking weed with him. The first year it was just smoking pot. The last few years it’s been cocaine and crack.
R: Before that?
J: I started with Acid [when I was a teenager]. Then I had a year since I met you, to [my boss]’s thing, to eventually going all out again. I haven’t [really] been sober since I was twelve.
R: When you were 12 was it just mainly pot and acid?
J: Yeah.
R: Then you started using heroin?
J: Yeah, when I got burnt out on acid, then I start snorting heroin [in my early 20's]. The heroin years are pretty boring. It was just like boosting cars, robbing people’s homes [tape gets inaudible].
There was no Dyslexic Postcards from 2000 until I eventually stopped using in 2004. I started doing heroin in '98, then I finally kicked it in 2004.
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Part II, and subsequent, coming soon...
If You Enjoyed This Post, You May Also Like:
- Dyslexic Postcards sign to District Records
- In Memory of Atom Xmas
- Ric's Reflections of REVMiami.com's Launch Party, Pt. II
- Phantogram Interview: December 2, 2010
- Fireside Social - Booze, Balls, and Rock n' Roll: Meet Your New Favorite Band, Pt. 2
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