Jam Bands Online: First of all, I would like to know what planet you hail from?

Scott Metzger: Well I’m not at liberty to say, really. But I do like it here. I believe I’ll stay a while…

JBO: All bullshit aside though, your style is so diverse. If you could pick one guitarist that would most accurately describe your style, who would they be and why?

SM: I’ve taken stuff from a thousand guys from Debashish Bhattacharya to Chet Atkins to Eddie Hazel and try to make it into my own “Metzger-y” kinda thing. Hopefully someone hears some of Nels Cline and Richard Thompson in what I do. They are my two favorite guitarists walking the planet.

JBO: In regards to the “Jam Scene”….what is the draw for you as a musician?

SM: Making music with other people, composing on the spot. When there are a group of people that are all playing together on the same page and everything is clicking, it’s the greatest, realest thing I’ve ever felt. It’s completely addictive and I’m hooked.
As a scene the jam thing is very unique. A bunch of guys that support each other, jam together, and are genuinely interested in what each other are up to? Are you kidding me? I don’t think you can have any idea as to how different that attitude is from the rest of the music industry unless you’ve seen it with your own eyes. My old band RANA and I tried to play the corporate game for a second but we didn’t stand a chance. We had a guy telling us what we were gonna wear, who was gonna be the band spokesman, who was gonna be the the guy that the chicks would all swoon for… We were all looking at each other like “Is this guy for real? We’re outta here.”

JBO: In other words, you weren’t going to be the guy who got the chicks, so you bailed?

SM: Exactly (laughs)

JBO: Do you prefer the studio over live performing? If so or not, why?

SM: A live gig is like going on a date. You’re not sure how it’s gonna turn out. Could turn out great. Maybe not so great. You might like some of what you see and not like other parts of it. But you play through to see how it all turns out.
The studio is like proposing. You have an opportunity to create a moment exactly how you want it to be. You can mull it over and over to decide exactly how you want it to go.
They are both fun and I like them both in their own way.

JBO: That very well may be one of the best ways that I have ever heard the two described. Throughout your career, you have been involved in some interesting collaborations w/ some phenomenal musicians. Is there anything else on the near horizon that you can disclose without top secret clearance?

SM: There is stuff in the works, but if I told you what, I’d have to kill you and I don’t want to have to do that. You seem like a nice enough guy.

JBO: Well, thank you for that. When asked to collaborate, what do you look for before you agree to do so?

SM: Enthusiasm and a good hang. I don’t care if somebody is writing the next ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’, if the hang isn’t good or if there’s no enthusiasm for what’s happening, then I don’t want to have anything to do with it.

JBO: What is it about Joe Russo and his style of playing that makes you guys mesh so well?

SM: We’ve done tons of shows together in lots of different projects. We’ve played all over the world together. I’ve spent hundreds of hours on stage with Joe. And we get along really well off stage, too. That’s really important. We’ve been through a lot together. I know Joey’s playing real well and I’m sure the opposite is true. I’m lucky that some of my best friends are some of the most raging musicians around today and Joey is at the top of that list. Oh, here’s Joe now. What do you think, Joe?
“It’s true.”
A man of few words. Thanks, dude. Joe Russo, everybody

JBO: Yes, much obliged Senor Russo. So, you have been praised by many in the industry from Warren Haynes to Marc Brownstein, how do you measure your success in regards to your career? Do you base it more on fan or peer response?

SM: Definitely on peer response. I’d have quit a long time ago if I based by my success on fan numbers/response. I’m a guy that walks backstage at a show and I’m friends with everyone in the band, but all the cute girls and hangers-on are like “who’s that?”

JBO: Maybe so, but when you take the stage, if they didn’t know before, they ask. Even better, what is inspiring as a fan is to see you interact with your fans as peers. Why do you think that this attribute has been lost by so many in the industry?

SM: I am a fan of musicians, comedians, athletes, etc., and still get excited when I get to meet a hero. There’s nothing better than meeting somebody you look up to and they give you a minute or two and bro out with you. There’s also nothing worse than when you meet someone you idolize and they give you the big blow off. These are the things in life that come back to us.

JBO: If you could pick a hindrance(s)…something that has stood in your way since you began your career, what would it be?

SM: Career? (laughs, pauses)… I guess lack of consistency. Musically speaking, I’m all over the place.

JBO: In retrospect, what are some of the most rewarding experiences that you can recall in your career?

SM: There’s that word, career, again. There have been a few. James Brown telling me I “play so much guitar, it’s frightening” is going to be tough to beat. I mean, it’s James Brown telling you he likes the way you play. Jeez…

JBO: So what’s next for Scott Metzger?

SM: I take things a day at a time, so what’s next for me? Thursday.

JBO: Well, whenever or wherever it is, I hope to be there.

For more on Scott, projects that he is involved with, upcoming tour dates, other shenanigans, and to find out exactly what it is like in Metzgerville, check out:

myspace.com/scottmetzgermusic