Damaged Good$ Interview: SXSW 2010

Damaged Good$, the duo act of Theodore Beard and Chris Clark, began when Theodore made a fierce and poetic response to racism on his campus [College of the Ozarks]. Both he and Clark played basketball, and in standing tall he gained a teammate's respect. When they learned of shared musical interests and aspirations, a contract with Big Dada soon materialized. DMG$ TV, another Beard-Clark project, is laugh out loud funny. Joining SXSW again this year -- this time with Beard's ID in tow -- the duo can't wait. "SXSW is just incredibly fun!" says Beard.

How did you get started?

Chris Clark and I were students at College of the Ozarks in Arkansas, and we both played basketball. It was the middle of the season -- I noticed him rockin' out but we didn't really talk to each other. Then some people started sending hate letters to blacks on campus. It was really bad, even if it's hard to believe this stuff still happens -- it does. I went home and wrote a poem, then I wrote some music. I had a song. Chris heard the song and he admired what I'd done. We learned how much we have in common and became best friends. We are both from Texas. He grew up in Oak Cliff and I grew up in Tyler. Things happened fast. We signed with Big Dada, released 'Hello World.' We've been traveling a lot ever since.

Where do you like to play?

Anywhere we can. We had a great time in our Europe tour -- Amsterdam, Paris, London and other places overseas -- and we like how out-going and open-minded people are there. There's a great clip of one of our nights in Paris. We love Dallas and the club scene. We're a top act in town. And we love playing at places like Dartmouth College, where everyone comes out to have fun.

How would you describe your sound?

It's very progressive and forward-thinking music, it's left-field. We are versatile. Our sound is changing and evolving all the time. It depends on where we are in the moment and what we're into. We are more than a single genre, and it's difficult to discuss micro-genres.

How did you choose your name?

My parents chose it for me. I am Theodore Roosevelt Beard the fourth. My father is the third. And about my name -- I am glad you like the name Theodore because I do too. I am me on that stage. It's me, and I am not Taz-B or anybody else on that stage. I understand why people use other names but that's me, real.

We chose our group name because nobody's perfect and because of the Native American idea that true beauty always has imperfections. We are using our experience and where we've been to bring music that people like. There's a lot of energy to us. Also, Damaged Good$ was the name of Chris's blog when we first started recording. Now our blog is called Hello World.

What are your musical influences?

We like and admire almost anyone who's pushing against the stereotype of their genre. I like Bjork, The Outcasts, punk rock -- really anybody who's so passionate about their craft that they want to enlarge the space they're in. If we're really passionate about music, we tend to freely express ourselves -- and when we do that, other people who love what we have to say find us.

What's in your festival survival kit?

I will tell you what wasn't in my stuff last year. I left my ID at home and that was really a problem. There's a clip on DMG$ TV about it. What's in my backpack is my survival kit. There are three notebooks -- I am always writing stuff down -- and some books: Russell Simmons' 'Do You!,' Jeff Chang's 'Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation', and Stacy Gueraseva's 'Def Jam, Inc: Russell Simmons, Rick Rubin and the Extraordinary Story of the World's Most Influential Hip-Hop Label.' So I have my brush, ID, Gatorade,water, gummi worms, chapstick, and clothes.

Do you get into any mischief when you're on tour? Do you have any vices?

We were drinking way too much last year but we aren't now. We may have some wine or a Guinness. We may get ourselves killed for videotaping and photographing people, however. We record people to capture memories, and to get the funny stories. The DMG$ TV thing is all about bad choices, terrible decisions, and it's about using Chris's videographer training. It's a creative outlet. We want to make some merch because we don't have any right now. We've done our own design work, and I want us to have t-shirts. Is that a vice? Nah!

Do you have any musical guilty pleasures?

Maybe one. I like to act as if I know how to play the drums, and I've gotten really good at making people believe I can play them. Like air drums, I have all the actions down and I go at it. But I don't know how to play drums at all!

Beatles or Stones?

Both have contributed so much! I guess I prefer both groups for different reasons. If I must choose, it's the Beatles. We learn so much by the recycling of classic rock.

Did you have a first celebrity crush?

Erykah Badu. There is something about her that is so fascinating. She is so strong. Maybe she's intimidating. She's so beautiful. Have you noticed that everyone dating her changes? Something to do with her.

What was your scariest/creepiest/craziest moment on tour?

We were on our way to Corpus Christi [Texas] and stopped at a gas station because I really had to use the bathroom. There was a long line and it occurred to me there must only be one stall. It was like 15 minutes to get to the door. I finally get in and I'm in the stall. Next thing I know, some dude has rushed in and he's beside me, trying to pee right next to me. He couldn't speak English and he just scoots in really close to me. I accidentally peed on this guy. That is the first time I've ever told anyone that story. That is the creepiest and grossest story.

What's next?

We're playing in Norman, Oklahoma. We're releasing another EP, but I don't know the name of it yet. We are going to have merchandise. We are continuing with our charity project, which started last month, to put on a showcase every month. Have you read 'The Selfish Gene' by Richard Hawkins? I highly recommend it!


Donna Rodgers is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.