Steven Ramshur came to Tucson by way of San Francisco on a ghost-hunting road trip about 10 years ago. Ramshur works at a popular grocery store and finds time for experimental gardening and beat-the-heat epic summer road trips. Says Ramshur of Tucson: "Someone once told me, 'If you can't make it here, you can't make it anywhere.' ... Indeed."
What was the first concert you ever saw?
Johnny Cash. It was at the L.A. County Fair. I was about 7 or 8 years old.
What are you listening to these days?
Cat's Eyes, Cat's Eyes; Wilson Pickett, The Sound of Wilson Pickett; Tame Impala, Innerspeaker; The Soundcarriers, Celeste; The Left Banke, The Left Banke Too; The Low Anthem, Smart Flesh. (Woodwinds rock!)
What's the first album you owned?
Bay City Rollers, self-titled. I loved this album, until my buddies at school threatened to beat me up and kick me out of the KISS Army.
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone seem to love, but you just don't get?
Auto-Tune. Hipster indie bands even use it. I don't get it; are they trying to be ironic? And who the fuck is Justin Bieber?
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
The Faces and Scott Walker.
Musically speaking, what is your favorite guilty pleasure?
Witch house. Beat-heavy gothic house music is how I would describe it. These are two things I usually hate, but together, it's strangely addictive.
What song would you like to have played at your funeral?
Tom Waits, "Take It With Me."
What band or artist changed your life, and how?
It's happened more than once, but I would have to say the Rolling Stones, the first time I heard "Country Honk," the slow one. These guys were the catalyst for a long trip back through old country, blues, gospel and folk.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
Oh man, I have to take two: The Kinks, Something Else by the Kinks, and Van Morrison, Astral Weeks.
