The Untitled Interview #181: Starring Donny Potter (Fire And The Wheel)

We all know DC's musical rep. And yes, this city does certain sounds very, very well. Sometimes, though, it's a breath of fresh air when something straight up different joins the party, and that's just what Fire and the Wheel is doing. Comprised of current and former members of current and former local bands, the foursome has opted to concoct big, bold rock/folk/glam/theatrical songs just this side of bombastic. I just hope this city is ready for them, because who knows what these four fellows can get themselves up to? 

Keyboardist Donny Potter (ex-Loose Lips) took on the Untitled Interview and had the following to say about all things Fire and the Wheel, including Cormac McCarthy, hot sauce, and "crazy" sex. Read on, and then make plans to be at the Black Cat this Saturday night when the band makes their big time venue debut and celebrates the release of their debut (concept!) LP at the same time. And really, that's exactly what DC needs. A good old-fashioned concept record. Heck yes. And now... 

FIRE AND THE WHEEL:

AS A MOVIE: Fire and the Wheel is...like a Stanley Kubrick movie; painstakingly created and beautiful, but also visceral and unsettling. Either that or 'Air Bud'. 

AS A DRINK: Fire and the Wheel is...largely unpretentious like beer, but not like a can of Bud Light or something. We're like like a 6 pack of strong IPAs because we're delicious and we'll make you feel good for a little while. 

AS A WEATHER EVENT: Fire and the Wheel is...like thunder, because Donny and Ron are Thunder Tube virtuosos.

AS AN OBSCURE VINTAGE LP: Fire and the Wheel, speaking of thunder, is like the fantastic Thor - Unchained EP.

AS A MOMENT IN HISTORY: Fire and the Wheel, the band name, is a reference to two important pre-historic discoveries which were essential to the rise of civilization: Taco Bell hot sauce and unicycles. 

AS A DENOMINATION OF CURRENCY: Fire and the Wheel is...a Sacagawea dollar because we're golden and unpopular. 

AS A SPOT IN DC: Fire and the Wheel is...like the Black Cat because that's our favorite music venue in the city and the place where we're playing our LP release show on Saturday 5/19 with Last Tide, More Humans and Teenage Aviation. Oh hey, why don't you come to that, person reading this. 

AS A VIDEO GAME/CHARACTER THEREIN: Fire and the Wheel is...the backwards 'L' shaped piece in Tetris. Obviously. 

AS A WORK OF LITERATURE: Fire and the Wheel is...Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian"; violent and difficult. 

AS A HISTORICAL FIGURE: Fire and the Wheel is...Mother Theresa; violent and difficult. 

AS A CAMPAIGN PROMISE: If elected, Fire and the Wheel promises to ban same-sex marriage, as we firmly believe that all marriages should incorporate many different varieties of crazy sex.

 
[photo by Megan Petty]