11 Questions with... Michael Ward

Today's "11" focuses on none other than celebrated axeman/children's book author/Lance Armstrong groupie, Mr. Michael Ward... That's right folks, he's what Oscar likes to call a "triple threat." Oh, yeah, he's even won a Grammy® - so he thinks he's better than us.

Ward, or "the Warden" as he demands to be called, became a lifelong pal of Oscar's when his band School of Fish were playing on the LA club scene back in a time historians refer to as "the late 80s"... since then he's gone on to wield his mighty six-string as a primary member of The Wallflowers, and for Shelby Lynne, Avril Lavigne, John Hiatt, Gavin Degraw, and, currently, as a member of Ben Harper's Innocent Criminals.

Mike took his second (first?) love, cycling, and figured out a way to use it to profit off children... his first book, Mike and the Bike, became a bona fide kid's book smash (buy it here). His aforementioned pal Lance Armstrong contributed the forward, and voice of the Tour de France Phil Liggett narrates the audio portion. A second volume is in the works, and currently Oscar is in negotiations to perform the part of the villain on the audio disc. We'll keep you posted. I've added a photo at the end of this entry of Ward shamelessly shilling his book, just FYI.

Let's see how Mr. Ward handles the questions:

1. Use the word "antidisestablishmentarianism" in a sentence.

Does this antidisestablishmentarianism make me look fat?

2. Please list your favorite movie, tv show, and snack food.

The Triplets of Belleville, The Flintstones, Trader Joe's pretzels-stuffed-with-peanut-butter thingy's. WITH SALT!

3. What book should we be reading?

The Road by Cormac McCarthy. You can borrow Oprah's copy. Also, Sex, Lies, and Handlebar Tape, the biography of Tour de France champion Jacques Anquetil.

4. I say tomato, you say...

Run for your lives!!!

5. What was your most memorable gig?

Madison Square Garden? Hollywood Bowl? Playing bass for John Paul Jones, bass player from Led Zeppelin, at Bonnaroo? No. Let's go for Al's Bar, with 5 people in the audience. Character-building.

6. Who is your fantasy musical collaborator? Living or dead.

Django Reinhardt. I figure I could show him a few licks. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

7. What is the most "unlikely" record/cd that you love?

Iron Maiden, The Number of the Beast. Unlikely for some, but not for a 41-year-old metal head from Minnesota.

8. What was the first record you ever owned?

Destroyer by KISS. On Cassette from Columbia House. Ask Oscar what that means if you're under forty.

9. Have a song you wish you'd written?

Yes. Anything from the list of the top-ten most played songs of all time. Because I like money.

10. Soup or salad?

Salad. I like keeping "regular."

11. "I think, therefore..."

I read Oscar Wednesday's blog every hour, on the hour.