Bands with cats – Astrakhan
– by Cheena Jean Normandin
Astrakhan is: Dustan, Rob, Adam, Jerome
Henry Ashkatran.
Your deal:Â Rob, Astrakhan, guitar/vocals.
What’s your cat’s given name? Henry
What’s Henry’s origin story?
I bought Henry from an eccentric woman on kijiji. We corresponded through email exclusively because she would not give us a phone number. At first, my girlfriend and I travelled to Langley to meet her near her supposed townhouse complex, but when we found no trace of her residence we thought something was off. No one, not even the people on the strata knew who she was. Then, as we wandered the night with what seemed like a creepy old Cadillac following us, the dreadful realization that maybe it was all a lure occurred. She might actually have been a serial killer who was conveniently luring us in with the promise of adorable kittens, and her email, which was eerily something along the lines of humanpets@nottherealemail.com, was a macabre double entendre for our inevitable and impending doom. Turns out she was a total sweetheart, albeit a bit of an odd recluse. We got the kitty after all.
What’s your cat having for dinner?
Cat food. For a special treat, I’ll buy some crickets from the pet store. He eats those but I think it’s more for the game than sustenance.
What do you and your cat like to when you are getting prepped for a show?
One hour of quiet meditation, followed by an other hour of hot flow yoga. Afterwards we say a prayer, split a mickey of vodka, and smoke cigarettes until show time. This routine has an incredible calming effect.
Henry and Rob.
Do you have any reason to suspect that Henry is hatching any schemes at the moment?
Since we first let him outside, he has been struggling to devise a way to catch the humming birds that frequent my house. No luck yet, but he is still a kitty baby.
Is your cat more of a “Staring longingly out the window” or “Traipsing around in the wild” sort of cat?
Henry loves to climb, he loves the beach, he swims in lakes, and he will even play with big dogs at the dog park.
What is the last tragically adorable thing that your cat has done?
I came home drunk the other night, and instead of lecturing me, started to lick my head as I lay on the couch. Some sort of feline cleaning ritual.
Horus.
Your name: Dustan Toth
Your deal: Astrakhan. I play bass and croon.
What’s your cat’s name? Horus
What’s Horus’s origin story?
Horus was born to the mother cat after she retrieved all the dismembered body parts of her murdered husband, except his penis which was thrown into the Nile and eaten by a catfish (what?!?) She used her magic powers to resurrect the father and fashion a golden cat phallus to conceive her son.
What’s your cat having for dinner?
Dog food. It has more nutrients.
What do you and your cat like to when you are getting prepped for a show?
I like to shout at Horus to get my metal grit going. Horus responds by putting his paws in my mouth. Totally brutal.
Do you have any reason to suspect that Horus is hatching any schemes at the moment?
Duh. Horus is pissed that we selectively bred his family to leave him without any hair.
Is your cat more of a “Staring longingly out the window” or “Traipsing around in the wild” sort of cat?
Staring longingly at a wall… for hours.
What is the last tragically adorable thing that your cat has done?
Horus doesn’t do cute. He’s the anti-cat.
Music break with Astrakhan:
“Bitch” Kittttay.
Your name: Jerome
Your deal:Â Astrakhan. I play drums.
What’s your cat’s given name? “Bitch” kittttay
What’s your kittttay’s origin story?
She showed up one day at the back door of my restaurant where I was working at in Kelowna. We started feeding her smoked salmon, and she stuck around and ended up living in a cat cage under a cooling system. Now she lives with me.
What’s she having for dinner?
Iam’s. Or on a good day I’ll bring home some blood line of an ahi tuna.
What do you and your cat like to when you are getting prepped for a show?
She bitches at me while I take a shower.
Do you have any reason to suspect that she is hatching any schemes at the moment?
Probably trying to figure out how to open the fridge so she can get wasted on milk.
Is your cat more of a “Staring longingly out the window” or “Traipsing around in the wild” sort of cat?
She’s a stray, and has been outside most of her life,
What is the last tragically adorable thing that your cat has done?
Climbing down the attic stairs and inertia took over and she smashed her face on the closet door at the bottom of the steps.
Adam A. and Abbey.
Your name: Adam A
Your deal: Astrakhan- guitar
What’s your cat’s given name? Abbey
What’s your cat’s origin story?
She comes from the land of ice and snow, from the land of steak where the cowboys go.
What’s Abbey having for dinner? Friggin’ Iams
What do you and Abbey like to when you are getting prepped for a show?
She likes to drool on me while I play video games.
Do you have any reason to suspect that Abbey is hatching any schemes at the moment?
She recently hatched a big stinky scheme in my room mate’s closet.
Is Abbey more of a “Staring longingly out the window” or “Traipsing around in the wild” sort of cat?
Definitely traipsing. Â She goes out and makes her presence known by beating up all the neighborhood animals.
What is the last tragically adorable thing that your cat has done?
She brought a live mouse into our apartment let it go and then couldn’t catch it again. Â I often wonder how should would fare if she had to provide for herself. Besides that I would have to say the thing about my roommate’s closet again.
Video – Astrakhan, “Embers” (live at Zoo Zhop):
Astrakhan’s next show is Mar. 8 at the Astoria with/ M16, Supernatural River, and Waingro
https://www.facebook.com/events/217063118477003/
Previously, on Bands with Cats:
