Today we’d like to introduce you to Alan Powers.
Hi Alan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
It all started with a dream.
In 1913, Richard Milhous Nixon was born in Yorba Linda, California. It would be 82 years until the next important individual of our story, Alan Powers, was born in Wixom, Michigan. A year later, Emerson Livingstone Harris was born in Rancho Mirage, California, and Casey Michael Donovan was born in Indianapolis, Indiana.
In between these Christ-level births, a little-known decade called The 1970’s did done happened. In 1974, the same year as Rush’s debut album was unleashed onto Planet Earth (here), Richard Milhous Nixon – who at this time was the President of a little-known country called “America” – did Watergate and resigned, a word which here means “stopped being the President of America.”
Just 5 years later, a group of little boys known as Pink Floyd released their seminal album “The Wall” – which was about not just any wall, but THE wall. And it was good.
Now, join us, will you? As we FLASH forward quickly into the Year Of Our Lord Two-Thousand And Seven-Teen. In this year, just a mere 50,688 paces away from the birthbed of President Nixon, at famous and awesome and affordable Chapman University – our heroes Alan, Emerson, and Casey (along with friends like Matt, Brad, and Skye among many others) staged a performance of this great and all-powerful album “The Wall” (from earlier). It was rock, it was roll. These boys really liked playing and performing this, and any, music together. And it was good.
Shortly thereforeafter – approx. 525,600 minutes later (Hey! I know that number from that show about housing!) – yet another musical performance was staged for the stage. This time, it was all-original. And it was not as good. It was called the title “Richard Nixon’s Big Adventure” – remember him? Oh yes, yes we do. Anyway, this was an all-original musical like I said that these Alan, Emerson, and Casey boys were involved with in some way or another. It is online if you’d like to see it, I’m tired and can’t really explain the plot, really. But from “Richard Nixon’s Big Adventure” came a typo. Toxhard. Toxhard Nixon. Remember that for later.
After the final of these performances, Alan, Emerson, and Casey sat beside the fireside. Drinking and being merry, they were. When all of a sudden, from the ground, came a giant burst of hot volcanic water. It was a geyser, right in the middle of Orange, California! “WOAH!” they exclaimed, shocked and surprised at this happening. Through the mist of this hot hot geyser, the face of Richard Nixon himself spoke to the boys and declared “You shall start a band. You must. The fate of stuff depends on it!”
“But Mr. Disgraced Republican President,” said the boys. “How?”
“You shall be The Toxhards. That will be your name, it shall be.”
“Thank you,” thanked the boys, thanking him.
The geyser, now known to scientists today as “Old Faithful” (this is how the famous “Old Faithful” geyser was born), went back into the ground never to be seen again.
“Well boys,” said the boys, to each other, “let’s go.”
After years of being really bad, they recruited friend Matt and eventually got famous for a pig. Many other songs like “How Lucky Am I?” and “OxyContin” and “Doombop!” were self-recorded inside a house in the San Fernando Valley, and people liked these songs on theinternet.com. Many shows got played, first all over Los Angeles, eventually all over America (the country from earlier). Friend Matt sadly had to leave as the shows were a lot, but the music kept coming and the shows kept coming and they don’t stop coming and they don’t stop coming (shreck).
Eventually, A Big Man in a Suit named Mr. Hopeless Records approached up to them and said unto them “Make us an entire album.” “Okay,” they said. And they did. It is called Your Neighborhood. It is a concept album. It is not about walls, but it is about a near-death experience and Alan, Emerson, and Casey really like the album. Many others also like the album too, as with every tour the band sells more tickets and more humans are showing up to look at them play music. How cool is that? Thank you Richard Nixon.
As of this moment Alan, Emerson, and Casey are still alive.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Pretty smooth so far. It would be awesome if we all didn’t get sick every tour. We truly need to take more vitamins, such as D and C, for example.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a band of music, that specializes in music (rock). Alternative to some, post-punk to others, good to many, bad to at least a few.
We are probably most known for a viral song called “Ængus, The Prize-Winning Hog,” but those that fall down The Toxhards rabbit hole tend to stick around for our energetic live concerts, eclectic catalogue of songs, unique and narrative-driven music videos, and our large muscles.
Alan is most proud of the album Your Neighborhood.
Emerson is most proud of “Sleep Talking,” a song from the album Your Neighborhood.
Casey is most proud of “Ængus, The Prize-Winning Hog,” a song that has resonated with weirdos everywhere and is not from the album Your Neighborhood.
What sets us apart from others is probably the constant swapping of instruments, using our very useful and not at all useless film school degree knowledge to create our own music videos, and not adhering to any one style, pulling from all eras of rock and pop to make what some people call “music.”
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Say hello by reaching out via email or DM us on Instant Gram. Every second of our music listened to creates a lifetime of appreciation and love from us. It would be a wonderful honor if you, dear reader, listened to any Toxhards music for any amount of time that you may deem sufficient. Thank you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://toxhards.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetoxhards/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/toxhards
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHT_deXjRO9jCSl146NVPew
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LOm4xDQLq8kmcRaZIzB2s?si=r5YbG1AfRpupzvqItfVz8g
Image Credits
Hannah Gini | Instagram: @losdeviles.ca | Website: losdeviles.com
