Written By Debbie Bowman Photos By Steve Leibrand
Published: October 20, 2011
Published: October 20, 2011
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Home > Columns > Loud & Upfront in Columbus > The World Famous Weedeaters
Weed wackers, you can't touch this: The World Famous Weedeaters
OK, so they aren’t exactly “world famous” yet. As I write this, Todd Reed, better
known as "Psycho" the lead singer of The World Famous Weedeaters, is in L.A.
shopping for booking agents. So you’ve got to get out and see this fun show while
they still belong to us Columbus. This nine piece band plays everything from
spoons to bagpipes and saxophone. They are the guys you want to go see if you
want to get up and dance.
Deb: Tell me how you got started.
Psycho: I got started in the eighties and I was doin hip-hop. I was a straight up beat
boy. I was rappin' and graffitin' and break dancing. And DJin' and eventually I started
writing music.
Deb: When did you start DJing in Louisiana?
Psycho: Well, actually I was MCing on Bourbon Street at Club Razzoo. It’s the
number one club there on Bourbon Street. It's ranked number three in the nation, I
believe. I started MCing there in 1999, maybe.
Deb: And you still do it once a year?
Psycho: I still do it on special occasions. Mardi Gras, Jazz fest, Essence Fest. The
bigger festivals, I still go down there.
Deb: How did you get started singing?
Psycho: Singing is a different story, 'cause I’m not a good singer.
Deb: I think you are.
Psycho: I don’t have good vocals, I have distinctive vocals. Like Tom Petty or Bob
Dillon. Not like I’m trying to compare myself to them at all. But people who have
heard my music know it’s me. It’s one of those things. But singing is something I
branched out in while in my old band Psychotic Reaction. It was a rock-rap band
and I was singing heavier stuff. I think when I went down to New Orleans and
started MCing it was like Russian Roulette Karaoke. It was like whatever came out
of the DJ booth I would swim with.
Deb: How long have The World Famous Weedeaters been playing together?
Psycho: Three years, almost.
Deb: And where do you guys play around here (Columbus)?
Psycho: When we first started playing we were mainly downtown. Now lately we
are still downtown, but also in the surrounding suburbs.
Deb: How did it come about that you guys participated in Red White and
Boom last year?
Psycho: We had been doing the Gay Pride Fest every year for three years and one
of the girls, whose an organizer for Red, White and Boom, Suzie Simpson and she
hooked us up with that.
Deb: And you have kinda participated in Independence Festival?
Psycho: It was two years ago? The second year they had it. And we submitted our
music like we do for so many festivals and they always deny us, so we decided we
would go gorilla style and we set up on the street and played anyway for an hour
and a half. (laughs) It was beautiful!
Deb: It worked out well for you guys right?
Psycho: Yeah, we had a big crowd, it was good. But “they” didn’t like it much. I told
them if they didn’t like it maybe they should book us and not just their friends like
every other festival.
Deb: Do you and The World Famous Weedeaters have an album?
Psycho: We have a new one comin' out. It’s gonna be titled Chitlin’ Circuit Blues.
We got the name from the chitlin circuit which is what the old blues musicians used
to tour around to. All of the old juke joints, way back in the day. It was all of the
dives. Basically that’s what we’ve been doin’ is playin’ the chitlin’ circuit for the last
three years. (laughs) Not quite “world famous” yet… but we’re workin’ on that.
Deb: How would you describe your music?
Psycho: Blues, reggae and funk-influenced hip-hop. So it’s definitely a hip-hop
band, but it always has that influence of reggae, blues and funk.
Deb: You’re working on videos?
Psycho: Yep. We just did "Million Miles Away," it’s on YouTube and our Facebook
page. And then we have a video coming out for “Mr. Charlie.” It’s a political song
called "The War Goes On," it’s about getting pulled over by the police. And we have
a new roller skatin' song I think everybody’s gonna dig. That video ought to be pretty
fun! We’re trying to rush production on it before the weather gets too crappy.
Deb: Tell me what’s going on with you and George Harrison’s son.
Psycho: George Harrison, from the Beatles, his son, Danny Harrison does some
collaboration with The WuTang Clan. And a guy I have come in contact with who is
affiliated with The WuTang, he’s actually been collaborating with The World
Famous Weedeaters, a rapper by the name of Eyes. He asked if I’d be interested in
coming out and working with him and Danny Harrison out in LA. So I’m not sure of
the particulars of it all, I just hope to have something to do with it! Yeah, so we’re
gonna take a bunch of music out there and see what happens.
Deb: Tell me again about your writing process.
Psych: My writing process….smoke a big blunt, go to the movies early in the day
when nobody is in the movie theater. For some reason it gets my creative juices
flowing. Then I go from there to Barnes and Nobles, I look for synopsis for books
that kinda go along with the subject matter of the song that I’m trying to write on.
Then I jot down as many colorful phrases and words as I possibly can. I take them
home and throw them on my instrumentals and see what happens.
Deb: Who all is in your band right now?
Psycho: Right now we got a guy named Jason [Harper] on bass. He’s a newbie.
He’s pretty new. He played with a band called Barter Project. He’s super funky, real
active. Plays a six string bass. We got a guy, Willie B., William Bell plays
saxophone, blues, and bagpipes. Jamar Ford back-up vocals. DJ KGB on turn
tables and back-up vocals. And he plays a lot of specialty percussion instruments.
And Stevie Mach from Ma Raniey. He plays acoustic guitar and harmonica.
Sometimes if we’re lucky he’ll pull out the fiddle. My buddy Dave, Fabuloso is what
we call him. He’s electric guitar and funk wa. He plays the talk box. And Mr. LA Sky
from Rick James’ Stone City Band. He plays trumpet of course. A legendary
funkateer. And we’ve got a guy named Eric [Rau] right now, he used to play drums
for Shadow Box. He’s a young kid and he’s a phenomenal drummer. So we got a
pretty tight little click right now.
This “click” is worthy of your support, get out and see them Columbus!
Tomorrow night at Alrosa Villa in Columbus, The World Famous Weedeaters will
open for (Hed) P.E. on their "Hard Core Unity Tour." Tickets are $15. You can
check out other show dates on The World Famous Weedeaters' Facebook page.
You can also visit the band on their official website.
known as "Psycho" the lead singer of The World Famous Weedeaters, is in L.A.
shopping for booking agents. So you’ve got to get out and see this fun show while
they still belong to us Columbus. This nine piece band plays everything from
spoons to bagpipes and saxophone. They are the guys you want to go see if you
want to get up and dance.
Deb: Tell me how you got started.
Psycho: I got started in the eighties and I was doin hip-hop. I was a straight up beat
boy. I was rappin' and graffitin' and break dancing. And DJin' and eventually I started
writing music.
Deb: When did you start DJing in Louisiana?
Psycho: Well, actually I was MCing on Bourbon Street at Club Razzoo. It’s the
number one club there on Bourbon Street. It's ranked number three in the nation, I
believe. I started MCing there in 1999, maybe.
Deb: And you still do it once a year?
Psycho: I still do it on special occasions. Mardi Gras, Jazz fest, Essence Fest. The
bigger festivals, I still go down there.
Deb: How did you get started singing?
Psycho: Singing is a different story, 'cause I’m not a good singer.
Deb: I think you are.
Psycho: I don’t have good vocals, I have distinctive vocals. Like Tom Petty or Bob
Dillon. Not like I’m trying to compare myself to them at all. But people who have
heard my music know it’s me. It’s one of those things. But singing is something I
branched out in while in my old band Psychotic Reaction. It was a rock-rap band
and I was singing heavier stuff. I think when I went down to New Orleans and
started MCing it was like Russian Roulette Karaoke. It was like whatever came out
of the DJ booth I would swim with.
Deb: How long have The World Famous Weedeaters been playing together?
Psycho: Three years, almost.
Deb: And where do you guys play around here (Columbus)?
Psycho: When we first started playing we were mainly downtown. Now lately we
are still downtown, but also in the surrounding suburbs.
Deb: How did it come about that you guys participated in Red White and
Boom last year?
Psycho: We had been doing the Gay Pride Fest every year for three years and one
of the girls, whose an organizer for Red, White and Boom, Suzie Simpson and she
hooked us up with that.
Deb: And you have kinda participated in Independence Festival?
Psycho: It was two years ago? The second year they had it. And we submitted our
music like we do for so many festivals and they always deny us, so we decided we
would go gorilla style and we set up on the street and played anyway for an hour
and a half. (laughs) It was beautiful!
Deb: It worked out well for you guys right?
Psycho: Yeah, we had a big crowd, it was good. But “they” didn’t like it much. I told
them if they didn’t like it maybe they should book us and not just their friends like
every other festival.
Deb: Do you and The World Famous Weedeaters have an album?
Psycho: We have a new one comin' out. It’s gonna be titled Chitlin’ Circuit Blues.
We got the name from the chitlin circuit which is what the old blues musicians used
to tour around to. All of the old juke joints, way back in the day. It was all of the
dives. Basically that’s what we’ve been doin’ is playin’ the chitlin’ circuit for the last
three years. (laughs) Not quite “world famous” yet… but we’re workin’ on that.
Deb: How would you describe your music?
Psycho: Blues, reggae and funk-influenced hip-hop. So it’s definitely a hip-hop
band, but it always has that influence of reggae, blues and funk.
Deb: You’re working on videos?
Psycho: Yep. We just did "Million Miles Away," it’s on YouTube and our Facebook
page. And then we have a video coming out for “Mr. Charlie.” It’s a political song
called "The War Goes On," it’s about getting pulled over by the police. And we have
a new roller skatin' song I think everybody’s gonna dig. That video ought to be pretty
fun! We’re trying to rush production on it before the weather gets too crappy.
Deb: Tell me what’s going on with you and George Harrison’s son.
Psycho: George Harrison, from the Beatles, his son, Danny Harrison does some
collaboration with The WuTang Clan. And a guy I have come in contact with who is
affiliated with The WuTang, he’s actually been collaborating with The World
Famous Weedeaters, a rapper by the name of Eyes. He asked if I’d be interested in
coming out and working with him and Danny Harrison out in LA. So I’m not sure of
the particulars of it all, I just hope to have something to do with it! Yeah, so we’re
gonna take a bunch of music out there and see what happens.
Deb: Tell me again about your writing process.
Psych: My writing process….smoke a big blunt, go to the movies early in the day
when nobody is in the movie theater. For some reason it gets my creative juices
flowing. Then I go from there to Barnes and Nobles, I look for synopsis for books
that kinda go along with the subject matter of the song that I’m trying to write on.
Then I jot down as many colorful phrases and words as I possibly can. I take them
home and throw them on my instrumentals and see what happens.
Deb: Who all is in your band right now?
Psycho: Right now we got a guy named Jason [Harper] on bass. He’s a newbie.
He’s pretty new. He played with a band called Barter Project. He’s super funky, real
active. Plays a six string bass. We got a guy, Willie B., William Bell plays
saxophone, blues, and bagpipes. Jamar Ford back-up vocals. DJ KGB on turn
tables and back-up vocals. And he plays a lot of specialty percussion instruments.
And Stevie Mach from Ma Raniey. He plays acoustic guitar and harmonica.
Sometimes if we’re lucky he’ll pull out the fiddle. My buddy Dave, Fabuloso is what
we call him. He’s electric guitar and funk wa. He plays the talk box. And Mr. LA Sky
from Rick James’ Stone City Band. He plays trumpet of course. A legendary
funkateer. And we’ve got a guy named Eric [Rau] right now, he used to play drums
for Shadow Box. He’s a young kid and he’s a phenomenal drummer. So we got a
pretty tight little click right now.
This “click” is worthy of your support, get out and see them Columbus!
Tomorrow night at Alrosa Villa in Columbus, The World Famous Weedeaters will
open for (Hed) P.E. on their "Hard Core Unity Tour." Tickets are $15. You can
check out other show dates on The World Famous Weedeaters' Facebook page.
You can also visit the band on their official website.
An interview with vocalist, Todd "Psycho" Reed
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