The Employee Interview
Second Edition: M. Nero Nava
3 + years at Amoeba
Floor Gent
Q: What was the first music you remember hearing as a kid, before you had a choice?
M.N.N: The first song I remember was Blondie's "Heart of Glass."
Q: How have your parents' musical choices affected your musical tastes?
They affected me a lot because my dad likes blues music, which got me into R&B, and my mom used to be a goth chick, so my aesthetic leanings were more towards post punk and all that stuff. But of course I rebelled as a teen and I listened to hip hop.
Q: What has been the biggest musical influence on your life?
Probably my mom. She laid the foundation with bands like the Cure, David Bowie, Lou Reed.
Q: What is your favorite record to get down to?
Probably Marvin Gaye, the I Want You album.
Q: What is your musical guilty pleasure?
All those R&B chicks that have one good song and they have one name: Kelis, Aaliyah, Ciara, Amerie.
Q: What's the last concert you went to? What was the first concert you went to?
First concert: Jefferson Starship at Great America.
Last concert: I saw Prince for my 46th time.
When i was 16 I started playing keyboards, then I sold my sampler and bought a guitar when I was 18. I wanted to play because girls like that and I'm funky.
Q: What's your favorite venue to see a show at here in the bay area? Great America?
The Great American Music Hall.
Q: What's the best show you've been to this year?
The best show I went to was a Prince show in Las Vegas. I was in the front row and Prince noticed me making fun of an audience member onstage. Prince told the guy to get off stage. He cued the band to stop playing and he said, "What about you, godfather, why don't
you get onstage?" I ducked and hid so I wouldn't have to get onstage and one of his dancing girls grabbed me and pulled me onstage. I walked up to him and I said, "Prince, why are you doing this to me?" and he said, "Stand over there and dance!" and I danced with the twins [ed. note: Prince has twins he uses as dancers and backup singers] and I flashed my cufflinks at him. He critiqued my dancing and my outfit. I was wearing a black and white pinstriped suit with matching Stacy Adams shoes and I was wearing my Tiffany cufflinks that are engraved with my initials. He told me he liked my dancing cause it didn't look like I was gonna break a sweat and he liked my cufflinks. I was onstage for about 15 minutes and when I was done I bowed and threw my hanky into the audience and I jumped into the first row. When I hit the first row he said, "I see that guy all the time, and I don't know about him. He's a mix of the godfather and Count Dracula but he dresses clean." [ed. note: true story!]
Q: What's the furthest you have traveled to see a show and who was it you were going to see?
I went to Georgia to see Prince. He was playing in a small club for about 500 people.
Q: What is your favorite section of the store?
The soul section.
Q: Best find in Amoeba?
I found Vanity 6 on cd, which has been out of print since 1985.
Q: What is your favorite Prince song?
"She's Always In My Hair." It's rock, it's funky, it's the revolution.
Q: What is your favorite part about working here at Amoeba?
I like talking to the customers.
Thank you for your time.
Second Edition: M. Nero Nava
3 + years at Amoeba
Floor Gent
Q: What was the first music you remember hearing as a kid, before you had a choice?
M.N.N: The first song I remember was Blondie's "Heart of Glass."
Q: How have your parents' musical choices affected your musical tastes?
They affected me a lot because my dad likes blues music, which got me into R&B, and my mom used to be a goth chick, so my aesthetic leanings were more towards post punk and all that stuff. But of course I rebelled as a teen and I listened to hip hop.
Q: What has been the biggest musical influence on your life?
Probably my mom. She laid the foundation with bands like the Cure, David Bowie, Lou Reed.
Q: What is your favorite record to get down to?
Probably Marvin Gaye, the I Want You album.
Q: What is your musical guilty pleasure?
All those R&B chicks that have one good song and they have one name: Kelis, Aaliyah, Ciara, Amerie.
Q: What's the last concert you went to? What was the first concert you went to?
First concert: Jefferson Starship at Great America.Last concert: I saw Prince for my 46th time.
.
Q: When did you start playing music and why?When i was 16 I started playing keyboards, then I sold my sampler and bought a guitar when I was 18. I wanted to play because girls like that and I'm funky.
Q: What's your favorite venue to see a show at here in the bay area? Great America?
The Great American Music Hall.
Q: What's the best show you've been to this year?
The best show I went to was a Prince show in Las Vegas. I was in the front row and Prince noticed me making fun of an audience member onstage. Prince told the guy to get off stage. He cued the band to stop playing and he said, "What about you, godfather, why don't
you get onstage?" I ducked and hid so I wouldn't have to get onstage and one of his dancing girls grabbed me and pulled me onstage. I walked up to him and I said, "Prince, why are you doing this to me?" and he said, "Stand over there and dance!" and I danced with the twins [ed. note: Prince has twins he uses as dancers and backup singers] and I flashed my cufflinks at him. He critiqued my dancing and my outfit. I was wearing a black and white pinstriped suit with matching Stacy Adams shoes and I was wearing my Tiffany cufflinks that are engraved with my initials. He told me he liked my dancing cause it didn't look like I was gonna break a sweat and he liked my cufflinks. I was onstage for about 15 minutes and when I was done I bowed and threw my hanky into the audience and I jumped into the first row. When I hit the first row he said, "I see that guy all the time, and I don't know about him. He's a mix of the godfather and Count Dracula but he dresses clean." [ed. note: true story!]Q: What's the furthest you have traveled to see a show and who was it you were going to see?
I went to Georgia to see Prince. He was playing in a small club for about 500 people.
Q: What is your favorite section of the store?
The soul section.
Q: Best find in Amoeba?
I found Vanity 6 on cd, which has been out of print since 1985.
Q: What is your favorite Prince song?
"She's Always In My Hair." It's rock, it's funky, it's the revolution.
Q: What is your favorite part about working here at Amoeba?
I like talking to the customers.
Thank you for your time.
Relevant Tags
Employee Interview, Prince, InterviewComments
Nero, if you were asked 'What was your 1st album/CD?', I could've answered for you. You were about 6 yrs old, & received a Fisher Price phonogragh as a gift. We bought you a few children's records to play, but quickly tired of those. I found a scratch on 1 of Prince albums & purchased a replacement. You wanted the old 1, and you played it all the time. I can see you now, stringing up a thin rope so your GI Joe action figures could traverse across some imaginary danger while listening to Prince's 'Controversy'.
most best comment ever
Nero Nava is someone who will change your perceptions of music forever. I say you should let him... Funk and soul. That is Nero. He will make a difference.
One of the funkiest kids U''ll ever meet, Nero Nava simply IS soul...A force 2 be reckoned with on the Bay Area music scene.