Unleashing the Dark Side: Kurt Deimer's Musical and Cinematic Journey

Brian (00:00:00) - Kurt Deimer you're very welcome to concerts that made us.

Kurt Deimer (00:00:04) - Hey, thank you for having me, Brian. Appreciate it very much, man.

Brian (00:00:07) - It's great to have you. Now. I'm really looking forward to diving into the chat. We have a lot to talk about. So you released doom back in August. It's a hell of a song and the video is amazing. You wrote it for your upcoming movie, Hillbilly Hollow. What can you tell us about it?

Kurt Deimer (00:00:26) - Well, Hillbilly Hollow is a project that I started a couple of years ago. I was in the movie Halloween that came out in 2018, and while I was sitting on the set of that movie waiting for my kill scene, I'm one of the few killed by the real Michael Myers from the John Carpenter franchise, so that's a real honor. I'm sitting there talking with James Jude Courtney, my friend who played Michael Myers, and I'm just sitting there thinking, I'm going to do my own horror franchise. I love this. This was the second movie I was cast in, and I'm like, I'm going to do my own.

Kurt Deimer (00:01:02) - So we got with another actor, Kevin Wayne, who I knew from Alabama, who I'd done some smaller stuff with after the first movie I was in called Trading Pain with John Travolta, and we just we knew he had this hillbilly hollow idea, and it's an actual place in Alabama that's like a Halloween scare attraction. So we wrote a script, came up with Creative Kills in the beginning of this franchise, kind of in the vein of Halloween. The first one so long ago was done, you know, on a low budget and just putting forth, you know, putting forth that movie that became so epic and classical and that's why A-Team came out. So that was how we got together to do Hillbilly Hollow. And then our final scene is so epic, and a lot of my songs from my music are in the movie on the soundtrack. So I had written a new song a couple of years ago that would be appropriate for a cool ending of a horror movie. But I also wanted, you know, because there's doom and horror movies, but I also like to write about life and things I've witnessed and have seen in my life and try to help people think.

Kurt Deimer (00:02:16) - So. I wrote kind of about the doom of horror, in addition to the doom of what drug addiction can do to people, and incorporated the two together to share that message with everyone. But that's how that came about.

Brian (00:02:29) - It's nice. And you know, something I was wondering is how do you approach writing a song for a movie as opposed to just a song for music? Is there much of a difference?

Kurt Deimer (00:02:39) - Well, doom I just wrote. I knew I needed something cool for the mood for the movie, but didn't write it per se for the movie because I always wanted to share the message about addiction, heroin addiction, cocaine and any, anything, any drug that somebody's addicted to, opioids or what it can do to you. So it just kind of fit together in my brain at the time. But that's a great question because I have another movie I just shot in March that I star in with Lynn Shay and Bill Moseley from Bill Moseley from the Rob zombie movies, and Lynn Shay from insidious, and something about Mary and Kingpin and all those.

Kurt Deimer (00:03:16) - So we starred in this movie called Scared to Death that should be coming to theaters next year. And on that movie, I wrote the score. The not the score. I didn't score the sound of the movie, but I wrote the song for the movie, and it's actually called Scared to Death. And it does relate to the movie and what goes on in the movie. So it was a totally different process. But it's a killer badass song that, you know, once the movie comes out, it'll come out on the soundtrack and we will play it live eventually when we have more room to do a theatrical performance, because that's eventually where I'm headed, and it'll be so fucking amazing. And it's a wicked song. So doom didn't write for the movie per se. Scared to death did. So it just depends.

Brian (00:04:01) - That's right. Gotcha. And you know, how do you approach. I don't want to sound like a job interview now, but how do you approach your time management? I mean, you're a singer, director, actor and a businessman.

Brian (00:04:13) - How do you find the time to fit everything in?

Kurt Deimer (00:04:17) - Well, my business is pretty much run themselves now. I mean, I started my companies in 99 and they've got a a bulk blending plant where I make all my own oil up in Pennsylvania that runs itself. And then I've got my other company, Coolants Plus, that distributes Starfire, which is my oil brand all over the world. So I built those companies, put my sweat and tears in their wives, raising my boys, and just didn't take no for an answer from anybody. Everybody told me I couldn't do it. I built them now they run like clockwork, and I'd make the big decisions if needed. Because I have a right hand man who runs everything there. And Lord. And he he knows he's been with me since 2005, and he knows how to run the whole thing, or I never could have left it. So once I got into the trading paint paint movie, I decided I'm going to get back into my creative side that I suppressed at a young age to raise a family and get married and go back and do what I wanted to do, and that's what I'm doing, and I juggle it fine.

Kurt Deimer (00:05:21) - As long as the schedule's out, our tours are getting booked more in advance now that we've become bigger, so I can manage that schedule and then pick and choose when I can shoot a film and I schedule in that time, and then they know I can't be on the road. But it's really not a lot for me to juggle stuff, because I'm a guy who's went after everything in life, done everything everybody told me I couldn't do, and it just didn't faze me and all that just it doesn't bother me.

Brian (00:05:48) - So that's one thing I've heard about you, actually. Your work ethic is unmatched.

Kurt Deimer (00:05:53) - Well, you can have all the talent in the world and maybe have a little bit or whatever. I'm creative. My voice is different. But if you don't work hard, talent is worth nothing. So and I don't think enough people realize if you just have a good hard work ethic, you can accomplish pretty much anything you want in life. When people knock you down, though, you got to get back up.

Kurt Deimer (00:06:16) - You can't sit there and feel sorry for yourself. And that's how I am.

Brian (00:06:20) - It's very true, it's very true. It reminds me of something I'm always saying. If you work long and hard enough at something you're good at, good things will happen.

Kurt Deimer (00:06:29) - Yeah, and that's it. And you can't if you're going to get beat up in this life. I mean, it's just there's going to be people who don't like you, people who like you, people who are jealous because you do work hard and you've accomplish things, people who envy you. It's a lot of negativity in the world, and you just got to compartmentalize all that and just let it be what it is. And then you continue to follow your dream and don't let that beat you up.

Brian (00:06:54) - Exactly, exactly. And, you know, back in September, you went on tour with Skid Row and Buckcherry. How did that tour go?

Kurt Deimer (00:07:01) - Oh, it was that was amazing, man. We got a lot more new fans and Skid Row and guys and the Buckcherry guys were great.

Kurt Deimer (00:07:10) - Then we did some other shows with just Buckcherry went up into Montana. That was badass. All the people up there, awesome and the Dakotas and great tour, great blend of bands. It was just our three bands on when it was all three of us, and it was just a great rock show for people and it got people to to see music they have known for years and years. But then people got to hear us when we came out and, you know, I'm still who the fuck is Kurt Dimer? People don't know, you know, all over the world like they do Skid Row or a Buckcherry or Disturbed or any big band, even bigger bands. But we're getting there. And because of their kindness and letting us go out on that tour with them, we just keep building fans everywhere we go and things are growing at a rapid pace. Because I've only been touring about two years in a month right now.

Brian (00:08:00) - Oh man, going straight to the top in such a short time.

Kurt Deimer (00:08:06) - Time, time, time is of the essence, man.

Kurt Deimer (00:08:08) - We're not getting any younger.

Brian (00:08:10) - So very true, very true. And you're currently on tour with Mushroomhead. How's that tour going?

Kurt Deimer (00:08:18) - It's going good. A totally different dynamic. We've got four, four bands or not three bands, Flash Creek, US, Mushroomhead. We're second on the bill, but in between us and Mushroomhead, it's the hells of Poppin Circus or Sideshow, you know, kind of the freak show thing. And so it's a unique bill. But since I'm in horror and we're featuring doom and Doom out right now being pushed on radio it, my booking agent felt it would be a great opportunity to go out and showcase everything that I do to fans and people that are really fans of that kind of vibe, and it's been great for October, and we're going to finish this run the end of the month, and we've already got stuff booking up for the first of the year and going to finish my my debut album double album here in November and film some stuff for my character and scared to death to grog and all kinds of cool shit happening.

Kurt Deimer (00:09:15) - But it's been a great run. It's different. It's a smaller club run, but we're right up there with the people and right in their face and go out into the crowd. And it's been a blast.

Brian (00:09:26) - Yeah, the sounds it and you know, you're you're actually playing a gig tonight. And I'd love if you could give us some insight into what your day looks like today when you have such a big gig tonight.

Kurt Deimer (00:09:39) - Well, we got a gig here up at the annex in Wisconsin. And here's the dilemma today. It's the stages we can barely get everybody step up there. So we're trying to figure out room. The merch area is small. There's going to be a packed house, but it holds about 250 people. So it's going to be quite a raucous night. But you have to navigate where you're going to put this. We're especially when you have all the all the stuff that Mushroomhead has and all the props and the circus sideshow and all their props and may not tonight I just said, my tour manager, hell, we'll just stand up there like a quartet.

Kurt Deimer (00:10:16) - Don't care. I'll go out in the crowd, whatever. You know, whatever gets everybody going. It's a rock show. And in rock there's no rules, there's no limits. And we're just going to go rock it out. But right now they're setting up inside. I'll try to figure out, am I going to go to the hotel? Am I going to do this? Where am I going to eat? Where is it by about? We go on a 740 516 45 hits. I'm in the zone and I'm ready to go. And then I just get my head, head ready to to go out there and entertain the crowd and rock it out. So it's it's quite a chaotic day, especially when you're trying to figure out how to have room on the stage.

Brian (00:10:54) - So yeah. Yeah. And you're playing another gig tomorrow. There's no day for rest and it's in a completely different place. Will you be traveling all night with little sleep?

Kurt Deimer (00:11:04) - Yeah. What we'll do. Like we played Saint Louis on Tuesday.

Kurt Deimer (00:11:10) - Um, I can't even remember where we put. Oh, last night we were in, uh, Hobart, Indiana, and we did that show. And then we get on the bus at two, and I woke up today in Wisconsin, thankfully in a McDonald's parking lot so I could get a McDonald's Coke. And we had it on over to the venue. Now we play the annex in Wisconsin, and I think we head to Bloomington, Illinois tomorrow, which, by the way, I graduated high school in Chicago and went my first year of college was actually in Bloomington, Illinois State. So we're going back to where I lived in 19, in the mid 80 and went to college. And it's going to be cool to be back in that town. And then we'll head from there to Joliet, and then we'll head from there to Michigan. And it's all week. It's no day off this week, which is kind of unusual, but you just knock it out. You do what you got to do.

Brian (00:12:02) - Exactly, exactly. Do you find it hard to keep your voice on top notch when you have no days off, no break in between?

Kurt Deimer (00:12:10) - No, it actually helps my voice more. But I'm not the kind of singer that's trying to. What do I say? Hit high notes and all. I stay in my lane. I stay in my comfort zone. My voice has become much stronger in the last couple of years, since I got back into music after such a long layoff, and I have way more range now and stuff, but I don't ever push it to where it's going to do any damage to my voice and sleep right and stay in lane because think that's the best product I give to the fans to just be me and not try to be something I'm not. So my voice stays strong all the time.

Brian (00:12:48) - Good to hear, good to hear. And you know, the podcast is called Concerts That Matter. So I have to ask you some concert related questions. As a concert goer, what concerts would you say have made you?

Kurt Deimer (00:13:01) - Well, what makes me do what I'm doing now? I saw AcDc.

Kurt Deimer (00:13:06) - I love how his voice, you know, Bon Scott all the way back to Bon and Brian. Just how they stay in their lane. They sing the way they sing. They're not trying to be somebody they're not. So that left a big impression on me. Ozzy left a big impression on me. I saw Ozzy and Randy Rhoads before Randy passed away. And just the theatrics, which I'm going to bring into mind once I headline and Van Halen, I saw the Fair Warning Tour and just how they are unique and did what they do mean. Hell, their first support tour was with Black Sabbath. So you go to a Black Sabbath show, and then this Van Halen comes out with David Lee Roth kicking his legs. You know, the great Eddie, Eddie Van Halen, god rest his soul and just unheard of guitar manship. And they stay true to who they were. So those three bands really left a big impression on me, and I've seen a lot of concerts, but it taught me I can just be me, have my own unique style of music, bring it to the world.

Kurt Deimer (00:14:10) - At first it may not catch on, but when it does, it's going to. And then people are going to be tripping and we're going to go all over the world and we're going to rock out the way I do it.

Brian (00:14:20) - Brilliant, brilliant. And you know, when you think of your own gigs that you've played is the one that sticks out in your mind as maybe the best experience you've had overall.

Kurt Deimer (00:14:30) - Yeah, there's a couple. I mean, we've had some really good gigs in this small two year period. Um, I would say the night I got the first one would be my dream was to play at the whisky. I went to LA in 2020. I said, someday I'm going to play the whiskey. So I played the whiskey actually. November of 2021. So one much after I promised myself to cross that off the list. And then we did The Rainbow Room's 50 at the anniversary. That was another, you know, goal. And then guess as far as other shows outside of that area as we progress, we've done some epic shows with Tesla.

Kurt Deimer (00:15:11) - We did one at the Brady Center in my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, and it was an epic night. Had the whole crowd going everywhere. And we've had several great shows with Tesla, and we did a show actually that really surprised me down in Paducah, Kentucky with Skid Row and Buckcherry and just this huge place just packed and we lit up the whole room. We played What You're Saying, and just the crowd was just phenomenal and just got so many new fans. So those are some of my highlight moments. But we've had some epic shows so far, and I'm very blessed to have been able to do that at such a short amount of time.

Brian (00:15:49) - Yeah, exactly, exactly. And now I always say you have to have the good with the bad. So without mentioning names, is there any gigs that in your entire time playing gigs maybe didn't go so well, and how did you overcome them?

Kurt Deimer (00:16:03) - You want me to not name names?

Brian (00:16:05) - Well, if you want to name names, you can.

Brian (00:16:07) - I don't mind.

Kurt Deimer (00:16:09) - Well, I've been fortunate that I really haven't had any. Weird bad tours or anything. We went out on one run and with a bunch of other bands, and it just wasn't really the right vibe for us, and we had some conflicts, so we had to pass on the second leg of the run and just fit the bullet because it didn't make financial sense. So that was a negative experience. And and we went. We've been out with another band and where we didn't have much room on the stage, and the headliner really didn't give a shit about anybody else that was out playing with them. So that whole tour just had kind of a negative vibe to it. But other than that, everything's been going very good.

Brian (00:16:54) - Good. And you know, when it.

Brian (00:16:56) - Comes to Showtime then just beforehand. Do you have any pre-show or portion rituals? How do you psych yourself up and then how do you wind down afterwards?

Kurt Deimer (00:17:06) - I always make sure the half hour, an hour and a half before get everything on, for the most part that I'm going to wear, except for maybe my shirt.

Kurt Deimer (00:17:14) - So I know all that's off my brain. An hour before, I'll pour myself a big styrofoam cup of ice and water and a little Grey Goose and mix that up and just start sipping on it. I'll start clearing my throat, spitting like a motherfucker. Um, doing all that until about 30 minutes before the show. Then I'll finish getting my stuff on and 15 minutes before the show, as I'm continuing to have a little vodka and water at a leisurely pace. Then I go into the back of the bus and have a keyboard, and I do my vocal warm up and that five minutes before the show. Me and the guys, we get into a circle and we always talk about the things of the day or what I want to say to motivated before we go out and rock out and knuckle, you know, give each other knuckles and they get ready, the ears are turned on. I start, you know, doing some stretches and talking to my dad and my sister, who are both passed up in heaven, and I say, let's go rock this out, because they were both the musical ones at a young age.

Kurt Deimer (00:18:17) - And I talked to my grandma, who lived to be 106, and tell her not to let me forget any of my lyrics. So I got stressed about that. She's up in heaven. And then they hit the the opening. And then I go out and I go nuts. So that's what I do. Every day. Methodically. That's how I prep.

Brian (00:18:38) - I see, I see afterwards. Then how do you get rid of the energy? How do you wind down?

Kurt Deimer (00:18:44) - Afterwards, I go outside. I cool off for a minute and have a smoke and have some more of my drink. I might do a little hit of weed. Then I go back in and meet all my fans at the merch booth and take selfies, sign stuff, and then once the next act starts, I leave out of courtesy. After they're done, I'll go back in and meet the fans again. Take pictures because that's how you build a fan base. You know, I'm a man of the people and I want people to know I'm strong and I'm there for them.

Kurt Deimer (00:19:14) - And I preach that in my, my, my lyrics. And I go in and out after and once the last bands over, I'll go in again and do the same thing, and then I'll try to find a little local pub or a dive bar to go chill, meet some of the locals before, have to get on the bus and head home because I don't want to sit on the bus when I'm going to be on it all night. So I'm very much to myself kind of guy. But when it comes to fans, you know, I spare no, no, I don't waste my time not seeing people. I want to go see people. I don't purposely try to avoid it. I think it's important for people to know I'm just like them. I'm a human being, just like you or anybody else, and just share that time with them means a lot to them, and I intend to do that even when we become real big. I mean, you buy some merch, you'll get a little ticket, like me and the whole band.

Kurt Deimer (00:20:06) - You come back after the show and we'll sign everything for free. I'm not going to charge you to meet me, you know? Just. Come meet us. I mean, you took the time. You spent the money on the ticket. Come see us and know what time it's all about.

Brian (00:20:21) - I like that way of doing it. It's very genuine. And I suppose before we dive into the last couple of questions, then future plans that are set in stone. Anything you'd like to share with us?

Kurt Deimer (00:20:33) - Well, we got November when I'm done on the Mushroomhead tour. I'll be going out to LA to film some stuff for my character, the Grog. I'm scared to death promo stuff. We got that film should be coming out anytime. We'll probably have a big premiere and it'll come out in theatres and whatnot. I'll be finishing my debut album. It'll be a double album, like back in the day. You know, where you could open it up and tell the story of what my journey has been like so far with.

Kurt Deimer (00:21:02) - It'll have about 16 songs on it, so we'll be finishing that. So that'll carry me through the end of the year, besides maybe some other little projects, writing and whatnot. Then we're going out with Tesla in January. Dates are going to be announced here soon down in Florida and some other areas. Then we're going to do some of our own headline shows in some of the markets we've been in in the US. Many times in between. And then we have more Tesla dates in March. Unless this other tour we're working on, which I can't speak about, comes to fruition. Then we'll be going on a five week run that'll be pretty huge. And March and April. Otherwise, we'll do the Tesla dates that we have in March, but we're definitely doing the Tesla dates in January. And then I don't know yet what's happening in the spring or summer, but depending on the schedule of the summer and the spring will I'll probably try to shoot a movie mid-summer. Got some projects that I've been asked to be a part of, and if that happens, then I'll try to do some bike biker fests or festivals, you know, in between.

Kurt Deimer (00:22:05) - And then in the fall we'll go back out on a full blown tour again, but I'm not sure which one. So it's going to be a busy 2024 because we're starting to grow and we're starting to grow fast. So you can feel the momentum, especially once these movies come out too, you know?

Brian (00:22:19) - Yeah, exactly. Exactly. And I know it's a bit of an impossible question, but how long do we have to wait to see you over in Europe?

Kurt Deimer (00:22:28) - I'd be there tomorrow. Just the opportunity almost was there with mana or beginning of this year, but. The the financial aspect of it didn't work out. It was unfortunate, but was almost there then. And as soon as the opportunity arises or, you know, our fan base picks up or one of the movies hits or whatever I want to be, I want to be in your hell. I want to buy it, buy another, another home over in Ireland and have a base out of Ireland tours all over Europe. So and that's definitely in my plans for the future.

Brian (00:23:07) - It's a good plan. It's good plan. And I suppose we will dive into the last couple. These are a couple of fun random music questions, but I'm intrigued to see your answers. If you could see any performer from history in concert for one night only, who would it be?

Kurt Deimer (00:23:23) - Any performer. I had tickets to see LED Zeppelin when John Bonham died, and he died before they got to Houston, so that would be the one show I would like to see LED Zeppelin with John Bonham.

Brian (00:23:37) - Oh man, that must have really kicked in the stones.

Kurt Deimer (00:23:41) - Oh it sucked. Yeah, I'm lucky I saw Randy Rose before he died. It was like two months before he died. Or so. Randy? Yeah.

Brian (00:23:49) - Oh my God. And the next one. It's a bit odd. If you had to be locked in a room for 24 hours with any musician from history, who would it be?

Kurt Deimer (00:24:01) - Just to sit and talk and. I would say. Pigments intrigued me the most. Man. That's a good question.

Kurt Deimer (00:24:13) - Um. Probably. Not later in his life, but earlier in his life, where we could just sit and chill and talk and he'd be chill like me. It would seem he'd probably drink with me, probably smoke with me. Johnny Cash.

Brian (00:24:30) - Right. That's a good one. All right. Yeah, yeah, I could see that happening.

Kurt Deimer (00:24:35) - We could buy we vibe together.

Brian (00:24:36) - Yeah. Yeah. Definitely. Definitely.

Kurt Deimer (00:24:38) - Never saw. I never saw Johnny. But I just thought he was cool. And he did it his way to, you know, he had that low voice feel. You know, it's like just me and Johnny Cash, you know? That would be badass.

Brian (00:24:50) - Yeah, without a doubt. And the final one. So what song would appear on the soundtrack to your life?

Kurt Deimer (00:24:58) - The soundtrack to my life. What would be the most? Um. This is going to be crazy. I'm trying to think of the name of it. It's a Limp Bizkit song and it's this song.

Kurt Deimer (00:25:12) - Live in life in the fast lane. Living it up. Not giving a fuck what? Living life. What's. What's the name of that song?

Brian (00:25:19) - It's on Chocolate.

Brian (00:25:21) - Starfish.

Brian (00:25:21) - Isn't it?

Kurt Deimer (00:25:22) - Yeah, it's like the fourth song.

Brian (00:25:25) - Living it up.

Kurt Deimer (00:25:26) - Living it up. That's it. That would be the song that best describes me. I'm not afraid of shit. And I'm living it up and I'm doing it my way. And I'm to most people, it probably seems like I'm living life in the fast lane. So that's it.

Brian (00:25:40) - Brilliant. Listen, Kurt, it's been an absolute blast. Now, I've really enjoyed chatting with you.

Kurt Deimer (00:25:45) - Well, thank you for having me, man. And I hope everyone over in Ireland is having a great day. And it's a crazy world and I can't wait to get over there. And hopefully everybody will spread the word and look us up and follow us, and that we'll get to Europe even quicker. Because once we do, it'll be the first of many, many, many years.

Kurt Deimer (00:26:05) - I'm doing this till I die, so I'll be there a lot.