It’s time again for another installment of My First Time, the series where I ask some of my favorite bands to share stories about their musical “firsts.” Everything from the first song they ever wrote to the response they got when they first played their songs for their family. It’s all here.

MP3: The Thermals – Now We Can See

Today we’re joined by Kathy Foster of the Thermals, co-creator of one of my favorite albums of 2009. She was nice enough to answer these questions while the band are out on tour. You can follow their escapades on twitter.

My First Time …with Kathy Foster of the Thermals

First record you bought
The first vinyl I bought was The Specials’ self-titled album, when I was about 15. I got it at the De Anza College flea market in Cupertino, CA. It was the best flea market! I went all the time and found killer stuff. I couldn’t listen to it right away though because I didn’t have a turntable yet!

First record that changed your life
I’ve always been strongly affected by music, so its hard to pick out one album. But, when I was 17-18, I was in love with Tiger Trap and their album on K Records. I listened to it over and over, especially when I was going through my first major breakup. I saw them every chance I could and bought everything they put out. They were from Sacramento, which was only a couple hours away, and then they moved to Portland. I really looked up to them. The band was all girls and they were all really good musicians and songwriters. I’m still in love with Rose Melberg’s voice. And Heather Dunn is one of the best drummers ever! Watching her play was definitely life-changing.

First concert that blew you away
I think I’d have to say Green Day at Berkeley Square in 1992. Kerplunk had just come out, and my boyfriend and his friends were all into them and played the new album for me. I was like “its okay” and they freaked out. “Okay?!” I almost didn’t go to this show, but then my boyfriend convinced me. There were only about 30 people there, and they came out all wearing slips or dresses. They totally blew me away!! They sounded so good, and their songs were so good, and they were so funny and cute. I was totally in love with them after that and listened to their first two albums obsessively.

First time playing live
I was nineteen, I think, and it was my first band. We were called Pistil. It was me on drums/vocals, one of my best friends on guitar/vocals and my other best friend on bass/vocals. We all started learning our instruments at the same time and played together for about a year before our first show. It was in the Cupertino Library conference room, under the library. You could rent it out for about $15, so there were always shows there (all ages and free!). I saw so many great shows there. Thats where I met Hutch! Our scene was really cool and there were a lot of really good bands.

First tour (horror stories, unexpectedly great shows, etc)
The first band Hutch and I were in together was called Haelah. It was a loud, heavy-hitting, stoner-riffing rock band. We met up with Cerberus Shoal, from Portland, Maine, in California to open the last two weeks of their six-week tour. A mutual friend who ran their record label brought us together. It was a blast! It was summer and we were driving across the country for the first time. We had no expectations or goals other than to rock out and have a good time. Those were the days. We played a lot of cool shows. In Denver, we missed the show due to miscalculations, so this girl (who became our good friend!) moved the show to her house (her kitchen to be exact!). We played crammed in the kitchen with most people having to stand in the living room, but I remember people sitting on top of the refrigerator and counters too. All the shows were kinda like that – funny and cool basements, kitchens, restaurants, parks, art spaces. We stayed with a lot of different people who put on the shows or came to the shows. One night we camped in Iowa and played songs for each other around the campfire. We became such good friends with Cerberus Shoal that at the end of the tour, we went to live with them in Portland, Maine for 9 months! It was a beautiful time!

First instrument you learned and/or first piece of equipment you loved
Drums are my first and most beloved instrument.

First band you were a part of
Pistil (1992-1995)

First awesome thing that happened solely because you were in a band
Thats hard to answer because so many awesome things have happened, but one of the most fun times was getting to dance onstage with the Flaming Lips during their set at Sasquatch a few years ago, wearing the animal costumers and waving a giant flashlight. It was so hot, none of the dancers were wearing their animal heads. I LOVE the Flaming Lips and I got to watch them play up close and personal. That kicked ass.

First horrible things that happened solely because you were in a band
I lost a friend.

First musical obsession (band, song, singer, genre or otherwise)
Probably Michael Jackson. I remember listening to Thriller on my walkman and transcribing all the lyrics. If I didn’t understand what he was saying, I would play the line for my dad and asked him what he thought.