An interview by Narkis Anthony Garcia III (@narkisanthony) at RiotFest 2018

Q: How you guys been enjoying Riot fest?

Pablo: Lovin’ it!

Q: See anyone cool yet?

Pablo: Ah no! We’ve been in the back the entire time so we haven’t been running around too much.

Q: Cause I know one of you mentioned GWAR in a past interview?

Pablo: I didn’t mention GWAR. Who said they liked GWAR?

Chris: I like GWAR!

Pablo: Well there you go.

Q: They played yesterday and it was f***ing wild it was something else. So all of your guys’ first time in Chicago! what do you guys think so far?

Pablo: Love it! It’s a beautiful city. Feels closer to home than anywhere else we’ve been low-key.

Q: Really?

Pablo: Yeah I mean just city- wise like how big it is.

Q: Maybe also especially since we are in a very predominantly Hispanic neighborhood too.

Pablo: Yeah exactly it feels like that.

Q: Early on, most people were quick to put you guys in the box of surf or something along those lines. Your style has developed in a major way so you’re distancing yourself from the label. What do you think characterizes your style now?

Pablo: Ooh that’s a good question. I wouldn’t really know what to say, but i’m just playing what I play and whatever it sounds like is what people pinpoint it as or what people wanna call it you know? I don’t have anything specific really.

Chris: It’s just kinda like whatever is being felt at the moment, it just kinda comes out like that you know? Not trying to be anything specific.

David: I feel like the easiest thing to do is just to call it alternative because it’s just like… its not anything specific.

Q: In the same vein what does it mean to you that you’ve been called an “unsurf surf band”?

Pablo: Well to me it’s probably because I hate the beach, and i’m not anything to do with the beach. Like I hate going to the beach, I hate chilling at the beach, but… it’s nice?

Chris: It’s like… our name is Beach Goons, like beach is in the band name, and we came up playing around a lot of bands who were repping surf punk super hard in San diego. It was just like the thing to do when we were coming up in that area. Like idk it just made it so we got lumped into it. But like we’ve been trying really hard to kind of separate from it because it’s just not us anymore.

Q: So word on the street is that you guys aren’t super fond of the beach. As a fellow Southern Californian who’s always kinda hated the beach, tell me about that and why you went with the name Beach Goons if that’s the case.

Pablo: I just think it’s ironic and kinda funny.

Q: Yeah I can’t stand the beach so I definitely feel you guys on that. What are some San Diego artists/mainstays/venues in the scene there that you feel more people should know about?

Pablo: Let’s see…  there’s not a lot of venues out there it’s usually a lot of bars… like not too many all ages. But I mean I fuck with The Irenic I love playing there.

David: Irenic… legends, shea cafe… thats a legendary venue. Umm… artists?

Pablo: Peggy 183.

David: That’s done.

Pablo: I fuck with it dude, that’s me right there bro.

David: Hey the best bands in San Diego right now probably Oatmeal, Instinct…

Pablo: This guy…

David: I don’t know that’s pretty much it.

Q: How do you feel the San Diego rock/punk/surf scene differs from the Long Beach or LA scene? if any?

Chris: Umm… LA scene everybody is just for it. Like people just go way harder in LA. Like people are just more about it like musically, and I dont know San Diego is just a little funny just a little different.

Pablo: It’s definitely different for sure. We get more reactions out here and LA you know? It’s a lot funner playing out here and LA than San Diego.

Q: I try to explain to these Chicagoans that their mexican food is bad. Lemme get a consensus or a top 3 mexican food recommendations for San Diego.

David: It’s bad.

Pablo:  I don’t trust it, you can never trust anything… But I’d say Tito’s! its in Logan– Barrio Logan… Tito’s Restaurant: best spot out there.

Chris: That place is sick

Pablo: So good

David: Uhh… Taqueria Imperial on Imperial Avenue in Lemon Grove and get the biggest… everything.

Pablo: Las Gorditas in wherever the fuck it is… shit’s fire.

David: Everything bro! You can find a bomb ass taco shop anywhere on every corner.

Q: That’s the biggest difference between LA and Chicago mexican to me. Here i gotta really scrutinize every place and figure out exactly where i’m gonna go, but if i’m in LA or San Diego  or Long Beach, anywhere I go is gonna be pretty f***ing good.

David: The best mexican food in Chicago is probably Chipotle… I’m just kidding i’m just kidding.

Q: Always amazing to see some brown faces out here making great music. How do you feel your cultural background influences your music?

Pablo: Oh it definitely influences it. It’s just a big part of who we are and what we love representing in our music, so we just hope we can keep doing it, and just kinda show people this is who we are, and this is what we love doing.

Q: It’s evident in songs like Chunti. Explain to people what chunti means to you. What are the most chunti things you can think of?

Pablo: Chunti? I just think of like Hot Cheeto fingers ghetto ass you know that’s just who I am too you know?

Narkis: Dickie Shorts.

Pablo: Haha yeah exactly bro im just a chunti bro.

Q: So what’s next for Beach Goons?

Pablo: We hope to be recording some new stuff soon.

Chris: Yeah we got tours in the works for next year and like a bunch of one off shows and just working on new music and stuff.

Pablo: Definitely working on new music.

Narkis: Nice talking to you guys keep up the good stuff!

Pablo: Hell yeah thanks dog!

Chris: Nice to meet you bro!

David: Yeah nice to meet you!