Lowery: "The Fish Have Been Electrocuted" - Interview

Thrasher Magazine, Nov, 2001 by Michael Burnett

So what's up Sta-Lo?

Like J Lo? I don't like that so much.

I imagine roll-call on the first day of school was always trying, but what has been the most difficult part of growing up with a girl's name?

It wasn't terribly traumatic for me or anything. Every now and then I had a couple confrontations growing up. I got in a few fights. At first I fought about it. And then, when I realized I could fight I realized I didn't have to fight.

Because you were so incredibly large?

No, because I learned to laugh It off. I was pretty much the same size as everyone else until half way through high school.

How big are you?

I know a lot of people are going to be disappointed, but I'm far from the largest dude in skateboarding. I'm just about six-two. I think I just have a large stage presence.

Let's get some of the history out of the way. I know you lived in Texas. You skated for Powell. You lived in Santa Barbara for awhile. You were buddies with Andy Howell.

No. Andy Howell was long gone by the time I moved to Atlanta. I grew up in Houston. I lived in Memphis for a short period of time.

'Cause I don't really think of you as a Texas guy. Did you know the Jeff Taylors and that whole group?

Yeah, I grew up with Jeff Taylor. But I was separate. I was with a small crew of street skaters. We were pretty anti the whole Skatepark of Houston scene. We were keeping It real in the streets. So we didn't really get grouped with the Texas guys from the park.

So no NSA regionals or anything?

No; never did any of the contests. None of that. We pretty much just street skated downtown.

Did you skate the EZ-7 ditch?

Yeah, of course,

Did you kickflip the channel?

Yeah.

Just like the Gonz?

Not just like the Gonz, by the way.

Was there a vibe at the skatepark or something? 'Cause some of those guys were big time riding for Toxic; getting pads from Wild Bill.

I think I was always cool with all those guys. I still talk to Jeff to this day. Kelly Bird was there. I was cool with all those guys, I just wasn't there much.

What was your motivation at that time? Who inspired you? Was this the Hensley era?

It was, yeah. Hensley, of course. But really, more than that, I grew up with this kid Todd Fisher--best friend, spent all our time together. He was so good. If he had kept skating he'd be right here with me, or even better. We just motivated each other.

Did you live a typical suburban life then?

Yep, driving to downtown Houston on the weekends. Spring, where I grew up, was a suburb of Houston. Actually, I graduated from high school in Memphis. I moved there with my mom. There was a divorce and that's where my grandma lives, so we moved there before my senior year.

Do you still talk to your dad?

No, but I have a step dad I talk to.

Do you call him dad, or Ron or whatever?

I call him Rick, since I'm a grownup. He's like everything you could hope for, at some point you just hope for someone who will take care of your mom and be good to her. He's an amazing person and I'm so happy he's around.

What was it like moving to Memphis?

Pretty horrible. The skate scene was pretty bad. I met one or two kids.

Was it anything like Paradise Lost, that documentary about the Metallica fans who get convicted for satanically murdering a group of little boys?

They could have just picked any three kids off the street and accused them. That's pretty much everyone in Memphis.

Were you active in your new school? Did you go to the prom?

I did go to the prom. Dude, it was horrible. I have the worst prom story ever. I can't believe we got to this. In Memphis I was an island. I didn't associate with anyone, much less anyone at my school. I went to this optional art school. Like Fame or something, for real.

Like people singing and dancing in the hall?

Exactly.

What was your art?

Painting. I had regular classes too; like two other regular classes. In Memphis you only need six credits to graduate. Like one English and you don't even need a math, but then I started hanging out with this girl for awhile. We were hanging out and I was talking to her around preprom time. I'm just making some small talk and I ask her, "Who are you going to prom with?" and she just starts bawlin'. She's bawling. I ask her, "What are you crying about?" She's just sobbing--uncontrollably sobbing into the phone. I was completely confused. I ask her, "What's wrong? What did I do?"

And she manages to get out, sobbing, "I thought I was going with you!"

And I'm all, "You thought wrong. I ain't going to no fuckin' prom." I had managed to get through my entire high school career without attending a single school function and she wanted me to go to prom?

That's what you said?

Yeah.

And what happened then?

More crying.

But you went?

Wait. It gets better. So I tell her, "There's no way I'm going to prom." So I left it at that. I go to school the next day; come home. The psycho has called my mother. My mom's like this nice southern lady. "Why aren't you going to take that girl to the prom?"

"Forget it! There's no way! I'm not going to the prom!"

"Take that girl to the prom! I'll pay for it." No, there was no way.