Spike: This last year has seen a resurgence in San Francisco of radical queer people mobilizing politically on issues including Prop N (Gavin Newsom's initiative which reduces GA benefits for the homeless), rent control, gentrification, racial discrimination and police brutality and the continued growth of organizations such as Gay Shame. Are queers in L.A. addressing similar issues and how are they going about this fight?

Jimmy: this might be the wrong question to ask me or iamloved... you see we're all about shoes and hair care products. Politics really, like totally go over our head. Our politics are in dancing and feeling good. I don't know if ALL the people feel the same way in LA, but we got alot of poli-queers too! SF always has been WAY more political than LA. I mean, we'll go to a protest if channel 2 is there. I swear to gawd, back in the early to mid 90's when I was in my mid to late 50's there was this guy I dated that ADMITTED he only went to QUEER NATION protest to get on the news...hao sick, huh? I think if your into politics, its cute if your across the board... like if you know alot about it... if you don't (like me) then shut your fucking mouth and fuck!

S: Queer people of color face multiple oppressions based on race, ethnicity, language, national origin, citizenship status, sexual orientation and gender identity, and are marginalized both within the white-dominant LGBTQQ community and within their own ethnic communities of origin. The band iamloved is ethnically diverse with members from hispanic, thai and caucasian backgrounds. How do you view and deal with these issues?

J: um, ok... well like, being a black sister trapped in the body of a fat white redhead I FEEL the pain baby, but like, maybe I should give this question to chuck or Johnny or Shaul or flavor flav or something? I'LL GET BACK TO YA ON THIS ONE.....

Chuck: I am not looking for acceptance at either end of the spectrum. I don?t care about acceptance! We shouldn't have to cater to a mass stereotype of what an Asian, a Hispanic, a Caucasian, or a gay person is. We shouldn't sacrifice our creativity to bigotry based on race, ethnicity, language, national origin, citizenship status, sexual orientation and gender identity. Why have boundaries? Instead we should be supporting individuality and personal acceptance without the baggage of identity. And so what if were not some hard muscled white queen chorus group living in West Hollywood singing show tunes. So what if we are "Political". We are, by definition, unconventional and I wouldn't have it any other way. And the oppressors can just go fuck themselves! We're not here to conform to anyone's standards. We're here to annoy people!

S: What does iamloved represent and what message are you attempting to convey? Which direction do you see the band going in?

J: i told you Spike, we wanna party long thyme! We're a PARTY band... I get drunk at shows and act like Rip Taylor, it's my schtick. I wanna see everybody on the dance floor when I play... and on they knees afterward. Right now we're looking to release our first album... we got it all done and mastered and ready to go out ... so if David Geffen is out there reading or like in the bushes getting blown or like if he would like Johnny or Shaul to blow him for a record deal (I'll do it but you'll probably wanna put a bag over my face) (and/or gag me) (cuz I'm always like this) ... (I NEVER shut up!) anywaze... so after we release this album and attend the MTV and GRAMMY awards shows SIMULTANEOUSLY... and the adult movie awards show also ... after that we'll get hooked on crack and make another record.. and sell another 50 billion discs and then we'll probably be inducted in the the rock and roll hall of fame and made sir's buy the queen of somewhere... and we'll all find boyfriends and live happily ever after... and have lots of ass sex.

S: Does iamloved identify as queer, punk, alternative? How would you define "selling out"?

J: iamloved is art rock... just kidding!!!!! isn't that funny though... i wanna TOTALLY be art rock like PIL or like, SHOEGAZER... everybody keeps dropping that word like its the next big thing...eww... YEAH we're gunna sound jusss like stone roses and pil and gang of four ... TOTALLY!!! i'm so sick of too cool for school idie pick of the weak shit... although i own it all... (it is way the cute) we're a gay party band...no more no less... we have like 1 and 1/2 SERIOUS songs ... NEVER FORGET (which is about growing up gay and dealing with shit and never forgetting about all that cuz it makes you who you are) and then there's this other one.. but i've never claimed to be any certain STYLE of music cuz we jusss play and never really think about a direction... which is why we're so scarey dorky heavy metal sometimes and then so happy go lucky other times. We just directionless.. mindless idunnomaybesomebody. OK, SO THE DEFINITION OF "SELLING OUT" JIMMY JASMINE STYLE:::: RULE #1 : FIND A GENRE TO EXPLOIT AND SAY YOUR TOTALLY THAT GENRE RULE #2 : WORK OUT AND SHOW SKIN CUZ GAZE LIKE THAT RULE #3: COVER WHATEVER IS HOT AT THE TIME... YOU MAY ALSO (BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS RULE #4) OFFER BUTT SEX TO RECORD EXECS IN EXCHANGE FOR A RECORDING CONTRACT.

S: Much has been written and discussed about the California queer/alt/punk scenes and Community. Is the L.A. queer community inclusive?

J: there's SO much going on in LALA right now it would make yer head spin... our friends just all got together as a collective and opened this warehouse space called the GENERATOR near Silverlake...they TOTALLY rock ... its all about ART-MUSIC-FASHION-ART-LIFE-LOVE-CIAO MANHATTAN... gorgeous things..... they're like totally rockin the factory west..theres the film fags makin moviez and stuff theres COUNTLESS bands (SUGARPUSS, SIBLING, DEADLEE, BEST REVENGE, 3WAY, THE DORIAN WOOD GUILT TRIP, EXHIBITION...GOD!!! SO MANY TOO MANY TO NAME ALL OF) it's so weird that they say queer punk ... cuz that list above covers so many different styles of music ... but I think you mean a "feel" like gays making non-mainstream music... which is BASICALLY it... you guys have SO much great music out there in SF, though... can we talk about RIOT-A-GO-GO and BOYSKOUT???? i way the LOVE them...

S: How would you define the dynamic between queer and straight bands in L.A.? Do alternative bands such as yourselves regularly play gigs with straight bands or are the scenes segregated? Are straight venues as open to booking queer acts as queer venues?

J: yeah, i've never even had a head turn buy a promoter or nuthin (with iamloved) we have really played ALOT of gay venues .. but have ventured out into straight land a few times... but commin up in the mid to late 40'z, though ... win i was in my early to late 60'z i caught all kindsa hail. I've always bean this faggy front man... most of the time the straights LOVED it.. but i'd git heckled and jeckled and all that... ALOT... its funny though hao alot of straight guys that hung out watching bands LOVED my flamboyance... they be all over me like white on dried shit and stuff... but then winever i would try and make a feel i'd git the IM NOT GAY, DUDE thing... but i digress... back in the day i got ... bottles... fists... words... slashed tires... graffiti....broken keys (on a keyboard) and very VERY little penises (when i was LUCKY, sweetie!) but never ever ever with iamloved. cuz we're totally cute... and if they did we got box cutters and we'll cut them bitches!

S: What are your best and worst *tour stories*?

J: oh, hunney... we've bean on 1 tour and it was GORGEOUS... so we don't have bad storiez... all i can say is THE PINK HOUSE in Olympia, WA is DA BOMB, YO! i love me some pink (house) Portland was cute, too... me and shaulie went into this bathhaus and as i was getting blown by this CRACKHEAD sally announces over the PA ... MISS JIMMY JASMINE TO THE FRONT DESK PLEASE... the guy looks up at me and is all... is that you ... and im all...YEAH... bye.... do another line ho!

S: Tell us about the song Slacker Century...

J: do you wanna live in a slacker century, love ?... i SWEAR in the video i wanna be all pimped out like TRICK DADDY/GINUWINE/DMX or like SEAN PAUL or some shit like that... cuz thats like totally NOT slacker, huh? ..... It all started out when we first got together (before johnny joined the group)(it was like one of our first songs... i think our like 3rd song we ever wrote...now we got 4...just kidding) chuck came back from NY where he saw all kindsa bands and shows so he was all fired up to write a new song and jam and stuff... so he had this bass line and shaul started makin a beat to it and i made the dorky lead part that goes through the song (da da da - da da da - da da da - da, da, da baaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh) and then when writing the lyrics... i was dating this guy at the time that didn't ever wanna do ANYTHING but sit around watching TV and THATS IT!!!! i was so bored and he was SUCH the slacker that I looked at my life and said do i wanna live like this for the next 1-2-3-4-5-6-whatever years... and my ANSWER to myself was NO SELF NO!!! do you wanna live in a slacker century NO! do you wanna make lots of money and git lotsa dick YES! so thar ya go .......

S: Ok, now that we've got the serious stuff out of the way, Jimmy, the Y-Files needs to know and down and dirty. We wanna know what you and the boyz do for sex…what turns you on…what gets you off…does Shaul really have a fetish for Bears…do you really like skinny boys…who gets the most action…

J: CUTE! now the good stuff, ok, me and sally (Shaul) are all about the bears/big boys... yum yum ... Johnnys all about cute indie boy types.... and Chucks all into the skinhead/punk/ball headed thing ... but he's married so hands of laddiez!.... I'm into anything that does not involve poo... i can't stand poo or pee... thetas nasty... and if you want me to touch your who who you gotta shower.. and use products... miss jasmine does NOT like a stinky fag... I like ass sex i like to bottom AND top ... i like the poll and the hole...as far as getting me in the mood... 40'z and newports, sweetie.. i like a smokey room, a buzz and ALOT of lube... SO PREPARE ...i can't STAND stereo types or hang ups the last time i wint to the fucking lonely starr all these dorky ass bears had hang ups like if you aint wearin a rug you aint gettin no lovin... you don't have to be a bear to get my rawks off just live large and in charge....

S: …where can San Francisco phone you boyz for sex…

J: for a good thyme call ::: iamlov3d@yahoo.com

S: …where's the best place to buy shoes and hair care products…

J: Honey, i KNOW you went to the movies in the 80s didn't you see MANNEQUIN? starring SAMANTHA from sex and the city???? RODEO sweetie... RODEO 90210!!!!!!

S: …how can we get on yer hookerz page?

J: Do something spontaneous to capture my attention... and make sure i gotta camera at that very moment... if i can take your picture i will definitely put ya on honey!

S: Are you planning to tour again in the near future?

J: Our next one will be the east coast... its thyme to spread the disease, sugar! i've bean wanting to go back east since my last visit like a million years ago ... (1998) we don't have any dates yet (shows that is, darling) BUT it'll be later in '03 im sure... right now we just wanna write new stuff, release our old stuff and THEN we'll do the road....

S: Where in L.A. should San Franciscans go to have a good time?

J: the gauntlet 2 ... the only bar in LA that's opened its doors to the ladies and the fags that like the roller skating jams, yeah... thats the only cruizie gay bar that has live bands... the faultline's goin down hill but you still get alot of minz there that like to get it on THAT NIGHT REALLY QUICK! you can always get laid there..... oh yeah... and CUFFS.. the place REALLY went off the DEEP end in a BAD BAD way with the music...(my friend was actually FIRED there for playing good music!!!they told him to play TECHNO!!! like sex club AWFUL music...) so ... the music and atmosphere sux... but if you wanna get laid after 2am its THE ONLY PLACE that isn't TECHNICALLY a sex club ... get down get it on and bring em home and play descent music....its that easy, girl!

S: And last but not least…what's your final fleeting comments you'd like to share with our readers on iamloved…

J: have fun in life... life is too short...people die everyday... hundreds of em...dead people EVERYWHERE... watch john edward that guy talks to them all the time... they're all over studio audiences EVERYWHERE... theres probably like dead ghostly people watching me type this to you, spike ... it's REALLY quite scary... and more advice... never go to work drunk... and don't go to work drunk and spend all day emailing interview stuff to spike... you MIGHT get fired... and this close to the holidays.... GOD! that will suck... ok, and steal from work....TIME, PAPER CLIPS ETC ETC and never quote king missile they did it good enough on they own... and come to LA and fuck my brains out... i wont give you mono this time... and watch my band play..we'll change your life...and go to MY PLACE and give CYP a huge kiss on the cheek and tell him he's the best bartender/lead singer in the world and that iamloved misses him and then ask him for a mop and go to the back with it all wet and sudsy and just start mopping around all those fucking queens suckin dick on the floor back there... but if its me say excuse me... and go to alterna-bid and buy that abba album you always wanted cuz Ronnie Rodriguez rules and go see boyskout and riot-a-go-go and gravy train and sparrows point and say hi to them for me... and go to that taqueria by spikes house and get nachos but call it a TACO RIA and ABSOLUTELY go to KY and get all kindsa cute beers in a cute pub and listen to great music and and and...get on the 5 and get off on the 101 and exit vermont and then go see my band play... we're REALLY good... and start mixing jagermister... cuz not too many people do that in la... i like it with red bull and other things... if you see me on your corner sometime ... mix me a cute cocktail and say hi... and take up a hobby... everybody needs a hobby... and say hi to each other... and old people... and if you REALLY REALLY hate somebody... tell them so they don't think you like them when you really can't stand them and then they wont say hi to you and you'll know... and don't be a pussy and chicken out and NOT tell them you hate them... and if they kick your ass you deserve it for being an asshole.. you shouldn't talk to people that way... GOD! and thats it... bye, jj