Wilderado frontman and vocalist Max Rainer is not concerned with coolness unless it’s wholly organic. Which might just be why the Oklahoma band thrived in the raw New England chill of their Friday set at Boston Calling.
Wrangling a sound that’s somewhere between folk and roots-rock, Wilderado fit in perfectly against the day’s twang-tastic lineup spanning Luke Combs, Sheryl Crow, Megan Moroney, Max McNown, and Dalton & the Sheriffs. Reflecting on the day after the drizzle began, Rainer shared some thoughts about facing the elements, the power of well-placed cowbell, and his take on “one of the best songs of all time.”
Victoria Wasylak: So, how many festivals have you performed at in a puffer jacket before?
Max Rainer: This was my first, and I have to tell you, I was really proud of myself.
Tell me about that.
It’s kind of like, you gotta look cool [onstage], and I didn’t give a shit today. I’m cold, and all I wanna be is not cold. What am I gonna do? And looking cool’s never really been my forte. I’m not comfortable with it. I don’t need to be cool — I got really handsome guys in my band. They cover that area. But playing a puffer was the most freeing thing I’ve done in a long time. I freaking loved it.
How do you prep to play in weather like this, that is not exactly toasty?
We don’t really prep to play outside much, it’s very seldom that we’re outside. We played one time in Salt Lake City at their ski resort and it was 18 degrees, and that was terrible, but kinda fun in its own way. I don’t know why. It was so atypical that it, like, just was its own thing. But I wouldn’t look to do that again.
At festivals, do you have a secret weapon for getting new fans interested?
Absolutely not. That’s probably my weakness. I’ve never felt one ounce of needing to try and make someone be interested in something that they’re not interested in. That’s kinda how I feel about our music. I’m not in the business of wanting to convince you to like it, I’m in the business of trying to be inside of the song when I’m playing it, and then also being true to the song while I’m writing it.
You know, it can be hard when people aren’t [interested], because you get so much confidence from it. So I think if there’s anything that helps, it’s trying to talk more, and try to let everyone know that we’re just happy to be here. Usually that endears people towards you a little bit.
Did I detect some cowbell at one point?
There’s a cowbell in a song, yeah. It’s called “Higher Than Most.” Lots of times, when we’re working in the studio, things that make us laugh are usually stuff that we keep. And I think we were just listening to that, something started hitting the cowbell, and it was just kinda like, “That’s pretty funny.” And then we wanted it in the song. [laughs]
Sometimes it doesn’t have to be deep.
Honestly, our band is really unprofessional. That’s how everything goes. If it’s hilarious, it’s probably means we’re gonna end up liking it.
I’m getting a sense of pride from that.
I kind of think so. Because I think I’m so anti-cool, that one of the things I love is making something that ends up cool. And we’re making it in a state of, like, laughing.
What do you really hope to hear today from a fellow festival performer?
“If It Makes You Happy” [by Sheryl Crow]. I think that’s one of the best songs of all time. It’s just so good, it rules every time.
Keep it locked to Vanyaland for all our continuing coverage throughout the weekend.