Nine Questions

Alanna Thompson

Alanna Thompson was raised in Sierra Vista and couldn't wait to move to the big city of Tucson. She is a histology technician, which combines chemistry, art and the science of pathology to make beautiful microscopic images of flesh-eating bacteria, fungus and yucky cancers. She is the proud owner of three rambunctious mutts that needed a loving home.

What was the first concert you ever saw?

The 1998 Family Values Tour in Phoenix, with Korn headlining.

What are you listening to these days?

I started this morning out with Little Dragon, followed by Jay-Z and Kanye West, Watch the Throne.

What was the first album you owned?

Michael Jackson, Thriller. I watched the Michael Jackson's Thriller video and the making of it incessantly.

What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone seem to love, but you just don't get?

Gotye. I'm so over it. Can't say I was ever into it, though.

What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?

I wish I could have seen Nirvana live—particularly the In Utero world tour, where Melora Creager played cello.

Musically speaking, what is your favorite guilty pleasure?

Lana Del Rey. I love her sexy, white-trash persona.

What song would you like to have played at your funeral?

Boo to funerals. Get drunk, and play whatever makes you feel better. Either the Citizens of Halloween's "This Is Halloween" from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack (because how fun would it be to be a ghostie after you die and scare people?) or the Birthday Massacre, "In This Moment."

What band or artist changed your life, and how?

So many artists of the '90s were influential to me; it's impossible to pick just one. Everything from Tori Amos and Ani DiFranco to Deftones and 2Pac.

Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?

Weezer's "Blue Album." "Undone—The Sweater Song" and "Say It Ain't So" bring back memories of trying to have fun in a small town, but still staying out of trouble.