Nine Questions

Zachary Toporek

Zachary Toporek hails from Phoenix. He plays guitar and sings with Tucson's own Young Mothers, proud papas of a 7-inch single on Fort Lowell Records called "Come on, the Cross." Toporek is obsessed with pop music and will never get over the Beatles. Most mornings he can be found running around the Fourth Avenue area listening to '60s and '70s soul music and sweating out the sins of the night before.

What was the first concert you ever saw?

No Doubt, Cake and The Vandals, 1997. I was in fourth grade and thought that the concert counted as three because there were three bands. I felt real cool.

What are you listening to these days?

Elyse, the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Motown. I recently threw out most of my music collection and have been rebuilding it with music from my friends.

What was the first album you owned?

No Doubt, Tragic Kingdom. Couldn't escape that band or that record in the late '90s.

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

Rock music without hooks. What is that?

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

Late '70s-era Elvis Costello and the Attractions. To see "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" live like they played it on the record, that's a dream.

Musically speaking, what is your favorite guilty pleasure?

Alright, Still by Lily Allen. I bought that CD as a gift for my mom and ended up hearing a few of the tracks driving around in her car. It's some catchy music and every once in a while it's funny.

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

The Beatles, "Let It Be."

What band or artist changed your life, and how?

Michael Jackson. He taught me about the boogie.

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

The Beatles, Abbey Road. They may have already known it was the end, but at least they were trying to keep it together and get along one last time, and you hear it in the music.