Chad had a blast answering all of the questions you asked on Facebook and Instagram Live last Thursday! 

Check out some of his responses below!

If you had to put money on who would win in a fight between a praying mantis and a murder hornet, who would it be? 

• A praying mantis, every time. 
• No one like a muder hornet but we want to support the mantis’ because they are beautiful. 

Do you think people can grow and change after their 30’s?

• I think we’re pretty well defined after the age of 30. 
• At least after I hit 30 I had a better idea of who I wanted to be and the things I wanted to do. Although, I think that can probably change over time. 

What’s your favorite name for the chickens so far?

• We named our baby squirrels after music artists that had passed away and have thought about continuing that trend.  Or just naming them after artists. Like Whitney Roostin’ or Chicky Minage. 

I’m tired of working.  Any get rich quick schemes? 

• If I knew of any, I’d already be rich. 

What is your favorite Alter Bridge song?

• I think that would have to be “Blackbird”.

What is your favorite single item/lighting piece you set up for the show?

• The back trussing has to be my favorite!! 
• There was a lot that went into it, but it’s beautiful!! 

How did you and Katey meet?

• It has to do with me hanging out with my friend in a college town.  We went to a lake where we saw these 3 beautiful ladies having a picnic.  We had brought my friend’s two dogs, one of whom was splashing around in the lake, as puppies tend to do.  Maybe I did or didn’t encourage the puppy to run over to their picnic where he proceeded to shake all over.  That gave me the chance to walk over and apologize for the wet puppy interrupting their picnic.  We started chatting and I got the girls to sing for me.  The rest is history. 

How do you feel when you’re asked to sing songs for a gig?

• I’m happy to sing.  I enjoy singing! 
• In another life I was actually quite the singer.  I was in a show choir, madrigals, and a barbershop quartet. 

Have you been impacted by autocorrect recently?

• I feel like the iPhone autocorrect has gone crazy recently! 
• I’ve sent a lot of message I didn’t mean to!  

How did you meet the Fun DMC band?

• Katey was in Fun DMC before I was. 
• Katey met Fun DMC through Albert Capati who is an amazing dentist and singer 

Do you like rapping?

• I’ve never wanted to rap and didn’t think I’d like it but I’ve had a lot of fun especially with Gangster’s Paradise

What is the most inspiring light show youve been to?

• Locally Captain Geech 
• Alter Bridge and Shinedown have had amazing shows. I loved the flame effects when we saw Shinedown. 
• Anything you can add to make it more multidimensional and engage all of the senses enhances the show.  With Shinedown, you could feel the heat of the flames. 

What is your favorite song to solo?

• I don’t sing many songs on stage currently, but I love singing “Zoot Suit Riot”. 

Why is it better to be bald than to have hair?

• I think that being bald is just great! Being bald is a beautiful thing. 

Who would win a fight, Birdie or Cheryl?

• I’m pretty sure even though Cheryl has gotten much bigger, Birdie is just too quick.  She can still run circles around Goose. 

Did you have an interest in sound engineering before the band?

• I did not.  The way I kind of fell into it is that Fun DMC needed someone to run sound a few times and I am a fidgeter by nature. I also love to perfect things.  They needed someone to run sound at a couple shows so it started with “this is what these levers and dials do” and it evolved into wanting to sound better and better.
• I’m completely obsessed now with wanting my band to be the best sounding band in Central Illinois. 
• I’m not sure if I achieve that because there’s a lot of fantastic sounding people out there, but I think for us, I’ve got our sound down pretty well and I only look forward to continuing to learn. 

Would the earth be more prone to asteroid strikes if Jupiter wasn’t in the solar system?

• No, and here’s why:
  • Jupiter has a massive gravitational influence on a lot of objects in the solar systems, especially those pesky asteroid belts.  Every once and a while it’ll just pluck one of those and fling it at earth.  So, if Jupiter wasn’t in our solar system we would probably have quite a few less chaotic asteroid paths. 

What’s your best feel good story from your firefighter days?

• That is a great question. 
• One that comes to mind…I really enjoyed doing the smoke house at the schools.  The kids really enjoyed it. I really liked taking a part in fire prevention and teaching children how to be safe in the event of a fire.  
• The memories of children being so excited to see firetrucks and go in the smoke house and their eagerness to learn. 

If you were to write a book, what would it be about?

• I am not a huge fan of biographies, so not a biography. 
• But if I were to write a book it would probably be a space opera.  Think “The Expanse” or something like that.  That’s kind of 
• I could get into poetry and write a book of Haikus

What is my favorite song to watch Katey peform?

• “Perfect” and for very selfish reasons.  
• There are moments when she looks up from the microphone and I look up from the sound board and our eyes lock. That’s when there’s nobody else in that room and that song is just for us. 
• I also dig the Lizzo songs.  But she rocks everything. 
• I just appreciate everyone in our band.  They are all so talented and they are the best team.  I never have to doubt that they all care.  They will all show up and help, no matter the issue. 

What if your least favorite plant in the house?

• The spider plant!  It just keeps growing and growing and it drops things everywhere. 
• I don’t dislike the spider plant

What is a good day trip spot that I’ve been to?

• One of my favorite place that I’ve been to is Giant City in the Shawnee National Forrest.  My mom used to take me there as a kid and I love the rock formations and the trails. Now we try to go down there for an overnight trip every couple years. 

Why is Talon so sexy and is it difficult to focus at shows?

• I get really in the zone at shows.  It becomes difficult for me to focus on anything besides the sound. 
• And why is Talon so sexy, the world may never know.

How do you manage to take a perfect picture of a person every single time?

• Oh no! I don’t! I just happen to take a lot of pictures of the same person. And the one you see is the best. 
• What is it like to be the band dad?
  • I have been called that a few times.  I have this tendency to be very protective of my friends.  
  • Should I see them not wearing a coat or when I see them doing something that might get them hurt, then I tend to be a little bit “dadish”.
  • The band dad thing also has to do with my bad puns. 

What is the most fun side job you’ve gotten yourself into during a wedding reception?

• We consider ourselves a full service wedding band. There have been a few times we’ve had to step in weird situations. 
• Once, a photographer got lost on the way to a wedding reception.  I took the photos for the beginning of the reception, like for entrances and toasts. 
• I’ve also stepped in to temporarily bartend while still running sound. 

Who is the traitor in Fun DMC who thinks a hot dog is a sandwich?

• What is a hot dog if not a sandwich?
• If heard people say it could be a taco.  
• Why can’t a sandwich be a hotdog?

Would you rather eat a tarantula or a tarantula hawk?

• I would go with the tarantula hawk.  Better eating I’m sure. 

What is your favorite celebratory drink?

• I have a bourbon I really like.  It’s called Old Weller.  They make a 12 year bourbon that is really special.  When there is a momentous occasion (happy or sad) we have a toast with the 12-year. 

Would you rather eat a goat or a matterbaby. 

• What’s a matterbaby? Lol

Any good stories where there was a disaster at a show that we were able to recover from?

• We had a show at Panther Creek. 
• In the middle of the show, a single cell thunderstorm seemed to pop up out of nowhere.
• We managed to move the entire stage and setup under a small covered area and did an unplugged set for the rest of our show.  It ended up being a really good show 

If you were a member of the X-Men, what mutant ability would you have?

• I like professor Xavier and magnito.  I wouldn’t want to be storm though. 

What is the best vacation you’ve been on?

• I’ve been on a lot of amazing vacations. One of my favorites was going to Germany and France with my wife and my sister & brother in law.  

How much are you missing being with the band and doing shows?

• I miss that a lot.  That is a part of my life that I enjoy more than words can express. The fact that we get to be a part of weddings and help make that the best experience of people’s lives, that’s something I truly cherish.  I miss playing with those guys. 

How’s Goose?

• He’s doing amazingly!  He’s been able to be out and not sleep in his kennel this week!  That’s huge progress because before he was simply tearing everything to shreds. 
• Follow more of his journey on instagram!

Are you a comic book nerd?

• No. I’m sorry friends. 

What is your favorite camera lense to use?

• I love my wide angle lens because it has almost no distortion. 
• I also love my wildlife lens. Yes, I do shoot some nature photography

Are you ever going to learn to braid your wife’s hair?

• If someone would like to teach me, then absolutely. 

What is the best BBQ restaurant you have found in your travels with Fun DMC?

• When Talon and I went to see Myles Kennedy in Kansas City, we went to Kansas City Joe’s.  It’s in a gas station but it was the best BBQ rib tips.
• Pappy’s BBQ in St. Louis has the best ribs I’ve eaten. 

What is your favorite book of all time?

• That is a difficult question because I am a prolific reader.  I have probably read thousands of books. 
• There are several Grisham books I like.  There is one called “A Painted House”.  The coming of age theme really stuck with me because you really see how a boy goes from seeing all the innocence in the world and then watch him travel through that journal and learn about the world. 

What is your favorite thing to do when you aren’t playing with the band?

• I love just spending time with my family and friends. 
• I enjoy building things and working with my hands. 
• I like having something to show for my labor.   I built our dining room table. I love the craft and the labor of love that comes with building something. 

What is your favorite album on the whole?

• I’m not sure but I’ll tell you the album I listened to the most. That would be Creed or Nickleback. 

Do you have any secret or weird talents?

• I’m not sure.  I don’t think I do. 

If you could learn to speak a foreign language, what would it be?

• I would probably choose to learn Ithkuil, which is a language no one speaks. 
• That or Dothraki

Would you ever be in another band?

• I don’t think I would.  I love the band and I couldn’t imagine being with a better group of people. 
• If I DID start another band, Talon & I would start a hard rock band that no one would listen to.

What is your favorite breakfast food?

• Ritz’s Little Fryer in Springfield, IL has the best breakfast horseshoe. 
• Other than that, I really love breakfast potatoes.  Beans are also a great breakfast food. 

What is your dream piece of equipment if money weren’t a factor?

• There are moving lights that about $15,000 a piece. 
• I also really want cold fountains.  They are sparking fountains but they are not hot. 

Do you like being on stage singing and dancing around?

• Of course I do. But I get very very nervous any time I give up control of my sound board.  It is hard for me to be on the stage singing because I have anxiety that it won’t sound good out front because sound is my thing. 

What is the most emotional moment you’ve ever had at a wedding Fun DMC was booked at?

• There was a wedding where we hired a violinist to come in and play “Hallelujah”.  It was a very special song to their family, especially after the loss of a loved one.  It allowed them to still grieve in a time of celebration. 
• One of my favorite things about this band is that we don’t just want to play at your wedding, we want to create an experience and be a part of something special. 

Does anyone in Fun DMC has a signature phrase?

• “That’s what she said” and “phrasing” are two of mine. 

Do you ask every band to play “Free Bird” or just your own?

• Funny story.  At every show for the past two years, someone in the audience has yelled “play “Free Bird” “.  It annoys our guitar player more than anything! After two years, I fessed up and admitted that I was that someone that had been shouting at him and that I had been using different voices. 

What’s a song you were worried about the band adding but that had an amazing crowd reaction?

• I was unsure about “Kung Foo Fighting” but the songs we put it with work so well!

Would you rather fight one horse sized duck or 100 duck sized horses?

• One horse sized duck would be a lot, but I’d take it.

Join us for another AMA with Jason Youngberg. May 14, 2020 @8PM on Facebook and Instagram Live.