Anne Erickson

Lansing State Journal

Scott Weiland: “I play the shows, really, for the fans. The energy that goes back and forth between the fans and the band.”

Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots performs Saturday at FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek with his band, the Wildabouts.

Nineties rock fans got to know Scott Weiland as the frontman for Stone Temple Pilots, where he cranked out post-grunge hits such as “Wicked Garden,” “Plush,” “Creep,” “Interstate Love Songs” and “Big Empty” some of the most recognizable rock hits of the decade. (“Sour Girl” is actually my favorite Stone Temple Pilots hit, but who’s counting?)

Now, Weiland has parted ways with Stone Temple Pilots and the DeLeo brothers and is making new music as Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts.

Weiland and his band perform Saturday at FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek. Between gigs, Weiland is also busy in the studio (not in jail, as last month’s false TMZ story reported), but he took some time off to chat with me about the FireKeepers show, his backing band and how the music industry has evolved since he first started making music.

Q: You’ve been performing since the ‘90s. What motivates you to keep playing shows?

A: I play the shows, really, for the fans. The energy that goes back and forth between the fans and the band. If the fans are really energetic, then we crank it up another notch, because it gives us energy, and our energy we’re cranking on stage feeds the fans, so it’s a symbiotic relationship in that you can’t have one without the other. Making records is something I love doing for myself. I mean, you always hope the Gods of rock will be smiling down on you and you’ll have a big album and really successful songs at radio and online, but ultimately, I make them for myself. I have to be pleased and satisfied myself more than anything. This record, so far, we have eight songs finished, and we’re eight for eight on the awesomeness meter.

Q: What should we expect from the show you’re bringing to FireKeepers Casino?

A: We’re playing stuff from our new album, “Blaster,” which will be out in November. We also play some STP stuff, Velvet Revolver stuff and some of our older solo stuff, and a cover here or there. So, it’s a nice montage of music. With the Wildabouts, expect a great rock ‘n’ roll show. You can tell we have great chemistry on stage, and I’m sure our fans will see it when they come. We’ve really honed our show down and become a great rock ‘n’ roll show. The louder you are, the louder we’ll be!

Q: Tell me about your backing band, the Wildabouts.

A: It’s like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, not in sound, but in soul. They’ve been backing me up since when I was a solo artist, so for about nine years. I’ve known these guys for a long time. I trust them musically, and they’re also my very close friends. It was just a natural way of getting together. We had talked about what we wanted to do for as far as making a record and the kind of sound that I wanted to achieve, and they were very akin to that, so it’s gone really seamlessly. We get together and rehearse, do some pre-production and come up with two or three songs and record those, and then we go back to rehearsals and writing and demoing and going in to record more. And the new album is sounding amazing.

Q: How would you describe the change the music industry has experienced over the past few decades?

A: Well, there are no more places to buy CDs, pretty much. There aren’t many radio stations left. You have your work set out for you, and you have to go about it a different way. But, playing live is king and it used to be tour to promote an album, and now you make an album to promote your touring, for the most part. But making records is actually my favorite part of the whole process.

Q: What’s next for you?

A: We’re finalizing all the deals and different territories, and we’re eight songs into the album, and so far, we’re eight for eight on the coolness meter, and it’s sounding amazing. Big and fuzzy and furry, and it’s got great melodies and great beats. It’s a real indie rock ‘n’ roll sounding record with smart melodies and real catchy melodies.

Show details: Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts, doors 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, FireKeepers Casino, 11177 East Michigan Ave, Battle Creek, (877) 352-8777, tickets start at $20 via www.firekeeperscasino.com.