Nonpoint

House of Blues
Cleveland, Ohio
July 9, 2016

A fun interview with BC Kochmit, lead guitarist of one of the most energetic, dynamic, and liveliest bands on stage today: Nonpoint.

BC Kochmit, lead guitarist of Nonpoint at HOB Cleveland

Nonpoint at the House of Blues in Cleveland

The Power
I truly cannot remember the last time I saw a band move to such an extent during a concert. At the Cleveland House of Blues show, each band member of Nonpoint provided constant, entertaining action on stage throughout the performance, from wild guitar playing to head banging and hair flipping to crazy dancing. To say the show was action-packed, is not quite making the point strongly enough.

Very clearly, the members of Nonpoint (Vocalist Elias Soriano, Drummer Robb Rivera, Guitarist Rasheed Thomas, Bassist Adam Woloszyn, and Lead Guitarist BC Kochmit) intensely feel the music they create, and physically demonstrate their passion and sound while playing on stage. As a result, everyone in the audience felt the powerful energy of the performance as we were swept up and carried away with the tunes.

Nonpoint at the House of Blues in Cleveland

Elias Soriano of Nonpoint at the HOB

The Presence
Very important to note: as of July 8, 2016, Nonpoint released a new album entitled The Poison Red. Not only is this album completely killer, but also the record is available in a red vinyl double LP. Go to a show to purchase an autographed copy! Or download on iTunes here.

BC Kochmit of Nonpoint prior to the HOB show

The Point
I was fortunate to catch up with Lead Guitarist BC (aka Brad Chester or “Bleed Cleveland,” whichever you prefer) Kochmit prior to the show. Check out the interview below to learn more about this amazing guitarist, and to take away a few important points:

• Keep in touch with people. You never know what might happen in the future.
• Cleveland is awesome. Finally, the time has arrived to quit trash talking the city.
• Music saves, so buy it to help support the bands we love!
• Just be cool to people. It’s easy and magnetizing.

The Chat

Your first name is officially Brad. What does the “C” stand for?
Chester. It was my grandfather’s name.

You have been in Nonpoint for about two years. How did that come about?
Yes, since about May of 2014. It’s a long story. I was in a band called Switched around 1999-2000. We were looking for someone to produce our first album, and we settled on Jason Bieler, because I had heard the album Statement that he produced by a band called Nonpoint. [We ended up recording] at the same place they recorded Statement, met the band, and stayed in touch. The first headlining tour that Nonpoint did, Switched opened up. We were on tour with them when September 11 happened. Just a lot of history with them. I always kept in touch with Robb [Rivera]. It’s a testament to never burn a bridge.

Nonpoint at the Cleveland House of Blues

What does it feel like to join a band that has been established 15 years? Did you fit right in?
Well, I’ve always been a fan of the band, so when I first started it was bit like ultimate guitar karaoke for me. I play because I like the songs anyway. [Laughter] They’re good guys, and we all get along really well. They tried to get me in the band a couple of times. One, when the first guitar player left, but I had something else going. The second time, I also had something else going on, so the third time is a charm, I guess.

Tell me a little bit about your background as a musician.
I was always kind of exposed to music through my dad. I remember very early on, watching the Queen “Under Pressure” video on TV. He actually had an old Betamax [VCR] machine; he recorded the first day, the very first broadcast, of MTV. But anyway, he was very musical, and played keyboards in a band back in the ‘60s. When I think I was 10 or 11, he asked [what I wanted] for Christmas. [I was at that] weird age where I didn’t want trains anymore. I was flipping through a JCPenney catalog and thought I’d try the guitar. And, and here I am. I built a career out of it.

Where do you live, in Medina, Ohio?
I live in Medina, and I was born in Strongsville. I went out to L.A. for a little bit when my first band was signed. I met my wife out there, and then we moved out to Medina. I like it out there because it’s nice and open. I can come to the city in 20 minutes, but I can also have that rural-no-neighbors thing… be loud in the garage and make noise and play my guitars.

How did you meet your wife?
She was a friend of my manager at Switched. We went to the world famous Rainbow Bar and Grill [West Hollywood] one day. She was there, and I instantly felt an attraction. I kind of played hard to get there for a second, and she almost dumped me. I [had to] reel her back in. We’ve only known being married [while] being on the road, because I was already in a national touring band when we met. People think it’s hard to do this, and for some people it is. We just had our 11-year anniversary not too long ago. You know, that cheesy saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder? It’s super true. Otherwise we’d just be killing each other… she’d be killing me. [Laughter]

What does your wife do for a living?
We bought into a bar in Strongsville called Slim & Chubby’s. We co-own that, and she manages it.

I need to check that out.
Yeah… good food!

Congratulations on just releasing your new album Poison Red! I watched a video on Facebook showing an actual red vinyl record. That was so cool.
Thank you! Our drummer is super, super duper into vinyl. We just switched labels to Spinefarm Records, and they were gracious enough to put it on vinyl for us. Vinyl is making a big resurgence now.

Since you’ve joined Nonpoint, you have been a complete part of this entire record and the songs.
Yes. I actually I did all the artwork, and I wrote a bunch of the songs. That’s another thing, too. [The band members] were welcoming. They could have easily been like… we have eight albums under our belt, we want you to just sit there and play, and have no opinion. But, I don’t think they wanted that, and I didn’t want that. They were very, very welcoming, and threw me right into this. It’s a team effort!

What is your song writing process? How do you guys do it?
Everybody kind of writes on their own, and then demos stuff on their laptops. I would write music on my computer and would send it to Rob and Elias. Elias would sing some vocals on it and send it back. It’s a layers thing. Even though we all live in different states. Three of the guys live in Chicago, Elias lives in Michigan, and I’m here in Cleveland. It takes a little while longer, but allows us to all be at home with our families. It’s a cool process. It’s always cool to hear something that was an idea in your head, and now here it is on a vinyl record. You had this thing you came up with in the shower… humming a riff or something. And, then when you hear it on the radio. That never gets old. Super cool.

Do you like touring and seeing all the different cities and sites?
Yeah, I like seeing sites when we can. A lot of times, all I see is the back alley, parked next to the dumpster. [Laughter] Sometimes you have days off where you can get out and about. I always try to take it all in. It’s fun, though. You do see a lot of stuff but sometimes you really don’t get to see much. We have schedules and can’t leave when we have sound check to do.

I think people assume that bands just go on stage and are then partying all night. Maybe you do, though, I don’t know. 🙂
I wish! It’s a lot of work. I mean, you can do that, but you won’t last in this business. You’ve got to take care of your body. We’re all kind of older…. So, we’ve got to eat right. You can’t be Motley Crüe in ’85…. you won’t last.

BC Kochmit of Nonpoint

How do you stay on an exercise or eating program when you are touring? I think that would be so challenging.
We usually stop at a grocery store and everyone picks up what they like. We all have a little spot to put our stuff. I’m not saying we don’t have the super fried food days! But you try to balance it. I like to go out and walk. I don’t work out, but I try to walk around and do things. I like to at least stay a little active. I used to have a Fitbit, but I broke it. I do the equivalent of walking 5 miles on stage in an hour… you get a lot of exercise. The job is almost exercise. [Laughter]

Totally. You are working out up there! So, what are the plans for the band for the rest of 2016?
This tour goes to August 20^th. Then, we’ll take a month or so off. And then we’ll go out with a couple more bands in November and December. Next year, we’re going to try and get in on all the big festivals in the US in the spring and then head over to Europe. We’re trying to get back to Australia – we just went there last February – and Japan.

Do you have a favorite venue or city where you play?
The Machine Shop. Kevin Zink, the owner, is one of the few who understands it. He does the promotion right so that people come out. We’ve sold out [our shows] like 5 times in a row. It’s a great venue; great sound.

People travel to go to The Machine Shop. I did.
Yeah! Even people in Florida say they’ve got to get to the Machine Shop!

And, it’s not a huge venue.
I like that, too. We play arenas and big US festivals, and there is no intimacy, really. I like where you can walk out and talk… It’s all about the fans. Without fans, what’s the point?

I don’t know about a favorite city, though. I’ll say Cleveland! [Points to his Cleveland shirt]

That’s what I wanted to hear! Do you ever get to see concerts? Or do you even want to see concerts?
I’ll go when some of my friends’ bands are in town. But, usually when you come home, you’re coming home from [a concert] every night. I think the last concert I was super excited for was when The Police toured in 2007. I saw them at the Gund Arena. Or what is it called now, the Q?

I still call it “the Gund.” I refuse to go by the new names. 🙂
I remember feeling like giddy… like that feeling that I was 13 again.

Usually, though, I want to just sit and watch TV… be with the family.

Do you have any interests or adventure activities outside of music?
Spending time with my family. I like being at home. For hobbies, I write music. I’m not an adrenaline junkie. I’m pretty much like a nerd. I collect coins.

What are some things that you like to do in Cleveland or Akron?
I love going to see the Indians. We have the NBA champs now! I’ll be wearing my Lebron shirt on stage tonight. There’s a lot of new stuff happening here, like new restaurants. I’m a foodie. We’ve got Melt Bar and Grill, B-Spot. I just love it. I was born here, and I bleed Cleveland. That’s what my initials stand for: Bleed Cleveland! This is my home. I can choose to live anywhere, and I choose here.

That is fantastic! Any music that you are listening to now, new or old, that you would want to share?
The new Gojira album Magma is top notch. I’m a huge Godzilla freak, so just the word Gojira is how I actually got into the band. Their music is phenomenal, and their new album is absolutely amazing. That’s my go to at the moment. I’m telling the readers to buy that album!

Is there anything else that you want to share that you want people to read?
Buy records again! I’m very pro purchasing music, even though you can download it. When you do this for a living and see how it really is… [buying music] really goes a long way and helps keep bands alive. People don’t understand why bands break up, but sometimes they can’t afford to keep doing this. If you find a band you love, just support it. That’s what I want people to know.

Music saves. Music saved my life. I was kind of a fuck up for a while, and figured myself out when I was young. My friends would go out and party and I’d be in the basement shredding guitars. I owe everything to music. I wouldn’t be here without music… I’d probably be dead.

So, please just support music. I don’t care what it is… country, rap, jazz, pop. If you like it, go buy and support it.

Josh Todd of Buckcherry at the HOB

What is it like to tour with Buckcherry?
Awesome. They are awesome. They are all super nice guys. Super welcoming. Very open. Just a class act. That’s the thing. When you tour with a lot of bands and some of the guys are assholes… there is nothing worse than meeting someone whose poster was on your wall as a kid, worshipping him, and then you meet him and he’s a dick. I won’t name any names.

I can relate because I get to meet a lot of people, and 99 percent of the time I’m blown away by how awesome they are! But, there’s that one percent. I won’t mention any names either.
Buckcherry is just great… they’re just great dudes. We just did a tour with Disturbed, and those guys are some of the most amazing, genuine people that I’ve ever met. Dan [Donegan], the guitar player, is the kind of dude who is so nice, when you stand next to him, you kind of re-evaluate your own life. How can I just be a better person? He’s just awesome. I love that dude. All the guys in the band are just super cool. Very welcoming.

I love it when people are cool. That’s another thing I want people to know… just be cool, man. You catch a lot more flies with honey.

Thanks BC!