Mickey Avalon is a skanky Hollywood MC, an ex-junkie/male prostitute and the man behind one of 2006’s most infectious records. He has the kids doing the “Jane Fonda” while he’s “Waiting to Die,” but how did the rapper, who plays the Bluebird on Monday, get to this bizarre cult-hero status?
The Post caught up with Avalon in Chicago a few weeks ago via telephone.
Q: When did you start writing songs?
A: When I was a kid, I did it for fun in my head. But four years ago, I was helping with some graphic design stuff at this record label, and I was rhyming a little and they heard me and liked it.
Q: I saw you on a YouTube video of one of your shows, and your audiences are getting pretty crazy, right?
A: Yeah, two couples got caught (having sex) in the bathroom at last night’s show. Sex in crowds is a good thing.
Q: You own up to some outrageous stuff on your record. How much of it is true?
A: It’s all true. I was in AA a little bit, and that’s where I learned to tell really terrible stories that people would laugh at. I think it’s irresponsible to not make things funny.
Q: Now that you’re known for such outlandish behavior, do you feel the need to always meet people’s expectations?
A: Yeah. You don’t necessarily want to be the life of the party every night. But then again they used to have those freak shows in the olden days before people got them to stop, and that wasn’t a good thing, because then none of those people had jobs anymore, whereas before they had celebrity status. So being a circus animal has its perks.
Q: Do you regret being so open about your traumatic childhood?
A: I don’t think it was all that traumatic. I’ve seen some things I probably didn’t want to see. But I just threw them away. I smoked weed with my mom, but I never did hard drugs with her. I went to the methadone clinic with my dad, but I didn’t mind that because people were really nice there – and I learned how to pitch there. It’s like village life, but it’s a freaky village.
Mickey Avalon plays the Bluebird on Monday. Tickets, $15, are available via ticketmaster.com or 303-830-8497.
