1: Where are you right now?

Mitts: Home, on Long Island. Sitting at my computer desk with hockey on the TV behind me. Just got back from Massachusetts where we were recording the new MB record.

2: What kind of car do you currently drive?

Mitts: Honda Accord. I wanted something that's gonna last, and those never die (knock on wood). Hardcore musicians aren't exactly millionaires, you know? Reliability over flash.

3: Who gave you the name Mitts???

Mitts: Lu from Sub Zero. Back in 1993. I worked in a recording studio, and when the rooms weren't booked, they'd let us bring in our own projects. I was producing/engineering a demo for Sub Z, and Lou was making fun of me. I was in a heated discussion with Rich (their guitar player) over how I thought he should play this one part, and I kept taking his guitar from him to demonstrate my idea. I hear Lu yelling from across the room "Look how he always has to have his mitts on the guitar!". So later, we went out for beers after the session, and he starts calling me "Mitts". It stuck. 21 years ago.

4: Proudest musical accomplishment?

Mitts: Having been in Madball for 13 years now, making 4 records and 2 EP's. 

5: Worst job you ever had?

Mitts: My first job I was working as a helper with my friend's father's sheet metal company. We had to install ventilation ducts in a bagel shop. We had to run the ducts over the top of RUNNING bagel ovens. It was about 95 degrees outside that day, and it had to be 120 in the kitchen. Imagine walking on top of a burning oven, with nothing but a thin sheet of plywood to protect you from the heat. Playing guitar is much better.

6: Favorite sports team?

Mitts: The New York Rangers. Anyone who knows me, knows my devotion to my hockey team. I've had season tickets for 23 years now. Man, that's a lot of money........haha.

7: Your favorite city or country that you like to visit on tour?

Mitts: I love all the capitals, London, Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Sydney, Sao Paulo. The smaller towns always have good shows but when you're in those big cities, you know it's gonna be a special night. (When I say capitals, I know that those aren't necessarily the capitals of each country, but also the biggest cities in that particular one).

8: If you weren't involved with music what kind of job do you think you would have?

Mitts: I have no idea. Maybe the post office. My father was a mailman. Probably the only guy in the history of the Postal Service who ever took the job seriously, and did it with pride. He did that so I could one day do what I do. 

9: Name an area that you have not been to while on tour that you are dying to get to play?

Mitts: I would love for us to go to South Africa. It's the last continent we have yet to play. I hear there are shows there, and we know some bands that have gone.

10: Alcoholic beverages of choice?

Mitts: Beers. I love Pilsners, so German and Czech. But I've also recently learned to enjoy English cask style ales. Wherever we go, we always request the local beer.

11: 3 bands or artists not hardcore, punk or metal related that people would be surprised that you were into?

Mitts: Jimmy Eat World, Ke$ha, Mozart. And I'm serious. Not just saying that for shock value. I listen to anything and everything. If I like it, I like it. I have no guilty pleasures because I have no guilt.

12: City/country you would want to live in if you didn't live in NY?

Mitts: I could see myself spending some time in London. It's the one city that could satisfy my sports fix. I've become a huge football (soccer) fan in the last 10 or so years.

13: The most dangerous situation you ever found yourself in while on tour?

Mitts: One time with Hazen Street, our tour bus went off the road cause our driver fell asleep behind the wheel. We were all OK, but it was a scary moment. 

14: 3 things that scare the crap out of you?

Mitts: I'm perfectly comfortable flying, but one thing that scares me is the road travel we do. Either in a van or a tour bus, you're at the mercy of other drivers on the road with you. Other than that, I've gotten some pretty nasty electrical shocks on stage when shit wasn't grounded, so electricity is my second pick here. Can't really think of a third. I try to live my life as unafraid of stuff as I can......and I'm not saying that in a "tough guy" way. I just take things as they come.

15: Best day of your life to this point?

Mitts: The Rangers winning the Stanley Cup in 1994. Haha. I'm sure if I ever have a kid someday, this will be surpassed.

16: Musician that had the biggest influence on you as a kid to pick up the guitar?

Mitts: Well I started out as a bass player because I was a huge fan of Iron Maiden......so I'd have to go with Steve Harris. I guess as a guitar player, I was most impressed by James Hetfield from Metallica.

17: Your 3 favorite TV shows past or present?

Mitts: Seinfeld, Family Guy, The Honeymooners.

18: What was the last meal that you ate?

Mitts: Chicken parm with pasta. This will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me well.

19: Gotta pick just ONE! “Kill ‘Em All”, “Ride The Lightining” or “Master Of Puppets”

Mitts: “Master Of Puppets”, hands down. It's that moment where they still had all the youth and anger in their music, but they started to mature into something unique. That record has never gotten stale to me and it's been almost 30 years.

20: The thing you miss the most from hardcore days gone by?

Mitts: I miss when New York City still had venues for mid-size hardcore shows. CBGB, Continental, Coney Island High, Brownie's. Nowadays, it's either super DIY or a big venue like Webster Hall, or Irving Plaza.

(Bonus) 21: Favorite way to kill time before a show while on tour?

Mitts: If I'm being responsible, it's going out sightseeing and/or having a nice meal away from the venue. Otherwise, I might end up at a bar somewhere away from the venue, sampling the local beer......usually quite a few of the local beers.....haha.