Sports editor Matt Cohen interviewed Drake Bell on Saturday, March 28 shortly before he went onstage in the Gordon Field House.
Transcript: What’s your go-to pick up line?
Drake Bell: Um, I don’t know I don’t have a favorite.
T:Who influenced you the most when going into music?
Bell: Elvis, The Beatles, Beach Boys, Lil Richard, Eddie Clarke, Stray Cats, a lot of old people.
T: Growing up, did you like music or acting more?
Bell: There’s nothing to compare to playing live on stage in front of a live audience. It’s awesome being creative and being on a movie set, but there’s a lot of sitting around, a lot of waiting until they’re ready for you. Working on sitcoms is fun because it’s fast passed and you do have a live audience. But there’s nothing to compare to live performing. That’s the best.
T: What’s the coolest venues you’ve played at?
Bell: The coolest ones are actually in South America and Central America. Brazil, Mexico, the latin fans take “fan” to the whole next level. It’s the most intense and a lot of fun.
T: What were your first thoughts when hearing about the OWU concert?
Bell: That it would be awesome to come play. I love playing, seeing new places, meeting new people. Doing these colleges have been a lot of fun because all the people in the crowd are usually just a little younger than me. So it’s awesome I can do whatever I want, you know? I don’t have to cater my performance toward the younger kids.
T: Have you played a lot of colleges during the tour?
Bell: Yeah a few, don’t ask me which ones. Notre Dame, Berkeley was a lot of fun. Yeah the college thing has been a lot of fun.
T: Have you kept in touch with anyone on Drake and Josh?
Bell: Yeah I talk to Josh all the time and I just saw Miranda the other day we went to the Children’s Hospital together. We worked on a cartoon together not that long ago. I’m actually working with the Dad from the show, Jonathan Goldstein, on a new project that I’m producing and he’s directing. We were a pretty tight knit group.
T: What’s coming up next for you?
Bell: Touring and now I’m doing the voice of the Flash. Now I’m the Spiderman and the Flash, that’s pretty cool.