System of a Down are slowly crossing things off their rock ‘n roll bucket list even if their energetic bassist, Shavo Odadjian, is delirious from not sleeping due to long hours songwriting and an impromptu [bad word] s Kitchen marathon.

Instead of grinding themselves down to a bitter pulp like some bands do, the old-school Los Angeles-based band has spent years judiciously playing shows and making music when they feel like it.

After some deliberation (and because they felt like it), System of a Down decided to add a single 2013 United States date onto their mostly European tour schedule—a high-profile performance at the ever “classy” Hollywood Bowl on July 29th.

Odadjian admits to Kevin & Bean that the Hollywood Bowl had always been on their “bucket list” while they gradually worked their way up from playing gigs at the Whiskey in ’95, Henry Rollins’ Anti-Club, the [bad word]  and the Coliseum.

System of a Down decided to put another notch in their belt of dreams so that they could play for local family and friends.

“We’re going to do rehearsals in LA. We live in LA…most of us do,” said [bad word] John Dolmayan. “We came up in LA. We got signed in LA. Everything happened in LA.”
As KROQ listeners since they were children, the band also wanted to play a show for local fans who may have been too young to see System of a Down live. Luckily, the band is still collecting these young fans despite their lack of new music.
 
When asked whether there was aforementioned new music was in the works, Odadjian said jokingly that he “just got [bad word] by the giant elephant in the room” while Dolmayan emphasized that “albums are forever” and they don’t want [bad word] their art.

“We are going to make a new album at a certain point, it’s just a matter of when the four of us decide it’s the right time to make it,” elaborated Dolmayan. “We don’t want anyone to go in there and do it because the rest of us want to do it. We all want to do it because it’s the right thing to do for everybody. I wouldn’t want to go in and make an album that doesn’t represent the best that we have to offer. If you force someone in the studio ahead of when they’re ready for it then you’re probably going to make something mediocre.”

System of a Down plays the Hollywood Bowl on July 29th. Tickets go on sale this Friday, March 22nd, at 10am.

–Nadia Noir, KROQ

 [bad word] /kroq [bad word] system-of-a-down-discuss-being-from-l-a-playing-only-one-show-hollywood-bowl/