Hello, My Name Is Charlie
A chat with Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante.
IE: I hear you’re a Chicagoan now?
Charlie Benante: Yeah.
IE: How long have you lived here?
CB: About a year and a half now.
IE: And what brought you to our fair city?
CB: My wife is from there, so I just decided to do the Illinois thing, you know? Take the dare [laughs].
IE: Anthrax has always had a special relationship with Chicago it seems?
CB: Always. It’s always been like a first home to us. We’re from New York and we’ll always be a New York band, but from day one Chicago has embraced us, and it’s always a great show.
IE: What do you miss most about New York?
CB: Oh man, I always get in trouble because every time I do an interview with someone I always say the pizza. I’m sure people there [Chicago] are going to hate me for that.
IE: You’re going to be a dad soon?
CB: Yeah, in February.
IE: So what kind of dad will Charlie Benante be?
CB: The greatest [laughs]. Man, I don’t know. I have a 10-year-old stepson that I try to be that two-type person with. I try to be a disciplinarian when I need to but also be that guy that he can hang out with, take him to shows, and stuff like that.
IE: So you’ve had some experience in parenting, you won’t be totally caught off guard, right?
CB: I’ll be caught off guard, probably with the diaper changing and throwing up and stuff like that.
IE: Is it just me, or is [Anthrax singer] Joey Belladonna‘s hair exactly the same as it was in 1985?
CB: Everything about Joey Belladonna is exactly like it was in 1985.
A day after Benante spoke with us his wife Sandra went into labor, and we’re happy to report Mia Charley Benante (5 pounds and 9 ounces) was born at 5 a.m. Thursday, January 19th.
