[intro music]

Alison Stewart: This is All Of It on WNYC, I'm Alison Stewart. We're launching a new series where actors and artists join us, not to talk about their careers or a project, but about an issue they care or a cause they care about, and we've nicknamed it, but enough about me. This Saturday, a concert will be at Baby's All Right in Brooklyn to benefit two organizations on the front lines of the fight for Ukraine's sovereignty. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and after a year and a half of conflict and half a million casualties, there's still no end in sight. And just because it's not the lead story on the nightly news every night anymore, it doesn't mean that the organizations helping Ukrainians have slowed their role, but they need support.

Some artists from our area with ties to Ukraine are taking part in the benefit concert. The band ZOPA will be at Baby's All Right, and one of the members is with us now, Michael Imperioli, who, of course you know from The Sopranos, Goodfellas, and most recently, White Lotus. Welcome to the studio, Michael.

Michael Imperioli: Thank you for having me today.

Alison Stewart: Also from the band Loose Buttons is Eric -- I'm going to get it, Nizgretsky.

Eric Nizgretsky: Yes, there we go. That's me.

Alison Stewart: Nice to see you, Eric.

Eric Nizgretsky: Thank you.

Alison Stewart: Eric, what is your personal connection with Ukraine?

Eric Nizgretsky: I'm a first-generation Ukrainian American. My family was born and raised in Ukraine, my grandparents -- My dad was born and raised in Kyiv, and my mom was born and raised in Odessa, which has recently been experiencing a ton of destruction, so this is a cause that has always been near and dear to my heart. When the war started, it felt wrong to kind of just be sitting and not doing anything. We had a few fans when the war started DM-ing us, and there was one fan in particular, his name is Sasha, who was informing us of what was going on on the ground, and also keeping us notified about the resiliency of the Ukrainian people. Through that, the rest of the guys and the band, we decided not to sit on the sidelines, let's start these benefit shows and let's go out and help the people who need it the most.

Alison Stewart: Michael, what's your connection?

Michael Imperioli: Well, my wife Victoria is actually from Kyiv, although her family came to New York a long time ago, like in the '70s, so during the Soviet era when it was still part of the Soviet Union. So, I do have a personal connection to it, but I don't really think you necessarily need one to want to support it. No matter politically what you feel about what the US should be doing as far as military aid, all that aside, there are people who are really suffering in the wake of all this violence and destruction. That's why we're doing this concert on Sunday to help them and relieve some of that suffering if we can, even a little bit. I get a lot of DMs on Instagram from fans in Ukraine, and that's also part of my connection, hearing from them directly about what's going on and wanting to help because of that.

Alison Stewart: And I want to be clear, it's October 1st, it's Sunday.

Michael Imperioli: Sunday, yes. Thank you.

Alison Stewart: Apologies for that.

Michael Imperioli: No worries.

Alison Stewart: [unintelligible 00:03:15] calendars.

Eric Nizgretsky: It's okay.

Alison Stewart: When did the idea of this particular benefit start?

Eric Nizgretsky: I mean, we, Loose Buttons, we've been putting on a few, I think this might be the fourth or fifth one. Michael and I, we have a mutual friend, his name is Eugene Hütz. He's the frontman of the band Gogol Bordello, and he introduced us. Michael and I were kind of going back and forth about wanting to do this, and we found a date that works. And here we are promoting it, and also making sure that people don't forget about the atrocities happening in Ukraine, and at the same time, celebrating the Ukrainian people. I think that's also very important here.

Alison Stewart: Michael, what can you tell me about the organizations that will receive some of the support from this benefit?

Michael Imperioli: Well, one of them is directly for veterans who are-- it helps with, unfortunately, prosthetics, people who have those really critical injuries, and just their own rehab and care after being injured in the war there. Razom for Ukraine just really helps on the ground for people who are getting them food, medical supplies, in the places where that has really suffered under the war. They're both really good organizations that really are direct relief to the people who are suffering under this terrible conflict.

Alison Stewart: The name of the first group is Kind Deeds, right?

Michael Imperioli: Kind Deeds, yes. Which is based here, right?

Eric Nizgretsky: Yes, they're based in New York. Actually, Zelensky, during UN Week, he went to the rehab center there and visited with these veterans. The last show that we did, these veterans actually came to the show, and they're going to be coming to ours as well, which is great. Some of them, they fly back to Ukraine once they receive their prosthetics, and are still fighting and helping the Ukrainian people. I mean, their courage is incredible as well.

Alison Stewart: Wow. My guests are Michael Imperioli of the band ZOPA, and Eric Nizetsky?

Eric Nizgretsky: Nizgretsky.

Alison Stewart: Nizgretsky of Loose Buttons. We are talking about a benefit of Ukraine happening on October 1st at Baby's All Right in Brooklyn. You mentioned you're getting DMs from folks in Ukraine, and you sound like you've got connections on the ground. Michael, what are you hearing from people that you think people should know about?

Michael Imperioli: I think the most important thing is we forget that -- we look at it in terms of politics often, we look at it in terms of armies, and forget that it's just simple people trying to go about with their lives, and are doing that in the midst of this, depending on where they are. I think we have to really focus on them. We have to focus on those people just like you and I who are trying to still maintain some kind of sanity and continuity in their lives. There's a lot of suffering that's going on there, there's a lot of resilience, there's a lot of courage, and that's been very inspiring, hearing from the courage and resilience of the people. And they're strong people. I mean, everyone really thought this would have been over very quickly, and I think that their courage and strength has been really inspiring and amazing.

Alison Stewart: Also, in difficult times, it's hard to retain your humanity in times of war.

Michael Imperioli: Absolutely.

Alison Stewart: Eric, where do you think people are getting their sense of hope?

Eric Nizgretsky: I think art and music in general has always been a way to amplify stories, and I think that the Ukrainian people are seeing what we're doing here and realizing that they're not forgotten. I think that, that is where a lot of the hope is coming from. I think it's important for us, and it's imperative for us to not lose sight of that, and to keep on shining a light on the fact that these people are crushing it there in Ukraine and keeping what is theirs. And I think that the Ukrainian people are seeing that we're helping them provide hope.

Alison Stewart: I want to remind you that's happening this Sunday, October 1st, at Baby's All Right in Brooklyn, a concert to benefit to help Ukraine and organizations on the ground and here in the States sending aid to Ukraine. All right, we have to talk music a little bit first.

Eric Nizgretsky: Let's do it.

Alison Stewart: All right. How would you describe your band Loose Buttons in a couple of adjectives?

Eric Nizgretsky: Fun, raucous, emotive.

Alison Stewart: What's your set going to be like on Sunday?

Eric Nizgretsky: It's going to be a fun one. I think it's going to be built around celebrating, I think, more than anything else. We like to get people moving on the dance floor, and we try to keep it energetic and fun, and-- Yes, it's going to be a great night.

Alison Stewart: We're going to play 99 Secrets. What should we know about this track?

Eric Nizgretsky: It's a song that was written at the height of the war, and it's a song that kind of dealt with my own mental health and the ideas are where I felt comfortable enough to be in tune with those feelings. I put a pen to paper, and then wrote a song about it.

Alison Stewart: All right, let's hear it. This is Loose Buttons with 99 Secrets.

[music playing: 99 Secrets by Loose Buttons]

Tie me up in a dog cone

To keep me from what I don't wanna know

Oh no

Somebody throw me a bone

Oh no

Feeling off, getting bored of it

I sketch a smile and stick to my face

Oh no

Somebody, answer the phone

I'll tell you 99 secrets

I'm best at my weakest

All my friends seem distracted

I can fake it this weekend

135 a week to get my head right

Now I'm talking for free

Lasting longer than a tattoo

Color fading in and out of line

Oh no

Looks like we're all out of time

Alison Stewart: That's 99 Secrets from Loose Buttons. You want to shout out the other guys in the band, fellas?

Eric Nizgretsky: Oh, yes. I hope they're all listening. We've got Adam on drums, Manny on bass, and Zach on guitar, and those are my brothers.

Alison Stewart: Michael, when did ZOPA form?

Michael Imperioli: Originally in 2006. It's a New York indie rock trio with myself, Elijah Amitin, and Olmo Tighe. From 2013 till 2021, I was not living in New York, so we were on a hiatus, and then we started playing again in 2021. We've been doing a lot of shows in New York and other places in the last couple of years, and been recording and writing and-- Yes.

Alison Stewart: How did it feel to pick back up?

Michael Imperioli: It felt really good. The three of us all kind of grew and aged in that time, and the sound changed a bit, I think for the better. I'm really happy with what we're doing now.

Alison Stewart: All right. We're going to hear Big from the new EP.

Michael Imperioli: Big is interesting because it's a new EP, although it was recorded in 2008. This is one of the first songs we recorded, and a lot of this song was actually written in 1988. [chuckles]

Alison Stewart: This explains a lot. [chuckles] All right--

Eric Nizgretsky: I never knew that.

Alison Stewart: We can talk about this on the other side, this is all becoming clear to me.

Michael Imperioli: Okay.

Alison Stewart: All right. Let's hear Big from ZOPA.

[music playing: Big by ZOPA]

Alison Stewart: All right. [unintelligible 00:12:34] 1988 makes sense to me, because the first time I heard it, I was like, "Ooh, Smithereens [unintelligible 00:12:39]."

Michael Imperioli: Ooh, I can see that.

Alison Stewart: That's a compliment by the way. [chuckles]

Michael Imperioli: No, no, of course. They're a very good band. Yes, so in 1988, '89, Olmo and Elijah-- they're both like 15 years younger than me, so they were really-- I don't know. They were really young, like five years old. We weren't together yet then, but I was making music, but never really fully formed that song, but-- Yes, so we released that EP that we recorded with a producer named Freddie Katz here in New York this year, but we have a new album that we just finished that'll come out next year, but the EP is really cool, and we're really proud of it.

Alison Stewart: Anything about the benefit I haven't covered that you want to make sure people know about?

Eric Nizgretsky: No, I think you nailed it all. I think the doors are going to be at 6:00 PM, show starts at 7:00.

Michael Imperioli: How do they get tickets?

Eric Nizgretsky: Oh, that's great. You can go on either of our Instagram pages, or you could go on Baby's All Right, and the tickets will be there, and we're definitely going to be blasting it these next few days to make sure that it sells out and we raise as much money as possible.

Michael Imperioli: Yes. I have a link @realmichaelimperioli on Instagram. That's my IG, so you can get tickets on that link.

Alison Stewart: That is happening Sunday, October 1st, at Baby's All Right in Brooklyn. It is a benefit concert to help organizations supporting people in Ukraine. My guests have been Eric-- I'm going to get it--

Eric Nizgretsky: You got this.

Alison Stewart: I got it, Nizgretsky.

Eric Nizgretsky: Nailed it.

Alison Stewart: Ooh, and Michael Imperioli from ZOPA. Eric's band is called Loose Buttons. Thanks for coming to the studio.

Eric Nizgretsky: Thank you so much.

Michael Imperioli: Thanks. I really love what you do, and it's really an honor for me to be here personally, I have to say that.

Alison Stewart: Oh, thank you.

Michael Imperioli: I listen to you all the time, and I think you're wonderful.

Alison Stewart: Aw, right on. Thank you. You made my day.

Michael Imperioli: Thank you.

Eric Nizgretsky: Thank you.

 

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