#438 - Serj Tankian on DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM

Published: May 14, 2024, 4:11 p.m.

Musician Serj Tankian, best known as front man for System Of A Down, chats with Trey Elling about DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM: A MEMOIR (OF SORTS). Topics include:

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  • His family in the Armenian Genocide (0:00)
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  • The Lebanon Civil War (4:48)
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  • Being an immigrant kid (7:38)
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  • The music epiphany (10:32)
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  • Dad's helpful advice (13:11)
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  • "System Of A Down" meaning (15:05)
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  • Rick Rubin (16:47)
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  • His first visit to Armenia (19:47)
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  • Criticizing the US, post-9/11 (21:31)
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  • Spurning the Grammys (24:55)
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  • B.Y.O.B. (28:22)
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  • Steal This Album! & "Boom!" (29:16)
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  • Maintaining creative freedom (31:15)
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  • Compassionate confrontation (32:12)
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  • Parenthood (33:48)
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  • System's ONE Armenia show (37:30)
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  • Showing Bourdain around Armenia (39:08)
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  • An ode to America (42:42)
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  • An ode to making music (43:27)
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  • An ode to being Armenian (45:46)
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