Joe Wistrcill is the creative mind behind Reverse Mechanic and his latest project, Best Proposal Ever, reflects Wistrcill’s deep love for his fiance, and wants to make sure that not only she knows, but that the entire world does too. He does this in the most unique and inventive way; a twenty-two minute set as a visual record of his courtship takes him and his fiance, Angela, all over their home city if Minneapolis, leading up to his proposal. His latest single and music video, “Head In The Clouds,” brings us along for the exhilirating ride. Referencing his latest single, Wistrcill shares that “some girls deserve songs written for them, while others should be the subject of entire albums.”
The music video for “Head In The Clouds,” features Wistrcill’s passionate love for his soon-to-be-fiance, and the love he has for his hometown. In the video, the sights featured are located in Minneapolis and St.Paul. The couple visit Can Can Wonderland in St. Paul, the Cathedral of Saint Paul, famous restaurant, Tullibee, and many friendly residential neighborhoods. The clip concludes with the proposal at the historic Heights Theater, which is the oldest operating theater in the Twin Cities.
“Head In The Clouds,” features a mix of genres that Wistrcill enjoys blending and experiencing with, including hip-hop and guitar pop, with engaging rapped verses and a very catchy chorus. Find out the sweet words Wistrcill has to say about his fiance, Angela, and how much she and their hometown mean to both of them, some of his greatest music inspirations, and dishes all the goods with our fun music questions.
I love that you state “some girls deserve songs written for them, while others should be the subject of entire albums.” Can you share with us what this means to you, and why you feel this way?
Reverse Mechanic: Every girl is special and deserves love. Everyone on earth has value, so everyone should be boosted up with their own song and special shout out. There are those, however, who are particularly deserving of a little extra. My fiancé, as the best possible example of this, is far too breathtaking for a single song to suffice. Even an entire album falls woefully short of properly honoring her worth. It will take an entire lifetime to attempt a love worthy of a girl like that. She goes above and beyond for others, so I will always go above and beyond for her.
Your latest album, Best Proposal Ever, is a twenty-two-minute set and a visual record about your relationship with your now-fiancé , Angela, leading us all over your home state of Minnesota. What was the ultimate decision that led to this incredibly inspiring project?
Reverse Mechanic:Angela shows uncommon love. She does outlandish things to go over the top in extraordinary ways for me (and for others around her). She once said she loves how our relationship “feels like a competition to see who can love the other better.” When I started writing songs and crafting the marriage proposal, nothing felt good enough. I thought about surprising her by renting out the dance studio where we first met and dropping a personalized song for us to dance to, but it wasn’t romantic enough. I thought of unveiling one of the songs for her live in the middle of our first date spot (Can Can Wonderland) surrounded with flowers and rose petals, but it wasn’t epic enough. I thought about renting out a romantic movie theater and showing a giant multi song music video, but it still wasn’t enough. I thought of idea after idea, but nothing could do the moment justice. I finally decided the only way to do it right was to combine every idea, every secret song, every important place, every meaningful gift, and every over the top gesture into one outlandishly perfect day. It was the only reasonable option.
I really enjoy how you capture the charm and history of Twin Cities, with Can Can Wonderland, Cathedral of Saint Paul, Tullibee, residential neighborhoods, and Heights Theater. What is it about each of these landmarks and neighborhoods that speak to you, and give you that emotional pull?
Reverse Mechanic: All of these places have played special roles in our relationship. We met at the University of St. Thomas dance studio and have had meaningful conversations in the neighborhoods we walked. We had our first date at Can Can Wonderland, and instantly mini-golfers around us stopped to comment how cute we were as a couple. Angela has made all of her biggest life decisions in a side chapel of the Cathedral of Saint Paul. She took shelter in the Tullibee while she waited for me to pick her up in a polar vortex on one of her first trips to visit me while we dated long distance. I knew the Heights Theater was the most romantic theater in the Twin Cities, so finishing the day and adding that spot to our list only seemed fitting. As we charted our course through the proposal day, we recapped our entire relationship. We were able to reminisce and celebrate our relationship’s past, while simultaneously preparing and looking forward to an even more beautiful future together.
Your music blends rock, funk, soul, and gospel, along with hip-hop and guitar pop. Who are some of your biggest heroes from these genres?
Reverse Mechanic: I definitely have eclectic music tastes and influences. Some of the greats like James Brown and Ray Charles will always be heroes for pioneering a vibe like none other, but I especially find myself drawn to modern day off-chutes of that brand of genius. Chance the Rapper, for example, strikes a particularly resonant chord with me. He blends a lot of those funk, soul, gospel, and hip hop roots with incredible lyricism and is a huge inspiration. Jon Bellion is another great musical hero of mine who blends many of these elements with a bit more of a pop-rock funk swing with a modern twist. I also keep my ear to the ground and look up to a lot of artists who still haven’t quite broken the mainstream yet. Michael Blume, Dylan Owen, Kyle Thornton & The Company, etc. I take inspiration from all over.
What do you hope people take away from your music and the scenery displayed in the video
Reverse Mechanic: I hope people take away a picture of love that they can put into practice in their own lives. Let’s make life “a competition to see who can love the other better.”
Fun Questions
Who was your first concert, and who has been your favorite thus far?
Reverse Mechanic: I’m pretty sure Owl City was my first live concert. A friend of mine brought me with on a trek into the cities in high school, and it was a great set. I’ve been to a lot of concerts since, but I do have one that still sticks out in my head as a cut above the rest. I got to see Sonreal at 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis earlier on in his career. It was a small room and he was able to walk into the crowd and interact with us throughout the set. It was absolutely incredible, and I would still rate it as my favorite concert to date.
What was your first purchase on cassette, CD and/or vinyl?
Reverse Mechanic: My first CDs ever were Enema of the State and Blink-182. I went all in for MP3 album purchases as a kid and turned to new music for stress relief, but typically bought MP3s to stock my old iPod vs. physical purchases. It wasn’t until more recently that I started buying more physical CDs. The only cassette that I’ve ever bought was Mack Daddy by Sir Mix-a-Lot.
Which five albums and/or artists would you not want to live without?
Reverse Mechanic:
Chance the Rapper
Kinetics & One Love
Kid Quill
Sonreal
Dylan Owen
How have you been keeping yourself creatively entertained during quarantine?
Reverse Mechanic: I have been staying busier than normal, actually. Working the promotion side of things for the upcoming Best Proposal Ever and planning out next phases has been a bit of a handful. I offered all of my fans personalized songs to whomever/about whatever they wanted if they would help me spread the word about the release, and I have been pretty busy trying to keep up with that as well. I do have more songs in the works and future endeavors underway, but knocking this part out of the park is my current focus.
Do you have a guilty music and/or entertainment pleasure?
Reverse Mechanic: Alright. I can own up to it. Yes. I did go through a big ska phase in high school. (*big exhale*) Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.
