By Graphics: Heather Dance   Thu, Oct 01, 2009

We are so very, incredibly, biting at the bit, shaking at the bars, not underwhelmingly, and just simply EXCITED and PSCHYED to bring YOU our First Issue Ever (echoing...ever ever ever)!!!!!!!

HELLO RICHMOND!!!

We are so very pschyed to present our first issue Ever to You!!!  Enjoy!!!:)

By   Thu, Oct 01, 2009

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME METAL? DRUMMER Michael Knick asked me hungrily before heading on stage.  Three groups before this performance I was ready to take a nap. On Sunday September 12, the bands battled at Alley Kats and a little bug informed me of a band that was going to be there. A band named Paper City. Growing up in Southwest Virginia right outside of Roanoke, Paper City consist of five long time close friends who have comprised their own form of rock; and it’s awesome!  Mountain Metal; and I got a taste of it firsthand.

I asked the band before their performance “what is Mountain Metal”? It is a combination of Punk Rock, Heavy Metal, and a little bit of Southern Rock influence. Armed with a playlist of all original songs, Paper City and took the stage immediately showing their talent and intent: let’s tear this place down. Rocking the house with songs like JagerMonster, Hippie Stomp, and Thrash-n-burn they were an instant hit with the crowd. Before the band took stage I curiously I asked the band about playing covers “We know some but we don’t play covers in concert.” Stated Shawn, one of the band’s talented guitarists, why spend your time learning other peoples stuff when you can write your own? Point taken. As I watched the band from a distance I watched how close they really were, like brothers. They watch each other’s backs support each other and share everything; this band is in perfect harmony.  With Burt (Burton Lee) ripping the vocals on every song and John (John E. King) and Shawn (Shawn Boogher) grab every rift and push heavy support on the solos that they switch on so very easily. Shawn and John both stated that “There is no lead guitar, we kinda just play together and switch off on solos”.  Ryan (Ryan Ratliff) is not the usual bassist. He sits back with such a hardcore expression on his face and strums the hell out of that bass, and he’s good. Matching the speed of the music and his other band mates Ryan’s hands and fingers fly across the strings on his bass and with a sound so pure, you know what the last peace to the puzzle is, the drums.  Mike (Michael Knick) will give Chris Adler a run for his money! With his quick hands and melodic beats it puts this whole mix of music and vocals together with the forceful supply crisp snares and the consistent low drum of the bass.

What makes Paper City so phenomenal is not just the music and songs, the talent of the musicians, of even the vocals of their front man. Paper City was officially born in very early January of 2009. Yes in a few short months this band has come together as a band, written and learned songs, scheduled and preformed many different gigs, such as Bowl Bash 14 @ Skatopia in Rutland Ohio. This band has a bright and exciting future ahead of them, keep an eye on them everyone and ROCK ON!

By Jeff Taylor.

By Editing Department, Regional Editor and Author: Robin Marschak   Thu, Oct 01, 2009

The name alone was enough to lure me in: Cha-Cha's Cadillac in the Diablo Room of Bandito's Burrito Lounge.  The last time I had been in Bandito's it was still at the corner of Laurel and Cary, across from the drug store.  The one with the old-timey soda fountain.  There's something about those type of places that makes you feel good about the world.  They awake a sort of nostalgia for a better time.  Sitting in the Diablo room, with several large flat screens at my back, my only hope for this sort of nostalgia was a little man with an oversized guitar, who claimed that his band played good old fashioned rockabilly.  I had a good feeling from the interview.  Anyone who claims Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, and Johnny Cash as some of their main influences at least has good taste in music.  But could they play?

Any doubts I had about this were raucously swept aside as the band broke into a very rockin' rendition of Johnny Cash's 'Folsom Prison Blues.'  The key to a good rockabilly band is energy, and Cha-Cha's Cadillac has plenty of it, possibly even more than enough.  You could tell that Randy, the drummer, was barely holding back from completely letting loose.  And the bands founder, Sean, plays guitar with a frantic energy reminiscent of the early punk scene.  While they embrace none of the horror and sci-fi themes of the genre, there is a distinctly psychobilly feel to this band.

While most of the songs played were covers of old rockabilly classics, three were originals.  These three, 'Red Rocket,' 'Crazy Mixed Up Kid,' and 'Switchblade Rumble,' all showcased Cha-Cha's incredible understanding of the rockabilly genre.  Despite the modern surroundings of the Diablo Room, I could easily have imagined that we were somewhere in the deep south of the 1950's, at a Sun Records show, and Carl Perkins was waiting backstage for his turn to lay down a mean boogie.  This imagery was quickly shattered, though, when they started in on an impressive cover of The Clash's 1979 version of 'Brand New Cadillac.'  The bands frantic energy really had a chance to shine through on this song, as they let out all the stops and did The Clash proud.  On the other end of the energy spectrum, their version of 'Sleep Walk,' the old Santo and Johnny Farina standard, was somewhat lacking.  There was an almost palpable tension in the air for this song as the band tried their best to slow things down.  It was by no means a bad rendition, but this number showed definitively that Cha-Cha's Cadillac thrives on the hard hitting, fast paced songs that populate most of their setlist.     

Cha-Cha's Cadillac is a band that will appeal to a wide range of music fans.  This is dyed in the wool good time music, mixing elements of the original rockabilly sound, the rockabilly revival, and the early punk scene.  Although I only got the sense of nostalgia that I was looking for during a couple of songs, I was nevertheless completely satisfied with this concert-going experience.  When I talked with the band before the concert, Sean mentioned to me that he is 'not trying to reinvent the wheel ...just bringing something back that was lost a little bit,' and he and the rest of Cha-Cha's Cadillac, Randy, Pat, and Jennifer, have done of masterful job of just that.  They have taken a genre that many are familiar with only through old vinyl and given it back the energy for which it was originally known.  I plan on seeing more of this band and I recommend that you do the same.

By Author: Michael King   Thu, Oct 01, 2009

Scoring Big in a Small City.

What happens when a state’s hearing officer receives honorable press for court cases and stellar reviews for music compositions? His boss tells him he cannot continue to compose music on the side. Emmy award-winning composer, John Keltonic recalls, “I agreed…so I turned in my resignation and made music my full time job.” Since then, John has made a living scoring for film, television, and radio. His clients have included PBS, Discovery Channel, VISA, CNN, NPR, BBC and Busch Gardens to name a few. I sat down with John between scoring sessions to ask him questions regarding his career and experience working in the film and television industry.

Where were you born? How long have you lived in Richmond?
JK: “I was born in Alexandria, VA. I’ve lived in Richmond for thirty years.”

What age did your interest in music spark?
JK: “My earliest memory was when I was five. My parents brought me to see ‘The Music Man.’ Weeks later, I was whistling a melody that caught my parents attention. After I told them it was from the show, they didn’t recognize it.  I whistled it for their friend who taught piano. She told my parents it was the French horn line from one of the show’s songs.”

What was your first instrument? Did you take lessons or are you self-taught?
JK: “The first instrument I learned was the piano. I took lessons for two years but wasn’t too wild about playing other people’s music. My teacher would get frustrated with me when I would add my own parts to a composition. I would play my idea and ask, ‘What if it sounded like this?’ A question a piano teacher doesn’t like to hear.”

At a young age, who inspired you?
JK: “The Beatles, Muddy Waters, Aaron Copeland and Tchaikovsky.”

What age did you start playing in bands?
JK: “I joined my first band when I was twelve. We were called Velvet Haze [laughs]. This was way before Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Purple Haze’ came out! I played piano in a variety of bands in high school. Eventually, the school’s music director would call on me to assist his class. I was happy because I got to leave my classes and perform with bands, choirs, and musicals.”

Growing up, did you dream of having a career in music?
JK: “I didn’t dream of having one. Music was always a love of mine. I enjoyed playing and composing as a hobby. I didn’t think it was possible to make a living from it.”

What direction did you take after high school? How did you get connected to composing for film, television and the radio?
JK: “After high school I studied Psychology at University of Richmond. I’d compose music in my spare time and would always cut through the music building when I was walking around campus. One afternoon, I heard really strange sounds coming from one of the classrooms. I walked in the room and met Alan Stein, a composition teacher, who had just bought an ARP 2600 synthesizer and was trying to figure out how it worked. We spent the next twelve hours learning its parameters and we became friends fast. Under Alan, I took an independent study on composition. He took me under his wing and is largely responsible for projects I picked up in the future. After working on a variety of projects, he introduced me to television producer, Earl Hamner, Jr. He asked Alan if he could score a film about the University of Richmond. Instead of taking the project, Alan passed it on to me. From that point on, I was constantly composing. The music department allowed me to use their equipment and facilities for scoring in exchange for recording the University’s musicians and groups. It couldn’t have worked out better!”

In the early stages of your career, how did you make a living?
JK: “After I graduated, I worked for the State of Virginia as a hearing officer. I’d listen to opposing sides and decide who was right and who was wrong. My nights were either spent composing or performing with various bands around Virginia. I wrote jingles for radio and television commercials. I also composed music for Richmond’s Theater 4.”

What was the defining moment where you decided to make music your full time job?
JK: “While I worked for the state, I received positive press about the cases I was involved with. Around the same time, my music was popping up on television and radio. Theater 4 received praise for its musicals and encouraging reviews of my compositions. As buzz began to build, it created tension with my job as a hearing officer. It was a public relations conflict. My boss told me I couldn’t compose music on the side anymore. I agreed…so I turned in my resignation and made music my full time job.”

What business steps did you take when you began picking up scoring projects? Did you wear a variety of “hats” as a one-man business team?
JK: “I was put in touch with a New York music production company at the time, Gavin-Connor. They educated me on licensing agreements encouraging me to own everything. Today, I have ownership of all my compositions. Their helpful hints and advising have helped me through ropes of the film and television industry.”

What is your most memorable scoring experience?
JK: “My most memorable experience was when I conducted the London Symphony for a music group, GLAD. During that time, I recorded a composition for my dad who was in the hospital battling cancer. I transferred the song onto a cassette tape and when I returned to the states, I drove to the hospital and played him the song on a portable tape player. I am so thankful to have shared that with him before he passed away a few weeks later.”

How did you feel when you won an Emmy award for “best original music” in the PBS documentary, Over Alaska?
JK: [Laughs] “Disgusted, because I wasn’t there to receive it! Normally, if you want to be nominated, you pay money and apply to nominate yourself. PBS paid the money to nominate me without me knowing! I don’t care much for awards, but the recognition has helped bring in more business.”

On your website I noticed a “Uganda” link. What is the connection?
JK: “Ten years ago, my wife and I heard a missionary give a small presentation about children’s needs in Uganda. Our hearts were moved and felt the calling to go. Since then, we have gone a dozen times with volunteers from our church, Stony Point Presbyterian Church. We have developed a close relationship with an orphanage, Canaan Children’s Home and its founder, Pastor Isaac Wagaba. With fundraising and generous donations from others, we have been able to provide medical supplies, school fees, and sponsors for the orphans. The children are very close to my heart. The link allows me to share my passion for Uganda and Canaan Children’s Home with others.”

How has the film and television industry evolved since the start of your career?
JK: “Ten years ago, budgets allowed me to work with forty musicians at once. Today, budgets are lower and allow for fewer musicians. At times, it’s a lonely profession but the recording process is much faster since recording has gone digital. Sampled instruments are sounding closer to the real thing!”

What projects are you currently working on?
JK: “I’m working on a three hour PBS series, The Human Spark with Alan Alda. Another project is We Heard The Bells, a documentary about the influenza epidemic of 1918.”

What “pearls of wisdom” can you offer the novice composer wanting to score music in the film and television industry?
JK: “Do it because you love it and hope the next job comes along. Be persistent. Score student films for free. Own the rights to your music. Network with others and get involved with all kinds of projects. Don’t limit yourself to one genre or style.”

What music are you currently listening to?
JK: “Bela Fleck, Steely Dan, and Bela Bartok.”

What are your three favorite albums?
JK: “The Beatles ‘Abbey Road’. Tchaikovsky’s ‘Capriccio Italien’. The Dillinger Escape Plan’s ‘Calculating Infinity’.

What do you enjoy about living and working in Richmond? What is your favorite Richmond spot?
JK: “I am blessed to do national work in a small city. I can score for film and television and not have to live in Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, or London. My wife and I love our church community. Richmond has great neighborhoods, good schools and is full of history. A few of my favorite Richmond spots are Bookbinders, Tara Thai, Brio, and Bottoms Up Pizza.”

Thanks, John!


To hear John Keltonic’s scores, check out www.jdkmusic.com

By Author and VP: Ben Cokeley   Thu, Oct 01, 2009

MAGAZINE33: The Launch Party at Emilio’s
Four Stellar Acts Ring in a New Era of Rock & Roll Literature.

     The lights began to flicker, which so solemnly signified last call, and like so many last calls before, reality began to sink its dreadful fangs into my free spirit as if it were imperative to be awakened from the groovy trance I was being so effortlessly sucked into. Now I was forced to acknowledge such peevish obligations as paying my tab and attempting to calculate how hung over I was doomed to be in the morning. Thank God my girlfriend was sober so I could avoid the whole transportation conundrum that too often leads to over-confident derelicts making poor choices. I was in no position, or mood for that matter, to make any choices at all. I just wanted to rock all night long until I passed out on the floor. Why is that too much to ask?  Former Champions were hitting it hard, transitioning from one jam to another so seamlessly, that toward the end of the set, countless agreeable rhythms were reminiscent of that common tangent that takes place in a conversation that has you ask your peer, “What were we just talking about and how did it lead to this?” And then, just as I was about to give in to the depressing reality of the party’s close, just when I thought the night was maxed out like a credit card when you need it most, they belted out one of the best covers of “L.A. Woman” I’d ever heard….

     Magazine33 vows to have the chops to undoubtedly secure its niche as one of the new influential music publications of the next generation. The style in which this magazine is structured to embellish in the country’s independent music industry is unlike any other publication that boasts a similar stance. From in-depth features that focus on bands and musicians from a slew of genres, to full coverage of local events and events abroad, be prepared to have your finger on the pulse of an exciting new music industry that’s eager to explode.  With such excitement surrounding this new project, it was only appropriate to celebrate the premier issue with a rockin’ launch party. 
     For me the night started early. I of course had to make a few of my usual rounds before I got to the Magazine33 Launch Party, for arriving at the main event  fueled with anything less than super-charged energy and high spirits would be poppycock. I like to hit the ground running, if you know what I mean. By eight-thirty we waltzed in through the Emilio’s entrance half-buzzed, half ambitious, curious as to what kind of party this was going to turn into. After mingling with the magazine staff and ironing out a few worthy business-mannered chats, it was time for some live music to give this event the jolt that it needed.
     Brand New Groovement opened with a reggae constructed blend of jazz and fusion, seasoned with a hip hop-influenced lyrical flow that managed to fulfill all the required energy needed to set a party off. I at first found myself baffled by the flamboyant frat boyish approach to what seemed like an interpretive dance the lead singer, Percy Soul, was manifesting before the crowd. But it wasn’t before long I began to realize that his twisting torso and animated antics became the straw that stirred the band’s drink, for he was the catalyst to all energy that was created by the ensemble. Sharing the stage was Roberto Curtis on the saxophone, an instrumental sensation. Showcasing a EWI [Electric Wind Instrument], members of the crowd were clueless to what exactly his toy was. It sounded like a sax and it was obviously electric, but its unfamiliar appearance and operation quickly became the gossip within the crowd.  Nevertheless, it made for a flashy solo. Curtis nonchalantly slid up and down his scales as the band’s thick following cavorted across the dance floor.
     The lone Danny Plotnik took to the stage as the second act of the night. It’s never an effortless task for one man with an acoustic guitar and kazoo to follow a seven piece outfit. I felt bad for the poor guy when he walked up there alone. It looked like he was set up for failure. But I quickly learned the truth. His stage presence was larger than he was. A dose of humor and charm won him the crowd with ease. He played your typical college bar music—little ditties about drinking beer and acoustic medleys of old rap songs [“Whoomp! There It Is,” “Ice Ice Baby,” “Baby Got Back,” etc.]. Nothing fancy nor original, but it needn’t be because it was solid and it moved right along at an attention-maintaining pace. My personal favorite was his humorous yet convincing take on Louis Armstrong’s vocal range in a rendition of “What a Wonderful World.”  You could sense Plotnik knew exactly what he was doing up there and knew he did it well. Because if that wasn’t the case, there’s no chance he would be up there at all. End of story.
     Transitioning from a solo acoustic set to a Queens of the Stone Age-inspired rock show exposed the type of patchwork that is symbolic of Magazine33 in and of itself. Bad Motivator came to Emilio’s with one goal in mind: blow everyone’s eardrums out. Matt Sthreshley, the band’s lead singer [who graciously helped organize the event] couldn’t even hold back the childish grin from his face when he warned us of their loud ambitions. By the end of the first song, I was surprised [and a little disappointed] that every ear in the building wasn’t oozing with blood. The lively front man struck his guitar with sociopathic desperation while he slung himself around the stage like a junkie in need of his fix. Let’s get this guy a bigger stage already. You never saw Angus Young pinned up against a wall did you? Pete Townshend? You know what he would do. It’s inhumane. I was anxiously anticipating the moment he would accidentally kick the mic stand over, or better yet, the drummer. Amazingly, he had enough composure to rock out confined to a 4X4 slot without destroying everything. I loved how loud they were, and even more so, I loved the classic structure to their rock & roll.
     Former Champions stepped up to the plate next to earn their crown back as the final act of the evening. The electronic induced jam band delved into a well-ordered set with enough variables to constitute an algebraic equation. All the musicians complemented one another, however individually rising to the occasion when called upon for their respective moments. Spacey sound effects were summoned stage left, while the drums and guitar played in unison. Calm baselines transfused the cosmic vibe from the band to the crowd and an effervescent aura lingered like an orange sunset before the stage. It was toxic and addictive. We wanted more, but time was no friend and the night met its end after their spectacular interpretation of “L.A. Woman” served as the grand finale of the storied Magazine33 Launch Party.

Performing Bands:

Brand New Groovement

Danny Plotnik

Bad Motivator

The Former Champs

By Author: Meredith Ripple   Thu, Oct 01, 2009

Rockitz kicked off it’s annual two-month-long Battle of the Bands on Thursday, October 24th at Babe’s of Carytown. Three bands opened the event, which runs until November 20th.

Dammit Matthew Dammit played first, despite being billed as the ten o’clock show on the Rockitz website. We got there right at 8 just in time for some good ol fashioned punk (no emo found here!). Soloist ViniVola maintained the rhythm of the show with some good natured heckling and a damn good variety of music. Crossroad Voodoo came on at 9 with some deep, bluesy jams and Caught in the Rift closed the show with versatile and organic melodies.

Rockitz has hosted this event for the past several years, and if anyone knows how to do it – it’s Rockitz. They’ve managed thousands of shows and hosted acts like Whiskey Rebellion, Jack Johnson, Jimmie’s Chicken Shack, and Toubab Krewe. They’ve also been a major part of the Richmond music scene for decades (they’re celebrating their 25th anniversary this year), and have only grown since.

Check out the schedule from the Rockitz website below and drop in by Babe’s this month. You can preorder tickets from rockitz.net for any of the following dates for just $5:

Thursday, October 1:
    Citybillies
    Wendy Pace Project
    Five Nine H20
Friday, October 9:
    The Delvers
    Sleeping Giants
    Diedre Nivala
Thursday, October 15:
    Velvet Nines
    The Bush League
    Acoustic Creek
Thursday, October 22:
    Jim O’Ferrell Band
    A Good Natured Riot
    Los Honchos

By Author: Meredith Ripple   Thu, Oct 01, 2009

If there’s one word that best describes Wednesday nights at Cary St. Café, it’s energy. And if you’ve been to a LarJar Trio show (or seen them perform back when they were The 29th Division), you know exactly what I mean. Created by brothers Larry Allen and Jason Jarrell (percussion and bass respectively) and keyboardist Dave Klemencic, LarJar Trio is getting ready to celebrate 24 months of Wednesday night debauchery in the next few months.
    They’re close to hitting the hundredth-show mark and have generously agreed to be my guinea pigs for the premier edition of Magazine33. In turn, I’ve promised not to say anything too mean. Not that there’s anything to be mean about when it comes to these guys. In fact, the only thing that upsets me about LarJar shows is waking up for work at 7:30 the next morning after drinking too much Yuengling.
    Dave, Jason, Allen and I sat down last Wednesday with a couple beers and I asked them to identify their genre. Not being a musician myself, I’ve often found it difficult to describe LarJar music. It’s hard to pin down a single definitive style since they blend unique elements of several to create a jammin’ funk-rock-improv. Which is exactly what the guys and I agreed on. Allen did admit that one of his biggest hopes is to one day hear their music in elevators across the country (….or lets get bold... maybe world?). Definitely in a warped but fantastic Disco Elevator scenario. (YouTube people, You Tube!)
    Which actually makes sense in a way, because you can’t hear this music and not move. The energy is brutally contagious. I should have asked how many injuries Jason’s gotten from jumping around all over the place, because I’m pretty sure there have to have been a few. This momentum works extremely well with Jason playing a lead role (rather than the role a bass may play in a more ‘traditional’ band). Don’t get me wrong, all three guys make equal contributions and it would be a mistake to say Jason is the lead. Allen gave me the best description I’ve heard of Jason’s playing: “He definitely gets busy on it.” Dave noted that a lead bass (as opposed to a  lead guitar) brings an organic feeling to their style that they prefer. And it works. Bass guitar has an innate tendency to hit the natural frequency of the human body and soul – before you step into the bar, you feel the music physically just as much as you hear it. Which is one of the many reasons Wednesdays have drawn me and many others out for nearly two years, despite 8 a.m. classes and early morning jobs.
We’ve also come to appreciate the individual style of LarJar. When it comes to music, it’s inevitable that you’ll find an influence or inspiration. With LarJar, at least, that factor is taken into account the these three artists are able to own what they’ve taken from others and make it their own. (Without ripping off anyone). In terms of this, the Medeski Martin & Wood is unmistakable, but Dave, Allen and Jason don’t think any influence or resemblance (think Grey Boy Allstars here) hinders them. Instead, they see any sound as potential for progress. The unanimous decision: no limits. They don’t want anything (influence or otherwise) to keep them from playing the music they love. Even their first show at Cary St. Café when two other scheduled bands bailed.
    “We only knew one song. We only knew one thing we could play together,” they told me.
But they made it work. Which in hindsight isn’t surprising, since their onstage chemistry is brilliant. Ultimately, (and this can’t sound anything but cheesy) it brought them together. However, in clichés there’s always a grain of truth. Jason and Allen were playing with a guitarist as Seven Pound Star. Dave was with Southside Funk Orchestra, and found himself sitting in on shows with the two brothers more and more often. Like during the 1st annual LarJar Fest (a local event held on the Jarell ranch), featuring local bands including Central Garage, 11th House, El Plantanos, and the Spaceheaters. From there, Jason and Allen decided that working with Dave allowed them a superior creative outlet than the Seven Pound Star set up.
    And so formed LarJar Trio. Not that they haven’t been without their own challenges. Last August, the band took a brief hiatus (much to the chagrin of Cary St. fans), during which Dave was one of a select few musicians in the country to attend Camp MMW – a remarkable week of workshops hosted by Medeski Martin & Wood in the Catskill Mountains. They did agree that the hiatus benefited and allowed them to progress creatively. Allen notes however that it’s something he wouldn’t want to do again. Necessary at the time, but not a good idea to reappear. This opportunity for Dave, however, was an incredible one. Though they’ve collaborated with vocalists before, it’s clear why one isn’t necessary for their unique sound and rhythm. Dave’s keys literally sing. If Jason “gets busy” on the bass, then Dave owns and works the electric piano and organ. Flowing beautifully with Jason and Allen, Dave’s cements the percussion and bass and prevents either from becoming too choppy or abrasive.
    Luckily, these three would really have to struggle to make that mistake. As a drummer, Allen excels at playing in the pocket. You can easily see where his skill is essential to maintaining the band’s signature rhythm without allowing a waver. He forms the critical backbone upon which Jason and Dave build the rest of the music. This also makes it easy for LarJar Trio to collaborate with other premier local artists. Such as Matt Walton of Cary St.’s regular Tuesday night gig, The Former Champions (check them out next month! I hope. Whatcha think guys? C’mon!). They also regularly work with Dave’s other band, Southside Funk as well as Larri Branch Agenda, and Chris Ryan. Jason mentioned, and Allen and Dave agreed, that they’re aways open to jam with anyone, provided the chemistry’s there.
    And of course this idea led me to the inevitable question: What was your worst show ever? This was kind of a lame question, since these three are so dynamic and versatile. They make it work on stage as long as that energy is up and going, so Allen pointed out that their least favorite shows are the ones where they can’t find a groove with other musicians. Or, when the crowd is missing. A good example was a show they did in DC earlier this year. They played for seven people, six of whom were friends that had gone with them. It turned out to be, “just one very expensive dinner in DC for us” according to Dave. Which is a shame, considering the energy they regularly bring out to Cary St - probably their favorite venue (I forgot to ask, damnit!). But it’s definitely the one they play most often at the moment. There they’ve created a dedicated following of fans and a mutual respect between themselves and the owner. These guys don’t bail on shows, don’t miss the gigs they schedule. I remember going to see them once, only to find out that Jason was out sick (probably Swine Flu. I now permit y’all to freak out). I almost didn’t go, but went in for a beer anyway and there they were rocking out with Todd Harrington from Modern Groove Syndicate. They don’t leave people hanging, in any respect.
    In addition, they’re also dedicated to keeping the Richmond local music scene alive and thriving. You’ll see them regularly out and about at DJ Williams, J3 Project, The Silo Effect and The Former Champions shows. But of course they’re always down to go check out anyone. It’s unanimous – networking is critical and LarJar isn’t lazy about it.
    Well we got to the end of the interview and people were starting to come in (ok - AND I was getting fidgety for a refill on my Yuengling). So I asked them:

“If there was one thing you wanted me to tell people that I haven’t asked, what would it be?”

Their answer was an overwhelming “Give us a try.” Kind of like Nike: “Just do it.” And it’s true. We constantly see new faces at Cary St. converted to returning ones. Plus Wednesday nights have turned into Larjar NoCharJar, and I’m not even joking about the name. There’s no cover so you don’t even have to drop five bucks to see these awesome guys. Take that money to the bar instead and come see what makes LarJar Trio such a unique and memorable experience. Yeaaah. I’ll see you next Wednesday people.



Oh and until then, check out some neat thangs:

LarJar.net – updates, gigs, and free tunes!
LarJar on Myspace
Southside Funk Orchestra Myspace
Cary St. Café - Not only LarJar Trio, but more awesome stuff happening
Dave’s site, with plenty of LarJar an other music info

By   Thu, Oct 01, 2009

AGNR is Folk, Acoustic, Bluegrass.

I'm here at the Legend Brewing company about to see a great local bluegrass act call “A Good Natured Riot.” They're a six-piece all-acoustic band working hard to present their own unique form of bluegrass. For most of the songs, they have a standard bluegrass line-up: banjo, mandolin, guitar, fiddle, and string bass, with the addition of a percussionist who plays a wide variety of instruments, including the washboard, and the cajón, which is a large, wooden box with a hole cut in one side, which sounds a lot like a bass drum. Later in the set, they switched things up quite a bit. Sometimes the banjo-player would play a guitar instead, or the percussionist would sing.

I asked the band how they came up with their sound, which is bluegrass, but with an original twist that wouldn't be found at the more straight-laced bluegrass festivals. Jeslyn Vaughan, the band's guitar player and primary vocalist, told me that The Duhks were a major influence on the band, especially when they were starting out, and also mentioned Tim O'Brien and Gilian Welch as other major influences. “We liked bluegrass, and grew up around bluegrass, we just wanted to have a twist on it,” Summer Gentry, the band's percussionist and co-founder told me, when I asked her about her goals founding the band. “Each person has their own influences,” Jeslyn told me. They both agreed that one of the band's major strengths lay in this diversity of talent background. Jeslyn herself studied operatic vocal performance in college, and David Andrew Lamb, the newest addition to the band, played classical violin for years before he started playing bluegrass. The band's other members are Andy Burns, their mandolin player, Nick Harlow, their banjo player, and Mr. John Dacy, the band's bass player, who plays upright exclusively, and actually teaches at the high school which Summer and Jeslyn attended.

I wanted to know how songwriting worked in such a diverse group of musicians. Jeslyn told me that they don't have a set system for writing songs, and added ruefully that they often come to her when she's “in the shower or driving.” She then added, on a more serious note, that she thinks about a story when she writes her songs. This narrative and fluid creative process is the cornerstone of A Good Natured Riot's powerful song-writing. Of course, they do fall back on a few tropes of classic bluegrass. “There's a lot of death,” Summer told me, only half joking, “bluegass is all about people dying and being on a train to somewhere.” Summer and Jeslyn, who have been friends since childhood and founded the band together, write a lot of the band's lyrics, but the effort is often collaborative. “Andy [the mandolin player] writes these amazing instrumentals,” they told me. After hearing the show, I would have to agree.

“So how did you get your name?” I asked. Summer and Jeslyn both smiled. They told me that when they first formed, with a slightly different membership, the band was scrambling for a name, when the band's former guitarist found a book about the Grand Ole Opry entitled A Good Natured Riot, after a comment a stagehand had made about the impending crowds. The band contacted the author of the book, a now-deceased Tennessee professor, and he was delighted that the band should be named after his book. I must say, of all the places I thought the name might come from, the title of an old book, had not made the top of the list.

I had some other questions for the band, but before I get to those, I want to spend some time talking about the show itself. The first thing that struck me about A Good Natured Riot was how well they all play together. Everyone in the band is a well-trained and experienced musician, but I was still impressed by how well they blended their sound into a coherent and beautiful mix. Even at the characteristic breakneck speeds of classic bluegrass, everyone stayed together and kept their dynamics well balanced. The other thing which really impressed me about their show was the variety of songs they could produce. They played songs all along the spectrum from blazing instrumentals with impossibly fast mandolin and banjo leads to slow, syncopated and soulful songs about love, death and ghost towns, with Jeslyn's beautiful, clear voice lilting over the soothing and almost sorrowful rhythms of Summer's cajón and Mr. John Dacy's bass. The only real criticism I had of the live performance was that the fiddle player, David, was hard to hear at times.

The quality of the songs which A Good Natured Riot performed was very high. They played some covers, especially Tim O'Brien and Gilian Welch, but their originals were what really struck me. The band has a way of telling a story with their songs. The songs don't just grab you on an abstract, cerebral level, but actually make you feel the pain and joy of the characters whose stories are told. “Carrie Brown,” (not to be confused with the Steve Earle song of the same name), is a ballad the band wrote about the young wife of a preacher in old Appalachia. The song struck me as particularly well done, and representative of the band's talents. The story, not to give anything away, is sad and moving. Jeslyn's clear, sad voice carries through the song, and the other voices join her on the choruses in a beautiful harmony. After hearing the band's play, and then scouring their MySpace for any more of their music, “Carrie Brown” stayed stuck in my head for a few days, and I found it so moving I even had to sit down at a piano and try to hash out a chorus or two just to wrap my head around it.

The music is bluegrass, but it's not only bluegrass. Jeslyn and Summer told me that the band is very conscious of creating its own sound, and I think they have succeeded. They have incorporated a lot of musical elements, especially rhythms, which are not found in more traditional, straight-laced bluegrass. Kimie, the photographer who came with me, wanted to know if this uniqueness posed any special challenges for the band. “For sure,” they told us, “it opens some doors and it closes some doors.” They went on to tell us that many of the more traditional bluegrass festivals don't approve of A Good Natured Riot's innovations. A few other festivals, too, have trouble deciding what to do with the band's unique sound. Summer said that some festivals will say, “We can't really put a button on you, so we don't really have a stage for you.”

Despite these challenges, the band presses on, and whatever the festival owners and booking agents say, the people, at least the people I've seen, all seem to love the music. When asked if he had any closing remarks after the show, Mr. Dacy just said, “Woohoo!” And I think that about sums it up.

By Will Murphy.  Photos by Kimie James.

By   Thu, Oct 01, 2009

On most Wednesday nights you can catch me in Bohemian Caverns, in Washington, DC attending Wednesday Verses. Verses is an open mic night that originated in Richmond, Virginia at Tropical Soul Restaurant. As our longest running venue, Tuesday Verses has, and will continue to define the spoken word movement in Richmond. Anyone who is anyone from Virginia has earned their stripes at the small venue on 2nd Street. So when they added the weekly venue in Dc to their roster, I had to take the trip up 95 to see what talent would wander in, Curious if the energy that I had known and love could be packed up and transported to a new venue, in a new city, with a new crowd.

As I attended what was only my second Wednesday Verses I was contemplating who would be the first subject of my article here on Magazine33.com, What artist would encompass spoken word well enough to introduce the rest of the world to what is quickly becoming a global underground scene of performance poetry.  The question rolling around in my brain was quickly answered when a familiar face walked through the door. A man who had not only defined the 757 movement putting Virginia on the map, but had truly taken our craft to another level, Mr. Marquis Mix, known to the world as 13 of Nazareth.

I watched him sign the list, take a seat and wait quietly for his turn to speak. I often find myself with butterflies flapping around my stomach when I know 13 is going to take the stage. Every time I have been blessed to see him it is a new experience, every performance leaves me shifted in new ways, questioning the world around me with fresh eyes, 13 has never failed to move me.

It’s hard to remain true fans of fellow poets in the industry. Something always ruins the magic, something takes away from your ability to still sit in the front row, close your eyes and just listen. But 13 is the exception. That rare moment when an artist manages to balance longevity with relevance, consistency and growth. Although he has yet to receive the commercial success most folks in the community agree he deserves, ask almost any of your favorite poets, their favorite poet is 13.

In a graphic T, ripped jeans and long dreadlocks, 13 doesn’t fit the description the Bible or history will give you of a prophet. He rarely calls much attention to himself or sticks around too long after his set to soak in the adoration of fast fans, immediately drawn to his natural speech and easy manner, but it’s not a stretch to say he’s prophetic none the less. Managing to speak awareness into action, mixing God with common sense, delivering a desperately needed message to room full of folks just looking to be entertained. Maybe it’s his lyricism that allows him to get away with giving a lecture on self motivation disguised as a poem, but every time I’ve been blessed to witness 13 on stage the crowd always reacts the same, hanging midair, a reverent silence falling over even the rowdiest of patrons at the bar, all eyes are fixated and all ears are open, and for three minutes spoken word spots transform into sanctuaries. After a performance at Wednesday Verses we sat down to talk about his new project, the life that lead him to the stage and the future of spoken word.



Magazine33.com: First, tell me who you are?
13: “I am 13 of Nazareth, My given name is Marquis Mix, My goal in life is to inspire people to inspire themselves and others, that’s me in a nutshell.”

Magazine33.com: In an industry where most artists drop their stage names after a year or so in the game, You choose to still go by 13 of Nazareth, why is that moniker so important to you?
13:”I think a lot of people who drop their stage names drop them because they out grow them, they realize that the person that they were when they chose that name is not the person who  they are now, It was a timely thing, I on the other hand have been growing more into the name 13 of Nazareth.”

Magaizne33.com: What does 13 mean?
13: “My grandma gave birth to my mother when she was 13, my mother and grandmother both died when I was 13. My birthday is the 13 of September, my first and last initial are the 13th letter of the alphabet the list goes on and on. The more that I live the more I see things that reflect the number 13 in my life. The Nazareth portion deals with the statement from biblical scripture saying something good would come from Nazareth, If I were able to lay out my life for the world, or a group of people who had never heard my work, never heard me speak, had had no interaction with me personally, they would look at the series of events that composes my life experience, more often than not, they would assume, it would be impossible for anything good to come from it.”

Magazine33.com: One of your most famous pieces “fall out shelter” deals with your struggle with epilepsy,
13: “Back in 1994, I was in a car accident, I fractured my hip, I hit my head on the windshield of the car, my hair was matted in the windshield, like ALL my hair, I had an afro at the time. 6 months later I had my first seizure. I’ve been having them on and off since then., So that piece talks about the actual experience of the first seizure and the couple of years afterwards which actually lead to me becoming 13 of Nazareth“.

Magazine33.com: You are considered by your peers within the community to be one of the greatest writers to emerge from this decade, why do you think you have not achieved more commercial success within the industry?
13: “I think it’s probably a two fold reason, 1 being that for years I have wrestled with the issue of self promotion, as a result there are very small things I could of capitalized on, if I would of just got beyond my own issue of self promotion and over my own introverted nature. And just said, I am a poet  or I have CD’s. The other thing being, I’ve come to see that many of the people who initially appreciate my work are also artist themselves, a great deal of them are artist who do this full time, where as one person might have a great deal of fans who are not poets who will in turn spend some of their time promoting to friends or family members, with my fans being artist they spend their time promoting themselves, so they can eat, and take care of themselves and their children. I think its more the self promotion aspect then the word of mouth of my fans.”

Magazine33.com: Your spiritual side is often reflected within your work, what exactly are your religious beliefs, who is “God“ to you?
13: “Well my understanding of God is ever evolving understanding, the more I come to know, The more I realize I know less. Initially my entrance into the realm of spiritual understanding came through Christianity, that was my first step, I studied every day, prayer, meditation, it lead to me having more questions as a result of all my questions I started to look into other faiths. So then my understanding of God began to supersede any particular faith, as well as the fact that my relationship with God had changed, there was a reverent respect that is still there, but it has gone from me being in a position of just praising God, to being in a position of trying to be an embodiment of God, so that in my  interaction with people that’s what they experience, their experience is beyond me personally to the point where its not even about 13 or Marquis Mix. The name that you call me is irrelevant as far as I’m concerned. It don’t matter what you call it as long as you get it.



Magazine33.com: You once said “God's qualities exist in man as the Ocean's qualities exist in the drop of water. the difference is of quantity”.  On September 15th, The day before this interview, in Charlotte, NC, a pregnant 15 year old girl was fatally shot waiting for the school bus. How do you stand by that belief with things like this and all the negativity present in today’s society?
13: “The negativity that is present is as far as I’m concerned is due to not knowing, I think that most people in the world have no idea or any concept of God, I think that people spiritually exist at different levels, they operate in the haze based on what they know and what they experience, the way that the human mind operates is you can only act on what you know, there was a period in time where if you could know the man that I was, the young adult that I was, between the ages of 18- 20 then see me today you literally would not recognize who I am. So people who are in those negative or violent states of mind, I understand because I’ve been there, I’ve been in that form of darkness, but now I’m at a place where I can look at the most negative and destructive aspects of our society and still see God present in them that what allows me to make that statement and stand by it.”

Magazine33.com: Your wife is a fellow poet Kanikki Jakarta, how do you make a marriage with touring and the stresses of the industry?
13: “The industry doesn’t live with us. So when we walk into our home we’re home, that’s it, we’re both very private people, the world outside is just that, it’s the world outside, there are people within the world of spoken word who are very dear friends and even family to us,  they get to be included at a greater level, than poetry overall, I mean of course we talk about poetry we talk about poetry a lot because we both love poetry, But at home I am me, my house is not a stage, there are no fans on my couch.”

Magazine33.com: Your most recent project was titled “Stained Glass“ , Explain the title to me?
13: “Stained Glass is on a very small level a response to the statement that I’m too deep, promoters would want to book me they’d say I was talented, but were afraid their audience wouldn’t get me. I’d be too deep. Stained Glass got me to thinking If I am trying to reach people and inspire them, and get them to see the divine when they look in the mirror and when they look into the eyes of other people I have to be able to communicate with them at a level they understand, I’d been speaking at them in the language of divinity, and so with stained glass I’m speaking to them in the language of humanity. In ancient times Stained Glass was the poor mans bible, a lot of the population was illiterate, they couldn’t read the Bible for themselves so the priest would use spoken word and the stained glass to teach them the scripture. There’s also the concept that stained glass does not work unless the light is shining through it, I want people to be aware that what they are seeing, the only reason they can see it is because the light of God is shining through me. Everything I am it is possible for them to be and more, but they have to do it in their own way. There is a light in me, if you can see it, it can shine through you, and then radiate to others.” 


Magazine33.com: You are one half of Great Publishing, who puts together The Annual NUSPA’s. Can you explain a little more about that?
13: “The National Underground Spoken Word and Poetry Awards, was basically put together as a means to show our contemporaries how much power we had as a collective within our own art form, it is our way of showing them we appreciate them, of pushing each other to produce the best product possible, and we want to do that while the art form is still in our hands, eventually mainstream is going to stick their fingers in it further than they have, they haven’t yet cause the cant figure out how to market it how to make money from it. Until then they’re going to dabble, try to pimp one or two people, then back away , a lot of our material clashes with the mainstream so they don’t want to put money in it anyway. The NUSPA’s are our way of acknowledging and celebrating the art while it’s still ours.”

Magazine33.com: So where can our readers find out more about 13?
13: “Where can’t you find out about 13 of Nazareth, but nah the best place is, 13ofnazareth.web.com, that’s my website, it has all my links to everywhere else I am online, you can buy CD’s, it has up to date calendar of all my shows, etc. everything they need. 13ofnazareth.web.com”

Magazine33.com: Any final words you want to leave with the people?
13: “Look in yourself, for all of the answers to all of the questions you have about life and know even though I may not know you personally I love you, not just because I love you, but because love is all I know how to do.”

By Megan Rickman.

By Author: Sadie Powers   Fri, Oct 02, 2009

If you want to have a night of dancing and singing to the songs you know but aren’t sick of, check these guys out. Seriously.

I’m not easily shaken, but there’s something about a bar garnished with Confederate flags that puts me a bit on edge. Call it the Jew in me. Call it the dyke in me. Call it the Philly in me. Call it having no idea what I’d gotten myself into.
    That, and the band hadn’t shown up yet.
    I’d gotten this call the night before from my editor, telling me about a show Saturday night.  A classic rock (gah!) cover band (ugh!) called Loose Gravel (no comment) out by the airport (pfft!). But being “new” and wanting to “make a good impression,” I quickly agreed and knew that at the very least, friends later on might buy me drinks out of pity when I regaled them with stories of how I’d narrowly survived another derivative cover of “Hotel California.”
    Oh, and I was supposed to interview the band and their manager.
“I know I’m throwing you to the wolves on this one,” said my editor over the phone.
The band meanders in, one member at a time, as they had played a show the night before at the same place, left their equipment over night, and therefore didn’t need time to set up.  Singer/guitarist Bill Coon was the first one brave enough to engage me in conversation, and I’m glad he did. His warm personality and silly humor disarmed me, and I started to feel more at ease in this environment.
Coon introduced me to the band’s manager, Kathy Russis. Russis’ no nonsense demeanor strikes a deep contrast to her petite stature, and I could tell she’s suspicious of what I might write about her, or the band for that matter. Still, she remained the very picture of professionalism and slowly warmed up to me as I asked her some questions about managing three bands.
33: How long have you managed bands?
Kathy Russis: This is the first band I’ve managed.  Three and half years, going on four, and I love it.
33: What got you into managing?
KR: I had been following bands since I was a teenager. The lead singer here [Bill Coon], he and I went to school together and I followed his last two bands and of course, this band. They had gone through two managers, and when the last one quit, I volunteered. And I could tell they were a little bit, not skeptical, but I had never done this before. Luckily their previous manager had them booked solid for three months, and I just took it from there. Each time they play somewhere I introduce myself to the managers of the clubs just so they would know me.
33: And I understand that you manage two other bands, too?
KR: Yep, two other great bands. Nat King Kong, a couple of those guys have played with a couple of these guys [Loose Gravel] and they all know each other. Union Pacific Band, same thing. We had one gig that our bass player couldn’t make it, so the bass player in Nat King Kong subbed for him. So it works out.
That’s how I’m able to get the other two bands in a place. Loose Gravel was my main band for about a year, so Nat King Kong asked me to book them. What helped them get into places was that if somebody called and they wanted this band and the band’s booked, so I used the other band. So it kind of works all three ways now.
33: How do you find bands to manage?
KR: It’s word of mouth. Actually the bands come to me and ask me now. I’ve had two other bands ask me to manage them, so I’ve gone out and listened to them.
33: What are some of the challenges that you face when trying to book bands?
KR: It’s always a challenge if it’s a new place, just trying to get in the door. Club managers are really hesitant about calling you back. Some of them will say “Great, send me a demo” and some of them will say “Send me something and I’ll see” and they just don’t call you, so you have to be really aggressive. I don’t like to be too aggressive, where I’ll get on their nerves, but I do like to follow up, just to make sure they got the package and they like the band.
33: Do you find that people support cover bands more than original material?
KR: I do. I think when they go out, people like to listen to music they’re familiar with, dance to, sing along with.  Personally, I find it boring if I don’t know the music. That’s just me. I’ve always liked music that I can sing to.
33: Do you think that since the members of the band are older, that their demographic would be more inclined…
KR: They like the older music that they grew up with.
33: One last question: Do you find that venues, when booking your bands, prefer cover bands to original material?
KR: Depends on the venue.  I do wish venues would advertise bands more. That’s my biggest peeve, especially if it’s a new place. I see both sides of it. They want the band to be able to bring in a crowd, and some bands do and some bands are newer, and those are the bands that are harder to get into a place. But the band expects that place to have a crowd too.  If places would just advertise that they have bands and that it’s free…if you don’t put out there that you have bands, then you won’t get a crowd.
I wish club owners would realize that if you start earlier, then  you’d have more people there. You have the happy hour crowd till seven, seven thirty, and if your band doesn’t start till nine, nine thirty, ten o’clock, that crowd’s gone. If you start and eight, seven forty-five, you still have the bar crowd, and it’s great.
    So, onto the band.
I must admit that I was skeptical. I’ve been playing music for 18 years and have been composing nearly all that time. I’ve been in five bands, all original material, and I tend to look down on cover bands with scorn and disdain. So do most people who write original material. Upon telling my band’s singer that I interviewed a cover band, his lip curled in a way of which Billy Idol would be envious. To say the least, the question that I, or anyone else I’ve talked to, can’t get out of my mind is a resounding “Why?”
This is the part where I open mouth, insert foot.
I mean, what do musicians do when they reach that magical age of thirty-something and haven’t “made it?” What do they do when they get a nervous tick after not picking up their instruments for two days?  Are they supposed to completely give up their passion for music because they didn’t have the hit single?
Loose Gravel shows that just because you’re in a cover band, that doesn’t doom you to a fate of never-ending “Free Bird” and “Proud Mary” renditions. Their set encompasses material as recent as Jet and Black Crows. When they play Tom Petty, it’s not “Free Fallin’.” It’s “Here Comes My Girl.” Their “Respect” conjures the magic of the all-but-forgotten Otis Redding original.
These guys just love playing. Buzzy Lawler, who shares an eerie resemblance to Eric Clapton, relishes in rekindling the lost art of rhythm guitar. Bill Coon keeps the atmosphere unpretentious with his jovial banter, and it’s an understatement to say that he’s a pro on guitar. Henry Gerber hammers the bass line for “Miss You” with deadly accuracy. (It’s hard to hit those perfect eights!) And speaking of the Stones, I swear that drummer Ray Lassiter and Charlie Watts must share the same metronome. The guy doesn’t miss a beat and along with Gerber, make a solid backbone for the guitarists. These guys might be playing covers, but you’d never know it.
33: First and foremost, why covers?
Henry: Well, ever try playing original music in this town?
Laughter and chorus of ‘we all have!’
Buzzy: We’re all in our 50s, and you can get more gigs and more people to come out if you play covers. Also, not everything we do is all that familiar. We mix it up a bit with songs that are older that we know.
Henry: There’s not a lot of bands that do Lou Reed these days.
Bill: The bottom line is that we try to play as much danceable stuff as we can and not be too artsy, even though we come off artsy sometimes and get a lot of blank stares. But we really just want people to dance and have a good time, sing along.
Henry: We all went through the original thing ourselves and we did that for a long time. And it was good for what it was and it worked really well for us back then. But now we want to keep playing.
33: What are some of your influences, not just bands, but musicians, too?
Buzzy: Brian Wilson, The Who.
Bill: Dean Hunter, Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, Cheap Trick, Ray Davies and the Kinks, Badfinger.
Buzzy: Lou Reed. Did we mention Lou?
Ray: Some country music.
Henry: Come on, man.
Ray: I don’t know, I like ‘em all, man!
Henry: I’m a huge Paul McCartney fan. He’s my big influence, as well as people like Jack Bruce.
33: How do you pick your covers?
Henry: Lately, we’ve been playing stuff that we like to play and what we think everyone else might want to hear. Is it going to get them up on the floor? Before we looked mostly at what we might enjoy, but now we kind of look at what they might enjoy.
Buzzy; But it’s always got to be songs that we enjoy playing.
Bill: Though there are songs that we do that we…
Buzzy: Bite the bullet.
Henry: And usually when we do something that we don’t like, we usually find a way to inject our own thing into it.
33: What song do you wish you had written?
Silence.
Someone lets out a low whistle.
Buzzy: “And Your Bird Can Sing.”  What were you going to say, “Shake Some Action?”
Bill: I thought that’s what you were going to say, but “And Your Bird Can Sing” is a good one.
Henry: Just from the sheer magnitude of it: “Yesterday.” That would have been a good one for me.
Buzzy: “God Only Knows.”
Bill: I like “Wonderful.” From “Smile.” Or anything during that period that Brian Wilson wrote during the Smile period.
If you want to have a night of dancing and singing to the songs you know but aren’t sick of, check these guys out. Seriously.

October 10 @SJ’s Lakeside Tavern 7:45-11:45 pm
5406 Lakeside Ave.
and it’s free!
Also check out Buzzy’s show on WRIR 97.3 “Shake Some Action” every Saturday morning from 11am-1pm

loosegravelrocks.com

By   Thu, Oct 01, 2009

This young band is already rockin out crowds of 1000 or more with less than 6 months as a group under their belt.  The Fuzed are definitely a band to keep an ear and an eye out for.  Exploding on the DC/Northern Virginia music scene, these four school mates are already holding note for note to such classic covers as Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" and Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode".  Trevor Fichtner's guitar playing is amazing, and to listen to him, you'd think you were listening to a 30 year old, who's modeled himself after Angus Young and Jimmy Page for 20 years.  Yet he's not old enough to drive.

Cheska Zaide's vocals shine, allowing her condifence to create a stage performance resembling the nature of a true rock star.  The rhythm section comprised of Connor Ginger on bass and Jake Rosenthal on drums complete this preteen powerhouse of raw rockin talent know as The Fuzed.

As their group continues to grow both musically and personally, I not only hope to see them drawing in fans by the thousands and selling a ton of records, I expect it.

You can check out more of The Fuzed at their main site, thefuzed.com, and on their myspace page - myspace.com/thefuzedrockband

By Author: Meredith Ripple   Thu, Oct 01, 2009

Don't worry about a preview, that doesn't really do much.

Here is where you will put the body of your next article.  I (Heather) will upload the photos that I get to another associated online location.  I will give you the url's if you'd like to lay out the photos.  You choose the tree square above, put in the url, size, and alignment.

ttys,

--H

Oh yeah, make sure that you keep it in draft mode until later - just wait to hit the 'live' box at the top of the page.  More on that later.

By   Thu, Oct 01, 2009

Coming Soon!

By Author: Steve Owen   Thu, Oct 01, 2009

It’s kind of ironic, especially for a musician, to find yourself at a time when there is such dire need for independent music.  Independent from what?  Everything in the business seems pretty dependent on a multitude of things if you want your idea to go anywhere past a good conversation or a late night jam in your buddy‘s basement.  People are a definitely a necessary part of the equation, whether they‘re studio engineers, club owners, promoters, or more importantly, your audience.  No band is an island, as they say.  However, this need for independence has long been embedded in the pop-American mindset, you might say we’re still running off of our forefather’s initial high when they first found the joint.  That independence is way too reminiscent of cigarettes, leather jackets and cruisers roaring off into a desert sunset, but that’s not independence, it’s just good marketing for Harleys.  Actual independence stems from an ethic, a moral need to remove ourselves from that which we no longer identify with.  This day and age it’s more important than ever to keep your perspective, taking into consideration that surely everything in an ecosystem or eco-nomic system is completely interdependent with all that sustains it.  When we talk about making indie music or art or films surely we can not omit all the things we are a part of, so what is it that we want to be independent from?  I’d say that’s entirely up to us, which is the cool part.  A friend of mine who was taking an anthropology class told me something his teacher said, to paraphrase: “Evolution is not necessarily a process or a progression, it doesn‘t have to be time dependent; it’s happening right now, it is the on-going change and how we deal with it.”  With that being said, understand the role you are playing when you create, when you actualize something into existence, and take care in doing so.  As you shape the art in front you, you are also shaping the life around you so stay awake and keep your eyes on the future.

By Author: Steve Owen   Thu, Oct 01, 2009

    A spectacle is probably the closest word to describe what happened at the 5-day Trinumeral celebration in the most laidback mountain town on the east coast.  The weekend started on Wednesday in downtown Asheville on the 9th, which was the date of the actual tri-numeral (They’ve been doing this since 1.1.01), and then moved to Deerfields campground for the duration.  This being mainly an electronic festival, they hosted some of the best DJs from all over the country, RJD2, Eskimo a.k.a. Welder, Glitch Mob, and from closer to home: Orchard Lounge, Elliott Lipp, and Pretty Lights.   A few British bands made it out as well:  electro-rock band The Egg as well as The New Mastersounds who fill the role of a James Brown rhythm section with John Bonham on the drums, really heavy funk.  The music that stole it though wasn’t electronic at all - the pinnacle was a trio of banjo, upright bass, and Indian tabla drums playing something that sounded like a new form world music.  Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and Zakir Hussain premiered that night with the first live performance of their new album featuring full orchestra, which is actually number one on the classical charts right now, not surprisingly.  Blending recent and ancient folk genres together in a way that was fresh and warmly familiar, not only did it take anyone who it was listening to new spiritual heights, it was technically flawless.  Admittedly, some probably felt it was a bit out of place for a festival like this.  Regardless, the audience was fully aware of the world class music they were taking part in and witnessing.  Out of the up and coming bands that were there, Sonmi Suite stood out as a truly clean and patient band, which is seldom found in young players.  They had a tight groove that kept you in the moment with a beautiful blend of smooth synths and effects pads; these guys are worth checking out.
    My band was actually fortunate enough to land a slot on Thursday night, and let me tell you what a learning experience it was.  This being the largest festival we had been a part of gave us perspective as to how the big dogs run and it was certainly encouraging to say the least.  We too often have a tendency to focus on the negative, letting it get the better and pulling us away from the point of things.  Of course we had issues to deal with, everyone did, but that’s what separates the men from the boys, it’s how you handle it.  If you have anxiety or any lack of confidence in what you’re doing, it will show a hundred percent on stage.  For the rest of the weekend, my guitarist and I would watch the other bands and see them react to the problems they would run into with equipment or sound levels.  It gave me a whole new perspective to see even someone as technically proficient as Bela Fleck look slightly uncomfortable after the first few notes and gradually find it more and more as he went along.  Even if you play a few wrong notes, it’s all about how you recover.  Are you able to jump right back into the focus or do you let your doubts get the better of you?  If you play music, you should ask yourself this question all of the time, even if you’re just practicing.  Focus, just like learning to play an instrument, is a skill to be developed.  I promise it can only make your music outstanding.