June 18, 2011 Issue

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June 18, 2011

PLUG’D IN The Hard-Rock'n Bi-Weekly Magazine Lots of new stuff coming your way!!

Silverstein shot live in concert by Liana Marie Inside This Issue On Tour: Billy Hamilton of Silverstein, Impact: Jared Gomes (M.C.U.D.) of Hed P.E., This Is: Nick and Chris of Bayside, Dear Dear Abby, Through Their Eyes: Exceptional Photography by the Plug‟d In Photographers, and much more!

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Impact: Jared Gomes (M.C.U.D.) of Hed P.E. Interview by Vikki Sin If you didn‟t already know, I, Vikki Sin, happen to be a Juggalo, more technically a Juggalette. (For those of you that are shaking your heads like I‟m speaking another language, please utilize Google and maybe you‟ll find out that you are one too, who knows?) So of course it was a huge deal for me to be able to interview Jared Gomes, a.k.a. MC Underdog a.k.a. M.C.U.D. from the self described “G-Punk” group Hed PE of the infamous underground label Suburban Noize. Hed PE is nowhere near new to the music scene, having been around since 1994, but they are gaining more exposure with each new album, making devoted fans out of Juggalos and mainstream listeners alike. Theirs is a diverse sound, a kind of energetic mix of metal, funk, rap and punk with a progressively more political undercurrent for those of us that are always angry at the system (and this day in age that‟s a large cross section), so it‟s no wonder that these guys seem to be at the top of their game right now. I recently sat down with M.C.U.D. when the group stopped at the Croc Rock in Allentown during the Hed 2 Head tour with the monster metal band Mushroomhead. Here‟s what the outspoken front man had to say about the Hed PE‟s political flavor and why he‟s proud to call everyone family.

PI: Tell us a little bit about G-Punk, which is your style of music.

JG: Well, G-Punk is a word I came up with in the early „90‟s. It just says that we‟re putting together punk rock with gangster rap type stuff.

PI: How did you come up with the band name? Tell us a little bit about the story behind that.

JG: We were always Hed before we got signed from one of the first songs I wrote called „Heavy Head‟ about being depressed and then one of the guys was like “Let‟s just name the band Hed”. So then we were Hed until we got signed and then the legal department was like „There‟s already a Hed, so you have to change your name‟. I was reading this book about planetary evolution, so I just added the „PE‟ to it.

Wayne Lozinak

PI: What would you say that you‟re most proud of about your latest album „Truth Rising‟? Is there something that is different about it than any others?

JG: It sounds better than all the other indie albums because I invested more money in my home studio, so definitely audio-wise it sounds better.

PI: There‟s a song on the album called „White House‟ that‟s obviously very political: „Black in the white house, see the color of change‟. Can you tell us a little about that? Was that completely about Obama? What was the message behind that whole song?

JG: It‟s pretty self explanatory. I like Obama. There‟s sarcastic lines in there, from the point of view of someone that‟s like „oh, run for the hills…nigger in the white house‟ type of thing. So, there‟s sarcasm in there but then there‟s also the truth about how I feel about him getting in the white house. (PI) Which you were very happy about, apparently.

(JG) Yea.

PI: So how did you get into the more political side of it? Seems like your albums got progressively more political as time went on.

JG: I‟d say around the fourth album, which was when we went more indie, I started just getting into more of the…I think everyone started getting into the Free Masons and this and that. After 9/11 when people started going „whoaaa‟ and checking out secret societies, I was one of those people and it‟s been taking over my life and it‟s reflected in my music.

PI: Sometimes I‟ll explain your band to people as a kind of underground Rage Against the Machine but heavier. Was Rage a big influence on you guys?

JG: I like Rage a lot, except you‟ll notice in Hed P.E., we‟re not as consistent with our sound the way Rage is. They‟re like, and again, they‟re one of my favorite bands, but all of their music kind of goes along the same stylistic lines of the guy rapping and the band playing groovy metal, where like Hed P.E., we don‟t do that, so we‟ll have really fast punk songs and songs where I don‟t rap. (PI) It‟s a big variety. (JG) Yea, but certainly if anyone compares us to Rage, I find it a compliment. I just talk about the differences.

PI: Who are some of the musical artists that influenced you?

JG: I think definitely Johnny Rotten, the guy from System of a Down, Mike Muir from Suicidal Tendencies, Minor Threat, The Clash, and maybe Hatebreed…I have lots of influences. The band has so many different styles.

PI: I saw you guys playing once in Philly and there was these 2 guys that got into a fight and you stopped the whole show and you yelled at them for fighting and you said „We‟re family”, and I was like „Whoa, I didn‟t know they embraced the whole Juggalo family thing that much‟. So, you‟re big into that, I take it?

JG: (laughs) Yea, I‟m a Juggalo, obviously, and I‟m definitely into that whole thing, into the whole scene or whatever.

(PI) The family aspect of it? (JG) Yea, and I‟m into the family aspect even beyond the clown family, but inclusive of it. I‟m into the whole global family thing. I‟m into the whole galactic family thing, so I‟ll just keep taking it further and further out.

PI: Speaking of which, any plans on going to the Gathering (of the Juggalos) this year?

JG: Well, we played two years in a row, and I don‟t see why we wouldn‟t play it again. It would be a surprise to me if we didn‟t. We‟re friends with that whole organization, so I can‟t imagine that we wouldn‟t do it, unless there‟s like a good reason. (PI) It‟s a good time, too. (JG) Yea. (laughs) PI: Obviously, you‟re on Suburban Noize records, everyone knows Kottonmouth Kings, big pro-marijuana organization. (JG) (laughs) (PI) You were arrested in 2000 for possession, is that true?

JG: I‟ve been arrested for possession a couple times, and I guess you‟re talking about the more well known time where I got taken to jail while I was on the road. (PI) There‟s been a couple times then. Are you strongly prolegalization, seeing as how then you‟d probably stop getting arrested? (JG) Well, I‟m definitely pro-decriminalization.

I don‟t think people should go to prison and jail for weed. But, at the same time, I don‟t think kids should be smoking weed. I don‟t even think people under 18 should be smoking weed, I‟m crazy like that, and a lot of my fans, most of them, excuse me, are under 18 and smoke weed and drink and I did it too when I was a teenager, so I guess teens can do it but it just scares me sometimes. (PI) How they go about it? (JG) Yea. PI: Tell us a little bit about what you like to do when you‟re not touring, when you‟re not in the whole Hed P.E. groove.

JG: Well, you know, I enjoy working out and running, big time. I read a lot. You see I watch the fights. (points to TV

screen) I watch too much television. Sometimes I don‟t watch any television, but when I do watch it, I watch too much, but I still find enough time to get a lot done in terms of reading and music and whatever. I could still always use my time more wisely.

PI: How did you guys get together in the first place?

JG: In the 90‟s? Here‟s the thing, Hed P.E. has seen different...I‟d have to go through each member in the band and tell you how I hooked up with them. It‟s not the original lineup, but it‟s a stable lineup to where this lineup‟s been together longer than the original lineup, except for the drummer, but drummers‟s come and go. Our new guy though has been around for 3 years.

PI: Do you guys enjoy being on tour?

JG: Well, I‟ve been touring for like 16 years, so it‟s good and it is fun but a lot of the craziness of the 90‟s and first touring and doing the drugs and all that is a thing of the past. It‟s definitely a blessing to make your living doing this, and having a message that‟s worthwhile and traveling and being in touch with the family is a blessing for sure.

PI: What do you have to say to people that might not understand the Juggalo family?

JG: It‟s like anything in life, when you‟re on the outside looking in it‟s like you don‟t get it, like so many things, I‟m sure, like people who don‟t understand hip hop or punk rock or heavy metal, you know? There are lots of people like that who are only into one thing. The most ignorant thing though is kind of the judgments that are cast on the Juggalo family, which to me is just ignorant and funny and people always like to be negative about this or that. You‟re only gonna see it on the Facebook anyway. And people will be like „oh, Juggalo‟s are this and that‟ when it‟s just like any segment of society, where within the metal scene or the emo scene or the hip hop scene there‟s always troublemakers and it‟s the same with Juggalos. It‟s no different than anything. (PI) We have a lot of fun. (JG) Yeah, yeah, that‟s what first attracted me to the whole scene anyway is that it‟s fun. People ask me why I‟m into it that‟s my initial answer is its fun and I don‟t even need more of a reason than that, dude. You know, if it‟s fun, that‟s it, that‟s enough.

PI: So, what can we expect from Hed P.E. in the future?

JG: I‟m trying to get another album out by next year, which is gonna be tough but I‟m sure I can do it by at least October of next year. (PI) Got a lot to say? (JG) Always. Always. I‟m never at a loss for words; I‟ve always got something on my mind, which is good. That‟s how I make my money.

PI: Thank you so much for giving us a chance to get Plug‟d In! JG: It‟s a pleasure!

www.myspace.com/hedpe

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Dear Dead Abby Brought to you by It’s All The Hair Rage Designs

From The Grave Abby was born and raised in the coal regions of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The oldest of eight, she constantly had her younger brothers and sisters asking her questions about everything from how things work to why that boy threw dirt on her. She’d try to steer them straight with her advice, though sometimes she could be a bit sarcastic.

Abby also had an uncanny ability to see the truth in people, despite what they tried to portray with their lies. Unfortunately, this led the locals to believe that she was with surrounded with dark forces. The summer before her final year of school, Abby was sentenced to death by hanging, without a proper trial, simply stating that she was a witch. Abby can’t recognize the faces of her family through death, but she answers questions, thinking it might be one of her siblings needing her guidance.

Q. Is the economy finally starting to make a turnaround? F.G. A. Not in my opinion. Things look better than they were, but I think it will get worse again. The economy is a very sticky subject, but presidents and politics aside, I don't believe it will truly get better until the US focuses on itself and its own resources and what is best for its own people. The US needs to stop playing World Police and focus on solving our own problems. If the US is trying to set an example, then they should show how it's done.

Q. I'm raising my daughter not to lie, but I seem to lie all the time. I lie to my boss, my co workers, and sometimes to my friends. It‟s never anything serious, just little lies like if I call off work or don‟t want to do something. I can‟t help but feel like a hypocrite. Am I? B.L. A. Whether you teach her not to lie or not, she will know how. It's human nature. Based on her age, you will know what to tell her about little white lies, which are necessary, and not to lie in general, but there is no avoiding it. Children lie. When it goes unpunished it becomes a bigger problem.

Q.I was one of those people who believed that the world was going to end. I feel mislead. I don‟t even feel like showing my face outside. What can I do? D.D. A. You should feel like an idiot. Why would you think that? What grounds of evidence did you have? Oh wait, none.

You're just one of those simple minds that cult leaders like Charles Manson can pick up on and use to their will. Too many people in this society don't know how to think for themselves. They just go with the flow. Since you believe in the Rapture, you believe in God, and in the Bible it clearly states that no one knows the day He will return. No one knows, so whatever imaginary formulas and countdowns people are using should immediately be nixed. Believe what you want to believe, but be prepared to defend it.

Q. I'm 30,000 in debt cause of student loans and misc purchases. How the hell do I climb up out of this hole? I‟m living paycheck to paycheck now. S.B. A. You need a budget. There is no easy way, but to scrape every penny together and get rid of all unnecessary purchases. When you say miscellaneous, I am assuming there were things you could do without. You're going to have to change that way of thinking. Do I really need this? Pick up a second job and put all that towards the debt.

Q. My son's mother is a horrible mother. What can I do? S.W. A. If you feel she is a horrible mother, perhaps you should get more involved. It's easy to judge from another position.

Why do you feel that she's a horrible mother? People have many different views on parenting, but they make compromises. If there are particular things, let her know, but make sure you give a reason as to why.

Submit your questions to: deardeadabby@centralpapluggedin.com

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On Tour: Billy Hamilton Of Silverstein Interview by Liana Marie It was my pleasure getting to sit down with Silverstein for a second time and get the inside scoop. I had previously been given the opportunity to meet up with Shane during this past Winterizer tour. Things went great and I couldn‟t have been more pumped to catch up with the band during The Take Action tour. This time I was able to sit down with their bass player, Billy. It was great getting to know Billy as well as the rest of his band on a more personal level. I‟ve been listening to the band since the early 2000‟s, growing up. It was both a fun and neat experience to be able to sing along and reminisce on the days that I first began listening to Silverstein, years ago. And it‟s always a pleasure speaking with them. Here‟s what Billy had to share with us...L.M. PI: Tell us a little about yourself...Where are you from?

B: I grew up in Burlington, Ontario Canada. I moved to Toronto about 4 years ago, which is where I currently live.

PI: What instrument are you responsible for, within the band?

B: I play the bass guitar.

PI: What is your history with this instrument? How long have you played?

B: I kind of started pretending to play the bass about 11 years ago. Then, I heard Silverstein needed a bass player.

Having had their first Ep; demo, I was like “YEAH! I play the bass.” And they let me in the band somehow. So, I probably learned to play the bass maybe a year or 2 into being in the band. I think I got away with the first little while; just kind of knowing how to play the songs that I was taught. From then on, I just taught myself. So yeah, I‟ve been play the bass for 11 years.

PI: Do you have any personal influences when it comes to your style or technique in terms of playing your instrument?

B: I have a lot of favorite bass players that I‟ve looked up to. Guys like: Matt Freeman from Rancid, Carl from Descendants, and definitely Jason Black from Hot Water Music. Those guys are all really good and their songs are really hard to play. So, I think that kind of inspired me to actually learn how to play the bass. Because I was like, “Wait a minute, I can‟t play any of this stuff.” Then, I just started learning and continued to progress. And now I can play some of their songs.

PI: What is your knowledge and thoughts on the cause this year‟s Take Action Tour is supporting?

B: The Take Action Tour is supporting the “Sex Etc.” cause. I just think it‟s a really great thing; the awareness and

the knowledge and knowing its okay to talk about sex and its okay to learn things. I think the idea of scaring people away from sex is really dysfunctional and it can really develop into deep-seeded issues in people. There‟s obviously a lot of things that people aren‟t really comfortable talking about so, having a website you can check out and ask questions on the things your curabout I think is great. I think that what we‟re trying to do with this tour, is let everyone know that it‟s okay to have questions and its okay to have feelings, urges, and anything of that sort. It‟s healthy to talk about it and it‟s healthy to explore that in a safe and responsible way.

(PI) Right. And it‟s better to talk about it rather to find yourself in some sort of predicament, unprepared. (B) Right of course, of course. And to be scared of anything, i think is really negative.

Whether it be talking about it, doing it, or having to get yourself out of a situation. If you put fear into that, it just makes everything much more difficult and harder to deal with. So, I think that knowledge and awareness is really the main goal.

PI: Has tour had a good turn-out so far? Have things been good?

B: What‟d I say before? “I‟m really excited about the tour it‟s been really great.” No, no. I‟m extremely, extremely stoked for this tour.

Watching the show in Boston was really great. I think coming on this tour there‟s really positive attitudes from everyone especially the bands. There are a lot of new records coming out. Us and Texas In July‟s record comes out on Tuesday. Bayside‟s record just came out not too long ago. Polar Bear Club and Swellers just got out of the studio... I think everyone‟s just really fresh and excited about the next couple months and what‟s going to happen with their bands. This tour is just a really great way to tie it all together. We‟ve known Bayside for like 8 years and we met Polar Bear Club; well, I personally met them about a year or 2 ago. We just did a tour together in Australia called “The Soundwave Tour.” So, we got to hang out with them a bit there. And we‟ve just been really excited about the tour. Same thing with the Swellers, their bass player is from our area in Canada and we‟ve been talking to those guys a little bit about getting them on the tour and just kind of anticipating things. It‟s been really cool to meet everyone. Now can I get all together and roll with it? The show last night was awesome. I watched all the bands, and everyone was really great. The crowd-response to all of the bands was great, and I think it‟s going to be a really positive tour.

PI: Do you know how you guys actually got involved with the tour? Or how they choose the bands?

B: Yeah. I mean, we‟ve done The Take Action Tour in the past; either 2005 or 2006 I believe. It‟s actually run by our record label; Hopeless Records. We also have a real strong passion for doing charity tours and events. With the tour happening in the spring as well as our record coming out we really wanted to team up with the Take Action end of Hopeless to do a tour around our record. We had also been talking with Bayside about doing a tour, since we‟ve been friends for so long. I know that Bayside was interested in doing The Take Action Tour, and Take Action was interested in having them etc. But it really came down to us being like, “Oh, it‟s been like 6 years since we‟ve toured together. We should really do a tour.” Again, the bands like Texas In July and The Swellers as well as Polar Bear Club, came up on a list of interested bands so us and Bayside kind of chipped away at that list and picked out some really great bands that we all really like, and we‟re really stoked to have them on tour.

PI: I read somewhere that your band actually recorded a song with Ryan Key of Yellowcard...

B: Yeah. I think that‟s actually the first track on The Take Action Comp. We had written the song and it‟s about a really fun night we had on tour in New York City and we really felt like the song needed a second vocalist on it, since it kind of goes back and forth. There was really a fun vibe throughout. We wanted it to be a party song or like a hanging out song. So having 2 vocals going back and forth was kind of the plan for it. We started to record it and felt like it didn‟t really fit with the record because it really stood out. When the idea of it going on the Take Action comp. came up, seeing as Yellowcard had just signed to Hopeless as well, we were like,” Oh man, it‟d be really great to get

Ryan from Yellowcard on it.” Ryan was really stoked to do it and it turned out really great. His voice fits the song really well. And it‟s cool because Yellowcard‟s a great band and we‟ve never really done a tour with them or anything but we‟ve known about them and listened to their records for years. It‟s definitely cool to be label mates with them now, and it‟s especially cool they were able to do a song with us.

PI: Where and when can we find The Take Action Tour compilation?

B: It‟s actually out now. I think they‟re actually selling them at the show, so if anyone‟s planning on coming out to any of the Take Action dates they can get it. I‟m pretty sure it‟s in stores. It may have come out last Tuesday, it might come out this Tuesday as well as our record. But it‟s definitely going to be out there by the time this tour is ending.

PI: You mentioned your record comes out on Tuesday..

B: Yeah, we‟ve actually been working on that record for about a year now; since we started writing, demoing, and getting it all together. So, we‟ve really been anticipating the release leading up to now. The record‟s been done since before Christmas. There‟s so much planning that goes along with it and I think in years passed without previous records we‟ve always kind of known when it was going to come out, before we recorded it. So, with this record there was a lot more time involved. We finished everything and were like “Okay! It‟s done. Now when is a good time for it to come out?” Rather than saying, “OH! We have to get the record out by this date...So, hurry up and finish it.”

Where this time is was a lot more like, we really focused on making this record the best it can be and now there‟s been months of preparation and planning out the release, setting it up for reviews and getting all the little behind the scenes stuff in place for it. So, we‟re really excited that it‟s finally coming out.

PI: Can you tell us a little about it? Anything significant about the title? How many songs?

B: Yeah. It‟s called, “Rescue.” It‟s got 12 songs. I think initially, the CD pressed also has some bonus stuff on it. We feel like people always put out a record, and then 6 months later they put out another “Oh, here‟s the “Deluxe Edition, now.” We didn‟t really want to do that. We weren‟t like “Oh, it‟s coming out as the “Deluxe Edition” either. We just wanted to reward the people who bought it first, and not have to make those people buy it again. The people who buy it first are the people who care about that extra stuff are the real fans. So, we wanted to reward those people. I think it‟s the first amount of whatever the amount they pressed, comes with an additional 6 songs. Once, those sell out they‟re just going to press the 12. There are demos and some acoustic stuff + some extra songs on there. And the record is called “Rescue” it consists of 12 songs and has a lot of different lyrical themes. Our last record was a concept record where all of the songs kind of flowed together and fit a storyline. This time, we wanted to take every song for what it is individually. So, each different song has its meaning. Shane‟s the lyricist so, I can‟t really speak on his behalf on what they‟re about or anything but I know I‟m really happy with the songs and how they fit the record. I think there‟s a lot of diversity within what we‟ve done in the past but as well as some growth; not necessarily completely new stuff but taking some of those elements we‟ve kind of messed with before and really went all out with it.

For example we‟ve incorporated, some faster drums beats, different structuring, and stuff along those lines.

PI: So, other than “Rescue” coming out on Tuesday, what else can we expect to see from Silverstein in the future?

B: We‟re just going to be touring pretty hard for the next little while. This tour goes into the end of May. We‟re going over to Europe and then we‟ll be back for some stuff in the summer as well. We actually also just did a 7-inch for our Record Store Day, which was last Saturday. It‟s called, “Support Your Local Record Store” and Side A features a song off of our new record called, “The Artist.” Side B features 3 cover songs from some punk and hardcore bands that we grew up listening to. We really wanted to take the opportunity to participate in Record Store Day, which is set

up as a day where people have to go to an actual independent record store to find releases that are really only available at those stores. They can‟t just buy it online or anything so it requires a lot more effort and it puts focus on those record stores. I think that part of the reason we wanted to do it is because we all kind of grew up with record stores playing a big part in our lives, just as far as the discovery of music. Where I was 12 years old, going to the record store saying “Hey yeah, I want the new Green Day record.” And they were like, “Okay, here‟s the new Green Day record but have you heard the bands that Green Day likes? Check out Jawbreaker, check out The Replacements” etc.

That was where I learned about some of those older bands that I was too young to really find out about, myself. I think we wanted to take Record Store Day as the opportunity to do that for fans of our bands that might not have heard of some of the bands that we liked. We covered: Kid Dynamite, American Nightmare, and Propagandhi.

PI: Oh man. Which American Nightmare song?

B: We did “Hearts.” It turned out really good. And we actually made the cover of the record look like Kid Dynamite; which is my personal favorite band from Philadelphia. I came down on my birthday in the summer to see them play at “This is Hardcore” fest. So yeah, we just kind of wanted to have fun with that and do some songs we really liked.

Hopefully that will not only get kids to recognize the importance of the record store but also get to check out some cool bands they may not have heard before.

PI: Thanks so much for your time and giving us a chance to get “Plug‟d In!” B: Yeah, no problem!

www.silversteinmusic.com Think About It: Insights inspired by Jack Handey It takes a big man to cry. It takes an even bigger man to laugh at that man.

I wish I had a kryptonite cross, because then you could keep Dracula and Superman away.

I was taking my little nephew to Disneyland, but I decided to play a mean trick. I pulled up next to an old, burned down warehouse. "Oh no," I said. "Disneyland burned down." He started crying, and I was about to tell him it was all a joke and drive to the real Disneyland, but it was getting kinda late.

Whether they ever find life there or not, I think Jupiter should be considered an enemy planet.

It's easy to sit there and say you'd like to have more money. And I guess that's what I like about it. It's easy. Just sitting there, rocking back and forth, wanting that money To me, it's always a good idea to always carry two sacks of something when you walk around. That way, if anybody says, "Hey, can you give me a hand?" you can say, "Sorry, got these sacks."

If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is "God is crying." And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to tell him is "Probably because of something you did."

Too bad you can't just grab a tree by the very tip-top and bend it clear over the ground and then let her fly, because I bet you'd be amazed at all the stuff that comes flying out.

If you ever fall off the Sears Tower, just go real limp, because maybe you'll look like a dummy and people will try to catch you because, hey, free dummy.

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Through Their Eyes: Exceptional Photography by The Plugâ€&#x;d In Photographers

Photo by Liana Marie

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This Is: Nick and Chris of Bayside Interview by Liana Marie I was given the opportunity to sit down with both Nick and Chris of Bayside on the second night of The Take Action Tour 2011. They were pretty laid back guys and a lot of fun to talk to. The band plans to stick with who they are and have no intention of transforming into any sort of cliche, especially Radio Rock. And for that I have the upmost respect for them along with their insane musical talent as musicians.

Although Nick isn‟t going to become an actor or play hockey for a living, Chris will be running for president. So…Look out 2012! L.M. PI: Tell us a little about the history of the band... When and where did it all begin?

N: The band‟s 10 years old now, and it started in Bayside, Queens; hence the name. Over the years we all kind of joined the band, and Anthony‟s the only original member.

I‟ve been in the band 6 years. (C) I‟ve been in the band for about 5. (N) We have 5 albums out and I think that‟s kind of cool. A lot of bands don‟t get to that point. (C) Think about it this way, if you were to give the band a grade it school...We‟d be in second grade. (Laughter) Yeah, the band‟s in second grade.

No, we‟re third actually. (N) We have so much school left. (C) I know. Always learning.

PI: What instrument are both if you responsible for?

N: I play bass he plays...

C: I‟m the lead drummer. I play drums. (PI) Oh. So you have 2 drummers? (Laughter) (C) No. (N) It just sounds like we do because he‟s so awesome.

PI: Personal influences... Who or what are yours?

N: I didn‟t pick up a bass until I heard bands like Green Day, Rancid, Bad Religion, and Bouncing Souls. It made me want to play music. My favorite bass player right now, is the dude from The Foo Fighters, Nate. He‟s awesome; super classy bass player. © I think my influences fall the most under bands like Rancid, Green Day, NoFX etc. My parents got me into The Police and Madonna at a young age. So, I guess that‟s where I got my pop and my punk influences. (N) Madonna was my first concert ever, literally.

PI: In your opinion, what has been your most successful record? Why? N: Not judging by numbers… (C) The new one? (N) Yeah, not judging by numbers I think I would say this one.

We worked really hard and put a lot of time into it and I think all 4 of us are happy with every single part of it.

We‟re definitely the most proud of it. Hopefully it is the most successful with how you agree with the term successful; selling to more kids and becoming more popular. I think that the whole process behind it and how it turned out is definitely our greatest success. (PI) And this album‟s been released? (N) Yeah, yeah. February 22 it came out.

It‟s called, “Killing Time” and it‟s our first album on Wind-up Records.

PI: What is your favorite song to perform live?

N: As of last night, I decided our song “Wrong Way” on the new album is a beast.

It‟s awesome. Do you feel that way, Chris? (C) I concur but I also like playing “Seeing Sound,” also off the new album.

PI: How‟s Take Action going?

N: The first night was last night, and it was one of my favorite shows I‟ve ever played. (C) Yeah, that show was good.

(N) It was at Paradise Rock Club in Boston, and it was just super awesome. Everyone was so into it and for us I think the stage sounded good. It was fun to play and then the crowd was just awesome. Everybody in the room was singing and it was real cool. (C)...Couldn‟t ask for more in a show. Especially for the first show of tour. We‟re gettin„ spoiled! (PI) Well, that‟s great and it‟s for a good cause! (N) Yeah, it‟s actually our first tour that we get to do that has anything to do with a charity.

PI: What are your thoughts on “Sex Etc”? How crucial do you believe sharing this knowledge with the teen population is to society?

C: I‟m glad someone‟s taking a step to go out of their way and preach this to kids in our music scene. (N) I think it‟s important to just be a responsible human being, whether it has to do with sexual activity or anything, really. You just can‟t be a shit-head your whole life, you know? You have to be responsible. (C) People need to understand, that even if you don‟t do much with your time etc your actions ABSOLUTELY affect other people‟s lives. And I think that‟s something people need to be aware of even outside of sexual awareness. Your life absolutely affects other people‟s lives, in more than one way, and I think everyone should really be aware of that. (N) That‟s why you just have to be cool. (C) Yeah, Just be cool. (N) Just be cool and positive people.

PI: Back to the album, “Killing Time.” Did you go in any specific musical directions with the album?

C: When we write we never really sit down and say “Let‟s go in this direction.” We just write and we take whatever‟s best out of that batch. That‟s pretty much what we do, and I‟m proud to say that.

This is the third record I‟ve done with this band and I think the records have gotten better and I think we‟ve grown as a band together; which is cool. It‟s never really a “Let‟s do this or let‟s take this that way” kind of thing. The only we consciously do as a band is make sure the songs are going to be good live and that kids are going to like them. We absolutely consider what are fans or people who like our band like and want to hear, and we do what we can to cater to those people. (N) Yeah. And we probably wouldn‟t even write a song that was self -serving; that we would just like. We certainly wouldn‟t put it on an album. We‟re pretty comfortable with the band, and “Killing Time” being our 5th album. We sound like what we sound like and within that sound we just try to become better song writers in terms of our individual instruments. At this point we are who we are. We have no intentions in putting out some Radio Rock nor Ska or Metal. We have 5 albums and they all sound like us. And that‟s that.

PI: You mentioned crowd response and playing what your fans like... What song would you say you receive the most crowd response from?

N: The song we close with is still “Devotion And Desire”, which is on our second album. We always close with that and that‟s the reason we close with it. We close with that song simply because people flip out about it. Again, when we play we play for the fans and what most people want to hear. So, songs like “The Walking Wounded”, “Montauk”, our single right now, “Sick Sick Sick” get a lot of crowd response and participation. That‟s kind of like what Chris was talking about; writing songs while keeping our fans in mind.

Every song we play is for the fans. So, we hope that they have fun with it and I think they do. Almost no matter where we‟re playing there‟s going to be a big group of people having a really good time and I think that‟s our goal. We just want the groups to get bigger and bigger. There is more people tonight in Philly than there was in Boston, but Boston was still really fun. So, if somehow we could even it all out; there would just be a lot of people everywhere.

(C) They got big shoes to fill tonight. They got big shoe to fill.

PI: Are you guys working on anything currently?

C: We‟re working on touring. (N) Yeah, just touring. We put a lot of time into that album. So, it‟s out now we just have to work, get out there, and play music.

PI: Anything else coming up in the future for Bayside?

N: Chris is running for president. © Yeah, I‟m running for president. But besides another album in a few years and touring for the next few years...I don‟t want to say no, because that it looks like we‟re not doing anything cool.

(Laughter) Expect something cool. (N) We‟ve got some cool stuff coming up but it all has to do with the records and albums. I‟m probably not going to be an actor and I‟m probably not going to play hockey. Hopefully we do some late night television sometime, that‟d be cool. That‟s also a little more realistic. (C) Maybe we‟ll do “Kids Bop.” PI: Thanks so much for your time and giving us a chance to get “Plug‟d In!” N & C: Yeah! Thank you!

www.baysidebayside.com

On Tour: Will Swan of Dance Gavin Dance Interview by Liana Marie and Tyler Heckard Tyler & I were able to meet up with Dance Gavin Dance before the show. We weren‟t able to speak with Jonny Craig... However, we did get the opportunity to join the man behind the band‟s formation; Will Swan, on the DGD tour bus to ask a few questions. Here‟s what Will had to share with us...L.M. PI: If you could describe your personality in 3 words, what would they be?

WS: Creative, irresponsible, and spontaneous.

PI: Tell us a little bit more about yourself. Where are you from, and is it the same area that you grew up in?

WS: I‟m from Sacramento, and I grew up in Modessa. I like Sacramento a lot better.

PI: How did you become a part of Dance Gavin Dance?

WS: I started the band.

PI: Can you tell us a little more about the formation? How you guys all got together?

WS: We were all just good friends, and we knew Jonny from touring with him from previous bands. We added him to the group we had and started DGD. PI: What genre of music would you consider your band to be if you had to pick a genre?

WS: Rock-Funk-R&B. PI: To my knowledge you‟ve actually released 4 full length albums and an EP. How does it feel knowing you‟ve accomplished so much?

WS: I don‟t know. I guess it feels good but writing records and listening to them is my favorite part of the whole process. It kind of feels weird only having that much material over such a long time. It‟s cool and I‟m glad that lots of people connect with our music.

PI: Did you have any idea when you first started the band that you guys would be where you are today?

WS: No, I don‟t think so. Not at all.

PI: If you weren‟t in a band, what would you be doing?

WS: Something very successful. I couldn‟t speculate. That‟s a completely alternate reality.

PI: So I read that in February, your vocalist, Jonny Craig, checked into a rehab facility for drug addiction, is that correct?

WS: Yes. (PI) How has this situation affected your band? (WS) We just kind of deal with it. Lots of people have to go through stuff like that. He just needs support and a little bit of space, from being on tour, constantly being prodded at,

he doesn‟t have much space. (PI) How does it feel to have him back? (WS) It‟s good. We‟re all really happy with the new record. We couldn‟t be happier. (PI) I myself am pumped that he‟s back, and I know quite a few people are. (WS) You know at least 10 people? (laughter) (PI) Maybe. No, come on, more than that.

PI: There were rumors going around that you were on the verge of a breakup. Why do you think they came to that conclusion?

WS: I don‟t know. I mean, people on the internet are from all walks of life and there could be a lot of crazies out there just talking shit. Who knows what‟s going through their heads. I‟ve heard the craziest rumors about our band, so I don‟t go on the internet that much, or care. (PI) How do you guys deal with that? (WS) There isn‟t really any dealing with it. We just don‟t give a shit. (PI) On that note, anything you‟d like to clear up? (WS) No, I‟d like them to keep speculating. It keeps it interesting.

PI: So fans are pretty pumped on this “Downtown Battle Mountain II” album, which was actually released this month.

For those who haven‟t heard it yet, how would you describe the album?

WS: If you‟re familiar with our band, it‟s kind of a throwback, vocally, to the earlier record, and musically, we tried to push the bounds, so it is something new and the same. I also think it‟s the best record we‟ve done, because of the mixture of the vocals and the sound that we‟ve kind of been progressing towards. I‟d just say to check it out and listen to it with an open mind; not expecting some “DBM I” rehash. It‟s a new record and it‟s the best thing we‟ve ever done.

PI: Is there any major differences you can pinpoint between this album and your first album or just everything?

WS: I‟d say everything, because we didn‟t try to recreate anything, we just did something new. I can‟t say that I can pinpoint things that are the same really. It makes it hard to the differences.

PI: I also noticed you guys will be playing Warped Tour this year. Are you stoked about it?

WS: Yea, Warped Tour is really fun. (PI) So, you guys have played before? (WS) Hell yea. We did Warped Tour like 2 years ago with another form of our lineup, so I‟m excited to do it with the original lineup.

PI: Any other new and exciting news you‟d like to share with us? Anything coming up?

WS: I‟m having a baby. No. (laughs) (PI) Anything with the band coming up?

WS: We‟ve got Warped Tour and we‟ve got a week and a half in Europe that we‟re doing before Warped Tour.

We‟ve got back to back shows in London where we‟ll be playing DBM1 and DBM2 the next day, so that‟s probably the only time that‟s ever going to happen.

PI: What inspired the album artwork?

WS: We had wanted the sequel artwork and he had already done the sequel picture to the DBM artwork, which is what we had we don‟t think it would be the same if we didn‟t have that artwork to be the cover.

PI: Out of all the places you‟ve toured or played shows, if you could pick one place to live, where would it be and why?

WS: Sacramento, California. The weather, it‟s not too big, not too small, close to San Francisco, not too far away from L.A., the beach and mountains and all terrain so you could do everything. It‟s pretty much the best place to live.

(PI) So, venue wise and crowd wise, what would be one of your favorite places to play a show? (WS) The crowds in

Texas are generally always amazing. The White Rabbit, especially, the kids are insane every time we play there.

Thatâ€&#x;s probably one of my favorite crowds.

PI: So, what can we expect from you guys in the future?

WS: Just hopefully more music and touring, good things from the DGD camp.

PI: Thanks so much for your time and for giving us a chance to get Plugâ€&#x;d In! WS: Thank you.

www.myspace.com/dancegavindance

1402 N. 9th Street Reading, PA 19604 Sat. July 1st – THEE SWANK BASTARDS + Friends With Murder and more!

Sun July 10th – GLOOMINOUS DOOM – JUCIFER – The Sinking Earth – The Pharaohs – Callous and more Fri. July 15 – SIX O‟CLOCK SAINTS + LOVE AUTOMATIC (ex – Senses Fail/ Armor For Sleep) + The MOXY Sat. July 16th – BURNT BY THE SUN + I WANT TO KILL YOU and more Fri. July 22nd: HELL WITHIN and more.

Sat. August 6th: Special OUTDOOR SHOW – THE REVERE – JOHNNY ACTION FIGURE and more Fri. August 19th – An Evening With THE WALLACE BROTHERS! Outdoor Stage!

Tues. August 23rd: BLACK GUARD + IN RUINS – and more Thurs. August 25th: PENTAGRAM – VALIENT THORR – Just The Brotherhood Sat. October 29th – WEDNESDAY 13 + Vampires Everywhere! + Polkadot Cadaver

www.reverbconcerts.com

Award-winning work in a clean environment

From The Throne of The Rock God Rants, Raves, Reviews, and News for the Minions Whew…We needed a rest! J.X.M.X. was so consuming and such an amazing event that we needed a week off. Its back to work now and boy do we have a lot! We have all kinds of new features that we will be bringing you in the upcoming weeks. We will also be rolling out some new features that we‟re really excited about.

One of the new features will be called “Surfacing”. It will feature bands from out of the area that are starting to make some noise and stopped by the Central Pa. area for a show. Another new feature doesn‟t have a name yet, but will strictly feature local bands on their way to the top. We will feature all of the genres of hard rock and heavy metal and feature a new band each issue. I can‟t begin to tell you how excited we are to be rolling out these new, exclusive features.

We have a whole lot more in the works, but my space here is limited, so we will keep you guessing for a little while. Stay tuned…next issue we will have plenty more new, exclusive national interviews as well as our humongous J.X.M.X. review. Until next time….

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Special thanks to all the following for making this issue happen: Without you...well, we just would have had to work a little harder.

The Reading Tattoo Co, Shoo, American Heroes, Belly Busters, 1Up Collectibles, Its All The rage Hair Designs, Vertical Pole Fitness, Pottstown Tattoo Co, Gotham City Tattoo, The Last Level, Pocket Aces Skate Shop, Crocodile Rock Café, Michael Demos, Liana Marie, David Barber, Mark Kohl, Nicole Marie, Nicolle Stella, Vikki Sin, Tyler Heckard, Bandi Budwash, Mark Kohl, David Barber, Justin Ernst, Estrella Torres, Designs By Your Arsonist, Roadrunner Records, Century Media, W.M.G., Victory Records, Facedown Records, Fearless Records, Metal Blade records, E1, Hollywood Records, Disney, Adrenaline P.R., Solid State Records, DRP Records, Strike First, Rise Records, Tech Basement, The Children's Home of Reading, Bimbo Bakery, Pepsi, Smaltz‟s Harley Davidson and all the amazing National and Local bands we‟ve had the privilege to work with.

Upcoming Shows

June 24th - HIEROSONIC, DIRTY ROTTEN LIARS, JOHNNY ROCKIT, AND MORE TBA! SHOW WILL BE PROFESSIONALLY RECORDED FOR INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION!!

TICKETS $10 PRESALE AND $13 AT THE DOOR! ALL AGES! DOORS AT 7:30!

July 8TH - PENNTERA (PENTERA TRIBUTE BAND, SCHIZM (TOOL TRIBUTE BAND) MIDNIGHT DECADENCE, HEADSTONE 118, AND THE LAST REMARK!!

July 15th - DREAM DEVICE, CIRCLE OF SANITY, AND LOVEHATETHING, ENGINE PRESS! ALL AGES!!

July 22nd - DREAMLAND PARK AND MORE TBA!! ALL AGES!! $10 AT THE DOOR, DOORS AT 6:30!!

July 29th - UNITED WE FALL AND MORE TBA! $10 AT THE DOOR, ALL AGES!! DOORS AT 6:30!

Aug. 26th - ALL STAR ROCK TOUR 2011!! ORLEANS, ROBBY DUPREE, JOHN CAFFERTY, JOE LYNN TURNER

www.drivingmetal.com www.thesilorocks.com