Deitra Magazine: Issue 10 by Deitra Magazine

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deitra magazine is published by deitra productions inc. reproduction without permission is prohibited. subscriptions one year for $29.95 in the u.s. and possessions; $39.95 for canada and $65.00 for all other destinations. payment in u.s. funds must accompany canadian and international orders. subscription orders are directed to deitramag.com. For inquiries or letters to the editor, email deitramag@yahoo.com. advertising and sponsorship for advertising and sponsorship opportunities, write to us at deitramag@yahoo.com. PRINTED IN THE USA.

from the

editor THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN an inspirational one for me. It’s an honest look at some artistic entrepreneurs that go after what they want in full force. Individuals who have set the gears of their goals in motion and have pushed forward with increasing momentum. That’s what Deitra is for me. It’s my passion, and I’m living out something that I’ve always wanted to do. But it’s more than that. It’s my lifeblood. I live and breathe it every day, from conception to realization. That is what the artists in this issue - both those who contributed and those who were featured - all have in common. It’s like something inside that never lets up and never lets go. It makes us always strive for more. And I couldn’t have put it into better words myself as the artists in these pages have done. “Chasing” a dream is an unfamiliar idea to me. My dream isn’t moving in front of me and out of reach. I’m not catching up and reaching out to grasp it. It is already in my hands. My dream is like being in a drag race. Frightening and powerful, fast and unforgiving. But I’m in the driver’s seat, and only I have the ability and fortitude to handle this beast of a machine. It takes practice, experience, knowledge, creativity, and a hardcore driven ambition to follow a creative desire. The journey is full of disappointments and triumphs. But there is a common idea that all of the artists in this issue have conveyed. Both they, and I, wouldn’t have it any other way. Thank you for reading!

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reyna lay

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CREATIVE, TENACIOUS, AND DOWN-to Earth, Reyna Lay was born and raised in Houston, Texas and currently resides in San Antonio with her family. She is an Army veteran and an Army wife. She graduated with Cum Laude honors in December 2014 with a Fashion Design and Product Development degree from the College of Business at Missouri State University. Reyna Lay was one of the 47 students who received their bachelor’s degree from the honors college. She was also honored with the Best Designer Award for her graduating class and the Senior Design Scholarship. Reyna is a degree candidate in the Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies, Field of General Management at Harvard and is working towards a graduate professional certificate in marketing management also. Not only is she seeking to better herself as an entrepreneur and businesswoman but she is also improving herself spiritually. Reyna is taking classes through Global University in order to become a Certified Minister with Leadership Honors. Reyna Lay designs for the strong, confident, and fashionable woman and is currently working on her newest pieces for the Eleganza Fashion Show at Harvard University in April 2015. She is also in the process of creating designs for the fashionable gentleman, alongside her husband and business partner, called The Rugged Warrior Collection.

She is a VIP Sponsor for the Harvard University Eleganza Fashion Show, the largest student run organization on the Harvard campus. All of her creations seen in this magazine will walk the runway and also be up for sale on her website, reynalay.com. All proceeds from the Eleganza Show will go to the Boston Center for Teen Empowerment, a center that provides art and mentorship opportunities to adolescents in high-risk areas. That’s something Deitra stands for and can get on board with!

vanity envy wrath On weekdays I set my alarm for 5:50am, but snooze it about two or three times before I actually wake up to get my eight-year-old ready for school. My husband hates me for this since he’s a light sleeper, but I’m not a morning person either, so it takes me a bit to wake up. On weekends I usually get to sleep in! I workout in my home gym and I’m usually sporting a pair of Under Armour booty shorts and a fitness mantra tank. My workouts vary from running, lifting weights, to high intensity interval training, but most of the time it’s just lifting heavy weights. I eat the same thing every morning: fried summer sausage with scrambled eggs, coleslaw, and shredded carrots, topped with spicy mayo. I really love this meal, and although it sounds weird, it’s actually quite delicious. I usually watch Charmed on Netflix on my phone as I do this. I take long, very hot showers, with music on. I usually listen to pop music in the shower and imagine I’m on stage. Don’t we all?! I only wash my hair every few days, or on running days. I have so much hair, and it’s so thick, that if I wash it too often it gets really dry. I use TRESemmé shampoo and sometimes splurge on BED HEAD Control Freak Shampoo when I feel it getting really dry, because it makes my hair super soft! I usually don’t wear makeup unless I’m going out on a date with the hubster, or out with friends. I exfoliate my face with my Clarisonic every day in the shower, so I put on Mary Kay Oil-Free Hydrating Gel to hydrate my skin and call it a day. I’m currently taking classes to get my Certified Minister credentials through Global University, so I do my reading and homework for these classes while drinking a cup of Gevalia Kaffe vanilla coffee in a Starbucks holiday mug. My two year old wakes up around this time and I have to do the mommy thing: change diapers, cook breakfast for him, lunch for me, usually white rice, veggies, and pork chops, and then play, read, or spend time watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse with him. Music is a big part of our family. Every family member in our house grew up playing an instrument. My father was the worship pastor at our church so he can rock the guitar, organ, and piano by ear. He’s selftaught and he’s amazing. My mom on the other hand rocks out on the harp and violin. She’s pretty awesome too. I’m currently learning to play the guitar, for the third time. This time, though, I’ve actually stuck to it. I practice for about 30 minutes and then I move on to the piano. I took two years of piano at college a couple years ago and ever since graduation last fall, I’ve been practicing every day or so. Lastly I put on some music and I dance and sing with my two-year-old. He really loves music too, so music time lasts about an hour. I love this time of my day, though. I enjoy music so much that it always helps me de-stress and puts me in such a better mood. I sneak in a little time in my studio to sew unfinished garments that have been ordered either off my website or Etsy while the baby plays on the floor, and by this I mean takes everything out of my boxes and drawers and makes a mess of my sewing room. I also work on my writing if I have the time. The process is very slow, I write then rewrite over and over again. If I have a post for Deitra that week I work on it a bit during this time. I go online and do some trend forecasting, look at the latest runway or designer looks, and also check out different fashion blogs for inspiration. My oldest has gotten home from school by now and I have to cook again for all of us, help with homework, and clean up around the house. Around this time my oldest takes over for a bit, puts on a movie or plays with the little one, and gives me a couple hours of slightly less interrupted study time to do homework for my Masters in Business Management I’m working on through Harvard University. My husband usually gets home around this time from work and I’ve either already started making dinner or I’ve asked him to pick up Chinese food or Sonic, depending on the day and the amount of homework or sewing I have left to do still. We talk about our days over a glass of Moscato and cheese bites and sit down to watch SUITS or Sons of Anarchy together. I give the little one a bath and then put both kids to bed. Then I head to my studio and do my thing again. Usually it’s sewing pieces that have to be sent off to customers, finishing some pattern making, or drawing up new designs on Illustrator. I’m currently working on drawing up design ideas both by hand and on Illustrator for singer Kam Franklin of the Suffers, and also a few pieces in the works for Hurts Donut Company. Kam wants a few dresses made by May so I’m super excited about getting to work with her on those. I’m also working on patterns for our new men’s line, Rugged Warrior, and scouting manufacturers around the area to make them for us. I can make a few but I can only sew so much at a time, and manufacturing is the next step. Netflix is usually on in the background or I’ll turn on Spotify and listen to music depending on my mood. I love all kinds of music but rock and pop are my favorite. I love Adele, John Legend, Jesus Culture, and I currently have Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran on repeat. That song just never gets old for me. I say a prayer and thank God for surviving another day in my crazy, but very fulfilling life and snuggle into bed with my husband. I’m a night owl so if I’m in bed before 11pm it’s a miracle. I sleep in a dark room with blackout curtains and no lights. I usually remember my dreams and if they’re vivid I write them down as soon as I wake up. They make great book ideas. Oh, and I snore. Loud. But you really didn’t need to know that.

pand

ora’s box THE IDEA BEHIND REYNA’S first layout was Pandora’s Box, and she took the top three sins that she felt that women are most prone to deal with in their lives: vanity, envy, and wrath. We all deal with these human emotions, but never have they looked so lovely than on these pages as they come to life in beautiful garments.

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LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND supporters of badass community leaders of all ages – we present to you, Miss Sarah Byrd! She dances, she hoops, she manages a bustling farmer’s market on our very own historic Commercial Street. How does she do it? That’s right folks. She’s magic. We were able to pry the one and only Miss Byrd away from her unspeakably busy schedule for a photo shoot in the historic Gillioz Theatre. A theatre, we thought, fitting for someone so fond of the stage. Her work with the local dance community is impressive and part of why we hoped she’d join us for an issue dedicated to celebrating the human form. “This will be my fourth season with the Springfield Dance Alliance,” says Sarah. “I joined the alliance through my association with Phenomenon Dance Company. Phenomenon is my main gig right now and is run by Brittney Banaei (another awesome and creative woman crushing it in Springfield). “I’ve been dancing with her for five years and she brought me into the Dance Alliance, which is a nonprofit dedicated to the dance arts in Springfield and providing a place for adult dancers to come. After you graduate if you are a dance major there’s not a lot of performance opportunities so that’s basically what they provide. They do a lot of modern lyrical ballet rooted stuff because they started out as members and teachers of the dance programs at Drury University and Missouri State University, but they care about all forms of dance. They brought in Middle Eastern and belly dance technique to their shows and they’ve recently added hip hop and jazz. They do workshops for the people that are members and orchestrate a spring and fall show every year. The spring show is called Bloom and in the fall there is Harvest.” Dancing with Phenomenon and the Springfield Dance Alliance keeps Sarah traveling out of state for various performances and competitions, but her roots are firmly planted here in Springfield for the time being through her work as the manager of the local Commercial Street Farmer’s Market. The “sweetest little market in town” is part of what keeps our historic C-Street thriving and providing farmers and artisans with a place to come together and celebrate the best that the locals have to offer. “I love working with the market so much, it has so much character,” says Sarah. What’s in the works for a Springfield dancer with a passion for the performance arts and the art of local goods and craft? “I’m doing an individualized Bachelors of Science I put together: Community Development through Business, Agriculture and Media. Mostly, I’m just obsessed with circus arts right now. That’s my jam. One of my biggest goals is to create or join a circus! Going through my possible costume choices for this shoot I wanted to grab my tutu, so it was great that you guys brought one!”

RK: What was your strangest “only in LA” moment?

ACTOR. ASPIRING IRON MAN. Expert Fisherman. Rebecca Kennedy: What is your most memorable audition? Drew Irwin: It was a Sunday afternoon at Springfield Brewing Company watching football, and I got an email for an audition that day. My friends and I had drank a couple pitchers by this point, so I knew it would be an interesting experience. So I get through this audition for Otis Spunkmeyer and it went really well! Then they asked me what my favorite cookie they make is. Now usually when I have time to prepare, I will research the company and know what they’re about, but as this was last minute, I was not even kind of ready. Before I know it, I’m saying, “Whatever’s in my mouth!” They seemed to like it though. I got a call back! Turns out, the role was to be a glass of milk. RK: What’s the latest goal you’ve set for yourself and how do you stay motivated? DI: Thinking about getting married in September keeps me motivated. It’s made me start planning for the long term and what will be best for us, like going to grad school. Then I will be focusing on teaching and staying connected to what I love while having more stability. RK: What character would be your ideal role? DI: About A Boy’s lead character is a blend of the party guy and the soft side. He befriends the neighbor kid and becomes a kind of father figure for him, and I feel connected to both sides of the character. I enjoy roles that are more challenging. Like anything Edward Norton does, especially Fight Club, and Robert Downey Jr. in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Basically, I want to be Tony Stark.

DI: I was at a bar called Howl at the Moon, a dueling piano bar, and they had an open mic night. It was towards the end of the night and this guy gets up there and starts free style rapping and thought he looked like DMX, then noticed all the security guards and realized, shit it’s him! RK: Pancakes or waffles?

DI: Waffles of course! You get perfectly measured pools of butter and syrup!

CORI EDWARDS HAS PLAYED the cello for fifteen years. She now performs in various musical collaborations, including local Springfield band, Kill Crows. She has also worked as a model on runway as well as print. I got the chance to do a photo shoot with Cori, and catch up with her about her aspirations as an artist. Matt Loveland: How did it feel to model for the Body Issue of Deitra? Cori Edwards: I was so excited! It was very natural and I know it’s going to be portrayed as beautiful and in a very classy way. It shows off figures and women’s curves and what it means to be a woman. You’ve got to be confident! I like all of those aspects. ML: Tell us about playing the cello. CE: I’ve played for over fifteen years! I started when I was rather young and through the years I studied classical music and decided in my late teens it was a little too serious and decided to put it down because I wanted to pursue other musical ventures. So I picked up other musical instruments and decided, years later, that I didn’t have my niche. I could play those instruments, and I could play them moderately, but the cello makes me more unique. So I picked it back up again, just rather recently, and just started playing around. It’s been really fun! It’s revived my love for the cello and music, and I feel like I’m putting a different kind of footprint, a different path than previously. That’s why it’s been really exciting for me. ML: How did you get started on the cello? CE: The cello was the first instrument I wanted to play! I always wanted to play a big stand up bass. My mother pushed me towards the cello because it’s much more portable. I’m glad she pushed me in that direction.

ML: Who have you been playing with? CE: I’ve found other musicians to play around with, but I’ve mostly been dabbling and going around the circuit and finding other musicians I want to keep contact with. The Kill Crows are really the first substantial band that really melded musically for me. ML: How did you get involved with Kill Crows? CE: We were playing at the Outland Complex, they were upstairs and I was playing downstairs, and they caught my act. They invited me to jam with them! They wanted to incorporate a little bit of cello on their new album, so I went in and messed around and put a little touch on their wonderful masterpiece. They invited me to continue playing with them in their live shows.

ML: Who are you favorite Springfield Bands? CE: I’m really digging Heavy Buffalo. I think they’ve got a lot of things going for them.

ML: What is your favorite venue to play?

CE: My favorite place to play is the Gillioz. The sound was fantastic! I love them! I really felt like I was part of the family. They took care of me and my sound. It’s so unique and fickle. To get the right amplification out of the cello, and to get enough sound out of it, takes a lot of work. They’ve been very accommodating for me and super cool. ML: What are some of your most memorable Deitra Experiences?

CE: I remember the first runway show I attended. It was a spring one and I wanted to be a part of it. I went in for a casting call and they liked me! I can say as a representative of Deitra, that we more than liked her. We found Cori through our Beauty Director, Nigel Kindrick Lee. She had never modeled before, but she was a natural. We immediately loved her. She is charismatic on the stage, as well as on camera. With her grace, beauty, and confident attitude, Cori has and always will steal the show!

MALLORY MCWILLIAMS IS A hair stylist, makeup artist, aspiring session stylist, literary mentor, and moonlighting DJ from Springfield, Missouri. Early on in cosmetology school Mallory was told she would never make it in the fashion world because she “didn’t look cool enough” due to her secondhand style, and this definitely lit a fire under her to prove that she was in fact a force to be reckoned with. Never mind the fact that this insult came from a person who couldn’t appreciate Radiohead, and instead would rather play covers of Semisonic i.e. “Closing Time.” She has gone on to play (at least in my experience in this life) a dynamic role in Springfield’s beauty and fashion scene. Trained at Paul Mitchell: The School Springfield, Mallory went on to land a job as a stylist and makeup artist at Moda Salon downtown, but now she can be found at Mojo Pie. Aside from the salon, Mallory has been known to DJ at local downtown venues such as Martha’s Vineyard and Barcade for Friskies electronic dance parties, as well as mentoring writing students at OTC. Mallory is a huge believer of being fashionable while utilizing secondhand clothes that a person can embellish and make their own, thus using fashion as a form of self-expression and art with what is already on hand. “Couture doesn’t have to be functional, sometimes it’s safety pinned, sometimes hot glued,” she says. Mallory is currently styling a photo shoot with Paula Rosen who makes custom corsetry out of antique lace that she sources from France. She is also planning to collaborate with a Missouri State fashion student who specializes in menswear. “Highlight the imposition of masculinity into the softness of femininity,” says Mallory, “that’s the juxtaposition of the shoot.” Through the rest of this year Mallory intends to work on more photo shoots, collaborations, and to finally learn how to wield her sewing machine.

I’VE KNOWN MACKENZIE FOR years. She’s smart, funny, multi-talented, and, of course, gorgeous as hell. We first bonded over our love for serial killer anti-hero, Dexter Morgan. After that, I quickly discovered her love and enthusiasm for horror. When plotting out The Body Issue, Mackenzie, to me, was the obvious and perfect choice. We hope you enjoy this shoot! It’s fun, eerie, sexy, and 100% Mackenzie. Daniel Ernce: What does horror mean to you? Mackenzie Mosher: To me, horror is the feeling you get when you walk into a pitch black room all alone, but can’t help the feeling that someone else is there too. DE: Why are you so attracted to it, drawn to it? What’s the appeal to you? MM: I have been attracted to horror for as long as I can remember. I love the adrenaline I get from being scared, and never knowing what is going to happen next. I love the excitement mixed with tragedy. DE: Do you find beauty in horror? MM: I find the utmost beauty in horror. It’s something that people like to disregard, and although a lot of horror stories aren’t “based on a true story” it comes weirdly close to things that do or have happened, and or will happen at some point. DE: What got you into horror? MM: I honestly can’t pinpoint one thing that got me into horror. I just know that for as long as I can remember I enjoyed scaring others and being scared myself, whether it be from movies, stories, or real life situations. DE: Why do you think so many people are turned off from horror? MM: I think so many people are turned off from it because a lot of people like to ignore the negative things that are actually happening in the world, let alone voluntarily watching things that aren’t real. Just from personal experience of meeting new people and asking their opinion on horror, I’d say eight out of ten refuse to have anything to do with this genre.

DE: A lot of people might think that horror is a gimmicky, easy genre that plays off jump scenes and fake blood. What makes good horror, good? MM: I have a soft spot in my heart for all horror, gimmicky or not. Of course I have my criticism in all of it because it’s such a huge part of me, but I find art in all of it. But, I guess to answer the question the more realistic things obviously make it better. For example let’s take Nightmare on Elm Street, that will never happen. It just wont. Don’t get me wrong I love it, but I think things that can hit closer to home make it better. DE: What is your favorite horror? MM: Ahh, yes. My favorite horror is absolutely slasher horror. It’s the only type that usually can raise the hair on the back of my neck and actually make me feel wonderfully horrified. Something about getting to actually see a person doing these horrific acts makes it so much more terrifying, over anything paranormal for example. DE: What’s the one horror movie everyone should see to understand the genre a little better? MM: American Psycho. This is the absolute perfect horror film, from the actors to the dialogue, to the scenes. The first time I saw it I watched it three times in a row. Hell, I even have it tattooed on me. It is the perfect combination of one’s “real life” completely falling apart, or for him, falling together into absolute psychoticism. DE: Any closing thoughts or remarks about horror, the shoot, or your feelings? MM: I had a blast with this shoot, I wish we had more time as I have more ideas now, but there is no theme I would have rather done.

I PERSONALLY KNOW HER as a gorgeous, fit, catwalking masseuse. She’s a friend when you need one, and an open-minded one to say the least. You’ll often see her at local music shows, sporting a sexy dress and a green tea from Mudhouse. She is ultimately comfortable in her own skin. For example, she once told me that she rode a motorcycle through Springfield in the nude. Why? In this exclusive interview, Tina Mclean opens up about what it really means to be naked, how she takes care of her body, and the real reason behind it all. Tamara Styer: What is it like being nude in front of a camera? Tina McLean: Same as being nude anywhere else. I lived in a nudist colony and come from a country with public bath houses, so nudity is not a big deal to me. TS: So nudity comes as second nature to you? TM: Pretty much. After my last client leaves, my clothes come off. I also do yoga naked because my energy seems to flow better that way. TS: Tell me more about the nudist colony and the country you come from. TM: Well, I lived in a nudist colony in Oregon for a few months when I first moved there. Funny thing is that you would think everyone would be very self conscious but instead if was the opposite. Ego is lifted and body image is not what is scrutinized, but rather personality and one’s inner self. It was a wonderful and freeing experience, but being that it was Oregon it was rather cold. In Japan public bath houses are the common way to bathe. You bathe with your neighbors and nobody makes a big deal about it. Its just not an issue. The body is not as sexualized there as it is here. TS: How do you take care of your body and why? TM: I take care of my body through exercise. I spend about two hours a day working out. I’ve been running marathons for almost a decade and have been doing yoga for about eight months now. I work out so much because I love to push myself to accomplish new physical goals. Even if I never reach them, it’s about the journey, not the destination. I honestly don’t ever really watch what I eat, but the kind of food I like tends to be healthy in nature for the most part. TS: How do you share that with others? TM: I share in my healthy body image by encouraging others in their workouts. I do yoga with several of my friends and love doing Acroyoga. TS: What’s your biggest guilty pleasure? TM: My biggest guilty pleasure, if you can’t already tell, is tattoos. I go to Bryan Myles at Moth and Ink Tattoo. I get ink every three to four weeks and am covered from my collar bones to my feet. The majority of them tell the story of my road through recovery. I have been five years sober and am proud to share that story through my body art. After I got sober, my mental and spiritual fitness became so much better I couldn’t imagine not becoming physically better.

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SOME ARTISTS HAVE THE MAGIC, that certain je ne sais quoi. And Randall Shreve is indisputably one of those artists. Having visited his private studio, Deitra had the honor of witnessing his creative process, getting an insight into how his mind works, and taking a real look at the man behind the curtain. He is the quintessential artist. A dream for any music enthusiast, both through song and the written word. We meet up with Shreve outside his studio in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Passersby wave out of their vehicle windows. “Everyone is so nice here,” he says of his hometown. But it’s easy to assume that they were waving at Shreve in particular. He’s quite recognizable, with skinny red pants, black buttoned vest, and fedora hat of the prohibition era. It’s undeniable that people perceive him as a star. But who is Randall Shreve? First off, if you haven’t heard his music (for shame), his albums have ranged from rock/pop to what he is now most famous for - a vaudeville rock infused with cabaret, and a heavy dose of ballads, both lovely and tragic. His songs carry a range of emotion, from dance tunes that conjure many drunken attempts at the Charleston, to powerful hits of rage and despair. Every Randall Shreve fan has their favorite songs of love and woe, their anthems of “Kiss My Ass” and “Fuck You.” And no, that last one isn’t a song title, but shouldn’t it be? Shreve’s fans embody the true meaning of “fanatic.” Self dubbed “Sideshow Freaks,” they are his best marketing team, lighting up social media and packing into his concerts with exceptional gusto. He spends every day in his studio, a dungeon-like space below a tattoo parlor. The studio is set up in an old bank, complete with vault door and cement walls barricading it from the outside world. It’s dark, quiet, and the ultimate lair for a monomaniacally focused artist like Shreve. Hunched over his recording equipment in his studio, Shreve completely immerses himself in the writing process, pouring over lyrics, revisiting previously recorded songs, creating new sounds, and capturing the emotions that he wants to convey. It’s tedious work, but this self-proclaimed introvert loves every second of it. He is truly in his realm when he is creating music.

But flash forward into a live performance. When Shreve steps on the stage, you would never know that he is anything but the “King of the Silver Screen.” He is a true performer - every moment, every movement, an extension of what he wants and needs the audience to feel. It’s dark, it’s magical, it’s utterly entertaining. His live performances are always practiced, polished, and perfected. But perfection is in the eye of the beholder, and Shreve is always striving to be better at every part of what he loves to do. The fourth in a line of full-length releases, The Devil and The End has become Shreve’s favorite project yet. Starting off with the first album, The Cure For Yesterday, he was in more of a rock/ pop headspace. Following nearly a lifetime of playing music in various fashions, he was embarking upon a new path that would take him in a direction that only he could envision. He possessed the talent and charm to lure in a slew of incredible musicians to share the journey with him, and make his vision into a concrete reality. The Cure For Yesterday showcases Shreve’s unique vocal ability, and his knack for writing a tear-inducing love song. Tracks like “Forever” continue to be fan favorites, and he still performs “Dancing in the Rain” at his live shows. The second album in his collection brought more of the vaudeville vibe with cabaret worthy tunes such as “Welcome to the Show,” and the circus romp, “Sideshows.” This album holds many of the gems that have successfully set his music apart. Equally as popular are his solo style ballad “Beautiful,” and the all-time favorite live concert outtro, dance rock track, “Karma Girl.”

“All of the full-length releases have started with the word ‘The.’ The Cure For Yesterday, The Entertainer, The Jester and now The Devil and The End, and that’s been the case intentionally,” says Shreve. “They’re all tied together in some way. I don’t like to give away too much. I like for the listener to be able to create their own world with my characters. I want to facilitate an environment of creativity with these stories. However, I’ll give one direct example of the ties between albums that many have caught. The first album introduces Charlie, a headstrong artist setting out to conquer the world. The second album, The Entertainer, never gives a name to the protagonist, but to me, he’s a darker, more life-ridden Charlie.” The Jester is the third installment in this series of records, and fitting to its title, is full of songs about alcohol, love, and the woes of a man in despair over a love lost. Subjects we can all relate to. It’s why his fans connect so much with his songs. Not only is the music unique in itself, not to mention impeccably done, the lyrics speak of moments everyone has experienced. In “Strange,” he tells the story of a couple drifting apart. The character feels that his lover looks right through him and that he has become a ghost. “Blood” is also a testament to breakups and the mess that couples make of each other when things get ugly. And “Haunt Me” mirrors some grueling emotions of self-reflection. But this album isn’t all dark and gloomy. Because what happens after a breakup? You get over it, and you listen to “Kiss My Ass.” A sarcastic and brutally honest song, it’s the ultimate anthem for anyone getting over their ex. “I’ve gotten progressively looser with the conceptual aspect of the songs as a whole because I don’t feel the need to be as specific,” says Shreve. “The characters have been introduced and developed. Now I’m giving the details that lead up to the end.” So, what’s in store for this next inspired piece of work from Randall Shreve? Finishing out the four-part story, The Devil and The End is both lighter and darker. An enigma, perhaps, but this album is the statement of someone who has accepted his own darkness, and embraced the beauty inside that darkness.

“The Devil and The End has been the most connected I’ve really felt to the characters personally,” says Shreve. “Of course, I’ve always felt connected to them, but this one has a lot less fiction in it. The beautiful and the ugly bits of life.” The Devil and The End is full of Shreve’s trademark vaudeville sound, with an added element of Motown horns and choppy guitars that lend an optimistic turn coming off of The Jester. Motown is something that Shreve has always loved and wanted to infuse into his music. And now he has done it. “It’s an evolution of the only thing I know to do,” says Shreve. All of the songs on the album have a common theme of “The End.” For the past year of working on this project, Shreve knew that he would entitle the album, The End, and brought that idea to realization in every song. “As I wrote, I looked for where each song might suggest the end of something. And if I couldn’t find ‘The End’ of something in the overall suggestion of the song, I either stopped working on it and set it aside for another time, or refined it by asking the song, ‘What does The End mean to you?’ Some songs speak of the painful end of a relationship. Others, the end of an era. But all of them have a direct or indirect reference to finality. Surprisingly, it is generally my most positive record yet.”

Locking himself into his underground studio, Shreve spends his days and nights immersing himself into the writing process. “I’m becoming a vampire down here,” he laughs. There is no sense of time in the windowless space, which for an artist like him is ideal. The main room is lit only by a string of red Christmas lights casting a warm, shadowy glow onto various musical instruments, complete with two drum kits, an old baby grand piano strewn with papers and bottle caps, and vintage posters and vinyl records hung all over the walls. “This is where I did all of the writing,” he says. “I wanted to do things my way, and make sure I didn’t get into a position to where I had to do everything really fast, because that’s not how I like records. I like records where I get to think about every step of the process. It’s not the live experience, it’s the studio experience. This will be grittier than anything else has been. And live, we’ll make it even grittier. It’s an evolution, it’s progression.” The studio has been a fitting space for this project to come to fruition. While many musicians clamor for the clean and pristine environment and the expensive gear of big name recording studios, this would not work for what Shreve had in mind for this record. “All of the other albums felt how they felt, and they had their own personality, and I feel like this one is going to be more underground. If the other albums were like a band performing during the speakeasy era, this one is them at their rehearsal space, however nasty that must have been.” Shreve tracks all of the instruments himself in the beginning stages of the recording process, then brings in musicians to rerecord the parts. With the addition of these collaborators, some familiar and some new, Shreve is excited to share this project with his fans, both in concert and when he releases the record later this year.

With the new album in the works, Shreve has put together his dream team of talented musicians to star in his live performance band, Randall Shreve and The DeVilles. The live band is made up of Kendra Lane on bass, Rob Geiger on guitar, Zach Reeves on drums and Michael Tisdale on guitar. “It’s an all-star cast,” he says. “I’ve always wanted to play with these musicians. I’m excited to play with Geiger and Kendra. I’ve never played with them, but I’ve always watched them, and admired their playing.” While these musicians will be playing with him both live and on the record, Shreve has invited some guest musicians to lay some tracks on the album as well, such as drummer Matthew Puttman and bassist Geoff Baker. As the final piece to his story, this album will surely not be the end of what we see from the musical career of Randall Shreve. It marks the end of one era, and the beginning of something even more extraordinary. This album is one that paints a picture of the journey he has traveled, both personally and creatively, and what he has learned about himself along the way. “The many references to the devil on the album come from my personal struggles of faith and internal conflict,” says Shreve. “The whole idea of a being that we can blame our own weaknesses and troubles on is fascinating to me. The devil is the ultimate villain, but so easy to appreciate. You can’t hate him. He’s you. He’s me. Therefore, he is so very relatable. I, like many, grew up believing the devil was not only real, but was just waiting around every corner for a chance to steal my soul. It held a great power over me, as the idea was intended to do. To overcome such a deep driven fear, a person must call it out. I no longer give power to the idea of a lurking monster waiting to conquer me and steal me from God. I own the evil that has been in me from the first lie I ever told. It’s me. There is no other. “I am the devil. And the devil I feared as a child is now on my leash.”

in the

groove

LUNA JAMBOREE IS ONE of Springfield, Missouri’s favorite live performance bands. Their music is bluesy, jazzy, and ultimately groovy. They’ve released multiple recordings, including their debut album, What Moves You, followed up by their EP release of Keep Calm and Funky. Their most recent project, And Those Seen Dancing, is a blues rock album, set off with an upbeat dance feel. On stage, the band is energetic, exuding a gritty polish that can only come from seasoned musicians blending together through the love of playing music. If their album titles are any hint of what their live performances have in store, you can be assured that every show will be a good dancing time. Headed up by Bryan Copeland on vocals and guitar, he is joined by keyboardist Tyler Mathews, drummer Tom Pearson, and that spunky chick bass player we can’t keep our eyes off of, Kim Painter. Deitra Mag got the chance to ask Luna Jamboree the burning questions we’ve had since the first time we heard this funky, fun, and truly original band. Deitra Mag: One of the things that has stood out to us is your female rhythm section. It’s great to see talented female musicians rocking out on the stage! Kim Painter: I think it brings some excitement to our performances because people think, “Is she going to be any good?” That’s really a question that people wonder. Personally, I just want to make music, and make it the best I can. So I don’t really think about gender that much. DM: What are the band’s musical influences as a whole? Tyler Mathews: Each other. We just play what we want to play and what we like, really. It’s not like we’re trying to be anybody else. We never go out trying to sound like another band. Bryan Copeland: No, but influences though. It’s Black Keys mixed with Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder, and sexy groove! A lot of people like to compare us to Tedeschi Trucks and Black Keys.

DM: What are each of your musical backgrounds?

Tom Pearson: I grew up listening to a lot of classic rock music, so I definitely draw a lot of influence from guys like John Bonham and Keith Moon. But I always thought that there was something that I could learn from every drummer out there. Tyler: When it comes to musical influences, that’s kind of a new thing for me because I’ve always listened to music for the things that stuck out. I’ve just started to listen to actual piano players. I really like to emulate the styles of like what Jamie Cullum does, or some of the older guys like Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder (of course), and Elton John. They’re all really good piano players. I also have a background in percussion and did the whole symphony band thing, and marching band. Kim: Let me tell you a story! I grew up in a pretty musical family. My dad playing the guitar is probably my biggest musical influence, because the bands that he has played with I listened to from when I was really little and all through growing up. As far as musicians who are out there currently, I love anything funky, but Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers is probably my favorite bassist. Anything with a groove to it is my inspiration. Bryan: I grew up listening to classic rock as well. Jimmy Page, and all the jazz. Then I got into a metal phase. I listen to Metallica a lot. Then I got into a progmetal phase where I listened to Dream Theater and stuff like that. When I got into blues a lot, like Robert Cray and BB King, I also got into jazz. I used to play in jazz band, and then I got into listening to it more. Lately I’ve been listening to more of a John Mayer kind of style. My dad played music growing up, too, so I had that around me. He also wrote a lot of songs, and we played together. DM: How does playing music affect each of you personally?

Tyler: Playing music is just one of those things. It’s like a fucking rush. It’s something that affects me. It’s one of those times that I’m truly happy. Sometimes it’s pretty hard to be happy, but when I play music it makes me happy.

0 Tom: I can’t imagine my life without playing music. To be part of a band and to come together and create a song, and put it out there in performance is the most incredible rush you could possibly imagine. Like painting is art in space, music is art in time. To be able to create that with a group of musicians that you respect and care about, there’s just nothing better. Kim: Music allows different channels, or creativity and expression. It allows you to say whatever you want to a massive group of people, and put your heart on the line, and then have other people react to it. When people react positively to that, it’s a great feeling. It’s amazing and fun and joyous to be on stage playing with your friends. It really is the best thing. Bryan: Music is one thing in the world that can bring everyone together. No matter what type of person you are, if you like the same kind of music, you might show up at the same concert, and you might be able to get to know each other. For me, that’s one of the coolest things, that my music can bring so many different kinds of people together. It’s cool to have that feeling, that something I make, and something we make together, can affect people that much. It’s a crazy feeling to think that you can affect people that much with just what you feel and think. It just blows me away every time. DM: What is it like to perform on stage together?

Tom: It’s exhilarating. The rush you feel performing live with other musicians that you work together with and have a connection with, it’s incredible. And to have the crowd there reacting to it, jamming, and getting into the music, there is no better feeling in the world.

Bryan: That’s the best thing to me. We can kind of feel each other now. We don’t even have to look at each other most of the time. When we play something new, we feel each other out more than we do anything else. We just know where we’re going now, because we trust each other. It’s like a family.

Kim: I’d say we enjoy live performances more than the recording process. The recording process is great, it’s a different experience, but it’s so segmented that you don’t usually get the full effect of everybody coming together and feeling the moment. Tyler: I love writing. Personally, I’m a pretty open but closed person. Writing a song is probably the most vulnerable thing that I feel. I know a lot of people who don’t really open up about their real feelings, but when you write a song, you open up about things you don’t really talk about. But I love live performances over recording by far. Bryan: For me it’s the climax, where you really hit that point in a song - like a silence building up to something - and everybody can just feed off of that, and that’s the coolest part for me. DM: What is coming up for Luna Jamboree? Bryan: We’re playing out of town a lot more. We’re trying to book three weekends a month so we can have a weekend here still. That’s the goal at this point, to try to get out of here as much as possible and get our music out, and hopefully try to visit cities more often, like Kansas City or St. Louis. We want to play in those cities more often so that we can grab a following there, as well as play some festivals. And spread our music like the plague! Check out Luna Jamboree’s music and upcoming shows at lunajamboree.com.

MAKING HEADWAY IN THE hip hop scene in Springfield Missouri is Rocky Young. He has done it again by releasing yet another album that any listener can relate to. Last Fall is wildly different from Young’s debut album, Rebirth, but still carries his knack for smart lyrics and smooth hooks. His early release of the single “Cuffin Season” gave us just a taste of the blend of sounds and textures that are portrayed throughout the full-length album. This album is a breath of fresh air among some otherwise generic rap albums churned out on the scene. Young sticks to writing truthful lyrics about life, love, and everyday struggles, instead of lyrics about guns, cars, hot girls, and the rock star life. In the song “I’ll Admit It,” Rocky raps about truth, life, and about how people view him as an aspiring rap artist. Recorded by Adam Schoeller of Sound Under Studios, Last Fall blends hip hop with live instrumentation. Several local guest musicians accompany Young on this album, including Cameron Stacey of Justice Adams Band on guitar and Dillon Rudder on bass. Some other artists appearing on this album you might recognize are Mitchell Austin, JGray, and Brief.

“While I am proud of Rebirth because it is my first release, it was not even a quarter as organized or thought out as Last Fall,” says Young. “Rebirth was me saying, ‘Hey, I’m the new guy, but I can spit some good lyrics over cool beats,’ while Last Fall is it’s own concept.” Almost a year in the making before it was released, Young wanted to infuse his sophomore project with more substance. “I really needed to literally live some more before I could come up with new topics and have a real story and emotional attachment that I could give to the listener,” he says. “Last Fall was a summary of my last year of life put into songs. It is a collection of all my thoughts, fears, hopes, and problems I faced within the last year. It is a deep look into my life and how I feel about the world.” Young has made music his ultimate goal in life, always striving to make this into a career, and this album is an homage to that passion. Last Fall is not only a testament to the goals Young has in life, but it is also meant to inspire other people to do what they love. “This is my last chance or real push to prove that I can do this music as a living, and I want Last Fall to mean the same thing to the listener. It’s about doing what makes you happy and not listening to what people think is normal.” This is an album great to bust out anywhere, and there’s no need to skip any song on your iPod. Find out for yourself. Pick up the tracks on iTunes, or visit soundcloud.com/thisisrockyyoung.

IT HAS BEEN QUITE a while since I have walked into a bar or pub setting, and have been stopped in my tracks with the live music playing. I recently stepped into Scotch & Soda and was pleasantly surprised with the musical jazz notes of Bella Donna. The more I listened to this crooning acoustic style ensemble, it was apparent how they have become the “Ozark Jazz” of Springfield, Missouri. The mellow bluesy, English to French language switch lends the music a feeling of being transported into the scene of a movie. Liz Carney has a way with her voice, making the listener feel the emotion in each song. Her voice is a magnet that kept me glued to my bar stool to hear each note that her mysterious voice spills out. Matt Guinn plays a killer lead jazz guitar. Many of Guinn’s quick little riffs in each song pull their collective sound together. Mike Williamson on the upright bass and cornet adds a gorgeous touch to the live music experience, along with BJ Lowrance on drums. The song, “Poison,” sets the perfect mood for sipping on an Orphan Barrel 20 year whiskey. I was immediately transported back to the 1920s jazz era. A must see live, and a definite album to add to any music fan’s collection, Bella Donna is a true gem to stumble onto. Check out Bella Donna at artistecard.com/belladonna.

HERE IS A NEW EP dropped by someone you may know from the downtown Sgf scene. Droopy G is making headway with his new endeavors as a rap artist, leagued up with the hip hop kings of Springfield, such as Brief, Rocky Young, and the man who backs the tracks, Nick Fury. My absolute favorite song off this EP is “G Mayne,” featuring Rocky Young and female vocalist Munchiez. It’s supah fly. Something that should be on repeat in every dance club, and you’ll feel like you’re in Miami when you ghostride the whip. “I wrote that one for Springfield,” says Droopy. “It’s not as hardcore as my other ones, but it’s still a gangster story, just a little toned down.” It’s a song that everyone can relate to, gangster or not. Droopy G is all gangster, but he’s also all heart. And he’s working his new music within a crew of guys that have all been networking to make a quality hip hop scene in Springfield. “I have to give them a lot of love for showing me the way out here,” says Droopy. “Brief was a big part of this album because he was the one that opened a lot of doors for me.” Hip Hop artists Rocky Young, Brief, J Grey, Tipsy, and Droopy’s homegirl Munchiez all perform on the album. “I’ve watched that dude grow and develop as an artist at an exceptional rate,” says Brief. “He definitely follows the blueprint for maintaining the integrity of Texas Hip Hop. UGK meets Cypress Hill.” Find Droopy G Siete on soundcloud.com/droopy_gee, and download the album on iTunes and Spotify.

late night with

jeff houghton

HE’S A WRITER, COMEDIAN, actor, and TV and radio personality. He’s lived in Springfield for years, but after a stint in LA studying improv acting, he decided to move back to the Queen City for the chance to start something new and actually live out his dream of starring in a comedy talk show filmed in front of a live audience. Working together with the Skinny Improv, Houghton developed an immediate following for what is now dubbed The Mystery Hour. Years after the first live show, Houghton had such a huge underground following that they outgrew The Skinny, and graduated to a much larger venue. The Mystery Hour is now filmed in front of a live audience of hundreds of fans at the Gillioz Theatre. An eighty-nine year old theatre, The Gillioz is the premiere venue for all kinds of performance arts, and a popular stop for famous bands, such as Peter Frampton, Pat Benatar, Grace Potter, Death Cab for Cutie, and Primus, just to name a few. The Mystery Hour is produced by Hite Media Services headed up by Brandon Hite, also a local entrepreneur doing awesome things in the art scene. If you’ve been to a live taping of The Mystery Hour, then you’ve seen the pro camera equipment

this guy and his team are working with. The show is edited on the spot, cutting from scene to scene in real time. Now with this team of professionals along with a crew of people working behind the scenes, it’s all quite an accomplishment for a funny, talented guy such as Houghton who knew what he wanted, and started it all from the ground up. With the help and encouragement of the artistic community around him, Houghton was able to grow his show into something bigger than he ever expected. He’s a marketing guru, but self-promotion hasn’t always been easy for this local celebrity. “I heard an interview with Jon Hamm, and because he’s from St. Louis, he was talking about how he had to get over that hump of Midwestern humility, and learn that it was okay to promote himself. He said it took him a few years to get over that. We have it ingrained in us to not be that way.” Houghton is down to earth and doesn’t take himself too seriously, so he tends to promote the guests on his show rather than talking about himself.

comedy: jeff houghto But Houghton really has something to brag about. The Mystery Hour is now Springfield’s only late night talk show, and frankly we haven’t seen anything like it in the entire Midwest. It’s a testament to the nature of this town. It’s a place where people can start anything new and run with it. Houghton learned to embrace what his hometown had to offer, and dove in head first. “Mostly, I just wanted a creative outlet,” he says. Houghton joined the Skinny Improv in 2004 and started his live talk show in 2006. The show had a full house on the first night. “The Mystery Hour wouldn’t be anything without The Skinny, because it’s hard to start something from scratch,” says Houghton. “And we didn’t really start it from scratch because The Skinny has such a good following already. The Skinny is so supportive of creative ideas.” Having had a taste of hosting a live comedy talk show, Houghton was on fire to do even more with his idea. “I was thinking to myself, this isn’t a job that I can go out and apply for,” he says. “I’ll just have to go out there and make my own. But I never thought I’d be on TV.” His goal was, however, to start taping episodes, and he began to do so on an independent level. Even though his late night show was creating a buzz in the downtown comedy scene, Houghton ended up heading out to LA for a year to study improv. During that time, Houghton met with FOX about the opportunity of a TV Show in the Springfield area. Houghton showed them some clips of what he had started, and they loved it. They offered him a spot on the local network, and he moved back to Springfield. “One of the lessons I learned in LA was to just say yes and figure it out,” says Houghton. “At the time I didn’t have a crew or any help or venue. It was just me.” But that didn’t stop Houghton. He recruited some OTC students to volunteer on his crew and got to work. “There were so many growing pains in the beginning! The first season was such a great learning experience. There were all sorts of technical problems, but I learned a lot through it. The best thing about a talk show is that if things go great, it’s great. If things don’t go well, it’s fine, because I can comment on it and it’s funny. It’s a balance I’ve found of always wanting to get better and figure out what’s next, and to be able to be happy and content where you are with things.”

It wasn’t long before Hite Media approached Houghton about producing his show. With this new production team in place, he had the instrumental pieces to push his idea further. The first two seasons were filmed at Randy Bacon Studio, and by Season 3 the following had grown so much that they were able to move the show to the Gillioz. “I don’t know how to stop doing this,” says Houghton. “I’ve heard that about standup, that you need to have irrational confidence when you’re starting out. Because what you’re doing is not great, but you have to keep telling yourself that it’s good. And then by doing it over and over, you get better. During the first season I was like, ‘Hey, I’ve got a TV show, you guys! But don’t really watch it.’ But then Hite Media changed everything with their production value. It went from a live show where you’re playing to the audience to a TV show where you’re playing to the cameras. It’s a totally different thing.” Houghton says that he loves talking to people. Combine that with comedy and being on stage, he had found what he was looking for in all of his years of training. But he wasn’t always the front man. While living in New York, he worked as an intern for the David Letterman Show. “One thing that I learned there was that you have to enjoy the job. The shine of working for Letterman wears off after a while, and you just have to enjoy the process. When I was there I realized that I could potentially work there, but I would rather be on camera.”

Many artists who grace the stage have bouts of unshakable stage fright, but for Houghton, the stage feels like home. “It’s very natural for me to be on a stage in front of people. For a lot of people that’s like their worst fear. For me, it’s always felt like the equivalent of a casual conversation. I’ve always just loved doing that. Being on camera, though, I’m faking it really! There are skills involved. With improv, you have to be naturally funny, but you have to develop those skills. And it’s the same with the camera. You have to be naturally good at it, but then develop skills along the way. I have experience at this point, where I didn’t before.” The Mystery Hour features various special guests, including comedians, local entrepreneurs, and musicians. For a band, getting a spot on the show is like getting a well-produced music video. The live performances are filmed by Hite Media, which gives the bands a professionally polished video, and lends a feather fit for any artist’s cap. “The best part of the show really is the music,” says Houghton. “[The film crew] are able to be a lot more artistic with their shots. It’s all legit, man. They have the jib that moves around. The jib makes it look for real! It’s all about the jib.” In addition to Hite Media, Houghton now has a substantial team of people working on set to make The Mystery Hour happen. “It’s almost all volunteers,” he says, “which is the most amazing part about it. It’s pretty remarkable. We probably have twenty volunteers. As the show has gotten more visible, people have gotten in touch with me wanting to help out. We’re a big production at this point. It was incremental, and we just kept taking baby steps. We could not pull off the same show two or three years ago.” It’s great to see local people doing great things, and for Jeff Houghton, Springfield has so far proved to be an ideal place to live out his dream.

“I think being from the Midwest and a smaller place, there is an inherent inferiority complex. People think, well I could do this here, but it’s not as good as being on the coast or something. But you can just make your own thing! When I was in LA, I was taking improv classes and hoping to just get a line in a TV show someday. But I can be here and create my own thing, instead of one day hoping to do it, I can actually be doing it. “There are certain frustrations about living in Springfield, culturally. I’m from a liberal arts college at the University of Iowa, and even though there’s a huge variety of people here, I think I look at things from a different perspective. But there aren’t many towns this size that have a full time improv theater. I was going to move to New York or LA, but it turns out that I could move to Springfield and join the Skinny, and was doing improv every Friday and Saturday night for six years. It’s rare for there to be a late night talk show in a lot of cities. And there’s a great deal of support here, particularly downtown. There’s a good entrepreneurial feel to this town. I couldn’t restart what I’m doing somewhere else. Ultimately I’m writing and acting and hosting a TV show, which is what I wanted to do.” The Mystery Hour airs on FOX 5 on Saturdays at 9pm, and you can catch reruns at 1:30am on Friday mornings. (That’s Thursday night in night owl time.) You can also see previously aired episodes on YouTube, and some hilarious film shorts on themysteryhour.com. But the real experience is to catch the show at a live taping. Catch the next one at the Gillioz Theatre in downtown Springfield on Friday, May 2, guest starring nationally touring comedian from Los Angeles, Luke Ashlocke, as well as favorite of the indie music scene, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin. Tickets are just eight bucks and more than worth it. It’s an experience you won’t get anywhere else. Check out themysterhour.com/see-it-live.

city

butcher the peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bbq

73 SINCE NOVEMBER OF 2014, City Butcher has been filling our bellies with the finest BBQ Springfield has ever seen. Cody and Jeremy Smith (who, ironically, are not brothers) are the masterminds behind the tastiest BBQ I’ve had since tasting the perfect beauty that is Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas. Both chefs by trade, and locals by nature, Cody grew up in Rogersville and attended Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Austin, where Jeremy grew up in Nixa, and attended Le Cordon Bleu in Scottsdale, Arizona, which he will tell you, is the superior of the two institutions. The duo is kind-hearted, jovial, and generous, trading quips with each other, as well as guests in line. It’s all part of the experience at City Butcher. It all started as a small charcuterie business, Le Cochon, pedaling treats like duck pastrami, country pâté, and handmade sausages at the farmers market on weekends. However, when it came time for the pair to take the next step and open a brick-and-mortar location, BBQ happened naturally, a product of paying tribute to their butchery heritage—the roots of BBQ. Together, they have created simple, honest, food, where the time, care, and effort is evident in every bite. Before getting to work on their restaurant, the Smiths traveled to Austin, Texas—the mecca of BBQ—on a flavor pilgrimage, seeking out the best BBQ in the city (and arguably the world). They waited in line for four hours at Franklin Barbecue and witnessed Arron Franklin, the poster child for modern BBQ, present and in action, being a genuine person, cooking up genuine food. They ate everywhere from gas stations, with surprisingly excellent BBQ, to The Salt Lick, a BYOB BBQ staple in Texas, to Salt & Time, a full scale butcher and charcuterie shop that provided crucial influence for City Butcher. Their trip resulted in inspiration which has carried on into their restaurant, from the colorful, vibrant feel, paying tribute to the Austin culture, to the food itself - “The people’s barbecue,” as Cody says.

There’s nothing fancy about the food at City Butcher, and Cody and Jeremy will be the first to admit that. The food is humble, in a sort of, by the people, for the people, type of way. There are no secret recipes. No secret ingredients. It’s salt, pepper, and 14 hours of oak wood smoke. That’s it. Their brisket is carved to order in thick, juicy slices, and served with nothing but pickles and onions, should you so desire (although there are three sauces on the table, not that it needs any). When you go, skip the instinct to order the pulled pork. Not that it isn’t good; it is. But the pulled pork is on the menu to appease the harshlyundertrained, overly-dedicated, unadventurous palate of the Springfield diner. The brisket is where it’s at. It’s salty, smoky, juicy, fatty, melt-in-yourmouth, slap-your-moma good. And though I’ve been praising the BBQ, the charcuterie is second-tonone. The duck ham and duck pastrami are playful flavor experiments that evolve on your tongue. The pâtés are fatty and craveable. And the dry aged meats carry delicate and superb flavor.

So you may be asking, is it worth the hype? Yes. Here’s how you know. City Butcher sells out of BBQ every single day. City Butcher has a line out the door every single day. And it’s not a gimmick. It’s not like they want to run out. It’s not like they don’t want to serve you. They’re cooking as much food as their smokers can hold. But they’re doing it fresh, every day. Nothing gets thrown in the fridge overnight and reheated in the morning (which is what the vast majority, if not all of BBQ joints do in town). Why do they do this? Because they believe in freshness and quality. They believe in the flavor that is only achieved from fresh BBQ. So, is it worth the line? Yes. Should you go? Absolutely. Should you order the brisket? If they haven’t sold out yet. Should you get twice the food you think you’ll eat because you’ll want to have it again that day? By all means. Cody and Jeremy Smith are doing BBQ right. They’re doing it the way God meant it to be. They’re making simple food, done extremely well, with time, love, care, and a hell of a lot of smoke. The restaurant is lively. The staff is friendly and helpful. And the food is inspiring. If you haven’t been, go. Go now. If you have been, I know you’ll want to go again.

panama to

havana

an artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey

CUBA HAS LONG BEEN regarded as the not so distant forbidden fruit that writers, artists, history buffs and tourists have longed to visit but have been prevented from doing so because of heavy restrictions placed on travel to the country following a commercial, economic and financial embargo imposed by the United States in 1960. The Obama administration oversaw a slight ease on the travel ban, allowing students and religious missionaries to travel to and from Cuba should they meet certain restrictions. Cuban-Americans are allowed to travel freely to and from the country. As of January 21 of this year, talks between US and Cuban officials began to discuss the possibility of lifting the embargo. Steven Spencer, Springfield’s beloved funky hat-wearing, camera carrying, artist about town, was scheduled to put on an art show in Panama and jumped at the chance to include a visit to the previously off-limits country. His plan was to skate by on his Panama funds and live on the streets of Cuba during his time there. But Springfield had other plans. Steve Ames, along with Meganne Rosen O’Neal and Laura Provance of Arts & Letters, got wind of Spencer’s plan to make his way to Cuba and put together a fundraiser to help him with the cost of a plane ticket. They organized a concert at Lindberg’s Bar on historic Commercial Street featuring local musicians like Smokey Folk, Jin J X, Brother Wiley, Yankton Southern, Stevie Newman with Clifton Boon, and The Hamburger Cows. “I had enough money to go to Panama and stay a month but I was going to use my living expense to fly on over and stay with the poor and be begging and wouldn’t have had enough money in Cuba,” says Spencer. “The twist to the story is the people that heard about me going to do it and live on the street got this fundraiser together and raised up enough money to pay for the plane ticket and quite a bit of my living expenses. They raised about $800. So I jumped on a plane and went.”

When Spencer got to Panama, he picked up a work visa and made his way to Cuba with little fuss thanks to some help from a friend who also happened to be a foreign diplomat. Once there, he found a small apartment to rent in one of the rougher parts of the country’s capital city and got to work on his plan to host an art show on the streets of Havana. “I took 17 people’s art with me to do a show in Cuba but I couldn’t find a gallery so about the day I was leaving I just stuck it up on a wall. They have cameras on every corner and some in the middle of the street. People are watching. I had about five pieces up and my host kept saying ‘Don’t do this, you’ll get knocked in the head,’” says Spencer. “I was putting this art up and somebody grabbed me from behind. It was the police and they cuffed me and were yelling at me and evidently they thought I was putting up propaganda. The lady who owned the house came out and explained that I was an artist and a stupid American.” Forty five minutes later and with plenty of emphasis on how little Spencer knew about what he was doing, the policemen un-cuffed him and one of them even revealed that he was an artist himself. He and the other officers helped Spencer find an available hallway to tape up the artwork for a small showcase. One officer liked the work so much he asked to keep a piece by local artist Greg Booker. Artists featured in the showcase included Tyler Estes, Meganne Rosen O’Neal, Tom Parker, Jane Parker, Sophie Parker, Cory King, Brenna Stark, sixteen year old Roni Norbury, and more. An hour and a half and 25 strangers later, Spencer had successfully hosted an international art show featuring some of Springfield’s finest. While Spencer’s stay in Cuba did get him into a little trouble, for the most part he was able to travel through the city freely and without confrontation. Instead of getting caught in the tourist traps that line the city’s seawall along the Atlanticfacing coast, Spencer took a taxi to less populated areas to shoot the people, their buildings and the famed vintage cars that can still be seen all over the country. “The cab driver that took us into Havana gave me his phone number and for fifty bucks he picked me up at nine in the morning and we drove around till six at night out into the country, but even into the smaller towns, tourists,” says Spencer. “Not any different than any other country in the world. There are the have and the have-nots. These people make do. They’ve been making do for a long time. These people, they’re living with not much. They make things with their hands.”

By the end of the gallery show Spencer had given away every piece to locals who couldn’t get enough of the works, all from Springfield artists. “Artists and musicians are respected and highly looked upon, and that’s why these people came and they were engaged,” says Spencer.

Spencer isn’t shy about his serious case of wanderlust and notes that Springfield makes a good base but that it’s important to get out, explore and see the things that some only read or hear about. “I like to go to places like Detroit just to see them because I know it ain’t what we hear it is,” says Spencer. “We’re like mushrooms; they just keep us in the dark and feed us shit. Cuba is sort of like Detroit.” Following the Cuban Revolution and the ousting of President Batista in 1959, the country faced a period of political reform. The repercussions of the revolution took a heavy toll on Cuba’s relations with the US and a crisis in the early 90s leading to the loss of the Soviet Union as the country’s primary source of trade left them in an economic tailspin. “[Parts of] It looked like a war zone. All of these old magnificent buildings just fell apart and they patched them together,” Spencer said. “At one point in the fifties on back, it was that romantic city. I believe that, I can see it in the architecture and in the mosaics crumbling in the sidewalk. I can see it everywhere, and it was kind of depressing.” Spencer took a plane back to Panama to photograph dancers in the National Ballet of Panama, and to hold an art show at famed underground art gallery, The Patio. The gallery can be compared to Springfield’s Arts & Letters and plays host to art classes, lectures, gallery shows and more. “If you’re in The Patio you’re somebody. You’re art is somebody,” Spencer said of his Panamanian show. “I laid everything out on the table and [the gallery owner] loved it. He took everything off the walls and we started hanging it. I don’t care if it wasn’t the best piece, everybody wanted to know about it and talk about it, and they would tell me how good it was.”

This wasn’t Spencer’s first time in Panama and he recalled a previous encounter during a visit over two years ago on a trip with Sophie Parker. There is a popular street musician the locals call Sugar. Spencer stopped to listen to him play on his last visit and saw that the musician’s banjo was missing some strings. When he came back to Springfield he bought two packs of banjo strings and shipped them to a friend in Panama to give to Sugar. This time around, he ran into the musician once again. “I met this merchant on the street and asked him about Sugar. He called all these merchants around me and they all started patting me on the back and took me over to where Sugar was,” says Spencer. “He was this really crotchety old guy. They explained to him that I was the American that gave him strings. He had on this huge amazing smile and gave me a hug. That was the highlight of the entire trip.” We are lucky to be part of such a tight artistic community that loves and supports one another in endeavors like Spencer’s. It is also important to remember that we are not an island. Being centrally located gives us an advantage when it comes to travel. “You can shoot out of here in any direction,” says Spencer. “If you can drive around this town for eight hours in a circle and do nothing and see nothing, you can drive straight and be somewhere else. I have to do that. I’m just that way.” We here at Deitra can relate to the thrill of trying new things, breaking new ground, and embracing change. Thank you for sharing your trip with us, Steven. We can’t wait to see what you do next.