TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAgE 5
PAgE 15
PAgE 7
PAgE 17
Music News ......................................3
November Scrapbook....................13
Album Reviews..............................19
PAgE 11
DEtRoit
Volume 1 • issue 4 • December 2015
WRitERS: terry Canter • Bob Cheesman Corrina Drost • Rem Fields Rachael Lamb • Dawn Lemay Shobha N. Lizaso • Scotti Moore Victoria Rapp • Derek “D-Unit” Samp Liz Stokes PhotogRAPhERS: Chris Balow • Joe orlando Steve Sergent
Club Calendar.................................22
Event Calendar................................23 PUBLiShER/EDitoR: Neal Nachman
DiRECtoR oF SALES & PRoMotioNS: Liz Stokes gRAPhiC ARtiSt: Neal Nachman
DiRECtoR oF MULti-MEDiA PRoDUCtioNS: Kenny Moore oPERAtioNS CooRDiNAtoR: Scotti Moore LEgAL CoUNSEL: Shobha N. Lizaso
EDitoRiAL iNqUiRiES: editorial@fullaccessdetroit.com
PUBLiShED By: Full Access Magazine • 4211 E. Busch Blvd., Suite D • tampa, FL 33617 313.936.0750 (Detroit office) • 813.400.3110 (Corporate office) • 813.200.3916 (Fax) © 2015 ALL RightS RESERVED • No part of Full Access Detroit may be reproduced in any form by any means without prior written consent from Full Access Magazine. ViSit US oN thE WEB @ www.fullaccessdetroit.com
Tool Announce 2016 Tour, 'Unparalleled Sonic and Visual Experience' Two weeks after Tool staged their lone concert performance together in 2015 – a Halloween gig that featured the band dressing up as Led Zeppelin – the group has announced a January tour. Tool's official site was updated last Thursday night with a note presumably penned by singer Maynard James Keenan, who's currently trekking in support of Puscifer's Money Shot as well as working on an authorized biography. In the post, the author hinted that a window has opened in Keenan's packed schedule, allowing for a Tool tour. "For those of you who only like NEWS about TOOL, here's something that should be of great interest," Tool wrote on their official site. "The impenetrable veil of my dark scrying mirror finally cleared today - enough so, in fact - that I could perceive a large heptagram on a complexly lit stage where four performers were dwarfed by dramatic video projections. Evidently the sonic and visual extravaganza that I was receiving is a rare glimpse of future Tool U.S.A. tour dates in the month of January, 2016." On Tuesday, Tool formally announced the first eight shows of their upcoming trek, which kicks off January 9th at San Diego's Viejas Arena. The tour then slithers its way eastward along a southern route before culminating in Charlotte, North Carolina on January 26th. Tickets for the gigs go on sale November 20th; Check out Tool's official Facebook for more information. Puscifer's current tour concludes December 14th in Prescott, Arizona. Progress has been slow on Tool's first LP since 2006's 10,000 Days, but in an October Rolling Stone interview, Keenan assured fans that the band is working on the follow-up. "Do I seem like a lazy person to you? They're working hard in their own way; I'm working hard in my own way, and I've got nothin' for ya," Keenan said of the next Tool LP.
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Lil Wayne Tour Bus Shooter Receives 20-Year Sentence The man charged in connection with the April incident where multiple gunshots were fired at Lil Wayne's tour buses in Atlanta has pleaded guilty to the shooting. Jimmy Carlton Winfrey was sentenced to 20 years – 10 in prison followed by 10 on probation – after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors. Winfrey was initially indicted on 30 counts stemming from the April shooting, but as per the deal, he only pleaded guilty to six gang-related charges, TMZ reports. No one was injured in the incident. Winfrey is the only one so far to face charges for the April 26th shooting, even though Cash Money CEO Bryan "Birdman" Williams and rapper Young Thug were named as Winfrey's associates. The shooting occurred just months after Lil Wayne's very public beef with Cash Money, his longtime label, an acrimonious split that resulted in Wayne suing the label for $51 million in January. Birdman denied any involvement. In the State of Georgia's indictment against Winfrey in July, prosecutors claimed the Young Thug associate opened fire on the tour buses and then attempted to hide the Camaro he was driving at the time. The indictment noted that, five days before the shooting, Young Thug posted an Instagram video that appeared to threaten Lil Wayne; Winfrey and weapons were seen in that video. Similarly, the video for Young Thug's "Halftime" features Winfrey toting an assault rifle that was similar to the firearm used in the tour bus shooting. After the shooting, Winfrey placed a call to a cell phone owned by Birdman. The indictment spans 30 counts, including aggravated assault, criminal damage to property, possession of a firearm and violations of both the RICO Act and Street Gang Terrorism Prevention Act. According to police, Winfrey orchestrated the shooting in order to gain "street cred," the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports. Winfrey will
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be eligible for parole. Rita Wilson Announces New Album, Spring Tour Actress and musician Rita Wilson will release her self-titled second LP early in 2016 and is taking the new music on the road. The singer-songwriter co-wrote all the tunes on her follow-up to 2012's AM/FM, teaming with some of Nashville's top tunesmiths for the project, including Matraca Berg, Jessi Alexander, Jon Randall, the Warren Brothers and Kristian Bush. Producers on the new LP include Nathan Chapman, Richard Marx, John Shanks and Babyface. Wilson's tour will kick off in March, stopping in more than 20 cities across the U.S., including Los Angeles, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Nashville and Clearwater. Before hitting the road, Wilson will settle in for a residency at New York's Café Carlyle, from February 23rd to March 5th. Pre-sale ticket information is available on her website. Born in Hollywood, Wilson, who is married to Oscar winner Tom Hanks, is recognized for her numerous onscreen roles in films (Sleepless in Seattle, It's Complicated) and TV (The Good Wife, Girls), as well as in live theater. A friendship with famed songwriter — and former American Idol judge — Kara DioGuardi was the encouragement she needed to try her hand at cowriting, in spite of what she says made for some initially awkward encounters. "It was really nerve-racking, because you go in, meet complete strangers and expose yourself," Wilson tells Rolling Stone Country of her earliest efforts. "You leave there after you've had musical intercourse, and you're left with a beautiful song baby. [Laughs] You have to be open to everything and let it all hang out without any sort of protection. That's what I find so humbling is that people are willing to do that." Rita Wilson will make a stop in Tampa Bay
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at the Capitol Theater in Clearwater, FL on April 12th. Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott Recording Gospel Album Now that Lady Antebellum's fall and winter hiatus is in effect, the group's Charles Kelley is gearing up for his solo tour — which kicks off November 28th in advance of his solo LP. Now comes news that his bandmate, Hillary Scott, is also working on a new album – a gospel collection she's recording with her parents and younger sister Rylee Jean Scott. Expected early in 2016, the collection will feature gospel standards and new material penned by the family. Scott's mother Linda Davis is perhaps best known for "Does He Love You" — her 1993 Number One duet with Reba McEntire — but before that Grammy-winning smash she sang in a duo called Skip & Linda. Davis's husband Lang Scott is a songwriter, musician and web-design entrepreneur who began playing in Reba's band not long after Davis was tapped to open shows for the country superstar. Hillary Scott often traveled with her parents at that time. The gospel album is being produced by Ricky Skaggs and was inspired in part by Davis and her family performing at the June 2015 funeral of Jim Ed Brown. "He was about family harmonies and his family wanted us to be a part of that," Davis told the Tennessean, adding, "Ever since Hillary was a little girl, [family harmony] is all she's known as well as Rylee Jean." As far as Lady Antebellum's future is concerned, Kelley assures fans the group this is only a break, not a break-up. "We can take some time off and not feel like we're going to lose it all. We felt like that in the past, if we left off the throttle. So, yeah, we're not quite as hot as we were around 'Need You Now,' but we realize the fans are there," he tells Rolling Stone.
Detroit’s Largest Music/Entertainment Magazine
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Loving life doesn't just reflect a sentiment expressed in the lyrics of their popular lead single. It's a daily motto for LOCASH duo Chris Lucas and Preston Brust. With "I Love This Life" making it to the #1 song on SiriusXM the Highway this summer, they have even more reasons to love their lives, and to celebrate their journey as an American country music tandem. I found them in the midst of a celebration when I caught up with Chris for a recent telephone interview. Clanking, chatter, and excitement buzzed in the background as we spoke. Despite the break in the celebration, Chris welcomed the conversation. His calm confidence and warm, friendly vibe instantly impressed me, as did a strong undertone of humility and gratefulness. "It's unbelievable," Chris said of their recent song hitting the coveted #1 spot on satellite radio and the band's new contract with Reviver Records. "We've been waiting a long time, putting in a lot of hard work. And not just the two of us - the whole team. Finally, it's all paying off. Our dreams are coming true. We're blessed." The duo never forgets their roots. Both grew up in Baltimore, and their early years weren't exactly easy. They understand those who have it rough. They understand a need to dream impossible dreams. This explains why they value humility and appreciate both the simple joys of life and the large
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by Rachael Lamb
successes of their careers. Chris and Preston met over ten years ago in Nashville's Wildhorse Saloon. Chris worked as a DJ there, and Preston walked in looking for a job. The two struck up a friendship immediately, sharing a mutual appreciation of music. Soon they began performing together. "Before long, we realized more people were actually coming to listen to us than to the scheduled performances," he said. Reflecting on that exciting beginning, they have jokingly likened themselves to the great pair Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, as they won the crowd. Eventually, the men realized they should pursue loftier goals. They became an official duo and had their first real concert, which fans met with enthusiasm. Because of the enormity of the venture, they worried they would have to buy back tickets, but it turned out that they didn't need to at all. For the next few years, they continued to build their local fan base and enjoyed sold out concerts. The turning point in their career came after they wrote "You Gonna Fly." They endured the agonizing waiting game, hoping that Keith Urban would take some interest in the song. One evening, as Chris held his small son, lifting him up in the air with the sunset streaming through the window, he fought back tears. He wondered
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how they were going to make it, and how he could afford to pay the bills, pending the outcome. Five minutes later, Keith called. He told them that he had chosen their song for a single, which eventually reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 2012. They were ecstatic. This was their big breakthrough. Over the next few years, LOCASH traveled around the world. They performed at Times Square in New York City on New Year's Eve and on the historic stage of the Grand Old Opry. Writing "Truck Yeah" for Tim McGraw represented another highlight. Their most memorable moments also include celebrating with their team, connecting with fans, and hearing their own lyrics sung back to them at concerts, which is one of their favorite experiences as songwriters, artists, and performers. During our chatt, I just had to ask about the plane incident. I'd been impressed, when watching the snippet video online, by the duo's thoughtfulness in agreeing to sing for a flight attendant's birthday and proceeding to treat all the passengers to a few of their hits in an impromptu mini concert. Chris laughed, almost playing it off. "We feel like all people are the same, needing humor, experiencing sadness, and finding strength," he said. "When we help others, that helps us. You might notice that attitude in a lot of other country music stars. It's really important to us. We're some of the most loyal guys you'll ever meet." Chris and Preston live out this mindset by actively giving back to their community. They've participated in such charities as D.A.R.E., St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, and the T.J. Martell Foundation. They also play regularly for our troops. In the past ten years, the duo has overcome many obstacles. But, amazingly enough,
the rough times have actually enhanced their music and enabled their team to become like family. Along the way, Lucas and Brust have grown and changed, and they've found all the sacrifices and effort to be worthwhile. "Record deals have fallen through, our representation has failed us, and we've lost loved ones," Chris said. In fact, "Best Seat in the House" was written after the death of Chris' dad, to honor his memory and to connect with the many fans who have found this song deeply meaningful and comforting. "But now," Chris explained, "We're in a really good place. We've signed with Reviver Records, and we're excited about the future." Their career has already encompassed big changes in the personal lives of the duo. They started out as two single guys and now both have families, with Preston recently married, just this September. "Our wives are great," Chris told me. "Sometimes they stay home; sometimes they travel with us. But they understand, you know, that traveling is part of what we do, and they're cool about it. They don't worry what we're up to while we're out on the road, and we don't give them anything to worry about." LOCASH music has evolved through the years. The duo is always seeking out new ways to improve, new horizons to explore, and new adventures to incorporate. "Entertainers need to stay ahead of the curve," Chris noted. "We are at that moment that we have cracked through the glass ceiling," he added. "And there will always be another level to break into." Because of their ambition and positive attitude, I expect to hear more about Chris Lucas and Preston Brust in upcoming months and years, as they continually take LOCASH to the next level.
LoCash will be performing with the Eli Young Band on December 4th at The Fillmore in Detroit, MI. Tickets for this show are still available. Full Access Detroit
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When you release 21 full length albums from your own projects and over 40 albums as a producer for other acts, I think it's safe to say that being labeled under legendary status is a given. Working in the studio with acts such as The Band, Badfinger, New York Dolls, Grand Funk, Hall & Oates, Meat Loaf, The Tubes, Rick Derringer, The Psychedelic Furs, Cheap Trick, Paul Shaffer and Bad Religion, to name a few. Todd Rundgren has been involved in the making of countless hits as well as a few of his own. One of those being, “Bang the Drum All Day,” which is still played in just about every major arena in existence. I have to admit that I am a little star struck at the moment. It's not every day you have the opportunity to interview a legend like Pennsylvania born, multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, producer Todd Rundgren. As you can imagine it is a little nerve racking, but today is the day I sit down with with him to converse about life, past, present and future. Ok, I can do this, just breathe deep. I look back on my 48 years of existence and I have to say that my life has been pretty good. While I feel that it's longevity has lasted for about forever and a day there has been a few things that I could always count on to be there, family, love, heartbreak, excitement, pain and
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by Scotti Moore
Mr. Rundgren’s historic career. Spanning 50 years and still going what possibly can keep ones self still pushing forward in the same line of work. Todd says, “I just refuse to except that time has any bearing at all. In my own head, I'm still in some other more ideal age frame. Not adolescent because there are happier times for me, so I'm mentally still in my mid-30’s.” Looking forward in a career, you have a tendency to put a time stamp on the future. Rundgren tells me that even though every once in a while he gets a reminder of how old he actually is, he hasn't really thought about putting an end to it. “I have made a resolution at one point that I wasn't going to waste my time,” he says. “If I'm going to make records, I'm going to continue learning in the process. A lot of people don't have a career like mine mostly because they haven't had the combination of things I have been blessed with. Early on, I thought I was going to be a producer and engineer. I had a band but I really didn't like that dynamic. Not being in control as an artist, but as a producer you have that control. I feel that in some cases, I have had a more successful career as a record producer, because I haven't had a record like “Bat Out of Hell” or “Were An American Band,” which were very successful. Although that freed me up to follow my own muse. I wasn't dependent on my musical career to provide for my
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livelihood.” The word success can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people so I like to have an artist define it on a personal level. Todd tells me, “Success means to be able to continue in what I do and not give it up for something else. I'm still able to make a living as a musician even though being a producer has gone by the way side along with some of the other traditional things in music.” There are things in your life that you truly enjoy, favorites. With everything he has been involved with throughout his storied career, I decide to put him on the spot. There has to be a favorite project of his own. “Ringo’s All-Stars,” he says. “We are going into the fourth year now. That continues to be a lot of fun. With that I get to perform in front of crowds that are much larger than what I would get to perform in front of on my own. There is a production level that I wouldn't be able to afford. That includes how we travel. I get to live a life that I wouldn't be able to afford if I had to pay for it. So there are many things within that project that stand out making it my favorite.” As the topic changes to influences he tells me how keeping himself open to as many musical influences as possible has worked for him. I turn it around and ask how it feels to be so influential himself. His answer starts with a long pause, “To be honest, I'm never aware of that unless somebody points it out. I know of certain artists that who have gone through some trouble to point it out. I have worked with some artists that because of my influence have wanted me to work with them. Beyond that I'm completely unaware of my influence on artists as a musician, but when it is brought up it is quite humbling to me.” With a non-stop schedule like his, just completing a tour with Ringo and going on the road for his solo tour, I'm interested on what is coming up for him. “I'm really
excited to start working once again on a side project with The Roots,” he says. “There isn't really a schedule set up at this time. They are writing all the time and have a studio inside their rehearsal facility, inside NBC. They are recording tracks, but not always do they complete and turn them in. They will send me their recorded music and I will write a song over it, sing it and send it back to them. So we have four or five of those done and when it turns into a dozen, perhaps it will turn into a record.” With writing over so many years for both himself and other artists and countless songs in the catalog coming up with new and fresh ideas has to prove difficult but yet he continues to do it. Writing and inspiration go hand and hand. “Good question,” Rundgren says. “Funny, I get inspiration from all over, but lately I'm finding it has been coming from the music on television. What's playing in commercials and things like that. There are some pretty aggressive compositions out there grabbing your attention. Every once in a while I will ask my kids what they are listening to and that will start me off on a YouTube adventure that leads into some pretty inspiring stuff on the sidebar.” While we could go on forever and after the nerves had subsided so many questions kept popping into my head, unfortunately time is short and we had to close this conversation up. What an honor this has been. To take Todd Rundgren off my bucket list, along with the likes of Carl Palmer, Don Airey and Grace Potter, is nothing short of amazing. I will be sure to see you all at The Fillmore Detroit on December 9th, when Todd takes the stage.
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Todd Rundgren will be performing on December 9th at The Fillmore in Detroit, MI. Tickets are still available for this show. Full Access Detroit
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by Liz Stokes
Where do you start with someone who has charted more than 120 hit singles over 65 albums, hundreds of awards including three Grammys, 18 American Music Awards, 8 Academy of Country Music Awards, 11 People's Choice Awards, 5 Country Music Association Awards and lifetime achievement awards, to name a few. Kenny Rogers of course! Full Access Magazine had the opportunity to interview this legendary Country singer, songwriter, producer, actor, photographer and entertainer. I spoke with Kenny about his exhibit that was on display last year at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Kenny says, "That exhibit was really something else. They had pictures of me when I was in high school singing with my first group and some of the clothes that I wore, and different things all the way through to where I am today. It's very comprehensive. I enjoyed seeing it myself, you know, because I realized that I was young one time and it's sometimes hard to remember!" Kenny said, "It was really interesting, a lot of pictures they had, I had not seen before. It was really fun for me, to kind of, relive my life. They had some of my older cameras that I used to use and my upright bass. I was really impressed with the quality of the production." The exhibit was open for
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a year for people that were interested in seeing it. Kenny will be coming to Windsor, Canada for his 34th Annual Christmas Tour on Dec. 6th, performing at Caesar’s Windsor. Kenny said, "Who would have believed it would have lasted that long. It's really been fun, because it gives me a chance to sing something I don't do every night; and that's what makes it fun. I've been a big fan of the Christmas season. Now, I've done this Christmas show with different people. But doing this show with Linda Davis and she did it with us last year; she is so great, she sings good, she's pretty and she does stuff with the kids before I come out." Kenny has published a book called, "Luck or Something Like That." I asked him what made him come up with the name and he replied, "I did a song called ‘Love or Something Like It’ and I just thought, the more I wrote, the more I realized how lucky I was to have been at point A. To be allowed to go to point B, and to be at Point B to get to Point C. People don't realize, I didn't just wake up one day and started recording country music. I spent the first ten years of my musical life playing upright bass in a jazz group." The hardest story that Kenny told in his book was about his ex-wives and his kids
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because he said, "It's not something I'm particularly proud of. I had said in the book, that there's a fine line between being driven and being selfish, and I think I crossed that line a few times. You know, when you're married and you're trying to make marriage work and you're trying to make your career work; I choose career. I was gone, you know, six month at a time and you can't hold a marriage together like that. Sometimes, there's a catharsis that happens when you do a book about your life and look back on it. I had to ask myself the question, "Would I do anything different?" Looking back on it honestly, if I hadn't done that, I wouldn't be where I am and I wouldn't be the person that I am. I learned a lot from my mistakes and if you can't grow from your mistakes, then they really, truly are mistakes." Since selling over 120 million records, I asked Kenny if there was anything that he hasn't done yet, that he would like to do. He said, "I was just talking about that the other night and I couldn't think of anything that I haven't done that I wanted to do. I mean, I have a star on Hollywood Boulevard and I am in the Hall of Fame. I have won every award there is and I have had pretty incredible success with the things I've done. I have a great family now and my life is on ‘go.’ It's where I want to be. And I'm still continuing to work as much as I want to, music is what I am and everything else is what I do; my heart is in music." Kenny's career has spanned for over five decades and says his biggest musical accomplishment was performing with Dolly Parton and performing, "We Are the World." He said, "It's not just about the music, but for what it stood for, and what it accomplished. I've always loved that you bring your best talent to charities, and I think that's what all of
us did." I was so glad Kenny mentioned charities as I wanted to talk to him about his ALS Ice Bucket Challenge as he nominated Dolly Parton to do the challenge. He tells me, "I did it, kind of, as a joke. Thinking she would never do it. She did it and now I'm going to owe her big-time! She is so sweet and she's one of those really special people that have a great sense of humor. She's been a big part of my life and a big part of my career. The great thing about Dolly and I is, we can say anything we want to about each other, because we know it comes from love. I mean, I think she really cares for me and I really care for her. I've been there for her for 30 years and she's been there for me and the trick is, you don't abuse a relationship like that. Don't ask for more than you absolutely need." Don't miss Kenny Rogers and Linda Davis performing at the Caesar’s Windsor in Windsor, Canada on December 6th for his 34th Annual Christmas Tour.
Kenny Rogers and Linda Davis will be at the Caesar’s Windsor in Windsor, Ontario CANADA on December 6th for his 34th Annual Christmas Tour. Tickets are still available. Full Access Detroit
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With such a short history behind them, PVRIS (pronounced Paris) has accomplished a lot. Led by Lyndsey “Lynn Gunn” Gunnulfsen (Vocals, Rhythm guitar, Keyboards), this four piece Electro-pop, Post-hardcore group formed in 2012 under the name Operation Guillotine and quickly changed their name to Paris. During their Sophomore year, a legal dispute forced them to replace the “A” with the letter “V” while keeping the pronunciation. Rounding out the line up are the other 2 founding members, Alex Babinski (Lead guitar, Keyboards) and Brian MacDonald (Bass guitar, Keyboards), along with touring member Justin Nace (Drums). Signing a recording contract with Rise/ Victory Records, they released their debut full-length disc called “White Noise” (Nov 2014) to the critics and fans liking while receiving rave reviews. The popularity and recognition continued into this year with them winning both the “Relentless Kerang!” award for Best International Newcomer (June 2015) and the Breakthrough Band award at the “Alternative Press Music Awards” (July 2015). Amidst their extensive touring, I was lucky enough to sit down with the stunning lead vocalist of PVRIS, Ms. Lyndsey Gunn, and talked about influences, touring, videos and more. Right out of the gate, we start to discuss who 15
by Scotti Moore
had influenced her most to get her to where she is today. While most musicians will cite various musicians, she tells me that her brother is first and foremost. “He has always taken me under his wing and showed me how I should be, taught me manners and explained key points of life to me. My brother has been real important in my handling of being involved in the music world,” she says. With her tough touring schedule starting of with a stint on “Van’s Warped Tour” in 2013 after winning a contest, she has been fortunate to share the stage with acts like A Skylit Drive, Mayday Parade, Pierce the Veil, Sleeping with Sirens and Bring Me the Horizon. Upcoming tours will see PVRIS in support of Awolnation and Fallout Boy. With headliners like that, I wonder which act out there she would most like to tour with. Lyndsey says, “I would really freak if we had the chance to hit the road with Florence and the Machine. I'm not sure I would even feel worthy of touching the same stage as her though. She is incredible, just so talented.” In my interviews with musicians, the ups and downs of being on the road always find its way into the discussion. “I really like seeing new places all the time.” Lyndsey continues, “Being in a different place every day and getting to say that you have travelled the world. You find little sweet spots here and there that add up to little bits of home. I love all the different food. Now, on the other
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hand, I feel like traveling is stifling when it comes to creativity. It's a weird contradiction because it is very inspiring and you get a lot of ideas. I feel really in the zone to do that, but there never seems to be a good environment to do so. It ends up being like blue balls for creativity.” Playing that many live shows within ten or more tours, over four years, you would have to think that every thing becomes a part of a routine, the norm. She tells me that even though they play a ton, she still gets nervous. “Some days are better than others. At times, I will get so anxious and just be like dreading it. It is so random and without reason, but there is always some form of nerves creeping in.” Sounds like she deals with daily stress just like anyone else has to. Stress not only plays a part on the mind, but also the body. Touring takes a lot out of you so it is important to be aware of your surroundings and how the daily activities take their toll. Even at a young age adjustments are necessary. “I have tried not to change as a person, so at this point nothing physical. The biggest thing that I have had to change is watching what I say. I have to monitor what comes out of my mouth a bit more and especially on social media. I have had to give less of a shit about the shit people say and their opinions. Get thicker skin for sure.” Being conscious of people's opinions is a given. Random is easier to let go but what about the opinions of your peers? Lyndsey says with a laugh, “I hope they say nice things. Our manager is our secret spy and he says they like us and think we are good kids. When it is all said and done I hope to be remembered as hard working, good people and that we were like machines.”
In the music industry today, it seems to be just as important to have a visual aid along with your music. Live shows, that's a given, but videos to accompany your songs seems to rank up there as well. “I love doing the videos,” Lyndsey says. “I try to incorporate them into the band as much as possible. Our pictures on social media are well thought out. I think the visual aspect should be just as artistic as the music. We have done a video for every song up to this point.” Do you have enough control over that aspect? “Oh, creative control is very important.” When you are in the middle of music as a career and you have to listen to it on a constant basis, I'm sure what you listen too is pretty selective. Out of curiosity, I wonder what the lead singer of PVRIS is listening to these days. She says, “Of course, I can't get enough of the new Florence and the Machine record. I just recently got into Depeche Mode. We were in Amsterdam not long ago and I was flipping through channels and there was this band on live. I loved all the electronics in their music, so Depeche Mode has a new really big fan.” It's not very often you get a band manager involved in the conversation, but while I had Lyndsey preoccupied with a copy of the magazine, I asked PVRIS manager, Matty Arsenault (Vocals for the group A Loss for Words) his opinion of Lyndsey and he simply said, “She is a monster and I mean that in the best possible way.” Thanks to the captivating Lyndsey and Manager Matty for the great conversation. I look forward to catching up with them soon as they continue to beat the pavement. Pvris will be performing at the Fillmore in Detroit on December 18th.
Pvris will be performing at the Fillmore in Detroit with Metric and AWOLNation on December 18th. Tickets are still available.
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Full Access recently had the opportunity to interview Andrew McMahon from Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. Andrew is a singer, songwriter, pianist and a cancer survivor. We asked Andrew what was the reason that he changed the name from Jack’s Mannequin to Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness and he responded, “There are a number of reasons, I think the project itself was born out of a need for a new adventure. It felt a little bit like being out in the middle of nowhere and trying to find my way back to the thing that makes me tick and makes me want to make music for a living. And that is where I think ‘The Wilderness’ came from.” If you had never seen Andrew McMahon and The Wilderness perform you are certainly missing a unique, interesting and amazing performance. Andrew told us that he is doing things on this tour unlike any of his other bands. He said, “We have a much more involved stage show and I brought on this amazing set designer who does art installations for a living, who has helped us build out what I would like to think of as another worldly stage. We have artificial turf spread out all over the stage and on the piano, and there’s a goldfish bowl with a mechanical fish swimming on the top of the piano. We have these beautiful balloon
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by Liz Stokes
displays and things like that. So, it’s a little bit more of a theater piece than my shows have been in the past, but it’s still the same. It’s high energy, you’ll see me beat the shit out of the piano pretty often and jump off the top of it. I think more than anything, it’s really a show where we try to connect as much as humanly possible to the audience and keep them as present as possible.” Day to day living is what influences Andrew to write music. He says from album to album that, “You will hear, generally, where I am in my life and what’s going on. That’s how I’ve always used songwriting, partially as a coping mechanism and on the other side, a way to answer questions or work through details of what life’s thrown at me.” Andrew says that he balances his touring schedule with his family pretty well and takes his wife and daughter with him as many places as he can. He says, “They’ve been out on the road with me for this whole run. Whenever we hop into a bus and I’m not flying every day to shows, they’re generally with me. It makes it a lot easier to balance because we all end up living in the same space and living the same life. I feel like the best balance for us is to stay close and that’s been going pretty well, in her first couple years on Earth here.”
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This year basically marks the 10th anniversary of Andrew surviving cancer, we asked him to tell us about the Dear Jack Foundation. Andrew responded, “It was started on the heels of a lot of really generous fans who, when they found out I was sick, they were donating money to organizations that we had appointed as, In Lieu of flowers, you can donate to this organization and help make a difference. Over the years, we’ve really honed our focus into advocacy and initiatives that impact the lives of adolescents and young adults with cancer. So, people ages 15-39, who are either in treatment or transitioning into survivorship. That’s really what we do. We grant a couple scholarships every year for young survivors to go to college. We help fund an adventure camp called “First to Sense.” It’s an organization that basically does these incredible adventure camps for young adult survivors and patients, to help them build their confidence back and be surrounded by people in their peer group who are dealing with the same thing. This is a big struggle for adolescents and young adults, to find people who are going through what they are going through. And then now, we’re focusing on another workshop, called “Breathe Again.” Where we’re gonna help people transitioning into survivorship by teaching them yoga, meditation techniques and nutrition and wellness and other holistic wellness approaches to transitioning from their treatment, into survivorship.” Andrew produced a “Dear Jack” documentary where he carried around a little handheld video recorder and it had become this extended video diary. Andrew says, the reality of the documentary was that he had been filming his whole life in the studio with Jack’s, the birth of the Jack’s Mannequin process and project. “If you listen to ‘Everything in Transit,’ you hear all these little speaking parts and things like that. That’s all just stuff that was taken off my video camera. There was this natural
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transition when I was diagnosed. I just was so used to having this experience with this video camera, that I talked to it daily and went through what was going on in the hospital room and what was going on with my health. And a couple of friends who make documentaries came to me, because they had seen the camera and they’d known that I had been documenting in my life in the time leading up to it. It was their feeling that if they could get these experiences edited together and show people what it really looks like, in a raw state, to be in that place, it would be helpful, I was like, ‘I think that sounds right.’ But in those early years of recovery, I was anything but excited to look at that footage again. But what we found, and what I think is the enduring legacy of that documentary that I’m really proud of, is that I talked to transplant nurses and oncologists and people who give this documentary to kids who are going through it at the time. And to other patients that are dealing with it and survivors. And it’s become an educational tool to show people, it’s not easy, but you can survive it. There is a green light at the end of this particular tunnel and to keep your head up. And that’s been, I think, what I’m most proud about with the documentary.” We asked Andrew about what his biggest accomplishment personally has been. He responded, “Surviving the cancer and realizing I had reached a point where I wasn’t in a really healthy mental state. Getting brave and figuring out what that was and getting the therapy. And the things that I needed to do to get my life back on track. I think that for me, is my greatest accomplishment. And the fact that it led to the birth of my daughter and the birth of this project.” Keep up with Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness on his Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also join the Dear Jack Foundation on his website.
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Julia Kent Asperities The Leaf Label 33332 by Terry Canter
Asperities are harsh qualities or conditions. I had to look that up, though the bleak, snowy landscapes evoked by Canadian cellist Julia Kent on her album of that name couldn’t convey the feeling any more clearly. Her combination of low string tones, subtle electronics, and scratchy field recordings feel like looking out the car window as you roll through the desolate roads in the middle of nowhere, on the way to something terrible, or having left something terrible, or both. The album weighs a cold, magnetic ton, sinking slowly into the subconscious and blossoming icy petals of tension, sadness, and anxious beauty. Kent herself has admitted that this album is a major leap in her ability to leave rough edges and push deep into uncomfortable emotions, rather than strive first and foremost for beauty. “I’ve finally reached a point where I can move beyond trying to create something that is primarily attractive to the ear,” she explained to The Out Door, “and focus instead on directly expressing emotion.” While Asperities certainly displays the immense tonal control and technical prowess of a classically trained musician, it carries an undeniably haunting emotional resonance. To say that the album works like the score to a psychological horror film would suggest shock tactics and dissonance, but Kent makes use of a slow-building, lingering dread without ever releasing tension. The album sets its alluring darkness in motion immediately with “Hellebore.” Much like Asperities, the song’s title should give the hyper-literate a hint as to its contents: a hellebore is a type of plant that produces beautiful flowers, but is also poisonous. In a bit of striking etymology, the words come 19
from roots meaning “food” and “to injure”; that which should be sustaining (the cello is such a soulful instrument) leads to pain and suffering. Things don’t exactly clear up by the album’s conclusion either. We end with “Tramontana”, the classical Italian word for a northern wind, also literally translating to “across the mountains.” In just four minutes, “Empty States” builds from growing grey cloud rumble to an all-out storm. Kent’s cello moves like windshield wipers, starting at a ginger back-and-forth sway before erupting into a methodically ominous and quick-stepping saw, the catastrophe now surrounding despite the attempt to fend it off. Things escalate most clearly on “Terrain,” where electronic percussion lends a menacing inescapability to what were once tense, contemplative proceedings. While Kent’s field recordings and found sounds used to feel like precise mechanisms — specifically the clinking glasses and scribbling pens on 2013’s home-driven Character, or Delay‘s evocations of airport noise, there was something almost pedantic about their theme and theory, too concretely positioned in the world. Asperities conveys a similar sense of place without ever explicitly detailing where it’s set or why, allowing the listener to envision their own wrinkles stretched over Kent’s richly drawn skeleton. That change makes a lot of sense for a classically trained musician carving out a niche as a solo artist after spending time with the likes of Rasputina and Antony and the Johnsons. With those acts, Kent’s skillful playing added a layer of entrancing beauty within an already dramatic, narrative-driven piece. Much like Colin Stetson, Matana Roberts, Sarah Neufeld, or Mats Gustafsson, Kent has unlocked the formula through which her already expressive musicianship can be understood on its own terms. She no longer needs Antony’s words or the audience’s associations tied to airport sounds; she has created a language all her own. Asperities uses that language to produce a haunting,
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powerful world that won’t fade from memory for a long while. Jeff Lynne’s ELO Alone In The Universe Columbia Records gggdf by Terry Canter
For years, it seemed that Jeff Lynne and Electric Light Orchestra had gotten lost in the zeitgeist. When Tim Heidecker “took over” Rolling Stone, he reasoned that it’s odd that Tom Petty is worthy of a cover story and Lynne isn’t. ELO was once the biggest rock band on the planet, a legitimate heir to the Beatles’ pop rock throne in the ’70s, and yet they had become a band best known for their placement in advertisements and film soundtracks. It’s fitting, then, that 2015 sees Lynne’s return as a rebranded Electric Light Orchestra: Jeff Lynne’s ELO. The first record to bear those three letters since 2001’s Zoom, Alone in the Universe stays within the sounds we know of the group — everything here is definitely a pop song — while using technological advances to replace the bleeps and bloops of yesteryear. Gone are the artificial beeps of “Telephone” or the dense orchestra of “Livin’ Thing”; replacing them are layers of piano and subtle strings. Forget about the disco of “Shine a Little Love.” Instead, we get the retro reggae of “When the Night Comes.” Opening single “When I Was A Boy” sets the tone for the rest of the album. A pop ballad, it’s not remarkably catchy or unprecedented, but what it lacks in wit it makes up for in earnestness. Like Brian Wilson’s “Love & Mercy”, it’s just one chord progression with changing melody and evolving production. There’s a veteran’s coy smirk in his lyrics: He’s not just commenting on how good the times were when he was young, but how he still feels the same way. “Don’t want to work on the
milk or the bread/ Just want to play my guitar instead.” It verges on cheesy, but succeeds in capturing a man longing for his youth. While some of it falls short of past greatness, the core of the album shows Lynne hasn’t lost his mad genius after more than a decade of silence. Alone in the Universe is some of the best (and most consistent) work he’s created, but it’s still set in an established path, missing the big hit to push it over. When Lynne writes hooks, you get the feeling he could whip out Top 40 tunes faster than Max Martin if he wanted to — but he doesn’t. The entire second half of the album is a collection of songs you’ll have stuck in your head, wondering how they wormed their way in there. The closest thing to another ELO hit is probably “One Step at a Time”. It feels like a quick dance jam, but its echoing backing vocals give it a shiver of something more — and a descending modulation gives it the ELO trademark smirk. Even when it’s being simple, there’s a deeper musicianship going on than anywhere else. Cowbells set an optimistic chorus; a guitar solo turns the mood from upbeat to pessimistic; and the production goes minimal as Lynne’s voice grows desperate: “Talk to me/ With the sadness in your eyes/ Everything will soon be better/ You’ll soon begin to realize/ Come on and talk to me.” ELO once branded themselves the future of pop. Now 68, Lynne is back and sounding like the present without the gimmickry of forced narratives or the club drum sounds of 2015. The title track epitomizes this, coming across more like a modern Mott the Hoople doing a ballad than an elder trying to play catchup. It’s easy to get lost in the record’s 10 tracks over and over, if not intentionally then by accident. Lynne may be crying out after his failed return in 2001, wondering if he’s all alone out there, but if Alone in the Universe shows us anything, it’s that a good song is always a good song.
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Crofoot Ballroom • 248-858-9333
Diesel Concert Lounge • 586-725-3914
Nov 2 Nov 3 Nov 4 Nov 5 Nov 6 Nov 7 Nov 8
the Magic Bag • 248-544-1991
1 S Saginaw Street, Pontiac, MI 48342 ______________________________________
Nov 1
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Stone Foxes & White Buffalo Woman & Matt Miller Band Waylon Speed Holly Golightly Public Squares Everyday Junior Blind Guardian & Grave Digger David Wax Museum Mac Demarco, Alex Calder & The Courtneys Copeland & We Are The City Skinny Puppy & Youth Code I Fight Dragons Darwin Deez & Charly Bliss Treehouse! & Sun Dried Vibes Devon Allman & Terrain Red Stone Souls & the Erers Silverstein, Senses Fail, Capsize & Hundredth mewithoutyou & The Menzingers The Faceless Call Marvin And The Chasers Frank Iero Jared & The Mill
33151 23 Mile Road, New Baltimore, MI 48047 ______________________________________
Nov 1 Hate Eternal & Hate Unbound Nov 14 Buckcherry & Saving Abel
22920 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, MI 48220 ______________________________________
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Savoy Brown & Kim Simmonds Big Sandy and his Fly-Rite Boys Cas Haley Lez Zeppelin Mark Kozelek
the token Lounge • 734-513-5030
28949 Joy Road, Westland, MI 48185 ______________________________________
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Allegaeon & Act of Defiance Jim Florentine Alesana Whitford St. Holmes & Most Wanted Black Fast Come And Rest & More To Monroe Broken Day Machine & Harlow Prong Brutally Frank Wayland
Attention Bands & Venues: Want to be listed here, Contact Scotti Moore at (313) 626-3600
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DECEMBER
Pup
St Andrews Hall, Detroit
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The Token Lounge, Westland
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Beat Connection
Blind Pig, Ann Arbor
iron Butterfly
The Token Lounge, Westland
Doomtree
St Andrews Hall, Detroit
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Pike Room, Pontiac
Nathaniel Rateliff The Fillmore, Detroit
gary hoey
Callahan’s Music Hall, Auburn Hills
Eli young Band & LoCash The Fillmore, Detroit
the get Up Kids
St Andrews Hall, Detroit
Peter Mulvey
The Ark, Ann Arbor
the Sadies
The Loving Touch, Ferndale
gary hoey
Callahan’s Music Hall, Auburn Hills
Core Effect
Pike Room, Pontiac
twiztid, Blaze ya Dead homie & Krizz Kaliko The Crofoot, Pontiac
Falling in Reverse & Attila Royal Oak Theatre, Royal Oak
Kenny Rogers & Linda Davis
Caesars Windsor, Windsor
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Soundboard, Motor City Casino
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The Shelter, Detroit
Dave Koz & Candy Dulfer
Orchestra Hall, Detroit
New orleans Suspects
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Fall out Boy, tori Kelly, Kygo & Nathan Sykes
The Fillmore, Detroit
Sleater-Kinney
Royal Oak Theatre, Royal Oak
Michael W. Smith
Fox Theatre, Detroit
todd Rundgren
The Fillmore, Detroit
Jane getter Premoniton
The Token Lounge, Westland
over the Rhine
The Ark, Ann Arbor
Josh Fadem
The Magic Bag, Ferndale
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St Andrews Hall, Detroit
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iris DeMent
The Ark, Ann Arbor
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Soundboard, Motor City Casino
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The Ark, Ann Arbor
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the Ragbirds
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New Edition, Jill Scott & Babyface
Joe Louis Arena, Detroit
Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience
The Fillmore, Detroit
June & guilty Simpson
The Shelter, Detroit
Styx
Caesars Windsor, Windsor
the Ragbirds
The Ark, Ann Arbor
trailer Park Boys
Masonic Temple Theatre, Detroit
Andy grammer
Soundboard, Motor City Casino
Steel Panther
Royal Oak Theatre, Royal Oak
Paul Bielatowicz & Simon Fitzpatrick
The Token Lounge, Westland
Pelican
The Loving Touch, Ferndale
Joanna Newsom & Alela Diane
Royal Oak Theatre, Royal Oak
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The Ark, Ann Arbor
JoJo
The Magic Bag, Ferndale
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Soundboard, Motor City Casino
Straight No Chaser
Fox Theatre, Detroit
Borns
The Shelter, Detroit
Craig owens
Pike Room, Pontiac
Jack Russell’s great White
The Token Lounge, Westland
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the Academy is...
St Andrews Hall, Detroit
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girl Band
Pike Room, Pontiac
Sponge
The Ritz, Warren
griz, FKJ & Big Wild
Masonic Temple Theatre, Detroit
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Chrysler Theatre, Windsor
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Soundboard, Motor City Casino
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Caesars Windsor, Windsor
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Royal Oak Theatre, Royal Oak
greensky Bluegrass
Royal Oak Theatre, Royal Oak
Whodini, Big Daddy Kane, EPMD, Slick Rick & Doug E. Fresh
Masonic Temple Theatre, Detroit
Nick Moss Band
Callahan’s Music Hall, Auburn Hills
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Electric Six
St Andrews Hall, Detroit
JANUARY
Martin Lawrence
Fox Theatre, Detroit
Jon Pardi & Brothers osborne
St Andrews Hall, Detroit
Maia Sharp
The Ark, Ann Arbor
Muse & X Ambassadors
Joe Louis Arena, Detroit
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Soundboard, Motor City Casino
Bob Saget
Royal Oak Theatre, Royal Oak
orgy & BobaFlex
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Caesars Windsor, Windsor
g-Eazy & A$ap Ferg
Masonic Temple Theatre, Detroit
Kaki King
The Ark, Ann Arbor
Warbringer & Enforcer
The Token Lounge, Westland
Nile
The Token Lounge, Westland
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Royal Oak Theatre, Royal Oak
three Dog Night
Andiamo Celebrity Room, Warren
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The Ark, Ann Arbor
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Andiamo Celebrity Room, Warren
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Caesars Windsor, Windsor
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Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor
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St Andrews Hall, Detroit
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St Andrews Hall, Detroit
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Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills
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St Andrews Hall, Detroit
FEBRUARY
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Fox Theatre, Detroit
Jo Koy
Soundboard, Motor City Casino
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Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills
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Royal Oak Theatre, Royal Oak
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The Shelter, Detroit
tracy Morgan
Caesars Windsor, Windsor
Never Shout Never
St Andrews Hall, Detroit
Freakwater
The Ark, Ann Arbor
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