What is L.A.C.E.? AUGUST 2010 | VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1
Owners/Creators: Christina Jennings Racheal Spence
Photography By: Racheal Spence Danielle White Christina Jennings
Edited by: Elena Olson Contributions by: Jerry Brown J. Breezee L.A.C.E. Magazine LLC 速2010 ADVERTISING ads@yougotlaced.com LETTERS TO US info@yougotlaced.com
L.A.C.E. stands for Local, Arts, Culture and Entertainment. We at L.A.C.E. Magazine are all about talent, in any art form. Whether you are a painter, musician, producer, director, mountain boarder, tattoo artist, fashion designer or anything creative. We want to expose the true local talent of the Baltimore/ Washington area. So, stick with us. We promise to find the best of the best in Baltimore!
photo by Tiny
W
hether getting together with friends or family for lunch or just relaxing with pool and libations, Fish Head Cantina is the perfect spot. This tropical themed restaurant and bar offers a fun and welcoming environment with great entertainment and outstanding specials throughout the entire week. There is plenty of seating to choose from at either the inside bar, one of the two inside dining areas, or the beer gar-
den with pavilion and outside bar (that’s even heated in the winter.) Enjoy a game of pool on one of the four billiard tables, or some corn hole out back. Get pumped with even more great specials during football season, and root for our own Baltimore Ravens in a bar that screams purple and black. With plenty of free parking the bar is located at 4802 Benson Avenue in Halthrope, Maryland.
401 Main Street, Laurel, MD 301-498-1466
Upcoming Events
For more events go to: L.A.C.E. Local Events
“Ride or step aside” the two 21 year olds say just before they leap on their boards and start ripping their way down the rocks. Flying through the air, jumping and riding down through the rocky trails, all for an adrenaline rush like no other. For Patrick and Orlando this rush appears quite frequently. “The closer you put yourself to death, the more you feel alive.” says Patrick. These two have high hopes for the advance in recognition and awareness of the extreme sport, ATB or All Terrain Boarding, more commonly known as Mountain Boarding.
Urban Dictionary.com has one definition submitted for the term “mountain boarding”. On the popular website full of new age terms and words, the sport is described as such, “The coolest sport ever. More kickass than scooter, skating, and biking combined. It requires a unique skill of balance and agility.” Mountain boarding, also known as Dirt Boarding, Off Road Boarding and ATB, was started in Colorado. This new and upcoming idea of how to ride was originally derived from Snow boarding, however, the sport as it is known today was influenced by other balance priority sports such as surfing and skate boarding.
When you think of Extreme Sports, and the equipment the athletes use, you don’t normally picture what looks to be a snowboard on small heavily treaded rubber tires. But, these features are what allow the board to travel down any terrain, therefore making Mountain Boarding much more diverse than any other boarding sport.
For these two young men, Mountain Boarding is more than a sport... it’s a life. For multiple years Patrick and Orlando have been ripping their way down the trails, but more often off the trails. Taking trips to Colorado just for the landscape, these guys live, eat and sleep mountain boarding. Over the past few years Patrick and Orlando have started planning a move to Colorado to one day open a Mountain Boarding specialty
shop. These two also are working on ideas for a boarding park, as well as summer camp for children and teens interested in boarding. This would be a great way for kids to have the opportunity to learn how to mountain board and have a place to board with various terrains, while all the same time safety is close by. Their plans are as big as their hearts. The passion they have will take them far.
just some random thoughts Inspiration Conversation By: Jerry Brown
W
hen you think of musical inspiration it leads you to wonder, did Beethoven write the 5th Symphony for some young hottie he wanted to smash? Did Timbaland come up with his infamous stutter beat to compete with the wonderful phrases created by Bach? Maybe not, probably the situations could be reversed and fit a bit better, but who knows? Inspiration to quote Rick James is “a helluva drug”. It comes in different places, at different times, from anger, from joy, from a night of great sex, or from a night all alone. My theories on inspiration are wide, and varied, but are they wrong? Who cares what you think! These are my inspirations and I’ll defend them if I want to! I’m just kidding, it’s not that serious, but if you’re an artist and you lose inspiration, getting it back can be a bitch!
Dose of Reality J. Breezee
Recently, I was the victim of a loss of inspiration! I had been working so hard all over the place that I lost focus and that’s death to a producer. Lose your edge and you lose your clients, your sound, and yourself. I was lost! I went on Facebook posting my situation and trying to find someone who may bring me back to Inspiration salvation. Alas, to no avail, valiantly friends left their pearls of wisdom and I felt the love, just didn’t feel inspired. It was an unusual event that helped to lead me back to my inspiration Mecca. I volunteered to speak to some new hires at my day job and the wildest thing happened, the person who helped me to find my, ”eye,” creatively when I was a wee pup walked in and was looking for a new direction for his work! I tell you the grass is always greener when there are no dogs in the yard!! Anyone can need a jumpstart at anytime! I wasn’t alone! That was the first shock of the
jumper cables of inspiration! Next I was introduced to a fresh new vocalist 16, no idea of the music industry, and bubbling with verve and energy, a New ENERGY!! One that gave me that second jolt and that was it! I was REBORN, REVIVED, REFRESHED, AND RENEWED!! I am ready for anything now and feelin’ like no one can stop me. Until the next time, and ask any artist, there is always a next time. We hate when it comes, but it does, we just hope the luggage is carryon, not the mother-in-law staying past her welcome luggage! We hope it passes quickly so we can get our groove back! I am back and I’m happy that my lull was short and sweet! So find yours! It’s out there! But like my friend told me, “look at what your doing in a different waydon’t change what your doing, find changes in what your doing AND INSPIRATION WILL COME! So Get It In!!
W
hy is marijuana illegel ? I’ll tell u why so many people smoke it the government is terrified that all the revenue that it would accumulated to help the people would be an embarrassment too the 1% who control the wealth. They couldn't risk entrepenuers to explode in our country to open doors for music and the arts and bring the giant to our level. As long as it’s a crime than they have us right where they want us so if you wanna win this battle don’t lobby cultivate on highways public parks your neighbors front yard etc.this is j. beezee with your weekly dose of reality
Want to see your random thoughts here? Send them to: random@yougotlaced.com
S
o what’s with the name “Nameless”? Rothe and a friend were on a road trip to Missouri. During their journey they crossed over a body of water, the sign on the right simply read “Nameless Creek”, and that was it. They knew then that people would read “Nameless Tattoo” on the sign above the door and window of his future shop.
After spending 13 years mastering his craft, Rothe is an astounding portraiture artist, and specializes in custom drawn pieces. His favorite though is what is referred to as “on the spot tattooing.” Basically when someone comes into the shop and says “I want this...” Then the drawing is created, the ink is laid and at the end of the session everyone’s happy. As with most artists, Rothe is inspired by other tattoo artist, as well as others. He also does some painting on the side, when he gets the time that is. “The painting kinda enhances my tattooing...”
Rothe says. Some of his own work hangs in the shop, along with artwork by Paul Natale, the other tattoo artist in the shop. The two men tell us they enjoy painting every now and then but their real passion lies in the tattooing itself. With all those choices out there we asked Natale, “What makes you different?” His response, “This is my career, this is my chosen career, it’s not a hobby. I take my work very, very seriously. It pays my bills, it keeps food in my child’s stomach...other people do it as a hobby, it’s not a hobby, it’s a lifestyle. Natale has been tattooing for about ten years, and came to work with Rothe about a year ago; he is now one of his best friends. He sums it up perfectly when we ask him about his life’s passion and chosen career, “I get paid to draw on people for a living, it’s fantastic.”
Number one, choose your artwork carefully. Remember that throughout the years in life, we all change. Unless you want to spend your rainy day fund on laser removal, choose wisely, tattoos are permanent. Choose artwork that means something to you, something to which you feel a deep connection.
Number two, do your research! Look around for not only a clean shop, but an artist that you can mesh with. Find someone who can understand what you’re looking for and then enhance your idea for maximum quality. Don’t be afraid to talk to the artist and ask to see their portfolio.
There are so many tattooers out in the world due to the rapidly growing industry. So what’s the difference? Not just the price, but the quality of art, not to mention the health concerns that could follow. Natale explained to us that the only real way to categorize these artists is to use the pyramid theory. For example at the top is the point, this would represent the handful of “world renowned artist” that have never created anything less than amazing art, it’s their life. Then you have the “talented group,” the people who have a need, a passion for tattooing. Below this there are hundreds of “decent artists,” but the fact is - to them it’s just a job. Finally, at the bottom is the base, which are aptly named the “basement tattooers”, those who are interested and want to learn, but aren’t ready for a lifestyle that revolves around the industry. It’s up to you to find out where on that pyramid each artist is.
O
n the night of March 25th, 2010, despite the rain, a line wrapped around Bourbon Street, a popular night club in Baltimore City. The venue was sold out, filled to maximum capacity, inside the dance floor was jumping with Baltimore natives and college students alike grooving to the musical stylings of Andy Gotsch aka DJ Sparks (A mash-up mix master like that of DJ Girltalk or DJ Earworm.)
influence itself.” Referring to the way that music tells a story, whether a country, rock, rap, alternative, pop, or metal song, they can be arranged in a remarkable way that continues to tell the same story, or mixed to create a completely different sound. The new story is of the artist responsible for the mix rather than the original.
For Andy the love for music showed at the young age of 12 years old. The artist tells us how he can remember bopping his head to the “Anything can be related to a song,” sound of his first album...The Beach Boys, Cruisin’. Back in the day the says the 25 year old from Howard County. Andy experiments with all cassette player held his tape and his headphones pumped out the sound genres of music to create his own masterpieces; merging artist such as of tunes about fun in the sun, evoking fond memories of the beach. It Lady Gaga, The Who, MGMT, and was then as a child that Andy dismany more making an enjoyable covered his passion for music and and fresh sound. We asked Andy, “Why Mash-ups?” and he respond- all the possibilities it held. ed passionately with “...music can
Originally DJ Neo (no, not inspired from The Matrix movies) when he started mixing for a small company created by his older brother, Andy quickly evolved his spinning style. As he continued playing and grew, Andy eventually changed his stage name to DJ Apocalypse. After some input from family and friends DJ Apocalypse came off a little too dark for the upbeat, energetic teen, so he shortened it to DJ Apoc. When Andy was ready to start creating his own mash-ups, he would see just how hard it is to find an original stage name that gives his audience a good sense and understanding of who he is and what they were in for. Finding the perfect name was just one of the many ups and downs on the long road to his creation. While sipping on a Sparks energy drink and discussing what moves to make with his agent it came to him...DJ Sparks, the name
that came from a can. It was fun, catchy, and described Andy perfectly - bright and energetic with a great sense of humor. DJ Sparks was now ready to begin working on his own full track mash-ups. In the Fall of 2004 Andy’s Fraternity Phi Kappa Sigma, out of UMBC started a new tradition. The Thursday Night Fish Bowl held at Fish Head Cantina in Arbutus. Phi Kappa Sigma takes part in donating part of the proceeds from admission to support the research of Leukemia and Lymphoma. Almost every other Thursday throughout
the semester the students of UMBC flood the back pavilion dancing to the hottest tracks laid down by DJ Sparks. Just a few years later during the Summer of 2009, DJ Sparks took part in the stage action down in Ocean City, Maryland during The Funk Master Flex Custom Car and Bike Show. He performed with Rap Artist Jim Jones (“Ballin’” & “Pop Champagne”) and an upcoming artist by name of Maino with songs “All the Above” featuring T-Pain and “Hi Hater”, as well as Funk Master Flex himself.
DJ Sparks will be releasing his mash up album “Revenge of the Ballin” later this year, sadly you won’t be able to find it in stores, but rather on the DJ Sparks Website. Due to the Creative Commons Act, artist such as Dj Sparks, Girltalk and DJ Earworm don’t always get the credit they rightfully deserve for their time spent and work created. “Mash-ups are creative, they’re inventive, they show what we represent, this generation” said Sparks aptly describing this generations newest and often misunderstood musical art form.
Local Eats Jimmys Seafoood: 6526 Holabird Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21224 This is a local hot spot in Dundalk. Some of the best seafood Baltimore has to offer. “The food and the service are fantastic. I eat there once a month, the chicken chesapeake is the best!� -Alison Whitt Check out their website for weekly specials and their menu. http://www.jimmysfamousseafood.net
Pasta Mista:
822 Dulaney Valley Rd, Towson, MD, 21204 , 3600 Boston Street #45, Baltimore, MD & New* 2135 York Road, Lutherville Timonium, MD 21093
Pasta Mista is one of the best Italian Resturants in the area. Its a great place to grab a slice of pizza and not break the bank. The combinations and unique pizzas make this place awesome! Check them out: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Towson-MD/Pasta-Mista/116092405077983 BOP (Brick Oven Pizza): 800 South Broadway, Baltimore, MD BOP is a personal favorite. You gotta grab a slice there the next time your in Fells Point. This place attracts celebritys and a slue of regulars. They have also been featured in the Food Network program Dinners, Drive Ins and Dives. When you go save room for their famous chocolate pizza. Here is the web site: http://www.boppizza.com/
Where do you like to dine? Send us your favorite local spot! eats@yougotlaced.com
See more DNL Events go to: www.facebook.com/pages/DNL-Entertainment/112419972130234
I
t’s the day of the African American Heritage Festival (AFRAM) in Baltimore, and I am headed to see an incredible music producer and friend, Jerry Brown. He was a little late; he explained that he was at the barbershop getting “shaped up.” To be honest if I had known I would have met him there for the interview, instead we met up at his home in Baltimore.
Jerry has always been a music fanatic and truly passionate about supporting local and upcoming artists. He is the kind of person you rarely meet, with enthusiasm and optimism truly setting him apart. Three years ago he decided that his passion was more than just buying underground mixes, he wanted to bring the sounds of the Baltimore Streets to the studio and then share them with the world. It was then that he founded Masscreations Productions.
Right now he is producing for two groups. DG2, a Hip Hop duo, is currently taking the south by storm with their first single, “Tip Toe.” The name is inspired by their hot new dance move featured in the You Tube video. Their smooth bounce and intelligent rhymes promise a bright future for these talented young artists. The news is not as promising for his second group, Wanted. Although the group recently released an album and was scheduled to perform at AFRAM, they could not hold themselves together. Jerry remains positive through the groups restructuring process and brushes off the negative by calling it a, “transition phase.” This sounds exactly like Jerry. In the four years I have known him I have rarely seen him in a bad mood. This “glass half full” mentality will push him to the forefront of Baltimore’s underground scene. Trust that there is more to come from Masscreations.
To learn a bit about Chris Bivins, Click here to see his interview.
W
e receive tips on artists all the time, but when I saw Angelique Henle on YouTube, I knew I had to meet her right away. About a month ago I got that chance at the Edgestock Fest in Sparrows Point. It was, one of those days in July where the scorching heat threatens to cook you from the inside out, and we were relieved that she was the first to perform. The second she opened her mouth and sang I knew what she was a perfect fit for this first issue of L.A.C.E. With every note you can feel the emotion cascading from the stage, coming straight from her soul. Not long after that day, we had the pleasure of seeing her perform for her CD release at Mystical Voyage in White Marsh. It was there we were able to chat and learn a little bit more about her. Angelique is a singer/songwriter from Ellicott City, Maryland. She has been performing publicly since high school back when she had written only her first few songs. With a great response from her classmates at Centennial High, she continued her journey to become the person she is today. From the start she felt a very deep connection to her songs, evidenced by her first song Flying with Angels, written for her late grandmother. Her music seems to pour straight from the heart, all inspired from different experiences. Whether about a harsh break up or a great love, every song tell a story that gives you a small glimpse into her life. Some of the artists she mentions as influencing her style are Sarah McLachlan and Joni Mitchell. Her father would listen to their music often when she was a child. She remembers listening to Joni Mitchell songs on long drives, it was then when she realized what type of music she wanted to play. Sarah McLachlan influenced her to push her self, some of her songs are direct inspirations of her. When we asked what music means to her she said, “Music is the greatest form of human expression.” She thinks of it as a way for people to share their experiences. Listening to her music makes me believe that. Her following is one of the strongest I’ve seen. Extremely loyal fans show up no matter where, when, or how hot. At two of the shows I attended the temperature was sky high. Even in the sweltering heat, her fans were there to show their support. I’m not surprised, people follow good energy and that’s what Angelique is. Her favorite performance was the Special Olympics in 2009 at the Towson Arena. She
says, “The reception from the Olympians and audience was the warmest so far. It was a great day and a great performance.” The beginnings of her debut album, Photograph, started about two years ago. Six months later she got picked up by a local record label, Kabunk Records, which helped her to finish the album. Her edgy looks and positive energy take her performances to another level. Her style of music can most easily be described as alterative folk… to me its just good music. Every song has a special meaning to her, in particular the last track, Save the Last Dance. She says, “Lyrically I can still relate to it and musically it moves me with its dynamics even still.” The song is close to eight minutes long; it came from her heart with a lot of passion. Just like the rest of the album, every word, every note, has an obvious emotional connection to her, and speaks to you on a very personal level. This album is so clearly a bearing of the soul; you can feel the vulnerability in every song. Photograph stays in heavy rotation on my iPod and I listen to it everyday. Right now, Angelique has made her way to L.A. where she hopes to make a name for herself. While she is settling in there, she is preparing to perform for musical showcases and local venues. We give her our full support in her pursuit of stardom, as far as we’re concerned she is already there. To find out more about Angelique check out http://www.reverbnation.com/ angeliquehenle and you can buy her album here http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/AngeliqueHenle . This will not be the last you’ll hear from her. Keep your ear out for big things from Angelique Henle.