Playmaker Magazine June 2011 by Bradford Harrison

the highly Anticipated album

Available June 21

Photo by Myriam Santos

The Starting Lineup 7 By Adam Sweeney Matt Nathanson has weathered a full life as a musician on the road to stardom. The San Francisco based singer-songwriter has faced the challenges of being an independent artist seemingly forever on the road, followed by a difficult marriage with Universal Records before landing with Vanguard Records, a label with whom he seems to have finally found a home. Along the way, Nathanson has gained a tremendous following thanks to introspective and passionate songs like “Still” and “All That We Are”. His performances are one of a kind, leaving you touched by his witty between song interjections as much as the songs he plays. Hot off the success of Some Mad Hope, which included the platinum hit single “Come On Get Higher”, Nathanson has truly found his voice on Modern Love, an examination of the ever-evolving dynamic of the heart. Nathanson spoke with us about the album, why Radiohead has hurt the music industry and decided the perfect name for his upcoming tour with Train and Maroon 5.

Modern Love comes out June 21st. Run, don’t walk, to your area record store or computer to get it. Playmaker Magazine: We saw you at SXSW during the Vanguard Records Showcase, and it was great.

Matt Nathanson: Thanks. Yeah, that was a fucking fun time. I had never played that courtyard before. It was a lot of fun.

PM: It seemed like you had a good time. It was packed and naturally hot since it was in Texas. MN: That's the only thing that keeps me from living in Austin; the temperature between June through September. (Laughs.)

PM: I think you should live here for nine months and then go to California for the summer. MN: I know. Austin is perfect except for the fact that it's all in the sun.

PM: True. Your new album, Modern Love, is a series of vignettes addressing the relationships and challenges you, your family, and friends have gone through. When I listened to it, it seems like the album starts off more upbeat and then transitions into a more mellow atmosphere. Was that a conscious effort in exploring the varying emotions of love? MN: Well, the running order of the record was over-thought out on my part. (Laughs.) But I never broke it down by saying, 'Let's make it joyful and

then more thoughtful.' Yeah, I didn't mean it to be that way, but it certainly becomes more introspective as the record progresses. Yeah, that's wild. I never thought of it that way. I put it in the order that felt correct, you know what I mean? But that's true. The record becomes heavier as you get deeper into it.

The passionate singer-songwriter talks to us as we get to the heart of his new album, Modern Love.

PM: Right. On your last album, Some Mad Hope, you really dig deep with introspective pieces like “Still” and “All We Are”, so when this album kicks off with “Faster” and “Modern Love”, it's a nice way of turning expectations on their head. MN: Thanks. I had been making singer-songwriter albums for a long time, you know, like “Guy with guitar has band playing behind him.” This was the first time I consciously went in with the idea that I wanted to make a record that was inspired by the way the bands like Tears for Fears or Cyndi Lauper did with “Time After Time”, or even “Kick” by INXS. There's very much a songwriting thing going on in there, but the production kind of takes it out. I mean, you don't think of Cyndi Lauper sitting down by a piano and playing “Time After Time” but that's how the song was written. So maybe this is the final step for me to recognize there is the singersongwriter guy, but it's time to kick the sides and continued on page 8

Playmaker Magazine

MARK-PAUL GOSSELAAR AND BRECKIN MEYER BREAK THE RULES IN TNT’S NEW LEGAL DRAMA FRANKLIN & BASH By Adam Sweeney When you have put your stamp on the pop-culture lexicon like Mark-Paul Gosselaar did by playing Zack Morris in Saved by the Bell or Breckin Meyer has done writing for the Adult Swim animated series Robot Chicken, the chance to flip the script presents a welcome challenge. The two actors are doing just that in the new TNT drama Franklin & Bash, a story of two outlandish young lawyers fighting to maintain their identity after being employed by a corporate law firm. Gosselaar (Peter Bash) and Meyer (Jared Franklin) sat down with us to break down the series, talk Star Wars, the L.A. Lakers and explain what it feels like to be part of pop-culture history.

and see that. But the legal stuff wasn’t too hard. Oddly enough, you know it all from pop culture. I mean there were a couple of questions we had to do research on, but for the most part it was about making (the main character’s relationship) work.

Franklin & Bash can be seen Wednesdays at 9/8c only on TNT.

PM: (To Gosselaar) You have a sports background somewhat. You do racing, right?

Playmaker Magazine: Let’s start off by talking about Franklin & Bash. What got you guys interested in the show?

MPG: I’ve always tried to do some athletic whatnot besides the work that I do on set. It’s sort of a release for me.

PM: How did you all prepare for this? Your character is somewhat of an underdog (to Meyer) and yours (to Gosselaar) is somewhat of a ladies man who pulls out all the stops and has a relationship with your father who serves as the patriarch of the law firm. How did you prep for these roles? Breckin Meyer: Well, Mark-Paul, when he had done Raising the Bar with TNT, did an internship with the Bronx County Courthouse. (to Gosselaar) Is that right?

Hoop Wars What do the Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks and Star Wars have in common? A lot more than you think. We cast the characters of the 2011 NBA Finals into the roles they are born to play in a galaxy far, far away. By Adam Sweeney

Page 15

Mark-Paul Gosslaar Photo by Williams & Hirakawa

PM: Do you all have any favorite sports teams? MPG: Bronx County? No. Bronx Defenders. BM: Bronx Defenders. (laughs) Sounds like an NFL team. He already did that internship, so he was well versed in the legal world. Bill Chase, the co-creator of the show, was a public defender for many years, so any time we needed anything on the show we leaned on him as kind of our technical advisor. The cases are a big part of the show and their relationship, and that’s where it kind of veers off from the normal legal dramas I’ve seen because you get to go home with these guys

Page 18

The Playmaker staff gives six bold thoughts on Texas Sports.

10 Dream Team

Page 7

Playmaker Magazine

6 The Six Shooter

By Adam Sweeney

Mark-Paul Gosselaar: I was excited to do something for TNT. I wasn’t really looking to do another legal drama, but this one had a lot of comedy throughout the whole piece. It was less about the legal drama and more about the relationship between the two main characters, and the law side was more of the catalyst for the two characters.

Out of Bounds with Matt Nathanson

June 2011

BM: The (Los Angeles) Lakers. MPG: Oddly enough, I’m not into a lot of team sports, it’s more like individual sports and things like that. If the Lakers are in the playoffs I’ll follow them, or if the (Sacramento) Kings are in the playoffs, I’ll follow that. PM: Well, we cover the (Dallas) Mavericks so I mean...

We propose the potential roster for a hypothetical Texas National Soccer Team.

13 Roll Out

The Alamo Drafthouse’s Rolling Roadshow prepares to bring classic Texas movies back home.

Above the Law Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer are rising above their pop culture roots from Saved by the Bell and Robot Chicken in the new TNT drama Franklin & Bash. Playmaker takes the stand for an interview with the two icons. By Adam Sweeney

23 Interview: Taylor Jungmann

The UT pitching star answers our questions about the team, his critics, and his favorite pitch.

MPG: Yeah, that was a bad series for us. BM: You guys hurt us. Yeah, that Nowitzki guy is not too bad (laughs)

www.playmakeronline.com

All Eyes on Them The Texas Longhorns baseball team is on a road to redemption, but what will it take to bring a title back to the Forty Acres? By Bradford Harrison

Artist Spotlight: Lelia Broussard

We chat with the Rolling Stone Cover Contest finalist about her new album, Masquerade, a twitter rivalry, and covering top-40 hits.

All EyEs on ThEm Page 20

Playmaker Magazine

www.playmakeronline.com

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Everyone deserves a second chance, whether it be in reality or the venue of sports and entertainment. An interesting discussion started this past month amongst the Playmaker staff. While we are all passionate about sports in the Lone Star state, our individual and group tastes delve into other niches. We don’t just love sports. We’re also hungry for the hot topics in television, music, film and culture. Our readers are no different and deserve a magazine that offers more than one flavor. The resulting conversation ended with a unanimous decision to shift the magazine’s dynamic, expanding from the lake of Texas sports and floating into an ocean of pop culture. The June issue is the first step in that direction, as we pay tribute to the notion of second chances. Dirk Nowitzki and LeBron James have been waiting years for another opportunity to shine on the NBA’s biggest stage: the NBA Finals After their respective teams disposed of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Chicago Bulls, the two living legends are on a collision course that will answer an important question. Are Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks cool enough to handle the Heat? We examine the issue by putting the Mavericks and Heat where they rightly belong, in the Star Wars universe. It’s a feature you have to see to believe. Matt Nathanson, who shot up the Billboard charts with the hit single “Come On Get Higher”, is a double threat as an incredible recording artist and live performer. We talked with Nathanson about how his new album, Modern Love, has served as a milestone in career. Mark-Paul Gosselaar, who cut his teeth as teen heartthrob Zack Morris on Saved by the Bell, is taking a second crack at a legal drama on TNT’s Franklin & Bash. We caught up with Gosselaar and co-star Breckin Meyer to discuss how things are different this time around. Hot off a regular season filled with individual statistical perfection, Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Taylor Jungmann and the Texas Longhorns are looking for revenge after last season’s squad fell short of lofty expectations. On top of all of that, we feature breakout artist Lelia Broussard (who is the brink of winning the Rolling Stone Cover Contest and has a smashing album, Masquerade, that you have to hear), the Alamo Drafthouse’s Rolling Roadshow and bring the thunder with our always bold thoughts on sports and pop culture in the Six Shooter. With any luck, this issue will be so enjoyable that you feel the need to read it twice. Thanks for picking it up, Playmakers.

PUBLISHERS ADAM SWEENEY AND BRADFORD HARRISON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Adam Sweeney STAFF EDITOR Bradford Harrison ART DIRECTOR Tiffany Cunningham CONTRIBUTORS Adam Sweeney | Javi Perez | Bradford Harrison James Bolton | Tiffany Cunningham PHOTO CONTRIBUTORS Adam Sweeney | Bradford Harrison | James Bolton | Jarrett Campbell | Longbomb | Lee Nguyen | Mahanga | Myriam Santos | UT Athletics | Annette Brown | Williams & Hirakawa | Alamo Drafthouse/ Fons PR | Mary Gonsolin/ www.leliabroussard.com | All Star Wars images used are the sole and exclusive property of Lucasfilm, Ltd., and are used here under Fair Use for comparison and sports educational purposes. Copyright 2011 Playmaker Magazine, LLC. All rights reserved. Playmaker Magazine is published monthly. Views expressed in Playmaker Magazine are not necessarily the opinion of Playmaker Magazine, its staff, or its advertisers. Playmaker Magazine does not knowingly accept false or misleading editorial content or advertising, nor is Playmaker Magazine responsible for the content or claims of any advertising or editorial in this publication. No content (articles, photographs, graphics) in Playmaker Magazine may be used for reproduction from the publisher. Playmaker Magazine is available free of charge.

Adam Sweeney Editor-in-Chief

Cover photos by Bradford Harrison and Adam Sweeney Inset photos by Myriam Santos, Annette Brown, and UT Athletics Page 4

www.playmakeronline.com

EVERY MONTH THE STAFF AT PLAYMAKER MAGAZINE FIRES OFF SIX BOLD THOUGHTS ABOUT THE CURRENT

1 WILL GREEN LANTERN BE SUPERGREEN FOR DC?

2 LET’S GIVE PIPPEN

3 HOUSTON MOVES

THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT...

FORWARD WITH MCHALE

Expectations are high for Warner Brothers’ superhero offering for 2011 - the staff in the Playmaker office is fairly divided. When we interviewed Ryan Reynolds in November, we may have been talking Buried but we were thinking Green Lantern. With so many superhero movies in the works, will Green Lantern be the next big moneymaker in the DC Comics canon?

A day after the Miami Heat beat the Chicago Bulls in five to reach the NBA Finals, Scottie Pippen said that Lebron James “may be the greatest player to ever play this game.” We here at Playmaker think his words are a sign of loyalty to the organization as a whole and not just the people who took part in the championship years.

Houston has a new head coach: Boston Celtics legend and former Minnesota Timberwolves VP, GM and coach Kevin McHale. McHale has very little head coaching experience. Both of his stints as the coach of the Timberwolves were on an interim basis where he took over mid-season and wasn’t kept on at that position for the following year.

By saying that James could be the best ever, he’s almost letting this current team off the hook, much the way great players like Karl Malone and Charles Barkley are somewhat off the hook for not winning championships because they played in the Jordan era.

Considering his work as the VP and GM in Minnesota, it could be a sign that Houston wants to stick with this young group of players and develop them for a strong future together instead of using them as trade chips for a big free agent like Dwight Howard this offseason. Even if that is the case, McHale won’t be able to implement his own system because, much like the NFL, the lockout will prevent any contact between players and team personnel.

Its performance could dictate how likely a Justice League movie could be, in the same way the Iron Man movies did for Marvel’s Avengers. However, CGI-heavy trailers that look like the story may be bogged down in origins have our staff worried… Perhaps Green Lantern isn’t going to bring the greenbacks like the studios hope. We’ll find out when Green Lantern comes out June 17. -TC Page 6

This Bulls team got to the conference finals by beating teams with the 18th and 13th best records in the league. Then Chicago lost in five games to the first solid competition they faced in the playoffs. The Bulls will be back in the future with that great group of players they’ve put together, but for now, Pippen may have just been helping ease the pain after elimination. - JP

But with his experience building a team around a superstar like Kevn Garnett, perhaps he’ll be eager to apply the lessons he’s learned from the past if GM Daryl Morey decides he wants a big name in Houston. - JP

TEXAS.

Photo by Adam Sweeney

Photo by Bradford Harrison

STATE OF SPORTS IN

4 THE NEW SUMMER TV SCHEDULE IS HEATING UP.

5 THE 2011 ACL LINE-UP FEELS... RETRO.

The end of May marks the end of the regular season for the many of our favorite shows… but wait! With more shows being picked up by cable networks like FX, TNT, and HBO, how many of us claim a major network TV show as our must-see?

When the 2011 Austin City Limits Musical Festival line-up was released a few weeks back, the Playmaker staff all agreed it had a retro feel. As in, we have seen this before.

While network TV goes into endless reruns and reality-show hell, look for shows like FX’s new comedy Wilfred, or AMC’s critically acclaimed Mad Men to keep us tuning in. We in the Playmaker offices are excited for TNT’s new show Franklin & Bash after talking to stars Breckin Meyer and Mark-Paul Gosselaar. Even the premium cable channels like HBO trot out their showhorses over the summer – the final season of Entourage as well as the next season of True Blood both start in June. More than likely, savvy viewers are smart enough to know that some of the best shows are coming this summer. - JP

ACL has been known for hosting great bands that are on the cusp of superstardom. The Killers. Franz Ferdinand, Death Cab for Cutie. This year seemingly features artists that have been to Austin recently or had their heyday a few years back. Stevie Wonder and Coldplay are great, but are they the breakout artists of 2011? Big Boi thrilled Austin back in March at SXSW, and Cee Lo Green is no secret to anyone anymore, so perhaps this year’s best hope is a band similar to The Sounds, a superenergetic group that can wow the crowd even though they are by no means new. ACL has always pushed line-up boundaries, and while this year’s show will have highlights, it would be great to return to its roots as soon as possible. - BH

6 TEXAS TEAMS LOOK TOWARDS REGIONALS While Texas deservedly has garnered much attention in the 2011 NCAA Baseball Tournament, other squads from the state have a chance to make some noise. TCU, Texas A&M, and Rice all have number one seeds in their respective regionals, with Rice garnering a eighth overall national seed. Texas A&M won the 2011 Big 12 Tournament, and looks to have a good draw against Wright State and Arizona, while Rice, who won a 2003 National Championship, will look to control the likes of Alcorn State and Baylor. The College World Series is anything but predictable, but with so many quality teams from Texas in the fray, there is a decent chance that the state can take pride in its baseball prowess come the end of June. - BH www.playmakeronline.com

Photo by Myriam Santos

By Adam Sweeney Matt Nathanson has weathered a full life as a musician on the road to stardom. The San Francisco based singer-songwriter has faced the challenges of being an independent artist seemingly forever on the road, followed by a difficult marriage with Universal Records before landing with Vanguard Records, a label with whom he seems to have finally found a home. Along the way, Nathanson has gained a tremendous following thanks to introspective and passionate songs like “Still” and “All We Are”. His performances are one of a kind, leaving you touched by his witty between-song interjections as much as the songs he plays. Hot off the success of Some Mad Hope, which included the platinum hit single “Come On Get Higher”, Nathanson has truly found his voice on Modern Love, an examination of the ever-evolving dynamic of the heart. Nathanson spoke with us about the album, why Radiohead has hurt the music industry and decided the perfect name for his upcoming tour with Train and Maroon 5.

Modern Love comes out June 21st. Run, don’t walk, to your area record store or computer to get it. Playmaker Magazine: We saw you at SXSW during the Vanguard Records Showcase, and it was great. Playmaker Magazine

Matt Nathanson: Thanks. Yeah, that was a fucking fun time. I had never played that courtyard before. It was a lot of fun.

PM: I think you should live here for nine months and then go to California for the summer. MN: I know. Austin is perfect except for the fact that it's all in the sun.

Out of Bounds, continued from page 7 step out. Because records can be so fantastic. I spent so long putting constraints on myself and this is the first time I didn't consciously do that.

PM: That makes sense. I was speaking to my girlfriend last week, who was humming “True Colors”. And it's crazy because you think of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” when you think of Cyndi Lauper. But as she became more comfortable and accepted as an artist, she then made some truly remarkable songs. MN: Yeah, it's true. A great example is Tears for Fears. Roland Orzabal is the main writer in that band. When you hear them they sound produced. The ‘80s was a great time for production because they really started taking a cool step. They stopped making bands sound like they were live and started making it sound like they were the future. Even Modern English or The Cure, it's a band playing for sure but it sounds like they're wearing Jet packs and that they're in the future. It still sounds that way to me. I used to always say, 'Well, can we do this live? If it has horns it's going to be harder to play live.' For this album I said, 'Fuck that. Let's not tie ourselves down and only make songs that we can recreate live. Let's make this album create its own statement.'

PM: I think it rings true. One of the reasons people gravitate towards ‘80s music is that there was thought put into it. Mainstream music does seem to be moving towards more packaging, so I applaud you for pushing against that idea. MN: Yeah, thanks.

PM: Your blog has a top ten list of your favorite artists. It includes Queen, R.E.M. And Van Halen, which is really interesting. How much do you think showmanship has to do with being a memorable musician? MN: Well, it's funny because I don't think showmanship has anything to do with musicianship, but being an artist... to me Van Halen was this unbelievable collision of the best guitar player in the world with Eddie Van Halen and this really crazy and progressive groove. Their songs are really strange. There are so many parts thrown together. David Lee Roth, what's great about him is the way he inhabits the character that he sings about. It's not even so much about their live show as when they Page 8

communicate who they are through the vinyl or the CD. I mean David Lee Roth is one of a kind. He and Michael Stipe, you will never mistake their voices or where they are coming from. With David Lee Roth or Freddie Mercury, you've never experienced that before, but when you listen to the record you know exactly where they are coming from. That's something that is extremely appealing. As a songwriter, to be able to reenact it to the audience so that they understand the feeling, it's amazing. I mean, Christina Aguilera can sing the shit out of a song. She has a phenomenal voice. But to me, greatness comes through when who they are comes though the song just by the way they're delivering the vocals.

Photo by Myriam Santos

PM: When you listen to David Lee Roth on OU812, you can almost imagine him brandishing a samurai sword in the studio, you know? MN: Right! For him to be able to speak a verse like on “Panama,” or on “Jump” where he says, 'Hey you! Who said that? Baby, how you been?' It's just such a ballsy move. There's such confidence and it's so impressive because when you're in the studio absurd things happen. Riffs come up and there's a fearlessness to it.

PM: Right. There are times where you're listening to Van Halen and you say, 'What the Hell are they talking about?' Then you realize it doesn't matter because they believed it.

period. When that happens people like to polarize issues. They shit on major labels and say, ‘Corporate music sucks.’ Now we can be all about what music really is. We can be fast and get to what really matters.' As a fan of some bands who have been on major labels, I just don't agree that corporate music is the Devil or that now is an incredible time to be an artist. I spent a really long time trying to get signed by major record label as a kid. I spent a ton of time driving around the country in a rental car trying to get people to come to my shows.

MN: Exactly. And they delivered it in a way that made you fucking believe it. As a kid, I thought that was the coolest thing and then when I got older I said, 'That doesn't make sense.' But it's not about making sense, it's about experiencing the whole thing and saying, 'Yeah, yeah! I totally get that!' I mean, we can take apart any song and critique it to death. But when a song hits you in the face like the ones Van Halen, Queen, R.E.M., or any artist I have in my top ten I think Radiohead undervalued music for everyone makes, it's like you believe it. You just believe it. when they released In Rainbows the way they did. (Radiohead offered the album online and let listeners decide how much to pay for it, in an “Honesty Box” PM: Yeah. Continuing with your blog, there's a format.) If Radiohead feels that's the way to go, that's great link you put up about how Radiohead's awesome, but if it wasn't for Capitol Records breakmarketing tactics are changing music, maybe ing Pablo Honey and putting money behind the band, not for the better. You started as an indepenRadiohead wouldn't exist. They would be professors dent artist, then went to Universal Records, in Oxford bitching in their houses. So I feel it's kind of and you said you wanted to find a label that let presumptuous and douchey to say the things they have you speak your own voice, which you seem to said. I feel like people are readily adopting that same have found with Vanguard. How does an indeattitude because they want to find an enemy but R.E.M., pendent artist that is somewhat restrained by without I.R.S. Records would never have left Athens, what corporate music wants survive? Georgia. They would maybe have never made Life’s Rich Pageant, which is one of my favorite records and was a MN: It's funny because we are in a transition www.playmakeronline.com

pivotal moment between indie records that didn't sound that good and a change in the landscape of popular culture. I loved that article because I feel like Radiohead has made the same album for the past six records. When they put out a new record, I get excited and then I hear it and say, 'Yep, there it is again.' It all sounds like Thom Yorke's solo album, The Eraser, which I loved. It's not interesting to me. They're a great force, but they're a marketing force. I don't feel like they are pushing themselves as musicians. Granted, I am saying this as a fan so anybody can shoot me full of holes and say, 'Fuck Matt Nathanson. His music sucks.' But I'm a music fan who spends money on music constantly so I think I kind of have a right to say they've ceased to be great. And even bands like The National and Arcade Fire, who I love, have put out disappointing records. There was so much promise with their previous albums, but I hear the newer albums and say, 'Oh, that's good. It's cool but did it capitalize on the talent the band has?' I think, actually, when a band makes a song and someone says, 'That song sucks. Go back and make something better,' it offers a combatant and makes the artist stronger and better. We don't have that anymore. The labels have the power. I mean, I put my music up on Myspace. I don't know how any artist makes a living anymore. I don't. So it's a strange and dangerous place that Radiohead is creating by undervaluing music by giving it away for free. And it's like, if they were making amazing records and pushing themselves to be more than comfortably them, I would say, 'Well, fuck. They can do what they want because they're still making great music.' Art for art's sake is great, but art and commerce coming together can provide the chance to make a truly great record for all time.

Photo by Adam Sweeney

PM: Well, if I ever write an article about the monotony of Radiohead's music, I will give you title credit and call it 'Comfortably Us.' MN: (Laughs.) I'm down.

PM: Great. You're going to be touring with Train and Maroon 5. We're dubbing it “The Sexy Time Tour.” (Matt Nathanson laughs.) Are you okay with that and how pumped are you to be touring with them?

MN: It's great. The Train guys are good friends PM: It's easy to set the rules and give the music for free when you're Radiohead, but then fans ask of mine and I have toured with Maroon 5 before. They're awesome guys. As far as the title of the smaller bands, 'Why aren't you doing it? Radiohead is!' And you want to reply, 'Well, it's easy to tour, 'Sexy Time', maybe we should just do the show from a California king-size bed. give music for free when you have money from merchandising, a major record label backing your PM: (Laughs.) That would be incredible! But I world tour and you get to sit on a hill of money think Madonna may have done it for her Erotica that you've made from two decades of work.' tour. MN: It's a strange trip because people say, 'Why should I pay for a new band's album when Radiohead does it for free?' All these producers and engineers who have worked so hard, people don't get that it takes money to become a great engineer. It takes time and money. It's a craft. People don't see all the time and money that goes into making a great record. It's a craft. Playmaker Magazine

MN: Totally. Fuck. And she probably has a better bed than we would get. But did you ever see The State skit where Michael Ian Black says, 'Aww yeah,' in a suit?

PM: Yeah! 'We've got two hundred and forty dollars worth of pudding.'

MN: Right! He's like, 'I'm gonna sit in this pudding.' I think that's what we will do with the tour. We will travel and get all the fans to bring pudding across America.

PM: All the fans collectively will go on the stage and dip their asses in pudding. MN: That's what it's going to be called. The Pudding Tour.

PM: Jello can sponsor it. MN: (Laughs.) Perfect.

PM: You're a lover of music. What is a live show you went to that sticks with you. MN: Oh my God. I think the first time I saw U2 was in 1987. I remember it vividly. At the end of the show, the entire Boston Garden was singing the refrain of “40” and the band exited the stage while the crowd was singing. Everyone was cheering. The lights came up and everybody walked out of the Garden singing. We were literally in a sea of 15,000 people walking out into the streets. Nobody was talking. We were just all singing. It was fantastic. PM Page 9

DREAM TEAM: IMAGINING THE POSSIBILITIES OF A TEXAS NATIONAL TEAM By James Bolton One thing many Texans are proud of is that for ten short years we were our own sovereign country. What if it had continued though? Not only would all things from our military to our economy have to be sorted out, but so would our sports. With that said, we would need to field a competitive soccer team in order to compete with the whole of the CONCACAF (North and Central America) region and every four years perhaps qualify for the World Cup. The sport of soccer is such that it holds importance not only on the pitch but also socially amongst the nations. Soccer is like high school for the sporting world — there is quite clearly a hierarchy and everyone wants to keep up their reputation. With that said, where would the Republic of Texas stand? To create a national team for Texas we have to evaluate what positions our strengths and weakness are at and the athletes available.

OFFENSE

would be listed as a midfielder; however, he should be given full reign to move forward and penetrate with his usual creativity, and in fact, the team’s strategy would likely revolve around Dempsey. It would perhaps be a mistake to hand the armband to Dempsey based solely on experience and talent as he should have as much time to play his own game, and he would likely be seen as a leader within the team regardless. To bolster the other end of the midfield and also provide more attacking possibilities should stand Stuart Holden. Holden has been named player of the year for the Bolton Wanderers FC and his pinpoint crosses would likely find Kenny Cooper on a long run or a defender on a set piece. Upon first glance, the Texas attack seems lacking based on a shortage of true strikers but with the right strategy and tactics the oppositions goalkeeper should have a nightmare of a match. The midfield presents various problems for Texas. As previously stated, Clint Dempsey and Stuart Holden are midfielders but would likely be given freedom to roam up front. So with that said, who holds down the middle? Our options are many and could lead to heavy competition, which also means progression in terms of players’ abilities and skill. If we are to have one lone striker with two attacking midfielders supporting, him then a four-man midfield should suit our needs well. Playing in a central position would be Pachuca’s Jose Francisco Torres. Torres has adapted well to playing in the Mexican league and has been called upon to represent the US at the highest level. To add a little maturity to the midfield we should include Houston Dynamo’s

To build our team we have to start with what tactics we are going to have to use, mainly depending on personnel surpluses and shortages. Like the rest of America, Texas has no shortage of dependable midfielders, but strikers are hard to come by in the Lone Star State. The only real option at the vanguard of attack is Portland Timbers’ Kenny Cooper. Cooper has proven his goal scoring ability in the MLS and has shown that he can frustrate defenses and goalkeepers for a full 90’, which brings up the next attacking option. Like he does for Fulham in the English Premier League and the US National Team, Clint Dempsey

WHERE WOULD THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS STAND? Page 10

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Hunter Freeman. Freeman has shown himself to be dependable and has had a couple great seasons with Norwegian Club IK Start. To fill out the wings of the midfield should be FC Dallas’ Brek Shea and Becamex Bình Duong’s Lee Nguyen. Shea has found himself as the backbone of FC Dallas’ attack due to David Ferreira’s injury and has paid off in dividends by keeping them afloat amongst MLS’s Western Conference while Nguyen has found his touch in Vietnam after a failed stint in Europe due to circumstances out of his control. With the midfield set, the defense has similar problems due to player surpluses.

DEFENSE The Texas defense should be just as strong as the Texas spirit, so who is our last line? To add maturity to our roster, FC Dallas’ Daniel Hernandez should be either on the left or right of the defense.

Hernandez had an amazing season in 2010, which included captaining Dallas to the MLS Cup Finals. On the other end of the field the youthful LA Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez would add some much needed size on set pieces and some speed to counter breakaways. Our final defender playing in the old German sweeper position would be the much-experienced Zak Whitbread. Whitbread has recently helped Norwich City gain promotion to the English Premier League and has made the rounds at some of the oldest clubs in England. With Whitbread’s maturity and

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experience he should also be given the captain’s armband. Whitbread could provide valuable insight and advice for the younger players and should be able to lead the team in all situations. Now that the outfield is done we have to turn our attention to the goalkeeper. Texas is not known for producing high level goalkeepers and one quick search of the internet for the position should prove a futile exercise. There are only two real options: San Jose Earthquakes’ Andrew Weber and Houston Dynamo’s Tyler Deric. While both players would ultimately be included on the roster the starting position should be given to Andrew Weber mainly due to his longer resume and experience. While Weber’s big game experience is lacking his call up is based on a shortage of Texan goalkeepers. Who should be chosen to lead these players? While the coach doesn’t have to be from the team’s nation, it usually helps in order to gain support from the fans. In order to appease the supporters and to bring a Texas soccer legend back to the sport, it would be interesting to see how Kyle Rote Jr. could do at the helm of a national team. When Rote played in the old NASL, he competed against the likes of Pele and Franz Beckenbauer and was considered one of the few Americans who could keep up with them. The son of an NFL legend, Rote could bring some new fans to the game and his determination as a player may translate to success as a manager. With a viable roster and a manager, the only question left to answer is “how would they do?” It’s certainly not an easy question to answer because all of this is purely hypothetical, but it would be a fair guess to say they would probably be fairly competitive. Over time with a good youth system and a federation that is geared toward progression, it would be no stretch of the imagination to think that Texas could gain FIFA recognition and then qualify for a World Cup. The talent is clearly in Texas so the outlook could be quite optimistic for the Texas FA. PM

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In stores now

the AlAmo drAFthouse’s rolling roAdshow

brings teXAs’ silver screen clAssics home. By Bradford Harrison

Texas has had a long history of serving as the shooting location and setting of great movies. Fittingly, last month, reading a story in a Texas Monthly ran a highly magazine and ends intriguing piece discussing with an extremely the top ten movies of Texas. fun road trip all over That piece, “No Country for the state. Plus, the Bad Movies”, involved Alamo Alamo’s Rolling Drafthouse CEO/Founder Roadshow is one Tim League. “Ever since we of my favorite anstarted doing the Rolling nual events, so I was Roadshow I always wanted to happy to find a way take advantage of our state’s to keep it here in our incredible history of producbackyard this year.” tion and diverse locales by choosing a Texas theme for a Great Texas gems tour. The challenge was narlike The Searchrowing the films down to just ers, Blood Simple, ten,” said League. “Texas No Country for Old iconography is very much at Recent screenings include a trip to Devil’s Tower in Wyoming for a screening of Close Men, and The Texas the heart of the Alamo Draft- Encounters. Photo courtesy Alamo Drafthouse/Fons PR Chainsaw Massacre house, and I’m excited to will be shown in share our enthusiasm for Texas film with moviegoers this summer.” the Texas towns where they were filmed. Texas towns like Marfa, Ft. Worth, and Austin are among the iconic towns that will play host to After much debate, those movies deemed worthy of the top ten are these free screenings, which will also include local foods and vendors being jointly shown by the Drafthouse and Texas Monthly in this year’s at the venue. “Rolling Roadshow” from June 3 to July 1. Continuing its tradition of showing outdoor 35mm screening experiences that pair famous mov- Events like this reinforce the Alamo Drafthouse’s reputation as one ies with famous places, the Drafthouse is committed to an all-Texas of the most unique combinations of film, food and audience-centered Rolling Roadshow this time around. events in the state. All year long, the Drafthouse hosts and produces events like The sensational annual genere film festival Fantastic “The partnership with Alamo was a perfect fit,” says Texas Monthly Fest, and along with its collectible art boutique, Mondo, is a bastion editor Jake Silverstein. “I’m constantly looking for ways to bring our of uniqueness on the Texas landscape. The Rolling Roadshow is no knowledge and love of Texas off the page and use it to create experiexception to the movie franchise’s commitment to amazing events. ences for readers beyond the magazine. With the Texas Monthly Roll- Details are available at www.drafthouse.com/texasfilms and www. ing Roadshow we were able to design a dynamic event that starts with texasmonthly.com/texasfilms.

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by Adam Sweeney A long time ago in an NBA galaxy far, far away, two young padawans, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd, came together in Dallas to begin their Jedi training. Unpolished and perhaps a bit unfocused, their paths would divide for over a decade. Kidd journeyed to other parts of the Outer Rim such as Phoenix and New Jersey, while Nowitzki honed his skills as a Maverick, becoming one with The Force as critics bounced back and forth in their estimation of his skills. As fate would have it, Kidd would come home in 2008 to find Nowitzki waiting. More in tune with their strengths and the way of The Force, Kidd and Nowitzki are now ready to face perhaps their final and most formidable battle. Together, with a fleet of rebels and rogues like Tyson Chandler, J.J. Barea and Jason Terry, the Jedi Knights hope to bring balance to The Force and destroy the looming Death Star dynasty of the merciless Miami Heat. At the head of the Evil Empire, at least in terms of media coverage, is LeBron James. Like Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars saga, James was seen by many as “The Chosen One,” a Jedi with unparalleled power who could ultimately fulfill the prophecy of bringing balance to The Force. Instead, James, seduced by the fame and allure of a speedy ascent to a title shot, stole the blueprint of the 2008 NBA champion Boston Celtics, and turned to the Dark Side, cutting off the hand of the Cleveland Cavaliers faithful by forming an alliance with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in South Beach. Fueled by the anger and hatred of those who doubt them, the Evil Empire of Miami is on a mission to lay waste to any team foolish enough to stand in the way of their quest for galactic domination.

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the Force is with theM the stars of the dallas Mavericks and Miami heat have personalities big enough to ﬁll up the silver screen, but what characters would they be if we cast them in the Star Wars saga? Playmaker Magazine casts the nBa heroes and villains in the parts they were born to play.

dirk nowitZki as luke skywalker Like Luke Skywalker, Dirk is the lovable hero who came from a distant place in the NBA solar system. We doubt he ever spent time dusting crops as a farmhand, but he has spent years staring at the proverbial binary suns as other heroes got to be part of the fight. Now seasoned and more capable of handling the task at hand, the German Jedi Knight has had a knack for saving his friends in the nick of time and is ready to face his toughest opponent, the “Evil Empire” of the Miami Heat.

lEBron JaMes as darth Vader Once a player that fans pinned hopes and dreams onto, LeBron James has turned to the Dark Side and become the most-feared villain in the NBA. Blessed with a combination of skills and a stature unlike anything we have ever witnessed in basketball, James (Or Darth Traitor, as Cleveland fans would call him) is the intimidating face of the Heat Empire and looks to cut down Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks’ Rebel Fleet.

Jason kidd as oBi-wan kenoBi Obi-Wan Kenobi is described in the Star Wars database as “a dedicated and legendary Jedi Knight who had a long and tumultuous career that helped shape the fate of an entire galaxy.” That’s a perfect parallel to the career of Jason Kidd, who has traveled all over the NBA landscape in search of a title. Now back as a Maverick, Kidd serves as the veteran mentor and Jedi Master and hopes the will of The Force is with him in his best shot at what has been an elusive NBA title.

Jason terry as han solo A charming and cocky rogue who is never short of one-liners or bulletin-board material, Terry can tend to be polarizing to the average NBA fan. But even if you aren’t in favor of Terry’s behavior, no one can deny that “Jet” is a character you would be happy to have on your side. Terry has made a career out of swooping in at the last second to save the day, à la Han Solo in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, and has no problem shooting down any villain foolish enough to get in his way. www.playmakeronline.com

dwyane wade as eMPeror PalPatine A common misconception is that Darth Vader is the baddest villain in the Star Wars saga. In reality, it’s The Emperor who is the true puppet master pulling the strings. Such is the case with Wade, who seduced LeBron and Chris Bosh into joining him on his way to creating a Death Star, capable of total basketball annihilation. For all the talk of LeBron’s “Decision”, it was Wade who stayed at home on his throne as the former Jedis came to him, bowing and swearing their allegiance to him in South Beach.

tyson chandler as chewBacca A warrior filled with great strength and loyalty, Chandler has the spirit of the most famous Wookiee. When the chips are down, Chandler is the last line of defense for the Mavericks and has given the team a defensive focus that has been absent for years. More of a cult hero, Chandler doesn’t get the face time that characters like Dirk Nowitzki (Luke Skywalker) or Jason Terry (Han Solo) will, but the Mavericks don’t stand a chance at taking down the “Evil Empire” without him.

chris Bosh as Grand MoFF tarkin Seen as the third option for the Heat Empire, Bosh is nevertheless a ruthless tactician and an extremely loyal supporter to the Heat movement. Like Grand Moff Tarkin, Bosh is never lacking in confidence (Perhaps a bit overconfident at times, a la Tarkin in A New Hope?) and is always willing to offer ruthless displays of the team’s power on both ends of the floor.

shawn Marion as c-3Po

J.J. Barea as r2-d2

Like C-3PO, Marion has seen his share of adventures and has plenty of stories to tell. The most quirky and eccentric member of the Mavericks’ Rebel Fleet, Marion is extremely versatile, much like the golden droid in the Star Wars saga who is fluent in over six million forms of communication. Sometimes overlooked in the story, Marion is always a critical member of the battle whether you know it or not, like when he blocked Kevin Durant’s shot at the end of regulation in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals to force overtime.

What he lacks in size, Barea makes up for in guile. Spunky and full of attitude, the undersized guard never backs down, even in the most daunting of circumstances. Like the lovable droid R2-D2, Barea is resourceful and always looking for adventure. His bravery has made his style of play a valuable asset, while also turning him into a fan favorite.

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Mark-Paul Gosslaar Photo by Williams & Hirakawa

Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer Break the rules in TNT’s new legal drama Franklin & Bash By Adam Sweeney When you have put your stamp on the pop-culture lexicon like Mark-Paul Gosselaar did by playing Zack Morris in Saved by the Bell or Breckin Meyer has done writing for the Adult Swim animated series Robot Chicken, the chance to flip the script presents a welcome challenge. The two actors are doing just that in the new TNT drama Franklin & Bash, a story of two outlandish young lawyers fighting to maintain their identity after being employed by a corporate law firm. Gosselaar (Peter Bash) and Meyer (Jared Franklin) sat down with us to break down the series, talk Star Wars, the L.A. Lakers and explain what it feels like to be part of pop-culture history.

Franklin & Bash can be seen Wednesdays at 9/8c only on TNT.

PM: (To Gosselaar) You have a sports background somewhat. You do racing, right?

Playmaker Magazine: Let’s start off by talking about Franklin & Bash. What got you guys interested in the show?

MPG: I’ve always tried to do some athletic whatnot besides the work that I do on set. It’s sort of a release for me.

PM: Do you all have any favorite sports teams?

MPG: Bronx County? No. Bronx Defenders. BM: Bronx Defenders. (laughs) Sounds like an NFL team. He already did that internship, so he was well versed in the legal world. Bill Chase, the co-creator of the show, was a public defender for many years, so any time we needed anything on the show we leaned on him as kind of our technical advisor. The cases are a big part of the show and their relationship, and that’s where it kind of veers off from the normal legal dramas I’ve seen because you get to go home with these guys

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MPG: That was a bad way to end that series for us. PM: There is a first time for everything, right? BM: That was tragic. MPG: I didn’t like the exit we made. You know the exit WE made, because you (Meyer) and I played for the team. BM: We played for the team for six months. We were on waivers. (laughs) MPG: I told the guys in the locker room, “Come on guys. Get your head in the game.”

PM: I’m pretty sure he owns half of Europe right now, called “Jar Jar Land” or something like that. Would you go see a new one? Like if they made an Episode 7?

MPG: He might bury us on Franklin & Bash. We had that homage to him. actually

PM: How fun was it to do that, getting to make those kind of viral ads? MPG: Oh, they were great. That was sort of our idea along with Steve Koonin, the head of TNT, to kind of recreate those cheesy attorney commercials, like Larry H. Parker, and the studio obliged. It really was a good day of shooting. We did about five different ones. PM: I really think that’s where the comedic value of Robot Chicken came through. (To Meyer) I have to ask, because I’m a huge Star Wars fan… BM: Me too. PM: I’ve noticed. (laughs) There are more versions coming out with the 3-D re-releases, Blu-Ray, all of that. Are you going to see all of them? BM: I’ll definitely check out the last three, meaning the originals. I’ll definitely check out the OGs in 3-D. I mean that’s a lot of commitment to check out six movies in 3-D. I’ll check out the first three, and then perhaps see Jar Jar after that. (laughs). PM: Well I mean, George Lucas is saying it’s prefaced on the fact that if we get through the first one

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BM: (Laughs) George can do whatever he wants. He can literally do whatever he wants.

BM: Oh absolutely, without a doubt. Because George (Lucas) has been cool with us at Robot Chicken. And he hasn’t sued us, so that’s nice of him. Because he could bury us.(Laughs.)

PM: Breckin is pulling too many boards right now, and that doesn’t make sense. MPG: Well, with all of our advertising, during the playoffs, it felt like we were playing in the NBA.

then we can do the second one, which may or may not be true…

BM: We used lightsabers at one point, which was fun. PM: You might want to try and get him to guest star. You know you’d get a huge demographic bump. BM: We would definitely get a huge demographic (bump). I think the chances are slim to none (laughs) that he would do a cameo. He did (a cameo for) Gilmore Girls because his daughters were fans. PM. He filmed ‘NSYNC as well for Attack of the Clones. MPG: Really? BM: That’s right. They went out there and shot the scene. That was probably a good call to have that not come to be. PM: Mark, you have done theatrical acting, you worked with Julie White and Justin Kirk on The Understudy. How different was that, as far as an organic process, between theatrical acting and film acting? MPG: I thought that was the only medium where I was truly able to be in control of the product. So many times we do work on the set, and

then it gets edited, and kind of goes through this whole filter and we don’t really have a say on the final product. Doing theatrical work on stage, from the very beginning to the end, it’s you. It’s your work. Obviously the director helps you with that, but once you go on stage, it’s just you and the audience. I really enjoyed that process. For Breckin and I, being in the industry for twenty plus years, you get the freedom to express yourself and to know that no one is going to hack your work, [it] was very liberating. PM: Growing up as a child actor for Saved by the Bell, how do you think that made you a better actor? Did you every feel like you had to shake the stigma going into auditions or anything like that? MPG: It didn’t really hit me until it (Saved by the Bell) went into syndication, which I think was in 1996. From 1994 to 1996 there was a period I wasn’t really working because it wasn’t as big as it was now. I wasn’t getting jobs because I was on that show. Generally if you are on a movie that does really well, or a TV show that does really well, and you end it, chances are you will have offers because of your past. Saved by the Bell wasn’t big until it was syndicated. It wasn’t that there was a stigma attached, it’s just that no one saw the show, so I didn’t have any preferential treatment. There was never a stigma to run from. Steven Bochco, when he hired me for NYPD Blue, said he never saw an episode of the show. He said he had no idea I was a child star. I was wondering why he hired Rick Schroeder, and then to have another child star replace him, and he said he never saw an episode of that show. I mean we are both proud of the work we did back then, and now we are sort of iconic parts of television and film, which is kind of cool. We are retro. Some guy said that to me, “Dude you’re retro!” and I thought “Huh.” BM: You are like a Rubik’s Cube. MPG: I’m only 37 and I’m retro. PM: Lots of indie kids are wearing neon and Saved by the Bell t-shirts. MPG: Yeah it’s all kind of coming back. The phones are coming back. Everyone wants that phone. It’s cool to be a part of something as iconic as that. It doesn’t happen that often. PM

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All Eyes on Them Page 20

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Coming into this season, the University of Texas baseball team had high hopes. After all, the legacy of Texas baseball since the arrival of head coach Augie Garrido in 1997 has been nothing short of spectacular. Six Big 12 titles. Four Big 12 tournament titles. Two NCAA National Championship trophies. He won his 1,800th career game this year, the first Division I coach to do so. Will this season end in another national championship dogpile? The answer to that will depend on UT’s ability to perform consistently over the course of an entire series, as well as the timeliness of the team’s bats in crunch time.

Texas Baseball’s drive to omaha Follows a road of redemption By Bradford Harrison

Hitting numbers for the team are down considerably from 2010. Last season the team had 608 hits, including 81 home runs. This season the total number of hits is down to 493, with only 13 home runs. Some of that decline in production is due to this season’s nationwide switch by the NCAA to metal bats designed to have little more spring than wooden bats, with the NCAA citing infielder safety as the primary reason for the switch. According to the NCAA, home runs are down about 45 percent compared to the mid-point of last season, and runs are down about 16 percent. The team is batting .270 for the season. These new changes can’t fully explain why the team is hitting only about one-seventh of the homers it did a year ago, but Taylor Jungmann, the team’s star pitcher, explained that this iteration of the team was “scrappy” and would do whatever it takes to provide the offensive push they needed to close out games. Texas’ season ended last year in the NCAA Super Regional round, where the ‘Horns dropped a 2-1 series with TCU, who would advance to the College World Series. That team went 50-13 for the year. This year, the team is 43-15 entering Regional play. While the team’s bats may not rival last year’s gaudy numbers, the team’s pitching is even better. This year’s team is posting a overall ERA of 2.27 compared to last year’s 2.47. The aforementioned Jungmann was this year’s Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and it’s hard not to see why. 13-0. .95 ERA. 116 Ks. He will be playing in the Majors someday. And the rest of the ‘Horns bullpen rotation is not too shabby either. Sam Stafford, Hoby Milner, and Cole Green have a combined 18-8 record with 209 strikeouts. Green especially has been potent, with 90 of the Ks, as well as Stafford, who has a stellar 1.64 ERA. Freshman closer Corey Knebel has been great also, breaking the freshman record for saves on the year with sixteen.

Photo courtesy UT Athletic Department Playmaker Magazine

Despite the offensive reduction, Texas has players that can summon fireworks at any time. Erich Weiss leads the team in RBIs with 37, and both he and Tant Shepherd have batting averages over .300, as well as over 60 hits a piece. The true offensive juggernaut for UT is Brandon Loy, who leads the team with 72 hits. This trio of infielders will have to be productive at key points for the team to get to the World Series in Omaha. Page 21

“dEspiTE ThE oFFEnsivE rEdUCTion, TExAs hAs plAyErs ThAT CAn sUmmon FirEworKs AT Any TimE.” One knock against this team has been their inability to close out series. Texas has had a hard time closing in the last two months. They took two out of three games for five straight weekends since sweeping Missouri the first weekend in April during the regular season. While that consistency is good for any team (and by winning two of every three games going forward could guarantee a national championship depending on the how the schedule fell) it would be much better to put the nail the coffin when the team has a chance. Coach Augie Garrido has been animated on the sideline in past game three losses, and in a quest to bring another College World Series title to Austin, why take chances? With Texas hosting one of the sixteen Regionals in Austin, and securing a top eight overall seed, the ‘Horns logistically are in a great place to make a run back to the title. But in college baseball, superstars like UT’s own Taylor Jungmann can only get you so far. He is only one player, and with the decline of power-hitting on the team from last year, teamwork is the only way to advance. It has been another great regular season at the Forty Acres, but to ensure a long playoff run, Texas will have to rely on team fundamentals like good fielding and team defense to advance. There is a good enough chance as any for the Tower to be lit with a number one at the end of the season if the ‘Horns can close and play good team baseball, the hallmarks of what this Texas team wants to be this season: champions. PM Page 22

Erich Weiss, photo courtesy UT Athletic Department

Sam Stafford, photo courtesy UT Athletic Department www.playmakeronline.com

Q&A

WITH TAYLOR JUNGMANN

Interview by Adam Sweeney If the Texas Longhorns ever crafted a Mount Rushmore to memorialize the greatest pitchers from the university, Taylor Jungmann’s image would have to be etched into the stone. The junior pitching sensation put on a virtual clinic this season by finishing 13-0 in the regular season with a .95 ERA. Needless to say, it was good enough to earn the honor of Big 12 Pitcher of the Year. A lock to be a top-ten pick in the MLB Draft, Jungmann currently has his eyes on helping the Longhorns to their first championship since 2005. We spoke with the young gun and got his thoughts on his game and the Longhorns’ 2011 season.

Playmaker Magazine: You’re 11-0 and a have an .86 ERA. How did you prepare for this season? By all accounts you are statically better across the board than last season. Taylor Jungmann: Right. I think it all started in the offseason, the strength training program, keeping the arm healthy, the long-toss program, a lot of stuff in the offseason goes into what happens during the year.

PM: You are a Major League prospect. Some people have talked about your pitching style and the idea of you getting fatigued. You talked about strength and conditioning. What do you have to say to anyone that has criticism of that? TJ: Criticism of what? (laughs) Playmaker Magazine

Taylor Jungmann, photo courtesy UT Athletic Department

PM: (laughs) You know, your mechanics. Not to say that they are bad, they’re just unique. TJ: Right, right. Well, if it’s working, why fix it, right? That’s what I have always been told. I mean if someone wants to draft me, take a chance and fix it, that’s fine with me, but for now, it’s working so I’m not going to change anything.

PM: You are 11-0 right now. What do you do to improve? How do you constantly improve, when across the board, like you said, ‘If it’s not broke, why fix it?’ TJ: There is stuff to work on every week in the bullpen. The past couple of weekends I’ve been a little inconsistent. There’s stuff to work on every week with little things mechanically, whether it’s breaking my hands a little earlier, or keeping my arm up, standing back, just a lot of little things.

PM: This team is a lot different, at least offensively, from the 2010 team. Can you discuss that? How are you guys being so productive?

TJ: In 2010, last year’s team, we had a bit more power, but I think that has a lot to do with the bats. We have hit a lot of balls to the warning track that would have gone out with the old bats, but I think our guys just find a way to score. We may not go out and score ten runs every game, but we find a way to win. That’s what we need to do.

PM: What do you pride yourself in? You are the ace of this team. How would you describe this team this year, if you had to use a couple of words to describe the mentality of it? TJ: We’re scrappy. I would describe us as just finding a way to win. Any way we can, we just keep fighting. We have had a lot of comeback wins.

PM: What’s your favorite pitch? Not necessarily the one you feel is the most effective, but the one you like to use the most. TJ: I just like to use the two-seam fastball. Just right down the middle. It’s my go-to pitch.

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A r t i s tght: Spotli

d r a s s u Lelia Bro Interview by Adam Sweeney

Plenty of artists dream of having their face on the cover of Rolling Stone. Lelia Broussard, who is on the brink of winning the Rolling Stone Cover Contest, is becoming a master at turning those wishes into reality. The Lafayette, Louisiana native and New York resident has a sweet sound that sticks in your head and works its way down into your soul. As a gifted singer-songwriter, Broussard is on the brink of becoming a major force in the music industry. Luckily for future fans, there’s always room to jump on the bandwagon. We come along for the ride and chat with Broussard about the Rolling Stone magazine, how much of herself went into her latest album, Masquerade, and why a Katy Perry song may soon be a staple of her live show.

Playmaker Magazine: How excited are you about the Rolling Stone contest and how did you get involved? Lelia Broussard: It’s been a really fun journey and it’s only getting more exciting. There are a lot of cool things happening as a result of it, which is great. I found out about it in January. It was a closed contest. There weren’t submissions or anything. This A&R guy at Atlantic Records had my record and he asked me to be a part of it, so I thought about it and said yeah.

PM: I think ultimately that was the right decision. (Laughs.) LB: (Laughs.) Yeah, it’s been good so far.

PM: You’re down to the final two, competing against The Sheepdogs. Have you had any verbal battles with them or Twitter volleys? Or do you wish them the best? LB: (Laughs.) Yeah, I’ve talked to them several times. We met during photo shoots. They’re goofy guys and we joke on Twitter and the internet a lot. (Laughs.) The funny thing is that the Prime Minister of Canada endorsed them, since they’re from Canada, and so I made all these fake Tweets from Barack Obama saying that he endorsed me, then I’d say, ‘Suck on that, Dogs!’ But they’re really funny. Playmaker Magazine

PM: You’re going to start a whole international Twitter war. LB: I know. Canada vs. America. The United States of America.

PM: I think you’ve got a good campaign going on. A vote for Lelia Broussard is a vote for patriotism. LB: (Laughs.) I know. The funny part is that I have Canadian roots. I’m Cajun and my people come from Nova Scotia so that’s kind of funny too. Canadian people aren’t bad at all.

PM: You know this is going to start a Rolling Stone “Birther” cover controversy. Where’s the birth certificate, Lelia? LB: (Laughs.) That would be hilarious.

PM: Does the album Masquerade have a personal narrative for you? LB: Definitely. All my music is deeply personal and means a lot to me. It all comes from things I have experienced in life because I feel like [in] music, people connect with the honesty in it. I try to do that myself. This album was actually pretty tied to one incident, a relationship. At the time of it, my entire world fell apart. I was super depressed because I had a publishing deal that fell through, so that was ending along with my relationship. It was a really hard time in my life where I was trying to figure things out. I was really pissed off. (Laughs.) So all the songs are about that with the exception of “Hipster Bitch.” The inspiration for that song came way before any of that happened. (Laughs.)

PM: I live in a college town so, not to use a derogatory term towards females, but I’ve seen a few hipster bitches in my time. LB: (Laughs.) I think everybody has.

SXSW was crazy. I’ve played it before but I had never had an official showcase. All our shows were awesome. The people that came out were fun and exciting. We had a fantastic time there.

PM: I bet. You got YouTube buzz for covering Beyonce’s “Single Ladies.” What are some other pop songs you would like to cover? LB: Well, I sort of unofficially covered it on there. It wasn’t on an album or anything. I love “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry. It’s my favorite. I do medleys and have done a verse from “Teenage Dream” in my show, but I don’t think that counts.

PM: Well, even though I’m a guy, I’ve got pop roots too. I haven’t done any covers yet but I’m working on it. LB: Well, pop music is equal opportunity. (Laughs.)

PM: Totally. Look at Michael Jackson and Elton John. LB: Exactly.

PM: You have a unique look going on. Is that a personal reﬂection of you as a person or is it more an extension of you as an artist? LB: It’s definitely an extension of the artist part. I wanted to have a representation of what the album, Masquerade, meant. I did it in a photo shoot and then said, ‘Let’s do this.’ It kind of morphed into a new thing and made things new and fun.

PM: It’s a trend. You were a SXSW Showcase artist. What was that experience like and how do you feel about Austin?

PM: Awesome. We will spread the word about the Rolling Stone cover contest and if The Sheepdogs lose, we can send them some maple syrup as a consolation prize.

LB: I love Austin. It’s one of my favorite towns.

LB: (Laughs.) Great. Thank you so much.

PM Page 25

A teXAs welcome President Barack Obama steps off Air Force One after landing in Austin, Texas for a recent visit. Photo by Adam Sweeney

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