RVA Volume 1 Issue 7

Sticky Rice

2 2 3 2 W. M a i n S t r e e t 8 0 4 . 3 5 8 . 7 8 7 0 www.ilovestickyrice.com

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GLASS RECORDS CLOTHES

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&EATURING 3AM &LORES *EREMY &ISH 'IANT AND OTHERS

R. Anthony Harris PUBLISHER / SENIOR DESIGNER

Parker

VOL. ISSUE 7 / DECEMBER 05 PRISON WITHOUT BARS

CREATIVE DIRECTOR / EVENTS COORDINATOR

Ian Graham

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER / DISTRIBUTION

Tess Dixon / Kathryn Whitley CO EDITORS

Peter Szijarto THE INTERN

LOCAL R.Anthony Harris Tess Dixon

ART Moira MacTaggert Doug Utley

MUSIC Ian Graham Ryan Kent Sean Patrick Rhorer Peter Szijarto JoAnna Wiley Jason Hodges Landis Wine Donny George Jenny Elliot

FILM Teddy Blanks Kevin Gallagher Matt Goins Peter Szijarto R. Anthony Harris

LIT Clay Chapman Lee Carleton Meghan Schulze Rebecca Johnson D. Bowman Tyler Bass

DESIGNERS Nick Martin Andre Shank Dylan R. Mullins Ian Graham R. Anthony Harris Peter Szijarto Kate Jones ILLUSTRATORS Dash Shaw Holly Camp R. Anthony Harris PHOTOGRAPHERS Ian Graham Peter Szijarto Donny Geogre R. Anthony Harris Rebecca Johnson Jenny Elliot

CONTACT Inkwell Design L.L.C. 3512 Floyd Ave. Apt.1 Richmond, VA 23221 p// 8 0 4 . 3 4 9 . 5 8 9 0 eml// tony@rvamag.com w w w. r v a m a g . c o m

ADVERTISING For all local and national advertising inquiries p// 804.349.5890 OR eml// advertising@rvamag.com.

DISTRIBUTION If your business or establishment would like to carry RVA contact us p//804.349.5890 OR eml// distribution@rvamag.com.

SUBMISSIONS RVA welcomes submissions but cannot be held responsible for unsolicited material. Send all submissions to content@rvamag.com.

HEADS UP The advertising and articles appearing within this publication reflect the opinion and attitudes of their respective authors and not necessarily those of the publisher or editors. Reproduction in whole or part without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

RVA Magazine is published monthly and is $3.99 USD. All material within this magazine is protected. RVA is a registered trademark of Inkwell Design L.L.C. Thank you.

COVER >> Parker, Kim Frost, Ian Graham, & R. Anthony Harris PRINTED IN RICHMOND by Lewis Creative Technologies

We have a correction. The author on the Patchwork Collective article from last issue was Landis Wine.

December’s WTF !!??!

Anthony Everything in

Parker Wake up!! You’ve

my life happens over and over. I make mistakes then repeat them.

been lied to all of your life. You’ve been fed bullshit since the day you were born.

I know what I am doing one day, then am totally lost the next.

Why?

Play.

Pause.

Repeat.

Play.

Pause.

Repeat.

Play.

Pause.

Repeat.

Because of fear and the need to control, the need for you to think that you can’t live without certain things, the need to program you to a certain way of thinking that promotes doing what you are told without questioning the reasons behind it.

It’s time for you to stand up and take responsibility for yourself. Search for your own answers.

Construct your own belief system based on the answers you find that make sense to you.

Don’t be afraid to take risks. Become a free and forward thinking individual. Break down the walls of the false reality society has constructed.

Open your eyes...

Ian I a n M . G r a h a m i s an eligible bachelor with a million dollar boat. He is a photographer pursuing his vision and a degree, a drummer seeking the eternal pocket and ultimate groove, a slacker with an easy c h a i r, a b o y w i t h t o y s , a man with dreams, slightly southern, and he also has a beard!

The most incredible thing I’ve ever seen was the winds somehow hitting each other to create an updraf t that sent three deck umbrellas shooting forty feet in t h e a i r.

Tess It’s time for the first edition of Grammar Talk with Tess: “a lot” is two words. Two words, people. It is never, ever one word.

Now that that’s taken care of...Working on this magazine has already been quite the experience; thanks to RVA for giving us this opportunity.

Also, thanks to the writers who are improving the magazine with all their hard work and revisions.

Now for winter in Richmond...the chilly part of the year that sneaks up on you and suddenly immerses you in leg warmers, winter coats, and sledding.

I laughed out loud and And to all the haters: felt enlightened, just Richmond’s not boring. for a moment.

You are.

Peter I wanted to say thanks

to all the staff at RVA for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the magazine. Throughout my internship I have experienced many sides of this business from running around town delivering magazines, to interviewing various artists and attending some kick-ass parties.

Thank you to Maria and Rikki at Adrenaline PR, the guys from Lamb of God, Kim, Kipp, George for the cover shot, Matt from the Cheap Seats, Jessica from Empire, Yam, Henry, Valerie from Style, and Amanda.

Happy Birthday to Pe-

I want to give props to Amanda ter, Nick, and Parker.

Robinson of Gallery 5 for hosting the best events in town not Merry Christmas and to mention being awesome. continue your support

of this little commu-

Thanks to Bob Kaputof, my nity of talented, fun department head, for letting people in Richmond. me intern and get credit for it even though its not specifically related to KI, to all the readers who support us and all the artists that contribute, to all the interesting people I talked to while working the mag’s table, to Julia, dance partner 4 life!, and lastly to all my friends and family who are cool with the fact that I never show my face because I’m too busy.

Thundercats are copyright of Hasbro Inc & one of the best cartoons ever.

Local

06 Pick & Choose : Neal Iwan 07 Gallery Profile : >> CornerStone Gallery 07 Wanna See More?? >> Multi Media Alex Griffin >> Photographer Ken Howard 12 Michele Stuchell The coordinator of C3 brings to light the goal of the program and the big picture of Richmond’s creative future.

14 Know Your City : Church Hill

Music

18 Lamb of God 20 Randy Blythe Ryan Kent got the skinny and some life lessons from the straight up frontman of Lamb of God & Halo of Locusts.

24 Richmond Labels Profile Vol. 1 Sean Patrick Rhorer begins his examination starting with Richmond punk/metal labels Grave Mistake and No Way. 28 The Brainworms The Intern picks apart one of his favorite Richmond bands. Yes, they are still together.

04

R VA n o . 7 P r i s o n W i t h o u t B a r s

32 The Bass Line >> Lamb of God : Killadelphia >> Permanent : Sleeping >> The Brainworms : Brainworms >> Intelligence : Icky Baby >> Quintron & Miss Pussycat : Swamp Tech >> Silver Jews : Tanglewood Numbers >> MUTT : Dublites 36 J.P Gaster of Cluch When Clutch played Alley Katz this past November, longtime fan Jenny Elliot fulfilled her dream of interviewing the band.

38 Chuck B The versatile Dj talks turntablism vs dj’ing, how he got started, and his day job working with mental patients

Lit

40 ABOUT THE WORD: Newspeak Lee Carleton’s new series brings to light the term from Orwell’s 1984.

42 Tom DeHaven The VCU professor is cross examined by Rebecca Johnson on the origins of his Superman fixation.

46 A Short Note on Length 48 A Daily Exercise 49 Twenty-Four Hour Day in Richmond 50 Reward Money The opening monologue from Clay McLeod Chapman’s Drinking Games .

Art

54 Team 8 The design/illustration brainchild of a VCU foursome is helping birth a new look for Richmond’s underground.

58 Dealing with Smaller Art One man standing up for smaller art.

Film

60 Bill Daniel The filmmaker responsible for “Who is Bozo Texino” speaks on freedom and making a documentary over a period of 16 years.

64 Dispatches From The Cinema Affairs Desk 66 On Passing 66 Mark of the Damned’s Eric Miller 70 Cinema >> Good Night, And Good Luck >> The Weather Man The Films of Larry Cohen >> It’s Alive >> Q The Winged Serpent >> God Told Me To

Quick Guide

72 Quick Guide Map 73 Quick Guide Listings 78 Richmond Indy Radio 97.3 FM

i l l u s t ra t i o n / A n d re S h a n k

Pick & Choose

The First Fridays in Richmond bring out thousands of people to Broad Street every month.

With over twenty galleries to walk thru there is plenty of art we would own if we had the $$$ but we can only pick one.

“PRAISING THE DEAD” Neal Iwan Oil ON CANVAS

$700.00 USD Gallery5 200 West Marshall STREET RICHMOND,VIRGINIA 23220 phone // 804.644.0 0 05 web// www.gallery5arts.com eml //vfpmgallery5@verizon.net gallery hours // Tues. thru Sat. 11-4 PM Thank you to Galler y5.

Cornerstone Gallery 23 West Broad Street p// :: 804.344.1508 Cornerstone Gallery is a program of the nonprofit arts organization Curated Culture, which is best known for coordinating Richmondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s First Fridays Art Walk. In partnership with Cornerstone Architects, Curated Culture offers alternative exhibition space for emerging artists and community outreach exhibitions on the Broad Street corridor. 23 West Broad Street is fast turning into a creative incubator building, housing Curated Culture, Cornerstone Architects, and numerous marketing, research, and design firms.

Ian Graham 07

“And yet I had no intention of trying to escape from modern suffering.

I have no high regard for the bastard wisdom of the Koran. - But isn’t there a very real torment in knowing that since the dawn of that scientific discovery, Christianity, Man has been making a fool of himself, proving what is obvious, puffing with pride as he repeats his proofs, and living on that alone! This is a subtle, stupid torment; and this is the source of my spiritual ramblings. Nature may well be bored with it all! Prudhomme was born with Christ.” - Arthur Rimbaud “My recent work has been largely influenced by the poetry of Arthur Rimbaud.” - Alex via email alex griffin / alex@motioncaptive.com 08

R VA n o . 7 P r i s o n W i t h o u t B a r s

R VA n o . 7 P r i s o n W i t h o u t B a r s

09

A short visual narrative from Ken Howard.

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Ken Howard / skootin@hotmail.com

R VA n o . 7 P r i s o n W i t h o u t B a r s

11

local

C3, A Step in The Ri g h t Di r e c t i o n

/ R. Anthony Harris

In a city not traditionally known for its creativity, C3 is blazing a new trail in its attempt to combine local business with the growing Richmond creative sector. This program could set the tone for how Richmond business communicates with a professional creative community that is going thru a fundamental change in the way it works.

R. Anthony Harris Can you give our audience some background into who you are?

Michele Stuchell I came to Richmond from the DC area to go to University of Richmond and then stayed. I got my Masters in Counseling from VCU and 15 years later I’m still here. The common thread that runs through my career is people. I love building and developing people. I was the Client Services Director at the Crisis Pregnancy Center, then worked with students at U of R as a campus minister. I then worked as business consultant/ coach. I realized I wanted to be a champion for Richmond and that quest lead me to C3.

Other stuff about me... I love to be outside, be with my friends, cook and eat out and curl up with a good book and a cup of tea.

RH What is C3?

MS C3 is a movement as much as a space, program or community; a crosspollination of business and art where suits mix with tattoos, artists hang with analysts. We’re a non-profit designed to support and promote the creative community in the Richmond region. We have a great space in Shockoe Bottom with free wi-fi, a coffee station, creative library, a couple iMacs with CS2 and Microsoft. People can come to work, have meetings, hang out. We also have programs to promote business skills in start-ups, speaker series with creative leaders and one-on-one consultations for professional help. It may take some time to understand what C3 is because it’s different and new, but once people come and experience C3, they come back.

RH Why do this in Richmond?

MS Why not? We have so many of the pieces in place: VCU, the arts, the number one graduate advertising program in the nation, The Martin Agency, tons of boutique creative shops, a biotech park, thriving small businesses, new urbanism...

We’ve seen that there is a great hunger to continue the conversation about creativity. Our goal is that Richmond becomes a creative capital of the MidAtlantic.

RH What are the positives you see in the city? Any negatives?

MS We have so much going for us in this region: incredible talent, a great music scene, urban renewal, fabulous restaurants and people that want to make a difference. Negatives? There is still a lot of fragmentation. We hope that C3 can do its part to bring people together so that the fabric of our community is stronger than just a bunch of disjointed parts. I’d love to see the governments (county/ city), business and non-profit leaders working together to make the Richmond region stronger.

RH How have the business & creative communities responded to this project?

MS It was the business community that gave us the initial funding to start and continue C3. There are many leaders that see the need to support the creative community and are stepping up to the plate. It’s good for their businesses and good for the community. The creative community has been great, using the space, coming to programs, volunteering; all the grass roots efforts to make us a success. We want and need support from both. We’ve launched C3 Catalysts, so now individuals can give financially to C3 to make sure we survive and serve the creative community.

RH There are a number of initiatives and organizations, including C3, making the city a better place to work within the creative sector. Are there any you feel are making a difference?

MSToo many to list here. Art 180, River District Alliance, Plant Zero, Bainbridge Art Center, all the galleries, First Fridays, Richmond Hill, Superior Production Exchange, Richmond Renaissance, and of course, RVA. RH Any events coming up at C3 we should know about?

MS December will be slow since there is so much going on. But come to the Holiday Party Dec. 14th. Get ready for us in January. Sign up for the newsletter at www.c3va.org for more activities and news.

Ian Graham 13

K now Yo ur City: P ar t 2 : C h u r c h H i l l

/ Tess Dixon

Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

Historically speaking, Church Hill has all of its bases covered. In 1737, the original street plans for Richmond were drawn up and executed on land donated by William Byrd II, and Church Hill was part of this first incarnation of Richmond. The view of the James River from Church Hill reminded ex-Englishmen of the view of the Thames River from Richmond-on-the-Thames: hence, our city’s name.

As one of the oldest areas of town, Church Hill has always been blanketed with sturdy pre-Victorian homes that leave no room for the strip malls that eat away the West End. On weeknights, if you ignore the parked cars along the streets and the lack of period garb, it’s almost too easy to imagine that you’ve stepped back in time to the quiet streets of pre-Civil War Richmond. Church Hill is the venerable cousin to classy but hard-partying Shockoe Bottom. It looms overhead, silently watching the world changing below it. The neighborhood is an anchor: probably more well-preserved than any other neighborhood in Richmond, it stays the same. It reminds us of what this city was, and is.

You heard it here first, folks: the birth pangs of American stubbornness. Besides being the oldest church in town, St. John’s Church happens to be the most politically incendiary. The man responsible for St. John’s reputation is none other than Patrick Henry himself: old-tyme Virginia lawyer, giver of historic speeches, and wearer of three-cornered hats. In 1775, at a legislature meeting taking place in the church, Henry delivered a speech in reaction to freshly-begun English hostilities and put Church Hill on the map. Those were cranky times, and notoriously defiant Richmonders were not to be left out of the hubbub.

Our very own Edgar Allan Poe was the original example of a person who could never really leave Richmond. His feet seemed always to take him back here, and towards the end of his life, they took him to Church Hill specifically. These visits were to his childhood sweetheart, Elmira Shelton, with whom he had rekindled a romance. He visited her often at her home on Grace St., and the couple planned to marry in October of 1849. The weeks leading up to their planned wedding date were ruined only when Poe left Richmond for Baltimore, to take care of some last-minute business. Coincidence, or subliminal punishment for attempting to escape Richmond, even for a couple of weeks? Whatever it was, it proved to be the last business he ever took care of.

During the Civil War, Church Hill was home to the largest Confederate hospital in the country, Chimborazo. Where a pretty park full of green fields is situated now, dozens of wooden buildings housed wounded soldiers, a bakery, a kitchen, a dairy, bathhouses, and more used to stand. More than 77,000 patients were treated there before the war was over and the buildings were torn down.

14

R VA n o . 7 P r i s o n W i t h o u t B a r s

As long as things have been happening in Richmond – the revolutions, the fire, the drama -- Church Hill has been a part of it. And so it still is.

Of late, Church Hill has seen its share of change and adjustment. Like all old neighborhoods, there was a period of partial decline and disrepair. Tales of crime pressing in from north of Broad St. left the area abandoned by progress for a while, and stuck in throes of a self-fulfilling prophecy. But affordable land and a great location make people bold, and restoration efforts are ubiquitous there these days. Everywhere there is the sound of buzzing saws, hammering nails, and stomping work boots. There’s an attitude of hope amongst the neighbors as they see Church Hill becoming a better place to live with every passing day. There seems to be camaraderie between these people who place their faith in revitalization. They have progressive dinner and drink parties. They stay out on their porches sipping cocktails until late at night. Their murmurings are the evidence of life breathed back into this old neighborhood.

This article could continue for days, describing Church Hill, and you might never get the point. Instead, I trust that you’ll get the point in a much easier way: by making that autumn pilgrimage to Church Hill, and soaking in the view of the city from the Hill. You will get the point immediately, guaranteed.

Things to see: - St. John’s Church, 2401 E. Broad St. – The gorgeous old church has expanded much over the years, and tombstones lay right up to the very side of the buildings. You can have a tour, or see a reenactment of Patrick Henry’s famous speech.

- The Hill Café, 2800 E. Broad St. – Crab cakes delicious enough for even the most discerning of crab cake connoisseurs.

- A Capella, 2300 E. Broad St. – Always a good-natured mix of locals and hipsters, in a cozy little bar.

- Chimborazo Medical Museum, 3215 E. Broad St. – Everything you ever wanted to know about medical practices during the Civil War and life at Chimborazo Hospital.

- Libby Hill Park, 28th and E. Franklin Sts. – The best view of the city, period...especially at night. Cobblestones, a Confederate monument, and looking down on the rest of the city? How Richmond of you.

music

Ian Graham 17

La mb o f Go d / Ian M. Graham If you’re reading RVA, there’s a good chance you already know the history of Lamb of God. If you need a refresher, however, here’s the quick: Mark Morton (guitar) Chris Adler (drums) and John Campbell (bass) formed the band in 1990. They were joined by Abe Spear (guitar) and Randy Blythe (vocals) after Morton left to get his Masters degree. Morton re-joined, making the band Burn the Priest.

Shortly thereafter, Abe left, and Adler joined.

About a year later, in 2000, the band changed their name to Lamb of God, and released New American Gospel on Prosthetic Records.

Relentless touring, especially between Philadelphia, New York, and Chicago, led to a serious underground following. Three albums and one DVD later, they join the ranks of Richmond bands such as GWAR and Avail that emerge from the cutting edge of underground music to take the country by storm.

Who is Lamb of God? They may kill me for saying this, but at their core, LoG is a bunch of really nice guys. Those in the band who are not married are engaged. They invited us to their Sounds of the Underground Tour, which we were happy to attend -- a full day of the country’s (world’s, actually) best metal acts, including GWAR, Opeth, Norma Jean, Clutch, Lamb of God, and more (there’s an article and pictures of the tour on our web site). With such a roster supporting their own tour (after 18

R VA n o . 7 P r i s o n W i t h o u t B a r s

playing Ozzfest and touring with Slipknot), it’s hard to describe them as anything other than the current champions of underground metal -- but more than anything else, they are an established musical act. Hanging out before rehearsal, John had this to say, in the week before departing for yet another European tour: “There’s a lot of good and bad shit that comes about it. We’ve taken a hobby, and turned it into a business, and it’s now our job. There are parts that tend to be a drag, that come along with the job, but that being said, it’s the coolest fuckin’ job I’ve ever had, and I find it hard to complain when I don’t have to get up and go to work at 8AM like most of my friends do. It’s pretty goddamn liberating.”

What are Lamb of God’s secrets to success?

Secrets, they are not. They use standards of heavy metal -- tight musicianship, driving vocals, and lyrical content derived from the worst of human conditions, namely war and society. War, especially, has been a topic for Lamb of God, and not solely by their own volition. Granted, the band released Ashes of the Wake, an album chock full of anti-war lyrics, in the middle of the 2004 election.

But when Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 featured soldiers showing an Ozzfest CD that they listened to in combat -- a CD that featured Lamb of God- the band’s popularity with active troops became apparent.

John “It’s one thing to hear about it, but when veterans come up to us at signings,

dudes who are on leave and home for three months and going back, they’ll come to you and say ‘man, I killed three dudes listening to your music’... You sympathize with them as a human for what they’re going through, and it’s cool that they’ve related in a deep way to what you do, but it’s also kind of disturbing.”

Willie said “It’s not a rationale for it at all, but to me, this kind of music has always been very motivating in whatever I’m doing. It gets me ready to do whatever I’m going to do. These guys have a job to do over there just like we do over here, and it’s their choice. I think a lot of those guys share our opinion, that maybe some bad choices have been made, but its doing what you’re asked to do by your country. I suppose its part of the gig.”

But the subject matter of war isn’t put into the lyrics with the intent of getting troops as listeners; the tune is more akin to a morbid fascination. The video for “11th Hour” featured war footage of American troops in combat, as well as a small girl holding a sign that says “Please don’t kill-us” (sic). The lyrics deal directly with the U.S.’s invasion of Iraqthe song “Now You’ve Got Something to Die For” speaks of flags on coffins, oil, gunpoint indoctrination and the rape of democracy.

With the contrast of having an anti-war stance -- one that resonates fairly evenly through the members of the band -- and large popularity amongst the troops, the band’s shows (often near military bases) draw one of the more diverse crowds in terms of political

orientation. The military presence alone, however, draws its own mix of supporters of U.S. actions, and those who oppose.

Says Blythe: “It’s interesting. A lot of the troops are young dudes. Some of them obviously believe that it’s necessary for us to be over there, and some of them are not so into it. To me, hey, it’s heavy metal, not a new liberal platform for a political party.

Some of them told me that it helps them get through their day, gets them pumped up, and if it helps them survive, I’m down for it. I have two friends I know that are in the Marines. We have a lot of friends who are in there.”

A few things sound clearly during our conversation, however. There are two things that Lamb of God is not -- they are not against our troops, and they are not politicians. The reasoning behind the lyrics seems to be the presentation of an opinion, instead of a preaching point. It’s more conversations and people, rather than instances, that they remember from the road, so it seems that Lamb of God wants those listening to their music to truly listen, rather than simply hear. Who would’ve figured that a heavy metal band would want to make you think?

Lamb of God is currently working on their fourth major release, which they plan to complete after touring Europe with Devil Driver and The Agony Scene.

Ian Graham 19

Som e W o rds fro m R an d y B l y t h e of La mb o f Go d & H al o o f L o c u st s

/ Ryan Kent

The f ir st time I saw Halo of Locusts I got so drunk the pizza guy from Alley Katz had to drive me home. I had been drinking with the guitar player, Chris, and I ended up jumping around on the main f loor with a heavily tat tooed bald guy c alled Saint James. That ’s what Jägermeister does to me. Unfor tunately I couldn’t remember a single song or make out any of the words going through my head. This time when I saw Halo I made sure I wasn’t so drunk. I talked with Halo’s tour manager, whom I know from a band called Sic Seed. He set up an inter view with D. Randall Bly the, singer for not only Halo of Locusts but Richmond ’s own metal heav y weights, Lamb of God. This show was fantastic. West Virginia’s By zantine played just before Halo and completely set the mood for an all-out break-your-nose show. The music was so heav y it felt like Kathy Bates was sit ting on my face. Af ter the show ended Randy suggested we go to McCormick ’s on 18th street to do the inter view.

We sat in a booth and got some beer s and began working.

Ryan Kent What’s different about Halo of Locusts compared to Lamb of God? Randy Blythe We’re not nearly as technical as Lamb of God and if you’re familiar with doom metal, kind of southern sludge-rock kind of style. Bands like Eyehategod, Weedeater, all that stuff. There’s a few elements of that but we have some technical aspects as well but it’s a little more rock n’ roll than Lamb of God. RK How did the Sounds of the Underground Tour go with you guys?

RB It went really well except for the fucking interview I did for your magazine.

It got deleted. Did you hear about that?

RK Yeah, I heard it didn’t get recorded.

RB No, it got recorded and they used the wrong format. I’m really looking forward to being in RVA. There’s no more Punch Line. Style [ Weekly] sucks my fucking fat cock. Fuck Style Weekly, you know what, I don’t care. If anyone in Style reads this - fuck yourself. It’s whack. It’s West End bullshit. But Sounds of the Underground went really well except for the RVA interview getting erased.

RK When you played Ozzfest, man, how did that feel?

RB Alright, I’m going to break your balls because I know you’re a young child and you’re a kid. That is the stupidest question ever. Ozzfest, oh, it felt like an enema. What do you think it felt like? Of course it felt great. I mean playing in front of thousands of people every day. I hung out with Black Sabbath. Are you fucking kidding me?

RK Did you meet Ozzy?

RB Bill Ward called me about six months ago. The drummer from Black Sabbath called me. I flipped the fuck out.

RKBill Ward fucking called you!

RB Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah it’s fucking crazy. But what’s it like to be on Ozzfest, that’s a silly question. So I’m going to help you. Go ahead, this interview is going great so far.

RK About Eyehategod, man, what do you love about them?

RB Well, Eyehategod, besides the Bad Brains and the Sex Pistols and Big Black, they’re my favorite band of all time. They’re my favorite band that’s currently working even though Mike’s [Williams, vocals] in jail.

RK Really?

RB Yeah, Mike went to jail for a little bit.

RK They stayed at my house. That was the show they did with Byzantine.

RB [laughs] Was everything there when they left? Mike, Jimmy, Joey, I’m just joking. They’re good dudes, man. Richmond was a huge Eyehategod town.

I love Eyehategod because Eyehategod is not just a band, it’s a lifestyle and I live that lifestyle. Not as hard as they do but I live it. [Pause interview as interviewer and interviewee take a shot of Jager.] No, Eyehategod is just, to me their music is slow; it’s brutal. And I had a really long winter one year in Oregon Hill, here in Richmond where I don’t even know how I made it through it except every morning I put in Take As Needed For Pain and I listened to Eyehategod every morning. I mean, they’re good buddies of mine.

RK Dopesick is a good record.

RB Dopesick is amazing. I always sing “Dixie Whiskey” with those guys onstage if they’re ever around me.

RK When you’re with Lamb of God and you had the ability…

RB Fuck Lamb of God. Oops, did I say that? I’m sorry Chris [Adler], I didn’t mean it. It’s been a long Halo of Locusts tour, I’m sorry.

RK If you could make any record on par with any other record you’ve ever heard, what would it be?

RB With Lamb of God? RK Or with Halo. Either, or.

RB It’s very easy. With Lamb of God, the record I would make to set the bar for Lamb of God would be Slayer’s Reign in Blood. [Now, interviewer and interviewee pause for cheers.] If Lamb of God can make a record, I mean Ian Graham 21

some of my guys would rather make a Megadeth record but you can’t fuck with Slayer, dude. If we could make our own Reign in Blood…Reign in Blood is legendary. With Halo of Locusts, if we could make Eyehategod’s Take As Needed For Pain I would be happy. That touches people in a certain way. It definitely touched me in the pee-pee so it’s all good.

RK Besides your wife have you ever fallen in love with a record like a woman?

You have to think of it logically. Has a single record ever made your fucking life like a woman?

RB Let me tell you something about women. You’re twenty-two, correct?

RK Twenty-three.

RB You’re twenty-three. You don’t know what the fuck you’re doing. You don’t even know how to fuck yet – well, maybe you do, I don’t know, we could find out later [makes groaning sounds]. When, on the real tip, all sarcasm aside, when I was younger chicks hated me, I didn’t matter. But music is always there for you. You know I was really into the Misfits, Samhain, all of that shit and I’m a big punk rock kid. That’s where I come from. I’m not a Mr. Metal Dude. I’m not that dude. Really, man, when I was younger music was my life because I had no women [laughs] know what I’m saying? I will say this, right now, my wife Cindy is the most immaculate album ever made, to me.

RK When did you guys get married?

RB We got married September 10th [2005]. Down on the beach in North Carolina, where I’m from.

RK What did you think of Strapping Young Lad on the Sounds of the Underground Tour?

RB Devin [Townsend, singer/guitarist] is a very good friend of mine. I learned to be a friend with Gene [drums, Hoglan]; he’s a great dude. You got to respect Gene Hoglan; he played for Death and so forth. I love them. Devin has the funniest in-between-song banter I’ve heard in years. He’s amazing. “Get your filthy cocks up here. Fuck and go fuck yourself.” I mean he’s amazing, man.

RK Last one, if you could give any advice to kids starting to play in bands what 22

R VA n o . 7 P r i s o n W i t h o u t B a r s

would it be?

RB Alright kids, this is D. Randall from Lamb of God and Halo of Locusts talking to you. I’m gonna tell you how it is.

Number 1 : Don’t do it, because you’re going to lose. I’m actually discouraging you from playing music because even though you think you’re a bad ass you probably fucking suck, okay.

Alright, number 2, as I pause to light this cigarette [lights cigarette]. If you are stupid enough to ignore my advice and not go to the West End and work at Ukrops, you should practice a whole lot. So if you get to the practice spot, that place where you practice, you have to go there not just two days a week.

Don’t think you’ve ever invented an original riff because you haven’t and we sure as hell haven’t. Neither of my bands have. Don’t think that you’re something special, because you know what, mother fucker? You aren’t.

Number 3: If someone expresses interest in you – don’t believe them because they’re out to stick their finger so far up your asshole that you’ll never shit again, mother fucker. Don’t believe the hype kid, it’s stupid.

Number 4: If you get label interest and you decide to go with them and you sign with them, get a fucking lawyer.

Number 5: Once you have the lawyer make sure you don’t sell your publishing rights for anything less than half a million. That’s an arbitrary number I just threw out.

Number 6: If you’re where I’m at and you already got a label and you’re selling your rights and you have a lawyer and all that stuff, good fucking luck because you’re probably going to be working at 7-11 in three years.

Peace out mother fucker.

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23

Ri c h m on d L a b el s Pr of i l e Vol . 1 / Sean Patrick Rhorer Richmond has long been known for churning out some of the best punk and hardcore bands to ever exist. Continuing in that tradition are t wo local labels, Grave Mistake Records and No Way Records, both thriving from their mutually suppor tive relationships with the RVA scene. Alex DiMat tesa of Grave Mistake and Brandon Ferrell and Lauren Amiss of No Way Records share their thoughts on the benef its and challenges of running an independent label in their great cit y.

Sean Patrick Rhorer How would you introduce you and your label to someone who hasn’t heard of you before?

Alex DiMattesa If [people] have an idea of what punk rock and/or hardcore is, I just say punk rock and/or hardcore. Sometimes I’ll throw the word fast or the term, DIY, in there somewhere.

Brandon Ferrell I run No Way Records with Lauren, my girlfriend. We are a DIY label and we do everything out of our house. We only put out hardcore and punk records, that’s about it.

Lauren Amiss Brandon and I started No Way Records about a year ago with our tax return money. For as long as I’ve known Brandon, he’s always wanted to put out a record. We both love the same music, so we joined forces and it works out perfectly.

SPR Why do you do your label?

AD I do my label for several reasons, first and foremost is to show support for bands I love and believe in enough to actually put my time and money into so other people can hear them. I would never do a record for a band that I didn’t love 100%, and I sure as hell don’t do this for the fast women, fame, drugs, or money even though that stuff is nice too. The other main reason is to document bands that I feel should be remembered in some way when they are long gone and forgotten, at least I know that they have some

recorded documentation of their existence out there somewhere.

LA Up until recently I hadn’t heard many good new bands. Now there are so many out there popping up everywhere, so we want to hear them and have them be heard. It’s basically just fun as shit. This is probably the coolest thing I’ve done in my entire life.

SPR Do you feel that running your label in Richmond has any importance to what you’re doing? Explain.

AD Richmond has such a great history for punk rock and hardcore, and I feel like as the years have passed, Richmond has kept up its reputation as being a thriving music scene for all styles of music, especially those of the more “underground” persuasion. Furthermore, it’s a good center for surrounding Virginia scenes (Harrisonburg, Virginia Beach, etc.) and it’s so close to Washington, DC, it’s great to be able to stay so close to so many scenes. I am lucky to be able to run my label in such a supportive scene.

LA The main importance is bringing more notice to our bands.

Government Warning was our first release, and a lot more people have been more interested since the release came out. We’ve met a lot of cool people through doing it too. It’s awesome that so many people here have supported our label and bought the record.

SPR How do you view Richmond’s music scene in comparison to other cities?

AD Well, Richmond has Avail, and no other city can say that. I think that answers this question for the most part. I think there are way more kids into punk rock and hardcore here in Richmond than most cities, so that usually makes for a pretty strong scene, regardless of what subgenre or offshoot of punk/hardcore/indie/etc. you are talking about, there is something for everyone and always a good amount of kids to support both local bands R VA n o . 7 P r i s o n W i t h o u t B a r s

25

and bands that come through on tour. As far as Richmond bands, I think some of the best bands out now call this city home: Down To Nothing, Direct Control, Avail, Smoke Or Fire, Permanent, Strike Anywhere, Bracewar, Government Warning (shameless self promotion), Renee Heartfelt, Municipal Waste, tons more that I am forgetting, not to mention past bands like Inquisition, Count Me Out, 4 Walls Falling, the list goes on. Richmond seems to have a continuing legacy of incredible bands, and it is an honor to be a part of.

SPR What are some of the bands you’ve worked with and why did you pick them?

AD Pretty much every band I’ve worked with I am friends with, most of which I’ve seen start from the very beginning (The Aftermath, 86 Mentality, Set To Explode, Ruiner). Some I had been into long before I had the opportunity to release records for them (Down To Nothing, Iron Boots). Either way, it is an honor for me to work with the bands I have worked with.

BF Government Warning when I heard our final recording, I was really stoked and wanted to do it on our label. The Blinds are from Sweden and we liked it a lot, so we wanted to help them get some recognition in the States.

SPR What do you see as the biggest challenge facing an independent label of your size?

AD Staying organized and keeping on top of everything from production to mailorder to distribution to advertising. Especially when you start to actually put out records that people really want, it becomes overwhelming at times when you have one or two people trying to do twenty different things with lots of time constraints.

LA The only hard part is keeping a good label name and getting packages out as fast as you can.

SPR If you had to single out one great experience involving your label, what would it be?

AD Doing this label has given me the opportunity to come into contact with so many great people all over the world... it’s great to know that despite all of the petty bullshit attitudes and politics that usually go hand-in-hand with hardcore/punk, there is still a good amount of sincere people out there with a strong sense of community within in the DIY scene.

BF The day the vinyl arrived from the pressing plant; it was what I’d been waiting for forever. Seeing the labels on the vinyl and everything, it was awesome.

SPR What does the future hold for your label?

AD Up next is a 7”, from Virginia Beach’s Wasted Time, then a 7”, for Time To Escape, a new band from DC. Then after that who knows maybe a couple more 7’s, maybe an LP or CD or two. I think as long as there are bands that I want to support, I will probably keep this going.

LA So much. We’re working on the No Bullshit Compilation EP with Career Suicide, Direct Control, Strung Up, Bad Dirty Hate, and Government Warning! And if that ain’t no bullshit then I don’t know what is.

BF We’re also doing the US press of the Direct Control You’re Controlled LP, which is another band I play in. We’ve been messed around with another label in the U.S. and it’s time it finally saw the light of day over here.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------For more information about these labels and their releases, please visit them online at: www.gravemistakerecords.com and www.deepfrybonanza.com/nowayrecords.

Sean Patrick Rhorer has a webzine www.sparkplugg.com and writes freelance for HM Magazine, Rock Sound[UK], RVA Magazine, and EAT Magazine [JAPAN]

Twisted with the Brainworms / Peter Szijarto

Brendan I was really pushing “Sunset Boys” like hard, and a couple people weren’t feeling it and like we were in two different cars coming On Saturday the 5th of November, I had the privilege to sit down with Brainworms from band practice and like, we were like shooting names back and forth between cars and Brainworms was just....popped off the dome. minus one member (Tim), drink beers and talk about the band, Richmond, and Jay You didn’t even like talk, you like rolled out the window and yelled music in general. All I can say is that they are one hilarious bunch that rocks on “BRAINWORMS!!!!!” [laughter] with some awesome music. This is less than half of the full interview.

PS So is there a meaning behind that or is it just a random name that came out?

Go to www.rvamag.com to check it out in its entirety.

Brendan It’s a real thing, like cattle get brain worms and they’re like Peter Szijarto Alright, how’d you guys get together? And anybody can useless. They get this parasite in their brain and they can’t function correctly, so it’s like a word for if you get a song stuck in your head. go first.

Greg I just wanted to say that Tim really wanted to call our band “TriBrendan We can do this; let’s just get this over with.

Colored Favorites” for a long time. [laughter] Greg It all started at Baha Bean Company one night when we were Joe I kind of wanted to call us “Lean Into It.” shooting pool.

Brendan Did it really?

Greg Yeah it did, and that was the very first moment, right when I was PS What has influenced you guys’ music? about to take my shot. I was like “Hey dudes, I wanna start a hardcore Brendan Sure I’d love some. band.” I had a dream the night before of me singing in a hardcore band PS I can stop recording.

Brendan No that’s my answer, “I’d love some.” [laughter] like “go owa goa go go go…” like something shitty, real shitty hardcore shit, and I was thinking about it and thought “I’m going to start a Joe Um.....Jay? shitty hardcore band just like that.” Uh....I dunno.....oh and then Bren- Jay I’d say um, obviously, mid-eighties D.C. stuff, but also for me to dan said “Dude, do you really want to do that?” and I was like “Uhhhhh, answer in Tim’s place, I think he’s really trying to change us to a grunge band. [laughter] It’s a far cry from the hardcore band that we initially ok.” [laughs] Yeah kinda, is that weird? had started.

Jay Tim was requiting quickly after that, and then he asked me if I PS Do you have any specific influences on your style? wanted to play.

Brendan I think in my lifetime, as far as playing guitar, I’ve been most Brendan Well you and Tim and Kinsy had a band before that. influenced by those people that I’ve played with. I rip off those fools Joe It wasn’t at Mojos? I thought… that I play in bands with more than I rip off Gray Matter or whatever, or Brendan When we first talked about playing together, which may Into Another or whatever. not.......I remember talking about it at Hollywood Grill.

Joe Uh, I have to say uh [under breath] Subhumans, um......Bill StevenJoe Was it Hollywood? son, Art Blakely, and uh Fela Kuti.

Brendan It’s going to be so boring [referring to the interview].

Jay I’m influenced heavily by Joe Greg Let’s get real boring. [ed. note: Jay also said he’s influenced by Matt the Hoople].

Joe In this band I am actually most heavily-influenced by Jay; we play PS So where do you guys get this name from? off of each other.

Brendan We had an ongoing dialogue about that [ed. note: We called Tim up near the end of the interview for this question] Joe Oh man! Brendan was the one who would yell at us from the car.

Brendan Yeah, we had been talking for months [about] what we would Tim My influences are the Grand Canyon, like the actual place, falafel sandwiches, music from Raising Arizona (specifically the yodeling call the band and like every practice we would have a session where dude), Nirvana, and boredom. we would just come up with stuff.

Peter Szijarto 29

Raygun’s fucking awesome.

Jay Alley Katz is a great space, but it’s just not used well. There could be better shows.

Joe It’s just far away.

Jay But the sound has gotten much better.

Joe The best venues in town are house shows. The only drawback to house shows are the PA systems.

Jay No one can see you through the crowd.

Brendan Yeah, its kinda lame when there’s 100 people at a house show and only like ten can see you.

Jay Yeah, like you’re in a basement and only the 10 people in the front can see you. You wanna see a show, not just hear it.

Joe We haven’t played too many club shows.

Brendan Not a terrible amount. We did play Hollywood Grill once.

PS What about the venues? You guys play a lot of house shows such as Joe I’d consider Hollywood Grill a house show. the Boulevard house.

Brendan It kinda comes in waves, you know, there’s definitely like some PS Maybe I’m retarded, but what statement are you making in the song downtime when there doesn’t seem to be anything going on at all and “Stand Alone?”

Greg It’s just nothing at all. It actually came up from me and my friend all of a sudden its like “damn!” There’s a show every night, you’re just Steve talking one night before I’d even written any of the lyrics at like there, and moshing, and saying “Let’s fucking do this.” [laughter] all. Just thinking of funny shit, making a song about when you were Joe I think the Richmond music scene right now is something sitting straight-edge and the dumb shit that you did when you were straightthere waiting to be. It’s got that potential, or it has the same fucking flow that Gainesville has always had. Not always had but it’s that same edge. It’s an internalized thing, it’s just funny. flow. It’s a small town where people can actually find practice space PS Was recording the CD a pleasing experience? [laughter] That’s such and find places to actually do what they want to do. And being that it’s a small town, we all have a level of creativity that isn’t just like this a stupid question.

Brendan It was tight; it was probably the coolest first recording experifucking static wash of all these fucking bands sound[ing] the same ence I’ve had. It was really laid back. because there’s so many fucking people here and everyone’s just tryJay We just wanted to do a demo.....Lance is so awesome, he let us use ing to fucking play the same venue and the same shows and try[ing] his studio and let us have like a show. to do the same thing. You know, there [are] just enough people here.

People will come out, but shows can still have a diverse mix of musical PS Lance who? taste and it gives bands room to stretch, room to do what they want to Joe Lance Kohler from Minimum Wage Studios. I went over there one do, which is kind of what we did. We did what the fuck we wanted. We night and was doing my laundry, which I frequently do, and we got to talking and I was like “Yeah, Brainworms need to record. We’re just didn’t try to do anybody else’s shit. [Brendan falls asleep] thinking about doing some real quick shit,” and he was like “Well fuck PS What about the Raygun and Alley Katz? it, let’s go ahead and invite people and have like a live show.” It was a Brendan Who cares? [laughter] Jay Raygun’s cool man, I’m down with the Raygun. The sound’s gotten completely live show, we invited people who were supposed to be just our friends, but word of mouth got out and.... better there.

Jay I hardly knew anyone that was there.

Greg I’ll definitely say that we’ve never played Alley Katz, but the PS How do you guys feel about the Richmond music scene? Does it affect your playing?

Brendan Laaaammmmeeeee. [laughter] Greg I don’t care.

Joe Yea, fuck the Richmond scene, we’re just doing what we want to do, and I love the bands that we play with though.

PS Does Richmond push you to play, and is it a good area to play in?

Jay I think there are some good bands coming up right about now, you know Brendan Lets hear some names!

Joe Well, I dunno, maybe a little Olive Tree Jay Single spies, they’re tight as shit, um...

Joe The Pinks [ed. note: Pink Razors]

30

R VA n o . 7 P r i s o n W i t h o u t B a r s

Joe Yeah.

Brendan We thought it was time to play, like when no one was there but all of a sudden there was a bunch of people, it was kind of a weird crowd. It was tight though.

Joe We didn’t want the pressure of a bunch of people we didn’t know, standing there watching us and like having the pressure of recording an actual show, not just recording with a few friends there. It would have sucked playing without anyone there. People are what has driven our whole band. Our whole existence is driven by the people who listen to us.

Jay There are plenty of fuck ups in there JoeYeah.

Jay I fucked up real bad.

Joe That’s what we wanted to capture.

Brendan Us fucking up.

Joe The raw part of it all.

PS So you guys definitely need to clear up for the readers that you guys aren’t broken up.

Greg Oh, we’re broken up.

Brendan We might get back together after the next show.

Joe I hate these guys.

PS Are you done after this interview? [laughter] Greg It’s always possible.

Brendan No uh.......we’re not broken up.

PS Why did everyone think you guys are broken up?

Jay Tim was moving to New York for grad school. This guy [Brendan] was moving to Charlottesville to [an] academic career.

Joe Originally we started the band in April thinking it was just going to be a summer band and thought that we were going to break up so we were like “ok, when everyone goes to school we’re done.” So we’ve always been under the impression that that was it.

Greg I’m saying it was just all hype. We are just trying to hype our shit up. Get some people out to some shows. Some people wouldn’t have come out that night, though knowing it was our last show they would just fuck some priorities. Sounds like a good time to me.

Brendan That’s pretty cool I guess. [laughter] Joe It worked, I guess. Keep them on their toes.

[Jay calls Tim and I ask him about recording the CD and the Richmond

music scene, in addition to the aforementioned influences. He says (and I quote), “House shows are fucking rad and I love shooting pool and getting drunk at the Raygun. It was a good way to record during a live audience with a ‘who gives a fuck’ attitude. The audience definitely made it more fun.”]

Jay Tim says that he misses you all.

Joe Can you change the damn CD. Jay No way man, this is the best shit you can hear.

PS You guys got any other random influences?

Joe Colin Sears.

Brendan My influence is me. [laughter] Joe Let’s give him the real interview.

Jay My influence is the chicken dragon hanging in front of my window.

PS Chicken dragon?

Jay Chicken dragon helps me get girls. That’s the reason I joined the band. And to get drugs.

PS How’s that worked out for you?

Jay Fuck, man.

Joe It’s worked out well for him, man.

Jay You might as well put those…uh… [looks at Greg and makes a revolving motion] Greg I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Jay The doors in banks that turn.

PS Revolving doors!?

Jay Yeah, just like that.

Joe Jay’s the player in the band. [laughter] I can’t get a good girl to save my damn life. [laughter] I ain’t no player, I’ll leave that up to Jay. Jay I’m just looking for the right girl.

Joe And boning all the other ones.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------I had a great time with the guys from Brainworms. If you’re interested in buying their CD, then email me at szijartop@Mail1.vcu.edu and I will pass it along to them because unfortunately, they have no other permanent means of contact. Lastly I just wanted to say thanks to Brendan, Greg, Jay, and Joe for the beers and almost buying me a round at the Grill.

R VA n o . 7 P r i s o n W i t h o u t B a r s

31

the bass line Thank you to Sean Patrick Rhorer, Jason Hodges, JoAnna Wiley, Peter Szijarto, & Landis Wine

Lamb Of God

Bouncing back and forth between an entire set shot in Philadelphia and a lengthy docuFor a band from mentation of the ups Richmond to be earning and downs of being an the title of “the next internationally touring Pantera”might shock/ band, the DVD offers surprise some, but if any an insight into Lamb Of band deserves it, Lamb God’s existence, public Of God do. and private.

Killadelphia DVD Epic Records

would be that the show was shot in Philadelphia and the DVD’s title reflects that, despite Lamb Of God being distinctively Southern, hailing from our beloved RVA. How’s the South going to rise again with such treason? - SPR (www.lamb-of-god.com / www.epicrecords.com)

Permanent avoid easy classification as just another bandwagon band though, incorporating manyunique elements into their songwriting.

From guitar leads that might seem closer to alt-country than Their pummeling metal- While the live footage hardcore and vocal lic assault pretty much demonstrates just Permanent patterns/structures crushes any American what makes the band Sleeping - CDEP unlike anything you’ve metal of the past so great, the behindRise And Fall Records ever heard, Permadecade, making it apthe-scenes stuff is what parent why so many nent are poised to be really makes KilladelFor their first official worldwide love the phia worth watching... the next in the long release, Richmond’s band. To document without giving anything their live show, as well as away, it’s hard not to see own Permanent deliver line of classic RVA seven tracks worth of hardcore bands. - SPR a bit of their lives on it as a less self-involved great hardcore. Akin to (www.300miles.net the road, the band has version of Metallica’s much of the contempo- / www.riseandfallrereleased a half live/half Some Kind Of Monster. documentary DVD rary hardcore gaining cords.com) entitled Killadelphia.

My only true complaint popularity these days,

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j j jj

The Brainworms Brainworms CD

The Brainworms play one hell of a set. Live, they fucking blast off with an energy that not many others can touch. This raw quality is captured well on their first record release titled, Brainworms.

Recorded in front of a live audience at Minimum Wage Studios here in Richmond, the feeling of being at one of their shows is almost perfectly captured. Their musical style can be compared to the typical metal/punk/hardcore that you hear so much nowadays, but they break the mold with odd timings, ferocious lyrics, and a guitar/ drum/bass combination that’ll rip the ears out of your head.

Originally starting out as a “summer” band, with one “last” show after another, these guys are here to stay and the CD proves it.

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the bass line

Intelligence Icky Baby CD

In The Red Records A friend saw this Seattle band in San Francisco and highly recommended them, and a week later I found their newest album Icky Baby.

couple of the guys are from the band Popular Shapes. Scraping guitars, bombastic drums, and precise bass lines lay down the framework for some really catchy songs. This stuff is most definitely on the noisy side, but there are a lot of sing-along moments, and in a weird way a definite pop element is present.

recorded by Lars on his own. “Cheer Up Switch” is my personal favorite with what sounds like a ring modulator going haywire. If someone had been around me the day I bought this, he/ she would’ve thought for sure that I’m a stark raving mad lunatic due to the amount of times I played that song in a row. But hey, I guess that’s my business.

Quintron & Miss Pussycat

circuit-bent SK-1, and he sings.

Swamp Tech CD / Electric Swamp DVD Tigerbeat6 Records

Miss Pussycat sings and plays maracas on all of the albums. She’s also responsible for the puppet shows that open their live performances.

Ah yesssssssss!!!! I’ve been waiting for this to come out for a while and it was well worth the wait. Quintron and Miss Pussycat hail from New Orleans and have pretty much been on tour since Hurricane Katrina.

As a matter of fact, the Electric Swamp DVD that comes with the CD is an awesome puppet-movie the husband and wife duo made.

Now, back to Swamp Tech...this album is HOT!!!!!!

Scorching hot. The opening track, “Shoplifter,” will make the squarest person at the party move like they have the devil inside of them. “Swamp Buggy Baddass” As I write this, I’m still is a stomper of a number inspired by his car-organ. totally hooked on it Quintron proclaims “I’m a motherfucking baddass,” and you can’t help but know it’s true. “French Quarter For those unfortunates like a junkie. Intelwho know nothing of Q Faggot” is a short one about being a weirdo walking ligence is the brain and P, here goes: Quin- around the French Quarter and dressing like a skunk child of Lars Finberg tron is a one-man music every Fat Tuesday. Most unexpected is his cover of KISS’ The songs with the full who is also a memband are an inventive Anyway, Yes. Get this. machine, using a custom “God of Thunder,” about which he claims in the liner ber of the A-Frames notes “I almost did not play this song because I do not blend of post-punk It’ll get your toes tap- made synth/organ that agree with many of the opinions of the original singer and Dipers. Finberg looks like the front of a and garage rock. The pin,’ your hips shakin,’ car with working head- - Gene Simmons.” But I’m glad he did, because it’s a very recorded almost half entire record totally and it’ll peel your skin lights. Along with that soulful version of one of the more tolerable KISS songs. of this record at home, flows, but if you rehe also operates a drum Mr. Quintron and Miss Pussycat are totally unstoppable, clean off...all at the alone, and is accomally listen, you can same time. Wow! - JH machine, a Drum Buddy and you can definitely feel some kind of power on panied by a full band their records and performances...both of which I highly (one of his own inventell which songs are on the other songs. A tions), a hi hat, a gong, a recommend. - JH

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Silver Jews

playing at full-tilt. This group includes members of Pavement, The Jesus Lizard, Will Oldham, and I have a sinking feeling that every article/ various other associreview I read about the new Silver Jews ates who offer up (save Oldham, who’s doing record is going to focus on Berman’s drug addictions and his suicide attempt, pretty well for himself) their best performances which is a complete shame, since what they should really be talking about is the in years. fact that he’s finally buckled down and made the best record of his entire career. The record continues in that vein, sounding In retrospect, Bright Flight, the last Jews like a constant and record, was the sound of a songwriter at near-brilliant party that straddles the line the end of his rope. The majority of the between hard rock and songs hung limp under country without ever tired instrumentation and an unfortusounding contrived or nate focus on Berman’s voice as ironic. the primary instrument in the majority of the songs.

Berman has never sounded so alive, and Tanglewood Numbers foregoes this strategy and reveals itself as, shockingly, the record itself actually a rock record. The opener, “Punks In The rollicks, which, if you’re Beerlight” is an instant classic, and man- familiar with the back catalog, should be a ages to make it through the first verse before exploding into what sounds like stroke-inducing level of shock. - LW (and is) a room full of musicians

Tanglewood Numbers Drag City

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I haven’t heard a rock record that has this much life in it this entire year, and it’s more than likely that after everything is said and done about this year in music, hearing Berman belt out the lyrics from “K Hole” will feel a hell of a lot better than listening to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

by David Byrne. - LW

MUTT

Dublites Horizon Records For those of you that missed his Saturday night performance on WRIR 97.3FM last month, Canadian producer Mutt. rocked the decks with his fierce original dnb beats.

Amongst the many excellent tracks thrown down by the foreigner,

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one record in particular jumped out. The Dublites release on Horizon Records hits home with the soul and impact that Richmond drum and bass heads can fully appreciate. From the start, Mutt takes the listener from a serenely melodic intro to bangin’ bongo beats filled with sampled scratching sounds. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any crazier.. the chunky bassline kicks in accompanied by the familiar dnb amen roller.

Having already been signed to the famed Metalheadz label, this up and coming producer will definitely be one to watch into 2006.

-JW

Jenny Elliot Welcome back to Richmond!

J.P. Gaster Thanks!

JE You were over in Europe recently touring with CKY. How was it this time around?

JPG We played for a lot of new people, which is what you want to do in any town.

JE They get Viva La Bam over in Europe, don’t they?

JPG Yeah, so CKY fans knew about us through the T.V. show a little bit too. It was good. They’re fans were really receptive and our friends Viking Skull were on the bill as well.

JE You co-headlined the “Sounds of the Underground” Tour with many different types of talent. Which band do you think has long-term potential regardless of radio play or MTV? JPG I like High on Fire quite a bit. Matt’s a great guitarist and I think the whole band is killer! They write great songs.

J.P. Gaster of Clutch - Livin’ for the Trade /

Jenny Elliott

Clutch is back in Richmond promoting their latest album, Robot Hive / Exodus. As usual, there is a buzz in the crowd waiting outside for the d o o r s t o o p e n . Pe o p l e s h a r e s t o r i e s o f w h e n a n d h o w t h e y d i s c o v e r e d Clutch, and what it means for them to see the band live. Af ter the doors open, the fans race to grab a beer and the latest Clutch merchandise.

Clutch fans are a pretty raucous crowd who warmly welcome opening ac t Ke l l y C a r m i c h a e l t o t h e s t a g e a n d s e e m t o t r u l y e n j o y h i s s o n g s a s w e l l as his great talent.

A s C l u t c h a p p r o a c h e s t h e s t a g e, a l l f a n s a r e b r a c e d a n d r e a d y f o r a l o n g , exciting double-set packed with enough material to satisf y old and new f a n s a l i k e. C l u t c h d o e s n o t d i s a p p o i n t o n t h i s n i g h t i n R i c h m o n d a t A l l e y Katz – the mob really does go wild for Clutch!

B e f o r e i t a l l g o t s t a r t e d t h a t e v e n i n g , I s a t d o w n w i t h d r u m m e r J. P. t o discuss what challenges and surprises the band has encountered and w h e r e i t a l l l e a d s n e x t….

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Ian Graham

JE It must have been hard picking out the set lists for that tour.

JPG It was tough because obviously we could only pick out a few songs.

After a few days we realized we just wanna play and not get wrapped up in playing heavier or louder than other bands.

JE Which Clutch album do you like the best?

JPG I can’t speak from a lyrical point of view but musically, I think The Elephant Riders was a really important record for us. We really learned to play odds on that record and to make the songs feel smooth – not the hurky-jerky 7’s and 9’s.

JE Any other musicians in your family?

JPG I have some family members who play instruments but no one does what I do!

JE Most fans of heavy rock consider you to be one of the best drummers of our generation. Do you still take lessons?

JPG You have to apply yourself to the drums everyday. For me, that comes in lessons. It also comes from listening, watching, and practicing certain beats itself. You’ve got to play your instrument every day!

JE Being on the road so much for over 15 years, do you collect anything (like records, etc.) on tour?

JPG On the first few tours I did that but then the road really becomes your

That started our following. I love coming to Richmond. We always have a good time here!

JE What are some other places you enjoy playing?

JPG The Midwest is really good for us; that’s where the heart of our fan base, I think. Michigan, Chicago, and West Virginia are great. Then you get out to the West Coast and it’s a little more spotty. It’s not as consistent as the Midwest. We can’t go there as often so it’s hard.

JE What’s the weirdest thing a fan has ever given you?

JPG I had a kid give me a cassette demo the other day. I hadn’t seen one of those in 5 years!

JE The past couple of tours have been “An evening with Clutch” with you guys playing double sets. Is this a trend that will continue?

JPG We are doing it for this tour and the next one. After that, who knows?

workplace. Whether it’s in Richmond or Portland, OR; it’s just what we do.

JE What do you do to pass the time on the road? Do you play any video games?

JPG No. Absolutely not. I read, listen to music, and I have a laptop with me so I make beats all the time.

JE What foods do you eat on the road?

JPG We don’t eat any of that fast food stuff. I haven’t had McDonalds once! Panera is a great place that has great salads and Internet access.

JE Clutch has played with enough bands to fill an iPod! What bands were you so excited to share the stage with that you called your friends?

JPG We were pretty excited when we got the Sepultura tour back in 94’. Chaos A.D. had just come out and those were some pretty exciting shows!

JE I remember seeing Clutch at The Metro in Richmond back in 92’. Small club, not too many people had heard of you yet. To come back now and sell out every stop in Virginia must feel good!

JPG Of course - We used to come down here and play the hardcore shows.

JE Besides The Bakerton Group and working with the opening act Kelly Carmichael, are there any other side projects that Clutch fans should know about?

JPG I just did a record with Five Horse Johnson for Toledo, OH that I’m really excited about. I was fortunate enough to have them ask me to play on the record. I said absolutely – they’re a great band and good guys to hang out with. They also write awesome songs.

JE Your latest promo picture has the band gathered around a sweet vintage truck. Who is the lucky owner?

JPG That’s my truck! It’s a 66’ Chevy Stepside; my daily drive.

JE Clutch fans have been voting on MTV2 to get your video for “Burning Beard” in contention for Best Metal Video at the MTV video awards. This having been only your second video (besides “Mob goes Wild” on Bam) to get played on MTV in your entire career. It must be a weird feeling.

JPG We really thought it had gotten to the point where those folks would never play our videos so we are all pretty excited!

JE How was the experience of making “Burning Beard?”

JPG Because of all the computer animation, it was hard to play to an empty church all day long. Neil had to do so much for the video. Levitating is not something the rest of us wanted to do!

JE Thank you so much for taking the time to keep C! fans up to date.

JPG No problem…

R VA n o . 7 P r i s o n W i t h o u t B a r s

37

Ch uck B / Donny George Chuck B has been a DJ for a quite a while and has been contributing to the Richmond culture since he’s been here. Having had the opportunity to spend some time with him, I know that he is serious about his music and has a wide interest in various musical genres (Everything from Andy C to Mineral to Strike Anywhere to Invisbl Skratch Piklz). Not only that, but he’s a real down-to-earth guy who works to make this world a more livable place through his day job and Richmond a more danceable place with his night side activities.

Donny George So, Chuck B, it seems like you’ve been ver y busy lately DJ -ing. How has that been?

Chuck B It ’s been great. I per formed at Reverb in VA Beach, Konkrete Jungle VA, and Europa all within this past week , so it ’s been busier than usual. Oh, I forgot, I also DJ’ed on WRIR 97. 3FM right before heading down to spin at Reverb. DJ Hoodrich and I spin ever y Friday night on 97. 3FM from 7-9PM: “Beep Ahh Fresh.” It ’s cool because I spin mostly drum and bass/jungle when I’m out, but with the radio show I’m able to get to my roots and spin old-school hip -hop, freest yle, dancehall, Miami bass, and go - go.

DG How did you get star ted DJ -ing?

CB My older brother Chris got me into it when I was in high school, which was back in 1990. I star ted DJ -ing with the mobile DJ 38

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company “ Variet y Tunes” based in VA Beach doing weddings, school dances, and par ties; then went into college radio at ODU and Longwood. Got a hold of a DMC Best of the Best video and that inspired me to get into bat tling, which was around ‘96. I par ticipated in several competitions in VA Beach and Richmond. Star ted spinning drum and bass/jungle in 2002, which brings us to the present.

DG Your new mix is tight. What ’s the stor y behind sub four h ? What ’s the title about and what ’s the concept for this mix?

CB I’ve always been fascinated with album titles. The title sub four h is a dedication to a ver y great friend of mine, Heather.

She’s been there for me since college and I just wanted to show my appreciation for keeping me grounded. The concept of the mix is that it star ts of f with an intro about imagination where I do a lit tle cut ting and then transitions into track s. The progression of the track s are a journey from dif ferent spec trums, but are all forms of drum and bass/jungle. It ’s a collec tion of anthems that should be played at high volume.

DG Do you see a dif ference bet ween “DJ -ing” and “turntablism?”

CB They go hand in hand, but turntablism is more the ar t of creating new compositions

and sounds on turntables through mixer/ unnoticed. The best way to check out this turntable manipulation, scratching, beat jug- talent and to keep events going in Richmond gling, or drumming. is to go out and suppor t as many nightly events as you can.

DG Who are some of your favorite musicians?

CB Who are your strongest musical inf luDG You also have a day job. What ’s that like? ences?

CB During the day I work as a Mental Health Some of my favorite musicians are Bob Suppor t Ser vice Specialist. I assist adults Marley, Mickey Finn, Dashboard Confeswho are diagnosed with long-term mental sional, Invisbl Skratch Piklz, BDP, Mineral, illness. I f ind it rewarding to provide clients Eric B & Rakim, Magic Mike, Strike Any where, with suppor t on a daily basis and I work with Aphrodite, Miles Davis, Tasha, Hoodrich, great co -workers. To be able to wake up in Turnst yle Soundsystem, Nighshif t, Zen 2, the morning and want to go to work should Kjell, Katalyst, Will Miles, Charlie Mingroni... illustrate how great it is! this list can go on and on. As far as musical inf luences, I’m inspired by ever y thing I listen DG Is it dif f icult balancing work and the DJ to. My strongest musical inf luences include lifest yle? my family, who always had music around the CB Sometimes; I tr y to work DJ gigs around house: ever y thing from my parents playing my work schedule, and if needed, I’ll take the harp to my brother DJ -ing. Tasha is a big time of f work. I have the best super visor musical inf luence because of his ill DJ skills who is so understanding, and amazing co and is also teaching me about producing workers. drum and bass track s. DJ Hoodrich is also a big musical inf luence; he is a visionar y and DG If it ever came to it, could you make a keeps my skills up to par through scratching choice bet ween one or the other? or mixing.

CB I’m not sure. I enjoy working in the f ield

CB My passion for both. I f ind it so rewarding working with the people ever y day at my job and music has always been in my life. I don’t see myself giving up either any time soon.

DG You seem to be involved in a lot. What other organizations do you work with?

CB I do a Friday night radio show on WRIR 97. 3FM 7-9PM with DJ Hoodrich. I’m a resident DJ at Konkrete Jungle VA spinning drum and bass/jungle. I’m also af f iliated with Hoodrich Promotions.

DG Any plans for the future?

CB Right now I’m working with Tasha on some Prime Mover projec ts for a couple of UK labels, hope to DJ out more, unlock all the track s in Dance Dance Revolution, and to meet a female to share this with.

DG Shout outs?

CB Family in Nor folk , St. Louis, P.I., Lor y, Rich & Emily, Heather, Turnst yle Soundsystem, Tasha & Lauren, Bio 9, Nightshif t, Camp Zero, Miles A Head, King’s Castle, Double Standard, Empyreal, Lindsay, Resin, Lil Josh, Vinyl I do and enjoy DJ -ing. It ’s the best of both DG What do you think about Richmond and Car tel, WRIR , TNA, Bridget, Chris T, Shannon, worlds. the music scene here?

Stephanie, Pam, MHSS, Colin, Step -1, ALL CB I think Richmond is a great place for mu- DG Do you see any connec tion bet ween what Richmond, VA Beach, Nor folk DJs, ever yone sic. The music scene is constantly expanding you do during the day and what you do at that comes out to suppor t the scene, and and there are many talented ar tists that go especially Donny and RVA . BIG UP! night?

R. Anthony Harris 39

lit

A BOU T THE WO R D : Ob se r v at i o n s o f L an g u ag e & L i t er a t u r e - submitted by Lee Carleton Though the word “Orwellian” is used occasionally today to indicate deceptive or manipulative rhetoric, few of us are familiar with the finer points of “Newspeak.”

This is “About The Word” with Stryder Lee. At a time when technological advances and political complexities lead to times of rapid change, critical language skills are what we need most in order to protect our freedoms and navigate these changes intelligently. Orwell’s 1984 demonstrates this well.

In 1984, rhetoric was used by the Party for “reality control” an aggressive defense and manipulation the “official truth” regardless of established facts. This rhetoric, called “Newspeak,” is created in the novel by the ruling Party of Oceania for the purpose of maintaining its monopoly on power. In the following passage from the novel, the protagonist Winston is listening to his “venomously orthodox” friend Syme discuss Newspeak and his work on the Eleventh Edition of the Newspeak Dictionary: “We’re destroying words – scores of them, hundreds of them, every day. We’re cutting the language down to the bone....It’s a beautiful thing, the destruction of words.....After all, what justification is there for a word which is simply the opposite of some other words? A word contains its opposite in itself. Take ‘good’ for instance. If you have a word like ‘good,’ what need is there for a word like ‘bad’? ‘Ungood’ will do just as well – better, because it’s an exact opposite, which the other is not....In the end the whole notion of goodness and badness will be covered by only six words – in reality, only one word.....Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it. Every concept that can ever be needed will be expressed by exactly one word, with its meaning rigidly defined and all its subsidiary meanings rubbed out and forgotten....Every year fewer and fewer words, and the range of consciousness always a little smaller....The whole climate of thought will be different. In fact there will be no thought, as we understand it now. Orthodoxy means not thinking – not needing to think. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.”

And it’s easy to avoid thinking with a small vocabulary full of slogans. Etymologically, “orthodoxy” means “right opinion” - the established party line. It is convenient in its pre-packaged, pre-approved nature, but inefficient for solving serious problems requiring new perspectives. So, the next time someone tries to pressure you into orthodoxy, don’t hesitate to engage in a little “thoughtcrime” to keep from being taken into the fold. BaaaAAA! Brian Nozynski 41

T he S uperman Sag a, A n In t e r v i e w w i t h To m D e H a ven

/ Rebecca Johnson

The red cape, the blue suit, and the giant “S” emblazoned on his chest are legendary. It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…Saucerman? Tom De Haven, author of It’s Superman! explains how Clark Kent finds a costume befitting a superhero. In the newest adaptation of the comic book story, Kent enjoys a brief stint as a stuntman. He borrows a used Saucerman suit from a Hollywood costume designer.

It’s Superman! begins with Kent’s life on his Kansas farm and ends with his transformation into the caped crusader. It’s the same enduring comic book story with a few twists. Most of the action takes place in New York City, not Metropolis. There are new characters like Lex Luthor’s murderous personal assistant, Mrs. O’Shea. Some old characters have been made over. Photographer and wanted man Willi Berg is recognizable as Jimmy Olsen. Kent, however, is still hopelessly enamored with his Daily Planet rival Lois Lane, and Lex Luthor schemes to take over the world.

De Haven is something of an expert on comics. He is the author of eight novels, notably the Derby Dugan trilogy about a Depression-era cartoonist. He also teaches a popular VCU course on graphic novels. I recently spoke with De Haven about being recruited by D.C. Comics, adapting the Superman comic into a serious novel, and graphic novels that everyone should read.

Rebecca Johnson Why did you want to retell the Superman story?

Tom De Haven The practical answer is that they asked me. In 1997, I got a phone call or a letter -- I forget which -- from D.C. The publisher and the special projects editor liked my earlier books. They were talking and said that there had never been a Superman novel set in the period in which he was created, and I had done two thirties novels. So they asked me if I’d like to borrow their character. I told them I was working on another book and I couldn’t do it for a few years but I’d love to do it. So I didn’t start really until 2001, although they came to me in ninety-seven. So I worked for two and a half years, from 2001 to last October.

The other answer to the question is that Superman is such a perfect hero to re-imagine because he’s so simple. So he can be re-imagined like Smallville, and the old Superman movies with Chistopher Reeve, and the old TV show from the fifties and the comic book. And it all works, you know? It was fun just trying to make him the kind of Superman he was in the early comic books. No big brawny guy.

RJ Were there copyright laws?

TDH When they came to me and asked me to do this, I was really flattered. I thought, “wow, Superman, this will be fun.” Then I thought, “should I do this, because I don’t own it? It’s my novel but it’s their character.” As you’ve seen in the book, it’s created by Siegel and Schuster. In many ways, they’re going to share in any of the profits, which is only fair. Then I thought, hell, how many times do you get a chance to write such a well-known character? I was thinking, who else would I do? I couldn’t think of anything. I wouldn’t do Sherlock Holmes. I don’t think I could do Batman. Superman I was interested in. I thought, it’s worth taking a chance. I was just going to do it as a serious novel, like it’s one of my novels, and I’d just knock it out. I’m glad I did it. Some people are thinking, ”why would you do a copyrighted character?”

RJ How do you think Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster would like your Superman?

TDH This is probably closer to theirs than the later ones. Siegel and Schuster were basically making their own fantasy figure; these bespectacled nerds who couldn’t even get a date in high school. This is their fantasy figure. Underneath this nerd exterior is Superman. Actually, the original Superman is probably closer to the 42

R. Anthony Harris

original Spiderman. I was kind of playing with that. I think they’d like it.

RJ Why did you write about this period of Superman’s life?

TDH I was doing the few years between when he discovers that he has powers till he becomes Superman, 1935 to 1938.

RJ I noticed some changes in the book. Metropolis is New York City. Why did you make that change_?

TDH Well, the idea was to do Superman in the real world, and so there is no real Metropolis. I know in Siegel and Schuster’s mind the original Superman was in Cleveland. That’s actually in the first few stories because that’s where they lived. Then they changed it to Metropolis. I was going do the real world, and all the stuff in the story was real, all the historical stuff.

RJ Does Lex Luthor have a relationship with his personal assistant, Mrs. O’Shea?

TDH Yeah. She was a good character. You know, the book was originally 1,000 pages long. A lot of stuff is gone. Basically half the novel is gone. When I’m thinking about the novel...I’m thinking about what I remember, but I also have to keep in mind what other people have actually read. There was a lot more of her in the original version.

RJ What about Lois?

TDH I liked doing the Lois Lane character in the novel. She was fun. I thought she was a real thirties kind of...at least, from-the-movies thirties. She was fun to write.

So was Lex Luthor.

RJ Lex Luthor has been a mad scientist, a CEO. TDH He’s President of the United States in a couple books. Yeah, he goes through all these. the fifties version, he’s just this mad scientist always going around with robots, which is where the robots come from in my novel. I think Lex Luthor on Smallville is great. I think he’s just a great creation, and again, he’s very malleable.

You can plug different personalities into this character to make him work, as long as he’s a villain.

RJ Is Willi Berg supposed to be Jimmy Olsen?

TDH It really is. Originally in one draft he died his hair red and called himself Jimmy Olsen to avoid the cops. I left that out ultimately, but yeah, he’s supposed to be Superman’s pal.

RJ What about Clark’s mom dying?

TDH Actually, that’s the way it was in the comic books. In the original comic books, his mother dies, and just before he moves to Metropolis his father dies. If you look at the first Superman comic book story, the origin, in the last panel of the origin, there’s Clark standing in front of the graves of these two, his mother and father.

That description in the novel is exactly that. There’s a black cloud across the moon. That panel is described in the novel. That’s closer to the comic books than in the late eighties when they rebooted Superman. The let the Kents live and ever since then he’s had parents.

RJ You’ve published eight books. Are they all about comics?

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TDH No, just the Derby Dugan trilogy, which is about cartoonists. The other books are all about different kinds of things, set in different periods, contemporary novels. I actually will not be writing another novel about cartoonists or comic book figures.

RJ Are you working on something now?

TDH I’m working on a contemporary novel set in Richmond, which will be my first Richmond novel.

RJ Are you an artist yourself?

TDH I wanted to be a cartoonist up until the time I was in college. I majored in art in college for a while. I wasn’t getting to the point where I knew I could be a professional cartoonist, but I was getting to the point where I thought I could be a professional writer. I switched. But I’ve always been fascinated by comics. I know more cartoonists than I know novelists.

RJ You teach a graphic novels class at VCU. Is it hard to get people to take a class on comics seriously?

TDH I started teaching comic strips at Rutgers in 1987. It was one of the first comic strip courses in a university at the time. Now they’re all over the place. When I came down here, I did American studies courses, and once in a while I’d do a comic strip course...then they asked me...if I’d do a graphic novels literature class, which is what I’ve been doing off and on for the past, I suppose, five years? In the early days, people and universities were very suspicious of comic strip courses...Since Maus and Persepolis and all these books, people are taking it seriously. They’re glad they have someone on faculty who knows this stuff.

RJ What are some of your favorite graphic novels?

TDH Everybody should read Maus. I think that’s a great one. Persepolis is really good. From Hell is really good; one of the original graphic novels by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell. And The Watchman of course...I can change the syllabus all the time now. In the early days, there weren’t that many really good graphic novels.

RJ Do you have a favorite version of Superman?

TDH I love the Fleischer cartoons, the early 1940’s animated cartoons. They’re really wonderful. They had a lot of what I use in the book, what he looked like. I guess those are my favorites. And the comic books when I was a kid, of course.

RJ Why do you think Superman has survived since the 1930’s? Why is he such an icon?

TDH He created an industry, for one thing. If it wasn’t for him, comic books probably wouldn’t even exist anymore, or they’d still be about pirates or something. I think one of the things that’s good about Superman is what I said in the beginning: he’s very simple. The premise is very simple. So different writers can plug in over the years to different things. He’s very tight.

RJ What about people who aren’t familiar with the comics?

TDH That’s okay. It’s not a novel for fans necessarily. Hopefully Superman fans will enjoy it, but it’s not written for people who just read the comic books.

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45

A Short Note on Length / Lee Carleton

At 6’6”, I’m tall – maybe even really tall, but not freakish. My wife says I’m 3” shy of freak status, (I wonder how she knows?) so I’m not freakish - a little lanky maybe (and filling in), but not freakish. I have a friend who is my height, but he has better posture so he looks taller. I’m not envious really, I don’t want to be any taller – it would be too expensive. I pay $20 for an extra inch of sleeve at those frightening “big and tall” men’s shops. You know, the ones with the acres of polyester plaid pants? Once I went into one where everything was made for 400 lb. seven foot titans. You literally had to be big and tall. I’m certainly not a follower of fashion, but the sense of fashion in a big and tall shop is too scary to describe.

Anyway, you’d think it’s always a boon being tall. Fairy tales are full of tall heroes and many great leaders have been tall, but significant stature can have its drawbacks.

For example, I started one semester teaching with a dramatically bloody head wound that I got from one of those antique door closers that hang down about a foot from the frame of certain campus doorways. Aside from the obvious hazards (low doorways, small cars, ceiling fans) there are surprise hazards to being tall. Once, while waiting in line at a 7-11, the little drunk man in front of me started

arguing with the cashier over his change. I said nothing and made no move, so entranced was I by the whole scene. I bore this man no malice, yet he suddenly spun around, jabbed a stubby digit towards my face and gargled: “You stay outta this!” Two feet taller and 70 lbs. heavier, I thrust up my hands, innocently surrendering.

of projectile vomiting – as if tall folk are good for nothing else or can have no higher aspiration.

So I struggle with the conflict between how I perceive myself (gentle & kind) and how I am sometimes perceived by others (looming & threatening). To compensate, I can over-do it with the “gentle and kind” bit, but sometimes that backfires. Excessive mildness can invite trouble. I have a tall friend who is so meek you’d think The mere fact that I was inadvertently looming he’d spook at a blowing leaf and he’s been mugged half a dozen times. This kind of vulnerability bothers me. over him made me a threat to be addressed.

Though I struggle with misperception, I prefer being I get this more often than you’d think, but in more subtle ways. And it always seems to be feared to being a victim. I once had a friend who was 7’ tall and I just loved standing next to him. It was refreshmen who feel the most threatened. Women ing in an odd way. I was amazed to see someone so big are more secure. It’s annoying really, being the butt of other people’s insecurities. I don’t and I could briefly imagine how people perceive me.

He was mild mannered but I’m pretty sure nobody ever mean to sound arrogant, but I can’t help it if mugged him.

I’m tall – people don’t have to be insecure.

What am I supposed to do, shrink to appease When I teach college freshmen, my height is often contheir insecurity? venient. An imposing stature tends to induce compliance and respect – especially in those big, rowdy frat This all reminds me of how easily we can forget the difference between how we perceive boys. And I can always bellow over disruptive conversations. This comes from my lung capacity which doctors ourselves and how we are perceived. Right now, you might think I’m an arrogant jerk – I’m have told me is above average – when getting x-rayed, they don’t fit into a single frame so I have to pay for two! not really, I just struggle with perceptions. I Another disadvantage of my size is that sometimes it don’t feel tall and I hardly ever think about it unless I see a picture of myself or someone re- scares students into silence so I end up going back to the sponds to my height. My favorite exclamation, gentle giant routine and risking loss of respect. Balance when my stature screams out of a photograph, is so hard to achieve sometimes. is “Omygod, I’m so tall!” The tiresome litany “Do you play basketball?” has plagued me for Another area that height is a mixed blessing is in my years. This always makes me wish for the gift work as a farrier. Most good blacksmiths are short,

stocky men well suited to squatting under a horse to nail on a shoe. I, on the other hand, must squat deeply and sweat profusely to accomplish the same feat a shorter man does with ease. However when it comes to calming and controlling a1500 pound horse, my ability to look them in the eye and wrap my arm around their neck comes in damn handy. I don’t fool myself, only the horse – they don’t really understand how puny I am in comparison. Being tall is good for more than just playing basketball.

When I was in grade-school, our house had a basketball court in the backyard and so, even though I didn’t really care for basketball, I made a few friends who did. I became close friends with one boy in particular, who was several inches shorter than I was. I’m sure he looked at me and thought my height was wasted since I didn’t like basketball. In later years I enjoyed my stature riding horses, exploring caves, and climbing mountains, never once yearning for the ephemeral glory of the hoop and net. Now my friend is 6’8” (almost freak status) and a corporate executive. I don’t begrudge him his height and I certainly don’t begrudge him his job – how else is he going to pay for all those custom clothes? I’m glad I’m not any taller. It’s not even a matter of freakishness really, it’s pure pragmatism. I like being tall, but I also like buying my clothes economically – off the rack.

Holly Camp 47

A Da ily Exercise

/ D. Bowman

I try to do the exercise. Often, that leads me to doing a 3.5 mile loop in the Fan district, either by foot or by bike. You know how sometimes you really don’t want to run or walk or bike? Well after you’ve gone ahead and done it, have you ever regretted doing it? No. No you haven’t. And, if you were me, that afterwards lack of regret would transform itself into satisfaction, as you realize that you’ve just traveled an area that’s as fascinating as it is small.

During this daily travel, in fact, I see plenty. I won’t, however, catalog all of these sights in a list just now. To do so, presumptuous as it may sound, would cheapen each of them; each is far richer than a brief mention. So I’ll just describe one such sight, although it is a recurring one. One, in fact, that I saw again today.

As usual, I passed that great little park on Park that is usually full of kids, parents, babysitters, au pairs, and the occasional loon. I know it has a name, but I prefer to call it the park on Park. Whatever you call it, the place has a unique way about it. I love that its resilient grass survives, in spots, as it perpetually fends off the two-pronged attack of excessive foot-traffic and over-watering by automatic sprinklers. I also love how the sand from the play area hitchhikes on shoes and strollers out to the walkway, creating that odd city-sight of a sidewalk heavily dusted by sand, yet bordered completely on one side by brick wall and pavement on the other.

Today, on a bench in the park, I again saw the older woman that I’ve seen so many times before. Often when I see that familiar, bespectacled form, it’s in the same clothes as it was before. She wears the same outfit for weeks at a time actually, yet she doesn’t seem poor. In fact, she carries herself with an air more like the ladies one might see in Carytown – the ones nonchalantly backing-in their SUVs while others interminably wait in traffic.

I remember that, at first, I thought this park lady was one of the privileged nonchalant. That is, until I saw her wearing the same outfit two days in a row. I remembered her from the beginning because she wore brightly designed pants underneath a longish skirt. And while somewhat unusual, when accompanied by Jackie O. sunglasses and a jacket that was so-outmoded-it-was-in, she simply looked like one of those older women trying too hard to sport a young look.

But, after seeing this lady that second day and again on the third, I felt sad for her and a little worried. I wondered: what kind of tragedy must have befallen such a lady? It took me a few more days before I realized that each time I’d seen her in the last week, I’d been wearing my same funky workout shirt and shorts.

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T wen t y - f ou r H ou r D a y i n Ri c h m on d / Tyler Bass Twenty-four hour days in Richmond leave little time for the academic. You would rather sleep in, but at the top of the window, you can see flames jumping. You get up, and see an old man in a lawn chair just watching them. You run outside, see the gas can, see him again. “Dude, hey, your van is on fire!” He says, “Fuck it, man! Let it burn! Just give it ten minutes before you call the Fire Department!”

You go to class, and she rattles on about human evolution. You take notes.

On the street after class, a tall panhandler playing a harmonica looks as tired as you, but handles a rapid riff. You give him a buck.

After lunch, it is to Monroe Park. Some city employee in orange says that the city gives him $5 checks sometimes, but the bank charges him that much just to cash them. You roll cigarettes for him and yourself.

It’s afternoon now. You go to City Hall. They are about to talk about that $5 thing. Some pubescent smartass with nothing better to do dials in a bomb threat because upstairs the school board is voting on cell phones in Richmond schools. Ominous police officers step into the chambers, whisper something, and evacuate everyone.

You return to campus. Freshman slatterns mill about outside a dorm. You take a right onto the next street, and hang with some followers of a brutally murdered first century carpenter. They are holding a root beer kegger, and you laugh. Evolution comes up. The conversations die.

Then, you take a left down the street to your long-haired friend’s door with the peace sign on the blue square of the American flag. You guys walk around tagging “bourgeois” houses.

Tonight, you go to First Friday, because everybody loves pretty things, including tall, skinny, smoking women in tight, black dresses who pay $4000 for a blue sponge blot on deckled paper. You reach in into your pockets, and realize everything stops selling at midnight. Later, you quickly play violin on a corner while a friend plays bongos with you. Harmonica guy comes again, and cannot notice the open violin case. He asks. You say, “No, sorry,” and offend him.

The friend you walk home with likes The Fan’s alleyways at night. A guy easier to profile than think about walks behind you, and it is dark, and he is dark. From far away, he says something you both cannot quite understand. Your friend yells out if he asked, “Want to fight?” but the dude just wants a light. He tells him to keep the lighter, and you try not to think about it too much.

The Public Beer of Richmond kicks in.

You return to your bedroom where everyone is smoking cigarettes. It is dawn. In a corner of the room, a scene kid someone invited over plays covers. While he strums, his eyes are closed.

You think closing them is a good idea, too.

Dylan R. Mullins 49

Reward Money

/ Clay McLeod Chapman

There’s no telling what was in that pool.

To Larissa McKee. Sweetest little girl I ever laid eyes on.

One night, I ended up so drunk I couldn°Øt find the bathroom in this bar. So I ambled out to the patio. Standing along the pool’s lip, I unzipped and did my business right there.

Found her floating face down in the pool out back. Turned her right over and there was that runny button nose, those sweet dimpled cheeks. One look at those milky white eyes and I knew she was just the gal for me. Changed my life forever.

That stagnant water started sputtering. Sounded solid all of a sudden. More stiff than it should’ve been. So I leaned over, looked down -- only to find Larissa drifting underneath me, still wearing the same clothes she had on the night we first met.

This round’s on her, boys.

I remember waking up to her parents calling out her name, just running up and down the hallway. Back and forth, Larissa? Larissa? Knocking on everybody’s door, Have you seen our daughter?

I’m proposing a toast.

Better make it last. Her parents aren’t paying for the next one.

First night I tried checking in here, the manager wouldn’t budge on the price -- leaving me four dollars short. Four lousy bucks. Wasn’t as if he didn’t have enough rooms to spare. Half of this God damn motel was empty and he still wouldn’t let me stay.

They got the manager to open up every empty room in this place, just to make sure that she wasn’t stuck inside.

Mr. McKee pipes in from behind me, saying -- Excuse me, sir. He pulls out his wallet and yanks up a fiver, like he’s paying some toll. You can keep the dollar.

I grab that bill and say thanks, snitching the keys to my room. Took one last look at little Larissa before heading out the door, watching her drowsy eyes follow me through the lobby.

I took him out back, to the pool. Pointed right at her. Mr. McKee just falls to his knees -- reaching down, trying to grab her. Water was so low, though -- he couldn’t get a grip.

This was supposed to be their summer vacation, see? Driving down to Disney Land. I knew which room they were staying in and everything. Number twenty four, just two doors down from mine. Must’ve been three in the Then come the McKee’s, hefting their luggage into the lobby. You could tell they were tired. Must’ve been driving all day. Little Larissa could barely keep morning when I knocked. Mr. McKee opens the door, keeping the chain-lock her eyes open. Nearly passed out on her feet, she was so sleepy -- leaning her in between us. Bags under his eyes. You’d think he hadn’t slept since he got here. head against her mother’s hip.

Never saw her again. Not alive, at least.

She’d been bobbing along for days, floating just below the surface. The manager drained the pool, scrubbing all that algae away. When I woke up, there wasn’t any water left. Completely empty.

Her picture started popping up on telephone poles around town. I’d find her face photocopied for miles -- the motel’s telephone number written along her chin, just below the word REWARD.

I would’ve slept the day away if there hadn’t been this knock at my door. I answered it, half asleep -- only to find Mr. McKee standing there, not saying anything. He pulls out his wallet and starts writing me a check. Ripped it right out and handed it over to me.

Thirty six inches of accumulated rain water. Barely even three feet deep.

That algae was so thick, you couldn’t see through it. The bottom wasn’t even there.

Thank you, he says.

Dash Shaw 51

Just turns around and leaves.

I look down, only to find more zeros in my hand than I’ve ever seen. Twenty five thousand dollars, right there. All for finding little Larissa McKee. No questions asked.

This was a sign, I said. Larissa was my saving grace, my guardian angel. She was looking down on me from heaven, I was sure of it -- telling me, Take this reward money, mister. Make a better life for yourself.

The bank teller nearly dropped her jaw when I cashed that check, wanting it all in my hand. Couldn’t even fit the wad in my pocket, it was that thick. Had to carry it in this envelope, wherever I went.

The McKees were gone by the time I got back. They’d checked out of their room. Station wagon wasn’t in the parking lot anymore.

Place felt empty without them.

First place I go is straight to the front desk, laying down a crisp hundred dollar bill in front of the manager. Down payment for the next couple months.

Next I come here, sitting in this very stool. I drop another hundred onto the bar, buying drinks for everybody. We kept this place open all night, didn’t we? Fed fifty dollars into that jukebox alone, playing every damn song on it. Toasted Larissa every time, raising a glass to that girl. She’d made me the richest man this motel’s ever had the pleasure of patronizing. I was king of this motor court. Drinks were on me. Tipping as if there were no tomorrow.

Woke up in a different room the next day. They look all the same when you’re stumbling back from the bar. Lord knows how I even got inside.

Wasn’t until I opened the door and saw the number that it struck me.

This was Larissa’s room. Twenty four.

First day, I went to the department store. Bought a brand new suit for a brand new man. Navy blue. Pin-striped. Silver cuff-links and a red silk tie.

Walking back to the motel, I saw Larissa’s face still stapled to all these 52

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telephone poles. Rain had seeped into each flyer -- her cheeks sagging, her eyes drooping. She looked older, as if she’d grown up in those photocopies.

Wore my new suit to the bar, turning heads towards me. Look who’s back, everybody. This rounds on me.

To Larissa. Over and over again.

Funny if you think about it, but -- with water, it has to keep moving. The moment it settles somewhere, it begins to fester. Congeal. Algae thickens it up. Grows all green. Stiffens and stinks. What used to be fluid and formless becomes all thick and sticky. What used to be clean and clear becomes so murky, there’s no finding your way through it anymore.

To Larissa. My guardian angel.

To Larissa. My saving grace.

To Larissa. To Larissa. To Larissa.

She’s with me in my sleep, she’s with me in my dreams. Every time I close my eyes, she finds me. Her reward money’s drowning me. It’s taken me months to make my way to this sip. One more swallow and I’ve paid my debt. Cheers.

How about another round, bartender?

Mind putting this one on my tab?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------“Reward Money” is a monologue from the Yellow House produced play Drinking Games. Every Sunday October 30th-December 11th at 7pm in Bogart’s Backroom located at 203 N. Lombardy St. Tickets $10, contact 804.329.4735 or email tickets@yellowhouseva.org. Please include your name, telephone number, desired number of tickets, and desired performance date.

Writer Clay McLeod Chapman is a Pulitzer Prize Nominee, screenwriter of an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival, author of two books, the recent critically acclaimed play Volume of Smoke which was performed to sell out crowds at the Firehouse Theater, numerous other plays and short stories, and the creator of The Pumpkin Pie Show, a rigorous and closely watched story-performance group in New York City.

Art

Team 8 / Moira MacTaggert Team 8 is an ar tist collec tive that has been designing, illustrating, and screen printing their way around Richmond for several year s.

When RVA asked Team 8 for their stor y, I had the oppor tunit y to have a sit down with the group and record their retrospec tive.

Matt Deans Okay, so we got started as just a bunch of friends in art classes together and stuff at VCU. And now, and we decided maybe we should do this in a group, and somehow the name Team 8 came up. I think, like, both of us were wearing....

Spencer Hansen Aaaaaaaaaa Ian Sampson Uuh.... (laughing) MD Okay, they just punched me in the nuts and told me not to talk anymore.

IS It’s a secret origin, dammit. I’m particularly amused by remembering, I remember coming in and being so excited about doing this stuff, and I was just like, “I really just don’t have time or energy to devote to that right now. And it’s the kind of thing that if, like, I mean, if I ever get a chance that’d be cool. But, I can’t really be a part 54

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of that right now.”

Russ Gautier Yeah, I remember that.

SHThat’s why it’s always really open ended. ‘Cause that was the speech I got at first. I was like, “Ah, he doesn’t know what he’s talkin’ about. So we’ll pretend like he’s, y’know, no pressure, he doesn’t have to be in it.” But he was in it.

IS We weren’t really doing anything then, except sort of screwing around with....

SH With the screen-printing formula.

IS Look, we’ve got screens! Let’s do something with them!

RG It was much more about experimentation. Less about being artists and more about playing with the medium.

Team 8 started as a loose art collective, little more than a declaration that, yes, they were artists, and they sort of had something to do with one another. Living in the same space and working side by side tends to build that sort of camaraderie, when it doesn’t build animosity. Ideas were thrown around about how the four could conquer Richmond’s art world, but it was mostly rhetoric and daydreams. And then came the screen printing. Spencer had taken a class, and with a little ingenuity, hard work, and the guidance of a DIY magazine article, a functional print shop materialized. It was all experimentation at first, seeing what could be done.

RG At the time, that was when all the hype started with all the Screen-printing houses. Like Methane Studios, like Aesthetic Apparatus, like those guys were doing what no one else....

SH I read that ReadyMade magazine.

MD Yeah! That’s important.

SH There was this one ReadyMade article I got. And they said you could build your own screen-printing table. And it didn’t really tell you how, but I was like, OK! RGYou can do it! It’s possible!

SH I’ll do it! And I did it. I drew up all these plans for an exposure R VA n o . 7 P r i s o n W i t h o u t B a r s

55

unit and everything. Crazy.

IS I think it was probably Gigposters (gigposters.com) that finally got me really into it.

SH For me it was totally Aesthetic Apparatus.

IS For you, yeah. I think for me it was Gigposters, just seeing the amount, seeing how much screen-printing was actually out there, and....

Well, actually, I should plug Standard Deluxe. I grew up having a constant influx of screen-printed junk from Waverly, Alabama. The fine folks at Standard Deluxe. (standarddeluxe.com) RG Their stuff is awesome.

IS So, were the t-shirts the first thing that really made us....

SH Money?

MD That was the first project that really brought us together. “Horn, It’s Okay Though” was our first shirt, and then “Shout for Things.”

IS And it was a collabo.

MD It was totally a collabo, and that was what made it Team 8 at that point. Because I would work on the design with Russ. I would draw some dumb picture, and Russ would put some dumb phrase with it, and Spencer and Ian would work out the logistics of printing it, and make it not look like poop.

And once we actually got those shirts out, we would all wear ‘em out to bars and stuff, and people would be like, “Ooh, those sexy guys with the Shout for Things.”

RG I think my Design Rebels class was our first client. Our first, like, t-shirt job.

SH Our first experience with not getting paid, as well.

MD It’s almost time to flip the tape. It’s good that we’re getting to the t-shirt part.

IS The thing about t-shirts too, the effect it had on people as we’d wear them around town. It made us excited about what else we could do with screenprinting, and in Richmond. And, like, raise the bar a little bit.

RG Richmond being what it is, everybody knows everybody, or they know somebody who knows somebody else. It’s such a small community. When buzz 56

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starts happening, when word of mouth starts to spread around, you know, The show was a modest success, and sparked a campaign of traveling to people get excited about that stuff. You know, your name gets out there a little regional indie-centric comic book conventions, where the group found an bit, and that’s how we sorta really started. extremely receptive audience. That street fair mentality has extended their reach to team-ups with RVA at Gallery 5 every first Friday, the Bizarre Market, The public response to the t-shirts emboldened the group, and screen printand other, stranger events. They have continued to do print jobs for outside ing, it was decided, would be the new standard at the Team 8 house. The interests, but the future of the group remains in flux. Several new shows and potential to affect change in the Richmond art scene seemed limitless with the projects are in the works now, and Team 8 is always on the lookout for a new power of serigraphy at their hands. “Why wasn’t everything screen printed?” way to get the work to the people. The latest development has involved finally they wondered. More original posters and t-shirts emerged, and work began to bringing new artists into the mix, to expand Team 8’s personal scope, create come in. They started getting hired to print posters and t-shirts, and occasion- a broader audience, and help grow the art community in Richmond from the ally other items, including at least one set of luggage. They were having fun inside. and making some money, but not enough of either. They decided that, while lucrative, printing for other people took too much time and energy away from The goal, as always, is to create new and better art, but even artists have bills to the creation of art. So, to let it pay for itself, Team 8 needed a venue for selling pay, and Richmond’s landlords are not known for their charity. original work.

Matt Deans is graduating from VCU Illustration in December. He will have work IS All right, where did we go from there? What did we do? featured at the Communication Arts Senior Show on Nov. 30th, and is working SH Well, I think we wanted to start concentrating on getting shows and we on several new illustrations for Team 8. He is looking for a comic book to draw. wound up getting a show at the comic book store.

MD Yeah, we got a show at Velocity Comics. We had this pile of posters and Russ Gautier is also graduating in December, from the graphic design program shirts, and we cranked out a bunch of stuff right before the show. And we had at VCU. He just found the time to design the poster for the Ghost of Pop show this show, and we made some sales, and we were like, “Hey, this show thing’s at Gallery 5. He is slated to teach a class on web design at VCU in the spring. probably the way to go.” So we kept doing t-shirts and posters, and throwing a little money into it.

Spencer Hansen is the full-time screen-printer of the group. He is looking into SH Well, we were having meetings, and decided to do that show because we going back to school for industrial design. Also, he is working on a series of didn’t want to do business. We wanted to do art first. Be making money off of action packed mini-comics about alternate fuel sources. what we’re doing, not the work we’re doing for other people.

RG Which I think, to an extent, worked out fairly well for us.

Ian Sampson graduated from VCU Illustration last December. Since then he SH Well, we started building a ground work. We took that show and went to has become full-time with Team 8 affairs. He is currently organizing a 2006 a couple comic book conventions, and eventually we cleaned up at SPX. And calendar with illustrations by Team 8 members and other local artists. He is also they were just like our own little art shows. working on a very intense mini-comic and a long theorized website.

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57

A n A r gument fo r S mal l e r A r t

/ Doug Utley

Really big art has always left me with an uncomfortable and suspicious feeling. I think it’s a class thing, to a certain extent. I mean the only people who can afford really big art are the tremendously wealthy, right? Not that I have anything against the tremendously wealthy, it’s just that I really like the class that I exist in, the one that most of my artist friends belong to, and I would like to see more artwork that makes sense in this class. So, I have become a strong advocate for smaller art, art that can fit in the house of the average person.

I have been making small paintings for several years now. It has always been hard for me to defend this approach to my artist friends. They tell me that my paintings would be much more effective on a larger scale. This criticism has always irritated me, because I have found working small to be very comforting. I have spent many a year lugging around huge paintings, making huge stretchers, trying to store them, and finally throwing it all away, because they were crowding up my apartment. It’s refreshing to not have to think about those sorts of logistical issues anymore and to spend more of my time actually painting. The truth is, it’s very expensive and time consuming to make big paintings, and I just can’t afford it, emotionally or financially. It’s hard enough just to pay rent on my tiny studio, and I am not the type of person who tries to barter and plea with the landlord, under the guise of artistic integrity. In my opinion, an artist should make money first, pay the bills, and use any time and money left over for more romantic and frivolous endeavors.

Recently, after years of hearing all the talk about the grandeur of the “grand scale” and the bigger is better approach to making art, I came up with a great analogy as an argument for smaller art. Here goes: if I were ten times as big as I am, a giant let’s say, wouldn’t people look at me more and think of me as something special? They would be amazed and point and gawk, but I wouldn’t be a better person for it, and it surely wouldn’t change who I am 58

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or how I look would it? On second thought, I might look a little sadder than usual, because I couldn’t fit into the same places that I used to, and it would be hard to find shoes and clothing that fit. How did Paul Bunyan do it? I feel that the same is true for art. A good painting is a good painting regardless of its size, and the only reasoning behind making large paintings, that I can see, is that they can be sold for more money and can be used to fill bigger, empty wall spaces.

So, I have decided that it is just fine to make things that are small, to be practical as an artist. Those Van Gogh days of the self-sacrificing artist are over in my view. Being crazy, depressed, and misunderstood just isn’t as hip as it used to be. Over the years, I’ve watched many a poor artist work themselves into a funk trying to live up to the unrealistic expectations of grandeur and romanticism put upon them by 20th century art history. It’s just sad, and I for one would like to be happy, to make small things, to live the proud and practical life of a middle class artist in the 21st century.

film

U nde r gro und Filmmake r , B i l l Dan i e l / R. Anthony Harrris Fi l m m a k e r a n d t r a m p B i l l D a n i e l i s b a c k i n t h e v a n a n d t o u r i n g t h e US A w i t h a p r o g r a m o f n e w w o r k , i n c l u d i n g h i s r e c e n t l y c o m p l e t e d d o c u m e n t a r y o n t h e s e c r e t h i s t o r y o f h o b o a n d r a i l w o r k e r g r a f f i t i , W h o I s B o z o Te x i n o? T h e f i l m h a s b e e n w o w i n g a u d i e n c e s o f p u n k s , g e e z e r s , f o a m e r s , a n d g r a f f i t t i k i d s a l l o v e r t h e We s t C o a s t t h i s s u m m e r. T h e f i l m w a s f e a t u r e d i n t h e V i e n n a l e I n t e r n a t i o n a l F i l m F e s t i v a l i n A u s t r i a i n O c t o b e r.

D a n i e l ’s 5 6 - m i n u t e d o c u m e n t a r y o n t h e s e c r e t l i f e o f h o b o a n d r a i l w o r k e r g r a f f i t t i , c a l l e d W h o i s B o z o Te x i n o? S h o o t i n g o v e r a p e r i o d o f 16 y e a r s , D a n i e l r o d e f r e i g h t s a c r o s s t h e We s t , g a t h e r i n g i n t e r v i e w s a n d c l u e s t o t h e t h e i d e n t i t i e s o f m a n y o f t h e m o s t l e g e n d a r y b o x c a r a r t i s t s w h i l e d i s c o v e r i n g a v a s t u n d e r g r o u n d f o l k l o r i c p r a c t i c e t h a t h a s e x i s t e d f o r o v e r a c e n t u r y. T h i s g r i t t y b l a c k- a n d - w h i t e d o c u m e n t a r y t e l l s t h e m o s t l y f a c t u a l a c c o u n t o f t h e e p i c q u e s t a n d u n l i k e l y d i s c o v e r y o f r a i l r o a d i n g ’s m o s t m y s t e r i o u s a r t i s t .

RH Who is Bill Daniel ? Can you give some background to who you are?

BD I’m a lost dog from a litter of BMX and skating brothers in Dallas. Then fled to Austin to get all punked out, then fled to San Francisco to find out about film and art, then fled....and so on and so forth.

RH Who Is Bozo Texino ? Why spend over a decade shooting this documentary?

BD First question -- you’ll have to see the film, but even then you best not be too sure about the answer. Why, yes, why would it take someone 16 years to make a silly underground film... well the answer to that one is a long one, too. I guess I was obsessed with the subject; I just dug in and got lost in it. And I happen to be lousy at raising money, which is the first and last ingredient in making films.

RH The piece is of high quality, and I think, very good. My question is, why are you focused on showing at places like Paper Street instead of the festival circuit? Or is the plan to do festival at some point?

BD I’m not into the festival circuit, not into the film business at all. I look at film as the kind of thing that inspired me when I was young -- underground culture.

Underground not because of “poor quality” but because of an un-mass-marketability of the material. Paper Street is the kind of place that means more to me than some festival full of idle rich people.

RH Who is Bozo Texino? brings to light the secret life of hobo culture. Why do these people exist? What is it about society that makes them phase out the system? Is it just laziness?

BD There’s a universe of reasons why people are out there. That’s part of what’s so interesting about it -- that you can’t really reduce it down.

RH Waldo Point is based around a San Francisco community of boat dwelling hippies and their “drugged out, living-in-the moment” lifestyle. Why did you decide to show this along with your documentary?

BD I see parallels between tramps and water squatters. One reason I show the house boat film is just to show people today how much more freedom people had in this country, not that long ago. Nothing like that-- living free in boats-- would ever be allowed in today’s political climate.

RH You seemed focused on the counterculture, is it possible to have anything like the 1960’s era again? Does it need to happen?

BD I certainly hope people will wake up and start taking back their freedoms. It needs to happen if this country is going to survive.

R. Anthony Harris 61

On Pa ssing / Teddy Blanks Passing is a term that describes when a person denies his or her own racial group in order to belong to another. Usually it refers to lightskinned blacks who “pass” as white in order to bypass the institutional racism in American society. Ethically, it’s complicated, generally frowned upon but undoubtedly makes life easier for the passer. In movies, though, passing is a different monster.

Since the beginning of film, white actors have been donning wigs and makeup to look more “ethnic.” They frequently are Asian, Hispanic, or most offensively, in blackface or painted red and dressed as American Indians (in Orson Welles’ otherwise brilliant Touch of Evil , Charlton Heston plays a Mexican cop and embodies all the stereotypes that go along with the role). Why hire black actors, studio heads think, when you’ve got a good makeup artist? This is no longer the case, and thanks to political correctness, passing in movies slips conveniently under-the-radar.

Its examples range from the obvious to the bizarre.

2003’s The Human Stain stars Welsh actor Anthony Hopkins as Coleman Silk, a classics professor at a liberal arts college, an African American man passing as Jewish. It’s a stretch to see him as either, and that’s quite probably the movie’s point: race is only a social construct; what you see is what you get. The movie visualizes what Philip Roth’s novel cannot by having us stare at Anthony Hopkins for 100 minutes and try to see him as anything but white. We can’t, but that’s not what ruins his performance – it’s his barely-masked British accent. Would it have been more authentic to cast a black actor that could actually pass as white? Or even a Jewish one that could go either way? Instead director Robert Benton ( Kramer vs. Kramer ) got Sir Anthony Hopkins, a man who has portrayed both Othello and Adolf Hitler. How’s that for diversity?

Curiously, IMDB.com describes the young Wentworth Miller, who plays Coleman Silk in flashbacks, as being “of Black, Jamaican, English, German, French, Dutch, Syrian and Lebanese descents,” quite the melting pot. The Human Stain fails ultimately because of lazy, over-Hollywoodized filmmaking and bad casting decisions (Nicole Kidman as a janitor?), but its depiction of passing is at least thematically sound. That’s much more than can be said for 1986’s deplorable Soul Man . A comedy that somebody thought would make a good social message piece, it somewhere lost that ambition, leaving the flick empty, confused, and even offensive. Soul Man is the story of a privileged white teen (C. Thomas Howell) who fakes being black in order to snag the one remaining minority scholarship to Harvard. Of course, he finds out being black isn’t very easy, encounters racism, and is eventually found out. He gets away with it, though, and is allowed to stay white and at Harvard. Here the filmmakers have made the mistake of assuming we not only don’t despise their character, we want him to succeed.

This is where passing gets complicated. In Stain , Hopkins is a white man portraying a black man portraying a Jew. Fairly harmless, considering the subject matter. In Soul Man , C. Thomas Howell is a young white man who decides to become a black man to take advantage of the one perk they get in this country: minority scholarships. Black characters passing as white is generally uncharted movie territory, but the reverse has a disturbing history in show business (see Spike Lee’s Bamboozled ), and one would think the people who made Soul Man would be sensitive to this. Instead they offer the most bargain-basement, one-dimensional view of race possible. And the “message” at the end isn’t even the right one; it’s too little too late. Granted, Soul Man belongs unmistakably in the “dumb 80’s comedy” bin, far from worth being taken seriously. Does Howell pass as black convincingly? No, but the fact that the other characters in the movie think he does goes further to prove that America’s 62

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view of race is a narrow one: a certain type of hair and skin tone, and you’re a different type of citizen.

Melvin Van Peebles did the whole white-to-black thing much better in 1970, with his comedy Watermelon Man . It’s pre- Sweet Sweetback (the landmark independent film and Blacksploitation genre-launcher), when Van Peebles was the only black studio director around. It was a script Columbia had been passing around for a while, concerning suburban, white, racist Jeff Gerber who wakes up one day and is black. The studio of course wanted a white actor in the role, and Van Peebles refused, casting African-American Godfrey Cambridge in the lead role. The few scenes before his transformation feature Cambridge in glorious and hilarious whiteface, a riff on the stereotyped portrayals of blacks in movies. He gets the ending right, too. Instead of having Jeff wake up from a bad dream, as the script originally called for, he has him embracing his blackness and starting a militant political group. As a film, it’s funny and bizarre if somewhat flawed, but as polemic it’s dead on.

Even more interesting than these isolated examples are the actors that jump back and forth between races throughout their careers.

Two current ones come to mind: the great Jeffrey Wright is sometimes black (American or African), sometimes Latino. And Lebanese-American Tony Shaloub is a veritable ethnic chameleon, having been Italian, Jewish, Arab, you name it.

So, is it possible to act a race? Sadly, yes. The very act of “passing” on either side proves “race” a concept based on facial features and behavior, so as long as there are trained actors and make-up artists we’ll always have someone available for what we need. American audiences love racial types, or at least they’ll continue to tolerate them as long as our movies keep dishing them out. Here’s an idea: how about instead of movies about black men passing as white or white men passing as black, we have complex, real movies about race that pass as truth.

D i s p a t c h es f r om t h e C i n em a Af f a i r s D es k : F I N AL / Kevin Gallagher - Your Man in the Field

The physics of film: (1) A film in motion will come to a grinding halt if not propelled constantly. (2) If you want to escape a film it will follow you until satiated. Film operates on inverted inertia.

I am no longer hiking up mountains, but I am still pushing my film much like Sisyphus up a hill of destitution, only to have it roll back down after me, when I grow tired of it. Poverty isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sexy in filmmaking.

There are no Basquiats of the cinematic world. Over six months of unemployment have left me without the means to finish the film. Even after I manage to raise the five hundred dollars I need for processing, I still have six months of tests and editing to run. Ever wonder why Hollywood films cost so much money? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because they want them done in a year, not three. They are buying time, and the going rate for twenty four hours in L.A. is more than cocaine by the kilo.

Alright, so filmmaking is laborious and time consuming, as is walking from Georgia to Maine. If the trail wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hard, everyone would do it. What would be the point? The same with filmmaking. Granted, with digital filmmaking becoming so user friendly, everyone *is* making film. But, Auto Focus and Final Cut Pro will never save you from the pain of giving a damn, it just buys you time. If time is all that matters, you take the bus to Maine and pimp the months you save out on Hollywood and Vine to a half-mad Weinstein flunky. I, however, took the walk and will use this devotion to a slower pace to rationalize that the film should plod along now as it always has, staying true to the rhythm Trail.

This is a lovely lie I will tell myself, until I can afford the luxury of truth and developer.

Kevin (recently Fester)

ILLUSTRATION BY ANDRE SHANK

MERCH ON SALE NOW. BUY IT. WWW.RVAMAG.COM SUBSCRIBE ADVERTISE CHECK IT.

R VA n o . 7 P r i s o n W i t h o u t B a r s

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Mark of the Damned’s Eric Miller / Peter Szijarto

After the last Project Resolution, I had the privilege of screening Eric Miller’s Mark of the Damned . This hilariously funny b-movie cult classic destined sci-fi film was something that I had never seen before. I later on was able to catch up with Eric and have a few words about his work.

Peter Szijarto What is your film Mark of the Damned about?

Eric Miller The movie is about a girl [Diane] with a vampire curse and a mad scientist who has dubious intentions, but he says he’s trying to help her. His friend who is a superhero named King Silver in the style of Santo Silva or Santo, the man in the silver mask, from the Santo movies of Mexico, comes into the story to protect her and the action ensues from there. We are kind of working with the Mexican wrestling film timing where the main character doesn’t even show up till halfway through the movie. Instead of films where you’d have some movie and a whole lot of wrestling, we didn’t have the budget for a whole lot of wrestling, we just made it more sci-fi, put more gadgets into it, and put in a lot more characters and a couple more locations.

We just made it weirder to make up for all the wrestling that we don’t have. We added a lot to the story.

See those old movies, they were pretty thin, there was a lot of space for plot, so when we didn’t have all the wrestling we just filled it in with plot basically to make it more entertaining for a wider audience.

PS What movies have most influenced your work?

EM Evil Dead 2 and Danger Diabolic, but my favorite movie is Buckaroo Banzai.

PS Really?

EM Yea, definitely my favorite.

PS How was the experience of filming Mark of the Damned in Richmond?

EM Scheduling is the tricky part. I have a job and can only shoot when I’m not working and everyone else has a job and were shooting as like a favor or just to be in a movie. I’m not using any real actors, just people that have a lot of interest in movies, so being in Richmond hasn’t been much of a factor. I haven’t had to try and get any permits or anything like that.

PS What about your filming locations such as Maymont?

EM I was doing work study at Maymont while I was at VCU, and that’s about the time when I started shooting the movie and I realized that I needed an outside location that didn’t have any lights nearby. The only places I could think of were Hollywood Cemetery and Maymont. I was already working at Maymont so I shot all my exteriors there at night. So that helped out a lot. We shot a little bit at the Byrd and that was easy. A friend knew somebody that worked there, we just went in before the show started on Sunday. We didn’t have much time, so when you use a location that not your studio you have to work with other peoples schedules.

One time we were down at Belle Isle and a guy did give us a little bit of a hassle because one of the characters were carrying a really phony rifle, it was a very sci-fi gun, but this

guy still thought it was a real gun, and he started yelling at us that we’re not supposed to have guns in the park. That’s really the only time we had trouble at all.

PS So do you feel Richmond has helped or slowed down your progress? Are people in Richmond more apt to work for free?

EM The people that I asked to do the movie were people that were around anyway, they were just friends of mine. Finding actors inRichmond wasn’t a problem at all. I haven’t approached any professional actors though.

Making this movie was pretty much just eliminating problems before they even got started, so I didn’t work with professional actors, and beyond just making a movie, I tried not to bite off more than I could chew, though making a movie is kind of, crazy.

PS Has the film community grown since you started filming?

EM Yes it has. When I started, I shot this movie in Hi-8 and not a lot of people considered shooting a movie in Hi-8 as something you would want to watch. Shooting on anything other than film wasn’t considered a movie.

The perception now has completely changed because the technology for the editing and digital camcorders.

PS How would people have viewed your film if it were done around the time you started?

Do you feel that institutions such as the VCU Arts School, Project Res, and galleries accepting the video medium as art have played a Peter Szijarto 67

part?

EM Yea definitely, none of that was around when I started, this whole movie was a real bat-cave production, and we’d only be able to shoot a little bit every couple months. So there was never any new knew, it was like how’s it going, it’s going the same as it was before. If you asked me any of near when I started, I might have said I shot five minutes in the past two months. That’s taking forever, so we just kind of stopped telling people we were shooting a movie and just shot. As far as venues nowadays, it’s wide open. With Project Res, that’s helped out a lot. In regards to how it would have been viewed back then, it’s been made to look like a specific genre, so anybody that likes that genre whether it’s now or five years ago they would’ve liked it the same. With venues in the past, it would have been a lot harder. With digital projectors being affordable now, it’s easier for someone that wants to show their movie. When I got started, I was just kind of banking on the future. I thought by the time that we’re done things will be ready. Sounds crazy it’s just the way you had to think about it.

PS How did you guys accomplish the visual effects shots on basically no money?

EM All the physical props were made with parts that we just had around and the effects were done in After Effects and that was all Walker Allen, he’s the editor and does all the effects. That was just a question of time, how much time does he have. Money isn’t something we are really worried about with this project because we don’t have any, its how much time do we have to put into the project. We just spent money on tapes, equipment, and computers. That and food for shoots and I did have to buy some stuff for costumes. Lights and other equipment you just pay the big cost once and you don’t have to deal with it again, not like film.

PS How was it working with amateur actors?

EM I just picked people that act like themselves. If you’re talking to somebody and I like they way they move or the way they talk ill ask, hey do you want to be in a movie, and ill kind of fashion the character around the actor.

PS How were the voice actors? I think that’s one of the best parts, the dubbing, you’ve got that kung-fu style.

EM I work with the voice actors because of the way they sound. They usually are not even really acting, they just try and get the inflection to match people’s faces. The movie has a real big safety net, where everything doesn’t have to really jive. As long as it’s entertaining, then it works. This is deadly serious though. We are addressing important issues. This movie could save your life.

PS Like a guide against vampirism?

EM It’s a big public service announcement for those most at risk. We’re trying to help people.

PS So you’ve said the movie isn’t done yet?

EM Well its shot, we’re just editing. We’ve got part one and two in the can, part three and four will be done when they’re done. We should be done pretty soon. I can’t give you date the date because I don’t know what’ll come up between now and then.

PS Spring maybe?

EM Spring would be very cool.

Thanks to the very talented Eric Miller for letting me interview. Everyone should definitely check the movie out. Hopefully part three and four will PS Speaking of that, would you shoot film someday? be done before spring so you can see it in its entirety. Keep a look out for EM Maybe. I like dv a lot because I can focus on the story more, I’m not a a possible theatre screening as well as it playing on nationally televised real big stickler on film. A movie’s a good medium for a story, I’d be happy Mr. Lobo’s Cinemainsomnia cable-tv show which ironically we don’t to do graphic novels or books, that’d be fine, but you can get a story out receive in Richmond. You may check out the website at www.cinemainto more people if it’s in a movie and you can get a group reaction all at somnia.com or email Eric Miller at motd.movie@gmail.com for any further once if it’s in a movie. information.

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Cinema

Teddy Blanks & Matt Goins Good Night, And Good Luck Director / George Clooney Actors / David Strathaim

The Weather Man Director / Gore Verbinski Actors / Nicolas Cage Michael Caine

In 20 02, George Clooney ’s Confessions of a Dangerous Mind was a tex tbook example of what happens when you give a camera and an ample budget to the kind of movie star that says, “but what I really want to do is direc t.” It was all st yle and no substance, and Clooney proved himself the k ind of f ilmmaker who, with jumpy edits and biz arre coloration, did ever y thing possible to remind us he was “direc ting,” shor t of spinning the camera around and waving at Mom. (It also didn’t help that he ruined a per fec tly good script by Charlie Kaufman.)

Clooney ’s idea here is to show us an example of a time when truthful repor ting accomplished something, and to give us this triumphant stor y in contrast to the complacent babble of television news today. For the most par t, the political commentar y is on point, but the most interesting thing about Good Luck is the way it ’s made. In classic black and white, the camera moves around the amusingly modern of f ices of CBS Studios and its busy newsroom with tense angles and sharp editing, put ting us right in the excitement of the produc tion. There is ver y lit tle in terms of music, just a jaz z singer and combo that is occasionally used in transition, so the f ilm is ver y quiet. With snappy dialogue and a great per formance by David Strathaim (a John Sayles alum) as Murrow, In his new feature, Good Night, And Good George Clooney has proved himself, on second Luck , which he also co -wrote, Clooney tr y, as interesting behind the camera as he is in shows almost unbelievable progress front. as a f ilmmaker. It ’s set in the 50’s and tells the stor y of Edward R . Murrow, who I cer tainly don’t know what The Weatherman is amongst a frightened and self- censored about, and I’m not really sure I want to. This movie news media, was a repor ter with the was made by Gore Verbinsk i, who, af ter 5 pitiful guts to take on Sen. Joe McCar thy. f ilms, including The Ring, The Mexican , and Pirates

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of the Caribbean , has proved himself a bonaf ide hack . What exac tly is he tr ying to do with this one? Who green lighted this terrible script, by unknown Steve Conrad? Nicolas Cage stars as a Chicago T V weatherman dealing with a bit ter divorce, an over weight daughter, a sexually molested son, a job of fer from a major net work , and his father (played by Michael Caine), who is dying of cancer.

It ’s a situation that nobody, except maybe Todd Solondz, could make funny.

But Verbinsk i and Conrad, a hellish team, have made a f ilm which could ver y well have been pitched as “ American Beaut y but funny.”

E xcept the jokes fall f lat, the charac ters are intensely unlikable, and the rhy thm, pacing, and stor y of the thing are all of f.

Nicolas Cage and the excellent Michael Caine tr y their damnedest to raise this clunker of f the ground, but there’s too much working against them.

T H E FILMS O F LAR R Y C OH E N L a r r y Co he n h a s b e e n p r o d uc e r, w r i te r, and director on a variety of genres and budgets, having Alfred Hitchcock even express interest in several of his s c r i p t s. It i s Co he n a s Au te u r, w he n he is producing, writing, and directing his own films, when he his handling serious subjects without studio interference, that he shines as New Yo r k ’s b r i g h te s t .

It’s Alive 1974 Actors / John P. Ryan Sharon Farrell Director / Larry Cohen

Hitchcockian in its subversive approach to the American family, It’s Alive is the apex of all mutant baby films. It is indicative of Cohen’s style and handling of weird material.

The film also spawned two sequels: It’s Alive 2, and Island of the Alive. The first shows more of the monstrous infant, while the original chose to leave it mostly unseen (no doubt for our imagination to take the reigns). Island of the Alive is more comedic.

All are above the B-horror bar and deserve viewing.

God Told Me To

Q - The Winged Serpent 1982

Actors / Tony Lo Bianco Deborah Raffin

Actors / Michael Moriarty Candy Clark David Carradine

1976

Director / Larry Cohen

Director / Larry Cohen “ God Told Me T o, an inventive f ilm from B-movie auteur Larr y Cohen, was later re-named Demon af ter television distributors refused to air it under the original title.”

- New York Times Jesus Christ as a space Alien? Ambiguous sexualit y? Genetic mutations? Andy Kaufman as a cop?

This is my personal favorite of Larr y Cohen’s movies. Probably because it is genuinely weird without seeming contrived. The plot is as far out as they come, but somehow has always suspended my disbelief successfully.

A f abulous throwback to the big mons ter f ilms of yes ter year, Q is an of ten underrate d gem that deser ves it s due in the genre. Michael M oriar t y and David Carradine s tar in this imaginative low budge f lick which utilizes the mos t with so ver y lit tle. T his is the L arr y Cohen way.

T he p er formances of M oriar t y and Carradine are the hidden treasures of either ’s care er. T here is an undeniable energ y there.

Cohen’s signature subtle s atire cre eps in It is one par t investigation of male sexualit y and through the wonder f ul and apt dialo gue: our def initions of manhood, one par t sci-f i schlock , “ I ’m jus t ask ing for a Nixon - like pardon.” one par t critique of guilt (Catholic and other wise), and one par t crime drama!

But don’t lo ok to o hard; you might miss the pure f un of it. It is a BIG Mons ter Tony LoBianco stars as the existential detec tive movie and it is silly and f un. So much so, anti-hero investigating the sudden outbreak that apparently it has b orne inf luence. of bizarre murders. Bizarre because the killers Cohen, among other s, has p ointe d out purpor t their sole motives to be divine; when the plot and shot s lif te d f rom Q and questioned, they reply, “God told me to.” Look for place d in H olly wo o d big - budgete d 1998 Andy Kaufman in the St. Paddy Day’s Parade.

G o dzilla .

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QUICK G UI DE

This is a quick guide to our favorite establishments. Do you see your favorite place on this list ? If not email us with places you want to see added.

CARYTOWN

DOWNTOWN

BURGERS / DELI

COFFEE

Carytown Burger & Fries 3500 1/2 W. Cary St. 3585225 Coppola’a 2900 W. Cary St. 359-NYNY

DoSE Café 522 North 2nd Street 343.3320 Lift 218 West Broad Street 938.3419

Black Swan 2601 W. Main St.353-9476

GALLERIES

Patterson Express 3100 Patterson Ave. 355-8510

COFFEE

Blue Mountain Cafe 3433 W. Cary St. 355-8002 GROCERY

Ellwood Thompson 4 N. Thompson St. 3597525 PIZZA

Mary Angela’s 3345 W. Cary St. 353-2333 RESTAURANTS / BARS

Babe’s 3166 W. Cary St. 355-9330 Chopstix 3129 W. Cary St. 358-7027 Double T’s Real BBQ 2907 W. Cary St. 353-4304 Eatery 3000 W Cary St. 353-6171 Farouks’s House of India 3033 W. Cary St. 355-0378 Galaxy Diner 3109 W. Cary St. 213-0510 Nacho Mama’s 3449 W Cary St. 358-6262 RETAIL

Need Supply 3010 W Cary St. 355-5880 Plan 9 Music 3012 W. Cary St. 353-8462 Yarn Lounge 3003 W Cary St. 340-2880

1708 Gallery 319 West Broad Street 643.1708 312 Gallery 312 North Brook Road 339.2535 Artists Downtown Access 228 W. Broad St. 644-0100 art6 Gallery 6 East Broad Street 343.1406 Corporate & Museum Frame 301 West Broad Street 643.6858 Curated Culture 23 W. Broad Street 304-1554 Elegba Folklore Society 101 East Broad Street 644.3900 For Instance Gallery 107 East Cary Street 574.4111 Gallery 5 200 W. Marshall St.644.0005 Henry Street Gallery 422 West Broad Street 247.1491 Oro 212 West Broad St 344-9847 Quirk 311 W. Broad St. 644-5450 Richmond Camera 213 West Broad St 648-0515 Richmond Public Library 101 East Franklin St 646-7223 Sledd/Winger Glassworks & Gallery 414 West Broad St 644 -2837 Studio/Gallery 6 6 East Broad St. 207-4677 Visual Art Studio 208 West Broad St644-1368 RESTAURANTS / BARS

Capital Ale House 623 E. Main St. 643-2537 Comfort 200 W. Broad St. 780-0004 Tropical Soul Sea & Soul Food 314 N 2nd St. 771-1605 RETAIL

Turnstyle 102 W. Broad St. 643-8876 VENUE

Mr. Bojangles 550 E. Marshall St. 344-2901

THE FAN BOOKS

CONIVIENCE MOVIE RENTALS

Video Fan 403 Strawberry St. 358.7891 RESTAURANTS / BARS

3 Monkeys 2525 W. Main St.204-2525 Avalon 2619 W. Main St. 353-9709 Bandito’s 2905 Patterson Ave. 354-9999 Bogart’s 203 N. Lombardy St. 353-9280 Border Chophouse 1501 W. Main St.355-2907 Buddy’s Place 12 N. Robinson St. 355-3701 Cafe Diem 600 N. Sheppard St. 353-2500 Caliente’ 2922 Park Ave. 340-2920 Taphouse & Grill 111 N. Robinson St. 359-6544 Corner Cafe 800 N. Cleveland 355-1954 Curbside Cafe 2525 Hanover Ave. 355-7008 Davis & Main 2501 W. Main St. 353-6641 Easy Street 2401 W. Main St. 355-1198 Emilio’s Tapas Bar 1847 W. Broad St. 359-1224 Joe’s Inn 205 N. Shields Ave. 355-2282 Metro Grill 301 N. Robinson St. 353-4453 Robin Inn 2601 Park Ave. 353-0298 Strawberry St. Cafe 421 Strawberry St. 353-6860 Starlight 2600 W. Main St. 254-2667 Sticky Rice 2232 W. Main St. 358-7870 Sidewalk Cafe 2101 W. Main St. 358-0645 PIZZA

Chanello’s Pizza 2803 W. Broad St. 358-3800 R VA n o . 7 P r i s o n W i t h o u t B a r s

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The FAN cont...

SHOCKOE BOTTOM

VCU

RETAIL

COFFEE SHOPS

BOOKS

Katra Gala 2225 W. Main St. 359-6996 TAKEOUT

Fujian 2000 W. Main St. 353-5888 Food Fanatics 2901 Park Ave. 353-6389

MANCHESTER RESTAURANTS / BARS

Legend Brewing Company 321 W. 7th St. 232-8871 MANCHESTER ARTS DISTRICT

Artspace 0 East 4th Street 232-6464 Artworks 320 Hull St. 291-1400 Plant Zero Cafe 0 East 4th Street 726-4442

OREGON HILL RESTAURANTS / BARS

Hollywood Grill 626 China St. 819-1988 Mamma’zu 501 S. pine St. 788-4205 TATTOO

Salvation Tattoo 324 Pine St. 643-3779

CHURCH HILL RESTAURANTS / BARS

Accapela’s 2302 E. Broad St. 377-1963 Poe’s Pub 2706 E. Main St. 648-2120 GALLERIES

Eric Schindler Gallery 2305 E. Broad St. 644-5005

E a t e r y

3000 W Cary St. 3 5 3 - 6 1 7 1 American - Chinese Deli, has some of the b es t fo o d in the cit y.

Cafe Gutenberg 1700 E. Main St.497-5000 Ethos Cafe 17.5 N. 17th St. 513-6700 Jumpin J’s Java 2306 Jefferson Ave. 344-3500

Chop Suey 1317 W. Cary St. 497-4705 Velocity Comics 818 W. Grace St. 725-6300 COFFEE SHOPS

RESTAURANTS / BARS

Mars Bar 115 N 18th St. 644-6277 McCormack’s Irish Pub 12 N. 18th St. 648-1003 Tiki Bob’s 110 N 18th Street 644-9091 Wonderland 1727 E Main St. 643-9233

Harrison Street 402 N. Harrison St. 359-8060 World Cup Coffee 26 N. Morris St. 359-5282 PIZZA

Papa John’s 1200 W. MAin St. 354-6262 Little Caesars 920 W. Grace St. 358-4116

PIZZA

Bottom’s Up Pizza 1700 Dock St. 644-4400

RADIO

WRIR 97.3 FM 1045 W. Broad St. 864-9450

RETAIL

Kulture Clothing N.18th St. 644-5044 VENUE

Alley Katz 10 Walnut Alley 643-2816 Canal Club 1545 E. Cary St. 643-2582 C3 1801 East Cary Street 804.474.3639

SHOCKOE SLIP COFFEE

Shockoe Expresso & Roastery 104 Shockoe Slip 648-3734 RESTAURANTS / BARS

Fusion 109 S. 12th St. 249-2338 Lucky Lounge 1421 E. Cary St 648-5100 Richbrau Brewing Company 1214 E. Cary St. 644-3018

RESTAURANTS / BARS

Assantes 1845 W. Broad St. 353-7300 Edo’s Squid 411 N. Harrison 864-5488 Empire 727 W. Broad St. 344-3323 Ipanema Cafe 917 W Grace St. 213-0170 Mojo’s 733 W. Cary St. 644-6676 Panda Veg 948 W. Grace St. 359-6688 Roxy Cafe 1104 W. Main St. 342-7699 Taqueria Loco 818 W Broad St. 648-5626 The Village 1001 W. Grace St. 353-8204 RETAIL

Nonesuch 918 W. Grace St. 918-4069 VENUE

Hyperlink Café 814 W. Grace St. 254-1942

Alley

Katz

10 Walnut Alley 804.643.2816 www.alleykatzrva.com 12.02 THE JUNK YARD BAND - JON BIBBS AND THE XPERIENCE - KIA ELAMIN 18+ 9:00PM-2:00AM WWW.THEJUNKYARDBAND.COM $15 AFTER 12:00AM $8ADV. $10DOOR 12.03 LAKE TROUT WITH SPECIAL GUEST VEGA 18+ 9:00PM-2:00AM WWW.LAKETROUT.COM $10ADV. $12DOOR 12.07 SCARY KIDS SCARING KIDS - JUNE - JUST SURRENDER - FOR THE WORLD - TRUST IN THE FALL ALL AGES SHOW 6:00PM-10:00PM WWW.SCARYKIDS.COM WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ TRUSTINTHEFALL $8ADV. $10 DOOR 12.08 STND PRESENTS VOLTRON WITH DJ RUDEBOI - DJ EYECUE - DJ OHLAROC - DJ KRAMES - KOOL KUT NINJA - BOBBY LABEAT - DOTTIE FRESH AND MORE! 18+ 9:00PM-2:00PM WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ RLOPEZ51 UNDER 21 $5 - TWO ROOMS OF MUSIC $3ADV. $3DOOR 12.09 HAMAGANZA 2005 WITH ELLIOT IN THE MORNING - MARK HOLMBERG AND DIANA DIEHL FROM THE RICHMOND TIMES DISPATCH - ALYSSA FROM NEW ROCK 102.1 THE X - MAC WATSON FROM 1140 WRVA - SEAN MACLAINE SCOTT ELMQUIST AND JIM WARK OF STYLE WEEKLY 18+ 9:00PM2:00PM WWW.1021THEX.COM FREE WITH HAM - CANNED HAMS ARE PREFERRED WWW.CVFB.ORG - RICHMOND’S VERY OWN DIRTWOMAN $7ADV. $7DOOR 12.10 TOO LATE FOR HERO CD RELEASE - RACE THE SUN - PATENT PENDING - THIS SEMESTER - WAITING FOR YESTERDAY ALL AGES SHOW 5:00PM-9:00PM WWW.RACETHESUNROCK.COM EARLY WWW. MYSPACE.COM/THESEMESTER WWW.MYSPACE. COM/PATENTPENDING WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ TOOLATEFORHERO $6ADV. $6DOOR

LATE SEED IS - 51 PEGASUS - PENNY SHAKER 18+ 10:00PM2:00AM WWW.51PEGASUS.COM LATE $6 12.15 THINK! - MISSING MASON - SPECIAL GUESTS ALL AGES SHOW 6:00PM-10:00PM WWW.THINKBAND. BLOGSPOT.COM $5ADV. $5DOOR 12.16 SITE OF SUFFERING - HARDSELL - CHOKECHAIN SPECIAL GUESTS ALL AGES SHOW 6:00PM-9:00PM WWW. COREMUSICPROMOTIONS.COM EARLY $6ADV. $6DOOR LATE RUSSELL BATISTE JR OF THE FUNKY METERS & FRIENDS YOUR MAMMAS BRASS BAND - SPECIAL GUEST 18+ 10:00PM2:00AM WWW.RUSSELLBATISTE.COM LATE WWW.MYSPACE. COM/COUNTYLINEPRODUCTIONS $10ADV. $10DOOR 12.17 CONSHAFTER - THE RISING SONS - SPECIAL GUEST ALL AGES SHOW 6:00PM-9:00PM WWW.CONSHAFTER. COM EARLY $6ADV. $6DOOR 12.18 SAINT DIABLO - HEADCHECK - SPECIAL GUESTS ALL AGES SHOW 7:00PM-11:00PM WWW.SAINTDIABLO. COM $5ADV. $5DOOR 12.22 HAPPY SKALIDAYS WITH MURPHYS KIDS NIEGHBORHOOD FRIENDLY - MOTION PICTURE DEMISE - ZERO ONE - VINDICATION ALL AGES SHOW 6:00PM-10:00PM WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ MKRVA$5 WITH NON PERISHABLE FOOD $5ADV. $7DOOR 12.26 AGENTS OF THE SUN - OPENWIDE - CULDERA - FORGET ABOUT THE STARS ALL AGES SHOW 6:00PM-10:00PM WWW.OPENWIDESOUND.COM $7ADV. $7DOOR 12.27 HOLINSHED - VINYL DHARMA - THE CHEAP SEATS - SILENT FILM STAR ALL AGES SHOW 6:00PM-10:00PM WWW.HOLINSHED.NET $6ADV. $6DOOR 12.29 TIME OF CHOLERA CD RELEASE - THIS TIME IT’S WAR - LIGEIA - COVET THE KNIFE - IMMURE ALL AGES SHOW 6:00PM-10:00PM WWW.TIMEOFCHOLERA.COM WWW. COVETTHEKNIFE.COM $7ADV. $7DOOR 12.30 KATTI WANKIS - SOCIALLY BELOW STANDARD - BEXLEY - SPECIAL GUEST ALL AGES SHOW 5:00PM-9:00PM WWW. MYSPACE.COM/KATTIWANKIS EARLY $7ADV. $7DOOR

Nanci Raygun 929 W. Grace Street 804.353.GAME www.nanciraygun.com

12.03 USA IS A MONSTER, THE KITES, ATTITUDE PROBLEM, THE AMOEBA MEN 10PM $5 18+ 12.04 RUMPELSTILTSKIN GRINDER 5PM $6 12.05 THE WORKING TITLE, CARTEL, THE TERMINAL, TOO LATE THE HERO, WAITING FOR YESTERDAY 5PM $7 ALL 12.06 MUNICIPAL WASTE (VINYL RELEASE SHOW!!), TORCHE, MISERY INDEX, TOTAL FUCKING DESTRUCTION 7PM $6 ALL 12.07 MASON BROTHERS, PLANAR 8PM $6 18+ 12.08 DEF JUX PRESENTS: CAGE, CAMU TAO, SLOW SUICIDE STIMULUS FEATURING TAME ONE & DUSTED DONS, WITH DJ CRAZY GLUE 9PM $10 ALL 12.09 PUNK ROCK PROM!! 9PM $5 18+ 12.15 I LIVE WITH ZOMBIES, DISENFRANCHISED YOUTH, RED LETTER BLACK BACKGROUND, 2:13 CONSPIRACY 5PM$6 12.16 WARDANCE ORANGE (REUNION!), TRI-STATE KILLING SPREE, VINDICATION, WOW, OWLS! 7PM$5 ALL 12.17 BLACKLISTED, BRACE WAR, VAN DAMAGE, PERMANENT 5PM $7 ALL LATE ARGENTO AGENDA, COUGHS 10PM $5 18+ 12.18 CAROL BUI, ANOUSHEH KHALILI, ALINA SIMONE, RIS PAUL RIC (EX- Q & NOT U), PATTERN IS MOVEMENT 5PM $5 ALL 12.20 CAVE IN, DOOMRIDERS (MEM. OF CONVERGE AND CAST IRON HIKE), LORENE DRIVE 7PM $8 ALL 12.27 DOWN TO NOTHING, OUTBREAK, THE GEEKS, CLOAK DAGGER 5PM $7 ALL R VA n o . 7 P r i s o n W i t h o u t B a r s

75

Bogarts

203 N. Lombardy Street 8 0 4 . 3 5 3 . 9 2 8 0 www.bogartsinthefan.com

12.16 ROGER CARROLL (JAZZ) $7 COVER 12.17 GEORGE MELVIN B-3 ORGAN JAZZ QUARTET (STRAIGHT AHEAD JAZZ) $7 12.19 ANOTHER LEVEL (JAZZ) $6 COVER

12.01 DIVIDED HIGHWAY (BLUEGRASS) $5 COVER

12.20 RACHEL LEYCO BAND (ROCK ’N’ ROLL) $3 COVER

12.02 REZQSQUAD (SOUL/R&B/FUNK) $7 COVER

12.21 CLOWN CHURCH (EXPERIMENTAL JAZZ/JUNK) $5 COVER

12.03 SAMBAIOSIS (BRAZILIAN JAZZ) $7 COVER

12.22 SOUTH WIND (TRADITIONAL DERIVATIVE FOLK) $5 COVER

12.04 DRINKING GAMES BY CLAY MCLEOD CHAPMAN PRESENTED BY YELLOW HOUSE $10 COVER 7:00 P.M.

12.23 IN THE POCKET (JAZZ/FUNK/GROOVE) $7 COVER

12.05 BROWN (BIG BAND/JAZZ/FUNK) $6 COVER

12.28 MIKE GALES AND THE WARRIORZ (FUNK) $5 COVER

12.06 MOOSSA (REGGAE/JAZZ/BLUES) $3 COVER

12.29 SPECIAL ED AND THE SHORT BUS BLUEGRASS BAND (BLUEGRASS) $5 COVER

12.07 BUTTERHOUSE BAND (ROCK/REGGAE/JAZZ) $5 COVER

12.30 ALAN PARKER GROUP (JAZZ) $7 COVER

12.08 PLUM STREET RAMBLERS (CLASSIC COUNTRY/ BLUEGRASS) $5 COVER 12.09 ALAN PARKER GROUP (JAZZ) $7 COVER 12.10 BLUE LINE HIGHWAY (ACOUSTIC ROCK) $7 COVER 12..11 DRINKING GAMES BY CLAY MCLEOD CHAPMAN PRESENTED BY YELLOW HOUSE $10 COVER 7:00 P.M 12.12 ROCKITZ (4 BANDS) $6 COVER 12.13 MIKE GALES AND THE WARRIORZ (FUNK) $3 COVER

12.27 ONE LOVE (R&B/JAZZ/FUNK) $2 COVER

12.31 SAMBAIOSIS (BRAZILIAN JAZZ)

Sticky Rice

2 2 3 2 W. M a i n S t r e e t 8 0 4 . 3 5 8 . 7 8 7 0 www.ilovestickyrice.com MONDAY SUSHI HEAVEN :: 1/2 PRICE SUSHI!! 1030PM EVERY TUESDAY KARAOKE STARTING AT 8PM EVERY WEDNESDAY MY IPOD vs YOUR IPOD

12.14 FABLED AUTOMATIC (ROCK/FUNK/LAID BACK) $5 COVER

EVERY THURSDAY BLINGO!

12.15 JACK ASS FLATS (BLUEGRASS) $5 COVER

EVERY FRIDAY SUSHI HEAVEN :: 1/2 PRICE SUSHI!! 5- 6PM

76

R VA n o . 7 P r i s o n W i t h o u t B a r s

Canal Club

1545 East Cary Street 804.643.2582 www.thecanalclub.com 12.02 KRASS JUDGEMENT WITH NUCKLEDRAGGER DESINTION DOORS OPEN AT 8:30 $6.00 DOOR 12.03 KARL DENSON’S TINY UNIVERSE WITH JAKE SHIMABUKURO DOORS OPEN AT 8:30 $16.00 ADV $18.00 DOOR 12.10 FOZZY FEATURING CHRIS JERICHO DOORS OPEN AT 8:30 $10.00 ADV $12.00 DOOR 12.11THE FIRST ANNUAL ST NICK PARTY FEATURING NICK JAZZY DOORS OPEN AT 7:00 $5.00 DOOR 12.15 BULLISTIC / SITE OF SUFFERING / LOKOPHYLUM / ADHD DOORS OPEN AT 6:00 $5.00 DOOR 12.16 CARBON LEAF DOORS OPEN AT 8:30 $14.00 ADV $ 16.00 DOOR 12.17 PAT MCGEE BAND DOORS OPEN AT 8:30 $15.00 $17.00 DOOR 12.29 THE WAILERS DOORS OPEN AT 8:30 $20.00 ADV $22.50 DOOR 12.31 GWAR DOORS OPEN AT 8:30 $20.00 ADV

1am-3am Music Memories 3am-6am The All Nighter w/ Andy Jones

Tuesday

Richmond Independent Radio WRIR 97.3 FM Schedule Monday

6am-8am Breakfast Blend WRIR’s Multicultural Music 8am-9am Democracy Now! 9am-10am News and Notes w/Ed Gordon 10am-11am Le Show w/Harry Shearer 11am-12pm Power Point 12-12:30pm Homespun C-SPAN 12:30-1pm Defenders LIVE w/Ana Edwards 78

R VA n o . 7 P r i s o n W i t h o u t B a r s

& Phil Wilayto 1pm-2pm The Mimi Geerges Show 2pm-4pm Talk of the Nation 4pm-4:30pm Voices Of Our World 4:30-5pm Free Speech News 5pm-7pm Lost Music Saloon Americana /alt-country 7pm-9pm Blue Monday

w/River City Blues Society 9pm-11pm Louisiana Dance Hall /cajun/creole/zydeco 11pm-1am Great American Music Hour

6am-8am Breakfast Blend WRIR’s Multicultural Music 8am-9am Democracy Now 9am-10am News and Notes w/Ed Gordon 10am-11am Justice Talking 11am-12pm Thomas Jefferson Hour

w/Clay Jenkinson & William

Chrystal 12pm-12:30pm Weekly Sedition 12:30pm-1pm Richmond Indymedia News

w/ Jason Guard 1pm-2pm Radio Nation w/ Marc Cooper 2pm-4pm Talk of the Nation 4pm-4:30 Counterspin 4:30pm-5pm Free Speech Radio News 5pm-7pm Wide Ear Folk w/Eric Walters 7pm-9pm The Edge Of Americana w/Josh

Bearman 9pm-11pm Mercury Falls/eclectic rock 11pm-1am Broadcastatic Audio Collage 1am-3am Wrapped In Plastic 3am-6am The All Nighter w/ Michael Harl

Wednesday

6am-8am Breakfast Blend WRIR’s Multicultural Music 8am-9am Democracy Now 9am-10am News & Notes w/Ed Gordon 10am-11am Smart City w/ Carol Coletta 11am-12pm Living On Earth w/ Steve

Curwood 12pm-12:30pm Brown Bag Lunch Special 12:30pm-1pm Enlace Informativo

1pm-2pm New Dimensions: Uncommon Wisdom for Unconventional Times 2pm-4pm Talk of the Nation 4pm-4:30 pm T.U.C. w/Maria Gilardin 4:30-5pm Free Speech Radio News 5pm-7pm Activate! Artists in Richmond 7pm-9pm The Modern Beat w/ Christian

Hendrickson 9pm-11pm Radiomorphism w/DJ Morphism /industrial 11pm-1am 804noise Presents: Noise

Solution 1am-3am Late Night Flight /eclectic rock 3am-6am The All Nighter w/Jeff Sadler

Thursday

6am-8am Breakfast Blend WRIR’s Multicultural Music 8am-9am Democracy Now 9am-10am News and Notes w/Ed Gordon 10am-11am The Parent’s Journal w/ Bobbie

Conner 11am-11:30am Wings: Women’s

Independent News 11:30am-12pm 51% w/ Dr. Kammer Neff &

Mary Darcy 12pm-12:30pm Richmond Education Today 12:30pm-1pm Inspiration Corne 1pm-2pm Prime Time Radio 2pm-4pm Talk of the Nation 4-4:30pm This Way Out 4:30-5pm Free Speech Radio News 5pm-7pm Future Perfect w/The TinyDj /new rock 7pm-9pm The Secret Stash w/Stuart Martin /indie rock 9pm-11pm Funwrecker Ball w/DJ Esskay /rock/punk/ reggae

11pm-1am Zendo Soundsystem w/DJ Nomadic/dub 1am-3am Crypt Shift w/Kiki

/twang trash rock n’ roll 3am-6am The All Nighter w/Josh Sturgill

Friday

6am-8am Breakfast Blend WRIR’s Multicultural Music 8am-9am Democracy Now 9am-10am News and Notes w/Ed Gordon 10am-11am The Book Guys 11am-12pm Selected Shorts: Short Stories

Read by Great Actors 12pm-12:30pm Wordy Birds

w/Liz Skrobiszewski-Humes 12:30pm-1pm Open Ear & Mind 1pm-2pm Calling All Pets 2pm-4pm Talk of the Nation’s Science Friday 4-4:30pm Richmond Indie Radio News w/Lauren Ball 4:30-5pm Free Speech News 5pm-7pm Global World A Go-Go w/Bill Lupoletti 7pm-9pm Beep Ahh Fresh Hip-Hop

w/Chuck B & Hoodrich 9pm-11pm Vinyl Cartel

w/Logan & Krames/hip hop 11pm-1am St. John the Pabstist

w/J. Swart & B. Porter/loud rock 1am-3am Screams from the Gutter

w/ Michelle & Justin/punk/metal 3am-6am The All Nighter w/DJ Moth

Saturday

6am-9am Inter Tribal (Tall Feathers)

Native American music 9am-11am The British Breakfast w/Jesse

Reilly & Gene Pembleton 11am-1pm Shake Some Action/classic rock 1pm-3pm New Music Machine/Indie rock 3pm-5pm Songs from the Big Hair 80’s/rock 5pm-7pm Locals Only w/Scott Burger 7pm-9pm Mutiny w/JTF /electronic dance 9pm-11pm DJ Spotlight/electronic dance 11pm-1am Frequency w/ Jesse Split & JoAnna O/Techno, House, & Breakbeat 1am-3am Resolution/Electronic Dance 3am-6am The All-Nighter w/ Josh Sturgill

Sunday

6am-7am Tones of Gospel 7am-9am El Che Y La Rubia

w/tango/folkloric/rock en espanol 9am-11am Karibbean Prayze 11am-1pm All Jazz with Giz Bowe 1pm-3pm Mellow Madness 3pm-5pm The Other Black Music You Don’t

Get To Hear On Richmond Radio

w/Charles Williams/alternating

w/Ambiance Congo w/David

Noyes/r&b/ funk/african 5pm-7pm The Motherland Influence w/ Charles Williams & David Noyes/

african/caribbean/latin 7pm-9pm If Music Could Talk w/DJ Carlito world/freeform 9pm-11pm The Ming From Mongo Show 11pm-1am HOWL!!

1am-3am A Party of One 3am-6am The All-Nighter w/Dustin Richardson

R VA n o . 7 P r i s o n W i t h o u t B a r s

79

DECEMBER 27TH THROUGH JANUARY 7TH

FIRST ANNIVERSARY PARTY

727 E. MAIN ST. / 804-643-9233 / WWW.WONDERLANDRVA.CO

WO N D E R L A N