Skinnie Magazine Issue 132 - SFebruary/March 2014 by Skinnie Magazine

skinniemagazine.com

THErundown

p.010 skinniemagazine.com

skinniemagazine.com

THErundown

FEATURES p.008

KROQ Sound Stage Red Bull Records New Partnership for Live Performances

p.010

PASSPORT Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, CA

p.014

Chad Coleman The Walking Dead WOrld

p.018

MOB City LA Mobster story from Frank Darabont

p.022

Rapper Problem Taking On the World

p.027

SKINNIE GIRL Juliana Rast

p.032

A PERFICT CIRCLE Rock Veterans Doing Something New

p.034

Pearl Jam ALways Doing It Right

p.027

p.037

SKINNIESCENE The Rundown On What You Missed

p.022 skinniemagazine.com

Issue132 Jan/FEB2014

p.034

p.014

p.010

p.018

skinniemagazine.com

JAN/FEB 2014 J ISSUE NUmber 132 www.skinniemagazine.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PUBLISHERS Jimmy Clinton Jason Zahler ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EDITORIAL Jimmy Clinton Jasen T. Davis, Alex Mendoza, Eric Bonholtzer, Katie Evans, Kristie Bertucci, Patrick Douglas, Lacy Ottenson, Elysia McMahan, MM Zonoozy Editor-In-Chief

Contributing Writers

For editorial submissions, email editorial@skinniemagazine.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ART & DESIGN Art department

Morgan Desmond

PHOTOGRAPHY Michael Vincent, Alan Rivera, Sean Myers, Joanna Miriam, Wil Marques, Damian Tsutsumida, Karen Curley, Harmony Gerber, Edison Graff, Erik Faiivae, Christian Sosa, Cody Black Contributing Photographers

Sales & Marketing Marketing Director

Jason Zahler Matt Lee, Julius Lopez Assistant Alexis Hernandez Advertising

For all sales inquiries email sales@skinniemagazine.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Administrative House Of Designs Morgan Desmond Angela Jugon Raquel Lopez, Cynthia De Los Santos and Ryan Mercer online editor

Contributing Staff

FASHION Fashion Director

Michelle Ngo Linh Duong

Fashion Coordinators

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SUBSCRIBERS If the post office alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within two years. LEGAL DISCLAIMER The content in this magazine is for entertainment and intended for mature audiences only. Advertisers are responsible for their ads placed in the magazine. Skinnie Magazine is not responsible for any actions taken by their readers. We may occasionally use images placed in public domain. Sometimes, it is not possible to identify and/or contact the copyright holder, if you claim ownership of something we’ve published, we will gladly make a proper acknowledgement. Skinnie Magazine does not share opinions and/ or views stated by the writers and or photographers. Some of the content published may be of a mature nature; we do not, in any way, condone underage drinking or any other illegal activity. All submissions become property of Skinnie Magazine, be it text, photos, art, etc. Skinnie Entertainment Magazine All Rights Reserved. 2014

the skinnie staff hopes our readers have

A Great 2014!

www.skinniemagazine.com Cover Photo by Michael VIncent

skinniemagazine.com

LIQUID PROTECTION WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST

Water and electronics go together like—well, water and electronics. Liquipel’s™ new Watersafe™ coating is here to change all of that by utilizing a super-hydrophobic coating that can protect electronic devices from accidental exposure to liquids. Learn more about us by visiting our website at

www.Liquipel.com

skinniemagazine.com Connect with us!

skinniemagazine.com

bass&treble

K R O Q T e a m s w i t h Red bull records for

sound space New Venue for Live Performance Streams

WORLD FAMOUS KROQ announced a partnership with Red Bull to unveil a new performance space which will host a series 4THE of intimate live rock shows from top music acts throughout the year. Located in KROQ’s Culver City radio station, “Red Bull Sound Space at KROQ” will fuse together an on-air broadcast with a live USTREAM webcast, inviting fans from around the world to a front row seat at this new “global” venue. Red Bull Sound Space at KROQ will officially launch on Tuesday, October 18 during Kevin & Bean’s Breakfast with renowned KROQ artist, Coldplay. Coldplay will perform songs from their upcoming release, Mylo Xyloto, as well as tracks from previous albums. Fans will also be treated to an exclusive Q&A with the band by LA’s top rated morning show team. Southern California fans can listen live on 106.7FM KROQ or view the globally streamed webcast via www.kroq.com/soundspace and www.redbullusa.com/soundspace at 7:30am PDT/10:30am EDT. What was once an office space packed with hum-drum cubicles is now home to a stage evoking the spirit of underground rock and roll. KROQ listener donations of old audio equipment such as ’40s-era radios, record players, and blinged-out boomboxes were turned into a piece of artwork behind the stage. Coldplay has released four internationally acclaimed studio albums and are set to release their latest effort, Mylo Xyloto, on Monday, October 24. The album already boasts two Top 10 singles, “Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall” and “Paradise”. The partnership between KROQ and Red Bull expands upon both entities’ impressive legacies in music. For more than 20 years, Red Bull has given wings to musicians from all over the world to create, collaborate and innovate through unique programs- from Red Bull Studios in Los Angeles, Auckland, London and Cape Town, to live events such as Red Bull Sound Clash, a record label featuring indie artists such as AWOLNATION and the globally acclaimed Red Bull Music Academy. KROQ is responsible for introducing The Ramones and The Sex Pistols in the ‘70s. The station also helped launch the careers of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Coldplay, Linkin Park, Sublime and No Doubt. KROQ’s influence on what SoCal listens to and its success of launching some of the biggest bands in the world make KROQ a station like no other. “The World Famous KROQ” started out as a self-deprecating slogan, but is now very much a reality. For information on upcoming performances at the Red Bull Sound Space at KROQ tune into 106.7 FM or visit www.kroq.com/soundspace or www.redbullusa.com/soundspace.

skinniemagazine.com

10 skinniemagazine.com

passport

DESTINATION

Pechanga resort & casino Solo Ablum from Panteraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Frontman By Patrick Douglas

skinniemagazine.com 11

12 skinniemagazine.com

passport

true? Yes, Pechanga Resort & Casino is the largest resort/casino in 4Istheit entire Western United States. California’s biggest and best, Pechanga is located in the Temecula Valley’s picturesque southern California wine country and offers an unmatched destination, as well as the luxury and comfort guests expect and deserve from a AAA Four Diamond Award winning property. Pechanga has won this esteemed award every year since opening in 2002.

New For 2014 Starting off 2014 right,The largest resort and casino in the state, Pechanga Resort and Casino, has unveiled its dramatic multimillion dollar renovation of its 22,000 square foot hotel lobby, two restaurants and the addition of two new dining options. Pechanga utilized the highest level of finishes and materials – rich mahogany, brushed brass, espresso-finished wood cabinetry, the list goes on. In place of the slate stamped concrete floor gleams 20,000 square feet of fresh light tan Italian marble complements to the bright, popping colors of the two new restaurants. Those checking in and out of the hotel will also see two 84-inch 4K Ultra high definition flat panel TV screens.These monitors require special equipment just to run high enough quality video for them. One of a kind touches to go along with the 4-diamond service. True Vegas experience a bit closer to home.

Pechanga Buffet International cuisine comes as second nature to Chef Frank Ortiz, which is why he makes such a good fit for the top chef position at the globally inspired Pechanga Buffet. Chef Ortiz was recently brought to run the popular buffet’s massive daily culinary undertakings from one of the most

renowned buffets in Las Vegas. With more than 30 years of experience in kitchens around the world, he says he is happy to work at a resort where one’s creativity and talent can shine through his creations. “I see cooking as an art form, an expression,” says Chef Oritz. “I find it so satisfying to be a professional at what I do and it’s awesome to see someone happy from something you make. It’s almost not fair to be paid to do what I love so much.” In the world of big portions and all-you-can-eat, the humble chef is also doing something novel. He has introduced fresh ingredient, flavor-packed small plates, inspired by his Spanish heritage, to the buffet. He tells timehonored patrons who appreciate the opportunity to eat as much as they want not to worry. All of the favorite international items still grace the inviting Pechanga Buffet. With four to five appetizer-size options each day, the small plates selection became a recent and quickly adopted addition to the restaurant’s entire spread. “Working as the chef of a buffet is easier and harder than a menu-based restaurant,” explains Ortiz. “Since I am also in charge of the production kitchen that prepares the food items for guests at the buffet, there are no surprises about cuts of meat, the produce available that day or a host of other possibilities when it comes time cooking those things.” Ortiz says he is excited about the Pechanga Buffet’s specialty items on weekends, a Friday seafood buffet and a Saturday Prime Rib buffet. The motorcycleriding chef says he loves making Spanish-style tapas and coastal Mediterranean fare and says chefs have to be daring and try new things with food. “Nobody’s going to talk about you if you don’t.”

skinniemagazine.com 13

14 skinniemagazine.com

ForePLAY

‘the walking deads’

chad coleman Surviving the “Walkers” and Loving It! Words by Patrick Douglas

zombie genre has never been as popular as it is today and 4The those who love seeing people in all stages of decay chasing after otherwise healthy folks can thank the creators of “The Walking Dead” for bringing it back to the mainstream. Based on a comic book of immense detail, “The Walking Dead” is a series currently in its fourth season with no end in sight. “The Walking Dead” has an 8.7 out of 10 rating on imdb.com but it’s not eligible for the list of top 200 movies of all-time due to its series label. If it was, it would be the thirteenth best film of all-time according to the site. The story follows a group of survivors in Georgia who have sort of escaped a zombie apocalypse that has essentially destroyed society. It’s a weekly dose of stress and chaos that has made it one of the most popular television shows in history. Chad Coleman plays the gruff Tyreese and is quickly becoming one of the more important characters on the show. He’s a natural leader and promises to fulfill that role as new episodes continue to roll out. It’s a much different atmosphere than what he experienced on the immensely popular cop drama “The Wire” where he played Cutty. “The Walking Dead” graphic novel series is roughly twice as far out as the TV show in terms of a timeline so a lot of the upcoming story has already been revealed but, if the show has proven anything, it’s that

they aren’t afraid to stray from the comic story arc already told. Because of the occasional movement in story, Coleman isn’t looking at the comic book as a determination of his character’s fate. Coleman’s path from aspiring actor to key cog in one of the top shows on TV started at a young age as he recalled an epiphany he had while performing theater as a high schooler. “I was involved in an after school program in high school and we were working on ‘A Raisin In The Sun’ and I just had an out of body experience,” recalled Coleman.“I wasn’t even playing Walter Lee. I was playing this character, BoBo. It was a very dramatic scene. I was like ‘Wow, how’d you do that?’ From that point on, I was always incredibly comfortable on the stage. I always loved seeing the audience and the buzz and excitement. By the time I was a sophomore in high school, I knew that this is what I was going to do for the rest of my life.” While he was a big part of “The Wire,” it’s his role as Tyreese that has catapulted him to status of approachable actor. “A lot more people recognize me,” said Coleman. “The fanbase of ‘The Walking Dead’ is pretty passionate.” Despite its rated-R exterior, “The Walking Dead” has an appeal to youngsters. Coleman’s daughter is 13 and he talked about how much she loves the show.

skinniemagazine.com 15

ForePLAY “She’s used to it,” he said. “She loves it, man. I just had her at a New York Comic Con, too, so she got a chance to meet everybody. That was awesome for her and a friend of hers. She loves it. They all do, all her friends.” The violence is mostly contained to zombies and things that zombies do but, according to Coleman, the appeal that captures audiences of all ages comes in the incredible storytelling. “I think the fact that it’s the horror genre, there’s an appeal on some level,” he said. “The storytelling is amazing, obviously, and everybody is doing great work but there’s an aspect of it that probably appeals to the coward in all of us, those of us that loved to be scared in movies. There’s something on the plate for everybody. It’s hard to describe. These kids, they’re not freaked out by it. They’re not. It’s done in a way, they go there, but you get a kick out of it more so than being turned off by it.” Many times, actors are too close to the show or film to really get sucked into the final product, but that’s not the case with those leading the charge with “Walking Dead.” According to Coleman, the actors are just as stoked to turn on the TV every Sunday as the fans are. “Most of it is CGI anyway so the great work they do makes us go ‘Wow’ too after they finish in post-production. It’s a whole different animal when it comes to the walkers and stuff. I get into it, man. It’s a great story,” said Coleman. “It’s wonderful characters and great storytelling. I get as locked up in it as anyone else.” It’s hard to imagine there being moments of levity on set with so many serious moments but the actors do try to have fun from time to time. “A lot of times, things are very tense and everybody’s sort of in that head space because that’s the part of the show,” said Coleman. “If you don’t believe that we’re in that situation, that would bring a certain amount of cheesiness to it that we don’t ever want to go for. The physical exchanges we have with the zombies can sometimes be a little funny. You drop your weapon, you miss somewhere you’re supposed to hit. Stumblin’ Fallin’. We just laugh at each other. You never really want to take somebody out of the moment. Everybody is very mindful and professional.” It took one episode shoot for Coleman to realize that this wasn’t an ordinary series and he’s been hooked ever since. “When my group first came to the prison, that introductory scene, it was basically a monsoon shooting out there,” recalled Coleman.“It was raining so hard I was forgetting my lines. Trees were falling and I was like ‘We’re still out here?’ That was kind of the first thing that kind of stuck with me. Like ‘Wow, they mean business out here. We can hardly see and we’re still shooting. Ok, let’s go.’” No one knows for sure how long a character will last in “The Walking Dead” before they’re shockingly offed in some way. For now, Coleman is excited to see his character of Tyreese propelled to such a huge part of the show and hopes to see it go for as many seasons as possible. “It was what I was promised from point A,” said Coleman of his character’s importance. “We’ve got some great folks like Andy Lincoln and the writers are excited to write for me. They’re living up to everything that they promised. It’s an amazing journey. It really is. Unbelievable the way the audience will be able to get to know this character.” “I’m really, really excited,” he added.

16 skinniemagazine.com

skinniemagazine.com 17

18 skinniemagazine.com

nittygritty

MOB city The Battle for the City of Angles begins... By Patrick Douglas Photos Courtesy TNT

Director Frank Darabont has a way of spinning already good stories into gold.

He adapted two Stephen King tales into films in “The Shawshank Redemption,” and “The Green Mile,” and developed “The Walking Dead” after it already had made a splash as a graphic novel. As a result of Darabont’s work, “Shawshank” has spent the better part of the past 13 years listed as the number one movie of all-time at www. imdb.com and “Green Mile” is 53rd on the list while “Walking Dead” is currently one of the most watched shows on television. Darabont is now teaming up with TNT to present “Mob City,” a noiresque story of mobs vs. cops set during the 1940s in Los Angeles. The director was initially inspired after reading John Buntin’s book, “LA Noir.” “It was one of those (judge a) book by its cover kind of deals,” said Darabont. “I was in the newsstand at LAX before jumping on a plane. I poked my head in and saw this book called “LA Noir,” noir being right up my alley and L.A. being a great component of noir. I grabbed the book thinking that it actually might be some fictional thing and then wound up realizing as I was flying that it was non-fiction history which actually made the book even cooler for me. I couldn’t put it down for two days. Once I had read it, I immediately made a call to see if the rights were available.” “It’s such a fascinating history. I mean, it’s just utterly absorbing. I couldn’t put the book down,” Darabont added. “John Buntin … he’s just a compelling historian and brilliantly entertaining writer.” Darabont discovered his good friend, producer Michael De Luca, was also interested and what began as a passing interest in a book was soon a developing series between two old friends.

skinniemagazine.com 19

nittygritty

“I was on my first produced credit as a writer on ‘Nightmare on Elm Street III’ (when) I met him. He was a young executive just hired by New Line. We got to be friends on the set of ‘Nightmare III,’” Darabont said of De Luca. “I’ve known him all these years. We decided to partner up on it. It’s been a real pleasure to work with Mike.” “Mob City” follows two factions of the L.A. mob scene back in the day – the mobs who ran the city and the police officers who decided to either fight them or join them. Jon Bernthal plays Detective Joe Teague, a gruff cop looking to bring down the mob. He’s no angel as his actions are sometimes as questionable as his nemesis, Bugsy Siegel, played by veteran actor Ed Burns. As Burns explained, it was the opportunity to work with Darabont that attracted him to the role of Siegel. “Frank is the reason I jumped on board and was initially very excited about the prospect of joining the cast,” Burns said.“I’ve been a long time fan of Frank’s work and it’s one of those situations where you pick up the script, you just kind of keep your fingers crossed and hope that there’s a good part in there for you. After I read the first scene with Bugsy, I was in. It was a no-brainer. I called my agent and said ‘Let’s go do this.’ A couple of weeks later, I was on a plane to Los Angeles and then being fitted for some pretty swank suits.” The opportunity to play one of the most ruthless and dapper mobsters in history was something that Burns didn’t take for granted. He dove into the role with the hope that he could convey the same type of swagger that the mobster had in his heyday. “He needs to be larger than life. He was a very flashy guy who loved his clothes. He hobnobbed with celebrities. He even wanted to be a movie star and had some screen tests.This is a guy who has an army of gangsters who are willing to die for him. He was a ladies man. He was a guy that was the mastermind behind the birth of Vegas,” Burns said. “He’s a guy who could convince a lot of people, men and women, to do what he asked. Part of him was charisma and charm.” “The other part was the fact that he had a short temper and would back it up with sort of insane, homicidal behavior,” he added. “Those two things are what makes for a successful gangster.”

20 skinniemagazine.com

Siegel’s right hand man at the time was the infamous Mickey Cohen and the two of them are at the center of it all in “Mob City.” Milo Ventimiglia plays Ned Stax, a charismatic member of Siegel’s entourage who also happens to be on speaking terms with Detective Teague. It makes for an interesting character who knows both sides of the conflict. “His bills are paid by the mob,” said Ventimiglia of his character. “He’s just a guy who’s smart enough to understand all the players in the game of the streets of Los Angeles and lucky enough to have an in with what’s going on … on the L.A.P.D. side.With Ned (he) is a darker shade of gray than what I think he’s kind of introduced as.Yes, he’s the legal face of the mob (yet) he is strangely untouchable to the law side because they can’t figure him out.” As far as researching the times, Ventimiglia followed Darabont’s lead and read “LA Noir.” “I’d also read several chapters of a book called ‘Super Mob.’ Then also, I’d kind of hear stories from my father about when he was growing up in Chicago. That was definitely the epicenter of syndicated crime going on out there, particularly where he grew up,” he said. “To just kind of get a better understanding of who these guys in this world were. Then, also, talking to Frank and believing in the stories that he wanted to tell and then very simply learn the words, show up and play.” Ventimiglia was also persuaded to join the cast by the thought of working with Darabont. “Frank’s the reason why I’m doing this,” he said. “I’ve been a huge fan of his work for years. ‘Shawshank’ is probably one of my all-time favorites and then following ‘The Walking Dead.’ When I knew he was doing a new show and it was based in 1947 Los Angeles … I was just dying to be in it.” Despite the serious content of the series,Ventimiglia described the set as being a very fun atmosphere in which to work. “It was one of those sets where you just don’t go walking back to your trailer.You actually sit around and you tell stories,” he said.“It was just a fun environment.We were all enjoying ourselves. Any TV show is hard work, but at the end of the day, if

skinniemagazine.com 21

22 skinniemagazine.com

bass&treble

through trials and tribulations

problem Ready To Go All-In Photos by Michael Vincent

“Born in Germany, and raised in Compton” is one of the first things that catches your eye when you read 27-year-old rapper Problem’s biography. No stranger to the music industry, Problem has already written, co-produced, and worked with such icons as Snoop Dogg, Kanye West, John Legend, and DJ Quik while releasing two hit singles of his own, 2013’s “Whatt” and the currently in rotation, “You understand me.” The trials and tribulations that he has experienced throughout his career have helped Problem fine-tune his craft and cultivate diversity in both his sound and music. Now, in 2014, Problem is ready to go “all-in” and provide his fans with music that is mature, unique, and well-rounded, all while never forgetting his roots or where he comes from. Skinnie spoke to the newly-anointed Breeding Ground artist, Problem, about his come-up in Compton, his prior signing to Universal Records, what the Diamond Lane Music Group brand means, and what fans can expect from his upcoming album

“Born in Germany, raised in Compton” can you elaborate on that a little bit? My fathers was in the service, so I was born on the base and went straight to Compton 9 months later. Your latest single, Understand me, how is that a progression from your last hit “Like What” that first put Diamond Line Group on the map? It’s more of a continuation thing – energetic turnup – continue to build the story and the movement – it’s more about the movement, my records will all be my next chapter. What can Fans expect from your newest EP “Understand Me”? It was more of just something to throw out for the Christmas break. Instead of just making another single, I wanted to make it more of an event, more than just saying I have to make a single and a video. I think it was a great way to promote the record. I’m currently working on my

skinniemagazine.com 23

24 skinniemagazine.com

bass&treble

project right now, my official release title. That’s my main focus, releasing an EP to give a glimpse of where I’m gonna go, of where I’m gonna take it. Just expect a change in me. When can we expect to hear your new album? You know, that’s not up to me, it’s up to my CEO on when to deliver it. I got my own deadlines, but I’m definitely completely hands on with this entire record. Throughout your career you’ve dropped seven mixtapes and previously had a deal with Universal. How did that lead into your affiliation with Diamond Lane Music Group? It was a great accomplishment to be signed to the label, just didn’t work out in my favor. But they set me up for this moment right now and I am so appreciative of my situation now and I love it. Who would you want to work with? Biggest inspiration? For namesake, I wanna get with who people say are the greatest.You know, of course I wanna work with Jay and Noz and people like that. But I’m more interested in getting in there with people who just wanna be great and wanna work. At one point, nobody knew who Snoop Dogg was; he was just some dude coming out of Long Beach. I’m into that, you know, not just some kid that everybody else knows. I gotta respect you, you know, I gotta like you to do a song with you. Having been around the industry for awhile, what was it like for you to be from Compton and get to work with artists like Snoop Dogg and Durupt and DJ Quik while you were coming up? It couldn’t have worked out in a better way. I got to learn and get critiqued and get knowledge from the people that started it. It prepared me for this moment, right now. I still talk to them and ask questions and they still call and give advice. I take it all in, and I’m glad that I have relationships with the men that put this shit on the map. What are your thoughts on the new guys coming up and the “New West?” What do you guys offer now that hasn’t been offered in the past? I don’t really have any thoughts on it; I’m just about Diamond Line Music Group. I hope that everyone is successful. I preach everyone stay respectful and get their money and just leave me the alone. What are some of the goals you’ve set for yourself for this year? What are you striving to achieve in 2014? Stay alive, keep running the race. No ending goals because I don’t think it’s ever gonna end, just gotta keep working, so 20 years later I can say “damn this is still great” Expect more from me. Expect more from the movement. Just know I got a lot of things coming – I believe in the element of surprise. My fanbase will ride with us no matter what, just know I’m coming and be ready for it. And Just wanna say thank you to my fans.

skinniemagazine.com 25

26 skinniemagazine.com

Juliana Rast

skinniegirl

skinniemagazine.com 27

skinniegirl

PhotographerMichael Vincent www.michaelvincent.com Makeupjoel Morales HairMichelle Almanza Producer&StylistTal B Hajek LocationSanta Monica

28 skinniemagazine.com

skinniemagazine.com 29

skinniegirl

Website www.amandafrancesmodel.com

30 skinniemagazine.com

skinniemagazine.com 31

A Perfect Circle began 14 years ago as an experiment of sorts between one of the most popular vocalists in rock and a guitar tech with a penchant for creating his own unique flavor on guitar. Billy Howerdel was a guitar tech for bands like Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, Fishbone and Tool in the ‘90s. When he and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan decided to form a band together at the end of that decade, they wanted something that followed the antiestablishment ethos in which Tool was built but with a little more mainstream appeal thrown in.The result was A Perfect Circle. The current incarnation of the band also includes former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha as well as Matt McJunkins (bass) and Jeff Friedl (drums) both from Ashes Divide. APC just released “Stone and Echo,” a collection of live music that is as unique as the band. The collection features live recreations of their studio albums, “Mer de Noms,” “Thirteenth Step,” and “eMOTIVe,” as well as an entire live performance filmed and recorded at Red Rocks in Colorado. The special edition was limited to 2,500 physical copies

32 skinniemagazine.com

which sold out immediately even at $150 a pop. The release is available in digital format now. The feverish response by fans never goes unnoticed by APC as they continue to enjoy sold out shows on the road and success via sales. “I feel like I hopefully never take it for granted that people still care and pay attention and find us relevant,” said Howerdel. “Even when we did dates in 2011, that tour pretty much sold out and that was a great feeling. It doesn’t go unappreciated that people still give a shit.” Always looking to push the envelope and do things slightly outside of the box, the band set out in 2010 to play and record every song they’d ever released and compile them chronologically in order based on the album releases. “Right before we went on that tour, we decided to record (and wondered) why not just play every song we had? We couldn’t do it all in one night. We decided to do one per night in each city and recorded it,” he recalled. “The shows came out good and we mixed it and had that ready to go. By the time 2011 rolled around, we did a proper video shoot and combined it with that.”

The live DVD recording came out of a show they did at Red Rocks, a place many bands have picked to feature as a backdrop to showcase their music. A Perfect Circle is much like Tool in the sense that they perform in the shadows, mysterious at times, while fans who attend the shows often leave with a “you had to be there” perspective. This is the first professional video recording and release of an APC show and there was a bit of hesitation by the band when it came to sharing the experience with people not actually in attendance. “That part I’m a little mixed about,” said Howerdel. “The show had to look right and I think this one does. The show came out great. I think it’s a fair and honest representation of the band.” While A Perfect Circle hasn’t come out with a proper studio album of fresh, new songs in a decade, Howerdel is ready and willing when the time comes to hit the studio again. Keenan maintains an incredibly busy schedule balancing his time between his bands (Tool, APC and Puscifer) while also running a vineyard/winery in Arizona full time.

bass&treble

rock vetrans reincarnated in

a perfect circle Always Pushing The Envelope Words by Patrick Douglas Photo courtesy A Perfect Circle

“I’m trying to work on the songs and have a bankroll of songs to present (to Keenan),” said Howerdel. “My working relationship with Maynard has been that I can give him music and hear nothing and all of a sudden he turns up with this amazingly crushing vocal melody and lyrics that are on top of it.” “It’d be the same for me. Under pressure when someone is saying ‘We have to produce. This is the date,’ that’s not the nature of artistic schedule that I know of. It just kind of comes and it may never come again,” he added. The biggest fear, according to Howerdel, is not knowing if or when as an artist the creative well will run dry. He personally has never faced a lull in creativity but admits that the fear of losing it is what motivates him to keep writing music. “That’s always kind of the fear. I’ve read that with artists it’s a pressure of going ‘I don’t know where this comes from.’ I feel blessed that I’ve got it up to this point,” he said. “Is there a well that dries up or is it something that’s always in you?” “I think it’s something you always ponder and consider just like you do when you’re born and you’re gonna die

someday,” he added. “It’s an unknown but I think it’s something that keeps things precious. If you knew that you were never going to die, how precious would life be? If you thought creativity was always going to flow, how precious would it be?” A recent greatest hits album featured a brand new studio song called “By And Down,” which stirred renewed interest in the question: “When will APC release a new album of fresh songs?” “It’s still below the horizon line,” Howerdel said with a laugh. “I’m not saying it’s not there. I’m saying it hasn’t cracked that field of view.” The band has seen its fair share of turnover as players have come and gone but Howerdel is grateful for the talent the group has managed to employ over the years. “Every player has a different personality and style personally and musically,” he said. “We’ve been really fortunate. We’ve never had a dud. Everyone we’ve ever played with has been an amazing musician and a good friend and we’ve been lucky in that respect.” Howerdel says he knew from the beginning of APC that it wouldn’t be the normal touring and recording cycle

that most bands experience. Keenan was never slated to front APC full-time which meant that it would be an on-again off-again project for as long as they stayed an active band. It hasn’t been bad for Howerdel as he’s been able to start a family and formed his own band called Ashes Divide in his time between APC activity. Still, he says he would’ve preferred to have a more consistent schedule with APC. “Who knows? Maybe that would’ve burnt us out or we could’ve gotten stronger as a band or we could’ve gotten frustrated,” Howerdel said, hypothetically. “You never know. I probably would’ve preferred to go more at it with album, tour, album, tour with breaks in between but I could see it like every three years working 12 months. Every three years sounds like what I was hoping for.” “Being my dramatic brain I was thinking a year for APC, two years for Tool to give it that designation when we started. I thought it would be something along those lines,” he said. “I’m happy with the way things are going and I’m happy we’re doing something right now. I don’t want to see the band go away.”

skinniemagazine.com 33

34 skinniemagazine.com

bass&treble

Doing Things right

pearl jam Still Selling Out Arenas All Over The World

By Patrick Douglas Photos by Danny Clinch

Pearl Jam is the ultimate story of a band doing all the right things at all the right times. They continue to sell out arenas all over the world and, as one of the key cogs in what some consider to be the last great rock revolution, are still going strong nearly a quarter of a century after they broke out like a lightning bolt in a storm cloud. The model of consistency, the Seattle stalwarts just released their tenth studio album, “Lightning Bolt” and are doing what they do best – filling seats and entertaining Pearl Jam faithful all over the world. “It’s been great. It’s been kind of a trip,” said bass player and co-founder Jeff Ament. “You hear veteran band guys talk about if you’re around long enough, there’s sort of an ebb and flow to your popularity and it sort of feels like, crowd wise, there’s a little bit more youth in the crowd. The last group of crowds seemed like more exciting shows in the U.S. that we’ve had in the past 10 years so it’s pretty cool.” Pearl Jam doesn’t just play gigs. They run a musical marathon that few other bands can match, especially with members pushing 50 years old. It’s admittedly harder to deal with the physical aspect of doing that night in and night out, but you won’t find any member of Pearl Jam taking for granted the opportunity to rock for three plus hours a night. “Everybody feels grateful. The other thing is; it sort of keeps you young in a lot of ways. Everyone is sort of focused on trying to play these shows to the top of our ability,” said Ament.“You wake up the next day and after the show and everyone’s in the gym working out and trying to work the stiffness out of the bones. Everybody’s pretty focused on playing a great show.When you’re 50 or approaching 50 like we all are, it’s a little more work to pull that off.You kind of have to be all in on it. It isn’t like the old days where you can go out after the shows and have some beers and sleep super late and not pay attention to all that stuff. You have to be all the way as far as taking care of yourself. It’s a three-hour rock show and it’s intense.” Ament estimates that the band has close to 200 songs in their repertoire with more than 160 of them being original tunes. That’s a far cry from the days of “Ten” when the band first became a household name. “The thing is, that first album tour, that was what was killing us most at the end. That we only had 11 songs on the record and I think we were playing ‘Leash,’ and maybe ‘Breath,’ and ‘State,’ and maybe had one or two covers,” Ament recalled. “We might have been playing ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ and maybe ‘Sonic Reducer.’ So you’re going from playing 16, 17 songs to all of a sudden you have ten times as many songs to play from. It’s that thing of; be careful what you wish for.” With the release of “Lightning Bolt” the band has added a dozen new tunes to the musical ammo belt making this particular year of touring one in which they can change up the set list in a way they haven’t since 2009’s “Backspacer.” The group has been playing new songs like “Pendulum,” “Sirens,” “Mind Your Manners,” “Yellow Moon” and “Getaway,” on a regular basis making for a fresh twist to shows that feature countless hits. “The cool thing is; we opened most of the shows with ‘Pendulum.’ That sort of sets a unique tone for us,” said Ament. “It sort of has allowed us to play songs like ‘Lowlight’ and ‘Sleight of Hand’ and some other songs that have a little more of an ethereal vibe to them. It’s kind of helped us create a different set list than normal. That keeps us on our toes and keeps it exciting and keeps the fans guessing a little bit. It’s good to not play ‘Even Flow’ every night even though it’s an awesome song.” Mega rock bands aren’t supposed to get along for this long. Name just about any long term, arena playing band and you’ll find story after story of strife and disagreements between band mates. Some that ultimately lead to the demise of the group. Pearl Jam is a different beast. Ament, Eddie Vedder, Mike McCready and Stone Gossard have been there since the band formed in 1990 and drummer Matt Cameron has been behind the kit since 1998. There have been no lulls in creativity or moments where the band has decided to break up. It’s all due to a unique working relationship shared by every man in Pearl Jam. “I think all of us are really super considerate of each other and not only how each other’s doing creatively but also how each other’s doing on a personal level and an emotional level,” said Ament. “I remember hearing

skinniemagazine.com 35

bass&treble

stories 20 years ago about how important trust was in a relationship and how you can’t grow without trust and I feel that more now than ever in this band. The reason that it works so well for us when we’re in the studio or writing or playing live is how much we trust one another. We all feel that trust that everybody has for us. I think that makes everybody take their particular spot in the band more seriously. You don’t wanna let anybody down and you don’t wanna let the band down.” “You’re representing something much bigger than yourself whenever you do anything,” he added.“We hold each other to a high standard and in particular we hold ourselves to a high standard. That’s an awesome place to be. It gets competitive and people have different theories sometimes. Maybe we have a hard time conveying to one another. Maybe sometimes it’s hard to get people to see what you’re seeing or hearing. We’ve come up with some good methods of communique.” That’s not to say that the guys get along like peas and carrots all the time. Pride sometimes has to be swallowed and sometimes ideas are shot down by the majority but it’s the way in which the men of Pearl Jam have grown up together that has made them able to handle any sort of conflict. Even a married couple who has been together for decades inevitably has arguments. What keeps those arguments from becoming divorce papers is a maturity that is gained through time and a sense of mutual respect. “I don’t think that anybody’s afraid to try anything so it makes it easy to say to anybody in the band ‘What if you played less?’ or ‘What if you came in in this part?’ or ‘What if you came up with the part that gave that section more energy?’ or ‘What if you simplified this?’ We all tell each other all of those things. Sometimes you just gotta tell yourself ‘Hey man, it’s just a song.’” “Sometimes it’s hard, especially if you’ve worked really hard on your part, if you’ve gone home and you’ve thrown the demo into your studio set up and you’ve set down at a piano and worked up a melody and a rhythm and you bring it in and they go ‘I’m not really feeling it. It doesn’t sound that great,’” he said with a laugh. “A lot of times you end up having to go home and start from scratch and come up with something that’s gonna get your bro excited about your part of the song. That’s the ultimate thing. It’s almost more exciting if you come up with a part to a song a guy wrote and he goes ‘Oh my god, that’s amazing. What you did there makes the song for me.’ That’s

36 skinniemagazine.com

as good as it gets ‘cause it doesn’t happen that often. We’re not constantly patting each other on the back and telling each other how great we are.” “Lightning Bolt” is sequenced in a way that caters to the listener who still craves the vinyl experience. There’s a palpable Side A/Side B vibe to the record as the first five songs are generally more up tempo while the last seven are considered more melodic. That’s all by design, according to Ament. “Absolutely. We definitely split it up that way,” he said. “You have to think about it in how it runs in the complete running order and at the same time we are putting the record out on vinyl and you’re thinking about ‘What’s it going to feel like?’” It’s no secret that less and less consumers are buying physical copies of music and turning to the more convenient option of picking up tunes a la carte on the Internet. “Lightning Bolt” sold 160,000 physical copies its first week for the top slot. An impressive number for 2013 but a far cry from the days when bands like Pearl Jam would sell 1.5 million in the first week as they did on “Vs.” They’ve adapted with the times, even if they’re not thrilled about the changes. “People aren’t buying records that way anymore. They’ve all gone to the Spotify formats or they’re listening to Sirius radio or illegally downloading it. There’s so many different ways to get music now that actually buying the physical record is kind of at the bottom of the list, which is kind of a bummer,” Ament said. “It’s a part of us. We work on that whole aspect and we work so hard on the physical product and it’s a bummer to see it sort of slide off into the sunset.” “(But) by using all the different social media and all that stuff, we saw a brand new technology, even from the last record we made,” Ament said. “There’s all sorts of stuff going on that wasn’t going on four years ago. It can be frustrating if you let it frustrate you and on the other hand it can be exciting. It’s like being in a brand new band or doing something completely different because you have all these different ways that people can access your art and your songs and everything we try to do visually. It’s pretty exciting to be in a band that’s still sort of pushing the boundaries musically.”

SKINNIEScene

Deadmau5 Suprise Set @ XS Nightclub

INDEX

LOS ANGELES

LAS VEGAS

ORANGE COUNTY

SAN DIEGO

INLAND EMPIRE

p.038 Weekly Club Listings

p.040 Weekly Club Listings

p.042 Weekly Club Listings

p.044 Weekly Club Listings

p.046 Weekly Club Listings

Calendar Club Pictures

To Receive Updates on Skinnie Scene Club Listings or To Submit Your Events, E-mail: Update@skinniemagazine.com to be Added to Our Weekly Skinnie E-blasts.

skinniemagazine.com 37

Los angelesSkinniescene

Photos Courtesy of Jeremy Wassink of EVENTVIBE,

LA CALENDAR

01/17-2/09 TOTEM Under the Big Top @ Santa Monica

@Groove Cruise

02/12-13 Lucha VaVoom: Valentines Espectacular @ The Mayan 02/05 Stone Sour @ House of Blues Hollywood 02/13 Brandon Boyd and Sons of the Sea @ The Belasco Theatre

02/13 Kevin Hartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Plastic Cup Boyz @ Club Nokia

03/15 Santa Monica St Patricks Day Pub Crawl @ Santa Monica Pier 03/21 Bob Saget @ Club Nokia 03/23 Reverend Horton Heat ft. Nekromantix @ The Roxy

02/21 2 Chainz ft. Pusha T & August Alsina @ Hollywood Palladium

38 skinniemagazine.com

Los angeles | Skinniescene

Lucha vavoom 10th aniversary

@ mayan theatre

Images by Karen Curley

skinniemagazine.com 39

Las VegasSkinniescene

Photos Courtesy of Danny Mahoney/XS and Tryst, WireImage

LV CALENDAR

James Franko @ABESINTHE - Planet Hollywood

Bruno Mars @Rock of Ages - Venetian

Criminal Minds @ Havana Room - Tropicana

Holly Madison w/ Millian Dollar Quartet @ Harrah’s

Criminal Minds @ Havana Room - Tropicana

03/15-16 Celtic Feis St. Paddy’s Day Festival @ Nine Fine Irishmen Pub

Le Reve @ In Vegas Awards 2013 @ XS

Jabbawockeez @ In Vegas Awards 2013 @ XS

02/01 Warren Peace @ Tryst Nightclub

Deadmau5 Surprise Set @ XS Nightclub

01/25 Nitro Circus @ MGM Grand 01/31 DJ CARNAGE @ Marquee Day Club 02/08 Dennis Miller @ Orleans Casino 02/13 Queens of the Stone Age @ The Joint

02/01 SKRILLEX @ XS Nightclub

02/15 Jermaine Dupri and Dave Fogg @ Tryst 02/23 Pixies @ The Joint 03/08 Gusto @ Tryst Nightclub

40 skinniemagazine.com

Nicky Hilton’s B-Day @ XS Nightclub

Las Vegas | Skinniescene

presidents day weekend at body englis and the joint @

hard rock hotel & casino

Photos: Scott Harrison / Erik Kabik Photography, Carlos Larios / Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hew Burney

skinniemagazine.com 41

Orange countySkinniescene

Photos Courtesy of Taylor Eszlinger, Bobby Reyes of Eventvibe.com, Clubdistrict.com

OC CALENDAR

02/14 Hot 92.3 Love Affair @ Honda Center

@ Yost

@Sutra

@ Yost

@Sutra

01/31 Guttermouth & Authority Zero @ The Observatory 02/07 Christopher Titus @ Irvine Improv 02/07 DJ Drew @ Ten Nightclub 02/14 OC’s Ult.Valentines Party @ Ten Nightclub

03/01 DJ Ingwell 106fm @ Ten Nightclub 02/28 Quik’s Groove w/ DJ Quik, Suga Free & More @ The Observatory 03/08 DJ Ever @ Ten Nightclub 03/14 Young Duliners @ The Grove in Anaheim

03/15 Rockstar Beer Fest @ Yost Theater

42 skinniemagazine.com

Orange countySkinniescene

Vans Warped tour

@ The GREat park of irvine

Photos by Jen Reightley

skinniemagazine.com 43

san diegoSkinniescene

Photos by bobby reyes, Jeremy Wassink of Eventvibe.com

SD CALENDAR

02/08 WWE Live @ Valley View Casino Center

Hi-Fi Festival @Petco Parking Lot

01/31 George Straight @ Valley View Casino Center 02/15 WCK Muay Thai Kickboxing @ Pechanga Casino 02/15 Imagine Dragons @ Valley View Casino Center 02/16 Wintervention ft. CHUCKIE @ Hard Rock SD

02/28 Harland Williams @ American Comedy Club 03/04 2014 Mardi Gras Street Party @ Gaslamp Quarter 03/15 19th Annual SD shamROCK @ Gaslamp Quarter 03/22 Hopkinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Knock Madness Tour @ El Rey Theatre

02/30 ZZ Top @ Pechanga Resort/Casino

44 skinniemagazine.com

skinniemagazine.com 45

inland empireSkinniescene

Photos Courtesy of Vive Tequilla Lounge, Margarita Rocks

IE CALENDAR

@Vive Tequilla Lounge

@LUNA

03/16 St. Paddy’s Day Parking Lot Festival @ Killarney’s Pub

@LUNA

03/16 Lion Envy 5 Year Anniversary @ Marquee 15

@Margarita Rocks

02/02 The Big Game XLVII @VIBE in Casino Morongo 01/25 Crave It Radio Party @ Vive Tequila Lounge 02/01 Carlos Mencia @ Ontario Improv 02/06 George Lopez @ San Manuel Casino

02/14 Heart Breakers Ball @Margarita Rocks 02/22 Playmate Party @ Vibe in Casino Morongo 03/06 King of the Cage: Beaten Path @ San Manuel Casino 03/08 Mardi Gras Party @ Vibe in Casino Morongo

46 skinniemagazine.com

Skinniesceneinland empire

Call it Wild Wednesday Rockfest with

Dose Of adolescence

Photos Courtesy of Margarita Rocks

Get Your Ad Here for information email sales@skinniemagazine.com skinniemagazine.com 47

48 skinniemagazine.com

LOS ANGELES • LAS VEGAS • ORANGE COUNTY • SAN DIEGO • INLAND EMPIRE

Spine for Printer <<<<< Use for spine

february/march 2014 • ISSUE #132