STEAM Magazine South Texas Entertainment Art Music volume 7 issue 1 April 2018

Ruta

Maya Coffee Company was founded in 1990 in Austin, Texas on the simple premise of creating a marketplace of superior products produced in Latin American countries and to return to the producers of those products a fair portion of profits generated. The R ut a M ay a gu id i ng p r i nc i p l e is “Oportunidades para las Americas” (Opportunities for the Americas).

Ruta

Maya imports 100% organic Arabica coffee beans shade-grown by cooperatives of small, family-owned farms in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. The name Ruta Maya means “Route of the Mayans” and refers to all the areas where Ruta Maya purchases coffee beans. The Ruta Maya or Mayan Route is not a single road or itinerary and cannot be located on a map of Mexico or in the index of a geography book. The Ruta Maya is not a specific place - it is a concept.

The organic coffee beans imported

by Ruta Maya from Chiapas, Mexico are grown by Maya Indian farmers following traditional principles of sustainable agriculture that create a healthier product as well as a healthier environment. Crops are regularly rotated to avoid depleting the soil and are fertilized with compost and disease-resistant mulch. Keeping fields fertile for coffee production as well as other crops allows farmers to avoid cutting down trees to clear new land, preserving the delicate ecosystem. The farmers also benefit economically from having secondary crops.

Besides eliminating the need for clear-cutting

to keep adjacent forests intact for birds and other wildlife, shade grown coffee fields

provide a home for many species of birds and butterflies. Large scale clear-cutting to create agricultural fields has resulted in an estimated 20% decline in migratory bird populations in the last ten years due to habitat loss. The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center has reported sightings of up to 150 species of birds on “bird friendly” shaded coffee farms such as the ones found in Chiapas as compared to just 5 to 20 on a conventional coffee farm.

Shade trees also filter carbon dioxide linked to global warming and help to retain soil moisture to minimize land erosion.

In

addition to supporting the environment, Ruta Maya is also committed to the principles of Fair Trade. Fair Trade prohibits forced child labor and provides living wages for farmers while sustaining indigenous communities. More than two-thirds of Mexico's 280,000 coffee farmers are small-scale, indigenous families who historically were not allowed to directly enter the coffee market.

Instead, a middleman, euphemistically known as a “beneficio,” has contracts with large corporations to pay farmers cents on the dollar while he and the big companies profit.

Instead of paying the middle man, Ruta Maya owner Tim Sheehan travels to Chiapas to buy beans from farmer-owned cooperatives at higher prices than those offered on the commodities market. By doing this, Ruta Maya makes a difference in the lives of the farmers in Mexico and offers the consumer in the United States an opportunity to make a difference in the world economy.

Ruta

Maya organic coffee embodies Latin American cultures working together with

Texans to foster a universal message of respect and friendship through economic cooperation. Working hand in hand with producer communities helps to create self-sustaining economies and improves the lives of everyone involved with the quality and freshness of our Ruta Maya product line.

Ruta Maya Coffee is extremely proud to partner with The Mesoamerica Center and offer support to their programs. University of Texas @ Austin, College of Fine Arts, and Department of Art and Art History.

HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR COFFEE? Ruta Maya Organic Medium Roast Mellow yet full-bodied roast. Mild acidity with very smooth and chocolaty flavor.

Ruta Maya Organic Dark Roast Rich, distinc-

tive and aromatic roast. Smooth flavor with hardly a trace of the bitterness often found in dark roasts.

Ruta Maya Organic Espresso Roast Very deep, dense and flavorful roast. All the rich, distinctive and aromatic characteristics found in the Ruta Maya dark roast, but with an extra bite.

Ruta Maya Organic DECAF Dark Roast Rich, distinctive and aromatic roast. Smooth flavor with hardly a trace of the bitterness often found in dark roasts. Decaffeinated using a high-pressure water to remove the caffeine from the coffee in order to preserve the most flavor possible for decaffeinated coffee.

Ruta Maya Cold Brewed Coffee Coming Soon!

AVAILABLE AT COSTCO AND HEB STORES

RUTAMAYA.NET

April 2018 VOL.7 ISS.1 #73

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4 COMICS 5 QUICK READ 6 IN THIS MOMENT: RITUAL 7 ECHO BLACK 8 ALBUM COVER OF THE MONTH 10 LEAH KAESTNER: AN ABSTRACT LOVE 13 STONE WHEEL S: COSMIC AMERICANA 14 DEBBIE NOBLE: CAPTURING CORPUS CHRISTI 16 3 RD C OAST FOOD I E: THE EXCHANGE 18 CD REVIEWS 19 NEW MOVIE S & MUSIC PUBLISHER RUSTY HICKS EDITOR TAMMA HICKS COMICS EDITOR ALLENE HICKS STAFF WRITERS STEVE GOLDSTEIN, TAMMA HICKS, RUSTY HICKS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS J MICHAEL DOLAN, DEREK SIGNORE, ROB DICKENS, RICK J BOWEN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS ALLENE HICKS, RUSTY HICKS

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ineedcoffee.com Lunarbaboon.com theawkwardyeti.com

A FRANTIC PACE J. Michael Dolan — If struggling worked, you’d be winning the fight.

— If lots of irons in the fire worked, you’d be a hot commodity by now.

— If setting a frantic pace worked, you’d be taking a victory lap.

— If spreading yourself thin worked, you’d be spending more time experiencing new adventures and less time sweating the same o’l, same o’l.

Important because while struggling and sweating may impress your friends it does absolutely nothing to win over those who would ever consider working with you.

VOLUME IS AT MAX! J. Michael Dolan The volume is getting louder and the distractions are getting harder to tune out; news, media, the Trump show, politics, weather, tech, markets, etc. We’re moving further away from productivity and sinking deeper into the hoopla and I’m not sure that the noise train is going to slow down anytime soon.

Important because I am sure of this: That which we give our attention to, will scale. That which we give our time to, will advance. That which we act on, will produce results. If we give our time and attention to our biggest dreams and desired goals, it’s guaranteed we’ll get closer and closer. If we give our time and attention to the distractions of the day, it’s guaranteed we’ll sink deeper and deeper. That which we give our attention to scales.

GETTING THERE J. Michael Dolan

WHAT WE’RE NOT DOING J. Michael Dolan It’s so easy to get tangled up in what we’re doing. Our to-do list rules the day, the news of the hour dulls our motivation and blurs our creative thinking, and giving away so much time to clicking & cruising fools us into thinking we’re accomplishing something.

That said, it’s what we are “not” doing that could move the dial and make a difference. It’s the confronting work we resist that could produce the breakthrough we so desperately crave. It’s chipping away at all those grand ideas we dream about, that we know deep down inside, that’s what we should be giving our time to today.

Important because if we start doing what we are “not” doing we would probably get much better at doing it more often.

Knowing where you’re going is top priority. The commitment to get there is a very close second.

- You don’t need to know how you’re going to get there.

- You don’t need to know how you’re going to pay for it.

You don’t need to know who’s going with you.

- You don’t even need to know how much, how many, or how come?

- You just need to stand tall on your own two feet, point a steady finger in the direction you want to go and make a ruthless commitment that “come hell or high water” you’ll get there.

Important because to the degree your commitment is unwavering, to that degree the important pieces will noticeably reveal themselves. Not like positive thinking, more like constructing a tabletop puzzle.

STEAM MAGAZINE WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET 2018 APRIL 5

Story & Photos: Atom Splitter PR

Atlantic

recording group Halestorm have announced details of a milestone North American tour showcasing all female -fronted hard rock outfits co-headlined by Roadrunner recording group In This Moment with special guests New Years Day and Stitched Up Heart. We connected with In This Moment’s Maria Brink and Chris Howorth talking about their 2017 album Ritual and the upcoming tour.

On their sixth full-length album Ritual, In This Moment—Maria Brink [vocals, piano], Chris Howorth [lead guitar], Travis Johnson [bass], Randy Weitzel [rhythm guitar], and Kent Diimel [drums]—unearth a furious and focused feminine fire from a cauldron of jagged heavy metal, hypnotic alternative, and smoky voodoo blues.

“It’s like we’re going into the next realm,” asserts Maria. “I had a conviction of feeling empowered in my life and with myself. I always write from a personal place, and I needed to share that sense of strength.

I’ve never been afraid to hold back. Sometimes, I can be very suggestive. However, I wanted to show our fans that this is the most powerful side of myself and it’s without overt sexuality. It’s that deeper serious fire inside of my heart.”

“What Maria is saying comes from deep

5/1— Concrete Street Amphitheatre— Corpus Christi, TX inside,” Chris affirms. “This time, we had a bunch of ideas started before we hit the studio. There was a really clear direction.

It’s different.”

The group spent two years supporting 2014’s Black Widow. Between headline tours, they incinerated stages everywhere.

In March 2016, Maria and Chris commenced writing for what would become Ritual with longtime collaborator and multiple GRAMMY Award-nominated producer Kevin Churko at his Las Vegas compound.

groove a little bit. I got to play some slide guitar, and I’d never done that. There’s a bluesy side, which we’ve also never had.”

“We always want to grow and evolve,” Maria adds. “It was a chance to get a little more serious.” That progression shines through in “Oh Lord.” A minimal drum and handclap echoes as Maria’s wild incantation takes hold. Guitars shiver and shake as the frontwoman delivers an undeniable refrain.

“The meaning of ‘Oh Lord’ is central to the album,” she explains. “I should be able to have a relationship with what I perceive tour with Korn and Rob Zombie, the duo God to be. For me, it’s this began writing. Then, Maria visitLet the strength and light. When I was ed Salem, MA for the very first time with all of the women in her Amazons younger, I felt guilty for thinking of these things. I’m not supfamily quite appropriately during rise! posed to touch an oracle card, a Halloween.

- Maria Brink tarot card, or these beautiful Galvanized and inspired, Maria things, because they’re ‘bad.’ I and Chris returned to Kevin’s stronghold to had these fears in me for a long time like, complete recording. In an atmosphere of ‘Is this wrong?’

I realized I don’t have to be candles, crystals, incense, and a cackling afraid anymore. There’s a lot of learning fireplace, they expanded their aural palette and an awakening in that one.” once again, welcoming a doom-blues bom-

Following a high-profile summer 2016

bast into the sonic fold.

“We love Black Widow, but it was very electronic,” Chris explains. “Ritual is a little more organic, emphasizing guitars, bass, drums, and vocals. We slowed down the

6 APRIL 2018 STEAM MAGAZINE WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET

Simultaneously, In This Moment gave a dark new life to Phil Collins’ classic “In The Air Tonight.”

“We can’t reproduce what he did in a million years,” she says. “It’s one of the best songs ever. We did our own interpre-

tation and made it a little more sinister like our ritual.”

The ritual has begun, and In This Moment ignite a brighter fire than ever before with Ritual.

“When fans hear this, I want them to feel the music, whether they take away sadness, anger, or happiness,” concludes Chris. “As a kid, I remember listening to records and putting them on repeat over and over again. I’d love for the world to listen and absorb this as a piece of work.”

Maria added, “I want everybody to be unafraid of who they are and not worry about what the rest of society says. Be strong. Be loud. We love our fans deeply. I hope everybody feels that love and powerful in who they are.”

Maria closed with, "I am very excited about being a part of such an empowering, divine, female-fronted tour. It is very rare in rock music to have a movement like this and the timing couldn't be more perfect.

Lzzy Hale and I are already discussing the possibility of more tours like this in the future. Let the Amazons rise!"

In This Moment's Ritual is out now!

INTHISMOMENTOFFICIAL.COM Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter: In This Moment

By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine

Formed by front-man Danny Blu in 2015, Echo Black is a New York City-based rock/pop foursome comprised of members whose musical inspirations range from basement punk to Frank Sinatra, and everything in between. Drawing on the differing influences of each unique member, Echo Black sets out to make evocative and visceral music you can feel in your bones.

The boys credit their unique, catchy, pop-flavored sound to their writing process; echoing one idea off another and, bouncing components around until the song begins to speak to them. As if their blood-pumping music wasn’t enough, their live show is something you have to see to understand. Nothing short of an electrical storm of energy, Echo Black is not an act to be missed. Echo Black and the Turn It To 11 tour comes to Boozerz Rock Bar in Corpus Christi on 4/15!

Who makes up Echo Black?

Danny (Vocals): I’m originally from northern NJ and moved to NYC in 2008 right out of high school. I started making music in 2010 and formed my band in 2011. We were just called “Danny Blu” back then. I played the drums in high school and even did Drum Corps (professional drumline) for a season. I haven’t played for a while, but you never know when I might pick it back up for a cool moment on stage. Being an out gay man is a task all on its own, being an out gay musician in a genre where few

gay people are represented is a whole other beast.

Billy (Drums/Keys): Billy and I went to high school together and have been performing together since 2004. Bill is absolutely one of my best friends. I’ve always said Bill is a study of contrasts; I never can truly anticipate his opinions or feelings on certain matters. Billy is also originally from NJ and he moved to NYC a few years after I did. He is the only member of the band who has been with me from day 1. Billy enjoys a nice scotch, a good concert, a classic film, a Jim Jeffries comedy special, and an intelligent political discussion.

Rob (Bass/Synth): Rob is the resident nerd of the band. Always ready with a classic game pun or a random music or science fact. He’s also our official internet liaison as I am an old lady and never know what slang is current or what meme to cite. Rob is also from NJ (noticing a trend?) and went to college for illustration/design. He does freelance art work from time to time and has recently been getting into the synth game pretty heavily!

Felix (Guitar): The baby of our group and also our resident porcelain doll.

Felix is from south NJ and he is also the front-man of his own band, SKIVER. Felix joined the band after I met him at a mall and we got to talking. We were in search of a new guitarist and he was in search of a new project. It all fell into place! He is finishing up a degree and unfortunately won’t be able to join us on our spring tour with City of the Weak, but he remains a permanent member of the band.

Dawn is the current single off the album, DAWN. I really like this song and the video is great! Tell me about some of the symbols you used in the video.

We worked REALLY hard on that video, so we’re so glad you liked it and noticed a lot of the symbolism! The video was meant to personify all of the things that keep you from being your true authentic self. A lot of our work revolves around “the outcast” and “the black sheep” if you will.

As far as symbolism is concerned, we obviously went pretty hard at the current administration with that orange devil look. The same goes for the upside down flag (which is meant to symbolize the uneasy times we all feel). The scene with Billy and the 4 masked figures was meant to explore the demons that live within ourselves and serve to hold us back.

Felix, our resident Latino member, playing guitar inside the cage is fairly selfexplanatory. Rob, our resident cannabis enthusiast, being inside the cage was meant to explore the anti-marijuana laws in this country. There are more sprinkled in, but you get the idea.

Tell me about DAWN, the album. The fact that it was funded through Indiegogo is very cool. We’ve talked to a lot of people that have tried this and it’s not as easy as you would think.

The album being funded by our own fans was one of the most humbling experiences I’ve ever encountered. They banded together and said “yeah, we like what these boys do; we’ll buy it without even hearing it.” It’s amazing. And surreal.

The album itself was a true labor of love; from start to finish. Terrifying and extremely exciting. We mainly worked with two amazing producers: Axel Otero and Walter Dicristina. Poison Apple and Chemicals were produced by Matt Squire and Andros Rodriguez.

It was very intimidating to embark on the journey of writing a full length. “Do we

have enough to say?” “Do we have enough material to satisfy the Indiegogo supporters?” But in the end, we couldn’t be more proud of DAWN. It’s theatrical and mournful and joyous and exhilarating. It’s Echo Black. And people seem to like it, so that’s an added bonus!

How did you get connected to this tour? Turn it to 11.

City of the Weak has been on my radar for a long time. I love their hustle and I’ve been wanting to tour with them for a while now. I messaged the band about setting up a tour in 2018 and they were excited about the prospect! Stef (COTW singer) and I booked most of the tour.

COTW and EB are co-headlining and we’ll be swapping the headlining slot depending on the market we’ll be in. We added The Scars Heal in Time and In Loving Memory as openers for 2 different legs. They both bring a ton of talent along with them and I can’t wait to see how these shows go!

Do you do your own makeup?

YAS MA’AM! Mostly, anyway! For photo shoots and video shoots we always bring in a couple artists to make us look extra fierce. But for shows and daily life, we do it ourselves.

Have you been to the Texas Gulf before?

We have! It was back in 2014 and we’re stoked to be coming back!!

4/15 ECHO BLACK & THE TURN IT TO 11 TOUR BOOZERZ ROCK BAR 3854 SPID CORPUS CHRISTI ECHOBLACKMUSIC.COM FACEBOOK.COM, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, & YOUTUBE: ECHOBLACKMUSIC

STEAM MAGAZINE WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET 2018 APRIL 7

Between 1965 and 1967, Oregon’s Paul Revere and the Raiders could do no wrong. Hit singles and albums climbed the pop charts and they appeared regularly on Dick Clark’s afternoon TV showcase, “Where The Action Is.” Besides keyboardist Paul Revere and the soulful voice of Mark Lindsay, they also boasted a brilliant rhythm section. Drake “The Kid” Levin on guitar, Phil “Fang” Volk on bass, and Mike “Smitty” Smith on drums were the backbone of this group that characterized garage band rock of the mid 1960’s. But by 1967, musical tastes were changing. The trio of Levin, Volk, and Smith wanted to create music that reflected those tastes instead of continuing with the pop sound Revere and Lindsay wanted. Drake Levin left the band in 1966 to serve in the National Guard. Shortly before they were set to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, both Phil Volk and Mike Smith gave notice that they’d soon be leaving the band. Levin, Volk and Smith recruited Ron Collins on organ and Brotherhood was formed.

Expectations were high, but they first had to settle lawsuits brought by Revere and their label, Columbia Records. The troubles didn’t end there. This debut album left Raiders fans and critics scratching their heads. The songs are all over the map; everything from airy bossa nova to folk rock to psychedelic indulgence. They would go on to release two

8 APRIL 2018 STEAM MAGAZINE WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET

more albums before disbanding. Drake Levin went on to perform with Lee Michaels, and participated in various reunions with other ex-Raiders until his death in 2009 from cancer at age 62. Phil Volk has remained active over the years and still plays with his band, Fang and the Gang.

Mike Smith rejoined the Raiders for a short time in 1972. He lived out his life in semi-retirement in Hawaii until his death in 2001 from internal bleeding at age 58.

In spite of the multiplepersonality nature of this album, there is still some fine work by these talented musicians. One track to look for that shows what Brotherhood was capable of is the rocking “Close The Door.”

Producer George Martin and The Beatles were initially reluctant to release these recordings. They were made on primitive 3-track tapes in August of 1964 and 1965. All the songs were on previously released, superior sounding studio albums. The Beatles had no stage monitors at the shows, and even if they did, still probably wouldn’t have been able to hear themselves over the Beatlemaniacal screaming. But George was given the task of making something listenable out of the tapes by Capitol Records. What he found “was the electric atmosphere and raw energy” that The Beatles brought to that famous stage. He did what he could, which was pretty formidable, especially when compared to the numerous bootleg concerts out there.

He took 13 of the best sounding tracks, transferred them to 16-track tape, and shined them up using the technology available in the early 1970s. As the record fades in, the cacophonous shrieks from the mostly young female crowd would make one who didn’t know better think they were standing on a runway at JFK as a 727 was taking flight. The familiar voice of Bob Eubanks introduces the Fabulous Foursome from Liverpool and they launch into a highly charged “Twist and Shout.” A remastered rerelease of this remarkable album came out on September 9th, 2016 in conjunction with ”The Beatles: Eight Days A Week” - Ron Howard’s documentary covering their touring years between 1963-1966.

The newly released version has four additional tracks and was remixed by Giles Martin, son of George. The overall sound definitely benefits from 2016 technology. The instruments and vocals are balanced more evenly and pop with defined clarity.

Also, the screaming fans were able to be toned down some, bringing the music closer. Both the album and film take you back to a hectic and culturally historic time in the 1960s. If you want to sample just one track, try “Things We Said Today” from the 1964 show. Then go out and get the new album and savor every wild moment. The Beatles were still having fun being Beatles, and the music is timeless.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 with color, shape, and flow?

Every piece of art that I create is different in the sense of process. I sometimes just have this urge to paint and I just start and wherever it takes me is where it goes. I just get this urge to do something and I end up with a result that I feel is good and completed, or it’s something I can come back to and can keep developing, or it’s trashed. I just completely go with whatever I’m feeling or whatever mood I’m in...Sometimes I go into a piece knowing what I want it to look like and where I want it to end up so I start with the idea and then a plan, and sometimes I create it on a smaller scale or sketch out what I want to achieve, what colors I want to use and where they relate to one another, and I go from there.

Do you do any other styles of painting (landscapes,

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portraits)?

I’ve played with painting landscapes or still life and found that I suck horribly at it! I can barely draw a stick figure let alone a person or likeness of a person. I’ve tried to do abstract portraits and I’m my own worst enemy and world’s worst critic of my own work, so I would never put someone through the torture of having to be a model or inspiration for a portrait painting of mine. I’ll stick to Abstract, it’s safer for everyone that way!

Who are your influences?

My influences in arts, there’s so many artists that I love it’s hard to just name a few. I love the works of Monet, Picasso, Matisse, Pollock, Rothko, O’Keeffe, de Kooning, along with Wassily Kandinsky, Joan Mitchell, and Franz Kline Lee Krasner. Now for current artist I love: Jonas Gerard, Suraj, Swartz, Shane Townley, Kristina Quinones, Glenn Farquhar, Gerhard Richter. Resin artist I love Bruce Riley, Greg Benz, Dustin Yellin, Mark Scheff, Chris Cross, Crystal Ma, Iveta Horvath, and Natasha and Adam from JustResin.

Did you go to school for art?

Did I go to school for art? I do not have a formal education in art, I am a self-taught artist. I have been creative

since I can remember. I took a stronger interest in art probably around the seventh grade through my art teacher Mrs. Clayton at Tuloso-Midway and in Industrial Arts (wood shop) in the 8th grade with Mr. Ortiz. I took art classes throughout junior high and high school; I was in art club and have continued art in one form or another for the past 25+ years.

Do you have a favorite color? What is it and why?

I do have a favorite color my favorite color is blue it has always been blue and will probably always be blue and it’s not one particular shade or depth of blue. It’s all blues really dark blue light blue baby blue teal blue green blue metallic and mattes, dull and washed away blue, just every blue . Blue is above us, all around us it’s the oceans it’s in rivers and ponds it’s in rainbows it’s in the sky above us even though that’s not an actual true color but that’s the color that everyone sees, it’s a feeling for me of calm and serenity and peacefulness. www.KaestnerArt.studio (new website, will be active by the end of April!)

Facebook & Instagram: KaestnerArtStudio Twitter.com @KaestnerArt

EchoBase Soundsystem in the early 2000's.

Back then, to me, vocals were often a distraction.

Travel inspires me. Novel places, and novel things. Strange people, loving people. Nature.

I've got a song I started a couple years ago called 'Outside Is the Right Side'. We've played it a couple of times, and will definitely revive it, but it's just not there yet. That song says it all.

I'm always outside; whether it's jumping rope or playing guitar or riding my bike or just plain sitting around scheming; Outside IS most definitely the right side.

In March 2010, at the annual Armstrong Texas Independence Day Weekend campout, was when I decided I wanted to play guitar, as the old guard had truly grown old, and I wanted to carry on their traditions of folk songs around the campfires late into the night. Best decision I've made in a while, to pick up that guitar.

And this debut album, STONE WHEELS, is the product of those successive inspirations. I wrote all 11 tracks on the record, and recorded the drums and vocals out here in my cabin in Driftwood. The rest of the recording was at Ben Gallaway's Z-Sound Recording.

By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine Photos by Stone Wheels

That’s a pretty original band name, how did you come up with it?

In early 2011, I spent two months in Patagonia with my brother, Trey. It was down there in South America that inspiration whispered. I was to start writing songs with words in them, as opposed to solely instrumental compositions that I had been making up to that point.

That whole journey changed my life immensely. (I only picked up the guitar in March 2010.)

Flash forward to Austin a month or two later, I'm forming this unnamed band, and I've just closed down the Crown & Anchor Pub for the night as bartender. Myself and a couple others, we're shooting pool, drinking some beers after hours, and I overheard my buddy Mike Hanson say the words "Stone Wheels". I couldn't even tell you the context with which he was speaking, but those two words stuck out to me, and I knew immediately that was to be the name of the band. To me, it invokes a pre-commerce, Garden of Eden kind of time; an early tool to move mankind forward quickly and easily; the ingenuity of an undistracted mind. Along the way, people have thought I was a Flintstones fan or something, but that had never entered into the equation. I've never thought that 'Andrew Gerfers' sounded good as a band name, so I knew it had to be named something else.

Tell me about the guys in Stone Wheels.

I always have to field different lineups under the banner Stone Wheels, simply because I like to play with really good musicians, and really good musicians are really, really busy.

But the dudes who made this album with me have been playing with me for quite a while.

Gary Newcomb, on the pedal steel guitar. He

plays in a bunch of other really good bands too and his singular style really comes to light on these recordings. Michael St. Clair is the unique individual on the bass guitar and trombones. Michael's another badass musician I've met along the way; just super talented and a joy to work with. Landis Armstrong is on electric guitar. I've played drums in bands with Landis since 1996. We've logged countless hours on stage and on the highways together, and I approached him in the early days of putting this band together, knowing that his guitar style would fit right in. Justin Sherburn plays all the keyboards. He heads up his own modern classical project, Montopolis, as well as various jazz and rock bands. I played all the drums/percussion on the album, as well as acoustic guitars and vocals. And on backing vocals, mixing, engineer/knob-twiddling, sound savant, Ben Gallaway, aka 'Ben Iver'.

Ben's vocal range is pretty special, and he's also in the drumming rotation with us for live shows. This album would not have been made if I had not met Ben. I’ve heard of a lot of genres, but what exactly is “Cosmic Americana”?

Well, in the late 60s into the early 70s there was the Cosmic Country movement; the stoned out grooves of the Flying Burrito Brothers, The Byrds, and after they came down in volume and intensity, the Grateful Dead. These were bands that liked to get high and make music. The vocal harmony component was also a big deal in the equation. I probably nicked that genre name, Cosmic Americana, from Rich Russell of the Lonesome Heroes. We can't be Cosmic Country because we're not playing dress up, and I'm

drawing on all kinds of different music in my writing. We're more 'REI Cowboy' than ranch hand. But to me, THAT is country music; music born out of the land. I wrote Overgrown Trails at 12,000ft elevation in Colorado, wearing a backpack and walking many miles, sleeping outside for two weeks. Outside is the Right Side.

Who are your influences?

My influences are most definitely the Grateful Dead; Robert Hunter's lyrics particularly. I could go on for days about the Grateful, but I won't do that. The freedom of experience is what they provide, and there's a spiritual undercurrent that I've long drawn on. Vocally, I'd say the sounds of the Beach Boys and The Byrds, and I've even heard the Steve Miller Band mentioned, really inform what we're doing. I've always wanted to do a Texas take on the Northern California sound .The land is magical up there! But I also feel that the Texas Hill Country is equally magical. And I want to be the sound of road-trippin' into the Texas sunset, smokin a joint, with a road soda koozied between your legs, on the way to the swimming hole in the summer time. But, and maybe this goes without saying, the granddaddy of them ALL, Willie Nelson is my guy.

And Townes and Kris Kristofferson too. Jeez, I could go on!!

How long have you been writing music and what inspires you? Did you write all the music on the new album?

I probably started writing instrumental, drum heavy, or else hyper ambient kind of music in my late 20's. I played drums in instrumental bands called Friends of Dean Martinez, and

Tell me about your new album, stone wheels?

The initial recordings for our album 'STONE WHEELS' took place out here in my cabin in Driftwood. I've long been an armchair audio engineer, but I'm so far from Pro that I'll probably do things a little different next time. But I love the way this album came together. Our first gig was 11.11.11, and this band had never made a proper recording up ‘til we released this album on 2.9.18. That's a long time to not have any recorded output, and nobody takes you seriously if you don't have any recordings that sound worth a damn.

It really happened fast, once we decided to move forward with it. I had originally planned on putting 16 songs on the record like Kris Kris did on his debut album. We could've done it, but preferred speed to quantity and I whittled it down to 11 songs, as a nod to the date of our first gig.

The making of the record was an invaluable experience. Gary, Landis, Mike, Justin, and Ben were all such a pleasure to work with and contributed so much to the making of the record.

Special stuff, for sure. Any recording that wasn't done at my cabin was done in Austin at Ben's Z-Sound Recording. Ben also mixed the album. He's a sound wizard, and that's why the record sounds so good to the ears. Kent Stump at Crystal Clear Audio in Austin mastered it, and Matt "Freedom" Eskey at Any-And-All Media did the design layout and cd production.

Why did you go with a self-titled release?

I went with a self-titled affair because it is album number one, and we open every show with our theme song, 'Stone Wheels', which kicks off this record. It seemed the appropriate way to introduce ourselves to the general public.

APRIL & MAY SCHEDULE Sundays in April “Americana Afternoons" Oskar Blues Brewery, Austin 4/13 Tavern In the Gruene, New Braunfels 5/5 Orf Brewery, Austin STONEWHEELSMUSIC.COM Bandcamp, Spotify, & iTunes: Stone Wheels Instagram & Facebook: StoneWheelsMusic Twitter: @StoneWheelsTX

STEAM MAGAZINE WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET 2018 APRIL 13

DEBBIE NOBLE’S CORPUS CHRISTI AT NUECES LOFTS ON APRIL 6

If you’re like me while I’m cruising around Facebook I always stop at the pictures that just capture the moment. The ones that make you smile. The ones that make you glad to be part of our community. The pictures I see most, here in Corpus Christi, are taken by Debbie Noble.

When Debbie says, “My Corpus Christi!” she means it.

How did you get interested in photography?

I started through teaching and selling scrapbooking supplies as a mother of two. I saw a lot of people's family photos and how they could be better by cropping, paying attention to backgrounds, being selective.

Also, I was the stereotypical soccer mom. I photographed 13 years and two kids worth of soccer games and practices. Once my

14 APRIL 2018 STEAM MAGAZINE WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET

daughters graduated and went off to college, I just began pretending that the whole world was my soccer game to photograph!

I love that! What was your first camera?

A Fuji Finepix.

What camera do you use now?

A Canon Rebel T6 (which replaced my T5 which replaced my T2). This started as a hobby and while it has grown into a very time -consuming hobby, I still use relatively inexpensive cameras and lenses.

Did you take classes?

I am not a technical photographer, really just a creative one. I have no formal training or education and I freely admit to not knowing how to use all the buttons.

What is your favorite lens to use?

A 55-250 image-stabilized telephoto zoom lens. It allows me to fill my frame from far away without people knowing or noticing.

Do you prefer close ups, action, nature, or candid shots? What type of shots are the hardest to

FACEBOOK.COM/DEBBIE NOBLE

By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine

capture?

I prefer (and am probably best known for) candid action shots. I am at my best at a festival or party full of people performing, creating, interacting and enjoying themselves. In order to create context for all the fun, I also end up taking shots of the city or the landscape or the surroundings. The setting helps to tell the story. The hardest shots for me are in low-light or posed situations.

Some great local photographers create art with staged shots and models and makeup and expert postediting. I think that I just try to capture art as it happens.

What program/s do you use to edit your photos?

I use Picassa, which is a simple, free (and currently unsupported) program from Google. I know people who create impressive works of art in Lightroom and PhotoShop, but my processing time consists of mostly deleting, and maybe cropping or

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Photos by Debbie Noble

brightening a little, but mostly deleting.

Any tips on how to get the best pictures?

Have fun and shoot a lot. I went to a wine tasting once where the vendor said, “It is not a good wine if you don't like it.” Unless you are going to sell photos (which is a whole other thing), just shoot what you like, how you like, and don’t be afraid to take a lot to get one good one.

Where can people see your work?

I usually have pieces hanging at monthly exhibits at The Exchange downtown. I have a solo art exhibit coming up on April 6 (First Friday Artwalk downtown) at Nueces Lofts from 6:30-9. My Facebook account is public (feel free to friend or follow me!) and it is all just photos of happy people having fun in Corpus Christi. I capture a lot of events and festivals. When people say that there is nothing to do in Corpus Christ, I have to laugh!

STEAM MAGAZINE WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET 2018 APRIL 15

224 N. Mesquite St. CCTX 78401

361.414.9788 OPEN DAILY MON-WED 11am-12am THU & FRI 11am-2am SAT 10am-2am SUN 11am-3pm

TheExchangCC.com Facebook: The Exchange Corpus Christi

Twitter & Instagram: TheExchangeCC

There’s nothing like having dinner with friends at a one of the coolest restaurants in Corpus Christi, The Exchange. I know you see the name with the bear and bull and think “stock market” and wouldn’t be half wrong because that’s where the idea started but quickly evolved to becoming the hub of all things local in a very social setting. Hank, Chef Tony, Jeremy, and The Exchange Team want to help breathe the spirit of creativity back into downtown. From the floor to the ceiling, the walls, to your mind, and even your palate, visiting The Exchange brings a sense of community and transcends the Corpus Christi norm. From live music every Thursday through Sunday, to brunch every Sunday, Art Shows, Cooking Classes, Tasting Rooms and special events every month. There’s always something going on at The Exchange, so make sure you’re keeping up with their

16 APRIL 2018 STEAM MAGAZINE WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET

events calendar.

The first thing that you’ll notice about The Exchange’s menu is the prices – Really reasonable and dinner with appetizers, entrees, and dessert will not break the bank. Second you’ll see that they have a great selection of wines and beer. Besides carrying everyone’s favorite domestics and imports, they have an incredible list of craft beers as well as serving Corpus Christi’s local brews, Lorelei, Rebel Toad, and Lazy Beach.

And when it comes to mixology the bartenders have you covered there too!

Trying to decide on what to have is always hard for me. I always want to try something new, but also want to have what I had last time because it tasted

wonderful, so we kind of did a mix.

There were four of us so we decided to order one item we’d all had and new we loved and then mixed up the rest with suggestions from our server, Steven. I need to point out right here that every item com-

ing out of the kitchen looked amazing! The eyes have it when it comes to deciding on tastes and believe me; Chef Tony has this down beautifully! Presentation on a marble slab gives you the feeling that you are eating a masterpiece.

We started with Bruschetta, Sector Fries, and Roasted Pork Tacos (because it was Taco Tuesday!). Bruschetta always makes me think of the Tuscan wine country in Italy and fresh instantly comes to mind and that’s exactly how this tasted. Brie with dried cherries and prosciutto with fresh basil and a balsamic glaze looked delicate with this WOW flavor that just leaves you speechless. If there are any girls out there who pass up fries, then the Sector Fries may change your mind! The Exchange’s own cheese blend tops hand-cut sweet potato and russet potatoes fries and comes with your choice of two dipping sauces. There are 11 sauces to choose from! We went with traditional, Peppercorn Dill Ranch, and then for something sweet and hot, Mango Habanero. The only word I have for these is Yum! The Roasted Pork Tacos are out of this world good! Shredded slow roasted pork with pineapple ginger glaze, Korean BBQ sauce, and coleslaw piled high on a tortilla makes my mouth water just reading that.

A truly wonderful thing about The Exchange’s menu is there is something for everyone. For those looking for a unique and tasty combination we suggest the Caribbean Nachos; we love them! Grilled shrimp, roasted pork, their cheese blend, and pineapple salsa top plantain chips drizzled with jerk sauce has your palate going crazy with fla-

vors and textures! Too cool down from the jerk sauce we had Beef Stroganoff.

The creamy red wine sour cream sauce is loaded with shitake mushrooms and tender beef sirloin and served over egg noodles with a generous dollop of sour cream gives you that warm and cozy feel of home. New to the menu is the Bacon Cornbread Pulled Pork Sandwich and with a name like that we had to have it. Shredded roasted pork with pickled jalapenos and tomatillos and pepper jack cheese covered in jalapeno-tomatillos sauce are sandwiched between thick slices of homemade bacon cornbread; an absolute pleasure to sink your teeth into!

I hope you have noticed the trend that Chef Tony has set – he’s likes to mix up your taste buds. With that thought our final entrée was a The Exchange’s take on an old favorite, Gator and Waffles.

These moist fluffy waffles are stuffed with candied bacon; that alone will make you drool! Now add the crispy Cajun seasoned gator bites and the homemade blueberry maple syrup that’s drizzled over the waffles and you’re in heaven!

Now if you’re thinking that all this would fill you to the gills, you’d be right, but anytime Brownie Ala Mode with Homemade Ice Cream and Deep

GOLDEN MILK | CHOCOLATE AVOCADO | ALMOND JOY

Fried Cheesecake are mentioned we’ve got to indulge! The brownie was huge, rich, and moist just right to be topped by one of the incredible ice cream flavors they make. This night we enjoyed the Almond Joy made with coconut milk. To accompany our deep fried raspberry cheesecake we chose the Golden Milk ice cream, which has coconut milk, cinnamon, cloves, and other spices. This was a great choice! Then we saw one flavor we just had to try… Chocolate Avocado. Really rich and creamy dark chocolate with a hint of avocado; very tasty!

STEAM MAGAZINE WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET 2018 APRIL 17

STONE WHEELS (SELF-TITLED) (FREEDOM RECORDS)

BY STEVE GOLDSTEIN The influence of the crop of Texas singer/songwriters has touched many musicians in and out of the great Lone Star State. That influence is on full display on the self-titled debut

by STONE WHEELS from Austin, Texas. You can definitely hear the stamp of Willie, Townes and Kris, but there’s so much more to this band. Andrew C. Gerfers is the force that drives these country rockers. Andrew wrote, produced, sang, and played several of the instruments on all 11 tracks that celebrate the outdoors, sunny days, and love. The strong opener, “Stone Wheels,” kicks things off with a sprawling intro that quickly gels into an upbeat instrumental before the vocals kick in. The hot steel guitar and gallop-

RICK SPINGFIELD THE SNAKE KING (FRONTIERS MUSIC)

BY RICK J BOWEN Taking time out from his role as 80s pop and matinee idol Rick Springfield let’s his freak flag fly and follows the muse to create a roots rock and blues album, and in doing so, creates a career-defining socio-political manifesto. The 12 new tracks that make up The Snake King, released in January of 2018, are indeed a departure from the pop rock arena Springfield is known for, as he weaves together tongue twisting repartee of idioms, viral slang and cultural touchstones. He wastes no time by accusing the man in the White House of being a “one eyed snake,” on the opening “The Land of the Blind,” then rips into a break neck rhumba, “The Devil That You Know.” Springfield demonstrates his unsung abilities in lead guitar during the spaced-out romp “Little Demon,” and lays down nifty Dobro and slide guitar on the title track. He dares to play some real blues on the Hwy 61 redux “Judas Tree,” the scathing shuffle “Jesus Was an Atheist” and then takes us all to church on the gospel

PAULINE ANDRES FEARLESS HEART (OLD SOULS RECORDS)

BY ROB DICKENS

ing rhythm recalls the 1970’s Southern Country/Rock of The Marshall Tucker Band, and that atmosphere prevails throughout the whole album. “Our Country Club” is a celebration of the great outdoors that sounds a little like Gram Parsons dropped by to lend a hand. That classic, buoyant feeling is on overdrive on “Overgrown Trails,” “Everchanging You,” and “Save Your Prayers.” The positive “Long Way Home” goes from a rambling night into a pleasant love ballad, “Emaline.” “Raise a Glass” pays tribute to all those who would otherwise go unnoticed, while the distinctive beat on “I’ll Give Again” is a rocking pledge to love. “Good Look” is fitting closer that grooves along nicely and ultimately returns to the opening theme. STONE WHEELS is a refreshing, outdoor pleasure trip that will tap into your cosmic senses with a comfortable Country/Rock feeling .

STONEWHEELSMUSIC.COM STEVE GOLDSTEIN: STEAMMAGAZINE.NET

JOHNNY TUCKER SEVEN DAY BLUES (HIGH JOHN)

BY RICK J BOWEN

-infused rocker “God Don’t Care About You,” delivering a fire and brimstone sermon on the world’s harsh realities.

Springfield closes the album with the 10 -minute epic, “Orpheus In The Underworld,” becoming an “American Pietype” opus composer extraordinaire for the new century .

RICKSPRINGFIELD.COM RICK J BOWEN: WABLUES.ORG

Johnny Tucker returns with his second album on High John Records, Seven Day Blues. Label chief Bob Auerbach teamed the legendary blues showman up with Big Jon Atkinson and his crew at Big Tone Studios in Hayward, California for a series of sessions last summer. The resulting collection of 15 new tracks is a treasure trove of classic R&B and Chicago style blues, with a neo-retro Sun Studio tube ampfeel that gives his big as all outdoors vocals a smooth warmth in a loving, live recording setting. Atkinson gathered them together in a house, set them all up in one big room surrounded by vintage gear. Tucker taught the players the essence of the blues and shared his vision for each song, thus capturing the sound, energy and magic of the moment, direct to tape. A few select guests were brought in to add spice and flair to the already sublime tracks. Harmonica master Bob Corritore shares harp duties with Sandow on half the album, while Bob Welch added organ and Kid Ramos and hisguitar make an appearance for one cut. The sessions for Seven Day Blues may be considered a “throwback,” or “old school” approach by some, but the skill and expert care taken by Atkinson to record Johnny Tucker and his music, captured the true essence of a real blues man in his element, for all eternity.

HIGHJOHNRECORDS.COM | RICK J BOWEN: WABLUES.ORG

A well-traveled singer-songwriter, Pauline Andres was born in France as a coal miner’s daughter, she’s lived in Paris, London and Berlin (five years in the latter city). Her wanderings have involved life-threatening diseases, latenight fights and all kinds of heart breaks. Anders recently settled in Nashville where she recorded a somewhat accidental EP with the gnarly title F**k You French Girl and two full albums All Them Ghosts (2014) and The Heart Breaks (2016).

For the new record Fearless Heart, she wanted a bigger sound and an eclectic mix of tunes ranging from indie rock, Americana to even a Christmas song.

The songs address heartaches, the search for a home and even recent tragic events in Europe. The album is being released from Nashville after a bumpy recording ride that took it from Berlin to New York, Turin and Nashville.

Andres wrote, composed, played and produced all the songs on the new record, reflecting her history of independ-

18 APRIL 2018 STEAM MAGAZINE WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET

ence, both in material and process. She has had critical support, however. First and foremost from longtime friend and former band member Jack Davis (Bear Witness Production) a US native, Berlin-based prod ucer and m ulti instrumentalist. There are also contributions from musicians she has worked with before including Thomas Guiducci, Stefano Chiappo, and Nashville-based pedal steel champion Andy Ellison.

The record was mixed by Grammynominated engineer Ross Petersen, who’s worked with some of the biggest names in the industry including Bruce Springsteen, Sheryl Crow and Shania Twain.

Having a lot of homes in the past can be problematic, both personally and professionally. This unsettling instability can have positive impacts – plenty of sources from which to draw with pen and paper – or adversely cross too many bridges in style and audience. Andres’ move to Nashville has been highly beneficial for Fearless Heart.

C D

R E V I E W S

Dreamy vocals, tough and skilled lyrics with some of the best pedal steel you will hear for a while pervade the collection.

You can enjoy the Americana/alt.country nuances in “Loneliest Girl in Nashville”, “Country On My Mind” and “October 29”, the driving layered rock of “Fearless Heart” and “Good Grace” , the earnest ballads of “Can’t Keep A Town”, “WWIII With You” and “Can’t Keep A Town” and the jangly pop of “Christmas In Paris, TN”. The closing instrumental reprise of “Can’t Keep A Town” is so damn beautifully winsome.

Plenty to relish from the complex and hard-edged insights of this dark and exciting artist. Fearless and rewarding.

Key Tracks: “Loneliest Girl in Nashville”, “Fearless Heart”, “Can’t Keep A Town (instrumental Goodbye)” .

BILLYSTRINGS.COM ROB DICKENS: LISTENINGTTHROUGHTHELENS.COM

STEAM MAGAZINE WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET 2018 APRIL 19