STEAM Magazine August 2021 #103

August 2021 VOL.10 # 103 ON THE COVER...

4 COMICS 5 QUICK READ 6 ALBUM COVER OF THE MONTH 7 CD REVIEWS 8 JOEY BLAZEK: A MODERN IMPRESIONIST 11 EVELYN RUB I O: S HE C AN DO I T ALL 12 T HE FLAT LAN DERS: N EW MUSI C AFTER A 12 YEAR WAIT 14 EN T ERT AI N MENT ART MUSI C 15 RAEAN N E AN D T HE RI DE

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BY JOEY BLAZEK PUBLISHER RUSTY HICKS EDITOR TAMMA HICKS COMICS EDITOR ALLENE HICKS SALES MANAGER RAEANNE REED STAFF WRITERS TAMMA HICKS, RUSTY HICKS STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS ALLENE HICKS, RUSTY HICKS, HARRISON FUNK CONTRIBUTING WRITERS J MICHAEL DOLAN, ROB DICKENS, TONY NICKLIN, RICK J BOWEN, KEITH “MUZIKMAN” HANNALECK, STEVE GOLDSTEIN DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR TERRY MITCHELL MUSIC CONSULTANT TONY SARACENE

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STEAM Magazine is published monthly by STEAM Magazine, South Texas Entertainment Art Music, in Corpus Christi, TX. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Views expressed within are solely the authors and not of STEAM Magazine. Typographical, photographic, and printing errors are unintentional and subject to correction. Please direct all inquiries to: submissions@steamtx.com

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ThaT ol’ second wind!

J. Michael Dolan Someday, it will happen. At least that’s what we tell ourselves. It’s the mantra of every artist/entrepreneur: “Work hard, never quit, and someday I’ll get there.”

Back in the day, it was the gatekeepers that got in our way.

More recently, it’s the challenge of mind-numbing, non-stop, exponential technology, and the total transformation of our entire industry, caused by the disruption from the global pandemic.

A gold star for you!

J. Michael Dolan I loved the way that gold star looked at the top of my homework or test paper. Even more, I loved the way it felt. Mostly because all through my schooling gold stars were far and few between. I rarely got one, so when I did, it really mattered a lot. It said I did something good. It said on this particular project I was smart and it made me feel like I was part of an elite group, which made me want to do better. That rare, fleeting gold star made me feel like I was okay.

Oprah said for twenty five years of The Oprah Show, during the commerical breaks, every single celebrity guest would always ask her: “Was that okay? Did I do okay?” She then upped the ante and said, “Every one of them ask me that question, with no exceptions!”

Important because all we really want, even more than money, is to be assured we’re okay, and recognized for our hard work. Just a simple “atta boy” or “you go girl” makes a huge difference. Because the truth is, those acknowledgements are far and few between. That’s why the great swamis and sages always say, “Give that which you seek.” If it’s money you want, give more. If it’s acknowledgement you want, start complementing others, and keep the abundance of the universe circulating in your life. Not like a ploy to get more for you. More like a simple “tip of the hat” to those who walk the rocky road less traveled…like you do.

However, for an aging artist or entrepreneur it’s the challenge of time—the push to achieve our big goals & dreams before we run out of gas. Many artists & treps find themselves growing older with an ever increasing fear that the biggest opportunities have already passed them by, and the only thing left to do is settlein or toss the towel. To others it’s no longer about getting there, it’s now about staying there.

Even the word “dinosaur” has shifted from a jurassic zoo animal, to a personal insult to anyone approaching 50.

That said, I think the biggest time-wasting mistake we make is waiting; waiting for the economy to turn around, waiting for a vaccine, waiting for new leadership, waiting for the kids to grow, waiting for the phone to ring, waiting for an offer, waiting for things to return to normal, or waiting for that breeze to blow in, and that ol’ second wind comes along!

Important because maybe it’s as simple as changing our mantra, from “What’s in it for me?” to “How can I continue to be relevant and offer my best work, to those who continue to want it?” Truth is, you may not have an audience of 100k, but you still have an audience. Your video may not get a million views, bit you still have viewers. Your company may not have 50k customers, but you still have customers.

In the meantime, Elton John continues to shout his own timeless mantra from the mountaintop: “I’m still Standing, better than I ever did, Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid.”

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Before adding singer Ian Gillian and helping craft the blueprint for hard rock in the 1970's, Deep Purple's first album was a powerful springboard that launched their legendary career. Their American label, Tetragammaton, gave the band freedom to explore their creativity, something the English record companies weren't willing to do, in spite of the successes of other progressive UK bands at the time.

Deep Purple became the label's most successful act. Their single of Joe South's “Hush” reached the top five on American charts, but tanked in their homeland. The band at the time was Rod Evans on vocals, Ritchie Blackmore on guitar, Ian Paice playing drums, Jon Lord on organ and bass by Nick Simper. Four covers mixed with four originals may be due to a rushed session and a limited repertoire, but it still comes on pretty strong and heavy. The instrumental “And The Address” kicks off side one with Lord's thick Hammond and Blackmore's searing, riffheavy guitar work that went a long way to help define their sound. The mood is set, but “One More Rainy Day”and “Love Help Me” come off sounding

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more like pop song wannabes. “Mandrake Root” with Blackmore's Hendrix-inspired licks is another one that points to where they were heading.

The covers of Cream on “Perlude:Hapiness/I'm So Glad,” a trippy take on Lennon & McCartney's “Help” and “Hey Joe” spotlight their inventive arrangements. It may not be as consistent or influential as some of their other later work, but SHADES OF DEEP PURPLE is a worthy debut that holds up well. Need proof?

Give “Hush” a spin. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=W1PNvopXjbg

There's no denying Buffalo Springfield's influence and lasting legacy on the folk/ rock movement in the late 1960's. Their third and final album was aptly titled LAST TIME AROUND. Neil Young left the band and bassist Bruce Palmer had been deported to Canada after getting busted for possession.

The task of completing that record was handed to 20 year old Jim Messina, who'd engineered Springfield's previous album. Soon after that, Messina and Springfield co-founder Richie Furay blazed more trails with country/rock pioneers, Poco. But, being newly married and weary of the road, Messina

wanted to devote his energies to producing. Shortly after leaving Poco in 1970, he listened to a 22 year old singer/songwriter named Kenny Loggins. Loggins was an inexperienced hopeful who didn't even have a guitar when he auditioned for Messina, now an independent producer for Clive Davis and Columbia Records. Kenny borrowed Jim's guitar and sang his classic tunes “Danny's Song” and “House At Pooh Corners” and others that wound up on this 9track debut. The plan was for Messina, the studio veteran, to sit in and mentor Loggins, the freshfaced novice. Jim also had a backlog of songs, “Nobody But You” that kicks off the album, and the rousing “Listen To A Country Song” among them, and knew Kenny's versatile vocals would be a nice fit. He was right. As Loggins & Messina, they went on to sell 20 million records. Their first single was “Vahevala.” With an upbeat, tropical edge, horns and hard rocking vocals, it's a fine reminder of what's at the heart of this dynamic duo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SevJD7AaOuY .

JOHN SMITH THE FRAY (COMMONER RECORDS)

BY ROB DICKENS According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, fray is an “usually disorderly or protracted fight, struggle, or dispute” The Fray finds English folk singer and songwriter John Smith with his sixth album, grounded from his usually-busy touring schedule, and reeling from a cascade of even worse news in his personal life; wading through it all with a defiant positivity. “It’s been a hell of a year, but I feel I’ve created my most honest work as a result—and as a necessity,” says Smith. “A lot of these songs are about accepting that life is hard, but just holding on and trying to enjoy it anyway.”

I first stumbled onto (and almost into!)

English folk singer/songwriter John Smith at the Folk Alliance International conference 2018 in Kansas City Missouri. The scene was a crowded hotel room private showcase where I was squeezed embarrassingly close to the artists (although more intrusive for them than I no doubt).

I was in the room principally to see Rose Cousins and initially was a little disappointed to discover that she was performing In The Round with Smith and two others (John Blek and Wallis Bird), meaning less songs from her. As it turned out, it was a revelatory session for me on a few fronts, not the least tuning in to Smith’s career from that point.

His next release was the absorbing “Hummingbird” (read our review). The following encounter was my colleague Jim Jacob and I witnessing his excellent set at the Port Fairy Folk Festival 2020 in front of a packed tent, a far cry from the Kansas City Westin Hotel room.

JOHN MAILANDER’S FORCAST LOOK CLOSER (NINE ANTHENS MUSIC)

BY ROB DICKENS

Now we can savour another milestone – Smith’s new album cements his place with the great English folk troubadours with his intricate guitar picking, achingly soulful voice and intense lyrics.

The first song released was the sublime “Eye to Eye”, co-written with the wonderful Sarah Siskind and features Grammy-nominated multiinstrumentalist and songwriter Sarah Jarosz.

Smith co-produced The Fray with long-time friend and producer Sam Lakeman at Peter Gabriel’s legendary Real World Studio. He called on an all-star band—pianist Jason Rebello (Sting, John Mayer), bass player Ben Nicholls (Seth Lakeman, Nadine Shah), drummer Jay Sikora (Paolo Nutini) and Jessica Staveley-Taylor (The Staves).

Not allowing a global pandemic to prohibit collaboration, Smith’s guests on the album recorded remotely and sent their contributions digitally over international borders—Jarosz, Courtney Hartman, The Milk Carton Kids, and Bill Frisell from the Americas and Smith’s frequent touring partner Lisa Hannigan via a virtual studio session in Dublin.

JOHNSMITHJOHNSMITH.COM ROB DICKENS: LISTENINGTHROUGHTHELENS.COM

John Mailander is a maestro fiddle player based in Nashville, a member of the outfit Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers, collaborator with artists including Billy Strings and Joy Williams and… now…a full album with his new group John Mailander’s Forecast.

Largely long-form instrumental, it is a weighty avant-garde brew of Americana and jazz and a few other genres brilliantly executed and presented. But the added attraction of Look Closer is the inclusion of more traditional song structures with two talented guest vocalists, Kristina Train and Maya De Vitry.

The album was recorded live in July, 2020, with masks and distancing. Most of the players had not played live with other musicians in person for months due to the pandemic – that may explain the extra layer of joy that exudes here.

The full line-up is Mailander on fiddle, loops, gong, wurlitzer, with Ethan Jodziewicz on bass, Jake Stargel on guitar, Chris Lippincott on pedal and lap steel, Mark Raudabaugh on drums, and David Williford on tenor saxophone and bass clarinet.

Mailander chose to make his upcoming record under the ensemble name “Forecast”, rather than under only his own name. “On Look Closer, I wrote and selected the music specifically for

the band, rather than accommodating to it after the fact,” he explains. “A lot of the new music was arranged together, as a band, during the sessions. My vision is that Forecast could be a collective of musicians that have been involved in the development of this music, not just on this new record but also in the past and future”.

Regarding the recording, Mailander adds: “It was the first time any of us had really played with other musicians in months”, explains Mailander, “and I think the sheer joy of that feeling of rediscovery and connection, even spaced widely apart with masks on, really comes through on the album”.

It sure does come through. Look closer refers to the album title – it should also be regarded as an obligation to submerge in this masterful record.

JOHNMAILANDER.COM ROB DICKENS: LISTENINGTHROUGHTHELENS.COM

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Joey Blazek Art - Continued from Page 9 living - that's when Mobil Oil, Texaco, and all that were coming around. Actually my mother worked for the marine department at Mobile, so I’ve always been drawn to it and fascinated by it. And then my family also had a place out by the peninsula and I spent every waking moment I was able to down there surfing, fishing, and sailing. So I paint what I know.

Where do your models come from?

Quite honestly I sit on the beach and take pictures of somebody windsurfing or surfing or fishing or just enjoying the beach. I don't do a lot of people and I don't consider myself as a portrait artist at all. I do figurative and that is so the figures can be perceived by viewer who can say that looks like their son, their dad, their daughter, but in perspective it isn’t.

Finally, please tell me about your prints.

Because of my previous career, I know cameras very well as well as printers, computers, and whatnot and so I do my prints myself canvas embellished Giclee in just about any size as well as fine art paper prints that are numbered and in various sizes. That way I have three price points that make my artwork affordable to everyone.

UPCOMING ART FESTIVALS ARTOBERFEST Galveston, TX October 16-17 BLUFFTON ARTS FESTIVAL Bluffton, SC October 23-24 THREE RIVERS ART FESTIVAL Covington, LA November 13-14 GALLERIES BURNS ANTIK HAUS, Beaumont MARIA NESBIT STUDIO & GALLERY Rockport SUSAN CASTOR COLLECTION Port Aransas ROUND TOP ANTIQUES & DESIGN CENTER, Round Top

Top: High Society Middle: Intracoastal Drifter Bottom: Crowded Perch; Time to Head Home

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By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine

Evelyn Rubio has the whole package. Beginning when she was just 9 years old she, and her mother, knew she was born to entertain! Beautiful, smart and extremely talented she will heat up a room with her bluesy voice and jazzy saxophone. As this was going to press Evelyn was still on tour with The Divas and promoting new album, Crossing Borders.

You are currently getting ready to go on this tour for the end of July and possibly through August with these very wonderful four ladies, The Divas: Lucía Mendez, Rocío Banquells, Dulce, and Manoella Torres. How did you get on this tour?

They're pulling a band together to accompany them and I was invited to be part of it. For me it's such an honor to be with them, they have such amazing careers in Latin America and Spain, a lot of the Anglo American families are not that familiar but they have huge careers in the rest of the world. They are all amazing singers, so for me the opportunity to be able to work with them is such an honor and a great chance to learn from them.

I think it's really wonderful because I was watching your videos and wow, honestly you've got the whole package! You're beautiful, smart, and very talented from acting to playing saxophone to singing; so how did you get started in this business?

I was encouraged by my mom. She took me to my first casting in musical theater when I was 9 years old; that's when I started acting and dancing and even experienced my first recording studio time. I'll be honest, I didn't realize I was good at doing these things I discovered it as I was doing them. I think my Mom knew.

Sounds like your mom was very intuitive about your abilities and then did you jump to TV? Well, yes. I was on a TV show for kids every Saturday acting, dancing, singing, advertising for kids products, all those things. The plan was television, movies, and all of that, but when I became a teenager casting changed. Their vi-

sions changed and the way people looked at me changed because I was no longer a child and I wasn't the classic party girl, so it was kind of hard to handle all that and guys and then I had a few bad experiences. Then I got an offer to join a band which was not on the plan at all, but someone needed to help my mother with the house bills. Once we found out that I would be making more money than she did, we said yes and she signed the permissions because I was still a minor.

I think parent permissions are necessary for any work like that.

Yes, but that's when I started working in nightclubs and touring all around Mexico.

Oh wow that must have been so exciting, especially as a young teenager!

Yes and it was a show band. There were 4 girls singing and there were dancers and everything was originally sequenced and every song had choreography, so this is how I learned to show off on stage.

The plus was that I got to meet all these different musicians and actors and I discovered all the different kinds of music like the blues.

Of course I didn't know what the blues really was I just knew I really liked it and I took a few guitar lessons.

That leads us perfectly into the next question which was how did you choose?

Well I wanted to be a guitar player, actually I still want to be a guitar player, but it was more effort and took much longer for me to learn and I didn't like it as much. In Mexico I had a Music Mentor, Alfonso Miranda who played guitar and saxophone, who gave me my first guitar lessons and encouraged me to write songs. He knew my wrist was hurting playing the guitar, so I asked to try

the saxophone and he said well let's see if you can put some sound to this and I did! That day he said we're going to put the guitar to the side and you’re saxophone player and he taught me the old Jazz tune Satin Dolls.

That explains a lot, because I knew you had acted, danced, and sang on stage but I didn't quite know how the saxophone and the band fit in. You know, it's very enjoyable to watch and listen to you and I can totally understand why women watching you but get a little jealous.

That's a very nice compliment coming from a woman and it means a double to me. You know I always try to look at the ladies when I'm doing a show because if I can get their attention and a smile I think okay that's a successful concert!

The rest is all easy.

Tell me about your current album.

Well, I finished Crossing Borders and released it last year in the middle of the pandemic, and as you understand there was really no chance to do any promotion for it, so this year I am continuing to push it. I'm such a picky person when it comes to the songs going on my album, such as Crossing Borders. I only have one song and it's an instrumental. The rest are all by different songwriters because I like the way they say what I want to say and as a singer I want to get my words across correctly and sometimes it has to be by other people; however I do make the musical Arrangements in my own way.

Crossing Borders is an interesting title because it's about crossing the borders of music and the different genres, not about

crossing the borders from Mexico to the US. Yes, I blend different styles and everything is a little bluesy because that's me, but I love music in general! I learned early that if you want to survive as a musician or singer in Mexico you have to be capable to do all styles of genres.

I think that's really good. I think most musician should be able to do more than just their standard genre, it would help them grow and understand and they can adapt and make changes in their own style.

Yes, well in Mexico we have to do that and I know people who are great and credible musicians who are just in one genre; that's why they're so good, they just focus on that. I guess there's good and bad points on both sides.

Personally, I love the Blues and when I got here I connected with producer Calvin Owens; he was BB King’s bandleader, composer and lead trumpet player and produced an album for him as well. He was great and it helped me break into the American markets.

In Mexico, were the blues as big of a genre as it is here?

I came here from a Beach town in Mexico where I had moved to be able to make a living playing the Blues. As in many tourists’ locations in Mexico you play every day and often more than one show, so that's how I became such a hardworking singer-musician and I love it. I understand that it's hard for some people to accept a Mexican or Latina singing the blues, but I just tell them to close their eyes and just listen. Then you can decide if you like it or not.

That is really great advice. I know that you'll be out on tour with the Divas, what do you have planned for August?

Well at this point we are not booking much for August because we don't know how long this tour is going to last. But I do know they are opening The Big Easy again, so I'll be back there on August 27th I have some private gigs and I have some appearances coming up with the band Pigs On The Wall. Really, the easiest thing is to go to my website; it’s updated all the time.

EVELYNRUBIO.COM

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By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine Take a listen to Treasure of Love, The Flatlanders' first new album in more than a decade, and it's clear that those bonds are deeper and stronger now than ever before. Completed during COVID19 lockdowns with the help of longtime friend and collaborator Lloyd Maines, the record finds the iconic Texas trio of Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Butch Hancock in classic form, serving up a rollicking collection of twang -fueled, harmony-laden performances full of wry humor and raw heartbreak. While a few of the songs here are never-before-heard originals, the vast majority of the tracklist consists of vintage tunes the band picked up during their 50-year career, some stretching as far back as the group's earliest performances in the honkytonks around Lubbock, TX.

the time that they were actually making a record, the trio worked fast and loose in the studio, laying down raw, playful takes whenever they had free time between sessions or tours. It was only when the COVID-19 pandemic forced Ely, Gilmore, and Hancock to simultaneously clear all of their calendars that the band realized they had an album on their hands (and, just as importantly, the time to complete it). What the future holds in these strange, uncertain times is anybody's guess, but for now, The Flatlanders have got each other, and that's a treasure indeed.

were a lot of songs that we wanted to put down too. There was no rushing timeline and we worked on what we already had and then we got my friend, Lloyd Maines, to put his sweet steel on lot of stuff, so it just came together.

Hi Joe! First I want to say thank you for taking time to talk to us and secondly I want to congratulate you and the Flatlanders on such a great album!

Fortunately for us, Ely, Gilmore, and Hancock have all had successful solo careers so when they get together its pure magic and that is what inspired the band to record many of the covers that appear on Treasure of Love, revisiting songs they enjoyed playing from the early days and capturing them for the sheer joy of it. Not realizing at

Thank you; we had a real interesting time making this record. It was during the pandemic just as the virus arrived and everything shut down and we didn't know what was happening or for how long. We started looking around and saw that we had begun working on some things and there

I find that kind of funny because other musicians that I have talked to turned to Art during the pandemic and yet here you guys are putting an album out!

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Lloyd is just absolutely awesome and his steel playing is top of the line! Did you guys actually get to meet in person or was this all done digitally?

We did a little bit of each and the only rule was There Are No Rules.

Before I forget, are you still painting?

No, I just haven't been able to do much of it in the last year or so.

All stories are is what is seen by other eyes.

Well, actually there were a couple of records that I did. One myself, Love In The Mist Of Mayhem, and then we did the Flatlanders recording.

Awesome I hadn't seen anything on yours but now I know to look it up.

Yeah, we finished mine at the start of the pandemic which is when we found the Flatlanders tracks. We realized we had to have the studio work out some things and help us get over a few obstacles on those tracks.

The flatlanders hadn’t worked on an album together in over 12 years, but after 50 years of being good friends, recording artists, and musicians it was probably like riding a bike you just start back up and it clicks.

Yeah, it didn't seem like anything unusual. You know before we always did a record when we kind of felt like it and this time was just the right time. We had the songs already together and we had the time and space and in the last year-and-a-half we put together two different records.

Are you going to be out on tour and doing shows with this album?

Not yet, Butch and Jimmy are doing some things that were tied to last year and we really haven't been on stage since, well, at least over a year and a half.

I thought you guys were out on tour so I must have gotten my stories mixed up.

Well, that's alright. All stories are is

what is seen by other eyes.

Wow, that's a great statement. I know some of these tracks are a couple years old, but getting everyone together and studio time must have been hard.

Well, there was a time at the end of one of my albums where we had a couple of extra days in the studio and since all the musicians were in town, Robbie Gjersoe had flown into work from Chicago, we just decided to sit in and play for a couple of days. I'm not sure what year that was, maybe six years ago or so, and you know that's the advantage of having a studio right next to your house. We were able to just walk over, plug in, and not think about making a record but just record songs that everybody had wanted to do at one time or another. We just had a great band so we just did it and really that’s the way I like to record; put it down and see what happens, see what's important in people's lives, see what you wanted to listen to.

I think you told me that’s how you like to record when I interviewed you in 2013.

Probably, it’s really natural to me. Even back in the 70s I had a 4track reel to reel that I would use and I still have some tapes. I haven't always followed the music business; I've followed what I wanted to hear, so that's where some of this music from the Flatlanders came from: things that we had put down at other times and we just had fun with it.

Sounds like you had a great time. Do you have a favorite song on the album?

Yeah, my favorite song is the first one on the album and was written by Butch, Moaning Of The Midnight Train. Butch wrote this song a while ago and I've wanted to lay down for a long time.

I haven't heard that song but I was listening to Butch’s Mama Do The Kangaroo, which is such a fun song, and Treasure of love and Ramblin Man. I think those are my three favorites. I see that quite a few of the songs are covers of other artists (Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan), but Ramblin Man sounds so familiar.

The Glarry GJazz II Bass Guitar has a new home!

We want to thank Elie Ibrahim and The Ranch Dance Hall & Watering Hole for hosting us on Saturday July 17th. We had a fabulous time!

After all 687 entries were tabulated we decided there couldn’t be just one winner, so we also handed out a 2nd and 3rd prizes!! So, without further ado…

3rd Prize – 2000 Guitars: the Ultimate Collection.

John Dunaway!

2nd Prize – Axe Paxe, Guitar Accessories Case.

Derek Galvan!!

That song that was originally a Butch song and then Jimmy recorded it and now the Flatlanders have recorded it.

1st Prize!!! – Glarry GJazz II Bass Guitar with Upgrades. Jordan O’Bryant!!!

How did you end up with 15 tracks on this album, because anymore a long album is 10 songs?

Stay tuned for more STEAM Contests and Giveaways!

We had so many great tracks, and my wife and I argued over which of the 19 songs should be on it, and pretty soon we just decided to put everything on there. Then, because we’d decided to do vinyl, we had to pare it down a few.

Sounds like a new album in the works.

I am so glad we got to chat because you guys have been on our minds for a while.

In fact, sitting on Rusty's desk is a cassette tape of Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s 1991 album, After Awhile.

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DEAD POET SOCIETY Release "I Never Loved Myself Like I Loved You" Video Touring With Badflower This Fall Los Angeles-based alt-rock outfit DEAD POET SOCIETY have released the video for their song "I never loved myself like I loved you," which is featured on their debut album -!- (said as "The Exclamation Album.").

The video is an impromptu, one-take affair, which sees lead singer Jack Underkofler slowly unravel as he walks the streets of L.A.. Like much of -!-, the video highlights the emotional and selfreflective adversity that the band exercises through their music.

"This video was completely shot by accident," the band explains. "We were in the process of pre-production, getting test shots with our iPhones. We improvised a possible scene and ended up capturing a moment that resonated with us all so strongly that we felt we had to release it as the actual video itself. It's not perfect in terms of its aesthetic or technical value, but the imperfection is what this song is about.

For us, this video captured the exact emotions and feelings that went into writing this song, and that's what matters."

Underkolfer recently spoke with The Recording Academy/ GRAMMY.com for their ongoing segment "Herbal Tea & White Sofas."

Dead Poet Society are receiving some well-deserved recognition on the strength of their new album. The record's lead single, ".CoDA., " is the band's first track to chart in the Top 25 at Active Rock. The band also announced its first tour of 2021, supporting their longtime friends in Badflower on a North American run this fall.

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One of STEAM Magazine’s long standing focal points is the local music scene and its hard working musicians. We are featuring Port Aransas’ local musician and band leader Raeanne Reed of Raeanne & The Ride.

Let’s talk about how music has influenced your life. What was your first concert?

Actually the very first concert I went to was Kiss and the Pure Prairie League in Tampa FL. That must have been a great show.

Where did you get your musical influences?

Well, like many of us who watched TV in the early 70’s - it was The Sonny & Cher Show, The Partridge Family, The Monkeys, and The Brady Bunch; that's really where the music thing started for me. And I remember my dad would take me to hippie concerts, of course adverting my young eyes from the wild and craziness.

My influences came not just from the music my parents listened to and what I saw a little kid on TV, but from the punk and the cool rock bands I saw while living in England and especially at Raoul's in Austin; Debbie Harry and Blondie, Psychedelic Furs, and all those great bands.

Wait, you lived in England?

Yeah, when I was 14 my mother married an English man who had us move to England, this was when punk music was really happening there. Unfortunately, because I was moving schools from country to country all the paperwork wasn't in order and I wasn't accepted for the school year, so I got a couple jobs. Fortunately we moved back to Texas about a year later and punk was then hitting the US; but again were problems in getting me into school, so I told my mom I was going to get my GED and a job - so I did. I really want to point out that my mother, Pam Reed, has been so supportive of everything I've done she's just amazing.

Wow, that’s pretty independent and your mother sounds wonderful; not a lot of mother’s would have let you do that. Is that when you figured out you wanted to sing in a band?

Yes and no. I was always into music and I really wanted to be a radio DJ but between getting my GED and working at a radio station I got married. It was after my divorce that I went to work for KZEP and did sales and was an On-Air-Talent, but all the time I wanted to be in a band. I would ask people if I could join their band, but I never got very far with that.

One day I was at Mars Music on the loop and left a note on the board that said “Singer with 25 years of experience. Come join my band!” and it worked because this guy called me. He played a BC Rich guitar and his brother played bass and we called ourselves “Rocky Roads.” We were there together for five years.

Like the ice cream?

No! Like your life is a Rocky friggin’ Road!

The cool thing is we were all original and we played at the White Rabbit and Medieval Knight and a bunch of places around San

Antonio and we used to play at Nightmare on Grayson Street for Halloween. Anyway, after we broke up I decided I needed to be at the beach, so I sold all of my property, all of my stuff, and headed to Port Aransas.

And started a band?

Of course not, nobody knew who I was here so I bar tended for a while. My first break was at Shorty's by JW George, the grandson of a Miss Rose who originally opened Shorty's back in 1946, who let me get up on the mic and do a couple songs. After that I just decided that it was time to put my own group together. That’s when I contacted Andrews Distributing and got my sponsorship with Shiner Beers. Wow, that was 10 years ago.

That’s great. Do you play an instrument?

Nope, but I have great guitar players, Armando Salgado from Laredo and from Port Aransas Ron Baker, who played with Charlie Pride for 11 years and I believe you've done a story on him. And keeping us grooving is Tony Nicklin on bass guitar from Aransas Pass and Corpus Christi’s Rusty Hicks on drums.

Where can people hear you?

Currently I'm on STEAM Magazine Radio.net and Kingsville Community Radio; both are great purveyors of indie music!

We're also working on recording new music that hopefully will be streaming soon.

For the fifth time we will be at SandFest October 16th and for the Port Aransas Parks and Recreation Department’s Sunset Sounds at Roberts Point Park on October 8th. And real quickly I want to thank STEAM Magazine for keeping us local people out in the public eye!

You are definitely welcome! I know radio is where your heart is, but did you ever do TV? Yes, thanks for asking. I did a public access show for three years in San Antonio. It was a 30-minute show called “What It Takes” on Fridays at midnight. Every week I’d go around and interviewed local bands and when national bands like Aerosmith or ZZ Top were coming to town I would run some of their videos and say where to get tickets.

Back then it was all on VHS but I stopped when they switched to digital.

Facebook.com/Raeanne Reed Shows: August 26 Island Wine, Port Aransas October 8th Sunset Sounds, Port Aransas October 16th SandFest TX, Port Aransas STEAMMAGAZINE.NET AUGUST 2021 STEAM MAGAZINE 15