STEAM Magazine South Texas Entertainment Art Music volume 7 issue 5 August 2018

2 STEAM MAGAZINE AUGUST 2018 WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET

2 NEW MOVIES & MUSIC 4 COMICS 5 QUICK READ 6 ALBUM COVER OF THE MONTH 7 CD REVIEWS 8 JEFF PLANKENHORN: ON HIS OWN 10 GARY MC ALEA: WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY 13 DEBBIE NOBLE’S: PHOTOGRAPHY HELP 13 N EW PRODUC T REVI EW 14 NEW REPUBLIC STUDIOS: CREATIVE PRODUCTION CAMPUS 17 EVEN T S 18 TSUNAVA HEARTBREAK: ON HARVEY’S TRAIL 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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August 2018 VOL.7 ISS.5 #77 ON THE COVER...

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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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Flying lessons

Bucket list vs fucket list J. Michael Dolan (:41) Bucket list: Someday I’m going to make it happen.

Fucket list: Fucket! I’m going for it now!

J. Michael Dolan I can’t help you rise up if you keep aiming the plane down!

I can’t point the way unless you know where you want to go.

I won’t help you succeed if your hidden agenda is to prove something—to yourself or others.

I won’t stand beside you if you can’t keep your word.

I won’t help you prosper unless your goals and dreams not only benefit you, but everyone else involved.

I can’t answer your questions if you already have all the answers.

Important because it doesn’t matter if you’re a rapper an actor or the owner of a biz, I can’t help you fly, or solve your problem, launch your project or pull you out of a rut, until you’re willing to let go of your tight grip on how it was or how it should be, and embrace the way it is or how it could be. If you can do that, then I will stand in your greatness even when you fall from it.

Bucket List: Eventually I’ll have more time.

Fucket List: Fucket! I’ll make the time! Procrastinating ends today!

Bucket List: One day I’ll have handlers.

Fucket List: Fucket! I’m hiring a personal coach!

Bucket List: Sooner or later I’ll figure out what to do next.

Fucket List: Fucket! I’m moving on with my life.

Important because while your bucket list contains the hopes of “someday,” your fucket list contains the determination, resolve and audacity to kick the bucket and make something happen right now

Especially now!

J. Michael Dolan The world may have shrunk but choices for music, art, movies, TV and videos have expanded to the stratosphere.

Why? Because we need an escape from the constant media barrage of doom & gloom, and creative artists seem to be the only ones who can provide it.

Important because now, more

Joy ride J. Michael Dolan As soon as someone says, “there is no other way,” you can count on a creative artist or entrepreneur (who cares) to find another way.

Important because just because we arrive at a dead end doesn’t mean our joy ride is over.

than ever, we are all desperately craving truth wherever we can find it. And now, more than ever, we need to hear your truth, roused from the dormant depths of your soul and passionately expressed in your music, writing, performing, producing and creative projects. Now, more than ever, we need the blazing light of your unique talent to shine brightly into the darkest corners of Humanity. Now, more than ever.

WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET AUGUST 2018 STEAM MAGAZINE 5

Besides helping write the book on psychedelic hard rock of the late 1960s, this quartet from New York signaled a direction in music that would eventually lead to Heavy Metal. Vanilla Fudge played slowed down, heavy handed covers of recent songs of the time by The Beatles, The Impressions, The Zombies, The Supremes, and even Cher. Their influence would become vast. Thanks to FM underground radio in the 1960’s, new, experimental bands like Vanilla Fudge were able to receive the air time for their progressive music that they would never get on the format oriented, time restricted AM stations. Disc jockeys were given free reign over the airwaves and songs like Fudge’s 8:24 version of Eleanor Rigby were able to find receptive ears.

The band was originally Mark Stein on vocals and keyboards, Vinnie Martell on guitar, Tim Bogert on bass, and Carmine Appice on drums. This debut album firmly established them as a first-rate, preheavy metal, extended album track, rock and roll group. The band’s short existence came to an end in 1970. Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice went on

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to some renown for forming the hard rocking Cactus, and later partnering with Jeff Beck. The band has reunited several times over the years, and they’re still out there doing it with the original lineup, minus Tim Bogert who retired from touring and was replaced

by Pete Bremy on bass.

This album remains a sort of time capsule offering a look at the shape of music at the time. A lot of folks were listening. The stand out track is the cover of The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hanging On." Still sounds great! Far out, man!

This is probably the most appropriately named album in recorded music history, because that's what this record is; almost 44 minutes of "Electronic Sound."

When he recorded this, his second solo album, The Beatles had just recently acquired a new Moog synthesizer. George was certainly intrigued by the possibilities that this new instrument provided and the Beatles would make good use of it on their final sessions for "Abbey Road" later in 1969. There are no other instruments or vocals on this album. The cover artwork was done by George, himself. Side 1, "Under the

Mersey Wall" and side 2, "No Time Or Space" are not tracks that you can tap your feet to or hum along with. This was the second release on Zapple, an offshoot of the Beatles' own Apple Records. Zapple was supposed to be an outlet for avent-garde and experimental projects, along with spoken word. The only other release on Zapple was John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Unfinished Music 2: Life With the Lions" (1969). The short lived label was shut down soon after these two albums were released. George Harrison was an incredible musician. He was doing things on his Gretsch guitar at age 20 that still inspire over 50 years later. (Listen to his solo on "Till There Was You," Meredith Willson's composition from "The Music Man.") He was my introduction to the great Carl Perkins and rockabilly guitar. He was the lead guitar player for The Beatles! But this one left many fans scratching their heads. It certainly isn’t for everyone. I would recommend it to either hardcore fans, or those interested in the history of the Moog.

THE MAMMALS SUNSHINER (HUMBLE ABODE MUSIC)

BY ROB DICKENS

GREGG CURRY & RUGGED GLORY THE LAST TRAIN (SELF-RELEASE)

BY RICK J BOWEN When Gregg Curry emigrated to the Northwest from Alabama he brought along a satchel of songs and southern charm to the safe confines of Vashon Island and found likeminded soul to form a new band Gregg Curry and Ragged Glory. The seven-piece ensemble delivers raw, energized roots rock, alt country and Americana. Curry and Co. teamed up with acclaimed producer, engineer and musical guru Martin Feveyear to record their second full length album, The Last Train. The eleven-song collection reflects the breadth of Curry’s songwriting skills and showcases the many talents of Ragged Glory. Opening track ‘I’m Moving,” is a four on the floor rocker that features Curry’s longtime partner in crime guitarist Rick Dahms and hot harmonica from Michael J Nichols who recently joined the group along with new bass man Michael David Marcus and drummer Emory Miedema-Boyajian. The mood downshifts to an easy alt country swing for the study of introspection ‘The Road To Regret,’ drawing comparisons to Gram Parsons, followed by the bluesy stomp of the title track ‘The Last Train.’ More of Curry’s influences are revealed on the rapid fire two beat ‘Free Ain’t Bad,’ when he poses the question “does Patsy Cline make you cry, do the Stones get you high.”

The straight-ahead roots rocker ‘There’s Only You,’ is a rambling tale of righteous love, that rolls right into the CCR styled swamper ‘Fire Can’t be far Away,’ The sweetly waltzing ‘Bayou Moon,’ transports us to the French quarter with loving flair from soaring horns and Spanish guitar. Curry looks back at the heyday of his heroes who are now aging rockers who deserve respect on “A Long Way From The Whiskey.’ Rebekah Kuzma joins Curry for the political lament ‘Birds & Stones,’ a song Curry describes as one he “was tired of not having recorded, because the world needs it.” The acoustic duet comes straight from the Pete Seeger playbook with a direct message about the folly of foolish man. Curry then draws from his own life journey and the landscapes he has traveled and the lessons learned on the road on the expansive ‘Long Way To Here.’

The album ends by going to ‘Infinity,’ for the final rocking track, a six-minute southern rock jam inspired by the many outlaws who picked up a guitar and blazed a trail for Ragged Glory .

GREGGCURRY.COM RICK J BOWEN: WABLUES.ORG

The Mammals‘ emerged when Mike Merenda and Ruth Ungar met in NYC in 2001. Merenda is a highly acclaimed wordsmith and multi-instrumentalist, while Ungar is a terrific fiddler and daughter of the legendary (and Grammy awarded) fiddler Jay Ungar – most famous for the divine “Ashoken Farewell” and curating the first Transatlantic Sessions. Tao Rodriguez-Seeger (grandson of Pete) joined in and the trio was known at the time for subversive and political lyrics which tested the sensibilities of some audiences.

In the band’s first incarnation The Mammals enjoyed a remarkable seven-year run, playing the largest folk festivals across North America (Telluride Bluegrass, Vancouver Folk Fest, High Sierra), Australia (Woodford, Port Fairy, National) and Denmark (Tonder), Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium (with string band peers Nickel Creek), New York’s Carnegie Hall as the special guest of folk legend Arlo Guthrie, and the 2002 Winter Olympics with Pete Seeger.

During the band’s nine-year hiatus, in addition to producing the festivals Winter and Summer Hoots, these two kept busy touring with their two young children and recording five Mike + Ruthy albums including a 2012 EP featuring a much celebrated posthumous collaboration with Woody Guthrie called “My New York City” and Bright As You Can (2015).

This version of the band emerged, refreshed, revitalized and bringing with it a more mature and settled outlook. That is not to say that what you have here is less edgy or provocative in its own way. The principal members and songwriters remain Merenda (vocals, guitars, banjo, keyboard) and Ungar (vocals, fiddle, guitar ukulele). Sunshiner features able collaborators Konrad Meissner (drums, percussion), Jacob Silver (bass), Ken Maiuri (keyboards, guitar) and Charlie Rose (pedal steel), some from the early Mammals days.

Astutely chosen players contribute here mightily. Brian Graham (sax), Phil Rodriguez (trumpet), Molly Mason (arco bass) and Jay Ungar (fiddle). Some highly lauded harmony singers appear as well – Connor Kennedy, Sarah Jarosz, Sarah Lee Guthrie, Amy Helm, Lindsey Webster, Andy Stack and Lyn Hardy. The album was recorded by Adam Armstrong at the band’s own studio Humble Abode Music in West Hurley (outside of Woodstock), New York. In the process of writing and recording Sunshiner, a renewed energy began to take hold and the rebirth of the band became official.

Why is this new, full-band energy unleashing itself right now? “November 2016 was a turning point that made us all draw a slow breath,” says Ungar. “Overnight our earlier political-edged songs became relevant again. We felt compelled to reclaim the old mission of The Mammals and mix a bit more politics and hoedown into our live shows.”

For much of its length, Sunshiner is a very fine release.

Then something happens, the mood changes and it trans-

cends to another plane, taking the listener to a higher, hypnotic level.

There are many early highlights here with striking and heartfelt ideas. The harmonies in the rollicking “Make It True”, the biting commentary of the driving “Cultural War”, the tender and instructive “Beautiful One” and the dance-friendly, Zydeco-infused “Doctor’s Orders”. “The Flood” rocks along with its blend of helplessness and humour. As we progress through the album, “Maple Leaf” takes it even a notch higher, cutting a longing and soulful vibe.

The title track is a revelation. Over five minutes of a whispering, mesmeric thrum with the oft-repeated lines “Yes, my Daddy was a miner / But I’m gonna be a Sunshiner” which will stay with you for a long time, bring a smile to your face and may even get you singing along. The jazzy “Stayin’ Up Late” is the perfect variant ingredient for this rootsy recipe, with Ungar’s vocals commanding and winsome. Lyn Hardy adds an attractive layer to the almost vocals-only “My Baby Drinks Water”. You can make your own judgement on the penultimate track “When My Story Ends” from the video above.

The extended tour de force closer”Big Ideas” is long on groove and short of lyrics – seven/eight lines stretched over its ten-minute. Gorgeous.

Sunshiner is a captivating collection, totally uplifting and enough warmth to get you through the coldest season – such is its touching staying power.

Well, I’m just about out of laudatory adjectives! Sunshiner is one of the very best releases this year. No doubt at all.

THEMAMMALS.LOVE LISTENINGTHROUGHTHELENS.COM

ERIC TINGSTAD | ELECTRIC SPIRIT (CHESHIRE RECORDS)

BY RICK J BOWEN

Northwest guitarist Eric Tingstad is mostly known for his acoustic playing that earned him a Grammy in 2003, but for his latest release, the acclaimed composer has chosen to explore the roots of his early influences from delta blues and country and soul on the Telecaster, lap and pedal steel and Resophonic, painting evocative landscapes with tube-driven power on a new disc titled Electric Spirit. The 12 new tracks, released in May of 2018 are a continuation of Tingstad’s love affair with music that seeps up from the Mississippi, which was the title of his 2015 album. This time he adds three loving renditions of traditional songs and a guest vocalist to his original instrumentals. The album opens with the slinky soul blues “Electric City” that showcases his finger picking skills over a greasy bed of Hammond B3. The swampy blues of “French Quarter” is propelled by a lazy shuffle from drummer Ben Smith of Heart, then the gospel hymn “Oh Shenandoah,” is given the Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits treatment modernizing the old chestnut. Tingstad reveals the influence Chet Atkins had on him on the swinging country blues “Bessie” and “Amazing Grace,” so as over a fat back beat and the angels sing in the form of sweet hi lonesome pedal steel. Blue Eyed soul singer from Miami, Chloe Dolandis, delivers the breathy vocals on the inspirational ballad “There’s More,” providing the album’s “Disney Magic moment.” The music travelogue continues as Tingstad then takes us down the sweet and spicy road of “South to Carolina,” and the ultra-laid-back blues “Big River” that rolls into the reggae-tinged “Key West.” His telecaster pops on the

sizzling tango “Flamingo Club” and the reverb-soaked rambler “The Train of Thought” is full of sonic surprises and evocative melodic notions. The lovely reading of “Over The Rainbow” that closes the set is destined to become a classic. Tingstad once again proves he is a master who works with frets and strings the way the Impressionists worked with oil and canvas, drawing inspiration from nature and relying on imagination and feelings to guide his art.

ERICTINGSTAD.COM RICK J BOWEN: WABLUES.ORG & NODEPRESSION.COM

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fter Jeff Plankenhorn’s song “Trouble Find Me” from his bluesy 2016 release, SOULSLIDE (LoungeSide Records), started receiving airplay he found himself at a crossroads. He had been a successful sideman for several years, but now had a decision to make.

“When that song started getting played on the radio, I had to turn down the sideman gigs. I was mostly playing with Joe Ely at the time. It was a really hard thing to start making that tough decision.” The time had come to forge ahead on his own.

SOULSLIDE

prominently showcased Jeff’s signature lap-steel, “The Plank” guitar, and featured guest artists, including Ruthie Foster and Malford Milligan. But, his latest release, SLEEPING DOGS, found itself headed in a different direction. “When I went in to record this new album, we started recording the day Tom Petty died.” This was the catalyst that changed the focus. Jeff says it wasn’t his intention to make a “roots/rock/Americana” album. During discussions and sessions for the album, the band wondered, “What would Mike Campbell do on this guitar solo?” or mused on Petty’s early motto, “Don’t bore us – get to the chorus.”

But

that’s not to say that SLEEPING DOGS doesn’t get down to the blues. “I definitely play my lap-steel guitar, that I designed, on this album, but there is a whole different sense of direction, and I played a whole slew of instruments besides. I play piano on a song with Patti Griffin, I play guitar, upright bass…all sorts of things. We kind of really went for, ‘what does the song need?’” Then, when putting all the tracks together for the album, they found a blues/rock Americana feel that fit right in with guest artists like Patti Griffin and Ray Wylie Hubbard. Jeff also credits “Scrappy” Jud Newton for his great production skills in the studio.

By Steve Goldstein, STEAM Magazine

Jeff is pleased with the end result of his efforts and the positive response. “It’s been pretty exciting,” says Jeff. “I had a great blues crowd, and now I’m going back to the people that’ve seen me play with other people over the years.” This includes opening recent shows for Ray Wylie Hubbard.

Jeff

becomes a little ambivalent when talking about his decision to step out of his role as sideman to be the man in front. “Frankly, it’s a little daunting at times, because the people I’ve played with over the years, I hold in pretty high esteem.

Whether it’s Ruthie Foster, or Ray Wylie Hubbard, or Joe Ely, or Eliza Gilkyson, or Willis Alan Ramsey, or whoever, it was a great career that I didn’t really plan on stopping. These are songwriters’ songwriters. These are people that have carved a name out for themselves and to be playing even a show… I was on a concert series out in California, and I saw some of the names that were on the series, and it was really, really, really humbling. I was just like, ‘Wow! I’m starting to do it!’ And it happened without me thinking.”

All of these highly regarded artists encouraged Jeff to go for it and do his own thing. “When I first started doing my solo thing, I was riding in a van with Ray Wylie someplace, and I said, ‘I could write songs and give them to people to play. I don’t know if anyone wants to come see me.’ He said, ‘Where’s your proof?’ I said, ‘What do you mean?’ ‘Are they playing you on the radio?’ I said, ‘yeah.’ ‘Are there people coming to your shows? I said, ‘yeah.’ He said, ‘there’s your proof!’”

When

the subject shifts to songwriting, Jeff is more than happy to talk about his collaborations.

“I’m co-writing with such great people like John

D. Graham and Gary Nicholson on the last album. Gabe Rhodes and I co-wrote this one song on this album, kind of written in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey called ‘Further To Fall.’ Gabe came to me with just the beginnings of this song and it was such a gift.” This came after the rest of the album was already recorded. Jeff and Gabe put down an acoustic demo, and it was added into the album because they loved the song so much. “A lot of

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people get it. They get that it’s kind of hopeful.”

The

powers that be, such as managers, booking agents, and all the business people were content with Jeff’s role as a side man.

It was safe and lucrative. Going out on his own was a risk. “It took a little while to get out from under that, but now that I’ve got a booking agent and all these fancyschmancy kind of things, they go, ‘now he’s doing his own thing.’” It’s important for

anyone to have a good team of people in their corner. It took some time, but Jeff was able to get support from Ray Wylie’s manager and wife, Judy Hubbard. “Now there’s two; now there’s Ray and there’s me, because [Judy] was a really, really huge help in getting me to where I am right now.” But Jeff’s palpable gratitude and praise doesn’t stop there. “I would say her ability to understand and navigate anyone, and push somebody into the right management…basically, she got me going.”

Jeff

is very proud of his creation, The Plank guitar, and rightly so. It was the perfect solution to a real problem.

Jeff’s passion is evident as he explains, “People were always asking me to play dobro in rock bands. We never got it loud enough, and it would feed back like crazy. Now they’ve got better pickups, and things, and people can do it.

But when I designed The Plank guitar, I went to a builder and I said I want something so I can stand up. I want it shaped and played like a lap steel dobro so you can put a strap on it. And I want it chambered on the side like a [Gibson ES] 335, I wanted it to be solid wood like a lap steel, I want it to be a guitar so I could go from a pretty pedal steel sound to a really rocking Duane Allman sound at the snap of my fingers, just like kicking on a stomp box.

And it worked!” Jeff now had the right instrument for the job and used it well. “All the songs on SOUL SLIDE were a vehicle to get that guitar out there. All the songs were about The Plank guitar. Now, Lloyd Maines has used it on a couple of records, Cory Murrow, an Adam Carroll record, and the kid from Wade Bowen plays one.

Wade Bowen had Will Knack playing for him, and he was playing The Plank guitar.

Then Will Knack went to Blue October, and he told his new guitar player, ‘Hey, you need to get a Plank.’ And the guy was like, ‘Well, why?’ and he said, ‘I’m used to that now. I’m used to my guitar player standing up when he plays lap steel. Now go get a Plank.’ And that’s pretty cool, because people get it.” Jeff loves to hear the instrument of his design in the hands of so many others. The only obstacle has been to find the right builder. “It’s really, really simple!” said Jeff when talking about the design. “There’s nothing patentable on my guitar. They can steal the idea from me. I don’t care.

It’s like you’re dropping a lap steel into the body of a dobro, with no resonator.

We’ve trademarked the name ‘The Plank,’ and we also have Empyreal Instruments.

One only has to check out Jeff’s video for “Trouble Find Me” from SOULSLIDE to see and hear what The Plank can do.

Touring and promoting the new album keeps Jeff pretty busy (tours in Europe and Japan lie ahead in 2019), but he tries to get back to Texas as much as possible, which includes Sunday residencies at Austin’s Saxon Pub with The Resentments, and with The Purgatory Players at El Mercado.

“The Purgatory Players is basically the pseudo-gospel brunch, everybody welcome, we do for the Food Bank.

Myself, John D. Graham, ‘Scrappy’ Jud and Seela Misra, and Jon Greene. We play whatever we consider to be gospel music that morning. The Resentments was started by Steven Brooks. I was asked about eight years ago to join after he passed, and it’s the oldest running residency in Austin.”

Jeff Plankenhorn is not one to take anything for granted.

He’s always looking ahead to the next thing, whether it’s touring or writing. “It never, ever stops. That’s part of the joy and the curse. I start thinking about the new album, or whatever the next project I’m doing, the day we finish recording. You have to. I’m continually trying to get better at writing. I think I’m a solid side-person who can play instruments pretty well, and I know that I’ve spent ten thousand hours doing that. I’m still looking for that ten thousand hours with songwriting. Right now I’m aligning myself with great writers, whether it’s Gary Nicholson, or it’s Ray Wylie, because I want to get better. I need that mentoring. I need to put my time in the way they have.”

Jeff’s prefers to spend as much of his down time as he can with his award winning horticulturist wife in Vancouver Island on Canada’s Pacific coast. “I love my Canadian family. They are beautiful and brilliant people.” It provides inspiration to write about subjects other than life on the road. Jeff had a gospel instrumental for the new album that sounded good. “But then I was driving home through

the Texas Hill Country, and I was like, you know what?

This sounds great! I’m gonna call it ‘Heaven On Earth.’

And I got home and I started talking to my wife…just talking about her favorite things in nature, and they just became verses. I went in the next morning and it became a song. It’s pretty much a bit of an homage to my wife’s transcendent love of nature.”

Above everything else, Jeff stresses his love for the music.

“I’m a lifer. It doesn’t matter what changes the music business goes through; streaming albums, social media being so important, and what not. No matter what happens, I’m gonna do it. There’s a line in a really, really great Gillian Welch song called ‘Everything Is Free.’ She says, ‘they figured it out, we’re gonna do it anyway.’ And I love that line so much, because no matter what changes in how we do it, the artist has never been the big money maker. We do it because it’s just what we do. So, I’m gonna do this no matter what. It’s pretty cool that I’ve moved into a position where I can do my music.”

JeffPlankenhorn.com EmpyrealInstruments.com Up Coming Shows AUSTIN TX AUG 30 @ 7:00PM Rock Room Concerts SEP 1 @ 6:30PM Oskar Blues Brewery SEP 7 @ 9:00PM The Saxon Pub RICHARDSON TX SEP 21 @ 8:00PM Six Springs Tavern CORPUS CHRISTI TX SEP 23 @ 7:00PM OtraFest, Corpus Christi

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 raphy, on my terms. I just want to photograph animals, sell my art, and support these amazing creatures and the conservation groups that are so essential to their survival. In the past, we regularly donated to animal conservation groups, and this is my more personal and direct way of helping them now.

How do you think your pictures help animal conservation?

One of the most important ways I think I am helping save animals is by allowing people to emotionally connect with them. In my pictures, I try to capture each animal’s spirit. That's why when you look at the pictures, their eyes are so detailed. What I really hope is that someone will connect to that animal in a way that when they see that picture and read in a magazine that this animal is endangered and needs help, that the person will feel the need to step up and do something. When I take a picture, I make sure that animal is looking at me so that we connect, and when we connect through that lens I can make that animal connect with the viewer of this magazine, or the picture on the wall, or whatever that person sees to get them interested. It’s especially important for children to see and feel this, because they will need to protect these animals when we are gone.

I know that my thought here is fairly twisted and may cause some debate, but I believe that there was a good in the circuses. I understand that not all animals were taken care of properly and that the only life they knew of was in a cage. However I believe that circuses and the animals helped animal conservation by showing children and adults that live in areas where they never would have gotten a chance to see an elephant, lion, bear, or tiger. In a way circuses proved these animals do exist to people that would never have the chance to see them otherwise.

I see your point, but I believe that education would be a better way. I did an extended solo show at the Lea County Museum in New Mexico in 2017. During the setup, a teenager who was working at

the old theatre next door came inside to see what we were doing. As he walked around, he asked about several animals that he had never seen in person. My wife and I were able to tell him stories about them, and he was excited to learn about them. He told us that he had lived in the area all his life, and he had never been to a zoo. So, while the circus may have been an earlier way for kids like him to have seen these animals, my photography was also a great way for him to get engaged and excited about them without the physical and emotional suffering that animals in a travelling circus must endure. That's why it's hard for me to agree with the circus.

I would much rather find another way to show people these animals. Most accredited zoos and aquariums also have endangered species survival programs or rescue and rehabilitation elements. Most regions in the US have smaller rescue groups that do educational events. And of course, there are artists like me that make wildlife photography a priority and support conservation efforts when you purchase from us. We all provide education about animals that makes it accessible. I believe that these are much better ways for people to connect and learn about our world and the animals that need our help. Because, in the end, it’s all about the animals. We share their world, and we need to respect that.

MONOCOLED COBRA, DEADLY SMILE

GaryMcAlea.com UP COMING SHOWS August 14th 6pm - 10pm Pop Up ART show, ALOFT Corpus Christi (5117 Embassy Dr., CC) August 11th and 12th 10am - 4pm H.E.R.P.S Corpus Exotic Reptile & Pet Expo Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds (Robstown) Ongoing Exhibit Art Available for Purchase Angry Marlin Restaurant (15605 S. Padre Island Dr., CC) August 9th thru 15th Photography Workshops with Gary in the Corpus Area To check availability, make a booking: gary@garymcalea.com, (737) 203-7909

LION, KING OF THHE JUNGLE

GRAY-BANDED KING SNAKE

A JUVENILE FLAMINGO, NEEDS MORE SHRIMP 12 STEAM MAGAZINE AUGUST 2018 WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET

Review and Photos By Steve Goldstein, STEAM Magazine

On

first look, these Perfect Touch Finger Picks seem too big and cumbersome to be practical. I wasn’t even sure how to wear them. After spending a few minutes at their website, I soon learned that looks can be deceiving.

Company founder, Rusty Thornhill was a guitar player frustrated with picks falling off, clicking against each other, and the discomfort of wearing them for extended lengths of time, so he worked to come up with something that solved those problems.

And he succeeded! The

picks fit firmly and comfortably on my fingers and thumb, and although the design takes a little time to get used to, once fitted properly, I found them a lot more comfortable than the conventional picks that have been out there for years.

They are specifically made for the index and middle fingers.

But the thing that impressed me the most is the

tone. I tested the nickel silver picks (also available in brass) on acoustic guitar and banjo, and was impressed with the rich, bright tone. The thumb pick is made from durable Delrin and they claim that it doesn’t wear out. Finger, thumb and clawhammer picks are available in customizable sizes.

STEAM’s Review: I recommend these picks, but be prepared to spend some time adjusting and getting used to them.

PERFECTTOUCHPICKS.COM

The word “Photography” basically means “drawing with light”, if you look at the Latin roots. If you have ever been to a community photo op event, like breakfast with Santa or the neighborhood Easter egg hunt, and gone home with dark photos with vague silhouettes of your children, then this simple tip is for you. Don’t shoot into the sun. Put the sun behind you or off to the side. If you have to shoot directly into the sun, use your flash so your subjects will not be backlit. Professionals know how to do lots of things to overcome poorly lit and backlit conditions, but the easiest advice for normal people just

Facebook.com/DebbieNoble shooting their grandchildren (or friends in an open air bar) - don’t shoot into the sun. Sometimes just moving a little to one side or zooming in a little closer helps make a lighter, brighter, sharper memory!

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Photos: NRS Stock Photo

By Rusty Hicks & Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine

had the opportunity to sit down and talk with John Robison. His name will ring bells for many in the technology industry, for some in the film-content industry, and, in the near future, for the rest of us because he is a mover and shaker behind the scenes in those industries. As the founding owner, Chairman, and CEO he’s brought all that knowledge to Bastrop County where he’s creating a multipurpose production company on the campus of New Republic Studios.

John has spent most of his 30-year career believing that content and technology goes hand-in-hand. As a native Texan from the Huston area he spent many summers in Wimberley as well as visiting family up and down the I-35 corridor. John has always been interested in storytelling and, with mother’s intuition, his mom pushed for him to be an actor, but he told her, “I don’t want to be a waiter.” After graduating with a business degree from Texas A&M University he developed his wealth from building and selling technology and innovations companies in California. By understanding the industry trends, he had the foresight to make decisions and moved to the production side of the film industry by mixing technology with content.

John explained, “I use to give a speech on surfing and that is how I ended up getting into this business. It’s about making evaluations and choices. If you don’t know how

to surf, which I don’t, the first thing you do is get in the water. There you have a different perspective than if you are on the shore where every wave looks the same.

Once you are in the water, you see each wave looks different before you say, ‘Oh, here comes a good one.’ Well, when do you start paddling to catch that wave?

Before it gets to you, or after? Before. But, you have to make that choice. With technology, it’s the same thing. You’re going from a main frame computer to a client’s server. There are things that happen; places that you decide you need to be in.”

later he rediscovered the location while filming a veteran’s piece with Perry. Tommy Warren had done such a great job and his vision was there. John played around with the idea for two years before buying it in 2017.

creative campus serving the film, television, music, commercial, new media, Augmented, Mixed, Virtual and Extended Realities, as well as for the community at large.

New Republic Studios is east of Austin on

Austin Film Society & Studios with Richard Linklater, Austin Public (Public Television) and the Austin Music Awards with SXSW. He also continues his dedication to new technology sparking change and currently serves as Chairman and Co-Founder of a transformative GaaP technology, Gov

the banks of the Colorado River. It is a traditional television and film studio with four purpose-built sound stages along with several production facilities and 200 acres of diverse backlot. New Republic Studios is expanding to become a multi-platform

Currently, John serves on the board of the

While John was in California (then Governor) Rick Perry gave him the elevator pitch of a lifetime.

“You’ve got to move back to Texas because it has the creativity of L.A., the technology of San Francisco, nice people, and no state income tax,” John quoted.

Perry then continued on about Spiderwood Studios and all the great things that were happening in Texas in both his industries. The pitch worked and John began searching for a location above Austin; however, he forgot about Spiderwood, because a few years

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Rusty & Tamma talking with John Robison Photo By Cruz Garcia, NRS

Whiz, Inc. (with Morgan Warstler), multimedia technology platform ArenaEdge, Inc. and Vizidot helping brands to use their brand logos to bring consumable content (music, movies and education) to the masses.

John’s private equity participation includes ground-breaking Internet trends such as polite delivery technologies (Load Media Network with Warstler), early file sharing companies (Bluemoon/ Fasttrack) which launched Kazaa and Skype, education-based Knowledge Universe companies (including Vidyah, Tech Chek, PPI and Leap Frog) and data storage company Rackspace (founded by fellow A&M friend Graham Weston).

Once we began talking, I understood why John had chosen the name New Republic Studios. He explained the name quite simply as, “I love doubleentendres and it just made sense to me. It's about the Republic of Texas as well as about the star, which is Hollywood. In a few years, legally, I can drop the word “New” and it will be the old iconic Republic Studios.”

Please explain what the New Republic entails and its future.

The convergence of technology and content is what we are all about. Austin has become a great place for technology. All the companies have been moving their people here and now they are moving

PRODUCTION AND FILMING CREW IN ACTION ON BIG MAMA STAGE; THE CABIN SET NEAR THE RIVER; LOOKING DOWN NEW REPUBLIC STUDIOS MILE STRETCH OF THE COLORADO RIVER; BIG MAMA STAGE WITH THE 1,200 SQ FT SOUND STAGE NEOPRENE FOAM BACK GREEN SCREEN (Photos: NRS Stock Photos)

executives too. But the content people had gone around chasing film incentives like gypsies. So legislators think it’s, ‘Give us this money so we can make movies about how much we hate you.’ Really, that’s what they hear and they don’t think those are real jobs.

But all of a sudden, when it gets to be an education thing and an industry thing, it’s entirely different.

Texas has been a location shoot and it’s successful at it. So, I said content is coming and we can be our own incentives in a way. I wasn't sure if it would work but Mindy Raymond, our Director of Marketing & Development, has made it work. She has done just an amazing job. When said she’d hit the ground sprinting and to pull back the reigns if I need to; I didn't know it would fill up this quick. It’s really helped because there is just so much do to in accordance to the plans of what we are doing and where we are going with this project.

When we came in there was a blueprint of the campus. It looks like you have plans to enlarge and add different buildings. Is this your vision to make Texas and New Republic Studios amore of an industry standard than just a location shoot?

Texas does not like to do incentives, they want to see if an industry can be built and then will help you get the people. My thinking is to keep the people that are coming out of the colleges, make an industry that rivals other locations so they don’t want to leave for Pinewood or Pixar or any of the others, so I am building this because people want to be here in Texas; we have 300 days of sun, we're centrally located, and Austin is rated the number one city to move to right now. We will be building more stages and really making a lot that can support a wide variety of production and creativity, and then offering other types of incentives.

Like all jobs, you’ve got to build the foundation that will give them a space for that creaCONTINUED ON PAGE 16

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

tivity to happen and that will make it easier to get the legislature to do what you need.

We’re bringing core people into the industry to service it and creating a production campus to channel that creativity. We have been able to successfully do more in a short time than anyone else than any one has done in here 30 years.

We have 200 acres here. We're going to be building additional offices, an arts area as well as Bungalow homes and improving the RV Park, and pull-through warehouses to improve efficiency and accessibility. We’re bringing in different things from visual effects to lighting and equipment. And all this is so that so that people can come here and stay a while they work.

Going back to what you said about the

universities and our students going off to other locations and not staying in Texas, have you had any feedback from the schools?

The University of Texas’s new Dean of RTF (Radio-Television-Film department) is just thrilled with what we are doing and has already been out to the property. As a matter of fact we had a group of students out here filming a horror movie and Barry Rodgers, Director of Operations& Communications, was staying on property that night. They were down by the river filming a late night scene and they got themselves spooked, so when they thought they’d heard something they all came running up to find Barry. They sent him down to see what it was and it was just a hog.

That’s pretty funny, but we’ve been down by the river and I can see how that could happen especially in the dark, telling scary stories.

So, in your eyes what are the main points that you want known about New Republic Studios?

It's a business yes, but it's also a place where we want ideas to grow and so, I am on the Austin Film Society committee. Mindy just hosted the a 48 Hour Film Festival in which participants get a category and then have 48

hours to write, film, and show it. We want to be a home for that type of activity. We want to help build a statewide Jobs Program for this industry because it's not just here, it's all of Texas. Texas is so full of locations and interesting things that we want to create an environment that is conducive of creativity.

We also want Austin to be that hood ornament, because that's where the creators will move and then learn and seek out what's around it. I mean right here we are in the middle of 4 top 10 city populations in the country and there have been 90 Productions that have come out of the Bastrop area in the last 10 years, so really now we just need facilities. We also have some ideas for music venues.

Is this the dream job you created for yourself once you got through your career?

Well, I'm still in the middle of some really big Tech projects so I'm not out here all the time. But this is what I want to do when I grow up. You know I don't like basketball and I don't want a team. This is what I like.

This is also a great thing to build for Texas and you know honestly we're better than the other locations and people want to be here so if we build this up all types of good things are going to happen.

NEW REPUBLIC STUDIOS CEO JOHN ROBISON WITH MINDY RAYMOND, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND DEVELOPMENT (Photo: Cruz Garcia, NRS)

SET PRODUCTION CREW ON BIG MAMA STAGE (Photos: NRS Stock Photos)

MINDY RAYMOND IN BUILDING C CONFERENCE ROOM (Photo: Rusty Hicks, STEAM Magazine)

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NEW REPUBLIC STUDIOS HAS IT ALL! BUILDING A, LONE WOLF STAGE 3,000 sq ft sound stage, Set design & construction, 400 AMP camlock system, Storage

BUILDING B, BIG MAMA STAGE 6,500 sq ft sound stage, 24' x 100' cyclorama wall, Animation/visual effects, Control room, Edit bay, ADR/isolation room, Artificial snow & rain capabilities, 1200 AMP camlock system, 400 AMP catwalk camlock system, Wire stunts, Green room/talent lounge, Hair & makeup/wardrobe, Conference room, Production offices, Kitchen & Dining, Storage

BUILDING C, LITTLE BEAR STAGE & RECORDING STUDIO: 2,400 sq ft sound stage, 1,200 sq ft sound stage Neoprene foam back green screen, Animation studio, Film vault, 400 AMP camlock system, Audition rooms, Production offices, Administration offices, Productions Suites, Conference Rooms, Hair & Makeup room, Green Room, Recording Studio coming soon.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS Historic pioneer log cabin, Riverfront film house, Gravel & dirt roads, Low water crossing bridge, 200+ year old pecan trees, Native flora and landscapes, High plains/open pastures, 1 mile of Colorado River frontage, Vintage gas station, Cemetery, Country road with bridge, Film friendly small towns

Borderline Band See our ad for full listing!

Frontier Saloon 9709 Leopard St, Corpus Christi Live Music Every Saturday Night! See our ad for full listing!

Giggity’s 722 Tarpon St, Port Aransas Live Music Every Night! See our ad for full listing!

Mikel May’s Beachside Bar & Grill On Bob Hall Pier, Corpus Christi Aug 9 Join us to Celebrate 5 Years of Great Food & Service! See our ad for full listing!

Shorty’s 823 Tarpon St, Port Aransas Live Music Every Thursday, Friday, & Saturday Nights! See our ad for full listing!

Watering Hole Saloon 1390 McQueeney Rd, New Braunfels Live Music Every Thursday, Friday, & Saturday Nights! See our ad for full listing!

The Bay Jammin’ Concert Series Cole Park Amphitheater, Corpus Christi 8/2 Selfie with Ray Summy; Matt Hole & The Hot Rod Gang 8/9 David Martinez Band; The Deadbeats

8/16 The Grooved; Steven James & the Jaded Thursdays, 6/1–8/17 @ 7:30pm The Bay Jammin’ Cinema Series Cole Park Amphitheater, Corpus Christi 8/3 Paddington 2 8/10 Coco 8/17 A Wrinkle in Time Fridays, 6/1–8/17 After Dark Wetlands Education Center Tours University of Texas Marine Science Institute 855 East Cotter Ave., Port Aransas Did you ever want to visit and learn about a marsh without getting your feet wet? The Wetlands Education Center is a ADA compliant 3.6-acre wetland will allow you to do just that, as you stroll through seagrass, salty marsh plants, and dunes. Free guided tour to learn about the special plants and animals of our local wetlands.

Tues & Thurs @ 10AM Rodeo! The Exhibition Now through 1/27/2019 Bullock Texas State History Museum 1800 Congress Avenue, Austin xplore the origins of Texas rodeos and stock shows, the very personal relationships Texans have with beloved rodeo and stock show traditions, and the lasting legacy of

youth education, community involvement, and historic preservation these longestablished competitions hold. See how five of the largest Texas rodeos and stock shows — including Fort Worth (est. 1896), San Angelo (est. 1932), Houston (est. 1932), Austin (est. 1938), and San Antonio (est.

1950) — bring crowds and competitors from all parts of the world together.

North Padre Island Ski Canals 10 -1045am Tsunam Heartbreak / 11-11:45 Pirate Mic / 12 -12:45 Venus Lily / 1-1:45 Laid Back Texas / 2-2:45 Ty Dietz / 33:45 The Dogwood people / 4-4:45 Salt Water Slide / 5-5:45 One Dollar Bob / 66:45 The Sagans / 7-7:45 Los Surfvivors / 8-8:45 Reely Rotnz / 9-9:45 DJ kp / 10pm –12AM The FanService Band

Christmas in August in Sinton August 2-5, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM (daily for 3 times) Sinton St. Flea Market 321 E Sinton St, Sinton Shopping for all holiday items at the flea market. Lots of vendors with crafts, food, toys, decorations, and lots more

JCC Film Festival Presents Big Sonia August 19 @ 5:00 PM Barshop JCC Auditorium 12500 NW Military Hwy, San Anton A poignant story of generational trauma and healing, Big Sonia also offers a laugh-outloud-funny portrait of the power of love to triumph over bigotry, and the power of truth -telling to heal us all. The screening will be followed with a talk-back featuring Holocaust survivor, Susan Weisz Jalnos. All patrons are invited and encouraged to attend.

Following the talk-back, the Memorial will be open for patrons to tour for one hour.

Indigenous Warrior and Rituals of Mesoamerica August 3 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM The Art Gallery 333 509 Lawrence St. 2nd Floor (Inside Supreme Lending), Corpus Christi Come see amazing works of art by exceptional artist Andy Villareal from San Antonio. This exhibit is a collection of 62 large, colorful, beautifully textured works that really inspire, and delight the senses.

2018 3rds Annual Ski Bash August 4th @ 10am

1 Year Anniversary Since Hurricane Harvey Party August 25 at 12:30 PM - 8:30 PM Copano Bay RV Resort 3101 Loop 1781, Rockport Harvey may have been hard hitting, but we are so much stronger!

FREE APPS

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And in walks Mark. So, you guys woodshedded for 3 weeks and then Harvey came.

MJ Yeah, you know my wife and I lived in Port Aransas and we were devastated.

We were completely wiped out; we had no place to hang our heads or hang my guitars and we had to find work. But we were still able to get out there to volunteer and help bring the town back. So, this project became more important to me and, with everybody’s help, things have gotten back to where it's a seminormal life.

Didn't you guys play at Camp David in Port Aransas just after Harvey?

MJ Yeah, they invited us to play under a 20’x20’ canopy and fed us some amazing food. That's when we said, “Hey, there’s something to this. We can help people by lifting their morale, while helping us get our live show ready to tour. ”

Interview & Photos By Rusty Hicks, STEAM Magazine

Tsunava Heartbreak – pronounced Sun of a Heartbreak – is a rocking power-trio out of Corpus Christi. Mark Jorgensen, lead singer and guitarist, had been working towards building a project like this and when he met Clint Buttler (bass, vocals) and then Mark Bartolec (drums) it all came together. Recently I joined them during rehearsal to talk about the band’s future and the effect Hurricane Harvey had on them.

going and jumped in on harmonies.

Yeah, your harmonies are really strong.

There's no struggle there, it's very natural.

MJ Exactly. Every time we’d get together, working on songs and coming up with new stuff, we’re able to collaborate very well.

That’s when I realized we had something really good, but we needed a drummer and Clint knew of one, Mark.

You guys are doing a project for Hurricane Relief and helping people that are still struggling with hurricane Harvey, right?

MB Our story actually starts with the aftermath of the hurricane. We all know what Harvey did to the area, but first off just coming from the north east coast we've had hurricanes, we've had big storms, but nothing like Harvey. Going to Port Aransas, four weeks after I signed up with these guys, I had never seen that type of Devastation before in my life. It was like boot camp trying to get Mark and his things together and out of there fast. It was surreal and catastrophic to what it did not just to the area but to the people that live there. We keep going on about this, because it's so fresh in our minds even though we're looking back at it a year ago.

MJ So what we're doing is kicking back at Harvey. We have a song where we say, “Harvey can Kiss my…” and we let the audience chime in with their own word. Anyway, we were already on a mission to create this band but Harvey definitely gave us motivation to continue. You know I'd been kicking this project around in my head for a number of years. That’s when I met Clint and it just clicked together. In the beginning he didn’t know the words to the songs, but he could feel where things were 18 STEAM MAGAZINE AUGUST 2018 WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET

Describe your music.

MJ Our songs are a mix of funky, rocking, shredding beats; that are good rock n’ roll and old school music. You know, when we're up on stage we are having a blast! We’re extremely expressional in our showmanship and we feel what we're doing; this of course translates to the audiences and gets them moving.

We are a very harmonic, overtone powerhouse trio.

How did you come up with Tsunava Heartbreak?

MJ Clint and I were kicking around all

types of names and brainstorming on what the meaning needed to be about. I began thinking of a giant tsunami wave, mixed it with molten lava, which transforms into music notes and that's our music.

The logo is pretty badass, who designed it for you?

MJ Well, I had the design in my head so I went to a buddy of mine that's a musician and a graphic artist, Duke Earwood, and he got it done for us!

What kind of gigs are you doing?

MB Recently we played at an RV park in Port Aransas. In fact everyone was in the pool, swimming and having a great time, while we were playing and that was really cool!

MJ Our next gig is at the 3rd Annual ski Bash on Padre Island on August 4th. I hope you all can come out and see what we can do. Our mission is to play in the path of Harvey; Houston and all the way through.

So how do people get your schedule?

CB Facebook.com/Tsunava Heartbreak Quick and easy.

What about a phone number? (in harmony) 86753 oh 9, 86753 oh 9.

MJ Oh wait that's not it. (laughing) No, give them my number 361-429-6883.

Anyway, when you go on our Facebook page leave us a message, tell us what you think. We’d really love to know what people have to say about it.

Say about what?

MJ I don't know. I lost my train of thought.

CB I think the train left the station.

MB I think where Mark was going is that people who are coming to see our show are staying, which is a big deal because it means that they like what they're hearing and they're having a good time and we’d like to hear their opinions.

MJ Right. You know we figure we’ve got over a hundred years of Music Experience between the three of us

I'm thinking that you guys could be one of the premiere original rock band.

CB Oh thanks! You know I love music so much and I’ve helped run the Bash the first two years and it's a lot of work. This year I bought myself a new bass rig so we're going to set the AMPEG on the boat and I'm thinking that might be why we got the opening slot, because it's going to be the house amp for all the bands.

MJ Hey, they can use his bass amp, but they can't use my bass player!

In other words, you're seasoned enough to be able to take what you like and adjust it to what other people like to hear and put it into a new song, in a new way that's shows a lot of skill. Tell me about your August 4th gig.

MJ August 4th is the Third Annual Ski Bash and for those of you paying attention to this we got the short straw and we’ll be the first of 12 bands. We are going to wake up that crowd!

CB I know the guy who started this and it's a logistical nightmare putting on this event but it is such a wonderful time and every year it's just getting bigger and bigger.

MJ How do you get to it?

CB Oh, you take a boat from Flour Bluff across the Laguna Madre to the canals.

As you know, STEAM Magazine Radio (.net) is always looking for new music to feature and what I've heard today is good stuff, so are you working towards putting an album out?

MJ Definitely, we have at least an albums worth of material at this point. We definitely want to get out and tour along Harvey’s path including all over the Coastal Bend up to Houston and even into Louisiana. We know an album will help us get into venues that like original music.

I know the party is on the water, do they have a barge the bands set up on or are they on a dock?

CB Well, they play on a boat named ‘The Filthy Whore’. (laughter) I've seen the lineup and there are some really good bands that'll be out there this year.

FACEBOOK.COM/ TSUNAVA HEARBREAK AUGUST 4TH @ 10AM 2018 3RDS ANNUAL SKI BASH NORTH PADRE ISLAND SKI CANALS

10 -1045AM TSUNAM HEARTBREAK / 11 TO 11:45 PIRATE MIC / 12 TO 12:45 VENUS LILY / 1 TO 1:45 LAID BACK TEXAS / 2 TO 2:45 TY DIETZ / 3 TO 3:45 THE DOGWOOD PEOPLE / 4 TO 4:45 SALT WATER SLIDE / 5 TO 5:45 ONE DOLLAR BOB / 6 TO 6:45 THE SAGANS / 7 TO 7:45 LOS SURFVIVORS / 8 TO 8:45 REELY ROTNZ / 9 TO 9:45 DJ KP / 10PM –12AM THE FANSERVICE BAND

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