At STEAM Magazine… Art is in our name! We have been featuring artists for almost 10 years. In that time we have featured more than 100 artists, hosted 4 Art Shows, and held speed painting events! In September 2021 we introduced The Artist Window. STEAM Magazine’s project to partner with artists. We will be hosting virtual art galleries as well as featuring specific pieces for sale in the magazine. Genevieve (Gene) Garand kick started this partnership program and is back in honor of Rodeo Season which begins this month all around North America!
January 2022 VOL.10 # 108 ON THE COVER...
Max pic 2.39h X 2.4w
8 SECOND RIDE BY GENE. GARAND
3 ARTIST WINDOW 4 COMICS 5 QUICK READ 6 ALBUM COVER OF THE MONTH 7 CD REVIEWS 8 GENE. GARAND: A REINTRODUCTION TO HER BEAUTY 10 R H O N D A V I N C EN T & T H E R A G E : GRAMMY NOMINATED QUEEN OF BLUEGRASS 12 J O E B A S Q U E Z : C O M P O S E R, MUSICIAN, SONGWRITER 14 T R I S H A L Y N N EX PE R I E N C E : ON HER OWN JOURNEY 15 M O V I ES , A RT & M U S I C ; STEAM SPOTLIGHT: HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW & RODEO
PUBLISHER RUSTY HICKS EDITOR TAMMA HICKS ADVERTISE WITH US! COMICS EDITOR ALLENE HICKS 361-904-4339 SALES@STEAMTX.COM STAFF WRITERS TAMMA HICKS, RUSTY HICKS SEE US ONLINE AT STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS ALLENE HICKS, RUSTY HICKS, HARRISON FUNK WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET CONTRIBUTING WRITERS J MICHAEL DOLAN, ROB SUBMIT YOUR MUSIC, BOOK, ART, DICKENS, RICK J BOWEN, STEVE GOLDSTEIN, KEITH OR SHOW FOR REVIEW! “MUZIKMAN” HANNALECK HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? MUSIC CONSULTANT TONY SARACENE Alternative Weekly Network SUBMISSIONS@STEAMTX.COM
Gene is a talented, award winning artist from Quebec Canada whose art has graced our covers 9 times! Gene’s collections have been featured in magazines in Texas, Tennessee, Ohio and Canada, as well as art exhibits in Corpus Christi TX, Memphis TN, Cleveland OH, New York NY, Paris France, and many cities in Canada. “My style includes the use of many techniques and mediums. My choice of pure colors and pronounced contours present a variation to meanings and elements expressed in each of my works; giving objects my individualized perception. I especially like painting portraits where I can fuse the unique expression of each person into my paintings to finish the piece with my own unique interpretation and the origin of each element.” GENEGARAND.COM This issue Gene has brought us two rodeo inspired pieces: A DAY AT THE RODEO AND 8 SECOND RIDE. For Information please email us at ArtShow@SteamTX.com
A DAY AT THE RODEO. 20”X16” OIL, ORIGINAL, AND SIGNED.
8 SECOND RIDE. 14”X18” OIL, ORIGINAL, AND SIGNED. THIS PIECE IS
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
FEATURED ON THE COVER OF THIS ISSUE!
STEAM MAGAZINE JANUARY 2022 VOL 10 #108
CONTACT US!
Want to know more about this great artist and how to purchase these pieces? Are you an artist interested in a STEAM Magazine feature? Would you like more information about our online gallery? Then send us an email!
ARTSHOW@STEAMTX.COM
.COM ABOON OM LUNARB COMIC.C OFFEE M O C . LIFEISC YETI KWARD W A E H T
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THIS SHOULD BE EASY J. Michael Dolan Whatever it is you’re doing or want to do, you have three choices: Bolt. Dig in. Procrastinate.
Important because if you
bolt, it’s game-over. If you dig in, you have a chance to create and manifest something special, something worthy of your efforts and beneficial and rewarding for you and all those involved. If you continue to procrastinate, it will most likely start to stress you out and cause anxiety or depression. Especially if others are involved, or your goals and dreams are at stake. Like I said, this should be easy .
PUZZLES & PROMISES J. Michael Dolan It doesn’t matter if you’re an actor, a writer, a working musician or a successful CEO, all you need to start your next big project are two things: 1) A clear vision of exactly where you want to go and what you intend to achieve. 2) A ruthless promise (to yourself and others) that you will get there. 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 an unbreakable promise that “come hell or high water” you’ll get there.
THE LONG & WINDING ROAD J. Michael Dolan Pro artists & treps know that objectives are not linear, and our ultimate destination is not a straight shot to the land of milk and honey. It’s mostly a long and winding road. Like California State Route 1, Pacific Coast Highway heading north to Big Sur. It’s a 60mile stretch of switchback turns, dangerous cliffs, frequent landslides, unpredictable dead ends, blinding fog and multiple distractions along the way. It’s also one of the most beautiful drives on earth! Rules for driving the road less traveled: If you get distracted, re-focus your sights on the destination. If you run into blinding fog, pull over and wait it out. If you reach a dead end, turn around and find another way. If you come to an unmarked crossroads, follow your intuition. If you get stuck or lost, ask for guidance. When you’re at wit’s end and out of options, create another option.
Important because like I said, from an artist/trep POV, the road less traveled is one of the most beautiful rides on earth!
Important because to the de-
gree your destination is clear, and to the degree you keep your promises, to that degree all the important details will noticeably reveal themselves along the way. Not like hopeful positive thinking, more like constructing a tabletop puzzle.
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This album is all built around Johnny Cash's hit record, “Orange Blossom Special.” That song, along with this album, reached the top five on the Country Music charts. Cash had been performing the song in concert to great success, and releasing it as a single was the next logical step. But, Johnny was always curious about the song. He'd heard from Mother Maybelle Carter that the writer's name was Ervin Rouse and spent most of his time in and around the Everglades in Florida. Cash invited Mr. Rouse to his show when it passed through Miami, Florida. Their meeting is told by Johnny Cash in the album's liner notes. Rouse is described as a very humble, unassuming man who referred to his most famous song simply as the “Special.” Cash's words nicely sum up his reverence for the song and the man that wrote it. The 11 tunes that follow fit in nicely with the hit that helped make Johnny Cash one of Country Music's largest legends. Not many country artists embraced the work of Bob Dylan in 1964 the way Johnny Cash did. He delivers three Dylan tunes here, including one of the first recordings of “Mama, You Been On My Mind.” Johnny
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and future wife, June Carter, pay homage to the recently deceased Johnny Horton with a sparse version of “When It's Springtime In Alaska (It's Forty Below).” There are also a couple of Johnny's favorite gospel tunes along with his personal memory of how his parents, relating the story of Irish immigrants and the song “Danny Boy,” affected him as a child. The influence and love of the Carter Family is here with a respectful cover of “Wildwood Flower.” But it's the legendary classic fiddle tune by Ervin Rouse that is the jewel. Or, as Johnny Cash put it, “Orange Blossom Special...tore the house down.“
The tiny town of Luckenbach, Texas (official population: 3) is situated just about smack dab in the middle of the Lone Star State. Even though Waylon Jennings was a native of Littlefield, Texas, he never cared much for the tune pitched to him by writers Chips Moman and Bobby Emmons. But, Waylon knew a hit song when he heard one and recorded “Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love).” Walyon was right. The song was massively successful. Both Waylon and Willie Nelson, who sings the on the last verse and chorus, are referenced in the song, along with Hank Williams, Jerry Jeff Walker and Mickey Newberry. A lot of
people identified with the song's lyrics about shedding the excesses of life and getting back to things that are really important. The song's huge success led to this album topping the Billboard Country Music charts for 13 weeks. After “Luckenbach” sets the ball in motion, the 10 tracks that follow are mostly covers by some of the finest singers and writers of the day. There's Jimmy Webb's “If You See Me Getting Smaller,” Neil Diamond's classic “Sweet Caroline,” a medley of a couple of early Elvis Presley's hits, “Lucille” by Kenny Rogers, and Rodney Crowell's “Till I Gain Control Again.” “Belle Of The Ball” that ends side one is the only tune written by Waylon. Each song is delivered with Waylon's powerfully soulful voice. The laid back feeling of a band having fun playing together never gets boring. It helps that Waylon insisted on using his own band, including Ralph Mooney on pedal steel and drummer Richie Albright, to record with, even though that was discouraged by the higher-ups in Nashville. It's all pure Waylon. “Luckenbach, Texas” never gets old and if you haven't heard it in a while, maybe it's about time to “get back to the basics of love.”
DREAM THEATER A VIEW FROM THE TOP OF THE WORLD (INSIDE OUT MUSIC) BY KEITH “MUZIKMAN” HANNALECK
Dream Theater is back with another strong release A View From The Top of The World and has been nominated for the . I have the limited-edition double translucent mint green LP set with an extensive booklet and the CD. Usually, I’m not particularly eager to place expectations on my first listen; however, I am guilty of this band. I have been following them since 2000; it has been quite a ride. Seeing them play live is a must for any fan, and this album would be fantastic in concert. The album story comes in four views, and depending on your viewpoint, you will be hearing and interpreting many different nuances on offer within each track. In any case, this is Dream Theater’s view from the top. And trust me, it gets complicated. Not with the storyline, with the music, which is no surprise. The album opens up with a frantic opener “The Alien” and DT in high octane mode, which is pretty much the norm. It is their A Typical transitory prog metal with a hard-driving bottom end from Myung and Mangini. Then “Answering The Call” starts with a mind-melting synth from Rudess, then some heavy guitar riffs to some tasteful licks from Petrucci. LaBrie is in top shape, singing with energy and conviction, then some more keyboard flourishes take you out to View Two. “Invisible Monster” opens side two. We can all relate and agree, as the vocals remind us, that they are “always felt but never seen,” as the lyrics ring true. The sharp guitar lines and locomotive rhythm section control the pace, followed by insane changes that build into a crescendo of power. “Sleeping Giant” closes out the side with a different kind of opening riff. This is not typical for Petrucci (it sounds like an interesting effect). He launches into more familiar territory, followed by some incredible bass that takes the wheel, then it closes out with an exciting ending of keyboard layers. As La-
brie sings, “Dare not wake the sleeping giant,” you cannot help but agree. Now on to view three “Transcending Time,” one of my favorites, features a catchy riff to open then into some classic 70s prog keys from Mr. Rudess. It is a very accessible track, and I enjoyed the change in style and sound entirely. There are more hooks everywhere in this one, and then it moves into a jam mode briefly, then back to the core sound of the track with some lighter piano moments, then back to the main riff to close out with definition and the tremendous power this band commands. “Awaken The Master” is a masterpiece of progressive rock and storyline. The opening is heavy meaty guitar and those typically lighting speed drum rolls and additions. Some tasteful keys enter, then the synth sounds take over the pace, followed by a quick return to the ever-present rock-solid bottom end, which drives it along further. LaBrie’s amazing vocals bring the story and character to life as he sings, “you made it to the top to realize you were only halfway there.” Been there? Many of us have. A strong message is delivered, then we move on to the final chapter on side four. The title track clocks in at 20:24 with a trilogy to close out this masterwork of prog metal. The entire side of the platter is one track with some incredible music. The drums are like what you hear before going to war in a movie, then the keys in the background move it along, giving it a second layer as it steadily gets louder. With heavy guitar riffing from both positions, the drums are pulsating and constantly building the drama. Petrucci’s playing rises above all the noise (which is all good BTW), as LaBrie turns in another unforgettable performance singing with everything he can muster. The myriad of changes keeps your interest and on your toes, then the middle section of the track brings the darkness and subject matter to a lighter area with some refined music. The change is enough to get you thinking what twists and turns are next, then it all returns to that ominous sound as LaBrie sings, “even though the darkness beckons” and in another line, “the yearning to explore keeps you coming back for more” is as convincing as it can be. So, there you have it, vintage DT and their music yet again demanding your attention with superb musicianship and a storyline to match. A View From The Top of The World is another level of accomplishment to add to their legendary catalog. DREAMTHEATER.NET KEITH “MUZIKMAN” HANNALECK: THEFINALONVINYL.COM
HARRY DEAN STANTON WITH THE CHEAP DATES OCTOBER 1993 (OMNIVORE RECORDS) BY ROB DICKENS On paper it looks easier to move from singer/musician to actor rather than the other way around. Some examples where the former career transition has paid off in spades: Cher, Madonna, Dolly Parton, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Ice Cube, Lady Gaga, James Taylor, Art Garfunkel, Elvis Presley, Mandy Moore, Dean Martin, and the list goes on. Going the other way – a successful actor trying his/her hand out in the music biz, less so. My social media buddies (u no hoo u r) have been invaluable in work-shopping a list of these – some standouts – Paul Robeson, Steve Martin, Jeff Bridges, Jaime Foxx. From there the list gets a little thinner if the measure is sustained triumph – Michael Sera, William Shatner, Scarlett Johansson, Keanu Reeves, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Depp, Russell Crowe, Keifer Sutherland, Kevin Costner, Billy Bob Thornton, Kevin Bacon. There are many others of course but, dang, I can’t think of anyone particularly compelling to refute my hypothesis. Why this, you ask? Well cult, beloved actor Harry Dean Stanton, with an over sixdecade long career (he passed away September 2017) managed the transition while maintaining the STATUS OF RENEGADE COOL. A beautiful singer, Stanton always carried himself with the right sensibility for a rock ‘n’ roll band and left a significant legacy musically. His trusted musical partner for over fifteen years was Jamie James, as evidenced in the acclaimed documentary and soundtrack Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction.
A treat for these ears is an imminent collaboration – Harry Dean Stanton With The Cheap Dates’ October 1993 – has Stanton with members of The Kingbees, Stray Cats, The Doobie Brothers and Tin Machine. From James’s liner notes: “Together, Harry and I had been doing some dates around Los Angeles as a duo and I remember suggesting to Harry to have Slim Jim Phantom (Stray Cats) come over and play drums with us. In doing so, he brought along Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter (The Doobie Brothers) to play pedal steel, which then led to Slim and I asking Tony Sales (Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Todd Rundgren) to play bass, and that’s how we became The Cheap Dates.” October, 1993 documents that collaboration with four studio tracks and five cut live at Doug Weston’s Troubadour in Los Angeles. The album features strong, meaty covers of Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry, Ben E. King, Jimmy Reed and more. You can feel the vibe in the room. The closing “Cancion Mixteca” will sweep you off your feet! Go back in time, see how an actor can turn to music with grace and aplomb and mesh brilliantly with a top-notch outfit. October 1993 is a glorious celebration. ROB DICKENS: LISTENINGTHROUGH THELENS.ORG
STEAMMAGAZINE.NET JANUARY 2022 STEAM MAGAZINE 7
By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine
Rhonda Vincent is a bluegrass singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist and rightfully dubbed the Queen of Bluegrass! Her music career began when she was a child in her family's band The Sally Mountain Show, and it has spanned more than four decades. Rhonda first achieved success in the bluegrass genre in the 1970s and '80s, earning the respect of her mostly male peers for her mastery of the progressive chord structures and multi-range, fastpaced vocals intrinsic to bluegrass music. She is a highly sought-after guest vocalist by bluegrass and country music performers, appearing on recordings by Dolly Parton, Alan Jackson, Tanya Tucker, Joe Diffie, Faith Hill and many more. Rhonda won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album in 2017 and has just received her eighth nomination, Best Bluegrass Album in 2022. In 2020, she was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, but you won’t believe how long it took, so read on for that story.
Thank you so much for taking some time with us, I know you are a super busy lady. Well, you know it's a busy time and that's the way we like it.
We do like it and I was just reading
about your induction to the Grand Ole
Opry and was shocked how long it took. I probably would have gone nuts having to wait that long. I know, 343 days! Almost a whole year, can you believe that? I don't know why we didn't just wait the whole year.
My thought is they wanted to give you a special day and the next person one too. You may be right, but you know it's just proof that dreams really do come true and it's all in God's timing, not ours.
When did you know that this was going to happen? Well, I had no advance notice; even my family didn't have advance notice. Someone called my husband as I was walking on stage and told him that he “might want to tune in to the Grand Ole Opry tonight.” Then they called my mother but she was playing in a jam session upstate. She saw the phone ring but she didn't recognize the number, so she didn't answer; you know spam calls. So then my daughter tried to call her and Mom figured she’d just call back later and kept playing. So she missed the whole thing.
Wow, that is pretty funny that they didn't give anyone a heads up. Oh, you talk about an absolute surprise! You have to watch the video to see that I was thinking my ears had just heard something I’ve was always yearned for. I looked at Jeannie Seely as I walked out and she said “hey, how's that new album going? Would you like to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry?” And I said, “are you serious, I would love that!”
Just talking about that gave me goose-
bumps! I have to say when anyone refers to the Queen of Bluegrass they obviously are talking about you. Rusty, our publisher, is a drummer so I have to ask why you chose to play drums at the age of 5? Well, I didn't really select it; my dad got me the drums for my 6th birthday. I grew up in
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this musical family that can be traced back five generations of playing music. When I was 5 we had a television show and a radio show called the Sally Mountain Show and it wasn't just family, it was my mom and dad, Grandpa Bill, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. And with that many people he probably thought this is an instrument to start playing to help learn timing. So that was at 5 and 6 and at 8 I started playing mandolin.
I agree playing drums is great for learning to keep time. Really everything we did was by necessity. We were doing this country music show in Marceline MO, which is Walt Disney’s boyhood home. The Frontier Jamboree Festival organizer had simple economics “anybody who played an instrument in the show got paid.” Not for singing and they paid $10 per musician for a 2.5 hour show every Saturday night.
This was in the 70’s so $10 was pretty good pay. Right, so my dad said here's the mandolin, here’s three chords G C and D, and you're going to be playing this every Saturday night. We also had our TV show, so my dad picked me up from school every day, and we would sing and play music until dinner and then after dinner our friends would come over and we would have a jam session. And this was nearly every single night, so it was a very intense life of music for me in the beginning but it was also a love of music.
have some talent to be able to do that and you are extremely talented! What instruments do you play? Well, I don't play the drums anymore and technically I learned to play piano when I was 5; I was playing by ear and my teacher told my mother to stop lessons as I wasn’t learning, I was just repeating. However we didn't have a piano so I wasn’t able to continue, but I do play most of the string instruments. My guys and I can play everything so literally during a song, or in the middle of the set, we can switch instruments and just continue on. On stage I play guitar, mandolin, and fiddle. I can play more instruments, some better than others where I could scratch out a song. Maybe.
Well I'm sure that your version of scratching out a song and my version are two different things! I don't play it all, I'm a roadie. Hey, you know it takes everybody; everyone has a role.
Let’s catch up to the present. Just before
that you either loved it or you learned to love it. Phil Baker was in the Sally Mountain Show and his wife once told me that she had watched me grow up in this music life and thought that by the time I got old enough I would leave this all behind, but she saw that I grew to love it and she's just so proud.
Thanksgiving it was announced that you were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album! Congratulations! Thank you! Yes, I learned the same time everyone else did. I was sitting in the hospital (minor procedure) and all of a sudden I got an email saying that they were announcing the Grammys online. And honestly this is crazy, because it happened when I won the Grammy as well, so I'm watching online and just as they said “the nominations for bluegrass album of the year” the internet went dead. They had named band A and band B and it was gone! I was like are you kidding me?! Then I got it a text from a friend that said “Congratulations on your nomination!” I didn’t get to see them do it live, but I was thrilled and it made my day a whole lot better.
Well the other point is that you had to
And you're feeling better now?
I was thinking as you were saying this,
Yes, it was just a minor thing and the only problem is I have had to be on this gluten-free and fat-free diet for a few weeks, which is extremely challenging!
Yes, it's my 8th personal nomination. In order to say you have a Grammy you have to be 50% or more, so there are some nominations where I have a song on an album or a project that got Grammy nominations but I don't count those as my personal Grammy nominations.
I don’t want to even imagine a
diet like that. I hope you like vegetables! Thank goodness I do and you know what I just found online? Fatfree cheese!
I didn’t know that’s how it
Well, let's talk about your al-
bum, Music Is What I See. This is such a great album and the Grammy nomination just proves it! Well, thank you I'm very excited about it! So my aunt, who recently passed, played a bit of a part in this. She never liked what she called the “slow draggy songs” but I had called and sang to her Unchained Melody. That was one of her favorite songs and she asked me to please record it. So I'm very excited about it and I believe it is the very first Bluegrass version of Unchained Melody.
I looked it up and couldn’t find another
Bluegrass version like yours and it is beautiful! Oh thank you so very much! You know we even turned to the banjo up because I said if there's banjo we better be able to hear it.
Did it go to 11?
Ha-ha! Well, I don't know if it went that far but we definitely put it on there.
Do you have a favorite song on this al-
bum? You know it's hard to find a favorite because I love them all or I wouldn't have recorded them. I do lean towards Music Is What I See because of the line “God is great and God is good to me.” I really wanted that on the Opry stage at my induction but I knew I wouldn't be able to make it all the way through; I would have broken down in tears. Songs are like children… you love them all and they're all your favorites. You love them all in a different way.
Well, I have a favorite. It’s I Ain't Been
Nowhere. That is such a fun song! Well, you know we have just finished the video and it’s out now. Which I think is perfect timing for the Grammy voting!
Truly perfect timing! Did you get to be in the video?
I am and here's the crazy thing. I worked on this for a year trying to get people to help me with me. It was during the COVID lockdown and I couldn’t find anyone, so I started just videoing myself around the house; which is what the song is about. And then when the guys and I got together we just set up a camera. I thing on a recent thing for Dolly Parton and she told me that if there was anything she could do to help me to just call, so I did! I told her about the song and asked if she’d be in the video so even Dolly Parton's in this video singing some of the lines. So basically I shot everything, except Dolly’s part and the attic scene, and an editor put it together.
Seriously? That is so cool and makes it so much more fun! Yeah, it really is because I had to figure it all out. Like how to take a video of me in the shower scene, so I'm in the shower with a shower cap trying to film and not show my body!
Have you ever done a video like this before? Oh gosh no! In one part where I was supposed to be in the attic finding a broom and I had to have my husband help film. So, it's just got a lot of little crazy stuff in it! You can find it on YouTube right now.
It’s really fun! Are you going to go to the Grammy Awards? I am planning on it. I've only been there once before.
Is this your 8th nomination?
worked. And you won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album before, right? I have! I won 2017’s best Bluegrass Album for All The Rage Volume 1. 2017 was the 60th anniversary of the Grammy Awards, so not only did we each get a Grammy but we each got a specially designed custom watch with our name engraved. So, as I said before, silly me was on a cruise watching on the internet and as they announced the winner the internet went out! And I got a text saying “Congratulations, you've got a Grammy!”
Well maybe you should watch this one
online too! How did you come up with calling your band The Rage? Ha-ha, maybe! Well, that was from my husband. I had been mainstream country on Giant Records and after 5 years I came to my musical crossroads. Two albums in 5 years and I look at that as my musical collage, learning from The Best of the Best produced by James Stroud, managed by Jack McFadden, booked by Stan Barnett, so I put together a group of friends for playing at my house; not really doing anything specific but playing. And my husband comes in and says I have the name for your band! Because you are Rhonda, Allen, Joey, and Earl it could be Rhonda & The Rage. Then Allen, Joey, and Earl were no longer in the band, and people were mispronouncing it, like Ra-Jay, so I just changed it to Rage.
The name just fits your music because
you and the guys are all The Rage! I understand you have some Texas roots specifically in Corpus Christi. You know I went to school down in San Benito and 7th grade my family played down there at a country music show in Harlingen. My great-uncle lived in Corpus Christi and he was a musician, George Vincent. The few months that we live down there it wasn't exactly warm during December, January, and February of 1974 or so but it was windy.
Yep, that’s South Texas. I know you haven’t played down here much, but we’d love to see you in South Texas! There’s quite a Bluegrass following here. You know I've played Houston, Austin, of course Dallas and Arlington, but I've never really played in South Texas and we need a venue to play at down there!
RhondaVincent.com
The Rage is: Hunter Berry, Mickey Harris, Aaron McDaris, Jeff Partin, Zack Arnold, and John Parker, their driver 6/24 Arlington, TX 6/25 Linden, TX - Music City Texas Theater
DON’T MISS ANDREA LEIGH’S PICKIN’ BLUEGRASS WITH LITTLE STEVIE & JUAN O’BRIEN ~ 8AM & 8PM DAILY STEAMMAGAZINERADIO.COM STEAMMAGAZINE.NET JANUARY 2022 STEAM MAGAZINE 11
By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine
JOE Basquez
is an American songwriter, composer, and musician in Austin. Joe grew up in Bronte, just north of San Angelo, where his musical aspirations were influenced by his dad and uncles and under the friendship of singer-songwriter Doak Snead. Joe is best known for his work at Origin Systems Inc; specifically his compositions for Ultima Online. Joe has also worked as a background actor on the set of several movies filmed in Austin. Look for him in "Sin City" as the bartender, in "The Alamo” as a town citizen, and in a number of other films produced in Texas. We caught up with Joe to talk about, as well as being a songwriter-singer, composing music, and acting.
We have a mutual friend, Doak Snead. Yes, in fact I was just listening to your Steam Magazine Radio and Sister Sarah & Her Man was playing; I think that was the first time I've heard that one.
Yes, we play many of Doak’s songs. He
especially as we were standing on the front wall looking out inside the replica and watching all these soldiers marching around like we were surrounded. It just felt really real, so that inspired me to write a soundtrack which has been one of my proudest achievements.
Wow, that's amazing! And now I have all these different questions that have nothing to do with music! How did you get involved with this movie? There was a casting call for Hispanic people to play the soldiers and I thought I could do that Mexican Soldier routine, so at the audition the guy started explaining that basically we were going to go through boot camp. Now this was in March and it had snowed, so I decided I wasn’t up to do that, but then they called me back to be one of the town's people.
Have you been in other movies? Yeah, right after that I got a call from a casting agent here in town asking if I wanted to be a bartender in Sin City and again I said absolutely
Very cool, I love that movie! was a wonderful songwriter and singer, so I was in a movie starring Keanu Reeves called how did you become friends with Doak? A Scanner Darkly and then I did another 2 or We're from Bronte TX and he was 3 years 3 movies as a background actor and that was older than me. When I turned 13 I got the really fun. But what I was really doing was bug that I wanted to be a musician and, since networking because I didn't intend to be an it runs on my dad's side of the family, I wantactor; it was a great way to meet people in the ed to carry it on; all my uncles played instruindustry. ments and my dad played clarinet. I didn't Sounds like the smart way to go about it. know how to play anything so I told Doak Let's get back to your music. Were you that I wanted to sing, so he helped my friends in a band while you were composing vidand I start a small group. He was kind of our eo games and movies? mentor because he was 16 and had more No, after I'd gotten experience than the out of the film indusrest of us. From then WORDS TO LIVE BY… on he and I had a I don't write for an audience because that try and after my video good musical friend- would be pandering; I don't write for myself game career I got ship. He was a really because that would be self-serving; I write Bacterial Meningitis which took me a year generous man. for the thing that is trying to be born. to recover from. And ~ N Scott Momaday He was a very good that’s when I decided person and is sorely I needed to get back missed. Your songwriting career encapto my songwriting. I got together with a sulates a different ability, besides writing friend and we started going to open mics lyrical music you became a composer. sessions around town and I really enjoyed Yes, basically what happened is a video game performing. When I retired from my day job company hired me for my music writing in 2018 I helped to care for my dad before he skills, so I spent 7 years with them compospassed in 2019. That was very hard on me; ing music for video games. In fact, I got away he was a good man, a good father. Really, from songwriting and into composing more that's when I decided I’m going to just conof an orchestral type situation, so it changed centrate on my music and get back to permy whole view of music and that helped me forming and… of course the pandemic hit. with arranging my own personal songs. After Now I want to get back to life, back to perthe video games I started getting calls to help forming, and, if it's just me on the guitar, that with short films and one theater production. would be wonderful. So yeah my experience has been different, You have our deepest sympathies for the but they've been very fruitful in my learning loss of your dad. and the thing is we keep learning all the time. What do you play besides guitar? I think one of my proudest achievements was My main instrument is guitar and I use the when I wrote a soundtrack that I call The keyboard for composing. I have a studio in Alamo, because that writing happened as a my house where I arrange and compose. My result of me working as a background actor keyboard is connected to my PC and I use a on the set. I was there for 13 days and going variety of plugins for Bass, guitar, and orchesthrough that whole experience was amazing; tra samples; I even have a pedal steel plug-in. 12 STEAM MAGAZINE JANUARY 2022 STEAMMAGAZINE.NET
asked why he is a writer and his answer is… "I don't write for an audience because that would be pandering; I don't write for myself because that would be self-serving; I write for the thing that is trying to be born."
Wow, that is deep!
So you can play everything? In a manner of speaking I guess I can and I've learned a lot from doing it this way.
You’ve released 3 albums; the first is The Alamo and it is instrumental, correct? Yes, all instrumental. In 2019 I released an album called Missing My Yesterday's, in 2020 I released Time Is Flying By, and I'm currently working on a new album which I’ll release in this spring or summer.
There are 2 things I ask songwriters. First is… Is that how you spent the pandemic lockdown, writing music? Oh absolutely! You know we were hunkered down at home, not going anywhere except to get groceries, so all the time I was home I spent my time in the studio. I did songwriting, but I also did composing, and I joined some online organizations that help you get your songs licensed and made available for commercial projects.
Interesting; I have not talked to many people who write instrumentals. I think for a lot of people it's an intimidating genre. I find it easy to compose music for commercial use because you are given a blueprint of what they want. For example on Songtradr.com you look for opportunities that state they want music for a commercial and really they give you a guide or direction to go. I may look through my catalog and find that I've got what they want or I may have to sit down and write something.
So words are harder for you to come up with? Yes, the lyrics are much more difficult music to me is easier to write. That's one of the things I always admired about Doak Snead, he was a storyteller, and that's what made his songs so good; and he had such a unique
voice. I actually wanted him to sing one of the songs I'd written, In The Old Country, because I felt he had the style of voice I wanted. We had actually started planning that project just before his heart attack and really it was just so sad.
We were shocked and did not expect that at all. We had interviewed Doak about doing some shows in South Texas and then the pandemic hit, so we planned to regroup and re-interview, but unfortunately we never got the chance. I think it was a real sad day for music; we lost a big voice when he passed. He was such a good friend and it was his encouragement of my talent to keep going after “the dream,” that's what we called it. I went ahead and sang the song released it and now I'm working on getting more into that singer-songwriter/folk genre. I wrote a song loosely based on his and my relationship; I've got it ready to go except I need to sing it and you know one of the problems living in the Austin is allergies, sometimes it makes it very hard to get out a good vocal take.
Oh yeah, Cedar Fever! My second songwriter question is do you have advice or suggestions to anyone interested in becoming a composer or songwriter. It depends on what you're composing for. If you're composing for film you need to understand the script and what they're trying to say in the movie, so it's not your own feelings you're trying to portray you have to find the emotion in the script. Writing for a commercial is very impersonal and almost mechanical but you still have to make the music interesting. Now songwriting is very personal, especially the lyrics. I remember watching an interview with the Native American author N Scott Momaday and I printed his quote and have it above my desk as a reminder. He was
It is. Songwriters give birth to songs, music and lyrics, just as an inventor gives birth to an invention, an idea. So my advice is not to stifle yourself or your inner voice, and don't write for anybody else; just let the music come out of you and let it flow. Yeah I've written songs in a matter of hours just driving and if I remember it when I get to my destination then it must be a good song because it stuck with me. Another thing I would encourage for people who are composing is to use samples. There's a bit of a stigma to using samples and I don't understand why. People claim that you're cheating by using someone else's work/sample. However, if don't you play every instrument on your recording when you go into a studio then you are using someone else's work, be it guitar, drums, bass. So what is the difference between using a sample clip that someone else has done? Quite honestly sometimes those samples can be the catalyst for the next song.
That is a very interesting thing to say and I don't think I've ever had someone address that before. Do you have any other projects to tell us about? After many years apart a friend of mine reached out to me through Facebook. He works at Hill Country Youth Ranch, which is a place that helps abused and abandoned kids. One of the things they encourage the kids to do is write about their feelings in poetry and he asked if I would consider taking some of the poems and writing music to go with them. Of course I said absolutely and he sent me some poems. I found one that I really connected with and I wrote the music. They really liked it and are going to start producing it this month.
That's awesome and such a worthwhile project to work on! I was looking through some of the information about who's helped them in the past. Sara Hickman, Flaco Jimenez, Monte Montgomery, and several other musical artists have been involved with this project.
JOEBASQUEZ.COM Listen to SteamMagazineRadio.com For Music By Joe Basquez!
STEAMMAGAZINE.NET JANUARY 2022 STEAM MAGAZINE 13
where she was going to perform and he had a portable sound system she could use. Charlie and I got set her up and took off and I came back for the last part of her show. After hearing and seeing her I thought we need to do something with this, so I told her jokingly “I can make you a star.”
And Trisha you were thinking Oh no, not one of
By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine
Jan 15 Pelican Lounge - Corpus Christi Jan 28 Sugar Shack - Fulton TRISHALYNNTHESINGER.COM Trisha Lynn
started singing at the age of 5. She was just 7 the first time she sang to an audience, it was for her Aunt and Uncle's wedding reception at a Karaoke bar. She fell in love with the stage and the thrill of the applauding crowd and she knew she wanted to be a Singer. Since then Trisha Lynn has performed all around the US. In 2018 she opened for Raelyn Nelson (Willie Nelsons Niece) at Fitzgerald's San Antonio and that same year she performed for a Winter Festival at USAA for a crowd of 10,000 people. She continues to build her career as a professional performer and is making her moves with her band, the Trisha Lynn Experience. We caught up with her and Chris Ivory (Zavala) to talk about her music and being in the Coastal Bend.
When did you begin your music journey? I began playing guitar when I was a little girl. I was in church and there was a lady who had a purple sunburst and purple pearl Ibanez guitar. The most beautiful thing I'd ever seen and I remember thinking to myself that I would love to learn how to play a guitar like that. Once I’d gotten my first guitar I played as much as I could and I wanted to learn more, so I ran with it by watching other players and I joined The Worship Team when I was 12. I was only about 10 when I wrote my first song.
You were 10 when you wrote or your first song? Yeah, it was a cute little jingle called What Would Jesus Do, but it sparked my inspiration to write about other things, like life after we die and angels. By the age of 5 I'd already known that I loved music, so for me playing guitar and songwriting is just an added bonus that I can elaborate on with the talent God has given me.
Nice perspective. The first time we met was at the Dreams A Fleetwood Mac Tribute concert at House of Rock. Something that stuck in my head was that your van had broken down on the way to the show. Oh yeah, I was fortunate to get it fixed within a few hours and got home that day.
You are a very positive person! What
stuck out most my mind was your talent and stage presence. Your ability to perform solo in front of a sold-out house and get the audience’s attention with singalongs and laughter; it was very impressive. Well, it was definitely an improv night; I had no idea what I was going to sing when I got up there and really that is so typical of my shows because I am totally in the moment. After the first couple of songs I have a taste for what the crowd is looking for; it could be Adele or Guns n' Roses, but I think having such a wide variety in my repertoire makes it more personal and fun.
Variety is the spice of life! Is there one genre you prefer more or mix everything all the time? T It really goes back to just playing in the moment. I'm a lyrics person, so if the
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lyrics fit I’ll play it. I feel that I play from the heart and my spirit and that brings a dynamic to any room I'm in. My general feeling is that people are there to have a good time and sometimes you have to just give them a push. I will literally stop the show in the middle of the set, middle of the song, just to get the audience involved. C The first time she did it with us everything was going great and she stops mid song. We looked at each other and then at her, which got the crowd interested. Especially since she wasn’t calling us out for a mistake – she called the crowd out for not paying attention!
That seems a little daring. You're from San Antonio, so how did you end up with the band in Corpus Christi? C Trisha and I met about 3 years ago at a benefit for a mutual friend, but it was about18 months ago that we connected musically. T Yeah, I came down to North Padre Island for vacation and was having lunch at the Angry Marlin when out of the corner of my eye I saw a their live music sign, so I found the manager and told him that I was a musician from San Antonio that travels and if they ever needed somebody to please give me a call. About an hour after I left I get a phone call from that manager telling me the band for the night had just canceled and wondered if I had my equipment with me and I said I didn't have everything but I knew some people. I remembered that Chris lived in Corpus, so I called him trying to find a sound system for the night. C I was really excited that she called because I'd followed her on social media and she was really good. So it turned out that I had a friend down the street from
those guys”. T Exactly! Actually the manager asked if I could do the next day too, so we broke down the equipment and went over to Charlie's to hang out and get to know each other. Chris said his drummer Matt (Jon Michael Mrez Band, STEAM Magazine August 2020 #99) could join us on Cajon, so the next day was our first show together and we just meshed together. C And within a year we were playing one of the big festivals down here, Rockport’s Seafair! T I'm so glad I didn't have my equipment with me.
There are reasons stuff like that happens, so who are the other players in the band? C Matt Maldonado on drums and Lalo Garza on bass. People have told us that we need a lead guitar player, but honestly between Trisha's exceptional guitar playing and my ability to convert guitar leads to keyboards we don't really miss it. T And neither does the audience; we have a really full sound. I am just starting to dabble with an electric guitar and I'm hoping that I can add it to our show sometime in the future, because it would add another dynamic. But honestly, we’re just having a blast and I make sure the crowd does too!
It's quite a commute from San Antonio to Cor-
pus Christi to play with your band. T Actually I am going to be moving down here very soon. San Antonio is a wonderful city for music, however become very saturated almost to the point of Austin saturation. For the last year-and-a-half our band has been building a following here in the Coastal Bend. I believe it is smart to go where I am wanted and active. Since I've been coming down here I've just been met with so much warmth, appreciation, and acceptance. People of the Coastal Bend are very friendly and personable. C You know I'm from Dallas and came here from USC where I started my college career and graduated from TAMU-CC. Dallas is such a big town and the Coastal Bend area was much more lucrative for me and I really just like the people here.
I agree; there are some really good people here. Let's talk about your music as you said you were 10 when you wrote your first song. Do you have an album? I dropped my first album in January 2021 titled The Journey and it was produced in San Antonio by Mike Esparza, a Grammy Winning producer. The album is basically a testimony of where I come from and how I came to be where I am today; with the mindset of freedom and being able to be comfortable in my own skin. I took a lot of time in arranging how I wanted the songs to be heard because it tells my story; I am a survivor of domestic violence, my daughter had cancer and we got through that, and just my crazy life. I believe that things made to break us make us stronger and that's the message behind The Journey. And you can find that CD on all musical platforms.
This is a good album as it holds your attention and the songs are inspirational. I think what makes a musician or songwriter special is that we can take all of our raw energy, emotions, and inhibition and put it into a song. It’s my belief that when you hear the music, it moves your body; when you hear the lyrics, it moves your soul.
That’s a beautiful statement. Are you working on a new album? We are! This one will be with the band and I'm so excited because I know that each person is bringing their own experience and expertise. This second album will be a whole new flavor!
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