FACEBOOK.COM/STEAMTX
SHAPESHIFTER May 1-31 Flatbed Press, Austin TX SHAPESHIFTER, an exhibition of works by Ryan O’Malley (TAMU-CC), explores the vastness of print media through nontraditional portraiture. CINCO DE MAYO CELEBRATION May 5, 6-10pm Heritage Park Corpus Christi 4th annual Cinco de Mayo celebration with music, Folkloric, food trucks, and vendors. CINCO DE MAYO LONGBOARD PRO May 5-8 Locations and Times Vary, Corpus Christi Competitions in Longboard Pro/Am, SUP Racing, Beach Volleyball, & Beach Horseshoes with awards presentation on Sunday. MUST SEE ART May 6 K-Space, Corpus Christi Border Goes Clash in Main Gallery 5/6-6/24 work by Cande Aguilar, Jorge Puron & Maricio Saenz. Los Olvidados (The Forgotten) in All Star Gallery 5/6-27, work by Eduardo Quintero. HER in Schaudies Gallery 5/6-27, works by area female artists. FIESTA DE LA FLOR May 6-7 North Bayfront Park, Corpus Christi Celebrating the life and legacy of the Queen of Tejano, Selena Quintanilla Perez with two days of music, food, and vendors. 16TH ANNUAL BLUES ON THE HILL May 7, 7-10:00pm McKelvy Park, Harlingen ARTISAN HANDMADE MARKET May 7 10212 Manchaca Rd, Austin 4th Annual Artisan Handmade Market, an Austin area arts market featuring artwork and live music. PECAN STREET SPRING ARTS FESTIVAL May 7-8 East Sixth Street, Austin A free, family event, the Pecan Street Festival is the oldest and largest art festival in Central Texas. Musicians, food vendors, artists and crafts people turn Sixth Street - historically called Pecan Street - into a lively street fair where there is something for people of all ages. US WINDSURFING NATIONALS 2016 May 11-13, times vary Cole Park, Corpus Christi 10 event categories with competitors from around the US and Canada.
TEJANO CONJUNTO FESTIVAL EN SAN ANTONIO May 11-15 Rosedale Park, San Antonio Features live performances in Rosedale Park by more than 20 of the best musical groups from traditional Conjunto to progressive Tejano. FIESTA WEEKEND May 13-15 Various Locations, Port Aransas Friday 9th Annual Fiesta de Mayo Dinner & Fundraising Auctions - Civic Center 11th Annual ARTFEST, Robert's Point Park Saturday 10am-5pm & Sunday 10am-4pm. Sunday 33rd Annual Songwriter's Showcase, Robert's Point Park 4pm-10pm. 17TH ANNUAL BABES ON THE BAY May 13-14 Rockport Women's Fishing Tournament, for more information and to register www.babesonthebay.com INTERNATIONAL FLOW TOUR COMPETITION May 14, 11am-6pm Hurricane Alley Waterpark , Corpus Christi The Flow Tour is flowboarding’s premier competitive tour featuring some of the world’s best riders. With divisions for all ages and skill levels, the Flow Tour welcomes new members and competitors from the Coastal Bend to take on the seasoned veterans. WEST AUSTIN STUDIO TOUR May 14-15 & 21-22 Across West Austin The West Austin Studio Tour is a free, selfguided tour that celebrates Austin's talented and wildly diverse creative community. AMERICA'S ARMED FORCES RIVER PARADE May 21 San Antonio On Armed Forces Day, professionally decorated floats will travel down the River Walk, themed according to their participants — all branches of service, veterans of recent conflicts, military support groups and more. 20TH ANNUAL ROCKPORT FESTIVAL OF WINE & FOOD May 28 & 29 Texas Maritime Museum, Rockport Featuring over 100 varieties of wines, Food demonstrations, Vendor booths, and music!!
HAVE AN EVENT COMING UP? Then let us know! submissions@steamtx.com
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CONTENTS 3 EVENTS 5 QUICK READ 6 COMICS 7 ALBUM COVER OF THE MONTH 8 CD REVIEWS 9 SEAN FARMER: SURF ARTIST 13 SUN SALUTATION: IT’S BREAK TIME 15 ATLAS GENIUS 16 CLIFTON COLLINS JR: PRISON RAMEN 18 NEW MUSIC & MOVIES
APRIL 2016 VOL. 5 ISS. 1
ON THE COVER...
Max pic 2.09h X 2.2w
HANGING FIVE OFF THE NOSE ORIGINAL ART BY SEAN FARMER
PUBLISHER RUSTY HICKS EDITOR TAMMA HICKS COMICS EDITOR ALLENE HICKS STAFF WRITERS DALE MARTIN, STEVE GOLDSTEIN, TAMMA HICKS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS J MICHAEL DOLAN, DEREK SIGNORE STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS ALLENE HICKS, RUSTY HICKS
TO ADVERTISE WITH US 361-904-4339 | SALES@STEAMTX.COM SEE US ONLINE AT WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET SUBMIT YOUR MUSIC, BOOK, ART, OR SHOW FOR REVIEW! HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SUBMISSIONS@STEAMTX.COM
ALTERNATIVE WEEKLY NETWORK 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
BLITZKREIG BREAKDOWN
MAY 2016
J. Michael Dolan (:27) I can only look at my own experience, and what provokes me to buy or share something. Truth is, while a media blitz may lead me to it, it certainly won’t provoke me to buy it, or share it. The hype or hypnosis of a media blitzkrieg has never swayed my vote. That said, a barrage of publicity, or even a boatload of “likes” may certainly put a lot of eyes on your business, product or art. However, once the hoopla wears off and the true essence of your hard effort is reveled, the only thing that matters is: do your fans, clients and customers love it enough to share it, and need it enough to buy it? If not, then your strategic media blitz bombed. * Figure out a way to get your art to disseminate. * Figure out a way to extend your projects reach (beyond FB). * Figure out a way to get your clients and customers to refer your service. * Figure out a way to get your idea to spread. Projects that spread, win. This matters because you’re an artist, an entrepreneur, and figuring things out is what you do best.
INCESSANT MARKETING J. Michael Dolan (:25) Where do we find our audience, customers, fans, clients, representatives and investors? What do they read? How do they search? Where will they find us? How will they find us? How can we connect with them? How will we provoke them to listen, watch, read, link to our site and sample our work? How will we inspire them to join, subscribe, enroll, hire us, make a deal, or secure a purchase?
How will we motivate them to share our work with others? Continuous trial & error, along with incessant inquiry into these questions will certainly produce far greater results than a frustrating quest for the right answers. That said, in these days of unlimited possibilities, there are very few wrong answers...so why not try everything?
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“I tried social
networking, but I decided to go back to incessantly beating on my chest from tall buildings”
314 E AVE. G PORT ARANSAS 361.290.7143
WWW.BRONSBEACHCARTS.COM
6 MAY 2016
www.theawkwardyeti.com www.lunarbaboon.com New Books Out Now! Order Yours Today!
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STEAMMAGAZINE.NET
CD
MIKE & THE MOONPIES MMOCKINGBIRD BY ROB DICKENS
Mike and the Moonpies' Mockingbird came out in October 2015. I’ve been to their hometown of Austin Texas a handful of times but always managed to miss them. This top-shelf alt. country, rockabilly, honkytonk band has had weekly residencies at the city’s great venues like Broken Spoke, White Horse and Hole in the Wall, all while touring Texas every weekend. This constant performing has led to the band’s shining tautness, a crisp precision that is marvelous. And so it is with the band’s third studio release (the last album was 2012’s The Hard Way). Produced by front man Mike Harmeier and longtime friend and musician Michael Kingcaid, the album features ten new original songs all written by Harmeier and performed by the Moonpies –Kyle Ponder (drums, percussion), Preston Rhone (bass), Caitlin Rutherford (guitar),Zachary Moulton (steel guitar) and John Carbone (piano, organ). Several guest performers that appeared on The Hard Way returned for this one, including Warren Hood (Lyle Lovett),Jenn Miori Hodges (Carper Family), and Pete Weiss (Leo Rondeau). Lyrically, there is plenty to absorb. The debut single and album opener “Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em” bursts out of the blocks with a busy, but very tidy guitar riff and a reflective tale that speaks of Harmeier and the band's musical history:
REVIEWS
“When we made our first record; We didn’t spend a dime; Still the best one we’ve ever done; Well here’s to second chances; Got to get it right this time; Hop back on that horse and let it run” “I Don’t Love You” is a slow ballad – an honest and tender song about ‘Sunday lovers’ who need to separate – to ‘cut and run’. It features a terrific duet with Carson McHone. “Never leaving Texas” is a plum honky tonk tune about the loss of a woman to L.A. and contains the defiant statement about being ‘happy here in Houston with a bottle in my hand’. “South First Blvd” is another easy-on-the-ear song, denoting the place where a shattering revelation takes place. There’s another sad weepie breakup song “One Is The Whiskey” – where there’s two reasons for staying at home – ‘one is the whiskey and the other one’s gone’. “Miserable Man” is another well-put together bar-room song but, as the album closer, I found it a little dour, I would have preferred a more uptempo song to close proceedings. This is a minor point, however, as there’s plenty to love in Mockingbird. Harmeier’s lyrics are appealing; his voice a standout, bolstered by good arrangements and tight playing that serves the songs perfectly. Recorded at the legendary Cedar Creek Studio in Austin by John Silva (the Trishas) and mixed at Good Danny’s in Austin by Max Lorenzen, Mockingbird is an unbridled joy. WWW.THEMOONPIES.COM ROBDICKENS101.COM
BLOODY JUG BAND ROPE BURN BY STEVE GOLDSTEIN
SUN SALUTATION SPIRALS
(BY STEVE GOLDSTEIN
This latest release by Sun Salutation (a Yoga stretching technique) is a marvelous example of the South Texas band’s ability to seamlessly blend several musical styles together; so much so that it defies being labeled. From rock and funk to reggae and dub, SPIRALS is tightly packed with an energy level that spirals onward and upward into the stratosphere. While their influences go from Sublime to Red Hot Chili Peppers, and beyond, they still put their own original stamp on the music and lyrics. The title track opens a door to a room filled with a blistering guitar that refuses to let up. “One By One” is a search for inner peace that gives way to the voice of John F. Kennedy that speaks to a quest for world peace. The drums provide the vital heartbeat throughout, as shown on “Love Enough” and “Runaway,” while the guitar work would satisfy Jeff Beck. The drum calisthenics on “Stare At The Stars” are a counterpoint to the soulful sax and guitar. “So Far So Good” begins with a classic reggae beat and an inspirational quote from George Harrison, before brilliantly weaving a hard rocking guitar in and out of the mix. We are finally encouraged to let our spirit fly and “Float Away” before the door closes once again. Sun Salutation serves up musicianship and artistry on SPIRALS that needs to be noticed. The message is sweet and simple; peace and love. Sun Salutation (Dave Robinson, Erin Harris, Blane Dabbs, Bryan Cruz and Richard Sivas) is certainly capable of delivering the goods while staying true to its melodic heart and soul. WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SUN.SALUTATION
With a name like The Bloody Jug Band, and cover art by Greg “Stainboy” Reinel that depicts a desperate looking man on his knees, bound at the neck and wrists with a rope clutched by a gun wielding, scantily clad woman, you’d expect a head first leap into the dark abyss. That’s exactly what this muddy swamp water band from Florida delivers. Their traditional instrumentation includes washboard, jug, washtub bass and banjo, all augmented with electric and acoustic guitars. But The Bloody Jug Band defies being pigeonholed into any one genre. ROPE BURN is a little Black Sabbath, Dave Matthews and Judas Priest meets Old Crow Medicine Show, Memphis Minnie and The Stanley Brothers. It all kicks off with the gypsy punkish “Volfkiller.” The percussive stomp, “Dance With The Devil” just might make you want to do just that. “The Undertaker” has a dark, rainy night intro that morphs into an ominous job description. “Jezebellion” is like a Saturday night hoedown in hell. “Forest Of Bloodthirsty Unicorns” is a folksy, nightmarish fairytale. The band departs with “Gal Of Sorrow,” a fitting minor chord take on “Man Of Constant Sorrow.” It’s not exactly the fun romp depicted in the Coen Brothers’ film, “O Brother Where Art Thou.” With ROPE BURN, The Bloody Jug Band (Cragmire Peace, Stormy Jean, Brian Shredder, Steevil, Bloody Rick Lane, Seth Funky, Big Daddy Jerm and Baby Dingo) paint a melodically graphic picture of death, bloodshed and insanity. Definitely not for the faint of heart. . BLOODYJUGBAND.COM
Sean Farmer grew up in Jacksonville Florida hanging out in surf shops, surfing, working on cars, and admiring the artwork of the surf culture. He began with black and white drawings, but once Sean added color his pieces just explode off the surface! The sun is shining bright, school is almost out, the water is warm, and the surf is awesome! And what better way to welcome summer activities than with the bright nostalgic art of Sean Farmer?!
By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine
How did you get in to art? I am not sure that anything got me into art as much as it was always something I just did since I was very young. I can remember being a kid and seeing work from Rick Griffin, Bill Ogden, and other surf artists in the surf shops where my father worked. I remember thinking how cool it must be to be like those guys, surfing and painting or drawing. I mean to be able to surf and create art for a living, there is no better lifestyle. Where do your ideas come from? What happens is I get this image in my head. It's full color and it's just there; and the only way to stop thinking about it is to get it out and that's what I do. I can't stand to see something blank. Like tonight, we went to dinner and my placemat was just plain white paper and I just had to start drawing. Do you do any other genres or styles? I've messed around with a little bit of landscapes and comic books; but what I've noticed is that the farther away from what I love to do the less I like doing any. So what I have learned to do when I find something another artist is doing that I would like to try I incorporate their genre/style into what I'm doing to make it. Right now I'm working on an octopus, but I didn't want just an octopus. So I have incorporated the octopus into the sun; the sun now has eight legs that are turning into waves. What I’m doing in it is taking my art and adding different shapes and genres that I saw in work by other artists. Picking out things that they're doing and seeing if it's something I can incorporate into my style is challenging. Do you have a special technique or a set procedure to be able to create your work? Not so much for me, but what I can't deal with or comprehend very well is a blank space. To me it needs to be filled with images and ideas. When I paint I start with the background. Thinking OK this one needs to be wavy and I might airbrush that part or I might just begin painting or drawing images with acrylic paints, paint pens, illustration pens, or pencils. I guess I use whatever is available when I start the image. I’m like someone with OCD, I can't stand to see a blank space. Tell me about your transition from black and white to color. I drew black and white line art for many years CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Above: GODESS OF THE SEA below: HANGING FIN MINI BOARD
ago I was at the Jax Beach Artwalk, just doodling. The piece I had just finished was teddy bear on a skateboard and I look up to see this little girl walking down the sidewalk towards us holding a bear just like the one I drew, so I handed it to her. About six months later the mother sees me and tells me that the girl has the cartoon hung above her bed, that she sleeps with that bear every night and now she has picked up drawing because of me! And to me it's so amazing to feel that I have helped this child open her Imagination and get into art. I'm pretty stoked right now because I wanted to become a bigger name in the surf industry. I surf and I'm no Pro and I know that so that part of Surfing wouldn't be where I'd be. So now if I can influence the industry, affect other people and artists as a positive force, and move people into creating really cool things by continuing with this tradition of style, then that would be the most insane amazing feeling I could imagine!
top left: PEEKING SUN top right: HANGING FIVE OFF THE NOSE above: MAHI MAHI MAY 2016
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How did you come up with the name? How long have you been together? Our rhythm guitarist Dave and I (Erin Harris, vocals and percussion) were playing acoustically around town at coffee shops and open mics and decided to record a demo to hand out at the shows. We needed a band name and I was taking a yoga class at the time and liked the name Sun Salutation, we both agreed it was pretty cool and the name ended up sticking. We realized years later from a marketing standpoint we probably should have selected something a little more one-off but we figured we would stick with it. Trying to find us on Youtube is a monumental task unless you add Sun Salutation band or one of our song titles. Last month marked 12 years since we met our drummer and formed the original lineup of the band. How did you get interested in reggae? Living in Corpus Christi near the beach you totally get that island reggae vibe thing happening. For most of us it probably started in high school with Bob Marley and Sublime and branched out from there. Our musical influences/style extends far beyond reggae though, and we pull inspiration from all genres. The mix of everyone’s musical preferences has helped us to create the blended sound we have today. How do you guys collaborate on song writing? After 12 years I would think you have it down pretty simply. Usually Dave Robinson (rhythm guitar) or Blane Dabbs (lead guitar) come with a melody, riff or entire song and brings it to the rest of the band. Bryan Cruz (bass) and Richard Silvas (drums) add their parts and the songs get worked out and refined. Once we have a basic template I will flow lyrics freestyle until I come up with an idea or theme to explore and build the set lyrics around that. We’ve all been waiting patiently for new music, so tell me about the new album, Spirals? We recorded at The Womb in Austin by the mad scientist that is Reggie O'Farrell. It is seriously a pleasure to work with that dude. He and his sound engineer Adam Bencen are some of the best guys to get creative
By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine | Photo: Robert B Ochoa Photography
with and have fun. They are super patient too which is perfect for us because we love spending time in the studio. We used some pretty cool re-amp techniques for the lead guitar which I loved. You have your microphone on the amp but you also split the signal with a direct box. Then using a re-amp box you can run the track back through any guitar amplifier you want and add whatever effects pedals you want in the process. We ended up going to Rock n Roll Rentals in Austin and getting tons of pedals to play with and spent a whole day just playing around with different sounds and effects. We definitely love having our friends come play on our records too. For Spirals we had our insanely talented friend Marcus Barber play saxophone on half the album. We had our friend Nathan Anderson play some violin on the last song "Float Away. Lastly we had our homie Kyle Jenkins come lay down some aboriginal didgeridoo for us since we loved it so much from the last album. You’ve announced that the band is taking a hiatus. How many shows are you doing in May and where are they? We are playing our last two shows in Corpus Christi to end it where we started it all. May 6th we’ll be on the island at Pelican Lounge and our final show will be May 7th at Vino Mio Social Club. Since you’re taking a hiatus, do you have other projects you’ll be working on? Blane has his side project, Freequency, that he does with his brother
Gavin and long time friend Fernando, you won't find them advertised anywhere on social media but they have like 30 damn good songs written and are always jamming. Bryan has two other bands he plays with on the regular. The Raspas from Harlingen which I am sure a lot of south Texas folks know, and Axis Unity from Austin. I have recently started a woodworking company called Harris Handcrafted that specializes in wall art and home décor. With this being your 5th album, do you have any favorites? Which are fan favorites? And will you be playing your older stuff at the shows? We are super proud of this album. It is by far our best work and it's great knowing we are steadily elevating the music and progressing as players and writers. My personal favorites are One by One and Float Away. Both are older songs of ours and One by One has always been a fan favorite. It's the one song we always hear people yelling out at the shows. We reworked One by One to fit closer to the way we play it live and the energy coming through gives me the chills every time. Float Away is actually one of the first songs we ever wrote and had never recorded. It's somewhat a departure from the rest of the songs but it's definitely the perfect song to end the album with. We plan on playing as many songs as possible for our last shows since we are playing 4 hour sets each night. Everyone can expect to hear old and new songs with guest musicians joining us on stage throughout the night. Any last words? We would like to say that we feel truly
blessed to have the opportunity to create music together and share it with all our friends and fans. The amount of amazing people we’ve met and beautiful memories we've made are the best aspects of being in this band. It's been a dream come true because of all of you. We are so very thankful to everyone who has supported us. It is our hope that the music will live on between all you beautiful people!
SHOWS: 5/6 Pelican Lounge, Corpus Christi 5/7 Vino Mio Social Club, Corpus Christi SOCIAL: www.cdbaby.com/cd/sunsalutation2 www.facebook.com/sun.salutation.tx www.reverbnation.com/sunsal www.youtube.com/user/sunsal361 sunsalutation.bandcamp.com
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By Tamma Hicks STEAM Magazine
As parents we’ve all been there – trying to get our kids to understand that they don’t rule the roost. In Jamie Eppler’s first book, Suzy and the Sewing Room Mystery, she helps children understand how parents sometimes make the unpopular decisions based on what’s right for the child and themselves. Suzy makes her own plans for summer, but Mom and Dad have other ideas; she’s going to her grandparents Oma and Opa’s house. In Suzy and the Sewing Room Adventure Eppler covers two important subjects. First, Suzy gets overwhelmed when she and Oma take on a project. Second, Suzy opens up about wanting to go to church. Throughout both titles Eppler gives subtle to children about doing their
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part in the family, such as doing chores and being a good helper.
Portland Texas author Jamie Eppler has been writing children’s books since 2011; that’s when she began the “Suzy” series. These are fun books to read with your children and grandchildren. Eppler writes in an age appropriate level for most seven to eight year olds and introduces words and ideas in each book which lead to further discussion. The illustrations are well done and bring the plots into view.
Both books are published by Tate Publishing and include an audio-book for digital download. You can find Eppler’s books at Coastal Bend arts and crafts fairs, Artwalks, and Farmer’s Markets as well as online through Amazon.com
By D.C. Washington, Sound Magazine
Atlas
Genius, an LA
transplant, emerged onto the scene as if from a ‘Trojan Horse’ when their smash hit Trojans appeared almost out of nowhere immediately drawing musical comparisons to Phoenix and The Strokes. They are intent upon bringing back a period of indie-rock that preceded electro-pop that sets them apart here and in their homeland of Australia. Taking on both fronts is a difficult task but it’s a challenge we found the band is willing to take on in our one on one interview.
the scene is thriving here and we love being a part of it. It also feels great to have been welcomed by a lot of musicians who live locally as well. STEAM: Musicians like to come home from a long tour and put their feet up and relax. As you are all transplants to the states does coming home from the road still have that same feel for you or do you wish tours would end for you with a trip back to Australia? AG: LA is starting to feel more and more like home. We have a house now and things are actually set up so it’s a proper living quarters and not just a place to rest our heads between shows. It’s been a few years now since leaving Australia so that homesick feeling has dissipated. I never thought of LA as being our home but it has quickly become that and we’re happy it has.
STEAM: The band moved to L.A. a few months before laying the groundwork for your most recent album. What has it been like living here in the states while you were creating that album and to this STEAM: Brothers in a band day? usually make for more tabloid AG: LA has really become a fodder than music hits. We hot bed for music again espeknow that a third brother is no cially in comparison to other longer with the band – for nonlocales like New York so drama related reasons, but how that’s why we decided to do and your remaining brother move here, an area where keep the sibling rivalry in the there was a lot of camaraderie. background and out of the You’re kind of isolated when you’re making an album so it was nice to pick a place where you can go and grab a coffee with a fellow musician to discuss music and they’re also in the studio making an album as well. In comparison to where we In Stores Now were originalAlso on iTunes & Amazon.com ly from it’s a total contrast,
ON STAGE: May 14 @ Untapped Festival, Austin TX public eye? AG: I think it’s probably in the dynamic between Mark and me, that we tend not to let things get to the point where there is an irreconcilable difference. Working together we definitely have moments where we are at odds with each other and I think part of that has to do with how extremely different we both are. It’s such a tragedy when you see something like that happen; that the world is robbed of such talent when family members can’t seem to get along. STEAM: Do you see a time when your other brother will join the band again? AG: We actually haven’t announced this yet but now is as good a time as any, he will be joining us on our next tour for some select dates which we are really excited about. We actually just started rehearsals for it a few days ago. STEAM: A common saying in the music business is that you have your whole life to make your first album but then only a few months to put out your second. For Atlas Genius that process was backwards when your song Trojans blew up near overnight the band had limited time to put together your freshman piece to ensure
SOCIAL: www.atlasgenius.com Facebook.com & Instagram.com – atlasgenius
the momentum was still out there. What was it like putting together your sophomore release with a more distinct creative timeframe? AG: The pressure was still there for the second album albeit a little different. For the first album time was not on our side so there was constant pressure to beat the clock and put a complete work together with limited time. For the second release there were outside pressures and expectations from people who wondered what the album would end up being. In some ways I think the frenetic energy there with the first album was preferable to the second, the pressure was on us between us. I’m thinking that we might want to recapture that feel for the third album if we could. STEAM: Any difference between fans here stateside and those back home in Australia? AG: I feel like the music scenes are really different. Both audiences are looking for a vastly different experience at shows. You would almost think that in this Spotify era where music is available worldwide that musical tastes would be very similar but that is not often the case. When I go back I listen to Australian radio you can hear that things are a little
more gritty, guitar heavy and that’s what they want at a show. What is really interesting is how American hip-hop has influenced music over there and sparked an Australian hiphop scene. STEAM: As the band has grown in popularity in the United States our ugly habit of drawing comparisons with your band and others has reared its head… AG: Yes we’ve seen that unfortunately. When we came over here we weren’t trying to fit into a certain genre of music but here in the states it seems common for people to pigeonhole bands. Before we lived in LA we would listen to a lot of your music and for me, when I would hear something that charged my mind, no matter where it was from, it would turn me on and inspire me. I didn’t have the thought process of comparing it to another band or other type of music. It seems to be just something that comes along with the territory and actually inspires us to make new music, music that stands out on its own with no presentable comparisons.
MAY 2016
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By Scott Yager, Sound Magazine
Clifton Collins Jr . STEAM : You bring a level of
The book is called Prison Ramen: Recipes and Stories from Behind Bars, is available on Amazon, and it is an eye-opening look at what people eat when they don’t have anything and everything at their disposal. It’s filled with great stuff from former and current inmates as well as celebrities like Samuel L. Jackson and Shia Labeouf. Clifton dropped by STEAM Magazine to talk about his work as an actor and an author!
realism to a lot of the roles you play in movies that involve the streets, law enforcement and crime. Did you find the crowd you hung around and the friends you made as a youngster benefited you when it came time to bringing these characters to life? COLLINS : Absolutely. The homies always kind of knew that I had another path. I’m still friends with a lot of these guys. Whenever I had certain roles, like when I did 187, I called my homies from 18th street and I spent a couple weeks with them. I would go visit them periodically anyway but when I have an opportunity to delve into an environment that I don’t live day to day in, it’s good to get acclimated to that. You pick up little subtleties that a writer might not even think about.
STEAM : You have been in so
STEAM : Is there an added re-
is a journeyman actor who you’ve seen in movies like Star Trek, Pacific Rim, Capote and most recently, Triple 9. Recently Clifton teamed up with an old childhood friend named “Goose” Alvarez, who spent a chunk of time behind bars to release an awesome cook book based on food people make behind bars.
many great movies over the years but the first one where you really stood out to me was Rules of Attraction. You have a great line in that movie that my friends and I still use on each other to this day. Any idea what that is? COLLINS : “Asshole on my elbow!”
STEAM : Your family has a his-
tory of performing. Is that what led you down the acting path where so many of your peers went down a different path? COLLINS : I’m a fourth generation entertainer. My great grandmother was a dancer, got across the border by paying a nickel. My grandfather Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez was a contract player for John Wayne. He’s the only person to ever one up Groucho Marx on his own show. When I was a kid I was a class clown, getting in trouble, that sort of thing. It made sense to get into acting. At the time I didn’t have an idea of the beautiful gifts that would come from taking over these characters and carving out performances. That’s the fun for me.
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sponsibility when you play a part that portrays these people that you actually know and have lived around in real life to make them happy with what you did with the role? COLLINS : Not at all man. It’s all good in the hood. I get a lot of love. You have to understand, I’ve probably got three of my nine lives left. I’ve been shot at a series of times; I’ve got some carjackings on me. There was a time I hung out in the hood and these people are really grounded. Like Mr. Cartoon, he’s from the hood but he’s very successful. I’ve got a lot of hood friends that got into a little dirt here or there but graduated to become really important people and very influential culturally. Mr. Cartoon is extremely successful; he even did the titles on the cover of Prison Ramen. I had a homie call me two days ago that I haven’t heard from in fifteen years. Now with technology
the way it is, we’re facetiming! But also, the majority of my successful actor friends all had super humble beginnings, if not poverty as well.
STEAM : Is it important to not only populate your life with those who you meet in the Hollywood scene but also to stay close with those who were part of your life before, when life wasn’t so fruitful and filled with positivity? Does that help make sure you never stray too far from your roots? COLLINS : Absolutely, but I’ve got plenty of family today in this business that I can count on heavily, that have stepped up for me, some amazing mentors. I’m very blessed. I’ve got the pleasure of also being a fan of someone who is a friend and that is
fun because we can learn from each other.
17
STEAM : I’ve always looked at you as a scene stealer. I asked this same question to David Cross in our last issue because he’s a guy, on the comedy end, that to me, can show up in a scene for a few minutes and really bring his own thing to a movie or a television episode and command the screen for a little bit, get in and get out, really help the larger scope of the material and do so with a modest amount of screen time. For me, you do that on the dramatic end. You bring a level of danger and subtlety to a lot of movies that, to be honest, don’t even really deserve it. What is it about your upbringing, training as an actor, or experience working that has helped build your skillset over the years? COLLINS : (Laughs) I really appreciate that man. I don’t know how to take that, that’s pretty awesome. At the end of the day, people ask you, “what do you want to leave” or “what are your biggest fears”, and mine is being forgotten. I just want to be remembered. I don’t care how small or big the part is. Whether it’s positive or negative or you laugh at me or laugh with me, at least I’ve affected you and that’s what matters to me. I love working with people that I can be mentored by and learn from. I look at the directors I have worked with in my career and I
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feel really blessed.
STEAM : What can you tell us about Westworld, the new HBO show coming up that you are involved in? COLLINS : It’s fucking epic. It’s magical. It’s JJ Abrams and Nolan. Just put those numbers together. Doesn’t take a rocket surgeon for that one. We had a little hiatus and now we’re back full force and it feels good. STEAM : The book, Prison Ramen, is a great concept because it comes from necessity. Lots of cook books pick themes arbitrarily but the reason ramen is involved in most of these dishes is because in prison, that is mainly all they have. Do these recipes have an added meaning because of that? COLLINS : Oh for sure. And there’s a lot of people who are very well off who are telling me their favorite recipes too. Danny Trejo, the actor, has got a whole drawer in his kitchen just dedicated to jalapeno flavored ramen. I told him I was eating ramen again and he said, “Come here! See this drawer! All ramen! All of it!”
www.cliftoncollinsjr.com | Prison Ramen @ workspace.com and Amazon.com
Release dates are subject to change, and often do.
**Release dates & Parental Ratings are subject to change, and often do.**