January 2015 FEATURES
42 J. Geils Band at the Sands Event Center by Alexxis Steele 50 Collicchio’s Corner-Movie review, interviews with director’s John A. Gallagher, & Ahmed Kamal 58 Marlowe B. West Takez Manhattan - Interview with Indofunk Satish
POETRY 19
Stage Fright: A Long Road To Recovery bt The Gypsy Poet
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Poetry Corner by Puma Pearl
PICTORIALS 7 24 36 46 100
Pin Up of the Month Miss Jessica Holly John Fogerty Pictorial by Bob Klein January Model Of The Month Sarah Bentman Model Makeup Artist and VOW Wrestler Paige Cole Wizards of Winter Pictorial by Sheri Bayne
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ARTICLES 14 22 28 32 34 94
Interview with Scott Merring by Alexxis Steele Music Theory and Resonance by Matthew J. Ricketts Artist To Watch-Michelle Blancflower by Lisa Boisvert of WildSide Photography Spaceman Takes Manhattan by Michael Dorn Spotlight on American Automotive & Restoration Criss Angel Mindfreak Live At The State Theatre
REVIEWS 70 72 74 76 78 79 80 81 82 84 85 86 88 89 90 92 93 96 108
Review: Crumb by Jerry Saravia Review: Jann Klose by Michael Mckenna Review: Groovy Uncle by Dana Saravia Review: Red Gretchen by Michael Mckenna Review: Lieder by Michael Mckenna Review: Ten Foot Tall by Michael Mckenna Review: Stupidity by Dana Saravia Review: Bruce Katz Band by Michael Mckenna Review: Mark Lindsay by Michael Mckenna Review: Smashing Pumpkins by Michael Mckenna Releases: The Geri Mingori Band by Michael Mckenna Concert Review: Gin Blossoms by Rhonda VanBuskirk Game Review: Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Holodome DLC Review by Blut Fatal Review: In The Presence of Wolves by Michael Mckenna Music News: Liz Longley Signs with Sugar Hill by Michael Mckenna Review: Jenny & The Felines by Michael Mckenna Review: Anne Husick by Michael Mckenna Show Review: The Wizards of Winter by Michael Mckenna Review: Twelve Twenty-Four by Michael Mckenna
COLUMNS 5 13 66
Rockin’ Facts by Thomas Richmond Brodian’s Banter - Generation Gap Ken Sagoes Gives Back by Scott Brandon Steel Notes Magazine | 3
STAFF
STAFF WRITERS
Alexxis Steele - Publisher/Editor in chief Guido Colacci - Assistant Editor Elizabeth Brett - Proofreader/Copy Editor Keith Boisvert- Layout/Cover Design www.steelnotesmagazine.com
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PHOTOGRAPHERS Sheri Bayne Larry Dell Mike Dorn Bob Klein Brian Matus Gary Preis Rhonda Van Buskirk Bill Des Jardins Lisa Koza Alan Ottenstein Gracie Thorpe
VIDEOGRAPHERS Lisa Koza DarkOne Skip Freddy Williams Larry Dell
Guido Colacci Suburban Joe Rhonda Van Buskirk The Gypsy Poet Krista Cameron Jerry Saravia Debra Evans Tony Angelo Sheri Bayne Karen Best Stormy Boz Stewart Brodian Tim Caso Victor Colicchio Mike Dorn
Vera Ferrara-Rone Michael Hendrick Bob Klein Derek Oels Puma Pearl Roman Thomas Richmond DarkOne Skip Rayvin Stites Marlowe B. West Michael “Jacobs” McKenna Guido Colacci Nikki Palomino
Steel Notes Magazine wants to hear from you! Valentine’s Day will be here before you know it, so, we are looking for your comments and stories on your worst dating horrors for the upcoming February issue. Please reply to: commentary@steelnotesmagazine.com If you would like your to submit your cd for review consideration, please reply to: mike.mckenna@steelnotesmagazine.com Please “Like” Our Facebook page! www.facebook.com.SteelNotesMagazine
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is a monthly magazine featuring what is happening in the art, music, entertainment, and fashion industry. Copyright is reserved. Re posting is whole or in part on other sites and publication without permission is prohibited. All right to photos belong to their respective owners.
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Rockin’ Facts by Thomas Richmond
1973, David Cassidy went to No.1 on the UK album chart with his third solo album ‘Dreams Are Nothin More Than Wishes.’
1979, Pink Floyd started a five week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Another Brick In The Wall, (Part 2),’ their only UK chart topper. The song, which was also the final No.1 single of the 1970s, received a Grammy nomination for Best Performance by a Rock Duo or Group, but Floyd lost to Bob Seger’s Against the Wind.
2001, Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh was given an honorary Doctorate of Music from Kent State University in Ohio.
2002, Blue featuring Elton John went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word.’ Previously a No.11 hit for Elton in 1976. It gave Elton only his 5th No 1 after over 30 years of hits!
1979, U2 appeared at the Windsor Castle Pub, Harrow Road, London, admission was free.
Admin WHH Thomas Richmond http://wildhoghits.com
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As seen on the April 2014 cover of Steel Notes: Natasha NYC Custom Designer clothes Now a specialty for ofMusic and Movie Stars Thanksgiving were called following the victory Thanksgiving Day (Jour de l’Action de grâce in Canadian French) is a national holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. Several other places around the world observe similar celebrations. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States and on the second Monday of October in Canada. Thanksgiving has its historical roots in religious and cultural traditions, and has long been celebrated in a secular manner as well.
History Prayers of thanks and special thanksgiving ceremonies are common among almost all religions after harvests and at other times. The Thanksgiving holiday’s history in North America is rooted in English traditions dating from the Protestant Reformation. It also has aspects of a harvest festival, even though the harvest in New England occurs well before the late-November date on which the modern Thanksgiving holiday is celebrated. In the English tradition, days of thanksgiving and special thanksgiving religious services became important during the English Reformation in the reign of Henry VIII and in reaction to the large number of religious holidays on the Catholic calendar. Before 1536 there were 95 Church holidays, plus 52 Sundays, when people were required to attend church and forego work and sometimes pay for expensive celebrations. The 1536 reforms reduced the number of Church holidays to 27, but some Puritanswished to completely eliminate all Church holidays, including Christmas and Easter. The holidays were to be replaced by specially called Days of Fasting or Days of Thanksgiving, in response to events that the Puritans viewed as acts of special providence. Unexpected disasters or threats of judgement from on high called for Days of Fasting. Special blessings, viewed as coming from God, called for Days of Thanksgiving. For example, Days of Fasting were called on account of drought in 1611, floods in 1613, and plagues in 1604 and 1622. Days
over the Spanish Armada in 1588 and following the deliverance of Queen Anne in 1705. An unusual annual Day of Thanksgiving began in 1606 following the failure of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 and developed into Guy Fawkes Day.
In Canada While some researchers state that “there is no compelling narrative of the origins of the Canadian Thanksgiving day”, the first Canadian Thanksgiving is often traced back to 1578 and the explorer Martin Frobisher. Frobisher, who had been trying to find a northern passage to the Pacific Ocean, held his Thanksgiving celebration not for harvest but in thanks for surviving the long journey from England through the perils of storms and icebergs. On his third and final voyage to the far north, Frobisher held a formal ceremony in Frobisher Bay in Baffin Island (present-day Nunavut) to give thanks to God and in a service ministered by the preacher Robert Wolfall they celebrated Communion.
Oven-roasted turkey The origins of Canadian Thanksgiving are also sometimes traced to the French settlers who came to New France with explorer Samuel de Champlain in the early 17th century, who celebrated their successful harvests. The French settlers in the area typically had feasts at the end of the harvest season and continued throughout the winter season, even sharing food with the indigenous peoples of the area. As settlers arrived in Canada from New England, late autumn Thanksgiving celebrations became common. New immigrants into the country, such as the Irish, Scottish and Germans, also added their own traditions to the harvest celebrations. Most of the U.S. aspects of Thanksgiving (such as the turkey), were incorporated when United Empire Loyalists began to flee from the United States during the American Revolution and settled in
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Pin-Up of the Month Photography by Chrissy Sparks at DOLLHOUSE Photography www.dollhousephotography.co.uk Model: Miss Jessica Holly Lingerie: Pearl boudoir MUAH: Zaneta Swiatlowska PINUPS BY NATASHA ADONZIO
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Brodian’s Banter GENERATION GAP- JANUARY 2015 GENERATION GAP? It’s both odd and interesting now how the older generation as well as the younger generation do and don’t see eye to eye on modern music. There are plenty of popular acts that have been around for over twenty years – not just the rock acts but some of the R n’B hip hop culture too. One of the complaints of the older generation though, is that a lot of rough elements in both the music and imagery have become part of the popular culture. This is nothing new. Parents were complaining about this in the 70’s with the long-haired, loud rockers who were popular at the time. John Lennnon said, in one of his final interviews, that in the 1950’s they thought that the kids and their music, along with their clothing styles (jeans were unpopular then) were signaling the end of the world. Imagine if you were born in the 1860’s – think of what you were seeing by the time you were turning 60 (1920’s). Think about it. Back in the 1860’s, you were surrounded by what we now call classical music and by the 1920’s you were seeing things like ragtime/swing jazz, women in shorter skirts (unheard of, even in the 1910’s!). And, as far as signals of the world coming to an end – there’s the Nostradamus quote “And death shall reign from above” (airplanes dropping bombs during WWI!). Nothing ever changes. In 20 years, something else will come along (I hope) and whatever we have today will seem totally corny by the standards of the future. And, undoubtedly, Nostradamus will be used as a reference point of any argument to show that things are about to take a turn for the worse. It just never ends. Just a quick note: all the aging pop acts that are around now will be too old in 20 years so - I’m guessing SOMETHING new will have to come along!!!
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT LOCAL INTERVIEW WITH MUSICIAN SCOTT MERRING Alexxis Steele
BY ALEXXIS STEELE
A.S: Hi Scott, where are you based out of? S.M: Easton, Pa A.S: How old were you when you got interested in music? S.M: I was pretty young, maybe 6 or 7 and I discovered Kiss... It was all my mother’s worst nightmare from that point forward! LOL...I know it’s probably a cliche’ now for my generation to say this, but I was obsessed with that band, listening to the first handful of their albums every chance I could...at 10 years old I started playing trumpet because my parents refused to get me a drum set because of the noise. Not that trumpet was much better they discovered! LOL...Unfortunately you can’t be cool and play trumpet to Kiss songs, so i switched to guitar by my teens.
S.M: Currently just writing my own tunes in an all original hard rock studio project we’ve dubbed Site Unknown...we’ve only played one benefit so far but hope to book some shows in 2015. I’m actually going in the studio this week to mix our latest track...my other bands were mostly cover bands through the 90s-2000s, Heaven Awaits, Lefty Lucy and The Shaft were the “big 3”. A.S: When did you first start teaching music? S.M: In college, it was a good way to make some extra cash...I had 3 students. A.S: What motivates your desire? S.M: Good question, I’m not really sure! LOL... listening to and playing music has always been my favorite thing to do, more than anything. You can get lost in it and be sitting right in your room. It takes you on a journey if you let it...Keith Richards is quoted in his biography as saying he can quit any
A.S: Who were your earliest musical influences? S.M: Kiss, AC/DC, Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath... mostly 70’s era hard rock. Later when I got into guitar it was 80’s metal like Iron Maiden. A.S: What instruments do you play? S.M: Guitar and bass now. Trumpet a long time ago in a Galaxy far, far away... A.S: Do you come from a musical family? S.M: Not at all...they still don’t know where i got the infatuation from lol. A.S: What is your favorite brand of guitar to play ? S.M: I seem to be most comfortable on a Fender strat, although I own many different brands..Ibanez, Gibson, Jackson...but I still love my strat best. A.S: What bands have you played in, and are you still performing now?
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drug he ever tried but he can’t quit music. I found that to be very deep, I mean this guy is an expert on both! LOL...and it’s probably the truest thing I ever heard. I could never stop listening to music, it would be like not breathing... A.S: Where do you currently teach at? S.M: Dave Phillips Music & Sound in Phillipsburg, NJ A.S: What does it mean for you to you to teach children how to play? S.M: It’s pretty incredible. I have students from 7 years old to 70 years old....literally. And they all make it a very fun and unique experience...but seeing a kid grab onto a musical concept and run with it is special because watching that connection happen takes ME back to my own first experiences. It’s watching the birth of discovery and it’s magical.
next 5-10 years? S.M: Attending the next Kiss reunion tour of course! LOL....seriously, if I get to keep doing this for a living, it’s the next best thing to being a rock star. I mean, I play music for a living...am I rich? Nope. But I love what I do. I guess that means I’m successful. A.S: Where can people reach you that are interested in receiving lessons? S.M: Through the store or I’ve had people contact me directly through my Twitter and Facebook accounts: https://www.facebook.com/scott.merring http:/www.twitter.com@MerringScott
A.S: Where would you like to see yourself at in the
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Stage Fright: A Long Road to Recovery
about how you made that one finger slip and all
By The Gypsy Poet
ridicule would be horrendous.
You live in that fear that fear that controls your life at one moment in your life It is the fear of doing what you love doing But you cannot do it Because you live in that fear of how the audience will react when you actually accomplish the one thing you love to do. That, for me, is making the piano sing-For years, I lived with that fear since 2004-I went to school to write and arrange music, but I could not perform my first concert because I was plagued with this fear that I never had in my life.
the practicing you did would just fly out the window... Pain would be nonstop, the That is called stage fright.--It is an emotional issue that you live with because your nerves get the best of you and you cannot do what you love and hinders the love for what you do. So, in order to recover, it became best to teach-- the children became my guide to not being afraid anymore-That is where I learned to love again the art of playing piano. The children guided me, the fresh energy, the believe and the magic of the instrument once again. With that, I found my gift to play one more time.... Staind. *So Far Away* Piano Cover. S.E. DiGonis, The Gypsy Poet...
Https://m.facebook.com/story.php?stoIt hurts to want to play for an audiry_fbid=10204138276522650&id=139 ence, but you have that fear of making 7913439&refsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fm. a mistake facebook.com%2Fvideo.php&_rdr and the audience knowing about it, Steel Notes Magazine | 19
PUMA PERL: POETRY CORNER
Puma Perl
In celebration of the New Year, I offer up two poems from my first published chapbook, Belinda and Her Friends, which is the story of life on the Lower East Side “where life is cold but full of a transient warmth, where hearts are larger than you might expect” as described by poet David McLean in his blurb.
in the back of her closet
Belinda and Her Friends is based on people who lived and breathed downtown air in the late 70’s and early 80’s. Here is a little bit of the story.
drinking rum from a big bottle
went home to eat
that almost matched her red suede boots that sort of matched
On New Years Eve day
a red vinyl bag someone gave her
Cousin Willie finished the rum,
She found a bright red lipstick,
passed out on the bed
stopped by to get Judy who wasn’t there
Judy came home pissed off
Cousin Willie was alone
They killed half of it and she left
On New Years Eve day it was fifty two degrees,
drank the next day’s methadone both hers and Cousin Willie’s Belinda staggered around in her bright red glory imagining herself draped across a grand piano like in some movie
ON NEW YEAR’S EVE DAY
the programs were closed
She’d have stockings without rips,
On New Year’s Eve day
Abuelas in skirts and thick socks
all her reds would match
Cousin Willie bought a big bottle of rum,
pushed small children along
Imma hook it up this year, she thought
said he’d sell shots in the house to all the people who came by, make a buck so they’d have a little
tugging carts full of laundry and pork roasts The guys on park benches started drinking at noon
something something
Some of them looked
start the new years right
like they were going out dancing They tilted the bottles
On New Year’s Eve day
for the brothers upstate,
Belinda found a red dress
called the girls Betty Boop,
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This is gonna be my year
BELINDA’S RED DRESS Belinda had not seen her red dress since New Year’s Eve Day She found it in a pillowcase looking sort of clean
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and decided to wear it
nursing him and rolling joints
It was a rainy February Saturday,
The landlord pretended to smoke
a day when everyone stopped by Belinda’s house
Belinda, London Joe, and Evelyn locked themselves in the bathroom
JoJo’s friends were there
Belinda figured nobody
shouting and pushing each other
would see bloodstains
playing Star Wars with
on her beautiful red dress
broomsticks and paper towel rolls
The music got louder
Little Laura hid under the table
Everybody shouted over it
She didn’t like the big boys
Minerva danced with the baby
Cousin Willie sat on a stool
CoCo flirted with the landlord
wondering why he was
He put his feet up
growing smaller each week
on the torn recliner,
and if anybody had noticed
smiling, pretending to smoke,
Judy wore a blue bandana
thinking about how nice the place
Why am I in such a good mood?
would be, once he got rid
she wondered aloud
of Belinda and her friends
Cause you’re out of your smelly house, CoCo answered, popping open a beer
Belinda was flushed and pretty, just like her red dress The new landlord passed by, she invited him in No, he’s good people,
For more information about Puma Perl’s books and performances, you may visit her blog, www.pumaperl.blogspot.com and her Amazon sales page, http://www. amazon.com/Puma-Perl/e/B003VODDBK/ ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0 Books may also be purchased directly from the author.
she explained to her friends A young dude, he’s cool Minerva came downstairs with her new baby, sat in the middle of the floor
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Music Theory and Resonance by Matthew J Ricketts Music that speaks to us is in harmonic resonance with our own personal frequencies. Cacophonous music to one person feels in harmony with someone else because they each resonate at different frequencies. There are people who are half-steps above and below us, with whom we may broadly share the same taste in music; yet, others may be octaves above or below our personal frequency and we may have no interest in anything they listen to at all. While words have meaning, the music’s frequency of resonance can overpower or cancel out the positive or negative effects of the lyrical content. The harmonics of the human voices with the instruments becomes more important than the message in the languages of men. Lower frequency music tends to have dissonance, disorganization, and lack of harmonic resonance. Higher frequency music is based in sacred geometry, harmonics, deep music theory, and often use instruments tunable to 432Mhz. Music can energetically catalyze change within us and raise (or lower) our personal frequency. What you listen to matters, but not in the way most people realize!
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JOHN FOGERTY PICTORIAL BY BOB KLEIN SANDS EVENT CENTER, BETHLEHEM,PA
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ARTIST TO WATCH Artist: Michele Blanchflower Genre: POP Location: Boston, MA
Although a new member to the pop music scene, the passion and determination to succeed has followed Michele Blanchflower throughout her entire life. Her musical beginnings began in Elementary school with the introduction to Clarinet that built a strong foundation in Music theory. After 7 years of continuous study,She discovered that she wanted to move on to express her artistry with other instruments, she found herself being drawn to the soothing and tranquil elements of the guitar and the piano. At that moment, she found her true calling. Ignited by her fuel of creativity this is when the songwriting process began. Her heavy influences on the guitar include bands/acts like Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Guns N Roses, Sheryl Crow, and Stevie Nicks. During this time, singing had always been another outlet, but she was unsure if she “really had it” or not, it wasn’t until many years later that she would set foot in the studio to take vocal training. At this time, she had studied under Jodi Sylvester a renowned Opera-Classical Singer. Upon taking lessons, she had been also attending the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth where she then started to brush up on her Music Theory with Berklee and Umass Professor Marcelle Gauvin and attend more vocal training at the University with another classical voice teacher Marty Bizinkauskas. Michele had the innate ability to sing with her formal training, she has developed a style that spans from Classical-Crossover Music to Modern Contemporary giving her a very unique sound. Her singing influences include: Celine Dion, Lady Gaga, Sheryl Crow, Judy Garland, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Alicia Keys,Jewel and Christina Aguilera. She continues her everyday journey of working hard to be the best recording artists she can make of herself. She has performed in several musicals, plays, and in one local singing competition, now she is beginning to take her Pop act to the road around Boston this upcoming Month in November and December.
LEARN MORE ABOUT MICHELE
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photos by: Lisa Boisvert Wildside Photography www.wildside.me
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Spaceman Takes Manhattan by Michael Dorn On an unseasonably warm November night, 4 childhood friends from Jersey City went to Manhattan to see a Bronx native take over the BB King Bar and Grill. When we arrived, opening band, Steve Conte NYC, was about midway through their set. Admittedly, we weren’t there to see them. But the former New York Dolls guitarist obviously had a strong following, and seemed to leave his crowd pleased. At 8:30pm they ended their set, and the stage crew quickly rushed the bands gear off the stage. Then we waited. And waited. And waited some more.
There was no shortage of KISS classics, either. “Love Gun”, sung by Coogan, “Strange Ways”, sung by Wyse and Coogan, and 3 encores, “Detroit Rock City”, sung by Coogan, “Cold Gin”, and “Deuce”. In typical Ace fashion, he told a few stories and a few jokes. Just before performing “Snow Blind’ from his 1978 solo release, Ace said he wrote the song about cocaine, because “Everyone in the 70’s was doing it”. Then with a sarcastic tone he added; “Well, except Paul and Gene”. Other jokes were a bit too offensive to repeat. But not as offensive as the jokes he told during his drinking days, like his Flintstones joke. All in all, it was a great night for 4 childhood friends, who just happen to be KISS freaks. Ace always talked about time travel, and every time we see him we experience it, by traveling back to our “Flaming Youth”. Maybe we didn’t exactly “set the world on fire”, but one Bronx native did… Ace is back and he told us so!
-- Michael Dorn
At 9:47pm the words we waited to hear finally rang through the Manhattan club; “You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best. The Hottest Spaceman in the Universe, Ace Frehley!” The opening chords of “Rip it Out” pumped through everyone’s veins. Ace was clearly sober, and sounded great! About 4 or 5 songs into the night, Ace introduced guest drummer, Anton Fig, joking that it was nice to play with a musician who actually played on his records. Band mate, Richie Scarlet, acknowledged the date, November 24th, the 23rd anniversary of the passing of Eric Carr, and they performed “Breakout”, a song written by Carr. Ace Frehley and his band, Richie Scarlet; Guitar/ Vocals, Chris Wyse; Bass/Vocals, Scot Coogan; Drums/Vocals, continued their musical assault with songs spanning Ace’s solo career, including, “Rock Soldiers”, “2 Young 2 Die”, “New York Groove”, “Gimme a Feelin’”, “Toys”, and the title track from his new release, “Space Invader”.
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SPOTLIGHT ON AMERICAN AUTOMOTIVE & RESTORTION American Automotive & Restoration is a full service classic car facility, located in the west end of Allentown, PA. They offer complete frame off restoration which includes engines, transmissions & interiors. Currently there are several American Classics for sale and plans are on developing a full Classic Car dealership in the future. In the works is a local TV show that will be aired nationally starring DJ Mike Mittman & JT Carter, of The Crests fame ( Remember 16 Candles?) It is a fun show about classic cars & the music of the 50’s and 60’s. Also coming soon to their location is AJ DAVIS, Official Celebrity Trainer/ Therapist, who Promotes Mind, Body, Spirit, and participates in Corporate Wellness Programs, Seminars and Expos. AJ will be opening a training facility at our location, open to the public, stay tuned for more details!
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RICHARD KARLSSON GENERAL MANAGER
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JT CARTER OF THE CRESTS PERFORMING
ERIK KROLL J.T. CARTER’S PUBLICIST
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JANUARY MODEL OF THE MONTH MODEL SARAH BENTMAN HAVING SOME WINTER TIME FUN PHOTOS BY ALAN OTTENSTEIN MD
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J GEILS BAND, SANDS EVENT CENTER WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH 2014
his band members for denying him the right to use his own name and planning a tour without him, and wants full rights to the trademark. Regardless of the situation, I thought Wolf and the rest of the band put on a great show, and I was quite entertained by what I heard and saw. I would not hesitate to see them perform again in the future! The current line up includes:
By Alexxis Steele
Peter Wolf - Vocals
Photos by Sheri Bayne
Seth Justman - Keyboards
I had not seen the J Geils band perform since my teenage years, when they played at the now defunct Philadelphia Spectrum, back in the early 70’s.
Magic Dick - Trumpet/Harmonica Danny Klein - Bass
The band’s biggest success was in the early 80’s with songs like Freeze Frame, Love Stinks & their #1 Us hit- Centerfold, before disbanding in 1985. Fast forward to 2014, I had the opportunity to once again see them perform at the Sands Event Center, Bethlehem, PA on Wednesday, November 19th. Although some of the naysayers may have a different opinion, I thought that the music, and stage presence were quite entertaining, even though the band’s namesake – John Geils, was not present at the show. Peter Wolf, lead vocalist had the audience grooving to the music, and singing along to their favorite songs, which I had forgotten was mostly bluesy, compared to their other material. It was not until much later in the show when they played their biggest hits from their 25 song setlist. I was surprised that they chose to add these songs more in the middle of the setlist, rather than more towards the end, like most bands do. The crowd was up on their feet singing and dancing to their most popular 80’s songs, Freeze Frame, and Centerfold. Wolf then schmoozed the ladies in the crowd by handing out roses during popular song Love Stinks, and his smooth interaction onstage with female backup singers Andricka Hall and Nichelle Tillman, proved he hasn’t lost his style. Unfortunately there was a lawsuit over band name rights started by John Geils, who is the group’s namesake and founder. Geils filed a lawsuit against
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J Geils Band- Bethlehem Sands Event Center
Encore 2:
Sno-cone
Must of Got Lost
Hard Drivin’ Man
Encore 3:
Southside Shuffle
Jus’ Can’t Stop Me
Homework
Encore 4:
(Otis Rush cover)
Love-Itis
Night Time
(Harvey Scales & The Seven Sounds cover)
Start All Over Again
Wait Sanctuary Cruisin’ for a Love Just Can’t Wait Pack Fair and Square Give It to Me Surrender Freeze Frame Detroit Breakdown Centerfold It Serves You Right to Suffer (John Lee Hooker cover) Love Stinks Lookin’ for a Love (The Valentinos cover) Whammer Jammer Ain’t Nothin’ But a House Party (The Show Stoppers cover)
Encore: Where Did Our Love Go (The Supremes cover) First I Look at the Purse (The Contours cover)
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PAIGE COLE MODEL,MAKEUP ARTIST AT BLACK CRIMSON EFFECTS STUDIO, AND DIVA AT VOW WRESTLING BLACK CRIMSON EFFECTS STUDIO Founded Jan 2013 We are a company that makes the impossible possible. Here we handle the make up, special effects, set design, web design, graphic design, and so much more for films, shows, and other entertainment purposes. www.facebook.com/blackcrimsoneffects
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Diva at VOW wrestling (VICIOUS OUTCAST WRESTLING) VOW (Vicious Outcast Wrestling) was created in 2012 with an idea to bring a mixture of many different styles from many different regions, under one banner. Styles include: Hardcore, Lucha Libre, Tag Team Wrestling, Women’s Wrestling and Pure Wrestling. Talent visits VOW from areas such as, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, North Carolina, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York, Michigan and more. VOW has also featured overseas talent from Mexico, Russia and Canada. VOW has also featured TV Talents such as Goldust, Devon Dudley, Robbie E, Gangrel, Eugene, Winter, Sabu and more. VOW is not your average wrestling show, it’s the way wrestling was meant to be, down right VICIOUS!
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Colicchio’s Corner by Victor Colicchio
Movie review, interviews with director’s John A. Gallagher, & Ahmed Kamal
Hi Readers, HAPPY 80th BIRTHDAY ELVIS PRESLEY. LONG LIVE THE KING This month I had the good fortune of being invited to a private screening of The Humbling starring Al Pacino. A Question & Answer session with Al Pacino, and director Barry Levinson followed the screening. Pacino was in good form. He was well dressed, sported a Rod Stewart-type of haircut, and was quite engaging. He was witty, funny, and spoke openly and honestly about his battle with drugs and alcohol. Pacino’s repertoire with the audience was both amusing, and insightful. I’ve seen Al in many different roles, and portraying a wide variety of characters. But I’ve never seen the Al Pacino that was in attendance that night. He was your typical Bronx Italian guy hanging out on a street corner. He was very cool, and quite different than the quirky characters he often portrays.
MOVIE REVIEW The Humbling. Starring AL PACINO. Directed by Barry Levinson. Q & A photos by CARLOS SANTIAGO
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There is one aspect of film reviews, which has always troubled me. I find it annoying when critics litter their columns with plot details. Do they do this just to have a larger column? Or do they do this because they really don’t know how to critique a film? Their reviews for the most part are usually nothing more than an extended film synopsis. I personally do not want to know what the plot lines are. I would like to experience the film first hand, and not have any preconceived notions prior to spending 15 bucks on a movie ticket. All I want to know is if the film was good or bad in their opinion. I want to know what they thought of the acting, writing, direction, photography, and that’s it. So in this review I will only critique those aspects of the film. The film it’s self is a must see. To start: The acting. Al Pacino is the main reason to see this film. As I said I’ve seen all of his films and
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in my opinion he is the most versatile actor of our time. He has played so many different characters, that every time I see one of his films I wonder if he will ever be able to top his latest performance. Wel let me say this – Al Pacino has done it again. His character (Axel Simon) in The Humbling allows Al to utilize everything he has come to learn as an actor. In fact he has added a new dimension to his skills as an actor. Comedy. You may not know this but Al did stand-up comedy in his early years, and his comical skills kick ass. As in most Pacino films one can never imagine anyone else playing his part. He owns every role he undertakes. The Humbling was filmed in 20 days for a humble budget of only 2 million dollars. The script was well written. It was unpredictable, and held my interest throughout. The photography worked, but reflected the low budget, and 20 day shoot. There wasn’t a single weak performance in the film. All actors did more than just hold their own. Not an easy task in a Pacino film. I loved the film and under Barry Levinson’s direction I must give The Humbling five out of 4 stars. (lol) GO SEE THIS FILM, or at least rent it. The Humbling (based on the book by Phillip Roth) opens on January 23rd 2015.
INTERVIEW WITH FILMAKER JOHN A GALLAGHER - A Director to die for Writer/Director John A. Gallagher is tech savvy when it comes to filmmaking. But John is more than the typical directors today who use technology to make their films. John is an actor’s Director. He has an uncanny eye for the techy bullshit – camera, sound, etc. But he actually edits as he films. He knows what he wants and how to get it. He allows the actors to bring their personal point of view to their characters. But when the actor is finished ,John suggests different ways to interpret the dialogue. He does this by telling the actor what their inner thought might be. For instance, I worked with John on a film titled THE DELI. I did my scene and John asked me to now play the scene as if I had been up all night drinking. I nailed the part under his direction. I first met John at an audition for his film STREET HUNTER. I arrived 4 hours late and was told by casting director Judy Henderson, that all roles were cast. I was too late. But John (for some reason unknown) asked me to audition. I did. John then told me he would write me into the script. I didn’t believe him. John Leguizamo was also present at my audition. He nailed the lead role. It was his first film. Mr. Gallagher then invited John and me to a oneman comedy show. This man was cast in John’s first film. They were college buddies. This man was married. His wife was with child. He needed money. John bought a shit load of tickets and invited all of us to see him and support him. The man/comedian
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was more than just funny. He was cutting edge. He was on a new wave of comedy. The man I refer to was, and is, Dennis Leary. After the performance I recall John Leguizamo saying “That’s what I want to do”. Over the next few years John Gallagher and I attended many performances of Leguizamo’s. We watched him over and over again as he perfected his show. I have attended many of Johnny Legg’s Broadway shows over the years. Let me tell you this... Johnny Leggs never changed. He is not a celebrity or movie star. He is an artist. He is a friend. Spike Lee cast him in my first screenplay SUMMER of SAM. I wanted an Italian for the role, but John’s acting in the film was outstanding. The reason I am telling you this is because John A Gallagher has discovered quite a few unknown talented actors. He discovered most of the Sopranos. Dennis Leary, and John Leguizamo to name a few. Last year we almost lost John Gallagher to a house fire. He narrowly escaped being burned alive, and spent months in a coma. I give credit to all his friends and admirers for their prayers. I was extremely depressed at the possible loss of a good friend. A pal o’ mine. A few months ago I received a call from actor/ producer/former NYPD officer Steve Stanulis. I had worked with Steve on his previous film LONG SHOT LOUIE. He wanted me to play a role in his up-coming feature “THE NETWORKER”. He told me it was low budget and the pay wasn’t good. I was hesitant to accept the role as I was going through some drastic personal issues at the time. When Steve told me that John Gallagher was directing the film, I replied that I would play any role for free in any John Gallagher Film. I was lucky enough to work on the first day of filming. I arrived an hour late. I walked onto the set and saw my friend John. It was weird to see a friend who spent months on death’s doorstep. I didn’t know what to say. I just blurted out “John, you look better than I thought you would.” I kissed him on the cheek. Not in a gay way (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but in an Italian way. Here is my interview with my friend, my director John A.Gallagher.
VICTOR COLICCHIO: When did you know you wanted to make movies?
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JOHN GALLAGHER: When I was a little kid I used to watch The Million Dollar Movie on New York’s Channel 9. Every night for a week they showed the same movie – for example, King Kong (1933), The Informer (1935), Fort Apache (1948) – and I’d study them. I used to tape record the credits off TV, write them down on index cards along with notes on the film, and without realizing it, gave myself an education in our film legacy. It’s not movie trivia – it is our cinematic heritage! I was only seven or eight. I didn’t want to be John Wayne, I wanted to be John Ford.
VC: When did you start making films? JG: Eleven years old, using my dad’s Super 8mm camera. They starred my kid brother Vinny, action and horror stuff. I went to school at Emerson College in Boston, and started a film magazine called Grand Illusions that enabled me to meet and interview legendary filmmakers like Elia Kazan, Francois Truffaut and Steven Spielberg. Later a book of my interviews was published, Film Directors on Directing, and was used as a standard text in many film schools. I learned so much from these incredible artists. A lot of my interviews (Dennis Hopper, Lee Marvin etc.) can be found on YouTube.
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VC: What do you consider some highlights of your career as a filmmaker? JG: Getting any movie made is a highlight … in my case I’m especially proud of writing-directing The Deli, Blue Moon, Men Lie and Street Hunter, and most recently directing The Networker, and working with actors like Ben Gazzara, Stacy Keach, William Forsythe, Sean Young, Michael Imperioli, Ice T, Brian Vincent Kelly, Rita Moreno, Burt Young, Steve James, John Leguizamo, David Johansen, Gretchen Mol, Alanna Ubach, Chris Noth, Tony Sirico, Vincent Pastore, Frank Vincent, Debi Mazar, Matt Keeslar, Zach Braff, Joseph D’Onofrio, Mike Starr, Iman, Michael Badalucco, Judith Malina, Jeremy Luke, Deb Twiss, Natalie Knepp, Al Sapienza, Heather Matarazzo, Steve Stanulis, Samantha Scaffidi and virtually every other actor I’ve ever directed (with one nameless exception) … and you!
VC: Who are your greatest influences? JG: Ford, Wellman, Walsh, Hawks, Capra, Lubitsch, Sternberg, Garnett, Vidor, McCarey, LaCava, Fleming, Van Dyke, Wyler, Wilder, Welles, Kazan, Wilder, Cassavetes, Fuller, Penn, Peckinpah, Fellini, Rossellini, DeSica, Visconti, Wertmuller, Truffaut, Leone, Kubrick, Coppola, Scorsese, Bogdanovich, Sayles, Milius, Spielberg, Tarantino, P. T. Anderson, Mel Brooks, my frequent collaborator Sylvia Caminer, my screenwriting mentor the late Mark Carducci, and my late great partner Steve James. Steve and I only got to make one movie together, Street Hunter, but I still get asked about him and miss him every day.
tickled me.
VC: What surprised you most about making your first feature Beach House? JG: The fact that nobody died! We were kids, shooting down the Jersey Shore in the middle of summer. And the fact that New Line Cinema bought it!
VC: What is the quality you most admire in the people you work with? JG: Passion for the work, loyalty and respect.
VC: What is your greatest joy in filmmaking?
JG: Working with actors. I’ve been called an “actor’s director” – I guess that’s because I like to see what VC: Your film The Deli has become an indie cult comedy classic. The Soho International Film Festival the actor does first, then make suggestions. I agree with Spielberg that casting the right actor is 90% honored you with a 15th anniversary retrospective of the job. After that it’s teaching. I’ve taught film screening a couple years ago. acting and directing for 20 years and from those JG: It’s amazing – people quote the dialogue to me! classes have cast literally hundreds of actors. It’s a I get emails from people saying the movie reminds safe and comfortable environment to learn – not them of New York pre-9/11, a simpler, more innocent just for the students but for me. One on One in time. One of my favorite reviews compared it NYC has been my teaching home for many years. favorably to The Abbott and Costello Show from I emphasize improvisation, offer lots of practical the 50s with all the crazy neighborhood characters. career advice, and talk a lot about how important it I grew up watching that show so that comment
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is to know the work of the great actors and filmmakers who have come before (www.oneononenyc.com).
VC: What are you working on now? JG: I’m in post-production on a feature comedy-drama, The Networker, written by a terrific new screenwriter, Victor Ribaudo, and produced and starring our pal Steve Stanulis. It’ll premiere on the festival circuit this spring and I think it will appeal to a wide international audience. There are two other features ready for festivals that I love – Nick Brooks’ romantic comedy Sam, which I wrote with Nick and produced with Nick and Sibyl Santiago, executive produced by the one and only Mel Brooks; and Enchantments, an LBGTQ romcom I exec produced that was written, directed, stars and is produced (again with Sibyl) by the remarkable Kelsey O’Brien (who is also in The Networker and Sam), which I think will blow people away.
VC: I’ve noticed over the years you’ve assembled quite a filmmaking family. JG: Yeah, y’know, I’m very blessed to have such a creative tribe. And that extends to artists like Judy Henderson, the great casting director; my extraordinary composer Ernie Mannix; epic cinematographers like Craig DiBona, Phil Parmet, Bob Lechterman and Billy Klayer; legendary editor Craig McKay and young Alex Yew, currently cutting The Networker, from whom we will see great things; and the fantastic Torsten Neumann, head of Internationales Filmfest Oldenburg in Germany, called by the trades the “European Sundance.” Taking your movie to Oldenburg is such a reward; I’ve presented films there 16 out of 21 years.
VC: What’s next?
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JG: I’m directing a slate of 3-to-4 features for Stanulis Productions. Stevie and I have some exceptional scripts at hand. Additionally, my company 305 Media Group has a comedy that stars Joe D’Onofrio in a dual role written by Bonnie DeBonis and Joe Bonnie called Cooked; Bonnie and Joe’s fabulous ‘20s gangster/horror script The Horror at Yellow Hook; Jeffrey Gurian’s mob comedy Men of Violence; and Justin Little’s drama Santorini, written by Ken Cardwell and Jeff Carr. They’re all in various stages of funding, so whatever gets fully funded first is what goes first. And you know, Vic, I am madly in love with your new screenplay Waitin’ on Dion … it’s like you wrote it for me! You did, didn’t you? www.jgmovie.com
INTERVIEW WITH A JERKY BOY. KAMAL AHMED There is a time in every wisecracking New York city street kid’s life when making prank phone calls was a fun way to pass time. But Kamal Ahmed and Johnny Brennan made a career of it. And it was quite a career. Better
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known to the world as The Jerky Boys…this Duping Duo recorded their prank calls and began distributing their own Bootlegged tapes. These tapes found there way to Howard Stern, and the Jerky Boys went viral before Viral was a word. The Jerky Boys first album went Platinum, and was nominated for a Grammy. Eight million albums were sold before the Jerky Boys went their separate ways.Kamal left the recording business and went on to write and direct feature films.
VC: What were you doing pre-Jerky Boys? KA: I was a bouncer and going to cooking school.
VC: What are the perks of being a celebrity?
KA: Free eats & drinks, people laugh at your bad jokes, but the best is you get a hot chick every now and then.
VC: Tell me about the best day in your life. KA: When I got a letter from an old-age home where all the people were lonely or terminally ill. They said the Jerky boys CDs lifted their spirits and gave them something to look forward to.
VC: Why did the Jerky Boys end? KA: We hated each other mostly, but I wanted to pursue directing. VC: Name the films you wrote and directed. VC: Is there a reunion in your future? KA: No... but you never know.
KA: God has a rap sheet, Rapturious,1000 times more Brutal, Laugh Killer Laugh. Plus a doc called Artists of Hell’s Kitchen and a short.
VC: Do you engage in phone sex? KA: I do but it’s hard to find the wet spot on a cellphone.
VC: Are they Comedies? KA : Not really but there’s humor in all my work.
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VC: What is your most recent film?
KA: Get into comedy.
KA: Laugh Killer Laugh
VC: What advice do you have for young Directors?
VC: What advice to have for young comedians?
KA: Direct your vision. Not other people’s vision. Find your own voice and stick with it.It’s the only thing that keeps you who you are.
KA: Get into dishwashing.
VC: What advice to have for young screenwriters?
Kamal’s latest feature film LAUGH KILLER LAUGH stars WILLIAM FORSYTHE, TOM SIZEMORE, BIANCA HUNTER, VICTOR COLICCHIO . The film will be released in theatres April 2015.
http://www.attractionsmodels.com/
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COMING SOON
http://www.steelwavesradio.com/
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Interview with Indofunk Satish
photo by Viera Photographics
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Marlowe B West ... Ok Satish ... Let us consider your interview has thus commenced ... right here ... right now ... I have never before conducted an interview in this manner ... but ... under the circumstances this appears to be the way to go ... over chat messages on Facebook ... and it suits me fine ... How about you ?? ... For some cosmic reason you and your name have been circling my thoughts ... and ... I have set out to find he reason why ... I first ran into you a few months ago while scanning through a load of photographs ... I had just finally finished up my well sought after interview with Danny Ray and needed some pictures of the awesome sax player to complete the job ... Amongst scads of multi-tagged group shots your name kept flashing by ... I never knew which guy you were ... until one night you were at Sidewalk Cafe ... A lot of groups played ... Puma Perl was on stage and everybody and their mother ... and the horse she rode in on … was there … So the otter day I asked you if I could interview you and you agreed .. cool ... and then ... just last night I was there at Sidewalk Café again ... catching shows like Emma Zakareviciu & Anne Husick ...when that super photographer friend of everybody’s, Alan Rand, stopped by my table and handed me a Christmas Greetings postcard ... It was a close up portrait photo of you and Danny Ray playing your horns ... That was the clincher .. I figure I will send this to you with a leading question to get things rolling ... We can use a casual pace ... soon momentum will pick up and I will be able to find my direction ... For now I will start by asking you.. Where, when and how were you inspired to play trumpet ???
Indofunk Satish That seems like an exciting question, but I’m afraid the answer is about as banal as they come! (First of all, I play trumpet...) In my school system in the suburbs of Boston, the band program started in grade 5. Since band was the “cool” thing to do, I decided to play an instrument. I was non-committedly wavering between sax and trumpet (clarinet and flute were too “girly”, trombone was not “cool”, and drums ... well, it took me until I was 35 years old to
finally convince myself that I could play drums!) and then the fatal moment came when I was in the band room, surrounded by all the rental instruments we could choose to play, and for reasons I don’t even know to this day, my hand reached for a trumpet, not a sax. Maybe that’s why I always love playing with sax players! Next question!!
Marlowe B West This may take a while as I am currently engrossed in a bunch of other things ..but ... not very long ... I am glad you already jumped onboard ... thank you ... I feel very enthusiastic .... The next time I will hit you with several more questions ... so plz bear with me .. this is gonna be GREAT !!! ... btw ... sorry I said TROMBONE ... Do you have any major influences and what is your favorite style to play ?? .. Do you write any of your own music and do you have any recording studio stories you would like to share ???
Indofunk Satish Some people say they listen to “all kinds of music”. But when I ask them, what they think about bata drumming, or Bi-Aka tribal music, or traditional Brazilian street samba, or the differences between Javanese gamelan and Balinese gamelan, they don’t know what I’m talking about. I truly believe that I listen to ALL music. So it’s hard to pinpoint my major “influences”, but since I live in America and largely play American music, I can say that my primary influences as I was growing up and playing trumpet
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my own projects way back in the days of tape, when the engineer wanted to make a physical splice on the master tape (the master tape! which I had poured all my time and energy and money into!) and I told him no, please don’t risk it, but he was insistent, telling me how he was very experienced at it and not to worry at all and then started telling some jokes and while we were all laughing and not paying attention suddenly SHOOMP! SHOOMP! Two cuts made! Ends rejoined on the diagonal and taped together! Playback initiated and wouldn’t you know it, it was the PERFECT splice! I don’t think he even looked at the tape while he was telling jokes! :D I’m sure I can come up with more stories, but it’s getting late and I’ve had a long day (actually just came from a studio in Harlem tracking some old Motown horn lines). I look forward to the next round of questions!
Marlowe B West have been jazz (from the 50’s to 80’s), funk, fusion, and Indian classical music (both Hindustani and Karnatik, but mainly the latter). If I were to name one name above all else, it would have to be Miles Davis (who just so happened to play all of the above ). As far as my favorite “style” to play ... I’m not sure if this is a style, but when I fire up my tamboura synth (drone), pull out my Firebird slide trumpet, send it through a half dozen guitar pedals, and start improvising on a raga, that is when I am happiest :)
I write and produce a lot of my own music in my home studio, which I post on my Soundcloud and/ or Bandcamp page. I’m also a sideman on well over 100 studio albums (I started to count one day, even just the albums that I *remember* doing, and after I got to 100 I just gave up because it’s a Sisyphean task). Most of the sessions are highly forgettable, done for a paycheck with all rights and memories happily signed away, but there are a few that I remember fondly, like the time I recorded a suicide-inducing dirgey cover version of Britney Spears’ “Oops I Did It Again” (which was featured on the front page of the Britney’s website for a while) where I ended up playing not only trumpet, but also keyboards and acoustic guitar, or one of
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Your ardent participation is greatly appreciated ... Now that you have successfully gotten us all geared up to hear the amazingness of Satish ... How about listing the titles of your ten most favorite recordings ... Where, and if, available ... I would also be very interested to know what kind of an upcoming schedule you have ... Anything local here in Manhattan ... What are your favorite venues ... Who are your favorite contemporary musicians .... I have only been blown away by seeing and hearing you jam ... Do you have your own group ... Of all your musical interests I am most psyched about the jazz and blues ... and especially fascinated trying to imagine what you do with Indian classical ... You have your own studio ... How awesome ... Your world is saturated in music ... Any other interests ???
Indofunk Satish Yeah! These first 3 have been my favorite records of ALL TIME for most of my life: Stevie Wonder: Songs in The Key of Life, Michael Jackson: Off The Wall, Miles Davis: In A Silent Way. After that, there are of course thousands of albums that I love dearly, so I’ll try my best to keep the total down to 10 that truly changed my life ... my apolo-
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photo by Adam Maunter gies to all my favorites that I’ve had to cut out!!
Michel Camilo - One More Once; Chaka Khan – Naughty; J McLaughlin, P DeLucia, A DiMeola - Friday Night in San Francisco; Nitin Sawhney Beyond Skin; Bee Gees et al - Saturday Night Fever; Shakti (self-titled) and finally, I’m going to throw a shoutout to my boys in the Bay Area who recorded
an album that I keep on heavy rotation ... called Snailface (self titled).
As far as my playing schedule. This is the beginning of my “slow season” ... I’m usually super busy from April to December, then I got nothing between January and March. Which is a very good thing, not only because I hate cold weather, but also because
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photo by Aki com We had a great run from 2000-2005, and I think the music is still relevant. My current projects are The Nevermind Orchestra (http://thenevermindorchestra.com/), an all brass Nirvana cover band, and Urban Jungle (http://urbanjungle.bandcamp. com/), a long-distance recording collaboration I have with a guitar player/producer in Brazil. (BTW, to hear an example of me playing solo “Indian-style” music, listen to the track Thaanarupi on my Soundcloud page: http://soundcloud.com/ indofunksatish/) it finally gives me time to work on my music production! Hopefully I’ll have more tracks to post on Soundcloud in the next couple of months.
But I digress. Here’s my upcoming schedule: Dec 9-14: Finland tour with Mad Juana 12/16: Bowery Electric with Don DiLego 12/18: The Shop (Brooklyn) with The Nevermind Orchestra 12/20: Silvana with the DH4 Then nothing till 2/17 at The Way Station with The Nevermind Orchestra
I recently (in the past few years) developed a passionate interest in photography, and it’s developed (pun intended) into a real fascination with the whole photographic process. I currently shoot 95% on film, and develop my own film at home, often using alternative and experimental processes. You can see some of my output, as well as random thoughts on photography in general, here: http:// www.indofunkstudios.com/ Whew! I think that’s everything!!
Favorite venues: I have been extremely lucky to have been accepted into the Bowery Electric “family”, by dint of the fact that I play with Jesse Malin. It’s a great joint, great location, always has great music going on. Beast of Bourbon in Brooklyn is another great venue, they really care about the music and the musicians and make sure that they’re treated right, which really impacts the music as well!
Favorite contemporary musicians? Well, even outside of his music, I have a major boner for Dave Grohl. He’s outspoken, a famous “nice guy”, and stands for all that is good in music. Other big-name artists? Electro-jazz-pop-art-fusion artists like Portishead, Metric, The Notwist, Mark Lanegan, and then Balkan fusion guys like Gogol Bordello and Balkan Beat Box. On the more jazzy jazz side, I recently heard Snarky Puppy and I love those guys. I also love all the Daptone cats, Sharon Jones, Budos Band, Menahan Street. As far as my own projects, I still pine for my now-defunkt Indian-fusion band Indofunk (from which I derive my stage name). http://indofunk.bandcamp.
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Marlowe B West ... Thank you for giving us your personal favorites list ... It is very ‘telling’ of the extremely wide expanse of interest in your musical mind ... which I find interesting beyond comment .. but ... either I worded it incorrectly or you misinterpreted my question ... which is more than perfectly fine because we managed to cover a whole other facet I was trying to narrow down and find out the titles of maybe ten tracks of your own recordings so I could look them up, get them and listen to them ... I know what you mean about having time to do your own thing because generally ... in my life lately ... everything and everybody else’s things come first ... it’s ironically immortal ... but due to the laws of gravity ... on this sphere ... we must all get along and help one another and love one another to keep things spinning ... I am a writer and song writer and singer ... I let my heart fly out there through my work I really enjoy it all ... I feel you intend to come up with an album of your own.
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Indofunk Satish
... Thank you immensely, Satish ... It is a pleasure ....
Ahahaha yes I completely misinterpreted your question! :D But I’m glad that I did, it gives you more material to work with. Ok, so tracks that *I* recorded that I love! Here we go!! (roughly in chronological order)
I am already sailing on Pass The Chillum, Dude ... Where are you from ???
Indofunk - Pass The Chillum: http://indofunk.bandcamp.com/track/pass-the-chillum NYC Papermill - Battle on the Sacred Mount: https://soundcloud. com/indofunksatish/battle-on-the-sacred-mount Satish - Thaanarupi: https://soundcloud.com/ indofunksatish/thaanarupi The Royal Scottish Rastafarians - Northern Invasion: http://satish. bandcamp.com/track/northern-invasion Satish Kick It: https://soundcloud.com/indofunksatish/ kick-it Satish - Raga Charukeshi: http://satish. bandcamp.com/track/raga-charukeshi Urban Jungle - Eastern Dub: http://urbanjungle.bandcamp. com/track/eastern-dub Urban Jungle - Kalindi: http://urbanjungle.bandcamp.com/track/kalindi The Nevermind Orchestra - About A Girl: http:// www.reverbnation.com/thenevermindorchestra/ song/17539250-about-a-girl
Boston ... but I have kind of an interesting story about “where I’m from” if you care to listen ...
That’s 9, and I reserve the 10th for a track that I’ve forgotten about and will tell you as soon as I remember!
Marlowe B West
Indofunk Satish
I was born in Connecticut, a fact that I don’t admit to very many people, because, well, Connecticut : Then when I was 7 years old we moved to a suburb outside of Boston, which is where I first started playing music, and was lucky enough to have a great public school music program... Then I went to college in Boston, Tufts to be specific, but not for music. I got a BSc in biology, because that’s where my passions lay at the time... Then I went to grad school in Madison, Wisconsin. Why Madison?? Because they have one of the best Molecular Biology programs in the country. I was in it for the long haul, direct PhD program, what what??
But then people found out that I played trumpet. And not too bad, apparently. Good enough, in fact, to be one of the top 3 trumpet players in the entire state. So I got all these gigs with all these bands, and decided that... Music is cooler than biology! So I promptly quit grad school (but not before finagling a Master’s degree in Molecular Biology, so you have to call me “Master” from now on ;) ) and moved to NYC to be a working musician! (not the absolute best choice in retrospect, since I knew exactly zero people in NYC at the time ... but since NYC is the place that I was born to be in, it’s definitely best that I came here as quickly as possible :) ) So there’s my life history in a nutshell!!
Marlowe B West
photo by Alan Rand
... Okay then, Master Satish ... It certainly is an improbable twist of fate ... I find that most intriguing ... I look forward to hopefully meeting you for real one day ... As a matter of fact I felt that the moment
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I first felt the sudden pelt of your unique sound ... blasting through an unorganized jam onstage at Sidewalk Café a few months back ... powerful, sharp and clear .. a deliberate break in the ice .... and I thought ... perfect for this song I wrote in some past lifetime ... a real jazzy bluesy slinger called I Know About Love ...
Indofunk Satish Well since I feel that I “introduce” myself to people through my music, I’d say we have formally, and officially, met! We should definitely hang out for a while and really get to know each other, but the ice is most definitely broken! I will see you after I get back from Finland with Mad Juana !!
photo by Peter Shafer
photo by Scott Grudman
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photo byMars Sister
photo by Sergio Cruz
photo by Candy Blue
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KEN SAGOES GIVES BACK By Scott Brandon Scott Brandon Before we get to the main point of this article, I must start by saying that so far, all of the celebrities I have had the pleasure of speaking to have been just that… a true pleasure! Their genuine humility is a complete contrast to the Hollywood lifestyle mainstream media likes to publicize. Some, like Ken, even choose to ditch more modern technology like cell phones. Perspectives like that can also be traced back to stars like Michael Landon, who reportedly never had fancy things like trailers on his sets, and instead chose to use the money he saved on a huge post-season wrap party, to thank everyone for their hard work and dedication. But Ken has taken his motivation even further. Inspired by a lady who (apparently, in her own opinion) had no reason of her own to be panhandling in the Atlanta, Ga neighborhood known as The Bluff Ken grew up in, Nightmare on Elm Street’s “Kincaid” founded The Giving Back Corporation in 1997, which awards scholarships to deserving under-advantaged youths. The GBC’s efforts have even been recognized by high profile political officials, including former US President Bill Clinton. Among GBC’s staff members, the other name most recognizable to me is actor Bill Cobbs, whose many roles include that of the man who kills Wesley Snipes’ character Nino Brown in the 1991 film “New Jack City.” Ken’s community involvement is something his Hollywood achievements afford him the ability to do. Ken wrote the Disney Channel original movie of the week “On Promised Land”, which received five Cable Ace nominations, earning him Best Family Screenwriter. Ken is also a former staff writer for Paramount Television. In between Nightmare on Elm Street 3 and 4, Ken landed the role of Darrel, best friend to Maurice, played by Ken’s then-real life roommate Martin Lawrence, in the first-run syndi-
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cation series “What’s Happening Now!!” Hollywood reports at the time led audiences to believe Ken’s character was there to replace actor Fred Berry’s character, “Rerun”. During our phone conversation, Ken assured me that although “Rerun” left the show the season after “Darrel” turned up, that was never the intention. The two characters are very different. Ken also described an unfortunate incident between himself and his Nightmare on Elm Street 4 co-star Tuesday Knight, who replaced part 3’s Patricia Arquette in the role of Kristen Parker. When filming the blu-ray documentary “Never Sleep Again”, Ken stated that Patricia Arquette’s perfor-
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mance was amazing. But he also described how he thought Tuesday Knight’s (another friend of mine) performance gave the character even more “brass”. Unfortunately, Ken’s comments praising Tuesday’s performance never made the documentary’s final cut, and Tuesday was now of the impression that Ken did not care for her. Thankfully, they have since communicated and straightened the whole thing out. Once again, I must stress what a true pleasure it was talking to Ken Sagoes. We agreed to keep in regular contact, as I do with so many of those performers who enhanced my childhood with their talents. To learn more about Ken’s Giving Back Corporation, log onto www.GBCGivingBackCorporation.com. To hear the audio from our phone conversation, log onto www. PositivelyEnergized.net and search the keyword Sagoes.
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www.GBC-GivingBackCorporation.com
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REVIEWS by Jerry Saravia CRUMB (1995) Documentaries rarely capture so vividly the essence of its subject like Terry Zwigoff’s “Crumb.” The film is a haunting, hilarious and downright disturbing portrait of the one of the most phenomenal cartoonists of the 20th century, Robert Crumb, but it also carries the insights into a dysfunctional family and how one chose art to deal with his personal demons, to escape and become functional. Crumb is the creator of classic comic strip characters such as Mr. Natural, Devil Girl and Fritz the Cat, and also the creator of famous cartoon witticisms such as “Keep on Truckin’.” But “Crumb” not only documents the artist’s work but his scary, downright abusive childhood in a family that could drive anyone nuts. The family includes his mother, Beatrice, a former amphetamine addict (she passed away in 1997); his two brothers and his two sisters (the sisters refused to be interviewed for the film), as well as his vicious bastard of a father who died years earlier and physically and emotionally abused his children. One of Crumb’s brothers, Charles Jr. the oldest, is taking tranquilizers for his suicidal depression and still lives with his mother since he graduated high school (he committed suicide in 1992). Charles re-reads his favorite books, with a particular disdain for current authors, and is madly obsessive over comic strips. Max, the younger brother, lives in a run-down motel in San Francisco and is an artist who had a peculiar habit of pulling down women’s shorts in the street - he also sits and sleeps on a bed of nails. By comparison, Robert is relatively normal. Robert Crumb has been married twice and has one fully-grown son who dislikes his father’s emotional detachment. There is also a young daughter whom Crumb admits is “the only woman I’ve ever loved.” All this material fulfills the first half of the documentary - wait till you see what follows.
explains the literal and subtle meanings behind his famous cartoons and his more recent work, most of which is shocking, perverse and frequently touches on taboo subjects. What transpires is a clear understanding of Crumb’s incredibly hostile view of women, or so it seems, even though he very much loves women (their derrieres are always large, their heads sometime monstrous or carnivorous, and yet occasionally Crumb sees the beauty of a simple portrait without any semblance of grotesque qualities). One particularly aggressive cartoon titled “A Bitchin’ Bod” (with each panel shown very clearly) shows a guy who is given a prize - a headless woman by Mr. Natural with a mannequin’s head screwed on top of her neck. The guy has sex with her and has his way with her, feeling guilty all the same until Mr. Natural pulls her head out after unscrewing the cap! Anyone with a brain can see that the comic is not misogynistic at all and such potent satire can still serve its purpose in this current climate. Then there are the stereotypes of black people shown as mammies, including Angel McSpade
The second half of the film concentrates on Crumb, the cartoonist, the man and his artwork and
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who is treated like a wild animal by white people (the audience screening I attended was relatively mute and shocked by the depiction of Angel and a certain brand name for canned foods, the latter of which is hardly racist but rather a commentary on racism and how such racism is imported in advertising). Crumb doesn’t always aim to shock - witness the eloquence and passage of time of “A Short History of America” strip which shows how a dirt road changed into an industrial street with malls, traffic lights and an abundance of electrical wires. He also draws various sketchbooks on the inner-city people he sees and the women he adored in high-school - segments such as these are easier to digest for the average moviegoer and are quite funny. Crumb also explains his fascination and attraction to Bugs Bunny, whereas his brother Charles was obsessed by the child actor Bobby Driscoll from 1950’s “Treasure Island.” We see how Robert funneled his fears and adolescent sexual fantasies into his work. With Charles, we see excerpts of his comics where there
was more and more writing and gibberish and less and less drawings. “Crumb” is creepily, methodically fascinating and gradually becomes a disturbing film that had me hooked from the opening shots of sculptures and figurines of Crumb’s cartoon characters to the end where he moves to France with his wife, feeling no remorse for moving so far away from his mother. It is almost impossible to know how to respond to Robert Crumb himself - the film doesn’t condemn nor condone the work of the man. Despite the feeling and mood that is generated from his unhappy family and his delirious and controversial artwork, there is a general feeling of love and sympathy within him. By the end of the documentary, you’ll begin to wonder whether the man and the cartoonist are separate or one and the same. I have never forgotten “Crumb” when I first saw it in theaters in 1995 and, to this day, it is the single most penetrating and haunting document of an artist I’ve ever seen.
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REVIEWS by Michael “Jacobs” McKenna Note : Jann Klose has been nominated for a Grammy!!
JANN KLOSE “Mosaic – Special Edition” Jann Klose needs no introduction to those music purists who have experienced his awesome talents. This multiple award winning artist from Hamburg, Germany, now residing in the Bronx, is currently nominated for Album of the Year and Pop Vocal Album for the 2014 Grammy’s. His music is comparable to some of the masters as Jann is able to cross multiple genres with ease with his pop/rock flavored Multi-cultural roots music. His latest effort features musicians: Carrie Newcomer, Chris Marolf, Lars Potteiger, Leah Potteiger, Rob Mitzner, Patrick Carmichael, David Bendeth, James Frazee, Florian Opahle, Tia Roper, Megan Marolf that’s produced by Jame Frazee, David Bendeth and Jann Klose and recorded at Hobo Sound, House of Loud and Jann’s apartment in the Bronx. This Special Edition of “MOSIAC” contains 16 tracks that include 6 bonus tracks which will satisfy the appetite of listeners who are into punk, folk, reggae, rock and pop/alternative. The CD opens with “Make It Better”, a nice taste of urban-reggae married to an acoustic guitar and clean vox which sets the scene for a realistic story about issues we are exposed to in our daily lives. The rhythmic changes in the chorus are refreshing and energetic, love the hook! “You and I can make it better and help us cross that Great Divide”. Awesome track! “Know What’s Right” was co-written with producer David Bendeth and is a hauntingly beautiful song delivered in a way that shows Jann’s unique twist in the chorus line.
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“On and On” shows us the range in Jann’s talented pipes. Dynamic falsetto! One of best tracks on this CD, “Still” shows Jann’s mellow side with the acoustic guitar and his heartfelt lyrics that would melt a lady instantly! “Long Goodbye” and “Falling Tears” are two ballads that are very deep in nature the way he projects part of himself in each tune. “Four Leaf Clover” gives us an example of some of his wide-ranging influences. “Beautiful One” features Carrie Newcomer with vocals and Leah Potteiger’s violin on this country influenced number that has a perfect marriage of harmonies. “The Kite” features Leah Potteiger’s strings and some nice flute work by Tia Roper which enhance Jann’s vocals and story line perfectly. “Song to the Siren” sees Jann perform an emotional a capella rendition of this late Tim Buckley tune that honors this songwriter and musician in a magnificent way! AWESOME!!
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The 6 bonus tracks come into play here with the “Make It Better” (demo), “On and On” (demo), “Long Goodbye” (demo), “Falling Tears” (demo) and “Four Leaf Clover” (demo) are all done as an acoustic renditions that give new meaning and depth to these songs. Hearing both sides of these tracks reinforces my respect for this talented musician. The final track, “Anything”, previously unreleased, is an acoustic number that features a very heartfelt story line performed in a way that accents this creative and deep piece of music. The title “Mosaic” fits perfectly as it crosses genres with ease, shows that intelligent and creative penning of lyrics and presents the listener with Jann’s thoughts, experiences, and emotions all in one neat package. VERY WELL DONE! This is a MUST LISTEN! I give this CD a hearty 2 THUMBS UP!!!
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REVIEWS by Dana Saravia GROOVY UNCLE “PERSUADED” While online earlier this year, I noticed my musically savvy friend Raphael had posted a song by the band Groovy Uncle. Trusting his good musical taste, I played it and was so impressed by the title track, I immediately purchased the album and have been playing it nearly non-stop ever since. Started by longtime English garage rock veteran Glenn Prangnell, who remains the only constant member in the lineup, Groovy Uncle has recorded a few LPs since 2011 and have created some of the very best classic-style pop music in recent years. “Persuaded” once again features the vocal talents of Suzi Chunk, who also collaborated with Glenn on her excellent solo LP “Girl From The Neck Down” in 2012 and was featured on Groovy Uncle’s 2013 album “One Vowel Away From The Truth”. Suzi’s vocal contributions bring not only beautiful harmonies but a soulful, sassy energy also. This album features the addition of the vocal talents of Miss Modus on several tracks as well. The instrumental version of the title track starts the album, drawing the listener in with its smooth sophistication. The song feels much like a lost theme from a 60’s movie, which is appropriate since Groovy Uncle is about to take you on a trip through their world. “Barefoot in the Carpark” follows – a fun, frantic surftastic pop song with the chorus “Everybody’s lying in the sun” (which can, intentionally I’m sure, be taken a few different ways). The track more than lives up to the clever wordplay of the title and is one of the smartest pure pop songs I’ve heard in a very long time. “Should Have Been Mine” is a gorgeous melodically mournful song expressing regret over losing a lover. A standout track that in a perfect world would be a huge hit, it manages that neat trick of sounding both familiar
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and brand new all at once. “Your Weight In Gold” features Miss Modus on lead vocals over a musical track with a spaghetti western influence and lyrics that smartly question the value of continuing a bad relationship over one’s own self worth. “No Idea”, an orchestral composition featuring strings behind Glenn singing incisive, well-written lyrics, contains lines such as “hate the despair, sick of the hope” that explore loneliness and trepidation over daring to express romantic feelings and the wish for a deeper relationship with someone who’s already a friend. Miss Modus once again takes over lead vocals on “I Won’t Be Fooled By You”, an up-tempo declaration of wised-up independence which expresses the joy at the end of a bad relationship. An energetic song that highlights a rarely heard truth at how positive a breakup can be sometimes, especially from a woman’s point of view. It’s a strong closer for the first side. Side two starts out with “High Time” and Suzi on lead vocals. The gorgeous harmonies and strong harmonica playing make this a standout track. The next track “Wet Weekend” has a sound very reminiscent of John Lennon, circa the “Imagine” album era, both in imagery and instrumentation. A mid-tempo tune with lyrics such as “This could be the day the circus leaves the town, This could be a meeting of the minds”, “Feel I’m walking backwards down a one way street” and “What we get is rarely what we need” – it’s a song that deepens with each listen. “Pocket Of Concern” is nothing short of a 2-minute masterpiece. With its grooving melody and sharp descriptive wordplay, it calls to mind classic Kinks while being totally original. It’s my favourite song on the album - in fact, it’s easily one of my favourite songs of 2014, simply fantastic. It’s immediately followed by “What’s Going On”, a lovely duet between Glenn and Miss Modus on a song about lovers struggling to figure out where their relationship is and where it will go next. “You Look Good To Me” is a hopeful, upbeat song that a listener could easily find stuck in their head immediately after hearing it the first time. Lyrics
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such as “You seem like pure delight, Moonglow and Bakelite” are perfect, as well as an accurate description for this sweet pop gem. A version of “Persuaded” with lyrics is the final song. Miss Modus’ belting vocals add to the epic feel and film theme atmosphere of the song. There couldn’t be a better way to close the album out. An amazingly strong album from beginning to end, “Persuaded” is an album I’m very proud to include among my favourites of 2014. Songs this well crafted and lyrics this sharp don’t come along very often and that so many are on one LP is even more rare. Do yourself a favour and check out this Groovy Uncle album as soon as possible, it will definitely brighten up this winter season & quickly become a favourite year round.
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REVIEWS by Michael “Jacobs” McKenna RED GRETCHEN “Nobody” EP This Brooklyn, NY based psychedelic-infused/indie rock band has been rocking the city for 6 years playing their unique brand of originals simply for their love of music and having the perfect outlet for their creativity. They personally describe their sound “as expansive layers of melodic vocal harmonies over gritty guitars”. The influences run the gamut from Jimi Hendrix and The Paul Butterfield Blues Band to Pavement and Folk Implosion and encompass rocking blues and classic rock to folk and 90’s grunge. This wide range gives this act a plethora of choices and lends to a more creative product.
“Crystal Moon” reflects on what’s happening today in its makeup and composition, alternative radio would love this! “To Find Her” has a very simple folksy sound that is refreshing. “Jumper” is just totally incredible! Fans of the Red Hot Chili Peppers would go nuts over this! This EP shows me that you don’t have to be loud or overbearing, just plain creative and dedicated. The individual craftsmanship is crisp and precise, no extraneous variables here. WELL DONE!!
Red Gretchen features 4 very talented musicians that include Ronnie Wheeler on vocals and guitar; Nancy Pollak on rhythm guitar and harmonies; Anne Husick on bass and Shauna Westgate on drums. It is also stated that their lead guitarist, Ronnie Wheeler, is sort of a mad scientist as he expands their sound with alternative tuning, feedback and a bottle slide that generates some awesome effects and sounds. This second effort, a 6 track EP, comes at you strong from the door and grabs one and holds them throughout the entire program. “Nobody and Me” sees Anne kicking the bottom into a mid-tempo late 60’s underground sound with a retro-mod feel. “Darcy” is an alternative rocker with some interesting rhythm changes and cool guitar work. “Break It By” has a detectable British sound that one would have heard during the invasion back in the day. One of the best on this EP!
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REVIEWS by Michael “Jacobs” McKenna LIEDER Lieder EP Lieder (which means ‘Songs’ in German) has the distinction of being given its name by Hall of Fame musician Pete Townsend of The Who in the spring of 2007. That and the influence of The Who, REM, The Kinks and The Yardbirds is what has driven this trio since its inception. Their style of music has evolved from British and American Rock ‘n Roll into what can be described as high energy, rock-influenced power pop. The band includes Mike Kosturko on lead vox and guitars; Ron Pasanda on percussion and Joe LaPara on bottom and backing vox who together create originals with tight cohesion. The first track, “Doesn’t Anybody Care?” opens with a pulsating snare, some really cool rockabilly guitar riffs and a distinct retro 60’s sound on the vox. The string solo is slammin! “That Way About You” is really groovy! This Brit- influenced track could have been big back in the day! “It’s Out Of My Hands” has that signature NJ garage guitar sound that flows evenly with the vocals, bottom and power percussions. Way Cool! These 3 tracks take me back to those times when simple riffs, well-placed fills and full-sounding bottom ruled the airwaves. WELL DONE!!
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REVIEWS
by Michael “Jacobs” McKenna
TEN FOOT TALL “Get Back on the Highway” They are a rocking blues band hailing from Hopewell, NJ who have an impressive resume as experienced, talented musicians. Having played with the likes of The Marshall Tucker Band, Robert Hazard, Dave Mason and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Bernie Worrell, these indie artists, TFT, are ready to breakout in a big way. This all-original 6-track EP, “Get Back on the Highway”, was produced by Grammy-nominated producer/engineer David Ivory and features James Popik on guitars and vocals; Jeff Page on guitar; Luke Kessel on bass; Pete Nardone on keyboards and Andy Janowiak on drums. Guest musicians include both Pablo Ortiz and Chuggy Carter on percussion, Jeanne Yarrow on backing vocals, Robert Sands on piano and Joe Deninzon on strings. If you like The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Dead or Clapton, you’ll enjoy what’s on this CD.
box way cool, shades of the Charlie Daniels Band! The way the guitar talks, the precise percussions and kickin’ keys mesh is just sheer perfection. This track is bangin’!! The band changes things up a bit on “Wounded Angel” with a bit of an island flavor in a retro-mod feel that flows nicely. This shows me that this group of musicians is not afraid to show their versatility. This CD takes me back to days when southern-based rock ruled the airwaves and had a very unique feel and sound. It was like a resurrection of this genre brought back to life in a creative and very professional manner. EXCELLENT WORK! I give this CD a MUST LISTEN and 2 THUMBS UP!
The title track “Get Back on the Highway” opens with a keys/dual strings combo that accentuate the vox with tight precision and energy. This southern-rock based number makes one want to jump on their hog and rock hard. “Sleepin’ In The Devil’s Arms” takes me back to the day when rock ‘n roll was real and included multi-instrument solos ruled. Awesome harmonies! “Dragon On A Chain” packs a solid left/right combination that slaps you upside the head from the door. ‘AhoooooYea’! “All That Time Will Allow” reminds me a lot of early Outlaws or a Rossington-Collins composed number. The guitar work is just plain excellent. “The Road to Bonnaroo” is just totally out of the
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REVIEWS by Dana Saravia Stupidity, a smart, high-energy garage rock band
from Sweden, have been performing music together since 2005. They have steadily been gaining a well-deserved international following from their blistering live shows and albums. They’ve kept the momentum rolling with the release of their fourth full-length album entitled “Fore” in mid 2014. The opening drum beats of the song “King Midas” – which some listeners will recognize from the soundtrack of the Netflix series “Lilyhammer” – start off a powerful vibe that doesn’t let go. The rhythm section sets a steady groove while the guitars and vocals bring grit and snarl. This song was well-chosen as both a 2013 single as well as the CD’s lead off track. “On Fire” is next and it’s one of my favourites here. Melodic, sharp and danceable, it’s instantly memorable and a hell of a lot of fun. Next up is “Go”, a celebration of leaving a relationship and moving on – it’s a refreshingly positive break up song with a driving beat that feels like a car ride to freedom. The album’s fifth track “Run” is reminiscent of a spy film theme. The music expertly fits visually evocative lyrics such as “Distant steps are following me, Dark shadows are all I see, No future, no memory, In a haze, it’s a mystery, I’ve got to, I’ve got to run.” Makers of the James Bond films should definitely take note – this would be the best Bond theme there’s been in many years. The next track is “New York”, a well-written piece and an excellent addition to the many songs about the iconic city. The lyrics are accurately descriptive as the music lays out a dirty groove and feeling, especially when coupled with the city’s sound effects, which creates an authentic feel in every way. It’s followed immediately by “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get”, a solid rocking song with lyrics such as “Give you something you’ll never forget, What you see is what you get” – crank it up when feeling down for a nice blast of adrenaline and attitude. “Baby It’s You” is another fine addition to the album with its insistent beat and
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strong melody. It’s powerful and danceable garage rock at its finest. The closing track “Some Kinda Love” is the song that comes closest to capturing the vibe of the band’s live shows. Full of raucous, raw energy, it’s pure rock & roll that may very well make you want to start the album over again immediately. “Fore” clocks in at just a minute over a half hour and contains more solid, smart, organic rock & roll than many albums twice as long. It’s excellent from start to finish, a wonderful addition to Stupidity’s catalog and certainly a very welcome addition to my music collection. By far one of my favourite CDs of 2014 and one of the most aptly titled as well. Stupidity is definitely a band to watch.
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REVIEWS BRUCE KATZ BAND “Homecoming” The man is a master on the Hammond B3 Organ, an instrument that has been around as long as I have been alive. He can do things with that keyboard that defy description. He likes to physically lean into his keys as they are an extension of himself when he performs especially his two-part keys and bass lines. I witnessed this first hand live at the historic Godfrey Daniel’s in Bethlehem, his 9th appearance there since 1992. His ability to cross over into many different genres seamlessly was in evidence throughout the evening. Blues, Jazz, Classic Rock and R&B all made an appearance during his live show. I originally saw Bruce play during a show when he was part of Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters back in the day. Having played with greats such as Maria Muldaur, Delbert McClinton, Greg Allman and Big Mama Thornton, this CD is a return for Bruce to his roots as he jams with his regulars, guitarist/vocalist Chris Vitarello and drummer Ralph Rosen, and some very talented special guests on other tracks.
by Michael “Jacobs” McKenna
cool jams that will take one to a different place in time. “Wild About You Baby” is an Ellmore James classic that sees guest guitarist and vocalist, Jimmy Bennett, manipulate the frets with such perfection and along with Bruce’s keys and Jimmy’s vox give it that retro sound that generates high energy! “Blues Before Sunrise”, a Leroy Carr classic, once again gives John Hammond’s awesome vocals another run as Chris, Ralph and Bruce expertly expose their talents in tight perfection. “Time Flies” is a cool jazzy change of pace and sets this track apart from the other tunes nicely. The percussion is spectacular. “The Sky’s The Limit” is one of those numbers that just beckons you to the dance floor. “Just An Expression” is a funky/R&B/ Jazz masterpiece! “Won’t Last Till Tuesday” tells me that you just close your eyes and let the groove and vibrations flow over you. The final song, “It’s A Bad Time” takes you home with a highly energetic number that sees everyone playing hard and having a good time. Talent, experience and creativity are out in force in this excellent effort. Having seen the Bruce Katz Band live and also hearing his studio product gave me a better feel and appreciation for this well-produced CD. This is a definite BUY for the Blues enthusiast. I give this CD 2 THUMBS UP!!
Produced by Bruce and Ben Elliot, “Homecoming” contains 13 tunes that are wide ranging. The title track, “Homecoming”, kicks things off with an original blues-based instrumental that could be used as a soundtrack for a scene in a movie about the good old days on the Mississippi and the Delta. “King of Decatur” is a cool toe-tapping yarn about the king in New Orleans and his escapades. A classic Lightning Hopkins number, “Santa Fe Blues”, with guest vocalist John Hammond’s awesome vocals, sees Bruce tickling the ivories with that old-timey feeling. “No Brainer”, “Amelia” and “The Czar” are way
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REVIEWS by Michael “Jacobs” McKenna MARK LINDSAY “Life Out Loud” This world-renowned musician has been kicking it for the better part of fifty years, first with The Downbeats and then Paul Revere and The Raiders before he went solo in 1975. His credits are too numerous to name but everyone reading this has been exposed to his gold and platinum hits for generations. His vast experience and talents has given Mark numerous writing and composing opportunities over the years including a contribution to the 2011 Grip Weeds Christmas CD on the track “Santa Make Me Good”. His latest effort, “Life Out Loud”, has produced two singles, “Like Nothing That You’ve Seen” and “Show Me The Love”, that both garnered accolades as picks for Coolest Song in the World on Little Steven’s Underground Garage radio show.
guitar licks and the lyrics.. “You got your white china, black tar, brown sugar in the devils car”....KICKS ASS!! “Everything About You” has a cool psychedelic flair combined with an old Hammond organ that enhances the melodic flavor and the telling outro lyrics that are pounded into your head....”I love your supermodel walk, I love the trashy way you talk”. “Rainy Day Children” is a nice mid-tempo number that sounds eerily like The Hollies. “Ghost of a Girl” has a bit of a rockabilly sound that is refreshing. The next track is one of two that was released as a single. “Like Nothing That You’ve Seen” sounds exactly like a number I would have heard on the TV show “The Happening” back in the day! “Let’s Fly Away” could have been in Hit Parader as one of those ‘HIP Songs of the Week’. “I Can’t Slow Down” features that fat sax sound that resonates cleanly thru the percussion and old-time guitar riffs. “Don’t Stop” reminds one of the early 60’s sound that one would have heard at the old sock hops. “Rush On You” has that steady pounding beat and bottom twinged with the right amount of fret manipulation that runs through the changes with ease.
Recorded at House of Vibes in Highland Park, NJ, on Bongo Boy Records, this CD is all first-takes complete with mike ticks, amps buzzing and all the little imperfections which occurred in the studio. Mark said “I liked the way the sound was produced, it was very real.” In the end, no remix, no cleanup, it’s just the way it happened!
“New Thing” reminds me a lot of vintage Grand Funk Railroad and the driving power chords they used in their music. I really like this track as it flows cleanly and breaks down nicely!! The strings rock!! The next track is the second single from the CD. “Show Me the Love” is packed with power and energy. The keys are forefront as they invade your senses and the bottom just moves your dinner The players read like a who’s who! Mark Lindsay on around. Mark’s scream pushes it over the top!! SHIT lead vox; Gar Francis with guitars, piano, organ and HOT!! “Poco Loco Crazy” could have been recorded back vox; Mike Caruso on bottom and back vox; by any of the top bands in the mid 60’s and featured Richard X Heyman and Kurt Reil on various tracks/ on “HULABALOO”. J Geils would have had fun with percussion and back vox; Myke Scavone on the this track. One of the best on this CD!! AWESOME!! mouth organ; Mike McGinnis & Mark doing some “Merry Go Round (Christian’s Song)” would have sax work and special guest vocalist Steven Van made a nice track for The Lovin Spoonful. This is just Zandt....WOW! one of those where you can hear many possibilities. “Baby Come Back” has that Brit sound right from the Mark’s vox are heartfelt and deep as he projects himself throughout this tune. The story line is way door. The way the guitars wail is retro-mod to the cool! The composition is just totally ‘out of the box’. max! “Easy Street” is flat out 60’s harmonies, boss
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I heard the psychedelic sound, I heard some rockabilly, I heard rockin’ blues and I heard some precise musicianship from long-time veteran players who came together in a marriage of the 60’s Garage Sound and the British Invasion who put it all in the same bag and labeled it Retro-Mod. This effort was excellent in all respects and I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to review it. WELL DONE!! I give this 2 THUMBS UP!!
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REVIEWS by Michael “Jacobs” McKenna SMASHING PUMPKINS “Monuments to an Elegy” The music is predictable, but Billy Corgan is not predictable. This CD has some of the best music ever recorded by the band as they did not leave their signature sound behind but built on it and gave it a boost. They express their message with precise clarity and it has far more emotion that their previous effort, “Oceania”. Recently the band did a live show that debuted their new lineup featuring front man Billy Corgan, guitarist Jeff Schroeder, bassist Mark Stoermer from the The Killers, and drummer, Brad Wilk, a former member of Rage Against The Machine. The CD was not supposed to be released until 2015 along with “Day for Night” that will follow this offering next year. The first track “Tiberius” has the classic harmonies, keys and pounding percussion. The piano and Billy’s accapella parts rock! “I’ve seen the world upon a thousand dreams/ Your pyres of wonder can’t say what it means”. “Being Beige” features some awesome kit work by Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee as he is present throughout this effort. “Anaise” melds Mark Stoermer’s bottom, Lee’s percussion and stinging synth together in a perfect balance, Billy’s vox are clean as he is firing on all cylinders. Surprise! “Run To Me” has a pulsating Euro/Techno rhythm that wails and reminds me of vintage Pumpkins and Duran Duran, circa mid 90’s! The synth is HOT!! “Drum & Fife” is fantastic... “I will bang this drum until my dying day..” see Corgan and mates on backing vox kill this track with perfection! One of the best!
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The title track, “Monuments”, sees the veteran presence of Lee and Corgan coming together in an unlikely marriage that is producing a sound that is totally “out of the box”! Jeff Schroeder’s guitar fills were precise and rang clear over Corgan’s power chords. Speaking of chords, Corgan, rock’s nasally curmudgeon’s vocals, appeared to have been transported in time back to the early 90’s. He’s never sounded better, and rarely opts out of the high notes with octave adjustments. “Dorian” is the one number that has a alt/pop feel to it and is bit on the brighter side of New Wave. “Anti Hero” is just a stripped compendium, that in its steeliness achieves some eager, brute modernity and electric, addictive sounds. The opportunity was there. It was time to abandon the post-punk darkness of New Order and Depeche Mode like sounds and become enlightened in a bright new world of near-perfect precision. This CD is their BEST and is a MUST LISTEN! I give this effort a hearty 2 THUMBS UP!!
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RELEASES by Michael “Jacobs” McKenna THE GERI MINGORI BAND “Save Yourself” Human Recordz recording artist, The Geri Mingori Band, hailing from the Collinswood, NJ area, have been recording and touring for the past several years. Their rather large catalog of music is in the rock/alternative mold but also crosses over with bits and pieces of other genres that are added for additional flavor. Geri Mingori on vox, Blue Eagle on the skins, Mike Ian on guitars, Kenneth Todd tickles the keys and Jeff Seykotis on bass, are the core of the band that pen the music and lyrics and have been that foundation which has remained constant for 10 years. Their 3rd effort,“Save Yourself” is chock full with 16 tracks that are unique and distinct in their composition and offers the listener inspiration and vision throughout. “I Waited Forever” opens with a full sound enhanced by some nice acoustic rhythm guitar work and Geri’s telling pipes. Very tight multiple pitch harmonies! “I Can’t Fall Down” has all the parts in perfect sync, awesome mid-tempo tune! The chorus harmonies are powerful! “Peasant King” is loaded with nice keys that enhance Geri’s vox. The lyrics are fantastic, what a storyline! “I Remember” is a number that could cross multiple formats and has a cool sound! “Conquer” continues in the mold of the WOW factor like all the other tracks on this effort. “Goodbye” makes you want to grab that special someone and take them to the dance floor and hold them tight. “Dragonfly” evokes images of some of the great female vocalists who
have vast range and tonal flexibility, Geri is in good company! “Smile” is a ballad that could be used as scene music in a movie sound track! “Hit the Ground Runnin” gives me visions of Mary Ramsey in the way Geri uses the changes to project her vox. The title track, “Save Yourself”, opens with soft keys and telling vox that transforms into a mid-tempo rhythm that is enhanced by the strings and bottom. “Temporary Pain” explodes from the door with a heavier rock soundtrack which exposes other influences from the band. AWESOME! “Something Less Than Perfect” defies description! This track is just over the top cool! “You Can’t Stop Me” has a funky backing rhythm that is infectious. The vocal FX are out of the box. This would have CHR/ALT radio programmers soiling their shorts big time! “Little Things” takes one back a few decades to some of the tracks that were around in the 70’s. “Grain of Sand” leans to the alternative side with a refreshing taste of retro thrown in for good measure. Envision Delores O’ Riordan vocals and that’s what you will hear on this. “Temple” leans on dynamic riffs coupled with pounding percussion and some recognizable harmony lines. The vision of the band is very evident here in the creativity, composition and the story lines that one hears on this CD. WELL DONE!!
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CONCERT REVIEW
by Rhonda VanBuskirk
Gin Blossoms Live November 20th, 2014 Over 700 fans packed the 1921 newly renovated Capitol Theater in Clearwater Florida Thursday night. Some fans were getting into the spirit with the $12 cocktail of pineapple, sour and gin appropriately named “Gin Blossom”.R The concert kicked off at promptly at 7:30 with the song “Follow You Down”. Robin Wilson, Lead Singer, does not hesitate to get the crowd involved. Switching back and forth between the harmonica and his trademark tambourine, Robin claps his hands over his head to get the crowd up on their feet. Within seconds the fans were out of their seats dancing and singing. After the song ends an almost humble Robin says:
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“A standing ovation after the first song? That never happens!” Throughout the whole concert Robin continued to encourage the crowd to participate – even tossing a few extra tambourines into the audience and at one point even venturing off the stage to sing and high five fans. The band blasted through their hits with precision, like a well-oiled machine. Lead guitarist Scott Johnson and Jerry Valenzuela take turns with rip roaring solos and once in a while have a “riff”off. Bill Leens on bass and Scott Hessel on drums are the deep heart pounding rhythm section of the band.
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They guys put on a solid 75 minute show. The last song of the regular set was “Hey Jealousy”, a fun, loud, crowd shouting sing-a-long. The music tonight was heavily focused on their 1992 album “New Miserable Experience”, making it easy for Gin Blossoms put on such a top notch nostalgic show.
Play List • Follow You Down • Somewhere tonight • Miss Disarray • As Long as It Matters • Found out About You • Until I Fall • Learning the Hard Way • Lost Horizons
Borderlands: The pre-sequel Holodome DLC review
I had a lot of fun with this DLC, while I don’t agree with the price of $10 (it would be an amazing buy at $5) it adds a lot of new content and revitalizes the game of which I was getting bored. We start with the 10 extra levels, this allows me to have a lot of fun on Wilhelm now. Because he was just bad – he’s still bad – but at least I can experiment with more weapons than just lasers. This also allows me to use the cyber commando tree because laser guided is such an important skill I can have fun with the infinite vengeance cannon. The DLC itself? The starting of it is short but then you get to the bad ass round. This right here is totally worth the DLC itself in my opinion. You get a lot of fun challenges and then UVHM I have my issues with.
flakker and a skyrocket on crack, it hits like a mac truck but has a slight learning curve. Still not as good as the flakker (<3) but it’s a slightly better choice for mobbing. The T4-SR (aka taser) shoots projectiles that look like lasers, and no it does not get laser damage bonuses. But this so far has been a very good handgun. It has good dps but ammo can be a concern with it. The cry baby has to be my favorite of the lot but only because it is a really odd weapon, a friend of mine on the GBX forums wrote a thread about it located here: http://forums.gearboxsoftware.com/ showthread.php?t=400107 Last we have the Berrigan this is a weaker version of the baddaboom really, it’s a nice weapon but the rumor of it not costing ammo in untrue. I like this weapon on the simple fact that it was created as a remembrance to a friend of gearbox (you can find all details on the gearbox website) It’s a good replacement for the baddaboom if you can’t find one and it in my opinion looks cooler. It’s reload and fire rate are far better. We are currently doing dps testing for this item.
This time it’s easier than in BL2, I personally liked op8 and this is basically just higher health and higher shields, but don’t let that fool you… the badasses can still wreck your bad if you don’t focus on killing them first thing.
We also get two new class mods per character – Jack gets one that would make you drool!
Now we get to the best part the new weapons, they are all pretty decent in their own right.
Remember to check out my all intensive guide series called Dear Doctor Dumbass on the Gearbox forums and YouTube.
The boxxie’s reload is the special part: What it does in the range it’s thrown is based off how many bullets you have left in your magazine. SO… if you only fire one round off and then reload… it blows up in your face.
Anyway I rate this DLC 6/10 and it’s worth picking up for the extra levels and weapons alone.
Thank you for reading,
Blut Fatal
The plunket uses ammo out of the ammo pool instead of its magazine when you score a crit (one last thing is calling for this). The partyline is like a
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REVIEWS by Michael “Jacobs” McKenna IN THE PRESENCE OF WOLVES “Thalassas” Hailing from the Philly area, these rockers do not want to be known as a band who fit the mold others have carved out in the past. They challenged themselves to come up with a different, unique sound all their own through some ingenious creativity without the sword of Damocles hanging over their heads. In a time, a couple of decades ago when musicians were masters of their weapons, front men had serious force and range, drummers had huge power and charisma, guitarists were composing and playing the most impressive, virtuoso, monster guitar riffs and leads the world had ever seen and bassists shined as the stars of bottom. Loud as thunder in the stormy sky, not one, had a lazy station. It wasn’t considered to be an option. Songs had depth, passion and heart. Those days are alive again with In The Presence Of Wolves. The driving forces behind the band are Vini Stamato on bottom and Cris Capitanio on guitar. These two musicians have had a vision for many years and are now seeing it come to fruition with the additions of Mason Ingling on percussion and Justin Alexander on guitar which solidified their lineup.
tones, ingenious! “Palladium” is so unique that one has to listen more than once to grab the meaning and feel of the texture being offered. AWESOME! “Birdsong” defies description. One would think they are listening to one of the masters of rock music. The next three tracks compose a trilogy with a progressive story line. “Thalasses 1 – The Careless Abandon” opens with ‘I will search for you in this old wooden ship you left fully equipped’ then explodes into a guitar-driven masterpiece complimented by pounding percussion. The outro kick ass! “Thalasses 2 – What Dwells Below (The Portal)” is an instrumental that takes it another step higher with dueling guitar-driven riffs that blow you clear across the room. Edgar Winter would have been amazed at this! “Thalasses 3 – Back to the Surface” intros with way cool 2-stage piano work as the ivories are manipulated with precision. It breaks open with the end of this seafaring story with telling vox and shit-hot guitar solos. A three part masterpiece! In the Presence of Wolves have taken their music and elevated it past the next level to what I consider one of the top rungs on the ladder of creative sound. The music and the sounds generated are nothing short of INCREDIBLE! I give this CD a hearty 2 THUMBS UP!!!!
This 8 track CD, “Thalasses”, the name which emanates from the Greek mythology as a ‘primordial sea goddess’, is filled with energetic progressive rock fused nicely with metal overtones. “Man of the Times” is full of energy, explosive riffs and crisp vox. The changes are refreshing. “Storm in a Red Dress” is just totally ‘out of the box’ cool! Love the retro guitar work! “Hypoxia” is like nothing I’ve ever heard! Art rock with fused metal and classic over-
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MUSIC NEWS
by Michael “Jacobs” McKenna
LIZ LONGLEY SIGNS WITH SUGAR HILL Nashville, Tenn. (December 2, 2014) – Sugar Hill Records announces it has signed singer-songwriter Liz Longley. The artist’s eagerly anticipated album is slated for release in March 2015. “It felt like a dream come true and worth every second of the wait,” says Longley regarding her offer from Sugar Hill, “I am so excited about working with this group. It has become very important to me over the past few years to build a team that is trustworthy and hardworking, and they are just that. I can’t wait to see this album reach its full potential.” Longley’s self titled release was produced by fellow Berklee College of Music alum Gus Berry at Ocean Way Studios in Nashville, Tennessee and features three special mixes from Sugar Hill’s own Gary Paczosa. All songs were written solely by Longley with the exception of a co-write on “This is Not the End.” “For me songwriting is my therapy and these songs are almost like personal journal entries during that time of my life,” says Longley. She also cites her musical influences as eclectic, mentioning Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison and Lucinda Williams as inspirations for her own music. Longley believes her move to Nashville in 2011 had a big influence on the sound of this album. “It felt more like coming home to me,” Longley muses
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about her big move. The album features appearances by world class musicians including Michael Rhodes, Nir Zidkyahu, Tom Bukovac, Danny Rader, John Hobbs, JT Corenflos, and Marco Giovino, who boast previous work recording and playing with John Mayer, Etta James, James Taylor, Stevie Nicks and many other musical greats. “It was amazing and humbling having all of these talented musicians play on my album, and it was just mind blowing working with Gary,” says Longley. “He brought the songs he mixed to life. The vocal is so present and it feels like a more intimate performance, those details really show his genius.” Gary Paczosa, Sugar Hill’s VP of A&R, says, “I’m thrilled to have Liz on the Sugar Hill roster, from an A&R standpoint she’s a dream come true. Besides having a stunning voice, she’s a brilliant songwriter that possesses the capability to connect with the listener in a way that not many artists achieve. Her effortless vocals and beautiful melodies made this such an obvious choice for us at Sugar Hill. We are thrilled to welcome Liz aboard!” Longley hails from a small town outside Philadelphia where her nurturing parents encouraged her from a young age to take piano and vocal lessons. Later, after being accepted to Berklee, Longley packed her bags for Boston where she studied under the best and was even chosen to participate in a workshop with John Mayer. In the short time since her graduation Longley has developed a reputation as an accomplished songwriter having taken home top prizes at some of the most prestigious songwriting competitions in the country, including the BMI John Lennon Songwriting Scholarship Competition, the International Acoustic Music Awards and the Rocky Mountain Folk Fest Songwriting Competition. Longley’s music has taken center stage on a national level as well with several television placements on networks such as ABC and Lifetime and Sirius XM radio airplay. Sugar Hill’s General Manager and Senior Vice
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President Cliff O’Sullivan, states, “Liz Longley is an incredible talent, both as a singer and a songwriter. We’re thrilled to have her be the latest artist to join Sugar Hill.” “The outpouring of support and the money raised for this album through my Kickstarter campaign was incredible! I can’t wait for my followers to hear these songs in a whole new capacity with this release,” says Longley.
Pictured (from l-r): Megan McNair - Sugar Hill Director of Marketing and Media Relations, Liz Longley, Cliff O’Sullivan - Sugar Hill General Manager and Senior Vice President, Gary Paczosa - Sugar Hill Vice President of A&R, Ashley Moyer - Sugar Hill Manager of Artist and Media Relations
Sugar Hill is thrilled to bring such a talented songstress to the forefront of the musical stratosphere. About Sugar Hill Records Founded in 1978 by Barry Poss, Sugar Hill was recognized as “one of twenty-one labels that changed the world … reinventing country music” by Pulse. Now, part of the Welk Music Group and with its headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee, Sugar Hill has deep roots in bluegrass and Americana genres. The label’s 2014 releases include Lee Ann Womack’s label debut, Don Williams’ Reflections, Black Prairie’s Fortune, Bryan Sutton’s Into My Own and more. From festivals to record stores and all points in between, music fans will recognize the artists on Sugar Hill for their musicianship, energy and integrity.
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REVIEWS by Michael “Jacobs” McKenna JENNY & THE FELINES In their own words I’ll let them describe the meaning of their music. “Words about ex lovers, unrequited love, people who are jerks, cities named Boston, certain moms, friends, lovers, and everyone we’ve ever known. We’re the kind of band you could theoretically take home to your mom”. I could not even begin to match that. To say they are a unique, one of a kind type of band that broke the mold, is an understatement. This Raritan, NJ power trio will grab you, treat you to their infectious music and not let go of you until they are finished. They are that contagious and superbly talented. Fronting this trio is Jenny “Meow” Cat who has an awesome set of pipes, will play tight, gripping guitar riffs and is a creative songwriter. Liz Gonzalez is the “Queen of Bottom” as she provides the driving rhythms with her bass, violins and backing vox. Finally, we have Mike Wojik, “I don’t wanna work, I wanna bang on the drums all day”, as he provides the pounding percussion that moves the music fluidly through many movements and progressions.
“Bitter Ends, New Beginnings”
Woodward of Bananarama.
the BEST TRACK!
“Bleed For You” has that slap-happy backbeat made famous by the Go-Go’s that sees Jenny sing about that certain 30 day cycle. If one were to close their eyes and just listen to “Tangerine” you would swear Chrissy Hynde was in the room. This track is bangin’! “Watched You Go” has an awesome baritone back vox by Liz and smacking riffs that are SHIT HOT! A previously unreleased track, “You Don’t Love Me (Like You Used To)”, is spot on as every single part flows effortlessly from the intro thru to the cold ending. Another hidden track “You’re The One” would make programmers soil their shorts as they would crawl all over each other to be the first to break this awesome tune. My pick as
The next song, “Casual Cruelty”, is a rarity as we hear Jenny Cat play all the instruments, YES, every single one as she laid all the tracks for this in a intricate progression to give the listener ‘one hell of a listening experience’. Jenny just lets go every ounce of feeling and all her talents all at once. Her harmonies are spot on, her guitar wails and the composition is just plain HOT! Only one word can describe this effort, INCREDIBLE!!! This CD is totally ‘out of the box’ cool! I am convinced we will hear a lot more from them in the future. I have a rating scale I use such as 2 THUMBS UP, but in keeping with the theme, I give this CD 2 BIG MEOWS!!
The first 9 tracks were recorded at The Bitter End in NYC, the home of many an indie band. The first track, “Boston” sets the pace with a fun, catchy number replete with full harmonies kick ass guitar work. “Worst Kind/I Hope She Knows” reminds me a lot of the 80’s girl bands that were all the rage. “Don’t Look Back” has a retro/mod sound deriving its roots from the late 70’s set to an alternative theme. “Mommy” is reminiscent of the vocals of Siobhan Fahey and Keren
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REVIEWS by Michael “Jacobs” McKenna ANNE HUSICK “The Other Side” (Single) Based in the big city, Anne Husick, has paid her dues, has an excellent rep and her awesome talents precede her wherever she goes and plays. Her followers are loyal and they know that she will go above and beyond to see that their musical appetites are fulfilled. She is a lady who is a jack of all and tries to master all she touches from sound tech, to booking agent, to performer and leaves one with solid lasting impressions. Her latest effort on World Wide Vibe Records was recorded in the fall this year with the help of master musicians Robert Aaron on sax and keys, Don Fiorino manipulating the lap steel, and Kevin Toole, percussionist, who is also the engineer/producer. Anne’s work on the guitar needs no description as she is recognized for her talents and creativity. As one listens, you can hear so many different elements coming from each musician as pop/rock/ folk genres meld together seamlessly into a marriage of full-bodied sound. Anne’s sexy vox come from a place so deep that one can feel, as well as hear, her time-tested flexible pipes coming to life. Robert Aaron’s sax adds the soul with that fat sound, the lap steel of Dan Fiorino sets the mood, and Kevin Toole’s work on his drum kit echoes throughout the entire track. Maybe, I’ll see them all on “The Other Side”. If this is a prelude to what we are going to hear coming in the future from Anne Husick, then we will all be waiting for that EP/CD to drop with anticipation. WELL DONE!! I give this track 2 THUMBS UP!!
Book is available as a PTO (Print to Order)on Amazon and Barnes & Noble
CRISS ANGEL MINDFREAK LIVE AT THE STATE THEATRE In some of his first live events outside of Las Vegas since the launch of Criss Angel BeLIEve at The Luxor, the #1 magician on the planet - Criss Angel will be performing a limited exclusive engagement of his new production ‘Criss Angel MINDFREAK LIVE! at the State Theatre in Easton on January 20th. He will be performing 2 shows: 6 PM & 9:30 PM. Limited tickets are available but can be purchased at the State Theatre Box Office, by phone at 1-800-999-STATE (610-252-3132) or online at www. statetheatre.org. Due to intense effects, the show is recommended for ages 13 and up. The State Theatre performances are sponsored by ADAMS Outdoor and Spin Radio 107.1
per season in over 90 countries. The broadcast of the live “Building Implosion” episode drew a crowd police estimated at 50,000 to the venue in Clearwater , Florida - the largest crowd for any magician, rivaling Houdini. Angel has family ties to the Lehigh Valley , including cousin Billy Kounoupis, owner of Billy’s Downtown Diners in Bethlehem and Allentown. Early in his career, he was mentored by Easton ’s Lou Reda and has been on the State Theatre stage in 1991 for a promotional photo shoot.
The show is based on the most successful television magic show in history, ‘MINDFREAK,’ which is syndicated to over 90 countries, attracting in excess of 100 million viewers throughout each of its 6 seasons and 100+ mind-blowing episodes. Online views of Angel’s clips have also amassed an incredible more than 250 million views on YouTube alone. Ticket holders to the exclusive MINDFREAK LIVE! theatrical magic concerts can expect to witness 90 minutes of the most spectacular original illusions ever performed - woven with a cast of multi-talented artists, original music, lighting, special effects and so much more - in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. For over a decade, Criss Angel has dominated the world of magic as the biggest name on the planet. His visionary approach to the art escapes the confines of tradition and has given birth to a new breed of modern mysticism. From his role as star, creator, Executive Producer and Director of his hugely successful A&E television series Criss Angel MINDFREAK, to his spectacular live shown Criss Angel BeLIEve at the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, and star of and creator of countless television specials, books, retail products, music CD’s and more - Criss has redefined magic for the 21st century. His acclaimed series MINDFREAK on A&E is the most successful magic show in television history, resulting in more hours of magic during prime time than any other magic show ever! It continues to be viewed regularly by more than 100 million viewers
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THE WIZARDS OF WINTER State Theater Center For The Arts Show Review by Michael “Jacobs” McKenna In an explosion of sound and light, we were literally pinned to our seats by the pressure and compression during the opening notes of this sold-out benefit concert of The Wizards of Winter show at the historic State Theater Center for the Arts in Easton, PA. The band performed this remarkable benefit to make the audience aware of the genetic disease, Choroideremia, which is an untreatable inherited retinal degenerative disorder that affects entire families worldwide. In an awesome display, the narrator, Tony Gaynor set the mood of what was to come and the first notes of the sinister-sounding instrumental “March of the Metal Soldiers” set the pace for what was to follow in the first set. “Arctic Flyer” followed with precise musicianship from flutist Sharon Kelley and violinist Natalie Niarezka who hails from Belarus.
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“Special Feeling” exuded heartfelt vocals from Guy LeMonnier and “First Snow” saw the crowd join in clapping in unison! The line “When the snow came down” was a real feeler as the crowd was awed by the story lines. Steve Ratchen, Guy LeMonnier, Mary McIntyre, Sharon Kelly and Natalia Niarezka all came together on vocals in the track “Ave/Oh Holy Night” which was highlighted by a banging lead guitar solo. “3 Ships” was totally 'out of the box' cool and “Once Long Ago” with an intro that sounds eerily like Yes, featured the piercing pipes of Vincent Jiovino. “Nutrocker”, “Ornament” and “Mad Russian” followed setting the stage for the awesome rocking rendition of TSO's “Christmas Eve/ Sarajevo 12-24” composition with the violin and flute leads that had the crowd roaring. Anticipation was building for more wonderful holiday sounds as Tony Gaynor, storyteller extraordinaire, brought the Wizards to the stage for their 2nd set with an acoustic rendition of “Old City Bar” that saw guitarists T.W.Durfy and Fred Gorhau set the scene for former TSO vocalist Joe Cerisano perform the lines 'if you need help, you only just ask', a touching tune! Mary McIntyre sang 'It's just the truth that I seek, but it's so hard to just believe' Guy LeMonnier answered with 'In a world of confusion, rise an illusion, hold on to what you believe'
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in the duet “Just Believe” that was performed to perfection. Oh, it wasn't over just yet! “Gales of December” saw master percussionist Tommy Ference explode into a drum solo that brought applause from everyone in attendance. “Whoville” and“Toys Will Be Toys” followed in short order. “Journey”, which has an ELP sound and Gaelic overtones rocked the rafters which then seamlessly segued into “Queen of the Winter Night”, a ditty about Mrs. Claus, that featured Sharon Kelly's talented pipes. The crowd then was treated to the medley of “Electric Blue/With A Little Help From My Friends” that started a bit of a sing-a-long. Former TSO member, Joe Cerisano, was once again center stage in “This Christmas Day” as he related to the audience, 'She's coming home this Christmas Day'! As the night was winding down, narrator, Tony Gaynor, gave everyone a very direct message, “Christmas doesn't have to come from a store, it comes from the heart”. The crowd was waiting in anticipation for “Wizards In Winter” and they were rewarded with a thunderous explosion that had the State Theater shaking on its foundations! Throughout the evening, “The Master”, conductor Scott Kelly was simply magnificent on his keyboards. WOW! The encore was just plain out of the box as The Wizards of Winter did a recognizable medley of “Requiem for the Masses/Kashmir” that ended the show with a reprise of “Journey” that set the house roaring!! All I can say is the music was heartfelt and touching, and yet was so full of energy and dedicated passion. This totally complete mixture of talent, creativity and expression, expertly mixed, had every person riveted throughout the entire performance. WELL DONE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!! WE ANXIOUSLY WAIT FOR NEXT YEAR!!!
classic that is expertly composed and performed,
THE WIZARDS OF WINTER “Self-Titled CD” Review by Michael “Jacobs” McKenna They were born in 2010 as an original act that was inspired by the music of Trans Siberian Orchestra. Their originals were the foundation for their debut “Christmas Rock Opera” CD in 2011 and today, they are still mainly an original holiday act, creating and recomposing music that exposes their Classical and Progressive Rock influences with unique creativity and the extraordinary talents that each member possesses. This new CD released in November of 2014, brings a lot more to the table as the band is now highly polished and refined to the point of near perfection. This talented tri-state lineup includes Scott Kelly tickling the keys; Sharon Kelly on flute/vocals; Steve Ratchen on bottom/vocals and Fred Gorhau on guitar. All four of these musicians share in writing and composition of the arrangements. The roster continues with Natalie Niareska on violin; T.W. Duffy also on guitar; vocalists Vincent Jiovino and Guy LeMonnier; percussionist, Tommy Ference and on keys/vocals, Mary McIntyre. Currently the
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band is touring with former members of The TransSiberian Orchestra: Guy LeMonnier, Tony Gayno and Joe Cerisano along with special guest performer, Tommy Farese, who produced the CD with Tom Corea. 12 tracks and 2 Bonus tracks set the mood as the music reflects each member’s distinct personality for the listener as The Wizards perform their magic. Opening with, “Arctic Flyer”, this instrumental sets the mood with an energetic intro that has classic rock sounding roots. “Special Feeling” reaches down deep into the heart with this feeler. Dynamic Vocals! “Sing O’ Alleluia” with the intro ‘Do You See What I See’ kicks it into gear with powerful keys, tight harmonies and hot vocals. “Night of Reflection” is a dual medley of some a well known classic that is expertly composed and performed, Magnificent! “Once Long Ago” incorporates a keyboard segment from one of rock’s early classics that explodes into guitars rocking heavy with metal overtones. I love the organ with the Leslie and the marriage of the guitars in the solo. The Metal Gods were smiling here! Leaning toward a dark side is the track “Gales of December” that was inspired by the TV show “The Deadliest Catch” which incorporates bits of ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’. A Keyboard Monster!
those who are disadvantaged and experience the blues. Their simple gift from the heart is all they have to give and it’s the best gift of all! TOUCHING! There are two Bonus tracks complete this wonderful holiday offering. “Ode to Eisenach” featuring Fred Gorhau’s acoustic guitar solo has a nice Americana/Folk flair and precise picking that is refreshing. “Christmas Lullaby” by Larry Farese and Larry Colman is a nice mid-tempo tune that reminds me of some of the great crooners like England Dan & John Ford Coley, David Gates from Bread, Paul Davis, or a Robert John. This is a complete collection of music that the discerning listener would appreciate and listen to multiple times. I listened to it three times to get the true feeling of the message and the talent that created it. Folks, this is a MUST LISTEN! I give this CD a hearty, holiday 2 THUMBS UP!!
“Moments of Wonder” is an absolutely wonderful piece of music. Piercing vocals send chills thru the listener. The next number features guest vocalists Joe Loria and Meg Williams along with percussionist Tom Corea on “March of the Metal Soldiers” that kicks things off in an old-timey swing sort of a way which melds into piercing multi-voice harmonies. WAY COOL! “Journey” is a powerful, banging instrumental with sinister undertones that reminds me of a soundtrack in one of the retro Roman movies or for you rock fans, ELP! “Just Believe” talks about being alone, sadness, dreams that are torn and tattered in a world of confusion. The lyrics will touch one as they identify with them! Very Inspiring! “Toys Will Be Toys” features the signature piano runs that have become well known with holiday rock operas. Love the kids laughter. AWESOME! “A Simple Gift” reflects on the holiday season and all we go through, especially
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WIZARDS OF WINTER Pictorial by Sheri Bayne
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WIZARDS OF WINTER Pictorial by Sheri Bayne
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WIZARDS OF WINTER Pictorial by Sheri Bayne
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WIZARDS OF WINTER Pictorial by Sheri Bayne
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REVIEWS by Michael “Jacobs” McKenna TWELVE TWENTY-FOUR Zoellner Arts Center – Lehigh University Twas 4 nights after Christmas and all through the house, everyone was anxiously stirring, even the house mouse! YES, Zoellner Arts Center and their acoustically perfect venue, was packed to the rafters and the anticipation could be felt by everyone waiting for the band’s 13th consecutive annual high energy, full-scale holiday-rock-orchestra concert to begin. The first set opened when the little angel, Kelsey Barnes, took the stage and spread her angelic wings to the opening sounds of “Praise” which set the tone for the evening along with some talented vocalists sharing what we were going to hear for the next few hours. “Hark The Herald Angels Sing” with Frank Gruden and Dane Bowers vocals touched everyone immediately. “Christmas in the Air” and “Mad Russian’s Christmas” brought an explosion of sound and light that pinned me to my seat. Dirk Yahrees bass was banging! “Prince of Peace” featured Krysten Montgomery, Jason Santos and Frank Gruden with piercing vocals that were spot on. The venue then exploded in a snowstorm as the band played the TSO standard,“Wizards in Winter” to perfection with a level of energy that was totally undescribable. “Angels Share” saw Mallory Diltz on lead vox and Bobbie Kucinski and Krysten’s backing vocals bang out an excellent rendition of this tune. “First Snow” brought out Lenny Kucinski’s kicking guitar intro and “Cold December” had Bobbie, Lenny and Kevin Reilly all taking the lead role with individual solos and harmonizing their guitars together in a very precise manner. The entire band then kicked in giving a rousing performance.
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The touching “Believe” captured the crowd as Kevin Reilly nailed his vox solo with ease and was complimented by the awesome guitar work of Lenny and Jason and Frank’s work on the ivories. They now had the audience in the palm of their hands! “Carol of the Drum” featured the pounding percussion of Richie Kossuth as his rhythms set the pace for the evening. “Promises to Keep” saw the band going way over the top as they nailed this! 9 vocalists in perfect harmony! “Dreams of Fireflies” featured indescribable string work from the three ladies, Jill and Michaelina Trapane on violin and Christine Barnes on viola that was just plain awesome. “Angel Returned” was powerful as Dane Bower and Kyle Segarra did a dual solo. Ending the set, the TSO classic, “Sarajevo” had Dan King tickling the cello and Christine Barnes on flute perform this song better than the original, I was very impressed! What talent! During the break, I had the opportunity to meet and talk with the band members and I was very impressed by the way they consider themselves all to be one happy family and that included the support staff as well...There was a tightness here that one does not often see or experience! Now we were ready for the 2nd set! An instrumental explosion of music consisting of Beethoven and “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” invaded our senses and yes, once again, we were pinned to our seats! “After the Fall” and “Christmas Nights in Blue” set the tone for what was to come as Bobbie and Dane exercised those wonderful voices of theirs. Jason was front and center in “Music Box Blues”, a cool number that was a bit different and well received. “God Rock Ye Merry Gentlemen” did just that as Jason’s solo and Dan’s crisp cello in the intro took center stage and then the individual solos with Kevin, Lenny and Jason rocked the house hard! “Palladio” from ‘Miracle on Rock St.’ opens with
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Ritchie banging on his kit and the three ladies on strings masterfully treating us to a show of dueling violins and the viola. WOW! Not to be outdone, the three guys on guitar and Dirk’s bottom wailed in unison closing with another solo from Lenny. Kevin, Dirk and Dan then turned it up on “Do You Hear What I Hear” that really aroused everyone. Changing it up a bit, “The Christmas Canon” featured Jay’s intro which led to Lenny’s and Kevin’s kick-ass solos and Krysten’s beautiful pipes mesmerize the audience to a high point. “The Flight of the Bumblebee” was a really fun pause as Dane made his way around Zoellner in a Bee Outfit that was comical as the band covered him and made us all have a good laugh. Things then changed as Twelve Twenty-Four’s classic rock influences took hold and the entire band took the stage for The Eagles “Hotel California” that shook the foundations of the building. Oh, they weren’t done yet! Queen’s “We Are The Champions” took things all the way up to the rafters as the crowd joined in a sing-a-long that was way cool. “This Christmas Day” had Lenny manipulating the frets like there was no tomorrow and Dane and Kyle nailing their vocals. The night was coming to a close as Dirk Vorhees, the king of bottom, took center stage and introduced each member of the band to rousing applause by a very receptive audience to the music of “Christmas is the Time to Say I Love You” To see that show (front row)in that perfect environment makes me incredibly grateful to be able to appreciate such great talent from a vantage point that you’d never be able to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra unless you forked over a fortune! These musicians are a family, and one I’ll never forget!
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