Threat Con Nation Magazine Issue 6 by Threat Con Nation

March 2014

Threat Con Nation Magazine, is an independently owned, local music news and events publication available on a monthly basis for free. Content is property of Threat Con Nation. We encourage sharing, but please ask for permission before using any excerpts or images in other published work via internet or print. Please feel free to contact us with any comments, questions, or suggestions. Threat Con Nation would love to hear from you! The band/ artist interviews, submissions, and narrative sections may have opinions and suggestions that are not endorsed by Threat Con Nation. Front Page: S.W.I.M. Other Photo Credits: Stefan Adcock, Anchors For Airplanes, Melissa McGregor Designs & Photography, The Kelps Marketing / Advertising Director: Shawn Ernst Editor: M Montez Contributing Writers: Johnna Dean, Shawn Ernst, M Montez, Stefan Adcock, Tonya Whitworth, Melissa Cameron

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26 That Metal Chick 20 Weekend Wrap-up 18 Threat Con Mashup 15 Anchors For Airplanes 10 The Barfly Effect

04 S.W.I.M. 13 The Unexpected Groupie 16 The Artwork of Rudy 19 Ask Hellen Back 25 The Kelps 28 Flyer Gallery

he great novelist/poet, Charles Bukowski, had the best advice for aspiring writers.

He said, “Don’t try.” The meaning behind this very simple advice was– Don’t try to impress. Don’t force it. Inspiration will come on its own. You have to pay attention to your world and wait for it because people want the unpretentious truth as beautifully flawed, ugly, or ridiculous as it may be.

JOE

Many have tried Bukowski’s brutally honest style of writing. Few have mastered it. Whether intentionally or by chance, S.W.I.M. has pulled off what few can. There’s a hidden depth just below the surface of S.W.I.M.’s song lyrics; Tragedies hidden behind comedy wrapped in the bizarre nature of our own humanity.

BRAD

SCOTT

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DAVE

Meet the members of Someone Who Isn’t Me (S.W.I.M.), a nutritious band that has created their own distinct flavor of Alternative/Grunge/Punk. They call it, “Grunk.” Can you swim? Let’s dive in.

What is the history of S.W.I.M.? Dave: Well, a long time ago, this guy named Dave had a vision that he was going to be one creative force not to be f**ked with and he wanted to push creativity to the most highest form, even though everybody around was saying things like, “That sh*t sucks… it’s too loud… you’re crazy.” Ever since birth, I was put on this earth to make music whether I’m in a band or not. When I’m not in a band, I’m in my garage, depressed, and writing sad songs. When I’m in a band, I’m making happy songs because I’m happy. So either way, songs are going to get wrote and music is going to get made. It’s going to get depressed and it’s going to get happy. It’s going to be a teetertotter and it’s going to be crazy. You can imagine what it would be like to be in a band with me just from me running my mouth. I chase a lot of people away, but I attracted this guy named Brad and he played bass. We came together with this drummer named José. He was ‘The Black Dolphin’. The first time I met him, I asked him if he could swim and he told me all the b*tches at the pool call him The Black Dolphin, so he was pretty much in the band. He was still kind of an amateur, so we had to teach him kind of how to play, but it was totally worth it because it got us here. Now we have Scott on drums. Brad knew Joe. Joe came in and played rhythm guitar. Basically, S.W.I.M. is a train and it’s moving. It might get derailed, but it’s a special train. It’s got magical directing abilities. It could derail and get tore up, but somehow, magically, it just ends up back on the track. It’s a train that runs off of the universe and it doesn’t need

money to run, it will run itself. It really doesn’t need anything. It runs whether I want it to or not. It’s going to do what it does because it’s S.W.I.M. That’s where S.W.I.M. came from, José’s garage. Love you José. Brad: Dave and José had an ad out on Craigslist. I had been playing around and jamming with different guys and Joe had played with some of those guys. I went to José’s garage one day and we jammed out. We walked out of that first practice and Dave looks at us and says, “So, what do you think? Are we a band?” That was the formation of S.W.I.M. and that occurred in 2012. From there, we got a set together and we did a few shows. We really needed to fatten out the sound and add a player to the group, so we officially made an invitation to Joe. Joe signed on in June 2013. José was out shortly after that and we tried a couple of other guys. They didn’t work out. José was gracious enough to come back and fill in as the drummer for us until we picked up our drummer, Scott. Scott joined this year. When you guys first formed S.W.I.M., did you know it was going to be Punk? What we hear now, was it what you guys were working towards in the beginning? Dave: When I hear what we play and the sound that is coming out of our jam room or the sounds that are coming out of our shows, when I hear just us in general, I’m never satisfied. I always hear what it could be, so even though it sounds like sucking ass, I hear it for it’s full potential and in my head it’s f**king continued Threat Con Nation Magazine

awesome. Sometimes, I have to tell the guys around me, “I know that sounded terrible. I know it sounded sh*tty as f**k and I know you guys probably aren’t hearing what I’m hearing, but believe me, there’s something there, you guys just have to help me fish it out.” Having that ability to see what hasn’t even been brought into the world yet is kind of what making songs is all about, bringing songs into existence.

want to have fun too and honestly, I’ve realized that sometimes you have to b*tch at the audience. You have to pull them out of their element and they’ll resist you, but they will have a good time. When I say music, What does it mean to you and what has it become for you?

Dave: It’s an outlet to wake people up and say, hey, there’s f***ed up s**t in this world. Put it in a catchy little song, What do I hear in S.W.I.M.? I hear poand maybe you can get them to repeat it tential and it’s going to get recognized some day. We’re going to keep on work- and all of a sudden, they’re waking up to ing hard and being crazy. Every time we the horrors of the world. do a show, the audience is my guinea It’s like the ‘ABC Song’, if they meddle pig. I just throw sh*t at them and I just with that song or over complicate that try different things. I throw my little sci- song, then little kids can’t learn it. So ence experiments on them. I see what why do they have to take music and they like and what they don’t like. I’m complicate the f**k out of it? going to hone in on it, but ultimately, I Now it’s like processed food and the nu-

S.W.I.M FACEBOOK

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S.W.I.M. ReverbNation

trients of music have been stripped away. It has no message in it anymore. It’s not teaching anyone anything. It’s not doing anything and nobody is trying on their lyrics to change the world. All I can say is, I might be nobody and these people might look at me like I’ll never make anything of myself, but I know I have the power to change the world if I can put it in a catchy beat. If I can make it work the right way, I can change sh*t. That’s what music is to me. I know people hear my sound and think it’s absurd, it’s crazy and it’s hard on the ears, but I’m a raging bull and I have an agenda to wake you up. Americans are sleeping. They’re the most nutrient deficient people on the planet. Their minds aren’t working. Here I come, Dirty Jesus, to save the day and save some lives. I’m going to help some people in this world whether music be my vehicle or not.

through a brick wall. I gravitated towards bands like Metallica during their early albums. The first Metallica album I had was on vinyl. It was Kill Them All, before they put the imports on it. I was driven to Iron Maiden in the same way. They had a really driving style. Anybody who plays bass can’t walk away without appreciating what Steve Harris does in that band. That was one of my influences and why I wanted to play bass. I loved the way he delivered what he does. When I’m playing and I’m thinking about what we’re doing as our band evolves, I think of our influences and that’s where I try to bring myself to the table in the band.

Scott: I grew up listening to the Blues. My dad was into Blues. I would hear Blues blaring out of our house everyday coming home from school. It’s kind of wired into me because my dad was a drummer. At 7 years old, I hopped on his kit for the first time. It was a right handed kit and I’m a lefty, so I Joe: Music for me is a vehicle for expresjust played around with it, but I saw somesion. It’s a good way to get to people in ways thing there. that everybody relates to. You can have an idea that you wouldn’t normally be able to get My parents were in bands and I think by the across, but say you put it in a song that’s time I was about 11 years old, I was playing catchy and appeals to a larger audience, you my own stuff. Music for me is that one thing can get your point across more efficiently. It’s that I do that nobody else around me does in my personal life. It’s that medium for me cretherapeutic too. atively. It’s been a long journey for me and it Brad: It has always been a part of my life, just keeps me going. even as a kid. I remember doing things like taping strings to a baseball bat and being Brad: One of the interesting things that Scott Gene Simmons. The first album I ever had has mentioned is that he is left-handed and was KISS Alive II. My brother and I and a he sets his drums up as such. He just may couple of our friends on the street would pre- currently be the only left handed drummer tend we were KISS. We would play albums performing in Sacramento. all the way through in our bedroom. It was alDave: Did you know that mammals in nature ways a way of relating and getting out enerare ambidextrous and don’t have dominant gy. sides? When you go to school, you kind of I’ve always liked really aggressive music. My get taught to write on the right hand side and idea of listening to what I really like was if the all free thought comes from the right side of beat grabs you and gets you so pumped up continued that it makes you feel like you can walk Threat Con Nation Magazine

your brain. Then, they pound in you to use your left side brain. Then you’re 40, married, and you hate yourself. You hate your life and you’re miserable and you think, damn it, I should have listened. They see some douchebag like me at 50 and I’m living the life. I’m just happy I didn’t go their route. I didn’t sit there and work 900 hours a week. I was awake to that sh*t. I already knew. I didn’t have to learn the hard way. The right side of your brain will set you free. It’s where your free thought comes from and as S.W.I.M., we are a free thinking band of kick ass awesomeness. We’re going to free think our way into the future and into success and we’ll end up wherever we end up, but were going to free think our way there and we are going to free think our way out of it. We’re going to go all over the place.

less I have a strong opinion or someone pisses me off. If something rubs me the wrong way, I’ll speak up about it. Brad keeps everything organized for the band. Dave brings a lot of his creativity and ideas. Scott brings the heat, the chops. I think we work really well together. I see a lot of bands where everybody is the alpha-male and it just never works. We have a good dynamic. Scott: He makes a good point about the alpha-male thing. I just want it to be the best it can be. If something cool happens during a jam session, Dave is good at picking it out and we’ll go over it. Brad always jumps in and we’ll talk about it and we’ll make whatever changes. I’m good to go on anything.

Joe: I’m kind of on the same wavelength as Brad: Later on, it will be Citrus Heights. Scott. I just sit in the background and make the sound better. I’m not worried about stealWe’re thinking big here folks. ing the show. I want to make the show good, Dave: Ironically, this is what makes S.W.I.M. but I’m not trying to be in the spotlight. practices crazy. It’s not left side of the brain sequential learning. When musicians learn Dave: The message is what people are supsongs, it’s step 1,2,3. What makes it hard posed to be looking at and listening to. jamming with me is, I want to go for the Brad: I like the fact that I’m not dealing with whole forest. I don’t want to pay attention to any super egos. I’ve had to deal with things each tree. I just want to crank my stuff. I want like that in the past with other bands I’ve to run my mouth. played with. Dave typically writes all of the Now, you can understand that the right side basics for everything. He’ll bring it in and he’ll of the brain can sometimes go crazy and go show us around, then we’ll put together cona little bit wrong, but hey, you always get ide- cepts and ideas on how to start a song, play as. I’m a man who always has an idea. the rhythm and all that. Sometimes the idea is crazy, but I got an The cool part about it is that we all can stop idea. a song at any point and we can look at each Joe: I think it’s a good balance though. He other and decide if we like this or not and does have a lot of creative ideas and off the what we would change. There’s not a lot of wall type stuff that works. argument about it because we’ll take the time to play it for each person the way they want to hear it and then use the one thing we all How do you guys function around each feel is best. other as a band? Brad: We go to therapy on Wednesdays. Joe: I’m laid back. I don’t really speak up un8

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One of the things I really wish we could have is almost a running script of Dave’s lyrics

while we’re playing because if everybody really heard everything he writes, he really is genius in that respect. Lyrically, I don’t think anyone writes the way he does. There’s so many messages within the songs he writes. ‘Tweekerville’ is a funny song, but it’s also a funny truth. If you know those people or hung around that scene, you can visualize those people. You know who they are. Even though you’re listening to the songs, you can see the songs. His music lyrics are visual. You don’t just get a song, you get to eat something too. We provide your brain with nutrients.

As we thought about our music and then thought about each song, we realized that we were not just one genre. You know this from seeing us a few times. ‘Tweekerville’ is one thing, ‘Daffodil’ is a different thing. Then we drop some Reggae beats with ‘Ugly and Stupid’ and mix that with Punk and Alternative with the verses and choruses. When you hear Dave sing, he has a real Seattle Grunge sound. I always think of early Nirvana work when I hear him sing. Joe one night said we were really ‘Grunk’ in our approach. Grunge+Punk= Grunk What are we going to see differently from S.W.I.M. in 2014 compared to last year?

So what you are saying is, all your songs are pretty much things that have hapBrad: As our sound has evolved over the last pened, or people Dave has met in his life? year, I think our song writing has gotten more Dave: I can pretend to walk in other people’s complex. The newer stuff we’re working on is shoes and be apathetic, but I’m only a mas- more Grunge crossed with Metal. The new ter at what I live in. I’m a specialist at my life. songs are going to be up in your face, but I need to digest my life and this is my thera- there’s still that Punk influence going on. py. I need to get it out. Sometimes I feel like I One of the things you can look for from us in can jack off and get drunk and write lyrics. the near future is songs like, “Crybaby” which Brad: See! There’s another visual. Who has- is a great mix with an Alternative front and a Punk body. You’re also going to hear when n’t done that? we get into some of the break downs, some Dave: It’s all about the message and you old Metallica tricks with some really great have to visualize it to get the point across. stops like some of the songs I remember You have to visualize to really articulate and having great breaking points and cymbal make it more available to a person’s spirit. catches. I think you’re going to see a growing The synthetic kind of music, the people going process in what we do and the complexity of with the flow kind of music- it doesn’t have the work growing with it. any nutrients. It just doesn’t get through Dave: Don’t expect nothing from us. Seriwhen it’s synthetic. It goes in, it goes out and ously. Just expect crazy. it’s forgotten. Describe to me how you came up with “Grunk”. Brad: Joe actually came up with the term. One of the toughest questions we get is "What is your sound like?" or '"Who do you sound like?"

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he time is May 5, 2012 and I am at Ace of Spades, in Sacramento, watching the local acts of the night kick through their sets at Ace’s Punko de Drunko show. It was a collection of several punk bands getting together and playing one angry, drunken show. After the opening band got things underway, The Bar Fly Effect took the stage. What they delivered was a fast, energetic, cheer driven brand of punk that I had never heard before. It was as if Joan Jett, NOFX, and Rancid were mixed together to form some sort of really angry and possibly drunken super group. 10

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Trust me when I say, that’s not a bad thing. Formed in 2008, The Bar Fly Effect is fronted by Rachel Hanna, a tall, olive skinned gal, with short cut brunette hair that commands the stage with her energetic, yet intimidating prowess that you can’t help but look at. Backed up by Bryan Reyes and Kasey Jay on guitars, Julie Reyes on bass, and Edward Young on drums, Hanna and the rest of Bar Fly Effect take control of whatever stage they are on and doesn’t let go until the song is over. After having my ears thoroughly blasted and my moshing thoroughly pitted, Bar Fly Effect definitely made an impression on me

that night. As time went on, I would always see their names posted around the downtown Sacramento area attached to a variety of shows. Most notably, they were the opening act for punk legends The Phenomenauts at the Cafe Colonial in November 2013 and also played with local punk mainstay, Another Damn Disappointment, on January 31st of this year at the same venue. I finally got a chance to catch up with them after all this time at House of Hits in Sacramento, where they regularly rehearse.

jects, “We have accepted that we are a pop punk band (all laugh)...we’re not embarrassed by it anymore.”

And in many ways, that pop punk influenced sound has helped the craft a sound that has a lot of appeal across a wide base of people. As I mentioned before, they have gotten the chance to play with many pillars of the punk community, both local and abroad. But they did have one particular fun show story under their belt, when they got to play for a band called Papa Wheelie, which is incidentally When I meet up with Young at the space, I the current project that Jason Newsted from am led into a room that is covered in a varie- Metallica is involved in. Young simply puts it, ty of show posters, flyers, stickers, and, of “The whole night, we were like, ‘Is that the course, instruments. On a wall unto itself, dude from Metallica’, and sure enough it was there is a chart that covers their lengthy song him. He was even like ‘You guys are bad list and spectrum of their sound. Eventually, ass’. That was our one band where we were the whole gang shows up, minus Bryan like, ‘Damn, that guy was in Metallica, that’s Reyes, and we start to chat. awesome’”. The fact that they got to play with a band that labels themselves as heavy metAsking them about their influences as a al and post rock, speaks volumes about the whole elicits an interesting response because they are all over the place. “If you ask appeal of their sound, to me. any one of us what our influences were, Eventually, like all great conversations go, none of us would really overlap. We are just our talk winds back to the present day, in reall from different backgrounds...and intersect gards to their current endeavors. At the moat different areas of interest.”, as Hanna puts ment, they have 2 EP’s out. One is a 6 song, it. Reyes underlines it by saying, “It makes live EP called, “Live at the Where House?” for a very interesting sound”. that captures some of the essence of the band as they play live. However, to them it Young breaks down their overall sound for me by saying, “We have a pop feel only be- seems more like an unpleasant memory. cause Kasey [Kay] and Rachel [Hanna] have Hanna mentions, “The problem with the live that vibe more than the rest of us. We all like recording was that we were all hungover (all laugh)...it was recorded after a show we pop-punk, don't get me wrong, but I think if we individually picked a sound, we wouldn't played the night before and we all got about go down that route...she [Hanna] has a great 4 hours of sleep”. Despite, Hanna’s revelapop [punk] voice and Kasey [Kay] is more of tion, it does a great job in showing off their a pop punk guitar player”. Young even inter- raw energy, but their upbeat attitude as they continued Threat Con Nation Magazine

slam through their set. The other set of material they have out is their 4 song studio EP titled, “What Happened Last Night?”. The first track, titled “Another Night Out” is an upbeat and fast punk anthem chronicling the usual path most of us take to get to and from any punk rock show. It even has an offical music video on YouTube. As for what the future holds for The Bar Fly Effect, they have an upcoming show on March 15th at 8pm at the Colony in Sacramento ($5 cover), and that’s it for a little bit. According to Young, “We kinda just want to concentrate and get our album done”. Hanna also added, “We want to play shows, we just don’t want to play shows with seemingly random bands. We want to try and play shows with bands that are similar to us”. The yet unnamed album is set to be released in Summer 2014. As a way to stay kept up with all things happening with The Bar Fly Effect, you can subscribe to the multitude of social media sites they are a part of. They are on Spotify, iTunes, and Google Play. In addition, they have a wide selection of videos on their YouTube channel, thebarflyeffect. As well, be sure to like them on Facebook for all sorts of updates on the new album, T-shirts, and much more. If you want a breath of fresh air and a whole lot of fun with your punk rock, be sure to give The Bar Fly Effect a good listen. -Stefan Adcock, Threat Con Nation Contributor 12

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uninterested or overwhelmed. I was pleased that I never had to wait more than a few minutes for a drink. The Blue Lamp has a full bar which included my favorite, Malibu Rum and Coke. The pour was perfect and the drink price was average. Those who drink alcohol know that a snack is often a welcomed addition to a venue’s experience. The Blue Lamp invites The word Groupie here is misleading as it usually refers to a younger, female fan. I did- a local taco truck to serve snacks, or entire n’t discover my affinity for live music until re- meals, to its patrons. Our friends ate the food and reported that it was both delicious cently and I am probably past those years and worth the cost. when one would refer to me as young (but just barely). As such, I am critical about the venues where I decide to spend my time and The point of a venue (and a groupie) is the money. If I’m giving up quality PJ and couch live entertainment. The Blue Lamp has a very small stage and many of the bands time to venture out in the wee hours of the night, I better have a rewarding experience. seemed a little squished. The sound technician, however, was fast and professional. Like many women, I am a woman who likes Again, I am not a patient woman and if I have to wait half an hour between bands I my shoes (which are often more expensive and beautiful than sensible). If I have to park am likely to lose interest and leave. The three blocks from a venue and embark on a sound technician at the blue lamp had the bands turning over quickly and professionalcold, dirty, urban hike before arriving at my ly. They also sounded balanced and the destination, I am likely to arrive with a bad band members seemed happy with the qualiattitude. We found parking near the Blue ty of sound. I could actually hear the singLamp to be readily available. There is a ers, which pleased me. parking lot near the venue and the street parking was also adequate. As a woman, the cleanliness of the reUpon entering the venue, patrons are greet- strooms is a major factor. No one wants to ed by beautiful brick walls reminiscent of the suffer a full bladder all night. The Blue Lamp’s restroom was adequately clean. I jazz clubs one sees in old movies. The adwouldn’t eat off the floors or anything but I joining walls need paint but one of the emdidn’t feel the need to hold it until I got home. ployees told us this was in the works. The They also had a purse hanger on the wall, Vintage, framed posters are a nice touch to this pleased me as my bag isn’t easy to reotherwise sparse decorations. The bar is small but quaint and inviting. The pool table place. at the end of the bar stayed busy most of the night and seating is ample. The facility was Overall, the Blue Lamp proved to be a venue clean and the two bar tenders were attentive. I would visit again. I would give it three and half marks of recognition out of five. I am not a patient woman and, often, these -Melissa Cameron venues have bar tenders who seem either Threat Con Nation Magazine

THREAT CON PRESENTS Every second Sat at

OLD IRONSIDES

Every last two Sats at

Back 9 BaR & Grill

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Anchors For Airplanes Genre: Modern Hard Rock From: Reno, Nevada

hope to be able to witness that in the very near future.

Whether you like the charm of an Sierra Nevada’s, Anchors for Airplanes “unplugged” show or want the unadulare a force to be reckoned with in the terated satisfaction of frenzied power, world of Modern Hard Rock considering Anchors For Airplanes is worth a listen they were formed in 2013. In that short and if you can catch them live, even period of time, AFA has served up a better. very tight and polished sound packed with a hard driven vibe that is relative to Click the link to learn more about giants like Sevendust and In Flames. Anchors For Airplanes. Vocals appear to shift effortlessly from one end of the Hard Rock/Alt Metal spectrum to the other, from muscled melody to angsty screaming and everything in between. The instrumental skill behind AFA’s drum work, bass, and guitars is packed in every powerful track often spinning into a fury of intense double bass and inventive riffs. I was recently informed that AFA has performed acoustic sets as well. The idea of their high intensity power driven forces re-molded into a-whole-nother Rock medium is intriguing to me and I Threat Con Nation Magazine

What got you into becoming a tattoo artist? I’ve lost a lot of things but one thing they can’t take away from me is my imagination to create. I live for art and I just want to keep evolving as an artist. I’ve been an artist my whole life and I’ve always had a passion for it. As time moved on I started getting better and I started noticing how people liked my artwork. It made me feel good and I kept pursuing it. Did it take a long time to get to the point you’re at now professionally? I’ve been making a living off of tattoos for about the last 16 years and I’ve really matured. I’ve really grown as an artist. I’ve de16

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veloped my own style and my own skill. What has been your favorite piece that you’ve done on someone? I’ve done a lot of favorite pieces, but actually, my satisfaction is when my client is extremely satisfied and in awe of the tattoo I’ve created for them. It never gets old for me, that’s why I keep moving forward and I keep doing what I do. Do you have a favorite famous tattoo artist? I do have favorite artists. I like this guy named Carl Grace, he’s awesome. I like a lot of black and gray artists. The guys out of Lowrider Tattoo in LA inspire me. I see their stuff and I can’t wait to get to that level.

not everybody can tattoo a beautiful woman. My favorite style is black and gray and any- To me, it’s the most beautiful thing on earth and I love to create woman. There are a lot thing custom. I like when a client comes to me with an idea for a tattoo and I can create of tattoos out there where the women are not pretty. I know how to make the woman look that image for them. beautiful and not just pretty. I can tattoo an When someone comes in with an idea for actual, realistic looking, beautiful woman. a tattoo, does that set off a trigger for you Tell us about your other projects. as an artist? What is your favorite style of tattoo?

I’m involved in a couple of clothing companies, Konnected Clothing and Fineline Clothing. Konnected is a clothing company that’s all about giving back to the community. Everybody we hire is a parolee and everybody that we function with or try to help is on parole. People have really been supportive of that. Konnected has done extremely well. Within a few months. We made enough money to buy our own printing equipment and we’re printing our own stuff now. It’s really Have you ever refused to do a tattoo or moving forward. I’m excited about Konnected turned down a tattoo? I try not to, but there was a woman that want- and I’m proud because they helped me. It’s just all about giving back. I believe in second ed a big tattoo on her face. I told her to go chances and giving back. home, think about it, and if you still want to get this tattoo, I’ll do it tomorrow. She was at the door the next day before I even got there. So I did it, but I did make her go home and think about it first. That’s exactly what it does. When they’re explaining it to me, I’m already picturing the final outcome in my mind. In stage two, I sketch it out and maybe it doesn’t look as good as I thought, so I change this or add that and that’s the process for me. Sometimes the clients description is not very clear, but I add my own little twist and it turns out to be exactly what the client was wanting.

What tattoo theme do you like doing? The demon and angel theme is always good. Anything more realistic. I enjoy doing all types of tattoos. It doesn’t matter as long as it has a more realistic edge to it. I love women tattoos because

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HELPLESS BY THE RIVER HERE I SIT BROKE DOWN AND ALONE MEMORIES FROM YEARS OF STRIFE MISTAKES I'VE MADE OF WHICH I MUST ATONE YET HELPLESS BY THE RIVER HUMBLED BY THESE THOUGHTS YOU SOLD BUYING THE LIE FOR THE TEARS WE SHARED BOUGHT THEM WITH A SMILE SO COLD SO HELPLESS BY YOUR RIVER

Posted by our Long Island, NY friends in VERDE.

HURT FEEDS MY NEEDLED SOUL PAINS THAT ACHE WITH THIS EMPTY HAUNTING SHADOWS OF BLACKNESS GLOW DROWNING IN MY RIVER MARCHING FORTH WITH CURIOUS WILL EMBRACING THE HYPOCRITICAL THIS SKIN WE SHED, SHALL NOT HEAL REMINDS ME OF THE RIVER -C. LANE

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Sent to us from Kentucky

Dear Hellen: I am a reasonably attractive single woman in my 30s. I haven’t been in a relationship in a while and Internet Dating is not working for me. I seem to attract weirdos….the guys I am interested in are not interested in me! I have a first date coming up with a man I really, really like. Any suggestions on how not to blow it? Sincerely, Anxious

the “land mines” - discussing past relationships, politics and religion, and please don’t check your cell phone and/or text constantly during your date. Limit your alcohol consumption so you can remain clear-headed – no one wants to be a “first date nightmare” statistic. Relax, be yourself, and listen to your date and don’t monopolize the conversation. And – if you really hit it off, safe sex is a must! Thanks for asking! Sincerely, Hellen

Dear Anxious: Technology and dating are a relatively new mashup. Rules and etiquette are constantly being developed and refined. It is generally not a good idea to meet a prospective date without proper screening. If your gut is telling you something is wrong, it probably is. Starting off slowly by emailing and texting also has its problems. Sometimes the tone and flavor of texts and emails can be misinterpreted and can derail a promising relationship. However, internet dating is not entirely composed of jaded trolls. A recent study from Helen Fisher, Scientific Advisor from Match.com revealed that 49% of Women and 56% of Men fantasized about having a future with someone on the very first date. Some important tips to remember: Stay away from

Ask me your questions about life, sex, love, relationships, loss, work, recipe tips.. whatever. Got something scandalous, embarrassing and/or illegal? Send it to Hellen Back and remain anonymous. askhellenback@yahoo.com Hellen Back Facebook Hellen Back Twitter Threat Con Nation Magazine

ast month, I wrote an article titled, “Taking Back Sacramento” where I challenged bands and fans to step up and take back their music community. This challenge that I extended for anyone to grab hold of was meant to get the top leaders in this political music community to see that it is possible through networking and adversity, that if we strive, come together, and have that camaraderie, we can have back what we all miss.

my head as if I were already there at the show, it made me think of all the other bands on that bill. As I sat in my backyard contemplating, I just happened to look at this big ass tree and BOOM! I started to hear the crunchy, in your face guitar riffs of ‘Don’t Let Go’ by Once An Empire and I knew it was a done deal. I was going for sure.

It was show time as Old ironsides patrons started to flock to the front of the stage. I looked around and thought to myself, f@ck Although I am sure it was not intentional, yeah. I was so damn excited to see all these there were a couple shows that I attended on people at the show. Darkline got on stage the weekend of February 21st and 22nd, that and delivered an outstanding performance. if I were not mistaken, the bands from these As I was listening, I could hear that maybe, shows accepted the challenge and proved just maybe, one of their influences could what I have been waiting for. have been STP (Stone Temple Pilots.) Either way, it didn’t matter, all that mattered was Friday February 21st, I was contemplating Darkline set the tone for the rest of the bands if I should go to this show considering I am to follow and they did it well. injured. The more I thought about it, all I could hear was Zeroclient’s song ‘Solace’ I was sitting at the bar enjoying a tasty beverrunning through my head. As I sat, bobbing age when my friend, Crazy Cher, came up to 20

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me. She told me to check out the guitar player from Blood Party, an instrumental band from San Francisco, California. As I approached the side of the stage, i could see the guitarist waving his fingers around as if he had some mind control powers over his guitar. As he waved and moved his fingers, his guitar mimicked his movement and thus creating music and drawing a ton of on lookers. What he had going on, I could not explain, but what is explainable is how bad ass it was. They are definitely a band to check out. When Once An Empire was setting up on stage, I was watching them. There was something I noticed. They all had the same look in their eyes. A look that told me not to move because something was seriously about to go down, kind of like what Jaime Kennedy said in the movie ‘Malibu’s Most Wanted’; “Theres about to be some hard core drama go down in here right about now.” Believe me, sh@t was about to go down. All I could really think after Once An Empire was done with their set was, DAMN! They seriously brought it. I have been to some of their shows in the past and they were awesome, but that was not the same band I have seen before. They were on it and I couldn’t believe it. They were kicking major ass, not that I have ever doubted they could not bring it, but damn, they brought it and they brought it in a hand basket. As I look back to the show on February 21st, and start thinking about

ROCK 6 hero’s last mission

1 Papa Roach 2 Tesla

7 FRANK HANNON

3 Restrayned

8 street urchinz

4 dalie dough redline

9 Vanishing Affair

5 the Andromeda project

100little piece of dixie

ALTERNATIVE 1 SYNE FAETH

6 lonely avenue

2 dog party

7 FAIR

3 MARCH INTO PARIS

8 old screen door

4 zen arcadia

9 Total recall

5 Fate under fire

100wrings

STRUGGLE

METAL 1 plague widow 2 LIFEFORMS 3 in the silence 4 havenside 50 lifeforms

6 I wish we were robots 7 dead in seconds 8 entities 9 krippler 100 black

continued Threat Con Nation Magazine

Zeroclient‘s performance, I start to wonder how in the hell do they do it every single time. How in the hell do I always find myself singing with them. I know those guys had to hear me and lets just be thankful I was not on that stage singing with them. None of us wants that, trust me. Zeroclient closed the night with their statement to be heard for miles and ended the show with a bang.

The next band to step foot on that stage was The Kelps. This is a band that does what they do for you, the fans. They will entertain you from the beginning til the end using powerful lyrics intertwined with reality and take you on a adventurous ride through their minds. If you ever have the opportunity to see The Kelps, do yourself a favor and DO NOT pass it up.

Number Station is a band that delivers pure raw power. With their vocalist relaying their message in such a powerful fashion, it is hard to ignore what they offer. You want to see a band that has mad talent all the way across the board, then this is the band you want to see. From the moment they walked to the center of the stage, I was locked in and I was not moving, well, I was bobbing my head and screaming “hell yeah!” Number Every band on the bill for the February 22nd Station you guys are bad ass and now you put on a hell of a show. In The Silence start- have a new fan. ed the evening off with a bang and like a fat kid in a candy store, I was pumped. I look to I have seen and heard the name Lonely the stage at their drummer Niko, he points Kings all over Sacramento for the past year, his sticks at me and nods. I am not going to but I had never seen them live until that lie, that was cool. I was absolutely, without a night. I must say, I really like what they offer. shadow of a doubt, ready for a rock show. Their vocalist, Jake Desrochers, is no stranger to the stage and certainly no The next band up was A Mile Till Dawn, I stranger to forcing you to move around. have seen them play before, but this time it Lonely kings was a nice surprise, they offer was different. This time it seemed as though some in your face lyrics, but at the same the music Gods from above came down and time, you are being pulled into this circle gave them all a pep talk, because when they where you know that within this magical circame out and started playing, from the begin- cle, you are protected. Through his lyrics, ning to the end of their set, they played with a you are kept safe. No, I don’t have insecurity ton of energy, moving and jumping all over issues and I don’t need to be taken care of, the stage. There was a ton of people looking but when I go to a live show and I’m not onward in their direction as I was. They drawn in, I feel out of place. Listening to them kicked ass. I have never seen them move certainly had me drawn in. They have this like that and you could tell they showed up other side to them as well. They don’t just get ready to give all of us fans what we wanted, loud, they also bring it down a little. What I a god-damn good rock show. They did just mostly liked about the Lonely Kings is that that in a legendary kind of fashion. you can’t just see their passion, you feel their Saturday, Feburary 22nd; As I took a look at the lineup for the awesome show at the Assembly on K street in downtown Sacramento, I knew for sure this show was going to be talked about for days and be heard from here to the moon. Although my body is broke and ready to fall into small little pieces, I was still determined to make it to the Assembly, pain or no pain, I was going.

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passion as if you were up there on that stage in front of a packed house with them. I’m not asking to be in the band, although that would be bad ass. Do not forget this name: Lonely Kings. Come to a show, see them for yourself and you will know what I am talking about. Some Fear None’s performance on the night of February 22nd left me stunned, but only for about a second, then it was on. Yes, I was yelling and moving around, forgetting I was injured, but I didn’t really care at that point because I knew leading up to this show, this was going to be absolutely awesome. Of course, like a teenage girl, when I heard “Holler at your conscience asleep against the wheel again..” I’m surprised that I didn’t hurt myself more than what I was already hurting because, damn, I was most certainly ready to rock the f@ck out. I have had the pleasure of seeing Some Fear None a bunch of times live, but I was really not ready to see this. Are you happy now Karl and Chuck? You said I was not ready and once again, you guys proved it to be true. I was not ready. The screen in the background of the stage was radiating images off of Jason Weisker’s (SFN Drummer) whole drum kit, Gina Salatino was getting straight wicked on the bass (the most wicked I have ever seen her get,) and Chuck, “The Barbarian” Carrasco was slaying his guitar like a barbarian slaying his enemies. They had me ready for battle if there were a battle to be fought. If there was a battle, it was within ourselves to try to fight back to not lose total control of ourselves. O.K., I know, speak for myself, right? Wrong. The whole floor erupted with screams and the ground was rumbling as if there really was an old 1700 style battle. The only difference was instead of cannons flying through the air, Nathan Giguiere’s voice carried throughcontinued Threat Con Nation Magazine

out the entire venue as if he were screaming to me and everyone else to put our battle gear on and prepare for the biggest battle of our lives. Front man to Some Fear None, Nathan Giguiere, has a voice that could be heard from thousands of miles away. His raw vocal power combined with his poetic lyrics will leave you wondering how far does he dig within himself. What is going through his mind when he writes the lyrics he writes? Reading his lyrics is one thing, but hearing all the members of Some Fear None create this masterpiece is another thing to experience. What a night that was. As I have stated before, history always repeats itself and this night was proof that my vision was true. The scene that we all miss is coming back and it will be back stronger and bigger than before. Some Fear None’s vocalist, Nathan Giguiere, put this show together at the Assembly in downtown, Sacramento and he has a vision. Through networking and support, all local bands can work together and bring this music community back together. Like myself, Nathan knows he cannot do it alone, so why not build a bill that showcases some of Sacramento’s talented bands? Why not show the people and all the no-sayers that all you have to do is come together just like they did February 22nd and blow the roof off any venue. Come on people, it’s not rocket science, you want to put Sacramento on the map again, then you know in the back of your mind what you have to do.

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acramento’s quirky Art/Alt Rock masterminds, The Kelps, Have released the first of their split EP, “Go Dutch!” presented by their co-op indie label, Broken Voice Club Records. With the accompaniment of New Wave Folk Rock band, Honyock, what you get is a full bodied theatrical journey.

But hey, lamentations and emotional torture in a realm of warm fuzzies can be fun kids! The only thing that left me wanting is for more of this good stuff.

Click Away!

“Go Dutch!” will transport you into the timeless world of experiments in psychedelic Pop, Doo-Wop, and down-ndirty Blues/Rock. The Kelps give you music that is oozing with kick your heels up merriment, but on the edges of the infectious happy feels is a spiraling abyss of macabre, regret, and grievance. Like a big top circus ride gone horribly awry, you will feel both exhilarated and touched by madness. Threat Con Nation Magazine

Yes, injuries happen and a few tragic deaths have been reported; however, think about the dangerous nature of getting in your car and braving the California freeways to drive to work? The truth is, Moshers aren't trying to do any harm to one another. They follow an unwritten "Moshing-Etiquette."

My Music; My Metal People sometimes think it's weird that I listen to Metal. It seems even more strange to those who have met me and have a different picture of who I am, such as the quiet and shy girl I tend to be while at work in a professional environment, and then learn I listen to Metal music. IMO, the only real criteria for a being a 'Metalhead' is that you listen to metal, love what you hear, and share the heavy-metal music philosophy. Metal is all about Integrity: If you like it, listen to it. If you listen to it, don't you dare hide it. If you gotta hide it, you gotta stop listening to it!

1) Metal band, "Lamb Of God", Gigantour in 2006: The band's lead-singer, Randy Blythe, yells at the crowd for continuing to Mosh after someone was hurt in the pit. He stated: "The world looks at a show like this and thinks we are just a bunch of violent motherf*ckers who try to hurt each other. Well, that's not what we are about. Next time someone hits the ground, pick'em up or I will stop this band"

2) Groove Metal band, "Five Finger Death Punch", had an incident during the last song of a concert, a fan broke his ankle in a mosh-pit. Lead singer, Ivan Moody, jumped into the crowd along with Zoltan Bathory, the guitarist, and carried the injured fan to the stage to receive immediMetal music is appealing due to it's larger ate medical attention. than life subject matter. It's sense of power, complex guitar riffs, and at times very Moody stated: "Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve felt bad because of what has happened. I miss the old Panskillful vocals. Metal is about embracing tera kids who would just throw each other. everyone in the Metal community. Just respect other people! "Come on!" Some people have misjudgments of what Bathory stated: "When he broke his leg, I Metal music is all about; misunderstand- threw down my guitar. We just finished ings of what being a 'Metalhead' means; when he broke it. I came out and I stayed with him until the paramedics picked him misconceptions of what it feels like to Mosh and of all the dynamics taking place up. inside a pit. Moshing is a form of positive These are my people and that's how it is. feedback or expression of enjoyment, even though it draws a lot of criticism over it's dangerous nature. -Johnna Dean 26

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Toy Called God

Number Station

Overwatch

Groove Metal

Hardgaze

Hard Rock

“WARPING YOUR KIDS'

POST-SHOEGAZE/

MINDS AND SUCKING YOUR BRAINS DRY.”

2012 SAMMIE NOMINATED

HARDCORE BAND FROM SACRAMENTO.

FOR OUTSTANDING HARD ROCK BAND.

Toy Called God

Number Station

Overwatch Threat Con Nation Magazine

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