Nightlife Network Issue 2 January 2015

TABLE of CONTENTS

Community is a pretty vague and useless word without a drive to mutually benefit each other. ~NN

WHO? WHAT? WHERE? Welcome to the Nightlife Network Spokane Issue 2.

Our mission is to cover the artistic community and the venues, businesses and individuals who make this part of the world what it is. I've been a journalist and an interviewer for over a decade now, and I've always felt that the Spokane area deserves a magazine that celebrates the undeniable talent that comes from our neighbors.

I've lived in Spokane the majority of my life and went to school here from Kindergarten onward.

This magazine is a monthly tribute to the outstanding artists of all stripes that live in this area. It's also a tribute to the venues and businesses that support our artistic neighbors.

Community is a pretty vague and useless word without a drive to mutually benefit each other.

As the publisher of this here magazine, I have to say I'm a huge fan of the Inland Empire's music and arts community.

When I was 18 I decided against a conventional education and started to put the majority of my time into songwriting and performing. My parents taught me, the best way to learn to do anything is to jump right in. I cut my teeth here in Spokane playing in all sorts of bands and projects.

I plan on spending the next ten years showcasing as many artists as possible. ~Zaq Zaq Flanary - Publisher & Interviews Monique Flanary - Editor in Chief D.C. - Media Tech Monkey Josh Burris - Editor/N2 Events Mike Jones - Photo Editor/Photographer Tina “T-Chic� Cooper - Photo Journalist Photos are usually submitted by the artists and include amazing work from talented photographers like Jamie Paullus (Pure Sin Photography), Alan Birdsell (One Mind Creations Entertainment Photography) and many others.

Send all submissions to :

Events@N2Spokane.com Call us at : 509.927.3249 Send coffee & cookies to this address: Nightlife Network PO Box 14615 Spokane Valley WA 99206 Web: N2Spokane.com

1-2 THE BACKUPS 3-4 UNDERCARD 7-8 Union of voices 9-10 INVASIVE 11-12 LIONS BESIDE US 13-14 SEVEN CYCLES 17-18 Jimmy Hill / AmpliFIed Wax 19-22 FLYER PAGES 23-24 Mike Jones Photography 25-26 T-Chic Pics 27-28 RON GREENE 29-30 LUKE JAXON 31-32 FINGERSWAGGER

The NighTLIFE NETWORK We Will be focusing on a monthly release with music, art and whatever we can fIt into these pages, send us Your PHOtos, Short Stories, Drawings, art, show posters, band logos, band media kits, Art shows, fun events.. and it may FINd its way into priint in a future issue or be featured in a podcast.

ADVERTISe with us! ask about our Marketing PROMOTION OPPORTUNITIES

They are young, but certainly one of the most exciting new bands in the area.

N2 - Please explain your sound to our readers.

PH - For a long time we considered ourselves indie rock, but recently our sound leans more towards Power Pop. We are heavily influenced by the Beatles, Coldplay and we also like Need To Breathe a lot. Some of our songs are on the alternative side as we like the soft rock sound too. We're really excited about our first EP released in December 2014. The recording experience was awesome, thanks to Amplified Wax! N2 - Tell us about your experience at Amplified Wax. CB- Jimmy Hill is an awesome guy! I had my guitar stolen when we were mixing and mastering and Jimmy did everything thing he could to make it right, including having it replaced through insurance. When all else failed, he saved up money and bought me the same guitar out of his own pocket. Jimmy is not only a great person but he's also an fantastic audio engineer.

This EP we recorded sounds amazing.

N2 - How long were you in the studio and how many songs did you record?

CB- We spent two days tracking. We started at noon and worked until around 10pm to midnight. We put in two 12-hour days during the tracking process and then spent a couple more days mastering. We recorded 5 songs in that 2 day period.

N2 - Any plans for a video?

JC - We're currently looking at a few different options for a music video but are not clear at this time as to what we're going to do. However, a music video is definitely in the near future.

N2- What is it that happens to make you write a song?

Would you say there's a theme or do they come randomly?

PH - Well......it differs, I guess. On our (soon to be released) EP, most of the songs have to do with relationships; not necessarily romantic relationships but lots of different types. We like to follow a story structure pertaining to personal experience and we like to write in first and third person. We write what we know about and what we've experienced and all of our songs are basically positive and uplifting.

N2 - How long have you guys been a band?

CB - We all met each other around the Spring of 2012. We took a hiatus but then hit the ground running as a band in January of last year.

N2 - As a band, how do incorporate your individual music tastes when it comes to song writing? Do you guys often disagree on style?

CB - I think over the years we’ve grown comfortable enough with each other to be honest with our opinions. Honestly, I don’t think that any of us blatantly disliked a song that one of us pitched. I think the closest we’ve ever come to that was agreeing that the song itself was good but not necessarily sure if it fits with the rest of what we’re doing. It seems the songs that we didn’t like get turned down in the song writing process.

The NighTLIFE NETWORK N2 - Let's talk about the EP a little bit. Is there a name for it?

CB - Yes, it's called “Wasting Time” and it dropped December 21st. You can find it at our shows as well as on Amazon and iTunes.

N2 - What would you say is you're defining song on this EP? A song that encompasses your sound and style?

PH - It would have to be the title track of the EP: Wasting Time; this song is middle of road as far as tempo for us. It may even be a little slower than our other songs but I feel like it just showcases our abilities very well. It starts off one way and then changes in the middle and becomes more of a rock sound. This song essentially shows the different flavors of our general sound.

N2 - Tell us where you see yourselves as a band 5 years from now. Where would you like to be?

JC - We'd really like to see this dream come true! We would like to tour across the US and share our music. In the short time the band has been together, it seems it has already been a journey and its kind of like we're working towards an undecided destination. I think we're all hoping that destination will be touring and the ability to continue doing what we love, but above all sharing with people a piece of us through our music as we continue to write new songs and release new material. We are really looking forward to growing as musicians, brothers and band-mates.

N2 - The music industry has changed so much over the past couple of decades that musicians have been forced to look at what they do from a different light. Tell us about your business model.

JC - We would be lying to say that in the back of our minds that the old “dream” wasn’t what we were hoping for; I mean, who wouldn’t want to get a phone call from Capitol Records? (laughs)

the backups We’re very open to the new industry but that dream of a big record deal is cool. I think really we just want to prove that we can do it on our own and we’re not just a small town band N2 - Let's talk about the town that we live in for a moment.

Spokane's music scene (I like to call it a community): tell us about how you see it and how you've seen it change.

PH - It seems that it's growing and changing for sure. When we first started out playing shows it seemed that we were one of the only bands that were going for a lighter sound. After being in the scene for awhile now, we have been exposed to more bands and have heard a broader variety of music. There are a few bands out there that we really like and look up to; among them are Cathedral Pearls and The Fantasticks. We would consider them to be really solid.

N2 - Are there any local bands that you look up to?

AJ - Absolutely! We really look up to the guys in Nixon Rodeo for sure. I appreciate knowing that they have really worked hard to get where they are and they're one of the most well known bands in Spokane. On top of that, they've really tried to make an effort to come to a few of our shows and continue to make an effort to support the other bands in the scene as well. Another local band that we look up to is Dead Serious Lovers.

N2 - What is your favorite Spokane venue or group of venues to play shows at?

PH - I'd have to say The Big Dipper is at the top. I saw Colony House there a while back and the venue just impressed me. They've been a staple in Spokane for a very long time so we'd like the opportunity to play there. We appreciate all of the work that The Hop has put into our performances and they have given us many opportunities and allowed us to play there. The Bartlett is another one that is doing a lot of good in the music scene.

UNDERCARD

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NIGHTLIFE NETWORK

This hard rock trio from CDA has built a strong following across state lines.

N2 - Tell us about your sound. What are your influences?

MF - We've been compared to a lot of early 90s rock bands but a we are little more grungy and have a bit more of a rock mixture. We have been compared to Nirvana a lot or Local H as well.

N2 - Who are your influences individually as far as music goes?

ME - Breaking Benjamin, Incubus...whatever has a good groove SS - I listen to everything. I even listen to classic rock..... anything that is catchy.

MF - Butthole Surfers N2 - How old were you guys when you first start playing music?

SS - I played my first show in 1992 when I was 17. It was just an outside party but there were a lot of people there. I was the youngest guy in the band. When we played bars they would rope off the whole area because my entire band was under 21.....and it was so embarrassing! (laughs) MF - I got my first guitar when I was in the seventh grade, so I was around 12 years old. That's when I started playing.

ME - I got my first drum kit when I was about 12 years old so, yeah.....around the same time.

N2 - What was your first band that you played in?

ME -My first band was this really raunchy band called Soup Number Five. I still have a handbill from a show. The story behind the name is kind of funny......our guitarist/singer came up with the name because he had gone to Singapore and he had eaten this soup that just made him sick. It was called Soup #5 on the menu, so he decided to name the band Soup Number Five.

SS - My first band was a high school band called Mind Riot in St. Louis. I started playing with the neighbors and it began as a garage band and then they got a bunch people together.... next thing you know, we’re playing parties and then we’re playing shows. That’s a cool thing about bands....you pull it all together and it just snowballs.

MF - You know, I kind of started out late. I guess it was 2005 I started singing. I played guitar for all those years starting way before ‘99. My first band was Shelf Life in Seattle.

N2 - Which of your songs would you choose to define your sound?

ME - I would say Upper Hand, but that song defines somewhat of a transition in our sound. If you listen to the older stuff like New Light and Sick & Tired it’s got a slightly different style and the new stuff were doing is different. I guess you could say our sound is morphing.

SS - The old stuff isn’t quite as grungy as the new stuff though..

Full interview with the whole band coming soon!

MF - They still have a little bit of an edge to them though, so they don’t sound completely different. I would say that Upper Hand or maybe Bring Me Down.... those are good ones to explain our sound.

N2 - So is there a theme when you write the lyrics to the songs?

ME - All you have to do is piss him off (points at Mike F) then he’ll come up with a bunch of lyrics! (Laughs) MF - A lot of the old songs were about relationships and crap.

That’s a hard question to answer...it really pertains to how I’m feeling at the time and what I’m going through. I mean, I could be in the middle of something and think of an idea for lyrics and I’ll drop everything, rush over and try to write it all down.

SS - What about the new one we got coming out? It’s about Bill Collector Zombies!! (laughs) MF - Oh, yeah...that one (laughs) I actually got this huge Avista bill and the lyrics just came out.

N2 - Did you guys have a defining moment when you realized that music was what you wanted to do?

SS - Yes. Metallica....Black album in 1992. I saw them at the Key Arena in St. Louis and I got seriously baked for the first time and I actually felt it.....you know, where I actually knew I was baked?? (laughs). So...at the show, by the time I came around and realize what was going on, the whole arena was so loud and everyone was screaming “Die! Die! Die!” - they were doing Creeping Death - I looked around and finally got my shit together enough to realize where the hell I was and I started chanting too. I realized right then dude...this is what I’m going to do and I’m gonna do it probably till I die. You know, I’ve tried quitting since then and it didn’t work. Somebody actually left a keyboard at my house and it had drums on it and I started writing songs again. That was it. I decided that I couldn’t quit.

MF - I was downtown at the Met (currently the Bing Crosby theater) and saw Goldfinger, Cottonmouth Kings and Second Coming. I remember being there and, at that point, I was....

UNDERCARD

completely hooked as far as playing guitar because I hadn't began singing yet. I actually weaseled my way through to backstage when no one was looking. You know, they had the little side doors back there and so I got in and went backstage and guitar player is looking around going “What the hell...?!

Where did this dude come from?!” He ended up being real cool though. We hung out with them for a little bit and he gave me a guitar pick but that turned me in that direction and got me super excited about music.

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NIGHTLIFE NETWORK

INvasive

Invasive headlines the Knitting Factory this month - don’t miss it.

N2 - How would you describe your sound?

RT - I would say we are more hard rock because we're not really metal.

RB - I hate classifying ourselves but we're basically a rock band with metal overtones.

N2 - Can you describe the Invasive songwriting process?

GC - We will usually start with a riff and then I try to come up with melodies that will work. Once we get that down, we will proceed to writing the individual verses and choruses from there.

N2 - Are there any reoccurring themes that Invasive's music likes to touch on?

GC - Most of my lyrics touch on the same content which is a universal awakening of consciousness. I try to write stories that expand upon that topic.

N2 - There is an idea out there among music artists that record companies are becoming obsolete. What are your thoughts on this?

GC - We were actually approached by a record label that wanted to sign us. We took a look at the contract and they weren't offering anything that we couldn't do for ourselves, so we passed on that one. We just couldn't justify why we would take something like that.

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INVASIVE RT - I wouldn’t say all of the record companies are obsolete.

There are still a select few that look out for their people RB - Record labels don’t seem to be a stepping stone anymore, in my opinion. They seem more like stones you would want to step over!

N2 - I know you recorded your last few projects at Amplified Wax with Jimmy Hill. Can you tell us a little bit about that process and how it went.

GC - We are actually still in the process of recording with Jimmy. We still have a few songs that we’re planning on recording.

RB -It has been a really organic experience with Jimmy and something we’ve all enjoyed. It’s just a bunch of guys hanging out and there’s no pressure. If there is any pressure to be had, it seems to fall on Rob because we take a very “drums first” approach to the recording process. In the beginning its just everybody sitting around getting f***** up waiting for Rob to finish his tracks! (laughs) After he’s finished, then it’s our turn and we get to add our two-cents worth. Rob handles it really well, usually its just 1 or 2 takes to get a useable track. What we have so far from Amplified Wax was recorded in two sessions. We recorded two songs the first session, mastered those and released one of them to iTunes. The second session consisted of three songs and a studio video diary.

RT - Our intent is to go back to the studio early this spring and record five to seven more songs. We will release all the material as a full-length album at that time.

N2 - Invasive seems to be releasing songs as you go. Is this the model you will be following for future releases?

RB - Yes, we prefer to release songs as we record them. I provides a continuous flow of fresh music for our listeners.

N2 - How do you view yourself in the modern world?

RB - I would say we are definitely old school. We grew up in an analog world, so we want a tangible product in our hand whether it's a CD, tape, or album. In today's music industry, it's just not that way anymore. We are seeing massive changes in the industry and definitely moving in the direction where CDs are obsolete.

N2 - What advice would you have for musicians just starting out?

RT- I would say to do what you want to do. Life is too short to be unhappy.

GC - Keep your circles small.

RB - Pay attention to what works and use it.

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Lions Beside Us ROAR!

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You’ve never heard a lion roar like this! Go to the EP release show!

N2 - Tell us how you would describe your sound?

Cam - Not exactly metal or hard-core but definitely heavy!

Landon - Yes, definitely heavy. We scream, have a lot of heavier driven riffs and a lot of groove.

Jordan - We are heavy, but what sets us apart from the other heavy bands out there is that you can understand our lyrics.

N2 - Can you describe the origins of Lions Beside Us? Cam - We actually started in 2009 under the name Valley Of Nod. We had a few other people in the band and played musical chairs with band members for a while. Then in 2014 we acquired Will and Kyle, and now we are Lions Beside Us. Jordan - Yeah, it was about June or July of last year when this incarnation of the band started. This is the best version of it so far.

N2 - Are you all friends from school or did you come together through the music community?

Cameron - I've known Landon for a long time...since like seventh-grade. I met Jordan and Wilhelm on Craig's List and Kyle went to high school with me, but we were a grade or two apart. He and I were were just friends with similar social circles, so when Kyle left his band we snagged him up before he could join another band.

N2 - Tell us about some of your heroes. Who influences your music the most?

Kyle - A lot of the time I'm influenced by the heavier bands.

The artists that I really look up to would have to be the vocalist for Memphis May Fire, Matty Mullins. I also love Dave Stevens from We Came As Romans. I tend to get a lot of influence and drive from people that have related issues or anything that I can connect with. So those two would have to be my biggest influences.

Wilhelm - August Burns Red for aesthetic and attitude influence more than anything Jordan - We're really all over the place. There's a big influence from a lot of the hard-core scene, metal core, and a lot of Norma Jean influence. Most of us are fans of The Chariot as well, but at the same time we all come from different backgrounds.

I grew up listening to a lot of older stuff....Iron Maiden and stuff like that.

Cam - Norma Jean is a big one for me N2 - Let's talk about the Spokane music community a little bit. How do you guys fit into it? Tell us about some of your peers that you like to play with or look up to.

Jordan - I'm not sure we actually fit in real well yet. (laughs) Cam - Well, initially when we were playing gigs we had a hard time getting gigs with bands in our genre.

Lions Beside us

When we did play with bands in our genre, we sounded nothing like them.

Jordan - As for shows, we were getting booked with death metal bands or a Rock 94 ½ Breaking Benjamin type band and our sound was somewhere in the middle. As far other bands that we like to play with, we like a band called Over Sea Under Stone. They are kind of a Red Fang sort of rock band and they're fun. Raised By Wolves is awesome too. We played with Cold Blooded a couple times and we really like them.

N2 - What would you like to see in the next five years for your band?

Cam - I would like to see us go on tour and record a full-length album, a real rock your socks off kind of thing. It would be great to make a splash, gain a following and have it spread from there.

Jordan - In addition to what Cam said, I think what would be neat if we could see fans just connecting with the music, you know?

Wilhelm - Yeah, instead of having to see us perform, actually wanting to see us perform. The desire from bands to go out to shows and show their support for fellow musicians is how bands support their music community.

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SEVEN CYCLES

RELENTLESS MUSICIANS

For ten years Seven Cycles has been a staple in Spokane, and they are still evolving.

N2- When did Seven Cycles start playing?

RK- 2004 – 2005 JB - When we first started this thing, we had turntables in our band and it was just quick, heavy songs...a little bit of funkiness to it and it was wild. We used to have these huge shows, we played keggers, we played anywhere. We didn't really take it seriously at all so the sound was pretty wild.

N2-What are some of Seven Cycles biggest influences?

JB- Deftones, System of a Down, Rage Against the Machine RK- Yes, we're all about Tool, Deftones, Rage Against Machine...that whole era of bands like 90's metal core. We loved it all.

N2-How has Seven Cycles changed in the decade it has existed?

RK- It's way different than when we started. It's like the more you do it, the more you learn. Ozz joined the band about four years ago and it changed us big time. Ozz is a fantastic drummer and he brings a whole different aspect to the band that changed how we write music.

Ozz- We got a little more into the technical stuff, bringing in a different dimension to the band.

JB- Before, there weren't very many instrumental pieces in our songs. They were strictly 3 ½ minutes, get in & get out.

Now we have longer intros and a lot more drum work.

RK- Now that Josh is in the band, he brings a different style of bass that we haven't had in a long time....it just fits and it really works. Right now, we're having the most fun that we've had in a long time.

Ozz- We have the right people in place and the attitude is positive, so that makes a huge difference.

N2- Can you describe your song writing process for us?

RK- I like to let them create the sound and I will throw out my ideas, but we write the best stuff when it just “happens”.

When we try to structure too much, it never works. It's really great, these guys build a fucking cake and then I get to ice it!

Each song has a different theme.

JB- We have songs where I'll come down here with the whole song almost written, and then we will change it a little bit.

Then we might be jamming around on some riffs, and it'll be completely freestyle where nothing is planned out at all.

Actually,we do more of that now than ever. So, that's why our songs are a little more instrumental because it just happens organically.

Ozz- Yeah, Jeremy and I try to connect without saying anything and that's how the song starts organically. We are not actually playing the song, it's almost playing you....

SEVEN CYCLES

JB- You're not even really thinking about it in physical terms, you're just kind of going with it. Hopefully, we can keep writing like that because that was awesome. It's like magic.

RK- Thinking back over the past decade, been able to do a lot of cool stuff but it's almost more fun for me right now. It's great to see the camaraderie with our songwriting. There's no pressure... nothing is forced and we write comfortably.

JO- We actually just stopped over producing it from the beginning.

N2-How many albums have Seven Cycles Recorded? Can you describe some of your experiences while recording those albums?

RK- Right now, we have three albums and we have the material to do a fourth but we want to craft a few more songs first.

The game plan is to have an EP around April. That time is the best time for us to start booking shows.

Ozz- We made the conscious decision to be heavier. A lot of what I do drum-wise comes from a death metal background, or funk, or rap or whatever the hell I was doing. We had this mentality where we thought the song has to be under four minutes, it has to be a hit song, and blah blah..... Personally, I don't want to be involved with any thing that is cookie-cutter or where

we have to fit into some sort of expectations. That's the liberating thing...with this band, I finally feel free. I can play the drums and we can write a song that is not confined by the parameters set by a radio station.

RK- We're not doing anything that we don't want to do. If we don't like it, then we won't play it. If we like it, we're going to play it and we're gonna have fun with it. We don't really care anymore about having to fit into a 'criteria'. Now it is way different because the last time we were signed to the label EPI out of the Seattle area. We were given a budget when we recorded the album and it was really forced. Ozz joined the band shortly before that so we had to make sure that every song hit a “form criteria”. It was fun, don't get me wrong. There's a lot of cool things that happened from it. It enabled us to get our foot in the door for lot of really cool things but it sucks having to look back on being forced into a form we didn't want.

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JAMES HILL

Album after album James continues to raise the bar in Spokane’s music community.

AmpliFIed WAx

N2 - I'm curious about the name “Amplified Wax”; where did this come from?

JH - I hear that questions a lot actually. It really stems from the old band days and a name I had been kicking around and I wasn't sure if it would end up as a band name or a song title. When I started the business, I wanted a name that really encompassed what we do here and Amplified Wax just fit; it described my style. You get the old and the new. I use all of the new equipment and techniques and marry them with old practices for a full sound.

N2 - Tell us a little about how you got started in this business. You attended SFCC didn't you?

JH - Yes, I did. I can't say enough good things about that program! The engineers, the faculty, people like Danny McCollim on the jazz side, Gary Edighoffer....these guys are geniuses.

They taught me just as much about music as they did engineering while I was there, and this has been a great benefit in my industry. I can jump on a piano now and do different chord inversions, I can help with harmonies...it has given me the confidence to run my studio. So, after about a year in the program, I found a listing on Spokanebands.com from The Boulevard for a sound guy. I answered the ad and ended up working with Terry Swan. The time I spent with Terry was invaluable and opened my eyes up to what my industry really looked like from the inside. After some time working at The Boulevard, I met a guy named Ryan Wilson who was affiliated with the Spokane Public Facilities District. He came in one night to see a band that he knew and asked to run their sound and we ended up working side by side in the booth. We got to talking and at the end of the night he offered me a job at the Arena. Needless to say, I took it and was given the opportunity to work on huge Yamaha digital consoles, run the big light boards and infra-reds, I was shooting hockey games and Shock games with cameras, it was awesome. I actually got to pre-plan and install all of the fiber optic cable in the Arena. So this job allowed me to do a lot of over-all tech work, not just sound.

N2 - That's awesome! So you had mentors from this area of your life as well...

JH - Yeah, I had Casey Booey, Ryan Wilson, Monte Cook....... and Mike Tucker, he's done great things in this town, especially in the INB and the Opera House.

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james Hill - AmpliFIED WaX Recording Studios N2 - When did you first start recording?

JH - Well, I could go back to my first band and our rehearsal space at the place I bought. We had a small space that we made in the basement for the drum room. We put a bunch of mics in there and that's where the drummer would rehearse.

It wasn't that much of a stretch to just add Pro-Tools to that and hit record. We started making our own demos at that point; we used Q-base, a Dell laptop and it was all done digitally. This all started from a very simple base. My first actual paying gig was with a band called Big Dirty Guns. They were a punk band fronted by a guy named Jeff Hermison, who has since passed away. Their drummer, Jamie, worked with my wife back then and that's how I ended up with that gig. The first metal band I got to work with was My Fatal Mistake, and the singer ended up being one of my best friends.

N2 - What was the first recording where you felt that it all “clicked” and you found your sound?

JH - Wow, I don't think it's happened yet! (Laughs) I think it's just my curse that I'm never really happy....I mean, I'll get paid for a project and spend an additional 20 hours trying to make it better. Always striving for perfection, I guess. In all honesty, there have been probably 5 projects total that I've been really happy with. The first was a metal band called Burn The Attic. The project turned out really heavy and sounded really good. The most recent project would have to be The Real Life Rockers record...it just sounds ridiculously good. They are amazing musicians, so it really makes it easy to listen to and easy to engineer. The Civilized (Animal) album turned out awesome. On this project we did all of the horns live, and it really made a difference in the sound. This record ended up with a really rich, organic feel and full sound that I'm very happy with.

N2 - Let's talk a little about your business and the industry's climate here in Spokane. There are several options in the area for musicians who are looking for an engineer.

Do you find a lot of collaboration between the studios?

JH - This is a common topic of discussion around here. The questions we find ourselves asking is “What are we doing to grow our industry?” and “At what point do we play our hand closer to our chests?”. Although there are people out there that are doing this sort of thing as a weekend hobby, or are

dabbling in one-off projects, this is my business and I'm all-in at this point. So, if I find my customer base is moving off in a direction that leads them away from our studio, I'm going to take a look at the reason why and make changes as needed.

Our approach to the competitive nature of this business is one of positivity. We keep our opinions positive – absolutely no negative talk or bashing. Spokane is a sizable city, but small enough that word gets around and always comes back to you. All we can do is uphold our positive business ethic, only speak positively about those around us and continue to provide quality engineering services for the bands out there.

As far as collaboration between studios in the area, there are those that are open to such projects and I love these businesses. There is a studio here in Spokane called Identity Studios, and they are awesome. They're a new company, they're young guys, and they put out a great product. They came on the scene and introduced themselves and opened the door to collaboration right away. We have been working side by side with these guys and have watched our interaction actually strengthen the music industry. This is what needs to happen more often in our business.

N2 - Tell us about the services that Amplified Wax has to offer.

JH - We really can be considered a “One Stop Shop” for anyone looking for media related material. We offer Audio services which include: Tracking, Mixing and Mastering; CD and DVD duplication, full service Graphic Design, we are also involved in television and music videos, so we offer videography and photography as well. We have the Studio B now, so we offer budget services, and also provide outside consulting. So, essentially, a band can come in here, get everything done and walk out with a final product.

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DEC 2014

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HIRE AN ARTIST / DESIGNER TO MAKE YOUR POSTERS AND FLYERS. A COLLECTABLE POSTER MAKES YOUR SHOWS MEMORABLe; PLUS THE DESIGNER IS GOING TO TRY HARDER TO MAKE YOUR FLYER THE BEST THEY CAN, AND WHO KNOWS YOUR NEXT ALBUM ART Concepts OR LOGOs MAY ALSo BE GIVEN TO YOU ! ARtists will Do more when apprEciated !

ART AND MUSIC GO TOGETHER !

SUPPORT EACH OTHER !

Mike Jones

Mike Jones is always looking to capture local talent at their best. His talent is obvious.

Photographer

DEC 2014

Mike Jones / Photographer

T-CHic’s PiX

Photographer

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NIGHTLIFE NETWORK

One of our favorite people; T-Chic gives her perspective through photos.

Black Label Soceity @ the Knit

DEC DEC 2014 2014

TINA COOPER - photographer/personality Nixon Rodeo

Soblivios

Nixon Rodeo

Elephant Gun Riot

T-CHIC PIX

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RON GREENE

A prolific songwriter and performer and one of CDA’s favorites!

N2 - Tell us a little about you got started in music.

RG - Actually, I saw Phil Keaggy play via satellite at a church carnival. My interest in music started there. I watched Phil and said to myself “I wanna do that!” So it all began with my neighbor who invited me to attend that church carnival. His dad played a little guitar and he showed me a few chords the next day and as they say, “The rest is history!” I was 15 when it all began.

N2 - Playing guitar at 15, did you end up in a band in high school?

RG - I did play in a few bands in high school; one of them was called Young Spirit, and there were four of us involved. We played shows in the local churches and at various church functions. The first actual show that we played was recorded live at a pizza place that I worked for at the time.

N2 - What was the first band outside of school that you played in?

RG - It was another band that a friend of mine started called Crosswind. Once again, with this band we played the church circuit, we played at youth groups and youth events, and some church services. We were together for about five years and we recorded an album in the studio. That was the first 'real' band that I was in.

N2 - Having been part of the music scene for the past 20 years, tell us how you've improved and changed.

RG - Well as you play, you get better over time. Back then, my guitar playing was at the forefront of everything I did. I liked to sing but I didn't consider myself a singer. So definitely that part has grown.

N2 - There is a moment in a musicians life when it all clicks and they 'find' their sound. When did you find yours?

RG - Well, I think I found my “niche” because I play a lot of solo music. I am referred to as a solo artist, but I don't look at myself that way. I actually prefer to play in a band. When I'm writing and recording music, I try to encompass a “band feel” because I enjoy that sound the most. So, as far as finding my sound, I think that's an ever evolving thing.

N2 - How would you describe your sound today?

RG - Well, this album will be totally different than all of my other previous albums and I'm very excited about it. I don't really know what you would call my “sound”. I guess one could consider it groove-oriented.

N2 - So you and Eddie have collaborated in the past. Did you two collaborate on other albums?

RG - Just on the first solo album, Sketches. Eddie co-produced and recorded some of those songs and sort of defined the sounds of the album. We also cowrote a couple of songs on that one. Eddie is a phenomenal bass player, so were doing that again for this current album. When it comes to our collaboration, I think you find people that you mesh with and who bring out the best in you. For me, Eddie is that person. I trust his ear, I trust his musicianship and I trust his opinion. I can bounce things off him and if he says “Dude, that sucks.” I'm not gonna be offended because I trust him.

N2 - Share with us some of the artists around town that you appreciate or look up to.

RG - Dan Conrad is a great songwriter and runs in the same circles that I do.

Jimmy Nuge has a great voice and is a funny cat. The Emersons is kind of unique with what they do- more jazzy, but I think they are really fantastic.

RON GREENE

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Luke Jaxon

The Luke Jaxon Band is Nashville North’s house band for a reason. Go see for yourself.

N2 - Tell us about your music. How would you describe your sound?

LJ - Well to start, I would have to say that I love traditional country and I really love the new stuff so we try to mix the two and get a good blend of the old sound with the new. If I had to pick artists that would summarize our sound, it would be Jake Owen and Luke Bryan.

N2 - How long of you guys been a band?

LJ - We've been together for six years and we started back in 2008-2009. At the time we were all doing our own side projects and we pulled it together as a four piece sometime in 2010. So essentially, it will be our fifth year as a four piece.

N2 - Tell us the story of what brought you guys together as a band.

LJ - There was a group of us playing locally in town and they ended up having some differences with each other and so they split up. A couple of members of that band and I just started a new band. At the time I was playing a couple of acoustic gigs around town and I didn't have a lot of stage experience.

I knew one of the gals in the band and they needed someone who could play guitar so I said I was in. At the time we had tried out a few different drummers and then we met Kenny who is our current drummer. He was a young kid just starting out at Eastern as a music major. I was doing a side project in an eight piece band and we were having a lot of fun but we weren't playing a lot of gigs. It's in this band that I met Bruce, our guitar player so I borrowed him for this band. Doug, our bass player, was in an eight piece band and he had been playing for a very long time in rock bands all around town. At the time he was taking a break from that so I invited him to join us.

So we got this group together and formed a band. At that time, I wasn't the lead singer. I ended up singing basically because I knew more songs than we had in our set and our singer had left the band after we had booked a bunch of shows, so I ended up stepping up and singing.

N2 - So you became a vocalist out of necessity and now you love it?

LJ - Yes I do. I love it and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Guitar is always my first passion though.

N2 - Tell us a little bit about your musical background.

LJ - Well, I got my first guitar when I was 11. I had been begging for one since I was five or at least for as long as I could remember, and my parents finally caved and got me one. For me, music has always been very important. Music was never just background noise in my life. I would sit in my room and listen to music for hours. So I knew my whole life that I loved music but there was a defining moment when I decided that

Luke Jaxon I wanted to perform. I'm a huge Garth Brooks fan and he performed a song called Unanswered Prayers in the arena and half way through the song he stopped and there was 8000 people singing it back to him in perfect time and pitch. It was at that moment I realized that it would be the coolest thing in the world to be on stage and have 8000 people singing back to you. I think I was 12 or 13 at that time.

N2 - I understand that you're a songwriter. Can you remember the first song that you ever wrote?

LJ - I do remember the first song ever wrote and from time to time I still jam it out on my guitar. I actually started writing music in high school and wrote my first song at 15.

N2 - Tell us a little bit about your recording history.

LJ - I was working in a retail shop at the time I recorded my first song. The store was located in the mall and it would get real slow at times, so I brought my guitar in. So, I was strumming and this guy who worked at Sears saw me playing and he came in. We started talking and kind of became friends.

Later on he let me know that he did some sound recording and some engineering and he wanted me to come by his place. So my first recording was in a small apartment on the computer but the process was really cool - I really enjoyed it.

It was then I realized what a difficult process it could be from both sides, the engineer and the singer. After that, I did end up getting involved with the small project for a while and it was with them that I was able to record at amplified wax. This was probably about six years ago. I ended up going back and recording four tracks of acoustic solo material with Jimmy and it turned out really good.

N2 - As a band you, guys play a lot of live shows. How many shows a year do you think you play?

LJ - Well, we're basically on a schedule where we play six weekends in a row and then we give ourselves a weekend off.

So were probably playing 42 to 44 weekends per year. We get really busy in the summertime where we play private parties and rodeos, fairs....

N2 - What would you say is your favorite show that you performed? The most exciting show you've had?

LJ - My first gig, I was 18 or 19 and we were at the INB Performing Arts Center. I was playing solo acoustic and opening for Emerson Drive. Snoop Dogg was playing the exact same night right next-door, so there were two huge lines in

front of the building. Just looking at them, you could tell one side was for Snoop Dogg and one side was for Emerson Drive. I remember sitting there before the show started and you could hear the bass from the Snoop show come through the wall. I'll never forget being onstage... I was freaked out and it was my really my first stage experience and I was really nervous. Another memorable moment was being able to open for Eric Church. It's hard for me to pick a specific show or group of shows that are exceptionally memorable because the way I see it, being able to do what I do is a blessing and every show has something memorable about it.

FREE THE JESTER

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FINGERSWAGGER

N2 - Tell us how you got started in this business.

Stephen - We actually started as an online business. My partner and I found ourselves unemployed so we started a website and began to sell products out of the house. When we found out that we didn't have the room for that, we moved into a building and here we are. We moved into our retail building May 2013.

N2- What got you interested in music?

S.C. - Well, I've always played guitar. When I was little my dad put me up on his drum set and taught me some things; he then put a bass in my hands at 13. I went into the military after high school and didn't play for a long time but when I got back I hooked up with Greg, Terri and some other buddies. The next thing you know, we’re playing again.

N2 - Being the only music store in the valley, tell us what running a business in the Spokane Valley is like.

S.C. - We got really lucky finding a space in the valley when we were looking. We don't really have a lot of competition around here. Mainly we are trying to help everybody in this area to keep them from having to drive 20 miles to get guitar strings.

N2 - This is a unique business model for a music store.

Would you tell us the idea behind your business?

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NIGHTLIFE NETWORK

Not just a music store, Fingerswagger is a major supporter of the music community.

S.C. - We wanted to offer our customers a place where they could shop and find good mid-grade guitars as we as high end gear. In addition to offering new equipment, we are also a consignment store. So, anything that comes through here we try to give it a mild set up to give it a good sound, but upon the sale we offer a free set up if they don't like the way it plays.

N2 - So in addition to selling gear, you do repair as well?

Do you also have lessons here?

S.C. - Yes, we’re a full service shop. We do pro sets, we clean it up for you. If you need actual fretwork or edge dressings, we can do that as well. We offer lessons here too. Dave Calhoun is our instructor and offers lessons on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. If you need a different night, he'll set something up with you. We also have a local amp guy, a local person that does the leveling and we have a someone that's board-certified for the acoustic side. We do our best to provide everything needed locally.

N2 - Fingerswagger really has a reputation for reaching out in support of the local music scene. Tell us a little about what you do.

S.C. - Being musicians ourselves, we understand what a challenge it can be at times.

We try to sponsor as many shows as we can. This way it helps keep the bands playing. As you know, in this day and age, it's Pay to Play most of the time. If we can do anything to take the financial edge off of the musicians, we will try. If we can sponsor a show then we will do so.... sometimes we will even do some of the shows ourselves.

N2 - Let's talk about that for moment. You even have bands rehearsing here, don't you?

S.C. - Yes we do! Therion X rehearses here couple times a week. If I had more space, I would offer it other bands as well.

In fact, within the next couple years, I'm hoping to expand to allow for more band rehearsal spaces.

N2 - You get to see a lot of the music scene in this business.

Tell us about some your favorite local bands that come through.

S.C. - Well I'm a rock/metal kind a guy, but I went to a Hard Cash show at the Palomino. By the way, the Palomino is a great venue. I took my wife there and the bass player just stole the show! It was amazing...he was playing a standup bass, he was spinning it around, standing on it....it was an awesome show....

I was entertained! I went to another show at The Roadhouse, which is right across the street from our store. It was a country rap show. Yeah, it's sounds odd, but I was highly entertained!

It was really good. That's the kind of music that you don't get to see and you won’t know is out there unless you go out to the shows.

N2 - Tell us more about your business. Where would you like to see this go in the future? You had mentioned something about building rehearsal space for bands please elaborate on that thought.

S.C. - Well I've had people ask me if I wanted to have more than one shop in town and I would have to say that I'm not really that interested in expanding into more locations as a music store. However, I would like to gain access to a warehouse space and maybe build it out so you can have pack it in pack it out rehearsal spaces for bands. In addition to providing quality gear and support to our local musicians, we would also like to give them then a secure place to rehearse.

FINGERSWAGGER

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BOBBY KLUSS - PAWN 1

Few businesses support the local music scene quite like Pawn 1’s Music Corner

the musician’s friend

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NIGHTLIFE NETWORK

DEC 2014

FREE THE JESTER MIKE JONES 324

FREE THE JESTER

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