Items filtered by date: November 2007

As an ardent, obsessive fan of Pink Floyd, you can imagine how excited I was sitting on my stiff, metal stadium seat, gazing out into the vast space of the United Center arena, where the beginning constructions of a wall stood on either side of the stage, waiting for those explosive opening chords of "In the Flesh?" to blast through the speakers and for Mr. Roger Waters to grace us with his presence. My ticket read "8 PM, PROMPT" for the show's starting time. Since my friend and I had arrived a few hours early -- just to have a beer, and to check out the $45 t-shirts (which we each bought, thank you very much) -- we hoped it would start promptly at 8. We didn't want to wait a minute longer.

Well, we did have to wait a minute longer. Twenty minutes longer, in fact. And all the seats in the stadium had just about filled up. I thought I might slip from the edge of my seat and off the balcony into the crowd below in my jittery excitement. The lights went out. Camera flashes and the blue glow of cell phones were the only things illuminating the pitch black arena. The room screamed and cheered. The very air was bristling with energy. Oh my god. This was it. It was happening.

A blue spotlight revealed a lone sax player in the middle of the stage, solemnly warbling out the slow, sad opening tune -- the same melody that ends the show -- as we yelled our elation into the stadium and waited with tingling limbs for what was to come. The audience would grow quiet, then scream again, then quiet again, then scream once more. We didn't know when it was coming, when the sorrowful melody would be bombarded with heavy guitar chords out of the blue, thus truly starting the show. There suddenly was a lull in the music, we all yelled and screamed, and then BA-NUM! BA-NUM! DUN, DUN DUN DUN! The stage was a blinding flash of fire and light and the room erupted. It was already a climactic moment of the show and it had only just started. My friend and I sang along to all the guitar parts until Roger Waters, in all his Roger Waters glory, (because there is glory in simply being Roger Waters), took his place center stage to welcome us with his opening lyrics: "So you thought you might like to go to the show?" Screams. Applause. Whistles. Yes, Roger. We did indeed think that we'd like to go to the show. We did, indeed.

And what a show it was.

Although keeping to the traditions of the original Wall tour from 1980, with the wall being built across the stage as the show progressed, with enormous moving puppets of the school teacher, the mother, and the wife creepily lurking and, seemingly, peering at the audience from the sides of the stage, and with the final tearing down of the wall before the very last song of the show, there was much modernization. The wall itself served as a screen for projecting elaborate, ever-changing images, animations, and quotes, as well as the signature Pink Floyd circular screen that hung behind the stage. These technological advances helped to drive home a message that is deeply relevant to our time.

The anti-war theme of the album was brought to life with such clarity throughout the show; for instance, at the end of "Vera," a clip was shown on the wall of a little girl sitting in a classroom when she gets a look of surprise on her face, then disbelief, then an overwhelming flood of emotion and tears as she sees her dad, a soldier who has come home, walking through the door as she runs to embrace him. I was teary-eyed at this, and even more so when the pulsing drumrolls, triumphant horn section, and Roger Waters's pleading vocals burst into the air for "Bring the Boys Back Home."

There were also messages to be wary of the government and large corporations. During "Run Like Hell," logos of gas companies and car companies washed over the wall amidst the words "You Better Run!", and these same logos were being dropped by military planes during the animation on "Goodbye Blue Sky." Other corporations were attacked as well, one of the most obvious being Apple, with mock iPod ads being projected onto the wall alongside phrases like "iBelieve", "iFollow", "iProfit", "iLose". However, the most prominent and blunt theme was clear as glass: The lyric "Mother, should I trust the government?" was met with "boo!"s all around, and then euphoric cheers and applause when the projection on the wall answered the question itself with the words "No Fucking Way."

The pungent smell of marijuana hung heavy in the air during "Comfortably Numb," and I would have had it no other way. We stood up in our seats and swayed side to side as we sang along, and I never wanted that guitar solo to end. After "The Trial," in which it is decided that the wall must be torn down, the room chanted louder and louder "TEAR DOWN THE WALL!!" as the music built. The music then died away and the first few tiers of white bricks fell forward and onto the stage floor accompanied by booming sounds of explosions and falling rubble. We screamed and screamed as row upon row collapsed until only the sides of the wall remained standing. A light illuminated the front of the stage and the band was revealed, with Roger Waters joining them amongst the debris.

After a long while of cheering and applause, the noise of the crowd abated somewhat and Roger went into the last song, repeating the final line twice, "After all, it's not easy banging your heart against some mad bugger's wall." The room erupted once more and this time we wouldn't stop until the house lights came on and forced us to leave. Over the shouting and clapping and screaming, Roger addressed the crowd, saying, "Thank you, from the bottom of my heart! You've been a fantastic audience!" My friend and I proceeded to repeatedly bow with oustretched arms yelling "Roger! Roger! Roger!" We were still ecstatic, but also bereft, now that it was over. We had waited for this our whole lives; Pink Floyd is in our blood! It runs in our very veins! We didn't want this to be the end. After Roger waved and walked offstage and the house lights went on, everyone made a scramble for the nearest exit as the two of us remained in our seats yelling "Dark Side! Do Dark Side!" at the stage.

All in all, ticket prices may have been steep, but if you like this music and you're going to spend money on anything extraneous, like at a fancy restaurant or on $11 movie tickets or to buy food for your kids, do yourself a favor and spend it on a ticket to Roger Waters instead. He may not be in Chicago anymore, but he's around, and this is your last chance to see him before the wall comes down forever. All in all, it's all so much more than just a brick in the wall.

Hammond, Indiana’s Horseshoe Casino is the place to be to have a good time and see some of the best musical performers. The Venue, an auditorium inside the casino, was the setting for one of the best impersonation acts to come about in a long time. The Prince Experience came in presenting all the best works of Prince bringing you back into the 1980’s for a walk down memory lane. What an impressive show!

 

Gabriel Sanchez was in the lead spot impersonating one of the most fabulous entertainers to ever exist. His ability made you feel like you were actually watching Prince. He sang the parts with perfection, dancing in a way that impeccably mimicked the pop music icon. His strut across the stage, the voice, and everything within his appearance made you believe that ‘the artist formerly known as’ was right in front of you. “It’s Prince!” a young lady shouted. And she was right.

 

Sanchez danced on the stage in erotic movements that kept the interest of the ladies in the room as he performed exactly like his royal badness. Awesome musical ability was being displayed for the show and was completely beyond belief. The musicianship in everything he did was overwhelming. The guitar work that he pulled off was a strong duplication of the multi-instrumentalist. The authentic reproduction of Prince was done to perfection right down to his signature guitar. He wasn’t just an awesome performer covering someone else’s music. Gabriel Sanchez actually becomes the man that developed the Minneapolis sound.

 

Some of the songs that were played were: “1999,” “When Dove’s Cry,” “Raspberry Beret,” and “Little Red Corvette.” Definitely the smoothest and coolest musical spot of the show was during “Purple Rain.” The band came in nice and slow during the intro, gradually moving forward into the body of the song. What a monumental performance.

 

The show was not limited to just Prince Songs. A video clip played from the smash hit movie Purple Rain. When the clip had finished, out walked a classy gentleman, David “Mor-ess Day” Gonzalez. He came out in the roll of Morris Day and stole the show for two songs, “Jungle Love” and “The Bird.” It was an amazing time. He had the look, the sly dance, and the voice down pat. Nobody was there to bring this guy his mirror and from the reaction of the women in the room, he didn’t need it either. Oh EE Oh EE Oh!

 

Gabriel sat down behind the drums for the song “The Glamorous Life” as one of the background singers, Jennifer Shafer, took the lead for the role of Sheila E. The vocalist that had been hiding in the back came forward and sounded like the real McCoy. The voice was so close to the original cut it was amazing. She has such an awesome vocal ability and tone.

 

During the pop masterpiece, drummer Junior Gamaz, stepped to the front of the stage while his kit was kept warm for him. At the front of the stage was a set of timbales. He proceeded to nail the Latin percussion parts within the song. Then, without stopping, Junior and Gabriel switched spots on drums without missing a beat. They were simultaneously playing the six piece kit as Gamaz regained his throne. Gabriel may have been Prince, but Junior Gamaz was the king of the kit.    

 

During the entire show Gamaz held down the clock with precision. His hard hits and flash was so perfect for this group. When it came time for his drum solo it wasn’t like any other show boating that has been seen by other drummers. His original technique was refreshing to see and was quite clear that this man has rehearsed. There was a drum trigger that he would hit to get other sounds and accompaniment during his outing of becoming one with the audience. The drum rolls would run around the kit with such finesse captivating the onlookers.

 

The other half of the dynamic duo of background singers, Tracy Sparks, came forward to sing a duet with Gabriel. The song “Nothing Compares 2 U” was done flawlessly. During the entire show, Tracy’s voice could be heard, but she finally had her moment to shine. It was really a shame to not hear this angelic voice more in the lead.

 

The sax player, Peter Neumer, was a tremendous feature of the show. The solos were incredible to hear. The prolific player created some of the best sounds of the evening and kept hitting high notes that made everyone smile. This player was no amateur. A seasoned professional could only pull off the parts he played. He was amazing in everything he did. The show would not have been the same without him.

 

G Money filled in the bottom end on bass with funky lines that you could feel within your soul. Amazing slapping techniques came from the mighty hands of this bassist that helped to move the feet of the concert goers. The ace of the thick gauged strings definitely did more than hold the root of the chord; he rose to the level of supremacy.

 

Andrew “Droopy” Walker brought his guitar skills forward and it was sweet. The man brought his six string out to play and he tore it up. Unbelievable guitar parts were strummed, picked, plucked, and flaunted so effortlessly. He played the parts so well leaving a lasting impression for everyone that paid the price of admission for the show.  

 

Mitch “the doctor” Cooper played the ebony and ivory keys providing the perfect sounds on every ditty that was duplicated. His fingers ran up and down the boards quickly. Nothing was less than superb when he played and he was on fire. The sounds obtained were just like the original recordings. One word describes Mitch. Fantastic!

 

All of the incredible performers during this show pulled together their talents and made everyone believe they had just seen Prince. Gabriel Sanchez played the part so well it could’ve fooled the biggest fans. This is definitely a must see show if you are now or ever have been a fan of Prince.

 

As the show came to a close in Hammond, everyone wanted to hear more music from The Prince Experience. The impersonators took you for a trip back to the 1980’s for a ride amongst hit songs. Gabriel Sanchez led the audience and the pack of musicians on a triumphant journey through these magical numbers. He danced with the ladies in the audience, charming his way through the performance. This was truly the place to be.  

Even in the post-Lane Staley era, Alice in Chains continues to establish themselves as one of the best and most durable bands from the Seattle grunge explosion. Now, with singer William DuVall taking the reigns, the band takes on a new identity while at the same time staying true to form. Though DuVall’s voice is similar to Staley’s, he offers a completely different presence – a presence that has not only been accepted by hard core Alice in Chains fans, but one that also works with the band’s chemistry. DuVall is not just a replacement singer, he is now Alice in Chains, and he proved that last weekend as the band headlined Charter One Pavilion in downtown Chicago with the support of The Deftones and Mastodon.

 

Opening with “Them Bones”, Alice in Chains was off to a thunderous start. Guitarist and founder (along with Staley), Jerry Cantrell, blasted away with low, gut-grabbing tones that seemingly shook the ground. Though an outdoor arena with Lake Michigan on one side and skyscrapers on the other may not have been as ideal as the Riviera or Aragon Ballroom, the band made it work quite well. A set containing roving spotlights faced out from the smoke-filled stage with rings of blinking lights appearing around the beams on occasion. Cantrell and DuVall switched back and forth from center stage to a microphone stand placed on a riser adjacent to Sean Kinney manning the drums, as leads vocals occasionally changed and just for the sake of variety.

 

Alice in Chains is a fantastic live act. DuVall and Cantrell’s harmonies were warm and haunting. Overall, the sound of the band was dominant, precise, trancelike and forceful when it needed to be, while their presence was dark and commanding. Like any band with so many great songs in their repertoire, they couldn’t play every song demanded by the fans, but it was a fully satisfying set nonetheless. Included in their Chicago performance was “Acid Bubble” and “Check My Brain” from their latest release When Black Gives Way to Blue a handful of songs from Dirt such as “Dam That River”, “Angry Chair” and “Rooster”. The band also played “Again”, but did suffer technical difficulties during the first half of the song as DuVall’s microphone failed to work. Finally, they ended with encores “Man in the Box” and “Would?”.

 

The Alice in Chains age with DuVall has begun and, with no disrespect to the late, great Layne Staley, it is apparent it will be a good one.

Eric Johnson, Peppino D’Agostino and Andy McKee are setting off on the "Acoustic Masters" tour starting October 21, 2010. Heading through the Midwest to the East Coast and finishing up on multi-date tour of California venues, the three talented guitarists will be bringing their particular brand of acoustic guitar mastery to a town near you. We talked with Eric Johnson briefly about the tour and touched on some other subjects as well.

 

Can you tell us a little bit about the Acoustic Masters Tour?

Yeah, it’s Peppino D’Agostino, Andy McKee and I – all of us doing a 3-way acoustic thing. It’s going to be fun, we’re doing a few weeks in the midwest and the east coast and then we’re going to do it again in California in January. I’ve toured with Peppino before – I’ve never worked with Andy, but we’ll probably all just do an individual set a piece and then all come out and play a song or two together at the end of the night.

How is it for you to come in and play together with someone new like Andy McKee?

Well, I kinda do it off and on with different people – I’ve never had the opportunity to do it with Andy before or Peppino (though we have toured before), but it’s always nice to do that, you know, just jump in with somebody else and see where it goes. We’ll probably leave the songs we play together kind of open and improv a bit.

Andy McKee gained a lot of popularity on YouTube – what’s your opinion of this new medium and how it’s being used?

I think it’s great – it puts it where it really should be and gives anybody an opportunity to showcase their talent. They’re not under the constraints of who they know, or funds, or anything else. It’s an immediate window.

What have you been listening to lately?

I’m just all over the map – I’ve been checking out Chopan and listening to a bunch of old Motown and Stevie Wonder.. been listening to Sam Cooke a lot lately, trying to check all that out.

Is your playing still being changed and influenced by other sources of inspiration?

I definitely am keeping it open and trying to reinvent myself or to, you know, open up and try to be more musical.

I read that one of your influences was Chet Atkins, do you have other guitar influences from when you were first starting out?

Yeah, yeah – Hendrix was a big influence.. Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Wes Montgomery, John McLaughlin, Les Paul, Jerry Reed, yeah.. I love all those guys.

Jimi Hendrix is often described as an innovative guitar player, but talking to you now.. is he that great of a technical guitarist?

Yeah, there are certain songs that you hear of his that are extremely technically great, and it would be difficult for anyone (no matter how technical they are) to play them as well as he played them. In addition to that, I think that he was such an emotional, innovative player that stuff like that didn’t really rule him. So a lot of that stuff isn’t so technical, but is extremely emotional or extremely different, unique and innovative. I think he really crossed all of those bridges. And in addition, put in perspective what he was playing and doing 43 years ago.. it’s just mind boggling. At the time that he came out - with the knowledge and what we had learned and gained on guitar style and technique at that time... he just came out of left field with something that was light years different, and beyond what anyone else was doing.

Can you tell us a little about your new album?

Yeah, it’s called "Up Close" and it’s 15 pieces of new music. We finished it a couple of nights ago, it’ll be coming out on AMI Records in late October, I think. And so we’ll be touring off of that probably early next year right after the January leg of the acoustic tour finishes up.

Ok, and how does the new album "Up Close" differ from recordings you’ve done in the past?

I think mainly it’s a step in me trying to let go a little bit of it being too "studio-ish". There’s still a little bit of that in there.. there will always be a little bit, but it’s a step towards trying to just perform more in the studio and kinda let go a bit. We had other artists guest on it as well and try to let it just go where it’s gonna go. It really brought a different type of integrity to what’s going on. I’m kinda looking to go that way more in the future.

What guests did you have on this album?

Sonny Landreth, Jimmie Vaughan played on songs, Steve Miller sang on a tune and Jonny Lang as well.

We’re looking forward to the show in Chicago, thank you for giving us a moment of your time!

 

Guitar Masters tour itinerary:

Oct 1                        Milwaukee, WI                                    Northern Lights Theater
Oct 2                        Indianapolis, IN                                  Clowes Memorial Hall
Oct 3                        Ann Arbor, MI                                    The Ark
Oct 6                        Salina, KS                                            Stiefel Theatre
Oct 7                        Iowa City, IA                                       Englert Theatre
Oct 8                        Kansas City, MO                                Uptown Theatre
Oct 9                        Rochester, MN                                   Mayo Civic Center
Oct 10                      Evanston, IL                                       Space
Oct 13                      Phoenixville, PA                                 Colonial Theatre
Oct 14                      Lebanon, NH                                       Lebanon Opera House
Oct 15                      Bethesda, MD                                     Music Center at Strathmore
Oct 16                      Westhampton Beach, NY                  Performing Arts Center
Oct 17                      Ridgefield, CT                                    Ridgefield Playhouse
Jan 14                      San Luis Obispo, CA                        Spano Theatre
Jan 15                      Mission Viejo, CA                             Norman P. Murray Center
Jan 16                      San Rafael, CA                                    Marin Center
Jan 17                      Visalia, CA                                          Fox Theatre
Jan 19                      Arcata, CA                                          Van Duzer Theater
Jan 20                      Chico, CA                                            Laxson Auditorium
Jan 21                      Napa, CA                                             Opera House

 

Lincoln Hall is, hands down, the weirdest concert venue I’ve ever set foot in.

And I’ve been to The Fireside Bowl.

I made my L.H. debut last Wednesday night for Thee Oh Sees, a garage pop outfit from San Francisco, about whom my roommate had said, “I think I’ve heard they’re pretty much pretty good.”

They were just so.

Lincoln Hall, too, was a pretty much pretty good place to see music performed. Opened in 2009 by the owners of Southport Ave.’s Schuba’s, L.H. is the renovated Fullerton Theatre of 1912, which most recently housed the 3 Penny Cinema. It’s on Lincoln, just north of Fullerton in Lincoln Park. The venue feels like it’s on Lincoln, just north of Fullerton in Lincoln Park. Which is not a bad thing, exactly, but it makes seeing punk performed there a little weird.

It was almost too nice a venue.

First things first: I headed for the men’s room – little did I know that I’d be micturating in the most pristine bathroom that a music venue about to put on a punk-ish show has ever presented to the world. It was . . . weird. The urinals themselves, for instance, were shaped like 1960’s mod chairs, the shape and color of massive eggs inset into the wall, with each egg missing what could only be termed its front hatch. Why would you make a urinal look this way?

Furthermore, and perhaps more noteworthy - there was not a drop of graffiti in the joint. Not one mark in the bathroom of a concert venue. Not an exploded pens worth of hieroglyphics. Zilch. Nada. There were some flyers put up on the door, but they were arranged tastefully in columns and rows, all of them advertising the upcoming Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s show (Sept. 19). Conspicuously, nobody had torn any of the flyers down, nor desecrated them with blasphemy, awful song lyrics, or phone numbers and the reasons one might be prevailed upon to call them. It was pure Twilight Zone, I tell you. I got out of there as soon as I could.

Lincoln Hall is divided into two sections: there’s an antechamber with tall circular tables set on crane legs resting under soft lighting. There's full bar featuring two smiling bartenders and a kitchen lurks somewhere nearby because there are lots of food scraps left on the tall tables. And then there’s the second room: the stage room. The stage room’s walls are exposed brick until they meet intricate metalwork that spins and curls up to the stage room bar, a bar with plenty of on-tap beer options and built-in wood-paneled shelves that hold bottles of expensive-looking liquor, each bottle backlit by a little light fixture in a way that renders the bottle’s contents into highly desirable shades of gold.

Let it be known that I’m not trying to paint L.H. in hoity-toity pen-strokes. I don’t actually think it is very pretentious or haughty, and I think that most people who might claim to feel that way are simply reacting to the unexpected. L.H. is actually quite warm, both temperature-wise and in the feelings it evokes. Unzipping my hooded sweatshirt, I took in a crowd of mostly thirty-something alternative types dressed in plaid shirts and tight to semi-tight jeans or Dockers. Almost everybody drank beer either out of plastic cups or glasses, chatting amicably in clusters, apologizing when they bumped into one another during a particularly demonstrative retelling of a story. It’s a warm place that just happens to be nice.

The first band of the evening is Paul Cary. I think. They never actually say their name, and they’re a three-piece group, Possibly Paul Cary is - guitar-keys-drums - with a lead singer/guitar player whose gravelly vocals crack in all the right places as it's transmitted through old-school ribbon microphone effects. P.P.C.’s sound is bluesy and melodic, like a more melancholy version of some The Strokes’s songs. The keyboard sounds good when you can hear it, which isn’t often enough. The lead singer (possibly Paul Cary himself?) should annunciate better. I caught maybe every third word. And the guitar playing trends towards the simple - especially the solos, which were not understated so much as casual, and far from the blues-driven self-expression I’d been hoping to hear.

Up next is Hot Machines, who thankfully identify themselves as such. They’re a really fun band, a jump-around squawking punk band that’s mostly upbeat. They employ both a male and a female singer, and Hot Machines are at their best when the two of them overlap voices, the melodies and arpeggios commingling, her chirps bisecting his microphone-effected crooning. The lady singer, Miss Alex-White (according to MySpace), has a great, rangy voice that’s smoky and seductive on their one slower song, and I wish we could have heard her full range more often. As it was, she stuck mostly to chirping. She also has great, massive hair, billowing curly hair that’s red or gold or American cheese yellow, often all three shades in one song when the stage lighting flickers back and forth across the color spectrum. Like this evening’s openers, Hot Machines are largely indecipherable. I believe I heard not infrequently the words, “Fire” and “Go,” but can offer little more than that in regard to their lyrical selections. And I was listening. My lamentations about understanding words might make me come off like a hearing aid-straddling octogenarian, but, man, let me at least a little bit into what you’re trying to do lyrically. Slurring ninety-five percent of its lyrics makes a band sound insecure, not indifferent. Likewise, like a lot of punk bands, Hot Machines are musically repetitive. After twenty minutes it all starts to blend together, I think, feeling again like an out of touch old-person, though I might be the youngest guy here. Music should take risks, and surely Hot Machines took one in their determination to play this music of fire and go, but the risks seem to have faltered there, confined to choices of style and tone instead of exotic instrumentation. Deviate and be rewarded. As is, however, they’re still barrels of fun.

Thee Oh Sees go on last. They’re a San Francisco outfit once known as Orange County Sound, which doesn’t make too much geographical sense, but who knows? Live music can be wonderful because just when you’ve fallen in love with an opening act, when you’ve determined that they’ve got a great sound, decided that they should go places far and wide, the headliner comes on and reminds everybody in attendance about how inventive, poppy music can really sound. The headliner tells us what it’s like to own true showmanship; they let us see for certain how a band’s cleverly crafted dynamic can play out on stage before our very eyes. Thee Oh Sees perform twangy, slippery punk songs with surfeit energy and verve. They craft catchy melodies to be sung over by lead singer John Dwyer, whose stage presence is phenomenal. He whirls around and kicks his legs, dancing, holding his guitar high on his chest like a machinegun or placing it headstock down on the ground while drummer Mike Shoun unleashes a vicious, five-minute drum solo. Dwyer has so much life in him that he cannot help but end nearly every poppy line with a “Whoop!” or a “Yip!” and by the end of the night those whoops and yips feel trademarked to him and to him alone, and I will think of Thee Oh Sees when I hear a dog yip or a crane whoop for a long time to come. Dwyer has so much stage presence that half the time it feels like he is up there performing by himself while the eyes of his comparatively humdrum band mates follow him around, distractedly playing their instruments, taking in the show as an on-stage audience.

Thee Oh Sees’ sound is hard to describe with anything approaching a realized fullness, but that’s because they’re originals. There are traces of Devo in the melodies, I suppose, and particles of surf rock, too. When Dwyer solos it sounds like he’s improvising, and he might be, taking off whole bars at a time between notes, then returning with a flurry up the guitar neck and back down it again before rediscovering the melody. The solos, and virtually everything about Thee Oh Sees, feels patient, in spite of their fast tempo. Patience welded to experimentation sounds like inspiration, even if its all been hashed out ahead of time. They just sound alive - eagerly alive – playing the same three chords in every charming song.

On my weirdest nights, it is nice to know that I have, at least, been charmed.

http://www.myspace.com/ohsees

http://www.myspace.com/hotmachines

http://www.lincolnhallchicago.com/

Gwar has been a tour de force since their beginning 25 years ago. And they've apologized for nothing. They've embraced what they've become and they haven't looked back.



Hailing from outer space and landing in Antarctica, Gwar has evolved from creatures that created humanity (by committing adultery with apes) to watching the very species they created turn into the inspiration for their musical art form. Oderus Urungus was able to take a moment to answer a few questions and talk about the amount of respect that many musicians lack.



Buzz: Oderus, thanks for taking the time talk to us, since you guys have been around since the dawning of the continents.....



Oderus: Actually, we created the continents. When we landed in Antarctica, our spaceship crashed into the land and created the continents. We then fucked a bunch of apes and created humanity. We are immortal.



Buzz: So since you guys have been around for a long time, how have you been to keep your looks and not wear make-up?



Oderus: Simple. We've always bathed in Jack Daniel's and ate a lot of crack. We also look great without costumes. We have always worn the same clothes--for the past 30,000 years. Let's be honest, why would you break something that works?



Buzz: That is true. Your formula has worked well for the past 25 years. You guys have been all around the world and have played countless gigs. You guys have also been a part of movies and video-games. How did it feel to be a part of the Beavis and Butt-head video-game?



Oderus: Basically, Viacom comes to us. They sit us down. Then they explain how they will place us in the video-game and we will make 2% of every game that sold after the 20,000 mark. We figured that we would do it because crack is kind of expensive. We are still waiting for our check.



Buzz: Wow.



Oderus: Viacom works their deals as a way to promote you. They viewed it as us getting publicity.



Buzz: Yeah, because you guys need more publicity, right?



Oderus: [Laughs] Exactly. We're fucking Gwar. We create our own publicity. We know we're awesome. We are over-sized and we have always been more concerned about girth rather than height.



Buzz: Along with being in a video-game, you guys had the honor of being nominated for two Grammy Awards. What was it like going to the awards show?



Oderus: We had a discussion with the head of the Grammys; he told us that we were not allowed to show up as "us." We were told that we have to show up to the ceremony in tuxes and if we arrive looking like "us" on stage, we will then be asked to leave. We walk out of the limo and walk through security; as soon as we turn the corner from the security check-in, we got dressed as though we were on stage. Security then came to us and escorted us out of the venue. We then walked across the street to Sir Mix-A-Lot. Sir Mix-A-Lot rented a lot from across the street from the ceremony. He then placed an inflatable, 50-foot butt on the street across from the ceremony to protest the Grammys. We then partied with him and had more fun with a 50-foot butt then we would have had at the ceremony.



Buzz: Another highlight of your career was when you guys played Bonaroo this past summer. Tell us about your performance and why it was such a different gig for you guys.



Oderus: Well, first, it's Bonaroo. We're Gwar. We literally usually eat hippies for breakfast, though it was cool because the crowd was awesome. There were a lot of people that came to watch us; it turned out being one of our best shows. We played that festival to prove that we aren't going anywhere. We wanted to show people that we never change who we are regardless of the rest of the bands or comedians at the festival. The rest of the bands and comedians were really cool, too.



Buzz: I hear Margaret Cho treated you well.



Oderus: [Laughs] Yes she did.  She was a great sport. I don't know too many lesbian comedians that are able to suck a cock as well as she can. Honestly, you have to be a good sport if you are a lesbian comedian and take a huge load of semen on your face and mouth. I mean, I made her mouth look like a sliced watermelon.



Buzz: Along with playing Bonaroo, you guys are in the middle of doing a two-year celebration tour of being around for 25 years. How are you guys able to do so many gigs in such a short amount of time?



Oderus: Well, we have a bat-shaped helicopter that goes about eight miles an hour.



Buzz: How are you guys able to get through Arizona without papers?



Oderus: We carry weapons not papers. Usually once they see our weapons, they just let us go through. That's the nice thing about having your own vessel. They don't worry about it.



Buzz: What can people expect from you guys on this tour?



Oderus: I think the name says it all: Bloody Tour of Hell. We are destroying celebrities and people are going to be terrified. We also have sex with Sarah Palin. See, people forget that she is a fucking MILF. They can't get past the voting-booth politics and just admit that they would do her if they had the chance. I personally feel that the voting should be able to get you off. You know that everyone will vote for the person who gets them off the best.



Buzz: Who were the musicians that got you off the best? Influentially speaking, of course.



Oderus: Motorhead. They are the only band that has given us as much respect as we have given them. One time Lemmy came back stage and complimented us. That was something I will never forget. There aren't a lot of bands that really give us a lot of respect, which doesn't make any sense to me. We have helped influence the metal music world and helped make it what it is today. I awarded Kerry King a Golden God award. This motherfucker just snubbed me. I said congratulations and he wanted nothing to do me. That man is the jock of the metal music scene. I have even tried to call him out as often as possible in the press and he still hasn't done shit about it. Another band that doesn't give us any credit is Lordy. Really? These guys try to do what we do, and they completely suck at it. There's a reason why we have been around for years and bands like them aren't.



Buzz: Since there are bands similar to you guys, what are your sole missions as musicians?



Oderus: Rock out with our cocks out. We view our music as the closest thing to war. We like to keep making metal music. We understand it's difficult to get passed the sexiness. We're Gwar! We stand by ourselves. There is no other band that will ever take it to the level that we do. If people really want to see how far we take it, they can look on www.gwartv.net.

And now, folks, my story has ended. I think it is time I should quit. If any of you feel offended, stick your head in a barrel of ???
 
 
It takes time to become a legend; this is not something that can happen overnight. It takes years, a lot of hard work, and developing a name within your field of expertise to reach this level of appreciation. To be legendary you have to touch millions of people with what you have accomplished and be admired deeply for what you have done. Fans have to live, eat, and sleep with you on their mind. In 1970, Barret Hansen created a radio character and brought to life his alter ego of Doctor Demento. Over forty years later, the radio personality still exists after being enjoyed and loved by so many of his listeners. He is truly a radio legend.
 
The show idea began with one crazy song, “Transfusion” by Nervous Norvus and the comment that Hansen had to be “demented”. The D.J. began his transformation into the Doctor and the command soon came to “Wind up your radios!” The funny off the wall pieces attracted kids, the old memories brought in adult listeners, and his personality warmed the hearts of everyone.
 
In 1974, the comedy radio show went into syndication and the word started to spread quickly about the crazy radio disc jockey. The listeners tuned in to hear songs played like “Der Fuehrer’s Face” and “They’re Coming to Take Me Away”. The success of the show spawned out to approximately two hundred radio stations during the peak of its popularity.  No other D.J. would play hysterical novelty songs and comical skits like “Last Will and Temperament (Boot to the Head)” and “Kinko the Clown”.     
 
He didn’t just spin vinyl from his vast collection of records. The good doctor played the funniest stuff around. He brought laughter and happiness into your home. The show usually aired on FM radio on Sunday nights. Listeners would stay up late to hear each funny presentation, only to drag themselves into school or work on Monday morning half asleep. For the next week, the fans would be wondering what would be in the funny five countdown during the next broadcast. 
 
Without the existence of this Doctor, a lot of songs and rare comedy bits that appeared on his show would not have been as popular as what they became. No one else was playing these comical creations. Certain artists, such as Frank Zappa, “Weird Al” Yankovic, and Spike Jones, were made public to a lot of listeners. 
 
Many listeners had never heard the incredible works by Frank Zappa. Doctor Demento was responsible for exposing him to so many new fans. An awesome song of Frank’s that was featured on the show was “Titties and Beer”. Sometimes when the song was played it was called “Bleep and Beer” because of censorship regulations and the funny parts had to be cut out. Demento has his view on Zappa. He stated that he was “Such a prolific artist and a workaholic.” He wasn’t only just a comical musician, but “also had so many serious pieces” that were wonderful. Frank was probably best known for his song “Valley Girl” that featured his daughter, Moon Unit. Zappa’s commercial success was long overdue, but not necessarily his best work. Many other songs had a certain comical intelligence that was recognized by Doctor Demento.   
 
The musical career of “Weird Al” Yankovic may never have taken off it weren’t for the airing of his musical masterpieces by Hansen. “Weird Al” Yankovic came on his show several times. One of the most memorable times, Yankovic had just released “Another One Rides the Bus”. This song “was the best thing he had done up to that point”, according to the Doctor. He played the song live in the studio for the show. “Weird Al” was always one of Demento’s favorites. Hansen explained that Al has been able to maintain a certain amount of popularity over the years; he kept coming out with something new and hot almost every year since 1980.
 
Between Spike Jones and “Weird Al” Yankovic they had become the most played artists on the show, with Al also being the most requested. Musical artists and comedians sent in a bunch of material that was good and if Hansen liked it, he would play it for his listeners. He enjoyed Monty Python a lot and Ray Stevens as well as numerous others. He was one of the first DJ’s to play the Sex Pistols and probably the first person outside of Ohio to play Devo.
 
Comedians and actors came on the show as guests as well. George Carlin’s appearances are ones that sometimes were surprisingly serious with his conversation. John Cleese was on the air live when the movie A Fish Called Wanda came out. “It was a lot of fun,” recalls Demento. He came on to promote his new movie, but the topic of Monty Python ended up monopolizing most of the conversation.
 
Over the years, Demento played the song “Shaving Cream” by Benny Bell quite frequently. Demento himself would actually sing the song live on the air. Many different versions of the lyrics were performed and he sang it several dozen times. He recorded two commercially released versions of the song, but never recorded anything else. He commented stating that he was just a “One trick Pony”.
 
Demento released compilation records and CDs including Dr. Demento 25th Anniversary Collection which sold over 500,000 copies, causing it to go gold by RIAA standards. The very best of Doctor Demento is coming out soon as he continues to stay busy. In 2009, all the hard work paid off for Hansen. He had been inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame which was a well deserved honor. The man and his show had been a part of so many lives over the years. Not many disc jockeys have been loved by so many fans on a nationwide basis. When he finally received the recognition for what he had accomplished, it was long overdue.   
 
As times changed the creation of rap music came along. He tried to keep the show up to date with the ever changing music styles being presented over the years. Demento has an open mind about all types of music. He played some rap music even though some of the classic rock stations he was aired on despised rap. Even Demento didn’t enjoy rap as much as other genres, but he was keeping up with the times. His heart for music was more with the Delta blues and bluegrass, but he tailored his show for everyone, not just himself. 
 
Different syndication carriers brought the Doctor Demento show across the airwaves over the years. Westwood One was this first and undoubtedly the one that brought him the most success. Later, On The Radio Broadcasting took over syndication and then finally he changed to Talonian Productions which was handled by Barret Hansen himself. The show started to lose listeners, advertisers, and money with the ever changing times of radio. In 2007, Hansen stated "unless the show's financial situation changes soon, I will be unable to continue the show much longer." Sadly, in 2010, the Doctor Demento show finally decided to discontinue syndication. The show will run until the end of the month, in Amarillo, Texas, on the last station that carries the show. At that point, Doctor Demento will say “Goodbye to radio”.   
 
As luck would have it, the show will continue on Demento’s website, www.drdemento.com, so that the comical door, leading to the land of dementia, remains open. The genius D.J. who plays the crazy novelty songs and comedy skits still can be heard. A lot of the past shows can always be listened to on the website in the archives as well. Certain shows cannot be posted due to copy right laws, but a lot of the great gems are still there for the listening pleasure.
 
When asked about getting back into a syndication deal the response was “Nothing is impossible.” There wasn’t a lot of positive enthusiasm about it, but at least his show can still be heard when driving down the information highway. A lot of those old songs aren’t being played by anyone anymore, but Hansen. To release the old shows on CD, he would have to license every song which isn’t impossible, but appearing to be unlikely. There can be a lot of headaches with the copy right laws. 
 
The legend of Doctor Demento created by Barret Hansen moves on from radio. The Doctor will still be on the internet playing all of the funny songs, comical bits, and rare recordings. The legendary man continues onward with his show, providing side splitting humor to put a smile on the face of listeners. He still ends each show reminding listeners to “Stay demented!" For Barret Hansen, a.k.a. Doctor Demento, is there any other way?

The trappings of the “American Dream” and suburban life have been explored in every artistic medium for decades. But what do the age-old questions about the hunger for upward mobility and its attendant isolationism mean when asked during our current economic and socio-political conditions? Kicking off the 2010-2011 season for the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Detroit, written by Lisa D’Amour and directed with purposeful ambiguity by ensemble member Austin Pendleton, manages to stimulate new questions about suburban decay with a suitably comic touch.

While the setting of Detroit is more a metaphorical than literal device in the play, it sets the tone of things falling apart: American cities, homes (“first-ring” suburban houses built in the ‘60s), ideals, marriages, individuals… All we once thought we knew and wanted for ourselves as Americans quickly turning on itself. No more safe havens, particularly from our own humanity. These are heady, eternal issues, but one of the triumphs of Detroit is the deceptively light presentation of this material.

The outward plot of Detroit is paper-thin: a “settled” suburban couple named Ben and Mary (played pitch-perfect by Ian Barford and Laurie Metcalf of Roseanne fame) throw a barbeque to welcome their new neighbors Kenny (a hilarious Kevin Anderson) and Sharon (a fiery Kate Arrington, coming off a star turn in A Parallelogram) who have moved into the empty house next door. What starts out with the usual forced and highly-socialized pleasantries soon unravels as back-stories and secrets are revealed and as the two couples begin to exert an indeterminate influence on each other.

The choice of playing an older and younger couple “against” one another is inspired: the older couple shaken out of their torpor and loneliness as the younger couple is provided with a window into their own potential future. And there is ample, though cleverly underplayed subtext sprinkled throughout the play: the dream of suburbia a parallel for the dream of America, both built on ideals that soon inverted; private vs. public selves; fear of the “other”; the suppression of our primal (and hedonistic) selves. As with most stories dealing with the dark underbelly of suburban life, sexual frustration (and its reckless release) is never too far below the surface (though again, in Detroit it is but one of many threads woven into the story more for provocation than resolution). Even a late turn by longtime ensemble member Robert Breuler, which on the surface seems designed to provide some closure, only manages to raise more questions.

As with so many of Steppenwolf’s productions, Detroit is supremely engaging and provocative. The set design by Kevin Depinet is superb, the writing and direction artful, and the ensemble cast thoroughly likeable and winning throughout. By the time Detroit reaches its pointedly post-9/11 (and post-apocalyptic?) conclusion with Ben and Mary facing either re-birth or ruin, you will have laughed in empathy and recognition of self and be left with many questions about the uncertain future awaiting us all.

 

Above photo:(counterclockwise from upper left) - Ensemble members Kate Arrington, Ian Barford, Kevin Anderson and Laurie Metcalf in Steppenwolf Theatre Company's production of Detroit by Lisa D'Amour (playing through November 7th), directed by ensemble member Austin Pendleton. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

As a writer I am younger than one of the longest running musicals in history, but “A Chorus Line” still glitters and shines with the same fervor since its premiere on Broadway in 1975. This timeless play about a talented group of dancers going through the grueling, challenging, and emotional tryouts to make it in the chorus is one that everyone can relate to, whether they have two left feet or not.

A Chorus Line follows an ensemble cast of aspiring dancers throughout three stages of cuts on their way into the chorus. The opening scene begins with the dancers practicing a complicated choreography routine while being criticized and judged by the director and his assistant; “How many Broadway shows?” “Keep your head up.” “Arms up on the fourth count not the third.” The ensemble cast has all the caricatures and stereotypes of dancers during the audition process; you have the standouts that shine and completely steal the spotlight, like the outgoing and overly-confident Val, played by Nina Fluke; you have the dancers who struggle with their confidence such as Paul, played by Bryan Knowlton, dancers who are battling nerves like Judy, played by Laura E. Taylor, the sassy veteran dancer like Sheila, played by Anika Ellis, and funny and flamboyant-like Bobby, played by Drew Nellessen. The entire cast was phenomenal with voices that carried the weight of desire and passion for dancing. The only exception the outstanding performances was the solo dancing sequence featuring Mara Davi as Cassie; her solo “The Music and the Mirror” was a spotlight number in which two way mirrors dropped from the ceiling adding a stunning visual backdrop for the actress, but Davi, who is an experienced Broadway performer, lacked the fluidity and grace the number required. The dance needed to embody Cassie’s passion and hold up to her statement, “God, I’m a dancer!” Her number, which should have been the crowning piece in the second half of the play, was lackluster and slowed the play, particularly following the hilarious and entertaining “Dance: Ten, Looks: Three” number by Val.

Overall, anyone who has been through an audition process, or even an interview for a job, can relate to the pain of just missing the cut, the relief and joy of being one of the select few to go onto the next round, and the unpredictability of the interview process that shakes your very core can truly empathize with these dancers. Often times we feel exposed, cast under a spotlight like Diana, played by Pilar Millhollen, who becomes anxious when asked the unforeseen question of “tell me about yourself…” rather than being asked to recite a scene from a play. We’ve all been in a situation like this, when we’ve had to explain to someone why we do what we do, why we dance, what got us started. Whether it was something you always knew you wanted to be like Maggie, played by Danielle Plisz, or someone who discovered a passion when given a scholarship to do something completely different like Richie, played by Max Kumangai. A Chorus Line resonates with the same power at Michael Bentley’s opening show on Broadway over thirty years ago. This is a show well worth the longer drive to the Marriott Theater in Lincolnshire, if only just for the show-stopping, closing number of “One.” The show runs through October 31st.

Shonen Knife, the all-female pop-punk band from Osaka, Japan, is still going strong. With their new release, Free Time, the band is heavily touring the world including a stop in Chicago at Schuba’s on September 21^st – a show not to be missed. Naoko Yamono, Knife’s only original member since their inception in 1981, brings along with her a new lineup whose raw energy and vibrancy rivals any version of the band to date. One of Kurt Cobain’s favorite acts, Shonen Knife has always been known for their entertaining live show, simplistic lyrics and a distinct garage-punk guitar sound – a formula that has given the band an incredibly loyal cult following throughout the years that continues to grow.

 

Buzz: Tell me about your latest release, Free Time.

Naoko: Free Time is very powerful pop rock album. We recorded last year and released Japanese version in January this year.  In North America, we've just released English lyrics version.

Buzz: Shonen Knife has been together for nearly 30 years. How is touring different today as opposed to the early-mid 80?s?

Naoko: We started to play overseas from 1989. We had just one show in L.A. Then in 1991, we played at 4 cities in U.S. In early-mid 80's we just played in Japan and we've never had a long tour until 1993. Anyway, our shows in early-mid 80's were primitive.  We didn't move so much on stage and the tempo of the songs were a little slow. Today, we improved a little and we can - do ROCK on stage. I got used to the tour. I know how to pack my bag.

Buzz: How has your music changed throughout the years?

Naoko: Early Shonen Knife songs were more simple than today. Arrangements were simple, too.  My musical skill is a little bit improved, I think but basic spirit is always the same.

Buzz: Along with KISS and The Beatles, you’ve also had many punk/new wave influences when you first began. Are there any bands out there today that inspire you?

Naoko: I mainly like 70's American rock and 70's British hard rock. Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Doobie Brothers, Chicago, Strawberry Alarm Clock… Recently I saw Big Elf and Coheed and Cambria at a music festival in Japan. They were so nice. Their music style is 70's that's why I like them. Ah, Brandt Bjork is nice, too.

Buzz: What are your best memories from working with Kurt Cobain?

Naoko: Kurt wanted to play our song "Twist Barbie" at Nirvana's secret gig and he asked me guitar chords. I taught him and we played the guitar together.

Buzz: What is your favorite thing about playing live?

Naoko: I like to see our fans. When I see our audience smiling during our show, I'm so happy.

Buzz: What are your thoughts about American fans?

Naoko: So nice, kind, they understand Shonen Knife very well.

Buzz: What is the biggest difference about being in an all female band in the U.S.
compared to Japan?

Naoko: I can't see any differences but the musical styles are different. Japanese bands usually sing in Japanese.  Naturally, the melody line became Japanese style, which is suitable with Japanese language.

Buzz: What kind of advice would you offer to young female musicians?

Naoko: Keep on Rockin'!

Buzz: What stand out to you as the band’s greatest achievement, whether it be on a
social level or musical?

 
Naoko: It's too difficult question.  Musical.

Thanks Arigato.