August 2020 VOL.9 # 99 ON THE COVER...
Max pic 2.39h X 2.4w
PEPE SERNA, MAN FROM RENO NOMINEE, 30TH INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS PUBLISHER RUSTY HICKS EDITOR TAMMA HICKS COMICS EDITOR ALLENE HICKS STAFF WRITERS TAMMA HICKS, RUSTY HICKS STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS ALLENE HICKS, RUSTY HICKS, HARRISON FUNK CONTRIBUTING WRITERS J MICHAEL DOLAN, ROB DICKENS, DEREK SIGNORE, TONY NICKLIN, RICK J BOWEN, KEITH “MUZIKMAN” HANNALECK DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR TERRY MITCHELL
Alternative Weekly Network
4 COMICS 5 QUICK READ 6 ALBUM COVER OF THE MONTH 7 CD REVIEWS 8 PEPE SERNA: ACTOR, AUTHOR, MOTIVATOR 10 SEA SON AMMON S: ST EEL HEARTS IN LONDON 12 3 RD C OAST FOODI E : ELM & MAGNOLIA (SPRING TX) 14 JON MI KAEL MREZ B AN D ( C CT X ) 15 T EX AS C ON T RAB AN D ( HT X )
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THAT O’L CHINESE CURSE J. Michael Dolan “May you live in interesting times.” Actually it’s not a Chinese curse at all, it’s an old English expression. Nevertheless, we happen to be alive during a very interesting time when our awesome industry is (nearly) shut down and yet our desire to get back out there and do our best work is stronger than ever! Trouble is, the formula we used to get out there is now obsolete, and the rules that have always defined how the showbiz game is played are suddenly okay to break! Huh? Not only that, the insider (“go to” people) who always pointed the way is as clueless as everyone else! Important because it’s not hopeless. There’s a new Chinese curse: “May these days of doubt and uncertainty provoke you to look outside the boundaries of a once reliable box that no longer contains the answers.
ZOOMING WITH CHAMPIONS J. Michael Dolan In the past five months of the Covid lockdown I’ve Zoomed with lots of clients, friends, family, artists, treps and geniuses. The only person I haven’t Zoomed with yet is Billy Zoom! Here’s what I’ve learned: If you Zoom with musicians you’ll learn that practice is paramount, success is illusive, who you know is everything, and if your audience can’t come to see you perform, you should figure out creative ways to bring, stream or present your live performance to them. If you Zoom with actors you’ll learn how to bond with your agent, live with rejection, and embrace home-casting and self-taped auditions. You’ll also learn the true value of Masterclass! If you Zoom with graphic illustrators or painters you’ll learn about that deep compelling tug that provokes pro artists to create with total abandon. Then you’ll be envious. If you Zoom with a screenwriter you’ll learn more about creating a great pitch than creating a great character. If you Zoom with agents or managers you’ll learn more about behavioral development than career development. If you Zoom with an of the day.
Attorney you’ll walk away pondering “what if” for the rest
If you Zoom with a business owner you’ll realize why tiny beads of sweat dance on their upper lip when they try to explain why it’s not working. If you Zoom with a marketing expert you’ll long for the good ‘ol dinosaur days when simple magazine advertising worked. Important because we should Zoom with artists & treps who are looking forward to trying new ways of doing old things. We should avoid Zooming with people who can’t wait for things to go back to the way they were. STEAMMAGAZINE.NET AUGUST 2020 STEAM MAGAZINE
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AZAR LAWRENCE SUMMER SOLSTICE
PRESTIGE-CRAFT RECORDINGS
Genre: Jazz Original Release 1975 Re-release: Nov-2019 By: Tom Endyke - TFOV Staff Moments after dropping the needle on the vinyl reissue of Azar Lawrence’s Summer Solstice, you’ll realize this remastered all-analog re-release is long overdue. Cut from the original tape recordings on 180-gram vinyl, Azar Lawrence’s epic 1975 release pops with the ethos from a time of transition in jazz. Lawrence infuses his Brazilian jazz influences upon the cool bop jazz of the ’60s and 70’s to create a sound all his own, which helps shape the experimental jazz sound of the ’70s. Following John Coltrane’s death in 1967, Lawrence was chosen by Elvin Jones and later McCoy Tyner to fill his shoes. At the time of the release of Summer Solstice, Lawrence had accu-
mulated a wealth of experience and influence, which he drew from to produce what is regarded as one of his finest solo albums. “From the Point of Love” is a melodic celebration and showcase of Lawrence’s virtuosity on soprano saxophone. It sets the scene from the start with Brazilian jungle noises. Riding on the air, Lawrence blows from his sax, you’re lifted up and over the horizon. His sax is frenetic throughout and leaves you wondering how he finds time to draw a breath. “Novo Ano” is the shortest and most accessible song on the album. Lawrence’s tenor sax establishes a
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rhythm. It then dances on top of the heated percussion of Guilherme Franco, giving way to the feather-touch piano of Dom Salvador before returning to the rhythm of Lawrence’s sax, which started it all off.
belting impassioned Coltrane-inspired riffs over and over again. The closing track, “Highway,” captures the quintessential sound of Lawrence with an exploratory blend of frenetic jams and textured melodic interludes.
Soul steps to the front of the stage for “From the Point of Light,” where Lawrence bellows out soft and lush strains where blue moods drift softly through the dim light. Here, the pace slows, giving more room to music to breathe and the gifted ensemble to freestyle.
Summer Solstice is a bold and fearless exploration that fuses Brazilian music’s rhythms and sensuality with the punches and jabs of ’50s and 60’s free-jazz icons such as Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane & Charlie Mingus. Lawrence’s influences are many, and he proves on this album that the student has indeed become the master.
Salvador’s vibrant McCoy Tyner-like piano rhythm kicks off “Summer Solstice,” providing the runway for Lawrence to take off. He takes flight by
GERALD MCCLENDON CAN’T NOBODY STOP ME NOW (DELTA ROOTS RECORDS) BY RICK J BOWEN Chicago born singer songwriter performer Gerald McClendon earned the moniker “The Soul Keeper,” by being one of the most versatile and dynamic rhythm & blues and soul stylists the city of the big shoulders has to offer. He has a voice with tremendous range that draws instant comparisons to other great singers such as Otis Redding, Ben E King, Marvin Gaye, ZZ Hill and Wilson Picket. His latest release, Can’t Nobody Stop Me Now, is a Collection of a dozen new songs about love and lust, fatal attractions and heartfelt devotions that will tug at your heartstrings and lure your feet onto the dance floor. For the 2020 Delta Roots Records release McClendon teamed up with the claimed producer Twist Turner to record at Sound Studios in the heart of Chicago. The album opens with the horn driven title track “Can’t Nobody Stop Me Now, “with McLendon laying out his plan to leave the past and hard times behind him, take control and fulfill his dream. The blazing tenor sax of Skinny Williams introduces the passion play “Where Do We Go from Here,” with McLendon pouring his heart out on the dramatic Blues. He then demonstrates that he is versed in the art of persuasion during the smooth R&B number “Groove On Tonight.” Taking cues from
his mentor Z.Z. Hill, McLendon chastises is a bad girl on the bumpin’ “Running Wild” then channels Bobby “Blue” Bland on the piano driven track “It’s Over Now.” He spells out his manly attributes on the cheeky track “Mr. Wrong,” before giving more testimony to his self-reliance on the uplifting number “I Started Over”. The strong release Can’t Nobody Stop Me Now, Gerald McClendon further displays his passion for traditional rhythm & blues. GERALDMCCLENDON.COM RICK J BOWEN: wAbLUES.ORG
JOSE RAMIREZ HERE I COME (JOSE RAMIREZ MUSIC ) BY RICK J BOWEN
Capitalizing on the momentum of his second-place finish at the 2020 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Costa Rican guitarist Jose Ramirez teamed up with blues guitar legend Anson Funderburgh, who brought him to Wire Studios in Austin, Texas to record. They assembled a crack team of studio players for the sessions including Jim Pugh on piano and organ, drummer Wes Starr and bass man Nate Rowe and the legendary Texas Horns. The nine original tracks showcase Ramirez’ song writing ability and his personal style on two select covers. It is obvious that he is a dynamic performer having made the finals at
the Orpheum Theater in Memphis, this album will now solidify him as a recording artist on par with the legends he has been studying all his life. Ramirez opens the set by going back to the source on the title track, “Here I Come,” a shuffle in which he name checks his heroes. The horn section steps in on the sweet swinging ballad, ”I Miss You Baby,” forming a melodic bed that allows him to stretch out with his voice and his guitar on the Tbone Walker classic from the early 50s. Funderburgh delivers some ice pick lead guitar on the saucy “Gasoline And Matches.” Ramirez plays the tough guy on the edgy “One Woman Man, “and delivers some fine guitar playing of his own on the radio ready track. The genius of Robert Johnson songs is that they allow for limitless interpretations. Ramirez takes full advantage of this on his funky, slow, and soulful rendition of “Traveling Riverside Blues,” thus creating a new point of view for an 80 year old tune. Blues fans should feel comfort upon hearing this fine debut, from Jose Ramirez, knowing that young guns like him are carrying the torch for a new generation.
LOSTBOYCROW SANTA FE (REAL NAME PRODUCTIONS) BY KEITH “MUZIKMAN” HANNALECK
From the artist’s Facebook About section you can learn that "Lostboycrow" is an idea that pays homage to new beginnings and a poignant heritage - best described as a pop minded vocalists dark love affair with the world of modern R+B. That is a real good start. If you happen to be wondering the real name of this talented young man is Chris Danks. After releasing two EP’s and a string of singles Lostboycrow broke through with his first fulllength album over a year ago titled Santa Fe. The LP I had the pleasure of listening to is a limited edition of 1000 copies in a violet marble pattern. This is also the Vinylmnky Breakthrough Record of the Month for August 2019 which includes a single-page, double-sided color insert with song lyrics. Vinylmnky provided the LP for my review; if it was not for them, I would have not discovered this artist. Lostboycrow has his lyrics and music all synced up on this release so it makes for a cohesive consistently engaging listen from start to finish. I think there are many potential fans still waiting to discover his smooth falsetto that just melts into you during every track. With the addition of some creative music and exceptional production values, Santa Fe is a real gem that the masses need to hear. After listening for a while, I could envision him singing all of those great Motown hits of the
60s and 70s. It would work. He does have a similar soft and inviting delivery like Smokey Robinson if you were to make a comparison and match him with the best tracks from that iconic songbook. “MAP” kicks off side one with some great moving vocals and lyrics to match. This man makes you think about what he is singing and it always helps to have the lyric sheet however it is not necessary as he is very easy to understand. As we all know, that is not always the case with some releases. “Waste of Time” is a real ear catcher and towards the end of the track, there is short break out guitar passage, which catches you off guard because previous to that it never happens. It was a nice surprise to hear that guitar wailing away but I would not expect that to be more prevalent with his vocal style in the future, but you never know. He has an entire choir singing along with him making it sound like an anthem of the ages. “27 (Sad Signs)” was another one of my favorites with its radio-ready sounds and the heartfelt and brilliant lyrics grabbing hold of you and never letting go with lines like this… Listen to me, I'm calling your name From the back of the class to the front of a finish line Seventh grade and you never really changed All the battles you won All these ladders and ropes that you fall from Then “Since The Day I Was Born,” a successful single, closes the curtain on the album leaving you ready for more of the ear candy you just enjoyed. All things considered, Santa Fe is a stunning full-length debut from an artist with abundant talents that stretch far and wide musically and lyrically. LOSTBOYCROW.LA KEITH “MUZIKMAN” HANNALECK : THEFINALONVINYL.COM
JOSERAMIREZBBLUES.COM RICK J BOWEN: WABLUES.ORG STEAMMAGAZINE.NET AUGUST 2020 STEAM MAGAZINE 7
By Tamma Hicks & Rusty Hicks, STEAM Magazine
eason Ammons was born with stars in her eyes and name made to be in lights! She started playing piano at 11 and playing guitar at 15 when her neighbor gave her one. Before graduating from high school, at 17, she left home with not much more than a guitar, a few dollars and no particular destination in sight. At age 19 she moved to Nashville, where she juggled waitressing and odd jobs with songwriting workshops and looking for places to perform. She also married a young Navy diver, which meant moving to his new post in Connecticut. There, she auditioned successfully for Nashville Star in 2004 and made it into the final regional round. Even so, she set music aside to concentrate on family matters. Fatefully, in 2009, her husband was transferred to Houston. For two years Season worked her way into the Houston circuit as a performer and writer. In 2011 she released her first album, ‘I’m Alive’, which earned a Texas Country Music Association Award of Distinction. Two years later, she released her sophomore album ‘Wildfire’ leading to another Texas Country Music Association nomination for Female Vocalist of the Year. When her husband was posted to Florida, her momentum continued to pick up. She put together a band and performed shows up and down the Gulf Coast and the Keys. More awards streamed in, including Best Country Artist, Best Female Vocalist and Best Singer/Songwriter at the 2016 Emerald Coast BMA Awards. Now, living back home in Texas, Season kicked her career into gear by cutting two releases in quick succession with producer David Percefull (Green Day, Gary Clark Jr., Meat Puppets) at the console. In January 2019, Season released ‘Neon Side Of Town,’ which highlighted her mastery
of neo-traditional, throwback Texas Country and features stellar musicianship from key Texas players including Adam Odor (bass), Geoff Queen (pedal steel, resonator, slide guitars), Josh Center (drums), and Percefull (guitars and keys). The first three releases from this album reached Texas Regional Radio’s Top 40. Next, for the ‘Steel Hearts’ album she recruited three pillars of her longtime Florida band, guitarist Scott Rockwood, drummer Roberto Padron and keyboardist Shawn Haurtung and added Texas bassist Glenn Fukunaga (Dixie Chicks, Bob Dylan, Shawn Colvin). They gathered to record the rhythm section and backing vocals at Percefull’s Yellow Dog Studios. Season's primary vocals and the orchestral arrangements were then recorded in the legendary Studio 2 at Abbey Road Studios in London. Percefull mixed ‘Steel Hearts’ at Abbey Road in Studio 3, and the album was mastered there by Sean Magee. We talked with Season about handling the monotony of the pandemic, her fabulous Abbey Road trip, and her latest projects. What are you doing with your time off? The last couple of years have been a whirlwind and I haven't had time to stop at all, so this is kind of welcome in a way. I came to a point of acceptance that it is what it is and thought I would make the best of my time, so I've been organizing, writing, cooking, and just nurturing myself; lots of yoga, prayer, and meditation. I've been reading like crazy and spending time with my family. All the things I just haven't had time to do; it's been good for the most part. Has song writing become a daily habit? Well, I do write a lot, but I wait to get inspired. Usually medleys will come to me; it's almost like a spiritual experience, where I just sort of hear some-
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thing. I haven't picked up my guitar in probably a week and that's okay because there will be times where I won’t put it down for days and days. I don't ever push it I just let it happen. Did you always want to be a musician? I started playing piano when I was 11. I had a keyboard so I started tinkering around on that, but even before that I was writing medleys in my head, writing poetry and short stories, and that songs were just poems put to music. My first guitar was from a neighbor that was moving. It was an old beat up classical guitar with nylon strings. Because I didn't know how to tune it, I just tuned it to piano chords and I played it flat on my lap almost like a lap steel guitar. About a year later I learned the right way to tune and how to pick and it just went from there. So besides acoustic guitar and piano I also play electric guitar and banjo. Season is a very unusual name but it's very fitting for you and your styles of music because you can be any season. I love diversity and even as a kid I loved all kinds of music. I've always presented myself as an artist of many genres and I write every single song that you hear. People know that they’re always going to get multiples sides of the spectrum every time they hear one of my albums. That's what I really enjoy. Let’s talk about your album Steel Hearts which you recorded at the Abbey Road Studios. How did that come about? Well my producer, Dave Percefull, has a working relationship with Abbey Road. He has worked over there on multiple projects over the last decade. It just started out as an idea because when we were talking about the production of parts and the direction we wanted Steel Hearts to go; we wanted it to be soulful and bluesy and Americana but we wanted a big sound like an orchestra. I asked him if it was even possible to rec-
ord at Abbey Road and he said anything was possible. I wasn't holding my breath and I thought if it was meant to be, it will happen. And sure enough, there was a window of opportunity for us to go over there and record and get the strings and vocals done. I didn't believe it literally until we were on the plane heading there. It was amazing and totally surreal on so many levels and I was so nervous. I just couldn't believe I was going to work in Studio 2 at Abbey Road. One of the cool things about being in those rooms was knowing that this was my shot; there is no do-over, I'm there with a limited amount of time. No pressure by any means but more like I'm going to perform my best ever because I have to capture this moment and I was running on adrenaline and jet lag. It was a sobering high without any drugs. Wow, I can only imagine! How long were you there? I actually got to go back twice. The first time we were there for a week and we recorded for five days with the strings and vocals and layering and the second time was two or three months later for the mixing and mastering. We got to master in Studio 3 where Pink Floyd recorded Dark Side Of The Moon. We also went back for the photo shoot that you see on the cover. I love the cover, very artistic. All the album artwork was shot there. We worked with the graphic artist so there were two things going on. One was capturing these photos, I had a vision for the art, and I sent the photographer different ideas for locations. I didn't know anything about London and ended up getting this great award-winning, London-based photographer. He chose three locations for the shoot and since we only had one day we started at 10 AM and shot into 10 PM. It was raining and sleeting all day
and below freezing. I had to go hours in the cold without a coat, freezing the whole time, and act like it was a perfect temperature. We met him at our first location, the Cathedral. As soon as we arrived it was like a miracle, it stopped sleeting. At the second location, by the Tower Bridge, the sleet storm was reluctant and the sun was starting to come out. It was just the coolest natural lighting. We took lots of photos there before moving to the other side of the bridge for the night shoot. That’s when I changed into this chainmail dress that I’d found at a thrift store. You found that at a thrift store? That’s so cool! Yeah, I went thrift store shopping while I was in London! I'm a huge thrift store person, so I knew without a doubt that I would find what I was looking for while I was in London. I ended up putting together all of my clothes from the shoot with thrift store clothes. I think that makes the story even better. Well, since you’re spending so much time writing is there a new album in the works? Actually, I have been busy in the studio working with my producer on another album. I've been writing music and putting things together and we’ll be ready to put something out in the beginning of 2021, putting us ahead of schedule. Don’t you have a single out right now? I do! “We'll Get By” is a Texas CountryAmericana song which I’ve partnered with Feeding Texas, which is a part of the Feeding America network. The song has been tied in with Feeding Texas. What I decided to do was donate all the proceeds from the song’s digital download and its merchandise to Feeding Texas. And if the purchase is outside of Texas the proceeds will go to Feeding America. What an awesome, worthwhile cause! How did you come up with this idea? The pandemic has people feeling hopeless, worried, sad, and so on and I realized that the best way to get out of your self is to get into somebody else; look outwards and see where there's a need. That’s when the wheel started spinning for me; everything was shutting down and I saw lines around the food banks. It made me realize that there was a need in my own neighborhood in New Braunfels and I thought I could use my music to help other people. I talked to my team and producers and told them we
should record “We’ll Get By” because it's a song about hope and inspiration. I’ve also talked with my team about ways I can bring awareness to different food banks and different cities. As soon as we finalize a plan my team will put out a press release. Tell me about your last tour and where you plan to tour? Last year I did a full radio tour to support Steel Hearts; I went East Coast, West Coast, and everywhere in between. When I went to London the second time, I did a tour in Scotland and some shows in London too. In London I played at the equivalent of the House Of Blues. It was great over there and really appreciative of everything. I'm looking forward to going back again. Countries I want to tour are Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, and Spain. Is there a tip that you would like to share to up-and-coming musicians or artists that are either songwriters or performing musicians? Work your ass off because nobody is more invested in your career then you.
Your worth is more important than your talent, because if you're working hard, you can always make your craft better. The one thing that you can do that's better than everybody else is to suit up and show up, even when you don't want to go. Take every opportunity you can, even if you think it's stupid. There's something there for you even if it's an after party that you don't want to go to, because you going to meet somebody that knows somebody. Be humble enough to take advice and listen to other people. I’ve been at this career for a while and I'm still learning to be humble too.
STEAMMAGAZINE.NET AUGUST 2020 STEAM MAGAZINE 11
By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine Photos By Rusty Hicks, STEAM Magazine
COMPANY INFO
There we were delivering magazines in Old Town Spring (just north of Houston) on a Saturday evening. We had just crossed the railroad tracks on Elm Street and were turning into the parking lot for the Cross Track Icehouse and Elm & Magnolia Restaurant when we came to a sudden stop. There, where the driveway meets Elm & Magnolia’s lawn, is a sign that every musician yearns to see. A sign that had it referred to fisherman and fish more people would be clambering for. So, what was so special about this sign? LIVE MUSICIANS WANTED! Yes, the sign pulled us in, but the atmosphere and food kept us. Once upon a time in Old Town Spring there was the Black Sheep Bistro and the Italian Joint. Joe & Maria Macri, a husband and wife team hailing from New York and New Jersey, merged their very popular restaurants and opened Elm & Magnolia which serves a combination from the two menus in addition to E&M’s own flavor. Joe is first generation Italian-American and began his restaurant career at 14. After he earned his bachelor's in business he quickly followed it up at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. At 26 he was the Executive Chef at a 200 seat restaurant in New Your City. Maria, who comes from a Greek family of restaurateurs in New Jersey, knows the business end very well and at Elm & Magnolia she runs a tight ship. Our server, Ariel who knows everything and has the most amazing suggestions, has worked for the couple for over 6 years making the commute from Austin. Elm & Magnolia is a mix of supper club, live music venue, and events center. E&M has a full bar, a wine selection the Greek Gods would be proud of, and good selection of beers. The restaurant offers seating inside and out on the large deck. When the temperatures cool off this fall the large windows will open to the fresh breeze. There’s a covered stage in the huge yard and, once the pandemic re12 STEAM MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020 STEAMMAGAZINE.NET
HAPPY HOUR WED-FRI 4-11PM A FABULOUS NIGHT WITH QUEENS Wednesdays @ 8pm LIVE MUSIC Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays IT’S BRUNCH TIME! Saturdays & Sundays 10:30am-4:00pm HAVE AN UPCOMING EVENT? WE CATER! EVENT HALL RENTAL!
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strictions are removed, Elm & Magnolia will host events for up to 250 people. Well, now that I brought up the pandemic, you should know that Maria and Chef Joe maintain all of the guidelines while making sure each customer is well cared for, safe, and comfortable. Masks are required anytime you are not seated at your table, there are bottles of hand sanitizer on each table, silverware is wrapped, and all tables are spaced appropriately. The band, Texas Contraband, was set up inside because of the heat (normally bands set up on the deck). Actually, we had pizza that evening and came back for brunch in the morning! The 12” pepperoni pizza had so much cheese and the hand tossed crust was delicious. Perfect way to
the hand tossed crust was delicious. Perfect way to end our night! And like I said we came back for brunch! You know what I like best about brunch? It’s that you can order breakfast at 1pm or lunch at 9am and no one thinks twice, so when we ordered our entrées at 11am we covered the menu! One short and poignant note… Be hungry! These are large servings! I love Eggs Benedict and Chef Joe has created three mouthwatering variations, so choosing one was difficult… And that’s why I asked Ariel! She suggested the Pork Belly. Oh my goodness, I hated that I had to share! The perfectly toasted English muffin was hidden by a thick slice of miso roasted eggplant which held large portions of melt in your mouth sesame-ginger glazed pork belly, and topped with beautifully poached eggs. The lemongrass hollandaise pulled all the flavors together to make a lasting impression. It has been quite a while since we’ve had a gyro, so seeing The Lamb Gyro Wrap on the menu was an instant selection. As the plate was brought out we could see a mountain of impeccably seasoned slow roasted lamb piled high atop a bed of lettuce, tomatoes and red onion on fresh flat bread. It was then topped with house -made Tzatziki Sauce pushing this meal over the top. Since we were sharing it around the table we decided not to try to wrap the bread as there is no way it would have closed; it was just too full! Being in the South, waffles are a must for any meal, and Chef Joe’s Cornbread Cheddar Waffle BLT creation is spectacular! Two tall layers of lip-smacking goodness. The waffles are full of flavor with a nice crunch like toast, yet waffle moist. Wonderful crunchy, tasty bacon! The fresh sliced tomatoes, avocado, jalapeno, and crisp lettuce are perfectly complemented by the red pepper jelly. Did I mention the bacon? Because it was really good! Our last entrée was such a treat! Lemon Ricotta Crepes. The name says it all. Four freshly made crepes filled with lemon and vanilla ricotta cheese with warm berry compote and topped with whipped cream and drizzled with honey. A picture-perfect way to end a marvelous meal! STEAMMAGAZINE.NET AUGUST 2020 STEAM MAGAZINE 13
By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine
ne of the up and coming groups out of the Coastal Bend is the Jon Mikael Mrez Band. Led by lead vocalist Jon Mikael and backed by a 5 piece band, the JMB is all about performing music that will get you out of your seat and moving. Chris Zavala, JMB’s keyboardist, and I chatted in July with the hopes that venues and events will be reopening in the near future.
We’ve
been following the Jon Mikael Mrez Band for a while. How long has the group been together? Well, Jon Mikael has been performing locally in the Corpus Christi area for about 6 or 7 years, but he decided to put together a band about 3 or 4 years ago. At first he went through a few musicians, b u t t h a t c h a n g e d w h e n he found me. We got the guitarist and the drummer all together and have had this line-up going on two years.
Who are the other band members?
The drummer is Matt Maldonado, the guitarist is Jesus Gonzalez and, because of availability sometimes, we have two bass players that alternate, Trino Martinez and Brenden Amidon. Also depending on the show we may have additional players.
Tell me about the music you play
and
your originals. Yes, we have some originals in the works! Jon Mikael has a few singles on Spotify. However, w ith this group we're trying to develop a new sound. Until the pandemic happened we’d actually planned on going into the studio this summer. Jon Mikael has a great range where he can sing anything from Freddie Mercury to Chris Stapleton to Journey, so we do a lot of pop, rock, some country, and even some cumbia. The best way to describe our band is to put Pandora on rotate! Our fans love it and it gives them a reason to get up and dance.
Cumbia’s a genre that definitely
makes you feel happy and moving. Exactly, so we try to be a party band for everyone. If you've ever seen one of our shows, we have a lot energy and it's so much fun.
What are you doing this fall?
We’ve performed at the Rockport Fulton Seafair the last two years and we suppose to headline this year, but honestly I don't know what's happening with that yet. We are on the lineup for the Poteet Strawberry Festival which was moved to the fall. To my knowledge, we’re one of the first bands from Corpus Christi to play there in about 10 years, so that's a big honor. We are on the lineup with Kevin Fowler and the Spazmatics so that's a cool thing. That's still a go this far as I know, but we're taking everything by a week or month basis. We were supposed to have three shows this past weekend at Riley's, Treasure Island, and a
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private show in Houston but they got canceled.
Sorry to hear that, but it’s a great point.
How do fans find out where and if you’re playing? We don't have a website but we do have Facebook and Instagram. Right now we're in the process of rebranding everything
How do you guys handle practicing?
Before the restrictions took hold in March, we practiced every Wednesday, going over new material, which makes our band really tight. We haven't had a practice since March because of the restrictions and then when everything reopened we were getting gigs every weekend and that's when our members started getting sick.
Have you guys tried doing the confer-
ence calls on Skype or Messenger? We have done that on conference calls but more so to talk. And we talk about what material to work on while we're social distancing.
I remember
f r o m our last interview you had just gotten out of school. (Riptide, December 2016, V5/I10) Yes, I just graduated with my Bachelors at TA&MU-CC. I transferred schools and I had to finish here and I was just getting introduced to the live music scene versus the classical. I was with the band Riptide and I still stay in touch with those guys and I have
copies of the magazine.
Are
you doing any of your classical work? Oh, yes. I'm always posting and giving lessons. I've also been playing piano competitively.
Really? You know I always hear about
guitar, fiddle, and drum competitions, but not piano. A lot of people may not know about piano competitions like the National Chopin Piano Competition. The International Tchaikovsky Competition is one of the biggest and I was invited a few years back. In this contest you're competing with the best of the world. The scene is totally different and it's so much fun.
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JonMikaelMrezBand
By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine
Texas Contraband formed in 2004
by bandleader John Garcia (lead vocals and rhythm) in Humble TX. and performs throughout the greater Houston area. John is joined on stage by Marcus Rivera (bass), Austin Gartman (drums), and Alan Lee (lead guitar). Their mix of country, rock and original music has made them a favorite among local dance halls. John’s original music and vocal style has gained Texas Contraband recognition from producers in Nashville as well as taking 3 rd Place at the 2017 Redneck Idol Competition in Stafford TX. We caught up with them between sets at Elm & Magnolia in Old Town Spring; where they’ll be playing on Saturday, August 8 th .
We're working to book more gigs here in the next few months.
Hopefully
things will continue to get better and we can all look farther into the future. Tell me about your originals. We’ve actually started working on five originals in a studio. We’ve competed in band competitions using our original music and that has worked out really well. In 2017, we placed third out of 70 bands.
That’s great! Is this the start to an EP or
full album? It's really come down to a full album. It's being pieced together right now.
Who
have been your biggest influences to your writing? A lot of it is George Strait and I really like the sound of Midland. I'm a little bit more up -tempo and more familiar with baritone type vocals.
Do you have
a studio that you guys go
to? It's been a while and with the shutdown I'm doing most of the prep work at home. Right now we're spending a lot of time working on material and new songs.
How do you guys get together for prac-
tice? Do you use Zoom or Skype? I'm not a big high-tech computer guy. I wish I was. I'd love to do something like that but I just don't have that skill set. We do a lot of texting. When I find new material I tell everybody to start working it up for the next time we get together.
You started the band in 2004, so this
is your band? Yes. I make the final decision on things, but I take everybody's input and use the best idea that works for all of us. Things come up such as personalities, family issues, and other commitments and luckily Austin is
and has been the only drummer for the group. I've been pretty fortunate to be able to find some good musicians to work with. Everybody here is laid-back, it's been pretty unique.
What are you doing in your spare time?
My spare time I’ve been working on a lot of the acoustic gigs. We work up songs on our own and when there’s a chance to rehearse we get together. Before the shutdown happened we used to play two or three times a month.
How
concerned are you that you may not play? I am concerned. I f it weren't so hot, we’d prefer to do a lot more outdoor gigs.
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This is your first gig since the shutdown
from Covid-19; did coming back together just click? We had to shake the rust off a little bit. We’d had a few rehearsals, so it was pretty easy.
That’s good. You guys are pretty much
all country right? We're all country and classic rock. Our originals are more country based, although we all have backgrounds in other genres. Alan works with blues, bluegrass, and country bands. Marcus plays in a U2 tribute band. I play in a blues band and Austin has another project too.
Aside from the pandemic,
do you have any new plans coming up? Everything is still shut down right now, so it's hard to really look too far in the future. STEAMMAGAZINE.NET AUGUST 2020 STEAM MAGAZINE 15