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2 NEW MOVIES & MUSIC 4 COMICS 5 QUICK READ 6 ALBUM COVER OF THE MONTH 7 CD REVIEWS 8 FRANZ FERDINAND: ALWAYS ASCENDING 9 BALSAM GROVE 10 BIG CHRIS ART: CHURCH OF HORROR 13 DEBBIE NOBLE’S: PHOTOGRAPHY HELP 14 JOHN SCHNEIDER: MAKING MUSIC RECORDS 16 3 RD C OAST FOOD I E: LISABELLA’S BISTRO & BAR 18 PRODUCT REVIEW: SHORT BOW PUBLISHER RUSTY HICKS EDITOR TAMMA HICKS COMICS EDITOR ALLENE HICKS STAFF WRITERS STEVE GOLDSTEIN, TAMMA HICKS, RUSTY HICKS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS J MICHAEL DOLAN, DEREK SIGNORE, ROB DICKENS, RICK J BOWEN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS ALLENE HICKS, RUSTY HICKS Alternative Weekly Network
October 2018 VOL.7 ISS.7 #79 ON THE COVER...
UNDEAD STATES OF AMERICA BY BIG CRIS ART
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Woe are the weary J. Michael Dolan While the dazed and doubtful complain about how hard it is to make it, “especially during these tough times,” The Committed are busy making dicey decisions, chancy choices and risky judgments. While the dazed and doubtful remain confused about the economy and anxious about the future, The Committed are at work inventing new projects, growing their brand, upgrading their tech and investing in exciting new ventures. While the dazed and doubtful see the whole world in chaos, The Committed are focused on their fans, followers, clients and customers; forming partnerships, making agreements, signing contracts and growing relationships.
Important because while the dazed and doubtful scratch their heads and wonder what to do next, The Committed are at work improving their art, expanding their base and building their future.
The sad cost of waiting J. Michael Dolan (:41) As pro artists & treps we are always waiting… perhaps more than others… Waiting for our work to be recognized or acknowledged, so we can proceed with confident abandon. Waiting for others to make up their mind. Waiting for some free time…so we can finally gather our thoughts and catch our breath. Waiting to be rescued from mediocrity. Waiting for the pieces of our lifelong career puzzle to finally fall into place. Waiting for a call back. Waiting for all the negative thoughts between our ears to settle down. Waiting for the unrelenting wave of technology to slow down so we can catch up. Waiting for the unrelenting wave of media noise to quiet down so we can find our footing.
A maddening choice J. Michael Dolan Is the work you’re doing too important to take chances?
Waiting for people to eventually come around to our way of thinking. Waiting until it’s our turn…finally.
Or is the work you’re doing too important to play it safe?
Waiting for a miracle.
Important because taking intelligent chances will always
Important because waiting for our world to
move us to a new place. While playing it safe will always keep us standing right where we are. Of course doing nothing will always keep us standing right where we are too.
change is a sure way to jam the works, pause the action, slow our progress and keep us mesmerized by wishful thinking. Question is, what are you really waiting for dear genius?
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By the time Al Kooper was 21 years old, he was already a man of many notable achievements. He played guitar with the Royal Teens on the hit record “Short Shorts” in 1958, wrote hit songs, including “This Diamond Ring” recorded by Gary Lewis & the Playboys in 1965, and was part of Bob Dylan’s backup band at his infamous electric Newport Folk Festival appearance. It’s hard to imagine Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone” without Kooper’s defining Hammond B3 organ lick. After spending a couple of years honing his craft with the creative Blues Project, in 1967 Kooper founded and recorded the first album by Blood Sweat & Tears. In 1968 he recorded an album of loosely arranged jams with Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills called “Super Sessions” and sold over one million. He would go on to record with Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, The Who, and score movie and TV soundtracks. Attracted to the music scene, he moved to Atlanta in 1972, found a band he liked at a local club named Lynyrd Skynyrd, formed his own record label and produced the band’s first three albums. He worked on George Harrison’s hit, “All Those Years Ago” which also featured Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. Al Kooper has continued as a dynamic musical force for over 60 years. When this, his debut solo album was recorded, Kooper already had a formidable reputation as part of Co-
lumbia Records’ Artists and Repertoire department. He was able to get the top session musicians at the time, including a guitar player listed as “Big” Charlie Daniels. Kooper also takes the opportunity to continue his wildly surrealistic cover design theme, but backs it up with 12 strong tracks of originals and covers including Harry Nillson’s “One,” “Coloured Rain” written by Stevie Winwood, Gamble and Huff’s “Hey, Western Union Man,” and a rousing version of Bill Monroe’s “Blue Moon Of Kentucky.” Al Kooper does it all here. Song collages and sound effects are peppered throughout the album and that just adds to the fun. Check out Kooper’s soulful take on Johnnie Taylor’s “Toe Hold,” written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter.
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In the mid ‘70’s, and me in my mid 20’s, I had become disillusioned with the state of rock and roll. I couldn’t identify with the whole disco thing, The Beatles were history, a lot of the newer music sounded overproduced and lacked character. People I admired were tragically dying from their excessive lifestyles. Great bands and musicians I used to hold in high regard were either not recording together or putting out music that was not up to their previous standards. It seemed like everyone on the radio was trying to sound like either Led Zeppelin or James Taylor. I was trying to find something even remotely listenable on my car’s AM radio one afternoon and landed on a station that was playing Jerry Reed’s “East Bound and Down” from the
1977 movie, “Smokey and the Bandit.” Hot guitar picking and a catchy hook was all it took. I became a country music fan that day. It was a hit record on a county radio station and I hung around. Now, I was born and raised in the big city and would never stoop so low as to listen to country music before this. But then they played Willie Nelson, Don Williams, Merle Haggard, Larry Gatlin and Ronnie Milsap. How did all these wonderful sounds get me by? Along came Waylon singing about “Luckenbach, Texas” and it was “game, set, match!” But there was more – a lot more. This guy was singing country music with more soul that I ever thought was possible with a band that was helping to transform country music. It wasn’t anything close to what I had always associated with the traditional country sounds that I would soon hear again with newly enlightened ears. From the opening notes of “I’m a Ramblin’ Man” to Ralph Mooney’s steel guitar on “Rainy Day Woman” right on through to Waylon’s edgy take on Gregg Allman’s “Midnight Rider” and the lovely “Amanda,” Waylon became, and remains my favorite country singer. Even though this album was recorded in Nashville, it’s still a great start for anyone looking for the definitive sound that was labeled “Outlaw Country” in its heyday. It just don’t get no better, Hoss.
ROSANNE CASH SHE REMEMBERS EVERYTHING (BLUE NOTE RECORDS) BY ROB DICKENS
PAUL McCARTNEY EGYPT STATION (CAPITOL/MPL) BY STEVE GOLDSTEIN In the midst of his sixth decade in one of the most storied careers in popular music, Paul McCartney certainly doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone. But with EGYPT STATION, ol’ Macca does it again. The three single releases that preceded the album were enough of a teaser to anticipate what was coming. Along with producer Greg Kurstin, Paul delivers one of his most exquisite studio albums in many years. That’s not to take anything away from his illustrious past; this one just seems to reach a little higher. The album title and concept comes from McCartney’s 1988 acrylic on canvas painting that’s featured on the cover. “Opening Station” recalls the opening grooves
On November 2, Rosanne Cash will release her first new album in nearly five years – She Remembers Everything on Blue Note Records. The collection features ten songs, all written or co-written by Cash, that reckon with a flawed and fragile world from a uniquely feminine perspective. Recorded in Portland, Oregon and New York City, with Tucker Martine and John Leventhal respectively, and featuring contributions from Elvis Costello, Kris Kristofferson, Colin Meloy, and Sam Phillips, She Remembers Everything follows Rosanne’s triple-Grammy winning 2014 album The River & the Thread, and marks a return to more personal songwriting after a trio of albums that explored her heritage. Cash has had to contend with the fact that much of what she hoped would change across her lifetime really hasn’t. It’s a reality that is reflected in her deliberate embrace of women’s narratives on the new album. “There is a woman’s real life, complex experiences and layered understanding in these songs,” Rosanne says. “I could not have written them 10 years ago–not even close. Time is shorter, I have more to say.” She currently has released two songs – the title track and “Everyone But Me.” In addition to the ten-song release, a deluxe version of She Remembers Everything with three bonus tracks will be released digitally and as a limited edition case-bound book CD. Fans will also have the option to purchase a limited edition box set entitled the She Remembers Everything Memory Box, which will include personal letters of correspondence signed by Rosanne, and exchanged between her and T-Bone Burnett, Elvis Costello, Sam Phillips, Joe Hen-
of The Beatles’ SGT. PEPPER before going into “I Don’t Know.” Yes! Paul’s here and he brought the goods. This band stands tall and rocks hard on “Come On To Me,” “Fuh You,” and “Caesar Rock.” McCartney addresses bullying head on with “Who Cares” and even gets a retro psychedelic thing going on “Despite Repeated Warnings” and “Hunt You Down/Naked/C-Link” that closes the album. (There are some exclusive releases that include and additional two tracks at the end.) Even slower piano ballads like “Hand In Hand” and “Do It Now” have a crisp, classic sound with that unmistakable McCartney touch. Supporting Paul is his band that has been with him about as long as Paul was with The Beatles and Wings combined. Paul “Wix” Wickens, Abe Laboriel Jr., Rusty Anderson and Brian Ray have proven that they
ry, Tucker Martine and John Leventhal; an exclusive Rosanne Cash Live at SFJAZZ CD, recorded in 2017 and featuring Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams; a pink vinyl pressing; the deluxe casebound CD with three extra tracks and a digital download redemption card. The box will also include a copy of ‘Bird On A Blade’ (UT Press), a new book of lyrics and illustration by Rosanne Cash and Dan Rizzie, along with an 8″ x 10″ printed lithograph featuring an original Rizzie illustration from the book. The album caps an already busy year for Cash in which she debuted new songs at Lincoln Center from a forthcoming original musical about the life of Norma Rae (a story of union organizing and a woman’s transformation in 1970’s North Carolina), performed a program of her father’s music with Ry Cooder at SFJAZZ where she is an artist in residence, received an honorary doctorate from the Berkley College of Music, executive produced (with Steven Soderbergh and Errol Morris) the acclaimed documentary film ‘The King,’ and just last week earned the “Spirit of Americana” Free Speech Award at the Americana Honors and Awards in Nashville for her activism on behalf of artists’ rights and gun control, among other worthy causes. I was there and witnessed a wonderfully emotional speech and three standing ovations.
ROSANNECASH.COM ROB DICKENS: LISTENINGTHROUGHTHELENS.COM
are worthy of recording and touring with this music icon. They are tight and they deliver. Paul’s voice lacks the youth of his past, but he’s still in fine form. If you’ve never been interested in Paul, there probably isn’t anything here to entice you into suddenly running out to get BAND ON THE RUN. But on the other hand, if you’re into this man’s rich history, you’ll welcome EGYPT STATION into your musical life. It’s got everything you’d expect from a great McCartney album; rockers, piano ballads, acoustic songs, outstanding band. It’s all just notched up a few levels. PAULMCCARTNEY.COM STEVE GOLDSTEIN: STEAMMAGAZINE.NET
BARBARA BLUE FISH IN DIRTY H2O (BIG BLUE RECORDS) BY RICK J BOWEN Being bestowed a title in the music business is something performers strive for and earn only after years of hard work and toil on their art. Singer songwriter and DJ, Barbara Blue was named “The Reigning Queen of Beale Street” in 2015 after doing shows in the home of the blues, five nights a week for over 20 years in Memphis. Blue has gathered together a group of all-star friends to join her on Fish in Dirty H20 her 11th self-produced album, released in Sep-
tember of 2018. The 12 tracks feature seven original tracks and renditions of blues classics that she sings nightly at Silky O’Sullivans on Beale Street. Drumming legend Burnard Purdie anchors the rhythm section that opens the set with Blue spelling out her mantra on “My Heart Belongs to The Blues,” then paying tribute to her compatriot guitarist Johnny Lee Schell by adapting and old favorite to his moniker “Johnny Lee.” Acclaimed slide master Scott Sharrard guests on the bump and grind blues “Accidental Theft.” She delivers a fine rendition of what could be the new official theme song of the city “Meet Me in Memphis,” digging deep into the anthem
written by Memphis native Eric “Scrappie” Hughes. Rapper Al Kapone adds modern flair to the title track, and saxophonists Lannie McMillan plays the foil on “BBQ Man.” Purdie lays down some his signature funk on “Wild Women,” a convincing extrapolation on Ida Cox’s classic tune, and a full horn section fill sup the swinging track “Gravy Train.” The album closes a fabulous romp through “Come On in My Kitchen,” with Barbara Blue taking us all to church on the Robert Johnson blues standard . BARBARABLUE.COM RICK J BOWEN: WABLUES.ORG
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By DC Washington, Sound Magazine
Scottish indy-rockers Franz Ferdinand made a big splash back in 2004 when they were spearheading the so-called new wave of post-punk revival, heavilyinfluenced by the likes of Gang of Four. Over a decade later the band again continues to make waves with an album that can only be described as a drastic departure from their identifiable sound but one that feels natural in its evolution. “Always Ascending” mixes politics into your music for the first time, a tricky combination that could alienate some of your fan base. Why did you feel it was time to speak upon such matters and was it more to engage a conversation with your fans or with those political factions you speak about? We were writing the record throughout 2016 and what was happening that year politically was inescapable. Every morning we would wake up fresh news on the U.S. election or the Brexit referendum in the U.K. Like everyone else that year; and since, conversation amongst ourselves has been more than usually politics heavy as we’ve watched the whole sorry show unfold. It seemed inevita-
ble that some of this conversation ended up on the album lyrically. We find it very interesting that the band decided to use American literature to express your concerns. Why go through that method? Was it more that there are so many great literary characters whose life draws parallel to the current political and social economic climate we are in? Huckleberry Finn was the first American literature I came across. My father read it to me as a kid, along with Tom Sawyer. I always preferred Huck to Tom. When I was writing the chorus, I wanted to reference a figure who reflected America and Huck appeared in my mind, initially bringing my idealistic childhood perception of America from the book: a story of adventure and wits, independence, and friendship. Then I thought about the friendship and realized that there are, of course two lead characters: Huck and Jim. Jim is the father figure to Huck whose real father was an abusive alcoholic. A child abuser. As for Jim, he was an African American in the South. A slave on the run. Of course, there are so many books that capture the complexity of the murkier and brighter sides of America, but few as succinctly as those two figures, and, even though written almost 150 years ago, they say so much about what is great and flawed in America. The new album is the first without guitarist Nick McCarthy, but sees the addition of two new members. How have
they taken to the older material and can fans expect a possible new spin on the classic material live with a larger band? Since the very beginning of the band, there’s been talk of maybe becoming a five piece to free Alex up to become more of a front man performer and release him from his guitar. We seized this opportunity of a line-up change to bring in Dino Bardot as a live member, after already having recruited Julian Corrie during the writing and recording process. The result has been an augmentation to the older material, occasionally with new parts being added; or, at other times, parts from the original recordings of the songs that had never been played live finally being added to the performance. We’ve really been enjoying playing with the fuller sound that we’re capable of now as a fivepiece. When recording with these new members did the band tour any of the new tracks, test them out on the public or rehearse the material before entering the studio to make sure the flow was correct? This is the only album that we’ve made without having played any of the new songs live before recording them. We did intensely rehearse the new songs before going into the studio to record them. Partly this was to cement the new line-up and become comfortable playing with each other and partly to benefit the songs - to become so comfortable with them that the performance in the recording studio would have the sound, feel, and effortless confidence of a band that
had been touring them for a long time. To call Always Ascending's new groovebased dance track style a departure from your previous work is an understatement. Four years between albums, is this the start of a new era for the band or a culmination of smaller works over those four years that now flow into a full piece? When we started writing the record, we consciously approached it as the beginning of a new era of the band. Although we had always aimed to be a band that played live music with the arrangements of electronic dance music this was something we wanted to push further than before on this record. The album has a very 'house music' flavor to it and was recorded in France where the genre is at its height. How did the recording experience there with those studios and producers influence the piece? We worked with producer Philippe Zdar, who is also a DJ and one half of Cassius. His background in the French house scene is very apparent in his production work and this was something that greatly attracted him to us. He was also very keen to make a record that was very much a live band performing dance music. Finishing the record in his studio in Paris gave us great opportunity to head out to underground clubs each night after finishing work at the studio and this probably found its way onto the record.
By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine
hat’s a pretty original band name for this area, how did you come up with it? Balsam Grove is… Larry Hansen – Singer, guitar guy. Logan Wood - Lead guitar guy. Michael Ermis - The monster in your closet; who also plays bass. Bryan Renkes - Drummer extraordinaire. Larry: The band name to me symbolizes nostalgia, or longing to go back to a place in your past that you can't return to. Balsam Grove is named after a town in North Carolina where my family originally came from, and I was told stories about this place and the name just kind of stuck with me. So, it's a little bit of a personal name for a band, but I think it can be seen as a symbol for nostalgia. ho are your influences? Larry: I am inspired by a variety of genres from alternative rock to emo/post-hardcore to heavy metal, ambient music, electronic music, etc. The list goes on and on. Bands I gravitate towards stylistically include Deftones, Coheed and Cambria, Underoath, 36 Crazyfists, Rush, Pink Floyd and Radiohead. Performance-wise, I love anybody who can put on a great show. Of course you’ve got the classic ranging from Ozzy to David Bowie, then you have bands like The Flaming Lips, and of course Pink Floyd. Theatrics are great. But as far as raw energy goes, I love the stage presence from Underoath and Glassjaw and a lot of metal and hardcore bands. Bryan: A lot of my influences are classic rock based. We have a very modern sound, but for me, some of my biggest influences are of the likes of Led Zeppelin, Rush, AC/DC, Boston, Van Halen, and the list goes on. I have plenty of modern influences too, but I think most of my deep rooted ones are from classic bands. And for me personally as a drummer, there is no better idol to have than John Bonham. His electrifying performances have always kept me inspired to keep a pair of sticks in my hand.
ho brings what to the table? Who’s the country/rock/ballad/blues/other influence in your group? Michael: I like to throw a lot of genres in the mix ranging from metal and djent, to jazz and funk. Personally, I'm inspired by feelings and experiences that I go through in life, like most people, especially artists. I have to find a way to release my feelings and express them. So, I do that with music. Very cliché. Logan: I gravitate more towards djent and shoegaze; heavy rhythmic riffs, ambient guitar sections and plenty of leads. ell me about your original songs. What inspires you? Larry: I enjoy creating a blend from a variety of styles ranging from emo/post-hardcore, to heavy metal to ambient music. I like getting rowdy at our shows, and putting everything into my performance. Music for me is a religion, a medicine, and a ritual. I use it to cope with the things that life throws at me, and my lyrics usually touch on darker subjects that resonate with people that are going through the same things, I think. It is the only thing I really feel that I am good at, honestly. ave you released a single off the EP? Bryan: Echoes of the Past is the very first song we recorded, and the very first song we’ve released as a band. I know for me personally, I thought I was just on board to record this one song and that was it, but it ended up becoming a functioning band at some point I don’t remember. I think Echoes is a very important song, not only because it’s a great song, but because it was a unifying thing for all of us. It solidified something that we hadn’t even begun to think about (the band). Larry: Echoes is our debut single from our debut EP, of the same name! It is partially inspired by the passing of my grandmother and also about coping with depression that followed me afterwards. The song was the
first that we recorded as a band, and started with some old demos of mine that I showed Gigi Garcia (manager/producer) and Michael and Bryan. From there, it developed into a full production. I think it's a good track that represents our sound pretty well, with plenty of dynamic changes.
Got plenty of new songs in the works that are gonna take it up a notch. Follow us on social media to keep updated on that ;) Bryan: We already have new songs that we’ve debuted live, that aren’t on any recordings yet, so I’d say yes. Writing a full length album is definitely in the near future for us.
ell me about your EP? Larry: We recorded the EP in a secret, undisclosed studio that is in the side of a giant rock in the middle of the ocean. We'd love to tell you more about it, but the government forbids it. Sorry... I think the EP will be good for people who are going through a difficult time in life, as all of the songs deal with those kinds of topics. I usually write the lyrics and sometimes the initial demo, with the other guys adding on to the parts, modifying them, perfecting them, or doing something completely different that is even better than the original idea. Bryan has provided a lot of great progressive metal-influenced material that is in the works; Logan usually has more modern metal or more ethereal instrumentals to throw in the mix. Michael comes up with really amazing piano ideas and MIDI/synth ideas that add a new element to our sound. At the end of the day, our work is an all-out collaboration among the four of us.
here can people see Balsam Grove? We are working on booking more shows soon so please check up on Facebook to see if we add more dates! ust for fun… What is your favorite candy to hand out at Halloween and do you dress up? Larry: I eat all of the candy, and I dress up as a loser for Halloween! Ah-hahaha Logan: Ecstasy, and no. Michael: Yes, and yes. Bryan: I love getting those packages of full sized candy bars and handing those out. It’s fun to see the reactions of getting full sized candy bars, the only problem with that, is that you have to buy a bazillion boxes, because they don’t put a lot in those packages. I love dressing up. It’s the only time you can dress up as whatever you want as an adult and go party and do whatever you want without being judged.
o you have plans to tour in support of your EP? Larry: We are hoping to do some touring around Texas to support the EP and to get out there more; ideally San Antonio, Austin, Houston, etc. So hopefully we can get more out-of-town shows lined up in the near future! Bryan: A tour to support the EP would be great. Great exposure and great experiences. It’s the logistics and scheduling that still need to be figured out on that front. re you planning to release a full album? Larry: We're working on that as we speak! WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET OCTOBER 2018 STEAM MAGAZINE 9
was going to be going for once I got that 4 Year Art degree, so I took the four years of experience at $55,000 a year in 1990. It was really just the right move at that time. I am on the Board of Art Curriculum for Institute of Phoenix, where I do reviews and teaching college students and I often have to explain that I am very unique and have a very unique situation and then tell people stay in school. You work in such a wide variety of topics that I can't possibly cover everything so I’m just hitting the big topics and that takes us to the Music Industry. I have a licensing agreement with Global so I can do anything with their musicians. There are about 40 bands that I can create from like Marilyn Manson, Alice Cooper, Breaking Benjamin, Motley Crue, and more. Spencer's currently has Marilyn Manson, Ghost, and Kiss posters and shirts. Well, with your brother being a bass player and your parents being musicians
and artists, are you a musician as well? I wanted to be musician my whole life and I've tried it a couple of times with some mild success as a drummer, but I realized that being able to work with bands on an artistic level has really worked in my favor. Being a musician I have the ability to listen to their music and turn it into an art piece that fits. It’s given me the opportunity to work with POD, Alice in Chains, KORN, and many others. Back in 2002 I did the cover for Dokken’s Long Way Home. I was on speaker phone while they were the studio recording and I could hear the guitar parts and the drums being played. It was really a fun and neat experience. Before this interview we had already decided to use the Undead States of America for our cover. Where was your mind when you came up with this cool zombie Uncle Sam? You may not want to put this in but, you know I was sitting on a couch with a sketchbook and I was so high! I have to give you the background to get to that point. I played football my whole life, I was such a straightedge growing up that I've literally only had one cigarette in my whole entire life. In 2004 I was diagnosed
with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and, because I was so big, I was stage 4 before they caught it and they had to get very experimental. So they triple dosed chemotherapy which meant I had to move into a clean room at the hospital for 8 months and I was taking a pill called Anzemet, which was for nausea and the effects of chemotherapy. There was a nationwide shortage of the medication so it cost $350 per pill. My oncologist, and all my nurses, told me to try weed because it would basically do what the pill did. I told them that in my 30 years I’d never tried anything like that and I was worried I would have some sort of reaction to it, so I promised them that once I was cured I would try it - just as a precaution should I ever have a relapse. That New Year's Eve my brother, the bass player for Authority Zero, says to me, “You can come to this party with me, but I need to tell you we smoke weed.” I was like dude you don't think I know this? So that was my very first time I smoke weed and he was so excited. Anyway, there were probably 30 people at this party and we smoked from 8 in the evening until 7 the next morning, everybody else had passed
Gangsters playing poker Horror poker game Horror line up big chris art retail outlets Where the scary things are walking dead line up johnny depp line up
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out but my brother and me. We sat on the couch, sharing a bong, and watching the sun come up. While we're sitting there I was sketching out a zombie and this is zombie felt like he was pointing at me, so once I focused more on him he became Uncle Sam. That's a cool story! Really fitting for such a cool piece of art. Yeah, so we've got a 420 line at Church of Horror and I did a drawing of the Joker and renamed him The Toker so that'll be on a shirt, a mug, and a 60”x40” fleece blanket at Hot Topic. I know we’ve talked a lot about the Horror genre but do you do anything else? Maybe a nice landscape? Oh yeah, I do a little bit of everything and the thing about working with video games for so long is that I'm able to fit into whatever genre being called for; I've even worked on the My Little Pony game at one point.
Instagram.com: /BigChrisArt /HeatherMoss313
Facebook.com/DebbieNoble People take pictures of the people and events that they love and want to remember. Sometimes it is the little things that mean the most. And by little, we sometimes mean short! Photographing children and pets can be a challenge because they are so small (and always on the move). The best and most simple advice I have to help you take better photos of babies and beagles is to get down to their level. Rather than pointing the camera down at them from
above, get down on the floor and shoot them at their eye level. You are more likely to get a clean photo with the subject looking at you or interacting with you. Furthermore, if you focus on the eyes, you will be more likely to get a great facial expression, whether it is a toddler or a tortoise. Each of these examples shows the difference between just shooting down and getting in the grass.
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By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine
14 STEAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2018 WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET
ohn chneider has graced television screens, made an impact in the film community, and delighted the country music world for decades by eloquently delivering stories in a way no one has before. When he’s not acting, John can be seen with his guitar creating beautiful works of art echoing his roots, in the director’s chair on his independent productions, or across the world on various TV shows. You can catch him Monday nights this fall on Dancing With The Stars with his dance partner Emma Slater. Actor, Filmmaker, Musician, Philanthropist, Dancer Actor… John is from Mount Kisco, New York where he began acting at the age of 8 in local theatre productions and in 1977 he had a small featured role in Smokey and the Bandit, which starred Burt Reynolds. John made his television debut in 1978 as Bo Duke on The Dukes of Hazzard, the show ran for six years on CBS and remains in syndication on CMT and TNT. In 2001, Schneider landed the role of Jonathon Kent – Superman’s father – on the CW’s Smallville. He currently plays the role of the powerful Judge Jim Cryer in the Tyler Perry smash hit, The Haves and the Have Nots. Schneider has also made an impact on the film community starring in films such as Dream House, Happy Endings, and Run, where he played opposite Kirk Douglas. Filmmaker… Though John has directed episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard and Smallville, his cinema directorial debut was the return to form story of Bo Duke in Collier & Co. in 2006. Following the success of that film, he returned with a slate of indie classics like Like Son starring Laura Cayouette (Django, Kill Bill,) followed by Anderson Bench, Smothered, and Inadmissible. John Schneider Studios will be debuting two films this year: 4:GO and One Month Out, both are in post-production now. Musician… John Schneider has enjoyed a successful career in country music, topping the charts with his no. 1 hits I’ve Been Around Enough to Know and You’re the Last Thing I Needed Tonight. From 1984 to 1987 Schneider released six albums under MCA Nashville including his no. 1 album A Memory Like You and the quintessential Greatest Hits album. Schneider then took time off to pursue his acting opportunities, but would return with Worth the Wait in 1996. He’s gone on to release two Christmas albums, including Home For Christmas with Dukes of Hazzard co-star Tom Wopat. Fast forward to 2017 with his return to the country music scene with Ruffled Skirts, a near and dear album to him that pays homage to Louisiana royalty, including some of the individuals from LeRoux (‘New Orleans Lady’), JoEl Sonnier, Doug Kershaw, David Hyde and Randy Carpenter, and is dedicated to the people who were affected by the flood. In 2016, the community of Southern Louisiana was hit twice by major flooding in a matter of six months. The floods ravaged the John Schneider Studios which sat in nearly 4 feet of water. Sitting in the recording studio with no furniture, he began arranging songs like “How Do You Stop The Water,” “The Cajun Navy,” and “Every Friday Night” before enlisting songwriters Scott Innis and Phil Redrow to
help bring the songs to life. Instead of sitting in songwriting sessions, he and producing partner Alicia sent photos and video to Innis and Redrow of the devastation that Louisiana endured to eloquently capture the monstrosity of the flooding through music. The songs came to life when he recorded each track in his bare studio creating a perfect space to take in the right sound. This year John is on an adventure with Odyssey The Journey, a 62-song collection that will redefine the music industry. With the effort of Nashville’s most sought after songwriters and musicians, John, Alicia, and famed drummer/ producer Paul Leim recorded 52 of the best songs never touched before with Bob Bullock at Backstage Studios. They enlisted in songwriters Paul Overstreet, Chuck Cannon, Keith Stegall, Jenee Fleenor, Mac Davis, and Bill Anderson, to name a few, to eloquently tell stories that are relatable to all, Bridging country music with Americana, Blues, and R&B undertones, John provides the roots to a well cultured and unique spin on a beloved genre. Collaborating with Nashville’s finest musicians like Steve Gibson, Matt Rollings, and Glenn Worf, Odyssey was built off of pure talent, dedication, and finesse. The project kicked off with a Waylon Jennings tribute of “Good Ole Boys,” the theme song from The Dukes of Hazzard which features guest vocals from Tanya Tucker, John Conlee, Matthew Nelson, Gunnar Nelson, Doug Supernaw, Mark Wills, Heidi Newfield, Bobby Bare, Dave Gibson, Ray Scott, and many more. Odyssey is a 6 album adventure that has John releasing a new song every Tuesday through November and 10 of his greatest hits during the month of December. Philanthropist… Co-founded with Marie Osmond in 1983, The Children’s Miracle Network has raised over $4.7 billion for over 200 member hospitals and 32 million treatments to children across the U.S. Dancer…Well, he wasn’t a dancer until
ABC’s Dancing With The Stars: Season 27 premiered on September 24th! If you were one of the millions of people who tuned in you saw John Schneider make his dancing debut and for those that didn’t? You’ll just have to tune in on Monday!
Good morning and how are you? Sore. Very, very sore! We've been rehearsing in secret since the beginning of September and it's really fun, but they really run you through the gamut! How are you viewing your competition? Right now everybody's friends but that will change in time. They're all very young, fun, and goofy and that’s all great and you know I'm the old dog, so I think that's going to make them think that they have an upper hand because of stamina and all that stuff, but I'm a P90X Insanity guy. So stamina wise I think I’ll be OK, with the exception of DeMarcus Ware. He's a real sweetheart and he's got the stamina, the strength, and the moves so that'll make it interesting. I’ve known Mary Lou (Retton) for 30 some years and she's just won-
Photo By Chris Hollo
derful and she's so elegant. She'll be a real stickler for details and I think that's what the judges really look for; hand placement, finger placement. I have never had to think about my right pinky and my left little toe at the same time, so that's really one of the hard parts of this. That’s interesting, because I don’t know the ins-and-outs of competition dancing, I just watch for the big, clunky moves and I think a lot of viewers are the same. You know you've got millions of voters out there and of course the three or four judges at the table have as much weight in voting as the millions of people and they are truly the ones who care about where your toes are and if your pinkies and shoulders are straight during the foxtrot. I haven't had to think about that since 1990 when I did “Grand Hotel”. Honestly, DWTS is great, the people are wonderful, and I'm really looking forward to all I get to do; including the six hours of rehearsal every day. Do you have any strategies going into competition? I have been on stage for 40 years, so I'm thinking I have an edge in that respect. Stage has no fear from me and live television ain't nothing, it’s like water on a duck's back for me. From my understanding, right up there with fear of public speaking is the fear of being on live television. I can't really count on their fear or limitations, but I can count on my own strength and my own abilities. And yeah, I'm going to count a little on my opponents’ fears. It's not confidence, it's that I've done this for so long and that's why I'm working on the particulars; finger placement, hand placement, squaring my shoulders, all that kind of stuff. You are a really busy guy, from DWTS to music to videos. Can you tell me about the Odyssey project? Actually, Odyssey is a 6 album project including 52 brand new songs we recorded this year in Nashville with a full band. We used the greatest session players out of Nashville for
through proper channels and the request was not accepted. So the song that that was released a few weeks ago, the one that says “between the judge, the jail, and my future exwife; up here living my life, my way”? I end it by saying “file a bench warrant, try to find me.” Hahaha Because really somebody has got to see the humor in this besides me and I don't think it's going to be the judge, so at the end of this I'll have 15 days left in jail where I'll brush up on my push-ups, write a song or 12, and when I get out I'll still have a bill I can't pay. I was going to say that I hope things get worked out, but it really doesn't sound like there’s a chance. No, they won't. She's a pariah. Oh I'm waking up; my words are coming back to me! You know, it used to be that I get up in the morning and I'd read. Now I get up in the morning and I post, which really hasn't been waking my brain up, but I'm really big on social media so I post pictures from DWTS and my music. I know a lot of artists that just don’t grasp the concept of social media and being in contact with their audience. I absolutely understand the ability to communicate with people on this kind of level; even back in the Dukes days I was the guy who went to the Comic Cons and the car shows, any opportunity to meet and say, “Hey what's working? What's not working?” I really think social media is a great way to reach out, so anybody who wants to go to my site; take a listen to the music and tell me what you think, or just want to drop me a line, or if you have a video of you (or your kids) dancing in front of the TV while I'm dancing send it to me and I will try to post it! I was going to ask you about movie projects, but you're so busy with touring and Dancing With The Stars and putting all this music out, I don't see how you could have time. Actually the movie Alicia and I did, 4:Go (4 to CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET OCTOBER 2018 STEAM MAGAZINE 15
this project and we have been releasing a song every Tuesday this year and we're not quite caught up on videos. We have 32 videos at this point; they take more time compared to the song releases but we have never missed a Tuesday for a song release. Wow, that is an incredible and intensive project! Yeah, it's pretty amazing, because I thought we would have a Guinness Book of World Records record with 52 songs but then I heard one of the actors from Nashville put out a song a week for a year 2 years ago. I thought well shit, so we went back to the studio and cut my greatest hits live and with more of an acoustic feel; guitars and a Cajon. Now come December, we will release these new recordings which will complete a 62 song release in 2018 and get us into the Guinness Book of World Records by releasing more songs than anybody else in a given year. The final 18 songs have a more Delta Rock, Allman Brothers feel. I've also been told that depending on how far I get through DWTS that we may be able to use a song or two of mine. You know I've been dealing with this whole crazy divorce thing for the last 4 years, so I altered one of the songs to fit my circumstances and so rather than talking about bills and how life is getting too hard I started talking about being “between the judge, the jail, and my future ex-wife; it's a wonder I'm still alive.” At this point it’s really just a matter of time and whatever's coming, I just want to get it over with. Well, since you brought up the divorce I have to ask… Did you really go to jail for 3 days? Well, I got three days in jail but I only spent 9 hours because of overcrowding. However, there is an additional 15 days that I have left because when a judge orders you to do things that are impossible or he'll send you to jail, it’s easier to not try to figure out the impossible so I sent a letter to the judge requesting that he just put me in jail. However, I didn't do it
It’s fall in the Costal Bend, which went to Lisabella’s Bistro & Bar in means the weather is finally starting to cool down, homecoming games are being played, holiday decorations are going up, all the big national sports are on TV, and Seafood is never in short supply! Now why would I include that? Because we live on the Gulf of Mexico and you can walk the docks alongside representatives from the Coastal Bend’s best eateries and buy fish, shrimp, and shellfish off the boats. Our September has been a little hectic, so instead of making a seafood dinner we
5009 Hwy 361 PORT ARANSAS TX 78373
361.749.4222 OPEN FOR DINNER Tuesday—Saturday 5:30pm –to Last table CLOSED SUNDAY & MONDAY
RESERVATIONS SUGGESTED FRIDAY, SATURDAY, & HOLIDAYS
LISABELLAS.COM Facebook.com/ LisabellasPortA 16 STEAM MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2018 WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET
Port Aransas and had a fantastic meal!
Rusty, Allene and I along with our
friends Stan and Kathy Novey and Barbara Jean arrived just as Lisabella’s opened at 5:30pm. Located in the heart of the Cinnamon Shore Vacation Resort owners Kris and Lisa Amundsen, General Manager John Amundsen (son), and Chef Spencer Cox (son-in-law) have been creating the perfect upscale, casual dining experience for more than 7 years. From the moment you walk in,
whether you are a regular customer or it’s your fist visit, you are greeted in a most personal way, like a long lost friend. The restaurant is fresh and open with a cozy beach cabin feel while calm lighting and smooth jazz drifts in from above. One of the first things we noticed was that talk at our table of 6 was clearly heard, yet conversations at other tables were muffled, helping to create a feeling that we were the only
ones there. While our menus and drinks were being placed we learned that Kris and Lisa have developed the menu offerings while Chef Spencer oversees all of the meals and house made products and ensuring that everything is brought in fresh daily, and a Pastry Chef makes the most delectable desserts, but you’ll have to enjoy dinner before we get to those! We began our dinner with three appetizers, Pancetta Shrimp, Diver Sea Scallops, and Shishito Peppers. A mildly, tangy chipotle honey glaze was drizzled over the shrimp wrapped in house made pancetta and served with a sweet mango salsa. Diver harvested scallops are a specialty at Lisabella’s and these were pan seared and topped by a flavorful, satiny leek confit. The Shishito Peppers were sautéed in olive oil with red pepper flakes and garlic and then tossed with sea salt and served warm. These small Japanese peppers are known for having a mild spice; however, about 1 in 8 is quite spicy. If you haven’t had them before, this is a must try! Our first entrée was the Espinaca Salad with Mermaid Soup. This large baby spinach salad was mixed with apple, red onion, dried cherries, and candied walnuts and then tossed with a house made creamy goat cheese dressing that calmed the sweetness of the apple and walnuts. The Mermaid Soup was absolutely delicious! The lobster coconut broth, spiced with curry and other secret spices, and loaded with shrimp. Next was the Duck. This succulent, tender pan roasted duck breast was topped with a sweet port wine fig reduction and served with Yukon mashed potatoes and fresh asparagus. The Diver Scallops were so good, we decided we needed more and our next entree was Sea Scallops. These diver harvested scallops were twice the size of those served as an appetizer. Pan seared and drizzled with a reposada tequila and orange reduction served with tender coconut rice with haricot vert. Our final entrée for the evening was the Red Snapper Belle Meuniere. This large red snapper fillet was dredged in flour and sautéed with brown butter, chopped parsley, and lemon. Then served over a bed of Yukon mashed potatoes, next to fresh asparagus, and topped with a wild mushroom-white wine butter. We were all thoroughly delighted with the wide variety of entrees and the house made sauces. As Rusty pointed out we were all pleasantly full at this point, but we had already heard there was dessert. We decided on sharing three and before we could take pictures we had already dug in. The Key Lime Pie was fresh and light in a graham cracker crust with dollops of whipped cream gently sitting atop the creamy custard filling. Very refreshing! Next was a large serving of warm Summer Berry Cobbler with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream. The blueberries and raspberries provided just the right tanginess to offset the sweetness of the ice cream. And then there was the piece de la résistance… Hallelujah Chocolate Cake! This cake recipe has been in Lisa’s family for over 100 years and Kris explained that they only use imported dark chocolate. After one bite of and we were all saying, Hallelujah!, so fortunately the slice was large and we all had a nice size helping. Lisabella’s Bistro & Bar is truly an enjoyable dining experience. I said that the Mermaid soup and Espinaca salad was my favorite. When Kathy exclaimed she’d come back just for the cake, Barbara Jean elaborated, “The food is amazing, but the Cake is to die for!” However, I think Stan summed it up the best… The staff invites, the food excites, the dessert delights!
DIVER SEA SCALLOPS SHISHITO PEPPERS
ESPINACA SALAD with MERMAID SOUP RED SNAPPER BELLE MEUNIERE
DUCK PANCETTA SHRIMP WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET OCTOBER 2018 STEAM MAGAZINE 17
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 Review By Andrea Leigh, STEAM Magazine Photos By Rusty Hicks, STEAM Magazine
One of the great things about the Sum- ly if you’ve been taught to hold the violin mer NAMM (National Association of Musical Merchandisers) convention in Nashville is finding new products. Last June STEAM publisher, Rusty Hicks, met David Smith who was introducing his SHORT BOW. After chatting with him about the virtues of using a shortened violin bow Rusty brought one back to Corpus Christi for me to try. I have been playing the fiddle for over 7 years now and thoroughly enjoy it. You can see me every Thursday in Port Aransas TX at Giggity’s Restaurant and Bar with the Free Beer Band.
in proper position as I have. Second I play an NS Electric Violin, which is very slender violin and did not fit comfortably on my lap. However, once I switched to a traditional violin I found both the positioning easier and comfort much better.
STEAM Review: 3.5 The Short Bow is fun to play with on chopping songs, I actually found it easier to use. I also enjoy using it for practice.
SHORTBOW.COM
According to Short Bow’s Dave Smith the bow was developed to give violin and fiddle players more freedom. The Short Bow allows you to practice in the confines of a tour bus, van, and car where the use of a long bow is nearly impossible. While practicing with the Short Bow in your lap you can see finger and bow placement easy. The Short Bow also allows the player to sing by reposition the instrument onto their lap removing the obstacle of holding the violin/fiddle with the jawbone. Using a traditional bow to chop can be awkward and cumbersome to many fiddlers, but the Short bow is lightweight and alleviates the leverage players have to counteract while chopping.
I recently had the opportunity to use the bow. The first thing I noticed was there is a small learning curve as the recommended position to hold the violin on your lap could be a little clumsy especial-
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Go), was out several months ago and had some interest in it from the distributor, but honestly the press about my divorce has had an interesting effect by making some people more interested and others back way off. We currently have 4:Go ready for distribution and, when DWTS is over, we are planning to start on a MMA feature film; after that will start on the 3rd movie in a 4-movie series, which we started with the fourth and counting down to one. About 75% of this is been shot at our studio in Louisiana, John Schneider Studios (JSS), which is a great place for independent filmmakers to come and get their movies made. Alicia has the ability to help filmmakers stick to a very tight budget. Really you don't need to move from where we are while filming; you can film at the studio, stay here, eat here, drink around the campfire and get up in the morning to start all over again! It's kind of like “movie-camp.” As long as they don't say, “Like that one time at movie camp…” Oh yeah, got to love that line! Alyson Lee Hannigan is so funny! But really JSS is a great place to make films and Louisiana has great tax credits, they're really fantastic for filmmakers. Texas is a great place to shoot but if anybody needs some swamp land and great Louisiana feel, just come on across the border and take advantage of some of the best tax credits in the United States. I didn't know that Louisiana had incentives like that. We interviewed John Robison with New Republic Studios and he had explained that Texas doesn't have a lot of incentives, so he has had to develop his own for the studio. Well that's great, but you know you don't film somewhere because of the incentives; those happen to be the cherry on the icing of the cake. You shoot there because it has the right look, the right feel, the right crew. If you need a Big Bend view, you go to Big Bend. If you
need Texas, you shoot Texas. If you need Louisiana, you shoot Louisiana. That's why I said if you need swap, come see us! I know you’re from New York, so I guess it's the Dukes of Hazzard in me that still thinks you’re from the South. So why did you choose to put JSS in Louisiana? I'm not from the rural South but you are not alone in thinking I am. Mount Kisco is in a beautiful part of New York, known for its rocks and water and the ferns are everywhere. I'm not an indoor kind of guy, I feel most comfortable outside and I really think the reason I love Louisiana so much is because the foliage is so similar to New York, although it doesn't have the Catskill Mountains. I know you're out on tour now, are you going to continue through DWTS? Right now I have a great band and I’m working on a tour through the panhandle of Florida while trying to build momentum for Odyssey. We have had to put some brakes on the tour, especially these first few weeks. DWTS is a wonderful blessing because it's got people seeing me weekly and getting people talking about my music again. You know I'm in it to win it and my hope is that Emma Slater will get a lot of Florida in the next few months so I can rehearse before I go on stage for my concerts. I know you have to get going, you've got rehearsal! We wish you luck on Dancing With The Stars. I hope your pinky stops hurting soon and you know you've got fans here cheering for you! Thank you and I'll see you Monday night! —- —- —John and Alicia have launched an all-new live variety show entitled Yee Haa, an ode to the beloved show, Hee Haw. Providing all of the foot stompin', belly laughin', and good times, the show offers an ensemble of comedians, singers, dancers, and world class musicians from around the country, including guest appearances by Ruth Buzzi and Lulu Roman. Set at JSS’s Moonshine Barn, fans are taken back to the good ole’ days of live variety TV. Fans can be on the lookout for up to date information regarding John Schneider, Tour Dates, JSS, Yee Haa, and more: JOHNSCHNEIDERSTUDIOS.COM