Get to know them! KTPZ Makes a move. Jacob Novinger - Metal Sculptor And more!
1
2
2011 R. U. Down Summer Jam by Dominik Quinn
The performance on the night of June 25th was
something of a bittersweet affair. There was an abundance of stellar talent. Hosted by Joey Bravo of Midday Munchies fame, Jack’s Lounge patrons were rocked by performances by L.S.D. (aka Joey Bravo for those who don’t follow him), Menase w/ Holladae, MiciLL, MC Monkey D and Holistic Mediation, Double O’ Ryderz, Yung Skillz, and Bone of Untouchable. All terrific performers. The only thing that detracted from this fantastic event was the lack of support.
stage and ignited the wavering crowd. With his staccato rhythm driving the tempo of the room, the dance floor finally saw some action. This is a rapper that doesn’t need to play to the crowd, but with his lightning fast lyrics, you never have a chance to notice. I was a little disappointed by how fast his time on stage was over, but those of us who stuck around were treated to various ensemble performances by the artists, many of which featured Mic iLL.
Next to take the spotlight was Menase, featuring Holladae. Once again, the dance floor was left almost barren. Not because of the talent of this duo. Not by any means. This is where I personally feel the lineup made its first mistake. The act had a softer rap style, and after the buzz created by iLL, Even with the limited venue. Jack’s Lounge has a the mellower rhythms of Menase and the hauntingly respectable event area; it just didn’t have the room beautiful voice of Holladae were somewhat lost in for crowds the size that this group of artists deserved. the crowd. This is a shame because the performance For those of you who enjoy house parties, this is was an excellent contrast to the speed of the previous your scene, all the way. It was small enough to be act, and the artistic chemistry between the two singconsidered “intimate” by many bar standards, but ers was awesome. Holladae’s smooth soprano lyrics enough people that you probably wouldn’t want to perfectly underlined and accentuated the atmosphere be the one hosting it at your place. The event may of Menase. not have had the bodies to make it the party of the century, but it was an event that won’t be soon forThe next act, MC Monkey D and Holistic Meditagotten by those who attended. tion, knew how to play to a crowd. That duo hit the stage like a tandem bomb. This act was particularly The dance floor may not have been full, but the enjoyable to watch, as the two artists obviously seats were. The start was a bit slow due in part to the know each other well. Not only were they fast on green performance of Bone of Untouchable. These each other’s lyrical heals, alternating lines of beats guys have skills and I can see them making waves in fast enough to have been digitally edited, but their the music industry before long. The feeling seemed literal ones as well.They were all over the stage, off that night. I must admit that that was the first swapping front to back as fast as their rhymes, and I had heard them, so I can’t claim that for sure. It never once tripping each other up or missing a beat. seemed they suffered from lack of exposure… they They took turns attacking the crowd until we had no just haven’t had the time in the spotlight to get their choice but to get up and acknowledge. stage legs. Fortunately, there were a few better acts suited to liven things up, such as Mic iLL. Dropping beats faster than a line of firecrackers, Mic iLL took the 3
Next up was the local favorite, Yung Skillz. This was the first act of the night that got a significant response from the crowd before actually perform-
ing. There is a lot of love here for Skillz, and it’s no wonder why. Boy can rap! His quick lyrics and near perfect timing almost guarantee we will be seeing more of him. Considering how young he actually is, Skillz knows the game surprisingly well. He raps with the best of them, and puts on a good show while he’s at it. Black Patt joined him after a couple solo numbers and neither of these guys suffers from the collaboration. They may not have had the chemistry of MC Monkey D and Holistic Meditation, but they are obviously experts at their craft and know how to meld their styles well. The crowd was starting to thin, despite the amazing performances that just got better as the night progressed. It was unfortunate, because the next up was LSD. Now, don’t think for one moment that LSD is the smooth talking, funny voice you hear on Midday Munchies. No, once he stepped from behind that mixer and in front of the microphone, Bravo was gone and the serious rapper LSD was right in your face. His hard, driving style is almost a complete 180 from his DJ persona. As a Joey Bravo fan for a while now, I was thoroughly surprised at the transformation. I had never had a chance to check out his skills as an artist before, and if you are the same, do yourself a favor: go see him perform. You will not be sorry.
ing boards. The skills and responsibility of the mixer should never be underestimated, and that was certainly true Sat night. All in all, it was a great night highlighted by great performances, tied together by the amazing skills of Bravo and Chucky Norris. Those who didn’t make it out should be on the watch for the next event as it is a “must see”. Not only was the entertainment top notch, but there were numerous prizes. From a Review Magic Valley shirt signed by all the performing artists to a Vegas trip won by Jessica Jolley (Pictured Below). Who will be using it to get married to her fiance.
Double O’ Ryderz hit the stage next. Their Latino influenced, bi-coastal rap style has a laid back feeling to it, and was a perfect contrast to the various styles displayed by the other artists. As produced rappers and veterans of the music industry for over 10 years, these guys certainly know their trade. This is another reason I was disappointed by the turn out. While some of the acts were small (for now) local performers, a couple of them were out-of-town acts, in for this show. I can only hope that the numbers were sufficient to entice some of this talent back to the Magic Valley. While the venue may not have been able to support significant crowds we need to make sure we come out and support these events to encourage performers like Menase and Double O’ Ryderz to play in affordable settings.
Joey Bravo holds up the signed RVM shirt
Chucky Norris, who didn’t get much limelight, kept the show rolling and the music bumping from the mix-
For more photos of this night go to http://www.reviewmagicvalley.com/pages/photos 4
For more information on this awesome and unique band check them out on facebook under Foolsbane or at www.foolsbane.com “Keep an eye on these guys as their music is unlike any thing you have ever heard!� RVM
5
David Chambers Music has always been a big part of David’s life. At an early age he would come home from school and figure out the songs he sang in music class on the piano. This turned into a much enjoyed yet short lived duration of piano lessons. Junior High saw more favorable conditions for him to play music when he picked up the French horn in band and played that until his Sophomore year of High school where he was asked to play the tuba instead. Upon his first year on the tuba he had great success but decided the program was not enough and quit band as a senior. Due to extenuating circumstances he was required to take a choir class as a senior because no other courses were offered during that hour and he was actually awarded most outstanding male vocalist for the year.
After High school, his attention in music turned to song writing and during college he was a state runner up for the BMI John Lennon Scholarship two years in a row in Idaho. During that time he met up with Foolsbane through a shout out on the radio from one of the guitar players where he has been able to, once again, focus on filling the airway with vocals and writing lyrics. He is married to Vessa Chambers and has two wonderful boys Draven and Bram. He has also earned a Bachelors in Psychology and more recently a Master of Counseling Degree from Idaho State University.
Tracey Emery Tracey, began his musical career at the age of three, after his grandfather taught him to play harmonica. He held his first performance under a set of escalators, located in a shopping-mall in Utah. He began classical 6
piano studies shortly after, performing many times and earning a scholarship for college. When he was 16, he bought his first guitar and amp. Playing guitar became his life-long passion. Tracey continued to hone his craft over many years and eventually began teaching guitar and piano. In the early 90’s he left the teaching trade and nearly gave up playing guitar all together. Alternative music had killed the guitar solo and it simply wasn’t fun to play anymore. The flame was rekindled when he forged Foolsbane with Jason Ramsey, Chris Wiersema, and D.J. Winnett, and he hasn’t looked back since. Tracey’s life line is his beautiful wife, Julie, and their four children; Ashley, Robert, Domonique, and Catarina. In the future, Tracey looks forward to continuing working with Foolsbane. He has dedicated his life to music. With Tracey’s considerable talents, the sky is the limit! Tracey is now endorsing the amazing GODIN Nylon Multiac and the New Multiac Spectrum Steel string Guitars!!! He is proud to be part of the GODIN family. Check out Godin at http://www.godinguitars. com/. Tracey is happy to be part of the Red Bear family. For the greatest picks on the planet, head over to the Red Bear website at http://www.redbeartrading.com/. Read my testimonial on their website and you’ll know why I choose Red Bear picks. Tracey has joined the Presonus family. For some of the best studio and live gear on the planet, head over to Presonus at http://www.presonus.com/. Foolsbane’s The King and the Thief and future records will all be recorded using Presonus StudioLive!
Shane Hall When his grandmother’s cookware could take no more punishment, she purchased his first drum kit. Shane started playing drums and percussion at age 10 playing in a concrete basement under a doublewide trailer on 120 acres of quiet farmland. Every day he played his Slingerland/Crest hodge-podge drum kit to an FM radio, Cassette tape recorder, a 3speed record player, and an old reel to reel. His early influences were broad listening to any recordings he could procure. After joining the pep band in school, other musicians with whom to collaborate started appearing which furthered his desire to perform with his own bands such as Shatter Proof, Limited Access, Breached, and various other projects. He has been with Foolsbane since November 2007, writing, recording, performing and listening to music that has depth and dynamics, emotion, and an organic pulse. He currently resides in Twin Falls, Idaho near his family. Shane uses DW drums, Evans drum-heads, Pro-Mark drum-sticks, Gibraltar racks, and is endorsed by Evans/Pro-Mark (part of the D’Addario family).
Jason Ramsey Jason got his first guitar at 15 and has been addicted to it ever since. He has played guitar and sang in several bands over the years, including Liquid Bliss in the early 90’s, which also featured Tracey on guitar. Jason is the worlds worst drummer, a pro-wrestling fanatic and also plays mandolin. His musical inter-
7
ests outside of metal are quite diverse, including blues and jazz and a bit of bluegrass. If Jason could be Frank Zappa he would be.
Chris Wiersema Chris grew up in Jerome and lived there for 20 years of his life. In his junior year of high school, he decided that the bass might be kind of fun to learn. So, Chris started hanging out with DJ, Foolsbane’s former drummer. He taught Chris what good music and good beer was. For that, Chris feel he owes DJ his life. Chris was introduced to Primus, and realized that the bass can be so much more than what most people do with it. After years of looking for a serious group of musicians to play with, he finally found Jason and Tracey. They started Foolsbane and realized that this is not gonna be some hack band that plays covers. With the addition of David, they created a sound that is separated from everybody else out there. With this band, Chris finally found what he wanted as a musician.
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18