STEAM Magazine South Texas Entertainment Art Music volume 2 issue 11 February 2014

Industry News & Announcements: Incentive Programs The Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program (TMIIIP) is designed to build the economy through the moving image industry and create jobs in Texas. TMIIIP provides qualifying film, television, commercial, visual effects and video game productions the opportunity to receive a cash grant based on a percentage of a project’s eligible Texas expenditures, including eligible wages paid to Texas residents. Grants vary by budget levels and types of productions, and are issued upon completion of a review of the project's Texas expenditures. This incentive program is in addition to Texas' Sales Tax Exemptions.

Film & TV Projects include: Feature Films, Documentaries, Episodic Television Series, Television Episodes and Movies, Miniseries, Interstitial Television Programming, Nationally Syndicated Talk Show.

(For Reality Television see separate section below.)

Program Overview: Texas spending can include eligible pre-production, production and post-production expenditures.

Commercials Including: National and Regional Commercials, Series of Commercials, Infomercials, Interstitial Advertising, Music Videos, Educational Videos, Instruc-

tional Videos.

Program Overview: Texas spending can include eligible preproduction, production and post-production expenditures.

Video Game Projects Including: Computer, Mobile Electronic Device, Browser or Web Based Console, Console Handheld Console, Stand-Alone Arcade.

Program Overview: No cap on incentive amount.

Reality TV Projects Include: Nationally Syndicated Reality Series, Nationally Syndicated Talk Shows, Nationally Syndicated Contest or Game Shows.

Program Overview: Texas spending can include eligible pre-production, production and post-production expenditures.

Visual Effects: VFX Projects completed for Feature Films, VFX Projects completed for Television, VFX Projects completed for Commercials.

Program Overview: Incentive rates are based on the type of project and projects must adhere to required threshold qualifications.

Texas spending can include eligible preproduction, production and postproduction expenditures.

Seeking 2014 Ms. Coastal Bend Senior Pageant Contestants confidence and have a great time! Women age 60 or older ing gown, talent presentation, and preThe Corpus Christi Park & Recreation Department’s Senior Community Services will be hosting the 19th Annual Ms. Coastal Bend Senior Pageant on Sunday, June 22, 2014 at the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi’s Performing Arts Center at 3:00 p.m.

The Steering Committee of the Coastal Bend Senior Pageant has begun its search for the next Ms. Coastal Bend Senior. Ladies are invited to an informational session to learn more about the Senior Pageant at a Contestant Recruitment Tea on Saturday, February 1, 2014 at the Garden Senior Center, 5325 Greely, Corpus Christi, Texas.

Senior ladies can meet new friends, achieve new levels of

who are residents of the following counties are invited to participate in the pageant: Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Duval, Jim Wells, Kennedy, Live Oak, McMullen, Nueces, Refugio, and San Patricio. The contestant application deadline is May 2, 2014.

The goal of the pageant is to motivate and encourage senior women to utilize their full potential and to share a positive outlook on life with others. The pageant is based on the belief that “Seniors are the foundation of America...It is upon their knowledge, experience and resources that the younger generation has the opportunity to build a better society.”

Contestants will participate in four events: interview, even-

sent a statement that conveys her “philosophy of life.” The local winner will represent the Coastal Bend area in the Ms. Texas Senior America Pageant, and the statewide winner will compete for the national title. Ms. Katy Costello is the reigning Ms. Coastal Bend Senior 2014.

Interested individuals may pick up an application at City Hall, Senior Community Services office or any City of Corpus Christi Senior Center. For more information, call 361-826-3150.

4th Annual ‘Corpus Christi IDOL’ & 2nd Annual ‘Jr. IDOL of Corpus Christi’ Coastal Bend residents will have the opportunity to earn the title of “Corpus Christi IDOL 2014” and “Jr. IDOL of Corpus Christi 2014” again this year. Sponsored by La Palmera Mall, the winner of each contest will win a cash prize and a special commemorative trophy during Corpus Christi’s fourth annual “Corpus Christi IDOL” and second annual “Jr. IDOL of Corpus Christi” contests.

Corpus Christi IDOL is open to all Coastal Bend contestants 13 and up and Jr. IDOL of Corpus Christi is open to all Coastal Bend contestants ages 12 and under. Auditions will be held Friday, Feb 14 37p.m., Saturday Feb 15 10-7-p.m. and Sunday Feb 16 2-7p.m. in the La Palmera Food Court Staging Area.

Auditions are open to all Coastal Bend residents of all ages. The processing fee is $10 (cash) per person.

Those who audition must be prepared to sing a cappella, or one’s own accompaniment (i.e. guitar, etc.). Finals for both contests will be the following weekend, and

the public is invited to come out and help select their favorite IDOL at this Corpus Christi family friendly event.

Friday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m. will be the Jr. IDOL of Corpus Christi Finals, and on Saturday night, Feb. 22 at 7p.m. will be the fourth annual Corpus Christi IDOL finals. Winners for each contest will be selected by the audiences on both nights. “All Corpus Christi residents are invited to attend each night of the finals in the beautiful Performing Arts Center on the TAMUCC campus to select their favorite singers for both contests.” J. Don Luna, Professor of Theatre and faculty sponsor of the event said Both of the annual IDOL solo singing competitions are sponsored by La Palmera Mall and Texas A & M University-CC Dept. of Theatre and Dance and will include performances by the top 20 Jr. IDOL of Corpus Christi finalists at 7pm on Friday, February 21, and the top 20 finalists of the Corpus Christi IDOL competi-

tion will perform at 7pm on Saturday, February 22. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners of each contest will be selected by the audience in attendance each evening, and will receive a special commemorative IDOL 2014 trophy. Jr. IDOL of Corpus Christi 1st place winner will receive $100 and the 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive $50 each. The Corpus Christi IDOL 1st place winner will receive $300 and the 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive $100 each. General admission for the final performances at 7pm February 21 and 22 is $10 and can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center box office.

Join us for these exciting family friendly events and cast your votes for your favorite Jr. IDOL of Corpus Christi and Corpus Christi IDOL 2014! For more information, call J. Don Luna, Professor of Theatre, at 361.825.5988; or go to theatre.tamucc.edu or email don.luna@tamucc.edu.

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CONTENTS SOUTH TEXAS CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE FOR UPDATES & ANNOUNCEMENTS

WWW STEAMMAGAZINE NET

FEBRUARY 2014 VOL. 2 ISS. 11

ENTERTAINMENT 6 COMICS

MUSIC 7 PARAMORE

3 FILM NEWS 16 & 17 THE ENDS 18 3RD COAST FOODIE: HOWARD’S BBQ 23 COREY TAYLOR

ORIGINAL COVER ART

BY GENE GARAND

ART

12 ARTIST GENE GARAND 20 LOCAL GROW

8 ROLAND “RORO” GUTIERREZ 11 SHADOW OF THE GIANT 14 CCSO 21 CD REVIEWS

PUBLISHER RUSTY HICKS EDITOR TAMMA HICKS STAFF WRITERS RACHEL MILLS, ERIK HINZ, RICK BOWEN, DALE MARTIN, TAMMA HICKS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS J MICHAEL DOLAN, DEREK SIGNORE STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS MISTY NELSON, ALLENE HICKS, ERIK HINZ, MATHEW STUESSER WEBMASTER AFFORDABLE WEBSITE DESIGN TO ADVERTISE WITH US 361-904-4339 SALES@STEAMTX.COM SEE US ONLINE AT WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET WANT YOUR CD, BOOK, OR SHOW REVIEWED? HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SUBMISSIONS@STEAMTX.COM

STEAM Magazine is published monthly by STEAM Magazine South Texas Entertainment Art Music in Corpus Christi, TX. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Views expressed within are solely the authors and not of STEAM Magazine. Typographical, photographic, and printing errors are unintentional and subject to correction. Please direct all inquiries to: submissions@steamtx.com

Hunker down, take heed, get muddy J. Michael Dolan (:29) Ask any horse trainer and they’ll tell you that the home stretch is not about “ground & pound.” It’s about letting go and not holding back.

It’s about putting on the blinders and not allowing distraction to steal your focus. It’s about giving it all away—everything you’ve got.

And it’s about making smart choices and intelligent decisions. Even the jockey who’s far behind in 7th place knows that anything could happen between now and the finish line that could miraculously put her in the winners circle. So she hunkers down, takes heed, gets muddy, and emboldens her horse to “let go” and “break free” from the rest of the pack!

If you’re really serious about Orb wins your life’s work, if you’re truly Kentucky committed to manifesting (or Derby, maintaining) a successful, creative, independent life, in the mud! then you must take command - 2013 of your world—no kidding!

You must begin each day with unbreakable purpose. You must not allow distractions to thwart your intentions. You must not allow pettiness to pass through your door. And you must hunker down, take heed and get muddy. This is not a race with a starting gate and a finish line. Rather this is a lifelong mission that will never end...unless you say so.

Better safe than sorry J. Michael Dolan (:13) Really? "Safe" sounds like you did nothing. Just sat on the sidelines and watched opportunity go by—in a warm blanket, protecting your bank account or your reputation from any kind of failure or loss. "Sorry" sounds like you took a chance, gave it a shot, risk it all, reached for the gold ring and went "all-in." That said, don’t you think it’s better to be sorry than safe?

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C O M I C S Breakfast Puns

Years

www.lunarbaboon.com www.lunarbaboon.com

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WANT MORE! www.awkwardyetti.com www.lunarbaboon.com

With Lead Singer Hayley Williams

Words By Derek Signore, Sound Magazine Promotional Photo by Pamela Littkey

STEAM: Original Paramore band members Josh and Zac Farro left the band in December 2010 claiming the band had become 'a manufactured product of a major label'. At that point in time how close did the band come to ending entirely?

PARAMORE: The funny thing is that the last year of the band being a five piece was not all that dramatic. We had all come to a point where we all knew it wasn’t working. We still showed up, mostly, to all of the shows because it still felt like we were supposed to be a band. I think the three of us kind of felt that something was coming and when we saw what was posted and the reasons Josh said for why he left the band it was super hurtful. In all honesty those things kind of made us want to throw in the towel than anything else. We were worried that our fan base was going to become split and not know what to think anymore. I wanted to come out and say that it was all bullshit but I knew that I couldn’t. What resulted was a three or four month period where the remaining band members and myself felt discouraged and wondered ‘why don’t we believe in ourselves anymore?’. It was just a really awkward time that didn’t stop until we all looked at each other and realized that the three of us still wanted to be there and believed in each other. Three or four songs into the writing process we began to gain that confidence back. In the end we feel incredibly liberated and are definitely a better band for it.

STEAM: Seeing how big a hit your song ‘Airplanes’ with B.O.B. was during that time, was there ever a thought to just break free of the drama and pursue a solo career?

PARAMORE: No, not at all. It was really fun working with B.O.B. I grew up loving hip-hop and R & B and the stuff that was on MTV in the mid-90’s. It just blew my mind back then.

It was fun for me and B.O.B. to do something different. It was definitely a departure but it didn’t spur any thoughts to go solo.

STEAM: Many critics have questioned whether or not the first single off your new album ‘Still Into You’ is directed towards your boyfriend, and New Found Glory frontman, Chad Gilbert. If true, has he ever voiced concerns over your private life being brought into your music as it hasn’t worked out so well for anyone who has dated Taylor Swift lately?

PARAMORE: I remember one day he came

to pick me up at the studio and how shy he became when he heard the track for the first time. It was a cool moment for us as a couple as I don’t really ever write love songs, I just can’t. It’s hard for me to be able to put into words something that I really felt and that I truly meant so when it came out sounding like it did it was super positive for me. You never know, it might be the only love song I ever write, a true Taylor Swift moment (laughing).

STEAM: With bands that feature a female lead vocalist the comparisons are often drawn between her and other female vocalists, not band to band. With Paramore it seems that you are a solid unit and comparisons are more often drawn to other bands in general. Is that something you are happy about?

PARAMORE: I think that’s rad.

We’ve always been really band oriented. I am definitely a fan of singers but I’m not a solo artist so it’s not just about the singer in our case. That’s my passion and what I personally focus on the most when it comes to my job in the band but everything else thrown into the music is important, every ingredient makes us whole.

STEAM: Was there ever a concern during the writing process that as you were all in a dark place that it would come out in your music and take away from the punk-pop rock essence you have?

PARAMORE: Not really because it was a place we had never been in before and there was no room for boxes or ceilings. We were so limited enough that we couldn’t create those stumbling blocks. We went for anything that inspired us and we found out things that we were capable of that we would never have allowed ourselves to do before. With this album we never really worried about what anyone thought but us, we just wanted to make an album that we were really proud of.

SHOW INFO

8/4/14 @ Concrete Street Amphitheater, CC

WEBSITE SOCIAL

www.paramore.net paramore

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STEAMMAGAZINE.NET

Ever Reaching

Never Ending

Roland RoRo Gutierrez I can only think of a few reasons you may not know who Roland “RoRo” Gutierrez is… You’re new to the area… You haven’t checked out the local flavor of music (i.e. rock, pop, Tejano, and Kumbia)… You don’t frequent live music venues in South Texas… I don’t know, maybe you’ve live under a rock... But whatever the reason could be, you’ll know him now!

Roland has gone by RoRo for about ten-years, when DJ Kane dubbed him that and it stuck. He is a true local boy; growing up in Robstown, teaching music (piano) in Alice at Musical Minds, playing with a number of local, regional, national, and international bands based out of the Corpus Christi area, and producing Grammy nominated music. He is multi-talented musician playing percussion, guitar, vihuela, bass guitar, and keyboards – Yes, he could be a one man band and he does have a pre-production studio at his house where he does a lot of composing and arranging.

He is also an accomplished producer that people seek out.

Are you still thinking that you don’t know him?

Back in the early-mid 90’s, when he was just 19, his young band Chikko went on tour with Selena as the opening act for a year and a half. He later performed in the Chris Perez Project, Jennifer Peña, the Kumbia Kings, and the Kumbia All Stars as well as numerous other projects.

Before I go much further you should know that RoRo is currently in four main projects: Stereo Kumbia; the Clarissa Serna Band (Just a side note here: Clarissa will be on “The Voice” this season, so make sure you call in and vote for her!); La Conquista; and Returned 2 Sender. He also teaches piano and told me of four production projects that he’s working on – two in Austin and two in San Antonio. Honestly, I don’t know where he finds the time for all these projects because anytime I see a post from him on Facebook he’s out of town or the country!

STEAM Tell me a little about your main projects.

RORO Stereo Kumbia has been together for about a year as this unit. DJ Kane, Ricky Rick, and I were in Kumbia Kings and the Kumbia All Stars. We recently released our first single, and we have an EP coming out this month which has two songs that I produced. Our record label is Pangea Music out of Brownsville and our publicist is in Mexico; both are really pushing us as we start moving towards the US market. We are per-

Words By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Mag.

forming in large scale arenas so we put on big concert-type shows - big stage, lots of lights, and nonstop communication with the crowd.

I’ve been playing with the Clarissa Serna Band for three or four years now. Any time I’m in town and have the ability to jam with Clarissa’s group I jump at the chance because it’s just a great time. I’ve played with La Conquista for about five years and those girls are just a bunch of pretty, crazy, fun, talented ladies. Playing with them is always a great time. Machy (lead singer and guitar) and I do a lot of composing and producing together. Returned 2 Sender is more of a cover-band project. We have a tendency to rock out a little bit more than in other bands. We play a lot of covers that we adjust to our style. On Thursdays I teach piano at Musical Minds Academy and have been doing that for three years.

I really enjoy teaching because this is the next generation coming up! I wish I’d had something like this when I was growing up.

STEAM It seems that you are always out of town.

I would find your schedule to be a huge challenge and I don’t think I could do it.

RORO It really is a challenge, but I love it. This last year I’ve spent a lot of time in Mexico playing with Stereo Kumbia, but that’s where we’ve done our promotions and Mexico is having a great response. The crowds are huge and of course having DJ Kane and Ricky Rick being the front–men from Kumbia All-Stars really has helped popularize our group. We also went to Bolivia three times and we’ll be going back in March. On our last trip we connected with an orphanage, where we met with kids and sang songs, and shared treats. It was a real inspirational and meaningful event to us. We plan to go back to the orphanage and spend time with those kids on each trip from now on.

STEAM What makes being a touring musician so appealing for you?

RORO I think the best thing is that I get to meet all these people and make friendships. Some have lasted for a very long time; I have friends in Notre Dame from when I was touring with Elida Reyna (from the Valley). There are so many people from all around Mexico coming to see Stereo Kumbia and of course, people still know me from when I was touring with Selena, so I guess the best thing is friendships and of course playing music. I don’t refer to people as my fans; I refer to them as my friends, my team!

STEAM Who are your biggest influences?

RORO I’m a huge Michael Jackson fan and I think that’s the type of music I think I’d really like to try to do. I paid a lot of attention to how he performed (sang, danced) and really listened to what he said. He was always ahead of the game, was always thinking out -of-the-box and where things were and where they should go.

Actually, the reason I wear one glove is because of Michael Jackson.

I believe AB Quintanilla has to be my biggest influence. He took me under his wing when I was so young and just getting started. He taught me how to write, how to produce, and how to get the production that I was looking for.

I met AB when I was about 19 and in a band called, Chikko. We

were practicing when a red Porsche pulled up in the driveway out in front - we figured the guy was lost. Anyway, we’re rehearsing and A.B. walks in with our manager.

He introduced himself and talked about possibly producing us and before leaving he told us to be ready for Friday night… We were going to open for Selena. So Friday night we walk in to Hollywood Nights and met Selena. She asked us what we were going to wear and then Suzette brought out outfits for our show! You know I have to say that, in that year and a half of touring with them I learned so much from Selena and AB about the music business and what it takes to be successful and how to be professional. That’s why I am the way I am.

What was really cool was that Chikko was the first band AB produced and recorded in his studio, other than maybe a couple of voice tracks for Selena. A.B. was affiliated with Capital at the time, so our first

Follow RoRo online! wikipedia.org Roland_Gutierrez; soundcloud.com/rorogutierrez; www.djkanerickyrick.com/ Facebook … rolandgutierrezmusic, musicalmindsprogram, laconquistamusica, StereoKumbia

album was released with Capital Latin and we opened for her until her last concert.

We have stayed close since then.

STEAM Watching you perform I’ve learned that you are the backbone to many of your projects. You do the music production and set the tone on stage as to how things should be.

RORO Well, again, that goes back to what I learned from AB. Watching him and what he was doing because he was the bandleader, how he arranged things and made changes to improve what he could. So when I joined Clarissa, I just wanted to play keyboards. After I came in I heard things that I thought could be changed and I talked to Clarissa about it and she gave me the green light to go ahead.

STEAM You do a lot of writing and producing for all the bands you’re in as well as clients. Do you write for yourself and do you have your own album project?

RORO I’ve got a few songs that I have worked out and someday I’ll be ready to release something on my own but until then, I like being in the background. I do get a lot of calls to write and produce for other people. Right now I have projects in Austin and San Antonio besides the four main projects here, so people are actually looking for me and my skills and to me that’s an amazing thing.

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STEAM Future plans.

Where do you see yourself going?

RORO I’m not married STEAMMAGAZINE.NET now, so maybe I’ll get married. I don’t have any kids, so maybe that too; but musically and professionally I would love to break into the English market more and maybe collaborate with someone.

STEAM One last question. There are theories’ that music is just going to run out; just hit a brick wall and end. Where do you stand on that thought? Will music stalemate and just be repeated, have we already reached that point, or do you think it’s going to keep growing?

RORO I think music is ever reaching and never ending. There are a lot of people that take a simplistic approach to their creativity but I think there’s a lot of people out there like myself that have these crazy ideas and they think outside the box because there’s no rules in music.

STEREO KUMBIA

CORPUS CHRISTI & SURROUNDING AREA SAT 1

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RICH - BASS GUITAR, VOX- BACK UP | REY - DRUMS, VOX- BACK UP | EJAY - LEAD GUITAR, VOX | RIC - RHYTHM GUITAR, VOX- SCREAMS

STEAM Let’s start at the beginning, how did you guys get together?

EJAY Shadow of the Giant is a remake of another band, Dead Sky. We wanted to take our music in a different direction and a different genre and Dead Sky wasn’t able to do that, so we felt that we’d start over in the new direction with a new name.

STEAM How did you come up with the name, Shadow of the Giant?

EJAY It’s a literary reference. We’d originally started looking at the name “Enders” which is the child hero in the “End of Games” series but a major label owns it.

We were looking for a name that will stand out on its own and not get lost in an internet search. When we were researching names one point that struck us all was that the name needed to be unique, so currently if you Google Shadow of the Giant you’ll find us and the book.

STEAM Can you explain your genre to me because

when I listen I think metal-punk, but I know it’s not called that?

EJAY We’re jumping in at the beginning of a genre, Easy-Core. There are currently only about five big bands that list it as their genre; A Day To Remember, Chunk, No Capt. Chunk, and Kid Liberty to name a few. Easy-core or pop-core takes super high energy pop beats and puts metal and death-metal on top. Dead Sky was skate-core which is not quite as progressive, but faster. Now that those bands have broken the ice we have the opportunity to do more in this genre.

STEAM Were all four of you in the previous band?

EJAY We’ve all been playing together on and off for years; different versions of Dead Sky and other bands. Rich is a good friend and when we needed a bass player, we pulled him in. When we put this group together we decided we would do a two-year plan. We wrote down what we wanted, what our goals were, and we made a plan. We aren’t taking any short cuts on anything because it’s all planned out to reach our goals.

STEAM Tell me about your first single and the EP that you’ve just finished.

EJAY “3 Cheers” is the first release and video and I wrote it when I was about 17. It took until we developed in this genre to get it right. We recorded “Better to Fail in Originality, Than to Succeed in Imitation” at Precision Studio with Robert Beltron. We put a four-song EP together with a video for each of the songs after we decided not to put all of our money into a single big project because it would slow or stop our marketing and touring plans.

STEAM Are you putting the EP on disc or are you going digital only, like so many other bands?

EJAY The EP came out

on disc January 13th and it’s available on our site and at shows. CDs are so much cheaper than they used to be, but they’re also going away because downloads are an easier way for consumers to get the songs. What we really want to do is put out a vinyl with a digital download. Vinyls are hot and people want them, honestly. They sound so much better than a CD and then of course having the digital download with it just seems to make sense. Besides, you can put a poster in the sleeve, can’t really do that with a CD. STEAM Excuse me. Did you just staple your leg? Because, I heard a pop and when I looked up you bouncing the stapler on your leg.

RICH No, I did sideshow for quite a few years, but I didn’t staple my leg.

REY Ask him what else he does.

RICH I’ve been on Ripley’s quite a few times and I have been on many professional music tours not as a musician, but as a sideshow act doing flesh suspension. The first world record that we (this crazy guy Jason and I) set was to travel the longest distance between Texas and Florida while suspended. After about three hours or so Jason came down, but I stayed up for 16 ½ hours. I was a professional fighter and I’m also a contortionist; I can do four of the five things that are supposed to be humanly impossible, but were not talking about that.

STEAM OK, wow. That sounds like a whole other interview.

RICH What you need to know is that EJay has done an amazing amount of work on this band. Rey has done an outstanding job for the band as well. Me? I have watched these guys for quite a while, and they’re good friends and I just feel very fortunate that I get to do this.

STEAM That’s cool. Now that we know what Rich does; what do you guys do besides play music?

REY This is what I do; I’m a drummer.

EJAY I’m the sound engineer at Theo’s

SHOW INFO: Boneshakers and CONTINUED PG 22 2/ 20 @ HOP SHOP BAR, HARLINGEN TX WEBSITE... WWW.SHADOWOFTHEGIANT.COM SOCIAL... SHADOWOFTHEGIANTBAND SOTG_BAND STEAMMAGAZINE.NET

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Classically Corpus Christi

Evening Fantastique

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The Corpus Christi STEAMMAGAZINE.NET Symphony Orchestra sets the stage for romance and passion with an "Evening Fantastique" Feb. 8 at the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Performing Arts Center.

Cellist David Finckel, Musical America's 2012 Musician of the Year and nine-time Grammy Award winner, will join the CCSO on stage to perform Robert Schumann's Concerto for Cello. The concert, which begins at 8 p.m., also will feature symphonic works by Hector Berlioz and Giaochino Rossini.

Words by Bob Copes | Photos by Eddie Seals

While terms like “stuffy,” “expensive,”

and “boring ” are used by some to describe a symphony orchestra concert, Maestro John Giordano, music director and conductor of the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra, prefers the term “indispensable.”

As the CCSO's 68th season approached,

Giordano reflected on his nearly 10 years at its helm. “My goal was to do whatever possible to help the orchestra become an indispensable part of the fabric of this wonderful city,” he said. While still short of “indispensable,” the adjective no longer sounds farfetched, and no one who knows him or the musicians he leads would bet against them.

The CCSO’s 68th season has ensured a

variety of works to appeal to every taste.

It began with the winners of the 2013 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition performing works by Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev and will end with Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, including the beloved “Ode to Joy.” In between have been familiar names like Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Brahms as well as lesserknown composers like Frank Martin and

Max Bruch. The orchestra's popular “Home for the Holidays” concert in December featured traditional favorites. January, the orchestra appeared alongside a tribute rock band performing the music of The Eagles. And in March, for the third consecutive year, the orchestra will return to Whataburger Field for the “Pops in the Park” concert, where a very un-boring fireworks show will complement its performance of familiar standards. There is, quite simply, something for everyone.

The Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra has accomplished quite a lot over the last few years, and Maestro Giordano hopes that it is becoming “a major source of pride for every citizen.” Over the past decade, it has become the largest performing arts organization in south Texas and the premier orchestra on the Texas Gulf Coast.

To have a musician of David Finckel's " caliber performing with our Orchestra is such an exciting treat for us and for our community," said CCSO Executive Director Robert Reed.

In addition to having a world-class cellist " on our stage, Berlioz's powerful Symphonie Fantastique celebrates the incredible talent of our individual musicians. Audiences will truly be 'wowed' by the quality of this concert experience."

CONCERT INFORMATION: Evening Fantastique with the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra " Feb. 8, 2014 at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Performing Arts Center

Can “indispensable” be far behind?

Tickets can be purchased online at ccsym-

phony.org/tickets, by calling (361) 8836683 or visiting the CCSO office during regular business hours (Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.) at 555 N. Caranchua St., Tower II, Suite 410, CC.

RESERVE FOR SPRING BREAK NOW!

Valentine’s Day Special!

THE THE NORTH NORTH END END

San Antonio/New Braunfels/San Marcos/Austin CALENDAR STEAM PICKS

Troubadour Insights

SAT 1 TUE 4

With Dale Martin

THU 6

A few weeks ago the state of Texas ‘Until I Fall Away’ lost a great musician and a remarkable man. Jeff Strahan passed away after a brief illness and the shock waves are still being felt in the music community.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jeff a few times at his live shows and I conducted several phone interviews with him over the years. Jeff was an attorney by trade but loved playing the blues on his trusty Stratocaster. He finally made the decision to pursue his music full time and for many years was an extremely popular performer around Texas and surrounding states. I remember talking to him at Billy’s Ice in New Braunfels.

He was there to record a live album and you could tell he was just so excited to be playing music. He didn’t have a huge crowd that night but he played like it was a sold out stadium. When the live CD was released it quickly became one of my all time favorites.

He was a fantastic musician, father, husband and friend. RIP Jeff, you will be missed.

The San Antonio Rodeo kicks off on February 6 with Brett Eldredge.

The remainder of the entertainment schedule is: Feb. 7 – Jake Owen; Feb. 8 – Tim McGraw; Feb. 9 – Big Time Rush; Feb. 10 – Alan Jackson; Feb. 11 – Jeremy Camp; Feb. 12 – Kacey Musgraves; Feb. 13 – Thomas Rhett; Feb. 14 – Heart; Feb. 15 – Dustin Lynch / Josh Turner; Feb. 16 – Randy Houser / Pesado; Feb. 17 – Rascal Flatts; Feb. 18 – Darius Rucker; Feb. 19 – Pitbull; Feb. 20 – Dierks Bentley; Feb. 21 – Martina McBride and Feb. 22 – Montgomery Gentry / Billy Currington.

Get your tickets now at sarodeo.com.

Speaking of upcoming concerts, the Gin Blossoms are coming to the Brauntex Theatre in New Braunfels on Thursday night, March 20.

The popular 90’s band will be starting their 2014 tour at the intimate venue. They got their name from a caption on a W.C. Fields photo and rose to fame in the late 80’s in the Phoenix, Arizona area.

They rode the charts with hits like ‘Hey Jealousy,’

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and ‘Found Out About You.’ For tickets, go to Brauntex.org.

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There’s a really

cool tribute album coming soon from Music Road Records.

It’s titled ‘Looking into You', due out April 1, and it’s the first ever tribute album honoring Jackson Browne. It features 23 hits and deep album cuts alike from the songwriter's catalog. So many respected musicians wanted in to participate; they had to expand it to a double album. Artists like Ben Harper, Don Henley, Lyle Lovett, Keb’ Mo, Bonnie Raitt, Paul Thorn, Bruce Springsteen, Patti Scialfa and Lucinda Williams all lent their talent to the all-star project. Many Austin musicians, like Bob Schneider, Jimmy LaFave, Kevin Welch and Eliza Gilkinson, recorded their own versions of Browne’s songs. The album was conceived by Kelcy Warren, a longtime Browne fan and head of Music Road Records. Warren Co-Produced the album with Tamara Saviano, producer of a Grammy-winning Stephen Foster Tribute and a Grammy-nominated Guy Clark tribute, musician Jimmy LaFave and drummer-producer Scott Crago.

bition on hemp and marijuana and he’s running for Texas Agriculture Commissioner to see that it gets done. Kinky is running for office, but not right this second. This is a tour; the Seeds Of Change Tour that will feature a performance at every stop and it’s coming to your town in February and March. No, Kinky is not a pot smoker, but he knows something good when he sees it. And he knows hemp will be good for Texans. The subject will surely come up at his shows but as is always the case with a Kinky performance, it will all be in good humor, with plenty of sing-a-longs to his crowdfavorite tunes. Check out his website at texasforkinky.com for more info and a complete list of tour dates.

Kinky Friedman is touring Texas and www.martinsmusic.com once again he has a cause he’s passion ate about. He’s touring with a message and it is a big one, it’s about change. Kinky wants the state of Texas to end the prohi-

RESERVE NOW FOR SPRING BREAK & SUMMER VACATION!

SAT 8

SUN 9 MON 10

WED 12

CARNAVAL BRASILEIRO 2014 Palmer Events Ctr Austin SONS OF FATHERS Mohawk Austin CHRIS DUARTE Sam’s Burger Joint San Antonio

MICKY & THE MOTORCARS Gruene Hall New Braunfels

CORY MORROW Gruene Hall New Braunfels GLORIA TREVI ACL Austin SAN ANTONIO STOCK SHOW & RODEO (6-22) AT&T Ctr San Antonio KENT FINLAY CELEBRATES 29TH B'DAY (10&11) Cheatham St Warehouse San Marcos PANIC AT THE DISCO Emo’s Austin

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CRAIG FERGUSON Paramount Austin

SAT 15

HAYS CARLL Gruene Hall New Braunfels JONNY LANG ACL Austin

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FRI 21

SAT 22

MON 24 WED 26

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METAL CHURCH Backstage Live San Antonio GALA OF THE ROYAL HORSES Frank Erwin Ctr Austin BAND OF HEATHENS Sam’s Burger Joint San Antonio SHAKEY GRAVES Stubb’s Austin

DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES Majestic Theatre San Antonio SHARON JONES ACL Austin LILY TOMLIN Paramount Austin BOB SCHNEIDER Gruene Hall New Braunfels

FOR MORE IDEAS SEE PAGES 10 & 17

THE SOUTH END

McAllen/Pharr/Hebbronville

The International Museum Of Art & Science In McAllen Enriches The Community

EVENT CALENDAR STEAM PICKS SAT 1

THU 6 FRI 7

Forging Time

by Artemio Guerra

The International Museum of Art and Science (IMAS) is a terrific place to visit. Blending art and science exhibits, it features artifacts of the ancient world alongside the discoveries of the modern world. Located in McAllen, Texas, IMAS is a great asset to the community. It is a museum for all ages to enjoy. Children and adults alike can view different exhibits and become members if they want. IMAS hosts different cultural events, receptions, and openings.

Among the collections, geographical artifacts and fine art are on display.

The pieces are from around the world and emphasis is put on their origins and educating guests about the background. In artwork that is featured, the museum displays work created in North and South America.

Among their exhibits, artwork from around the world are featured, giving visitors a look into various cultures. In the science realm, visitors can engage with fascinating and interactive exhibits.

It has great educational initiatives.

IMAS offers school tours as well as adult tours. There are also outreach programs and topics that help teachers enhance their lesson plans.

A program called IMAS Express has summertime arts and crafts activities for children to enjoy that feature artistic and scientific themes to them. In addition, like any good family museum, they have a summer camp. Operation Imagination

has activities and class for children between the ages of 6-12 during the day. Parents register with the museum and see the scheduling. IMAS has different classes with unique, fun themes aimed at children’s interests. Some of them include Harry Potter Science, League of Explorers, and Super Hero Science.

The International Museum of Art and Science is a definite must-see. A place that blends discovery with craftsmanship is one you’re bound to enjoy.

Often, science and art are seen as separate, opposing forces that cannot coexist. But with this museum, you get to see for yourself that it can happen. It brings culture and innovation under the same building and educates visitors of all ages in helping to cultivate knowledge and appreciation for both areas. The interactive environment will spark imagination and engage you in the different exhibits.

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The International Museum of Art and Science 1900 Nolana, McAllen, TX 78504 (956) 682-0123; www.imasonline.org

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Current exhibit: Forging time, on display through April 13, 2014

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Brought to you by Oziel Salinas, Branch Manager www.ozsalinas.com

JOHN MILTON (1&2) McAllen Convention Ctr McAllen RODNEY ATKINS Pharr Events Ctr Pharr ALL VALLEY BOAT SHOW (7-9) McAllen Convention Ctr McAllen GLORIA TREVI State Farm Arena Hidalgo PAUL DI BLASIO Pharr Events Ctr Pharr RIO GRANDE VALLEY MUSIC FESTIVAL (11-16) Mercedes Livestock Showgrounds Mercedes ESPINOZA PAZ State Farm Arena Hidalgo VALLEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA McAllen Convention Ctr McAllen BORDER WARS V (15&16) Pharr Events Ctr Pharr LA FIERA FC VS TULSA State Farm Arena Hidalgo SHADOW OF THE GIANT Hop Shop Bar Harlingen MUCHA RISA O QUE McAllen Civic Ctr McAllen FIGHT NIGHT Pharr Events Ctr Pharr WILLIE NELSON & FAMILY Pharr Events Ctr Pharr RVG VIPERS VS SANTA CRUZ State Farm Arena Hidalgo

FOR MORE CONCERT/EVENT IDEAS SEE PAGEs 10 & 16

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t s a o C d r 3 e i d o Fo

Food is a powerful drug. It stimulates memories and emotions just by smell, taste, sight, and heck even hearing its name can send you whirling into the past. For example the sight and smell (not necessarily together) of Brussels sprouts instantly makes me 7 years old and sitting at Grandma Louise’s kitchen table for hours. I think I actually slept there! Ugh, just thinking about them makes me want to drink glasses and glasses of water – anything to get the taste out of my mouth! I still don’t eat those things! Then again, a plate of liver and onions makes me think of all the good meals we had with my grandparents and the excitement of being with them. Yes, I know.

I’ll eat liver and onions, but not Brussels sprouts. I’m weird and I’m ok with that.

Two Locations in Corpus Christi!

Downtown: 1002 Antelope St. 361.882.1200 m-f 11am - 3pm Flour Bluff: 10120 S. Padre Island Dr. 361.937.1377 M- Th 10:30am - 9pm F- sa 10:30am - 10pm Contact us to cater your next event! 361.877.5401 heartwarming to walk in and see families, friends, even a first date (I asked) enjoying great food, not to mention such a warm and inviting staff!

OK, back to where I was going with this… Food is a powerful drug. For me some of the best memories as a kid had a grill involved and I think barbeque is best when it’s shared with family and friends. Walking into Howard’s BBQ on the SPID in Flour Bluff took me back to being a kid at the house on the lake. Ahhh, I love barbeque! There’s nothing better than a brisket smoked just right with a thick ring and a good rub that just about melts in your mouth. Then drizzle just a tad bit of sauce over it so you pull the flavors of the brisket, rub, and sauce together. Mmm I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!

Now I’ve been to the downtown Howard’s BBQ (on Antelope St) a time or two for lunch and I have been to quite a few events where they have catered and Howard’s always serves top notch meals.

But I have to say, that the new Flour Bluff location is my favorite! It was so

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Since we couldn’t make up our minds quickly on what our main courses should be we decided to start off with wings. This was almost as hard of a decision – they have 7 flavors ranging from lemon pepper to barbeque, mild to hot.

We settled on medium and were thoroughly enjoying them when Kitchen Manager and Chef, Aaron Bright, brought out his “hot” sauce. Wow! What a great taste and flavor!

Then POW right in the kisser! Thank goodness they have a beer and wine bar, because you need to put the fire out after that! Yum! TOP: Bray’s Big Plate; MIDDLE: Aaron Bright, Kitchen Manager and Chef; BOTTOM: Wings with Medium Sauce

Our daughter made the first pick – the Kids Plate with brisket (one meat, 2 sides, and a fountain drink for just $4.50). After that it

seemed pretty easy to decide on our meals. We ordered Bray’s Big Plate with brisket, ribs, and chicken, The Jimmy Special (brisket, sausage, and chopped beef), and a Cheeseburger Basket with Swiss cheese over an 8oz prime rib patty and fries. Yep, I just said a prime rib patty! Table favorite? Well, that’s a toss-up between the ribs, burger, brisket, sausage, chicken. Ok, fine! There was no one favorite; we loved them all!

TOP: Prime Rib Cheeseburger and Fries; MIDDLE: Howard’s

All of the meals we ordered with the exception (should be) Famous Carrot Cake; BOTTOM: Not just a cool old truck—it’s a smoker too! of the Cheeseburger Basket came with two sides.

We tried almost all of them but there were definitely 3 favorites. The green beans with bacon were very tasty – enough to get our daughter to eat them! She also really liked the baked beans and so did we; we’re not big on baked beans, but these were delish!

And the table favorite was the coleslaw with apples. I can’t recall ever having coleslaw like this (except at Howard’s). Honestly, the crisp, sweet apple gives it almost a dessert like taste. Again… Yum!

Finally, we ended our meal with Howard’s BBQ’s famous (and if it isn’t, it should be) carrot cake! I didn’t really think any of us had room for even a bite, but… I think we all could have gone back for seconds! Talk about moist and flavorful! This was the perfect dessert to end our wonderful meal!

Starting in March Howard’s will have live music on their patio. Check out their Facebook page for a schedule!

One last thought on our meals… they were huge!

One of Aaron’s favorite sayings to tell customers is, “If you’re not full – you didn’t do your job!” Oh, trust me – We did our job! www.facebook.com/ howards-bbq-catering

New Music Venue Opening Soon “The Churchyard” is a 5,000 square foot grass courtyard surrounded by trees with a concrete stage and a beautiful cedar fence around the perimeter. The venues management is a collaboration between local singer/songwriter, Steven Hansen and well known promoter and business owner Casey Lane. The venue is set to open its doors in March of 2014 with a songwriter series. Find out more at thechurchyardcc.com

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ll About Olive Oil: ooking, asting & uying

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From MOTHER EARTH NEWS

By Tabitha Alterman

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What makes extra-virgin olive

oil so healthful? And what other types of olive oils are there? Learn how to choose and use this ancient ingredient. For delicious ideas on putting olive oil to use, don’t miss the Olive Tapenade Recipe at the end of this article.

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You’ve likely heard how healthy the Mediterranean diet is, replete with fish, vegetables, whole grains and legumes — all dressed with olive oil. But you may not have heard the complete truth about how to use olive oil.

First, realize there are differences in how to use olive oil if you’re choosing it for flavor rather than cooking with it for health. Extra-virgin olive oil is expensive, but fresh-pressed, unfiltered extravirgin olive oils can contain at least 30 beneficial phenolic compounds. These strong antioxidant phenols neutralize dangerous free radicals in your body.

You can tell an extra-virgin olive oil is rich in phenols if it’s slightly bitter and astringent, peppery, and has a “bite.” The most healthful extra-virgin olive oils taste this way. Light, heat and oxidation damage phenols, however, so store your topquality olive oil in a dark bottle in a cool place, and plan to use it within a year.

more oil. With a smoke point of about 350 degrees, regular olive oil is a good cooking oil that imparts a mild flavor.

The United States has no official “standards of identity” for olive oil, and a 2010 University of California, Davis, report found that most olive oil labeled “extra-virgin” was, in fact, fraudulent. Top-quality extra-virgin olive oils are often labeled with their acidity — the lower the acidity, the better the oil.

Buy true extra-virgin olive oil at its source to be sure.

Straight-from-the-source operations are Olea Estates, Fandango Olive Oil, Georgia Olive Farms, Global Gardens and biodynamic DaVero.

Don’t cook with expensive extra-virgin olive

© 2012 Kellie Anderson and foodtoglow.wordpress.com

Olive Tapenade Recipe Use any olives you fancy, even a mix of green and black. The flavor of olive oil will come through here, so use a good one. Pit olives easily by laying them on a cutting board and crushing them with the bottom of a cast-iron skillet, then fishing out the pits. Yield: 1 to 1 1/2 cups.

Ingredients: 1 cup pitted olives 1 clove garlic 2 tsp lemon juice 1/4 to 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil Optional add-ins: 1/4 cup capers, rinsed 1/2 cup fresh figs, stemmed 1/2 cup roasted or sun-dried tomatoes 1/2 cup nuts 1 to 2 anchovy fillets 1 tsp fresh herbs, such as basil or rosemary Instructions: In a food processor, whiz pitted olives, garlic and lemon juice, plus any optional add-ins. While machine is running, pour in olive oil in a stream, until a chunky paste forms. Serve as a condiment, on crostini as an appetizer, or tossed with pasta as a sauce.

oil if you’re after maximum health benefits, because temperatures above 200 degrees Fahrenheit damage the beneficial phenols.

Reach for your best extra-virgin olive oil to drizzle on already-cooked foods, or as a dip for bread. Also use it to dress salads with this classic vinaigrette recipe: Blend 3 parts olive oil to 1 part vinegar. Whisk in a little Dijon mustard — to help the vinaigrette stay in emulsion — and season with salt and pepper. This simple vinaigrette can also be a marinade.

Many chefs — usually interested mostly in flavor, not health — start their recipes by sautéing something “in extra-virgin olive oil.” You can save money without sacrificing flavor by buying less expensive regular olive oil for cooking. These oils come from later pressings, and the olives may have been processed with heat, chemical solvents or other methods to extract

Photo Credit: OliveOilExplorer.com

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Excerpted from MOTHER EARTH NEWS, the Original Guide to Living Wisely. To read more articles from MOTHER EARTH NEWS, please visit www.MotherEarthNews.com or call (800) 234-3368 to subscribe.

FACEBOOK/STEAMTX Copyright 2014 by Ogden Publications Inc.

Chris James and Patrick Rynn

Barrelhouse Stomp

( Earwig Music Co. )

There isn’t anything earthshaking or seemingly unique about the third album from San Diego based duo Chris James and Patrick Rynn. The twelve song set is a fine mix of original tunes and selected covers firmly rooted in traditional post war Chicago Blues. The sound is retro yet average the vocals are everyday easy, the guitar and sax solos are solid but not flamboyant. So what makes this album so irresistibly infectious? In today’s guitar

centric market the duo have recruited three of the finest Blues pianists on the planet, Henry Gray, Aaron Moore, and David Maxwell to take part in this project. Centering the groove and the rhythm section; which includes the great Willie ”Big Eyes” Smith drumming on two tracks, on piano gives the album a fresh focal center and spacious room filling sound.

Recorded live in four separate sessions, each track has an air of spontaneity lost in recordings of late. In fact the piano is even slightly out of tune on the juke joint sermon “Before It’s Too Late.”

It is hard to remain seated for the old school funk “Just Another Kick In the Teeth.” Guest Jody Williams blazes on the instrumental named after his guitar “Messin With White Lightnin” leaving plenty of room for Maxwell to burn up the keys. Chris does his best Elmore James for the foot stomping “Fact Is A fact.” No album featuring blues piano would be complete without a tribute to Pinetop Perkins and the furious boogie “Take It Easy,” does so in style. The album closes appropriately with the rousing rumba “Last Call Boogie,” featuring

smoking piano from 86 year old Henry Grey, who played with Muddy and Wolf, it don’t get much better. www.chrisjamesandpatrickrynn.com

Bruce Springsteen, High Hopes ( CBS Records) For an artist in his early 60’s, Bruce Springsteen shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, he seems to be picking up the tempo and moving faster as he grows older. He just released his 18th studio album for CBS Records titled ‘High Hopes.’ The recording took place during his two year ‘Wrecking Ball’ tour, which marks the first time he’s cut an album while on the road. Consisting of cover songs, outtakes and studio demos, the album is one of the most adventurous projects of his career. The album started to take shape during tour stops in Australia when guitarist Tom Morello filled in for an absent Steve Van Zandt.

Morello’s band, Rage Against The Machine, was on hiatus and Van Zandt was busy filming the TV series ‘Lilyhammer.’ Morello suggested that Bruce add the rare ‘High Hopes’ track to the set list. Bruce had recorded the song in 1995 but had never released it on an album. During that night’s concert Morello played a blistering guitar solo on ‘Ghost of Tom Joad,’ a song Bruce had released on the acoustic album of the same name. Those two songs became the nucleus of the new CD. Over the course of the next 18 months, using studios all over the world, an

CD Review By Rick J Bowen: twitter.com/RickJBowen; www.nodepression.com/profile/RickJBowen; www.facebook.com/stacyjonesband; www.stacyjonesband.com

album began to take shape. Bruce always records more songs than he could possibly use and it’s nice to finally hear some of these unreleased gems. ‘Frankie Fell in Love’ is an all-out rock and could have fit nicely on ‘The River’ while ‘Down in the Hole’ paints a bleak picture of life. He has mentioned a gospel album, but that project remains unfinished. ‘Heaven’s Wall’ may be an outtake from those sessions.

The gangster themed ‘Harry’s Place’ features a Morello guitar blast mixed with a sax solo from the late Clarence Clemons.

We lost another E Street member in 2008, but you hear Danny Federici’s organ playing on the ‘The Wall.’ He finally gives ‘American Skin’ its proper studio recording and ‘Ghost of Tom Joad’ gets the full band treatment it has always deserved. The album starts with ‘High Hopes’, a cover version of the Havalinas old rocker, and ends with a thoughtful reading of ‘Dream Baby Dream,’ an obscure cut first done by the punk band Suicide. Overall, it’s a mature collection by an artist still releasing quality music well into his 5th decade. He’s on another world tour, beginning in Africa before going back to Australia then hopefully coming to America this summer. Though his last tour lasted two years, it was the first time in his career he skipped Texas.

In a recent interview in Rolling Stone, Bruce acknowledged the fact he bypassed the Lone Star State and hopes to remedy that problem on this tour. Keep a close eye on his website, brucespringsteen.net, so you can be first in line for concert tickets. Plus, he has finally decided to released live downloads from each night of the tour, which is a major piece of good news for us Springsteen fans.

By Dale Martin Www.martinsmusic.com.

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STEAMMAGAZINE.NET

Theo’s Billiards. I also do the music bookings. I’m not sure what Ric does, but he’s at work right now, that’s why he isn’t here.

STEAM OK back to where I was originally going… I know that you plan to tour very soon; where are you headed?

EJAY Yes, we all have tour experience and our thought is to join a tour as a supporting act for a group already actively touring. If we’re not able to join a tour then we will still go on tour on our own in March. Either way we’ll be out there until we can no longer do it.

Our goal is to build our fan base.

STEAM How often do you guys play around here?

EJAY We decided early on that we would only play a few times anywhere, so that we don’t overplay or oversaturate any markets. We want to build that anticipation up with our fans and make them want to go see us; we don’t want people skipping show A because they can catch us at B, C, D, in the same month. This last December we headlined the Shadow Fest at Theo’s Billiards.

STEAM That’s right; that was a great show! It had a real carnival type feel to it.

EJAY Yeah, it was great. There were over 400 people that came out to it and we sold a huge amount of merchandise. Of course our t-shirts went over big, “If you don’t like Texas, eat a bowl of F@#$” (you can order that on our website).

EJAY We’ll be at Hop Shop Bar in Harlingen, TX on February 20th. (Hop Shop Bar, 923 S 7th St Harlingen, TX 78550, 956-428-4200)

RICH We are also waiting to find out about joining with an active tour. Nothing we can tell you about yet because we’re still waiting for it to be finalized, but as soon as we do, we’ll let you know!

Corey Taylor Lead Singer of Slipknot

In booksto res

now

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Interviewed by Derek Signore, Sound Magazine www.thesoundmagazine.com

Vol 3. The Subliminal Verse was wrought with paranormal instances. What was it like to record the record there while all that stuff was going on and did it have an effect on the overall product?

CT: It definitely added a sense of tension. The air was thick all the time. I think that because of where we were and who we were as a band at that the time it was the perfect backdrop for music. What we came up with was an album full of music that was left of center from what we were known for and we needed that at the time. We needed to be uncomfortable to become comfortable making this crazy music.

A Funny Thing Happened on the way to Heaven As winter is winding and whistling though our eves, there is nothing better than to relax on the couch with a stiff drink and a good book. We would like to introduce you to a new novel that is guaranteed to not only lift the hairs on the back of your neck, but make you question if you might have ever experienced a paranormal encounter. While similar books are released regularly what separates ‘A funny thing happened on the way to Heaven’ is that the author, Slipknot lead singer Corey Taylor, is a pretty vocal and profound atheist. How is it possible that such a ‘non-believer’ could believe he has had so many supernatural encounters?

STEAM: Do you feel that people are numb to the paranormal in society right now because of the oversaturation of shows like Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures and the like?

CT: I think people are used to it by now. My issue has not always been on the fictional side of things. It’s more the shows that are going on. I used to watch Ghost Hunters religiously and originally it was all about the evidence, the reveal. I think over the past few years it’s less about the evidence and more about the reaction.

That was one of the reasons why I wanted to approach my book from a different perspective. I wanted to try and find out what these things are not where they are.

STEAM: Reading through your book the first thing that comes to mind is the amount of occurrences you have had throughout your life. Do you think there is some kind of attraction or energy you give off, that results in these repeated events?

CT: I definitely think there is something about my energy that causes reactions. I think maybe I provide a safe environment for them to manifest, I don’t know but there is no denying there is something there.

STEAM: You take on religion in the book as well, famously quoting that the only difference between orga-

nized religion and a cult are PR strategies. Were you concerned that the verbal onslaught would backfire on you publicly?

CT: Not really. I’ve been dealing with the effects of my actions my whole life. Be it in my lyrics or in the columns that I write I have been outspoken against religion for a long time and so I’m sure that my critics aren’t shocked that an element of that would be present in the book. If I cared what people thought and said I would have deaf mute long ago. The beauty about freedom of speech is that if you can’t back it up you shouldn’t say it.

I will not allow other people to dictate my thought process and how I view the world. As many people as there are that are doubtful to what I say there are just as may people who are looking for answers like me.

STEAM: How do you answer critics who argue the point of how a pretty vocal atheist like yourself can believe in the supernatural and the afterlife?

CT: That’s one of the things that triggered me writing the book. I had all these stories, all these things that happened to me and when I told other people they failed to believe me. Honestly the simple answer is that I’ve seen these things…I’ve never seen God. If you want to talk about miracles than you need to realize that man is more responsible for these things than God ever was. The difference between knowing and believing is faith. There is no way to find out if God and religion is true until after you are dead and who are you going to tell after that?

STEAM: The mansion where you recorded the album

STEAM: Are there any places you would never go back to?

CT: Honestly there aren’t many places that scare me.

Because it’s all malevolent energy at the end of the day I just perceive it as showing off in a negative way. I also don’t think one wants to enter an area where they really don’t want to be, giving off that nervous vibe only hinders the situation. You need to remain mentally strong in any and all situations when you enter an environment.

STEAM: I would be remiss if I didn’t ask about the music. Are there plans for a new album in the near future?

CT: Right now with everything that the band has gone through recently we are taking things at our own pace and not letting the label or industry determine when our next album is released. We are working on some new material but as of right now there is no date of release.

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