Steel Notes Magazine - March 2015

MARCH 2015 FEATURES ON THE COVER

83 Punk Rock Blitzkrieg - by Mkchael McKenna 14 20 78

Women Who Rawk — by Nikki Palomino Inside Graceland — by Rob Nekich Kid Rock Summer Tour Schedule — by Mkchael McKenna

ARTICLES 8 28 32 48 51 62 64 108

Empowering Young Minds with Music Part II — by Michael McKenna Interview with Catherine Mary Stewart — by Jerry Saravia CJ Ramone: Last Chance to Dance — by Michael Dorn NAMM Hired Gun Interviews — by Harriet Kaplan NAMM Show Details — by Harriet Kaplan Tribute Bands Series — by Michael McKenna Bongo Bay Rock & Roll TV Show — by Michael McKenna April Fools All Star Coemdy Jam — by One Mic Entertainment

REVIEWS 76 78 90

Marshall Tucker Band Review— by Michael McKenna Kid Rock “First Kiss” review - by Mkchael McKenna Show Reviews— by Michael Dorn

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91 Reviews— by Michael McKenna 95 Video Review — by Michael McKenna 104 Reviews — by Jerry Saravia

PICTORIALS 8 42

March Pinup: Blacklite Bonnie - Photos by CandyLust.org Model Of The Month — by Ruby Von Vanity

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Colicchio’s Corner— by Victor Colicchio Marlowe B. West Takez Manhattan — By Marlowe B. West

COLUMNS

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STAFF

STAFF WRITERS

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Johnny Spice Cindy Colon Guido Colacci Suburban Joe Rhonda Van Buskirk The Gypsy Poet Jerry Saravia Debra Evans Tony Angelo Sheri Bayne Karen Best Stormy Boz Stewart Brodian Tim Caso

Victor Colicchio Mike Dorn Michael Hendrick Bob Klein Derek Oels Roman Thomas Richmond DarkOne Skip Rayvin Stites Marlowe B. West Michael McKenna Guido Colacci Nikki Palomino

PHOTOGRAPHERS Sheri Bayne Larry Dell Mike Dorn Bob Klein Brian Matus Gary Preis Rhonda Van Buskirk Bill Des Jardins Lisa Koza Alan Ottenstein Gracie Thorpe

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“EMPOWERING YOUNG MINDS WITH MUSIC” *Part Two*

By Michael McKenna When there is a group whose mission in all its programming is to provide a safe learning environment for young people that will empower them not only in musicianship, but in life skills, volunteerism, and community service, this is a good thing.

Why? Because if we recognize the potential in every young person to be a strong, talented, creative, and empowered individual, while also providing a safe space where everyone “rocks”, these young minds will flourish. In addition to instrument instruction, workshops are held where they learn the skills of songwriting, recording, and mastering their individual instruments, as well as the invaluable life skills of teamwork and collaboration as they work together to complete projects over the course of a semester. These young people are also treated to exclusive, live performances by local, regional, and national bands and skilled musicians, providing them the opportunity to experience a diverse range of musical styles.

dedicated to youth and music, with the goal of providing our young people with a vision for the future.

The individual schools provide a space for an incredibly diverse range of music, performance, composition, production and writing. Their mission is to educate the youth of our community not only in the skills required for these arts but also the intrinsic value of music as the universal language, both for the individual and the community. In so doing, it is their goal to enrich our community as a whole by empowering the next generation

They are encouraged to form their own band and collaborate on writing, arranging and/or preparing a song for their band to perform at a showcase for family, friends and the public. These are real live rock shows, complete with sound and lights and a packed house of screaming fans! They are empowered to find their own voice and their own sound without creative boundaries or inhibitions and focus on bettering themselves for the journey yet to come in their lives.

The School of Rock vision was to create an organization that fostered the creativity of young individuals while building a community of like-minded individuals and supporters who love music and want to share this love of music with young people.

The SOR has provided a safe and supportive environment in which young people can express their creativity and grow as individuals through community involvement. They facilitate programs

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The SOR believes that an integral part of their musical experience is performance. There is no more satisfying or self-confidence-and-esteem-building experience than performance, and every young person benefits from the opportunity to perform what he has learned. That is why every class, every program they offer culminates in a showcase where the students are provided a venue within which to show their friends, families and fans what they have learned.

SOR showcases generally draw approximately hundreds of screaming, appreciative fans from all across the community! Their showcases have filled area venues with proud parents and envious friends. Visual displays of their work is heard and felt by many as the performers are singing and bands are playing….it is a rush for everybody in the room and it is an experience NOT to be missed!

During the recent economic downturn, SOR has partnered with members of the business community and individuals to launch a scholarship program which, has greatly increased the number of young people able to participate while greatly enabling SOR to diversify its student population.

They have offered scholarships to promising talents when finances didn’t allow parents to afford this opportunity for their kids when times are hard.

SOR has been able to provide these scholarships through the generous donations of its fans, parents and supporters, and it has greatly enhanced the experiences in the arts that SOR is able to offer its students.

That’s not all! A veteran group of graduates then took the stage and we were then taken to a whole other place in time as I was pinned to my seat by the explosion of sound that emanated from the stage.

These young people had that sound that seasoned veterans have after their 5th tour or their 3rd studio LP. They did everything from Punk to Elton John with some other cool tunes thrown in for good measure to make it a well-rounded set. I heard riffs, rides and vocal ranges that ran throughout the entire spectrum in a very short amount of time. Oh, I neglected to mention that this was a fund-raiser for the SOR scholarship fund!

So that young person you have at home that is so into their music, has their IPod jamming all day long or is on You Tube groovin to the hits of today or yesteryear, that is the person who should be on the receiving end of music education to further enrich their lives. Remember,“Music IS the Universal Language that everyone understands!”

At a recent show, I was able to witness the culmination of what a proper education by talented, experienced instructors can result in. The bands that played that day consisted of the instructors, yes they play gigs too, doing an acoustic set of some of rock’s better known classics. They were followed in short order by The Banke Street Band made up of current upperclassmen from the school. They shook the foundations so hard, the vibes were felt outside a block away! Their song selection highlighted a particular student as they performed at a level that was beyond their years. The musicianship was totally ‘out of the box’ as they sounded like they had been gigging together for 20 years! The cohesion was very tight!

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MARCH PIN UP

Model is BlackLite Bonnie Photo-CandyLust.org

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Model is BlackLite Bonnie Photo-CandyLust.org

Model is BlackLite Bonnie Photo-CandyLust.org

http://www.prolifick.com/

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Women Who Rawk

By Nikki Palomino

nikkipalomino@yahoo.com

Women Who Rawk, the continuing series on Nikki Palomino’s DAZED Monday nights at 10 PM EST http://whatever68radio.net, celebrates what women have accomplished in the arts.

When I was too young to know I was nobody, I sat across the booth from Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, the legendary blues singer and writer of “Hound Dog” and ”Ball and Chain” and someone I suspected was her daughter who stared at me thinking, “Who is this skinny blonde white girl?”

But we had shared stints in Houston where Thornton made professional inroads with her first recording deal on Peacock Records.

Big Mama swigged Maalox from a bottle, then placed it down next to the cap and her harmonica.

She smiled at me, her lips outlined with a chalkywhite rim.

“Ain’t nothin’ a woman can’t do.” She dressed in a three-piece suit and gold watch. “You remember that.”

And I did.

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“I have been fortunate to be co-host on ‘Women Who Rawk,’” says Ginger Coyote, owner of Punk Globe Magazine, the rag she created in 1977, and lead singer of the White Trash Debutantes. “I have booked and met so many strong, intelligent women who come from all walks of life. We have had women on the show from all sorts of different locations, with different sexual preferences and religious beliefs and a variety of ages, but at the end, we all fight the same battle for equality in a male-dominated industry. It’s amazing the commendatory I found with each individual who has been a guest.”

“Starting the White Trash Debutantes I knew it would be a battle to be taken seriously. Yes bands like Fanny, the Contractions, the Go Go’s, Joan Jett and the Runaways, Jayne County, Blondie, X-Ray Specs, Patti Smith, and Heart had paved the way for bands in the late ‘80s, but it was still a battle.

I knew the band had to stand out, and I was a fan of comedians like Lily Tomlin, Judy Tenuta, Julie Brown, and Elayne Boosler so I began incorporating comedy into our music onstage. I invited a couple of elderly ladies -- Lenore Real Cool Chick and Punk

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White Trash Debutantes recording for indie labels, including Teen Rebel, Desperate Attempt, Beer City, and 206 which in 1996 released a full-length LP “It’s Raw…But You Live for It.” After a decade playing the Bay area, the Debutantes moved to Los Angeles in 2000. Since its formation in 1989, the band has had its share of personnel changes; one former member was bassist Gwynne Kahn, who has also been with the Pandoras. At that time, the band included Ginger, Tonia Bodley and Rhiannon Pollack on vocals, Jack Goldman on guitar, Dan Humes on bass, and Johnny Sosa on drums. 2001 found the White Trash Debutantes recording seven songs for the Orange Peal release “What’s It All About?” a split CD that also contains seven songs by fellow punk combo Cell Block 5.

Rock Patty -- to join the band, which brought us a lot of attention.”

Ginger formed the White Trash Debutantes in San Francisco in 1989. Ginger says, “I also had contracts from doing Punk Globe and Joey Ramone became one of the band’s biggest fans. He supported the band and got us shows and tours with the Ramones. Billy Gould bassist for Faith No More was a fan and the original bass player for the White Trash Debutantes. He produced our first single on long-time friend Jello Biafra’s label Alternative Tentacles. Comedian Margaret Cho also sang with the band in the ‘90s. L7 and the Lunachicks also were mentors and friends. We hit a huge publicity coup when I invited Tonya Harding, the controversial Olympic skater, to join the band. That got us publicity all over the world. Although we never garnered the status of say, Green Day, we now get respected for our tenacity, and after being together for over a quarter- of-a-century, new fans are hearing our music. We are getting a new-found audience. As for being a male and female band, yes, we have incurred some set-backs. But we kept up the fight for equality.”

With all this experience and wealth of contacts, it was a no-brainer for Ginger to become co-host of “Women Who Rawk.” It was also a no-brainer to pick the strong female talent ready to share their experiences.

BeBe Buell was a high-spirited teen who ended up in New York with the Eileen Ford Model Agency.

What was more appealing to BeBe was the world of rock’n’roll. She began hanging out with rockers like Todd Rundgren, Andy Warhol and Iggy Pop. She became the inspiration for Kate Hudson’s character in “Almost Famous.” Although often labeled as a groupie, she was anything but. Intelligent and witty, she would prove to be muse and wordsmith, recording with the Cars in 1980. Her 2002 book, “Rebel Heart: An American Rock’n’Roll Journey”

Ginger has always poked fun, as do other Californians at the pop culture, their songs like “Crack of the Whip” and “Whipping Boy” employing kinky S&M/dominatrix imagery -- but always in a humorous and ironic fashion. The ‘90s had the

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gave a no-holds-barred account of her life at the center of the rock scene in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Now in Nashville, BeBe has her own band, BeBe Buell and The Nashville Aces. Steven Tyler’s and BeBe’s daughter actress Liv Tyler carries on the tradition of her strong mother.

Donna Destri has sung and recorded with Cherry Vanilla, Jayne County, Johnny Thunders, Blondie, Ronnie Spector and many more. Influenced by Dusty Springfield and Lulu but also liking Peggy Lee and Julie London, Donna developed a unique style in Brooklyn. She hung at the Mercer Arts Center to watch the New York Dolls. Later working as a cashier/waitress at Max’s Kansas City, she moved into Manhattan. There she got a gig with a show called New Wave Vaudeville.

Working her way into the still-forming scene, she started a band called Voodoo Shoes. She began to write songs, and it wasn’t long before Debbie Harry set her up an audition with friend Tony Ingrassia, and she earned the part of “Sheila,” taking her to Berlin to perform. Tony was part of the Warhol crowd, and directed and wrote the play “Pork” with Cherry Vanilla. In Berlin, Donna became friends with Cherry, Joy Ryder and Jane County.

When back in New York, she started doing gigs at the Ritz and Limelight with Uptown Horns as the back-up band. When the Club 57/Pyramid scene took off, Donna met Marc Shairman and Scott Whitman, who asked her to be in their play “Living Dolls.” Marc gave her the most confidence about her singing. He and Tony Zanetta of Warhol fame helped Donna put together a one-woman show called “Diary of a Bad Housewife.”

Donna had always admired Debbie Harry as a singer.

She had seen Harry in “Stiletto,” thinking she had star quality. Then later, hearing an early incarnation of Blondie, she recognized Debbie’s beauty and knew she’d be huge. Donna’s brother, Jimmy, was being courted by Talking Heads but Donna did everything to convince her brother to join Debbie instead. After many turns, from MainMan management to marriage and obtaining a master’s degree in literature, she finally met singer Steven Jones, and he asked her to sing on some tracks. The rest is history and proves the strength of women.

producer has done the impossible. She brought a world of talent together from many different countries; filmed in Los Angeles and a small town in Spain; and blended it all into a 45-minute film called “DMus.” This undertaking was made on a budget of love, proving the indie spirit is unstoppable.

She pulled in director/actor Steve Royall in Los Angeles, who cut his teeth on web TV, shorts and features, to film the US part of “DMus.” Coming in 2015, “DMus” proves a woman can do anything she wants if she has the passion and tenacity.

Liberty Bradford Mitchell wrote and starred in the one-woman play “The Pornographer’s Daughter,” about growing up in San Francisco as the daughter of the porn kingpin Artie Mitchell. He and his brother Jim became known for turning O’Farrell’s Theater into a colorful fabric of 1970s history. Hunter S. Thompson dubbed the theater “the Carnegie Hall of public sex.” Liberty learned early that her father and uncle were anti-establishment entrepreneurs. Her father Artie was murdered by his brother Jim, and yet Liberty survived the tragedy to go on to write a play about what she had seen and felt. Strength grew out of an unusual set of circumstances.

These women, as well as many others -- including Miss Guy; Pleasant Gehman; Kathy Peck; Tara Rez; Zillah Minx; Patricia Wilson; Susanne Tabata; Kelly Rose Malloy; Janet Hammer; Lisa PunkrPrincess; the Gypsy Poet; Teddie Dahlin; Chelsea Rose; Connie Caffeine; Ms. Ligaya; Kitty Kowalski; Iris Berry; Dava She Wolf; Meri St. Mary; Khaos Rulz; Kathy Peck; Shamama; Rosie Flores; Jayne County and Nina Antonio -- have given their stories and encouraged others to continue to pursue their dreams, and more.

“

To write for itself, to do things for the joy of them. What a gift from the gods ~ Sylvia Plath

”

Sadie Durate, author, screenwriter, director and

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Johnny Thunders and Nina Antonia

Tara Rez

Kahos Rulz

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Patricia Wilson

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Inside Graceland

By Rob Nekich - Photos by Bob Klein

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ELVIS BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: BEHIND THE LENS January 8, 2015 would have been Elvis Presley’s 80th birthday. Many fans from around the world travelled to Memphis to share in the celebration. Fan club member and published photographer, Bob Klein, was one of those fans. Although he was fortunate to make the trip, not all our members and Elvis’ friends were able to attend. So we thought to share a review of the Birthday Celebration with members, fans and friends from behind the lens of Klein’s camera.

“It has been six years since I been to Memphis” said Klein. “I was looking forward to the trip with some great longstanding friends and some new ones. I really wanted to photograph the events at Graceland and I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I do.”

January 8th, Graceland Grounds, Memphis, TN: Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie Presley along with daughter Riley and son Benjamin at the Birthday Proclamation. Fans had an opportunity to enjoy Birthday cake fit for a king. (click the live links below to go to the website)

Always Elvis Showroom

Check out two new articles in the showroom section of our website. Elvis Birthday Celebration: Behind The Lens reviews the events in Memphis on January 8th from photographer Bob Klein. Elvis At The Hilton: Elvis Is Back! Provides a history of what was once the Las Vegas Hilton (now the Westgate Las Vegas Resort) and information of a new Elvis show to return to the hotel. http://alwayselvisfanclub.blogspot.com/

Graceland Auction Results

The second Graceland Auction was held during the Elvis Birthday Celebration in Memphis with the 78 mm acetate of the song My Happiness topping the charts by bringing in $300,000. http://alwayselvisnews.blogspot.com/

Always Elvis Auction

If $300,000 is out of your budget for an Elvis item check out the Always Elvis Charity Auction to benefit Dream Come True. We are extending the auction into February. Items are available now with new items available beginning January 31st. Auction item #16C Elvis CD "Country Blues Reflection" available now. http://www.alwayselvisfanclub.com/auction.html

Always Elvis Photo Collection

Like photos of Elvis? Always Elvis post some great photos of Elvis on our Facebook page. Not on facebook.

No problem our page is an open public page. If you are on Facebook like our page to keep up to date on new photos, stories and more. Click here to view our Facebook page... https://www.facebook.com/AlwaysElvisFanClub We are also on Twitter with different photos as well.

Click here to view our Twitter page... https://twitter.com/AlwaysElvisFC

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Homes of Elvis Presley: The Presley's two room shack in Tupelo, MS. Elvis' home of Audobon Drive and Graceland Mansion.

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Meditation Gardens, Graceland: Elvis’ mother Glady’s original tombstone and Elvis’ final resting place with eternal candle.

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Graceland Mansion

Memphis, TN. - Christmas trees bring the spirit of the holidays in both the living room and formal dining room. The TV room in the basement with 3 televisions is all Elvis style with the trademark lightning bolt (TCB) on the wall. The now converted racquetball court walls now aligned with jumpsuits, gold records and awards. The famous blue lights light up the driveway to Graceland with the moon “shining bright�. The famous music gates on Elvis Presley Boulevard with the image of Elvis and musical notes.

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As seen on the April 2014 cover of Steel Notes: Natasha NYC Custom Designer clothes Now a specialty for 1622.

Music and Movie Stars Days of Thanksgiving were called following Thanksgiving Day (Jour de l’Action de grâce in Canadian French) is a national holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. Several other places around the world observe similar celebrations. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States and on the second Monday of October in Canada. Thanksgiving has its historical roots in religious and cultural traditions, and has long been celebrated in a secular manner as well.

History Prayers of thanks and special thanksgiving ceremonies are common among almost all religions after harvests and at other times. The Thanksgiving holiday’s history in North America is rooted in English traditions dating from the Protestant Reformation.

It also has aspects of a harvest festival, even though the harvest in New England occurs well before the late-November date on which the modern Thanksgiving holiday is celebrated.

In the English tradition, days of thanksgiving and special thanksgiving religious services became important during the English Reformation in the reign of Henry VIII and in reaction to the large number of religious holidays on the Catholic calendar.

Before 1536 there were 95 Church holidays, plus 52 Sundays, when people were required to attend church and forego work and sometimes pay for expensive celebrations. The 1536 reforms reduced the number of Church holidays to 27, but some Puritanswished to completely eliminate all Church holidays, including Christmas and Easter. The holidays were to be replaced by specially called Days of Fasting or Days of Thanksgiving, in response to events that the Puritans viewed as acts of special providence. Unexpected disasters or threats of judgement from on high called for Days of Fasting.

Special blessings, viewed as coming from God, called for Days of Thanksgiving. For example, Days of Fasting were called on account of drought in 1611, floods in 1613, and plagues in 1604 and

the victory over the Spanish Armada in 1588 and following the deliverance of Queen Anne in 1705.

An unusual annual Day of Thanksgiving began in 1606 following the failure of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 and developed into Guy Fawkes Day.

In Canada While some researchers state that “there is no compelling narrative of the origins of the Canadian Thanksgiving day”, the first Canadian Thanksgiving is often traced back to 1578 and the explorer Martin Frobisher. Frobisher, who had been trying to find a northern passage to the Pacific Ocean, held his Thanksgiving celebration not for harvest but in thanks for surviving the long journey from England through the perils of storms and icebergs.

On his third and final voyage to the far north, Frobisher held a formal ceremony in Frobisher Bay in Baffin Island (present-day Nunavut) to give thanks to God and in a service ministered by the preacher Robert Wolfall they celebrated Communion.

Oven-roasted turkey The origins of Canadian Thanksgiving are also sometimes traced to the French settlers who came to New France with explorer Samuel de Champlain in the early 17th century, who celebrated their successful harvests. The French settlers in the area typically had feasts at the end of the harvest season and continued throughout the winter season, even sharing food with the indigenous peoples of the area.

As settlers arrived in Canada from New England, late autumn Thanksgiving celebrations became common. New immigrants into the country, such as the Irish, Scottish and Germans, also added their own traditions to the harvest celebrations. Most of the U.S. aspects of Thanksgiving (such as the turkey), were incorporated when United Empire Loyalists began to flee from the United States

http://www.natashanyc.com/

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An Interview with Catherine Mary Stewart: Seeing beyond the horizon

By Jerry Saravia

Back in the 1980s, you could call Catherine Mary Stewart the girl-next-door type. You could also call her the woman with dreams and aspirations, someone who saw beyond the horizon and caught wind of some sort of indiscernible future. That defining quality is omnipresent in most of her films, ranging from her acting debut in the bizarro, truly magnifique musical “The Apple” to her cult status in 1984’s subversive “Night of the Comet,” to even something as mindless as “Weekend at Bernie’s.”

Even as the girl-next-door type in 1983’s “A Killer in the Family” or “The Last Starfighter” (a far meatier role), I always sensed Catherine as a woman who had ambitions, who sought some meaning beyond her current status in life. She has penetrating, sincere eyes and a wide grin -- the impression being that of a soul searching for something deeper in the universe (now that I think about it, the ending to “The Last Starfighter” is far more fitting than I thought). That is my impression and when you listen to her words about her career, past and present, you can’t help but think she is looking forward.

Jerry Saravia: I looked through “Murder by the Book” with Robert Hays again. I am guessing I had seen it back in 1987, and I found it remarkable how innocent and playful it frequently was. You sort of play a femme fatale to a certain extent and you got to work with Fred Gwynne, Christopher Murney and Robert Hays. How did this project end up at your doorstep?

Catherine Mary Stewart: I don’t remember the exact circumstances of how “Murder by the Book” landed in my hands, but I believe it was an offer.

Believe it or not, I had to refamiliarize myself with

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who Robert Hays was. I quickly remembered him from “Airplane”, one of the funniest movies ever.

Bob is an absolute doll. I grew up with Fred Gwynne as “Herman” in the “The Munsters.” It was one of my favorite series so it was surreal to actually work with him. What a presence. Christopher Murney is hilarious! He played a sort of “Columbo” character in “Murder by the Book.” He had us cracking up all the time.

JS: Aside from “Murder by the Book,” you have a host of television credits to your name. One I find noteworthy is the canceled soap, “Guiding Light,” where you played Naomi. Expand on the colorful character that you played in two episodes -- it must be the first time I have seen you speak with a Southern accent (“Has the butter slipped off your biscuit?”)

CMS: I believe I did 10 episodes of “Guiding Light.”

That role was a lot of fun for me because it was different from any other role I’d played up to that time. “Naomi” was a shady kind of con-woman who mysteriously appears claiming to be friends with “Lorelei”, actress Beth Chamberline’s character. It was very liberating playing this broad southern character. My husband is from Virginia, so I borrowed some sayings from his family and him.

The producer was pretty flexible about letting me play with the script so I would call up my in-laws and incorporate some of their flip little sayings in my dialogue. I wish I’d written them all down. They were hilarious. It was fun!

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Catherine Mary Stewart in 1984’s “Night of the Comet” JS: I want to ask, as a precursor to “The Last Starfighter,” about working on the intense 1983 TV movie, “A Killer in the Family.” You played James Spader’s girlfriend in it, a rather brief part where you are also a waitress at a pizza restaurant. Mr. Spader wasn’t really well known yet -- I am assuming you had a good rapport with Spader? And did you get to meet Robert Mitchum, playing the title role?

CMS: “A Killer in the Family” was one of my very first jobs in LA. One of the best fringe benefits of being an actor is the opportunity to work with or at least meeting acting legends. I don’t think we actually had a scene together but I met Robert Mitchum.

It’s hard to describe how cool that is. James Spader really wasn’t the established actor that he is today, but it was evident that he was going places. He was very serious and focused. He was very kind to me.

JS: I find it interesting that in the Reagan-era of the 1980s, a little movie about a sweet couple living in a

trailer park, “The Last Starfighter,” became a sci-fi picture with a lot of heart. Most fascinating to me is the idea that Maggie joins her b/f in a space adventure at the end. He hints that they will come back. It seems to me that a lot of teen movies and/or teens in genre pictures featuring your first love resulted in being together eternally. Cameron Crowe’s “Say Anything” had the same notion. Looking back, would the movie have worked just as well if he said his goodbyes to Mags and took off. Did Mags have to be in the ship or was this a way of showing Mags was willing to move on?

CMS: I think the theme of “The Last Starfighter” spoke to the notion of possibility. This is what I love about the movie. It inspires those who are young and impressionable to reach for the stars and hold on tight, to paraphrase “Otis” (Vernon Washington). “Maggie” goes with “Alex” because she loves him and wants to be with him. “Granny” encourages her to go for it, to get out of the safety of the trailer park and explore her own potential.

What I also love about “The Last Starfighter” is the

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characters are not cartoons, which leaves them available to the young audience. The audience can relate.

JS: On a side note, ever play the Atari game of “The Last Starfighter” and, perhaps a silly question, was the actual game playable on the set?

CMS: I have not played “The Last Starfighter” game and, no, it was not playable on the set. All that digital stuff was put in later. Nick Castle just explained to us what was happening, basically. I believe he was off-stage giving us directions as to how to react to a blank screen.

JS: We have to talk about “The Apple,” a sci-fi, supernatural, Faustian musical with Biblical overtones that I find hard to put out of my mind. I think it is quite good with a nervous, frantic energy about it, hardly a good-bad movie in my opinion. Working with such solid, magnetic actors like Joss Ackland and Vladek Sheybal is amazing for your debut film -- did they provide sage advice on how to proceed with your acting career?

CMS: “The Apple” was a wild and crazy ride. I was studying dance in London, England when I

auditioned as a dancer for the movie. I had no previous experience as a professional actor so when I was offered the lead role I had no idea of what to expect, nor did I really worry about it. There is a certain freedom to innocence. By the time we shot the movie I knew it inside out. I could have recited everyone else’s lines, so I don’t remember really feeling nervous. I was as prepared as I could be and I just took it one day at a time. I didn’t think about what it meant in terms of my career or the impact of the movie itself. I don’t recall Joss Ackland or Vladek Sheybal giving me sage advice. Joss was lovely and is an amazing actor, as was Vladek. They both had enormous charisma and talent. It was a pleasure to watch them work.

JS: Why did you have such a small part as Amy Smart’s aunt in “Love ‘n’ Dancing?” A movie about dancing, which you had studied, and you barely get to strut your stuff?

CMS: I guess it was the extent of the character within the confines of the story and script. It was a lot of fun to learn some ballroom dancing with the handsome Gregory Harris. I enjoyed the sort of stuck-up ballroom dancer character. My daughter Hanna made her film acting debut in that movie.

JS: I always ask of every actor the following: Is there a defining role or project that you would love to be part of in the future, especially now that you are taking up directing?

Robert Hays and Catherine Mary Stewart in 1987’s “Murder by the Book”

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CMS: I want to be a part of making this industry more available to women of on every level. It is high time that there are stories about women of all ages, more women directors, writers and producers. I see it slowly evolving. I want to use whatever influence or power to help make that happen. I think audiences are starving

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Catherine Mary Stewart and George Gilmour in 1980’s “The Apple” for it. I know I am.

JS: Lastly, you often play women who cannot be controlled by the man, nor do you play women who actively seek control in a relationship either -- which I find fascinating and noteworthy. Even with “Weekend at Bernie’s,” you stormed off from Jonathan Silverman’s advances when you discovered what a creep he was (of course, things change at the end). Did you actively search and hope throughout your career to play women, not girls, who were not victims?

characters at least as much as the female audience.

The idea that a female character is always subservient to a male character is an antiquated notion.

For more on Catherine, check out the following: Catherine Mary Stewart’s website: www catherinemarystewart.com Twitter: @cmsall FB: /catherinemarystewart

CMS: I’ve never felt like a victim in real life and Check out more from Jerry Saravia at the Movies at perhaps that comes off on screen or in auditions. his blogsite http://jerrysaravia.blogspot.com/ I certainly come from a long line of very strong, intelligent, independent women. I have had the opportunity to play such a huge variety of characters and that is what I strive for. If I can encourage girls or women to believe in their own strengths and power through the roles I play, then I’m very happy.

I find that the male audience enjoys strong female

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CJ Ramone: Last Chance to Dance - Michael Dorn

In 1989, Dee Dee Ramone announced his departure from the band that many consider the Godfathers of Punk, the Ramones. Losing such a creative force might have signaled the end of the band if not for former US Marine Chris Ward.

Chris, better known as CJ Ramone, was younger than Joey, Johnny and Marky, and gave the band a much-needed kick in the ass. The Ramones lasted another seven years and played more than 2,000 shows with CJ as their bassist. After the band broke up in 1996, CJ all but disappeared.

In 2012, CJ Ramone reappeared with a new self-released CD, “Reconquista.”

In November 2014, he released his second CD, “Last Chance to Dance,” this time on the Fat Wreck Chords label.

“Understand Me”, the lead-off track on “Last Chance to Dance” has an unmistakable Ramones sound, immediately proving to the listener that CJ Ramone is worthy of flying the Ramones flag. CJ continues the unmistakable sound on the second track, “Won’t Stop Swinging”, which was released as a single before the CD dropped. From the first time you hear the chorus, this song will get stuck in your head. You can

also find an official video for this one. “One More Chance” has an old-school feel, with a 50’s style backbeat.

The CD’s fourth track, “Carry Me Away,” slows things down, but the pace of the CD quickly picks back up with “’Til the End”. “Long Way to Go” is the most powerful track, with a chorus you’ll find yourself screaming along to. The seventh track, “Mr. Kalashnikov”, is homage to CJ’s favorite gun maker. But a song like this is to be expected from a former Marine.

The melodies and backing vocals on “Pitstop” may fool the listener into thinking they’re listening to a vintage Ramones song. “Grunt” is a bit heavier, and doesn’t sound like anything else on the CD, but it’s still a very good song. “You Own Me” is a bit of a return to 70’s bubble gum punk, much like Joey used to write. The CD’s title track, “Last Chance to Dance”, has a catchy vocal melody, and you just may find yourself listening to it over and over. The twelfth and final track, “Clusterfuck”, is a powerful, 59-second punch to the head. It’s heavy, catchy, and goes by quickly.

“Last Chance to Dance” is a great follow-up to CJ’s first release, and proves, once again, that CJ Ramone is worthy of the name. Many times throughout “Last Chance to Dance” and “Reconquista” you can almost imagine Joey singing these songs. Thank you, CJ, for keeping the spirit of the Ramones alive. They would be proud.

“Last Chance to Dance” is available through CJ’s website; www.cjramone.com

Track Listing: 1. Understand Me

7. Mr. Kalashnikov

2. Won’t Stop Swinging

8. Pitstop

3. One More Chance

9. Grunt

4. Carry Me Away

10. You Own Me

5. ‘Til the End

11. Last Chance to Dance

6. Long Way to Go

12. Clusterfuck

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Colicchio’s Corner

by Victor Colicchio

Steven Van Zandt in Lilyhammer; Honeymoon in Vegas with Tony Danza; Jack Kerouac (Justin Tuerk re- traces Jack’s journey) Hi readers!

The future is here (actually it’s been here, not perfect but heading in the right direction). You can now buy a smart TV that allows you Internet access, and tons of viewing pleasures. My girlfriend Robin has been watching the Netflix TV series Lilyhammer starring Steven van Zandt (Bruce Springsteen’s guitarist, and star of “The Sopranos”).

or the snow that was blinding me. I wanted my Lilyhammer TV. As I said, the snow was falling. I hooked up my new TV, and Robin and I binge-watched the first season.

(Netflix is the best -- 8 bucks a month allows you to

This past December, Vincent Pastore (“Big Pussy” of “Sopranos” fame) asked me to sing at a charity event at my favorite restaurant, Cha Cha’s (I used to sing at Cha Cha’s in Coney Island). Maureen Van Zandt co-hosted the event. I was in the middle of singing a Dean Martin song when the Van Zandts arrived. My performance was interrupted by chants of “Lilyhammer!”

Lilyhammer? Why were they calling me Lilyhammer?

Robin told me that she had researched it, and discovered that it was an original series on Netflix.

She wanted me to tune into this highly unusual and brilliant comedy.

I watched one episode on my computer. I loved the show, but I hated sitting in my computer chair. I actually needed to watch another episode. It was snowing outside. The news had predicted snowfall amounts of historic proportions.

I didn’t care. I wanted to see every episodes of Lilyhammer. I walked a half-mile down to PC Richards and bought myself a smart TV. I carried this oversized TV another half-mile back to my apartment. I didn’t care about my frozen hands,

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view current TV shows and blasts from the past. I also recommend “Columbo;” it’s well-written and well-acted with many special guest stars. You can also watch episodes of Louie CK, and have access to YouTube for your favorite Beatle videos.)

I will not give away the storyline of Lilyhammer, with the exception that Van Zandt portrays a mobster who is in the Federal witness protection program living in Norway.

Lilyhammer is “My Cousin Vinny” on steroids. (Can you imagine a mobster living in Norway? It reminds me of the time I went Kutztown and walked in a butcher shop and asked for prosciutto. The butcher told me that I have to go to Allentown for prostitutes.)

Lilyhammer is a powerhouse of entertainment. Do yourself a favor and tune into this show. Steven Van Zandt stars, writes music and directs. Keep an eye out for his wife Maureen in seasons 2 and 3. It’s a family affair.

Tony Danza on Broadway

“Who’s the boss?” is not the question. “Who loves Tony Danza?” is the answer. His role on “Taxi” endeared him to all of us.

I had the privilege of understudying Tony in the Garry Marshall-directed play “Wrong Turn At Lungfish,” starring Tony and George C. Scott.

In spite of the fact that Tony won the Obie award for best Off-Broadway debut of an actor, I was more impressed with his unaffected demeanor. Seriously, Tony is a former boxer and an award-winning actor.

But if you ever met him…. he is just a kid from Brooklyn. (Very humble.)

I recently saw him in the film “Aftermath” (written & directed by Thomas Farone); Tony was brilliant.

Tony is a good guy, and a great actor currently on Broadway in “Honeymoon In Vegas.” This play (based on the movie of the same title) is filled with sweet talent, and songs to enjoy. I won’t review

this production, so as not to spoil the storylines of the film (LOL). But the play featured the “Flying Elvises!” If you want a fun night out…see this play.

If you are on a budget, go to the discount booth on 7th Ave.

Hit The Road Kerouac.

Justin Tuerk follows the footsteps of the father of rebellion.

New York City’s Mayor Di Blassio recently asked the NYPD not to arrest people for possession of small amounts of marijuana. As more and more states push to legalize marijuana, smokers breathe a sigh of relief knowing they are safe from the pot police.

But there was a time when smoking pot could lead to a prison sentence.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Jack Kerouac, I strongly suggest that you Google him.

Jack was the voice of the “Beat Generation,” a catalyst of the hippie movement, a poet, a renowned author, a rebel, and a pioneer of the marijuana movement.

Kerouac gained notoriety, critical praise, and fame with the publication of his second book, “ON THE ROAD.” The book was written in three weeks while living at 454 West 20th Street in Manhattan.

“ON THE ROAD” was made into a film in 2012. The film’s ensemble cast features Garrett Hedlund, Sam Riley, Kristen Stewart, Alice Braga, Amy Adams, Tom Sturridge, Danny Morgan, Elisabeth Moss, Kirsten Dunst, and Viggo Mortensen. The executive produc-

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er was Francis Ford Coppola.

Filming began on August 4, 2010, in Montreal, Quebec, with a $25-million budget.

today.

The first part of the book chronicles Jack’s road trip from New York to San Francisco. The book not only influenced the generation beat and hippie generations, but it continues to inspire and influence writers, poets, artist, and musicians of

I set out to find artists, poets, writers, and musicians of today who were influenced by Kerouac’s work.

I was fortunate enough to have met Justin Tuerk of Kutztown, Pennsylvania. I hit the jackpot with Justin.

Justin is a photographer, musician, writer, and artist. I asked him if Jack Kerouac has had influence on him. Justin replied, “Of course. In fact I just returned from a road trip, where I followed Jack’s route from New York to San Francisco, to Los Angeles, and back, and I have photos.”

He is in his early 20s, holds a bachelor of fine arts degree in digital media and print making from Kutztown University, and is currently working on his masters degree in fine arts/studio arts at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Here is my interview with Justin, and the photos he took along the way.

VC: Justin, tell me about your recent road trip.

JT: Over last summer I spent seven weeks driving across the US and back photographing the American landscape. I retraced the first road trip taken by Jack Kerouac, which became the first section of On The Road. It is a one of the projects that connect to my MFA thesis I’m working toward at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

VC: Why this trip?

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JT: I have done a fair bit of traveling in other parts of the world and felt that I haven’t seen as much of my own country as I would have liked. But instead of just traveling I wanted to tie it to a project.

VC: Did anyone go with you?

JT: I decided that I needed to go alone to get a truly authentic experience. I had to truly interact with the communities I was traveling through. I didn’t have a companion traveling with me so if I wanted to have an interaction or talk to anyone I had to seek out strangers. It was wonderfully challenging and liberating at the same time.

VC: What made you decide to re-trace Jack Kerouac’s “On The Road?”

JT: I chose “On The Road” as my literary referent because it is one of the most influential American road trip novels. It inspired an entire generation of people to hop in their car and explore the truth about what the US really looked like. I wanted to base my trip on a work of literature and had narrowed it down to Steinbeck’s “Travels with Charlie” and Kerouac’s “On The Road.” Since Steinbeck’s novel was about revisiting places toward the end of life, I felt that Kerouac’s was something closer to me, being in my late 20s and visiting most of the locations for the first time, discovering the U. S. much like Kerouac did.

VC: What where the subjects that you photographed?

Did you attempt to illustrate

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JT: The highlight of the trip, I think, is tied between visiting St. Mary’s Glacier and the Joshua Tree desert in southern California. St Mary’s Glacier is in the Rocky Mountains outside Denver. To get there, I had to drive up some incredibly steep switchbacks far off the main roads. The ¾-mile trail is more like a path left by a rockslide. Due to the high altitude, it was one of the roughest hikes I’ve ever done.

Climbing the Appalachians was easier then this ¾-mile trek. What was truly difficult was more the fact that it was clear that most of the people on the trail were local; small kids were running all over the place, as if it were nothing. But all of this was worth it when I reached the glacier and got to experience the incredible serenity of standing on snow and ice in 72-degree weather looking out over the landscape below.

the book?

JT: I wanted this trip to be my own experience and not try to mimic that of the novel. I did not focus on the people of America, like Robert Frank did in his photo book, but focus on the spaces that are occupied or abandoned. I am really interested in the manipulation or preservation of the spaces that occur. Being a history nerd I look at the choices that are made to certain places on whether they are treasured or shunned.

VC: How did you travel? Did you stay in motels or camp? Did you hitchhike like Kerouac?

JT: No, .no hitchhiking. I took an SUV and was able to have a bedroll in the back and slept in that most nights. In certain cities I would get a motel if it felt too unsafe to sleep in the car. But overall it worked out pretty well until the southwest desert areas, which were too hot for sleeping.

VC: What was your high point of the travels?

Now, the Joshua Tree was very special to me. With music being my first and greatest passion, I had longed to go there and experience what Gram Parsons viewed as his favorite location. While wandering the desert I listened to both G.P. and Grievous Angel. But it was as if listening to them for the first time. I felt as if I now knew the albums so much more. It was something about being in that desolate landscape only surrounded by rocks and plants listening to Gram and Emmylou Harris’ exquisite harmonies that was a transcendent moment for me.

VC: And what was your low point?

JT: The low point was actually immediately after I left Joshua Tree. I was driving through Box Canyon to get to the Salton Sea for the last light of the day.

There was about an hour of good light left and 45 minutes to the Salton Sea, so I was rushing and made a pretty dumb mistake. I wanted a photo from closer to the canyon wall, when I saw what looked like a dried

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his help though, the day could have ended a lot worse. That was a definite low point for a several hours. It was either that or LA.

VC: LA? JT: Yeah. Los Angeles was by far my least-favorite city. As someone that values history as much as I do, LA seems to not care about their own unless it’s used to make money from tourists. I visited an old Nazi compound and then found out that the city is attempting to demolish is. That and there are far too many fake people there.

VC: Sorry -- a Nazi compound in LA? JT: Ha! Yeah, that’s what I thought when I found out about it. It’s called Murphy’s Ranch. It was built in the 30s in Rustic Canyon for the Nazi sympathizers to have a stronghold when the Nazis would take over America. After Pearl Harbor the police and FBI raided it and shut it down. It was quite the hike to get to it by a fire road but a wonderful example of the dark side of American history.

riverbed that had a bunch of truck tire tracks, so I figured it was safe. I drove out onto the hardened sand but stopped on what might have been the only VC: What do you plan on doing with these photos? patch of loose sand in the area.

JT: I am in the process to creating a book from the With no phone service and only ¼ gallon of water photos, which will include my own writing from the left, I joked to myself, “Well, this is where I die.” journaling I did throughout the seven weeks.

After spending a great deal of time attempting to dig out the tires and using dead branches from around the ground to give it traction and failing, I VC: When do you expect that to be out? resorted to walking down the road. At this point, the sun was down and I knew I had at least 14 miles JT: I will be self-publishing a limited edition for my to walk to the next possible civilization. A few miles thesis in May and, with any luck, be able to find a down the road a large pickup truck came driving publisher to print a larger run after that. through and stopped to check to see if I was in trouble. I related my tale to him, and he offered to pull my SUV free. I was hesitant at first -- some of the VC: Well, Justin, thanks for sharing this with my inhabitants of the area make coal-country weirdoes readers and I hope that in the future your book will look normal. It turned out that he was a mechanic influence another generation. Peace, brother. returning from July 4th camping with his wife. He had me hop in the back and we drove across the JT: Peace, paisano. canyon to my abandoned vehicle. As he got out he told me, “Not that I don’t believe you, as I can see your car stuck, but my wife has a gun in the truck.” ### Looks like we both had the same thought. Without

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Reference Wikipedia On the Road is a novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, based on the travels of Kerouac and his friends across America. It is considered a defining work of the postwar Beat and Counterculture generations, with its protagonists living life against a backdrop of jazz, poetry, and drug use. The novel is a roman à clef, with many key figures in the Beat movement, such as William S. Burroughs (Old Bull Lee) and Allen Ginsberg (Carlo Marx) represented by characters in the book, including Kerouac himself, as the narrator Sal Paradise.

The idea for On the Road, Kerouac’s second novel, was formed during the late 1940s in a series of notebooks, and then typed out on a continuous reel of paper during three weeks in April 1951. It was first published by Viking Press in 1957. After several film proposals dating from 1957, the book was finally made into a film, On the Road, produced by Francis Ford Coppola and directed by Walter Salles, in 2012.

When the book was originally released, The New York Times hailed it as “the most beautifully executed, the clearest and the most important utterance yet made by the generation Kerouac himself named years ago as ‘beat,’ and whose principal avatar he is.”[1] In 1998, the Modern Library ranked On the Road 55th on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. The novel was chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to 2005.

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Anne Husick Presents World Wide Vibe Records Night of Stars @ Sidewalk CafĂŠ 42 | Steel Notes Magazine

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I showed up at 6:30

with Ronnie Wheeler, Shauna Westgate and Robert Aaron, special guest on saxophone ... who played on Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” and met Ronnie Wheeler at the bar ... ... Adventures In Bluesland was Anne He was scheduled as Ronnie Wheeler Husick’s favorite band on the bill ... which Solo Acoustic ...which was soon to be consisted of Phil Gammage, Robert Aaron, opening the show ... richly accompaDon Fiorino. Kevin Tooley, Johnny Cement nied by Don Fiorino and Seth Okrend and Lauren Dragon got up and blew us all with Shauna Westgate on drums ... away with her vocals that could blow away Janis Joplin ... and that’s no joke, baby!!!

Then, from Sweden, came Plastic Pals The bartender, Alie, was ready for a real hot with McKay Soold on guitar, Olev Oquist night, in her sleeveless biker attire with the on drums, Bengt Alm on bass and Anders diamond-studded skull pendant and a huge Sahlin on guitar (I know I botched up all of smile ... In walked the boys, along with Janis their names even though I had them each and Kevin Shaw ... This beautiful couple are write it down for me ... not only illegible staples at all the most fun lower east side but unpronounceable as well ... so sorry ) ... functions ... Kevin does bass ... I enjoyed They rocked the house with their new single the show immensely, sitting right up front released on World Wide Vibe Records called with Janis, who is also a fine photographer “Riding With Elvis ... and you couldn’t top ... World Wide Vibe has just released Ronnie off the fun-filled night better than having Wheeler’s single called Mean Ole World ... the Bowery Boys on last ... Joff Wilson, the best guitarist in New York City, had the Phil Gammage is the main World Wide incomparable Jeanne Carno Rosenberg on Vibe guy and introduced me to his cheerful drums and even had Gass Wilde of the Love family and friends, -- Claudia L. Brown, Nico Martinez Nieves, Joe Nieves and Luke Nieves Pirates doing a couple of Rolling Stones songs ... “Jumpin’ Jack Flash is a Gass Gass ... Phil got up on stage to play in his group called Rebel Factory with Joseph Nieves and Gass” ... World Wide Vibe Records has just Roger Staltz ... They were completely differ- recently released Joff’s super-catchy single ent from what I’d expected ... the selections “Rochester Grey” which everyone knows they played were highlighted with harmony the words and sings along to already ... Nice going, my friends... I wish you all the success ...Their latest single on World Wide Vibe you so deserve ... It was a great night for Records is called “Trigger Me”... socializing ... the whole lower east side crew The next band was Singular Fashion from and then some showed up for non-stop fun, Miami ... including Michael Pinckney, David entertainment and support ... Thank you, Cornejo and Madej Lewandowski ... I must Anne Husick and Sidewalk Café for providing say these guys kept my attention and such a warmly righteous sanctuary in the interest straight through their set ... They middle of this raging bitter New York winter reminded me of the soundtrack of the movie ... The atmosphere can’t be beat ... where “The Crow” ... which I can listen to over and the beat goes on and on and on ... Cheerz!!! over again ... Very moving, kinetic and noir ... MBW... ... The Anne Husick Threesome took over Steel Notes Magazine | 43

Model: Ruby Von Vanity

Upcoming Shows:

MUAH: Ruby Von Vanity

March 28th at McCoole’s Theatre in Quakertown, PA

March 19th at the Broadway Social in Bethlehem, PA

Ruby Von Vanity is an award-winning pin-up model and member of the Lehigh Valley’s premier burlesque troupe, the Looking Glass Revue.

April 10th at the Allentown Brew Works’ Silk Lounge, Allentown, PA

The Looking Glass Revue is a classic, high-energy burlesque troupe from Pennsylvania. Local business owner and designer of House of Minerva, Kate Elfatah, has teamed up with award-winning burlesque performer and model Mika Romantic to bring the glamour and mystique back to a re-emerging art form. The show has a bevy of beautifully costumed and classically trained performers that tempt the audience with a nostalgic taste of old Hollywood. The Looking Glass Revue will transport you back to a simpler time, a time when showgirls and starlets reigned supreme

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ TheLookingGlassRevue

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Official website: http://www.thelookingglassrevue.com/

Photos by: Grainne Images http://grainneimages.zenfolio.com

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www.steelnotesmagazine.com

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NAMM HIRED GUN INTERVIEWS

Steel Notes Magazine attended a press conference in the Monster Rock Lounge Room at the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) 2015, sponsored by Monster, for an upcoming music film called “Hired Gun.”

Noel Lee, CEO of Monster; director Fran Strine; and some of the “Hired Guns” on hand - Nita Strauss (guitarist for Alice Cooper), Rudy Sarzo (bassist for Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Manic Eden, Dio and Blue Öyster Cult) and Derek St. Holmes (guitarist and vocalist for Ted Nugent) spoke with excitement, passion and conviction about the project.

the film that have spent their lives honing their craft and sound for the love of the music. We look forward to generating a lot of fun and excitement at the show with these musicians who deserve all the attention they will get.

Fran Strine I’m a touring videographer for bands. I’ve worked with Nickelback. Stained, and Seether. I was hired by Five Finger Death Punch a couple of years ago to go on tour with them. We were in Singapore; in the back lounge, I talked with Jason Hook, the guitarist, about films we loved. He said, “I’ve always wanted to make a film. Would you be interested?” I said, “Yes, because I have no interest in going on-tour again. I’m burnt out. I’ve been doing it for 20 years.” So Jason said, “Let’s think of a concept.” He was a hired musician before he became a full member for Five Finger Death Punch, playing guitar for Mandy Moore and Hillary Duff. Then Five Finger Death Punch came to him and said we would love to have you as a member of our band.

There were a few people we wanted to target for the documentary. One was Liberty DeVitto. He was BilLee shared with Steel Notes Magazine how he got inly Joel’s drummer. His story is so amazing. Imagine volved with film and how the idea for the documentary being with the same guy for 31 years and getting cut tied into the concept of his company. Strine discussed in your 50s. He was the first person I reached out to. how he came up with the idea for the film and how I Facebooked him and wrote: “Hey man, we’re dothat evolved into getting the best sidemen, sidewomen ing this film. Would you like to be in it?” He said, and session players and back-up musicians to partici“I would, I need to get my name out there.” We inpate. It gives those creative talents, including Strauss, terviewed him here in L.A., over one full day. Then Sarzo and St. Holmes, a chance to emerge from the the crew and I flew out to New York where he lives. shadows of playing in support positions for some of We spent a week out there. Digging his whole life up. the most famous bands and artists in the entertainment What an incredible story. Rudy Sarzo is another guy industry. And now, because of this music film, they we wanted to get. get their own individual platform in the spotlight and share their music journey with the public. Here are We wanted well-known musicians and some not wellall the interviews that took place recently at NAMM known. Those are the ones that really have the sto2015. ries. Everyone knows Rudy. Everyone knows Kenny Aronoff. But Liberty DeVitto and Phil Lax? Who is Noel Lee Paul Bushnell? These are world-class musicians that have played with Elton John and Phil Collins, even Monsters are huge music fans – and our enthusiasm Katy Perry and the like -- but nobody knows the best to deliver the live music experience via our products is evidenced in our company’s heritage. From our first musicians you’ve never heard of. Their stories are ridiculous and jaw-dropping. There are a ton of surprisguitar cable to today’s DNA Pro 2.0 headphones, our es -- but I can’t unveil them until you see the movie. hearts and minds are focused on creating listening You will be surprised how they have to live and do experiences that bring people as close to the music as live, thanks to this career. possible. We are supporting the “Hired Gun” project because we are inspired by the dedicated artists in We have interviewed around 50 guys so far. We inter-

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viewed Ray Parker Jr., of Ghostbusters fame, but no one knows he was a very famous side guy. He was a session musician for many years and is a ridiculous guitar player. We interviewed David Foster -- the famous producer. He was a world renowned side guy and now he has like 15 or 20 Grammys. We interviewed Bob Ezrin - a famous producer. We have so many people from Alice Cooper’s band in our film. He has probably gone through a 120 guys in his 40-year career. He has a big piece in this movie as well. Bob Ezrin was Alice Cooper’s producer that helped him get signed. He went to produce Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.”

He did Kiss’ “Destroyer.”

There are tragic stories and over-the-hurdle stories.

The people were completely candid unless they signed a disclosure agreement. How I am going to pay my rent this month? I’m living with a stripper! -- those kinds of stories, too.

We followed some of the people, like the main guys.

We did a big thorough dig-up on them. Some of the guys, if we weren’t really getting what we wanted, we tracked their lives and followed them around. It’s not just talking heads. With Liberty DeVitto, we followed him to Madison Square Garden. He’s played there more than any other artist on the planet. Carnegie Hall. He told stories about the Russian Tea Room where Billy Joel proposed to Christie Brinkley. He just happened to be walking down that street and saw Billy and Christie. Billy said “I’m going to propose to her.

You want to watch?” Stories like those are intimate; no one has ever heard. Jason Newston from Metallica. We got three exclusives from him -- how much he made in Metallica as a side guy; that will blow people’s minds. Two famous bands he declined to join after he quit Metallica who offered him the gig. You will see that in the film.

The documentary will be 90 minutes long. We interviewed 50 guys and some might not make the cut. One of our sales agents has been in contact with Netflix, which may use the film as a 90-minute feature. Or a plot as a backdrop for a miniseries with the rest of the footage we have. Or a Blue-Ray with a ton of extras. It would be tragic to let all those interviews go to waste.

There is so much good stuff. We finish filming at the end of this month, then straight into post-production.

The film is being mixed at Skywalker Ranch. We’re thinking it will be released in the Fall - 2015.

Nita Strauss I was first approached by Fran when he was interviewing my boss, Alice Cooper. Fran said to Alice -- from

what I understand – “You got this girl guitar player in your band, why don’t you bring her down here for an interview? She has a unique perspective on the whole music world and being a hired gun.” There are not that many hired female musicians out there. So went to see Fran and we chatted for two or three hours. I told him tons and tons of stories. This movie is going to be such a great thing because there have been movies about session guitar players and musicians or about background singers. Everybody knows who Pink and Billy Joel and Christina Aguilera are. This will give their fans a chance to see what we do behind the scenes to make the show happen. We filmed in Las Vegas in my hotel room.

Rudy Sarzo I was approached by Jamie Talbot, one of the producers of the movie. I’ve known him for many years. I thought it was a very interesting premise, because it’s about the trajectory of people like me. First I was a hired gun breaking into the industry. Then I went on to become an equal member of a band, and then a hired gun again...the pros and cons. There are many on both sides. I have many great memories of being an equal member of a group and of being a hired gun. You stick with the good memories. We are all speaking about our own legacies when being interviewed. I was filmed at home. You have to remember that, even if I was filmed at home, every time a question is asked, I transport myself to that time whenever it happens to be. If you’re talking about Whitesnake, I’m on the road with them or in the studio, in my mind. You have to go there to give an honest answer.

I tell young musicians, even if you are at Guitar Center, plugged into your amplifier and testing a guitar, you are actually auditioning. If you are in a club performing, you never know who will be in an audience checking you out. Life is an audition.

My biggest break is that I played with Randy Rhoads in the Randy Rhoads version of Quiet Riot. When it came time to find a bass player, Randy recommended me because I had already worked with him. It sounds simple but it was actually more complex. If you really go into the detail of it all, the band only had two weeks to find a bass player, break him in and go on the road for Ozzy’s first tour.

You need all the members to be reliable. It was the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. It was a different lifestyle. I think musicians are cleaner now. We used to be more party-minded. To bring it into our circle with someone who is reliable and who can be a good influence on

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Ozzy. Not influence him to party more than he already does. Somebody who can play and be committed. Not somebody who is going to walk off in the middle of the tour and disappear. So a lot of that came into play and Randy felt very comfortable recommending me.

That means a lot to me. I had never done anything before. I had no references, no resume. I went from a guy sleeping on a floor, to playing with Ozzy. It’s not just my story. Who is this guy? Why are we putting this guy in the band who is going with us on this incredible journey? A tough journey and we knew it. We will get it together and travel together. Play together and live together. It was amazing.

For the Ozzy segment, I went through everything already and processed it when I wrote my book to explain the number one question I get: what was it like to play with Randy Rhoads. I went through the cathartic experience of sitting down and putting myself back on the road again. So by the time I did the interview, I knew how to handle it. It’s never easy talking about the crash. Transporting, yield to the moment I was there is always traumatic for me. That’s why I wrote the book. I figured if I would write it, I would get some closure. It’s a never-ending process and a loss like that to who it happened and how. You just lean how to live with it.

The sideman project is important to let everyone know how and why and when. I will go to my grave having people come up to me saying I didn’t know you sang that stuff. There’s no spilled milk over it. I’ll just tell you what happened. Hopefully someone will learn from it. That is why you tell a story with that hope.

I had a chance to talk to a younger guy yesterday who is in an upcoming band, and doing really well. He said they were making all this money so quickly, and I said “For gosh sakes, don’t spend anything! Put it away!” Because a band’s lifespan is about five years in this kind of situation. Afterward, you have to survive because you are so used to being a musician, you don’t know how to get another job. I personally had all kinds of jobs. I’m so glad I did. To step outside of this life being a musician. I talk about all this in Hired Gun. -Harriet Kaplan

Derek St. Holmes I was asked by Fran, and we are friends from Georgia.

I used to live there. I relive being a sideman in Ted Nugent’s band every day but it doesn’t hurt me anymore. In the early days, it used to be painful. Now it’s good. Nobody knows who you are. Everybody goes “You sing those songs really good and you just sound just like Ted.” Then I say, “Well, I am the singer.”

They say, “Get out of here. I thought it was Ted.” No, it’s me.

So once you get on the other side of that, I’m 62 now, I probably got on the other side of that when I was 45. Life is good. You kind of embrace it. It was hard in the beginning. It was about principle. For the label down to management, Ted was the guy and we were just hired guns. But we were very involved in the recording and writing and arranging and melodies. I did all that stuff. We didn’t get paid for all that. We didn’t know. I was 23 years old. When I should have had a lawyer at 22, I didn’t. Who knew? The young performers today get a better shake. Back in my early career, you couldn’t find an entertainment lawyer.

There were probably five in New York. Now, they are everywhere.

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ANAHEIM, CA - JANUARY 24: Singer-songwriter Jackson Browne attends the 2015 National Association of Music Merchants show at the Anaheim Convention Center on January 24, 2015 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/ Getty Images for NAMM)

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NAMM Show 2015 In its official National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) 2015 post-show PR, the long-running association had a lot of good news to report. The NAMM Show was held at the Anaheim Convention in Anaheim, CA from January 22-25. A mix of NAMM member buyers, exhibitors, and their invited guests, NAMM’s Generation Next and Music Education Day participants (college music students and school music teachers) along with media resulted in a record 99, 342 show registrants, the largest gathering in NAMM Show history. An 11% increase in international registration and a 2% increase in buyer numbers made it the most diverse; international exhibitors topped 600 companies in search of new opportunities.

Every NAMM Show vet with decades of exhibiting under their belts hopped from their booths to note the heavy stream of buyers. “Our traffic flow has been much higher than the last few years, and while attendance is clearly up these are quality visits, not just quantity. Dealers are here to make decisions on purchases, see what’s new, but also learn about ways that can help them grow,” said Terry West, president and CEO of Pearl Corporation.

While products rule the show floor, it’s the face-to-face opportunities that draw the industry together. “I’ve had the most honest, straightforward conversations with vendors on where I can take our business. Brands are here figuring out how we can work together beyond the products. I’ve never worked harder,” said Gayle Beacock, co-owner of Beacock Music in Washington. “Coming to this show, I have a very clear and solidified direction.”

The number of newly exhibiting companies has more than doubled from 2014, as 331 companies showed at NAMM for the first time. These new brands made up 18% of the total exhibit count, bringing a fresh sense of wonderment to the NAMM Show.

“We’re seeing innovation and change everywhere especially at this year’s NAMM, with the big guys releasing major new products, and the infant industry of brands we’d never heard of jumping right in the mix with them. Many products are going back to the old-school, touch-sensitivity. People are turning knobs and using instruments outside of a computer,” said Peter Dods, Owner of Easy Music Center, Oahu, Hawaii.

But t here is a still a proliferation of contemporary product offerings beyond the tried-and-true mainstays of the music industry, and certainly a vast audience and demand for it.

The world’s most prominent retailers travel to NAMM to forecast trends. “Compared to 10 to 20 years ago, there is an increasing presence of new areas beside traditional

music. You can feel the change of the music scene every year by coming to the show, and you can convey that change to the retail customers in the Japanese market.

That is why I come to the NAMM Show every year,” said Mototsugu Shimamura, chairman of Shimamura Music Corporation, Japan’s largest music instrument dealer.

In addition to the impressive news about the 2015 NAMM Show’s increased numbers across the board; the limitless opportunities to network, learn and grow; and the sheer volume, scope and range of product offerings available, other important and entertaining events took place.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak shared passionate insights laced with humor to the best-attended NAMM session in history. Chris Stuenkel, a buyer for Austin Bazaar Music, noted that the session “inspired you to see what you can do, what impact you can have.” Moby not only picked up the Music for Life Award -- NAMM’s highest honor --but also shared straightforward thoughts on the creative process with college students. The evening award events included the 30th Annual NAMM TEC Awards featuring Slash and Nathan East, and the She Rocks Awards featuring Colbie Caillat and the Bangles.

Summer NAMM takes place at the Music City Center in Nashville, TN on July 9-11. Global opportunities abound at NAMM Musikmesse Russia September 10-13 and ProLight + Sound NAMM Russia, on September 10-12. The NAMM Show returns to Anaheim January 21-24 2016.

Steel Notes Magazine could not cover the abovementioned events or evening awards shows, because we were interviewing and photographing during the morning and afternoon of Saturday, January 24. We covered manufacturers on the show floor, encompassing what is now called old media, new media, technology as well as traditional instruments and books. The following manufacturers shared their knowledge and expertise in their given fields, sometimes describing their products in great detail and offering full, lengthy and comprehensive explanations for the buyer to make the best and most-informed purchasing decisions. Other industry professionals combined similar techniques as well to reach their audience. But they went beyond discussing their products’ characteristics and features to give color, depth and insight as to how the companies become historic and then legendary in the business -- changing the face of music, and thus shaping how we see, understand, hear and feel it as a result. These are their stories in their own words.

Bob Heil Heil Sound www.heilsound.com The company is 49 years old. It will be 50 years old next year. I started my career when I was 15 and became the organist at the Fox Theater in St. Louis, Mo. That’s where I learned how to listen. Listening is a lost art today. Nobody

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a theater organist. I hardly knew who the Beatles were. I was playing music of the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s, show tunes and stuff. I fixed the amp and the first thing you know, his buddies started coming to Marissa to get me to fix their amps. We’re talking about people like REO Speedwagon, Michael McDonald and Dan Fogelberg. These were all local Illinois kids and St. Louis kids in high school.

Then I started renting Hammond organs and going to these concerts in St. Louis – the places I would rent organs to.

You’re talking Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. I was aware that the sound systems were junk. They were little bitty columns with 10” speakers to fill 20,000 seats. So I started building PA systems. The bottom line is I came up with 8,000-, 10,000- and 15,000-watt systems. The ham radio operator in me could do that. I did it because I was just having fun.

Then promoters started hearing about it. We started renting more and more and got involved with the James Gang.

After I was on their tour for about a week, I discovered that Joe Walsh was a ham radio operator. We formed this great bond. Joe and I are dear friends today because of ham radio. We play guitar, too (laughs). He is a vital part of what we are doing today. listens. Nobody mentally dissects what you hear. They just hear. Hearing is a physical process. “Oh, I heard it.” But did you listen? Did you hear all the harmonics? And they don’t. I had to learn that early, tuning an organ. I played for 15 years. I still play. Professionally, I had a pipe organ in a restaurant in St. Louis, Mo. I still play concerts in some of the theaters that are left. I also have a really nice installation in my studio in the Ozarks.

I got tired of playing every night. So what else do I know?

I go back to my little town of Marissa, Illinois with 2,000 people. I open a music shop there. All through this time, I was a ham radio operator. I was building things and I played at night. I was just experimenting, because back in 1956 when I got my license, you had to build your own stuff. I was building the transmitters and antennas, learning about phasing and frequency responses and transient response. Later on, all of this -- meaning learning to listen, learning to build, understanding phasing -- was going to converge. and it all came together in this music shop in 1966.

I knew Hammond organs very well. In fact, in 1959, my first NAMM show, I was hired by Hammond to be a demonstrator. I played their booth for a couple of years. I got a Hammond organ franchise. Immediately these kids started coming into my shop, young kids. One day, a kid came in and said “Do you fix things?” It was a blown-up guitar amp. He tried to make it go to 12 and it only would go to 10. I fixed it in about 10 minutes. So I had the parts.

Ham radio operators don’t throw anything away.

I was amazed because I had never seen a guitar amp. I was

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We went on the road with the Grateful Dead, the Who for six years, ZZ Top too, before they had beard, Jeff Beck. Peter Frampton. I designed the first Talk Box used on “Rocky Mountain Way” for Joe Walsh. I gave one to Frampton for a Christmas present. I was involved in so many things.

It all led to the fact that we are the only manufacturer in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We have a large display there with many of these first products that I did. I got out of the business in 1980 – I just got tired of the many years on the road. I got into building microphones and headsets for the ham radio market. About six years ago, Joe said, “Hey, you need to help me. You need to build me a better microphone.” I hadn’t been looking and left that market.

Joe and I started about eight years ago. I never looked beyond Joe and helping him out. We came up with some incredible new technologies. I had engineers tell me you have made my job so much easier. We have cut all of the outside noise and made the sound clean. I’m so blessed that these artists let me come out on tour and help them. My lab is an arena with 20,000 screaming kids.

Harvit Gill SmithsonMartin www.smithsonmartin.com Our company was founded in a pretty unique way. Our CEO, Alan Smithson, saw a viral video on the Internet four years ago -- someone who created a touchscreen controller for Djing. After months of searching for the inventor, Alan met Pablo Martin. That’s where the name SmithsonMartin originates.

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looking for gigs. Everyone is trying to be a DJ these days and it helps you to stick out in a market that is saturated.

You can charge more because you can create templates specifically for each event you play and brand the club, sponsor, event etc. It’s an investment for sure. We wanted to create something exclusive to keep the shock factor there. After these 100 units are made, numbered and plated, there will be no more available. One of these units costs $15,500.

Marshall Amplification Nick Bowcott www.marshallamps.com

What’s interesting is that -- to this day -- they have not met. They have been in business for almost five years and utilized Skype, phone calls and emails to run the business.

It truly shows the digital age we live in and how your team can work from anywhere. They started off just making software. Then they moved in to hardware. We have totally changed the technology since the original Emulator, and learned plenty. We went from infrared technology to the most accurate touchscreen sensors in the world. We’ve come to NAMM with our brand new software Emulator PRO 1.5 and the Emulator ELITE hardware we are premiering.

Marshall started in 1962 by an English drummer named Jim Marshall. Jim had a long, storied history. He suffered with tubercular bones when he was a kid, so he spent most of his young life in a plaster-cast. Thankfully, Jim grew out of that, his body cured itself when he was a teenager. He got into tap dancing at the advice of his father. Jim wanted to be a boxer but his legs were understandably weak due to all his years in plaster. While studying tap, Jim discovered that he had an innate talent for rhythm. His teacher also quickly found out that Jim was a great singer. So at the age of 16, he became the frontman of a “big band” (the common name for a band with many performers on stage, back then) in England.

Our software acts as a controller to control other programs.

You can produce and perform music. People edit videos on it. The touch screen makes work flow efficient. You can create your own buttons in Photoshop or Adobe and make them function the way you want to by mapping it to MIDI just like any other controller.

When you go into a studio and see all those controllers on the shelves, basically they are there to control some sort of MIDI software. Our software is basically all those that starts is an empty controller you can put buttons on and create with the only limit being your imagination.

You can have unlimited combinations that can replace most hardware controllers in studios. We just created our flagship product, the Emulator ELITE. We are only making 100 units of our hardware. It’s great for branding.

It’s transparent. There’s been this stigma that people are fake DJing in the DJing industry and now that is totally gone. Because it’s transparent, all the hard work of your performance is shown through the device and can even be pushed to video walls at clubs. People can even identify the tracks without using phone apps as well. It’s great for branding because people like Red Bull and Heineken can sponsor these kinds of events and have their logos where the whole audience would be looking the entire time.

It would give someone a reason to hire you if you’re

Jim became increasingly interested in the drums and so started playing. He quickly became a well-respected drummer and people started asking him for drum lessons.

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He started teaching and became so popular that he had 84 students a week at one point! His pupils asked him to open a drum store and he did.

In London, during the early ‘60s, rock musicians were treated with little or no respect by the big music stores but Jim treated them like friends. As a result, his store quickly became a major hang-out for people like guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and Keith Moon, the drummer of the Who. In fact, both Keith and Mitch Mitchell – who later rose to fame as Jimi Hendrix’s drummer - worked at Jim’s store too!

Due to the coolness of Jim’s store, drummers would bring their bands to hang out and the guitar players would always say to Jim “If you’d stock amps, guitar and strings and picks, we’d much rather buy from you.” Then Jim found out from talking to guitarists like Pete Townshend that there was no amplifier that really gave them the sound they wanted. So he got together with his repair man, Ken Bran, and a young, gifted guy named Dudley Craven and decided to build “the world’s first rock and roll amp.”

When the team built prototype #6, Pete Townshend played it and Jim <<SHOULDN’T PETE BE SAYING THIS??>> immediately said, “That’s it! That is what I hear in my head. That’s the Marshall sound!” That is how the company got started.

Since that day in 1962, that’s been the company M.O. We listen to what players want and we react accordingly. We never assume we know everything. As a result of Jim and his team listening to players’ needs, the amps got bigger and more aggressive over the years. In fact, Jimi and Pete Townshend were responsible for the no- legendary Marshall stack. We continue to be a very player-centric company. We work well with and listen intently to players of all styles, from all corners of the globe.

We have been blessed working with the biggest names of all time that gravitate toward Marshall -- Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore, Paul Kossoff, Randy Rhoads, Slash, Kerry King, Paul Gilbert, John 5, Yngwie Malmsteen, Zakk Wylde and Joe Satriani, to name but a few of our past, present and much-valued “Marshall family members.” What we do is keep a close relationship with those guys, work with them and listen to what they want. We also have a 53-year legacy that is second to none.

There are very few companies in any industry that get to celebrate a 50th anniversary! If you don’t listen to players and react accordingly, don’t have a genuine passion for music, and don’t have the right people working with you, you’ll just be another “run-of-the-mill” company. We have never been that way and never will, thanks to Jim.

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Starr Ackerman IK MultiMedia www.ikmultimedia.com IK Multimedia is the leader in providing apps and accessories for music creation and iOS and Android devices for pro audio. We have 19 years in the business. We are one of the first to pioneer turning hardware into software. So we have brand names like Fender amplifiers in the software version in an application called AmpliTube. It is one of our flagships and we ported it to the iOS when we saw the revolution come up with iOS products. It really took off.

There have been 20 million downloads of AmpliTube so far. We also gave the world of iOS users a connector called the iRig so you can connect your guitar to your iPhone or iPad or iPod Touch. It then became a brand. We made the iRig mic which was great for broadcasters. You could it through your audio jack devices on IOS, iPhone and iPod Touch or iPad or plug it into your Mac. We revolutionized the industry basically as far as mobile devices connected and being able to create, perform, play or produce audio or video in mind. One of the newer products at the show we just released is iRig Mic Field.

This is a consumer product for everybody. It was created for audio and video. It is a very small stereo condenser microphone. It connects directly to your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch via the Lightning connector. Have ever been to a concert or tried to record a Podcast and you have all this clipping and noise? With this product you will eradicate all the background noise. Because it has a 115 dB sound pressure level maximum, you plug it into your iPhone and record that concert, and you will not have the snap-crackleand-pop that you are used to. It will work with any app that will accept an audio input. Your camera app, it will essentially take over the built-in microphone and improve the sound. If you were going to record a. concert or musician, this will work perfectly in any of those situations.

It is available now through your favorite electronic retailers and music stores for $99.

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Greg Dean Casio www.casiomusicgear.com

without the piano part. You can enjoy the sound of playing along with a full orchestra in the comfort of your own home.

Shannon Hartz Epsilon www.epsilon-pro.com Epsilon is an up-and-coming lighting and sound company that has just celebrated one year, and has grown from 25 to over 75 products. Epsilon has everything from DJ controllers and turntables, lights that would be great for a theater or club install, to a wireless battery-powered speaker (AirLink-15) aimed at musicians.

Our goal at Casio is to make very high-quality products with powerful features at an attractive price. We have products designed for the mass market and specific products designed for our piano and musical instrument dealers. All of our Celviano, and most of the Privia, models are designed and packaged in high-quality cabinets in a variety of finishes that complement any home décor.

All Casio 61-, 76- and 88-key portable keyboards and digital pianos include an AC adapter. We offer a variety of portable keyboards that allow you to learn to play with the assistance of lighted keys; others allow you to easily sample sounds with the built-in microphone. Once you create the samples, you can integrate them into the rhythm.

The AirLink-15 was by far the most talked about gear in the booth. With a 6-8 hour battery life, and weighing less than 50 lbs., you can literally take this with you anywhere.

Mobile musicians will love the mic in/out and line in/out features. Another feature that caught our eye was that it could accommodate anything you have your music on. You can stream via Bluetooth, SD, or use the USB slots. You can even record your set using the USB recording option.

At only $399 this is a steal.

Doug Fearn * D.W. Fearn * www.dwfearn.com We manufacture vacuum tube recording equipment. Our

At Summer NAMM 2015 we are introducing two new pianos in the Celviano line and two in the Privia line.

Within the Celviano line, we have the AP260, which is the entry-level Celviano model. It is available in black and walnut finishes and includes a matching bench. The AP460 is the next step up. It is also available in black and walnut finishes. It offers 256 notes of polyphony, string resonance, adjustable hammer response, key off simulation, lid simulation and the ability to record WAV audio files via the USB connection. It also includes a matching deluxe adjustable height bench.

Within the Privia line, we have the PX760 available in black, white and walnut finishes. The PX860 is the next step up. It is also available in black, white and walnut finishes. The PX860 has 256 notes of polyphony, string resonance, adjustable hammer response, key off simulation, lid simulation and the ability to record WAV audio files via the USB connection, as well as standard MIDI I/O connections. All four new models are available now and include a matching stand, a 3-pedal board, 18 new, enhanced tones and a new feature Casio calls Concert Play, sometimes referred to as “music-minus.” Concert Play provides 10 audio recordings of a full symphony orchestra to perform with. Practice modes allow any of the 10 classical pieces to be rehearsed at any tempo with and

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primary products are microphone pre-amplifiers. We made several versions of that for different applications. We make compressors and equalizers. We have been in business for 22 years, and I have been in the audio field for close to 50 years. This is actually only our third NAMM show. We always exhibited at A.E.S. And in the last couple of years, we decided to expand and have a presence at NAMM as well.

The show is great and it’s a huge show; it’s kind of overwhelming. A.E.S. is a smaller, more-targeted show for us. But the sheer number of people here gives us a potential number of customers. The first couple of days here, the majority of people who came by were our customers. It’s always nice to hear from them and they tell you have much they love the product. But we always need new customers.

Today, on Saturday, we are starting to get a lot more of those customers. They are coming by and they know what we build. They are coming by to listen and gather information about our products. I’m always happy to talk to them and answer their questions and help them make their decisions.

David Packouz Beat Buddy www.myBeatBuddy.com Best in Show Award at NAMM I’m a singer/songwriter and play acoustic guitar. I’ve always had trouble finding drummers because they need a room full of equipment, and if you practice with them, it disturbs the neighbors. They are in very high demand and difficult to find. Some aren’t that reliable. Not a lot of them are into your type of music.

So I tried to find a few drum machines, but they are difficult to use -- they are table top devices meant for composing beats, not for performing. They have a million buttons and their manuals are really thick. They have very little handsfree functionality, so I can’t change the beats on the fly while I play. It’s more like a backing track, a static beat that plays over and over. It doesn’t change with your music, and it doesn’t sound real. It kind of deadens your music. Some loopers have drums built in but they’re static, too. And generally the drums sound terrible as well.

I needed something with hands-free control, a good sound and was easy to use. I thought a pedal drum machine was obvious. You’d have hands-free control and it’s simple -every guitarist knows how to use pedals. But when I looked for one, I couldn’t find it anywhere. I asked all my friends who are musicians. They didn’t know of anything that existed either but they all wanted one, too.

I saw this as a golden opportunity and thought about building one myself. I did a patent search and came up empty; then I put together an engineering team. It took us two years to develop from the ground up, and it was very important for us to create something that sounded realistic and good so that a professional musician wouldn’t feel embarrassed playing with it live.

We developed new technology that makes drum machines sound extremely realistic. For example, most drum machines are programmed with computers. The beats are played exactly on the grid. But no human drummer plays like that. Some drums machines fake it by randomizing the time a little bit but it sounds randomized, not real.

Drummers emphasize certain parts of the beat and bring back other parts of the beat. That’s how you get a human element in any musical performance. So we decided to record real drummers that play. That way, when it plays back, it sounds exactly like a real drummer.

I had enough money to develop the prototype but not enough money to go into production. I spent my entire life savings on product development. What we did was launch an Indiegogo campaign, a crowd-funding campaign, last year. Last NAMM, we were here in the middle of our campaign, and we raised $350,000. It was the most successful campaign for any musician’s product in history.

It still is.

Since then, it’s just been skyrocketing. We have gotten amazing reviews from everyone from Guitar Player to Guitar World. This product is going to finally help musicians to find a drummer that is reliable, always ready to go, always there for you, sounds amazing, and is easy to use. Singer/songwriters will always have a songwriting tool to write. In the middle of the night, no matter what is going on, you have your headphones, you can plug them right into Beat Buddy, and jam as hard as you want with full drums and you don’t disturb anybody. It comes in 21 different genres of music. A lot of musicians have been telling us that they have never done this before and they are experimenting with different rhythms than they are used to. Jazz players are experimenting with samba beats, rock musicians are trying out Latin beats and techno beats.

Our demo guy was doing a hybrid of rock and techno. It sounded really cool.

It’s going to take songwriting to a more interesting level.

It really inspires musicians to mix the genres because they have an easy to use drummer that can play any style of beats and is always ready to go. We also have interface software which you can use any standard MIDI file import

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into the metal. There are millions of these online. We have a forum for our users can upload their own beats and their own drum sets. They can share them with the Beat Buddy community. So we have had hundreds of new songs and drum sets being uploaded. They are all available for free.

It’s constantly expanding content. We actually started delivering the Beat Buddy in September.

V-MODA v-moda.com David Steinfeld Customer Service Manager Our flagship model is the Crossfade M-100. It came out December 2012. That’s our most award-winning model.

It’s the first crowd- sourced headphone. We used feedback from users in the headphone community and audiophiles as to what they want in a headphone. We use that information to create the perfect headphone. It’s been around for two years and it’s popular. A lot of DJs use it. Now we’re trying to move into the MI world and get musicians and producers more behind it.

Kira Judah Artist Relations & Marketing We have definitely conquered the DJ world. Crossfade M-100 is credible and clearly the headphone of choice for the world’s top DJs -- Martin Garrix, Pete Tong, the Crystal Method and Avicii, to name a few. We think DJs are the modern rock stars and musicians in their own right. They are recording in the studio, laying down vocal tracks, performing live, and incorporating instruments as an element of their live shows. We have used DJs as the jumping-off point but it’s not just about electronic music -it’s about music in general.

Well-respected musicians like Chris Pitman from Guns N’ Roses and Ian Grushka from New Found Glory are also V-MODA brand champions. Earlier today, Warren McRae -- Tina Turner’s bass player -- came by our booth and tried on our headphones. He was so excited about the product, he couldn’t wait to get a pair. He is the type of musician that a variety of people respect, and promoting these relationships is part of the transaction into the musician marketplace.

Our headphones attract a diverse group of artists because they’re well-built, good-looking and offer best-in-class sound. We’re moving into the musical instrument market and making a name for ourselves there as well.

Matt Sysko Martin Guitar www.martinguitar.com Martin Guitar has been around since 1833. We have a long tradition and heritage of making quality guitars. This year is really exciting -- we’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of the D-35 Dreadnought, and we did some interesting things with the Authentic Series. We added the VTS System

which is basically a torrefied top and torrefied braces. We also do a French-finish polish on the instrument, which makes it look more authentic as well. We have a new CE08 we really like. The 000-15M was a complement to last year’s D-15M. A couple of very exciting custom additions with some different inlays and woods.

Our facility has a very nice mixture of hand-crafted and machine-made operations to make things efficient. We have about 600 co-workers in the U.S. facility and 300 in the Mexico (Navajo) facility. The Mexico facility has been open for over 25 years and uses the same procedures. They also get a lot of their materials from the U.S. facility. It’s a very nice complement to our company.

We have a new flow wrap packaging system for strings, along with our own treatment process.

The strings will also be individually wrapped.

I’ve been there for 22 years and it is a great company to work for. They offer a great product.

Mike Jones MEElectronics www.meelec.com We are a Southern California-based company located in the City of Industry, which is east of East L.A. We have been doing in-ear headphones for six years now, and have been in the market longer than most.

We started out doing mostly sports and Bluetooth headphones when those markets were just starting out. Now they are the two biggest segments in headphones.

We have been attending CES -- the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas -- for six years straight, but this is our first NAMM show. The reason we are at NAMM this year is our new in-ear monitor for musicians.

We actually had musicians buying our sports headphones because they had the right price point and gave a secure fit in the ear. So we started keeping in touch with these users and we thought, “Okay -- they are buying 20-30 pairs at a time, we can do something better for them.” We asked what improvements they wanted - - they were using our sports headphone, it couldn’t possibly be that good for live music. The top five suggestions were extremely consistent.

Everyone wanted detachable cables. Everyone wanted memory foam ear tips, because foam gives you more noise isolation. They wanted a very clear sound. They wanted fit and comfort for hours of continuous use. So we took all their suggestions and integrated them into this one product.

What’s cool about this product is that it’s us giving back to the musician community based on direct feedback, not the other way around. We are not starting from scratch, so we can do it for a really, really low price -- the retail price on our monitors is $49.99.

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We have full line of other headphones. We have a flatresponse one for audiophiles. It has a very well-balanced frequency response.

Our enhanced-bass dual driver model is meant to compete more with Beats by Dre and stuff like that. It has a separate sub-woofer, so you get really powerful bass coming through on top of the regular sound. We have a wireless sports model that is sweat-proof, to give you more freedom of movement at the gym. We have a couple on-ear and over-ear headphones, both wired and wireless.

Sue Kincaid Remo www.remo.com I’m the advertising manager at Remo Inc. We manufacture drums and drum heads in Valencia, CA. We have very, very popular heads. The artists that endorse heads are the top artists in the world. We have a variety of drum heads that will satisfy or meet anyone’s type of drumming. That makes Remo exceptional because of the variety of heads we do have.

Piers Plaskitt Solid State Logic www.solid-state-logic.com NAMM Show 2015 - TEC Award Winner Small Format Console Technology - Solid State Logic Matrix 2

Solid State Logic is a U.K. company based in Oxford, England. We’re a manufacturer of professional audio gear for the recorded music market for live and broadcast. We have a very broad range of equipment. We do our best to offer something for everybody, starting from just a few hundred to several hundred-thousand dollars.

We were founded about 40 years ago in a small garage in the village of Stonesfield, which is the Oxfordshire church countryside. The company started by making control systems for cathedral pipe organs. The switching logic we used within that device made its way into our first audio console. The combination of the words “solid state” -which implies integrated circuits -- and the logic approach caused the evolution of the name of the company to Solid State Logic. We’re often referred to by our initials SSL.

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In today’s recorded music market, a very high percentage of what you will listen to on commercial radio, or songs you would buy from iTunes, will have been touched somewhere along the chain by one or more of our products.

They are very dominant in popular music. We’re also considered to be a leading provider on the classical music side. We have a growing customer base in that area as well.

Today, at the NAMM show, in January 2015, we are showing/previewing new software for our top-of-the line analog and recording and mixing music console which is called Duality. The new software on it is called Duality Delta. That software is also available on our leading AWS 900 Series Consoles. This is our sixth NAMM show. In the early days, we were purely a business-to- business company where we just sold audio consoles. It wasn’t until we evolved our product line into a very large range of retail products that we started exhibiting at NAMM. Over the years, our presence at this show has grown along with our product range available through our retail partners around the world.

Music Sales Group Chris Hargrave www.musicsales.com Music Sales is the largest publisher and distributor of sheet music in Europe. In North America, all of our titles are distributed by Music Sales America, which is a joint venture with Hal Leonard Corporation. They are the largest print music publisher/distributor in North America.

We have deals with Universal, Sony and EMI in Europe.

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Therefore, we are licensed to the printing rights for the artists. We also distribute, for lots of other publishers throughout Europe, print music as well as accessories and gifts. We have around 2,000 customers in Europe. We also have customers in South America and South Africa who want to come see us at NAMM. That is why we are here.

We don’t sell into the North America Market at all. We tend to cover artists that have written or recorded with more traditional instruments. Then other people can play their music on piano or guitar or ukulele. We also publish tutorial methods so you can learn how to play any instrument. I’m the sales director and I’ve been involved 15 years. Music Sales as a company has been around 45 years.

Daisy Rock Girl Guitars Tish Ciravolo www.daisyrock.com Daisy Rock Girl Guitars is the only girl-guitar company.

I launched it 15 years ago, after designing the very first girl-guitar. It has a slimmer neck profile it and is lighter in weight. The whole idea behind it is to attract more girls to play guitar. I was in a lot of bands in the ‘80s, including an all-female band called Lipstick. Today I still play in a punk rock band called Sassafras.

Our mission statement is simple: Daisy Rock is doing whatever it takes to help girls play guitar and enjoy music.

That is why we write books about how girls should play guitar, and that’s why we design guitars for girls. We have a booth at NAMM 2015. We bring the girl to NAMM. We write books with Alfred Publishing. We have method 1 and 2 books. When your 10-, 11- 12-year-old girl gets home, and holds her first guitar and her first book, she’ll be able do what she wants to do. It won’t be some 40-year-old guy telling her how to hold the neck and how to pull down on the strings.

During my first year, nobody thought it would work.

Everybody said it’s not going to happen. But we’re in our 15th year anniversary, so I guess we really did make a difference. When I started, we determined that female guitar players were 4 % of the playing public. Today, we know it’s closer to 25-26 %. I have gotten so many fan letters over the years. Every week, we get more and more emails from girls that discover us and say, “I had no idea I could play a guitar, but this guitar I can play. This changed my life.” Some nine-year-old girl gets our catalog, sees what we do, and then wants to play guitar. I think we should have created this company 40 years ago; there might have been a Janis Hendrix -- can you imagine how different the playing field would be today?

Pioneer DJ DJ Jay http://pioneerdj.com/english/index.html http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/DJ http://pioneerdj-us.com/ The Pioneer products start off with controllers (such as the new DDJ-SX2) which are pieces of technology that control software like Serato. We also have models (XDJRX) that play off thumb drives and flash drives, utilizing our rekordbox software for organizing your music and then transporting them via these small storage devices. We are probably best known for our CDJ’s (2000) and DJ Mixers which are used in the majority of festivals and night clubs around the world. They are the preferred gear by the most popular DJs today. We also have a line of accessories like headphones (HDJ-2000MK2), monitors and speakers.

These are all products DJs like to use to make their money.

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An evening with

Jesse Cook

Thu., March 5 - 8 PM

The Piano Men Starring Jim Witter

A musical journey through the 70’s featuring the songs of Billy Joel and Elton John

Sat., March 21 - 8 PM

Vince Gill

Wed., May 6 - 7:30 PM

Home of the FREDDY© Awards

Fri., March 13 - 7:30 PM

Revolver & Beatles’ Favorites Featuring the Creme Tangerine Strings & Hogshead Horns

Sat.,March 14 - 8 PM

Danny Aiello

With Joe Geary and The Guys Special Guest:

THE BRONX WANDERERS Sat., April 18 - 8 PM

Dion

Sun., July 12 - 7 PM

The Beach Boys

Wed., April 22 - 7:30 PM

Fri., Nov. 20 - 7:30 PM

Click this ad to purchase tickets, memberships and gift cards, visit www.statetheatre.org Or visit the Box Office at 453 Northampton St. in Easton 1-800-999-STATE (610-252-3132) Fees Apply.

gallery State Theatre Center for the Arts

TICKET PRICES DO NOT COVER ALL PERFORMANCE AND OPERATING EXPENSES. Please become a Member of the non-profit State Theatre and help secure our future.

COMING SOON http://www.steelwavesradio.com/

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TRIBUTE BANDS SERIES “Tribute Acts VS The Genuine Article”

By Michael McKenna What is a tribute band? A tribute act is a music group, singer, or musician who specifically plays the music of a well-known music act - sometimes one which has disbanded, ceased touring or is deceased. Probably the largest class of tributes acts are Elvis impersonators, individual performers who mimic the songs and style of Elvis Presley. However, most tribute acts are groups and they are tributes to a certain group or band.

A tribute band usually does not include members of the original band whose music is being honored. If a member is included in a band performing the music of their original group, the band is seen as a spin-off band or an inspired by band rather than a tribute band, however, these guest appearances do occur on a regular basis and have the ability to lend some legitimacy to that act.

Many tribute bands, in addition to playing the music of an artist or group, also try to emulate the vocal styles and overall appearance of that group, to make as close an approximation as possible. However, in some cases the tribute act consciously introduces a twist on the original act or sometimes writes their own original compositions as part of their inspiration. Tribute bands usually name themselves based on the original band’s name (sometimes with a pun), or on one of their individual songs or the names of their albums. Although initially created to honor the original bands, many tribute bands have grown to have their own fan base and cult followers of the original acts.

Those bands and artists that have inspired a cult following in their fans tend to have a significant tribute band presence as well, such as Black Sabbath, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Who, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Judas Priest, Neil Diamond, Abba, Kiss, The Grateful Dead, The Rolling Stones, Journey, Genesis, Deep Purple, U2, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, REM, Van Halen, The Ramones, The Eagles, Steely Dan and a host of others. More recently, tribute acts have looked to capitalize on the success of the pop genre, with a heavy focus on newer acts such as One Direction, Adele and Beyonce.

Not all tribute acts use the impersonation style. Some examples perform in their own style, do not look like, or attempt to look like original members, and often tour with former band members. Tribute acts are not always welcomed by the original acts they are patterned after. There have been lawsuits, copyright infringement cases and logo infringement cases that sometimes soured the tribute community, but they still labor on!

In 2012 the first ever TV Show dedicated to tribute bands called “The Tribute Show” made its debut on Australian cable TV, Aurora Community Channel on Foxtel in Australia. The show is still currently on air. In 2013, a television series entitled “The World’s Greatest Tribute Bands” appeared on American cable television network AXS TV. There have been several instances where members of a tribute band have been called up to join the actual band they were paying tribute to, or a related band that features members of that band, after a current member dies or leaves the group. This is often seen as a great way for bands to carry on since tribute band members have usually studied their part and can closely replicate the musical parts of the original artists Tribute bands seem to be booming as the groups they emulate succumb to frayed vocal cords, blown eardrums and the “Grim Reaper”. An online search pulls up a staggering array of groups that sound, and often

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look, like every classic rock act, from Air Supply to Frank Zappa. It’s gotten to the point where if there isn’t a clone band out there of you, you really aren’t successful.

Some of these tribute bands do a very good job of re-creating what that original band used to be, adding that for many fans, the powerful tug of nostalgia is tough to resist. If you’re going out to a bar, often it’s simply more fun to see a tribute group than some band you’ve never heard of.

And while legally, tribute bands tread that thin line between fair use and infringement (and legal skirmishes have occasionally flared up), generally the stars are big enough, and the bands small enough, to coexist peacefully. Such bands say they help keep the music alive and add that the originals have from time to time been spotted in the audience at their tributes.

the average tribute band. But at least there is a guarantee of a built-in audience and some of the larger national touring acts do garner some level of success. Go to any populated city in the country tonight, and you’ll find a tribute band of some kind playing. Make that any city in almost any country, Italy is surpassing England as the fastest-growing hub of tribute bands. With concert prices going up, there’s a great appeal to paying a lot less to hear the music you love.

In this series in the coming months, I will interview touring tribute bands on a local, regional and national level. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get a few from other countries around the world to get the feel of the international scene! Oh yes, and I will be there with pics also so my readers can see them as well as read about them!

Until next month, Keep on Rockin”!

Typically there isn’t huge money to be made by Australian Bee Gees at The State Theatre for the Arts - Easton, PA

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Bongo Boy Rock ‘N’ Roll TV Show “Across Nations We Unite Our Love” Episode 1041 Pre-review by Michael McKenna The Bongo Boy Rock n’ Roll TV Show presents “Indie Music Videos From Around The World”, a TV show series that features 7 new Indie Music Videos from talented artists worldwide for broadcast on real TV. We have 30 TV Channels of syndicated distribution with 8 major cable companies that is now in it’s 5th year of production. The TV show can be seen by more than 15 million people across the USA, The UK and Canada. Each episode is broadcast on television by cable networks such as: NBCUniversal Comcast, Cablevision, TimeWarner Cable, Verizon/FiOS, RNC, Charter Communications, AT&T and Suddenlink on prime time in the USA. The show can also be seen Go Indie TV Roku Channel. TV GUIDE located at www. bongoboytv.com

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Kicking things off is one of the 2 winners of the Bongo Boy TV Indie Music Video Contest sponsored

by Bongo Boy Records and Strait Def Entertainment. j and the 9’s from the depths of Brooklyn, NY give it up with “Ball & Chain”, that features a driving punk-laced urban/rock street sound. Reminds me of an early Joan Jett! Music Video Director Christopher Lovenguth, jandthe9s.com facebook.com/jandthe9s Hailing from Sydney Australia is Priyanka Pri Pri with her music video “Without You” kicks it into high gear with that down-under techno/dance sound and some killer vocals! Music Video Director: Andy B. facebook. com/priyanka.PriPrimusic priprimusic.com/ From Budapest, Hungary, and now in London, Roadhouse Records artist, Barbara Kiss and her Pop music video “Catch Me” reminds me of a cross of the Gin Blossoms music and Belinda Carlisle’s vocals...

Way cool! Music Video Director Bence Karacsonyi Http://www.barbara-kiss.com, facebook.com/barbarakissmusic http://www.roadhouserecords.net, www. facebook.com/roadhouserecords Fort Lauderdale’s Ramon Robison brings his unique balance of both New School and Old School to the forefront with his music video “Watch Your Words”

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by Absoloot that keeps it real with a jamming down beat and awesome rapping! Music Video Director: Ramon Absoloot Robinson facebook.com/absolootmusic absolootblog.com From Bensheim, Germany, recording artist Grayhound O.C.D gives it up on this music video “And I Love You” that sees him digging deep with this heartfelt tune that expresses his feelings.

Music Video Director: Sven Hessel grayhoundocd.com facebook.com/grayhoundocd Sonic Adventure Project from Marchtrenk Austria, and their music video “A New Morning”, has Alex Dobner nailing the vocals with his powerful pipes. facebook.com/sonicadventureproject clipwerkstatt.at Putting the icing on the cake is the Jersey Shore’s, Nick DeStefano,who brings us a powerful music video, “We Seek Higher Ground”, as Nick talks about the damage that the super-storm Sandy did to the New Jersey coast. Touching! Music Video Director:

Nick DeStefano facebook.com/nicholas.destefano.79 thespidersband.com The show is produced by Grammy Member/Garage Rock Guru Gar Francis and musicologist Monique Grimme. A complete list of dates, times, areas of broadcast and TV stations can be found on the official website. www.bongoboytv.com The Bongo Boy Rock n’ Roll TV Show is produced by Gar Francis and Monique Grimme and is fully funded by all the indie musicians in each episode and Bongo Boy Records.

Bongo Boy TV produces and distributes the Bongo Boy Rock n’ Roll TV Show which spotlights indie music videos from around the world. Each episode broadcast on television on cable networks such as: NBCUniversal Comcast, Cablevision, TimeWarner Cable, Verizon/FiOS, RNC, Charter Communications, AT&T and Suddenlink on prime time in the USA. The show can also be seen Go Indie TV Roku Channel.

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BONGO BOY ROCK & ROLL TV SHOW “The Game of Love” Episode 1042” Pre-Review by Michael McKenna The Bongo Boy Rock n’ Roll TV Show presents “Indie Music Videos From Around The World”, a TV show series that features 7 new Indie Music Videos from talented artists worldwide for broadcast on real TV. Their 30 TV Channels of syndicated distribution with 8 major cable companies is now in it’s fifth year of production. The TV show can be seen by more than 15 million people across the USA, The UK and Canada. Each episode is broadcast on television and on cable networks such as: NBCUniversal Comcast, Cablevision, TimeWarner Cable, Verizon/ FiOS, RNC, Charter Communications, AT&T and Suddenlink on prime time in the USA. The show can also be seen Go Indie TV Roku Channel. TV GUIDE located at www.bongoboytv.com Produced by Grammy Member/Garage Rock Guru Gar Francis and musicologist Monique Grimme. A

complete list of dates, times, areas of broadcast and TV stations can be found on the official website. www.bongoboytv.com Kicking things into gear is Los Angeles based alternative rockers, Forty Point, with their awesome ‘totally out of the box’ video, “New Dimension” with pounding percussion and screaming guitars and vocals that hit home. This is way cool! http://www.facebook.com/fortypointmusic Originally from London, England and now in the Big Apple, Ozonna, with his video, “We Glow”, gives a rousing performance which inspires young people as he tells them, “No telling who we can be..” Music Video Director: Blake Farber ozonna.com facebook.com/ozonnamusic

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From Baltimore, MD, comes Septimius The Great, named after the Roman Emperor, with his music video, “Who’s The Sexiest” that gives the listener a cool story along with a banging urban sound. Music Video Director: Kareem Davis and BRL Productions www.septimiusthegreat.com www.facebook.com/ septimiusthegreat From Moji-Fukuoka, Japan and now making his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, is a retro/mod video

by Crab Bubbles feat. Dale Lee Richards, “Fool For Your Love”. Music Video Director: MoPromo Productions https://www.facebook.com/pages/ CRAB-BUBBLES-BAND/192152264193777 FLINTface from Philadelphia Pennsylvania brings us a powerful message with his music video “Army of Rejects”. Music Video Director: David Claessen and Andrea Jako. This music video is sponsored by Michael McKenna, Steel Notes Magazine. http:// www.fintface.com, https://www.facebook.com/ FLINTface From Kiev, Ukraine, making her US Television debut, is Masha Pruss with her music video, “Twisted”, where her multi-ranging angelic voice is mated to some awesome orchestral music with some cool

violins! Music Video Director: Masha Pruss http:// www.mashapruss.com Closing out the show is a music video from Samie Bisaso and his music video “Live For You”, an inspirational song of faith he performed live in East Africa. Music Video Director: Same Bisaso https:// www.facebook.com/samiebisasoofficial http://www. samiebisaso.com The Bongo Boy Rock n’ Roll TV Show is produced

by Gar Francis and Monique Grimme and is fully funded by sponsorships from all the indie musicians and their affiliations in each episode and Bongo Boy Records.

Bongo Boy TV, produces and distributes the Bongo Boy Rock n’ Roll TV Show, which spotlights indie music videos from around the world in the USA, The UK and Canada. Each episode is broadcast on television and on cable networks such as: NBC Universal Comcast, Cablevision, Time Warner Cable, Verizon/FiOS, RNC, Charter Communications, AT&T and Suddenlink at prime time in the USA. The show can also be seen Go Indie TV Roku Channel. There are currently 2 broadcast regions which an artist can place their music video for broadcast.

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www.MayfairFestival.org www.Facebook.com/MayfairFestival

Bluegrass Fest Blues Fest Folk Fest Country Fest Jazz Fest Plus, featured concerts 2 outdoor stages 1 indoor stage 100+ Artist Booths Fine Art Gallery Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hands-on Arts Center Food Vendors Mayfair Festival of the Arts, now in its 29th year! May 22-25, 2015 Steel Notes Magazine | 69

BONGO BOY ROCK & ROLL TV SHOW “The Game of Love” Episode 1045” Pre-Review by Michael McKenna The Bongo Boy Rock n’ Roll TV Show presents “Indie Music Videos From Around The World”, a TV show series that features 7 new Indie Music Videos from talented artists worldwide for broadcast on real TV. Their 30 TV Channels of syndicated distribution with 8 major cable companies is now in it’s fifth year of production. The TV show can be seen by more than 15 million people across the USA, The UK and Canada. Each episode is broadcast on television and on cable networks such as: NBCUniversal Comcast, Cablevision, TimeWarner Cable, Verizon/ FiOS, RNC, Charter Communications, AT&T and Suddenlink on prime time in the USA. The show can also be seen Go Indie TV Roku Channel. TV GUIDE located at www.bongoboytv.com Produced by Grammy Member/Garage Rock Guru Gar Francis and musicologist Monique Grimme. A

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complete list of dates, times, areas of broadcast and TV stations can be found on the official website. www.bongoboytv.com Kicking things off for this episode is Roadhouse Records artist, Barbara Kiss from Budapest, Hungary, and now residing in London, with her Bubblegum/Rock of the 80’s pop music video “Catch Me” which sounds a lot like The Bangles!

Video Director: Bence Karacsonyi Links: http://www. facebook.com/barbarakissmusic , Label website: Http://www.barbara-kiss.com, http:// www.roadhouserecords.net, www.facebook.com/ roadhouserecords From Bensheim, Germany, recording artist Grayhound O.C.D gives it up on this awesome music video “And I Love You” Music Video Director: Sven

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Hessel http://www.grayhoundocd.com, http://www. facebook.com/grayhoundocd FLINTface from Philadelphia Pennsylvania brings us a musical message that soulfully weaves hopeful tales of the complex path of life, and how we can summon inner strength to triumph in the face of adversity with his music video “Army of Rejects”.

Music Video Director: David Claessen and Andrea Jako. This music video is sponsored by Michael McKenna of Steel Notes Magazine. https://www.facebook.com/FLINTface, FLINTFACE.com Sonic Adventure Project from the Alpine town of Marchtrenk Austria, and their music video “A New Morning” offers the listener a deep look inside of a person dealing with the intricacies of love, changes in the relationship and the breakup factor.

Way cool! Music Video Director: www.clipwerkstatt. at, http://www.starmill.at, http://www.facebook.com/ sonicadventureproject From Moji - Fukuoka Japan and now making his home in Scottsdale, Arizona is a 60’s based retro/mod music video by Crab Bubbles feat Dale Lee Richards and their new single “Fool For Your Love”. Music Video Director: MoPromo Productions. facebook.com/pages/ CRAB-BUBBLES-BAND/192152264193777

a strong statement, “We Seek Higher Ground”.

Music Video Director: Nick DeStefano. http://www. facebook.com/nicholas.destefano.79, http://www.thespidersband.com Also returning to Bongo Boy TV is Sarantos from Chicago, Illinois with his latest music video, “We Accept The Love We Think We Deserve”. This 80’s based love song rings true with what we accept in relationships with their daily ups and downs. http://www.melogia.com http://www.facebook.com/ sarantosmelogia The Bongo Boy Rock n’ Roll TV Show is produced by Gar Francis and Monique Grimme and is fully funded by all the indie musicians in each episode and Bongo Boy Records.

Bongo Boy TV produces and distributes the Bongo Boy Rock n’ Roll TV Show which spotlights indie music videos from around the world. Each episode broadcast on television on cable networks such as: NBCUniversal Comcast, Cablevision, TimeWarner Cable, Verizon/FiOS, RNC, Charter Communications, AT&T and Suddenlink on prime time in the USA. The show can also be seen Go Indie TV Roku Channel.

There are currently 2 broadcast regions which an artist can place his music video for broadcast.

Back again from the Jersey Shore, Nick DeStefano, who brings us a powerful music video which makes

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New Show Added To 2015 Season!

On Sale to Members March 3rd - JOIN TODAY! On Sale to Public March 10!

Fri., May 1, 2015

8 PM - $136(Gold Circle)/$116/$96 Limit 10 tickets per Member per performance during Members Only sales.

Please remember a user name and password is required to order tickets online during member sales.

Click this ad to purchase tickets, visit www.statetheatre.org Or visit the Box Office at 453 Northampton St. in Easton 1-800-999-STATE (610-252-3132) Š Home of the FREDDY Awards

OPENS 90 MIN PRIOR TO SHOW!

TICKET PRICES DO NOT COVER ALL PERFORMANCE AND OPERATING EXPENSES. steelnotesmagazine.com 74 | Steel Notes Magazine Please become a Member of the non-profit State Theatre and help secure our future.

THE STATE THEATRE PRESENTS A ONE NIGHT II,” followed up “Tony Bennett Duets: An American ONLY PERFORMANCE BY MULTIPLE GRAMMY Classic” CD, released in 2006. 2012 marked the 50th anniversary of the singer’s signature song, “I Left AWARD-WINNER TONY BENNETT “The man is a living legend, his music will last for ages” - Michael McKenna – Steel Notes Magazine “We aren’t likely to see a recording career like this again.” - The New York Times “….his voice is still a technical marvel, and no one else on Earth can make a lyric written eight decades ago sound as natural as a conversation at a coffee shop.” - New York Magazine The State Theatre in Easton , PA proudly presents TONY BENNETT, the 17 time Grammy Awardwinning musician whose music spans over six decades on Friday, May 1st at 8 PM . Tickets range from $96 to $136 and will go on sale to State Theatre Members on Tuesday, March 3 at 10 am.

During Members Only sales there is a 10 ticket limit.

Public sales will begin Tuesday, March 10th. Tickets and Theatre Memberships can be purchased in person at the State Theatre Box Office, by phone at 1-800-999-STATE (610-25203132) or online at www. statetheatre.org.

With worldwide record sales in the millions, and dozens of platinum and gold albums to his credit, TONY BENNETT is a musician who touches the hearts and souls of audiences with his legendary vocals and charming stage presence. His long list of achievements, spanning over 60 years, includes eighteen Grammy Awards, including the prestigious Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, making this artist a true international treasure. His signature tunes, such as “Steppin’ Out With My Baby” and “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” form part of the fabric of American music culture. Often billed as the world’s most boyish octogenarian, TONY BENNETT is a vital musical artist at the peak of his powers.

Tony Bennett’s daughter, Antonia Bennett has been touring with her father and will open the performance with a collection of jazz/pop standards.

Antonia Bennett is a graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music.

Tony Bennett celebrated his 85th birthday in 2011 with the release of “Duets II” and made music history by making Tony the oldest artist to ever have a #1 CD on the Billboard album charts. “Duets

My Heart in San Francisco .” as well as the release of a new documentary film, THE ZEN OF BENNETT, created and conceived by Tony’s son and manager Danny Bennett. Bennett also authored his fourth book, LIFE IS A GIFT, released in 2012 and entered the NY Times Best Seller list.

In 2014, Tony Bennett released a collaborative album with Lady Gaga, CHEEK TO CHEEK featuring these two legendary artists performing jazz standards. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Album charts making Bennett the oldest musical artist, at the age of 88, to have an album top the Billboard 200 and won the Grammy Award in the Best Traditional Pop Album category. Tony Bennett is a Kennedy Center Honoree, an NEA Jazz Master and a recipient of the United Nation’s Humanitarian and Citizen of the World honors.

TONY BENNETT is also a talented painter. He has exhibited his work in galleries around the world, and three of his original paintings are part of the permanent collection in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington , DC .

Throughout his career, TONY BENNETT has put his heart and time into supporting humanitarian concerns and joined with Dr. Martin Luther King in the historic Selma march in 1965. His many charitable works include raising millions towards Diabetes, and lending his artwork to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. In 2007, he was honored by the United Nations. Together with his wife, Susan, TONY BENNETT established the charitable organization, Exploring The Arts (ETA) to support arts education in public high schools. Tony founded Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, a NYC public high school in his hometown of Astoria , Queens and ETA now supports 14 additional NYC public high schools throughout New York City and just expanded to support three public arts high schools in Los Angeles .

For More Information On Tony Bennett: www.tonybennett.com www.exploringthearts.org

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MARSHALL TUCKER BAND “Searchin’ for a Rainbow” Tour 2015 Pre-Review by Michael McKenna The iconic Marshall Tucker Band, MTB, are back in a big way and preparing to kick-off their 44th year on the road with the 2015 “Searchin’ for a Rainbow Tour.” Marshall Tucker, known for his gritty style of combined rock, country, and jazz They released their debut album, The Marshall Tucker Band, in March 1973. They gained recognition through a tour with the Allman Brothers Band and found significant success during the course of the ‘70s, with most of their albums going gold. Their peak came with the million-selling album “Carolina Dreams” and its Top 15 single “Heard It in a Love Song” in 1977. Since then, the group has continued to write, record, and tour, and entertain fans from around the world.

The tour began on Jan. 23 in Greensboro, N.C., before criss-crossing the country to finish up in Steelville, Mo., in October of this year. During that span of dates, they will be performing at The Sellersville Theater in Sellersville, PA on Wednesday, March 18th, Mike Short Jr. will be the opener.

Lead singer Doug Gray said “It’s looking like 2015 is shaping up to be our biggest tour schedule in years.

We are so thankful that our fans have stuck with us for over four decades and continue to pack our shows.

We’re still out there searchin’ for that rainbow.”

Last year, the group released “Live From Englishtown,” a recording of their 1977 concert at Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J., which includes a live version of “Searchin’ for a Rainbow,” the title track of their 1975 album and the song for which this tour is named.

“I didn’t take out any of the bad parts, and I didn’t change or edit anything,” Gray says about “Live From Englishtown.” “All we did was make it sound better. It was worth the time and worth the effort, because I put myself back on that stage in 1977, when you just walked out there, and you sang your heart out, and the audience was flipping out and loving it. It was a moment in time. It was overwhelming. That’s really all I can say about it.”

Tickets for the show are available via the Sellersville Theater or on their website: http://www.st94.com

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KID ROCK Announces Summer Tour!

Kid Rock is looking to repeat last year’s successful “$20 Best Night Ever” tour with a new outing.

Supporting his forthcoming album “First Kiss,” Kid Rock and the Twisted Brown Trucker Band will be hitting the road with for a tour of North America, with the opening show on June 24th at the The Xfinity Theatre in Hartford. The 35-date tour will hit major cities in the U.S., including six nights in Kid Rock’s hometown of Detroit, before winding up at the White River Amphitheatre in Auburn, Washington on Sept. 5.

Tickets for this tour will be handled as they were for the last run, with every effort made to keep fees down and scalpers at bay. Tickets from the 2nd row to the lawn will be $20, with reduced parking and service fees keeping the total ticket price at $30 or under. $20 all-in tickets (including parking) will be offered at participating Wal-Mart stores and at the venue box offices.

Foreigner will be providing support on the Live Nation-produced tour.

Tour Dates & Venues Jun 24 - Hartford, CT - The Xfinity Theatre

Jul 10 - Virginia Beach, VA - Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach Jul 11 - Raleigh, NC - Walnut Creek Amphitheatre Jul 14 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion Jul 16 - West Palm Beach, FL - Coral Sky Amphitheatre Jul 18 - Tampa, FL - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre Jul 19 - Atlanta, GA - Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood Jul 22 - Woodlands, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman Jul 23 - Dallas, TX - Gexa Energy Pavilion Jul 25 - Maryland Heights, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Jul 26 - Tinley Park, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre Jul 30 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center Aug 01 - Noblesville, IN - Klipsch Music Center Aug 02 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center Aug 04 - Darien, NY - Darien Lake Performing Arts Center

Jun 25 - Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center

Aug 07 to 15 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theater

Jun 27 - Scranton, PA - The Pavilion at Montage Mountain

Aug 26 - Phoenix, AZ - Ak-Chin Pavilion

Jun 28 - Burgettstown, PA - First Niagara Pavilion Jun 30 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center Jul 02 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center Jul 03 - Bethel, NY - Bethel Woods Center for the Arts Jul 07 - Camden, NJ - Susquehanna Bank Center Jul 08 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live

Aug 27 - Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater Aug 29 - San Bernadino, CA - San Manuel Amphitheater Aug 30 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre Sep 02 - Marysville, CA - Sleep Train Amphitheatre Sep 04 - Ridgefield, WA - Amphitheater Northwest Sep 05 - Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheatre

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REVIEWS

KID ROCK “First Kiss” Kid Rock is back with his 10th studio effort that some would say is a departure from his norms. As he get older, he sees his audience getting more mature, hence, he decided to take this effort the same way. The sounds emanating from it are more easygoing, fun and relaxing. The back end is crisp and clean, but at the same time, those guitars still exude lots of positive energy! This is his first effort since departing long-time label, Atlantic, for his new home at Warner Brothers.

His blue-collar roots are very much in evidence as one takes a ride through this CD. The title track, “First Kiss”, gives us a look back at his first squeeze, Jenny Clayton, riding in his old Chevy pickup with a couple of friends, Tom Petty on the radio and wishing he could go back in time. “Good Times, Cheap Wine” has that cool classic southern-rock sound where he talks about not following the latest trends like your Twitter tweets and Facebook posts and get this, Coldplay! “..Fine wine , sunshine, Baby, I’ll never get old..love me the way I am..” “Johnny Cash” talks about the sun shining on Kentucky, drinking bourbon by the bunches and I wanna be your Johnny Cash and lay you down in that bluegrass! This track kicks ass!!

by Michael McKenna

going on in the world today!

“Good Time Looking For Me” is clean, fresh and has that down home feel. He talks about “a juke joint jumping with whiskey flowing like a river.” The ragtime piano and fiddle add so much depth and that way cool sound! “Best of Me” laments about what he hasn’t done in his life, but he thanks the Lord for what he has chosen and done! “One More Song” has a bit of that John Mellancamp sound to it, especially in Rock’s vox and that cool slide guitar work! “Jesus and Bocephus” comes from the heart backed by a solemn church organ and keening fiddle where he finds himself in the twin shadows of the son of God and the son of Hank Williams Sr. described as “two sets of footprints in the sand.”

The bonus track, “Say Goodbye”, has a fun mid-tempo sound where the acoustic guitar stands out and the message that is sent tells an awesome story.

This entire collection of music is a step forward for Rock, who takes it back to the roots and enhances all levels of that music to create this masterpiece.

This is a MUST LISTEN!! I give this CD my highest rating, A STANDING OVATI

“Ain’t Enough Whiskey” is going to become a classic drinking song like George Thorogood’s “One Bourbon, One Shot, One Beer”. “Drinking Beer With Dad” digs into some of the best times he had with his dad, drinking a beer on the back porch picking guitars and grinning. It also tells young men they should do the same because of all the fast changes

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Ronnie Wood Says Stones To Tour US In Summer 2015 Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood revealed that the band is planning a tour of North America in the summer of 2015. Wood let the information slip during an interview with music journalist Gary Graff at radio station WRIF, saying ”Oh yeah, we had a meeting in New York with the boys, and we’re gonna come to North America again in the summer.”

The Stones last tour of the U.S. was 2013, when they were on their 50th anniversary outing. Produced by AEG, the tour featured numerous special guests, including Taylor Swift, Tom Waits, Lady Gaga and the Black Keys among others.

More recently, they concluded their year long 14 On Fire Tour, which hit Europe, Asia and Australia before closing out with a show on Nov. 22nd at Mount Smart Stadium in New Zealand

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photo by Sheri Bayne

photo by Bob Klein

PUNK ROCK BLITZKRIEG - MY LIFE AS A RAMONE”

by Marky Ramone Book Review by Michael McKenna From his early years to present day, Marc Bell -aka- Marky Ramone puts it all on the table as he bares his soul and talks about his life experiences, the trials and tribulations of being a musician, and the many roads he has taken along the way, in this well-written, documented read.

Reading about his young years on the tough streets of Brooklyn at 640 Ditmas Avenue in the 60’s, the music he was exposed to, the lessons he learned, his first drum kit, his first apartment studio his early band mates who became lifelong friends, his first loves and yes the down times and the associated consequences as an societal outcast are all documented here very vividly!

His early influences set the pace for what was to become his lifelong career as a drummer. The Brit Invasion of The Beatles, Rolling Stones and the Dave Clark 5 and yes, The Who, and their drummer Keith Moon who would be the main influence to Marky. He mastered his wild drum fills and accents which would be the beginning of his signature style.

Right around this time, 12 years old, he met Kenny Aaronson, who would become well-known in music

circles also.

The music of Jimi Hendrix came into play as Marky would listen to the play of his drummer, Mitch Mitchell. Percussionist Hal Blaine from the infamous Wrecking Crew and Ginger Baker from the supergroup, Cream, provided Marky with lifetime influences that refined his talents as he emulated their styles.. The combination of all these set the tone for what was to come. He would learn to master time changes, triplets, quads and double-stroke rolls in the lead role and in the support roles.

I like the part of the book where he befriended the doorman at Bill Graham’s Fillmore East and would go into the theater with his band and play on the stage after every band left after the sound checks.

He actually played John Bonham’s kit while still in high school. He would also get to see the likes of Iron Butterfly, Buddy Guy, Jethro Tull and Zep, all for free...COOL! Marky joined a band named “ESTUS”, recorded an LP with them that went nowhere and left to pursue other interests. He tried another band, “WAYNE COUNTY & THE BACKSTREET BOYS”, yes, that was their name, which was fronted by a transvestite, that didn’t last long at all. It was during this era that he would go to Max’s Kansas City where he would be exposed to players like Debbie Harry, David Johansen, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper and David Bowie. It wasn’t until he got to CBGB’s that he met bassist Doug Colvin(Dee Dee Ramone), Jeff Hyman(Joey Ramone) and Thomas Erdelyi(Tommy Ramone). This would be his first contact with this band of punkers. He would then be exposed to the first Ramones self-titled album. Also figuring into all this was a rag called the “Village Voice” that was deep into the punk scene.

At this time punk had only taken hold in

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New York City and London, which did not help album sales at all. Well, finally the shit had hit the fan! The bills weren’t getting paid, drugs had invaded their tight little unit and some of the guys were totally off the hook. Marky had enough! Bye Bye! It was time to think about the future! Marky had a meet at Max’s with Johnny which would be the start of him being part of the Ramones family. The next step after the audition was recording a new album at Media Sound in the city. “Road to Ruin” gave birth to “I Wanna Be Sedated” and a cover of Needles and Pins”. By now the corporate biggies like Black Sabbath, AC DC and Aerosmith were ruling the airwaves but it was the arrival of Van Halen that turned Marky’s head.

many including Marky who had called him a close friend. It was a night he would remember throughout his life. And yes, about this time, John and Joey were starting to hit rock bottom! The 80’s were not kind to The Ramones. MTV debuted in August of ‘81 and still the band got no respect from the media.

They wanted exposure on the airwaves, but the corporate assholes upstairs turned their collective noses up at them.

Meanwhile, alcohol was taking control of Marky and aggression was setting in. In January of 1983, Joey gave Marky the bad news. His drinking had alienated him with the band and he was OUT! He was no longer in the band!

Marky made changes in his approach by tightening the head, using larger cymbals, all made to give the band a much more powerful projection of sound.

He modified “Sedated” by adding more fills and upped the pace. It worked! He was now a Ramone!

Marky Ramone!

Talks were also heating up for a movie called “Rock ‘N’ Roll High School”. They went to Cali to start filming and stayed at The Tropicana on Santa Monica Blvd that had been trashed by the best of them from Morrison to Zep to The Runaways. You all know what happens in the movie!

I like the part when Marky returns to New York City on John Street in the financial district and throws wads of money out the window and watches all manner of people, from young to old, scatter like roaches on a feeding frenzy! It said, “It was survival of the fattest”, What a laugh! He finally found out what Reagan meant by Trickle-Down Economcs!

Here’s something cool! They stopped at a Cracker Barrel near Syracuse and bought half the menu to eat. When they were leaving, Dee Dee asked Marky if he had desert? Marky said, “NO”, Dee Dee pointed to the bugs on the windshield. Marky says, “How Much?”, Dee Dee says, “$25”, Marky says, “Each”, Dee Dee, “NO”, Joey says, “I got 25 of that”....After 3 bugs, Marky’s other half says, “You’re gonna get sick”, Marky says, “I just made $75!” AWESOME!

The shit was about to hit the fan and splatter! Marky fell asleep after drinking one day and ran his Caddy thru the window of a furniture store. His dad gave him a stern intervention because he had crossed that invisible line drawn in the sand and man did that hurt him, he was shaken to the max! It was off So they welcomed the 80’s as a dysfunctional bunch to the rehab! He made it thru and got his certificate, and were not a happy family as they once were.

The night John Lennon was killed greatly depressed Relapse came quickly though. He started to live the

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lie and was in total denial. He lost his home, his wife and was on the street, living at a friendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flop for the time being. He came to the conclusion he wanted to change, but didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know the way to do it. This was the real wake-up call!

He was ready to admit to himself and others his addiction. Near the end, plans were made and he promised himself, he was now a recovering alcoholic!

Marky was ready to make his move back to music, but the bars was where it was and also where the booze was too. His strength, mental and spiritual training were about to be tested. He had all the tools, now was the chance to put them to work.

A funny thing then happened, The Ramones Mgr, Monte, called and said their drummer up and quit, this was the return to The Ramones for Marky! It had been four long years, but it was like he never left. A higher power was involved!

There was still the insanity, neuroses, arguments, feuds, innuendos and other shit that pervaded the band, but onstage it was a different ballgame. The lunacy was still there, but Marky photo by Mike McKenna stuck to his guns and let it go over his head. Music was his love and he pursued it with a new passion. Joey was still off the hook and Marky so much wanted to help him.

The 90â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s came into being and business again took hold as Budweiser used one of their songs for a commercial. Bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden were out there and hardcore like Anthrax and Biohazard were making millions. Right about this time, Green Day was born! The Ramones sound of many decades was finally going mainstream, but the end was coming soon. The Ramones were going into the history books as a band.

This book details the ups and downs, the trials and tribulations, the good times and the bad times, the drugs, the booze, the women and most of all THE MUSIC! There are so many parts of this book that had me riveted and had captured my attention. This book is an excellent read. Once you start, and get captured by the events that unfold, it is hard to put it down.

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photo by Mike McKenna

photo by Mike McKenna

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photo by Bob Klein

photo by Bob Klein

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photo by Sheri Bayne

photo by Sheri Bayne

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photo by Sheri Bayne

photo by Sheri Bayne

photo by Sheri Bayne

photo by Sheri Bayne

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photo by Sheri Bayne

photo by Sheri Bayne

photo by Sheri Bayne

photo by Sheri Bayne

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photo by Sheri Bayne

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SHOW REVIEWS by Michael Dorn Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg with Andrew W. K. January 17, 2015

the Ramones played their final show. Andrew W. K. is the perfect choice to front Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg. He doesn’t try to be a Joey Ramone clone and, with respect to the songs and Joey, he doesn’t stray far from the original recordings.

Leather-clad Ramones fans and, in some cases, their young children, got exactly what they came to hear: a true Ramone performing the band’s classics -- “Sheena is a Punk Rocker,” “The KKK Took My Baby Away,” “ Pinhead,” “ Rock & Roll High School” “ I Wanna Be Sedated,”” Pet Semetary,”” I Don’t Wanna Walk Around with You,”” Poison Heart,” Show time was set for 9:00 pm, but fans started “Bonzo Goes to Bitburg (My Brain is Hanging filling in the Gramercy Theatre by 7:00 pm to get Upside Down),” “I Believe in Miracles,” and “I Don’t Care.” a good spot. Many were already in the theatre because Marky started off the night signing Throughout each song, it was clear the band copies of his new book; Punk Rock Blitzkrieg: was having a good time on stage. Other than My Life as a Ramone. Before Marky Ramone’s the “1-2-3-4!” count-off of each song, no time Blitzkrieg took the stage, the crowd was treatwas wasted talking between each song. The ed to a short film on the history of rock’n’roll. band played two encores, each consisting of It started with early clips of the Beatles, Elvis several songs. Before the first encore, Marky Presley, The Who, and eventually worked up to thanked his audience for coming to the show, the Ramones. and for making his new book a best-seller.

Gramercy Theatre New York, NY

After the movie was finished, the screen ascended into the rafters, and moments later the band took the stage. No pyrotechnics were needed, no grand entrance. The kids were all hopped up and ready to go. The only thing the sold-out crowd needed to hear was the signature count-off, “1-2-3-4!”

The band opened with “Rockaway Beach” and continued their musical assault for 35 more songs. Marky’s stamina was pretty impressive during his 15 years with the Ramones, and it’s even more impressive nearly 20 years after

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He also thanked CBGB owner, Hilly Kristal, for giving the Ramones their start. The night ended nearly two hours after the first song with “Blitzkrieg Bop,” and the crowd chanting the Ramones’ battle cry, “Hey Ho, Let’s Go!” No audience member left disappointed, and many would gladly have stayed longer to hear more. Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg is a must-see for Ramones fans. For more information on Marky, including tour dates, check out his website: http://www.markyramone.com/ --- Michael Dorn

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REVIEWS by Michael McKenna 50 Years of FLAMIN’ HARRY Tour With the Skyla Burrell Blues Band 2nd Story Blues – Bethlehem, PA The night was cold, the people who came out were just as bold and after the night was over, there were countless stories to be told! And what a story it was! It started with this reviewer’s decision that this show was more important than a concert of a multi-platinum national classic rock act!

Sometimes, one must pay homage to a musician who has paid his dues over the past 50 years, a musician who has the utmost respect of his peers worldwide, and a blues guitarist who many agree is a living legend! He has won numerous awards -- including The Philadelphia Music Lifetime Achievement Award -- and in 2014 was inducted into the N.Y. Blues Hall of Fame. He was also given the 1997 and 2012 “Keeping the Blues Alive” award for the Philadelphia region.

George Thorogood of the (Delaware) Destroyers described him as, “the most underrated guitar player in North America”, and he is rated as the premier blues/rock guitarist on the East Coast. His unique style delivers a powerful brand of progressive blues/ rock combined with guitar-driven riffs that project a sultry blues attitude – it’s become his signature sound over the years.

And now the story begins! When the night was still young, a lady with powerful pipes took the stage with her band, the Skyla Burrell Blues Band! Her high energy style of blues vox has been described as “sassy, sexy and full of fire”. Her hard-driven blues guitar was accented by her masterful manipulation of the frets, and was backed up by Mark Tomlinson’s wailing-yet-precise dual lead guitar, Charlie Hilbert’s fat-sounding bass rhythms and Ezell Jones’s banging percussion work.

Her set consisted mainly of her originals (with changing tempos) along with a few classics thrown in for good measure. The set featured Skyla’s and Mark’s dueling guitar solos, Ezell’s masterful drum

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rides and Skyla’s vocals tinged with a bit of that bluesy rasp that sounded so sexy!

Positive vibes just oozed from the stage; everyone could tell the band was having a lot of fun with some of their boogie-blues numbers. Charlie even traded in his bass for a turn at lead with an awesome solo that rocked the foundations.

The chanting then started!”harry, Harry, HARRY!!”

The “Bluzpirate,” touched by the SRO crowd, took the stage in a blaze of music that took the energy of the house to a new level. Harry’s absence from the stage over the past few years was totally erased after the first note came from his wailing guitar!

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Die-hard FHB fans were treated to a set of original music and a cover or two from this blues master.

The FHB played tracks from all 6 of their CDs, featuring talented bottom-man Chuck Hearne, with his fat sounds on bass, and percussionist John Kehoe laying it all out on his kit. The acoustics were just right as Harry moved from song-to-song in his trademark seamless manner; and the three masterful musicians produced Harry’s awesome signature sound – full of flair and that groovin’ blues feeling. He gave us a surprise with some new tracks that just blew me clear across the room! Yes, Harry is back and in a big way!

I’m counting down the days until a new CD is released and when I’ll be able to go to another one of these wonderful shows. I have very vivid memories of those old Lehigh Parkway outdoor concerts and the shows at the Airport Music Hall! This show at 2nd Story Blues, a newly resurrected venue, was beyond most description that I could give. Kudos to those who put this show and venue together. I couldn’t have asked for a better night of music!

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SHOW REVIEWS by Michael McKenna Mike & The Mechanics

Sands Event Center As he made his 2nd stop on his 2015 US Tour, Mike Rutherford said, “We are back and back in a big way!

This is our first time back as a group in 20 years and we want to show America that we can still rock with the best of them!” And back they were as they jammed out to a 90 minute – 15 song set, which saw them perform a few of Genesis’ classic standards as well as the hit songs that made them big in the late 80’s.

Mike has surrounded himself with some very talented and experienced players. Gone are vocalists Paul Carrack and the late Paul Young, but they have been replaced by Andrew Roachford performing Carrack’s music and Tim Hower on Young’s rock songs. The perfect blend of these two powerful musicians was evident as they tag-teamed each other throughout the performance doing the R&B and rock parts. Drummer, Gary Wallace, who has been a staple of the group for some years and two other new members, Andrew Drennan on guitars and Luke Juby on keyboards, kept things tight and very professional sounding.

The show opened with “A Beggar on a Beach of Gold”, from their 1995 LP, and had a bit of that Genesis keyboard sound to it. The audience clapping along, recognized the song straight away. “Get Up”, from the “Word of Mouth” LP, kept the energy flowing as Andrew Roachford led the vocals with that R&B flair.

“Silent Running”, a recognizable hit from the mid 80’s, gets everyone seat dancing and singing along in unison.

“Another Cup of Coffee” rocked out with a heavier sound that showed me the band was tight and really enjoying themselves. “Seeing is Believing” and “Trying to Save” followed in short order with that Genesis flavor.

into a bit of a salesman offering CD’s, B sides, T-Shirts and the Genesis video to everyone on their way out!

Now everyone was waiting for another biggie! They were rewarded with the Genesis hit, “I Can Dance” which saw vocalist, Tim Hower, nail this down perfectly.

They quickly followed up with “The Living Years”, which was arguably the high point of the show. The crowd was over the top and gave them a rousing Standing O! Not to be outdone, “ALL I Need Is A Miracle”, which included some timely audience participation that as way cool. Tim Hower worked the crowd with the touch of a perfectionist and had the audience eating out of his hand!

The band left the stage, you know how it’s done, and let the crowd work themselves up a bit before returning. But what would they do? The first strains of “Word of Mouth” had everyone on their feet and the band praised us for being such a great audience!

Mike asked: Would you like us to do some solos?” The crowd said YES, and each band member played a short solo piece after being introduced by Mike. All this time, the crowd keep the rhythm going. Andrew Roachford plays a little of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition”, then it’s Mikes turn with Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” he’s amazing!!! Gary Wallace’s drum solo is fantastic! And predictably, the crowd goes wild! What an awesome gig! The band takes their final bow, the crowd is off the hook wild!

I think this version of The Mechanics equals, if not beats, the former version of Carrack and Young! Look for more from this talented lineup in the future!

The crowd became more energized when they performed the 80’s Genesis classic, “Turn It On Again” which, note for note, was done to sheer perfection.

“Over My Shoulder”, “Nobody’s Perfect”, and “Cuddly Toy” had them clapping along! Mike Rutherford turned

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REVIEWS by Michael McKenna WEAKLEY “Truly Crazy” Hailing from Phoenixville, PA, David Weakley has played with some of the areas notable rock acts including Teeze and Roughhouse from back in the day. Currently he gigs with American Sugar Bitch and does solos on the side as he is trying to get noticed for his creative solo works and production projects looking for licensing and publishing opportunities . You have to admire the effort that this Indie artist puts into his creations and the drive he has to get the word out there for his music.

The ending has him coming to the reality that it is over, but that one person is still there waiting for him. To say that this is a touching song would be an understatement. The creativity put forth here is masterful in the way he gets the message across combined with the melody he uses to compliment the story line.

WELL DONE!

The single, “Truly Crazy”, has Weakley casting himself as that musician who is constantly gigging on the road and those lonely times that he is away from loved ones and family. His experiences with venue owners, promoters and others are vividly expressed as he professes the effects it would have on him and others.

NICHOLAS DeSTEFANO “We Seek Higher Ground” Nick DeStefano has made another splash in New Jersey Indie Music with his new single and video, “We Seek Higher Ground”. Nick, on guitar and vocals, has partnered with Nestor Arcelay on skins and John Henderson on bottom, both well-known veterans of the North Jersey Music Scene for many years. The Classic Rock influences are ever-present as you take a listen to this tune! Nick states, “I am also working on follow up songs that also deal with interesting subjects.”

The single opens with a nice simple guitar sound mated with perfect harmonies. “We seek higher ground, while our memories wash away” is part of the story line which takes you to that higher ground that was part of Superstorm Sandy, that hit the area and the effects it had on the people who lost all their belongings.

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“The night was cold, the power was out, We packed our bags, feel like there’s no way out..we have no where to go, and the family is cold...The visions of the kids throwing their toys away, the tears in their eyes, the pain in their voice.” These lyrics are powerful as they hit home and give the listener a picture of this catastrophe.

The solos enhance the feeling of that loss and the hurt they felt very vividly as Nick rips through the riffs with Nestor’s laid back rides and John’s telling rhythms. For those who have experienced loss of this magnitude, it will bring back memories, for others, it will paint a vivid picture that will not go away! This single is a monster and is a MUST LISTEN!! I give this a hearty 2 THUMBS UP!!

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VIDEO REVIEW

by Michael McKenna PHIL GAMMAGE “Kills Me When You’re Gone” He’s a Rockin’ Blues Powerhouse! His latest LP is filled with 13 tracks that features rockin’ blues classics and his unique originals. “Adventures in Bluesland” on World Wide Vibe Records, has received rave reviews and was rated ‘Best of 2014’ both in the States and Internationally.

There are those who say he has a bit of Elvis in his music. This talented singer, songwriter, blues harp player, harmonica master and guitarist just has that special way of creating a sound that jumps out at you and hold you in its grasp.

“Kills Me When You’re Gone” is a track from that world-wide acclaimed CD that is now in video. It sort of takes one back to the time of some of the great clubs in NYC like CBGB’s with that retro/mod feel that is so 70’s but updated in a refreshing way. The guitars scream at you and pin you to your damn seat.

Yes, one can hear the Elvis in Phil’s vibrato vox along with that telling style of Eric Burdon and the laid-back forcefulness of a Chris Isaac that come together in a luscious marriage of a full sound.

The CD is produced by Kevin Tooley who does double duty as the drummer/percussionist, Richard Demier provides the fat sound on bottom, Don Fiorino manipulates the lap steel and banjo, while Joe Nieves adds some depth on background vocals. When you listen to this track or any of the other on this excellent effort, it’s like getting on your way-back machine and taking a ride into the past!

The video is well-produced and gives one the feeling they are in the 50’s on the streets of New York. The old Chevy’s and Ford’s coupled with all the old advertising, the belly dancer in the club and the cobblestone sidewalks make for an awesome image! I give this track a STANDING OVATION!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7J-KOAj4jw&feature=youtu.be

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DEF LEPPARD 2015 Summer Tour 80â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rock legends Def Leppard are gearing up for an extensive tour of North America this summer that will take them from coast to coast! Def Leppard will be supported on this 50 city tour by rockers Styx and Tesla.

The Live Nation-promoted tour kicks off on June 23rd in Tampa, Fla. at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre and will close to 50 cities across the U.S. and Canda before wrapping up. The bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most recent tour was in the summer of 2014 when they joined the band Kiss for a co-headlining package, which did brisk business.

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Def Leppard, Styx, Tesla “Rock-Solid Triple-Bill” Allentown, PA

by Michael McKenna Def Leppard, the British rock band with over 100 million records sold worldwide and legendary live stage shows, is joining forces with fellow platinum selling rock icons Styx and Tesla for a summer tour that will stop at The Great Allentown Fair on its opening day, September 1.

Headliner Def Leppard’s career began in the late 1970s and exploded in the new wave of British heavy metal movement during the 1980s. Hit singles such as“Photograph,” “Rock of Ages,” “Foolin’” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me” ran up the radio charts.

Yet it’s Def Leppard’s dynamic stage shows and ground breaking albums including two of the best-selling Diamond Award earners of all time, that have sustained the band’s popularity through the decades.

The band’s longstanding line-up of performers includes pioneer members Rick Savage, Joe Elliot and Rick Allen, 1982 addition Phil Collen and 1992 recruit Vivian Campbell with all five artists on vocals and instruments.

Hailing from Chicago, Styx also entered the rock world in the 1970s adding its distinctive pop styling to hard rock guitar driven music. A Styx concert set draws from four decades of chart hits covering a wide range of the band’s progressive and soulful material including “The Grand Illusion,” “Blue Collar Man,” “Lady,” “Miss America,” “Man in the Wilderness,” “Crystal Ball,” “Come Sail Away” and “Renegade.”

Four of Styx’s 15 studio albums, “The Grand Illusion,” “Pieces of Eight,” “Cornerstone” and “Paradise Theater”, have been certified multi-platinum. A perennial touring band, Styx released eight live albums between 1984 and 2012.

Hard rocking Tesla emerged out of Northern California in the early 1980s and went on to chalk up 14 million in album sales. Hit single“Love Song” off of the1989 released and later certified double platinum album “The Great Radio Controversy”gave Tesla its own signature ‘80s power ballad. Follow-up album “Psychotic Supper” also went platinum. The band scored a Top 10 pop single in 1990 with a cover of the 1970 classic hit single “Signs” made famous by the Five Man Electrical Band. Tesla’s live rendition of the song lamenting signs blocking scenery and dictating “do this and don’t do that” was part of the band’s “Five Man Acoustical Jam” album and continues to be a concert crowd favorite.

In announcing the 163rd Allentown Fair kick off concert featuring Def Leppard, Styx and Tesla, Marketing Director and Talent Buyer Bonnie Brosious commented, “This one packs a punch of non-stop hits for rock stalwarts, especially those that packed the fairgrounds’ Grandstand venue during its ‘70s and‘80s hey days of guitar driven, and yes, some big hair rock.” website: http://www.allentownfairpa.org

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TOUR DATES

June 23 - Tampa, FL - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre June 25 - West Palm Beach, FL - Coral Sky Amphitheatre June 27 - Birmingham, AL - Oak Mountain Amphitheatre June 28 - Atlanta, GA - Aaronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Amphitheatre at Lakewood

August 15 - Des Moines, IA - Iowa State Fair

August 17 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center August 18 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena August 21 - Dallas, TX - Gexa Energy Pavilion August 22 - Woodlands, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion August 23 - Austin, TX - Austin360 Amphitheater

June 30 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion

August 27 - St. Paul, MN - Minnesota State Fair

July 02 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live

August 28 - Grand Forks, ND - Alerus Center

July 03 - Virginia Beach, VA - Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach

August 30 - Noblesville, IN - Klipsch Music Center

July 05 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena

September 01 - Allentown, PA - The Great Allentown Fair

July 07 - Gilford, MD - Bank of NH Pavilion at Meadowbrook

September 03 - Louisville, KY - KFC Yum! Center

July 09 - Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center July 11 - Bethel, NY - Bethel Woods Center for the Arts July 12 - Darien Center, NY - Darien Lake Performing Arts Center July 14 - Toronto, ON - Molson Canadian Amphitheatre July 15 - Youngstown, OH - Covelli Centre July 17 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre July 21 - Mt. Pleasant, MI - Soaring Eagle Resort & Casino July 23 - Wantagh, NY - Nikon at Jones Beach Theater July 24 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center

September 04 - Maryland Heights, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre September 05 - Tinley Park, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre September 16 - Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheater September 17 - Ridgefield, WA - Amphitheater Northwest September 19 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre September 22 - Chula Vista, CA - Sleep Train Amphitheatre September 23 - Phoenix, AZ - Ak-Chin Pavilion

July 25 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center

September 25 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheater

August 07 - Sturgis, SD - Buffalo Chip Campground

September 26 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center

August 08 - Sioux Falls, SD - Denny Sanford PREMIER Center

September 28 - West Valley City, UT - USANA Amphitheater

August 10 - Oklahoma City, OK - Chesapeake Energy Arena

September 30 - Spokane, WA - Spokane Arena

August 11 - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre August 14 - Sedalia, MO - Missouri State Fair

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October 2 - Bozeman, MT - Brick Breeden Fieldhouse October 4 - Bismarck, ND - Bismarck Civic Center

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REVIEWS by Michael McKenna DANA GAYNOR “Rockabilly Billionaire” Dana Gaynor just keeps on going like the Energizer Bunny! She likes to crank out quality music that keeps rocking your socks off! Her latest single, “Rockabilly Billionaire”, produced by Andrew Chervak, goes back to that late 50’s – early 60’s sound when rockabilly was King and ruled the AM airwaves. Listening to this brings back visions of James Dean and old Ford Rat Rods running wild on Friday and Saturday nights as we sat at the Drive-Ins in our black leather jackets sipping pop!

This track brings back memories of the the greats like Johnny Burnette, Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison. Dana’s guitar work has that signature retro sound which enhances the popping percussion. The vox on the lines “….rock, rock, rockabilly billionaire...” are hip and give this a fun feeling. This track would energize any crowd immediately! WELL DONE!!

COMING SOON! “A Continuing Series on Tribute Bands” I will be following various tribute bands and the impact they are having on the Music Scene. The

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feature will be putting out there the Pros and Cons, the effect they have on the consumer’s discretionary dollar, how they affect local area venues, and the attraction that they have in today’s music scene. I will also critique the talent behind these bands, whether or not they are succeeding in getting their message across to their fans and scope of their impact! I will also be looking into how the original bands view these tribute acts and their commentary on the subject. All genres of music will be open for review!

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REVIEWS

by Michael McKenna CHERYL NYE “Eyes of a Stranger” This Canadian bombshell has just about done it all!

She’s recorded her music at over 19 different studios from Nashville to Montreal, has appeared in dozens of media events including: news shows, TV shows as an extra, commercials for Gillette and Canadian Air Lines, modeling on the runways of some of the most famous venues, and appearances in Las Vegas and numerous casinos in the US and Canada. Her resume reads like a Who’s Who! But in deference to all those kudos there is one thing that stands out above all the rest, her creativity and expertise in writing, composing and performing over 200 of her countless originals over the past decade.

Accolades have poured in from many sources that have ranked her music in the Top 5 on various charts and playlists. She credits her education with a degree in Music (Voice & Piano) as her main influence that drives her to write and compose all her music on a keyboard. She is a One-Woman Powerhouse!

Her latest effort, “Eyes of a Stranger” crosses into many different genres with ease as we can hear the flexibility of Cheryl’s many talents. The CD opens with the title track, “Eyes of a Stranger” opens with a full orchestral sound which morphs into a cool rhythmic sounding track. Kevin Grant’s Bass guitar work stands out! Her vocals remind me a lot of Natalie Merchant when she sang with 10,000 Maniacs as well as the instrumental backing. “La Manera En Que Necesito Que Me Ames” (Pop Version) has that Southwest/ Mexicali/Latino sound especially present in the guitar work and percussion. The ability to perform as a multilingual vocalist just adds to her many talents!

“No Stranger To My Heart” features a violin, viola and piano that enhance Cheryl’s deep, heartfelt vocal range perfectly.

“Le Destin De Mon Ame” has that Old World flavor as you hear Cheryl’s French/Canadian roots and

influences come to bear on this ballad. “(The Way I Need To Be)Loved By You” (Pop Version) shows her Nashville sounding backing in this traditional country tear-jerker. “La Manera En Que Necesito Que Me Ames” (Country Version) returns as Spanish-language, country-laced track that is spot on to the English version. “(The Way I Need To Be)Loved

By You” (Country Version) adds that little bit of down home flair in this version.

The title track, “Eyes of a Stranger” returns as a dub version with a more intense sounding orchestral mix mated with Wayne Killius’s pounding percussion.

Mark Dreyer’s guitar solo comes screaming at you! I can hear a bit of The Frankfurt Rock Orchestra in this mix! This would do well as a soundtrack for a movie or TV! “Eyes of a Stranger” makes another appearance in a different mold that features Rob Hajacos with his Gypsy Violin which reminds me quite a bit of David Garrett and his technique.

“No Stranger To My Heart/Le Destin De Mon Ame” comes back as an instrumental with way more percussion and strings. I would love to hear a 50 piece orchestra perform this in a concert hall as a medley with one of the classics! “(The Way I Need To Be) Loved By You/La Manera En Que Necesito Que Me Ames” (Pop Version) comes back with a bit of that Mexi/Cali feel to it as an instrumental. “(The Way I Need To Be)Loved By You/La Manera En Que Necesito Que Me Ames” is also done once again in the instrumental mold this time with a country-laced sound with a bit of a Tex/ Mex flair.

The production on this CD is spot on! The musicians backing Cheryl are very talented and have a great feel for what she is projecting to the listener. This is show material throughout and the live show with an orchestra must be fantastic to witness. I give this 2 THUMBS UP!!

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REVIEWS by Michael McKenna BONGO BOY RECORDS Presents with Distribution to Asia The Re-Release of Y Fly 2 London EP---- “Just Say No” Y FLY 2 LONDON is a band from New Jersey whose iconic release of their “Just Say No” EP forever changed the local and regional music scene in the 80’s. The EP received rave reviews from Billboard Magazine that was published on April 24, 1986, “New Jersey quartet on homegrown Indie label has a big sound that combines hard rock chops with pop ears. There’s enough promise to merit attention from established label. Best Track “Just Say No”.

Today Bongo Boy Records is excited to distribute this EP digitally to the Asian market exclusively.

Bongo Boy Records has released their ‘Compilations Volume Series’ since October 2014 exclusively to this market. Each Compilation includes International Recording Artists from all musical genres. Monique Grimme, musicologist, Bongo Boy Records, and TV co-producer of Bongo Boy TV series, is forecasting a greater interest from the Asian market and their music enthusiasts.

Y FLY 2 LONDON consists of Nick DeStefano on Lead Guitar and Vocals, Chris Hopp on Lead Vocals, Rob Beaupre on Bass and Bill McCloskey on Drums.

The band’s songwriting technique is a unique mix of hard rock and pop which helped them secure major radio airplay. The release of their music video, “Just Say No”, had the band seen on MTV and other TV outlets across the country.

The EP was produced by the late great Benjy King a longtime keyboardist for Scandal and Patty Smyth.

His incredible production prowess on this EP gave the independent release the attention it needed from media outlets worldwide. Special guest musicians include Mark Pender, Stan Harrison, Ed Manion from the Miami Horns and Mike Spengler

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from Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and also David Bowie’s band.

The fantastic, off the wall performance by this legendary horn section on “Don’t Runaway” helped give the release of “Just Say No” its credibility. Also appearing on the EP is James Lewis from TSO, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Donnie Kisselbach, bassist for Alice Cooper, lending their expertise to this EP. The EP opens with the title track, “Just Say No”, that hits you with Bill McClosky’s pounding percussion and banging guitar riffs in the mold of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell”. The powerful vocals excite the ear! “Waiting” has a more mainstream rock path with retro/hard rock rhythms from Bob Beaupre’s bottom and those heavy guitar solos. ”Don’t Runaway” takes me back to the signature New York sound of the mid-70’s at CBGB’s that was made famous by The Ramones. The horns are killer!

“Is This Happening” gives you that pop/big hair band feeling that invaded the airwaves in the 80’s.

The harmonies and guitar chops rock hard! “Treat Her Like A Lady” blasts out of the gate with an awesome pulse of energy! Chris Hopp’s powerful pipes dominate the entire track! Nick DeStefano lays it all out as he manipulates the frets for some screaming sounds coming out of his guitar!

Be prepared to party when you listen to this CD! You will bounce off the walls! This talented collection of musicians goes totally over the wall with the sounds that they generate here. This CD is a MUST LISTEN! I give this excellent effort my top rating, STANDING OVATION!!

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www.veroconcepts.com

Book is available as a PTO (Print to Order)on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

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REVIEWS by Jerry Saravia

Film: Boyhood (2014)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia (Pseudo film critic, amateur filmmaker) I once saw a short film on HBO, far too many years back to recall the title, about a filmmaker who is making a savagely violent film where a family is attacked and almost killed. Someone on the set reminds the filmmaker that life need not always be depicted as cruel and savage; how about a film about a divorced couple with a family who try to get along?

“Boyhood” reminded me of that. This 2-hours-plus revelation is about the maturity of a divorced family, within a 12-year span, and it is everything I love

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about cinema and everything conventional wisdom says you should hate about independent cinema.

There is no distinguishable plot and no character arcs and not much story -- except the story of a family and how they cope with each other and learn to live with each other through hardships. To complain, as some have, of a lack of narrative thrust is to dismiss what the film ultimately accomplishes.

Call it Scenes from Childhood, or just call it very poetically, “Boyhood.”

The sweet Texas daydreamer Mason Jr. (Ellar Coltrane who, in the opening scene, is seen staring memorably at the blue sky while lying on school grounds) is the young boy, the son of Olivia and Mason, Sr. (both magnificently played by Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke). Lorelei Linklater is Samantha, the sister who likes to tease her brother (they are seen sharing bunkbeds in their early years). Olivia and Mason Sr. are divorcing; the dad hopes to reunite the family as a whole, rather than visiting on selective days of the week. The divorce ensues, years pass, and Olivia marries two other men. One is an alcoholic, highly strict professor (Marco Perella, depicting an unflinching brutality); the other, a former soldier turned corrections officer (Brad Hawkins, showcasing a father who would rather be admired than loved) who expects

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an older Mason Jr. to respect his curfew. The professor causes discomfort at the dinner table, asks for his own kids and his stepkids to show him their cell phones and, worst of all, forces Mason to have the worst haircut of his life (we kids have all been there - - “You’ll look like a man instead of a little girl”). The corrections officer, shown unobtrusively in two scenes drinking a beer, insists that his strict adherence to work and maintaining his family makes him “cool.” Teen Mason’s painted fingernails and earrings do not impress this straight-as-an-arrow husband of Olivia’s life.

Moment by moment, the family faces disruption and instability. Mason Jr. and Samantha always have to switch schools, Olivia is attracted to the wrong kind of men (vicious, drunk, belligerent bullies at best), yet it is Mason’s biological dad who makes amends in his own life and maintains stability -- he gets married for a second time and with a child of his own yet never forgetting his own brethren.

Mason’s Dad is the one that we of so little faith deem as a loser in the beginning (some audience members might), living with a band member and smoking pot and driving the same black GTO -- I even thought he would disappear from the picture.

In fact, he ends up as the most responsible of the bunch.

monk, simple, celibate” and selling her home, stating that she is spending the second half of her life getting rid of everything she worked for. It is Mason Sr. who reminds Olivia that she did a good job raising the kids and we believe it because we see it -you feel close to the family and this becomes one of those rare films where we, the observers, becomes as intimate with the family as they are with each other.

The attraction of the movie, its galvanizing power, is that it captures moments in a family’s history -- you do not seize the moment, the moment seizes you. The filmed record of more than a decade’s worth is a wonderful novelty, adding immeasurably to the proceedings (Director Richard Linklater actually filmed the kids and the adults consistently for 12 years). “Boyhood” reminds me of the “Up” documentaries fo which director Michael Apted followed young kids to their adulthood. “Boyhood” does something more captivating and emotionally grounded -- it seizes the honesty of moments, both grand and small, from the acute perspective of kids as they reach puberty and beyond. Those precious moments, all 142 minutes of them, seize us.

For more reviews by Jerry Saravia, check out Jerry Saravia on cinema and pop culture (1970-present)

Olivia also makes amends, hoping to be a “mommy

Ellar Coltrane

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REMOTE PRODUCTION / RECORDING OR BROADCAST 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards

FILM SOUND PRODUCTION _Gravity_

TELEVISION SOUND PRODUCTION _Game of Thrones_

INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT SOUND PRODUCTION _Call of Duty: Ghosts_

STUDIO DESIGN PROJECT Berklee College of Music, 160 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT API 505 DI 500-Series DI Module

AUDIO APPS FOR SMARTPHONES & TABLETS PreSonus Capture for iPad

HARDWARE / PERIPHERALS FOR SMARTPHONES & TABLETS Apogee MiC 96k

MICROPHONE PREAMPLIFIERS Rupert Neve Designs Shelford 5052

STUDIO MONITORS Genelec 8010

RECORDING DEVICES Zoom H5 Handy Recorder

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT AMPLIFICATION & EFFECTS Line 6 POD HD Pro X

AMPLIFICATION HARDWARE - STUDIO & SOUND REINFORCEMENT Grace Design m920 Monitoring System

COMPUTER AUDIO HARDWARE

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April Fools ALL STAR Comedy Jam Saturday April 4th 8pm Chicago’s/Gravity Nightclub 1179 Airport Rd Allentown PA. This will be pound for pound the funniest comedy show Lehigh Valley ever had...GUARANTEED!

featuring: Actor/comedian Pierre Edwards from Bill Bellamy’s “How to be a Player”, Halle Berry’s “B.A.P.’s” and Leslie Nielsen’s “A Space Travesty” and his own movie “For the Love of Money”. His standup resume includes HBO’s Def Comedy Jam, BET Comic View, Showtime at the Apollo, Martin Lawrence’s, First Amendment, The Improv, Carolines and more.

Hosted by PA’s #1 show host Shawn Harvey.

Tickets $20 in advance....Reserved seating $30 available via www.onemicent.com or www.foolscomedy.eventbrite.com Tickets also available at: Chicago’s, NY Urban Clothing & Archives Clothing stores in Allentown PA.

Actor/comedian A.G. White as seen on FOX, CBS, Showtime, P Diddy Bad Boys of Comedy, Martin Lawrence 1st Amendment and Comic Relief and much more.

Wrap’d Tight Gourmet Wraps & Salads Bethlehem PA.

The certified funny Princess of Comedy Ms. Darkchild, winner of the Laffhouse 2010 comedy competition and one of Philadelphia’s most funny, active and sought after comedians since 2001.

For delivery call 484 604 0663

Opener by Allentown’s own Don Harlem who’s resume includes Broadway Comedy Club, Philadelphia Comedy Club and more.

Vizion Hair Studios, Southside Cuts or Barbershop Plus in Easton PA

Saturday April 4th @ Chicago’s/Gravity Nightclub 1179 Airport Road Allentown PA...Doors open 7pm show starts @ 8pm...TICKETS ARE SELLING GET YOURS NOW! You know it’s gonna be right when you go with One Mic!

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The Rew & Who Show 110 | Steel Notes Magazine

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