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One of Cincy's more popular Pop Punk bands has decided to call it quits. But first, they're giving fans some new music and one final blow-out show to remember them by.
The quintet Loudmouth has played well-attended gigs regularly around town for the past half decade or so, eventually becoming headliners of self-booked multi-band shows at places like Madison Theater in Covington. Tonight, the group returns to the club for its farewell show and the release party for its final album, the eight-song Future Boredom.
The band is splitting because guitarist Mike Ulanski took a job teaching English in Abu Dhabi.
I sent Loudmouth a few questions about their experiences as a band in Greater Cincinnati and their individual plans moving ahead. The tight knit group of pals got together and answered them as a band.
CityBeat: You guys have your last album coming out at the farewell show. Tell me a little about Future Boredom. Was it material you were working on before you decided to split or did you know you were splitting and went in the studio to record these final tunes?
Loudmouth: The songs were written or were in the process of being written before Mike announced that he accepted the job offer, but we all knew this was our last record when we went into the studio. The toughest decisions we faced were which songs to record, and how many we could afford to do without sacrificing the quality of each songs production. Tim and Mike were writing lots of songs at the time, but their styles were heading in two different directions, which can be seen on Future Boredom.
The songs weren't written about the break up, but they were recorded as if they were the last songs we'd ever do, which means we couldn't afford to leave anything unsaid. Between Eric Tuffensdam's (Moonlight Studios) expertise and our previous studio work with him, we definitely got what we wanted out of this record, a definitive and uncompromised collection of our best written songs.
CB: You guys had a great run of about four or five years. What are you most proud of from your time playing around the area?
LM: We've been fortunate enough to share a stage with just about every one of the bands we grew up idolizing, but opening for NOFX takes the cake on moments that we'll remember forever. The proud moment there was that the 2000 people crammed into the Madison Theater didn't boo us off the stage like NOFX crowds are prone to do.
But besides that, we have a lot to be proud of, and more importantly a lot to be thankful for. None of the amazing moments we had as a band would have existed without the help of some amazing people. Frank Heulfeld and Kevin McNamee with the Madison Theater, and before that the Mad Hatter, Rome and the Clifton Heights Music Festival (which we've only missed one since the beginning of the festival because we were on tour), Rich and the entire Southgate House staff, Adam and CincyPunk Fest, the staff at the Madison Theater, who among other things, talked the cops out of arresting Tim seconds before we hit the stage, Chris Joselyn and Brian Carothers for all their help booking tours.
Above all else, and we mean this with all sincerity, the thing that makes all of us proud and grateful is the support we've gotten from day one. We've never, not exaggerating, played a show where people didn't dance by the end of our set. We came up in an age where kids were too cool to dance at shows, and we've watched so many great bands play killer sets to a bunch of stone faced hipsters gently bobbing their heads in jaded approval. Those kids got pushed to the back of the crowd when we played, and we couldn't be more proud to have that kind of effect on people. All that dancing and moshing and shouting of our lyrics translates that people get it, and what's more, they actually like it, and nothing is more gratifying then having that kind of connection with your friends and fans.
CB: Anything you would have done differently?
LM: Tour. Tour all the time. We did three tours; the last one to Florida was our most successful, but touring would be the No. 1 priority if we could do anything differently. We probably could have been more business savvy and networked a little more, too.
CB: What's been the low point?
LM: The worst show we ever played happened at the Blue Rock Tavern in Northside. There were a lot of people out that night and we were headlining and everything that could have gone wrong did. The P.A. kept over heating, it was 900 degrees and Mike's guitar broke four songs in, and there was no replacement. We had to just stop. It was embarrassing and people got pissed.
Moving out of Loudhouse and losing that as a place to party and throw shows was also a bummer. We had to pay for a practice space again, we lost our afterparty, which had become a huge part of our shows, and, of course, we couldn't invite a bunch of awesome bands to play the basement. The Bike House died shortly after that, and it seemed like Cincinnati's basement scene sort of dried up all at once. We went from a city who had an entire weekend fest dedicated to basements to having no real basement venues to speak of. That was definitely a bummer.
Shortly after that Sam Duff left the band and the months leading up to and following that time were pretty rough. We practiced in a moldy closet sized room in the back of the Mad Hatter, we weren't sure who was going to play bass, how we could afford to tour; it was a cold wet winter and things were just all around crappy.
CB: Can we expect future musical projects from the Loudmouth members? Any concrete plans as of yet?
LM: None of us will ever stop playing music, but where, how and with who is bound to change. Tim, Adam Bret and Chris have already talked about their next project and things are in the works.
Mike will be playing acoustic Journey covers at an open mic in Abu Dhabi to pay rent.
CB: What can people expect from the last blow out concert from Loudmouth?
LM: You'll have to come to find out.
Tonight's 9 p.m., all-ages show features a great support bill: The Frankl Project, Horsecop, Situation Red and The Milky Way Persuasion. Tickets are $5.
Visit www.loudestmouth.com for more on the group and to sample some tunes.
Shinedown has been touring on its most recent album, Amaryllis, for the last two years and has just started its Carnival of Madness tour to complete touring on the record. It is the band's biggest, brightest and loudest tour yet. With each album, Shinedown's rocking sound shows bigger energy and different sides, as well as different looks.
CityBeat was able to catch up with bass player Eric
Bass to discuss life on tour and the close bond the band members have,
even after all these years. Shinedown will be tearing up the PNC
Pavilion at Riverbend on Saturday night on its Carnival of Madness tour
stop with Papa Roach, In This Moment and Skillet. (The concert is sold out.)
CityBeat: You guys have really been successful with the last couple albums. You have been on the Billboard charts for over two consecutive years. Did you ever expect that would happen?
Eric Bass: Did I ever expect it? I always hoped it would happen, I guess. You work really hard. We have this thing we say: "Keep your head down, stay humble and move forward." We are blown away by the success. To be honest with you, if you had told the 17-year-old me this was what was going to be happening, he'd be ecstatic. I can't say that I expected it to happen. We wanted it to happen. We worked really hard for it. We are not surprised, I guess you could say, because of the hard work. It is a true blessing to be able to do what we do and have the success we have had.
CB: The band has been touring constantly. How do you make time to write new songs on the road?
EB: We actually don't write on the road. We like to separate the two. We go home when we are done with this tour. We will lock ourselves away for a year and write as many songs as we can. Then, when we are done with that, we will go out and tour again and complete the process. We wrote "Diamond Eyes" on tour because it was for a movie soundtrack. That was the first experience we had with that. It worked out and everything went well with it. We work really hard when we are on tour. We are a go-go-go all day long band with interviews, meet and greets and that sort of thing. So there is really not a lot of time to get in and be creative like that. We prefer to separate the two and that creates the situation where each record is pretty different from the others because they are different times and you are not overlapping time periods. You are separating into blocks. It makes the records really interesting.
CB: I have photographed you on your last couple tours. Your shows have grown larger and larger with more pyro and turned into huge Rock shows. How did you guys prepare for Carnival of Madness?
EB: Well we started talking about it two or three months ago and we said, "It's not going to be small." That was the whole thing. We were going to make it as big as we could possibly make it. We are bringing our whole sound system with us. We are bringing our own lights. We are bringing our own pyro. We basically have carnival performers that are out with us. It is just a conscious, concerted effort to, every time, step your game up. We have sort of become known for that when we do these big headlining runs. We don't want to disappoint anybody. People paid good money and want to see a great Rock show and that's what they are going to get.
CB: You actually have carnival performers on stage with you?
EB: We actually do, yes. It's going to be fun. I think everybody is going to really enjoy the show.
CB: The first show was this past weekend. How is it going so far?
EB: We are one down. We have the second one tonight. The first one was great. Internally, we found a couple things we could do differently, do a little bit better. We are definitely going to do that. The first show was great. The crowd was very receptive. It was awesome. I think tonight is going to be even better. Then the Cincinnati show, by that time, we will be well-oiled machines and veterans.
CB: Shinedown has a huge social media presence. Why is it important for you guys to stay connected to your fans in that way?
EB: Because the fans are the reason we get to do what we do. We never forget that. The fans are the boss, the most important thing. The fans buy the tickets, they buy the records. I have to say, and it's going to sound cliché but it's not meant to be, we have the best fans. Our fans are ridiculously loyal. We like to keep up with them. We actually know … you would be surprised how many fans we know. I'll see fans at meet and greets that I will know from Twitter. We keep up with them and we know what's going on. We like to hear what they have to say. They are going to let us know if something is not right. They will let us know if they don't like something, if they like something. It's a great tool to utilize as well. You get instant feedback on what you are doing.
CB: What are your hobbies outside of playing music all the time?
EB: It's kind of funny. I say all my hobbies become my jobs. I produce records. I do a lot of songwriting. I engineer, mix records. A lot of my hobbies have become my job.
I am a golfer. I enjoy golf a lot. More recently, I have started building model airplanes. I needed a quiet hobby I can sit in my house and do. It is something I have found solace in. It may be a little geeky, a little nerdy, but it is fun.
CB: You actually co-wrote "I'll Follow You" correct?
EB: Yep
CB: I love that song. I know it is the new single and it is out, but what is the story behind the song?
EB: The story of the song is pretty interesting. The piano part I had for a couple years. I had been playing it in sound checks. We don't write on the road, but if it's something someone in the band hears, "Hey remember that. Record that." We are pretty in tune with that sort of stuff.
We were out on our acoustic tour that we did on the end of our last record cycle with Will Hoge, a great singer-songwriter from Nashville. Nobody had really said anything about the piano thing I had, so I thought maybe it will be good for Will.
So I hit him up and said, 'On the next day off, I want to show you this piano piece I have got and we can write a song.' He gave me his number and said to give him a call. I gave him a call the day of, I called him like three times, never went to voicemail, never picked up.
The next day, I was like, "I called you three times." He said, "It never came through. I don't know what happened." That day at soundcheck, Brent was like, "What's that thing you are playing?" I was like, "Man, I have been playing it for three years." He finally woke up to it. We actually had the recording that day at sound check kind of going through the song. Some of the lyrics are actually in there from that first time we ever played it through, he and I.
If you fast forward six months when we finally wrote it, finally sat down and wrote the song, it happened seamlessly. We wrote it in like two hours, the whole thing was done. Lyrically, it is about the person in your life who is your best friend, your spouse or your girlfriend, your boyfriend or someone really close to you, that person you will always be there for and they will always be there for you.
CB: The band took a different turn on the latest album, playing with the full orchestra. How did that concept come about?
EB: We talked about how Madness had a lot of string-sections stuff. We just talked while we were writing the record about how to make this record a little bigger and a little more grand. That was the first thing that came up, we need to do something with horns and full orchestra, rather than just string sections.
It was fun. It was a blast to be in there to watch that stuff be recorded, watching your vision come to life was amazing. There is very little that we do that is not a conscious decision. We kind of see what we want to do next. We were talking about our next record the other day on the bus. We will probably start working on that next year. We already kind of got an idea for it of what we want it to be. It is pretty phenomenal to have this type and level of instruments on something you have worked on. You pinch yourself every once in a while because it's so cool.
CB: You guys have been together for some time. Are you all still friends? Do you still hang out?
EB: It's pretty funny, we love each other so much. We all still ride the same bus even though we don't have to. We, all four of us, camp out in the same place. We work out together every day. We eat together every day. We really are brothers. We have our moments of getting agitated with each other and angry with each other. There is something different that I don't see in a lot of bands we travel with. There are some, but they are few and far between. You get a group of people that genuinely like each other and genuinely get along.
I can count on one hand the times I have been up in someone's face in my band, that I have been that angry with someone. We just don't get like that. We talk things out. If there is a problem, we sit down and we are very honest with each other. We don't harbor any animosity toward each other for anything.
"I'll Follow You" is out right now and is a song Brent and I wrote. Everybody in the band is happy as hell about that because it is doing well. "Bully" is a song Brent and Zach wrote, and I was happy as hell that was doing well. A lot of people get caught up in the unimportant stuff, like who makes more money or what's going on with this or who's more popular in the band. We don't care about that stuff. It's about the band, the entire group. We all really care about each other. We hang out when we aren't on tour. It is really a blessing.
CB: It is amazing you guys spend so much time together and it is still like that. There aren't many people I could spend 24 hours a day with?
EB: We see each other more than we see our wives and girlfriends and our families. We are married. We have to get along. There is no way around it. You can tell on stage. We smile at each other on stage. We joke around. We throw picks at each other. It's genuine. It's not an act. You can tell bands on stage that don't like each other, and you can definitely tell bands on stage that do, and we are one of those bands that really like each other.
Lucero developed their unique sound — a mix of Country, Roots, Rock and Soul — in Memphis, Tenn., and provide a big production every night on the live stage. You will hear everything from a three guitar assault to a horn section to steel guitar pinings on the band's ninth (and so far most successful) album titled Women & Work.
CityBeat spoke with guitar player Brian Venable from the road to preview the band's show Wednesday in Cincinnati at Bogart's.
CityBeat: I wanted to catch up with you guys to try to talk about the show that you have at Bogart's on April 11.
Brian Venable: Well thank you. I am excited about that.
CB: I actually caught you guys at Orlando Calling this year. That was the first time I had seen the band live. It was an amazing show.
BV: Oh, thank you.
CB: I am kind of sad that the festival is not going to happen this year. They announced last week it wasn't coming back.
BV: Is it going to be a different "Calling" in a different city?
CB: No, I think it just lost a lot of money. Unfortunately, that happens. It's a lot of overhead.
I just wanted to start and ask you a couple questions about the album and yourself. I know you had the new album come out recently, Women & Work. Can you tell me the story behind the album name?
BV: I think it just sums up everything sometimes. It was more of a flip or a funny line, like "Hey what's going on?" "Oh you know, women and work." You are always doing something about work. You're at work or you are working, and whether it's your wife, your ex-wife, girlfriend, soon to be girlfriend, girl you met that night, there is always something involving a woman. I think it is kind of where we are right now. We are always on tour. We are always leaving our wives and girlfriends behind, trying to just make it all happen.
CB: Do they ever come out on the road with you?
BV: Every once in a while we will do a weekend. I have three kids so she can't get away too much, but she'll come out for a weekend every once in a while.
CB: Well you guys have a pretty large band to move around.
BV: Yeah, we have the bus right now.
CB: What is the best and worst thing about being on the road for you?
BV: Missing the kids. Everything that you know is at home. Some days it is nice to sit on the porch and hang out. But in the same breath, you play rock shows every night which is awesome and you tour with your friends and you get to see the country. There is good and bad in everything.
CB: I am originally from Tennessee and I spent a lot of time in Nashville and Memphis over the years and the music scene in both of those cities is incredible; there are huge amounts of talent that will probably never be discovered.
BV: That is always the thing with Memphis, there are always great bands that will be together for six months or a year and then they break up. Yeah, that is definitely a true statement on your part.
CB: What is your favorite track on the new album?
BV: I like the "Downtown" song but I also like "Sometimes."
CB: Can you tell me the story behind one of those?
BV: "Downtown" is like the happy beginning. The night is full of promise I guess. You are getting dressed or you are having a few drinks, you are about to go downtown and hang out and do your thing. Nothing good or bad has happened but anything could happen, and I think that air of optimism is exciting to where we might end up hammered drunk at the police station or I meet my next wife of 30 years, you just don't know. I think it is just that kind of feeling, where it is happy and a "let's see what happens" feeling.
CB: You guys just played South by Southwest. Any crazy stories from Austin this year?
BV: Not really so much crazy. We did two shows a day for three days plus interviews and in-stores. It was pretty busy. It was exciting to get to play with Dinosaur Jr. Any chance that you get to play with people you listened to when you were younger and looked up to musically is always a fun thing.
CB: That was one of my other questions, do you have any current musical influences that are giving you inspiration today?
BV: We just did a five day run with Larry and His Flask. Those guys are amazing and really energetic and fun to watch. Todd Beene who plays pedal steel, he is in a band called Glossary. Their songs are awesome and their live show is great. They make good records. We have been really lucky to be able to play with all the people we like usually. We did 15 weeks with Social Distortion. You are able to grow up with a band and then get to see those people who started 30 or 40 years ago still make relevant music and be fresh. It is exciting to know that you can get to a certain age and you don't fall back and rest on your laurels and still keep pushing.
CB: I love those guys.
BV: Personally, I listen to crazy Southern Metal and Modern Country right now.
CB: What is Southern Metal?
BV: Bands like Black Tusk and Weedeater. There are a lot of bands out of Atlanta, Ga., and Wilmington, NC, and that whole Southern coast has spawned a whole crazy group of bands. There is Coliseum in Louisville and Skeleton Witch in Ohio. They are pretty awesome if you like Metal.
CB: Can you tell me what your writing process is as a band? Do you guys write together, lyrics separately, music later? What is your process?
BV: With the last few records, we have a practice space and a studio space we use upstairs. We will come to the practice with a part or half of a verse or a bridge and a chorus and just a section a lot of the times. Sometimes it is a full song and we work it up but most of the time it will just be a few pieces. We'll work with Roy and get a tempo going and a pattern going and a groundwork and then we just add our parts while he is working on the words for it. It's been pretty awesome. This last record, which was fun for us, horns came in after the fact and we put horns on top of the record, so this one we actually wrote with the horns and the pedals, everybody was there helping with writing and arranging.
CB: What can we look forward to in Cincinnati next week?
BV: Eight dudes getting wild on stage unless the night before was pretty hard then it might kind of be the standard. We will do about two hours. We will do a lot of the new songs. We will do the back catalog. We are all going to have a good time just playing music.
Five Finger Death Punch will be one of the headlining acts of Rock on the Range, one of the nation's biggest Hard Rock and Metal festivals that takes place in Columbus this weekend. FFDP has become known for its "active" show, encouraging crowd participation that can get on the edge of out-of-hand at times. The band released its third studio album last year, American Capitalist, which quickly shot to the top of all Rock and Metal charts.
CityBeat caught up with drummer Jeremy Spencer to preview next week's Rock on the Range and discuss the grueling nature of the industry (especially as a drummer) and the advice that has driven him to be in the position of leading the rhythm and timing of Five Finger Death Punch. FFDP performs Saturday night on the main RotR stage in Columbus.
CityBeat: I was excited to talk to you because I know you just won the Golden God award for Best Drummer. How was that experience for you?
Jeremy Spencer: It was really great because I am a fan of all those drummers in the category and to be put in the same category was humbling already, and then to win, it was "Wow, this is really cool." We couldn't be at the show because we were out on tour. I got a call saying, "You know he won and if you could put together a video for the acceptance that would great." So I made this really ridiculous acceptance speech video where I dressed up as redneck fans mocking me giving a speech, so I did a multi-character video for winning the award and it was really funny. It is all over the internet in case you get a chance to see it. Everyone got a kick out of it, but overall it was a really humbling experience and really cool.
CB: You guys just made another trip to Kuwait as well. I know it is really important to the band to support the troops. What was your most memorable experience this time around?
JS: We got to hang out with the troops a lot during the day and talk to people and we do extensive signings for them. The shows were pretty crazy. They don't get a lot of entertainment over there so they are really excited when we get to come and play. And it is exciting for us too because they are such huge supporters of the band so it is the least we can do to give back to them because they sacrifice so much to be away from their families. It was very cool.
The only thing that wasn't cool is that there is an 18-hour plane flight to and from Kuwait. That is the only brutal part but the rest of it was incredible.
CB: I actually did see some of the YouTube videos from the shows over there that were posted and they looked like they were crazy with the crowd surfing and the moshing and they really go into it.
JS: They really do. They get after it. It's insane, like I said it is all pent up energy so they really get after it.
CB: I have listened to the album since it came out but in a lot of the recent songs there is serious hardcore drumming action. How do you stay in shape and how do you condition for that kind of hitting?
JS: I do a lot of stretching. That is the thing I didn't do much growing up but now as I am getting older I have realized that stretching is vital. It is almost like doing yoga really. I use hard foam rollers to roll out my muscles and get the knots out. Stretching is key; any drummers that are doing this I would recommend doing that starting as young as you can. I also don't party anymore. I try to take care of myself. I try to eat things that are relatively healthy. So that is pretty much what I do.
CB: I think that is a misconception for a lot of people. I talk to a lot of bands from a lot of different genres and I think people think the road is a continuous party and for some bands it is, but for a lot of bands it is about having a healthy lifestyle because it is so grueling.
JS: It really is. We are kind of like athletes. We have to get up there and perform for 75 minutes sometimes or 90 minutes and it takes a toll on you physically. We are not playing Pop music. It is pretty aggressive. It is physically demanding.
When we started out, we definitely participated in that party lifestyle. I am one to try it, but if you are going to be successful and have a long career then you can't get wrapped up in that stuff. Rarely does it work so I figured it was time to treat this like a job. It is a job but it is a great job.
CB: Let's talk about Rock on the Range. I have seen you play there before a couple years ago. It is always a good time. Is there anything that you are looking forward to specifically around that show?
JS: Last time, we had one of the biggest crowd surfing experiences that Rock on the Range had ever experienced and it is well documented on YouTube. So we will see how crazy the fans can get there this time. We certainly enjoy it. Every time we play there, it has been great. And you know, all the other great bands, and hanging out with our friends, it has always been a positive experience and I look forward to getting back there and doing it again this year.
CB: I was there last time. I am a photographer so I am always down in front for the beginning parts so it is always a little sketchy with the crowd surfing for us.
JS: Absolutely, you might want to wear a helmet or something.
Everclear has joined forces with other acts that may be best described as '90s Rock and Pop groups for the Summerland Tour 2012 to get rid of the stereotype and prove their music still resonates today. Everclear saw its biggest fame with the release of the 1995 album Sparkle and Fade and the chart topper "Santa Monica." The band has continued representing its West Coast roots and just released its eighth album, Invisible Stars.
CityBeat spoke with Everclear frontman Art Alexakis and discussed the Summerland tour. We also made Alexakis face a lighthearted game of quick-fire questioning which led to some very comical and real responses. Everclear will be performing at the PNC Pavilion at Riverbend tomorrow (Wednesday) alongside Sugar Ray, Gin Blossoms, Marcy Playground and Lit.
CityBeat: You guys have been out on tour for a few weeks since June. What is the craziest band on the tour?
Art Alexakis: The craziest band on the tour? Crazy in which way? My band has probably got more time with therapists. Does that count? I don't know. I've got to tell you, every band is crazy in their own way. The Sugar Ray guys are just knuckleheads because they are playing '80s music and '90s Punk and singing it at the top of their lungs before every show. Lit are the party dogs. The Gin Blossoms are just old school pros and sweet guys and we are just a bunch of knuckleheads. I don't know. It depends on what time and what day you are looking.
CB: I have been listening to your new album, Invisible Stars. My favorite song on the album was "Santa Ana Wind" and I wanted to see if you could tell me the story behind that song.
AA: It's funny because that is one of the co-writes on the record. I had wanted to write a song about moving back to L.A. and I don't force things. If it doesn't come, I don't force it, because it always sounds disingenuous when you do. A friend of mine, David Walsh who is in a band with my old bass player, came by my studio just to hang out a little bit. I remember him sitting there and he picks up the guitar and goes, "I got this music that I just can't figure out a melody or words to it" and he just started playing it and I just started singing the melody. Within two hours, we had a song.
I took it home that night and finished it, finished all the words and got all the nuances and then we went in and recorded it a week later. It is my emotional favorite song on the record, it is definitely my favorite, even though I love all the songs. I am really proud of this record, but I am glad you like that song. That song means a lot to me. It's weird because when I turned that song in, no one was talking about it as a single. I was kind of disappointed, but since the record came out, it has been the No. 1 song people write me about on Twitter and … Facebook. That is the No. 1 song, I think, that and "Jackie Robinson" is probably neck and neck. I am glad it resonated with you. I like that a lot.
CB: You guys have had produced major hits. I grew up with your music and love you guys. When you are writing, do you know when you have a hit?
AA: That is a real good question. I think a lot of people would be hesitant to answer that. I know when a song writes itself. I don't know if you are familiar with my song "I'll Buy You a New Life," but that song basically wrote itself in like two hours and "Santa Monica" kind of wrote itself like that, and "Santa Ana Wind" kind of wrote itself like that, and "Jackie Robinson." I had the idea for it in the music but I didn't write the lyrics until later, but when I wrote them they came out in like about an hour.
Songwriting is the creative thinking. The craft part is easy for me but the creative parts, you can't control it.
CB: There are definitely political tones on the new album, and I know you can be political at times. We are heading into a big election. Are you planning to do any campaign work or work with any candidates?
AA: No one has asked me. I am a tried and true Democrat and a huge fan of Barack Obama, was in 2008 and still am. I think he has done a great job. He is trying to climb a mud hill uphill, straight uphill, and he is doing it. It's a hard job. I sure as hell wouldn't want that job. I'll campaign if people ask. It's not like I go out of my way. I am political because I believe everybody should be political. It is our role. It is one of our key responsibilities; it is like falling in love or working or eating. Voting is so important. I feel like it is our right and our obligation as an American. I have always felt that.
CB: You guys are going out with all of these iconic '90s bands and touring. What do you feel is the state of Rock music today?
AA: I don't know. That's a big, kind of $10 dollar question I don't have the answer to. From my perspective, one of the reasons I wanted to start this tour, the reason I called Mark (McGrath of Sugar Ray) to get involved and be my partner and do this thing with me was I felt there was a need for this. I was talking to a lot of people who felt very disenfranchised by contemporary Rock and Pop and felt a huge connection with the '90s era more than from a nostalgic point of view. This type of guitar Rock resonates with them and resonates with me as well. I think those are the people that are picking up on our record. We aren't on a major (label). We don't have major promotion. It seems like they are picking up every week which is bizarre because they usually go down at first. It just shows me, especially the way word of mouth on this tour has been, that my hunches were right. This isn't nostalgia. This is a valid connection with people and music. People still feel excited about it and have a great time, and I think that is what it is all about.
CB: I just got a new table game and I have "Lightning Round"-sort of type of questions for you.
AA: You just what type of game?
CB: It's a table game. You pick it up and ask questions. You should get one for the bus. Have you ever ran away from home?
AA: Have I ever ran away from home? OK. Yes. You should do your homework, missy.
CB: I know. I did. That is why it is kind of funny that I drew that one first.
AA: That is why you were laughing when you asked the question, you already knew the answer too.
CB: Sort of. What habit would you like to break?
AA: I can't say what just came to mind.
CB: Yes you can. We print anything. That's the point of this. Don't think.
AA: The habit I want to break is my aversion to world peace. That didn't work, did it? The habit I'd like to break is hitting on my drummer. I think it bothers him, makes him feel uncomfortable.
CB: I thought you were going to say getting married or something along those lines.
AA: I see where you are going. Maybe it is getting married to women half my age.
CB: That may be a good habit to break.
AA: I see. Just live with the band.
CB: Have you ever been fired?
AA: Yes. I have been fired, several times.
CB: What adjectives do you hope describe you at 75?
AA: Alive. Is that an adjective? That's not really an adjective, is it? Virile. Exciting. It's a working dream. It's not that far away. 75 is probably a long way off for you; it is not that far off for me.
CB: I'm not that young. I'm 36.
AA: You're not that young? You're older than my wife but you are younger than my ex-wife.
CB: What is your best excuse when pulled over for speeding?
AA: To be honest with you, I never make an excuse. I always come clean and I always get off. "I have no excuse officer. I was speeding. I was just excited to go where I want to go. I broke the law. I'm sorry. Give me the ticket." I never get a ticket. The truth is good but being in a multi-platinum band probably helps too.
CB: I'll try it but I don't think it will work as well for me.
AA: When girls say that, they try to cry. My ex-wife, beautiful, she was beautiful, she was an actress and she would try to cry and get away out of tickets and she always got the ticket.
CB: I don't cry. I just try to make up an excuse and that doesn't work either. I am the worst driver.
AA: I believe you.
CB: What is the most unusual gift you ever received?
AA: My wife now, when we were dating, gave me the gift of a party on my birthday that was like a role playing game, you ever done that?
CB: I have done murder mysteries.
AA: This was a murder mystery, but this was cool because I was a Columbian drug lord and she was a Columbian drug lord and we became partners in killing and murdering and it was awesome. It's a game. It's awesome.
CB: I love it. Obviously, I am playing the table game with you right now. I like games.
AA: I think you are making this up off the top of your head.
CB: I am not. It is called Table Topics: Questions to Start Great Conversations. Any crazy Cincinnati stories from the past?
AA: Oh yeah, but I am not telling them to you.
CB: Why?
AA: I have some really good Cincinnati stories. Just because.
I will tell you one. I was in my room and I was at some posh hotel and I was fooling around with some people and I hit the door and … I got that, what's that called … Staph Infection.
The inaugural Kanrocksas Music Festival took over Kansas City's Kansas Speedway last weekend, with headlining performances by Eminem, Muse, The Black Keys and many others. Impressive and well-organized in its debut year, the festival is being called a mini-Lollapalooza, as many of the same bands performed as they made their way to and from the Chicago fest (held the same weekend). Along with Eminem's epic performance, Bowling Green, Ky., AltRock sensation Cage the Elephant was an energetic highlight. The band's current tour in support of Thank You Happy Birthday (featuring the hit "Shake Me Down"), kicked off in Cincinnati in March when CtE also became part of Cincinnati Reds history, leading fans through the first "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" of the season on opening day. CityBeat sat down with lead guitarist Lincoln Parish and rhythm guitarist Brad Schultz (pictured) before they took Kansrocksas' stage to talk about that Cincinnati visit and more.
The Eli Young Band brings a taste of Red Dirt music to the forefront of Country music. The band has an upbeat and distinct sound that has caught on quickly on a national scale. EYB saw mild success through the years touring on Jet Black and Jealous and hit a major stride with its most recent album, Life At Best, featuring the hits "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" and ACM "Song of the Year," "Crazy Girl."
The Eli Young Band has now reached a new height, opening Kenny Chesney's current tour (which is hitting mostly stadiums). CityBeat was able to catch up with band drummer Chris Thompson to get the band's feeling on its new found success and life on tour with Kenny. The tour comes to Cincy tonight at Riverbend Music Center for a sold-out stop (the tour moves to Crew Stadium in Columbus on Saturday night). It is truly the most impressive tour in Country music.
CityBeat: How did the tour come about with Kenny Chesney?
Chris Thompson: A lot of people don't know this but Kenny is really involved in who he picks to go on tour with him. In a lot of other tours, a record label will put someone on the bill or management will partner up with other management to find a tour that works with that kind of artist, but Kenny is super hands-on.
Two years ago at the Academy of Country Music Awards, we were nominated for "Song of the Year" and so was Kenny, and we actually beat him, we won the category. I guess shortly after, there was a text going around from Kenny to his management, "Who are these guys that beat me?" and "I want to find out more about them." He started getting into our music and shortly after we got the phone call that we were invited to go out on tour with him.
It's just a huge honor. Like I was saying, he hand picks the folks that are out here on the road with him. It's the biggest tour in Country music and we are just happy to be here.
CB: I was there the night you guys won the "Song of the Year" award. I was so happy for you guys. I know you have worked very hard over the years. What was the highlight of CMA for the band this year in Nashville?
CT: We were only there for a couple hours really. We flew in that morning and did a signing for two or three hours and then had a couple meetings. Then, we were out of town.
We have been going to CMA Music Fest for seven or eight years now. Back in the day we would stay for three or four days and play a show or two and be able to hang and meet as many people as we could. It seems like more and more nowadays, especially with the tours we have been on and our headlining tours, we are only able to get in for a day and get out.
It is always fun to do the signings because you meet people from all over the country and from all over the world really who love Country music. They are so excited to meet you. They are die hard fans. They bring pictures from five years ago when we met. It's just cool that Country music does that. We are the only genre of music that has anything like that where fans can go and interact directly with the artists and have one-on-one face time with them.
CB: Tell me a little bit about "Drunk Last Night," the new single.
CT: I think "Drunk Last Night" is a lyric we can all relate to. When we all first heard the song, we were like, "Yes, this is a song for us."
A lot of people hear a title and automatically think it's a drinking song. We went through some of that with "Crazy Girl." A lot of people saw the title and went "Oh, I know what this song is about," and I think they were wrong.
I think people will find this is not the standard drinking song. It is all about, I hate to sum it up as drunk dialing, but it is kind of like the thought of doing that and alcohol feeding that desire a little bit more than in daily life.
It is also a song that we went in the studio and recorded (and) as soon as we finished the session, we could go out and play (it) live right now because it's a great track, it's rocking, it's in our wheelhouse and we actually did. We started playing it at the very beginning of the Chesney tour before it was even picked as a single. The crowd really seemed to dig it and now here it is, going to be a single. Good stuff.
CB: Do you guys know or do you have a feeling when you have a hit or when you hear a hit presented to you?
CT: Yeah. I think sometimes you hear a song, sometimes people say the song gives them chills and they know that's the one. Sometimes you get that feeling in your gut. When you hear a song sometimes, you write a lyric and you feel that, it is almost like that feeling of falling in love. Your chest kind of swells.
When multiple people feel that way at the same spot or for the same song, then I don't know if anybody can guarantee a hit, but you know that it is at least a lyric or a song that people can relate to and I think typically good songs are universal in that sort of way.
CB: I loved your "The Cuss Jar" video — I could buy a house if I implemented that process. I wanted to know if you had bought anything fun with the money?
CT: No, actually I think that era ended. The jar got too full and I think we used that jar for laundry money one day when we stopped somewhere on the road and had a few days off and emptied the whole thing for band and crew's laundry. Then we got too lazy to keep up with it.
CB: What has been your craziest tour story recently?
CT: I think playing Cowboys Stadium in Dallas on the Chesney tour was probably the craziest thing because we are from Dallas and we have played every tiny bar around the stadium. To just get up on stage at the biggest stadium in America was totally wild. All of our families were there; it was craziness.
CB: That's such a special moment, I am sure you have plenty of those all the time. Do you do anything special yourself to keep the tour memories? Do you take photos or journals? Some bands blog or journal and do things to keep it fresh.
CT: Yeah, we have been fortunate on this tour, since the beginning of this year, we have had a guy out on the road with us that has started doing social media. Mainly he is taking pictures. Since January, this whole thing has been documented and we really appreciate that.
It is definitely hard for us to get good photos when we are on stage playing, when we are really in the moment, because we are playing, so he is out there doing that. This is the biggest tour we have ever done and just the momentum that this year is building, we are just happy about that.
CB: What does a typical day look like for you?
CT: On the Chesney tour when we are doing stadiums like we are doing today, we will go out and do a tailgating event, at 1 or so in the afternoon, we will all get into some golf carts and we will go out to where all the fans are tailgating and they will bombard us with jello shots and beer bongs and the local foods they have.
We hang out with them for an hour or two then we will start doing radio events where we will play a couple songs acoustic, sitting on our bus or backstage for various winners. Then we will do a meet and greet for about 60-100 people. Then, we will grab a bite to eat around then. Then we hit the stage and rock out for about an hour.
After that, we will go hang out with some radio folks or some friend that are in town and wind down about the time Kenny hits the stage so we can watch him. It's pretty cool. It's pretty unreal.
CB: If you could trade places for anyone for about a month, who would it be?
CT: Right now it feels like we are living the dream. I think the four of us are really happy with what is going on in our careers right now. We have had some national success. It feels like we have broken out of being a regional band and it feels like we are on the cusp of something more than that. It's a great time for Eli Young Band and it is important for us to enjoy this. I probably wouldn't want to trade places with anyone right now.
CB: What can the fans look for from you guys tonight in Cincinnati?
CT: We try to always bring a high-energy show. We were playing a show last night and there was this older gentleman almost in front row sitting in his chair arms crossed and it looked like he wasn't really enjoying himself. About halfway through our set he leaned over to his wife and he points at us and he goes, "Those guys are workin' up there." Then he smiled real big.
We want to bring that energy. We want to get on stage and have a good time and fire up the crowd. We go on right after Kacey Musgraves. Kacey is real cool and laidback and all that when she does her thing and it's great. Then we get to come in and kick the audience in the butt a little bit.
During our set we have some new music in there and some cover songs I think gets the crowd up and clapping. After that Eric (Church) comes up and burns it down. Then Kenny Chesney comes out and the place goes nuts.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra combines a night at the symphony with an in-your-face Rock concert experience and is best known for its holiday-centric shows, with grand musical scores and massive light and production pieces that stimulate your visual senses as much as your auditory ones. The project began in 1993 and has evolved into one of the biggest holiday tickets across the country. It's also something of a Cincinnati tradition, as the group usual performs in the area come the holidays. CityBeat spoke with Al Pitrelli last week in advance of TSO's appearance in Cincinnati today at U.S. Bank Arena, with shows at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
There is no denying the legendary status of Black Sabbath. They are all Rock & Roll superstars, defining Hard Rock and Metal, both as forms of music and lifestyles. Without Sabbath, we would not have seen the likes of the Metal acts of today, like Slipknot and Tool, or fellow legends like Motorhead and Megadeth, as well as much of Grunge (and all of Stoner Metal).
Frontman Ozzy Osbourne does not see Black Sabbath as a Metal band. At a pre-tour press conference Osbourne elaborated on this: "I've never really liked that—- using that word 'Heavy Metal' — because '80s Metal was all Poison, Motley Crue, Ozzy and so on, and the '70s was a different thing, you know? And it got different in the '90s. I mean, it's like it doesn't have any musical connotations for me."
The new Black Sabbath album, 13, is not a Metal album. It is more like their earliest work together, not the Paranoid or Masters of Reality years, but the time they were grinding it out as a heavy Blues band. This is, of course, not your typical Blues album, nor has Black Sabbath abandoned what made them the legends they have become.
What gave the band the inspiration to produce their first No. 1 album (yes, I repeat, first No. 1) was one simple concept, one simple word — freedom. Ozzy explains, "There's a lot of free spirit, which is what (producer Rick Rubin) was looking for, I suppose. It must have been. We did very well, his idea of a Black Sabbath album."
On Sunday night, Black Sabbath rolls into the Klipsch Music Center in Indianapolis. After nearly 45 years of Black Sabbath, a lot of lineup changes have been made. This is not a different lineup. This is the original crew (minus drummer Bill Ward).
This is Ozzy, clean, sober and still with that distinct sound that no one else in the business can touch. It is guitarist Tony Iommi, who beat cancer while the new album was being made, truly the "Ironman" of the band (as Osbourne refers to him). It is bassist and band lyricist Geezer Butler. Rumors are already flying that this may be their last tour together, so it will be a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience for many.
Here are a few more snippets from the pre-tour press conference to get you fired up. The humbleness and pride really shined through in all of Ozzy's answers.
Q: Hey, I remember back when Sabbath originally got back together in the late 90s and you guys did a lot of touring then into the next decade. The band had tried back then for a time to get a new record together and then it didn't materialize. Can you put your finger on what made things different this go around that did enable you to come up with some pretty raw material?
Ozzy Osbourne: You know what? I was doing this television thing with The Osbournes back then, and I had my own career, and I suppose it was a clash of egos and it just didn't feel right. We tried to force an album. In fact we did — we recorded a demo with a bunch of stuff, which is nothing like the way we used to do. We were forcing it out of ourselves. Whereupon this album, the 13 album (that) just kind of came out, we just clicked. I mean, you know when you're in a band and you go into something that is working. You know, we didn't have to force it. It just came naturally.
Q: When did you realize that?
Ozzy: There's no answer - there's no formula. There's no magic — it just happens or it doesn't. I wasn't really into it (during the earlier attempt). They weren't really into it and you can't force it. It either comes or it doesn't and I said before in the press that the reunion album was going to have to be something special, the most important album of my career.
When it comes out naturally and you get that tickling feeling in your spine and you know you're on a sort of that spiritual thing you sort of — you know that everything's working right, you're not forcing it.
Q: 13 has already proved to be very successful for the band. It's the band's first No. 1 album in the U.S. How does this feel after 45 years?
Ozzy: You know what? You're asking the wrong guy, because when it went to No. 1 in England, it just went No. 1 in England, America, Germany, New Zealand and I'm like, "What?" I mean, I'm still kind of pinching myself, like I'm going to wake up and it's all been a dream, because had this happened in 1972 after Paranoid, I'd have gone, "Oh, yes, OK." But now after 45 years up the road and we get our first No. 1, it's kind of a hard thing to swallow, you know? You just kind of — it's great. I'm not saying I don't want it to be No. 1, but I just don't understand why now, you know? I mean, we've been around for a long time, in one way or another.
Q: OK, so now you've got the album that you wanted. What's the live show going to be like?
Ozzy: You know, all I can say is a month or so ago we were in New Zealand, Australia and Japan, and it was astounding how the reception was. We're going to do some old and we're going to do some new and it's just kind of interesting to be able to do some new stuff because in the past I haven't been able to do a lot of new stuff because of the fact that my range is too high and I couldn't do onstage what I did in the studio.
But now on this, on 13, I sang it in a range that I could do most of them on stage so we did new things, "End of the Beginning", "God is Dead?" and a couple of others, but we couldn't do most of the cuts off the album, if you want to change them around and all. We're not going to go and just do new stuff with very limited old stuff. We're going to do "Paranoid," "Black Sabbath," a good mix of the old stuff as well as the new stuff.
Q: I wanted to see if you could talk about Tony Iommi, just how inspirational for you it was watching your friend battling cancer while making this album, and his courage.
Ozzy: You know, when he came down with cancer, it's been the way of Sabbath. That is, we'd try to get something going again, and the last time, (original drummer) Bill Ward had a heart attack and we couldn't do it then. The easiest part of getting back together with Black Sabbath and doing an album is just sitting down and just saying, "Yes, you know," but then all kinds of crap gets flown in the works.
And Tony kept going. He said, "I've got this lump," and I said, "You know what? If I were you, I'd go and get myself checked out, because you know in a way, it was what I said to Sharon — my wife Sharon went to get checked out early part of of 2000, and she found she had colon cancer, so she had to go and get it checked out." So he came back and he said, they've found I've got lymphoma, and I go, 'This is unbelievable.' Every time we start to get going -—it's like a curse, you know? And believe me, I know from firsthand with my wife that treatment for cancer is not like doing a line of coke and going to a disco. It knocks the crap out of you, you know? But fair play to Tony, it just came down to the studio.
The only thing we had to do was make it easier for him to get treatment. In other words, we started off at my studio in Calabasas, but we all moved to his studio in England, and we all stayed in a hotel for a while to accommodate him, and he would come down to the studio every day. I'd go, "Tony, you're sure you're okay to do this, man, are you ready?" And he goes, "No I'll do it," and he came down, he came up with the goods.
I thought my God, man, he is "Ironman." You know, I mean, my hat goes off to him, because I mean, believe me, I don't know if you have ever known anybody who had chemotherapy before, but that really knocks the life out of you, man.
Q: I'm just curious what the impetus was that — when you called Tony back in 2010 and said, you know, let's get the band back together, I want to make another Sabbath album, what was going through your mind at that time?
Ozzy: I can't really remember who called who. I think it originally was me and Tony doing an album and then we tried various bass lines and we tried the instruments out and we tried a whole bunch of people, and I don't know who said, what's Geezer up to and, you know, and it just kind of came together by accident and we all started to write stuff and it started to gel. Whereas we tried before and we all sat there and it just wouldn't —- it … just wouldn't work, you know.
But it came together very naturally and it wasn't too long to where it was like, 'I like that, that's pretty cool,' and so you can't force anything, right? You can just, you can try and be Black Sabbath, but we all knew that we didn't want to put an album out called Black Sabbath, just for the sake of us guys getting together and doing stuff together. At one point there was even talk like not calling it a Black Sabbath album, but eventually it rolled into itself.
Q: I wanted to ask about the lyrics on the album. Now I know Geezer has a big hand in that. How does the process work? Who create the lyrics?
Ozzy: Well, what happens is I get a melody, and I'll just sing anything, and sometimes it can be like a beginning or a hook line or a couple of words that he gets inspiration from. He's the main lyricist, although I wrote a couple of the sets of lyrics on the album, but Geezer gives Black Sabbath's vocal message verbally. I mean, over the years, he's given me some phenomenal lyrics, you know.
He's just one of these guys that can do that. I get an idea like "God is Dead?" for instance. One day I was in the doctor's office waiting room, and Time magazine was just sitting on the front with "God is Dead?" and I thought, 'Wow, that's a good idea,' and I started singing that on the track, you know, the "God is Dead?" bit.
You know, I thought, 'They've flown planes into the World Trade Center under the name of religion and God and all this shit, and that is not my idea of what God should be.' My idea of what God should be is a good guy, you know? I don't think there's any good in killing people in the name of your God. And so Geezer — that was my idea — and Geezer took it to another level.
Q: Did you ever have to have discussions about things that he writes that you might not agree with?
Ozzy: No, no.
Q: Is there ever a back and forth?
Ozzy: He's very careful. I mean, if you listen to the lyrics on "God is Dead?" at the end of the song it says, "I don't believe that God is dead." people just look at the face value of the title, and I know on this tour we're going to have Bible thumpers and people picketing us and people telling us that we're evil and all that. We kind of laugh at it, because people just go the face value (of) "God is Dead?" and it's all about Satan and it's just quite amusing, actually, because they don't really know what they're complaining about.
Q: This is just a little bit off-topic. In the movie God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, I noticed toward the end you were learning to drive. I just wanted to know what was going on with that.
Ozzy: See what happened, I got a driving license, bought a Ferrari, I bought an RA Spider, and the people would get out of the bloody road when Ozzy was driving, I'm telling you. I was always getting stopped by the cops or running into somebody else's car, so one day I said to my wife, "You know what? I'm 64. I don't really want to be found dead in a Ferrari." I've survived this long of all my trials over my life. I don't want to drive over a cliff in a car, so I haven't really been driving since I sold the Ferrari and the RA.
Honeyhoney is an up-and-coming group out of Los Angeles that offers a soulful, folksy sound that has led to comparisons to The Avett Brothers and Mumford and Sons. A combination of Suzanne Santo's strong voice and banjo/fiddle playing and the voice and guitar of Ben Jaffe, honeyhoney's sound (despite the comparisons) is a unique hybrid that has been intriguing audiences since last October's release of Billy Jack and the subsequent relentless touring.
The pair spoke with CityBeat by phone to promote Saturday's performance in Cincinnati at Bogart's (in the club's "Front Room"). (Click here for more info.)
CityBeat: I picked up your latest album in the fall when Billy Jack was released and I love it. I saw you were also previewed in Country Weekly in the fall and I just wanted to ask if you consider yourself a Country band.
Ben Jaffe: We don't but that is kind of a genre that has been thrown at us now, of course, not in a bad way. I should have said "tossed gently to us" and we caught it. It has been a kind of interesting opportunity because we have had a lot of trouble aligning ourselves with a specific group. Everyone says "It sounds like this" or "not enough this" or "not enough that." I think we are really happy to be embraced by Country people and we love to play in front of them, but I don't think we call ourselves a Country band.
CB: It's actually a hard genre to break into. I cover all kinds of music and it's one of the harder types of music to get the fans to rally around you.
BJ: Completely. And it's such a citadel, there is a real industry around it so I think that explains why it is tough to make a wave and whatever little ripple we are making is cool and we like to pursue it. Actually, it is interesting, Jamey Johnson was at one of our shows the other day and he expressed some support for us and we might play some shows with him so it kind of seems like it is pulling us in, like in Godfather: Part II.
CB: Would you modify your sound or your songs to adapt to Country music?
BJ: No. How it works though is the more you listen, the more you can integrate subconsciously. This record that we released most recently, both of us got obsessed with Hank Williams. I don't know if it is out of respect or out of interest, (but) there are songs on the record that are straight Hank Williams rip-offs. I don't see it as adapting to fit in to a genre or section but the more you get exposed to it, you can't help but integrate it because it is great music.
CB: Can you tell me a little about the song "Little Toy Gun"?
BJ: That came out a while ago. That was something that I actually recorded on my own separately before the band, and when we got together, eventually, it became part of our set. It was the one that the label believed in, so we made this crazy video which was an amazing experience. Kiefer Sutherland directed it and we had a trailer. We were like movie stars for 20 minutes. It is one of those songs that has stuck around. People still reach out to us to use the song.
CB: You guys are on the Coachella roster, correct?
BJ: Yes ma'am
CB: That is pretty exciting in itself. What else exciting do you guys have coming up this summer?
BJ: We are opening for a guy named James Morrison who is doing a tour in May. Then we are playing this thing called the Sasquatch Festival that Tenacious D is playing. So we are accomplishing some of our, highest, loftiest goals to play with Tenacious D. This could be our shot. Sheryl Crow has asked us to open up a few dates. All of this has been happening really recently. It has been really crazy. Then we are playing at the Newport Folk Festival and then hopefully after that we will become addicted to hard drugs and our careers will be over.
CB: We will find you in an alley somewhere in L.A.
BJ: (laughing) Yeah
CB: I have a couple funny questions. I have been playing this table game where you pick out questions to answer. Some of them are funny so I am going to try them out on you guys.
CB: What was the last thing you bought at a drive-thru window?
BJ: Oh, God. (asking someone else) Hey what was the last thing we bought at a drive-thru window? They don't allow vans through the drive-thru a lot of times so I guess it was at the bank ATM.
CB: So money?
BJ: Yeah, cash.
CB: What is your favorite dirty movie?
BJ: My favorite dirty movie, like pornographic film?
CB: It doesn't have to be, it can go either way.
BJ: Yeah, we are mainly streamers. You can say that. I would say either Dark Side of the Poon or Wild Things Part 3. At this point can I hand you over to Suzanne?
Suzanne Santo: Hello Amy.
CB: I ran him off with some of my questions I guess.
SS: No, I think he was more looking forward to me answering any more pornographic questions that you may have.
CB: No, I got a new table game so I have been trying out some of the questions.
SS: What is your table game called?
CB: It's a cube of cards that you get and you put it on the table and you have people pick a card out and they have to answer a question.
SS: OK. Have you played Dirty Jenga, that's fun too?
CB: No I haven't. I have to look that up.
SS: It's not dirty-dirty, like totally inappropriate. It's like "Bite the ear of the person to your left" or "Make an orgasmic noise." Each block has a dare written on it.
CB: You not only have to take the block out but you have to do what is written on it. Nice.
SS: It is kind of a "do it yourself" kind of game so it is at your discretion what you want the blocks to say. So if I were you, I would choose my company wisely.
CB: I wanted to specifically talk to you about growing up in Ohio. I know you are from Cleveland and the Midwest. How did growing up in Cleveland or the Midwest influence your music?
SS: Well, to be honest with you, I wouldn't say that the Midwest has influenced my style tremendously. Well, that's not true because there was a lot of music growing up. I grew up in Strongsville which is 25 minutes South of Cleveland and there is definitely adjacent farmland that is not very far, within a mile or two.
When I was in L.A. about a month ago, I met Drew Carey at a diner. I went, "Hello Drew, my name is Suzanne from Parma, Ohio, and I just want you to know that I love you." I said, "I think you are the greatest and I love what you do for Cleveland." I tweeted at him later in the day and he retweeted my tweet and I was, "That's it. I'm done. I have achieved my goals."
I guess there were Country elements I grew up listening to but my family owned an Italian restaurant and they played a lot of Jazz music like Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin and that kind of thing. There was definitely a Jazz influence from the get-go, I love Jazz with a true, infinite passion. It never ends, is what I meant to say. I grew up with a lot of that and Country music, it was mainly Pop Country that I was hearing here and there but I really got into Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline and that kind of stuff later, after I had already left Ohio. When we started our band in L.A., we frequented Nashville and every time, we got a little bit deeper into classic Country like Johnny Cash.
CB: Do you have any fun Cincinnati memories from playing or being around town?
SS: We played Bogart's once and I remember being really excited.


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Dickens Literary Salon - Our Mutual FriendFree Library of Philadelphia, Rare Book DepartmentThursday, November 15, 2012 from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM (EST)Philadelphia, PA |
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Event Details
Join us as we discuss Dickens's last completed novel, Our Mutual Friend, one of the most complexly plotted of his works. It begins with the drowning of the heir to a fortune and takes a panoramic look at English society. From the glamour of the social-climbing Veneering's fancy dinner parties to the grit of dust heaps and the overarching theme of the river, the novel represents some of Dickens's most biting social commentary.
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Free Library of Philadelphia
1901 Vine Street
Thursday, November 15, 2012 from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM (EST)
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Free Library of Philadelphia, Rare Book Department
The Rare Book Department, among the largest in American public libraries, maintains collections of rare and valuable printed books, manuscripts, and works on paper and parchment from the ancient world through the 20th century.

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text: Very nice Oval Divided Vegetable Bowl in the discontinued Brown Drip pattern by McCoy. This divided serving dish measures 12 inches long and 6-3/4 inches wide. The bottom is marked USA MCP 7038. This piece is in very good condition with no chips or cracks and very minor signs of use.


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Huntington's disease — an inherited disease that causes the degeneration of brain cells — results in movement, psychiatric, cognitive disorders and eventual death.
Having a preemie can be overwhelming. Here's what you need to know about your baby's care and the possible complications of a premature birth.
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5 Ways to Fix Up a Family RoomInterior designers reveal their secrets for making a den more inviting (plus: what do with the tons of books that tend to pile up in there).
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Sort Colors"Arrange your books by color. When they're grouped together with similar hues, the effect is really eye-popping, especially when they're against stark white bookshelves." — Robert and Cortney Novogratz, authors of Home by Novogratz (Artisan Books) Related ResourcesKeep ReadingLiving Room Clutter CheckupsPeter Walsh gives advice to members of his clutter crew about how to clean up their messy living rooms and family room/kitchen combos. Clean Up Your Messy Living RoomIt's the room where everyone gathers. Kick off your six-month decluttering plan by tackling the clutter in your living or family rooms. 7 Ways to Decorate Your Home for FallGet your home dressed for autumn with these easy steps from professional decorators. One-Day Living Room MakeoverMake your living room comfortable, personal and fun with these interior design tips. Advertisement
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NTUA Nuclear Engineering Department Web Site
The Nuclear Engineering Department belongs to the NTUA School of Mechanical Engineering. The Department focuses on education and research regarding the fields of nuclear energy applications and related phenomena, technical applications of nuclear methods as well as the natural and man-made radiological environment.
Outdoor Radio-Environmental Conditions
Zografou Campus (Measurement location)Last Update 11/03/14-21:06:49
Radon Daughters Concentration | 4.8 Bq m-3 |
Gamma Dose Rate | 49.0 nGy h-1 |
Temperature | 9.5 °C |
Relative Humidity | 60.1 % |
Atmospheric Pressure | 994.6 mbar |
Latest News
Dedicated Symposium for Mike Philippacopoulos - August 10-11, Drosopigi, Konitsa, Greece
August 06, 2012
The NTUA community is invited to attend the Symposium in memory of Dr. Aristodimos (Makis) Philippacopoulos: A tribute to his pioneering work in Earthquake Engineering and Structural Mechanics, to be held in Drosopigi, on 10-11 August 2012. More information on the main NTUA web site.
New paper in press
November 16, 2011
A new paper, titled "Phosphoric acid as Uranium complexant in kinetic phosphorimetry" has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry. More information is available in the Publications section.


text:
Henry and Mudge Get the Cold Shivers
by Cynthia Rylant, Sucie Stevenson Illustrated by Sucie Stevenson
When Mudge gets sick and has to go to the vet, he and Henry share some scary moments, but Henry once again shows his devotion to his canine friend as he pampers him through his cold.
- Ages
- 6, 7, 5
- Interest Level
- Grades K - 2
- Grade Level Equivalent
- 2.1
- Lexile Measure
- 18-20
- Guided Reading
- Publisher
- Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
- Book Type
- Chapter Book
- Number of Pages
- 48
- Genre
- Comedy and Humor, Dictionaries, Reference, Series
About the Authors and Illustrator
Cynthia Rylant
Award-winning children's author Cynthia Rylant didn't discover great writing until college. Soon after, she was inspired to write her own beautiful story, When I Was Young in the Mountains.
Sucie Stevenson
Sucie Stevenson
The Reading Toolkit


text: Hotel Information According to the Brazilian Federal Law 8.069/1990, minors under 18 years old cannot check into hotels unless they are accompanied by their parents or a designated adult. If a minor is accompanied by an adult other than his parents, it is necessary to present a written authorization for the minor to check into the hotel. Such authorization must be notarized and signed by both parents, and presented along with notarized copies of their IDs.All minors under 18 years old also need to present a valid ID with photo, to prove their identity and that of his/her parents. This must be presented even if a minor is accompanied by his/her parents.In the case of a minor accompanied by only one of the parents, it is necessary to present a notarized authorization signed by the absent parent, along with a notarized copy of that parent´s ID.


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As Long Island shoppers gear up for back-to-school, retailers are offering sales and other incentives to draw them in. Verizon FiOS1 Long Island details those promotions. Read the related LIBN story.
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Stock No.: 11179, Vendor Part No: W-43V
This APW Wyott® food warmer features a low resistance "W" shaped heating element that provides even transfer of heat to the well pan. The rethermalizer is 9" x 14 1/2' x 29 1/2" (H x W x D) and weighs 35 pounds. This APW Wyott® food warmer has a one piece, die stamped, deep drawn stainless liner that is easy to clean and a good conductor of heat. The durable device has a protective stainless steel outer shell with louvers on all four sides. This APW Wyott® food warmer uses 120 Volts; 12.5 amps; 1500 watts allowing for use in almost any kitchen.
Stock No. | 11179 |
Brand | APW Wyott |
Case Pack | 1 |
Warranty | One year parts and labor. |
Certifications | CSA |


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You or your business can save hundreds by purchasing a Reconditioned Portable Hercules II 750. All of our reconditioned lifts are in like-new condition and will look and perform as if it were a brand new vertical lift. Capabilities and specifications remain unchanged as well.
If your home or business has at least two locations that are inaccessible for wheelchair and scooter users, the Portable Hercules II 750 will easily solve your problems. The Portable Hercules II 750 is virtually the same as the reliable and popular standard Hercules II 750, but with the addition of the portability package. Casters on the underside make this lift extremely easy to transport from one location to another.
The Portable Hercules II 750 has a 750-pound weight capacity and 36" x 54" non-skid platform. You can be sure that your lift is ADA compliant right out of the box, too. Installation is simple and your guests and/or customers will love the fact that you have a Portable Hercules II 750. Call our product experts today to learn more about this amazing product!


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Friday, March 7, 2014 | 10:20 a.m.
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Posted: 5:55 p.m. Monday, Feb. 11, 2013
By Doug Harris
The race for the player of the year in the Atlantic 10 isn't as clear-cut as it's been in past seasons, but the pick for the rookie of the year is all but settled even with four weeks to go in the conference season.
Xavier point guard Semaj Christon has emerged as the front-runner with his multi-faceted skills and unflappable nature in tight games.
He's averaging 14.9 points, 10th in the league. No other freshman is in the top 10 in scoring, and VCU's Treveon Graham in the only sophomore in the group.
Christon is fifth in the A-10 in assists (4.6) and 10th in steals (1.5). And he's a prime reason why the Musketeers have been one of the surprise teams in the league. Picked to finish ninth, they're tied for fourth at 6-3, one game out of first place.
"He's gotten tons better as the year has gone on," Xavier coach Chris Mack said. "He didn't come in with a sense of entitlement. He watches tape. He works on his game after practice, he comes early to practice. He just has a chip on his shoulder and he plays to win.
"Because of that type of attitude, his teammates enjoy him as a teammate. They believe in him. There's no sense of jealousy, and sometimes that can happen when you're led at times by a freshman. In big moments, he's played well for us."
Christon, who was just named A-10 rookie of the week for the fifth time, is bidding to become the first freshman to lead the Musketeers in scoring since Stanley Burrell in 2004-05 and the first frosh to lead them in assists since Dedrick Finn in 2002-03.
He had 16 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in a 73-65 road win over Duquesne on Saturday.
"He's a fantastic young player," Dukes coach Jim Ferry said. "He just puts so much pressure on the defense. It just allows other guys make plays, and he makes plays for them. … He keeps his dribble alive, he's got great quickness, great length. I thought we did a really good job on him, and you turn around and he's got six assists in the first half because he's playing off what the defense gives him. He's going to have a heckuva career in this league."
Under-appreciated: Butler is ranked 11th in the Associated Press poll this week, but there's still a perception around college basketball that the Bulldogs aren't quite as talented as other schools ranked that high.
Charlotte coach Alan Major isn't buying it.
"It's a shame people look at it that way. If you understand basketball, sometimes people confuse talent with whether a guy is an NBA guy," Major said. "Kellen Dunham can make six 3-pointers in a game. That's talented. Khyle Marshall is capable of getting a double-double on a given night. That's talented. You could just go on down their lineup. Rotnei Clarke can hang 25 points on you if you're not careful. That's talented.
"Maybe sometimes the average layman fan may look at it and say, 'Do they have four NBA draft picks?' … What you have is an extremely well-coached team that has blended a lot of talent together in one piece."
The Bulldogs currently are going through some hardships. Center Andrew Smith suffered an abdominal injury and is out for at least the next two games. And forward Erik Fromm has rejoined the team after the death of his father from cancer. The entire team attended the funeral services Thursday.
Dangerous conditions: Rhode Island dropped a 67-61 decision at home Saturday to St. Bonaventure. But for Rams coach Dan Hurley, the game took a backseat to just making sure his players were safe and warm after the region was socked by a blizzard that dropped more than two feet of snow.
"The state was hit so hard. There's still maybe 100,000 people without power or electricity," Hurley said. "We were really only able to maybe throw together one opportunity to eat. The kids in the residence hall lost power during the storm, and we were just trying to keep guys around the arena because there was power here.
"But there's a lot of folks in this part of the country that are dealing with a whole lot more than what we had to deal with — life and death situations, not just struggling to prepare for a game."
RPI update: The A-10 has 10 teams in the top 100 of the RPI again this week. Butler has an RPI of 15, La Salle 29, Temple 49, VCU 51, UMass 53, Charlotte 57, Saint Louis 60, Richmond 72, Xavier 82 and Saint Joseph's 91. Dayton just missed the top-100 at 104.
Team Conf. Overall
Butler 7-2 20-4
Saint Louis 7-2 18-5
Massachusetts 6-3 16-6
La Salle 6-3 16-6
Xavier 6-3 13-9
Charlotte 5-4 17-6
Temple 5-4 16-7
George Washington 5-4 11-11
Saint Joseph's 4-5 13-9
Richmond 4-5 14-10
St. Bonaventure 4-5 11-11
Dayton 3-6 13-10
Fordham 2-7 6-18
Rhode Island 1-8 6-16
Duquesne 0-9 7-16
Charlotte at Butler
Dayton at Rhode Island
Fordham at Xavier
La Salle at St. Bonaventure
Richmond at Saint Joseph's
Duquesne at Temple
Massachusetts at VCU
Xavier at Dayton
Saint Joseph's at La Salle
Butler at Fordham
St. Bonaventure at Richmond
Temple at Massachusetts
Charlotte at Saint Louis
Rhode Island at Duquesne
George Washington at VCU
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Nars Nourishing Eye Cream- Made in USA
Nars Nourishing Eye Cream- Made in USA
Brand Name: Nars
Item Type: Beauty
Item: Cream
Made In: USA
Gender: Women
Condition: Brand New
Size: 0.5 oz.
Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Cyclomethicone, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Squalane, Alcohol Denatured (SD Alcohol 40-B), PEG 350, Phenyltrimethicone, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Copolyol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, PEG 6, PEG 32, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil (Orange), Trehalose, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract (White Lily), Prunus Persica Extract (Peach Kernel), Aloe (Aloe Barbadensis) Leaf Extract, Foeniculum Vulgare Fruit Extract (Fennel), Sodium Citrate, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol, Trisodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Ethylparaben, Methylparaben, Iron Oxides (CI 77492, 77491)
A luxurious, lightweight revitalizing eye cream that enhances moisture using Active Phytoseed Complex. The added benefits of Fennel contribute revitalizing and retexturizing properties for a smoother appearance, while natural botanicals help soothe and condition the skin. Improves skin's resilience while creating the perception of fewer fine lines and imparting radiant luminosity.
Modnique picks the best of Los Angeles, New York and everything in between. Whether you are looking for high quality designer handbags or eco-friendly, ultra soft clothes for your baby, you can find it here at Modnique. Our buyers choose only the most fashionable items and bring them to you at well below the retail price and our friendly customer service representatives are available to answer all of your questions. Happy Shopping!
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This is an advertisement
If you or a loved one has been injured, you have the right to know your legal options regarding personal injury claims. For more than 30 years, Sokolove Law has worked to educate people about their rights. And we've helped people in all 50 states get the legal support they need to move personal injury claims successfully through the court system.
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OK parents.....something to share with your kids about a REAL Winter
by Mark EvansAntarctica - 2006. Enough said.....trust me it's been cold - but this is SCARY!!!
Read More » -
Mother gives birth to adopted baby
by Nikki MontgomeryInfertility affects many families. In fact, my husband and I sought infertility treatments when we were trying to have Mia. We didn'...
Read More » -
Seriously.....Do These Ever Get Old?
by Mark Evans -
Doctor snaps a pic of a baby still in amniotic sac
by Nikki MontgomeryDoctor in Greece was able to snap a picture of a baby still in the amniotic sac. The doctor delivered the baby via cesarean and said...
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Dress Them Right With "Polar Vortex 2," The Sequel
by Mark EvansAs you know Mom and Dad.....it's COLD!!! The best way to dress for winter is to wear layers. This gives you flexibility to add or...
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Potty time!
by Nikki MontgomeryMy husband seems a little discouraged with potty training. We've been asking Mia if she wants to sit on the potty for months now an...
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Another Reason Not To Have Kids ;) You Can Afford To Take A Mid-Winter Cruise
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My babies are 3 months old
by Nikki MontgomeryBoy does time fly! My twins are 3 months old. Kenzie Zoey They are getting so big. I wish I could just freeze time, but I know th...
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Allot Communications Ltd. (NASDAQ:ALLT)
The Company is a designer and developer of broadband service optimization solutions using deep packet inspection technology.
- Quote
- Commentary
- Scorecard
- Historical Prices
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Up more than 12% at 14.19 a share received new mullimillion dollar order for its Deep Pocket inspection - enabled Service Gate solution from US Based mulination provider of clud services
Mobile and communications SERVICE. I feel that a "service" has longer legs than software. Other companies can copy then alter that software. However service as a whole is a lot more expensive to "copy" and even harder to do well. Technically, though, this is a damn good entry to this stock. Would not be surprised to see a lot od insiders aquiring come next report. Prolly exit around 21ish then go down then the people that gets the "breaking news" that it bounces will enter again when they see it dip to bout 20 again hoping to hit 30 and get a quik 50 percent.
I think Allot is losing out to Procera in many instances, but as the lead contender for Verzion's DPI business as it unveils its "6 strikes" policy and the possibility it is preparing itself to be acquired -- it announced it was repaying its Israeli OCS R&D grants back early (the loans prevent a sale of the company to foreign investors) -- I see its new, lower price attractive.
ET Screen "$, 20% 52 low"
Analyst downgrade causes the share price to plummet. Nice entry point here.
Sells telecommunications equipment to Tier 1 providers with Deep Packet Inspection. Allows Telecommunication providers to hold off buying more expensive equipment by prioritzing data.
israeli company .
this company is positioned to provide other companies a means to control and understand the data output and customer networking usage...In this new age of smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc...networking is never been so inceasing important. And with this company's help purhasing companys' can essentially save money through a better understanding of how cust are using data and adjust accordingly. companies like this will become more and more important over the years as we move forward with everyone connecting everywhere and with everything.
low PEG, strong price uptrend
A smallcap chip company out of Israel with a good presence in the international community, but virtually nothing in the US. They have a lot to offer and are just at the tip of the iceberg in the US.
Getting the internet up and running is their game. Nice looking chart.
gaon reccomends
$75M cash position is 70% of current market cap. $8-$9 stock
Co has $37M in cash, zero debt, and just rolled out their first ISP service in the Far East/Asia. Mkt cap/stock is undervalued here.
Almost $4/share in the bank, trading below $8, 77% gross margins, market growth rate above 30% a year for the next few years, telecom capex in a resurgence, so cheap it is a takeover candidate from someone like Juniper!!
strong positioning
Not the best stock out there (I've successfully shorted it here in CAPS twice already), but today's sell-off is too drastic. It's actually enough for me to go long on Allot.
Just for the short term ride back up and then back to underperform he shall go!!!!
Allot Communications Ltd. (Allot) designs and develops broadband service optimization solutions with DPI (Deep Packet Inspection) technology. These solutions enable the operators to identify, classify, prioritize, and shape network traffic thereby enhancing the performance and profitability of WAN and broadband services.
The operating performance of the company displays some traction. For the fiscal 2006 its top line increased by 49% and it showed a marginal net profit as compared to net loss of $2.4 million.
Globally broadband is growing at a very rapid pace and along with it the network traffic is also growing due to new bandwidth intensive applications such as P2P, VoIP, and CRM etc. However not all applications which hog the bandwidth is lucrative for the network operators. For example P2P applications which hogs 50-60% of network traffic generates very little revenue for the operators. Here Allot comes in the picture with its solution as they arm the network operators with intelligence that enables it to understand the components of network traffic much better. This ensures better service to lucrative segments like VoIP driving both profitability and customer satisfaction.
Network operators have compelling reason to adopt DPI technology and hence it is reasonable to assume that the company will piggyback on the success and broad based adoption of DPI technology.
The valuation of the company is rich. However the company seems to be on the cusp of exponential growth. It has the technology which is proven and operating environment seems to be promising as it gains traction. Hence considering the possibility of quantum leap in its earnings it may outperform.
net neutrality
here we go


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kate spade new york Grace Avenue 5" x 7" Double Invitation Silver-Plated Frame by Lenox
This double frame, with its sculpted grosgrain ribbon, is quite elegant. Place a photo on one side of the frame, an invitation in the other. Makes a lovely wedding gift.
- Crafted of silver-plated metal
- Two 5" x 7" openings
- Made by Lenox
- Height: 9 1/2"
- Width: 12 1/2"
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Vacation ideas, travel tips, and great travel deals right to your inbox.
The world's most useful travel magazine is now available on our website as well as multiple digital platforms.
THE ULTIMATE FREESOME. Free Dining Pkg. Free Beverage Pkg. Free Balcony Upgrades. Up to $1,000 in value.
Glaciers in Alaska! The glittering capitals of the Mediterranean! The Caribbean's most alluring islands! A new generation of mega-ship—and industry-wide price wars—are making these and other dream cruises more affordable than ever before.
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