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Try a black light on it. That's how a deer will see it.
So I got this killer deal on some frogg toggs light weight rain jacket and pants. It was advertised as reflective wear, I saw the reflective accents in the store and thought I can do something to get rid of it, when I get them home I noticed there is reflective stuff sewn in fabric that I did not see before. It's not really noticeable but it might be to the old Wiley buck/bull. What do you guys think? What should I do with them if it is going to be a problem? Reflective material just reflects uv right? If so that's no Bueno.
Try a black light on it. That's how a deer will see it.
Dr I had a set of similar. Seemed kinda loud to me expescially when the rain was hitting it. Just another thought. Maybe return it and start over if the black lite shows the reflective areas. I had mine about 3 years ago maybe they changed it not to sure.
Thanks guys, I'm asking the neighborhood kids if they have a black light. Hoping for the best, expecting the worst
I would not wear them because of the reflective stripe. I know in certain areas where there are large amounts of deer and elk crossing hiways, they use reflectors to scare the animals back away from the roadside. I know the light source is a headlight but it would seem to me that any light source ( full moon, flashlight, etc.) would do the same.
Dr, I have a few tournament buddies that own the Frog-Togg rain gear, it is pretty noisy and the material never seems to soften up. The reflective issue aside, you'll probably not like them in the field due to the noise factor.
Since I brought up the black light. Everybody should have one to check all your hunting clothing. UV brighteners are a big problem with clothing. You need to use a sport wash and a UV killer on your clothing, or you'll look like a bright blue neon light to deer and elk.
Especially on blaze orange vest/hats. They're loaded with brighteners. Camo will do you no good at all if you're glowing.
OH, I agree with you on the black light. You would be surprised how much your clothing reflects. They say that game can't see colors and only see in black and white. When they see black and a "very bright reflective white" at first and last light it is game over!
As a still hunter i've researched what deer/elk can see. It does me no good to be sneaky if I look unnatural to game.
From all i've read they can see yellow and blue. They see all natural colors as a pale yellow. They don't see red and green. It looks like pale yellow to them. Just like the foliage. That's why the old red/green/black wool clothing worked so good. Still does. All the camo made doesn't work any better. Camo was made by the military to fool humans. Not animals. You don't need to look like a bush to animals. You just need to be the same color, and have your outline broken up. They do see blue though. That's why wearing jeans is not a good idea. Animals are only used to see blue as the sky. Not the legs of a predator. Since blaze orange is in the red family. They see as a pale yellow like everything else. It blends right in.
Besides colors. The biggest problem we have is glow from UV brighteners. They really show up in darker lighting. Just when we hunt the most at dawn and dusk. Deer and elk have no UV filters on their eyes like we do. We can only see what they do with a black light. If you have UV brighteners in your clothing the deer can see you the same as we can see blaze orange. That's a good way for you to think how important it is to get rid of them. A sport wash will not get rid of them. It will just prevent to from getting anymore of them. What's needed after the sport wash is a UV killer in a spray. It's amazing how the glow disappears as you spray under a black light. Once it's removed from the clothing it will never come back as long as you use a sport wash. A good sport wash will also remove all the human scent.
Most hunters are only concerned with scent. It is very important too, but don't forget the neon blue glow from UV brighteners.


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Zimbra Desktop users who use Yahoo! Mail within Zimbra Desktop.
Versions Affected:
Zimbra Desktop Beta 3 and earlier (Zimbra Collaboration Suite or ZCS is not affected)
The current (and previous) versions of Zimbra Desktop transmit credentials unencrypted to Yahoo! IMAP servers if using a Yahoo Premium Account. This may allow a malicious user to discover your credentials if using the appropriate software, under certain conditions.
The upcoming release of Yahoo! Zimbra Desktop will use cookie based authentication when communicating with Yahoo! Mail IMAP service.
A cookie is generated over a secure channel (SSL), and then used for authentication with various Yahoo! services including IMAP. The type of cookies used by the Desktop client has a scope limited to mail and address book services, has a short validity window of 1 hour, and can be revoked by server.
No Yahoo! credentials will be sent over unencrypted connections in the upcoming release of Zimbra Desktop.
Most Zimbra Desktop users are unaffected. Only those connecting to Yahoo! Mail via Zimbra Desktop have the potential to be affected. Zimbra will send out an auto update when we release Beta 4 of Zimbra Desktop. Users who are uncomfortable with transmitting their credentials in clear text should follow the wiki article below to uninstall, and wait for the next release.
Uninstalling Zimbra Desktop
How to Report A Security Issue

subset: commoncrawl


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Hereford Bull Weather Vane
You will not find a weather vane as heavy-duty as this Hereford bull weather vane in any "box store." Built to last a lifetime, the cast aluminum parts on the Hereford bull weathervane are strong and will never rust. Features a realistic, hand-painted Hereford bull, 19" gold-painted arrow, unbreakable plastic spacer and a gold-painted compass set. Universal base fits roofs of any angle. Weighs 5 lbs. USA made.
NOTE: It is recommended that all weather vanes be properly grounded.
View all Weathervanes
2016 Master Catalog: Page 457


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Since upgrading to 6.0.x, there is nothing in /opt/zimbra/log/mailbox.log or /opt/zimbra/log/audit.log. This is very troubling since it makes it impossible to diagnose some of the "a network service error" messages we seem to get quite frequently. I have tried stopping Zimbra and running (as root) the zmfixperms script which has not solved the problem. I have no idea how to diagnose this since usually those two log files help diagnose most issues with Zimbra
Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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(Sports Network) - The Golden State Warriors have to be brimming with
confidence after knocking off two of the top teams in the NBA and will open a
four-game road trip Friday night against the Chicago Bulls.
The Warriors are riding a three-game winning streak with victories over the
Hornets, Clippers and most recently the Thunder. Golden State handed Oklahoma
City a 104-99 defeat on Wednesday even though Kevin Durant finished with a
game-best 33 points. Stephen Curry, though, posted 31 points and seven assists
to lead the Warriors, who converted 19 OKC turnovers into 24 points.
David lee had 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Klay Thompson delivered 19
points in a winning effort.
"It's been a huge week for us so far," said Lee, who was selected as a reserve
for the All-Star game. "We've come a long way as a team. We've proven that we
can play with anybody. Now we need to go continue to take care of business."
Golden State will also visit Milwaukee, Toronto and Cleveland, and is 12-9
away from Oakland this season.
Chicago will wrap up a four-game homestand Friday and is 2-1 on the residency
following an 85-82 victory versus the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.
Jimmy Butler led the Bulls with 18 points and Carlos Boozer ended with 16 in
the Bulls' ninth win in the last 12 tries. Joakim Noah scored 10 points and
pulled down a game-high 18 rebounds for Chicago, which is 13-11 at home and
erased a 55-38 Pistons advantage.
Nate Robinson provided a spark late with nine straight points at one moment in
the game and contributed 11 points and seven assists in 21 minutes off the
"Nate came in and brought that fire," Noah said of Robinson.
Noah and forward Luol Deng were selected as reserves for the All-Star game.
Deng has missed three straight games because of a hamstring injury suffered at
Boston last Friday and is doubtful versus the Warriors. Deng is averaging 17.4
points and 6.4 rebounds this season.
The Bulls and Warriors are meeting for the first time this season. Golden
State recorded a 99-91 victory in the lone matchup a year ago, but has dropped
six of the last 10 games in this series.
Chicago has won three in a row, nine of 10 and 15 of the last 18 as the host
versus the Warriors.
The Sports Network


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Dubbed the PhreesiaPad, this device resembles a streamlined tablet PC with a ruggedized shell and a software program that is relatively simple to navigate. Patients enter their personal data, and the device produces a questionnaire allowing them to provide details about their ailment. Returning patients can use the pad to check information to make sure that it's up-to-date and list the reason for the visit. The system doesn't diagnose patients, but it uses information gathered from tailored questions to provide health information relating to the answers patients give. The data is then stored in an encrypted database—compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act—and only the physician and staff have access to the information.
Here's the best part: Pharmaceutical companies can sponsor on the device branded or unbranded healthcare information that is targeted only to patients with appropriate diagnosis, and its wireless ability allows patients to click through to the Web for more information or to sign up for e-mail campaigns. Pharm Exec talked to Phreesia CEO Chaim Indig to learn more about this new marketing tool.Why put a tablet PC in the waiting room?
So much media at the point of care consists of mass-marketed posters, brochures, pamphlets—but none of it targets the individual. We were looking for the best input and message-delivery device. We needed something that had a touch screen and was really simple to use. Finally, we needed a device that we were able to roll out to thousands and thousands of doctors at an affordable price.
How does your tablet work?
The system is fairly intuitive. The unit has no buttons, to avoid confusion, and has an embedded card reader that can read credit cards and certain insurance cards. It handles the entire intake for every patient, new and returning. And when the patient finishes inputting his information, the system delivers a very targeted point-of-care message to the patient.
How do you deliver the proper message to the right patient?
We do it by targeting them appropriately, based on the aggregate data we collect from questions, not based on any individual identifying information. At the end of the intake process, we deliver one very targeted message to one patient. Every time a patient walks in, he or she registers using the machine, thereby eliminating the clipboard and the sign-in sheet. We've been working with top-tier teaching hospitals to help us design specific, clinically approved intake questions.
For example?
Questions that help the doctor and the patient think about and identify any potential issues, which in the end means better healthcare. It generates questions such as, "Are you comfortable with your diabetes? Do you know your blood pressure?"
How do you choose what information is generated for which patient?
Putting your message out to everyone in the world is not as powerful as putting the right message out to the right people. If you're a pharmaceutical company, you don't necessarily care about reaching every patient in the doctor's office. If you are marketing a hypertension therapy, you want to make sure that people with hypertension on your therapy receive a specific type of message. And people not on your therapy, but also with hypertension, potentially receive a different message—one of adherence or one of brand awareness. And that message might not even be brand awareness; it could be things that highlight specific benefits of the therapy.


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Dolly Parton is a musician, an entrepreneur, and a fashion icon. And today's her birthday! We're sure she doesn't keep track of what number birthday it is, and we won't either. But here's a tribute to one of the grand dames of music, her outrageous outfits, and of course her boobs.
Gallery: Happy Birthday, Dolly Parton!
- 5 years ago by Lilit Marcus
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|There Is a Facebook Group Trying to Get Dolly Parton On the Cover of French 'Vogue'
|Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah, Together At Long Last


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The Black-Scholes Equation
Application ID: 82
The Black-Scholes equation, computes the value u of a European stock option. Black-Scholes derived an analytical expression for the solution to this problem. However, the formula works only for certain cases; for instance, you cannot employ it when sigma and r are functions of x and t. Here, sigma denotes the volatility, r the continuous compounding rate of interest, and x the underlying asset price.
Using a PDE formulation allows you to determine the price for such cases. This model sets up the PDE formulation of the Black Scholes equation and in addition, this model also shows how to solve the 1D time-dependent variation using a 2D geometry with the y-coordinate corresponding to time.


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Sacramento, CA (Sports Network) - Isaiah Thomas netted 25 points on 10-of-16
shooting and the Sacramento Kings grinded out a 120-109 victory over the Utah
Jazz on Saturday at Sleep Train Arena.
Marcus Thornton followed with 24 points, Jason Thompson contributed 21 and
DeMarcus Cousins added 13 points with 11 rebounds to help Sacramento avenge
Monday's loss at Utah and end a four-game skid.
Alec Burks put forth a career-best 24 points, but the Jazz suffered their
second straight defeat and third consecutive on the road. Al Jefferson was the
only starter for Utah in double-figures, scoring 16 points.
The Sports Network


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Mr. Chairman, it is appropriate that the Commission=s first hearing of 2004 should feature Bulgarian Foreign Minister Passy in his capacity as Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It is important that the Commission maintain good lines of communications with the political leadership of the organization, as we seek to encourage participating States to abide by their OSCE commitments. Minister, I am pleased to welcome you to the Commission and appreciate the emphasis you intend to place on implementation during your chairmanship.
As President Gerald Ford observed in signing the Helsinki Final Act, Ahistory will judge this Conference not by what we say here today, but by what we do tomorrow B not only the promises we make, but by the promises we keep.@
Your presence here today is an illustration of the impact that the Helsinki Process has had for millions of individuals who lived under the yoke of brutal regimes. Bulgaria=s national experience makes it uniquely positioned to aid those in the OSCE region who have yet to be freed from repression. In the extreme are cases such as Turkmenistan and Belarus, where unchecked dictators use the full force of the state to repress expressions of opposition. The same can be said for others in Central Asia who blatantly disregard their OSCE commitments.
Russia presents a very mixed picture. This Commission has attempted to keep a focus on the deplorable human dimension of the war in Chechnya now stretching into its fifth year. Chairman Smith and I recently co-authored an op-ed published in Moscow on Russia and the OSCE. Frankly, it is confounding why the Russians are not playing a productive role in the organization. The OSCE provides an ideal framework for advancing democracy, human rights and the rule of law B one that the Russians should embrace.
Ukraine also is a tough nut, especially with respect to democratization and rule of law. With critical elections slated for this Fall, there are already enough disturbing developments to warrant our concern and attention. This Commission will continue to press Kiev to implementation its OSCE commitments, throughout the election period and beyond.
Mr. Minister, as you lead the OSCE, please don=t discount the positive role Bulgaria can and should play in advancing the principles that ultimately freed you countrymen from repression.
As the Senate sponsor of a resolution passed earlier this Congress condemning anti-Semitism and advocating a special OSCE focus on this phenomenon, I appreciate you leadership in preparing for the follow-up conference to be convened in Berlin in April. Anti-Semitism and related violence cannot and must not be ignored.
Mr. Minister, as the OSCE approaches its 30th anniversary we would do well to heed President Ford=s admonishment. Bulgaria has a unique opportunity to lead by example. Bulgaria has come a long way and we look forward to continued efforts to overcome the legacy of the past, including protecting the rights of minorities, including the Roma, and instituting appropriate safeguards to prevent arms transfers to rouge regimes, including Syria.
Mr. Minister, I wish you success in the challenging months ahead. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.


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K-Print Co., Ltd.
Using a web-to-print interface and their Xerox® iGen3® Digital Production Press, K-Print was able to successfully enter a new martketplace by developing and producing personalized gift packaging - which has stirred conversation and driven growth to the company.
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The Devil Wears Prada is a true "area band makes good" story. The Dayton-born group is steamrolling through the landscape of Metal all over the world. In the band's short history, TDWP has released four albums while keeping up one of the most active tour schedules around. The group's latest album, Dead Throne, from last year reached the top of the US Indie charts and they are showing no signs of slowing down, joining the likes of Slipknot, Slayer, and Motorhead on the latest Mayhem package tour, which comes to Riverbend next Tuesday (July 24).
CityBeat caught up with lead singer Mike Hranica in person prior to the band's show at Bogart's this past winter, and with rhythm guitarist Jeremy DePoyster by phone just this week to preview the group's return to Ohio. They both are very proud of their Midwestern roots, what it has meant to the band's success and how it has let the members keep their Christian values at the forefront of their music.
CityBeat: I have been listening to your new album this week Dead Throne to get ready for the show. First, I wanted to ask you about one of the songs on it. I guess the song that speaks to me the most was "Mammoth." Can you tell me the story behind that song and a little bit about it?
Mike Hranica: "Mammoth" was an interesting song. When we went into recording the record, there were only two songs that didn't have vocals yet. One being "Chicago," one being "Mammoth" and I wrote them as we were working on the record. When we took "Mammoth" into pre-production, Adam D, who produced the record, totally re-arranged it and it turned out to be one of our favorite songs as well and a favorite of the fans. Lyrically, it was the second to last song I wrote for the record, so I wanted it to be this recap of everything this record deals with, all the issues from idolatry to love loss and all this and tying obviously God into it. That is the idea of the full circle which runs throughout the song and that is the general concept of it.
CB: You mentioned Adam D from Killswitch. What was your favorite part of working with him on the album?
MH: I liked all of it. He is extravagant, personality-wise, and professionally I see him his as very simply a mastermind. I think he absolutely smashes it. I loved what he did with the music, what he did vocally with me, and I loved eating lobster with him every day.
CB: You recorded it somewhere up north right?
MH: Yes, in Western Massachusetts.
CB: You guys grew up here in Dayton. This is a local show for the band. How do you think growing up here in the Midwest influenced the music?
MH: You really see it everywhere, internationally and throughout the states. Music is obviously huge to all cliques, all generations, and all sorts of youths as far as going to school in the groups or the segregations, the cliques of people all have their music. Music is very important to someone young and growing up and I know that really translated to us. I think the Midwest has a big part in it because there is not much else to do. Like anyone else there was BMX and skateboarding and sports and what not, but it seems like a lot of young folks in the Midwest just want to play guitar and go to shows and I know that was the members that make up this band.
Jeremy DePoyster: There are so many bands that are doing similar kinds of things to what we are doing now. When we grew up, especially in Cincinnati, there was an actual Hardcore scene of music and it was bizarre to be playing with them as kids with keyboards and singing and all this stuff. We were this kind of and oddball band and it was exciting because we were just a bunch of kids and into that stuff. It forced us to try and do the best we could and to really have no promise of anything. It was all local. Between Cincinnati and Dayton and Indianapolis and all these places we played growing up, it's just the Midwest vibe. That's why I live in Chicago now instead of the West Coast. I like the feeling here. I feel like it is really down to Earth. My wife is from Cincinnati and so we grew up together. It makes you more humble. You don't have the arrogance that comes with it a lot of times.
CB: So you were in the school band?
MH: Dan and James were. I think those two were the only ones in school bands.
CB: I downloaded "Zombie Slay" last night and played that on the iPad for the first time. I was just curious about you guys getting into gaming and the comic books and how did that all come about and why did you choose to go down that path?
MH: When we did the EP, it was like a weird concept, it is a non-serious concept that we are going to take seriously and with that I think it would be really stupid to not do things in addition to zombie t-shirts and zombie hoodies. We wanted to go outside of that. The comic book was something that came to us right away as well as the game. Unfortunately, it just took a long time to get the game together. It was just stuff we wanted to do.
CB: Do you draw?
MH: Chris draws. The dude that did all the illustrations, actually Kevin Mellon who did the comic book illustrations worked with us on the app as well. We were just curious to get into the app world, the iTunes world, being a bunch of Apple nerds. The game was definitely an awesome first step for us and we are excited to see what else we can do with outside the box marketing products and just giving fans something a little bit different to maintain curiosity and just have a little bit of fun.
CB: What is your favorite game to play, other than Zombie Slay of course?
MH: I have been playing a lot of Zombie Slay. We just did Australia before this tour which is a lot of long flights and I was playing a lot of Zombie Slay. Otherwise, I go in and out. I have an iPad as well and I play games on that. I am not that big of an Angry Birds fan. Everyone is definitely on Angry Birds. I like Veggie Samurai, I play that a lot. Sadly I play a lot of Solitaire on my iPod, like my classic iPod.
CB: What are you guys most looking forward to with the Mayhem Festival?
JD: So many things. We have tried to come a long way as a band. That is always the goal. We have tried to really fine tune the art and harness the sound in the show and all that good stuff. I think that being on the Festival is kind of the next step in the direction of shying away from the Dubstep nonsense, you know, silly autotune wave of things that are happening and get back to Metal which is what we like and what we love and why we write the stuff we do. Slipknot, Slayer, Motorhead and Anthrax are amazing. You can't beat that stuff. We have wanted to do the tour for a long time but as soon as those names came up, we were like, "Yes. Now. Put us on it."
CB: You guys have never really compromised your Christian values and you have always had that kind of a theme through your lyrics but you have started touring with more mainstream Metal bands like White Chapel and the bands you just named. There is not always a Christian atmosphere. I cover a lot of Metal music. How do you handle it or does it bother you guys at all?
JD: It doesn't really bother us. Even one of the guys from Slayer is Catholic. I think it is more of a vibe thing for them more than anything in a lot of those bands. I don't really feel like it is that big of a deal. Some people sing about politics and some people sing about satanic issues and some people sing about love and all different kinds of things. This is just what we sing about.
I don't think it really has a whole lot to do with music. I listen to Slayer and I listen to Slipknot and bands whose values have nothing to do with mine but I can still enjoy it and listen to it and have a good time with it. I think that is the vibe we try to bring in. We are pretty respectful dudes.
We generally tour, 99% of the time with secular bands, and we really don't have a problem with it. I guess we just hope that people will give us a chance which is why it is fun to get out on a tour like this and be able to play in front of people that might have a pre-established opinion on who we are and what we do based on the fact we are a Christian band. They see it and go, "Oh wow. I had no idea it was like that." It's kind of cool.
MH: It really is no big deal. We never, ever set out to only tour with Christian bands. We just wanted to, it was always about playing to as many people as possible. The funny thing is, backstage it never really matters what you believe because everyone gets along fine. We get along with For Today really well, both being Christian bands and being people, Christians, normal people. That's how I think of ourselves, just normal dudes and Christians.
And we both get along with White Chapel just as well, who don't have the same sort of belief system, but it doesn't matter at all because we are here to perform what we made and explore the music we have created and that may sound like it degrades your beliefs but it doesn't. It's just how it is touring. If anybody really has a big problem with Christians being on the tour, they are the standouts, and not to be too blunt, they are usually pretty ignorant people. We get along with everyone and we have been touring with non-Christian bands since we started and some of our absolute best friends are non-Christian bands.
CB: I was just curious because White Chapel is almost the extreme opposite of what you guys play and lyrically. How did that tour come about or how did you hook up with them?
MH: The first time we toured with White Chapel was early in 2008. I had went and saw them at a show some of my friends were playing and I had been listening to their EP that was out and was "This is the heaviest thing I know of right now." We are happy to have them on tour early that year and it was smooth sailing. They were "We're a little bit nervous" and we were "We're a little bit nervous." And it was whatever and we just play music together. We just announced a South America tour for next year which White Chapel is on again. When we see them, it is always, "When are we touring together?" It's awesome to have them back and it is awesome to have all good people on the tour, definitely White Chapel included.
CB: I think there is a misconception about Metal in general. I interview everybody at Rock on the Range and every festival. I have never met anyone that was disrespectful or not nice or who didn't get along. I think it is a misconception in general.
MH: It really is. There are Metal bands that take the whole evil thing literally, mayhem and these other things. For the most part it is evil music and it needs evil lyrics and that is what they make. They are not killing and raping women in ditches so what does it really matter?
CB: You recently released a video for "Vengeance." Can you tell me the story behind that song and the video itself?
JD: It's just a live video from our DVD shoot that we did. We put it out to get the message out of that and spark interest. We put a lot into our live show. Actually we filmed that DVD and that video I think four days before the Cincinnati show. We really just wanted to capture what that tour was in a permanent format so people could see it, not like in a Youtube quality video and stuff. That video is kind of like promoting that and getting it out there. It is one of the more relatable songs that we have off the record.
CB: The DVD you are referring to is Dead and Alive. I know you did a lot of the behind the scenes shooting and editing. Are you a photographer or videographer? Is that kind of a hobby?
JD: It is just something I just started doing as a hobby and a side thing. Then it just gradually turned more and more into something where I was doing every single one of the tours a video for us. Something really important to us is making sure that everything that goes out there with our name on it is coming from us and not from a giant business, corporation behind us but intimately from us. So with the video stuff and most of the photos we put up, we shoot and produce and come out from us.
I feel like the bands that I like and respect the most are the ones that put effort into it instead of writing the songs and handing it in and going, "OK, do what you will with this." Even with the merchandise designs and the website design, Mike has a massive, large hand in creating. We just want everything that has our name on it to come from us. Being able to do the video stuff ourselves is a really big help in that.
CB: I have seen you guys a couple times play and you have major crowd surfing. The fans really get into your shows. Is there ever any worry about injury or anything crazy happening at the shows?
JD: Yeah, but I guess it just comes with the territory. We grew up going to small shows and hardcore shows in the Dayton and Cincinnati scene which was not a calm, passive scene to grow up in. We are kind of used to it, teeth are all messed up, my face kicked in at a show as a kid and that is what we are used to. There are usually ambulances that come. I think it is pretty easy to be able to tell the areas where you won't get hurt and the ones where you might get hurt. I think it is a do-it-at-your-own-risk kind of deal. It is part of the style of music and hopefully no one gets too hurt.
CB: What was your highlight of the last tour you were on?
JD: We have done a couple tours. Our fall tour was probably the most exciting one we have done so far. We got to bring massive production out and put on a big show. We just did a small club tour in the U.K. which was real cool and intimate. We did a secondary market tour in the Spring which was really cool because we got to do some "off the beaten path" markets which do a little bit better for us. The people are just more passionate than they are in the big city. We went to South America which was insane as it always is down there. It is a totally different world than it is here. The shows were great. I think it has been an exciting good six months for us.
Really the highlight will be this summer with the Mayhem Fest.
CB: What is the best guitar solo of all time?
JD: Really, I like a lot of the Judas Priest stuff. "Painkiller" solo is pretty up there for me. There is just an emotion that comes from that, that is pretty awesome.
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.
Asking Alexandria has a British Metal sound, is proudly rough around the edges and even prouder of its stereotypical Rock & Roll lifestyle. Nothing shows this more than the short film they just released, Through Sin and Self Destruction. They have two studio albums, most notable being Reckless and Relentless, which blasted into the Top 10 on the Rock charts in the States. In a music industry that can be so straight edge and proper at times, AA is a callback to the dangerous Rock & Roll living of yore.
CityBeat had an entertaining meeting with lead singer Danny Worsnop and discussed the band's shaky public relations past and what the band's attitude means to the landscape of Metal and Rock & Roll. Catch Asking Alexandria when the Mayhem Festival comes to Riverbend Music Center on July 24.
CityBeat: I took the time yesterday and watched your new short film Through Sin and Self Destruction. What made you decide to do a short film like that when most people aren't even doing videos anymore?
Danny Worsnop: I think it was a chance to tell a story; (there had been) kind of rumors about it for a long time but it had never reached the surface. It is a very loose, over-dramatized version of what was going on in my life at that point.
(See the NSFW trailer below.)
CB: Does the film really portray the typical kind of lifestyle that you guys lead?
DW: It is exaggerated but it is my lifestyle.
CB: I talk to a lot of bands and it is being compared to Guns N Roses and the Appetite for Destruction days and I don't talk to many bands that are able to sustain that.
DW: Most bands these day aren't even really bands. They are just people who kind of play music. There aren't many real bands anymore so there really isn't opportunity for that lifestyle to sustain. I am by no means condoning the lifestyle but it has always kind of been there in Rock & Roll.
CB: Do you guys see a big difference when you tour in Europe versus touring in the U.S.?
DW: Not really. At first there was a crowd size difference but we are known to the world now. It is pretty much the same no matter where we go, besides the currency. Currency is different. And age of sexual consent.
CB: Can you tell me the process for you guys as a band to put the songs together or write the songs?
DW: The songs are based on whatever I am going through at the time. The albums are very honest and very personal. Everything that we have been doing is a story of my life.
CB: Where do you see yourself and the band in 10 years?
DW: Hopefully, in a much bigger house than I live in now driving a much nicer car with a lot of money. And hopefully still playing music in 10 years.
CB: Who are your current influences in music?
DW: The same they always have been. Motley Crue, Aerosmith, Journey, Def Leppard and AC/DC, just Rock & Roll. I would rather much listen to those bands than Metal. I am not a Metal singer. I don't listen to Metal music. In my eyes, we are a Metal band with a Rock & Roll singer.
CB: You guys have a highly anticipated new album coming out this year. How is that coming along?
DW: It is coming along really well. It is different than the previous records. It is far more mature. I have written some real songs. Hopefully that comes through.
CB: Is it still looking like a September timeframe (for release)?
DW: It is looking to be the end of November or beginning of December right now.
CB: What has been your greatest Rock star moment so far?
DW: That is a tough one. It depends which way you want to go with it. Do you want something completely inappropriate?
CB: You could go with either or both.
DW: We opened for Guns N Roses and we felt like true Rock stars. That was definitely infamous. In terms of behavior, however it may be frowned upon, I guess the most shamed Rock star moment was the whole Seattle incident.
CB: You guys were out with Guns this year. What was the highlight of that for you guys?
DW: Just the experience of doing it. It's such a great honor to do something like that. It was mind-blowing at times.
CB: Did you get to spend time with Axl at all or the band themselves?
DW: No, I didn't really hang around much at that show. I left pretty soon after we played.
CB: I always ask this question of bands because I have had some pretty crazy stories over the years. Have you ever had any crazy boyfriend or husband stories?
DW: I have never had a boyfriend or a husband. I'm sorry I'm going to let you down with that one.
CB: No, with the girls coming after you guys?
DW: We have had many of the guys come up to us and ask us to sleep with their girlfriends or wives. I did once have sex with a chick and later found out she was engaged to one of my good friends.
CB: That's never good.
DW: No.
CB: Did you tell him?
DW: No and he still doesn't know. We aren't friends anymore so it would be impossible for me to tell him. It was a friend at the time.
CB: Do you guys have any pre-show rituals. Do you come together and do anything special?
DW: No. It was always something that was natural to me just like I'm going anywhere else except there are thousands of people watching it.
CB: What can the fans look forward to at Mayhem?
DW: It is going to be a real fun tour. I am going to be wearing leather. They can look forward to that. I may take my shirt off during the show.
CB: It's going to be pretty hot for leather.
DW: Yeah, that's why I may take it off.
CB: It's pretty hot. I don't know if you'll get the leather off.
DW: I know I'm hot. Stop telling me. Stop flirting with me.
CB: You guys have been out on the road. What is the best and worst part of being on the road?
DW: The worst part is being away and not getting to see loved ones. The best part is probably just the shear freedom from the human race. Normal rules don't apply. It is a completely different world when you are on the road. As myself, I am a completely different person on the road than any other time in my life. I am an insane creature.
CB: Do you believe the cliché that there is no bad press?
DW: I know there is bad press. I just don't necessarily dislike it, which is a good thing because I have had a hell of a lot of it.
CB: Some people it really bothers and gets under their skin and some people it doesn't.
DW: I think sometimes I prefer bad press.
CB: Why?
DW: Everyone is trying so hard to just be so nice now. I don't want that. I want to be known as me and I am not a good person but I am OK with that. I have come to terms with it. It's not that I am a bad person, it is just that I speak my mind and I don't sugar coat stuff.
CB: I interviewed Alice Cooper a few weeks ago, a legend, and he seemed upset with current bands because nobody wanted to be Rock stars anymore, basically.
DW: Last time I saw him he was on stage at the Golden God Awards ceremony thanking me and for keeping Rock & Roll alive.
I started out the second day of the Forecastle festival in Louisville by getting caught in the rain and being picked up like a hitchhiker by the Everest band van on the way to setup for their set on the main Mast Stage of the festival. The band agreed to let me hang for "A Day in the Life" photo series as they prepped to play the 10th Anniversary of Forecastle. They were laid back as the rain moved in and gear was unplugged and wrapped in saran wrap.
Click here to check out the "A Day in the Life" photo series featuring Everest.
Everest has been on the road promoting their third album Ownerless. On Ownerless, you can hear a refined sound in which the band speaks about powerful issues as they took their time to record and find their true voice, writing from the heart and soul. The band consists of members Russell Pollard (vocals/guitar/drums), Joel Graves (guitar/keys/vocals), Jason Soda (guitar/keys/vocals), Eli Thomson (bass/vocals) and new addition Kyle Crane (drums).
Everest are rising stars in the alternative music scene and have toured with My Morning Jacket and they will be heading back on the road with Neil Young this fall.
It turned out to not be such a typical "day in the life" as the show was held back because of lightning in the area but the band unloaded and prepared to play even as heavy rain descended on the festival. The festival opened an hour late due to rain delays but they did make time for all the planned acts to perform (albeit with shorter set lists).
Everest played loud and rocked the crowd as it gathered to hear this band singing my favorite track on the new album as the opening song "Rapture." Founding member Pollard's raspy vocals were captivating and I instantly became a fan of this band as they sang older tunes and new record songs like "Into the Grey." The Watson Twins joined the band for a few songs on backing vocals to round out their set.
Overall it was a great day to play music in Louisville as fans gathered to celebrate 10 years of the fest, which self-defines itself as being all about "music, art and activism." The Preservation Hall Jazz Band took the main stage by storm and had fans dancing in the grass; special guests onstage including Jim James and Andrew Bird playing classic tunes with the legendary jazz musicians from New Orleans. James' band (and hometown heroes) My Morning Jacket played over two hours to close out the night while Girl Talk played on the second stage and had a festival rave in full action on the banks of the Ohio river.
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.
Last night at Riverbend, I finished off some personal business for my 12-year-old self. I finally got to see Lita Ford sing "Kiss Me Deadly" live on stage, hear Poison play "Nothing But a Good Time" and catch Def Leppard perform "Pour Some Sugar on Me," live and in person, all on one hot evening by the river.
My parents believed that I was not old enough back in 1987 to make all of these dreams come true, but now my older self is able to make these types of things happen.
Def Leppard has been entertaining international audiences with their strong British sound for the better part of 30 years. They have provided American audiences with Rock anthems that have fired up arenas, like "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Animal." Over the years they have put out 12 albums, including their latest offering from last year Mirrorball: Live and More. The band is among the upper echelon of Rock acts that found success, continuity and growing support through the eras of fans.
CityBeat caught up with guitarist Phil Collen to discuss the band's continued success before the Riverbend show last night. We discussed why the band is still able to keep it up after so long and what inspires him personally in his musical voyage.
CityBeat: What do you think the secret to the band's longevity is? I just read this morning that Van Halen just cancelled the rest of their tour. Why have you guys been able to stay together for so long?
Phil Collen: I think our motivation is very different from Van Halen's. They broke up a while ago. They actually didn't get off. We've actually experienced super-super highs, diamond albums, multi-platinum sell-out tours and all that with really bad lows, like Steve dying and Rick losing his arm.
I think we have been together more consistently than most families. We leave home for 18 months. I have been in the band for 30 years. It's just that (it) really makes a difference if you can relate to each other on very much a personal level. You have almost a private little clique, an elite club only you can relate to.
I tell you, we have always been good. We have never gone away. We have never split up. We have never done reunions and I think that is the trick. If you have to do a reunion, I always ask "Why did you split up in the first place?" I think we still have got more to prove. We still have songs to write, great albums to make. It's a whole new day, a whole new digital age, everything is changing, whole new sets of fans. It never really stops. There is always ambition there, and there is always plenty of stuff to do. If you really want to share your work, that's one of the first things you do in the first place. You get to express your art, it's an artistic release and the other thing is you actually share it with other people. We are still doing that.
CB: I know you guys have been talking about writing and wanting to release new music. What is the band's writing process?
PC: It is more difficult than it used to be. I think we have gone through every different variation. We have gone through a time when one person writes the song, one person comes up with an idea and someone finishes it off or someone has an idea or we just play on each other's songs. That's what Queen ended up doing.
We have done every different variation of that. The best stuff I think we have done was when Mutt Lange was involved and just the way he approached it. He had a lot more experience than us and just brought a whole bunch of things to the table. Again, it is very different, there are a couple things I am putting together that are almost finished and then I usually play them for someone else in the band and put together an idea for them and we just take it from there. That's really how it works. It's not rocket science and every song starts in a different way.
I think the most inspiring song is when you have a title and that's all you got and the rest kind of writes itself around it. I have another band Man Raze and same deal with that. We actually wrote a couple songs for a movie that was The Showdown, which was about superbikes racing. Once I had the whole story I came up with the idea, "Take on the World" — it was racing and stuff, and the song wrote itself.
So it is very inspiring to start with a title or at least an idea and then you just color in by numbers almost. It can come from a million different places and that is one of the wonderful things about being an artist really.
CB: Do you have any regrets over the years?
PC: There are loads of things that we'd do differently obviously. That is the whole plan. You experience stuff and you don't make the same mistakes again, hopefully, whether it's driving, old relationships or whatever. You are always on this learning curve which is a different level than the past.
Yeah, you know, not really — (I don't have any) regrets, not even slightly. I love where I am right now and that is the happiest person in the world. I am having a great time. It's really cool. None at all really.
CB: What is your craziest fan story over the years?
PC: There have been a bunch of crazy fan stories. I have always found the weirdest ones are when people get my face tattooed on their body. I remember the first time this happened years ago, this Italian girl said, "I'm going to get you tattooed on me." I said, "No, no, no, no, have you told your parents?" And she said, "No, but they'll be OK." She got this tattoo done and over the years we have now seen this millions of times, you know, people show their tattoos of our likeness or face on their arm or back or wherever it is. I always try to discourage it because it is a tattoo. I have one tattoo and it is my wife's name and she has my name tattooed on her and that's it. I was 52 when I got that.
CB: When you've written songs in the past over the years, did you guys know when you had a hit on your hands?
PC: Some of them, but other songs you think you have a hit and they disappear. You can never really tell. It depends on the environment of the moment. Back then it would be radio. Right now, everything is about celebrity and fame and TV. It is a different one to judge. It is about getting out there. If you get something in a movie, it has more of a chance than something played on the radio. It has changed a lot. The more the music business has turned more into an industry than art, it becomes more difficult to predict (which songs will catch on).
CB: What is the best guitar solo of all time?
PC: I couldn't put it down for one. There are a few — and it is obviously my opinion — that (have) really inspired me. A few by David Bowie. There are a few Hendrix ones — "Fire" by Jimi Hendrix. There is a great guitar solo on a song "Midnight at the Oasis" by Maria Muldaur, a song from the '70s (that) took me ages to figure out, then I realized there were more than one guitar doing it. There are millions of them that really inspire. I could go on all day but (there's) not one in any particular — all of those.
CB: Any current music you are listening to that you find inspiring?
PC: Yeah, my favorite artist is Skrillex. I am really into dance and Techno music, love it, Dubstep especially. I just think what Skrillex is doing sounds like Heavy Metal without guitars and Hip Hop without words. That's what I get out of it. It is just very different. It is very pure. I love it.
(I listen to) just different things; I listen to everything. I listen to Jazz or Blues, Hip Hop, Metal, Rock, whatever Pop song, right across the board. It's all amazing and stuff to draw on really.
Classic Rock band Styx originated in the 1970's and enjoyed hits like "Lady" and "Come Sail Away." Today, while they may not have the exact pieces of the original band from the late '70s intact, Styx travels the globe annually to give a show similar that of its early days, though these days the group is fronted by J.Y. Young.
CityBeat recently spoke with Styx keyboard player and vocalist Lawrence Gowan about his musical influences and what led him to the band 14 years ago. Styx performs at Riverbend Music Center tomorrow (Tuesday) night with fellow classic rockers REO Speedwagon and Ted Nugent.
CityBeat: First off, have you had any memorable Cincinnati experiences on the tour over the past few years?
Lawrence Gowan: They are all incredibly memorable. The audience there has always been fantastic for us. One of the experiences I remember was the first time we played Cincinnati and I saw that classic fountain downtown. The last couple of times, we stayed on both sides of the river finally now so I have gotten to know a little bit more of the town just by walking around. The audience reaction in Cincinnati is always tremendous for Styx. We are really geared up and really looking forward to the 26th of June.
CB: You were one of the later members to join the band in the '90s. Were you a Styx fan growing up playing music?
LG: I loved Classic Rock. I loved Progressive Rock particularly and Styx was the only really successful band outside of Britain to make a great mark in that style of music, so yeah I loved the whole genre of music they were playing and I loved the band. Funny enough, I had a long solo career with a number of albums in Canada that were never released in the States but I was always very aware of Styx. I did a couple of shows with them in 1997. There was something in the air that kind of felt like we were going to connect again in the future and I am entering my 14th year with the band now.
CB: When you joined the band, was there any initiation or hazing they put you through?
LG: Yes of course there was. You actually had to cross the river Styx which I don't recommend for everyone.
CB: You are a classically trained pianist.
LG: Yes I am.
CB: How do you think that better prepared you to be in a Rock band?
LG: I always find that Classical music inspires or makes its way into a lot of the melodic content of some of the best Rock music. The moment I heard "Eleanor Rigby", with the Classical string quartet playing through that song, I realized the profound connection between both styles.
Both styles are not very afraid to be very grandiose when they need to be and cover a great emotional spectrum. It's funny, I remember reading (that) Elton John and Rick Wakeman particularly had gone to the Royal Academy in London, and in Toronto they have the Royal Conservatory which is the same pattern, the same message of teaching so I wanted to go through that. I really love it and I still do. Before we go on stage every single night I am backstage playing some Classical piece just to get my chops together and get my head ready for the show.
CB: You had mentioned and you were a pretty large solo artist before you joined the band. What was the biggest transition from being on your own and being in other bands to being in a band like Styx?
LG: Learning to play with others. It's a completely different dynamic when you are a solo artist and you have got the band behind you. You have a string of hit songs that you are responsible to play every single night and it all kind of falls on your shoulders.
With Styx, I love this as well because it is a break from that entirely because I am on stage with five other frontmen who are all very capable of commanding the stage on their own. We trade off on who is up front in every single song, and even within a song there may be several sections where section after section the strongest dynamic on stage is being traded off. I love that and it is a completely different thing. I love just being the keyboard player at some points in the band. It's great.
CB: Have you ever been starstruck?
LG: In my life? Well, let me see now — yeah, I guess a couple of times sure. When I made my second solo album, I got a chance to record at Ringo Starr's home near London, England, in Ascot, England. It was the house where John Lennon had recorded "Imagine" and when I went to the door the first day with the producer — it was a home studio there he was letting us use — (and) he actually answered the door. I remember finding it difficult to bring words to my mouth which usually isn't that hard of a thing for me to do. That was quite an experience. I remember it took me a few minutes to realize I wasn't in a scene from A Hard Day's Night but actually talking to a guy in his house.
CB: There is a lot of debate now about Rock music in general and how it has changed so much. Other forms of music are coming to the forefront. Do you think Rock & Roll music is a dying art?
LG: That is a tough one, isn't it? I have heard that kicked around most of my life. I think we can agree now that Rock music was the big musical statement for the last half of the 20th century, the electrification of music and the fact that Rock makes such a gigantic sound and changed what people embraced as popular music. I don't think it is going to ever go away now because we have history on our side. There has been 50 years of it or more so I think it is a style of music that is going to continue to evolve and to dig into different areas.
I think you can trace a lot of the newer things you are talking about, trace it back to that gigantic statement that Rock was in the last half of the 20th century and I think it will be embraced and loved my millions for years to come because just like people still love Jazz or they love Country or they love Classical music or Ragtime; it is a style of music and a way of performing that I can't see it entirely slipping off the planet any time soon.
CB: Do you keep journals or any kind of history of the tours over the years, memorable things for you?
LG: The best history I kept for a number a years was every night at the end of shows I took a Polaroid picture on stage or took three or four of them and tossed some of them out to the audience but I'd keep one for myself. My wardrobe case is stuffed with all these Polaroid pictures because we have played over 1500 shows together since I joined the band. That is a fantastic journal. You know what they say about pictures and words. They do tell a huge story over the course of time. It is funny, last night in Kansas City at the end of the show when I am reaching down and shaking people's hands and somebody threw a picture up at me of the first year I was in the band and we had a great laugh backstage after because we realized there are old pictures of us now together. It was back when we did a little acoustic set in the middle of the show. My best documentation of the shows is that collection of Polaroids.
CB: I am a music photographer so I have got years of histories of bands and it is, I think, the best way to tell a story.
LG: It kind of is. I like putting my thoughts on paper very much but that usually morphs into becoming a song. I find that just what pictures evoke and the flood of memories you can get from them it can be astounding every time you look at them particularly when you are in a heightened state like being on stage in front of 10,000 people, the feeling of that moment is well captured.
CB: Any regrets over the years?
LG: I think like any human being there are things you are going to regret I suppose but it is a useless endeavor because they all kind of amount to where you are today and I like where I am today so I really can't waste much time on that. I am sure one day on my death bed I will think, "You know, maybe I could have been a hockey player."
CB: You guys are playing over a 100 shows a year, huge amounts of time on the road. Are there any plans to slow down?
LG: Not really. There is such an insatiable demand for Styx to play around the world and I have got my solo shows back up and doing a number of those in Canada every year. I think I enjoy it now more than I ever did and I am in a band of like-minded people. We have no plans to do that. We plan to keep pushing as hard as we can for as long as we can. Really, the only real question for us is how we find time to make another full album and we are kind of coming up with novel ways of being able to come up with that at present.
CB: I know Ted Nugent is on tour with you guys this time and he has been very vocal all the time about political views and gotten in trouble the last few months. Do you have any election picks for us this year?
LG: As the only Canadian that is involved in this whole thing, I think that is the easy way to duck out of the U.S. political debate and the hot question. I have a feeling that it is between Obama and Romney. That is my big prediction.
CB: What can the fans expect from the show next week?
LG: We are going to ram as many Styx classic hits at them as we can in the hour and 20 minutes we are playing. We will also throw in one or two of the album cuts from The Grand Illusion. We noticed there are songs on that record that were never singles that have become great favorites of a lot of the audience so we like to include one of the more unusual pieces in the show as well.
CB: What do you do on your down time on the road?
LG: Well I usually, myself, I like to do something to keep myself in shape so I am always doing a bit of yoga. Although I am the keyboard player, I am a huge guitar lover so I am usually practicing my chops in the hotel room. We also do all the social media things like Facebook and our website. They need to be looked at every few days just to see where things are and I love to go for walks around cities. That is one of the things I enjoy about Cincinnati. As I said, the last couple of times, walking across that bridge across the river is one of my favorite pastimes in that city. I am a walker.
CB: It is amazing how much time you spend on Facebook and the internet that is lost doing those things.
LG: It is a nice way, it is an easy way, depending on how you treat it, to feel like you can engage with people you really don't have the opportunity to with the shows because we are too busy getting ourselves back to the tour bus afterwards. We can shake a few hands. It is a way to kind of feel a connection to people on a human level where we happen to be in a career that it is hard to do that just because of the demands of the day.
CB: Are any current bands influencing you now or what are you listening to?
LG: There are so many things I have listened to lately, I heard a fantastic band from England recently called Everything Everything. Todd, our drummer turned me onto them. I like Keane. I like them being keyboard players. I like My Chemical Romance, I kind of dig that band a bit. There is a Metal band I really like called Children of Bodom. That is the kind of stuff I have listened to lately.
In the last year, Alice Cooper could be seen everywhere from special guesting on stage with Vince Gill to rocking out with Rob Zombie. This past weekend he even popped up singing Lady Gaga at Bonnaroo.
Cooper can do anything in music, entertain every audience, and still be cutting edge enough to be a premier name in music after almost 50 years in the business, countless awards and nominations and 36 albums. He shows no signs of slowing down and he is set to continue his monumental career as his band goes on the road with Iron Maiden this summer and fall.
CityBeat was privileged to speak with the legend to preview his upcoming show near Dayton before he hits the road with Iron Maiden. He spoke about longevity and told of the more bizarre stories of being a tenant in the Queen City. Alice Cooper performs at the Fraze Pavilion in Kettering this Wednesday.
CityBeat: Your show in Dayton is coming up.
Alice Cooper: Yes, we start this tour in June with Iron Maiden. We will be out there as their guest star on the show, their guests, so that's an hour show. The show we are doing there in Dayton is our regular show which will be a full out Alice Cooper show.
CB: I am actually a photographer and I've photographed you many times. You are one of my favorite artists to shoot.
AC: Well we give photographers a lot to shoot. If you are going to go all that trouble to do all that theatrics and really coordinate the show like that, then I want to see lots of shots. I love seeing different angles, people will hand me an envelope full of pictures and I will go, "That's a great shot. That's a great shot." And it gives me a different perspective of what the show looks like because we only see it from the stage. We never see it from the audience point of view.
CB: I have interviewed many of your past guitarists, Jason Hook and Al Pitrelli and people that have toured with you and everybody always has spectacular things to say about you as a mentor and just to be around. One of my questions is how do you choose band members on your tours now?
AC: Honestly, I am very instinctive about guitar players. Of course the guitar players are the gunslingers. They are the guys that you can sit and listen to and go, "When I quit singing, I want to hear something take over," and it better be a guitar that can take over what I'm doing when I step back, I want that guitar player to step up. So getting a Damon Johnson, when we first got Damon, every guitar player wants to stand back a little bit and I say, "No, no, no, when it is your solo, you take two steps forward into the light and let it go."
A lot of times lead singers don't want their lead guitar player to share the limelight. I want everybody in that band to have their moment on stage where they are the star. So when you get (young Australian guitarist) Orianthi, who is a natural, she is a natural star up there. I mean the girl is such a great player.
CB: Is she going to be with you?
AC: Yes, I mean she is such a great character for a Alice Cooper show. And you get Ryan Roxie on this tour and Ryan is a show unto himself. He has his own production going on over there which I really like because he really brings it every night. And Tommy, who I have in the middle as a rhythm guitar player, has got his own show going on. It's great to get guys to come out of their shells and just when you get on stage be a rock star. I don't want you to be a sideman.
CB: Again, it's always been amazing to talk to all these people who have worked with you over the years and I know they appreciate it as well.
AC: I think it is because I let them play. I want you to play. When it is your turn to play, I want you to be Eric Clapton, I want you to be Jeff Beck, I want you to be the guy and sometimes it takes a little bit of getting used to. These guys are not used to being the center of attention, they are used to being the guys that stand in the background and play.
Sometimes it's hard for Johnny Depp, when Johnny plays with us, I kind of have to push him forward a little bit because he likes to hang back a little bit.
CB: We are in Cincinnati. Can you tell me what your craziest Cincinnati story is from your past?
AC: I have the best Cincinnati story you have ever heard. This is a true story. We finally left L.A. We decided we had to move some place out of L.A., out of New York, some place in the Midwest. So we go to Cincinnati and we play this show there and we get a standing ovation. We decided the first standing ovation we get, that is where we are going to move.
So we played in Cincinnati and got a standing ovation, I think it may have been after the Cincinnati Pop Festival, the one we did with Iggy (Pop and The Stooges), and we found this area down by the college. It was this big, beautiful house for rent. So we came in and rented this house at the beginning of summer, and we went in and painted it and did everything like that.
For three months we lived there until in September, all of a sudden, there was a knock at the door, we walked outside and there were 10 guys that are football players and they are going "What are you doing at our house?" And I said, "What are you talking about? We rented this house indefinitely." And the guy goes, "This is our frat house. I don't know who rented this to you but they didn't own the house. You are paying rent to someone that doesn't even own the house."
Some guy rented us a frat house and he didn't even own it. He just walked in and put up a "For Rent" sign because nobody was there and we just assumed he just owned the house. So for these guys, it was kind of cool to them that Alice Cooper was living in their house, but we had to leave because it was their frat house.
CB: So did you pick another city or did you hang around town?
AC: We moved to Detroit then but it was really funny because we really thought Cincinnati was where we were going to live and then we got ejected by the frat house.
CB: I guess it could have worked out a lot different. You could still be in our hometown. You have spoken openly the last few years that you have become a Christian and about your Christian beliefs. Did that change how you put your show together?
AC: I think what it is, you do a certain amount of your own, not censoring, but you start shaping the show whereas there may be a couple of songs that I used to do that, now when I sing those songs, I don't believe that anymore. So, it is hard for me to sing that.
It hasn't been any big hits, "School's Out", "18", "Billion Dollar Babies", all those songs have nothing to do with Christianity or nothing to do with something that I couldn't sing as a Christian. Most of it is social satire anyway, but there are a few songs that I looked at and I went, "You know what, I don't believe that anymore," so I am going to stay away from that show.
I am just being true to myself to be honest with you. It really hasn't affected how I do my stage show because I don't believe Alice was promoting anything that was anti-Christian. We were like a musical horror movie and I think if people took Alice Copper as entertainment, as pure entertainment, there is certainly a dark side to my sense of humor but I don't think there has ever been anything in there that was, that any Christian couldn't see and have fun with.
CB: It's all in good fun. It's all perspective.
AC: Yeah, and I think if you look at it as a social satire, I am fine with it. I don't really have a problem with that. I am still very involved, I read twice a day, I have two different times of devotional for myself. I hope and I try not to just be a Christian in "Oh, I'm a Christian." I try to live that life. It is a one-on-one relationship with Christ so I really try to keep that as my lifestyle. In other words, you aren't ever going to see me at the strip club after a show.
CB: I know you gave up drugs and alcohol a long time ago for good reasons. Is there still ever a struggle on the road to stay sober?
AC: No, never has been. I was literally healed from that. People say you are cured, I say no, it was much different. I never went to AA. I never had to do any of that. I came out of a hospital and it was gone. It was gone as if I had cancer and cancer was gone the next day. It was totally taken away from me. I never had a struggle with alcohol. When I came out of the hospital, I was absolutely straight as an arrow. I never had a desire or a craving for alcohol which even the doctors say is weird. I know because I have a lot of friends that are in AA and they struggle with it all the time. They say, "How do you do it?" and I say "I am not an alcoholic anymore. I was one but I am not anymore." I wouldn't challenge myself. In other words, I wouldn't sit around and say, "Well I think I will take a drink of beer." Because I know that could be a trigger that takes me back to where I was. So I won't even approach that, but at the same time I don't have any desire to do that.
CB: Well, my Mom saw you in 1974 and she still talks about it today as I go shoot your shows. It was one of her memorable experiences with you and some chickens in Nashville at Memorial Coliseum…
AC: Well the music hasn't changed much since the '70s to now, if you look at the bands that are still out there — Aerosmith, Ozzy, Alice, Thin Lizzy — we are all still playing the same kind of music. I think it is funny that 16, 17, 18 year old kids are more into Classic Rock than they are into modern Rock so I think there is a large audience for us that has never seen us. One of the reasons we are playing the Iron Maiden tour is because I don't think the Iron Maiden audience has ever seen Alice Cooper so I want to expose them to Alice Cooper.
CB: Has touring for you changed from now to then?
AC: It's a lot easier now. When you are physically in better shape and you are mentally and spiritually in better shape, (my wife) Sheryl and I have been together for 36 years, and I never been happier in my life. My kids are great. All my ducks are in a row. Physically, I am healthy. Touring is easy then. Physically, it is a workout and you have to get used to traveling and you have to get used to being away from your family a lot even though now my family can travel with me any time they want to. My wife will go out for three weeks then go home for a week and come back out for two or three weeks. So, touring to me is easy.
CB: You spoke about music now and what people are listening to. Are there any current bands you listen to these days?
AC: I wish there was — my pet peeve right now is that 80-90% of the modern Rock bands are just testosterone-free. I am listening to these bands and going, "Where is the spark? Where is the fire?" These bands are whining like crazy. I hear these bands and go, "What is wrong with these guys?" And then I look at a picture of the band and I could go into a mall and pick any five guys, it's like they are trying not to be rock stars. They just want to be normal guys that play in a band with no image and no fire just we are in a band. "What is wrong with that?" That's crazy. If you are in a Rock band, you get in a Rock band to be something different. I guess modern Rock bands really just want to blend in and I think it is the most boring time in Rock right now that I have ever seen.
CB: Well you have your Lady Gagas…
AC: There are exceptions. Jack White is amazing. The Foo Fighters are amazing. I don't know the Black Veil Brides music very much but I love the image. At least they are going out of their way to be something that when you see them on stage you say, "That's the Black Veil Brides." But when I see 99% of the other bands up there I say those bands can be anybody. I just don't get the fact that everybody is so against having image.
CB: Are you working on any new music, maybe another album?
AC: The Welcome to My Nightmare album has been out for about a year now and that was our highest charting album for quite a long time. So after this tour, we will go back in the studio again, Bob Ezrin and I will, but we were very, very happy with Welcome to my Nightmare.
CB: I briefly spoke to you at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction this year in Cleveland. I know you weren't performing but what your favorite part of the night?
AC: You mean the last one. I thought Guns N Roses were amazing. I thought Slash and the boys were the best band there. They just rocked that place.
CB: We are heading into a critical election year, are you planning on backing any candidates this time?
AC: Boy, I'll tell you at this point right now I almost want to go independent. I am not political in the least bit. I am not in the least bit political. So when somebody says, "Who are you voting for?" I'm going, "Wow!" It's like saying, do you want a poke in the eye or a poke in the ear. Nobody is making me smile now.
CB: And it is very narrow now.
AC: Yeah, as far as I'm concerned, I wish there was somebody out there that had some spark that would make a difference but I don't think either one of these guys are.
CB: Do you have any plans to slow down or stop touring?
AC: No. For me, physically everything is fine right now. Until I physically can't tour, I think I will be touring every year.
The Beach Boys have been blessing audience's ears with happy and fun tunes (with occasional blasts of melancholy) for 50 years. As they embark on a 50th anniversary tour, they are preparing to release their 31st album, titled That's Why God Made The Radio, which is also the title of the first single. Almost anyone who listens to music can think a happy thought as it relates to Beach Boy classics like "Good Vibrations," "Kokomo," "Surfin USA" or one of their other countless hits.
I was able to speak with Mike Love and Brian Wilson before the tour kickoff and it proved to be one of my toughest interviews to date when I spoke with Wilson.There were moments when you had to wonder why he is speaking to the press at all and others when you remembered the pure genius inside his head as he spoke about mixing harmonies on the new album and just being happy to play again with the band that made him a legend. We reached a nostalgic and introspective point as the legends looked back on a remarkable career.
The Beach Boys' 50th anniversary tour comes to Riverbend Music Center this Tuesday.
CityBeat: If you were writing "California Girls" today, how would you describe them and what are the big changes?
Mike Love: The thing about "California Girls" is that it is a riveting song saying, "I wish they all could be California Girls," and then talk about all the places around the country. I don't think there would be much changing to do. Of course our original fans are now California mothers and grandmothers. I believe it is all the same.
Brian Wilson: No, I would do it the same as it was.
CB: What has been your process for putting together the set list of songs for the shows coming up?
Brian: We all got together and chose the songs together and we finally narrowed it down to two hours or two and a half hours of songs.
Mike: I'll tell you what, there are several songs that we absolutely do at every single show we do — "California Girls" being one of them, "Good Vibrations" being another, "Kokomo" being our biggest hit of all. "Good Vibrations" was our biggest hit that came out in 1966, until "Kokomo" came out in 1988 and apparently surpassed that. And then there are songs like "I Get Around" and "Fun Fun Fun" and "Surfin' USA" and "Help Me Rhonda" — we are always going to do those big hit songs because we believe people are going to come see you for what you are known for. We are most famous for those big hit recordings we have had.
Then there are other songs we are doing on our set list called album cuts that are a little more subtle, a little more esoteric. Then there is a song called "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" originally done by Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers during the '50s. My cousin Brian came up with a really great vocal arrangement so we enjoy doing that song. Whether it is a point of view of doing a song we feel hardcore fans know or the Beach Boys music that I can recall, we like to do some songs that will please them as well so we balance the songs, the set list, the selection of songs all throughout the years, up to and including our newest record which is called That's Why God Made the Radio.
CB: On the new album there are fun and upbeat songs, as always, but there are also songs embracing some melancholy of the past like "Pacific Coast Highway." Why was it important to have both on the album?
Mike: I think there has always been melancholy and upbeat aspects to our songs. For instance "Surfer Girl" is slower and romantic. "In My Room" is kind of introspective, and if you will a little melancholy like ("Warmth of the Sun"), which is also a beautiful, slow ballad, but I think mainly it is the result of the collective nature of all of us.
There is the obvious sun part of life that we have here in Southern California growing up, you know with the featured years and when we recorded "Barbara Ann" and "Lookin' For Romance" and then "California Girls" and going around the world and experiencing upbeat and positive things like car songs or surfing songs. There is that aspect of it. Then there is also that more internal, introspective aspect of things. So there are definitely both types of music in the Beach Boys catalog, definitely. There is the melancholy and the happy and upbeat.
I think that is how life is. Sometimes, people experience moods or situations in life that are not so much upbeat or fun, death of a loved one or breaking up with somebody. There are situations in life that lend themselves to the more serious or somber or melancholy. Then there are the activities and situations in life that are far more upbeat and fun.
CB: What is it like having three generations of fans singing along at the shows now?
Mike: It is pretty amazing. It is really wild how well people have responded to us all being together. It re-establishes the theorem from math that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Brian Wilson has been doing his own solo projects and recordings and touring for the last several years. I have been touring as the Beach Boys with Bruce Johnston and occasionally David Marks, our original guitarist. Al Jardine has been doing his own thing but we all got together because of the specialness of the 50th anniversary of the Beach Boys.
That is the real catalyst that got us together. In addition to that remarkable milestone, there is the fact Capitol Records gave us an opportunity to record a new studio album, so we all got together, a lot of time had passed since we last did an album but it was kind of weird how familiar the whole process felt and how normal it sounded when we were listening to our performance coming back through the speaker in the studio. A lot of time had passed but not much had changed really in terms of Brian's ability to structure the harmonies and chord progressions and our abilities to harmonize and perform the songs. It was really cool, the two things together, the 50th anniversary and going out to tour together along with doing the new record, those two things, gave us the encouragement to get together and do this together. And the response from the public and so many places have been phenomenal, the Hollywood Bowl in Southern California sold out 17,500 seats.
Megadeth can be considered one of today's legendary bands, not just in Metal, but in all of music. They are synonymous with a time period, moments in the lives of so many of their fans. They may have a different look than when the band was formed in 1983 but they are one of the founding fathers and would definitely find themselves on the Mount Rushmore of American Metal and can still fill festival stadiums all over the world. Megadeth have been doing their thing for almost 30 years and show no signs of stopping. They had released their fittingly named 13th studio album TH1RT3EN last year before they came to Cincinnati. They will return to Ohio as one of the main acts at next week's Rock on The Range.
Over the past year, CityBeat spoke with band drummer Shawn Drover twice and lead guitarist Chris Broderick at Mayhem Festival about life on tour and what the future holds for the band. Megadeth's timeless sound continues on. Hear for yourself when the group performs on the Main Stage in Columbus Sunday night with Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie for the Rock on the Range festival.
CityBeat: I know you joined the band in 2008, right?
Chris Broderick: Yeah, the very beginning.
CB: What was it like the first time you played and jammed with Dave (Mustaine)?
Chris: It was a little intimidating at first I think. But one of the things that really happened was we had to get to work so quickly. We had to get so much done so fast.
CB: Because of the album and the tour right?
Chris: Well yeah because of the tour at the time. I didn't really have time to think about what was going on. I was just working. I was trying to knock out as many songs as I could before we went on tour less than a month away. That was my focus really.
CB: You are a classically trained guitarist, right? Can you tell me, how do you think that prepared you for Megadeth and to play metal music?
Chris: Well I don't know if anything prepares you for Metal music or Megadeth. But I do think it does give me a different skill set, one where I can look at more melodies and harmonies and construction of those types of the aspects of the music and apply what I've learned in classical guitar theory or classical theory to the Metal genre.
CB: That's kind of what stood out to them, right, when they called you to join the band, because you did a lot of classically trained type work?
Chris: It's hard for me to say. I know it was an influence on their decision, but I know that it was a recommendation of Glen Drover and Shawn Drover that encouraged them to call me.
CB: Good recommendations. They probably didn't even have to ask.
Chris: And then some of the YouTube clips that I had posted also.
CB: I have been hearing so many bands that are picking people off YouTube. It's really amazing, Cinderella type stories of people being picked up off YouTube videos.
Chris: Well, it's one of those things that is awesome in a way because it gives the individual the power of PR, somebody that can market you and get you to the right people to get you a gig or get you the right contact. So it is kind of cool that way.
CB: What was your highlight from the Big 4 concerts?
Chris: It was probably the last Big 4 show actually in the UK. That was pretty huge. We got to play on stage with some of the original members of Diamond Head. Honestly, they weren't my biggest influence. They were a little bit before my time. But because I am playing with so many people that they heavily influenced, it was instant respect on my behalf and their behalf. It was quite awe-inspiring to see Hetfield (James) kind of bowing down before him when he went to do the solo. It was awesome.
CB: What is it like on the road these days? Is it really clean living?
Chris: Yeah. It almost has to be because we have so much going on. I couldn't do all this press and all the meet and greets and stuff like that. It works out pretty well for me too because luckily I never acquired a taste for that kind of that thing. I guess I am too Type A. I always want to be in control.