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Heart introduced a fresh, rebellious sound in the early 1970s when a particular voice was truly needed. That timeless voice belonged to singer Ann Wilson. In a time when the female frontwoman was just gaining steam, Heart found their identity in theirs. To this day Wilson embodies the band's sound and message. She helped make it possible for generations of others to find their voice in Rock & Roll.
The band's legacy was celebrated on a grand scale this year when Ann, her sister, guitarist Nancy Wilson, and the rest of the Heart family were inducted into the 2013 class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the likes of fellow legendary groups Rush and Public Enemy.
CityBeat had the privilege of speaking with the legendary vocalist in advance of Heart's performance Saturday at Riverbend Music Center. Audiences can anticipate hearing classics like "Barracuda" and "Crazy on You," as well as fresh music off of the 2012 album Fanatic, which nicely continues the Heart legacy. Don't miss the finale with Jason Bonham (opening the show with his Led Zeppelin tribute) joining them on stage.
CityBeat: What was the highlight of your Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction this year?
Ann Wilson: The highlight of my (RRHOF) induction this year was standing beside Nancy at the podium. That was a feeling of great pride I will never forget.
CB: What is the most number of days you have gone without playing music?
AW: I have gone months sometimes without playing a guitar, but never a day goes by where I don't sing.
CB: What does your ideal day look like these days?
AW: Sleep in late, have a great pilates/yoga workout, hang out with my kids and their kids, cook dinner, meditate, sleep with my dog nearby.
CB: If you could trade places with someone for a month who would it be and why?
AW: I guess I couldn't do that. I don't envy anyone else that much!
CB: You have seen music recording formats change from vinyl and 8-track to cassette, CD and MP3 through the years. Do you feel like music sounds better or worse with the use of technology?
AW: Music definitely sounds worse to my ears because of digital technology. There is a hard, brittle sound to it. Analog music sounded warmer and deeper, though maybe not as " perfect." Auto-Tune makes me crazy because it removes all individuality from a person's voice. Everyone ends up sounding anonymous. The imperfections are where the soul is, I say leave them in. Leave in the humanity.
CB: How did the latest tour come about with Jason Bonham? Any favorite tour stories from the current tour?
AW: Many people saw the Kennedy Center Honors show on TV or YouTube and loved the tribute to Led Zeppelin. The management was listening and everyone agreed it would be a beautiful idea. We've only done two weeks so far, and it's been amazing. No train wrecks yet!
CB: Do you journal or take photos over the years with special tour memories. How do you document your stories and memories?
AW: We record every night and have photographers on sight. Occasionally I will blog, but I am usually pretty wound up after a show. Maybe this will be the year I take up a journal. A person can't count on their memory forever!!
CB: Does it ever get tough being on the road with family? How have you handled it for so many years?
AW: Yes, the road is rough. Traveling and performing together takes a lot out of you and sometimes things do get emotional. We are lucky to have each other for support. I don't know how I would have made it all these years without Nancy's love, strength and sense of humor!
CB: Are you working on new music while on the road?
AW: My head is full of new songs at the moment.
CB: What can fans looks forward to when the tour hits Cincinnati?
AW: The show in Cincinnati will open with Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience, Next will be the heart show, after which there will be a finale consisting of about 30 minutes of Zeppelin songs with Jason Bonham and (Bonham's guitarist) Tony Catania joining in.
Where do you begin with a band like Lynyrd Skynyrd? Everyone has been out at a bar or a concert and heard some crazy and/or drunk lunatic shouting to the band on stage, "FREE BIRD!!!" They are the epitome of and gold standard for Southern Rock music. Even now, through the tragedy of the plane crash in 1977 to the re-formed band, Skynyrd still provides electric performances every night. They still happily rock the hits of the early days. like "Simple Man" and "Sweet Home Alabama," while mixing in the music they are still releasing, most recently Last of a Dying Breed, which came out late last year.
CityBeat had time to catch up with lead vocalist Johnny Van Zant, the younger brother of the band's original front man Ronnie Van Zant. The two discussed how Skynyrd fits into Rock music today, as well as the wonderful feelings the band still gets performing every night on stage.
Skynyrd performs at Riverbend Music Center tonight with Bad Company, providing the same energy as the cast from the '70s and showing audiences what real Southern Rock sounds like.
CityBeat: Do you have any crazy Cincinnati memories from the past?
JVZ: We have had so many good shows there. Years back, when a flood hit, there was water in the first four or five rows. People were kind of standing in the water. I was like, "Wow these are really diehards." I don't even know how many times we have played at that particular amphitheater (Riverbend), but it has always been a good, hot, sweaty, summer Rock & Roll show, which is how it is supposed to be.
CB: The band has had multiple lineup changes over the years since you joined the band. How do you integrate someone new into the band?
JVZ: For us, they have to be a friend, someone we have known, someone we admire as a musician, someone we think would fit into our family. When we are out on the road, running up and down the road playing shows, you have to be not only a member of a band but, especially with Lynyrd Skynyrd, you have to be a part of the Skynyrd nation. You have to be a part of the family. Our newest member is Johnny Colt, who was bass player with The Black Crowes. Colt fits right in with us. He's loony as heck and so are we. We have a great time and love doing what we do. I hope Johnny is with us for a long, long time. He is quite the guy. It has been awesome.
CB: I know you guys have worked many times with one of my favorite guitarists, John 5. What was that experience like for you and have you done any collaborations recently?
JVZ: Well, yeah, he was on our last record, Last of a Dying Breed.
John is a good friend of us. We knew we were going to be good friends
with John because we were in Nashville writing and our manager mentioned
John and said, "You know, he is a little different than you guys." And
we said, " That's OK, that's no problem."
John walked in, he was just coming from a photo shoot. He had on the fingernails with his hair all up. When he walked in and I went, "Damn, you are different. Damn, are you a freak or something?" And he said, "I was thinking the same crap about you guys." We just hit it off. He is a wonderful guitar player. Not only can he play Heavy Metal and Rock & Roll, but he can play the hell out of some Country music, which we love. I just admire his work and he is one of the most phenomenal guitar players I have had the pleasure to work with.
CB: A lot of people are saying Rock is dead and Country music is the new Rock. Do you believe that Rock is dead?
JVZ: No. I think Country music is Lynyrd Skynyrd. I
think a lot of the Country music is what we do, but I don't think Rock &
Roll is dead at all. People have been saying that shit for years and
years and years: "Rock & Roll is dead." Then it comes back. It's like
anything else.
For us we just played Houston, Texas, in front of 10,000
people. We played Bristol, Va., I think there were 14,000 people on
a Sunday night. The night before last we were in Camden, N.J.,
14,000 people on a Wednesday night. I'm sure Cincinnati is doing quite
well. We are in Pittsburgh tonight. It is going to be phenomenal here.
If Rock & Roll is dead and gone, man, I am missing out on it.
CB: Tell me a little bit about Last of a Dying Breed and which songs we are going to hear from that album when you come to Cincinnati?
JVZ: Well, it is debatable. What we do, each night we try to think about what new song we want to put in. Right now we are really concentrating on 40 years. It's been 40 years since (Pronounced 'lĕh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd) came out. It's been our major focus to play as many songs off that record and celebrate that era.
CB: Where do you see yourself in 15 more years?
JVZ: Hopefully alive. Hopefully playing some shows
and still doing this. Doing a lot of fishing and drinking a good
Budweiser and something like that, I don't know. If you want to make God
laugh, tell him your plans. I never really plan too much. I just like to
go along with the flow and the good Lord throws me in the direction he
wants me to go.
CB: Do you ever get tired of playing "Free Bird"?
JVZ: Not at all. I am quick to say, "Not at all." How
many bands would love to have songs like that? Most bands say we would
give anything to have one of those. "Free Bird" and ("Sweet Home Alabama"), that's
the cool thing about Skynyrd. We have three generations of fans who love
those songs. It is amazing to me.
We are out with Bad Company right now and we are real big Bad Company fans. We are at the top of the game with these guys. From my era and a lot of other people's era, Bad Company was the rule of the roost when it came to Rock & Roll. Paul Rogers is one of the best singers. Simon Kirke and Mick Ralphs have been around for years. It is just great to be out on the road and playing shows with good friends too. We are having a blast. We hope to do it again sometime after this tour and look forward to coming your way.
CB: Are you flattered when someone like Kid Rock uses "Sweet Home Alabama" in his songs? Excited? Upset? How do you feel when someone integrates that song?
JVZ: We were actually doing a tour with Bobby when
he had "All Summer Long" (the song that incorporates "Sweet Home") out. For us, hell, it keeps us in the spotlight.
He did a good job on it. It was a hit song for him and everybody got
paid. So surely, we are like, "Can someone else use it again and again?"
It is kind of funny when you think of stuff like that. Who would have thought when that song was written a long, long time ago, people would still be loving it and a band from Jacksonville, Fla., and what success my brother and Alan and Gary, my hat is off to them. I love keeping the music alive. It is a great thing. It's a great thing because the song has been used in Forrest Gump and various movies. Any time anything like that pops up as long, as it is not in bad taste, is great. It has been a good ride.
CityBeat was able to speak with Anderson this week about protests, social issues and his thoughts on performance art.
CityBeat: Why did decide to bring the flute to Rock music?
Ian Anderson: When I was a young aspiring guitar player in my late teens I became aware of Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Richard Blackmore, who were the hot-shot guitar players down in London, and I decided maybe I should switch from guitar and find something else to play. The shiny precision of the flute, the ergonomics, the design, the manufacture — it's kind of like a Swiss watch. It appeals to my sense of physics and engineering. For a particularly good reason, other than the way it looks, I decided I would give that a go. I learned to play it by trying to imitate the lines I played on guitar — solos and rifts. So I became the flute player in a Blues band and I was the only flute player in a Blues band, which gave me the difference that helped Jethro Tull stand out from the crowd.
CB: One of my favorites on Thick as a Brick II is "Adrift and Dumbfounded." Can you tell me a little bit of the story behind that song or how it came about?
IA: Having been picketed a couple nights ago in Kansas City by the Westboro Church, the "Godhatesfags.com" people … I am seen as a fag-hyphen-enabler according to that unworthy organization. I don't think I am a homosexual, but I am a supporter of gay rights and a lot of my friends and people close to me are gay people and I find that the prejudices and difficulties faced by young people, particularly in post-puberty, where they are sometimes questioning their gender and their physiology because some people are just born that way … so, it is a difficult time for relationships with parents and for society around you.
It's difficult now. Back in the '60s, it was really scary. So at the time when homosexuality wasn't just a predilection but an actual crime, punishable by the courts by incarceration, being gay was a difficult position for any young person to be in, so I decided I would write a parent's perspective of what that may be like — to lose a child through lack of communication and understanding with the parental, to lose that child to drugs and to, essentially, male prostitution.
That is an extreme scenario but it happens out there in the world. These are issues that face society today. These are issues that have faced society throughout the history of mankind. These days I suppose we are more able to talk about it and to examine the possibilities themselves. I always have to think when I was 15 years old and a little unsure of myself, maybe that could have happened to me. I try to use some of my personal history with my parents, with the lack of communication, particular on matters of sex. I try to extrapolate a little on my own limited experiences in that world.
CB: The Westboro Baptist Church never ceases to amaze me. How did you handle it that day?
IA: I was rather hoping to see them in the flesh. Unfortunately, I had my spies out. I had my spies out to try to keep an eye out because I tried to get a photograph opportunity with these people. Unfortunately, at the time, I guess they showed up when the audience was coming in or going out. When the audience is coming in, I am busy in my dressing room changing and tuning up my guitar. Afterwards, I am busy changing again and packing up my instruments. Unfortunately, I did not get to see them. That is very disappointing. I was really hoping to have the opportunity to have a nice smiling photograph with them and their evil representatives.
CB: Why did you choose this tour to play the Thick as a Brick albums in their entireties?
IA: When you are planning any kind of stage show, your first obligation is to keep it on a level that will engage people and keep it interesting for them and present them with a lengthy piece of musical work with a 15-minute intermission. You have to put your thinking cap on and try to construct everything to keep the audience with you, especially if you are playing a lot of music (with) which the audience is unfamiliar, you have got to make it work the first time around. It is not the result of hearing it many times so you have to make it a piece of working entertainment.
It seems to be successful because I have yet to see, when I go onto the second half of the show, any empty seats as a result of people leaving at halftime. Normally people stay until the end of the show and they seem to follow the momentum of the whole show. You get a personal sense of achievement when you present a large amount of relatively unknown music and you keep people engaged and enjoying the stage.
I don't think many bands would attempt to do that. I can afford to do it because, a) I am prepared to take more risks musically and, b) I am really kind of doing it for me more than I am doing it for the audience anyway. I have always been a musician who has gone out there to make myself happy. You have to really have your own personal goals you achieve every night in performance. Primarily, I will say, it is nice you folks are here as well, but if you weren't here, I would be doing this anyway. I am just doing this for fun.
CB: You have seen music change in the way it is recorded over many decades. Do you think it sounds better or worse today?
IA: Music has evolved in the terms of recording techniques over a period of about 60 years, hugely. It goes back to the early stages of monophonic and stereophonic tape recorders, which is what it was when I was a teenager.
When it got to the mid-'60s, it was becoming possible to create the simplest multi-track recordings, usually using two-track recorders, but bouncing back between the two to get a four-track sound. The very first Beatles recordings were made that way. By the time they got to Sgt. Pepper, they were recording with four-track and shortly on the heels of that came eight-track.
The first album I recorded was done on eight-track in 1968. That quickly evolved into 16-track and then to the most often used standard of 24-track, which continued through the late '80s and even in some cases into the '90s.
Frankly, the digital age really came about not in the '80s or the '90s but in the last 10 years, because that technology began to support 24-bit audio recording, which effectively mimics the human hearing to detect the difference between that and the original audio signal. We have 24-bit 96k recording, which is essentially all we need. We don't need to advance upon that standard. We'd have to grow new ears before we could benefit any further resolution of earlier technology.
It is the same thing as when cameras hit the 10 mega-pixel mark … essentially equal (to) the very best film quality of film cameras in the last 50 or 60 or 70 years. We have now fairly commonly cameras that will deliver resolutions of 24 megapixels, which will be essentially much better quality you or my eye could fully appreciate.
We are there with audio and visual. We have now reached, during these last four or five years, human physiology would have to change for us to benefit from any increase of the resolution of the technology we are working with now. It is as good as it needs to be. We are there. We are done. We have reached the limit in terms of audio recording and digital recording.
CB: Was there a single incident that changed how you approached music?
IA: Well, I suppose a single incident was the first moment I played notes on a musical instrument, because I was aware as a small child of music as church music and music of Big Band Wartime Jazz, which my Father played on 78-rpm records.
It wasn't until I was 9 years old and I acquired for a couple of dollars a plastic Elvis Presley ukulele and I strummed my first simple chord on the ukulele. At that point, even though the instrument was a rubbish piece, I could actually strum some little chords and sing along with it, and that was the magic moment of making music the first time.
I suppose that was the single most important moment of discovering music. There are a lot of people who never learn to play anything on a musical instrument and I feel like they are missing out on something. But some of them might be bungee jumpers and they feel like I am missing out on something, because I haven't thrown myself off a bridge attached to a long piece of elastic.
CB: What is your ideal day look like these days?
IA: It depends if I'm on tour. My ideal day is to wake up around 7 a.m. and be driving rather than flying and getting to another city, another hotel by lunchtime, finding a Red Lobster or McCormack & Schmidt and (eating) some seafood or that sort for lunch and then having a rest and getting my e-mails in the afternoon before going to sound check.
That's kind of normal practice. If I am at home, I wake up a little earlier, usually around 6:30 a.m. and I usually, again because of working in different time zones, it's a good time to check e-mails from last night, generally prepare, shower, play with the cats, let the dogs out. If it's the weekends, I have to go and feed the chickens.
In my ideal world, it would be a mixture of sitting at my office desk, playing a little bit of music and having a little bit of time to walk around the garden and sit and talk to my cats.
CB: What is the biggest difference in touring in 2013 versus 1970?
IA: The biggest difference is you can take a little stress (out) as you are touring easily because of more organization. Twenty years ago and 40 years ago, travel was a lot more disorganized that it is today. We can now be planning the next tour while we are doing this one.
Later today and tomorrow morning when I have a little time off, I shall be booking some internal U.S. flights for the next tour, looking at the various cities and suggesting to my U.S. travel agent some hotels I would like to get quotes on. Generally speaking, doing that planning exercise, when it comes to doing the tour itself, hopefully everything is in place. Everybody knows where everybody will be on most hours on most days.
You can take the stress out of things these days, where it was not so easy many years ago. We had to employ tour managers and people to carry our bags and people to herd us like sheep through airports. These days, people have their virtual boarding pass, which they can collect online from the booking reference code, which was on the tour itinerary, and they can print out their own boarding pass and head straight to the gate. I think things are easier these days, not because of the level of security we face now that we didn't face 40 years ago, even 20 years ago. That makes lines a little more stressful and perhaps a little longer in the course of the day. We allow for two hours at airports from flight times to be safe these days, not knowing how long security queues may be or what indignities we may have to suffer to keep ourselves safe from the bad guys.
CB: Do you have any fond or crazy Cincinnati tour memories from the past?
IA: Probably with a Holiday Inn, Hilton or a Marriott or two. My bonds tend to be with what my particular life throws at me. The airport, even after all these years, is strangely familiar. I have been tracking the evolution of the airport from the late '70s — when we were accosted by the children of God, doing their evangelical work, trying to hand out bibles and stuff — all the way to today. Airports quite often have that sense of déjà vu, even that nostalgic memory for me — certain hotels, certain venues of course, iconic venues we still play today.
CB: What was your favorite live performance ever?
IA: It is probably the show in an American venue near Washington D.C. called Wolf Trap. It is my favorite because it is the one I am going to be doing tomorrow and the one I have to focus on and prepare for.
Past shows are in the past. I don't dwell on those. I don't have favorites. I don't have preferences, except for a couple iconic venues, as I suggested. My favorite show is the one I am about to go out and attempt to do because I always have to think it could be my last. Walking on stage is not a God-given right; it is a privilege to be able to step out there into the spotlight another time. I just take each show as they come. My next show is always the best show of my life.
CB: What can the fans expect here in Cincinnati this weekend?
IA: They can expect all they like, but it won't vary one iota in delivery to them. Their expectation may be many and may be varied, but we try to make a point of emphasis to play Brick 1 and then Brick 2, then a long call of classic repertoire.
We have a very tightly organized show. If anybody starts shouting out during the quiet moments of the show, they will be studiously ignored. I don't even have time to admonish them. It happened to me last night when I came on stage, I was astonished to hear two female voices shouting at me in one of the spoken words sections with a delivery of theatrical passion. You wouldn't be considered cultured to be shouting and whistling during a Shakespeare play — please don't shout and whistle during the performance of mine because I am here to do the work. You are here to listen and if you don't like it get up and leave. Don't start interrupting me.
Once in a while you get a drunkard out there that gets to shout at your band, but it happens so rarely these days and it strikes me as so being incredibly curious. I think our audiences do understand this is not a regular Rock show but a theatrical presentation (for which) they have to sit and let me do the work. That's what I am there for. I may be 66 years old but I am there to do a man's work for two and a half hours, where you can sit back and, if necessary, bring yourself a comfy cushion and maybe a sandwich because it is a long show.
The Eli Young Band brings a taste of Red Dirt music to the forefront of Country music. The band has an upbeat and distinct sound that has caught on quickly on a national scale. EYB saw mild success through the years touring on Jet Black and Jealous and hit a major stride with its most recent album, Life At Best, featuring the hits "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" and ACM "Song of the Year," "Crazy Girl."
The Eli Young Band has now reached a new height, opening Kenny Chesney's current tour (which is hitting mostly stadiums). CityBeat was able to catch up with band drummer Chris Thompson to get the band's feeling on its new found success and life on tour with Kenny. The tour comes to Cincy tonight at Riverbend Music Center for a sold-out stop (the tour moves to Crew Stadium in Columbus on Saturday night). It is truly the most impressive tour in Country music.
CityBeat: How did the tour come about with Kenny Chesney?
Chris Thompson: A lot of people don't know this but Kenny is really involved in who he picks to go on tour with him. In a lot of other tours, a record label will put someone on the bill or management will partner up with other management to find a tour that works with that kind of artist, but Kenny is super hands-on.
Two years ago at the Academy of Country Music Awards, we were nominated for "Song of the Year" and so was Kenny, and we actually beat him, we won the category. I guess shortly after, there was a text going around from Kenny to his management, "Who are these guys that beat me?" and "I want to find out more about them." He started getting into our music and shortly after we got the phone call that we were invited to go out on tour with him.
It's just a huge honor. Like I was saying, he hand picks the folks that are out here on the road with him. It's the biggest tour in Country music and we are just happy to be here.
CB: I was there the night you guys won the "Song of the Year" award. I was so happy for you guys. I know you have worked very hard over the years. What was the highlight of CMA for the band this year in Nashville?
CT: We were only there for a couple hours really. We flew in that morning and did a signing for two or three hours and then had a couple meetings. Then, we were out of town.
We have been going to CMA Music Fest for seven or eight years now. Back in the day we would stay for three or four days and play a show or two and be able to hang and meet as many people as we could. It seems like more and more nowadays, especially with the tours we have been on and our headlining tours, we are only able to get in for a day and get out.
It is always fun to do the signings because you meet people from all over the country and from all over the world really who love Country music. They are so excited to meet you. They are die hard fans. They bring pictures from five years ago when we met. It's just cool that Country music does that. We are the only genre of music that has anything like that where fans can go and interact directly with the artists and have one-on-one face time with them.
CB: Tell me a little bit about "Drunk Last Night," the new single.
CT: I think "Drunk Last Night" is a lyric we can all relate to. When we all first heard the song, we were like, "Yes, this is a song for us."
A lot of people hear a title and automatically think it's a drinking song. We went through some of that with "Crazy Girl." A lot of people saw the title and went "Oh, I know what this song is about," and I think they were wrong.
I think people will find this is not the standard drinking song. It is all about, I hate to sum it up as drunk dialing, but it is kind of like the thought of doing that and alcohol feeding that desire a little bit more than in daily life.
It is also a song that we went in the studio and recorded (and) as soon as we finished the session, we could go out and play (it) live right now because it's a great track, it's rocking, it's in our wheelhouse and we actually did. We started playing it at the very beginning of the Chesney tour before it was even picked as a single. The crowd really seemed to dig it and now here it is, going to be a single. Good stuff.
CB: Do you guys know or do you have a feeling when you have a hit or when you hear a hit presented to you?
CT: Yeah. I think sometimes you hear a song, sometimes people say the song gives them chills and they know that's the one. Sometimes you get that feeling in your gut. When you hear a song sometimes, you write a lyric and you feel that, it is almost like that feeling of falling in love. Your chest kind of swells.
When multiple people feel that way at the same spot or for the same song, then I don't know if anybody can guarantee a hit, but you know that it is at least a lyric or a song that people can relate to and I think typically good songs are universal in that sort of way.
CB: I loved your "The Cuss Jar" video — I could buy a house if I implemented that process. I wanted to know if you had bought anything fun with the money?
CT: No, actually I think that era ended. The jar got too full and I think we used that jar for laundry money one day when we stopped somewhere on the road and had a few days off and emptied the whole thing for band and crew's laundry. Then we got too lazy to keep up with it.
CB: What has been your craziest tour story recently?
CT: I think playing Cowboys Stadium in Dallas on the Chesney tour was probably the craziest thing because we are from Dallas and we have played every tiny bar around the stadium. To just get up on stage at the biggest stadium in America was totally wild. All of our families were there; it was craziness.
CB: That's such a special moment, I am sure you have plenty of those all the time. Do you do anything special yourself to keep the tour memories? Do you take photos or journals? Some bands blog or journal and do things to keep it fresh.
CT: Yeah, we have been fortunate on this tour, since the beginning of this year, we have had a guy out on the road with us that has started doing social media. Mainly he is taking pictures. Since January, this whole thing has been documented and we really appreciate that.
It is definitely hard for us to get good photos when we are on stage playing, when we are really in the moment, because we are playing, so he is out there doing that. This is the biggest tour we have ever done and just the momentum that this year is building, we are just happy about that.
CB: What does a typical day look like for you?
CT: On the Chesney tour when we are doing stadiums like we are doing today, we will go out and do a tailgating event, at 1 or so in the afternoon, we will all get into some golf carts and we will go out to where all the fans are tailgating and they will bombard us with jello shots and beer bongs and the local foods they have.
We hang out with them for an hour or two then we will start doing radio events where we will play a couple songs acoustic, sitting on our bus or backstage for various winners. Then we will do a meet and greet for about 60-100 people. Then, we will grab a bite to eat around then. Then we hit the stage and rock out for about an hour.
After that, we will go hang out with some radio folks or some friend that are in town and wind down about the time Kenny hits the stage so we can watch him. It's pretty cool. It's pretty unreal.
CB: If you could trade places for anyone for about a month, who would it be?
CT: Right now it feels like we are living the dream. I think the four of us are really happy with what is going on in our careers right now. We have had some national success. It feels like we have broken out of being a regional band and it feels like we are on the cusp of something more than that. It's a great time for Eli Young Band and it is important for us to enjoy this. I probably wouldn't want to trade places with anyone right now.
CB: What can the fans look for from you guys tonight in Cincinnati?
CT: We try to always bring a high-energy show. We were playing a show last night and there was this older gentleman almost in front row sitting in his chair arms crossed and it looked like he wasn't really enjoying himself. About halfway through our set he leaned over to his wife and he points at us and he goes, "Those guys are workin' up there." Then he smiled real big.
We want to bring that energy. We want to get on stage and have a good time and fire up the crowd. We go on right after Kacey Musgraves. Kacey is real cool and laidback and all that when she does her thing and it's great. Then we get to come in and kick the audience in the butt a little bit.
During our set we have some new music in there and some cover songs I think gets the crowd up and clapping. After that Eric (Church) comes up and burns it down. Then Kenny Chesney comes out and the place goes nuts.
Red is a Christian Rock band that has ascended into the mainstream alongside Rock acts like Papa Roach and Korn. The band members let their faith creep into their music and their message, but do not let it define them. Earlier this year Red released its fourth studio album, Release the Panic. The album debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard album chart, showing their strength as a national act (Red's previous release, Until We Have Faces, debuted at No. 2 in 2011).
CityBeat recently caught up with Anthony Armstrong, the band's guitar player, who spoke about the band's inspirations and vision for the future of Rock music. Red is playing on Friday at King's Island in Cincinnati for Spirit Song 2013, which runs Thursday-Saturday and features some of the biggest names in Contemporary Christian music.
CityBeat: I saw you guys at (Columbus, Ohio, Hard Rock fest) Rock on the Range. What was your favorite Rock on the Range moment this year?
Anthony Armstrong: That's a tough one. You know what is really sad, our good buddies Sevendust played right before us and we didn't get to see their set so I was really disappointed. Papa Roach put on an incredible show every single time they take the stage, so I would say they are up there as one of the best. It was cool to see Bush. That was really cool to feel like I was in high school and to see those guys doing their thing. When they started playing "Come Down" I felt like I was right there back watching. There was an old movie from the '90s called Fear with Reese Witherspoon and Mark Wahlberg, and I think Bush was the entire soundtrack to that movie. I just felt like I was back in the '90s and high school listening to Bush records. It was cool.
CB: You guys play Christian music and are a Christian band. Is it ever hard to be on tour or at these festivals in this non-Christian atmosphere?
AA: It's never for us. I think media outlets and sources, even in interviews like this, people are so curious about that. They ask the question because they want to understand and know the answer to how we deal with that. For us, we don't see it any different than if we are playing a Christian show. We are all just people in general. You are going to see crazy stuff happen at those shows too. We like to hangout and we like to have a good time. We don't get too out of control. We hang out with all these guys. We love these guys and they love us. We just show them we aren't any different than them because we love God and we believe in God. We don't feel like it should be something that draws a line or creates a wall that we can't get past. It is just what we believe. There are plenty of guys up on those stages in all the different bands that believe different stuff. I say come see one of our shows. We are going to do exactly what those bands do just as good if not better. We aim high and we really try not to focus on that kind of stuff. It just complicates things. We are just a Rock band.
CB: I have seen you tour three times over the years and you never look any different or sound any different than the other bands. It is just a different message through the words.
AA: Yeah, that's the thing with the message. We are not going in there with some sort of agenda. We are not going into these shows with some sort of recruiting mentality. We are just going to play some Rock songs. Wherever these songs reach, wherever they are in their life, if these songs inspire them, then we did our job. That's all we care about doing. We've done many of the things people standing in the crowd are doing. We know they don't work out for us. We know they are bad for us. We know the one thing that works for us is our faith. A lot of people want to hold you over the coals for it because they think it's lame; they think it's cheesy and you are not hardcore if you believe in God. I know more crazy, jacked-up people that believe in God than I know that don't believe in God. We are the ones that are here because we need God because we can't get out of our own way. A lot of the guys that turn to God and live that lifestyle were at that point. Brian ("Head" Welch) from Korn is a perfect example of that. The guy was literally on his death bed constantly getting high. He reached out and said, "If you are real I want to know. I want you to show it to me." And God did that for him. That was just a cool story for him to hear.
CB: I know you tour a lot over the years. Do you take time out to write as a band or do you write when you are on the road?
AA: We write so much it's ridiculous. It's a love-hate relationship. It takes more love than anything. It's really cool. We just released a record. We probably won't really start diving into writing until about January or February of 2014. We usually put records out about every two and a half years. That's about the time you start digging into the new stuff. You take this first part of a new record release to key in on the new songs and translate and see how everything goes, start paying attention to what is going on in the world. You start collecting the inspiration you need to write another record. That's one of the things we've always focused on.
CB: One of my favorite songs that you guys have was your first single, "Perfect Life" — could you tell me the story behind that song?
AA: Yeah, we were out in L.A. with our new producer, we had never used him before, his name was Howard Benson. We had three records with the same guy that we still love. We will probably do another record with Rob Graves. It was just a transition for us. We wanted to try something new. We were out there in the Hollywood hills hanging out at Howard's huge house. You could probably fit our tour bus in there three times. We were hanging out on his back patio talking about the record and what we were about to do. He said, "Check this out guys," and we look out and there is Kim Kardashian in the compound in front of us. We started talking about that TV show and that transitioned into what it is really like out in Hollywood and what the media projects as what life really is on the Jersey Shore and all this other stuff. What life is all about when you can have these things and be this glamorous and have this lifestyle. This is the perfect life. This is what you want. This is what you can attain. We were like, "This is complete bull. You can be happy no matter what you are doing" It's about chasing down the things people think are important. The perfect life is projected to us in a certain way. For us we are saying, find out for yourself. What is the perfect life for you? It shouldn't be what other people do. It should be what you do.
CB: Is it hard being on the road with your brother?
AA: No, it's not. It's amazing. It's really cool because in a band, when you have a band of four individuals, when you have a fight or an argument it gets pretty awkward. Randy and I are like the unofficial leaders of Red. We take care of everything from the administration to the music. I am really involved with the writing side of things. Randy is really involved in managing our affairs. When something goes down, Randy and I can usually sort it out between the two of us. We will discuss things together as a band and a group of guys. Ultimately, Randy and I can bounce things off each other and get a little heated but the guys just know we are brothers and that's the way brothers are. We have been competitive towards each other our whole lives and now we are in a rock band together. We have never been separated. We have always been together. We went to college together. We roomed together for four years. We might as well have dated the same girls. It was just wild. I love the dynamic. They say never mix business with family, and I haven't really experienced it being a bad thing with me and Randy being in the band together.
CB: I hear also that you cause the occasional accident over the years on stage. Any new accidents lately? I am personally surprised Michael doesn't hurt himself more jumping around the way he does.
AA: We are more afraid of the fire now. We are pretty scared of getting burned. We have had a couple near accidents. If you get too close to the flames, it singes all the hair off your arms. Nothing has been like it used to be with injuries. I hit Michael in the head twice, sent him to the hospital once. I opened his eye and had seven staples in his head with my guitar. My brother has hit me in the face with his bass guitar and cut my eye wide open. Rock & Roll.
CB: What is your favorite guitar to play?
AA: I have a custom 24 PRS that I named Vegas after my Bulldog. It was my first PRS guitar they made for me and only me. I have a love affair with that guitar.
CB: A lot of people right now are saying that Rock is dead and Rock music is dying, that Country is the new thing selling out the stadium, it's the new Rock. Do you believe that?
AA: I don't believe it because when I went to Rock on the Range and I saw it is alive and well. I don't believe that Rock & Roll has its act together. We live in Nashville, Tenn. We see the CMA Awards and the CMT Awards. You see how it is such a different animal. It would be really cool to see Rock get its act together and have that sort of Rock N Roll Awards. The MTV Awards used to be about Rock. We don't have anything specific to us. We don't have anything specific to Rock Music in general. It's the Grammys or we are part of something. I would love to see that sort of thing happen. Other than that, I don't think in a million years the world would be livable without Rock N Roll. It's something in Rock music makes you feel. It gets you fired up and people love that feeling. It's like drugs.
CB: What current music is inspiring you guys or you personally?
AA: There is such great music right now. In Rock N Roll right now, I'd say, we are big Muse fans. We have always been huge Sevendust fans. When we first moved here, I think I had to buy their record three times because I listened to it over and over and over. We are inspired by not just the music. We get out on the road with these guys and see what kind of guys they are. They work their tails off. We are all scratching for our place and hoping things just work out and it is just cool to see other bands doing things we do.
CB: I am sure you guys are going to have a great set here in Cincinnati at Kings Island.
AA: They won't let us use fire this weekend.
CB: I have seen your show with fire and without fire and it is always good.
AA: We consider it icing on the cake, another cool thing. We want to be able to stand alone without it. When we can use it, we use a lot of it. What is funny, Rock on the Range, this summer when we play festivals, we do 28 points of flames, 28 different nozzles of fire. It's just fire but it is so much fun. It is such a cool thing.
CB: After that show, are you going back on tour this summer?
AA: Yeah. Right now, the summer is chalked full of festivals. We will play festival dates and it is really cool for us because we play the big late night stages where we can do the pyro and stuff. After that we will get into the fall and have a couple tour options but we are not allowed to talk about the yet because they haven't been announced. We are going overseas. We are going to Europe for three weeks right before Thanksgiving. We have some stuff happening.
Rockers Papa Roach hit the scene in 2000 with their most successful studio album, Infest. Six albums later, they are still headlining tours and festivals across the country including this weekend's Rock on the Range in Columbus.
I was able to catch up with the man behind the music, Jacoby Shaddix, the lead vocalist. The two discussed the hard times and redemption that led to Papa Roach's most recent album, The Connection, released late last year.
Papa Roach plays Rock on the Range's Main Stage Saturday
afternoon, getting the night ready for Three Days Grace, Stone Sour and
The Smashing Pumpkins. Find full Rock on the Range details here.
CityBeat: What is your favorite Rock on the Range memory?
Jacoby Shaddix: Shit man, coming in headlining the second stage and utterly fucking demolishing it and being the only band asked back the next year to play the Main Stage and crushing it again.
CB: If you could trade places with anybody for one month who would it be?
JS: My wife.
CB: Why?
JS: I just want both of us to live our lives in each other's shoes for a month. I think we both would learn a lot. I know that it is not the super mega-kick ass Rock star answer, but that is some real shit.
CB: I know you wrote the last album through some of the toughest times of your life. Are any of the songs hard to play for you personally?
JS: No, they are just really good reminders. It is like I had to re-calibrate my life and re-focus myself on what my priorities were in my life and what was important to me and where I wanted to put myself five years from now and 10 years from now. All the decisions I made in the process of making this record I believe are some of the most important decisions that I'll make in my lifetime. I think the songs are real good reminders of that desperate place that I once was.
CB: Well my favorite song on the album when it came out was "Where Did the Angels Go"…
JS: We had a No. 1 Rock track with that song, which was fucking awesome.
CB: Can you tell me the story behind the song?
JS: As we were making the record, me and my wife had split up at that time and I was strung out again. It is no secret that I have substance abuse issues and I was caught up again and I finally decided that enough is enough. I had to stop and that just utter desperation of hanging on to life by a thread and just feeling completely alone and so broken and not really knowing if I was going to be OK. I just finally realized how much my demons ate me alive and it was time to get myself back and that is where that song came from, utter desperation.
CB: Is it hard to be on the road and stay sober?
JS: Not this time around. It used to be really hard. I have a network of sober musicians I stay really close with and I have a support group through that.
It is finally clear to me in my life I can't fucking drink, I can't do drugs, because it eats me alive. I am finally on the road enjoying my life. I faced a lot of demons in the process of getting sober again and I finally put a lot of stuff to rest. I am trying to work on being in the moment, like some of that Buddhist-type culture philosophy — if I am not here now then what is the point? If I am not feeling the moment, then what is the point of my life. Just focusing on that, my spirituality makes all this other stuff that goes on out here on the road way more tolerable and way more fun.
CB: Have you ever had an experience that led you to believe in angels?
JS: I don't necessarily have a grasp on the idea of angels. I have an understanding of people that have come like saviors in a sense, people that have been sent to me by my higher power to show me and guide me out of the darkness. I had to be broken down to realize I needed help.
CB: People have shown up at the right time?
JS: Yes.
CB: If you could ask one question to a psychic about your future what would you ask?
JS: I wouldn't ask anything. I wouldn't want to know. What do you want to know? Are you going to live different or some shit? I'd rather let it be. Let the future be what it is going to be.
CB: What does your perfect day look like?
JS: Perfect day — wake up next to my wife, sex right off the bat. Then go downstairs and cook breakfast for my kids, take them to school, go for a run, dance with my wife, go fishing with my brother-in-law in the bayou swamp, stretch out and warm up, play a Rock & Roll show, then fall asleep next to my wife. That sounds pretty fucking kick ass.
CB: I know your songs that you write are very autobiographical. Have you considered writing a book or a memoir in the future?
JS: Oh definitely, that is something I am going to definitely do in my life. 100 percent.
CB: No immediate plans?
JS: No immediate plans, but I have put pen to paper. It is something that I can craft as I go along.
CB: What can the fans expect this weekend at Rock on the Range?
JS: A fan that is on fucking fire. We have been doing these festivals, May is a big festival month, and we have been fucking annihilating audiences. We just devastated Carolina Rebellion, just ripped that shit up, we had a great show. Fort Rock in Florida, Rockville down in Florida. Memphis in May was awesome at the Beale Street Festival. That was rippin'. I just feel like we are tuned up and primed for these big festivals. I have to say, all these other bands, bring your fucking A-game because P Roach is coming to town and we have come to rip it.
CB: Memphis was awesome. I saw most of the set. It was awesome. It was great as always. I look forward to shooting you guys again. Smile for the camera on Saturday.
JS: Fuck yeah. Cool. We will see you Saturday.
Halestorm shows everybody out there that a female can rock with the guys. Lzzy Hale, Revolver Magazine's reining "Hottest Chick in Hard Rock," along with her brother Arejay, started the band back in 1999 and they have been on an upward trajectory ever since. This past February, the band received its first Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance for the song "Love Bites… (And So Do I)," which made history as the first song by a female-fronted group to top the Active Rock radio airplay chart.
Halestorm has been headlining shows across the country in support of The Strange Case Of…, the band's second studio album. The group will be performing at this weekend's Rock on the Range in Columbus on Saturday, playing the Main Stage alongside Papa Roach, Bullet For My Valentine, Three Days Grace, Stone Sour and The Smashing Pumpkins. Click here for full Rock on the Range info.
CityBeat: A lot has happened since I saw you guys in the fall. My first question is … where are you keeping your Grammy?
Lzzy Hale: You know what is funny — we actually don't have them yet. It's not quite real. We have been on the road so they have not been delivered yet. We have to sign a contract to make sure we aren't going to do anything stupid with it. I have no idea where I am going to put it. My mom thinks it should be at her house. I'm like, "No, Mom, it comes with me."
CB: You could put in your bunk (on the bus). That's where you live anyway.
LH: Yeah. Very true.
CB: I know you just collaborated with David Draiman (of Disturbed) on the classic Ozzy and Lita song "Close Your Eyes." What was the best part of doing that for you?
LH: It is such a cool thing. David Draiman has been such a champion of our band for the last couple years. He has been holding the Halestorm flag high. What a nice dude and always there for advice. He has sort of become this pseudo-big brother of mine the last couple years.
It is kind of surreal, a little bit, because I know this guy, but after singing with him and doing this duet, I find myself talking to my little brother and saying, "Remember when The Sickness came out and we went out and got that record, and we knew every word on that record." We were huge Disturbed fans when we were kids. We still are, I should say. It is such an amazing honor to be asked to do that and what an incredible lineup on the entire record. Being the new kid on the block as far as the guest vocals are concerned is quite humbling, honestly.
CB: Were you nervous about re-recording that song?
LH: A little bit. There is always something in the back of your mind when you are recording a classic like that. You don't want to ruin it. I am such fan for Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne and that whole era of music is really close to my heart. I was only hoping that we could do it justice. It was really David who put my mind at ease with that because as soon as I heard what he was doing with (it), I realized it was special, really special.
It is so weird, but when we were listening to the final mix of it, both David and I got goosebumps in the exact same spot of the song. We were like "Whoa! There is something about this song. We did something right." I am happy we did it. I just sang it live with him for the first time at Carolina Rebellion. We are going to be doing it together again live. It's truly magical. Not to sound cheesy, but it does hold a special place in my heart.
CB: Can we look forward to that at Rock on the Range?
LH: Oh, yes. Hell yes.
CB: I have seen you guys many times at ROTR over the years. What is your favorite Rock on the Range moment?
LH: Oh my God. The people that put that on are such nice people. We have been asked back for many years. The first time we were ever playing at Rock on the Range we were at the Jager Stage, then we were on the second stage, then last year we were first or second on the main stage.
I am telling you this, to be a part of this event, I am speaking for myself and all of my peers, we look forward to this festival. Not only is it a hell of a lot fun to play, but we get to see each other. I get to see all of my friends perform that I never get to see because we are all out on the road. It is this huge family reunion and this party from like 9 a.m. to whenever people decide to go home. It's so wonderful and it keeps getting better every year, like last year was the best ever for me, but then the year before that was the best. I look forward to this time because maybe it will top last year. It is such a well-run event and the highlight of festival season.
CB: Are you going to be able to keep track of Arejay during the event?
LH: Nobody can ever keep track of Arejay. Are you kidding me? The phrase "Where's Arejay?" is the phrase of the millennium. It's awesome. He is the most incredible human being because he will be standing next you and you will be talking to him, you (turn) around and you're talking to somebody else and you turn back to where Arejay was once standing and, poof, he is gone. He is a little Houdini. I love him. He is legendary. I am sure there will be many stories about Arejay at Rock on the Range.
CB: I saw recently you did an interview for a Playboy series online. Would you ever consider posing for the magazine if they asked you?
LH: I haven't really been asked that a lot. I was thinking about it the other day. I guess I would have to cross that bridge when I come to it. It depends what it is and what it is for and how tasteful it would be. I am not going to say no, but I would have to cross that bridge when I came to it.
CB: I know you guys are recording a second Covers EP. Why did you guys decide to record a second covers record?
LH: We just recorded a few months ago and are starting to get mixes back now. We love doing that stuff, just being able to re-create your favorite songs, break them down and build them up as your own. Regardless of how fun it is, you learn a lot as a musician, about how you work and you're learning your favorite songs and how to rebuild them from the ground up in your own way and try to find a new way to approach the songs which is kind of a challenge. We had a lot of fun doing it.
I don't know when it is going to be released yet. It is probably going to be a couple months. When you see the final list of what we chose for this one, there will be probably some that you could predict and there are a few tracks you are going to look at the title of the song and the artist it's by and you are going to go, "What? Why did they choose that song?" Then you can judge for yourself whether you like what we did. Either way it is going to be fun to see what everybody thinks about it.
CB: Are there any habits you would like to break?
LH: Yes, daily. My procrastination; I should practice more; I shouldn't have had that cake at Josh's birthday. I'm one of those people that does not care what everybody else thinks, but I do care a lot about how I feel about myself. I go through phases where I will have tunnel-vision and be determined and then I will be in the middle of tour and be like, "Screw it, I am going to finish this bottle of wine." I think this time in my life I am starting to get my shit together and have more control over my vices. I am starting to exercise more and starting to be a little more responsible in my life, which is a battle, because I think I am perpetually 14 years old inside. I'm trying to be a grown up but still hold onto that fire.
CB: I love the story you have behind the "Rock Show" song and how you got inspired by it. Could you talk about that a little bit?
LH: Of course. To start that off, we got a lot of physical letters from fans, not the tweets and Facebook posts but a lot of handwritten letters — who does that anymore? — with a pencil. We get a lot of letters every day and it has increased in the past couple years. They are so incredibly inspiring. You get to see how you affect these people. You get to see and hear their stories. It is really, really humbling and really exciting for me because those stories start seeping their way into my subconscious.
A lot of the new songs I have written have been for a specific fan or another because it is interesting to see what these people go through in daily life and relate it to your own. It makes me feel less alone to be a part of their lives and they have welcomed us with open arms into their private life. I respect the hell out of that because it takes a lot of guts to do that.
Specifically for "Rock Show," we received this letter. I don't know how this little girl got the address to our studio, but she did. She wrote me this beautiful letter about her first Rock show, which happened to be Halestorm, and it was because of that show she picked up guitar and, long story short, she really shreds. She can play Eddie Van Halen's "Eruption." It is really cool to see. She was like 13 years old at the time. It is beautiful, almost like that show was a religious experience. It changed the course of her life and she finally knows what she wants to do and is starting a band.
I remember taking this letter into the studio and telling the guys we have to write a song for her. The title was called "Rock Show," and we literally built this song around this letter we received and then we ended up thanking her in the notes as the next surprise so she will forever be in the artwork of our record because of that. It is wonderful to do that for those people, to give back, because it is a give and take. We wouldn't be able to do what we love without these little girls and little boys and everybody that comes to our show. It is wonderful to be able to do small things like write a song for them or thank them.
CB: What are the characteristics that make a great Halestorm song?
LH: Lately, it has been more about honesty. What I never thought I would accomplish in this band, we kind of have in the last couple years. Halestorm is becoming the identity for some of these kids. It is something to stand for. It is something to look up to. I've been much more free to let more people into my life and trying to be a good example and be that shining beacon of empowerment for some of these people. I needed that when I was a kid. I looked up to a lot of my parent's music because it was tough not to find anybody that wasn't singing about death or "I hate my parents" when I was a kid. I remember needing that. I needed somebody that I could say, "I am going to be like that. If they can do it, so can I."
I think there definitely always has to be an element of empowerment in what we do, in the music we write, but then you have to pair that with the honesty that you are human and that we are all the same. You are encouraging people to take the risk and to carve out their own path and be themselves. It is all we have learned about diving right into this business. We have learned so much about ourselves and how to be comfortable in our own skin. If we can pass that along, that's something we strive for.
Buckcherry has been epitomizing Hard Rock since the late '90s. The band recently started touring behind its sixth studio album, Confessions, adding to a great and energy filled set-list, alongside crowd favorites and major hits "Crazy Bitch" and "Lit Up."
CityBeat had a chance to speak with enigmatic Buckcherry singer Josh Todd in preparation for the band's set at Rock on the Range in Columbus this weekend (May 17-19). Buckcherry takes to the stage Friday night alongside Hollywood Undead, Cheap Trick and Korn. Click here for more Rock on the Range info.
CityBeat: I have seen you at Rock on the Range many years. What is your favorite Rock on the Range moment from the past?
Josh Todd: One year we were there performing "Lit Up" or "Crazy Bitch," I can't remember, and a guy in a wheelchair started crowd surfing. That was a pretty memorable moment.
CityBeat: You guys just came off a tour with Kid Rock recently, which is a great match. What was your craziest tour story?
JT: Surprisingly, it was a pretty tame tour. We didn't have too many backstage parties. The coolest thing we did, Bob — Kid Rock — invited Keith and I to his place in Alabama. We got to go and do some skeet shooting and eat some barbeque. I had a lot of deer meat which I hadn't had in a long time, a lot of deer jerky. So that was a lot of fun.
CB: I was just covering the Kid Rock cruise and he was singing "Crazy Bitch." It was a cool moment, one of my favorite songs with him singing.
JT: Yeah. I don't know what to think of that. I'm flattered, you know, but it is kind of strange since we were on tour with him. I think it is cool because he loves the song.
CB: I want to talk about the record a little bit. I know Confessions is loosely based on the seven deadly sins. Which sin do you think is the worst?
JT: The worst or the most hard to manage?
CB: Either is fine?
JT: Probably lust, especially when you have been in a Rock band since you were 15 … it is something that comes up a lot.
CB: I know "Sloth" was written about your experience with your Father's suicide. Is it ever hard to perform that live?
JT: I have never performed that live. We are working on it right now. We have six records. We have 80 some odd songs to really sift through. The songs we have performed off Confessions so far are "Wrath" "Gluttony" "Greed" "Air" and "Nothing Left but Tears." We will get there eventually. I don't think it will be hard for me because I just got a lot of great feedback from a lot of people who really connected to that song. That makes it a lot easier for me. It was real tough to record, but I think now it will be all right.
CB: Are there any habits you would like to break?
JT: Yeah. I struggle with sugar. So, yeah, not so much sugar.
CB: I know your songs are very autobiographical. Is there anything you have regretted writing about in any of your 80 songs?
JT: Since I write all the lyrics, it is kind of therapeutic for me to get out what is going on inside of me and somehow make it where a lot of people can relate to it. That is the challenge of the songwriter, to take a piece of your personal life and the lives around you and try to create a song where lots and lots of people can remember. That is the fun of it and also the challenge of it all.
CB: What does your perfect day look like?
JT: A perfect day would be to be home with my family. Just getting to spend time with them is a perfect day to me because I tour so much. To be home with my family is great.
CB: Is there anybody you would like to trade places with for a month?
JT: Yeah, I would like to be Kyle Busch for a day.
CB: Oh, a race car. Do you have fast cars?
JT: Yeah, I race fast go-carts. I have a race cart at home. I race that as much as I can. I did a NASCAR experience out here in Fontana and that was a lot of fun. I have always wanted to race an oval track race in a stock car. That would be amazing.
CB: Can you tell us what the fans should expect from your set at Rock on the Range?
JT: They can expect what we always deliver — their money's worth.
CB: Are you going to be performing any of the new album?
JT: We will be performing "Gluttony" "Wrath" and "Nothing Left but Tears," which is going to be the new single. Plus, we have to get to a lot of other songs. I don't know how long our set is, but depending on how long our set is, we have been doing "Greed" recently and it is really great live now.
Singer/guitarist Glen Campbell is truly Country music's "Rhinestone Cowboy." Starting out as a masterful, much-used session musician, in the '60s and '70s, Campbell represented the genre as one of its premier stars and was also embraced on the pop charts, scoring huge crossover hits with singles like "Wichita Lineman," "Galveston," "Southern Nights" and "Rhinestone Cowboy."
This past year, Campbell's 50 years in the music business was celebrated at the Grammys, where he was given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and honored with a musical tribute by The Band Perry and Blake Shelton that was capped off by Campbell joining the musicians for a version of "Rhinestone Cowboy."
After his Alzheimer's diagnosis in the summer of 2011, Campbell decided to hit the road one last time while he still could. After releasing the collaborative album Ghost on the Canvas (featuring covers of songs by modern artists like Jakob Dylan, Teddy Thompson, Paul Westerberg and Guided By Voices' Robert Pollard), Campbell kicked off his extensive "Goodbye Tour," which comes to the Taft Theatre in downtown Cincinnati this Sunday. For ticket info, click here.
CityBeat was privileged to have the opportunity to speak with Campbell about changes in music from when he started to today and how close he stays with his family on tour.
CityBeat: How did you choose songs and artists to collaborate with on Ghost on the Canvas?
Glen Campbell: Julian Raymond is my producer. He found the majority of the material. However, he kept notes of things I said or did and some of this material makes its way into the album. (Closing track) "There's No Me…Without You" is an example of this.
CB: What has it been like to see the changes in music technology from vinyl to 8-track to cassette to CD to IPod? Do you think music sounds better or worse with the new technology, analog vs. digital?
GC: It has been wonderful to see all of the technological advances with recorded music. I think the music sounds better with the new technology.
CB: You are often highly autobiographical in your own songs. Do you regret ever sharing any of your stories through your music or songs?
GC: I have no regrets about the autobiographical songs I recorded.
CB: Are your children still on tour with you? What is the best part of having them on the road with you?
GC: My son plays drums for me. Shannon is on guitar and Ashley plays keyboards and bass. It's wonderful sharing the stage with them. I love it. They are terrific musicians in their own right. The best part of having them with me is that our whole family and my wife Kim are all together and doing great shows which people have warmly embraced.
CB: What is your favorite guitar solo on any recording that you have done?
GC: One of my favorite guitar solos I recorded was for Frank Sinatra on his "Strangers in the Night." I also like my guitar solo on "Wichita Lineman." Jimmy Webb never finished the song so I just filled the hole with the guitar solo.
CB: What is your favorite guitar to play?
GC: Ovation.
CB: What is the longest time you have gone without playing guitar?
GC: I play every day.
CB: Would you ever consider playing with a Beach Boys reunion? (Campbell filled in for Brian Wilson on tour in the mid-'60s and recorded on Pet Sounds and other records.)
GC: I would not want to do a Beach Boys reunion at this point. They just celebrated their 50 years together with a big tour. I think that more than covered it.
CB: How has music helped you cope or deal with your Alzheimer's diagnosis?
GC: The music has brought me much joy and comfort.


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Abatron Wood Rebuilder
Dan writes:
Last year I showed you what a wonderful job my Earlex sprayer did on my old porch rocking chairs. Well it was a bad weather season and the lower rockers were starting to rot out on me. What was I to do about that? Well, Abatron's Wood Restoration Kit came to the rescue!
This two part epoxy system was easy to use and did the trick.
I first cleaned out the rotten wood and mixed the Liquid Wood resins in a rubber mixing bowl and brushed it onto the rotted out runners. While the Liquid Wood was still tacky, I mixed the two parts of the WoodEpox on a piece of glass and using my spatula, I spread it over the rocker and built up a nice base.
A helpful hint was to keep placing my spatula in water which really helped smooth it out.
After a few days of curing and drying, it was sanded, painted and ready for another few years of good use on the old front porch at my house.
But I didn't stop there.
To protect it and make it slide a little easier, I put a slick strip (400-1158) over the runners.
It was fast, easy and a pleasure to work with. I have lots left over for more "rotten" projects in the future.

subset: commoncrawl


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Ovengold® Turkey & Pepperhouse Gourmaise® Pinwheels
For a quick appetizer with flair, try this out any day of the week or for special occasions.
- Place the wrap onto a work surface.
- Spread the Pepperhouse Gourmaise onto the wrap, inching it close to the outer edges.
- Sprinkle the lettuce evenly over the top, followed by the turkey, overlapping the cold cuts if necessary to fit it all onto the wrap.
- Fold and wrap the sandwich.
- Slice the wrap evenly into 8 pieces and serve with additional Pepperhouse Gourmaise on the side.


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Neighborhood Highlights
Must-See Lower East Side
by Chris Wallace, 03/18/2014
Katz's Delicatessen. Photo: Julienne Schaer
Classic Eats
Russ & Daughters, the high temple of smoked and pickled fish, stands in the very neighborhood where, more than a hundred years ago, its founder Joel Russ stood selling Polish mushrooms from strings slung over his shoulder as well as herring in barrels, later from a pushcart. The shop offers worshipers a wide and uniformly delectable selection of herring, sable, caviar and more. (Among its faithful are Calvin Trillin, the New Yorker contributor who has reflected frequently on his passion for the institution, and Louis C.K., who turned a scene from his hit show Louie into a paean to the store.) There are more than a dozen types of smoked or cured salmon available here and nearly that many varieties of cream cheese, as well as nuts, sweets, bagels and dried fruits—all of them often much better than anywhere else around.
Just one block away, Katz's Delicatessen screams with tradition as loudly as Meg Ryan did with delight while eating there in When Harry Met Sally.... (Go ahead, sit in her seat, have what she had.) The classic New York deli serves the Platonic ideal of the Reuben, be it pastrami or corned beef, along with specialties including salami, knishes, matzo ball soup and other savory treats.


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Documents, Reports, Presentations
Past Commissions, Boards, Groups
Impacts of the Affordable Care Act on Health Insurance Coverage in Oregon. County Results, Statewide Update, February 2015
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May 25, 2016
Associated Press Release
ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- A northeast Florida couple spent two months looking for their cat, only to discover that the animal had been trapped in a neighbor's garage the whole time.
It's not clear how Jerry and Elizabeth Moore's cat, Tommy, got stuck in the garage in late November. The neighbor's visiting daughter discovered Tommy on Jan. 20 when she investigated a yowling noise she heard coming from the garage in St. Augustine Beach.
Elizabeth Moore tells The St. Augustine Record that veterinarians said Tommy was "severely depressed" after his ordeal and the best medicine was care at home.
Tommy also received stitches and a blood transfusion. The cat lost about six pounds during its disappearance. The Moores say eating and gaining weight has improved Tommy's mood.
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text:
Edited by Bamato, 11 March 2010 - 01:28 PM.
ReefBuddy DIY Aquarium Controller $89
Posted 11 March 2010 - 01:27 PM
Bamato's Luring BC14_____Bamato's 70g Scorps_____ 11g Mantis Haven_____LED Build Thread
Posted 11 March 2010 - 01:34 PM
Posted 11 March 2010 - 01:39 PM
My plan would be that every 10 minutes or so the salinity probe gets dipped into the tank to measure the salinity. It would than get placed back into a fresh ro/di water container since keeping a probe like that in salt water is apparently a bad plan for the longevity of the probe. If I could somehow accomplish that with this controller I.... I don't know what I would do. No more water changes for sure!
Even better would be a system that could add salty/fresh water to correct any issues
Posted 11 March 2010 - 03:34 PM
there's a controller coming out sometime that will be cool and we still don't know when Diablo 3 will be released.
Man I can't wait for that. I made so much money selling stuff on Ebay from DII.
I sold some random unique hammer for 250 bucks.....
Posted 11 March 2010 - 11:51 PM
BTW I do infact have ph, orp and conductivity running in my tank however these probes do have isolation see
Come see my FW Aquarium in real time www.rjconway.homeip.net
Posted 15 March 2010 - 02:36 PM
Posted 18 March 2010 - 03:02 AM
Just letting everyone know that I am working (though a bit slower than I had hoped for) on the current PCB design. Lots of functionality is placed, mechanical constraints are in place, and a few optimizations have been made. There is only a small amount of routing which is complete, but there aren't too many complexities in the design so once part placement is finalized, it should be a few hours tops
Can't wait
Posted 18 March 2010 - 04:21 AM
Posted 29 March 2010 - 11:58 AM
I will look forward to buying the controller and assembling it.
I could whip an arduino one up,
however this will be superior to whatever I can make.
Well you'll always have opportunities to pay bills,
but your window for a vortech GB comes around only occasionally
My Feedback
My 29 Gallon Reef
My Accelerated College Education Website
Get that college credit cheap and quick!
I've earned 59 credits for under $3,000 with college testing.
Posted 30 March 2010 - 05:39 PM
Posted 30 March 2010 - 06:05 PM
Posted 07 April 2010 - 06:19 AM
Posted 07 April 2010 - 06:29 AM
How accurate/whatever is the salinity probe? My holy grail for a tank is a system that monitors the salinity and can do slow continuous water changes.
My plan would be that every 10 minutes or so the salinity probe gets dipped into the tank to measure the salinity. It would than get placed back into a fresh ro/di water container since keeping a probe like that in salt water is apparently a bad plan for the longevity of the probe. If I could somehow accomplish that with this controller I.... I don't know what I would do. No more water changes for sure!
Even better would be a system that could add salty/fresh water to correct any issues
I found the Salinity probe is very accurate. I've tested it against my calibrated refractometer and have not had any issues. You could set it up robotically to dip in the tank and move it to a fresh water container after but that adds a bunch of complexity. You could replace the salinity probe annually as a maintenance item and be fine I'm sure. It might be better to have the salinity probe only turn on twice a day or so to check. What makes the probe fail is compounds in the water building on the probes because of the way the ions move towards the two probes in the AC field around it. The final option would be to clean it weekly as part of your tank maintenance. You could easily do water changes using the system, but so much tank maintenance revolves around that time that I think I'd continue to do that manually. A better option is to monitor salinity to add makeup water. I"d put in a failsafe float just in case the probe was not reading right and wanted to add water indefinately, you should have this anyway with anytype of ATO system.
Posted 07 April 2010 - 06:42 AM
This is a fantastic project. I am concerned though how mutliple probes pH, salinity, orp etc can work simultaneously. I know other manufacfures that cannot support multiple probes in the same tank as each of the probes are NOT electrcially isolated from one another. Are we sure salinity and pH both work together. You may have to look at a DC/DC isolating converters for the probe cct. It get difficult as the adc channel with provide an earth loop as well between probe cct's.
BTW I do infact have ph, orp and conductivity running in my tank however these probes do have isolation see
You are right about the issue with electrical isolation. I can tell you in my case I struggled with this very same subject for a few weeks. What finally solved it? Well believe it or not I added a ground probe to the tank and all the issues went away. I also keep the salinity probe away from the PH and orp probe and that is a big help. But yes it is working fine on this system at this point. I think adding the ground probe is good for several reasons 1. Safety (this reason alone should make it mandatory) 2. Stray voltages are bled off (The benefits or not of stray voltages in a tank are much debated. My personal belief is that bodies of water are grounded by the very nature of being in the ground and so should our tanks This is based only on personal belief and not based on any science at all so take it with a grain of salt ) 3. Adding the ground probe creates a common ground for the entire system. Once we release this verson I think I'll rely on the community to come up with ways to optically isolate these probes as it is beyond me at this time.
In the end it will be arduino based but with the sanguino processor so there are a ton of applications. I'm looking forward to it to
Very nice,
I will look forward to buying the controller and assembling it.
I could whip an arduino one up,
however this will be superior to whatever I can make.
Posted 07 April 2010 - 06:47 AM
Is there a new projected release date?
No there isn't. My life is entirely too busy and since the work is volunteer based I'm not making any commitments at this time. I will promiss to keep everyone up to date on the progress and Theatrus will do the same. The work he does professionally revolves around open source projects so he is a VERY good fit for this project. On top of everything else in my life I try and fly heli's competitively and restore motorcycles. If the day was 5 hours longer I'd be set.
Posted 07 April 2010 - 07:02 AM
IS the kit included net access too?
Not in the release form, however, it will be easy to add with off the shelf components currently available for arduino. This will be one of the features I definately want to add for the second release and will look to the community for help on this after the initial release. Basically all the parameters are passed via Serial communications to an ethernet card that has an embedded webserver and that information is displayed on the site that we build. It really is easy. I'm not sure how much memory is on the ethernet deal for storing historical data at this time.
Posted 17 April 2010 - 05:17 PM
Posted 22 April 2010 - 12:24 PM
The other item you want is regarding a relay to switch high power devices on and off. There are a lot of ways to do it but I think i would look into some ssr's in your case. Inside an ssr is simply a octocoupler and triac and a few resistors. For the reefbuddy controller we are building the ssr's completely. We need to be able to control what phase the relay turns on and off and take into consideration inductive devices that cause an ssr to perform poorly, not at all, or lock them in the high position permanantly.
You may have already solved your SSR design challenge, but if you haven't you might find this application note interesting (if you have not already seen it):
Zero Crossing Detector
It would require replacing the i2c port expander with one or more micros that have i2c capability but any simple AVR with i2c and 19 available I/O pins would probably do the job. Two pins for the i2c. One pin for the zero crossing detector and 16 more pins to control your outlets, or 8 if you're using 8 outlets. So 19 pins total or 11 pins total for 8 outlets.
Personally, I like the idea of putting one ATtiny25 on each outlet, but that's several dollars more expensive than using a single processor to control them all. The nice thing about one uC per outlet is that it simplifies the i2c command structure a little bit. With one processor for eight (or more) outlets you send it commands with its i2c address, but then you must also tell it which of the several devices the command is meant for. Then if you have other i2c devices on the bus which control only one thing, you either send them a redundant word, or use a different command structure.
With one uC per switchable device, you just send the i2c address and then the commands. And it's the same for every device, except that some commands obviously wouldn't apply to some devices.
Posted 22 April 2010 - 05:10 PM
Posted 05 May 2010 - 04:07 PM
- aba
Edited by abatardi, 06 May 2010 - 08:32 AM.
Posted 06 May 2010 - 08:19 AM
Posted 06 May 2010 - 11:08 AM
I look forward to the release of this, I will buy one for sure.
Posted 06 May 2010 - 03:53 PM
Posted 07 May 2010 - 12:40 PM
Posted 09 May 2010 - 08:06 PM
im sorry i havent read through all of the posts but any odeas when the unit is going to be aviable?
no ETA right now.. originally it seems it was supposed to be done Fall/Winter last year but got delayed.


text:
|Varsity girls claim two wins before holidays
|Written by Holyoke Enterprise
HHS girls' varsity basketball entered the holiday season with back-to-back wins on the road Friday and Saturday, Dec. 19 and 20.
The Lady Dragons defeated Haxtun 57-36 Friday and topped Sedgwick County 43-36 at Ovid Saturday.
Complete reports of the games will be in next week's Enterprise.
In junior varsity action prior to the holidays, Holyoke dominated Haxtun 39-23 and squeaked by Sedgwick County 30-29. Both jayvee match-ups were three-quarter contests.
Dragon basketball action takes a holiday break and will resume Friday, Jan. 9 when HHS hosts Merino.


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Hi all,
We're noticing many differences in the web client behavior based on browser, theme, plain text vs html, etc. Sometimes the cursor blinks, sometimes not. Sometimes the tab is predictable, sometimes not. Sometimes the initial position of the cursor in a window is appropriate, sometimes not.
We've decided upon Firefox (current) for the browser and now, for our rollout, were contemplating one theme for starters so we can predict it's behavior. I need to figure out which themes works "the best".
Has anyone already gone to the trouble of comparing themes and their idiosyncrasies? Or have a better suggestion than plugging through them option by option to figure it out? If so, please share. Thank you.
Nazareth College of Rochester
ZCS Network 4.5


text:
May 25, 2016
Associated Press Release
ATLANTA (AP) -- Forecasters have issued a flood watch covering most of Georgia as rainfall of up to 4 inches is expected to fall in parts of the state.
The National Weather Service said the flood watch will be in effect from Friday afternoon through Saturday afternoon. It covers parts of north Georgia and all of central Georgia, from the Gainesville area in the northeast to Americus and Vidalia in south Georgia. It also includes several major cities such as Atlanta, Columbus and Macon.
Forecasters at the weather service said rainfall amounts of 4 inches can be expected in central Georgia.
They said rainfall of around 2 inches can be expected in parts of north Georgia.
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text:
Hi! Do you have redfilter to this ikelite housing 6230.80?
Hello Teppo, Thank you for your inquiry! I have searched our web site… We do not offer this product. And after searching Ikelite's web site, I could not find any reference to a Red Filter for the Ikelite Housing MPN: 6230.80. I will contact Ikelite on Monday and if I have any update, our answer will be updated. If you would like to place an order or have questions about our products, please contact one of our certified Dive Instructors at SCUBA.com by calling 800-247-2822 <> 949-221-9300 or e-mail us at: email@example.com
Ikelite Housing for Olympus Tough Digital Cameras
Ikelite Housing Ikelite Housing Ikelite Housing
Click on photos to enlarge
Olympus Stylus Tough 8000,
Mju Tough 8000
Ikelite Housing #6230.80 ...... $260
( camera not included )
This rugged series of Olympus cameras deserves an exceptionally rugged underwater housing. The Ikelite ULTRAcompact digital housing for the Olympus Tough 8000 really delivers when performance and durability matter. The ULTRAcompact housing is high quality, built to last, and backed by Ikelite's long-standing reputation for excellence.
All camera controls are fully functional through the housing and depth rated to 200ft (60m). Easy open latch and drop in camera loading make set-up a breeze.
Housing measures 6' (15.2cm) wide; 4.4' (11cm) high including controls; 3.4' (8.6cm) deep including port. The housing weighs just 1 lb (0.45kg) above water and is nearly neutral underwater with camera installed.
Includes a 1cc tube of silicone lubricant, vinyl lanyard, flash diffuser, and flash deflector.
#0132.45 Spare Main Housing O-Ring
#5020 Silicone Lubricant in 4 1cc Tubes
This housing is available worldwide through any Authorized Ikelite Dealer. Click Here for a complete listing.
Camera's Built-in Flash. An included flash diffuser improves lighting quality when the camera's built-in flash is used. A built-in flash is effective between 1-3 feet (0.3-0.9m) from the subject in clear conditions. For best results an external underwater strobe is recommended.
fish foto
External Color Filters. Replace some of the reds and more natural tones that would otherwise be lost underwater. Available as #6441.31 for tropical blue water and #6441.71 for green water. Filters are effective in shallow, sunny conditions depending on water clarity.
AutoFlash AF-35
External Underwater Strobes. Ikelite strobes are much more powerful, recycle more quickly, and eliminate more backscatter than the camera's built-in flash. The AutoFlash AF35 (pictured at right) is the easiest and most affordable way to add a strobe to your system. Don't settle for flat, blue-green images. The AF35 is effective up to approximately 5 feet (1.5m) from the subject and restores the colors that are otherwise lost. For the best results in all conditions.
Click here to learn more.
W-20 Lens External Accessory Lenses. An external wide angle conversion lens increases angle of coverage so you can get much closer to your subject while still fitting everything in the frame. By reducing the amount of water between the subject and your camera lens, the resulting image will be more crisp and colorful.
Attach 67mm threaded #6420 Ikelite W-20, Inon Type II, and Epoque lenses using the #9306.78 Port Adapter. This adapter can also be used to attach 67mm threaded macro lenses.
Attach bayonet style Inon macro or UWL-100 28AD wide angle lenses using the #9306.85 port adapter. UWL-105AD and UFL-165AD lenses may also be attached using this adapter but only provide a slight benefit due to severe vignetting.


text:
Hello Kitty Lace Low Rise Thong: Pattern Red
Item # 48401-201206
The Hanky Panky for Hello Kitty collection blends the two popular brands with an exclusive... more details
The Hanky Panky for Hello Kitty collection blends the two popular brands with an exclusive mix of eye-catching Hello Kitty graphics and highly coveted Hanky Panky intimate apparel. Bejeweled with a supercute Hello Kitty crystal applique, this Signature Lace low rise thong fits lower on the hips, World's Most Comfortable Thong has a flattering V waistband, no visible panty line (VPL). See details tab for sizing. No returns or exchanges on intimate apparel.
- Body: 100% Nylon exclusive of trim
- Lining: 100% Cotton
- Made in the USA
- Fits pant size 4-14 and hip size 36"-45"
Behind the Design:
Please review our terms of use for posting.


text:
Gossip Girl
Is Gossip Girl New Tonight, December 3, 2012?
Now that we've polished off the last of the pumpkin pie, it's time to relive all the Thanksgiving magic — at least, on the Upper East Side. Tonight's brand new Gossip Girl Season 6, Episode 8 is the third to last EVER and we couldn't be more excited.
Watching a family dinner on GG brings us back to our childhood, when we always wanted to eat meals with our friend's dysfunctional family. Turkey is so much more interesting with a little extra gravy...
So, what's going down tonight? Well, it seems Dan (Penn Badgley) and Serena (Blake Lively) are hosting a holiday meal to remember. Will his secret motive for dating her come out? Will Chuck (Ed Westwick) and Blair (Leighton Meester) figure out a way to be together? Pass the drama, guys, it's time for "It's Really Complicated."
Want more Gossip Girl goodness? Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter! You know you love us. XOXO


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16 and Pregnant: Joshua Drummond Arrested on Felony Charges
May 20, 2011 07:00 AM by Megan Thompson
Joshua Drummond, from the popular MTV series, 16 and Pregnant, was arrested this past Monday in Monroe County, MI. Josh is being charged with several felonies – seven to be exact.
Joshua Drummond was featured on the second season of the popular teen series 16 and Pregnant as boyfriend to Nikkole Paulun. He was not a doting boyfriend or father on the show and apparently he's not a mama's boy either – since his mother is the one who turned him over to the police.
TMZ reported Drummond's forged five checks from his mother's account – totaling $270.00 He is currently charged with five counts of forgery, one count of larceny and one count of violating probation. His bail is posted at $20,000 and he is looking at possibility of heavy jail time. If Drummond's is convicted, he is looking at up to four years behind bars for larceny and fourteen years for each forgery charge.
Drummond's arrest for such acts doesn't come as a surprise to viewers who watched his antics on the show. He was disrespectful to Nikkole throughout her pregnancy and labor. Who can forget the way he treated Nikkole during her intense labor? He was no class act then and apparently fatherhood hasn't matured him.
Joshua is not the only teen from season two to face legal problems – remember Jenelle Evans and all her drama? Hopefully the teens will keeping watching this MTV show and learn more about how to prevent teen pregnancy and maybe – just maybe – listen to their parents advice every once in a while.
Want more? Follow our tweets on Twitter and like us on Facebook! For other great 16 and Pregnant news, please feel free to check out Sir Links A Lot: Reality TV News and then come and discuss the show on our reality TV message boards.
For more breaking news about celebrities and entertainment visit our sister site SheKnows.com.
Photo Credit: MTV
Topics: 16 And Pregnant, MTV Reality TV Shows |
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2 Responses to "16 and Pregnant: Joshua Drummond Arrested on Felony Charges"
MickE Says:
November 15th, 2011 at 8:29 pm
The way Society is working these people might just run for political office.
keshauna shurn Says:
April 1st, 2013 at 5:48 am
these parents should be ashamed of themselves