dlm (june)

BECAUSEA BUCK AIN’TWORTH WHATIT USED TO BE

TACO 2UESDAY2 tacos for $3 every Tuesday

209.384-2923 • www.jandrtacos.com

Purchase tickets by June 12 for advance savings!

Tickets online at www.MercedCountyFair.com

Little Texas

Purchase tickets online or at:• Fairgrounds Office 8am-5pm• Rancho San Miguel Market

1930 Yosemite Pkwy, Merced, 9am-6pm

Wednesday, June 13 • Mercy Medical Center Seniors’ Day • FREE admission seniors 65 & better courtesy of Mercy Medical Center

• The Afterspresented by Fresno Pacific University

• Auto & Boat RacesThursday, June 14 • EECU Kids’ DayChildren 12 & under FREE admission

• Average White Band• Truck & Tractor PullsFriday, June 15 • Emanuel Medical Center Day

• Little Texas• Demolition DerbySaturday, June 16 • Merced Sun-Star Day

• Evolution: The Ultimate Tribute to Journey

• Bull RidingSunday, June 17 Rancho San Miguel Markets Day

• Caravanserai: The Santana Tribute presented by Pepsi

• La Arrolladora Banda El Limon Y Jaripeo presented by Pepsi

$5Admission*June 13-17

5-Pack ...............$16General Admission Tickets

(If purchased by June 12)

All-Day-Ride Carnival

Discount Coupon........$23(If purchased by June 12)

All Concerts FREE with price of admissionGeneral Admission (6 yrs & up) $5 • Children (5 & under) FREE

Grandstand $5 admission except SundayGrandstand (6 yrs & up) $5 • Children (5 & under) FREE

Sunday Grandstand Presented by Pepsi La Arrolladora Banda El Limon Y Jaripeo

Advance $20/$25 • Day of event $30

The Afters

Fairgrounds: 900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Merced, CA 95341 • Phone (209) 722-1507

Average White Band

Concert series presented by Table Mountain Casino & Budweiser • Grandstand entertainment presented

by Table Mountain Casino, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Coors Light & Rancho San Miguel Markets

Dear Reader,

I’ve always marveled at the bravery it takes to be an artist. Well

before I started this magazine and became an artist of sorts myself, I was always fascinated by what goes on in the mind of these creators. Artists of all kinds — from the musician playing to a small gathering at a coffee house to painters burning the midnight oil in their cramped home studio — intrigue me.

I recently got to interview a pair of musicians from the band Wussy and they were very open about their life as tortured artists. Lead singer Chuck Cleaver is 53 years old and a veteran musician who has been a part of multiple bands who have had varying amounts of success.

He laughs at the idea of creating music for money. Based out of Cincinnati, Cleaver says his motivations are simple —to make good music and share it with as many people as possible. And he’s anxious to do that in Merced on June 9 at the Partisan.

It takes a certain amount of courage to accept that as a reality. And when I look around Merced and see the work being done at Playhouse Merced, the Merced County Arts Council and with events like the Art Hop, it seems their mission is the same — to produce good work and share it with as many people as possible.

Think about that the next time you walk by Playhouse Merced or the Multicultural Arts Center. Think about what’s at stake and reward their courage.

The PlayersPUBLISHER: Tom Price [email protected]

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: Janna Rodriguez [email protected]

CONTENT EDITOR: Nathan Quevedo [email protected]

GUEST EDITOR: Brian Strong [email protected]

GUEST EDITOR: Wes Golangco

WEB GURU: Kenneth Nelson [email protected]

DISTRIBUTION: Donna Nelson [email protected]

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Nathan Quevedo, Montse Reyes, Jim Kocher

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Nathan Quevedo

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Editor & Publisher

COVER: Emily Jane White

PHOTOGRAPHER: Cam Archer

Find UsWEBSITE: www.thedlm.com

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/thedlm

TWITTER: www.twitter.com/downtownlifemag

EMAIL: [email protected]

ADVERTISING: 209-568-6363

EDITORIAL: 209-777-6176

SNAIL MAIL: PO BOX 1604 Merced CA, 95341

Issue No. 33

The Cover

Downtown Life Magazine is a monthly publication distributed downtown and at more than 80 other locations,

including: UC Merced, Merced College, Raley’s grocery store and every Starbucks Coffee Company in Merced and

Atwater. 5,000 DLM magazines are distributed every month. For more information go to www.thedlm.com

C O N T E N T S

THE LEDE 09Hip hop returns to the Partisan, a youth magazine lauch party and the Merced County Fair coming in June.

MARKET ON MAIN 12Under new leadership, the Market on Main returns for 22-week stretch.

YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHY 15Roger Wyan’s youth photography class gets some real-life lessons.

EVENT CALENDAR 20From car shows to concerts it’s a busy month in Merced, don’t miss out.

EMILY JANE WHITE 26NorCal musician explores the dark side of folk music.

ARTIST PROFILE 37Susanne French is a pottery artist with a flare for the unique.

WUSSY 22Ohio’s unhearalded Wussy is heading off on its first West Coast tour riding the succeess

of its new album “Strawberry.” They will be stopping by Merced early this month.

Downtown Life Magazine June 2012

8

www.thedlm.com

the lede events in and around Merced

9

Downtown Life Magazine June 2012Like Us on Facebook www.facebook.com/thedlm

snapshots look what happened in May

PHOTOS BY TOM PRICELEFT: Rob Hypes and Garrett Mayer perform at Merced Born and Raised — One Act Plays at the Mer-ced Multicultural Arts Center on May 10. MIDDLE-LEFT: The Valley Crossroads car show in Downtown Merced on May 21. MIDDLE-RIGHT: The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit performs at Cap & Town on Main Street May 13. RIGHT: UC Merced graduation on May 14 at UC Merced.


Atlantis Rizing coming to the Partisan

The local hip hop group Atlantis Rizing featuring Destructo Bunny, Eru, Squalid, Jfeve and D tha MC will be bringing it’s positive vibes to the Partisan stage on June 16.

Destructo Bunny, a Merced

native, will be holding it down once a month at the Partisan.

He puts on a very involved live show, usually a mix of tracked songs and freestyle, with a host of his talented friends.

Destructo Bunny, who lives part time in Merced and in the San Diego area, is in the process of writing

a new album and working with a band in his Southern California home.

Destructo Bunny will also perform on July 21 at The Partisan.

For more information on Destructo Bunny and Atlantis Rizing find them on Facebook and check out Partisan info at www.partisanmerced.com.

Photo by Tom PriceDestructo Bunny, a member of Atlantis Rizing, and a long-time Merced artist will perform with Eru, Jfeve and the rest of the crew on June 16 at the Partisan.


10

www.thedlm.com

We’Ced youth magazine launch partyA group of culturally diverse and dedicated youth from the

Merced area have engaged in afterschool workshops since last fall to learn media, support one another and to share their stories and the stories of their community.

Their efforts have culiminated in the release of a youth publication to serve the Merced, Planada and Le Grand communities with the goal of creating an outlet for youth voices and issues to be heard and presented from a direct youth perspective.

The group will host a launch party from 6 to 8 p.m. on June 14 at the Multicultural Arts Center, where attendees can meet the youth writers as they perform readings of their stories and pick up a copy of the inaugural issue.

The event will also feature youth photography from Venice Arts, a program that provides arts education training and opportunities to young people.

Merced County Fair offers new ways to save

The Merced County Fair drastically reduced its ticket prices this year, making it as affordable as ever in recent memory.

The fair is offering advance sale 5-Pack General Admission Tickets and All-Day-Ride Carnival Discount Coupons.

At this year’s fair, everybody is a kid! Admission for everyone 6 years and up is just $5 – that’s half the 2011 $10 admission. It’s easy. No coupons needed — just $5 a ticket. Children 5 years and younger get into the fair free.

In addition to the new, reduced price general admission, the fair also is offering a huge, money-saver – the 5-Pack General Admission Tickets, a $25 value for $16 – that’s $3.20 a ticket. The 5-Pack is five general admission tickets that can be used in any combination, by one or more people, one at a time or all at once. It’s easy. No coupons needed, just buy them by June 12, the day before the fair starts. The fair is June 13-17.


Spotlight Project 10%Gallery on the Square’s new show

Gallery on the Square is excited to announce a new show by artist Monika Modest. Her beautiful ceramic tiles and photography are now on display until the end of June.

Monika is planning a closing reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on June 29. The gallery is located off Bob Hart Square at 1636 Canal St. and is open Thursday and Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. and Saturday’s 12 to 8 p.m.

Also showing in the gallery are photographers; Jay Sousa and Tim Grimes; painters Angela Corpora, Renate Stolte, Keith Law and Oscar Torres; and sculptures by Cheryl Barnett.

If interested in exhibiting at Gallery on the Square with a solo/group show between August and December, the gallery co-op is reviewing portfolios and looking for artists to commit for a six-month run. For more information, contact Jay Sousa at [email protected]

UC students, community partner for youthUC Merced Chancellor Dorothy Leland joined Merced

County District Attorney Larry D. Morse II, Merced County Superintendent of Schools Steve Gomes, representatives of the national organization Fight Crime: Invest in Kids and other local community leaders and UC Merced students, to unveil Merced County Project 10% on May 18 at a pressconference at the District Attorney’s office.

Project 10% is a first-of-its-kind initiative to put a UC Merced student into every middle school beginning next school year to discuss the importance of high school graduation.

“As prosecutors, educators and community leaders, we were fully aware of the sobering statistics connecting dropouts with crime. What we were really looking for was an innovative way to get this message to kids. We have the message: We need the best messenger,” said Morse.

A group of community leaders met with UC Merced students during the past year to create Merced County Project 10%. The program utilizes volunteer UC Merced students, many of whom have come from challenging backgrounds, to speak directly to middle school students about their personal experiences, the importance of high school graduation, and how they were able to make the choices that enabled them to gain admission to a UC campus.

UC Merced students Patricia Paredes, Maria Rodriguez and Noel Gomez have already visited several middle school classrooms in Merced County, including Cesar E. Chaves Middle School in Planada in May. These UC Merced students feel they can connect to middle schools students who have similar backgrounds. And they’re not always the cheeriest backgrounds.

“For someone who’s lost two uncles to gang violence ... it’s worth it if we can save even one student,” said Gomez.

Photo by Nathan QuevedoUC Merced Chancellor Dorothy Leland talks at a press conference about Merced County Project 10%.


12

www.thedlm.com

Thursday nights are blossoming again downtown. Market on Main, the seasonal outdoor farmers’ market; returned May 31 with new leadership, new vendors and big plans for the weekly event that has been a summer staple for years in Merced.

File photoDespite big changes, the Market on Main will still feature many of the popular attractions that have drawn patrons for years.

MARKET ON MAIN RETURNS Modesto Certified Farmer’s Market

takes over leadership of event

Words by Tom [email protected]

event Market on Main

13


The Downtown Life Magazine, which managed the market for the past two years, passed the torch earlier this year to the Modesto Certified Farmers’ Market. In April, the MCFM negotiated a contract with the City of Merced to officially take over operations of the Market on Main and transform the 11-week street festival to a 22-week certified farmer’s market.

“My goal when we took over operations of the market in 2010 was to ensure that this event would grow and be an important tradition in downtown for years to come, just like the tradition Susie Rossi (former downtown guru) built in the market’s first generation,” says DLM publisher Tom Price. “I’m a big fan of the Modesto Certified Farmers’ Market and when they showed interest in expanding into Merced, I thought it was an opportunity to hand the controls over to a capable group with tremendous resources and experience.”

The Modesto Certified Farmers’ Market began in 1979 and now operates a successful market on 16th Street between H and I streets in Modesto. Uber says the MCFM will adopt that same successful formula in Merced.

“We are a true certified farmer’s market,” says Market manager Marie Uber, who also manages two markets in Modesto. “It’s going to look a lot more like a market than a street fair.”

In addition to the expanded 22-week schedule, the new Market on Main will feature more fruits and vegetables. The market opened Week

event Market on Main

one with 13 produce vendors offering everything from corn and mushrooms to citrus and other organic produce. Uber expects that number will grow quickly as the market gains momentum. There will also be an expanded food section with more fair-like options such as truffles and kettle corn.

Unlike previous years, however, booth spaces will not be available for informational purposes or downtown businesses who don’t provide services outlined in the rules and regulations established by the California Farmer’s Market Association.

Uber says the rules are strict and only handmade craft booths and food booths are allowed to enhance the market experience.

“There are parameters we have to work within and that doesn’t include hair salons or insurance agencies and that’s going to cause some

confusion,” says Uber, who says the MCFM could not adopt the previous Market on Main practice of allowing all downtown businesses the opportunity to have a booth in the market at cost. “There needs to be a change in mentality as we are now a certified farmers’ market.”

Uber says they can’t afford to give space away at cost, but they have reserved two spaces per week that will be alternated between downtown businesses interested in a space.

Not everything will change with the Market on Main, Uber says there will still be live music and entertainment every week. She says there will be themed weeks as well and the group will be posting schedules on its website.

For information on participating, visit the MCFM website at www.modestcfm.com.

File photoThe farmers’ market operated by the Modesto Certified Farmers’ Market will feature more produce and vegetables than ever at the Thursday Night market.

Downtown Life Magazine June 2012Like Us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thedlm


YOUTH TURN LENSON HOMELESSNESS



16

www.thedlm.com

Education doesn’t always happen in the classroom and as Roger Wyan is proving with his Venice Arts

Documentary Photography program, real life education is sometimes best delivered through the lens of a camera.

Venice Arts, Merced is a non-profit, arts organization whose mission is collaborating with and training youth to effectively use documentary photography and multimedia to raise awareness about community health issues. Funded by the California Endowment, Venice Arts is one of dozens Building Healthy Communities organizations working within 14 California communities to bring about policy and system changes.

In all, 12 students from Golden Valley and Le Grand high schools enrolled in the inaugural session. The students were trained to use their Canon T3i cameras and were asked to document a health-related issue in Merced.

“The (Golden Valley) class brainstormed

and came up with a whole list of things they thought were issues in our community,” says Wyan. “Ideas ranged from homelessness, to gangs, to clean air and safety — everything was on the board. In the end it was homelessness that was number one.”

For Alyssa Castro, a graduate of Golden Valley who worked with Wyan in a similar Venice Arts program in the summer after her junior year and now serves as a mentor in the program, homelessness was an obvious choice.

“It was the most visible thing in Merced,” says Castro. “It’s something that people notice everyday.”

The students visited the Merced County Rescue Mission, Community Action Agency Emergency Shelter and the Golden Valley Health Center Mobile Medical Clinic meeting with local homeless people and attempted to capture their stories through photography. The results were nothing short of astonishing.

The images captured ranged from portraits of smiling faces weathered by a rough life, to

Photo by Tom PriceStudents from Roger Wyan’s Documentary Photography class huddle while taking pictures at the D Street Shelter. The class documents the lives of homeless people in Merced.

education Documentary Photography

17


somber moments of solitude. It’s no easy task to ask a handful of high school students to walk into a homeless shelter filled with strangers and have them gather enough courage to not only take their picture, but to talk to them and hear their story.

“I think from my perspective as a instructor, the biggest challenge we had wasn’t the lessons about learning to use your camera, but the lessons at the Rescue Mission and D Street shelter where you learn to deal with the people. The camera is almost secondary,” says Wyan. “Once a person says it’s OK to photograph them you have to go for it, you are the author, you are the director. I teach that you don’t look at somebody as different than you. You look into their eyes and see yourself. We are all human. It’s pushing through our own preconceptions and that’s a huge part of this kind of art.“

Toby Osborne, a Golden Valley Student who discovered a passion for photography through this program, says the experience changed how he viewed homelessness.

“I had a very narrow idea of homelessness, I just thought that if you are walking on the street with a shopping cart then you were homeless,” says Osborne. “But this opened up my idea of homelessness. People say that they should get off the streets and go find a job, but they are trying.”

Osborne talks about meeting a woman named Annette at the shelter. She was 60-something, in a wheel chair and had been living out of her car along Bear Creek for three years.

She was recently disabled after being hit by a car, but she says it was the best thing to ever happen to her because she was able to receive disability money that allowed her to pay for a place to live.

“She was hit by a car and it was an improvement,” says Osborne. “And it shouldn’t be that way.”

During her conversations with the students Annette told them, “It’s not all peaches and cream out there.”

The group borrowed her phrase and used it as the title of their show, which had its reception on May 29 at the Roger J. Wyan Photo Gallery, 1812 Canal Street.

The gallery will be open to the public during business hours or by appointment trough the end of June.

“I had a very narrow idea of homelessness, I just thought that if you are

walking on the street with a shopping cart then you were homeless. But this opened up my idea of

homelessness. People say that they should get off the streets and go find a job,

but they are trying.”— Toby Osborne

education Documentary Photography

Venice Arts Summer Photo Classes(Only 15 students per class so sign up now!)

WHEN: Session 1— Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to noon June 18 through June 29.Session 2 —Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to noon July 9 through July 20. WHERE: Merced County Office of Education room E-1INFORMATION: To enroll in the summer photo class, please call Roger Wyan at (209) 720-4834 or email [email protected]. Applications can also be picked up at the Boys and Girls Club.

Downtown Life Magazine June 2012 www.thedlm.com

lifespringchurch.net

F A I T H

REFRESHING

MADE

LOCALLY

SAT ISFY ING


725 W. 18th Street, Merced, CA 95340Ph (209) 722-1541 • www.FandB1912.com

Agency license #0358327

Taking goodcare of our

community forover 100 years.

Taking care of businesses. Taking care of our community. We have a long history of

providing peace of mind around town.

09 CelebrateFatherhood

WHAT: Celebrate the glory of FATHERHOOD. WHEN: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.WHERE: Open Air Theatre at Applegate ParkCOST: FREE!INFO: Find more information on facebook

JUNE EVENTS

07 ProjectFishBowl

WHAT: Project FishBowl Fashion Show — Spring & Summer. Bringing together a blend of art and fashion under one roof. WHEN: 7-9 p.m.WHERE: American Legion Post 83 (939 W. Main Street)INFO: www.projectfishbowl.webs.com

13 MercedCounty Fair

WHAT: The Merced County Fair featuring five days of family entertainment WHERE: Merced County FairgroundsWHEN: June 13-15 5 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. and June 116-17 3 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.COST: General admission is $5 and children 5 years and younger get in free. General admission 5-pack is just $16!INFO: www.mercedcountyfair.com

WHAT: San Francisco’s Emily Jane White will bring her sultry folk music to the Multi-cultural Arts Center with Awahnichi and Niilo Smeds.

WHEN: June 29/7:30 p.m. WHERE: Multicultural Arts CenterCOST: $5 INFO&TICKETS: www.thedlm.com

EMILY JANE WHITE AT ARTS CENTER

08 ComedianRalphie May

WHAT: Ralphie May’s Too Big to Ignore Tour. May is a comedic talent with four Comedy Central specials to his name.WHEN: 7 to 10 p.m.WHERE: Merced TheatreCOST: Tickets are $25 for reserved seating and $20 for general admissionINFO: www.mercedtheatre.org

WANT YOUR EVENT POSTED?We need your help, send us your event information to:

[email protected] call

(209) 777-6176 16 J.H. Williams III Signing

WHAT: Come celebrate the release of “Batwoman Vo. 1: Hydrology” with award-winning local author and artist, J.H. Williams III. Williams will be available for signing, previewing material and selling original artwork. WHEN: 3 to 6 p.m.WHERE: Red Sky Comics (617 W. Main Street)INFO: Find out more on the Facebook event page

16 Mix, Mingle & Mulch

WHAT: Bring your shovels, picks and hoes … the 300 block of Main Street needs the hard soil around the trees mixed with mulch so the garden club can plant some flowers. WHEN: 8 a.m.WHERE: 309 W. Main StreetINFO: Find out more on the Facebook event page

DowntownBus Schedule

Monday through FridayDeparture times for a few popular bus stops on

the UC Merced/Downtown loop

Route 22 Location Times

7:18, 7:48, 8:18, 8:48, 9:18, 9:58, 10:28, 10:58, 11:28, 11:58, 12:38, 1:08, 1:48, 2:18, 2:48, 3:33, 4:03, 4:33, 5:03, 5:48, 6:18 7:30, 8:00, 8:30, 9:10, 9:40, 10:10, 10:40, 11:10, 11:40, 12:20, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30, 3:00, 3:45, 4:15, 4:45, 5:15, 6:00, 6:30

7:38, 8:08, 8:38, 9:18, 9:48, 10:18, 10:48, 11:18, 11:48, 12:28, 12:20, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30, 3:00, 3:45, 4:15, 4:45, 5:15, 6:00, 6:30

7:43, 8:13, 8:43, 9:23, 9:53, 10:23, 10:53, 11:23, 11:53, 12:33, 1:13, 1:43, 2:13, 2:43, 3:13, 3:58, 4:28, 4:58, 5:28, 6:13, 6:43

7:45, 8:15, 8:45, 9:25, 9:55, 10:25, 10:55, 11:25, 12:05, 12:35, 1:15, 1:45, 2:15, 3:00, 3:30, 4:00, 4:30, 5:15, 5:45

7:50, 8:20, 8:50, 9:30, 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:10, 12:40, 1:20, 1:50, 2:20, 3:05, 3:35, 4:05, 4:35, 5:20, 5:50

7:57, 8:27, 8:57, 9:37, 10:07, 10:37, 11:07, 11:37, 12:17, 12:47, 1:27, 1:57, 2:27, 3:12, 3:42, 4:42, 4:12, 4:42, 5:27, 5:57

10:04, 11:14, 12:24, 1:34

10:28, 11:38, 12:48, 1:58

10:46, 11:56, 1:06, 2:16

11:05, 12:15, 1:25, 2:35

Main & K Street(Hollywood Theater)

Merced College (M Street)

Paulson & Yosemite (Starbucks)

UC Merced Kolligian Library(Arrival)

UC Merced Kolligian Library(Departure)

Paulson & Yosemite (Starbucks)

Merced College (M Street)

UC Merced Kolligian Library(Arrival)

Merced Mall Theatre

Main & M Street(Hollywood Theater)

Scholars Lane

Friday & Saturday NightsDeparture times for a few popular bus stops on the UC Merced/Downtown loop (10 p.m.-2:35 a.m.)

NiteCat Line

Location Times

Morning Afternoon & Evening

29 DLM ...Emily Jane White

WHAT: The DLM Presents … Emily Jane White with Awahnichi and Niilo Smeds WHERE: Multicultural Arts Center (645 W. Main Street)WHEN: 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.COST: $5 at www.brown-papertickets.com or at the door. (Space limited)INFO: www.thedlm.com

WHAT: Playhouse Merced’s “The Music Man”WHEN: Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. running through June 10.WHERE: Playhouse Merced, 452 W. Main Street.COST: Adults $20, students $10, Children $8. INFO: (209) 725-8587 or www.playhousemerced.com

JU

NE

FE

AT

UR

ED

EV

EN

T

For complete schedule go towww.cattracks.org

16 Rollin’Roulettes

WHAT: The Rollin’ Roulettes Derby Girls faceoff against the Shasta Roller Derby Girls WHERE: Roller Land (1445 W. 18th Street, Merced)WHEN: 5:30 to 9 p.m.COST: $10 at www.brownpapertickets.com or at the door $15 adults, $5 kids, seniors, military and students with IDs $5. INFO: Find out more on the Facebook event page

19 Fashion Show For Animals

WHAT: Fashion show for animals benefi ting New Beginnings for Animals of Merced County. Fashions provided by The Armory and Helen & Louise and hair and makeup by Salon di Capelli. There will be a no-host bar and appetizers. WHERE: Multicultural Arts Center (645 W. Mainth Street, Merced)WHEN: 5 to 7 p.m.COST: $20

DLMEVENTS

SPIRITS OF THE RED CITY

w/Joey No-Knows and Judith and the

HolofernesWHEN: 7:30 p.m.WHERE: Multicultural Arts CenterINFO: www.thedlm.com

AUGUST 3


22

www.thedlm.com

music Wussy


They have all the ingredients of a band on the verge of commercial success. They have devoted fans, great press and a new

album that has been gushed about on music review blogs and websites. For the past decade it seems Wussy has been standing on the doorstep of greatness, but for some reason, the music-listening public has yet to answer the door.

WussyContributed PhotoWussy from Cincinnati, OH, performs at The Partisan on June 12.

23


This rag tag band of do-it-yourself musicians led by bearded frontman Chuck Cleaver and sinewy beauty Lisa Walker, have put out acclaimed album after acclaimed album each time caring less and less if they are ever welcomed into mainstream success.

“We just want to be true to ourselves and do what feels, right,” says Lisa Walker. “We’re done trying to make it, we just want to make good records and focus on that. We’re not trying to be something we are not. We’re not trying to be trendy. We appreciate good music … we aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel.”

In a March review of the band’s new album “Strawberry,” critic Robert Chrisgau said “Wussy has been the best band in America since they released the first of their five superb albums in 2005, only nobody knows it except me and my friends.”

That sentiment is shared by the press and fans of the band across the globe, including in Merced where longtime fan Kenny Mostern shelled out the guarantee money to get the band to come to Merced to play at the Partisan on June 19.

“I first listened to Chuck Cleaver and his band the Ass Ponys in the ‘90s, when they were moderately well known on the indie rock circuit,” says Mostern, who twice booked shows in Merced bringing a theatre piece called Migritude and a performance by Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby to the Multicultural Arts Center. “In 2005, when the first Wussy album came out I read a good review of it and bought it, and

became hooked. Their second album, “Left for Dead” was my album of the decade.

“I spent time on their website and Facebook feed waiting for them to announce they were coming West, but although they announced they were going a couple times, they never did. When they finally had a real plan, I made sure to get them here.”

That same scenario played out in Washington and in England where a fan covered one of their songs on Youtube and it was such a hit that a small record label is flying them out for a short tour and album

release. “It’s weird,” says Walker. “The

press loves us and the people that work with us have told us the reaction they get is either ‘I never heard of these guys’ or ‘I’ve been waiting for them for years.’ It’s always been kind of one or the other.”

So, how does a band that can inspire a critic to call them the best band of the decade and a music buff in Merced to shell out the cash to bring them to the Valley not land on the general public’s radar?

“We don’t pander. We’ve been presented with certain opportunities and haven’t taken

Contributed PhotoLisa Walker (left) and Chuck Cleaver (right) front a band that has received high praise from major music critics in magazines like SPIN and Rolling Stone.

“It’s about getting people to hear our music. Letting people

decide for themselves.” —Chuck Cleaver

music Wussy


24

www.thedlm.com

them,” says Walker. “I’ve talked to other bands, take whatever that fi rst offer was given to them. They weren’t even a band anymore.”

Cleaver says their singular focus is to make good music and share it with the folks who want to listen to it. He says they will never be prepackaged with fancy haircuts and gimmickry, just old fashioned ‘60s and ‘70s–style rock music and

nothing more.“It’s about getting people to

hear our music. Letting people decide for themselves,” says Cleaver. “Word of mouth is undervalued thing. If we have a good crowd you can look out at the people and it’s multi-generational, there’s hipsters and there’s just about everybody.”

That vast appeal likely comes from a brand of music that can only come from a pair of

songwriters and a band with a limitless catalog of music in their heads. Cleaver 53, and Walker, 35, have found a rare balance with their music.

“If we were to take a cue from any band we’re like the Rolling Stones,” says Walker. “They write in tandem. Sometimes songs come more fully formed, other times we totally deconstruct it. It kind of always comes together.”

1626 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. WAYMERCED, CA 95340

(209) 385-0796

[email protected] JUDY HICKEYMANAGER

1626 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. WAY � MERCED, CA 95340(209) 385-0796 � FAX (209) 385-0738

TRAVIS P. STRANGASSISTANT MANAGER


TRAVIS P. STRANGASSISTANT MANAGER


[email protected] JUDY HICKEYMANAGER



[email protected] LEX BUFFORDOWNER


[email protected] LEX BUFFORDOWNER





New + Used VinylCD’sDVD’sStickersPostersT-ShirtsSmoke ShopAdult Novelties

music Wussy

25


25



26

www.thedlm.com

graduation Arzoo Sadiqi

Words by Nathan [email protected]

Emily Jane White is a reason to love California. More

specifically, Northern California.

Born, raised, educated and influenced in the Golden State, she is an embodiment of the North’s expansive wilderness, fertile farmland and bohemian beauty.

Emily Jane White


28

www.thedlm.com

music Emily Jane White

Compared to PJ Harvey and Kate Bush, the 30-year-old’s dusky alto frames her style of depression-era blues and folk.

The singer/songwriter is currently touring for her third full-length album, “Ode to Sentience.”

And the day before she left for a brief Japanese tour, White talked with the DLM about growing up in California, living abroad for a few years and how songwriting and live performances are her only job.

White grew up in Fort Bragg, a coastal town in an otherwise lush, rural part of NorCal.

“It was a really isolated area to grow up in … with no Internet, so it was really difficult to discover new music.” White says from her Oakland apartment. “To me, at times, it has comparable weather to the Pacific Northwest.”

She sees a direct correlation between this weather and her music.

“I think in a lot of ways, melancholy is my temperament,” she says.

She started taking lessons early on, but

struggled with the structure of her lessons. “I started playing piano really young and I

quit in first or second grade because I didn’t really like the linear format of learning to read music from a book,” she says.

She found a new piano instructor that was more explorative, and was able to focus more on learning music as a whole.

She plays both electric and acoustic guitar on “Ode to Sentience.”

She stayed in NorCal for her education, but found a place that was less isolated.

“I went to UC Santa Cruz and there was a huge contrast between to the two places,” she says.

Though she was playing music at the time, her focus in college was much different.

“I ended up getting my bachelors in American Studies,” White says. “I chose the American Studies department because it was very interdisciplinary.”

Her primary focus was Women’s Studies. “It was my pathway,” she says.

After graduating college, White had a

Contributed PhotoCheck out Emily Jane White and Awahnichi at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center on June 29. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. for the all-ages show.

29


chance to go abroad. “I had some friends that lived (in France) and they

invited me to come on vacation and play some shows. … I’m not fluent but I can speak quite a bit,” White jokes about her time there.

“When I was living in Bordeaux I was writing songs,” she says, which led to her first album. “I got an opportunity to sign with a label in France.”

This led to White making songwriting her full-time job.

“I sell records over there and I’ve had some successful touring. … It’s primarily due to record sales and royalties. In 2008 I got a bunch of opportunities for touring and to do a bunch of amazing stuff,” she says.

With all of these opportunities presenting themselves and how busy she was fulfilling all of her engagements, White didn’t have time for a day job.

“To do everything I’ve had to do these last years, there’s really no way that I could have had a job with any kind of consistency. I couldn’t have had a schedule of any kind,” she says.

Though White played one of America’s most popular festivals earlier this year, South By Southwest, she didn’t feel as comfortable as other shows.

“I went to SXSW this year and some of the shows were really appropriate — some of them were not. It was a ridiculous environment to play the kind of music I play,” she says.

Check out Emily Jane White and Awahnichi at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center on June 29. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. for the all-ages show.

What we’re listening to

NATHAN QUEVEDO(Music Writer/Editor)

DLM STAFF MUSIC PICKS

Originally started as a high school recording project in the mid-’90s, these Delaware indie rock-ers are a nice upbeat mix of The Shins, Vampire Weekend and something else I can’t quite put my thumb on. The band’s latest and third full-length al-bum, “Shy Pursuits,” improves the produc-tion quality while staying true to garage-rock origins. Signed to Park The Van Records, some of The Spinto Band’s labelmates are Dr. Dog, The Generation-als and The Teeth — that lineup would be one of my dream shows.

TOM PRICE(Publisher)

The man who leapt onto the indie radar a few years back as Lightspeed Champion returned in 2011 with a new alter ego — Blood Orange. “Coastal Grooves” still incor-porates many of the oddities that makes this guy so special, but in place of the indie-pop rhythm of Lightspeed is a dark, 80s style dance beat and with a funky flare.

BRIAN STRONG(Guest Editor)

I’m a teacher at a local high school and having just finished another grueling school year Xiu Xiu’s emotional “Women as Lovers” was the dieal album to close out the year. Jamie Stewart, the band’s leader, takes us to joy, frustration, love, fear and eventually home again.

The Spinto Band“Shy Pursuit”

Blood Orange“Coastal Grooves”

Xiu Xiu “Women as

Lovers”

“I think in a

lot of ways,

melancholy is my

temperament.” —Emily Jane White


30

www.thedlm.com

on the web www.thedlm.com

TEAM TOMTEAM RC

In a weight-loss challenge featuring two of Downtown’s biggest business owners...

WHO WILL WIN?On May 1, Tom Price (owner of the Downtown

Life Magazine) and RC Essig (Owner of the Partisan) began a journey. The two portly business owners subjected themselves to fat pinchers, measuring tape and the dreaded scale to set forth on a weighty challenge. Price and Essig have each teamed up with downtown studios —Tom with Pilates Plus and RC with Make it Happen — in a weight-loss challenge.

The wager is simple. The two will each select a local nonprofit and at the end of the three-

month challenge whoever loses the contest (a combination of weight loss and body fat reduction) will make a donation on behalf of the winner to his selected charity.

Here’s the fun part, they are going to blog about their workouts, diets, mishaps and midnight meals at www.thedlm.com/pickyourteam. And we want you to follow and pick who you think will win the challenge and show your support on Facebook and Twitter. So, who will win?

WWW.THEDLM.COM/PICKYOURTEAM

NAME: Tom Price

AGE:32

HEIGHT: 6 ft.

WEIGHT: 266 lbs

GOAL: 210 lbs

TRAINER: Pilates Plus

NAME: RC Essig

AGE:32

HEIGHT: 6 ft.

WEIGHT: 261 lbs

GOAL: 205 lbs

TRAINER: Make it Happen and Cardio Pump

31


on the web www.thedlm.com

I am the fat kid, the one that didn’t have the cool clothes because they didn’t fit, the kid that was picked last for sports because I wasn’t fast, the

kid that never had a girlfriend because … well because who wants to date the fat kid. And I can’t even begin to tell you how many girls I had crushes on that referred to me as their “teddy bear.”

Being big has a lot of affects, sure physically, but most damaging is the mental and emotional aspect. I don’t like to eat in front of people, I don’t like to go swimming or ride bikes, I don’t like people to see my laundry, I don’t like sitting in booths, or shopping for clothes.

In school, I was smart, but I knew that i wasn’t going to be cool unless I stood out. It wasn’t going to be by being the best athlete, or by dating the cool girl, or by being the wild and crazy guy that would jump into the pool from the second story.

I never learned to skate because I didn’t want to be the kid that snapped his board or falls off and looks pathetic. So instead I rebelled. I ditched school, I back talked my teachers, I stole things, broke things and drank and screwed around with drugs when I was in middle school, causing me to be kicked out of every school I went to. I wasn’t allowed to go on school trips, graduate, play sports or be in high school band.

I’m not saying that just because I was fat I was a screw up, but when your sixth grade teacher tells you that you need a bra in front of your laughing class, it can set a tone. And in that moment when you stand up, grab a desk and throw it at him and the class laughs even more. A kid sees what works.

When a girl doesn’t want to hang out with you unless they want you to get them stoned or drunk. A kid sees what works. And when you go to get your first job, and they have you wash dishes and tell you that you wont ever be a server unless you lose weight, a kid sees where they belong.

On the other hand there are some positive things that being fat has taught me. I have never been a bully, I stand up for those who are picked on. I treat everyone with respect no matter what

they look like. And during my Junior year in High School I realized that I was done being used by people and I stopped smoking weed. So, people didn’t call me for that anymore. In fact, those people stopped calling me altogether.

I stopped messing around in school — at that point I was too far gone

scholastically to get back to high school and play sports or be in band. I actually

did end up catching up my senior year, when with two weeks left I was at Valley Continuation and was presented with a choice. I could transfer to Merced High School and graduate with my class or I could go to Camp Green Meadows and be a counselor/cabin leader. I chose the later, and to this day I do not regret the decision. I decided to be a counselor because I remembered how supportive my counselor was when I went to camp Green Meadows and was made fun of for being fat. And I wanted to be supportive for kids, so that maybe they would not end up like me. And I was.

I was born big, I grew up big and at 32 years old I am still big. Eventually I found happiness in clothes by deciding to go for comfort over style. I decided to start my own teams, this way I wouldn’t be chosen last. I opened my own business so I can do whatever job I want, and I have found a couple of girlfriends along the way too.

However, I am tired of being big. I want to be able to run farther and faster. I want to be able to go and buy a nice suit, I want to go to a restaurant and sit in a booth and not be judged, I want to ride a bike without looking like a circus bear, I want to feel comfortable going swimming with my friends and my three sons. I don’t want to mutter to myself “fat ass” when I walk pass a reflection.

More than anything though, I want my boys to know that I succeeded. Not so much in life, I already feel successful. However, losing weight has been the biggest challenge of my life, and I don’t know if I will ever truly feel success until I beat my arch nemesis … the dark overlord known as Fat.

Why I am taking the challenge

RC ESSIG

See why Tom took the challenge and follow along with RC while they update you on their progress at www.thedlmcom/pickyourteam.

33


What’s the old conversation starter?

Choose five people, living or dead, who you would like to invite to a dinner party and why?

Try this list on for size: Bilbo Baggins, Frank N. Furter, Little Orphan Annie, Colonel William R. Jessup and Judas Iscariot?

Playhouse Merced essentially invited those characters to its annual Season Preview Party & Show last month.

Why? To announce that they would be part of the new 2012-2013 season.

The characters weren’t really there. Although “The Hobbit,” “Rocky Horror Show,” “Annie,” “A Few Good Men” and “Jesus Christ Superstar” are all going to be part of the new season at Playhouse Merced, which opens in August.

The coming season themed “There and Back Again” — will feature a combination of musicals and book shows.

Even Though “The Music Man” finishes up the 2011-2012 season (now playing through June 10), the staff at Playhouse Merced has been

There and back againtheatre Playhouse Merced

busy over the past six months determining what shows should be presented.

“It’s a rather long and fun and sometimes arduous process.” says Artistic Director Rob Hypes, “We get opinions from patrons and friends, we get input from our Board of Directors, and then we start figuring out what shows are actually doable.”

The doable refers to the process of finding

out what shows are available through the standard licensing companies that release the various productions to theatre groups around the country. “As an example, we’ve been wanting to do ‘Les Miserables’ on our mainstage for a long time.” explains Hypes, “The licensing company has just not made it available for community theaters to produce.”

Choosing a theatre season is sort of like

choosing a baseball team. There’s some research, a bit of science, and a dash of gut level guess work. “The big, family-friendly productions like ‘The Wizard of Oz’ get a great response and fill the house,” says Hypes, “but we feel it’s important to bring different kinds of shows to Playhouse Merced.”

This coming season, “A Few Good Men” the sizzling courtroom drama, and “Dearly Departed” a wacky comedy about a southern family, will be played at Multicultural Arts Center. “Rocky Horror Show” complete with musical numbers like “Time Warp” and “Sweet Transvestite” is one of the most requested shows in the past five years. “Urinetown: The Musical” winner of the Tony Award for Best Score, and features the hilarious story of a town that, after a 20 year drought, are no longer allowed to use public toilets. Some classics and some newer shows make for good options when it comes to season tickets.

For more information, visit www.playhousemerced.com.

Words by Jim [email protected]


433 W Main Street • Merced • 209.723.0720littlepinkboxesmerced.com

follow us on facebook facebook.com/littlepinkboxes

You knowyou

wantone.

Stop in and treat yourself

to one.Or twelve.

You know you deserve it!

37


Theatre Playhouse Merced

artist profile Susanne French

“I’m sort of a get-about. I don’t like to stay home much,” chuckles artist and Merced College professor Susanne French. It’s her traveling nature that has led the German native to trek across the world, all for the sake of her art.

French has been a potter for 35 years. While studying industrial design at the Offenbach University of Art and Design in Germany, she would sneak into the school’s pottery studio to work. After moving to the United States, a 25-year-old French began taking pottery classes. Soon she became an apprentice for a potter at Old City Pottery in Sonoma. It was there that she had the opportunity to hone her

skills, learning everything from making pots, to glazing and firing kilns.

French says that she was initially interested in producing more functional pieces. She would only make things like cups, bowls and teapots; interesting looking items that people could use in their daily lives. However, lately she has found herself being drawn to more sculptural pieces.

“I want to make pieces that look really heavy but they’re not. I make a lot of giant rock looking pieces with bowls in them that look like grinding stones.” French attributes this style to living so close to the Sierras and drawing her inspiration from the rocky terrain.

She also finds her current work influenced

Photo by Montse ReyesSusanne French finds time for her passion for pottery while teaching art at Merced College.

FRENCH CONNECTIONWords by Montse [email protected]

Susanne French finds home and a strong artist community in Merced


38

www.thedlm.com

by the process itself, specifically her use of a wood-firing kiln. The firing process is quite extensive, requiring three days to load and up to several weeks to fire. After the kiln reaches a temperature of 2,500 degrees, wood must be continuously added every minute until the firing process is complete. Using a wood-firing kiln allows unique patterns to form on the pieces, because of the way the flames move through the kiln.

Still, it wasn’t so much the aesthetics of the process that drew French to wood firing as it was the community of artists that has grown around it. “It’s a great community”, she says, “It’s a group of people who have to work together to achieve success.”

With her sculpture pieces specifically, French likes to challenge herself to go the extra mile. She admits that although the constant process of tweaking her work can be difficult, it is the most rewarding. Change can be a struggle, but the feeling your art has become stale is far worse. Some artists get themselves in a rut, creating the same pieces over and over because they sell, but French is set on one thing—her refusal to allow commerce to dictate her art. “You might as well be working in a factory. I mean painters don’t paint the same picture all the time.”

Contributed PhotosSusanne French’s work consists of pottery and sculptures finished with a wood-firing kiln.

“I’m sort of a get-about. I don’t like to stay home much.”

— Susanne French

artist profile Susanne French

©20

12 A

nheu

ser-

Busc

h, B

udw

eise

r® B

eer,

St. L

ouis

, MO

GREAT TIMES ARE WAITING

GREAT TIMES ARE WAITING

This summer, celebrate with limited editionred, white and blue Budweisers.

Brand: RWB Bottle

Item #:PBW201210334

Job/Order #:

PAADAM 240965

Trim: 5.5x8.5Bleed: 6x9 Live: 4.5x7.5

Closing Date 5/25/12 QC: CS

Publication: Dowtown Life

AECD

dlm (june)

Documents

playhouse merced

day of event

merced county arts council

star day evolution

general admission ticketsif

multicultural arts center

pm rancho san miguel

arrolladora banda