Katra G

ala

2225W

estMain StreetR

VA

Urba

n C

ivil

iza

tio

n

j fergeson

Katra G

ala

2225W

estMain StreetR

VA

Urba

n C

ivil

iza

tio

n

8

1 65 4

58

72

42

46

50

24 32

38

9

CONTACT for RVA + RVA TV info@rvamag.com

ADVERTISING LOCAL + NATIONAL804.349.5890 - tony@rvamag.com

DISTRIBUTION Want to carry RVA?804.349.5890 - tony@rvamag.com

SUBMISSIONS RVA welcomes submissions but can-not be held responsible for unsolic-ited material . Send all submissions to parker@rvamag.com.

DOWNLOAD RVA can be downloaded for FREE every month at RVAMAG.om

SUBSCRIPTION Go online to RVAMAG.com HEADS UP! The advertising and articles appear-ing within this publication reflect the opinion and attitudes of their respective authors and not neces-sari ly those of the publisher or edi-tors. Reproduction in whole or part without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly pro-hibited. RVA Magazine is published monthly. Images are subject to being altered from their original format. Al l material within this magazine is protected.

RVA is a registered trademark of Inkwell Design L .L .C. THANK YOU.

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 7 FREEDOM OF CHOICECOVER BY NICK GHOBASHI

R. Anthony Harrispublisher

Parker editor-in-chief

Scott Whitenermanaging editor

Adam Sleddombudsman Ben MuriRVA TV manager

Brandon Pecksenior designer

Mi les Qui l lenyoungblood

Casey Longyearfashion

R. Anthony HarrisAshley YorkJohn Reinholdadvertising team

Kat StewartIntern

Mike DulinRose CsorbaMike RutzKat StewartCurtis GrimsteadJustin OwenTalia Mi l lerLandis WineLauren Vincell iJohn ReinholdDavid BrockieDon HarrisonIan M. GrahamCasey Longyearwritings

Brandon PeckBrian Hubblei l lustrations

Nick GhobashiVictoria MahoneyKat StewartShigeo Jones Kikuchiphotography

12 Show Previews16 Johnston Foster24 Rose Csorba32 The Misfits38 Frontside42 Di l l inger Four 46 Lemuria50 Pulp Tones: Music for Airports52 Halloween Mix54 Nathan Joyce58 Yellowhouse62 WTF?64 This Town Needs an Enema68 To the Fifty Stars72 Future Primative

RVAMAG.COM - RVATV.NET - WELCOMETOINKWELL .COM

FREE ART - MUSIC - OPINION

CORRECTIONS FROM LAST ISSUECover image was photographed by Gus LinzoChris Mi lk Hulburt was misspelled and his website is www.chrismilkhulburt.com

Lessoning/Lessening

32”x43.5” acryl ic and graphi te on paper

Outskir ts

52”x44” acryl ic and graphi te on paper

1 2

TRANSMISSION presents RYAN McLENNAN and AMY ROSS

Show opens Fr iday, November 7, 7-10pm

TRANSMISSION321 Brook Rd.Richmond, VA 23220 804.200.9985

Gal lery hours: Thurs-Sat 11-6 or cal l for appointment

Detai l of Fairy Ring #4, 2008

Col lage on paper

22x30 inches

Snake Charmers #2, 2008

Col lage on paper

11x15 inches

1 3

1 4

“PAR I S : fragments of urban real i t y ”New work by Chuck Scal in

Sur f ace tex tu r es , a r c h i t ec tu r a l de ta i l s and i nd igenous co lo r s i n the u rban l andscape p rov ide the r aw mate r i a l s fo r Sca l i n’ s pho togr aph i c exp lo r a t ions.

For some year s h i s c r ea t i ve p r ocess has i nvo l ved wander ing th r ough the s t r ee ts , cour t -ya r ds and passage ways o f Pa r i s seek ing ou t the unr emar kab le , t he unno t i ced , and e ven the undes i r ab le i n the fo r m o f sc r a t c hes , mar k ings and s ta ins . T hese a r t i f a c t s fo r m the r aw tex tu r es o f h i s images , wh i c h a r e cap tu r ed i n the f r ame o f h i s camer a and t r ans -fe r ed i n to th i s se r i es o f l a r ge -sca le abs t r ac t pho togr aphs.I t ’ s qu i t e l i ke ly tha t these exac t i ng ly scavenged de ta i l s wou ld no t have been no t i ced o r been mer e ly i gnor ed by the casua l passerby.

Show ing a t Ghos tp r in t Ga l l e r y f r om November 7 th to November 29 th .

Ghos tp r in t Ga l l e r y i s Loca ted a t 220 W. B road S t . R i c hmond , VA 23220 . V i s i t www.ghos tp r in tga l l e r y. com fo r mor e i n fo r mat ion .

See mor e o f Chuc k ’ s wor k a t www.chuc ksca l i n . com

Johnston Foster: Building Tomorrow wiTh The Bones of Today

by M ike Du l i n

“Wha t the F loc k?” (De ta i l )

1 7

“We don’ t know th is for sur e , but our per cept ion o f r ea l i t y and t ime. . . a t some po in t what we know r ight now i s go ing to end; but lo ts o f o ther th ings, they ’ r e go ing to keep go ing,” sa id R ichmond, Vi r g in ia scu lp tur e ar t i s t , Johnston Foster, in r egard to h is ar t , f lee t ing moments, the herea f ter and the beg inn ings o f th ings we may never be around to en joy.

“ I t ’ s l i ke a cur ta in in f ront o f another cur ta in . We in ter pr et the space and change because we on ly get to see i t f r om one d imens ion ; but ther e is a beg inn ing and an end, and some th ings keep go ing beyond our ex is tence…like the tor to ise .”

Some r ea l i t ies get le f t beh ind , some evo lve . T ime f lows in one d i r ec t ion .

Between the border s o f Sw i tzer land and Fr ance , 300 feet be low the ground, the wor ld ’s la r gest scientific experiment has been built. The Large Hallidron Collider - a $9 bill ion dollar, 17-mile long par t i c le acce ler a tor - c rosses these border s a t 4 po in ts. The pro jec t headed by CERN – the European organ izat ion for nuc lear r esear ch – has been wor k ing on th is pro jec t for near ly twenty year s. When ac t i v a ted , the acce ler a tor f i r es protons in oppos ing d i r ec t ions, a t speeds r each ing 99.999% of the speed o f l ight .

P iece by p iece Johnston gather s h is mater ia ls f r om a l leyways, dumpster s and garbage cans le f t out by the curb. He scans c i t y s t r eets for any ob jec t he can r emanufac tur e in to a new v is ion o f t r u th . Common t r ash becomes r e fer ent ia l po in ts in an a l ter nat i ve wor ld o f the laugh ing subconsc ious and ter ror ized dreams. Viny l s id ing, an industr ia l t r ashcan and garden hoses evolve into sur rea l beasts. Yet a l l i s in p la in v iew, ever y scr ew and fac tor y edge r emains, ever y essence o f the mater ia ls. “ I t ’ s someone’s t r ash ,” he says. “ I say the ma jor i t y o f the th ings that I use have been put in a p lace where i t i s not in tended to be used aga in , and i f that i s t r ash then, that ’s t r ash .”

Whi le he is able to scu lp t w i th a c lever mind and educated sense o f ar t , he is s t i l l l e f t to the process as a means o f progress. He d iscover s ob jec ts pr e-

tend ing to be someth ing e lse , or a t least they ar e dest ined for a gr eater ex is tence .

“ I mean i t i s not a l l t r ash . There ar e cer ta in th ings that ar e be ing used and they have a ro le in r ea l i t y,

and I jus t take them and do someth ing e lse w i th i t , ” he says. “ I t i s not necessar i ly gr een,” Johnston says o f

a buzzword that has become incr eas ing ly t r endy. “ I t i s more l i ke necessar y , and maybe that i s bet ter then be ing env i ronmenta l ; i t ’ s l i ke i t was in tended, i t ’ s dest iny was

th is. Not that I am t r y ing to save the wor ld one p iece o f t r ash a t a a t ime.”

The pur pose o f the par t i c le acce ler a tor and such a la r ge sca le exp lor at ion in to the unknown ar e in hopes o f d iscov-

er ing “God par t i c les,” wh ich is a r e fer ence to H iggs Boson par t i c les – the las t par t i c le on the s tandard mode l o f mat-

ter, wh ich has never been detec ted , except in theor y. Es-sent ia l ly when the acce ler a tor r eaches fu l l power the k inet i c energy f rom the protons w i l l be so gr eat that the i r impact w i l l

r ep l i ca te the cond i t ions o f less then a mi l l ionth o f a second a f ter the B ig Bang. Sc ient is t w i l l obser ve how the un i ver se

was for med, or bas ica l ly how mat ter gather s mass, how p lanets ar e bu i l t , how i t a l l came to be .

Through h is ar t Foster i s the kar mic r e incar nater o f the mun-dane ut i l i ta r ian .

“The ma jor i t y o f ob jec ts that these th ings ar e made o f ar e mass produced ob jec ts,” he says r e fer r ing to the t r a f f i c cones, o ld t i r es

and car pet scr aps used in h is scu lp tur es. “There ar e mul t ip les

“Mob Deep” (De ta i l )

“Beas t o f Burden”1 9

“B ig T ipper” “Good n’ P len t y” 2 0

of them, but in th is case they ar e a l l one o f a k ind . They have been r emoved f rom the add i -t ion…now i t ’ s un ique.”

H is use o f the i con ic ar t i f ac t r esonates w i th aud iences. Otherw ise b izar r e r end i t ions o f h is own mind’s v is ions ar e layer ed w i th comfor t -able f ami l ia r i t ies o f ever yday l i fe .

“Wi th those ob jec ts not on ly can the peop le r e-la te to the imager y that I use , they can r e la te to the ob jec t . To some degree ever yone has some sor t o f r e la t ionsh ip w i th someth ing that i s used in the scu lp tur e . L ike the t r ash can, they r ecogn ize what i t i s . I hope i t goes beyond jus t the s imp le r ecogn i t ion o f an ob jec t , but more i f they can dec ipher the v isua l cues o f what the ob jec ts ar e and r e la te to i t ; l i ke they know what the ob jec t i s and there is a sense o f d iscover y. But i t a lso g i ves i t a h is tor y, so i t i s l i ke the p iece has a h is tor y be for e i ts incept ion , because a l l these th ings have come together to add to i t so they a l l have the i r own s tor y.” L ike many organ ic movements in the wor ld , the dynamics o f r ea l i t y can o f ten be for -ever e lus i ve .

The Law o f Conser vat ion o f Mass, wh ich s ta tes that mat ter can ne i ther be cr eated or dest royed, i s one o f the pr inc ip le ideas in descr ib ing natu -r a l phenomena. But where sc ience has f a i led to connect i t s theor ies i s le f t ask ing quest ions such as why does mat ter gather mass, and how does i t a l l come together in the end? Desp i te

the minds o f 7 ,000 sc ient is ts f rom 80 countr ies no one r ea l ly knows for cer ta in what w i l l happen when the acce ler a tor r eaches fu l l potent ia l . Skep-t i cs have even t r ied to impose lawsu i ts to ha l t the pro jec t for fear i t w i l l c r eate b lack ho les that cou ld swa l low the ear th or un leash por ta ls to d imens ions unknown. The potent ia l o f th is pro jec t i s to e i ther prove ex is t ing mode ls o f the wor ld , as i t i s under-s tood by moder n sc ience , or r ea l ize that essen-t ia l ly phys ics has had the wrong idea .

In the beg inn ing Johnston t r ied to cont ro l the pro-cess. He fe l t any image bor n w i th in h is imag inat ion needed to be const r uc ted to the exact spec i f i cs o f h is mind’s b luepr in t . Mater ia ls were bought to ach ieve the s l i c k image he fe l t he was a f ter and impu lse fue led h is c r eat ions. As long as he spent the money he wou ld get exact ly what he wanted.

“ I wou ld have th is tunne l v is ion . I ’ d have to have the $300 wor th o f m i r ror s,” Johnston sa id o f h is ear ly wor k . “Then when I got to New Yor k i t was even more expens i ve . I cou ldn’ t even wor k that way. Now the on ly mater ia l I need to buy is hard-ware and too ls. I ’ l l never buy wood ever aga in , and i f I do I need a r ea l ly good r eason.”

H is process became the means and so lu t ion for a cont inuat ion in h is c r eat ions. H is process is the goa l and the r esu l t i s a cu lminat ion o f the f lu id deve lopment o f mater ia ls f ind ing each other as a new mass. In a way Johnston’s scu lp tur es bu i ld themse lves now.

“ I t r ea l ly tur ned in to a necess i ty, and then I r ea l -ized how much o f a potent ia l i t was and that l im i -ta t ion r ea l ly d id expand the poss ib i l i t y, and then there was th is moment o f c lar i t y,” Johnston sa id when he no longer bought f in ished products and mere ly ar r anged them, but began to s t r ip down and in terweave par ts o f found ob jec ts in to who l ly or ig ina l man i fes ta t ions. “The f ac t i s that I am ac-tua l ly mak ing s tu f f I have a much more in t imate connect ion w i th , because I spend t ime w i th i t and there i s problem so lv ing invo lved.”

On Sept 10, 2008 the Large Ha l l id ron Co l l ider was sw i tched on, to much exc i tement and fear. The protons were f i r ed and able to t r ave l a fu l l span o f the tunne l .

The ver y next day i t broke down.

The acce ler a tor has s ince been r epa i r ed and is schedu led to r each fu l l tes t power by ear ly 2009. The poss ib i l i t ies o f t r u th ar e un imag inable .

“L ike the lobster smok ing,” he sa id o f one o f h is scu lp tur es made f rom a r ed t r ash can and bur nt PVC p ip ing, “Two th ings that comple te ly ex is t in r ea l i t y, and when they ar e put together i t makes someth ing in between. I th ink that I am in ter ested in c r eat ing some other wor ld , but I don’ t want i t to necessar i ly go to some other d imens ion where i f you went to some other wor ld i t wou ldn’ t make any sense; I want to keep i t between the cur-ta ins.”

2 1

Alchemy is said to be the Great Work of nature that perfects matter, whether it is expressed as the cosmos or as our soul.

The foundation of alchemical philosophy and practice is ref lected in nature’s elements and universal pattern of transformation. The four el-ements are Ear th, Air, Fire and Water. The seven-phase pattern of transformation is comprised of calcination, dissolution, separation, conjunction, fermentation, disti l lation and coagulation. This is also known as the Emerald Formula.

A primary key in understanding alchemy is to view the science from three perspectives: internal, re-fer ring to the body, mind and consciousness; exter-nal, refer ring to outside the body and of the Ear th; and celestial or heavenly, refer ring to the planets, stars, galaxy and universe. Alchemy is a ref lection of the phases, cycles, processes or transformations of nature. Therefore, the symbolism of alchemy can be interpreted on an inner, ear thly and celestial level. Most impor tantly, the macrocosm of the outer wor ld is mir rored in the microcosm of the human body, mind and consciousness.

The elements and pattern of transformation ref lected in the Emerald Formula come from the legendary Emerald Tablet attributed to Hermes. The Emerald Formula is said to contain the secret of the universe or blueprint of creation and was inscribed on a tablet made of emerald stone. It is repor ted the tablet was once on public display in ancient Egypt and thereafter became hidden.

ISAAC NEWTON’S TRANSLATION OF THE EMERALD TABLET:“Tis true without lying, cer tain most true.That wch is below is l ike that wch is above that wch is above is l ike yt wch is below to do ye miracles of one only thing.And as all things have been arose from one by ye meditation of one: so all things have their bir th from this one thing by adaptation.The Sun is its father, the moon its mother,the wind hath car ried it in its belly, the ear th its nourse.The father of all perfection in ye whole wor ld is here.Its force or power is entire if it be conver ted into ear th.Separate thou ye ear th from ye fire, ye subtile from the gross sweetly wth great indoustr y.It ascends from ye ear th to ye heaven again it desends to ye ear th and receives ye force of things superior inferior.By this means ye shall have ye glory of ye whole wor ld thereby all obscurity shall f ly from you.Its force is above all force. for it vanquishes every subtile thing penetrates every solid thing.So was ye wor ld created.From this are do come admirable adaptations whereof ye means (Or process) is here in this.”

DILIGENT DECAY16x20penc i l

“Decay i s a wonder fu l sm i th who t r ans fe r s one e lement to the o the r, i t MAKES changes w i thou t r esp i t e , un t i l heaven and ea r th me l t toge ther i n to a g lassy c lump.”

(K i r c hweger, Aur ea Ca tena Homer i , 1781)

Everything that I’ ve made for this show is i l lustrating these concepts: photos, drawings, paintings and sculpture.

24

2 5

THE FERMENTATION OF THE METALS16x20

“How foo l i sh the seed you sow does no t come to l i f e un less i t has d ied .Wha t i s sown i n the ea r th as a pe r i shab le th ing i s r a i sed imper i shab le . Sown as

an an ima l body, i t i s r a i sed as a sp i r i t ua l body. ”

(1 Cor in th ians 15 :36-42)

OUR CHEMICAL SCIENCE16x20

“Our c hym ica l s c i ence taken as a who le , i s l i ke a f a r mer wor k ing h i s l and , p r epar ing h i s f i e ld and sca t te r i ng seeds i n i t…both f a r mer and a l c hem is t mus t p r ec i se ly obey the l aws o f t he seasons i f t hey a r e to ach ie ve good y i e lds . ”

(Ma ie r, 1618)

2 6

DEATH BY BURNING OUT16x20

“Wi thou t dea th by bur n ing (cand le ) no r esur r ec t i on (g r owth on t r ee t r unk) can occur. Fo r i n ashes l i es the sa l t o f g lo r y, wh i c h b r ings ne w l i f e (peacoc k

on tower ) . ”

(K i r c hweger, 1781)

NATURE’S DUAL IN THE RETORT16x20

“Both fall through ar t into the grave”

(Lacinus, 1714)

“Sol (sulphur) and Luna (mercury) sti l l l ie side by side as two dif ferent things in the glass retor t. After putrefaction they wil l be resur rected as ONE thing from two.”

(Rebis symbolism)

2 7

HOW TO MAKE PHILOSOPHICAL GOLD16x20

“T hen the goa l , ou r go ld , i s ach ie ved .”

CELESTIAL AGRICULTURE16x20

A l c hemy i s ce les t i a l ag r i cu l tu r e ; i f you c hoose to th r ow two agen ts upon the l and , the i r comb ined fo r ces w i l l g i ve o f f a l i v i ng f l ame .

2 8

THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE DARK SUN16x20

“T he dar k ma te r i a l o f t he b lac k sun d i v ides the sp i r i t and sou l f r om the pu t r e f i ed body. T he head o f th i s a r t i s t he r aven , cu t t i ng o f f i t s head w i l l a t t r ac t the w i ses t co lo r o f a l l . ”

(K i r c hweger, 1781)

REGICIDE, DECAY AND RESURECTIONVisual Translations on Alchymical Manuscipts

November 3rd – 30th@ McGuffey Ar t Center201 Second Street N.W.Char lottesville, VA 22902

Opening ceremony: November 7th, 20085:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.(434) 295-7973

Gallery hours:Tuesday – Saturday -10 a.m. - 6 p.m.Sunday – 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.Closed Monday

To check out more of Rose’s work, go to www.csorba.net

2 9

SOME KINDA LOVE AND SOME KINDA HATEAN INTERVIEW WITH JERRY ONLY OF THE MISFITS

MIKE RUTZ | PHOTOS BY SHIgEO JONES KIKUcHI

3 2

S i n c e t h e i r f i r s t s h o w i n 1 9 7 7 a t C B G B ’ s , t h e M i s f i t s h a v e b e c o m e o n e o f t h e m o s t i c o n i c g r o u p s i n A m e r i c a n p u n k r o c k . W h a t e v e r y o u t h i n k a b o u t t h e M i s f i t s a f t e r t h e i r i n i t i a l b r e a k u p i n 1 9 8 3 ( t h i s w r i t e r d i g s t h e n e w e r s t u f f , t o o ) , J e r r y O n l y ’ s t r a d e m a r k d e v i l o c k a n d c u s t o m - m a d e D e v a s t a t o r b a s s a r e h e r e t o s t a y. A s t h e o n l y r e m a i n i n g o r i g i n a l m e m b e r a n d o w n e r o f f u l l r i g h t s t o t h e n a m e , h e i s i n c o m p l e t e c o n t r o l t h e M i s f i t s l e g e n d . I n a n t i c i p a t i o n o f t h e i r p r e - H a l l o w e e n s h o w o n O c t o b e r 2 8 t h a t To a d ’ s P l a c e ( P a r t o f R VA M a g a z i n e ’ s H a l l o w e e k ) , I s p o k e w i t h J e r r y O n l y, w h o h a d j u s t r e -t u r n e d h o m e t o N e w J e r s e y a f t e r h e a d l i n i n g f e s t i v a l s i n S p a i n a n d t h e C z e c h R e p u b l i c .

MIKE RUTZ : W h a t i s t h e c u r r e n t l i n e u p o f t h e M i s f i t s ?

JERRY ONLY : I t ’ s t h e s a m e l i n e u p a s t h e l a s t t o u r. R o b o i s o n t h e d r u m s . A l o t o f p e o p l e w i l l r e m e m b e r R o b o a s t h e o r i g i n a l d r u m m e r f o r B l a c k F l a g . H e p l a y e d w i t h D e z ( C a d e n a ) w h o s a n g a n d p l a y e d g u i t a r f o r B l a c k F l a g a n d i s n o w p l a y i n g g u i t a r a n d s i n g i n g b a c k -u p s f o r u s . D e z w a s a l s o o n t h e 2 5 t h A n n i v e r s a r y r e u n i o n t o u r a n d w o r k e d o n t h e P r o j e c t 1 9 5 0 a l b u m w i t h m e a n d M a r k y ( R a m o n e ) .

MR : D o t h e M i s f i t s h a v e a n e w r e c o r d i n t h e w o r k s ?

JO : W e l l , w e ’ r e w r i t i n g a n e w a l b u m , a n d w e h a v e s o m e n e w s o n g s . W e ’ r e r e a d y t o t a k e ‘ e m a r o u n d f o r H a l l o w e e n a n d t h e n g o i n t h e h o l e ( t o r e c o r d ) . R i g h t n o w I ’ m b u i l d i n g a c a p i t a l c i t y. I ’ v e g o t m y s o n ; h e d o e s o u r s o u n d a n d o u r t o u r m a n a g i n g . W e ’ r e p u t t i n g t o -g e t h e r a c r e w o f p e o p l e s o w e c a n t a k e o u r s h o w t o t h e n e x t l e v e l , p u t o u t a n e w a l b u m , p l a y b i g g e r v e n u e s w i t h m o r e p r o d u c t i o n a n d b e t t e r s o u n d s y s t e m s a n d l i g h t s . W e a l w a y s g o o u t t h e r e a n d f i g h t b i g g e r b a n d s , w h i c h h a v e g r e a t l i g h t s h o w s , w i t h n o t h i n g . W e h o l d

o u r o w n , b u t t h e M i s f i t s a r e s t i l l a g a r a g e b a n d . W e r o l l i n t o a p l a c e w i t h o n e c a b i n e t , a s e t o f d r u m s a n d a l i g h t b u l b .

MR : A r e y o u s i n g i n g a l l o f t h e v o c a l s n o w , f o r b o t h t h e o l d a n d n e w e r s o n g s ?

JO : Ye a h , I d o a l l o f t h e M i s f i t s s t u f f . W e a l s o d o a c o u p l a B l a c k F l a g c o v e r s . W e d o “ T h i r s t y & M i s e r a b l e , ” “ R i s e A b o v e , ” “ S i x P a c k , ” a n d “ J e a l o u s A g a i n . ” D e z c a n p l a y a l o t o f s o n g s . W e d o a l m o s t d o u b l e w h a t a n y o t h e r b a n d w o u l d d o i n a n i g h t , b e t w e e n 4 0 a n d 5 0 s o n g s .

MR : A f t e r M i c h a l e G r a v e s l e f t t h e b a n d i n 2 0 0 0 , Z o l i Te g l a s ( l e a d s i n g e r o f I g n i t e ) t o o k o v e r v o c a l s f o r t h e n e w e r s o n g s …

JO : Ye a h , h e c a m e u p a n d s a n g , b u t y o u k n o w , Z o l i ’ s g o t s u c h a p o w e r f u l v o i c e . I d o n ’ t k n o w i f h e g e t s t h e a g g r o i n t h e r e . I m e a n , h e h i t s t h e n o t e s , h e d e s t r o y s t h e n o t e s . B u t , h e d o e s n ’ t h a v e t h a t , “ O h , I g o t d o g g e d i n t h e g u t t e r, I ’ m s o p i s s e d o f f , I w a n n a k i l l s o m e -b o d y. ”

MR : H i s a n g e r d e f i n i t e l y c o m e s t h r o u g h i n I g n i t e ’ s l y r i c s , t h o u g h .

JO : Ye a h , s i n g i n g f o r t h e M i s f i t s , y o u h a v e t o b e c o m i n g f r o m a l e s s p o l i t i c a l , m o r e b o d y s n a t c h e r s , N i g h t o f t h e L i v i n g D e a d , a r m s c o m i n g o u t o f t h e g r a v e k i n d a m i n d s e t . I g o t n o p r o b l e m w i t h ( f i n d -i n g a n e w l e a d s i n g e r ) . B u t l i k e I s a y, t h e y e a r s g o b y a n d I d o n ’ t g o t t h e g u y. Yo u k n o w , i t ’ s d e f i n i t e l y n o t G l e n n ( D a n z i g ) . L o o k , 2 5 y e a r s a n d n o G l e n n , a n d w e ’ r e d o i n g f i n e . W h e n M i c h a l e w a s i n t h e b a n d , h e w a s v e r y W e s t C o a s t - m i n d e d . H e w a s a l l a b o u t N i r v a n a a n d t h a t ’ s w h a t h e g r e w u p o n . S o , w h e n w e a s k e d h i m t o d o a l l t h i s h o r -

3 3

r o r s t u f f , h e w a s l i k e , n a h , I d o n ’ t w a n n a d o t h a t . I w a n n a d o t h i s . A s t i m e w e n t o n , u n f o r t u n a t e l y h e j u s t w a s n ’ t i n t o d o i n g w h a t n e e d e d t o b e d o n e . B u t , I ’ m M i c h a l e ’ s f a n ; h e j u s t h a s t o f i n d o u t w h o h e i s , a n d t h a t ’ s t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t t h i n g i n t h e e n t e r t a i n m e n t b u s i n e s s .

MR : Yo u m e n t i o n e d y o u r s o n d o i n g l i g h t s a n d h e l p i n g w i t h t h e t o u r s ; d o y o u r k i d s a l s o p l a y i n b a n d s ?

JO : W e l l , m y s o n h a s p l a y e d i n b a n d s s i n c e g r a m -m a r s c h o o l . H e p l a y s e v e r y t h i n g , w h i c h i s w a y b e y o n d w h a t I c a n d o . H e ’ s m o r e t e c h n i c a l l y a d -v a n c e d ; h e c a n a c t u a l l y r e a d m u s i c . H e w e n t t o s o u n d e n g i n e e r i n g s c h o o l a n d a l l 5 , 0 0 0 k i d s t h e r e o n c a m p u s , a l l t h e y d o i s t h e a r t s . T h e y l e a r n w i r -i n g a n d s o u n d d e s i g n , e n g i n e e r i n g . W h e n h e c a m e b a c k , t h a t ’ s w h e n w e d e c i d e d w e w e r e g o i n g t o p u t t o g e t h e r a s t u d i o s o t h a t a f t e r t h e a l b u m i s r e a d y t o d r o p , w e h a v e a p l a c e w e c a n r e c o r d a t a n y t i m e w e h a v e s o m e t h i n g . T h e R a m o n e s t a u g h t m e t h a t . W h e n t h e R a m o n e s s p l i t i n ’ 9 6 , t h e r e w a s n o t h i n g a f t e r t h a t . J o e y d i d s o m e s o l o s t u f f t h a t w e w o r k e d o n w i t h h i m . S o R h i n o h a d t h e i r c a t a l o g a n d t h e y b a s i c a l l y m a d e r e a l l y n e a t p a c k a g e s o f R a m o n e s s o n g s f r o m d i f f e r e n t e r a s . P u t ‘ e m i n t o d i f f e r e n t c o m p i l a t i o n s . A n d e v e r y t i m e t h e y d o , y o u s a y, u g h , a n o t h e r c o m p i l a t i o n . B u t , w h e n y o u g e t y o u r h a n d s o n i t , y o u ’ r e l i k e , t h i s i s g r e a t !

3 4

I r e a l i z e d , w e ’ v e o n l y g o t S t a t i c A g e , W a l k A m o n g U s a n d E a r t h A . D . , f r o m t h e e a r -l y b a n d w i t h G l e n n . T h e n , w i t h M i c h a l e a n d t h o s e g u y s , w e ’ v e g o t t w o – A m e r i c a n P s y c h o a n d F a m o u s M o n s t e r s . I ’ v e g o t t h e 5 0 s a l b u m a n d w e ’ v e g o t a l i v e a l b u m , b u t o t h e r t h a n t h a t , w e ’ v e g o t 1 0 0 s o n g s a n d w e n e e d 3 0 0 b y t h e t i m e w e ’ r e d o n e . W e n e e d a p h i l o s o p h y l i k e t h e R a m o n e s f o r i t t o c o n t i n u e , t o b e l i k e J i m i H e n d r i x o r t h e D o o r s . O n t h e m a r k e t p l a c e , w e a l r e a d y a r e , b u t o n t h e m u s i c p l a c e , w e ’ r e n o t . S o , I n e e d t o c h a n g e m y f o c u s o v e r t h e l a s t t h i r d o f m y c a r e e r a n d f o c u s o n p u t t i n g t r a c k s o n t h e s h e l f .

MR : O n e o f m y f a v o r i t e M i s f i t s s h o w s w a s i n C h a r l e s t o n , S o u t h C a r o l i n a w i t h G W A R . T h a t t o u r h a d t o h a v e b e e n w i l d .

JO : G W A R i s , i n m y o p i n i o n , t h e g r e a t e s t t h e a t r i c a l b a n d e v e r. E v e n t h e a t r i c a l p e r f o r m a n c e s , I w o u l d e v e n p u t t h e m u p a g a i n s t B r o a d w a y p l a y s . I ’ d l i k e o u r s h o w t o g e t t o t h a t l e v e l , o r c l o s e t o t h a t l e v e l . G W A R i s s o m e s s y ; w e h a d n o c h o i c e b u t t o g o o n b e f o r e t h e m . T h a t w a s t h e o n e w h e r e I g o t t o p u l l t h e h e a d o f f o f t h e d i n o s a u r. A f t e r o u r s e t , I ’ d s t i c k a r o u n d a n d s i g n s t u f f f o r t h e f a n s , w h i l e G W A R w o u l d b e p u t t i n g p l a s t i c o n e v e r y t h i n g . T h e n , I ’ d g o b a c k s t a g e a n d t h e y ’ d b e g o i n g o v e r a l i s t a b o u t 3 - f e e t - l o n g o f a l l t h e s e d i f f e r e n t p r o d u c t i o n t h i n g s . I ’ d g o b a c k t h e r e a n d h e l p t h e m u n t i l t h e e n d o f t h e s h o w , w h e n i t w a s m y t u r n t o g o o u t . I ’ d c r a n k u p ( w i t h t h i s o v e r s i z e d h a m m e r ) a n d h i t t h e d i n o s a u r i n t h e h e a d . O n t h e f o u r t h h i t , I ’ d d r o p t h e h a m m e r a n d h e ’ d l e a n f o r w a r d , a n d I ’ d p u t m y h a n d i n h i s m o u t h a n d h e ’ d d i s c o n n e c t t h e h e a d . I ’ d g r a b t h e h e a d b y t h e h a n d l e a n d t h e n t h e y ’ d p o u r a l l t h e b l o o d o u t o n e v e r y b o d y. Ye a h , t h a t w a s t h e c o o l e s t . ( B o t h l a u g h . )

I l o v e t h o s e g u y s . I t h i n k i f y o u g o t o a M i s f i t s / G W A R s h o w , I d o n ’ t k n o w w h a t e l s e y o u c o u l d a s k f o r. M a y b e g e t G G ( A l l i n ) t o h e a d l i n e a n d t h a t ’ s a b o u t i t .

MR : A t w o r k , w e w e r e t a l k i n g a b o u t r e c o r d s t h a t n e v e r g e t o l d , n o m a t t e r h o w m a n y t i m e s w e l i s t e n t o t h e m . F o r m e , e v e r y s i n g l e M i s f i t s r e c o r d i s t i m e l e s s . W h a t r e c o r d d o y o u h o l d i n t h a t r e g a r d ?

tttttttt

JO : F o r m e , Z i g g y S t a r d u s t w a s a l w a y s m y f a v o r i t e . I c a n l i s t e n t o Z i g g y S t a r d u s t f r o m b e g i n n i n g t o e n d o v e r a n d o v e r a g a i n . I t h o u g h t i t w a s g e n i u s .

MR : T h e M i s f i t s a r e t h e g o d f a t h e r s o f h o r r o r p u n k a n d a l o t o f y o u r l y r i c s a r e d i r e c t l y r e l a t e d t o o l d h o r r o r f i l m s . W h a t w o u l d y o u s a y a r e t h e t o p 3 h o r r o r m o v i e s o f a l l t i m e ?

JO : H o r r o r H o t e l , T h e C r a w l i n g E y e , a n d l e t ’ s s e e , t h e N i g h t o f t h e L i v i n g D e a d ; w h a t a m I e v e n t h i n k i n g a b o u t .

MR : Ye p , G e o r g e R o m e r o , h e d i r e c t e d “ S c r e a m ” f o r y o u …

JO : A m a z i n g . I t i m m e d i a t e l y s h o w e d m e t h a t I w o u l d h a v e n o b u s i -n e s s d i r e c t i n g a f i l m . T h e w a y i t w o r k e d o u t w a s G e o r g e h a d m o v e d u p t o To r o n t o t o w o r k o n B r u i s e r . W e g o t t h e r e a c o u p l a d a y s e a r l y t o w o r k o n o u r s c e n e s f r o m t h e f i l m , a n d o v e r t h e w e e k e n d , w h e n e v e r y o n e h a d o f f , h e s h o t o u r v i d e o . I t j u s t s o h a p p e n e d t h a t h i s a s s i s t a n t f o u n d a h o s p i t a l , a VA h o s p i t a l t h a t w a s o n l y o p e n M o n d a y t h r o u g h F r i d a y, a n d t h e y a g r e e d t o r e n t u s t h e h o s p i t a l . S o h e i m -m e d i a t e l y f o u n d u s o u r s e t , a n d o n t h e w e e k e n d w e w e n t t o s h o o t t h e v i d e o . G e o r g e w a s w a l k i n g d o w n t h e h a l l d o i n g h i s t h i n g , a n d h e s a i d , ‘ G i v e m e a c a m e r a o n t h i s l i g h t , g i m m e a n a n g l e o n t h i s , g i m m e t h i s , g i m m e t h a t . ’ A n d I ’ m l o o k i n g a t h i m l i k e , w h a t t h e f u c k i s h e d o i n g ? I ’ m t o t a l l y d u m b . H e ’ l l s h o o t t h i n g s t e n d i f f e r e n t t i m e s t e n d i f f e r e n t w a y s ; i t ’ s t h i s m a c h i n e g u n k i n d o f d i r e c t i n g . T h e n t h e n e x t t h i n g y o u k n o w , h e p u t s i t t o g e t h e r l a t e r a n d w e ’ r e l i k e , o h m y G o d , h o w d i d h e k n o w t h a t w o u l d w o r k s o g o o d r i g h t t h e r e ? L i k e t h e d o o r o p e n i n g . ( I n a G e o r g e R o m e r o v o i c e . ) ‘ O p e n t h a t d o o r, g i m m e a c a m e r a , o p e n t h e d o o r. O k a y, c o o l . L e t ’ s m o v e o n , l e t ’ s g o d o w n t h e

h a l l . D o m e a f a v o r, s h u t t h a t l i g h t o n a n d o f f . R e a d y ? O n ( p a u s e s ) , h o l d o n . O f f . ’ T h e n h e k e e p s w a l k i n g . T h a t i s t h e g e n i u s o f a d i r e c -t o r, t h e y c a n s e e i t b e f o r e t h e y m a k e i t .

MR : W h a t d o y o u d o w h e n y o u ’ r e n o t o n t o u r, w h e n y o u d o n ’ t h a v e t o b e J e r r y O n l y o f t h e M i s f i t s ?

JO : W e l l , w h e n y o u ’ r e t o u r i n g y o u h a v e m o n e y i n y o u r p o c k e t , a n d w h e n y o u g o h o m e y o u e n d u p p a y i n g a l l y o u r b i l l s . A l o t o f p e o p l e k n o w h o w I l o o k w h e n I ’ m n o t o n t o u r. Yo u ’ l l s e e p i c t u r e s o f m e o n t h e I n t e r n e t w i t h m y g l a s s e s a n d m y b a s e b a l l h a t o n b a c k w a r d s , l i f t i n g w e i g h t s , h a n g i n ’ i n t h e p a r k i n g l o t . I r a n i n t o G e n e S i m m o n s o f K i s s a t L A X a w h i l e b a c k , a n d w e w e r e l a u g h i n g b e c a u s e n o b o d y k n e w i t w a s h i m . W e ’ r e s t a n d i n g t h e r e i n t h e a i r p o r t w i t h o u r b a g s , a n d e v e r y b o d y ’ s g o t a M i s f i t s s h i r t a n d a M i s f i t s b a g . W e ’ r e n o t t r y i n g t o h i d e . A n d G e n e w a s t h e r e , s o w e y e l l f r o m t h e b a c k ‘ G e n e , M i s i f t s i n t h e h o u s e ! ’ A n d h i s e y e s r o l l b a c k l i k e , o h G o d , I c a n ’ t b e l i e v e y o u ’ r e d o i n g t h i s .

MR : H o w d o y o u t h i n k t h e M i s f i t s h a v e s u r v i v e d 3 0 y e a r s ?

JO : I t h i n k i t ’ s t h e D I Y m e n t a l i t y, y o u k n o w , d o i n g i t y o u r s e l f . I m e a n , w e ’ v e a l w a y s h a d ( o t h e r ) j o b s . W e ’ v e a l w a y s w o r k e d w h e n t h e b a n d w a s n ’ t a b a n d o r w h e n w e c a m e o f f t h e r o a d . W e w o r k e d i n t h e m a c h i n e s h o p f o r a w h i l e . D e z w o r k e d c o n s t r u c t i o n . I t ’ s j u s t p e r s e v e r a n c e , y o u j u s t c a n ’ t g i v e u p . W e g o t k n o c k e d o u t o f t h e g a m e f o r 1 3 y e a r s a n d t h a t , t o m e , i s o n e o f m y b i g g e s t r e g r e t s . B u t , i n 1 3 y e a r s , i t d e f i n i t e l y p r o v e d t o m e t h a t w h a t w e a r e d o i n g i s t i m e l e s s . I f y o u ’ r e g o n n a s p a n t h a t k i n d o f g a p a n d t h e n h a v e k i d s r e d i s c o v e r i t a n d r e i n v e n t i t a n d a l s o c h e r i s h t h e s t u f f y o u d i d i n t h e b e g i n n i n g , t h e n y o u h a v e s o m e t h i n g o f s u b s t a n c e . I t ’ s t h e

3 6

tttttttt

t o t a l v i s i o n , a n d t o t a l i n f l u e n c e a n d t o t a l c o n c e p t o f w h o w e a r e , a n d w h a t w e a r e a n d w e d o i t w e l l . A n d w e d o i t w i t h o u t o v e r e x p o s i n g o u r s e l v e s . W e o n l y h a v e s i x a l b u m s i n 3 0 y e a r s , a n d I ’ d l i k e t o p u t u p a n o t h e r s i x b e f o r e w e p u l l o u t . O r 1 3 a l b u m s t o t a l w o u l d b e a c o o l c o u n t f o r u s .

I ’ m a l s o n o t l e t t i n g w h a t w e ’ v e d o n e i n t h e p a s t i n f l u e n c e w h e t h e r w e l i k e s o m e t h i n g o r n o t . Yo u k n o w , w h e n “ H e l e n a ” c a m e d o w n t h e p i p e , t h e r e c o r d c o m p a n y s a i d , o h g e t r i d o f t h i s s o n g . I l i k e d i t , b u t a t t h e t i m e i t w a s b r a n d n e w s o I h a d n ’ t r e a l l y f o r m e d s o l i d o p i n i o n s o n t h e m a t e r i a l . Yo u p u t a n e w a l b u m o n a n d y o u l i k e t h e t h i r d s o n g , t h e n t w o m o n t h s l a t e r t h e f i f t h s o n g i s t h e o n e f o r y o u . S o , D o y l e ( W o l f g a n g v o n F r a n k e n s t e i n , J e r r y ’ s b r o t h e r a n d f o r m e r g u i t a r i s t f o r t h e M i s f i t s ) f o u g h t a n d f o u g h t f o r “ H e l e n a , ” w h i c h i s a r e a l l y s l o w s o n g a n d t h e n a b r a s h s o n g b l e n d e d t o g e t h e r, a n d t h e k i d s l o v e d i t . A n d t h e r e ’ s a l s o “ S a t u r d a y N i g h t , ” w h i c h i s a s l o w , 5 0 s - s t y l e p o p s o n g . S o , n o w w e ’ r e u n c a t e g o r i z a b l e . T h i s o n e m a g a z i n e d i d t h e t o p p u n k b a n d s o f a l l t i m e a n d d i d n ’ t e v e n m e n t i o n o u r n a m e . A n d w h e n I t h i n k o f p u n k i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s , I t h i n k o f t h e R a m o n e s , t h e M i s f i t s a n d B l a c k F l a g - t h e t r i u m v i r a t e o f p u n k . F o r t h a t t o n o t b e p e r f e c t l y c l e a r t o t h e m , t h a t t h e r e ’ s a t r i a n g l e d r a w n i n t h e s a n d , i t j u s t s h o w e d m e t h a t w e ’ r e s o d i v e r s e , t h a t e v e n w h a t w e t h i n k w e a r e , i s n ’ t n e c e s s a r i l y w h a t w e a r e . A t f i r s t I w a s p i s s e d , b u t t h e n i t t o o k m e a b o u t f i v e m i n u t e s t o l a u g h o u t l o u d . I t h i n k o f s o n g s l i k e “A m e r i c a n N i g h t m a r e , ” w h i c h i s t h i s e v i l E l v i s , r o c k a b i l l y s o n g , m y w i f e ’ s f a v o r i t e s o n g . W e d o r o c k a b i l l y, w e d o t h r a s h , w e d o s p e e d m e t a l , w e d o b a l l a d s , w e d o p u n k , w e d o i t a l l . T h e r e ’ s s o m e t h i n g t h e r e f o r e v e r y b o d y. B u t , t h e r e ’ s a l s o s o m e t h i n g t h e r e f o r e v e r y b o d y t o h a t e . I t ’ s t h a t h a t e t h a t m a k e s m e s t r o n g .

T h e M i s f i t s p l a y o n Tu e s d a y, O c t . 2 8 t h a t To a d ’ s P l a c e l o c a t e d a t 1 4 0 V i r g i n i a S t r e e t R i c h m o n d , V a 2 3 2 1 9 . D o o r s 8 p . m . A l l A g e s A d v a n c e $ 1 7 D a y o f S h o w $ 2 0 . T i c k e t s a v a i l a b l e o n l i n e t h r o u g h w w w . t o a d s p l a c e r v a . c o m 8 0 4 . 6 4 8 . T O A D ( 8 6 2 3 ) a n d a t a n y P l a n 9 o r B K M u s i c l o c a t i o n o r c a l l 1 - 8 0 0 -5 1 4 - E T I X ( 3 8 4 9 )

3 7

3 9

4 0

Dillinger

Four Declare

Civil

WarCur t i s G r ims tead and Jus t i n Owen | Pho tos cour tesy o f Fa t Wr ec k Chords

I t has been s i x yea r s s ince M inneapo l i s ’ D i l l i nge r Four have g r aced the s tages o f R i c hmond . Las t t ime they p layed her e was when the Bage l Cza r was s t i l l i n l imbo as 929 .

D4 came on to the punk scene i n the m id -90s, tou r ing and r e leas ing a bunch o f badass r ecords and s t i l l keep ing i t r ea l t he who le t ime . T he band has j us t d r opped the i r f i r s t f u l l - l eng th i n s i x yea r s , en t i t l ed C I V I L W A R , and w i l l be p lay ing R i c hmond th i s t ime w i th NOFX . Jus t i n and I r ecen t l y go t to pu l l b r a ins toge ther and ask E r i k Funk (gu i t a r i s t , voca l i s t ) f r om D4 these ques t ions.

R i c hmond was cap i ta l to the Con feder ac y dur ing wha t peop le anywher e sou th o f he r e ca l l t he War o f Nor the r n Aggr ess ion . Your ne w a lbum i s en t i t l ed C I V I L W A R . Wh i l e i t may no t be abou t R i c hmond o r Nor the r n Aggr ess ion , how d id th i s t i t l e come to be , and i s the r e an ove r a l l t heme to the r ecord?

We ’ ve ac tua l l y had the t i t l e a l o t l onger than we have had any ne w songs. Nor ma l l y i t ’ s been the o the r way a r ound . I t h ink we ’ ve j us t been th ink ing o f t he ne w r ecord as C I V I L W A R fo r so long i t was ha rd to th ink o f ca l l i ng i t any th ing e l se . I t h ink i t ’ s an idea tha t r e l a tes to so many th ings i n the wor ld , bo th l i t e r a l l y and concep tua l l y, t ha t we s t i l l t hough t i t wor ked s ince a l l o f ou r songs end up abou t some k ind o f s t r ugg le be tween oppos ing f ac t i ons o r i deo log ies . I t ’ s ha rd fo r Amer i cans to separ a te i t f r om our own C i v i l War l i ke you ment ioned , wh i c h makes i t k i nda dumb i f you don’ t t h ink on i t any fu r the r. T ha t ’ s why we c hose to space i t ou t the way we d id .

Was the p r ocess o f song wr i t i ng and r ecord ing d i f f e r en t f r om pr e v ious r e -co rds?

We d id th ings mor e o r l ess the same way we a lways have . We mos t l y r ecorded in the same s tud io we ’ ve done e ve r y th ing e l se a t , w i th the same peop le r ecord ing i t . We d id voca l s a t a basement s tud io to save some money. O the r than tha t , i t wasn’ t much o f a c hange . Even though i t ’ s been s i x yea r s s ince our l as t one , we wro te a l l o f t he songs fo r th i s one i n the l as t 18 months o r so, and we wer e

4 3

sc r ambl i ng to f i n i sh i t on t ime j us t l i ke we a lways have . We ’ ve never exac t l y been known fo r ou r wor k e th i c .

You guys have had songs f r om your ea r ly r ecords r e -co rded in the 90s dea l i ng w i th i s sues i nvo l ved i n the punk scene and the se l f - r i gh teous a t t i t udes o f bands and peop le i nvo l ved w i th i t . I n the 90s i t seemed l i ke the r e wer e mor e peop le mak ing r u les fo r themse l ves i n the punk scene tha t made them have these a t t i -t udes. Do you s t i l l see a l o t o f t h i s today, o r do you th ink th ings have c hanged?

I don’ t know whe ther th ings have c hanges tha t much . I t h ink the gener a l ma ins t r eam in te r es t i n punk bands has d ied down , o r been r ep laced by o the r “punk l i ke” genr es. I n the 90s punk bands wer e ge t t i ng c r azy o f f e r s l e f t and r i gh t f r om ma ins t r eam ou t l e t s and wer e cons tan t l y hav ing to e v a lua te the “punkness” o f t he i r ac t i ons. T ha t doesn’ t seem to ex i s t as much anymor e . We d idn’ t r ea l l y w r i t e abou t i t on th i s r e -co rd .

A r e any o f t he songs on the ne w r ecord dea l i ng w i th s im i l a r i s sues as these?

We wro te mor e abou t b r oader i s sues I t h ink . Many tha t we ’ ve addr essed be fo r e i n d i f f e r en t ways l i ke r e l i g ion , wage s lave r y, t he e lec t i on and the war, pop cu l tu r e i n gener a l , and so on .

Wha t a r e some o f the b igges t c hanges i n p l ay ing shows and tour ing today r a the r than 10 year s ago?

4 4

We l l , we haven’ t done much tour ing i n the pas t f e w year s . I ’ l l have to ge t bac k to you on tha t a f t e r Oc tober. We a r e j us t l uc k y tha t we wer e ab le to be i nac t i ve fo r so many year s and s t i l l have so many peop le tha t wan t to come ou t and see us .

Wha t non-punk bands do you th ink punks shou ld be l i s ten ing to?

I l i ke Lucero a l o t .

Rumor i s tha t you guys w i l l a lways agr ee to p lay a show i f i t i s on a boa t . You guys a r e p lay ing on a cana l he r e so tha t coun ts fo r someth ing. Wha t i s your bes t boa t i ng show exper i ence?

We t r i ed to keep tha t go ing, bu t we passed on one i n Aus t i n ea r l i e r th i s yea r, so I guess i t doesn’ t ho ld t r ue any mor e . I t h ink we on ly ac tua l l y d id i t tw i ce . T he r ecord r e lease show fo r our f i r s t a lbum was on a boa t . I t h ink the r e ’ s foo tage o f i t on YouTube . T he p r ob lem w i th boa t shows i s they never seem to s toc k enough booze and the show r uns d r y ha l fway th r ough . T ha t ’ s happened bo th t imes we ’ ve done i t .

I t has been qu i t e a wh i l e s i nce you p layed R i c hmond . D id any th ing s t r i ke you guys abou t th i s c i t y i n the p r e v ious v i s i t s?

I t h ink we may have on ly p layed the r e once ! I ’m no t su r e why. We ’ ve a lways l i ked i t . Lo ts o f g r ea t peop le . We ’ ve never had a bad t ime the r e when we ’ ve passed th r ough .

L i v i ng i n M inneapo l i s , your tw in c i t y S t . Pau l j us t had the p r i v i l e ge o f hos t i ng the Repub l i can Na t iona l Con -ven t ion . T hey say you punch one tw in and the o the r f ee l s i t . How d id th i s go?

I t was s t r ange ly uneven t fu l I t hough t . We wer e a l l gea r ed up fo r i t , bu t once i t happened i t was so r t o f an t i - c l imac t i c . T her e wer e a l o t mor e cops a r ound the c i t y. We p layed a we i r d ou tdoor show dur ing the conven t ion wher e the cops near ly ou tnumber ed the aud ience ; bu t the r e was no f r i c t i on o r any th ing.

Las t l y we had a ha rd t ime com ing up w i th r e le v an t ques t ions to ask you tha t a r e p r obab ly no t the same ques t ions you ge t e ve r y t ime . Wha t a r e some o f the mos t i r r e l e v an t ques t ions you guys ge t?

We ’ r e j us t g lad to no t be asked , ‘When’s the ne w r ecord com ing ou t , ’ anymor e . I t ’ s n i ce to have an answer fo r tha t one .

D i l l i nge r Four p lays w i th NOFX , Teenage Bo t t l e r oc ke t , T he F la t l i ne r s and Fake Prob lems on Sa tu r day, Oc to -ber 25 th a t Toad ’s P lace , 140 V i r g in i a S t . R i c hmond , VA 23219 . (804) 648-TOAD (8623) . Door s 7 p.m . A l l Ages Gener a l Adm iss ion $20 .00

4 5

A n i n t e r v i e w w i t h S h e e n a O z z e l l a o f L e m u r i aTa l i a M i l l e r | Pho to by V i c to r i a Mahoney

T he ha r des t pa r t a bou t s i t t i ng down t o t r ans c r i be my i n t e r v i e w w i t h Sheena Ozze l l a , ( gu i t a r i s t / vo ca l s f o r Lemur i a ) w as t u r n i ng o f f Ge t Be t t e r , t he i r f i r s t f u l l - l e ng th r e co r d . A pop -punk j oy r i de f u l l o f c r unc hy goodness , i t ’ s l i k e t ha t f i r s t t ime dad t o s sed you t he ca r k ey s and g ave you t he o kay t o s t ay ou t a l l n i gh t . T he i r mos t r e cen t r e l ea se on As i an Man Reco r ds , t i t l e d F i r s t Co l l e c t i on , i n c l udes a lmos t e ve r y t h i ng r e co r ded p r i o r t o t he i r f u l l - l e ng th . T h i s f a l l , t he t h r ee -p i e ce f r om Bu f f a l o , N . Y. , s e t s ou t on a s i x -week t ou r t h r ough t he Eas t e r n ha l f o f Ame r i c a .

Ta l i a M i l l e r : I guess t o s t a r t , t a l k t o me a bou t you r mus i c a l ba c kg r ound . Wha t d i d you s t a r t p l ay i ng and w hen? D i d you come f r om a mus i c f am i l y ?

S h e e n a O z z e l l a : I d i dn’ t r ea l l y c ome f r om a mus i c a l f am i l y. I s t a r t ed p l ay i ng t he gu i t a r a bou t… I t h i n k… 2002 , so I ’ v e been p l ay i ng fo r s i x yea r s a lmos t . I s t a r t ed because e ve r yone I k ne w a t t he t ime , and fo r t he pas t coup l e yea r s be fo r e t ha t , w as p l ay i ng . I w as su r r ounded by mus i c i ans a l l t he t ime so t he r e we r e gu i t a r s a r ound t he house . I t h i n k j u s t ou t o f w i n t e r bo r edom I s t a r t ed p l ay i ng a r ound , and I t augh t myse l f bas i c t h i ngs . I a l s o had a l l o f my f r i e nds t o show me how t o p l ay t h i ngs and t ea c h me d i f f e r en t t h i ngs on t he gu i t a r, t oo. I ’ v e a lw ays been s i ng i ng , so I k i nd o f t h r e w t he two t o ge the r. I h a ve a f r i e nd , Ba rb, w ho p l ay s i n t he band I Ob j e c t , t ha t w as a l so p l ay i ng t he gu i t a r. So we go t t o ge the r and t augh t ea c h o t he r s t u f f and s t a r t ed a l i t t l e band and wen t f r om t he r e .

T M : Do you r emembe r any spec i f i c bands o r shows t ha t you wen t t o g r ow i ng up w he r e you had a “ c l i c k ” momen t , w hen you t hough t , I w an t t o p l ay mus i c o r I w an t t o be i nvo l v ed i n t h i s ?

S O : I t h i n k i t w as because a t t he t ime , f unny enough , I w as da t i ng A l ex [Ke r ns ] , t he d r ummer o f L emur i a . He ’ s a lw ays been i n bands t ha t ha ve t ou r ed ; he w as 16 w hen he f i r s t t ou r ed , w h i c h i s c r a z y t o me . He w as i n t h i s band ca l l ed T he Young Ones , and I had t he oppo r t un i t y t o go on t ou r w i t h t hem . I t h i n k f r om go i ng on t ha t t ou r I obv i ous l y w as l i k e , ho l y c r a p, I w anna do t h i s ! Whe the r I ’m a r oad i e o r I ’m i n a band o r w ha t e ve r, I w anna be t ou r i ng . A coup l e o f yea r s a f t e r t ha t I s t a r t ed t he band w i t h A l ex and we bo th w an t ed t o t ou r, so we made i t ha ppen and have been t ou r i ng a s muc h a s we have fo r t he l a s t f ou r yea r s t ha t Lemur i a has been a r ound .

T M : Yeah , I w as r ead i ng o t he r i n t e r v i e ws t ha t peop l e have done w i t h you guys , and you t a l k a l o t a bou t how you t ou r a l l o f t he t ime , w h i c h i s awe -some ; bu t w ha t a r e t he ups and downs o f do i ng t ha t ? How does i t a f f e c t you r l i f e ?

S O : An obv i ous up i s be i ng i n d i f f e r en t p l a ces a l l o f t he t ime . I t h i n k we ’ ve go t t en t o t he po i n t now t ha t w hen we t ou r down t o F l o r i da we know t ha t we a r e go i ng t o be see i ng r ea l l y c l o se f r i e nds a l l t he w ay down , be cause we ’ ve done t ha t t ou r so many t imes . E ven now w i t h t he Wes t Coas t , I f e e l l i k e we a r e g a i n i ng mo r e f r i e ndsh i p s i n e ve r y p l a ce we go. We kee p i n con t a c t w i t h peop l e and g r ow r ea l l y c l o se r e l a t i onsh i p s w i t h peop l e f r om a l l o ve r t he coun t r y, w h i c h i s r ea l l y c r a z y t o me… and t hen t he ne g a t i v e s , obv i ous l y, a r e m i s s i ng f am i l y and pa r t ne r s . To be gone fo r a f e w mon ths a t a t ime i s r ea l l y d i f f i c u l t on r e l a t i onsh i p s , f o r s u r e… I t h i n k t he r e l a t i onsh i p t h i ng i s de f i n i t e l y numbe r one fo r me , and m i s s i ng my f am i l y i s a b i g one , t oo.

47

T M : Do you have f a vo r i t e c i t i e s o r p l a ces t o p l ay?

S O : We l l… no t t o su c k up, bu t R i c hmond i s p r e t t y awesome . We a lw ays have a r ea l l y good t ime t he r e . I a c t ua l l y ha t ed R i c hmond t he ve r y f i r s t t ime I w as e ve r t he r e . I w as w i t h A l ex ’ s o l d band , T he Young Ones , w ho we r e on t ou r. H im and I de c i ded i t w as a good i dea t o s l e e p on t op o f ou r v an a t t he t ime , be cause we p l ayed a t Ha r dco r e Ho l o caus t , w h i c h w as a w a r ehouse space . T he r e w as now he r e t o s l e e p, so we wen t on t op o f t he v an and f e l l a s l ee p up t he r e . And o f cou r se I w as a dummy and I l e f t my ba g up on t he v an w i t h u s and my ba g go t s t o l en , and A l ex ’ s w a l l e t w as i n my ba g. I t w as r ea l l y s t up i d on my pa r t , obv i ous l y, bu t I w as l i k e , I ha t e R i c hmond !

T M : I ’m ne ve r com ing bac k !

S O : Bu t t hen I w as l i k e , t h i s i s s u c h a s t up i d r eason t o ha t e a p l a ce . And we wen t ba c k , and e ve r y show we ’ ve e ve r p l ayed t he r e has been awesome . And you have Panda Ve g !

T M : De f i n i t e l y ! I l ooked and you ’ ve p l ayed some r ea l l y good shows i n R i c hmond , t oo.

S O : We ’ ve been r ea l l y l u c k y, ge t t i ng a s ked t o p l ay Bes t Fr i ends Day w as k i nd o f an hono r fo r u s . I f e e l l i k e t he l a s t coup l e o f yea r s we ’ ve hea r d a bou t Bes t Fr i ends Day and t he l i s t o f bands i s i n c r ed i b l e , and t hen t h i s yea r we go t a s ked t o p l ay. I t made us f ee l r ea l l y spec i a l t o be a pa r t o f i t .

T M : Yeah , t ha t w as awesome ! I w as r ea l l y, r ea l l y s t o ked t ha t you guys we r e p l ay i ng Sunday ‘ c ause i t w as t he on l y day I c ou l d go t o. I w an t t o fo cus on Ge t Be t t e r , be cause I k now t ha t i t ’ s you r ne wes t songs . Wha t made you dec i de t o pu t ou t a f u l l - l e ng th w hen you had on l y pu t ou t EPs and 7 i n c hes i n t he pas t ?

S O : I t h i n k we a l l d e c i ded t ha t we w an t ed t o t a ke a s l ong a s we f e l t ne ces -sa r y t o com fo r t a b l y make a f u l l - l e ng th r e co r d . A l l o f u s a r e k i nd o f f r eak i s h a bou t w an t i ng t o pu t e ve r y t h i ng i n t o w ha t we a r e pu t t i ng ou t a t t ha t t ime . I ’m g l ad we ’ r e a l l on t he same pa ge w i t h t h i s , be cause I f e e l l i k e we ’ ve a l l b een i n bands t ha t ha ve pu t ou t c r a p be fo r e t ha t we we r en’ t p r oud o f ; and I c an say t ha t e ve r y t h i ng we ’ ve pu t ou t a s a band has been s t u f f t ha t we ’ v e been p r oud o f and f e l t l i k e w as r eady t o be r e l eased on some so r t o f f o r ma t . Bu t f o r t he r e co r d , we ’ v e been a band fo r 4 yea r s and i t t ook u s 4 yea r s t o pu t ou t a f u l l - l e ng th . We w an t ed t o w a i t t o be su r e t ha t e ve r y song on i t w as some th i ng we cou l d r ea l l y be p r oud o f. We use t ha t o f an examp l e o f w hy we had t o be pa t i en t and r ea l l y wo r k t ow a r d mak i ng some th i ng t ha t we a l l e n j oyed mak i ng.

T M : Wha t i s you r song w r i t i ng p r o cess l i k e? How do you dec i de w ho s i ngs and w ho w r i t e s t he l y r i c s? I no t i c ed a l l t h r ee o f you con t r i bu t e , w h i c h i s nea t .

S O : Yeah , i t w asn’ t a lw ays t ha t w ay. When we s t a r t ed A l ex and I we r e bo th f i r s t l e a r n i ng how t o p l ay ou r i n s t r umen t s . He kne w how t o p l ay d r ums , bu t he w as s t i l l i n t he l e a r n i ng p r o cess and I w as , t oo. So a l o t o f t he songs we had came f r om A l ex , be cause he d i d p l ay t he gu i t a r. He wou l d w r i t e t hem , and t hen we wou l d t a ke t hem and l e a r n t hem a l l a s a t h r ee -p i e ce , and t hen we wou l d p l ay t hem and t ha t w as Lemur i a . Now t ha t we have go t t en mo r e com fo r t a b l e w i t h ou r i n s t r umen t s and mo r e com fo r t a b l e p l ay i ng t o ge the r we go i n t o p r a c t i c e and we b r i ng i n a r i f f o r a d r umbea t o r J [ J a son D r a pe r, w ho p l ay s bass i n Lemur i a ] w i l l h a ve a bass l i n e , and we w i l l t a ke t hem and pu t t hem t o ge the r. U sua l l y we do t ha t and t hen we ge t t he song comp l e t ed w i t h t he gu i t a r bass and d r ums , and t he ve r y f i n a l s t e p a lw ays i s some body w i l l d e c i de t ha t t hey w an t t o w r i t e t he l y r i c s . I t h i n k i t ’ s mos t l y A l ex because J and I r ea l l y l i k e h i s l y r i c s , and A l ex i s a v e r y g r ea t l y r i c i s t . J and I c an w r i t e one e ve r y once i n a w h i l e , bu t A l ex i s a t r ue w r i t e r. A l ex and I w i l l u sua l l y s i t down and we ’ l l c ome up w i t h vo ca l me l od i e s o ve r t he mus i c t ha t we t r y t o r e co r d on a t a pe r e co r de r. Once we have t he vo ca l me l od i e s done we pu t

4 8

i t a l l t o ge t he r and p r a c t i c e i t and ge t i t r eady so t ha t we can p l ay and s i ng a t t he same t ime and dec i de w ho i s go i ng t o s i ng w ha t pa r t .

T M : I no t i c ed t ha t you r l y r i c s spec i f i c a l l y, I guess I f e e l a l o t o f t hem dea l w i t h a s ense o f l ong i ng… i s t ha t a co r r e c t i n t e r p r e t a t i on?S O : Yeah .

T M : Whe r e do t hey come f r om?

S O : My pe r sona l l y r i c s , on t he l a s t r e co r d we r e co r ded , a l l o f t hem a r e a bou t t he same exac t t h i ng , j u s t d i f f e r en t t ones and s i des o f i t . A t t he t ime I w as w r i t i ng fo r t ha t r e co r d I w as l i v i ng i n Bu f f a l o , and I w as i n a r e l a t i on -sh i p w i t h someone t ha t w as l i v i ng a c r oss t he s t a t e f r om me . T he songs t ha t I w r o t e , you can t e l l i t ’ s a bou t be i ng i n a l ong d i s t ance r e l a t i onsh i p w hen you ’ r e t o l d t ha t i t i s . I w r i t e songs w hen I ’m sad usua l l y o r w hen I ha ve some th i ng t o t a l k a bou t , bu t I ’m no t r ea l l y v o ca l a bou t i t . So t hey ’ r e no t t he mos t ha ppy l y r i c s , bu t t hey a r e ea c h s i de o f w ha t I w as go i ng t h r ough a t t he t ime w i t h my r e l a t i onsh i p. And now i t ’ s a l o t d i f f e r en t t ha t I l i v e i n Ne w Yo r k w i t h my boy f r i end…(pauses ) I t ’ s f unny t o me t ha t I w r i t e so many songs a bou t i t , b e cause I f e e l l i k e t he r e ’ s so muc h o t he r s t u f f I c ou l d be w r i t i ng a bou t , bu t I j u s t ne ve r s i t down and a c t ua l l y w r i t e a bou t o t he r t h i ngs ; i t ’ s a lw ays t he same exac t t h i ng i n my head t ha t I ha ve t o w r i t e down on pa pe r. I t ’ s i n t e r e s t i ng because I ha ven’ t been a b l e t o s i t down and w r i t e l y r i c s i n a v e r y l ong t ime – I ha ve c r a z y w r i t e r ’ s b l o c k r i gh t now. I don’ t k now i f i t ’ s be cause I l i v e w i t h my boy f r i end and I don’ t ha ve t ha t t o w r i t e a bou t anymor e , o r i f I ’m ha ppy and t ha t ’ s w hy I c an’ t w r i t e ; I don’ t k now, we ’ l l s ee w ha t ha ppens .

T M : Has you r move t o t he c i t y a f f e c t ed t he band a t a l l ?

S O : I t d e f i n i t e l y a f f e c t ed us . I t ’ s ha r d fo r u s t o ge t ba c k and fo r t h t o ea c h o t he r. Bu t A l ex j u s t c ame t o t he c i t y f o r t he l a s t week and we p l ayed , and I ’m go i ng t o go bac k t o Bu f f a l o i n a week t o ge t r eady fo r a show we have

booked and t ou r. When I f i r s t moved he r e we we r en’ t go i ng t o t ou r f o r a w h i l e ; bu t t hen I t h i n k a week a f t e r I go t he r e , A l ex and J bo t h c a l l ed me and we r e sa i d , ‘ P l ease do t h i s nex t t ou r. We ’ r e a l r eady go i ng c r a z y be i ng home fo r t hese l a s t coup l e weeks s i n ce we l a s t wen t on t ou r, ’ and I w as l i k e , oh w ha t e ve r, w ha t e ve r. And t hen a bou t a week l a t e r, I w as l i k e , I f e e l c r a z y, t oo. I ha ve t o go on t ou r ! We a l l made t he dec i s i on a g a i n a coup l e o f mon ths a f t e r t ha t t o go on t ou r, and t ha t ’ s t he f a l l t ou r com ing up. We ’ r e so u sed t o be i ng on t ou r t ha t we can’ t be home fo r e ven a coup l e o f mon ths w i t hou t w an t i ng t o t ou r a g a i n .

T M : T ha t ’ s r ea l l y n i c e t hough , be cause you a r e a lw ays mov i ng a r ound and g i v i ng peop l e t he c hance t o see you and t a l k a bou t i t . I k now e ve r yone he r e w as ex c i t ed a f t e r s ee i ng you a t Bes t Fr i ends Day, and now peop l e a r e s t o ked t ha t you a r e com ing bac k i n Novembe r.

S O : T ha t ’ s r ea l l y n i c e . I t h i n k we a r e some o f t he l u c k i e s t peop l e t ha t we a c t ua l l y ge t t o do t h i s and make i t wo r k . We a l l a pp r e c i a t e how muc h we ’ ve been g i v en a s a band and t o have t he oppo r t un i t y t o come bac k t o t hese p l a ces ove r and ove r a g a i n . I wo r k a t a bake r y i n Ne w Yo r k and t h i s one guy w ho wo r k s t he r e j u s t wen t on a one -week t ou r. E ve r y yea r h i s band goes on a one -week t ou r ; t ha t ’ s w ha t t hey do and t hey l o ve go i ng on t ha t t ou r. And I w as t h i n k i ng , wow, my band has a c t ua l l y go t t en t o t he po i n t w he r e I c an go on t ou r f o r a mon th and we ’ r e u sed t o t ha t . We ’ ve been g i v en t h i s i n c r ed i b l e oppo r t un i t y t o be a b l e t o go on t ou r and see a l l t he se peop l e . I t w as j u s t k i nd o f f unny w a t c h i ng h im ge t so ex c i t ed a bou t t h i s one -week t ou r, and I w as l i k e , we l l I go on fou r mon th t ou r s , so I guess I ’m p r e t t y goddamn l u c k y.

Lemur i a pe r fo r ms a t Ga l l e r y5 on Sa t u r day, Novembe r 8 t h w i t h An t l e r s , No BS B r ass Band and Fr i end l y F i r e . I n t he mean t ime , you can v i s i t t he i r we b -s i t e a t www. l emu r i a pop. com o r t he i r Myspace pa ge h t t p : / /www.myspace . com/l emu r i a t o s ee t he i r c r a z y f a l l s c hedu l e fo r you r se l f and hea r t he i r mus i c .

4 9

Pulp Tones 9

Music For AirportsLand i s Wine | Image by Br andon Pec k

Pop mus i c , by i t s ve r y de f i n i t i on , i s someth ing tha t i s con t i nua l l y ve t ted and sc r u t i n i zed by the pub l i c i n the fo r m o f sa les and casua l c r i t i c i sm . However, fo r the ma jo r i t y o f t he 20 th cen tu r y, i t s c r ea t ion was sh rouded in mys te r y to mos t . T he my thos su r r ound ing g r oups who l abor end less ly i n the s tud io on ly to emer ge w i th a mas te r fu l h i t a r e as much a pa r t o f t he pop l ex i con as the c l i c hés o f sex and d r ugs. We tend to f e t i sh i ze the c r ea t ion p r ocess i n much the same way we do i n any o the r so r t o f a r t . T he r esu l t s a r e seen as the s ta t i c v i s ion o f t he a r t i s t .

Wh i l e a number o f a r t i s t s have p layed w i th th i s pa r ad igm ou ts ide o f t he sc r u t i ny o f t he pub l i c spo t l i gh t , K anye Wes t has r ecen t l y made a f asc ina t i ng move w i th h i s ne wes t s i ng le “Love Loc kdown” , wh i c h was l eaked to the pub l i c and subsequen t ly r e wor ked be fo r e i t s r e -appear ance a t the 2008 VMAs in an a l t e r ed fo r m . K anye a l so announced tha t h i s fo r thcom ing r ecord (who fe w kne w he was e ven wor k ing on) was go ing to be r e leased i n November o f t h i s yea r. T her e have been a smat te r i ng o f s to r i es ove r the pas t f e w months tha t t e l l o f K anye s topp ing bys tander s and ask ing them to l i s ten to t r ac ks tha t he ’ s cu r r en t l y wor k ing on and o f f e r the i r commenta r y. T h i s wou ldn’ t be qu i t e so s ign i f i can t i f t h i s wer e happen ing w i th some teenager wor k ing w i th Gar age Band , bu t he r e we have one o f t he mos t f amous pop a r t i s t s o f ou r t ime so l i c -i t i ng the op in ions o f peop le on the s t r ee t and the In te r ne t i n o r der to i n fo r m wha t he fo i s t s upon m i l l i ons on MTV.

Much o f th i s i s made poss ib le by the mob i l i t y o f r ecord ing equ ipment and the ease w i th wh i c h t r ac ks i n p r ogr ess can be t r ans fe r r ed to an IPod , phone o r o the r dev i ce tha t can a l l ow a song in p r ogr ess to become av a i l ab le to a

bys tander a t an a i r por t i n m inu tes . T h i s a l so a l l ows fo r i n f i n i t e tweak ing. An a r t i s t i s ab le to duc k bac ks tage , a l t e r a bac k ing t r ac k on h i s l ap top, and show up ons tage w i th a song tha t cou ld be d r as t i ca l l y d i f f e r en t than the i nca r na-t i on tha t ex i s ted on ly m inu tes be fo r e . T h i s i s l i gh t yea r s away f r om the f ab led s to r i es o f a r t i s t s such as P r ince , who in the 80s bu i l t a my tho logy based a r ound long hour s con f i ned to h i s s tud io, l abor ing under the p r essur es o f h i s own gen ius . I t seems un th inkab le tha t you cou ld r un i n to P r ince s i t t i ng under a te r m ina l s ign w i th an IPod ask ing fo r bys tander s to take a l i s ten to an un f i n i shed ve r s ion o f “Pur p le Ra in” .

As odd as a l l o f t h i s may seem, i t seems to me tha t th i s cou ld be a ve r y l og i ca l move fo r a r t i s t s l i ke K anye Wes t to make . Wha t be t te r way to conduc t mar ke t r esear ch than w i th a pub l i c w i l l i ng to p r ov ide i npu t be fo r e your l abe l pour s hundr eds o f t housands o f do l l a r s i n to a r e lease tha t , i n K anye ’ s case , cou ld be (and was) v as t l y improved by m inor ed i t s and the add i t i on o f a d r um br eakdown a t the end?

As we l l as a l l o f t h i s wor ked ou t fo r K anye , i t d idn’ t exac t l y ass i s t Deerhun te r /A t l as Sound f r on tman Br ad fo r d Cox , who had had f i l e s con ta in ing the i n -p r og-r ess songs fo r the nex t A t l as Sound r ecord down loaded o f f o f t he f i l e up load s i t e Med iaF i r e , and subsequen t ly th r ea tened to l eave the a lbum un f i n i shed and s ta r t ove r aga in ou t o f f r us t r a t i on . Cox l a te r r ecan ted and dec ided to f i n i sh the r ecord , bu t the l i nger ing f r us t r a t i on ove r hav ing cu r sor y m i xes ac -cessed and d i ssec ted by the pub l i c l e f t a bad tas te i n the mouth o f many who caugh t the wr i t t en wr a th o f t he a r t i s t whose mus i c they so eager ly consume .

Wha t we ’ r e l e f t w i th i s a pop l andscape i n wh i c h the boundar ies be tween a r t -i s t and pub l i c a r e cons tan t l y i n f l u x , o f t en tu r n ing the pub l i c i n to voyeur s to a r t i s t s a t wor k , bu t cou ld a l so p r oduce a f asc ina t i ng b r eed o f mus i c c r ea ted th r ough d ig i t a l co l l abor a t ion w i th an eager and op in iona ted pub l i c .

5 1

L a u r e n V i n c e l l i

A r t i s t T r a c k A l b u m 1 . U l u l at i n g M u m m i e s " D a n c i n g G h o s t o f a C a r t o o n S n a k e " S a c r e d S n a c k 2 . T o m Wa i t s " K n i f e C h a s e " B l o o d M o n e y 3 . B e at H a p p e n i n g " G r av e D i g g e r B l u e s " B l a c k C a n d y4 . M a n M a n " B i g T r o u b l e " R a b b i t H a b i t s5 . A p o c a ly p t i c a " H a l l o f t h e M o u n ta i n K i n g " C u lt6 . R J D 2 " T h e H o r r o r " D e a d r i n g e r7 . T u r b o n e g r o " A l l M y F r i e n d s A r e D e a d " Pa r t y A n i m a l s8 . R e f u s e d " T h e B l a c k M a s k " E v e r l a s t i n g 9 . H o t L ava " M u m m y B e a c h " L ava l o g y1 0 . W o l f Pa r a d e " D e a r S o n s A n d D a u g h t e r s O f H u n g ry G h o s t s " A p o l o g i e s t o t h e Q u e e n M a ry1 1 . T o k y o P o l i c e C l u b " G r av e s " E l e p h a n t S h e l l 1 2 . I n t e r p o l " E v i l " A n t i c s 1 3 . D u s t y S p r i n g f i e l d " S p o o k y " D u s t y i n M e m p h i s1 4 . M G M T " O f M o o n s , B i r d s & M o n s t e r s " O r a c u l a r S p e c ta c u l a r1 5 . J aw b r e a k e r " L u r k e r I I : D a r k S o n o f N i g h t " D e a r Y o u 1 6 . P r e t t y G i r l s M a k e G r av e s " G h o s t s i n t h e R a d i o " G o o d H e a lt h1 7 . T h e U n i c o r n s " G h o s t M o u n ta i n " W h o W i l l C u t O u r H a i r W h e n W e ' r e G o n e ?1 8 . M o g wa i " H u n t e d By a F r e a k H a p p y S o n g s f o r H a p p y P e o p l e1 9 . M u r d e r by D e at h " T h r e e M e n H a n g i n ' " W h o W i l l S u r v i v e , a n d W h at W i l l b e L e f t o f T h e m ?2 0 . M o d e s t M o u s e " S p i t t i n g V e n o m " W e W e r e D e a d B e f o r e t h e S h i p E v e n S a n k

T o h e a r t h i s m i x , g o t o w w w . l a s t . f m / u s e r / r va m i xG o t a n y i d e a s f o r t h e M i x ? E m a i l L a u r e n @ r va m a g . c o m

John Reinhold | Image by Brandon Peck

Yellow House is a non-profit organization devoted to enriching the fi lm and theater community in Richmond and the greater Virginia area. Cur rently Yellow House is a group of six members, with an ar tistic committee of near ly thir ty people. Their two most promoted shows are the monthly programs Project Resolution and Pre-tending Trees. Both shows offer local talent in both fi lm and theater to get their work shown to audiences and allow the creators to get feedback from local peers and professionals. As the ar tists gain valuable critique and feedback on their work, audiences learn to hone their critical eyes and speak to ar tists in helpful ways, work-ing all together –audiences and ar tists – to strengthen the ar tistic community on the whole. I got a chance f f talk to president and managing director, Steven Har ris and get an update on the evolution of Yellow House.

J o h n R e i n h o l d: I know that there have been a lot of changes for Yellow House this past year. Can you fi l l me in on what you have been working on and what has changed?

S t e v e n H a r r i s: Pretty much everybody has changed hands so it’s myself and Char les Bevan, Bo Marie (lo-cal actor) is sti l l around, and we have a new secretary named Lisa. Largely I’ ve taken over Stephanie’s posi-tion as producer and paperwork handler, and Char les has taken over a lot of the technical and creative side

of Yellow House. We, of course, have Pretending Trees and Project Resolution to show we have been promoting in the community. In addition to promoting our own shows, we have been striving to par tner with local organizations, to both get our name on things going on in the community and offer whatever we can to groups in the area that could benefit from our help. Groups we have recently par tnered with are the Silent Music Revival, Ar t 180, RVA Magazine, BGNB, and, of course, our long lasting relationship with the most helpful people at the Firehouse Theatre. We also do whatever we can to provide equipment, talent, funding, locations and insight to anyone in the area that may need assistance with their projects, whatever they may be, so long as they fit into the mission of Yellow House.

J R: Do you think the kind of projects Yellow House is work-ing on has changed from the past? Because I know in the past Yellow House was as much a theater non-profit company as it was a fi lm production company.

S H: Yeah, I want us to be more involved in theater, but we don’t have as much a theater background in the group anymore; so that hur ts that side of things. But we do provide shows like Pretending Trees to help local actors, and stay we involved in fi lm and theatre performance. We definitely have more of a business and production back-ground in Yellow House right now.

J R: So does Bo now run Pretending Trees? And how is Pretending Trees working out for Yellow House?

S H: Bo had been integral to Pretending Trees. And we now have a local actor, Joe Car lston, who is the host of Pretending Trees. Mostly I work on the ads for Pretending Trees. Bo helps us lead the show and be there for suppor t, and if Joe sometimes can’t make it then Bo is always there to lead things. The turnout for the show has been slowly and steadily increasing. It’s been going for a year now and we just felt l ike we needed to make it happen or cut it. We’ve had a steady crowd, but it’s kind of the same people; we had rotating people coming in and out but we never had more than like 20 or 22 people come. So this month we’ve got Lucas Krost coming as our guest director. We are going to tr y and get a l itt le more formal, as it’s been mostly just people coming to do whatever monologue they want help with. That’s the sor ta thing we have been doing in the past, but now I think we are gonna add a l itt le more to the show. You wil l be able to sign up with a project and we’ ll bring in a guest director. He or she can give you feedback on what they would want if they were casting a movie. So hopefully we can add more useful elements to the show.

5 9

J R: I think that Pretending Trees is something that could really work in a lot of cities. Project Resolu-tion would also work well, and it is a l itt le more put together. But Pretending Trees is something that could benefit a lot of actors, especially if you’re in a city where you have to go do monologues. What about Project Resolution? How has Pee Rez changed since you and Char les have really taken that over?

S H: Well, I feel l ike for one the audience has changed; of course there are some people that sti l l come from prior years but it’s changed with just new faces in general. So the fi lmmakers have changed, too. I think we’ve done our best to make it bigger, getting more involved with the fi lmmakers and providing a meeting place and outlet. I mean, ideas can change – are going to change – but we stil l have the same forum for local f i lm. And what you want to get out of the show has changed. Peo-ple wil l come in for dif ferent reasons, what they want to get from a fi lm, or how they want to make the audience feel.

J R: Do you think people sti l l provide crucial feed-back, or do you feel the feedback is a l itt le gentle overall?

S H: I think if nothing else I’m ready to be real with people. When I f ir st came to the show a lot of people were like tr ying to make feedback that was funny, and that kil led me. It was not helpful in that sense. So that’s a big thing that I think has improved.

J R: I guess it’s impor tant to give them feedback that’s not their peer’s. Because your peers are going to be gentler or tr y and be funny, and maybe want you to do things that aren’t cor rect on a technical or fi lmmaking point of view.

S H: And I think that’s been a par t of why people aren’t neces-sarily tr ying it out, because they might not see how it is useful, so we’re putting these things in there, asking more questions, to show that there is something more you can get out of it.

J R: For me, it’s a l ine between being discouraging to someone or being honest and saying something about the movie having problems, without tr ying to be discouraging. You get into an argument about that sometimes. You have to realize that your sound had issues, your fi lm wasn’t shot exactly the way it could have been shot, then you get someone else that says they re-ally enjoy that about the fi lm. And you’re like, you’re shooting down everything I’m tr ying to tell this guy to help him.

S H: Yeah, I actually just said the exact same thing like three days ago. Anyone can come to the show you know, and it’s l ike, if you don’t know what you’re talking about then don’t shoot

someone down who actually has a good point. So that’s always… I don’t know if that’s discouraging for the fi lmmaker, but it’s kind of discouraging for me though, when you want to have the show be a tool and have people get something out of it.

J R: If someone shows something and it’s god-awful great and awesome, a person has to be like excuse me shouldn’t you be showing this a lot of other places also, ‘cause that was really good.

S H: People don’t know how to respond to that usu-ally. I mean as a fi lmmaker if you go up and your stuf f is great and people say oh it’s great, I don’t know… so audience members seem to have a hard time with how to respond to good fi lms.

J R: It’s an interesting subject matter. I have talked with Todd Raviotta about movies and often we were talking a lot more about fi lms that we were weirded out by or didn’t l ike. Then that becomes the fi lm you talk about and discuss, so you have to question how that works.

S H: Well my favorite pieces that come through are the ones that are potentially good. Like, they weren’t good, but they have potential to be very good if people are wil l ing to take advice and go

6 0

back into their work. And that’s always been my goal with the show, not that it’s happened in the last few years, but to have someone bring their work, get critiqued on it, then bring it back post-critique, that’s the goal, always has been in a way to be the goal.

J R: People used to do that, redo it and bring it back in.

S H: Which would be good, because I feel it would really give someone a chance to really see how changing those problems can make your project better and be taken more seriously by everybody. Or maybe people taking the prompt more seriously and working towards a more cohesive idea.

J R: What are your feelings about each Project Res-olution having a prompt for fi lmmakers to follow?

S H: I’d l ike to see it be functional, personally. I think looking back it’s a way for the audience to get their jokes in real quick. So you have this fun-ny prompt and they get to see it on a poster that someone else spent time to draw, you know. But I really think it could be wor thwhile to have a prompt, but I would just l ike to see more people follow it.

J R: I wonder if you did something where you showed the on prompt stuf f f ir st, l ike your fi lm plays fir st if you’re on prompt. Is that a benefit?

S H: I don’t know. It could be a benefit to the fi lmmaker, to get his fi lm seen by the most people and perhaps have a critique based more on the prompt. Char les and I were talking about doing a choose your own adventure sor t of thing, where every month we’d make an on prompt movie based on what the audi-ence wanted to see happen with our fi lm, which we thought maybe could get more people interested in using the show.

J R: Being a par t of it now (Yellow House), it’s changed and is moving to a dif ferent process of creation. Where would you like to see Yellow House in the future?

S H: Well, what I l iked about them doing Beer, Chocolate or You is that it provided work for people, oppor tunities. That’s what I really l iked, but I didn’t necessarily want it to become a production company. So I l ike what Project Resolution and Pretending Trees are doing, and we just par tnered with the Silent Music Revival guys. So that gives bands oppor tunities, granted that’s not really our field per say, but it’s pretty cool and a lot of people can find out about Yellow House through that. I really l ike giving people oppor tunities; I shy away from big production companies and being more able to provide ex-perience, jobs and screenings. My personal future goals for Yellow House would be to get some more board members, grow

our foundation and do our best with the volunteer hours we all provide to expand what Yellow House does. Get a strong hold on some fundraising, which isn’t easy considering economic times, and get the Yellow House on some new programs and happen-ings in the community.

I think we’ve grown substantially in the last year since the new board took over with Yellow House, we’ve gotten ourselves an office space, sponsored several f i lms and festivals, par tnered with several organizations. I’m really happy with what we’ve done so far, but I think we can do more. I know we can do more. As much as I love the Firehouse space, as you may be able to tell from the location of all our upcoming events, I would love to branch to some new locations with new shows, broaden the Yellow House scope and really explore what we can do in the community. I’m constantly excited about what we can do with our future.

Check out Yellow House at www.yellowhouseva.org for more information and updates. Pretending Trees is October 21st at the Firehouse at 7 p.m. Silent Music Revival is at 7 p.m. at the Firehouse on Octo-ber 23rd. The Ar thouse Film Fest is October 24th at 7 p.m. at the Firehouse Theatre. Project Resolution is October 26th at the Firehouse at 7 p.m.

6 1

I ’m a huge foo tba l l f an . No t phys i ca l l y huge , we l l I do have a r ea l l y b ig head…but I d ig r ess . No th ing e ven beg ins to en te r ta in me l i ke p r o foo tba l l . T he pag-ean t r y, v io l ence and the spec tac le a r e unmatched . Fo r ge t Canad ian , a r ena , o r e ven co l l ege ba l l – i t ’ s use less to me . I t ’ s the NFL o r no th ing. And l i ke many o the r s foo tba l l f ans i n the R i c hmond a r ea , I am a t r ue -hear ted , dyed i n the woo l and comp le te ly ded i ca ted f an o f one o f t he l eagues o ldes t and mos t s to r i ed f r anch i ses—the Wash ing ton Redsk ins .

And l i ke many Redsk ins f ans I am cons i s ten t l y amazed a t the l ac k o f r espec t the Redsk ins r ece i ve f r om the na t i ona l med ia . T he Redsk ins a r e cons i s ten t l y be l i t t l ed , w r i t t en o f f and ou t r i gh t i gnor ed , much to the d i sappo in tment o f t he i r ho rdes o f f ans who wa tch hour s wor th o f NFL ta l k shows i n the v a in hope tha t they w i l l be r e warded ‘Sk ins . Fo r examp le : a f t e r a r ecen t Redsk ins v i c to r y, I waas wa tch ing an e ven ing game , hop ing aga ins t hope fo r some ha l f t ime h igh l i gh ts o f t he ‘Sk ins t r i umph . I t had been a ha rd - fough t , c lose ly sco r ed v i c to r y aga ins t an unbea ten team tha t mos t peop le seemed to th ink wer e go ing to bea t us (no t i ce he r e the use o f t he word “us” – many f ans be ing so de lus iona l t ha t they ac tua l l y cons ide r themse l ves pa r t o f t he team – and we a r e ! ! ! ) , so I was f a i r l y con f iden t tha t my pa t i ence was go ing to be r e warded . Wha t fo l l owed was comp le te ly t yp i ca l o f t he way the Redsk ins a r e t r ea ted . EVERY S INGLE GAME tha t had occur r ed tha t day, w i th the excep t ion o f t he Redsk ins , was f ea tu r ed i n the ha l f t ime h igh l i gh ts ; i n f ac t one game had TWO s to r i es on i t , w i thou t a s ing le ment ion o f t he ‘Sk ins . And then , to add

i n ju r y to i nsu l t , a s to r y abou t a f r eak ing h igh schoo l t eam wr apped up the pa the t i c p r oceed ings ! WTF?

For a l ong t ime I t hough t the p r ob lem la id i n l oca t ion o f t he team. Wash ing ton D.C . , be ing the cap i ta l c i t y o f t he USA , i s p r obab ly one o f t he mos t ha ted c i t i es i n the coun t r y, i f no t the wor ld . No t the peop le , no t the museums, no t the exce l l en t me t r o, no t the f r i c k in’ c he r r y b lossoms – bu t the gover nment . A gover nment tha t i s seen by many as a bumbl i ng, b loa ted , co r r up t and se l f - se r v ing t r aves t y o f e ve r y th ing tha t makes th i s coun t r y excep t iona l . A gover nment tha t canno t p r ov ide hea l thca r e , secur i t y o r e ven a r easonab le economic c l ima te to the ma jo r i t y o f i t s c i t i zens , bu t has no p r ob lem spend ing b i l l i ons o f do l l a r s week ly on war and the weapons tha t f ue l i t . And i t ’ s no t j us t the c i t i zens o f t h i s coun t r y tha t l ook upon D.C . w i th sco r n , i t ’ s the who le wor ld , a wor ld tha t was g loba l l y a l l i ed w i th us a f t e r Sep.11 th , and whose goodw i l l and suppor t our l eader s have managed to squander. So perhaps i n tha t ha t r ed l i es the r eason the Redsk ins a r e con t i nua l l y snubbed a t ha l f t ime . As r i d i cu lous as you may th ink i t sounds , pe rhaps tha t ove rwhe lm ing d i sda in o f D.C . and the boobs tha t r un i t has somehow ta in ted the pe r cep t ion o f our p r oud Redsk ins , a ha te by osmos i s i f you w i l l , t ha t r esu l t s i n l eg ions o f c r es t f a l l en f ans who su f f e r th r ough en t i r e ha l ves o f Ravens games, i n the s l im hope o f ge t t i ng a g l impse o f t he i r he r oes i n s low-mo, r ep lay g lo r y, and mor e impor tan t l y a tas te o f t he r espec t tha t on ly a na t ionw ide “T he Redsk ins r u le ! ” can b r ing.

Bu t a f t e r yea r s o f ca r e fu l cons ide r a t ion and d r unken r ampages I have de-c ided no, tha t ’ s no t the case . I t may we l l be t r ue , and i t may be a huge f ac to r i n the who le scheme o f th ings wor k ing aga ins t our be loved team, bu t the word “Wash ing ton” i s the wrong ha l f o f t he p r ob lem.

I t ’ s the name o f the team i t se l f – “Redsk ins . ” I t ’ s an embar r ass ing ly r ac -i s t , i nsu l t i ng te r m , no t j us t to the ances to r s o f t he Na t i ve Amer i cans who managed to su r v i ve the genoc ida l war s tha t founded our coun t r y, bu t to f r ee - th ink ing peop le e ve r ywher e ; and un t i l t he name i s c hanged the team w i l l ne ve r f i nd i t s p lace i n the e l i t e and match less pan theon tha t mar ks the bes t tha t the NFL , and i ndeed Amer i ca i t se l f, can p r oduce .

WTF?David Brockie

6 2

Whoa , I can hear the shar p i n takes o f b r ea th , t he j ee r s , t he c r ump led cop ies o f RVA Magaz ine be ing r ough ly depos i t ed i n the t r ash . Ye t f e w o f these peop le who dec r y my op in ion wou ld d i sagr ee w i th the f ac t tha t the te r m i s a r ac i s t one . T hey j us t don’ t ca r e . And tha t makes i t e ven wor se . Do I have to be so c heap as to make the obv ious s ta tement (why yes , I do…) tha t i f you ca l l ed a team the Wash ing ton “B lac ksk ins , ” the s tad ium wou ld be bur ned down? B lac k peop le wou ld no t s tand fo r tha t c r ap, and wh i te peop le know i t . Bu t r ed peop le , we l l , t hey have been so bea t down , so ass im i l a ted , so f -ed ove r tha t no t many peop le r ea l l y g i ve a damn abou t wha t they th ink . P lus we gave them the r i gh t to have cas inos on the i r l and , so wha t do they have to comp la in abou t? Bu t t r y to pu t your se l f i n the i r shoes (o r moccas ins , i f you w i l l ) . Chec k ou t th i s quo te f r om Na t i ve Amer i can ac t i v i s t , T ina Ho lde r, and see how you fee l abou t your f avo r i t e t eam’s name .

“Bac k no t so long ago, when the r e was a boun ty on the heads o f t he I nd ian peop le , t he t r apper s wou ld b r ing i n I nd ian sca lps a long w i th the o the r sk ins tha t they had managed to t r ap o r shoo t . Tr apper s and hun t -e r s began us ing the te r m ‘ r edsk in . ’ T hey wou ld te l l t he owner tha t they had bear sk in , deer sk ins . . . and ‘ r edsk ins . ’ T he te r m came f r om the b loody mess tha t one saw when look ing a t the sca lp. . . t hus the te r m ‘ r ed ’ . . .s k in . So you see when we see o r hear tha t t e r m . . .we don’ t see a foo tba l l t eam. . .we don’ t see a game be ing p layed . . .we don’ t see any ‘honor ’ . . .we see the b loody p ieces o f s ca lps tha t wer e hac ked o f f o f ou r men , women and e ven our c h i l d r en . . .we hear the sc r eams as our peop le wer e k i l l ed and ‘ sk inned ’ j us t l i ke an ima l s . So, yes . . . you can sa fe ly say tha t the te r m i s cons ide r ed ex t r eme ly o f f ens i ve . ”

Whoa ! T ha t ’ s no t too coo l ! So why hasn’ t anyone e ve r done any th ing abou t th i s? We l l t hey have ! Fo r yea r s coun t l ess ac t i v i s t s have waged a se r i es o f l ega l ba t t l es aga ins t a s l e w o f t eams a t bo th h igh schoo l and co l l ege l e ve l , somet imes w inn ing, somet imes no t . Bu t the NFL i s seem ing ly immune to th i s assau l t . And why i s tha t , dear r eader? Wa i t a m inu te…I ’m no t ask ing you . Because the NFL i s on ly sub jec t to j udg-

ments made aga ins t i t by the NFL ; so as l ong as the co f f e r s o f t he l eague ’s mos t v a luab le team (wh i c h the Redsk ins a r e) a r e f i l l ed to the b r im w i th the cash o f t he f ans , t hey a r e un l i ke ly to i nd i c t t hemse l ves . Wh i c h makes i t a l l t he be t te r to make tha t c hange now ! Wanna know why? Cons ide r th i s…

June 2009 . T he exh ib i t i on season i s ge t t i ng r eady to s ta r t , and the Redsk ins , f r esh o f f t he i r fou r th Super Bow l v i c to r y ( I can d r eam, can’ t I ? ) ho ld a p r ess con fe r ence . Owner, Dan Snyder, comp le te ly unprovoked and o f h i s own vo l i t i on , announces be fo r e the beg inn ing o f t he season tha t he i s t ak ing i t upon h imse l f t o ge t r i d o f t h i s ug ly b lo t on wha t i s o the rw i se a p r oud and wonder fu l en t i t y. He i s sc r app ing the te r m “Redsk in . ” Om igod , you mean somebody had the ba l l s to make a fo rward th ink ing dec i s ion a l l by themse l ves w i thou t be ing th r ea tened w i th l ega l ac t i on ; somebody commi t ted a cour ageous and se l f l ess ac t tha t was no t mot i v a ted by f i nanc ia l ga in? When was the l as t t ime tha t e ven happened? Has i t e ve r? You wan t to ge t r i d o f t he s te r eo type and the r ea l i t y tha t the Redsk ins (gag) a r e a bunch o f bums? Do i t , Dan ! I guar an tee tha t you w i l l go f r om be ing the mos t ha ted owner i n foo tba l l t o the mos t r espec ted OVERNIGHT ! We l l , you may have to s top hang ing ou t w i th Tom C r u i se .

And wha t wou ld you ca l l i t ? You th ink I wou ld r a i se th i s sh i t s to r m w i thou t a so -lu t i on? We l l yes , I wou ld , bu t I happen to have the answer ! Ge t r eady fo r…the Wash ing ton….WARR IORS !

I t ’ s a coo l name ! And you don’ t have to c hange squa t ! You can keep the co lo r s , t he nob le Na t i ve Amer i can war r io r imager y, a l l o f t ha t ! T he Wash ing ton War -r i o r s ! Te l l me tha t doesn’ t sound good . I t does ! And mor e than tha t , i t goes a long w i th the , you guessed i t , Wash ing ton W IZARDS ! Wiza r ds and War r io r s ! We ’ l l have hordes o f d i ce - r o l l i ng LARPY nerds com ing to games (we l l , maybe tha t pa r t suc ks) ! And i t e ven fo r ms a we i r d symmet r y w i th the o the r two p r o fess iona l t eams in town . T he Na t iona l s and the Cap i to l s , t he Wiza r ds and the War r io r s ! T hank you , thank you , I accep t the Nobe l Peace Pr i ze .

I n nex t month ’ s WTF?…Ukrop ’s i s EV IL !

6 3

I ’ m n o t n o r m a l ly d i s p o s e d t o d e fe n d a w a l k-i n g c o l o s t o my b a g l i ke K a r l R o ve , t h e s o - c a l l e d “ b r a i n ” b e h i n d t h e w o r s t p r e s i d e n t i n A m e r i c a n h i s t o r y. B u t w h e n M r. R o ve , a t t e mp t i n g t o d e n i -g r a t e fo r m e r R i ch m o n d m ay o r T i m K a i n e o n n a -

t i o n a l T V, r e c e n t ly p o i n t e d o u t t h e s m a l l n e s s o f V i rg i n i a ’ s c a p i t a l c i t y, t h e l o c a l p u n d i t s we n t b a l l i s t i c . I s h r u g ge d a n d s a i d , “ E h . ”

S o m e m ay j u d ge a c i t y ’ s s i z e b y i t s p o p u l a t i o n o r i t s l a n d m a s s ; o t h e r s m ay u s e a d i f fe r e n t b a r o m e t e r, o n e t h a t m e a s u r e s s m a l l - m i n d e d a t t i t u d e s a n d i n s t i t u t i o n a l ave r s i o n t o i n c l u -s i o n , fa i r n e s s a n d c o m m o n s e n s e . I f we u s e t h i s l a s t s t a n d a r d , we s h o u l d n o t b e t o o h a r s h o n M r. R o ve fo r c a l l i n g i t l i ke h e s e e s i t . I f we s t a ck R i ch m o n d u p a ga i n s t s o m e o f t h e c i t i e s t h a t t h e m a n a f fe c t i o n a t e ly n i ck n a m e d “ T u r d B l o s s o m ” , m e n t i o n e d o n Fa c e T h e Na t i o n , we a r e c l e a r ly n o t r e a d y fo r p r i m e t i m e .

“ W i t h a l l d u e r e s p e c t t o R i ch -m o n d , VA , i t ’ s s m a l l e r t h a n C h u l a V i s t a , CA ; Au r o r a , C O ; M e s a o r G i l b e r t , A Z ; No r t h L a s Ve ga s o r H e n d e r s o n , N V. I t ’ s n o t a b i g t ow n ,” s a i d K a r l R o ve o n C B S ’ s Fa c e t h e Na t i o n .

This Town needs An enemA Don Har r i son | Image by Br i an Hubb le

c a l l e d a r t s c e n t e r t h a t h a s n o a r t s p r o fe s s i o n a l s i n a ny r e a l p o s i t i o n s o f a u t h o r i t y. T h e c i t y d o e s t h i s a t t h e s a m e t i m e t h a t i t c o mp l e t e ly i g n o r e s l e s s e r - c o n n e c t e d g r a s s r o o t s c u l t u r a l p r o g r a m s t h a t h ave m a d e a t a n g i -b l e d i f fe r e n c e i n t h e c o m m u n i t y.

( A n d i f y o u w a n t t o ch e ck o u t t h e i n ve s t i ga t i ve e f fo r t s o f a r e a l “ b i g c i t y ” n e w s p a p e r, ch e ck o u t t h e E a s t Va l l e y T r i b u n e , s e r v i n g M e s a , A r i z o n a . I t d o e s n ’ t s e e m t o b e a f r a i d o f r u f f l i n g t h e fe a t h e r s o f b u s i n e s s b i g w i g s , u n -l i ke s o m e o t h e r d a i l i e s y o u c o u l d n a m e . )

S p e a k i n g o f M e s a , d i d y o u k n ow t h a t i t b o a s t s t h e l a rg -e s t p e r fo r m i n g a r t s c e n t e r i n t h e s t a t e o f A r i z o n a ? A n d w h i l e t h e M e s a A r t s C e n t e r w a s p u b l i c ly f u n d e d t h r o u g h a c i t y s a l e s t a x i n c r e a s e , i t w a s vo t e r - a p p r o ve d . I n o t h -e r w o r d s , t h e p e o p l e o f M e s a g o t t h e ch a n c e t o ch o o s e w h e t h e r o r n o t t h e y w a n t e d t h e i r l o c a l t a xe s r a i s e d t o b u i l d a r e g i o n a l c u l t u r a l fa c i l i t y.

C o mp a r e t h a t t o R i ch m o n d , w h e r e g r o c e r y s t o r e ow n e r s a n d t o b a c c o c o mp a ny e xe c s c a l l t h e s h o t s o n e ve r y t h i n g f r o m h ow h i g h t a xe s a r e t o w h o y o u r p u b l i c s ch o o l s u -p e r i n t e n d e n t i s , a n d c a n ’ t e ve n h o l d o n e s i n g l e p u b l i c m e e t i n g t o d i s c u s s t h e s p e c i f i c s o f t h e i r p u b l i c ly- f u n d -e d $ 5 0 m i l l i o n d o l l a r a r t s p r o j e c t .

A ga i n : W h i ch i s t h e b i g c i t y ? A n d w h i ch i s t h e p l a c e r u n l i ke a s m a l l t ow n c o u n t r y c l u b ?

Ta ke o p e n n e s s a n d a c c o u n t a b i l i t y. C h u l a V i s t a , C a l i -fo r n i a a n d G i l b e r t , A r i z o n a m a ke a n e x t e n s i ve o n l i n e a r ch i ve o f c i t y c o u n c i l m e e t i n g s av a i l a b l e t o r e s i d e n t s . R i ch m o n d d o e s n o t . A n d w h i l e C h u l a V i s t a d o e s a p p e a r t o a l i g n i t s e l f w i t h R i ch m o n d ’ s “ No D e ve l o p e r L e f t B e -h i n d ” m e n t a l i t y a n d i s n _ t i mp e r v i o u s t o C i t y H a l l s c a n -d a l , i t c a n s o m e h ow f i n d t h e b a l l s a n d t h e w h e r e w i t h a l t o t a ke s t r o n g s t a n d s o n e n v i r o n m e n t a l i s s u e s , s u ch a s g l o b a l w a r m i n g .

H ow a b o u t c o mp e t e n c e ? C h u l a V i s t a r e c e i ve s h i g h m a r k s fo r t h e w ay i t ke e p s i t s f i n a n c i a l h o u s e i n o r d e r. R i ch -m o n d o f f i c i a l s c a n ’ t e ve n a g r e e o n w h a t b u d ge t t h e y a r e u s i n g . A n d t h e r e a r e n o n e i g h b o r i n g c o m m u n i t i e s d e s p e r a t e ly t r y i n g t o d i s t a n c e i t s e l f f r o m C h u l a V i s t a b e c a u s e t h e y a r e e m b a r r a s s e d t o b e a s s o c i a t e d w i t h i t ( s e e H e n r i c o ’ s r e c e n t s u c c e s s i o n f r o m V i rg i n i a ) .

I f y o u w a n t t o t a l k a b o u t t h e a r t s , l o o k a t H e n d e r s o n , Ne v a d a . I t h a s o n e o f t h e n a t i o n ’ s m o s t v i b r a n t a r t s c o m m u n i t i e s . Fo r t h a t , t h e c i t y ’ s r e s i d e n t s c a n t h a n k H e n d e r s o n ’ s D e p a r t m e n t o f C u l t u r a l A r t s a n d To u r i s m , w h i ch w a s fo r m e d i n 2 0 0 6 t h r o u g h a n i n n o v a t i ve r e -a l i g n m e n t o f c i t y s e r v i c e s r a t h e r t h a n h i g h e r t a xe s . H e n d e r s o n a l s o h i r e d a r e c o g n i z e d c u r a t o r, p r o d u c e r a n d a d v i s o r o n a r t s a d m i n i s t r a t i o n a n d p r o g r a m m i n g t o k i ck s t a r t t h e d e p a r t m e n t . J u s t i m a g i n e . . .

R i ch m o n d , m e a n w h i l e , s h ow s i t s a r t s a n d c u l t u r a l m e d -d l e b y r a i s i n g t h e c i t y ’ s m e a l s t a x ( w h i ch d i s p r o p o r -t i o n a t e ly a f fe c t s l owe r - i n c o m e r e s i d e n t s ) t o f u n d a s o -

6 6

o u t - o f - t h e - b ox t h i n k i n g i s w h a t i s r e qu i r e d w h e n y o u a r e s t u ck i n a b ox l i ke R i ch m o n d ’ s .

T h i n k a b o u t i t . H ave r e c e n t e ve n t s i n o t h e r c i t i e s b e e n l i ke n e d t o a c o u p d ’ é t a t o r a n e p i s o d e o f T h e S o p r a n o s ? D o c o mp e t e n t p u b l i c s e r v a n t s , a n d m i n o r l e a g u e b a s e -b a l l t e a m s , a b r u p t ly e x i t o t h e r c o m m u n i t i e s t h e w ay t h e y h a u l a s s o u t t a R i ch m o n d ? D o l e a d e r s i n G i l b e r t o r H e n d e r s o n p u r p o s e ly s h i e l d f r o m t a x p aye r s h ow p u b l i c m o n e y i s s p e n t o n p r i v a t e p r o j e c t s i n i t i a t e d b y fa t c a t c a mp a i g n c o n t r i b u t o r s , a s B i l l Pa n t e l e d i d t o h e l p b u i l d h i s c a mp a i g n w a r ch e s t ? D o b u s i n e s s l e a d e r s a n d m ay-o r a l c a n d i d a t e s i n p l a c e s l i ke M e s a o r Au r o r a b a n d t o -ge t h e r t o p r o p o s e t a k i n g vo t i n g r i g h t s aw ay f r o m o r d i -n a r y c i t i z e n s ( s e e R o b e r t G r e y a n d t h e i n fa m o u s “ G a n g o f 2 6 ” l e t t e r ) ? We l c o m e t o R i ch m o n d .

K a r l R o ve d e s e r ve s n o t h i n g b u t c o n t e mp t , i t ’ s t r u e . H e d e b a s e s A m e r i c a n p o l i t i c s b y h i s m e r e p r e s e n c e b e fo r e a p u n d i t ’ s p o d i u m . B u t o n t h e s u b j e c t o f R i ch m o n d , V i r -g i n i a a n d “ s m a l l t ow n s ” , m e t h i n k s we p r o t e s t j u s t a b i t t o o m u ch i n R i ve r C i t y. Ta ke a h a r d l o o k a t t h i s ye a r ’ s m ay o r a l r a c e a n d y o u c a n fe e l e ve r y b i t t h e s m a l l n e s s o f t h e c i t y, a n d h ow i t m ay s h r i n k f u r t h e r ye t . W i t h h i s i n fa m o u s c o m m e n t s , R o ve m ay h ave a c t u a l ly d i s l o d ge d a g r a i n o f t r u t h , a n d e ve n a b r o ke n c l o ck i s r i g h t t w i c e a d ay.

D o n H a r r i s o n i s a R i ch m o n d - b a s e d w r i t e r a n d t h e c o -fo u n d e r o f S ave r i ch m o n d . c o m

We n e e d a ch a n ge , fo l k s , b u t i t a i n ’ t c o m i n g qu i ck o r s o o n . T h e c a n d i d a t e s t h a t we h ave r u n n i n g fo r m ay o r c o u l d n ’ t b e m o r e d i f fe r e n t f r o m e a ch o t h e r. B u t w h e n y o u l i s t e n t o t h e m d e b a t e , a s I h ave s e ve r a l t i m e s n ow, t h e d i f fe r e n c e i s c l e a r : o n ly Pa u l G o l d m a n r e a l ly k n ow s w h a t h e ’ s t a l k i n g a b o u t . H e ’ s t h e o n ly a s p i r a n t w i t h a g r a s p o f t h e c i t y ’ s f i s c a l ch a l l e n ge s , t h e o n ly o n e r e a l ly t a k i n g a s t a n d o n s u p p o r t i n g s u ch i mp o r t a n t i n i t i a t i ve s a s t h e D ow n t ow n M a s t e r P l a n , t h e o n ly o n e t o s t u mp o n g r e a t e r c i t i z e n i n c l u s i o n a n d i n vo lve m e n t ( h e p r o p o s e s a c i t i z e n - l e d Un i t y C o u n c i l t o a d v i s e C i t y H a l l ) . H e ’ s c l e a r ly t h e s m a r t e s t , m o s t qu a l i f i e d a n d m o s t i n c l u s i ve . H e ’ s a l s o t h e c r a n k i e s t , h a s a Ya n ke e a c c e n t a n d i s fo n d o f e l a b o r a t e m o t i o n p i c t u r e a n a l o g i e s i n h i s p r e s s r e -l e a s e . H e r e i n R i ch m o n d h e h a s n ’ t g o t a ch a n c e .

W hy ? No t b e c a u s e h e d o e s n ’ t h ave i d e a s , h e ’ s g o t t h o s e i n s p a d e s ; b u t b e c a u s e h e h a s n ’ t r e c e i ve d e n o u g h s u p -p o r t f r o m t h e r i ch R e p u b l i c a n s w h o h ave t r a d i t i o n a l ly p u l l e d R i ch m o n d ’ s p u p p e t s t r i n g s , R o b e r t G r e y i s t h e i r c a n d i d a t e . F r o m d e ve l o p e r s s a l i v a t i n g o ve r p r e c i o u s r i ve r v i e w s , t h o s e w o u l d b e B i l l Pa n t e l e ’ s p e o p l e . F r o m a t i r e d c i t y D e m o c r a t i c m a ch i n e r e s p o n s i b l e fo r t h e w a s t e f u l ( o f t e n c o r r u p t ) l e a d e r s h i p t h a t p r o vo ke d t h e c i t y t o b e g i n e l e c t i n g i t s ow n m ay o r, t h a t w o u l d b e t h e vo t i n g b l o ck b e h i n d D w i g h t J o n e s .

B u t t h i s p a r t i c u l a r e l e c t i o n c o m e s a t a p i vo t a l t i m e i n t h e c i t y ’ s h i s t o r y w h e n we s e e m t o n e e d b o t h o u t - o f -t h e - b ox i d e a s a n d b a s i c c o mp e t e n c e f r o m o u r m ay o r. S o G o l d m a n , t o m e , i s t h e o b v i o u s , i f f l awe d ch o i c e . A n d

6 7

TO THE FIFTY STARS…Ian M. Graham

Everyone is calling her Caribou Barbie, but I still prefer Moose-burger.

I’m sorry I called you an idiot. Honestly, on bended knee. You were supposedly all excited about Sarah Palin, and, well, that kind of scared the shit out of me. If the best math I can find about the polls is correct (www.fivethir tyeight.com), then the Obama/Biden ticket leads the nation by a healthy margin, including sweet, sweet Virginia. Oh, Virginia, your leaves are beginning to turn as the first true autumn gusts now dash down the streets, which, less than a month ago, held a humid stink as if it had been painstak-ingly laid there like strips of hazy sod. Another week, another Redskins victory (on the road, nonetheless!), another debate. We have suffered two of these debacles of disputation, and as I write, we are under a hundred hours away from the next rhetorical ruckus. As this is the second debate in under a week, I feel like I’ve found a twenty in the pocket of a jacket that’s been on a hook since early spring, gathering the scent of mothballs and cat hair through the tepid months.

In the first debate John McCain, polemical and confrontational as his maverick moniker would denote, swung low, repeatedly, pre-ceding every answer with a firm statement of his opponent’s lack

of experience or knowledge on the subject at hand. He may have won the debate from a tactical point of view – he put Obama on the defensive, constantly. But this isn’t a boxing match, swinging low and counting on a knockout win to make up for the lost points won’t work. This is a popularity contest, literally, save the Electoral College, and McCain came off as contemptuous, condescending and cantankerous. Those who had not tuned in for the Democrat’s debates may have even been disappointed with Obama, having only been familiar with his impeccable oratory but unknowing that Master Debater, he is not.

But anything that Obama could have done wrong was eas-ily outweighed by McCain’s general demeanor. When Mc-Cain does his awkward little laugh, he looks like he’s doing an impression of John Stewar t’s impression of Dubya. That’s how you looked, Senator! Not like an ass, but an impression of one, and the electoral math is getting shitty for you, Senator. Obama holds a lead in Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida and Colorado. If Obama wins any of those states, he’ll win the election, and if McCain loses any of them, he’ll almost cer tainly loose the election. If he looses two or three of those battleground states – which is looking likely – it would take a major upset in a Demo-crat stronghold like Minnesota or Michigan for McCain to even have a chance.

It seems, America, that despite insane record viewing, the VP debate and Sarah Palin’s supposed success has left little impression on you. Obama is up by a noticeable por tion since the VP debate, and McCain’s campaign has announced internally that they will be stepping up the negative adver-tising, the sign of a beast that knows it’s on it’s back. All the winks, memorized catch phrases, and bits of folksy dic-tion pale in the light of Palin’s firm, stated refusal to answer most of the fucking questions. An ar ticle warning of Palin’s debate skills, written by former Alaska Republican Andrew Halcro (available at http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1001/p09s01-coop.html), warned that Palin is utterly impossible to debate: “She’s a master, not of facts, figures, or insightful policy recommendations, but at the fine ar t of the nonanswer, the glittering generality. Against such charms there is little Senator Biden, or anyone, can do.” Perhaps Mr. Halcro thinks that the Alaskan Electorate is made up of vapid evangelicals who, when they hear some key term or concept that rings true with them, like hockey practice, or a politician stating that they do not understand politics, will forget that a ques-tion was even asked and absorb the practiced sound bite like a sugared pill taken with brandy.

I only know one Alaskan, at least among people I’ve person-ally met (I have heard from quite a few Alaskans on several forums, as well). She’s quite bright, young and working hard. She’s married and has two kids and is scared shitless about

6 8

two things: her savings (401k and college funds) and the prospect of Sarah Palin being in a position of wide interna-tional influence. She says that Mooseburger has been good for the state. The previous governor, in my sole source’s opinion, was a schmuck of a grand caliber, and Palin isn’t driving the state into the ground, so she’s got one up on the incumbent. My friend from the real Nor th America is also easily smar t enough to see through the third grade shout-outs and “you betchas”, and see someone who is not only not prepared for the office she seeks, but she is truly clueless as to her own inadequacy.

Palin directly contradicted McCain’s stance on intervention in the Middle East. She missed the name of the general she was misquoting. She even talked down to Joe Biden regard-ing not knowing if one of your kids would survive the night, and what’s the worst of it to me is that I don’t think she even knew that Biden’s two sons barely survived the car accident that claimed his wife and daughter. I hope beyond belief that not a single person more than the number of Americans who still approve of Bush’s administration found her proved as a legitimate, adequate par t of a presidential bid.

Now, America, I’d like to consider this matter settled. Palin is, of course, going back under a veritable media blackout, as she has been under for the last five weeks. This save for the disastrous interviews that were the coffin nails of the

prospect of her ever trying to hold her own in an uncontrolled situation, so it’s useless to discuss it much fur ther (I suspect I will dine on those words). Perhaps it’s a political tease attempt by the Republicans; if you think you’ve seen every-thing, think again! Wait ‘til she’s in office, making Dan Quayle look like Kofi Annan! She’ll wink at the Saudis when she goes to the UN; they’ll drop their lattes, go bug-eyed, and it will be hilarious. But seriously... who watches this shit?

How’s the dollar, America? Sigh, America, I sigh. Someone, a very creative and free-thinking individual, Eva, complimented my first letter to you, and when the discussion arose, she put for th her intention of either not voting, or voting for a third par ty, because Joe Biden holds some very shitty opinions. She isn’t down with:

1. THE PATRIOT ACT2. THE DRUG WAR3. AN END TO NET NEUTRALITYAnd neither am I. I’m not going to claim for a minute that I think Joe Biden isn’t a scumbag in his own right. The first two items above are serious impediments to freedom at large in this country, and the third might be if the wrong people push the legislation written by the giant telecoms. Obama does balance the net neutrality por tion; however, as one of the

first things that drew me to him as a candidate was his clear, forward-thinking stance on the subject. He and Biden voted for telecom immunity, which is a crock, and they both voted for the Wall Street bailout package, which is a bad deal for the taxpayers. Obama voted for ethanol subsidies, and it was pure pandering to Ohio (ethanol is a problematic, limited-application fuel source that hur ts our food supply, and Obama knows that). But I’m willing to look past all of these things, and here’s why:

Barack Obama and Joe Biden are politicians. I know that. They agree to things for political reasons sometimes, but I think I can generally trust them with the course of our nation. They cer tainly aren’t the populist war-mongering Democrats of the past. John McCain is a semi-senile prick on the level of Nixon, and Sarah Palin is not only batshit crazy, but she’s also utterly convinced that she knows the true word of God. I told Eva that she was throwing her vote away (actually, she owned up to it), that Virginia is a battleground state, and we really need her vote here. She’s still registered to vote in California, she tells me. Oh, really? Shit, vote for Putin! California is so uncontestedly for Obama that her absentee ballot will likely, literally never be counted.

But for the rest of you, America (and especially you, Virginia):

DON’T FUCK THIS UP. Love, Ian

ww

w.st

icky

ricef

an.co

m

ww

w.st

icky

ricef

an.co

m

FUTURE PR M ATIVE

THE SEASONS ARE CHANGING AND SO IS RICHMOND. AS NEW SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS ARE OPENING IN PREVIOUSLY ABANDONED BUILDINGS, KIDS WHO NEVER THOUGHT THEY’D CARE ABOUT FASHION ARE CREATING LOCAL

CLOTHING LABELS.

ALL THE T-SHIRTS FEATURED IN THIS SPREAD ARE THE DESIGNS OF RICHMOND AND DC INDEPENDENT LABELS. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IN THIS CITY.

7 3

74

7 5

7 6

7 7

ART DIRECTION: CASEY LONGYEAR

PHOTOGRAPHY: NICK GHOBASHI

STYLIST: CASEY LONGYEAR

MODELS: ERICA LAGER, ROB LEE, ADAM PALMORE, JOSH SWYERS, KENNY CLOSE, JOSH EPPERSON, CHRIS BURKE, JOEL TORRES, STEVE CONAWAY, VICTOR DAVIS, CHRIS BRADSHAW AND ERIN VOSKERITCHIAR

CLOTHING PROVIDED BY: HENRY / THEHENRYGALLERY.COM FLUX RAD / FLUXRADT.BIGCARTEL.COMANIMAL GLITCHES / ETSY.COM DURKL / DURKL.COMSUBSTANCE / SUBSTANCEONE.COMDANK / DANKCONNECTIONS.COMTHIEF / WWW.MYSPACE.COM/THIEFCLOTHESJIM CALLAHAN / NOWHERESKATEBOARDS.COMHOSPITALITY / HOSPITALITYVA.COMDOMINION / DOMINIONSKATEBOARDS.COM+ SERVICE

7 8