—————Issue #9 ● FREE!

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local music news and events publication available on a

monthly basis for free. Content is property of Threat Con

Nation and its affiliates. We encourage sharing, but

please ask for permission before using any excerpts or

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Front Page: Johnny Ray Taylor Other Photo Credits: Melissa McGregor, Cher Wilkes, Stefan Ad-cock, PointDexter, Among The Betrayed Marketing / Advertising Director: Shawn Ernst Editor: M Montez Contributing Writers: Johnna Dean, Shawn Ernst, M Montez, Stefan Adcock, Tonya Whitworth, Nathan Giguiere, Cher Wilkes, Allison Campbell

CONTACT/SUBMISSIONS: Please feel free to contact us with any press releases, band news, event flyers, love letters, hate letters, original artwork, photos and anything else you would like to share. Threat Con Nation is currently seeking fiction, non-fiction, and poetry that is local music or arts related. If you would like to submit original written work for publication consideration, please include your name, images, and any links/info you would like to add. Advertising is available. Contact us for more information.

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4 Threat Con Nation Magazine

SACRAMENTO’S SINGER SONGWRITER, JOHNNY RAY TELLS US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIMSELF

Threat Con Nation Magazine 5

continued

Describe the first experience with music that inspired

you to be a performer.

I’ve been into music my whole life. My dad grew up play-

ing the guitar and singing and when I was young, my dad

would sing and play the guitar. That pretty much was the

first inspiration for me.

My first song that I really wrote was just lyrics and I was

about 8 years old. I started singing. I would practice sing-

ing all the time and I listened to whatever my dad would

listen to, so I practiced to The Alan Parsons Project and

music like that.

I didn’t know exactly that I wanted to be a performer until I

got older. When I was about 13 years old or so, my broth-

er got a guitar and we started playing guitar from there. I

knew I wanted to do this for a living. I couldn’t imagine

myself doing anything else. My dream was to perform and

travel the world.

What is the most important quality for an aspiring

performer to have?

I think the most important quality is originality and being

creative. Having that spirit of innovation in music is im-

portant. You can be inspired by people and you can learn

from people, but I think there’s a certain amount of talent

that comes from within that needs to be tapped into. Any-

body can learn an instrument or learn how to sing, but if

it’s not internal, it’s just not the same. It has to be a true

passion and you have to be in synch with it. I feel like

there is a spirit of music and people who are open

enough to receive that spirit, no matter what genre, if

you’re open and receptive to that, then anything is possi-

ble.

What inspires you to write songs?

Anything can inspire me. I’ve noticed I go through phases

in my music. A lot of songs lately have been love songs

and most of the time I’m not even in love or with some-

body. I’m single and maybe that’s a foreshadow of some-

thing I want in the future, I don’t know, but I think the main

thing that inspires me are melodies.

There are certain musicians that make you want to move,

make you want to dance, and make you want to sing. So

I feel that there are certain things that come together and

there are a multitude of things that happen. I definitely

think the inspiration comes from around me. The world,

people, opinions, news, beliefs, and so on.

What is your biggest unknown influence?

My brother Travis has influenced me more than anybody.

He helped me understand the progression of music and

how to become a better musician. I’ve probably had more

constructive criticism from him that anybody. That’s what

pushed me more. If there’s anyone I wanted to impress

with my music, it would be him.

Which comes first for you when creating a song, the

lyrics or the melody?

It used to be that the lyrics came first and the melody

would be a part of that, just the way the lyrics were put

together. Once I stared playing instruments, it became a

challenge to write the music and put the lyrics to the mu-

sic, but sometimes I can change it around. It’s been a

transition for me to discover I can write the songs from

music first or from lyrics first now.

I do think there is a spirit to music. I read something about

Mozart where he would write almost fully orchestrated

pieces from start to finish and be flawless. There’s so

many of my songs that have come together almost with a

mind of its own. To see that quality in other artists just

makes me think that there is something larger than my-

self. A certain energy in music that is brought about in

people that are receptive to it. I feel that’s where it all

comes from.

What music do you listen to that you would say is

your guilty pleasure?

I’m not sure. The crazy thing is I really don’t listen to mu-

sic that much. Everybody thinks because I’m a musician, I

listen to different kinds of music, but I listen to music may-

be a few times a month. I mainly work on my own stuff in

my spare time. When I do listen to music, I like to dance,

so maybe some dubstep, hip hop, and old school stuff. It

puts me in a certain zone and like I said about music, I

feel there’s a certain spirit to dancing too. It’s almost like

I’m wearing a different hat and I become in another state.

When I listen to music, I try to put myself in that place and

get in that zone.

What are the pros and cons of street performance

verses stage performance?

With street performance, you can reach a lot of people at

one time, with the amount of people who are just passing

by and you can earn money at the right locations. You

also run into the possibility of being kicked out of your

spot or you might have less people walking by and you

might not get the response you are hoping for. Some

people may criticize you. You never know what to expect

from street performing.

You have all these people that come together for stage

6 Threat Con Nation Magazine

performances. Whether they’re there to see you or not,

they are more receptive to you. It’s a chance to showcase

your talent and gain a lot of fans. There is more pressure

to be flawless, which can be a little inhibiting, and there

are so many things that can go wrong that can’t be

anticipated as far as scheduling and the music business

in general.

Are you working on an album?

Yes. I want to get it done as soon as possible, but I’m tak-

ing my time because I want it to be a high quality product.

I have several songs, over 24 piano songs and 10 guitar

songs. I have enough for a few albums. I guess I’m over-

due for an album or two. I’ve been working with a produc-

er and hopefully we’ll see it coming out next year.

What advice would you give to new aspiring song-

writers?

The best advice that I could give is to take it slow and to

learn as much as you can. It’s easy to get caught up in

trying to figure it out and that’s how I was. I didn’t want to

learn anyone else’s songs when I first started playing. I

just wanted to write my own songs and I wanted to learn

on my own. I didn’t care to learn theory or anything like

that. I finally started to get serious and started to learn

from other artists. I started to learn more about theory.

When you try to learn someone else’s songs, it gives you

more ideas to work with and you can see the different

patterns and shapes. I think that’s important. When you

can discover where you can go.

Just because you know all of the pieces to an engine,

doesn’t mean you know how to put an engine together.

You have to know where everything goes together and

how everything works together. I think that’s what making

music is like. Building something that is going to work and

to have the right tools in your tool belt. Paying attention to

the ways other people put songs together helps you pro-

gress. Take your time with it, practice. Main thing is prac-

tice everyday.

http://www.reverbnation.com/johnnyraytaylor

Threat Con Nation Magazine 7

Daisy Elisabeth Clark: “You're an extremely talented man Johnny. You continue to amaze me every time I tune into your music. You're very knowledgeable and I can say I'm very pleased to know a man like you. You're inspirational. I want to get out there so bad and you have an open door for me and it's a shame I can't join you in this jour-ney. Maybe sometime I can. You take music to a whole new level. No one sings the way you and I do any-more. We let it pulse through our veins, we believe what we play and sing. And that's the beauty of it. Peo-ple truly don't understand that our music is a diary screaming out loud and that they can do with it what they want. To know and love and portray music as we do, is not only a privilege, but a sacrifice. And I'm so glad I can say I'm on the same wavelength with someone when they do portray their music. That's how you are; purely amazing and you continue to keep me on my toes. Someday we’ll have to do a duet. Because I would love nothing more than to share that experience with you. I know that you'll feel it the same way I do. And to me, that's the most beautiful thing ever.”

Jared Lanning: “Well Johnny Ray Taylor in the short time I've known you, music has been your soul. While me and your sister started dating she always talked about how all you did was play music and practice all hours of the day. That's not someone who wants to do it because there is money in it or fame that is someone who lives through music. The talent you have pours through your veins and that's why I have from day one listen to all your music put 100% faith behind you and your music. I will continue to be your support system as will most of your family and friends and use my sources in any way to help get your story out there through your music so every one can get to know the "real" Johnny Ray.”

Kathy White: “A very kind hearted young man. Even when he's dealt lemons he makes lemonade. I've known YOU since you were a young boy and watch you grow into this loving man. You were always polite and appreciated everything. You don't take things or people for granted. You love big. You have your priorities in order. You know who you are and where you want to be. You are very focused. I love you Johnny Ray Taylor as my own son. You already are great, now you are just doing great things.”

Lizette Jaramillo: “Johnny ray Taylor a buddy on the "interweb" and no I have yet to meet him. But from what I've seen is this man is ridiculously talented it blows my mind , to a level That Only Some Musicians Can Hit . You can liter-ally hear how he carries him self through his music and Just How Soulful He Is. he is one who was born to do what he does and I respect that .& that my friend is who Johnny ray Taylor is through my eyes . ..... &dude this is for you It really doesn't matter if you pick it or not I just wanted you to know how much I re-spect you.”

Adrianne Adda Litts: "I met him once, for about 5 minutes... but I could feel his passion for music exploding out from his soul and it penetrated my reality so deeply that I know listening to his music (which I have not yet heard) will be an experience that makes life worth living. Johnny Ray is genuine, straight down to his core. That is something that has been lost in our society. If his music can even slightly encourage one person to think about being as genuine, compassionate, and full of vigor as he is... it is by far worth spreading that music to millions."

JOHNNY ASKS HIS FANS, “WHO IS JOHNNY RAY?” AND THEY HAD PLENTY TO SAY...

8 Threat Con Nation Magazine

Threat Con Nation Magazine 9

A s I was preparing to get in the right state of mind for summer, there was some other prepping go-

ing on. When I got word of a mu-sic fest, I was pretty damn excited. Every summer there are events that surround the greater Sacra-mento area, but I knew this one was going to leave a mark on the local music community. I know, May is not officially summertime, but it was still a good way to get it started.

May 16th - 18th was a weekend I know a lot of locals were looking forward to. As Rise Entertainment was getting ready to bring us The Colonial Music Fest, We, the fans, were getting ready to let loose and enjoy bands that were ready to give us their all.

The Colonial Music Fest was held at the Colonial Theatre in Sacramento. The theatre opened it’s doors in the 1940’s and would later provide a tre-mendous amount of entertainment which can still be found. In the 40’s, it was mostly used as a movie theater, but now houses local music shows, art ex-hibits and a ton of other events- including The Colo-nial Music Festival.

The Colonial Music Fest, put together by Rise Enter-tainment, is a HUGE 3 day event consisting of local bands from all over. They come together to provide good quality music for the fans.

Day 2, hosted by Soundz of Norcal, would begin at ten in the morning on Saturday May 17th and not end until midnight. There were 20 something bands on the bill and we are talking about the kinds of bands that had a little something for everyone with plenty of entertainment to keep the attendee’s en-gaged.

The weather was hot as F@#K, but the moment I stepped in the theatre, it felt like being at home. air conditioner was blowing and the concession stand was ready for me to raid it. As time passed through-out the day, more people came packing the theater. People gathered at the front of the stage. The place filled and the excitement ensued.

I talked to Edward of Rise Entertainment a few days after that weekend and he seemed happy with the outcome. Edward himself is no stranger to the local

entertainment busi-ness, being the drummer of the Sacramento punk band, The Bar Fly Effect who also put on a helluva show on the 17th.

If you missed this outstanding event then do yourself a favor by staying up to date with Rise Entertainment because there is no telling what kind of bad@ssery they have up their sleeve next.

MAY 16th

MAY 17th

MAY 18th

You can stay up to date with Rise Entertainment on:

facebook.com/RISEENTERTAIN

Photos Courtesy of

Melissa McGregor Designs & Photography

10 Threat Con Nation Magazine

T here are roughly 6,900 languages spoken on this crazy round odd ball called earth, but discussing the cultural differences of spoken language is not

my intention. There is another unspoken language that can be understood across many borders and cultures.

After having the opportunity of speaking with Bobby Campbell, an accomplished percussionist and member of Sacramento’s heavy rock band, Skin of Saints, it became apparent that the universal language of music is not just a new-wave spiritual philosophy. During our chat, I learned that Bobby has been to several different coun-tries and his experiences validate music as a universal language.

Bobby Campbell lives a life that most of us wish we could. He is a talented musician that is involved in sever-al projects and there is something about him that I find mysterious. If you see this guy on the streets, he will be happy to have a friendly chat, but if you catch him while he’s on stage, well, that man turns into a beast. He seems to be in a bubble that no one has the power to pop. He is, in a sense, opening a realm of immortality that speaks to us in its own language.

At a young age, Bobby showed an interest in music and has been a performing percussionist for 30 plus years in various genres. He started on a path that led to perform-ing with many musicians from all walks of life and through his travels, he has become acquainted with different cul-tures. He found himself overcoming language barriers and striking up impromptu jam sessions with the locals whom he couldn’t communicate with verbally.

“Whether you speak English, German, Italian, or whatev-er, we can all communicate through the language of mu-sic.” Bobby says.

This really got me wondering. How can a musician

communicate without a common language?

Have you been caught moving your body or singing out loud in your car? Have you ever heard a band play a song that just hits home for you? If that song makes you want to break windows or simply makes you reminisce of something in the past, you understood it in a way that made you respond emotionally.

Like language, music is a sequence of sounds. When arranged a particular way, those sounds express emo-tions at a primal level. This is especially prevalent in per-cussion instruments because of the psychological effect rhythm has on the listener and percussion instruments are some of the oldest in the world.

From a fan’s perspective, we all relate to music in a dif-ferent fashion, but what about musician to musician? How do they communicate when language is an obsta-cle?

*Researchers at Johns Hopkins University's School of Medicine in Baltimore tracked brain activity as two jazz musicians played pieces from memory and then engaged in an improvisation. They discovered that areas of the brain associated with syntax and language were very ac-tive as the musicians were improvising.

What this means is musicians can feed off of each other while they perform in the same way people have back-and-forth conversations. The brain responds similarly.

There’s a lot of power behind the psychology of music as a means of communication and one more reason to hug a musician.

Rock on Bobby F♫♪kin’ Campbell!

You can learn more about Bobby Campbell and Skin Of Saints at www.skinofsaints.net.

*Info collected from live science.com

Threat Con Nation Magazine 11

CONTACT/SUBMISSIONS: Please feel free to contact us with any press releases, band news, event flyers, love let-ters, hate letters, original artwork, photos and anything else you would like to share. Threat Con Nation is currently seeking fic-

tion, non-fiction, and poetry that is local music or arts related. If you would like to submit original written work, please include your name and any links you would like to add. Advertising is available. Contact us for more information.

facebook.com/TCNMagazine Info@ThreatConNation.com

I 've been a fan of Twitch Angry for a few years, so when I got the chance to be a roadie for the band and travel north for a 2 day show in Magalia, California,

(somewhere near Chico) I Jumped at the opportunity. I had some idea of what being a roadie was, but I didn’t have a clue of how hard it really was until I saw all the equipment that had to be lifted and hauled into the bus. I wasn't allowed to carry the real heavy equipment, but I did do my share of heavy lifting. Because I remembered to bend my knees, my back survived, but by day 2, my legs felt like jello. I loved every minute of it though. It was an experience I never would have gotten if I had just sat back and watched while others did all the hard work.

The event was a Musical Memorial put together by Anne McGeehan in memory of her twin brother Aaron McGeehan, who had died in March of this year. Anne, who grew up in Santa Cruz and has been a huge Norcal local band fan most of her life, has performed in a hard-core metal band and a punk band herself. Anne had also recently lost her fiancé one week before the wedding, so the power of healing through music is something she knows a lot about.

Her precocious 11 year old daughter, Lilith McGeehan, dressed in skinny jeans and a Twitch Angry shirt. She told me how music has always been in her life. Her fond-est memory of her uncle Aaron was the time he danced around and hung her upside down when she was little.

Chase, who grew up with Anna & Aaron in Santa Cruz, but now lives in Louisiana, took a plane ride to be at the event. Chase lost his daughter, Amanda, 2 years ago at the young age of 21. He took this opportunity to be with his childhood friends and not only celebrate Aarons life, but the life of his lost daughter Amanda. Chase was so fun to hang out with, his spirit and his kindness was con-tagious. The best compliment I received was when Chase told me that Aaron McGeehan was a big jester and he would have loved jumping up & down and danc-ing with me!.

Oscar, the lead singer of Gunmetal Grey lost his grand-son, only 4 days before the show. His strength and his love for his grandson showed in his performance.

The idea of celebrating the loss of loved ones through music was felt everywhere and I didn't feel sadness or anger coming from anyone the whole time I was there.

-Crazy Cher

METAL ON THE MOUNTAIN

WITH CRAZY CHER

12 Threat Con Nation Magazine

K evin Kinsella has been a fixture of Folsom’s live music scene for quite a few years. I can vividly remember watching his band, Pointdexter, play their hearts out at The Boardwalk in far off year

of 2007. Ever since those days, Pointdexter has been a force to be reckoned with in the local music scene. They have played everywhere from The Boardwalk, to the Kev-in Says Stage at Warped Tour, to Memorial Auditorium, and everywhere in between. They have also tapped vari-ous local resources at Fat Cat recording studios, where they produced their first album NeoAnomaly in 2009-2010 and On the Surface in 2011, and are currently working on a new album, which is currently untitled.

Fronted by Kinsella, Pointdexter has gone through a few line-up changes since its original incarnation. On guitar they have David Albertson, who is also involved with a myriad of other projects all across the Sacramento area. Kinsella’s diverse musical influences coupled with Alber-ston’s mastery of his instrument make for a very dynamic songwriting venture. Additionally, they are currently backed up by Jarom Horner on bass and Christian Klaus-ner on drums. Together, they form one very tight and co-hesive unit, that makes for the perfect combination of ex-cellent showmanship, and bombastic sound.

I caught up with Kinsella in his Folsom home one day, just to catch up. Lately, aside from Pointdexter, Kinsella has been instrumental in putting together Folsom Live for 2014. It is getting a face lift from last year thanks to Kin-sella and the legions of people involved behind the scenes. When I asked him about it, he said, “This year, we are trying to tie-in the entire local scene and change it, so that local bands are put ahead of the bigger cover

bands. They [local bands] have so much talent and pull in the local community, and venues need to see that”. And with that, Kinsella has definitely put his money where his mouth is. On August 15th, there is a promo show for the event at Lake Natoma Inn, featuring Roseville band Hum-ble Wolf, which always promises to be a great show. Fol-som Live kicks off on September 20th, and it’s going to feature local acts like Joy Madness, Denver J Band, Good Samaritans, and Kinsella’s band Pointdexter. As well, there is also gonna be a spotlight on students from Imagine Music Instrutction (IMI), based out of Roseville, and it will feature a few acts from their legions of stu-dents. The entire event will take place on the stage set up at the outdoor amphitheater set up near old town by Sut-ter Street, and will have local vendors and businesses selling a wide variety of snacks and other items, plus all the bands that are signed up will have their own booths where you can pick up their merchandise and support their efforts.

In regards to Pointdexter, there are big changes on the horizon. Their aforementioned album is going to be a new venture for the band. Compared to On the Surface, which was very layered and complex, Kinsella says, “This new album is different. Our last album was more artistic and layered, but this one is more driven, upbeat, and hap-py...We have that goal in mind, and are definitely looking to simplify it this time”. It’s also exciting because they are working with Sean Stack, engineer at Fat Cat studios. He has been involved with bands like Race to the Bottom, Humble Wolf, and local contestant on ‘The Voice’ James Cavern. Kinsella states: He’s [Stack] is the only one i will let touch our stuff. he’s the best in town (laughs)”. With

Threat Con Nation Magazine 13

Stack, Kinsella and company are recording their album, while taking singles from that album and releasing them one at a time through their various forms of social media and music websites. Kinsella points out, “With our cul-ture’s ADD, you’re so bombarded with everything [musically]...just give people one thing at a time...which helps build momentum until the album drops”. With that formula, Pointdexter has been releasing new photos, vid-eos, and other content on an almost daily basis through their Facebook page (facebook.com/PointDexterMusic). In addition, while working with Stack, Pointdexter has been altering the very basis of their music.

Most music is recorded and played tuned to a frequency of 440 Hz, but Pointdexter is playing all their music with their instruments tuned to 432 Hz. Now, what does that mean? Well, that frequency is the same kind that was used prior to World War 2 in most recordings. It made for music to come across a lot easier on the ears, and was the main way for most classical and jazz musicians to tune their instruments. Well, with the myriad of changes brought on by World War 2, 440 Hz became the standard for popular music. Pointdexter’s venture into this alternate tuning is going to make for a different, and enjoyable ex-perience.

If you want to see what I am talking about exactly, you are in luck! Pointdexter is playing at Concert In The Park in Cesar Chavez Park, in Downtown Sacramento on July 25th at 5pm. this will be the concert to see because they are opening for The Brodys, which are a mainstay of the Concert In The Park series. They are also playing a show for 98 Rock’s local licks at Rounders in Sacramento on August 16th, and then the previously mentioned Folsom Live show is on September 20th. For full details you can visit their Facebook page, and you can also check out their personal YouTube channel (PointDexterrocks) for music videos and live videos. If it’s their recordings you are after, they have them on iTunes, Spotify, Pandora Radio, and even on IHeartRadio.

Either way, Kinsella has secured a future not only for Pointdexter, but for local musicians in general. Be sure to check out these upcoming projects to see how the musi-cal landscape in this area will change. And hopefully for the better.

- Stefan Adcock, Contributor

Kevin Kinsella (left) David Albertson (right)

14 Threat Con Nation Magazine

“It’s simple, we do it because we love it! We don’t go to rehearsal just to practice, but to ex-

pel our demons” –MAXIMU

Threat Con Nation Magazine 15

AMONG THE BETRAYED

Metal/Alternative

“It’s simple, we do it because we love it! We don’t go to rehearsal just to practice, but to expel

our demons” –MAXIMUS

Have you been feeling a bit angry and frustrated lately? Maybe you just feel a little stuck in your own stewing pot of funk and need something to shake things up.

It’s ok, we’ve all been there, but don’t go all a-hole mode just yet. Doctor Threat Con Nation has the prescription for helping you exorcise those nasties. Among The Be-trayed’s new album called, “The Need To Make A Change.”

After patiently waiting for it, we finally get what we want. Among The Betrayed’s EP is now available and I’ve given it a few hundred listens. I’m going to go ahead and say the wait was well worth it.

Now get ready to form a mosh pit. In your mind.

The album is an interesting take on Thrash/Metal/Alternative meets melodic meets some free falling, adrenaline rush drop offs that will get you– they’ll get you alright.

For me, the highlight was the song also named, “The Need To Make A Change.” There is something for every

kind of alternative metal-head inside and wait for the holy shizz moment when the guitar solo starts. You’ll know it when you hear it. That kind of luvin’ is sprinkled throughout the EP.

Each song will have you clenching your fists and gritting your teeth, but the underlying theme is a motivational exorcism of sorts. The clean vocals, throw-down growls, genius riffs, and epic breakdowns will heal your boring life.

Now go take your medicine, crazy!

Get Your Free Album Download!

http://amongthebetrayed.com/album/176652/

reverbnation.com/amongthebetrayed

16 Threat Con Nation Magazine

Threat Con Nation Magazine 17

Dear Hellen:

Is it okay for me to go on tour with my boyfriend

and his band?

Sincerely: Number One Fan

Dear Fan: No.

Thanks for Asking!

-Hellen

Dear Hellen:

I don’t like kids. This is just one of the reasons I

have made a conscious decision not to become a

parent. Most of my friends and colleagues are par-

ents. Bringing kids to get-togethers and functions

has become the norm. I am really turned off by this

and find myself making up excuses to get out of

these activities. How can I handle this better?

-Childfree by Choice

Dear Childfree: You don’t owe anyone an apology, or

even an explanation of your decision.

Contrary to popular opinion and the accompanying la-

bels (e.g., selfish, anti-religion, anti-family, counter-

cultural), the decision to remain childless is admirable,

considering the tremendous social, familial and religious

pressure to procreate. The good news is that you are

not alone. Currently society is seeing a greater move-

ment of adults choosing not to be parents.

In the words of Philosopher David Benatar: “Creating

new people, by having babies, is so much a part of hu-

man life that it is rarely thought even to require a justifi-

cation. Indeed, most people do not even think about

whether they should or should not make a baby. They

just make one. In other words, procreation is usually the

consequence of sex rather than the result of a decision

to bring people into existence. Those who do indeed

decide to have a child might do so for any number of

reasons, but among these reasons cannot be the inter-

ests of the potential child. One can never have a child

for that child’s sake.”

Your social life doesn’t have to be a wasteland. Parents

need alone time, too. Initiate activities with your friends

that are child-free by design – think “Adult-Friendly”.

Thanks for Asking!

-Hellen

Random Advice of the Month: “Just because you can, doesn’t

mean you should.”

Ask me your questions about life, sex, love, relationships, loss, work, recipe tips..

whatever. Got something scandalous, embarrassing

and/or illegal?

Send it to Hellen Back and remain anony-mous.

askhellenback@yahoo.com Hellen Back Facebook

Hellen Back Twitter

18 Threat Con Nation Magazine

The cafeteria, musky and dark, awaited the retreat of the dark red curtain. The room murmured with sheer excitement while the time drew near.

“Where’s Camryn? Hello! Has anybody seen Camryn?”

I frantically search backstage for my tardy, adolescent drummer. Scanning the room, I quickly run through the lyrics in my head. “What are the lyrics? Oh Crap! I’m totally spacing!” I think to myself.

The lyrics to our brand new song slowly ease their way out of my memory while time inches it’s way in. With show time approaching, my stress nears its peak. My drummer enjoys taking his sweet time, I can’t seem to remember my own song, and now I’m sensing stage fright. This show means a lot to us because this show exposes our band to all of our doubtful school peers. Practically all of the students attending this school as-sume we lack artistry and talent. Little did they know, we practiced three times a week and already had three paying gigs under our belt. What could go wrong?

Interpreting my self- propaganda, Camryn bursts through the brown, metal door; stress inscribed on his face.

“I don’t have time to explain, and trust me, you don’t want to know”, he managed to breath between gasps of air

“That’s fine, whatever! Hurry and load in, the show’s about to start!” He piled in his drums, set up his hard-ware, and assembled his fuzzy green drum set.

“So this is your stupid little band huh? I’m surprised you guys even showed up. Not like you guys can even play!” sneered a prissy little pre-teen with rubber bands

on her braces.

“Just sit back and enjoy the show. You might even en-joy yourself.” I replied.

With the show finally starting, we wait anxiously until our time nears to perform. One by one, sweaty, nerv-ous middle school alumni entered and exited the stage. Each one received a robotic sounding applause from the audience

About an hour later, our student body president walked out to center stage.

“Our last act of the night is Pasteur’s own, “Original Sin” performing their original song called ‘What’s going on’

This moment encompasses everything we have worked for. We’ve been waiting for this exciting chance to prove ourselves for a while. Eagerly, we walk over to the comfort of our own instruments.

“One, two, one, two, three, four”

After Camryn’s count in, we start to put on our well -rehearsed show.

“I got my eyes on you, I don’t care what you do, ‘cause I’m crazy, oh, I’m crazy” I sing while dancing around. The lights beam so brightly that the only visible evi-dence of the crowd embodies dark, bouncing silhou-ettes in the distance.

Our song ends with screaming fans chanting, “Encore!” Glancing toward the stage manager, we receive the thumbs up to fulfill the audience’s request.

Naturally, our drummer gives us another count continu-ing on with our newly perfected cover of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Immigrant’s song’. While the electrifying opening riffs escape our amps, a swarm of students rush towards the stage cheering our name!

Finishing up our song, we thank our dedicated audi-ence, soak in the magical atmosphere, and return back to the hidden chaos behind the curtain. All of our friends and family race over with hugs and bundles of roses to reward our grand performance. Everyone seems to be enjoying the successful evening. Except for a pouty-faced little pre-teen girl with rubber bands on her braces. With a loud huff, she marched off the stage singing the blues.

-Allison Campbell

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1 TESLA

2 PAPA ROACH

3 RESTRAYNED

4 SOME FEAR NONE

5 DALE REDLINE

6 LITTLE PIECE OF

DIXIE

7 ARDEN PARK ROOTS

8 ALEX VINCENT BAND

9 WALKING SPANISH

100zeroclient

ROCK ALT

1 MICHAEL TIFFANY

2 ONCE AN EMPIRE

3 FATE UNDER FIRE

4 SYNE FAETH

5 Dog party

6 MARCH INTO PARIS

7 NATURAL PHARAOH

8 FAIR STRUGGLE

9 fFG

100RIOTMAKER

1 BLACK

2 IN THE SILENCE

3 havenside

4 Re-existence

5 kill the precedent

6 l I f e f o r m s

7 fallrise

8 sucker punch

9 embodied torment

100plague widow

1 S.W.I.M.

2 GET SHOT!

3 TWITCH ANGRY

4 BOATS!

5 TEENAGE BRAIN

6 TWITCH ANGRY

7 the PIKEYS

8 the AUXILLARY

9 REBEL RADIO

100YANKEE BRUTAL

METAL PUNK

Data collected from www.reverbnation.com

*Standings as of 06/23/2014

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20 Threat Con Nation Magazine

Wolfgang Vega

Alternative/Rock

“Three members take from very different influences to create a

unique sound of their own. ”

reverbnation.com/wolfgangvega

Korean Fire Drill

Rock/Hard Rock

“War is coming.”

reverbnation.com/koreanfiredrill

Mourning Mountains

Indie/Rock

Single “Routes Through Trees” available now!

reverbnation.com/mourningmountains

By My Hands

Nothing but static enters in through my hardened surface Master of nothing and slave to all from which I must refrain

Touch and go are the moments of pure understanding Conviction has been reduced to fragility in my inner wasteland

I once believed that love would prepare a place of rest for me

I have walked this road so long and am still wanting Left to my own design, corruption has poisoned my blood

And rest, as now with love, cannot be found in this world of mine

So what have I now become, what words make up my nature? One who has not grown, but who has been hallowed from the inside?

The judgments of this world find me innocent and justified They too are guilty of these crimes and so they embrace me

Ridiculed by only myself for the real me knows the truth of all things

It knows the beginning and the end, the first and the last But this body of mine still fights against and leaves me in shame

Disregarding the signs and the wonders which I have beheld

And so I believe this struggle will remain with me until it is finished Until it is hopeless against me and I will then be master of my garden Suppressing the pain and the emptiness in search of an endless love

This will be mine and will not be taken from me by the hands of this world.

Copyright © 2014 Nathan S. Giguiere

Threat Con Nation Magazine 21

Has The Internet

Killed Music?

Music today is intimately connect-

ed worldwide to everyone via the

Internet. Gone are the days where

in order to hear a new Rush song,

we'd have to wait for the album

release date, go to a record store,

buy the new album, then you'd

have to connect it to your music

player to actually start listening to

it.

Today, musicians and artists are

publishing songs virtually as soon

as they write them, and most of us

go from feeling only a slight inkling

of desire about hearing their new

song, to actually listening to it

within minutes. All this can be

done without getting up and out of

our chair. Kinda crazy if you really

think about it, in my opinion.

Sadly, long-tenured local bands

rarely become famous national bands anymore, ex-

cept for the occasional exceptions, of course. I'm not

meaning to imply that it's no longer possible, be-

cause it is. It's just damn hard to achieve these days

compared to years ago. Playing locally provides very

little exposure to an evolved music industry, who

rarely send agents out to clubs like they used to do

in order to discover new talents.

I've seen wonderful bands promote shows with a

regimen that would kill an ordinary man, only to see

30, 40, maybe 50 people show up at a venue with a

capacity of at least two-hundred. People don't seem

to want to come out anymore.

At times, our local music scene might seem like a

loose, crazed animal hit by a car and then left for

dead in the middle of the road. Instead of dying

though, it's only dragged itself to the side of the road,

crawled in a ditch and began to slowly nurse itself

back to health again.

Our local music scene is NOT

dead. It's alive and waiting. It’s in

the basements of pizza joints, the

back room of a random hole-in-the

-wall bar, and in our local larger

venues and clubs. There's some-

thing for everyone. It may not be

right under your nose, or in your

face like it used to be. You might

have to look a little harder for it.

Use the Internet as the advantage,

for an opportunity to gain infor-

mation as you surf, and find your-

self a local band with music that

you like. Then, go! Get out there

and support them. Show up at

some of those weeknight gigs at 8,

9, or 10pm. Yes, you might lose a

bit of sleep; but you can rock the f♫♪k out with them!

Sweat with them, have a beer with them, and maybe

buy a shirt or a CD. – Tell your friends and spread

the word. Because, you have the ability to nurse

local music back to health. Just go out and do it! –

Enjoy yourself!

———————————————————————————————————— ———————————————MAY/JUNE 2014

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Threat Con at Old Ironsides

every 2nd Sat @9pm /

acoustic night TBA monthly

80

———————————————MAY/JUNE 2014