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Whether it is the personification of Jack Butler, the Crossroads demonically inspired virtuoso,  the role as Frank Zappa’s legendary protégé and music transcriptionist, stints with renowned bands such as Alcatrazz , Whitesnake and David Lee Roth, or the symbolic cartographer for Ibanez guitars, Steve Vai is nothing if not a musical chameleon and virtuoso. He along with Satriani, Eric Johnson, and Yngwie Malmstein have taken the art of the axe to an almost unbelievable level inspiring six string slayers and stylistic shredders across the globe. As an artist few travel in the same realm as Vai and as a producer, composer, philanthropist, Steve Vai has truly become the Rock Renaissance man…

Following on the heels of his much acclaimed DVD “Where The Wild Things Are”, Vai is as driven as ever and pulling out more tricks from his guitar case than one can possibly imagine.

Recently I had the opportunity to catch up with Steve and find out what makes this mastermind tick like an amplified human metronome and what else he has up his sleeve for the future musical world.

AAM: Your beginning in music is notably rooted in your association with Frank Zappa… Zappa has been taken very seriously as a composer, and a musical renaissance man what did you walk away with from that experience other than writer’s cramp from notating the infamous “black page” and Stevie’s Spanking?

Steve Vai: (chuckling) Well, when you think about it when I started working with Frank I was 18 years old and then I joined the band when I was 20 so when you think about what your consciousness was like when you 20, to all of a sudden be working with Frank, you know it was exciting and  challenging. But, it wasn’t challenging in the way as a lot of people might think. For me it was really applying the music and being on top of everything Frank was giving me, that wasn’t a problem, I enjoyed it very much and I worked 24/7 on it-what was difficult for me was that I was totally inexperienced with touring and how to take carry yourself on tour and I just didn’t have a good constitution–I just learned a lot about the road and about being a professional. One of the things  I took away from Frank  most was how he would make his music in the face of any kind of adversity. He didn’t care what anybody said, or if there was anything going on or if anybody told him he could or couldn’t do anything- he did what he wanted –you know -he marched to the beat of his own drummer. He was a very good business man, he protected his intellectual property- and he got paid fair value for his work. And I learned all this—he was very honest too.

AAM: At the end of the day, do you consider yourself a rock guitarist?

Steve Vai- Yeah I do- you know rock music has always been my favorite form of music and you know a lot of people get hung up on putting tags on themselves—“oh my music isn’t this and it isn’t that”…well I wouldn’t necessarily say my music  is jazz or classical or anything like that but if I had to pick a particular genre I’d say it’s more rock than anything else. It just keeps things clarified to say I am a rock guitarist. But, you know everybody has their own take, I’ve been called everything from a Mongolian  string bender from the 80’s to one of the best kept musical secrets !

AAM: You have become a cultural and musical icon…can you tell our readers what inspires you creatively?

Steve Vai: Well the thing that inspires me the most is a good idea. You know, when you’re just working or walking about or just doing, or minding your own business and suddenly an idea just comes to you. And a lot of time, and we all do it, we all thrive on the feeling of creative accomplishment. One of the great things about art is there is no real judgment you know? Because if it feels right to you and it excites you, that’s the important thing.
What excites me the most is when I get an idea of what I feel is somewhat unique to other ideas that I have had. I hear it in my head, I hear it finished. That becomes such a compelling thing that I become consumed with it…I become obsessed with completing a particular thought and it’s not unlike a lot of other artists and creative people and you just thrive on the sense of accomplishment. You know the unique idea is really the juice! Where they come from, I don’t know. People try to explain where their inspiration comes from and I can site things or situations in my life or certain things I like that are inspirations for certain ideas, but the point where the melody comes to your head and it is an unique thought..I really don’t know where it comes from..perhaps the greatness of creative juice..

AAM: “Where the Wild things Are” shows you deep in your element of performance, art, humor, conducting and musicianship… What clicked with you creatively to put such a dynamic ensemble and art piece together?

Steve Vai: Well there’s various band permeations I am interested in exploring one of them is with three percussionists, one is with 12 horns and one was with a couple of violins. This was a perfect opportunity to do the violins, I had just come off of a record that was a double live orchestra record. I thought well, originally I kicked it off with one violin player and then Ann Marie Calhoun sent me this demo and I was so blown away that I had to get her in the band. It was really a wonderful opportunity to be able to be able to orchestrate some pieces from my catalogue with the violins because my music is kind of compositional. So, it allows me a lot of re-orchestration possibilities and since there is so many flailing guitars all over the place, those kinds of lines sound great on violin- especially if the violin has some distortion on it, and its got someone who really knows how to wield it so those two players were just so amazing and it was just a great opportunity to be able to create these harmonies and stuff that were just lashing all over the place.

AAM: Watching the video, it was obvious that the band was on top of their game.

Steve Vai: Yes, we rehearsed for one full month for between 12 and 15 hours a day. I gotta hand it to the band, they had so much patience, they really studied those parts, and knew that when you go out there, you gotta own it! You can’t fake that stuff.  It didn’t even really dawn on me, and I don’t mean to sound pretentious, how beautiful the band was, I didn’t lift my head up until I was watching the DVD in a theater in Hollywood at the premier..and up to that point everything was preparation. Orchestrating the music, writing it out for everybody, finding the band, all the logistics that go into getting a rehearsal place, and paying for it,   going through the rehearsals and scheduling the tour dates, getting on tour, arranging the filming of everything and once that was done, and so I was always looking at the next step..so when it came time to edit it and mix it , it was unbelievably this big job, you know? It took like a year…and it was never quite done…Because then after I mixed it and I watched it, I wanted to fix the color and that took weeks and weeks and weeks… and then finally I was getting test discs. We were testing Blu Ray up until the day it was shown at the theater, and that’s when I had the final Blu Ray and that’s when I finally watched it and I think it was during “Angel Food” and I thought holy shit, this is really amazing…this is like –so pushing my buttons because that piece of music was normally just guitar and piano and I had re-orchestrated everything for violin and guitar and whole band and I were so happy with the way it came out. All the time that you’re in rehearsals and on the stage playing , you’re not listening to it you’re just focusing on keeping and staying in the mentality of the ensemble …and then when you’re sitting in a theatre watching it, it finally hit me ..I was thinking just how lucky I am to have this, and create it … and have the opportunity to sit here.

AAM: The video had to be a huge chapter in your “sonic scrapbook”?

Steve Vai: Yeah, well it’s like every record you make is a sonic scrapbook!

AAM: As a business man, you have introduced the concept of Vai Tunes and you have Favored Nations, kind of a build it and they will come philosophy..tell us about these projects?

Steve Vai: It’s a very simple mentality that actually started when I started working with Frank.  I just felt that if you want to do something, you really have to do it yourself..and anyone that is relying on anyone else to do it for them was being foolish. There’s great people in the industry that are there to do their job but you have to initiate it, you have to have the vision, move forward and surround yourself with the right people.  You just can’t expect someone to do that for you. When it comes time to booking a tour for example, I don’t book the tour myself.. I rely on good people to do it and I try to find those good people to do it, and I have a fantastic manager that I have been with for many years , Ruta Sepetys and she does a lot –but I initiate it..you know what I mean? I initiate getting a good manager and working with the manager and looking ahead to the next thing..I knew with the kind of music I wanted to make I knew that radio wasn’t going to play it, it wasn’t going to be on MTV, or on the cover of Rolling Stone, but still, I knew there was an audience for it because there’s an audience for everything.
Back in the early days, when I made my first solo record, when I saw what conventional record deals were like it was a no brainer. Basically this is unfair, this is bizarre and I’m not doing it…what should I do? And a lot of people feel if they can’t get a record deal they can’t make a record, but there are more than ten ways to make a record and get it out into the world! So I just did some research and I’m very resourceful and I discovered a record company uses a distributer and a marketing team so I just hired my own people. And I had my own little label back then and I released my record and it was a wild success even back then.

AAM: Sometimes you have to build your own destiny.

Steve Vai: Yeah , that’s right you really need to ! Through the years, and when I was with these other bands and I was a participant vs. an independent and I was signed to Sony for many years and they had a lot of muscle and I did a lot of good projects with them and even though I was still independent in my own right, I was still working with a major. I knew that it takes a lot of energy to run a label and do everything yourself..so I started Favored Nations 12 years ago just to kind of like um, create a forum for very artistic people I feel have all the elements and are great at what they do, with LA Guns that was, after all these years,  more of a launch of a rock /metal thing which I plan on cultivating. I enjoy it, a lot of people have a lot to say about the music business but it’s been really good to me and it’s a great industry really. There’s a lot of creative people and it’s like any other industry where you have to be careful with whom you are working with and what you are doing…

AAM: So obviously we know that many of our readers want to know about the guitar nuts and bolts..so we have a guest interviewer if you will, a guitarist who is going to pick your brain a bit on equipment, guitars and sound. Jon- Steve Vai, Steve Vai- Jon Epstein…

Steve Vai: Cool- Hi Jon!

JON: Hey Steve—this is a great opportunity for us to get technical for a moment… you are associated with state of the art audio gear and affects  , for ex the Jem and yet your guitars are basically old school, and have passive pick ups vs active…what it is it about the basic electric guitar that appeals to you?

Steve Vai:   Well when I was a teenager I was in love with the Strat because it had a whammy bar and when  I sat down with it, it felt really good in my lap. But as I musically matured my vision of what I wanted to do on the instrument was changing.  I had some idiosyncratic ways of playing that the conventional guitar just really didn’t fulfill.  So back in 1986 I started to morph my guitars. I just applied a practical mentality to it. I’ve got big hands so I had a cutaway made that was much bigger than on a conventional Strat.  A conventional Strat has 22 frets, I wanted 24. There weren’t a lot of guitars back then that had 24 frets and a whammy bar, you know?  I wanted to have a very specific pickup configuration with a combination of single coils and humbuckers with a five position switch that would split coils and all of that was very unique, and back then the Floyd Rose  tremolo bar would only go in one direction I took a screwdriver and a hammer carved out the wood of the guitar so I could go both directions.
Then there were just a couple of practical applications like the location of the input jack, getting rid of one of the tone controls. This became a guitar that was very suited to my way of playing, but you couldn’t buy anything like it.  I had this store in Hollywood making me these guitars.  Then when I joined Dave Roth’s band every guitar manufacturer in the world wanted me to play their instruments.
My big question was: Why would I play a guitar that wasn’t suited to my style?  So I said “If you guys want to make this guitar, I’ll play that.”  I gave them all the specs and quite a few companies made me guitars, and most of them just weren’t any good. But Ibanez came back in two weeks with a flawless instrument, which I haven’t changed since and it’s 23 years old.  Those guitars (The Ibanez RG, which is based on the Vai designed Jem)  are second only to the Stratocaster in total sales worldwide.   But for me it was just a practical thing to come up with it.

JON: You are rightly associated with the introduction of the 7 string guitar into American rock music and yet the number of 7 string players remains limited to extreme genres, what is it about the 7 string that prevents it going more main stream?

Steve Vai:  The Ibanez Universe was the first production model 7 string guitar in history, and the Jem is the longest running signature series guitar.  I think the issue with the 7 string is that most people are simply attracted to the conventional, while fewer are attracted to the unconventional.  So when you are choosing a guitar most people will go for the six string instead of the 7 string because that 7th string represents a big question mark. But, for example, when the whole nu-metal movement happened, they look at it and said “Aha! I know what I’m going to do with that 7th string!”

JON: If you could only have three pieces of gear what would they be?

Steve Vai:   Three pieces of gear? Wow.  It would be my “Evo” (Vai’s Jem Prototype),  a pencil, and manuscript paper.  A pencil with a whole lot of lead!

JON: Thanks Steve for indulging our inner guitar geek!

Steve: No problem…!

AAM: So, Speaking of bees… you have been known to be quite the bee enthusiast…are you still harvesting honey and what else does Steve Vai do for fun?

Steve Vai:  <laughing> Well, you know I’ve been approached to have a reality tv series, you know where they follow you around with a camera and you know I always refuse because I would be so boring for people! There’s no real drama in my life really! Knock wood!
I started with the bees because we bought this property that was vacant for ten years before we bought it and everything was dead. Fruit trees and gardens and such and  I did some research and I discovered that honey bees are fantastic for pollinating. So,  I called a local beekeeper and he explained to me how to do it and I got some books, and its an easy hobby, the bees do all of the work and you get a lot of honey!

AAM: And besides that the beekeeper uniform is pretty cool?

Steve Vai- Yeah, and you get to wear stylish outfits!  But as far as other hobbies…I like to spend time with my family, my boys and I have been with the same woman for 32 years, hang out with friends, but as far as hobbies..well you know I like architecture. I like to design things. Homes, like we did a remodel on our home an I did the whole thing myself on a CAD program,  built a studio for myself..see I told you BORING!!

AAM: Well at least you have a fall back career if this whole guitar “thing” doesn’t work out <laughing>!

Steve Vai: Well it’s too late for that! It’s worked out already! <laughing>

AAM: You have and continue to influence guitarists and musicians worldwide….who influences you?

Steve Vai: Well you’d be surprised.  Umm, when I was young growing up as a teenager I was into all that cool progressive 70’s stuff…Led Zeppelin was really big for me.. I took lessons from Joe Satriani, and he was always a big influence and he’s always been a mentor.  I liked all that Brian May, Ritchie Blackmoore, players like that— Jeff Beck. But these days the music I listen to is totally different.. I love Tom Waits. He’s my favorite artist, I don’t go anywhere without his entire catalogue…and more often than not if I have a chance to listen to music, I listen to him.  But I’m also in to new things, especially metal and rock because my kids are into that.. and there’s certain classical composers that I like. I listen to Luciano Bario , his stuff really blows me away because I understand composition and composition allows you to really get into the personality and nuances  of the creator. When you compose you have control over so many elements,  and when I listen to people like Luciano Bario and  György Ligeti and Stravinsky, Mahler and Edgar Varèse I really enjoy that stuff, it really moves me.

AAM: And those are some impressive composers!

Steve Vai:  Yeah, but then like my kids came home with the new Gorillaz record, and I just thought it was a great record!

AAM: So what are the future plans for Steve Vai?

Steve Vai:  Well I’ll be going to London doing a Master Class in November. I’ve got a pretty intense schedule this fall. I’m going to be kicking off a four day Steve Vai festival in Holland where two of the days are going to be with the Holland Symphony Orchestra. So right now until October most of my days are spent composing for that. Then after that I go into the first rehearsal for an Experience Hendrix tour  and I am very excited about participating in that and then right from that I go to London, to do another clinic and then my studio will be finished and I start recording and go on tour next year .

AAM: Any final thoughts for our readers?

Steve Vai: You know I just thought of a fun hobby I have…it’s kind of silly… We have this white picket fence <laughing>, and I built this picked fence and I put 5 pieces of wood across it and I painted it white and my wife planted these roses and the roses are all different colors and when they grow, the roses look like musical notes, like they are on staff paper. So I take pictures and I transcribe it and sometimes it’s bizarre and sometimes you can get some interesting melodies out of it.

AAM: Wow, Steve that sounds like a major undertaking and a really unusual hobby!

Steve Vai: Well I call it “Fret Stuning”…<laughing> (AAM: as in “Festooning”?  Steve- ‘Yeah!”) But, forgive me I didn’t really answer your last question… obviously thank you for the support, check out Vai Tunes which is a cool concept I am working on and if you’re interested in this kind of thing, stick with it— it’s only going to get better!

AAM: And that you can count on! Thanks for your time Steve!

Steve Vai- Thanks Kim and Jon!

By: Kim Thore with Jon Epstein

Special thanks to Sean Carpenter at Favored Nations and Ruta E. Sepetys at SEG Inc.

For more information on Steve Vai you can go to www.vai.com

As the camouflage tarp came off the stage revealing a huge Grenade, a 50 caliber machine gun with I am sure fake bullets, American Flag, bull skulls and a Fox skin hanging from a stand, Ted stepped on stage decked out in a snakeskin hat, sleeveless shirt and blue jeans carrying with him a very beautiful American Flag clad Gibson Les Paul ripping through one of the most awesome renditions of the “Star Spangled Banner” I think I have heard in a very long time..  As soon as he was done putting chills down everyone’s spine to try and cool the crowd off from the heat wave that has hit Virginia this week, he took a second to Say “Hello Virginia”, and how are you “Can you say Hello Uncle Ted”? , to which the crowd of about 2500 or more didn’t hesitate to respond with “Hello Uncle Ted”.

From “Star Spangled Banner”, he turned right into “Stormtroopin” then followed that up with the craziest sounding rendition of “Girl you really got me”.  Ted was throwing riffs and kicks so hard it’s not hard to see that Ted has kept his Guitar tuned to the way he wants everyone to hear the “Spirit of the wind” as he would say.

Next up was “Wango Tango” and “Wang Dang Sweet Poontang” to which Ted played a very bluesy solo that lasted about five or so minutes, after “Wang Dang” he stopped for a few minutes to say “God Bless you Virginia” “How we doing so far?”, to which the crowd gave “Uncle Ted” their loudest “AWESOME” shout I have heard in an outdoor venue such as this.

Ted took time to introduce “The Funky Brothers”, Mick Brown on drums and Greg Smith on backup vocals and Bass guitar, then he took a second to raise up a couple of the Machine Guns he had on stage and said, “All the Skinny Girls” get free machine guns tonight and if anyone is wondering, I have permits for these and here they are right here as he raised both his middle fingers and said that “Anyone that doesn’t like these permits, can eat shit and die”

After placing his guns back down, Ted took a moment to give a special thanks to our Military brothers and sisters out there fighting for our freedom to be carrying these guns and for our rights to come out here tonight and listen to “Uncle Ted”, he also gave special thanks to all the law enforcement officers out there keeping the peace and then he dedicated this next song to all the brave “Warriors” out there, to which he rolled straight into “Rawdogs and Warthogs” and there were points in this set where I could defiantly feel every heart pounding kick from “Wild Mick” and could definitely feel the hard hitting “Kill a dear from a thousand yards” shreds Greg Smith was shredding from his Fender Precision Bass, as they were really tearing it up on stage with Ted as if they wanted all the troops overseas to hear and feel all the love and appreciation they had for them to be over there giving the ultimate sacrifice.

Ted also played “Love Grenade”,” KLSTRPHNKY”, “Soul Man” and the whole crowd was on their feet swinging and dancing with one another. He also debuted the reason he is back out on tour with “Trample the Weak and Hurdle the Dead” letting “Wild Mick” tear it up on the drums for a good 5 minute ending solo, which could have blasted the hide off a grizzly bear it was so hard hitting, to which he asked the crowd afterward, “It’s alright to be debuting new shit out here tonight isn’t it?”  To which the crowd immediately screamed “HELL YEAH”.

Ted stepped center stage about three quarters of the way through his set and said “Warriors out there” the best thing you can do is teach a child to hunt, trap, and fish and teach them to preserve our rights and freedoms that our fore fathers back in the day fought for and to teach them the “Spirit of the Woods” and dedicated “Fred Bear” to all the old and new upcoming “Warriors” out there in the crowd tonight.

Ted then took a minute and asked the crowd was there some kind of “Fever” going around in Virginia or was he just feeling “Hot” from the heat that was blazing down on the stage?  Crowd answered “No Uncle Ted” we just want some “Cat Scratch Fever”, and Ted obliged the crowd by rolling into a sweet version of his “#1A” hit songs as he called it gyrating back and forth as he allowed the crowd to sing the chorus all on their own.

Ted then said, “since that was his “#1A” hit song he was going to give the crowd his “#1” song,  where he brought out his Gibson Byrdland to play  “Stranglehold” to end the night, but this wasn’t just the “Stranglehold” of Ted back in the day, this rendition he performed was one of the most inspiring, spine tingling, bring you to your knees versions of this song that I think I have ever heard, as I know he played the solo for a good ten minutes just shredding his guitar so masterfully  and never letting go of some of the chords for a minute to make you feel what he was giving you.  As soon as he was done with “Stranglehold”, Ted stepped back, opened his arms to soak in all the love the crowd was giving him and said “Thank You Virginia”, God Bless Virginia’s Attitude and God Bless Virginia’s Freedom, “Uncle Ted” loves ya, Good Night”

This concert was definitely one to check out as Ted definitely entertains his “Animals” as well as promotes his strong beliefs in gun ownership and hunting, but that is not just what he does, Ted after 30 plus years being in this crazy music industry entertains you as well as he can still tear you up as if he was skinning you alive with the way he can still play the guitar and I know it takes dedication to the craft as well as dedication to the fans to come out on tour and still play like you have always have without even blinking an eye and I for one have never see and you can definitely tell that Ted Nugent has not lost his will or desire to bring the music to the masses that are willing to come out and see “Uncle Ted” .

“Keep killing them with the Spirit, Uncle Ted”

Review and Photos provided by:  Stephen Gibson Photography

Neverdie Studios has launched RockTropia.com, the first-ever virtual music world!  The ‘planet’ introduces an interactive venue for artists to connect with their fans while also creating a new revenue stream for the music industry and for new artists to pursue fame and fortune.

ROCKtropia’s landscape has created a fully interactive 3D destination that allows artists, their fan base and gamers to interact in an environment that keeps users entertained while providing a valuable, untapped revenue stream for artists.  In addition to introducing ground breaking communication and revenue capabilities in the music space, the planet also allows artists unprecedented creative input into their online presence with their own highly stylized land.

The first continent to be inhabited on the planet was created for rock icon LEMMY KILMISTER, lead singer and bassist of Motorhead.  Kilmister’s domain of ROCKtropia’s land includes:

Lemmy’s Castle ~ located high in the rugged terrain and mountains, the Castle sits on the north side of ROCKtropia and is guarded by demon spawn, dragons and other creatures created by Lemmy himself.

Motorhead Stadium ~ a massive arena inside a crater featuring three large stages that are the location for live performances and Battle Events.

“It’s the best idea that has ever been visited upon in my suffering years,” notes Kilmister. “I mean, I get to invent monsters and then they slaughter thousands of people and I get paid for it!    What could possibly be better than that?”

Lemmy’s Castle is administered by his son Paul Inder with many of the monsters created from Kilmister’s own personal sketches. (Paul Inder pic jpg suggested here)  There are also exclusive, limited edition virtual goods that can be earned by early members of ROCKtropia like the opportunity to win guitar axes by defeating the guardians of Lemmy’s Castle.

Without depending on album sales, artists are able to generate real world revenue from their fans’ participation in their land through Entropia’s virtual reality economic system, including the introduction of limited edition virtual merchandise tied to album launches.  The symbiotic relationship also allows fans to earn real world income through activity in the virtual goods economy of their favorite artist’s destination, creating additional incentive for fans to get involved in the community.

The virtual music planet ROCKtropia where Lemmy’s Castle resides can be downloaded directly from www.RockTropia.com for free.  There are no subscription fees.  The game requires Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 in order to run and a moderately powerful graphics card.

You can see an interview with Lemmy and his son Paul along with Lemmy’s Castle footage during Kilmister’s recent appearance on “Focus in the Mix with Denise Ames” TV Show available to watch at www.FocusintheMixwithDeniseAmes.com, Past Episodes, Lemmy episode Part 2.  To contact Paul Inder email RosewoodStrat@gmail.com.

As always, this venue continues to showcase the area’s best talent in an intimate setting. This young talent who hails from Canada, but now calls Los Angeles his home, is surely one of the areas up and coming stars. His beautiful lyrics and outstanding songwriting seem to cross genres seamlessly. Both mellow and upbeat, pop songwriter with a hint of country, his somewhat smoky voice causes his heartfelt lyrics to flow right into your ears and captivate. This particular night we were treated to new music, which armed with a set list, sans lyrics, its impossible recite his poetic treats back onto these pages. Having listened to his first EP, rest assured his new music is surely as soulful as were the instrumentals amazing, especially the lap steel guitar playing from his band mate which keeps your attention the entire time. Marc closes his set with “So Much More”, which was recently featured in a commercial for a snack product touting a biodegradable bag. With that said, a visit to his MySpace or Face book will have the reader looking for an opportunity to see Marc live. Finally, it seems that the ladies in the audience were quite enamored and attentive which doesn’t hurt his career either. LOL

During one of my recent trips around the Phoenix valley on June 25th I found myself at Club Red in Tempe (why, I don’t know – I don’t like this place: security tends to think they are above the police and often demonstrate this belief).  Bulletboys were playing this night, and again I’m still trying to figure out how a night of bar hopping ended with me here.  I dug a song or two of the Bulletboys back in the day, but there is no way in hell I would voluntarily go see them in 2010.  No offense to the guys, but c’mon.

So while I am cruising the bar and quenching my thirst, a band comes on – Hollow.  A chord was struck that made me pay attention, and for me this was kind of weird – they are not the normal heavy metal thrashers that I am drawn to.  Instead, their melodic and heavy talent grabbed me right away.  Ryan (vocals) has a captivating aura that seems to resonate with the crowd and keeps their attention focused.  You look at this guy and you might expect some cookie monster vocals searing through the PA.  Instead you actually get clear and concise tone.  As I toss back another brew, I’m thinking to myself “WTF?”.  It’s almost like I am waiting for a trainwreck – these guys look like they could tear you a new ass with metal riffs and lackluster ability.  It was refreshing to see/hear the opposite.

The band lit up the stage with Break Me, Peel and Teeth.  At this point they had full command of everyone in attendance.  It was starting to strike me as why a local band with this much talent and precision was still opening shows for bands like the Bulletboys.  This is the type of band worthy of the Warped Tour or the Tempe Music Fest.

The band continued on with Come Alive, Lie to Bleed, Spin, a cover of Anything and then wrapping the set up with Grudge.  I just don’t know how to reiterate how captivating this band is.  They don’t have smoking guitars or flash pots or any type of gimmick, they just have unbelievable talent.  Subtlety seems to be their strong suit – the riffs from Rick (guitarist) and the beats from Duncan (drums) seem to compliment the progression of the songs behind Ryan’s vocals.  While this set was about 45 minutes, I looked down and my drink and realized that I had only taken a couple sips.

The day after the show, I Google’d the guys and came across their Reverbnation page – www.reverbnation.com/hollowmusicaz.  I was able to listen to the songs they played the night before, absorbing the lyrics and really getting a grip on just how powerful they are as a band.  There is a video for a song called Walk that is breathtaking.  It’s a song that deals with loss, and as a dad, it really did choke me up which never happens.  I’m not going to give anymore away as I want you to go check them out and come to your own conclusions.    Anyone in the Phoenix area – I cannot recommend highly enough to check these guys out.  Warped Tour and Tempe Music Fest as well other festivals – you’d be a fool not to start courting these guys for the next run.

Las Vegas, – The Las Vegas GirlFestival goes green! The festival entering its fourth year is changing its focus and name to The Green Girl Music & Arts Festival. The festival will take place in early October, location TBA.

GirlFestival founder, Sharon Ludlam said, “We really want to help raise awareness about the need to green our environment by reusing, repurposing, reducing and recycling, and at the same time empower women in music and the arts.” Ludlam went on to say, “I know that a lot of time and work will be needed, but I believe that with the help of passionate musicians, artists, sponsors and volunteers it will be a great way to educate and entertain our community at the same time, it should be a great time for everyone involved.”

The festival will feature local as well as touring musicians, artists, dancers, poets, information booths, demonstrations, speakers, educational exhibits and vendors. The event is being produced by WorldFolk, and DR Promotions. If you would like to perform, speak, table, sponsor, be a vendor, show your art, film, or for more information, contact Roddy Belford at 702-353-8178 or e-mail:  greengirlmusicandartsfestival@yahoo.com.

Gooding, the front man and name of his band, are in the final throws of a 50 state tour. This trio, originally from the Midwest and childhood friends, played a very impressive “acoustic” set. Even with a stripped down set of gear, and no drum kit, just a Cajon, these guys had more energy in their music than if they had full on gear and were running on 50 Red Bull drinks. Opening with “Black train coming”, it was more like a bullet train coming. “Let’s head out tonight” comes out full speed ahead and it seemed like the fingerboard of his guitar was going to catch on fire. Song after song, these guys all had a chance to let loose and show their chops. Even during the song “Please”, a love song, Gooding can’t seem to prevent having outbursts on his guitar playing. The closing song “Jesus is coming (and he knows the mess you made)” starts with an apology to the audience if he offends for the use of a Christian reference in his songs’ title. But you quickly forget all about the song title when it turns into a full blown jam and the bass player gets an opportunity to let loose. Goodings’ guitar style is a bit of a phenomenon as it resembles players such as Steve Howe, and Steve Vai. Never mind the shortened set length, there was so much energy spent, by the end you were drained watching them. And considering the amount of time they have been on the road, it seemed more like they just woke up from 50 days of sleep, not 50 states of performing.

www.goodingmusic.com

Chris Nelson (vox, guitar, keys), Bradley Bakewell (bass, guitar, vox), and Cody York (drums, synth, programs) are three guys that obviously know what they are doing in the studio. This is not the kind of music that is for everyone and it’s everything but mainstream.

“Slow Lover’s Sky” is more like Brian Eno than rock and thrash. The instrumental track sets itself apart from the rest. It’s a ghostly ambient track that is actually very cool. Everything that comes before it takes a nod from the early 80’s electronic-rock-pop genre from the likes of Thomas Dolby to hints of Red Rider (Tom Cochrane’s band) and such, just with a harder edge. That is where the thrash and rock work together to give The Sunset Curse their own definitive sound that stands by itself in 2010. The title track is a knockout punch in every way and the one track that helped me to realize just how good this band is.

At first I did not take a liking to this CD but then I sat down again and listened to it in its entirety and got a different view of it. There are a lot of things going on here considering there are only three guys making the music. Chris Nelson’s voice will remind you of other vocalist you have heard but the music is very different and hard to pin down and put in any one box. This is the thing that hooked me about this album. I loved the guitar work, its jangling and echoing grooves sucked me right in as Nelson’s voice gradually becomes the perfect complement to the musical curtain that falls over your senses. “Life Is An Ocean, Death Is A Breeze” is a superb track that shows you everything the band has. The lingering atmosphere is a pool of swirling guitars, vox, keys, bass and drums. Then to really throw you off they close out the CD with “World Burning” which sounds like more of a folk-pop outfit stretching out rather than the manic intensity you just got through listening to.

This is the kind of eclectic musicianship that will keep listeners coming back for more, wondering what it is they could have missed the first time around. Chances are there will be plenty to hear a second and third time right around the corner. I enjoy this music the more I listen and realize if I had not given it a fair shot that I would have missed out. I am glad I kept an open mind and discovered a new band with a unique sound that I know I will always enjoy now.

4/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Life Is An Ocean, Death Is A Breeze, Slow Lover’s Sky, Artificial Heart

www.myspace.com/sunsetcurse

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
www.muzikreviews.com

BlackBrew is a young Southland band that infuses the head-banging gratification of good old hard rock with a progressive sensibility that makes its mark and leaves a favorable impression. Led by Kurt Loun on vocals and propelled by the percussive talents of drummer Mike Ikona, the band recently rocked Hollywood’s Key Club right before glam/sleaze legends L.A. Guns took the stage, and those whose appetites were whetted for more of BlackBrew’s insistent metallic stew can now be appeased by the group’s just-released debut CD. Eponymously entitled “BlackBrew,” the new disk delivers ten well-crafted compositions, designed to rattle rafters, stir pulses and spur reflection.

An opus that opens with “Morbid Rage” and concludes with “Conflict Within” might well bespeak an angry, embattled attitude, yet the CD is not all gloom, doom and double-kick devastation. Bone-shaking beats give way to innovative breaks and inviting melodies, framing thoughtful lyrics that often seem to seek answers rather than to remain mired in depression. Yes, “Morbid Rage,” the vigorous first track, is indeed fast and furious, featuring intense, determined vocals from Kurt along with flashy fretwork from guitarist Bill Lima, backed by Matt Samadian’s solid bass. Yet the subsequent song, “Last Chapter” is more heartily grungy than thrashy, and is sweetly enhanced by a versatile singer named Joanne Allen. Appearing on seven of the CD’s tracks, Joanne sometimes croons or soars in counterpoint to Kurt’s relentless delivery, and at other times she vocalizes in unison with him, creating an appealing choral texture. BlackBrew’s sound is replete with variety, as heard, for instance, when the ringing chords of “Breath” give way to a choppy, aggro rhythm, or when “In Loving Memory” commences with a jazzy salad that rapidly turns funky and chunky. In that song, a mesmerizing mood is first set by Joanne’s bewitching vocals, and then Kurt brings the beef. Contemporary social commentary comes through in “Society’s Whore,” wherein observations on legalistic hypocrisy make the listener lean in to catch the nuances of the lyrical indictment. Then, at the melodic outset of “Black and White,” Joanne sings of a billion hands reaching up to the accompaniment of peace songs, yet the image ironically turns to “every aching fist in the sky.” The song is partly tuneful, partly crunchy, flavored with a punchy urgency that contrasts the bygone memory of flower-powered pacifism with a more current call to action, promoting the point that somehow, positive change is still possible. “I Am The One” also makes an energetic statement, while “Why Me” has a somber power-ballad momentum that leads to a shredding conclusion. Following the ominous complexity of “Said,” the grunge-flavored drive of “Conflict Within” wraps up the record, wailing off into the night with a pulsing tribal riff.

Bill’s guitar leads are spicy and engaging throughout BlackBrew’s freshman effort. Production is consistently crisp, tastily highlighting Mike’s precise drumming and Matt’s strong bass, while keeping the capable vocals of Kurt and Joann coming through loud and clear. But the band reports that in the time since the band’s Key Club gig with L.A. Guns in June, Bill Lima and Matt Samadian have gone their separate ways, amicably. It is also noted, though, that reinforcements are already in place for BlackBrew’s upcoming CD release party, to be held at the world famous Whisky-a-Go-Go on Saturday, July 31st. Attendees at the show will have the chance to see a reformed and reinvigorated BlackBrew lineup, featuring not only Kurt, Mike and Joanne, but also new members Jimmy Ash on guitar and John Guy on bass.  Mike and Kurt have said that a lot of blood, sweat and tears went into the making of BlackBrew’s premier recording, and similar energy will be no doubt be expended to bring the band’s masterful mix alive onstage.

http://blackbrew.org