BLACK N BLUE BOWL 2009

BLACK N BLUE BOWL 2009
by Jason Walsh

Brooklyn was once again host to this year’s fifth annual Black N Blue Bowl, which featured the likes of some of the best in old-school hardcore. Murphy’s Law, Crown of Thornz, Indecision, Stigmata, Discipline, and Walls of Jericho were among the sixteen groups on this year’s roster, which included reunions by Earth Crisis, Bold, and Killing Time as well as the last show by NYHC stalwarts, Subzero. The event has been successfully run by the guys at Black N Blue Productions, “Cousin Joe” Cammarato and Freddy Cricien of the legendary New York Hardcore group, Madball

“It’s been a tradition in our scene for many, many years,” Cricien said. “It somehow got lost along the way over the years and my partner, Joe, and myself, we brought it back.”

Originally dubbed “The Superbowl of Hardcore” back in the mid 80s when the New York Hardcore scene was exploding at venues like CBGB’s in Manhattan, the event ceased to exist. But those who still felt strongly about the movement and passionate for the scene decided it was time to give it back to the fans who had stood by through the years and the bands whose resolve never wavered.

“Man, it’s crazy. If you would have asked me ten years ago if I would be throwing the Superbowl of Hardcore I would have said you’re fucking crazy,” Cammarato said. “I approached Freddy years ago because I had the go to do it and Freddy had the music credentials. I knew I needed some help to get this thing off the ground and we came together. It was meant to be.”

Detroit-based metalcore oufit Walls of Jericho were one of the many who found themselves in NYC for the big day in Brooklyn. Vocalist Candace Kucsulain was excited about taking part in this year’s event.

“Freddy from Madball asked us to do it,” Kucsulain said. “We have much respect for that scene in New York. It was an honor to be part of the show and play on stage with a lot of bands that we grew up touring with. It was a great time. A lot of energy and we look forward to doing it again some time.”

Kucsulain said that aside from once again being able to throw down for the audience from the five boroughs, there were also some great moments for her throughout the day. “Skarhead shooting a video upstairs was definitely a highlight,” she said. “It was good times with good people. Being able to share the stage with Indecision once again. It was my first time seeing Bold and it was a memorable moment.”

Late-80s youth crew legends Bold were one of the big draws of the day, blasting out their now two-decade-old “posicore” straight-edge standards. Guitarist John “Porcell” Porcelly, renown for his work with Youth of Today and Judge, was excited to be back on the stage again with the band.

“Quite honestly, Bold was pretty much broken up and we hadn’t played any shows in about two years,” Porcell said. “Out of the blue, Civ called me and asked if Bold would play the BNB Bowl and I was very psyched to do it since I hadn’t seen any of my New York friends in a while. The other guys felt the same and it was a blast to get together and play again.”

For Porcell, the decision to do the show was the right one, stirring up those old emotions, yet the consummate musician, he wondered if the band would be ready for the gig. “The show was awesome, both for us and the crowd. Like I said, we hadn’t played together in years and since we all live in different parts of the country, we only had a limited amount of time to practice, so I was worried that we wouldn’t be that tight. Amazingly though, everything just came together and we actually sounded better than we ever have.”

The reunion for Porcell saw him reconnecting with many from the NYHC crew that he hadn’t seen in a while. He said he enjoyed seeing bands like Earth Crisis, Urban Waste, Murphy’s Law, and Killing Time as well as seeing Agnostic Front guitarist Vinnie Stigma, whom he dubbed, “the godfather of hardcore,” walking around “talking with his hands.” The day for him had many upsides.

“For me, the highlight was getting to sing the encore for the Bold set,” he said. “On past tours for an encore, I would come out and sing the old Bold song ‘Nailed to the X,’ but this time we decided to do something a little different and I sang ‘NY Crew’ by my old band Judge. The response from the crowd was incredible and people were literally grabbing the mic out of my hands the whole time to sing along. I barely even got to sing it! The energy was intense and it was encouraging and humbling to see that kids were still so passionate about music I made years ago.”

Indecision vocalist Tom Sheehan was also on board when they were approached to do this year’s Black N Blue Bowl. This was a return engagement for the hometown crew from Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge area.

“We played the Superbowl in2006 after having not played together in like eight years,” Sheehan said. “It went incredibly well and we had such a blast that when Joe (Cammarata) had approached us to play again this year, we were totally in. Plus, to be able to play in our hometown with Killing Time, Earth Crisis, Urban Waste, Murphy’s Law, Bold, and all the other great bands was a chance we couldn’t miss. I think it was a solid lineup from beginning to end. Joe and Freddy and BNB seem to outdo themselves every year. The whole thing was a highlight for us. Plus, seeing younger bands like Forfeit and Backtrack totally kill it was great to see.”

Albany’s Stigmata was also on the marquee and came down from upstate New York for the show. Guitarist Jay Sunkes said they decided to play as soon as they were asked.

“We knew it would be a great crowd and a good time and we were right on both,” Sunkes said. “The show went great. Crowd was very into it, singing songs word for word, dancing and grabbing for the mic. I think for most hardcore fans, the music and lyrics had a huge impact on their, and our lives and something that strong don’t fade. For me, it is just the love of the music and the desire to spread our music to as many people as possible. And, it’s just fucking fun to play. Period.”

Porcell said that in this day and age, it’s events like the Black N Blue Bowl that strengthen the scene, bringing the fans together like a family to stand together as one, as in the glory days of hardcore’s initial rise.

“It’s important because it brings some unity back to the New York scene,” he said. “I mean there were hundreds and hundreds of kids from all walks of life, ages, nationalities, but everyone got along because they were there for the music. Back in the day, there weren’t a lot of fights at CBGB’s because there was a sense that we were all outcasts in one way or another and somehow this form of music had brought us together, so we looked out for each other. It was good to see that spirit at the Black N Blue Bowl.”

Black n Blue Productions marketing director, heidiminx, agreed that the relevance of hardcore is part of what makes the BNB Bowl important and its roots are what helps to keep it grounded.

“The scene was born out of DIY and that’s what this event is,” she said. “It’s put together by people in this scene, for this scene. They are way too many corporate shows in so many cities, it seems like those shows are the only shows. It didn’t used to be that way and this show is a testament to hard work and rolling up your sleeves to making something happen because you love it.”

Black N Blue founder Freddy Cricien agreed that this annual event is about more than just a concert with a bunch of bands. It’s about a community. “It’s always been that kind of environment, family, friends, and we want to keep it that way. The people that come to these shows have a lot of respect for what we’re doing and for the people behind the scenes. There’s a lot of respect. It brings a lot of different people together to have a good time in New York City. What more can I say?”

DEVILDRIVER

DevilDriver
Interview by Jason Walsh

It has been a slow and steady climb for the metal outfit from Santa Barabara, who formed in 2002 after frontman Dez Fafara left Coal Chamber. Originally named Deathride, they changed their name due to copyright issues with another band of the same name, and thus became DevilDriver, referring to bells used by Italian witches to drive away evil, dark forces. Now, nine years later, the band has released their fourth full-length album and have toured nonstop since their inception.

“Pray for Villians” hit shelves this summer selling nearly 15,000 units its first week and debuted at #35 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart. I had a chance to talk with vocalist Dez Fafara on the day of “Pray for Villains” release to talk about the new Roadrunner Records offering, as well as upcoming tours, and the future of DevilDriver.

JW: So man, how are you doing today?

DEZ: Dude, I’m doing killer. It’s day of release. Unreal. You know what I mean? That’s a far cry from when we got done. You know it’s always three or four months, once you get done, then they release the record so the anticipation of that kind of builds up like a damn volcano.

JW: How do you feel about the record? I just listened to it right before you called and I got to tell you, it’s really good and a lot different from some of your older stuff. I mean, how are you feeling about it?

DEZ: Well for me it’s a culmination of records and I think what people need to know is DevilDriver was only together like six months before we recorded our first record, that was primarily written by one guitar player, so by the second record we’d only been together two years and that’s when we’d find out that everybody could write guitar and put in their own feel. By the time we got to the third record, we’d only been together four or five years, so the growth has been inspiring for me. You know, I mean I think we continue to define what we’re doing and certainly separate ourselves from the genre that’s going on definitely.

JW: But personally, after you sit back, you listen to it, you’re driving in your car or whatever the case may be, how are you feeling about it?

DEZ: Personally, how do I feel about it? I think we stepped it up a notch. I knew that when I received the music, it made me vocally have to step up to the plate and not just be, y’know, some death metal screamer all my life and actually go, “OK, let’s get down to it,” without throwing in the huge clean choruses and all that to sell out to radio. So for myself artistically, as long as we push boundaries and don’t kind of wallow in the mire of what everybody else is doing, then that’s what’s important to me. As long as it’s art that stands apart from itself, that’s where I’m going with it. So, y’know, content. I never want to call myself happy, because I’ve made so many records now and I never look back and I’m never happy because once I’m happy then it’s not going to make me move forward in an artistic way to go write the next record. I mean I’m writing today already for the next record and my record just got released so…

JW: So always looking ahead, even though this just came out and you’re just now getting it out to the people, but you’re always kind of looking to the future?

DEZ: I can’t get wrapped up in the art that we’re doing in the moment because I just got so much art in the future, y’know, and I know how this band is growing and I think we’re starting to find a sound now that’s really going to take us through the years and like I said, define us. I’ve rarely used that word when it comes to interviews on any of the last records. I’ve always said, “hey, each record is going to get better,” which for me, it definitely has.

JW: Tell me about who you had in the studio producing this?

DEZ: Logan Mader. He was ex-guitar player for Machine Head. He’s produced a bunch of bands and the thing that he is really good at is he puts his stamp on it without putting his sound on it, meaning band A, B, and C all sound they’re produced by one producer because you can hear his sound. He doesn’t do that. He allows the band’s sound to come out and to generate your own tune and then he focuses you in on it and we really honed in on songwriting this record, so it was important to have a cat in there like that to take some of the structures that we were doing and making sure that they stayed true to what we were trying to do.

JW: Now you were talking about pushing yourself when you got the music. You heard it, you knew that you kind of had to, like you said, step it up a little. Was he there as well to help push you and make you go beyond where you thought you might be able to go?

DEZ: Absolutely. Once we heard the demos, we realized, OK, some of this we’re going to sing our asses off so we got to be real focused, y’know. I didn’t hit any alcohol, I should say wine because I don’t drink hard alcohol, but I didn’t hit any wine or any beer or any of that when I was behind the mic. I wanted the progression of the vocals to be, y’know, you could hear the pronunciation and the diction in every word, you know what I mean? So, he was instrumental in that and he would call me out on it if it wasn’t clear and if I wasn’t hitting whatever tones that I wanted to hit within the melody, different keys and everything else.

JW: And that’s good for the creative process to have somebody that’s in there that does that instead of just kind of like “let’s knock this out.”

DEZ: Yeah, yeah. There’s two kinds of producers: one that nurtures you and one that wants to knock it out. And when you’re recording music, unlike other arts, you know when it comes to painting or sculpture or whatever, you’re not alone. You’re surrounded by musicians. You’re surrounded by a guy, working the board recording you, and you’ve got to all work as a team in order to get the sound that you want.

JW: Now, you guys just got back from Europe. How was that?

DEZ: Killer. You know any time you can do festivals and do off-shows with Down, Slipknot, Anthrax, I mean it was a great time, man. We had a killer time. We were there for a month.

JW: And that’s the thing. Going over there to Europe, especially when you’re in metal bands, you guys draw huge, huge crowds as opposed to the States, not to say you wouldn‘t draw big crowds in the States, but over there it‘s a completely different world.

DEZ: Absolutely. You know the thing is over there you can go from playing a festival like DOWNLOAD in front of 85,000 people and then the next night, you’re in a club with Slipknot that’s got 6000 people, and the next night you’re with Anthrax that’s got 1500-2000 people, and then you make it an off-show, because we don’t like to sit, that may only be 600 people at a club. Then you take that energy and you take it right back to the stage when you do the festival. It all helps each other.

JW: You guys are getting ready to start the “Thrash & Burn Tour.” Tell me a little bit about that?

DEZ: Well, it’s a diverse lineup. The “Thrash & Burn” guys have done it a couple times and they called us, they wanted us to headline it. We said “sure, we’ll do it” and for me it’s really killer. It’s like oil and water because it’s hardcore and metal and most the time those bands, they don’t mix a lot on tour. They’re all friends and everyone hangs out, especially at festivals and other places like that, but in America, it’s like people don’t put those two genres together and out them out on the road. So, there’s a bunch of hardcore bands and a bunch of metal bands going out, playing decent-sized venues, and really getting down to it. If you support the underground-type tour, where it’s not a bunch of big bands that everyone’s put together to kind of spin everybody’s head and get 30,000 people to some big festival. It’s really bands you should hear about, bands you should know about, like Despised Icon, Oceano, Emmure, DevilDriver. So, it’s an important thing to come out and support.

JW: And the good thing about that is you’ll have a diverse audience that will come out to these shows. Like some guys might be coming out to see one band, and maybe they don’t know about you guys or some of the other guys on the roster and the get to check them out.

DEZ: That’s what I said. I said “look, if you’re into metal, you’re going to get you’re share of hardcore. If you’re into hardcore, you’re going to get your share of metal.” Either way, if it’s heavy, count me in. I don’t care if you have a shaved head and a hat on sideways, y’know, and you’re only listening to hardcore, but you better know you’re roots, like Black Flag and things like that, right? And if you’re listening to metal, same thing. You better come out because some of these bands are heavy as hell. I mean I don’t know if you’ve ever heard some of the bands we’re going on tour with, but I’m proud to say that it’s obvious that basements are rattling all over the nation with people doing heavy shit. It’s obvious.

JW: And that’s kind of thing now. This kind of music has always been up and down. The faithful ones have stuck it out and it seems like we’re seeing a resurgence of heavier music in both metal and hardcore.

DEZ: You do. Almost to the point where it’s getting convoluted with so many bands. We’re going to see who comes out, how would I say, on top, over the next two or three years. Like who is going to hang in and be there for the duration doing their sound and I think it’s important. I’m really influenced by what people call hardcore now, which early for me was Crumbsuckers, Black Flag, bands like that, that extremely influenced me, man. Bands like Minor Threat. I mean I get off on all music that’s heavy and the roots of hardcore are punk rock, and the roots of DevilDriver are punk rock. If you watch our stage show, we’re like plug in and go.
JW: Very cool. Last question. After this tour, what’s the band do from here?

DEZ: After this tour, we’re going to come home for a brief moment, we’re going to head overseas October and November with Behemoth to do some really killer venues there for about five or six weeks. Then we come home and we go straight over to Australia with Lamb of God and I think hit Japan and Hawaii by ourselves. In December, come home for Christmas, take a little bit of January off, start rehearsals, get out February and March back over to Europe, and back to the States again. I mean we’re running strong until about 2012. We’re starting to book the middle of 2011 today.

JW: Always looking to the future.

DEZ: Always, man, always. The thing with this band is we never stop touring. I’m hoping my guys hang in (laughs).

TESCO VEE and the MEATMEN

Return of the Meatmen
by Jason Walsh

The motor-city madman is back…no, not Ted Nugent. The real king of the super bikes, Tesco Vee, is up to his usual deranged and unimaginable antics, ready to piss off an entirely new generation of kids who have succumbed to the pop-punk vomit spewing from every major (and minor) record label in the land. Here come the Meatmen, and they still think you suck.

So what ever happened to Tesco Vee and his onslaught of pretty much everyone and everything? Well, it’s been over a decade since he’s been in the studio, and with a new lineup of young, hungry, and slightly insane Meatmen, he has a new album out of classic cover songs and working on another LP chock full of brand new originals. “The Meatmen Cover the Earth” released this past summer to the adoration of several generations of not-so-easily-offended fans and the boys have played a decent amount of venues to boot. I had a chance to talk with Michigan’s finest son, who began this journey of outrageous punk rock madness in 1980, to find out just what the hell was going on.

JW: So man, how’s your weekend?

TESCO VEE: Great man. I just got back from the studio yesterday. We laid down about half the tracks, the vocal tracks, and this new album is pretty fucking good, man, if I may say so. I know I’m a little biased, but it’s called “The Meatmen Cover the Earth.” It’s all my favorite cover songs and it’s a lot of fun. We’re having a gas doing it, so I think people are going to dig it. It’s my first output in 13 years and it’s going to be like 22 songs, and y’know, it’ll have my comedic shit in between songs, and the return of Shecky Schpilkis in “Sexmart 2010,” so what’s not to like, right?

JW: So 13 years since you’ve been in the studio?

TESCO VEE: Yeah. I mean the last record I put out was “War of the Superbikes 2,” which was the original album and then some bonus tracks, so that’s the last time I’ve been in the studio, so it’s fun.

JW: So with such a hiatus from being in there, man, how does it feel to be back in the studio?

TESCO VEE: It feels really good. I mean I forgot how much I miss all this shit. I thought I was done and then my son and my nephews, they were too young to enjoy it the first time around, they were like “come on man…you gotta do it again.” So, like fuck it, let’s go. Then we’re going to do this album and then we’re going to do an album of all originals after that. Having fun, don’t know how long I’ll do it but I’m having a good time. Been doing it a year now and things are going well even though the economy sucks and the PC police are everywhere. But it’s my duty to come back and fuck things up once more.

JW: And I think that’s part of the thing. With everything that’s going so bad, bands like the Meatmen need to come out and kind of call out everybody.

TESCO VEE: Yeah. I mean I agree. I was reading an interview with Clint Eastwood last week and he’s like 78 years old and he said he believes that the whole PC thing has pretty much ruined our culture. I couldn’t agree more. I mean it’s ridiculous. People can’t laugh and it’s rather pathetic, so that’s one other reason I had to come back. Everybody else is dead. Me and Lee Ving (FEAR) are the only scumbag rockers that are still walking the planet. He’s coming back I guess. Well, you’re out in California right, so he probably plays out there some., but he hasn’t been out our way in a long fucking time.

JW: Actually, I’m out in Virginia.

TESCO VEE: Oh, you live in Virginia…Oh…

JW: Yeah, yeah, and it’s funny because I was going through your bio today and I was reading at one point that you had some guys from Dumfries.

TESCO VEE: Yeah.

JW: I was just up in DC doing some things and that’s one of my kids’ favorite exits because they like the exit for “DUM-FRIES” and “MAN-ASSAS” and they think that shit is hilarious.

TESCO VEE: (laughs) Yeah…I need to put a “P” on Dumfries and it became DUMP-fries. They were the house band at the Tiki Fala. I don’t know if that’s even still there. They were a heavy metal cover band called Sinister Grin and it worked out pretty good, when you pick up a whole band that already knows each other and knows how to play, so that worked out good for a few years. The new lineup’s I got is pretty fucking righteous too. All of these guys are in their late 20s but they are all fully versed on Meatmen history and they know a lot about music, so they’re probably the coolest bunch of guys I’ve had the pleasure to be in a band with so that makes it easier to go out on the road and do all this stuff, you know.

JW: So playing with a bunch of younger guys, is there a certain level of rejuvenation with that. I mean you’re hanging out with guys that are, y’know, a decade or two behind you. What’s that like?

TESCO VEE: Yeah, I think it does. I mean I always hung out with people that were younger than me. When I hung out with the Necros back in the day, I was in my early 20s and they were all just little teenagers and shit. So, I’ve always kind of been the elder statesman. I don’t know, I relate well to anybody of all generations. Yeah, I think it keeps me young definitely and makes me realize why I don’t drink all the time (laughs) like they do, but they still have a full complement of brain cells and I got to watch it because I don’t want to look like a leather handbag like Iggy Pop or David Johansen. Contrary to my wild and raucous image, I do lead a relatively clean lifestyle these days, but don’t spread that around. I don’t want to blow my image.

JW: Coming from someone who is approaching 40 I understand that and I’m a father as well.

TESCO VEE: Cool.

JW: Do you kind of find yourself kind of being a parent for these guys and see them doing their wilding and you’re like, “Ahhh…I’ve been there, done that, but hey take it easy guys.”

TESCO VEE: No, not really. I try not to do that. It gets weird, because we’re on the road and my son’s the road manager and I got my nephews riding along with us and so it’s kind of like a family affair. So, yeah, I don’t play Dad. Once in a while, I put my foot down a little bit but fortunately I don’t have to play Dad.

JW: So tell me about the new record.

TESCO VEE: It’s all covers, all cover songs. It’s other people’s songs and it’s everything from some from the 60s, 70s, 80s. It’s punk rock, it’s hard rock, it’s metal, “Big Bad John” by Jimmy Dean, just everything. The cover is going to have us like kind of a play on the Sherwin Williams logo, the paint logo, with the paint dripping off the Earth, but I’ll let you imagine what’s dripping off the Earth when we’re involved (laughs). A big wad of gism, so yeah. There’s a GG Allin song on there, there’s a Fear song on there, we try to cover as many bases as we can and just rock these songs like the Meatmen would. That’s the beauty of the Meatmen, y’know, it can be anything. It can be punk, it could be metal, it could be hard rock, it can be whatever. I’m not locked into any one thing. I’ve always been a fan of music so I got to pick. Actually, we started with about 50 songs and by the time we looked at them we realized we couldn’t put 50 songs on a record, so slowly paired it down to these chosen few.

JW: Are you putting this out on your label?

TESCO VEE: Yeah, I’m putting it out on Meat King.

JW: And after this you said you are going to go back with this lineup and do some originals?

TESCO VEE: Yeah, we’re going to start writing originals here once this thing’s in the can and I already started writing some originals. There’s one old song that I never recorded back in the 90s, so I’m going to pull that one out. Yeah, and these guys are all excited to do an album of all originals too, so it’ll be fun.

JW: Give me a break down of the guys you’ve got playing with you right now.

TESCO VEE: These guys have all been in a bunch of other bands. I got Dave Malosh, he was in a band called the Paybacks. I got Ian Sugierski and he is the drummer. He’s in a metal band called Superchrist and in another band called Wastelander. Andy Lucas, his stage name is Stinky Penis, and he’s our bass player. A couple of them live in Detroit and Andy and I both live in Lansing. We practice in Lansing so those guys drive up, we practice, and it’s all good.

JW: So how long have you been in Lansing now?

TESCO VEE: Since ‘99. We left DC in ‘99 and we’ve been back here ever since. I was glad to get out of there because, I don’t know, the Republicans were coming and I knew it, so it was time to go.

JW: That was a good call. I was just up there. They’re all leaving.

TESCO VEE: (laughs) Maybe it’s time for me to come back. I sold my house and I can’t afford to buy a house, so I guess I’m stuck in Michigan. Even though the weather sucks, I really like it here. It’s a great place to be in a band. There’s just so many fucking musicians and so many good bands come out of Michigan, it’s definitely easier to find people here than in DC. I was never really accepted by that whole DC contingent. I was always just kind of a fringe, outside player. I used to be buds with some of the Dischord guys, but you know, whatever. People move on. I didn’t really have a whole lot of people to hang out with there at the end locally. We’re having a hell of a time just trying to get a show there. We hope to be playing at the Rock ‘n Roll Hotel. The Black Cat and the 9:30 (Club) want nothing to do with us, so some things never change. (laughs)

JW: And that’s the thing. The 9:30 is not really the 9:30 from the days when you were down there.

TESCO VEE: No, not at all. From the days when there was a pipe that went across the dressing room that said “rat crossing” and people would be like, “haha…rat crossing” and then a fucking foot-long rat would run across the pipe. It really was a rat crossing. (laughs again)

JW: It was not really a joke.

TESCO VEE: No, it was not.

JW: Yeah, the District’s definitely changed over the past few decades. What’s it like being back in Michigan, especially now. To be honest, my family is up there and I’ve been trying to relocate to Kalamazoo, but the economy is so bad and the job situation is worse. It’s like a third-world nation. Is it difficult living up there now?

TESCO VEE: Well, no, cuz we all have jobs so we’re the lucky ones, knock on wood. There are jobs, but more of a skilled thing. I’m in a technical field so if you’re technical at all, either computers or phone systems, in my case, there’s still jobs, but it’s the auto workers, the manufacturing sector is fucking in the crapper. But I don’t know, Michigan is bad, but it’s just bad everywhere right now, y’know. I’m sure we’re worse than other places but it’s just fucked up right now. Yeah, that’s interesting, they moved to Kalamazoo. Did they take advantage of that deal where you live in Kalamazoo and you get free college.

JW: The promise. They got there just in time. Four years of college paid for.

TESCO VEE: Yeah. That’s cool.

JW: Are you looking to tour after this?

TESCO VEE: I don’t like summer touring so much but probably Fall we’ll head South and try to hit Florida and all that stuff. I don’t like long tours anymore. A week or two, I can handle that, but I don’t like the six-week, eight-week shit like I used to do. Just go out there and have some fun and sell some t-shirts and play some Hate Rock.

JW: Very cool. You know, you’ve been doing this a long time. What keeps you inspired and still interested in doing this?

TESCO VEE: I sounds kind of cliché but when you get out on stage and I think that’s what really lit the fires. I played that show with Negative Approach in May of 2006 and the guys from N.A. backed me up, and it’s just like getting out there in front of a thousand kids all going crazy and it was like “Holy Crap.” I can jump around like a crazy man in a 120-degree heat and not have the “big one” so I figure well, it feels pretty good, y’know, hit the treadmill, get back in shape, and yeah, it feels good man. The lineup I got, we’re like firing on all cylinders and I can’t be happier with the way it’s going.

PLAYING FOR CHANGE: Songs Around the World Tour

by Jason Walsh

published in ON TAP Magazine, Washington D.C.

The life of a musician can be a hard road, along which many have found themselves playing for change just to survive. The street musician is a mythic figure, regarded both high and low, and represents the unique and individual cultures from which their songs originate. It took the pairing of a Grammy-award-winning engineer with a documentary filmmaker, and the desire to capture the sounds from the streets to bring the music of the world together. This was how Playing for Change began.

“Music has always inspired me in many ways throughout my life,” filmmaker Jonathan Walls said. “I’m fascinated at the complex, yet simple divinity it has.”

Walls combined with Playing for Change creator Mark Johnson when they collaborated on their first film, “Playing for Change: A Cinematic Discovery of Street Music.” Where this first outing documented the sounds of the street in America, their second would serve to bring the music of the world together. “Playing for Change: Peace Through Music” saw Johnson and Walls traversing the continents, gathering sound and film elements from all corners of the globe. The inspiration came from a random, chance encounter by Johnson in New York City.

“About ten years ago, I was headed to work one morning,” Johnson said. And, while in the subway, I witnessed a musical performance of two monks painted all in white from head to toe. They were wearing brown robes, and one of them was singing in a foreign language while the other man played a nylon guitar. I remember seeing about 200 people, of different cultures, races, and genders, stop and listen to the music. Everyone was so moved by the performance even though I can’t imagine any of us knew what they were singing about. It occurred to me that there existed in this moment in time, a strong sense of human connection and the ability to overcome our differences as people. I decided right then and there that music is the key to a better world. I also realized it was my calling to go out and find as many of these inspiring human moments as possible.”

Their third outing, a CD/DVD release called “Songs Around the World” saw them take the music of nearly 40 different musicians from different nations and mix them into the one singular standard, “Stand By Me.” Started off with street musician Roger Ridley in Santa Monica, the song fades in local New Orleans icon Grandpa Elliott, and then to Clarence Bekker in Amsterdam, fused with the instruments of more than three dozen musicians from as many countries: Spain, Venezuela, the Congo, Ghana, South Africa, Brazil, France, Russia, Italy, and more. The video had counters spinning on You Tube, as more than 30-million viewers saw the ultimate worldwide jam of like-minded performers who had never met.

“The idea for this project arose from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people,” Johnson said. “No matter whether people come from different geographic, political, economic, spiritual, or ideological backgrounds, music has the universal power to transcend and unite us as one human race. And with this truth firmly fixed in our minds, we set out to share it with the world.”

“Playing for Change: Songs Around the World” debuted at #10 on the Billboard Top 200 Pop Chart selling twenty-six thousand copies in its first week. With the success the films and music releases of the Playing for Change project have had, Johnson and Walls decided to bring the music they’ve gathered together to the stage for a tour that will showcase nine of the main participants.

“I’m super excited about our upcoming Playing for Change tour,” Walls said. “It’s always a treat and an absolute blast to get the band as well as our crew together and share our passion and music to audiences. When our ‘family’ is together doing what we all do best, beautiful moments unfold, and the inspirational energy is transferred.”

The North American tour will hit 22 cities with the Playing for Change band, featuring Grandpa Elliott from New Orelans, Clarence Bekker from the Netherlands, Mermans Kenkosenki and Jason Tamba from the Congo, as well as other jammers from Venezuela, Ghana, and Zimbabwe. The first show of the tour kicks off in Alexandria on Tuesday, October 20 at the Birchmere. Walls said there were some positive events ahead along the road, as they have created a foundation where the music can help give back.

“We are excited to be kicking off the tour at the Birchmere,” he said. “We do have a special benefit show for the Playing for Change Foundation in Los Angeles. These events are always special because they are benefiting the youth of our world, giving them opportunities to become empowered and inspired through music at the Playing for Change Music Schools we are building around the world.”

This program was their way of giving back to the communities from where they had found the performers who had shared their music. It was further justification to them that the power of the song can bring change.

“Over the course of this project, we decided it was not enough for our crew just to record and share this music with the world,” Johnson said, “We wanted to create a way to give back to the musicians and their communities that had shared so much with us. Now, musicians from all over the world are brought together to perform benefit concerts that build music and art schools in communities that are in need of inspiration and hope. When audiences see and hear musicians who have traveled thousands of miles from their homes, united in purpose and chorus on one stage, everyone is touched by music's unifying power.”

Walls agreed that what first began as an assignment, has changed his life forever.

“While filming all over the world and experiencing an assortment of cultures, beliefs and dreams, I've realized a tremendous amount about humanity and the commonality our human race has. At the same time, I've learned more about our differences, giving me an opportunity to further understand each other on a deeper level, thus allowing myself to blossom toward not only a personal peace, but an ambassador toward global peace. And, our path was music.”

The Birchmere

Tuesday, Oct. 20
3701 Mt. Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA 22305

703-549-7500

http://www.birchmere.com/

$49.50

Still Proud Clothing

by Jason Walsh

This up-and-coming South Florida franchise is a new outlet for hardcore and hip-hop themed designs. SPC is yet another independent endeavor that is not driven as much by money as it is the message. The roots of owner/operator Gavin Otsuka is like so many others.

“As cliché as it may sound, hardcore and hip-hop have been a huge part of my life and as a result, I’ve been actively involved through many mediums such as writing, playing in bands, booking shows, and really saw clothing as another creative outlet. I’m drawn to clothing because as simplistic as it is, it has the ability to convey a powerful message in a very direct way.”

There are five designs in the line, all with singularly different bold statements. “Keep Metal Out of Hardcore,” “FCK Fighting,” and “American Straightedge” are a few of these.

“Over the years I came to find out that a lot of my favorite bands were edge, so I felt that if your going to put out a line encompassing the hardcore scene, what not a more proud faction to appeal to,” Otsuka said. “Sadly enough, just about every show I’ve attended has had at least one fight, so this design (FCK Fighting) was a given and its appeal really goes beyond the hardcore or hip-hop scene. You can wear it to any event that calls for a good time and that’s why we decided to put it out.”

Otsuka gets the most comments about the “Keep Metal Out of Hardcore” design. “There are many people that believe metal has thinned hardcore out, chipped away at its punk foundations and commercialized it, while others believe it is a natural progression of the music that has kept it interesting. We can argue either side until the sun comes up but at the end of the day it’s a matter of personal preference.”

“SP Hammer Time” is a design based on the legendary 80s hardcore group, Judge. The shirt is an ode to the crossed hammers logo found on all Judge’s albums and merch. Otsuka felt this was a tribute to the band and their message.

“Judge was a very influential band in the hardcore scene so I thought it would be fun to put our take on it. Also, while every shirt has our logo on the back, this is the only one in our first line that blatantly states the company name.”

The last shirt in this first run states “Support Independent Hip-Hop,” which as Otsuka stated, was a large influence in his life.

“I’ve always had an appreciation for independent hip-hop as it harbors a more organic sound and dedication than any commercial artist I’ve come across. I felt it was important to put this one out because I believe that the independent scene is a much better definition of what hip-hop is. Hip-hop, in my opinion is not about flashy cars or bling like MTV has made it out to be. It’s about real life issues and a true appreciation for the art form.”
Philadelphia based outfit, Outerspace, is one of many who have lent their name to the line. MC Planetary of the raw Philly hip-hop crew was all about working with Otsuka.

“The company is run by a great guy, the gear is dope and Outerspace is always down to network and build a relationship with quality, indepenedent companies such as Still Proud. Besides the look, we like the fact that it brings two seemingly different crowds together.

Miami’s Knock ‘Em Dead is a heavy hardcore five-piece that has also joined forces with Still Proud Clothing. Frontman Hamlet echoed the same sentiment of the positive messages that a shirt can convey about a company.

“We have been long time friends with Gavin and we support independent companies helping the scene. We like the fact that Still Proud is a genuine, underground company with a DIY ethic because that is the same approach and foundation that Knock Em Dead was born out of. If you are a fan of hardcore and hip-hop, you should support independent companies like Still Proudas they risk a lot like us to keep the spirit of this music alive and functioning in society.”

Otsuka plans on selling the current stock before planning the next wave in the line. He’s had success at local hardcore and hip-hop venues in South Florida and will continue to expand as time rolls forward.

“Success has a very different meaning to each individual and I think I’ve started off on the right path,” he said. “I’m not out to make a million on this but that does not mean that I’m not going to push this company as far as it can go. I started this company as a way to stay involved in this music as I’ve great respect for the bands and individuals, so as long as the kids are digging my stuff and helping me release consistent designs, I’ll take that as success.”



http://www.myspace.com/stillproudclothing