FFG: Eight Years and Counting
I tend to focus on change when I look at bands. I look at change as the door to progress in the music world. FFG has been through a lot of changes, but after talking to Jarret, one of the founding members the other day, I realize he still has not lost sight of the dream. FFG was formerly Fall From Grace, but switched to the acronym a few years ago. They are a pop-punk band and proud of it. They write danceable, jumpable, catchy pop songs. They have just recently put out their new CD, “That’s Life.” In the spirit of education and enlightenment, I did an interview with the guys, Jordan, Jarret and Jeff. Here it is:
Fringe: The band FFG has been around a long time and continues to stay true to the sound that started the band. How have you guys managed to do that?
Jordan: Being twins has had a huge impact on our band. Jarret and I have always had similar ideas and likes with music growing up, which had a huge influence on the direction of the band. Our main goal with this new album was to have a more nostalgic feeling while adding new dynamics to our songs. As we continue to grow as a band we have always and will always make sure we stay the FFG that everybody has grown to know while bringing something a little new to our fans with every album to come.
Jarret: We just like to play the style of music that we love. To us it’s all about good friends, good times, and the occasional male nudity.
Fringe: There have been a few lineup changes in the band lately. Anything you want to share about those changes?
Jarret: Yes, we have had a few trial and errors over the past two years. But, that’s what happens when you are in a band, working as a group. You have to find that perfect fit, and the lineup we have now is the most comfortable and productive group we’ve had in our eight and a half year run!
Jordan: When it comes to member changes, its all part of the game.
Fringe: You’ve got your new album up on itunes now. How do you feel about selling music on the Internet, versus CDs?
Jarret: I love how we can sell our album on iTunes, and all other online stores. It makes our music available to everyone around the world! We have a lot of fans overseas in Japan, Australia, and all over Europe who have been waiting for “That’s Life” to come out!
Jordan: With the high prices of shows that continue to get more expensive, many people who go to shows find themselves broke soon after they purchase their tickets. Online sales make it easy and convenient for fans to buy the album from their homes when they have the money.
Fringe: What drives the songwriting in your band?
Jarret: The songwriting style of this band hasn’t changed a whole lot through the years. Every CD or EP we release are full of songs that are about what’s going on in our lives around that point in time. This is why we decided to name our first full length record “That’s Life.”
Jordan: In addition, every song we write most people can relate to in their life, as well.
Fringe: What bands are you guys currently listening to?
Jarret: Alkaline Trio, Mest, Social Distortion, Zebrahead, Mxpx.
Jordan: The Offspring, Sum 41, Pennywise, Avenged Sevenfold.
Jeff: the captain and Tennille, Wham, Flock of seagulls.
Fringe: If you could play a show with any band anywhere you wanted, what would it be?
Jarret- I would love to play with Alkaline Trio and Mest at the House of Blues (Anaheim)
Jordan- I would love to play with The Offspring at the House of Blues (Las Vegas)
Jeff- I want to play with Jennifer Love Hewitt, at my pants party!
Fringe: Tell me about your favorite song that you have written off this new CD and why it is your favorite?
Jarret: My favorite song off of “That’s Life” would probably be “Only 18.” Because that song basically sums up my last years as a teenager, and the stupid-ass things we did, a lot of people can relate to it. I like the “Cosmos,” as well; it’s basically the first love song I’ve written that’s on the positive side of love.
Jordan: I would have to say “Only 18″ because when writing the song it really challenged me on my skills and dynamics as a drummer.
Jeff: I like the first song on the album, “Welcome.”
Fringe: You’re doing some pretty cool stuff in Roseville trying to get some other places doing shows. Can you tell me more about that?
Jarret: We have been doing research for the last several months, for a new all-ages venue in our hometown (after the Underground closed its doors). We aren’t very happy with the way the local scene has been going for a while, and think that it needs a change and something new. People are tired of paying $10 or more for local shows. And being a local band, we obviously aren’t doing this for the money. Our goal is to get this venue rolling, with prices being around $5 or less a ticket.The way the local venues used to be! And, bringing the scene back to the kids.
Fringe: Where do you see the band in five years?
Jarret- Five years is a long time, and who knows what will happen. But, I see myself as being 27 years old, still doing the thing I love most, making music with good friends.
Jordan: What he said.
Fringe: What do you consider “making it”?
Jarret: Of course, the majority of musicians want to be successful with their music. To be able to make a living and support yourself with the music you made is a dream come true. But, the reality of the business is that very few musicians get that opportunity and the main thing to focus on is to make sure you’re having fun doing it. And if you have a great, loyal following, have people who want to purchase your music with their own money, and buy tickets to your shows, to me, that’s amazing! You have done something with your life to positively affect another person with something you have created and love doing.
Fringe: Do some plugging of your upcoming shows.
Jarret: New album “That’s Life” available now on iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody, Amazon, and many more! Saturday, November 8 –FFG & Track Fighter + More@Recreation Park (Inside) in Auburn, CA **$5 all ages** Call and Request “Punk Rock Xmas” on Sacramento’s KWOD 106.5 Alternative. (916) 766-1065. Of course, myspace.com/ffg
The Broken Poet: The Shawn Johnson of Rock and Roll?
I apparently don’t watch enough TV, or enough sports or something, because when The Broken Poet described themselves as the “Shawn Johnson of rock and roll,” I really had no idea what they meant. After my uninformed self did a Google of Shawn Johnson, I found she was a gymnast who, after a rough start managed to pull off some silver medals at the 2008 summer Olympics and gold in the balance beam. I doubt that the band wanted me to get this deep with their analogy, but after spending some time with the band, I think they’re right. They too have had a rough start, but definitely score a gold in the balance department.
Don’t let the hair swoops fool you, these guys aren’t emo. The Broken Poet is a three piece pop/rock band featuring Casey (24) on guitar and vocals, Jordan (24) on drums and Gabe (25) on bass and backups. The fact that they are all best friends and hang out plenty when they aren’t at practice makes it easier for them to relate to each other on the musical level. What I knew of the band before I went to talk to them put a very different picture in my mind as to what they were like. In the practice space there were no pictures of half-naked girls, no fridge for booze, nothing. One of the only decorations that could be seen on an otherwise barren wall was a large poster of The Beatles. I dug the vibe. Casey let me know, “We are here to work. We don’t like having distractions in the room. Some bands practice five nights a week but they are f–ked up half the time.” Good point!
As a band, they’ve written 20 full original songs together, have tossed out countless ideas and are working on three new songs that are almost done. As for what they have materially with their music on it, they have a five-song CD. They managed to get through all five whole songs being recorded, mixed and mastered in a mere 16 hours. Normally I’d be skeptical of a band that told me something like that, but the CD quality is better than I expected. One of the cool things I found out about the band is that they are very realistic about their goals and the music industry. As Casey put it, “we don’t like to blow smoke up our own asses.”
So after hanging out for a little while, listening to them run through their set a few times and practicing for the Beatles tribute show that is coming up Nov. 23 at Harlows, we ran through a few questions.
Fringe: How do you classify yourselves?
The Broken Poet: Rock and roll…. Avril Lavigne … ha
Fringe: Have you thought of expanding the band from a three piece? The Broken Poet: Well, we have all the keyboards on the CD, so we’re always looking for a keyboardist, maybe guitar, but it just seems too loud with another guitar.
Fringe: Lyrically, who would you consider your writing style similar to?
The Broken Poet: I (Casey) write about my life. From my heart. It depends on the song really. With new songs I try to give each song their own personality.
Fringe: When writing new songs, what factors influence which songs you continue working on or drop?
The Broken Poet: Well, with one of the new songs we dropped it, but then came back to it. If we have to work on it too long, we drop it. We know in the first 10 minutes if we are going to keep it or not. We don’t really go back to it, we let it go. We basically give ourselves a month to write a song and be done with it. My favorite song (Casey), I wrote in 15 minutes. I like the moment that I capture. Not being done with a song is frustrating, I’m always thinking. It really varies.
Fringe: So, say you’re as big as the Smashing Pumpkins – what five things would you demand in your dressing room?
The Broken Poet:
Casey: Bud Light, Jager, Marlboro Lights, a ping pong table (to play beer pong on), and someone dressed as Mickey Mouse. I love Mickey Mouse.
Gabe: A Chair. That’s it.
Jordan: Weed, Jamison and an electronic drum set.
Fringe: Which songs are your personal favorites?
The Broken Poet: Casey: Stay in bed, I like it, it’s fun.
Gabe: The Biggest Fan, it’s the most energetic, the most simple, fun to play and makes me wanna get naked and jump around.
Jordan: Pull me Apart – I enjoy it.
Fringe: What’s your definition of making it?
The Broken Poet: Being happy with the place that you are at. We would love to be rock stars, even the indie guys who say they don’t want it – they do want it. We’re out there for people to come and have a good time.
Art. Rock. Indifferent: Der Spazm
I could tell you that Der Spazm sounds a bit like the Pixies, but then you’d walk away thinking that they sound just like the Pixies. I could also tell you that they sounded a bit like (good) Sonic Youth. But you’d just hear "sounds. Like. Sonic. Youth." And again, you’d walk away with the wrong idea about them.
While this is a band that wears some of their influences on their sleeves, Der Spazm is far from the type of band the dresses in their hero’s clothes. Too many ‘art-rock’ (if that’s indeed what they are) bands think that by being indistinguishable from their idols they’re somehow doing something new and unfamiliar. But even black sheep are still just sheep.
Der Spazm doesn’t have this problem, musically or lyrically. And the band excels at both. Dillon (guitar, vocals), Leticia (guitar), Johnny 13 (drums), and Ashley (bass, backing vocals) are doing music barely fallowing any of the blue prints for art/punk or post punk rock music. I can sit here and tell you what they sound like till I run out of comparisons and descriptions. I can work up a sweat and bust a vessel in my brain trying to come up with witty little antedotes that are supposed to somehow let you read what they sound like. But a simple "this band sounds like that band" isn’t going to work this time. For the good ones, it never does.
You need to go hear them. If you like your rock good and loud, you need to go hear them. If you like bands that are pushing the musical envelope, not because they are trying to be different, but because they ARE different, you need you go hear them. Sometimes words can’t get across what the music sounds like without doing it a great injustice. Saying that they got Dark and hooky melodies colliding over shadowy and menacing riffs ain’t going to cut it. This band’s music sparks in the dark. I could just call them an esoteric masterpiece, but that ain’t going to cut it, ether.
I got the chance to talk with them about their music, their thoughts, and what they themselves think about the uncanny band called Der Spazm.
Fringe: calling your band’s sound unique or different would be an understatement. Even though I can hear a lot of really great influences in your songs (The Pixies, Sonic Youth, Liars) there’s a lot going on in the music that turns Der Spazm into it’s own thing, instead of just being another good carbon copy band of other great bands. What influences do you guys have that might surprise your fans?
Der Spazm: Perhaps the most surprising thing about our influences is the diversity of influences that we all have! Ashley likes to listen to bands like Coldplay and Pantera, Jonny13 is into bands like 311 and Deftones, Dillon likes bands such as Hoover Phonic and Juliana Hatfield, and Leticia enjoys music by Joy Division and U2.
F: Some would (and do) call Der Spazm an Art-Rock band. Is what you do art-rock? What does that term mean to you?
Der Spazm:
A. Yes! We ourselves never really felt we fit well into the punk rock or indie rock category, so we feel Art-Rock is a great way to describe our sound!
B. Art-Rock to us means music that has a lot of diversity, which may be experimental and the most important goal about Art-Rock music is to make every song sound different! We also feel Art-Rock is about always trying new things, and when writing the songs the goal is to not follow a specific writing pattern, not to get stuck writing songs the same way, and allowing EVERYONE to take part in the writing process. The result is a sound that is fresh, as well as something that is new, exciting, and helps us avoid (as you said earlier) having carbon copy sound!
F: Der Spazm is very poetic lyrically without confusing the listener as to where the song is coming from, and what it’s about. Or, am I wrong here? Are the lyrics meant to be broader in meaning than what I’m seeing? Are the lyrics open for interpretation, or are they about just what they would appear to be about?
Der Spazm: We feel the lyrics to our songs may be pretty obvious at times and can be taken literally, but really they are always open to interpretation. When Dillon writes a song like "Lite speed" or "Scrilla," oftentimes the process for him is like a puzzle when putting the words together and usually the songs will take on a meaning later. From Dillon’s perspective, "Light speed" is about people getting caught up in convenience and trying to get things done as fast as they can, and "Scrilla" has a more personal meaning; its generally about the struggles of not having any money that he and his mom have faced at times. We think a lot of people can relate! Leticia also likes to write some of the lyrics and her goal is to write the song like a poem. For instance, the song titled "Stuck inside a dream," is really about when someone is facing a rough spot in their life and it seems like a bad dream. Jonny13 is also writing a new song for us called "El Maton" (The Killer), and he will try to put himself into the song and make it into a story, but an exciting, dramatic and meaningful story. Ashley will also be writing a song for us soon and we are very excited to see what she has to add to the variety of our song lyrics. But in the end, and as we said before, the lyrics are very much open to interpretation and the listener is welcome to make up their own story, depending on how the song makes them feel!
F: what other bands are pushing the envelope the way you guys are in Sacramento? Who should we be keeping an ear out for?
Der Spazm: We are lucky to have had the opportunity to play with a lot of really great bands in Sacramento and they are all a lot of fun! Some of the bands that we feel are really trying to do something different that music lovers should check out are groups such as The Common Men, Razorblade Monalisa, Goodness Gracious Me, An Evening Episode, March into Paris, and Holiday in Spain!
Please go hear this band at myspace.com/derspazm .
Breva: Into the Radar
Bands break up. A lot. However, one band with staying power is Breva. I write this knowing that in six months, the band will still be around. Which is worth taking a look into nowadays. I saw Breva perform at Over the Top Promotions’ big show at the Colonial Theater on May 31, and their performance was one of the best that I had seen in awhile. Something about their energy that night was different. I felt so proud of them to have stuck to their guns so long, continuing to define their sound through playing music essentially for themselves. The band has a strong rock sound that could be vaguely described as a mix between Deftones, Tool, Bear vs. Shark and Dredge. Check out the questions they answered for me; hopefully this will put Breva onto your musical radar.
Fringe: A lot of Sacramento bands bitch about Sacramento being a crappy place to call home. How do you guys feel?
Breva: Well, we like Sacramento but that would never stop us from moving where there’s a better opportunity for the band. It’s a really great base location for touring the West Coast.
Fringe: You’ve always stayed true to your musical style, not changing to the fads to please people, which is great! How do you do that when so many other groups are trying to mold themselves to “get signed”?
Breva: I think that the next CD we record will reflect a different attitude. We’ll still pursue what makes us happy, but we are really considering the perspective of the listener. And that attitude isn’t a pursuit to please people…I think it’s to please us, and make an attempt to take the feeling we get with certain parts or lyrics, and consider the listeners perspective so that the feeling isn’t lost in overindulgence, or hidden by other parts. It’s definitely a challenging way of writing and structuring songs, and we’ll be better musicians because of it…..whether we abandon that attitude or keep it.
Fringe: As a local band you’ve already released a few CDs, all of which have great production quality. Who do you go to for your recording and why?
Breva: I think one of the best decisions we made last year was to work with Robert Cheek at the Hanger Studios. He brought a new perspective to the production aspect of some of our songs…. and his role as band member and recording engineer with Quitter was why we sought him out. Jay Trammell of Fat Cat Studio mixed the CD. That was the other best decision we made last year.
Fringe: I like to get into motivation when it comes to music. I know your band is pretty diverse with influences, is there one thing that the whole band agrees on in making music?
Breva: We’re completely different people, and it’s hard to agree on anything! On top of that, we all frequently change, so things that we’ve agreed on in the past don’t hold true today. But we’ll play anything that makes us happy, whether it’s a seven minute song, or a two and a half minute pop song. If we dig it, we play it. We can agree on that.
Fringe: In the age where bands come and go so often, what keeps your band together?
Breva: It’s the music, the constant gratification of creation and expression, changing and experimenting amongst five people who respect each other. It’s very rewarding.
Fringe: If your band could play a show with any five groups, alive or dead, who would they be?
Breva: I’m speaking for the team here, so I’ll do my best. I’d say Pink Floyd, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Led Zeppelin, and Waylon Jennings, just so we could see him play.
Fringe: You guys going for Obama or Clinton?
Breva: We don’t talk about that.
Fringe: How do you feel about myspace and promoting?
Breva: It’s a great tool to keep in contact with fans and promote, but bands and people get lost in the popularity contest of friend numbers, and music plays, and the cyber world ends up replacing the reality of live shows and live entertainment. Personally, I feel that it’s done our band a lot of good, but we won’t drown in it.
Fringe: What’s coming up next?
Breva: We’re doing a string of Warped Tour dates at the end of June and July, and will be touring up California to get home for a couple months’ block of songwriting.
Find Breva on the ever-popular MySpace at www.myspace.com/breva
Death Angel Interview with Mark Osegueda
In 2000, the legendary Bay Area thrash band Death Angel took the stage once again at The Pound in San Francisco after a nine-year hiatus, in support of their good friend Chuck Billy’s (vocalist for Testament) fight against cancer. After this, they saw that the chemistry was still alive in the band and that fans were not just pushing, but screaming and yelling for a new Death Angel album and tour. With that said, in 2004 the band released their fifth studio album, “The Art of Dying” and found that their fan base was still alive and well.
Just a few months ago Death Angel released their sixth album, “Killing Season,” which seemed to culminate the last 20 years of Bay Area thrash into one mind blowing insanely riff-packed album. With also the new “Testament” album out only a few weeks apart from Death Angel’s release, thrashers are definitely getting a good healthy dose of old school thrash all at once, but when listening to “Killing Season” I get to reminisce a little bit and feel like I’m 12 years old again, listening to classic Death Angel and Metallica.
Now, with the new Death Angel album out and packing great press wherever it’s heard, they hit the road with God Forbid, Soilent Green, and fellow Bay Area thrashers Light This City on the “In Thrash We Trust” tour. Before seeing a show I had been waiting my entire life for, I was able to sit down with lead singer and thrash legend Mark Osegueda to chat a bit (and I have to admit, I was actually nervous for the first time in a long while):
Fringe: How’s the tour going so far?
Mark: Oh, it’s been a blast. We did a month in Europe, then we were back home for a day and a half. And now we’re four weeks into it, then we’re back home for five days, and then back to Europe for another month.
F: How was the San Francisco show you just played?
M: It was mad, all the bands were like “Oh my god.” It was mad.
F: You just played two shows in a row at Slims in San Francisco with Forbidden. How’d that go?
M: That was crazy, that was crazy, that’s why we were kind of wondering about this show Sunday. But, this one was packed, and the crowd was going mad.
F: Any crazy drunken stories yet?
M: I’ve been a good boy, I came back from Europe with bronchitis. Usually I’m the big drinker in the band, but I’ve been pretty tame so far. I’ve had my drunk nights, but no intense stories just yet. I’m sure when I get back from Europe I’ll have some for you.
F: You’re also in “All Time High’s,” another Bay Area sleaze rock band. Is that going to stay a side project or take a front seat for you in the near future?
M: When we first started the ultimate goal was to attack it as hard as we could, and then when Death Angel started going again, it kind of took a back seat to the bigger of the two monsters. Death Angel had a two-year hiatus, and God had a four-year hiatus in between albums. Most people can sit still for that long, but I can’t.
F: Do you have any favorite Bay Area bands that are unsigned?
M: Hmm. That’s a tough one, there’s a lot of ‘em, and a lot of them are starting to get signed.
F: Over all the years of touring, what’s your favorite country/city to play in?
M: Always be home. Anywhere in Italy, Holland, New York, Japan. There’s just some that stand out always. There’s Germany, it’s hard to pick one.
F: The Japanese are crazy about metal…
M: In their own way, over the top, yeah they are.
F: Why did you choose to work with Nick from 606 studios (who has produced Foo Fighters and the new Rush)?
M: We all listen to different types of music. Like the sounds he did on Foo Fighters, he did the latest Rush record, Shadows Fall, it’s pretty incredible. We always wanted to work with someone who was a little more rock oriented to get bigger tones and less metal tones of the moment. He got ‘em, and that’s why we decided on him. We asked if he would consider producing us, we fedex’d our stuff down, Nick heard the demos we were writing and said let’s make this happen.
F: With metal coming back the way that it has as of recent, do you feel that it’s a perfect time for Death Angel to make a comeback?
M: I think the time’s better now than ever. It was fortunate we did “Art of Dying” when we did, if this would have been the first album we might have been a little off step. It wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for Chuck (Billy) and the “Thrash of the Titans” show (2000, The Pound). I think it’s the reason why there’s this whole resurgence of thrash or general interest in it again.
F: “Killing Season” is being hailed as a return to true thrash, how do you feel about being back at the forefront of the scene?
M: We’re happy as hell, there was something that was so magical about us at the time. We have the same excitement now, but have a better vision of what we want to do, but with all the other albums we were trying to push the envelope and bring as much sound and different influences to the thrash sound.
F: Light This City is a Bay Area thrash band as well, prior to this were you friends at all?
M: Prior to this, no. We’ve become great friends now.
F: I’ve always wondered, where did the name for “Frolic in the Park” (1988) come from?
M: Rob wrote a song called “Frolic Through the Park” which never made it on the album. It’s just basically elementary lyrics about a person walking through the park at night and a mugger killing him. We used a lot of metaphors like the ‘Park’ is life, and frolicking through the park is like life.
F: When the band broke up, you left for New York. Why there?
M: Whenever we toured, I always had a fondness for it, and made a lot of friends there. I love the energy and the city. I was 16 to 20 and whenever we would tour out there and it was a manic city.
F: Back in 2000, you guys actually opened for the Deftones here in Sacramento. How was that experience (I never thought I would see Death Angel opening for them)?
M: Yeah, that was insane. Deftones guys’ are big Death Angel fans, and they were playing a hometown show and heard we had reformed.
F: How does it feel knowing that after 20 years Death Angel has such a great presence in the metal community again?
M: We have more respect for it now than we did originally, because it was the only thing we knew the first time around. It’s an amazing thing to be a part of.
F: How are the crowds different now than they were in the ’80s?
M: I think the biggest thing now is the generations that come out. Now there are young kids and older people. But back in the day there was just a magic about it you can’t deny. It was the era of tape trading. You’d be playing and see Cliff Burton out in the crowd head banging. You can’t replace things like that.
F: What do you think of the rumors of Metallica’s new album being more of a return to thrash?
M: I’ve got my fingers crossed, I want it to be. They have as good if not a better chance to do that than anyone. No one else in this genre, no one else has written Ride The Lightning, Master of Puppets, or Kill ‘Em All… . They have, and plenty of people who have put them down…haven’t.
F: Any newer albums out that you’re digging?
M: The new Hellacopters, Cavalera Conspiracy, other than that I tend to listen to earlier nostalgic things.
F: What are some of your vocal influences?
M: Bon Scott, Ozzy, Dio, Steven Tyler- it’s rock ‘n roll, and as far as front men are concerned Steven’s the best.
F: For anyone that hasn’t heard the new album, or for some bizarre reason haven’t ever heard of Death Angel, what would you say to them to go out and listen?
M: This new album is a perfect marriage of contemporary metal and what influenced metal, it’s the perfect one, it’s got power and it’s got melody and is technically there and is a great metal album.
The Photography of Kevin Graft
If you have perused these pages in the past, you have seen some of Kevin Graft’s photographs of various rock bands, such as Flogging Molly, Stolen Babies, Kittie, and more. That’s not all this artist is capable of, though. Yes, he has a complete “rock star” portfolio under his belt, having photographed many A-list artists such as Gwen Stefani, Judas Priest, Danzig, as well as many local acts. In fact, it’s probably safe to say that just about everybody in the local live music circuit knows Kevin. But, in addition, he also does weddings, portraits, announcements and corporate work.
Photography may seem like a simple art form, just point and click, right? But it takes a special talent to be able to find the emotion that lies within the image, and actually make a good living doing it.
What attracted Kevin to the art of photography?
“Both my father and older brother did it for hobbies. My brother had a darkroom in the house when he was in high school. When I got into high school and music, a few of my older friends were taking pictures at concerts. They are responsible for my downfall!”
So it started out as a hobby?
“I started out in college as an engineer. After two years, I decided it wasn’t for me. I was already pursuing photography for fun, and started selling my concert pix at the age of 19. At this point I went the photography route, which culminated in a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly. I came home from graduation and was working within 10 days. I started my own business and was lucky to have a few clients very quickly. I assisted other photographers for a few years to better learn the business and to make ends meet. I work mostly with commercial advertising clients - shooting people in the workplace and on location. I also shoot many corporate events. I was proud to have been involved last year with the California Hall of Fame induction ceremony. I was on the red carpet shooting the Governator, Tiger Woods, Steve Jobs, Rita Moreno, Willie Mayes and many others. Not what I love to do, but it was a lot of fun. Shooting live music has been my main passion since day one and I’ve been lucky to shoot many of the great musicians of the past 25 years.”
All photographers have their favorite subjects, be it landscapes, portraits, celebrities, whatever. What are Kevin’s favorite subjects?
“Live music and my daughters. Live music is easier.”
Already having a seemingly illustrious career in photography, how can he expand?
“Getting my name and images out there is a never-ending battle. I’m lucky that I have been able to build a business mostly on referrals, which is the best way to build any business. Word of mouth is your best advertising and it doesn’t cost anything. I’m always looking into making more personal contacts. I’m always seeking new business.”
What would be the ultimate job?
“Being the personal photographer for Ozzy. My goal is to be on Sharon Osbourne’s speed dial. Personal photographer and full body masseuse for Drew Barrymore would come in at a close second!”
Kevin took a second or two to answer the burning questions in the back of everyone’s minds.
If Kevin were an animal, what animal would he be?
“A tiger.”
NSync or Backstreet Boys?
“Tom Jones.”
Banjo or mandolin?
“Mandolin.”
Single?
“Very.”
Kevin would also like to point out the fact that he is sort of related to Johnny Cash, which he says makes him “uber-kuul.” How exactly is he related?
“My daughters’ grandmother is a Carter. Johnny was married to June Carter. This also makes me related to President Jimmy Carter, but he’s not quite as cool, even though I do think the guy is pretty cool.”
Kevin can be contacted by phone at (916) 331-7468 or through either one of his Web sites: www.kevingraft.com or www.rokfoto.com.
Lite Brite Shining
Several months ago I met up with a few friends at The Upstairs above Country Club Lanes in Sacramento, just to get out of the house. I was timid at first, since I’d much rather lie in my apartment having dreams about playing video games as Brett Favre while throwing 80-yard touchdown passes as my ex-girlfriend seduces me with an appealing British accent, but I decided to go anyway. After I printed out the Mapquest directions, I still managed to get lost on my way to the venue (I’m still foreign to anything beyond the A-B-C gridlock). I walked in to hear the sound of a deep Ludwig drum set that was so loud it sounded like it could blow the doors off an ‘87 Chevy Silverado (the kind a farm-raised North Dakotan boy might learn how to drive at the ripe young age of 9). After the song ended the band announced that it was in fact a Led Zeppelin cover. IS THE NAME OF THE BAND LITE BRITE????
As I felt like a complete musical failure by not picking up on the number immediately, I later realized the song was off “Physical Graffiti,” an album released four years after the one which my older siblings continuously enjoyed drilling into my brain on the 90-mile-per-hour, pants-spoiling drive home from school back in the seventh grade.
The band finished the rest of their set, and I was impressed enough to check them out the following evening, when they played in Auburn at Pistol Pete’s Brew & Cue. Matt, the curly-haired fellow with the killer drum set, fell victim to my tightly tuned billiard skills before the show, yet took the loss honorably. He even seemed to have the potential of a future challenge with the super sexy “Black Widow,” Jeannette Lee, if he practiced the way he mentioned his friend Casey does, broken scapula and all. The Pistol Pete’s set was even louder, and much tighter than the previous night, which made perfect sense as I later discovered the band hadn’t practiced in weeks due to their recording schedule in San Francisco.
Over the past few months I’ve been able to see them play six or seven times, including a gazebo showcase during last month’s Second Saturday. This was extremely entertaining, as crowds of women danced barefoot and misty mountain hopped as if California were the same state it once was when Robert Plant visited back when it was in its prime. As the band prepares for their July 25th opening slot at the Friday in the Park concert series, a full West Coast tour, and a CD release party in June, I was lucky enough to sit down with singer and guitarist Eddie Underwood, to grill him about dual-carburetors, and his knowledge of late ’80s metal trivia.
Fringe: What led you to decide on the name Lite Brite?
Eddie: I always wanted a Lite Brite but I’ve never had one. Maybe someday, maybe someday.
Fringe: Who would you say your main influences are to the band?
Eddie: I would say some of our main influences range from Indiana Jones to John Williams and everywhere in between (except Foreigner). Of course the Saved by the Bell theme really was the main reason we decided to pick up our instruments in the first place.
Fringe: Are you related to the other Underwood in the band?
Eddie: Yes, we are related, but one day hope to claim a fat inheritance from our distant cousin, Carrie.
Fringe: So, in other words, you’re kind of like Eddie and Alex Van Halen, the Dynamic Dutch-American Duo?
Eddie: You could say we have a similar relationship, except Matt is allowed to be seen by the public and I don’t beat him or feed him fish heads under the door like Eddie does to his brother Alex.
Fringe: Since there are only three members in the band, how does the song-writing process evolve?
Eddie: I guess I come up with an idea, and then we all package it, label it, and then sell it to the public at an inflated rate to hopefully pay for the large amount of hookers that it takes to keep us motivated. It’s all a big cycle really. Am I allowed to talk about hookers?
Fringe: Only if they look like the one in the original, banned cover for “Appetite for Destruction.”
Eddie: You mean the one with the needle hanging out of her heart?
Fringe: Precisely. (laughter)
Fringe: Did you grow up in the city of Sacramento or did you decide to move here recently?
Eddie: Matt and I grew up in the town of Rio Linda (farm country) riding refrigerators dragging on the ground attached to large Ford trucks. Bob was raised in Natomas where the walls are paper-thin. We met Bob in high school; he was that kid who played every Primus song on bass until we forced him to use a pick.
Fringe: I saw on MySpace that you have a CD release party at the Blue Lamp with The Snobs on June 27; how many songs will be on the record, and how hard do you expect it to rock?
Eddie: Yeah, there’s probably going to be about 10 songs and I expect it to rock ridiculously hard, almost as hard as the new Radiohead album. Hah, just kidding. That album sucks. We are really excited about the CD release party. Everybody is gonna be there. EVERBODY is going to be there. The Snobs are playing, which is awesome because, you know, they have a sax player. I haven’t seen Gracious Me or Holiday in Spain yet either, but I hear really good things, so we are “laser gunned to the brain” excited about that as well. Also, it’s Matt’s 21st birthday so if you don’t go it’s a personal insult to him. You might as well spit right in his face. He’s going to expect lots of expensive presents, too, so come prepared.
Fringe: Is it going to have that one “Big City Song” (I’m sorry I’m not quite sure of the name, but you’ve played it at every one of the shows that I’ve been to recently and it says something cool about “dual carburetors hummin’ so slow”)?
Eddie: Yes, that one song featuring the lyric about the dual carburetors will be included. Lets just say that when you put on the album, you will get the feeling that you’re cruising the Vegas strip at 2 a.m. in a ‘59 Cadillac (which probably has like three carburetors) with a wad of cash in your back pocket, the wind in your hair, and a gun rack loaded up with shotguns.
Fringe: I also saw that you’re in the midst of booking a tour in support of the release of the new record. How is that going?
Eddie: It’s going very well. We’re touring with Ihabial, and were going to be hitting up all the sweet spots on the West Coast. Basically we’ll be going from Seattle to San Diego and back in two weeks, and everywhere in between.
Fringe: And, finally, what is your favorite place to eat in Sacramento, and why?
Eddie: We basically survive off of double cheeseburgers and tacos from Jack in the Box.
Matinee Idols: A Little Something Grand
Sacramento’s "Matinee Idols" are a band that projects a sound as unusual as it is particular. They are making songs that are special and one of a kind. But, at the same time, hum along like common music for the common people. Unless you are familiar with popular American music from early 1900s jazz, 1930s waltzes, and 1960s AM radio gold, The Idols may sound otherworldly to you. And they are. This band is mixture of our collective American musical history, crossing over decades and cultures to redefine what is musically relevant. If Scott Joplin, the Beach Boys, poetry, and a bunch of pool hall hustlers stayed up all night in a speak-easy, drinking, laughing, and conversing the night away, the matinee idols would be the soundtrack. Members Ari Fernandez (Piano, Vocals), Josh Hunt-Guitar, (Lap Steel, Vocals), Steve Robinson-Bass, (Vocals), Aaron Antoon (Drums) are onto something grand. We talked with ari about what’s up with them these days.
Fringe: You guys are a very unique band. There are a lot of different styles and influences going on in your music. What is the writing process like for you?
Ari: Josh Hunt and I are the primary songwriters. As a pianist, I grew up with classical and jazz music. I especially gravitate toward jazz of the 1930s. I also am hugely influenced by The Beatles, and Josh is into the Beach Boys. Josh’s guitar playing is decidedly rock and punk based, although he can play jazz trumpet pretty well, which often shows up in the songs. Usually, we write separately, but when we get writer’s block we help each other by taking a chord progression or riff and turn into a song. Josh is really good at taking a melody I wrote and putting words to it because sometimes I have this fear that I will ruin a perfectly good melody by adding lyrics. Josh is an excellent lyricist and likes to tell a story through his songs. My lyrics usually originate from the melody and they are more vague.
In the end, the band as a whole is definitely involved in the final arrangements and that is also where the varied styles come into play. Aaron Antoon and Steve Robinson are a solid and versatile rhythm section that can take pretty much any song and play it in pretty much any style. But we all like similar bands, which are too numerous to name.
F: Having so many influences, do you ever come to an impasse with a song, where you’re not sure where you want it to go?
A: Sure, there are impasses with so many styles to pull from, but we tend to choose whatever is best for the song and it keeps things interesting, for sure. Half the fun is trying new things out.
F: You are recording now. So, what’s the plan? An E.P.? A full album? What has the process of doing this recording been like as a whole?
A: Well, we actually finished our demo in May of last year. It was the first time I recorded, so it was a learning experience. I’ve definitely grown as a vocalist since then, which is a good thing! I can’t wait to go back into the studio and do it all over. I have so many more ideas of what I want the songs to sound like.
F: The band seems like it’s taking a rest from shows are now. Are you concentrating on recording right now or is there some other reason?
A: Well, right now, we’re just trying to tighten up our set and get ourselves ready for more shows. We may have an all ages show on the books at Club Retro soon, which should be cool. We’re also writing new material and rearranging some older songs.
F: The name of the band, "Matinee Idols," is such a great one. I try not to ask this question, but in your case I have to know. What’s the story behind the name?
A: Actually, our original bass player suggested the name. Matinee Idols were the movie stars of the silent film era and I thought, Rufus Wainwright has a song called The Matinee Idol and he’s one of my favorites. I also love the 1930s era music so I really dug the name initially. We tried the name out and the funny thing is it stuck even though our original bass player didn’t.
Brutality Encompassed
An Interview with As I Lay Dying’s Guitarist Phil Sgrosso
When I think of one word to describe As I Lay Dying, it would be "brutal," but how many times have you heard me say that? Plus, I don’t think "brutal" is what this Christian metal band had in mind when they began a metal conquest. Read more
Sac’s Dynamic Hip-Hop Duo Gives Us A Moment Of Clarity
Recently I had a chance to sit down with my friends Max Hernandez (aka Max Bundles) and Carl Grosser (aka Drift, G.A.T.E.) of the local Sacramento conscious hip-hop group, Confused Clarity. They were preparing for a West Coast tour and it seemed like no better time than now to get the word out on one of the most original hip-hop teams here in our city. Read more
