SEPTEMBER Issue
THE Custom Lifestyle Magazine for Car, Motorcycle, and Music Enthusiasts
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LOUD ANGEL: the Interview The Seattle Tattoo Convention Riding Your Bike in the Rain Don’t Purchase a Lemon! And MORE...
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News You Can Use, Car Edition...How to Avoid Purchasing a Lemon Gear the Pros Use...featuring drummer Sam Howell of “She‟s Not Dead” Gear the Pros Use...featuring Roxy Gunn of “the Roxy Gunn Project” News You Can Use, Motorcycle Edition...Tips on Riding Your Motorcycle in the Rain Seattle Tattoo Convention Tattoo Gallery...readers send in pics of favorite tattoos
Jeffrey Easton offers yet another in depth interview with a rock powerhouse, Dez Fafara of DevilDriver. Page 24 CV Northwest Magazine
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Lani Linton provides a deep view into the culture and celebration of the enthusiastic attendees of Seattle Hempfest. Page 28
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WHAT
STARTED OUT WITH A MODEST PLAN HAS MORPHED INTO A RUNAWAY TRAIN. FOLLOWING A DIRECTION DETERMINED BY THEIR CREATIVE FORCE, WITH SOULFUL VOCALS, EDGE DRIVEN GUITAR RIFFS AND HARD HITTING BASS AND DRUMS, RIVERPOOL BRINGS TO LIFE A MELODIC, HEAVY GROOVE THAT SEPARATES THE RIVERPOOL SOUND FROM THE MASSES AND BRIDGES THE GAP BETWEEN METAL AND ROCK. CV NORTHWEST SPENDS TIME WITH RIVERPOOL DISCUSSING THE TWISTS AND TURNS IN THEIR MUSICAL PATHS...
<CV NW> Who is Riverpool?
Carey Thomas: Lead Vox, Acoustic Guitar, Piano Justin Ankenman: Guitar, Back-up Vocals Ian Wengs: Bass Guitar Matt Arnits: Drums
what were Carey & Justin hoping I‘ve always looked at it as a legato accomplish when they conceived cy; music is something that will outlive my short time on earth and of Riverpool?
<Carey> The band formed in 2006. Our original goal was modest but driven; we were looking to form a band that wrote good music, a band that wasn‘t afraid to simply go where the creative process led. <Justin> Writing and performing original music that rocked has al<CV NW> The band formed in 2006, ways been a goal of ours. For me,
be heard by countless people around the world for generations to come. <Ian> Well, I wasn‘t there for the band‘s original conception. I‘m told that it took some work to bring together the different artistic visions, but it was clearly a successful mix of talents.
<CV NW> Tell the story of River- all had and that maybe we could pool’s journey to right here, to this start a band. <Carey> Afterwards when I was lineup.
<Carey> Well it started out with a friend I worked with named Eric McMillan. We had been working the same banquets and had tossed around the idea of jamming. One night he and I finally agreed on a day to get together. So after one of our jam sessions he asked me if it would be cool if he invited some friends to join us the next time we jammed. I was totally up for jamming with more people, so I said sure. The next week I got to Eric‘s house and soon after two dudes showed up, which were Justin and his friend Joe Crepelle. Right away the chemistry was there, everything seemed to be effortless, and I knew then, that we were all on the same level. <Justin> Eric, a mutual friend, is a guitar player/singer but was mainly playing drums that day. Carey brought his keys and acoustic guitar, Joe Creppell was playing acoustic and hand drums and I was playing electric. Afterward we talked about the connection that we
heading out to go home, Justin and Joe came up to the car and laid out the idea to form a band. <Justin> I think I said ―dude, we gotta start a band‖. <Carey> I felt that this was a moment to immediately seize, so I said, ―hell yeah, guys, we‘re gonna be rich.‖ They gave an excited yet somewhat taken back look. Now because Eric had just gotten out of a band he had been in for a while, he turned down the proposition to form another one. So Joe, Justin and I started getting together at each other‘s house and spent the year jamming and writing. <Justin> We wrote for about a year as a three piece, rotating where we practiced every week. It was mainly acoustic guitars, piano and hand drums. Occasionally we‘d do electric guitar and full drum kit at my place. We were in need of a couple more pieces to the puzzle so we put the word out for a bass player, guitar player and drummer but things didn‘t really start to get going until I moved back to Longview. We had an extra room in the house I was renting so now we finally had a solid place to practice at full volume. I got back in touch with my high school buddy Brandon Woodward and he was excited to play guitar and join in on the creativity. Joe was having second thoughts about playing drums so I called up another high school friend, Matt Arnits to play. Kind of a dick move on my part since I only had asked Matt if he wanted to jam and to show up on Wednesday. That first practice, Carey, Joe and I had a talk and Joe ended up leaving the band. <Matt> I first met Justin in high
school; I had no idea who he was. All I knew was that he moved to Longview from Puyallup. One day in class we were doing some kind of talent show thing, and I still played guitar a lot at that time so I thought it would be a good idea to rock a song for the class. So when class was over for the day this guy Justin came over to me and said ―Hey, can I see that guitar.‖ I was a little taken back because I knew no one else in the class played guitar, but I let him see the guitar, and it was a really good thing because he could play like no one I had ever met before. Just as the bell rang for class he gave me the guitar back and I immediately said, ―Do you want to start a band? I play drums and you are great at guitar, so we should jam.‖ The next thing you know, we had a full band, were rocking out, writing music, and playing shows. After high school Justin and I drifted apart. ―You know that whole get a job and make something of yourself thing just got in the way.‖ We had not talked much in the last 3-4 years, and one day in 2006 I got a call
from him. He said, ―Bro, you should come hang out. I moved back to Longview.‖ He told me to just come over to jam some old tunes and drink a few beers. I said, ―Hell yeah.‖ This is the part that he forgets to tell people. I got to his house only to find two other guys plus Justin. They had formed this band called ―Riverpool‖ and were looking for a drummer. He forgot to tell me that they really wanted me to audition for the band. <Justin> I did forget! <Matt> Yeah right...anyway, a band was the last thing I was looking for because I really didn‘t have time for one. But, not to be a jerk, I decided to jam with them anyway. It was not 15 minutes later after hearing Carey‘s voice and the new stuff that he and Justin had come up with that I was sucked in. The music was so good, how could I say no? I just went for it and I have loved every minute of it since. <Carey> After spending some time jamming on three piece harmonies it became clear that we wanted to do more. When Justin proposed bringing in his friend
Brandon to jam with us, I got really excited. With Brandon in the fold, he introduced a hard rock influence to what we were doing, so getting a bass player became the next obvious step. Later on after asking around for a bit, my best friend DJ Twist suggested a guy he worked with. So that‘s when Damian Hassett joined, a guy who poured out passion each time we took the stage. Now because everyone else‘s roles weren‘t defined there was a bit of musical chairs when it came to who sang and played what, which started to prove to be nonproductive. It was around this time that Justin brought in a guy he said was really good on the drums. Now this was music to my ears because that meant the writing process would stop suffering and we would start to feel like a real band. Meeting Matt was an experience, not only did I find out that he was a badass drummer, I quickly found him to be an honest, passionate guy, who will give every bit of what he has to the cause. So with Matt in the picture, everyone‘s roles became clear except for Joe‘s. That‘s about the time it became clear something needed to happen, because not only was Joe‘s role unclear but his availability became less and less. It was then that it became it was realized that something needed to happen. So one night Justin and I had the talk with Joe, and faced with the circumstances it was then that Joe was no longer apart of the band. So with clearly defined roles and a new sound Riverpool finally started doing shows. After some time and having written quite a few songs, everyone wanted to strike while the iron was hot and recording an album became our mission.
<Justin> We called Kevin Hahn @ Opal Studios located in Portland. In the winter of 2007 we recorded and released our first 5 song EP. In April we did the official full length, self-titled album release party with headliners Excessive Moderation in Portland at The Aladdin Theater. <Carey> Everyone one was excited about what we had accomplished. We immediately saw a lot of support and a growing fan base, all of which culminated in our first ticket show at the Aladdin theater. It was awesome to see so many fans, and even more awesome to hear them singing out loud the lyrics to all the songs on the LP. After so many shows we found ourselves looking for another bass player. Now all I‘ll say about this is that it‘s a really hard letting a family member go, especially if it‘s the second time it‘s had to happen. We learned earlier on with our experience with Joe, that in order to insure the life of the band, you sometimes have to make really difficult decisions. As we moved forward, the mission of looking for another bassist brought us to Chris Halleck.
He proved to be a freaking monster on the bass, bringing energy to the stage we hadn‘t had before. <Justin> I was talking to the singer from the band Numbered Days who just blew his voice out on tour. He said we should call his bass player Chris Halleck. We tried him out and he was a good fit right away. We wrote a handful of new songs waiting, plus all the new material stemming from our connection to Chris. However, at this point Brandon Woodward was a little strapped for time. He worked a full time job, school 2-3 times a week and had a kid on the way. As a result, regrettably, he decided to walk away and we officially became a 4 piece. Eventually our mission was to get back into the studio so we called up Kevin Hahn again and came in to record 11 songs in august of ‗09. We call it our preproduction album which was basically a really good live recording of our practice. Out of these 10 songs Kevin, and our growing fan base, made it obvious that ―Feel the Rain‖ was the single out of the set list. So we decided take a different approach this time and release the song as a single. We took it even a step farther and made a music video with John Hutton and piano version with Carey‘s friend Dave. <Carey> During this time Chris‘s time became scarce and soon after Chris would break the news to us that he was leaving. And then while back on the hunt for another bassist, Brandon would later break the news that he was also leaving. So down to a three piece once again we continued writing, and looking for someone to replace the hole that was left with the departure of two significant members.
One day after wondering where the band was going to go, we stumbled upon the news that the bass player from a band we played with earlier on was a free agent. So we invited Excessive Moderation‘s bassist Ian Wengs to a practice. <Ian> I caught up with Riverpool at the first album release. I was in another band at the time (Excessive Moderation), and we played a show together at the Aladdin Theater in Portland, Oregon in 2008. I remember being very impressed
with Riverpool‘s sound from the beginning. Though our bands‘ styles were different, we had some common influences and played more shows together. In late summer of 2010, I got a message through MySpace (of all places) asking if I‘d be interested in trying out for the bassist position. <Matt> Even though we have had a few different bass players over the years, and just lost a second guitar player, I actually saw this as a good thing since it has caused us to become much tighter as a band. We kind of had our eye on Ian. I had just found out that the band he was in was going to call it quits. So using MySpace (lol) I contacted him and asked if he would like to try out for the bass position in Riverpool. <Justin> He actually shot us down right away since he didn‘t have much time left after working his job and playing in 3 other bands. Strangely enough he got back to us within the month saying that ExMode was calling it quits and he had time to try out.
<Ian> Yeah, my other projects were in transition at the time, so I eventually took them up on it and we met up to jam. Afterward I joked that I don‘t usually propose on a first date, but things already seemed good to go for us right then and there. <Carey> I was very excited about the possibility of him joining, due to the idea of bringing someone with metal influences awesome stage flare i.e. nipple rings, a mohawk and playing without a shirt; this guy screamed hard core rocker. As soon as he started playing with us, chemistry was sparking, and his talent shined though. It was clear to me that we needed to have him on board, and soon after everything fell into place. <Justin> Ian is a well-seasoned bass player with great gear and came to the practice able to play almost all of our material outside of the unreleased songs. He also played a 5-string bass drop tuned, broadening our range and ultimately changing our sound again. <Matt> That was the coolest thing about Ian; at the first practice we saw he had taken the time to check out our music and learn 4-5 of our
songs before even jamming with us. That was great because it told me he was a very dedicated person who would put in the effort. After a few more practices we knew for sure that Ian was our guy and asked him to come on board. Since then it‘s just been the four of us. <Carey> Armed with a new bassist, we once again found ourselves in the studio & playing gigs as a four piece (although if you really listen to Justin playing live you‘ll hear two parts at once freaking amazing) and as a four piece we found ourselves recording our first EP Midnight Sun at the legendary London Bridge studios, with engineer Justin Davis. Justin Davis saw us playing at the old Drakes in Tacoma and after our performance he invited us to record. <Justin> Yeah, Justin said he was digging our sound and wanted us to come up to London Bridge Studios and record some tunes. We set up a time and did a tour of the studio. We were all blown away with all the Gold and Platinum records that were recorded there like: Candlebox, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, Blind Melon and some more recent
bands like 10 Years and NonPoint. We made the plunge and started recording Midnight Sun. It was kind of a long process with so much distance to cover. Carey lived in Portland, Ian was in Vancouver, Matt was in Castle Rock & I‘m in Longview but we‘re recording up in Shoreline (just north of Seattle). We carved out time over the next 8-9 months and scraped up the funds to make it happen. We needed some new photos so we called one of Carey‘s friends MJ who was a photographer and did a photo shoot in Portland. I started dabbling in computer graphics/ photo editing again and came up with the artwork for the album. We used the well know mastering engineer Ed Brooks from RFI Mastering and nobody was disappointed. Being able to release it digitally as well helped tremendously. Instantly we were backed by iTunes, Spotify, Rhapsody, YouTube, and many more including internet streaming stations around the globe. <Carey> Talk about an awesome time. So with a LP and an EP under our belt, the shows we were playing seemed to be a bit heavier in caliber, sharing the stage with some pretty awesome bands, such as December in Red and the Fail Safe project. As time went on, more and more awesome opportunities continued coming our way, such as the guys of December in Red referring Lani Linton of Seattle Music Photography to us, resulting in a photo shoot that finally has us looking like a legitimate rock band, getting invited again to record at London bridge studio, and now on the verge of putting the final touches on our new EP recorded at One Shot Studio brilliantly engineered by owner Dylan
Fant, and now this article. After so many great things coming our way it‘s hard not to believe that this all meant to be. <Justin> This last November we got a chance to go back to London Bridge Studios and record the song ‗Waste‖, which will be a part of our debut EP to be released this October. We also stumbled across a phenomenal photographer named Lani Linton from Seattle Music Photography who caught a couple shots of us live earlier on in the year. When we saw the pictures online we were shocked and immediately devised a plan to do a Seattle photo shoot with her. In May we started recording ―Just a Dream‖ at One Shot Studio with Dylan Fant, as a trial to see if we all worked together well and we were blown away by the first mix we got back from him. We decided on the set list and went back in July to do 5 more songs with Dylan. As of right now we have received the first mixes from three out of five of the new songs and they are sounding amazing! About a year ago we talked about making an album out
of singles and now to hear it come to life is kind of a trip. I scheduled our Mastering session for September 5th with none other than Ed Brooks at RFI mastering again. I‘m just about done working on the album art featuring some of our new pictures from Lani so when the mastering‘s done we should be able to streamline the making of the discs and release the record in October. <CV NW> Tell us what you think it is about THIS lineup that works so well.
<Justin> This line-up works well in many ways. The well rounded input from each member in the creative process isn‘t limited by any one person‘s main role/instrument. All of us play guitar and throw ideas back and forth for new songs. We always try to work through our differences but maintain our individuality and respect each other‘s opinions. <Ian> I think that musically, we have a common sense of what makes a good song, even as our individual influences are all over
the spectrum. Personally we can express ourselves openly and honestly, acknowledging where we differ but remaining respectful of the differences. <Matt> Yeah, the best part about the lineup to me is that we all work so well as a unit. When we are writing we feed off one another‘s ideas, and before you know it we have a new song. <Justin> Occasionally it might mean taking a couple weeks break from working on that song. Sometimes we have to just literally flip a coin when we have a tie about a decision to be made but communication between the four of us is key. We have a group text and do conference calls to keep everything rolling smooth. <Ian> Sometimes it takes a while to get down to a decision, but it's always worth the time. We are all here to learn. <Carey> I think the reason why this line up works is because this band is made up of four guys who share the belief that anything is possible when you allow for the music to be what it‘s meant to be. Not to be cliché but each of our talents fit together like puzzle pieces. When something feels right, then you know it‘s right. <Matt> I have to note, in the past three years since Ian has joined the band we have become like a welloiled machine on stage, which makes it a lot of fun to rock out with these guys! <Justin> A couple years ago I asked Matt if he could take over the responsibility of booking shows since I was getting worn pretty thin after about 5 years of doing it and my household needing more of my time. He is great at it and in the end it works out great because I can squeeze in the graphic art stuff a
lot more easily. <CV NW> Talk about Riverpool’s releases – in 2011 you went to work with London Bridge Studio, put out your 5 song EP. What since? What are you guys working on at this point?
<Ian> We are currently putting together our next EP, due for release in another couple months <Matt> We are hoping to put this new EP out around the end of September, 2013. <Ian> Hopefully, yes. We are working with producer/engineer Dylan Fant at 1 Shot Studio, and will have RFI do the mastering. <Matt> We originally looked into recording at London Bridge in 2009. One of the main things that attracted us to them was they had recorded bands we really liked such as: Pearl Jam, Mother Love Bone, 10 years, Alice in Chains, and the list goes on. About a year and a half later, we were playing a show in Tacoma and after the show we were approached by a guy from London Bridge, Justin Davis. He
told us he had really dug our set that night and that we should come check out the studio to maybe do some recording with him. A week later we had time booked at London Bridge to record a 5 song EP. One of the coolest things to me is that after the EP was done and out there (June 2012) we really were getting better gigs and more fans. It really jumped up our professionalism. Since that EP, we have grown a lot as a band and in our writing. We have decided to record a new EP, this time with a new studio, One Shot Studio. We came across this guy Dylan Fant; our good friends from December In Red, <NOTE: for a feature on DiR, see the August Issue of CVNW> who have been using him for quite some time, recommended him saying he makes their music sound ―so killer.‖ We just had to see what Dylan could do for us. Dylan has been awesome to work with and the music has been coming out better than I could have imagined. <CV NW> How did the Kickstarter projects work out for the band?
<Carey> Kick starter was a mixed bag. We‘re looking at trying it out again. <Matt> I think that Kickstarter is a great idea. We did not reach our goal the first time, but I look for-
ward to trying it again. <Ian> Yeah, we didn't reach our goal for the last Kickstarter project, but got a great deal of support anyway. Plans are in the works for another project. <CV NW> Who are your musical (or other) influences?
<Carey> My influences are mainly Dépêche Mode, Led Zeppelin, Muddy Waters, Frank Sinatra <Matt> The bands that got me started playing music were Nirvana, Tool, Deftones, Alice In Chains, Jimmy Hendrix, & Led Zeppelin. <Ian> My main influences go as far back as ‗60‘s folk rock artists like Joni Mitchell and Crosby, Still & Nash, all the way through more current metal bands such as All That Remains and Killswitch Engage, with just about everything in between those years and volume levels. Two other bands that I always mention are Rush and Tool my main progressive influences. <Justin> Classic rock: Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Rush, Randy Rhodes (not so much Ozzy but oh well). In
the 90s: Candlebox, AIC, Soundgarden, Pearl Pam, STP, Tool, Deftones, Sevendust, A Perfect Circle. Of the ―new bands‖, 10 Years, Breaking Benjamin, Janus, Chuck Shaffer Picture Show. <Ian> In Riverpool, we find a lot of common ground around a sort of ‗90‘s alt-rock sound because we all seem to like that sort of thing. Our influences combined make for a variety of song styles and flavors. <Matt> Music first became very important to me when I started middle school. I got into concert band playing the trumpet and then ventured into guitar. I loved Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, and Jimmy Hendrix, but I quickly found out that everyone was a guitar player and being 14/15 years old it was really hard to start a rock band if all your buddies play guitar. At this point I decided I needed a drum set. I‘m sure my folks, were just thinking here goes anther few hundred dollars, and he most likely won‘t stick with this instrument either. Not to mention the drums were really loud.
<CV NW> Did any of you have any come from? <Justin> Usually I find inspiration other interests growing up?
for new ideas while driving. Commuting has been very productive over the last couple years for me. I never would have guessed that I‘d spend so much time in silence but when the ideas come I just turn on the memo app and sing the melody enough to remember later. <Matt> We all share new riffs and ideas that came to us in our free time, then build a song around that. <Ian> LOL, I‘m not sure where new music comes from – I‘m just grateful when it comes together. Carey is incredible, he handles the lyrics with great skill and thoughtfulness. <Carey> What inspires me to write music is simply the love of creating. My process for that is to sit at my piano or pick my guitar and then suddenly stumble upon a string of chords that evoke an emotion. And from that emotion I start to write a story that best reflects that feeling, which in turn becomes <CV NW> When you sit down to lyrics. write a song, what inspires you to <Justin> I haven‘t really had a write music, where do the lyrics chance to be part of the lyrical process much. Usually Carey has something jotted down so fast that it‘s all out of my control. <Matt> One of the best things to me about Riverpool is that it has never been hard for us to write music. The most fun songs to write are the ones when we are at practice, and someone out of nowhere just starts jamming a cool riff. We then instantly have a new song that takes shape in just a few hours. <Justin> Growing up I always enjoyed outdoors activities like camping, hunting, fishing, cliff diving and white water rafting. I don‘t hunt anymore but I am still an avid fisherman, I live a quarter mile from the Cowlitz River and less than five miles from the Columbia River and fish as often as possible. <Ian> You bet, lots of them. Music was one of many interests, but growing up I hardly knew to make it a priority - that came much later. <Matt> When I started driving I got into hot rods and muscle cars. I love working on them and going fast! <Justin> My other hobby is a lot of work. By trade I‘m a Union Carpenter and work on all kinds of jobs from heavy industrial to commercial to fine finish work. <Carey> For a short time I wanted to be a veterinarian
<CV NW> Where did the name come from, any cool story about how “Riverpool” came about?
<Justin> The first year we were together Carey, Joe and I talked about band names a lot but it was
right now?
so hard to solidify a good name. I suggested that we all come up with as many names possible in a week and bring the list back to next week‘s practice. The following week I was the only one with a list of names and as we were going through them there was one on there called Pool of Rivers. <Carey> Well we had the list of possible names, and I from that lists I picked out some words; putting them together sounded good. <Justin> Right, so Carey goes ―AH-HAA! Riverpool!‖ Joe and I looked at each other in disgust & I said ―You can‘t put a couple things together off of my list to make yours, that doesn‘t even count.‖ And he‘s like, ―No that‘s it man, Riverpool.‖ And we never came up with anything better so we stuck with it. <Ian> The only insight I have into this is how long it took and how much debate there was about the band name, which apparently was quite a bit. That‘s typical, though (see the question about what makes this lineup work…). <Matt> I did not have a choice, that was the name when I got into the band. Good thing I liked it.
<CV NW> Where do you guys feel you are in the growth & evolution of Riverpool?
<Justin> It‘s kind of interesting to see how things have changed for the worst for the rock music scene in the last few years especially on the corporate controlled radio stations. <Carey> I think it could be better if venues started seeing the value in quality local bands again. Right now the first question you get from venues is, ―what‘s your draw‖, and the last things they ask, if they even care to ask it, are ―do you have a demo‖, and ―what do you sound like‖. A darker view would be that the only thing left of Seattle being a major hub for great music are the fumes left behind by groups like of Alice In Chains, Sound Garden and Nirvana, and those fumes are quickly evaporating. Not to mention the damage hipsters have done to the scene, freakin‘ tragic! <Matt> For me, I think that Seattle has one of the best music scenes that we have played. It has great venues and the people come out to shows just for fun and to check out new bands. <Justin> True, you seem to have a total opposite effect going on in a city full of musicians and fans that actually go out and are actively searching for new music. We‘ve always got a good vibe from the people and love playing in the Seattle area. <Ian> You know, we are still very new to this scene, but find it to be both welcoming and supportive. It really feels like something big is about to happen here.
<Carey> I feel that we are that we are just seeing the beginning of a really cool chapter <Justin> I feel like we are in a great place right now. Our fan base is still growing daily. We‘re in a position where we seem to have a good draw everywhere we go. Our music has progressed a lot and it seems easier than ever to write. <Matt> I agree, we are in a really good place right now. We are all good friends which makes the music flow much better. <Justin> We still have a ton of new material to record which can be kind of frustrating but a good problem to have. <Ian> Onward and upward! We are just now breaking into the Seattle scene and really finding our direction musically. With that, everything is coming together perfectly. <Justin> We‘re also playing with <CV NW> How active do you try to higher caliber bands at a lot better be on Social Media? Do you think venues. it's changed the game significantly? <CV NW> What do you think the <Carey> We are very active in sostate of the Seattle music scene is cial media. I think in some ways
it‘s given us a chance to get noticed, but it‘s also become a double edge sword in that because of so many media outlets, the good old days of a small band getting big through live performances are over. People just don‘t feel the need to actually go out to see new up and coming bands. <Ian> That‘s a good point, but anything we can do to promote through social media we still think is a good idea. <Justin> Well, you don‘t have to go through a corporate label to get your music out there anymore and most bigger bands that get big through them all go independent after their contract is up so they can have their individuality back. Social media offers a more personal touch year round not just when we come play in your city. <Matt> We try to be active on Facebook and ReverbNation along with other various sites. Social media has really gotten the music out to lots of people so much quicker, but it also makes things harder because it is so easy to spam people with all kinds of bad stuff. <Justin> Yeah, we all try pretty hard to be involved in as much of
the social media as we can but no one wants to feel like we‘re spamming people. I believe that with the internet and social media connections we have today it is the most level playing field in music history.
night the way we were introduced and the way people responded to us made me feel like a real rock star.
<Ian> For me, every show has been of value. <Justin> One of the first times we played Fuel in Pioneer Square, Seattle. We got all set up and we had a pretty decent following there, start the show and all of the sudden second song I look up and the whole place was packed. Evidently the ball game had just got out and people walking by just stopped in to rock out. We made a bunch of fans, sold a bunch of merch and signed CDs. I was like, ―We definitely need to play Seattle more!‖ <Matt> The most memorable show is the Aladdin Theater in Portland, OR where we put out our very first full CD. What a great show! That was the first time I knew we were on our way to do great things. <Carey> We played this place called the Chinese Garden. That
Riverpool fans always walk away amazed with our sound and wanting more. I really want fans to have a great time and to connect with the emotion and moving sound that Riverpool brings to the table at a show. I also want them to leave thinking ―man, these guys have a wide variety of musical sound and that really kept me entertained. It was not the same song played for the last 45-55 min.‖ <Justin> I can‘t tell you how many times I‘ve heard something similar to: ―You‘re the kind of band that when you listen to the disc you‘re like, wow! These guys are f***n‘ good. Then you come to the show and they blow your freakin mind!‖ <Ian> We want them to feel moved by the music, and hopefully take some of it home with them in their heads…and on at least one of our CDs that they bought at the show! <Carey> I want them to feel like they didn‘t get enough, and they want more, because it was that good. <Justin> The beauty of our sound is that we don‘t lean too hard on having one cookie cutter sound. The show is more of a movement and an emotion. We almost always end up writing the set the night of the show and base it around: the venue, the bands we‘re playing with, and song requests by fans prior to the show.
<CV NW> What do you want your fans/the audience to think & feel when they are at a Riverpool <CV NW> Any particularly memo- show? rable shows come to mind? <Matt> I believe that first time
<CV NW> Okay, it's just past halfway through 2013, what's in store for BLU this year? Any big plans for 2014 yet?
<CV NW> What do you think is time signatures or tunings but alteryour greatest accomplishment to native by our versatility to not be stuck in one specific genre. date?
<Justin> For me, it‘s being in the same band for 8 years; it‘s amazing how many bands don‘t make it. past the second year. <Carey> I think the fact that we‘ve been together as long as we have, and there is still that honest love and respect for each other and the music we‘re making. <Ian> Our recordings have been a great success, that accomplishment is a great compliment. <Matt> Here‘s the thing, there‘s a lot to talk about for great things we have done, but the most amazing thing about this band is that we all live so far apart and still make the commitment to keep rocking and making good rock music. <CV NW> You describe your sound a “progressive alternative rock” – tell us what that designation means to you.
<Ian> We have an alternative rock sound with progressive elements and arrangements. <Justin> Yes, we are progressive by nature by wanting to play in odd
<Carey> True…progressive in the way that the structure of our songs are often complex and alternative in the way that we aren‘t conventional when it come to our overall presentation of our music. <CV NW> What do you think it is about Riverpool that sets you guys apart from any other bands in Seattle, that makes you unique?
<Justin> I think the #1 thing that sets us apart is our vocals. Carey‘s style is unlike anyone‘s I‘ve ever heard and that‘s what most people are listening to. <Ian> Our songs are unique. Also you can‘t really find anyone else who looks like us. <Matt> I feel that Riverpool does not have just one sound. We as a group all have different influences and that lets us write music from all genres. By doing this we attract a wide range of people. <Carey> To me it means that our music falls in that grey area where you really have to listen to totally get it.
<Justin> We are talking about doing another music video, haven‘t picked the song yet but we‘re excited about getting some more visual media out there. <Matt> Yes, a new music video for one of our new songs on the EP. <Justin> I‘m sure we‘re going to end up back in the studio again soon to get down some more of the new material. We‘ve also talked about reaching out a little further into the outskirts of our current gigging footprint. <Matt> Also, I really hope we can play outdoor festivals next summer. Most of all keep writing and making cool music! <Ian> As a band we have always had to work with living at a distance from each other. We are now more spread out than ever, but it is our goal to come together around Seattle and make it our true home. <Carey> In 2014 the world will finally know Riverpool as the resurgence of awesome rock bands.
Riverpool
ForeverGirl Designs Not only is she the ass-kickinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; frontwoman for WITCHBURN, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a talented picture ARTIST! Jamie Nova allowed us to talk to her about her personal art pieces and showcase some of her incredible work! We also got to delve a bit into her artistic mind... CVNW: Why do you paint, what is your inspiration? I have always loved painting. getting lost in the colors and the feel of my brush against a canvas. It is an extension of my soul, like my music. My inspiration is life, the vitality of existence. CVNW: Do you sell them personally, or as an official company? I sell them personally, through my Etsy site (http://www.etsy.com/shop/ ForevergirlDesigns) and also on my website (www.jamienovarocks.com) CVNW: How do you decide what to paint? Most of the time it is whatever inspires me that day or whatever my mood is. There are a lot of times that I have pieces commissioned and then I work with the buyer as to what inspires them and then I incorporate their ideas into my style. CVNW: Are they usuable drums or display pieces? The drumheads are for display only but I have been commissioned to paint some Kick Drum front pieces that will display my art without taking a beating from the drumsticks CVNW: Do you do special commissions? Absolutely! Canvas, drumheads, wall murals, t-shirt designs, tattoo designs.... you name it I will do it!
14 Tips to Avoid Purchasing a Lemon Now is a tough time to buy a used car. The sluggish economy and ever-rising cost of new cars and trucks compel people to hang onto the cars they already own. As a result, used-car inventories are tight, and more of the vehicles for sale are either damaged goods or plain worn out. Drivers who need to or want to buy a good pre-owned vehicle today need to keep a sharp eye out for lemons on the lot and clunkers in the classifieds. Here are 14 tips to help you make a good used-car choice.
Check Title History Jot down the vehicle identification number, or VIN, and use it to buy a title history report from a private company such as CarFax or AutoCheck. The report will indicate where the vehicle was previously titled and how it was registered â&#x20AC;&#x201D; as a personal car, taxi, rental car or fleet vehicle, for example. It will reveal whether the title has been marked as salvaged or flood-damaged, if the vehicle was ever recalled, and more. Ask to see the actual title for the vehicle, compare its VIN to the one on the car, make sure it is in the seller's name and that it does not indicate any liens.
Beware Flood States Keep a sharp eye out for vehicles that may have been damaged in floods or any other natural disaster. One red flag is a title search that reveals the car has come from a state affected by flooding. Though a vehicle may have been auctioned for salvage with a title branded "flood damaged" by an insurance carrier, it may be moved around the country and retitled in several states to "wash" the title before it is finally resold. A new government database intended to track salvaged and flood-damaged vehicles is being implemented.
certain that there will be problems down the road, from corrosion on electrical connections and airbag sensors to a failed transmission or moldy upholstery. A funky smell in the cabin is a bad sign. Lift up the carpets and look for silt. Check for a dirty waterline in the trunk or engine compartment, or signs of silt in the headlamps or other lights. If you suspect the car has been flooded, walk away, quickly.
Pay for a Mechanical Inspection Have your mechanic thoroughly inspect any car you're considering. Some dealers may object to this, but it should not be an issue if you are buying from a private party. Make it the last point of negotiation, and offer the owner a modest gratuity. Your mechanic should inspect all systems and put the car on a lift to check for signs of underbody damage that could indicate a collision. A good inspection will reveal how well the car has been maintained and whether you can expect a big bill for brake work or exhaust repair in the near future, which could become a point of negotiation on the final price.
View Service Records
Ask the seller for service receipts or even the computerized service record from a dealer if service If floodwater has been inside a car, it's almost was performed there. Look to see if the oil was
Be a Flood-Damage Detective
changed on schedule and if major maintenance such neglected alignment, worn-out suspension compoas a timing-belt replacement was completed. nents or even a chassis that's off-kilter after a wreck. Check the air pressure in all tires. Pressure that's uneven or low all around is another indication of sloppy Reputation Matters Some cars were lemons when they were new. maintenance. Also look for a matched set of tires. If You can check on the reputation of a specific model one tire is a different brand or style, it may have been of car or truck at several levels. J.D. Power and Asso- replaced after a wreck. ciatesoffers quality ratings, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issues reports on recalls Avoid modifications and safety issues, and Consumer Reports offers comBe wary of a car or truck rigged with a lot of prehensive ratings of vehicles' quality and repair fre- aftermarket accessories, especially those designed to quency. Finally, you can do a simple Internet search improve performance. Oversized tires, loud exhaust and check consumer reviews of any popular vehicle. and a modified intake system are signs that the car Consistent negative reviews by owners are not a good may have been driven "with excess enthusiasm." sign.
Daylight Inspections Only
Emissions compliance
Make sure that the car's emissions certification Never rely on an inspection made at night, or is up-to-date if you live in a state or region with the car in a dark garage. Roll it out in the sun- that requires regular testing. If the car can't pass an light and you'll get a much better look at imperfec- emissions test, you may not be able to title or register tions in the body and the interior. it without making costly repairs.
Look for Overspray
No 'granny' cars
A mist of paint overspray visible in the wheelwells, or on trim that was poorly masked, can indicate bodywork was recently completed or that the car was repainted, perhaps to cover damage or rust. Sight down the length of the body and look for ripples or waves in the sheet metal where bodywork was done. Ask for an explanation about any paint jobs or body repair.
You do not want a car that was only driven five blocks to church on Sunday. It may look pristine and have very low mileage, but short trips are the most brutal duty an engine sees. Engineers call this the "granny cycle," because the oil never gets hot enough to boil off condensation that naturally forms on start-up. Very acidic moisture can collect in the engine and eventually lead to trouble, especially if the oil is changed infrequently â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which is likely, because granny didn't drive much. Keep looking.
Ask about oil Scheduled oil changes are about the only regular service a modern vehicle requires, but it's also critical to the life and reliability of the engine. Ask the seller if there's a record of oil changes. Look for a maintenance sticker on the windshield that might indicate the last service date. Check the oil level in the engine. If it's low, or if the oil looks unusually dark and dirty, the owner probably has not been paying attention to maintenance. Look at other fluid levels located under the hood. If the coolant tank is low or the antifreeze looks dark and dirty, they're bad signs indicating you should look for a different vehicle.
Telltale Tires
Take a test drive Get the car out on the highway to get it up to operating temperature and drive it at speed. Cruise on city streets, too. Try accelerating up a hill or a freeway ramp. Be aware of vibrations in the steering, pulsing in the brakes or clunking sounds from the suspension. Does the transmission shift smoothly? Are there any ticking sounds from the engine that could indicate valve issues? After the drive, pop the hood and look for leaking fluids, smoke or steam, or a gassy smell.
Veteran moto-journalist and Wisconsin-native Uneven wear on the tires and "cupping" â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a Charles Plueddeman has been driving, riding and series of indentations in the tire tread â&#x20AC;&#x201D; can indicate testing all manner of vehicles for more than 20 years.
Making a good pair of sticks begins by selecting the best wood possible. We manufacture many different models of sticks using Canadian maple and American hickory. Our maple is considered to be the best in the business and our hickory from the southern USA is known the world over as the top choice for stick manufacturing. We also use red hickory which comes from the heart of the tree, making it stronger and more durable for those who need a bit "more" from their sticks. We use only the finest grades of wood. Every dowel is hand inspected to ensure that the grain is straight and free from any defects. Only then does it go to our lathes to be turned into a LOS CABOS DRUMSTICK. When you purchase a pair of our sticks, you are investing in quality craftsmanship. With nearly two dozen models to choose from, Los Cabos Drumsticks offers something for every drummer. Contacts • Website: www.loscabosdrumsticks.com • Blog: www.loscabosdrumsticks.tumblr.com • Twitter: @loscabossticks • Facebook: www.facebook.com/loscabossticks
Gear the Pros Use! Destiny awaits the hard charging, ass-kicking ladies of Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Not Dead, and drummer Sam Howell provides the pounding beat that drives their sound. Based in Portland, OR, the band spend the summer of 2013 touring throughout the Mid-West US; the tour might be over, but the rise is just beginning for Sam and her bandmates. I got this kit only a few months ago and I absolutely love it! I always wanted a white drum kit with all black hardware. I think it looks simple, but classy. I used to play on a Midnight Blue Tama Imperial Star with the same set up, but instead of Zildjian cymbals, I used Meinl. I have a Pearl Vision in Custom white with black hardware and all Birch shells. Drums 12" Rack Tom 16" Floor Tom, 22" Bass Drum 14" Snare Drum
Cymbals Zildjian A 20" Medium Ride Zildjian A 18" Medium Thin Crash Zildjian A 16" Medium Thin Crash Zildjian A 14" New Beat Hi Hats
Hardware Sound Percussion Boom Stand Sound Percussion Straight Stand Tama Stands
Drumsticks Vic Firth 5B American Classic Wood Tip Evans Coated EC2 Heads Evans Coated G2 Snare Hazy 300 Resonant Head on Snare Remo Powerstroke 3 Bass Drum Head Evans Custom She's Not Dead Logo on Bass
Gear the Pros Use! I started playing guitar when I was 10 and I've been singing my whole life. I have a wide range of influences from Rush, Heart, and Joan Jett all the way to Frank Sinatra, Alanis Morissette and Johnny Cash. I've always loved music and feel very blessed to be part of the local music community. Being able to network and play with a large variety of different musicians has definitely made me a better player overall. I've been lucky enough to, at a young age, discover what type of gear I like and what I don't like. There are a few things that I will continue to research to find the perfect fit. At the moment, I'm very happy with what I have so far. Guitars Epiphone Les Paul Standard Royale ~ My very first guitar was an Epiphone Les Paul and I haven't played anything else since. I love the warm tone of these guitars and I've always felt a special connection with them. The Royale is a beautiful guitar. Mahogony body, Pearl White finish with gold sparkle binding, gold pickguard and Classic Humbuckers. The first time I played this guitar, I knew it was meant to be. The warmth came through immediately and it was everything a Les Paul should be. Epiphone Les Paul Custom Silverburst ~ Again, amazing instrument. At first glance, the finish is what initially sold me on this one. The silverburst color looked so edgy yet classy and elegant at the same time. Although it is my backup, I consider it my "little black dress" guitar. There is never a bad time to pull this out. It never disappoints. The sound of a Les Paul is something that I will love forever. I have yet to come across anything that compares.
Pedal Board/ Effects
I have had my BOSS BCB-60 board for many years. I don't use very many effects as a rhythm player so this board has just enough room for what I need. I use a Planet Waves strobe tuner, Danelectro FAB Flange and Chorus and a BOSS Overdrive/ Distortion.
Amps
Currently I'm running through a Single Channel Jet City JCA20h head with an Epiphone 4x12 cabinet. A friend turned me on to the Jet City head after an old head of mine burned out. I wasn't too sure about using a brand I'd never really heard of until I realized that it was a branch of Soldano. This is a great tube head and though it's small, it's definitely mighty. The crunch comes through great with my overdrive pedal and the clean is nice and clear.
Picks
I use custom "Roxy Gunn" guitar picks. Medium thickness.
Cables
I like to use Monster cables. They last a long time and I have found them to be very durable.
Strings
Ernie Ball Regular Slinky 10-46.
DevilDriver, for the last decade, has been that band to destroy you in the live setting and always had a monster record to back that up and with Winter Kills, they have upped the ante. Winter Kills is a nasty piece of work and if it does not crush you upon first listen, you are deaf. Dez Fafara took the time to give you, the fans, a disturbing view into his mind with this exclusive to Metal Exiles. By Jeffrey Easton
Metal Exiles: With your new album Winter Kills stand out. The way we balance it is that we make about to drop how does it feel to be Dez right now? Dez Fafara: I am having the time of my now, just hanging out with my family. We put a lot of hard work into this record and it is a full-on groover. It has a lot of special moments and it is the most cohesive record we have done, every song flows.
Metal Exiles: You have been busy with family
sure the arrangements are tight and every song had a special momentum.
Metal Exiles: I read the bio on Winter Kills and one of the things that stood out is that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re fascinated with the dying off and rebirth of things. What fascinates your about that? Dez: I love that, I have no idea why. Right now its approaching Fall and Winter and things are going to be dying off. I also like to start new things like businessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and bands, travel to new places; otherwise life becomes stagnant.
health issues as well as touring with Coal Chamber, how easy was it to get refocused on DevilDriver? Dez: I was only with Coal Chamber all in all for about three months with the dates that we did so it did not affect me at all since it was my off time from DD. The band has been writing for a while and I Metal Exiles: With the title Winter Kills, the have been writing off and on for a year and a half so I theme is very dark. What made you want to take this mental route? was really prepared when I got the demos. Dez: We wrote and recorded during the winter time Metal Exiles: Everything I read on you refers to and technically we are releasing in the winter time DevilDriver as groove oriented metal but I think your sound is more ferocious than that but with melody. How does DevilDriver balance the ferocity with the melody that turns up in the music? Dez: I think we are definitely the square peg in the round hole as you cannot fit us into these genres that are happening now. Long ago our fans started referring us to the California Groove Machine and I accepted that title because nobody else is referred to as that. We always have a form of melody with, as you said, ferociousness and it is important to try to balance the two. This record has a lot of tight arrangements as we really got down and concentrated on the song writing as we wanted the hooks and choruses to
since it is almost fall and you will be listening to it during the winter months. A lot of the lyrics involve reconditioning yourself to a higher level and taking your life to the next stage so that title really stood out to me. We needed a title track as well and that just stood out to me.
Metal Exiles: What points to a rebirth for you? Dez: You have to take the lyrics for what they are and I am always that guy who will crack open the door and show you a little bit of light so sometimes you have to point out the negative to do that. If you take the lyrics and really look into them you will see those places. The record as a cohesive whole really points to that. The band has a new label with Napalm and a new bass player, Chris Towning, so it really is a rebirth for us. This is our sixth record and we really found out who we are and what we do best with our sound. We have five different records with different sounds but to me Winter Kills really captures who we are.
tracks on the first take and if I wasn’t feeling it that day we could just call it quits. It made me feel more comfortable while recording because I was in a state I created. It was very moody, no direct lighting on me and I think that lent to the attitude of the record.
Metal Exiles: Usually a producer will not go along with that but you did bring Mark Lewis back.
Metal Exiles: I know that Desperate Times was Was he down with flying out and doing this with written around the time of your sister’s Cancer diagnosis. How is she doing now? Dez: It was written around that as well as some other things. She is doing ok but that song title and the lyrics reflect the desperate times we go through to get to the positive times.
you? Dez: At this point I am only going to work the way I want to work obviously but he had a great time here, he loves California. He was very professional and he loved the studio I set up, it had a great vibe.
Metal Exiles: Your albums with him sound
Metal Exiles: What else in your life was push- amazing. What does he bring that you guys would
not be able to do by yourselves? Dez: He does not try to become the sixth member and he does not try to take it in a different direction. He just tries to get the best out of you. I know he gets the best out of the instruments but with me I need someone who is on and can work fast. When I am working I am working. I want to get take after take, I don’t want someone outside the glass analyzing the lyric because it is not written by him, for him Metal Exiles: I know you like being home with or to him, I want someone who can punch me in and your family so you recorded your vocals at home. out and get it done. Mark Lewis is the person to get What was that like as opposed to going to a studio? that done for me. Dez: You find yourself thinking that if you displace yourself , putting yourself in the odd place out, mak- Metal Exiles: Some producers want to be ining yourself uncomfortable will give you a feel that volved in every aspect of the band and recording, metal needs but for me that’s not the case. I was get- why do you think they want that control? ting to a point that I was saying “ok, I got four more Dez: A lot of producers have that ability but they are songs and I can go home. I did not want to do that, I often working with young bands that need that, some did not think the listeners deserved that nor the art. who can fix their songs but in our case we do not I was just done with being gone for months on end need that. just to record a record. So I put a vocal booth downstairs and I think it added a lot to the feel of the rec- Metal Exiles: I know you have a positive nature ord. The clock wasn’t ticking; we got a lot of the but most perceive metal as negative. What is the ing the songs, like Curses And Epitaphs? Dez: Everything in life can be that, a curse or an epitaph. At one point things end and begin and if you really go into the lyrics you will see that it speaks of people in my past. Friends that take you down the wrong path or business people that are not really with it, so you have to really wake up and clean house.
best way that Dez can put it out there that DevilDriver has a more positive message? Dez: Nobody does dark like me, if you wanted to find a dark soul on the planet you are looking at him, which is why I am always trying to look into the light. What I do in an essence is that door you are afraid to look into, that room your afraid to go into, I crack it open so you can look through it with my lyrics. If anything, metal was the place I could go to when I was younger an my parents were fighting and going through a divorce, metal was the thing in that place I could go to. I want to have that band that is there for you.
Metal Exiles: I know whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that like, when I was a kid my parents divorced so I had KISS. Dez: There you go. Music was always that place for me and if we can exist for someone then wonderful. Metal Exiles: Napalm is putting this record and to me they have always been this underground label dealing in amazing music. Do you think DevilDriver is going to be that band to take them to a wider audience? Dez: Who knows, but as far as a working partnership so far things have been amazing. We will find out see not this Tuesday but the next when the numbers come in. We have done our job as a band, they have done theirs a label so it is up to the fans to go buy the record. I would like to think we are raising the flag and trying to be that flagship band for Napalm, especially in the U.S., and if it works out I would like to work with them again.
Metal Exiles: You have a lot going on with the release of Winter Kills. What is the touring going to be like? Dez: We have the co-headlining tour with Trivium this fall and after Christmas we are going to do Soundwave in Australia which is always amazing. There will be a lot of touring for this album; we will break records with this tour.
DevilDriver is always a force to be reckoned with, and with the release of Winter Kills it only gets deadlier.
Click for the Official DevilDriver Website
Turning old instruments
into art! Instrument Art is something Terry at Guinner Graphix has been doing for years for many people that have a love for instruments. Terry has found, since being back in California, that local music stores have a endless source of instruments to bring back to life. He will personalize your drums, guitars, and any instrument you
have. He is currently working on a Mandolin Jewelry Box, a custom base for a member of the all-female band Zepparella, a commemorative CV WorldWide guitar, and somebody even asked him to do something with their piano! He can make a piece of furniture out of an unusable or unwanted instruments, he does it all.
To contact Terry, visit:
www.Drumiture.com
Terry has now expanded his repertoire to include different instruments, everything from mandolins to guitars of all kinds, making custom pic guards and head stock art. He is constantly on the go, working with different vendors and personalities to generate great art pieces, many for charities. Terry is also the nicest guy in the room, always willing to help people out
Mission Seattle Hempfest is founded in the belief that the public is better served when citizens and public officials work cooperatively in order to successfully accomplish common goals.
Objective and Purpose To educate the public on the myriad of potential benefits offered by the Cannabis plant, including the medicinal, industrial, agricultural, economic, environmental, and other benefits and applications. In particular, Seattle Hempfest seeks to advance the cause of Cannabis policy reform through education, while advancing the public image of the Cannabis advocate or enthusiast through example.
Grit and gristle and big rock melodies come alive in the music of Loud Angel. Feisty female energy tangles with a big party vibe of raucous hard-rock guitar-driven originals and classics! Featuring Johnny Metal and Joiee Kallay as the Loud & the Angel...
Loud Angel welcomes listeners to one big ROCK-nROLL PARTY everywhere they play! Enter a world where you play as hard as you can before you finally crash, usually right before the sun comes up! Go see them, survive their show, if you can...
<CV WW> Alright, you know the <CV WW> Johnny, you formed the drill, tell us who’s in the band, band in 1990, originally as a cover and their role. band - can we assume "80's hair metal”? Johnny Metal - Lead Guitar
Yes, we were definitely 80‘s hair band for several years, A&R Records noticed us and what we were doing and lent us a hand with <CV WW> How long as each mem- shows and such, but in the late 90‘s Back Street Records came and ber been in Loud Angel? Joie has been in for almost 2 made us an offer, which we signed, years – she‘s a great asset, great so that we could tour again. singer, and has a wide range of vocals that really work well with our <CV WW> What songs were you music. Mickey has been playing covering at the time? Well, the cream of the 80‘s with us for about 18 months now. Tommy, on the other hand, has hair metal bands – Ozzy, Skid been with the band since 2006 – he Row, Poison, RATT, etc (too many left the band for a few years to ex- to really mention, the list is long) – plore other creative music endeav- but we werestalso playing originals ors, but our interim drummer from our 1 CD called ―Living (name withheld) was all hyped up Dangerous‖. So it was a mix of on drugs, not a good scene, so we music. replaced him with Tommy.
Joiee Kallay - Lead Vox Mickey Galipoly - Bass Tommy Smiraldo - Drums
<CV WW> Did he miss you guys?
Yeah, he said he missed playing with us, he admitted that Loud Angel always felt like home, so he‘s back – that guy is like my brother!
hold name! Making a name for ourselves really came easy with the music and shows at that time – but covers were, for us, a cheap fix and a temporary direction That entire time, I was writing new original <CV WW> At that point, what were music in our motels rooms during you really hoping to accomplish? our down time. You know, at that point we <CV WW> At what point did you were just digging our fans coming make the decision to transform out and enjoying our music and our from a cover to original band? dream – but the goal of Loud AnThis occurred in 1997, when gel has always been to be a housewe had traveled the East Coast and
did shows all up and down the Atlantic seaboard. The summer of 1997 was a bit of a blur for us – too much partying while on the road. Well, we knew we were popular and had made a name for ourselves at that time, fans were showing up everywhere we played – they were asking for our tried and true covers, but also for original songs too – so we tried to mix in about 10 or so originals in our cover set; as it turns out, the more we played originals, the more the bars seemed to fills up night after night – at that point, well, it‘s pretty much a nobrainer to go in that direction.
see the common goal, we understand that this is for our fans, and that we have to put out the best rock music and not just a simple show but one with very high energy! We are constantly improving our music and theatrics. It‘s all about making sure the fans get their money‘s worth at a Loud Angel show. <CV WW> Joiee's got a pretty powerful voice, what led you to the decision to have a female singer?
<CV WW> Tell the story of LA’s journey to right here, to this lineup – the original Loud Angel group guys and gal – I just had to be pabroke up, but you put it together tient until I found the perfect crew. again, tell us that story. Loud Angel started out as a <CV WW> You’ve had some chalfive piece rock band back in the lenges in the last couple of years, day – we played everywhere we tell us about those.
could, we didn‘t turn away any shows no matter what, since early on you‘re building a brand and following, we played all the time – but we had some internal problems with our original rhythm guitarist. He was partying way too much , he was starting volume wars with the female singer, it was cutting down the good dynamics of the band. I love him like a brother, which made it hard to let him go, but I wanted the musical challenge by myself so he stepped down. The band started out in MA but when Back Street Records got involved, they moved me from my home town of East Hampton, MA to Hartford, CT. There were some changes, I had a lot of growing pains during that time, life threw me a few comers until I found my
Well, first thing was that I suffered a minor stroke – I recovered, but it took about 5 months of hard work to get back to 100% - no issues now though. Shortly after that, as we were gearing up to tour, our original singer‘s daughter was killed in a car crash – her infant daughter survived the accident, but Wendy had to leave the band to raise the child. Those were awful events, but we were able to get past them; we recruited Joiee to be our new singer, then stepped back into the studio to record with our guns fully loaded. <CV WW> Tell us what you think it is about THIS lineup that works so well...
I can tell you that the members in the band right now really have our heads on straight, and we
It‘s always been my thought to use that niche – let‘s face it, sex & sexy sells, and who doesn‘t want a hot woman sing her ass off and rock yours off with shredding guitars, ass-kicking drums, and a bottom bass full of thunder? <CV WW> Early on, in 1999, you were nominated in the Hartford Advocate as "Best Cover Band" Hartford, CT?
It was cool to win that award after having been moved to Hartford…but after we finished some touring, I decided to bring the band south to FL, where we are based now. <CV WW> Let’s talk about your album releases…
Okay, the 1st CD was called ―Living Dangerous‖, it was recorded in Hartford with Back Street Records at their headquarters there in CT. With that release we toured to support, and even had an opportunity to tour overseas, which was cool. Back Street Records as a record company went under, and suddenly we were in search of a label but it didn‘t stop us from forging ahead with our shows and such until A&R Records stepped in and supported us for about 6 years.
<CV WW> What inspires you to write music, where do the lyrics come from?
Well, we understand that it‘s a tough industry, and our music comes from the heat and life‘s experience, but we‘re able to write, record, and present the music in a form that people like, that sells to music fans. Ultimately, we want our lyrics to be memorable. <CV WW> Where did the name come from, any cool story about how “Loud Angel” came about?
We got a new manager, Rebecca Firstenfeld, who is still with us today, and went on to release ―Demons in the Dark‖ around 2004 – that was the time we won an endorsement from Harley Davidson, which was cool as hell. ―Sanity‖ came out in 2009 to much success – at that point, Dynasty Records made us an offer, but we respectfully declined and went on to open our own label (Sanity Records) shortly after that – ―Sanity‖ was on both the national and global music charts, we were in the top 4-8 slots for over 18 months, it was crazy! We toured to support the album – well, I had always wanted a double live CD, so we recorded one of our live shows – it totally rocked, and it‘s on YouTube. Incidentally, the song ―Bastard‖ from ―Sanity‖ got us nominated in Spin Magazine and as a single was played on over 4,000 radio stations worldwide, without any record company assistance – which is significant if you know the music business. It‘s flattering, our albums have been sold all over the world.
<CV WW> Who are your musical (or other) influences?
<JOHNNY> Heh. I was a huge biker at heart, and we released the first CD at the Hell‘s Angels Chapter in CT to a crazy crowd, it was a very cool show – as a kid, I was fascinated with the Hell‘s Angels too. I also did things in life that helped take negatives and turn them into positives, it‘s kind of God‘s way of turning evil to good, I guess. ―Loud Angel‖ just seemed appropriate a name for my band.
I think we‘d all agree that KISS is a big influence on nearly everyone from the 80‘s, especially for us. It‘s hard to find someone who was not influences in some way by them. Ozzy Osbourne is another big influence – for a female fronted band, of course Joan Jett & Pat Benatar, Lita Ford too. <CV WW> How active do you try to I‘m good friends with Ricky Byrd be on Social Media? We try to be very active. too, he‘s been an influence to me Our fans are like the heart of a huas well. man, they pump the musical blood <CV WW> Did any of you have any through our veins, we try to engage them via Social Media and in perother interests growing up? Honestly, not really. We all son too; after all, our fans are our knew at a young age we wanted to life, this is for them. We also try to be rock stars. For me, I got my be active in the local community to first Strat at the age of 12 – 6 help good causes. months prior to that, my cousin, who was a sound engineer for KISS, called me and told me that he got me a ticket to meet the boys in the band. I found myself standing in the elevator with Paul, Gene, Ace, & Peter, in Springfield, MA, they‘ve got 2 hot metal babes with them, mini-skirts hiked up; I was sold for life.
<CV WW> Do you think it's changed the game significantly?
Definitely. It‘s a blessing in most ways, and it allows us to get closer to our fans and reach more of them – we measure success one fan at a time, and to be able to reach out them pretty much anytime via Social Media is great.
Another show was in I don‘t feel like we‘re brag<CV WW> What opportunities has it opened up for Loud Angel that Deland, FL – at their Delandapa- ging, we‘re just telling it how it is; looza Festival, they shut down the Loud Angel has opened for many you don't think you had before? Well, it allows pretty much the whole world to get our music if they want – since our music was and is still played overseas, it allows our national and international fans to share their thoughts, comments, and opinions with us and each other. It‘s also easier to expand our number of fans as Social Media allows them to interact much more easily.
entire city for the festival, and the main street was packed with Loud Angel fans just screaming. Nuts, but in a cool way.
big acts through the years, it has really been a dream come true. Even today, we step on stage with the mindset to conquer every show; the band just loves our fans.
<CV WW> What do you want your fans/the audience to think & feel <CV WW> Loud Angel received the "Harley Davidson Letter of Recomwhen they are at a LA show? Like many bands we want mendation" from Space Coast HD our fans to get lost in the music, in - tell us how that came about.
the show, forget about day to day
That show was one for the books. It actually took place in a Battle of the Bands with over 200 regional bands, and Loud Angel came out on top – so that ―Letter of Recommendation‖ was an endorsement from the boys at Space Coast HD, they really liked us a lot – they even roped off an area to have a Loud Angel photo shoot. There was a ton of press there and fans, it was great. <CV WW> How do awards like that validate all your hard work? I mean, Brevard County Florida...Loud Angel is chosen as "Best Biker Band" - how cool is that?
<CV WW> Any particularly memo- life, and just cut loose and party; we want them to get lost in the rable shows come to mind?
Oh yeah. We played a show in New Britain, CT to a sold out club – 3,200 people were at that show! I drove my Harley on stage, doing a wheelie all the way up the ramp with our lead singer, it was KILLER to watch the crowd almost incite a riot with enthusiasm. I was cranking the music, and one fan grabbed our singer‘s shirt and actually almost tore it off. Good times, always something fun going on during a Loud Angel show.
emotions of our music and just relax and enjoy. <CV WW> What do you think is your greatest accomplishment to date?
You know, there‘s a lot to being a ―charted‖ band and selling out shows all the time – it‘s an accomplishment to keep that going through the years. We did a show in Fort Lauderdale in 2011, sold out 1,000 tickets in an hour!
You know, it gives you a great sense of self-esteem to win a Battle of the Bands against such great competition. It was also great to realize how much an organization like Harley Davidson got behind us; they were very impressed with us, and also sold a ton more merchandise than originally expected. I think they sold more merch than beer! They also sold 8 bikes that day, so they did pretty good, you can do that math. It‘s also some pressure and motivation to repeat success like that and to keep it going forward. Another interesting fact about that show is Tommy almost
caused a riot because he was can happen for them if they make <CV WW> Johnny, tell us, do you throwing out Loud Angel t-shirts the effort. still play the "fintar"? from the stage, and people were <JOHNNY> Yes, it‘s a <CV WW> What do you think it is going crazy trying to get one! wild guitar, a very explosive inabout Loud Angel that sets you strument – here is their contact; <CV WW> After all these years, guys apart from any other bands, fintarguitar@gmail.com nearly 25 of them rocking any- that makes you unique? Our music continues to be where and everywhere, how do you relevant and popular with the stay motivated?
Well, we try to stay in shape and take care of ourselves physically so we can still perform – also, we continue to receive incredible support from our fans, they really provide us with motivation, we never want to let them down. <CV WW> With your success, you've probably earned the right to rest on your laurels on some warm beach with a cold beer - what keeps you going?
<JOHNNY> You know, we love to tour and see our fans; we love them dearly and always promise to do bigger and better shows, and take it to the fullest to keep them happy and excited about seeing Loud Angel in concert. <TOMMY> I have to say, it‘s a great feeling and motivates us to continue to perform when you sneak into a grocery store and a bunch of high school kids run up to you and ask for autographs. High school kids!
crowds – we stay commercially viable for venues, and we give credit where it is due. Joiee is a remarkable singer and a great stage presence. Johnny Metal is a shredder extraordinaire, a legend. Tommy is just an animal back there banging on his kit, and with thunder like Mickey, you can‘t go wrong. We have a great lineup, what we offer fans and people who attend our shows is very well received and has always been. <CV WW> Tell us about the "Loud Angel Bus". :)
Well, Johnny has been a long time auto mechanic, he loves to restore old cars, he has quite a collection of automobiles he‘s restored over the years. He bought the bus and customized it all out – it has TV‘s, beds, computers, and skulls that light up with red lasers. With his ability to fix it up, it was easy to use the bus for the band when we tour – it saves us a lot of money, and it‘s a rolling billboard <CV WW> Hmm, maybe kids of for the sponsors. It also has a lift gate for the road crew to make it your original fans? LOL HaHa – not funny. But easier on them to move the gear – maybe – it‘s the next generation of the really appreciate that part. Loud Angel fans, and we always stop to talk to them, to inspire them <CV WW> You list your record label to work hard to accomplish the as "independent", does that mean things they want to in life, to give you do all your own work? Yes but we outsource some back to them with positivity. of the load to share the wealth, so We‘ve been doing this long enough to talk to kids about success and to speak, to give back to others. perseverance, to tell them that it But we do have our own label called Sanity Records, yes.
<CV WW> Tell us about it., it’s a new thing to us.
<JOHNNY> Well, I was approached in the mid 1990‘s by a company called ―Fintar‖ – the owner of the company has been to many of my shows and we got to be pretty good friends – he asked me what he could do with a guitar, if I had any ideas, so the night before I played a sold out show I was so pumped up I told him to make the guitar light up and get smoke to come out the tail pipe. He liked the idea so much Fintar asked to endorse me – the very next day I played in Boston, in a huge arena, and I detonated the pyro from the back of the guitar neck (by the way, I LOVE playing with pyrotechnics in my guitar)! I love to do stuff like that, crazy stuff, it‘s just my style, the way I live life; I‘ve always said ―if you can‘t go big or go all the way, then just go home.‖
Well, next thing I know the media is all over me, they had my face plastered in all the papers all the way back to CT, and I got a call from guitar player magazine. Great stuff. I‘ve been recently working on Fintar‘s Ltd new guitar called the V-Twin; we are talking with certain members of HarleyDavidson on this new idea – it‘s a flying V guitar with a V-Twin engine mounted on it! Can it get any cooler than that? LOL lets in our guns for music, shows, just to mention another important show. <CV WW> Okay, it's just past half- and touring. way through 2013, what's in store for LA this year - rumor has it you <CV WW> Where will you support <CV WW> Sounds like the life… It is, we love it. Also, Loud are releasing a new album, what this CD with tour dates? We are going to tour first up Angel will be coming out with an can you tell us about it?
Yes – we are working on a new CD called ―Our Guns are Loaded‖ that has over 13 songs. It‘s armed with AC/DC-like screaming guitar licks, Joiee is really going to show you what the word ―range‖ means for a singer on this CD. It‘s a ball bustin‘ CD filled with dynamite drumming, thick bass lines, and Joiee bringing this CD to the cutting edge of hard rock. This CD has meaning for us overall – after what we‘ve been through, we always have more bul-
the East coast to Canada, then we are going out west. They tell me we‘ll be heading overseas as well; that would be killer. <CV WW> When do you start?
We start September 14th at the Sports Page, then ride off into the future. Also, we‘re working on taking part in a HUGE outdoor show, they think 30,000 some-odd people will be in attendance, playing with Great White, Slaughter, LA Guns, and Warrant. We‘ll be in Deland, FL on November 2nd,
autobiography after the tour starts – hopefully it‘ll be an interesting read, it‘ll begin with Johnny‘s childhood…
LOUD ANGEL LIKE them @ https://www.facebook.com/loudangel LISTEN to them @ http://www.reverbnation.com/loudangel
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Information on riding your motorcycle in the rain...
It's 8 am in the morning and you peer out your kitchen window. Although the weatherman on TV had announced the night before that clear skies were in today's forecast, dark grey rain clouds are looming in the distance. While sipping on your morning cup-a -joe, you try to estimate just how soon they'll be hovering over your home and contemplate thoughts to yourself such as, â&#x20AC;&#x2022;If I leave now, maybe, just maybe I'll be able to make it in to work without getting wet.â&#x20AC;&#x2013; After all, that shiny bike of yours, sitting in the garage all night, is just begging you to take it for another spin. You glance back up at the clouds and decide that yet again, you will chance it and ride on into work. In case luck is not on your side, here are some tips on how to prepare for riding in the rain and to keep yourself as dry and as safe as possible without having to succumb to driving to work in a cage. Let's begin!
Gear In an ideal situation, you'll have invested in some all weather riding gear including waterproof boots and if that's the case then good for you! The minimum investment you should have on hand when it comes to rain gear is waterproof gloves that fasten securely around your wrist. Not only do gloves keep your hands dry during a rainstorm, but they'll also
help keep them warm too. Another option is purchasing a rain suit to wear over your leathers if you don't have all weather gear. Waterproof your boots prior to riding in the rain as an extra precaution. However if you still don't want to spend a few extra dollars on a rain suit and waterproofing boot spray, then another, albeit low-cost option is to wear a couple of large trash bags over your clothing and plastic grocery bags inside your boots wrapped around your socks to help with rain-proofing yourself. Riding in the rain is not fun, but it's even worse if you get soaked.
Tires Tires with a good tread pattern on them are the safest type to use when it's raining. This is because, there's more rubber to grip the slippery road. Still, even with decent tread on the tires, pushing your twowheeler to the limits in the rain, be it a drizzle or a downpour, is not advised unless you want to hydroplane or worse yet, lay your bike down in front of oncoming traffic.
Wait Oil and grease on the road tends to loosen up and sit on the surface during the start of the rain, so allow a solid 15 minutes or so for cars to splash the excess muck off onto the side of the street. Otherwise, you're just asking for trouble!
What to Avoid Steer clear of the painted lines on streets and hi -ways because they become extremely slick when wet. Common sense should encourage you to ride in the path of the tire trails left by vehicles in front of you since it will be the area on the road with the least amount of water on it. Manhole covers and railroad tracks are very slick when wet too. Avoid them if at all possible, but if you must cross over them, heed with caution keeping a steady throttle.
Visor Care To help eliminate rain from building up on your visor and impairing your vision, there are a few products on the market you can apply prior to riding such as Rain-X. This product and products like it encourage the water to roll and bounce right off of the visor. Your visor may also indeed become foggy while riding in the rain and although there are products on the market to help prevent that too, just cracking your visor open a smidge every now and again will help quickly eliminate this problem. There are always those rare occasion that may sneak up on you and leave you in a compromising situation. Be prepared and alert so that you'll still be around to ride on future dry weather days as well!
This month, Lani Linton and crew ALSO take a left hand turn and cover the Seattle Tattoo Convention for CV NorthWest. Article by Tiffany Pedersen & Molly Larpenteur.
The 2013 Seattle Tattoo Expo was one for the books. In a city filled with diverse and open minded individuals, the Expo demonstrated some of the best that Seattle has to offer; and was a huge success as well. It is becoming extremely rare to find a person without tattoos (NOTE: the Pres of this Magazine is, strangely enough, tabula rasa), as those having ink have now become the majority. However, when you do eventually come across someone with an empty canvas, they still have respect and appreciation for another that may be a completed work of art. The people that live in the Pacific Northwest are proud to be residents for several different reasons. Elsewhere, the area may be known for housing major companies like Boeing, Amazon, Microsoft and Starbucks, but it's the people who actually live here that make all the difference. In Seattle, we thrive on thinking outside the box, setting new trends, and proving that it's OK to be different. Held at the Seattle Center during the weekend of August 9th through August 11th, doors opened at 2 PM on Friday afternoon. As artists, vendors and musicians prepared for the days that were about to commence, some could be seen kicking
back, calmly awaiting what was to come. Others were hustling and bustling to set up, making sure tables and chairs were available. Merchandise was meticulously displayed as gear was set up and ready to go. A few late comers were frantically running about and the anxiety level was condensing the air in the room. As the Dead Kennedy's played through speakers, artists were found mingling and talking while catching up with old friends and new acquaintances. It was immediately clear that those involved were part of something bigger, an entire community celebrating art. Some were testing their equipment and getting set up for their first appointment while others sat, head down, earplugs in, focused on drawing. As crowds gathered outside the door, one can perfectly describe the atmosphere as "the calm before the storm". As doors opened, people meandered through rows of booths for tattoo shops, and no two booths were alike. Typical booth space was 100 square feet. Where some shops rented multiple booths, others had just a single space, fitting in multiple people, clients, AND equipment, like a human game of Tetris. It was some of these smaller booths that had a higher buzz, and a bigger crowd interest. Visitors were able to watch artists work, and were provided easy access to talk to multiple tattoo shops and artists in hopes of finding the person that was going to help them with their next tattoo endeavor. One was able to conveniently gain information and compare, not that their options would have been simple with the amount of expe-
rience and expertise that was present. Books were available to flip through. It was not just a few 3 three ring binders, but HUNDREDS of books, with pages and pages of brightly colored art that would inspire the most technical of minds. Inside were tattoo related vendors of all varieties. Eternal Ink provided a display that could only be rivaled by a prism in the sun. H2Ocean offers environmentally safe tattoo after-care products, keeping your new art clean and as vibrant as you expect it to be. In the case that one had a regret (they happen) or an error on a tattoo (we hope they don't happen), Caddell's Laser & Electrolysis Clinic was set up to aid those who wished for tattoo removal, or lightening, with 11 years experience. FKIrons was present, advertising the lightest and most reliable machines. Char Hall displayed stunning art pieces at her booth, so realistic it was hard to believe that you weren't seeing a photograph but a painting Tattoo shops from all over Washington were in attendance. Hidden Hand Tattoo from Fremont, Cicada Tattoo from North Seattle, Black Tortoise Tattoo from Lacey, Deep Roots from Lynnwood, and Laughing
Buddha located on Broadway were all there, just to name a few. Each shop promoted their personal idea of art, color, and style. Drawings were displayed, and machines were buzzing the whole weekend while the artists were working to make sure clients had a masterpiece after sitting down. There weren't stereotypical patrons present as crowds wandered the wall-to-wall rows of booths. One would expect to see only people covered head to toe in tattoos, gauged ears, and colored hair, but there were also people there that would remind you of your grandparents, not a single tattoo and wearing khakis. Parents, groups of people, single people, and little kids were all smiling and intrigued, soaking in the scene. It goes to show that no matter who you are or where you grew up, there was something of interest for all who arrived. Those who were searching to get a tattoo at the expo were met with a dreamland of options. When asking clients why they chose the artist they did, the common response seemed to be their skill and their bedside manner. One described Grover from Black Tortoise Tattoo in Lacey, WA as "really kick ass and a really nice guy." Another described Stefan of Enemy Tattoo in Everett, WA as "really good at what he does". And
Mike of Hidden Hand Tattoo in Fremont, WA was complimented and chosen as being good at color portraits. Matt from Hardline Tattoo, Barber and Body Piercing was an artist of choice because the people from Hardline were "really friendly", and this seemed to be the case for everyone who participated in the event. As the weekend progressed, the crowd changed from a trickle of Expo goers to a full on crowd of people pushing and flowing through the pathways between booths. Stopping almost wasn't an option or you'd hold up the line that would begin to gather behind you. The room filled to the point of feeling like a cattle herd. Different music was being played at each booth. The air was filled with scents of Nag Champa, antiseptic, green soap, and sweat, leaving one to feel dirty and clean all at the same time. Once outside, the fun wasn't over. Vendors and sponsors such as Caffe Vita, Captain Morgan, Rockstar, Ninkasi Brewing Company, Ballard Brothers Seafood and Burgers, Holy Cannoli and KIND Snacks filled an area lined with white picket fences. The beer garden sponsored by Ninkasi Brewing Company was nestled under the shade of green trees, round tables and umbrellas positioned to allow a side view of the stage. Scattered
Black Tortoise Tattoo Co. 7914 Martin Way E Lacey, WA 98516 (360) 915-6122 What is it that sets Black Tortoise apart? Michael Horton: Our friendly attitude and the quality of our artwork. What styles do you best present clients with? M.H.: We have a lot of strength in portrait works, new school kind of feel, and realism. There are so many styles that we, as a shop, can accomplish. Can you tell us what your favorite part of the Seattle Tattoo Expo was? M.H.: All I can tell you is I had a really good time, and I look forward to it in the future. I liked being around other artists and likeminded people. Black and grey, or color, which do you like best? Grover Collins: I like bright, saturated color. I once did this girl's sleeve, themed on The Hitchikerâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s Guide to the Galaxy. I don't think there was one part of her arm that wasn't completely full of color. It was a lot of fun to look at the story.
outside were additional vendors, adding art and color to the event. La Catrina presented Dia De Los Muertos and Tattoo Inspired Art. With faces painted to represent Sugar Skulls, their booth offered much to be admired. Black Cult Craft offered clothing, candles and coffee, all dark and mystic, the coffee label reading "Hail Satan and Drink Coffee". A bright yellow and red background stood behind the stage that was to be the platform for performers and contests. Bands like December in Red, Eagle Teeth, Black Beast Revival, A Lien Nation, LoudMotor, and Alicia Amiri tore it up, filling the Seattle Center with sets that, for lack of a better term, rocked. Burlesque was up Friday featuring Atomic Bombshells, and that they were. Rockstar sponsored the event and the Inked Up World Tour, featuring 12 artists and 12 tattoo conventions. The artists are competing by designing a can, the winner decided by fans who had the opportunity to vote. Along with the artists are Rockstar bikini clad ladies competing for the title of Miss Inked Up 2013. Throughout the weekend, competitions were held for "Best Ofâ&#x20AC;Ś", and to end each day, which work was the tattoo of the day. Much entertainment was provided. One competitor for Best Traditional showed off an impressive chest piece of Jesus, topping off his performance with the infamous "Truffle Shuffle." With judges similar to American Idol personalities, contestants posed and walked the stage showing their stuff. Whether participating or watching, all were entertained, and the art was astounding. The people at the Seattle Tattoo Expo truly represent the awesomeness of the Pacific Northwest. With friendly smiles and attitudes, it seemed that visitors, clients, vendors and artists were all there because they wanted to be, and all were having a great time. The Expo was set up meticulously. The "flow", in the physical set up, the mood, and the atmosphere was spot on. As the weekend came to an end, one thing became certain, you can never judge a book by its cover. The convention was overflowing with the feeling of friends, family, art, and passion.
Hidden Hand Tattoo 3516 Fremont Pl N Seattle, WA 98103 (206) 632 - 7313 What is it that makes your shop stand out in a tattoo savvy place like Seattle? Jeff Cornell: You can't swing a dead cat without hitting good tattoo work in Seattle. I think our quality is consistent. Everyone here does really good tattoos and they're good with their clients. People aren't met with the standard issue shitty attitude that a lot of places seem willing to keep going with. April Cornell: We create the best possible atmosphere for our clients. What style or styles do you feel best come out of your shop? J.C.: The artists here are all so versatile. No matter what somebody comes in wanting to get, we have somebody that can do not only just an OK job, or a good job, but an excellent job. A.C.: We work primarily as a custom shop. We see anything and everything. But there are a lot of trends in tattooing for sure. J.C.: We don't necessarily follow those; we try NOT to. Mainly, we consistently put out good work. When people come in asking for something, they're always given something above and beyond what they were expecting. What is your favorite thing about being a tattoo artist? Jamie King: I get to draw pictures and listen to rock and roll all day. There's art in it (tattooing) but there is craft too. You need to be good at talking to people and giving them the tattoo they want. Do you prefer to do color tattoos or black and grey? Erika Jones: I prefer color because it's instant gratification. You don't have that with black and grey until it heals, that's when it looks really nice. I don't like waiting patiently.
Expo because they ARE out of their element, they do well under pressure. Is there anything in particular that you're looking forward to this year? W.B.: I look forward to seeing a lot of tattoo friends that we have. It's like going back to Summer Camp each year and seeing your old friends and networking. What styles do you feel your shop best represents? W.B.: Everyone has a foundation in traditional design, but we also take it to another level and do custom work and take pride in good craftsmanship. How does Cicada Tattoo stand out against other shops in the area? Cicada Tattoo W.B.: This place is spacious with a lot of history We have 10309 Aurora Ave N original artwork from the last century or more. Hand paintSeattle, WA 98133 ed. It's like a museum with all this stuff that's original from the (206) 327-9309 1920's, 30's and 40's. And we have the best decorated bathroom. It's nature What is it that you like most about the Seattle Tattoo Expo? themed so you feel like you're doing your business in the Will Bodnar: It's fun. There's nothing I like more than being in woods, surrounded by serene mountains and lakes. Then you the shop with everything just the way I like it, so the Expo come out back and there's real nature out here where people shakes things up a little bit. Once you're there, it's fun and can relax. When people are anxious about getting a tattoo, there's a lot of energy. Sometimes people do better work at the peacefulness is important.