Sammy Hagar on Aliens? by Sean Casteel The MTV interviewer answers, “Yeah, yeah, I’ve got the page right here.”
The interviewer then reads aloud, “I saw a ship and two creatures inside of this ship. And they were connected to me, tapped into my mind through some kind of mysterious wireless connection.”
Sammy Hagar Steps Out Of The Alien Abduction Closet By Sean Casteel Classic rocker Sammy Hagar recently added his name to the list of celebrities who have spoken publicly about UFO and alien abduction encounters. While it is easy to anticipate the ridicule that will ensue regarding how the rock and roll lifestyle can easily lead to hallucinations and half-remembered dreams, the debunkers are not necessarily going to be right in this case. Hagar made his remarks about alien abduction in an interview posted on MTV’s Hive website and the story was quickly picked up by other news outlets. Hagar was doing the interview as part of a publicity campaign to promote his new autobiography, “Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock,” some of which was excerpted in the March 17, 2011 edition of “Rolling Stone.” The autobiography is the typical “tell all” account of excessive substance abuse and wildly out of control egos clashing with one another. Hagar had previously been a member of the 70s band Montrose and had a fairly successful solo career before he was asked to replace David Lee Roth as the lead singer for Van Halen in 1985. Hagar’s description of guitar legend Eddie Van Halen as a monument to drug abuse and alcoholism would be almost poignant if it weren’t so frighteningly unpleasant to imagine. The guitarist’s descent into total ineptitude on stage as he battled his demons during a 2004 reunion tour was also not easy to
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read about and was extremely painful for Hagar to witness. The two haven’t spoken for many years now. But getting back to Hagar’s interview with MTV’s Hive and his comments about the aliens: After the obligatory discussion of groupies and some gossipy talk about the unfriendly attitude evinced by David Lee Roth toward Hagar, the interviewer asks: “Before reading ‘Red,’ I didn’t realize you had an interest in mysticism. You’ve apparently consulted with psychics and studied numerology and had crazy dreams about UFOs. Why haven’t we seen more mystical themes in your music?” To which Hagar replies, “I didn’t write about it much in Van Halen, but I have done a few songs that have sci-fi themes. There’s ‘Space Station #5’ on the first Montrose album, and then on the second album there’s ‘Space Age Sacrifice.’ My first solo album, there’s ‘Silver Lights’ and ‘Hot Rocks,’ which are about UFOs coming and taking people away.” It seems Hagar’s sci-fi mysticism was “hidden in plain sight” and was a theme of his writing from very early on. His next solo album included “Little Star” and “Someone Out There,” which are about how humankind is not alone in the universe. Sample lyrics go like this: “I feel so scared and lonely to think we’re the only ones, when I know there’s someone out there and someday they’ll come.” “People say there’s no other life in the universe,” Hagar said by way of explanation. “But you know how big the universe is? It’s freaking huge! If we’re really the only ones out there, that’s scarier to me than thinking there are aliens. So my whole career I’ve been writing about these kinda things. But they’ve never been the
hits. They’ve only been underground songs. If anything in the book has been played down, it’s my mystical side, because I don’t want to sound like I’m crazy.” The fear of seeming crazy Hagar complains of is one of the most frequent emotions felt when one first begins to assimilate the fact that one has experienced contact with aliens. When an abductee finally makes the brave decision to speak about his encounters, he must do so in spite of the possibility of being rejected by family and friends as a new and strange reality begins to take hold. But it is a reality that Hagar seems to inhabit a little more comfortably at times.
“My opinions about the UFO stuff,” he enthused, “well, I could write a whole book just devoted to that. I love it, man. I’m into it deep.” The MTV interviewer finally asks, point blank, “Okay, let’s just cut to the chase. I’m just going to come out and ask it. Have you ever been abducted by aliens?” “I think I have,” Hagar said. “What? Really? I was kidding. You seriously believe that?” Hagar laughed and said, “Now you’re making me sound like a crazy person.” “How is that crazy? I wasn’t there. I don’t know what happened to you.” “Remember the story in the book,” Hagar said, “where I have a dream about being contacted by aliens in the foothills above Fontana?”
He then asks, “You’re telling me that wasn’t a dream?” “That’s right,” Hagar responds. “It was real. Aliens were plugged into me. It was a download situation. This was long before computers or any kind of wireless. There weren’t even wireless telephones. Looking back now, it was like, ‘F***, they downloaded something into me!’ Or they uploaded something from my brain, like an experiment. ‘See what this guy knows.’” Hagar’s decision to call the experience a dream when he wrote about it in his book is typical of abductees in many ways. The abduction experience, when it is recalled consciously and without resorting to hypnotic regression, is often thought of as being a “dreamlike” experience in spite of the fact that it is happening in physical terms. Another familiar aspect of what Hagar is talking about is the need for the UFO contactee to continue to keep the experience filed away as an “unknown,” to preserve a sense of “unreality” in his memories of the event. Crossing over to total belief is a dangerous thing for the mind to attempt, and it is fraught with more complications than the mind can easily deal with. The abductee must be content to let the memories waver in some netherworld of “real/unreal” that he can never totally resolve. The fact that the aliens “downloaded” information into his brain and also “uploaded” information out of it is often seen in abduction accounts. There is nearly always an exchange of information and data between the abductors and the abductee, though this exchange takes several different forms, occurring frequently as
telepathic conversation. After again affirming the truth of the story he told, Hagar moves on to recount another experience, this time from his childhood. “Another thing happened when I was about four,” Hagar said, “that I didn’t put in the book. One time I saw what I considered to be, well, at the time I thought it was a car with no wheels. We lived out in the country and I saw this thing floating across a field, creating this big dust storm. I threw rocks at it and s***. And I don’t know what happened after that.” “You blacked out?” the interviewer asked. “I guess,” Hagar answered. “I just have no memory of it. And that wasn’t a dream. It was during daylight.” At that point, the interviewer sympathetically says that he understands Hagar’s reluctance to talk about his experiences, acknowledging that alien abduction is a “tough sell.” “Especially back a few decades ago,” Hagar said, “when this stuff happened to me. I couldn’t talk about it because I didn’t know how to explain it. I didn’t understand the technology. But now I’m pretty sure it was a wireless situation. Either a download or an upload. They were tapped into my brain and the knowledge was transferred back and forth. I could see them and everything while it was happening. There was a visual involved, almost like . . . I don’t know. (Laughs.) Don’t get me going!” Which seems to imply that Hagar has a lot more to talk about, to the right audience and at the right time. If an interviewer more steeped in the literature and everyday manifestations of UFOs and the alien presence were given the opportunity to interview Hagar in more detail, one can only wonder what other revelations would be brought forth. We might even learn why the occasional celebrity becomes a “Chosen One” along with the mere mortals we more often hear about. One can even ask if rock and roll is an alien invention altogether, the electrified siren’s song from the great unknown leading us to new levels of evolutionary development. Stranger things have happened, right? Or maybe not.
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Good Food from the Euro Cafe
All their products are homemade and contain no preservatives. They import only the best products from Europe to keep the food authentic. All the foods are prepared by Chef Ray, who has been in the food industry for over 40 years and is himself a native to Eastern Europe.
Euro Cafe Abazi Food service Inc and Euro Cafe & Market located in San Marcos has been specializing in European and Mediterranean foods for the last two years now.
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And much to the delight of the students of Texas State and members of the San Marcos community. Some of their more popular items include Hummus, Gyro, Shish Kebabs and Spinach pies.
My last visit to Euro Cafe I had the Mousaka and the Spinach Pie. Mousaka is like a lasagna only with eggplant but tastes fabulous! It’s made fresh daily and worth a try! The appitizer was the Albanian Spinach Pie made with Phillo dough stuffed with spinach and feta cheese. The flakey pie is hot and a real treat for spinach fans. But all the food at Euro Cafe is great! And the Abazi Food Service is also catering these days, too. You can order from Abazi
to feed fifty people or more or a small event for your business that can cater to a dozen of your close friends or employees. People keep coming back to Euro Cafe for the same reason after 2 years; the great tasting food! What I like about this place is that when your done eating you feel great! Chef Ray and his son Jay take care of their customers and greet you by name; something you don’t find in our mundane world of fast food and take out pizza. These guys are the real deal at Euro Cafe and so is the food! You can also visit the market and take some of the European products home and whip up a dish of something unique
for a change. I bet even Chef Ray will give you a few pointers! Stop by and visit the guys for me and say you heard about them from Rockstar Magazine. - staff
Euro Cafe
(512) 392-6044 Eurocafeandmarket.com 350 N. Guadalupe St. #130
MuteMath An Interview with Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas By Jaime Garcia
Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas of
the Grammy Nominated Band, MuteMath gives us an update! Mutemath has toured with many acts throughout the World including, Alanis Morrisette, The Fray, Wolfmother, and 30 Seconds to Mars, to name a few. The band has also appeared on Late Night Television shows, including, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and The Jimmy Kimmell Show. Thank you for your time with us today, Roy! It’s a great pleasure having you with us here at Rockstar Magazine. Roy, let’s start by introducing the members of MuteMath. MuteMath: Paul Meany: vocals, keys Darren King: drums Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas: bass Todd Gummerman: guitar
Rockstar: How did you guys
meet and what are you guys up to these days? Any upcoming performances?
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(Like, Austin? Hint Hint) MuteMath: We met in New Orleans in the late ‘90s via various musical situations. We are working on our 4th studio album for Warner Brothers. We have a string of dates in Australia in mid-November and a couple in India in early December. We’ll be in Austin next Spring of 2014 for a tour.
Rockstar: MuteMath is known for its highly energetic shows with Lead Vocalist Paul Meaney jumping off on-stage objects (or onto the crowd), Drummer, Darren King pounding away on his snare spraying water all over the place (or playing while on the crowd), Guitarist, Todd Gummerman’s screaming guitar effects, and your insane Bass licks and complimentary drum bashing too. How does the band manage to maintain that energy while touring? In some cases, on a night to night basis? MuteMath: We just try to get plenty of rest on the road. We are all fathers now; so, we are used to pushing through life tired as hell...
Rockstar: I remember
Rolling Stone Magazine once described MuteMath as “Coldplay on Redbull.” Would you say this is an accurate description of the band’s music and performances?
MuteMath: No. I hate the taste of Redbull. Seriously, I think that description is very limited, and I hope people view us as a band that reaches beyond the scope of a hyped-up “Coldplay” sound....
Rockstar: Have any of you guys
gotten hurt on stage due to your performances?
MuteMath: Yes. Darren sliced open his forehead once with a cymbal and left the show straight away to the hospital.
Rockstar: During your live performances, all the members of the band, including yourself play more than one instrument throughout the show. Does this hold true for in-studio work as well? MuteMath:Yes and more. For example, I record lots of guitars for the
albums. Darren plays lots of synths and does programming. Todd is an amazing key and organ player. Paul plays guitar and bass, too. Everyone contributes to whatever the song needs.
Rockstar: What are the band’s Musings, or Inspiration while writing and ultimately, while in the studio laying down tracks? MuteMath: Mostly, for me, it’s just about what is happening in the moment of recording and following the energy in the room. I’m constantly listening to many different genres of music, and that probably gets inside my soul, too. Lately, I’ve been into lots of electro anthem house, afropop, and ‘60 garage rock.
Rockstar: Tell us about a
memorable moment in any performance that you feel you will remember for the rest of your life. Something that you can go back and say, “Man, I’ll never forget....” MuteMath: Performing on David Letterman for the first time. It was like all the other shows, waiting around all day then all of a sudden, boom! you’re on... it was freezing inside the
building; I got to hang out with Will Lee; and I got to shake Letterman’s hand but not talk to him.
Rockstar: On a personal level, you’re a Texas boy. Do you miss your home state, and what do you miss most about it? MuteMath: No, not really, especially, since I visit for shows frequently throughout the year. The only thing I miss is my family.
Rockstar: Any words for your fans?
MuteMath: Thanks for your loving support throughout the years!
Rockstar: Roy, thank you so
much for taking the time to hang with Rockstar Magazine today. Keep rocking, Man, and we hope to see you soon here in Austin!
Follow MuteMath at mutemath.com and on Facebook by searching, “Mutemath.” Jaime Garcia -
Bill Carter & The Blame him.
Rockstar Magazine: What do you feel is your greatest achievement in music at this point in your life?
Bill Carter: The fact that I’m still doing it for a living..
Rockstar Magazine: What is your favorite venue to play at in Texas?
Bill Carter: The Continental Club
Rockstar Magazine: I have
Bill Carter and the “Unknown” I met Bill Carter after watching him perform with the Sexton brothers at Sam’s Burger Joint in San Antonio, Texas in March of 2013. I enjoyed Bill’s performance and songs so much, I soon began traveling to Austin to watch him perform with The Blame and occasional solo performances at the Continental Club. Bill and his wife Ruth have been writing songs for over 3 decades and have had the pleasure of many of their songs being recorded and made famous by several legendary musicians.
Bill’s kind spirit is felt throughout the room as he sings his lyrics and good ol’ Americana tunes, and keeping the crowd engaged with his stories and sense of humor. I feel honored to be able to interview such a great talent…. thank you Bill for the time.
Rockstar Magazine: What or who inspired you to become a songwriter/ singer?
Bill Carter: A guy named Ron
Davies who lived in the sane town as me when i was about 15. He wrote a few hit songs by local bands like the “WAILERS” in Seattle in 1965………He was a close friend .I learned a lot from
heard you talk about being inspired by a person you never met, just the amusement of wondering about their life…. What other things inspire you to write your songs?
Bill Carter: Real people, places and situations. Truth IS stranger than fiction
Rockstar Magazine: I know
you have fans in Brazil and Paris, do you tour out of the country?
Bill Carter: I have played in Europe, but not for a few years….. plan on going over in late spring early summer 2014...
Rockstar Magazine: What bands have you been in?
Bill Carter: Bill Carter and The Blame, and a band called “P” in the mid nineties with Gibby Haynes, Sal Jenco and Johnny Depp… and hundreds of bands that lasted a minute or 2.
Rockstar Magazine: I hopefully will be coming to your show with Todd Snider in Dallas. From what I understand you are also playing a show with him at Gruene Hall…. what other musicians have you performed with?
Bill Carter: I’ve played shows,
or played with everyone from Willie Nelson to Stevie Ray Vaughan, to Tom Waits and Keith Richards...
Rockstar Magazine: What awards/ achievements have you been honored with?
Bill Carter: Texas Music Hall
Of Fame - Songwriter Of The Year - Millionairs Award for over 2 million radio airplays of a song called “CROSSFIRE”, my wife Ruth and I wrote for Stevie Ray Vaughan….plus numerous gold and platinum albums our songs appeared on...
Rockstar Magazine: I am a
huge fan of the song and video of “Fire On The Wire” on your latest CD “Unknown”… describe what the video and song means to you.
Bill Carter: This song is
delusional...a psychotic vision of instability.
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Rockstar Magazine: No wonder I’m such a huge fan {{laughing}}. Tell me about your current CD…
Bill Carter: “UNKNOWN”
is some of my favorites I’ve written….a nice variety of my vast influences.
Interview By Karli Duran
You can visit www.billcarterandtheblame.com to learn more about Bill Cater and his accomplishments, view upcoming shows, and download his CD “Unknown”. SHOW DATES THIS MONTH! September 09/12/13 - Tavern on the Gruene New Braunfels, TX 09/19/13 - One World Theater - Austin, TX 8:00pm 09/20/13 - Uptown Theater - Napa, CA 09/22/13 - Harris Center for the Arts - Sacramento/Folsom, CA 09/22/13 - Club Madrid @ Sunset Station Casino Las Vegas, NV | Private Show
A Talk with Kiddo Rendon of Personal Use:
Rockstar: Welcome to Rockstar Magazine Kiddo and the rest of Personal Use! PU: THANKS FOR HAVING US ON YOUR ZINE MAN IT LOOKS GREAT. RM: Well I am so thrilled to get a copy of the new album. Peace.Love.Music. Sounds groovy! PU:Thanks Russell we put in a lot of hard work into it, sorry it took so long. The next one should come out sooner than you think. RM: Ya there are some old tracks that I am familiar with like, Move On, I MAN, Put me in Line, and others. But there is some refreshing new tracks as well. How do you feel about the outcome of this first Personal Use album? PU:Well we are happy with it especially because we did it DIY style. No big fancy studio, No big fancy equipment, just a laptop, some good mics and blood,sweat and tears.
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RM: How long has this group been together now?
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PU: our first gig was in ‘08 (4-20 show at jakes house) and we had been writing and hanging out a little while before that.
PU: Michael V. Ochoa wrote this song and everybody has a different interpretation of it but i feel that some of our personalities clash and the band always feels like it is falling apart but in the end it makes us stronger and we push harder to get over it.
RM: For readers sake, tell us where you “Personal Use” hail from and introduce the members of the band and a brief history of your music career.
RM: What is on the horizon for Personal Use here in 2013?
PU: We are from the Rio Grande Valley. (Mcallen Tx.) first off we got Michael Vincent Ochoa - vocals Steven Ruiz the M.C Jael Chapa - Guitars - back up vocals Sam Watts- bass guitar J.J Mendoza - congas- percussion Rocky Villarreal - keys- back up vocals Manuel Kido Rendon - drums and back up vocals THE LAST CHAIR BRASS SECTION is Cesar Toast Castaneda Trombone Chris Bennett - Trumpet Javi Adame - Trumpet and we just added David Tank Garcia on vocals which you will hear on the next album.
RM: Who did you write “Put me in Line” for?
RM: Falling Apart is a new track. Who wrote this song? and Why?.
PU: We are recording a cd of the covers that we do in our style, which will be called Versions Vol.1. We want to start playing out of town more and bring our music to more people. Spread the love and sell cd’s
Kido: I wrote that song for my wife , you know, we all seem to fall off sometimes, I just wanted to write a song to remind people of that and that no one is perfect but we got to keep trying to do the right thing. PM: What does Personal Use want people to know about them?
PU: That we are in it for the music. That no matter what people say we will follow our dreams and that our cd is only $5 at our shows so buy it (don’t ask your friend to burn you a copy). RM: Where does the band perform in Texas regularly?
PU: Right now, We are at regulars @ Shenanigan’s (in Mcallen) on Thursdays and at Monster Carwash Bar and Grill in Edinburg every Friday and Every 1st Saturday of the month we are at Aria and Sushi bar in downtown Corpus Christi. The sushi is the bomb there. Shout out to the homies at Produce for hooking it up!
RM: I’m hoping to get you guys up to Austin this month for Fayuca. Are you game? PU: We are Down!!!!!! We would love to see what kind of response we get in a Austin! RM: You guys are a 420 Friendly Sounding Band, where did the name of the band come from? PU: The name has different (420) meanings but I say its “All About the Music so use it for your Personal Use” RM: How can venues or promoters get in touch with Personal Use for booking party’s, gigs, special events or weddings etc?
RM: Thank you Kido! Have a great year! Much success to you and the band! See you in Austin this Fall! PU:Thank you Russell and Rockstar Magazine for having us and we hope to be featured in this magazine again when our Pesonal UseVersions cd comes out! Peace. Love. Music!
PEACE. LOVE. MUSIC.
PU: personalusebooking@gmail. com or www.facebook.com/personaluse RM: Final thoughts to our readers? PU: Watch out for us coming to a venue near you. you can listen to our cd on soundcloud.com/personal-use
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Austin Hot Mods by Christopher Jordan tough. My solution became The Articulator. Using a broken Vox wah pedal I stripped the parts (yeeeeeah free parts) then began drilling a few extra holes in the casing. I then finished the circuit with a few other key parts andfive 1/4″ jacks to allow connection and expression control of up to five devices simultaneously. This is what Austin Hot Mods is all about, transmogrifying the basic into the amazing. Stay tuned for the next installment, Gear Heads, and, until next time, keep reaching for eleven.
"Austin Hot Mods: The Mission" By Christopher Jordan I have spent the better part of my life as a live audio engineer in the venue setting as well as a private engineer for many fantastically talented bands and broadcast radio. I can truly say that I have had a fantastic career with very few of the typical technical pitfalls…I am lucky I suppose. However, in that time I have seen more than my fair share of technical issues arise with the musicians on my stages. It is horrible when you lose your tone live because your favorite pedal dies or your guitar input starts putzing out. The one complaint that I have seen more than anything is musicians striving for a tone that they just can not seem to find. They try, and they come close, but there’s just that little bit lacking. Unfortunately, as is the case with many musicians, they just don’t have the money to get the gear to achieve that sought after tone. I decided to put my years of live engineering and knowledge of electronics to use. Austin Hot Mods takes typical off the shelf pedals and transmogrifies them into wailing juggernauts of sound. We will
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soon be launching the “Tips” section of the website featuring both articles on how to maximize your gear as well as advice from local pros on gear and gear maintenance. Our goal is to provide you the reader with not only good information that will help you get the most out of your equipment but also a place to bring your beloved pedals and guitars when they need repair but also give these fellow musicians a chance to get the tone their looking for by modifying their pedals. Here is one of the many examples of just such a project…our all new expression pedal, The Articulator. This pedal mod was truly born out of necessity. Aside from guitar, I play a lot of electronic music with keyboards and effects. As such I have a lot of extra 1/4″ jacks labelled expression on my equipment. This connection allows you to use a pedal much like a wah or volume pedal to control the dynamics of the sounds of the keyboard or effect. Pretty cool, right? Well my problem, as I said, is I have quite a few pieces of gear I use live with this option and do use a few of them at the same time on occasion. The issue here is I only have two feet and making them do the same thing at exactly the same time is
~Austin Hot Mods~ The ArticulatorPier 21 Music Series
My solution became The Articulator. Using a broken Vox wah pedal I stripped the parts (yeeeeeah free parts) then began drilling a few extra holes in the casing. I then finished the circuit with a few other key parts and five 1/4″ jacks to allow connection and expression control of up to five devices simultaneously. This is what Austin Hot Mods is all about, transmogrifying the basic into the amazing.
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Rockstar: :
How much training goes into one seasons performance? Is it just one complete season of learning all the songs?
School of Rock:All of our students
have private lessons; we assess and continuously work with every student to personalize their musical journey.
Rockstar: Rockstar Maga-
zine: Welcome to Rockstar Magazine Colleen. Looks like your busy season is coming up this fall. Glad we can cover this for you. School of Rock: Hello to you, and everyone in magazine-land! Congrats on the new venture!
We’re celebrating our 8th birthday this month, producing three weekends of shows, getting ready to play ACLX2 in October, and HorrorFest at the end of the month. Plus, we have fall show rehearsals starting this month, and we’re recruiting for our adult program too, we’re definitely in the thick of it! It’s good we’re talking, there’s so much going on I’ve barely scratched the surface…
Rockstar:Tell us about the Summer Season Shows you have coming up this month.Red 7 on the 14th & 15th and a few others. School of Rock:We’ve got great
stuff this month: Roots of Rock and Beach Party Sat and Sun Sept 7&8 at Red7 On Sat and Sunday Sept 14&15 at Red7 we’re doing Dave Grohl and the entire British Steel album by Judas Priest. These shows are double headers at Red 7, just $10 for an entire afternoon of entertainment. Then on Sat, 9/21 at 2pm at Antone’s, we have our Best-Of-Season show, an encore performance of the best of all four season shows.
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For beginners, we have Rock 101 – a low-pressure group rehearsal where they work on a few key songs. They learn at their speed, in a comfortable, cool space, and when they’re ready they graduate into one of our performing shows. In the performance groups, they have 12-16 weeks to learn the material. We cast the shows to maximize the challenge and winning moments for each musician, and they have a lot of fun along the way.
Rockstar: Is the School of Rock
enrolling right now? School is back in session after all. School of Rock: As you know, rock n roll is TCB, 24/7. We’re always enrolling, but this is a perfect time to get started: for musicians with a little experience, there’s time to get in the fall shows – The Who, Fleetwood Mac Vs The Eagles, Funk and Reggae, and Metallica. For beginners, Rock 101 goes at their pace, and they could be performing as soon as January, 2014.
The adult band just played their first couple of gigs, and are ready for fresh blood, they rehearse on Mondays nights and it’s super fun.
Rockstar: I recognize some of the instructors you guys have. That’s so cool the kids learn from the pros right here in town. School of Rock: Our teachers are
the best. They live and breathe rock n roll. They gig all night and teach all day. They’re invested in their students, burst with pride at the shows, and invite friends and strangers to come see what we do. They are my greatest affirmation: we’re doing it right because if there was anywhere better to be, these guys would be there instead. Our teachers’ bios are on our website austin.schoolofrock.com/ faculty-staff; their combined street cred would eat up columns of your magazine. They play all over, too, we promote them on our facebook page: Austin Schoolofrock
Rockstar: The confidence this program gives kids must be tremendous!!That alone is worth the reward!! Watching them learn to ROCK!! YEAH!!! School of Rock: There was a great
National Geographic article last year about the teenage brain: they like really risky challenges, with their friends watching. Proving they can play like Eddie Van Halen live on stage in Austin, Texas? Right up their alley. So they get this fun and challenging environment to play in, a bunch of like-minded friends, a space to be their real selves, and it results in incredible personal empowerment and confidence.
Rockstar: I see that Dave
Grohl show is on the 14th & 15th. We featured Sound City in a Video review write up this month on page 8. Will the students be jamming some Nirvana and Foo Fighters? Maybe even some Them Crooked Vultures? School of Rock: Grohl’s great!
What a mastermind. What a musician! I’m not giving away the set list, but
I’ll tell you this: the show’s Director, Aaron Mason, doesn’t mess around. The show is at 4:30 on Sat, 9/14, and 3pm on Sunday, 9/15 at Red7, come on down and tell me what you think.
Rockstar: When is the next
Performance Program? I’d love to sponsor an Event next year. School of Rock: The next seasonal
shows will be at the end of January, but we have events year-round. One of the reasons they tend to be awesome is through collaboration with other local business, let’s make some magic!
Rockstar:Are scholarships offered at the School of Rock? You know like in the name of a business or anything like that?
School of Rock: We take donations for needs-based scholarships, but we’ve been so busy we haven’t gotten around to creating a fundraising wing. There are a couple national Scholarship programs for School of Rock…
Rockstar: Coming from a
family of musicians myself I think the program is awesome! I have a 15 year old that that I am living vicariously through. When is the next enrollment??
School of Rock: It is awe-
some!! Come by anytime to check out the school, and maybe you want to join our Adult Program!
Rockstar:: How many years now has The Austin School of Rock been jamming? School of Rock: Our 8th
birthday was September 1!
Rockstar: We wish you many more years of keep-
ing Austin Rockin! Just to recap, tell us all the upcoming Performance Shows this month. School of Rock: Roots of Rock and Beach Party Sat and Sun Sept 7&8 at Red7 On Sat and Sunday Sept 14&15 at Red7 we’re doing Dave Grohl and the entire British Steel album by Judas Priest. These shows are double headers at Red 7, just $10 for an entire afternoon of entertainment. Even better, here’s a poster.
Rockstar: Thank you Colleen! Have a great season! And a Big Thank You to all the staff at the Austin School of Rock for keeping these kids on task for success! They’re all Rockstars!!! School of Rock: It’s been my pleasure! Good luck with the magazine, and I hope to see you out at the shows!
- Staff
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“THE MOST INTIMATE HIGH-QUALITY FESTIVAL IN THE COUNTRY!”
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MUSIC 98.9
“SOULFIYA” Sending Smoke Signals by Greg “Episode Phive”
Rockstar Magazine: Name some artists that are on your play list these days? Soulfiya: Kabaka Pyramid, Chronixx, Proteje, The Expanders, Dr. Ring Ding, Mcpullish, JahDan Blakkamoore. I DJ so I always have a FAT play list. Rockstar Magazine: Who is the most underrated Reggae artist/band in the world right now?
Rockstar Magazine: Welcome to Rockstar Magazine. Welcome to Austin TX! Soulfiya: Right on. I love The ATX, my musical second home! Rockstar Magazine: Who is Soulfiya and what message does he carry? Soulfiya: Soulfiya is me, Dru Long. I try to bring a real-life approach to American dance hall reggae. There is too much fakers, and actors out here trying to play a role that they think they are supposed to be. My music is a departure from that. Rockstar Magazine: How long have you been performing? Give us a little history. Soulfiya: Its been about 10 years since my first BIG show, playing percussion for The Gideon Band out of Riverside CA, I’d be lucky to get one verse a night back then! Rockstar Magazine: What are some of your biggest influences in music? Soulfiya: I gotta say Super Cat, Buju Banton, Shabba Ranks, KRS One, Lee Perry, Wyclef. I Could go on forever so ima just leave it at that
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Soulfiya: Gotta go with my boy McPullish, his production is MAJOR and he’s worked with some of the biggest names in modern Reggae. Rockstar Magazine: Talk about a show you performed at that you will remember forever. Why? Soulfiya: The night I proposed to my wife... We got pulled over on the way to a gig, the officer searched us, found ganja on her and she ended up getting arrested. I played a show, took the money I made, drove back to the Island and bailed her out less that 7 hours later. I had been carrying around the ring all night at this point so I proposed in the jailhouse parking lot. Definitely memorable.. Rockstar Magazine: Describe what we can expect from a Soulfiya performance. Soulfiya: High energy lyrics, heavy bass, and positive original music. If I do a 4hr show I maybe do 3 cover songs. I think that’s what separates a good musician from a true artist. Rockstar Magazine: When did you know that Reggae music was “it” for you? Soulfiya: I’ve been a full-time musician since 2008, so probably then. But reggae is the only music I’ve ever really been involved with, other than collaborating with rappers.
Rockstar Magazine: Your favorite up and coming Reggae artist from North America? Soulfiya: Hmmm... Depends how you mean up and coming.. Kabaka Pyramid is killin’ it a rising fast, making a big name for himself. On the more local level, Ashes of Babylon is an incredible band that keeps gaining ground nationally. Rockstar Magazine: Do you see Marijuana becoming completely legal in the United States in your lifetime? Soulfiya: Man, I hope so.. I
think the medical moment with continue to gain momentum state by state provided that folks stay responsible and play by the rules. Its a money thing, and I KNOW the money is out there. Rockstar Magazine: Try to describe the Texas Reggae scene in one word. Two words max. Soulfiya: GROWING! Rockstar Magazine: Give us your opinion of the North American Reggae scene at this point in time. Soulfiya: Its really fragmented. Alot of the ‘new school’ fans don’t know or care to know about Caribbean Reggae and the Caribbean community feels the same way about the American scene. There aren’t many “crossover” artists anymore. I try to bridge the gap between the 2 scenes as best I can. Rockstar Magazine: Do you have any new material coming out? If so when and where can our readers find it? Soulfiya: I have a new EP AND a new mixtape in the works. The EP(Reality), produced by Mcpullish will be out by October, and the mixtape (Tenement Music) might be out by the time this has
been printed. “Reality” will be available for purchase on most major outlets including iTunes. The mixtape will be available for free download on BandCamp, Datpiff, and maybe Soundcloud. Also, I will have solid copies for sale at shows. Link up at www. facebook.com/soulfiya to stay up on all events, singles and drop dates! Rockstar Magazine: Thank you for your time Soulfiya! Soulfiya: Most Def! Appreciate the love! Rockstar Magazine: Final thoughts to readers of Austin? Shout outs? Soulfiya: BIG shout out to Rerooted Apparel, for the massive support they continue to provide! Also, the entire Episode Phive family and The Bombdiggity Smoke Shops!
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