Elephant Talk

The Life And Music Of Adrian Belew...In A Nutshell

It's somewhat ironic that a small case of mono could well have been the impetus for the stereophonic experimentation which has influenced and changed the face of music forever. Born in Covington, Kentucky in 1949, Adrian Belew began playing drums in his teenage years. While convalescing from a bout of mononucleosis, he picked up the guitar and began what would be one of the most far reaching careers in the music industry. In later years, while performing in a Nashville cover band called the Sweethearts, Belew was noticed by rock icon Frank Zappa and was immediately signed, eventually performing Frank's upcoming album, Sheik Yerbouti, which led to his appearance in Zappa's concert movie, Baby Snakes. During a recent interview with Adrian Belew, his experiences with Zappa were one of the first topics we touched upon.

“It was, for me, like going to the School of Zappa for an intense year crash course on everything to do with being a professional recording artist to a live performer. Of course there was a lot of incredible music to learn, but I think what affected me most was just learning from Frank how to run your business, how to be a recording artist and travel around the world and do those kinds of things.” Belew then added, “It was the only true education I've ever had. Everything else I've done I taught myself.”

After seeing one of Zappa's concerts, a suitably impressed David Bowie contracted Belew to tour with him on his Heroes Tour, which led to Belew staying on, appearing on Bowie's Lodger album and subsequently becoming the musical director, guitarist and singer on Bowie's Sound+Vison Tour. The relationship with Bowie placed Belew's talents in the fore, and made him accessible to such bands as the Talking Heads and the Tom Tom Club. It also acted as a key, opening up Belew's career to musical forms and textures that he seemed to have been created for, namely, by his introduction to Robert Fripp, founder of King Crimson.

“It happened one night when I went with David Bowie to a club called The Bottom Line to see an artist named Steve Reich” Belew reflected, “At the end of the show, when the lights came up, David said, 'Oh! There's Robert Fripp over there.'So, I walked over and introduced myself...”
With influences ranging from Béla Bartók to the Beatles, King Crimson's turbulent existence pushed the boundaries of progressive rock and musical experimentation and was a perfect vehicle for Belew's eclectic lyrical vision. The only problem was, no one at that time had any intention of reforming King Crimson.

“What I think got the wheels turning in Robert's mind was, a few months later, I had a band of my own called Gaga and we toured as the opening act for Robert's band, which was called The League of Gentlemen.” Belew explained. “We did five shows as their opener and I think that's when Robert realized, 'Oh! This guy is more than just a stunt guitar player! He's also as singer, a songwriter, a front man and all that stuff.' I think that's when he go the idea for including me in the new lineup of something he was doing...but it wasn't called King Crimson at first.”

The original line up was simply called Discipline. The metamorphoses into the fourth incarnation of King Crimson was one that was organic and seemingly destined. After realizing that they were, in fact, King Crimson, the band did not choose to follow any of the same trails that had been blazed before. The new music was nothing like any of the previous King Crimson catalog.

“Oh absolutely! It was nothing like it, although I was a big fan of all the early Crimson stuff and knew it very well.” We didn't even attempt to go that way.” Belew said. “We completely reinvented ourselves with the idea that here's these four pretty headstrong players and all of us have the latest technology, you know, Bill Bruford with the electronic drums, Tony Levin (Chapman) Stick*, me and Robert playing guitar synthesizers, which no one had done up till then. So, you put four monkeys in a room and long enough...(laughs)”

The influence of King Crimson and Adrian Belew can be felt and heard throughout the music industry, even among the groups that may not immediately leap to mind, such as the progressive rock band Tool and Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails, with whom Adrian contributed guitar tracks for The Downward Spiral, The Fragile and Ghost I-IV.

“Well, as it turns out, Trent (Reznor) is a big fan of David Bowie and especially of the time that I was playing with David as his guitarist, so Trent's management contacted my management and just said, 'Trent's a big fan of Adrian's and he'd like to know if he (Adrian) would like to come to L.A. and play on a Nine Inch Nails record.'” Belew went to say that, “Well, it just so happened that I was already in L.A. with all my gear, so it was a no-brainer. Since then, the relationship that I have with Trent has just broadened more and more.”

Never idle, Belew revealed some of the projects he is currently working on. One of the longer running projects is the Adrian Belew Power Trio which features Belew on guitar, Eric Slick on drums and Eric's sister, Julie Slick on bass.

“First of all, we have a new record that will be coming out almost simultaneously with the new tour and the record is called e and it is a forty-three minute piece of music in five sections, so it's quite an endeavor...very complex, demanding, very hard to play. We'll play at least three of those sections, so there'll be at least a half an hour's worth of brand new music from the new record.” Belew added that, “I've tried to write into some of the arrangements places where the band goes away from the initial song and just spreads it's wings and flies off in various directions every night. Yeah, it's just a perfect arrangement of the right players at the right time.”

Before we ended our conversation, Belew added some of his memories of playing Canal Street Tavern, including a cranial contusion caused by a low hanging monitor. Belew reflected that:
“Canal Street has a special place in our hearts because of the fact that our last record was recorded there live. That was the record called Side Four Live, which is the only other record that the Power Trio has made and, since that's a live record, that's all material that's been previously recorded. Now e will be the first record that is all brand new material recorded by the Power Trio.”

The Adrian Belew Power Trio will be performing at Canal Street Tavern, 308 E. First St., July 17th at 9:30pm (doors open at 8:00pm). Tickets for the performance are $22 and can be purchased in advance or at the door. For more information, you can call (937) 461-9343 or visit them online at http://www.canalstreettavern.com/.

Tumbleweed Reconnection

Tumbleweed Connection Slated to Reopen In July

In its hundred year history, the building at 454 E. Fifth St. has been a silent witness to a rapid succession of changes in its surroundings. It has seen the rutted dirt road cobbled with bricks, then paved, then uncovered once again to reveal the bricks that had lain hidden below. It has watched as the skyline to the west expanded and grew until it all but blotted out the setting sun. It has seen changes within itself, as owners and patrons traced through its continually renovated interior. It has seen its fair share of tragedy and catastrophe as well, feeling the encroaching floodwaters of 1913 lap at the brick exterior before inviting itself inside. More recently, a fire tore through the layers of roofing in the rear, causing flames to shoot out into the frigid February night.

For the past thirty years, the building has been the home of the Tumbleweed Connection, a local fixture within the Oregon District and one inhabited by a slew of regular patrons. It has remained within the Atkinson family, first with Larry Atkinson, and then onto James Atkinson when Larry passed away. On the night of February 19th, 2009 at around 7:00pm, patrons smelled smoke and suddenly, the lights went out immediately after which, the bartender hurried the bar patrons out into the frozen night. The fire department was dispatched and battled the two alarm fire for hours, hampered by the layered roof, which was built one on top of the other. Approximately 35,000 gallons of water was pumped into the structure before the fire was extinguished.

As I walked into the bar earlier this week, remnant of the fire could still be seen. The tongue in groove wooden floors were buckled in some spots, rising like a frozen wooden wave at the end of the bar. There were a couple of patches of soot still visible, but, after I spoke with Jeff Atkinson, owner of J T Construction and nephew of the bar's owner, I found out that this was an intentional homage to the history of the building.

“This building has been around for over a hundred years, I think. It's survived the 1913 flood and now it has survived a fire.” “Jeff said, standing under the scaffolding that reached up into the loft of the stage area. “We have not cleaned all the fire damage off and that was on purpose. If you come in here with a lot of lighting, you can actually see the watermark line of the 1913 flood. So, I figured I'd leave some of the fire damage as well, just for the history of the building. I mean, we'll seal it, but you'll still be able to see the soot through it.”

Looking at the mountain of tools and walking amongst the construction debris, it would be hard for most to imagine that the bar would be ready to open any time soon. Having worked with contractors and remodelers, I knew that things usually look a lot worse than they are and that a day of clean-up can make a world of difference. With a subcontractor coming in to replace the damaged flooring and a slew of other workers tightening up the final details, I could envision that it would be a short time before the bottles are dusted off and customers would soon be enjoying a cold beer pulled from the tap. I was able to speak with James Atkinson, current owner of the Tumbleweed Connection while he was working on getting the bar ready for a reopening.

“I'm just trying to get the place opened up. Just the reopening and then special events at a future date.” James said, That's all I can really say right now and I can't even give you an opening day.”

James said that he had been staying in contact with the local bands and that, after the bar reopened, he would finally be able to sit down and figure out what the next step would be. He said that he was considering having some sort of special events at a later time, not only to celebrate the reopening, but also to celebrate the bar's thirtieth anniversary. With the final details of remodeling still needing to be completed as well as passing the final city inspection, it was difficult for James to give out a firm date for a reopening, so he advised the patrons to keep their eyes open in the coming weeks.

“I just basically am going to open up quietly and then go from there.” James said. “That's my main objective.”

The Resonating Gem Of The City

Cityfolk Festival To Run Through July 3rd, 4th and 5th

First and foremost, the Cityfolk Festival is about community. It is a gathering of people within our area and a chance to share our unique interests within the framework of a diversified culture. It is an assemblage of individuals brought together as one to experience the music, the flavors and the traditions of others and at the same time, it is a moment to be able to reach out and share with others your own extraordinary heritage. From the artisans to the performers to the volunteers behind the scenes, it is people who create it, it is the people who drive it and it is the people who reap the benefits of a weekend of discovery. Speaking with Dave Barber, the Director of Programs, our conversation touched upon how important the individual is to the very existence of this festival.

“I think that that is something that makes our event pretty unique in that we have approximately eight-hundred volunteers that really make this festival run. We just simply could not do this festival unless we had that kind of commitment from the community.” In revealing that the number of volunteers was down somewhat this year, Dave said, “We're kind of closing the volunteer gap, but we can still sign people up for volunteer positions either on site, the day of the event, or we can do it off the web site. We're not quite where we need to be with volunteers, but I think we're getting close. This festival builds a lot of momentum the closer to the date we get.”

Barber went on to detail one of the exhibits that is of a particular interest to the area: quilting. Quilting is representative of the various cultures in which they are created, not only providing a bond with those that create them and those that are later covered by them, but also the stories intricately woven into the fabric itself.

“I think that the Threads of Evidence quilting exhibition will be spectacular. The quilts just looks so great. Sara Cogswell, who has been curating the Material Culture area has just done a tremendous job.” Barber went on to say that, “There are all kinds of quilters from different traditions represented. I mean, there's African influences, Japanese quilts, Appalachian quilts and African-American traditions in quilting. The whole project is headed up by Carolyn Mazloomi, who is one of the finest quilters in the region.”

With all of the other exhibits, displays and food that will be present at the festival, Cityfolk will always be synonymous with music. Barber gave me a run down of just a few of the bands set to perform at the event with an emphasis on the ones that he feels are going to bring a lot of heat to the stage.

“The Afromotive, who are sort of an Afrobeat/funk mix...I think that they're going to be a lot of fun. Chicago Samba is going to give us some Brazilian flavor in that venue. Then we have Feufollet (a Cajun band), who has played the festival before and now they are more seasoned. We have the Celtic genre represented with a wonderful band from California called 9/8ths Irish and they'll be performing over the course of the weekend. Celtic, bluegrass, Cajun...those are mainstays in terms of our line up and people will get to come to the festival and experience that music, but they also may get opened up to some other styles that they may not be familiar with, like Frecuencia Calentana, a Mexican band who will be playing Sunday.” Barber brought it all together by saying, “It gives us a chance to program acts that speak to specific communities, but I think that's always what the festival's been about, by offering a sampling of the kind of things we do year round by presenting a different style of music to a larger audience and let them discover something that may not be part of their own heritage.”

Another must see group will take the stage on July 3rd at 9:00pm, right before the fireworks display, is Diunna Greenleaf and Blue Mercy. Blue Mercy is a high energy blues band, driven by Diunna's astounding voice, which is a mix of soulful R&B, juke joint blues and straight Sunday morning, old school gospel. Diunna spoke with me at length from her Houston home, explaining to me the purpose of Blue Mercy, over and above the pure, evocative entertainment element.

“See, a lot of people always think that the blues is sad. When you hear our music, it's for the entire family and we have danceable, lighthearted, funny music that does deliver a truthful story. We continue to follow the unwritten rule of blues that you need to tell a story and have it make sense. I mean, we'll do some sad songs, because that's a part of life. We try to cover all of the fabrics of life. All of your emotional needs and concerns.” Diunna went on to explain that, “You know that in life, you're not always happy and you're not always sad and things are not always good and they're not always bad. We try to cover all of that and let you laugh a little bit and bring out those deep seated emotions that you want to ignore, but that you need to bring to the surface so that you can heal, so that you can think and so that you can cry, but then put you in action to be able to rejoice. We try to do all of that with our music. We're not forcing it down your throat, but just doing it and allowing you to either accept it or reject it on your own.”

Probably the one act that is creating the most buzz is Béla Fleck with his new African Project. Béla, who is know for his virtuosity with the banjo and has taken the instrument through folk, bluegrass, New Grass, jazz, Latin and other genres, has now set his sites of the polyrhythmic sounds of African music. I asked Barber how Cityfolk came to be in a position to be able to book Béla on his tour in support of the project.

“We became familiar with Béla's Throw Down Your Heart project and we had a chance to listen to the record. Then we found out that we had a chance of being part of a very select few number of dates that paired Béla with Oumou Sangare's band, and that is a rare opportunity indeed.” Barber then said, “We have a pretty deep tradition of presenting Appalachian music as well as African music, but to be able to present musicians who are collaborating on a couple of different fronts is...it's what this whole festival's about.”

I was able to briefly interview Béla Fleck recently, and the first question I had was whether his own personal deviations with complex rhythms, emphases and time signatures help him adapt to the differences in musical structures that he encountered in Africa.

“I think that all of my musical experiences from my past helped me a lot when I got to Africa. I could lean on my improvisational abilities when I was unable to play things verbatim due to time constraints, but I could also use my ability to transcribe and read tablature when I had time to learn the fast melodies.” Béla said. “Also the time I have spent with musicians that have a strong groove element in their playing came in handy there.”

One of Béla's fondest memories from the whole project was much more close to home rather than something that he would have had to travel to Africa to encounter.

“It was a time of bonding for my brother Sascha, who directed the film, and myself.” Béla explained that, “Sascha is 17 years younger than I, so when I was hitting the road to become a musician, he was one year old! So aside from the joy of the music, there was this personal aspect of getting to know my brother.”

As a veteran of music festivals all over the world, Béla still enjoys the energy and the sense of community that the music festivals invoke.

“I love city festivals because people get exposed to so much that they never would normally hear. Plus it is a pretty informal situation and it is fun to be on stage and see the scene, so different from a theater.”As for how the African Project is being received live, Béla said, “The shows I have done with visiting African artists have been a musical high point for me, and the audiences have completely loved them. I have been coming to Dayton for many years, all the way back to the Canal Street Tavern with New Grass Revival in the early 80's. I look forward to being there!”

Fun, Fun, Fun At The Fraze

An Interview With Mike Love From The Beach Boys

As soon as you hear the shuffling rhythm and the strident harmonies of the Beach Boys Little Deuce Coupe, you can close your eyes and feel the air rushing through the windows as you pound down the Pacific Coast Highway in your '32 Ford, the modified V8 thrumming like a caged beast while the intake emits a low whistle as it sucks in the salty sea breeze. With the Beach Boys, the season is always summer, filled with the sea, surfing and suicide doors.

During the Beach Boys extensive career, there have been peaks and valleys, marred by mismanagement, mental illness, drug use, lawsuits and even the death of some of the members, but this has never tarnished the image of the music and the influence that it has had over musicians throughout the years. I recently interviewed Mike Love, one of the founders, singers and songwriters for the Beach Boys, and he downplayed some of their influence, crediting instead the ability of music to build upon itself, generation by generation.

“Brian and I and my sister Maureen used to sing Everly Brother's songs walking home from Wednesday night youth night at Angela Mesa Presbyterian Church in the Baldwin Hills of Los Angeles, so, just like that, every successive generation has their inspiration from what came before them. Some of the more recent acts do draw their inspiration from the Beatles or the Beach Boys or the Rolling Stones, kind of like the progenitors of rock and roll, but we didn't invent it. It was more invented by Chuck Berry, the Everly Brothers, Fats Domino and the doo-wop groups.” Love went on to say that, “I think Chuck Berry is probably the most original, creative guy of the rock genre. In fact, McCartney agrees with me, because he said Chuck Berry was probably the greatest writer of that era. I know he influenced the way I wrote words and came up with little vignettes.”

Love did concede that the Beach Boys influenced one specific musician, a musician that would not immediately leap into your mind as being a huge fan of the Beach Boys sound.

“Well, Steven Tyler once said that before he was in Aerosmith, he was in a group that played a place in New York, a college somewhere in New Rochelle or Ionia, and he was an opening act for us. He said it was like a religious experience to sing along to California Girls at the concert.” Love said, somewhat awestruck. “Now there's a guy who you wouldn't think would be influenced by the Beach Boys, but he said it was a religious experience, which is pretty cool, you know?”

I asked whether or not the Beach Boys foresaw their place, and with the esteem in which they are held, within the cultures and subcultures of the hot rodders, the car enthusiasts and the surfers, among others.

“No, I don't think we foresee anything. When you're doing the music, you're caught up in the moment and you're dealing with whatever the subject matter is that you're dealing with. In the early days, we were talking about surfing or some of our favorite automobiles and maybe fun, fun, fun...” Love finished his thought with a lyric. “...you're having fun, fun, fun until your daddy takes the T-Bird away.”

With the passing of time, I wondered how the feel and texture of the Beach Boys was still so relevant, especially with a new fan base developing that really has never been exposed to some of the aspects and perceptions put forth in the Beach Boys lyrics.

“There's a song called The Ballad of Old Betsy, which is from an early album (Little Deuce Coupe - 1963), and it's a beautiful, beautiful ballad and it's a love song about a car. I explain it to the younger people in the audience these days, to just put this in perspective. This song was created before there were leasing programs (laughs). It used to be that you'd save up all your money and you'd buy the best car you could for that amount of money. Then you'd save up more money and fix the darned thing up: seat covers, white side-wall tires and maybe a new muffler system, a carburetor...but then they came along with leasing and that went out the window.” Love went on to say, with a tinge of nostalgia, “Nobody fixes up anything anymore. They just run it until the lease is up and trade it in or whatever. So, I put that in perspective and people kind of chuckle and the older people know exactly what I'm talking about. People did buy a car and they used to be really attached to their car...some people would be obsessed with them.”

Towards the end of our conversation, Love described how the influence of the Beach Boys and the subsequent cultural ties grew together, symbiotically building off of each other.

“It's not that the culture followed us. We kind of drew our inspiration, if you will, from what was going on in that subculture of cars and automobiles and racing and cruising and all that that entails. Same thing with beach life...surfing. Same thing with catching waves. Same thing with Surf City, Surfing USA, Surfing Safari...all those songs, they were little vignettes about what went on in Southern California, or around the world.” Love went on to explain that, “We just extrapolated or took from our environment in Southern California and sang about it, including our school life. Like Be True To Your School was all about Friday night and the energy of the Friday night football game and the cheerleaders and the whole macho thing of, 'We're going to kick your ass!' We just tapped right in to what was going on and we just happened to have the ability, between my cousin Brian (Wilson) with his arrangement and production ability and my lyrical and conceptual abilities...it was a chemistry that gave birth to a heck of a lot of stuff that still goes on today. The environment may have changed a little bit, but if you cruise down the coast in California, or if you're in Hawaii or Florida, you'll see that still goes on, all that stuff that we sang about the beach life.”

The Beach Boys will appear at the Fraze Pavilion, Wednesday July 8th at 7:30pm with special guest, Ball In The House. Tickets are $35 for lawn and terrace seating and $45 for the orchestra section. For more information or to order tickets, call (937) 296-3300 or go online at http://www.fraze.com/.

Up Where He Belongs

Sir Joe Cocker To Perform At The Fraze

Born on May 20th, 1944, John “Joe” Cocker has become the gravelly voiced emissary of soul, recording chart topping cover songs from the likes of the Beatles, Billy Preston and his mentor, Ray Charles. With a string of hits like You Can Leave Your Hat On, Unchain My Heart, Up Where We Belong and Feelin' Alright, Cocker has survived his successes as well as his excesses. With his idiosyncratic and sometimes spasmodic stage presence, his past tours were as infamous for their overindulgences as they were for they famous representation of musical excellence. Cocker has been able to create some of the most memorable music of their respective genres, many times overshadowing the original composer's versions. This Sheffield steel has not rusted, but has become sharper and stronger with the passing of the years.

Joe Cocker will be performing on Tuesday, June 30 at 8:00 PM at the Fraze Pavilion, 695 Lincoln Park Blvd. in Kettering. The opening act will be Kelly Richey. Tickets for the show are are $30 for lawn and terrace seating. For more information or to purchase tickets, you can contact the Fraze at (937) 296-3300 or go online and visit their website at http://www.fraze.com/.

The Reconciliation Of Two Worlds

Jazz Guitarist Chuck Loeb To Perform at Gilly's

While Chuck Loeb's name may not be a household word, his body of work, including role as a producer, his compositions of several very familiar commercial scores, his collaborations with some of the more notable luminaries within the jazz world as well as his own solo projects, it is a fair guess that you have heard more than a little of his music.

Loeb began his career at a very young age, eleven to be specific, when he fell in love with music. He eventually began playing publicly at the local youth center's dances by the time he was thirteen before quickly performing at other venues in his hometown of Nyack, New York. Loeb's early years were all about performing and honing his skills under the tutelage of some of the most well known jazz guitarists around, like Dennis Sandole, Pat Metheny and Jim Hall. After two years at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Loeb found himself doing stints as a sideman for several jazz greats, like Chico Hamilton and Ray Barretto. Then, in 1979, Loeb caught the ear of jazz's legendary saxophonist, Stan Getz.

I was able to talk to Chuck Loeb as he ran around New York, readying himself for a concert that night which featured him and his daughter, Lizzy Loeb, in a serendipitously rare concert appearance together. One of the first questions I asked was how his first meeting with Stan Getz came about.

“The music business is pretty much a 'word of mouth' business and when I was just sort of making my rounds around New York, Stan was looking for a guitar player. A couple of different people recommended me to him.” Loeb went on to say that, “I went down there and did and audition and, apparently, one of the factors that convinced him to have me join the group was my writing. He asked me if I wrote any songs and I happened to have some sheet music with me and I said, 'Yeah, I do write' and I played it and he liked it. Stan told me later that kind of played a key role along with liking my guitar playing as well.”

Throughout his career, Loeb has been recognized as a versatile artist, not only with his own performances and compositions, but also by his innovations behind the board and being the producer of such notable artists as Donald Harrison, Spyro Gyra and Larry Coryell. With his background, I was curious as to whether Loeb utilized the studio as if it was one massive instrument.

“I absolutely do. That's a good analogy. I believe that's a great concept and I think it's something that people don't always think about, but I do do that. I think that it is an instrument. I'm a huge fan of pop production and I love the way Hendrix and the Beatles and people like that used the studio to create all these kinds of effects. Loeb reflected that, “It happens in the jazz world as well. You know, Rudy Van Gelder recorded a lot of the early jazz records. He was almost like another member of the band, with his sound and the way he created the ambiance with a lot of the music back then.”

With an eye on production, presentation and mood, I wondered what differences Loeb saw between his last project, Presence (2007) and his latest effort, Between 2 Worlds.

“A very glaring difference is that there are no keyboards whatsoever on Between 2 Worlds. I decided to have the basis of the project be a guitar trio base. I mean, it's been a guitar trio the whole time, but the basis is a non-keyboard guitar base sound and that changes the game quite a bit right away.” Loeb elaborated by saying, “Well, also the mood. There's a couple of things that I think that sort of opened up the music in a way and it sort of pushed me in the direction of going a little bit back towards my straight ahead roots. Now, that doesn't mean it's a straight ahead jazz album, but there's a more straight ahead kind of thing on there than there was on Presence or on any of my CDs, except the very first one that I did way back in 1988.”

The new release, Between 2 Worlds, is an amalgam of influences, incorporating the stripped down harmonics, textures and ambiance which focuses on the essential guitar, bass and drums structure. The album ranges from quick fingered guitar licks accompanied by trumpet on the opening track Let's Go, to the Latin infused Sò Tinha De Que Ser Com Vocè, whose vocals are sensually set in by Loeb's wife, Cuesta. Does Between 2 Worlds just refer to the geocentric areas of it's influences, or was there more to it?

“Yes, without a doubt. I think that there's two aspects to the title. One is geographic, because half of it was recorded in Europe and half of it was recorded in America. I think it also straddles the worlds of music in terms of more spontaneous, straight ahead jazz playing that's featured on the second half of the CD and the more funky, contemporary stuff that's on the first half of the CD.” Loeb ended by saying, “I think that's fair to say and it's disingenuous of me not to acknowledge that I think that's where I am as a person.”

You can witness Chuck Loeb's worlds as they melodiously whirl through Gilly's, 132 S. Jefferson St., on Friday, June 12th at 9:00pm. Tickets are are $20 and are available by calling (937) 228-8414.

Up In Smoke

The Debate Over The Legalization Of Medicinal Marijuana

Let me be clear at the outset of this argument: This is not a debate over whether marijuana should be unilaterally legalized. This is a discussion as to whether Ohio should legalize medical marijuana as proposed in a measure (S.B. 343 – Ohio Medical Compassion Act) introduced by Sen. Tom Roberts (D-Dayton). That being said, you would be hard pressed to find someone who would deny anyone suffering from a terminal or a devastatingly painful disease, anything that may alleviate their anguish and pain, allowing them to live the remainder of their lives as comfortably as possible...well, except for maybe Rush Limbaugh, if he's coherent enough between doses of his Hillbilly Heroin, OxyContin.

My contention with the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes is simply that it is a sham. A bit of semantic chicanery covered in a cloak of benevolence. There is a lot of talk about the end result, of “patients” finally able to ease their pain by possessing 200 grams of marijuana and to have twelve mature plants, but little is discussed as to the bureaucratic nightmare of creating advisory boards and agencies to oversee the processing of “patients” and the licensing of marijuana “dispensaries.” Advocates speak of the untapped wealth that could be recognized from the taxation and licensing fees of such dispensaries, but there is, in actuality, little control over businesses that are readily open for abuse. Proponents for the passing of such legislation are also very vocal in their adherence to the inherent medicinal qualities attributed to marijuana, as if medical marijuana is the safest and most viable alternative to other medicines and practices already on the market.

In 1999, the Institute of Medicine released a study (Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base) where it determined that “there is little future in smoked marijuana as a medically approved medication.” The key word here is smoked. Cultivated marijuana has 421 chemicals in it's natural state, 61 of which are unique to the Cannabis plant, and greater than 2,000 chemical combinations when smoked, 81 of which are known carcinogens. In several research studies, smoked marijuana was shown to actually compromise the autoimmune system, thereby allowing an increased risk for infections, which would not bode well for someone afflicted with HIV, AIDS, cancer or any other number of diseases.

So what about orally ingesting marijuana? The medical marijuana dispensaries also offer a wide range of baked goods and recipes for oral consumption of the the therapeutic weed. The most pharmacologically active ingredient in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which, in 1964, was isolated and synthesized and eventually manufactured into a pill form of THC call Marinol, which has been since 1985. In comparative studies, the only difference between ingesting marijuana and taking Marinol has been the cost. Marinol, at the time of the 2002 study, was about double that of marijuana. That cost difference will probably even out, if it hasn't already, when all of the marketing, legislation and taxation on medical marijuana finally reaches its apex.

Surely this is a purely benevolent act, a selfless expression to relieve the pain of one's fellow brethren in their time of sickness and could not be financially motivated...could it? Take, for example, Modesto, California dispensary owner and hip hop artist, Luke Scarmazzo, who made $4.5 million dollars in two years...well, until the DEA raided his stores. Also, do not make the mistake of thinking that marijuana is a creamy cash cow exclusively for Americans only. A large portion of the medical marijuana being sold today is still bought on the black market to meet demand, with most of the dope coming out of Mexico as well as hashish from the Becca Valley of Lebanon.

So what kind of terminally debilitating medical condition does one have to have to be deemed eligible to receive medical marijuana? In an undercover investigative report, KCBS in San Fransisco sent four individuals to a local doctor to try and become a “cardholder,” which would allow them to purchase medical marijuana. Three of the four were granted the coveted note, while the fourth was turned away because he was a minor. The ailments that were deemed to be severe enough to obtain medical marijuana? Itchy skin, hair loss and one woman complained of the pain caused by her high heel shoes.

With branded names of medicinal marijuana like Pancake Throatjam, New York Diesel and Fuzzy Ballsack, how can someone actually confuse this “compassionate industry” for anything other than what it is: a sham? I mean, there's a strain of marijuana called Nazi Deathcamp and, from my limited knowledge of medical history, nothing really healthy ever came from a Nazi Deathcamp. I don't think I would ever have a conversation with my doctor like, “You know, my sciatic nerve is really bothering me...do you think Nuclear Holocaust Brain Baker is right for me?”
The state law is vague enough that almost anyone claiming to be in pain can get a card allowing a patient to possess 200 grams (7oz) of marijuana and to have twelve mature marijuana plants for personal use (Sec. 3728.01), but thankfully, we will have a bureaucratic agency in place (the Cannabis Cultivation Advisory Council Sec. 3728.38) so that the qualified patient can be advised as to the proper methods needed to grow the best buds around.

This initiative, which is based on flawed assumptions, is not what it is purported to be. It will not even alleviate the issue of the illegal sale of marijuana, as demonstrated by other states that currently have medicinal marijuana who have actually reported an increase in illicit sales due to the higher demand for the product. This proposed law, which has been designed to play upon our compassion, is nothing more than creating a means for people to adhere (very tenuously) to the letter of the law, while the spirit of the law goes up in smoke. It is the same methodology that allows people to purchase fireworks in Ohio as long as they pinky swear to go set them off in Indiana. With most of the support coming from the advocates for the total legalization of marijuana, I cannot see this bill as being a stepping stone, a means to an end, for legalizing marijuana completely. If you're going to make marijuana legal, make it legal, but don't use the suffering of others as a Trojan horse to further your agenda. I feel that it is unconscionable to foist some fabricated monstrosity upon the public by conjuring up the image of someone tormented and in pain so that no one would dare speak out against it.

Catch Fraze's Summer Line Up

Fraze's Season Set To Scorch

Memories of sun drenched summer days spent reliving the decadent eighties with ten of that era's most iconic bands or the remembrance of the cool evening breeze playing over the grass as Bonamassa's blistering blues licks echoed into the night. While recollections of last summer's masterful montage of concerts that rolled through the Fraze Pavilion are still fresh within our minds, the new season is upon us. While last season's line up was the hottest game in the area, the Fraze is proving that with the recently announced slate of performances, this summer will be another scorcher.

I was able to talk to Karen Durham recently, to preview the impressive schedule for the 2009 concert season. We went over the three scheduled festivals that the Fraze hosts, which begins with the Blues, Brews and Barbecue Blues Festival on June 28th, beginning at 2:00pm and running until 11:00pm and featuring entertainment by Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Dr. John & The Lower 911 with free entertainment on the commons provided by Austin “Walkin' Cane” and the Kelly Bell Band. After describing the barbecue and beverages that would be available tot he patrons, Durham became extremely animated when describing what to expect from Robert Randolph & The Family Band.

“Oh my goodness! It's a must see show. They are so energetic. They opened our Blues Festival two years ago and I'll tell you, when they opened for Robert Cray, they came out and really kicked it up a notch and gave everybody who was in the audience a great, great show. I don't know how else to say it, but they just rock!” Durham went on to describe that, “The show is energetic and they get the crowd going with people dancing. I mean, they were just superb. Ever since then, we've been hoping to get them back, and so this year, they will headline the Blues Festival.”

One of the other two festivals that take place is the Swamp Romp, taking place on July 18th from 2:00pm until 11:00pm, which is a bayou bash featuring Cajun cooking and music provided by Terrance Simien, Zydeco Fire, Zydeco-A-Go-Go and Squeezebox. The final celebration is the Festival of the Vine, which showcases diverse array of wine from various locales, both near and far. Durham described it as a low pressure education in wine tasting and selection. The Festival of the Vine is on August 15th, from 2:00pm until 11:00pm, with headliners Boney James and Norman Brown's Summer Storm with Wayman Tisdale and Eric Darius and free music on the commons provided by Hot Club of Detroit and David Wells.

On August 2nd, The Heroes of Woodstock bring the sound and the memories of Woodstock to the Fraze, with Jefferson Starship, Canned Heat, John Sebastian, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Grateful Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten, and hosted by Country Joe McDonald.

“Oh yeah! Since it's the fortieth anniversary of Woodstock, the groups will be playing what they played there, so you'll hear exactly what they performed forty years ago.” Durham said. “Their set will replicate what they did at Woodstock.”

The sixties and seventies are well represented this year as evidence by the scheduled performances by Joe Cocker, Steppenwolf, Foghat, the Beach Boys, the Steve Miller Band, Loggins and Messina and the indomitable Joan Baez, who will take the stage on August 4th.

“Yeah, I think that, you know, she's been someone who's been on my radar for a while.” Durham says of Baez. “That's an evening with her and it's a trio, so it will be a nice, laid back evening”

One of the novel concepts that was introduced into last year's Fraze schedule was four tribute bands. While I wondered, at the time, if the tribute bands would be enough of a draw to be a successful feature, the tribute bands proved to be a gambit that paid off for the Fraze as well as the fans.

“Part of the reason that I went to the tribute bands is one, the cost. Last year was the first year that we offered a Tribute Thursday series and we had four events where the tickets were just ten dollars because I think ten dollars won't break the bank.” Durham went on to say that, “Secondly, it's going to be highly unlikely that Bruce Springsteen or Billy Joel or U2 is going to ever make a stop in Kettering. With the Billy Joel Tribute, the guy sounds just like him. Billy Joel has seen him, so that's usually a good indicator that they're well worth seeing.”

Almost all genres of music are represented in this year's eclectic line up; from blues with Robert Randolph & The Family Band, classic rock with the Steve Miller Band, George Thorogood, Foghat and Blue Oyster Cult, the eighties with Loverboy, Patti Smyth & Scandal, country music with Merle Haggard, John Schneider and Josh Turner, to jazz with David Sanborn, Dave Koz and Brian Culberson, the latter musicians garnering a little special reference when Durham said, “...Dave Koz and Brian Culberson are not only two great musicians, but they are also just two great guys. They love the facility and they love being here and we love having them.”

I asked Durham whether or not there were any groups that had been booked that had were different or stood out from the acts that had performed in previous years.

“I'm kind of interested in the Gov't Mule show to see what that is like.” Durham added that, “When you talk about something being totally different this year, I would say Gov't Mule and that has already sold very well out of the gate initially. I know the Gov't Mule folks are happy and it's just something that's really different for us.”

Gov't Mule was formed as a side project for three members of the Allman Brother's Band that reformed back in the late eighties. Playing an selective set list ranging from classic rock standards to jamming Southern rock. With the death of one of the founders, Allen Woody in 2000, the group went through a slew of bassists and keyboardists, including Greg Rzab and Andy Hess, both bassists who were formerly members of The Black Crows.

Which brings us to one of the Fraze's most sought after group's on their wish list, The Black Crows, whom Durham counts as , “...a personal favorite.” The band that began back in 1984 as Mr. Crow's Garden has went through many permutations throughout their career, but the brother's Robinson will bring their still enduring heavy blues-rock influence to the Fraze July 15th for a 7:00pm concert.

One of the other iconic groups to tread the stage at Fraze this years, as they have several times in years past, is The Beach Boys. I was able to catch up with Mike Love, founding member and singer/songwriter for the band, to see what his thoughts on the Fraze Pavilion were.

“The Fraze: I like so much because it's the right size. It's not too big and it's not too small. It's a good size crowd, but it's not enormous like some of the larger amphitheaters are.” Love went on to clarify, “I like the Fraze because it's quite a bit more intimate, but it's still a nice big crowd.”
When I suggested that perhaps the Beach Boys had such a huge fan base in Ohio because there were no oceans and that the Beach Boys brought a bit of the West coast with them, Love paused for a moment and said;

“I don't know...maybe.” Love said with a chuckle. “Maybe we're importing some good vibrations...yeah...with the idea of having fun, fun, fun.”

Shelter From The Storm

St. Vinent de Paul Offers Help, Hope and a Home

“I mean, I don't think I'm alone when I look at the homeless person or the bum or the psychotic or the drunk or the drug addict or the criminal and see their baby pictures in my mind's eye. You don't think they were cute like every other baby?”
~Dustin Hoffman

In an ideal world, all of us would begin life with the equal opportunity to succeed, to create and sustain the happiness that, at least on paper, is the birthright bestowed upon us all. The reality, however, is far different. There are those born under the pall of poverty. Those that learn to walk on the well worn floors of motel rooms or in the unknown homes of strangers whose faces quickly fade, disappearing in a long succession of rapidly acquired acquaintances. They learn to talk, their sing-song voices briefly bringing a ray of color that is in stark contrast to the fading hues that pervade their everyday world. They may even lie down to sleep on the ground, the concrete leaching the warmth from their body as they dream, and as they awake, their bones filled with an painful aching, their dreams fade away.

There are many ways in which people become homeless. A person may have grown up never knowing the responsibilities of what a real home was, thereby crippling them with the potential inability to maintain a home of their own. Others may have fallen on hard times, either through happenstance or through their own choices, spiraling down to the point where 'pulling themselves up by their bootstraps' is not even an option. Others suffer from either mental or physical disabilities where maintaining a home is difficult and responsibilities that seem commonplace to most of us are monumental to them. People have a conception of what a homeless person is and how they got there, but, and especially in these economic times, the face of homelessness could very easily be our own.

St. Vincent de Paul was founded in 1833 by Frederic Ozanam in honor of St. Vincent de Paul, a French priest and the patron saint of charitable societies. While many people associate the name with the homeless shelter and their various thrift stores, the organization is much more than just that. I was recently able to sit down with Ann Goebel, the Director of Shelter and Volunteer Programs, and Andrea Skrlac, the Director of Communications for the organization, to discuss the numbers of people effected by homelessness, what programs were in place as well as to paint a more complete picture of homelessness so that others may relate to the problem.

“It's interesting because when I give a talk to groups, especially younger students, I ask them to close their eyes and picture a homeless person. I know exactly, in my head, the picture they get because the same picture pops into my head, even though I know better.” Skrlac went on to explain that, “Homelessness is not a drug issue. It's not a laziness issue. It's a poverty issue. The fundamental thing that is common across the board here is people who are living in poverty, whether it is long term or something that has happened situationally where suddenly, for whatever reason, someone finds themselves with no money. I think the people in the current economy are starting to finally gain the ability to comprehend that this could happen to them.”
And who does this happen too? What are the numbers?

“So far this year, there have been nine hundred and thirty-eight men, three hundred and sixteen women, ninety-seven families with a hundred and eighty-seven kids, so those children are connected to those families.” Goebel said, reading off the numbers from January 1st, 2009 up to the end of March.

On the topic of families and children, I asked Goebel whether or not someone coming in with a child might be deemed a 'bad parent' and therefore subject to having their children placed in foster care.

“That's one of the biggest fears and so frequently you'll get phone calls first and they want to know, 'How does it work?' or, 'How does it operate?' and, 'Are you going to call Children's Services? Will I lose my kids?' and the answer is no, certainly not.” Goebel emphatically stated, adding the caveat, “Unless they're abusive, but we've never had a case where we've seen any abuse in the shelter.”

While it may seem that St. Vincent's is only providing a temporary solution by supplying a homeless shelter, nothing could be farther from the truth. In conjunction with The Other Place, who takes on the role of case management for individuals seeking help, St. Vincent de Paul is taking a very proactive stance in stemming the tide of homelessness by providing various programs to help those in need to either maintain the homes that they are in jeopardy of losing. They also provide assistance for individuals and families to gain employment skills to become gainfully employed as well as the skills to maintain a home after they get one.

From the moment an individual or a family enters St. Vincent's doors, they are evaluated by The Other Place's team of case managers in what they term a 'triage assessment' to ascertain their individual needs. St. Vincent's and The Other Place work closely with other area organizations, like the Job Center and Veteran Affairs for example, to insure that the applicant has the ability to apply for benefits, receive job training or receive treatment for a mental or physical disability. St. Vincent's also has a Safe Haven program which it runs with its partner, YWCA Dayton, to provide those with a diagnosed mental illness who have been chronically homeless with a home and a strong support network. There is also a two year program in place for people to get back on their feet, become gainfully employed and eventually move into a house of their own. All the while, St. Vincent's runs various other programs, a food pantry and a dispensary for emergency items such as clothing or other daily essentials.

“She was working sixty-six hours a week, no drug issues, no mental health issues, but she developed a heart problem as a relatively young woman and they ended up doing heart surgery. She was out of work for six weeks and was being paid at twenty-five percent of her norm and could not keep up with the bills.” Goebel went on to describe the woman's plight. “She ended up here, then she ended up in our supportive housing program and she is now an employee of St. Vincent de Paul, and an excellent one at that. She is about to finish her degree and will go on to bigger and better things.”

To donate food, clothing or other essentials, contact Rosalie Sturtevant at (937) 222-7349, ext. 425 for the best method and the closest drop off point in your area. For monetary doantions, you can either go online at http://www.stvincentdayton.org/ and click on the 'donate' tab or send a check to St. Vincent de Paul, Dayton District Council 1133 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd. Suite 300 Dayton, OH 45408. You can also check out all of the volunteer opportunities by going to www.stvincentdayton.org/volunteer and clicking on the positions that most interests you.

“We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.”
~Mother Theresa

Twenty Year Tempest Still Going Strong

Celtic Rock Band Tempest To Play Canal Street

For twenty years, Tempest's sound has been evolving, incorporating an eclectic melange of Celtic phrasing, Norwegian influences, culturally diverse rhythms and the steely back beat and electric daring of American metal. All of these elements have been honed and polished over two decades, enduring various changes in the line up of the band and the ever evolving conception of this high energy folk fusion sound, to become one of the most influential forces in the realm of Celtic rock.
Tempest's founder, Lief Sorbye, who handles vocals and mandolin, and another original member, Adolfo Lazo on drums, have taken the band, in its many incarnations, through twelve critically acclaimed recordings and thousands of live performances throughout their two decade career. With the bands current line up being Lief, Adolfo, Micahel Mullen on fiddle, Ronan Carroll on guitar and Ariane Cap on bass, this concert promises to be an example of the band at the top of their game.

Tempest will be performing at Canal Street Tavern on May 1st, 2009 at 9:30pm. Tickets are $13 in advance and $15 at the door. For more information, go to http://www.canalstreettavern.com/ or call them at (937) 461-9343.

Fishnets And Follies

The Monsters of Burlesque And Their Titillating Tease

The Monsters of Burlesque are set to bring New York style burlesque to stage at Gilly's, bringing with it titillating kitsch and more than just a touch of ribald humor. The award winning erotic ensemble is comprised of Nasty Canasta, Jonny Porkpie, Creamy Stevens, Neil O'Fortune and Clams Casino and features a raw mixture of laughter, pleasure and fishnets all mixed together with a tongue in cheek tinge of comedy.

I recently spoke with Columbus area native, Miss Clams, to get her perspective on what the show is about and why it would be such a hit. “The quick answer to that is 'hot chicks with a sense of humor taking their clothes off.' It's sex and comedy, together, which is something that I feel is really unique in burlesque.” Miss Clams stated that, “I don't feel like you really see that a lot in other places.”

The Monsters of Burlesque Tour will be at 8pm on Wednesday, April 29 at Gilly's is located at 132 S. Jefferson St. For more information, go to The Monsters of Burlesque's website at http://www.monstersofburlesque.com/.

Everyone Gather Together

The Magic Of The Cityfolk Festival Returns July 3rd, 4th and 5th

As the streams and creeks flow and merge, emptying into the great rivers that cut through Dayton, the subtle reflections of the sun dance and play off of the rippling water's surface as it courses through the communities, connecting them with the all the other surrounding neighborhoods and well beyond our borders. The Cityfolk Festival has much in common with the sinuous waters that run through our region. They both invoke beauty while still possessing a powerful depth. They also represent different things to different people, reflecting the images within ourselves and reverberating with the sounds of our city. Most importantly, they are a constant connection between our communities and our neighbors. How apropos that the Cityfolk Festival is once again being held at one of the main confluences of these historical waterways: RiverScape Metropark.

While the festival itself is only three days long, the planning and logistics are virtually a year round process. One of the other year round programs that Cityfolk has created is called Culture Builds Community, some of the results of which will come to fruition and will be on display at the Cityfolk Festival. I spoke with Kelsa McClellan, the Culture Builds Community Program Manager, to find out a little about the program and what their involvement in the festival would be.

“Through our Culture Builds Community program, we've been working in three Dayton neighborhoods, doing residencies throughout the year that are very interactive and participatory.” McClellan went on to describe what the communities are creating for the festival. “For the festival, we have this community quilting project, called Threads of Connection, so community members in each of those three neighborhoods that we are working in are creating a quilt to reflect their local community and the cultures there.”

In the spirit of community involvement, McClellan made an open request for volunteers to assist with the creation of this communal quilt.

“We really need more people to participate in making the quilt. We've got workshops going in those three communities and they are open to the public to come and make a square and be a part of the quilt. If people are interested in volunteering to help with the quilt, they can contact me at (937) 223-3655 ext. 3008. There's actually a Culture Builds Community website at www.cityfolk.org/cbc and we'll have info on there about the specifics about the project, like the locations and the times and dates of the workshops.”

Along with the community quilting project, Threads of Connection, there is a professional quilting display in the Material Culture area of the festival entitled Threads of Evidence. Headed up by 2004 Ohio Heritage Fellowship Award recipient and renowned quilter, Carolyn Mazloomi, the exhibit shows not only the artistic aspects of quilting, but the personal and even political statements that these cloth legacies imbue.

Along with the artistic endeavors, the educational events for the kids, the bobmastic fireworks display, the twenty-two food vendors and the International Beer Garden, the real attraction at this three day event is the music. With the current state of the economy, some may be concerned that the festival may have been pared back, downsized or otherwise altered from expectations of excellence created from the previous years festivals. Speaking with Todd Boak, the Marketing Manager for Cityfolk, he quickly set those fears to rest.

“We've cut back on other things, obviously, like every organization has and we're looking into the future and being very careful.” Todd went on to say that, “The economy is definitely effecting us, but the outcome of the festival has not been downgraded whatsoever. Not talent wise or in our mission to bring artists and musicians from around the world and locally: it didn't take a hit at all.”

Another fear that some might have is that construction of a permanent stage on the blacktopped area at Patterson and Monument might cause some congestion, with vehicles as well as foot traffic, as the construction would make that particular area unusable for the duration of the festival. Again, Boak allayed those fears.

“Basically, we had to go and rework the layout of the site. The site is still at the RiverScape Metropark, but the main stage was on the blacktopped area in previous years, so we had to move it somewhere else and that pushed another stage to another location, but we're still using the same general area. It's just moved around a little bit.”

With a stellar line up including Béla Fleck in a masterful collaborative effort with African singer Oumou Sangare, Ralph Stanley and his Clinch Mountain Boys, The Duhks, Chicago Samba and a host of other diverse acts, this years festival promises to meet or exceed the talent displayed in years past. I asked Boak if he had a favorite among this year's line up.

“I can tell you the one's that I'm excited about getting. For me, Béla Fleck was a big one because I've been listening to him for years and that new African project of his is really cool. It's very different, but it's really good.” He then mentioned a group who will be appearing for the first time in the Dayton area. “Then there's The Afromotive, which I had just found out about as we booked them and they're amazing. I mean with the sound and the energy...I think that one's going to be a fantastic show.”

The Afromotive's sound is a blending of polyrhythmic West African beats melded with the horn laden, bass fueled essence of funk, held together with a vocalized call and response. Led by Adama Dembele, a thirty-third generation djembe (a skin covered drum) player from Cote d‘Ivoire, this group has successfully blended these traditional African rhythms with their natural American progeny of funk and heavy dance beats to create a sound that is as eclectic as it is energetic. I was able to interview Ryan Reardon, the bass player for the Asheville, North Carolina group, to ask him what the group will bring to the festival's audience.

“I think we are pretty energetic with the crowd and we're energetic on stage and we show that we're there to have a good time and to come out and dance and have fun. Some of the songs have the shout chorus kind of thing and we get the crowd singing.” Reardon went on to describe the audience's role in the show. “Like the call and response kind of thing. That's definitely one of those song forms that came from West Africa and we definitely use it in our music. It just makes everyone a part of the performance.”

Another aspect of the festival that Reardon was looking forward to was the ability to see the other bands perform.

“It's great to see bands that you haven't heard and that play something that's really refreshing.” Reardon added that, “That's what festivals are great for because you get to see some new music, with new people and new surroundings and there's a fresh energy in it.”

In an attempt to depict The Afromotive's unique sound, Reardon related the way in which his band mate, sax player Ryan Knowles described it, stating that the sound could broken down into colors, with yellow representing the bright energy of it while the many shades of red would be descriptive of it's depth.

“Well, the music is a really intangible thing, more than any other art form, and so to describe it with another art form makes sense.” Reardon said.

Another group slated to appear at the festival, Cincinnati's Son del Caribe, is also an embodiment of creative and musical energy. Led by one of Puerto Rico's top Salsa trumpeters, as well as a professor of music at Maimi University, Jaime Morales struck me as a man of good humor who is more than just a little passionate about his music.

“Oh definitely! Music is a language in itself. For example, you don't need to know Spanish to appreciate our music because we sing mostly in Spanish.” Morales then related that, “When I was a kid, I used to hear American music and I couldn't understand the words, but I could understand the rhythms, I could understand the melodies and the nuance would take you to another level. It was interesting later to learn what they were saying.”

When I asked Morales whether the lyrics matched what he thought the song was about, he said, “Sometimes they don't, but at least you imagine something! For example, a song that I thought was so happy because it was so lively, I then learned about the lyrics and it was about this lost love, and I was like, 'Wow!'”

I then asked, as I did The Afromotive's bassist, what audiences could expect from witnessing Son del Caribe's show. Would the audience be drawn into the performance?

“Yes, yes! When we dance, we try to teach the audience some of the steps and sometimes we have some background salsa and we have them sing along.” Morales went on to say that, “We like to be very interactive and we want the audience to be a part of music, part of the show. They have to be there to really enjoy it and there has to be some participation, because if you just sit there, it's only a show. This is more interactive! Get up and dance!”

To get more information about the upcoming Cityfolk Festival, to view the performer's bios, to see what other events are taking place or to volunteer for some of the many opportunities available to be a part of the festival, go to http://www.cityfolk.org/.

The Dichotomy Of Comedy

Mark Fradl Brings Clever Comedy To Wiley's

Throughout the history of mankind, smiling, laughter and humor have become noted as an integral part of our genetic makeup, as evidenced in the rudimentary, usually obscene, hieroglyphs of the Egyptians, the crudely drawn doggerel of the Greeks and Romans and on through to the laborious treatises written by philosophers, psychologists, psychiatrists and medical doctors over the ages. Although the impetus for laughter varies wildly from individual to individual, the reaction itself is one of the most universally accepted, yet least understood in the lexicon of human responses.

Plato examined the negative aspects of humor in his exposition entitled The Republic, and concluded that the inherent “psychopathic laughter” was indicative of one's envy and malice against his fellow man or an egocentric method to secure one's superiority through the brutal ridiculing of another's shortcomings, circumstances or lower social status. Arthur Schopenhauer later developed his “theory of the absurd,” which, simply stated, says that laughter is the reaction to the realization that a person's expectations have been been misdirected by an incongruous element that, in the final analysis, is absolutely ridiculous. Theorists and scholars have postulated wildly divergent theories as to the origin of laughter and humor, yet have been shown to be debatable at best.

The reason I am expounding on the theories of humor in this rather long winded intro is that it reminded me of a series of correspondences I began with comedian Mark Fradl sometime back in late 2007, a dialogue that has been maintained into the present. When I first corresponded with Fradle, a Dayton native who splits his time between here and Austin, TX, he was just getting back into the comedy scene after taking a six year hiatus after becoming somewhat disillusioned with the world of comedy. Even after reemerging on stage around 2005, Fradl still remained somewhat nihilistic with regards to the direction mainstream comedy was heading in as well as the broad cross section of audiences who are less interested in clever comedy as they are in being entertained. One of the reoccurring themes of lie within the definition and decisive nature of a certain type of comedian.

“There's the dark breed that want to connect with the audience...but only on their terms. As I write that, I'm realizing that this is really where the difference lies between the good comics and the hacks; Are you trying to put yourself where they are or are you trying to bring them over to where you are?” Fradl went on, referencing some previous discussions that we had had on the topic. “So that goes back to something we ended on yesterday; The difference between trying to bring the crowd onto your way of thinking, or pandering down to meet their way of thinking. Are you making them say, 'Yeah, that’s what I always say too!' or are you making them say 'Hey, I never looked at it that way – he’s right!'”

The universal appeal of comedy is almost as illusive as it is accepted. While on the one hand, almost everyone needs the release that laughter offers, while at the same time, what one person may find as patently offensive another may find absolutely hilarious.

“Again it comes back to the unique nature of comedy. It has to have more universality than almost any other art form I can think of. Gore Vidal is a legend, yet most people have never read one of his books. Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits are never played on the radio and yet they've had immensely influential careers; but you really can't be in a niche in comedy. The comic equivalent of Tom Waits or Leonard Cohen or Elvis Costello would die a miserable death in the average club. Even legends like Bill Hicks, Mitch Hedburg and Doug Stanhope were banned by more clubs than they worked, and only through years of persistence did they build their followings and move from clubs to theaters.”

As an example of the seemingly incongruous separation between brilliance and mass acceptance, Fradl related a personal experience he had.

“Bill Hicks is a legend of comedy, right up there with Lenny Bruce or young Woody Allen, but I don't think most people know that when he was alive, his career was struggling. Even with numerous Letterman appearances and several HBO solo specials, he was having a hard time getting work because he wasn't for everyone. I saw him live in 1992 in Cleveland and he ate it.” Fradl recollects that, “We were sitting in the second row in a room filled with 500 people just dying at his dark rantings, and I remember turning around at one point and seeing 495 faces staring at us, trying to figure out what the hell we thought was so funny.”

Comedy is the act of walking a thin tightrope in the dark, always at the mercy of the prevailing winds of public opinion and never really sure how far the fall might be, especially for a comedian who is just starting out or struggling to get ahead. Even road veterans are sometimes tripped up by the seemingly arbitrary change in social mores or the pressure of honing their material to appeal to the largest swath of the populace.

“But that argument misses an important point, one I’m only just now realizing as I think about this. Comedians are not weakened by this limitation, this need to create within a box. It is, in fact, our greatest asset, because it forces us to communicate our ideas with people who might not otherwise entertain such thoughts. This is our advantage over avant-garde performance artists, or fringe theater, or the protest singer touring the Unitarian Church basement circuit. The problem with deeply controversial art is that it never gets outside its own bubble.”

Fradl's comedic appeal is one that is fast and intelligent while still being accessible to virtually every audience. It's a hard course to chart, but one that Fradl has navigated through many times over. While Fradl has no problem with the the comedic form being used as simple, straightforward entertainment, it is just not the type of comedy that he is striving for. While mainstream comedy definitely has its place within the pantheon of comic legends, some of the clubs across the nation actually contribute to the dilution of the color of comedy, sometimes to the point where it becomes translucent. Clubs whose main audiences are drawn from a rather large, arbitrary swath of folks who may just be looking for some mild entertainment in between dinner and dancing at the club, people who may or may not even care about the actually artistic nature of comedy. In one of Fradl's most recent missives to me, he compared some of the clubs he has performed at to our very own Wiley's Comedy Nite Club.

“One of the things I love about Wiley’s is that it has such a great history – it’s the oldest club in Ohio and they’ve survived this long by nurturing the kind of comedy that keeps people coming back. It’s comedy that feeds deeper than just quick knee-jerk reactions or shock value or the faux celebrities who are famous for a TV show but aren’t talented as comedians. The audiences at Wiley's want to see comedy.” Fradl then detailed some of the bad behavior he has encountered in other venues. “At so many other clubs, you’re dealing with people talking or texting on their phones and it’s because they view comedy as just this distracting little entertainment, like having the TV on in the background. In a lot of clubs, you have people even in the front row texting or even talking on the phone. Usually I simply say 'Hey, when you’re done interrupting the show can I borrow your phone for a sec? I’d like to call your mom and tell her what a shitty job she did with you.'”

Over the course of years, I was easily able to discern a marked difference in the tone of Fradl's recent emails and I wondered if current world events had changed people's acceptance of comedy and, if so, were these changes good or bad.

“I'll tell you one thing that has changed very much for me in the last five months is that my bit of cynicism about comedy has evaporated. In all the years of doing comedy, I've never seen people so appreciative and receptive to comedy.” Fradl went on to say, “Not to sound trite, but there's this almost tangible need for relief. People have always come up after a show and told me they had a great time or they thought I was funny, but lately it's been more about them expressing how much they needed to have this good time and how grateful they are to hear something that connects with them.”

You can check out some of Fradl's clips and commentaries on his website, http://www.markcomedy.com/, or better yet, catch Mark Fradl at Wiley's Comedy Nite Club, 101 Pine St., on Thursday, April 9th at 8:30pm, April 10th at 9:00pm, April 11th at 8:00pm and 10:30pm and April 12th at 8:00pm. Sunday is an open mic night with Mark Fradl closing the show. Tickets range from $5 to $12. For more information or to make reservations call (937) 224-5653 or visit them online at wileyscomedyclub.com.

One Of The Usual Suspects

Kevin Pollack To Appear At The Funnybone

As one of the most versatile talents in comedy today, it is not surprising to find that Kevin Pollack began his comedic career at the age of ten and was touring professionally by the time he was twenty. Pollack landed his first big screen acting role in Ron Howard's Willow in 1988 as one of a pair of wisecracking brownies, who lent comic relief to the film. Since that time, he has been featured in almost sixty films and has appeared in several television series, such as the SciFi Channel's The Lost Room as well as a recurring role as a District Attorney alongside James Woods on CBS's Shark. Probably the most memorable roles in Pollack's extensive movie career is his turn as LTJG Sam Weinberg, part of the defense council led by Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men, and his character is The Usual Suspects, hijacker Todd Hockney.

In the realm of comedy, Kevin Pollack's humor is one of subdued observations and spot on impersonations. His impression of Christopher Walken is one of the most hysterical routines I have ever seen, and one which led to Pollack being invited to introduce Walken when he received his Star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Pollack will be appearing at the Dayton Funnybone, 88 Plum St. at The Greene, April 3rd and 4th at 7:30pm and 10:00pm. As this is a special limited engagement, no coupons or passes will be accepted. Dinner packages are also available. For more information or to make reservations, you can call (937) 429-5233 or visit their website at http://www.daytonfunnybone.com/.

Where Is Home?

While I was recently being bombarded with advertisements for Shamwow and various pharmaceuticals whose side effects seemed far more worse than the ailment I may or may not be suffering from, a commercial came on that sparked my interest. It showed various people going about the routines of their day when they click their heels together and are miraculously transported to home, all of which seem to be populated by piping hot biscuits. This got me to thinking, not so much about piping hot biscuits, but more to the point, where would I end up if I had this magical power of teleportation? People would automatically assume that you would end up wherever your current residence is, but is that really home? They say 'home is where the heart is,' so where does my heart call home? Would it be as a child, roaming through the woods abutting my childhood home? Would it be the first place I had on my own, a place that, while furnished with various found items and garage sale rejected furniture, was the first thing that I established on my own? Would it be the houses and apartments where I was living at the different times that my children were born? Would it even exist anywhere outside of my mind, a place that embodied my ideal version of 'home,' a roof under which all of my children ran about playing and the house was held together with a sense of balance that I have not really known in reality?
Where is your home?

The Melancholia Of The Midnight Court

The Sublime Virtuosity Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill

The music of Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill does not lend itself well to description. While at first blush one might perceive that they are very polished Celtic musicians, with Hayes masterfully handling the violin while Cahill accentuates the melodies with a rather sublime rhythm. A second glance, however, reveals that the pair inspire one another in a seemingly jazz influenced flavor with the intention of filling in and building off of one another, weaving the individual melodies into a far more complex tapestry than one could have ever expected from just two musicians. The tunes are stripped down, stark, and yet the life that is given to them by the burnished presentation lends an emotion rarely found in any musical genre.

During a recent phone interview with Martin Hayes, my first question was how Hayes, who was a native to County Clare in Ireland, ever met up with the Chicago born Cahill in the first place.

“Well, I moved to Chicago in the mid-eighties from Ireland and I met him (Dennis Cahill) playing in the clubs. As it turns out, I was also living across the road from him at the time and I didn't realize it at first. I've known him for a long time and we even worked together in a kind of experimental, improvisational kind of a thing.” Hayes then went on, attempting to describe the band's sound. “It was kind of an electric/rock and roll/fusion/something sort of thing...I really don't have words to describe it, but whatever it was, it was definitely a period of musical experimentation anyway. We've known each other, musically, for a long time and this particular incarnation of 'us' as a duet is something that's been going on for about twelve years now.”

Their musical experiences and experimentations, both shared and separate, gave Cahill and Hayes the ability to insightfully see the inherent possibilities within existing melodies and tunes, stretching and molding them into their own signature sound. With a visionary approach to selecting and creating melodies, this places the duo squarely in between the world of the progressive experimentalists and the realm of the purists.

“On some level, you have to learn to live in the ambiguities of these things. Certainly, there's a huge value on the tradition and there's an enormous amount of value in it and it's well worth preserving. On the other hand, simply preserving music is not much of a musical identification either. You always have to make it your own as well and you have to find ways of moving forward. My theory is that it can't move quite as fast as some of the 'experimentalists' might want it to move all the time, but by the same token, it can't sit still either, because it never really did.”

The sound indigenous to County Clare, which is what Hayes primarily draws from, has a more subdued, almost melancholy feel to it. This sound, even when it is a soaring reel, seems to be somewhat slower and tinged with more than a little sadness. Perhaps it is drawn from the landscape itself, with the rolling green hills held under the watchful shadow of the Slieve Aughty and Slieve Beamagh Mountains or in the upright stone tombs that litter The Burren, also known as Poulnabrone dolmen, which translates to holes of sorrow. Perhaps duo's sound may also be influenced by Hayes' propensity to record in his home studio late at night.

I was also curious about how Hayes selected the melodies that he would use. What would they have to hold within themselves to spark his interest? How did he know that a certain tune would be able to be shaped and molded into something that felt right in his hands?

“Well, a lot of it had to do with just seeing what's in the basic melody itself. I think that the choice is forced after choosing the melody, and then after that, it comes with identifying the really strong qualities in the melody.” Hayes went on to say that, “The next job then is making clear and playing in a way that reveals the quality of the tune and so sometimes that requires doing less rather than more. It requires just giving the tune a chance to breathe and stand by itself. Sometimes, you can start doing so many things with a piece of music that the whole idea behind that piece of music can start to be obscured.”

The duo's sublime and minimalistic approach to recording and performance lend an air of honesty to the music that is rarely found within the industry itself and its predilection for overproduction. While production values on Hayes' and Cahill's recordings are high, they do not overshadow the essence of the sound, therefore allowing the significance of each note to be carried through with the strength and the emotion that it was intended to have remaining intact.

“The thing with production is sometimes you can actually gloss over fundamentals that are not that strong, which you can also do the same thing with things that are fundamentally strong and you can begin to obscure what's there. I'm not against good production qualities and good ideas, I just think that it's something that you have to be careful with because you can actually kind of overpower something very easily. It's very easy to overpower this music because, sometimes, it comes down to maybe a handful, maybe two or three notes in a melody, that kind of spark the emotional response and if start using loads and loads of things on top of that, you can very easily obscure the significance of those three notes that were in the melody to begin with. So it's from that basis that we begin to work on the arrangements, you know? Some of them are more dense than others, but generally, I think we work hard on trying to keep the melodies fairly open.”

While there are many musicians that can perform the same songs night after night, note for note, it is quite another thing entirely to be able to capture the emotions and the feelings held within Hayes and Cahill's music. How do they endure this schedule and still retain the essence of their sound?

“Well, you know, performance is a thing where you have to let go on some level and you can't be in total control of it. A lot of it is just surrendering to the music in a way. For me, I can't tell how any given night is going to go exactly, but the only measure of success for that night is when I do get into that feeling, so I don't obsess on the technical aspects of what I do and I don't worry about making mistakes or that sort of thing. What I do concern myself a lot with is getting into the mood of things. Maybe it's something that's formed with habit, but you do learn to surrender to the music and the more and more you do it, the more and more you can do it. It's kind of like a habit that you have to cultivate and develop, and then you look forward to that moment when you start to play on stage and it's kind of special.”

Audiences will be able to share this moment with Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill on March 27th at 8:00pm at the Victoria Theatre, located at 138 N. Main St. Tickets range from $17 to $27 and can be purchased at the Cityfolk box office, located at 126 N. Main St., or by calling (937) 496-3863. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, go to their website at http://www.cityfolk.org/.

(This article originally appeared in The Dayton City Paper on March 18th, 2009- Vol.6/No.12. This is the article as I originally wrote it.)

The Insecurity Of Hunger

The Food Bank Provides The Community With Hope

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.”

~Dwight D. Eisenhower

Food insecurity. While most of us don't understand the inherent meaning of this phrase, and many of us, thankfully, have never experienced it firsthand, these two little words have been looming larger and larger in many people's minds due to the current state of affairs in America.

“Food insecurity is not knowing when, where or how you will get your next meal. When we think of hunger, sometimes I think our imaginations lead us to picture starving children from third world countries, and then we say, 'Well, we don't have that here. This is the United Sates and we're the richest country in the world!'” said Linda Crouch-Roepken, Associate Executive Officer at the Food Bank during a recent interview. “No, we don't necessarily have that type of starvation, but we do have hunger and it is generally defined as 'food insecurity.' Where is your next meal coming from? How much are you going to have to shave off of your next meal so that you have some left over for your next meal? Eating once a day versus eating even twice a day, much less eating three or four times a day.”

While food insecurity within the region can be primarily defined as being relatively transitory, the statistics are still quite staggering. 70% of the people serviced by the Food Bank were below the Federal Poverty Level and 62% of the local food kitchens reported in prior years that there was a noticeable increase in children served during the summer months, indicating at the possibility that some of these children's main meals during the the rest of the year were provided by the federal school lunch program.

“1 in 8 people in our community right now are struggling with hunger. Food insecurity is rampant in our community and we think it's going to continue to grow, particularly as people's unemployment benefits run out.” Roepken went on to describe some of the potential scenarios that may play out in Miami Valley homes, now and into the future. “People are going to be making choices between rent and food. Mothers and father will be skipping meals so that their children have enough to eat. Families are going to be making hard choices. Seniors are perhaps going to be making decisions between medications that will keep them alive and food which will keep them alive. People may make poor food choices if someone is diabetic, maybe they will have to start eating more starches because it's cheaper. I think that we're all going to have to be very aware that this is a problem that is going to grow, in the short term, and if you have anything to spare, you can really help someone.”

The Food Bank receives food and money from a variety of sources; from the USDA's TEFAP program (The Emergency Food Assistance Program), from corporate food manufacturer's, from other state and federal programs (including provisions in the federal stimulus package and the new state budget), from non-profit partnerships, as well as from local food drives, individual donations and area farmers. With the state of the economy and local unemployment rates, I wondered if the Food Bank had noticed a decrease in local donations.

“There were more drives held, but they were all smaller and, as a whole, independent food drives did not generate as much product as they normally do. As food donations from the community has decreased, the stimulus package and the USDA and the Ohio Food Program has increased.”

When an individual finds themselves suddenly in dire straits, they may have no idea how to find the resources to aid them in their time of need and, in fact, may not even know that there are provisions set in place to help them. I asked Roepken what the Food Bank's method of disseminating this information to the community was.

“In just getting the message out to the masses, we have the media to help us and we're thankful for that. The United Way has a service called United Way's HelpLink™ 2-1-1 , which we are a partner of, for those that need to be placed in contact with an agency to help them out.” Roepken went on to say that, “There's also a good supportive social network here in the Dayton community. I think that when people are struggling, there's the word on the street to help them find the resources. There are also a lot of faith based resources available, so if someone were to go into a church and say, 'Can you help me?', they can usually guide them to proper resources.”

To locate a local food pantry or other assistance, contact the United Way's HelpLink™ 2-1-1 by simply dialing 211 or by calling (937) 225-3000 or (800) 917-3224. You can also go online at http://www.dayton-unitedway.org/ and click on the HelpLink button to search for local pantries or other services. The Food Bank has a lot of resources on their website, as well as statistics and an interactive program that can give you an idea of what it is like to have to make 'food choice' on a limited budget. You can also coordinate a food drive or make a donation on their site as well. (http://www.thefoodbankdayton.org/). For every $100 donated, the Food Bank can utilize their combined resources to purchase $500 worth of food, keeping the money within the Miami Valley as an additional advantage in aiding our own community.

(This article originally appeared in The Dayton City Paper on March 11th, 2009- Vol.6/No.11. This is the article as I originally wrote it.)

Sláinte!

The Traditional Originality Of Dulahan

With March 17th quickly approaching, many of our thoughts reach out to a far away Emerald Isle, tingeing everything we see with a shade of Kelly green. Yet, as with most holidays, the true meanings have strayed far from their original path. Saint Patrick's Day, which has now now become synonymous with green beer and whiskey soaked revelries driven by the reeling rhythms of age old Irish drinking songs, is one steeped in not only long held traditions, but shrouded in a haze of legendary mystery.

One local band, Dulahan, seems innately adept at creating the intensely energetic instrumental power of the traditional Irish session, coupling it with beautifully melodic vocals that stay true to the nature of Irish storytelling, giving their music an approachable feel as well as a sense of urgency. Dulahan not only brings some of the more obscure Irish standards to their performances, but they have successfully blended a uniquely synergistic sound that has a far wider ranging appeal to a more diverse audience.

The band, comprised of Kyle Aughe (Lead Vocals, acoustic guitar, banjo, harmonica), Dan Weber (Vocals, Scottish and Highland pipes, bodhran, harmonica, spoons), Leo Butler (vocals, Irish whistles, flute) and Mark Sandlin (vocals, mandolin, djembe, Irish bouzouki, banjo, percussion, guitar), is one that is not easy to categorize, as I found out while reviewing their four studio CDs. I spoke with lead vocalist and the main songwriter for the band, Kyle Aughe, to gain some insight into the vision of their uniquely unifying sound. The first thing I wanted to know was how the band described their own original music.

“We're a little bit like Great Big Sea because we have a lot of that Newfoundland/Celtic thing. We draw from a lot of influences and it kind of comes out as a hybrid.” Aughe admitted that, “We're a little bit tough to pigeonhole because a lot of the bands in the genre that we play in don't do a lot of original music, there's a lot of people doing just the old standards and that puts us in a unique position.”

Aughe went on to describe the multifaceted approach to their original style of music, acknowledging the instrumental aspect of their sound, which they use as a means to an end for augmenting and highlighting the vocals.

“Dulahan uses a lot of contemporary vocal harmonies that really pull more from the Scottish side of Celtic music. If you listen to bands like the Tannahill Weavers and the Old Blind Dogs and bands like that, they seem to have a lot more three part harmonies in their music than a lot of the Irish bands. I mean, even some of the bands that are known for their vocals, like the Irish Rovers and The Dubliners and bands like that, a lot of times they would have some unison singing, some two part harmony, but not a lot of three part harmonies throughout, and that's one of the keys to our sound that sets us apart when we play in festivals where there are a lot of other bands. Some bands may have some unbelievable virtuoso instrumentalists in the band, but clearly our instrumentations are the layers and the support for the vocal part of our music.”

The one driving force that seems to make this band stand out, not only within the genre of Celtic style music, but also with the local music scene in general, is their unified desire to create, produce and perform original music with singularly penned lyrics that blend all the components into one flowing experience.

“That's really a consistent factor with the band and we like where we are musically. We do a lot of different rhythmic layers acoustically. Everybody in the band plays a number of different instruments, so during the course of our show, you'll see us playing the banjo, the mandolin, the Irish whistle, the bouzouki and the acoustic guitar, so we've got a lot of instrumentation going on. So we're able to offer a lot of instrumental moods behind the vocal tunes that we do and it really adds a lot of different layers.”

Even with Dulahan's debut self titled album being more polished and thoughtful then most freshman outings, their latest album, Mist of the Irish Sky, displays a level of maturation and depth that can easily be discerned. Aughe described the inspiration for some of the songs, adding a note of thanks to some who have recognized Dulahan's talent and tried to support the band's music.

“We are just now releasing Mist of the Irish Sky. The songs cover a wide variety of themes, but mostly with a Celtic theme and some of them have a historical bent to them. I read a lot of Irish history, so that's part of my inspiration and I know a lot of Irish Americans and some of the songs on this latest album were from ideas that were tossed my way from just conversations with friends.” Aughe went on to say that, “This will be the first week that it will be for sale. These will be the first performances that we'll be selling it at. It's already gotten some airplay from WYSO (91.3) and WDPS (89.5) here in the last week or so. We gave them promo copies and we've gotten some airplay on all three of the Celtic shows like Detours and Dear Green Place on WYSO and the world music show (Global Rhythms) on Friday afternoon (2:00pm to 4:30pm) on WDPS. Those guys have been good supporters of Dulahan by giving us some early airplay.”

(This article originally appeared in The Dayton City Paper on March 11th, 2009- Vol.6/No.11. This is the article as I originally wrote it.)

The Celtic Heartbeat

Cityfolk Presents Ireland's Emissaries : The Chieftains

In 1944, Paddy Moloney's mother bought the young Dublin lad a tin whistle when he was only six years old, little knowing that a tin whistle can travel quite far indeed. Not only did that tin whistle inspire Paddy to pick up the Uillean Pipes (commonly referred to as the Union Pipes) when he was only eight, but that it would induce him to one day form the most enduring Irish band known the world over; the Chieftains. I was able to speak with Paddy recently by phone, and in between one of the many tangents that led hither and yon, he imparted this story to me, which illustrates just how far a tin whistle can go.

“...anyway, that's has nothing to do with the music.” Paddy said, briefly bringing us back on topic...almost. “It does lead to one little thing, though, in case I forget to mention it; a tin whistle of mine was sent up in space and went around in Discovery. One of the astronauts, Cady (Catherine) Coleman is a flute player and is just mad about the Chieftains and our sound. The funny thing about it was, when I sent it from Dublin by courier, it got bent and bashed up a bit, so the engineers in Houston straightened it out and sent it up in space!” Paddy, unwilling to let go of a story before a moral was tacked onto it quickly added, “It went around the world a couple of times and came back perfect, so it's better to send things by spacecraft than by courier!”

The distance that the Chieftains themselves have traveled, however, is immeasurable. Not only have they traversed the globe innumerable times, spreading the gospel of Celtic music, they have also reached far back in time to retrieve the sound and the rhythms held fast in the grasp of the past; the reels, jigs and tunes that may have lain forgotten in time. The Chieftains were formed in 1962 when Paddy Moloney (uillean pipes), Martin Fay (fiddle and bones), Seán Potts (tin whistle), Micheal Tubridy (flute), and David Fallon (bodhrán), got together to record what was thought to be a one off album at the time. Through creative arrangements of traditional Irish music, their approach was vibrantly new, yet still held true to the time-honored traditions on which it was based. After forty-seven years, forty-three albums, nineteen Grammy nominations (which garnered six Grammy wins), and a fan base that stretches the world over, the formula quite obviously worked. The Chieftains have been able to enter the world music scene and find either the direct Celtic influences on various cultures or to be able to form a sympathetic union between Irish music and other indigenous culture's musical rhythms, creating a blend that compliments both forms of expression. Although the membership roster within the Chieftains has changed over the years, the music and the vision is still the same. Paddy went on to describe what fans can expect on the Chieftain's latest tour.

“Through the years, we've gotten to meet all those wonderful musicians and singers. We have Jeff White, who you might say is the sixth Chieftain, and he also performs a lot and is a brilliant singer. Another guest appearing with us is a gal called Deanie Richardson, a brilliant fiddle player and she plays mandolin as well this year. So we're covering that side of our contribution to music, you know, the link up between our own music and American Folk music and, of course, it's pretty strong.” Paddy went on to say, “In addition to all of that, we've got two lads from Canada, Jon and Nate (Jon and Nathan Pilatzke), and they are from the Ottawa, Canada and they do Ottawa Valley style dance. They have their own little dance company called Step Crew and with them, of course, is the lovely Cara Butler, and that's Jean Butler's sister from Riverdance fame, and Cara's been performing with us for fifteen years. Jon (Pilatzke) is a master fiddle player and he's going to be playing all night with us, as well as jumping up and down for a few steps. Everybody in the group will be performing a solo piece, which reminds me also of the harp player...”

Though I knew that the subject eventually had to be broached, I felt a sadness overcome me now that that point had been reached. Derek Bell joined the Chieftains full time in late 1973, filling a void that Paddy Moloney felt was missing, completing the ensemble sound that he had envisioned for the group. Bell played the Irish harp, keyboards and the oboe for the group up until his death due to complications from a surgery in 2002.

“You know that we lost our dear friend, Derek Bell, or 'Ding Dong' Bell as I used to call him...and he was so wonderful.” Paddy said wistfully, using the nickname that Bell had received after being questioned by Soviet police for having a large alarm clock stuffed into his pants pocket while running through customs, trying to catch a plane. Paddy went on to describe the Chieftain's new harpist. “We have with us now and absolute genius on the harp. Her name is Triona Marshall, a lovely young redhead and she just takes the house down with all of her talent...she takes away the thunder from us! (laughs) She's so fantastic. Last but not least, a guest that came out with us last year, and she comes to us from one of the islands off Scotland, the Island of Lewis and they speak Scot-Gaelic there as their main language ans she sings in Gaelic and in English as well. In fact, she's going to do a little number in Spanish on Guadalupe from our album Santiago. Her name is Alyth McCormack and she is beautiful, a great singer and a bit of a dancer as well.”
I was curious as to what future projects Paddy had in mind for the Chieftains. There had been a lull in their usually rabid recording schedule and there had not been an original release since Live From Dublin: A Tribute To Derek Bell in 2005.

“I have to say that I was getting a little depressed over the situation with the whole record industry, the place of the artists and all the downloading...I didn't see much of a point of making an album. I've had this project going, for twenty or twenty-five years, and I've always been edged on by the great Ry Cooder. He's been after me for some time to do this project called San Patricio, which is the Spanish name for St. Patrick.” Paddy went on to fill me in on the historical significance of the link between the Irish and the Spanish. “There was a battalion that fought in the Spanish War in 1847 and that battalion was called San Patricio (Batallón de San Patricio) and it was headed up by a commander named (Brevet Major) John Riley who came from (Clifden) Connemara, County Galway in Ireland. He brought with him many of the Irish people into that battalion and they fought until the very end. The Irish, of course, are always great fighters and they stood their ground in a convent in Mexico City, where the last battle took place.”

A lot of the Irish soldiers that survived that battle were later court marshaled and hanged as deserters. Since most of the young men had been conscripted into the American Army immediately upon reaching Ellis Island, they had no real vested interest in the war and many could not reconcile themselves with fighting for predominantly Protestant commanders that ordered them to kill Spanish Catholics. More than a few of the soldiers fled deep within Mexico and points farther south, spreading out across the land, filling it not only with their progeny, but also their heritage of sound, which surface now and again within the strains of “traditional” Mexican music. This influence of form can still be heard today and that it what the Chieftains aim to capture on the upcoming CD, San Patricio.

“That is the sort of thing that I've put together for this CD that's coming up. It's about ninety percent of the way done. I've still got a couple of tracks to go and I'm still waiting for Ry to come up with something that will help it.” Paddy went on to list some of the other collaborations one can expect to hear on the new album. “Willie Nelson has offered to do a song and we already have a beautiful song by Linda Ronstadt, because, of course, her grandparents were Mexican. There's some other wonderful musicians like Lila Downs and Sade and people who are fairly well known in the Mexican music business. So, this project has brought me down to Earth a couple of times.”

Before the Chieftains came along in 1962, most Irish folk music was relegated to the purists and this new rock and roll thing had some people worried that the whole of Celtic folk art would fade away into obscurity. I asked Paddy what compelled him to create the Chieftains and why was his heart so strongly bound to the Irish sound.

“I just felt that the music needed to be heard around the world. It's a music that so melodically strong. It has grace, melodies and a tremendous variety of all the stuff that you can come up with. For such a little island stuck out there in the Atlantic, my God! there's no country that compares. The harp music and the lovely old style of singing, called the sean-nós style of singing, and it comes out in all different forms.” Paddy seemed, for once, to run out of words, unable to fully describe the indescribable allure of Celtic music. He added in a hushed tone, “I could be going on forever. I mean, it's been part of our life. Irish music, to me, is necessary for the mind, body and soul.”

Cityfolk presents the Chieftains, with special guests Triona Marshall, Alyth McCormack, Deanie Richardson, Cara Butler, Jon and Nathan Pilatzke and Jeff White on March 17th at 8:00pm at the Dayton Masonic Center, 525 Riverview Ave, Dayton. Tickets range from $30 to $55 and can be obtained by calling the Cityfolk Box Office at (937) 496-3863 or picking them up at 126 N. Main St. Suite 220 during regular business hours or by going online at cityfolk.tix.com. In conjunction with the concert, Cityfolk presents a whiskey tasting with samplings of three different Jameson whiskeys, served with appetizers, to be held at the Dublin Pub, 300 Wayne Ave., from 6:00pm until 7:15pm. Tickets to the whiskey tasting are $15 dollars in advance and $20 at the door.

(This article originally appeared in The Dayton City Paper on February 25th, 2009- Vol.6/No.9. This is the article as I originally wrote it.)

The Gentle Steps That Traverse The World

Grammy Award Winning Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Joseph Shabalala began playing guitar and singing as a solo performer in the late 1950's in Durban, South Africa when he quickly caught the eye of the well known Durban Choir and was asked to join their ranks. After having his original compositions ignored by the choir, Joseph left after only two years, almost immediately thereafter forming what was to eventually become Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Originally calling themselves Ezimnyama Ngenkani (The Black Ones), the group performed at weddings and other events as well as the local isicathamiya competitions. The group was reformed in 1964 after Joseph experienced a series of prophetic dreams in which he saw “children of many colors and cultures sang to me in tones and harmonies which were so unique and special”, which he would later incorporate into the group's signature sound.

Joseph still leads this multiple Grammy winning group with such a vigor and verve which does not give way to the fact that this energetic and athletic man is reaching into his late sixties. As I dialed the phone to talk to one of Ladysmith's members, tenor Albert Mazibuko, I wondered what the future of the group held. Knowing that many of the younger family members, including Jospehs sons, were now involved in the group, I wondered if it would live on perpetually.

“Absolutely, it will keep proceeding.” Mazibuko said assuredly over the phone. “Right now, in this tour, we introduce more young people to lead the group and to show their talent and their ability to handle the group when we pass on.”

Most of the group had lived through and endured the hardships of apartheid, giving a voice to a people during their time of need, a voice that, when couple with all the other voices crying out, was heard around the world, drawing attention to the plight of South Africa. With the progression of generations, was there a fear that the children may forget this dark time in South African history, potentially losing once again what was fought so hard to gain?

“Yes, they may forget if the story is never told and if there is no one to remind them of how fortunate and lucky they are now to have a free country because they didn't know what was happening before. We tell our children through music and we (Ladysmith) have a lot of songs that are talking about that.” Mazibuko said. “When we perform, there's a song that we never leave behind; the song that is talking about that. It's called Long Walk To Freedom and it is talking about that. So we are trying to keep that fresh in people's minds that that's where we come from and how much we have achieved in our lives now.”

To witness a Ladysmith performance is to witness the full meaning of harmony. Not just the harmony of sound, but the harmony of spirit as well. A song will begin, usually softly, scaling upwards with the addition of each member's voice until a crescendo is reached, bringing the flow of the music into a full movement of sound. The expressive gestures, steps and dance that accompany each song blends the harmony into the underlying meaning held within the music. The song then breaks down, with each member breaking off into their own interpretation of singing and expression. While describing it may appear to be discordantly chaotic, this is where the group truly shines. Achieving what the babbling of a stream, the wind through the leaves and a myriad of chirping birds and the other sounds of nature can bring forth; a sense of harmonic balance. With this thought in mind, I asked Mazibuko if he believed that Ladysmith's sound transcended social and language barriers to become a universal message through its music.

“Yes, I believe that it is universal. The music has it's own language. The music speaks with more feeling. It is how the music makes you feel when you are listening to it and it never goes wrong...it always tells the truth, even better than the words when you understand the language.” Mazibuko added, “If someone, for instance, is singing happy music, even though you are not familiar with the language, you can feel that happiness and it becomes a part of you. That is what I think is happening with our music, because our audience can feel the way that we feel when we sing our music. Our music brings joy to us and we reflect that to the audience. I think that the music is a blessed thing.”

One of the things that is held close within the groups heart is the culture and heritage of the area that they come from. To ensure that the traditions and history of that culture is never forgotten, Joseph Shabalala created the Mambazo Foundation for South African Music and Culture, which teaches a syllabus based on South African's indigenous cultures. I asked Mazibuko how the Foundation was doing and what their current projects were.

“The Mambazo Foundation is going very well.” He went on to tell me that, “What we are striving for now is that we want to build a school. We have the place and it has been surveyed and they will have to do their studies and after that, the building will be started very soon.The whole idea for building the school is because we believe that a school will promote the real traditions and then the people can enhance and mix it with whatever they do, but we don't want to lose the origin of this music. The idea for the school is so that it will be there for when people go so far, we don't want them to forget where they came from.”

As our interview wound down, I asked Mazibuko if there was any particular song or part of the performance that he enjoyed most.

“It is the last song that we sing which is from the album Illembe called Vela Nsizwa (Show Yourself, Young Man). It talks about relationships, to 'show yourself, young man,' to show that you are ready for a commitment to the young lady. So, we are encouraging the relationships that people are in and that they can stay in love in this relationship if it's still working and they are faithful to one another.” Mazibko's voice softened as he added, “I love everything about it: the singing, the style and the dancing. It reminds me of way, way back because it's the way we do the dancing. We don't control it, we just start the flow.”

Just before we said our goodbyes, I congratulated Mazibuko once again on the group's recent Grammy win for their album Illembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu, which won the award for Best Traditional World Music Album. With two other Grammy's under their belt, a slew of other Grammy nominations (as well as an Emmy and an Academy Award nomination for their documentary, On Tip Toe: Gentle Steps To Freedom), collaborations with the likes of Sarah McLachlan, Melissa Etheridge, Joe McBride, Natalie Merchant, Emmylou Harris and Paul Simon as well as a myriad of other honors and world wide recognition, I asked Mazibuko if there was anything that hadn't been covered in print about their long and illustrious career.

“It's good to show our gratitude to people who have been watching us.” Mazibuko stated, with all humility. “They have been great and that is why we keep going and we say, 'God bless them.'”

(This article originally appeared in The Dayton City Paper on February 25th, 2009- Vol.6/No.9. This is the article as I originally wrote it.)

Through The Rough Times, The Nectar Still Flows

Sweet Honey In The Rock Set To Uplift Audiences

In Psalm 81:16, King David says to his people that if only they would serve the Lord, that they would surely be rewarded with the finest of grains “...and with honey out of the rock would I satisfy thee.” Many allusions between this scripture and the world famous female a cappella group, Sweet Honey In The Rock, can be made. One of the most obvious being the spiritual sustenance of the soul, drawn through the coarse hardships of a life's journey, coming through adversity as nourishing and pure as when it was conceived. The conception of the group occurred in 1973 when Bernice Johnson Reagon (who is now retired from the group) drew together singers from a vocal workshop she was teaching at the Black Repertory Company in Washington D.C.

The sound of Sweet Honey In The Rock draws its inspiration from an eclectic well of musical influences: from spiritual hymns, reggae, blues, African chants, ancient lullabies, hip hop, R&B and even jazz improv. This melange of sound and progressively complex rhythms are then nurtured and molded into not so much a spiritual message as a call for political, personal and community awareness. Founder Bernice Johnson Reagon was once quoted in People Magazine as saying "I think everything is political. We are about being accountable." With this statement in mind, I called Dr. Ysaye Barnwell, one of the longtime members of the group. I wondered how the group felt about the events that have occurred over the last two years.

“We are ecstatic about the change that has just occurred. We feel that all of us have participated in the process of creating this change and we want to affirm that and we want to encourage people to take responsibility because this president and this administration are not going to perform miracles for us and especially without us.” Dr. Barnwell said during our telephone interview. “I think this president is really, really asking people to participate and I think we have to find ways to do that. There are those that think that community organizing is some little children's game, but I think they need to get over it and realize that community organizing is what put this president in place and it is community organizing at all levels that is going to make this a successful administration.”

Dr. Barnwell's doctorate is in Speech Pathology with a post doctorate in Public Health. I wondered if her experience within speech pathology gave her some insight into how sound and composition effected the listener as well as the expressive use of sound.

“Well, I think it helps in knowing how to use your voice in a healthy way. Beyond that, there is a direct relationship with an understanding of some of the aspects of sound.” Dr. Barnwell then diverged into a parallel topic dealing with her other passion of public health, which I found to be very descriptive of our own plights here locally. “I find that the broader thing for me is public health and it depends on your definition of public health, but my definition of well being is mental, physical, spiritual and community...all of it. I've gotten involved in some really interesting projects which pull all of that together in communities that have been devastated by the fact that their primary industry has shut down, leaving the entire community without anything. It's really fortunate to be asked to come into communities by arts organizations who are really seeing it as their job to help the community move through that experience.”

In the same vein as the original question, I then asked Dr. Barnwell how the music of Africa seemingly touches everyone, regardless of language barriers or sympathetic life experiences. While most other cultural music, and even most modern music, seems to be predominantly about specific events in time, African music, and derivations of that core element, are more concerned with universal events in everyone's lives.

“Well, you know, when you first started asking the question, the first thing that came to mind for me is that traditional African music has a particular world view, which basically is that life can't exist without the music and the dance: it just can't exist. Whether you are creating medicine, raising a child, burying the dead, celebrating a king or a chief: you can't do any of that without music. That world view which places such a primary importance on music and dance, traveled with us when we were brought to this country and it's still part of our culture and there's an energy of functionality and an energy of it being essential that permeates the music of our culture.” Dr. Barnwell went on to say that, ““There's an essence in the music and I figure that what people feel is that essence, that urgency, that necessity for the music to exist because it touches you differently if you understand that it's a vital part of who you are and that it's what makes life continue.”

As for what audiences can expect from Sweet Honey In The Rock, Dr. Barnwell simply said, “I think that people can expect our usual broad palate of musical styles and subject matter. They can expect high energy and to feel affirmed as they participate in the music. Just come to the Sweet Honey In The Rock concert and be prepared to enjoy.”

One of the things that Dr. Barnwell was extremely excited to impart to me before we ended our conversation was the news that Sweet Honey In The Rock would be performing a very special event right before coming to Dayton.

“We have been asked to perform a concert for young people in honor of African-American History Month. They are bringing in young people from the public schools.” She added with a satisfied laugh, “ Yeah, so when we get to Dayton, we'll be coming from the White House!”

(This article originally appeared in The Dayton City Paper on February 18th, 2009- Vol.6/No.8. This is the article as I originally wrote it.)

Creating A Community Of Conscience

The Charity That Begins At Home: The United Way

“What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.”
~Barack Obama

January 4th, 2009

As we stand on the precipice of a wholly new age, our perception of the future is held in a clouded mixture of fear and uncertainty, shot through with vibrant flashes of hope. We must choose our footing very wisely, lest we falter, tumbling down into the abyss as a collective whole. Some people's instinctive reaction is to circle their wagons, hoarding what little they have and turning a blind eye to the woefully downtrodden. This course of action is most assuredly the first step over the edge into the darkness as our destiny as a people is connected to the fate of each individual.

More and more and more area families are buckling under the burden of lay offs, unemployment, enormous medical bills and rising prices for goods and services that far outstrip the minimum cost of living increases that one may hope to receive. Most are dismayed to find themselves seeking out charitable organizations to provide them with aid in their unexpected time of need, disillusioned that they have worked so hard, only arrive at this difficult crossroads in their lives. In turn, the local non-profit services tare finding it difficult to cope with the sudden influx of individuals and families seeking support. Some of the area food banks finding their pantries almost bare while other agencies are inundated with more people than their staff can contend with. With all this in mind, the Dayton City Paper is initiating a new monthly column spotlighting various non-profit organizations that are driving forces in keeping the cohesion of our community strong.

I decided that the best place to start would be with the United Way of the Greater Dayton Area as they are an umbrella agency for seventy-eight other non-profit partners within the area. I spoke with Allen Elijah, the interim president and CEO of the local chapter of the United Way. The first thing I wanted to know was a little background on the organization, which Elijah provided in a quite eloquent and knowledgeable manner.

“The United Way got started in the Greater Dayton area right after the 1913 flood. As a result of the flood, the concept of a community chest in the form of the United Way came about. At that time, they raised over two million dollars back in 1914.” Elijah said before bringing the focus back to the United Way of today. “That is where a sense of community and a sense of neighborhood was spawned that has evolved into the United Way concept. We still serve in that capacity today through a network of non-profit agencies that provide help to the community with everything from seniors, infants, teenagers, the mentally and physically disabled, to those that have been incarcerated and are coming back into the community. So we kind of run the entire gamut. A lot of the organizations that we support wouldn't be up and running if it weren't for the support that's provided through the United Way.”

Our conversation quickly turned to their current fund raising drive which, by all accounts, is falling far short of the predetermined goals which are set by evaluating the needs of the community as well as foretelling the times that may lie ahead.

“Our board set a community wide goal of 12 million dollars and based upon where we are right now and what we are anticipating to come in between now and the end of February, we're going to have a 2.5 million dollar shortfall.”

What will happen if the goal is not met? Will there be across the board cuts to every partnership agency or will each individual program be evaluated on their individual merits and relative importance?

“This, to me, becomes a King Solomon moment where you're faced with the question of, 'How do you divvy this up?' Elijah sighed in a tone of pensive resignation. “When you're talking about helping to feed children and giving them medical assistance on one hand or whether to help a senior who is living in an unassisted living situation who is counting on Meals on Wheels to come by and supplement their ability to eat on a day to day basis, who do you say is more important? Those are the kind of decisions that we will have to make.”

The looming question has to be; With the unstable economy and people holding on to what little they have, what could be said to alter someone's thinking to see the need to donate to the Untied Way or any other charity organization?

“I have an opinion on that: My sense is that if we could get folks who are working to consider throwing into the community pot a dollar a week, then we would bridge that 2.5 million dollar gap. I say a dollar a week because I think about us as guys.” Elijah went on with his analogy, “We come home and we empty out our pockets on the dresser and there's a buck in change there in pennies, nickels and quarters. That money, when you look at our collective ability to pool that together for the community, could make a tremendous difference in what you and I are sitting here talking about right now; to avert that whole King Solomon moment.”

What of those that have very little or no extra money to donate, yet still feel the need to be part of a community of conscience? There are those that have time and skills which are just as valuable, if not more so, than money.

“We have an initiative called Volunteer Connections which is a department of the United Way where we look to coordinate a volunteer need with folks that want to volunteer.” Elijah went on to explain. “So let's say that you have a couple of hours a week that you would be willing to donate; you can go onto Volunteer Connections on the Internet, and from the list of areas of interest, you can click on that area and then scroll down to where there is a need in that area and then coordinate through that resource your ability to volunteer at that time.”

For those still not swayed to be a part of the this community consciousness, for those who feel that they are doing well enough and the plight of their neighbor has no affect on them, Elijah ended our conversation with this observation:

“I would say, simply this: any chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. If we've got people that live in the Greater Dayton area who think that they aren't affected by these mass lay-offs and the people who aren't working right now, I would propose that they might rethink that, because for this community to be the type of community that we want to live in and raise our children in and become engaged in, we have to ensure that everybody has an opportunity to have a decent living. We look after one another. Don't expect that the federal government is going to do it. Don't expect that the state is going to do it. Charity begins at home and this is our home. It's incumbent upon each of us to make our community a better place in which to live.”

To learn more about the United Way of the Greater Dayton Area, or to pledge your support to the various causes and organizations that they represent, go online to http://www.dayton-untiedway.org/. To explore volunteering options, go to http://www.liveuniteddayton.org/ to view the United Way's Volunteer Connection opportunities. The United Way of the Greater Dayton Area is located at 184 Salem Ave.

(This article originally appeared in The Dayton City Paper on February 18th, 2009- Vol.6/No.8. This is the article as I originally wrote it.)

The Bonny Mamacita

Patti Vasquez To Shower The World With Tequila And Shamrocks

Patti Vasquez, as singularly beautiful as she she is organically grounded, embodies the ability to bring any audience onto common ground. Some of that is inherent from her childhood, being raised in a household by a second generation Irish father and a Mexican immigrant mother, allowing her to see a multifaceted world that was filled with stereotypes as well as the misconceptions some people held. It's her forthright approach to comedy that makes her so endearing to audiences, presenting herself, not as a two dimensional character, but rather as a real woman with honest and insightful reflections of the world as she sees it, all with a naturally humorous twist. Sometimes, such an honest approach could create a sense of vulnerability through the sheer act of laying one's true feelings bare.

“I do take things kind of rough sometimes.” Vasquez admitted. “My husband tells me all the time that I can hear a hundred people tell me how wonderful I was, how I’m funny I am and how much they like me, but I’ll focus on that one person that tells me I suck, and he’s like, ‘Why is that voice so much louder?’ I don’t know! It’s just is so much louder!”

Having interviewed Vasquez before, I was curious as to what she had been doing in the past year since we had last spoken. She filled me in on some of the more salient details of her life, including a recent upheaval that has become all too common to many of us.

“Since we last talked, my husband lost his job this past July, so I've been hitting the pavement a lot more and doing more shows. It's good because I like doing what I do more than he liked what he was doing.” She went on to say that, “He was in corporate communications, so you can just imagine. July was when everything really hit the fan, so I guess the first guys they let go were the ones that keep telling them how bad everything was.”

In 1995, Vasquez left Northwestern University, where she had been studying American History as a graduate student, to emcee at a Chicago comedy club called Zanies. Vasquez had always adored comedy, but a certain comedienne inspired her to create a career of her own.
“I always loved comedy. I could never get enough of it. I listened to everybody! Then, I saw Margaret Cho one day and no comic that I had ever seen made me think that I could try it myself. She just reminded me so much of what my own life was and I really identified with her.” Vasquez depicted the correlations between Cho's act and her own life;

“This was so much like me, having an immigrant mother, and here was this girl who was just different culturally.”

Vasquez was soon on the fast track to becoming a national headliner, through the support of Zanies' as well as a serendipitous appearance on the Bob and Tom radio show. She had been called to headline at Cracker's Comedy Club in Indianapolis after a falling out between the club's owner and the scheduled headliner. One of the perks of headlining at the club was an appearance on the Bob and Tom show. Since the radio show was not carried in Vasquez's native Chicago, she was only peripherally aware of it and the reach that it has.

“It was better that I was kind of naïve about it. I just went in there and had fun. Everybody there was so nice to me. I mean, I even remember what I was wearing!”Vasquez exclaimed. “That’s kind of weird and creepy, but it was this shirt that I call my Good ‘N Plenty shirt because it’s pink, white and purple and had these weird spots just like a Good ‘N Plenty.”

Patti would go on to perform in various cities in the Bob and Tom Comedy All-Star Tour as well as developing several one woman shows, such as Pregnant Party Girl: From Stoli’s to Stirrups, Mamacita: Tales of a Diaper Diva and the most recent addition, Tequila and Shamrocks. She has made appearances on various television and radio shows, not the least of which was her performance on The Tonight Show. She also related to me one of the more bizarre gigs that she has had during her career:

“The Puppetry of the Penis. Yeah, they're these Australian guys who get on stage and literally make shapes with their penises and they have always had a female comedian opening for them.” Vasquez then intimated that, “It did a lot for my confidence, though. There's just something about standing around naked men that makes a woman feel powerful.”

One of the potential pitfalls of Vasquez's personalized style of comedy would have to be from drawing material from the people within her immediate world. Vasquez's family play in integral part in her comedy and I wondered if this ever caused any friction between them.

“I'm trying to get better about naming anyone in particular in my show, or at least changing the names. I would say 'changing the names to protect the innocent,' although I might not necessarily find them to be innocent...but we'll say that for the sake of a discussion.” Vasquez said, laughing. “But, I'm trying to be a little more delicate when it comes to immediate family. My mom is great about all the stuff that I say about her,because at least all of the things that I said to her as a kid, at least now she can see the payoff. Now she feels better about all of those years when I made fun of her accent and all of that stuff.”

I asked Vasquez whether or not she felt comedians were somewhat unable to filter out their observations, making them see everything all at once, as shot through their own personal prisms, and then having an inherent inability that caused them to want to share these thoughts with others.

“Of being sensitive to the way people behave or the situation that you're in? Definitely.” Vasquez went on to say that, “It's like, 'Does anybody see what's going on here? Hello?' I think that artists in general, whether it's writers or comics or painters, have a different way of displaying what we see. We reflect it the best way that we can, with exaggeration obviously. I mean, a lot of my stuff, I don't even need exaggeration. I can just go, 'You won't believe what happened to me at the airport!'”

Vasquez even admitted that this inability to censor what she sees and how she reacts to it has found its way into her day to day existence.

“I've become kind of an odd person in public. I kind of call people out on bad behavior lately, which I'm trying to do without getting myself killed. So that's something else I'm working on. “ She went on to detail this odd behavior. “You know, like people who cut in line at the airport or people that are just complete jerks in the parking lot, stealing spots from each other. I've actually gotten to the point where I have to let people know that they are behaving badly and I don't know why.”

Not content with just pointing out and poking fun at what she sees within the world, Vasquez has become a very vocal advocate of breast cancer research and awareness, incorporating snippets in her stage acts as well as participating in fund raising events for Gilda's Club, Avon's Breast Cancer Crusade and the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Again, her genuine honesty and quality of character places her in a category all her own.

(This article originally appeared in The Dayton City Paper on February 11th, 2009- Vol.6/No.7. This is the article as I originally wrote it.)

The Clothes Off Their Backs

Kelsey Timmerman Asks, “Where Am I Wearing?”

The thought of a man setting out on a quest, armed with little more than a pair of flip-flops and a pair of 'Jingle These' boxer shorts, to find out where (and under what conditions) his clothes were made, may seem like a farcical premise to a new Disney movie. One of those movies that play up the virtue of the protagonist, play down the humanity of the 'evil sweatshop proprietors' and ends with a saccharine sweet message of hope and understanding that leaves the audience misty around the eyes, yet strong in their conviction that all the loose ends have now been neatly tied into a bow since the glaring spotlight of Hollywood has been cast upon the issues. It might also be one of those gritty, Moore-ish documentaries, replete with grainy, hand-held camera shots of the impoverished hovels where the workers live, the oppressive conditions of the grimy sweatshops and the seething anger of the garment industry executives thrown in for extreme contrast.

Kelsey Timmerman's new book, Where Am I Wearing? (Wiley Publishing), takes on this farcical quest and does so with such an open and honest approach, it is probably the most realistic and unpretentious glimpse you will ever get inside the world's garment industry. What began as a man sitting at home reading the tags on his clothing and wistfully wondering where the clothes he was wearing came from, ends in a globe trekking journey from San Pedro Sula, Honduras into Bangladesh then onto Cambodia and China. What Timmerman's book reveals is the individual humanity displayed by the workers who are usually lumped together as a collective whole in the eyes of the world. Timmerman sees that the issues which most see as polarizing black and white are more predominantly comprised of indescribable shades of gray.

Something that Timmerman described while visiting Bangladesh seems illustrate the dualistic problem facing workers in third world countries, as well as showing that the problems are not so cut and dry as one may suspect. He and his guide/interpreter, Dalton, saw a one legged rickshaw operator. Now, one may contemplate utilizing the rickshaw operator's services, but then feel sorry for his predicament and choose a more 'complete' driver. Another may not engage the driver because they may feel that he is less capable than the stable of two-legged competitors at hand. Both would be wrong on all counts. By displaying a sense of displaced sympathy, the one legged rickshaw driver's 'predicament' has just been made worse. He needs to take care of himself and possibly a family and now his only livelihood has been diminished. Those who might feel that he is incapable of performing the task have not taken into account the pervasive adaptability of the human nature and the natural competitiveness of a free market.

During a recent interview, Timmerman spoke about how, while the day to day hardships may differ, the base motivations in life remain altruistically universal.

“Our lives aren’t so different. Whether in Ohio or in Bangladesh, parents want their children to have better, easier lives than they had growing up. In Dayton, mothers and fathers put their own needs on hold or pick up a second job to save up to send their kids to college.” By way of comparison, Timmerman goes on to say that, “In Cambodia a young woman pays a bribe to get a job ironing blue jeans in order to support her family of six. Our motivations are the same, but the consequences are different.”

Timmerman seems to possess this incredible ability to describe things for what they are without trying to over dramatize the story for the sake making a socio-political point. Whether he is describing the people who live at the Phnom Penh city dump, scavenging for recyclables to eke out an existence or telling the story of an older couple who's farm is situated within a Vietnam Era mine field, Timmerman is able to place a human face on the story with just the right amount of optimism and humor. When he describes the conditions that the garment workers toil in or live in, he does so within the context of that particular area's set of norms. Yet, even he admits that:
“Even after spending months in these places and talking with countless individuals, I don’t think I can comprehend the consequences and the harsh realities that those in developing nations face.” Timmerman went on to say that, “It’s kind of a duel-edged, “ignorance is bliss” kind of thing. The people that make our clothes don’t know what they are missing, and we don’t know the struggles they face.”

One of the other things I was curious about was Timmerman's use of humor to create a serious commentary about issues and circumstances that are, at times, absolutely heart wrenching.
“Trust me, most of the laughing came from the workers I met and was at my expense.” Timmerman said. “Apparently going to Bangladesh because your favorite pair of underwear was made there is a silly thing to do.”

Timmerman went on to say that, “There is a time and place for humor, and I hope I chose mine to accurately reflect the moments I recount. Without a doubt there are plenty of unfunny subjects in this book. The workers are often seen as statistics of hours worked and wages received, but numbers dehumanize. If you really want to get to know someone, you need to find out what makes them laugh and what makes them cry.

The one question I had left was whether Timmerman felt that there was any way to equalize the world market, treat the international workers fairly and not marginalize a massive group of workers out of existence in a classic overcorrection.

“I like to think so.” Timmerman said optimistically. “Look at Starbucks. Recently they announced that they will use only fair trade beans to make their espresso. Consumers are taking a greater interest in the impact the products they consume have on the environment and workers. Unfortunately, the garment industry isn’t quite there yet. Once companies realize that value can be added to their products by monitoring factories, ensuring a living wage, and looking out for the folks who make their products, I think the change will come.”

(This article originally appeared in The Dayton City Paper on January 28th, 2009- Vol.6/No.5. This is the article as I originally wrote it.)