CVNW July 2014 - CV WorldWide Magazine

JULY 2014
THE Custom Lifestyle Magazine for Custom Vehicle & Music Enthusiasts
The RETURN of...
ALWAYS FREE
Contents...
Rock Calendar
3
Order in the Chaos; Brien DeChristopher’s Music Blog
16
News You Can Use - Motorcycles: Long Distance Trips
20
Show Flyers!
22
MADLIFE Show Review
30
Las Vegas Nightlife; Kevin Lastovica
32
DODGE 100th Anniversary Reminiscing
34
Gear the Pros Use: the boys from MADLIFE
36
News You Can Use - Cars: Auto Recalls
38
Tattoo Gallery...readers send in pics of favorite tattoos
40
Jamie Paulus
Pure Sin Photography, always up for bringing us the BEST
of the Spokane concert scene, graces our pages with none other than
Eyes Set to Kill & Devil Driver.
Page 18
Sherry Keith
Mystic Photography in
Concert puts you front and center
for the CombiChrist; she and our
lady Corin also hang with DJ Ashba at the Body English NightClub.
Page 12
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CELEBRATING The RETURN of...
<CV NW> Tell our readers who's in the band
and their role?
David Duffee – Rhythm Guitar, acoustic and backup vocals
Jason Walker - Lead Singer
Michael Brown – Lead Guitar
Lucas Owen Van Every – Bass
Victor Elbert - Drummer
<CV NW> Tell us about the beginning, who
founded the band, what was the catalyst behind
it?
Jason: Greg Hooper and I founded the band in
1987. Greg owned a gutter company I started
working for when I was 17. At the time I was playing in a band called ―Evicted‖ - the reason behind
the name was that Dan Wallace, my guitar player
at the time, kept getting kicked out of every place
we lived; not sure, why we were good people. LoL
Greg played keyboards in a Christian rock band,
the name escapes me, but I used to go watch him
play. And all day at work we would talk about the
good old days playing keyboards before his Christian band for a grouped that opened for Heart. He
would tell me how he used to get high with them
after the show. Oh, I forgot to mention that Greg
was a bit older than me at 34. Greg was married
with 2 kids, house, car, and miserable. I was young
dumb and full of cum looking to get him out of his
situation. I think he saw his younger self in me.
We started hanging out after work and going to
bars (even though I was too young - OLCC was
not strict back then). To make a long story short I
hooked up Greg with a girl I knew in high school
(don‘t worry she was 3 years older than me); Greg
left his wife and moved in with me and my family.
He sold all his keyboard gear, bought guitar equipment and we started writing rock and roll. Greg‘s
name for it was ―Street Rock‖ The name for the
band came after we found our other three members: Scott Neidermark – Bass, Tony Morgan –
Lead Guitar, David Duffee – Drums. We put four
names into a hat pulled out some stupid name and
said ―that sucks let‘s just go with Poorboy‖ that
one seem to fit like a glove cause none of us had
any damn money and it looked like Playboy. After
6 years the Seattle Grunge scene happened and the
music changed. We kind of got lost in the weeds.
We dissolved around 1995.
<CV NW> Talk to us about the journey to find
the right combination of musicians...
For the current band members from commencing
in 2013:
David: Since I was involved in Poorboy in the early days, I knew we had to finding the right players
for our style of music. We knew Michael Brown
and wanted to work with David Duffee on original
material. I liked the old Poorboy stuff.
Jason: The bass player position was more difficult
to fill. We originally asked Scott Neidermark (who
was the original bass player in Poorboy). He was
busy with life and had a hard time making practice. He had just lost interest. Since I am active on
social media (Facebook) I posted we were looking
for a bass player for this new and improved Poorboy. This kid, Lucas Owen Van Every posted interest and left a phone number. I called him immediately and set up a meeting. We sat the Witchita
Pub in Milwaukie, OR and met for the first time.
Lucas was like seeing a brother I haven‘t seen in a
long time. He was young, inexperienced, and on
from the 90‘s from the time that Jason was about fire to play. Lucas was a perfect fit.
19 yrs old and never showered. Michael did some
re-recordings on our first Poorboy album project <CV NW> What were your initial thoughts on
from 1990. David and Michael reunited in 2012 on creating the band, how did you think you'd fare
an acoustic project, which was about the same in a pretty high quality music market?
time Jason and I were talking about putting Poor- David: How much fun it would be again to play
boy back to together. It was a natural fit bring in this music, write new songs, and be with these
Michael Brown in 2013 when Poorboy officially guys. It was so freakin‘ exciting. As far as how
we‘d fare in this market, well, the response to our
started taking shape again.
Jason and David have always been close friends recent live performances has been overwhelming.
since the original separation 1992 when everyone After our shows the audience response has been
just got busy with life. Jason and I have always awesome. We are constantly told by fans how
share the passion of our music from the past. We good our shows are and the songs were fantastic.
have a chemistry with writing together that flows
<CV NW> Who do you guys count as your musiin miraculous ways.
cal influences?
Jason: There was tragic event when a dear friend
Victor: John Bonham, Neil Peart / Rush, Journey,
and the mother of David's children died from canAerosmith, Quiet, Riot
cer in January 2011. At the funeral all the original
members of Poorboy were present. The discussion Michael: Eddy Van Halen, Randy Rhodes, Al
of a reunion show came up. It never materialized Dimeola, Bach, Nicolo Paganini, George Lynch,
but that set the wheels in motion for us (Jason &
David) to revive a brand new Poorboy
David: Throughout the years me and Victor Elbert
worked on some projects together (The Experience
-Jimmy Hendricks tribute for one). About 4 years
ago Victor approached me to express interest in
working on an original band idea, kicking it
around a little. It was until me, Jason, and Michael
became serious that I called Victor to explain our
ideas; his response was ―I AM IN‖. He was with
us from the very first live rehearsal.
Victor: Since about 1980 I have been playing the
local Portland circuit with various cover bands,
tribute bands, and a few original groups. I was
drawn to Poorboy because I need more work to do
his father, Clyde Brown.
Lusas: Cliff Burton (Metallica), Sid Vicious (Sex
Pistols), Dee Dee Ramone (Ramones), Dimebag
Darrell (Pantera), Pat Murnin and Micheal
Houchin.
David: There are so many because I have been
around since 1960‘s. My father was a drummer
and played in bands. We had many groups in my
house as a boy. But if I had to sum up a few it
would be: Grand Funk (Donny Brewer-all -time
favorite drummer), Bad Company (influenced and
inspired me to play acoustic guitar and sing), and
Creed (most favorite rock vocalist is Scott Stapp)
Jason: Believe it or not I grew up on country music like Mac Davis, Kenny Rodgers, Reba MacIntire, and Randy Travis. I used to sit on my rocking
horse singing ―Baby Baby Don‘t Get Hooked On
Me‖ at 2 years old. My rock influences were Pink
Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Doors, BeeGees, and Aerosmith, etc. Mostly Mac Davis because of his story
telling.
<CV NW> Have you guys always wanted to play
music, or were there other interests when you
were younger?
Victor: Yes early from childhood...from age 9 I
loved music and girls since my teen years.
Michael: Yes, at 14 started playing in bars...I've
been interested in playing instruments since I was 9
years old. I play primarily guitar, but I also play
trumpet, french horn, trombone, flugal horn, tuba, piano, drums, bass, banjo, violin, and cello.
Lucas: I‘ve loved guns, dirt bikes, and boobs. I attended many concerts always wanted to play and
started to play just 3 years ago. I took to the bass
like I‘ve played my whole life.
Jason: It was never a conscious thought for me
because I have been performing since I was two
years old, on up through the years in church choir,
school choir, drama, musicals. I come from a musical family and all we did is play music.
David: When I was a kid I always wanted to be
like my dad, a phenomenal drummer. I can‘t think
of ever wanting anything else.
<CV NW> Some of you have been in other bands
before this one, tell us about those?
David: There is a huge list of bands that I participated in for the last 40 years in Portland/ Seattle
music scene. I have sat next to and played with
some legendary musicians over my life time. In
the early 80‘s I was with HAVEN, a very popular
Portland band getting radio time with Warner
Brothers, Atlantic, Polygram, and Epic record labels looking at us. Then I was in a group called
Mirror Mirror. Both groups were original music.
In the 90‘s I did many personal ventures with
acoustic performances. In the 2000‘s I worked on
a project called Black Li Li where I released 2 solo
albums in 2006 and 2009. There was another solo
acoustic album written and produced during the
time my ex-wife was suffering with cancer. Some
of my most emotional/heartfelt music was produced then and released in my album ―Rain‖ from
2011. Soon after, around 2012 I was touring with
―The Experience – Jimmy Hendricks Tribute‖ as
the drummer opening for Iron Butterfly. However,
since kick starting Poorboy again, I have never
been so excited about a venture as I am with this
one.
Jason: The only other band for me was a year with
―Evicted‖ then Poorboy. Did a little 3 piece band
with Mike Killian and Jeremy Walker (my brother)
called Punchin Judy Show. In 2003 I moved to
Seaside, Oregon where music goes to die but ended
up finding a really good friend, Ray Thorneberg,
playing with Rockaholics. We are still great friends
and play occasionally. In 2008 I played in a Guns
and Roses tribute band called G & R Lies. After
me and Mike Killian had a falling out, he moved
the band to Portland and changed the name to Appetite for Deception. I tried another tribute thing
in 2012 – 2013 in an Aerosmith Tribute band
called Sweet Emotion. Through all the years David Duffee and I have always been in touch. We
always wanted to play in another project together.
He is considered to be my immediate family.
Michael: From the age of 14 to 19, I played in a
cover band called ―Desire‖ that covered from the
Beatles to Bob Seger. From 19 to 21, I was in a
lounge band called ―Brooke Davis Band‖ where
we played from Tina Turner to Billy Joel. I won
my first Blazing Guitar in 1984 when I was 19. I
won this contest two years in a row. At the end of
86 through 87, I played in ―Top Secret‖, where we
played Van Halen, Bon Jovi, etc. In 1993, I joined
the original Poorboy with Greg Hooper and Jason
Walker. I walked away from the music scene until
1994, where I started up again with ―Misfit Island‖
with Jeff Warner and Troy Panion. We were a
power trio with all original music. In 1999, I
hooked up with Matt McCourt in‖ Evil Genius/
Wild Dogs‖ until 2001. Since then, I have been on
hiatus until David, Jason, and I got together acoustically with Poorboy in May of 2013.
<CV NW> What do you hope to accomplish
with your music, what message do you try to
convey?
World peace - Jason, Crown that fucker!!
Victor: Make the best original music that we can
as a band...affect other people emotionally. We
gave up on getting rich and famous and looking at
just having a good time.
Lucas: Help others escape reality for a few moments...boobs for free & pot for all.
Michael: I love to hear others say they can‘t get
our music out of their head.
I want to be remembered for making others happy.
Music is the universal language.
David: I am very emotionally attached to our music and I hope to share this feeling with as many
people as possible. I wish I could convey my feel-
ings directly into the heart of the listeners.
we are afraid of not the success. We don‘t run a
race to come in last.
<CV NW> What kind of pressure do you feel, if
any, to produce a successful record?
Jason: I don‘t feel pressure maybe bladder pressure…LoL We are going to put out the record we
love. Whether it is successful or not we will make
our mark. The only pressure I have is the ability to
get our music out to public and it‘s out of my
hands…I can‘t make anyone play our music on the
radio. I wish I could.
<CV NW> How will you decide which songs to
release as singles?
<CV NW> What motivates you to keep improv- Jason: Out of everything, this one of the hardest to
ing, to keep expanding your horizons as musi- decide. We like all of our new stuff.
David: I think all of our stuff would qualify as sincians and a band?
David: As I said before I am emotionally involved gles.
in my music. I will be writing and playing until the
day I die. As I write music on my old guitar I am <CV NW> How has the response been so far
from the shows you are playing?
motivated and inspired each day.
Jason: I play music because that‘s what I do. I do David & Jason: Our audience comment positively
what I love and try to do it better…it‘s not about at each show. There has not been anything but
good stuff coming from our crowds.
the money, it‘s my poetry.
Victor: I love learning and writing new music. I
am a constant student of the drums and just love to
play.
<CV NW> What is it about THIS combination
that you think works so well?
Jason: We have a camaraderie and brotherhood
that is truly unique. We are all share a common
goal where we are working together. There is no
ego trying to be bigger, badder or better than the
other member. We have no band drama or personality clashes. We really love each other. Even
though we flick each other so much shit, we are a
group: A Brotherhood.
Michael: We're all brothers, but we're all so different. It makes for a great group.
<CV NW> In the end, while all bands WANT to
be successful, are you prepared for the success
this will bring?
David: Absolutely, after doing this as long as we
have, we have been working for this, wanting this,
and it‘s about fucking time.
Jason: Of course… It goes without say…Of
course. We don‘t do this to fail… Failure is what
<CV NW> How important is it for fans of the
headliner to come early to see the opening band,
to support them?
David: It‘s very important because everyone playing deserves the same love.
<CV NW> Let‟s talk about the music industry
today...and social media...music distribution is
much different now, do you see that as progress?
The ability to market/sell individual songs, does
that benefit the industry as a whole?
Jason: Do I see social media as progress? Well, it
is nice progress to reach a larger audience from all
over the world rather than just our local scene. But
my opinion, when selling the individual songs, it
deconstructs the album as a whole. This deconstruction, except for a select few, creates less income for musicians. Our industry has taken a hit
financially with single song purchases and free
online listening like Spotify / Pandora. We can listen to our favorite bands without ever buying a single song. But with the economy and lack of income, the majority of fans don‘t have the extra dollar to spend, so how can you blame them?
<CV NW> Is it hard to look at that and stay true
to your core sound? Or do you think they will all
fade away and it‟ll be back to old fashioned ass
kicking rock again?
Jason: Yes it is hard I am about ready to get a sex
change so I can look like Katie Perry. Plus, I really
like boobs… I think Hip hop will never fade away
it just changes, and I don‘t want it to fade away. I
just wish they would play more of a variety and
allow different styles of music to make money too.
There are so many unique sounds out there.
David: We are true to our music. We are die hard
rock & roll baby. I think that Hip Hop and top hits
are here to stay. They are the crowd pleasers…Hip
Hop shit is wild.
Michael: There will always be ass kicking rock.
<CV NW> Social Media platforms...savvy PR
tools or necessary evil?
Jason: It is both to me. Heaven & Hell because
David Duffee can‘t use a smart phone and is internet challenged. But we have to find specialists on
our team to adequately publicize our stuff. There
are too many platforms to keep up with.
<CV NW> Do you guys have a favorite place to
play?
Both David & Jason: Sorry for the short answer
but “ No”.
<CV NW> Today, the music world is dominated
by the Cyrus‟ (and her tongue) and the
Biebers...never one to shy away from controversial questions, do you think Rock has to climb to
the forefront again?
Victor: Music goes in cycles just like everything
else. The world is always looking for something
new and exciting. Metal in the 80's then Grunge in
the 90's, then Hip Hop and Alternative. All have
their time in the top but there is still everything out
there. At the top there's not much room for everything at once. That's why it's always changing.
That's the cool thing about it. Nothing is really
dead.
David: I think everyone has the right to express
their musical preference…But as far as ours style of
music…I don‘t think so.
Jason: Yes there is a decline in Rock music. It is
not because there is less quality music or amount
of people making the rock albums. It is only contingent on the willingness to play it on the radio. If
they play it, people will listen. It‘s the unwillingness of the corporate music industry to play the variety of music that is out there. It‘s all about the
money. People can‘t like what they don‘t hear.
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Michael: Victor's shed. It's all cozy 'n shit.
<CV NW> What can fans expect to see at a
show?
<CV NW> Have you had any particularly memo- Jason: Me naked... LoL Seriously, great music
rable shows to date? Why was it memorable; and great party. We love to interact with our fans
good OR bad.
on and off the stage.
Jason: Back in 1989 Poorboy opened for Black
Eyed Susan & The Bullet Boys at Roseland Thea- <CV NW> Do any of your songs speak to you on
ter. On May 1st 2014 strangely enough we got to a deep personal level?
do it again for the Bullet Boys at the Tonic Jason: Yes. Every single one. We play from the
Lounge. The first time they were in their prime and heart, we write from the heart, you get our soul
so were we. But they were national and we were when you see our show.
local, so, there was not a lot of communication in
‘89. In 2014 I got to meet the great people that they <CV NW> How have you guys grown as a band
are today. Oh, and by the way after all these and as musicians?
years…they really kick some ass.
Jason: Some of us have gained some weight...LoL
Michael: Playing this weekend at the New Cooper But there is more of us to love.
Penny and Malibu's with my mother being there to
enjoy it with us. Her approval is very important to <CV NW> Where do you think you are in the
me.
journey of Poorboy?
Jason: That is a hard question to answer. Because
<CV NW> What is it about your music that you this is our second Journey, we have been back tofeel appeals to fans?
gether a short time and it seems to be growing so
Jason: We write how we feel and about our expe- fast. Even though the new Poorboy line up is difriences which everyone can relate to.
ferent, it feels like we are at the beginning of some-
thing great and something special.
Victor: I wasn't there in the beginning of this band.
But I see us as growing into a new Poorboy. We‘re
learning how each other plays, writes and we
growing together.
<CV NW> What other bands do you guys listen
to during downtime and relaxation?
Jason: Katy Perry, GooGoo Dolls, and mostly talk
radio – which is not very relaxing cause it pisses
me off most of the time.
Victor: I listen to everything.
<CV NW> How much pressure is there to
“produce” with every new musical offering?
Jason: I sacrifice lambs and pay my tithe; I go to
church light a candle…no pressure.
Victor: There's no pressure in this band when
we‘re writing new stuff. One of us will have an
idea and present it to the band then we take it from
there. We work on it and it changes a little. At
some point it settles into what we all like. That's
when we put it to the test and play it for people.
<CV NW> It‟s still very early, where do you see
the band in 3-5 years? Idealistic and realistic?
Jason: Idealistically if I could just get sponsored
by Heineken I would so happy, I could save a lot
of money; but seriously that is somewhat out of my
control I don‘t run the business, corporate America
does. Realistically: all I can control is the quality of
music we put out and put on a great show.
Victor: I hope were still enjoying playing together
and writing together. Bands are really funny. People change and grow and so do bands.
<CV NW> What are your plans as far as touring, anything in the works?
Jason: We have no plans at this time but would
like to.
Victor: No plans for touring right now. We‘re writing and gigging as much as we can.
<CV NW> Okay, what‟s in store for the remainder of 2014? What other big projects are in the
works?
Jason: We are working on some promotional ideas for the band and an apparel division but mostly
writing new songs. We are headed for the studio
before the end of the year to finish our new album.
We have a few outdoor festival concert venues
planned in August.
<CV NW> Any final words you would like to
convey to your fans?
Jason: All I want to say is a big THANK YOU,
without fans there is no music.
Victor: For me, I want to write, play, live and
build a fan base for Poorboy. I can see us writing
some killer stuff in the future and having fun playing with these guys live.
Michael: I appreciate each and every one of you,
and thank you for remembering me and us as a
band.
It‟s June 5th and the crowd is lining up for
the event Vegas has been raving about. DJ Ashba. DJ, alongside with his beautiful wife Nathalia Henao, hosted a party that will always be
treasured and never forgotten. I had the pleasure
of catching dazzling friends and musicians on the
red carpet. Gracing us with their presence
were… Scott Coogan, Stacy Blades, Dark Mark,
Jeff Tortora, Nadir Priest of the band London,
Pat Fontaine of XYZ, Roxy Gunn, the cast from
Showtime‟s „Gigolos‟, cast from Rock of Ages,
Systemec, Desert Dragons, Carrot Top, Ron Jeremy, Jason and Janea Ebs of Ecotonic, Les
Warner of The Cult, Murray Sawchuck, performers from The Blue Man Group, Scotty Griffin of LA Guns, Chris Cicchino, Electric Messiah, and more.
After our faces were sparkled by camera
flashes and grins we headed down the hall for a
notorious evening filled with chandeliers, oversized comfy lounge seats, cool breezes, and blue
& gold lights wrapped together, romancing our
senses with the fun of DJ Casanova‟s remixes of
timeless classics pounding the walls. Body English club was packed with enthusiastic partygoers
smiling, mingling and drinking. The dance floor
was shaken by boisterous bodies not ready to
stop as the music continues to titillate and soar.
After watching the action from the upper
level floor, Sherry and I joined everyone in the
VIP room, where friends rubbed elbows in arms
and the cool breeze definitely eased the night.
Conversations flew in my ears, dozens at a time,
as we shook hands and chatted a bit and got some
one on one with DJ and Nathalia. It was most
excellent and compelling in full celebration and
pizazz. On behalf of CV Southwest magazine, it
was an honor to meet DJ, his wife and friends.
We would like to thank Traci Smith for inviting
out to this event!
Corin Shalene Parcells
Order in the Chaos
Helpful Guitar Tip #11 - Get Out of the “Rut”
W
e‘ve all done it. We‘ve turned
on our amps, grabbed our favorite guitar, plugged her in
and… nothing. Like the proverbial author with writer‘s block, we search our
minds, hearts, fingers, and soul… and still…
nothing.
It doesn‘t make sense, how can it be with all
the years of playing, all the scales and chords
we‘ve taught ourselves or learned academically, and we can STILL fall into that slump that
can last as little as a day, and as long as a
month or a year.
It‘s happened to me too… many times. But
what I do when that happens is consider the
fact that I may be behind on Personal Practice.
So, I‘ll run a few scales, turn off my mind, and
see what those scale will bring. I can noodle
around for hours, it seems, before something
comes to me. But I try not to let it discourage me. And I certainly try to keep it from making me put the
instrument down and turn off the amp.
You see, while personal practice time may seem boring to you. Or, you don‘t find it as ―fun‖ as rehearsing with your band or performing live, you just might be doing it wrong. Personal practice time
(whether it be on guitar, bass, drums, vocals, tuba, etc.) is a crucial step in the writing process and can
be extremely helpful in getting you out of that ―rut‖ you may be in.
Why? Because personal practice time and successful song-writing go hand in hand. You can not be a
successful songwriter if you don‘t practice on your own. Some folks are okay with writing all their original music with their band, and that is fine, but it will more than likely result in shallow and narrow
writing as far as YOUR parts go, if you do not spend a decent enough amount of time with your instrument.
I have friends that play in other bands that are so pre-occupied with every other facet of their lives, or
have crowded up all their free time with other activities that they don‘t have the time to practice their
instrument on their own. And that‘s a real shame… because I can hear it in their music when they play
out.
I try to make it interesting for myself. Sometimes, I‘ll put on an old album and play along with a couple
songs. Or, I‘ll flick on a metronome and practice my modes on some scales. Like this little bit of fun…
GMajor : G A B C D E F# G
____________________________________________________A__B__C_
_________________________________________E__F#__G___________
_______________________________B__C__D______________________
____________________F#__G__A________________________________
__________C__D__E___________________________________________
G__A__B_____________________________________________________
Ionian Mode Exercise:
GMaj — G B A C B D C E D F# E G — and so on, one position, starting at the third fret 6th string
(low E), and moving up across all 6 strings until I hit the C on the 8th fret of the high E string.
Dorian Mode Exercise
Amin — A C B D C E D F# E G B A — starting on the 5th fret Low E string.
Phrygian Mode Exercise
Bmin — B D C E D F# E G B A C B — starting at the 7th fret Low E string.
Etc. I run through all eight modes of the same scale along with a metronome. You might notice
that each of these scales consists of the exact same eight notes…WTF? Well, the reason is that we are
running modes of the same scale. Now, if you were to run these patterns over the top of their root
chord, you will hear all those little nuances that give color and expression to their association. And if
THAT doesn‘t get you out of a slump, I don‘t what will…but, if it doesn‘t, play around with your
scales, modes, chords, associations…but most importantly…do it WITH A METRONOME!
Brien DeChristopher is the guitarist and primary songwriter for Seattle Seale-based hard rock band
"Agents Of Chaos". He has played in numerous live and recording bands over the years where he has logged
countless hours on stage in live performance, and studio recording time.
You can see this and other Pearls of Wisdom online at http://www.blogster.com/briendechristopher/
TIPS FOR A LONG DISTANCE MOTORCYCLE TRIP
I don‘t know what it is, but there‘s something special about a long distance motorcycle trip.
Maybe it‘s the excitement of getting to spend a
good chunk of time exploring somewhere new. Or,
maybe it‘s the prospect of getting to spend a lot of
time on a motorcycle. Whatever it is, I‘ve taken
many long distance motorcycle trips now, and one
thing I definitely know is that I get just as excited
now, as I did the first time.
Of course, planning for a long motorcycle
trip takes a little more thinking ahead than a simple road trip or vacation by car might take. Why? It
boils down to one simple reason: motorcycles have
far less storage options.
Yes, if you have the latest Honda GoldWing
Touring motorcycle with a trailer, you‘re going to
have to cut back a little less than the guy touring
the country on a 250cc dirt bike. But, the planning
tips below still work no matter what your ride.
And, if you‘re anything like me, at the end
of the trip you‘ll walk away thinking about how
much ―stuff‖ you really don‘t need to have a good
time. The amount will probably surprise you. Hint:
It‘s far, far less than you expect.
The Basics Needed for Long Trips
Let‘s talk about the basics, first. The things
that you need to do before you even start thinking
about a long trip on your bike. Don‘t worry – there
are only three things, and they‘re pretty easy.
Get a comfortable, waterproof, motorcycle
riding suit.
Getting wet sucks. Being cold sucks. And if
you take a long enough trip, you‘ll most likely encounter situations where you‘ll be both wet and
cold. Not only does being wet and cold really suck,
it‘s also unsafe. It‘s hard to concentrate on the road
when you‘re soaked through to your undies. A riding suit helps with this. Get it now. Don‘t think
about it, go down to your local dealer and pick one
up today.
If I only had the choice to bring one thing
other than my wallet, a good quality motorcycle
riding suit is what I would bring.
I‘m not talking about those full leather suits.
I‘m just talking about a good full suit that you can
slip over your clothes when the weather starts getting less than ideal.
Install some ways to attach luggage to your
motorcycle. Motorcycle Luggage racks, etc.
Backpacks won‘t cut it. They‘re great for
students going to class, or maybe taking a ride
down to the park for a picnic, but they make really
bad long distance travel partners.
You know that attractive person you dated
in high school? The one that was really great to
look at, but after you spent some time with them
you found out that they were dumber than dirt,
their voice annoyed the snot out of you, and frankly they weren‘t that attractive in the first place?
That‘s what a backpack is to a motorcyclist.
They look great at first (hey! I can carry all of my
stuff on my back!), but turns into a shoulder pinching, posture ruining, loud wind-flapping-ear-drumpopper at speed back attachment you wish you‘d
never brought.
When I first started touring, the first thing I
bought was a $50 luggage rack for my motorcycle.
I still own it and consider it one of the single best
accessories I purchased for my bike.
Give your motorcycle a checkup.
Use your best judgment here, but in general
if anything mechanically is ―bugging‖ me about
my bike – I‘ll take it into the shop for a quick tuneup before a long trip. If I don‘t have any worries,
than I just do a general checkup (Tires, Oil, Lights,
Brake Fluids, etc.).
I‘d rather waste a couple of hours taking it
to a shop beforehand, versus wasting the 2-3 days
when I‘m out touring and having a break down.
my strapping system that I had meticulously created before leaving and I‘m
short one strap.
 Don‘t pack ―outfits‖, but do bring layers.
You‘re a motorcyclist. You‘re taking a long
trip exposed to the elements, with a much higher
level of risk than the average driver. Don‘t worry
about looking good and having a perfect outfit for
every possible scenario. Do worry about bringing
things that you can layer, especially for those longer trips.
Our early fall Colorado Motorcycle Tours are a
perfect example of why layering is critical – in a
single day you can go from 80 degree, sunny
weather, to 30 degree and snowing weather.
Motorcycle Packing Tips
Long motorcycle trips are an exercise in doing without. After you do a couple of trips, you‘ll
begin to find that ―less is more‖ is actually true –
and quite empowering.
This leads to some long motorcycle trip
packing tips:
 Create a packing inventory list.
 For every item on that list, ask yourself if
you didn‘t take it, and found that you did
need it, could you easily buy a replacement on the road without breaking the
bank. If yes, remove it from the list.
 Every trip you take, mark off the things
you don‘t use and don‘t bring it on your
next one trip.
 If you keep doing these two things, pretty
soon you‘ll have a lean, mean list.
 Bring paracord (or if you don‘t have any, some
bungee cords) and learn to tie the single knot
every motorcyclist should learn: the truckers
hitch knot. Why paracord versus bungee cords?
It‘s more versatile and takes up less space.
Why bungee cords or paracord in the first
place? On long trips one of two things always
seems to happen to me:
 I get about 100 miles in and something
that I had packed comes loose and I need
to tie it down to stop it from flapping in
the wind. It‘s a lot easier just to throw
another tie on than repacking everything.
 After sleeping, I start strapping on my
gear to go and find that I can‘t recreate
Don‟t over think it.
I have to get on my soap box a bit here, we
live in a very consumer oriented world – we can‘t
live without our gadgets, and that is sad.
Get out there, explore, and don‘t worry
about taking a crap load of stuff with you. You
may have more fun than you‘ve ever had – or at
the very least create some really great memories.
Aren‘t creating memories really the reason we travel in the first place?
The final tip: Stop browsing the internet and
just try it.
Yes, that means stop reading this article as
well. Look there is a ton of information out there,
and it all sucks, or it‘s all good depending on your
experience. See that last word there? ―Experience.‖
You can read, plan, and debate the merits of
this packing method versus that but it‘ll never be
better than building up good old fashioned experience by doing.
<CV SW> Tell our readers
who's in the band and their role:
Angry Philll on vox, Isaiah on
guitar, Carlos on bass, and Kyle
on drums.
<CV SW> Tell us about the
name, where did it come from?
Angry Philll: We used to have a
DJ in the band, and he had a
sample of somebody saying
―Welcome to the Mad Life‖, so
<CV SW> Tell us about the be- we said hey let‘s call ourselves
ginning, who founded the band, that!
what was the catalyst behind it?
Isaiah: I founded the band, and it <CV SW> What were your inicame out of a pop/rock band tial thoughts on creating the
called Merge. When Merge broke band, how did you think you'd
up, me and the rhythm section fare in a pretty high quality muformed the first incarnation of sic market?
MADLIFE. We found Phil Isaiah: I was very much into
through an ad. We went through combining electro and rock since
a few bassists and drummers till the beginning, and having a basic
we found the right fit with Kyle pop song structure. Keep it simand Carlos.
ple!
<CV SW> Talk to us about the
journey to find the right combination of musicians …
Angry Philll: Well, we went
through 4 drummers and 5 bassists to find the right people if that
tells you anything! This combination definitely sets the tone for
what MADLIFE is, and we
couldn‘t be happier.
<CV SW> Who do you guys
count as your musical influences?
Angry Philll: Front 242, Hansel
and Gretyl, Rammstein.
Isaiah: AC/DC, Iron Maiden,
and Peter Gabriel.
Kyle: NIN, KISS, and Sevendust.
Carlos: Slipknot, Ill Nino, and
Pantera.
<CV SW> Have you guys always wanted to play music, or
were there other interests when
you were younger?
Angry Philll: Only music for me.
Isaiah: Mainly music, but I love
projects to work on. Like car
building or some type of engineering.
Kyle: It‘s always been music for
me as well. It‘s been the one constant that makes me happy.
Carlos: Always music.
<CV SW> When it comes to the
writing of the music is it a collaboration of the band as a
whole and where do the lyrics
come from, what is the inspiration behind the songs?
Kyle: Definitely a collaboration
which is so refreshing. Isaiah
speaks ―drummer‖ very well, so
when I‘m laying down beats, he
has some good suggestions. It‘s
usually a free for all when it
comes to guitars, bass, and loops.
Everyone pitches in. Whoever
has the best idea wins. Phil does
all the lyrics though. He‘s usually
off in a corner writing away
when the song is nearing completion.
Angry Phill: Basically whatever
is going on in my life at the time,
I put it down.
Angry Phill: We want to create
peace in the world. Nah, we wanna destroy! We like to be that
outlet for people that want to escape for a while.
Isaiah: I want to continue to be
creative, and to convey each individual song to the best of my ability.
Carlos: Bring people good music
and have a good show! Create an
art that everyone will talk about.
<CV SW> What motivates you
to keep improving, to keep expanding your horizons as musicians and a band?
Kyle: I can answer that for all of
us. Other musicians! The great
thing about being an artist is that
you are continually learning. It
comes from all ages, and all
styles of music.
Carlos: Always be a good player!
<CV SW> What is it about
THIS combination that you
<CV SW> What do you hope to think works so well?
accomplish with your music, Angry Phill: First and foremost,
what message do you try to con- we all get along with no drama.
Trust me, all it takes is one pervey?
son to make a tour miserable!
Kyle: Plus we just sync with each
other musically. We are definitely a powerhouse together!!
Carlos: Good chemistry and
good music.
<CV SW> In the end, while all
bands WANT to be successful,
are you prepared for the success
this has already brought you and
will continue to bring?
Kyle: Yes, I am fully prepared for
my Hollywood Hills mansion
with my custom chop top ‘51
Merc.
Isaiah: We‘re enjoying every
great big thing, and every great
small thing. Even some of the
bad things too…they make for
some good stories!
Angry Phill: We have plenty of
those!
Carlos: Yes! Bring it on!
<CV SW> How does it feel
sharing the stage with some of
the amazing acts you have thus
far, to include Korn, Manson,
Slayer, etc. What did you take
away from that experience?
Isaiah: There‘s nothing better
than singing along with some of
your favorite bands on the side of
the stage, then hanging out afterwards.
Kyle: It‘s definitely all about the
hang!
Carlos: I wasn‘t in the band yet,
but I always get stars truck when
seeing my favorite bands.
<CV SW> What kind of pressure do you feel, if any, to produce a successful record?
Angry Phill: If you‘re creating
what you love to create, there‘s
no pressure.
Carlos: None!
Kyle: If we have a deadline, like
we did with this one, then that
can be stressful. But there‘s no
pressure in writing our songs at
all.
<CV SW> How will you decide
which songs to release as singles?
Kyle: On this upcoming CD, we
all picked the same ones! Once
we complete a cd, we each take it
home on our own and just listen
to it for a week. Management always has a say as well, but they
picked the same ones we did.
<CV SW> We understand you
are sponsored by Schecter Guitars, how did that come about,
how is that going and are there
any other sponsors on board?
Isaiah: Schecter is based here in
LA, and they had been aware of
MADLIFE for a while, just keeping an eye on us. When they felt
that we were at a level that would
represent them as an artist, we sat
down for drinks and got the ball
rolling. It didn‘t hurt that we
were already playing Schecter!
We are also endorsed by Seymour Duncan, JH Audio, InTune, and Fryette amps.
Kyle: I‘m endorsed by Meinl
cymbals, Regal Tip sticks, and
just recently Mapex drums.
<CV SW> Are any of you involved in other projects and if
so tell us a little about that?
Kyle: I play in a NIN tribute
band on the side, which is a lot of
fun!
Angry Phill: I collect muscle
cars. I‘m in the middle of rebuilding ‘71 Mach Mustang as we
speak
Carlos: I‘m the touring bassist for
the band Dedvolt, so I‘ll be out
on the road in a few weeks
Isaiah: I‘m the extreme sport guy
of the group. I like to snowboard,
ride my chopper, or race my Cobra.
<CV SW> How important is it
for fans of the headliner to come
early to see the opening band, to
support them?
Angry Phill: Very important!
You get to see the new music that
is out there.
Carlos: It‘s very important! We
want to make new fans
Kyle: And steal them!
<CV SW> Let‟s talk about the
music industry today…and social media…music distribution
is much different now, do you
see that as progress? The ability
to market/sell individual songs,
does that benefit the industry as
a whole?
Angry Phill: It‘s a positive and a
negative. The industry is much
more fragmented, but the fan
base is much stronger.
Isaiah: It‘s changed with technology. You have to figure out your
niche within those boundaries.
As far as selling singles, it‘s
seems like it‘s reverted to way
back in the day (50‘s and 60‘s)
when music sales were based on
singles sales.
<CV SW> Social Media platforms…savvy PR tools or necessary evil?
Angry Phill: Savvy! Life is way
easier sending out tweets and
emails than walking around
handing out flyers!
Coldcock whiskey!
Carlos: Both. It helps being in
touch with everyone instantly to
promote the band. The bad thing
is how people don‘t pay attention
to the outside world. They‘re
glued to their phones or computers.
<CV SW> Today, the music
world is dominated by the Cyrus‟ (and her tongue) and the
Biebers…never one to shy away
from controversial questions, do
you think Rock has to climb to
the forefront again?
Isaiah: Pop music will always
have a fickle, larger fan base for a
short period of time. But rock
music fans are always in for the
long haul.
Phil: It‘s more fun to me when
Metal is underground. You have
a way stronger fan base. Just look
at Metallica, and how they started. Those guys are in their 50‘s
and they still sell out just as much
the newest pop star that has a
fleeting fan base.
<CV SW> What is it about your
music that you feel appeals to
fans?
Angry Phill: The intensity level
of our live show and the honesty
of what we do.
Kyle: I like how our music appeals to a more general fan base
than just Metal, or just Industrial.
Carlos: Craziness and intensity,
and the passion we have playing
live.
<CV SW> What can fans expect to see at a show?
Kyle: We‘re a pretty intense band
Isaiah: Arizona is fun!
Kyle: It‘s always good playing onstage. Real in your face. And
Texas since I‘m from there, and we bring a pretty bad ass light
show!
we had a blast in Vegas!
Carlos: Vegas, Montana, and Carlos: Monsters on stage going
nuts!
Kansas!
<CV SW> Have you had any
particularly memorable shows
to date? Why was it memorable;
good OR bad.
Carlos: Really all the shows have
<CV SW> Is it hard to look at been cool! I had a ―Hangover‖
that and stay true to your core moment and woke up the next
sound? Or do you think they day missing a tooth. Thanks
will all fade away and it‟ll be
back to old fashioned ass kicking rock again?
Angry Phill: Hard rock is an evolution of who we are, where
we‘ve been, and where we‘re
headed.
Kyle: Rock has always progressed. It‘s never stagnant. And
there‘s always the occasional
band that will go old-school, but
for the most part it will be new.
<CV SW> Do you guys have a
favorite place to play?
Angry Phill: Spokane, Albuquerque.
<CV SW> Do any of your songs
speak to you on a deep personal
level?
Angry Phill: MADLIFE‘s lyrics
are my life in song.
Carlos: Nah ha! A few of them
do, but I‘m not telling you ;)
<CV SW> How have you guys
grown as a band and as musicians?
Angry Phill: NO. We have regressed into the uterus of society.
Next question.
Kyle: My hair has grown a little.
Carlos: I have to keep growing?
There is no growing in Metal!
<CV SW> Where do you think
you are in the journey MadLife?
Angry Phill: We have just
stepped on the first rung, and
we‘ve broken the last four.
Carlos: I‘m the brown person in
the band. No green card necessary.
Kyle: It‘s always been baby steps,
but always moving forward. But
it‘s about to take a big leap!
around you musically.
Kyle: I‘ve never felt any pressure
really. Maybe if we‘re on a deadline, but when it comes to writing
our songs, we just do what we
do.
<CV SW> What other bands do Carlos: Maybe a little. I always
you guys listen to during down- want to be the best that I can.
time and relaxation?
Angry Phill: I like going old <CV SW> We understand that
school with some Dean Martin. you are currently working on
Kyle: I‘m all over the board: your fifth album. What can/will
Massive Attack, Duran Duran, you tell us about the new alJeff Buckley, Beatles.
bum?
Carlos: Parkway Drive, The Angry Phill: It‘s very introspecBrowning, Slipknot, and Ill Nino. tive for me. Very powerful musically, but touches your soul.
<CV SW> How much pressure Carlos: It‘s gonna be awesome!
is there to “produce” with every Completely reinvented the band
on this one.
new musical offering?
Angry Phill: We have a sixth Kyle: This one is definitely a bit
sense of what we want to do, so heavier than the last one. They‘ve
there‘s no real pressure. The key got me singing a lot more while
is to always keep your ears open playing double bass patterns, so I
and absorb all the things that are think my band is trying to kill
http://www.kouvradio.com/
me…
<CV SW> We also learned you
have written tracks for film and
television, can you tell us more
about that?
Angry Phill: It‘s fun and challenging to write for these different
platforms, but I‘m more of a live
person.
Kyle: It‘s cool, but I think until
we have a song on something
completely huge, then it‘s just
like any other normal day for me.
<CV SW> Where do you see
the band in 3-5 years? Idealistic
and realistic?
Angry Phill: Making real life
connections with people on a
larger scale.
Kyle: Playing all over the world.
Carlos: Being successful! And
getting older ha!
Vancouver, WA
At KOUV we believe in keeping
it local 24/7 by supporting
NorthWest music and business
The NW is RICH in talent and
that talent NEEDS to be heard!
At KOUV we believe that the Pacific NW scene is HOT AS EVER!
works? Any plans to tour over
seas?
Kyle: We have a lot of things in
the works, but we want to wait
till everything is confirmed before
we tell anybody anything. Don‘t
wanna jinx it!
Angry Phill: We‘ll be doing oneoff shows throughout the summer, until the new CD comes
out.
<CV SW> Okay, what‟s in
store for the remainder of 2014?
What other big projects are in
<CV SW> You just played a
show at Vamp‟d in Las Vegas.
How did that go?
Angry Phill: Extremely well! The
venue was outstanding and very
accommodating.
Kyle: I had a blast! The line up
was good and the crowd went
nuts.
Carlos: Amazing!
will be sharing the stage with
Queensyrche for their farewell
tour. That is sure to be a great
show!
Angry Phill: We‘re looking forward to it! When sharing the
stage with a legend, it‘s always
something to remember.
Carlos: Can‘t wait!
<CV SW> What are your plans
<CV SW> We understand you as far as touring, anything in the
the works?
Carlos: The new cd release, then
lots of touring.
<CV SW> Any final words you
would like to convey to your
fans?
Angry Phill: It‘s a Mad life and
you‘re welcome to it
Kyle: Thanks for the love and
coming out to the shows! We‘ll
see ya soon!
Carlos: Say No to sleepy music!
@
It‟s Friday the 13th and a
full moon is howling bright in the
starlit night sky. A time for festivities, music and horns to be
hailed. This night CV SouthWest is proudly covering the band Madlife.
Born in LA in the year 2000, Madlife has since toured the US in nearly its entirety. With endorsements from music behemoths like Ernie Ball and Schecter Guitars, these fellas stand tall on
their thunderous ground. As music should be, this outrageous industrial rock quartet brings to the
stage what is promised….satisfaction. With songs like „Pain of Pleasure‟, „Just One Gun‟, „To Live
and Die in Hollywood‟, Madlife presents a sound that is catchy and extremely addictive. Their alluring twisted heavy explosion blasts have captured America and the air of 150 college radio stations and debuted on Active Rock Radios. So they stand, a solid multi-dimensional presentation of
music possessing character that is found behind their very name…Madlife.
Anticipation fills the faces of fans reflecting their eagerness to rock out and scream as the
band fires up their instruments; they synchronously blaze to the manic lights and lasers. Singing
along and raising their fists the crowd constitutes a certain energy that the band obviously feeds
from...interaction and raging admiration.
Closing this unforgettable
show, Madlife covers Rob Zombie‟s “Dragula” steaming the
venue as everyone exults and
screams along to this go-go dancing horror saturated classic. As
the evening draws to an end at
Vamp‟d, full moon high in the
sky, we stood proudly savoring
an indulgent experience that will
never be forgotten. Thank you
Madlife for your outstanding
frenzied stage performance and
your sterling twist to industrial
rock as we know it.
Corin Parcells
Contributor - CV SouthWest
SMASH77 is BACK. The high
energy punk rock and roll band has released
the much anticipated follow up to their debut
album, called "Tales from the Underground".
Following the success of their debut album,
"Black Out", Shawn, Brock, and Danny have
come together again to hold court in the pantheon of rock and roll...
SMASH77 made their mark with the
single "Melrose" from the album "Black Out",
a song featured on the soundtrack for the
movie "My Trip Back to the Dark Side". Now,
armed with Shawn's incredible guitar work
and soulful yet intense vocals, Brock's thundering bass, and Danny's pounding beats on
the drums, SMASH77 is poised to make their
ascent to stardom with their follow up effort.
This is an amazing album that rock and
roll fans are sure to want for their collection...make sure you get your copy today before they sell out!
SMASH77:
Shawn Smash / Vocals/Guitar
Brock Anderson / Bass
Danny “Boy” Virus / Drums
For ordering information contact: Shawn Smash at [email protected]
Blue Blood Metal - Wearable Art
The 'Sand Dollar' sign has been put back up. It seems that the new owners may be going back to
the days of old when the place was packed almost nightly, long before the Hack from the TV show ‗Bar
Rescue‘ came in and made a mockery of the place. The 'Moaning Blacksnakes' are breaking it back in
for a big party rumored to be happening sometime in mid-July to include our good friend Stoney Curtis.
Can‘t wait for this place to get rolling again.
'Bike Nights' are popping up all over town and Barley Pops brought in 'Southern Stue' for some
hell-raisin out on the west side. Shifty's brought in the JES Project for their Thursday Night event and
the 'Gold Mine' down in old Henderson held a Benefit for the Boulder City Veteran's home, with music
provided by 'Daze Gone By'. An excellent event for a very worth cause. The newly opened 'Twin Peaks'
down in the Silverado Ranch area on the Vegas/Henderson border, has already created a Bike Night on
the 1st Tuesday of every month. No entertainment has been advertised so far, but its only a matter of
time I have a feeling.
One of the oddest combinations on any stage recently was a
Journey Cover Band opening for
Dokken Tribute 'Mr. Scary‟. Not a
lineup you'd expect to see anywhere.
I would have expected 'ESCAPE' the
top Journey Tribute around to be on
the same bill with the Dokken Tribute. Mr. Scary 'Brought It' as usual,
brought Dokken back to life and
rocked the house.
Wednesday Nights at ‗The
End‘ is starting to heat up with Johnny Rude 'Letting It Rawk' with the
best 80's anywhere in the valley. This
party is starting to get going and is
definitely the place to be early on
Wednesday nights.
Fremont Street is starting to
ramp up the summer concert season. ROXX took the First Street Stage for a rare appearance one Friday night while Arena rocks their usual spot on the Main Street Stage most weekends.
The last live music performance at the ill-fated BB's Clubhouse is being performed by none other
than ‗Dirty Pair-A-Dice‘. Doomed from the start due to a lack of promotion and/or advertising and
some rumored shady business practices with bands, I'm surprised the place stayed open as long as it
did.
Ending the month with a Bang, Smashing Alice takes the Vamp'd stage with the Systemec boys
and Electric Messiah. SA is rocking the month of June from Vamp'd to Vinyl and takes on July with the
Chevelle After-Party to take things up another notch.
One of the
most popular unsigned bands in Vegas, '333' has realigned in a manner
of speaking. Changing its name to
'3ALIGN', Al, Jack
and the boys of '333'
have taken things up
a few notches. With
a full-length album
and Al, widely known for his anchor slot on the newly-retired
KOMP Radio Morning Show, now making more time to hone
their incredible new sound, it is only a matter of time before these
guys follow in the footsteps of another Vegas band ‗Adelita's
Way‘, that 3ALIGN will be playing with at the 'Amazing Gracie
Benefit' at the end of the month. Everyone needs to check these
guys out as they have an amazing sound and are only going UP!
CELEBRATES ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY
DODGE, the iconic brand best known for
its muscle cars, particularly the ‗66-67 Chargers
(their big attention grabber), is celebrating their
100th anniversary in 2014. Coming from a MOPAR family I always consider Dodge as an option
when looking for a new vehicle and in seeing the
2015‘s it is without any doubt on my list of cars to
test drive.
The
Dodge
brothers, Horace and
John, originated the
company in Detroit,
Michigan. These brothers were early stockholders and engine
builders for Ford Motor
Co. before they produced their first car in November 1914. The Dodge
brothers were great workers and knew the business. Before they built cars they built ambulances
and staff cars during WWI. In 1928 the company
was sold to Walter Chrysler and with his leadership Dodge continued to grow over the years under
Chrysler's improvements. Their improvements
were due to exceptional production gains, new
styles, innovations, and publicity.
With bigger engines and greater degrees of
horsepower, free wheels, straight 8 cylinder engines, gearboxes, front suspension, and other innovations, the automobile market soared. The company began to offer coupes in 1966 instead of sedans. The Lancer, a compact car, was introduced
in 1961. The company soon produced three basic
types in 1961: the semi-compact Dart (NOTE: the
Pres drove a ‘72 Dodge Dart), the bigger Coronets,
and the full-size Polara and Monaco V-8s. These
cars became mainstream along with others under
the Chrysler Corporation. Today the Lancer and
Dart have been reintroduced. The Lancer is very
popular with the teen through 25 year old set.
Overall countless developments occurred
over the years. Many new cars were produced
from 1914 to the present. Some of the biggest products came in the last twenty years with the introduction of the full size pickup truck, Dodge Ram
and the minivan, Dodge Caravan. These cars also
went mainstream due to their extra styles and dependability on the road. The Dodge brothers
formed the company and manufactured quality automobile through cheap prices and upgraded technology. With so much innovation and strength the
brothers brought the company into a huge and very
lucrative market.
From May 20, 2014:
Dodge unleashes the most powerful Challenger ever: the all-new 2015 Dodge Challenger
SRT with Hellcat engine with 600-plus Horsepower delivers unrivaled
performance, a race-inspired interior and new technologies geared toward the driving enthusiast
The newly consolidated Dodge and SRT
brands are launching out of the gate at full throttle
– introducing the new 600-plus horsepower 2015
Dodge Challenger SRT with a Hellcat engine, just
one month after taking the wraps off the new
Dodge Challenger 392 HEMI® Scat Pack Shaker owned. Also looking at my old pictures it is interat the New York Auto Show.
esting to see the evolution of all the Dodge products.
Growing up my family had a lot of cars over
There are many Dodge 100th anniversary
the years; one that I remember well was a 1963 events coming up all around the country, if you are
Push Button Dodge Dart. Recently going through a MOPAR fan do an internet search for events in
the family albums I found a few pictures of it. My your area.
parents had that car for years and in mid-seventies
Happy motoring, and don‘t hesitate to give
sold it to my cousin that drove that car until the Dodge another look; you might just like what you
mid-nineties before he sold it in still running and see.
well maintained condition. It‘s not surprising that
the 2014 Dodge Dart was named a ―Best Bet‖ in
the compact car category of this year‘s edition of
The Car Book. It is the second consecutive year the
Dart has been so honored. The recognition is based
on an analysis of wide-ranging information collected from government and independent sources.
The 100th anniversary of Dodge is quite a
milestone and brought back many memories from
my past of some of the Chrysler Dodge vehicles we
Gear the Pros Use!
Isaiah & Carlos - Guitarists for MADLIFE
Isaiah’s (guitar) Rig:
Carlos’s (bass) Rig:
Schecter guitars
C7
Blackjack 7 string
Two Fryette Pitbulls 100w CL's
Two 4x12 cabs
Line 6 wireless
Seymour Duncan
Schecter Guitar
Hellraiser Extreme 5 string
SVT-4 Pro amp
Ampeg 4x10 Pro
Ampeg 115 Pro
Seymour Duncan pickups
MXR DI Overdrive pedal
Boss Tuner
Gear the Pros Use!
Kyle - Drummer for Madlife
Mapex Mydentity maple kit:
9x13
tom
18x22 kick
16x16 floor
16x18 floor
6½ x 14
Black Panther Machete Snare
Meinl Cymbals:
16” Fat Hat hi- hats
18” Mb1: crash
19” Classics Custom crash
2:” Mb1: Ride
19” Mb1: China
18” Classics Custom Trash China
Electronics:
Roland SPD-SX sampler
Roland PD 10 pad
Drumheads: Remo
Pinstripe batter
Ambassador Resonant
Emperor X
Powerstroke 3
Regal Tip Sticks:
5BX
Buttkicker shaker
JH Audio In-ears
Hardware:
All Mapex
Auto Recalls & Controversies That Made History
Chevrolet Corvair vs. Ralph Nader, 1960s
In his 1965 book
"Unsafe at Any
Speed," safety activist Ralph Nader accused the
1960-1963 Chevrolet Corvair of
unsafe handling
due to issues with its swing axle rear suspension
(the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911 used a
similar setup). GM faced numerous lawsuits connected to the Corvair's handling, and while GM
never recalled the car the company re-engineered
the rear suspension in 1964 and again in 1965.
Nader's publicity hurt Corvair sales and became a
factor in the establishment of the National Traffic
and Motor Safety Act that empowered the government to set automotive safety standards.
Ford Pinto gas tanks, 1978
In 1978 possible
issues with the
compact
Ford
Pinto gained notoriety. Its gas tank
was located under
the rear floor, and
critics said it could
explode in a rear-end collision due to a lack of
shielding between the gas tank and rear suspension
bolts, as well as an improper filler neck design. An
article in Mother Jones magazine accused Ford of
knowing about the flaw but electing to do nothing
about it. The controversy became part of the popular culture, with numerous jokes made about exploding Pintos. Ford eventually recalled model
year 1971 to 1976 Pintos and 1975 - 1976 Mercury
Bobcats.
largest recall in automotive history. The transmissions of some 21 million vehicles built from 1966
to 1980 could slip from park to reverse. According
to the Center for Auto Safety, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration received 23,000
complaints about the problem, including reports of
6,000 accidents, 1,710 injuries and 98 fatalities. Rather than forcing a recall, the Department of Transportation struck a deal with Ford in which Ford
warned customers and mailed them a sticker to apply to the affected car interiors.
GM X cars, 1980s
In the early 1980s, General Motors was reinventing how it built cars. The gas crises of the 1970s
made it clear that cars had to get smaller, and that
effort began in the 1970s across GM's lineup. For
the 1980 model year GM introduced its all-new Xbody compact cars: the Chevrolet Citation, Buick
Skylark, Oldsmobile Omega and Pontiac Phoenix.
These were all much smaller than previous GM
cars and instead of a longitudinal engine and rearwheel drive, they used a transverse engine and
front-wheel drive. The new cars had plenty of
growing pains, with numerous recalls for issues
with the fuel lines, front coil springs, steering gear,
and rear brakes, among others.
Audi unintended acceleration, 1982/83, 1987
Before Toyota's infamous problems with unintended acceleration in the 2000s, the same issue almost
forced Audi to abandon sales in the United States.
Reports surfaced in the early 1980s charging that
the Audi 5000 would suddenly accelerate when
taken out of park, leading to 700 accidents and six
deaths. The accusation spurred recalls in 1982,
1983 and 1987 to check floormats and add a parkbrake interlock that wouldn't allow the car to be
taken out of park unless the driver's foot was on the
brake pedal. It's still not clear that there actually
Ford, park to reverse, 1980
was a problem, other than the brake and acceleraFord fared well through what should have been the tor pedals being too close to one another.
Chevrolet pickup gas tanks, 1993
One of the most famous recall controversies wasn't
a recall at all. The side-saddle gas tanks on 19731987Chevrolet and GMC pickups were viewed as
dangerous because they could possibly explode
and start a fire in a side-impact crash. In November
1993, the "Dateline NBC" TV news program aired
a report titled "Waiting to Explode" that showed a
Chevy truck exploding upon impact in a crash test.
The problem was that, to ensure an explosion,
NBC rigged the truck with incendiary devices. GM
found out and sued NBC for defamation and
pulled their ads from the network.
Ford ignition switches, 1996
In a foreshadowing of the GM ignition-switch deb a c l e
o f
2014, Ford had its
own
ignitionswitch problem in
1996, when it recalled 8.7 million vehicles for switches that could
short and start fires. Some 1,100 fires were reported in the U.S. and Canada, and Ford said it knew
of 30 injuries but no deaths. The switches were
made by United Technologies Corporation and installed in 1988 to 1993 model year vehicles. The
switches were actually installed in 26 million vehicles dating back to 1983, but Ford only recalled a
third of the total, concentrating on examples that
were built after 1987 and that used a lot of electrical power.
by recalling 6.5 million tires and Ford went a step
further, offering to replace 13 million tires on model year 1991 to 2000 vehicles. Both companies
blamed each other, and Firestone stopped doing
business with Ford for a few years.
Ford cruise control switches, 2005-2009
The largest recall in history involved some 14.9
million Ford trucks, SUVs and vans from the 1992
to 2004 model years. Brake fluid could leak into
the cruise control deactivation switch, causing corrosion that could lead to a short and possibly a fire.
The affected vehicles could catch fire hours after
use. Ford had to issue several recalls to fix the
problem with its Texas Instruments-sourced
switches, adding more and more vehicles each
time. We find no evidence of deaths caused by the
issue, but it certainly led to property damage from
the house fires it caused.
Toyota unintended acceleration, 2009-2010
Starting in 2009, Toyota was embroiled in a recall
for unintended acceleration that involved some 9
million Toyota and Lexus vehicles worldwide. The
controversy actually involved three recalls, one for
all-weather floormats that could trap the accelerator pedal, one for the accelerator pedal sticking,
and another for hybrid anti-lock brake software.
The issue was blamed for numerous accidents and
several deaths, but the total numbers are hard to
pin down because the media attention that surrounded the issue inspired false claims from the
public.
Chevrolet Volt fires, 2012
Ford and Firestone tires, 2000
In 2000, problems
with the Firestone
ATX tires on the
Ford
Explorer and Mercury
M o u n taineer came to a
head. The tire
tread had a tendency to separate due to heat
buildup. If this happened at highway speeds, a
driver might jerk the wheel and send the top-heavy
SUVs into rollover crashes. More than 200 deaths
were attributed to the issue. Firestone responded
The Chevrolet Volt's lithium-ion battery began to
cause a problem when coolant leaks seeped into
punctured batteries after crash tests. In a few instances the coolant caused a short in the battery,
which led to fires hours or even weeks after the
tests. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigated the issue, and GM responded
by retrofitting the cars (though not recalling them)
with a structural reinforcement to better protect the
battery and prevent coolant leaks. NHTSA determined the action took care of the problem, and issued new guidelines for how emergency personnel
and tow truck operators deal with electric vehicles
and plug-in hybrids that have been in accidents.
By Kirk Bell of MSN Autos