April - Target Audience Magazine

April 2013
B r a n d i n g w i t h o u t B u r n i n g:
Rose Riot explains finding her business model in her photography style
Likefest: If You Don’t Care . .
How I Got into The Allman Brothers
Out of the literary closet: poetry
Queensrÿche interview & live
Mixing Photography & Art
Lowbrow Tarot: artistic innovation
Album Reviews / Live Reviews
On celebrity and being famous
/ index /
/staff/
Ellen Eldridge
Russell Eldridge
Victor Schwartzman
Ryan Meriwether
David Feltman
Eliza Jones
Editor in Chief
Music Editor
Poetry Editor
Graphic Designer
Editor, staff writer
Copy Editor
/contributers/
Likefest: social media advice......................................page 3
Communication: comic by Cyan Jenkins................page 3
How I got into THAT band: Allman Brothers..........page 4
Dan del Ben, Danielle Boise, Marlene Burns, Ron
Currens, Ellen Eldridge, Russell Eldridge, David
Feltman, G.L. Giles, Cyan Jenkins, Jerel Johnson,
Miceal Kearney, Michelle Meow, Rose Riot, Ed Selby,
Tillman Smoot, Brad Stier
Want to contribute or advertise?
email [email protected]
Steven Murray: Out of the Literary Closet...............page 5
Mixing mediums: Art of Marlene Burns...................page 7
Lowbrow Tarot book and cards review....................page 9
Queensrÿche live at Wildhorse Saloon.................page 11
Queensrÿche interview.............................................page 12
Branding without Burning: photography............page 16
Trivia: answer true crime question to win............page 19
David Bowie: The Next Day review.......................page 20
Shooter Jennings: The Other Life review.............page 20
Anthrax: Anthems review........................................page 21
Killswitch Engage: Disarm the Decents review..page 21
On Celebrity and becoming famous......................page 22
Coheed and Cambria at Tabernacle Atlanta.......page 23
ii
April 2013
Likefest: If You Don’t Care,
They Don’t Care
By Ellen Eldridge
Social media benefits businesses from its inherent
nature as a conversation. When we exchange “likes” we
are acknowledging each other and showing a measure
of support, but when we flippantly “like” a page we have
no desire to ever engage with just to receive a coveted
“like” back, what do we gain?
Some will jump on me saying that every like extends
reach and that by having more people in a veritable audience is better, but you and I know that Facebook works
through engagement. Those who are not engaged, and
who don’t regularly click like on posts or share content,
will not see content posted by pages as often.
I’m guilty of it just like you are: I have and will continue
to click “like” on a Page when one of my friends asks me
to. I will do it because I do want to show “support,” but
the cold hard truth is that I will likely not visit or interact
with the page if it doesn’t directly affect my interests or
life. I also run the risk of running off friends when I click
“like” on a wide variety of services, products and even
bands.
“What?! She likes THEM?” - Yeah, it’s quite probably that
I don’t literally like every Page I click like on. So why do
I do it? I do it to avoid hostile feelings. It’s just easier to
click like in support than to decide whether or not I will
be interested in buying a product or attending an event
by the friend’s Page.
What you should do really is up to you, but I suggest that
Page owners stay organic in their attempts to grow their
artistic businesses. If authors and artists engage in likefests, liking 100 other writer or artist pages just for the
100 return likes, they risk preaching to an uninterested
audience. Targeting the fans who will genuinely appreciate your content is always the best approach.
Make calculated choices on who you ask to like your
page. It really won’t hurt anything to have your personal
page filled with news from friends’ businesses or even
from competitor’s Pages, but you do want to address an
audience from your Page that will genuinely care about
the products you’re selling and the events (shows) you’re
hosting.
As the comic below suggests, communication is the key
in the conversation started by social media. If your business or brand pumps nothing but ads or begs for attention it’s more likely people will unlike, unfriend or simply
ignore your content. If you build a vision based on a
mission statement and a true passion then others will
find you and, hopefully, support you through a purchase
or attending a show.
3
How I got into THAT band...!
If you want to share your story of how you discovered the band or artist that influenced you
and helped you define yourself during your formative years or after--email 500 words to
[email protected]
Allman Brothers
Band
By Ron Currens
I was a student at Georgia Tech in 1969 and Piedmont
Park was easy walking distance for a college kid. Free
music on Sundays in the park had become a fixture of
the hippie community and I had already enjoyed
Atlanta favorites the Hampton Grease Band and others.
In April, the local underground paper, The Great Speckled Bird, published a front-page photo taken in the park
of a skinny guitar player wearing an STP T-shirt. It was
the first time a musician had ever been on the cover
and I was intrigued -- it was Duane Allman from the
Allman Brothers Band. I wondered if they were like the
Righteous Brothers or the Everly Brothers, and made
plans to see them first chance I could.
Final exams and summer break kept me from the park
until that fall, when I noticed the Allmans were opening
for Sweetwater at a Georgia State concert. I got tickets
from a friend, sat up close, and that was the moment
my life changed. As much as I loved music, I had never
felt anything like it before. It seemed that Duane’s guitar reached out and touched me right in my heart, making me laugh and cry at the same time. Berry Oakley’s
long legs vibrated in front of his stack of speakers and
Dickey Betts’s guitar wound around Duane’s leads like
four hands on one player. Gregg’s gruff voice and B3 fills
opened my eyes to a new way to listen to the blues, and I
had no idea two drummers could play together like that.
It was so totally new and so incredibly intense that I had
to completely redefine what music meant to me personally.
I resolved to see this band as often as I could, and I saw
them play twelve times over the next two years, each
time better than the last. The last time I saw Duane
Allman play was July 17, 1971 at the Atlanta Municipal
4
art by Nick http://soljwf98.deviantart.com/
Auditorium for matinee and evening shows. I had the
same fifth row seats, directly in front of Duane, for both
shows. Can you point to the highest moment of your life?
I can. It was this day.
Later my devotion to this band inspired me to start an
Allman Brothers related magazine called Hittin’ the Note
(http://www.hittinthenote.com/current_issue.asp)that
is still being published after 20 years. Today the Allman
Brothers still are the best live improvisational band in the
world. Where I mourned Duane Allman inconsolably for
so many years, Derek Trucks has stepped up as the best
slide player in music. It is no longer possible to deny the
existence of God once you have witnessed a true miracle.
To this day, the overwhelming power of music -eliciting passionate response like simultaneous laughing
and crying -- is the ultimate expression of connection
and creativity. I never thought I would feel now what I
felt forty years ago. I am truly blessed.
April 2013
out of the literary closet, into poetry:
steven murray
By Miceal Kearney
The Wallpaper,
The Wallpaper,
The Wallpaper
I was just out of
the literary closet at my
second ever poetry reading. I listened to two poets read, well I pretended
to as I looked around,
wondering “who are
these people” and “how
important are they?”
Do I belong there? Then
the third poet was introduced, Stephen Murray.
ing up in London, falling through the cracks
and love. I was instantly
Up until then, the
taken with the vivid
only poetry I knew was
picture he was painting
what we had done in
before my ears. The tone,
school. I mean, c’mon,
the language, the flow.
we were teenagers and it He had it memorised as
was 1997. So Steve spoke well so his performance
and took poetry, for me,
of it was memorable
into the next dimension
eight years later.
with The Ballad of the
Invisible People. If mem- I was on a bus
ory serves me correct, it
from Dublin one day and
was about the unforgivI was reading William
ing tide
Blake.
of growAfter I read
“The Chimney Sweeper,”
the first thing I thought
was, “That’s something
Steve would do.” Since
then, I have gotten to
know Steve quite well,
and every time I’ve heard
him it’s always the same.
Regardless of the poem,
be it about love, childhood, pagan Ireland, Celine Dion or auld bucks
in a Barna Pub, Steve
creates a whirlwind with
his words and sets it off
through the audience. It
politely taps you on your
5
shoulder and, as you turn around, it grabs your other
arm, taking you up into the whirlwind. Around and
around with words and rhythm, the entire poem almost said in one breath.
We have a pretty vibrant poetry scene where I live,
in the West of Ireland, county Galway. So I met Steve
again and again at the various open mics and slam.
In those early days, I was very intimated by Steve and
the power of his poems. Actually, I was delighted
when he was unable to attend because I never stood
a chance at the slams when he was there.
A hypnotic beat the spins you
faster, then leaves you back in your
But that’s where poetry starts, locally. The others in
seat again, wanting more of lines
the pool with you, trying to keep their heads above
water. There’s also the level of chlorine to contend
like:
but you’ll get that — part of the trade. Part of
“Being early for work only deprives with,
the circuit. First you learn to swim then you develop
your stroke. But eventually, year after year after slam
me of sleep,”
open mic I learnt a valuable lesson. My jealously
“I’ll show you where the lightning after
taught me: it’s not about having the better poem or
even winning, it’s about having a poem and being
seeds are sown”
“The wallpaper, the wallpaper, the able to stand over it.
wallpaper.”
watch at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=esgw8jYuKnQ
6
April 2013
mixing mediums:
the photography and fine art of Marlene Burns
Target Audience Magazine had the pleasure of featuring Marlene Burns for the summer 2009 issue and we
recently caught up to see what she’s been doing and how she’s been growing her business over the last few
years.
“In the past year, I’ve picked up a camera when there is no brush in my hand,” Burns said.
“What I’ve discovered is that an artist’s eye is an artist’s eye, regardless of what is in his hand!”
She actually literally took her camera to capture the perspective of the streets below her.
“I have been looking DOWN on the streets of several cities, chronicling the outrageous abstracts I am seeing,
Burns said.”
She expressed relief as she joked about her guardian angel working overtime to keep her from being run
over by the cars while she views the world artistically.
As a fine artist, Burns wanted to add to her photographs. She described a process of blending her paintings
with her photographs to create hybrid images when she said, “I have a huge collection of photographs that
I have taken, looking down at the streets in Tucson ( and a few others). I shoot playgrounds, construction
sites, mundane street markings, roads, but I do not paint over these images.”
Burns plans on selling them and compiling them into posters and books for sale.
7
“Taking the photographs (and I consider myself a
FAUXtographer!) was fun, but it’s what I am doing
with them now that is so exciting....The first step
was to make compilations: diptychs, triptychs and
posters. I love the challenge of putting them
together perfectly.
That process morphed into blending a few photos
together so that the lines were blurred.
This process is very similar to my painting process.
My partner noted that one of my photos looked a
lot like a painting...so I started to pair them up and
came up with these hybrids that I am calling
pHOTography,” Burns said.
www.art-marleneburns.com
8
April 2013
Lowbrow Tarot review –
By G.L. Giles
Mainly for appreciation of underground sensibilities
depicting subcultural visual art in frequently amazing
ways, any aficionado of the Lowbrow Art Movement
will want to get her or his hands on a copy of both
the hardbound book and the tarot cards edited and
organized by author Russell J. Moon and illustrated
by Aunia Kahn.
In fact, they are some of the best cards one may
come across both for stunning visual displays and for
unique interpretations of cards dedicated to
divination, self-exploration and aesthetics.
Celebrated tarot artist Aunia Kahn skillfully presents
23 Lowbrow Tarot Artists who offer not only unique
artwork for each card but also the thought process
used in creating the cards.
Kris Kuksi’s interpretation of “The Emperor” is a nod
to the historical emperors who were bold enough “…
to keep a country or empire together” (p. 33).
Additionally, the strikingly gorgeous depiction of
“Strength” by Brian M. Viveros shows the card as a
female who is determined, powerful and “…the focused smoking soldier that has walked through the
battlefields of life” (p. 63).
Plus, Claudia Drake’s “The Hermit” wonderfully depicts colorless isolation. Truly, each and every poignant card in this tarot deck is replete with beauty
and depth of understanding. Highly recommended!
www.lowbrowtarot.com
These creative geniuses together took on the 22
Major Arcana [plus the card back] to create 23 original
pieces of art, including Carrie Ann Baade’s depiction
of “The Fool,” (right) which is amazingly moving and
beautiful!
As described on p. 13, “The
Fool carries
only a bag upon her back and in
her hand a leash to lead her dog.
The leash subtly makes the sign of the infinity
symbol as our intrepid traveler takes a step that will
lead her off of the rational path and into the unknown.
Fearless, she embarks on this experience, the sun
radiates at her back; she does not fear or acknowledge
the grinning skull that lights her way. It is suggestive
of her ‘crazy wisdom’ that she need not acknowledge
fate.”
Equally impressive is Cate Rangel’s depiction of “The
Empress,” who “is the giver of life and abundance, but
in anger, she can also withhold” (p. 29).
9
10
April 2013
Queensrÿche – Wildhorse Saloon, 3/12/2013
Return to History World Tour
“I remember now… I remember how it started…”
By Tillman Smoot
Queensrÿche has been performing in front of crowds
of all sizes from small clubs to sold-out arenas for 30
years. They have earned international acclaim and a
diehard core group of fans that has never left them,
even with their recent separation from long time
lead singer Geoff Tate.
Queensrÿche performed at The Wildhorse Saloon in
Nashville, Tennessee, on March 12 with band veterans Michael Wilton, Scott Rockenfield, Eddie Jackson,
Parker Lundgren and new lead singer Todd LaTorre
(formerly of Crimson Glory). Though they have a
new album to be released in June, the “Return to
History” tour only features songs from their first five
albums, up to and including 1990’s breakthrough
release, Empire.
Choosing Queen of the Reich from their debut EP to
begin the show, Queensrÿche quickly set the pace
with Todd La Torre hitting the sustained opening
high note with amazing precision. While the four
veteran members seemed totally at ease playing this
thirty-year-old song, the true test for many of us
fans was La Torre’s ability to make the vocals his own.
Among the fans I talked to before the show, the
common consensus was one of ‘fingers crossed.’
While later in the show he complained about being
a bit sick, La Torre’s ability to sing the classic catalog
couldn’t be questioned. His upper range on early
Queensrÿche songs like “En Force,” “Walk in the Shadows,” “Whisper” and “Roads to Madness” was impressive; as was his ability to embrace the lower range on
songs like “Silent Lucidity” and “Empire.”
The one downside was that the show ran a bit short
at about an hour and twenty-three minutes. I caught
a glimpse of the set list and saw that they had cut
three songs: “Prophecy,” “Take Hold of the Flame”
and “Jet City Woman.” I assumed that the state of La
Torre’s voice or, perhaps, the size of the crowd on the
floor led to that decision. The audience was a decent
one, but not nearly as loud or rowdy as I have seen
at past Queensrÿche shows. That said, even with
the smaller than usual crowd and cropped set, the
Wildhorse Saloon show was one of the most exciting Queensrÿche concerts that I have been to since
1991.
11
Queensrÿche:
Thirty Years of Music and Technology
Since its inception in 1981, Queensrÿche has released
over a dozen studio and live albums. In three decades
of recording history, the band has proven time and
time again its members are unafraid of change, they
embrace it. In the past year, the band welcomed a new
lead singer, signed to a new recording label, recorded
its latest studio album and embarked on the current
Return to History world tour. The Seattle-based band
will release its next album June 11, which features the
debut of the current lineup, with Todd La Torre (Vocals),
Michael Wilton (Guitars), Parker Lundgren (Guitars),
Eddie Jackson (Bass) and Scott Rockenfield (Drums).
“Thirty years ago, we were recording on little four tracks:
cassettes,”Wilton said,“and, that was the high tech thing
to do. I mean, that’s how we started out recording. As
a band, you kind of gradually update your equipment.“
Rockenfield recalled that the tools of the past allowed
the band to do more and, over the years, the band
stayed at the forefront of new technology. “We’ve
always been a band that sits and writes and works
and does our chemistry together,” Rockenfield said.
Recording technology has changed numerous times
since the 1980s, which has made it easier for bands to
Queensrÿche has always tried to embrace the be able to work on music both separately and together.
latest technologies as a part of its creative
process, and Wilton discussed how the latest The ability to work with people anywhere in the world
technology used to be ADATs, but the band even- through recording platforms and email has allowed the
tually recorded on Sony 48-track digital machines. band to work together without always being together.
“I didn’t work back then when they were using all the
tape and had to ship actual reels with tape, but “It’s good because, you know, sometimes, as we get
Queensrÿche is a global thing,” LaTorre said. “So, when older, we get a little forgetful,” Wilton said.
recording, if our engineer or label needs something,
even if it’s a sound effect, it can be done all through
“You do a killer riff and you’re like,
an email.“
Lundgren added that 23 years ago a band couldn’t
send files back and forth between its members
working from different studios and even states.
“There was a point on the new album where we
were using three different studios,” Lundgren said.
“Todd was doing vocals in Florida. Mike and I
were with Jimbo Barton, who was going back
and forth with Ed in another studio. There’s no
way that you could do that 23 years ago; to be
able to just send files back and forth like that.”
‘wow, what did I just do? Oh my
God, I forgot it!’
So, sometimes technology can really help in
organizing the brain to remember things.”
Portable electronic applications are not just limited to
microphones, according to LaTorre. “[Line 6] makes a
cool thing called Mobile Pod that’s like an amp simulator. There are so many great things out there that create
the sound you want. The portability and everything is
so small and convenient and travel-worthy, you know?”
That’s not to say that the new album was created without any collaboration as a group. While the ability to
create separately from each other stays an option,
aiming for the best way to create a song stays the
band’s primary goal.
Rockenfield agreed that these kind of technologies should be considered an essential part of a
musician’s toolbox, “I personally think it would be
almost ridiculous for anybody in the modern age,
whether it’s a newcomer to the music scene or
a professional that’s been around for decades, (I
“Once we have an idea of something that we want to
guess like maybe we call ourselves), to not be in
work on, we sit and we map it out together, and we
tune to a lot of things that are available, because
work on it.” Rockenfield said. “We’re kind a hybrid of
they just open up more opportunities for you.
everything. I think that’s one thing that keeps us
“To kind of just stay old school, I don’t think it opens
going and keeps us fresh.”
up the doors for you as quickly as keeping in tune.”
The band embraced portable electronics technlIn fact, Rockenfield has not only embraced these new
ogy as well. While they recorded their latest album
technologies as a recording musician but also he has
in a studio, they do admit to using tablets, phones
incorporated them in his life as a source of revenue.
and laptops to help with the creative process.
“I get paid every month by Apple, because I supply
content to the iPad that people buy and use when
“One great thing about using the phones, is that you’re
they’re writing their own songs,” he said.
always carrying one,” Wilton said. “I have an app and a
Companies that allow users to use apps to create
microphone device made by Blue that snaps right in.”
multi-track recordings on the iPad drew Rockenfield
to the point where he got to know the guys behind
Wilton admitted the convenience factor associated
the apps.
with instantly recording a song, guitar riff or melody,
combined with the ease of accessing it
“Well, I got into that, got to know these
from a phone, works perfectly for
guys, and now I’m a content supplier
forgetful people.
for their thing, which opens up plan B
13
“So,
the music business is
a business, and I think
longevity is all about
throughout South America, all over Europe. Those
people... they’re diehard. They still like vinyl. They
still like the special box sets. That’s very important
to them. Collectors. I think that where the band
is today, we’re actually able to capitalize on that.”
The downside to this unique position, according to
expanding”
LaTorre, is that “If you’re a brand new band now, you
don’t have the history that’s going to reach back 30
as a business for me,” Rockenfield said. “So, if I didn’t years, where people remember vinyl and actually
keep in tune with technology, I would never have playing records. So, I think it’s an advantage to have
found these people and done it. So, the music busi- the legendary status that Queensrÿche has, to be able
ness is a business, and I think longevity is all about ex- to tap into that.”
panding, and knowing, more than just sitting in there
The flipside to that, Wilton added, “is that anyand playing guitar together.”
thing that’s tangible can be downloaded for free.”
While the evolution of technology has made the Downloading hurts the business for bands aspiring
creative process easier for bands both new and old, to get some money for songs. These bands “look up
there can be an ugly flipside to it. Queensrÿche has to us and they want to start their own thing, but it’s
been a working band long enough to be released tough,” Wilton said. “They get Garage Band and they
on virtually every music format that has been made sell their CDs at their shows, but it’s not the days when
commercially available. When asked about the you had record companies and A&R people helping
impact of the Internet and MP3s on their ca- to build you up. It’s kind of survival of the fittest now.”
reers, they have a unique perspective.
Rockenfield said the band’s choice was a simple one
“Well, things are definitely not the same as they were 20 when the time came to record the new album and
years ago in terms of income streams for bands like us,” decide on whether to self publish or sign with a new
Rockenfield said. “I think the one thing for us that has record label.
created survival, and has had us last is, we try and stay
on top of [the changes in the music industry] and we “We’re always thinking about different things to do,
try to rethink what we can do and how it can benefit us.” to be honest, but I think we’re fortunate that we have
[a record company] like Century Media, a really
powerful record company around the globe, that is
Rockenfield understands that time change and that
as a band, the guys need to formulate plans and feed hugely enthusiastic about signing us. That’s fortunate
for us, so once we got those phone calls and we startthe fans in different ways.
ed discussing all that stuff, it was kind of a no-brainer
“We’re fortunate that we do have a touring background, for us to do that.”
which keeps us going,” he said. “I think we’re lucky
because a lot of our fans still buy the music when we While talking about recording their upcoming
put it out, so I think we have that benefit going for us album, Wilton addressed the unique guitar sound
that Queensrÿche thrives on.
as well.”
Due to its longevity and worldwide popularity, “When you hear the new album, you’re going to hear
Queensrÿche is fortunate enough to have some of a lot of double solos and parts that are just reminiscent of the way things were done in the past, but also
the rarest kinds of music fan.
just a fresher approach,” Wilton said.
“We realize that album sales are not what they
were,” LaTorre said, “but there are still the diehards Expanding on that, Lundgren added that the
in many parts of the world outside of the U.S., setlist the band has been playing includes a “ton of
14
April 2013
harmonized guitar stuff” from the first five albums.
“It’s a lot of fun to play live,” he said, “and I think it kind
of helped influence us on the new record with writing
duel guitar parts and harmonized solos.”
Lundgren appreciated recording with Jim Barton,
who worked on Operation Mindcrime, Empire and
Promised Land. “He was really good at helping us
recreate those guitar tones from those records, which
was really cool,” he said.
LaTorre gets excited when it comes to the sound of the
upcoming album. He said, “I think, maybe it’s me, but
I think [the guitars] sound crunchier. I think they’re a
little heavier. They’re crunchier than any Queensrÿche
guitar sound. I mean the bass sound is sick.”
Wilton laughed and explained that “We incorporated
a baritone guitar, and it’s filthy… filthy nasty.”
Whatever technological changes lay ahead for the
music industry as a whole, one thing is for sure,
Queensrÿche will definitely not be afraid to embrace
them.
Spotlight
Arrison Kirby will release Aries April 2, and
Target Audience Magazine feels this release
deserves spotlight attention because of its
creative association with the zodiac.
In business, and especially creative arts, an
angle is always important to get your band,
book or project noticed by the media. While
we at TAM are reviewing less music in the
monthly issues, we do want to take special
notice when a band makes the most of its
marketing like Kirby has done with a cycle
of songs conceptualized around the zodiac.
Aries
by Arrison Kirby
El Deth Records
Noise pop
Release date – 4.2.2013
Breakout tracks:
Michael in the War
Scrappy
Explosions in the Sky
Aries is the fourth full-length solo release from Knoxville
producer, Arrison Kirby. It is the second release to be mass
distributed, and the first of a twelve-disc collection,
conceptualized around the zodiac.
In addition to being written with Aries-based themes in mind,
it also features a roster of guest musicians, writers and artists,
born strictly within the confines of the Aries time period
(March 21st – April 20th). Included among these talents is
Bernie Worrell of Parliament, Zach Fallon of Senryu, and New
York poet, Matthew Zingg.
Aside from the guests, Aries was written, performed, produced,
recorded, mixed and mastered entirely by Kirby. Though more
aggressive than previous ventures, it reflects a sound
comparable to Wilco, The Flaming Lips, of Montreal or Beck,
depending on the track. It also includes a sole cover song by
the Aries fronted British rock group, Blur.
This is the eighteenth release from Knoxville’s El Deth
recording label. It will be digitally available through all major
online distributors on April 2nd, 2013.
[email protected]  www.eldeth.com
15
Branding
without burning
by Rose Riot
During the last four years I have been attempting
the daring feat of working as a full-time freelance
photographer. The phrase rolls right off the tongue,
but saying something is easier than being it.
to Rose Riot. It's very simple, sorta. My sister and I
decided Rose Riot sounded like it should be a hair
metal band from the ‘80s.
In an open attempt to teach tips
on branding, I’m about to share
some humbling private truths
about me, my photography and
stumbling my way through to a
successful business model.
We had a whole comic routine about how funny (at
least to us) we thought this would be. Fast forward
a few years, I became a "jeerleader" for the Atlanta
Roller Derby, where it was suggested that I christen
myself with a derby name. Rose Riot was the first
and only thing that popped into my mind, so that's
who I became.
I must first address how I went from Brook Hewitt
16
Shortly after my debut as Rose Riot, I decided to start
a photography business. It seemed that most of the
business names taken by colleagues and competi-
April 2013
tors alike simply added the word images, studio or
photography to their names. But, at that time, if I had
chosen the name Brook Hewitt Photography very few
people would have associated the business with the
person they knew as Rose.
Now, I get asked all the time what I prefer.
The answer is either; I am both.
Though I had a natural eye and photography experi-
at first, but slowly they started to make sense. When
I thought about “branding myself,” I made a face
equivalent to drinking orange juice after brushing
your teeth.
Branding seemed to me like going to a store and
buying a personality, and I couldn’t seem to make
that okay in my brain. That should never have been
okay in my brain, or anyone else’s, because your
you are. If you are a bachI had this idea that once I had a camera “brand” is simply who
elor who likes to take pictures of
and had completed a
flowers then that is who you are. I
am a mom, and I like music, I like
few classes at Showcase
families, I like fashion, I like quirky
School of Photography,
things…these are all my brand.
I would have a "presto!"
business. It didn't quite
work that way.
ence as a model, assistant, student
and admirer, I was way out of my
league technically and in business.
I held on to the idea that all I had
to do was take amazing photographs, show them to my friends
and get published in a few magazines and I would have customers
linin’ up at the door.
The last few years have been a
roller coaster of emotions about photography, with
times where I thought I was super fantastic and
many times where I thought I was wasting time.
I never thought about quitting photography, but
definitely considered calling it a day on my own
business. Luckily, life had a way of working it out so
that I was forced to persevere through my discouragement.
Last fall, I decided I had to try some new techniques
to attempt to be truly successful. I started doings Internet research like crazy. I read stuff, watched stuff,
and asked questions. I kept hearing
the terms “marketing” and “branding.”
I really didn’t understand these words
I had worried in the past about
how the public would perceive
me. Would rockers think I was
too suburban? Would conservative people think I was too wild?
Should I have two websites, one
for each type of client I was attempting to appeal to? I finally
made a very peaceful decision to
“be myself.” Though it sounds trite
to say, the “Be yourself” statement
is jammed into your brain from the
time you enter your first preschool
class.
I went through the long and painful process of going
through all of my work, looking for common bonds
in my photographs. I saw all of my desperation; my
attempts to “copy” other artists failed miserably. I had
never been a “copy cat” in any area of my life before,
but I had never wanted to be liked so badly either. I
saw an evolution happening in the images though.
I recognized the “me” that was in every single shot,
good or bad. I saw a definite way that I shoot, and
acknowledged ways I would never be able to shoot.
I realized that I can’t and don’t want to be all things
to all people. If someone hires me, it’s because they
like my work and not because they
are really hoping that I will shoot like
someone else.
17
I remembered all the times when I’ve been in the
grocery store, on vacation, backstage, or at a store
and people from every race, age, and social group
stopped me to tell me how much they like my boots.
So my boots needed to represent my brand, they
need to be the first visual message people get after
they click on my link.
For the first time in four years, I feel confident about
what I do. When you are confident, people feel it,
and they feel at ease around you because there is no
weird uncertainty floating around in the air. People
gravitate toward this feeling of confidence and your
network grows. It’s exactly like dating. When people
hire me, they are hiring time with me. They are
hanging out with Rose Riot. I treat every session like
I’m spending time with a friend. There is no cookie
cutter brand I could have embodied that can
duplicate this. I have heard the saying that goes,
“There is the you others see, the you you think you
are, and then there is reality.”
photo by Rose Riot
I say find the reality, then be it; that is your brand.
After these epiphanies, I felt evolved as a human and
ready as an artist to take on the dreaded task for any
technophobe, building a new website all by myself.
I did mental gymnastics for a month before finally
getting www.RoseRiotPhotography.com up and
running. I painstakingly chose each photo for the
site with “me” in mind. What shots really represent
who I am? I dumped many images that I thought
were great but felt either too one way or the other.
I needed everything on the site to tell visitors, “This
is who Rose Riot is,” including the colors and font. I
chose the cover shot through a strange process that
went like this:
“I like to take pictures of shoes. I like shoes. I have
lots of shoes but I commonly wear the same 3 or 4
pair. I wear my cowboy boots most of
the time. Everyone loves my cowboy
boots. Oh my God, everyone loves
my cowboy boots!”
My boots are the bridge that gaps me for people!
18
April 2013
photo by Michelle Meow
What happens when a
group of poets, short
story and Flash Fiction
writers mull over
serial killer themes?
Win a Physical copy of James Ward Kirk's
Serial Killers Iterum by answering
the following trivia question:
Which Indiana Serial Killer once worked for the
Bureau of Motor Vehicles? (He urinated on his
boss's desk and, of course, kept his job.)
Email your answer to [email protected]
winner will be randomly selected and notified by May 1, 2013
19
David Bowie - The Next Day
Shooter Jennings - The Other Life
Review by Bradley Stier
Review by Rose Riot
David Bowie
snarls back to
raging life on
his new album,
The Next Day,
produced by
visionary Tony
Visconti.
Country music
is a genre that
embraces its offspring and welcomes the
children of its
alumni. Shooter
Jennings is one of
those artists; the
son of Waylon
Jennings, one of
the pioneers of
country music.
The opening
title track sears
with brutal
honesty:
“Here I am, not quite dying/My body left to rot in a
hollow tree/Its branches throwing shadows on the
gallows for me/And the next day, and the next and
another day.”
The music sound-tracking these painful lyrics is
straight out of “Suffragette City,” and it rocks hard.
Bowie’s voice is clipped and trembles with a nervous energy before exploding with rage during the
chorus. It’s a brilliant 3 1/2 minutes that crackles and
sparks.
“The Stars (Are Out Tonight)” shimmies across subtle
synth and tambourine flourishes while the Heroes
era guitars ring. The track continues to build, adding
layers of strings, horns, and handclaps to its acid tale
of our celebrity obsessed culture before melting into
the the next track “Love is Lost,” a hypnotic whirlpool
of angst and paranoia.
Another highlight is “You Feel So Lonely You Could
Die,” a piece of gospel kissed rock that subtly, delightfully references both Space Oddity and the
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars track “Five
Years.” “Dancing Out In Space,” the lightest moment
here, is also the most fun track Bowie has released
since some of his early ’80’s work. It rocks and
swings with a bouncing beat that is nearly
impossible to sit still through.
Shooter Jennings grew up literally surrounded by
country music. I can imagine him being played with and
passed around backstage by an enviable cast of legends and stars. Young Shooter started playing a variety
of instruments by the time he was five years old and by
the teen years was starting his own bands. He released
his first album, Put the “O” Back in Country, in 2005 and
has since released five more albums. His most recent
album is called The Other Life.
The Other Life is a proclamation of true country by
Shooter Jennings, yet it shows us different interpretations of the genre by incorporating a variety of styles
and guest artists throughout the album. The first track
“The Flying Saucer Song” has drama reminiscent of Pink
Floyd. The second track, “A Hard Lesson To Learn,”
reminds the listener that it is a good old-fashioned
country album and by the third track, “The White Trash
Song,” (featuring Scott H. Biram) the listener is reminded
of Shooter Jennings’ honky tonk heritage and the
album earns sold country street cred. If, somehow, you
aren’t convinced this far into the album that Shooter
has earned his way on a country stage, Jennings gives
a list of reasons that not all country is created equal or
worthy of the classification with track five, “Outlaw You.”
The Other Life crosses lines with blues, southern and
psychedelic rock but in the end remains pure country. It
is a working man’s album with anthem worthy songs.
The Next Day is an hour-long masterclass in rock
http://www.shooterjennings.com/
history; the most immediate and emotional modern
rock album released in a long, long time.
20
April 2013
Anthrax - Anthems
Killswitch Engage - Disarm the Descent
Review by Russell Eldridge
Review by Jerel Johnson
One familiar with
Anthrax might
expect the thrash
powerhouse to
cover old metal
tunes from Black
Sabbath, Iron
Maiden or Judas
Priest. Always one
to keep their fans
on their toes, the
guys in Anthrax
decided to cover
bands Rush, Thin Lizzy, AC/DC, Boston and Journey.
Killswitch Engage is
often credited as the
band that brought
metalcore from the
underground to the
mainstream.
The quintet’s seamless blend of melodic
vocals, ferocious
breakdowns and
introspective lyrics
set it apart from its
contemporaries. On
Disarm the Descent, Jesse Leach, the band’s original
vocalist, returns after a decade-long absence. Leach’s
return rejuvenates the group, as
Disarm possesses the same energy as the band’s
magnum opus Alive or Just Breathing.
Vocalist Joey Belladonna said, “These are all bands I
grew up with and have listened to forever.”
Belladonna definitely has the vocal chops to do
anything he wants, but I wasn’t sure if his vocal style
would work when singing songs from Rush’s Geddy
Lee or AC/DC’s Bon Scott. Once the vocals started in
“Anthem,” I could hear some of the similarities between Lee and Belladonna. It’s funny that I hadn’t
noticed before.
The opening track, “The Hell in Me,” bounces like a wild
flame over fierce blastbeats. The song forces its way
into a nice groove as Leach ironically sings an angelic
chorus. The Pantera-tinged “The New Awakening”
features sharp, intricate riffing from guitarists Adam
Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel.
“TNT” followed and here I figured there would be a
clash in vocal tonality, but, once again, Belladonna
adapted like a chameleon to Scott’s style, and he
sounded very comfortable singing.
“A Tribute to the Fallen” is one of only two tracks over
four minutes. The song stays epic, despite its brevity, as
the lead solo and bombastic drums honor the dead in
heavy fashion.
As the tracks went by, I stopped wondering if
Belladonna could pull it off and I starting expecting
him to nail each song. I was never disappointed.
Killswitch wears its hardcore roots proudly on “Turning
Point,” and with its infectious chorus, fans can almost
see the kids two-stepping in the mosh pit.
The galloping riffs on “You Don’t Bleed For Me”
perfectly compliment the track’s dissonance.
As neat as it was to hear Anthrax doing covers, the
highlight was hearing a remix for the song “Crawl”
from their last album, Worship Music. The “Crawl”
remix seemed a little spookier, maybe a little Nine
Inch Nail influenced. The verses have an apocalyptic
sound and the dynamics stay much stronger in the
remix.
The songs on Worship Music were all amazing, and
I’m honestly unsure if the EP versions of
“Crawl” top the original. With that said, it
is nice to hear a
different approach on an already amazing song.
The penultimate track, “Always,” is the most unique
song on this record. Its droning riffs and majestic
vocals offer a haunting but serene scene of an undying
love. It is one of the band’s best tracks and shows the
group’s diverse abilities.
Disarm The Descent is a great record that proves Killswitch Engage is still relevant in the heavy
music scene; Leach’s ferocious vocals are
in top form as he leads the band to regain
its vigor.
21
Celebritize Yourself:
The 3-Step Method to Increase Your Visibility and Explode Your Business
about a campfire outing where
the kids can sing along.
The irony that the chapter titled
“First, Know Thyself” comes fourth,
makes sense when we consider that
many of us took up our passion to
becomes musicians, writers,
painters, photographers and
entreprenuers out of some small
desire to become famous. Marsha
Friedman shows us this is possible
when we start taking control of
our celebrity. We knew first that we
wanted success and the fame and
fortune associated with it; we may
not have realized right away that
knowing ourselves plays a huge
role in branding.
More driven individuals mirror
examples like the one Marsha
Friedman discusses in her book:
Ben took his experience of conquering debt to helping others
with a book he wrote. When we
have good ideas, talent or a penchant for entertaining the trick
becomes about manifesting the
talents into a plan for celebrity.
This is what Friendman’s book
encourages in her 3-step plan.
Friedman takes readers through
the process of branding yourself as
some sort of expert; the purpose is
to share experience and wisdom.
Wanting to be a celebrity or desiring fame is
perfectly reasonable, but as creative individuals we
each need to take stock of what we want to achieve
and why. Once we understand our motivations and
aspirations moving to the next level is all about a
concetrated effort.
No one learns to play an instrument thinking he or
she sill only play in private. Even those who strum
a few chords on the guitar for family may fantasize
22
The most important aspect in
Friedman’s book is that the idea
of “celebritizing yourself” can
boost the business of even those
who aren’t in fields where one
would expect individuals to be fame-seeking. The
local shop owner selling thrift items or even a restaurant owner competing with national chains has
something to benefit from taking control of press
and publicity.
“Celebritizing” yourself can help establish you in
whatever career you are in, whether or not you
choose to work with a publicity representative.
http://www.celebritizeyourself.com/
April 2013
Coheed and Cambria Live Review
with what
can only be
described as
three giant
Lite Brites
positioned
behind
drummer
Blake Richardson.
Equipment
cases outPhoto: Ellen Eldridge
fitted with
On paper, the shared love of techcolored LED
nically minded progressive music lights were positioned to the left
might make Coheed and Cambria and right of the stage, lending an
and Between the Buried and Me epileptic effect that complimentseem like a natural fit, but their ed the band’s musical violence.
approaches couldn’t be more
different.
BTBAM’s abrasive mathcore clashes with Coheed’s melodic hard
rock Rush aesthetic. Watching the
line start to wrap around the block
an hour before The Tabernacle’s
doors opened at 7 p.m., I couldn’t
help but wonder how these bands’
respective fans would react.
One thing all three bands definitely shared is a massive sound
and, amplified by Tabernacle’s
fantastic acoustics, even the
cheap seats in the rafters could
feel the bass drum hits. The postmetal trio, Russian Circles came
out with low lights and a Spartan
stage setup. The band’s all instrumental set was perfect warm up
music for the rest of the bill. Built
around dramatic crescendos and
atmospheric noise rock, the music fortified the already enthusiastic crowd. BTBAM took the stage
BTBAM is known
for jarring music
that takes an
unusual slant
on theme and
repetition.
By David Feltman
country western break down. The
set kept focused on the band’s
new Parallax material, with the
exception of a few hits sprinkled
throughout. Despite the aggressive music, the band was surprisingly tame on stage. Aside from
some crowd work by singer/keyboardist Tommy Giles Rodgers,
the band members stayed rooted
to their spots. However, the music
was kinetic enough for the crowd,
which cheered for every unlikely musical corner the band explored. Coheed’s stage looked like
the spaceship that takes Riff Raff
and Magenta back to Transsexual, Transylvania. The stage was
bathed in white light and sported two sets of mannequins that
looked like props from a bondage porno. At the back were two
talking neon triangles forming
The band strips key melodies of their metal context
and reintroduce them in a
new genre like Eastern European folk, smooth jazz or
carnival carousel music. The
set was full of such playful
musical renovations including the 13 minute “Ants of
the Sky,” complete with its
Photo: Ellen Eldridge
23
Coheed and Cambria live
Photo: Ellen Eldridge
an hourglass. This set piece was meant to represent
some sort of spaceship AI that injected a narrative to
the set. What that narrative was exactly was hard to
decipher since the triangles’ GlaDOS voice was unintelligible aside from the occasional “Warning,” “Danger” or countdown.
The smell of weed became thick when the band
started and the sound was deafening. You could fart
like a foghorn and no one would be the wiser.
The whole show was surreal. Blinking, blinding white
spotlights, the sort of lights that could kill gremlins,
were shot into the crowd. Strange images were projected onto a banner behind the stage, images like a
couple holding hands over a KFC bucket filled with
baby Cthullu popplers. Lead singer Claudio Sanchez
sprinted and jumped around the stage like Bruce
Dickinson or David Lee Roth. Every time the band
24
played a hit like “A Favor House Atlantic” or “In Keeping
Secrets of Silent Earth: 3,” the audience would take
over the vocals in a thunderous hundred strong
chorus. Coheed earned their encore, leaving the
audience screaming, chanting and stomping until
the band returned. “You guys are kicking ass,” said
Sanchez when the band came back. The encore
went on for at least another 20 minutes and left their
fans sated. Despite internal strife, lineup changes
and moving from a major to an independent label,
Coheed and Cambria is showing it hasn’t lost any of
its steam.
Whether you prefer the loud and fast finesse of
BTBAM or Coheed’s sprawling sci-fi themed posthardcore, this tour is a lot of fun and shouldn’t be
missed by progressive fans.
April 2013