Alive and Well
Earlier this year, Gene Simmons of KISS proclaimed, “Rock is dead,” and a massive backlash ensued. Because of the headlines that failed to address the context of his quote, Simmons was consequently vilified by the media.
On many levels, however, he was completely correct. Bands growing up during these times are getting virtually killed by file sharing and the like, and the model for new acts to grow has been eroded.
Sacramento’s Some Fear None, however, have led the charge locally and in neighboring cities to prove Simmons and the many naysayers here dead wrong. Through hard work, perseverance and a lot of sweat and tears, they have shown other striving local acts that a great band can come together and rise above. Furthermore, they are proof positive that people will pay to hear and see quality music when it’s done with heart and gusto.
For the uninitiated, Some Fear None is a hard rock band featuring Nathan Giguiere (vocals/guitar), Charles Carrasco (guitar), Jason Weisker (drums), and Gina Salatino (bass/guitar). And while the current lineup took several years to find its stride, the band is now firing on all cylinders and making one of the most ambitious moves a local band can take: headlining the 900-capacity Ace of Spades.
While the band’s influences are far reaching—they love everything from Deftones to Foo Fighters, Far to Alice in Chains, Tool to Soundgarden, Tremonti to Helmet—their sound is definitely radio-friendly, harmony-driven hard rock fare that would work well in rotation on 98 Rock or any like-minded station across the United States.
Unlike the thousands of Sacramento bands who play far too often, Some Fear None practice the “less is more” mentality and know how to properly set up a local show for maximum effect. As evidenced at their selection of support slots for national acts and, of course, their own headlining shows, their live shows are major events.
Frontman Nathan Giguiere took some time out of his busy schedule to shed some light on the band’s new release To Live and to Die and their pending CD release show on Aug. 1, 2015.
How did you come to join the band? I had never heard your name previous to joining Some Fear None.
What’s interesting about me is that I really had no part of the music scene or industry before joining the band. I didn’t even have any music to send them for the audition. I simply said, “Look, I want to do this and, at the very least, trying out for the band is something that is very important to me.” The band advertised on Craigslist for a singer, and I went there to see what was going on in the scene and to be basically be a fly on the wall so I could learn the ins and outs of being with other guys in a band setting. I replied to their return message letting them know that writing was my strong suit and to send me three songs, and I will provide the vocals and lyrics. I guess it worked because here I am. I had no training formally but I sang in my church choir my entire life beforehand.
So when did the band Some Fear None come to fruition?
Some Fear None was originally formed in 2010 and played five or six shows. I auditioned in the summer of 2011 after the band had broken up since the bassist and second guitarist had just left. They called me back for what I thought was my second audition and then told me they were breaking up. “We want to be straight with you, we have no band and would love to play with you. If you’re in, all we need to do is find a space, find a bassist and guitarist.” I told them I could play guitar and we immediately started auditioning bassists and eventually found Sean Navine; who played around four shows but soon left due to personal issues. After we parted ways, we decided to let Gina, my sister-in-law and guitar tech, get a shot. She was friends with me for years and was actually a guitarist that knew how to play bass and became even better over time. She’s a monster player and ended up joining the band after filling in for a couple of shows. After she bought her own bass rig, it was obvious she was serious. She joined in November 2011 and has been here since.
What was the band called before that?
Snapdraggin. It had two of the members, Chuck and Jason, from Some Fear None. They previously had a singer that didn’t work out for whatever reason. I simply said I didn’t want to hear what he’s done before since I had my own ideas and needed to prove myself. Snapdraggin, believe it or not, was close to being signed but they had a massive falling out which I would rather not go into.
Exactly how long did To Live and to Die take to write and record?
It basically took two years. We released Break Fold and Elevate, our first CD in May [2013] and did a CD release show. 98 Rock put us on Local Licks and that eventually helped us land a slot on the Sac Town Rocks show in June 2014 at the Capitol Mall with Tesla and Oleander. We played third of five on the local band stage and had a great response. The new single is called “Wave,” and we’re pushing that right now.
So you’ve been basically living and dying promoting the shit out of this show at Ace of Spades. Why such a big room and why not The Boardwalk or another smaller venue?
First off, I need to mention that Eric Rushing [Ace of Spades talent buyer] gave us our big break. What I most respect about him is that he has trusted me ever since we started working together. A couple of years ago Eric said, “You put a good lineup together, and we’ll do it” without really thinking twice. On May 4, 2013, we headlined Ace of Spades and drew over 700 people and definitely proved ourselves worthy of the room. Of course, now we have a new album and the pressure is even greater. However, we’ve been pushing this show for a bit. I work well on deadline and so does my band. Once you have a CD release show on the books, it makes everyone work to get the artwork done, the music produced, and have the show properly promoted.
Is everybody involved in the songwriting process these days or have you taken over?
Yeah, everybody contributes, and it’s definitely a group effort. Of course, I write all my own lyrics and tell the stories but the initial songwriting comes from who brings the riffs or songs in. I’ve made a point to remove myself and write lyrics alone after the music is pretty much done. Every lyric I write is the result of how the music makes me feel and is usually about an experience that I’ve personally had. I use the song as the backdrop.
We’ve been rather deliberate with the songs we chose for the new record. When we play live these days as well, we have dropped all the earlier songs in the band but one song called “Exit Wound,” which was reworked for greater effect.
Why use an expensive well known name like Howie Weinberg to master your album?
Only a year ago I recognized that as amazing as we’d like to think we are, there are a million other bands thinking the same. The only thing separating us from the others was what we put into the album to make it better. We had a band meeting and talked about where the band was at. We then signed a short-term management company contract to have someone help connect us with the right people. The Inner Light Agency suggested Howie and he did our album for only $200 a track. We had no relationships outside of here and had always been the red-headed stepchild in the Sacramento scene that had to earn everything. Simply put, we are the guys who have done our dirty work and it’s been a long, hard road to get where we are.
What are some of your favorite markets to play these days and why?
We have tried to trade shows with other bands in other markets, but they have always failed us and not delivered a return show. It’s so much work to set up a trade, and we don’t have the time nor energy to track down bands who owe us a show favor. We need to work on getting out of town. We religiously rehearse two times a week and for every one show in town we play three out of town. With the release of our sophomore album To Live and to Die, we have set our sights on the West Coast and expanding into new markets. These are places where our fanbase is small but notable but there are requests growing to play cities like Phoenix, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Seattle, Spokane, Portland and more. In 2016 we will be focused on the promotion of the new album by heading out on several mini-tours in support of it.
Do you have some outtakes that will be released on a later EP?
We recorded 14 songs. Eventually, the plan is to release a single for one of the extras called “Driver” that will have an accompanying video. The new album has 12 songs.
Is your end goal to get a record deal or is the band simply concentrating on building a fanbase?
A little of both. We’ve had a couple of indie label offers but my end goal is not to be signed. We’re not desperate to find anyone yet. We are constantly looking to diversify our portfolio and get ourselves seen by as many people as possible. The moment of musical euphoria is just as important to the audience member as it is to us and music is our vehicle to help deliver it.
See Some Fear None celebrate their new CD To Live and Die on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2015, at Ace Of Spades in Sacramento. Also on the bill are Black Map, Sages, Control and Heat of Damage. Tickets are $12 in advance and can be purchased at Aceofspadessac.com. For more info on Some Fear None, visit Facebook.com/somefearnone.
¡Cubanismo! is described as a “journey to the heart of Latin music” and “Cuba’s hottest dance music.” Created by famed Cuban trumpeter, Jesús Alemañy, ¡Cubanismo! has been delighting ears and moving feet for decades. It’s amazing to think that a jam session turned into a 15-piece ensemble that would go on to create music for more than 20 years. The group first entered the airwaves with their self-titled debut album in 1996 and since then have recorded and released four more albums. Now it’s Sacramento’s chance to enjoy the sizzling beats and fire that the Cuban jazz music of ¡Cubanismo! brings. Come out to this all-ages event at Ace of Spades on Saturday, July 25, 2015, with special guests Taino and DJ Omar. There will be plenty of music to shake your groove thing to and it will be a perfect way to spend a hot Saturday night. Doors open at 7 p.m. and you can purchase tickets ($25) at local Dimple Records, Armadillo Music in Davis, and online at Aceofspadessac.com.
Holding the Keys to Success
Numerous bands have nearly the same blueprint for how they began. Typically, a group of friends either scrape up enough money or have parents nice enough to purchase them their first music equipment. Countless hours are then spent learning instruments and honing a craft and style.
Conquer Divide, comprised of six young women, have a different and unique story about their formation. Founding members Sarah (bass) and Kristen (guitar) hail from Detroit, Michigan. They were friends from a previous project, but admit that it wasn’t easy rounding out the rest of the members. Many ads were placed on several online platforms hoping to find like-minded females that would mesh with their sound. It was estimated that a couple hundred women from around the world auditioned for three spots in the band: second guitarist, drummer and vocalist.
It was Sarah and Kristen’s goal to find new members that were not only talented, but also dedicated. Their wish was granted with the addition of Janel (screaming vocals), Kiarely (vocals), Tamara (drums) and Izzy (guitar). However, one glaring obstacle for the group is trying to make logistics work with members residing in Michigan, Texas, California and the United Kingdom. It is quite apparent that drive, determination and desire allow for Conquer Divide to be one unit.
Their convergence results in an intriguing blend of metalcore and pop rock. Upon listening, one cannot ignore the fierce guitar riffs and solid rhythm section. The dual vocal tandem of Kiarely and Janel showcases aggressive and melodic affinity. These elements caught the attention of Sacramento’s own Artery Recordings, who are responsible for releasing the group’s forthcoming self-titled debut.
Prior to embarking on The All Stars Tour 2015 for a solid month, bassist Sarah discussed life on the road, significance of keys, legalization of same-sex marriage and much more.
Your bio suggests it was tough finding females that fit the mold. Can you elaborate on that and how Conquer Divide came to be?
Kristen and I met nearly 10 years ago through the Detroit music scene and played in a previous band together. She hit me up a few years ago and pitched the idea of getting a new band together. She sent me some ideas and I was immediately interested, but we knew we needed other members. Some people assume we were a group manufactured from a record label, but that’s not the case. We looked for potential band mates locally in Detroit, but had a rough time finding females that were dedicated and interested in playing our style of music. For example, we had auditioned some great singers that weren’t into screaming during our aggressive breakdown parts. We put out several ads on Reverbnation, Craigslist and Facebook trying to find the right fits. Some people contacted us and didn’t show enough initiative, but others, even Izzy [from the United Kingdom] thought we were a flat out scam … We eventually gained people’s trust and proved we were real through Skype and recruited Tamara and Izzy through YouTube. We found Janel in Austin, Texas. Her vocal range as a screamer and presence as a frontwoman has taken us over the top. We got so lucky to find her the way we did and just a week before we went in the studio to record our debut album!
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a band thus far?
The physical distance between band members is tough. Izzy is allowed to work for us on an entertainment visa from the U.K., Janel lives in Austin and Tamara resides in Sacramento. Since we all live in different states, we have to consistently practice on our own to stay fresh.
We’re afraid we’ll be judged based on our look or the fact that we’re all females, but we want to prove people wrong and challenge people to come to our shows to see for themselves. Everyone buys into the notion of being famous and making money, but we want to inspire younger generations just as we were.
How are you preparing for upcoming the 2015 All Stars Tour?
Once everyone arrives to Detroit, we’ll literally be rehearsing every day to make sure we’re airtight. We’ve been learning from our experiences of the recent full U.S. Confessions tour with Alesana and are currently entering a summer tour with far more bands on each bill without a tour manager, so we have to cut our set length and be extremely punctual about every aspect. We now rehearse as if we’re on stage; we set up, play and then breakdown with allotted set times in mind. This tour will be a good test because we get experience under our belts and help prepare us for what comes next by hardening our skin. We’ve learned to better anticipate the unforeseen issues that can happen on the road like having vehicle mechanical issues or getting ripped off.
Who would be on your “dream” tour?
As far as bands similar to our genre, I’d have to say Killswitch Engage and Parkway Drive.
We appreciate a lot of different styles and people probably assume we just listen to metalcore, but Kiarely would probably say Miley Cyrus because she seems like a fun person to tour with and is such a great performer.
How did your relationship with Artery Recordings come about?
Eric Rushing [label CEO] reached out to us initially. We had a few labels that were interested, but Artery is an incredible, fun and hardworking team. We were nervous meeting them at SXSW, but they proved to be all super chill cool guys. We ask a lot of questions and they’re always super helpful, cordial and communicate very well. They don’t back us in a corner or push us into things. We don’t want to be known as just the six-piece, all-female metalcore band and felt like other labels might try to narrowly market us that way.
What can listeners expect from your forthcoming debut album?
Fans can expect diversity from song to song. The album is metal-based, but a few songs are very melodic and have no screaming at all. We were so excited to have Joey Sturgis [Of Mice and Men, Asking Alexandria] produce our record. Joey worked really hard and pushed us to be better along the way. His structures, dynamics and the way he can put electronics in a song is amazing to us. The hope is that the listening experience will be fun for people and that everyone can relate to our music. My ultimate goal is to be driving by someone who is listening to our album in his or her car.
Your album pre-order comes with a skeleton key. Is there any significance to that?
I love keys. I have a collection of keys and have a tattoo of a key. When I was younger I watched and read The Secret Garden and always wanted to find a key to a secret place. There is a key in all of us to unlock our potential as musicians.
Today, the Supreme Court ruled to legalize same-sex marriage? Where do you stand on the issue?
I think it’s a sigh of relief. Life should be about love. I have relatives and friends that are homosexuals. It should have been legal a long time ago. I feel marijuana should be legalized as well. I don’t smoke marijuana, but there are so many benefits involved, like CBD’s eliminating cancer cells for instance. People don’t take the time to get educated on certain topics; they only choose to blindly criticize things. I just hope that this ruling makes people happy because this country needs a boost in morale.
See Conquer Divide on July 22, 2015, at Ace of Spades as part of the All Stars Tour, which features Upon a Burning Body, Dance Gavin Dance, A Skylit Drive and many others. Tickets are $20 for this all-ages, all-day show that gets underway at 2 p.m. For more info, go to Aceofspadessac.com.
In a year full of ups and downs for Sacramento music venues, one iconic local club is about to get some proud new owners. Submerge has received word that Eric Rushing and Bret Bair (of the popular downtown venues Ace of Spades and Goldfield) are set to take over The Boardwalk, a legendary all-ages music club on Greenback Lane in Orangevale that has hosted some of the biggest names in the industry as well as countless locals since it opened in 1987. Local scene aficionados will know that Rushing has a long history with The Boardwalk. He steadily promoted shows there for 10 years (from 2001 to 2011) before opening Ace of Spades and later Assembly, which recently closed. Rushing granted us a rare interview to talk about his natural progression to taking over The Boardwalk, the future of the venue and what sort of local bands he’s looking for. Check out their new website for show listings and more information: Theboardwalkpresents.com
We’ve known ever since you guys decided to vacate Assembly that you’d be looking for another smaller size venue to complement the larger Ace of Spades. So our first question is simple: Why the Boardwalk?
It was a no-brainer for me because of my history there; however, we were really hoping to do something downtown to complement Ace and fill the void of Assembly going away. Even though The Boardwalk is located 20 to 30 minutes outside of the downtown area I still feel it’s in a great suburban area surrounded by a ton of high schools and endless potential. I’m actually really excited to do this again and already have some great shows in place for 2015.
Do you think it will be a challenge to sort of bring back the “glory days” when The Boardwalk was like the place for live music? Lately at least, it seems like a lot of Sacramento’s entertainment options have been focused on the grid. What does it take to get people to shows all the way out at The Boardwalk?
Definitely have our work cut out for us but we have a ton of great ideas to really put this place back on the map. There are a lot more people living in the grid these days, but a majority of the people are still coming from the ‘burbs anyway, so I’m not so worried about people not driving from downtown. We will make sure to put some shows in there that will get them out of the grid!
Same deal as usual as far as the live music program goes? A mix of national acts and local acts, right?
Correct. Same format I have used for years and same format we use at Ace.
At one point when we were last talking, you mentioned if this deal went through, you’d be possibly doing some renovations to the place. What sort of changes will people be able to notice at The Boardwalk right away, as well as in the distant future?
I can’t give away our secrets just yet, but it’s going to have a really cool vibe!
What will it take for local bands reading this to get a gig at The Boardwalk? What are you looking for in performers as far as sound, promotion, etc.?
Talented bands that actually get a crowd out to see them. It’s pretty simple, you just need to do the work and create a following. We are already booking shows for next year. Email us at Boardwalkpresents@gmail.com.
There has been a lot of commotion lately in the local scene with all of the venue closures. In your opinion, what does the state of Sacramento’s music scene look like to you right now?
There definitely needs to be more attention on the local music scene and the venues local bands can play. We’ll be giving a lot of them their shot here at The Boardwalk. Sacramento has always had a great scene. It just needs to be rebuilt, which we will be working on!
Set in the building that used to house Hamburger Patties at the corner of 17th and J streets, Goldfield Trading Post, Midtown Sacramento’s newest country/rock bar and music venue, is scheduled to host their grand opening the weekend of Aug. 1 and 2, 2014. The building, which has quite a bit of history behind it, is no stranger to live music. A long time ago it used to be Sam’s Hof Brau, a restaurant and bar by day that hosted live blues bands at night. Now in its newest incarnation, Goldfield will be opened and operated by a tried-and-true local team of business owners including Eric Rushing and Bret Bair from two of Sacto’s most successful music venues (Ace of Spades and Assembly), as well as Tyler and Melissa Williams of the popular Midtown barbecue joint Tank House. If there was ever a team that could transform that old funky space into a new successful venue/restaurant/bar, it’s definitely this group! On Friday, Aug. 1, 2014, Goldfield will host a live performance by Joey Hyde (this is a Jon Pardi afterparty, who is playing Ace that same night) and on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2014 they will have Deejay Silver (this one will be a Brad Paisley afterparty, who is playing Sleep Train Amphitheatre earlier that night). Both those shows are free, 21-and-over and get underway at 10 p.m. After those big parties on the grand opening weekend, you can look forward to regular happenings at Goldfield like their open mic nights on Mondays hosted by James Cavern, free line dancing lessons on Tuesdays hosted by Sarah Stokes, beer pong tourneys on Wednesdays and live country band karaoke on Thursdays. Welcome to the hood, Goldfield. We can’t wait to belly up to your bar! To learn more, visit Goldfieldtradingpost.com or Facebook.com/goldfieldtradingpost
YG, DJ Mustard
Ace of Spades, Sacramento • Tuesday, May 20, 2014
If the name YG doesn’t perfectly ring a bell and summon the image of a tall, skinny completely-tatted-from-the-torso-up MC from Compton, California, I don’t really blame you.
Unless you’re a regular hip-hop head or a longtime fan, it probably just sounds like another rapper confusable with other big names in the game—Tyga, Ty Dolla Sign, Yo Gotti, etc.—who might have had a club song you heard at one time which somehow became your go-to banger on your iPod one summer.
In case you need a refresher, YG is the “Toot It and Boot It” guy, but boy has he come a long way since then.
Whether you’ve realized it or not, YG the Young Gangsta has been putting out hits ever since his fame skyrocketed back in 2010. Most recently, he’s been getting a lot of airplay from his two newer singles “My Nigga” and “Who Do You Love?” off of his first studio album My Krazy Life, released March 18 of this year.
Following the release of the album, the Compton native has been on the road for his nationwide My Krazy Life Tour, having stopped by the capital city this past Tuesday, May 20, to pay his Sacramento fans a visit. Ace of Spades hosted two shows for Mr. G, both of which sold out long before the day of. Fans showed up by the hundreds (or should I say hunnids?) to see the West Coast icon perform.
I attended the second show that night, and I’m happy to say the experience—or at least YG’s set—was about the most fun I’ve had at a concert in a while.
It all started as I turned onto R Street at around 6:30 p.m. and noticed an already long line forming across the street from Ace of Spades, slowly creeping its way over to 14th.
By 6:45 p.m., the crowd from the first show was escorted out and security steadily ushered in the newcomers in waves.
Soon enough, everyone had flocked inside and gotten themselves settled, with people starting to squirm left and right in the sardine-like packed room. It wasn’t until about 8 p.m.—an hour after the show was scheduled to start—that the first of five openers took the stage and officially kicked things off.
With none of the openers being formally announced ahead of time, it seemed like they were just some unknowns filling in slots until DJ Mustard—YG’s beat partner in crime—could make an entrance and really spark some excitement.
Mustard shuffled through his playlist that featured songs such as Tyga’s “Rack City,” French Montana’s “Ain’t Worried About Nothin’” and Kendrick Lamar’s “M.A.A.d City,” at which point his goons came out and unloaded on the audience with Super Soakers. The crowd absolutely loved the gesture, desperately needing a boost from having to wait through so many uninspired opening acts.
After the water gun hijinx, a set piece was unveiled onstage resembling the facade of a suburban-looking house straight out of a hood in Compton—tagged up and all.
As the lights came down, the music for YG’s opening track “BPT” started to play. Everybody’s camera was raised high in anticipation ready to record, until finally YG stormed the stage through the house’s front door barking the lines, “Nigga I’m from BPT!” as everyone chanted with him and cheered.
The tone for the show was pretty much set after that. YG rifled through his set with a medley of songs from the album including, “I Just Wanna Party,” “Bicken Back Being Bool,” “Bompton” and “Really Be (Smokin N Drinkin),” not once losing an ounce of energy along the way.
He even touched on some older material from his mixtapes with songs like “B I T C H,” “Bitches Ain’t Shit,” “You Broke” and, of course, his hits “Up” and “Toot It and Boot It,” getting the entire room to dance and sing along.
Though his set was mostly wired with up-tempo dance beats, YG also had some surprisingly slower moments with songs such as “1AM,” “Me and My Bitch,” and a very intimate performance of “Sorry Momma.” These songs were a nice change of pace in the rotation, and very much appreciated by the crowd while they clapped out some of the beats and listened closely as he went a cappella a few times.
But in true YG fashion, the Young Gangsta couldn’t stay quiet for too long. Some of the show’s most notable moments were when he was at his most hyped: calling girls on stage, heading down into the front row, getting two girls to flash him and perhaps best of all, taking an Instagram picture with us as a final send-off.
YG finished his set with his two hottest singles, starting with “My Nigga” and closing with his verse from “Who Do You Love?” The echo of the crowd reciting that final verse with him could still be heard ringing even after everyone made their way out of Ace of Spades’ doors.
Jon Pardi
Ace of Spades, Sacramento
Saturday, April 19, 2014
I’ll start by noting that I spent the bulk of my 20s running in the opposite direction of mainstream country music. I’ve relaxed that stance a bit in recent years, but it’s still not my thing. Having said that, here’s why I spent a recent Saturday night at the Jon Pardi show at Ace of Spades.
I grew up in the Sacramento suburb of Winters, where Pardi’s band Northern Comfort was a staple of the downtown bar scene in the mid-‘00s. I played in a punk band around that time, and we often played those same bars, but to much smaller crowds and with much sloppier results.
I was drinking in one of those downtown dive bars when I first happened upon Northern Comfort. The band was fast, loose and rowdy. They delivered on all of the raw energy country had to offer, without the cookie-cutter corniness that tends to dominate the country charts. I loved it. Winters nightlife was exponentially better on nights when they played.
A year or so after that, the band broke up and Pardi set his sights on Nashville. Since then he’s come through Sacramento on occasion, and I’ve attended a few of the shows. The first was at JJ’s Saloon in Winters (now defunct, as Winters has replaced most of its dive bars with wine tasting rooms). Next was The Grad in Davis, followed by headlining gigs at the Dixon May Fair and Ace of Spades.
Fact: The headliners at the May Fair the previous year were Snoop Dogg and Larry the Cable Guy.
That’s a steep trajectory, and it’s extra impressive when you consider there are thousands of musicians just like Pardi trying to scrap their way to the top in Nashville as I type this.
Pardi has 112,000 Facebook “likes” and 27,000 Twitter followers, along with his own semi-vibrant hashtag: #PardiTime. It’s stamped all over his T-shirts and hats, and serves as a hub for all things Pardi-related on Twitter.
His last name is pronounced “PAR-TY,” and it happens to be entirely on brand with his image. That matters in Nashville, where every performer is playing a character. Pardi’s making his marketing team’s job very easy without even trying too hard.
The Ace of Spades show kicked off with a song called “What I Can’t Put Down,” which is also the first track from his new album, Write You a Song. It’s a lively country-rock song that revels in the difficulty that goes along with kicking your vices. The song celebrates the memories one can create while routinely fucking up, and it’s carried along by money lines like this: “The devil wears black and he goes by Jack and he’s really good at helping me forget.”
The song embodies the whole “devil on your left shoulder, angel on your right” scenario with simple perfection. As you listen, it’s clear you’ll be leaning in the direction of the devil on this particular night, but at least you’ll have the decency to feel bad about it tomorrow.
Fact: Five of the 11 songs on Pardi’s album directly reference or allude to alcohol. “What I Can’t Put Down” (Jack Daniels), “Up All Night” (eating jerky and drinking a 12-pack with some lady), “Trash a Hotel Room” (general partying), “Empty Beer Cans” (duh) and “When I’ve Been Drinkin’” (duh).
Pardi has already toured with some of the biggest names in country music, including Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley. He’s also opened for country icons like Alan Jackson and Dwight Yoakam. All four singles from his major label debut have cracked the Top 50 of Billboard’s Hot Country Song charts. He’s 28 years old. It’s not far fetched to speculate that he could be on the brink of something massive.
Back when Pardi was still local, I remember watching him play an unfamiliar, yet incredibly infectious song as I finished a beer before leaving the bar. I was standing next to the “stage,” so when he finished, I leaned in and asked him about the song. I had never formally met him, but I was curious about the song.
“It’s called ‘Wagon Wheel,’” he told me, and then explained that it was a Bob Dylan verse that a country band had expanded into a fully fleshed-out song. I went home and learned it, and played the shit out of it in the years that followed.
It was obscure then, but these days you can’t walk down the street without getting clubbed in the face by that song. That’s in part because Hootie covered it, but also because it’s just a really high-quality blend of simple chords and melody that grabs you on a visceral level.
That’s a quality that also exists in Pardi’s songs, and he was obscure a few years ago, too.
FallRise: Capitalizing on Moments & Seizing Opportunities
Since 2010, Sacramento’s FallRise have been turning heads with their unique brand of heavy rock. Starting out like any other band, guitarists Dave Gorman and Matt Thomas had the duty of finding local talent to round out their roster. They recruited powerhouse vocalist Sammy Karlin, bassist Anthony Grant and drummer Isaiah Abdul-Rahman into the fold. The group quickly realized the importance of having a sound work ethic and used this strength to write and structure material that would blend styles of fierce metal and catchy popular rock ‘n’ roll.
With a debut EP and full-length album already under their belts, FallRise have spent the better part of a year focusing on writing, recording and producing their new record, Territories. Drawing obvious comparisons to Pantera and Alice in Chains, the mere fact that FallRise possess the ability to play ferociously heavy metal and stripped-down alternative rock on the same record is quite impressive. The group has also had the luxury of performing with legendary groups Deftones, Stone Temple Pilots and Bush at the 2012 Aftershock Festival.
Though gaining much popularity in the last couple years, the group has remained humble, citing that they owe everything to the undying support of their fans, to whom they’ll be giving a long-anticipated album release show on Saturday, May 3, 2014, at Ace of Spades in Sacramento. Submerge had the pleasure of meeting with Gorman and Karlin to discuss the inception of the band, lessons learned in the studio and their future goals.
How did you begin to gain notoriety on a local level and how has work ethic gotten you to your current status?
David Gorman: Matt and I started the project in 2008 and went through so many musicians, finding a specific attitude and style. We were specific in finding the most dedicated individuals as possible. We debuted in Sacramento in 2010 and have worked tirelessly ever since. In order to get where we want to be, we have to keep the ball rolling as a unit and as individuals within the band. If there’s any stagnant time, depression sets in. We always set deadlines and goals for what we’re doing to prevent hopes and dreams from remaining on the shelf.
Sammy Karlin: We strive to rehearse three times a week for about three to four hours at a time, honing in our sound and polishing our craft. We devote time to the band on a daily basis by coming up with new musical ideas, ways to tighten our sound and methods of marketing our band.
At what point did FallRise start to realize its potential?
DG: I knew we had something good going when we went to play at the Cedarwood Saloon in Grants Pass, Ore. It was our first time playing out of state and played in front of people we’d never met or connected with on a personal level. We left it all out on the line and got a great response, especially after showcasing some new songs. The crowd was fully engaged and turned upside-down when we busted out a cover of “Walk” by Pantera.
How do you effectively promote your shows and keep the attention of your fans?
DG: We pound the streets, make phone calls, put fliers out and use Facebook. But I believe a key to our success is to remain exclusive by playing shows less frequently and not exploiting our fans. We believe that does happen with oversaturation to the point where your fans and friends aren’t going to want to tell you no, so we want to have mutual respect with by not taking advantage of people. So we try to book every four to six months in Sacramento. When I was a kid, going to shows was a mystical experience. Nowadays, you can get on the Internet and instantly check a show from any band. We strive to make our shows a special experience that leaves fans with a lasting impression.
What can listeners expect from upcoming album Territories?
DG: A great mix of heavy riffs and catchy melodies, similar to our first full length, Back From the Dead; but we’re much happier with the outcome of the new record. We recorded the drums at Pus Cavern with engineer Matt Hyde, who has an impressive resume of working with bands like Deftones, Slayer and No Doubt. We then went to Hyde’s studio in L.A. to cut a few of the singles and returned home to work on the rest of the album in our own studio. Once the recording was finished, we sent it to top dog David Bendeth to mix the album, who is known for his outstanding work of getting the drums to sound tip-top. All of us, especially Isaiah, were very stoked on the recording because of how huge the drums sound.
There is a goal to stay away from being cookie-cutter. We’re trying to round out a commercialized sound with a sense of taste and creativity. We feel as though the vast array of sounds and styles, from metal to alternative rock, will go a long way for how this record is received.
SK: We’re happy with every track on the new record. Some of the songs are heavy and true to our signature sound, but we’ve also explored some new territory, hence the album name.
What are your plans for promoting Territories?
DG: Our album release show is set for May 3 at Ace of Spades in Sacramento. We’re relentless with promoting our events, but try to remain as tactful as possible.
SK: We gave a promo copy to Andy Hawk from 98 Rock to pump it on the radio and get some feedback. The hope is that they’re not going to throw your record in the garbage. We also have a solid fan base in California and Oregon, so our plan is to make our way up and down the West Coast in support of the new record.
How have your loyal fans boosted the presence and morale of your band?
DG: We’ve been fortunate enough to have the help of our fans with selling tickets, promoting our shows and blasting our music. It may sound cliché, but we wouldn’t be anywhere near where we are now if it wasn’t for our fans voting us into playing the Aftershock Music Festival in 2012. Ever since that performance, we’ve had much more recognition and attention from radio stations and promoters. This was a great time for us to capitalize on the moment by seizing the opportunity.
Check out FallRise for their release show at Ace of Spades on May 3, 2014. Tickets are $12 – $25; doors open at 6 pm. For more info, visit Facebook.com/fallriserock.
Beats Antique plunges into a hero’s journey during their spring tour
To anyone who has a soft spot for mythology, Joseph Campbell’s monomyth (aka hero’s journey), belly dancing, electronic music, vaudeville or extravagant performance art—check out Beats Antique’s latest album. Better yet, go see them when they perform at Ace of Spades in April for their spring tour.
For those unfamiliar, Beats Antique is a sort of electro, experimental, tribal dance act founded within the creative core of the Bay Area. For the last seven years, the band has continued to birth explosive, beat-heavy albums, each intended to musically accompany the dance performances of Zoe Jakes, the band’s arresting frontwoman. If you’ve ever watched tribal fusion belly dancing, you might have watched it performed to the sounds of Beats Antique.
Now, Beats Antique is bringing Campbell’s epic monomyth to life via two albums. A Thousand Faces, Act I, was just released in fall 2013. A Thousand Faces, Act II will be available by the time their tour starts in late March.
The band used Campbell’s myth map as their guide. As far as conceptualizing the albums goes, “things just made sense,” Jakes says.
And, believe it or not, creating and producing a two-album interpretation of the hero’s journey—and choreographing an entire live performance to go with it—took the band just eight months.
Perhaps that isn’t all that surprising. David Satori, who plays anything from guitar and violin to the saz (a Turkish instrument), graduated from the California Institute of the Arts with a degree in music performance and composition. Tommy Cappel, who plays keys, bass and drums in the band, graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston with a degree in studio drumming. Jakes has been dancing since her mom forced her to take ballet at age 3, and picked up tribal fusion belly dancing in 2000. In addition to dancing, she plays the drums and is heavily involved in producing and arranging the band’s music. Performing is what these three know.
The band also pulled several musicians to collaborate with them on the first act, like Indian musician Alam Khan; Bay Area singer/songwriter Lynx; SORNE, of Austin, Texas; Micha and Leighton, of the Yard Dogs Roadshow; and Les Claypool of the Bay Area rock band Primus.
It was a collaborative effort with friends, really.
“We wanted to tip our hat to all those bands,” Satori says.
The band created each song to represent various parts of the hero’s journey.
For instance, “The underworld was very Balinese; it was the perfect thing for bringing a character into the underworld,” Jakes says.
She is referring to the track “Charon’s Crossing,” based on the Greek mythological character Charon. If you ever take a look at Michelangelo’s depiction of Charon in his fresco (mural) at the Sistine Chapel, you will see an intimidating character with a body builder’s physique, bulging eyes, clawed toes, pointy ears and a tuft of gray hair on his head. He is the boatman who ferries souls from the living world to the underworld, for the price of a coin.
“The imagery, and where we were going with it, is: ‘Charon’s Crossing’ is about the shamans asking the gods to take the character to the underworld,” Jakes explains. “This is what ‘Charon’s Crossing’ represents, for us, in the show.”
Though you wouldn’t expect it from a boat ride to Hades, this is arguably the most magical and uplifting song on the record. The song was composed using MIDI, and digitally recreating a gamelan—a set of inseparable Indonesian musical instruments (usually Balinese or Javanese) like xylophones, drums, gongs, chimes, bamboo flutes, metallophones and bowed instruments. It would have been impossible to acquire all these instruments, so the band downloaded samples of each instrument from a sample bank.
“We were fortunate enough to download really good samples,” Satori explains. “In order to get those instruments, it’s a really big production, and they’re really hard to find.”
“We used the traditional orchestra ensemble and the instrumentation of the orchestra, which is up to 40 people,” he adds.
Satori was first introduced to the gamelan-style while he was studying at the arts institute.
Just a song after “Charon’s Crossing” is “Doors of Destiny,” which feels a lot like walking into a nightmarish game show on acid, with a Vaudeville flavor. Of course, the effect is intentional. The game show element represents the multiple tests of the hero’s journey. It’s meant to feel chaotic, Satori says. Think Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum.
“I look at that as sort of where realities are all upside down,” he explains. “Everything’s sort of a game.”
“For the game show, we decided we wanted something that was really hook-y, that had that sort of cheesy circus quality to it,” Jakes adds, “so it made sense that we would bring in some of the elements of that Vaudeville sound.”
For this song, Jakes came up with the choreography before the music was ever made.
Look up the “Doors of Destiny” on YouTube, and you can get an idea of how this song might be executed live. After some theatrics, a young girl gets pulled onto the stage from the front of the crowd, where she remains, side-by-side with Jakes. A massive blow-up creature appears from behind, enveloping the two into chaos.
Live performances are always a unique experience, Jakes says. Ninety percent of the time, the band pulls someone onstage.
“Once in a while, someone is not happy about it,” she adds.
Act I is 10 songs that span just under 50 minutes. It ends right at the middle of the hero’s journey, in the abyss. Here the hero faces his or her darkest fear and greatest challenge.
Their spring tour will cover the entire journey: both acts one and two.
Beats Antique started out as a recording project in 2007. They had no intentions of becoming a full-fledged touring band. Fate, however, had another plan.
The three met in the Bay Area. Jakes and Satori became a couple, and eventually married. Jakes and Cappel were both in the Extra Action Marching Band, which Jakes sums up as crazy performance art, and Yard Dogs Road Show, a troupe of Vaudeville performers.
Meanwhile, Cappel had spent years messing around with electronic and hip-hop music.
“I was just into making beats and having fun,” Cappel recalls. “I didn’t have a goal.”
Eventually, the three had it in their minds to create a belly-dancing album meshing electronic and tribal music. Everything spiraled from there.
“It’s turned into a crazy, wild beast no one can tame,” Satori says.
Catch the spectacle that is Beats Antique live at Ace of Spades in Sacramento on April 2, 2014. The show starts at 6:30 p.m., and tickets are $22. You can purchase them in advance through Aceofspadessac.com.
Reverend Horton Heat’s Jim Heath sounds off on life as a career artist
I opened my interview with Jim Heath—better known as the Reverend Horton Heat—the same way I do every interview with a simple question.
“What are you up to today?”
It’s more of a question for me than it is for them. It gets me settled—because long phone conversations with rock stars make me nervous—and on some occasions, when they’re not just doing laundry or mired in a long press day, they’re up to something cool that we can go off-script and talk about.
But Heath isn’t a spring chicken. He’s been doing this rock ‘n’ roll business—and all the sundry things that go along with it—for almost 30 years now. He no doubt sniffed out my stalling tactic right away.
“I’m deep-sea fishing off the coast of Morocco,” he shot back without pause. “And if it’s nice, I’m going to go night-skiing on a moonlit mountain in Switzerland.”
He was joking, of course. In truth he was a bit under the weather at the time of our interview and just relaxing at home in Texas, but given Heath’s fiery music and onstage persona, you’d almost be inclined to believe that wild overseas excursions are par for the course.
“It’s a normal day for me,” he said with a laugh.
Night-skiing may not have been on the docket for that evening, but that doesn’t diminish the fact that Heath remains one of the coolest, most high-octane personalities in rock ‘n’ roll. And even though he’s a veteran on the scene, he and his band mates (Jimbo Wallace on stand-up bass and Scott Churilla on drums) seem to be turning back the clock on their latest album, Rev, which was released on Victory Records on Jan. 21, 2014.
His 11th studio album, Rev marks the glorious return of the Reverend Horton Heat you fell in love with in the mid-‘90s. Pedal-to-the-metal riffs mark the straightforward, brawny rocker “Smell of Gasoline,” whereas the album’s first single, “Let Me Teach You How to Eat,” rips and roars with more of a sly smile, bouncy rhythm and innuendo-laden lyrics.
Rev is sort of an oddity for a band that has so much history: it’s an album that will appeal to longtime fans of the band, and certainly open the door to new ones. In fact, it’s the highest charting album of the band’s career, having reached No. 111 on the Billboard Top 200.
In the following interview, Heath filled Submerge in on Rev’s intentionally long recording process and reflected on what got him started down the path of a rebel rock ‘n’ roll icon in the first place.
Did you ever expect to have this long of a career in music?
On one hand, yeah, I never expected it, but on the other hand, when I was a kid…I was a rock ‘n’ roll kid. I would listen to Black Sabbath and Alice Cooper or whatever, but then all of a sudden this blues thing hit me and I started to realize all of those guys were career artists. The more I got into roots music and country, I saw people like Willie Nelson who even then—this is going back to the ‘70s—my assessment of Willie Nelson was that he had a long, lifetime career…and the thing is, he’s still going! And the same with B.B. King…that was my assessment of him back then, that he was a career artist. And B.B. King is still out there. In that respect, it kind of makes sense, but to actually have it work out this way is a real blessing.
Congratulations are in order. I read that Rev is your highest charting album of your career.
Well, I appreciate that and Victory is going to be a good thing for us, because they’re doing a really good job, but looking at the numbers isn’t something that’s a good thing for a person like me to do. I’ve gotta focus on writing songs and playing guitar. Starting to look at those types of numbers forces my music into areas that it shouldn’t be.
I could completely go and make some kind of an album that would be bigger than any of my other stuff, but it would be real schmaltzy and full of a lot of cover songs and over-produced and all that stuff. I want to stick with what Reverend Horton Heat does. We’ve got something more important than us going out and having some hit songs.
Your last studio release was in 2009. Can you talk a little bit about how Rev came together and the writing process behind it?
Our last album was called Laughing and Crying with the Reverend Horton Heat. It was supposed to be a straight country album. It leaned really country, but that was on purpose. In Texas we get called to play these well-paying gigs to play the country side of Reverend Horton Heat, and that was kind of a nod to those gigs we were getting. But we’re a rock ‘n’ roll band, and we just wanted to get back to faster, uptempo, rock ‘n’ roll stuff and rockabilly-influenced rock ‘n’ roll stuff that we did in the mid-‘90s.
We got to a juncture there where we didn’t know what label [we’d end up on]. We were on Yep Roc, but they weren’t offering much money, because the way things are going now, all these great bands are able to record themselves and get great results. We got some equipment to record ourselves…we were already starting the album anyway, then we all of a sudden started talking to Tony [Brummel, founder and CEO] from Victory, and it we got on [the label]. So we had a little more money to play with. There’s a few songs and segments of songs that we did in a commercial studio, but by and large, most of that album was recorded in our rehearsal space.
Rev really captures what it’s like to experience the band live. Did that come from recording most of it in your rehearsal space?
I think it has to do with I’ve been recording a long time, and I basically know it should be a good representation of my vocal part, my guitar part, and Scott and Jimbo’s parts and their background vocals. As long as it’s a good representation of that, we can add some little things here and there, but not too much, because that’s not really being true to our sound. Of course, I’m a rockabilly so I like my slap-back echo and my reverb. That’s very much a ‘50s and ‘60s kind of vibe. We don’t necessarily go for that, but that reverb and echo is kind of authentic as a live sound a little bit.
Do you enjoy the recording process?
I really enjoyed this last one because it was all me. I would go up there at all hours of the night and the morning and all sorts of times and noodle around and write. The guys would come in and we’d play. That process went on for about a year—or six months—I kind of liked that, because even if we’ve got a big budget and went into a studio, there’s still a limited time you’re able to do that. If you’re on a really big budget, you might be able to lock out a studio for a month. That’s really expensive…especially a really high-profile one. Locking out a studio in Los Angeles for a month and staying out there and all that, it’s very, very expensive.
And it’s still limited time. A month isn’t really that long, because you’ll go in there and work on your 15 songs, and you may have two days or a day for each song, and so that’s not really that good. On this album, there were several songs that we recorded, we cut and then we’d listen to them for four weeks and say, “We’re doing that song too fast. It needs to be a little bit more heavy,” or something like that. There are several songs we re-cut four times. On a big budget, when you’re locking out a big studio, you don’t have time to do stuff like that. In a way, low budget for us gave us more of a chance to create, so we could get it right. When you’re in a studio, you have one chance to get it right. Being able to redo something four or five times was really cool.
Are you the kind of person who goes back over your older work and wish you’d done it a different way?
Oh yeah, I’m totally like that. But in all honesty, when I go back and listen to our old albums, it’s kind of better than I remember. I’m like, “Oh wow, we were pretty good.” But then I still hear the certain mistakes that are still there.
When you unveil new material to an audience, is it still exciting for you or does it make you anxious?
Yeah, it’s pretty nervewracking. A band like us that’s had a lot of CDs, our fans who paid the ticket price want to hear the songs that made them like us when they saw us live 20 or 25 years ago. We try to play a little bit of songs off of each album, but it gets harder and harder. Then you throw in the new stuff…that’s the good news for us right now. Our new stuff is getting accepted better than it has since the mid-‘90s. It’s got to be really frustrating for some of these older artists—older than us, like the Stones—who’ll spend a lot of money and time to record a new album and go on tour and only be able to play one song or the max two off the new album. Of course, we’re not in that position…but that’s one of the challenges for a career artist, getting that new stuff in there.
Get ready to get your faces melted as the Reverend Horton Heat is coming to town on March 30, 2014 at Ace of Spades. Nekromantix, Deke Dickerson and Infamous Swanks will take the stage in support. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at Aceofspadessac.com.
