Not a lot of bands travel between gigs and high school, but the 21st Century Fugitives do.
Vocalist John Lucas, 15, guitar player Jimmy Bezreh, 15, bass player Jaden Mendola, 16, keyboardist Jackson Kehoe, 15, and drummer Gavin Burke, 14, make up the Boston based band known as the 21st Century Fugitives.
Since their start in 2011, the boys have grown, quite literally. At the time of the band’s creation, the oldest member was only 13 years-old. Now, all the bandmates are in their teens and continuing to prove that age doesn’t matter when it comes to playing pure rock and roll.
For the Fugitives, the difficult balancing act between music and school hasn’t hindered their success. Just in the last month the 21st Century Fugitives opened for the Dropkick Murphys at the House of Blues in Boston and won “Young Performer of the Year” at the 6th Annual Limelight Magazine Music Awards held on March 22 at South Shore Music Hall in Quincy, Mass.
Playing their music at the House of Blues in Boston for the Dropkick Murphys concert was an experience Lucas described as “unreal.” The band also had the opportunity to meet the lead singer of the Dropkick Murphys, Ken Casey, and even used some of the band’s equipment.
“I actually got to use [Casey’s] monitor pack” Lucas said. “I remember thinking to myself, I’m using Ken Casey’s monitor pack at the House of Blues, how can this get any more weird.”
Along with their performance at the House of Blues the 21st Century Fugitives were surprised and elated to win “Young Performer of the Year” on March 22nd.
“Some of the other people nominated were also really good,” Mendola said. “We were the youngest band, so we had that going against us.”
When they won, Lucas said, they didn’t even realize their name was called.
“When they pointed to us that was really a shock,” Lucas said.
Earlier this year, the Fugitives also released a new album aptly titled Regret Nothing. The album, which consists of seven tracks, was released on December 2013 with the help of Taylor Barefoot of Boston, who recorded the album with the Fugitives.
“Recording the album was really fun,” Lucas said. “[Barefoot] let us mess around a bit and experiment.”
Some of their experimentation for the album included playing a 12 string guitar in one of their songs and it seems their experimentation and passion paid off by gaining them national attention for some of their original songs including “Balls to the Wall” and “Epic Fail.”
The Fugitives already plan on releasing a new album sometime around September 2014, Lucas said. In the meantime, they’re spending their free time writing and practicing at their band space in Wakefield, Mass., with their manager and mentor Billy Jenks. The writing process for each song is collaborative and each member brings something unique to the band’s sound. Influenced by each of their individual music tastes, the boys are able to incorporate the best of hard rock, classics, and even the blues.
Bezreh’s inspirations include Stevie Ray Vaughn, Slash, and blues guitar, while Mendola is influenced by the opposite.
“I try to bring an old school vibe and a heaviness to the band,” Mendola said.
Other influences they listed include The Beatles, Lenny Kravitz, and Eddie Vedder.
Consisting of four talented musicians who joined forces in Los Angeles, California, Gundriver is a rip-roaring, all gas-no brakes rock ‘n’ roll band who are influenced by Black Sabbath and AC/DC. The band recently released their debut album No. 1, which was recorded in less than three weeks. The album features nine tracks, comprised of the four basic elements that make up all great rock music: riffs, grooves, thunderous beats and soaring vocals. They are currently on the road supporting Michael Schenker on most dates of his Bridge the Gap tour. We recently checked in with Tom Potter, the band’s founder and guitarist, who was gracious enough to answer our questions while on the road.
Limelight Magazine (LM): You’re currently on the road supporting the legendary Michael Schenker. How’s the tour going so far?
Tom Potter (TP): The tour’s going great! It’s a real pleasure to be out on the road with such a great group of professionals, and we’re enjoying watching Michael Schenker perform every night. Can’t say enough about the experience.
LM:Were you fans of Michael Schenker prior to going on this tour?
TP: Definitely! But, I can personally say that I really enjoy live music and getting to watch one of rock’s great guitar players perform every night has been one heck of an experience. We’re all bigger fans now! Michael’s playing is brilliant and [vocalist] Doogie [White] sounds like a million dollars – those guys are the real deal!
LM:You’ve received a lot of positive feedback on several social media sites about your live performances. What do you like most about performing live on stage?
TP: That’s great to hear! Rock ‘n’ roll is a real organic thing and the connection with fans live is what we’re after. Even though we’re all very proud of our first album, we think that our music translates live even better than in the studio and we love being able to bring it to people who love rock.
LM:Who came up with the name of the band? Why was Gundriver selected?
TP: I came up with the name, or actually took it from my time in the Army flying apaches. It’s a term used for people who fly gunships – and after going through the trademarking/domain name search it fit best.
LM: You’re music is heavily influenced by bands such as AC/DC and Black Sabbath. What are some of the other bands that inspire you?
TP: Zeppelin, Pantera, Metallica, Megadeth, Guns N’ Roses – Jimmy Page had a huge impact on me with regards to song structure and the concept of tension and release so that’s evident in some of the songs. Stevie Ray Vaughn basically taught me to play the guitar, even though it was only through his music I learned how really digging into the guitar can bring out the various colors the instrument has to offer – the growls and screams if you will.
LM: Your debut album Gundriver No. 1 was released a couple of months ago. How long did it take you to make the record? Are you pleased with the finished product?
TP: It took us six weeks of writing, rehearsing and recording to get it completed. Those sessions took place in February and June of 2013 in Los Angeles. It was a really cool experience, basically to start things out [vocalist] Scott [Siegel], [bassist/vocalist Crazy] Tomes [and I would work out the basic song sections and vocal arrangements in Scott’s living room. After that, the songs got the final treatment when Alex [Rivas] brought drums into the mix – which usually included some final arrangements; for instance, the bass/drum solo section in “Nothing to Lose” was developed by Alex and Tomes in rehearsals only several days before we went into the studio and it came out great.
We’re pleased with it – obviously your first album teaches you quite a bit from the writing, arranging, recording and producing perspective, so, even though we love it, I would just expect things to get better as we progress.
LM: Do you have any favorite songs off of it? What makes them your favorite?
TP: [We] all [like] “Against the Darkness.” There’s a funny story attached to that one. Tomes, Scott and I were writing at his house and I had recorded the main riff and we were listening to it. Scott fell asleep on the couch and, while he was racked out, Tomes came up with that amazing vocal line and I wrote the lyrics while listening to the basic vocal line. As the song went through the rehearsal/recording process it just got better. We all are really proud of it.
LM: The song “Outta My Head” from this album was picked up by the Local MusiCafe on WMVY radio that airs on Tuesday nights from 9 – 10 p.m. Since you’re a California band, how do you feel about it being picked up by a Massachusetts station located across the country?
TP: It’s great that anyone would play our music and we’re appreciative of that anywhere it occurs. Scott’s the only Californian in the band, I’m a Virginian, Alex is from Illinois and Crazy Tomes is from Israel. L.A. is great place to make a rock record and it’s where we all met, and since we travel so much it’s what we’re currently claiming as home.
LM: What are your plans after the tour ends?
TP: Sleep, and then get back to writing songs. We have a few in the can for our next album and want to push forward towards a strong follow up to No.1.
LM: How can fans purchase your music?
TP: It’s available on a wide variety of digital platforms such as iTunes, Amazon.com, etc., or you can pick up a CD at one of the shows!
LM: Is there anything you’d like to add for anyone reading this?
TP: We’re really glad to see firsthand that the rock n roll public is still very supportive of the genre and we’re having a blast supporting Michael Schenker on this tour – don’t miss it!
Jordan Paiva, of Dartmouth, Mass., is a 21-year-old musician and DJ who is living the dream. Since he was 11, he has been singing and teaching himself to sing in different languages. For many years, his idol was Josh Groban who he listened to for inspiration. In November 2011, he had the opportunity of a lifetime when Groban asked Paiva to come on stage with him and sing “You Raise Me Up” in front of thousands of people at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, R.I. He also runs a successful DJ business called Music of Our Lives. We recently caught up with Pavia who was gracious enough to answer our questions.
Limelight Magazine (LM): Please introduce yourself to our readers. Where did you grow up and when did you decide to get involved in the music business?
Jordan Paiva (JP):My Name is Jordan Paiva. I’m 21 years old. I was born in the Azores, which means I am 100% Portuguese. I have always been an entertainer ever since I was a little boy, but I started to grow into classical music and opera when I was just 11 years old. Classical music is now one of my biggest genres of music that I sing.
LM: On your last CD, you have a song that you sung in Italian, how many languages do you speak?
JP: On my first album called AMOR I sing in Italian and Latin as well as English, but I only speak English. I enjoy learning different languages when singing and that is one of my biggest hobbies. I am proud to say that I can sing in English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, and Latin.
LM: You also won an award last year at the Portuguese Music Awards that were held in New Bedford. What award did you receive? How did you feel after receiving it?
JP: Back in February winning the award for BEST CLASSICAL MUSIC was absolutely SHOCKING! I never thought that in front of the whole Portuguese community around the globe that I would have won that award! It was such an honor and I cannot wait for next year! It made my Portuguese family proud that someone with NEW TALENT would take the award for such a beautiful song in Italian!
LM: According to your Facebook page, your next studio album is coming out in 2014. Have you begun recording the album yet? What can we expect?
JP: The next album that I will be releasing in 2014 is called International. This album is going to be my biggest challenge yet. I will begin recording in October. Facing the challenge of squeezing six languages (English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, and Latin) and the right songs to be “internationally” known for singing in the most popular languages so that I can one day perform them for different cultures.
LM: Do you plan to record the songs for your new album with a band?
JP: The music that each track comes from is beautifully made through different orchestras recorded then I sing to the music. I hope to one day get to record with an actual orchestra in the studio.
LM: Although it’s been covered already by local news outlets, you had the opportunity of a lifetime when you were asked by Josh Groban to come on stage and sing “You Raise Me Up” with him at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, RI, in November 2011. How did you get that chance? What was that experience like? Was that the largest crowd you ever sang in front of?
JP: Back in November of 2011, I attended a Josh Groban concert who is one of my BIGGEST IDOLS!! They had a Q&A section where you could ask Josh any question you wanted. So, at 19 years old, I told myself that I wanted to SING with my idol Josh Groban. Shortly after the last question out of 50,000 people, my question was answered with a YES!! The experience was more than overwhelming. I couldn’t stop smiling for the longest time. My DREAM had come true and to sing in front of all those people was my biggest audience yet and the crowd went WILD! I wasn’t nervous I was extremely happy! Hope to do it again at his next concert in October 2013 at the TD Garden in Boston.
LM: Other than Josh Groban, what other artists do you listen to for inspiration?
JP: Other than Josh Groban I enjoy singing classical music from Andrea Bocelli, Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra, Elton John, Elvis Presley, Nat King Cole and so much more to go on!
LM: You also run a DJ business and have quite a following. How did you get involved with that? What do you enjoy about that type of work?
JP: Being a DJ is a fun job. When people book their parties with me, they don’t just get a DJ that stands behind his table and presses play…they get an entertainer!! I get out there and I dance with the crowd, teach them some new dances and get everyone active and playing games and making it a never ending party of FUN! So if anyone ever needs a fun and outgoing DJ they can always visit us at www.musicofourlives.us.
LM: Where would you like to see yourself in the next five years?
JP: In the next five years I hope to have the world know my story and how much passion I have in my music and my singing!
LM: How can our readers reach out to you?
JP: I can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JordanPaiva247 or as a DJ by going to www.musicofourlives.us. People can also go to www.reverbanation.com and search “Jordan Paiva” where they can buy my album. If they get bored one day, they can go to YouTube and key in “Jordan Paiva” and they’ll have over 400 videos to watch.
With music as fresh as the vegetables she harvests, local singer-songwriter and organic farmer Hayley Sabella is proving her “farm fingers” are just as good at strumming a guitar as they are at picking tomatoes.
Bright and cheerful, Sabella seems to have the unlikely rough edge you’d expect from a farmer, but Sabella isn’t afraid to roll up her sleeves and get her hands dirty, which she has done now for three summers. Alongside her music, Sabella works at both Holmes Farm in Manomet, Mass. and Soule Homestead in Middleboro, Mass.
On August 3, Sabella took a break from farming and played an intimate outdoor concert alongside local singer-songwriter Hayley Reardon at the Homestead. Seeing her perform at the farm where she works, it was clear where Sabella’s music gets its raw, honest quality.
“It was cool to look around and see [Soule Homestead] in a different context…it definitely cast the place in a different light,” she said.
Although farming began as a seasonal job while she was an English major at Bridgewater State University, it has become a passion and inspiration for her. This inspiration can be heard in her 2012 EP Farm Fingers.
Along with playing intimate local venues and house shows, Sabella is preparing to record her first full length album to be titled King Solomon, after one of her songs on her Farm Fingers EP.
In October, Sabella will travel to Minot, Maine, to record for the second time with Josh Ray at Owl Head Studios.
“I want to invite a lot of friends to come up and play their instruments and I think overall it’s going to be great and people are going to want to see what it’s like,” Sabella said.
To fund the album and a “behind the scenes” documentary, Sabella said she plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign.
“I’m looking for minimally $10,000,” Sabella said. “I want to record the record and also hire a film crew to document it because it’s in the middle of the woods…and it’s going to be a really cool process.”
In the meantime, Sabella is playing around three shows a week at intimate venues throughout New England, including Sarah Blacker’s upcoming CD release concert at Club Passim in Cambridge, Mass., on August 22, 2013, at 7 p.m.
“[Blacker’s] delightful – she’s just such a nice, warm person,” Sabella said.
Along with encouragement and advice, Sabella said Blacker has helped to introduce her into the music community in Boston. After the projected release of King Solomon in February 2014, Sabella hopes to tour and spread her roots even “further and wider”.
“I’m very excited and I’m pleased that I am so busy, it means I’m on the right track,” she said.
Brianna Grace is singer-songwriter from Middleboro, Mass., who is making a name for herself in the country music scene across New England. She was voted by our readers as runner-up “Country Artist of the Year” and will be opening for Jonathan Edwards at the Cotuit Center for the Arts on July 13th and Scott McCreery (for a second time!) at Indian Ranch in Webster, Mass., on August 10th. We recently caught up with Ms. Grace who was delighted to answer our questions.
Limelight Magazine (LM): You’re in the process of recording your debut album. Can you tell us how it’s going?
Brianna Grace (BG): The process is coming along well! It’s exciting to see something that started with my guitar develop into a full-grown album. The plan is to record the tracks by the end of summer and release the album sometime in the early fall. If things continue at the rate they are going, I’ll get to share many more of my original songs with everyone!
LM: Are you recording the songs solo or with a band?
BG: On the album I will be performing with a wonderfully talented group of musicians. In the future I might include acoustic songs on an album, or even release strictly an acoustic album, but until then anyone interested can listen to my YouTube videos.
LM: How do you select musicians to record with you? Do they have any input on the songs?
BG: I work with my producer to decide which musicians. I’m always open to new ideas that can potentially improve my material – so yes! They can have input if they’d like to throw ideas out there. At the end of the day, however, it’s about what sounds the best and what best represents me and who I am as an artist.
LM: Can you discuss your own personal song-writing process?
BG: More often than not, I tend to write the words before the music or melody. However, sometimes I’ll surprise myself and create the song’s melody before I even have completed lyrics. From the time I was in elementary school, I loved writing poems. When I reached middle school, my enjoyment with poem writing became a love for song-writing thanks to guitar lessons. Now, I write anywhere and everywhere. I always try to keep my songwriting book with me wherever I go, just in case. On the off chance I don’t have my book with me, I will use available notebooks, random pieces of paper, post-it notes, or my phone…you name it in order to jot my ideas down. It doesn’t really matter where I am. If it pops into my head, I write it down, or even hum a melody into the voice recorder on my phone to keep it for future editing. Sometimes an entire song comes easily from one concept—and other times a song could take months to write, having come from different concepts and ideas I’ve had lying around. It’s all up to the moment and the song.
LM: How did you feel about being named runner-up “Country Artist of the Year” at our annual awards show this year?
BG:I honestly feel beyond honored to have received such recognition. I really wasn’t expecting such a humbling nomination! I was taken aback when my name was announced. There are so many other talented artists in this industry, and to be placed amongst so many of those artists was such a fantastic feeling. I can’t thank my fans enough for their love and support. It feels great to know that there are so many people who support me and my music. My fans are truly amazing and I’m very grateful for that.
LM: You’ve done some appearances on local radio stations. Do you like promoting your music on the radio?
BG: I love radio appearances! It’s definitely a different type of performance and experience. I am not usually in front of many people—just a handful at most are actually sitting or standing near you. But playing on the radio has the potential for many people listening. You never really know exactly how many, or WHO could be listening. I think that’s what’s even more exciting about it. Knowing that there’s the potential that what seems like such an intimate and simple performance can in reality reach and impact a huge amount of people. And you never know what that could lead to.
LM: What do you enjoy most about performing live on stage?
BG: It’s hard to pinpoint just one thing. Live performances are exciting, invigorating. It’s a chance to connect with your fans on a more personal level than just pressing play on a stereo. It’s raw and unpredictable. Plus, being able to see and hear the reactions from the crowd is an adventure within itself. Live performances push me to put forth my absolute best—to give well beyond 100 percent during every second of the show. Part of that is because I know that the people in front of me took the time out of their life to come and support me, so I want to thank them the best way that I can and make it worth it. Performing is like being in a different world. I know everyone says that, but I have to agree. It just seems natural and I go into some kind of zone. When I perform, I am completely comfortable with who I am—with the steps that I take and the things that I say. I believe in the things I sing about. I sing about things that I can connect to (and that hopefully the audience can as well)—whether that means it is about something I went through or something I saw someone I love endure. If I believe in it, I’ll put my all into it.
LM: You opened for Scott McCreery at Indian Ranch last July. What was that experience like?
BG: That experience was, for lack of a better word, surreal. It was more than I thought it would be, and after it was over left me wanting more as well. The venue seats a couple thousand people, making it the biggest audience I have performed in front of in New England. The calibers of response from audience members at this specific show definitely reminded me why I do what I do and why I want this so much.
LM: You were recently involved with a recording of “Dirty Water” to support the One Fund Boston. How did you get involved and what was it like working with so many talented musicians?
BG: This project was somewhat of a spur of the moment thing. My friend Dave DeLuca from the Highway Ghosts contacted me asking if I wanted to be a part of this project that the band Girls Guns and Glory was putting together. Obviously, I jumped at the chance. There were about 40 of us packed into producer Sean McLaughlin’s studio. It was one of the most memorable moments of my career to date. Seeing so many musicians from New England all come and work together for one cause was awe inspiring. There was so much talent in one place that day and it truly shows how the many diverse members of the music community can unite and create something worthy of a noble cause. (Purchase their version of “Dirty Water” at www.onesession.bandcamp.com).
LM: Why did you decide to pursue a career in music and focus on country music?
BG:Music has always been a terrific outlet for me, and has helped me through many of life’s ups and downs. The power that music has for people is also inspirational. Music, even one simple song, is something that can create a movement, a memory, an emotion, and in general just bring people together during good times, or even bad (such as the “Dirty Water” project). Music is such a huge part of my life and it’s what I love to do, so it only made sense to have it be my career as well. As far why I chose to focus on country music? I guess it more so chose me. I grew up with it. From the time I was four years old, I would ride around in my Dad’s truck blasting George Straight or Martina McBride. I love all kinds of music, but country is what I always go back to. It’s the most natural for me.
LM: Who are some of your biggest influences?
BG: To start, of course, I admire fellow artists who I have grown up listening to such as George Straight, Garth Brooks, Martina McBride, Shania Twain, Faith Hill…the list goes on. But I believe that many more musicians have made an impact as well. I have learned so much from working with all different types of musicians and artists from different levels and genres. The influence that goes the furthest back in my life, though, is my Mom. She has always had a passion for music and performing and that was instilled in me at an extremely early age (as in, banging on pots and pans as a drum set and running around with a toy microphone once I realized my vocal chords could do more than just talking!).
LM: What sets you apart from other local musicians?
BG: The amount of talented musicians in this world, even in this community alone, is remarkable. Being able to be a part of all of it is an honor. When it comes to making a name for one self, recognition takes time and is based upon multiple things. The experience you give the audience has to be a memorable one. Sure, I sing and play guitar. Yes, I write my own material. But I also really put effort into the live performances and the experience that my audience has during the show. One night at a gig someone actually made a comment to me about how I, in a sense, even became part of the audience because of my persona on stage (and on the dance floor with them), and how fun they thought it was. That stuck with me. I also try to personally speak with audience members when I can. My songs and style take a classic genre and add a modern twist to it, which appeals to music lovers of more than just one preference, as well as age groups. And at the end of the day, I love what I do. Music is my passion, and my determination and drive to also have it be my lifetime career is at an ultimate high.
LM: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
BG: There’s not much else to say, except thank you for giving me such an opportunity, and thank you to my fans, friends, and family for such wonderful and continuous support. Without any of you, I wouldn’t be able to have any of this or do what I do.
(This story was taken from the summer 2013 issue of Limelight Magazine).
For over ten years, Joe Froias, Kevin Patrick Nunes, and Derek Brasseur have rocked New Bedford, Mass. Growing up in the city, they experienced every aspect of their hometown from the historic storefronts to the more notorious dark corners. Every aspect seems to seep into their music. Even their name was inspired by the city.
While learning The Ramones song “53rd and 3rd,” about the historically notorious part of New York known for prostitution, they realized New Bedford had its own 53rd and 3rd: Weld Square.
Today, what was once a historic part of New Bedford with cobblestone streets and thriving storefronts is mostly paved over by Route 18. Yet what makes this slice of New Bedford infamous is the debauchery and sin that thrives in the shabby taverns and alleyways. This inspired the band to call themselves by the same name. In their music is the grit of Weld Square.
While Weld Square is a local band, their sound encompasses everything from heavy stuff to candlelight dinners, Froias said, perhaps half joking about the candlelight dinners. Like their 2012 EP Femme de Maison, their first full length album Capricious Youth should have something for everyone.
“The music is inspired by the Ramones, The Beatles, and terrible traffic,” Froias said.
Right now the band is tightening up loose screws on Capricious Youth, which will likely be released by early fall. They recorded the album locally at Elm Street Studios in New Bedford, the same studio they recorded Femme de Maison. They already have enough songs written for two more albums and they’re constantly rehearsing and writing new music. After the release of Capricious Youth, they plan to start recording another album.
“It’s a spark of an idea in our head that we lay down on record,” Froias said. “It’s really interesting to see it form and bring it to life.”
Music has always been an artistic outlet for Froias, Nunes, and Brasseur and a great way to get out road rage, Froias added in jest.
Their passion for music started at an early age and their influences stemmed from an appreciation for heavy rock bands like Metallica and punk rockers like The Ramones.
In fact, singer and guitar player Joe Froias’ introduction to music started with Metallica. When he was five years old his sister brought him along to a Metallica concert and later to Iron Maiden and then The Ramones when he was 14. Punk rock music really shook it all up for him, he said. Soon after he started singing in bands and six years ago he taught himself guitar.
Drummer Derek Brasseur’s love for music also began when he was young. When he was eight years old, he got his first drum kit and before that he was playing on tables. The first CDs that really stuck out to him were Jimi Hendrix, Metallica’s And Justice For All, and early Pantera. In the fifth grade, he met Kevin Patrick Nunes who lived on the same street and shared similar tastes in music. It wasn’t until a high school music theory class that Nunes met Froias.
After the coincidental meeting, the three started playing together. Nunes started playing the bass at 14, driven by his bandmate’s passion.
“My sole drive to get into music was these guys,” he said. “I wanted to be a part of the band.”
They’ve played music together for over ten years now and no Yoko Onos or melodramatic guitar players have torn them apart.
“The three of us stuck through with everything,” Nunes said.
The hardest obstacle they face is the local market, which leans more favorably towards cover bands.
“It’s tough ‘cause we want to rock — we want to play our own music,” Froias said.
When they were teenagers in the 90s, the band began by learning and playing covers of Ramones songs. While they still have some covers in their sets, their passion is to play their original music.
“We’re an original rock band and we want to tear everyone’s face off,” Nunes said.
The only thing they’re missing now is human interaction and they’re looking for a greater audience. With no thanks to technology, the band members hope Weld Square can make a better connection with their listeners and inspire a new generation with dirty Rock n’ Roll.
“Unplug from the digital world for a little while and come out and rock out with us and have a good time,” Froias said.
Those who aren’t afraid to unplug can experience Weld Square this summer without having to sit in traffic at All About Records in Taunton, Mass., at the end of June and the Whaling City Festival in July.
(This story was taken from the summer 2013 issue of Limelight Magazine.)
Guitarist Rich Antonelli didn’t know much about Crohn’s Disease until his now 10-year-old daughter was diagnosed three years ago. While there is no cure, he aims to raise funds and awareness to combat the illness through his first solo album, Voiceless, a guitar-based instrumental CD.
“I’m not a doctor or someone in the medical field that can help her, but I can try to do something as a musician,” said Antonelli, who plans to donate 100 percent of the net proceeds to the Pediatric GI Department at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, R.I., where his daughter is treated. “This is my way of contributing and saying thanks to the great staff at Hasbro.”
Crohn’s, an inflammatory bowel disease that impacts the gastrointestinal tract, causing pain, weight loss and other complications, affects more than 500,000 Americans. With treatment, as well as a restricted diet, Antonelli’s daughter is able to attend school regularly and take figure skating lessons a few times a week.
“She doesn’t make a big deal about it,” he said. “She likes the CD and knows I’m giving the money to Hasbro.”
The album was released April 23 and features 10 tracks, plus one bonus song. According to Antonelli, a guitarist for Bon Jersey, a Bon Jovi tribute band, it is influenced by 80s rock and infused with a few modern touches. He said it isn’t the prototypical guitar instrumental album.
“If you listen to Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Yngwie Malmsteen, who I love, you know they’re playing to a certain audience and I wanted my music to reach all types of people,” Antonelli said. “I’m not playing one thousand miles an hour or a million notes a minute in one song; I tried to write a lot of melodic hooks.”
He began writing in August and started the recording process in October after launching a fundraiser campaign, collecting more than $1,000 in the form of donations from friends and fans, as well as pre-orders for the album.
A few friends also donated their time, including Chris Longo, who played drums on the album.
“He had a set up at his house and we ran his electronic drum kit into his computer and it triggered drum sounds from other different programs to get a good sound,” said Antonelli. “The drums ended up being the way I wanted them to be.”
Aside from help with drums, Antonelli recorded the entire album on his laptop, laying down guitar, bass and keyboard tracks at his Rhode Island home. At one point, he propped his amplifier in the bathroom to create a better sound.
“I ran the cables from the bathroom to my office, shut all the doors and it gave it a nice, natural reverb sound,” he said.
But setting up and disassembling everyday became a hassle. For the rest of the album, he used a Kemper Profiling Amplifier, a gadget that allowed him to create and record samples, as opposed to a modular pre-programmed with guitar riffs.
“I wanted to do the whole thing myself,” said Antonelli. “This is a project that I’m doing for my daughter and Hasbro and I wanted it to be me.”
Since releasing the album, Antonelli has raised nearly $2,000. He’s been selling albums through his website, as well as at Bon Jersey shows. Signed CDs are also available.
Prior to joining Bon Jersey about seven years ago, Antonelli was a founding member of $kyhigh, an original rock band conceived in the 1990s. They opened for headliners like Warrant, Cinderella, Quiet Riot, Great White, Sebastian Bach and C.C. DeVille, and released an album that achieved international success.
Still, he views Voiceless as his biggest accomplishment.
“I’ve put out CDs in the past with my bands, shared the stage with a who’s who of 80s rock and played some pretty big venues,” Antonelli wrote in a guest blog published in May by Infectious Magazine. “But this CD is what I’m most proud of.”
On June 8th, Grace Morrison and the RSO shared the 30-65 Live stage in East Wareham, Mass., with seven other finalists for Limelight Magazine’s “We Got You Covered” concert.
All the members of the indie-folk quintet – violin player and vocalist Marta Rymer, percussionist Nate Tucker, upright bass player Max Judelson, Benjamin Moniz on guitar, mandolin, banjo, and vocals, and Grace Morrison on lead vocals, acoustic guitar, and accordion – performed with a raw heart and soul that ended up winning them the first prize.
“It was great having my whole family there with us,” Morrison, a native of Wareham, said. “Usually our shows are too far and they can’t all come.”
On stage, everything from their look, to their presence, to the command of their instruments set Grace Morrison and the RSO apart as a unique local band. The RSO are definitely a bit different, but they masterfully command their difference.
They performed three original songs and one cover to a room full of nearly 100 members of the local community. Getting huge applause at the end of their set, it was clear they were one of the bands to beat that night, yet Morrison said she was surprised when they were announced as the winners.
Their sound is crisp and grassroots folk that resonates and sets the tone in any room. The effect is instant and people clap and children dance to their songs. Everything from the music to Morrison’s enthusiasm on stage is enough to make members of the audience want to smile and join the children in dancing.
It comes as no surprise that the five musicians began learning music at a young age with classical training. Morrison’s study of music began with piano at age five and she eventually taught herself guitar. She also took classical vocal training. The rest of the members of the RSO are classically trained in their respective instruments, as well.
The band may be more rooted in the traditional sense with their instruments and their songs’ subject matter, but they have plenty of modern flair that breathes new life into their Renaissance inspired music.
In 2010, their shared love for history of the Renaissance brought a few of them together at King Richard’s Faire in Carver, Mass. Each fall from the beginning of September to the end of October the annual faire draws thousands to a secluded section of the forest. Back from the street and surrounded by trees, “the realm,” as it’s called, exists on its own as an illusion, inviting both fantasy and history to meet. From the music to the costumes the illusion is complete.
Morrison and Moniz already knew each other from UMASS Dartmouth and had been playing with each other since around 2005, but they had yet to find the rest of their band. At the time, Morrison was working at the fair and met Rymer, who also worked there as a performer. Through Rymer, Morrison and Moniz met Tucker and Judelson.
In the fall of 2012, Grace Morrison and the RSO released their self-titled debut album, recorded at a local studio in Westport, Mass. Currently, Morrison said the band is saving money to record a second album and have songs already written for it.
Songs on their first CD move throughout history from Henry the VIII and his wife to the Titanic and WWII, Morrison said.
“I’ve always been inspired by history, especially with working at the Renaissance fair,” she said.
Through her music, Morrison aims to create a bridge between the past and present by writing about historical figures and events. She hopes her songs will make people realize a connection between the emotions people had in the past and those people have in the present. In her opinion, there hasn’t been much of a change and she aims to shed light on that.
“We’ve always tried to stay away from vapid love song material,” Morrison said.
Along with their original material, the band often plays imaginative covers. When choosing a cover song to play, Morrison said they always aim to bring something different to their favorite songs. Right now two covers in their set are The Cardigans’ “Love Fool” and Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze.”
Their cover rendition of “Purple Haze” has garnered the band quite a bit of attention – this year at The Middle East Nightclub in Cambridge, Mass., and last year at the Barnstable County Fair’s Battle of the Bands where they met their current manager. On June 8th, they also chose to close their set by playing a strong folk rendition of it.
Morrison’s bright, but powerful voice led the song along with Rymer’s violin playing the lead guitar riffs. In a bit of an iconic twist, they brought a new folk energy and edge to “Purple Haze” similar to the edge Hendrix brings to Bob Dylan’s folksy “All Along the Watchtower.”
This summer Grace Morrison and the RSO have a full schedule of shows in Massachusetts from festivals to more intimate venues including Arts Alive Festival in Falmouth, Onset Summer Of Love, and New Bedford Folk Festival. This will be their second year playing the New Bedford Folk Festival and the band’s first time playing Onset Summer Of Love together on June 26.
When Dave Davies of The Kinks recently decided to go on his first solo tour in nearly a decade, he needed the perfect backing band. He turned to The Jigsaw Seen, an LA-based rock group that helped him write his latest album, “I Will Be Me,” which is set for national release June 4.
Members of the band, guitarist Jonathan Lea, along with bassist Tom Currier and drummer Teddy Freese, are joining Davies on a short tour of the U.S., including a show at the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River, Mass., on June 2. They’ll be performing songs from the new album, plus Kinks classics.
“It’s a good mix, but it’s Kinks heavy,” said Lea, who will be sharing guitar duties with Davies. “Tom will also play piano on a few songs and I’ll switch to bass. We mix it up.”
Lea, a lifelong fan of The Kinks, has been working with Davies since 2000 after a mutual friend recommended they collaborate. Considering the fact that the first song he learned on guitar was “All Day and All of the Night,” Lea said it is surreal to be working with the music legend who made it popular in 1964.
“One day, I got a call and a woman said, ‘Dave Davies would like to speak to Jonathan,’ and I was like, ‘really?’ He came on and said, ‘I’m doing this tour. Do you want to come?’ I couldn’t believe it,” Lea said. “When you’re working with someone like that you have to play it cool, but even after 13 years I think, ‘this is unbelievable.’ It’s still a pretty incredible feeling. Growing up, The Kinks to me were just amazing. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Through the years, Lea has learned that Davies is down to earth and easy to deal with. Davies has been known to ask The Jigsaw Seen for input, such as the case with their latest joint efforts, “The Healing Boy” and “Midnight In LA,” which appear on “I Will Be Me.”
“He sent us a demo and we just kind of flushed it out,” Lea said of “Midnight In LA.” “We recorded what we thought sounded good and he really liked the drum sound and other elements we added.”
About a month or two later, Davies sent them “The Healing Boy.” Currier laid down bass and piano tracks, and Lea recorded electric sitar parts for the song.
“We weren’t sure what Dave was going to think because we ended up with a John Lennon/George Harrison kind of feel to it, but he really liked it,” Lea said. “I’ve always loved the sound. Even as a kid, my favorite Beatle songs are the George Harrison ones with the sitar. We were happy that everything worked out well. The album sounds great.”
For the last few weeks, they’ve been rehearsing as a full band, arranging songs from the new album.
“We have to make a few alterations for the live versions because the production is pretty elaborate on the album,” Lea said.
Aside from working with Davies, The Jigsaw Seen has been writing songs for a new album of their own, which they hope to release by January 2014. It will be their latest studio recording since “Gifted” in 2011.
Lea, who co-founded The Jigsaw Seen more than 20 years ago, said he loves being a part of the band because it gives them artistic freedom.
“To us, it feels like an art project,” he said. “We would do it even if the records weren’t released. It’s a creative outlet and I like doing it because we can do whatever we want. With The Jigsaw Seen, we can do any crazy idea we have.”
That creativity extends all the way to album packaging. In 2000, they released “Zenith,” which was nominated for a Grammy for its packaging. The CD has a 1940s-style TV on the front, with a moveable disc. Other albums like “Gifted” came gift-wrapped, while “Winterland” was printed in silver ink with printed snowflakes inside.
“To me, art and music is all the same,” Lea said. “As a kid, all the bands I loved were pretty artsy. I always loved staring at the packaging and analyze it as much as I could. We keep that going.”
They also plan to keep their partnership with Davies going, as Lea said Davies has a knack for captivating crowds. He anticipates the show at the Narrows will be “a lot of fun.”
“Whether he’s playing for 500 people or thousands, he goes on stage and just turns it on. He just has that quality,” said Lea. “We’ve played the area before and have done a lot of shows in Massachusetts with Davies through the years, so we’re really looking forward to seeing people on this tour and meeting fans.”
Tickets to Dave Davies of The Kinks can be purchased online at http://www.narrowscenter.org or by calling the box office at 508-324-1926. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the box office. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. or on the day of the show
Not all actors are willing to change their physical appearance to land a role, but for Jeremy Carnrike, 32, shaving his head full of red hair to star as Lex Luthor in the non-profit fan film, Superman: The Golden Child, was a no-brainer.
“That was the thing that got me the role in the end,” said Carnrike, who in addition to being an actor is also the guitarist for the East Coast Runaways, a rock band based in Worcester, Mass. “The director called me and we did a phone interview and it came down to, ‘let’s just cut to the chase. Are you willing to shave your head?’ And I was like, ‘Absolutely.’”
As the film’s genre explicitly suggests, a fan film is a movie or video inspired by a film, television program or comic book, which is made by fans, as opposed to the source’s copyright holders.
Considering that, it should be no surprise that Carnrike, along with everyone involved in the film, is a huge Superman fan. Starring as Luthor is something he’s wanted to do for a long time, however, he used to fantasize about playing The Man of Steel.
“As little boys watching Superman, we threw the towel around our neck as a cape,” he said. “I grew up with that, but I’m a little guy and I’m a redhead, so if I can’t be Superman, I wanted to play Lex Luthor. It’s a lot of that built up, redhead anger,” he joked. “It almost let me be myself, only a little more moodier.”
Carnrike, who said this was his first big movie role, learned about the available part about a year and a half ago on SupermanHomepage.com, one of the world’s largest Superman fan sites. He saw a posting about the movie, but ignored it at first.
“I thought, ‘I’m just some little Massachusetts guy with big dreams,’” he said. “But then a few months later I saw it posted again, so finally I sent in an email.”
A week later, Andrew List of AList Productions, the film’s writer, director and producer, interviewed Carnrike via phone. By the end of the following week, Carnrike emailed List again inquiring about the role.
“Within five minutes he got back to me and said, ‘the role’s yours,’” Carnrike said.
Made on an $850 budget, most of the funds for the 22-minute film came out of List’s pocket. Originally written as a full-length film, List decided to shorten the script as time went on. It was shot from July to October of last year in San Angleo, Texas, with a Panasonic DVX100 and a Canon Rebel T3. There were never more than two crewmembers working on any given scene, one of them always List.
“He pretty much did everything on his own,” said Carnrike, who served as an executive producer with List and List’s wife, Taylor Moehnke. Moehnke also did the photography stills for promotions.
The film made its online debut in December. According to Carnrike, it stays true to the classic Superman plot, as it highlights the intense power struggle between Superman and Luthor.
It is comprised of two main actors: Carnrike, along with Texas native Joshua Boultinghouse, who starred as Superman/Clark Kent. Boultinghouse is the official Superman at the “Superman Celebration”, an annual Superman festival that takes place in Metropolis, Illinois during the late spring or early summer. List is trying to secure a screening of the film at this year’s event.
“He’s the closest thing to the real Superman; his persona fits it perfectly,” Carnrike said of Boultinghouse. “He’s easily two or three times my size and he’s all natural muscle. He has the height, the chest build – there’s not extra padding. It’s real bodybuilding. And it’s not just his physique; just talking to him – there’s never a bad thing that comes out of his mouth. He works really hard and it’s been his life dream to play Superman.”
So far, the film has received lots of positive feedback from fans. Carnrike said people have commented about it on Superman Homepage.com.
“The people who go to those pages are hardcore fans and they love it,” he said. “They love seeing new fan stuff because it’s more accurate to the original story line.”
Carnrike, who studied music business and education at Berklee College of Music, was happy that the East Coast Runaways contributed to Superman: The Golden Child, as they wrote and recorded a song of the name for the film. In other band news, he said they have been working on a two CD project for the last year called, “Nosebleeds and Maybelline.” The album has already been recorded, with each CD comprised of seven songs. They are in the midst of mixing and mastering it and plan to release it soon.
“It’s a concept album, so the songs flow with each other,” said Carnrike. “We’re trying to reach back to the Pink Floyd days where they put real albums together where it was more of a story.”
In addition to the upcoming album, Carnrike has been working on a Superman script of his own. He started it about eight years ago and it’s based on the Doomsday storyline that came out in the 1990s. He’s also trying to bulk up for a short fan film based on Superboy, which is Superman as a young man in his late teens or early 20s.
“It hurts a lot,” he said. “All my muscles are aching.”
But Carnrike understands that sometimes there is no gain without pain and he’s willing to tough it out to follow his dreams. After all, starring as Luthor in “Superman: The Golden Child” was a dream come true.
“It was a great experience all the way around,” he said.
As for List, he’s focused on creating another Superman fan film based on the “Kingdom Come” storyline.
“The reception to this is even bigger than the Golden Child,” said Carnrike.
Limelight Magazine 