by terri sapp

Photographs by Leah Yetter

© Concert Sutra, All Rights Reserved

click photos for photo gallery

I can still remember the first time I heard the band called !!! (chk chk chk).  Particularly I remember the song, “Pardon My Freedom” from the album Louden Up Now, which caught my every sense’s attention.  It has been love and admiration from then on.  I always find it fascinating when bands and artists name themselves with symbols, or in this case punctuation.  Immediately it becomes clear to me that these are the shows I will want to experience.  If you are wondering how to pronounce the name of this particular band, I am to understand that you should just make three short staccato sounds of your choice, most commonly (chk chk chk), also acceptable is (pow pow pow), (uh uh uh), or (bam bam bam).  No matter what you call them, or what combination of guys/gals they have collaborating, !!! (chk chk chk) makes up one of my absolute new favorite live shows to see, and one of the most inventive acts around.  Current !!! (chk chk chk) members include Nic Offer (vocals), Paul Quattrone (drums), Shannon Funchess (vocals), Allan Wilson (horns, percussion, keys), Mario Andreoni (guitar), Tyler Pope (bass, electronics), and Dan Gorman (horns, percussion, keys).

First, let me say that I intended to have this awesome coverage to the public WAY before now, but alas, !!! (chk chk chk) was Concert Sutra’s last outing before I was forced to submit to the neurosurgeon’s knife for a major back surgery.  That said…on October 6, 2007 at the 40 Watt in Athens, Georgia, a select group of excitement lovers (including the Concert Sutra girls, and six of our friends) gathered for a rare intimate look into the brilliance that is !!!.  Even though I was in terrible pain, and struggling with ruptured discs and pinched nerves, I was forced by the shear genius on display to stand at the very front of the stage with Leah and her wonderful Canon in order to catch every second of the show that night.  I was terribly sore afterwards, but never regretted one bit of time spent on my feet that night.  The lineup of !!! (chk chk chk) who performed for us at the 40 Watt on that wonderful night in October, 2007 was comprised of Nic Offer (vocals), Jerry Fuchs (Marietta, GA native on the drums…Cobb County in the house!), Shannon Funchess (vocals), Allan Wilson (horns, percussion, keys), Mario Andreoni (guitar), Tyler Pope (guitar, electronics), Justin Van Der Volgen (bass) and Dan Gorman (horns, percussion, keys).

“Yadnus” from Myth Takes headed off the show with a boom!  Immediately, it was evident that there was a woman singing with the Nic Offer, where I have normally seen John Pugh.  She was spicy, spunky, and sang with much vigor.  Shannon Funchess presence onstage from her first notes expressed an energy that kept right along with the other seven musicians on the stage with her!  I always loved the chemistry between Nic Offer and John Pugh, so when I got something other than what I may have expected, I was immediately aware of how this new face would be the person to sing those parts where on the album and in videos I have seen John Pugh.  (As it turns out, I found that John Pugh actually left the band a few months before this show to focus on his new band Free Blood.)  Keeping with the high energy opening of the show at the 40 Watt, !!! followed “Yadnus” with the title track from Myth Takes, then right into one of my favorites from Myth Takes, “All My Heroes Are Weirdos.” These guys worked hard for the money, even in the first ten minutes of the show.  The syncopated rhythms in this number never fail to get me moving, even when listening from the driver’s seat of my car!  Even though “the truth is its own supplier,” I honestly don’t know what I was doing with my life before standing in front of Nic Offer during a dance fit.  I was truly hooked for life the first time he shook his hips, and flapped his arms in true Offer style.

Next on the !!! (chk chk chk) agenda was to pull out my favorite of their cover songs, “Get Up!”  Their cover version of this Nate Dogg classic is an excellent representation of an already top notch tune.  Nic and Shannon more than made the distinct vocals of “Get Up” their own, along with the band, which really tore it up and took it to a new dimension!   Cobb county native drummer Jerry Fuchs could not have asked for a better opportunity to display his chops on the kit.  The climax of “Get Up” raged on higher and higher.  As Shannon said, “We’re just getting started, just getting warmed up for ya!”  This could not have been a truer statement when the drums and guitars danced gracefully into “Dear Can” from Louden Up Now.  When you hear that !!! (chk chk chk) is known for mixing it up live, and evolving their songs via live shows…believe it.  My first real feel for this finely honed skill was during “Dear Can.”  Shannon’s vocals really brought a unique quality to the song that I really enjoyed.  Girl can blow!  Of course, I am always a sucker for a horn section, and I felt the energy boost even more when Allan Wilson and Dan Gorman broke it down.  And, did I mention that ANY kind of interaction with Nic Offer, especially all up in your face with the crowd participation was enough to have this crowd drooling.  What a way to seamlessly segue into “Must Be The Moon,” a Myth Takes crowd pleaser.  I love the harmony between Nic Offer and Shannon Funchess’ voices!  I can’t say enough how quickly I was enthralled and hanging on her every move!  The keys really shined in the light of “The Moon.” 

“We got three more, and these are mother fuckers!” said Nic Offer as he readied to give us the grand finale!  He said that Athens was “funny” and that he liked us!  “Bend Over Beethoven” was the first of the end.  The sheer power of the !!! (chk chk chk) sound hypnotized me into a state of not wanting this magic to end.  With 8 musicians working hard to entertain, it is no wonder that I stood in amazement, just trying to get a clear photo despite the constant motion.  I also would be remised if I did not dote at least a little on Nic Offer’s luscious dance moves.  While the guys in the band tore down “Beethoven” in an extended jam session, Offer shook what his mama gave him like nobody’s business.  I thought he would take off into the air a few times.  With no break in the guitar/bass line, we are guided directly into the obvious crowd favorite of the night, “Heart of Hearts.”  I found myself swept away by the flawless mix of instruments, all serving up the most gourmet of dish!  The final number was an energetic and horn heavy “Intensify” from the band’s 2001 self titled album.  For a fairly young band, these guys weigh in with the giants in my book.  They all switch off instruments, and play each other’s parts very well.  !!! (chk chk chk) is a highly versatile group of musicians with a knack for hyping any crowd with what seem like effortless talents.  I left this show with a new addition to my short list of favorite bands to see live.  I will not miss them if they are ever in my area again, that is for SURE!

Click on this address (http://www.leahyetter.com/chkchkchk100607/) for the fun filled photo gallery from the fabulous Leah Yetter!  For more information on the latest !!! (chk chk chk) musical endeavors, and to try and catch them in the states, visit their website at http://www.chkchkchk.net/, or on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/chkchkchk.  They will be in Finland, Dublin, Amsterdam, Italy, Greece, and many other breathtakingly gorgeous non-US places coming soon, but I am not going to give up hope that they will come around to Georgia again one day before long.  A girl can dream!

by terri sapp

Photographs by Leah Yetter

© Concert Sutra, All Rights Reserved 

click photos for photo gallery

Concert Sutra (CS):                First, tell me how long you’ve been on the music scene.

S:         Oh, Jesus!  Off and on for a very long time.  Long enough to know better.

CS:      What originally inspired you to do this musically enhanced, spoken word type of performance that you do?

S.:        I spent years in space rock bands, most notably Spaceseed.  I did vocals.  They always had a resident poet, and that is the role that I filled with Spaceseed.  That is where the twisted vocals came to be.  Back in the day I was actually a classical guitarist, but the hands are to beat up to do that now, at least in public.  So Theremins… an instrument you don’t actually have to touch.  If your hands are achy, it really doesn’t matter.  One thing led to another.  The solo set I put together in ’05.

CS:      How did you meet up with Scared Records?

S:         Stan and I are both in show business on several different levels.  Amongst that we are stagehands, like 90% of all artists we have sometimes straight jobs, and sometimes straight jobs are stagehands.  Yeah…Interesting tales there… does the name the Bishop TD Jakes mean anything to you?

CS:      The Bishop!

S:         Who made him a bishop anyway?  Uh, he’s a religious hustler of the lowest sort, and comes to town once a year for Megafest.  He books the Dome and the World Congress Center…it’s huge!  It lasts about a week, a turnout of about 150, 000, and it preys on poor black folk and the gullible.  For the purchase of his CD for 49.99, you too will go to heaven!  I wish I could sell a CD for that much, of course all I can offer is a cheesy sticker.  But, yeah, uh, I wasn’t feeling very well that day, but went to cruise out to work and next thing I know, I am throwing up blood in the bathroom.  I hear this voice behind me saying, “Dude, you ok?”  It was one of my riggers, and I’m saying, “I’m fine…BBBRRRRAAAAHHHHH (simulates puking)…get back to work…BBBRRRRRAAAAAAHHHH (again)!”  Long story short, I almost died that day, but that was also the day I met Stan Satin, who is the voice behind me right now.  I mean, how punk rock is that?  (In a devilish voice)  I met him while I was in the bathroom throwing up blood!  After I left Spaceseed, I was label shopping, but not for long, because I met Scared Records.  And ever since then it’s home!

CS:      I love Scared Records!

S:         Oh yeah!  Preserving the past and looking to the future!

CS:      That’s a good one!

S:         Yeah, it is.  It pretty much covers what Scared Records does. 

CS:      Are you going to be involved in the next showcase?

S:         Of course, I will be involved.

CS:      Tell me about the instruments that you use.

S:         Theremins!  Optic Theremins!  It is an instrument you play by blocking ambient light, and the sensors inside of it.  As you block the light, depending on the distance or the angle of attack, your tone changes.  The rhythms and what have you.  They don’t store anything.  You have to actually play it.  It’s not just pushing a button.

CS:      So when you’re playing are you actually looping as you go?

S:         Yes.

CS:      Is that a separate entity from the pedals on the floor?

S:         That’s for vocals and yes I do loop vocals.

CS:      I see where you’ve been voted in the Creative Loafing for the Best Spoken Word in Atlanta in the consecutive past years, and I’ve seen your picture in the Loaf several times.  I think that is widespread coverage, because everyone in Atlanta reads the Loaf.  How do you feel that that sort of widespread press helps you get people to the gigs?

S:         Well, it helps me book more gigs!  I was voted Best Spoken Word artist in Atlanta for 2006, 2007, and 2008.  When I went out on tour, they called me and said they wanted a photo shoot, and I said, “OK, fine, what is this for?”  They said, well, we can’t really go there.  I told them I wasn’t playing again until I got back in town, which would be over a month.  They said let’s do it now.  So we went to Lenny’s, and they let me borrow the stage and turn the lights and sound on so we can get a photo shoot.

CS:      That is really super cool.  I really love the pictures that they use.  Not for that necessarily, but I’ve seen pictures that they use to publicize your gigs.  You are outside somewhere…

S:         AAAHHHH, I’ve been using that as my tour poster.

CS:      I really like those pictures.  I can imagine that you musical process is probably a bit different from the average everyday band’s musical process.  How do you to putting this stuff together?

S:         Usually it is the lyrics that start out as a piece of poetry, then I’d just use the music as a framework to stretch that over.  So lyrics first and then I work up music to go with it.  One or two pieces that I have are just straight spoken word with no music.  You heard one tonight.

CS:      When you make your music, does it vary from live performance to recording, or do you improvise a lot…

S:         I improvise a lot.  I have a certain framework that I use in some structure.  It usually have some sort of beat to it and it never comes out sounding exactly the same way twice.  That is by design.

CS:      It seems like to be the kind of thing that is always changing.

S:         Uh-huh.

CS:      Sometimes when I hear your words, I feel that you could double as a comedy act.

S:         A comedy act…

CS:      Very dark comedy… it trips me out the shit you talk!  Do you think that maybe having a more sarcastic and cynical type of a sense of humor helps you come up with your material.

S:         Yes, Absolutely!

CS:      Do you feed off of what’s going on in the world?

S:         Oh Yeah!  Massive stupidity…oh yes… some of my stuff is of a political nature… what can I say?  Actually, some of my better political pieces are actually old but they are becoming more relevant every day.

CS:      Being pissed at the government is always pretty much going be there, right?   And the people…

S:         Shaheed is a piece that I read it when I was with Spaceseed, and it didn’t quite make the cut.  So okay, fine, I now just do it on my own.  I dusted it off, and here we are.  Depending on the crowd.  I may or may not throw it in the set.  Recording wise, I try not to get too far away from what I can do live.  Okay.  There are a couple of pieces on the CD that are not included in the live set and a couple of live pieces that won’t make a CD either.

CS:      Speaking of CD… how was your time with Recalibrated and Rake?  How did you enjoy the experiences of working with Stan and Zod?

S:         Oh, it was great!  Stan is a wizard producer and gets it, okay.  He is constantly coming up with good ideas.  Zod is a brilliant engineer.  I owe a huge debt to the cats for getting Recalibrated made.  It was an exploration, okay.  Rake didn’t take as long.  We had a clearer picture of how to record me.

CS:      I can imagine how that might be a different process.

S:         It is kind of oddball.

CS:      I’ll bet there is a lot of improvisation going on, which is impressive because improvisation is difficult, in my opinion.  I am curious to see what will be on the next record.  I missed the song tonight with the line, “…your lips upon my buttocks…”  (laughs)

S:         AAHHH, your lips on my…yeah… Exploding Hearts… didn’t do that one tonight… that one is on Rake.

CS:      So, are you going back into the studio with Stan and Zod (of Vietnam)?

S:         Yes.  I may wind up doing some tracking in Miami, because Scared’s got a lot of projects going, but my finished products will be released with Scared Records. 

CS:      Something to look forward to!  For those who have not had the pleasure of being “Subliminated,” how would you describe your material to the masses?

S:         As kind of a blending between space rock and spoken word… avant-garde…very left of center… different.

CS:      I think that what you do is a form of high art.  With a great message of course that should be spread worldwide, and I want to know your plan for making that happen.

S:         The next few months I’m going to be busy making the next CD.  I generally tour by motorcycle, so this kind of limits me to the warmer months.

CS:      I guess you don’t have much to carry around!

S:         That’s true.  It all goes in that blue road case.  It keeps the overhead low, which allows me to do a tour is and bring them back in the black instead of in the red.

CS:      And you get to do what you love doing, which is awesome!  Do you take anybody with you when you tour, or is it just you and your bike?

S:         I don’t have room!  I don’t even have room for T-shirts, okay!

CS:      That is so sad!  I was wondering about the art that you had up on your MySpace profile for a while.  The one that seems to show the activity of the Theremins.

S:         That was done at a club in Jacksonville, by the art department.  Any venue I play I send out the promo kit, and I sent the standard tour posters down there, but I’d been there about a year previous, and that was taken from a photograph of me playing.  I’ve had a lot of good comments on it, so I think that is what’s going to be the next tour poster.

CS:      That would be awesome!

S:         The next round of stickers too!

CS:      I have to ask to your boots have an alternative use other than the obvious working the controls and whatnot.  They look like they are very multipurpose boots.

S:         They are not fashion accessories! 

CS:      They look like they could do a lot of stuff!

S:         They are basic riding boots.  Granted I’m not writing tonight, but it’s a very rare occurrence.  I haven’t owned a car in many many years.  I borrowed a pumpkin and turned it into that for a few hours, which allows me just to throw my gear in the back, not worry about packing it up, and all of that.

CS:      Looks like you could survive Armageddon in those boots.

S:         I once kicked a botts dot going about 140 mph coming out of Daytona Beach one time, and good boots is the only reason I still have a foot.

CS:      Scary!

S:         Yeah, well, it hurt like hell.

CS:      Well at least you still have your feet.

S:         Oh Yeah, for a while at least!

CS:      What next?

S:         I will be in Asheville, NC at the Garage on July 23^rd; in Wilmington, NC at the Bottega Gallery on July 25^th; in Hanceville at the Space Camp Festival on September 11^th; and in Decatur, GA at Kavarna on September 12^th.  Always keep an eye on my MySpace page for the most updated schedule.

To view Leah Yetter’s fantastic photo gallery, visit:  http://www.leahyetter.com/eyedrum092107/.  For more information on The Subliminator and his schedule, go to http://www.myspace.com/thesubliminator. 

by terri sapp

Photographs by Leah Yetter

© Concert Sutra, All Rights Reserved

click photos for photo gallery

            I can remember the very day, August 7, 1997, when 311 released their most experimental album to date, Transistor.  I rushed to the local music store in Macon, Georgia (I was finishing up in college), bought a couple of copies (one of which is still in the wrapper), and cuddled up with my CD player.  I pulled the lyrics booklet out, and pushed play.  From beginning to end, I read along with the music and was blown away.  Up to this point in their recording career, we only got traces of the side of 311 that would elevate even the most focused Buddhist monk.  Transistor was the first time 311 really stepped out of the comfort of the heavier sound that dominated the first few studio albums.  I believe that the success of the blue self-titled album allowed them the freedom to create something truly original and test the waters, with the heavy grassroots following they had accrued, with styles and flows we were not used to at that point.  Transistor, in my experience, has always been the most controversial album among fans of 311.  Most either love it or try to hate on it.  I personally LOVE it!  Of course, I am the kind of 311 fan that has really never heard one note that I did not respond to from them.  I felt then and now that Transistor is a brilliant collection of songs that spotlight the versatility of the band that I most love to spend my time with.  You can imagine how happy I was when Nick Hexum announced, “Now, seeing as this is the ten year anniversary of a record we made called Transistor, we’ll play a couple songs off of it.”  At that point, I screamed…and had a glimmer of hope that they might finally play my song, “Running,” in Atlanta…after ten years of begging…

           Always obviously ecstatic to be playing in Atlanta, Nick Hexum (vocals, guitar, programming), SA Martinez (vocals, scratches), P-Nut (bass), Chad Sexton (drummer extraordinaire, percussion, programming), and Timothy J. Mahoney (guitar god) brought their usual dose of wonderfully positive energy to the nearly sold out Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheatre on July 19, 2007.  I love the way they always come up with a way to make the shows that they play part of a special occasion of some sort.  I am not sure if everyone on the tour got the special Transistor shout out, but I sure am glad to be an ATLian at times like this.  In looking around the set lists from the other shows on the recent Unity Tour, 2007, I realized that Atlanta got one of the longest set lists of the entire tour (as of mid-August)!  I caught many of the shows on the actual Transistor Tour in 1997, including the Halloween show at the lovely Greek Theatre in Berkley, CA, and I found myself just as excited to hear these rare and beautiful songs than ten years ago when they were new to me.  After a very tribal drum intro, “Freak Out” was the kick start for the night.  One to always get the crowd jump started.  One of the best things of the entire night with 311 was that I was FINALLY able to get my fabulous Photographer, Leah Yetter in the press pit with her most wonderful equipment to capture the essence of my boys like nobody else can.  The photo gallery for the month is a must see, whether you love 311 or not.  Beautiful work!  I want to point out the photo of Nick and P-Nut (one of the first 311 pics) during “Freak Out.”  They are both in midair, jumping up and down while performing vocally and on the bass.  These guys make high energy performing look easy, even into their thirties! J U M P!  “If you don’t have someone to do it with its not worth doing…To all my friends, it’s not the end…the Earth has not swallowed me, yet!”

             The only time I welcome “Misdirected Hostility” is at a 311 show!  Chad Sexton is a beast, no matter what he is playing, but I have always had a place in my heart for the drum line in this song.  It is weird to think back to a time when 311 didn’t have songs like “Misdirected Hostility” in their repertoire, and how far they have come since those days.  These guys are a perfect example of how something that works just eventually gels into a well-oiled machine and keep on top of the game staying true to their grassroots.  “Prisoner” was the first gem they showed from the Transistor group.  Not as common as other Transistor regulars, “Prisoner” is a welcomed reggae rock piece.  Another where Chad kills the reggae beat.  I can never wrap my mind around his raw talent.  Sexton has to be one of the top three drummers of all time.  I only say top three, because I know that if I tried to say all time best, I’d think of another killer drummer that deserves rank as well…top f’in notch!  No doubt!  I defy anyone to try and hate on Chad Sexton…you can’t do it!!!  His abilities are undeniable.  I am forever amazed.  Every time I hear 311 come across my play list, or if I stick an album into the rotation in my new Toyota’s 6 CD changer, I still, after being an avid fan for fifteen years, find my jaw dropping at the sounds of Chad’s pure and unapologetic skills. 

             “Beautiful Disaster” is a fun one, but has been pretty much a staple in the 311 concert since the 1997 release of Transistor.  Another controversial number is the “50 First Dates” soundtrack contribution the Cure’s “Love Song” cover.  Of course, I love it, and find it to be a nicely relaxed, reggaed up 311 version with Mahoney’s special touch.  These are also opportunities to hear the beautiful harmonies that SA and Nick spit.  They have evolved into rich and powerful singers over the years.  The performance of SA and Nick is quite impressive to someone who knows firsthand what it takes to perform with high energy and sing at the same time.  “You Wouldn’t Believe” gets dedicated to show openers The English Beat, who rocked the house.  I wish they had been on more of the tour.  They were awesome!  I’d recommend them to all who dig good music.  I have such love and respect for what Mahoney and Chad do that I can’t seem to shut up about them, but “You Wouldn’t Believe” is another glaring example of how well they work together.  Not to discount P-Nut’s place in that gel, because he rocks the beat!  It is no secret that I have always has special places in my heart for Tim Mahoney and Chad Sexton.  In the classic “old school 311” tune “Summer of Love,” P-Nut leads the pack with his bass fingering.  SA’s voice is so pretty, too, when he sings falsetto.  It hits me right in my womanly wears!  I just love the songs when Mahoney plays that melodic and funky stuff on his baby blue badass guitar!  The crowd loves the “Summer of Love!”  So much so that we would all choose to “Freeze Time” if we could.  Soundsystem contribution, “Freeze Time” gets the party hopping with its heavy resonance.  These guys have such great fans that we don’t even need prior instructions for crowd participation, but mostly have been to enough 311 shows that we know the spots where they want crowd participation!  Addictive…what can I say?

             I realized when I was writing this that I had gotten vertigo just after the 311 show in 2005, and this year, the second time I have gotten vertigo in my life, I had vertigo AT the 311 show.  It was a new experience for me.  My story is they must have played “Nix Hex” just for me, because they must have felt that I was “dizzy with a sense of vertigo.”  I have always had a strange cosmic connection with this band, no kidding.  The slow sexy psychedelic pace of “Nix Hex” soothes my soul in such a way, like so much of the show, that for a few moments as I was leaving the show I thought I was truly healed of my vertigo by the music.  311 live is totally cathartic for me.  I am the loud and the proud!  An old favorite that used to be a staple, but is now more an every once in a while treat, “Plain” was at one time the song in the show where Nick would say afterwards, “Tim Mahoney on guitar!”  Tonight, he prefaced “Plain” by saying it in between “Nix Hex” and “Plain,” since Mahoney’s is a focus on both songs.  “Don’t have to guess just what I’m sayin’ if I had a point, I’d say it plain…stress is the enemy and not a friend to me.  One thing I see is to be easy goin’ throwin’ down sit back and watch my life flowing and knowing life is but a dream…don’t you know that the devil he’s in me, and god, she is, too.  My Tin hates my Yang, but what the hell are you gonna do?…nod your head to this!”  Brings back many wonderful memories!  “Applied Science” is a sure fire crowd hyper!  This has become the standard drum solo “pump it, pump it, Chad Sexton!”  Over the years, Sexton is still able to make the drum solo new and exciting.  This time they even changed the part in the show that they have done for a while when the entire band joins Chad in the drum solo.  This time, instead of the big Tympani drums they have used for the several years that they have been doing the full band drum extravaganza (I remember them adding that in 2000, for me, at the Chinese New Year show at the Fox, Atlanta, but my memory could be off a little), they all had their own mini drum kits.  Tim and SA had a bass type drum, with cymbals, and Nick and P-Nut had the bass type drums, with snare and cymbals (all drums were fractally chaotic). 

             “Cali Soca” was a first for Atlanta.  This is the first time we have gotten it this unique instrumental moment from what my memory tells me.  Nick said it “was written for just such occasions…hot summer nights.”  Very island.  Damn, P-Nut, bass and all!  A perfect balance to the red hot guitar from Mahoney and Hexum.  “Don’t Tread On Me” follows “Soca” up perfectly.  I am a sucker for a reggae beat.  Mahoney delivers every time with his upbeat strokes.  Must not forget to mention the ambiance that SA creates with his work on the mixers and turntables he is always playing with throwing different sounds all over the place. 

             And then it happened…Mahoney’s guitar, then Chad and P-Nut…that beat…it can’t be…I am in a state of shock…could it be?…then SA confirms…OH MY GOD!  TEN YEARS I HAVE BEGGED AND WAITING, AND 311 FINALLY PLAYED “RUNNING” (my Transistor favorite, music written by Timothy J. Mahoney) IN ATLANTA!!!!!!!!!  I can’t remember all of the shenanigans I tried to pull to get 311 to play “Running.”  I even (back in 97 when I started) tried throwing things onstage to Mahoney’s guitar tech at the time, Trevor, and enclosing certain wonderful smelling bribes and tapes and whatnot to try and get the attention I would need to get it done.  And nothing, til now.  I blissfully bask in the aura that is the melodic wonder of “Running.”  There are many times that I have had with 311 that are forever burned in my memory, and these few minutes of this concert is one of those times.  Right up there with the first time I met one of the band (Chad in Birmingham, Alabama at the Sloss Furnaces, 1996), and the first time I ever met Tim (backstage at Hi-Fi Buys when they played a festival in the mid 90’s).  I AM SURE (in my mind) that 311 played “Running” for me, because somewhere along the way I crept into their sub conscious minds and they said to themselves that they couldn’t possibly play a “Transistor” anniversary celebration show in Atlanta and NOT play “Running.”  I know in my mind that (and if only in my mind) they knew it would be WRONG if they did not play it for us after all these years.  They even put me and Leah in excellent seats, I believe, so that I would have a great view of “Running!”  That I did!  Before the show, a nice fella with a Soundsystem T-Shirt on asked me what song I’d most wanna hear tonight, and without hesitation, I said “Running.”  When they started playing it, I was in such a state of disbelief that he turned to smile at me, and I was still debating whether I was actually hearing what I thought I was hearing.  One of my dreams was fulfilled this night, and that I will never forget.

            “Dedicated to all the old school 311 fans in the house tonight,” “Down” has become their way of thanking the loyal fans from over the years.  As the song I watched them play on the David Letterman show (another memorable time to celebrate), “Down” will always be special to me.  Golden Oldie from Transistor, “Sharshines” is a fun one to jam out to.  Not one that is heard on a regular basis!  “Flowing,” on the other hand, has been in and out of the set lists for good reason.  Forever to be referred to as the song that put Lucky in Grady Hospital at the 1999 Halloween show at the Tabernacle.  It was too psychedelic and distorted for his mind to comprehend at that moment…  Memories!!!  “Homebrew” must come to 311 like riding a bike!  They don’t miss a beat.  There was a major memory behind most of the songs in the set at Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheatre.  They shot the live concert footage from the “Homebrew” video at the Masquerade Music Park back in “the day.”  “Stealing Happy Hours,” another of my favs from Transistor, has a laid back and melodic composition.  Everyone in the band contributes musically to this guitar aria.  A beautiful blend of talents.  “Amber” keeps with the chillaxin’ vibe.  The gals seem to eat this stuff up.  Soft and sensitive…right into one of the harder tunes on Transistor, “What The Fuck Was I Thinking?” most definitely heightens the energy level beyond the red zone!  They always rock it out on that one.  Almost as much as when they ultimately say, “P-Nut, beat that thang!”  “Feels so Good” is P-Nut’s turn to show off his mad bass playing.  Funkiness is next to godliness in my opinion, so “In Your Face” must be divine.  P-Nut is the funk, so it is no surprise that he is featured in this extremely funky ditty. 

            What kind of a night would we be having if 311 did not play “All Mixed Up” before the end of the night?  In one tune, you have pretty much a taste of most all of the styles that 311 are known for.  All in one!  That is one reason “All Mixed Up” is and has been a show favorite, and even had an entire re-mix record devoted to it.  Only to be followed up by another of my most pleasantly preferred lullabies, “Beyond the Gray Skies.”  I LOVE ANYTHING THAT TIM MAHONEY HAS A HAND IN WRITING!!!  I can even pick them out when first hearing the recordings.  I have a sixth sense for it, I think!  To end the night, we all became “Creatures (For a While).”  “Sometimes I go a little crazy just like you!”  311 always gives words of wisdom as the last notes of the show are being played.  At this show, SA offered, “Take care of yourselves…take care of someone else…Fuck!”  Nick stuck with one of his catch phrases, “Stay positive!  Love your life!” 

             As always, 311 brought their “A” game and let Atlanta have it all night.  I finally had my girl, Leah there to work her magic with the photos, so a visit to the fabulous photo gallery this month is a MUST!  The first three songs were shot on Leah’s fine Professional top of the line Canon equipment, and the rest were shot on my Canon Powershot.  Not bad for lower Mega Pixels!  You do not want to miss these:  http://www.leahyetter.com/cs3110707/.  For more information on 311’s 2007 Unity Tour, and all things 311, visit them at http://www.311.com/.  One Love!

By terri sapp

Photographs by Leah Yetter, Photographer

© Concert Sutra, All Rights Reserved

click photos for photo gallery

In the past couple of months, Leah and I have had the delight of getting some time in Macon, Georgia’s Trash Monkey Recording Studio.  The local Atlanta act, Pop! On Command is currently recording there, and has been kind enough to allow the Concert Sutra girls hanging rights in the Mephisto Tape Sessions!  Owner and Proprietor, Russ Kennington offered some time for an interview as well.  This last month’s session brought a very special guest down from Atlanta, Vietnam’s Stan Satin.  Check out the following interview to hear about our fun with the boys!

To catch a glimpse of the good times, visit:  http://www.leahyetter.com/cstrashmon0107/.  Leah is back, and ready to shoot!  We are looking forward to a great year with friends and kicking live music!!! 

INTERVIEW:

Concert Sutra:             We came to this house for a reason for the interview.  Tell a little bit about your history with this location (that which is now the home of Concert Sutra Photographer, Leah Yetter). 

Russ Kennington:       Yeah, I guess from about 1986 to 1992, I lived here with my Wife, and many assorted house guests that stayed for probably longer than they should have…(he and Noel laugh)

Noel Page:       (laughing) Me included…

Russ:   No, not Noel.  Noel never moved in.  He just lived two blocks away.

Concert Sutra:             Who or what inspired you to get into music?

Russ:   As a child, I had a deep love for the guitar, and guitar players were romantic to me.  Being from the town that was really hot coming up.  Dwayne Allman was a big influence.  Jimi Hendrix.  Joe Perry.  Brian Jones.  Just straight out rock players like that pretty much so are what turned me into the person I’ve become today.

Concert Sutra:             Give me some background on how Trash Monkey came to be.

Russ:   Trash Monkey came after I got tired of working around the Southeast in clubs and small venues and whatnot.  Early “Alternative-style” clubs, and trying to work a day job, and going out three nights a week, and having to work five, and just burning out on that, and kind of deciding I was ready to have children and settle down a little bit more and wanted to do more on the recording end of it.  I knew that I never wanted to get out of music completely, but I just felt like it was time for me to spend more time at home.  My Wife and I were ready to raise a family and it seemed like the right thing to do to get more involved in the recording end of it, and try to work developing other artists out there that were doing the same thing I was doing…banging their heads against the wall day in, day out, and just get into more recording.

Concert Sutra:             How did you end up in that building?

Russ:               The building is a piece of family property.  It was formerly a family business, the auto parts retail industry, and that business was sold around 1990.  I worked for a while for some other people, but never really was able to accept, I suppose you could say, working for other people after I’d worked for myself or worked with my family all my life. It was kind of hard to adjust to it after so many years.  That’s one of the reasons I wanted to get back into the studio business, because I wanted to get back into business for myself.

Concert Sutra:             Right on.  Where did the name come from?

Russ:   The name was really interesting, because we were originally just called The Studio, and my twins, who are now seven years old were in the kitchen…

Concert Sutra:             Lauren and Parker!

Russ:               Lauren and Parker…they were in the kitchen, and this is when I had officially become a stay-at-home Dad.  They were about two years old.  And, they were playing in the trash can in the utility room right off of the kitchen, and I said, “hey, get outta there, you little trash monkeys!”  (laughs)  It just kind of stuck.  From that point on…for about the last five and a half years or so, the name was changed to Trash Monkey Recording Studio.

Concert Sutra:             Tell me about your process, and what equipment you use when you’re recording.

Russ:               Well, when I talk to a band that’s considering coming in and doing a session, a recording, whether it be a demo or an Indie labeled record project, which is what I specialize in.  I usually try to talk to the people, get them to come down to the studio.  We take a look at the equipment and see what I’ve got…

Concert Sutra:             Which we will talk about in just a moment!

Russ:               I try to find out what their needs are and what they are wanting to do.  Since I do a lot of Hip-Hop, lot of Hip-Hop has already got canned beats that go with it, and it’s mainly a process of just getting them in there and going over vocals…laying down vocal tracks, maybe adding some accents and keywords and guitars, basses, whatever is necessary.  For the most part, I try to get people in, find out what their needs are gonna be, and then work around that…to create a budget for them, and find out scheduling for different people.  The sad reality is that most of the clients do have to work during the day, so that they can make a living on the side being musicians, or aspiring to be musicians, but we basically just come in and have a discussion about what their needs are, and how we’re gonna approach it, and what kind of budget we’re on, and timeframe, and then we get going.  I use a completely digital set up, which is about the only cost-effective way to go anymore.  Everything’s gone in the way of digital audio work stations for the working musician who’s trying to put out an independent release, and that’s exactly what I use, it’s a computer driven system…

Concert Sutra:             (to Stan)  D…I…Y…

Russ:               just trying to maintain quality components that convert the signals over, and the mic preamps and whatnot to go to the various instruments that are being recorded.  Then, I’ve got a complete array of vintage equipment, especially guitar equipment…which is…I’m a guitarist by trade, so I’ve got about thirty odd guitars and six or seven amps right now that we use.

Concert Sutra:             What kind of software do you use?

Russ:               Software…I use Digital Performer, which is a Mac based program.  It’s solely on the Mac OS platform, and that’s what I’ve been working with for almost nine years now.  Prior to that, I used tape-based machines, but tape is very expensive to obtain now.  It’s extremely expensive to maintain the machines.  The outcome, you just can’t charge what you can charge with digital based studios.  It’s too expensive.  Sadly enough it’s gotten to that, because tape is certainly a much better medium to work with, but it’s hard for a client to come in and pay a couple of hundred dollars an hour, or a daily rate of a couple thousand dollars if they’re bringing their own people in when you’re using a two inch tape based shop.  That’s really what you have to charge to get by.

Concert Sutra:             How do you get into the “mode” for getting ready to record?

Russ:               Usually, like I said, when I’ve gone through the interview process with the client.  I’m always gonna meet with them or have an extended phone conversation, or email exchanges or whatnot.  I’m gonna find out a lot of times what they’re like.  They might have a little home demo that they’ve done themselves, where I can get an idea for what they’re doing, then what I like to do is usually, on my way to the studio, which is about a thirty minute ride from my home…I will put in something that’s gonna be similar to what I’m expecting them to sound like, compared to what they’ve told me, or what we’ve talked about, or possibly even heard from their own home recordings, and get into the mode of listening to things like that and maybe a couple days up to it, try to listen to people…other producers…mix engineers that work in that same genre of music, and kind of see how they would treat things if they were put in my shoes for the situation we’re in with bands that are working on mainly a pretty fine line of time constraints and money, and make sure that I’m prepared, I’ve got my shop set up, and I’m ready to go ahead and record a band.  Basically, it’s just a matter of trying to listen to some music in that genre on the way to the studio, and really kind of focus in on that.  Like I said, maybe go back and think about what other engineers and producers have already worked on and liked, and how they would handle it.

Concert Sutra:             Tell me about your most recent project.

Russ:               The last record project that I finished was in December, and that was Kenny Ray Williams’ Band.  They’re from here in Macon, and they’re a blues based band a lot in the vein of Stevie Ray Vaughn, as the name might indicate…they’re of no relation or anything there with the Kenny Ray and Stevie Ray and all that stuff, but a really super super blues act that had some spectacular guests come in from all over the country and play on it.  Very proud to have Marcus Henderson from King Johnson…

Leah:               (whispers)        Awesome…

Russ:               that did an incredible amount of Sax work on it.  Worked very hard with him.  Lee Anderson, session player from Nashville on guitar coming in.  Had some session drummers come in from Tampa, from just all over working on, and that’s in the process of being mastered and duplicated as we speak for distribution.

Concert Sutra:             What about you, as a musician?

Russ:               Well, as a musician, I still do my side project, Valentine Fix, and I don’t have as much time as I’d like to do that, because I’m staying pretty busy with the studio working with people.  Since I’m pretty much a stay at home Dad during the day as well, that gives me the obligation of looking after the four children, but as a musician, I still do sessions with a lot of clients.  Not only on guitar, but I do play bass, and do a lot of keyboard work.  As a matter of fact, on Kenny’s record, I played all the organ on it, and did some electric piano work on it, and some guitar work on his project as well.

Concert Sutra:             Are there any other bands you are working with and recording these days that you are excited about?

Russ:               Yes, right now, my big big thing that I’m working on, and I’ve got three record projects going on, but it would be Pop! On Command, and that’s a band that I have a lot of vested time and interest in, and it’s probably my best friend, little brother, all around good guy, Noel Page, and we’ve been working on this thing and trying to put it together for a good while, and I’ve finally gotten him to come into the studio and start working on it.  We’re having great success with that.  He’s had Stan Satin (of the legendary Athens, Georgia band, Vietnam) come in and guest for him on sax, and I will probably be playing something on it somewhere along the line.  I’m not sure yet, til we get to that point, but right now that would probably be my number one priority.  I’m working with another solo artist by the name of Roger Hill, who is very…he’s kind of a cross between maybe like Bob Dylan and Wilco.  Very folksy, with a little R.E.M. thrown in.  He’s basically doing everything himself on his record.  We’re currently in the stage of tracking drums…we’ve been working on for the last few weeks, and he is really a very interesting performer to say the least.  He’s an incredible songwriter and musician, but especially songwriter.  Very talented.  I’ve got another project, a hip-hop project that I’m working on right now.  A record by a gentleman by the name of Dexter.  We’re working on all of those, and in February I’ve got a record project starting out with a band called Gertrude’s Mojo (giggles in the room).  I’m trying to kind of stay away from the smaller demo projects right now.  I keep my focus on all the Indie record stuff that we’re working on right now.

Concert Sutra:             Do you find that rockers, hip-hopers, or folk artists have different ways of handling the studio…like partying hard…

Russ:               Not at all.  A serious musician is a serious musician.  If they’re serious, they’re gonna come to the studio prepared, well-versed, and ready to get their work done.  Then, you have the rest of the people out there.  There are a lot of great bands out there that don’t come in prepared and don’t necessarily know how to handle themselves when hey come in, but we still manage to get some good product out.  Generally, I don’t think that there’s a lot of difference from genre to genre, because if you’re motivated and ready to come into the studio and record, you come in and you do the best that you can.

Concert Sutra:             The first time I ever saw you and Noel (now Pop! On Command) was in Valentine Fix, as you mentioned.  It was a Halloween party at the Highland Terrace house in 1992.  My first year in Macon.  Do you think that Valentine Fix will record again?

Russ:               As me, with my guests, it will.  I am working on my songs now, as I have the time to do it.  There will probably never be any one incarnation of it, and I don’t know whether or not we’ll ever play out again.  I’ll definitely be working on my record until the day I die…records…whatever the case may be.  It’s just that I try to put my clients first, and schedule around them, so that limits my time on what I can do.

Concert Sutra:             Do you have a favorite band or musician right now?

Russ:               I don’t know if I have any one favorite band, you know.  I guess that if I had to say anybody…The Dandy Warhols have been probably my most respected band for many years now, since I saw them I guess in ’99 I believe it was.  Either 1998 or 1999, when I saw them open for Love and Rockets, and I had never heard of them.  I thought whose this pretentious band giving themselves the name The Dandy Warhols?  Me, along with about six or seven other people stood in front of them on the main stage at the Masquerade, and were completely blown away.  It went from “they’re really not that bad” to “hey, they’re pretty good” to “are you kidding me, these guys are blowing me away!”  Having been able to sit down and meet them, and have the pleasure to make their company…they’ve played Atlanta several times, and them being very generous to my oldest son on his last birthday, when he got to see them on his birthday, and Peter was nice enough to come back after the show and spend a lot of time with Christian.

Concert Sutra:             (Leah and terri)  AAAWWWWWWW!!!!!!

Russ:               I just have a lot of respect for those guys and having gotten to know them a little bit, I would have to probably say that they would be at the top of my list.  I listen to so many different things, you know, I may be listening to Coltrane one minute, and ZZ Top the next.  My musical pallet runs over a broad spectrum.

Noel:               Did you hear the Dandy Warhols’ Gang of Four remix?

Russ:               Yeah!

Stan Satin:                   Where are the Dandy Warhols from?

Russ:               Portland, Oregon.

Concert Sutra:             I love Portland!

Russ:               They’re really nice people!  They’re just plain nice people.

Noel:               Dandy Warhols or Brian Jonestown Massacre?

Russ:               Oh, Dandys!

Noel:               OH!!!  Votin’ for the Dandys!

Concert Sutra:             (to Noel)  They’re his favorite!  Top of his list, anyway.  (to Russ)  What can you offer as far as equipment, instruments, and resources that you can offer to warrant the drive for out of town bands to come here and record at Trash Monkey Studio, and for locals to choose Trash Monkey Studio as their recording studio?

Russ:               I’ve got an arsenal of about 30 plus guitars and basses, mandolins, Moroccan lutes, a lot of ethnic stringed instruments, and things like that that are very interesting.  What I really pride myself in is the fact that I really try to keep the best quality recording equipment that is obtainable in the studio, and I have a collection of mics to die for.  I’ve got nothing but the absolute top quality equipment in the studio, which I feel, along with my experience with working with so many different groups over the years is going to be my strongest point.  If people have the chance to come in and look around and see what I have, or they can check out my myspace page at www.myspace.com/trashmonkeystudio.  They can get an idea of what they would have in store for them in the fact that I’ve got a place that’s in downtown Macon a half a block away from the historic Capricorn recording studio.  I’m not working out of my bedroom or my garage or my basement.  I’ve got a professionally treated studio with an incredible vocal booth with hardwood walls in it.

Noel:               He’s well aware of the history of the music that is very influential to the world that emanated here from Macon, and he doesn’t have to play the fucking games of the shitheads that just wanna call themselves a studio, but have no money…

Russ:               And that!

Concert Sutra:             What he said!  (laughs)  How do you juggle the responsibility of a Wife, four kids, Miles, Christian, Lauren and Parker, two animals, Nalla and Lulu, and a household with the long hours required to make good product?

Russ:               That’s a good question.  I don’t know!  I guess you just gotta kind of get into a groove.  You do what you have to do.  It just becomes a routine process that you become used to.  I know that I get up at a certain time every day, and I get my children to school.  I do my things that I need to do at home while they’re in school, or if it’s summer, we’re hanging out by the pool.  Whatever we’re doing, it’s just something that you automatically work yourself into.  I have days off here and there.  It’s not like I record every day of my life.  It’s usually about three or four days a week that I’m working at the studio.  The rest of it, I try to give it all to the family.

Concert Sutra:             With a very nice abode, to boot!  Who did you grow up listening to? 

Russ:               When I first started listening to music, when I was five, I bought Meet the Beatles.  That was the first record I ever had, and completely fell in love with rock and roll music as we know it today.  From there, I went on to Jimi Hendricks, and when I heard “All Along the Watchtower” I got into Bob Dylan.

Leah:               (in a very throaty, deep voice)            Yeah!

Russ:               And then, as a young teenager in the hotbed of the Capricorn community, the Allman Brothers really seduced me.  Then, it became more rocky things like early Aerosmith.  Even from things like that took me back to music like Velvet Underground.  It’s funny how from band to band you can go back and forth in time, and you find out what great musicians these people were. Truly, I don’t know if people today can realize how fantastic what we have recorded a lot of it actually means as just a society, and what it’s done to change it.

Concert Sutra:             Living or dead, who would you want to get into your recording studio?

Russ:               Jimi Hendricks.  Hands down!

Noel:               I thought it was me!  (all laugh)

Concert Sutra:             You’re easy!

Russ:               There would never be a question of that!

Concert Sutra:             Stan, I have a couple of questions for you, actually, if you don’t mind.

Stan:                Shoot!

Concert Sutra:             How was your experience in Macon as an out of towner coming down to record at Trash Monkey Studio?

Stan:                I love Macon!  I actually have family here, and I came here as a kid, but I don’t remember it.  I don’t think I ever came downtown.  So, this was the first time I got the downtown experience!  I walked around by myself, and saw the Confederate Statue, and saw Bibb Music…

Noel:               (excited)          You saw Bibb Music??

Stan:                Yeah!  I went in and talked to the guy!

Noel:               Well, you did good for yourself!

Russ:               Yeah!

Stan:                I asked him about Trash Monkey Studio, and he said “I think I’ve got one of their posters” or something up, and we went in and looked for it, but he said someone must have taken it.

Noel:               I took lessons from Budlow, didn’t you?

Russ:               Yep!

Concert Sutra:             Who?

Russ:               Budlow Allen.  One of the greatest guitar players to ever face the Earth!

Noel:               He’s amazing.  True story!  He turned down a stint to be on the Johnny Carson Show, he was gonna be in the Johnny Carson Late Night Bad, but he didn’t want to leave Macon.

Concert Sutra:             AAAWWWWW!

Russ:               That’s a true story!  I had the privilege of recording Budlow in my studio a couple of years ago for EG Kite last record project.

Noel:               He’s cool.  Roger Budlow Allen.

Stan:                Cool.

Noel:               Does he still work there, Russ?

Russ:               He works part-time.  He only works in the summer.

Concert Sutra:             (to Stan)          So, you saw Bibb Music, then…

Stan:                Yep, Bibb Music, I saw the Nu-Way Weiner Stand.  I ate there!  I love Macon!  It’s a wonderful town.  I enjoyed walking around…

Concert Sutra:             You used the bathrooms at the Rookery, and I know there is A LOT of history in those bathrooms!!!

Stan:                Good!  I didn’t know that when I was in there.

Concert Sutra:             (to Stan)          So, where exactly IS Main Street? (all laugh)

Stan:                Everyone that I mentioned that to said, “we don’t have a Main Street!” Oh, That’s in the bad side of town!  Someone said, “I think there’s two Main Streets, and they’re both in the bad part of town!” 

Russ:               Opposite bad ends of town!

Stan:                I do find it odd that there is no Main Street right downtown in the center of the City!

Leah:               Yeah, it is odd, but it is either a tree or a number… Cherry… Magnolia… First… Second…

Concert Sutra:             (to Noel)  Noel, as someone who has worked with Russ for so long, what is your perspective of Trash Monkey Studio and the things to come?

Noel:               My perspective of Trash Monkey…fantastic!  Russ is my oldest friend.  I’ve known him for 31 years.  I wanna do him proud.  He’s got the skills and the talent, and he’s got the know how.  He’s shown me everything I know.  He’s the Father that I never had…the brother that I never had…I’m an only child lost in the world…

Leah:               aawwwww…

Noel:               and he kind of took me under his wing many, many, many, many years ago, and I just took everything with me, and now I wanna bring it back.  So, this whole thing is really kind of freaky for me, but the Trash Monkey experience, if I may say that I’m a professional, if you want a professional opinion, FANTASTIC!  I highly endorse it, because he’s definitely got the skills.  His taste is fantastic.  It runs the gambit of the spectrum of everything.  He introduced me to Stan, musically.  I don’t forget.  I’m a fucking elephant (terri and Leah laugh)!  I wish my cock was like an elephant, but it’s not.  Ultimately, I’m thrilled that Russ asked me years ago to come down and record.  Initially I was probably an asshole, but I didn’t think he was ready.  Then it got to the point where he’s definitely ready, but the factions I was involved with, convincing them to come down…

Stan:                Then, were YOU ready?

Noel:               Probably not.  Nothing but the ultimate love and respect for my brother Russ.  This is a monumental day for me.  I’m very happy.

Stan:                I didn’t get to say about Trash Monkey.  I said about Macon, but nothing but total tip top professionalism at Trash Monkey.  When I first walked in the Studio, I was really impressed, because it reminded me of Sun Recording Studios, the peg board, the nice big room…

Concert Sutra:             In Memphis?

Stan:                in Memphis, right.  Sun.  The original, which I’ve been to.  Trash Monkey is very professionally done as well, and Russ’s great set of ears, great guy…he knows his shit!  And, I’m glad that it wasn’t on Main Street!  I stopped at a house on Main Street that I thought was 666, and I went, this house does not look like it would have a recording studio in it.  I had in my mind pictured it as being downtown, exactly like it was…

Concert Sutra:             We almost got Stan killed!

Stan:                I was so glad that it was actually like I had originally thought…

Concert Sutra:             Well, we’re glad you made it alive and well finally!

Noel:               I can’t imagine how he could prefer Varsity over Nu-Way, though.

Stan:                I guess cause I’m an Atlanta boy, and that’s what I’m used to.

Russ:               Well, guys, the next time…I’m sure there will be a next time…we’ll have to take you to Fincher’s BBQ.

Concert Sutra:             And we can go to Grant’s Bakery next door to get a Pac Man cookie!!

Leah:               Yeah!!  (all laugh)

Russ:               Actually, Fincher’s has been to the moon and back!

Noel:               (cracking up)  That’s right!

Russ:               One of the astronauts took it in space with him when he went on his moon mission!  Sonny Carter!  He was from Warner Robins.

Noel:               I was born on the Air Force Base!!

Stan:                You can’t say BBQ without me wanting to try it!

Concert Sutra:             Well, it has been a pleasure hanging out and talking with you guys.  Thanks, everybody! And to Leah for opening her home for our purposes!

by terri sapp

Photographs by Leah Yetter

© Concert Sutra, All Rights Reserved

Concert Sutra’s Photographer, Leah Yetter, lives in Macon, Georgia, a historically musical town in middle Georgia, known for many great artists as well as the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.  When deciding on our feature for this month, I asked her what was hot around Macon.  Her first response was The Liabilities!  Made up of Aaron Irons (vocals, guitars), Justin Smith (vocals, bass, cigarettes), Brandon Fickler (vocals, lead guitar), and Josh Smith (drums), these guys are making their way around and keeping busy pleasing the fans and working the crowds.  Due to scheduling conflicts, our busy multi-talented and high demand asses were unable to actually attend a show this month (what a bummer), so pictured are The Liabilities on the night of their CD release at the Hummingbird, candid and “Elph-stye (camera type),” rocking it out.  Live action all the way!  Totally inspired and off the cuff “gotta get a photo” action.  Ladies Love The Liabilities!  To check out for yourself what touches the Concert Sutra girls about The Liabilities, visit them at www.myspace.com/iamaliability.  I had the opportunity to ask lead singer and guitar player Aaron Irons some questions.  It went something like this:

Concert Sutra:             Tell me your personal story of how you became a musician.

Aaron Irons:                For my part, music started as a hobby and evolved, by about age 16, into what would become my calling.  I found an outlet and stuck with it. I could ramble on about broken hearts or hard living, but the truth is once I started picking a guitar and learning to write, it was just the natural thing to do.

Concert Sutra:             When and how did the Liabilities get together?

Aaron:             The band had existed in various incarnations since 2003 but had dissolved by the summer of 2005. Justin and Josh Smith (bass & drums) and I joined Hank Vegas and enjoyed that until it kind of finished that particular run (Hank has a new band and a fantastic new record). Brandon Fickler was an old friend of Justin’s, and in December of 2005 we put the Liabilities together…we worked like dogs.  In two months we’d assembled a show of originals and some of our favorite songs and played our first gig Feb.25^th 2006. We were just enveloped by Macon, GA.

Concert Sutra:             Who are you most coveted influences, musically or otherwise?

Aaron:             I’m a Sun Records man…Elvis, Jerry Lee, Johnny Cash, Charlie Feathers…but I got a deep punk streak. I love the Ramones, The Stooges, Sex Pistols… You’ll hear songwriters in what we do too. Steve Earle, Chris Knight, Townes…The other guys have these varied tastes and when we start the process everything comes out…And of course reality is gonna play a role. We like to tell stories as best we can, they aren’t always pretty though.

Concert Sutra:             What’s the story with the band’s name?

Aaron:             No grand story there—it just came to me, and everyone agreed.

Concert Sutra:             Well, that was easy.  From what I understand, your look is recognizable around town.  Has your privacy been compromised with screaming girls or fans begging for autographs, yet?

Aaron:             (I really am laughing right now) Well, Justin and I live in Macon proper and work at The Hummingbird (shameless plug for the coolest bar in town), so yeah, a lot of people know who we are.

Concert Sutra:             Apparently, you are the hot item in Macon.  What do you think makes you stand out from the other local bands in Georgia?

Aaron:             We believe in what we do, and I think our fans know that. This is who we are above all else. We don’t lie to the fans—I don’t think we could, and they respect our honesty.

Concert Sutra:             Tell me about the CD you guys have out.

Aaron:             We recorded with Drew LeClair in Columbia, SC. The studio was lodged in a storage unit, and it was hot and cramped. We sweated like Luke in the hot-box! But the record wouldn’t have been as good as it is without all that. We’ve got our whole lives invested in those songs. Drew was a brilliant engineer and producer and understood what we wanted to do. It’s mostly live, and I believe you can feel everything. It’s broad in scope—there’s punk, country, rockabilly. There’s some decent stories there, too.

Concert Sutra:             If you could open a show with any band or musician of today, who would it be and why?

Aaron:             We’ve been fortunate enough to share the stage with the best—Billy Joe Shaver, Drive-By-Truckers, Chris Knight, Lucero, but if I had to pick a dream show…Social Distortion. Those guys are the real deal and play good rock n’ roll.

Concert Sutra:             I am and always have been a geek for recording, so tell me about your process as a band when it comes to the recording studio.  For example, are you all digital?  Do you use any particular software or hardware?

Aaron:             You know, I don’t have all of the details. We recorded digitally and mastered on analog tape for extra warmth. Justin’s the real brains there. He’s got a real future in production. But the process was like this: Lay down a live track (rhythm, lead, bass, drums) Track acoustic, rhythm, leads; lay down lead vocals; then finally back up vocals. We’d work 8 or 9 hours, sleep a few, and then go right back to work.

Concert Sutra:             How do you guys travel when you have out of town shows?

Aaron:             That’s the real trick. We beg, borrow, and steal! We’ll have a van soon, though.

Concert Sutra:             What is your fondest memory of your time thus far playing with The Liabilities?

Aaron:             We were playing a show at the Hummingbird—I believe Josh Roberts and the Hinges had opened. We were setting up on stage, and I hadn’t even looked around at the club. When I did look up, there was just this wall, I mean a mass of folks just waiting for us. It was amazing and sobering. I remember tapping Justin and saying, “Look at that, man, they’re here for us.” It was a good night.

Concert Sutra:             Is it business all the time with The Liabilities, or do you guys get to still party on occasion?

Aaron:             Well. . . It’s rock n’ roll, so the party is inevitable. I’m usually the responsible one. There’s gear to protect and people to thank, tabs to pay, promoters and owners to deal with. . . We’ve got management now, so I guess I’ll join the party. The best part of the night is that 90 minutes between the first and last chords.

Concert Sutra:             Anyone who writes knows that it isn’t just as easy as sitting down and making it happen.  Do you have a method you use to write the songs?  And do you write all the lyrics and music, or just one or the other?  Tell me about that.

Aaron:             I don’t complicate it. Songs evolve, you know? I prefer to be alone for the lyrics—some take 10 minutes, others 2 years. When I’ve got that done, we all get together and work it in parts. Justin generally gets it going musically. Everybody has a role. No one person is responsible for the finished product. I know what I want, they know what they want, and we make it happen.

Concert Sutra:             Give me a current run down of any upcoming shows where folks can catch a glimpse of the buzz circulating around The Liabilities.

Aaron:             We’re at the Jinx in Savannah on March 16^th with the Hot Rods. We head to Winston-Salem, NC and The Garage w/ Hearts and Daggers on March 23^rd, then to Greenville, SC for The Lowdown Ho-Down at Gypsy G’s. There’s a lot of bands that day.  April 4^th we’re on the bill at 10 High in Atlanta. We’re back in Macon at the Hummingbird on April 27^th with Southern Bitch and we’re working on more. Like I always say, “Keep you ears open, we’re coming.”

by terri sapp

Photographs by Leah Yetter

© Concert Sutra, All Rights Reserved

click photos for photo gallery

            In what seems to be a very rare event these days, Leah and I both attended a show together!!!  We have been keeping a look out for something to grab us both to want to work it out, but also to settle in with both our schedules.  Apparently, with the exception of the Scared Records crew (i.e. Vietnam, the Subliminator, and Greg Connors), quality live shows (in my opinion) have been few and far between lately.  And then, it happened…I was perusing the Creative Loafing, and saw an old favorite from our days in Macon, Georgia together, jazz boys extraordinaire, Squat.  These guys have been in our music lives since we first knew each other, but the Concert Sutra never featured them.  We felt that was odd, and that we should fix that problem right away. 

            The last time I remember seeing Squat was during Bragg Jam a couple of years back.  I was happy to see that pleasant part of my Macon past still standing strong and playing better than ever.  Now in 2007, Trey Wright (acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards), Carl Lindberg (upright and electric bass, percussion, guitar, and vocals), Tommy Somerville (piano and keyboards, percussion, guitar, and vocals), and Darren Stanley (drums and percussion, sequencing) dazzle audiences all over with their abundant talents and overflowing charm.  On March 24, 2007, many gathered at Smith’s Olde Bar in Atlanta, Georgia for the release of the Athens/Atlanta jazz quartet Squat’s CD, “Squat.” 

            “Rickshaw” from the new CD, Squat, kicked the night off with grace.  Immediately, I remembered all of the special qualities of these guys that keep me coming back throughout the years.  Carl could also be dubbed the big cheese with his unmatchable smile!  If he is having as much fun as he looks to be having while playing his basses, then he must be on top of the world!  All these guys look to be the most peaceful souls to ever play together in a band.  Between the smiles and funny faces, it’s a wonder they can even concentrate on the beat!  I just love when Squat goes into their Latin Jazz sound, and they did not waste a second, going straight into “Veggie Cuban.”  Tommy kills on piano, but keeps it very subtle and smooth.  Trey’s guitar melody sings a lovely tune that blends perfectly with Darren’s varied rhythms.  No doubt about it…Squat kicks major ass, Jazz, or otherwise.  This quartet is not playing around.  Highly skilled and seemingly flawless.  All from the newly released CD Squat, “Anywhere but here,” “Railroad Worksong,”  “Nepsis,” and “Estrellas” kept the party momentum going higher and higher.

            Anyone who knows me knows I am a sucker for the saxophone!  Therefore, Tommy officially moved up to the top as soon as he pulled out that horn!  He even sings along with Carl, when Carl is no too busy scatting up a storm!  It seems that Tommy was also in charge of the “silly” (according to Carl) smoke machine at Smith’s Olde Bar.  If it wasn’t enough for him to steal my heart with his many specialties, he had to go and tell his “boss” to lick his dirty balls during an upbeat over the top moment in the show when they reminisce about taking the whole week off of work for the hell of it.  A man after my own!  There were many times that he almost knocked over his keys he was grooving so hard.  He’s so great, he even played up to Concert Sutra’s lovely photographer, Leah! 

            To play with such heavy hitters as Trey Wright, Carl Lindberg, and Tommy Somerville, the drummer has his work cut out for him.  Darren Stanley does it better than I ever remember anyone doing before!!!  He is truly Rock ‘n’ Roll.  His high hat craft stands up next to the best drummers in music.  I can’t say enough about all of the many gifts Squat brings to an audience.  Trey, who is a MASTER guitar player also works the keys, for example.  Carl keeps to the bass and vocals for the live show, but mixes it up between the traditional bass guitar and the stand up bass.  Beyond that, you may spot him playing the stand up bass with a bow!  The versatility of every member of Squat is impressive to say the least.  They are kind of dubbed a Jazz quartet, but their music involves Salsa, Reggae, Jazz, Funk, Blues, and more, which further evidences their genius.  I am loving that they seem to be singing more lyrics.  The harmonies are a lot of fun.

            Off of one of my favorite CDs from 1996, Cycles, “Joshua,” and “Tooch” brought back many fond memories of good times, and Squat concerts of the past.  These two songs were specifically dedicated to the “old skool” fans in the house from back in the day.  Apparently, there were many old friends at the Squat CD release party at Smith’s Olde Bar in Atlanta, Georgia.  I am sure they also notice the obvious evolution that exudes from Squat.  I can really tell that they have honed their already impressive crafts over the years.  Even though they probably sweet talk all the crowds, they told us that we were the best crowd ever.  Looking around, though, I stated to think that they may have not been pulling our collective leg, because everyone was represented, from hippiefried to yuppified, hip hop to Mohawk…your grandma, your little sister, and your best friend was even there!  To close a lovely evening, Squat left us with “Bronkar,” “Clarity,” “Bert’s Song,” and my favorite little Reggae ditty “Jeshua.”

What a pleasure to have Leah Yetter, Photographer back in action with Concert Sutra this month!  Make a point to visit Leah’s Squatalicious photo gallery at: http://www.leahyetter.com/cssquat0407/.  Squat is collectively pleasing to any eye, especially those smiles, and you know our girl, Leah, captures them with an unmatched quality!  I absolutely LOVE the Squat photo gallery! 

To gather your own information on Squat and their new CD, “Squat,” go to their website at http://www.squatme.com/.  Keep reading for Concert Sutra’s quick interview with Squat’s Trey Wright.

Concert Sutra cops a Squat with Trey Wright

Concert Sutra:             You guys have been around a while.  Have you noticed any “scene” changes?  How?

Trey Wright:                My memory is foggy …

Concert Sutra:             Jazz is a very specialized sound.  Do you notice any particular demographic, or is it fun for all?

Trey:                Over the years, we have found that jazz can appeal to a wide demographic – it just matters how it is presented.  In February, we did a series of shows celebrating the release of the new CD at Churchill Grounds in Atlanta, Georgia.  Churchill’s is a much more intimate environment and caters to an upscale crowd.  We play a more dynamic show at Churchill’s and more of a high energy show at Smith’s (Smith’s Olde Bar in Atlanta, Georgia). 

Concert Sutra:             Tell me about your recording process.  Do you go digital or analog?  Do you record in a studio or in a house? 

Trey:                Digital.  The album was recorded at my house in Decatur (Georgia).  I have a studio in an in-law suite that attaches to the house.  It makes for a more creative, relaxed, and fun process.  I recorded my solo CD “Where I’m Calling From” there as well.

Concert Sutra:             What is your writing process?  Do you write as a band, or is one or the other responsible for making your songs happen?

Trey:                Most of the songs are brought by one member and then molded by the group.  It used to be that I wrote most of the material, but these days we all contribute songs, which makes it a lot more diverse and fun!

Concert Sutra:             “Cycles” was one of my favorite CDs back in the day when I went to Mercer University in Macon, Georgia in the mid nineties.  What is special about the new CD “Squat” that makes it stand out to you?

Trey:                Thanks, I’m glad you liked “Cycles” – that album really captured the early years of the band.  I think “Squat” captures where we are now better than any of our recent albums.  Darren’s influence is a lot more present (particularly in the Brazilian Girls sections of “Estrellas” and “Bronkar”).  Many of our other albums were compilations of several recording sessions in several locations, but the new CD has a coherent sound all the way through it.

This is the first album in which we have used overdubbing (with the exception of “Jeshua” and “Ahora” off Recycled).  Overdubbing percussion, vocals, sax, and guitar textures really helped bring the songs to life, particularly “nepsis.”  We had tried recording the song for “Gruelash,” but it just didn’t work as a live recording.

Concert Sutra:             Are you guys still “lady killers,” or have your days of heart breakin’ slowed down?

Trey:                Three of us are married, and two of us have newborns. 

Concert Sutra:             At the show, one of the most noticeable parts was Carl’s great big smile on his face.  Is he most happy about the lovely ladies dancing up front for you guys, or is he just that happy and excited about the music?

Trey:                You’d have to ask him that question …..

Concert Sutra:             The keyboard/saxophone player, Tommy, has a great report with the crowd.  Is he a new addition to the band, or has my memory been distorted by the nineties?

Trey:                No, Tommy has been in the band since day 1.  His role in the band has expanded as the band has progressed. He was definitely there in the Macon days.  (In fact there was a famous night at the Rookery in which he was intimate with a conga and tried to scale the walls – I’m still not sure what any of that was about).

Concert Sutra:             I just can’t believe that I don’t remember his sweet smile AND ESPECIALLY his saxophone.  The early 90’s was rough on the old memory.  Tommy truly melts hearts with his fingers, sax, smiles, and giggles.  Do you guys have to fight off a ton of groupies trying to get his autograph?

Trey:                Just his wife.  Once anyone gets close enough to us, they realize we are balding and turning grey.

Concert Sutra:             Carl kept talking about some future shows you guys are excited about.  Tell me about what you all are doing coming up?

Trey:                We are very excited to be a part of this year’s Atlanta Jazz Festival at Piedmont Park.  We will be playing the Atlanta artists stage on Sunday May 27, 2007 at 1 p.m.  Also, we will be back at Churchill Grounds on Friday and Saturday June 29 and 30, 2007.  Should be fun!

Concert Sutra:             At your CD release party at Smith’s Olde Bar, the crowd was extremely mixed.  There were folks there anywhere from barely legal to bordering grandfolk.  Is there any added pressure when you see so many different generations to please?

Trey:                No, not necessarily.  Believe it or not, but we play more weddings than club shows these days, so we are used to diverse age groups.  We are just excited if anyone in their 20’s knows who we are!

Concert Sutra:             Now THAT would be a wedding to be at!!!  What do you in the future of Squat?  Where would you guys like to be in five more years?

Trey:                We really want to expand our audience in the Athens and Atlanta area.  We are already talking about the next CD – perhaps a double CD of improvised music on one disc and a more modern studio composed approach on the other.  Our next goal is to go to Europe in the summer of 2008.  Got any ideas?

Concert Sutra:             I’d say start in Amsterdam, and make your way to Jamaica!  Who is your favorite new band or musician to listen to right now?

Trey:                My favorite artist of the past decade or so is pianist Brad Mehldau.  His use of space and borrowing from popular music (Radiohead, Nick Drake, Paul Simon) has had a big influence on me.

Concert Sutra:             What kind of advice would you give to the younger aspiring bands out trying for the kind of longevity you guys have achieved?

Trey:                If you don’t enjoy hanging out together, it will never work.

By terri sapp

Photographs taken by terri sapp

© Concert Sutra, All Rights Reserved

click photos for artist website

Concert Sutra:             What inspired you to become a musician?

Greg Connors:             Other people’s music moving me.  Certain songs, I believe, have kept me alive or going or ‘feeling less alone’.  Bill Taft said that of my writing once and it made me realize I was doing something right.  Writing with a musical formula can ‘come across’ to more people.  Instruments being an infinite source of potential skill honing and frustration has always appealed to me.

Concert Sutra:             When did you write your first song?  What was it?  When did it happen?

Greg Connors:             I was 6.  It was a song called ‘When I get angry I spit fire’.  My dad read it aloud as it sat on my desk in this nasally New York accent like an adult reading a children’s work and it sounded ridiculous.  It was my first lesson in how not to phrase. phrases.

Concert Sutra:             I saw you play the guitar and harmonica during your live performance, what other instruments do you play?

Greg Connors:             I’d like to think I could play anything in a studio as long as I get ‘do overs’.  I cannot fake drums whatsoever.

Concert Sutra:             What is your favorite planet?  Why?

Greg Connors:             Pluto.  I like to pull for the underdog and the defiled.

Concert Sutra:             What was your process in recording your newest album, “Here, There, and Anymore?”

Greg Connors:             Joseph Arthur was forever saying “I want to produce your album, man.”  I was never sure what he meant by that.  He had recorded me just acoustic at his apt. in Atlanta in ’95 and said he was hearing ‘back-ups’ and I wasn’t sure what to think.  Of course, now I have trouble hearing songs we recorded on Here, There, and Anymore without Joe’s backing vocals.  Live, I have had friends such as Stan Satin or Matt Purdy (foxy) do stand-ins for Joe’s part.

I had just moved to N.E. PA and gained some marbles back and Joe suddenly had a window in his schedule and he invited me down to his place in D.U.M.B.O to record. Much of it song choice-wise was what felt or sounded good right there.  Some songs were very new, others were my ‘old hits’ Joe suggested I include.  He told me to consider what people liked of mine over the years.

In the more livingroomish part of his loft, I’d just kind of bang the skeleton of the song out acoustic and he’d hear something instantly.  We’d go back in his recording ‘vault’ and I’d sing and play one of the guitars laying around or it would take on a new feel with a drum loop or midi.  Then we’d add things, take away….bounce it off our friend Ceriese Leang who also had good insights.

Concert Sutra:             Give me a synopsis of your previous recordings, and explain how your process has evolved from record to record.

Greg Connors:             Most recordings were with Zod and Stan.  I think I’ve come to trust myself more and learned the ‘wisdom to know the difference’ in terms of who to listen to and in terms of direction and encouragement.  I’ve spent a lot of time only hearing negatives and honing in on people who say nothing and my imagination getting the best of me or them depending on how you look at it.

Concert Sutra:             How does your music go from an idea in your head to a rocking album like “Here, There, and Anymore?”

Greg Connors:             Rocking, huh?  I honestly think musically and lyrically on a constant level.  It has taken struggle and discipline to be the least bit employable-day job-wise.  But, perseverance and humility.  Acceptance of 4 steps forward 20 back, then the realization that that can be merely perception. not to get all new age and shit.

Concert Sutra:             Do you have any pets?  If yes, tell me about him/her/them. 

Greg Connors:             The last pet was a beautiful grey and white long-haired cat named ‘Denise’.  She had beautiful green eyes, too.  She was completely unaffectionate and a total bitch, so when my last girlfriend kicked me out, I left my lovely Denise there to live in my place.

Concert Sutra:             How did you go about getting involved with Scared Records?

Greg Connors:             Originally Joe was going to put it out on his label, which was then going to be called ‘vein records’.  That was not coming to fruition at that time and Stan really believed in this album and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.  It’s been a wonderful asset to have in my corner.  Cool t-shirts and pins, too.

Concert Sutra:             At the Scared Records Showcase you played last month at Lenny’s in Atlanta, I noticed you playing with madman drummer, David Watkins, a.k.a. Zod, and had the wonderful privilege of sharing vocals with Vietnam’s singer/saxophone player, Stan Satin.  How did you guys end up playing music together? 

Greg Connors:             Dave and Stan have always supported and encouraged me to keep writing the best songs I could.  Even at, or more importantly at the lowest, filthy most points in my life.  That’s support.  I see them and the rest of Vietnam as pioneers and heroes on many different levels.  The initial connection, though, was probably somehow related to food service and drugs.

Concert Sutra:             Does being such a good looking fellow ever create problems for you having to fight off the drooling mob of admirers?

Greg Connors:             Is that really the question, terri?  You’ll have to ask the guys in ‘Hubcap City’ about that.  I have a lot of problems with my own drool.

Concert Sutra:             How does it make you feel to hear that people on the scene are saying that you are our generation’s Bob Dylan?

Greg Connors:             It makes me want to worship and donate every cent I make to that scene.  I want to bask in that scene.  Seriously, I can’t think of anything too much more complementary.  Was it a drooling mob scene? 

Concert Sutra:             Actually, no.  That came from your musical peers and fans.  Does that sort of comment create any pressure for you as a songwriter and musician that may not have been there otherwise?

Greg Connors:             No, I have always laid the pressure on myself pretty heavy.  It may conjure up a bit of the ‘if I only knew then what I know now….but as Dylan himself said, “none of us really KNOW anything.”  Not to get all New Age on ya again, though.

Concert Sutra:             Tell me about your upcoming live shows.

Greg Connors:             Well, the second week of every month, I host an open mic at this place here in Montrose, PA called DOWNTOWN GROUNDS CAFE.  I hate setting up shows and in spite of inspiring drool and Dylan innuendo, I don’t draw enough of an audience to use as a bargaining chip with the revolving doors of booking agents at venues around here or most places.  Europeans seem to keep inviting me there.  Maybe I should pull a Nina Simone.  I need help in that regard, I guess (Marketing).  The area I’m currently in, other than the café is sort of in the dark ages creatively (which I, of course, can find quite inspiring and aggravating).  So, I usually have to play in the city or Atlanta to draw anyone.  Strange, huh?  Keep your eyes peeled on www.myspace.com/gregconnors if you are interested in booking or hearing….I just played several in a row down your way (Atlanta).  That was great.  You are great.  Concert Sutra is a greatly cleverly titled column.  Thanks for asking me all these things, terri.  Happy New Year!

Concert Sutra:             Thank you, Greg.  I hope 2007 brings us all great things.  I (and many around me) can’t wait to see you around playing your music again.  In the meantime, I will keep enjoying your newest album “Here, There, and Anymore” in my CD rotation.