Gavin's Underground

Kilby Records - On The Way

2008-07-03T23:15:00Z

So... today I'm due to have an interview about this...

Yeah, Kilby Records. Awesome, right? Well, here's the deal. It's delayed. Actually it's extra-delayed because I had to push it back once before, but that's beside the point. Lance Saunders of Kilby was out on tour with Band Of Annuals when I hit him up for the interview, and he agreed to do it but it had to be done by mail. Both our schedules had frequent conflicts and we just weren't connecting. We agreed that Thursday would work out best for the next posting, but Lance is a little behind on getting back with me. So until he does that later today, this is me cheating by throwing up a place holder. Yeah, it's not pretty, but at least it's something instead of nothing. Besides, writing a blog is like being a member of the Keystone Cops. You're lucky if you can make it to the car on time, let alone stop the train from getting robbed. Anyway... when I get it, you'll get it!

Lost By Reason, Starmy, Chimera, & The High Beams

2008-07-01T15:15:00Z

Following the fallout from the Utah Arts Festival, downtown is still cleaning up and tearing down, and the effects (as well as the ringing in my ears and the spots in front of my eyes) can still be felt throughout the art and music scene. This past weekend was truly one of the best festivals of the year. I toured the place on my own and with friends from Thursday to Saturday, taking photographs along the way for you to check out from Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3.

And also got to talk to several bands who performed throughout the festival during that time. The female alternative trio Lost By Reason, the heavy rock sounds of Starmy, the belly-dancing composed formation of Chimera, and the country-rock stylings of The High Beams. I don’t care who you are, if you missed out on this weekend, you should be slapped… hard.

Lost By Reason (Janet, Katie & Carol)

http://www.myspace.com/lostbyreason

Gavin: 1. Hey, first tell us a little about yourselves and how you came together as a band?

Katie: I ran away from home to pursue a life of music and I never picked up a guitar until I set foor on Utah ground. I started playing open mics and then I met Jamie and Carol, and as a singer-songwriter I found something I never thought I would find.

Carol: Jamie and Katie were very healing for me. I was playing with a band and music I desperately loved and had to stop for personal reasons. In that process I would play with them when I was in town, casually. Although I loved it, it had a completely different meaning for me. The roots of our music began in those moments. And it is fitting. Katie, with her amazing voice, is really just finding her voice. And Jamie, anybody that spends time with her can tell you, is generously expressive. If I had to describe it, I Think I bring drive. I want us to dive into the fire. We all bring passion, but in different ways.

Gavin: All three of you come from different places and appear to be well traveled, why pick Utah as opposed to other music scenes in the U.S. or even the world?

Katie: For me it has nothing to do with Utah or picking the place, I was a writer and on a whim I landed in Utah. By a stroke of luck I ran unto two of the greatest musicians and it happened to be in Utah. I had done singing and chorus but no other bands. And I have been here because of the band. There is no other greater reason for me to be here. It was never planned, and I never meant to stay.

Carol: It's a place that keeps bringing me back, for other reasons besides music. It is ironic that I have made such great musical relationships here. Ideally we would be able to travel and play music more to be able to experience other scenes and still live where we want. Right now that is here in Utah.

Gavin: There are very few all-women bands in our scene, but the few we have tend to do better than most groups in general. Do you find its harder to get over with that type of lineup, or is it like being in any other band, just unique?

Carol: What is unique is that the band was formed out of a great musical chemistry and connection, and not just because we are women. Today many all-women groups are sadly put together as a gimmick or because they attract attention. That's not to say that those X-chromosome bands are bad - on the contrary is great for any talented musician to have a showcase for their art. I do feel lucky that we do it because we love to play music together. It makes the possibilities for our future creations bright.

Katie: I think it’s harder for women, I think about that Jim Bean ad. People want to see half naked women on stage and I think it's harder to get respect as musicians, as good musicians. But also as a band you look at a group like the Pixies and they hate each other and you see a lot of guy bands that fight. There are arguments, bickering, and I don't think we have a lot of that. I think we have issues like every other person on the planet but as women its easier for us to travel and be together, be stuck together for many days without arguing, as far as the band goes. As women on stage I feel sometimes that I need to wear a bikini to get any attention. And also, how many all-women bands are there? There are a lot of solo artists, but how many successful women bands do you see? So yes it's hard.

Gavin: How did you get involved with the Arts Festival and chosen to perform?

Katie: Well, like any musician we're always looking for projects and places to play that are outside of a bar, that are surrounded by are beyond music. Obviously the Utah Arts Festival is well known. As a musician and artist why wouldn't you want to play in the Festival, where you are a part of the art, a part of Utah? To be a part of the Arts Festival is an amazing thing because it is a huge part of Utah. It is the artspace of Salt Lake City. Coming from a big city I know this is important.

Carol: Yes, we are delighted to be a part of it.

Gavin: What's your take on the local scene, both good and bad?

Carol: It's a little cliquey, but yet it's supportive. At the heart of it is all the amazing local artists and bands. It's remarkable the amount of talent in this town. Unfortunately cover bands still make the most money. But even bands support each other successful bands like Royal Bliss and Starmy support other up-and-coming bands. I just also have to say that the small college and local radio stations are amazing for their love and support of local music. For instance "the local landing" at Weber State is great - small control room, large show. KRCL, Portia, all do their part. The clubs and other venues out there and the people who book for them are mostly trying their best to make the scene happen. People that book for venues create the scene in a way - Ryan & Kate at i.e. concerts, Mike, Jerm, Brian, Taylor, etc. They are all keystones of the SLC scene. SLUG, City Weekly, and other media are very supportive of local musicians. They really hold the key to unifying all these different genera.

Katie: Well the good first. Salt Lake City. Surprisingly, SLC as small as it is has large number of musicians and artists. For me as a beginner musician but longtime songwriter, this is a perfect place for me to come and start out because it is small but there is a lot of appreciation. People are striving constantly to find new things, new art, new music. The bad on the alter end, because SLC is so small, people are spread all over and you have to promote much more- and because of the bar laws, the whole membership thing and such, as opposed to when you go to a venue in a different city to see a band there are already 100 people there. Not only is there a ticket charge but there is a cover charge as well.

Gavin: Anything you think could be done to make it better?

Katie: Get rid of membership in bars!

Gavin: Putting you on the spot a little, if you had to pick, what bands do you feel are the best in the local scene now?

Carol: I'll give you a random selection of bands I like, all for different reasons. Also some bands are on hiatus right now so I won't mention them. James Shook and his band, The Gorgeous Hussies, Starmy, The Has Beens, LOOM.

Katie: Kid Medusa, The Gorgeous Hussies, WEDK, Motif Onyx, The Purr Bats.

Gavin: Switching to mainstream, what's your opinion on what's out there now?

Katie: Without being a total pessimist I think as occasionally as far as what’s on the radio is for the birds.

Carol: There are often many talented producers involved but the subtly of music is often lost in it all.

Gavin: How about your thoughts on the record industry and the state it's in?

Katie: What record industry? As far as now people don’t buy CD’s, they go to MySpace, they go to iTunes. There's also a fine line between independent and main stream labels. Do I need to get pregnant, shave, get divorced, and shave my head to get noticed? As far as local record companies, they rock. They're all about the music. But if someone offered us a record deal tomorrow I'd be hard pressed to say no. But don't ask us to change our music to fit the radio.

Carol: Its a mess and it's distracting to the process of music. It's great that there are so many DIY resources available to musicians now - recording, booking, and publicity.

Gavin: What do you think of file sharing as it relates to you and your music?

Carol: We sell CD’s mostly at shows, and it really shows a fan's appreciation for the music. We love that. It funds our music and our next album. The artwork is designed for them. That's the connection. If someone buys that CD online it does the same thing. If someone is new to our music or doesn't have the money we still want them to enjoy it.

Katie: I don't want it to be just about money. My greatest dream is to be able to play music just if somebody likes my music and goes through all the trouble to download it take it. Cool. If you have a ton of money and you like our music buy a CD, check out the art work.

Gavin: You have one album out for a while now, what's been the reception to it, and what do you think of it now after having it released for so long?

Katie: Personally, as a musician and band member, when I listen now it makes my head cringe because we have grown and changed a lot. The amazing thing is that now, even thought the CD has been out for a year, I have had a lot of people come to me and say “wow, you guys are amazing, this is a great CD, you guys rock.” I felt like in the beginning we didn’t get that response. I don't know if it was because we've become more popular or because people have just started to really notice. It's amazing to me to have people come up to us who have known us and say “hey, I have been listening to your CD and I really love your CD” - and it's sincere.

Carol: I loved it when it came out, and we had reports of people being addicted to it, leaving it on their playlists over and over. It was recorded by one of our own, Herc, at Herc's living room. It's a great place to be able to explore with your recording. I still love the songs but we have grown immensely as a band. We are quite different live and I think it kind of blows people away when they see us after only listening to the album. I am full of anticipation and feel so alive when playing our new songs. They have a life of their own. They signal our coming together as a new musical beast. In our first album you can hear us feeling it out, stretching against each other. In these songs we start to soar. Sounds really cheesy, I know, but I don't know how else to describe it. I love this process, and can't wait to record again.

Gavin: You're currently working on your second, how's the progress on that?

Carol: It's like snowboarding a steep deep chute really fast- it's the best satisfaction ever. It's like flying. I can't wait for people to hear our new songs. We have had a French artist Marie Meier agree to do art work for the album so it should be very sweet.

Katie: I can't wait for the second album. It's like any musician. Every band has that popular song that everybody loves and every body wants to hear but every musician wants that next album. We've got a lot more to us. We've been changing a lot. Life gets in the way. It's not just about music, but eventually that life comes out in our music. It's very personal, and hard to explain. It's a process. We are now closer in our writing together, growing together. It has a life of its own.

Gavin: What can we expect from lost by reason the rest of the year?

Katie: Change, it's going to get even better. I love our music now and what we're doing, but we are growing. Oh, and a new CD.

Carol: Playing outside at festivals plus a few other great club shows. If you live in the south we are headed your way, playing at the Texas state fair and other great venues.

Gavin: Anything you'd like to plug?

Carol: Our MySpace Page, the Utah Arts Festival and their committee for putting together such a sweet festival - 4 days of non-stop pleasure. Thanks for having us!

Katie: Our upcoming music festivals - the Women's Red Rock Music Festival in Torrey, Green Desert Festival and of course our southern tour.

Starmy (Joe, Dave, Mike, Jake, John & Ryan)

http://www.myspace.com/starmy

(The band voted and elected John to field all the questions.)

Gavin: Hey, first tell us a little about the band and how you came together.

John: Starmy was derived when I wore an Army shirt to Ya Buts one day and Mike said, "We should start a band called STAR... my... HA HA!"

Gavin: You've got a large ensemble that's been in flux at times. Do you feel it's harder to keep a steady lineup, or have you finally found a group that works?

John: Mike and I joke that at times we feel like Salt Lake’s Steeley Dan. He and I are the only original members. Though it's silly, I think that the personalities involved have influenced the feel of the songs. Dead Ready was really young and Lo-Fi. Black Shine became a corporate love letter. I feel now, we're over it, and are comfortable with this sort of thundering desert sound that comes when you have 30 people in your band.

Gavin: How did you get involved with the Arts Festival and chosen to perform?

John: We've played it a few times in the past. Arts Fest is actually one of the funnest shows we play. Everyone is professional, the volunteers are great, and it's provides us with a chance to play for crowds that may not see us other wise.

Gavin: So what's your take on the local scene, both good and bad?

John: I think Salt Lake City has fine bands. If you're wondering if I think Salt Lake has a 'scene', that could somehow duplicate 90's Seattle… no, but my favorite musicians are local ones.

Gavin: Anything you think could be done to make it better?

John: I like programs like the Rock Academy. I'm just not sure what a scene provides. Is the goal to be unique and have a lot of bands get signed? I'm not sure I would wish that on any local band.

Gavin: If you had to pick, what bands do you feel are the best in the local scene now?

John: The same bands that we have been sitting in local clubs with since the dawn of the millennium. Red Bennies, Tolchock Trio, Vile Blue Shades, The Brobecks, any other band with Dave Payne or Eli Morrison.

Gavin: Switching to mainstream, what's your opinion on what's out there now?

John: I love it so much I listen to AM.

Gavin: How about your thoughts on the record industry?

John: I think they got what they deserve. Music on the radio is there just so that you'll listen to commercials.

Gavin: What do you think of file sharing as it relates to you and your music?

John: I'll charge for it for a couple of months, and then it's yours. We make the music for fun. We sell it, so people can go home and practice singing along at our shows. If you're nice, I'll send the files to you.

Gavin: You're releasing not one, but two EP's here at the festival. Tell us about the recording of those and the planning behind the release.

John: They came about because we wanted to release the full length at arts fest, that wasn't going to happen, so we put together 5 new songs, 5 old unreleased song versions, and 1 live song. We have learned a lot by releasing these EP'S. 1st, that we can do it all on our own, and it can be super cool. Second, that it takes a lot to get an EP ready in 1 week. Third, that doing the full length is going to take more time than we had anticipated.

Gavin: You also have a full-length album on the way in August. What's going on with it?

John: Well... it's been on its way for 4 years. Starmageddon will be something that I'll be very proud of. 2 of the EP's headlining tracks will be on the full-length. There are 12 more tracks yet to be released. If it comes out in August, we rule, if not... then we'll just kind of rule.

Gavin: What can we expect from Starmy the rest of the year?

John: Starmageddon to be released. We'll fire everyone, maybe get our van registered, and start writing baroque techno songs.

Gavin: Anything you'd like to plug?

John: Well... MySpace is always fun. We're trying to get GoStarmy.com back up... but the internet is hard. If you want any music that we've made over the last 7 years... email Makeyouseestars@gmail.com.

Chimera

Gavin: Hey there. So first tell us a little about Chimera and the type of music you play.

Ra: Chimera is the name for a consortium of performers -- a combination of dancers and musicians that perform to the music of No Blood To Spare.

Tony: Fusion-tribal-industrial-progressive-electronica-rock influenced dance music with cello, synth drums, samples, guitars, mandolin and flute-- vocals, too.

Gavin: How did you get into playing for belly dancers?

Tony: In one of many projects, Ra and Tony worked as house drummers for Kismet School of Danse Orientale for more than three years, performing regularly in classes and performances with the school's best dancers. We focused on traditional dunbeck arrangements and beats, but evolved into Ra playing synth pads and samples and Tony adding guitar, non-belly dance drums and percussion. Eventually, we started creating full compositions songs for performances, and Joel started adding his inestimable cello melodies. Yasamina Roque put Kismet on hiatus in 2007 but we continued sharing music with a lot of the dancers, occasionally attending Tribes and the yearly belly dance festival. And that lead to the idea of Chimera at the Arts Festival.

Joel: I performed with Tony and Ra for several Kismet performances over the years, but it wasn't until we recently decided to write a bunch of belly dance music that No Blood To Spare adopted (and adapted) the genre with a passion.

Gavin: Is there a large response for that, or does it feel more like it's an exclusive group who has interest?

Ra: Belly dance is huge in Utah. And it's evolving and meshing with other dance formats. It's a very creative art form. We've seen some big audiences.

Joel: Most belly dancers perform to canned music or to the beats of a couple of drummers. We love the energy of an epic live sound. It compliments the grandiosity and sensuality of belly dance quite nicely!

Gavin: How did you get involved with the Arts Festival and chosen to perform?

Ra: Kismet had performed at the Utah Arts Festival for 29 years in a row. Apparently someone from the festival team was interested in keeping that roll going. Unfortunately Yasimina had moved to Colorado several months prior so kismet was not available. Having been the kismet musicians for the last few years, being arts festival veterans and knowing dozens of belly dancers, we decided we could put together a similar show. Indeed many of the dancers in the show have been in kismet at some time.

Tony: We didn't want the festival tradition to go away this year and Rich Nichols, who manages street theater for the festival, was kind enough to book our show based on our prior contact.

Gavin: Who are you performing with on stage?

Tony: Our band No Blood To Spare is Ra on synthesizers and drums; Joel Hales on cello and Tony Semerad on guitar, mandolin and drums. We presented six songs to all the dancers we knew and several fantastic troupes signed on to choreograph and perform at the show. It was the best kind of collaborative project. These are the dancers, to whom we owe a great debt of gratitude: DecaDance, under the tutelage of Annwvyn, put on our opening number, Luminous Starburst, with eight members. A troupe dubbed Shiva's Fire -- made up of Shahla, Natassia, Nizshma and Sarvari-- danced two numbers, Fog Snarl Guardian and Shiva's Dancing. A duet called Ghaniya, with dancers Daya and Shannon, performed to Shalamar the Cat. Another eight-member troupe, Las Gitanas, danced to Moon Finder. And all the troupes contributed to our last number, an orchestral piece called Mahrajan al Raks by Ahmed Fouad Hassan. Our guest musicians were Liesl Bonnel on vocals, Aaron Moser on flute, and Lindsay Heath of Kid Madusa on dunbeck.

Gavin: Now Chimera is only one band you're involved with, most of you are also a part of No Blood To Spare. Tell us about that group and how you came together.

Ra: NBTS is named from a line in the book Wise Blood. Our music is unique. Most people have a hard time labeling it. Myself included. I suppose it's primarily a mix of prog, punk, psychobilly, middle eastern, jazz, electronica, hard rock and industrial. My influences are King Crimson, Gang of Four, Pigface, Die Kreuzen, Big Black, Yes, The Cramps, Eno, Wall of VooDoo, Primus, Skinny Puppy, Consolidated, Hendrix, Shriekback, Roger Waters, Rudimentary Peni, Front 242 and, of course, the Shrimp Shack Shooters.

Tony: We all came from extensive professional musical backgrounds and came together through, of all things, working for the online department of the local newspaper at the same time. We've improved entire gigs without the audiences really knowing. People would ask use afterward for the CD and we could honestly tell them, it was the first time we had played those songs! And, of course, the last!

Joel: I came from a classically trained background. Ra and Tony invited me to jam with them over 10 years ago. We hit it off and for the past 10 years, we've been improvising and recording about half of our jams. Along the way, I began playing bass guitar as well, playing with Phono for years. When I first began to jam with Ra and Tony, we called ourselves Dipsy Slash and the Sound Doctors. For most of those years, we never played the same song twice. It was simply about enjoying what everyone brought to the moment and then moving on to the next. We have thousands of recordings of jam sessions. One day we may go back through them and pick out the good riffs!

Gavin: What's your take on the local scene, both good and bad?

Joel: There are so many amazing local musicians. I can't begin to get a taste for what's going on locally. I've been fortunate to get to play with a lot of amazing local artists. There's a lot of crossover locally and my only complaint is that there isn't enough time to play with everyone I'd like to play with!

Tony: I wish there were a lot more viable and promoted venues.

Ra: I'm not a very good candidate for this question anymore. Back in the day when there was a flourishing punk scene I went out a couple of times a week. The area around 4th south/4th west down to the speedway was a hot-bed of local, and touring, bands, cheap shows and good times. These days I like to see my friends, or Gwar, when they play but I really don't get out much.

Gavin: Anything you think could be done to make it better?

Joel: Get rid of liquor laws that force club memberships. There's a fee just to get into a bar!

Tony: The scene is changing rapidly, but musician still struggle for decent, accessible places for their music to be heard, part of a larger neglect of live and local music. Right now, the bar scene still sags under the burden of Utah liquor laws and that stunts local live music opportunities to some extent. On top of that, corporate owned radio around here does a lousy job of combing, airing and promoting the local scene. How you change either of those things, I'm not sure.

Ra: I think legalizing adulthood in Utah would go a long way.

Gavin: Putting you on the spot a little, if you had to pick, what bands do you feel are the best in the local scene now?

Tony: Kid Madusa, Mushman, Phono, Drodna and Atherton-- all friends or friends of friends, all incredibly talented.

Ra: I can't even name five local bands. I don't get out much anymore. I like Phono and Kid Madussa. There is a guy who plays a frenetic, noisy, live style of grindcore or hard-core techno. I saw him at the TromaDance party in 07. Lloyd Kaufman told me he hired him locally. He pounds on keyboards that are triggering harsh sampled hits and he screams unintelligibly with dense distortion. I don't know what he's called but he rocks all over the floor.

Gavin: Switching to mainstream, what's your opinion on what's out there now?

Joel: There's something for everyone, however, it kills me that when it comes to music and art, only the smallest percentage of what gets created becomes available to people. Thankfully, the internet has opened up so many opportunities to share music and art. People have the opportunity to transform the belief that time=money into time=art. Now that's the kind of world I like to live in.

Tony: I've loved Radiohead and NIN of late, not the least reason being their inclination to trust their audience with the whole idea of how music is valued. This stuff Reznor has given away for free is amazing.

Ra: In general I've never been a fan of mainstream music with the exception of a creative spurt during the 80's. I've never liked the influence of soul music on mainstream music. What they label as country music these days is unlistenable. Hip-hop and rap seems to be taking over. That's not to say there hasn't always been good music around. There has. It's just rarely in the mainstream.

Gavin: How about your thoughts on the record industry and the state it's in?

Ra: This is the golden age for musicians. Because of the internet, computers and cheap, high-quality, recording gear just about anyone can get their music heard. Eventually the record industry will consist of little more than marketing and the populace can decide what is good themselves.

Gavin: What do you think of file sharing as it relates to you and your music?

Tony: I read some statistic that musicians were many, many-fold more likely to use the Internet, technology, in their daily lives etc, than average people. I believe it. File sharing is going to change everything and arguably, already has.

Ra: We plan to give our first CD away for free online in MP3 format. It'll even include the cover art in case anyone wants to make a CD. We're all hooked on making music. We would do it even if we know nobody will ever hear it. It's a way of life. It's not about money at all.

Joel: I say share share share! And if you're moved by what someone creates, let them know by passing them some bucks!

Gavin: You're currently working on an album as No Blood To Spare. What's the progress like on that?

Joel: We have a lot of the songs developed and scratch versions recorded. We're looking to release something official this winter.

Ra: We all have full time jobs or we'd get it done in a month.

Gavin: What can we expect from both No Blood and Chimera the rest of the year?

Joel: No Blood To Spare will perform a bit more at clubs and hopefully some bigger shows. We have a lot of music that we've been working on that we'd like to start playing out. We play house parties and we love the coffee-shop venues, especially Alchemy Coffee.

Ra: We have about 25-30 dancers that have choreographed to our most recent belly dance music. We plan to add industrial, electronica and rock elements to them to play in clubs with some of the dancers. We hope to feature dancers at all of our shows.

Gavin: Anything you'd like to plug?

Ra: Yes. Stonewall's vegetarian jerky. It comes in 7 delicious flavors.

Joel: Alchemy Coffee, Phono, Kid Madusa, Mushman.

Tony: I guess I'm more into unplugged. I urge people to cultivate, patronize and cherish local live music, dance and performance in general. There is a lot to love in the Salt Lake scene!

The High Beams (JR Rupple, Michael Sasich, Jack Taylor & Ian Aldous)

http://www.myspace.com/highbeamsmusic

Gavin: Hey, first tell us a little about the band and how you came together.

Jack: Ian and I were in a band called "Edgar's Mule" for about five years when the bass player and lead guitarist decided to quit and get fat. Mike Sasich is really the one that got the ball rolling again. After a few practices it was really apparent that we were all on the same page.

Gavin: You've performed for PCTV earlier this year, but had to cancel a return recently. What was it like performing for them?

Jack: We all had a really good time and they were very nice to us and made us feel really comfortable. I feel really bad for having to cancel this last appearance. I had some personal problems and my grandpa Jack had passed away a few days before. Hard week.

Gavin: You guys were also recently a part of City Weekly's SLAMMYS. What was that experience like for you personally and as a group?

Jack: All the people from the City Weekly were wonderful and we couldn't have been happier to be a part of it. The venue however was chalked full of douche bags. The sound guy interrupted songs and finally half way through the set the ^#%#-head manager gave us an ultimatum, turn way down or get off the stage. We got off the stage. That place can suck a &%#$ out of our collective @$$%#&@.

Ian: Yeah, that was definitely a let down. We played at the Huka Bar out in Murray and we knew as soon as we walked into the place that we were going to be in for a treat. The ironic thing about them telling us to turn down is that we were already playing quietly! Sasich was only using his smaller amp for crying out loud and I think that's the only show we've played recently when he didn't bust out the big gun. But I don't know, apparently the guys at Huka didn't get the memo that when you're hosting a "Musical Showcase" you're supposed to allow the bands showcase their music, and if it's not the type of music you want at your place, don't agree to host it. Save yourself the hassle.

Gavin: How did you get involved with the Arts Festival and chosen to perform?

Jack: It's something I've always wanted to do so we just applied and they picked us. Not sure who did.

Gavin: What's your take on the local scene, both good and bad?

Jack: I think Salt Lake has quite a few great bands. I just wish more people would give some of the lesser known bands more of a chance.

Ian: It goes without saying that we've had local support. Many of the chaps who book shows around town, play in other bands and so forth dig what we do, we've just had one hell of a time breaking through to the audience that listen to them and what they do. Sometimes we'll open for a band and huge chunk of the crowd will just completely tune us out, you know, not even give us a chance. I remember one show we did where some of the audience left while we were playing our set and then came back when we were done. From my point of view it's like, "Sorry to put you guys out, we were just trying to play some songs and have fun." That's where a great deal of my personal frustration towards the local scene comes from, knowing that there's people who come out to shows who have written you off before you've played a single note because they're not there to see you, so quit wasting their time.

Gavin: Anything you think could be done to make it better?

Jack: Fewer cliques.

Ian: I have always been taken aback by the fact that there are so many great bands in this town, just sitting right under the noses of a lot of people in the valley. People really need to come out and see them play. It's quite okay folks, they don't bite.

Gavin: If you had to pick, what bands do you feel are the best in the local scene now?

Jack: Band Of Annuals, Andale, Bronco, Thunderfist, Ramroderous!

Gavin: Switching to mainstream, what's your opinion on what's out there now?

Jack: There's tons of great music out there. It's just not as easy to always find as it once was.

Gavin: How about your thoughts on the record industry and the state it's in?

Jack: I don't know much about the record industry but I will say that everyone at MTV and VH1 should be shot. In my personal opinion.

Gavin: What do you think of file sharing as it relates to you and your music?

Jack: If you like it and it's there...take it.

Gavin: You're currently working on an album called "Drunk Logic", how's the progress on that?

Jack: Were just about done I think. I'm hoping to have it done before the end of the summer. It's really been about three years in the making. Way too long.

Gavin: What can we expect from The High Beams the rest of the year?

Jack: More shows, new songs, and with any luck another record before the end of the year. The songs I've been writing as of late are very acoustic sort of "folky" songs. Which is something I've always wanted to do.

Gavin: Anything you'd like to plug?

Jack: Well come see us if you can. If you like it let us know. We should have some new mixes of other songs soon and we'll put those up on MySpace.

Utah Arts Festival - Phillip Yeh

2008-06-29T14:47:00Z

As the Utah Arts Festival rolls into its final day today, we start taking a look back at some of the things that were showcased this year. Night Flight Comics was proud to bring in cartoonist Phillip Yeh to do a mural for the festival, encouraging children to not only read but be creative in life as well. I got an opportunity to ask Phil some questions, as well as browse by throughout the festival to snap pictures of the progress of the mural, all the way to it’s finished product.

Phillip Yeh

http://www.wingedtiger.com/

Gavin: Hello Phil. First, tell us a little about yourself.

Phil: I was born in Chicago in 1954 and moved to New Jersey right away for the first 6 years then on to a small town on the west coast called Los Angeles where I spent most of the next decade. I finished high school at Los Alamitos where I started publishing a little magazine and went on to study film at Cal State University Long Beach, where I launched a free arts paper called Uncle Jam in November 1973. I was 19 at the time and that paper would last for the next 19 years serving Southern California. My dad came from China in 1948 and my mother from the Midwest, of European heritage. This has given all my work a very global outlook.

Gavin: How did you first get into comics?

Phil: I started drawing at the age of two and made my own little books by the age of six. I really cannot remember a time when I was ever not drawing comics and painting. I have always believed that art was a great way to use your imagination and communicate. But I really didn't read many comics as a kid, I spent my time reading the classics and biographies and history books. I still find great ideas from reading and from traveling around the world and the people that I meet.

Gavin: How did you start “Cartoonists Across America”?

Phil: In 1985, I interviewed Wally "Famous" Amos for our newspaper Uncle Jam. He was the national spokesperson for Literacy Volunteers of America (now ProLiteracy) and the statistics about the terrible illiteracy crisis really hit home with me. I had started publishing my own books in 1976 and drew one of the very first graphic novels in America in 1977, so having more people able to read was —and still is— very important to me. Wally inspired me to get other cartoonists together to try and use cartoons and humor to call attention to this very serious problem in the United States. We thought at the time that we would go on the road until the year 2000. In 1999, Wally flew out from Hawaii to present to me with one of the first Alphie Awards from the Los Angeles Country Library Foundation along with Dr. Fred Cort and Edward James Olmos. Steve Allen was the host of the event at Sony Studios and in all the excitement; I declared in my acceptance speech that we would continue to tour until the year 2010, a total of 25 years. The actual illiteracy problem has only grown worse for most people today, since we started with all these endless electronic distractions. Reading is not a big activity for the average American and that is a shame.

Gavin: Tell us about the book Dinosaurs Across America.

Phil: So many Americans are not only functionally illiterate as a society but in areas like math and science and history and geography, we continue to lag behind much of the rest of the world. Every year, surveys show that the average American lack basic knowledge of the geography of their own country, which continues to shock the world. So in 1990, I created a comic book called Dinosaurs Across America which was reprinted 8 times, selling almost 200,000 copies. In 2006, when the Cleveland Museum of Natural History offered me a five month art show of the oil paintings from my book Theo The Dinosaur, they also asked me to reprint this comic again. Lieve Jerger, my longtime colorist and art director then began to color all the pages of the original comic, and last fall, NBM publishing of New York issued the first full color hardcover edition of this book. I hope to have this book in every single home, public, and school library in the next few years. In fact, School Library Journal recently named Dinosaurs Across America as one of the best 25 graphic novels in their March 2008 cover story. We also introduced a new comic book called Dinosaurs Across Route 66 last fall and I am currently working on yet another book called Dinosaurs Across California for this fall. I hope to produce regional books for most of the country in the next few years, first as black and white comics, and then as full color hardcover books.

Gavin: The books that you do are mainly aimed for a younger audience. Do you feel you're missing out by not doing more adult material, or do you feel it is more fulfilling doing books for that audience?

Phil: I am often confused by folks assuming that things like U.S. Geography etc and the themes of all my work are aimed at younger audiences only. The fact is that I always work for all ages in the tradition of Charles Schulz and the movies I loved as kid growing up when there was never an issue about families watching a G-rated movie. We simply watched movies because they were good. My work is aimed at all ages and I get fan letters from grandparents, high school and college students and from elementary school kids from all over the world. But it is true that I do not include sex and violence in my work but then I think that both subjects are already being worked to death from others.

Gavin: You tour around the world with your work frequently, but have said you'd stop doing it in 2010. Why so?

Phil: I dedicated 25 years of my life to promoting reading, the arts and creativity: that is a lot of time. The cost of travel and the fact that we have painted more than 1800 murals all over the planet without any steady funding from major sponsors has made this a real grassroots effort on every level. After 2010, we hope to finish my documentary film Planet Literacy that I started more than 20 years ago and I will continue to write and draw books and speak about the need for more art and music in our schools to inspire generations to come. I will always travel but the tour as we know it, will end. I have been on the road almost 23 years now and it does take a personal toll on family and health.

Gavin: What's your opinion on comics today, both good and bad?

Phil: Most of the work in our field in the field of music, painting, film, TV, etc., is very poor. Sadly, as this culture became more subliterate and lazy, the quality of the work in all the arts suffered as well. My own sons are in their twenties now and most young people in the United States working today simply do not have the discipline to learn the history of their various fields to do the kind of work that one expects from all artists. It's better in other countries, but actually, as the bad habits of our country are spread to other so-called "advanced societies," we see this same downward trend appearing all over the world. I have always believed that we have to show the next generation how to make things better. I still have hope because there are still many young people willing to do the hard work in all these fields. Even though the majority of cartoons and graphic novels are not very good today, there are also excellent exceptions to confirm this general rule. We have to recognize that there are some wonderful truly classic books coming out right now, and support them, and also make sure that we still remember the classics from the past. One of my greatest regrets is that most Americans haven't a clue when it comes to our own great history in all the arts and that is why I am always mentioning those classic artists in my own work.

Gavin: Is there anything you think could be done to make it better?

Phil: The best that any of us can do is to keep spreading the word about the real joys and benefits from old-fashioned books and to suggest to young people, and older folks too, about the great books that are out there. We have to promote these good things like nature, gardening, playing an instrument, drawing, all the things that do not require huge electrical bills and fancy equipment. Those old fashioned things are truly great ways to get our kids to cultivate longer attention spans and truly inspire their imagination for the future.

Gavin: What made you decide to come do the Arts Festival?

Phil: Mimi Cruz of Night Flight Comics met me at a show I did and invited me. I have always had great events in Utah and have met more people there who actually speak a foreign language and have a more global outlook than in many other places that I have visited in my career. I am very excited about coming back after all these years.

Gavin: Tell us about all the stuff you're doing for the Festival.

Phil: Aside from signing my books at Night Flight Comics on Library Square , I will be reading from Dinosaurs Across America on Friday, June 27 from 7 pm to 8 pm. On Saturday June 28, from 2 pm to 3 pm I will offer a mini workshop for kids about how to go about creating their own graphic novels. When I think of KIDS I include everyone from 1 to 101. Cartoons have a way of reaching the kid in all of us and I never really believed that cartoonists and their fans ever grow up. Both of these events will be in The Salt Lake City Library. I will also be painting a mural in the Night Flight store during the festival and signing copies of my books.

Gavin: Why did you choose to do a mural?

Phil: We love to do these murals as a way for the media to get a vivid picture of the issues that we promote. It's hard to film literacy but when you are making a mural, you give a visual to the issue and to the solutions that we offer. We paint these murals on school walls, on bookmobiles, on foamcore, on vans and trucks and welcome anyone to contact us at WingedTiger.com to come to their community anywhere on this planet until the year 2010.

Gavin: Will you be doing anything else locally while you're in town, or mainly sticking to the festival?

Phil: I am just in town for a short stay on this trip but would love to come back and appear across the state!

Gavin: What can we expect from you the rest of the year?

Phil: I will be doing our mural events and speaking in schools and libraries throughout the rest of 2008 and all the way until this tour ends in 2010. We have the San Diego Comic Con in July 08 and then events in Illinois and Missouri for August and September as well as a big Kid's Festival in Phoenix that month. In October we will be in the San Francisco Bay Area and now we are lining up more events in the Western United States through February 2009. We try and appear in as many states as possible every year and in the summer of 09’, we hope to travel to Europe. I was in China twice in 2007, I have a new color comic strip in a great children's magazine called Little Star in China. The magazine is in English and directed at the International Students and their families in Beijing and Shanghai. Copper lace artist Lieve Jerger has been coloring all these works, and my partner Geoff Bevington in Chicago is now making many of these images into limited edition fine art prints. Geoff, Lieve and I are actually working on a brand new book called Steve the Dog and The Winged Tiger, a story of a couch potato dog becoming a Renaissance Dog. That book will debut in April 09’ in Chicago where I was born, but like all my work, it is designed for a universal audience.

"Local First Utah" Executive Director: Alison Einerson

2008-06-27T16:35:00Z

Starting up this Saturday, a number of local businesses will start taking part in a week long event to focus on everything Utahn! Independents' Week kicks off this Saturday with a sidewalk party out of Slowtrain Music on Broadway and a local cookoff challenge at the downtown Farmer's Market. All a part of Local First Utah's continued effort to promote local business and strengthen the community. I got to chat with Local First Utah's Executive Director Alison Einerson about the activities coming up this week, as well as Local First and a number of other topics.

Alison Einerson

http://www.localfirst.org/

Gavin: Hey Alison. Tell us a little about yourself.

Alison: I'm Alison Einerson, Executive Director of Local First Utah. I've been with Local First for almost a year, and I've enjoyed being a part of such an important organization. I've worked in publishing, public relations, and the outdoor retail industry.

Gavin: For those out of state (or haven't been paying attention), tell us what Local First is.

Alison: Local First Utah is a not-for-profit organization that, through public education, seeks to strengthen communities and local economies by promoting, preserving, and protecting local, independently owned businesses throughout Utah. Organized in 2005 by a small number of volunteer business owners and community-minded residents, Local First Utah is now a vital organization with more than 1600 partners statewide. Local First Utah is open to all Utah businesses that are at least 51% locally-owned and make their business decisions independently. There is no class of membership in the organization and registration is free.

Gavin: It's only been around since mid-2005, why do you think it took so long to form this kind of an organization?

Alison: Local First was founded by a folks from a variety of backgrounds, and they are all very busy people! Many of them own their own businesses, some worked in civic positions, and many were community leaders. I think it took some time for people to get fed up with what they were seeing in their neighborhoods and finally band together to do something about it. There are many groups similar to ours around the country, but each group is unique and has to find its own direction and methodology. That takes time!

Gavin: Do most places embrace the idea, or are there any local businesses who refuse to be a part of it?

Alison: I've never had a local business refuse to become a member once they understand who we are and why we exist. I've had many franchise and non-locally owned businesses request to be a partner with us, and be upset when they don't fit the criteria and therefore can't sign up.

Gavin: How did you get involved with Local First?

Alison: I became familiar with Local First through the chair of the board, who I had worked with in a previous capacity. Once I learned about the organization, I immediately put a bumper sticker on my car and became a believer. I've tried to live the "buy local" lifestyle ever since!

Gavin: You were recently hired as the new Executive Director of Local First. How did that come about?

Alison: I signed up my previous employer, and had worked with the Board Chair in another capacity. When I left that job, this position as Exec Director was available, and by the grace of some God, I got the job!

Gavin: What's your take on the way local businesses hold up against national chains, both good and bad?

Alison: I think most independent businesses not only "hold up" against national chains, they outperform the chains in customer service, product uniqueness and selection, and contribution to community. In addition, chains frequently claim to have substantially lower prices, but this isn't necessarily true. It's important to compare prices and know what the local option is going to provide for you. It's often not only a competitive price, but also much better service, better warranty, better customer care, and just all around better satisfaction with your purchases. It's also nice to know that more of your money is staying in your community!

Gavin: Does it feel like Utah is starting to make a comeback as far as local businesses asserting themselves, or are we backtracking with the building of more Wal-Mart’s and the recent addition of IKEA?

Alison: Utah is most definitely embracing it's local businesses! Local First Utah is evidence of that! When business owners band together and share their strengths, it becomes much easier to get the message out about how local businesses contribute to community. Local business owners live here, their kids go to school here, and they run for office here. They are rooted in the community, and that means they are more likely to care about the community. We're not here to be negative or to say there's no place for IKEA in Utah. We simply want people to know there are many options, and that it matters where they spend their money. And we want people to help Utahns find our unique eateries, locally grown food, unique clothing stores, independent auto repair shop, and so on.

Gavin: Is there anything you think could be done to make it better for local places?

Alison: There are many things that can be done in terms of local governments and policy makers. We need to give local businesses and entrepreneurs the same tax breaks and incentives that we offer to chains to locate here. We need to level the playing field so that the local guys get the same treatment as the large corporations that come in and make promises of tax revenue that rarely materializes. We need to make sure we're playing fair. We also need to educate ourselves on our local options! We need to remember to support local businesses whenever we can!

Gavin: Okay, a little on entertainment. What's your take on the local music scene, both good and bad?

Alison: Well, I wouldn't say I was an expert on the local music scene. I know there are many talented bands out there, including indy rock, bluegrass, and folk artists. There's a lot of good energy out there. I don't get out to the clubs much, so my experience with these is mostly at the bluegrass festivals, arts festivals, and so on.

Gavin: Same question, only on the local art scene.

Alison: We have a vibrant and talent-filled local art scene, as evidenced by the success of the Gallery Stroll events! Utah has some amazing galleries and and we have a longstanding tradition of incredible artists of all mediums.

Gavin: Again, same question, but this time on the film community. And no, not talking Sundance.

Alison: This one, I can't really speak to with any authority. But i'll assume it's true for film too! We can't possibly have Sundance and not have many great local filmmakers, right?

Gavin: One more time, only this time on local media, both in print and broadcasting.

Alison: I think we have more of a challenge in this area. We have some really great indy weeklies and music rags, but the newspaper and television scenes are somewhat more traditional... There are some great radio options in Utah though.

Gavin: If you had the opportunity, what would be the biggest change you would make to the way anything local is done?

Alison: I'm not sure I understand the question, but if I had a chance to make a big change, it would be to educate people that even little steps to go local make a big difference: buy your morning latte at an independent coffee shop rather than a chain, buy some tomatoes at a local farm stand instead of the supermarket. Buy a piece of local art as a gift, or select your cheddar from a local dairy. It all adds up and makes a huge difference to our economy.

Gavin: Tell us a little about Independents’ Week and how it got started.

Alison: Independents' Week was started as a way to highlight local independent businesses during the summer, using the July 4th holiday as a theme. It offers an opportunity to remind people to think locally while planning their summer fun and spending time with friends and family. Many organizations around the country similar to ours celebrate it and use it as an opportunity to raise awareness of the issue.

Gavin: What have you got planned for this year's activities?

Alison: Get Ready For Independents' Week 2008! Independents’ Week, June 28th through July 5th, celebrates Utah’s locally owned and independent businesses each year over the week of July 4th. It’s the perfect time to engage your customers and educate them about the importance of buying locally! Our theme this year is "Live Local," and we’ll be hosting events and spreading the word throughout the week on how to "live locally" and why it matters. The complete list of events can be found on the Local First Utah website main page.

Gavin: What can we expect from Local First the rest of the year?

Alison: We'll have a great fundraiser in late September, and another week of events and educational opportunities during Buy Local First Week, happening during the first week of December. Check our website for more information on those events.

Gavin: Anything you'd like to plug?

Alison: Just all the Indy Week events, and thanks again for highlighting us.

"Utah Arts Festival" Executive Director: Lisa Sewell

2008-06-25T12:31:00Z

It’s late June in downtown SLC, and that can only mean one thing. It’s going to hit 100 degrees this weekend, and the Utah Arts Festival makes its return from Thursday to Sunday. With 30+ years worth of showcasing arts and culture from around the state and beyond, they’ve become one of the longest running festivals in the state that constantly brings in large crowds every year. I’d gush more, but 2News is a festival sponsor, and there’s a fine line between genuine interest and shameless promotion. Did I mention you should go to the festival this weekend? No?! You should go to the festival this weekend. I got a chance to talk with the camera-shy Executive Director Lisa Sewell about the festival and a number of other topics that came to mind while she waited for Christmas to come in her messy office.

Lisa Sewell

http://www.uaf.org/

Gavin: Hey Lisa. First, tell us a little about yourself.

Lisa: Born and raised in Salt Lake. 47 years old. Graduated from Cottonwood High, BA in Political Science, Communications from Linfield College in Oregon. Single. Own a home in the Avenues. In my free time I enjoy knitting, gardening, trail running, swimming, biking, running and skiing. Sounds like a personal ad!

Gavin: How long have you been Director of the festival, and what do you for the Festival?

Lisa: This year’s Festival will be my second as the director. I started working for the Festival in Sept of ’95 as the marketing and development director, moved up to the Assistant Director/Director of Operations in 2001 and the Executive Director in 2007

Gavin: The Festival has been around since the late 70's and is one of the longest running in the state, outside of the fairs of course. What do you think has kept it going over the years?

Lisa: The community support. I think Utah as a state is very unique in its commitment to the arts and community gatherings in general.

Gavin: How would compare the current festival to that of five years ago, or even ten years ago?

Lisa: More depth in terms of programs that make up the event. In the past we touted all the programs of the Festival – visual, performing, culinary, literary, art yard for kids. Because we have so much going on at the Festival, I think it’s important to add the depth to each program area to ensure that it can hold its own ground within the mix of all the other programs that are happening without getting lost.

Gavin: A lot of people don't really know that the festival doesn't just cover what some would call the "Visual" arts, but also Literary, Performing, Music and Film. Was it a slow process to include all those different genres of art over the years, or was it of little question that they needed to be added?

Lisa: It’s taken us time to add these other elements. I think the answer to the last question goes with this one – we’ve had a literary program – called Festi-Live since the 90’s at Triad; however, I think it lacked the attention and depth to make it stand out on its own enough to gain the attention of an audience. Now it does. Similarly with the film program – that has developed over our time at Library Square because we now have an amazing in-door auditorium to house it. It too has finally got some strong legs beneath it to stand on its own programmatically and we’ve seen larger and larger audiences at its screenings.

Gavin: Has the inclusion of Library Square into the mix helped the festival or made it a little too big? Or do you wish it were bigger?

Lisa: Helped immensely. It’s such a beautiful location and being right in the middle of downtown and on a TRAX line has been huge for us. I think the space is just the right size. I recall the last couple of years at Triad when we were definitely “pushing the seams” and the one year we were at Gallivan Center we had to close the gates until some people left! Library Square has just the right amount of room and we can continue to grow our audience without being too crowded.

Gavin: So do you just showcase artists, or do you allow galleries to bring in random work as well. And why or why not?

Lisa: Our visual arts program is a juried show open to individual artists. We receive more than 600 applicants from artists from across Utah and the states, some foreign countries as well. We also don’t take a percentage of their sales.

Gavin: What brought about the decision to include the Culinary Arts as part of the Festival, and how well has that gone over the years?

Lisa: We’ve always had the culinary arts as part of the Festival and have featured exotic foods like alligator and deep fried pickles – back when those items were considered “exotic.” This year we’ve added BBQ and a Tapas and wine booth. I’m excited about the Tapas – sometimes people want a glass of wine and something to nibble on before they get dinner and I think having Sully create a variety of tapas to be paired with wines is going to be a fun experience for our patrons.

Gavin: What kind of response do you get from the Art Attack 5K?

Lisa: Great response. This will be the 15^th year for the race. It started out as a costumed-inspired event and the first few years folks did dress up in “artsy” clothes. We’re not San Fran – we just couldn’t get it to “take” here in SLC. Maybe because our runners take their races a bit more seriously? It’s meant to be a fun run and we work hard to get gift certificates and prizes that foster attendance to other arts events in the community. As a runner myself, last year was the first year I actually got to participate in it. It was fun, but hard on minimal amounts of sleep and food! It’s on my b-day this year and I’m planning on signing up again. I really like the 1K we have for kids. It’s so cool to see everyone lined up as these kids run out .5K and then come back through the finish line and everyone is just cheering and cheering for them.

Gavin: How significant has the addition of the Mayor's Artist Awards been to the festival over the years?

Lisa: We’ve had the MAA since 1992 and have recognized more than 60 individuals and organizations for their contributions to the arts in our community. Individuals/organizations are nominated by their peers in the community and a committee made up of the previous year’s winners and representative from our board, the mayor’s office and the SLC Arts Council select the recipients.

Gavin: A little on the music selection, there's definitely a mix of material every year, but some would say the festival tends to avoid material that falls under hip-hop and rap. Do you wish there were more of a selection with that type of genre, or is that done on purpose because of fear of content?

Lisa: Actually, we had hip hop last year and will have it again this year. I was a little nervous about it – talk about stereotyping – but, it was truly amazing to see these kids come out and put on a show with dancing and DJ-ing --- people sat at The Round for an hour before the show to get a good seat. By the time I got over there I had to work my way up to the sound booth to get a peek and see how they were doing. I was blown away. Not only were they amazing performers, but they were so endearing with the crowd, bringing kids and adults down to show them some “moves.” It really was very cool to look out in the audience and see how giving them a taste of a different genre of art by these amazing kids who were so professional and charismatic really broke down some barriers and stereotypes.

Gavin: With all the art that's made on a yearly basis, have there ever been any attempts to make a documentary or a DVD of all the events, or is that viewed as too much of a task to undertake?

Lisa: We have a gazillion slides and images from the past 32 years and we’re thinking for the 35^th anniversary, we might try to get all the previous images digitized for archival purposes. As far as a documentary, no one’s ever approached us for something like that. You mean, like Woodstock? That would be my ultimate dream come true!

Gavin: What do you think of Gallery Stroll and how it's evolved over the years?

Lisa: We’re members of Gallery Stroll. Our move from Pierpont to Artspace City Center has provided room for us to have a gallery ourselves and participate in the monthly strolls. Again, I think it’s another sign of how much this community is supportive of the arts. Attendance is only getting larger and larger for the strolls. I read in the paper today that Utah ranks 2^nd in the nation for artists residing in the state. The Festival’s gallery is but one more place where the community can see new and emerging Utah artists work.

Gavin: What is your opinion of the local Art scene, both good and bad? And is there anything you believe could be done to make it bigger or better?

Lisa: I think the artist communities that are popping up along the west side and have gathering, concerts, art shows is a great testament to the strength of artists in our community. They’re not just waiting around for someone to come and do it for them, they’re creating and fostering community and setting the stage for others to come and see what they’re up to. I’m really impressed with what Shawn Rossiter is doing with the artists in the community as well.

Gavin: Same questions, this time on the local Music scene.

Lisa: It was amazing to see the caliber of local artist who applied for this year’s Festival. We’ve been playing a lot of their music in the office the past few months and I’d go into Pat’s office and say, “who’s this?” thinking it was some national artist and he’d say, Cavedoll. Very, very good. I’m really excited to see these bands performing at the Festival this year and I hope they feel we give them a good experience.

Gavin: Yet again, same questions, but on the local Film community.

Lisa: Well, of course, with Sundance, we do have great film in Utah. I love the support we see for local, independent filmmakers in Utah. The schools are producing some amazing students in film, the Salt Lake Film Society, The Tower & Broadway Theaters. I’m glad we have these pockets of support of filmgoers to see independent film.

Gavin: And one last time, same questions on the Literary front.

Lisa: Just like the visual artists, I think the literary artists in Utah have rallied and created community and pushed themselves into the forefront for people to experience. Poetry slams at coffee shops, readings, etc. The SLCC Community Writing Center has really done a lot to foster writing and storytelling in our community. We have a great alliance with them.

Gavin: Are there any forms of art not included in the festival that you wish they did?

Lisa: Not really. I think the Utah Arts Festival has a full compliment of representing the arts.

Gavin: Anything you'd like to add about this year's festival?

Lisa: MASS Ensemble! Don’t miss this. Every so often we have an opportunity to feature a special project. A couple of years ago we brought in Project Bandaloop – they danced on the glass face of the Library. These opportunities don’t happen every year – a. they’re expensive; b. they’re often not available. So, when we get to do something like this, it’s very, very cool. MASS (music, movement and sonic sculptures) will use 3,000 feet of brass musical wire and the Library wall as the anchor to install the world’s largest stringed instruments. Two Earth Harps will be installed next Tuesday, and Wednesday. Using the curved wall of the Library, one will span east and attach to the Amphitheater Stage and the other will span west to a harp situated in the Round (the cement amphitheater on the Library plaza). This smaller harp will be played nightly – we’re trying to encourage musicians to come down and “jam” with Bill Close, the artistic director of MASS who will be performing nightly on this harp at The Round from 8- 8:45 pm. The Earth Harp attached to the Amphitheater Stage will serve as an installation piece until Sunday night when the entire company of MASS will perform from 9:30-11:00 pm. Bill will play the Earth Harp and the audience will be sitting directly underneath the strings as its being played. Musicians on the stage will accompany Bill on other giant, invented instruments. Don’t miss this one!

Lisa: Oh, and on Sunday, from 9:30-11:00 a.m., they’re conducting a Yoga Workshop. Bill will play the Earth Harp and Andrea Brook, will run a yoga class. Its $10 and people can just come to the Amphitheater Stage on Sunday with their mats and take the class.

Gavin: Is there anything you'd like to plug?

Lisa: Yeah, my birthday is Saturday of the Festival!

June Gallery Stroll: Jason Matcalf & Cara Despain

2008-06-23T13:28:00Z

Back to the Gallery Stroll we go as we hit late June, and the art scene picks back up speed again for many reason across the state. This month we head back to Kayo Gallery to check out a shared show.

Jason Metcalf took over the left side of the room with his view of rebuilding and Hell. Meanwhile, Cara Despain took over the right side showcasing her unique paintings of the nature around us. I got a chance to interview both while taking pictures of the show.

Jason Metcalf

http://www.jasonmetcalf.com/

Gavin: Hey Jason. First thing, tell us a little about yourself.

Jason: I was born in SLC, and have always loved art. I attended Brighton High School, and then attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA. I then transferred to BYU, where I am continuing my candidacy for a BFA degree. I am married to Denise Metcalf, and have a little Italian greyhound, Sadie, and a cat, Bella.

Gavin: How did you get into doing art for a living?

Jason: It’s not quite a living yet! It’s more of an expense or an investment I guess. I am not sure how I got into showing my art, I am just always involved and don't turn down opportunities, so it seems I always have at least two shows to work on at once.

Gavin: For those unfamiliar with your work, what are you most known for in the local art community?

Jason: I am not sure I am that well known, maybe I am underestimating myself, I don't know. I have shown at several spaces in SLC, the most recent being the Rio Gallery where I presented a collaborative project with Conrad Nebeker-Audioptic Art. It was a series of sound paintings, sculpture, and video that was a result of research conducted at BYU for which we received a Laycock Foundation Grant.

Gavin: You attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston for a couple years, but then came to BYU in 2005. Why the change?

Jason: I am still not exactly sure. I do know that some really good things have happened though. I met my wife, have had great exhibitions, including the opportunity to create work in New York and Miami, and am now involved in the recently founded Sego Art Center. I don't regret my stay in Boston, it was marvelous, and I learned so much in a short time about contemporary art and different things I had never before dreamed of.

Gavin: What did you think of the art programs they have at BYU? And how do they compare to others from around the country?

Jason: They have really good programs. In many ways it seems they are up to speed with the best of the best, but in other ways they could use some help. There are some really progressive professors however, that are making big changes for the better. The school allows students to explore and do pretty much whatever they want (as far as media and theory- not always imagery are concerned), but doesn't always do the best job of facilitating such exploration. The same goes for exposure to contemporary art and current practices. All this is changing however. Their visiting artist program however is the very best. They have had all sorts of amazing folk- Cory Arcangel, Jerry Saltz, Barry Maggee, Laura Hoptman, Judy Pfaff... so many others.

Gavin: I found it interesting that you don't limit yourself to just paintings; you do 3D art, performance, and sound art as well. What was the inspiration to do all that?

Jason: I just think about a concept or form that I want to create and think to myself "what is the very best way that this will come out?", and then I execute. Sometimes ideas manifest themselves the best in performance, but sometimes in drawing, painting, or even sound. The difficult part about all this is to create a consistent body of work that transcends media and even sometimes aesthetic boundaries. That is what I am really trying to do now-to create a body of work that is conceptually consistent, even if not necessarily visually cohesive.

Gavin: What do you think about Gallery Stroll, both good and bad, and how it's evolved over the years?

Jason: I think it’s a really great program. To be honest, I haven't been since High School, as I haven't lived in the valley since that time. We have a stroll in Provo as well, which is beginning to have a really good turnout, although it is not as diverse in its demographics. I think it is great in that art lovers can expect new art every month- and enough to see to fill up an entire evening of viewing. However I think the stroll(s) is lacking in having serious venues that really investigate current global trends in contemporary art. There are other spaces that do this around the state- the Central Utah Art Center, in my opinion, do the best job at bringing in well recognized outside artists in order to educate their local community about the state of Visual Art on a national and international level. I think we at Sego are beginning to bring the same dialogue to Provo as we plan some really great upcoming shows. The Salt Lake Art Center, The BYU MOA, and the UMFA have all gained new staff/ directors which are some of the brightest minds in the entire state concerning contemporary art. I think Utah is on the cusp of greater recognition nationally and even internationally.

Gavin: Is there anything you feel could be done to make the local art scene better?

Jason: I think an openness in mind on everyone’s behalf, whether you consider yourself a traditionalist or a postmodernist or whatever, would do the Wasatch front a lot of good. We need to all keep our minds open about what we think is good or acceptable art, and what we should value as a society or culture. Individuals should always be engaged in expanding their horizon of appreciation and understanding by questioning and learning about work they might not fully comprehend. Lastly, if we all do the most we can to better the arts in our own individual communities, much more would be happening.

Gavin: Tell us about the display you're showing at Kayo Gallery.

Jason: It’s the most recent art from a body of work I have been working on for about the past two years. It includes 12 paintings or so, a light sculpture/painting, and a performance which was done at the opening reception. The work has to do with a personal investigation of the symbols and values of our local visual culture, but also includes art historical, historical, geological, mythical, theological, linguistic, and aesthetic references. I am happy with the show as I feel it is finally a path I can continue on for a duration of time, the concepts are flexible and broad enough that a multiplicity of media can be applied and experimented with.

Gavin: Where did the idea come from to do a shared show with Cara?

Jason: Kenny Riches, Kayo's last owner and founder, set it all up. Oddly enough, Cara and I attended the same art classes together at Brighton High Back in 2001. It has been great to see her again, and collaborate on this show.

Gavin: What can we expect from you the rest of the year?

Jason: I will be a part of the Proving Ground performance art festival at the Rose Wagner Black Box Theater in September. I haven't participated before, but I will be doing a short stage performance several times over a few days. I am pretty excited, and have some interesting ideas I am looking forward to executing. It will be a new experience performing on stage, as opposed to in a gallery, art fair, or street format.

Gavin: Anything you'd like to plug?

Jason: All the great artists in Provo and Utah Valley that might be underrepresented or undervalued. The Sego Arts Center, although I am probably being really biased, I think we are doing some really great things. We have great shows which circulate monthly. Our openings are always on the first Friday of the month, as opposed to Salt Lake's third Friday, so people can enjoy attending opening receptions in both cities. We keep our website up to date, so information about current shows can always be found there.

Cara Despain

http://caradespain.com/

Gavin: Hey Cara. First, tell us a little about yourself.

Cara: I am from Salt Lake, will be going to Berlin for a while next month, and I do mostly paintings. I am kind of short, kind of loud.

Gavin: How did you get into doing art for a living?

Cara: Well the funny part about making a living off art is... most of us still have day jobs. But I have involved myself with the art community and fellow artists enough to incur some art odd jobs.

Gavin: For those unfamiliar with your work, what are you most known for in the local art community?

Cara: Well, I don't know what the rest of those folks think for certain, but perhaps my work sticks in peoples mind because it's sort of peculiar, a little silly, and doesn't tend to get confused with anyone else's stuff--people say often that it is very me.

Gavin: Where did the inspiration come from for pieces like "Grim Narrator" and "Genealogy"?

Cara: It's interesting to me how myths spawn, and how dogmas come to exist. And how close, often interchangeable those two things are. It's absolutely fascinating how facts and events can evolve into absurdity.   It all depends on how big of a shadow the teller casts.

Gavin: You occasionally do articles for City Weekly. What got you to start doing that?

Cara: I had done some articles for 15Bytes, an online magazine focused on art in Utah. Someone fell through on an article about a show for City Weekly, and I had been very involved in the process of the show in question, so I was recommended to write the piece from someone who knew I had been writing other art reviews/profiles.

Gavin: You participated in the 337 Project last year. What was the piece you did, how was the experience for you, and what was your reaction to the tear down months ago?

Cara: I painted a section, despite being in the front, and the only painting visible at night, which was largely overlooked.   It was behind the front windows, which I also drew on minimally to cast shadows on the painting inside. In the end the subtly and the strange location became a springboard for my piece in Present Tense.

Gavin: What are your feelings on the 337 display happening at the Salt Lake Art Center, as well as the documentary on the way?

Cara: I think it is an awesome opportunity for those of us in the show to sharpen up, spend more time, and atune a piece to fit into an art space--where it isn't such a free for all. This to me poses an interesting challenge, not a limitation. I stepped outside my normal medium of painting and did a mixed media video installation that is very site specific. It has been exciting for me to try something new and a little uncomfortable.

Gavin: Delving a little into state-wide stuff. What do you think about Gallery Stroll, both good and bad, and how it's evolved over the years?

Cara: I think it's a fantastic way to get involved in the art scene in Utah--which often gets a sort of bad rap, but really is quite amazing. I wish the traffic and enthusiasm could carry over a little more to the entire month. But it's just great that people get out. I think the opening of Kayo Gallery --and Kenny Riches presence in the art scene in general-- a few years back marked a significant change. It encouraged indie galleries, and even businesses to be involved in the stroll, and made the younger art crowd more present, and ultimately more respected.

Gavin: Is there anything you feel could be done to make the local art scene it better?

Cara: I think it’s already on its way. We need to keep pushing, keep things fresh, and go away and look at art in other cities and bring that exposure in as a model.    Salt Lake has a bit to go yet to get on par with other larger cities' art districts and scenes, but I do believe it is on its way.

Gavin: Tell us about the display you're showing at Kayo Gallery.

Cara: These are paintings I have been working on over the last year or so. They have exposed panel, line-drawn figures, oil glazing, in some cases glitter, astroturf, and other acrylic elements. The paintings mentioned above will be included, and the show overall is conceptually in line with how I described those.

Gavin: Where did the idea come from to do a shared show with Jason?

Cara: Riches scheduled it before selling the gallery in January. I think it turned out to be a great match, our work has a nice dialogue going, and, we both have been using glitter!

Gavin: What can we expect from you the rest of the year?

Cara: I will be going to Berlin next month, but will continue making art there. Perhaps I'll have a show when I return! And I will continue to be involved in the arts community.

Gavin: Anything you'd like to plug?

Cara: Present Tense at the Art Center, Guthrie Open Studios, all the shows on Broadway: Kayo of course, Saan's, Signed & Numbered, and Nobrow. Stephanie Dykes at Finch Lane. Jim Despain there in January.

337's "Present Tense" Interviews

2008-06-22T01:43:00Z

Project 337 brought about a new ideal to the Utah artistic landscape last year, changing a lot of ideals and conceptions of what art should and shouldn't be. When the demolition finally took place a couple months ago, many assumed that the book had finally been closed on the project. Little did we realize it was just the first chapter in many more to come. Present Tense is a new display over at the Salt Lake Art Center, featuring old and new work of 337 artists combined into one main display. And from my understanding, it's also the first time the main floor of the Center has been opened to display only local artists since it's opening. I got to talk with 337 artists Nick Potter and CJ Lester about the display, the documentary, and some of their feelings post-337.

http://www.337project.org/ http://www.slartcenter.org/

Gavin: Hey guys! First, tell us a little about yourselves.

CJ: Mixed media artist and art teacher at Highland High School. Show and sell oil paintings. I have the 3 "Zaftig Dolls" in the entrance to the SLAC galleries.

Nick: Erin and I are currently living in Centerville, UT and are originally from Kaysville and Lagoon (Farmington) respectively. Erin graduated from WSU with her bachelors of Fine Arts in flat media (printmaking, painting, drawing) and I am currently perusing an English degree at the U. Erin is good at art and I am bad at art in a good way.

Gavin: You were all involved with the 337 Project, so tell us what piece you did for the building.

Nick: Erin and I collaborated on a upstairs room of the 337 building. The room consisted of old furniture including a dilapidated couch and vintage television along with an array of lamps and clusters of old frames and pictures that we worked on. We kind of were trying an retro/eerie vibe with torn wall paper and murals of monsters and stuff that represented the imaginary monsters we were afraid of in our youth. It was pretty cute.

CJ: Did the text bathroom at 337. Painted and cut out a door to look like the front and back of a naked zaftig woman for the door gallery outside. Facilitated 5th and 6th graders from Nibley Park Elementary School to paint a mural on one-half of the back retaining wall (still standing but painted over).

Gavin: What was the time like for you while creating it before the opening?

CJ: Exhilarating. Although I've not base jumped, I imagine it to be comparable to base jumping. It's a continual rush. You know where you're going to end up. The journey changes from second to second. There is no "wrong" - only energizing movement to the end goal - opening night.

Nick: Fun, liberating and exciting. We started fairly early and worked at a pretty steady pace so it ended up being really satisfying experience.

Gavin: What did it feel like for you when it finally opened?

Nick: Surreal. Seeing everyone else's work was really inspiring and motivating for us.

CJ: It was like the best stage, visual and performance art venue rolled into one. The art created the backdrop. The interactive pieces especially drew the viewers/visitors into the art work. Via experience and response, the viewers/visitors gave the building living energy beyond what already existed. Each component of 337 was equally paramount to the 337 experience.

Gavin: For the year that it was left standing, what did you think of the changes going on outside?

CJ: It reminded me somewhat of the jilted bride from "Great Expectations" - she was once a glowing, beautiful bride (much like 337 while it was open to the public). As when the building closed to the public, once jilted, her looks and connection to the outside world slowly deteriorated.

Nick: Um, I don't think we really noticed the changes after the initial hoopla subsided. In our mind the project was over and the building was mentally gone. Despite the length of time it took to literally destroy the building, it felt gone to us after the last day that it was open - we never went back.

Gavin: The day it finally came down, where were you, and what were your thoughts about it?

Nick: We showed up during the final portion of the demolition. It was a nice conclusion and a good reminder over a year later the joys that went into what was created there and the inspiration that it gave

CJ: I was at the demolition. Initially, tears ran down my cheeks. The destruction of the building symbolized closure on one of the most rewarding art making experiences I've known. After the tears came joy and peace. The demolition was part of the project. Without it, the project was not complete.

Gavin: Have you seen the documentary, and what do you think of it?

Nick: We saw an early cut of the documentary and thought it was really well done, really professional.

CJ: I too have seen the director's first cut of the documentary. It shows the journey of the project, the art created a long the way, and the building's demise, I hope people beyond our geographical state get to see it and create their own 337 project.

Gavin: What do you think of the display happening at the Salt Lake Art Center?

CJ: I'm looking forward to seeing outgrowths of 337 in a philosophically variant venue.

Nick: Really exciting. We haven't seen everything that is going into it yet, but what we have seen has been incredible. The other day in particular we saw Ben's piece up and were just blown away. He is nuts and absolutely brilliant. The whole show looks really great.

Gavin: Do you believe 337 has secured a place in the city's history, or do you feel the work after is what will define it?

Nick: Sure. I think the 337 project has definitely secured its spot in SLC history. I think the challenge will be to make sure that it isn't the singularly defining art event for Salt Lake. The test now is to see whether we as a community of artists can build off of the inspiration of 337 in a way that will make Salt Lake City known for its vibrant, continually progressive art scene, and not just for a brief moment in the spotlight.

CJ: I think that 337 has secured a place in the city's history. I also feel that subsequent conceptually founded work will reiterate 337's place in our city's history as the new work creates its own place in SLC's creative history.

Gavin: What have you all got coming up for the rest of the year?

Nick: We have a little print in Leia Bell's "Signed & Numbered" right now as a part of a group show with a lot of local and national print makers. I have a split show with a pretty good friend and similarly untrained artist at Slowtrain for July gallery stroll. And later Erin and I are going to be showing together at Nobrow in October. We have a lot of other art mischief in the works as well, but those are the only ones ironed out and dated.

CJ: I'll have paintings in the Taste Of The Nation's silent auction for the third year in a row. Last year, I taught half time. I'm teaching photography full-time at Highland this year. By doing so, I will limit and focus my personal art making in order to assume my new teaching position, giving young photo artists a chance to explore and grow. I will continue to seek out venues for non-traditional social commentary in art.