KUTV Community

Welcome to KUTV Community Sign in | Join | Help
in
Home Blogs Forums Photos Calendar

Gavin's Underground

  • Spontanious Transference


    Many apologies for the short notice. Check on further posts over... yonder.
  • Salt Lake Acting Company: Saturday's Voyuer 09'

    As the theater season comes to a close all around town, some of the finest performances now come out of the woodwork to close up shop

    Case in point, the returning finale to Salt Lake Acting Company's season... Saturday's Voyeur. Taking a look over the prior year's worth of events, the play presents a comedic look at the moments that have affected us both as a state and a nation... from a slightly shifted point of view. I got a chance to chat with several cast members, as well as the writer for this year's show. We talk acting, working for SLAC, the play, and a number of other topics.

    Steven Fehr, Jesse Pepe, Jacob Johnson, Shannon Musgrave, Kent Harrison Hayes, Allen Nevins and Arika Schockmel

    http://www.saltlakeactingcompany.org/

    Gavin: Hey guys, first off, tell us a little bit about yourselves.

    Steven: My name is Steven Fehr. I was born and raised in Utah, although I've lived in California, Nevada, and France, and Belgium as well. I've been acting professionally for about 14 years now. I have a BFA in Acting and Directing from Utah State University and an MFA in Theatre-Performance from UNLV. I've worked at many of the local theatre companies here in Utah and have also worked at theaters in Nevada and California as well.

    Jesse: My name is Jesse Pepe. I recently turned 19 and just finished my freshman year at Weber State University. I am a diehard Utah Jazz fan (and am very disappointed in their season this year). I also love math and science.

    Jacob: My name is Jacob Johnson. I am originally from Grantsville, Utah, a sleepy little town about 30 miles west of Salt Lake, the next valley west over the Oquirrhs. I grew up there in a family of 8 children, of which I am the youngest boy. I have two younger sisters. I graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in Theatre. I lived in Los Angeles for about five years, and have been living back in Salt Lake for nearly two years.

    Shannon: I grew up in North Ogden, graduated from Weber State University in Musical Theatre and am now living in SLC. I like eggs over-easy and coffee black. I’m scared of butterflies.

    Kent: I’ve been acting since I was, well... born. But in a more formal setting since I was about ten. I grew up in Bountiful, UT, which had a fantastic summer theatre program and I was hooked. I’ve had a great life performing (mostly in Utah and California) and ran a successful audio / video post production facility in Los Angeles for many years. But the roar of the grease paint and smell of the crowd was just too hard to resist, so the company was sold and I returned to the happy life of a starving actor three years ago... and I’m having a GREAT TIME!

    Arika: My name is Arika Schockmel and this is my 7th Saturday's Voyeur.  I am an Equity actress (the Actors Union) and a working artist. Besides being the oldest woman in this years show (having usually been one of the youngest) I am also the only married member of the cast. My husband Christopher Glade is also a local Equity actor and has been in several past Voyeur's as well.   I am a new business owner, having recently opened an art gallery and artist's boutique at SLAC called Commodity del'Arte.  Some of my interests include travel, literature, art, comedy, music, camping and gardening.

    Gavin: What inspired you to take an interest in theater?

    Jesse: I was actually just kind of thrown into my first theatre class. My counselor in 9th grade said I needed another art elective and put me into this beginning level theatre class. The rest is history. I had been planning on going to Stanford to become an engineer since about the age of 11. All of the pieces were in place, but I knew my heart wasn’t in it. I felt I had fallen into theatre for a reason, and that a very good career path lay ahead of me if I followed my instincts. So far, I am extremely happy with the choice I made.

    Kent: My siblings. I’m the youngest of five and all of them were involved with the theatre, either on stage or back stage. Guess it’s in my blood.

    Shannon: I loved Dolly Parton from the tender age of 3 and I’m pretty sure that’s what sparked my interest in performing. When I got to college, I took an Intro to Acting class from Tracy Callahan and I knew that theatre was what I had to pursue.

    Arika: My mother claims I have been doing it all my life, since I was the bath and diaper changing demonstration baby in the hospital as a newborn.  I can't remember choosing to be in theatre, it always just seemed to be a good way to communicate. I think I was three when the bug really bit me, however.   I have been acting ever since. 

    Jacob: Nothing really ever inspired me to take an interest in theatre; I grew up in theatre. My parents have been acting as long as I can remember. My earliest memories are in theaters. My father has performed in 30+ shows at Hale Center Theatre (where I also got my start) and my mother has numerous television and film credits. I never decided to become an actor; it is what I have always been. There was never any question in my mind.

    Steven: As a kid, I was teased a lot because I wasn't very good at athletics and because I was somewhat of a loner. Since I didn't have very many real friends, I created imaginary ones and often used my imagination to entertain myself as well as cope. When I was six or seven years old, I saw the touring production of the musical, Annie, and I was immediately intrigued by the idea of performing. I wanted to do what the performers in that show were doing. It had quite an impact on me. In third grade I was cast as one of the leads in a play we were doing, and I immediately felt that acting, singing, and performing were things I was not only good at, but which improved my self-esteem. My parents also took us kids to the theatre quite often in my childhood, and I grew to develop a great love and appreciation for theatre. Growing up, I was involved in musical groups and community theatre. By the time I was in high school, it was very clear to me that acting was what I wanted to do as a career. Fortunately, my parents supported that notion all the way.

    Gavin: How did you first get involved with the Salt Lake Acting Company?

    Allen: I've has been writing for Saturday’s Voyeur the last 19 years. I came to the Salt Lake Acting Company in 1989 as the Literary Manager, and in 1990 I formed a writing and business partnership with then SLAC Marketing Director, Nancy Borgenicht. In 1993, our partnership, Saturday’s Voyeur, Inc., became the management company and the Executive Producers of the Salt Lake Acting Company, for which we received the UAF Mayors Award for the Performing Arts and also the Governors Award for the Arts. As Executive Producers we expanded and re-built the Upstairs Theatre, designed and built the Chapel Theatre as an alternative performing space, unionized SLAC’s acting pool and re-instituted Saturday’s Voyeur as the annual summer fundraiser for the Salt Lake Acting Company. In our 12 years as an Executive Producer, the Salt Lake Acting Company produced over 70 full-length plays, 40 public readings, and developed multiple new works for the American stage.

    Kent: I was encouraged to audition for SATURDAY’S VOYEUR, in it’s third year (you do the math... or, rather, don’t), by my dear friend, Robert Proctor, who happened to play the father in VOYEUR for years. I will ALWAYS be thankful for his encouragement and for the amazing experience that production gave me. And, of course, to have been cast as one of the FIRST tap-dancing, queer missionaries.

    Arika: With 2002's Saturday's Voyeur. It has felt like home ever since.

    Shannon: I’d seen a few plays at SLAC and loved them. Last summer I started working in the Box Office during the run Saturday’s Voyeur and have since been privileged to become part of SLAC’s new Communications and Audience Development Team. This is the first show I’ve been in at SLAC and I’m loving every second of it. It’s a wonderful place to work.

    Gavin: How did you hear about “Saturday's Voyeur”, and what was the audition like for you?

    Jacob:  I first auditioned for Saturday's Voyeur in 2002. I really didn't know what it was about, other than my mother saying it was naughty. I just thought it would be fun. I heard from many friends who had seen or appeared in it that it was a riot. So, I went and auditioned. I got called back, but I showed up at the callback completely unprepared. They expected us to have a song and a monologue prepared, but I didn't know. I either was not told or didn't listen. I'm gonna err on the side of me and say I wasn't told. So, I had to pull something out of my ass. I sang the song I sang at my original audition (I know, quite lame) and did a humorous, filthy Rowan Atkinson monologue I remembered from high school. Needless to say, I didn't think I got it. I didn't hear anything for 3 weeks, so I just went on with my life. But then, Nancy Borgenicht called me and said she was sorry it took so long, but they wanted me in the show. "Great," I said. Then, she said it paid $500 bucks a week. I said, "Hmm, you're gonna have to give me some time to think about it... I'll do it."

    Steven: Saturday's Voyeur is the first show I have done at Salt Lake Acting Company. I have seen several shows here and have always been impressed with the types of shows they choose to do and with the high-caliber of acting and writing I have witnessed. I've always wanted to work here, but it wasn't until I auditioned for Saturday's Voyeur that I got the opportunity to do so.

    Jesse: One of my wonderful professors at Weber State, Tracy Callahan, was the director of SLAC’s Six Years earlier this season, and needed a young man for the show. The part was Michael Granger, and he made a total of two 30 second appearances in the second act, along with an extremely hefty line…the word “Dad.” I was so grateful for the opportunity, not caring one bit about how much stage time was involved. It was such a great experience, but I felt like I had more to offer than my savvy one word, and decided to audition for SLAC’s next show Dark Play or Stories for Boys. I didn’t think much would come from it, but I wanted them to see that I was interested in doing more shows there in the future. I ended up landing the lead role of Nick. It was a massive undertaking and I was pushed incredibly hard, but the experience I gained was something I felt very few 18 year olds have had the chance to receive.

    Gavin: Alan, where did “Saturday's Voyeur” originate from?

    Allen: Saturday's Voyeur is a corruption of the title of a hugely popular LDS musical play from the 70's, called Saturday's Warrior. It was a propaganda piece about a large "perfect" Mormon family's journey from pre-mortal existence, down to Earth [read planet Utah] and their various trials and "tests of faith." The original creators of Saturday's Voyeur. Michael Buttars and Nancy Borgenicht thought it might be interesting to create a story about another "perfect" family and their journey through life in Utah. Well as you can imagine, in the Saturday's Voyeur world not everything was as "perfect" as LDS Church promotional material of the time had lead us to believe. In many ways it's not unlike this years show where we have a soap opera segment that features Utah County's most dysfunctional family, the "Freebes."

    Gavin: Is it a challenge rewriting and adjusting it year to year?

    Allen: The challenge. Yes, well the initial challenge is to identify what news stories will continue to have currency from the time you start writing to the time it's performed before an audience. That's a period of seven or eight months. Experts tell us that our memories of events, even fairly major events, begin to evaporate after a mere 60 days, so the challenge is to predict what will still have legs down the road. Otherwise, as a dramatist, you have to jog people's memories with exposition, and for a fast paced production like Saturday's Voyeur that can be death. The other challenge is to make the repetitive sameness of Utah's ultra-right seem, well, less repetitive. I'm constantly being told at parties or at the supermarket, "Well I guess the Legislature gave you plenty to write about this year!" or my personal favorite, "You'll never run out of material in this State!" The problem is most of the petty ruffians in the Legislature ALWAYS say the same thing, always cloaked in a kind of Mormon speak, 'code' phrases like "family values" "pre-dominant lifestyle." As heavy handed as they are, their rhetoric never elevates to the level of what I would call "drama". The exceptions are guys like Butttars, and sometimes Wimmer and Noel, who just can't help "sharing" what's on their minds. The other problem is, we already know what's on their minds: Guns, other people's lifestyle choices, guns, taxing other people's lifestyle choices, guns, how to get "vouchers" back on the ballot, and most importantly, how to neuter the "liberal press." Sadly, I think a lot of the drama of the Legislature is hidden in closed Republican caucus rooms and we only get to see it when it somehow leaks out. We have a long tradition of "closed doors" in Utah with both the Church and the State. On the one hand, I suppose that's what makes a show like Saturday's Voyeur possible for thirty one years, on the other hand, this lack of transparency doesn't readily lend itself to "dramatic" interpretation. Yes, it's a challenge.

    Gavin: What inspired the focus of this year's topic?

    Allen: Radio and the 'Great Depression' of the 30's. This year when the writing process started, we had the financial meltdown of Wall Street, the banking fiasco, the collapse of the housing market, and for all we knew last December, the potential collapse of “the Rule of Law.” If General Motors could talk about bankruptcy anything was possible. People losing jobs, people losing their homes, people losing their retirement, people under stress. The worst crisis since the “Great Depression” was what was on everybody’s lips and mind. When faced with that prospect, what’s really funny anymore? I knew what I wanted to say; I just didn’t have a vehicle to say it. I wanted to say, that we are experiencing a time of great social re-adjustment. Everything about our lives is going to change from this point on. Our buying patterns, our assumptions about what constitutes a “traditional family,” our “values” if you will, are all in question and in flux just as they were in the 30’s. So I started to think about a radio show, not a real radio show, just a shadow of a radio show (As the iconic Paul Harvey, who died this year, used to say, “ a new fashioned’ show) a nod to those tumultuous days of the ‘Big’ depression when we really did hit the floor, yet somehow we made it through. And my message this year is that we will make it through this also. Our radio show features a serial type soap opera that runs throughout the play. This imaginary and over the top ‘play within a play’ is peopled by Utah Valley’s most dysfunctional fictional family, the Freebes. Their dramatic arc is the transition from “what was” to what “is” and then finally to what could “possibly be.” The unfortunate “Hard Times” they are confronted with, both financial and ethical, force them to cast off the affectations and expectations of the past and move into the future. The “radio show” conceit of this year was a nod to history, a way to remind us that we’ve been here before. And though the world is changing, we should take a hard look at the writing on the wall, embrace it, and then get on with it. The fact is that even Main Street isn’t mainstream anymore.

    Gavin: How did John come to be in charge of directing it?

    Allen: John Caywood interviewed with me for a project we were doing at SLAC in 2004, Edward Albee's, The Goat: or Who is Sylvia. He didn't get that "Goat" job but I figured that anybody who wanted to direct a play about a man having an affair with a goat probably had the stomach and a sense of irony that was developed enough, to deal with Saturday's Voyeur. The subject that year was [coincidentally] the Utah State Liquor Commission coming down hard on the "Dead Goat" a private club in Arrow Press Square that wanted to be strip club. The LDS Church and their unofficial organs, the State Liquor Commission and the Zoning and Planning Division of Salt Lake City, of course had a much different idea about land use in the "shadow of the Temple" and the Salt Palace Convention Center. So John got "The Goat" job after all, it was a different "Goat" job than he was looking for but thankfully he's been doing it ever since.

    Gavin: For the actors, how did you hear about it, and what was the audition like for you?

    Steven: Well, I've known about Saturday's Voyeur for quite some time now. I've lived in Utah for most of my life, and they've done it so many years now. Also, I've had many friends who have done the show and heard about many of their experiences. This was the first opportunity I really had to do it. I thought my audition went very well, although I was, of course, nervous. One thing I've always appreciated about the audition process at Salt Lake Acting Company is that they try to make it as nerves-free and comfortable as possible for the actor. It makes for a positive auditioning atmosphere, and Salt Lake Acting Company remains one of my favorite places to audition. There were a lot of funny, talented people at the callback, so I felt very fortunate and blessed to be among them and even more so to have been cast.

    Arika: I had known SLAC's cutting edge reputation and traveled from Logan to see plays there when I was in High School. At USU I met some people who had been in Voyeur, but I hadn't ever seen it. I first auditioned for Saturday's Voyeur in 2000 and was called back. I remember being terrified!  All these hilarious people!  All the experience in that room!  What would I sing?  What joke should I tell? (I labored over that one!) I received a very nice phone call from SLAC Producer and Voyeur author, Nancy Borgenicht, who told me I was not being used that year but encouraged me to audition again. I was unsure I was a proper fit for the show anyway.  I saw the production in 2001 and that seriously renewed my interest.  I knew it was a show for me! I tried again in 2002 and was cast. The rest is history.

    Jesse: I had known about Voyeur ever since November of last year, and had been planning on auditioning for it ever since I got involved with SLAC.

    Jacob: Well, I can't speak for everyone, but the process of getting VOYEUR up is quite daunting; much different than any other piece of theatre you see. Brenda Cowley, a longtime VOYEUR alum who helped write the piece this year, put it this way: "You know, you take about 2 years to write a full-length musical. VOYEUR is written, re-written, workshopped, staged, and mounted all in about 5 months total." That is a lot of work. It's hard on Al & Nancy. It's hard on the production team. It's hard on the actors. You really don't know what you're dealing with until that first day. And even then, the changes are NON-STOP. There isn't a day that goes by where lines don't change, songs get cut, songs get added, songs get moved. Instead of having an out-of-town tryout to see what works and what doesn't, the rehearsal process IS the tryout. So, you have to have performers who are talented, professional, malleable, not egotistical (I know, no ego is a tall order when you're dealing with actors) and, above all, have a good sense of humor and a good attitude. Those last two traits are key. You have to lose your own identity and become a part of the process and the ensemble. It's never about one person; it's about everyone. Which is what VOYEUR is about: Us. The people of Utah and what it means to live in this unique place.

    Shannon: I first saw Saturday’s Voyeur in 2006. Then last year, when I started working at SLAC, it really hit me just how important a show like this is for Utah. In our very unique culture, it’s so great to have a show like Voyeur that really serves as an outlet for the minority here. The audition was a blast. The callbacks were particularly fun; we took turns reading a number of different scenes and everyone read for just about everything. Men were reading as women, women as men, and everyone brought something different to the table.

    Kent: Last year, a year after closing the business in California, a friend here in Utah sent me an e-mail telling me about the auditions for VOYEUR’S 30th anniversary show. So I drove up for the audition and miraculously got cast! And, again, last year’s production was another terrific experience for me... one for which I’ll always be grateful. THIS year (fortunately) I was sent SLAC’s audition notice and high-tailed myself up to Salt Lake for the audition, which was great fun. Singing (and telling a joke... part of the audition process) for the “powers that be” can be nerve-racking, but they already knew that I was a “few cards shy of a deck”, from working with me in ‘08, so they were kind... AND generous, as they chose to cast me once again. Part of what I loved about this year’s audition, though, was waiting out in the hall and hearing the amazing vocals that were drifting out from other actors’ auditions. Wow. Some talented people are here in the land of Zion!

    Gavin: What has the process been like for all of you from start to final product?

    Arika: I can't speak for other people, but each Voyeur I've done has been a whirlwind from start to finish!  You never know what will happen, changed, be cut, or added next!  It's all magic and mystery and blood and sweat.  It gets in your bones and under your skin, but in a good way.

    Jesse: Wow…Where to start. This is such an incredible experience. It is so different from anything I have ever done. It has forced all of us to take massive risks on stage, while at the same time finding the true honesty within the characters. I couldn’t ask for a better cast. Everyone is so talented, humble, and supportive of one another. It has been a secure and productive environment from day one, and will continue to be so until this show is over.

    Shannon: This rehearsal process is like nothing I’ve ever done before. It was so awesome (and a little scary) to be given a script which we were told from the get-go would change and morph and be cut and rewritten. It’s awesome to be so involved in the evolution of a script. Our cast and creative team are so talented and supportive of each other. Every day we experiment and play and work and create. It’s exhilarating.

    Steven: Saturday's Voyeur's process has been an interesting (and fun) one. The piece is continually evolving throughout rehearsals,and things are sometimes changed, rewritten, edited, and/or reshaped. Ultimately, it's for the good of the show, and the changes certainly improve the flow of the show and cause it to be tighter and have a clearer through line, but it is, admittedly, frustrating sometimes as an actor to memorize and re-memorize things. However, that little inconvenience is a very small price to pay for a polished and tight finished product. Fortunately, I knew what to expect, nor is it the first time I've done a show of this nature, so I've felt prepared throughout the process. What I've really enjoyed is how talented and funny my fellow cast mates are. It's always great to work with a solid group of people, and this cast is no exception. The creative team behind the scenes has also been a pleasure to work with as well.

    Kent: Saturday's Voyeur is a VERY unique theatrical process for everyone involved, I think. Other than a host of familiar tunes (well, most of them were familiar to me!), the challenge of creating an entirely new musical, top to bottom; erasing original song lyrics from your memory and replacing them with new, show-specific lyrics; learning / memorizing a script that (for timing, content, plot, etc.) continues to morph throughout the rehearsal process; choreography, etc.; AND all in a five week time period (many shows of this nature take MONTHS, or longer, to develop) I am continually amazed and impressed that ANY group of people is able to accomplish it all. But accomplish it we do and as it all comes together before opening, it’s a thrill to know that I’m a part of not only a terrific cast, but a truly amazing, thought-provoking, well-loved theatrical heritage.

    Gavin: Is it more or less challenging doing a musical that a standard play?

    Jacob: I wouldn't say musicals are more difficult to do than a straight play. Logistically, they can be. It's just the obstacles are different. VOYEUR is definitely harder to mount than just any old musical, like say, THE SOUND OF MUSIC. With any old musical, you know how it should feel and look. With VOYEUR, you have to try many different approaches in rehearsal to fine-tune it and figure out what needs to be said and the best way to say it. It's fun as hell, though. Why do you think I keep coming back year after year? I wouldn't waste my time with it if I didn't LOVE it. I love every minute of it. Rehearsal, performance, the cast. Brenda Cowley and Jeanette Puhich always called it "Summer Camp." That's a pretty accurate description, and a hell of a selling point for someone with an acute Peter Pan Complex like me.

    Kent: Hmmm... that’s a tough question. Each genre has it’s challenges and advantages. Lyrics are, for me, easier to memorize, because there’s a tune to associate with each word or syllable with. And, of course, there are genres within each genre (comedy, farce, drama, etc.) that allow an actor to explore entirely different vistas within the characters they’re given to portray. I guess, in the end, though I might find one show less “demanding” than another, I, more often than not, will gravitate to the more demanding / challenging roles, as I feel those will help me grow as an artist. I guess I just have to face the fact that I love to DO IT ALL!

    Arika: In my experience it all depends on the musical or play.  But Voyeur is sort of neither.  It is a musical in the since that songs are used to propel the story, but it's a birth, a work in progress, which is much harder than it looks.  I still don't know how Al and Nancy wright this thing every year!  The process takes a lot of trust between the writers, production staff, director, music director, choreographer and actors.  We all pull together to create this thing.

    Steven: I really think it depends on the show. Obviously, musicals can be more challenging from a technical standpoint (music, choreography, set changes, costume issues, etc.), but a straight play can be equally challenging from a thematic or emotional point-of-view. For example, I've been in dramas that were much more challenging emotionally or from a language standpoint, but I've also been in musicals that are so intricate in their use of music, choreography, and set changes that they can be a great challenge as well. I just think it depends on each individual piece.

    Shannon: I think both are equally challenging. And Voyeur is in a category all its own. It’s definitely a challenge, but a very rewarding one!

    Jesse: Musicals definitely have to be more challenging. Some people tend to think that musicals don’t go as deep in character work as standard plays, which is sometimes true. But a trait of a good musical is one that carries the character development and depth of a standard play, along with all of the other elements that a musical offers. Acting is very, very tough. But acting while you’re singing and dancing…come on! It’s no cakewalk.

    Gavin: What are your thoughts going into opening week?

    Jesse: I CAN’T WAIT!! I’m so excited to see the audience response to this show. Getting an audience in front of us is such a huge necessity in terms of how the final product of this show is going to turn out. They will be dead silent at some things that we thought were a riot in rehearsal, and they will laugh there heads off at some things that we never expected to be funny. The audience is the final element of this show, and will tell us how to cultivate our humor further as the summer continues.

    Jacob: Just humbled to be surrounded by such talented people. Not just the cast, who are all WONDERFUL, but the whole production staff: John Caywood, Cynthia Fleming, Kevin Mathie, Keven Myrhe, Al Nevins, Nancy Borgenicht, Brenda Cowley, Brenda Van der Weil, John Geertsen, Sarah Mohr, everyone is just so awesome. They all make me pee my pants laughing! Sometimes, I just sit there and giggle for no reason. Actually, it's because I'm thinking to myself, "I can't believe they pay me to do this s#!%!"

    Shannon: I feel like we’re going to be very ready. The process, while ever-changing and evolving, has also been very progressive and steady. We’ve got a great show and I can’t wait to share it with audiences!

    Steven: I'm happy with the direction in which we're headed. The show is in good shape; I'm proud of everyone involved with it; and I believe our audiences will enjoy it very much. At this writing we still have some polishing to do, but I feel we are in excellent shape for where we are. I'm also glad to be working with such a great group of people because it's a relatively long run, and it makes such a difference when you're working with people you enjoy both on and off stage.

    Arika: Woah.  How will this all come together?  It's a mystery.

    Kent: Excitement. I have always loved opening a show and find it difficult to face the inevitable closing week. (Thankfully that’s a LONG way off.) After working with such a talented group over the weeks of rehearsals (actors, director, choreograph, musicians, stage managers, costume, set, lighting and sound designers, and the great tech crew), I am in awe and humbled to be included and can only look forward to the months ahead.

    Gavin: When this play is done, what's the next project for all of you?

    Steven: I wish I knew what my next project was. These past two years I've been very fortunate to have been cast in many great productions and have worked fairly steadily. This is the first time in a while that I don't have another job lined up. That's the life of an actor sometimes. I do have some auditions coming up, though, so I am hopeful that something will come my way soon. In the meantime, I will be using my free time to get a much needed operation on my knee and to spend time with loved ones in Las Vegas.

    Kent: I have auditioned in Los Angeles, Seattle and here in Utah for the fall season. Who knows...? But whatever my next project might be, I will be grateful and anxious to return to the stage.

    Jesse: Well I’m definitely going to keep auditioning all around Salt Lake, just to make sure my face gets seen. I would love to do more shows at SLAC this year! My professors at Weber have cautioned me about doing too many outside shows during the school year. Weber has an incredible season lined up for next year, and I wasn’t around much this year. I would definitely be more than content staying up there all next year and participating more. I know the outside opportunities aren’t going anywhere.

    Jacob: I dunno. As an actor, you do what you can. It's difficult to constantly work in this city. It's difficult anywhere. I've been lucky enough to work constantly since I got back from California, which I find slightly ironic. I'll do whatever I have to, which will entail waiting tables until the next gig comes along.

    Arika: Besides, husband, yard, house, working on Commodity del'Arte, making more art and anything else I may have let slip over the past 6 weeks?  I'm not sure.  Hopefully I will be back to working front of house at SLAC if another play or Stage Management job does not come my way.  But I will probably need a vacation first.

    Shannon: I actually don’t want to think about this play being done. I’m going to miss being with this amazing cast everyday! But I’ll get to go back more full time to my fabulous job with SLAC’s Communications team. I’ve got some auditions coming up and lots of bike riding, baking, and basking in the sun to do.

    Gavin: Aside from the obvious, is there anything you'd like to plug or promote?

    Jesse: The arts in general, including theatre!!! Everyone should be more active theatre-goers! Theatre can say the things that people are afraid to speak. More young people need to get involved in the arts in some way or another. It is vital to our way of life, yet sometimes it goes unnoticed and is extremely under-appreciated. The arts have more potential to inspire than any other aspect of our culture. Don’t let it die.

    Steven: Nothing specifically, although I would encourage people to frequent their local theaters, whether they be community or professional. I highly recommend Salt Lake Acting Company, Pioneer Theatre Company, Plan-B Theatre Company, and an old favorite of mine, the Old Lyric Repertory Company in Logan, but there are so many wonderful places to see theatre in the area. Just support good theatre. I'd also like to take a brief moment to promote myself. If anybody needs an Equity actor come September, I am currently available.

    Jacob: My dad, Ron Johnson, is performing in UTAH-HOMA at the Off-Broadway Theatre. After you've seen me in VOYEUR, go see him. He's awesome!

    Shannon: Nothing off the top of my head. Just support the arts anytime you can!


    Kent:
    I would never be so shameful as to plug Saturday's Voyeur ‘09, running from June 3rd through August 16th, at the Salt Lake Acting Company, here in this blog. :-) Never. But I WILL say that I am also a working artist (photo collages, photography, multi-media work) and that some of my pieces can be seen in the gallery and shop at the Salt Lake Acting Company. PLUS I recently won an award for writing a short-film screenplay (which I’ve been asked to expand into a full-length feature) and I’m also completing a novel, as well as a book of poetry (which will accompany a group of ink drawings by the French artist, Youdi). Lots of other irons in the fire, but I’m mostly just loving life.

    Arika: Did I mention I am the owner/director of Commodity del'Arte and Acting Artists Gallery, generously hosted by SLAC in their greenroom and across the hall and featuring the art of local theatre artists, including members of Saturday's Voyeur, present and past?  The Boutique is open one hour prior to showtime and at intermission.   The Gallery is open during normal Salt Lake Acting Company business hours.  Come see jewelery, clothing, oddities, art, knicknacks and antiques and find that perfect peice for your home while helping local theatre folk afford to stay in theatre! Check us out at Commoditydelarte.blogspot.com or on Facebook for more information!  Thanks for letting me plug!

  • Twilight & Brown Bag Concert Series

    In the midst of downtown SLC you can find a number of venues with shows coming through on an almost nightly basis. But when summer kicks off, the Salt Lake City Arts Council starts brining the heat and give the venues a run for their money.

    The Twilight Concert Series brings in some of the best acts it can year after year to perform live at the Gallivan Center, completely free and usually filling the plaza beyond capacity. Not to be outdone throughout the week they also present the Brown Bag concert series, where vicariously you can see a local band perform every day of the week at noon. I got a chance to chat with Casey Jarman about his role and work with the Council, chatting up both concert series and what to expect, as well as his thoughts on other topics.

    Casey Jarman

    http://www.slcgov.com/arts/

    Gavin: Hey Casey! First off, tell us a little bit about yourself.

    Casey: Not much to tell you really, born and raised here in SLC.

    Gavin: How did you get involved with the Salt Lake Arts Council?

    Casey: I have been with the Arts Council for around 25 years. I was producing local concerts, spending time being a musician and working part time as a geologist. I walked into the Arts Council offices to see if they needed help and started working on the Brown Bag Concert Series.

    Gavin: What were some of the projects you've worked on or been a part of over the years?

    Casey: I started the Living Traditions Festival in 1986 and the Twilight Concert Series in 1988 and have been working on the Brown Bag Concert Series since 1984.

    Gavin: How did the idea of the Twilight Concert Series come about?

    Casey: I was coordinating the Brown Bag Concert Series and the Arts Council had an NEA grant and wanted to expand the series to more dates. I proposed the idea a new evening concert series held downtown during the week for those people unable to make the Brown Bag Concert Series during the day. Originally it was called the Brown Bag Twilight Series and changed to the Twilight Concert Series a few years later.

    Gavin: Considering the other stuff you plan, was it difficult to set up or did it come off easy?

    Casey: Way different from today. In the beginning the Twilight Concert Series was held at the Salt Lake Arts Center amphitheater, next to Abravanel Hall. It was pretty much a one man show although I had one other staff person to help with the series, I ran lights and sound and we would set-up the stage in the morning then hurry over and run the Brown Bag Concert Series, wrap that and run back to finish setting up for Twilight. After the show we had to take down the stage, lights and sound. We would get out of there at about 1AM. Very fun the early days of the series. I can’t remember what the budget was in those days, maybe a 10th of what it is today. I had a Volkswagen Van and that served as the production vehicle for many years. The artists were mostly local, there was modern dance and a few touring artists.

    Gavin: Who were some of the first bands you got to perform for the series?

    Casey: The first band that opened the series was the Saliva Sisters. Also Ririe Woodbury, RDT., I presented everything I could find from classical music to local rock and roll. I think that first year I found a touring Swedish polka band coming through town and thought they might be cool. They weren’t.

    Gavin: How was the success of that first year, and did you know it would be back again at that point?

    Casey: I think we averaged about 250 to 500 people per show and it felt like a success. I wasn’t sure if the Arts Council wanted to do another year or not, but they did and I started to build a direction for the series.

    Gavin: Where did the idea for the Brown Bag series come from?

    Casey: That was from Gerald McDonough. He's very creative sometimes, eccentric writer and actor. The series had a little more theater and less music in those days. The first year there were 13 concerts. Same number as the first year of the Twilight Concert Series.

    Gavin: Did you feel it was more of a risk for weekday afternoon concerts, or did you think there would be an audience for it?

    Casey: Gerald just wanted to make statement that arts could be anywhere for anyone. If an audience showed up, great.

    Gavin: Was it easier to plan that series out, or did it bring in its own set of problems?

    Casey: Anything downtown in the middle of the day has it’s challenges there weren’t a lot of places to hold the series (still aren’t). Dinwoodey Mini park was one of the main locations and it was great. You need shade for both artists and audience members. Even in the busiest places people will complain about the noise.

    Gavin: How has the popularity of Brown Bag done over time?

    Casey: Very steady for the last 20 years.

    Gavin: You're about to launch both series again for the summer. First, what have you got in store for bands on the Brown Bag set?

    Casey: We open on June 29th at Exchange Place Plaza (between the Boston and Newhouse buildings) with a band from Chicago, Fareed Haque and the Flat Earth ensemble. Fantastic artist. The series will be a mix of mostly local music and a few national touring artists. Jazz, indie rock, Celtic, bluegrass…great mix of artists.

    Gavin: Second, who have you got booked for the Twilight set? Is everything set or will there be some surprises?

    Casey: Twilight is all set and is going to be amazing! Check out the website for the full line-up. Progressive, interesting, killer line-up that starts with Bon Iver and Jenny Lewis on July 9th. There are 8 concerts and 16 bands and every night will be absolutely awesome.

    Gavin: Also, what can we expect to see from the Market this year?

    Casey: Superb food, ice cold beer, delicious wine beautiful art.

    Gavin: A little state-wide, what's your take on the local art and music scenes, both good and bad?

    Casey: Unbelievable right now. There is a lot of energy to create and produce and lot of new alternative voices in visual arts, dance and music. Very exciting. The bad is just the economy, but we all are a little tired of hearing about that song and dance. Art thrives on the edges and always will. I feel bad for our local artists and companies who are making incredible sacrifices right now. And incredibly impressed with the resolve and determination they have to succeed.

    Gavin: Is there anything you believe they could do become more prominent?

    Casey: Prominence is always judged at a distance. Being successful at home can be just as difficult as it is out in on the road. Time and commitment will produce results and if you want the big time it will come.

    Gavin: Do you feel the city is doing enough to showcase local entertainment and arts with the events it currently plans out, or could be be done (i.e. concert series and festivals)?

    Casey: I think there is always more that can be done, but Salt Lake has had a solid track record of support for the arts.

    Gavin: If you had the opportunity to do it right now, are there any programs you'd like to create for the arts, writing, music, etc?

    Casey: So much to do so little time…I would love to diversify Twilight and expand it to one or two more nights a week, present an indoor series during the winter, downtown dance festival, a three to four day large scale music festival,…lots of stuff!

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

    Casey: Well we are hanging in there taking our share of cuts, etc. but we are fine and it should be business as usual.

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

    Casey: All art, all the time.

  • Plan-B Theatre: And The Banned Slammed On


    With the current set coming to a close, Plan -B has put on what some are calling one of its best seasons. But before the curtain goes down for five months the group has one last performance to give, and what a show it will be.

    “And The Banned Slammed On” will take two prior concepts featured by the company, meshing them together, and putting them on for a one-night showing this coming Saturday. With both the unknown and the unpredictable looming in the air, anyone who has a ticket is pretty much guaranteed a unique experience. I got to chat with Jerry Rapier again as he was in the midst of preparing for the play.

    Jerry Rapier

    http://www.planbtheatre.org/

    Gavin: Hey Jerry, how have things been since we last chatted?

    Jerry: Things are great with Plan-B - all three plays this season - all by Matthew Ivan Bennett - enjoyed sold-out runs!

    Gavin: Let's start off with SLAM. Where did the idea come from for the format of it?

    Jerry: We totally stole it from a theatre in the Midwest. Theirs was called BLITZKRIEG. We just thought it'd be a lot of fun. We didn't really think beyond the first year.

    Gavin: How do you pick and choose the directors and writers for the project?

    Jerry: I keep an eye out all year for people that might be a good fit for this event. Ideally we have a mix of newbies and people who've been through it before.

    Gavin: What's the process like from start to finish for it?

    Jerry: The evening before the event, we meet with the playwrights, assign them a cast and title, and let them see the production elements they have to work with. This year, we'll also assign them an instance of censorship that's taken place in Utah over the past year as their inspiration. We give them a style guide to ensure the plays are really 10 minutes long and send them off for an all-nighter. They must turn in their scripts at 9am on Saturday the 30th - by 9:45 the directors and actors are informed which piece they'll be working on; the playwrights are sent home to sleep; and we begin rehearsal. Panic usually sets in at 3:30 when we break for lunch. No matter what, the show goes up at 8pm!

    Gavin: How has it played off to audiences over the years?

    Jerry: All five years of SLAM the show was sold out. The feedback has always been positive. Even when one of the plays is crap the audience is right there with us - I think the audience shares the same adrenalin rush the actors onstage are experiencing!

    (Photo by David Newkirk)

    Gavin: Going to the other side of it, where did the idea for BANNED come from?

    Jerry: In early 2003, we realized our company was in need of an annual fundraising event. But we didn't want to do something predictable or ordinary. So we hit on this idea of having local luminaries reading excerpts from banned literature, altering with performances by actors. We wanted it to be an event clearly tied to our mission as a theatre company.

    Gavin: How do you go about choosing the specific songs and scenes for each performance?

    Jerry: We added music the third year. Both with music and literature, I would research all year long to find pieces that fit together. And fairly regularly people who enjoyed the event would share information with me. Then it was just a matter of whittling it down to show-length. Sadly, there's never been a shortage of material.

    Gavin: If you were to size up both of these performances, how would you compare the two against each other in terms of experiences and audience?

    Jerry: Since both events have been part of our season subscription, about half of the audience each year is the same for both events. However, there are a lot of people who just come to one or the other each year so I'm excited to see how they feel about our conjoined event!

    Gavin: Why did you decide to combined both of them for a one-shot night this year?

    Jerry: To keep either event from getting too predictable or lame.

    Gavin: How did you go about choosing this year's participants?

    Jerry: I started with inviting everyone who'd acted for us this season. And there are some people that have had an open invitation to participate in SLAM. And I wanted to have all female directors, which we've done several times. Doug Fabrizio and Bill Allred both have a long history with AND THE BANNED PLAYED ON so I was glad they were available to host again.

    Gavin: What exactly will Bill, Doug and Terry be doing for this show?

    Jerry: Bill and Doug will be setting up the evening, sharing 9 instances of Utah censorship that have occurred since last May. Terry Wood will read his commentary about Divine Strake that many feel led to his termination in December.

    Gavin: Can you give us a hint yet as to what we'll see this year, or is it still up in the air?

    Jerry: Following Bill, Doug and Terry, you'll see the world premiere of five 10-minute plays inspired by incidents of Utah censorship. Maybe a train wreck. But a guaranteed good time. And of course there's a cash bar.

    Gavin: A little on Plan-B, you already have the next season planned out. What's can we expect to see next year?

    Jerry: Three world premieres by Utah playwrights! We'll be officially announcing the season at AND THE BANNED SLAMMED ON!

    Gavin: Aside from the obvious, is there anything else you'd like to plug or promote?

    Jerry: Our 2009/10 season information will be online on May 31st.

  • Kid Theodore & INVDRS

    Before we go into interviews, I need to be honest... May sucked for trying to cover shows. Everything I tried to book either fell through or had bands I already interviewed. I thought this was going to be an awesome month, but really a lot of the most promising shows never came to fruition. What's up with that? So... we're using digital duct-tape today, and I'm putting two bands from two separate shows together, call it good and hope like hell that June turns out better.

    First up we have the indie-rock soundings of Kid Theodore, taken from three weeks ago at the Urban Lounge as they played with Tolchock Trio at the final show for the now officially broken up Future Of The Ghost. Then from this past Friday we have the punk metal band INVDRS as they played opening at Burt's Tiki Lounge for OldTimer and Tarrakian. Pics for KT are only available via my MySpace, but you can check out INVDRS pics over here.

    Kid Theodore (Ryan Darton, Cole Barnson, Gardner Stevenett & Brandon McBride)

    http://www.kidtheodore.com/

    Gavin: Hey guys, first off, tell us a little about yourselves.

    Ryan:
    We are Kid Theodore- a four piece rock and roll band, born and raised in the Utah of USA. We haven't always been the way we are now and wont always be like this. We're always growing and changing.

    Gavin: What got you interested in music, and who were some of your favorite acts and musical influences growing up?

    Ryan: Honestly I have my Dad to blame for this obsession with music that I have. I grew up listening to a lot of the the Beatles, the Doors, Boston, BTO, Bob Dylan. The classics.

    Brandon: My brother got me into music by introducing me to Radiohead. Still my favorite along with the Beatles. I'm currently listening to TV On The Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Franz Ferdinand, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, The Strokes, and the Rolling Stones.

    Gavin: How did you get together and form Kid Theodore?

    Ryan: Kid Theodore started as an idea that I had to gather all of the best musicians that I had become friends with since my teenage years. I wanted to have a band with all of the best so that we could push each other to stand out from the rest of the music scene. Since the first days of Kid Theodore we've had a lot of members come and go but we have been progressing with each change and while it's been hard to see some people throw in the towel it has been good for us in a way. Unlike the dinosaurs, we have evolved to survive.

    Gavin: Everything you do is from a DIY approach. Was that pre-planned from the start of something you eventually fell into doing?

    Ryan: I think it has been a blessing that we have generally always had band members with fairly good work ethic. We understand that success isn't going to fall into our laps. In my eyes, the amount of work and time you are willing to put into "making it" very much reflects how much you believe in yourself and what you are doing. I believe that bands that aren't so DIY don't really believe in themselves.

    Gavin: What was it like for you guys recording the
    Goodnight... Goodnight EP?

    Cole: Recording Goodnight... Goodnight was a fantastic experience. For most of us it was our first real recording experience. It gave us a chance to really be creative in the production. Sometimes I will pull it up on the ol' iTunes and get some of those songs stuck in my brain for days. I am still very proud of it.

    Gavin: What was the public reaction to it when it finally came out?

    Cole:
    When we released our EP, we really didn't know what we were doing or trying to accomplish except for getting an EP out. We had no direction or real worry about getting it to the masses. So, we printed about 1000 and Ryan figured out a way to get them on iTunes. The next thing we know it is getting positive write ups national blogs, which if you follow blogs, many of the bloggers read other blogs to figure out what to blog about. This caused a chain reaction, and lots of people noticed Goodnight...Goodnight and loved it. I think in many ways our EP was excepted better than Hello Rainey.

    Gavin: You also toured around a lot early on. How were some of those early tours for you?

    Brandon: Our first tour I was actually a roadie for. I think it wasn't quite what we expected. It seems we thought booking the show was the end of the battle but we quickly found out a lot of hard work goes into touring. Those tours were cramped too because we were a 6 piece in a little van. Now we are a 4 piece in a 37' bus. Movin' on up.

    Gavin: What was the feeling like when you were finally recording the full length?

    Brandon: Hello Rainey was a lot of fun to make because we had a lot of great songs and even more ideas for them. The problems we had were with time. We were funding it ourselves so we had to knock it out pretty quick and had to have everything set before we went into the studio. Also, we had to record everything separate cause getting us all together for recording live would have been a nightmare. But we would have at least two of us on every session and we would have fun in Pairs.

    Gavin: How did you take all the praise you were getting for
    Hello Rainey?

    Ryan: We put a lot of thought, money, time, arguing, sleeplessness, and sub sandwiches into the making of that album. To have people appreciate is fulfilling. It still puts a smile on my face.

    Gavin: What did you think about making it into the
    City Weekly Music Awards this year?

    Gardner: We are always happy to work with City Weekly and are flattered by there continued support and coverage of our work. That's the kind of answer Public Relations people live for.

    Gavin: I've seen you've been working on demos, how the next album coming along?

    Cole:
    I am not quite sure. We have been writing on and off for the past year, and most of what we wrote was either cut or never grew to fruition. I think we are a little more picky about the songs we write which causes our songs to be more solid, but is taking awhile to build enough for a really good album. we have recorded those rough demos to get a feel of how the ones we like are excepted.

    Gavin: A little state-wide, what are your thoughts on the local music scene, both good and bad?

    Ryan:
    Utah is full of so many great musicians and artists. I'm constantly amazed. I feel that there are so many artists here that everyone in the world needs to see or hear. Off the top of my head- Lake Mary, Band Of Annuals, Joshua James, Devil Whale, Calico, Asher In The Rye. We love the Utah scene and especially Salt Lake. The hardest part about all of this is that while Utah has the cream of the crop, the industry is having a hard time seeing that. It's with a few rare exceptions that you see a band from Utah make it to the professional level.

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

    Ryan:
    Once Kid Theodore is international we'll start plugging Salt Lake nonstop. Uh. I'm not sure how but we've got to get the industry to look at our humble state.

    Gavin: Who are your favorite acts in the scene right now?

    Brandon:
    Future Of The Ghost is now done which we are all sad about. But Will Sartain is always making great music. Laserfang is incredible dance music. Palace Of Buddies make some incredible tunes as well.

    Gavin: What do you think of the current trends in music that are getting radio play today?

    Gardner:
    Me and our on-and-off sound guy have had great debates about this. It is my opinion that the current state of mainstream music is about to get shown the door by "indie" music. I won't go into all of it, but the similarities between now and the rock n roll boom of the early 60's are astounding. Within two years, pop will be good again. Heard it here first.

    Gavin: What's your take on file sharing and how it affects you as a musician?

    Brandon: We
    have had great debates about this too. It is my opinion that it is just another platform switch. When vinyl went to tape, people freaked out. When CD-Rs came along, people freaked out. Now MP3's have people freaking out. But that's just what technology does. It advances, and consumers and businesses adapt. Artists, or business types that latch onto artists, will always figure a way out to get paid for their work. Its just a new medium. Calm down my little butterflies.

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

    Cole:
    We are on a quest to play more shows then we ever have this year. we are moving to sunny California and trying to write enough songs to release an album.

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

    Ryan:
    I'm experimenting with an idea that, if it works, I will grow corn cobs from my ears. One cob per ear per season.

    Brandon: We are moving our home base to California in June. That's fun. Also, Ryan's idea won't work. I am making sure of it.


    INVDRS (Gavin Hoffman, Phillip White, Sean McClaugherty & Dave Moss)

    http://www.myspace.com/invadersdoom

    Gavin: Hey guys, first off, tell us a little about yourselves.

    Gavin H: Heh. Phil Summons demons with his throat, Dave and Sean provide ungodly tone with guitar and bass respectively, and I attempt to hold down some sort of a backbeat. We've all been in bands with varying degrees of success for at least the past 15 years, including, but not limited to, God's Iron Tooth, Clear, Iodina, Hammergun, Dirty Girls, Art of Kanly, We All Fall Down and Her Blacklist.

    Phillip: My name is Phillip white and I sing for Salt Lake City’s only true black metal band, INVDRS.

    Gavin: What got you interested in music, and who were some of your favorite acts and musical influences growing up?

    Phillip: Seeing Iron Maiden on the “Number Of The Beast” tour when I was 8 years old. Also, I really wanted to be Simon Lebon when I was a kid but unfortunately I wasn’t as good looking and my vocal range wasn’t up to par. That’s why I stuck to metal. Growing up in my house there was music being played all the time. I grew up on the Stones, Sabbath, Otis Redding, Zeppelin, Hendrix and Pink Floyd. My mom was a huge soul freak and my dad was your typical rock n' roll dude. As I got older I followed the musical path of destruction, heavy metal-punk/hardcore-death/black metal and all things psychedelic.

    Gavin H: Personally, I've been interested in music since my dad first played me The Beatles, who are one of my favorite bands to this day. What got me interested in actually playing music in bands, for audiences, was seeing an old SLC hardcore band called Reality play when I was in 9th grade or so. I started thinking to myself there might not actually be such a separation between seeing a band play live and being in a band people would come to see play live. As for influences, mine are pretty eclectic: anything from, as previously mentioned, Beatles to old UK punk (Crass, Conflict, Flux Of Pink Indians, and especially Rudimentary Peni), to stuff like Ned's Atomic Dustbin, and even Oasis, to first- and second-wave black metal like Bathory, Darkthrone, and Burzum, and obviously sludge/doom stuff like Eyehategod, Iron Monkey, and Greenmachine. For the record, the new Sunno))) album kills it.

    Gavin: How did you get together and plan out that initial single session?

    Gavin H: Dave and I started a band called Spur sometime in 2006, I think, after having a drunken discussion about starting a sludge metal project. When our bassist left that band, we entered into discussion with Sean about replacing him, and soon after found out Phil was moving here from Long Beach, California. It seemed almost too perfect... Sean and Phil had known each other for years, dating back to the old SLC hardcore scene when Sean was in Clear, and Sean and I had been in Iodina together, so we were already familiar with each others' playing styles. Coincidentally, both Sean and Phil were a part of the final Her Blacklist recording session/show. It was strictly an improv band, and we asked Sean if he'd like to play bass for the last performance, which was actually a live recording session with John Burdick, and Phil just happened to be in town that night on vacation, so we invited him to come down and do vocals. Regardless, we were all fans of one of Phil's previous bands, God's Iron Tooth, so we knew what he could bring to the table, so we decided to get together to make the loudest, dirtiest, heaviest, most gnarly music salt lake had ever heard.

    Phillip: The rest of the dudes started to jam before I moved out here from Long Beach. I went to practice with them the first week I was out here and they played the one song they had. I did my thing to it and was like “what do you jerks think?" I’m pretty sure they knew I was going to be in the band before I even went to that practice.

    Gavin: What made you decide to get a band going off that one set?

    Phillip: I have known Sean for over ten years and we always used to talk about doing a band like INVDRS. So when I practiced with the dudes that first night, I think it was a given that this line up of heavy metal hordes were gonna kill.

    Gavin H: Well, it was pretty much decided this was going to be an all-or-nothing band from when we all first talked about it. We didn't want to "give 'er the old college try." This was it.

    Gavin: How was it in the early goings and learning to play as a group?

    Gavin H: It was tough, initially. Dave and I had gotten semi-familiar with each others' playing when we were doing SPUR, and Sean and I were familiar with each others' playing from Iodina, but lumping all four of us together, especially considering the somewhat lofty expectations we all had for this band, was kind of a hindrance at first. It took us awhile to really nail down what we were going for. Regardless of what people might think, it's kind of strange going from slow, heavy, dirgy, 10-minute songs immediately into a 2-minute long punk jam, and doing it the way we felt it needed to be done was a little tricky. Thus far, we've been exceedingly slow in terms of writing music, which is mainly because we know what we want, and not every riff, beat, or vocal pattern we come up with is going to work the way we want it to. Call us a perfectionist sludge band, basically... if there ever was such a thing.

    Phillip: We are very picky as to what we want out of this band. INVDRS end up taking our sweet time when it comes to writing and playing live. All of us have been playing music for a LONG time and we have all been friends for almost the same amount of time.

    Gavin: What was it like getting on SLUG's Localized set?

    Phillip: The SLUG Localized show was a ton of fun. We were fortunate that Angela let us pick the bands for the night; actually Jason Knott from Minerva was the one who set it up. It was the perfect gathering for all of our close friends to come out for a night and party their asses off. Dany Vespar and his band of amazing musicians killed it that night, Minerva played the best set of they’re short lived career and INVDRS melted some brains.

    Gavin H: I personally had mixed feelings about it. since I write for SLUG, I had the obvious "favoritism" thoughts run through my head, but at the same time, I felt like it was an awesome platform for INVDRS. Sean and I were both doing Minerva at the time as well, who played that night directly before INVDRS, and having both of us pull double-duty was a bit exhausting, but it was ultimately an awesome show. It was the kind of show we try to one-up every time we play live.

    Gavin: What led up to the “ill-fated” show at Red Light, and how did you get signed up on their label?

    Gavin H: This... is an interesting question. Basically, the show we played at Red Light was shut down by the cops directly after our set, so we ended up being the only band to play there that night, which was a bummer. As for being "signed to" Red Light Sounds, this is a very tender subject right now. As it stands, we are releasing our debut CD, Electric Church, on a DIY sludge/doom/punk label from California called Corruption Recordings.

    Phillip: The only thing "ill-fated “about that night at Red Light was it getting shut down after we played. INVDRS were never "signed" to the Red Light label and we are not doing our record with them. Our full length will be out this summer on Corruption Records out of Los Angeles. Jason from Corruption is a very old friend of mine from L.A. and has been running a DIY label for many years. Let’s just say he definitely has his *** together.

    Gavin: What's the progress like on the upcoming album, and what's it like working with Andy Patterson?

    Phillip: The record was put off for a little bit but now I’m ready to finish it up. I actually had a pretty funny conversation with A.P. a couple of days ago about it. Working with him is so laid back and it never feels like you’re under any pressure. We pretty much party the entire time INVDRS are in the studio anyways.

    Gavin H: The process has unfortunately been a bit on the slow side. All instrument tracking is done - at least, for now - and we hope to have the vocals completed in the next week or so so we can begin mixing by early June. Working with Andy is always a pleasure; all of us have worked with him on past projects, with the exception of Phil. Andy's just one of those guys who, ahem, "gets" what we're going for, and he's always up for a challenge. plus, he's a great "ideas guy." Even when we rolled in to record with the massive amount of gear we have, he never suggested that we cut back volume or use less gear because he knows what INVDRS is all about. Also, our recording sessions with Andy generally degenerate into a big drunken party, so we're not really "working" when we record with him.

    Gavin: Will you be planning any kind of a tour after the release?

    Gavin H: We are booked to play the Outsleazed Fest in California in July, I believe, but we haven't discussed doing a proper tour, as such. All four of us have what most would consider to be "corporate" jobs, and Sean has a family, so touring just isn't as feasible for us as it would be for a band with younger members and fewer responsibilities. On top of that, doing a full-blown tour would be tough on all of us. It's hard enough having to lug our stuff from our practice space to a local venue every once in awhile... I can only imagine how gnarly it would get having to lug that stuff on and off stage every night for a tour! You never really appreciate the simplicity of a straight-up half-cab guitar setup until you triple or quadruple it and you have to move it whenever you play a show.

    Phillip: Touring for INVDRS is leaving Salt Lake for more than one day. The only thing out of state we have planned is going to Long Beach to play Outsleazed Fest. We might do some other out of town dates this summer but that’s about it for touring. That is unless; somebody wants to pay for us to go over seas.

    Gavin: A little state-wide, what are your thoughts on the local music scene, both good and bad?

    Phillip: Its no where near the size of LA but that's why I think it’s so special. You have all different types of music being played and there are a few great spots to play at. I could go out every night and see a band here. My biggest problem about playing music in SLC has to be with some of the clubs. YOU DONT PAY SOMEBODY MORE MONEY TO PLAY MUSIC BETWEEN BANDS THAN YOU DO THE ACTUAL BANDS, especially if you call that person a sound guy and all you have is a vocal mic PA system.

    Gavin H: I have to speak solely for myself here... I love, have always loved, and will always love the SLC music scene, but it seems like people have kind of sequestered themselves into whatever facet of the "scene" they feel they fit with, and they have a hard time stepping out of their comfort zones to experience new things. Salt Lake has always been that way, though. For instance, I also play the drums for a punk band called AZON, and I don't think I've seen more than a handful of the same people come out for an INVDRS show and an AZON show, when to me, they're both punk bands, essentially, and they both hit hard, so why wouldn't I go check out both bands? Unfortunately, I myself have a hard time getting out to local shows anymore, so I'm probably somewhat of a hypocrite, but that's mainly due to social anxiety as opposed to lack of interest.

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

    Gavin H: The scene? Yeah. More all-ages shows, better turnouts and more support from people who follow local music, as well as people being able to expand their musical tastes and stop being so f#%&ing pretentious. that being said, we are friends with a rather large consortium of local bands, musicians, and artists from varying backgrounds and with varying tastes, which I think is amazing, and it makes us all happy to know that people who wouldn't normally listen to something as abrasive as INVDRS will come check us out, and we in turn love being able to see good local bands play, or check their recordings out, even if they aren't "cut from the same cloth" as INVDRS, musically or personally.

    Phillip: I totally agree with Gavin.

    Gavin: Who are your favorite acts in the scene right now?

    Phillip: I think Eagle Twin is about to change heavy music in the same way the Melvins did in the late 80’s. Iota is an awesome band that I don’t get to see play very often. All Systems Fail and AZON are probably two of my favorite punk bands playing right now, not just in SLC. I have always dug The Wolfs. I’m stoked to see Form Of Rocket playing again. Andale always put on a great show and I really dig their record. There are some really good bands around this town.

    Gavin H: The upside to the local scene right now is that there is absolutely NO shortage of awesome bands. Eagle Twin is amazing! We go back with those guys a long way. IOTA is supremely underrated locally as well as nationally. OldTimer are rad kids, and are fun as hell to share the stage with. All Systems Fail is, in my opinion, the best punk band Utah has ever seen, and yet they never seem to get the recognition they deserve. Nine Worlds is rad, and, although they're from Denver, Black Sleep Of Kali is a band people should start paying attention to. I could go on and on, but I think I've name-dropped enough for the time being.

    Gavin: What do you think of the current trends in music that are getting radio play today?

    Gavin H: F&$% music trends. I've always felt that people who listen to mainstream radio aren't actually fans of music; rather, they are people who feel that they need to be spoonfed a soundtrack for their boring lives, and they need to stay current on whatever "hot jamz" they might be date-raping to at "da cloughb." I'm bombarded with music every day, seeing as I listen to it, I play it, I write about it, and I sell it (I have a part-time job at a local record store), so most people would probably consider me to be a music snob, but it's gotten to the point with me that I can spot one-hit wonders like nobody's business, and I feel sorry for most people, and their music tastes, because I know they're spending their hard-earned dollars on music that is manufactured, soulless, dull, boring, unimaginative, pointless, and is done by bands that couldn't give a f#$% less about the people who buy their bullshit, so long as it gets sold. So-called "popular" music hasn't been even remotely good since the 70's, but hey, as long as people have something to shake their a$$ to, cry themselves to sleep to, cut themselves to, beat their chest to, or wear on their chest as a fashion statement, who am I to question the current state of music?

    Phillip: I don’t pay attention to radio bands or trends. I leave that s#!% up to the teenagers and dudes in neon clothes with mustaches.

    Gavin: What's your take on file sharing and how it affects you as a musician?

    Phillip: The collector nerd will still buy the double LP Gatefold limited edition on 180 gram vinyl.

    Gavin H: It hasn't really affected us to date. Personally, I think file sharing is a double-edged sword. On one side, I don't like the idea of "stealing" someone's work without their permission, but on the other side, I like a lot of music that is either to hard to find in a physical format, or is so expensive when I DO find it that it's just not feasible. I don't like feeling that I need to shell out a hundred bucks on eBay just to hear a record from a band I'm interested in. We actually recorded a three-song demo with Andy Patterson in 2008 that we ended up just burning onto CD-Rs, putting in hand-me-down digipaks, and giving away. For us, it's more important that people who want the music are able to get it than making money. Granted, we won't be giving the CD away when it's released, but I'd rather have someone who can't afford ten bucks or whatever it's going to cost be straight-up with me and let me burn them a copy instead of them downloading it online.

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

    Gavin H: As stated earlier, our debut CD, Electric Church, will be out on Corruption Recordings sometime this summer, and they will also be pressing t-shirts and such, which will be available directly through the label or from us at shows. We would like to begin playing live more often, and we will (slowly) begin working on new material.

    Phillip: More shows, new hate filled material, tons of BBQ’s this summer, whiskey bent and hell spent!

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

    Phillip: Electric Church will be out this summer on Corruption Records. Check out the label and our new t-shirts.

    Gavin H: Obviously, we'd like to plug/promote the CD, as well as encourage people check out Corruption Recordings by visiting their website. F#%$ trends, f#%$ listening to what other people force you to listen to, and before you buy that next s#!%$y t-shirt from Hot Topic or that next weak-a$$ CD from FYE, I'd strongly suggest you reconsider and save your money for something necessary or meaningful. Additionally, consider this an open invitation to anyone who might be interested in INVDRS to come have a beer with us, get loud, and get f$#%ing ugly.

  • The Loop: 5/23/09. Doing The 48 Hour Shuffle

    So for a change of pace, we're gonna take a look at something I was personally doing this past week, and I got some photos to show you. ...No, not that. Not that either. I might show that someday, but not today. Nah, this week we're talking about the 48 Hour Film Festival.

    Thursday afternoon my pal Tony calls me up and says "Hey, you wanna enter 48 Hour?" Mainly because the film he was working on had to take a week-hiatus from other people working on this festival too. I thought it would be fun so I agreed, to which he said "Good, because I already paid the entry fee." Come Friday night after I got done covering Stroll I'm met with an ecstatic phone call. "Hey dude, for our category, we got Western or Musical! ...Nah, I'm just screwing with you, we got Film de Fem." So evil.

    Sitting down over food we thought about what we would do. I could tell it was going well because Tony's opening pitch was "Do you remember Sleepaway Camp? Let's do something like that. We'll get Savannah to play the dude." ...Yeaaaaaaaaaaah, let's not. After an hour of discussion (which at one point involved us contemplating adult film works), we thought up our idea revolving around schizophrenia and we were on our way. Five hours of writing, one hour of prop shopping, an hour of sleep in a bean bag and a hoodie, and we were on our way.

    Before filming even began, Tony broke a chair in my apartment. A short backstory, he's filmed here before, and has a habit of moving things around for equipment and shot purposes... stuff that should never move in my home unless I'm moving out. So the first few hours were a tad on the nerve-racking side to say the least. We got our fun cast together of Savannah and Rachel for apartment shots with Lisa and Cameron popping by to help and support. As always the ultimate all-around crew leader Holly brought everything over... including a jib! And Beau ready to put his best boom mic skills to work.

    Due to the work schedule I keep I was only able to work the first 24, and the last few shots of the day required filming at a business across town. But the day at my place was awesome. Everything went off without much of a hitch, even had time to take a break and paint to show some of the lead characters talent. Nothing else broke, everything looked cool, and before I knew it they were off and I was asleep.

    The only part I didn't like before showing was that because it was a rush, I didn't get to see the final product until Thursday night. I would ask Tony how it turned out and all I would get was “Oh, its good dude.” ...And then he'd just look at me with a half grin with nothing else to say, because he thought it would be funny. ...It wasn't... Went out on Wednesday and got tickets to all the showings and the awards party for Saturday. The first night was frustrating to say the least, the people at the Megaplex messed with the audio so that it was only coming out of the speakers behind the screen, out of fear that our films would blow their precious surround sound speakers. All the while we can hear the rumbling from Terminator next door, but not a lick of dialog from half the films. Why oh why this was even held at the Megaplex (a place I personally view as a local hinder to the film industry), I'll never understand. They need to move back to the Tower, or at least Broadway next year.

    Finally came time for ours, playing in the 8PM showing to a packed crowd. Over the course of two days, without pointing out anyone specific, we've seen some of the best and worst in pressurized film making. A lot of awesome tricks I'd love to know how they were done, and a lot of mistakes that will ultimately be lessons for the future. An awesome yet stressful experience to be had.

    Coming back from the awards, a bit of the bitter-sweet. We didn't win anything, but I'm not bummed over it. What I was bummed about was the overall feeling from it. No awards (not even envelopes) for the winners, bad lighting so you couldn't see who won, and even one group who apparently refused to show up won an award in a category where the "use of prop" wasn't even noticeable. Clearly there was some odd happenings with the judging and selection, to the point where even winners were confused.

    The afterparty was nice, though confusing. Good drinks, nice food, at one point it felt like we were being rushed like cattle to "dance outside" while they had the section cleared off.  Again.. Megaplex... not a festival-friendly place. Management of the complex was not friendly either. If you're going to shut down a room for a festival, that means the film you put in there must be terrible and not doing business. So hey... maybe you should, I don't know, close it for the whole night so you're not explaining to the three people outside why "Ghosts Of GI" hasn't started on time.

    Overall thought I did have fun. Two prior Open Mich winners in Matthew Pool and Sohrab Mirmontazeri both won awards for cinematography and acting respectfully. Lot of old friends and colleagues were on hand to chat film, and overall we had a good time. But the big question of the night everyone was asking each other wasn't over doing future projects or films they've seen, it was "will you do it again next year?" And shockingly the overall answer from most... "Not a chance."  But hey, that's still a year away, and you never know what that time will bring.

  • Wiseguys Interview

    The local comedy circuit has always had its ups and downs, usually depending on the clubs and whether they've been active or not. But recent years have not only surged but have blossomed into a full-fledged scene.

    At the front of that movement is Wiseguys. Starting out of a stripmall by the E Center, the club became a hotspot for local and national comics to make their stay, and has been the stepping stone stage for many locals to move up into the national ranks. I got a chance to chat with owner Keith Stubbs about the club and its history, as well as his thoughts on local comedy. All with some snapshots of the new Wiseguys location over at Trolley Square!

    Keith Stubbs

    http://www.wiseguyscomedy.com/

    Gavin: Hey Keith, first off, tell us a little bit about yourself.

    Keith: I was born and raised in South Carolina, one of 7 kids. Southern boy at heart.

    Gavin: How did you first get involved with comedy, and who were some of your favorites growing up?

    Keith: I started doing stand-up in Southern California in 1991. I met comedian Sinbad's manager at an event and she suggested I do commercial and stand-up. She helped give me the confidence to give it a try. My favorite comics then were Dennis Miller, Leno, Letterman and Don Rickles.

    Gavin:
    What would you say your career was like before you opened up Wiseguys?

    Keith: I was a full time comic working the road. I was working comedy clubs, one-nighters, bars, sports bars and theaters. You name it I did it. I was working 45 or more weeks a year on the road while living in So Cal.

    Gavin:
    Where did the idea come from to start up a comedy club?

    Keith: I grew tired of working the road full time. I had performed at many different types on comedy venues and decided that I wanted to run a club my way. I would always have a place to perform.

    Gavin:
    Why did you choose West Valley City as the location for the first place?

    Keith: Because I could get a lease. Eight years ago no one had ever heard of Wiseguys and it was a tough sell.

    Gavin:
    What was it like getting set up, and how was that first month open?

    Keith: The first month was brutal. The first couple of years were scary. I was beginning to wonder why I jumped in like I did.

    Gavin:
    Did you think it would catch on as quickly as it did, or did you expect more of an uphill climb before success?

    Keith: It was an uphill climb. It is a constant challenge keeping the name 'Wiseguys" out there and to book the right comics at the right time.

    Gavin:
    What brought on the decision to open up a second place in Ogden, and then later Orem?

    Keith: I live in Ogden. I love Ogden and the opportunity to have a Wiseguys on Historic 25th Street was too much to pass up. Orem, on the other hand... is a non-stop struggle.

    Gavin:
    Do you find it easier or difficult running multiple places?

    Keith: It is obviously more of a challenge. The secret seems to be having good people who 'get it' working with you.

    Gavin:
    How did the decision come about to open up a new one at Trolley Square?

    Keith: I have always wanted a downtown SLC location. There is nothing like the city. I had been looking around for a while and Trolley seemed like the best fit. I like older, historic buildings.

    Gavin:
    Why did you go a partnership with Poundcakes instead of doing your own thing?

    Keith: I own Poundcake's and Wiseguys. There are no partners. Just me. Win or lose. I am doing my own thing. Poundcake's is the name of the restaurant downstairs and Wiseguys Trolley Square is upstairs.

    Gavin:
    Was the new construction and updates an influence in the decision, or is that just icing on the cake for the new spot?

    Keith: I like the historic nature of Trolley.

    Gavin:
    How have things gone so far since opening up?

    Keith: Busy on show nights and not so busy during the days.

    Gavin:
    A little local, what are your thoughts on the local comedy circuit, both good and bad?

    Keith: The scene is good. Comedy is more difficult that it seems. Many people try comedy but to succeed at a level where you can support yourself is an entirely different thing.

    Gavin:
    Putting you on the spot a little, who would you say are some of the top local comics?

    Keith: Comedy is very subjective. I don't want to tick off any comics. I will pass on that one. I will say that many talented comics got their start at Wiseguys.

    Gavin:
    Being a business owner, how has the local economy affected you?

    Keith: The economy has hurt business no doubt. Hopefully, it will turn around soon.

    Gavin:
    How is it for you competing with venues, clubs and bars on a nightly basis?

    Keith: And do you feel comedy clubs are thriving or struggling more in Utah? I really don't know how other venues are doing. I focus on my business. I have no control on what others are doing.

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

    Keith: Bigger names, better shows.

    Gavin:
    Aside from the obvious, is there anything you'd like to plug or promote?

    Keith: Check out the continually improving website for new and exciting shows!

  • Aequitas Clothing Interview

    This summer is starting to bring out a number of local names, showcasing at first glance would be brand new fashion from major stores, but in reality is simple products from Utah designers.


    One of the bigger names starting to make its presence known is Aequitas Clothing. Based out of Farmington at the hidden wonder known as The Collective Loft, the small shirt design company has quietly been getting themselves over in shops and expanding their line to an impressive set, attracting both hip-hop and skater crowds and slowly gaining appeal to a much wider audience. I got a chance to chat with co-owners Casey Childs and Josh Kamp about the company, their work, thoughts on local fashion and retail, and some other topics here and there.

    Casey Childs & Josh Kamp

    http://www.aequitasclothing.com/

    Gavin:
    Hey guys, first off, tell us a little bit about yourself.

    Casey: I'm 23 years old. I grew up in Syracuse, Utah. I'm majoring in graphic design.

    Josh: I’m from Syracuse Utah, I’m 28 I currently work at a bank and go to SLCC. To have a clothing company has been a dream of mine for a long time now.

    Gavin: How did you first take an interest in clothing and printing?

    Josh: I would go place’s and not find something that I liked. I thought it would be fun and wanted to start a clothing company that the name had a deeper meaning then just a tag line.

    Casey: I've always like t-shirts. In high school some friends of mine started their own t-shirt company and I thought that was pretty cool. So I asked them how to print on t-shirts and they told about screen printing. While in high school I got really into digital art and design. So I mixed good design with t-shirt printing.

    Gavin: What were some of your first designs like? Still got any around?

    Casey: They were pretty different from everything else that other companies were doing at the time. My main focus was to not have a logo or any artwork printed right in the middle of the shirt. I thought of the placement as tattoos on your body. You wouldn't get a logo tattooed in the middle of your chest. So I placed the artwork to wrap around the body or have it angled differently. We still have a few designs left from our first three that we printed.

    Gavin: How did the idea come about to start up a clothing line?

    Josh: I always wanted to have a clothing company and was just thinking of names. I was lining more to Aequitas then the others. Then my sister was talking to Casey one day and he called me and was interest in starting one as well.

    Casey: I was hanging out with Josh's sisters and they told me that Josh wanted to start a clothing company. So I gave him a call and we talked about what we wanted our designs to look like. So I came up with a logo that would show what we were all about at that time.

    Gavin: Where exactly did the name for the company come from?

    Josh: I was watching a movie and saw a tattoo of Aequitas on the actors hand. Thought it sound cool and looked up the meaning and liked even more. Especially after learning the meaning behind it, Aequitas means justice and equality in Latin.

    Gavin: Was it difficult getting everything set up or did things flow rather smoothly?

    Casey: Things flowed very smooth. We would split up things that needed to be done. I designed a bunch of artwork and Josh got all of our business papers done.

    Josh: It was hard to learn all that we need to do but mostly it been fair smooth. Luckily we have friends that are willing to help us out.

    Gavin: What's the process like in creating a shirt, from design to final product?

    Casey: Really, I'm not sure about it myself. I sit down and start sketching out stuff on my computer and things just start coming to my head. Usually I'll start with a little bit then turn that idea into a full meaningful design.

    Gavin: How has the reaction been like to the products from both shops and buyers?

    Josh: Over all a lot of people like our stuff. We had a booth at weber county fair it really didn’t do to well there.

    Casey: So far the response to our stuff has been really positive. Sometimes people don't get it, but thats alright. Its not for everyone. Shops have always liked what we have given them. They sell well in their stores.

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

    Casey: I think its getting better. More people are opening their eyes to what can be done in our state. We shouldn't have to go to somewhere else to find something. We should improve the culture around us and give people the most choices here. Just because their are chain stores everywhere doesn't mean you can't start your own store and have something unique.

    Josh: More people as time past seem to be more focus on buying local first. Salt Lake local fashion scene is growing as time goes as I have scene in the Fashion Strolls. I think more and more we do these fashion strolls it bring more artist and designers out and show there art work either on canvas or clothing.

    Gavin: Anything you believe could be done to make it bigger or better?

    Josh: More local business becoming involved in the Fashion Strolls, becoming more local orientated.

    Casey: I think its all about getting the word out. Facebook and MySpace have made it a lot easier to do this.

    Gavin: What's your take on Fashion Stroll and what its done for the local business?

    Casey: I think what the Fashion Stroll is doing is good for buyers and sellers. Its free and you get to see what new things are coming out. If you want to sell, you just pay a small fee (very small fee) for some fliers that get printed.

    Josh: It provides small local artist help get there product out there. It allows local artists to come together and help each other out. It also shows the public that there is local fashion out there with the help of the local TV and SLUG. They just need to find it.

    Gavin: Do you have any favorite clothing shops you like to work with or shop from?

    Casey: We work with model.citezen and Uprok. And so far that has been a positive experience for us. I like to shop at Bastille in the Gateway. And T-*** websites online.

    Gavin: What are your thoughts about local retailers and how they deal with local products?

    Casey: Most retailers are doing pretty good by letting smaller companies sell their stuff in their stores. Sometimes they want a presentation of your stuff and sometimes they don't.

    Josh: With anything really, you have some that will help you out and give you some space in there store. Then just on the other side there not to open to local in there.

    Gavin: What's it like for you doing business in this current economy?

    Josh: I think with our company being new and still growing it really hasn’t effected us. we sold more the first of this year then the last two.

    Casey: People don't want to spend a lot of money on clothes. We have been selling our t-shirts around $15 since we started. So hopefully that price will influence people to buy our stuff more. It hasn't hit us too hard because our shirts are affordable.

    Gavin: Are there any plans to expand beyond what you've got going now, or are you mainly sticking to shirts?

    Casey: We want to eventually do pants and shoes. I'm a huge fan of RAW denim and I would like to make some jackets and pants out of those.

    Josh: We would love to move include denim, belts, jackets, bag and wallets.

    Gavin: What can we expect from Aequitas Clothing next year?

    Casey: Hopefully pants and more jackets.

    Josh: We are getting better of what we doing and always looking for the best way to make are customers the best with a sick design. We are working doing some of our on clothing design from start to finish.

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

    Josh: Just us, and model.citizen.

    Casey: We are part of the Collective Loft. We do shows and sell our stuff their almost every weekend. Check the website for more info at The Collective Loft and our website.

  • May Gallery Stroll: The Pickle Company

    Its mid-May on a Friday, which means back to Gallery Stroll I go. Weather warms up and so do the crowds as they make their way from stop to stop, but this month I ventured a bit out of the way for a student-based show.

    The Pickle Company over on 4th West has been a hub over recent years for both the up-and-coming along with the well-rooted artists of Utah. Serving both as a gallery and an artist residency they've helped push local movements in both educational and professional art. This month as part of Stroll the gallery opened up its second floor to an Alternative Student Show, featuring some of the finest undergrad work from the U that didn't fit the contemporary form of their galleries. I got a chance to chat with Executive Director Kristina Robb about the gallery and its history, the current showing, thoughts on the art scene and a few other questions here and there. All with pictures of the student showing.

    Kristina Robb (with Michael McGlothlen & Brian Patterson)

    http://www.thepicklecompany.org/


    Gavin: Hey Kristina, first off, tell us a little bit about yourself.

    Kristina: My name is Kristina Robb and I am the founder and Executive Director of TRASA urban arts collective at the Pickle Company. Michael McGlothlen is the University of Utah's Department of Art and Art and Art History Student Advisory Committee President, and Brian Patterson (also a student) curated the exhibit.

    Gavin: For those who don't know, what is The Pickle Company?

    Kristina: Right out of our mission: With a focus on contemporary sociopolitical and cultural issues, TRASA urban arts collective utilizes art to stimulate community interaction, cooperation, and evolution. We sustain the Pickle Company, a multidisciplinary arts center located in the industrial Granary District of downtown Salt Lake City. Built in the late 1800s, the 14,000 square-foot, restored pickle factory provides a dynamic, non-traditional setting for artists to develop, exhibit, and perform contemporary new work.

    Gavin: How did the idea come about to start up the place as an art building?

    Kristina: When developing TRASA's mission and in aquiring the Pickle Company, we wanted a venue that promoted the process of making of art as well the exhibition. We are approximately 80% stuido/creatively focused and 20% exhibition focused. From the beginning we conceived of the building as home to our Artist-in-Residence Program which supports visual and performing artists in the creation and exhibition of innovative new work. We offers workspace, access to equipment and technical assistance, exhibition opportunities, and funding for the realization of ambitious projects.

    Gavin:
    When did you come across the place and what was it like renovating it?

    Kristina: We purchased in the property in 2001 and have done very little renovation. As an artist and administrator, I believe one of the great things about the Pickle Company is that it is not a precious place. We can create without being afraid to build a temporary wall or get paint on the floor. It is a large-scale studio space and we focus almost entirely on large-scale, multimedia installation work.

    Gavin: For those interested, how does the In-Residence program work out?

    Kristina: Our Artist-In-Residence program supports emerging visual and performing artists in the creation and exhibition of innovative new work. We are interested in proposals that consider the unique architecture of TRASA's facility and encourage site specific work. TRASA’s studio facilities, combined with our unique exhibition and performance spaces, provide artists of all media the opportunity for in-depth exploration and the realization of ambitious projects. Applications for our Artist-In-Residence Program are accepted on an ongoing basis. We are interested in artists whose work fosters critical dialog about contemporary sociopolitical and cultural issues. The commercial potential of work is not a factor. Application materials are available on our website.

    Gavin:
    Who are some of the residents who have previously and currently occupied space here?

    Kristina: Current residents include Gary Vlasic, Colour Frazier Maisch, Michael McGlothlen, Stephanie Leitch, Davina Pallone, Shawn Porter, Travis Purrington, Ruby Chacón, Bill Daniel (Portland, OR), Tyrone Davies/Loaf-I Productions, Movement Forum, and Kinde Nebeker. Past residents include Carole Gallagher, Brittany Reese Dance/Active Arts, Kari Hoass (Oslo, Norway), Guillermo Gómez-Peña/La Pocha Nostra (Mexico City), the Body Politic, David & Mathieu Ruhlman, Black Dog Theatre Company and Trent Call/Swinj Magazine.

    Gavin:
    I believe you tend to take part in sponsored projects as a whole. Was that something you planned on doing from the start, or something you grew into. And what ones have you taken part in over the years?

    Kristina: We do not "take part" in Sponsored Projects, we have sponsored projects, and in fact and entire Sponsored Project Program in which we sponsor projects by providing guidance and services, including continuing education, networking opportunities, access to consultants, and resources for fundraising. We also offer fiscal sponsorship and managerial support to artists and arts organizations which lack administrative experience and infrastructure, so that they may produce temporary projects or begin to develop on-going organizations. One of the most important aspect of this part of our programming is that we actually do all of the web design, maintenance support as well and administration for most of our Artists-in-Residence as well as several local non-profits including the Salt Lake Gallery Association and the Salt Lake Gallery Stroll.

    Gavin: I read you also provide workshops and classes. Tell us about those, and how do people get involved with them?

    Kristina: We provide workshops and classes specific to our Artists-In-Residence and other large exhibitions/performances. For example, when we Guiermo Gomez-Pena was in town we hosted a three-day long workshop exploring his processes related to performance art. During EXPOSED we hosted a workshop with an art therapist for individuals who have issues related to being a downwinder. We promote classes and workshops through the web and through the usual channels (eg. the Utah Arts Council, the Salt Lake City Arts Council, Now Playing Utah, the Utah Cultural Alliance, etc.)

    Gavin: Tell us about the Alternative Student Show you have running this stroll.

    Kristina: Bldg 38, the Alternative Student Show is a juried exhibition featuring works by undergraduate artists at the University of Utah. Sponsored by the College of Fine Arts this exhibit has a critical mission: it allows student artists to gain critical experience though their collaborative efforts in staging a juried exhibition in a professional setting. This means that we turn the Pickle Company over to the students. This exhibit is entirely the product of the Student Advisory Committee (SAC) and student volunteers. Student leaders leave this experience with a much better informed understanding of what it like to work in a gallery or museum setting. They are responsible for all aspects of the exhibition including coordinating staff, marketing, working with a juror, dealing with liability, preparing the gallery, hanging the exhibit, lighting, etc... It is literally trial a trial by fire experience. Now in my third year of working with Brian Patterson, I believe he is very likely one of the most competent curators in the city (and he is still finishing his undergraduate degree). Imagine how that experience will pay off when he takes the next step in his professional development.

    Gavin: How were the pieces judged and selected in this showing, and who won this year?

    Kristina: The juror was Jill Dawsey, the Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. She was previously Assistant Curator in Painting and Sculpture at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (2003-2006). Dawsey has taught curatorial practice at the California College of the Arts and art history at the San Francisco Art Institute, the University of California, Irvine, and Stanford University, where she completed her PhD. Her writing has appeared in Afterall, Afterimage, Art Journal, ArtPapers, and Artforum.com. Students selected for the exhibit include Nadia Baker, David Bradway, Anna Copeland-Rynders, Brandon Garcia, Michael Handley, Karalee Kuchar, Sarah Martin, Michael McGlothlen, Brian Patterson, Mallory Qualls, Diane Sanchez, John Walton, and Miranda Whitlock.

    Gavin: A little local, what are your thoughts on our art scene, both good and bad?

    Kristina: Seems to me that art scene is a problematic term. I guess the question is whose art scene are you talking about? For me personally, Salt Lake is a little landlocked, a little incestuous. For some artists that is a good thing and for some artists that is bad thing. Since I am in the business of promoting artists I have to be flexible in the way I view Salt Lake as a whole and find the best fit for the artists we choose to work with. I tend to describe my relationship with the Salt Lake art scene and searching for the diamonds in the rough.

    Gavin: Anything you believe could be done to make it bigger or better?

    Kristina: I believe that there are many individuals always working, striving to improve the artistic community (the art scene as you say). I think the the thing most important thing that can be done to continue to develop our community is to support those individuals who have devoted a part of themselves to contribute to the community. Personally, I would not have been compelled to volunteer my precious time to the arts if I had not been inspired by people like Rick Collier and Jim Edwards (past Director and Curator) of the Salt Lake Art Center, Jan Andrews, Kenny Riches, Laura Durham, Gary Vlasic and all the young, cutting edge artists that continue to make me want to create a community in which they can thrive.

    Gavin: Being involved with Gallery Stroll, what's your take on it and how its done over the years?

    Kristina: As you know we, along with the Utah Arts Council, provide Project Support to the Salt Lake Gallery Stroll. Again, I think the fact the Gallery Stroll keeps getting bigger and bigger with more diverse of venues participating as well as individuals attending speaks entirely for itself.

    Gavin: What about your thoughts on the Utah Arts Festival, and will you guys be doing anything with it this year?

    Kristina: Honestly, I don't think much about it. I do attend and I do support it. Several of our artist residencies have contributed to the festival in the past but this year the focus is more on the gallery/stage rather than the larger festivals and events.

    Gavin: What can we expect from both of you and The Pickle Company the rest of the year?

    Kristina: We have just completed almost a whole year of intense of intense studio work. We have several new Artists-In-Residence and starting in September we look forward to the fruition of all the work of these artists. Look to our website for details.

    Gavin: Aside from the obvious, is there anything you'd like to plug or promote?

    Kristina: I don't think it is very obvious. I cannot tell you how often people in Salt Lake get confused when TRASA talks about supporting the artists' processes and taking a risk on what the end product (if there is a end product) might be.

  • Squatters Brew Pub Interview

    After last month's chat with the cool people at Wasatch Brewery, I've decided I need to start covering more beer-related material. Not just for the fine concoctions, but for the rich history local brewing has as part of the local entertainment scene. ...And the sweet, sweet beer.

    So to kick this off I made my way down Broadway to fellow brewers and pub owners, Squatters. Celebrating their 20th year in business as one of the finest brewers in the state, Squatters has firmly established itself as a major business with its products, as well as a fine dining location with its local pubs. Having three at the Airport, Park City and the one we're talking about today... Downtown SLC. I got a chance to chat with manager Heather Lee, brewmaster Jennifer Talley, and briefly with Squatters co-founder Jeff Polychronis about the pub and its history, thoughts on local liquor laws and surviving as a downtown business, and many other topics. All topped off with pictures of the place, some tasty chicken tacos, and a fine Vienna to wash it down with.

    Amy Coady, Jennifer Talley, Heather Lee & (not pictured) Jeff Polychronis

    http://www.squatters.com/

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

    Heather: Well, I have been working for Squatters for a little over nine years. I have felt like a part of the company a little longer though. My husband, Jon Lee is the Head Brewer at the Utah Brewers Co-op. He started with Squatters at the original Microbrewery on 4th West and 2nd South over twelve years ago. So, beer is a family affair. I started with Squatters at the Airport as a Manager. I helped open up that location and then transferred Downtown and then back to the Airport and then back Downtown. It is amazing to think that I have worked at Squatters a little less than they have been in business.

    Jennifer:
    I have been a professional brewer for eighteen years. I that time, I have become a professional international beer judge for World Beer Cup, Great American Brewers Festival and The Australian International Beer Awards. Also, I have done multiple presentations for the Brewers Association at Craft Brewers Conference, Westminster College and University of Utah. I am going to stop here as far as myself as a brewer and just attach my resume. I was born in Chicago and grew up in California. I have a BA in Sociology and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Utah. I love to mountain bike ride, trail run and practice yoga. But most of my time is spent with my family; my husband Jason and two and half year old boy, Dylan. We love to camp with our pop up tent trailer and go to music fests. I am currently eight and half months pregnant with our second child.

    Gavin: How did the idea come about for Squatters to start up their brew pub?

    Heather: Jeff and Peter were in Real Estate and traveled around the country and thought that they were cool places to be. That is when the Microbrewery boom started really taking off around the country.

    Jeff:
    Toward the end of our real estate days, Peter and I were traveling regularly to Portland, Oregon trying to put together a real estate deal.  The real estate deal didn't work out, but we discovered some of the first modern U.S. microbreweries, so the idea was hatched there.  That would have been around 1987 – 88.


    Gavin: When did the company decide to put a pub in downtown SLC?

    Jeff:
    As the idea developed, we decided that downtown SLC was our location.  As you may recall, there wasn't a whole lot going on then.  Gastronomy (New Yorker and Grill/Oyster Bar) was about it.

    Heather: They were from here and thought that SLC needed something like a brewpub to give the locals that Public House feel that they noticed in other brew pubs around the country. They felt SLC was ready for a brew pub.

    Gavin: How did you come across the location on Broadway?

    Heather: I am not sure, but I would assume that it was cheap and not too bad of a location. It used to be a hotel and it had quite a bit of fire damage due to a large fire many years prior.

    Jeff:
    From about 1982 - 1986, there was a very esoteric, way ahead of it's time restaurant called Jaz Ranch in the building.  Peter and I were frequent customers so we knew the building well.  When we decided to do the brewpub, we wanted a location outside the mainstream and, at the time, anything west of West Temple was very Bohemian.  Plus, we couldn't afford anything in the high rent district.

    Gavin: What was it like setting the place up, and how was that first month of business?

    Heather: Well, I don’t know about that... I wasn’t even old enough to come in here when they opened. You had to be 21 to enter because it was strictly a Tavern Bar where minors were not allowed. I am sure that since Squatters was the new kid on the block, it was pretty busy. Especially with the fresh beer brewed on stie.

    Jeff:
    The build-out, April - September 1989 - was like most construction projects - insane.  We were stretched very thin financially so it was stressful.  To add to the stress, Susie and I got married in June that year!  Once we got open, the pub was very busy.  We ran out of beer in our second week.  Greg Schirf was kind enough to sell us Wasatch beer to keep us going until we could catch up.  By November, we had to order additional fermenters.  It was very crazy but a lot of fun.  Many, many long days and nights survived on adrenalin and craft brewed beer!

    Gavin: Is it a challenge brewing beer on a daily basis to keep everything the same day-by-day?

    Heather: Well, I don’t brew it. I like to think of myself as the “unofficial” taster. We do have our challenges sometimes keeping our more popular beers on tap, like our Vienna Lager. Jenny and Jason plan out weeks sometimes months in advance on when they are going to brew our specialty beers. And when we are about to run out of one of our mainstays, that gets worked into the schedule so we will have some at the right moment we run out. It is a very elegant dance of planning and brewing.

    Jennifer:
    No, but you have to keep on your game. Consistency is very important for our customers. We maintain that by watching our ingredients coming in closely, keeping very good records and adhering to our tried and true brew process.

    Gavin: Without giving away secrets, what's the process for you to making the beer for that day?

    Jennifer:
    On a typical brew day: we mash in the grist, run off the wort to the kettle, boil the wort with hops for 100 minutes, pitch the yeast, cool the wort and send it to the fermenter. Then it is clean up time. There are another million things that go on in the brew day such as, kegging for our other locations, cleaning various things, managing yeast, taking gravities, etc. It takes approximately 18 days to produce ale and 30 days to produce lager from grain to glass. When we are not brewing, we are filtering beer and managing all cold room operations and always... cleaning something.

    Heather: It is planned out weeks in advance. We just do what any good brewery would do with hops, water, yeast and malt.

    Gavin: How do you decide on making specialty brews that are only served in the pub?

    Heather: Jenny and Jason decide what beers would fit best in that season and go from there. We do have our seasonals that we do every year around the same time, like right now we have Acapulco Gold which is a Mexican Lager. Around Thanksgiving we have our Holiday Nut Brown Ale for the entire Holiday season.

    Jennifer:
    I am usually inspired by something or someone. Sometimes I experience a beer and want to try my hand at the style. Usually this happens when I am relaxed and traveling and drinking copious amount of beer. For example, a lot of my inspiration for my most recent Belgian brews came from my pilgrimage to Belgium with my brewer friends. Other times I might have someone suggest something to me or tell me about a great beer experience they had and it might spark my curiosity to explore a different style. And of course, my seasonal choices always depend on the weather outside and what feels good to drink when it is spring, summer, fall or winter.

    Gavin: Has there ever been a beer from the pub that was eventually put into mass production?

    Heather: Most of our beers that are in mass production came from the Pub. The ones that come to mind that are specific to the Micro Brewery are the Provo Girl Pilsner and Squatters IPA. Those were designed and brewed at UBC. Some of the seasonals that go into the party pack were made here first and there are some that were designed and made there.

    Jennifer:
    Full Suspension Pale Ale, Chasing Tail Ale Captain ***’s Oatmeal Stout, Organic Amber Ale, American Hefewiezen, Hell’s Keep, Vienna Lager.

    Gavin: Do people ever get thrown off that the pub is also a restaurant too, or is it more of a nice surprise for people who were just looking for a bar?

    Jennifer:
    Actually people are surprised to see that we are brewing on-site. We are a brewpub which indicates a restaurant that makes and serves there own beer.

    Heather: I think people get more thrown off that we are a pub. People ask all the time if we brew beer here at this location. But we do have our share of people that think we are a bar and then realize that we are a Restaurant and you have to order food in order the drink.

    Gavin: How have people from out-of-state taken to the place?

    Heather: People from out of state are pleasantly surprised that there is a hip and cool place like Squatters in SLC. We have people asking us if we can open one in their city. We get weekly requests for beer from people not living in SLC. They wonder where they can get our beer in their city.

    Jennifer:
    They love it. They are so refreshed to find great, locally made beer and fantastic food in Salt Lake City. People out-of-state have a very confused idea about what Salt Lake has to offer. When they arrive they are very excited to find they can get great beer at many different alcohol levels, as well as, wonderful wine, cocktails and eclectic food.

    Gavin: What are your thoughts on the awards and recognition you've gotten over the years?

    Jennifer:
    It is always nice to be recognized by your peers for a job well done. I have been judging the GABF and the World Beer Cup for over a decade and it is a very professionally run beer judging event. Both events have stringent procedures that help to ensure fair and honorable judging. Knowing the caliber behind the event and the judging panel helps me respect the awards my brewery and UBC has received over the years. But there is always another beer that needs works or a new style to tackle, which keeps me motivated to continual improve on my craft.

    Heather: I think the awards are awesome. I enjoy being able to brag about working at Squatters and all the awards we have received. I especially enjoy telling people from out of state that we have received so many gold medals for our beers at The Great American Brewers Festival and also The World Beer Cup. It is gratifying to let people know that here in Utah we do know how to brew beer, very well in fact.

    Gavin: Are there any upcoming places for changes or additions to the place? Or possible new brews for people to try?

    Heather: Our patio is now open after a long and cold winter. We have 3 babies on the way, One from Jenny our Brewmaster, another from Morgann, a Manager and the last from our host Allie. Pregnancy usually comes in threes here at Squatters. We are blaming it on the water. Upcoming changes... we will see especially with the change to the liquor laws. As far as beer goes, Jenny always has tasty ones in mind for the perfect season.

    Jennifer:
    We are always coming up with new brews. For instance, this March Squatters Pub released Utah’s first made Belgian Golden Strong “Hell’s Keep”. We have a Grand Cru aging in oak and it will have aged 18 months when we consider releasing it to the public, probably winter 2010. We also have another “Fifth Element”, our Belgian Farmhouse Ale, uncorking this fall.

    Gavin: For those who may not know, what is the Mug Club and how do people get involved with it?

    Heather: The Mug Club is an exclusive club for 100 people. We are currently on a wait list for new members. We have to wait until someone doesn’t renew their membership before anyone else can join. We do two parties a year showcasing a beer style. It is kind of like going to a German Beer Hall. There is great food, beers and people socializing with each other. Jenny showcases a certain beer, like we just had a Mug Club event and showcased the HB51 beer. It is named after the House Bill 51 that legalized home brewing. All of the Brew Pubs around SLC decided on a recipe but made one change to the brew. We used our hop back and put in whole flower Amarillo Hops. Red Rock filtered theirs, Hoppers put in oak chips, Desert Edge didn’t filter, and Wasatch in Park City dry hopped theirs.

    Jennifer:
    The Mug Club is a group of beer lovers who call Squatters their local pub. The annual membership cost is $40 and with that you receive a personalized mug (24 oz. fill), kept behind the bar that we fill for $3.99 every time the member comes in and orders a mug. In addition to the discount on the beer, we invite all the members and a guest to 2 parties a year where Squatters puts out a nice spread of eclectic fare and fills the member’s mug 3 times on us! Mug Club members are also alerted through e-mail (if they want to be) about special events Squatters is offering such as beer education classes, cheese and beer pairings with Caputos, parades, etc. We only allow 100 members to join and we then keep a wait list. So when a member chooses to not renew their spot, we call the next person on the wait list.

    Gavin: A little state-wide, what's your take on the liquor law changes made this past session, both good and bad?

    Jennifer:
    For the most part I think they were an improvement. I am very happy they did away with the private club membership because I felt that always brought a lot of undo poor stigma to our State, however, I think it is still a little weird to have to scan someone’s ID if they “appear” to be over 35. I was very happy about the packaging agency law which allows me to brew higher alcohol beer, bottle it and then sell it through the restaurants. This allowed for the birth of two of my latest beers, “Fifth Element” and “Hell’s Keep”. I am glad to see the Utah legislature loosening up a little around the collar when it comes to our strict alcohol laws.

    Heather: There are some good and bad elements to the new liquor laws. Just a few years ago they changed the law so we would be able to display liquor. Now, new restaurants will have to hide their liquor behind a 10 foot wall. The “Zion Curtain” is gone but it is never really completely gone. It is great that we will be able to hand a glass wine across a bar instead of walking it around. We don’t have to do that since our bar area is a Tavern where we can only serve beer. I don’t understand Waddoups and his idea that if children see any alcohol that it will entice them to drink. He feels that it needs to be hidden so they won’t be exposed to anything that he feels is “morally” corrupt. He isn’t giving parents enough credit to teach their children about life or that parents have more influence over their kids than a bottle of Jack Daniels on a shelf in a restaurant. It would have been great if they didn’t have to add all of the little pieces to it. If they would have just abolished the membership fee and leave it at that, it would have been perfect. Instead they tacked on a bunch of things to make the few that felt our liquor laws were too lenient anyway. We call it the Utah Three Step. One step forward and two steps back.

    Gavin: How do those new changes affect you both as a business and as a patron?

    Jennifer:
    My husband and I will be visiting a lot more bars that we might not have in the past because we do not have to pay the membership fee. As far as the packaging store license, it opens up a whole new forum of brewing for me which is very exciting.

    Heather: As a restaurant, it will most likely not affect us too much. We just have to make sure that all of our I’s are dotted and our T’s are crossed. As a patron, I will probably just keep on going like things always have. I don’t really go out much... I live, eat and breathe Squatters. I don’t think the changes will be noticed too much by the patrons, other than they won’t have to pay when they go to a bar.

    Gavin: What's your relationship like with other brew pubs around the city?

    Heather: We have great relationships with other brew pubs. It is such a small community and we aren’t in competition with each other. We are trying to go after the big dogs, the Domestic Macro-breweries. We are all trying to educate people about beer and how good it can taste when you put thought, dedication and hops in. J The movement is definitely growing for Micro-breweries and craft brewed beers. People are beginning to realize that beer just isn’t a light American lager, even the large domestic breweries are making more craft beers like Pale Ales and Ambers.

    Jennifer:
    Super friendly and fun. I consider Kevin at Redrock a good friend and we toss ideas around about brewing all the time together. We both have been learning how to bottle condition beer and we shared a lot of our problems and successes with each other which helped both of us. Also, many of the Utah brewpubs just recently got together and collaborated on a beer we called HB51 to celebrate and honor House Bill 51 passed May 12th 2009 legalizing Homebrewing in the State of Utah.

    Gavin: Being a local business in downtown, how is it running the place in this current economy?

    Heather: Well, people will always need to eat so we are doing great in that regard. People also need to drink, so we have a double whammy. There was a report and study about when the economy goes into a recession, people tend to drink more. People also scale down from their usual dinning places, and we fit perfectly in the middle of that spectrum.

    Jennifer:
    Our local patrons of 20 years have kept us going strong, as well as the Salt Lake convention calendar visitors. A couple years ago we expanded the pub upstairs, this additional space allows to offer reservations to groups of 8 or more – this business is thriving because many smaller restaurants are unable to accommodate multiple groups at a time.

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

    Jennifer:
    Well, I have already given you a sneak peak at my barrels. We have some great weisse beer coming out this summer and as always this fall is great because of all the specials we run for GABF competition.

    Heather: You can expect lots of great beer, food and service from the pub. We are enjoying the 20 years of success we have had. It has been a journey that has had a lot of sweat and tears but there has always been beer to make it better. From me, well I am just along for the ride. I plan on doing what I do best and that is be a Manager at the best Brew Pub and Restaurant in SLC.

    Gavin: Besides the obvious, is there anything you'd like to plug or promote?

    Heather: The obvious being our 20 Year anniversary and the not so obvious our 20 years of sticking through it all.

    Jennifer:
    I would like to remind any beer lovers that like to keep in tune with what’s on tap at Squatters to check my blog on the Squatters website. And I would like to thank our customers for coming in and drinking our beer for the last 20 years. It has enabled me to hone my craft and become an active member in the brewing industry, as well as, become part of my local community. Cheers!

  • "The Man Hour" Interview

    As the field of podcasting grows and locals catch on, more shows are starting to take precedence and even dominance over traditional radio. And the talent pool of SLC podcasters is starting to grow to the point where you could make an entire talk-radio station out of the material.

    Case in point, The Man Hour debuted in April of 2008, focusing the show on what you would consider more “manly” topics such as Sports, Comedy, Film, Music and more. With a list of guests that rival other “major” programs, they've had sit down chats with dozens from the local comedy circuit to fighters in the UFC to local bands showing off their skills. All in the context of it being a bunch of guys, sitting around and having fun chatting. I got to chat with hosts Mike & Jose, and briefly along with marketing guru Mark Hawes about the show and its history, their comedy careers, thoughts on podcasting and a few other topics.

    Mike Jenkins, Jose Bacio & Mark Hawes

    http://www.themanhour.net/

    Gavin: Hey guys, first off tell us a little about yourselves

    Mike: The founder and Host of the "Man Hour". Mike enjoys taking the Baby Gorilla on walks, teaching him English and how to properly communicate with others. Mike has been writing and performing his own brand of Stand Up comedy for the past 6+ years. He has been voted "Best Stand Up Comedian" two years in a row by the fans in the City Weekly publication. You can catch him at a comedy club near you, as he still actively tours the country performing. Mike has performed alongside: Larry "The Cable Guy", Frank Caliendo, Pauly Shore, Dave Attell, Tommy Chong, Bob Zany, Lewis Black just to name a few....

    Jose: Born in L.A. Raised in the Bay and living in Utah today, Jose brings a unique style to the show. Sure he is not the sharpest knife in the tool shed, but he does whatever is necessary to entertain the masses. Some notable moments were when he ate a box of corn flakes right before viewing the infamous "Two Girls, One Cup" video, receiving a full body wax while wearing a man thong, eating chicken feet and visiting a haunted cemetery. Jose started performing Stand-Up comedy at the tender age of 21, where he got the honor of opening for his childhood hero, Tommy Chong. Jose has toured the west of the United States performing live stand up comedy. He's also appeared in a few commercials and 2 cult classic Mormon movies, Passage To Zarahemla and Mobsters & Mormons, the latter receiving praise and a nomination for "Best Mexican Customer" in a Mormon movie.

    Gavin: Before the podcast, how did you meet?

    Mike: I’d been doing stand-up for a year or two, about 2003-2004 and I saw Jose at an open mic; figured I would support the locals. I found Jose annoying at first; ranting like George Lopez, and I ran into him again a few weeks later. He asked me where he could find a cigar shop, so I pointed him down the road and he says “Ah, OK.” Apparently he didn’t want a cigar just where he could find one. After that it was history.

    Jose: Mike was a hot shot, jealous of my comedic abilities and I decided to be the bigger man (Mike interjection: Naturally, you were 200 lbs. heavier than I was) and said “I respect you kid, you’re going to go places.”

    Mike: After asking me for advice of course.

    Gavin: Where did the idea come from to start the show?

    Jose: Me, enough said!

    Mike: I spoke with Heidi Cortez (former Playmate) and she had a podcast and asked how to get things going. I told Jose we were going to make this happen and Jose set a date to start, put it in his mind and that was it.

    Jose: Yeah, I’m a follower not a leader. I just agreed and said lets make history! Booms! Put that on your momma’s fridge.

    Gavin: Considering the format, did you think there was a big enough audience, or was it more of a risk to see who would be interested?

    Mike: Well a little bit of both. Nobody has done the MMA Format. That’s not the show is about, we are big MMA fans. We bring a lot of the UFC fighters, Comedians, Actors. We have a very diverse show.

    Gavin: When did you bring on PR Mark and Web-developer Travis?

    Mike: I think after we started developing. It took a good year to get a solid following. I think we’ve done that and decided to take it to the next level. By getting a website built and both of us are dumb with technology, so we got Crazy T. We needed PR Mark to handle all the guests because we’ve been getting really busy and people were requesting to get on our show. They’ve done a real good job for us.

    Gavin: How did you go about setting yourselves up equipment wise?

    Mike: Well we have a simple way doing things. It doesn’t involve a lot of technical stuff. We want to get better equipment for better show quality. Right now a mic and headset sounds good.

    Gavin: What was the first episode like to record and put out there?

    Jose: Well the first episode was difficult just because we didn’t have a specific format, it was just two guys talking. There was a lot of technical difficulties on our part as well as the website. On our first show we had our friends on their as a guest.

    Mike: We had a lot of jitters and didn’t know what we wanted. As the weeks went on we started to become more professional and started take it seriously. A lot of people liked it and we wanted to market it the best way we can.

    Jose: I think we were also drunk in the first few shows.

    Gavin: After the first month, what was the reaction you got from the audience?

    Mike: It was positive. People liked our brand of comedy. We’ve been doing stand up for awhile we already had a fan base off of that. People wanted to hear our general thoughts without doing stand up material. A lot of radio shows have the comics doing their material and we just kind of get on there and BS with them. They get to see the real side to them.

    Jose: We keep it real and talk to our guest like they are our friends. That’s why our guest always like coming back because we are nice guys who like to have fun. That’s what our show is about fun.

    Gavin: Did you think it would catch on as quickly as it had, or did you expect more of a delay like other podcasts?

    Mike: No I didn’t expect it to catch on this quick. I’m amazed how many downloads we get each show. It still blows my mind. We are just a couple of knuckle heads just joking around with these people that are famous. I didn’t expect anything like this.

    Jose: The coolest moment so far that happened was a show we did in Ogden. This guy walks up to Mike and I and says "Aren’t you guys from The Man Hour?" This sent a lot of jitters in our bodies, butterflies in our stomach at least me. Mike thinks I’m gay.

    Gavin: How did it feel showing up in City Weekly’s “Best Of” issue?

    Mike: It was really cool. I have personally won a couple of awards for my stand up comedy. We put a lot of hard work in this. We’ve been doing this for about a year and some change. It is a tremendous honor to be recognized like that by all our fans.

    Jose: If you think about it Second place is the new first place. Look at Marcus from last comic standing or David Archuleta. We may have won second place in City Weekly, but won first place in the hearts of Americans

    Mike: And you can put that on your momma's fridge.

    Gavin: Are there any plans down the road to start doing merchandise?

    Mike: Yes we have thought about it and working with a friend to do T-Shirts design, hats, and so on. This is actually something that will be coming soon.

    Jose: We are hoping to distribute our merchandise at D.I. for this upcoming fall wear.

    Mike: Poor people need cool clothes, what can I say.

    Gavin: A little nation-wide, what are your thoughts on the current state of podcasting, both good and bad?

    Jose: I think the podcasting is good, being a huge stepping stone. We are able to get our names out there and advertise our comedy. The bad thing is that it’s a podcast and people don’t take it serious.

    Mike: A lot of companies are using the Internet to promote their shows. This is a stepping stone to get to radio.

    Mark: People are busier these days. Podcasts are more accessible and people are able to download shows. Radio is live so if you miss it, it’s gone forever. People can access the website whenever they want and catch a great show without having to work their lives around it.

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

    Jose: Maybe some events like what they do for radio stations. Why not for a podcast. This will have our names out there.

    Mike: I think there is always room for improvement. Just constantly working, coming up with new ideas like the BABY GORILLA CHALLENGE. Getting bigger guests, MySpace, Twitter etc.

    Gavin: What would you say are your most favorite podcasts today?

    Jose: We like the Pink Latex show, they are very entertaining.

    Mike: I agree with Jose, you know there is a lot of great podcasts out there. Its hard to label just one.

    Gavin: What can we expect from all of you and the show for the rest of the year?

    Jose: Expect to be blown away. That’s right, put on your bomb suit because The Man Hour is throwing one from the sky A-T-O-M-I-C… Nagasaki, prepare for The Man Hour.

    Mike: We are going to continue to have great guests. Something that I am looking forward to is MAN HOUR TV. Baby Gorilla Challenges, Short Films, etc I think people will enjoy that.

    Gavin: Aside from the obvious, is there anything you would like to plug or promote?

    Mike: Our website, our MySpace page, and you can also keep updated to all of our stand up comedy on those sites. We will be doing Wiseguys Comedy Club in West Valley the 15th and 16th as well as Trolley Square on the 17th.

    Jose: Oh, Passage To Zarahemla and Mobsters & Mormons out on DVD; it’s the couple of movies I’ve been on. I’ll autograph them for $40.

    Mike: Don’t forget to check out Jose's Craigslist bio too.

  • PartyUtah.com Interview

    When it comes to the nightlife, papers and columns and even blogs like mine try our best to cover it all, but the truth is we can't be everywhere at once. There is however a user driven collection of sites that's doing its best to do just that.

    PartyUtah has been going strong since 2002 as one of the premiere stops for club coverage in the state. Teaming up with a network of photographers and frequent clubbers, the website has gained a dedicated following and is one of the few websites that's managed to both showcase the ever changing scene around us while also acquiring a list of fellow sites to further expand and promote. I got a chance to chat with owner and creator Daryl Acumen about the website and its history, the scene itself, changes to clubs and alcohol laws, and a number of other topics.

    Daryl Acumen

    http://www.partyutah.com/

    Gavin:
    Hey Daryl, first off, tell us a little bit about yourself.

    Daryl: I'm an Internet business analyst by trade, specializing in web marketing analytics. I've been in the field for ten years now. I spent three years as the Senior Business Analyst for Network Solutions (the company that owned Dot Com before the crash) and left in 2002 to become the first Analytic and Best Practices Consultant at little company called Omniture. Today Omniture is the largest web analytic and business optimization software provider in the world with over 5,000 customers and 1,400 employees...I was employee #25. I have a wife, a stepson, and a cat named after a famous Japanese statistician. I'm Black and no I did not vote for Obama.

    Gavin: How did you first get into the clubbing scene?

    Daryl: I assume you mean here in Utah. I was a heavy clubber back in Maryland way before I moved here and when I agreed to interview with Omniture, I made sure to tack a few extra days onto my trip so I could inspect the local club scene. Knowing the state was heavily LDS, I wanted to be certain there WAS a club scene before I uprooted and moved two thousand miles from my crew! The truth is I probably would have taken the job anyway, but visiting Port O' Call, Papiyons (spelled wrong for some reason) and Manhattan reassured me that Utah was in fact a safe bet. After the move, I made it my mission to know where all the hottest places in the state were on any given night of the week. Since I didn't have any friends or family out here, it seemed the best way to keep from going stir-crazy in my apartment and running up huge long distance bills.

    Gavin: Where did the idea come from to start up the website?

    Daryl: Originally I just needed a test website to try implementation and analytic techniques for my day job at Omniture. I didn't want to get stuck talking to a client about things I'd never actually tried. A colleague of mine by the name of Keith Westover suggested that I create a message board because it had the potential to generate enough data to make analysis interesting. The original PartyUtah.com was a simple ‘Snitz' message board with categories for every genre of music, every night of the week. I figured if the website caught on and people posted all the hottest places to go in town, it would at least save me the time and gas of driving around town trying to find hotspots on my own. I seeded the original website by asking all my ex girlfriends to join the board and post (a really stupid idea in retrospect, but it worked). One of my exes was very popular in the GLBT scene because she lived with a house full of gay men who loved to party. When she told them about the site, they all went nuts, told all their friends, and PartyUtah.com became the biggest gay website in Utah! It took me six months or so to realize I needed to diversify and I started UtahNights.com (which is the current PartyUtah.com homepage) as a straight alternative to the gay site. The result is pretty much what you see today.

    Gavin: Did you believe there was enough of a scene for material and to catch on, or was it more of a risk in your mind?

    Daryl: There was no risk. I knew there was a scene already because I was going out three and four times a week enjoying it. The original site didn't cost much to maintain and the risk of being stuck at home because I didn't know where to go one night was much more intimidating than losing a few dollars on hosting.

    Gavin: After you got the site setup how did you start getting pictures?

    Daryl: The original photo gallery was a feature request made by few of our early users. Angela Saxby had been taking photos to promote SLCParty.com since early 2002, but I didn't really notice. It didn't really occur to me at first that the photos could be a promotional tool. I just thought of it as a cool feature and a way to keep my users happy. I still have those original pictures on my server somewhere, but none were taken by me. After a year or so I bought an Altoid camera (a little Pentax that you could hide inside an Altoid box) and dropped by Natalie's to show it off to a bartender buddy of mine there. I told him I was considering sneaking around to the different clubs at night and taking photos of the hottest spots in town so people could see how cool each club was before they went out. I remember he wasn't impressed and told me it would never work because bar owners would get mad and probably throw me out, so I shelved the idea (and the camera) for the next two years. It wasn't until 2004 that I finally bought a real camera and worked up the nerve to ask the owner of SkyBar if I could take some promo shots in his club for my website in exchange for free advertising. He agreed and the rest is history! I think I eventually gave the old Altoid camera to my mother.

    Gavin: Did you seek out photographers at any time or did people approach you?

    Daryl: In 2008 I got married and it wasn't really in the cards to keep going out four and five nights per week taking photos to promote the site. I decided that I needed some help. At first it was just one photographer named Ruth Ruiz, but as demand grew, so did the team. Today we have ten photographers on staff and every one of them is at least twice as good as I was in my prime! Most have forgotten more about photography than I will ever know. As much as I'd love to dust off my DSLR and go shooting with them, these days it just makes more sense to stay at home and let the pros do all the work. I figure the more time my camera spends on the floor in my den, the more my legend will grow!

    Gavin: What's the reaction been from both clubbers and the clubs themselves over the photos?

    Daryl: Clubbers love our photographers! Our team knows how to make people look bitchin', so the response to our work has been overwhelmingly positive. Unlike some outfits from Vegas and California, we try to keep the site work-safe and skirt-friendly and people respect that. The clubs are pretty evenly split in their enthusiasm for the photos and the advertising. Some are more excited about the photos because they show people how much fun each event can be. Others use our special photo/advertising bundles as an inexpensive way to get me to increase their ad impressions. The general consensus among club owners and promoters is that the pictures are a fun, sexy way to get people's attention before they decide where they're going to spend the evening. All around, the feedback has been uniformly positive.

    Gavin: How did the decision come about to start up some of the other websites?

    Daryl: Actually most of the other websites were acquisitions. Back in 2006 I did a research report for a large, well known social networking site and realized the days of small, standalone, regional websites as coming to an end... rapidly! If local nightlife websites didn't band together and pool our content, we'd be buried within a few short years by the big guys. At that time I started approaching other viable nightlife website owners about merging or partnering and most were receptive. I began with SLCBars.com, then acquired SLCParty.com from Angela Saxby and eventually merged UTRave.org with my own site UtahRaves.com in 2007. Now the collective is stronger and much more viable. All told we've either acquired or formed strategic partnership agreements with nearly a dozen nightlife websites in the state and have assembled something I don't think can ever be duplicated; a network with rich history and broad reach that truly serves Utah's local nightlife community. Many of the websites we've acquired over the years have simply been redirected UtahNights.com, but as time passed I noticed distinct demographic patterns emerging and I wanted to make sure we served each group distinctly. That's why you see four main properties today; UtahNights.com, SLCBars.com, UtahRaves.com, and SLCParty.com. We then partner with other websites like Enevento.com, DateSaltLake.com, ParkCityVoyeur.com and others, to provide content that isn't core to our focus.

    Gavin: Does it ever feel hectic running so many different sites dedicated to the nightlife, or does it feel more of a necessity now?

    Daryl: It can be crazy at times, but I really do feel it's a necessity now. Most of the websites I host would have died away if someone hadn't stepped in to preserve them. UtahRaves.com has been going in one form or another since 1998. UtahNights.com and SLCParty.com have photos in their libraries going back to the 2002 winter Olympics. Over the years we've helped rescue club websites and photo archives from places like SkyBar, Splash, Vortex, Axis, Naked, Suede, Shaggy's Living Room, W Lounge, Papiyons, Banana Joes, and Cheers To You. I believe it's an important part of the history of our community and that these memories are worth saving.

    Gavin: How does it feel having all those sites now being an epicenter of the scene?

    Daryl: I'm not arrogant enough to think we're an epicenter of the scene, but it is nice to know so many people rely on us to help them find cool places to have fun. Of course I spend so much time looking at the reports that I sometimes lose touch with how valuable these sites can be. I read "1,000 people just dropped by to see what's up tonight," and it goes right over my head. One interesting reminder came last year when I implemented a new bar listing database for SLCBars.com. As a test I added a bar called Banshce's (my alter ego when I was a wedding DJ) and listing my cell phone number because I wasn't creative enough to make one up. For three months I got these random calls on Friday night from people asking about 80's music! When I finally figured out what was going on I felt stupid, but I was also impressed that real people were using my websites to help them decide where to go. It sort of plugged me back in. I don't think we're an epicenter yet, but I look forward to the day we are. I'll consider PartyUtah.com to have finally ‘made it' when I can call every bar in town for lineup information without being hung up on or told ‘we don't like the Internet and we don't want to be listed there.' Comments like that make a web marketing analyst like me want to scream!

    Gavin: You're going on eight years now, what's your thoughts on the websites lasting this long?

    Daryl: I get that question allot. It's true we've been at this a long time and I've watched dozens of competitors come and go in that time. A few new ones seem to pop up every year and usually don't last more than a few months. I think the reasons we've survived so long while others have faded away are pretty simple:

    * Most people who try to do what we do get into it with the hope that there's money to be made somewhere down the road, and bail out when they realize there isn't.
    * We stay focused on what we know.
    * We also repel the sort of people who can't talk unless they're slinging bulls#!% because we call it when we see it.
    * People are more willing to support your ideas when they remember you were there supporting them when they needed a hand.

    Gavin:
    Going a little city-wide, what are your thoughts on the local club scene, both good and bad?

    Daryl: One of the things I love about Salt Lake City nightlife is the people. When I go back east or down to L.A., I'm always struck by how unfriendly and snobby everybody is. I don't think locals see this because we're all used to it, but with rare exception people in Utah nightlife are generally friendly, warm, and easy to talk to. Even women who think you're trying to pick them up will be relatively friendly until they know for sure. It's an easy place to meet people, and it's such a small scene that you're sure to bump into folks again once you've become acquainted. Spend a month in L.A. and see how long it takes before you to have friends in every club you visit. Warning: don't hold your breath. On the down side, and here I think I'm about to show my age, clubs in Utah tend to be a little younger and crazier than in other cities I've visited. There's no happy-hour crowd (admittedly by legal decree) and folks my age tend to spend more time at home than in other cities. It leads to a feeling among those of us who do go out that we're "...the old man at the club," to quote Chris Rock. Back in Herndon, Va., Thursday night at Champ's was a weekly ritual and everyone would come out to mingle and network. In L.A., it was Thursday night at Victoria's for the Silicon Beach digital elite. Here in Utah you're out of luck, unless you want to chase all the college kids to Green Street. We need more watering holes with valet parking and handrails in the bathrooms for us old farts.

    Gavin: Is there anything you believe could be done to make it bigger or better?

    Daryl: Yeah, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control could take a chill-pill! I realize the DABC has a job to do, but some of the stories I hear from clubs around the state about their abusive enforcement tactics (bordering on ‘Gestapo') really gives me pause. It's funny that the agency puts so much energy into punishing bar owners who sincerely make an effort to stay within the law, yet when somebody like me calls offering to help promote community initiatives to combat drunk driving, I get the brush-off. It seems like misplaced priorities if you ask me. I think the DABC should engage bar owners as a partner that is sincerely interested in helping them educate their staffs and succeed in compliance, rather than a heavy-handed enforcer racking up hit-points with ‘gotchas.'

    Gavin: In your opinion, right now, what are some of the top spots in the city?

    Daryl: It depends on your scene really. One of the things I like about nightlife in greater Salt Lake City is the variety. Area 51, The Hotel, Bliss, Habits, Green Street, SkyBar, Speakeasy...it all depends on what you're into and what night of the week you like to party! That's why I started my website; you need a guide to keep track of it all. For our tastes, my wife and I think the hottest ticket in town is Steve Lyman playing classical guitar at the Bayou on Sunday Nights at 7pm. Seeing a mesmerizing classical guitar concert, front row with good food and an exotic beer? Even after we slip a twenty in Steve's jar for the show, it's still the best bargain in town. We go every chance we get!

    Gavin: It seems in recent years the DJ and big club sound is making a comeback. Do you think it will stick around longer, or be a fading trend like before?

    Daryl: Dude, you are so asking the wrong guy! You're better off asking me if I think Guitar Hero will continue to raise awareness of 80's Metal or if Steve Perry will ever do a reunion tour with Journey. Most people don't know this about me but I'm not a big fan of House music, I can't stand Hip-Hop, I haven't listened to the radio since Bush Sr. was elected President, and I haven't watched broadcast television since MTV played music videos! You may think I'm ‘connected' because of my websites, but the truth is I'm pretty damned unplugged. That's part of the reason I moved to Utah, and it's the whole reason I live on a hillside on the edge of a national forest and at the mouth of a canyon. Think of me as a younger version of Yoda; out in the middle of nowhere, connected to the civilized universe only by the Force (and my wireless internet connection).

    Gavin: What's your take on the recent liquor law changes and how they'll impact the scene?

    Daryl: Dude, you don't even know! I love John Huntsman! If that man runs for President in 2012, he's got my vote. If he doesn't run, I might even write him in (just kidding). Changing the private club laws here in Utah was the smartest move I think this state legislature has ever made. Last year during Sundance I escorted a Washington Post reporter through the city for a front page article on Salt Lake City's nightlife. Imagine how stupid I felt having to explain away all these ridiculous laws while trying to convince her that Salt Lake ‘really is a fun place to party' in spite of them all. I used to have a quote at the base of my homepage that read: "All clubs on this website are, according to stupid laws dictated by puppets of the LDS Church who pretend to work in the state capital, ‘Private Clubs for members.'" You have no idea how good it felt to finally be able to replace that caveat with something more positive. It's like somebody lifted a veil of insanity and made this one state again. At the very least it sends a strong message to those of us who are not members of the church that we are welcome here. It'll take several years for the stigma built up over all those years to melt away, but when it finally does I think state lawmakers will be embarrassed that it took them so long to start acting like Republicans instead of heavy-handed, big-government, legislative hacks.

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

    Daryl: We'll obviously be taking allot more pictures at more venues, but expect to see more varied content as well. I don't believe we're doing enough to cover some of the more popular niches and I want to change that. Expect to see us covering more GLBT, Country, All Ages, Rock/Metal, and Latin events this year. That's my goal.

    Gavin: Aside from the obvious, is there anything you'd like to plug or promote?

    Daryl: Most people don't realize PartyUtah.com is a user-driven website. Anybody can submit photos to our gallery, and in many cases we'll feature them on our homepage. You can even import galleries from Flickr. Club owners can update their information on SLCBars.com in real-time rather than waiting for us to call every few months with a survey. Anybody can post on UtahRaves.com or start their own online community at SLCParty.com, complete with its own blog and message board. Every once in a while I still meet people who are convinced you have to be a DJ or a promoter to participate in our online communities... not so. PartyUtah.com is a website of the people, by the people, for the people. Everyone is welcome to submit content and participate in the makeup of the site. Come share your ideas and your creativity. We'd love to see you!

  • The Loop: 5/9/09. Sego Moving, Portia Streaming, & X-Ninety-Eh

    First up on playing catchup to the prior week, The Sego Arts Center is making a move! The Provo art center is taking a change of venue and will be making downtown Provo its new home. Cementing itself as a home for alternative art in Utah County was no easy task, but Sego pulled it off and made a name for itself in both the community and the art scene. And with fresh offers from both Provo and SLC to take up new residence, the board voted to stay in Provo to continue that influence. But for us up north, fear not. Plans seem to be in the works for a possible second location in Salt Lake County.

    This week brought some sad news too as Portia announced her departure from Simmons Media, thereby ending her weekend shift and probably putting the kibosh on Live & Local on X96. This all coming off the news that Simmons is going through another round of cutbacks which apparently includes all of X96’s weekenders and Andypants on overnights. I gotta be honest with you… this hurts, both as a broadcaster and as a fan. Whether you liked the show or not, Portia made one hell of a difference on the air! She gave local bands an opportunity to get airplay on what’s considered a mainstream station in Utah. A station I might add that stopped playing local music in 1994 to play more national alternative music and only started up again a decade later when local bands were becoming “popular once more.” Whatever that statement means.  When Portia took control of the show she developed it to be more listener-relatable, bringing in locals to play on air and to a degree gave the audience some control over the playlist by taking requests and music from bands. She earned public recognition and admiration, shown later by City Weekly awards she won for her work, and became a public face for all things local in both music and the art scene. If anything, she brought back some of the appeal that place had from back in the days when it was running out of Arrow Press Square, and is one of the people I can honestly say gives a damn about local music. So to lose her and the show from X96 is a cost that can’t be measured.

    With that said… I feel I need to voice something.  I’ve had a long love/hate relationship with both X96 and Simmons Media as a fan. I grew up on KJQ as a kid, X96 as a teen, and somehow managed to become friends with a lot of the staff and on-air talent. Surreal fond memories of chatting music with Cuzzin Brad, sitting in studio with Seanboy Walton, and having long discussions about broadcasting with Todd and Artie before I even got a job in radio.  But the Simmons Media buyout changed all that, and being a fan of X96 became a give-and-take situation. You’d enjoy something they did, and absolutely hate the next three things. The content changed drastically to more nu-metal and then emo music, playing the same song every thirty minutes and giving no room for other alternative-like music to gain airplay. Commercial breaks were increased to the FCC allowable limit, talent was let go for automated convenience, and the BASh became an overpriced snooze (or at least that’s what I’ve been told… I stopped going after 2003).

    There’s about a dozen other reasons that I’m sure most of you who say you don’t listen to mainstream radio anymore will agree with, so let’s cut to the chase. I still listen to Radio From Hell and Todd Nuke’Em on occasion, but the majority of the music has become what Radiohead’s Thom Yorke once described as “refrigerator noise.” Just something in the background to take up the space and not really pay attention to. When it comes right down to the musical content, Portia’s show was about the only safe-haven on the entire station (which I might add… Sunday night is the most ridiculous time to allow locals on the air), but now it’s gone.  And anyone who could have taken up her spot and made some kind of effort to keep it going (like the also sadly departed Jon Paxton who was released last week) are gone or on their way out the door as we speak.  The corporate entity of Simmons (who can only claim to be local because their main offices are sitting in Trolley Corners) look to be slowly turning this once grand destination into nothing more than an auto-run entity that plays nothing but crybaby-rock. Making the top morning show in this city the last remaining marker that defines them apart from being just another pre-programmed spot on the dial.

    I’m not going to go off on a tangent about how corporate rock doesn’t sell well anymore, and stations who don’t give airplay to local music for it are basically declaring that they don’t want a dedicated portion of the audience. Clearly very few in radio listen, and I’m sure no one in Simmons corporate gives a damn what I believe. So let’s move on and let Alan rot in the hole he’s dug the station into. I’d rather spend my time listening to Portia's new shift over at UtahFM (that she picked up just a few days later) where she'll finally be able to play and say whatever she feels like to an audience that wants to listen. Her new show kicks off Monday afternoon from 3-6PM. If you're a local band, drop by the station and say hi to her, and drop off your CD!

    Moving onto my junk, I'll have new interviews the next few weeks and an updated calendar for the rest of May, not to mention some of the upcoming festivals that will dominate the next month or so and setting plans made for more concert coverage. As always, we'll see what happens.

  • Utah Photographic Arts Council: "Becoming The Machine"

    Sidestepping the normal galleries and stroll events this month, a university program is looking to put a new spin on photography.

    Running out of a building in Sugarhouse, the Utah Photographic Arts Council will be putting on a showing of unconventional photography entitled “Becoming The Machine.” A display of different techniques and visual formats all focused around the inspirations that came from a specific art class and a quote from Sol Lewitt. I got a chance to chat with the UPAC President Mallory Qualls about the organization and what it does, the upcoming show, thoughts on the art scene and a few other topics. Not to mention some previews below which are only a small sampling of what will be on display.


    Mallory Qualls

    http://www.utah-pac.com

    Gavin: Hey Mallory, first off, tell us a little bit about yourself.

    Mallory: There isn’t too much to say. I graduate from the University of Utah this Friday! I’ll be getting my BFA in Photography, which I’m pretty stoked about. Aside from that, currently all I consist of is an overwhelming fear of life after graduation…

    Gavin: For those who don't know, what is UPAC?

    Mallory: UPAC stands for the Utah Photographic Arts Council. It’s a student run group that’s main purpose is to help students engage with the local art community. We’re funded by the University of Utah, I’d probably get in trouble if I didn’t mention that somewhere in this interview.

    Gavin: How did the idea come about to start it up?

    Mallory: As undergrads, we learn a lot of techniques and a lot of art history. Aside from preparing a portfolio, we don’t get much experience preparing and being in exhibitions. We decided to start the UPAC so we could gain experience in creating shows, as well as being able to expose ourselves to the local art community.

    Gavin: What photographers do you currently have on board with the program?

    Mallory: We have a lot of really great artists involved with UPAC this year. We have had the chance to work with students both in and out of the college of art, which has been really fun. The artists participating in “Becoming The Machine” include Savana Jones (Vice President), Miranda Whitlock (Secreatary), Maureen Minson (Treasurer), Tyler Lynch, Van Chu, Colin Roe Ledbetter, Angela Edstrom, Dianne Sanchez, Lewis Crawford, Jordan Huntington, and myself (President).

    Gavin: What kind of exhibits have you done in the past?

    Mallory: Aside from “Becoming The Machine,” we’ve had two other shows in the past couple of years. Last spring we had a show at Gallery UAF (Equinox) and this past fall we were at The Alvin Gittin’s Gallery (Mirrors and Windows). Both exhibitions were traditional for the most part.

    Gavin: Where did the idea come from for “Becoming The Machine”?

    Mallory: Last fall ¾ of the presidency took an incredible modern art history class that filled our heads with crazy ideas. Among other things we were inspired to write manifestos, create a group similar to Fluxus, and create shows based on artists that we found to be inspiring. “Becoming The Machine” is specifically based on the quote by Sol Lewitt’s “The idea becomes the machine that makes the art.”

    Gavin: Why did you choose the Sugarhouse location instead of a regular gallery?

    Mallory: We wanted to try and do something different and explore non-traditional venues. The space that we have found is really bizarre, which is what we love about it. It’s literally a random door in the middle of an unpaved street. Inside it only gets better. Random writings on the wall, crazy wooden hooks coming from the ceiling…Its amazing!

    Gavin: What kind of displays will people be able to see?

    Mallory: People will be able to see a little bit of everything. There will be video installation, performance, projection, and alternative process photography. I’m really excited about the work in this show. It’s both technically incredible and conceptually solid.

    Gavin: For some of the non-traditional material, will it be put up somewhere for display after the showing?

    Mallory: Besides the opening on May 8th, we will be having weekly happenings on the weekends or people can schedule to come see the exhibition by scheduling an appointment.

    Gavin: A little local, what are your thoughts on our art scene, both good and bad?

    Mallory: There has been a lot of growth and people are definitely starting to care more about local artists, which is awesome! I really enjoy Gallery Stroll, there are some really terrific galleries around SLC. The Salt Lake Arts Center is great too. It’s always blowing my mind with the art that it brings in. Did you see the Jenny Holzer pieces they had a couple of months ago? Incredible. As far as drawbacks are concerned the only thing I can think of is the separation we often see as students from the university environment to the gallery setting. I feel like there is a real disconnect between what we learn, and know to be fine art versus what we actually see in galleries. When you’re in the classroom making work I don’t think you’re as limited, you don’t have to think “Will this sell? Will such and such gallery show this piece?” Etc.

    Gavin: Anything you believe could be done to make it bigger or better?

    Mallory: I think that Salt Lake City is headed in a great direction. It’s really small compared to other cities, but I think as time goes on, and as we all grow, the work will only get stronger. As long as people care about art, and care about it’s progression, it can only move up.

    Gavin: What you think of Gallery Stroll and how its done over the years?

    Mallory: I really like the Gallery Stroll. It’s a great way to invite people to come out and view art that otherwise wouldn’t. As an artist it’s really fun too. It’s always great to go out to the stroll and see friends who you haven’t seen for a long time. Friends + Art always equals good times.

    Gavin: What's your take on the Utah Arts Festival, and will you guys be doing anything with it this year?

    Mallory: We won’t be doing anything with the Utah Arts Festival, but UAF has definitely been a supporter of ours. We had our very first show there! So long ago… oh, the memories!

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

    Mallory: Unfortunately since the school year is ending that means that UPAC’s festivities are too, for this school year anyway. I’m sure there will be plenty of events next year though. The incoming presidency is pretty awesome, and I’m sure they’ll have great ideas for the future of UPAC.

    Gavin: Aside from the obvious, is there anything you'd like to plug or promote?

    Mallory: I’ve been talking with one of our members, Colin, about this question and all we’ve been able to come up with is gratuitous self-promotion, or possibly promoting our day jobs in the hopes of getting a raise.. I guess I sort of just plugged him.. Colin Roe Ledbetter, He’s a cool dude.

  • GrudgeCityActivities.com Interview

    Its hard to comprehend sometimes due to location alone, but some of the harder corners of our music scene stretch back to the late 70's. While the initial generation was watching Donny & Marie, their kids were bringing what we currently have to life. But documentation (let alone albums) are difficult to come by these days if you want to take a look at the past.

    But that's recently started to take change as Grudge City Activities has taken up the task of both reviewing the past and updating on the present. Offering info on longtime bands from The Boards to Massacre Guys to Iceburn, concert reviews and interviews, plugging current shows and groups, and overall promoting the music scene both past and present. I got a chance to chat with website creators Dan Fletcher and Trevor Hale about the website, their careers in both media and music, thoughts on the current scene and a number of other topics.

    Daniel Fletcher & Trevor Hale

    http://www.grudgecityactivities.com/

    Gavin:
    Hey guys, first off, tell us a little bit about yourself.

    Dan: 24 years old. Born in Ithaca, New York. Raised in Happy Valley. Salt Lake has been home for the last six years. Still out of step, screaming for change and young 'til I die. And I've still got that PMA.

    Trevor: I’m 28 years old, I’ve lived in Salt Lake City all my life and Dan took all the good HC quotes. How can I compete with those references?

    Gavin: What first drew you into music, and who were some of your favorite acts growing up?

    Dan: My genes I guess. I've been drawn to music since my earliest memories. In kindergarten, I knew all the words to my mom's Clash, Costello and Talking Heads tapes. Third grade brought me an acoustic guitar and Nirvana's Nevermind. Fifth grade, a skateboard, Minor Threat, Black Flag and the Bad Brains. All downhill from there.

    Trevor: I’ve been around music my entire life. I grew up listening to The Doors and the Rolling Stones and I learned how to play Social Distortion songs with my dad’s band when I was in Junior High. Someone turned me on to the Misfits and Black Flag and those tapes became the only ones I listened to. Well, that and Soundgarden.

    Gavin: Along the same lines, how did you get into writing?

    Dan: Math hurt my brain so I stuck with what came easy. That just happened to be music and writing.

    Trevor: Telling stories and writing are things that I’ve always been good at, so I just stuck with what came naturally. The older I got, the more I liked it and I see no reason to stop now.

    Gavin: You're currently up at the U in your last semester. How's the program been for you up there?

    Dan: I majored in Anthropology... who we are, where we came from, how we got here. I'm addicted to understanding the foundations of things.

    Trevor: I’m working on a degree in film and creative writing and have been since 1999. It’s been great, and I’m as close as possible without actually being finished, but soon enough I’ll have a degree in unemployment. I’ve got the world at my fingertips after that.

    Gavin: How did you get involved with writing for the Daily Utah Chronicle and what was your time like there?

    Dan: I got a job there as a receptionist during my freshman year. I'd been writing for a short-lived, local publication called Melting Music. The Arts & Entertainment guys had read my stuff and liked it. I got fired from the receptionist job and hired by A&E the same day. I spent a year writing music features, then took a year off to tour with the band First Blood. When I got back, I accepted a position as an editor for the A&E section.

    Trevor: I’d been doing freelance work for City Weekly for a few years when Dan got the A&E editor job. He called me and said they needed someone to write about music, and I jumped at the chance and wrote for them all of last year. When Dan decided that one year as the editor was enough, I took the job. We started from scratch and I’ve spent the last year as the editor of Red Pulse Magazine. Unfortunately, the newspaper business isn’t quite what it used to be and they had to cancel it at the end of spring semester. It’s kind of a blessing in disguise though, because one year as the editor of a college newspaper is plenty.

    Gavin: Was it just a natural progression to write for City Weekly too, or was that something you just wound up doing?

    Dan: I interned with the Weekly last summer. It was a great experience. They were in the midst of a major re-design and all the talk of multimedia content, blogging and web presence became a major inspiration for GCA.

    Trevor: I’d actually been contributing as a freelance writer for a few years before I started working at the Chronicle, so it was kind of a reverse progression for me. I loved the work at both publications and hope I can continue in some capacity in the future.

    Gavin: You've been in a number of bands over the years. What's your experience been like as a part of our music scene, and what band was the most fun for you to play in?

    Dan: Salt Lake City's the best. Salt Lake's hardcore scene has been at the forefront of every major evolution in the sound since its birth in the late 70's. Playing hardcore has taken me from the backstreets of Tijuana to communes in Eastern Europe to downtown Tokyo and I've still not found a hardcore scene as innovative, loyal and conviction-fueled as ours. Cherem allowed me to play music that was aligned with my convictions and that's such an important aspect of hardcore for me. First Blood gave me the opportunity to see the world. City To City's great because I feel like I'm able to pass the positive attributes that hardcore has instilled in me on to a new generation. But to be completely honest, in ten years of playing music, I've had the most fun with Gloves Off... a old-school hardcore cover band. It's a celebration of the music and the history, the friendships, the stage dives and the sing-alongs.

    Trevor: They say you never know what you have until it’s gone, and that’s true. I loved being on tour but I always loved coming back to SLC and playing in front of the hometown crowd the most. And aside from the first time I ever played in front of an audience—with Renaldo and the Smoothies when I was 15—the seven years I spent with Cherem is probably the most fun I’ve had. There were times when I couldn’t imagine anything being more stressful, but now I’ve got stories to tell for the rest of my life.

    Gavin: Where did the idea come from to start Grudge City Activities?

    Dan: When I started going to hardcore and punk shows in the mid-90s, one of my favorite things to do was collect zines. It didn't matter if they were about hardcore, hardline, animal rights, politics or art. I loved the idea that a person could spill their heart with a few pieces of paper, a pen and the street knowledge to get free copies at Kinko's. Last summer, I got to thinking about how much I missed seeing zines and how much the rise of the internet had impacted the scene. My position at City Weekly was getting me psyched on web design, video production and blogging and I realized that blogging was a great way to revive the spirit of the zine. Trevor and I had spent many late nights talking about music while driving lonely stretches of desert asphalt on tour with the band Cherem, so I knew we were on the same page. On the 4th of July, we were walking from a barbecue at a friend's house to the Sugarhouse park to watch the fireworks. As we passed Barnes & Noble, heading east on 21st South, we got to talking about hardcore and the internet. Three days later, GCA went online.

    Trevor: Dan pretty much said it all, but I’d been toying with the idea of trying to do a local hardcore/punk-related podcast for a little bit, but I just didn’t quite have all the details in place. Dan mentioned the idea of starting a blog and the ball just started rolling.

    Gavin: Did you believe it had an appeal or was it more of a chance shot in the dark?

    Dan: We knew there was a demand in Salt Lake but we didn't expect it to be so far-reaching. We never thought we'd have regular readers across every continent. My best guess is that we weren't the only ones missing zine-style coverage of the hardcore scene. We've even had two visits from China. Take that oppressive internet censorship!

    Trevor: I honestly thought that it would be read by—at the most—10-12 people that we were friends with. When people actually started getting into it and we started getting compliments and visits from people all over the world, we were shocked and flattered, so we just kept going. A few weeks ago, our domain host had some kind of problem and the site was down for almost an entire day and we got e-mails, phone calls and text messages asking when it would be back up. It’s just a great feeling to know that you’re doing something that so many people can enjoy.

    Gavin: How do you go about getting band histories for all these defunct bands?

    Dan: The simple answer: MySpace. Everyone's accessible these days. But honestly, those early bands may not be putting X's on their hands and screaming hardcore anthems anymore but, for the most part, their members still love the music and treasure the memories the scene provided them. Everyone we've spoken with has been more than happy to reminisce.

    Gavin: Was reporting news stories pre-planned or something you just fell into doing?

    Trevor: We never had an official discussion about it, but sometimes Dan or I would read a story that we thought more people should be aware of, so we’d post it. We want people to enjoy coming to the site to see videos or read about what band is coming through, but if they can maybe learn a thing or two while they’re at it, awesome. I don’t ever see GCA becoming the place to be for “breaking news bulletins” but there will be the occasional news story.

    Gavin: How was that first month for the website being online?

    Dan: The first month knocked me off my feet. We debuted July 8th with 74 views. We sat back and said to ourselves, "Nice, some people are into it. Now we can work out the kinks before we start promoting and building readership." The next day we had 142 views which kept rising until we were hitting 200 a day by the end of the month. This put some pressure on but it was a great trial by fire. We churned out so many ideas during that first month: opening a video and photo archive to collect old material and catalog new, telling the history of Salt Lake hardcore in the 101 section and the Morning After concert review section. Without that fire beneath our feet, it may have taken longer for the site to evolve.

    Trevor: I was shocked at how much people liked it. Dan and I would be at a show and people we’d never seen or met before would come up and tell us how much they liked the site and thank us for what we were doing. I was surprised at the reaction, but at the same time I was thrilled that people were taking an interest in it.

    Gavin: What's the reaction been from bands both former and current?

    Dan: It's been great from both ends. Our goal from the start was to give the bands of Salt Lake's past their due credit while promoting the amazing scene that has been born of their work. So far, our positivity has only been met with reciprocal positivity.

    Gavin: You're now promoting shows via the website. Will you continue to do more and plan, or is it mainly for stuff that interests you?

    Dan: We've always promoted shows. It's a major part of what we do. We don't book shows, we're not a business, but we do send touring and local bands in the right direction and do our best to make hardcore shows in Salt Lake as awesome as they possibly can be. I guess you could say we've become a de facto, making-shows-as-awesome-as-possible agency.

    Trevor: We’re definitely not in the business of trying to become full-fledged concert promoters, but we do get a kick out of putting on smaller shows that might skip over Salt Lake otherwise. Plus, Dan and I have met a lot of people from our time spent on tour and we’re always willing to help out a friend in need of a show.

    Gavin: A little state-wide, what are your thoughts on the local music scene, both good and bad?

    Dan: Utah rules. Utah bands write music that obliterates traditional genres. You see it in every scene: Tamerlane, Collapse, Gaza, Eagle Twin, All Systems Fails, Loom, XReflectX, Form Of Rocket, Glacial, Accidente, Dismantled, Danger Hailstorm, Agape, Night Terror, Reviver, Pilot This Plane Down, Nine Worlds... I could go on for days. Once we kill this "scene" concept, we'll be golden.

    Trevor: Salt Lake (and Utah in general) has always had a really strong local music scene. There are so many bands that have so much potential, but they just get stuck in a rut and end up playing the same place for the same crowd.

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

    Dan: Bands need to branch out and play shows with bands they may not be comfortable playing with. All of the bands listed above should be able to play all-ages shows together. It's beginning to happen and it's great to see.

    Trevor: I agree with Dan 100% on this and that’s one thing that we’ve tried so hard to do with the website. There’s no reason that someone that likes watching XReflectX shouldn’t enjoy going to a Form Of Rocket show, but somewhere along the way all these different bands regressed to their own little corner of the city and carved out their own little niche and that was that. That’s not the way things should be, and slowly but surely, they are getting better.

    Gavin: Who are your favorite acts in the scene right now?

    Dan: Without a doubt, Eagle Twin is my favorite local act. I've loved everything that Gentry Densley has created from Better Way to Iceburn to Eagle Twin and Ascend. The man has stuck to his guns, consistently creating music like no one has heard it before. You can't help but give that spirit the utmost respect. Tamerlane blows me away every single time they perform. They mix the brutal hardcore of mid-90s Salt Lake acts like Lifeless and Triphammer with the experimental approach that Densley has brought to his projects. The sound they've created and the legacy they're building is already being seen in younger bands.

    Trevor: I’ve loved Form Of Rocket since the first time I saw them and I’m still in awe each and every time I watch them play. Their chemistry is so strong and so brilliant that they sound nearly flawless at every show. The fact that they’ve been around as long as they have says something, too. The average local band is lucky to make it two or three years, but to be pushing the envelope as long as they have is really impressive. And City To City is a band that not nearly enough people talk about, but they never cease to put a smile on my face.

    Gavin: Some radio stations have been playing local music, but only for certain periods of time. Do you believe it helps the scene or makes it feel more exclusive?

    Dan: I can't say I've tuned into these local shows but I'd say any exposure is good exposure. If a youngster's sitting in their parents' basement rocking out to some mainstream garage/stoner rock revival garbage and turns on X96 to hear the crushing blues riffs of Eagle Twin, that rules!

    Trevor: I think radio is in the same boat as newspapers. Why they can’t mix local bands with the big name bands is beyond me. Whether you’ve got an album that Warner Brothers paid five-million dollars for or you went and spent a week with Andy Patterson and put it out yourself—good music is good music. That’s why the internet and satellite radio are winning.

    Gavin: What's your take on local labels, and do you believe they help or hinder local artists?

    Trevor: In this day and age, labels are just about obsolete. There’s not much more they can do for you that you can’t do yourself just as good. I think it’s awesome that local labels are keeping that DIY spirit and giving bands a little boost, but with so many other resources available there’s no reason your band can’t put out a record and go on tour with or without a label.

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

    Dan: Great, great things... a complete history of Salt Lake hardcore, epic new video features and continued coverage of everything you need to know about the past, present and future of hardcore in Salt Lake City. Our One-Year-Anniversary BBQ Bash will take place July 9th featuring locals Collapse and XReflectX alongside touring bands Parasitic Skies, Unrestrained and Signs Of Hope. Details are on the site. We're also working with the Salt Lake City Film Festival (which will make its debut this August) to showcase a new documentary on legendary Boston hardcore band, Slapshot. We recently debuted our podcast, the GCAcast, which features music, news, interviews and the breaking of world records (seriously) on every episode. Stay tuned as new episodes will hit the web every two weeks. Not to mention that GCA is updated every single day.

    Trevor: We’re figuring out new tricks and coming up with (hopefully) new and entertaining ideas all the time. And we’re still having fun while we’re at it, so as long as you guys keep digging it, we’ll keep doing it. So thanks for the support and keep checking the site.

    Gavin: Aside from the obvious, is there anything you'd like to plug or promote?

    Dan: How about Gavin's Underground for helping us give Salt Lake's overlooked but extraordinary creative minds the credit they deserve! Thanks!

More Posts Next page »

This Blog

Post Calendar

<July 2009>
SuMoTuWeThFrSa
2829301234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930311
2345678

Syndication

Inergize Digital Media This site powered by Inergize Digital Media. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of this station.