CT Scan Reveals The Queen

Welcome back to The Expressionist Magazine

The modern technology we’ve created over the years has led us to some fabulous discoveries along the way. The CT scan, for instance, has made disease detection possible and faster, which has led to millions of lives saved from eminent doom. Just this past month, this magnificent machine has led to a discovery in the ancient arts as well; it found a change was made to a very significant statue from ancient Egypt. The statue is the only known likeness of Queen Nefertiti.

The scan took place in Munich, Germany led by Dr. Alexander Huppertz, Director of the Imaging Science Institute at Berlin’s Charite Hospital and Medical School. This discovery shows that the stucco exterior actually differs from the stone statue that lies beneath the façade. Until the discovery of this machine, we never would have known there were layers to it unless we drilled a hole in it which would inevitably destroy the art.

Nefertiti’s bust has only small changes to the queen’s face. The stone beneath has small creases by the queen’s mouth and a bump on the nose, which isn’t included on the stucco façade. Until this discovery no one thought anything of the stone inside; it was thought to be just a brace for the stucco, which we now know is not true.

Why her face was changed and so ordered by whom, will forever lie in mystery. More than likely it was the queen herself who probably felt those were flaws and didn’t want them included on this statue, immortalizing her presence on Earth. Since it’s there, we can gather from the evidence that these flaws existed, giving us a more accurate look of what Queen Neferiti looked like.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen modern technology used on art. When I was at the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford, Connecticut this past November, I discovered scientists had x-rayed many famous paintings. They found a completely different picture underneath or found simple to multiple changes to the picture covered over with layers of paint.

Either way, the findings are astounding. This technology allows us to study and examine art closely without having to destroy it with tools and our hands. It opens a whole new world for art studies, and gives us an in depth look at the flaws of the masters.

American Ruins By Adam Rote

Have you ever looked at a picture that looked so real you’d swear it was a photograph? If you have, then you’ve just experienced “realism” at its best and you can easily see why it’s the hardest expression of art to execute. Details, blending, colors, and knowledge of space and perspective are key to ensure you double take that the picture really isn’t a photograph. Recently, I was referred to a collection of pictures from a gallery in St. Augustine. They told me that I had to see this artist’s amazing work; the detail will amaze.

What I saw was a collection of extremely detailed pictures portraying beautiful, young and vibrant women in period attire, against a wall of decay and abandonment; showing beauty in both scenarios of the piece. The detail was so intense, I actually had to ask the artist if he painted over a picture and used mixed media for his work. I was wrong. The artist never incorporated photography at all, instead it was hand drawn art at its best. I was so impressed that I had to write about this artist.  His name is Adam Scott Rote of Adam Scot Rote Studio.

This amazing realism artist is a self taught master. He tried to enter the Cleveland Institute of Art, but to his surprise, never got accepted. Looking back, Rote says it was probably the best thing that could ever have happened to him. He wanted a challenge in art and wanted to be creative, not just draw the pipes on the wall in monochrome. After all, where’s the passion? Instead, Rote studied in the library, reading about art and techniques of the masters, then applying what he learned in his own work.

Rote isn’t your typical artist. He uses a variety of mediums to create his pieces including acrylic paint, air brush, watercolors, and pencils. It boggles my mind to know that you can combine so many different mediums together in one picture and make them work seamlessly; but Rote does it so well, almost effortlessly.

Rote’s success has extended past just his art. He owned his own gallery in Key West, Florida from 1989 to 1994. It was during that time when he did a lot of celebrity portraits. Rote eventually started his own mermaid and mermen collection, which gave him his nickname, the “mermaid and merman man” of the 90s.

When Rote moved from Key West to Ft. Lauderdale, he started to incorporate his models with the old buildings down through South Beach in Miami. This led to his current and most well known collection, “American Ruins.” This collection is a signature collection whose concept and application helped Rote stand out from the rest.

“American Ruins” was born with a photographer friend of his that showed him some pictures that he took of an old, run down building in Massachusetts. That gave Rote an inspiration for this collection. He says growing up in the 70s there was always an elegance, look or style on the TV or in person, even with his parents, that just fascinated him. Rote took that elegance and mixed it with the old condemned buildings and got this intense collection.

What’s so wonderful about this collection is that it captures beauty in the decay, while showing the elegance of the period though the women he incorporates into the pictures with their ghostly forms. It allows the art to talk. What you see is what this building looks like today, obviously abandoned, but it flashes back to its glory days when it was lived in and loved.

The pictures incorporate all the mediums Rote utilizes, and captures an astonishing level of realism. I dare you to look at it closely and tell me if you have to do a double take to see whether it’s a photo or not.

With the theme of old and new, Rote continued the line incorporating that ideal into a new collection called “Modern Pop Ruins.” This has the same kind of feeling as “American Ruins,” except that it incorporates the fun loving characters we used to watch in the mornings such as Count Chocula, Boo Berry and Franken Berry. This cool collection portrays these characters as brand new. However, the box they are on looks like it was buried in the back of your grandmother’s cupboard and forgotten for 30 years before it was exhumed and brought back to the light. It’s simple in nature, but it makes you think about all that is around you and how it will look years from now. It also makes you think about the other side, like the stuff we grew up loving. What would it look like now if we pulled it out from the depths of our attic?

Rote’s pictures bring out thought and beauty in many forms, capturing an emotion that’s hard to describe. His work is one that will never be duplicated, and his intense realism can only be strived for. There is the expression, “if walls could talk” and Rote definitely makes them do just that. In fact, the message hits you right square between the eyes.

If you want to see this talented artist’s work, you can see it at the following galleries: Gallery Duval in Key West, Collection Privee in South Beach, Miranda Galleries in Laguna Beach, CA and of course, through his website where you can see some digital samples of his work, www.adamrote.com

Photo Credits: Photos contained in this article are published with the consent of Adam Rote and can’t be used for any other reason without permission of the artist.

Ralphie May – Tastes Good, In My Mouth

It’s been a little over a year since Ralphie May came to Tampa. Last time he was here he sold out three days at Side Splitters Comedy Club in Tampa and left to a standing ovation. He came back again this March, selling out four days Thursday to Sunday, with the 9:00 PM show over sold by 41 seats.

If you ever have seen his show you’d understand why he sells out. Ralphie May is a master of turning obvious,everyday occurrences into a “pee your pants” laugh. He’s tons of fun, literally, at almost 400 pounds.  May incorporates his appetite and love of food into a hilarious act.

He is also known for his over the top rendition of sexual comedy.  May can make a porn star blush and he does it with almost no shame in his face. Only a true comedian can do that because the rest of us have a hard enough time repeating those kinds of jokes without getting embarrassed. Politically correct is something May is not and that makes the other half of his routine just as shocking. While your drink spews out your nose you might shout out, “Oh no he didn’t!”

May is a long time veteran of comedy, but the world really got their chance to know this amazing comedian only a few years ago. It was then that May appeared on the hit TV show on Comedy Central called “Last Comic Standing.” May was the second runner up in the very first season of the show (2003), and from that day on he never looked back.

Since his television victory, he has appeared on HBO and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, in addition to Comedy Central. May also has a few DVDs out called Ralphie May-Girth Of A Nation, Ralphie May-Prime Cut and Ralphie May-Just Correct, and he is about to release his new album/DVD, Austin-Tatious.   All of his DVDs and CDs have become best sellers and I can easily predict Austin-Tatious will follow in the tradition.

May has seen both sides of the success pendulum. He started out in clubs traveling across the nation, playing in front of 25 people or less and doing shows in sold out theaters in front of 21,000 people. I got a chance to spend some time with the comedian while he was at Side Splitters Comedy Club in Tampa and I asked him what his most memorable show was. Without a flinch, May was quick to reply, “I have played shows in front of thousands and in front of a handful, but either way my shows are memorable. Just because it’s not a large crowd doesn’t mean it’s a bad show; some of my best shows were in front of small crowds. My best show, however, is always my last show.”

May also took the time to lend some advice to aspiring comedians; advice that anyone can apply to their dreams of success. This advice comes from a man who worked hard to get himself where he is today, and it’s a proven formula for success. “ To succeed in comedy you must write material, go to all open mic nights you can, and practice, practice, practice. You won’t be good at first, but the more practice you get, the better you are. Nobody gets on a bike and rides it perfectly the first time. Nobody does anything perfect the first time, so don’t be afraid to have a bad show; comedy is no different. You will never get anywhere in life if you sit around waiting for things to fall in your lap; everything you do takes a lot of hard work and dedication. Success comes with time and the more effort, the sweeter the success.”

In addition to putting on a great show, May loves his fans. He credits them for his success and says he would be nowhere without them. He always brings merchandise to his shows, but stresses that if it comes down to buying something from him or tipping the wait staff well, do the latter of the two. He always has some free stuff available for his fans such as a handshake, a photo opportunity, an autograph or even a hug after the show. May will please his fans at all costs which is refreshing coming from a popular television personality. Instead of charging for the simple things, he gladly gives them to you for a smile.

I had a blast watching him perform live, and getting a one on one interview (which is also a podcast on our magazine) with him. I learned a lot, I laughed a lot, and can honestly say he is well worth the night out. If you want to see if May coming to your town, go to www.ralphiemay.com/myspace. You can also visit the comedian, buy his merchandise or see his schedule on www.raphiemay.com. If you want to see some of the free stuff, visit him on YouTube by  just searching Ralphie May!

Jason Miller – Making Akon Proud

With all the great names and voices in music today, especially in the Pop and Hip Hop scene, it’s hard to get your foot in the door and stand out. It takes a special individual to bring it to the next level and show the world they are for real, and that their success is self-driven with a passion for music. Jason Miller is exactly that, which has helped him challenge the competition and grow in his musical success.

Miller has a soothing sound to his voice and music; it’s not all crunk and hate but clean and suave, something anyone can enjoy if you are into the Hip Hop/R&B scene. For me, I love music that isn’t about disrespecting another human being for their race, sex or religion. I appreciate those who can be creative enough to step outside those conformed paths this genre has grown to over the years and still be successful. Listening to Miller, I can honestly say that it’s the kind of Hip Hop sound with a R&B mix I can enjoy. Honestly, it could almost fit into a Pop genre.

Miller grew up loving music; it was a passion for him. He started to perform to entertain his friends, obviously making him a popular kid to hang around with. With his good singing ability,  Miller took his music to a new level by writing his own melodies. The talent rubbed off enough for people to realize this guy was for real.  Miller’s music is inspired by Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye, two huge powerful influences in the Soul/R&B and Pop genres.

The musician’s career got a jump start in 2004 when he partnered up with ShyDog Productions. It was then that Miller was introduced to a major record deal which helped him jump into the charts and radio stations around the United States.

Miller’s first record Sucker for Love brought some notoriety to the table for him because it included some pretty heavy hitting names which appeared on the tracks such as Akon, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Detail, 40 Da Great, & 2RQ. With those kinds of artists, there is no doubt this record will go high on the Billboard charts, and show people that Jason Miller means business.

In 2007, Akon realized the talent Miller possessed and personally signed him to his own record label, KonLive Distribution. This has given Miller the ability to work with Akon at the Legacy in New York City. This label has also brought him new notoriety, as he attended the 2008 Grammy awards; something the average joe doesn’t get to do. This is the life every musician dreams about, and it is starting to come true for Miller.

Miller’s career, if you look at it, shows the hard work any artist has to do today to get their dreams accomplished. It takes talent most of all because without that, you have nothing. This is something Miller has recognized early in his career. He also has a lot of confidence in himself and his work. Those who don’t have confidence in their work cannot move on to the next hurdle because they have already defeated themselves. Miller also realized the dream doesn’t come without sacrifice, hard work and constant dedication. The musician may have had it easier than some making it to where he is now, but rest assured there was hard work involved. No one can just walk into success; it’s something that must be earned.

One of the other major reasons Miller’s a success is the fact that established artists liked his work and his passion, thus lending their names to his album. When an opportunity like this comes around, Miller has realized you can’t just throw it away. He quickly jumped on the chance to work with these individuals, who undoubtedly gave Miller advice that he learned from.

The musician recently had another once in a lifetime opportunity which he took full advantage of.  Miller got to work with one of Japan’s greatest producers, Jam Kane and came up with an R&B Techno song. This song is being offered to Miller’s loyal fans as a free download on Overdrive.  It is sure to get you up on your feet and dancing.

Despite Miller’s new success, he is still human and enjoys helping others that are less fortunate than him. To do so, he is currently working on establishing a non-profit organization to help terminally ill children. It’s heart wrenching to see anyone suffer, but kids who never got a full shot at life and their dreams, is even worse. Miller wants to make their stay on this Earth a memorable one, and to try and bring hope to these kids so that maybe, just maybe they can overcome the terminal part of their sickness and have a second chance at life.

With his work and dedication, and compassion for his fellow man, it’s no wonder Miller’s career has been so blessed.

To book Jason Miller for a concert or for general information, please contact Scott Templin at 317-696-2643 or Rob Lichtenberger at 765-729-0443. You can also receive information by emailing sltemplin@gmail.com

Coralette Damme: The Crafty Hag

I remember first meeting Coralette Damme a couple years ago at a St. Petersburg art festival.  I couldn’t resist her creative and very unique Halloween inspired pieces.  Damme, better known in the art community as The Crafty Hag, showcases everything from stained glass to funky little magnets with skulls and pumpkin faces drawn on them.  Damme considers her work to be “quirky,” possibly even slightly surreal.  The artist uses heavy outlining and strong color choices, as opposed to colors which tend to be more “realistic” or natural.  Damme’s work is inspired mostly from nature and its many elements such as animals, birds and fish, but also weather and plants.  In addition, she uses ancient symbols, patterns from other cultures and primitive art to convey artistic concepts.

In a small spare bedroom in Damme’s house is where the artist spends most of her time creating.  ”The room isn’t much to look at. Floors are in horrible condition and it is floor to ceiling with finished work, work in progress and various tools and materials… but I love it.  I spend many hours with my radio in my studio working.”

Damme seems to be a jack-of-all-traits when it comes to art.  ”In college, I could never settle on one single type of art to focus on-ceramics, painting, printmaking… I loved them all.”  After college, Damme learned to work with stained glass and had great success with it, thus building a reputation as a fine glass artist.  She worked in the copper foil method of stained glass, which means that once she had her design laid out and the glass cut just right, she would wrap each piece in copper foil, then solder it together.  According to Damme, the process was quite tedious and a lot of work.  The artist also painted images on the glass pieces.  ”I started to realize that I just liked the painting and drawing parts and it was harder and harder to force myself to finish a piece.  That is when I knew I needed to change things up.  I now will work sun up to sun down on prints, if given the opportunity to do so.  You know you’re on the right track when it doesn’t feel like work, but you’ll skip meals to do it.”  Now, Damme is back to printmaking as her favorite medium, with painting coming in as a close second.  Although she has given up her stained glass making for the most part now, Damme said she will not completely retire from it.  However, it may be a while before she goes back to glass artistry.  With printmaking, Damme makes both linocut and monoprints.  A linocut is a form of relief or block print.  It is similar in concept to a wood block print, but instead of carving the image from wood, you use a linoleum block.  ”It gives a different feel than wood; no grain shows up in the print,” explains the artist.  A monoprint, according to Damme, is a one-of-a-kind image, as opposed to the typical edition of prints pulled, which are all the same.  ”It can be a painting on a flat surface like plexiglass, and then printing it, which is a common method.  I have done monoprints where I ink up found objects like leaves, and print them directly on to paper.  Since I can’t reproduce identical images to make an edition, they are considered monoprints.”  Damme continues on to say how much she loves printmaking and is even a member of an online printmakers team called Printsy.  You can visit Printsy’s page at http://printsy.blogspot.com/.  Damme’s most popular art pieces are her Halloween inspired work, which she sells year round, and anything she paints with cats on it.

Damme says she remembers drawing at a very young age, but claims she never took art in high school.  However, she continued to draw outside of school in her spare time.  Originally a journalism and language major in college, Damme recalls the moment when she made a life changing career choice.  ”Halfway through those [journalism/language] courses, I took a required art education class, then a drawing class and was hooked.”  Damme later graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, stating she chose her passion rather than a more “solid career path.”  The artist, who is currently based in St. Petersburg, was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska.  After college, she moved to Minneapolis/St. Paul and eventually found the “Sunshine State.”

The very talented Damme belongs to various art related groups, one being the Florida Etsy Street Team or FEST.  When Damme was asked if she has a mentor, she answered that she does not but rather, serves as a mentor for others.  FEST, a group of Florida based art vendors is found on Etsy.com, a site for handmade goods.  FEST allows Damme to help fellow artists who are just starting out with festivals and markets, by giving them advice and sharing tips.  You can find out more about this team through www.etsyfest.com or by visiting Damme’s shop at Etsy, which is found at craftyhag.etsy.com.

Damme is also the founder of The Craft Heroes, a venture the artist started with the help of a fellow Etsy vendor and friend named Shannon Schafer, aka Boogiebead (www.boogiebead.etsy.com).  ”Shannon and I decided we wanted to organize our own type of funky arts and crafts festivals, so we formed the St. Pete Craft Heroes (www.craftheroes.com).  When we hold events, we try to coordinate with a local non-profit or charity.  For example, last year we held “Craft Emergency” as a benefit for the local chapter of the Red Cross.  Vendors pay a registration fee which is split between promotional materials and advertising, while the remainder is given as a donation to the charity group.”

So, where does Damme see herself in years to come?  ”I want to make art, better art.  Sounds simple but that point on the horizon is always shifting.  I may never be the artist I want to be or feel I have the potential to be, but I will always keep pursuing it.  I think a lot of artists dream of making a living from their work.  It’s not easy to do.  Whether or not I can achieve that, I don’t know.  It’s a slippery slope and I don’t want to end up making art to sell as opposed to making art for fun.  I’ve been in the art to sell boat and it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

You may wonder, how did Damme ever come up with the unusual name for her craft business?  ”You can read into it whatever way you want-a defense mechanism, truth in advertising, good marketing strategy (people notice and remember it!), but the truth is it comes from joking around with some of my closest girl friends.  I first moved to Florida to pursue my passion for scuba diving and they would call me a “dive hag,” and so when I needed a business name I felt like The Crafty Hag was the perfect choice,” states Damme.  The artist says she uses it as a gauge for people coming into her booth.  ”If they have a sense of humor and laugh at my name, they are far more likely to be interested in my work and purchase something.  People who don’t get it usually just keep walking.  It’s proven to be a pretty accurate indicator.”

The Crafty Hag’s work can be found at her Etsy shop, and during market season usually on Saturdays.  ”My home away from home (market wise) has been the “Art in the Park” event held each Saturday in Williams Park, downtown St. Pete, ” says Damme. The artist also expressed that she has received some interest recently from two out of state art galleries, and hopes to show her work with them in the near future.  Damme participates in many local art shows including the “I Love St. Pete” show, recently held at ARTpool, a community based studio/gallery/event site for aspiring Tampa Bay artists.  For a small fee, artists can rent wall space to show off their work.  Damme also has done “Open Wall Night,” which is sponsored by the Tampa Bay Creative Network held at The Studio@620.  In addition, you can find out about the artist’s upcoming events and shows through her Facebook page or by visiting her website at www.craftyhag.com/events.

Additional Information for Coralette Damme, The Crafty Hag can be found at:

www.myspace.com/craftyhag

http://twitter.com/craftyhag

www.craftyhag.com

Photograph of Damme taken by Velva Lee Heraty

Triptico – Artist One On One

Triptico sits down with The Expressionist Magazine in between sets at their live show at Market On 7th in Ybor City, to interview with us for Artist One On One.  They talk about some of their up coming releases, their nomination for Tampa Bay’s Top 10 bands by TBT, and so much more.  You won’t want to miss this interview, and we finish off with one of their new songs.

Art With Blinders On

Last night I was online watching Holes and Hearts live on the Party 95 5 peepshow. They were fantastic by the way, but while I was watching the broadcast, I noticed something. In the chat room there was a slight argument going on over fur, and wearing it. Surely this came about because Holes and Hearts is going to be in our “Jammin’ The Harbor”concert, and it benefits the Humane Society Of Pinellas. So fur and animals are a soft subject with animal lovers.

This chat room spat actually became vulgar and downright nasty between a vegan and a meat lover. I watched as this girl was being brow beaten for her choice to eat meat. She said over and over again to the person arguing with her, “I don’t care if you don’t eat meat, or wear furs, I do and that’s my choice.” That seemed to make this other person even more mad, to the point of challenging her sexuality. The person was so close-minded that she insisted on insulting this girl, almost to the point of dehumanizing her for her choice and tried hard to force her belief onto this girl.  I couldn’t believe what I was reading or seeing in that chat room.

So what does this have to do with art or music, or Holes and Hearts for that matter? It doesn’t necessarily have to do with one band, one genre, or one art in particular; instead it affects the art realm as a whole and a person and community as a whole. How, you may ask? We as a nation and a society have grown into a close-minded mentality. We have blinders up on our heads much like horses do and if we believe something is right, then everyone else is wrong and we fight over it. These blinders keep us from seeing or accepting anything new. Since we don’t see anything else, we must make the world see our point of view and destroy anyone that does not see eye to eye with us because it’s insulting. We will not support or acknowledge the other point of view for any reason. When you sit back and think about it, there are a lot of problems with the mentality that can hurt the art and culture we have in our world.

Art is a form of expression; it comes in many forms. If you’re a woman, you probably once or twice scored tickets to a ballet or opera, and wanted your husband or boyfriend go with you. Men have it in their heads that the opera or ballet is horrible, and if you are seen at such an event, you may be classified as gay and you better hope you don’t like it. This is exactly what I am talking about with a close-minded society. You pre-judged the art before even seeing it or you are so dead set against it, that you refuse to enjoy it. It’s horrible because you may actually allow yourself to see it’s not that bad and like it… dare I say, “love” it.

By being close-minded, we isolate ourselves from something that may make sense. It might actually open our eyes and make us think, a terrible notion I know. Heaven forbid we find some good in something outside the box. This close-minded thinking not only affects the performing arts, but the music too. If you are so dead set against a death metal band, you won’t go. What you may be doing is costing yourself one of the best times of your life, which may give you a new appreciation for the genre. You could be missing out on something that might change your life forever.

I was close-minded once, yep, it’s true. When “Bodies” came to the Museum Of Science and Industry, it was a form of art and science. I was so grossed out that these were actual bodies on display, skinned down to their organs and muscles, that I almost boycotted this exhibit. In fact, many people did protest the exhibit. I think it was a Saturday that my curiosity overwhelmed me and I decided to go, but I wasn’t happy about it. When I actually saw the exhibit, I was blown away; it was one of the most amazing things I ever saw. I saw the hours of work and the extreme detail it took and appreciated it.  I realized then how stupid I was to wait all this time, and almost missed it all together. I kept thinking to myself, look at what I would have missed out on. I guess others found it the same as I did, because it became the most in demand repeat exhibits of the museum’s history.

From that point on I established a few rules for myself that I would like to share with you. It opened my art appreciation by following it and I hope it does the same for you.

• I will not judge anything unless I see it first, and if I don’t like it, I won’t ever go again.
• I will not mock others for liking something I don’t. I will listen to them speak of it, but that doesn’t mean I have to change my mind. I will respect them enough and care enough to listen.
• I will respect every person and their views even if I don’t agree or see eye to eye.
• I will not be afraid to look outside the box.
• I will give everything a try, as long as it’s not dangerous or illegal.
• Just because I see something new, or hear someone speak of something, I don’t  have to agree with it. And just because I heard it, does not mean I have to convert because I heard about it.
• I will keep the 1^st Amendment alive and protect it with all my being.
• New doesn’t mean better: new doesn’t mean bad either.No one should ever force their beliefs or views on anyone.  They have a right to disagree, and we should never silence those that disagree with us.

What I am asking here is to be open-minded to art, to our community, to whatever it may be. Don’t be afraid to try new things, and don’t judge anything till you try it yourself. Challenge yourself to listen to all sides and challenge your own view against the new info. After all, could your view change? Should it change? If not, then that’s okay and everyone should respect that and be cordial to you and never try to silence you. To listen and evaluate is healthy not only for you, but for your mind because it needs to think, and for the community because it can’t fix problems or experience new things if no one challenges the status quo. However, that doesn’t mean the change should happen. No one should be so close-minded that they try to pressure their own views down someone else’s throat and completely silence any other conflicting point of view to their own.

As a world and nation, we are diverse. We look different, we dress different, we have different art, and different religions. Together we make a wonderful blend and that diverse difference is beautiful and a work of art in itself. So, I encourage you to open your eyes to the beauty that surrounds us, and you will see that diverseness is beautiful.

Sending Out An S.O.S.

The Ska/Pop-Punk band, Send Out Scuds, knows just how to get a crowd up on their feet and rockin’.  Their musical style is a fusion of influences ranging from electronica to hardcore.  This Central Florida band parties so hard during their shows that they end up breaking equipment and have even caused a stage to break.  They aren’t afraid to get crazy with their audience.  These guys are your typical hard-hitting rockers… and they’re Christian.

Send Out Scuds is a Christian band that has overcome the stereotypical labeling that comes with this kind of music genre.  When it comes to music, the band proves it’s not all about just hymnals and traditional gospel.  Send Out Scuds, usually abbreviated, is a double acronym.  The first and more obvious acronym is S.O.S. and the second part stands for “Servants of Christ Until Death,” hidden within the word “Scuds.”  (The band tells me they add on an “s” to the end as a plural, just for good measure!)

When it comes to stereotyping with Christian music, the band is more than familiar with this.  ”We have certainly run into stereotypes concerning the dominant message of our music, however, we have found that a positive attitude transcends and eliminates these stereotypes and our listeners are more concerned with enjoying that positive vibe than they are debating us about our spiritual beliefs.  We use our music as somewhat of a gateway to a greater discussion.  We hope that through our music we can portray and communicate the positive enlightenment we have discovered in the message of Christ.  The music is a product of our beliefs and like a light on a hill, we hope the listener cannot help but wonder why we seem to shine so brightly.  And we do not shine because of what we have done, but because of what Christ has done for us,” states band member Josh Peters.

S.O.S. is comprised of eight members:  Kim Diauto-trumpet, Dustin “Mullet” Hollifer-trumpet, Josh Peters-bass guitar, Jeremy Calderon-rhythm guitar, Brennen Lesser-drums, Josh Deiches-lead guitar, David Meister-saxophone, and Sam Massaro-lead vocals.

The band got its start about five years ago.  Kim Diauto and a friend came up with the idea back in their high school days.  The two got together with some of their buddies and started to write music, similar to what they listened to at the time.  The rest was pretty much history.  Over the years, the band went through changes.  Some members got married and moved on, while others went off to pursue other goals.  One S.O.S. member actually just left one day, never to be seen or heard from ever again, strangely enough.  The band always tried to play every show they could, even if not all the members were available.  They worked hard at achieving success.  In 2004, S.O.S. started to get even more ambitious after they released their first homemade demo.  And according to the band, it was the numerous line-up changes over the years that finally brought them to where they are now.  After it all, Kim Diauto is the last remaining original S.O.S. member.

The band has played for all kinds of audiences ranging from the elderly to fresh faced pre-teens.  S.O.S. attracts a mostly younger audience, but there are also the folks who grew up listening to other Christian Ska bands such as the now defunct Five Iron Frenzy and the O.C. Supertones.  S.O.S. also has held their own with the secular Ska crowd.  ”Every show we play that has other Ska bands on the bill are secular shows and that is fine.  We’re certainly not preaching to the choir… in fact, the choir doesn’t like us sometimes because we are not afraid to get out and play shows that many other Christian bands would never play.  We’re humans just like everybody else.  We just feel as though we have found something great and we want to share it with the world,” exclaims Josh Peters.

S.O.S. band members admit to having a wide range of musical inspirations that include groups such as AC/DC, Pink Floyd, DragonForce, Korn, Billy Talent, and Enya just to name a few.  The band is also influenced by other Ska groups like Less Than Jake and the RX Bandits.

S.O.S. will play nearly everywhere… and anywhere.  There doesn’t seem to be any limitations with this band and where they go. “We have played at churches, bars, clubs, open fields, festivals, houses, gazebos… pretty much any type of standing structure has been host to our music.  However, some of these structures were no longer standing after we got done with them!  We have an unfortunate habit of accidentally breaking things while we are playing shows,” admits Peters.  Apparently, S.O.S. is known for their very strong stage presence.  Striving to never leave anything on the stage after a performance, some of the group members claim the high intensity level of their shows have left them physically ill or in great pain days later.  ”At one festival, called Real Fest, we were playing at an outdoor stage and about halfway through the set, [trumpet player] Dustin (also a pro wrestler) suddenly and inexplicably went crashing through the stage itself!  Well, of course, we used the gaping three to four foot deep hole to our advantage by hurdling it back and forth for the rest of the set, integrating an array of various death defying stunts into the remainder of our set,” recalls the band’s bass guitarist.  According to the band, their highly energetic and wildly entertaining performances are directly related to the emotion that goes into the creation and expression of their music.  ”True passion cannot be feigned and it’s easily conveyed to an audience when it is truly felt, ” states an S.O.S. member.  The band feels that the audience is one of the most important parts in a live show, noting it is their energy and excitement that gets the group going. S.O.S. will even dance with their fans off stage, hoping to further immerse them into their music.  ”You never know what you’ll see with an S.O.S. show,” remarks Peters.

S.O.S. mentioned that their favorite show series was the Cornerstone Christian Music Festival in Illinois.  After traveling through northern Florida and Georgia, playing a few shows in both states, the band arrived at the festival.  Realizing their set wasn’t for another five days, they decided to camp out on the grounds and ended up playing impromptu shows for an entire week. S.O.S. even played shows back to back at one point on different stages.  Talk about an energetic band!

Currently the Christian Ska group has a five song EP titled, Slower Seed, and expect to have their first full length album out soon. S.O.S.’s most popular tracks include “If Scranton Were For Lovers,” “It’s 4 a.m. And I’ve Put This Off For Way Too Long,” and “Capsized, But Grace Means More Than The Air I Can’t Reach.”   Most of the band’s songs deal with the various aspects inherent of living in a Christian lifestyle.  ”Joy through Christ, inner conflicts, hope for the future, the paradoxical happiness and burden of love, and the television show, “The Office,” explains S.O.S.  [" The Office " characters]Pam and Jim are the ultimate perfect couple and “If Scranton Were For Lovers” seeks to forever immortalize that relationship.”

S.O.S. is the first Ska band to ever be signed to the Christian record label, Blood and Ink.  Obviously, the group has huge boasting rights with this kind of honor.  It is hard not to see S.O.S.’s amazing talent.  This unique Christian band is making a name for itself with their success that is growing each and every day.  These guys are what a great band is all about with their message filled music and crowd pleasing performances.  S.O.S. is a band that has proven itself and should be around for years to come. According to the group, they hope to continue writing, recording and touring until the day they die.

Touring Information:

Send Out Scuds (S.O.S.) hopes to get onto the East Coast part of the “Extreme Tour,” which goes from May to Sept.  You can also visit the band’s MySpace page at www.myspace.com/sendoutscuds for their show schedule.  They have included information such as price of admission, times, and directions for each show.  While checking S.O.S.’s schedule on their page, you can listen to their music as well.

S.O.S. is easy to contact for a booking.  Just email them at sendoutscuds@gmail.com.  Someone is always on hand to check e-mails.

Hells Kitchen, Season 5, Week 8

Just when I thought last week’s dinner service on Hell’s Kitchen was bad, they went and proved me wrong. This week was by far the worst service of any Hell’s Kitchen I have seen.

The contest this week was a taste test; to be a good chef you must have an impeccable palette. Chef Ramsay challenged the chefs to a blind fold test to see if they could guess the ingredients. Surprisingly, Robert and Giovanni didn’t get any of them right and Lacy failed too; but the surprise was Carol.  She got most of the ingredients in the Minestrone soup correct sending the red team to victory. Their reward was that they would be in a TV Guide photo shoot, taken right at Hell’s Kitchen. The blue team’s punishment was to wait on the red team and prep both kitchens for the night’s dinner service.

The dinner service had two celebrities in the house, so the pressure was even more intense. Paula, for the red team, had appetizer duty and screwed up her first risotto, but she managed to get on track and banged out the rest of the appetizers. On the blue side, the appetizers really did fly out of the kitchen with Robert on the station, but that would come to a screeching halt for the entrees.

Lacy was on the blue team’s meat service, which did her in. I don’t know what was more raw, her meat or her back side after Ramsay laced into her. She completely had a breakdown, confusion set in and she told Chef Ramsay she couldn’t cook meat. Ramsay screamed in shock, “You can’t cook bloody meat, GET OUT!” and threw her out of Hell’s Kitchen, or so we thought. He went back into a storage room and yelled at her for a few moments, before bringing her back on to the kitchen floor. Lacy would only last a few more minutes before Ramsay told her she wasn’t good enough and took her jacket. The men were down to three, but came together like never before and beat the red team on dinner service.

The red team had a complete lack of communication between Andrea and Carol. Their feud is becoming toxic, and ultimately cost the red team the win. Carol had a breakdown on the meat as well and couldn’t cook the Beef Wellington to save her life. She wouldn’t communicate with Andrea, so Andrea’s food was over or under cooked. The kitchen was at a stand still and Chef Ramsay pulled the plug and sent all the guests home.

Ramsay is completely disappointed in both teams, but the men did win, coming from behind to out serve the entrees with three less people. Chef Ramsay sent the red team back to nominate two people for elimination. The team was in complete agreement on Carol, but were conflicted with the other nominee. It came down to Andrea or LA.

When Ramsay first asked who the red team had nominated, Paula said they weren’t in agreement which really set the chef off. He said that the team’s communication was horrific, and that once again they have failed as a team. Paula said the nominees were Carol and LA. Then Chef Ramsay asked who the other was and that was when Paula nominated Andrea. So Ramsay asked Carol, Andrea and LA to come forward. He asked the team which nominee was in complete agreement and they all said Carol. He asked Carol who she thought the other one should be, and Carol actually said Andrea over LA, unlike the rest.

In the end, Chef sent LA home. He said he chose her for two reasons, lack of communication and lack of leadership necessary in a person running a five star kitchen. Carol and Andrea were spared, but their feud could cost them both the Hell’s Kitchen win. For the first time on the show two people were sent home, Lacy and LA.

American Idol Season 8, Top 9

This week the contestants got to perform one of music’s most legendary labels, Motown. Motown is based in Detroit and has produced legendary singers and bands such as The Drifters, The Temptations, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves, and Marvin Gaye just to name a few. This would be an easier set of songs than last week with the country genre, and the contestants should perform well.

Smokey Robinson gave advice this week, which should help the contestants. Smokey was in the original Temptations and has made a career for himself as an individual act with songs like “Tears Of A Clown, and “Ooh Baby, Baby.”  His falsetto tone made him a legendary performer and got him into the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame.

The contestants got on stage and tried their best; however, some were just not that great. Simon predicted that Megan Joy would be going home. Personally, I don’t know why she’s still there; maybe it’s just me, but I do not like her voice at all. Other good, but not great performances were Michael Sarver and Matt Giraud.

Some of the ones that shined were Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey, Lil Rounds, Kris and Allison. The one that got rave reviews from the judges, but I thought was one of the worst performances of the night, was Anoop. I felt that version was painful to listen to quite honestly, and was shocked the judges gave him such a great review.

Tonight we got the results. We heard Smokey Robinson and Reuben Studdard perform on stage, as well as the legendary Motown recording artist, Stevie Wonder. After those performances we found the bottom two were Matt Giraud and Michael Sarver. Michael was in the bottom two last week also, so I didn’t think that was good for him being there again.

I was right, Michael was sent home by the audience but would the judges save him? His performance was powerful and heart filled, but the judges were unsure of whether or not to send him home. Running out of time, Simon stepped in and made the decision for the group. Michael’s stand on American Idol was a good one, and now he can go home to his wife and baby and be proud of his trip to the top 9. In addition, Michael will be on tour this summer and he is stoked about that.

Next Page »