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(09/24/17 8:01pm)
The 25th Indianapolis AIDS Walk brings community together to end the stigma.
By Breanna Cooper
In the 1980s, a positive HIV test result signaled the beginning of the end. Within months, the infected individual whittled away to skin and bones, developing sores and awful bouts of pneumonia. From 1981 to current day, the CDC estimates that 658,507 Americans have lost their lives as a result of HIV/AIDS. Thanks to modern medicine and the tireless efforts of early patients, someone with HIV can lead a normal and healthy life. Despite this progress, many people around the world remain in the dark when it comes to their awareness of HIV. With a stigma still ever present, the annual Indiana AIDS Walk is fighting to shine a light on what life is like for HIV-positive Hoosiers.
With huge crowds of people gathering in Herron Morton Place neighborhood on Saturday, Sept. 25, participants in the walk received information from organizations such as Planned Parenthood, The Ryan White Foundation, and many others on the prevention and awareness of HIV along with many other sexually transmitted diseases and infections.
Despite the fact that the gathering was organized to spread awareness of HIV/AIDS, the feeling of hope was evident. There is good reason for that. Although HIV is a serious illness, the progress that has been made over the past two decades has made it possible for those with the illness to be able to share their stories, some of which began 15 years ago. This feat would have been unheard of just 30 years ago.
Jason and John took part in the 25-year event. A couple for the past three years, both have firsthand knowledge about what it’s like to live with HIV but, more importantly, understand that a normal life no longer ends with a positive test result.
“I found out [my positive status] through my family physician, just a regular test,” Jason said. “It changes the way you think, the way you do things. You’re a little more conscious of making sure you’re taking care of yourself, so you’re not affecting those who aren’t HIV-positive. It’s a life changer. So much has been done in the last 10 through 15 years that it’s no longer scary. I was scared when I was first diagnosed, but I wasn’t educated.”
And that education is a mission of the AIDS Walk.
“And that’s another thing about events like this: it helps educate people and let them know what to do when they discover their positive status,” Jason continued. “Now, five years later, I’m here as an advocate, to help raise money, help spread the word about what it is and who can help.”
By raising awareness of HIV, a community inherently helps to raise support for the members living with HIV.
“For me,” John said, “it’s support for him. It gets the community involved. I mean, I’ve posted it all over facebook for the past several weeks. It started small, but it’s getting bigger. Word is getting out; we just need to get it out more.”
The evolution of research on and treatment of HIV over the past two decades is astounding. While there is currently no cure, there are precautionary methods, besides the use of condoms, that can help prevent the virus from spreading.
“PrEP is Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis,” John explained, “which means you take a daily tablet. The brand name is Truvada. It’s an HIV medication. With clinical results, it’s a 99.99% barrier against HIV. So, your chance of getting HIV is basically zero to none. So, it’s an extra precaution for you whether you’re in a discordant couple like we were--one positive, one negative--or if you involve yourself in risky sexual behavior or if you are an intravenous drug user. It’s just an extra precaution to help yourself.”
However, before John could begin taking PrEP, a visit to the doctor revealed a change in his status.
“I was diagnosed in February,” John explained. “We went in for a routine test, I was going to get on PrEP just as an extra cautionary method for us, and my result came back positive. I was like, ‘okay.’ I knew it was a risk three years ago when we started dating, and it doesn’t bother me.”
As a college student, there are some aspects that John views differently, but overall he does not believe that his status makes an overwhelming impact on his college experience.
“In some ways it has changed the way I look at college and college activities. But, as an everyday, general thing, no. I do keep a small first-aid kit in my backpack just in case I get cut, but it's something I did keep with me even before I became HIV-positive.”
Years ago, an HIV test took far longer to complete than they do today. Because of the waiting period, individuals being tested in the past often dealt with the emotional effects while waiting to get their results.
“Back when you had to wait 72 hours for an HIV test result,” John explained, “you racked your brain. ‘Well, what if this, what if that,’ so I had already went through all of the emotions. I’d already went through the denial, the anger, all of that. I was just like, ‘alright, it’s the next step in life.’ I dealt with that when I was 19 with my first HIV test. So, having that when I was younger, being diagnosed in February, I was just like, ‘okay. What’s next?’”
“But, we were together for two years when he found out he was positive,” Craft pointed out. “So, in the early stages of dating, it was one of the first things I said, from the get-go. You know, he’s going to school for public health; he wants to be leading these events, an advocate for people. Yes, he had a moment, everyone has a moment. But it’s short-lived. It’s like, ‘okay, what do we do next?’ Within a day or two, he was fine, back to normal.”
While the general public seems to grasp the idea that you cannot contract HIV from a handshake or sharing utensils, the stigma that surrounds HIV is still prevalent. When asked whether or not HIV-positive individuals are ostracized when others find out about their status, Jason and John had a unanimous answer: “yes.”
“Education can change that,” John said. “The more people are educated, the wall of stigma gets a little bit weaker.”
“And even the education of PrEP and what PrEP is,” Jason added. “That alone changes so much. You know, the way that it works, and I think teaching people what to do to prevent it [also helps]. It’s not just condoms, it’s a lot of other things.”
Along with misinformation among the public, the taboo surrounding sex and drug use also plays a huge role in the stigma that surrounds HIV.
“People think only homosexual men can get it, but it’s not just homosexual couples,” Jason said. “It’s straight, and bi, gay, whatever. It’s drug users that share needles, and there’s so many different ways that you can transfer HIV to someone else.”
“I think if we can break the stigma,” John started, “that it’s only with this population... it’s not, it’s across the board now. If we can break the stigma that it’s a dirty disease or a “you’re done” disease, or it’s a going-to-kill-you disease. If we can break that, then I think society as a whole would embrace it a little bit more.”
Perhaps one of the most notable differences between the treatment of HIV now as opposed to in previous years is the medication options. Thanks to medicinal research and the efforts of early AIDS patients fighting to use experimental drugs, HIV-positive individuals now have treatment options that allow them to take one pill a day to treat the infection.
“I’m one pill a day,” John explained. “It’s a combo drug; it’s got three drugs in it. Once a day, a minimum of 400 calories, that’s it. Just once a day. No side effects, really.”
“And I’m the same way,” Jason said. “We’re on different medications, but what they do is very similar. I’ve done Atripla, and my body became immune to it--it quit working for me. My counts were crazy, and I was put on a cocktail. Three different drugs, nine pills a day. Two in the morning, two in the afternoon, you know, and it was dumb.”
“And now I’m back to one pill a day,” Craft continued, “and for me, that’s what makes it so easy to cope and deal. When I was on that cocktail, my day was surrounded by that. It’s all that I thought about and dealt with. Now that we’re on one pill, we have dinner, ‘hey here’s your drug,’ we both take it, and we are taking care of ourselves and each other.”
“The riots at the FDA in the late 80s/early 90s are where we get our medications today,” John said. “If those people hadn’t stepped up for us and our futures to say, ‘hey, we’re suffering too,’ we wouldn’t have them.”
“Well, there’s government funding for it now,” Jason added, “and there wasn’t back then. So, until the mid-80s, there was nothing. And it was grassroots efforts in attempt to find a cure, or just something to decrease it.”
As treatment options are increasing and the quality of an HIV-positive individual is not diminished, many people are hopeful that a cure may be found in the near future.
“We went from it being classified as an infectious terminal disease to a communicable contained disease,” John said. “Studies now are saying HIV-positive men are living as long or longer than their negative counterparts due to the drugs and the leaps and bounds they’ve taken to suppress things but at the same time boost the things that help exponentialize all of that.”
“With the way research and medications are evolving, there may not be a cure, but there may be a vaccine, but who knows,” John continued. “We’ve made leaps and bounds over the last ten or fifteen years, so in the next decade we could see one.”
Until the day that there is finally a cure for HIV, organizations like the Damien Center and the Ryan White Foundation will be there for HIV-positive Hoosiers. Not only do they provide medical assistance, but they also take care of the emotional and social problems that may affect those living with HIV.
“They have counseling services,” John said. “So, if you’re at a point where you don’t know what to do emotionally or mentally, they have places to go and people you can talk to. And it’s safe. That’s the whole thing with this community. Not just breaking down the stigma, but making the people in the community feel safe and accepted. Not degraded, belittled, or anything like that.”
“When you get your diagnosis,” Jason explained, “whatever doctor or clinic or whoever does it, they, by law, have to report it to the Health Department, Marion County. They usually reach out to make sure that you have insurance or care. I’ve been fortunate enough, until now, that I didn’t need these services. They make sure you have, or at least are aware of, the help that is out there.”
“The Ryan White Project, Step Up, The Damien Center, all of them provide care coordination services, which are medical, doctors appointments, drugs, housing, food pantries, electric bills,” John said. “So, there are programs out there for HIV-positive people, but they need to go in search of them.”
Unfortunately, things like housing and bills can be a big issue for those living with HIV. Although stigma may be decreasing, HIV in a professional setting can be a risky subject to discuss.
“For most HIV-positive people, in their professional lives, it’s never spoken of,” John explained. “As for their personal lives, that’s a different story. I think if people were more open about it, there would be more conversation, but at the same time you also have to look at your professional standpoint and say, ‘I could lose my job, that means I could lose my house, lose everything that’s keeping me healthy.’ So, it’s a balancing act that we have to follow.”
Although there are protections for people with HIV and other illnesses against unfair treatment in the workplace, Indiana law provides a loophole for businesses to get through.
“Indiana is an at-will state,” John explained. “So, your employer can walk in and say, ‘I don’t like your shirt, you no longer have a job.’ So, they can fire you for any number of reasons that they want to and just say, ‘we’re an at-will state.”
For 25 years, the Indiana AIDS Walk has been helping organizations, such as the Damien Center, reach out the HIV-positive Hoosiers who may be struggling to make ends meet. Due to recent circumstances, Jason has worked with the Damien Center to get assistance with his medication.
“I’m in between jobs. ...I have a job that I’m going to start in the beginning of October, but i don’t have insurance for 90 days,” Jason said. “So, I’m able to go to The Damien Center and get help with meds. They offer other things, seeing the doctor and things like that. So, an event like this, it raises money so that I have that assistance if and when I need it.”
“For me,” John said, “[the walk means] being out here to show the support for the community and to be an advocate at this point.”
The Indiana AIDS Walk, while promoting awareness of HIV and helping HIV-positive Hoosiers get the help they may need, also promoted the idea that, while HIV is still a huge issue in today’s society, the huge strides made by medicine are a bright sign for the future. Thirty years ago, fear and ignorance caused those affected by HIV/AIDS to be shunned by society, and the lack of medical knowledge and treatment led to short life expectancies after diagnosis. Thanks to the AIDS Walk and events like it, a great amount of progress has been made to reduce the occurrence of contracting the virus and helping positive individuals break free from the chains of the stigma.
“It’s no longer a death sentence,” Jason said. “I have a friend [who] is twice my age, and when he was my age, it was. Back in the 80s and 90s, people would find out they were positive, and within two to twelve months they were gone. Now, there’s been so much change with the drugs and more people are aware. It’s breaking away the stigma.”
(09/24/17 7:58pm)
Plant returns to Indianapolis after 45 years.
By Breanna Cooper
Jan. 25, 1975: Led Zeppelin, consisting of Robert Plant on lead vocals, Jimmy Page on guitar, John Paul Jones on bass guitar plus any of the more than twenty instruments he can play, and the late John Bonham on drums played at the Market Square Arena, promoting their album Physical Graffiti. After that, Zeppelin never toured through Indiana again.
While the chances of a Led Zeppelin reunion tour are slim to none, Robert Plant gave Hoosiers what is probably the closest they’ll ever get. With his band The Sensational Space Shifters, Plant gave his audiences renditions of songs off of his album Lullaby and the Ceaseless Roar, as well as Zeppelin fan favorites, such as “Dazed and Confused” and “The Rain Song.”
The opening act, JD McPherson, a high energy rockabilly group, was an interesting choice to open for someone who is arguably one of the biggest names in rock and roll. Despite the difference in genre, the opening band held the audience's attention for the duration of their set.
After about an hour, JD McPherson finished and the audience was eager for Plant to come onstage. However, the wait wasn’t quite over. While crew members worked to set up the stage, audience members talked, and drank, amongst themselves until about nine o’clock.
Then, a spotlight shined down on Liam “Skin” Tyson, the Liverpudlian guitarist for the Space Shifters. As he began to play a familiar tune, a silhouette of Plant appeared center stage, and the audience was ready to get the Led out. To kick off the show, Plant performed “Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You” from the 1969 Led Zeppelin debut album. As the audience screamed out the lyrics, people left their seats to form a crowd as close to the stage as security would permit.
After doing several songs and introducing the lineup, Plant continued to surprise the audience with renditions of Led Zeppelin songs, blues classics, and his own material.
If audience members were somehow not enthralled with the musical performance, the light show was surely enough to keep their attention. Blue, white, and red lights exploded at high points of songs, spotlights stayed focused on Plant, and, after songs were finished, complete blackouts engulfed the audience.
Perhaps the most notable aspect of the show were the generational gaps within the audience. There were people who listened to Led Zeppelin when Robert Plant was still a 21 year old rookie sitting next to high school students covering the show for a music class assignment. Looking around during the show, everyone, regardless of age, was completely jamming out to music that some had only heard before through a radio.
In terms of voice, Plant still has an amazing range and great technique. He hit high and low notes with complete ease. For many, the highlight of the show was most likely Plant’s rendition of “Whole Lotta Love,” the 1969 hit from the album Led Zeppelin II. Sparking an amazing audience interaction, Plant shoved the mic out from the stage, encouraging the audience to sing along to the words everyone knew. Although many of the Led Zeppelin arrangements had Plant’s own twist to them, the huge crowd didn’t seem to mind.
After the final song, which was a medley consisting of “Whole Lotta Love,” “Smokestack Lightning,” and “I Just Wanna Make Love to You,” Plant put both hands in the air, seemingly waving to the audience.
“Forty years later, thank you Indianapolis,” Plant said, referencing the 40 year gap between shows in the city. With that, the stage went black, and the audience roared. After the audience screamed for about five minutes straight, Plant and his band returned to the stage and performed an encore of “Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come down” from Plant’s time with the Band of Joy, and the Led Zeppelin classic “Rock and Roll,” which sparked a huge eruption from the crowd. After vibrations from the speakers ripped through the audience and flashes of light proceeded to blind them, the show came to an explosive end.
Despite the flak that many aging rock stars get about continuing to tour, many audience members from Tuesday’s show left the Old National Center with a sense of nostalgia for a band that they may or may not have been alive to see perform on stage. Many formed a deeper appreciation for the new music that Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters continue to release.
At 67 years old, Plant proved that he can still put on one hell of a show.
(09/24/17 6:33pm)
The famous Indianapolis bar has a history of great service and guests that never leave.
By Breanna Cooper
Since 1850. the Slippery Noodle Inn has served many people and purposes.
For many believers, ghost stories tend to go hand in hand with tragedy. Indiana has witnessed several dark parts of American history and has been home to crime and scandal. The Slippery Noodle Inn, the oldest bar in Indianapolis, has entertained Indiana natives and celebrity guests such as Jimmy Fallon and Mickey Dolenz. The Inn has also seen many events take place within its walls. With the Halloween season in full swing, ghost hunters are searching for haunted locations, the Inn being one of them. Many believe the Slippery Noodle to be haunted by spirits of those who once roamed the building.
General Manager Marty Bacon explains, “there is not a week that goes by that I don’t hear footsteps or doors slamming or the sound of glass breaking when there isn’t glass breaking.”
When asked about the sightings of an African-American man’s spirit that has been seen in the basement of the Inn, Bacon responds, almost affectionately, “George.” He went on to explain, “I’ve spent the night here with about ten or twelve paranormal groups. And about 15 years ago, Gary Spivey came through right around Halloween, and I got the pleasure of walking them through the bar. As we were going through, I had seen George several times, and he said that a spirit was there named George. He used to do odd jobs around the bar, shovel coal in the furnace and helped people get out. One of the girls who was in the group from the Indianapolis chapter of the Ghost Hunters asked what he looked like, and he said he was an older black man with gray overalls.”
During the Civil War, the bar served as a stop on the Underground Railroad. It is unclear how the Inn became a stop, but, as Bacon explained, “there are several other places around Indy that were also stops. Downtown Indy is filled with underground tunnels, and they would get the runaways in here and hide them out and get them in tunnels from here to the trains where they would go to Chicago, Detroit, and then to Canada.”
In one room in the basement, a hole that once led to an underground tunnel still remains. It is referred to by workers as “the cubbyhole.” “I believe,” Bacon explains, “this room was the admittance for the outhouses. Back then, the night-man would come and collect stuff and sell the urine to tanners to make leather and sell the feces to make fertilizer. And, rumor has it that bodies were buried down here, because where better to bury a body than a room that already stinks?”
Bullets from Dillinger's alleged target practice remain in a wall near one of the stages in the Inn.
During the Prohibition, the Inn served as a tavern, the basement housing the distillery. According to legend, John Dillinger frequented the Inn and was even allowed to use one room for target practice. “People back in the days of the Depression didn’t really trust the government, and Dillinger was kind of that Robin Hood character. We’re not sure who shot into the wall, but the rumor we’ve heard is that they were just back here having target practice. This room,” Bacon added, “really creeps me out.”
“When Spivey walked through,” Bacon said, “he said ‘there’s another spirit here, and he says he’s the boss. He used to run the stables, and he would hide his lockbox up in the hayloft.’ The odd thing is, Spivey described him as a heavyset white guy with slicked-back hair and a pitted face.”
About 12 years after this, Bacon walked through the bar with a psychic from New Orleans, and she told him that many of the spirits in the Inn respect him, except for one. “She said there was a spirit banging into my aura like he wanted to fight me. She said it was a fat white guy with a pitted face, like he had smallpox. They were 12 years apart but had the same description.”
During an argument over a woman in 1953, a man stabbed a fellow patron to death. According to legend, the murderer left the bloody knife on the bar counter before casually walking out. Workers and customers have claimed to see a spirit they describe as a cowboy on the second floor of the Inn. Many believe this to be the man that died in the knife fight. This put an end to the Inn’s involvement in prostitution.
However, at least one of the women, Sarah, seems to have remained in the Inn. She has been sighted on the second floor balcony. “We don’t really see a lot of her,” Bacon explains. “She seems to keep to herself in that area.”
“One spirit that seems to get a lot of play,” Bacon continues, “is the Shadow Man. He doesn’t really have a lot of form; he’s just a human shadow.” Bacon has seen him twice, “once in the bend of the stairs, and the second time was on Easter Sunday. I was in my office and felt someone behind me, and when I turned around, I saw a shadow that faded out.”
The Slippery Noodle has served many people in its time. Now, customers can expect quality drafts and live blues performances. What some may not expect, however, is a visit from one of the spirits that may have stuck around for the show.
(09/24/17 6:30pm)
Local folk-rock band turns IUPUI Journalism lounge into stage.
By Breanna Cooper
The sounds of humming and acoustic guitar filled the journalism lounge on Wednesday as Kendall and Erina Ludwig, married since 2009, warmed up to perform a small set for a Campus Session. Their folk-rock group The Yellow Kites formed in Indianapolis in 2007. Since then, they have put out two albums and are currently working on their third.
Despite getting their start in Indy, Kendall, a native Hoosier, and Erina, hailing from London, have done shows across the United States, as well as in Rome, London, and South Korea. As a band, it is their goal to reintroduce the love of music, sound, life, and people back into places where they believe it has gone missing.
After wrapping up a three-song set [that] featured “A Tree Love Song,” “Devil in Me,” and “Well Paid,” complete with their young daughter strapped to Erina’s back, The Yellow Kites sat down to discuss their band, music, and the Indianapolis music scene.
How did you guys form?
EL: Kendall was a singer-songwriter in his own right, and when we got together I started harmonizing with him. And then we went to a friend’s house, it was a fellow musician, and we sang the “Tree Love Song,” which was at that point just Kendall’s song, and I harmonized with it and people said it sounded good. So, we started working together.
KL: And then we got married. (laughs)
How do you balance being married while at the same time being bandmates?
KL: It’s hard. I don’t know--how do we?
EL: We just do it. We communicate, we talk about things. We have crisis band meetings.
KL: We also have really unique skill sets. I don’t really care for computer stuff all that much. I mean, I can do it. Facebook and stuff I use to chat with friends and we use it for promotion, but Erina is much better with Facebook and Twitter. I think I had a Twitter at one point, but I don’t know where it went. It kind of ran away from me. (laughs) Instagram and all that, she’s really good at taking pictures and writing blogs and making people remember that we’re out there, whereas I deal with soundgear, repairing stuff that’s broken, restringing guitars and making sure that we have chords and picks and sticks. We both write the music, we share it. Some songs, recently, I’ve been writing by myself, because Erina has been busy with the baby and taking care of the baby, which is a good preoccupation but it’s a preoccupation nonetheless.
EL: Yeah, I think, as well, we have a set time for practice. We have other things going on, and we just talked about making sure we still have date time and time of our own that is not business or with the band. We have other projects going on like renovating a house, and I sew and make baby shoes, and there’s always other facets to our lives. But with the married part, we’re actually thinking about our anniversary coming up in November. So, just being intentional and being sure to make the time. You have to stay on that, because having a fifteen-month old will keep you busy. (laughs)
Who are your musical influences, both individually and as a group?
KL: We were trying to figure that out. And I think, as a band, our inspirations are a mix of our individual inspirations. I can speak for mine, but I think Erina’s are a bit different than mine. When I go to write something, there’s a lot of older folk artists that I really like from the 60s. Everybody says Dylan and, I mean, he’s okay. I don’t own any of his records, but I think he’s a good writer. There’s people like John Prine, and he’s pretty well known. I mean, he’s not known like Bob Dylan or whatever, but I think he’s a really great musician and I like his writing. And guys like Kris Kristofferson, I also enjoy his writing. Sort of that cast of characters I really enjoy. Erina?
EL: My musical taste is a bit diverse from Kendall’s. (laughs) We always joke that when you go to the car, you can tell who’s been driving from what station the radio is on. I really like pop music. (laughs) My mom kind of raised me on pop music. I also like really old-timey music, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James--there’s just a richness to their music. And, I really like the 30s for women’s fashion and things. Yeah, and then lots of pop music from the 80s. Guilty pleasure, but it’s true.
KL: Michael Jackson.
EL: Of course! He was a great entertainer.
KL: He was.
How do you incorporate those influences into your music?
EL: Well, I think we spoke a bit about my singing style the other day, and I think my vocals--maybe not with all songs, like the last one we sang was sort of a country tune, but with ballads and other songs--I can kind of hear my influences coming through in the song, sort of a more jazz influence.
KL: I think a lot of the writing I do is really influenced by those people. A lot of our music, especially in the instrumentation, we’re trying to push folk music on a bit and incorporate world music a bit in the writing and also in the instrumentation.
Do you have a specific process when it comes to songwriting?
EL: I always say that Kendall, I think, is the song wordsmith. I think it’s because he was a songwriter on his own before we got together. But what might happen is I’ll get a tune in my head and send it to Kendall.
KL: We’re like the ultimate 21st century songwriting duo. (laughs)
EL: I know it’s ridiculous, we just send voice memos to one another.
KL: We do. It’s a bit nerdy, but it works.
EL: It does. It gives us a chance to communicate before we have time to actually sit down with one another and work the song.
KL: We spend a lot of time away from each other. We have different jobs; so I was traveling to Bloomington for a job, and Erina had written a really lovely melody a few days before. I took the melody and came up with some lyrics. So, I recorded--this isn’t safe, I don’t recommend this, (laughs)--as I was driving. [...] I sent it to her and said sing this to the melody, record it, and send it back to me. So, we were literally writing a song via text message and voice memos.
What typically comes first, the lyrics or the melody?
KL: It either comes at the same time or the melody comes first.
EL: Yeah, I’d say that it’s usually the melody that comes first.
In the last song you performed (“Well Paid”), there was a line about corporations, and the first thing that came to my mind was the Pete Seeger song “Which Side Are You On?”. How has folk music changed since the 60s in terms of social activism in the lyrics. Is it coming back to more activist songs?
KL: I would like to see that. I don’t necessarily like a really preachy song, but I like a narrative that tells a story. I think that’s the idea behind a lot of folk music, telling a story about what people are going through. I feel like we’ve become a bit passive as people, and [...]what I like to do with music is try to maybe not call people to action but at least shine a light on something and say, “hmm, that’s not how this should be.”
EL: Yeah, I think that’s definitely missing. When I think about folk music now, I also think about pop music. Pop music is used to entertain, you know, to make you feel good. That’s really wonderful when it’s nice. I think our lives are so stressful that we like to just go places and not have to think about the deep, dark world. That said, I think in this time of social media of all forms, the conversations about things, and stuff like hashtag protests, it shows that people are caring. And maybe that will bleed over into the world of music.
Do you have a specific theme or message that you try to send out through your music, or does that message differ from song to song?
KL: Music brings me a lot of joy. And, almost regardless of the subject matter, I think music is just an expression of something that’s bigger than us. It’s really wonderful and amazing that we get to take part of it. I think it was Vonnegut who said that “the only proof I needed for the existence of God was music,” or something like that. And I think, for me, that’s a big part of why I do music, because I find a lot of joy in it. That’s what I want people to take away. I mean, the lyrical content is what it is, but personally I just really excited and happy to perform.
EL: I think, also, with the second album that we wrote, [it] came after losing two very important people for us. So, the album was about grief but also hope. The great thing about music is that it can do that. It can be happy or it can be just straight up sad and miserable. And that’s the honest truth about life. It’s not always great and dancing the night away; sometimes it’s just wanting to cry.
KL: I think even in that though, in writing and performing those songs, we found connections. People would come up to us afterwards and say, “hey, that song really meant something to me,”and that creates a connection. Maybe not a joyful one necessarily, but the start from grief onto something else.
How would you describe the Indianapolis music scene to someone not from around here?
KL: It’s really underground. Well[...]there are some pretty big names. Joyful Noise is doing some really great things and so is Big Cat Records.
EL: Especially with all the festivals popping up everywhere.
KL: It’s a growing and expanding scene. It’s really lovely. It’s not to the point where a lot of people are making money here, but it seems like it’s heading in that direction. This is a really exciting time to be in Indianapolis, because the art scene is really growing.
EL: And, I think you make a lot of musician friends and you go and support each other. We were going to go see a local band from this area, and as we were going we saw another friend going to go see another friend at a venue. It’s fun. I think it’s exciting, and I don’t know how many people know about the Indianapolis music scene. People know Chicago, but I don’t know what they know about Indianapolis. But it’s good stuff.
You guys played in the Campus Center about a month ago. How did you choose IUPUI as a venue?
KL: We’ve been playing around here for a couple of years now. I played here by myself, so we had a friend who worked with an art gallery that was in the Campus Center. And he knew this guy who was trying to get people booked, and I got a text message to come and play. We did, and Brian Starkel, a really wonderful guy, he heard us play in the gallery and [has] had us back a couple of times since then. Another band I was in, more of a country band, had played in the gallery a couple of times.
EL: It’s sort of a one show led to another kind of thing.
You guys have played internationally. Is there a difference between American audiences and audiences from around the world?
KL: We did a kickoff for one of the fraternities here. It was a guy who saw us in the Campus Center, he ran it. Afterwards, he was like, “oh, we need to get a group picture.” I was like, “last time this happened, we were playing in Korea.” In Korea, you always have to get a group picture with the performer. I’m assuming that stops after a point, because you can’t really get a group picture with a concert hall. But every show we did [in Korea] someone would come to the front of the stage and snap a picture.
EL: In London, we played in a lot of pubs.
KL: London is pretty saturated, but it’s a really great place to play because there’s a lot of places to play. If you have friends with artistic endeavours, you can get a big group together and play a bar, and people are brought in and just listen to you. We’ve had a lot of really cool shows there.
Along with the US and London, you’ve played shows in Rome and South Korea, where I’m assuming there was a language barrier. Does that speak to the power of music--the fact that people were coming to listen despite possibly not fully understanding you?
EL: Definitely. Especially in Korea, I think. In South Korea, there’s a lot of exposure to American culture, through films and stuff, but I’m not sure they understood what we were saying.
KL: It depends on the setting we’re playing, too, I think. One of the cities we played in Korea was sort of a backwoods town where people weren’t really as exposed to English as they would be in, let’s say Rome. We had someone translate when we were talking and [to explain] sort of the general idea of the song.
EL: It was sort of a preamble at the beginning of the song! (laughs)
How important is social media for promoting your work?
KL: (To Erina) I’ll let you answer that one. (laughs) I don’t know.
EL: We had this conversation last night. It’s massive now, much bigger than when we first started. Most people have smart phones, and they check them very regularly, So if you send a quick update of where you’re going to play--we put out that we were doing this interview--and people see that instantly and get excited for you. You get exposure, which is great. It’s a good way to stay in contact with people. There is a woman who liked us on Facebook and bought one of our records, who really enjoyed one of our songs about grief [because] she had just lost her mother, and she sent us an email about what the song meant to her. It was great to hear her story. And it’s a great way to get feedback.
I saw on your Facebook page that you were looking for people to play on your album. I noticed that you were looking for a mandolin player, and immediately I thought of George Harrison playing the sitar on Beatles’ records and how that brought Indian music and influence into England. Is that sort of what you guys are trying to do, incorporate world music and bring it to the Indy scene?
KL: We haven’t done that as much as we would like, with the exception of a few songs. But I do think that the instrumentation that we have, we’ve kind of collected some instruments from around the world. There’s a lot of musical traditions from around the world that I find really beautiful, and they don’t really fall in line with how we accept music here, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less worthwhile. I could see us pushing into that at some point in the future, but we don’t have any plans at this point. It’s also the practical side of it. What can you fit into a sedan, because, you know, we’re trying to save gas money and we have a bass player and a drummer that have traveled with us for a while. So, on the album, sure. But I think it might be a while before we could do that live.
EL: I think on the second album, I played a harmonium, which is a portable organ. It sounds great, but it’s such a beast. It’s the heaviest thing ever, and I was like, “I don’t play enough songs to justify bringing this,” so I just played it on the recording.
Are there any instruments that you would like to learn how to play to incorporate into your music?
EL: I picked up the viola about two years ago, and for most of 2013 I was pretty consistent. And then I got pregnant with Juniper and grew tired, and I stopped. We had a friend who was our cellist for a while, and she had showed me some stuff on the viola.
KL: I have a tendency to be jack-of-all-trades, master of none. So, I like picking up instruments and dabbling with them. I would really like to hone in on my craft with guitar. I play lead electric, acoustic, and lap dulcimer, and a myriad of other string instruments. So, I think I’d like to spend some time sharpening up a bit.
Is there a specific song or musician that you guys listen to when you want to tune out for a bit?
EL: Yes, I listen to Erik Satie. I go straight to classical music, because it’s got no words. I find that if music has words, I get distracted and get into what they’re saying and I can’t switch off. I have trouble with talk radio, because I just get really into what they’re saying. (laughs) So, yeah, just no lyrics, and I’m good.
KL: I like really random, off-the-wall stuff. Stuff without lyrics as well if I’m trying to space out. I believe I’m pronouncing this right: “Amiina.”
EL: Oh yeah, they’re really nice.
KL:They’re an Icelandic band that traveled with Sigur Rós, and I enjoy Sigur Rós as well. Yeah, bands with no lyrics. There’s a band called The Books that I really like. I enjoy kind of weird stuff but also stuff that I can space out on. And some classical stuff. I enjoy John Cage a lot. You know, minimalism, stuff that doesn’t have a lot to follow. I like stuff like that a lot.
If you could do a show anywhere in the world, where would you choose?
KL: There’s an amphitheatre in Sicily. I lived in Sicily for a bit, and there’s a town just north that has an amphitheatre--it’s just gorgeous. And the acoustics are still really good, even though it’s old and sort of deteriorating a bit.
EL: I’d either like to play at this little church in London called Union Chapel or the big old Royal Albert Hall. (laughs) Either really small and cozy or really, really big.
A lot of musicians talk about their defining moment when they knew they wanted to make music. When was that moment for you guys?
KL: I honestly have no idea, because I grew up in the Church and I remember from a really young age just being super excited about singing. I have old cassette tapes that my parents recorded of me just being really silly and belting out church hymns. I think I was up at the podium singing when I was three. And, I always really loved it. I saved up some money and bought an electric guitar at a yard sale when I was eight or ten, and I just felt like it was in my DNA. I don’t remember ever consciously making a decision. I just knew that nothing made me happier than music.
EL: I’m sort of similar to Kendall; I can’t pinpoint an exact time. My family sings a lot.
KL: (laughs)
EL: Yeah, he’s laughing because my mom sings all the time. (laughs)
KL: When we were in London, we stayed at Erina’s parents, and our bedroom was right next to the kitchen, and her mom would be in there by herself and singing about whatever she was making. I’d be in there trying to work, and I’d hear (singing) “and the fish, the fish, the fish, and the rice.” Stuff that she wouldn’t be able to sing again, because she’s making it up as she goes along for that moment.
EL: But yeah, that was just something that I always remember having in my family. And now we have the smallest one to come [our daughter].
To hear more from The Yellow Kites, check out: http://theyellowkites.bandcamp.com/
https://youtu.be/7CNqhGqa1R4
(09/24/17 6:27pm)
'Meaning of Live' premiered at the Heartland Film Festival to give audiences an inside look to the O2 shows.
By Breanna Cooper
For decades, Monty Python has been notorious for cracking up audiences. The Pythons: John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and the late Graham Chapman, ended their comedy troupe after a 1980 performance at the Hollywood Bowl. After a 34 year hiatus, the group was back in action for a 10 day run of shows at the O2, a London arena in July of 2014. These 10 shows are the subject of Roger Graef and James Rogan’s documentary “Monty Python and the Meaning of Live.”
As expected, the film is filled with humor and insight into what it takes to create a successful show. One of the greatest things about the movie was the fact that Python fans and newcomers alike can understand the references. Through archive footage of clips from their TV show “Flying Circus” and first hand accounts from the Pythons themselves, audiences feel connected to the long history of the group. As Terry Gilliam points out, the film was an opportunity for audience members to “get a glimpse into the personal lives of the Pythons.”
“The Meaning of Live” gives audience members a glimpse into a bond between comedians that has spanned over 45 years. Between jokes, pseudo-arguments, and emotions occasionally brimming to the surface, the Pythons prove that nothing has changed.
The age of the Python’s is a key theme throughout the film. Cleese explains he enjoys being older because he now realizes what a “madhouse” the world is. However, Palin feels as though the spotlight on the age of the group is exaggerated. “Live” helps show that age is just a number. As Gilliam points out in one scene, “Onstage, we were kids again.” The film also shows the universality of comedy. By showing an ad for the O2 shows featuring the Rolling Stones followed by a clip from the groups performance on the BBC’s “The Graham Norton Show,” “Live” shows that young and old alike still love the Pythons.
“Live” gives audiences a look into the highs and lows of the Python’s career as a team, including their support from legendary rock bands, such as the funding for the 1975 movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” that came from Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. On the other hand, “Live” also gives insight into the unfortunate alcoholism that plagued Chapman, to whom the film is dedicated.
This well-organized, fast-paced movie takes audiences through the history of these comedy legends and gives amazing insight about what went into producing the last shows that the Python’s will do.The film opens to the group rehearsing for the shows, unsure if they could reproduce the sketches that made them legends, and ends with them saying farewell to audiences that have loved them for years. In typical Python fashion, that goodbye was a sarcastic “piss off.”
(09/24/17 6:24pm)
Remembering the life and legacy of rock pioneer David Bowie.
By Breanna Cooper
On Jan. 8, I intended to review David Bowie’s new album Blackstar. As I listened, I noted the instrumentation in “I Can’t Give Everything Away,” the bizarre introduction to “Girls Love Me,” and kept in mind the eerie music video that accompanied “Lazarus.” On Jan. 10, I discovered that a review would be redundant. Blackstar, Bowie’s 28th studio album would be the last for the rock legend.
David Bowie’s passing was not only heartbreaking but also shocking. The private rock star kept his 18-month battle with cancer relatively secret, with only family and close friends knowing his diagnosis. Despite his illness, Bowie released two music videos for his latest album Blackstar, one for the title song and the other for “Lazarus.” Perhaps it was the anticipation for new material that made fans overlook the singer’s gaunt figure and the dark lyrics in the new tracks. In hindsight, the entire album now seems to be a haunting farewell. While it has been reported that Bowie made plans for future work, it is obvious throughout the album that Bowie knew he would not see these works released. The death of Major Tom could have been a parallel to the fate that Bowie knew was his. As Bowie said in “Blackstar”“something happened on the day he died.”
Upon hearing the news, social media was filled with an overwhelming outpour of emotions from fans from all demographics. Many artists shared their stories of the Thin White Duke.
Dr. Brian May of Queen wrote a piece for the Daily Mail describing his encounters with the late rock star, specifically when Queen and Bowie collaborated on the 1982 hit “Under Pressure.”
Shaun Cassidy took to the internet to share the story of meeting Bowie when Cassidy was just fifteen years old. Bowie told the budding popstar to “trust what makes you different,” a piece of advice that Cassidy has carried with him all these years.
Along with his musical genius, Bowie will certainly be remembered for his knack for being different. Throughout his four decade career, Bowie introduced the world to alter egos Ziggy Stardust, a bisexual alien from Mars, and Aladdin Sane, who served to demonstrate the thin line between sanity and insanity, hence “A Lad Insane”. Bowie’s ability to completely rebuild himself is likely the reason that so many people can identify with his music. All of us have felt out of place at times. Bowie’s music, as well as his entire persona, helped spread the idea that everyone is just a little bit crazy and maybe we should just embrace that.
Bowie was not only an important figure in the world of music and film but also a prominent supporter of those who are often ostracized by society, including the LGBT community, and indigenous groups, and used music to express the struggles that come with mental illness.
Although everyone experiences mental illness differently, for me, Bowie’s whole persona-not just his music-was validation. Being considered “weird” was okay, because Bowie made being “weird”, whatever that means, look really damn good. The thought that one could completely change who they were was oddly comforting, as was the idea that the point of life isn’t to be understood by others but to find who you are and walk your own path.
Bowie’s death not only signals the end of an era, but it also serves as a lesson about the power of art. Whether you know him from his role as Jareth the Goblin King or from his role as a pioneer of glam rock, people from all walks of life felt the loss of such an important icon. After a quiet battle with cancer, Bowie said goodbye to the world the best way he knew how: through music.
He told listeners in “Lazarus”, “Just like that bluebird/ Oh I’ll be free/ Ain’t that just like me.”
Bowie could have easily announced his terminal diagnosis. Instead, he released teasers for music videos. In his last days, he saw anticipation and celebration for his newest album. Bowie’s legacy could have been overshadowed by a lengthy battle with cancer. Instead, the final part of his legacy will be releasing a beautiful, best-selling album despite fighting a terminal illness.
Ain’t that just like him?
(09/24/17 6:21pm)
Author Jay Coles lends words of wisdom to aspiring authors during National Novel Writing Month.
By Breanna Cooper
While writing a novel is something many people have on their bucket list, life, as everyone knows, can sometimes get in the way of things one has planned. However, with November being National Novel Writing Month aspiring authors are banning together to start and finish their goal of writing a novel.
It seems outlandish. Writing a novel in 30 days would require not only an extreme amount of motivation, but also an extremely balanced schedule. Nothing is impossible.
Take Jay Coles for example. At 19, Coles has already published two novels: “The Growing Feathers” and “Under the Lights,” along with a trilogy that he is working on. The first novel in the series is titled “Lionheart,” and was named Amazon’s “Book of the Month” in October. Coles is currently working on two more novels: “Queen-Sized” and “Come as You Were,” the latter set to be released in the fall of 2017.
Currently studying education and English at Ball State University, Coles plans on being “a teacher for some time—in hopes of my writing career lifting off to greater heights.” Eventually, Coles would like to learn how to write screenplays.
Despite his young age, Coles’ writing process can take some time. In terms of how long it typically takes him to finish a novel, Coles explained that “the range could honestly be from a couple months up to three years.”
Perhaps the idea of writing a novel in just one month is a bit generous. However, finding a basis for a story and working to figure out all the details can help writers finish what they start.
“The most important aspect of writing is the creative element. It’s important to put your heart in every word you write, especially in National Novel Writing Month. The best writing happens when you connect with the work on an emotional level,” Coles said.
When looking for inspiration, the most important thing one can do is read.
“As an individual, reading books and writing has made me see the world as a realm of infinite possibilities—people are boundless and words can set us free over and over again, if we let them,” Coles explained. “The way I think about it: you can either spend your life wondering what could, what should, and what will happen in your life or you can live it folded in-between the pages of a book.”
For Coles, inspiration comes from authors such as JD Salinger, Veronica Roth, and Indiana’s own John Green. While his favorite book is constantly changing, some titles on the list includes “A Clockwork Orange” and “More Happy Than Not.”
While writing, Coles does not shy away from touchy subjects. In “The Growing Feathers,” the protagonist suffers from mental illness. For Coles, this topic required dedicating time to research.
“It took me about half a year, just to get a grip on the research aspect and interviewing people who have family members with various mental illnesses,” Coles said. “For writers that wish to write about such topics, I would say tackle them hard, but be gentle with your words.”
When it comes to sitting down to work on a novel, there are several different programs which aspiring authors can use. For example, some writers use programs such as “Write or Die,” which motivates them to keep working by deleting chunks of their work if they take too long of a break. As for Coles, he prefers a more traditional mode of working.
“No programs,” Coles said. “Everything happens in my head. I have recently started using a word doc to outline more complicated twists and turns in my newer novels. With each novel, my writing process changes.”
As for time management, Coles has a system worked out to make sure he gets the most out of every day.
“I create an agenda every day. And things, strangely, work out for me,” Coles said. “I write down in my phone or on a sticky note or on my calendar all of the things I must accomplish that day and I check things off. For instance, today’s goal: write four chapters of another novel, talk with agents, edit essays, do some homework, practice a speech, have lunch and dinner, and sleep.”
That may seem like a lot of work, but, in the long run, it seems to help.
“Most—if not all the time, I find this difficult to juggle,” Coles continued, “but I make it work with a little extra determination every day.”
Over 3,000 people are participating in National Novel Writing Month, and some may find it difficult to find motivation and inspiration, but there is no need to be discouraged.
“Never stop writing,” Coles said. “Do not let anyone tell you you’re not good enough, not smart enough, not talented enough, not brave enough, or simply never enough. Send those people packing out of your life with all of their hate on their backs.”
(09/24/17 6:18pm)
Bowie's new single showcases his genius and his knack for all things strange.
By Breanna Cooper
The God of glam rock is at it again, and he is just as weird as ever. On Nov. 19, David Bowie released “Blackstar” (stylized as ★), a song which serves as a preview for his upcoming album of the same name, which will be released on Jan. 8, his 69th birthday.
Without a doubt, “Blackstar” is a perfect preview for the album, solely because the track, along with the ten minute video that accompanies it, leaves the viewer wondering what the hell is going on. Aliens with tails, worshipping the dead, scarecrows, and a blindfolded Bowie seemingly awaiting execution are all featured throughout the video. Somehow, Bowie still manages to make “weird” look good.
The most interesting aspect of the song is that it may signal the end of Major Tom. The 1969 song “Space Oddity” from Bowie’s self titled album describes a man, Major Tom, going to space. Halfway through the song, we hear “ground control” telling the astronaut “your circuits dead, there’s something wrong,” before ending with Major Tom telling the listeners “there’s nothing I can do.” In 1980, the song “Ashes to Ashes” shows Bowie revisiting Major Tom, saying “I’ve heard a rumour from ground control, oh no, don’t say it’s true.” Throughout the song, listeners get the idea that Major Tom is somewhere in space in distress.
Now, 35 years later, Bowie’s “Blackstar” shows a young alien woman lifting the helmet of an astronaut, revealing nothing more than a skeleton. The skull was then shown throughout the video as some sort of religious totem for the community of aliens on the planet the astronaut landed on. While it can’t be confirmed that the upcoming album will be a concept album, this eerie reference to a dead astronaut could very well be Bowie returning to, and ending, the story of Major Tom.
While the song and video are both very strange, they help to showcase the genius of David Bowie. For years, he has redefined the way people think about music. Combining abstract art with poetic lyrics, Bowie forces listeners to step out of their comfort zones to try and uncover the meaning behind his songs.
The buzz that surrounded the “Blackstar” single release will surely be replicated when the full album is released. There are many reasons for that, one being that Bowie has been somewhat of a hermit in recent years. However, this album may prove to be what gets him back in the public eye as fans search for more details as to what happened to the famous astronaut on “the day he died.”
(09/24/17 6:15pm)
Taking a break from prepping for his tour, Fleming spoke with us over the phone about his influences, the creation of his first EP, and the Bloomington music scene.
By Breanna Cooper
High school can be a time when you discover who you are and what you want to be. For Shaun Fleming, a high school talent show changed the course of his life. Since then, the former voice actor has toured around the world as the drummer for Foxygen and is kicking off a tour as the lead singer of Diane Coffee. After a show on Jan. 21 at The Bluebird in his home base of Bloomington, Fleming is preparing for a show at Indianapolis’s Hi Fi this Thursday.
“Getting back to writing and leading a band feels like business as usual,” Fleming said. The 28-year-old California native has been living in Bloomington for three years, in what he describes as his favorite music scene that he has found so far. Influenced by early Motown hits and his travels, Fleming strives to incorporate new elements into his stage act in order to keep it as exciting as his first time performing in high school.
For his upcoming tour promoting the 2015 record Everybody’s a Good Dog, which was released on Western Vinyl, Fleming is “excited to get back to the Los Angeles area, because I have a lot of family and friends out there”. With 25 dates on the calendar, including one show in Vancouver, Fleming is preparing to return to a world he is already familiar with: life on the road. “You know, I’ve seen so many places because of Foxygen and Diane Coffee, I know a lot of these venues, so I’m excited to get back. I’m excited to see people who have seen Foxygen or Diane Coffee before. It’s sort of like catching up with old friends”.
Taking a break from prepping for his tour, Fleming spoke with us over the phone about his influences, the creation of his first EP, and the Bloomington music scene.
You have your first show at the Hi-Fi coming up this week. How do you prepare for a performance, and how do you get the feel of the venue when it’s your first time playing there?
It takes about an hour or so for me to really get into the zone, or get mentally prepared for a show. I usually dress up, and all of us get together in the back and warm up, and start getting real goofy and just having a good time. We have our show rituals that we do backstage before every show. As far as a new venue, we’re there pretty early for soundcheck, and we spend a lot of time onstage before we actually perform, so that really helps us understand the stageA lot of these places have a lot of similarities as well as differences, so you just have to play every show by ear.
You started out in LA, then moved to New York, and now you’re in Bloomington. What are some of the major differences you saw in the music scene in these cities?
Growing up in the LA scene, I never really could find a way to break into it, and it was disheartening. LA is so big, and most venues are pay to play. I couldn’t quite put a band together where I was living. I wasn’t living in the city, I was living in Agoura Hills, about an hour or so out of Los Angeles. I almost gave up on music, I was feeling pretty low about things. In New York, I had already been in Foxygen, so I was traveling around. The music scene there was pretty fun, you can always see something. But, trying to practice and play in New York was pretty hard for me. It’s very costly, and it’s hard to get around without a car when you’re lugging around a bunch of gear. Indiana, at least in Bloomington, is filled with so many great musicians, and it’s easy to get around. There’s always great music and artists supporting each other.
How would you describe the Bloomington music scene to someone from out of town?
It’s all across the board. I mean, you have the IU college here, which has a really great music school. So, you’ve got a lot of classical musicians. There’s a lot of psych, a lot of garage bands.There’s so much music being passed through in Bloomington, so musicians here are exposed to so much. By that token, there’s a lot of musical groups that pop up around here that are a mix of many different genres. There’s a lot of venue that can cater to those performances here. There’s so many house shows out here. The fact that the midwest has so many basements, you can just put on a show everywhere. That’s something I never got in LA, is a house show, which is something that’s really big here.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Oh, there’s too many to list. I’m a fan of a lot of the old motown classics. I’m a fan of some stuff that my dad listened to, and then, there’s people like St. Vincent, I mean, there’s so many, the list just goes on and on.
Are there any specific elements from these artists that you try to incorporate into your own music?
I think if you look at the two records, it has sort of an eclectic element to it. I think some songs I pull from Motown, and some stuff I pull from Stacey Glam, or modern garage rock. I haven’t really done a record yet that is very much a singular sound. Although, I do feel that it all fits together as one album.
When you started with Foxygen, you were thrown to the wolves in a sense when it came to the drums. Are you self taught on your other instruments, as well?
Yeah, pretty much everything. You know, you pick up a lot of things from different people. Being surrounded by so many great musicians, I’m always learning, and that helps. I’ve never taken any formal lessons. If you can play guitar, you’re able to play bass, and pick up a lot of string instruments and kind of figure it out. Like, with drums, you understand basic rhythm, so you can learn other percussion. If you give me any instrument, I’m going to have some element to figure it out.
Your upcoming tour is a nationwide tour with a show in Canada. What are you most excited for?
We’re playing a lot of new songs, so I’m excited for that. I’m just looking forward to having fun.
What changes have you seen since your solo release in 2011?
I didn’t really have a solo release. I’m not sure how people started talking about that. I made an EP that I didn’t show anyone. It’s stuff that I recorded with Jonathan Rado (of Foxygen) right out of high school. It was the first stuff I ever wrote, when I was just starting to make music. We recorded in Elliot Smith’s studio in LA, so that was fun.It’s so old, and it sounds so different from what I’m doing now. It’s embarrassing, like lyrically, it’s so bad (laughs). But, I have like 150 to 200 of these CDs that are in my house that I’ve been carrying around since high school. I don’t want to get rid of them, because they’re the first things I ever did, but I just don’t know what to do with them. I’ll just hold on to them.
From the growth that you’ve seen since then, what changes do you expect to see in your music in the next five or ten years?
You know, I’m just going to be traveling and living and experiencing new things and experiencing new music, and that will undoubtedly be inspiring. I’ll just be pulling from all of those things. That’s the great thing about any art-is that you’re always pulling from an endless source that is life, so you’ll always find inspiration and new influences.
What are some of the best ways that people can promote artists in their communities?
Go to shows. Show people the music.That’s the best way to really support artists, just listen to music and share it. I mean, that’s all that we want. We just want to do it, (laughs) this feels weird to say this, but it’s for the fans. You know, it’s for the fans. It’s for everyone. It’s helpful for us to write, because it’s what we love to do, and maybe it can move people and put into words what they weren’t able to, or it makes them happy. That’s why we do it.
Do you have any advice for aspiring musicians?
Just don’t give up. Keep writing. Like I said, that first album that I wrote, I find incredibly embarrassing. Just keep working on your craft and don’t give up. And do it because you want to do it, don’t think of it as a job. Do it because you want to and it makes you happy.
Diane Coffee will be performing at The Hi-Fi on Thursday, January 28th.
Doors open at 8:00 pm. $10//21+
https://youtu.be/HJ8xHy-xPoQ
(09/24/17 6:13pm)
Jason Bonham is working to keep the spirit of rock’n’roll alive today.
By Breanna Cooper
When many think about rock ’n’ roll, images from the days When Giants Walked the Earth come to mind. However, as we all know, a lifestyle of “sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll” is not a sustainable one. That being said, rock ’n’ n’ roll itself lives on. Five seconds of the guitar intro to “Stairway to Heaven” is more than enough for most to recognize the song. When “Bohemian Rhapsody” is played in a public setting, it’s hard for many people to not sing along. That’s the beautiful thing about rock ’n’ roll: it brings together diverse groups of people with a similar passion for music. It’s not just the guitar solos or drum fills: it’s simply the spirit behind it. So, what is that spirit?
For Jason Bonham, son of late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and a wickedly talented drummer in his own right, that spirit means using music as a healing remedy: literally. When I spoke to him before his Led Zeppelin Experience show at Murat, Bonham explained “the spirit, for me, is that even though I spent most of last night and this morning with my head in the toilet, I would never think about cancelling a show. I might have a bucket on stage [laughs], but if people come out to support me I just couldn’t cancel.”
When one first hears Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience, it may be easy for one to conclude that it is simply the son of a musician profiting off of his last name. However, the spirit of rock ’n’ roll could be felt throughout the powerful set. If audience members closed their eyes, vocalist James Dylan could trick even the biggest Zeppelin fan into thinking they traveled back to 1973 when Led Zeppelin rocked Madison Square Garden. While nobody can pound a drum quite like John Bonham, his son proves that the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree. After countless intense drum fills, Bonham addressed the audience, admitting that he felt a bit under the weather but that “no matter how sick you are, rock ’n’ roll is a killer cure.”
While Led Zeppelin has been broken up since the 1980 death of John Bonham, Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience proves that good music can survive tragedy. As the packed theatre sang along to “Stairway to Heaven” and “Going to California,” it was evident that nothing can kill rock ’n’ roll.
Mike Contreras,musician and co-manager of Indy CD and Vinyl ,believes that by continuing to perform Zeppelin’s music for audiences Bonham is “keeping Zeppelin and his father’s legacy alive.” For Contreras, the spirit of rock ’n’ roll is rebellion. “That’s a broad statement,” he starts, “but whether it’s rebelling from your parents, from the establishment or your government, rock ’n’ roll has always been about being different, maybe even something dangerous.”
Throughout the years, the world of rock ’n’ roll has faced many ups and downs. From The Beatles taking over America to the deaths of so many legends such as Lennon, Bonham, and Hendrix, one thing has remained the same: the love for the music. As Jason Bonham put it: “I play from the heart. I don’t know another way to play it.” Musicians, bands, and groups will come and go. In the end, it’s the music that survives.
(09/24/17 6:09pm)
Nathan Brown, a communications undergrad at IUPUI has just released his first novel-out now.
By Breanna Cooper
Beyond taking classes and working towards a degree, college is a time to expand one’s horizons. For Nathan Brown, a public relations major here at IUPUI, that means getting his first book published.
“Burning Fields,” a CIA thriller, is on shelves now. The novel, published by Green Ivy Publishing, was all started with just one quote.
“I have this concept of a badass in the back of my head,” Brown said. “I thought of the line ‘sorry to disappoint,’ and I was like ‘I can’t say that, I’m too wimpy to say that. So, I’ll make up my own person to say that,’ and then I started coming up with a plot. It went from one little line to a book.”
Brown, a Marion native, started writing when he was a boy.
“I actually wrote a book when I was like six years old. It was about two kings and it was about a page long,” Brown said. “I tried writing a book in middle school, and it was terrible. I was using stuff from different stories and using names that I had heard, and I was like ‘oh, this really looks like stuff I’ve already read.’ I had to throw it out.”
Brown started writing as a way to escape from school and to eventually make a career for himself.
“I wanted to start writing because I hated school,” he explained. “I thought ‘what’s a way that I could get out of school and hopefully make a living?’”
This mindset led to Brown to use his writing as a therapeutic tool.
“It was a stress reliever for me. Whenever I would get stressed about classes or projects, I just wanted to do something that I would enjoy, so I just started typing up this book,” Brown said.
Inspired by authors such as James Patterson, Christopher Paolini, and the television show “Castle,” Brown wanted to create a novel that put an emphasis on “character development and intricate plots.”
“It’s about a guy who has come back after being declared dead. He’s been dead for two years, everybody thought. Everybody thinks he’s out for vengeance, no one knows why he’s back.” Brown explained, “There’s an agent who gets wrapped up in it, and she doesn’t know who’s on who’s side and who she can trust. It becomes a very confusing time for her character.”
While the writing process wasn’t without struggles, like developing subplots, which Brown laughingly explains are quite difficult to master. The young author found that getting published was fairly simple.
“I sent out my manuscripts everywhere, and Green Ivy called me and told me that they wanted to publish it,” Brown said. “I know a lot of people have trouble finding publishers, because they go the traditional route, which can take years. The company I’m working with is a hybrid company, so it has the pros of the traditional method with the pros of self publishing.”
Green Ivy Publishing has been in business for a little over a year. They only accept ten percent of the manuscripts they are sent. After getting published, Brown explained that his biggest goal right now is to simply “get my name out there.”
Despite getting published fairly quickly, it wasn’t something that Brown expected.
“It was probably one of the most exciting moments of my life,” he said. “I never in a million years thought I could get published, to be honest. It was exciting and thrilling. When you finish a book and get published, you feel really accomplished. It really raises you up.”
Already thinking about the future, Brown sees himself expanding out of the thriller genre to write historical fiction.
“I’m a really big history buff,” he said, “so I’d love to write about it.”
Brown is proof that hard work, dedication, and creativity can really pay off. With one novel under his belt, Brown looks forward to writing many more in the future, perhaps even expanding on “Burning Fields.”
In the meantime, he urges any aspiring authors to “write for you, not your audience. If you wouldn’t want to read something, why would anyone else?”
(09/24/17 6:06pm)
The Boss hit the road to revisit his classic double album, “The River.”
By Breanna Cooper
Louisville, Ky. - Thirty-six years after releasing The River, Bruce Springsteen is bringing the contents of his fifth studio album, along with many of his hit songs, back to the stage.
Springsteen, along with the E Street Band, played in Louisville, Ky. on Sunday, Feb. 21. Throughout the set, which went on for three and a half hours with no intermission, Springsteen played a total of 35 songs. Starting with “Meet Me in the City,” an outtake from The River studio sessions, Springsteen seemed just as lively and energetic on “Bobby Jean,” the last song of the set.
The frontman wasn’t the only one with high energy. In the latter end of the set, guitarist Nils Lofgren performed an insane solo in “Dancing in the Dark,” complete with him spinning in circles. He never missed a note.
Jake Clemons is on his third tour with the E Street Band, bringing his own unique sound. Clemons is filling in for his uncle, Clarence Clemons, who played saxophone with E Street from 1972 until his death in 2011. Clemons honors his uncle’s legacy without mimicking his sound. Although the late Clemons brought a distinct and powerful sound to the band, Jake is an extremely strong player whose sound blends in nicely with the rest of the group.
Before the show started,The River seemed to be an odd choice to take on the road. While it certainly has it’s up-tempo hits, such as “Hungry Heart,” the second half of the double album has a mellow, laid back sound. As Springsteen told the audience, The River was a “coming of age album.”
I wasn’t sure if such an album could keep the audience’s attention for a long span of time. I was wrong.
It helped that Springsteen incorporated many of his well-known hits from his catalog, including “Born in the USA” and “Badlands.” However, even his ballads, including “Independance Day,” kept the audience enthralled.
The show had three major highlights. The first was hearing Springsteen and guitarist Steven Van Zandt harmonize on “Don’t Fade Away.” As a Van Zandt fan, hearing the duet live was a fantastic experience.
Second, the show gave me a new appreciation for drummer Max Weinberg. Listening to the records, the drums never particularly stood out to me. However, hearing Weinberg powerhouse his way through the setlist made me rethink his contribution to the group.
The final highlight was one that cannot go unmentioned: audience interaction. I have never been to a show where the audience showed so much enthusiasm. Going back to the fact that Springsteen played continuously for over three hours, I was amazed at the energy that never seemed to leave the crowd.
During his renditions of tracks like “Because The Night” and “Hungry Heart,” audience members from the pit to the very top of the stadium were singing along word for word. The harmonica entrance to the title track was met with a deafening roar from the packed crowd. Even after a nonstop show, the E Street Band and audience alike were still able to knock out a cover of the Isley Brother’s “Shout.”
If I took away anything from this show, it’s that Bruce Springsteen is one hell of a performer. Between ballads, hard rock, and crowd surfing, there’s a reason they call him The Boss.
(09/20/17 1:16am)
The celebration of the analog format brings together the community and the local music scene.
By Breanna Cooper
For vinyl collectors Record Store Day (RSD) is a huge deal. Since 2007 the third Saturday of April has been a day for music fans to line up outside of local record stores to get their hands on limited presses of various albums. This celebration of the analog format does more than bring together music fans; it brings together communities.
While some may celebrate RSD in stores that they already frequent, others may venture out to new areas. Bloomington musician Mike Adams, of Mike Adams At His Honest Weight, is scheduled to play a set outside of Luna Music on RSD, along with several other Indiana bands. Adams believes RSD is “a great way to get interested people into businesses and cultural exchanges that they might otherwise miss out on.”
There’s more to RSD than just records.
“My favorite part is the spectacle of it,” Adams explained. “You've got loads of people turning out to celebrate all kinds of music and record shops, some people are desperately trying to get a new release from their favorite artists, some people are hustling for eBay fodder, some people are just turning up because there's a crowd...it’s wild and fun.”
Alex Beckman and Spencer Hartford, members of Video Grave, are another local band set to play at Luna. They have seen the event grow significantly over the past several years. “We have been attending RSD for about six years now and each year it just seems to get bigger and more fun each year,” they said.
“Local business are always a great help to RSD sheathed it be food trucks, beer carts, or what have you, local business really help bring that extra sense of community,” they said. “RSD is really just an awesome place for music and community to come together.”
Adam Gross, frontman for the Indianapolis band S.M. Wolf, believes that RSD “typically has a good impact on the restaurants and shops around the record stores since there are so many people out and about.”
As he prepares for his band’s set at Luna Music, Gross considers the impact that an event such as RSD has on the local music scene. He explained, “It certainly helps the bands playing shows on RSD to get exposure to a new crowd while also, hopefully, encouraging avid record buyers to buy local music.”
While Broad Ripple is a hotspot for RSD participants, Irvington Vinyl offers exclusive releases and live music as well. This year marks the second year that the store has been an official participant in RSD, and owner Rick Wilkerson is looking forward to the festivities.
“There’s a bunch of releases that look really good,” Wilkerson said. “Things are growing. This business is growing, as well as the categories, so there’s more and more people buying records. Last year was really crowded, but we worked it out,” he continued. “People are great, they’re patient and work well with others.”
For those planning on heading out to Irvington, be sure to check out the live music that will be playing from noon to 6:30 p.m., rain or shine.
This year, vinyl fans have something else to celebrate. Statistics from the Recording Industry Association of America from last year show that vinyl’s revenues have grown 52 percent over the past year, while CD revenues have dropped nearly 33 percent.
“Records were nearly dead twice,” Wilkerson stated. “First, record companies tried to kill them off with CD’s. Then, they kind of came back in a limited fashion, and then they tried to kill them off with digital. But, they just refuse to die.”
“I think people, myself included, enjoy the experience of listening to a record on vinyl,” Gross said. “Searching through the spines of the records on my shelf, pulling one out, putting it on the turntable, dropping the needle and listening to it while looking at the art and reading the liner notes is such an amazing experience.”
“Popping a CD in a CD player or listening to a song on Spotify from my phone just comes nowhere close to the experience of a record,” Gross continued.
As record shops and local bands prepare to make RSD a success, be sure to do your part to support local businesses and music. Whether that’s heading out to a shop you’ve never been to, or listening to a new band, there are plenty of opportunities for you to put your own spin on RSD 2016.
Where to go on Record Store Day:
Luna Music--8 a.m.-9 p.m.
Irvington Vinyl--8 a.m.
Indy CD and Vinyl--8 a.m.-9 p.m.
Karma Records--8 a.m.
The Exchange--10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Von’s Records and Videos--9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Vinyl Rescue Project 10 a.m.
Joyful Noise (afterparty at 7 p.m.)
To view full list of RSD releases, visit: http://www.recordstoreday.com/SpecialReleases
(09/20/17 1:13am)
The first INfusion Music Fest, hosted by ISO, hopes to bring classical music to new audiences, along with a message of conservationism.
By Breanna Cooper
Flower crowns, body paint, and large crowds are all things people think of when they hear “music festival.” As for the upcoming INfusion Music Fest, hosted by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO), think more along the lines of violins, piano and environmental conservation.
Congratulations to Henry Dan, the winner of our INfusion Music Fest poster contest! The ISO panel of judges picked Henry's poster because of its representation of both the ISO and the theme of environmental conservation. Thanks to all designers who submitted artwork for the contest!
April 28 marks the beginning of the first INfusion Music Fest, which the ISO wants to focus on “the connections between music and the environment.” Throughout the three day event, taking place in the Hilbert Circle Theatre festivalgoers can expect to see live music and take part in discussions focusing on issues such as deforestation and the economic benefits of going green.
“I’m not exactly sure how they came up with the environmental theme,” Lauren King, the communications manager for the ISO said. “When I joined the committee, the theme had pretty much been decided on, but I was super excited, because I’m all about going green.”
In order to promote their message of conservation, festivalgoers won’t find any concert schedules in a booklet. Instead, the ISO has decided to make the festival program completely digital to minimize their environmental impact.
“A lot of the music being performed revolves around the environmental theme,” King explained. “Songs about the oceans, things like that,” she continued.
One group taking part in this weekend’s festivities is the Brooklyn-based eight piece band San Fermin. Bandleader Ellis Ludwig-Leone is excited to be a part of the culture that classical music brings to a community.
“Sometimes there’s a culture surrounding classical music that is maybe a little bit stodgy,” he wrote in an email. “So, it’s always nice to be part of an event that opens it up to a younger audience.”
And bringing classical music to a younger audience is something the ISO hopes to do.
“We’ve been focusing on reaching out to young professional audiences through our FORTE program,” King explained. “It’ll be interesting to see classical music fans come out to the festival as well as the young professionals.”
“It’s funny, because a lot of the music we’re actually playing is contemporary music mixed with classical music,” King continued. “It’s not only bringing classical music into the realm for people who may not hear it regularly, but also that more modern contemporary sound as well.”
That mixture of contemporary and classical is what San Fermin is all about. Although the band incorporates violin and saxophone into their work, Ludwig-Leone doesn’t “have any agenda in that regard. I love classical music, and I love writing classical music,” Ludwig-Leone wrote. “But I also love pop music, and so that’s why both of those things are present in my work. But I’m not out to ‘save’ classical music or anything.”
While San Fermin is playing Saturday night at 8 p.m., festivalgoers should also look out for the other big names performing throughout the weekend, including artists-in-residence Time For Three, and headliners Kishi Bashi and Ben Folds.
“Actually Ben Folds, who is playing on the INfusion Music Fest with us, he was a huge inspiration for me growing up,” Ludwig-Leone wrote. “I played classical piano and then suddenly here’s this guy making the piano cool. As a freshman in high school I learned basically all the songs on Whatever and Ever, Amen and then started a band of my own. I’m definitely looking forward to hearing Ben’s concerto.”
The INfusion Music Fest, along with many events around Indianapolis, hopes to bring the community together. The festival is certainly a community effort. Organizations such as the Indianapolis Zoo and Keep Indianapolis Beautiful are all partnered with the festival to help festivalgoers go green.
“It was just a matter of reaching out to different groups,” King explained. “They all were completely on board and excited about the theme.”
“Every festival we go to, it’s always really cool to see how involved the community gets,” Ludwig-Leone put in an email. “It cultivates a sense of pride in your city, which is a good thing, I think.”
While the ISO and their partners are preparing to put on a great festival and the performers are finishing up setlists, King has one major goal in mind.
“I hope that people take from it (the festival) not only that they’ve heard really good music, but that it makes them want to make an impact, both locally and globally.”
For more information on the INfusion Music Fest, visit:https://www.indianapolissymphony.org/season/infusion-music-festival
(09/20/17 1:09am)
Indy film fans came together to celebrate the life and work of late actor Gene Wilder.
By Breanna Cooper
When the news began to spread on Aug. 29 that the comedic actor Gene Wilder passed away at the age of 83, fans of every age and demographic took to social media to share their memories and adoration for the man perhaps most remembered for playing the title role in the 1971 film “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” Movie theaters around the nation worked quickly to find a way to pay tribute to the late actor who had an immeasurable effect on the world of film.
Both the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) and the IMAX theater in the Indiana State Museum organized showings of three of Wilder’s most iconic films: “Young Frankenstein,” “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” and “Blazing Saddles.” For just five dollars per ticket, fans were able to rewatch the classic films on the big screen.
Friday night, the IMA held a screening of the 1974 Mel Brooks hit “Young Frankenstein” for a sold out audience. Before the main attraction started, however, the audience was shown and sang along to “Pure Imagination” from “Willy Wonka.”
It was the smiles and laughs that his iconic films brought to audience members that led Wilder to keep his Alzheimer’s diagnosis a secret. According to the late actor’s nephew,
“The decision to wait until this time to disclose his condition wasn't vanity, but more so that the countless young children would smile or call out to him ‘there's Willy Wonka,’ would not have to be then exposed to an adult referencing illness or trouble and causing delight to travel to worry, disappointment or confusion. He simply couldn't bear the idea of one less smile in the world.”
While 2016 has seen the loss of many talented performers, there have been few instances of tributes popping up throughout the nation on such short notice.
Like the IMA’s screening of “Young Frankenstein,” both of IMAX’s screenings of “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and “Blazing Saddles” sold out. As families gathered to watch “Willy Wonka” early Saturday morning, the emotions associated with the film was evident. Multiple generations of film fans connected “Wonka” with a magical sense of childhood. This speaks both to the lasting impact that Wilder had on pop culture, and also the power that film has on people.
“Our generation’s masterpieces are not necessarily paintings or works of literature: they are film. They are visual. When you look at it like that, at somebody that paints these beautiful pictures, to get somebody up on that silver screen, it sticks with you. Especially at a younger age, you have those films that you watch over and over again. ‘Willy Wonka’ was one of those films for a lot of people,” Craig Mince, board director for the Indianapolis International Film Festival said.
While Wilder played several iconic roles throughout his career, at the time of his death, he had not made a movie for over 20 years. For many entertainers, 20 years out of the spotlight comes with a loss of relevancy and popularity.
The same cannot be said for Gene Wilder.
“Children still watch ‘Willy Wonka,’ and that’s probably the biggest factor as to why he’s still known,” Dr. Dennis Bingham, the director of IUPUI’s film studies program said. “This happens sometimes in film history where if someone has made his or her mark, it almost doesn’t matter if they haven’t made a film in 20 or 30 years.”
Beyond his comedic ability, Wilder is also remembered as an innovator, making five groundbreaking movies with comedian Richard Pryor that broke barriers in race relations in Hollywood.
“When those two got together, they had the perfect comedic chemistry,” Mince said. “It was in a time when seeing something like that on a screen was groundbreaking. When they shared a screen, no one really cared about race or religion or whatever, it was just a performance that was absolutely stunning and amazing.”
For many, Gene Wilder played a huge role in their childhoods. Whether one remembers him for captivating their imagination as a young child or for entertaining them as any one of his legendary characters, one thing is for certain: Gene Wilder’s ability to bring laughs to the masses was truly his gateway to immortality.
(09/20/17 1:05am)
American English brings the magic of The Beatles back to stages around the world. Drummer Tom Gable speaks with The Campus Citizen about the impact The Beatles had on the world and how it feels to be a part of the new generation of Beatlemania.
By Breanna Cooper
April 10, 1970: The Beatles officially announced their breakup, marking the end of an era. For a decade, the Fab Four inspired countless individuals to pick up an instrument and brought the masses screaming into shows around the world. Then, it was over.
Kind of.
Sure, Beatles fans still had the records and the films to appreciate the music that four men from Liverpool used to change the world. But for those who were not able to see the magic live, it looked like their chance was gone.
That’s where American English steps in. For years, this Chicago-based cover band has brought the magic of The Beatles to international audiences, with audience members ranging from those around for Beatlemania to the new generation of Beatles lovers.
Celebrated by Sam Leach, an original promoter for The Beatles, who calls the band “The Beatles incarnate,” American English sends audiences back in time to the days of Ed Sullivan and through to the dissolvement of The Beatles.
Young Hines (John Lennon), Eric Michaels (Paul McCartney), James Paul Lynch (George Harrison), and Tom Gable (Ringo Starr) have been making a stop in Bargersville, Indiana at Mallow Run Winery for several years. Here, Hoosier Beatles fans get the chance to experience Beatlemania all over again.
For drummer Tom Gable, playing the part of Ringo Starr started after bandmate Eric Michaels “drafted” him into the group. After studying Tthe Beatles catalog and Starr’s drumming technique, Gable tapped into the “psyche of Ringo,” Gable explained in a phone interview.
“There was a point when I really got into it. It was a span of four or five years where I really had to dig in and research what was going on,” Gable said. “The music was so well written and recorded that it was clear everything on the records were there for a reason. And when you play those songs, because they’re perfect, like gems, if something isn’t right, you’ll feel it. It sounds cool to a novice ear, but you know there’s something missing. It takes time.”
For Gable, that time and practice, which includes learning to stick left handed, pays off when the music sounds authentic.
“The challenge, what’s fun about it, when you tap into that stuff, that’s where it really starts to sound like the record,” Gable said. “It’ll never sound exactly like the record, but you can get close. You have to keep that loyalty to what they did. They worked really hard, devoted their life to those ten years that they were together.”
With the outfits, haircuts, instruments, and accents all assembled, the work that goes into putting on a successful and authentic set is evident.
Ludwig drums and a telecaster guitar that is a near replica of George Harrison’s Fender that was used on the 1965 album Rubber Soul help American English to get a sound as similar to The Beatles as one could get without actually being The Beatles.
“It’s kind of light hearted,” Gable stated. “Obviously, everybody knows we’re not The Beatles. Nobody thinks like ‘I’m Ringo reincarnated,’ especially me. We’ve turned it into a business because we went the extra mile with the haircuts, instruments, and accents. I think people want to go because they never got to see and will never get to see it. They want in on the experience. They want to be in on the illusion. It’s fun to watch them get into it like that.”
With international gigs, American English brings that illusion to fans all over the world.
“In Japan, some of the younger people really acted like we were The Beatles. They never got to see that, only in film, so it was so exciting for them to see that live. They really appreciate it,” Gable said. “Even going back to England, even they were freaking out. Just to see their famed Beatles reenacted, they got a kick out of that. Especially Puerto Rico, they really went crazy. We didn’t think it was going to be that big. We came out and the streets were lined up.”
“We’re just a regular guys from Chicago. There’s a demand out there, and people are passionate about it. They really got into it.”
American English brings The Beatles to life onstage once again with three acts: the Ed Sullivan era, the psychedelia era, and finally, the later years of the Fab Four, including the White Album. For Gable, the first set holds special importance.
“ I love the first set, the black coat period,” he said. “That’s where the magic happened. Four young guys, playing in clubs making ten dollars each, and then they get suits, and all of a sudden the entire face of the planet is turned upside down.”
After their careers took off, The Beatles went from playing clubs to being chased by emphatic fans with cameras and having huge crowds of people waiting for them to get off a plane. “Imagine how that felt,” Gable said. “Just imagine that impact.”
“To me, those songs that catapulted them into that light, it was magic. Two or three years down the way, they were writing music to keep up their legend, but imagine writing those songs and not knowing what was going to happen. The first set is to me has the most magical moments.”
While The Beatles have long since been disbanded, American English helps to continue the legacy and the spirit that the Fab Four left behind. The authenticity of their set creates the illusion that one is standing in the Cavern Club in Liverpool where The Beatles got their start.
For Gable, the dedication to practice and passion for music that he shares with his bandmates takes the pressure off of portraying perhaps the most well known music group in the world.
“I feel like at the end of the show, if there is a Ringo fan in the audience, he’s going to go home and think ‘he’s done his homework,’”Gable said. “With that confidence, there isn’t much pressure, even playing such a monumental musician. It comes from a passion for the drumming and the music.”
American English has been voted “Best Tribute Band” three out of four years in the Chicagoland Area. For more information and tour dates, visit:http://www.americanenglish.com/mainpage_scroll.html
https://youtu.be/cGZ-ofmgMjA
(09/20/17 12:54am)
Arundhati Roy and John Cusack's conversation with each other and with NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden gives readers extraordinary insight into government surveillance and the consequences of bringing that information to the public.
By Breanna Cooper
In June of 2013, the British newspaper The Guardian broke the story of Edward Snowden, a former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor who risked everything to tell the world that the United States had been collecting phone records and personal data of everyday citizens.
After leaking the story to The Guardian, Snowden began living his life as an American refugee, eventually finding asylum in Moscow, Russia. To some, he is a national hero who sacrificed his freedom to tell his fellow American citizens about the wrongdoings of the government; to others, he is a traitor that jeopardized national security.
It seems that everyone has an opinion on Edward Snowden.
So begins the book “Things that Can and Cannot be Said,” written by Arundhati Roy and John Cusack. Along with Daniel Ellsburg, who leaked the Pentagon Papers in 1971 exposing classified Pentagon studies in regards to the Vietnam War, the writing duo visited Moscow in 2014 to meet Edward Snowden. The book is a collection of essays and conversations that took place during their visit in Russia.
For anyone interested in the history of the United States, “Things” provides a detailed account of the history of government surveillance and the whistleblowers that have caused controversy over the years. At times, the book focuses more on the past than the current situations that Snowden faces as a refugee.
However, that’s the point.
Providing history, along with political and cultural theories provided by Roy and Cusack, “Things” helps readers to see the issue of government surveillance beyond Edward Snowden. Taking a step back from the current controversy over the NSA, readers are able to see the historical events that, for some, justify the United States government acquiring information on American citizens.
The best aspect of “Things” is the fact that the authors are not trying to be persuasive. Through essays and transcribed conversations, Roy and Cusack provide readers with their theories and ideas related to government overreach and national security. The morality and constitutionality of surveillance is discussed, with Roy quoting former Secretary of Defense Robert Mcnamara who asked, “How much evil must we do in order to do good?”
While significant historical and political insight is given to readers, “Things” does what every good piece of journalism strives to do; provide facts, insight, and allow the reader to make their own decisions. For this reader, this aspect made the book worth reading. It posed huge questions and provided the reader with the information to answer those questions on their own.
With issues as controversial as the NSA leak and the man behind said leak, it is important to give audiences a clear look at the issues at hand and let their opinions form from there. “Things” did just that.
An abrupt ending to the book mirrored the ongoing controversy that is happening within the United States. While Edward Snowden might not be able to return home any time soon, or ever, for that matter, “Things” gives readers a better understanding of the man behind the NSA scandal, his motives and the questions of morality and patriotism that surround the controversy.
Above all else, “Things That Can and Cannot be Said” inspires readers to question, which, despite what those in power may think, is never a bad thing.
(09/20/17 12:51am)
The 25th annual Heartland Film Festival closed out on a high note with Rory Feek's Civil War drama 'Josephine.'
By Breanna Cooper
The 25th annual Heartland Film Festival ended on a high note with a screening of “Josephine,” written and directed by musician Rory Feek.
Set during the ending of the Civil War, “Josephine” focuses on a woman whose husband, John, is fighting for the Confederacy. After months go by with no letters from John, Josephine has no way of knowing whether her husband is alive or dead. With no money left to keep up the family farm and after burying her daughter, Josephine chops off her hair and follows her husband onto the battlefield, fighting as ‘Joseph’ for the South.
Director Rory Feek described the process of writing “Josephine” during a Q&A after the screening. After buying a farm in 1999, Feek joined the local Historical Society to learn more about the farmhouse. After uncovering Civil War letters from a soldier, John, to his wife, Feek wrote a song titled “Josephine,” the title coming from the name of the soldiers wife. Years later, after recording the song with his late wife, it was brought to Feek’s attention that there were also existing letters from Josephine.
This is how the storyline unfolded. Throughout the film, the audience hears several diary entries written by Josephine as she tries to hide her true identity from those around her. According to Heidi Feek, music supervisor and daughter of Rory Feek, several of these entries are ver batim from the letters written by Josephine to her husband.
The concept of a woman fighting a war disguised as a man is not a new one. However, “Josephine” takes a used idea and somehow makes it seem original. This originality stems from a strong storyline. The circumstances in Josephine’s life led her to the war. Unlike many stories of this nature, Josephine’s entrance to battle was not one of liberation. She was not out to prove that she, as a woman, was capable of doing anything a man could do. Instead, she was doing what she had to do to survive. Ironically, her means of survival relied on her fighting in the deadliest war in American history.
While Josephine is a fictional character, it is estimated that 600 to 1000 women fought in the Civil War. This film was dedicated to them.
While the storyline alone is captivating enough to make this a great film, there are several elements that make this film stand out.
Alice Coulthard (Josephine) and Boris McGiver, who plays Tally, a man that Josephine befriends, and who is aware of her gender throughout most of the film, give fantastic performances. Coulthard portrays Josephine’s confusion, fear, and dysphoria well. It should be noted that Coulthard is British, yet managed to perform with a very convincing Southern accent. That in itself is impressive. McGiver, while not playing the protagonist, makes audiences empathize with Tally, an Atheist struggling to find meaning in life.
Secondly, the cinematography in this film is outstanding. Director of photography Bryan Allen perfectly captured the horrors of war, as well as the beauty in the natural environment the soldiers were fighting in. Although the crew admitted to having a smaller budget than they would have liked, Allen made it impossible for audiences to tell.
Another notable aspect of this film was the soundtrack. Although many songs are contemporary, the score blended perfectly with the film. With an all female soundtrack, including tracks from Patty Griffin and Loretta Lynn, the hard work that went into piecing together the score was evident throughout the film.
“Josephine” is a beautiful film that weaves together the emotions that everyone feels throughout life. Depicting the unflinching realities of war juxtaposed with the overwhelming power of love and faith, “Josephine” is ultimately a story of overcoming hardship to celebrate the beauty existent in our lives.
Heartland could not have chose a better film to end the 2016 festival.
https://youtu.be/9ZJ6LsauDq0
(09/20/17 12:45am)
The 2016 election season saw Colorado become the sixth state in the Union to legalize physician-assisted suicide.
By Breanna Cooper
On Tuesday, Nov. 8, voters in Colorado voted for Proposition 106: The End of Life Options Act by a 2-1 margin. This proposition allows terminally-ill patients with a prognosis of six months or less the right to request and self-administer medication to voluntarily end their life. Colorado is now one of six states in the Union that has legalized physician-assisted suicide.
While this is certainly a victory for the autonomy movement, the concept of physician-assisted suicide raises some serious questions among healthcare professionals and ethicists.
While many arguments against physician-assisted suicide are rooted in the idea that life is sacred, the logistics and medical ethics of this proposition are more concrete.
“There are a few concerns about the ethics of euthanasia broadly and the Colorado law specifically,” medical humanities professor Jane Hartsock said. “More broadly, in terms of euthanasia, some of the more compelling arguments that I’ve heard is that it significantly alters the nature of the physician-patient relationship. So if you think about the nature of the physician-patient relationship being rooted in the Hippocratic Oath, with the ‘do no harm’ concept, the idea that you are participating in killing someone or ending their life, questions ‘is this doing harm?’ It is incompatible with the goal to heal.”
“The other argument that is offered by both physicians, ethicists and attorneys is that physician-assisted suicide is risky because of the slippery slope argument,” Hartsock continued. “Not that any particular law as it exists is necessarily unethical, but it opens a kind of Pandora’s Box to things that are very unethical. You might think of the Oregon law as being a good example of a thoughtful transparent physician-assisted suicide structure. The definition of the law is very clear and transparent. All the lines are very neat and clean. The question is just whether you can take that law as a starting point and expand it into something that would not be ethically permissible.”
“The most compelling arguments to me are in fact not the sanctity of life arguments. Those arguments are hard to make and require you to have very abstract philosophical views that most people aren’t really willing to engage in. But I do think that when physicians say that these laws do materially change their professional identity, some deference should be given there.”
While only a little over 10 percent of states have physician-assisted suicide laws on the books, Hartsock believes it will eventually become a trend.
“The autonomy movement has been on the rise for some time now. Most people think of it kicking off with Roe. v. Wade, and autonomy matches well with our American ideals,” Hartsock argues. “Individualism and control over one's own fate are kind of American values. It is a trend, and that data suggests that there is a growth of support for it among citizens of the United States, even though there doesn’t seem to be a correlating growth of support among health care providers individually.”
The Colorado proposition has extensive regulations to ensure that the law is not taken advantage of. For example, the proposition takes mental illness and stability into consideration:
“If either a primary or consulting physician believes the individual is not mentally capable of making an informed decision about receiving the medication, that physician must refer the individual to a licensed psychiatrist or a licensed psychologist before the request process may proceed. This mental health professional must communicate his or her findings in writing to the referring physician. If a person is found to be mentally incompetent, he or she is no longer eligible for medical aid-in-dying.”
However, even with these safeguards in place, many ethicists are concerned about the aforementioned slippery slope that could be created as physician-assisted suicide picks up momentum in the United States.
“I’m aware of the concern that insurance companies would cover PAS but not cover long term care for people who are chronically ill or have a disability or disease that is deteriorating,” Hartsock said. “I can see it going both ways. I could see in a really jaded, cynical world people saying ‘well, why don’t they just perform PAS,’ but the other thing i can see happening with that is a really involved cultural conversation about the way that we view death.”
“That could be meaningful to us, because we have a cultural abhorrence of death. We try not to think about it much, we pretend it doesn’t exist and we are always surprised by it, yet it is the inevitable. It would be interesting to see whether we could have a conversation about how the way that people die is a very important to their sense of how they lived.”
In the future, we could see physician-assisted suicide become the norm. If that day comes, professor Hartsock predicts it will happen at a state level as opposed to a federal level.
“I could see it being regulated on a state level, because it has already been decided at a federal level that you don’t have the right to physician-assisted suicide. So, the autonomy movement met its head at that point. Secondly, the Presidential election that we just had signals that we will have a much more conservative court than we have had in years, probably more so than we’ve had in 50 years,” Hartsock continued. “And the consequences of the court tend to affect laws for quite some time. The decisions that come out of that court will likely be anti physician-assisted suicide, and will likely be very anti-autonomy for reasons that have to do with religious teachings.”
Whether or not the United States will see physician-assisted suicide become a common practice in the future is yet to be seen. However, activists for the autonomy and Death With Dignity movement will surely continue to fight for the rights of the terminally ill to have a say in their end of life care.
https://twitter.com/DeathwDignity/status/796857568048148480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fthecampuscitizen.com%2Fthe-latest%2F2016%2F11%2F18%2Fcolorado-legalizes-the-right-to-die
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(09/20/17 12:43am)
A look back at the prolific life and career of musician Leonard Cohen
By Breanna Cooper
Few musicians reach the level of icon. Even fewer establish a career that spans decades, bringing with it songs that have been covered by hundreds of other artists.
Leonard Cohen, however, was one of those musicians. The Quebec native passed away on Nov. 7, and his death was announced on Nov. 10, shocking fans around the world.
Cohen is one of the many musical greats to leave us in 2016. Eerily similar the the death of David Bowie, Cohen released his last studio album “You Want it Darker,” just three weeks before his death. The album was met with praise from fans and critics alike, who had grown accustom to the haunting imagery and the lyrical sadness from the “godfather of gloom.”
Leonard Cohen was born on Sep. 21, 1934 in Westmount, Quebec. After learning the guitar and being exposed to poetry as a teenager, Cohen formed a folk band known as Buckskin Boys. After graduating from McGill University, Cohen moved to the Greek island of Hydra, where he published two books of poetry. Throughout his career, Cohen combined his passion for poetry and his passion for music to write songs about the universal truths: sexuality, religion, and politics.
His musical conversations discussing these universal truths allowed Cohen to make music that stands the test of time. Cohen’s music, much of which was written decades ago, rings true to the uncertainties of today. In his 1992 song “Democracy,” Cohen speaks of his view of and his hopes for America.
“From the wars against disorder/from the sirens night and day/from the fires of the homeless/from the ashes of the gay/Democracy is coming to the USA.”
While much of Cohen’s work was shrouded with a sense of pessimism, there were also words of hope and peace. In his song “The Future,” Cohen makes an argument for pacifism, saying “Love’s the only engine of survival.”
Perhaps his most well-known song, “Hallelujah,” has not only stood the test of time, but has become a work independent of its creator. The track has been recorded by numerous artists since it’s release in 1984. To this date, over 300 cover versions of this song exist, with over 50 million copies of the song being sold in CD format.
Along with the 14 studio albums that Cohen released, he also lent his songwriting talents to several other musicians, including Diana Ross, Judy Collins, and R.E.M.
Despite his countless contributions to the world of music, Cohen found in 1995 that a departure from the music scene was the best way to handle the depression that was plaguing him at that time. He entered the Mt. Baldy Zen Center outside of Los Angeles, where he became a Buddhist monk.
In 2001, Cohen returned to the music world with his album Ten New Songs, a collaboration with Sharon Robinson. Three years later, he released his 11th studio album Dear Heather.
In 2008, the 74-year old musician embarked on a massive world tour to remake the over $5 million that was embezzled by him by manager Kelley Lynch. From 2008 to 2013, Cohen performed 387 shows to his fans around the globe.
On Oct. 21, You Want it Darker was released, an album that was produced by Cohen’s son, Adam. Due to difficulties leaving the house, the album was recorded on a laptop inside of Cohen’s home. Upon the release of the album, it was announced that Cohen was in failing health and that he was “ready to die.” Clarifying his statement to a group of fans, Cohen, who admitted to having a flair for the dramatic, reassured fans: “I intend to live forever.”
And he will.
With his extensive catalog and thought-provoking lyrics, Leonard Cohen left his mark on the music community and the world. Cohen left the musical world on a high note with his last album, a beautiful and haunting depiction of life and death.
What a way to say goodbye.
https://youtu.be/v0nmHymgM7Y
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