EA: Greetings Chanel. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today!
CS: Thank you Mark for the opportunity, I really appreciate it.
EA: Let’s start at the beginning. What was early life like for you growing up (up through say middle school)? Where were you born? Family makeup? Memories from your youth?
CS: Well, I grew up in Albuquerque, NM in a very Hispanic catholic culture. Albuquerque is a pretty big city but living there it felt like a small town. The religious aspect made life rough for a young person discovering themselves and things weren’t made any easier with family issues going on at home.
EA: Do you come from a small family? Large?
CS: I come from a small family.
EA: When you entered high school, were things different, the same, somewhere in the middle regarding where your life was at during those years?
CS: It was a little bit different for me because I started to realize who I actually was, but it was in high school that I really knew I was a woman.
EA: Please correct me if I’m wrong but I believe you identify as transgender. Is this correct?
CS: I don’t identify as a transgender, that’s not my identity. I identify as a woman, I just happen to be a transgender woman.
EA: Oh I see - my apologies.
EA: Many people say they knew from early on when they felt they were trans. Please describe your experience when you knew you were trans.
CS: It wasn’t until I was 15 when I met other girls like me and became friends with them that I learned I was transgender too. Through those relationships I was able to become an activist in the LGBTQ community in New Mexico to help other people like me and more discover who they are and be fine with that.
EA: What difficulties have you encountered when other people learn that you are transgender?
CS: The responses have ranged from acceptance to brutal rejection, it just depends on the open mindedness of the individual.
EA: I saw recently through social media that you had a situation at the social security office (?) where you were not served and then forced to leave. Can you explain what happened for our readers?
CS: Unfortunately, I can't talk about that as I am having the situation investigated at the moment.
EA: You have been involved with the adult industry. How did this come about?
CS: I decided to move to Las Vegas because of the affordability of it and because of it being a large city, it was there that I sort of fell into the adult industry. It wasn’t a goal or mine at all, it just sort of happened.
EA: So far - how many scenes have you shot?
CS: A lot and I still have more coming out.
EA: Are there any particular scenes that stand out to you - for good or bad reasons?
CS: Currently my favorite scene was a bridal scene with Trans Angels and Mind Geek productions. The dress that they gave me to wear was gorgeous and I hope to one day get to wear one for real.
EA: What are your short term goals? Long term?
CS: A short term goal would be to build my name and reputation in such way that anyone in the adult industry would want to work with me (film, photo, etc) regardless of me being a transgender woman.
Long Term I would love to step beyond the adult industry and find success in other areas that I have an interest in such as fashion, make-up, and even acting in non-adult films. Of course in wanting to do this all I would like to maintain an equal amount of financial success.
EA: What do you feel needs to change in society to increase the acceptance of those in the transgender community?
CS: To keep an open mind about people who are going through their transitions and accept them as individuals. They are people who are looking to live their lives just like anyone else.
EA: Thank you for taking the time to talk with us today. Is there anything you'd like to plug/promote before we go?
CS: I would just like to thank you for taking the time to interview me. Please make sure to check out my website:
Keep an eye out for me as I have some exciting new scenes coming up. I'm hoping with all my hard work this year I will get to make a big splash at the upcoming AVN awards and TEA’s. Thanks again!
The mighty Goatwhore were announced as special guests on the
latest Venom, Inc, tour - who were out supporting their newest release,
"Ave Satanas".
The New Orleans based Goatwhore were a smart addition to the
bill as they have a large fan base and it showed on Thursday night at Studio
Seven.
The merch area of Studio Seven actually had more Goatwhore
merch than Venom, Inc merch.Judging by
the Goatwhore shirts and patches on the fans waiting outside the club, I wasn't
the only one there to see Ben and the boys create heavy metal havoc onstage.
Clad in their trademark black, with leather studded arm and
leg bands, the band took the stage and the pit immediately erupted into a
maelstrom of bodies slamming in every direction.
Someone asked me what kind of metal Goatwhore play and it
was actually kind of hard to describe for me.They are a metal band, with death influences in the vocals at times, and
old school Venom and Bathory influences in the guitar playing, but that's only the tip of the iceberg.
They are a punishing unit on stage.Ben has tremendous stage presence and his
interaction with the fans only connected them that much more to the band.
Their 45-minute set or so could have been an hour based on
the reception the Studio Seven crowd gave them.
Even though most metal heads respect the influence of Venom
on nearly every thrash, death, and black metal band that came after them,
including Goatwhore, Thursday night, respectfully, actually belonged to the
band from Nola.
There is no other greater statement than that.Goatwhore killed!
Cheers!
Mark
Eclectic Arts
BTW: It should also be noted that Toxic Holocaust played a strong 30 minute set of thrash. I still have a CDr that I got from Joel back in the day. It was great to see the band on the same bill as Goatwhore. The Convalescence had van problems and had to miss the Spokane and Seattle dates.
Special Thanks:Liz
for the credentials!Thank you for
always going about your business in the right way.I sincerely appreciate it!
On the anniversary of 9/11, a package of metal rolled into
Seattle that many a fan were eagerly anticipating.Epica was coming back (having played here in
November) with the equally popular Lacuna Coil from Italy, along with the
melodic death metal of Insomnium and US symphonic metal horde Elantris.Booking this at the Showbox was just the
icing on the cake.
The doors opened at 7pm and the show was already underway
when I finally got inside.I caught a
few songs of Elantris' set, with the last song the singer tried to get a pit
going, to varying success.
Insomnium turned everything up a notch when they stormed the
stage.The quartet ripped through their
30-minute set of melodic death metal.The pit erupted and the band was very well received.I was not overly familiar with their music
but left a fan for sure.
After a brief changeover, the stage was set for Lacuna
Coil.It was clear that many fans in
attendance were there solely for Cristina and the boys.I saw them ten years ago at El Corazon and
was looking forward to seeing how they had grown and evolved in that time.And evolve they did.
The band has been together for 20 years now - and it
shows.They are a seasoned veteran metal
act.The energy went through the roof
when they took the stage.Playing songs
from their vast catalog, the crowd couldn't get enough.They have a book documenting the bands
history in the works - most likely with a headlining tour to follow one would
guess.Their almost hour long set seemed
cut short.I believe in other cities
they played at least one other song, sometimes two.The audience clearly wanted more.
After the lights came up and the stage was changed over in
twenty minutes, it was time for the headliner.
Epica are more than a symphonic metal act.The fans know this but for the newcomer you
really need to listen to their catalog to understand they have many different
influences in their music.The six piece
hit the stage and sounded amazing.A
very grandiose soundscape, with Simone's soaring vocals, and the grit of the
guitars made for a fantastic audio experience. Their ninety minute set seemed to fly by. It's always interesting to see which bands in this genre have pits or walls of death and which ones don't. Epica definitely get the pit going and many fans look forward to that aspect of seeing the band live.
This tour was one of those where the fans really got their
money's worth.Quality bands, in a great
venue, made for an excellent night of music!
Cheers!
Mark
Eclectic Arts
Special Thanks:Kristin and David for the credentials!
I am flat out exhausted right now.This week is when we kick off our fall
programs at the "other" job.I
can't begin to describe how much work goes into getting these programs up and
running.
I also covered two shows this week when, in reality, I
should have planned better/said no so that I could get some rest.Even though it's Friday night as I type this
(not sure how smart this is either), I am not done yet.I have another
program to launch tomorrow and a third show to cover tomorrow night.Oh, and a family obligation is in there,
too.Go me…
I just want to preface my current hazy state of mind right
now before I delve into this thing called IBA.
This is a random list of thoughts and observations two weeks
after AL1CE performed up here in Seattle and Everett.There is no rhyme or reason to this list
other than to give the hardcore reader of Eclectic Arts and/or the hardcore fan
of AL1CE some insight into what you may have read, heard, or seen in any of the
material I produced while covering the band over Labor Day weekend.
Here we go:
*I have no idea what Sasha looks like in person without
either:teased hair and sunglasses or
teased hair and eye makeup for the stage.I only realized this after editing the video footage and looking through
the various photos I had taken at the shows.It didn't even dawn on me when I was at the shows.
*The end credit scene in the behind the scenes video is the
signed drumhead I purchased from the band - with a filter over it.Someone asked me if that was a sticker - I
don't think they looked at it very closely.
*The end credit guitar is the keyboard melody from
"Looking Glass" played by some guy that lives in Edmonds, WA.Maybe you know him?;o)
*It was a full 2-minute piece that was poorly recorded on my
DSLR camera.When I was listening back
to the audio, I decided to just cut it way down to the few seconds you hear in
the video before it goes to black.I
figured I already had a background track in part of the video that was my music,
I don't need 2 full minutes of me playing guitar on a whim.
*The scene from Seattle where all you can see is this dark
vertical shot was my footage from my old iPhone with the camera pointed at my
beer on the table.I kept this in the
video, as it is the first live anything I heard in person from AL1CE - and I
found it silly visually so it had to go in (the original clip was a good 20
seconds longer, though).
*Art inspires art.I've already touched on this but I had an idea way back in 2007 that,
because of the inspiration from my time covering AL1CE, I want to make a
reality now.It will involve all three
parts of my "three headed monster" (media, photography, music) - so
Eclectic Arts, Seattle Next Door, and Incarpathia will finally cross paths
after ten years of flirting with each other.Stay tuned…
*The concept of multiple bands that the core members of the
band are involved with hit home with my own projects.Even though mine aren't all music, that
similarity crossed my mind a week ago.
*I was in the bathroom at Studio Seven the other night and I
thought about Scott's photo escapades while on tour.
*One of my co-workers left my "other job" today -
everyone associated her with pandas (lots of panda stuff in her cubicle).I wonder if she has a onesie?I know two people that do.
*I had edited the behind the scenes video when the program I
was using decided to act up.I had spent
maybe a good 2 hours watching and jotting down notes before actually doing any
work with it.I was probably about 90%
done with the whole video when the program crapped out.I thought I was lucky as I had safety saved
it.Nope.Lost it all.So, I had to start all over with that video - I ended up bum rushing
through it to get it edited and uploaded.For someone with video and editing skills, it probably would have taken
them only a few hours.For me it took
forever.But, I'm still happy with how
it came out.It makes me think if I was
ever to do something like that again, what shots I would of made sure I got
next time, let alone what software I would use.
*I bought the band's MP3's that were available last weekend
before I started editing the bts video.
*I was glad I had planned ahead to get certain non-band
shots in Everett - they came in handy when editing the video.
*If/when the band comes back, I thought about what other
places they could play up here that match their style(s) of music.Neumos down the road from the Highline came
to mind.Capacity is large though so
they'd have to be a part of a package that could fill a 600+ place.Not as keen on the package or festival
idea.Maybe the Sunset in Ballard -
holds 200 in the back room.Kind of
hipster but I've covered a lot of music there.
*Now if Alice Underground came - one of the performance art
theaters (ahem, there's one in Edmonds) would be a great place to see
them.Actually, all four projects at
once could be done there.Capacity is on
the larger side again but if I'm dreaming - it'd be fun to see them in a place
with a nice stage, lights, pristine acoustics, etc.
*I talked about the band to several people after Labor
Day.You actually couldn't get me to
shut up about them.
*I covered another show on Tuesday September 5th.It was hard to go from AL1CE to that
show.Don't get me wrong - I did what I
always do which is take every concert credential assignment seriously.But, as I was there shooting, listening, and
taking in the performance, my mind wasn't completely in the game.For that, I apologize to the other bands on
the 5th.As I said in my show report, I
wasn't expecting the long lasting impact of the AL1CE shows (but very glad it
happened ….)
*As I said above, I covered two shows this week - both
excellent.Symphonic metal and straight
up death inspired heavy metal.I felt
out of place at the second show even though I grew up a metalhead.Why?I
had AL1CE on the brain again Thursday night.I probably shouldn't have been listening to their music in my car before
that gig.
*I would love to hear Tash's operatic voice ….
*The video footage with my Sony RX100 came out much better
than I could have hoped.I was concerned
about the audio but if you watch the bts video, the stuff looks and sounds
really good.It is a pocket-sized camera
but deceptively so.With a 1-inch sensor
and a Zeiss lens, that camera can do a lot of damage (in a good way).
*I had a band reach out to me last week about possibly
covering their event at the end of this month.I saw them in 2015 play on a Sunday night to basically no one.They were in their fashion costumes, very
thought out visually, and played a 30 or 40 minute set.I also conducted a brief email interview back
then after seeing them that night (this was before I was doing concert
reviews/coverage for EA).Four ladies
from LA that used to call themselves Lex, they are now known as LJ
Laboratory.They are into art, fashion,
synth music, etc.It looks like I'll be
there at the W Hotel to not only cover their gig but to speak to them
afterward.They have elements that
remind me a little of AL1CE visually (eye makeup in one of their videos as well
as their art influence in their work) and a smidge sonically (just that they
are a synth based band).
I've never met any of them so it should be interesting to
chat for a bit.
*"Save your drink tickets.I want to do something with them after the
tour."
*I need to find the right place to display my drumhead.Right now its sitting on a chair that also
has my physical photography portfolio (that needs updating).
*When I see a Rickenbacker bass (Gordon plays one), I think
of two people - Lemmy and Cliff Burton.
*Whenever I perform music again, either with my duo or
possibly solo, I know I'll fiddle around with doing an AL1CE cover.
*The show report stands out now that I've had some time away
from it.I re-read it last night and,
aside from a few errors or omissions, I'm very happy with it.If you're ever bored, go look through the EA
site and you'll see that there really aren’t any other entries like that
report.I've done some long reviews
(Babymetal and Guns N' Roses come to mind) as well as the interviews with a few
craft breweries that were transcriptions of recorded audio but nothing like the
AL1CE show report.J
*My mom likes, "Looking Glass".She told me that last weekend.
I had the distinct honor to cover this show last Tuesday
evening at Studio Seven.I saw
Inquisition when they were on the Mayhem tour back in February.UADA have come through Seattle but this would
be my first time taking part in their haunted ritual.
The show was advertised as 3 touring and 1 local band across
every site I follow.When I walked into
Studio Seven, there was actually a 5th band - another local - playing.If I had known, I would have gotten there
earlier to hear all the bands.
The other local band, Inquinok, played symphonic black
metal.They were very tight and looked
as well as played the part.Their brand
of black metal was in contrast to the touring bands on the bill but I found it
very enjoyable.I'd like to see them
again - perhaps with similar black metal bands - in the future.
Volahn from California was the first touring band up.They were rather unique in their sound.I don't recall seeing too many Fender strats
used in black metal bands.They played
like they’ve been at this for a long time however I couldn't find much online
about them.Even their FB page is a fan
page.In any event, they brought the
darkness in full force which was a nice set up for the next band.
In 2000 or so, there was a site called MP3.com.They paid their artists based on plays.At the time, this was unheard of.So, any amateur (or professional) could
upload their music and get paid for their music.I had my demo project, Incarpathia, up on the
site.There was another band in the
black metal (I think that's what it was) category back then from Washington
State - Ceremonial Castings.
While we never met, I always remembered any time I searched
for black metal bands in Washington state, the two of us showed up.UADA's vocalist/guitarist Jake is from
Ceremonial Castings.He and I
communicated about this very fact months ago - and he remembered Incarpathia.So, the show Tuesday night was, in some ways,
a weird completing of the old Washington State black metal circle for me.
UADA have been making waves in the black metal scene for
well over a year now.They have been
invited to play some of the most well respected metal festivals around the
world, let alone the active touring that they've been doing to support their
release, "Devoid Of Light".
The band took the stage amongst their trademark fog and
backlit streams of light.Dressed all in
black, with oversized hoods to cover their identities, UADA blistered through
their set at Studio Seven.The band went
from strength to strength as their set continued, creating a dark yet
inspirational atmosphere (in a black metal vein of course).
One could tell that all of the touring is really paying off,
as they are a honed beast on stage.Comparisons to other black metal bands are out there but to these eyes
and ears, UADA are blazing their own path.MGLA and Dissection come up a lot, especially early on in UADA's
career.But I hear riffage from Maniac
Butcher, a bit of the Finnish hordes like Clandestine Blaze, and the wall of
sound aspect of early Emperor.
At the end of the day, UADA are the real deal, and I'm
extremely proud that such a band has roots right here in the Northwest.
After a brief changeover, the stage was set for the long
time black metal duo from Seattle (by way of South America) Inquisition.
How two musicians create such a sound is rather amazing to
me.I remember thinking the same thing
in February when I last saw them.There's a certain vibe that comes from, for lack of a better term, true
black metal bands.There is a truth that
comes out when they perform, a vibe that permeates every note that they
play.Inquisition is one of these bands.
Their set, that was over an hour long, hit home just how good
Inquisition are.Playing tunes from many
parts of their vast back catalog, the crowd ate up every minute of it.When the lights came on, everyone there at
Studio Seven knew they had just been witness to an old guard band of true black
metal.
When I first got into the scene back in the 90's, it seemed
farfetched to me that any of my favorite black metal artists would ever tour,
let alone come to Seattle.I am very
thankful that a few bookers, promoters, and the like, have taken a chance on
this genre of music in the US.
Until the next ritual …
Regards,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts
Special Thanks:Jake
for the initial credentials.Next time -
we meet in person!Also, Enrique for his
assistance with this show as well.
As I sit here writing this review of my experience last
weekend, I can't help but wonder about what else is out there.Not in an "aliens stole my brain"
sort of way.I mean a year ago I had no
idea that the band AL1CE existed nor did I know about their other bands Alice
Underground, BASHROCK, or Mankind Is Obsolete.A year from now, in September 2018, I wonder what other artist(s) I'll
discover that will have a profound impact on my musical being.These are the sorts of things I think about
after an experience like last weekend.
Eclectic Arts started out as nothing.Not even an idea.It organically started from an email exchange
with a band that I, Mark, was a fan of back in 2010.That original exchange got the wheels
spinning and about six months later the first issue of Eclectic Arts came back
from the printer.What's transpired
between that first issue and now, in 2017, is mind boggling to me.
I love music.I love
creative and artistic minded people.I
draw inspiration from those around me that choose to express themselves in an
artistic manner.It reminds me in the
best way possible that I'm not the only one out there that feels like
this.It's comforting and inspiring.
AL1CE impacted me more than they can possibly know.
These gifts have been presented to me a few times over the
course of Eclectic Arts existence. I remember riding a high for weeks on end
after interviewing a certain Academy Award winning "dude" - ditto
when I met him before a performance in 2014.I must have watched every film he had ever been a part of after all of
that, with a silly grin on my face every time he came on screen.
I remember standing downstairs after a performance by one of
the biggest artists in the music industry - over one hundred million albums
sold over her vast career.She also had
a film career to boot - "Grease" was a part of my childhood.Eight close family and friends were there to
catch up with her - and my mom and I.It
was so surreal, a little uncomfortable if I'm being honest, but highly
impactful.
Those are two examples of the larger than life types.Let's not forget all the up and coming
artists and every in between artist as well.Inspiration comes from all sorts of places for me and I am eternally
grateful for each and every opportunity this little media outlet Eclectic Arts
has afforded me.
This brings me to my review of AL1CE.I believe I saw something on social media
about this band coming to the Northwest.I clicked on the event page and was curious.I then did what I normally do - do a little
investigating.I watched videos out of
order (I now know after the fact).I
watched the "Superman" video by Alice Underground.That was my first introduction to the world
of AL1CE.I then watched "Waking
Hour" and then "Looking Glass".And I'll be honest - I was confused.Were these the same bands with different names?Did they start as one and then morph into
another band over time?The music was
totally different so that didn't make any sense.I found more videos of Alice Underground
online than I did AL1CE.I came to the
conclusion that Alice Underground must be the main band then and AL1CE was the
offshoot.Yes, that must be it.Nope.
I recall going back to watch the music videos again and then
I looked at the calendar of tour dates.AL1CE was going to be here in Washington state over Labor Day
weekend.Uh oh.I tend to view my holiday weekends as times
to recharge my batteries.I wrestled
with taking advantage of the time off versus being productive during that
time.This hasn't changed in years.Part of my mind says don't schedule anything;
just enjoy your time off.Another part
of my mind says take advantage of the time to get more projects done, make the
most of the time off, etc.
I decided that I should at least contact the band and see if
it would be possible to cover one of their two shows, a compromise of my
holiday time if you will.I wasn't sure
what the difference was between the Seattle gig and the Everett one (both were
promoted differently).After getting
some information back from AL1CE through social media (I would later find out
this was from singer Tash), I had gotten off the fence and decided that the
Everett gig would be the one for me.
In between days I continued to re-watch their videos and
grew more and more interested in their bands.That’s when the idea popped into my head to not only do an interview
with the band but to possibly capture some candid, on the road, footage.This was a somewhat rare opportunity that a
band would be in the same area more than one night.Tash was open to the idea, which made me
really happy.I started to go into my
photography background mode of how should I shoot this, what story am I trying
to tell, all sorts of things started rambling through my head.
After much back and forth, I asked if I could cover both the
Seattle and Everett shows - and then film some footage in Everett before our
interview since that would leave one day where I wasn't bothering the band
(which was Saturday the 2nd, their day off).All was agreed to and I was stoked!
On Friday night, September 1st, I ventured down from my home
of Edmonds to Seattle, to the Highline.I had been there once before, almost exactly a year prior, so I wasn't
overly familiar with the place but I did know it.
I parked and walked a few blocks to the venue.The curtain was drawn where the stage and
floor area was.A band was sound
checking as I sat at a table, passing the time with a beer.I recognized that it was AL1CE.They went through a portion of their third
single, "Land of Confusion" (Genesis cover).I grabbed my phone and just recorded the
audio since I couldn't see anything with the curtain in the way.This footage may surface in the band behind
the scenes video.They sounded good and
my anticipation grew for their set!
Eventually the curtain was opened around 9pm and the event
was officially underway.I took a look
at the merch table - even though AL1CE was on first, their merch was the only
one fully set up and on point.
9:30pm came and I saw the band gather themselves to start
their performance.Hitting the stage as
a five piece, Tash (vocals), Sasha (vocals), Scott (guitar/keys), Gordon
(bass), and Steve (drums) played an opening set of songs that just amazed
me.They jumped off the page so to speak
meaning their seasoned professionalism just hit me in the face and I knew I was
in for an inspirational set.
How does one describe AL1CE?Live they are a different beast than in the studio.You could argue that every band is like that
but what I mean is that the energy (Tash and Sasha never stop moving) and the
variety of influences in their music coupled with the sheer talent of each
member just creates this art that is uniquely their own.
It was dark in the Highline (no surprise if you've ever been
there) but I did take some photos as well as one video.These have already been released online via
social media and You Tube.
I know I'm painting some broad strokes here but let me just
say that their Seattle performance was a deal sealer.I was all in after watching them
perform.It made me even more excited
for the second performance in Everett two days later.
After the Seattle show, I introduced myself to Sasha by the
merch table and we spoke about many different things, so many different things
that I can't even recount all of them here.I do remember we talked about the show of course, backgrounds of some of
the band came up, self-proclaimed nerds, the concept of egoless art, do now
instead of do later, etc.
With teased hair and the trademark eye makeup that the band
wears for live performances, I found Sasha full of energy, ideas, with a
healthy dose of genuine appreciation for the folks that support the band.I have a bit of tinnitus in my right ear so I
wear earplugs most of the time at gigs, even when bands aren't playing.The PA, or in this case the DJ, may be
spinning music that is fine for others but too loud for me.So, trying to have a conversation over a DJ,
with earplugs partially put in my ears, is always difficult for me.No offense to the DJ but I wish they weren't
playing that night so I could have had a more meaningful conversation with the
band.
I then met Tash.Smiling, she gave me a hug and thanked me for coming.It was nice to finally meet her after the
back and forth communication leading up to the gigs.I learned more about the band; their
backgrounds, the tour, and I expressed my love of their set that night.Tash was well-spoken, very warm and
accepting, and much like Sasha, very artistic and had a very positive
energy.
I briefly met Scott, Gordon, and Steve as they had come back
to join the ladies.I asked for a quick
photo with Tash and Sasha - which we took in the hallway of the bathrooms there
at the Highline (better light).Side
note - Scott has been posting entries about the various bathrooms on this tour
while Sasha has been posting tour diaries.Check them both out ontheir
respective Facebook pages!
I looked through the merch table - bought the AL1CE CD, the
limited box of Alice Underground (which is freaking awesome), and an AL1CE tour
shirt.I figured I could always purchase
more up in Everett if funds allowed.
I slipped out after waving goodbye to Tash and headed north
to my home of Edmonds.
This really isn't a review is it?Oh well - show report I suppose is more
accurate.Onward!
I spent part of Saturday trying to figure out what I wanted
to ask in the interview in Everett.Trust me - I had typed up a ton of questions covering all of their
bands.I went back and forth and decided
to focus this interview as much as possible on AL1CE otherwise we would of
ended up with a 3-hour interview.This
turned out to be the best move.I
checked my gear - charged batteries, etc. for Sunday's work.
I have three different cameras but only one that I've done
my other video interviews with.Let me
state that I am not a videographer.My
editing leaves a lot to be desired.I've
learned from previous interviews that lighting and noise level are two things I
have to be more aware of.One interview
was terrible as another band was playing in the background so you couldn't hear
the audio.A few others were in rooms or
tour buses that were very dark.I've
since fixed these things (doing interviews when bands aren't playing, I have an
external mic and lights now).However,
my last interview had some audio issues due to the wind and lack of a
windscreen.Since there was no green
room at the pub in Everett, the wind reared its head again.The interview still came out ok but it bugs
me that I forgot my windscreen to reduce the residual noise from the wind
blowing off the water there in Everett.Live and learn I suppose.
Where was I?Oh yes -
Sunday meant interview time and gig number two!
Load in for the band was around 4pm that day as they were
headlining (first in, last out).I drove
north and as I neared the Anchor Pub, I saw a white van outside with gear on
the ground.I parked and saw Tash and
Sasha.Quick non-sweaty hugs and they
were off to get some much-needed caffeine for the band.During their departure the guys were loading
in.This was when I stated filming a few
short behind the scenes clips.Check out
the video on my You Tube channel for the results.
Once the band seemed settled in, I asked when was a good
time to do the interview.Tash said now
would be good so she grabbed Sasha and we headed outside.As mentioned, the video interview with Tash
and Sasha was done outside of the pub since there was no green room.You can also view this on my You Tube
channel.
The interview went well at the time.I'm always critical of my interviews after
the fact.There were other questions I
had meant to ask but forgot to.When I'm
solo, I don't keep a note card (or my phone notes) out to see my topics.When I have an assistant, then it's usually
on my lap or out of camera view.In any
event, after the interview, I spoke to Steve and Gordon about many things as
they were both sitting outside.Steve was
studying for his exam (he works as an ER doctor (?!) yes, you read that right)
while Gordon was reading a book about ancient civilizations that he spoke to me
at length about.I wish I had gotten
this on video but there was a car with their engine running behind me.I didn't think the video would be good with
that noise on the audio track so I never had my camera on.Funny side note is the car was actually the
bands van as the ladies were getting ready for the show.I had spoken to Scott earlier inside the pub
as well.
I tried to stay out of the way as I didn't want to be
intrusive.I really enjoyed my time
listening to all of the band members, what they had to say, their unique takes
on many different topics, not just music.This is where the impact of the band as a whole started to seriously
take shape for me.
In the six years of Eclectic Arts, I haven't really spent
what I would consider actual time with a band, getting to know them and what
they're about.There's always what's
presented to the fans but then there's those other aspects of the band off
stage, when they're amongst each other, what they talk about, and personalities
that surface, etc.
AL1CE showed that they are not only great artists, but
amazing people!A band that is doing
what they love, with people they love and respect.I was very fortunate to catch a glimpse of
this beautiful energy.It's such a rare
thing to find.I think in some ways the
bands generosity made me question many things in my own life.How powerful is that, folks?Very.
The Everett show itself was even better than the Seattle
show.AL1CE themselves were stellar -
that's a given.This time the audience,
whether fans, friends, or strangers with a bit of alcohol in them, helped raise
the energy that was missing from Friday's show.
The set was also longer (one hour on Sunday compared to 30
minutes or so on Friday) so I got to hear additional songs like "She"
and "Looking Glass".A friend
of mine made it out for their set too so I was very glad and thankful he could
witness AL1CE with me.
Dancing throughout their set, Tash and Sasha sang their
hearts out.There is such a uniquely
positive vibe from them (the whole band, really) when they're on stage - it's
amazing to watch.
Let me not forget Scott, Gordon, and Steve.I'm a guitar player so I'm always keenly
interested in what the guitarist in any band is doing.Not in a "let me watch them screw
up" sort of way - more like "dang look at that" sort of
way.
Scott split duties between playing his PRS electric and keys
during the set with background vocals as well.I loved hearing him when there were solos - it gave him an opportunity
to shine.And shine he did.
Gordon - bassist - alternated between pick and fingers,
along with other electro bass enhancements at his feet.Always playing what's right for the song -
from simple eighth notes - to chords - to melodies high on the fretboard,
Gordon added the "oomph" to the bands sound in all the right places.
Steve - drummer/percussion - the backbeat was not kept at a
simple 4/4.I enjoy watching drummers
add in creative ways to be the foundation of a song while keeping things
different.The groove is definitely
there but Steve at times goes for the road less traveled approach to playing on
his DW kit.It adds an element to AL1CE
that brings a richness to their sound.Great stuff!
After their set, much like déjà vu, I spoke to Sasha
again.I knew I needed, no scratch that,
I wanted to support this band more so I sprung for two more CD's to complete
music from all four bands, an older AL1CE shirt, and a signed drumhead (that
Sasha personalized for me at my request).
My phone was on its last bit of charge, so I got another
photo with Sasha and Tash.I then went
in search of the guys - and there was always one of them missing.Eventually all three were together so we
joined the ladies for a full group photo.
The band thanked me, Sasha hugged me (and apologized if her
leather coat smelled - it didn't Sasha - you were fine), Steve thanked me from
the stage and came down and gave me a hug, and Gordon asked for my opinion on
some new BASHROCK tracks he's getting ready (I'm getting to those next Gordon,
I promise).I thanked the promoter as he
was outside and walked away from the Anchor Pub.
This concluded my two-event night with AL1CE.
I already wrote about on social media how my experience with
AL1CE stayed with me that night after the Everett gig and subsequent days as
well.I wasn't expecting that at
all.I know that during parts of the evening
in Everett my energy was starting to wane.Looking back now I can point to the bands energy and this unique vibe that I
was around that really seeped deep into my psyche and
caused me to think about my own art, my own creativity, and my own life.That's damn powerful stuff.Artistic journey or not, AL1CE took me in and
welcomed me into their world.While it
was only a matter of hours each day, it felt like much longer.
It's a beautiful thing when art and artists can inspire,
provoke, and encourage another artist's purpose and vision.It's even more remarkable when the same
artists can be as impactful as human beings.
My life has been changed because of the band known as
Al1CE.I don't know how many times I can
say thank you but I'll say it again - thank you.Thank you from the bottom of my heart.Please continue to create and inspire.The world needs more people like you.And, I, for one, will always be in your
corner - at the ready - to join you in all of your future projects and
endeavors.
