Free Press Blog Home

More Malcolm, Less Martin

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 02:24:00 +0000

I have touched on this before but I have to revisit the recent concept of 'DIY'; the hip new abbreviation of 'Do it yourself'. It baffles my mind that people keep giving themselves gold stars for being 'DIY'. But who else can do something for you other than yourself? Mom? Did she do that diorama for your 2nd grade science class? Understand, 'DIY' is a concept that only exists with artists and musicians that are Anglo-Americans who are probably dressing down to hide their affluence. Never do you hear artists in the hip-hop community touting their DIY adventures. They have been 'doing it themselves' from the get go. So please, stop getting on your soapbox and telling people how you deserve some honorable distinction by actually being self reliant. Speaking of self reliance, our buddy Malcolm X is on the cover of this issue courtesy of Houston poster art progenitor Jermaine Rogers. Jermaine has done several covers for us over the years yet not in quite some time. We are honored to have his work gracing our cover again. This punk rock depiction of Malcolm X is sort-of our 'better late than never' tribute to Black History Month. Malcolm X's writings on self-reliance and defiance of tyranny were some very important stepping stones on my ideological journey. Yet, my post-adolescent fervor for firebrands like Malcolm has ebbed and flowed. In recent year's I have ascribed to more pacifist teachings attributed to MLK or Gandhi. But fact of the matter is, neither of those men scared my white in-laws. So today we salute you Malcolm X. Keep on scaring them white devils.

Your weekend starts NOW!

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:38:00 +0000

By Anna Garza

Thursday March 4, 2010

Tonight is your last chance to wish B L A C K I E a bon voyage before he embarks on a tour which will lead him over spacious skies, through amber waves of grain, across purple mountain majesties and above the fruited plains.

RAPEWORM & WIFE will give their kind regards via live performances; it will be up to you to do your part. Don't hate, participate. B L A C K I E is blowin' up and you better catch him so you can say you knew him back when.

B E T H E R E (all caps, with spaces)!!

TRASH TOWN / INDIEHOUSTON / GIANT PRINCESS HOUSE aka THE PLACE TO BE

1816 CALUMET $5 8PM.

After the Calumet show, do not go home. Go directly to Roc Bar. YES, ROC BAR!!

Tonight is a special SHOCK TREATMENT featuring the raw, rowdy, sleazy sounds and antics of the Born Liars and No Talk. I can smell the whiskey emanating Jimmy Sanchez’ breath already. Chances are extremely high you may have to call in to work the next morning but it will be oh so worth it. Trust me.

Roc Bar 530 Texas Avenue 10pm

Friday March 5, 2010

Nameless Sound continues to produce stellar shows. Presented in collaboration with the Royal Norwegian Consulate General in Houston; An extremely prolific artist, Maja Ratkje’s wide-ranging creativity has been revealed in an explosion of work over the past 15 years. Ratkje is an artist who clearly sees no boundaries. She is a free improvisor, but also a composer for other musicians. Her primary instruments are voice and electronics. But her astonishing vocal dexterity and range of sounds might confuse the listener as to which they are hearing. Her conservatory training may be clearly evident in much of her work; but her credentials for noise-making would not be debated by many. But this particular noise, while truly anarchic, has a beautifully detailed and meticulous quality. There is a personal humor and strange beauty that mark her work across the board, affirming Ratkje as an artist whose uniqueness and personality are identifiable in any context (regardless of medium.

The caliber and wide-range of her work can be testified by a list of her collaborators and ensembles, who include: SPUNK, Trinacria, Jaap Blonk, Jazzkammer, Frode Haltli, Jaga Jazzist, Carlos Giffoni, Paal Nilssen-Love, Ikue Mori, Matmos, Zeena Parkins, Otomo Yoshihide, and Fe-mail.

The tightly focused clarity in the duo of Frode Haltli and Trgyve Seim is expressed with an austere beauty worthy of their famed record label, ECM.

Frode Haltli is placed firmly among the small and distinguished individualists who have made the case for the accordion as a distinct medium for the investigation of modern consonance and dissonance. But in spite of his ‘new-music’ credentials, Haltli’s sound is one of direct and simple beauty, with a range of colors that contain trace evidence of folk forms and echoes of a Nordic tonality.

The serene and controlled saxophone of Trgyve Seim had its original inspiration in the ‘Nordic Sound’ of ECM stalwart Jan Garbarek. But Seim has distinct warmth and expression that are all his own. His compositions are perfectly balanced; exhibiting a focus on the composite whole of their parts. Seim not only transcends influence; he erases categorical markers of ‘jazz’ and ‘new music’, forging a unique, intimate, and direct type of chamber music.

Frode Haltli - (Norway) accordion
Trygve Seim - (Norway) saxophone
Maja Ratkje - (Norway) voice, electronics

Links:
Maya Ratkje: http://www.ratkje.com/
Frode Haltli: http://www.haltli.com/
Trygve Seim: http://www.trygveseim.no/

Norway House 3410 West Dallas. FREE.

Saturday March 6, 2010

You don't have to wear sweatshop made clothes to have a good time. You can dance and party all night at Mango's with a guilt free conscious supporting a good cause and good bands.

Sweat Free Houston Benefit:

Muhammad Ali

Giant Princess

Ghormeh Sabzi
http://www.myspace.com/ghormehsabzi4

Cop Warmth

Rape Worm

BAMBARA
http://www.myspace.com/bambaraband

Mango's 403 Westheimer 8:00pm $5.00

Lest we forget

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 04:38:00 +0000

Attention White People

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:41:00 +0000

We are winning. You are losing.

Tonight's Set Times

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:17:00 +0000

Inside

The Handshake 8-8:30
Robert Ellis 8:45-9:15
Young Ass Mammals 9:30-10:15
Golden Axe 10:45-11:30
Papermoons 11:50
Ceeplus Bad Knives

Outside

Juzcoz 8:00- 8:30
Woozy Helmet 8:45-9:30
Wild Moccasins 9:45-10:25
Fat Tony 11

FPH 7 Year Anniversary Celebranza Saturday!

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 02:13:00 +0000

How you like them apples, Ramon?

Rollins, Henry Rollins... at the House of Blues

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:44:00 +0000

By Anna Garza

Henry Rollins is the perennial Renaissance man: spoken word artist, poet, publisher, actor, radio DJ, talk show host, current lead singer of the Rollins Band and former lead singer of the seminal 80's punk band, Black Flag.

The last time Henry Rollins was in town for a spoken word gig, he captivated the audience with accounts of his world travels, celebrity encounters, awkward and unrequited crushes, etc. He spoke for nearly three straight hours too. THE MAN CAN TALK!

It is not classified information I am a huge Black Flag / Rollins fan;
so when the opportunity to interview ole Hank presented itself, I envisioned being regaled by tales of kings and queens, angry mobs, magical flowers and sunsets. After all, THE MAN CAN TALK!

Or so I thought.

Maybe I caught him during his time of the month. Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe my questions were absurd.(Definitely the former and not the latter.) Whatever the case may be, one would assume a man who has made a career as a spoken word artist, poet, publisher, actor, radio DJ, talk show host, current lead singer of the Rollins Band and former lead singer of the seminal 80's punk band, Black Flag could give a proper interview. I would have even settled for a mildly entertaining one.

That being said, I will be the one hanging out by the tour bus after the show vying for a Rad Rich/Henry Rollins "20 Years Later" photo op.

FPH: Have you heard the Dirty Projectors' "remake" of the Damaged album? If so, what are your thoughts about it? (For the unfamiliar,the Dirty Projectors' Rise Above record was a "reinvention" of the 1981 Black Flag classic, Damaged, except remade from memory after band leader,Dave Longstreth, claimed to not have listened to the record for almost 15 years.)

Henry Rollins: I have never heard it. Black Flag is Greg Ginn's band,
I really have no attachment to it at this point.

FPH: I was in attendance for your last spoken word show at the Meridian, it was vastly entertaining. You definitely have the gift of the gab. What new topics are you going to discuss?

Henry Rollins: I will be talking about the places I have traveled to recently and about things that are happening in our beautiful America at present. There's a lot going on.

FPH: Are you familiar with the recent John Mayer Playboy interview controversy? What do you think about his comments concerning having a "hood pass", using the word "nigger" and calling his penis "a white supremacist"?

Henry Rollins: This kind of thing really doesn't register with me,
it's right up there with Tiger Woods.

FPH: You have performed countless shows in Houston as a member of Black Flag, Rollins Band and as a spoken word performer; do you have a favorite restaurant? Favorite pre and/ or post show hang out spot?

Henry Rollins: No. I do the show and get down the road.

FPH: Are you planning on releasing new records and/or books (your own
or from other bands) on 2.13.61?

Henry Rollins: We're just doing my stuff at this point. It allows us
to be very effective. With things the way they are in the marketplace,
it's risky to put out anyone's anything. My stuff does well, so we
stick with what works at this point.

FPH: You just had a birthday a week and a half ago, how did you celebrate it?

Henry Rollins: I was on the radio that night. I have a radio show and this year, I am rarely so it's rare that I can be live on the air. Not the most exciting story but I was happy to be at the station and working.

Tuesday February 23, 2010

Henry Rollins @ House of Blues – 1204 Caroline Street

Doors: 07:00 PM Show: 08:00 PM All ages

$15.00 - 4 Pack - General Admission $20.00 - Standing Room Only $25.00 – Balcony $25.00 - Reserved Floor

Get the Golden Ticket to Summer Fest!

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:03:00 +0000

Between 2/23 and 3/1, one lucky winner will be randomly selected through a diamond-calibrated Fibonacci sequence emulator to receive the Golden Ticket package with the purchase of a Summer Fest ticket.

Golden Ticket package includes:

2 Fancy Pants Weekend Passes
Backstage access
Food and Drinks
2 Official Summer Fest T Shirts
Autographed limited-edition screen printed posters

Ticket must be purchased online between February 23rd and March 1st.

Where Goes the Neighborhood?

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:36:00 +0000

by M. Martin

Recently, Free Press Houston received a press release for a project called Forever Garden. The purpose of this project was impressive: nothing short of transforming the 8 acres of scenic wasteland left by the demolition of Wilshire Village, creating community gardens and parkland. Unfortunately, almost as soon as this news was received a rumor surfaced from multiple sources that HEB had either acquired the property or penned some sort of lease agreement. Setting aside for a moment (we'll come back to it) the Forever Garden announcement, let's look at the HEB rumor--and at it's possible implications for The Montrose, particularly in light of other current and upcoming developments.

To begin with, this is only a rumor--but a pretty likely one. HEB briefly operated a Montrose location before, in the space currently occupied by Half Price Books ont Westheimer. The changing demographics of Montrose make it an increasingly attractive location for them. Additional credence for this speculation is the fact, as reported by Swamplot.com, that the holding company that owns the former Wilshire Village property has apparently been in default on loans used to acquire the property since last October (which probably explains the "For Sale" signs that went up on the property in mid-September). The company subsequently went Chapter 11 in early November. Add to this the tax liability on the property (diminished by turning it into a vacant lot, but still significant), and you have a lot of pressure to do whatever deal can be done... in what is rapidly becoming the worst business climate since the Great Depression.

If it is true, the cascade of resulting events could completely alter the nature of Southwest Montrose and speed the ongoing metamorphosis of the neighborhood at large.

Consider: the presence of an HEB-anchored commercial development on one corner of W. Alabama & Dunlavy would have an inevitable and detrimental impact on the existing Fiesta Mart-anchored strip center on the other side of Dunlavy--with the most likely outcome being a decision by Fiesta to close the store, and the most likely outcome of that decision being a decision on the part of the property owners to put the center up for sale. Should that happen, the most likely outcome would be to see the center demolished and replaced by more high-density apartment housing, comparable to what now exists at Westheimer and Shepherd, at Richmond and Kirby, and at Richmond and Dunlavy.

Consider also that Metro's plans for the University Rail Corridor on Richmond Avenue recently received a shot in the arm in the form of Federal approval of the preliminary engineering phase of the project. Consequently, Metro has released an extensive list of properties along Richmond Avenue that will either fully or partially be acquired under right of eminent domain--in other words, seized. Metro still plans to have The University Line operational by 2012, which means that construction can be expected to begin within the next year. Once light rail construction begins on Richmond, expect traffic to begin shifting to West Alabama. Consequently, expect that at some point Alabama will be expanded from it's currently three lane configuration between Spur 527 and S. Shepherd to a full four lanes--very likely resulting in additional property condemnations as well.

By the time construction is completed on The University Line, concurrent with an expanded West Alabama, an HEB-anchored shopping center, and yet more damned yuppie beehive housing on the ruins of Fiesta Mart, Southwest Montrose as it is currently known and loved no will longer exist. Currently, much of the area between Dunlavy, Shepherd, Alabama and Richmond consists almost exclusively of older and inexpensive multi-family housing, largely favored by students, artists, and lower-income (largely Hispanic) families. Even those properties that are not outrightly condemned will be subjected to higher taxation, once the presence of 'improved' transportation and nearby commercial real estate projects have caused them to be re-appraised. Expect more old properties to disappear, replaced by more condos and frat-rat rabbit warrens.

At that point, about all that will be left of "Old Montrose" would be a few blocks of land on either side of Westheimer and the fag bar ghetto on Pacific Street--at which point most of Houston will happily proclaim "Good Riddance"--it's not like the denizens of Mommy and Daddy Land ever wanted a local Greenwich Village/Haight-Ashbury equivalent in the middle of their city in the first place.

That's one vision for the future of neighborhood. Lacking a concerted effort and vision for an alternative, it's almost certainly what will happen.

The Forever Garden proposal offers a compelling such contrast. Instead of yet another bland and soulless mini-mall, the eight empty acres that formerly held Wilshire Village would be transformed into a collection of allotment gardens, community garden space, ponds, beehives, and park space, while reserving room for a farmer's market, a restaurant, and a community center that would offer, among other things, classes in yoga, nutrition, meditation, and alternative/preventative health practices. There would also be residential spaces for participants in residency programs in Visual Art, Writing, Music, and Horticulture.

Even though Forever Gardens founder Whitney Riley confesses to having been "crushed" when news emerged of the HEB deal (Ms. Whitney has sources of her own that lead her to believe the rumors are absolutely true), she has since bounced back-- and has current plans to present a scaled-back version of the Forever Garden proposal to whomever winds up developing the former Wilshire property, as well as plans to seek out other potential urban garden spaces.

If all this sounds idealistic, aspirational, and hugely optimistic...well, that's only because it is. But what's wrong with that? Even before he was sworn in, our current U.S. President started dialing back the aspirational and idealistic principles of his campaign in exchange for a more "realistic" governing strategy....which doesn't seem to have worked out all that terribly well. If you start out a negotiation by giving things up, you can't be too surprised if you wind up giving up everything.

The fact of the matter is that without a conscious effort at preserving the cultural, architectural, and social uniqueness of Montrose as a community, that community will simply cease to exist. This would be a shame, because the 'hood seems to be in the middle of one of it's periodic upswings, with more bands, more street art... more young people who have not yet accepted the dreary wisdom of becoming pointless replays of their parents. It would be a shame if they didn't have a place to go and congregate--didn't have a place to hold street festivals and hang out in coffee shops and go to crappy art openings and drink cheap wine for free. Absent Montrose, there doesn't seem to be anywhere else in Houston that really fits that bill. The downtown warehouse looked promising once, but has since wound up nothing more than scenester/cokehead bars and really crappy, overpriced lofts.

So...where goes the neighborhood? What exactly constitutes "The Montrose" five years from now? Do we fall down the drain of gentrification we're currently circling? Or is it possible to turn projects like Forever Gardens from hopeful pipe dreams into into viable community development options with real business plans and real support? It all boils down to the people who live in Montrose--as it is and has been-- making a commitment to their community, one that can be measured in dollars and time spent in community service.

In other words... it's up to you.

For details on Forever Gardens, check out their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=252695914732. For details on the ongoing saga of the former Wilshire Village, check out Swamplot's excellent continued coverage at http://swamplot.com/tag/wilshire-village/.

बेस्ट FWENDS

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 04:03:00 +0000

BEST FWENDS could possibly be the most raddest punk I-pod band there is in Texas. How about you be the judge when you see them live. Oh yes, like magicians they have many tricks up their sleeves.

the weekend smells like teen spirit

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:15:00 +0000

By Anna Garza

Young hearts: be free tonight, tomorrow, and for the rest of your life.

Friday February 19 @ Wired Live (formerly The Meridian) D.R.I. will make their triumphant return to Houston since founding member Spike Cassidy was cured of colon cancer. What better way to kick off your weekend than to pump your fist in the air and scream along to "Violent Pacification". Look both ways before crossing the Thrash Zone.

Also playing - Sinister Minister, Cancer & Room 101

Wired Live: 1503 Chartres
Doors at 7pm Advance: $12 Day of Show: $14

The hardest working Soundsystem in the 713/281/832 are back for their monthly dance night at The Mink. A Fistful of Soul will make you want to dance like you have ants in your pants. Vinyl only. Spinning the best of soul, ska and everything in between. FREE. Fun starts at 10pm.

The Mink: 3718 Main St. @ Alabama

Saturday February 20th: DANNEURYSM is a Nirvana Tribute band featuring members of The Jonbenet, The Smoking Popes and Darkest Hour. Ok, why didn't any of these dudes inform a sister of this show waaaaay in advance? I would have put my Hole tribute band, Doll Parts, back together real quick just for this night. Talk about a match made in grunge heaven...or hell. Music starts around 12:30(am NOT pm).

Big Star Bar: 1005 West 19th St

On the same night but a hop, skip and a jump across town...The Caprolites, isawbloodsomewhere and ATX's the No No No Hopes will rock you and roll you until the last light rail train stops running. Don't just let my fingers do the talking. Click on the links I provided, go to the show and thank me on Sunday morning.

http://www.myspace.com/thecaprolitesfrompasadenatx
http://www.myspace.com/isawbloodsomewhere
http://www.myspace.com/thenononohopes

Notsouh 314 Main Street $5 All ages

Ang Lee at the RMC

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:06:00 +0000

Acclaimed director Ang Lee will appear at the Rice Media Center Friday night. The reception with Lee and subsequent weekend of films are free to the public. The films show Lee at the beginning of his career before such powerhouse movies as Brokeback Mountain or Lust Caution.

Friday, February 19th at 6:30 pm - Reception honoring Ang Lee
Friday, February 19th at 7:30 pm - Pushing Hands
Saturday, February 20th at 7:00 pm - The Wedding Banquet
Sunday, February 21st at 7:00 pm - Eat Drink Man Woman

FVH has fun with abortion!

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:48:00 +0000

Free Press Summer Fest 2010 lineup!

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 22:20:00 +0000

Be My Valentine: Balaclavas, Indian Jewelry and Dead Roses

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:54:00 +0000

By Anna Garza

Don't call it a comeback; I've been here... and there. Truth be told, I haven't been too excited about the recent batch of shows. Since this is my party and I will write about what I want to, I am here to inform you of a show tomorrow night you should not miss. What? You already have plans? Cancel them! You have a cold/flu? Chug some non-drowsy Nyquil and get your sniffling, sneezing, coughing, and stuffy head self to the Mink. The music of Balaclavas, Indian Jewelry and Dead Roses is just what the doctor ordered. And, no, not Dr. Kevorkian; I know what you are thinking!

Dull Knife Records are throwing a fête to celebrate the release of Balaclavas’ "Roman Holiday" LP. The record has received rave reviews with comparisons to Bauhaus and Nick Cave. Copies of the 12" will be for sale at the show. For those without a turntable, the album includes a download coupon for free high-quality mp3's. If you just so happen to blow all your money at the bar (something I have been known to do), the album will also be for sale digitally on iTunes and eMusic.

In between bands, DJ Chemical Mange née Domokos Benczedi will aurally assault your hearing from the 99th floor.

For information on Dull Knife Records: http://dullkniferecords.com/

Balaclavas // Indian Jewelry // Dead Roses

Saturday, February 13 @ The Mink Backroom. 3718 Main Street. (Backroom entrance on Alabama) $6. 18+

The New Temporary

noreply@blogger.com (b.s.) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:20:00 +0000

- Genesis by Terry Suprean
- Vince Shlomi's Bidden Tongue by PERSUASION
- Planed Debris: Texas Noise and Ambient (environment #2)
organized by Chin Xaou Ti Won

the temporary space
1320 Nance
Saturday, February 13th, 7 pm – 11:30 pm
Performance begins at 8 pm
thetemporaryspace.com

Shut down the streets: SIGN THIS PETITION--BRING BACK WESTFEST!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:42:00 +0000

Annise Parker has publicly committed to supporting the return of the Westheimer Street Festival--IF it's done right, and IF there's demonstrated support within the community. So get on board--it ain't gonna happen without you.

He's Heeeeeeeeeeere! Tom Green! Live at The Improv!

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:05:00 +0000

LIVE AT THE IMPROV!
THIS WEEKEND'S
HEADLINER!
TOM GREEN
Thurs - Sat, Feb 4 - 6

Before Borat... before Jackass...

There was the original prankster...
From:
*"The Tom Green Show"
*"Freddy Got Fingered"
*"Road Trip"
*"Late Show w/David Letterman"
*"Tom Green's House Tonight"
Now, hold on to your bum as Tom brings his unique brand of hilarity to the art of stand-up comedy. Experience one of the greatest comic minds in the field of entertainment, live and in person!

Jen and Nate plus GREAT!

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:46:00 +0000

By: Jacob Calle

Jen and Nate are aerialists who travel the world doing what they love, and this is performing acrobatic stunts that leave glorified. So why pay full price when you're only going to be sitting on the edge of your seat?

Jacob: So lets start where we met. You guys bought a trampoline, came to Texas for the Americas Got Talent show, and from there I thought that I'd never see you guys again, but then i see you at the Britney Spears concert being a part of her "circus" tour. I am in my seat and i was blown away when I saw you! So how'd you become part of her tour? (note to readers: I just happened to be near the Toyota Center when a girl came up to me and asked me to join her since she had a extra ticket. I ditched my friends. And yes, it was pretty good. hahaha)

Jen and Nate: We had been working together for two years creating our trampoline act & silk act. We also had been training & conditioning almost every day, in addition to marketing ourselves. Throughout the two years of being partners we have created our own company, Jen & Nate LLC, we have created our own official website complete with pictures, videos, & Jen & Nate merchandise. In the beginning, we were very familiar with rejection, but when you knock on a hundred doors, one is bound to open.

In January of 2009, Nate got hired as an aerialist on the Britney Spears Tour, he of course accepted the offer, I was devastated. Nate assured me that he would make this tour work for us. He was hard at work while on the tour promoting our videos to everyone. I would then fly out often to meet the cast and show that I was actually real! Six months after Nate joined the tour, I finally became a member of the Britney Spears Tour! This story proves that perseverance pays off!

Jacob: You have now traveled all over the world demonstrating your performance! All those shows I'm sure are all rehearsed and all the same right? Any special shows that stick out that was your favorite?

Jen and Nate: Even though we were performing the same act on the tour, every show had it’s unique qualities. We were always pushing to improve. We strive to fly higher, hit music accents harder, smile bigger, & connect with our audience more.

The show’s that were the most special to each of us were when our family & friends were able to come watch us. To have your family & friends be a witness to one of your biggest professional moments was amazing and crazy at the same time. In certain cities it would get chaotic to arrange tickets & seats for 50+ people. One of our most challenging shows, Nate had a fever pushing 105’. Symptoms included, uncontrollable shaking, sweat pouring from his body, & extreme nausea. Britney’s management had already cancelled us out of the show that night, but we were determined to perform. We have a picture of a Dr. giving Nate a shot in the butt, an IV in his arm, while on the phone negotiating with Britney’s management. They eventually allowed us to perform, & ironically it was our best show!

Jacob: You two fell under the spot light rather quick. Did you have any notion that this fame would come?

Jen and Nate: Yes, we knew the fame would EVENTUALLY come, but it didn’t come quick or easily. I had been involved in tumbling for seven years in my youth. Nate had been performing for 11 years, with an additional 20 years of gymnastics experience. While working together we hit additional road blocks that average entertainers don’t face. It was years of training & our confidence that eventually put us in the spotlight.

Jacob: You two are very inspiring people. I see you as a girl with a lot of capabilities. What do you have to say to people who also don't have legs and putt around in their wheelchair watching TV?

Jen and Nate: I would give them the same advice I would give anybody else. We all have capabilities that need developing.. As long as you’re able to set goals and strive for them, you’ll lead a happy & rewarding life.

Jacob: So now you are doing this as a living. How did you meet you two meet?

Jen and Nate: I was working at Disney World. I would be watching the shows thinking I can do this, I just need someone to teach me! I would talk to one of my managers and tell her how I had a passion for getting back into some form of gymnastics, she suggested I meet this guy, Nate. We met face to face, but I had no opportunity to show him any skills. Unbelievably, he believed everything I told him I could do. He was leaving on a tour and would be gone for three months, we started our training over the phone. When he returned three months later, I was finally able to show him what I could do in the gym.
Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Jacob: With all this success you have done this without legs. I'm assuming you do not consider yourself handicapped right? Because when I look at you I see you doing things that I can't even do. Are there any times where you are like,"Shit, I can't do that."?

Jen and Nate: Yes, there are times when I might think I can’t do something, but it’s no more than the average person. If there is something I want to do, I will find an alternate route and make it work.

Jacob: And that is amazing! And that's what I love about you! So you play baseball, volleyball, surf, dance, flip, jump. When are we going to see you skydive?

Jen and Nate: It’s funny you mention skydiving! I’ve been planning on taking the plunge now for about a year. I’m sure there will be pictures soon on our website!

Jacob: Well I can't wait to see them.There are people like you and Aaron Fotheringham who has Spina Bifida and can do a back flip on a ramp in his wheelchair. Why do I feel like the one right now with the disability?

Jen and Nate: Our goal is always to help people, sometimes people have barriers in their mind that prevent them from reaching their goals. We are trying to wipe those away. These barriers are what sometimes makes people feel disabled. In our performances we want to help our audiences remove these barriers.
There you have it, Jen and Nate. In words by Andrew W.K. "Never let down". Two very inspiring people that I know will give people faith and hope. I am happy to know them. For more information on these two whippersnappers check out their site below for more interviews, videos, photo galleries, and news. Thanks!

www.jenandnatesite.com

Sound + Movement = Sandy Ewen & Y.E. Torres

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:54:00 +0000

By Anna Garza

Sandy Ewen and Y.E. Torres are musical explorers of the vast unknown. A guitar and belly dancing duo who dare to cross uncharted territories without a compass for guidance and disregarding boundaries along the way. Accomplished artists in their own right: Sandy plays guitar in the Austin based band, Weird Weeds, and YET is a mixed media artist, muscle dancer and costume designer. Together, they are allies on a voyage to a brave new world. I had the opportunity to chat with them during a break on their epic journey.

FPH: State your name and what you do in this project.

YET: I am YET - Y.E. Torres. Ms. YET. I am a visual and performance artist. In this project, I dance. I am a muscle dancer.

Sandy: I am Sandy Ewen. I play guitar in this project. We improvise. We compose music together and it's more of a performance than a piece of music.

FPH: That was a segue into what I wanted to ask next. How would you describe what you do to someone who has never seen you?

Sandy: I always get weirded out by trying to describe stuff, like - I got on an airplane back from Mexico and I was talking to some guy about music. It is really weird because normal people don't have a context to what we do at all. I’d say I make sounds, I’m not playing a steady rhythm or necessarily in a tonality. Some of the things we do, I’m playing in a key of some sort but sometimes it is really atonal and it's just textural.

YET: I think when we first started writing about what we do; we did it very simply and said, "Sandy plays a loud racket on the guitar..."

Sandy: ... a terrible racket.

YET: A terrible racket. Sandy wrote it. We wrote it together, actually... "Sandy makes a terrible racket on the guitar. YET dances." Basically, what we do is a live improvised performance of belly dance and guitar. My body becomes an instrument. We are reciprocating, leading, giving, taking, forcing, pushing and it is a live performance that includes movement and sound.

FPH: How did this idea come about?

Sandy: I had a solo set, um...

YET: A Signal to Noise show.

Sandy: Yeah, right after that Jandek show... where you at the Jandek show?

FPH: Diverseworks?

Sandy: No, not that one...the second one. After the first Jandek show at Rudyards, I had a concert at Avant Garden later on that evening.

FPH: Oh, so this is a fairly new project. How long have you been collaborating?

Sandy: That happened back in March of last year, I think. Then we started practicing a couple of months after that. After I did my solo set, it was pretty short, some people couldn't figure it out and some people were asking what I was doing so I played some more.

YET: Sandy kept playing and I started dancing.

Sandy: YET jumped up on stage. It was an informal after show "show".

YET: I have already been dancing to non traditional music as a belly dancer. You know being exposed to experimental/avant garde/improvisation, I just started to develop a taste for it and started to belly dance to Sun Ra. Sandy and I are in the same music scene, go to the same events, we have the same friends. I really wanted to start dancing to this. The opportunity came up when Sandy kept playing at the show and I started dancing. We always make opportunities happen.

Sandy: We realized that it would work.

YET: Yeah, and then I was curating a monthly show at Avant Garden with the belly dance Tuesday nights. I asked Sandy to do it with me and then we started rehearsing and we started actually having practices. Opportunity keeps coming up and it's our favorite project.

FPH: How do you feed off of each other live? How do the ideas go back and forth when you perform?

Sandy: I watch YET and what she is doing. Usually... it's really interesting because it's not like playing solo at all. It's like improvising with another musician.

YET: Then again my instrument is my body.

Sandy: When I tend to do a solo set, it kinda tends to...

FPH: Is it the movements? The beat? What is it that you are trying to express? What is the goal?

Sandy: If there is a goal, we try to keep it mixed up. There are certain things which are easy to do which is like give in to a nice groove or sound... that is kinda boring- I mean, it's not boring, it is great but the key to making this project more than just the same thing over and over again...it is to keep experimenting with different sounds and different ways of interacting. When we were running rehearsals regularly, we would do all these different exercises. We have the next couple of rehearsals planned out with things we want to try out - like different ways of interacting. We want to try out pieces where YET follows me or I follow her or pieces with a different pacing. We've been returning to this one concept piece called "Running through Rooms" where we think of a space you can create between two people interacting. The idea is to find that space, develop it, look around and see what it is like it then skip on to the next one. It is like a series of short pieces and if you conceptualize it and you know that is what you are doing, it is easier to stay focused. It is improvised but sometimes it is more of a guided improvisation. Usually we have a set list. We will say the first piece will be a series of rooms; the next piece will be a chalk piece, which maybe signifies a certain sound.

YET: When we perform I am listening to Sandy. I am also watching Sandy and Sandy is watching me. We have done different things with this project. I’ve danced on the radio on KTRU. Sandy and I are very conceptual and we are both open to poking the viewer. This project is pushing boundaries of what is creating what and movement and sound is like. For example, I am a belly dancer but I belly dance in the music scene because I belly dance with Sandy. We were in the Low Lives performance where we were projected in three different galleries simultaneously and doing a private performance at the same time. There are all these parallels of movement because Sandy's hands are moving in a certain way and her body is interacting. I am not making any sound unless a piece of jewelry is doing it but my breath is always making a sound. We have gotten further in working together and there have been things that have come out. Certain sounds we embrace like we have one called "Motorcycle Sound". One we call "Chalk Piece". I know that as we keep working together we start to create our own language. Our friends who are musicians, for example, have started to see me as a musician - and that is one thing really intense dancers are always talking about: the body is the instrument because I’m using muscles in a certain way. My stomach can go like this while Sandy is doing that or Sandy’s hands will make a sound and my hips will kind of accentuate that movement. It wasn’t until I saw a video of us, I think we both knew that it made sense and we liked it.

Sandy: We knew it was working. We would look at the video of it and be like, oh all these ideas, all these concepts we had thought are working. It actually comes across and it is nice.

YET: The thing, too, is that we don't have any models to go by. I recently found out about a belly dancer who danced with Borbetomagus – which is a noise band in New York and they sent me a flyer. I have never heard of an avant garde belly dancer. One thing that is really interesting is that Sandy has been, for a long time, the only girl in the Houston improvisational scene, probably Texas.

Sandy: I don’t think that is totally fair but, yeah.

YET: It may have changed recently but to a certain extent.

FPH: You have mentioned you are constantly monitoring each other's sounds and movements on stage. Does that create tension or uneasiness or is it something peaceful and cohesive?

Sandy: I think we are pretty comfortable with it.

YET: I think emotionally, yeah. But in terms of the sound, it depends on the music. Who is to say we won't go to a place that might be conflicted. Ultimately, we are still improvising so there is no set thing and we still need to find an ending. It doesn't always work and sometimes it does. We may not feel the same way after a piece has been made.

Sandy: It is feeling comfortable with duration. It is hard to know how long things should be and to judge time. You are playing in front of people and there are expectations about how long a set should be and how long a piece should be. It is not like I want to play into people's expectations but at a certain level you want to get through all these different things and places.

YET: Another thing, too, if we take everything we have done so far... we have dealt with different audiences and have approached them- even though we aren’t doing the same thing.

Sandy: We challenge them. The people who go to the improv shows, you can play weirder stuff for that. But we are going to be doing the belly dancing show and I am going to try and keep my sound palette to something that is less than completely abrasive.

FPH: Speaking of audiences and pushing boundaries, do you ever want to play to a non improvisational crowd? Maybe play with a rock band?

YET: The next show we are playing with belly dancers. We are going to be the weirdest thing there.

Sandy: We did Westheimer Street Festival and plugged in to the side of La Strada.
YET: We did it along side another dancer and guitarist.

FPH: How was the crowd reaction?

Sandy: People were into it. People would watch us for a little bit and move on. We never had a huge crowd of people staring at us.

YET: We did have one wave that came in. One of the things we talked about was me, who was half naked, well not really half naked but, with belly dancing, there is a lot of mid section exposed. Then Erin Joyce, who is a modern dancer, was wearing a t shirt, a black leotard and hot pink tights. She didn’t wear shoes so her tights were tearing up. Visually it was like, what the fuck is going on? And of course we did it renegade and just plugged in and went for it and it just worked. It wasn’t like we were in this particular space and we were aware.

FPH: I would think it would be pretty difficult with the drunken, raucous crowds.

YET: We were super aware...

Sandy: I don't think it was the most focused of sets. We were doing it as a quartet the whole time so it wasn’t totally what we do. We were there presenting something that was totally different than anything else that was going on. There I was sitting on the ground in a parking lot with my guitar on my lap, plugged into an amplifier that was plugged into an extension cord that was plugged into a building that we have not talked to, playing with a pet brush and pieces of chalk and screws and all sorts of metal I found in the parking lot.

YET: And Erin is doing these big lifts and her legs are up. And there was one point in time when this kid ran up and he started going like this- emulating belly dancing moves. We started picking him up and carrying him around and I think he was just happy to be touched by a girl.

FPH: What I think is so radical about what you are doing is breaking down preconceived notions of what music or performance should be.

Sandy: I think some people are uncomfortable because they are not used to seeing half naked ladies and it is a noise show. So, on one hand, I am not a noise musician but it is on the noisier side of things. There is this dancer that I need to do what I am doing, because my solo sets are more linear, and with something to respond to, work with and create something together. The sound is completely different than a solo set so I think it is required. At the same time, there is this improv audience and more conservative people and they just don’t know what to think. It is bringing a weird kind of sexuality into a music that is usually pretty male dominated.

FPH: You have mentioned doing a recording session recently. Are you putting out video or an actual record?

Sandy: We are going to put out vinyl. We aren't actually going to put out records because that is expensive but what we are going to do is get used records and color on the covers. We are going to sell vinyl at shows. But it is going to be random records we don’t want to keep.

FPH: But the video session on Monday?

Sandy: Oh, that is going to go with the show on the 30th. There is going to be a projection behind us and Chris (Nelson) is going to put together a video combining different takes. I think he is going to slow it down so there isn’t this timing weirdness.

YET: Chris Nelson is an amazing videographer. He did Toy Punks. They played it at Aurora and they played it at Domy.

Sandy: We see a broader future of him doing live video with the projections.

FPH: What is next for Sandy Ewen and Ms. Yet?

Sandy: We are going to go to New Orleans. We do not have a schedule or a plan but it is going to happen.

YET: We are definitely going to do a tour before half the year is over.

Sandy Ewen & YET will be performing this Saturday January 30, 2010 as part of "A Moving Theater of Absolute Uniqueness or the aesthetic pleasure of pioneering creativity" at the Frenetic Theater 5102 Navigation 8 pm $15/$20.

Free Press at The Cat Show

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:10:00 +0000

Sundance - What's it all about?

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:49:00 +0000

Park City is a mountain ski resort outside Salt Lake City. To drive into town, during the festival, you need to be a resident or have a pre-purchased parking permit, otherwise you park at a lot outside of town. But it's the kind of area you can easily walk across in several minutes. Hotel room are at least $200 a night for a single on the low end; certainly there are B&Bs and co-ops but those would've been gone months ago. People make DIY films for less than it costs to attend Sundance. There's a screen in Salt Lake City that shows festival .... (cont.)

LOCAL RECORD REVIEWS

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:18:00 +0000

By Anna Garza

Teenage Kicks – Uptight! LP

Only the good die young.

Let us now observe a moment -- not one of silence, but preferably one of pure crashing joy -- to commemorate the passing of Teenage Kicks. Instead of mourning the loss of this beloved band, we should celebrate their legacy. And, oh boy, what an impressive legacy they managed to leave behind in such a short amount of time. After releasing a demo and a 7", the Houston, TX power pop punkers broke up last year, but not before recording their posthumous LP, Uptight!

Co-released by local record labels, Team Science and Action Town, Uptight! is a ten song collection of sentimental/anti-sentimental, love/hate duality at work. With songs such as "No More Good Intentions", "Genocide" and "I Wanna Be Your Enemy", one thing is for certain... Teenage Kicks may have left the building but they didn't leave quietly. When singer/guitarist Kirke Campbell sings the lines on "Genocide", "This is the end of the teenage nation. No more self righteous frustration. So which side are you on?" You better count your lucky stars you picked the right side.

Musical comparisons to the Buzzcocks, The Jam and The Clash are inevitable. "All the Kids" contains an adorable shout out to Mr. Strummer & Gang with the lyrics, "Put on the first Clash LP and sing along to Career Opportunities." Starting with Side A to the end of Side B, this record will put a spring in your step and a song in your bittersweet heart.

Having the Teenage Kicks break up is kind of like meeting this great friend at the beginning of the summer, and then having him or her move away a few months later.

Teenage Kicks, we hardly knew ye.

Something Fierce – Where Ya Goin Man/ Spray Coat - 7"

There is a lot of activity over at the Action Town HQ this month. Another vinyl release offering is the two song 7" courtesy of power pop trio, Something Fierce.

Side one is "Where Ya Goin Man"; a song that was originally released on Something Fierce's first LP, There Are No Answers, on Dirtnap Records. For this version, Dead City Sound's Chris Ryan (aka Houston's equivalent to Steve Albini) added some polish to the song and made it shine so bright, I gotta wear shades. The Clash influence is prominent but I detected an early Replacements / Husker Du influence too.

Side two is a boisterous cover of the locally renowned Party Owl's song "Spray Coat" that would make anyone from Houston proud.

For information on these records, please visit:

http://teamsciencerecords.com/
http://www.actiontownrecords.com/

Tom Green is coming to Houston

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 06:12:00 +0000

You've seen him in movies. You've seen him in the news. You've seen his TV show and he's fucked Drew Barrymore. Now you can catch him live in Houston at The Improv 3 nights in a row!

Here is a word from Tom Green about his upcoming comedy voyage.

Tom Green:
Hey gang. Just so you know how this comedy business works. It is important for The Channel that you guys and gals all come out and support this tour! The reason I am going out and doing this is not only because it is going to be A LOT OF FUN! But also, I have determined that this is the best way to promote The Channel.

I am going to be traveling all around the country, the continent, and the world talking about Tomgreen.com The Channel! I will be going on radio and TV in local markets all around the country to talk about my standup comedy tour, and about Tomgreen.com So this is going to be a big year for The Channel.

I will be back in Los Angeles every Monday and we will do some great webo-vision for all of you guys. Also I am going to be travelling with a video crew and we will get tons of great webo-vision from the road. I'm gonna bring lots of it back to play for you guys right here. But none of this works without all of you! I need you to come out to the LIVE shows and support The Channel. I'm flying all around the country, and the world, so you won't have to go too far! Just watch for tour dates as they get posted here on the website, and come to the shows that are in your neck of the woods. Like I mentioned yesterday, I already have shows booked in Edmonton Canada, Florida, and Chicago. There are going to be a lot more dates getting locked in next week. So stay tuned right here. We will be creating a calendar section on the website here soon. You will be able to check up on all of the tour dates. Expect to see that soon.

Thanks for the continued support here at The Channel. I have really appreciated all of the positive feedback over the past couple of years. This is going to be a new chapter in my life. I have always wanted to get back into doing stand-up since I stopped doing it wayyy back in high school. I am excited. And when I get excited I start getting a bit crazy. So, these shows are going to be crazy.

Come out and see me LIVE because we are going to have a LOT of fun, and do some really ridiculous things together. None of which will be posted on Youtube. This is stuff that really is only meant to be seen LIVE. I'm looking forward to meeting you all. Stay tuned! -Tom

He can be seen at The Improv on Feb. 4th @ 8pm, Feb. 5th @ 8pm & 10:30pm, Feb. 6th 8pm and 10:30pm.

Tickets on sale at:
http://www.symfonee.com/Improv/houston/comedians/Bio.aspx?ShowDate=2/05/10&Uid={f896587c-88fc-4210-9ab9-6c04883510b5} $22 General Admission

Lest We Forget: Black Sabbath War Pigs

noreply@blogger.com (Free Press Houston) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 03:14:00 +0000