2004 02 FEBRUARY 2004 - RAG Magazine

PUBLISHERSean McCloskey - sean.mccloskey@ragmagazine.comEDITOR IN CHIEFCrystal Clark - crystal.clark@ragmagazine.comMANAGING EDITORJuliett Rowe - juliett.rowe@ragmagazine.comCONTRIBUTING EDITORSMonica Cady - monica.cady@ragmagazine.comMarc Suriol - marc.suriol@ragmagazine.comWRITERSMonica Cady - monica.cady@ragmagazine.comCrystal Clark - crystal.clark@ragmagazine.comPaul Evans - paul.evans@ragmagazine.comLauren Lester - lauren.lester@ragmagazine.comScott Josephson - scott.josephson@ragmagazine.comKelly Morrissey - kelly.morrissey@ragmagazine.comBill Potter - bill.potter@ragmagazine.comJuliett Rowe - juliett.rowe@ragmagazine.comJoseph Vilane - joseph.vilane@ragmagazine.comPHOTOGRAPHERSCrystal Clark - crystal.clark@ragmagazine.comTom Craig - tom.craig@ragmagazine.comSean McCloskey - sean.mccloskey@ragmagazine.comJason Valhuerdi - jason.valhuerdi@ragmagazine.comRAG Magazine, Inc.8930 State Road 84 # 322Davie, Florida 33324954-475-8065954-473-4551 faxgeneral info - info@ragmagazine.comsubmit concert info - shows@ragmagazine.comadvertising info - advertising@ragmagazine.comwww.ragmagazine.comRAG MAGAZINE, INC.is published monthly in Davie, Florida. All contents are copyright 2003 andmay not be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed herein donot necessarily reflect those of the editors, publishers, advertisers or distributers. RAG reserves theright to edit or reject advertising which may result in legal action or is in poor taste. Liability fortypographical error is limited to reprinting that part which is in error.

CONTENTSFEBRUARY 200406...UpcomingThe Marley Fest, Bette Midler, MxPx, Opeth and Modest Mouse will soon be rocking South Florida.#4612...Photo PassFrom Ray of light beauty Sarah Brightman to Ft. Lauderdale punks A Dream of Reality.16...Moving in StereoA new column by Darren Paltrowitz - giving you the skinny on what’s happening in music.20...CD RewiewsCKY for anybody who has a lot of time on their hands, plus reviews on Josh Todd, Mesmer Machine and more24...Wednesday’s Child“I never thought I would be a singer,” says Wednesday’s Child vocalist Raquel. Joseph Vilane gets the scoopon Ft. Lauderdale’s ethereal rock band.30... AFIAfter releasing one of the top albums of 2003, guitarist Jade Puget talks with RAG Magazine’s Tanya VanKampen about Sing The Sorrow and more.34...Devil DriverOut with the old and in with the new - Dez Fafara goes black with Devil Driver.42... Tracy Shedd“As long as the music is moving people in some way, that’s most important,” says Jacksonville singer/songwriterTracy Shedd44...CinemaFrom Miracle to Along Came Polly, Crystal Clark gives you a movie review you can sink your teeth into.48...DVDThere’s a lot of new DVDs out there and RAG Magazine tells you know what’s hot and what’s not.51...ClassifiedsFlorida’s Music MarketplaceC

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 7thThis year marks the eleventh year for the Bob Marley CaribbeanFestival, otherwise known as Marley Fest, something that hasbecome a tradition in South Florida. This year’s performers includeDamian Marley, Julian Marley, Stephen Marley, soul songstressIndia.Arie, Steel Pulse, and more. The event is on SaturdayFebruary 7 th at Bayfront Park in Miami. Don’t forget that youalso need four cans of food with your paid ticket to enter.SATURDAY FEBRUARY 7thMushroomhead are supporting their latest effort XIII (Universal) with a springtour with Dope and 40 Below Summer. “Everyone was really focused andanxious to show what we can really do. Our only criteria was that the songshad to fucking rock. They had to be songs that we could go out and perform forthe next three years and still love to play every single night,” says Skinny, thegroup’s drummer. This will be your chance to see if the songs fucking rock.Saturday February 7 th at Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale.TUESDAY FEBRUARY 10thMoonspell are charging their way through Florida with Swedish death metalstalwarts Opeth, and one of my favorite heavy bands, Devil Driver. This showis going to be brutal and heavy. And if Dez Fafara has his way, you will get yourass kicked in the pit. Tuesday February 10 th at Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale.THURSDAY FEBRUARY 12thDude. Can someone please explain this whole Modest Mouse thing to me? Imean really. Come on now. There are like fifteen dates in Florida. Well, notreally fifteen, but close. Hipster alert. Thursday February 12 th at the PolishAmerican Club, Miami.THURSDAY FEBRUARY 12th“We strongly believe in the ethic of hard touring,” Sugarcult guitarist Marko 72told Rag back in December of 2002. A lot has happened to this band since theywere here last—like everybody found out just how good they are. They will behuge this year. And the lineup for this show just keeps getting weirder by theminute. Take note, the show has been moved to a new location with a newdate. MxPx, From Autumn To Ashes, Sugarcult, Josh Todd (formerly ofBuckcherry), and Billy Talent. Thursday February 12 th at Kelsey Club, LakePark. All Club Ovation tickets will be honored.SATURDAY FEBRUARY 28th &SUNDAY FEBRUARY 29thThe Divine Miss M will be here for two dates for her Kiss My Brass Tour, and I’msure that Bette Midler will be in fine form. Tickets cost an arm and a leg, buthey, that’s why God gave us two of everything. Saturday February 28 th , andSunday February 29 th at the Office Depot Center, Ft. Lauderdale.

MONDAYTHE SOCIAL – Particle, Rob WassermanTHE VAN DYKE JAZZ ROOM – Dana PaulTUESDAYWEDNESDAYTHURSDAYSATURDTURDAYSUNDAYFEBRUARARY 2FEBRUARARY 3THE SOCIAL – Camp Lo, Grand Agent, Tajai, Spaztik EmceeCULTURE ROOM – Particle, Rob WassermanCAREFREE THEATER – Rickie Lee JonesFEBRUARARY 4THE SOCIAL – Senses Fail, The Beautiful Mistake, Moneen,Boys Night OutHOUSE OF BLUES – Darkstar OrchestraFEBRUARARY 5THE SOCIAL – HIM, Mice Parade, MileeceTWILIGHT – Atomic TangerineTHE FACTORY – Tooth & Nail Tour w/ Further Seems Forever,AnBerlin, Me Without You, Emery + Watashi WaLUNA STAR CAFÉ – Space HippieFRIDAYFEBRUARARY 6CULTURE ROOM – Fear, Radiobaghdad, DSCTHE SOCIAL – Tooth & Nail Tour w/ Further Seems Forever,AnBerlin, Me Without You, Emery +Watashi WaCLUB M – Jerry CherryWILL’S PUB – Atomic TangerinePIS – Next Exit, After the Fall, Wicker, Underhook, Volt NegativeTHE ALLEY – Never In Red, A Jealousy Issue, Stop This FallTHE FACTORY – All That’s Left, Cru Jones, DKLIMB, Nine MonthAnniversaryORLANDO SKATE PARK – Runnin’ BlindPOMPANO BEACH AMPH. – Dark Star OrchestraFEBRUARARY 7THE SOCIAL – Boxelder, Bain Mattox & Junkie RushWILL’S PUB – Atomic TangerinePIS – Loud Silence, I am the Devil, A Jealousy Issue, Fire onGorgeous, We Bled Victory, All AbsenceCULTURE ROOM – Mushroomhead, Dope, Twisted Method, 40Below SummerFYE (BROWARD MALL) – Daniel DyerSURF CAFÉ – American Pie, The Remnants, Deepset, CurseIconHOUSE OF BLUES – Dillinger Escape Plan, The Locust, YourEnemies Friends, OrhrelmBROADWAY BILLIARDS – Higher Zenith, Crystal Chaos,Stychnine, Sol MusicTHE BLUE MARTINI – Linda NunezFEBRUARARY Y 8THE SOCIAL – Mark KozelekWILL’S PUB – Centro-Matic, Summer Hymns, The PaleFYE (CORAL SQUARE) – Daniel DyerHOUSE OF BLUES – Mushroomhead, Dope, 40 Below Summer,Twisted MethodMONDAYTUESDAYWEDNESDAYTHURSDAYFRIDAYSATURDTURDAYSUNDAYMONDAYFEBRUARARY 9THE SOCIAL – Engine Down and the Statistics, Decahedron,Moments In GraceTHE VAN DYKE JAZZ ROOM – Dana PaulFEBRUARARY 10THE SOCIAL - Joe BanamassaCULTURE ROOM – Opeth, Devildriver, MoonspellFEBRUARARY 11THE SOCIAL – Elefant, New Roman TimesHOUSE OF BLUES – MxPx, Sugarcult, Billy Talent, From Autumnto AshesFEBRUARARY 12THE SOCIAL – Silverstein, Armor For Sleep, Emanuel, The AKA’sPOLISH AMERICAN CLUB – Modest Mousem Eugene Mirman,The Helio SequenceKELSEY CLUB – MxPx, Sugarcult, Billy Talent, From Autumn toAshes, Josh ToddHOUSE OF BLUES – Opeth, Moonspell, Devil DriveFEBRUARARY 13THE SOCIAL – Modest Mouse, Mirman, The Helio SequenceCLUB M – Josh Todd, Jerry CherryTHE HUSTLER – Atomic TangerineI/O - ElefantPIS – Words Now Heard, Jacobs Ladder, Red Letters, FallenFrom the Sky, Your Local HeroCULTURE ROOM – Josh Todd of Buckcherry, Aggitated Pearl,Jerry CherryTHE FACTORY – Armor For Sleep, Silverstein, The Aka’a,EmanuelSURF CAFÉ – 2SDW, 18 Wheelers, The Mary Tyler Whores,SporkUNDERGROUND BLUZ – Runnin’ BlindFEBRUARARY 14THE SOCIAL – Modest Mouse, Mirman, The Helio SequencePIS – The Unwanted, The Crisis, The Grunts, MIA, The Korrupted,The Fumes, The DacayCULTURE ROOM – The Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Hep CapBoo DaddiesTHE ALLEY – Bury Your Dead, Scars of Tomorrow, 24 Hours toLive, Kids Like Us, On Our Own, Never In RedBROADWAY BILLIARDS – Overflow, Nothing Rhymes With Orange,Icezelion, StalemateFEBRUARARY Y 15THE SOCIAL – Modest Mouse, Mirman, The Helio SequenceTHE SOCIAL – Robert Walters 20 th CongressFEBRUARARY Y 16

WILL’S PUB – The SlackersTHE VAN DYKE JAZZ ROOM – Dana PaulWEDNESDAYTHURSDAYSATURDTURDAYSUNDAYMONDAYTUESDAYTHURSDAYFRIDAYFEBRUARARY 18CAREFREE THEATER – Hot Tuna, Jack Casady, Box SetFEBRUARARY 19CULTURE ROOM – Flickerstick, Stereonine, Nothing RhymesWith OrangeFRIDAYFEBRUARARY 20THE SOCIAL – South, MetricWILL’S PUB – The Mountains Goat, The RosebudsBIG DADDY’S – Atomic TangerineTHE DOWNTOWNER – Pat TraversCULTURE ROOM – Robert Walters’s 20 th CongressSURF CAFÉ – Gilded LilyTHE FACTORY – The Casulties, A Global Threat, The Briggs,ProtagonistFEBRUARARY 21THE SOCIAL – FlickerstickCULTURE ROOM – Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise, King BeeWALLFLOWER GALLERY – Pale Blue DotFYE (PALM BEACH GARDENS) – Daniel DyerSURF CAFÉ – Sense of Being, Slang, Dicensfear, Skunk ApeBROADWAY BILLIARDS – Krye, Philly @ Six, FBR, Dark TomorrowPOMPANO BEACH AMPH. – Johnny Lang, Ingram HillMIZNER PARK AMPH. – Elvis CostelloFEBRUARARY 22THE SOCIAL – Los Straitjackets, The Legendary Shack ShakersHOUSE OF BLUES – OAR, Matt NethansonFEBRUARARY 23THE SOCIAL – Strike Anywhere, Fifth Hour HeroTHE VAN DYKE JAZZ ROOM – Dana PaulFEBRUARARY 24THE SOCIAL – DJs BMF, SlackTHE DOWNTOWNER – Eddie Crocetti’s CD release party.FEBRUARARY 26THE SOCIAL – Ska is dead and you’re next tour – Catch 22,Mustard Plug, Big D & the Kids Table and The Planet SmashersWILL’S PUB - MasqueradeTHE SOCIAL – Big Sky, HonestlyCITY TAVERN – Atomic TangerineTHE DOWNTOWNER – E G KiteFEBRUARARY Y 27THE FACTORY - Ska is dead and you’re next tour – Catch 22,Mustard Plug, Big D & the Kids Table and The Planet SmashersHOUSE OF BLUES – Method ManSATURDTURDAYSUNDAYVENUEFEBRUARARY 28CITY TAVERN – Atomic TangerineCULTURE ROOM – Crossbreed, Deadstar AssemblySURF CAFÉ – American Pie, The Tommy Dalton Band, Stereo 9BROADWAY BILLIARDS – Crashing Tide, Radioday, Primerib,TessaiBU’S – Space HippiesAMERICAN AIRLINES ARENA – Kelly Clarkson, Clay AikenFEBRUARARY 29THE FACTORY – MAE, Copeland, The Working Title, SlowComing DayHOUSE OF BLUES – Finger Eleven, No Motive, Idle SonsGet your dates and venues listed FREE!shows@ragmagazine.comor 954-473-4551LISTINGSALLIGATOR ALLEY - 5501 NE 2nd Ave, Miami 305-757-1807AMERICAN AIRLINES ARENA - 601 Biscayne Blvd, Miami 786-777-1000BAYFRONT PARK AMPH - 301 N. Biscayne Blve, MiamiBORDERS - 12171 West Sunrise Boulevard, Plantation 954-723-9595CHURCHILLS - 5501 NW 2 Ave, Miami 305-757-1807CLUB M - 2037 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 954-925-8396CULTURE ROOM - 3045 N. Federal Highway, Hollywood 954-564-1074DADA - 52 N. Swinton Ave, Delray Beach 561-330-3232GOTHAM HALL - 1502 Hendry Street, Ft. Myers 239-337-4662HOUSE OF BLUES - 1490 E. Buena Vista Dr.,Lake Buena Vista 407-934-BLUEJACKIE GLEASON - 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach 305-673-7300JAMES L. KNIGHT CTR - 400 SE 2nd Ave, Miami 305.372.4634LOST & FOUND – 664 South Highway 17-92, OrlandoMIZNER PARK AMPH. – 433 Plaza Real Boca RatonO’ SHEAS IRISH PUB - 531 Clematis St. WPBOVATION - 3637 South Federal Highway, Boynton 561-740-7076POMPANO BEACH AMPH. - 1806 NE 6th Street Pompano 954-946-2402POORHOUSE - 110 SW 3 Ave, Ft. Lauderdale 954-522-5145RESPECTABLE STREET - 518 Clematis St., WPB 561-832-9999SEA MONSTER - 2 New South River Dr. W, Ft. Lauderdale 954-463-4641SOUND ADVICE AMPH. - 601-7 Sansbury’s Way, WPB 561-795-8883THE FACTORY - 2674 Oakland Park Blvd Ft. Lauderdale 954-566-6631THE ORPHEUM - 8th & 14th Tampa 813-248-9500THE SOCIAL - 54 N. Orange Ave, Orlando 407-246-1419THE STATION - 843 Lee Road, Orlando 407-645-4558TWILIGHT - 1507 East 7th Ave., Tampa 813-247-4225UM CONVOCATION CTR - 1245 Walsh Ave Coral GablesVENU - 100 SW 3rd Ave. Ft. Lauderdale 954-766-8477WALLFLOWER GALLERY - 10 NE 3rd St., Miami 305-579-0069WILLS PUB - 1815 N. Mills Ave Orlando 407-898-5070WOODPECKER RECORDS - 3615 S. Fl. Ave., Lakeland 863-647-9872VENUELISTINGS8 • RAG MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2004

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Moving In Stereoas heard byDarren PaltrowitzEven after contributing thousands of featuresand reviews to zines like Long Island Entertainment,Under The Volcano and The JerseyBeat over the last six years, there have beencountless stories of interest that I never hadthe chance to write about. After all, if therewere tens of thousands albums released in2003 — beyond all the worthwhile movies, videos,books and action games – how could oneever expect to sum everything going on in thematter of 10,000 words? Or even 20,000words? It seems impossible to me, at least, butthe purpose of this monthly column will be to fillyou, the reader, in on some of the happeningsthat I do feel to be worth your time. From concisereviews and mentions of upcoming releases,to news about some other things you’renot quite yet familiar with, I’ll be aiming to keepyou informed yet with enough room to seekother viewpoints. This is for the folks that lackthe time to check a dozen entertainment-orientedwebsites on a daily basis, and insteadwould like to hear recommendations from amedia-obsessed New Yorker:…From The IslandAfter years of being plagued as the land of thecover band, Long Island is finally getting a favorablereputation in the music business.Brand New signed a seven-figure deal withDreamworks last Fall, Taking Back Sundayhas sold hundreds of thousands of albums ona major-indie and From Autumn To Ashesbecame the first band of its kind of VagrantRecords. Heck, it’s the music of The ReunionShow you hear as the theme to MTV’sTRL program. But as of late, some other areaacts have been heading into the van and ontothe radar. Bayside is yet another L.I. signingfor Victory Records and The Goodwill havestayed on the road since their stint on TheWarped Tour, while As Tall As Lions andAnterrabae are both readying up releases forTriple Crown Records (former home of theaforementioned Brand New). All-female hiphoptrio Northern State might be collaboratingwith ?uestlove (The Roots, Jay-Z, Common)on their debut for Sony, while StraylightRun – containing former members of TakingBack Sunday and Breaking Pangaea – hassold out two headlining tours without a fulllengthCD to show for. On The Might OfPrinces and Dearly Departed have both donesome touring to trumpet recent for-label albums,while The Kites spent their holiday break recordingin Los Angeles. Yet there’s many morewhere those came from!…From The LabelsIt’s no secret that this isn’t a great time for themusic industry with all of the major labels nowbeing owned by the same three companies.Unfortunately, some genuine folks on the lowerlevelsare being hurt as well. Suburban HomeRecords is an example of the latter with$20,000 of slowness-related debt currentlylooking to shut it down, according to its founderVirgil Dickerson. As a company that’s putout music for the likes of Planes MistakenFor Stars, Adventures Of Jet and Asian ManRecords founder Mike Park, in addition to distributinglabels like Negative Progression,Double Zero and Law Of Inertia, it would bea shame to lose this great company – contributionsare being accepted through the label’swebsite…The Arena Rock RecordingCompany, as known to many for putting outmusic by Luna, Harvey Danger and Calla,will be moving out west in 2004 with label cofounderGreg Glover looking towards officespace in Portland, Oregon. This should notaffect the long-delayed Get Saved album fromARRCO’s Pilot To Gunner…Congratulationsshould be extended by all to the Rykodisc label,from the way I see it. While most labelswould simply live in the past if they had thecatalogues of Frank Zappa and Big Star, theBoston-based establishment is now celebratingits 20 th year of existence with charting discsfrom Josh Rouse, The Misfits and The JoeJackson Band. Also on-tap for future releasesare Butch Walker and Fastball.…From The Hype MachineSpeaking of Butch Walker, Midtown just didsome recording with him in Atlanta. I wouldexpect the results of such to be ultra-poppyand full of self-indulgent guitar solos. Also inthe rock-stars-who-assist-dropped-recordingartistscategory is System Of A Down guitaristand songwriter Daron Malakian, who is atthe helm of latest from Amen – the third labeldeal overall for Casey Chaos. Thursdayfrontman Geoff Rickly has also assisted thelikes of My Chemical Romance and MurderBy Death; the former which signed to WarnerBros. with the latter currently being drooledover by a lot of A&R folks despite a recentmorale-dampening robbery that stripped theband of most of its gear and personalpossessions…Something that will certainlyhave a lot of the industry’s attention will be thePixies reunion at the upcoming CoachellaFestival. I wish some of that attention wouldbe pulled away and given to the fact that TheDescendents are back together; althoughtouring is not currently in the cards for Milo.Same with the rumored-to-be-happening reformingof Letters To Cleo – why aren’t peoplecaring?…From The StageAfter receiving quite a few press releases trumpetingThe Unicorns as the next big thing, Idecided to catch the Canadian trio’s outing atPark Slope, Brooklyn’s Southpaw. Possibly themost packed standing-room show I’ve ever beento, you could tell that most of the people therewere attending due to the hype – after all, thiswas the band’s first U.S. tour. While I’m notsure if they are “the best band in the world” asSpike Jonze proclaims in one of said pressreleases, this is an original and entertaining

group. Somewhere in-between Hot Hot Heat, The FlamingLips and performance-art at points, the show alternated betweenrock, humor and the avant-garde. Instrument-changingand genre-hopping were rounded out by a mid-set KylieMinogue cover and a memorable rendition of “Inoculate TheInnocuous”…By contrast, Fresno, California’s Bel & TheDragon – whom I caught at The Knitting Factory with As TallAs Lions and Pilot Round The Sun – played one pop-rockanthem after another. The band’s Superplane-meets-DeathCab For Cutie sound is a winning one, and will hopefullystay put on the full-length album the quartet is currentlyrecording…Wisconsin’s The Response and Minnesota’sSomerset may not have been playing to a packed house atSiberia in Midtown Manhattan, but the during-song-wall-climbingof the former’s bassist, Mikey Blanchard, and the latter’spowerhouse, high-maintenance drumming of the surnamelessClaudio both left an impression on all there. These twobands made the now-self-satirizing “emo” genre interesting,memorable and addictive.…From The ScreenWhile not a large town on Long Island, Bellmore is the subject ofa recent punk rock-centered documentary titled Bellmore: TheUnscene. Often-funny as band members contradict oneanother’s stories, Hi-Tide Pictures writer Frank Fusco andproducer Jim Muscarella have themselves a very worthwhilemovie about bands like Rat Bastard, Agnostic Frontand The Eggplant Queens…I’ve never been into nu-metal, orwhatever the Ozzfest followers listen to, but Dope has takena very creative approach with its new album. $13 not only getsyou the 13 songs of Group Therapy, but each track has anaccompanying music video within the Enhanced CD feature.Talk about value…As great as 2004 is looking to be, accordingto articles in Newsday and The New York Post, by 2005 therewill be new episodes of the Seth MacFarlane-created FamilyGuy series on Fox and/or The Cartoon Network. Apparently,revitalized interest in such came from the Rupert Murdochownednetwork after sales of last year’s DVD sets toppledover the one million mark. If there’s a lesson to be learned fromthat, it’s that a show’s cancellation doesn’t always spell out theend…While not every cable carrier includes The Game ShowNetwork, you can be expecting some new programming that’llbe as captivating as a car-wreck. The producers of The SurrealLife have announced the current-development of a showcalled Extreme Dodgeball. Yes, Extreme Dodgeball. I don’tknow if you’re also picturing the Nintendo game Super DodgeBall as you read this, but if you are, then I think you’ll know whyI’m excited…Though DVD’s about bands generally aren’t worthwatching more than once, I’ve encountered two that are. TheAquabats may be a footnote to most in the evolution of Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, but the group’s Serious Awesomenessis a two-disc set that chronicles the band’s rise tocult-status with assorted video clips that accompany a full concert. The other?Weezer’s last two albums may not have been the gems that the first two were, butVideo Capture Device is expected to be out around the time of the double-CD rereleaseof what’s affectionately referred to as The Blue Album – which I’m guessingwill be out before Rivers Cuomo and crew finish their fifth album with the legendaryRick Rubin.…From The StereoFans of Mike Viola and his Candy Butchers shouldn’t be disappointed with thepower-pop of Hang On Mike. More to-the-point and hook-heavy than the precedingPlay With Your Head album, the band has already landed on Late Night WithConan O’Brien in support of the disc; Figgs fans ought to be relieved to that PeteDonnelly’s fret-work is still on-board…While The Mr. T Experience (MTX) is notrocking out as much on Yesterday Rules as it had on Love Is Dead or Alcatraz,word is that the Bay Area trio’s live show remains in tact. They’ll be out withManplanet, whose live show is worth the price of admission alone, this monthand next. The space-themed, guitar-themed, pop-loving Minneapolis band is to Tronas The Darkness is, wait, nevermind…A band that thanks Manplanet in their latestself-titled disc is West Virginia’s The Emergency, and their power-trio interpretationof power-pop sounds more like Cheap Trick than Cheap Trick does nowadays.And that’s a good thing…Although not generally a fan of soul, I am intrigued by theforthcoming Ricky Fante album as it really is modernized Motown – it’s definitely agood thing when there’s a well-selling R&B album that features live instruments.…From The StudioThough Let Go had only been put out in the U.S. this past February, Nada Surf iscurrently back in the studio working on its fourth full-length. Word is that Death CabFor Cutie’s Chris Walla will be contributing to some of the sessions…Superdragfrontman John Davis, whose first solo gig was as an opening for Nada Surf,currently has more than two-dozen songs written for his solo debut. “Me And MyGirl,” a finished track featuring the songwriter on all instruments — save for tambourine— is posted at www.superdrag.com. Former Superdrag bassist Sam Powers,who recently filled in on bass duties for Guided By Voices, also has a soloalbum in the works, intending on such to be completed by the end of this month…ThePeople completed its album with Peter Katis (Interpol, Clem Snide) atConnecticut’s Tarquin Studios. The disc will be out on Astralwerks in the comingmonths, although the band will be undergoing a name change before then. Suggestionsare still being taken…Although tremendous slashings had been done to theroster of Dreamworks after its purchase by Interscope, New Jersey’s Rye Coalitionis still part of it and making a record with the Grammy-winning team of DaveGrohl and Nick Raskulinecz. It will be interesting to see what straight-up rockguys will do with a band that likes its music complex yet witty…Following last year’sCardiact EP, Murfeesboro, Tennessee’s Imaginary Baseball League is reportedlyfinishing up a self-produced full-length release. Touring will likely resume in Marchwith dates alongside Come Down.And speaking of life one month from now, if you have news to report for the Marchedition of Moving In Stereo, press releases and all other correspondence forDarren should be sent to Darren.Paltrowitz@ragmagazine.com© 2004 – Column used with permission from Darren Paltrowitz. All rightsreserved.PAPA ROACH

CKYInfiltrate, Destroy, Rebuild: The VideoAlbumIsland RecordsJackass meets Clive Barker in thistwelve-song video album fromCKY. This is definitely the workof a jackass or two (and I meanthat in an endearing way). Thisdouble DVD was directed byBam Margera of Jackassfame, and also the brotherof Jess Margera, drummerfor CKY. Each DVD hasabout three hours of footageand I can’t believe I’msaying this, but the laughsare well worth wastingsix hours of your day onthe couch.Infiltrate, Destroy, Rebuildincludes twelvecreative videos. Iwas impressedwith what producerJoe Frantz and directorBamMargera could dowith a videocamera, fourcrazy musicians,and a very small budget. Forsmall budget films, each video looks verypolished and stylized.For instance, “Flesh into Gear” was filmed in awhite room, but the guys do some pretty interestingthings in the editing room and the whiteroom doesn’t seem so bland. This is one of thestandout songs on the compilation. I read thatthis was pulled from MTV’s playlist which is ashame because it’s very good. It’s a great songand a fun video. This kind of reminded me of a J.Geils Band video from the early eighties. In betweenthe white room segments, the guys areup to their old Jackass antics: slamming intobushes in shopping carts and riding off rooftopson bicycles (bassist Vern Zaborowski nearlyinjures himself in this stunt). Guitarist, ChagGinsburg, lights pink smoke bombs on the neckof his guitar and literally blows his hand up! Inthe behind-the-scenes footage, Bam says, “It’slike hospital shit but he (Chad) didn’t go to thehospital.”20 • FEBRUARY 2004 • RAG MAGAZINEIf Chad had met an early demise, he would havebeen nominated for the Darwin Award for hisnext stunt in the video for “Escape from Hellview”.The video is a tribute to eighties’ slasher movies.In one scene, Chad plays guitar while hangingfrom a noose. Chad attempts his signature guitarflip while hanging. Bad idea. Without safetyrigs, Chad really hangs himself. He begins toturn blue and convulses for a few minutes beforethe crew realize he’s choking and says,“We better take him down.” Umm, yeah. “Escapefrom Hellview” is one of the most entertainingvideos. Lead singer, Deron Miller dons a gimp-like costume to play thepsycho killer in the mini-slasher flick and he’s quite believable. If you’veseen any CKY videos, you’ll know that Deron looks like a stalker in everyvideo, but it’s a hot look for him.“Inhuman Creation Station” is very impressive. This dark,animated film is reminiscent of Tool videos andthe Nightmare Before Christmas.The band enlisted Dave Deneento create this clay animation flickthat compliments the song perfectly.Deron makes his directorial debutin one of the darkest videos, “Shockand Terror.” He has B-movie star,Misty Mundae sprawled on a kitchenisland eating peaches while cuttingherself with a large, butcher knife.She smears the blood across her bodywhile writhing seductively on thecountertop. Makes you want to go eatsome peaches, doesn’t it?While some of the final cuts are gory andmacabre, the behind-the-scenes footage ishilarious. In addition to the twelve videos andthe documentary featurettes, CKY has includedanother DVD entitled, Chopped andSliced, which includes three hours of extrafootage.Give these guys a video camera, and they’re sureto do some pretty outrageous things to entertainthemselves and the audience. While the videos arevery entertaining, the music stands on its own.www.ckymusic.com – Kelly MorrisseyTracy SheddRedTeenbeatShedd’s sound on this cd is a delicate mix of soft vocals and atmosphericguitars. This is her first cd with a full band, and it’s nice to hear hersongs a bit more rounded out. Shedd is far from your typical singersongwriter fare. Her sound runs more on the indie rock side, and withsubtle melodies and introspective lyrics, Shedd creates a gracefulsound that is a welcome addition to the usual male dominated genre.tracyshedd.com - Juliett RoweSkrapeUp The DoseRCAThis Orlando band has beenaround the world and back sincetheir debut a few years ago, andthat amount of touring makes allthe difference for this band. UpThe Dose finds Skrape on muchfirmer ground, and they haveimproved tremendously. The cdis full of hard hitting tunes primedand ready for modern rock radio. Sturdy and thick guitars give way tohard-hitting drums, and vocalist Billy Keeton is fully capable of deliveringaggressive melodies amidst a barrage of sound provided by hisbandmates. Title track “Up The Dose” and “Summer Song” are standouttracks. skrape.com - Juliett Rowe

MindlikewaterCurving Towards The SunBongiovi EntertainmentJoseph Beaty and companyhave re-released CurvingTowards The Sun, and it wasprobably one of the best thingsthey have ever done. This newversion features some remixes,deleted songs, and addedsongs. Simply put: this cd isphenomenal. Mindlikewater have captured a pure sound ofaggressive rock with equal parts industrial and hardcoreinfluences and the end result is a compelling piece of work. Eachsong is not only memorable for its tight musicianship, but forBeaty’s vocals, where he at times whispers and then goes into afully addictive melody. All fourteen tracks overflow with hooksand melody, two necessary ingredients for a great song. Myfavorite tracks are “Ricochet” and “Darkstar”. Highlyrecommended. mindlikewater.orgSalemLove It Or Leave MeFiddler RecordsSalem’s debut ep is a greatdisplay of the band’s musicalability. The quintet delivers onall aspects, and Love It OrLeave Me is a finerepresentation of thepersonable sound thisGainesville group has created.Vocalist Adam D’Zurilla has a full and powerful voice is a niceaddition to the dual guitar work of Joseph Simmons and JeremyRobertson. Hardcore-esqe riffs give way to punk inspired beats,which quickly breakdown to drum interludes and build back upagain to a driving finish. The members of Salem compliment eachother throughout the disc without becoming an overbearing egoside show. salemgvlmusic.comDevil Driverself-titledRoadrunner RecordsThis is the album that Dez Fafarawanted to make two albums agoin Coal Chamber. Where hisprevious band discouraged hiscalling to the darker side ofmetal, the members of DevilDriver fully embrace and encourageDez to exorcise his demonson their debut album. The cd opens with “Nothing’sWrong?” a bruising track with fierce riffs and hellish screams; aperfect introduction to Fafara’s newfound freedom. The bandkicks it up a notch with “I Could Care Less”, but it has to be “TheMountain” that sends the cd home. With its thunderous drumsand dual guitar attack, the song is best when Fafara growls, “Allyou outsiders, you haters and liars, your time is just counting, socome meet the mountain.” Highly recommended. devildriver.comso can I. joshtodd.comJosh ToddYou Made MeXS RecordsIt’s official. I have decided tostart a band, even though I haveno musical talent whatsoever,and I can’t carry a tune in abucket to save my life. But Ihave lots of tattoos, and I lookpretty good with my shirt off.Hey, if Josh Todd can do it, thenMesmer Machineself-titledMadroad RecordingsThis four song ep from the Orlandobased Mesmer Machineis a solid effort that offers a peakinto the band’s potential to deliveruncompromising emotionsset against a blend of rock thathas the quartet pegged somewherebetween stoner rock andBrit rock. Mesmer Machine originally formed a few years backwhen the four members lived in the Mojave Desert, and it’s thatisolation and desperation that has fueled the group’s sound sinceits inception. Bits of psychedelic effects are thrown in, and theresult is moody, desolate tuneage that shows that the band wearstheir influences (The Jesus and Mary Chain, Pixies) on their sleeve.madroadrecordings.comHoobastankThe ReasonIslandFor what Hoobastank doesthey’re not bad—and therein liesthe problem. What they do iscookie cutter corporate rock thatneither challenges the listener orchallenges the monster that hasbecome modern rock radio. DouglasRobb has enough vocalchops to get by on this cd, andguitarist Dan Estrin, who wrote all the music, keeps things movingthroughout the twelve tracks. However, three or four songs in TheReason begins to suffer from repetition, and a monotonous wailfrom Doug Robb, and Estrin’s guitar alike. It’s not until the ninthsong on the album, “Let It Out”, that Hoobastank pick up speed andthrow some muscle into the rock. I must be in an indie snob mood,because I’m thinking that The Reason is a mediocre album from amediocre band. www.hoobastank.com22 • FEBRUARY 2004 • RAG MAGAZINE

The more I listen to the music of Wednesday’s Child, it almostreminds me of a motion picture soundtrack. It’s like a reallygood movie, where you don’t want to skip any major parts, youwant to watch it all the way through to absorb it’s total effect.South Florida band Wednesday’s Child have completed a 10song cd, produced by studio ace Ford who has more than 16top ten Billboard dance hits to his credit. The first song off theinteresting music I’ve heard in quite some time. Wednesday’s Childis Raquel on vocals, Jeff Marcus on guitar, Scott Spooner on keyboards,Vicente Viera on bass, and Daniel Carson on drums. Theirsound is described as Alternative Pop, Retro-wave/ Electronic rock.This is a strong unit where everyone contributes equally in this project,and their creativity shows. The keyboard sound is very much evidentand the lyrics are rather abstract, “I kind of get the idea that it’s more likeWEDNESDAY’SCStory: Joseph Vilanecd Grace Of Face, is a great introduction to their music. “It’s avery powerful song and it opens up very strongly,” explainskeyboardist Scott, “I always feel that you should open with oneof your strongest songs and close with one of your strongestsongs. And we try to keep it in that mode.”It was quite the experience interviewing this band, I discovered how somany different personalities can co-exist to make some of the mosta painting,” asserts Scott, “when you do a painting you put yourself intoit, you invest yourself into it, when you step away it’s whatever theviewer takes away from it.”“I think Raquel can melt the hard core heart,” says Danny, and I couldn’thave said it better. “Raquel, she can compose a melody very well, shehears it a different way than everybody else,” explains Scott. “I think thewords are just place holders really for a rhythm, words have to fit a24 • FEBRUARY 2004 • RAG MAGAZINE

hythm, they have to fit a melody. Lyrics are not necessarily secondaryin importance, but they come later. Once you have a melody, it can bejust nonsense words, just to formulate a melody and a rhythm thatgoes over musical progressions, and then somebody brings in thedeep meanings. You can write them completely independently and fitthem together.”I think it’s wonderful when musicians can come together, withdifferent musical styles and blend it together in one eternalpiece, but the process can also be very unpredictable.“I never thought I would be asinger,” explains Raquel. “I just happenedto see an ad in the paperand I met Jeff. Butsomebodyaskedme what Iwanted todo with mylife and I reallywasn’t sure,and they werelike why don’t youjust go join TheCure, just jokingaround...and I waslike, you know thatwould be a good idea,maybe I should just join a band because I love music somuch, and I did, and I’m here.”HILDThe songwriting began with both Jeff and Raquel. Jeff interestinglyplayed bass before guitar, adding that he approachesthe guitar more like a keyboard or a bass, “It’s because of adifferent set of influences,” explains Jeff, “most people don’tlisten to the kind of stuff that I listen to, or guitar players usuallydon’t. When I play I tend to bury myself, because I’m nota real aggressive player, I’m a very melodic type player. I loveworking with Vicente because as a guitar player he’s mytotal polar opposite, between the two of us, we’re coveringeverything. These guys have brought new energy to the material,we’re not just satisfied; it’s brought new excitement tothe band.”I’ve seen this band perform on more than one occasion, andit’s a very mesmerizing experience. Which takes us to thelive performance, “It’s different than what’s on the album,there are more organic elements added to the live performance,”says Vicente. “The bass is more accentuated, especiallythe percussion. Those elements are present, [if] youlisten to the cd and then go see the show, it’s a little bitdifferent experience which makes going to the show moreworth while.” I think communication is really the key to success.“There’s a lot of cooperative influences in the band,” affirmsVicente, “and all of the important key elements are there and it makesit more enjoyable to work together in a group.”Raquel has great timing with the music. “She can compose a melodyvery well,” says Scott. “She hears it a different way than everybodyelse.” Although Raquel expressed that it can be intimidating to presentthe music to a live audience, she says, “I haven’t been on stage thatmuch. It’s a process, but every show gets better, I’m getting more usedto it and having more fun with it.”“What’s amazing about her is that she does have a stage presenceabout her and a certain aurora about her,” explains Jeff, “and thedifference between her and a lot of other people I see is that whenevershe’s there, there’s an element of class, and it’s completely natural.”This music rocks, but it’s also something you can dance to. Jeffelaborates on this subject, “I come from the old school, where it basicallysays you’ve won the fight once you get them up and they’redancing, because they’re gonna remember you from that point on. Ifthey’re standing there staring at you, you didn’t get to them, they haveto be doing something-they have to be actively involved.”One of my favorite songs from Grace Of Face would have to be “HandOf Conspiracy,” and there are hidden metaphors in the lyrics as well.Scott explains, “The phrase ‘the seed of an apricot,’ an apricot seed isbitter and it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. So basically what we’rereferring to is that a conspiracy leaves a bitter taste in your mouth.We’re never as free as we think we are, we’re always being watched.”Image is important in any era of music, however there’s more to aband than just looks. This band not only has a great sound, but theirimage fits the music, but very naturally and tastefully. “A lot of bandsmake the mistake of making the image the most important thing,”says Vicente, “and I think that there’s drawbacks to that—the musicsuffers.” Danny elaborates on this subject, “Growing up in a differentera where there’s not segregation, where you’re growing up withpeople in all different races, and colors and creeds and different styles,people have grown to throw away those predisposed ideas that wehave on appearance, unless you’re a model I guess.”Wednesday’s Child has a very powerful message, both individuallyand on a cohesive unit. Jeff explains, “When I play guitar, I feel that myguitar should have almost like human vocal qualities as opposed tolike the typical speed thrash metal type thing, because that’s what Ifeel inside.” This isn’t just clearly defined as music, it’s also an artform. “Every art form has two participants,” says Scott, “a person thatperforms it and the person that receives it, and it’s not art until theperson receives it.” This can surely attract a wide range of listeners,“To elicit some sort of emotional response,” says Vicente, “whether itbe going to a show, or seeing the band, just changes your life for thatsplit second.”Raquel expresses how she wants listeners to free their minds andappreciate something special. “I just want people to stop listening tothe same generic crap, and open their minds a little bit, and appreciatemusic, different kinds of music, and I want to make people happy.”“It’s all about the love of playing music,” says Daniel. “People aregonna take whatever they want to take from it.” In closing thoughtsRaquel eloquently says, “You either like it or you don’t!”This interview was videotaped for a television show in the makingabout unsigned bands, “We’ve been videotaped behind thescenes,” Scott says, “at practice, at shows, setting up equipmentevery aspect, so we’ll get enough footage to make an interestingshow at some point.” For more information on the band, their newcd Grace Of Face and upcoming shows go towww.wednesdayschildband.com.RAG MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2004 • 25

Interview: Tanya Van Kampen

Last March AFI released theirhighly anticipated major labeldebut Sing the Sorrow, a threeyearfollow up to the album TheArt of Drowning. Almost a yearlater, Sing the Sorrow has beendeemed an eclectic masterpiece,a highpraise whollymerit able.The evidencelies in the beautifulmelodies,haunting guitartones, anthemicchoruses, and anexhibited level ofprofessionalism thattook popular music bysurprise.It is true 2003 proved tobe quite consequentialwith a multitude of accomplishmentsand sudden mainstreamsuccess for the twelve-year-oldband from Ukiah, California. With chartbreaking singles receiving regular rotationon MTV and radio, AFI were also recipientsof an MTV VMA, the AlternativePress Hall of Fame Award, and they wereeven listed a noteworthy #10 in the NewYork Times Best Albums of 2003 category.All of this from humble hardcore beginnings.Not bad.where Nitro couldn’t really do much for us any more. There were a lot of places wherethey didn’t even have distribution so we couldn’t tour there, and they even said themselvesthat it would be better for us to move on. So it seemed liked the only choice.RAG: How accommodating was DreamWorks when you joined up withthem?JADE: It was great, I mean they were nothing but supportive and theydidn’t interfere, they were only helpful and they did everything theycould and it was scary going to a major label ‘cause you here a lot ofstories, a lot of which are true but none of that happened with us.RAG: How did it affect the actual recording of the album, werethere a lot of record label execs making there presence knownor did the band have the freedom to do whatever?JADE: No man, it was never like that and I think they knew thatfrom the start because, you know, we’ve been around awhile,we’re working on our sixth record so it wasn’t like we’re a newband and there were people in there holding our hands andstuff. So they didn’t try to tell us what kind of songs to write,they didn’t try to push us in any direction, they didn’t try to tellus to go back in the studio because we didn’t have a hit or anythinglike that.RAG: The guitar tones are unlike anything we’ve heard in the past year – whatinspiration did you draw from?JADE: I just wanted to do something different than I’d done before and plus somethingdifferent than what’s out there. Now it’s kinda like everybody has a rectifier or a pod andeverybody plays on the same guitar and the same amp so it all kinda sounds thesame. I wanted something that would cut through a bit.But as I talked with guitarist Jade Puget itbecame clear that none of the aforementionedhas changed who they are and whatthey’re about: the music, of course.RAG: The band has been touring like crazysince the release of Sing the Sorrow ayear ago… are you burnt out with thisalbum and ready to move on?JADE: No, we’ve had about a month off sothat’s always nice and [touring] is kindawhat we do. We’ve been touring for years.RAG: I want to talk a little about the movefrom Nitro to DreamWorks because itgenerated quite a bit talk amongst yourfans at least… Was AFI looking to movelabels or did DreamWorks approach theband?JADE: Kinda both, so it worked out well.RAG: Was there any doubt within the bandthat that was the direction you all wantedto go in?JADE: No, because we were at a pointRAG: Do you feel like the band is headed in a new direction because of the album’ssuccess?JADE: We’re always headed in a new direction. Like I say, more and more we try to dodifferent things in between albums just because we don’t want to make the samerecord over, so it really has nothing to do with success. We’d be doing the same thingeven if we hadn’t sold any records.RAG: What’s the biggest the difference between your first album with AFI BlackFEBRUARY 2004 • RAG MAGAZINE • 31

JADE: I buy a lot of records, I buy pretty much everything thatcomes out just because I love music and it doesn’t seem tooften when a good record comes out… but I’ve been into TheNotwist from Germany, they’re really good. I’m trying to thinkwhat came out this year… I really like The Spills, Mars Volta,they have an amazing, amazing record.RAG: What would you say is your favorite album of 2003?JADE: I probably have to say Mars Volta or Mogwai.RAG: Are any members getting into any current sideprojects?JADE: Dave and I have an electronic side project. [Blaqk Audiorelease due out later this year]RAG: Has anyone expressed any interest in settling down,maybe starting a family?JADE: Luckily no, those are the kinds of things that break upbands. I think that’s one of reasons why this band has beentogether for eleven years because we’re dedicated to doingthis.RAG: You’ve known AFI since the very beginning in the earlynineties, how did you meet Davey and Adam?JADE: Well, Dave, Adam, and I grew up in the same town,small town, and we went to high school together and wealways hung out together and were in bands growing up, soI knew them for a long time.RAG: Did you all ever imagine that your common interestand passion for music would take you this far?JADE: No, I never thought that. I mean I always wanted to dothis but I never thought it would be like this.Sails in the Sunset and the current one?JADE: Well, Black Sails was my first experience writing songsfor AFI so from that perspective it was a lot faster. Dave and Iwould just sit down and write songs one after the other andit was really fun and new and I didn’t really try that hard. Butnow I think there’s more thought put into it.RAG: I love that AFI embraces the whole glam rock thingand has reinvented it into its own style… at what point inyou life did you discover glam rock?JADE: Well, I remember when Appetite for Destruction cameout in ’87, I think I was a freshman in high school, and I hadbeen into punk ever since I was twelve or thirteen, so whenthat came out it was like punk and glam at the same timeand I just loved it and it’s still one of my favorite records of alltime.RAG: What sort of guitar influences did you grow up with?JADE: When I first started playing, the blues was one of thethings I listened to. A lot of B.B King, Robert Johnson, a lot ofthe southern blues artists, and I was into punk at the timebut when it came to guitar I listened to the blues.RAG: Are there any current albums or artists that you’reimpressed with or surprised by?32 • RAG MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2004RAG: What’s the plan after this tour?JADE: Start working on the next record.RAG: Do you guys already have material written for that?JADE: A little bit. I’ve been writing… I always write no matterwhat, so I have a lot of stuff that can be put together.RAG: Would you say that most of the material is written inadvance prior to recording?JADE: Well the last three records were all written before goinginto the studio.RAG: So is it something where you have to put time asideand sit down and write or is it a process of waking up inthe middle of the night with this amazing idea?JADE: Most of the writing is done by me in my apartment, soI have to kind of find my inspiration, however the songs aren’twritten by us all sitting around and jamming. I know it worksfor some bands but for us it’s never really been like that. I’dlike to wake up and have a song written, like Paul McCarthywrote “Yesterday” when he just woke up and he had writtenthe whole song in his sleep.RAG: AFI fans are devoted, passionate yet diverse unlikeany other fan base – what do you attribute that to?JADE: I think it’s because our music is kind of eclectic andwe come from different scenes like the punk and hardcorescene but we have the rock and metal and also a lot of ourmusic has an electronic influence.

RAG: It must be amazing to see fansthat were listening to the band in itshardcore days back in the early ninetiesgrow along with the band andstick with you throughout all thechanges?JADE: Yeah, it is amazing when youlisten to the records and how differentthey all sound and people who werethere for the first two records are stillaround.RAG: Were you concerned about losingfans because of the major label?JADE: Not at all, I mean if somebodythat likes our music is gonna stop listeningto us because of what label isputting our record out, that’s a ridiculousreason to not like a band. If youdon’t like our music then that’s onething, that’s fine you don’t like our music,but considerations like that arepointless to even worry about it.fan base over there, it’s as good as it is over here and Australia too, but in mainlandEurope, the fans are great but we’re still working over there to expose ourselves topeople.RAG: For those who have never heard of AFI’s music, how would you describethe band’s sound and style?I just wanted to do somethingdifferent than I’d donebefore... I wanted somethingthat would cut through a bit.JADE: I have no idea… I can’t really describe it. I guess I would say rock becausethat can kind of cover it I think.RAG: Aside from the obvious musical growth, what’s the biggest differencebetween AFI now and AFI back in ’92?JADE: Well, you know, ten, eleven, twelve years pass and you have a totally differentperspective on things. What you’re writing about in high school that were importantthen aren’t gonna be importanta decade later…and you’re a better musicianand everything’schanged really, except foryour love of playing musicand touring.RAG: When all is said anddone, what sort of influenceor mark would youlike to think that AFI hasleft on the music scene?JADE: A positive one. Thatpeople liked our music,maybe it helped them outor gave them some sortof pleasure.RAG: How do international fans comparewith fans here in the states?JADE: They’re awesome. Because Nitrodidn’t have very good distributionover there, we’re kind of still of a newband over there, it’s not really thesame being somewhere where you’reestablished. In the UK we have a greatRAG: When you come outon stage and you see allthese fans chanting andit almost has this cultlike feel to it, what goesthrough your head?JADE: Uh, it’s like “Whatare you guys looking at?”No, that’s the best part ofthe tour when you walk out for the first time on stage. I never really get over that andI’ve played a million shows. - www.afireinside.netAFI will be playing at the Pompano Beach Amphitheatre on March 6 th . For moreinfo call the box office at (954) 946-2402.34 • RAG MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2004

DEVIL DRIVERStory: Juliett Rowe“That’s what I think Devil Driver is today–a shot desperatelyneeded in the arm for heavy metal,” so says the force and foundingmember behind Devil Driver, Dez Fafara. Dez has spent thelast two years of his life taking Devil Driver from nothing morethan a distant fantasy and turning it into a working reality. This isa direction the vocalist has wanted to go in for quite a while, andwhen things finally went dark with Coal Chamber Fafara instantlyknew the timing was right to move on and show his love of blackand death metal with Devil Driver. “I wish that my previous bandwould have gone that direction on the second and third album,but unfortunately I only sing and write lyrics–I don’t write anymusic. I wish we would have gone that direction, and this isdefinitely where my heart is at, and where it always is at. Anybodywho thinks that that wouldn’t be the case, might want to goback and listen to the first Coal Chamber album and hear howraw it is at a time when music wasn’t raw.” Fafara is calling fromCalifornia, as the band is in the midst of rehearsals for theirupcoming forty-day jaunt with Swedish death metal kings Opethand Moonspell.Dez Fafara has long been a champion of extreme metal–fromthe earliest days of Coal Chamber to now with Devil Driver, Fafarahas wanted his music aggressive and brutal. When the othermembers of Coal Chamber decided to change direction withmusic that they gave me for Dark Days to sing to, I automaticallysaid that I can’t use any of my styles that I want to use on this,”Dez candidly admits. “I can’t sing like I would do for Devil Driverbecause it wouldbe way over the top.I’ve got to stick inCoal Chambermode and do whatCoal Chamberdoes. I was leavingthose sessionsat eleven ortwelve o’clock atnight, cominghome, and [me andEvan] were writingtill three, four, or fivein the morning forDevil Driver. I knew that I had a certain amount of time to a: dothis music, and b: finish a demo before I went on the road becauseI didn’t know if it would last a day or two months on theroad with Coal Chamber–I had no idea–we were going out onseparate busses at this point.” Dez’s honesty throughout theinterview is almost unnerving. He’s answering all the questionsthat any Coal Chamber fanwould want to know, andwith such honesty that I almostfeel like that I am askingto be a part of somethingvery private and personal.He reassures mesaying, “And about CoalChamber questions–I don’tmind answering becausepeople will stop asking assoon as they have heardtheir answers, so it’s allgood.”the band’s 2002 final album Dark Days, Fafara was unhappy.When the band went in to record the album–separately–Fafaraknew it was time to move on. “Well when I was offered up theDevil Driver is from SantaBarbara, California whereDez resides. It was in asmall restaurant there thatFafara frequented for earlymorning breakfast that hemet Evan, who would endup starting the band withDez and becoming one ofthe guitarists for the group.Dez tells the story of howthey first met, “I eat there in the morning really early if I possiblycan when there’s no one there and the fog is rolling in; I love thatvibe,” he says. “A kid left me a napkin that said, ‘Hey I hear you’re36 • RAG MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2004

in town, and I’m not only afan of what you do but a guitarplayer. If you ever want tojam, why don’t you call me?’I ended up calling him andwe became friends for abouta year before I even mentionedto him that it was timeto start writing, and it wasactually–he picked me upfrom the Dark Days sessionsfrom the last album that CoalChamber did. He picked meup from those sessions, wewere driving home probablyabout one o’clock at night,and I just said to him, ‘Look,I’ve been in the studio for twomonths. I haven’t seen anyof my other band members.This can’t continue, this is notwhere my heart is at. So let’sstart writing some songs.’And that’s when it started. Everybodyelse was kind ofgathered organically justthrough other bands.” DevilDriver is rounded out byJohnny B.on drums, Jeff onguitar, and John on bass.“I think that Coal Chamberoutstayed it’s welcome,”says Dez. “Had they listenedto me for the previous albums–maybenot–but I knewit was my time to go showpeople what I’m really into.And I knew that I would takemy knocks for being in CoalChamber from like the blackmetal or death metal people.But the bottom line is that Ihad a great career with them,sold over a million albums,blah blah blah. I played witha lot of great bands. I got theopportunity to tour withPantera before they broke up,Black Sabbath all throughEurope. My woman is the onewho’s got me started on thisright now. It’s like, ‘Hey man,you should look at whatyou’ve done and be proud ofit and don’t try to run from it,’and I’m not. I’m proud to sayI was in Coal Chamber, butDevil Driver is where I’m atnow.” It was just a few daysbefore the infamous onstage38 • RAG MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2004fight between Dez and Meegs on Coal Chamber’s tour supportingDark Days that Fafara knew he had to move on, andDevil Driver became a real working band in Fafara’s mind. “Iwas in a hotel room on the Dark Days tour,” Dez reveals,“when some very serious stuff was going on with the otherband members in the hotel room, demands and this andthat, and I called everyone I knew and said, ‘this is it.’ Andabout three nights later there was a fist fight on stage and Iflew home, and previous to flying home I was on the phonewith everybody I knew and that’s when it took shape. Obviouslyit took shape when we were recording the demo, but Ihad to be free from other things in order to go forward. Whenwas I ready to go for it? When I was on tour with Coal Chamber.”Roadrunner Records signed Devil Driver four days beforeChristmas of 2002. The band’s self-titled debut was releasedin October, and the quintet has been on the roadsince. There are twelve songs on DevilDriver, that are, simplyput, brutal as fuck. The album opens with “Nothing’sWrong?” in which Dez unleashes a bloody terrorizing screamthen rushes right into fast and furious vocals that range fromsharp high pitched screams to chilling low guttural growls.It’s clearly evident that this is where he wants to be, and thatthis is where his talent is. Dez explains the album’s firsttrack, “‘Nothing’s Wrong’ is about the way you live your life.Everybody’s got to live their own life; everybody’s got to lookthemselves in the mirror. That’s just what that’s all about.You’ve got to live your life to make yourself happy.” Throughoutthe album guitarists Evan and Jeff rival each other withsharp riffs and progressions while Johnny B’s drums comeat you full force with machine blast intensity. “I Could CareLess” has been the band’s gateway track, and Devil Driver’srage and intensity are abundant. “Right now Devil Driver forme is my stab at a whole new universe. ‘If I lose I could gostraight to hell,’ you can take that literal or not. I’ve reallygrown up with a must win-no lose situation in my life. Myparents use to always say never say can’t. That always transferredto me as always say win. That’s what that song isabout.”“I can only say that I’ve listened to my first album with CoalChamber–I’ve listened to it numerous times. But I’ve neverlistened to my second and third album, so I’ve never heardmy own work. I don’t want to listen to it. I’ve heard it back inthe studio obviously, but I just needed to move on. But whenI hear this stuff–I listened to this album constantly. You knowwhat I mean? On the bus, or what ever we’re riding in at thetime, we’re listening to the album and I’m loving it. We’rehaving drinks to our own album, and it feels good for meright now. My face really feels like I’m finally in the sun. I’vegot the sunshine on my face–it feels good.”“As far as people think that I’m pissed off–yeah I’m pissedoff at a lot of shit,” Dez bluntly states. “Aren’t you? And isn’teverybody? Anyone who comes from the blue collar workingclass background like I did and struggled all the way up andis still basically, I’m like working class right now, you’re goingto feel like every day is a struggle. My life is that and I livethat, and I love that, and that’s what feeds me, you know?”Devil Driver will be at the Culture Room Tuesday February10 th with Opeth and Moonspell. For more info go to

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This is from Tracy Shedd’s Friendster profile: Interests:Hollandaise sauce, lemonade, cooking, dirty martinis, loudguitars, soft guitars, yoga, activities in the snow, dancing,wine, plants, vinyl, traveling, soap. Favorite movies: Red,Delicatessen, Harold and Maude, The Royal Tenenbaums,Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Some Kind of Wonderful,Amelie, E.T., The Double Life of Veronique. FavoriteMusic: Sonic Youth, Al Green, Otis Redding, My MorningJacket, Ella, Rachels, Magnetic Fields, The Smiths, NickDrake, My Bloody Valentine.She says that her friends suckered her into Friendster, but Iam not so sure. The Jacksonville based singer songwriterwho is supporting her second release for eclectic indie labelTeenbeat Records, seems to be a shy person off stage.On stage she rocks out behind a wall of guitars and distortion.It’s that juxtaposition that makes Tracy Shedd (and herband) an interesting outfit. Shedd’s indie rock sound ispeppered with soft vocals that have an affect, because sometimesit’s what you don’t hear that leaves an impression.Rag: How long have you been performing?Tracy: For ten years. At age six I started playing the piano. Ialso played the trumpet all through elementary andhigh school. I picked up guitar after high schoolTRACYRag: Blue was released in 2001, and Red this year. Whydid you decide to record and continue to play with a fullband?Tracy: I have been through a lot of changes this year. I haveplayed with three different guitarist, lost my bass player for afew weeks because he was moving back to Boston, then gotmy bass player back because he decided to stay…gained anew drummer after loosing my husband as the old drummerbecause he had to take a new job, um lets see, oh andnow my husband is back in the band on guitar, yeah thatabout sums it up. No, really I am having a blast playingwith my band. We all mesh very well together and we areall a great support to each other, musically and mentally!Rag: Has that changed your writing style?Rag: Have you always done singer songwriter typestuff?Tracy: I started playing guitar in band with my “nowhusband” James Tritten. We were a three piece calledSella. We played out for a few years in The Jacksonville,Fl area. I was the singer in the band. It wasn’tuntil around 96, I think, that I started playing underTracy Shedd, my maiden name and was called a singersongwriter. This was probably because I played bymyself, but now the name represents a whole bandthat goes under Tracy Shedd. I decided to keep thename out of respect for my father who has always beensupportive of my music!Rag: How is it in Jacksonville?Tracy: Pretty cool. Jacksonville is a unique place. I likecoming back here after a tour because it is such arelaxing place for me. It feels nice to know I am living inthe biggest city, okay almost the biggest city, in theUSA and if feels “small town”, if you know what I mean!Rag: Have you found support in the music scenethere?Tracy: What a tricky question. When I was a teenagerback in the early nineties there was a pretty cool scenehere and I was told while I was living in Boston during1998 through 2001 that it was pretty cool too. Einstein’sA-Go Go, the best dance club ever, contributed to thatcool scene! Jacksonville is still growing. As far as findingsupport here, well, Jacksonville has more of analt-country southern rock thing going, which there isnothing wrong with some good southern rock once in awhile, but it’s a little hard to get accepted in a city thatthrives on this style of music. Well, actually there is a punkscene too, but again I don’t really fit in that category either.42 • RAG MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2004

SHEDDInterview: Juliett RoweTracy: No, not at all. Although, we did write our first bandsong a few months ago called “Louder Than You Can Hear”and that was fun. But the majority of my songs are not writtenwith everyone in the same room because I am most creativealone.Rag: Do you ever feel vulnerable on stage?Tracy: Not anymore. I am a lot more confident than I was, saythree years ago. I think that just comes with practice. Themore I play live the more I like it.Rag: Is it different now that you’re with a band?Tracy: It’s louder, fuller and more rock than when I was playingwith just a drummer.Rag: I’m curious about your writing process—is it easyfor you to write songs? Have you ever struggled withwriter’s block? How important is it for you that peopleare able to relate to your words?Tracy: It comes in spurts or if I have a pen and paper handy.As long as the music is moving people in some way, that’sthe most important, as long as it has some affect.Rag: Listening to Red, it seems very quiet compared toyour live show. Is this intentional or just kind of howthings worked out?Tracy: It’s just kind of how things worked out. I fought it fora while, but I have embraced the r.o.c.k. The music keepsevolving everyday!Rag: How do you feel about Red now that you’ve beenplaying the songs for a while?Tracy: I still enjoy playing the songs. Some of the new songsoff of Red have a new sound since we added a secondguitarist who likes to fly the kite. Definition of fly the kite:holding your guitar in the air and swaying it all around whileplaying it and occasionally taking out lights on stage.Rag: How did you hook up with Teenbeat?Tracy: I am friends with Mark Robinson who runs thelabel.Rag: Would you ever move to a major?Tracy: I guess it depends on the situation.Rag: Do you think that they could market you correctly?Tracy: I am not sure.Rag: This is the obligatory how do you feel about thecurrent state of the music industry question.Tracy: According to my anonymous friend: “If ChristinaAguilera would just sing all Steven Merrit songs all webe good.”Rag: Is your music an accurate portrayal of yourpersonality, or are there things that we aren’t seeing?Tracy: It’s a way for me to express myself…I wouldnot say that it gives the fans an accurate or inaccurateportrayal of me, they would have to meet me tomake that decision.Rag: What’s going on with the new EP?Tracy: We are still deciding on how we want to releasethe new seven-song recording we did withour Friend Scott Madgett and mixed with our friendTrevor Kampmann from the band Holland in NYClast week. So, it’s all in the works as we speak inregards to how we are going to release thesesongs…the rumor is, we may do a 7” with some ofthe songs maybe even a split 7” with a friend. It’stoo early to tell.Rag: —What’s the one cd that you can’t live without?Tracy: Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation. We own iton vinyl.

By: Crystal ClarkMIRACLEKurt Russell, Patricia Clarkson & Eddie CahillDirected by: Gavin O’ ConnorWalt Disney Pictures, PG, 135 minFebruary. 1980. Lake Placid, New York. During this noteworthytime and place in American sports history, the USAHockey Team accomplished the most unbelievable,unthinkable, and unparalleled quest, by unifying atop theGold Medalist platform at the 1980 Winter Olympics.But that wasn’t even the best part, or the mostimpressive, or the most inspirational. That distinctioncame the night before, on February 22, when a teamof once-capable athletes, united, and emerged asAmerican heroes. It would be the night that Americansfelt a collective lump in their throats while the restoring elements ofpatriotism pumped through their veins. Team USA faced-off against the mostdominant squad in hockey’s history: The Soviets. The final score of that emotional rollercoaster will forever be embedded in pop culture, as will sportscaster Al Michaels’ enthusiasticexclamation, “Do you believe in miracles?”(c) 2004 Buena Vista Pictures Distribution. All Rights ReservedStill, twenty-four years later, the stunning victory that simultaneously honored athletics, mended a country, and redefined humancharacter has repeatedly been celebrated for being the quintessential sporting moment of the 20 th century. It’s now February again,but the year is 2004 and this time, movie-goers, will ironically find themselves in a similar position as did Team USA in 1980;historically, films that champion the success of real-life adversity, routinely must also shoulder the burden of living up to the “dreamthat came true.” Truth be told, Disney had some profound skates to fill with their massive undertaking of bringing this once-in-alifetimephenomenon to the big screen. Director Gavin O’Connor, screenwriter Eric Guggenheim, and star Kurt Russell wereassembled by Disney for what it hoped would be their own winning team. Well, the game’s over, and it’s truly a remarkable groupof players that somehow managed to create a tribute that stands alongside the actual event it’s paying homage to.The cognizant ticking of Miracle’s clock begins immediately asO’Connor opens the film by unraveling the time capsule offractured international relations in 1979. He wastes no timeestablishing the who, what, and where of the state of theworld, and by doing so, plants you into your seat with suchintensity, the momentum can only build. Moreover, O’Connornever forgets that the nostalgia transpired over two decadesago and he brilliantly juxtaposes actual news footage andrelevant stories to keep the viewer focused. O’Connorcontinues to build on the anticipation of the audience,by taking his time to develop the crucial storyline leading up to theactual games, yet you’ll find yourself on the edge of your seatfrom the moment the theater darkens. Nevertheless, the tangibleeuphoria hardly overshadows the magnificent performance ofKurt Russell as team USA head coach, Herb Brooks. Russell’sBrooks is a primary example of an Oscar-caliber presentationthat will be all-but-forgotten by voters, due to Miracle’s earlyrelease date. O’Connor also earns kudos for getting primoperformances out of cinematic rookies Eddie Cahill, Patrick O’BrienDemsey, Michael Mantenuto, and relative newcomer, Nathan West;all of whom are experienced hockey players (as were all theactors/players cast in the movie).Our screening audience continually rejoiced withelectrifying cheers amidst a constant fervor of applause;and the nail-biting suspense was so exhilarating, socontagious that chills ran up and down my arms and ontothe person sitting next to me. It must be dually noted that Iwasn’t the only one tearing-up way before I was probablysupposed to, and long after the credits rolled. It’s nowbeen three weeks since I experienced the “Miracle On Ice”that I was far-too-young to enjoy in its halcyon, and I stillget choked-up when the movie’s trailer skates across theTV. This is, by far, one of the best rides Disney has evercreated and, you too, will want to experience thispassionate and poignant journey over and over again.44 • RAG MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2004

During a recent episodeof Bravo’s Inside theActors Studio, TomCruise waxed poeticabout the monetarysacrifices he made asa struggling actor inorder to get qualityprojects made. Hedoled out unselfishanecdotes concurringhis dedication andpassion for the organiccraft of acting whilealso pandering to thenotion that money haveanything to do with anactor’s career choices. Cruise acknowledged that actors need tosearch for the projects that will allow themselves growth, and thencontinue to nurture those projects until their birth. Host Lipton praisedCruise for having done numerous projects for scale, including hisOscar-nominated role in Born on the Fourth of July. Cruise stated thatthe script was amazing, the real-life victim was inspiring, and thestory needed to be told, period. He confirmed that although he is nowa very wealthy man, he never has (or will) make a decision about arole, a script, or a movie on the mere basis of a paycheck. This anartistic decision not shared by many in Hollywood, but nonetheless anactress most certainly on par with Cruise’s thought-process is NeveCampbell. Roughly seven years ago, Campbell (a professionally trainedand toured ballet dancer) became fascinated with the concept ofcreating a project that showcased the ups-and-downs of the life andcareer of a ballet dancer. She sought out documentary-esque directorRobert Altman to helm the production; and along with screenwriterBarbara Turner, Campbell began writing the story that would one-daydance onto the big screen. Campbell’s artistic dedication was so intense,THE BUTTERFLY EFFECTAshton Kutcher, Amy Smart & Elden HensonDirected by: Eric Bress & J. Mackye GruberNew Line Cinema, R, 113 minOn January 23, 2004 –three entire days before The Butterfly Effectwas scheduled to open in theatres—executive producer and starAshton Kutcher abruptly canceled all remaining interviews left on hispromotional tour; apparently due to an overwhelmingly amount ofnegative reviews directed at both his performance and the film itself.Word is Kutcher felt that the press was being overtly nasty and unjustlybiased; from my perspective, Kutcher has a valid point. In a land thatnot only promotes but encourages undeserved ass-kissing, you haveto admit that a concerted amount of effort has been concentrated ontaking unnecessary pot shots at Kutcher’s recent dalliance with directorCameron Crowe over Elizabethtown, his still-blossoming, age-defyingromance with Demi, and his absolute bravado of actually pulling theplug on Punk’d at the height of its popularity. Talk about taking chaostheory to a whole new level; even Ben and J. Lo would have beenovershadowed this week. Nevertheless, by taking a cue from its owntitle, the Butterfly Effect managed to practice what it’s preaching. In achain-of-events so ironic, even science nerds were left speechless:The Butterfly Effect weathered the storm of negative hoopla andfluttered to the top of the box office, its wings generating a whoppingseventeen million-dollar payday. And while it’s still too early to tell ifKutcher has a bona fide hit on his hands, he’s got to be a newfoundbeliever in karma. Professionally, Kutcher’s dramatic debut struck meas daring and wickedly intense and I couldn’t have been more satisfiedwith his effort. Costar Amy Smart is required to flesh out a number ofcomplex characters, of which she appears to have done with ease.Her delivery is utterly outstanding while surprisingly grounded, and46 • RAG MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2004THE COMPANYNeve Campbell, Malcolm McDowellDirected by: Robert AltmanSony Pictures Classics, PG-13, 112 minthat when funding for the Joffrey dancers began todry-up, she began sacrificing her own pay in orderto keep the production afloat. With the premiereperformance of The Company, Campbell’s dreamculminates as her love of ballet dancing and actingtakes center stage, literally. It was a feat that I wasrather excited to experience because of my ownsolemn respect for both actors and dancers. Here,(c) 2003 Sony Pictures Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.Campbell is featured in a number of solos and hergrace and intensity alone is worth seeing. However, The Company isnot a movie in any real sense of the word –a point so profoundlyarticulated by the mere lack of dialogue. Yes, there is talking per se,but its delivery is rather unconventional as the viewer is essentiallymade privy to conversations as if being overheard by othercharacters, who themselves, are not really speaking to anyonespecific, nor for any significant reason. Not surprisingly, Altman haschosen to capture the dancers in a sort of hidden-camera typeatmosphere that proves both unentertaining and mundane. Of course,there are many artful and exquisite productions to take in, but notnearly to the tedious degree that we are forced to experience thearduous process it takes the dancers to get there. Once TheCompany’s production takes its final curtain call, it becomes apparentthat the true behind-the-scenes success story was not in thecapturing of the dancers lives at all; inevitably, it was the behindthe-scenesartists who were able to get the film made in the firstplace. And according to fellow-thespian Cruise, that’s a pricelessaccomplishment in of itself.even third wheel Elden Henson turns in another well-roundedperformance. In the end, the public’s voice (and wallet) will be whatmatters most, but you’ve got to wonder if all these salivating criticseither over-analyzed the film’s storyline or quite simply misunderstoodthe basic premise staring them in the face: when someone, anyonemakes a decision (good or bad) in effects everyone’s life they have, orwill, come in contact with. It’s a simple theory explained rather strikinglyin a fantastic number of scenarios that highlight the trials, tribulations,and tragedies that may ormay not have occurred incharacters’ lives; eventswhich ultimately come to bedefined by the myriad ofdecisions surroundingevery move they make . Itwasn’t far-fetched in theleast. In fact, it was obviousthat the filmmaker’s felt theaudience would be smartenough to realize that eachscenario playing itself out(through Kutcher), wasinherently fueled byanother character’sperspective. I got it.Several people I talked togot it. Even Roger Ebertgot it. Then again, maybeall the critics did get it,but decided to punkKutcher instead. Nowthat, is what I’d call thebutterfly effect of karma.

MONSTERCharlize Theron, Christina RicciDirected by: Patty JenkinsNewmarket Film Group, R, 111 minEvery single day since the recent headlines and subsequentbrouhaha broke concerning several quasi-journalists liftingcopy from infinitely more qualified writers, legitimatescribers have been spending less quality time writing andmore quantity time dotting i’s and crossing t’s for fear ofbeing labeled a plagiarist; therefore, let me take this opportunityto acknowledge movie critic extraordinaire Roger Ebert for first publishingthe following sentence in his review of Charlize Theron’s role in Monster: This is oneof the greatest performances in the history of cinema. I make this concerted effort to siteEbert’s reflection simply because this is the only collection of words that can define Theron’s ultimate reincarnationon film. Trust me, I’m not just being lazy. Therefore, I’m going to say it again: This is one of the greatestperformances in the history of cinema. Now granted, I do have one tremendous advantage over Ebert and probably the majority of criticswho have penned a Monster review. Having majored in Criminal Justice and forensics, I spent a great deal of time studying Theron’s real-lifecounterpart, Aileen Wuornos –the woman anointed, “America’s first female serial killer.” For many years, Wuornos had even been imprisoned atthe Broward Correctional Institution, less than ten miles from my house. So when you figure in all the research papers, crime scene evidence,video documentaries, and trial transcripts I’ve been exposed to –I can matter-of-factly tell you right here and right now that Theron channelsAileen’s mannerisms in every second of 35mm frame on screen. Nevertheless, you don’t have to take my word for it, check out the film’scorresponding documentary, Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (currently playing at the Miami Film Festival). I have no doubt that thisexperience will enable you to truly appreciate the degree to which Theron eerily inhabits Aileen’s mind, body, and soul –from her head tilts, stoicexpressions, evil-empty stares, hair whips, smart-ass gestures, mouth movements, vocal expressions, unladylike gait, and F-it-all mentality. IfAileen subconsciously created it, Theron consciously captures it and with unrelenting dedication and mind-blowing substance. Of course, withthe much-deserved critical acclaim in overdrive Theron has been cleaning up at this season’s awards shows, so far earning thirteen nominationsand winning seven of the decided races, including a golden globe. Hours ago, she scored the crème de la crème of nominations: for an AcademyAward for Best Actress. It’s another distinguished accolade, which will no doubt materialize into another monstrous win; simply because this iswhat prosecutors like to refer to as a “slam dunk”case; one where even the jury verdict is fundamentally unanimous.WIN A DATE WITH TAD HAMILTON!Kate Bosworth, Josh Duhamel & Topher GraceDirected by: Robert LuketicDreamworks, PG-13, 95 min(c) 2003 Newmarket Film Group. All Rights Reserved.When Blue Crush and Wonderland graduate, Kate Bosworth, invites her fans to the movies,who in their right mind would turn her down? I didn’t and neither should you because this wasthe best first date I’ve had since meeting my own better half (except our first date involved arock concert and photography equipment, go figure). But this got me thinking, how on earth didthe media juggernaut known as Hollywood drop the ball -big time- for not conducting the mostobvious of publicity stunts: a contest to win a date with the film’s stars Kate Bosworth,Topher Grace, or Josh Duhamel? Hello? While it may sound corny, it certainly would havegotten the attention of the movie’s key demographics. Honestly, when was the last time astudio or star promoted a movie in such an original PG manner? I mean it’s not like we’retalking about a fading pop diva who doesn’t even bother to lip-sync correctly making ablatant attempt to stimulate plummeting record sales by penciling in a 5 am quickie LasVegas wedding and then brazenly having it annulled 55 hours later. C’mon, now thatwould be absolutely ridiculous. Nonetheless, I’m here to tell you that while you may haveplanned to tag along for the date with Tad Hamilton, by the time the night is over, you’regoing to want a date with Kate Bosworth. Although, I have a feeling that her beau, actorOrlando Bloom, might have a problem with that. It’s no surprise that Bosworth’s Rosaleeis a woman that every guy (and girl) would love to open up the door to find standing before them; butaesthetics sides, Bosworth’s magnetic appeal cannot be denied, even by our own fictional movie star, TadHamilton. Bosworth’s grace and giddiness is infectious, while her electrifying smile dually lights up hearts and screens at thesame time. Though you’ll quickly decide which guy is for her; you can’t help but fall in love with her yourself. Costar Topher Grace is relativelyfunny and effective as Rosalee’s long-suffering love Pete, yet he’s embodied by the same subtle, sardonic wit utilized to portray Eric, hischaracter from That 70’s Show. Duhamel is better as the clueless-about-normal-people’s-lives Tad Hamilton. When we meet him, he spends hisdays and nights living the stereotypical, fantasy-driven celebrity life (ever-present cell phones, throwaway babes, nice house, fast car).However, Tad has no real friends to speak of, except for his housekeeper, agent, and manager. All that changes when his charity date, RosaleeFutch, knocks him off his feet and straight into the newly found reality of love. All I can say is that when my date was over, instead of runningto the phone and calling my best friend to spill the juicy details, I found myself eagerly anticipating my blank computer screen so I could share itwith you instead: Win a Date With Tad Hamilton is charming, refreshing, down-to-earth, and essentially has nothing to prove –so for thesereasons alone, you have nothing to lose. If only all our dates could be this promising.RAG MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2004 • 47

ALONG CAME POLLYBen Stiller, Jennifer Aniston & Alec BaldwinDirected by: John HamburgUniversal, PG-13, 90 minIt’s official: Ben Stiller is now done with gross-out comedy. Finished. Kaput. Just stick a fork in him. Why, youask? Well, in a move that started with the downward spiral of 2003’s Duplex, Stiller has finally found a wayto embarrass himself in every single situation known to man. There’s no taboo left to be addressed and nostunt too gross to top his past achievements. Now that I think about it, I actually think he did stick a fork inhimself... or was it someone else? Oh, who can remember? You have to admit, even Jim Carrey knew whento take a break from his much-beloved, stereotypical roles and focus on another genre. If nothing else, itmakes fans yearn for your eventual yuck-yucks return. Here, Stiller is Reuben Feffer, a v-e-r-y uptight riskanalyst for a life insurance company. He’s hesitant to simply live his daily life because he’s been burdenedwith knowing the exact percentage of danger every human act entails. Reuben has also been convenientlydiagnosed with chronic IBS, so cue the crude humor. Somehow, the writers managed to make this movieeven more disgusting with the brutal addition of Reuben’s best friend, Sandy (Hoffman), a character thatwas so revolting, it actually generated cuss words from the teenagers sitting next to me. But just when youthink Along Came Polly is a lost cause, along comes Aniston to kick it up a notch, or say, twelve. Aniston’s Pollyis refreshingly energetic and daring and rather PG compared to her costars. Well, that is except for thedirector’s penchant for showing off Aniston’s assets. But gee, talk about running into a friend when you reallyneed one. Even Reuben would have to agree: Aniston is worth the risk of sitting through this childish mess.However, my calculations of a Brat Pitt cameo were w-a-y off.NOW ONBUFFALO SOLDIERSJoaquin Phoenix, Ed Harris, Scott Glenn, and Anna Paquinlead a cast of dysfunctional characters that aim to salutesatire in its highest form by finding themselves juxtaposedinto a bizarre number of misadventures while a United Statesmilitary post serves as the backdrop. Phoenix’s Elwood(already a bad seed) begrudgingly tackles military duty asthe lesser of two evils, and he wastes no time parlaying hissecond chance into just another one of his illicit incarnations.Buffalo Soldiers teeters on the edge of ripping off countlessclichés and phoning in antics from every successful Armyscript ever written; but Phoenix’s smartass wit wins theviewer’s battle. It’s a dark comedy that has a lot less to dowith actual patriotism than our country is now-more-thaneverobsessed with, but if you allow yourself a 99-minutefurlong,you’ll be wickedly entertained.DVDCOMIC BOOK: THE MOVIEMark Hamill (pulling double-duty as star and director), is Donald Swan, a history teacher and comic book aficionado, whohas been recruited by a Hollywood studio to act as a technical advisor for an upcoming big-screen version of CaptainCourage and Liberty Ladd. Swan takes the gig while hiding his ulterior motive of attempting to keep the HollywoodD V Dmachine from ruining the comic’s true characters, and ultimately, from producing the movie at all. Part of the deal includesSwan’s artistic experience being captured by a documentary crew (which is actually the movie you’re watching). Fromthe get-go, Donald encounters a sea of chaos –from meeting studio execs, to tongue-n-cheek interviews, to his arrivalat the world’s largest comic book convention, “The Comic-Con,” in San Diego. The sardonic conversations are obviouslygeared toward making a mockery of the comic book industry and their overzealous collectors; yet these interviews seemto catch many people off guard -a ploy that I’m still not sure was planned or not, or if it was a good or bad idea. Still, some people go along with it, andwell, others really don’t seem to get the joke. Regardless, the movie costars Donna D’Errico and is packed with a slew of celebrity cameos, includingKevin Smith, Stan Lee, Hugh Hefner, Matt Groening, Sid Caesar, Jonathan Winters, and Bruce Campbell. It also features a panel discussion between awho’s who of voice talent (who also play on-screen characters) currently working on some of the most popular animated shows on TV. Comic Book:The Movie is an off-the-wall satire that prides itself on mocking everyone it meets. But by doing so, the film’s context and its actors’ delivery are all overthemap, but considering the subject at hand, I don’t think that really matters.

CHUMP CHANGEIn keeping with our apparent DVD theme this week,Chump Change is yet another sarcastic script thatfinds tremendous joy in the nudge nudge, winkwink aspect of poking fun at the ridiculous, behindthe-scenesantics that occurs in showbiz. A bonafide hit on the film festival circuit, Chump Change’switty repartee comes courtesy of Jerry Stiller, TimMatheson, Fred Willard, and (who knew?) TraciLords. Written, directed and starring StephenBurrows (Spy Hard), Chump Change is one ofthose comical Hollywood tales that not only findsyour funny bone; it also seems to make perfectsense. So it’s OK, you can keep the change.OPEN RANGEYou’ve got to give Kevin Costner his props; this guy doesn’t give up. And apparently, studios haven’t given up on him either.Enter Touchstone Pictures, who fearlessly green-lighted Costner’s take on the Western genre with Open Range, asprawling, set-back-in-the-day Western that truly encapsulates how the west was run, and won. Even If you’re not an avidepic movie lover or a Costner fan, the breathtaking cinematography is probably reason enough to saddle yourself into a seatfor the daunting 145 minutes it takes for this Western to ride off into the sunset. But only the movie’s length shoots itself in thefoot, for Open Range intensifies its cowboy potential by roping in a stellar performance by Robert Duvall and a grippingportrayal of bravery delivered by Annette Bening. It’s true that the Western has always been defined by gun fights andCostner uses the best and last 25 minutes of his directorial prowlness to showcase one of the best shoot em’ up battles everpreserved on screen. This two-disc DVD contains the customary audio commentary and deleted scenes we have come toexpect in bonus footage. However, Touchstone Pictures chose to include a unique perspective entitled, “America’sOpen Range.” Narrated by Costner, this mini-documentary highlights the organic open range datingback to the 1800s. Costner also elected to share his director’s journal, which showcaseshis artistic journey by documenting how he ultimately came to star in,produce, and direct this ambitious motion picture.THE COOLERWilliam H. Macy, Maria Bello & Alec BaldwinDirected by: Wayne KramerLions Gate Films, R, 101 minJET LAGJuliette Binoche and Jean Reno start this trip as unwillingpassengers in a romantic tale of opposites attract.Together, the two (she a spoiled model, he a stressed-outchef) inadvertently form a relationship that transpires outof sheer movie script convenience –their flight is not onlygrounded but they are forced to share one hotel room.From there, everything else seems to happen for apredetermined reason written in the script. Though theplot is largely formulaic, the acting is much more thaneffective and it’s a welcome change of pace to see Renotackling comedy, specifically when he’s simply known toAmerican audiences as “the bad guy” in hardcore actionmovies.William H. Macy returns to his lovable loser ways with the characterization of Bernie Lootz, aka “TheCooler.” Lootz has been dubbed “The Cooler” due to his idiosyncratic ability to channel his own cursedlife and rampant run of bad luck onto unsuspecting gamblers on a hot streak. Bernie validates his talentwhen his mere presence to winners immediately shuts them down cold. We come to find Loonz at thetale end of working off a six-year-old debt owed to his slimy-as-they-come boss, Shelly (Baldwin).Shelly is the old-schooled Vegas manager of the Shangri-La Casino, who finds himself in the midst ofa firefight between cocky investors ordering him to renovate while he’s trying his damndest to hold onto the notion of old-style Vegas and not give into the child-friendly mecca it has become. Bernie’s socalled“gift” has resulted into a long-standing win-win situation for Shelly; however, Shelly must dealwith Bernie’s desire to move on with his life after his obligation is met, and if Shelly doesn’t find a wayto stop him from leaving, then he’ll be the one out of luck. The Cooler heats up when Maria Bello entersthe game as a down-on-her-luck-and-life waitress (are there any others?), Natalie, who becomessmitten with Bernie’s awe-shucks honesty. Natalie is a once vibrant, now-aging woman with acrummy past who came to Vegas in search of showgirl stardom; yet she refuses to fold her cards andwalk away a loser, instead choosing to play the hand that was dealt to her. As Natalie, Maria Bello isso flawless, raw, and riveting, that even the foreign press association acknowledged her craft witha golden globe nomination. The Cooler is far from being a comedy, but it’s not a heavy-hitting drama, either. It is an experience that seems to be summedupand defined by simply surviving life in Las Vegas and whatever interesting kiwinky-dinks that may entail. The acting is first rate and the script isremarkably refreshing for a concept that ideally focuses on the intrinsic aspects of casino life. There are a few brief sex scenes explored betweenBernie and Natalie that got the rating’s boards and censors all hot n’ bothered, but the scenes aren’t overly graphic for the sake of being shocking.They’re actually shot with brutal honesty, artistic angles, and originality, and if viewers feel uncomfortable, it’s probably because what is actuallycaptured on screen is as real as it gets, and that can be a little too unnerving for most.

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