4----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- www.whatzup.com- ---------------------------------------------------------------August 1, 2013BROUGHT TO YOU BY:3 Rivers Co-op Natural Grocery & Deli..................1120 Past 4 and More.................................................23Adoption Support Center...........................................3Allen Co. Public Library/Rock the Plaza.................13The Alley Sports Bar/Pro Bowl West........................2Beamer’s Sports Grill..................................................8Botanical Roots Concert Series............................12C2G Live.........................................................................7C2G Music Hall.............................................................5Calhoun Street Soups, Salads & Spirits..............10CLASSIFIEDS.............................................................23Columbia Street West..............................................11Dicky’s Wild Hare.......................................................11Digitracks Recording Studio.............................. 2, 19Dupont Bar & Grill........................................................8Earthen Treasures Natural Food Market..............12Fort Wayne Civic Theatre/Les Misérables..............20Fort Wayne Dance Collective...................................20Fort Wayne Museum of Art/Summer Party............3Fort Wayne Musicians Association.......................23Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Dept....................10Junior Achievement/Wine & Beer Festival...............2Latch String Bar & Grill..............................................9NIGHTLIFE.............................................................. 8-12Northside Galleries...................................................13Office Tavern...............................................................12PERFORMER’S DIRECTORY....................................10Skully’s Boneyard.........................................................9Snickerz Comedy Bar...................................................8Sweetwater Sound.............................................. 9, 24Trion Tavern....................................................................3WBYR 98.9 The Bear..................................................7whatzup Dining Club...................................................21whatzup/Wooden Nickel Battle of the Bands X.......9Willie’s Family Restaurant.......................................22Wooden Nickel Music Stores......................................6whatzupPublished weekly and distributed on Wednesdays and Thursdays byAD Media, Incorporated.2305 E. 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Send payment with name and mailing address to AD Media,Incorporated to the above address.DEADLINESCalendar Information: Must be received by noon Monday the weekof publication for inclusion in that week’s issue and, space permitting,will run until the week of the event. Calendar information is publishedas far in advance as space permits and should be submitted as earlyas possible.Advertising: Space reservations and ads requiring proofs due by nolater than 5 p.m. the Thursday prior to publication. Camera-ready ordigital ad copy required by 9 a.m. Monday the week of publication.Classified line ads may be submitted up to noon on Monday the weekof publication.ADVERTISINGCall 260-691-3188 for rates or e-mail info.whatzup@gmail.com.-------------------------------- Cover Story • Piere’s--------------------------------Staging Their ComebackBy Michele DeVinneyThis year has been one of change forPiere’s Entertainment Center. Often changeis a good thing – and certainly in this caseit provides an opportunity to update a popularconcert and dance club venue – but thereasons for these improvements have beentough to take. The untimely death of StanLiddell, Piere’s owner and spiritual leader,and a fire which gutted much of that area atMarketplace of Canterbury left the Piere’sfamily reeling for a bit.But within the framework of tragedycame a time of renewal. Already transitioningto Liddell’s son Herbie’s era at the helm,Piere’s is preparing to relaunch in Augustwith a renewed purpose and a look whichbrings the facility into the 21st century.“I try to look at it as a blessing in disguise,”says Herbie Liddell. “I had beenmanaging Flashbacks for three years, whichwas much smaller and allowed me to learna lot about managing a club, and I camehere at the beginning of the year. I wantedto revamp the Zone and Club V to changethings up a bit. Then after the fire I thought,‘I guess we start now.’”Liddell promises that almost everythingin those two clubs will change, and the suddennessof the fire meant he and the staffhad to decide what those changes would bemuch sooner than anticipated.“We want Club V to be more urban, Top40 dance music. We’re trying to attract ayounger crowd, maybe people in their 20swho are looking for something different.”“The VIP areas are going to change, andthe whole layout will be different,” adds NathanStephens, Piere’s marketing and entertainmentdirector. “It’s not going to be thesame old Club V.”“We wanted the changes to be dramaticwithout reinventing the wheel,” says Liddell.“We’re changing the music, the floor plan,and we’re catering more to the patio area sopeople can move outside if they want. Withsmoking no longer legal in the club, we wantto have a better area to accommodate thosewho want to go out for awhile and provide amore comfortable atmosphere for them.”The Zone promises its own unique settingfor Piere’s patrons, one which Liddellhopes will bring in a larger demographic, aswell.“We want to cater to women more, giventhem a place within Piere’s to escape a little.We’re bringing in brighter colors and givingit a throwback look. The music will have aretro feel. We’re going for a back-in-the-dayfeeling in there.”Beyond repairing the two clubs mostdamaged by the fire, Liddell is also takingthe Piere’s main room into a new era. Hisfather had a very particular vision for thebuilding which, when he first purchased it,was a mall area with various small shops.And he had a specific look he was trying toachieve.“My father liked green, as you can seeHerbie Liddellthroughout the building, and we’re giving itsome fresh paint,” says the younger Liddell.“And there’s a lot of neon lighting whichcreates a more 80s and 90s feel and makesit seem more like a bar. I want to give itmore of an updated, nightclub look so we’rebringing in LED and intelligent lighting togive the place a more up-to-date look. Really,this building has never had a face-lift,and it really needed one.”“Bad,” emphasizes Stephens.While Herbie learned much about managinga club and was brought along graduallyby Stan over the years, there are definitedifferences between the two, and the newPiere’s will definitely reflect that shift.“My dad was in his 40s and 50s when hewas doing this, and I’m quite a bit youngerand have been working in his clubs since Iwas 18. I started managing Flashbacks in2010, and the most enjoyable part of thatwas being able to walk around talking topeople, which was much easier to do theresince it was so much smaller than Piere’s. Ascliché as it sounds, the most enjoyable partof working in a club is watching people havea good time, making sure that people havea good time. If they have fun, then they’llwant to come back.”Part of the reopening, which will featureno cover charge and drink specials to enticethe crowds, is to lure people back who mayhave stopped coming to Piere’s over theyears. Once a hot spot for both concertsand for weekend dance clubbing, Piere’shad been slowly developing a reputation forsome trouble, something Liddell is anxiousto change.“It’s had a less than positive image inrecent years, and I really want to turn thataround. When I was at Flashbacks, I wouldtalk to customers, and they would say thatthey didn’t go to Piere’s anymore, so I wouldask them why. And it was because they heardthings, and the reputation wasn’t very good.So we want to make it clear that we have azero tolerance policy on smoking, for one,because it isn’t legal to smoke in the clubanymore.“And we have no tolerance for violenceof any kind. I’ve talked to the Fort WaynePolice Department, and I talk to my securityguards and tell them that they have tocatch any weapons that might be cominginto the building. I test them, too, sendingpeople through with small, plastic weaponsto see if they catch them. If they don’t, thenthey’re fired. I just can’t have that going onin Piere’s anymore. We want it to be not justfun but safe here.”The staff at Piere’s is also anxious topromote a good reputation to bands whomight play on their stage. A recent MarilynManson concert sold out quickly, and beyondthat success Manson, who is a reputeddiva when it comes to accommodating hisneeds at performances, was happy with histreatment at Piere’s, something which theyhope gets around to other bands who mightwant to play there in the future.Although it hasn’t been an easy time forthe staff, and particularly for Herbie Liddellwho is tackling a major project at Piere’swithout his father’s guidance for the firsttime, there is great excitement about the futureof the entertainment center.“We want this to be ‘the’ spot whetheryou live here or out of town. We want peopleto come from miles around to visit us.”WXKE Rock 104........................................................19MOON - From Page 2singing about what he called the “heavierthings” in life, about meaning and about tryingto get people to live as we really are –interconnected, one.“Life was about that: six-packs,” hesaid. “I sang about that for a long time,about the making of a lifestyle. Well life finallybroke me of my hard-headedness.”His awakening was not about changingwhat he wanted out of his life as much aschanging what he wanted out of his music.He still drinks; he still likes listening to thesame kind of music; he still likes doing whathe’s doing. “I just don’t want to spend mytime talking about getting hammered.”Moon understands the risk of changinghorses in midstream, but he’s okay with it.“The Fort Wayne show will be the firsttime as Niko. I want to let everyone know asan artist I have to deal with who I am, to befree to try new things and be creative. That’swhat we do as artists, right? Whatever itcomes out being is what it comes out being.I think people who loved me as Nic Cowanwill stick around, and if not, I’m okay withthat. I’ve got to be true to myself and makethe kind of music I make and be happy withit.”
----------------------------Feature • Musician Teachers- --------------------------Passing the Musical TorchBy Kris FremontThursday,When you think about music lessons, what comes to mind? Astern schoolmarm correcting you at the piano? An understated exercisein scales on an acoustic guitar? How about local rockers who notonly cover the basics but walk you all the way through stage work,live sound, and, well, all the cool stuff? Light years from peckingout “Frere Jaques,” some local students who have studied with FortWayne musicians Justin Zych and Aaron Manfredonia have not onlylearned their instruments but have learned how to tap into their passionfor music.Before Ronny and Dylan Record (note that last name; is it destiny?)even reached double digits in age, they knew they wanted toplay music. Babette, their mother, remembers, “Ronny decided hewanted to learn to play drums and Dylan wanted to learn to playelectric guitar.”Before acquiescing to their requests, Babette put them into pianolessons with the “promise that they could pursue instruments theyactually wanted to playwhen they turned 9years old.”The Record familylocated a local rehearsalstudio, the sadlynow-defunct Jam Crib,and signed the boys upfor lessons there. Withthe boys’ encouragement,their friend JoelDeininger joined upfor bass lessons. Withthat, they’d sown theseeds that would blossominto a genuineperforming rock androll combo. Enter localrocker (and force ofnature) Justin Zych.Says Babette Record,“To a couple of10-year-olds, Justin was arock star! As all three boysapproached the age of 11,they decided they would liketo work together as a bandand learn a song to performInstructor Justin Zych withRonny Record (drums) andDylan Record (guitar).On cover: Aaron Manfredoniaand Ronny Record.for the St. Jude’s Catholic School talent show.” In addition to theirregular lessons, the boys put in extra time with Zych to work on thesong. Babette recalls, “It was the perfect opportunity for the guys totake what they had learned and group together as a band toward acommon goal.” After much effort on the part of the students and theirteacher, the boys performed the song at the talent show. And won.Unfortunately, the Jam Crib eventually shuttered its doors, leavingZych and the boys without a rehearsal space. So the Record parentstook a deep breath and committed to turning their basement intoa rock room. Their band, fittingly enough, was christened AfterMath.Zych set up a lesson schedule and brought in local drummer AaronManfredonia to work with Ronny.“Every Monday night, Justin teaches 30 minutes of guitar toDylan and 30 minutes of bass to Joel. Aaron teaches 30 minutes ofdrums to Ronny,” says Babette. And here’s where the lessons getcool: Justin also teaches an hour of “rock band” to the boys. As Momadmits, “It’s very loud around our house on Mondays.”Rather than a typical teacher/student relationship, Zych fostersmore of a mentor/band vibe. It’s not lost on the AfterMath boys, whonote that they get to pick out the songs they want to play. They alsopoint to Zych’s ability to keep them motivated and confident.“Justin teaches us how to present ourselves onstage and pick outwhat we want to do,” says Dylan Record. “It’s easier to practice becausewe want to do the song.”Adds Deininger, “The lessons are better because Justin has moreexperience than some other teachers; he’s out playing in bands.”A veteran of the area’s music scene, Zych plays with locallybased rockers Valhalla and Viking. He’s also active in Cleveland,Ohio’s Vindicator. And, let’s not forget his involvement with the alwaysover-the-top Cougar Hunter. He benefited from attentive teachersduring his own formative years, starting with his father.“He taught me the basics of guitar and got me to the intermediatelevel. I was also taught jazz by George Ogg and classical guitar byLaura Lydy. It completely encouraged me to go to the next level ofguitar playing,” Zych says.Zych shares a very goal-oriented approach with his students.“Most of the time, we set a performance goal and adapt what theyneed to learn to accomplish that goal. Let’s say a student wants tolearn a certain song. We develop their technique, utilize scales andchords to learn that song. Along the way we learn other things suchas improvisation and speed.”In addition to teaching, Manfredonia tours regionally with hisband, Beneath It All. A self-taught drummer, he worked hard to reacha high level of musicianship.“I learnedto hone my skill bywatching, listening,practicing and perfecting,”he says. “I startedteaching because Iwanted to share the giftof music with others.Ever since I was littleI’ve always dreamedof playing in a band infront of people.”Manfredonia’sMonday sessions withRonny start off with avideo or two that hassomething to do withdrumming “mainly forinspirational purposesor ideas he can comprehend.”Then, teacherand student work their way through the band’s song of choice.“After that, we usually spend a while learning new techniques anddifferent styles of playing.”It’s paying off. “I feel that in the past few months working withRonny not only is he becoming a better drummer, but he’s also buildingself confidence and becoming more relaxed behind the kit,” saysManfredonia. “His communication skills have improved tenfold andhis knowledge of the percussion world is vastly expanding.”Techniques, lessons, and exercises make any budding musicianbetter. But the rumble emanating every Monday from the Records’basement isn’t just about students learning their instruments. The“rock band” portion of the lesson covers everything from communicationto stage awareness to presentation.“Justin teaches the guys to not only be musicians, but to be performers,”notes Babette. “The boys are taught never to give up. Ifthey make a mistake, just keep going. Justin would say, ‘Keep theshow alive.’ He doesn’t just teach kids to be “rock-star wannabes”;he teaches kids through discipline and everyday practice.”Thanks to yet another mentor, the boys get to experience an importantaspect of “real-world rock”—the nuts and bolts of loading in,setting up… and loading out. Enter soundman (and Cougar Hunter/Valhalla member) Jeremy Harmeyer. When it’s time for AfterMathto hit the stage, he’s the man behind the scenes. The students help outwith loading in and out. Says Harmeyer, “The kids are willing to helpand I’m willing to put them to work.” In the process, they see howthings work behind the curtain – from setup to soundcheck.“I love teaching kids and this aspect is something that kids andmusicians aren’t learning early on,” says Harmeyer. “I think it’s easyto forget about the other things that go along with playing an instru-Continued on page 18August 1 • 8:00pmMEET THE MUSICLIVE BROADCASTDAVID & HADLEY TODORAN,DUANE EBY & JANE HEALD,MARTIN BROS BLUES BANDFree AdmissionSaturday, August 17 • 8:00pmADJOA SKINNER$8 Adv., $10 D.O.S., $15 GoldSaturday, August 24 • 8:00pmNICK MOSS$20 Adv., $25 D.O.S., $35 GoldWednesday, Sept. 11 • 7:00pmKEVIN HAYDENBAND$15 Adv., $18 D.O.S., $25 GoldGO TO OUR WEBSITE FORTICKET INFO & MOREALL SHOWS ALL AGESAugust 1, 2013- ---------------------------------------------------------------- www.whatzup.com- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
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