Interview with Jon Synder from “The Dave and Jon” band

1. Hello Jon and welcome to Kick Acts. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Jon Snyder and I’m here to eat all your hot wings!! I teach and play music professionally, but that doesn’t mean I’m lazy. I guess I’ve been learning to play guitar for almost thirty years and have been gigging bars and clubs for about twenty years. Geez, you’d think I’d be better than I am by now! I teach at the Guitar Lab in Evansville and carry between 40 – 50 students a week. I’ve been married for four years and have a two year old son (and one on the way). My social security number is…

2. You’re currently in the band called “Dave and Jon”. Tell us who’s in the band and how we can find you online and any shows that we can catch you.

Ok, I’m going to go slow on this question; the members of the Dave and Jon “band” are Dave and Jon. Seriously, you had to be kind of expecting an answer like that, right? Dave Lutz sings and I play the guitar. Oh, Dave has a guitar and wears his guitar while we play, but that’s about as far as he goes with it. I’m not sure where you can find info about us on the web. Dave handles all that. I know we have a Myspace page and Dave and I both have Facebook pages, so start there!! (Editor, Jon, here is your band’s link http://www.myspace.com/thedaveandjonband)

3. You guys have an acoustic act. How does that differ from say, being in a “full” on band with all the instruments? You were playing with Hog-maw, is that still going on? If so, tell us about that project too.

Playing in an acoustic act can be both easier and more difficult than playing with a full band. On the one had, many songs don’t require much more than just strumming some chords, but on the other, you don’t have anyone else to hide behind, so your mistakes are more obvious. There are a lot of songs that don’t normally transition well to acoustic, so I have to be creative in the rhythms I play to help get the general “feel” of the song across. Sometimes it works, sometimes it sounds stupid. We’ve found most of the time people don’t really care as long as you are playing the songs they want to hear. I don’t mean that to sound like we don’t care, we do really try, but when it comes down to it, the kind of music we play is really geared towards a “sing along” type of crowd. We can play some arsty-fartsy stuff, but we prefer to entertain and get paid.

I do still lead and play in Hog Maw. Honestly, that style of music is much more “me” than the stuff I play with Dave. Hog Maw is a blues based band, though we try to sound a bit more modern than what some people may categorize as “blues.” It has more of an edge. We are currently writing and will soon be recording our second CD. We just hired a new drummer named Jim Cauley, who some might remember as the drummer with the Huckleberries. He’s great, though a HUGE sissy!

4. You guys (Jon and Dave 🙂 are known for doing show tunes during your acoustic sets. How has the audience responded to that? And do you consider yourself the “Captain” in the “Captain and Tennille” show?

Well, I do handle the harmonic and rhythmic portion of our performance, just like the Captain. And Dave does have longer hair and wears women’s underwear, just like Tennille. Any more questions about that? Well, I didn’t know we were actually “known” for doing show tunes, and I assuming you’re talking about the t.v. songs we play. We don’t actually know any show tunes from musicals. Honestly, we don’t do it very often because it seemed to annoy people. That really surprised me. I thought people would flip to sing along to some classic t.v. show themes. You live and you learn.

5. Do you have a greatest gig story you’d like to share? (In any band)

I’ve done a lot of great gigs with a lot of great people. Probably the one that I remember the most fondly was with my first “real” band, Tin Pan Alley. We were playing outside at a beer festival in Daylight, Indiana and a HUGE storm came in about halfway through the gig. We thought the place would clear out, but instead everybody there (and there were a couple hundred people there) jumped under the band tent with us and danced and had fun for the rest of the night. We were so packed in, I couldn’t even see the other guys in the band.

6. How about the worst gig? (In any band)

I’ve done a lot of crappy gigs with a lot of crappy people (laughs). Kidding. Most of my crappy gigs have been with guys I love like brothers. I’ve been lucky that way. Even in the worst playing situations, it’s great to know you can count on the guys playing next to you. I guess the worst gig was playing for a horse riding club. They were kicking horse apples at us.

7. Do you have any other hobbies other than playing guitar? Collect stamps? Collect hats from off the side of the road?

I don’t really have time for hobbies. For a time I was a real health nut, I worked out constantly, but family and age slowed all that down. I do like to read when I have time and I love the Red Sox and the Colts. I have an awesome collection of Fender lunch boxes, the entire collection actually. Does that count? I used to fish all the time, but again, no time now. Seriously, how do people have time for hobbies?

8. If you had to pick the greatest guitar player of all time who would that be and why?

I get asked that by my students all the time. Sorry, but I can’t give a direct and finale answer, I can only offer some of my favorites. No order here: Brian Setzer, Billy Gibbons, Robben Ford, Freddie King, every guitar player to ever play with the Alman Bros, Sonny Landreth, Kenny Vaughan, Pete Anderson, Jim Campilongo, Eddie Van Halen, Willie Nelson (not kidding), Elliot Easton, Jimmy Herring, the list goes on and on…

9. You stay pretty busy playing and giving guitar lessons. Do you ever get one of those kids that just don’t want to play but his parents make him? How do you handle that?

Had one of those today. The thing is, you serve a different purpose to different students. Some students have a serious drive to learn the instrument and others are just there for a hobby. I have found that for some students I’m a friendly ear when they are going through some tough times and their lessons with me are almost a form of therapy. And, unfortunately, for some students I am nothing more than a baby sitter. I used to get rattled when I had a student who clearly had no interest in learning to play, but now I just do my best to try and create some interest and at the end of the lesson, I just put it out of my mind. You can’t get hung up on students like that, instead I put my energy into the ones that thrive on what I have to give. I wish I could say that I’ve been able to turn many of those reluctant students around, but that doesn’t happen very often. I usually give a student like that a month to show some interest and then I have the “talk” with the parents. I can say that I had one student like that about five years ago and after a year of telling his parents that he just wasn’t into learning the guitar, he did a complete 180 and is still taking lessons from me today, one of my favorite students in fact. Just goes to show, you never know.

10. # 10 is called “Shout it Loud”. It’s were you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about. So go ahead Jon, and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD”!

Jeez, where to begin… I don’t really have anything to shout about. I’m pretty lucky. I put in the time to learn my instrument enough to make a living with it, and that makes me fortunate. I think there are a number of things I would have been really good at; I think I would have made a better writer than guitar player had I put my efforts into that. But I get to play and teach guitar for my bread and that is a pretty good deal. I’m no where even close to being one of the more talented players in the area, but I’m reliable and professional and I have good tasted in knowing when to play and when to hold back. I think I’m a better “behind the scenes” type of player than the guy trying to wow everyone with technical greatness. There are so many things I still have to learn, which is also a great feeling. It would be depressing to feel like you’ve accomplished all you can and now there’s nothing left but to look back.

Bonus question… And a Hypothetical question here. It would never happen. But suppose you and your singer are having lunch, say at Cheeseburger in Paradise and you have been doing shows there for months. The waitress comes up to the table and recognizes David, the singer in your band but she doesn’t have a clue to who you are…How do you handle that? Does she still get a tip?

Ah, you’ve been talking to Dave. Yup, that’s happened a few times. It was pretty funny. It would have been different if the waitress was new, but she’s worked EVERY biker night we’ve played, counting last summer AND this summer. She looked at me and asked, “is this your first time at Cheeseburger in Paradise?” I felt sorry for her because we all laughed and she obviously didn’t get why it was so funny. I think she thought we were laughing at her, but we weren’t. I’ve been in a number of bands and I’m pretty the last guy to get recognized and that’s totally cool with me. You can get away with more when nobody notices you (evil grin)!!

Super Duper bonus Kick Acts question… 🙂 Dave has been known to be an ass and hard to work with. In fact, you are probably the longest guitar player that has ever played with him including myself…Do you think Dave has a “Yoko Ono” complex or is just an “ass” in general? Have you ever experienced it? If so, how do you deal with it? Tune him out? Long for December 9th, 1980 or just medicate yourself in front of a Keith Richard’s poster and dream about a yellow submarine?

I’ve been working with Dave for almost ten years now. I don’t think anyone else has even come close to that. Honestly, I think anyone who works with Dave really does have to have his or her shit together because you never know what song he might want to try (even if HE doesn’t know it) or what part of the song he may decide to go to. Let’s just say he can be a challenge and he’s actually got a bit of a reputation for it with pretty much everyone he’s worked with (I’ve seen a lot ’em come and go). He’s a great guy, one of the best people I know, and I don’t know a single person who would argue with me about that, everybody likes Dave, it’s just he’s so unpredictable when it comes to performance. In all fairness, he’s gotten a LOT better since we started playing much more regularly. We’ve learned to read each other. And I couldn’t do what he does, I’ll admit that. He has no fear. He would have made a pretty good game show host. Any success we have is directly attributed to him. I’m the guy who plays the guitar for Dave Lutz, who is the true rock star of the duo. We’ve had some rough nights and will most likely have some more, and he can frustrate me to no end with his incessant talking between songs and less than tactful comments (he really shouldn’t call people “losers” on the mic, even though he’s kidding). But I stick with him because he’s my meal ticket… just kidding. I stick with him because I’m lucky to play with such a talented guy who also happens to be one of my best friends (and he’s my meal ticket). Besides, who else am I going to find to play with who would so proudly sing such completely fruity songs. People love it! Well, SOME people love it…

Thanks for the questions and I hope to see everyone out every Tuesday this summer at Cheeseburger In Paradise!!

Mike Thomas from “Copper Road”

Ten Questions (or so) with Larry Deffendoll of Calling Corners

On July 10th Calling Corners will be opening for Drowning Pool at Woody’s. Tickets are only $18!!!

Check out the Calling Corners myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/callingcorners

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself – both personally and in terms of your various bands? Well, I’ve been playing drums since ’93, interested in music since I was a baby.  I’ve played venues doing original music all around the midwest and as far south as Houston, Texas.  Did my first coverband gig in 2002 as the singer of monkeygland in Aaron Harrelson’s absence.  I did that for about 6-7 months and then went back to doing original music and playing drums.  From there I played with a couple of original acts that never made it out of the basement.  <insert second divorce here> In 2005, I went back to playing covers with Six Hill’s Giant, played the various clubs in the Evansville area, did Ski Day on the Ohio, Evansville Freedom Fest, aaaand built up quite the tolerance for Cuervo and Jagermeister.  I did that until January of ’08 and it was time to move on.  In April of ’08 I went back to singing and joined Matt Camp and Calling Corners.  Since our first show in August of ’08 we’ve traveled the Midwest and have gotten numerous opportunities to share the stage with some really cool national acts (Bobaflex, Pop Evil, 10 Years, Theory of a Deadman).

2. How would you describe your sound? I’m not sure that we really have a definitive “sound” as of yet.  Matt had so much material when we started the ball rolling that I think we’re still looking for that sound that defines Calling Corners and still stay in the mainstream.  The sound I think we have so far is somewhere in the genre label of Trapt, Red, Alter Bridge, or Breaking Benjamin.  Check it out…www.myspace.com/callingcorners

3. Who are your influences – both personally and musically? Personally I would say pretty much anyone with a desire to move forward and succeed.  Anyone I can learn from.  The go-getters, I’m not a big fan of the person that sits back and waits for things to happen or expects things to be handed to them.  I like to make things happen. Musically, I would say Tommy Lee, Scott Phillips, Ivan Moody, Myles Kennedy, Brandon Osborne, Jacoby Shaddix, the list goes on and on.

4. What’s ahead for you? Shows, shows, shows to get our name out there…we just finished recording our first EP with Greg Pearce, we’re getting ready to send that off for mastering and duplication.  We have a couple of different management companies looking at us, some radio interest.  Just waiting for a finished product.  Our next show locally is July 10th at Woody’s with Drowning Pool.

5. Are there musicians you’d like to play with in the future? Right now I would say the musicians I’m currently with, because we’re all on the same page.  And alot of times that can be hard to find.

6. Do you think that downloading music is a help or hindrance to musicians? The major labels say that it’s essentially the heart of all the problems they are having in terms of lower sales – would you agree? If we’re talking legal downloads, I don’t agree.  I think the resources on the Internet where you can download music and/or videos (Itunes, MySpace, Ilike, Youtube), really gives a band more of an advantage at being heard than they might’ve had ten years ago, because you don’t need some major publishing deal to be heard worldwide anymore.  And I believe the major labels will continue to have a negative outlook on it until they find a way to regain control. If we’re talking illegal downloads, yes I agree.

7. In a related question how do you feel about fans recording shows and trading them? It’s kind of a double-edged sword I think…because it could benefit the bands that aren’t big enough to market a DVD, or not at the level to where they could benefit monetarily from a DVD. “hey check out this band”…it’s exposure plain and simple.  But when a national band is trying to make money off of a DVD I think it can definitely hurt.

8. If you were a superhero, what music person would be your arch-nemesis and why? Not a big fan of Lars Ulrich, so probably him. (Editors note: Larry is now MY HERO!)

9. If you were to put one together, who would be in your ultimate band? It would be Scott Phillips on drums, Nikki Sixx on bass, Mark Tremonti on guitar, and me out front.

10. What was the last CD you bought? Red – Innocence and Instinct

11. What about the last concert you attended? Crue Fest last summer

12. What has been your biggest Spinal Tap moment? Probably the night Six Hill’s Giant played the Katrina benefit at O’Brian’s.  We had already played and Akacia had taken the stage.  I had sat down on the floor in front of the stage to taunt the big Samoan and all at once everything went dark and what felt like a wet Q-tip was squishing against the back of my head.  Mike Mitchell from Deja Vu was wearing his infamous kilt.  He had put the kilt over my head (while still wearing it) covering my face, and was humping the back of my head.  Scarred for life.

13. Finally, are there any closing thoughts you’d like to get out there? We call this segment SHOUT IT OUT LOUD. I consider myself very fortunate to have either crossed paths with, played music with, got really drunk with, poked fun at, learned from, or made friends with (or all of the above) some of Evansville’s best.  Lee Ramirez, Jim Gaines, Mike Mitchell, Jim Cauley, The Six Hill’s guys, Scott McEllhiney, Ed Sein, Brandon Osborne, all of the guys in Paradigum, Dave Ruckman, John Gauer, Chaz Dicus, the Calling Corners guys, the list goes on and on.  I appreciate all of you guys.

Ten Questions with Chuck Gee

1. Hey Chuck, welcome to Kick Acts. Tell us a little bit about yourself. I have been around a long time. I started playing guitar at the age of 12. Funny thing is I wanted to be a drummer before that. I had asked for a drum set that was in the Sears catalog. I even cut the picture out and hung it in the kitchen on the wall. My mom told me that if I learned to play songs on the organ she would get me the drum set for Christmas. I learned the songs, entertained her and some friends and Christmas morning to my surprise, my brother and I both had guitars. No drum set was to be found. I guess I spent a year or so learning the chords and soon after that I started playing in bands. My first show was at my Boy Scout troop meeting. We played four songs. We were horrible I guess but it was as good a place to start as any…I am married and have 3 grown kids and two grandkids… Hey, I am only 43 so bite me… I am not old, nor do I look 43… I can hang with the best of them… Growing old is for old folks, not me…

2. You play electric guitar in the band “The Metal Mascarade Ball” and you’re also in the band “Yellow Short Bus” on acoustic guitar. Tell us about them. Who is in each band and the web addresses. The Metal Mascarade Ball band www.myspace.com/themetalmascaradeball was a band that I put together back in 2007. It was based on an idea I had about the 80’s music scene. Those bands back then not only had killer music but they put on a killer show. KISS had pyro and lit stair cases. Dio had fighting dragons that would fire laser beams at each other and the drum riser was a huge pyramid. Iron Maiden had “Eddie”. I was always impressed with that. So with the TMMB I tried to do that on a smaller scale. We had fog machines, a psycho clown that came out of toy box and drink blood from a severed head. Stuff like that. We played around 50+ shows the first year. After that it kind of fell off in 2008… We started going through drummers like water and it appeared that no one in Evansville wanted a rock band and a show. I guess today’s bar patrons  grew up during the grunge period when all musicians just stared at their feet and played because that’s all they want for most part. I sent out a bulletin one time to ask how we could improve the band. Someone wrote me to tell me the band was killer but to drop the “show”. No one wanted to see a clown getting electrocuted anymore. So, to answer your question … It’s on “permanent hold” until and if I can find more musicians…

The Yellow Short Bus www.myspace.com/yellowshortbusliveson is an acoustic act that I am involved with. A friend and coworker Derek and I started playing acoustics together and pretty soon we would have a lot of people in my back yard showing up to listen. We added Allen on Bass and vocals too and a couple of other people have “gotten on and off” the bus since then so it’s just us three for now. It’s just something fun and easy to do to keep my sanity while I don’t have a working band. My goal is to get something together and go back out on the road before I am too old to care about it anymore.

3. What type of gear do you use? Over the years I have owned a lot of cool shit but eventually I sold it all off except for one main guitar. I bought a 1979 Ibanez Iceman in a pawnshop back in the early 80’s. I still have it. I have repainted it a few times and I used to wire smoke bombs in the neck pickup (just like Ace Frehley). Some of the shit I sold like a dumbass was an early model Randy Rhoades Jackson model # 00700. One of the first 1000 ran. I also sold a 1969 burgundy near mint Gibson Les Paul custom back in the mid 80’s when the Gibson market tanked. I sold it for $375.00. Who ever owns it today its worth about $10,000.00 … I also sold a 1982 white anniversary  Marshall half stack back in the late 80’s. So today, to answer your question I use a Gibson Les Paul and a DSL Marshall combo.

4. You have been in both original and cover bands. What do you like about each type of band? Which do you like better and why? I really like playing my own stuff more than anything but in this area where we live in you can play original music but starve to death and there are very few places that encourage original music. So if you like to make some money you have to play covers. Or build a band that likes to travel to the other larger markets to play your own stuff. It’s hard to find guys around my age that have the balls to do that any more, but if you are out there, contact me and let’s make it happen… And before someone slams me and says they play original music in their cover band sets too. It’s not the same asshole…You’re either a cover band or your not…

5. Do you have any “greatest gig” stories to tell? I thought about this and you know… I have several greatest gig stories… any where from where we were asked to play country music by the club owners and then they fired us for playing country music and but then allowed us to play rock and we tore the place up. We had people dancing on the bar and tables, it was sort of like a big “fuck you” to the club owner by us… to playing festivals and being on the road … but I have to go with this one… From 1999 to 2004 I got to take my son on the road with me when I played. We did several hundred shows during that time and he basically got to grow up on the road with me… He saw the good and the bad and along the way we had a blast. From him being so small he could sleep under the bunk seat in the van… to meeting Rock stars and cool people from all over the United States.. He was a trooper and even though I wished my daughters’ and wife would have went too but they chose not too, I had fun with “buggie”…We still talk about those “Glory days” today.

6. And in the same vain, got any “worst gig ever” stories to share? Worse gig ever …  I guess it was the time we (my band ATTAK)  finally got to play Kramer’s Lake and we had rented brand new power amps from Bruce at the Dallas Pro Shop. We set up and sound checked during the day. Everything was fine and sounding killer. At show time the intro played and we started playing “The Trooper” and the power amps we rented went up in smoke… We were dead in the water. Our Mains were down. We had to turn around the monitors so the crowd could hear us but we lost our thunder. Horrible night and we had waited and begged for so long to play there and the music gods just turned their back on us…

7. You work for the water department in Henderson County. What do you do there? Do you have any interesting stories to tell? It’s a job. Something good to have in this economy… I didn’t dream about working at a Sewer plant” as a kid. I had grander dreams but it’s a good place to work and I have climbed up the ladder a little bit so I am a Chief Operator and it’s not a bad job politics aside but that’s every where. I have a lot of funny stories but since I still work there I will have to keep them to myself…Sorry… Other than the time when I first started here one night I was walking down a channel and fell in. I tore my back up and frogged a lot of muscles. I took all my clothes off and drove home naked. I wasn’t coming back. However, my wife Denise talked me into coming back. I needed the job and our family needed the money. I had to sleep in a chair sitting up for a few days.

8. Who are your heroes and what inspired you to take up playing? I’ve told this story a few times before on bandnut and places like that…The year was 1978. Our area had been hit by a blizzard a few weeks ago, schools had been closed for weeks, some roads were still impassable but KISS rolled into Robert Stadium and literally changed my life for ever. It was like watching a comic book come to life. Over the top and surreal; I never wanted to do anything else after that. Eat sleep and live Rock and Roll…

9. You are one of the two main people behind KickActs.com. What are your intentions with that and what is it all about? I used to write occasional for News4U about seven years ago. I had a column called, “Those voices in your Head”. It was showcasing our local DJ’s. Mike Sander’s was nice enough to let me interview him first. My second interview was with Deb Turner. News4U asked me to try and contact “Delilah” from “Love Songs” and interview her. I did. Got the interview and got it published. I also had several Rock stars lined up and News4U changed Editors. My column was dropped. It was fun and I liked the challenge. Fast forward to 2008 and I had another idea for News4u. I asked Allen to help me, I submitted it, they liked but wouldn’t pay for it so I took my idea with me, thought up the name “KickActs” and Allen and I hashed this out together so here we are…

10. # 10 is called “Shout it Loud”. It’s were you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about. So go ahead Chuck, and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD”! Music is a blessing, a curse and a jealous lover too. It’s never satisfied. You can walk away from it and it will call you back over and over. My advice to you is this…If music means the life of you then don’t let anyone or anything hold you back. I gave in and didn’t totally commit to it when I was younger. And don’t waste your time with people that are not on the same page as you. Be polite but don’t waste your time, move on…I was 18 and 43 came fast…but I am never too old to rock and roll, look at the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, KISS, they are still selling out stadiums in their late fifties and sixties.

Bonus Section: In your younger days, you left this area to try and “make it” in the music industry. Tell us where you went and what you learned along the way. If you have any great or bad experiences from that journey, we’d like to know about them. Which time? I guess I might have had some close calls I don’t know…When I was 18 I was recording with our band here locally. The engineer (If that is what you want to call him) was a local business man that had a lot of money and respect. He told us all we would be rock stars within five years if we kept doing what we were doing. We were already writing original music by then. Nothing happened. Around 1987 or so I hooked up with a young singer that was hungry. He would show up with a notebook and we would write songs while I painted houses. We pulled some money together and recorded a 3 song cassette tape. We took some photos, made 300 copies of the cassette and put sleeves in them and sold them all in a week. We even shot a video. My friend was good with self promotion so he talked a limo company out of a limo and driver for a full day and some guys with cameras. I have no idea what happened to the video, I never even got to see it…But it was cool with all the attention we were getting. The songs were on the radio as cheesy as they were. I even found one of the cassettes years later in a pawn shop. We even shopped them around in Cincinnati to a guy up there that was known to help out bands. We stayed up there for days for free on his dime while we did this. He would take us to Annie’s and tell the bartender to give us what ever wanted on the house. We would drink pitchers of beer instead of glasses. But the deal fell though. Fast forward to 1988 I wanted him and I to go to L.A. and see if we could do anything. At that time L.A. really wasn’t booming anymore but Florida was. He went to Florida and I went to L.A. When I arrived in L.A. Guns and Roses was just the local band that had just released “Appetite for Destruction” … I didn’t have any luck in L.A. so I came back and my friend in Florida headed toward L.A.   He got lucky. He was in a band that was doing well. Next thing I know is he got a record deal with Warner records and put out a killer album. Due to internal tensions, his band broke up and his producer wanted another album. So my friend called me to go to L.A. again and to play on the demos for his producer. Basically what I found out was some of the songs were already written and the guitar work finished. But I guess what is standard is to have a guitar player look at another guitar’s work and improve it and record it better. So that’s what I did. I redid some guitar parts on some songs. Some of the other songs didn’t have guitar parts so I wrote them while I was there and recorded them. I think I ended up completing 9 songs with him while I was there. It was cool to play all day in the studio. They only ate like one small meal a day so I lost nine pounds while I was there. I also got to hang out with the guys from the weird science TV show (Not the Movie) they were friends of his and they would come up every day and hang with us. One of the guys’ dad made all the Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello beach movies back in the sixties. I thought it was cool because my wife Denise’s middle name is Annette. She was named after Annette Funicello so I told him that. I thought it was awesome hanging with movie stars and they thought it was great hanging with Rock Stars. (not that we were). Anyway, I came home after I was finished and waited. I wasn’t even allowed to bring home the music I did while I was there. Long story short; nothing happened. I never got the phone call. Years later on the internet, my friend put the songs up as downloads for sale. He said in his bio that he did all the guitars. When I listened to it, it was all me. That was my guitar and my playing. I am not bitter. We are still friends. It’s the nature of the beast.

Next up I was asked to join a Christian rock band. They had one album under their belt and were getting ready to record the second one.  I’ll try to make this brief. The band was good friends with the band Kansas and the violin player David Ragsdale (He played Violin on The Smashing Pumpkins song “Disarm” too).played on the cd we recorded. We played several hundred shows over the next four years or so. We had fans that would drive from all over to see us. Kansas’s personal photographer was a friend of the band and would shoot photos of us.  We released a live cd and headed back in the studio for the third studio album. The guy that was engineering for us used to tour with the band Helix and he also turned down KISS when they were looking for a replacement for Peter Criss the first time back in 1979 but He was into progressive rock not rock. One of his close friends was Kirk Hammet and there was talk about maybe having him play on our cd. He also had lined up the producer that did all of Styx’s albums to mix us down. We got to go to Kerry Livgren’s house and hang with him in his studio. He would tell us road stories about some the bands that opened for them. We even got to see the guitars that he used on some of the famous Kansas songs. He was even considering us for his back up band. Well, half way through our recording session the band imploded on itself. The leader of the band walked away with all the songs and copyrights. We picked up the pieces and came home.

Game over… I did record an album with David Lutz back in the 80’s that got a lot of local airplay too. Its’ good stuff and still holds up.

Ten Questions with Ed Young of Factory Damage

1. Welcome to Kick Acts, Ed. Tell us a little about yourself.

First off, I would like to say thanks to Kick Acts for the time and consideration. It’s greatly appreciated! I’m a Metal head who loves collecting Old School Metal records (vinyl) and I love creating original music. I’m married to my wonderful wife Cathi, and have 2 great kids that I know of… (LOL) and have great friends and a great life! Wouldn’t change a thing.

2. You’re currently slinging the guitar in a band called Factory Damage. Tell us who’s in the band, how we can find you online and any upcoming shows where we can come see you.

Chris Hedges – Lead Vox
Ed Young – Guitar
Scott Doughty – Drums
Val Batts – Bass

Our main websites are: www.myspace.com/factorydamageband and www.factorydamage.com We have a House Party coming up 5/29, other than that, we’re working on new material and getting our newest member of the family, Val, up to speed on all the tunes we have. Keep checking back on the above mentioned websites for future gigs.

3. You guys are an original metal band. Do you throw in cover tunes like the other local bar bands? What sets you apart from other metal bands?

We have some covers that we do. We’re actually in the process of putting a few more covers into our set, along with new original material. A Bar Band, we’re not. We play just about anything from Festivals to Bars and everything in between. We don’t give into current trends and nowadays it seems like there’s only Death/Black Metal bands out on the scene. While we do play fast, its not all about palm mutes for us, its about great hooks, a great chorus, and killer riffs. Some of our tunes are suited for radio and some aren’t. We’re on the fence. We can play with the Heavier bands and we can play with the lighter side of Metal/Rock bands. It’s tough to slot us in any specific Metal category. We’re just really diverse and that’s what sets us apart from the others.

4. How long have you been a musician? Tell us about some of your experiences.

Well, I’ve been playing Guitar for 20 years off and on. I would say seriously playing for about 15 years. The first 5 years, I was on and off the wagon. The coolest experience I’ve had thus far would have to be sharing the stage with Kerry King of Slayer. He was down in O’boro a few years back doing a clinic. I got up on stage with Kerry and played “Black Magic” and played it right on the money. Kerry toasted me and the whole bar was chanting “ED! ED! ED!”. That’s one experience I’ll never forget!!

5. Do you have a greatest gig story you’d like to share? Worst gig?

The first time we played the BBQ-Fest here in town sticks out to me. We started the set with very few people in the crowd, but by the time we hit the 4th song on the set, there were a SEA of people. Mosh pits everywhere! A kid got his tooth knocked out! We were playing Megadeth’s “Peace Sells” and a kid fell off the stage, knocked himself unconscious, blood went everywhere, and the Owensboro Police Department came in and shut us down. Very exciting! Don’t get me wrong, we don’t want anybody to get hurt, but looking back, it was a killer show for us! That kid ended up being OK, so all is well. Worst gig…the very next week after our killer show @ the BBQ-Fest, we played a bar with no one in it but bands. We’d get done playing a song, and all you could hear were crickets and the occasional other band members clapping. It was terrible and typical. One week your a Metal God, the next, you might as well not have gone @ all! But that’s band life. You got to take the good with the bad.

6. What can you tell us about the most entertaining gig you ever played?

We played a show here @ Frankie’s sports bar with Left with Scars and the Midnight Biker Chicks. Frankie’s was sold out! 400 plus easy. It was so busy, they were turning people away @ the door, cops were directing traffic out in front of the bar, and by the end of the night, Frankie’s had sold completely out of Alcohol! It was AWESOME!

7. Tell the readers about hobbies other than music.

Love watching college basketball and college football when I get the chance and hanging out with my family.

8. Who are your musical heroes and influences? Why?

Tough question. I would have to say Dave Mustaine from Megadeth would be the biggest influence/hero for me. He has a very unique style of playing and isn’t a conventional player. Dave is a smug one, but he’s usually right on the money. I love the way he tells it like it is, and if you don’t like it, tough SH*t! I also dig a lot of Hendrix stuff! The man could play. Enough said!

9. Do you have any advice for someone just getting started in playing music? Anything they should avoid?

If you’re just starting out, learn to play by ear. Its your best bet and YOU can develop your OWN style of playing, opposed to starting out reading music and learning scales. This way you create your own rhythm personality, instead of doing it the “Corporate” way. Learn scales after you’ve been playing by ear for a while. That way you don’t sound straight out of the Musicians Institute. Be yourself. Be original, and don’t follow the Pied Piper!

10. # 10 is called “Shout It Loud.” It’s were you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about. So go ahead Ed and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD!”

I’d like to give a SHOUT OUT to all of our Men and Women in the U.S. Military! They do an AWESOME job protecting our great country! My brother is in the Air Force and is heading to Iraq this summer. I pray for his and everyone’s safe return home. I salute them all!

Interview with Aaron Rodenberg and the Guys from “600 Stanley”

Hello and welcome to Kickacts. com. Tell us a little bit about 600 Stanley, were you can be found on the web, and your MySpace page is a little vague, who plays what?

Aaron Rodenberg- Our MySpace page is 600stanley@myspace. That’s it. That’s our contact.
Abe Ford- Were not web savvy.
Gary Folz- And none of us are trained musicians, so we switch instruments.
Ben Rodenberg- Were drunks
AR- Yeah, That’s basically it.
AF- No, we’ve just been drinking.

2-You have probably been asked this a million times. Are you related to Carl Rodenberg? If so, has that helped or hindered you in your music endeavor?

B-I’m related, but that doesn’t matter
AR- Yeah, he’s Ben and I’s uncle, but it hasn’t helped or hindered anything. He told some good stories last thanksgiving.
G-I don’t know if I am. Maybe.
AF- I met him in a bathroom once.  

3.  Do you guys have any shows coming up? If so, were can we check you guys out at?
AR- No shows coming up, sorry. But you can check us out at MySpace!!!!

4. I hope you take this as a compliment, but your recordings sound like they were recorded in the trunk of 1975 Coupe De Ville next to Jimmie Hoffa’s body. This to me symbolizes the “underground music scene”. Do you have plans to press them and get them to the public?

AR- I don’t know, my record player is broken.  How did you know about Jimmie Hoffa’s value as an acoustic dampening device?
B-Man, he’s going to think were a bunch of assholes! We don’t know how to record. They were supposed to be reference tracks anyway.
AR- Yeah, I can still remember getting pissed about some of the stuff that was put on MySpace. I’m glad someone likes it though!

5. What do you think about the present music scene or lack of here in the Evansville area? There are not a lot of places that
encourage and allow original music anymore. Care to address that?

B- I think there’s so much potential in this town it’s ridiculous.
AF- The music’s there, you just have to find it. The Deerhead has some good original music.
G- Lanhucks is good for original music, too. But people want to hang in meat markets (get laid at bars).
AR- I think it has to do with attitude as well. Most people aren’t looking for culture when they go out. But I think if we had a good all ages venue like Bogart’s (Cincinnati) or Mississippi Nights (St. Louis) there would be a more positive atmosphere for originals.

6. Got any “best” gigs and “worst” gigs stories to share?

AF- The second gig we played at Lanhucks was pretty good.
AR- Yeah, the first gigs at Lamasco were packed as well. We fried a monitor at Boney Junes, but there were only about twelve people there to see it. It was still pretty cool though.

7. You guys are trying to make music that is not status quo, (not the band, but music in general) How would you best describe it?

AR- We’re the original cover band.
B- We try to reach out to different genres. When we switch up instruments, it brings a different vibe in different arrangements. It makes a difference if Gary’s playing guitar or bass, as opposed to just singing, for example.
G- We pull it out of our asses.
AF- Yeah, but a unicorn’s ass!

8. Who are your heroes and what inspired you to take up making music?

AR- I love so many different kinds of music. I guess my dad and my brother Dave would be my biggest influences as far as playing goes
B- Stevie ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, my brother Dave.
G- Vince Gauraldi, Ali Fakir, Alice in Chains, my dad, grandpa, Jesus
AR- Oh, me too also with the Jesus.
AF- Diverse. I don’t know how to word it.

9. What do you guys do for day jobs to support your music?

AR- I’m a bartender at Lamasco, so I work nights
B- Server at tumbleweed
G- Indentured servant
AF- I sell bike parts.

10. # 10 is called “Shout it Loud”. It’s were you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about.
So go ahead, and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD”!

AR- all of human history has led up to this point, where we as humans understand the general scope of things. We should definitely be seeking out new places to colonize. And I think we have learned enough about eco-system balances that we could responsibly do that. In outer space.
G- But people are going to die.
B- Still, it’s better than spending money shooting bombs at each other.
AF- Well, it’s a big yard.

Court Alton from “Big Slick”

1. Welcome to Kick Acts, Court. Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m married to an awesome gal and have a pretty good kid who’s getting ready to turn 14 soon.  I work in finance industry during the day; have the last 10+ years. I’m 34 and have been playing music in the tri-state for over 15 years professionally.

2. You’re currently singing in a band called Big Slick. Tell us who’s in the band and how we can find you on-line and any shows that we can watch you.

The front of the Big Slick band are me and Brittany Bayley. The point of difference for this band is that the band members are selected before each show based upon the needs of the client. If the performance needs to be more blues & funk or rock & roll, the most appropriate musician is contracted specifically for that show. Because the pool of talent are all seasoned musicians and usually have worked with one another at some point in their career, they can jump in quickly and meld a great sound. The clients need drives the band, so the show is custom to each event.

Almost everything we have booked this year are private events with the exception of September 11th & 12th we’ll be playing a public show at Hoosiers Lounge in Casino Aztar.

On Line: www.bookbigslick.com
Email: bookbigslick@yahoo.com, courtalton@yahoo.com
Cell: 812-453-6795

3. You guys are more of a professional lounge band or corporate act then the standard “bar band” we usually see around here. What sets you apart from those type of bands?

The musicians do not have a long term commitment to a static band, they get to jam with a variety of other musicians, it stays fresh, and the overall attitude is professional and positive. And even better, this system works for the client as well because they get a customized show for their special event.

Many clients are repeat customers because they are able to provide input, such as song requests and have pre-planning meetings to discuss timelines and details. They become a part of the process which makes them feel valued. Sometimes, the full Big Slick band is too large for an event, in which case, Big Slick Entertainment, LLC musical entertainment booking agency will step in and find the appropriate performers such as soloists, acoustic acts, just piano, and anything else that the client needs.

4. How long have you been a musician? Tell us about some of your experiences.

I’ve been playing for almost 20 years. It’s been a lot of fun and I have had the opportunity to play with some very talented musicians over the years. Some of the area bands I have been a member include, Severed Ties, Tom Slick, Stompbox 40, Hoosier Daddy, and currently Big Slick.

5. Do you have a greatest gig story you’d like to share?

Since the concept of Big Slick came to life 4 years ago, every gig has been great! I have got to meet few national acts over the years too which was very cool!

6. How about the worst gig?

Tried to play through the flu once and had to call a friend in after the first set..that was quiet some time ago.

7. Do you have any other hobbies other than singing in the band?

I’m a Kentucky boy (transplant) so I hunt and fish quiet a bit. My son is at that age where I love involving him in these activities as well. I’m also a fan of NASCAR and try to go to a couple races every year, (that’s why this was late…I was in Talladega, Alabama when Kick Acts asked for the interview…thanks for being patient Chuck!) I’m also currently looking into clubs, events, and drives with fellow Corvette owners and enthusiasts.

8. Who are your musical heroes, and influences & why?

“Joe Cocker & Johnny Cash because they are awesome and we have very similar singing styles to my own”. Freddy King, Sam Cooke, James Brown, BB King – are all masters of R&B and blues, they are all simply amazing. (I really enjoy lots of funk and blues acts) Eddie Vedder for stage presence.

9. Do you have any advice for someone just getting started in playing music? Any pitfalls they should avoid?

Stay positive and keep a good reputation for being a true professional. The gigs aren’t going to fall into your lap, you have to market yourself and be ready to back up what you promise when you make that booking. Don’t be afraid to contact some of us that have been doing this for a while for some friendly advice…

10. # 10 is called “Shout it Loud”. It’s were you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about. So go ahead Court, and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD”!

Shout it out loud, here goes.  I’d like to say thank you to some of the people who have helped make Big Slick a success over the years either in their continued support, friendship, and or musicianship:

Kathleen Alton
Brittany Bayley
Katie Proctor
Kris Proctor
Saundra Hadley
Matt Osborne
Rod Bennett
Matt Clark
Erick Scales
Glen Gore
Mike McKenney
Greg Minnette
Bob Green
Allen Van Hoosier
Darci Roberts
Mike Niles
Adam Siemers
Nick Hamilton

All you guys are great!  Also a big thank you goes out to all past and return clients for allowing us to bring joy into your event!

Bonus question: “The most entertaining gig you ever played”

I was playing in Jasper when two wedding parties — one Burgundy and the other Teal — came into the venue. The two different brides and their bridesmaids started dancing and having a great time! As the night progressed, they started doing shots together and the next thing you know, the brides are kissing each other at the bar. The grooms have different reactions…one groom is egging them on and the second groom gets mad and pushes one bride away from the other. Immediately, groom #1 sees this happen and pushes groom #2 to the ground and then it’s a mealy of burgundy against teal, groom against groom, and bride against bride. The place was a mess and there were many wardrobe malfunctions if you know what I mean…Quickly, the police arrived and we were asked to go on break. When we returned from break, the visual we encountered was priceless…the two brides are handcuffed sitting on a curb crying, with members of each wedding party sitting in police cars…one heck of a way to spend your wedding night…huh?

Ten Questions With Sherrie – Queen Of Hearts

1. What inspired you to get into tattooing?

My ex was a piercer at a local shop that is no longer in business. I watched the owner tattoo for around three weeks and asked her if I could try doing a tattoo. She said that it was fine. I did three practice tats and she told me to start charging. She said she had never seen anyone pick up tattooing in such a short amount of time.

2. Is there still a stigma associated with people getting tattoos?

Absolutely! A lot of people think that people with tats are nothing but trouble makers and are on dope. I do not do drugs at all. I am totally against it. I had to watch certain people in my family go down hill or die from using drugs. But yes, there is still a “taboo” about people with tattoos.

3. What kind of formal training do you have? Do have have to be licensed or can anyone do it?

Yes you have to be licensed. You must be in a shop in order to get your license. A lot of people think they can come in and get their license and then quit the shop. Once you quit the shop you are no longer considered licensed. They want to do tats at home to get the full amount of money, but they do not realize that in a lot of areas you can go to jail for that.

4. How safe are tattoo parlors today? Do they have to adhere to strict health guidelines? What should a first timer look for?

Most tattoo parlors are safe, but then again you do have your slacker studios that cut corners to save money. I have received 100% on all my health inspections except one, and that was a 99%. A first time customer should ask to see the sterilized tubes and needles. If they are not in a packaging do not get a tat there. There are indicators on the sterilization pouches that let you know if the equipment has been sterilized correctly. You can also contact your local health department to see what studios may have had reports of staph or any other infections.

5. What’s the strangest flash you’ve ever tattooed on someone?

Not really the flash but the location itself was strange. I tattooed butterfly wings on a female’s labia. That was quite an experience in itself. I would have much rather gone fishing or to the mall rather than earn that money. LOL!!!

6. Have you ever try to talk someone out of a particular tattoo? If so, why?

I always try to talk people out of getting their boyfriend’s/girlfriend’s, husband’s/wife’s names tatted on them. I have done this and in most circumstances they split up. In the tat business we consider that a jinx.

7. Do you do piercings too?

Yes, I do piercings. I actually won a trophy at the Greater Kentucky Expo in 2007 for the most unusual male piercing. I placed 50 rings (surface piercings) in a young man’s stinger.

8. For anyone wanting to get new ink or maybe a piercing, where is your tattoo parlor located?

My studio is located at 1205D South Green Street in Henderson, Kentucky.

9. Do the guys at Kick Acts get free ink for the plug? ;^)

Absolutely! Why not, scratch my back and I scratch yours, not to rough though, I’m delicate lol.

10. OK Sherrie, it’s time for you to answer the question(s) we forgot to ask. What’s on your mind? Shout it out loud!

I love giving people something beautiful that they can take with them when they leave this plateau we call life. It is one thing that friends and family can’t fight or argue on who gets it BECAUSE IT IS YOURS TO KEEP. A lot of people say that I am desecrating my temple (your body is a temple) all I have to say is God gave me this body. I am decorating my temple.

Bonus: Have you ever tattooed a dude’s stinger? If so, does it have to be hard. If it does, how can it stay hard when you are stabbing it with a tattoo gun?

In fact I have tattooed a mans stinger. LOL! He wanted a scorpion put on his junk. start from his pee hole up to his abdomen. When I asked why he wanted this particular tattoo, his reply was ” This way when I get a hard on it looks like I’m coming to sting her.” I just about fell out considering the gentleman was in his early sixties. YOU GO BOY!! Hope most of you guys can still perform when you get up there!!!

Sherry Trail
Sherry’s Queen of Hearts
Henderson, Kentucky, 42420
270-826-7701

Ten Questions With Allen ‘Big Al’ Tate

1. Hey Al, welcome to Kick Acts. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Let’s see, here’s a quick overview. I was born in Morganfield, KY but grew up in Uniontown. Took up music at the tender age of 12. I started out on trombone but switched to drums in high school. Graduated in 1988 and joined the US Air Force that summer and did two years in Germany & 4 in Colorado. I moved to Evansville in 1995 and started taking night classes. I eventually earned a BS in Computer Information Systems. I took up bass guitar in 2001 and started the band Chowder Monkey with my friend Ron Mattingly (who happens to be married to my cousin Tammy!) way back in 2003. Oh, I’ve been married since Valentine’s Day 1994 and I have a 12 year old son. How’s that for Big Al in a nutshell?

2. You play bass guitar in the band Chowder Monkey. Tell us about the band. Who is in the band and your web address.

Like I said above, I formed Chowder Monkey in 2003 with my friend, Ron Mattingly. It took us a while to get a steady lineup. You know how it is in a smaller music scene. Anyway, the current lineup is me on Bass & Vocals, Ron Mattingly on Rhythm Guitar & Vocals, Susan Ashby on Vocals, Chris Keck on Lead Guitar (and lead vox on one tune!), Sean Bingham on Drums and last (but not least) Paul Hollingsworth as our sound guy and occasional drummer. We play stuff ranging from Pat Benatar to KISS (who’d have thunk it) to Weezer to Georgia Satellites. Our web address is www.chowdermonkey.com. You can also find me on Myspace.

3. What type of gear do you use?

I have a Peavey Millenium Bass that I just love and it’s the only bass I play live. My amp is a Gallien-Krueger Backline 350 with a 4-10 cabinet. I have other basses but they’re just cheapies I use for practicing.

4. You served in the Military. What branch and got any great stories to share with us about you time in the service?

I was in the USAF from August 18, 1988 until April 1, 1995. The two years in Germany were very memorable. My very first experience over there was major culture shock. Do you have any idea how frightening it is to step off the airplane and no one can understand what you’re saying? HAHAHA! There are tons of stories from my time over their but there are two that really stand out. On my very first deployment, I got to drive a deuce and a half (2.5 ton truck) and pull a water tank. Anyone that’s ever hauled liquid can tell you how long it takes to stop one of these tanks. As we’re coming off the Autobahn (yes, THAT Autobahn) onto a cloverleaf, this dumbass in a Porsche cuts in front of me and locks up his brakes. I told my passenger to hang on because “I ain’t swerving!” and I locked up my brakes. That truck was bouncing up and down something fierce. I was scared to death. I hope the guy in the Porsche shit his pants! I managed to get stopped inches from his bumper. — The other story comes from another deployment where they finally gave us 6 man tents and diesel heaters! I’d pulled the 4th or 5th 12 hour shift in a row and I was exhausted. I went back to my tent and made myself a turtle on my cot in my sleeping bag right next to the heater. I don’t know how long I’d been asleep but I was awakened by my sleeping bag hitting the ground and me being dragged. Freaked me the hell out. I thought I was getting hazed. Turns out the heater caught fire and was taking the tent with it. Thanks to whomever it was that dragged me out of there.

5. Do you have any “greatest gig” stories to tell?

You know, my greatest gig doesn’t even involve either of my current bands. Anybody that knows me knows that KISS is my all time favorite band. Always has, always will be, no matter what ‘shenanigans’ they pull. Anyway, at the 2004 KISS Expo, I got to be the bass player for the unmasked KISS tribute band. It was my first time onstage as a bass player. Jim Cauley was on drums, Dave Newton on Rhythm Guitar & Vocals & Mike Fisher on Lead Guitar & Lead Vocals. We were joined on stage by Ron Keel & Bob Kulick. I have it all on video. Good stuff. (If you want a copy, holler at a brutha!) How’s that for a greatest gig. Not bad for the first time.

6. And in the same vain, got any “worst gig ever” stories to share?

The worst gig wasn’t really that bad, considering we weren’t well rehearsed and we were pressured into playing. We did a charity even opening for Ass Scratchin’ Rodeo Band at Double Dukes on a Saturday afternoon. We weren’t even a full band yet and had to beg Ron’s son Ty to sing for us. Anyway, during the first two songs, Ron was by the back door which they had opened and the heat messed with the tuning on his guitar so for the first two songs, we weren’t in tune with each other. The rest of the gig was fine. See, not a terrible worst gig — and that’s fine by me. 🙂

7. You work at the Library in I.T. and also have your own computing services. What type of services do you provide? And have you seen any ghosts at the library?

I’ve been the “IT Guy” at the Newburgh & Chandler Libraries for almost 12 years. It’s a great job. As for the side work, right now I primarily concentrate on web hosting. I also troubleshoot and fix computers if they aren’t too screwed up. No ghosts in Newburgh, you have to go to Willard Library on First Avenue for that one.

8. Who are your heroes and what inspired you to take up playing?

My dad got me hooked on rock & roll at a very young age. Both my parents are music lovers so between mom’s “old school country” and dad’s love of rock, it was inevitable that I would be a rock & roll junkie. I’d be lying if I didn’t say Gene Simmons was the reason I picked up bass guitar. He kills me on some songs when he plays an open A when he’s not singing and then when he starts singing, play something that required effort. Well, he used to be that way. Also, from the drummer point of view, I loved Peter Criss as a kid but Eric Carr was my hero! When he died, I was crushed. I was always jealous that Eric could do the double bass thing. I have shit for balance and would fall off my drum throne every time I tried that! I also have a great deal of respect for Eric Singer. Of all three drummers, Singer has always been the most consistent drummer in KISS. He’s a top notch guy to boot.

9. You are one of the two main people behind KickActs.com. What are your intentions with that and what is it all about?

When we first started the site, it was primarily focused on reports about the local music scene and indie music but it has since grown into a site that features politics, religion, humor, music and lots of other stuff. I am very pleased with how much traffic the site gets. I also dig the feedback from most of the people who post comments. Although I really shouldn’t be, I am surprised at some of the negativity that we’ve seen posted in some of the comments. For the most part though, the site is doing well and I look forward to getting more writers on board and expanding to things like food reviews and stuff like that. If any readers have any suggestions, hit us up.

10. # 10 is called “Shout it Loud”. It’s were you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about. So go ahead Al, and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD”!

First and foremost, I want to give a shout out to my wife & son, Laura & Ian, for putting up with my musical insanity. I’d also like to give a shout out to John Hussmann. He’s been helping me put melodies to the lyrics I’ve been writing. Eventually, I’ll have an album to unleash on the world, for better or worse. I can’t forget my homies in Chowder Monkey & Yellow Short Bus, the two bands that keep making me a better bass player.

11. Bonus Questions. You have hosted a KISS Convention or two here in Evansville. How did you get involved in that and got any great stories about it? Ever meet Gene Simmons and is he really a dickhead in person?

I did my first KISS Expo (can’t call ’em conventions since Gene trademarked it) in 2002 with Bruce Kulick as my guest. That Expo was (no pun intended) a trial by fire. Oh Mr. Wise one here had the idea that since Gene wrote Calling Dr. Love in Evansville at the Holiday Inn, what better place to hold the Expo. I wasn’t aware that the Holiday Inn had been relocated from a few miles down the road. That marketing idea was shot down the tubes. To make matters worse, I booked the venue in February on a cloudy day and the Expo was on a hot sunny day in July. The room was like a sauna with the big tinted glass roof. The sound guys didn’t show up until after the event started so everything ran late. Someone else had booked some side rooms for some kind of testing and they kept complaining that we were too loud and the Holiday Inn staff kept insisting that we turn down even though loud music was written into the rider. We didn’t turn down. I also learned a valuable lesson on the importance of advertising. The 2003 Expo was at the Marriott, I hired Curtis & Eric from Pro Audio to do sound and had a much better turn out.

I got the idea to do the KISS Expos waaaay back in 1995 when I went to the “official” convention put on by KISS. I met both Gene & Paul that day and I was very fortunate to meet them when they were “hungry” again. They were really nice and took time to talk to everyone. That doesn’t so much happen these days now that the reunion tour and the farewell tours have taken place, they’ve changed how they interact with fans. 😉

12.  You’re also a D.J. on a classic internet radio station. Give us the scoop and where we can find you online.

I do a Wednesday Night classic rock show online for Rock 1 Radio. The station plays all kinds of rock, not only classic rock. You can find us at www.rock1radio.com. I actually got my start on a now defunct Internet radio station but it really helped me hone my skills as a live DJ, although I’m still just a hack. From 1998 or 1999 until 2004, I ran a Live 365 station called Hair’s To The ’80s that played glam, rock, pop metal, heavy metal & hard rock. That’s where I learned proper encoding and ripping techniques, along with how to get screwed over after helping build Live 365 from nothing. Ungrateful bastards. Live & learn.

Ten Questions With Slick Willy’s Brian Hart

1) Welcome to Kick Acts, Brian. Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m 36, originally from Marion, Ky. I have 2 girls and am married. I have been playing guitar since I was 10 and playing bars since I was 19. I played in country bands for years then I joined MINX I was lead vocals and back up guitar with them for 3 years. I stopped playing for 2 years and then formed Slick Willy. I have played in Nashville a little. I was showcased on Music Row for about 6 months but that did’nt last. Still have the desires of making the big time though.

2) You’re currently in a band called Slick Willy. Tell us who’s in the band and how we can find you online.

Dan Biggs, Steve Krietzer, and Kevin Woods and you can find us at myspace.com/slickwillybandrocks

3) What equipment do you use?

My personal gear is a 88 Tele (USA). I play through a Marshall 2550 head and an ADA 2 12 cabinet. Boss and Danelectro effects. I own the P.A. It is JBL JRX tops, 4 single 18 CGM bottoms, Mackie 1604 mixer, Lexicon effects, Behringer eq’s, Behringer crossover, Behringer 2500 amp, and Crown XTI 4000 amp. Behringer monitors and Behringer 12 channel mixer. LED light system. Shure mics.

4) How long have you been a musician? Tell us about some of your experiences.

Since I was 10. The bands I’ve been are Rushin Heart, NightLife, Wide Open, Minx, and Slick Willy. Played with alot of start up projects that never got out of the garage. When I was in the band called Night Life we was one of 5 that opened for Travis Tritt in Metropolis Illinois. I have played guitar with the guitar player for Merle Haggard. I have met alot of songwriters in Nashville and became friends with a few that have wrote for Tim McGraw, George Straight, and Gary Allen. I set in on guitar with Wild Horses one weekend. They had a song out called “Ride Cowboy Ride”

5) Do you have a greatest gig story you’d like to share?

When I was in MINX. We where playing Charles (Double Dukes now) one night and it was packed. Great house full of people. Anyway the drummer Shawn Chambliss had trouble being on time getting back on stage. Well it was hot, middle of summer, 3 sets into the night, and we where on break for about 15 minutes. NO SHAWN!!! So we waited and waited. Finally I got on the mic and said “Shawn Chambliss come to the stage. I did’nt even notice the side doors of the bar open. Someone from the crowd said ” He’s in the f@#kin pool man”!! He came on stage ‘Finally” and played the rest of the night in wet cloths. The next day he could not move because the wet cloths caused him to have rashes on his legs from where his wet pants where rubbing him raw. hahaha

Adult!!!!

Another was we where playing one night “in MINX”. The floor was packed and there was about 10 girls right up front. Of course Preston Buzzard, Shane Breedlove and me picked out a girl that was hot and kinda stood in front of her. Well she was trying to be sexy and she was until it happened. She unbuttoned her pants, pulled them down a little, and stuck her finger in her pussy. YES it was hot……………but then it hit us…………I SWEAR IT STUNK UP THE WHOLE STAGE!!!! In one motion we where all on the other side of the stage. hahaha

6) Worst gig?

I had a band about 13 14 years ago called Night Life. We where playing at Hopkinsville Eagles( Yea I Know) and things where good but not great. Me, Shawn Chambliss, Darrel Cavinaugh, and Mike Perkins. Friday night we had a good crowd. Mike and Darrel got hammered. Darrell was the worst he destroyed almost every song we did. I could’nt take it. At the end of the 3rd set I decided to confront him and he started CRYING! So I backed off trying to just get through the night. Mike was a “Mad Drunk”. He was mad cause he felt I made Darrell cry. At the end of EVERY song I would look over and Darrel had tears just F#$KIN rollin down his face. The man is at the time was 42 years old. Anyway we finished the night with almost a fist fight in the parking lot. I ended up firing both of them on the spot.

We still had Saturday to go and I called Randy Stone to play bass. Never played or practiced together. We played 3 piece. We played Saturday night and I swear there was people coming up to us saying ” Yall are a lot better than that band they had last night, one bastard on stage was even cryin!”

To top it all off we loaded up. Sat in the parking lot and talked for awile. Then left. Drove half way home and realized during my talking I put my guitar down in the parking lot. Thats right left the F#$kin thing right there in the middle of the parking lot. Had to drive an hour back to get it. Thank God it was still there. Its not the best neighborhood.

7) What inspired you to become a musician?

I always loved music. Any kind. I guess my grandpa. He played. My Dad played and sang to.

8) Who are your musical heroes & why?

Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jeff Healy, Gary Moore, because of the emotion they put into their guitar work. Brad Paisley because he is just a bad ass guitar player.

9) Do you have any advice for someone just getting started in this musical era?

Don’t stick to one style. Buy the best gear you can find and afford. Find people who have the same direction as you and are MOTIVATED to help. Don’t be affraid to try something different. DON”T TAKE NO SH$T!!!!!

10) This one really isn’t a question, it’s where you get to answer what I didn’t ask. SHOUT IT OUT LOUD!

The economy is terrible. The government has to do something. People can’t keep this up. Obama, hope you can fix the f@#k ups!