A duo bill at the Hangar full of roots and riffs.
Photography by Timothy Reidy.
The $5 Million Reese’s – Glitches in the Matrix
The $5 Million Reese’s – Glitches in the Matrix – by Liam Sweeny.
Sometimes, “weird,” “odd,” and “strange” are due to forces beyond human control, such as a moment of extraordinary kismet, or a glitch in the gleaming death’s head façade of the matrix, but in some cases, and to be honest, in far too many cases, the weird/odd/strange is revealed to be stupidity plugged into a Marshall stack.
Take the case of Cynthia Kelly of Hillsborough County, Florida. An ordinary day of Halloween shopping, whereupon she purchase a bag of Reeses “Pumpkins.” She was, or claimed to have been mesmerized by the cute little pumkin mouth and eyes carved into the chocolate exterior, revealing the peat butter “stuff” underneath. However, when she got home, something went horribly wrong, a revelation that would terrify her and scar her for all Halloweens to come:
The pumpkins didn’t have faces carved into them. They were just pumpkin shapes filled with Reese’s. Something had to be done.
Not give a sh*t about this and go about her day? Nah. Grab a knife from the drawer and carve some faces? Nope.
Launch a $5 million-dollar class action lawsuit against Reese’s? Bingo.
She, and apparently more than a hundred others, are suing Reese’s for “deceptive advertising practices” for showing the pumpkins and ghosts and probably snowmen or whatever the hell else they could draw faces on having said faces drawn on the packaging.
$5 million.
I don’t know who I feel more sorry for, the spokesperson for Reese’s that has to find a way to comment on this without calling the plaintiff a lead-paint eating mouth—breather, or the lawyer who took this case thinking he’s got a goldmine and is about to find he has over a hundred lead-paint eating mouth-breather clients who think they’re going to get something out of this other than maybe a buy-one, get-one free coupon on all Reese’s product.
Bigger things in life, Cynthia.
From WFLA.
UMIKO Kotori (Lithuania) – Interview – Thanks for Asking!
UMIKO Kotori – Interview – Thanks for Asking! – by Liam Sweeny.
RRX: “The best laid plans of mice and men…” I don’t really know the quote, but I know this one; sh*t happens. When we least expect it, calamity befalls us. Sometimes just comic inconvenience. Please tell us a story about some comic inconvenience that happened to you whilst performing?
UK: I remember a gig in Poland, drumming and singing with a surf rock band. During one show, my kick drum started sliding toward the audience mid-song. I tried flagging the sound engineer, but he was off with a beer, ignoring me completely. Luckily, a drummer friend in the crowd spotted me and brought over a giant paving brick to hold the drum in place. I will never forget the size of it and the right timing of a drummer.
RRX: What do you think is the most poorly understood thing about music, or the music you play?
UK: People often think that intensity in music has to come from sheer volume or production. But for me, real intensity comes from the emotional rawness of a piece, even if it’s recorded in one take or with a lo-fi setup. It’s the idea that music can hit you hard not because it’s loud, but because it’s honest. That’s what I hope people take away from my sound, that authentic connection with what’s happening in the moment. And here is my quote, that I say to myself: If there is no good idea with intention, an expensive mic won’t help.
The most misunderstood thing about music is its ability to unlock something divine within each of us. It has this powerful, almost alchemical quality that can transform every part of our lives—if we’re open to it. Just by listening, music can ignite creativity, awaken imagination, and bring clarity. It’s like an ocean, and we’re all fish within it, but sometimes, if we want, we can sit at the shore and let it flow over us, finding our own rhythm in its endless waves.
RRX: With services like Spotify, streaming revenue can be pretty dismal. Without spilling secrets, do you have a promotional mindset or philosophy?
UK: Streaming revenue may be dismal, but my approach to promotion is more about creating a genuine conversation than strategizing reach. It was done with bands but for me alone, it’s about connecting deeply with the right listeners—the ones who will find a personal bond with the music. I never really expected to belong to the world in a big way, and didn’t seek it out alone, but now I feel ready, independent, and resilient enough to share more widely. In the right moments, music lets me bring people together, and it’s powerful.
It’s all about feeling that crowd energy—having people sing, dance, and sometimes just stand and carefully listen, being surprised by where the music takes them is healing for me too. I love when people come up after a show, eyes bright with excitement. I don’t like to make my sets predictable; every show should feel like an adventure. Sharing that journey brings me, and hopefully my audience, to life.
I honestly can’t stand the forced happiness and fake vibes in so many music promo videos these days. I love when a piece is raw, genuinely artistic, and lets you feel something real. It seems like so much of it is produced like fast food—quick and empty—and I just can’t get behind that. I don’t want to turn myself into a commercial banner that’s “always on.” My music and my art are part of my life, and I want to keep my time and energy true to what matters. So I think my strategy is to stay true.
RRX: Describe the first song/album you recorded, and also the latest song/album you recorded; what are the differences?
UK: Both UMIKO Kotori “Wave” (2014) and “Spitting Supernovas” (2024) have that deep, groovy quality—like soundtracks you can lose yourself in, letting the music take you somewhere else entirely. But the journey between the two albums shows a major evolution. “Wave” was where I first explored producing; it was raw, bold, and felt groundbreaking at the time, especially as the only girl on stage with just a computer, singing over intense, original beats. People connected with it immediately because it was something new—an authentic sound ahead of its time. Listening to it now, I’m surprised by how well it still fits into 2024.
“Spitting Supernovas” builds on that foundation with greater complexity and depth. This album reflects a more refined, professional side. By then, I’d learned bass and drums, adding a grounded sense to my sound that fuses electronics with rhythm in a more layered way. Both albums speak to pushing boundaries, but while “Wave” was instinctual, “Supernovas” has the confidence of experience.
RRX: We do this for the fans. For the blisters also, but mostly for the fans. Who’s one of your best fans? Without necessarily giving their name, what are they like?
UK: One of my best fans is someone who connects deeply with the music. They’re intellectual, sensitive, and creative, with a love for dance and freedom. They understand humor and have a sense of it themselves. They take my jokes with open hands, I could say. They see the world through a broad, open lens and often resonate with the spiritual aspects of music. Some are loners, introverts, or have struggled with darker times, and I’ve noticed that my music helps them find their way out of those places. Age doesn’t matter—they’re all united by a shared sense of seeking meaning, freedom, and emotional release through sound and creative vision.
They are the kind of people who understand that sound is a vast journey, capable of taking you far and beyond. These listeners aren’t just hearing the music—they’re feeling it, living with it, and traveling through it.
RRX: What motivates you to keep going when things get tough?
UK: What keeps me going is the realization that there’s so much more to create and explore. I am constantly inspired by my incredibly talented child, who paints and makes amazing paper dragons—seeing her creativity fuels mine and relaxes me. My dear friends and colleagues, with their humor, creative ideas, and warmth, keep my spirit alive. My cute and smart dog also reminds me to appreciate the small, joyful moments.
I’m motivated by the endless possibilities in the creative process and the turns I can take with each project. But sometimes, the most uplifting moments come from my drum and vocal students. Seeing their progress and passion reminds me why I do this—bringing the miracle of music into someone’s life is a constant source of happiness and motivation.
I am inspired by nature and dancing. When I feel collapse is near, I move away from it by dancing to various music that brings me joy. Alongside creating, I listen to many different artists, and their work inspires me a lot.
When things get tough, I clean my house. I also read books—philosophy, psychology, and technical literature. Mostly, I allow myself to burn to the ground and rise again as something new. I’m not afraid to lose. I’ve lost a lot of music to broken hard drives and computers, but I take everything as an opportunity to know myself and grow. I take myself seriously, but I’m all about jokes and good moods. Eventually, the storm always passes, but if you forget how to smile while it lasts, the clouds will never leave your side.
And yes, I remind myself that the body is a miracle, as I am just a speck in the universe. When I look at everything from this perspective, I find the strength to keep working hard on learning myself and growing constantly. And if none of that helps, I take my skateboard and ride as fast as I can. If that doesn’t help, I just go to sleep. Sometimes, all I need is good food, some good anime and sleep.
You can find UMIKO Kotori’s music here: www.umikokotori.
Richard Gladys – Xperience History
Richard Gladys – Xperience History – by Liam Sweeny.
Some people are amazing at one thing. And other people are not bad at a few things. And still others have a talent and a passion for everything they do, and in the spirit of life-long exploration, they do a whole lot of things.
Richard Gladys (a.k.a. City Rich) had graced the cover of every fashion magazine that was worth its paper. He’s been on both sides of the camera, and currently rocks the turntables for a rapper whose name is carved in New York concrete. Perhaps his greatest talent is to be all of these things and also very, very humble.
RRX: I saw a video of you scratching on Instagram, and I was impressed by your flow. It’s like you’re controlling time. I feel like the turntable-as-instrument is lost on people who listen to instrument-based music. It’s seen more as equipment, but you play it just like I would play a guitar, or someone would play drums. Is a turntable your Fender Strat?
CR: I often compare it to playing guitar or even drumming, I never had the patience to learn guitar. But I loved vinyl and was addicted at first scratch. 90s mixtapes by DJ’s like Chill Will, Double R, Doo Wop, Clark Kent, where what really inspired me to become a DJ.
RRX: You had a job as a DJ for GZA of Wu-Tang Clan for ten years. I say job in absolute jest, it’s got to be a calling. Wu-Tang isn’t even a group as far as anyone who grew up a listener – it’s more a religion that we vibe to. Of course, your view is different. But you weren’t born in this role. How did you get connected with GZA?
CR: Ok, early 2000-2001 a buddy of mine had bought a bar/event space upstate NY called Mt. Muggs. He had booked a few Wu-Tang members for a show. Well, being in the middle of nowhere he could not find two Technic turntables and a Vestax mixer per request of Wu-Tang’s super DJ Allah Mathematics. Luckily, I had everything he needed, and then was asked to play as the doors opened until they performed. He didn’t have to twist my arm. I couldn’t really believe I was finally going to meet some of my favorite artists. Doors opened, I started playing, the place was packed. The pressure was on me, Wu-Tang’s bus was late, and the crowd was getting restless. I too was running out of vinyl to play. Then at that moment Allah Mathematics taps me on the shoulder and tells me I’m doing a great job. Hands me a record and says wait for my cue to drop this. Got my cue. Math jumps in tells me to stay. And the show went on and damn was it mind blowing.
Make a long story short. I was invited to the green room. Was given some props for my set. Gza, Math Prodigal and Dreddy all grabbed my number. One day about a year later, Gza called me out of the blue and asked if I could DJ his 2003 European tour. I gladly accepted.
RRX: With DJing, especially who you were jamming out with, you really have to be deep in a lot of scenes that most people could only dream of. You’re onstage in front of people who will go and be onstage in front of others. Having come up yourself at one point, is where you are now what you thought it would be when you were coming up yourself?
CR: Diana Ross? I’m coming up? Haha. One person’s come up is another person’s grind. All hard work pays off and I definitely worked hard to get where I am. I’m happy with what I’m doing so I guess I am where I would like to be?
RRX: You have an interesting story. You were a model earlier in your life, and that’s a big understatement. You were the face of Versace in the 2000s, and the very concept people have of ‘male model’. You were even the basis for Owen Wilson’s character in Zoolander. What would someone learn about being at the big shoot and living that life?
CR: You can learn from every job. There are life lessons in everything we do. From a shoot I acquired the knowledge and recipes master photographers like Steven Meisel would use on a real publication. I try to adapt that to my photography in my own way.
I was very fortunate to see how many professionals worked firsthand.
You can also learn a lot about how fake people can get just because of an image of you. As an example people didn’t care about me until Steven shot me. Then all a sudden everyone’s your best friend.
RRX: I’ve both seen and heard your work, and we’ve talked about the ‘heard’ part, but you’re also a photographer. You started on one side of the flash bulb and are now on the other. You shoot other models, and so I would think you can do the best for your models and avoid the worst. How do you do that?
CR: Simple. Give them professional advice. And there is no worse; my shoots are fun, and I feel that makes many girls feel great about themselves. My main goal is to make sure the model is genuinely happy with the photos. Or else I’m not.
RRX: When someone goes from one path in life to another, and to another still. They say the average person will have six different jobs in their life. So, you’ve been a famous model, a great photographer, and the DJ to one of the best rappers in the art. A genie is granting wishes; what are your next three jobs, your dream jobs?
CR: I’ll manifest this now. One: take over Steven Meisel’s studio when he retires.
Two: redo a Europe tour for A-F-R-O’s “All Flows Reach Out” album. Three: be a street art dealer.
INTERVIEW: Record Riots
by Ian Losz
All those interviewed for this were presented with three simple questions. Here are their thoughts.
With the motto “we dig vinyl too,” the Albany RECORD RIOTS took place at the Polish Community Center November 10. I have now attended this event as a collector, a DJ and now as a journalist. And each time, I’ve learned something new and found something interesting.
A chat with the promoter, Stephen Gritzan, revealed that it’s been a happening since the 1980s. However, the resurgence of vinyl records has expanded the phenomenon since he took over in 2008. A former record store owner from Jersey City, he began these shows in Brooklyn. He now runs 20 shows in eight states under the RECORD RIOTS banner.
He attributes the resurgence to people’s simple attraction to music and the unique sound that vinyl records provide.
Stephen’s Record Recommendation: The Who, “Who’s Next”
Timmy B., a teacher at SUNY Plattsburgh, who has been a dealer for over three years, concurs. He relates that vinyl sound quality is not matched by their digital counterparts, which he dislikes. He adds that records make him actively listen to music. Albums are played in their entirety, the way artists intended them to be.
Timmy’s Record Recommendation: Refused, “The Shape of Punk to Come”
Meanwhile, Tom Konopka, who travels from the Rochester area, has been dealing vinyl for about 40 years. Tom finds the tangible aspect of the record album irreplaceable. While storage space is an issue for some collectors, the experience and joy of opening, handling and perusing a record from cover to sleeve is worth it. It’s the closest many may ever get to “seeing” the artists in person.
Tom’s Record Recommendation: Miles Davis, “Kind of Blue”
Hailing from nearby Saratoga Springs, Jim Favaloro spent seven years running a record shop. A professional gardener by trade, he’s done this as a side gig for 11 years. He still enjoys three to five shows a year and maintains a mail order and Facebook presence. These shows allow him to talk music while meeting the needs of fellow collectors.
Jim’s Record Recommendation: Anything by the Beatles
The art of music is not just sound alone, as we found out speaking with John Cahill. The Little Falls, NY resident creates his own album covers, framed art, and even builds dioramas. Although technically retired, John just took up making more artwork relating to music. He attributes the pull of vinyl collecting to a New York Times quote of “missing the crackle.” That sound that vintage records make when they contact the stylus of a turntable. He firmly believes that soon new technology will allow 45 rpm records to be played in a new format other than jukeboxes. “Kids have everything at their fingertips. This will not be different.”
The $30 Walmart record can be purchased at these shows for maybe $10 or less. In John’s opinion, the quality in the original analog recording is superior in listening to digital recordings. Digital is the current format used in the industry today.
Cahill digests all sort of music information, from the posters and inserts of 1950s teen idol records, to Murray Lerner interviews from the early Isle of Wight concerts (available on DVD).
John’s Record Recommendation: Bob Dylan
The commonality of these people is music. Past, present and future. I witnessed this as there were 20-something diggers to my right and some old timers searching bins to my left.
The upcoming RECORD RIOT show is one of their biggest and most well attended. It will take place in Albany on Sunday, January 26 at the Polish Community Center. Mark your calendars.
WEQX Anniversary – Joy Proft – Xperience History
WEQX Anniversary – Joy Proft – Xperience History – by Rob Smittix.
RRX: I got Joy from WEQX on the line, I thought it’d be really cool to chat. What’s cool is right now you’re actually on the air as we speak!
JP: I played like four or five songs in a row so I have a few minutes to talk to you.
RRX: Cool. That’s all I need. It’s funny because I’m on the air right now too.
JP: Look at us, holding down the music scene here in the Capital Region and in Southern Vermont and everybody else who is listening. Hello, everyone!
RRX: I’ve been friends with pretty much all of your staff forever but I’m like … I don’t know Joy. I wanna get to know Joy. I know you’re on the air from 10am to 3pm during the week and you do the Sunday brunch. We know about that, but tell us about Joy. Who is Joy?
JP: Well, I grew up in Rhode Island, so I grew up going to the beach on Sundays. And I’m very lucky to have had a lot of music thrown at me or just somehow I acquired it. I always listened to the radio in my teenage bedroom and loved music. I had an aunt that gave me some of her records. She’s like 10 or 12 years older than me. She gave me Carole King, Neil Young, and just these amazing classic records that now I know all the words to, you know? I know I was really blessed from a young age to have this great musical foundation on top of … loving George Michael, Madonna, and The Cure in the ‘80s.
RRX: So, how long have you been with EQX?
JP: I actually worked here from 1990 to 94 in a much smaller capacity. I did some overnight shifts.
I did some part-time air shifts and I had other jobs in Vermont. I first moved to Vermont in 1990, lived here for four years, and then I moved away, moved back, moved away, and moved back. While I was away, I was in the music industry on a different side of the music wheel—the sales side. When there were record stores, I worked for a big music distribution company called Universal. So obviously, I dealt with a lot of Tower Record stores and big record retailers. I worked in Philadelphia, calling on stores in St. Louis. And then I got bumped up to the home office in L.A. So after all of that, I came back to Vermont and I owned a business. Then in 2019 … I’ve been friends with Mimi Brown, who’s our general manager and owns the radio station. Her husband Brooks is the one who put it on the air, who left us about … over a decade ago now, I think. Anyway, I was just talking to her after I sold the business and she said I think we might need a part-timer. Why don’t you talk to Jeff? You know, Jeff who does early EQX, he’s our boss.
So I started doing some weekend and fill-in shifts. Actually, I’m coming up on my four-year anniversary of doing the midday show. It’s just great. I love it. I also do the Retro Lunch at noon.
RRX: It doesn’t get much better than that. I mean, first of all, you’ve got the best shift.
JP: Right?
RRX: You don’t have to get up too early.
JP: One of my long-time friends and I, when we were a lot younger, were gardening for wealthy people. We’d go and weed their gardens and we’d say … it’s not like we don’t wanna work, we just wanna work from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
RRX: Exactly.
JP: There’s a lot of prep that goes into radio, as you know. I walk in here every morning preparing and thinking about what I might wanna talk about, what stories are in the news, what stories are good and what EQX is doing. So, there is a lot of prep to make it sound effortless. But I love it. It really works for me. It’s great!
RRX: Well, you definitely make it sound effortless. You’re on one of the greatest radio stations that exists in the entire country.
JP: Isn’t it crazy? 40 years of an independently owned radio station. It’s like people almost don’t believe you, they don’t believe me.
RRX: Right?
JP: It’s just so much fun. At the Tulip Fest in Albany, is where I met you and people who listen all of the time to all of us who work here, we listen all the time too. You know, I’m in my kitchen at night and I’m listening to Keller or Luke or whatever because we’re all big fans too!
RRX: Absolutely. That’s why we made sure that Keller got himself a Listen Up Hero Award this year, because we wanted to honor him.
JP: Thank you. That was so cool. He really appreciated that. He’s a really humble person, so of course he downplayed it. But I watched the footage and I heard and read about it. You guys are so committed to the local scene and praising what’s good about the area and the music scene. So thank you for what you do too.
RRX: Likewise. I look forward to maybe working together more in the future. To me, it doesn’t seem like we’re competitors, we’re all part of the same pie, you know?
JP: Absolutely. It’s great to know each of us is out there. What is that saying about the water raising all boats or whatever? The music scene and local bands have an appreciation for this thing that is really art … the creation of music, songs, and albums. We’re all together here.
RRX: And independent! You guys have a giant library. So when I tune in, I don’t hear the same music every day like some of the other stations that actually deleted a lot of their songs and made their library smaller. I don’t get it, but if you wanna hear “Living on a Prayer,” it plays at 11:15 a.m. every day on that other station.
JP: I always said, if you wanna hear Bon Jovi and Guns and Roses (I mean, not that I don’t love those bands too) but yeah at 11:15 and one’s at 2:15 every single day. Layla’s out a couple times a day too.
RRX: Hopefully it’s the long, extended version with the instrumental in the beginning.
JP: It’s all good. There’s room for everybody, and you know what? I appreciate turning the dial sometimes because sometimes you just wanna hear Layla, you know what I’m saying?
RRX: Exactly. Well, it’s been a pleasure. Is there anything that you would like to say to any of your listeners out there or maybe to try to get other people to listen that aren’t currently doing it?
JP: 102.7 on the FM dial, we have this massive signal because our tower is on the top of a big mountain (Mount Equinox) here in Southern Vermont.
We have a free app. We appreciate that people are listening around the country and around the world, and that smart speaker thing, Alexa, knows us—weqx.com. So if you’re not listening to us, listen to you guys, and let’s just keep putting great music out there!
Simple Reality – Interview – Thanks for Asking!
Simple Reality – Interview – Thanks for Asking! – by Liam Sweeny.
RRX: We all get a little support from those around us. And we also can be impressed by our fellow performers. Who do you admire in your community, and why?
SR: We admire every one of our fellow performers! We could shout out all the bands and artists that inspire us, but it would be way too many to list, lol! Everyone’s talent and emotion in their playing, performance and art, as a whole, really blows us away! We feel lucky to be able to experience it all!
RRX: It’s a lot of fun living in the present, but we all collect memories and give birth to dreams. We’re talking dreams here. Where do you see yourself next year? In the next five years?
SR: We never really know where the road will take us, all we know is that we are dedicated to spreading our message and never want to stop! It would be impossible for us to know what 5 years from now will look like loll, we’ve planned stuff in the past and tried to know how everything would come about, but it always turns out different! All we do know is that, in the future, we will still be Simple Reality with a lot more memories to share!
RRX: Like songs, every artist has a unique feeling about their first show. What was your first show like? Was it your best show? If not, what was your best show like?
SR: After playing our first show, I was like, “I could do this every day!!!” and then, I turned to Brooke and she said, “Really? I never need to do that again.” Lol, that really sums up our whole sibling dynamic!
RRX: What was the very first reaction to your music, from the first person to ever hear so much as a practice jam or the demo of your first song?
SR: The first person to hear our music was shocked! In general, that seems to be a lot of people’s reactions to our music. It’s not what anyone expects we are gonna sound like!
RRX: My singer punched my drummer out. Memorable moment, though nothing to brag about. But we have these things that, when summing up your endeavor, an incident comes to mind. What do you got?
SR: One time when we were playing a show, our good friend, Fritz, was in the mosh pit, then went down and his glasses broke, but since he’s a badass the show continued.
RRX: Is there a favorite time of year? What time of year does the band have the most shows? Is there a recurring thing in the year that’s particularly memorable?
SR: We seem to play more shows in the winter for some reason. We think it could be that a lot of bands want to play in the summer and shows fill up quick! We get asked to play more in the colder months when people want to stay inside.
Methadone and Parsnips – Billy Stanley
Methadone and Parsnips – Billy Stanley – by Billy Stanley.
I taught a summer camp for kids at the Arts Center down by the Hudson, that was my first gig in Troy. As happens with newbies driving and parking here, I got a parking ticket, which i threw in the back seat of my old Ford Probe. Cest la vie’. I myself don’t worry about things like that; my contract with the rule of law is somewhat loosey goosey. My wife, love of my life, reason for the season (when appropriately decorated), officer of the court, best friend and worst nemesis, she believes rules were written down to be followed and obeyed. She was cleaning out the probe when she found the parking ticket which she demanded be paid for immediately. So as this was after work, immediately meant the next morning. Pre-Google state of complete information, so I looked up the address for traffic court the next day, called my boss and told him I’d be late.
Next morning I was early for the city offices and saw a line of folks waiting to take care of whatever traffic violations they had. I found a legal parking space while driving down a one-way the wrong way while following the car in front of me. I walked back and was fifteen minutes early, and there was a good line of folks and nobody was talking. I bartended in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Shreveport , Austin, the bucolic shores of Cape Cod, been knocked out cold in my lone bar fight, and driven across the Canadian border with $20,000 cash, and an Irish gambler called Tommy Patrick, and the one and only childhood hero Scotty Townsend, ( Google pool player Scotty Townsend memorial video). In other words, I’ve seen some shit. I started looking around and the folks waiting for traffic court, they look rough. I mean these folks were scratchy, random, just enough cheap suited ragged looking traffic court lawyers to make the whole court system of Troy pop in my eyes. Nobody was talking, nobody was looking in each other’s eyes, the lawyers weren’t even trying to drum up business handing out cards offering their services. Didn’t look like anyone could pay anyway.
Finally the doors open and they start letting people into the halls of justice. The line was moving slow as shit. I’m from Louisiana, so when Yankees get slowed up I’m in my natural state. We’re plodding along, the folks in line all seem to be itching. They’re all scratchin their arms and shoulders and I’m getting nervous thinking Troy must have a terrible bedbug problem. Finally I can see the front door and the cops are wanding everybody, running ’em through a metal detector. I thought it was a little much, but 9/11 was still fresh and raw and well I wasn’t gonna be a problem just get through the screening, find the court cashier, be apologetic for taking so long to pay and go about my day. I get through the security protocols and then I ask the question that brought the whole program to a stop.
I ask, ” Where do I pay for parking tickets?” The guards all look at me as if I’m a fool, I’m kinda used to that.
“Um, this is a methadone clinic, traffic court is across the street.” the guard responded.
Well, that was an introduction to Troy that the nice ladies at the Art Center had protected me from. I’ve worked in the capital district for 20 plus years, but I keep ending up in Troy doing random things. Ian at Mallo’s was one of the first people I sold mushrooms to in the area. He was slinging glorious grub at the Gastropub on New Scotland in Albany back then. I worked for Susan Spicer in New Orleans, I was outta my league but she just needed warm bodies then. So, I’ve been exposed to glorious epicurean delights that transcend most fare you come across. The Gastropub consistently produced great food across the board. They bought more mushrooms from me than other places. As Ian floated around the capital district, he’d be lost, then I’d find him at random joints as I’d go around slinging shrooms found in the hinterlands of the Catskills and Schoharie County. He finally has seemed to settle down.
I was disappointed when I discovered he’d just be slinging sammies next to a Korean joint. Tucked up around the corner from a cabinet shop and a rolling smorgasbord of fly by night food joints ranging from hipster grubbiness to polished theme-oriented purveyors. Ian and his buddy Max just decided they didn’t like working nights and some weekend free time would be nice. He started smoking his own meats and truth be told his vegan Reuben is better than God intended vegan food to be. Small place with a bell, some seats on the sidewalk and a smiling chubby happy cook. That’s where you find good food; never trust a skinny chef. I worked my way through his small menu and then I was really enjoying his soups.
Then he pushed some Parsnip soup out on me. Drug dealers will give you a taste to get you hooked. They know when their product has got that bite and they’ll catch you unawares. I’ve sold mushrooms and ate at all the restaurants in the area. I’m always looking for something that beats my wife’s cooking and that’s a tough proposition. Well, his soups are always good, really great, better than you can get at the sitdown white tablecloth joints.
This parsnip concoction was upstate New York. The nutty sweetness that had over wintered in the soil of the sleeping agricultural force that are the regions of this beautiful ecosydtem we’re lucky to call home came out with a creamy lush richness coddled with local butter from Jersey cows brought here by Scotch dudes that looked on the Mohawk, Hudson and Schoharie creek as a magical realm with all the good bits left in. The soup was ethereal, just something to be savored and in the early spring, as the southern sun warmed the sidewalk in front of Mallo’s, beaming in through the plate glass windows, I’d sit in the back and wait for the soup to come out. I’d watch folks come and go and my bowls were always licked clean. The airy croutons filled with the warm liquids just enough so to go with their residual crunchiness, making me troop through Troy religiously like a good junkie going to get his fix.
Then that day came, He looks at me and goes ‘I’m out, ain’t got no more.’ I’m crestfallen and that’s when I got his game. He says, ‘I can give you a quart of my own stash.’ That’s when I remembered parking tickets and methadone and my wife’s rule of law, but I’d gotten her hooked and we were gonna gave that for supper and he says we won’t have anymore. She wanted some and I wanted some and Ian, well he had it and he could parse it out with a smile cuz he knew I’d be coming back. I took that quart and I’ll let the reader wonder if I shared with my wife or not, cuz Ian’s got the fall ‘snips coming in and like the fall we all savor our neighbors homegrown with the early sunsets. So let’s all enjoy the bounty of upstate as visualized in the pots at Mallo’s, with Ian and Max’s charms shining through. Don’t tell him I sent you cuz then he’ll raise my price again.
Jukebox – Music News Cuts – 11/15
Jukebox.
Eminem
In New York City in June 2025, three songwriters and three performing songwriters will be inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. Among the finalists are rapper Eminem, performers Janet Jackson and Alanis Morrisette, and the Beach Boys’s Mike Love.
In order to be considered for induction, artist’s must be twenty years past their first commercial release.
Last year’s inductees included Steely Dan, Timbaland, and R.E.M, who had reunited on stage for the ceremony for the first time in 15 years.
The finalists are as follows:
Walter Afanasieff – “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” “Hero,” “License to Kill,” “Love Will Survive,” “One Sweet Day”
Steve Barri and P.F. Sloan – “Secret Agent Man,” “Eve Of Destruction,” “Where Were You When I Needed You,” “You Baby,” “Can I Get to Know You”
Mike Chapman – “The Best,” “Love Is a Battlefield,” “Ballroom Blitz,” “Stumblin’ In,” “Kiss You All Over”
Sonny Curtis – “Love Is All Around (Theme from “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”),” “I Fought the Law,” “Walk Right Back,” “More Than I Can Say,” “I’m No Stranger to the Rain”
Tom Douglas – “The House That Built Me,” “Little Rock,” “I Run to You,” “Grown Men Don’t Cry,” “Love Me Anyway”
Franne Golde – “Dreaming of You,” “Nightshift,” “Don’t Look Any Further,” “Don’t You Want Me,” “Stickwitu”
Ashley Gorley – “I Had Some Help,” “Last Night,” “You Should Probably Leave,” “Play It Again,” “You’re Gonna Miss This”
Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins – “Say My Name,” “The Boy Is Mine,” “You Rock My World,” “Déjà vu,” “Telephone”
Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter – “One Tin Soldier (Theme from “Billy Jack”),” “Don’t Pull Your Love,” “Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got),” “It Only Takes a Minute,” “Country Boy (You Got Your Feet In L.A.)”
Tony Macaulay – “Baby Now That I’ve Found You,” “Build Me Up Buttercup,” “Don’t Give Up On Us,” “(Last Night) I Didn’t Get to Sleep at All,” “Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)”
Roger Nichols – “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Rainy Days and Mondays,” “I Won’t Last a Day Without You,” “Out in the Country,” “Times of Your Life”
Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham – “I’m Your Puppet,” “Cry Like a Baby,” “A Woman Left Lonely,” “Out of Left Field,” “It Tears Me Up”
Narada Michael Walden – “How Will I Know,” “Freeway of Love,” “You’re a Friend of Mine,” “Baby Come to Me,” “Who’s Zoomin’ Who?”
Performing Songwriters
Bryan Adams – “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You,” “Heaven,” “All for Love,” “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?,” “Summer of ‘69”
George Alan O’Dowd p/k/a Boy George – “Karma Chameleon,” “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,” “Time (Clock Of The Heart), “Love Is Love,” “Miss Me Blind”
George Clinton – “Atomic Dog,” “Flash Light,” “(Not Just) Knee Deep,” “I’d Rather Be With You,” “Give Up The Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)”
Sheryl Crow – “All I Wanna Do,” “Soak Up The Sun,” “If It Makes You Happy,” “A Change Would Do You Good,” “Everyday Is a Winding Road”
Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald and Patrick Simmons p/k/a Doobie Brothers – “Listen to the Music,” “Takin’ It to the Streets,” “Black Water,” “What a Fool Believes,” “Long Train Runnin’”
Marshall Mathers a/k/a Eminem – “Lose Yourself,” “Stan,” “Mockingbird,” “Houdini,” “Rap God”
David Gates – “Everything I Own,” “Make It With You,” “Baby I’m-A Want You,” “The Guitar Man,” “If”
Janet Jackson – “Black Cat,” “Together Again,” “Again,” “Got ‘til It’s Gone,” “Rhythm Nation”
Tommy James – “Mony Mony,” “Crimson and Clover,” “Crystal Blue Persuasion,” “Sweet Cherry Wine,” “Tighter, Tighter”
Mike Love – “California Girls,” “Good Vibrations,” “The Warmth of the Sun,” “I Get Around,” “Fun, Fun, Fun”
Alanis Morissette – “You Oughta Know,” “Ironic,” “Hand in My Pocket,” “Thank U,” “Uninvited”
Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren and DJ Yella p/k/a N.W.A – “Express Yourself,” “Dopeman,” “Fu*k Tha Police,” “Gangsta Gangsta,” “Straight Outta Compton”
Steve Winwood – “Higher Love,” “Gimme Some Lovin’,” “I’m a Man,” “Valerie,” “Roll With It”
Original article here.
Noel Gallagher
“Champagne Supernova” by Oasis runs seven-and-a-half minutes, but an “ambient” version Noel Gallagher made for a London art gallery runs six hours. The gallery will host a picture of Gallagher from Zoe Law’s photography exhibit, Legends. This exhibit is Low’s recounting of the people in her life who had influenced her in 100 black-and-white photographs.
Included is a photo of actor Sienna Miller holding the 1967 Epiphone Gallagher used to write “Champagne Supernova.”
The Wedding Present
The Wedding Present with be launching a North American tour for the 35th anniversary of the 1989 album Bizarro, which was their second album. They had previously toured for Bizarro in 2010. With them will be London-based “The Tubs” who will be having their first North American tour. They will be releasing their second album, Cotton Crown on March 2nd.
Dates kick off May 16th in Austin, and tickets will be going on sale today.
THE WEDDING PRESENT – 2025 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
MAY
16 AUSTIN, TX – ANTONE’S
17 DALLAS, TX – DEEP ELLUM ART COMPANY
19 ATLANTA, GA – EARL
20 COLUMBIA, SC – NEW BROOKLAND TAVERN
21 DURHAM, NC – MOTORCO MUSIC HALL
22 WASHINGTON, DC – BLACK CAT
23 BROOKLYN, NY – MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG
24 CAMBRIDGE, MA – SINCLAIR
26 MONTREAL / MONTRÉAL, QC – BAR LE RITZ
27 TORONTO, ON – GREAT HALL
28 CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH – GROG SHOP
29 CHICAGO, IL – EMPTY BOTTLE
31 SAINT PAUL, MN – TURF CLUB
JUNE
03 SEATTLE, WA – MADAME LOU’S
04 PORTLAND, OR – MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS
06 SAN FRANCISCO, CA – CHAPEL
07 LOS ANGELES, CA – LODGE ROOM
Original article here.
WEQX 40th Anniversary – Jeff Mo’rad – Xperience History
WEQX 40th Anniversary – Jeff Mo’rad – An Xperience History – by Rob Smittix.
RRX: So today is gonna be unique. My car is in the shop so it’ll be the first time I ever done an interview on public transportation. The bus should be showing up any second.
JM: Well, that’s good. I feel like we’re doing our part and reducing our carbon footprint. We’re doing an interview on a bus first ever for me.
RRX:. I mean, why take an Uber? These buses are way cheaper?
JM: Yeah, I think I might still have some some bus pass credit on my phone. You want me to send that to you? I’ll pay for your bus ride this morning!
RRX: Yeah, definitely. So, how’s it going, man?
JM: Super well. Just listening to some music, preparing for the next Jam and Toast show. It’s beautiful out!
RRX: Yes, it is. Yeah, you can’t complain right now in the Northeast.
JM: No, not at all. I’m a fan of winter though. What about you?
RRX: Not at all, but you’re in Vermont though and I mean… I think there’s a little bit of a difference there with winter enthusiasm.
JM: Yes, we tend to be able to have a little more fun in the snow as opposed to just using it as a city wide trash can.
RRX: Exactly. Oh, the bus is pulling up. This is gonna be fun.
JM: This is unique. I like it.
RRX: OK. Alright. Now it’s official. Now we’re officially riding. Yes. This might be the first CDTA interview ever.
JM: It’s like comedians in cars getting coffees, but it’s DJ s on a bus doing interviews.
RRX: I actually wrote a song and there’s a music video for it on Youtube. Look up Rob Smittix the song’s called “F**k This, I’ll Never Take The Bus Again” I wrote that back in like 2005. So, I guess my premonitions are not accurate.
JM: You’re gonna need a follow up single. “Dammit. I Had to Take the F**king Bus Again.”
RRX: Oh my God, I really should. Right? But… we were talking about the weather and the snow and how you have more fun with it in Vermont than us here in the urban areas of the Capital Region.
JM: I mean, when it’s in your backyard it makes it a lot easier because there’s nothing worse than getting off the slopes, loading into your car and sitting in your car for an hour and a half. Then you get out and your legs are stiff as hell and you can’t even make it inside your house.
RRX: It’s crazy because I’ve never skied. Not once in my entire life but I’ve been to almost all of the ski resorts with one of your colleagues, Jason Keller. We would do live-remote broadcasts from ski resorts back when we used to work at 103.5/103.9 WQBK/J The Edge together.
JM: The two least likely people to find on skis, who have visited more ski resorts than anybody else. I love it.
RRX: I’m not gonna talk too much about Keller but, him and I started at The Edge on the exact same day back in 1996. Keller, I still consider a friend and he is still is one of my references on my resume. What I’m looking forward to is we will be reaching out to him soon to let him know that we will be honoring Keller at the 2024 Listen Up Awards with a Hero Award. This is for his contributions in our music scene.
JM: Yeah. Well, you can’t do much better for a friend than Jason Keller. That’s for sure. How fantastic and very well deserved. I love knowing that and I’ll keep my big mouth shut.
RRX: So, besides that, I see that EQX just celebrated it’s 39th birthday.
JM: November 14th, 1984. The station first flipped on t 10:27am with our first song ever being a disco song. We were, adult contemporary at the time.
RRX: No kidding. I did not realize that.
JM: Yeah. Not for long at all, it kind of turned a little AAA from there and then in the early nineties switched to the alternative format.
RRX: See, that’s when I think the popularity really started growing or maybe I was just at the age where I needed to find myself a station. EQX has been a favorite of mine forever. I’ve always had so much respect for EQX and you guys are still out there doing it. We’re independent too at Radioradiox. I feel like us independents are really doing more than a lot of these big commercial corporations these days. We’re doing more presentations, we’re putting on more concerts, we are doing more sponsorships. I don’t know where the curve shifted but it seems like somehow it has and I’m down with that.
JM: Well, I think that the corporate radio stations don’t have the staff to be able to cover anything or at least the staff that’s willing to put in the hours. I think they just require too much money instead of supporting something and getting it on the air and helping it grow and build. You know? When it’s just about the money that just mucks everything up.
RRX: I agree with that. Brooks was a cool cat, he started EQX, right?
JM: Brooks Brown, who unfortunately passed away about 10 years ago started the work on this place four or five years before it ever went on the air.
As far as just buying the house, he put an addition on to it, turned all the bedrooms into studios and offices, we’ve got a downstairs space where sales people used to have their cubicles but everyone works from home or the road now. So we turn that into what we call studio BB in honor of Brooks Brown and that’s where we’ll have bands come in and and perform house sessions. Although we’ve partnered up with Caffe Lena recently and have been doing them over there.
So we’ve been enjoying doing that. But yeah Brooks… He found out who had the phone number that ended in 1027, got in touch with them and bought that number. He made sure that our PO Box is 1027. The most impressive thing was that he convinced the Carthusian monks who own Mount Equinox to lease a space on the top for our tower and our transmitter. These are monks who have a vow of silence and somehow he talked them into leasing us the space so our 50,000 watts can go out to the four states that it does.
RRX: Brooks is not a sell-out whatsoever, he was talking to me about getting offered millions and he was like, I’d never sell.
JM: He would let potential buyers take him out, wine and dine him, get the whole spiel and then just be like, no f**k off! I have Brooks’ glasses on my desk, which is kind of a cheesy little thing because I like to say that it helps me keep his vision for the radio station. I’m really glad you had the opportunity to meet Brooks because it’s impossible to explain, who he was to people who had never met him as hard as you try.