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Uncle Sam’s Birthday Bash – Around Town, with Amy Modesti

Amy Modesti
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Happy Birthday to Troy’s own patriotic hero, Samuel Wilson, also known throughout the world as “Uncle Sam”. Wilson was born on September 13, 1766 and passed away on July 31, 1854. Residents can visit his burial site at Oakwood Cemetery in Troy or check out a pavilion on top of Prospect Park with information about “Uncle Sam” and his journey to New York from New Hampshire.

“Uncle Sam” was a meat packer and a member of the Continental Army. When serving in the army, he was responsible for guarding and caring for cattle, mending fences, and took care of the packaging of the meat after the cattle was slaughtered. In 1789, “Uncle Sam” and his brother, Ebenezer, relocated to Troy on foot. While living in Troy, the brothers became entrepreneurs, creating their own business in brick making and established their meat slaughterhouse. “Uncle Sam” became a road commissioner for the City of Troy and a meat inspector for the Union Army during the War of 1812. The barrels that were sent to Union soldiers full of meat had his initials, “U.S.”, which became coined as “Uncle Sam” by the army soldiers.

In celebration of Uncle Sam’s birthday, members of the Rensselaer County Office of Tourism and the Uncle Sam Committee joined forces to plan and host the annual Uncle Sam Birthday Bash held at Knickerbocker Park Sunday, September 8, 2019 in Troy, NY. This was the second time in nine years that the birthday bash was held at Knickerbocker Park. This year’s event featured live music from “The Tradition”, “Uncle Sax” (Luke McNamee), “Derek Elvis” and “Donny Elvis” (two Elvis impersonators), “Legend”, and Moriah Formica.

“The Tradition” featuring “Uncle Sax” (Luke McNamee), Ralph Renna, and Zach Leffler, opening up the 2019 Uncle Sam Birthday Bash

“The Tradition”, featuring guitarists and vocalists, Ralph Renna and Zach Leffler, opened the event and performed an acoustic set of originals and covers. The duo placed their own unique spin on classic rock hits as “Rainbow in the Dark” (Dio), “Simple Man” that was dedicated to the vets who served for our country, “Otherside” (Red Hot Chili Peppers), and “Sympathy for the Devil” which included a guest appearance from “Uncle Sax” who joined in with the guitarists for the song and the afternoon festivities.

The winners of the “Citizen of the Year” were announced shortly after “The Tradition” ended their set. This year’s winners received a certificate of achievement in the city from members of the Chamber and the Uncle Sam committee. The award nominees include community advocate of the year, Vicki Buchanan, humanitarian of the year, Jerry Buchanan, youth citizen of the year, “Little Elvis” Derek DeFreest, and citizens of the year, Ed Doin, Bob Demeo, and Anthony DeRusso-Demeo.

“Uncle Sax” came on stage once the award nominees received their awards to perform a short set of patriotic songs and a tribute to New York’s own jazz artist, Frank Sinatra, in his rendition of “New York, New York”, much to the crowd’s delight.

Elvis impersonators, “Little Elvis” and “Donny Elvis”, shook their hips and gave out scarves, hulas, and teddy bears to Elvis fanatics, both young and old, while singing on stage to pre-recorded Elvis tracks. Although the “King of Rock and Roll” has passed on, his legacy continues to live on through these local impersonators. This was the first time at an Uncle Sam birthday bash that “Donny Elvis” had a young impersonator with him, “Young Elvis” (Derek DeFreest) who wowed the audience with his charm and his prowess to singing Presley’s songs with pride. From impersonating playing the acoustic guitar to handing young fans scarves, Young Elvis had a strong voice and did well in carrying on those classic tunes as “Hurt”, “All Shook Up”, to “C.C. Rider”. “Donny Elvis” followed his young impersonator and carried on the yearly tradition of performing at the show and wooing his fans with his cover of “That’s All Right”, handed out small stuffed teddy bears to fans in his cover of “Teddy Bear”, and even handed out hula necklaces in his rendition of “Rock-A-Hula Baby” from the film, “Blue Hawaii”. Both entertainers put on an entertaining set for their fans.

“Legend” certainly rocked the house and delivered their rock show in full rock fashion with their explosive covers of their favorite rock anthems. “Legend” features members, Joe Schepis (lead vocals/tambourine), Edward Bornt (guitar/vocals), C.J. Benenati (bass/vocals), Reggie Kafouris (piano/acoustic guitar/vocals), and Dave Kirkpatrick (drums/vocals), is one of Capital Region’s top cover acts and they certainly know how to rock out. Their set, featuring music from Styx (“Come Sail Away”), Foreigner (“Cold As Ice”), Rainbow (“Stone Cold”), REO Speedwagon (“Take It on the Run”), and their extended set of Journey hits (“Separate Ways”, “Stone In Love”) was a hit with their audience and their fans that were out dancing and recording their set on their phones.

In between sets, magician, Dewayne Hill, performed a set of magic tricks with the assistance from his fans that were both on and off stage. One of his tricks included ripping up a piece of newsprint into pieces and revealing a word that a participant chose beforehand in front of a captivated audience. Hill included audience members of all ages to join him on stage for each routine he performed until the bands were ready for their show.

Moriah Formica headlining the Uncle Sam Birthday Bash at Knickerbocker Park in Lansingburg, NY Sunday, September 8, 2019

Rock lives on in the Capital Region and concluding the Uncle Sam Birthday Bash was none other than Moriah Formica. Formica and her band, featuring Nick Stamas (guitar/backing vocals), Dan Flowers (bass), Tony Tirino (drums), and a guest appearance from her brother, Gabriel Formica (vocals), rounded up her band who put on a stellar show! This was a make-up performance for “The Voice” contestant who had her previous show at Power’s Park cancelled due to thunderstorms.

Formica is a vocal powerhouse and has such prowess on the way how she plays her guitar in both covers and her original songs. Staying true to herself and her rock roots, Formica isn’t afraid to rock out and stands alone as a great frontwoman who has opened for her idols, including Lizzy Hale from Halestorm, and Joan Jett and the Heartbreakers.

Opening with Evanescence’s “Bring Me Back to Life”, mixing it up with her originals, “Save Me”, “Bring It On” from her EP, “Broken Soul”, “I Will”, “Slave”, and her powerful covers of “Dangerous Woman” (Ariana Grande), “Crazy On You” (Heart, a song that garnered her start on ‘The Voice’ as a contender), and “Immigrant Song” (Led Zeppelin), one can see how strong of a musician Formica truly is. She can either rock and belt out the chorus of “Dangerous Woman” in her unique style and ferocity or perform soft and sweet as she sang a beautiful duet of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s version of “Shallow” from the film, “A Star Is Born”, with brother, Gabriel, while the band took a mini break, on just an acoustic guitar. Formica is the real deal and a star in the local “rock and roll” scene. She is in fact, the Capital Region’s true winner of “The Voice”, and with her band backing her up on each song, she will continue to soar higher and higher into great success.

The 2019 Uncle Sam Birthday Bash was a success. It was held on a beautiful sunny afternoon at Knickerbocker Park and the event helped bring music and community together to celebrate Troy’s ultimate American hero, Samuel “Uncle Sam” Wilson. Happy Birthday to the one and only “Uncle Sam”!! Great job to all involved who helped organize and put together this birthday bash for our local, nationally-known hero.

 

Albany Jazz Festival – 2019

Ed Conway
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It was a beautiful fall-like day along the Hudson River at Albany’s Jennings Landing.  The sun poked in and out among the rolling clouds making for a beautiful setting for the Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival, which has been around for 18 years.

Charlie Apicella. Photo by Ed Conway.

A personal obligation kept me from arriving at the festival until the last song from opener Charlie Apicella & Iron City.  What I heard, however, made me sorry to have missed the rest.  The Eastman Guitrars featured artist, Apicella’s guitar style sounded like something to look forward to hearing them again.

Next up, the venerable Skip Parsons Riverboat Jazz Band.  They have been gracing the Albany area for so long, it’s hard to picture the music scene around here without them.  Their blend of riverboat and Dixieland jazz harkens back to an era of cruising up and down the Mississippi on a paddle boat.  While their accomplishments over the years are impossible to do justice here, suffice it to say the fact that Albany declared September 7, 2019, Skip Parsons Day speaks for itself.

Black Tie Brass explored a Funky side of Jazz.  As the name implies, the horn section was front and center to their sound.  This New York City band seems to have melded the sounds found all around their neighborhood into a unique sound.  While maintaining a musical structure falling into the jazz genre, their use of the horns as accent instruments as well as solo instruments gave it a sound of a full-fledged funk band.  At the same time, their brass arrangements gave it a New Orleans vibe making it a perfect transition from Parsons to the rest of the day.

The Dizzy Gillespie All Stars. Photo by Ed Conway.

The Dizzy Gillespie All Stars presented a run back to the Big Band Standards.  Each song was carefully culled from some of Gillespie’s favorites.  To me, though, one of the highlights to the day was when newlywed pianist Cyrus Chestnut, with the band stripped down to just him, bass and drums, played his arrangement of “My Funny Valentine.”

Closing out the day, The Bad Plus brought an experimental edge to what they call “avante-garde populism.”  Many times, when someone hears the term “experimental” jazz, they tend to shy away thinking it’s going to be some kind of hard to follow atonal piece, but in their case, while they definitely pushed some of the boundaries, this trio of piano, bass and drums, produced a sound that was very approachable to a casual jazz fan such as myself.

The variable day of sun, clouds, river and a couple of drops of rain, dropped by a rogue cloud, was the perfect symbol for the varying day of Jazz.  Each band presented a different side to a style of music the outsider may not realize exists.  From the Bop inspired sound of Charlie Apicella & Iron City to the experimental style of The Bad Plus, with Dixieland and Funk thrown in for good measure, the day built logically from style to style, giving even a casual fan something different to appreciate and act as a primer for what is still a vibrant and growing musical genre.

 

 

“Around Town with Amy Modesti” – 200th Annual Schaghticoke Fair

Amy Modesti
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“Around Town with Amy Modesti” – 200th Annual Schaghticoke Fair

Hi readers!! Welcome to my blog, “Around Town with Amy Modesti”!! I am looking forward to sharing my latest adventures “around town” with you and to all of the listeners who have been keeping up with what is happening around the Capital Region music scene here on “RadioRadioX”!!

I had the idea to start a blog a few months ago after the sudden passing of my friend and “Blotto” vocalist, Greg Haymes. Haymes was an inspiration to so many creatives, musicians, and writers for many years. Greg was the ultimate cheerleader; he was extremely supportive of anybody who was making a difference in the scene. Whether you were a cover band, a solo artist, a local creative business, or a budding visual artist, photographer, or writer who was emerging into the scene, Haymes supported them all. He kept things up to date daily about the latest happenings, showcased artists in “Art Beat” (art exhibition openings/shows), event reviews, show previews, anything that needed attention. I was impressed how dedicated Greg and wife, Sara Ayers, kept their patrons informed about our creative happenings for the past nine years. His kindness, support of the creative scene, and his dedication to keeping local journalism alive had made an impact on my life, and many others as well.

The Capital Region is not the same without Greg. His loss has left a huge hole in all our hearts. Since his passing, it has become a bit more difficult for creatives to get the word out about their events to patrons that could be interested in viewing their art, attending a theatre performance, or watch a cover band or an original artist perform their songs. The readers that don’t always follow or use social media or perhaps, use social media daily, are having difficulty figuring out what to do on a day when there is so many things happening in our community. You must use either “Local” on Facebook to figure out what events to attend in the community, view your event invitations from peers, through word of mouth, newsprint, posters, and other sources.

I was asked a few weeks ago to take part in writing a weekly blog from my friend and “RadioRadioX” writer, Liam Sweeney. I was excited to take part in this opportunity. In February 2019, I was asked to become a contributor for the publication. Since then, I’ve attended their monthly music events held at the RadioRadioX headquarters, participated in the 1 year Anniversary Party to sell some exclusive music and nature photography at Chrome Food And Spirits, and I received a photo pass to cover future events just a week just before my milestone birthday in May! I am thankful to be a part of “RadioRadioX” with Liam, Art, Ralph, Jimmy, and my friends and contributors who work together as a team to share and inform others about what is happening in our creative scene within the arts, music, and community! Thank you again Liam and company for the opportunity!

From time to time, a friend sends me a private message on Facebook or comments on a status to ask me what is happening in the community that they would be interested in attending. I search through my events list to research community happenings, skim through the news feed to review status updates, or perhaps I see something in print that may be of interest and share it. I hope that with the blog, I will be able to inform you of the happenings that one could potentially attend in the community, or at least, let you know of the cool events that I’ve attended, places I’ve traveled to, or just anything of interest. If there is anything you need me to help get the word out about or if there’s a place that I should check out that may be of interest, please let me know!! My goal is to turn this blog into a website too, in addition to my weekly posts and collaboration with “RadioRadioX”. Only time will tell what will happen in the future!!

Apart from my duties as a “Rock Photographer”, music fan, visual artist, events promoter, whatever title I am being given at this time, I am a journalist. I am a reporter and photographer for “RadioRadioX” as well as my local county newsweekly that I am involved with part-time. You’ll be able to find out where I have been traveling to for that through my artist page at “ALM Fine Art and Photography” on FB.

200th Annual Schaghticoke Fair

Patrons attending and taking part of the festivities of the 200t
Patrons attending and taking part of the festivities of the 200th Annual Schaghticoke Fair

Last Wednesday (8/28/2019), I attended the opening day of Rensselaer County’s county fair, the 200th Annual Schaghticoke Fair held in Schaghticoke, NY. Not only was this their opening day, it was also “Dollar Day” where general admission is only a dollar, and it was “Media Day” that I covered first thing in the morning!

I went to the fair twice that day. In the morning, I met with the fair manager, Carly Reyna-Ostrander and fair patron, John Cipperly from JC Tractor of Hoosick Falls, NY, who gave the media sources and I a tour of the fair grounds and informed the media of the happenings that would occur all week on the fair-grounds, both on foot and in ATV’s and go-karts.

My adventure included a tour of the main ground; from the rides and entertainment section, to the cooling area where I watched cows being hosed off in the sun outside near their stall by their owners, checked out an indoor horse arena where we met with staff that talked about the horse shows, and finally, met with members of Circus Incredible, a performance family from Sarasota, Florida who performed some fantastic tricks and aerial moves for their fans later on twice that afternoon.

Circus Incredible features three talented performers, Simon Arestov, wife, Lyric Wallenda- Arestov, and their two-year old son, Alex Wallenda-Arestov. Originally from Russia, Arestov is a second-generation roller bowler performer. Arestov mainly performs his act from the ground, often in his routine, twirling a huge giant cube in his arms very fast on the ground. On the roller bowler, he is high in the air twisting and throwing huge hoops in the air or holding his son, Alex, in his arms as he holds the American flags up high in the air.

Circus Incredible, featuring Lyric Warrenda, performing a stunt as part of the 200th Annual Schaghticoke Fair
Circus Incredible, featuring Lyric Wallenda, performing a stunt as part of the 200th Annual Schaghticoke Fair

Lyric Wallenda-Arestov, is from a family of extremely talented performers, family members that focus on the tight rope. She is a 7th generation performer of the famous Wallenda family. Her cousins, Nick and Leona Wallenda walked the tight rope in Times Square this summer on National TV!! For her act, Lyric performed her dazzling aerial tricks on a large circular hoop that she twirled around in, sat on a giant beam and swung it around like it was a giant swing, and balanced and twisted herself in the air with just a head restraint!! Their act that I witnessed that afternoon was fantastic to watch! This was the first time that the family performed at the Schaghticoke Fair.

I left the fair after “Media Day” to take part in a commitment in Troy. I later returned to Schaghticoke Fair to enjoy the remainder of “Dollar Day”. It gave me a chance to check out the other locations that I didn’t have time to view earlier that day.

I have certain places that I always check out at the local fair that I enjoy; the Arts and Crafts booth to check out the photography and fine art submissions that won prizes and the country crafts that were for sale, I caught only a few songs from local band, “7th Squeeze”, at the small stage at the park, I took a walk through the rides, shopping, and gaming area that was full of patrons purchasing items from the booths or taking their chance to ride on a dizzying ride, checked out the Veteran’s Museum and its many artifacts that were on view, and last but not least, I took a walk inside the grand stand to check out the vendors that were selling their goods or products. Under the grandstand, I checked out some nice nature photography from a Valley Falls, NY photographer and I finally had a chance to meet Meg VanEpps, the owner of Meg’s Media, in person! Meg and her sister work together to paint and create their home-made wooden signs that are ready to be hung in a home or local business. Their signs can be seen and ready to purchase at the Rustic Barn Pub and other community events that they’ll be a part of during the fall. I purchased a painted sign with a sand dollar on it for my dad as a birthday present for him to display at home. Those are just some of the places that I had visited at the fair, among others, until the rain came rolling in and the fair came to an end for the night.

Some of the food vendors even had dollar deals at their booths in honor of “Dollar Day”. There was a food booth that even gave away a free piece of birthday cake at a certain time in celebration of the fair’s 200th Anniversary (and birthday). A favorite venue to eat at is over at the Hoosick Valley Booster Club where they have a giant fried dough (with optional fruit) that you can eat as a whole meal that is out of this world! It is huge! You must sit down at a picnic table or near the grandstand just to eat it alone or with a group of people that are hungry to eat.

As for whether I watched Trace Atkins perform the following day, no it never happened. Unfortunately, the media was never allowed any media passes to cover Atkins’ show. Still, I had a fantastic time attending the 200th Annual Schaghticoke Fair.

Full view of the Ferris Wheel and other games and amusement rides at the 200th Annual Schaghticoke Fair
Full view of the Ferris Wheel and other games and amusement rides at the 200th Annual Schaghticoke Fair

Happy 200th Birthday and Happy Anniversary to the third oldest fair in New York State, The Schaghticoke Fair! Great job to all involved who took part in the event and helped make this fair a huge success for its bi centennial! Be sure to check out the fair’s website at http://www.schaghticokefair.com/index.php to learn more about it and its upcoming events and opportunities to take part in. There are all kinds of fun things to do in Rensselaer County and the Schaghticoke Fair is one of those fun events to attend every year with family and friends.

What happens on the way – Last Daze

Art Fredette
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What happens on the way – Last Daze

In some cases, it takes bands many years to develop a sound or make it to a point of solid recognition. Hard work, touring, recording and giving up your life as you know it is a good start.  Sometimes, it means leaving loved ones behind and hitting the road. On tour, moving fast and slow, forgetting which town you’re in, all the while trying to stay clear from the demons that may possess your soul, the life  can chew you up, spit you out and forget you. Not to mention other battles, challenges and obstacles will rear their greedy head and you will possibly lose a friend or two in the process. Welcome to the music business.
Katy Cole has survived most and maybe more of the above mentioned. She is still taking her band as seriously as the day she and guitarist Chris Schempp got together.  Introducing Last Daze from Upstate N.Y., a harder edged blues, a real rock band with soul and beautiful melodies.  Vocals that demand attention at first command. 


RRX: Let’s start with growing up & music, your story, influences?
KC: My love for music has been lifelong. My mom swears that I was singing James Taylor songs at 13 months old. I used to demand Motley Crue before bedtime at three years old, and pretended I was the lead singer of the Misfits from Gem and the Holograms by four. My dad is a musician, so he taught me guitar at the age of 8, and I was writing songs by the time I was 9. I started playing with JJ Raymond when I was 14, and we became Decadence, a female acoustic duo. That was my first taste of really performing for a living. We started in bars and clubs, then eventually decided to write our own stuff and make a go at it. 

RRX: Give us a little history of your musical career leading up to Last Daze?

KC: I have had a twisted path. Ha. I started with Decadence, which had a few periods of hiatus. During one of them, I got a music degree, and studied classical vocal pedagogy and music education.  I kept playing and writing and recording through all of it, but nothing was serious, or as serious as a lucrative teaching career. Having a classical background made me stronger on stage and off stage. I recorded a couple of lesser known and not released albums as the Katy Cole Band, where I started playing with Chris Schempp, and that was where the hunger to be an original artist was fed. Decadence went from acoustic duo to full band, doing original music, and we started traveling to places like Nashville and Florida promoting our music. Last Daze happened when Decadence went to LA and essentially parted ways.   

RRX: Last Daze was touring and working with Shooter Jennings. How did you connect and where has that led the band?
KC: We met Shooter in Monroe, Louisiana, when Decadence was opening for him and Chase Rice. We had VIP access, so we all were living our best lives haha, and Shooter came off the bus for promo photos for VIP fans. We jumped in and made jokes with him. He was very chill. Fast forward 6 months and we are looking to record again, and scouting out Spooner Oldham to record at Muscle Shoals, and we got asked, “Who is producing you?” It was a pipe dream and Shooter got brought up. He coincidentally had just been in news for starting a label (fate, right?). We had nothing to lose, so I gambled on an email address reaching out to his manager, Jon Hensley. He got back to me within 15 minutes, gently letting me down that they weren’t signing new bands and they were relying on Waylon’s catalog, plus projects Shooter was involved in. I came back asking about him producing our record in Muscle Shoals, thinking there was no chance in hell. But instead, he asked to hear our music. I sent him 4 of our best, and he was immediately excited. He then asked us to come to L.A. instead of Muscle Shoals so he could fit us in between tour legs. It was a dream. I was broke. I mean, dead ass. Rent was late, I was in a dead-end job, and not making ends meet, so I was leaving for 10 days, and flying 3000 miles away from home with less than 200 bucks to my name. Sounds reasonable, right? We had an incredible time with him. I am so proud of the record we made. We never expected it to be a hit, but hoped it would open doors, which it definitely did. Shooter is now in a golden age. He just won a Grammy, and just co-produced Tanya Tucker’s new record with Brandi Carlile. The fact we are even mentioned in a sentence with him seems surreal. 

RRX: You recently took some time off to have a child. Congratulations! Will you pass down musical knowledge to your children? KC: Thank you! Absolutely. I mean, I’m not forcing them in any way, but my daughter is already a force on the stage and she loves musical theater. The baby plays drums all day, every day. Never a dull, or quiet moment in the house. It’s the best feeling, connecting with your kids over a song. 
RRX: Let’s talk about your career motherhood juggling those with being a rock musician.
KC: It certainly isn’t easy. I’m not the only one juggling the responsibility.  I’m thankful that my family is supportive of the time I spend working away, whether it be on stage or in the studio. My teaching job is quite demanding of my time, but I’m essentially growing a crop of musicians every day, and the impact I make on the students’ lives is so important to me and them. The reward of that is so much more powerful than anything I’ve felt doing anything else. 

RRX: This year Last Daze released “Monsters in the River”.  Shed some light on writing and recording this record?
KC: The songs feel ancient to me! I wrote a lot of the songs following my divorce, during a very tumultuous time. I love them, but they bring me back to a time when I was not really okay. We took a long time to make the record. There was a time when we almost thought we would never finish it. I was determined to finish recording before I had my baby. So a lot of the vocals were recorded when I was super pregnant, or just after I delivered. David Spreng, who mastered “Symbols and Snares,” did this album too, so we were psyched to have his talents on the post production front, after Jeff Britton did all the in house production. We are happy with how it all turned out. 

RRX: What Does the future hold for Last Daze? Any plans for 2020?
KC: We are still unrolling singles from the new album, but have started writing new music, and will hopefully end up recording some new tunes, and get back to a regular touring schedule next year. 
www.lastdazeband.com

Strings, soul and the sweet unknown with Erika Wennerstrom

Art Fredette
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Strings, soul and the sweet unknown with Erika Wennerstrom

Based on a true story.
The first few months of a relationship can be magical. Biographical life changes lead to many peaks and special memories built. A connection forms so strongly that it seals the bond and  we reflect on it in years to come. The reason why fate brought us together;   That saying, quote, movie, song, food, or moment. Even if you closed the car window on her fingers on the second date, she didn’t care. That is love! But only they know who, where, why and what it all means to them.  Imagine one night, while laying in bed, a mature couple turns on the local public broadcasting channel.  They too share the passion of quality educational programming. Little did they know that the music of the group Heartless Bastards would become a soundtrack and memory to their life together. Irony or fate? Since then Heartless Bastards have released 5 records, major tours, and numerous television appearances.  The band was 10 years plus into their career, the momentum was building and the band decided it was time to take a break.  Guitarist and vocalist Erika Wennerstrom became inspired and released her first solo record Sweet Unknown, which has been keeping her quite busy!

RRX: What prompted you to go solo? Did you find challenges?
EW: I’ve toured with the same team since 2009, and the band asked about taking a hiatus a couple years ago. Then I got really inspired and wrote Sweet Unknown.  I thought it might be a nice change of pace to try something different.  It has definitely been challenging to get my name out there. A lot of folks aren’t familiar with my actual name verses the band name. It’s been a lot tougher than I thought to get awareness out, but it’s also been exciting to have this new experience, and it’s really given me so much gratitude for what I have achieved with Heartless Bastards over the years. 

RRX: Tell us about your life, your first bands pre-Heartless Bastards? Childhood music and memories?
EW: I grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and have wanted to be a singer since I was old enough to think about doing anything. My mother got me a piano when I was around eight. That was my first instrument, and when I started writing music. Some influences that stuck with me from an early age are Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Jackson Five, Bobbie Gentry, and lots of soul music my mother listened to. Also my aunt was a huge influence and very into folk music. She would talk to me about Bob Dylan and Neil Young lyrics as a five or six year-old, which is funny for me to think about now, but it really stuck with me. I‘ve always been someone that gravitated to melodies first, and In my own writing I create melodies first too, but my aunt made me think about how what I said was important too. It’s always been important to me to write from an honest place.  I had some severe shyness/self-confidence issues growing up, and a lot of folks from my hometown find it hard to believe I ended up an entertainer, but I think it’s easier to get up and perform a song you’ve rehearsed 100 times then it can be to publicly speak off the cuff.
The first band I was in came about when a friend asked me to join and play bass. I said “I don’t know how to play bass” and she said “well you can probably figure it out”, and I said “Okay!” That was a group called Shesus. We started out as an all-female band, and later Dave Colvin joined on drums and eventually was part of Heartless Bastards. I think performing in the background of that band gave me the courage and experience to do my own thing.

 RRX: What vulnerabilities have driven your creativity and why?
EW: I used to feel like I had this invisible dot that guided me around and I didn’t really know why I did the things I did.  I wasn’t really sure what was driving me so much to express myself, but now looking back I think I’ve always known deep down that art brings people together. I long for that human connection. Writing a song where I express a personal truth, and having others relate to it I think is a reminder to us both that we’re not alone in our thoughts. And everybody might not relate to my songs but that’s ok. I’m grateful for those who do.  In a lot of ways I still don’t know where some of these ideas come from. I feel blessed to have inspiration and hope it continues throughout my life.

RRX: When it comes to songwriting you seem very imaginative lyrically? How far into fiction do you travel for inspiration?
EW: I might use imagery a lot, but my songs are very vulnerable and open. This last album I put it all out there. The album is a lot about self-love and personal growth. And I thought why fear judgement. When I am completely myself there’s no room for regret.  I don’t really write fiction, but I have written a few wishful thinking songs over the years in an attempt to manifest my own destiny. I feel Iike that’s kind of truth too because it’s coming from the heart. 

RRX: What is next up solo career? Heartless bastards or other projects you are involved in?
EW: Right now I’m just focusing on writing music, and pretty soon I’ll need to figure out what project name to put it under. I recently released a couple Townes Van Zandt covers digitally. For more info www.erikawennerstrom.com

 

Hi-Tide Summer Holiday at Asbury Park

Kathy Conway
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Hi-Tide Summer Holiday at Asbury Park

It was a road trip to the Jersey shore for a surf music weekend 8/16-8/18/19.  Knowing many of the bands that would be playing was clearly a perfect reason to attend.

Asbury Park Lanes was where the main festival events took place.  A retro venue with six lanes and great vibes by adding music to the mix!  Over the entire weekend there was plenty of bands performing surf style music.

Friday night (day one) was kicked off by surf music and happy hour by The Swinging Palms high above the city of Asbury Park on the eighth floor of the Asbury Hotel.  The event then moved to the Asbury Park Lanes for bands to include:  Jason Lee and The RIP Tides, Impala, Los Freneticos.

The Neanderthals. Photo by Ed Conway.
The Neanderthals. Photo by Ed Conway.

A real treat Capital District based The Neanderthals THE BAND THAT TIME FORGOT who do not perform out often, marked the opening night as truly special.  This primitive band in their leopard outfits and bone microphone engaged the audience with their pre-historic rock songs.  Eddie Angel, Johnny Rabb, Graham Tichy, and Vincent Minervino brought those stone age songs for the ecstatic crowd who came out for night one of the Hi-Tide Summer Holiday festival.

Deke Dickerson, Bloodshot Bill and Trevor Lake
Deke Dickerson, Bloodshot Bill and Trevor Lake. Photo by Ed Conway.

Saturday (day two) there was plenty more entertainment at the Asbury Hotel beginning with the Pool Party with Shorty Poole and The Hula Girls (DJ Ripchord & DJ Hi-Tide).  For those interested in getting their Tiki on… there was a Tiki Meetup featuring the latest in Tiki-themed items.   Still at the Asbury Hotel there was yet another happy hour that took place with the band Slowey and The Boats on the roof.   From that point on it was back to the Asbury Park Lanes for another night of back to back bands featuring:  The Delstroyers, The Boss Martians, Deke Dickerson & Bloodshot Bill, Eddie Angel’s Guitar Party featuring The Primitive Finks and The 5, 6, 7, 8’s.

Eddie Angel's Guitar Party, w/ Primitive Finks. Photo by Ed Conway.
Eddie Angel’s Guitar Party, w/ Primitive Finks. Photo by Ed Conway.

Local legend Eddie Angel brought his Guitar Party along with The Primitive Finks. Their mix of Los Straitjackets and Primitive Finks was a real crowd pleaser with added special guests Deke Dickerson and Johnny Rabb.  Deke Dickerson, Bloodshot Bill along with Trevor Lake in tow were definitely among the crowd favorites as were so many of those bands who performed on such a great event band lineup and all worth the price of admission!  Rounding the festivities were the Black Flamingos band who performed an after-party.

Hi-Tide Recordings had a great representation of musical groups they record and were present to perform.  It was a great weekend to meet new music friends and rekindle existing relationships.  Local favorites whose roots are from the Capital Region of New York were those familiar bands to me and truly included a fan based following.  An added bonus for us locally here in the Capital Region of New York was that Deke Dickerson, Bloodshot Bill and Trevor Lake played at The Hangar on The Hudson in Troy, New York on 8/20/19 to a packed house.

As part of the www.RadioRadioX.com Team, I am excited to write to say that the Capital Region of New York was very well represented in the band lineup and have their music played worldwide on this station located in Waterford, New York and also brought to you by DJ / Photographer Ed Conway by way of his Big Ed’s Little Rock and Roll Show featured on www.RadioRadioX.com.

The East Coast weather was hot with so much hot music!  For some this has been a best kept secret that’s why I’m writing this article …now you know.  If you are looking for a vacation/music getaway (music by the ocean) include this in your future plans.

Until the next music on the road trip…

– keep music alive and well by supporting bands and venues.

Yours truly,

Kathy Conway, Outside Music Promoter at www.RadioRadioX.com

Soul Sky, Kiss the Sky – Rockin’ on the River – Wednesday, Aug. 14th (Recap)

Amy Modesti
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Rockin’ on the River is always a great time. Here are a few pictures off the film strip of both Soul Sky and “Kiss the Sky: the RE-Experience.”

 

Soul Sky featuring Jeremy Walz (lead guitar/vocals) and Tom Dolan (bass) opening up for “Kiss The Sky: Jimi Hendrix Tribute Band”.

 

Soul Sky featuring lead and slide guitarists, Joe Mele (lead and slide guitar) and Mark Emanatian (lead guitar/vocals)

 

Soul Sky featuring Jeremy Walz on lead guitar and vocals.

 

Soul Sky featuring Jeff Prescott on drums and backing vocals

 

Soul Sky featuring Tom Dolan on bass.

 

Soul Sky featuring Mark Emanatian and Jeff Prescott

 

Soul Sky (from left-right): Joe Mele, Mark Emanatian, Jeff Prescott, Tom Dolan, and Jeremy Walz

 

Soul Sky featuring Joe Mele on lead and slide guitar

 

Soul Sky featuring Mark Emanatian and Jeremy Walz

 

Soul Sky featuring members, Joe Mele, Mark Emanatian, Jeremy Walz, and Jeff Prescott

 

“Kiss The Sky: the RE- Experience: World’s Greatest Tribute to Jimi Hendrix” headlining the Rocking On The River Concert Series in Troy, NY Wednesday, August 14, 2019

 

Jimi Blue from the band, “Kiss The Sky: the RE- Experience: World’s Greatest Tribute to Jimi Hendrix”, performing as the late Jimi Hendrix at Rocking on the River

Salt & Pepa at the Empire State Plaza

Amy Modesti
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Honored friend of the Capital Region live music scene, and member of the Radioradiox family, Amy Modesti, was at the Empire State Plaza yesterday, and we have some lovely pictures to show you. Thanks, Amy!

 

Salt-N-Pepa featuring “Salt” (aka Cheryl James), performing at the Empire State Plaza in Albany, NY Wednesday, August 14, 2019 Salt-N-Pepa featuring “Pepa” (aka Sandra Denton), performing at the Empire State Plaza in Albany, NY Wednesday, August 14, 2019 Salt-N-Pepa with their DJ, performing at the Empire State Plaza in Albany, NY Wednesday, August 14, 2019 Salt-N-Pepa, featuring “Pepa” wearing the “Push It” gold jacket at the Empire State Plaza in Albany, NY Wednesday, August 14, 2019 Salt-N-Pepa, featuring “Salt” wearing the “Push It” gold jacket at the Empire State Plaza in Albany, NY Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Staying ahead of creativity -Jessica Jenks

Art Fredette
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Staying ahead of creativity -Jessica Jenks
Let us take a minute  talk about your favorite band. Have you ever wondered why you love  them so much? Every time they come to town you buy a ticket and go see them live. You own every single thing they have ever recorded and they never let you down! But what if one day they flipped the script on you and sounded like a whole other thing from another planet? Would you give it a chance?  Could you learn to love it? Would you respect it or would you protest the creativity of that artist? As a musician we get bored pretty quick. We are always looking for a way to challenge it and venture into what we might musically capable of! You never know until you try. Jessica Jenks keeps her listeners on their toes and challenges everything about the music she creates. Format, formula and directions “not” included, one homegrown gal that is  already ahead of her time!
RRX: When  interviewing  I always feel like I have to introduce the artist to our audience. Although you’ve been making your mark for sometime now.  Give us a look into your early years , the how and why of Jessica Jenks?

JESSICA: Great question,  I like to reminisce on the first two years of my schooling when I went to Christian school. My dad would pick me up in his truck and we would drive the country roads home and he would turn on all the cool classic rock tunes of his day. He rode a Harley Davidson and as a teenager was a drummer in a rock band called Manifest Destiny. I also got to ride on the back of that Harley which were some of my fondest memories with my dad. My mom and dad are still married, were high school sweethearts and my dads parents were also high school sweethearts. I think this made me the woman I am today. A bit of a biker rebel spirit but a big sap on the inside. My music is a lot of emotionally raw melody and rock and roll…well, at least in my mind 🙂 The piano is after all not just a string but a percussive instrument. It’s a whole rock band at your fingertips!  My father was a drummer, my brother started drums later on in his life and I just started teaching myself drum kit about 8 years ago, which I absolutely LOVE!

 

RRX:Did you perform or record music as a child? If so explain ?

JESSICA: I was mostly self-taught at the keys and started lessons late as an 11 year old. I had three teachers from ages 11-17 then went to college and studied with Jonathan Newell. I was always in band (as a floutist) and in the choir (in the alto section which is how I learned how to harmonize and hold melodies while someone else sings something different), and throughout my childhood was always imitating and making sounds with my voice even trying to beatbox (Jess of all trades, master of none).When I was 13 I was in a garage band called Stoned Bus and was the lead singer. We covered a lot of Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC, hair band stuff as well as the cranberries and embarrassingly four non-blondes. You know the song I speak of. (Gag)

RRX: What inspires you most musically?what are your heaviest Influences?

JESSICA: Some of my biggest influences over the years (and there are way too many to list of course) which I will group into eras of my life: The Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, CCR, Tom Petty, Neil Young, film soundtracks, Beethoven, and lots of contemporary (at the time) gospel music in church as a young girl.  *Michael Jackson, Madonna, Tiffany, Amy Grant, Peter Cetera, C&C Music Factory, Vanilla Ice, Bryan Adams, Def Leopard, Metallica, AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, Meatloaf and a bunch of other cheesy pop stars that I have forgotten 🙂  *The Cranberries, Smashing Pumpkins,
Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, STP, L7, NIN, Blind Melon, Janis Joplin, Skinless, White Zombie, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, John Williams, Sarah Brightman, Andrea Boccelli, Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, Ben Folds Five, Ben Folds, Sebadoh, Carole King, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Foo Fighters, Filter, System Of A Down, Radiohead, Moby, Dirty Vegas, Regina Spektor, Coldplay, Skrillex, Marshmello, Aviccii, DJ Alesso, and I am missing so many greats from this list, but I think this was my favorite question from this interview…to stroll down my musical memory lane! I really love a lot of EDM and techno and then other days I just want to hear Chris Martin sing on my car stereo or my other favorite inspiration…silence. As far as the underlying inspiration for my musical process, these days it all revolves around the rhythm. The rhythm tracks/beats get laid down first. Then I start layering musical shapes and colors which are the various sounds I add just as if I were painting. I definitely associate music very much with geometry and art…colors…back in the day it used to be I would start at the piano primarily and then the vocal poetry/phrasing/melody would come after for the most part. I believe I have claimed about four different musical career paths over the course of my lifetime:

1. 5 years old: “when I grow up I want to be a famous composer and write movie music”
2. 13 years old: “When I grow up I want to be a rock star”
3. 15 years old: “Someday I want to write industrial music like Trent Reznor”
4. 17 years old: “I want to write electronic music and be an original techno DJ like Moby”
Now I have taken all four of those life goals and squashed them into one ball of clay and it’s starting to actually take shape which is really exciting, but it’s not the end. If only I could just get over my fear of dancing in public I would push harder to perform my EDM live, on stage, and be the next cool girl DJ…like Alison Wonderland maybe…we shall see…right now I am transcribing an orchestral piece so that I can find the best of the best string players in our local area high schools and debut a performance of that as well as record and submit to one of the companies I am working with for film licensing.

RRX:What Is most admirable about you,is the diversity of music you have written and performed over the past decade.  Most musicians find a formula and stick to it, you seem to reinvent the formula with everything. Can you take us into the songwriting process?

JESSICA:  I am very flattered, thank you Ralph. I have always been the type of person that learns the hard way unfortunately/fortunately, and I guess this has given me a very thorough understanding of whatever it is I am learning and music is a huge piece of the puzzle I will forever be striving to solve. I think I get bored with doing anything repetitively and enjoy reinventing the wheel and also learning new things continually….I like to study genealogy and have traced my families lineage back to a long line of inventors and innovators including one of the great suffragists of the women’s movement, Amelia Bloomer, who helped free women of the restrictive clothing they had to wear back in the 1800’s. She was originally Amelia Jenks and married a wealthy attorney with the last name Bloomer 🙂 Here she is:   https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/amelia-bloomer-didnt-mean-start-fashion-revolution-her-name-became-synonymous-trousers-180969164/

I relate to her because she was a voice in the wilderness for many people, especially women. I consider myself a trend setter and like many artists, in the spirit of deep creativity want to make something no one else has made from a limited number of tones and chord progressions we have available to us. You never want to have someone claim you sound JUST like another musician and be a mere poser. There’s no pride in being a poser, and so always evolving and maintaining relevance is key to connecting with listeners. I also relate heavily with the musical evolution of Radiohead beginning with “creep” and ending with their newest body of work “Anima”. They went from a very alternative rock/acoustic sound to an other worldly electronic, experimental sound kaleidoscope.  Even if I never had another person hear my music I would still be writing away by my lonesome and the sound waves would just float off into space for eternity. That would make me happy to know that I stayed true to myself and with others through the sharing of something that hopefully is fresh, relevant and captivating. I also want everything to be epic. I only pay to go see what I consider to be epic movies on the big screen, and I only listen to what I consider epic music so therefore I pursue an authentic epic vibe in my songs and follow many ideas through the woods and down bunny holes and therefore they all have their own unique identity. They’re like babies in my eyes, like one of my children. I take my art very seriously. I also like to toy with the idea that because I am a fellow Virgo and share the same date of birth as the late king of pop, Michael Jackson, I have a strong perfectionistic streak in whatever it is I do like he did, which is how he got where he did….never did master that moonwalk though…after all, there was only one MJ.

RRX: Your band Owls in Orbit seemed to be gaining ground quickly . Then you switched gears? Why and will we see a return?

JESSICA: Owls in Orbit was a local overnight success which sounds braggie, but it was an awesome surprise because I was working my way back into the scene after a long period of time where I had been focusing on marriage and kids, and then divorce…After the divorce I pushed hard at local open mics and on social media and did some benefits which is how I met Marc, my OIO partner. The band was originally not a band, we were prepping for a musical theater production “Once” however the director was not able to get rights for us to perform so we said, “hey, let’s start a band!” Marc wanted to help me out and kind of re-launch my music career and I believe that is exactly what happened, as well as my consistent push of new material online. These days we are both very busy on our own musical endeavors.  I’m not sure if OIO will have a reunion tour, one will have to keep their eyes and ears peeled and you might have another sighting. What I do know is that I am not off in the stratosphere, I am very engaged and highly focused these days on making my mark in this world with however many years I am blessed to have to enjoy life and create continually.

 

RRX: What is the current musical status of Jessica Jenks and fill us in on your current coffee house concept?

JESSICA: My musical status currently is that I went into a cocoon with a couple of iPads for a while and have broken out of that as a colorful butterfly and I hope that I am able to express that accurately and sincerely through my music and that through that expression people will relate and it will wake their “listening” ears which is different from one’s “hearing” ears.  About 5 years ago I figured out that there was some really powerful tools right at my fingertips via my iPad and my iPhone believe it or not! I began exploring through what most would consider probably obsessive trial and error of how to use launchpad novation and apple’s garage band. I am forever grateful for the software that has helped open many doors for my musical career.  As of now I am currently working remotely from NY with 2 large music libraries who are out of Los Angeles, CA with the goal of licensing my instrumental cues and songs in tv and film and eventually maybe make royalties and retire as a composer, while gaining a bunch of superfans who will look for me and listen to my art because that is what it is there for, really. I want to play a handful of events and showcases each year and pursue a virtual fan base which I have been working hard at via soundcloud, reverbnation, Instagram, Facebook and other social networks and, believe it or not, LinkedIn which was how the door opened for the 2nd licensing company I am working with!

As for the coffee house gig coming up on Monday August 19th, I am part of a collective at the Strand Theater that is working to revitalize Hudson Falls with accessible entertainment events where members of the community can attend and not break tson falls nyhe bank on admission, so to speak. The Strand and Boralex (a renewable energy company) have created the concept of “coffee shop music Monday’s” at the Strand Cafe and thanks to Boralex’s sponsorship it is free to the public to attend.  Jessica can be reached by private message on her SoundCloud page, Instagram, Facebook messenger, or by sending an email to: jessicajenkssoundcloud@gmail.com for bookings, or just to drop in and say hello! I will make it a point to respond to all messages!

Swiss Army Scorpion – Roll Ten to Get The Leviathan Drunk

Staff
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Swiss Army Scorpion – Roll Ten to Get The Leviathan Drunk

Unless you’ve spent the 21st century with your head planted firmly in quicksand, you’ve noticed that nerddom, or geekdom, or fandom is hot now. Which goes to figure, since back in your youth (should you be as old as I,) they were the masters of the computers that are now the masters of our social life. You could say some perks are due. Which brings us to Swiss Army Scorpion. A podcast of live role-playing, it shows, I think in the best way, that Dungeons & Dragons has truly come out of the basement. With Gamemaster Alex Perry, and players Joe Twardowski, Matt Couture, Nick D’Alessandro, Andrew Meager, and Tom Szalowski, Swiss Army Scorpion takes its listeners into the world, and heart, of role-playing games.

We sit down with Alex Perry and discuss my new character, the rum barrel.

RRX: Swiss Army Scorpion is a podcast of a group of six friends playing a version of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) called Pathfinder. I know myself that when I hear about the different versions, or evolution of D&D through the years, that it feels confusing. How would you describe D&D versions, and Pathfinder specifically, in a nutshell?

Swiss Army Scorpions (l-r) Tom Szalowski, Matt Couture and Alex Perry
(l-r) Tom Szalowski, Matt Couture and Alex Perry

AP: Great question! Well, the first thing to understand is that Pathfinder and D&D are actually completely separate entities, even though they look and feel very similar. D&D is a game owned by a company called Wizards of the Coast, and is currently in the fifth version of the game (D&D 5th edition). Pathfinder is owned by a company called Paizo, and was originally created to play and feel similar to D&D 3rd edition, but will soon move onto its second version (Pathfinder 2nd edition). Each version has its own rule set and mechanics unique to it, with any number of supplement rules, official adventures, monsters, etc. What both games and all versions within (including many many other tabletop role-playing games totally separate from D&D and Pathfinder) share in common is the way in which they’re experienced.
Each player is typically in charge of a single character, whose stats, abilities, skills, attacks, spells, etc. are all recorded on their character sheet. While playing the game, they control their character’s actions. Many actions require rolling a 20-sided die (d20) and adding the result to a certain bonus depending on how their character is built to determine the range of success in that action. Players may decide to appoint fun personality quirks, strange appearances, and even accents to their characters, and role-play these details during play. One other person takes on the role of Game Master (other games have different labels for this person, like Dungeon Master, Story Teller, etc.). The Game Master, or GM, doesn’t have a character or character sheet. Instead, he adjudicates the rules and controls the actions of the monsters the players fight, and role-plays any other characters that might crop up, say when the players ask the local guards about the recent nighttime disturbances in town, or even when they go to the local tavern and order an ale from the barkeep! With all the numbers, mechanics, and dice being rolled, it can sound like a confusing, clunky, and slow experience, but tabletop role-playing games like Pathfinder and D&D are actually very fluid, relaxing and fun! In its simplest terms, I’d call them interactive, collaborative storytelling experiences.

RRX: Putting gameplay on a podcast is a pretty cool idea. It really shows the fun of the game. Is it something not a lot of people are doing now, or is Swiss Army Scorpion just more visible than others?

AP: Wow, thank you for the benefit of the doubt! In actuality, the kind of show we put on (commonly referred to as an “Actual Play” Podcast) has become increasingly common in the last five or six years; a quick Google search can connect you to hundreds of different Actual Plays. Our little podcast is still finding its place among the giants of the industry, but we’re gaining listeners and support at a steady pace.

RRX: Dungeons and Dragons has come out of the perceived nerd culture of the past and entered into popular culture. Do you think it’s connected to the rise in popularity of gamer culture in general, or are there other factors people may not be aware of?

AP: That’s an interesting question; one that probably has lots of different factors and elements. More qualified people than I could answer this better, but to my personal experience, I’d say that if the rise in popularity of tabletop role-playing games has anything to do with video games, it would actually be in response to video games getting more expensive and more consistently disappointing. Obviously, there are still great video games to be played, but to spend $60 on the newest AAA Action/Adventure game, only to find it not worth the money can send people looking elsewhere for their fix of fun and fantasy, and that’s to say nothing of the intrusion of microtransactions into the video gaming lexicon. Most rule books for Pathfinder 1st edition are available as digital PDF’s for $9.99 each, and Paizo allows their rules to be published online for free, if not their prewritten adventures, such as the one we play on the podcast. The number of adventures to be had from a tabletop RPG is limited only by the players’ imaginations, while that $60 video game typically only buys you one play-through. This makes tabletop RPG’s a more affordable, longer-lasting investment for gamers; all you really need is an internet connection and some dice.

Another factor fueling this trend is exposure. When interested parties can go online and listen to an Actual Play podcast and hear for themselves what tabletop RPG’s are like, it goes a long way to removing the stigma that they’re games only for social outcasts. Finding out that a coworker listens to the same Actual Play as you could be all it takes for you to take that leap and join their gaming group for the first time.

Swiss Army Scorpion
Swiss Army Scorpion

RRX: Swiss Army Scorpion reminds me a little bit of a radio show. Do you think that doing it like this brings people into D&D through your personalities, or to your personalities through D&D? Or both?

AP: Definitely both. As I said, listening to an Actual Play podcast is a great way to introduce someone to the game, and having players with colorful personalities helps showcase the diverse ways that the game can be experienced in. At the same time, the ways that we personally play are heavily influenced by our own interests and personalities. There’s a bit of embellishment from us to up the entertainment factor, but at the center of it all, the show is just six friends having a good time, and I think that translates to a fun show.

RRX: I know that D&D campaigns can be legendary for their length. But podcasting has obvious time constraints; people won’t listen to a 12-hour podcast. How do you balance and adjust both the podcasting and the gameplay?

AP: It’s in the nature of tabletop RPG’s like Pathfinder and D&D to be unpredictable – both by the players and the GM. Events you might expect to be over in a few minutes can wind up taking half the session, and likewise, encounters you might expect to last the whole session can be over in 10 minutes. There are so many variables between the Player-characters’ abilities, the Players’ own ingenuity, and the GM’s ability to play off of the Players, that trying to map out anything beyond an episode or two becomes a fool’s errand, though that’s part of the fun, in our opinion! This lends itself to the formula commonly used by Actual Play Podcasts (including us) of releasing hour-long episodes, and just letting the campaign take as many episodes as it needs. Matt is our editor and does a great job of cutting out enough nonsense and BS to get the final recording of a session down to around that length.

RRX: Xperience is all about art, music, and culture. Pathfinder, and what Swiss Army Scorpion is doing, is most definitely culture, but in what ways are roleplaying games a creative pursuit? Character creation? Actual gameplay?

AP: For me, it’s the whole package; whether you’re the GM, composing the villain’s monologue and working in fun plot twists; a player brainstorming a new character concept and finding ways to bring it to life within the scope of the system’s rules; or actually roleplaying your character, giving them a fitting speech pattern or character quirk. Some people may not find character creation very fun, or might prefer to not embellish their roleplaying with a lot of flair or pomp – but as long as the group as a whole is having fun with what its individual members are doing, there’s no wrong way to experience it. With games like Pathfinder and D&D, the only limit to the possibilities at hand is your own imagination, so it stands to reason that the more creative and expressive you are, the more potential you’re breathing into the game. It’s a beautiful thing, really!

Also, there are few things more exciting – both as a player and as a GM – than having a couple of players spring some surprise twist or plan that they concocted on the group. Sometimes these plans can have enormous consequences on the overall story, but more often than not they simply end up becoming fun roleplaying moments that simply make everyone involved more invested in the story and game.

RRX: Here is where you can answer the question I didn’t ask. Shout out. Besides your podcast, does Swiss Army Scorpion extend its presence elsewhere?

AP: Yes! We currently have a Twitter and Facebook presence. We also have a Discord server – cleverly called Swiss Army Scorpion – where we love chatting with listeners about the podcast, gaming in general, and really anything at all. Our website, swissarmyscorpion.com, has all of our episodes, as well as links to iPod, Google Play, Podbean, and Stitcher, if you prefer. The website also has links to find out more about all of us personally; as well as the Player Characters and major NPC’s in each chapter of our adventure so far!

Offline, we like to attend conventions in our area of Upstate NY, and listeners can usually hear about these little excursions in the podcast’s episode intro’s a week or two before the events. No matter the medium, it’s always a blast to hear from our listeners, and in my opinion, the most rewarding part of our little podcast!

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