Growing up on MTV
Music has always been an integral part of my life. A lot of my memories, even as a kid, had some song or musical genre associated with it. My childhood soundtrack consisted of many different styles of music; from the smooth R&B I listened to with my mom in the car, to the early 80’s speed metal my neighbor across the street turned me on to. But the musical discovery of my life that impacted me the most was MTV. I thought it was totally awesome! Every time I’d turn on the television I’d go right to the channel and hope to catch something new.
My first video interests were anything and everything rock. That’s what I was drawn to; pounding drums, big hair, catchy hooks, distorted guitars, etc. The faces on my cassette tapes walked, talked, & shook for the world to see. Even some of the faces I first saw on my sister’s 8-tracks appeared on the channel. During the summers, me and some chicken flavor ramen noodles were best friends for the afternoon video mix. Motley Crue’s “Home Sweet Home” made me want to tour the world as a rock star drummer, traveling with only my drums and a suitcase full of matchbox cars. Headbanger’s Ball kept me up late Saturday night, prepping me for a future gig life. Watching Huey Lewis & The News videos made me laugh, smile & later play my Back to the Future VHS till it warped! Short movie videos, such as Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” were basically the closest thing I saw to a real musical up to that point.
MTV was also the first place I actually saw a band perform. A lot of older musicians site seeing The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show at their big inspiration; mine was seeing Guns N’ Roses “Live at the Ritz” concert special. Witnessing Steven Adler rock out song after song was enough for me. Even though I saw plenty of concert band videos before this, there was something special about the Ritz show. The sweat, rawness and the fact they played one great song into another with little or no breaks. It made me want to be a drummer in a band more than anything.
MTV was the first time I ever heard rap, music that gave me an initial impression of a good time. From the Sugar Hill Gang to The Beastie Boys, it always had a fun and funky feeling that was reminiscent of the R&B I was exposed to earlier in life. Rap was a relatively new style of music that evolved alongside the channel. Every other genre associated with MTV existed in a similar form before the station’s official launch in 1981. “Yo, MTV Raps” educated me on the art. On the positive side, the upbeat and bouncy feel of LL Cool J's "Around the Way Girl" and “Parents Just Don’t Understand” from Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince made me feel good. The much darker “100 Miles & Running” from N.W.A. and Public Enemy’s “By the Time I Get to Arizona” made me see a much more diverse portrait of urban life I never imagined. I was also very intrigued by the early hybrid rap/rock stuff, especially the Aerosmith and Run DMC collaboration. In my mind, it made it OK to like both, which I didn’t think this would be possible at first.
During the late 80’s videos were on almost 24/7, but there were some hip shows too. The first two non-cartoon or kid shows I followed consistently were Remote Control and Just Say Julie. Plus I always got excited when MTV News would seem to appear from out of nowhere!
As I grew older, more music based shows drew me in during the early 90’s, especially “120 minutes” where I saw the debut of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” as a Buzz Bin clip. I remember I was at my mom’s work. She was the manager of a suburban laundry mat, it was almost closing time and I was watching some MTV while helping her mop. Then the video premiered, I paused, rung out the mop and remember thinking “this is pretty cool” then sat down and watched the whole clip. I had no idea that song and video would change the music world forever. Around the same time I saw the MTV Unplugged episode with Pearl Jam, in which I thought they sounded just as good live as they did on record. These were definitely events that were part of a new musical revolution I’m thankful I witnessed.
Music television was my springboard into a musical world where I have no regrets. I learned a lot and it helped me grow as a musician and as a person. I still continue to watch the channel. You can still hear and see music on a daily basis, whether it’s regular MTV or one of its variations.
Chris Belin is the sole proprietor/author/instructor of Chris Belin’s
Drum School in Pittsburgh, PA. He is also a freelance drummer who has worked all over the United States performing and recording with multiple artists. More info, including a weekly blog “The Positive Spin on Drums” can be found @ www.ChrisBelinDrums.com.
The Heart Song
Lyrics for an upbeat song
Hey man
Stand on up
And walk the dirty floor
Before the dust
Becomes quicksand.
Come on
Raise your arms
In the name of victory
Until gravity
Has no say.
Stop digging a grave
With a shovel without your name.
Join me in a song
To accompany the hearts melody
“I will not lay down and die
until I am actually dead.”
Listen up
Without prejudice
So the whole truth
Doesn’t fall upon
Deaf ears.
Don’t stop
Believing in
What naturally flows
From the gut
To your soul.
Stop digging a grave
With a shovel without your name.
Join me in a song
To accompany the hearts melody
“I will not lay down and die
until I am actually dead.”
Keep on learning,
Keep on teaching
For the circle of life
Has no end.
Stop digging a grave
With a shovel without your name.
Join me in a song
To accompany the hearts melody
“I will not lay down and die
until I am actually dead.”
Dale Deadmond lived in Pennsylvania from 1998-2006 and now resides in California. His first writing experience was writing lyrics for his band at the age of sixteen. He played bass guitar in a band that also included now actor Jeremy Renner on drums. Enjoys writing poetry but ultimately wants to publish one of his novels, which are mostly murder mysteries. Poetry is a great self -therapy but also is a way to have a voice for those who don’t. Worked for over twenty years in retail and now currently working for California’s Department of Food and Agriculture as a Agricultural Technician.
What Happens on Sunday
This entry doesn’t have anything to do with music, it is a general announcement. One of our featured writers, from the summer issue has written a book, “What Happens on Sunday”. This is Laurie Koozer’s first book publication and being a fellow Pittsburgher I thought the proper thing to do would be to help her publicize her book. I like helping local writers, et cetera publicize their ventures, being one myself I know how important it is to get the word out.
In Pittsburgh, what happens on football Sundays is more than just a game and for six women during the 2005 Steelers season their complicated relationships with the team provides solace, distraction and occasionally frustration.
Jen is a very young and very pregnant newlywed who worries that getting married on the same day as a Steelers loss will doom her marriage.
Megan never met a tailgate or a man she couldn’t conquer but is scared of losing her best friend to a relationship.
Desiree is a brash professional struggling to deal with her husband’s ex-wife and children and beginning to wonder if it’s the right time to start a family of her own.
Angela is a high school senior long ago branded bad luck for the Steelers and all she wants to do is get the hell out of Pittsburgh even if it means leaving behind her best friend Robbie.
Patty, a mom who sends a pair of sexy panties to a different player every week, hasn’t been on a date since her divorce five years ago.
And then there’s Shannon, thirty-four and single she spends the majority of her days navigating Pittsburgh traffic and her evenings tending bar and pining after her sister’s boyfriend.
As the Steelers make what seems to be an impossible run to the Super Bowl, their lives will intersect, each of them finding connections in the most unexpected places.
Links:
For Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/What-Happens-on-Sunday-ebook/dp/B008SYCC4W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346641644&sr=8-1&keywords=What+happens+on+Sunday
For Nook: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/214902
For Print: Email yinzrreadin@gmail.com for payment and shipping information
Excerpt:
Desiree
There was nothing more exciting than a Monday night game against the Ravens, especially when that Monday night game fell on Halloween. An hour before kickoff, Desiree and her mom ate gyros in a window booth at Salonika’s on Sixth Street and watched the parade of crazies. It was a cool night, crisp like an apple straight off the tree.
“Oh my god, did you see that one?” Desiree pointed, then covered her mouth and laughed. Across the street, a woman dressed as an angel held hands with a giant banana.
Audrey looked and shook her head. “Where the hell are all these people going? I hope it's not to the game. If some moron sits in front of me dressed as a damn banana, they are gonna be one helluva bruised banana after I’m done with them.”
Desiree poked at her salad. “There must be some party down here somewhere. There's way too many people dressed up. We should have gone as Ravens fans!”
“And get our asses kicked? No thanks!”
Desiree looked away as her mom bit into a gyro. She tried to concentrate on the scene outside, the steady stream of Steelers fans and people out celebrating Halloween. Across the street, she noticed a young family exiting the Arthur Murray Dance Studio. The husband and wife, both in regular clothes, held the hand of a dainty Cinderella. Neither the mom nor the dad wore anything black and gold, a sight so unusual on game day that Desiree immediately assumed they were foreign—Russian ballroom dancers, most likely. They were certainly lithe enough to be athletes of some sort. Their daughter looked no older than four or maybe five. She had long black hair and bangs that framed her delicate pale face. She wore a puffy blue dress, clear shoes, and a silver tiara. Even from across the street, she glittered and glowed.
“Look how cute,” said Audrey with a full mouth. Desiree glanced over, seeing that her mom was pointing to the same little girl.
“Yeah, I noticed her, too. She is cute.” Just then, an older couple approaching the dance studio stopped to chat with the couple. As if on cue, the little girl spun in a perfect circle, then tucked herself against her mother's legs as all of the adults laughed.
“You noticed her? Well, that’s a surprise. I didn't think you ever noticed kids, except maybe to notice how much they were annoying you.”
“God, Mom, you act like I'm some kind of monster. Just because I'm not afraid to call it when a kid is being an asshole doesn't mean I hate all of them.”
“Just most of 'em, right?”
Desiree looked at her salad. “No, I mean some of them are okay. I like Robbie and Kristen alright.”
“Now you do. But you didn't care much for them when you first met Tom, did you now?”
Desiree stiffened. Everybody—Tom, Patty and her mom—thought she didn’t like Kristen and Robbie back then. But it wasn’t true. It was just that she didn't know how to act around them. When she first met them five years ago, they were just old enough to understand that their parents were splitting up and smart enough to be looking for somebody to blame. She knew that drill well enough because she had watched her mom go through it three times and she remembered how bad it sucked. How bad she hated anybody her mom dated because she knew they were just temporary. They were just as cool and aloof as she'd once been with her mother's beaus and she knew that falling over backwards or kissing their asses wouldn’t win them over. In fact, that would probably make it worse. But the fact that she didn't gush over them or go out of her way to win their affection made everybody think that she didn’t like them at all. That was the farthest thing from the truth. She sympathized with them, with the silent anger behind Robbie's black eyes and the tender hurt in Kristen's little voice. She could still remember the first day she met them, the awkward silent lunch they'd had at Eat'n Park followed by an excruciatingly long afternoon at the zoo. They'd looked at her like she was as strange to them as the elephants or the laughing hyenas, somebody they couldn't even begin to imagine. And she'd looked at them like they were as dangerous as the wild tigers and lions, ready to attack.
“Everybody says that, but it's not true. I always liked them, it just took a while to adjust. Maybe it's really true about the biological clock, but I just really feel like, I don't know, like maybe I would actually consider having a baby.”
Audrey dropped her gyro onto her plate. “Oh no. Don't be scarin' me like that, Des.”
“Mom, I'm not joking.” This was exactly the reaction she'd been afraid of.
“Really? You're not kiddin'? When did this come over you?”
“I don't know. I've been helping Jen with the wedding and talking to her about the pregnancy and everything and I don't know, I just feel like maybe it's time.”
“Time? At thirty-eight? I'd say you're damn well out of time.”
“That's not true. Look at all the celebrities who are having babies now—Madonna had her first around my age, and now she has another. I’m not past my prime.”
Audrey held up her hand. “Des, those are celebrities. They've got access to the best healthcare in the world and probably have a team of nannies to raise their kids. You think Madonna's changing dirty diapers? Please. You don't wanna be near 50 when your kid is in elementary school. And Tom would be way past 50! Did you talk to him about this?”
“Not yet. It's just something I've been thinking about.” She didn't want to say that she was afraid he'd have the same bad reaction.
“Let me say something, as your mother. Your biological clock probably is tickin’. Hell, the alarm's probably blarin', but it'll pass. Don't have a baby just because you're feeling all hormonal. You've seen with Robbie and Kristen how challenging it is to be a parent. I just, now don't take this the wrong way, but I just don't know if you were cut out to be a mom. I'm telling you, once it happens, you just give up a part of yourself. You lose your right to be selfish. I've known you your whole life, Des, and I'm sure you could do that, but I don't think you'd be as happy as you think you'd be.”
Don't take this the wrong way? Her mother was going to sit there and tell her she wasn't going to make a good mother and then say don't take this the wrong way? What other way was there to take it?
“That's just plain mean. You're gonna tell me about being selfish? Me? What about you? You think you're so self-sacrificing, moving us around and getting a divorce every time you meet a looker down at the corner bar?” She curled her hands into fists, waiting for a reaction.
“See, this is what I'm sayin', Des. You have a kid and no matter what you do, no matter how good you think you are, you wind up thirty-eight years later listening to them list your faults. Is that really what you want?”
No, that wasn't what she wanted. If anything, that was her worst fear. And right now, she just wanted to leave, to head out and watch the Steelers game and get away from her mom.
“C'mon,” said Audrey with a shrug. “I didn't think we were going to be so serious tonight. Can’t we get outta here and start getting some drinks, get the party started?”
Even at 55, all her mom wanted to do was get the party started. Some things never changed. She looked outside. It was closer to game time and the sidewalk crowds were thinning. The sun had just about set, casting the city in a ghoulish gray. From her left, she watched a lone man approaching the window. He wore a purple Ravens jersey and a brown hood like the Grim Reaper. His face was painted black, and Desiree couldn't help but stare, accidentally making eye contact. She looked away, but he stopped in front of the window, staring in at her and her mom, pointing to his jersey with a huge smile that revealed a plastic set of fangs.
“Jagoff,” said Audrey as he walked away. “I really hope we mop the floor with some Ravens blood tonight.”
Desiree nodded, slipping on her fleece jacket. She suddenly felt very cold.
Laurie Koozer is a writer and works in research at the University of Pittsburgh. She enjoys brunch, fall festivals and flip-flops. Her short stories have appeared in The Fourth River, Storyglossia, Stymie Magazine and the Open Thread Regional Review. Her upcoming novel, What Happens on Sundays, follows the loves and lives of six Pittsburgh women during a Steelers football season. Excerpts are available at her website:
www.yinzrreadin.com
Concert Memories
If there has been one thing I have consistently enjoyed doing over the years, it is going to concerts. Listening to live music from a band I love and people watching are two of the most enjoyable activities that I can think of. Sure sometimes you have to sit through some awful opening acts… and I have definitely sat through some winners… but getting to the main event is well worth it. And sure, sometimes Pittsburgh gets the shaft and a lot of the great musicians do not come to our fair city, although that seems to be changing.
I started going to concerts at a young age, by going with my mom to religious rock festivals. The first concert I actually wanted to go to was The Cure, back in 1991, I think. They were playing at what was then called Star Lake (and I will continue to probably always call it that), but is now the First Niagara Pavilion. I was three rows from the stage and enjoyed every minute of standing there dancing about in my little space of grass.
Over the past 21 years since that first time seeing The Cure, I have tried to go to at least one concert a year. Sometimes more, sometimes not at all if it is a particularly bad concert season. I have even traveled out of state for a few concerts. I was thrilled when Perry Ferrell started up Lollapalooza again. I missed the original show, which I am sure would have been an amazing time; however the second round was no joke either. Lolla became a multiple day festival in Chicago. Now, my only complaint here would be that it is the first week of August in Chicago. It’s hot, real hot. So hot that the sunscreen I was applying would literally just ooze off my arms. That being said, I truly do love the city of Chicago as well as the festival – I just think it should be maybe in September or October instead.
When I went in 2005 I saw The Killers, Weezer and handfuls of other great acts over the weekend, but the one I stood out in the pouring rain to see, Billy Idol. It’s weird too, because I wouldn’t consider myself a Billy Idol fan. I mean I have never purchased a CD of his, I may have a song or two on my iPod but that’s it. But there I stood (along with my now husband) in the pouring rain watching Billy singing out White Wedding, Cradle of Love, Rebel Yell and Dancing with Myself.
When I returned in 2007, people watching was almost taking over the music talent. I will never forget this one fellow that we saw (and I snuck a picture of because I was in great disbelief of his outfit). It had to be 100 degrees easily on this particular day, and the now husband and I (yes I drag him everywhere – he usually puts up a fuss at the beginning but enjoys himself after we get to our destination) were hydrating ourselves sitting in a shaded area waiting for the next band we wanted to see. A guy and his friends walked by, he was wearing a long sleeved hot pink coat and white jeans. It looked amazing – but for the love, he was wearing a bomber jacket in 100 degree weather!
I did manage to see another iconic musician giving it his all despite the temperatures… Iggy Pop. I even managed to sneak a few photos (I have one posted in the photo section). Although they are not the greatest quality, the man was moving all over the stage like he was still in his 20’s. It was one of those once in a lifetime events for me, as I most likely would not have seen him otherwise.
One of the most interesting concerts I went to was held down in Station Square. Social Distortion was the main act and Unwritten Law was one of the opening acts. Now, I actually like Unwritten Law, I even have their CD. I wasn’t bothered at all by the fact that I had to stand during the entire concert nor was I bothered by the rude people that tried to keep walking into me (side note - I am short, but not that short that I am hard to see. I will say these were just drunk people not knowing better). What made this the most interesting concert was the fact that during the Unwritten Law set, the lead singer pulled out his wang. He was clearly under the influence of something during the entire set but this was just…not expected. Though, I guess not unexpected either. I am not sure if he got in trouble with the police for indecent exposure afterwards or not…
Most recently, in May, the husband and I went to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers at the CONSOL Energy Center. That was the first time either of us have been in that venue. It was pretty amazing. However, I have to say that I don’t like the second tier seats. Those steps give someone with a fear of heights panic attacks, as well as there not being adequate walls around the front rows of those sections to prevent people from falling to their deaths…
The opening band, I almost felt sorry for. They completely lost their sound during the first song that they were trying to perform. I wasn’t all that impressed with them though once they got their sound back. Just wasn’t digging it. Although they did use a lot of cow bell and made me think of the SNL skit (and I think I even uttered the phrase “More Cow Bell” once or twice).
The Chili Peppers played a lot of their older music and they, well for lack of better words, rocked. I was glad I went to see the concert, despite feeling like I was going to fall to my death and oh yeah being five months pregnant at the time. The husband was a little worried that I would get bumped or something, but no one stood up in that second tier where we were so I didn’t have to worry about that.
In short, I would say go to concerts Pittsburghers! They are so much fun. I know some of the performers are extremely expensive (and I will never get to see the Stones because of that little inconvenience). But if you find yourself in that boat, check out some of the local artists who play around the city. A lot of the bands only charge a small cover fee to get into the venue and play just as good, if not sometimes better than, the big named acts.
Nicole Leckenby is co-founder/editor of The Holiday Cafe. She works full-time at the University of Pittsburgh and runs after a very energetic three year old at home. She wrote her first book, My Crazy Life in 2008 and is currently working on a second.
Music Censorship at the CD Store – Are they doing you a favor by sheltering you from bad music?
Recently an article was published by MSNBC discussing a Chicago second hand CD store that has a list of CDs that they will not buy or sell. Foreigner fans – you might want to look elsewhere if you’re looking to pick up an album of theirs because you won’t find it there. The store, Laurie’s Planet of Sound, has collected a list of over 50 artists on their ‘The Do Not Buy Ever List’. The store indicates that this is their way of catering more to their customer base, who has more specific tastes ranging from indie rock to classic rock.
I tend to feel there are two sides to this, as there are with most things. So the first thought that came to my mind was ‘who do they think they are dictating what people can and can’t buy?’. Well, they own a store and are very well entitled to choose what they do and don’t sell. But, with that, are they doing a disservice to people by pushing them toward the genres that they do sell? Maybe someone would pick up a CD by someone on their banned list and find an artist/genre that changed their musical tastes. Or maybe they would buy the CD from the banned list, hate it and find their way to a different type of music. It can be a bit concerning to have the store specifically saying ‘you can’t buy this’.
However…you can buy the music still. It’s not like the music was removed from every offering out there. If a person truly wanted to buy music from one of these artists, it is out there. This isn’t a mainstream store stopping sales of this music; it’s an independent store that is able to dictate what they sell. They also are able to create an environment in their store which is more geared toward the feel they want. This store isn’t saying that people can never buy music from these artists…they just can’t buy it from this store.
In this vein, you have to stop and think - who are the people frequenting used CD stores? Are the people who favor a more pop music flavor of music going to be poking around for an elusive CD from a band they’ve listened to for years? Or are they going to go download the mp3 online and delete it when the next big thing comes out? So it could make sense for a store to really create an environment more for Sigur Ros listeners and less Britney Spears. In the time of Pandora and other online music sites where you can create your own music listening pleasure, it might be crucial for the store’s survival to look at specific details of their inventory.
I find the topic to be extremely interesting when you sit and really think about it. While on the surface, it can appear to be a form of censorship, it is deeper than that. The store is exercising their freedom to run their store however they choose. They are presenting their store to cater to what they view are their most faithful customers. And vice versa, people can choose whether or not they want to go to the store based on their (and the store’s) musical tastes. In the end, Paul Stanley of KISS summed it up well when he said the great thing about rock n roll (or in this case, music in general) is you realize the top of the mountain is big enough for more than one band. Just apparently not his band, as he’s on the list as well.
Want to see the actual ‘Do Not Ever Buy List’? Check it out here: http://chicagoist.com/2012/07/12/lauries_planet_of_sound_do_not_buy.php
Article that caused my pondering:
http://chicagoist.com/2012/07/12/lauries_planet_of_sound_do_not_buy.php
Gwen O’Brien works full time at Pitt, works full time as a wife, works full time as a mom, works full time as a dog mom and occasionally finds time to write/edit. She resides in McDonald and enjoys reading and donuts…when she’s not working.
Ask the Bones
Six years old—switching AM to FM
on grandma’s gray radio, she at the stove
sizzling pierogi in butter and bacon fat
while polka crackled into crisp 80s pop.
Grandma asked why a child would like
Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got to Do with It?”
I didn’t know what the song meant,
just that I needed to sing along.
Eighteen—pelted by rain for hours
with my cousin and best friend
thrashing our heads to Metallica,
lake of stars pooling around us—
always Star Lake
despite corporate sponsors
who try to dam it up—
“Master of Puppets” pulling my strings,
will you hear me when I scream your name?
Twenty-eight—two tentative lovers
watching Tori Amos on the distant stage
sparkling over the piano,
changing form—
elf to witch, witch to princess—
why did I sing
through thoughts of money, sex, and grief
while my girlfriend fell asleep?
Thirty-two—singing alone now,
it scares me to feel this way:
is love just a secondhand emotion—
as old-fashioned as the flutes
our ancestors made from vulture bones?
Andrew Sydlik’s fiction and poetry has appeared in Taproot Literary Review, The Shine Journal, Bewildering Stories, and the anthology Come Together, Imagine Peace (Bottom Dog Press). He lives in Columbus, OH, and is a student in the English Literature PhD program at the Ohio State University.
T.K. Mundok - "Bliss of the Blues"
The Painting Dimensions are 30" X 40"
Medium is Oil on Canvas.
Commissioned by the Democko Family 2012.
"The greatest things in life happen in an instant. A spark of love, the moment of conception, the birth of ideas, news ways to think, see, move and create. A dancer or musician acknowledges and strings these instances together in an outward flow of emotion, celebrating all that has been set before them and resides within them. This too happens with painting, and is painting; responding to these spark impulses with color, line, rhythm, and balance.”
Although he is known best as a Visual Artist with intricate line and detail work being his signature, in the last decade T.K. has also been making his name synonymous with music. Fronting Blues, Soul, Jazz and Funk projects has influenced the rhythm in his work and given him a new zest for connecting with his audience.
Private collections of his works can be found in Belgium, France and across the United States. He has exhibited in New York, North Carolina, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, San Francisco and Canada. Most recently T.K. became the Artistic Director of the Venue of Merging Arts (V.O.M.A.) in his hometown, Johnstown, Pa.
