Stoli Razz Goes To Philly To Chill With Gillie Da Kid

 

Gillie Da Kid is a “Major Figga” in the rap game in more ways than one. This brotha from Philly has been through the ups and downs and still keeps his composure to succeed in this rap game. Stoli sits down with Gillie as he opens up and offers real talk on where he is at and where he is going!

Stoli: How did you come up with the name, Gillie Da Kid?

G: IT WAS REALLY A PLAY OFF OF BILLIE DA KID..MY MOM’S NAME IS GILDA..AND EVERYONE ALWAYS CALLED ME GILLIE AS A NICKNAME..SO IT JUST KIND OF WORKED.

Stoli: At what point in life did you know that you wanted a career in hip hop?

G: THE RAP THING KIND OF CAME ALONG UNEXPECTEDLY..I CAN’T SAY I JUST WOKE UP ONE DAY AND SAID “I WANT TO BE A RAPPER” IT JUST KIND OF HAPPENED..

Stoli: Was it a major setback when Major Figgas broke apart?

G: MAJOR FIGGAS HAS NEVER BROKEN APART…EVERYONE IS STILL AROUND EXCEPT FOR SPADE-O, SHOUT OUT SPADE, HOLD YA HEAD MY NIGGA..WE HAVE AND ALWAYS WILL BE FIGGAS 4 LIFE..THE MF TATTOOS ON EVERYONE ARE THERE FOR A REASON…EVERYONE IS STILL AROUND AND WE ARE STILL AND WILL ALWAYS BE MAJOR FIGGAS…WE JUST ARE ALL KIND OF OUT HERE DOIN OUR OWN THING…THE FIGGAS ARE JUST WAITING FOR ME TO KICK THE DOOR IN SO WE CAN ALL COME THROUGH..YA DIG?

Stoli: There are alot of beefs in hip hop. Do you feel that alot of it is to help sell records & get publicity?

G: I CAN’T SPEAK ON EVERYONE AND THE BEEFS THEY HAVE..SURE THE GAME IS ABOUT ENTERTAINMENT AND PEOPLE LOVE TO BE ENTERTAINED..BUT MY ONLY ISSUE IS WHEN YOU GOT A BEEF WITH SOMEONE, IT HAS TO BE LEGITIMATE, YOU CAN’T JUST GO AROUND BEEFIN WITH PEOPLE AND MAKING DISS RECORDS WHEN THERE ISN’T ANYTHING BEHIND IT…MY BEEF WASN’T ABOUT PUBLICITY OR SELLIN RECORDS…MY BEEF WAS PERSONAL..THAT WAS MY YOUNGIN..MY LITTLE HOMIE WHO HAD TO BE SPANKED A LITTLE BIT FOR STEPPIN OUT OF POCKET…

Stoli: Have you ever had the chance to have a final word with Cash Money members of how they back-doored you?

G: WHAT IS THERE TO REALLY SAY? EVERYONE KNOWS HOW BABY GETS DOWN..THERE’S A REASON WHY EVERYONE LEFT…I’VE MOVED PAST THE CASH MONEY SHIT…IT IS WHAT IT IS…

Stoli: Would you say that being a busy emcee like you are, it’s almost impossible to be monogamous to one shorty?

G: HAHAHA…

Stoli: When you go out at night do you prefer going to the club, strip club, or bar?

G: I CAN’T SAY I PREFER ANY OF THE ABOVE..GOING OUT IS AN EVENT IN PHILLY WHEN THE KING OF PHILLY THROWS A PARTY AND EVERYONE IN PHILADELPHIA WHO THROWS PARTIES SHUTS THEIR EVENTS DOWN BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHERE EVERYONE IS PARTYING AT…MAKING MONEY..THAT’S WHAT I PREFER..

Stoli: You have done alot in hip hop, what will it take to get that mainstream recognition you deserve?

G: THE RIGHT MARKETING..AND THE RIGHT NIGGAS BELIEVING IN YOU AND STANDING BEHIND WHAT YOUR DOIN…WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT TO ME AT THE END OF THE DAY IS THAT PEOPLE RESPECT ME NOT ONLY AS A RAPPER BUT A REAL NIGGA…AND ONCE I HIT THAT TELEVISION SCREEN…AND THEY COMPARE ME TO SHORTY…THE MAINSTREAM RECOGNITION WILL BE INEVITABLE…

Stoli: Is the entourage that you have with you the same brothas from back in Philly or new cats?

G: IVE BEEN ROLLIN WITH THE SAME PEOPLE FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS…

Stoli: When you are chilling, do you prefer a nice smoke session or some Henny and beer?

G: SMOKE..DEFINITELY SMOKE…

Stoli: How do you feel about hip hop today and where do you see your place?

G: I SEE MYSELF BEING AT THE TOP OF MY GAME..AS FAR AS HIP HOP TODAY, I THINK THAT THE SYSTEM THE LABELS HAVE USED UP UNTIL THIS POINT ISN’T WORKING ANYMORE..RECORDS AINT SELLIN BECAUSE THEY ARE MORE CONCERNED WITH RINGTONES AND SINGLES THAN THEY ARE WITH ACTUAL ARTIST DEVELOPMENT AND REAL TALENT..A SONG IS MORE IMPORTANT TO THEM THAN AN ARTIST IS…WHEN YOU LOOK AT JEEZY’S ALBUM…HE SOLD RECORDS…50 SOLD RECORDS..KANYE SOLD RECORDS..BUT THAT’S BECAUSE THESE ARE ARTISTS WHO ARE MAKING MUSIC..NOT RINGTONE SONGS..YA DIG?

Stoli: How much of your real life is expressed in your lyrics?

G: I ONLY SPEAK THE TRUTH…EVERYTHING I SPIT ON EVERY RECORD IS WHO I AM..A REAL NIGGA IS NOT SOMEONE WHO LIES IN THEIR LINES..BUT WHO SPEAKS THE TRUTH IN THE BOOTH..YA DIG?

Stoli: What can we look for from Gille Da Kid in 2008?

G: THE ALBUM…GET IT HOW YOU LIVE..IT WILL BE OUT LATER THIS YEAR..KEEP AN EYE OUT..ALSO MAKE SURE TO VISIT MY MYSPACE PAGE…WWW.MYSPACE.COM/FIGGA4LIFEENT

JOHN FOGERTY TO INDUCT THE VENTURES INTO ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME MARCH 10

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Grammy winning rocker, John Fogerty, will induct the legendary Ventures into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 10th.

“He came to our dressing room and told us how inspired he was by us,” says Ventures co-founder Don Wilson of his first meeting with Fogerty a few years back. “I’ve always liked Creedence Clearwater Revival and liked what he did in his solo career, as well.”

The Ventures formed in the Seattle-Tacoma area of Washington 49 years ago, which first hit big with the release of the single, “Walk Don’t Run,” will enter those hallowed halls on March 10 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York, where they will be joined by Leonard Cohen, The Dave Clark Five, Madonna and John Mellencamp at the 23rd Annual Induction Dinner.

Joining fellow Seattle native Jimi Hendrix as the Pacific Northwest’s only Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, The Ventures’ honor may be long overdue, but it comes just in time for the band to mark its 50th anniversary next year.

After releasing the single, “Walk Don’t Run,” on their own label, Blue Horizon, started by Don’s own mother, Wilson, along with co-founding bassist Bob Bogle, guitarist Nokie Edwards and drummer Howie Johnson (and very soon after, Mel Taylor), saw the song hit #2 on the pop chart in the summer of 1960, prevented from going #1 by a combination of Chubby Checker’s “The Twist,” Elvis Presley’s “Now or Never,” Brian Hyland’s “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” and Roy Orbison’s “Only the Lonely.”

That was just the beginning of a run that would land the band a string of Gold albums and singles, 200 plus albums released in over 100 countries and almost 100 million albums sold, including a mind-boggling 50 million in Japan alone, where they remain superstars to this day.

Credited with creating the foundation for the surf-rock genre, the group’s string of hit singles included “Perfidia,” “Walk Don’t Run 64” and “Hawaii 5-0,” as well as the only instructional album, Play Guitar with the Ventures, to ever hit the Billboard chart. Along with the hit singles, The Ventures had monster LP-hits with “Pipeline,” “Wipeout” and the “Lonely Bull.”

The group, which now includes Don Wilson, lead guitarists Nokie Edwards, Gerry McGee Bob Spaulding and drummer Leon Taylor, son of the original Venture Mel Taylor, who died in 1996, continues to tour, having just returned from a trip to Japan.

PUDDLE OF MUDD UNLEASH NEW TOUR DATES

Puddle Of Mudd have another # 1 rock radio hit to add to their list with their latest single “Psycho,” off their third studio album Famous, reaching the top of the charts. “Psycho” is # 1 on both the Active and Mainstream Rock Radio charts. The track also rockets up the Modern Rock radio chart bolting from # 10 to # 6 this week!

The band is currently out on a headlining tour with openers Neurosonic & Tyler Read and have announced another leg that will kick off April 17th in Wantaugh, NY at Mulcahy’s with new Suretone band Meriwether and Deepfield supporting (see below for complete list of new tour dates.)

Famous has outperformed the market for the last 4 weeks and continues to move strong up the Top 200 album charts. Famous was recorded in Los Angeles and Colorado. Brian Howes (Hinder, Daughtry) co-wrote the first single “Famous” with Wes and produced the track. Former Black Flag drummer Bill Stevenson (Rise Against, MXPX etc.), Jason Livermore (Rise Against, NOFX) and Jack Joseph Puig (John Mayer), along with Puddle Of Mudd all have producer credits on the album.

Puddle Of Mudd is singer/guitarist Wes Scantlin, bassist Douglas Ardito and new members Christian Stone (ex-Campfire Girls) on guitar and Ryan Yerdon on drums.

Puddle Of Mudd’s 2001 debut album Come Clean spawned no less than four #1 alternative and rock radio hit singles (“Blurry,” “She Hates Me,” “Control” and “Drift And Die”), with “Blurry” becoming the most played track on Modern Rock Radio for 2002 and scooping the ASCAP award for most played song of the year. 2003 saw the release of their follow up Life On Display which featured the top 5 radio hit “Away From Me” and the top 10 hit “Heel Over Head.”

Below is a list of remaining dates for Puddle Of Mudd with Neurosonic & Tyler Read:

Tues / Feb-26 Richmond, VA The National

Wed / Feb-27 Norfolk, VA The Norva

Fri / Feb-29 Jacksonville, NC Hooligan’s

Sat / Mar-1 Fayetteville, NC Jester’s Pub

Sun / Mar-2 Charlotte, NC Tremont Music Hall

Tues / Mar-4 Panama City Bch, FL Club La Vela

Thurs / Mar-6 Bossier City, LA Riverdome-Horseshoe Casino

Fri / Mar-7 Dallas, TX House of Blues

Sat / Mar-8 Oklahoma City, OK Diamond Ballroom

Newly announced dates with Meriwether and Deepfield supporting are listed below:

Thurs/Apr-17 Wantaugh, NY Mulcahy’s

Fri/Apr-18 Mechanicsburg, PA West Shore Hardware bar

Mon/Apr-21 Knoxville, TN The Valarium

Tues/Apr-22 Nashville, TN Wildhorse

Wed/Apr-23 Hattiesburg, MS Remington’s

Tues/Apr-29 Odessa, TX Dos Amigos

Wed/Apr-30 El Paso, TX Club 101

Fri/May-2 Las Vegas, NV Hard Rock Pool

Sat/May-3 Los Angeles, CA House of Blues

Y-Love - This is Babylon

Many entertainers are afraid to take a chance, Brooklyn rapper Y-Love proves that he is willing to risk it all for his voice in the world. Taking listeners on an unexpected journey with his new album This is Babylon, Y-Love makes attempts to captivate audiences with lyrics in English, Arabic, Hebrew, Latin and ancient Aramaic. Most of which gets lost in translation and the confusion caused by the lack of vocal to track marriage.

While through out the album listeners will be enlightened only two songs “6000” and “Mind Transit” truly make a serious attempt at breaking the monotone, high school economics feel set by the bass line production of the album. Y-love never quite finds his groove; you never experience any real variation in flow or vocal tone. The production leaves you wishing some one put a little more effort into the project or gave a little more direction to the artist on becoming one with the track. The switching of languages comes off as gibberish squeezed in, or a ploy to garner attention. The hooks leave a lot to be desired. Nothing on the album jumps out and says “Buy me I’m a hit!” Y-love has a lot to say and the passion to get it out. This is Babylon isn’t for the worry free listener. The music speaks to those looking past production, style and musical marriage for a life lesson. Being kind this one reaches a very specific market. 

By Etcetera Carter

An Interview with Keller Williams

With a Little Help from Some Friends
By Martin Halo

He is talented beyond belief, a showman beyond comprehension, and humble to a point of pure charm.  Keller Williams hasn’t had it easy, hell; the man has fought through the muck to earn himself a place in a community of music enthusiasts that thrive on the art of improvisation. 

Now in 2008 what Keller Williams has channeled artistically for close to a decade is changing.  Traditionally a one-man band sustained by the technological dominance of looping devices, now has Williams teamed up with String Cheese Incident bassist Keith Moseley, drummer Jeff Sipe, and guitarist Gibb Droll to form his dream live band: the Weapons of Mass Destruction. 

“The project was all about timing, Martin,” explains Keller Williams from his home is Fredericksburg.  “I have been doing the solo thing for ten years, as far as being in the public eye.  I always wanted to have a band, but in the beginning I couldn’t really afford it.  I have been around the country so many times on my own and after a while I was putting myself in the position of an audience member.  It was always fun and exciting for me but I just felt like it was time to do something different.”

Keller Williams is a Deadhead at heart. A lawn dancer before the industry swept him away. He stands as a Virginia native who got his start playing for free ski passes along the mountain ranges of Colorado.  His stunning performances caught the eye of The String Cheese Incident, and the rest, well, is Jam history.

“You have to understand, I was fans of these guys!  Gibb Droll and Jeff Sipe came into my world around the same time, when I was in my late teens.  It was a very influential time in my playing career.  I was much more of a sponge than I am now.  Meaning, I was just absorbing everything.” 

“Jeff Sipe, Jimmy Herring, Oteil Burbridge, and Matt Mundy were something totally different that was happening.  It was covering the spectrum of music.  Bluegrass, jazz, funk, and I was just latching onto Jeff Sipe.  I thought his whole style of all over the place drumming was really cool.  I remember meeting him a long time ago, around 1995, and telling him I wanted to be in a band with him.  Over the years and crossing paths with him we kept saying we were going to do this.  It finally happened!”

“As for the rest of the band,” says Keller with a sort pause. “Gibb was always a rock star in my eyes, and Keith was a no brainier for a bass player.”

With praise of his band mates in the wings he shifts his thought process to the alterations made through entering the band dynamic.

“The band dynamic has definitely affected me for the positive.  Just to be able to do something new and over the top exciting has put a whole new spin on things.  Especially the songs I have been doing for years that we are now doing differently.  They seem to be breathing a whole new life.  I have camaraderie with the guys who I have been admiring musically for years.  I think the creativity is happening in the improves and in the jams.”

“I am constantly adding more songs,” Keller explains.  “They [his band] are at the top of their game and are really sought after. I am trying to keep them interested in the material. I am hoping one day we will be together long enough to sit down and really create a record.”

With a musical ideology that is pure and unadulterated Keller Williams has lured audiences with not just an artistic premise but an unmatched candor and grace. 

“I believe in rhythm and the power of taking the listener out of the day to day thought process,” he divulges.  “I want to transfer them into something else that is not their routine stresses, because that is what happens to me.  I get taken out of the long term and my entire thought processes molds into what is happening when I am playing.  It is about the dance.  It is about the rhythm.  It is all about the Jazz and the disco.”

“As long as the musician is playing what he truly loves to play, I think their integrity is intact.  If you are playing something just to make a living, or you are in a band because the pay is good I don’t think your intentions would be the same.  If you come off stage and you feel good about what just went down then the integrity is there, and it is 100% intact.”

Keller Williams is a survivor, a staple in a business which has seen the rise and fall of more hopefuls than star high school quarterbacks.   But the lessons which he has learned as helped him persevere in the single most underdog business on the face of the planet.  

“I think it is not putting everything into the music business.  Have some kind of income other than the music business in the beginning.  Look at is as something that is fun and exciting, and try to take the lowest pressure gigs in the beginning as you can.  The gigs that are low cover, no pay, and where you could go into a restaurant and get dinner. If you happen to earn some money use it as a paid rehearsal.  Get as much stage time as possible and start out as grass roots as possible.”

“My advice would be to not put to much stock or hope in the music business. Everyone knows it is not a thriving metropolis of income. For some people it is, but for the millions of bands on the internet, it is nothing more than a hobby. It is important that you don’t look at the music business as some savior to your life.  You have to do it for yourself and enjoy playing music. Hopefully the gigs, and the money, and the support will come.  Because once you don’t make the money you want you are going to start looking at music as something that is going to bring you down or make you depressed.  Where the reality of the situation should be the total opposite,” the artist concludes.

Keller Williams and his WMD will start a Northeast Tour Leg in New York City on February 21.  For more information on Keller Williams you can visit his website at www.kellerwilliams.net.

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Street Survivors Deluxe Edition : 30th Anniversary

Street Survivors, was the most anticipated Lynyrd Skynyrd album. It went gold instantly but on October 20th, 1977, just three days after its release, the band’s tour plane ran out of gas and crashed into a Mississippi forest, killing Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, his singer sister Cassie Gaines, and their road manager, and seriously injuring the other band members. The album reached double platinum and scored a Top 10 hit in “What’s Your Name.” Ronnie Van Zant considered Street Survivors Lynyrd Skynyrd’s greatest achievement. A year in the making, the album was recorded twice. Now, on the two-CD Street Survivors Deluxe Edition - 30th Anniversary to be released March 2008, the previously unreleased first version debuts alongside the final studio album from the original Lynyrd Skynyrd issued in 1977.

The package features the never before issued last known recordings of the band; five songs performed live at a Fresno, CA concert less than two months before the group’s tragic plane crash. By 1977, the Jacksonville, FL band–singer Van Zant, guitarists Allen Collins and Gary Rossington, keyboardist Billy Powell, bassist Leon Wilkeson, and drummer Artimus Pyle had scored four hit albums and become one of America’s top concert bands. The first version was recorded at Miami’s Criteria Studios in winter 1976 and spring 1977 with renowned producer Tom Dowd. But, dissatisfied with the results, Skynyrd returned that summer to Studio One in Atlanta, where “Free Bird” and “Sweet Home Alabama” had been recorded, and produced the released version themselves.

On Street Survivors Deluxe, both versions are heard of “You Got That Right,” “I Never Dreamed” and “Ain’t No Good Life” (the original with background vocals by the Honkettes); three versions of “That Smell” (including a never-before-heard extended guitar jam); a previously unreleased “What’s Your Name,” and a song dropped from the album, “Sweet Little Missy,” as a demo and a master of the also axed “Georgia Peaches.” Replacing the two deleted songs were “One More Time,” a newly overdubbed track from six years earlier, and Merle Haggard’s “Honky Tonk Night Time Man.” A Deluxe Edition bonus is Van Zant’s autobiographical rewrite titled “Jacksonville Kid,” the last song he wrote and recorded. This a wonderful collection of songs that revisits the late 70’s in a way only Lynyrd Skynyrd could.

By Diana Olson

VOD Recordings

STOLI GETS DOWN TO BUSINESS WITH VOD RECORDINGS

VOD Recordings is a record label based in Massachusetts right outside Boston. They are a major sponsor of Skope Magazine and they have got alot going on. Stoli sat down with the CEO, Darian Worrell to see just what VOD is up to and where they are headed. A great indie label making major moves!

By: Stoli Razz

Stoli: How long have you been working on VOD and how did you get started with your own label?

VOD: VOD has been in existence since 2004. In the area that I was living in at the time I had the opportunity to take that risk and start my own label and I was fortunate enough to meet some cool artists that had the same vision as I at that particular time. The goal was to be creative with our music and to bring something different to the table. That philosophy hasn’t changed after four years in the business and it will continue to be what drives VOD and it’s artists to provide good quality & creative music to it’s fans

Stoli: How many artists do you currently have on your roster?

VOD: Because we have such an eclectic mix of music, the number of artists fluctuates depending on the project. VOD has a stable of artists, from which to choose, most of whom are genre specific. To have a set roster at this stage of our existence wouldn’t be beneficial to us or our artists.

Stoli: What do you look for in an artist that lets you know that you want to sign them?

VOD: The total package is what we look for in an artist and what I mean by that is they have to have a general love, respect, and admiration for the genre of music that they are making, as well as personality, creativity, a general knowledge of the business, and the drive and determination to be a successful artist. You can have all the talent in the world but if you don’t have those other components to go along with it then chances are you won’t get to the next level.

Stoli: Does your label deal with one genre of music or do you have multiple genres represented?

VOD: We started primarily as a hip hop label but now we’re looking to expand into other genre’s of music. This might be the year that we totally break ground on some new ideas so stay tuned.

Stoli: In this day of downloading, how has that changed your strategy when putting out an album?

VOD: It’s an open market in today’s music world and buying an album is not as exciting as it once was. Downloading has given the music listener a choice of what they want to hear & own. It’s helped us to a certain degree because it fits within our marketing strategy but I can honestly say that we’ve never had to change our approach to releasing an album because of downloading.

Stoli: What have you found to be the most effective way to promote an artist on your label?

VOD:Definitely the internet. Over the last few years we’ve seen our fan base grow tremendously and that’s a direct result of gorilla marketing. We’re always keeping folks informed as to what’s happening with VOD and our artists and thankfully, that’s what keeps them interested and coming back.

Stoli: What are you most proud of that VOD has done over the past year or so?

VOD:Stay in business….LOL. With the music industry being the way it is these days it appears that the demand for certain types of music is progressively shrinking which is why we’re constantly analyzing the industry as a whole and changing the way we market our product. So yes, in this day and age, with what’s happening industry wide, waking up every day and knowing that we’re still in the game is definitely something to be proud of.

Stoli: What would you say is an advantage to being an indie label as opposed to major label?

VOD: The internet has definitely leveled the playing field a little bit but there’s still a huge disparity when it comes to distribution and radio play. The one advantage we have is that our artists have their own vision of how they want their music produced and presented to the public and we work with them on developing a marketing plan that fits their needs as well as ours. It’s all about that personal touch and sometimes the major labels can’t give that to their artist.

Stoli: If an artist wants to be signed to VOD, what would you suggest that they do?

VOD: I would say that they would have to be original, confident, able to perform, and to know a little bit about VOD before sending a demo.

Stoli: You have been a major sponsor for Skope Magazine, what makes Skope a great fit for VOD’s marketing campaign?

VOD: Skope has been instrumental in the success that we’ve had over the last year and we’re very happy to be part of such a dynamic and exciting publication. We’ve advertised with larger publications in the past but we haven’t always received the high level of service and commitment that Skope gives to it’s advertisers and independent musicians, which is why it makes this a good fit for what what we’re trying to accomplish with our marketing strategy.

Stoli: Where do see music in 5 years in regards to creating & selling music to the fans?

VOD: You’ll see less distribution of music to retail stores, and more digital distribution. Vinyl is becoming extinct, 8 tracks died over 20 yrs ago. The cassette boom has all but ended and CD’s are slowly but surely fading away. In today’s technologically advancing climate, we at VOD will be working diligently to keep up with the changes.  In reality the consumer is in the driver’s seat, so we plan to be prepared to answer their needs.

Stoli: What can we look for from VOD in 2008?

VOD: We released Bays Fresh to Def EP in January. Mr Dar’s Changing Channels EP will probably be in stores by the end of February. Deep Green’s Deep Green Rising project will be released in March and we have a young and upcoming artist by the name of Thugsicc out of Pullman, WA that will be joining the VOD family. Overall I think this might be our break out year…

www.vodrecordings.com
Darian Worrell - vodrecordings@yahoo.com

Stoli Razz Goes To The Ballet

Words: Stoli Razz
Photos: Gene Schiavone

Last night (2/14) as we all know was the coveted night of love. Love was in the air in Boston that is for sure. I was invited by my friends at Goodman Media to take my Valentine to see the opening night of Romeo & Juliet at the Wang Theater in Boston, MA. This performance was being done by the world famous, Boston Ballet.

Now I know what many of you are thinking, why is Skope sending someone to see a ballet? Well you see at Skope, we go by the motto, “For The Love of Music.” One thing this ballet had was amazing music.

We started out our night at California Pizza Kitchen in the theatre district. I am a sucker for their pizza and appetizers. I actually used to wait tables there while in college. The theatre is right across the street from the Wang so it was perfect.

We arrived at 6:45 pm and immediately were greeted by a very polite woman who had our tickets waiting. We then headed right to the bar for some wine to help get us in the mood. You cannot bring alcohol into the theater so you have to maximize your drinks before heading to your seat. No problem for The Razz!

The show began right on time at 7:15 pm. For those that have never been, the Wang Theater is gorgeous in every way. We had perfect seats right in the middle and the place was packed. I had a feeling it would be sold out.

There is no reason for me to recite the classic story of Romeo & Juliet. Everyone knows how the story begins and sadly ends. But what I can talk about is the details that went into the show. The scenery first of all was authentic. It really looked like the performers were in Verona, Italy. You could imagine that the scene was taking place in Italy in the 1400’s.

The performers were brilliant. The dancing and singing were so well in sync with the music it went without a glitch. This show had a nice amount of sword fighting which was cool. It was rather action packed for a ballet. The ladies were very attractive and they played their roles perfectly. There was no dialogue, which was nice as it lets the audience improvise what is going on. The music tells the story of what is happening.

The show ran until about 9:30 with two intermissions. It did not seem too long though as there was a lot of action. After the show was over, I felt very cultured. It was a new experience for me and I cannot wait to do it again. If you are in Boston or coming to our fine city go take that special someone and see Romeo & Juliet, it’s well worth it!

Performance Schedule: Tickets on sale now - visit Telecharge.com

Thursday, February 14 and February 28 at 7pm

Friday, February 15 and February 29 at 8pm

Saturday, February 16 and March 1 at 2pm and 8pm

Sunday, February 17 at 2pm and 7pm

Sunday, March 2 at 2pm

www.bostonballet.org

Supergrass - Diamond Hoo Ha Man

“The Brit-Pop is Coming, The Brit Pop is Coming”. Ready for another British invasion? Landing in stores near you on April 15th is Diamond Hoo Ha Man by Supergrass, their latest release on Parlophone/Capitol Records.

If you like Brit-Pop, Diamond Hoo Ha doesn’t fail to satisfy. These Oxford lads could easily be on the road with The White Stripes, The Killers, or any one of the top artists in this ever-expanding genre. Add in a bit of Pink Floyd flavor – especially in “Return of Inspiration”, some ‘80s retro-funk to mix it up a bit in “Rough Knuckles”, even some vocals that make you think Bono found a way to make himself 20 years younger… and these Brits have earned the respect of this Yank. Did I almost forget to mention a hint of Zeppelin in “Bad Blood”? MMMmmm Zeppelin… yummy!

With a generally positive/upbeat message and style of music, Supergrass looks to have a long career ahead of them. Incorporating so many of the sounds so many of us have grown to love, how can they not be around for a long time???

Judging by their UK calendar, look for Supergrass coming to a university near you as they make their way over to The States. 

By Gary Jacobs

Elvis Costello - This Years Model (Deluxe)

The latest release of This Years Model includes the b-sides, demos, live tracks, alternate versions, and previously unreleased tracks that were included on the 2002 re-release. However, this “Deluxe Edition” includes Costello’s 1978 concert from The Warner Theater in Washington, DC. For that reason alone, this newer version is worth the price of admission.

Costello’s sophomore punk rock effort has been included on most critics “Best Albums” list and there’s really no wondering why. Edgier and more raucous than My Aim is True, thanks to the help of Costello’s backing band, The Attractions, much of the bang on this album can be credited to keyboardist Steve Nieve, bassist Bruce Thomas and drummer Pete Thomas. For anyone unfamiliar with Elvis Costello, this album is like a master’s course unto itself; it contains the same punk/new wave elements that garnered Costello so much acclaim in the 70’s and gives listeners a glimpse of the prolific singer/songwriter yet to come. Songs like “No Action” and “Pump it up” still sound as rollicking as they ever did. The demos and the live concert recordings still remain the biggest draw however. Brimming with cynicism and catchy sentiment, memorable melodies and of course Costello’s one of kind vocals, This Years Model remains in style no matter what year it is.

By Charley Lee

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