rickyleepotts.com | a voice of rhythm, reason, & reality

The band that I am sitting with today needs no introduction. The man behind this band, even the band name for that matter, is a long time friend of mine and I couldn’t be happier that he is back on the road again with a new project. You might remember him from the band Austin Bridges. He was the front man for that act and with a name like Davey Austin Bridges Heritier you can only guess where the name for that band came from. And this band for that matter. He then played around with a few side projects and has made his way to the front of this band. His voice has changed so much over the last couple of years if you didn’t know any better you would have no idea who it was. Their lyrics are amazing, their style is spotless, and with a spot on rickyleepotts.com presents six bands for six bucks, you will have a chance to see them perform in the near future. Sit back and take some time to get to know Digs Bridges. You won’t be sorry.

Where did you guys get the name?

Digs has been a nickname of mine for awhile, since college. Bridges is my second middle name. I used to be in a band that used both of my middle names and people thought we sounded like a country band. So now, since I’m doing Americana music I found it appropriate.  It has an appeal to it, at least to me. And everyone knows how egotistical I am that I’d have to name my band after myself!

How long have you guys all known each other?

I met Ian (keys) through my friend’s neighbor.  Very strange story actually. Last summer I was hanging out with Scott Krueckenburg. He is from the local band Mardelay.  His neighbor went to a Mardelay show with us one night in Muncie and I was talking to her about how I was putting a band together. The conversation just went on from there.  She mentioned that her boyfriend’s band was breaking up and he was an accomplished piano player.  I thought to myself-through experience-that keyboard players are NORMALLY very tough to work with and often times flaky. Remember I said in my experience.  So eventually he and I met up to jam and we hit it off. He really liked the songs and we work very well together.  The bass player at the time ended up flaking out on us two weeks before our first show.  Ian then introduced the idea of his friend, jazz bass player, Tim Johnson. The only problem was he couldn’t do the first show. So, I called Justin Goldstein, the bass player in my first band, to fill in. Tim came in afterwards and, like Ian, was just as awesome.  We all got along really well and had the same ideas, wants, and goals for playing music.

I have to say how lucky I am to have them because they’re musically brilliant. They’re both students of music to where I am a barefooted, t-shirt wearing, dropout on the school of music’s courtyard yelling at passing cars and throwing rocks at road signs. The core of the band is the three of us. My cousin was our drummer, but he had some other opportunities that he wanted to pursue.  We have a drummer for the summer that I’m very excited about.  She’s a freshmen at Ball State University.  She, Ian, and Tim are a jazz trio, so once again, Ian’s connections have pulled through again! She’s a wonderful drummer and has a great presence.  We’ve only played once together, a show at DePauw University, with no rehearsal, and she was fantastic.

So this new drummer. Tell me more.

We recently parted ways with our original drummer, my cousin, Tyler Chapman.  He had some other opportunities he wanted to pursue and we were laying low-writing, and working on the business end of the music so we didn’t sweat it too much.  Ian and Tim play in a jazz trio at BSU and I asked if Jordan, the drummer for the trio, would be interested in sitting in for a college campus show in April.  She was and did. We didn’t rehearse ONCE! She listened to a handful of songs on the website and iTunes and just showed up.  When she showed up for the show it was the first I’d met her. Needless to say the show went off without a hitch.  I would begin each song by giving her an idea of the feel, the time signature, and just go.  She nailed it.  I mean sickness nailed it.  She’s only twenty years old and a freshman at BSU and is so much fun to play with.  She has great energy and I immediately loved being on stage with her.

Are you nice to her?

(Laughs) Absolutely! In the short time I’ve known her I find it hard to believe that anyone could be mean to her.

When you guys are on the road and you are all trying to decide where to eat, are you going to let her pick?

Her first official show was over last weekend at a private show we had in Michigan.  She wasn’t able to ride with us up there on our tour bus and had to drive separately.  So, that hasn’t been an issue…yet…but you can’t show favoritism in a band, can you?  The four of us get along super and all really enjoy Waffle House, so I’m sure we’ll be alright there!

This is sort of a new venture for you. What are your immediate goals?

I had no intention of going in this direction, musically, but I started writing new songs and they just came out like this. I went to my manager and friend, Eric Howard, and asked, “What the hell is this music? I don’t know what to call it!”. So we looked around and listened to similar music and found out that it is best suited as Americana. I love it. I absolutely love it. I’m not afraid to stand behind the new music that I’m writing, which I haven’t been able to do in other bands. Immediate plans are simple.  We have a single to release and promote.  We want to hit Indiana and certain markets in the midwest really hard.  I have a lot of smart, experienced people behind me so we’re doing things right, smart, and effectively.

I have heard a handful of songs, and I must say Davey, your voice has grown so much in the last few years. Tell me more about that and what you did to get where you are today.

Honestly, I should have had voice lessons. I think it’s because I’ve sang so much and learned as I went. Much like how I learned the instruments I play. I’ve asked a lot of questions to other singers and have had a lot of direction. I try to emulate what I like in other music and try to make my voice unique.  I want people to know my songs from my voice, much like Chris Shaffer, the Crash Test Dummies, or anyone else you know just by hearing the vocals.

Describe your genre in one word.

Strong.

What is the biggest crowd you have played for?

Intimately? 1,000 people. It was to this date one of my favorite gigs I’ve ever had.  My first band opened for the original line up of the Why Store on New Year’s Eve at the Music Mill.  I grew up a huge fan and it was the first time we’d opened for anyone that big. I believe it was their last show that they have ever played together.

The smallest?

(Laughs) A bar staff.

Let’s say you are about to headline a show out at Verizon Wireless Music Center. Who is your opener?

I’d rather be the opener for John Mayer and the Avett Brothers this summer! It’s a goal! But us being the headliner, it would have to be a friend’s band.  Stefan Rockenfeller, Mardelay, Eric James, or Nate Davis. A goal of mine is to tour with a friend’s band.

What are you drinking on stage?

Water. Beer. Vodka. In that order. (Laughs)

So you have a fast car huh?

Metaphorically speaking, yes. Very fast.

Who is Records Record Records, LLC?

It’s a record label I am trying to get off the ground.  We are fully functional minus the money and bands to represent. The goal is to establish ourselves then move forward with other acts.  Again, I’d like to work with friends. I already have my first four or five acts I’d like to sign when we’re at that point.

Isn’t there a band called that?

My most recent former band was called that. I took the name with me when I left. They changed it to something similar upon my exit.

Who are some of your inspirations?

John Lennon. He is my guru. (Laughs) Other than that, there are so many. I really love a lot of different songs and artists. I like to incorporate ideas I get from one genre and implement it into my own. For instance, I wrote a country song from an idea iI got from listening to Moby.

Where are you all originally from?

I am from Columbia City. Ian is from Bloomington, Indiana. And Tim is from Los Angeles, California.

What is the best concert you have ever been to?

Oh my…Phish, the five times I’ve seen them. And I’m going this summer! I really liked a band called 2 Skinnee J’s.  I recently saw a band from New York at the Vollrath called Asa Ransome that was a blast to see.  They are a mix of Modest Mouse, David Burne, and Rusted Root.  I encourage you to check them out. I really enjoy seeing my friends bands. Stephan Rockenfeller, Todd Sarvies, and Nate Davis are all worthy of mention.

You guys are a featured band on rickyleepotts.com presents six bands for six bucks. Are you excited?

You have no idea! I’m very excited to get out and playing with this band. I really think people are going to like it and get what I’m trying to do with this band.  Birdy’s Bar & Grill is always a great place to play and you are always a great person to work with so I’m sure it’ll be a great time!

What are your thoughts on social media and the success rate of a band in today’s market?

Wow. Great question. Let’s see…

I love the ability to market yourself in today’s environment.  It’s tough though because any jerk with recording abilities can cloud the scene. But that’s the beauty of it! Artists have to have a support system to elevate their online presence and it turns creating music and art into a business and somewhat of a competition and that’s a double edged sword when it comes to the bottom line of why artists create. It can compromise the integrity of what being shared on a certain level.  We’re in an environment where talented artists have to compete with wanna-be’s and depending on the ability to pander to certain groups of people to get ahead. I’m undecided on whether or not that’s a good thing, but it is a fact of where we are now so if you have to take what you want and play the game.

I know you are on MySpace. Actually, speaking of MySpace, what are your thoughts of the service?

My-what? (Laughs) MySpace has fallen victim to social evolution. Facebook will too and so will whatever comes to replace it. Referencing my last answer, artists have to make themselves as accessible as possible so it’s necessary.

Are you on Twitter?

No. I have avoided that one because I see it as Facebook without all the extra garbage. Will you teach me? I know you love it.

What should someone expect when coming to see you live?

Well written and performed songs. A lot of heart and energy. I have surrounded myself with exceptional musicians because I am a very average guitar player. We’re not a jam band, but the songs aren’t going to be the same at every show.  Lots of melodies, harmonies, and hooks.  I would come to see Digs Bridges.

Do you guys have a favorite venue?

Several. The Roxy and the Whiskey a Go Go in Hollywood. The Verve in Terre Haute, Indiana is nice. I LOVE the room that the Patio used to be in. I wish someone would do something with that place to bring it back.

I can’t get over how much better your voice has gotten.

Thank you. How about the songs? (Laughs)

Do you guys have jobs outside of music?

I work at Starbucks! I serve coffee.

Are you using a PC or a Mac?

Macbook Pro. The only way to go, in my opinion.

If you could live anywhere in the world where would you go?

Austin, Texas, Nashville, Tennessee, or New York City. I want to live in all of those places before I settle in anywhere.

Who writes all of your songs?

I do.  As we start writing the next album, I’m sure we’ll all have a hand in it.

Where do you get inspiration for a new song?

Everything. Mostly dreaming. I dream about songs and if I don’t wake up and write it down, I’ll forget it.

Are you guys planning on a full-length disc anytime some?

I want to run with this EP for now.  We have fifteen songs recorded but I don’t see the necessity for a full length right now. Maybe in the fall.

What about a nation wide tour? When are you leaving for that?

Right now our focus is going to be very concise.  Bloomington, Terre Haute, Indianapolis, Muncie, and Fort Wayne, in Indiana. Chicago and Champaign in Illinois. St. Louis, Nashville, Cincinnati, Columbus, with special trips to NYC and LA when needed.  I’ll be performing for Austin City Limits this summer so that will be in the mix, too.

If you could only play one song for the rest of your career, what song would you pick?

No Need to Cry. It’s my favorite song that I have done.

Where do you see yourselves in five years?

I will be thirty-three years old with a ten year old daughter. I like to think I’ll be wiser and healthy and supporting myself, my family, and band by touring and selling songs.

What do you want to be remembered for when this is all said and done?

Being influential.

I always let the bands get the last word. Go.

I really appreciate what you’re doing, Ricky. I appreciate friends and fans who have and are helping me and my goals.  I have to shout out my manager and friend, Eric Howard.  He has been a motivator and has inspired me to refocus my career and life. My parents and siblings who are unfaltering supporters for me. And, my music friends who have done the same for me as I do for them.  Stefan Rockenfeller, check him out.  He is the only musician I am envious of. I just want to share happiness and love and surround myself with people who treat me the way I treat them. That’s been a tough thing to find. I look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead of me with new artists and friends. thank you again Ricky.

I have been listening to a lot of rap lately. My taste in music changes every so often, bouncing from rap to rock to country and more. However, dance music is always at the top of that list.

When I do sit down to listen to rap, I try to focus on the lyrics more than anything. For instance, Eminem is well known for being the first successful white rapper. He came out about a decade ago, and has been making music ever since. He has worked with some of the biggest names in the game, like Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg and has made albums that irritate, offend, and cause unfiltered laughter. He is a true talent and his new album, Recovery, is one of his best.

Not being in the scene as much as I was in college, I have fallen a bit off the local bandwagon. Every big city has a ton of people trying to make it in the music industry, and a lot of bands will push the limit. Here in Indianapolis, bands like the Virgin Millionaires and The Last Good Year have made a name outside of these Indiana cornfields. But what about rap music? Surely there are some guys in this town that know how to rhyme, right?

Well, there is at least one. He is pretty new to the scene, and I had the chance to sit down with him and interview him for my blog. He is also a featured artist for the upcoming rickyleepotts.com presents six bands for six bucks. His name is Brad Real, and he is everything you’d expect from a guy who is bound for stardom. Speaking of lyrics earlier, Brad understands how to write. But he writes clean. Most rappers, like Eminem, have explicit lyrics logos all over their disc. But Brad’s does not have that.  I have listened to his new disc about six times, and I am pretty sure I have not heard a single profanity.

But what makes Brad so enjoyable is that he is not just about the music, he is about the business behind the music. He understands that his career is just that, a job. He busts his butt in this city getting people to his shows, working with the talents that he knows have potential to push him forward, not drag him back. And that shows in his album.

The album is titled Married to the Game, and features a total of nineteen tracks. But for a rap album, that is nothing unusual. While I think the photography he used could use some work, the quality in the lyrics and the beats make up for it. The disc starts off with Brad telling the listener that, “This is what I was born to do. I feel it inside of me. It tugs at me like something has to be done.” That is a great way to kick off an album filled with professional beats and a handful of guest appearances.

I hate it that the best song on the album is the second track. It’s titled Ain’t Budgin’ and sounds like something you would hear on MTV, not in a nightclub in downtown Indianapolis. But he is just starting, remember, and he has a long way to go before he makes it on stage with the likes of Eminem and Dr. Dre. But the disc never lets up. The very next song, Let Yourself Go, throws some deeper bass and almost techno grooves at the start. Then you are hit with some songs that you can just tell have personal meaning to Brad.

One thing that I hate is when rappers start their songs by shouting their record label or their name over and over. And while that happens a couple of times on this disc, again, the lyrics just take over. All I want is to hear the next song to see what he has wrap around these polished beats. Songs like Lay It Down, featuring A.C.E. O.N.E. and Nowhere featuring Jon Young and Jay Cash just smack you in the face with truth.

You literally forget that this kid is local. But one thing that impresses me more about this kid than anything is that he is so incredibly nice. When I first introduced myself to him to request an interview for my blog, he bent over backwards to make sure I had everything I needed. Then, prior to his new disc’s official release, I had one sitting in my mailbox. He wanted to share his music with me, and also make sure I knew how much he appreciated the interview.

I have since been listening to this album over and over. And while I say he has a long way to go in his career, I don’t think that would upset him. I think he would agree, that he would shake my hand and say thank you for telling him the truth. Why lie to the kid? He is young, he has a lot to learn, and he will find his way in this business no matter what I say. He is driven, he is a great writer, and his personality will take him far whether in music or something else. You need to get this album, whether you like rap or not. Support local music, and before you know it this kid singing at Birdy’s Bar and Grill on a Saturday night will be sitting next to Mariah Carey at the Grammy Awards. This kid is going far. Rather than leave you with my final thoughts, I thought that no one could say it better than Brad himself. “We’re going to make it. Indianapolis has something to say. Thank you.”

Last summer I bought a new car. I had been driving a hand-me-down truck that my father had given me. From the day I got the keys, the truck had been falling apart. Where do I begin? For starters, the windshield wipers didn’t work. The passenger side window never went down. If the driver’s side window went down, well, good luck getting it back up. Oh yeah, and the brakes didn’t work all that well. It actually got to the point where my friends and I used to joke abut playing Russian roulette while driving. Will the brakes work, or won’t they?

Needless to say, it was time for a new car. I had never purchased a new car. I had always driven used rides or hand-me-downs from my folks. But this time, I was going to get something brand-new. I had read all of the ups and downs of getting a brand-new vehicle, but I wanted to buy a car that no one else had owned. I wanted to be the one to get the first oil change, and to pump the first gallon of gas. I wanted a care that was all mine from the start.

So I started looking at a wide variety of rides. I looked at the new Honda Civic. I test-drove a new Scion XB. I even drove one of those Chevrolet Cobalts. But nothing seemed to fit. Until one day, while on my way home from the Scion dealership, I swung into the Smart dealership. I knew these would be out of my price range, but I decided to at least take a look. I ended up talking to the guy that would eventually sell me my first brand-new car. Before the month was out, I ended up walking away with keys to a brand-new 2009 Smart.

Buying a new car was something I had never done before. But with my new car purchase, I knew that I would have a new set of responsibilities. I would have to make sure she never ran out of gas. I would have to keep her clean and make sure she always had an oil change on schedule. I would have to make sure her tires were rotated, and that nothing mechanical went wrong. Basically, I was taking care of a new family member.

Her name is Zipper. I have had the car for a little over a year, and I have never been so happy. It was a great investment and my monthly payments are low. But if you are in the market for a new car, recently purchased a new ride, or have the desire to buy a new car in the near future, I wanted to share with you some tips on how to take care of your new purchase. Follow these tips, and you will have more reliable transportation in the driveway.

Stick to the Routine Maintenance

Your car goes through a lot. Whether you consider the weather it sits through day in and day out, or the miles you are pumping on it during the weekends, your car gets tired. Of course, newer cars take wear lot better than ones of our past, but you still have to take care of the ride. My car has a scheduled yearly maintenance. Actually, my car has a timer that tells me how many days it was since my last service call and the number of days before my next one is requested. I just had a yearly routine maintenance call on my car. They changed the oil, filled and refreshed all the fluids, washed the car inside and out, and managed to make the ride look brand-new in only a few hours.

Even if you buy a used car, make sure you take care of it. Of course the dealerships will charge you more, but their service and products will be top notch. Take the plunge once or twice a year. Take your car in for a checkup. It will save you tons of money in the long run.

Keep the Beast Well Oiled

Oil is the lifeblood of an automobile. Your car, assuming it is a typical vehicle, needs the oil changed every three or four thousand miles. You can get this done just about anywhere, and can usually find discounts to get your total under twenty bucks. Heck, Walmart even has a place for you to get your oil changed while you shop.

My car, being that it is a Mercedes, only needs the oil changed once a year or every ten thousand miles. And through various discussions with Smart car owners and representatives at the dealership, I could drive this car twelve to fifteen thousand before getting the oil changed and be just fine. I have had my car over a year and have only put a little over seven thousand miles on it. But she was due not too long ago, so I took her in. Change the oil in your car on a regular basis, and your car will last forever.

Getting a Good Charge

Your car’s battery is so important in getting from point A to point B. Your battery helps the car start, and keeps it running at a stoplight or in the drive-thru. But your battery can easily become corroded, and eventually stop working all together. Make sure that not only are the positive and negative ends of your battery clean and free of corrosion, but that your battery is replaced every so often.

On the Smart car for instance, the batter is below the engine in the back, so if my battery went dead, I would have to take her in for service. With most cars, all you have to do I pop the hood and you can see the battery on the left or the right hand side. And you can buy a new battery almost anywhere. Of course, make sure that if you install the battery you know what you are doing. You don’t want to risk messing up that process.

Check Your Tread

Man first created fire. And not too long after that, he created the wheel. Your car today has at least four of these, and you need to make sure they are in tip top shape. Tires last for only so many miles before they begin to lose tread. You also have to consider the threat of nails and other natural causes of a tire going flat. Make sure that your tires are not only aired up all the way to a safe and reasonable pressure, but that you get them rotated regularly, and that you have the tires replaced when the tread begins to wear.

There are many other things that you need to pay attention to when driving a new car. Things like the windshield wiper fluid and making sure that other fluids are always topped off. You can stop in your local car shop and have them take a quick look, or take it to your dealer and they will tell you. Of course, the dealer will charge you an arm and a leg. But is a high priced maintenance fee worth it if it saves you from being stranded somewhere in the middle of nowhere? I know that I will keep my car as clean as possible and make sure that her oil is always changed on schedule. Those yearly maintenance plans are a great investment, as is your car, and I hope to see you on the road soon!

I love listening to bands that just get on stage and like to have fun. These guys come from the far south side of Indianapolis and every time I listen to them I just want to see them perform live again and again. They play a hard rock and metal sound but toss in some alternative overtones and incredible songwriting. They produce a sound that will remind you about every tune that passes through X103 and you can just see these guys on stage with Nickelback or Three Days Grace. I wrote these interview questions a long time ago, and it took me a long time to get them up, but I say that better late than never. It is my pleasure to introduce you to some for the most patient guys in the business, Burnt Down.

Where did you come up with the band name?

Our guitar player Kazimierz Szczyrba came up with it. He said when life gets you down you just have to rise from the ashes. So Burnt Down was born.

How long have you guys all known each other?

We met at That Place Bar & Grill in Greenwood, Indiana in late 2003.

How long have you been playing?

We have all been playing since we were kids. It’s been a life long love kinda thing!

Is there a ringleader amongst you all?

Well yes and no. Justin write’s alot of the lyrics but I write some to (Matt Gibson) and I book all the shows and take care of the website and things like that. We vote on major things like any other band.

Do you guys have a favorite venue?

In Indianapolis it would have to be Birdy’s Bar & Grill.  They always rock!

What is the biggest crowd that you have played for?

A couple hundred. Nothing major but hopefully that will change soon!

The smallest?

I don’t want to talk about it! (Laughs) But really like four or five. It was sad!

Do you guys have jobs outside of music?

We have jobs that rock stars don’t have, are you kidding me?

What are your thoughts on MySpace?

We love it! It is a free website. What’s not to love?

Are you on Twitter?

No, not yet we are working on being that vain! (Laughs)

Who writes all of the lyrics?

We all do but it comes down to what Justin wants to sing.  Singer’s know what I mean! (Just a joke, Justin!)

Where do you get inspiration for a new track?

What’s the old saying? Sex, drugs and rock and roll! Oh yeah, and the chick’s are great! (Laughs)

Let’s say you are offered a record deal for $250,000.  However, the deal calls for someone else’s lyrics and it is a country album.  Do you do it?

Why not, you only live once!

What are you drinking on stage?

Water, beer, vodka, whiskey, yager, and whatever anyone buys us!

What would you be doing if you were not playing music?

Is being worthless a pro sport yet ?

What are your thoughts on the passing of Michael Jackson?

He was a great talent. I don’t care what anyone says about him!

Where can I get some of your merchandise?

You can find that on our website!

Do you guys tour very often?

Not yet. We just play local shows for right now but we are working on it.

Where are you guys originally from?

Everyone but me is from Indiana. I am from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Go Panthers!

Where would you go if you could live anywhere else in the world outside of Indianapolis?

Anywhere warm with no snow!

Coke or Pepsi?

Booze!

If you could only play one song for the rest of your career what would you choose?

Freebird, because everyone love’s Freebird! (Laughs) But really just wing it. A jam out type of thing.

If you could tour with any band in the market today whom would you choose?

Wow! That’s a hard one. I would say KISS, but we would have to go on first because who can top that!

Who are some of your biggest influences?

Dimebag, Jimmie Hendrix, Alice in Chains, Sound Garden, Poison, Motley Crue, Megadeath, Metallica, Ozzy, and you Ricky, you are our hero!

Where do you see yourselves in five years?

Hopefully rich!

What do you want to be remembered for when this is all said and done?

Good music and good friends. What elese could you want besides love?  All you need is love, as a great man once said!

I always let the artist get the last word.  Go.

Stop picking your nose when I’m looking, yes that smells bad, and please put your pants on when you walk through my room at four in the morning.  Nobody want’s to see that!

I published my first blog post on November 29^th, 2008. Since then, I have written over five hundred posts, ranging from a few paragraphs to multiple pages of content. I obsess over content, whether it is posting a blog, flooding my Twitter feed, updating my status on Facebook, checking in on foursquare, or adding restaurant reviews on Yelp. The more content I can create, the better. It helps my personal branding in regards to search engines, and also makes me stay connected to a growing list of friends, fans, and followers.

I write on a wide range of topics as well. When I first started my blog, I was going to use it as a way to talk about my artwork and the events going on in my life. That quickly became a way to share my thoughts and opinions with my readers. That then led to me writing on more serious topics, writing restaurant reviews, and basically just going on to post about anything and everything that inspired me. And that inspiration is everywhere.

I also began interviewing bands for my blog. I first started my blog using Blogger, the blogging service provided by Google, and was off and running. But when I began to get a little more serious, I changed things up and moved to WordPress. It was a big change for me. I had heard a lot about WordPress, and was a little scared at finding a good design and being able to update it a regularly. I turned to a good friend, Alex Conner, for guidance and managed to get my blog set up, designed, and ready to start flooding it with content. And that is exactly what I did. For a while, I was posting two or three blogs a day. I was writing faster than I could keep up.

In the last six months or so I have slowed down and started to write more detailed, dedicated posts. I also had received a ton of complaints on my blog for my improper grammar and spelling errors. I have a certain style where I write once, get my thoughts out, and move on. I hardly ever go back and edit the original post. That has proven to be a fault of mine, which I recently corrected by enlisting an editor. Her name is Leah Barr, and she has been great helping me spell things correctly and use proper punctuation. She works a lot of hours, and while I have no budget to pay her, she is very quick to respond and edit my posts.

I am always looking for new content. Recently, I was listening to National Public Radio on my way home from work, and an author was discussing ideas and where they come from. He was a blogger as well, and he said that every idea he gets, he saves on a Microsoft Word document. He said that he would collect tons of these, and had a folder on his desktop with over five hundred ideas for blogs. I found inspiration in that, and I have begun doing the same thing. I post two blogs between every interview. It’s a constant battle to keep my blogs fresh and interesting.

But recently, I received another complaint on my blog. A few people were chatting over dinner about my blog content lately, saying that it seemed as if I was reaching for content. These people are dear friends of mine, so I took their advice seriously. They are loyal subscribers to my RSS feed, to read what articles interest them. But apparently, a couple of recent posts were not only uninteresting to them, but rather made them turn their noses at me.

One of these posts had to do with the rules and regulations for the pool at my apartment complex. I live in Sunblest Apartment Homes, as does half of the Fishers population, and I found this to be interesting. There was a long list of rules, some of which I have even broken a time or two, and I wanted to share that with my readers. I have readers from all over. Some live in Fishers, even live in Sunblest Apartment Homes, while some live in Russia, but still read and on almost every blog post from all those miles away.

Another post that turned some heads was about a recent silent auction that I attended. I attended Spotlight 2010 at Clowes Memorial Hall, with the help of the Indiana AIDS Fund. It was a great evening for an incredible cause, and showcased fifteen performances from an abundance of local entertainment groups. During the event, in the main entrance and wrapped around the entire venue, were tables filled with items. These items were part of the silent auction that would eventually raise tons of money for the AIDS fund. However, there were several rules and regulations that bidders had to adhere to. This was the first silent auction I had been to and was caught off guard that there would be so many rules to follow. So I wrote about it. I know that there is going to be another Spotlight in 2011, and I had interest in sharing this with those who attended this year’s event, and those who plan to attend next year’s.

My point is that not all of you will find interest in these blog posts. I cannot write for everyone who reads my blog. I am getting over 25,000 site visits a month from countries all over the world. With services like Twitter and Facebook, I have made friends from India all the way to Japan, and they read my blog on a regular basis. Does a blog post about an event held in downtown Indianapolis interest them? Of course not. But tomorrow’s blog might.  And I have to realize that when writing my blog posts. I simply cannot make everyone who reads my blog happy.

But I hope that does not deter you from reading. Sure, it might seem like I was reaching for content, but I truly was inspired to write about those pool rules. And yes, I was quite interested in learning more about why there are so many regulations on a silent auction. I just have to remind myself that I write for myself first, my readers second. And I mean that in the absolutely nicest way possible. I would still write if no one visited my blog. I have to write. I am a writer. That’s what I do.

So if you read my blog, thank you. It shows that all of the hard work I put into my posts really does matter to someone besides me. And if you read my blog, I can promise that you are going to eventually find an article or two that does not interest you. And I hope that is okay. I hope that does not stop you from coming back tomorrow and the next day. I try to post interesting, relevant, and updated content daily. When I post something that might not interest you, please understand that I am still growing as a writer. I will be a better writer tomorrow than I am today. And if you truly enjoy my work, then all I can do is hope that you continue to read and support what I am doing. Thank you for taking the time to read this. It’s tough for me to write. If you have any topics you would like to see, by all means let me know. Just because I write for myself first does not mean that I do not listen to my readers. Again, thank you for supporting what I do.

I first contacted The Claddagh Irish Pub on Facebook. I usually spend every St. Patrick’s Day waiting in line for beer there, and have had several orders of their infamous fish and chips for dinner. I finally added them on Facebook, and struck up a conversation. They wanted in on my restaurant experience reviews. However, they wanted me to drive all the way out to visit their Plainfield location.

The main reason they wanted me to drive so far was the detailed and one-on-one experience unique to their west side location. I had been there before, and knew the location well, so it wouldn’t be a big deal to go. However, seeing as how I am always at the 96th street location, right next to Scotty’s Brewhouse, it seemed obvious I would be dining at that location.

I arrived at the Claddagh about an hour early. My dinner date, Sheryl Hugill, was running late because of a class. I knew they had free Wi-Fi, so I wanted to get some writing in before my evening began. When I walked in, they already had been expecting me, and had my table prepared in the back of the restaurant.

If you have never stepped inside a Claddagh, you might want to drop what you are doing and go now. Now only does the atmosphere fit the quality of food, but the theme makes you feel like you are truly in a British pub. The lighting is dim, the walls are dark and covered in old wood paneling, and the servers and bartenders have that Irish know-how when it comes to suggesting the right menu item.

Most of my restaurant experience interviews are planned to include a couple of appetizers, a couple of entrees, and a couple of desserts, all matched with a drink from the bar. The chef selects the menu, and the bar manager chooses drinks. I look at the menu so that I can share pricing and portion sizes, but I ask to be treated like any other guest. I expect the night to be just like you would experience when you visit. The Claddagh did nothing like I had asked.

After I was seated, a manager introduced himself to me. He then introduced a server who would deliver drinks and water for the evening. Then he brought over the head chef. From that moment, the entire evening was filled with stories of where the food came from, tips for preparing the same dishes at home, and the history behind the restaurant and their new menu. The attention that was paid to my guest and me while I was there was unbeatable. The chef personally served each dish, and by the time I was half fished with the third round of samplings, I was stuffed. Then he just insisted on bringing more. Since I have a dedication to my readers and my blog, I kept eating.

Indianapolis Locations

You can visit three Claddagh locations in Indianapolis. You can go to their north side location on 96th street. You could visit their downtown location, right in the heard of the city, and experience the same quality food and drinks. Or you could head out to the west side, and enjoy a nice meal at Metropolis. If you go to this mall, you might just find yourself walking around and shopping at all the various stores here as well. No matter which location you choose, you will not be disappointed. Their tagline is Fresh. Simple. Tasteful. That goes to all the locations located in the Circle City, and the other thirteen locations located all over the Midwest.

Do you know where the name pub comes from? It actually stands for “public house,” and in Europe, pubs are treated as a place where friends and family gather to share in conversation, great food, and drinks. We might not be in Europe, but everything else that I experienced was about as close to perfect as you could get. Let’s eat, shall we?

Starting Things Off Right

Rather than bringing out huge portions, the head chef decided to give me a chance to sample more menu items. From the appetizer all the way through the desserts, we were served with smaller portion sizes with multiple menu items on the same plate. That is where we began with the appetizers. Remember, I ask for each item to be paired with a drink from the bar. These drinks were served in much smaller glassware as well, nicely matched to our food portions.

Salt & Pepper Calamari

The first item on the plate was an order of salt and pepper calamari. I am a big fan of fresh seafood, and not much can replace that flavor of cut up, deep-fried squid.

Once you pop one of these little guys into your mouth, you almost forget all about the fact you are eating squid. The calamari was quite chewy, which I hate when eating squid, but the flavors on the breading made up for that. The taste is so intense, almost spicy from the amount of pepper you taste, and leaves your mouth simply wanting more.

You can get a full order of this stuff for $6.99, and it comes with a side of homemade marinara sauce. One thing that has changed at the Claddagh, besides their menu, is that they are a made-from-scratch kitchen now. That means that almost every sauce is made fresh daily in the kitchen. That marinara you are dropping your fish into was made that morning. It adds a whole new feel to a restaurant, knowing that each day they put so much effort into even simple things like a sauce. And the sauce, in this case the marinara, reflected that on our visit. It was thick, hearty, and left a great after taste for the next bite of calamari.

Hummus & Pita Points

When I go out to eat, I rarely order an appetizer. The main reason is that they are just too expensive in most cases. But part of the new menu at the Claddagh is their “lighter side nibbles,” as they call it. These are smaller portioned apps that are just right before a big meal. These little plates of food are only $2.99. The hummus and pita points are one of those options.

I am not a huge fan of hummus, but I always like to give it a try. Greek just doesn’t really do it for me. And I’m not sure what a Greek food staple is doing in an Irish pub. But anyway, I thought I would give it a try.  The pita points came served with the hummus already on top. It was much easier to eat than if we’d had to dip or spoon the hummus, and also made a more pleasant presentation.

The hummus was a tad dry, but you expect that from hummus. The pita points were also a bit dry, and a little over cooked if you ask me. But if you are looking for that true fare of hummus, then this is an option for you. Also, for only $2.99, you can’t go wrong.

Corned Beef & Cabbage Rolls

Next comes a Claddagh signature menu item. I was excited just from the name of this appetizer. The corned beef and cabbage rolls combine two Irish staples into one tasty little appetizer. From the start, they look like just your typical store-bought egg rolls that you might serve with some steamed rice. But once you bite into these, you are swept away with a mouthful of flavor. They are packed with sweetness from the cabbage, and served with a sweet chili dipping sauce that you can order as a side sauce with any menu item. And I highly suggest it.

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

This is a typical appetizer staple. There are very few restaurants that don’t offer some sort of spinach dip on their appetizer menu. But the spinach and artichoke dip at the Claddagh is a bit different. First off, they make it in house. They use a blend of three fresh cheeses and serve it on top of pita points, similar to the hummus. Again, rather than having to dip for it, you can just grab a pita point and start eating.

Remember how I said the pita points were a bit dry? Well, this actually helps the spinach dip. The dryness from the pita actually serves well with the intensity from the flavors in the spin dip. You can almost taste all three of those cheeses, and the spinach flavor is not too overwhelming. I won’t say this the is best spinach dip that I have ever had, but the next time I am at the Claddagh, I am sure I will order some.

Eire Smokes Salmon Plate

Now you’re talking. I love salmon. But I love it even more when it comes out looking like this. Not only was this dish served with a gorgeous presentation, but also came with a side of field greens, some red onions, capers, tomatoes, and some Claddagh bread with a side of lime aioli. It looked almost too good to eat.

But when I did start eating, I couldn’t stop. The lime aioli was just the right balance for the intensity of the capers and the freshness of the salmon. And the field greens, which I later learned are eventually going to replace their house salad, made the meal light and added another bit of freshness to it. This dish is $12.99, so it is a little higher priced than most of the other appetizers, but the taste is worth it.

We were served a Strongbow with this, and I couldn’t have picked a better beer. Strongbow is a hard cider in a tall yellow and black can. I am sure you have seen the logo at one point of another. I have since gone out and bought a four pack. When you sip on one of these and eat some of that fresh salmon with the flavorful capers, you won’t be sorry.

Now for the Main Course

I was starting to get full by the time I finished all of these appetizers. I am a member of the clean plate club, and when there is food on a plate in front of me, well, I eat it. I just like to consider myself a growing boy. And now, it was time for the main course.

Cilantro Pesto Baked Cod

This dish had a pretty neat presentation as well. The fish was served on top of a bed of fresh ratatouille. From the first bite, I was more excited about the ratatouille than the fish. Not that the fish was bad, but I just have a hard time mixing pesto and fish. I think of pesto as pairing for chicken or possibly even beef, but never seafood.

The pesto didn’t overpower the dish by any means. The flavor coming from the ratatouille was enough to cancel out the pesto on the fish itself. And with multiple other menu items here featuring this same codfish, I felt like this dish was almost reaching a bit too far. One good thing about this dish was that the flavor did hang around for a while. It was nice to finish the dish, take a sip of wine, and still have that pesto and marinara lingering.

Shrimp Risotto

Recently, on a trip to Hawaii, I had the chance to eat some of the freshest shrimp I have ever had. The shrimp in Hawaii literally come from ponds right next to the restaurants, and you can eat shrimp that were swimming around a few hours prior. I never thought the flavor of those shrimp could be replaced. That was until the chef brought out his shrimp risotto.

This dish is simple. It is nothing more than some white rice, some vegetables, a handful of jumbo shrimp, and some shredded Parmesan cheese. But when you grab a spoonful of this stuff, especially the bites that have a shrimp in them, you are not going to want to stop eating until it is gone. This might be one of the best dishes I have ever eaten at any restaurant in this city.

The shrimp are just packed with flavor. I even asked the chef how he packs so much flavor into these little guys, and he said that he just soaks them overnight. Simple and delicious. The rice and veggies also make the dish seem somewhat healthy. I literally licked this bowl clean before I let him take it away. It was that good. And for only $13.99, there is a lot of value for your dollar here.

Fish & Chips

You can’t go to an Irish pub and not consider ordering the fish and chips. Sheryl is a huge fan of fish and chips, and who can blame her? You take fresh fish, deep fry it to a golden brown in beer batter, and then throw on a side of freshly cut French fries. Pretty hard to screw that up.

The chef actually said no when I asked him if fish and chips were going to be sampled that evening. He said it is too obvious, and claimed that they were trying to steer people away form ordering such cliché dishes. However, we were served an order of fish and chips because I told him Sheryl is a big fan.

The fish is incredible. You taste the same cod here as you did in the pesto dish, but the batter makes all the difference in the world. It’s served with a side of tartar sauce that you will find yourself needing to order extra, because it is a treat all itself. Match that with those hand-cut steak fries and the freshly prepared Cole slaw for a dish that will have you begging for more.

Chicken Curry

When sitting down in an Irish pub, curry is probably not on your mind. That is something you get at a Chinese restaurant or a Thai place. But this curry is not your typical curry. It is actually Irish curry, which is completely different than anything you have ever tasted.

This dish is served with another variety of freshly cut French fries, dusted in sea salt to preserve the taste of the potato. Also featured is a side of fresh veggies that, when mixed with the leftover curry sauce from the diced up chicken, makes for an incredible side dish. The heat that you expect form a traditional curry is not there, which is part of what makes this dish so unique.  Just consider this one more authentic Irish menu item for you to choose form.

Bacon & Cheese Tartlet

Weird is the only thing that I can use to describe this dish. Think of a strange quiche. You almost don’t want to even try it because of how it looks. But trust me, do. The flavors packed in this dish are incredible. It’s served with a side house salad you won’t even want to touch because of the bacon and cheese flavors in this tartlet. And who doesn’t like bacon?

This meal almost reminds you of a breakfast sandwich. The Claddagh is not open for breakfast, but if you are like me and like to have breakfast for dinner sometimes, get this. And the salad, which I did eventually eat, has a pretty good dressing on it. The field greens, discussed earlier, make up the salad and it is tossed in lemon vinaigrette.

Munster Meatloaf

I love me some meatloaf. But when our chef served the Munster Meatloaf, I was confused. It did not look like meatloaf at all. It was a ball of meat wrapped in bacon. Don’t get me wrong, it still looked incredible. Just not what I was expecting.

The meatloaf is served on a bed of chicken gravy, and covered in a stone ground mustard sauce. What makes this meatloaf so unique? Well, have you ever had meatloaf made with minced chicken? Yeah, me either. And I want some more right now.

The fresh veggies served on the side make you feel a bit less guilty about eating a huge chunk of bacon-wrapped meat. The heat coming from the mustard is enough to make you reach for your water glass, and actually takes a lot of the flavor from the meatloaf away, so be careful how much you use per bite. You need to make sure you taste the meatloaf, not just the sauce. A great menu item, and for only $10.99 you can’t go wrong. It will fill you up.

Cornucopia Burgers

I have had my fair share of turkey burgers and Boca burgers in an effort to lose weight. But when I was told that these vegetarian burgers were part of the line up, I was nothing more than curious. For only $7.99, you can feel a lot better about eating a cheeseburger.

This dish was actually named after a store in Europe called Cornucopia. The burgers are served on a bun with lettuce, red onion, and topped with a garlic lime aioli on the bottom allowing your mouth to taste all of the flavors all the way through. And you do taste all of the flavors. It does not taste like a cheeseburger, so if you ordered this hoping it would be like a Big Mac, prepare to be disappointed. It is good, don’t get me wrong, but you feel healthy when eating it.

Sweetness Here She Comes

Part of the Claddagh’s efforts in offering lower prices and a wider selection of foods means cutting back the best part of the meal, the desserts. As with the appetizers, I rarely order a dessert after all the food I consume at dinner. But there is always room for ice cream, right?

Here at the Claddagh, you have only four options for your desserts. And they won’t feed an army. They are personal sized, and if you are nice you could share, but you will not get full from these dishes. I had the chance to try all four desserts. All of these dishes are only $3.50 as well. Compare these to the nibbles that began your meal.

The first one was the Bread and Butter Pudding. It was my favorite of the four. It was nothing to write home about, just good old bread pudding. Then came the Beautiful Baby Banoffee. This is a banana lover’s dream. I took one bite and it was enough for me to move on to the Eaton Mess and the Chocolate Brownie Hooley.

The Eaton Mess was a basically a bowl of berries and simple syrup. As healthy as this sounds, well, its not! And nothing called the Chocolate Brownie Hooley can be good for you. It was just good! But we managed to finish all of the desserts.

When I first stepped into the Claddagh, I knew I would have a memorable experience. And that is exactly what we got. The food was incredible, the drinks were unique and fitting to the meal, and the service was top notch. Not too many places pay that much attention to detail and add that extra level of personality to your visit. (I mean, who has ever heard of a Guinness Fizz? What is a Guinness Fizz you ask? This is nothing more than vodka and Kahlua, but instead of cream that would make a White Russian you add Guinness. Yeah, it’s good. Its really good.)

I want to thank everyone who made this experience possible. The food was fantastic, the atmosphere is nearly impossible to replace, and even though there are fewer items on the menu, the selection is endless. If you are in the mood for an order of fish and chips, or something more authentic like the Munster Meatloaf, there is a table waiting for you at the nearest Claddagh.

There comes a time when you have to stop worrying about what you sound like and what people think of you and just play music. You heard guys all the time saying, “We do it for the music.” Well, these guys do it for the music. They have fun while doing it though. They have a blast up there on stage playing songs that sound good enough to listen to again, and they are just super nice guys to boot. When I first met Colin Clark I was unaware he even worked in the music industry. Let alone worked with three different, and equally unique bands. The band that I am sitting with today have a name you won’t soon forget and just like to get up on stage and rock. Thanks to these guys I will never look at seafood the same again. Sit back and get to know the guys in Pissed Off Catfish.

Where did you guys get that name?

When Rob Doty was in high school he was jamming with some old timers on the porch and between songs one of them said that if he could go back and do it all over he’d start a country-bluegrass band and call it the Pissed Off Catfish.  Apparently it made an impression, because ten years later…well the rest is history.

Is there really a pissed off catfish out there somewhere?

I’d like to think that there’s a little pissed off catfish in all of us.  The catfish is a symbol of the part of every person that makes mistakes.  We’d all like to be perfect, but deep down we’ve all got a bottomfeeding pissed off catfish walloring in the mud.

Where did you all meet?

Rob and I lived began playing music together when we lived on the same floor freshman year at Indiana University.  We met Jeff shortly after graduation when we were all living in Indianapolis.

How long have you all been performing together?

The Pissed Off Catfish formed in the fall of 2008 as a classic country cover band, but we soon had a large arsenal of original music and soon we had a set list that was predominantly made up of our own material.

If you could live anywhere else in the world where would you go?

I’d probably move to Austin, Texas.  It just seems like a cool place to be.

So I love that there is actually a catfish on your MySpace background. Who’s idea was that?

Rob Doty found that by doing a google image search.  Don’t tell anyone, I think that image might be violating copyright law!

What are your thoughts on MySpace?

I think it’s still important for bands to have MySpace pages, but we’re more focused on building followings on Facebook.

Are you on Twitter?

The best way to connect with the Pissed Off Catfish on Twitter is to follow our record label which is @mwmcrecords, but you can also follow the band @poccatfish

Tell me I can find you all on Facebook.

Of Course!  You can connect with us or connect with any of us individually.  We love friends.

Describe your genre in one word.

Mud.

What kind of merchandise does a band like yours have?

We’ve done tons of posters and handbills.  Our debut album comes out next month.

I hear a hint of blues in some of your lyrics. Who are some of your biggest influences?

Big props to Willie and Waylon, and I don’t think any of us would be here without Hank Williams.  We’re also big Jimi Hendrix fans.  And we’re kind of fond of the Beatles, but who isn’t?

What is the biggest crowd that you have ever played for?

We recently played to a packed house at Pat’s Tavern in Mooresville.  Probably a couple hundred people.

The smallest?

We played this charity event in Bloomington at a day spa that was attended by ten people.

So, any Justin Bieber fans in the house?

Ummmmm.

What is the best concert you have ever witnessed in your life?

I saw David Allen Coe once at the Civic Center in Danville, Illinois.  It was incendiary.  He looked like a wreck and he kept forgetting the words to the songs, but the sound and the vibe was amazing.

What are you drinking on stage?

We love any kind of beer that’s cold and plenty of whiskey.

Do you guys have jobs outside of music?

Colin owns Tribeswell. It’s a company that designs pretty things for the web. Rob is an architect. Jeff Sigelman is a scientist, specifically he is a microbiologist group leader pharmaceutical microbiology. so yeah he’s a scientist.

Can I just call you POC?

(Laughs) Yeah that’s what we call ourselves for short, although some people like to call us the POC Catfish, and we’re like… You don’t have to say catfish at the end!  That’s what the C stands for!   But anyway…

Let’s say that you only have twenty-four hours left to live. How do you spend your last day on earth?

Drinkin whiskey, playin music, and loving everybody.

While we are at it, what is your last meal?

We’d just throw a bunch of meat on the grill and eat it all.

How did you guys react to the passing of the King of Pop?

Colin wanted to do a tribute set, but couldn’t get buy-in from the rest of the band.  In a lot of ways MJ hadn’t really been on top of his game for over a decade.  It was kind of sad to see the choices he made for the last several years of his life.  Such an amazing talent though.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you on stage?

We recently were playing a cover of Folsum Prison Blues, and half way through the song we kind of collectively forgot how we usually end that song and it just went on and on for about five minutes.  Eventually we just kind of quit playing.  It was pretty rough.

Any plans for a full-length disc?

We’re currently in the studio working on an eight song extended EP.  There seems to be a trend towards shorter albums with iTunes and Amazon and all that.  It seems like the era of the thirteen to fifteen song full length album might be coming to a close.  We had eight songs that went together really well, so we decided to take just those eight into the studio.  The record will probably be called Whiskey Whiskers and we’re releasing it next month.

Any tattoos in the band?

Rob has a spray paint can with wings on his back.

Do you like Lady Gaga?

Lady Gaga is a pretty cool dude, I guess.

With a grove like this I bet one of you owns a pair of cowboy boots. Which one of you wears boots on stage?

Jeff wears cowboy boots all the time.  He actually inherited them from his dad who was a country musician back in the 70′s.

Where do you see yourselves in five years?

We’ll have sold a few hundred thousand records, we’ll be playing a lot of shows, and we’ll be producing a lot of cool music and art.

What do you want to be remembered for when this is all said and done?

We’d like to be remembered as a bunch of guys who were great musicians and artists who did amazing things that no one had ever thought of before.

I always let the artist get the last word.

Check out the calendar page on our website and come see us play.  Free admission.  Money back guarantee.

You might recall a recent article about Spotlight 2010, hosted in Indianapolis at Clowes Memorial Hall. This event was put on to raise money for the Indiana AIDS Fund. I was able to attend this event, take a ton of great pictures, and share in endless conversation with some of the folks behind the scenes. The night was focused on the fundraising, but there were fifteen incredible performances to entertain the audience as well.

Part of the fundraising came with their silent auction that was taking place in the lobby. Everywhere you went, tables were packed with items from local contributors and sponsors. Even some local artists had donated their work for the auction. The silent auction was broken down into twelve different categories:

• Artwork
• Bon Appétit
• Décor
• Entertainment
• Holidays
• Kids World
• Sports
• Travel
• Celebrity
• Pamper Yourself
• Pets
• Party Hearty

I did not bid on anything myself, but almost every item had at least one name on it. This was the first silent auction I had been to like this. I had seen silent auctions before, but nothing of this magnitude. They ended up raising a ton of money, breaking previous records of money raised. A lot of that had to do with the success of the silent auction.

But as with everything else, the silent auction was not just a free for all. There was a list of some pretty specific guidelines. Considering that Spotlight had such a successful year this year, there is no doubt in my mind they will be back for 2011. And based on the success of the silent auction, I imagine they will be repeating that as well. So, to better prepare yourself for next year’s silent auction, I wanted to share with you the list of guidelines from this year’s event.

1. Silent auction opens at 5:30 PM.
2. Every item in the auction has a bid sheet. The sheet states the actual retail value of the item, minimum starting bid, and the minimum increase for raising a bid.
3. The starting bid is approximately one-third of the item’s estimated value.
4. You must increase your bid amount by at least the minimum bid increment level.
5. There is no limit to the number of times you can increase your bid.
6. Recording your name on a bid sheet commits you. If your name is illegible, the event staff reserves the right to accept the next highest bidder as the winner.
7. All sales are final. There will be no refunds, exchanges, or shipping of the merchandise.
8. Gift certificates have no cash value. Cash cannot be returned when the certificates are redeemed unless otherwise specified.
9. All restrictions listed on the gift certificated are final.
10. The Indiana AIDS Fund and The Health Foundation of Greater Indianapolis make no guarantees or warranties as to any auction item or service, its retail value, or the deductibility of any portions of a bid under federal or state income tax. The Indiana AIDS Fund and The Health Foundation shall not be accountable for any claims, liabilities, or causes of action arising from transaction between bidder and donor.
11. Payment for auction items can be made using cash, check, Visa or MasterCard.
12. Checks should be made out to the Indiana AIDS Fund.
13. All items must be paid for the evening of the event. Purchasers are responsible for the transportation of their items.
14. Bidding closes promptly at the end of intermission.
15. If your item(s) are too big, we can assist you with the transport to your vehicle. Please pull your vehicle to the front of Clowes Hall.

As you can see, there are a lot of things to pay attention to when bidding at a silent auction. After reviewing this list of guidelines, I can see where this could be taken advantage of, without the use of proper caution. These guidelines are put in place to help protect the bidder, the donor, and most important, the Indiana AIDS Fund and the staff at Clowes Hall.

This list of guidelines was found inside the program, and was also listed in several other places during the night of the event. So the next time you are at a silent auction, make sure you know all of the protocol before placing your first bid. I know I have learned to cover all my bases before bidding next time. Hopefully, next year at Spotlight 2011, you will be better prepared to start bidding to support such a  great cause. Bids are now closed, but keep your eyes peeled for more information on Spotlight 2011.

Succeeding as a restaurateur in downtown Indianapolis is no easy task. There are a ton of places to choose from, and with a steak house on nearly every corner, finding a unique offering can be a challenge. But, hungry folks of the Circle City, you’re lucky. The Alcatraz Brewing Company has a table ready for you and yours.

Alcatraz Brewing Company opened when Circle Center Mall opened, and has been serving up some of the best appetizers, entrees, and desserts in the city ever since. Prior to this review, I had eaten at Alcatraz numerous times. I had never been impressed, and even while visiting the original location out in Orange, California I thought the establishment was nothing more than run of mill. But I got word through the grapevine they had a new chef, a new menu, and some new beers that I just had to try.

When you first walk into Alcatraz Brewing Company, you totally forget that you are in Indiana. Decorations hang all over the walls, and even the bathrooms give you the feel you are in the historic prison. When I arrived, I was promptly greeted by my server and taken to a clean table right in the center of the restaurant. It was a gorgeous evening downtown, with tables outside filling up fast, but I wanted to experience the restaurant for what it was, so I chose a seat inside to get the full effect.

Our gracious server’s name was Jon. After seating us, he explained how the evening was going to go. He told us about the beers we would be sampling, the appetizers that we would nibble on, the entrees that would fill our bellies, and the desserts that would send us off with a sweet ending. He also handed us a copy of both the dinner and lunch menu to look at. I always like to see what the menu has to offer past what we are sampling. Then came the beers.

The Man Behind the Beer

Beer is a crucial part of any dining experience. That is especially true if the beer is made in-house. At Alcatraz Brewing Company, you can order a Bud Light if you want, but why would you when there are several beers on tap that were made by the local brewmaster himself. The brewmaster at the Indianapolis location is Omar Castrellon. Omar actually started making beer on accident back in 1991. One day, he just decided to just give it a shot. Omar has been making beer ever since and has been with Alcatraz since 2001.

I had the chance to meet Omar during my dining experience. We chatted about his beginnings in making beer, the power of social media, and some new beers they have coming up at Alcatraz. Speaking of new beers, they actually just tapped the Devil’s Ale, which I will talk about here in a moment. He also let us sip on another beer that he produced not too long ago. You won’t find this beer on any menu. This beer was a new experiment that he is very proud of. And for good reason, because it was one of the best beers I have ever tasted. He explained the process a little bit. He adds bourbon-soaked wood chips to the beer to give it that added flavor. In a different twist, the beer actually gets better the warmer it gets. Its flavors begin to expand as it reaches room temperature.

The Beers

Rather than just bringing out pints of all of their homemade beers, Sheryl and I both started with a beer sampler. You can order one of these from the menu for $6.25 to get a small sample of all their beers. Besides the fact that we were about to taste all six of their beers, out came a second sampler that had their current seasonal brew on it, as well as a sample of their brand new Devil’s Ale. So we got to start our evening by sampling all eight of their brews.

Another cool thing about the sampler was the beer menu they set the sampler on. Pretty much every brewery offers some sort of a sampler for their beers, but I have never been anywhere that puts a menu down describing the beers you are drinking. On this menu you were shown the name of the beer, as well as a brief description of what to expect when tasting the beverage. This is something simple, but went a long way for the overall enjoyment of those beers.

(I also liked the fact that the Alcatraz Brewing Company logo is everywhere. The logo is on the glassware, on the drink coasters, and even on the bags they provide for carry-out orders.)

Searchlight Golden Ale

First up was the Searchlight Golden Ale. Before I even began sipping on this beverage, I already knew what to expect. Our server called it their, “light and refreshing” beer and one that will please just about everyone. And we have all had this sort of beer before. Think Bud Light but with a cool name. But when I put my nose into the glass to see what this drink smelled like, I was pleasantly surprised. It reminded me of European ale, something that would leave a long and lasting aftertaste. And that is exactly what it did.

The Searchlight Golden Ale is 4.5% alcohol by volume and drinks almost like a crisp cider. You are immediately hit with a bitter start, but the beer finishes very light, crisp, and smooth. And that aftertaste I was talking about is dead on. The beer lingers on your tongue for a long time. This is a beer that you could drink all night from appetizers to entrees and even after dinner. Think of this as a party beer.

Weiss Guy Wheat

I am a big fan of wheat beers, as is Sheryl. But in our opinion, a good wheat beer is a Blue Moon. So when I placed this glass to my nose and took a whiff, I was shocked to not smell much of anything. The beer was also a bit thicker than what I am used to. But this beer is an American wheat beer, which I would later learn is not the same as a Blue Moon or beers like it. The process is different, leaving the beer without some of those orange flavors you expect from a typical wheat beer.

I was not a huge fan of this beer, but not because of the taste. It honestly had very little taste to it. I was more upset because I had a certain expectation when I read that it was a wheat beer. This beer also does not come with a garnish on the side of the glass. I am not sure if that is because it was in a sampler or not, but most wheat beers have an orange on the side. Again, I’m stuck on the Blue Moon expectations.

Indian Brown Lager

Now we are talking. I am a big fan of brown lagers. This brew carries a slightly higher alcohol content, reaching 6.0% ABV. But you do not taste the higher alcohol content in the beer. But let’s start with the nose on the brew.

From the second this beer hit my nostrils, I couldn’t wait to taste it. The nose is quite dirty, for lack of a better word, and gives you that brown ale sense. After speaking with Omar I actually found out why that beer has such a dirty nose to it. The beer is well aged. It also is made with Cascade and Palisades and is extremely hoppy. One of their most hopped beers as a matter of fact. The finish is strong as well and stays on your palate for quite some time. I would suggest this beer by itself or with a burger or steak.

Pelican Pale Ale

I like pale ales. I like the name and logo on the Pelican Pale Ale, too. A cool thing about the beers made right here at Alcatraz is they each have their own logo. These logos are plastered all over the walls, so you can relate to the beer you are drinking to the logo they have provided. Other places, like The Ram and Rock Bottom Brewing Company, do this as well. It adds a little personality to the beers.

The Pelican Pale Pale is a little lower in alcohol content, coming in at just 5.0% ABV, but that does not mean it lacks in flavor. The beer is an almost copper color and the nose is intense with heavy citrus overtones. The flavors also match the nose perfectly. The start of the beer is what you expect from pale ale, but there are ton of spices toward the end. Those spices hang around, leaving the palate satisfied and waiting for the next sip.

The Rock Bock

I will be the first to tell you how much I dislike bocks. I have tasted my fair share of bocks and not a single one does a beer justice. Some of the more popular brands that you can find in local liquor stores, and even the double bocks, pretend to be this big, bold, enjoyable brew, and always fall short. Not the Rock Bock.

Out of all the beers I tasted at Alcatraz Brewing Company, this was probably my favorite. Or one of my favorites anyway! The nose did not impress me. There was very little nose on this brew. Most bocks are smooth, trying to be thick, leaving a bitter and coppery taste in your mouth. This one however drinks like a can of soda and leaves a carbonated and satisfying flavor on the back of your tongue. I would almost call the finish on this beer frosty.

Java Oatmeal Stout

I am a sucker for a stout. The thicker the better, in my opinion. I love beers like Guinness, just because they taste like chocolate milk more than an adult beverage. But when you add the word java to the front of it, and then throw in the added bonus of making it oatmeal stout too, you have one happy drinker.

You know how I said the Pelican was my favorite? Well, this one might be the new champion. This beer drinks just like a stout should, with a heavy and thick head and a smooth and narrow finish. You get a ton of coffee on the start of the beer, as well as on the nose. And the coffee that you taste is actually from a local gourmet coffee shop located right here in Indianapolis. The beer is huge, with 29 IBU’s, and packs a punch with 6.0% ABV. If you like coffee, and want a beer you can sip on all evening, try this one. This beer also gets better the closer it gets to room temperature.

The Sledgehammer

Now lets move on to their seasonal brew. The Sledgehammer is a treat. This beer is intense, coming in at 8.0% ABV, but when it hits your lips, you would think you were drinking a fresh fruit juice. The beer has intense nose packed with grapefruit and apples, and leaves your nose thinking about a walk through a field of flowers before thinking about drinking a beer.

The taste of the beer hits you with those fruity flavors once again. It drinks surprisingly smooth, and you just don’t want to put this beer down. Later, our server asked us which beer we would like to try a pint of and I said the java stout. But I regret that decision. I should have said The Sledgehammer, because I miss that beer already.

All of the beers at Alcatraz are unique and have that homemade flavor to them. You can’t repeat the beauty in a beer made locally and you understand that from the second you order it. If you like their beers, even one of them, consider buying a growler. A lot of local breweries do this, but not too many offer pricing like Alcatraz. The growler is $14.00 at first but only $9.00 on every refill. And if you are free on Tuesday and Thursday nights, you can refill your growler for only $4.00. That is a lot of beer for not a lot of money. And remember that Alcatraz also has a daily-featured beer where pints are only $2.75 each. (This is only Monday through Thursday with no beer specials on the weekends.)

Starting off with some Appetizers

While we were sitting there enjoying our beers, Jon brought out an order of their spinach and artichoke dip and an order of their fried calamari. Sheryl and I are both big fans of both these dishes, and Jon made mention to their dip having the title of, “The Best Spinach Dip in Indianapolis.” I must agree. It was incredible. It was not your typical spinach dip either. It was served with a side order of baked Parmesan flat bread that was seasoned and baked in-house. The bread has a hint of garlic to it, and you are served a perfect amount of bread for the amount of dip you receive.

The spinach dip is served in a fairly large bowl too, and rather than dip the bread, I suggest using the provided spoons and smearing it all over the flat bread. It will make for a more enjoyable experience.

The calamari was delicious as well. It was served with a side of cocktail sauce, which I had never had before. Most places will serve it, if with any sauce at all, marinara. So the cocktail sauce was a nice touch. It was also spicy, but not too hot. For the size of the calamari, it was just right. But there was also a specialty sauce served with it. Rather than cocktail, you could dip in a chipotle aioli sauce. This sauce is so good that if I could, I might take a bath in it.

The sauce was sweet to start, but left some fire in your mouth by the time you were finished. But the initial sweetness made up for it. My mouth was confused from the first item. But it was so delicious it didn’t matter. And it complimented the thin breading on the calamari. If I had to say any one thing about this dish it is the soft and subtle breading that covered the squid. It was a great way to start off the evening, and was just the right amount for a three-course meal.

Garden Fresh Salads

Next came one of their garden fresh salads. They have seven different salads on their menu, but I could not have chosen a better one on that list. We were dished up a full order, split onto two plates, their baby spinach salad. Now, you might think that a salad like this would be boring with some spinach leaves and perhaps a handful of random toppings. But no, this salad was incredible. Not only was it packed with fresh spinach leaves, but it was doused in their white balsamic vinaigrette dressing. It was almost too much dressing, because I love the taste of spinach.

Not only did it have all of this tasty dressing and spinach leaves, but also red onions and crumbled bleu cheese on top. Oh, I’m not done. On top of that came some of the freshest grilled tuna that I have ever eaten. It was served slightly chilled and the split salad was the exact right amount of food for two people. It was not too much, and would actually serve quite well as an appetizer on its own. Out server said that a lot of guests actually order a full salad and split the plate for that very reason.

Now for the Main Course

Before we could even finish our salads, out came out main course. And I was not ready for this. In front of Sheryl went a chicken pesto calzone; for me, a full rack of their award winning BBQ ribs. These are not just your everyday BBQ ribs; they come drenched in their signature Hoisin BBQ sauce. This sauce has actually been a staple for Alcatraz at events like Zoobilation.

The chicken pesto calzone was pretty significant, too. It took up half the plate. If it were a pizza, it would cover the entire plate. One thing that Alcatraz offers with their pizzas is the option to make them all a calzone. Now, you might be saying, “If the pizza itself is turned into a calzone, isn’t it the same experience?” Well, yes and no. The pizza itself will come out just as that, flat and over loaded with toppings. But the calzone has a different baking process, and takes those same toppings and lets them sit and cook mixed with one another. Regardless, they are both delicious and there is no extra charge to turn a pizza into a calzone.

Back to the ribs. The ribs are served with a side of hand-cut French fries and a side order of Cole slaw. I am a big fan of both, deep fried potatoes and freshly prepared Cole slaw. But I was more focused on the ribs and that incredible BBQ sauce. The fries were good, don’t get me wrong, but i couldn’t stop from dipping them in the BBQ sauce that was oozing off these ribs.

One thing that surprised me with the ribs was how hard they were to eat. I am used to ribs being tender where the meat practically falls off the bone. But not these ribs. You actually had to get in there and work to get the meat off them. But it was actually okay. Because the more you worked on the ribs, the more sauce got on your hands, and the more you could enjoy licking that off later. But in all seriousness, I was hoping the ribs would be a bit tenderer. I actually took some left over ribs home with me to enjoy the next day. They are much better the night you order them. Still delicious, but not as enjoyable as they were fresh out of the kitchen.

Just when I finished with the ribs, polished off the rest of the calzone, and took my last sip of beer, the last thing I wanted to do was to keep eating. I sat back, loosened my belt, and let out a big sigh of relief when Jon came and took our plates away.

Ending with the Sweet Stuff

Just then, Jon got back to the table with our dessert. I have never been a big fan of desserts. Not sure why. I mean, I love a good cookie, some bread pudding if you have it, or a giant slice of ice cream cake. But I am never one to order it when I go out. But here at Alcatraz, not all of their desserts are sweet. First came the strawberry shortcake that was not your typical strawberry shortcake. Rather than using pound cake, they use a sweet, made-from-scratch biscuit. They cut it half, cover in whipped cream, and then top it with sliced strawberries and some more whipped cream.

But there is one thing missing. Where is the ice cream? I don’t know about you, but every strawberry shortcake that I have ever eaten has had some vanilla ice cream with it. If the people who wrote the menu at Alcatraz Brewing Company are listening, both Sheryl Hugill and I think there needs to be a lot less whipped cream and some vanilla bean ice cream. Two scoops would do it justice. We ate the whole thing, though, so don’t think we boycotted what was right in front of us!

Next, instead of a piece of cake or some other fattening calorie packed dessert, sat two shot glasses. Inside these shot glasses are what is called a Strawberry Tart. The glasses are garnished with a freshly sliced strawberry. So Sheryl and I said cheers to the experience that we had at Alcatraz Brewing Company and went bottoms up with our final dessert. It was as good as expected, and ended the evening on a perfect note.

After the meal was over, Jon walked use around and showed us the facility. He took us upstairs and showed us where the beer is made, showed us their private dining rooms that are available to rent for $500, and even showed us some hand-drawn art courtesy of Shane Brown Art and the Indiana Drinking Team. You might have heard of Shane, actually. He is the artist that did all of the beer logos for Sun King Brewing Company. He has some art work also spread out through the restaurant, and is actually a former employee of Alcatraz Brewing Company.

At some point while you are in the Circle City, you must pay tribute to the famous prison on the west coast that made this restaurant possible. The menu is new, the chef is new, and the experience you will have here will not easily be replaced. Adding to the fact they have an incredible selection of beers, their wait staff is highly trained and motivated, and their menu is placed with signature dishes, you will become a regular if you just give it a chance.

I want to personally thank all of the folks that made this evening possible. Alcatraz Brewing Company is located in downtown Indianapolis and is a place that you will be seeing me on Tuesday and Thursday night for $4.00 growler refills. Stop in, say hello, and make sure you order one of their homemade beers. You won’t regret it. I can’t wait for my next trip to Alcatraz Brewing Company.

I am a big fan of live music. I enjoy the whole atmosphere of going out, paying a cover to get in, picking your seat, ordering drinks; you name it. And there are so many great live music venues here in the Circle City that it is hard to pick where to go on any given night. But regardless of which venue I find myself in on any given night, I can almost bet this band has played there. These guys tour all over the Indianapolis area and are playing somewhere almost every weekend. And when I found that they were actually not planning on playing much this summer, I was excited to invite them to join the bill for rickyleepotts.com presents six bands for six bucks. After sharing a few emails, they have joined the lineup! But before then I wanted to sit with them and get to know who they were on the inside. To learn more about a band is crucial seeing them perform live and hearing their songs. It is my pleasure to introduce you to The Will Woodrow Project.

Let me guess. Your name is Will Woodrow?

Actually Will Woodrow Nelson, but Willy Nelson was already taken.

How long have you been performing?

I started my solo project in 2005. It’s gone through several line-up changes. Liz has been with me for a year and a half . My guitarist is filling in until we find a solid permanent. I’ve been performing for a lot longer though. I guess you could say my music career started when I first picked up a bass. I’ve played in bands as early as 2,000, but used to hip-hop prior to that. I put down the keyboard after I picked up the bass.

I see you are playing a six string bass there. Why a six string?

I love to experiment. The six string opens up a whole new world of possibilities. I like to work out arrangements that seem impossible to juggle both singing and playing. I like to push myself creatively. I like to hold a groove on 1 hand, and solo with the other.

Do you write all of your own lyrics?

Yes.

Where do you get inspiration for a new track?

I generally take from true stories and situations in my life. I write about myself, family members, friends, girlfriends, etc…

Do you have a job outside of music?

I’ve made a living playing music for the last few years, but not music alone. Selling merchandise, booking, and recording bands, pressing shirts, and hustling in different ways to stay afloat. Working regular jobs to get by during tough times. I’m actually working on a project to open a retail location that will be an all-in-one shop for bands.

Are you nice to Liz?

(Laughs) Unless I want to sleep in the doghouse. We’ve been a couple for over a year now.

Where did you guys meet?

She owns Lizards (a bar and music venue) on the south side of Indianapolis. We we’re playing there and it was our drummers last show. I mentioned it on stage and she spoke up. The rest is history.

Who are some of your biggest influences?

On the bass I would say Victor Wooton, Claypool, Jaco Pastorius, and Jean Baudin. If I was talking bands it would be 90’s grunge, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Primus, 2pac, Beastie boys, and anything rebellious with a groove.

What is the best concert you have ever been to?

One of the most memorable for me was Les Claypool. He’s weird. Different. Says funny things. I like that.

What are you drinking on stage?

Probably Crown Royal or Captain Morgan. Water sometimes.

How did you react to the passing of the King of Pop?

It was unexpected. I was surprised. My daughter is a fan. She went as MJ for Halloween last year. I’m not really that into pop culture. Can’t tell you the last time I listened to the radio.

Is that an actual tattoo that is pictured on your MySpace page?

Yes. I have several. That one takes up my entire right side. It hurt so bad!

Speaking of MySpace, what are your thoughts on the service?

I feel like it’s still a good place to find bands, network with musicians, but in general I think it’s lost its luster for the fans and regular non-music folk. It’s still a great tool for musician’s though.

Are you on Twitter?

Yeah, I don’t tweet regularly though. I’m pretty sure my Facebook updates are linked to it.

Describe your genre in one word.

Koolaid. (Lots of colors and flavors.)

Where are you originally from?

I’m from Indianapolis. I’ve lived in other cities, but my daughter is here.

If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would you go?

I would like to visit many other countries, but I think I would probably still live somewhere in America. Possibly Hawaii.

You have your cell phone number listed on your MySpace page. Are you not worried about people calling you at all hours of the night?

No. I get calls at all hours of the night anyway. I actually had some really random drunk girl call me at 3:00 AM this morning. No idea who she was, but said they we’re fans. Felt good. I knew the number though; it was another band in Chicago. Guess they let their friends listen to the music. Also, I leave it on there so I can take advantage of opportunities when they arise. I want it to spread as much as possible.

Does anyone ever call you just to talk?

Yes. However, with all the bands I book, I’m pretty talked out at the end of the day. Club owners, promoters, band members, friends…It gets hectic at times.

Tell me a little bit more about that Jell-O wrestling.

It was a great birthday party. Packed house, and everyone had an absolute blast. Who doesn’t want to see pretty girls Jell-O wrestle in bikini’s? Also four awesome bands. Just a promotional Idea to get people out. It worked. Going to do it again in July.

Tell me a little bit more about First Amendment Records.

With the way the scene is currently, labels are less needed by independent artists. Since we’re mostly do-it-yourselfers, I’m working on non-exclusive deals for services these bands aren’t able to, or wanting to do themselves. I would like to do a few old school contracts with bands that just knock my sox off, but for now I’m planning to open a retail shop where bands can record, get they’re cd’s duplicated, take advantage of printing, t-shirts, gear, rehearsal space, lessons, web, and graphic design, booking, touring, etc…

I see you have played some shows here in Indianapolis. Is that the Patio I see? Or the Rouge? Perhaps it was Spin Nightclub?

The marquee you see in the photo would have been at Spin Nightclub. We’ve played almost all the live music venues in the city. Especially the ones that house original music.

You have some pretty sweet concert posters. Who designs all of those?

Thank you. I make them all. I enjoy art, and graphic design as well.

I am really digging your voice man. You ever get sore up there screaming your lungs out every night?

Only when I smoke too many cigarettes. It doesn’t get sore, but I lose power a lot sooner. I actually quit, and started again after three years like an idiot. Drinking and smoking like a rock star, doesn’t make you sound like one. Other than that, the pipes stay pretty stretched out from singing regularly. I can walk away hoarse, but wake up like new again.

So based on your MySpace pictures, you are willing to autograph just about anything huh?

(Laughs) I remember one night when there was a line of girls on stage for Liz to sign their boobs. For some reason girls like to whip them out at our shows. Just so happens, there was a night when a few wanted they’re asses signed.

You must really like Jell-O.

The Jell-o wrestling/rock and roll show draws a crowd. I think it makes a good atmosphere for a fun party. It’s something different no one else has done, and I’m all about trying fresh concepts for putting on awesome shows. I’ve only done it once so far.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Making a living doing what I love. I’ll probably play music until I die, or at least always have my hands somewhere in the business of music. Like I said, I want to get this shop opened up, and watch it grow.

What do you want to be remembered for when this is all said and done?

A good father, A good son, a good brother, a good friend, A good man, and a sick bassist, with some damn good substance in my lyrics. I’m a realist. I don’t expect to make a revolutionary impact, but I would like to make a dent.

I always let the artist get the last word. Go.

Thank you for the interview. Hope to see some new faces at a show to discover what we’re all about. Love making new friends. If you read this interview, please tell me you did so. I’ll email you a new track from our latest album we’re working on to say thanks. You can also message me on Facebook or MySpace. Peace!