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

A few weeks ago I received a coupon in the mail for a free new patient exam and a free teeth whitening. (That coupon actually gave me a choice for a free one-time whitening or whitening for life for $99. I was going to pick the one-time whitening since it was free.) I called up to make my appointment not to miss out on this great deal. The coupon expired the first week of December so I had to hurry and make my appointment. I made the appointment, and walked into the dentist office with the intent of spending around $55. That was not the case. I ended up walking away with a bill well over $1,000. It’s not their fault though, I am the one responsible for my own teeth.

When I first walked in I was impressed with the facility. It was clean, the staff was prompt and knew what they were doing, and everyone seemed to be at ease walking around the office. I filled out all my paperwork and waited for my name to be called. Eventually I was introduced to Jamie. She was nice, we chatted while she took my x-rays, and we eventually played twenty questions while I asked her all sorts of stuff about my teeth. You see, I had not been to the dentist for quite some time; I don’t make a habit out of getting my teeth cleaned. It had actually been two or three years since my last visit and I wanted to make sure I was abreast on all the latest in dental technology. (Speaking of technology, I got a text message from my dentist yesterday reminding me of my appointment and today an hour before asking me to confirm. Talk about being ahead of the curve.)

Before long she was yelling at me for not flossing. (I don’t mean that she was actually yelling, just so we are clear. Her and I actually hit it off, and I will be requesting her the next time I go in.) I told her, “I don’t and I won’t floss. Just not something I do.” Well, after a few minutes of lecture and a deep cleanse, she had me changing my tune. I have four cavities. Oh yeah, and my gums are inflamed. Not that flossing is to blame, but I am sure it couldn’t hurt. So while I sat there in the dentist chair listening to all of the procedures that we would have to do over the next couple of months, I just kept thinking about my brushing habits.

I brush my teeth twice a day, once in the morning and once before bed. I also use mouthwash every day after lunch and right before I hit the sack. But apparently that is not enough. I also have to floss. I will be going back to the dentist in a few weeks for a followup cleaning to the one I had today. (The one I had today was not all that enjoyable. She used a high pressure stream of water to actually clean under the gums. Not painful really, just uncomfortable.) Then later on I will be going back for a Teeth Whitening by Zoom!. That was the main reason I went to the dentist in the first place. I want whiter teeth! I told the lady behind the counter that I wanted “model white” teeth. She laughed.

Regardless, I deserve everything that happened to me today in that chair. I don’t floss, and I was almost to the point of bragging about it when she asked me. I guess I have to change my routine. She did say that my bone structure was great, so that’s a plus.

Thanks to all the lovely ladies at Pearly White Smiles in Fishers for making my day complete and letting me leave with a clean (better yet cleaner) mouth. I will see you all real soon! Have you ever had a cavity? What’s it like when they fill it? Does it hurt? I am brand new to this, so I have no idea what to expect!

I don’t want to call it dance music. It’s not, it’s more of an experience. When I first heard this guy’s work I was blown away. It was unlike anything I had ever heard before. When I heard he was also working with Santos to produce these tracks, I got even more excited. The music itself belongs on the big screen if you ask me, not in a nightclub. But regardless, I would kill to see this dude perform these sounds live. His tracks demand explanation and require intense attention to understand fully. No idea where his inspiration comes from; don’t care. The music is best heard with your eyes closed and an empty mind as it literally takes you on a journey through time and space. I had the chance to sit down with the man producing these sounds. His name is Timo Maas.

You have a pretty impressive tour coming up. You are hitting Europe and the states. Do you prefer playing in Europe or to here in the USA?

You cannot always compare country by country. Every party is different. You can have the best times and the worst times in Europe or in the United States, or in South America, Africa; or wherever. I am quite excited to go back to the States though. I like it there and I am looking forward to the upcoming tour.

Tell me a little bit more about your new album.

It’s two hours and forty minutes; a continuous trip through different types of electronic music styles. This is something I always wanted to do. I have always wanted to produce a mix CD where I could stretch myself without any limits. On this there is nothing that I had to do. This disc is full of things that I wanted to do. I just wanted to put these tracks on here and have no one was saying, “you have to put to put this,” or, “you have to out that. That is the main reason why I don’t do a lot of compilations. I haven’t done them for a really long time. Most of the labels will tell you what you have to do with your album. In the end, the creativity really strikes me. This was better, and different. They told me to be crazy and creative and I really like that.

Explain the Mutant Clan.

(Laughs) The Mutant Clan is the experimental side of my production team. When Santos does a record (he has remained quite famous) there is a certain amount of expectations from himself and for his product. It’s the same thing on my side. There are tracks that I wish weren’t released as Timo Maas as they don’t reflect the Timo Maas sound. We just wanted to do something where we could do whatever we wanted.

This allows us to do old school techno records. We founded the Mutant Clan. More and more people are flocking to the project. It’s a name we use when we are just messing around in the studio.

Do you have a favorite venue?

I would say Ibiza is one of my favorite venues. I also like one of our studies out on the farm here too. We have about 500 square foot, but we have thrown some parties there. It’s the perfect sound and a really good atmosphere. The sound is perfect.

Your work would sound great on the big screen. Have you ever worked with major motion pictures or television shows?

The music market is shrinking and when you have the opportunity to do games, movies, and soundtracks its something you have to pay attention to. It’s something that I’m watching and preparing to step into that direction for the next few years. It is something essential these days and you get one or two jobs like that, and they can pay more than everything else you did that year. You just have to produce high quality music, and that costs money. We try, of course. We are creative businessmen and we try to squeeze the perfect situation out of the music business.

Tell me a little bit more about Rockets & Ponies.

We started the label because we had too many releases. We were producing ourselves and getting work from our fiends as well as our so-called family. We just wanted to give an outstanding sound a brand new platform. It wasn’t fitting any label out there, and we did a few releases as Mutant Clan, but these things are our home base if you will.

You can’t make a lot of money with them, but a home base I very important. You need to branch yourself out a little more and we really like what we do on the label. It’s all music that “rocks our world” when we play it out in the clubs, and we have a lot of hot tracks coming up. It gets played worldwide and we have been involved with the top ten and the lowest top ten. You can’t be more extreme, and sometimes quite deep, but the reactions are amazing and we have a lot more stuff coming up. We are very confident with what we are doing there.

It’s not about quantity, its about quality.  I see it as a challenge to find special types of songs that I want to play as a DJ and inspire me as a producer.

Why did you decide to release your single only on one-sided vinyl?

It’s a teaser. I want my stuff on vinyl first. I am still an old school vinyl type of DJ. Most of the stuff that comes out of my studio is released on vinyl. It’s for the music lover, the collectors. We decided to make a limited edition and they were sold out in a few hours. We didn’t release very many, but we did that on purpose. It’s always a process. Sometimes we like to give people an idea of what we are doing and release the big bang later.

The DJ Mag Top 100 list just came out. Are you surprised by any of the names on that list?

I looked at it. I look at it every year. Whoever is on that list (most of the people) are there because they have the best marketing. Just look in the top ten or top twenty and its all trance. I don’t take it too serious anymore; not because I’m not in there, but in the first few years I was taking it more serious. There are some DJs that are sending out hundreds of thousands of emails asking for votes. Of course they have a better chance when I sit here and do nothing. I don’t send emails out. It doesn’t reflect the best DJ, only the best marketing. Some of those names I have never heard. I am quite happy in the scene where I am. It’s like “whatever” really! (Laughs)

Who are some of your biggest influences?

In my life, with everything that has happened to me, it’s still band like Pink Floyd that I like. I really enjoy the psychedelic stuff. I got that form my older brother. I still love to listen to Pink Floyd to this day. They were using synthesizers and it was absolutely radical at the time.

It’s amazing to listen to underground producers and acts like LCD Soundsystem. I was just listening to them and I really like their sound. Musically I am completely open-minded and my influences are pulled from stuff I listen to throughout the day. I started the day today listening to some classic work; it just really depends on my vibe.

Your work is not typical by any means. Where do you come up with inspiration for a new track?

I am using the opportunity to work with my producer and my partner. It gives us the possibility to work with more intense ideas that come up after a while. It wouldn’t be possible if you book an engineer for a week. They don’t leave you the chance to do anything after that.

Both of us have similar musical experience, being vey successful and being underground. We came from nothing. Plus, we also are nearly the same age, and listened to the same music when we were young. Having a partner who understands you and who is always open-minded is great. We work as long as we find something that sounds unusual.

What are you doing on a typical Friday night?

I am sitting in a traffic jam on the way to the airport. I jump on a plane, travel to a club, and do what I do best. Play some music… and kick some ass. Usually I am driving so much that Friday is a typical working day for me. It starts early in the morning and ends early the next morning.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

That’s a really good question. I hope that all the work that Santos and I are putting into this, building the label, and having ideas that go away from the pop stuff, I hope that this works out. We want the opportunity to produce more artists and to work more in the movie industry. We want to identify our sound more and to have fun with what we are doing. Five years ago I had no idea where I would be now, so it will always come out differently than what is expected in life. We have a lot of ideas as production team and we have a few targets we want to reach. We believe in and love what we do. Maybe I will open a restaurant on a small island in the Caribbean.

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

I want to be remembered for the music. That is what I leave behind. I am having memories with songs and soundtracks that I have heard all my life. I just hope that when people think of me they think he was a cool guy and remember me for when electronic music was born.

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

I am looking forward to my tour in the states and getting a lot more feedback to this new album. I hope the weather is nice, at least better than in Europe right now. (Laughs)

When a show comes to an end, especially a show that I love to watch, I am always a little sad. I have the tendency to watch shows that are already finished, that way I can watch the entire series in a short amount of time. For instance, when I watched Six Feet Under (maybe one of the best shows I have ever seen), I watched the entire series in a weekend. I cried my eyes out when that show ended.

Recently I have been making my way through Rescue Me, which is not slated to end until the ten-year anniversary of 9/11. I watch Whale Wars. I watch Treasure Quest. I have been watching Family Guy and American Dad. But one show that I started watching and was absolutely hooked on was Nip/Tuck.

Nip/Tuck is an incredible television show about two plastic surgeons and their battles as best friends and business partners. From the very beginning, you see the love these two men have for each other, in a totally platonic manner. They are just best friends and would do anything for each other. As the six seasons progress, you see that in nearly every episode.

The show itself is slow in some parts, and is quite unrealistic. Just because you are a doctor does not mean you are above the law. But through the six seasons, you become addicted to the lives of these two men. There are also stories involving their children, lovers, and employees. For instance (and not to spoil anything if you ever decide to watch this show), Matt is Sean’s son. But somewhere along the line, you learn that Matt is actually Christian’s son, but it was kept a secret for many years. This is just one example of the drama these families go through.

The reason why I like Christian is for his style. Not his attitude, as most people would probably consider him an absolute douchebag, but for his demeanor and his sense of fashion. He dresses like a model right out of GQ. Christian Troy is played by Julian McMahon, and is originally from New South Wales, Australia. His father was a politician and a future Prime Minister of Australia. This all plays into the way he behaves on the show with an untouchable attitude. Most critics best describe him as a womanizing pompous asshole.

Anyway, the show covers six seasons and brings you drama you are glad is left on the TV screen in nearly every episode. In the six seasons, you are witness to exactly 100 episodes and experience love, hate, sadness, and remorse. But when the show came to an end, I was shocked at how it ended.

While watching Six Feet Under, I was impressed with the way the story continued on from week to week. Or for me, from episode to episode. But for Nip/Tuck there really was no progression. These guys were plastic surgeons operating and sleeping with everyone they could get their hands on. There was no substance to their lives. Debt was always an issue, but they were always wearing the nicest clothes and driving the newest cars and eating at the nicest restaurants.

By the time you reach season six, nothing has really changed. Even the last few episodes are just like any other. But when I started the last episode, I figured it would simply be a recap and offer me some sort of conclusion. It didn’t and I was left upset and wanting more. The show wasn’t cancelled (from what I can tell) but the ending seemed rushed and simply forced on the audience.

I wish more shows would end like Six Feet Under did. I watched 100 episodes of Nip/Tuck and all I wanted was one more episode. The drama was enough to keep me entertained, but I don’t see how they can end a show that ran this long and end it the way they did. Nothing I can do now but be upset, I guess.

I highly recommend this show. The show is quite intense, and actually got a lot of attention early on by the Parents Television Council (PTC), and for good reason. There are a ton of sex scenes (never showing any actual nudity), lots of blood on the operating table, and they use a lot of foul language. This show probably would have been better suited for HBO or another premium cable channel.

Did you watch the series? What did you think of the ending?

Oh no, here we go again. LeBron James is in the news again. He was in the news, headlines for that matter, earlier this basketball season when he decided to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat. This was a big move for this hometown hero, but in my opinion was the right one. He was never going to win a championship in Cleveland. He had been close, but the team was just him. He had no support like Jordan had in Chicago and Kobe in LA. Regardless, he is now a member of the Miami Heat and is trying to make a name for himself down south.

But in a recent loss to the Dallas Mavericks, it appears that LeBron took some of his anger out on his coach. Well, by anger I mean he bumped into coach Erik Spoelstra while walking back to the bench. This is not the first time LeBron has done this. He did this a while back when he bumped into Mike Brown while he was playing for Cleveland. Check out that video first.

Now he is at it again. This is almost the exact same thing if you ask me. He was walking back toward the bench and slams his body into the coach. Not sure what he is trying to prove here; nothing words couldn’t fix. But this is just how LeBron is showing his anger apparently. This comes at a good time too, as I was just listening to some radio talk show hosts discuss his decision to move to Miami. One said it best, saying that he thinks of himself and no one else. He doesn’t apologize for making decisions to further his career and to make a name for himself in the NBA. He is not Michael Jordan, and never will be. He is being put on such a high pedestal and is expected to grow through the league the same way these other guys did. But that is not how LeBron thinks it should be. He is proving that one day at a time.

As you can see, he is deliberately running into these two men. My only question is what the coaches did after the fact. Do they just let him sit down and go about their business or do they slap him on the wrist and tell him to behave? LeBron shouldn’t be allowed to make his own rules but at the same time you can’t blame the man for being upset. He went to Miami with hopes of winning a ring, possibly even taking home the crown this year. But as King James will soon realize, it might be a bit tougher than that; his anger is starting to show.

As a professional athlete he has a certain responsibility to keep this sort of thing to himself, but I don’t think bumping into a coach should be considered breaking news. No matter what LeBron James does, he is always in the spotlight.

After revolutionizing the way New York learns about music production, DJing and live performance, Dubspot is taking its renowned instructors and classroom experience worldwide. Introducing Dubspot Online, a revolutionary new online educational platform that individually connects students around the world directly with their instructors and peers. However hectic your life may be, now you have time to follow your dreams. Unlike classes that only meet at a certain time in a certain place, Dubspot brings the knowledge directly to you.

Dubspot Online stems from the same philosophy that founded the school: music technology is only as good as the music you make. Principles are incorporated and practiced versus memorized. Individual progress and artistic growth are encouraged through consistent weekly feedback and direct advice from instructors, as students constantly create new tracks and apply what they learn. High quality videos, along with audio and text documentation accompany every lesson, and a revolutionary new online community provides a unique venue for sharing ideas and enriching the learning experience.

The new Dubspot Online Community expands the school’s renowned family of like-minded artists, DJs, and producers to an international scale. A varied selection of forums, connected to various courses and tailored to project feedback, as well as technical, artistic, and cultural discussions, encourages interactions on a variety of topics all essential to a well-rounded music education. Participants will not only include students, but the school’s faculty, staff, and artist network of established DJs and producers. Additional tutorials, event, and workshop invitations will also be available, exclusively to online students.

Dubspot Online Upcoming Start Dates

Focus on a specific tool, and get the instruction you need when you need it — all as part of a dynamic, intensive, pro-level education.

• December 6th – Ableton Live
• January 17th – Reason 5 / Logic Pro 9 / Ableton Live
• January 24th – Sound Design & Synthesis w/ Native Instruments / Essential Music Foundations
• January 31st – Mixing & Mastering

*Registration is now open online.

Dubspot’s new website has been redesigned and re-imagined to provide an intuitive, user-friendly experience, featuring an in-depth overview of the educational opportunities offered, plus videos discussing the school, students, and community, instructor profiles, details on their facilities, and more. Search for classes either by software or by focus (DJ, producer, or both), and check out the latest from the Dubspot Blog, which hosts in-depth artist interviews, smart technology reviews, inside industry updates, and exciting news from all around the music world.

When I first heard his work, I was shocked. I am always being reminded of the talent right here in the Circle City but it is rare for me to have not at least heard of guys this good. He is on the road right now working a new album, and is trying to find his way through this competitive and always changing industry. When I reached out to him, he was quick to respond and provided me with lengthy and detailed answers to my questions. He is a hard worker and will do anything to make it in with his tunes. He knows how to dress too! Take some time to get to know a Hoosier (but not originally from the state of Indiana) by the name of Calvin Crabtree.

Is your name really Calvin Crabtree?

That is indeed my real name.

How long have you been performing?

I have been performing for a long time now. It has been off and on, but still going strong. I am just trying to do it like anyone serious about this stuff as I am.

But I have been hitting it really hard lately. I spoke with some friends and here we are. They told me to give it a shot. They thought it was great for me to be from such a small town in the middle of nowhere and begin rapping. It was different and not so full of hate and negativity, but capturing moments that many have felt or have been threw. I started handing out mix tapes (demos) to my friends and just really anyone I could. I handed them out like a mad man. It seemed that every time I took the stage there would be at least one person in the audience breathless.  I like to give the people something they can take home and share with other people.

Are you originally from Indianapolis?

No, I was born in Heather, Kentucky. It is a small town that actually doesn’t even exist today. I was actually born in the middle of a wheat field. My mother gave birth to me all by herself, and then walked nearly a mile home as my dad was crunching on some corn nuts. He just couldn’t belive it. That’s the story my grandmother always told me anyway. Both of my parents died when I was two years old.

Your new disc is called Trading Love & War Stories. Is it possible that some love stories can also be war stories?

Yeah, they can for most people but im a kind loveing man and tend to do good with the ladys. nothing serious with any of them now, im just choseing to stay single life life and not deal with the dram that most people go threw and when its all over and then i guess i will be there, ya know lol

Thinking of the term war stories makes me think of Tupac Did he inspire that by chance?

Well, if you compare that to the quality of the content and the new beats I’m using from Be The Thriller,  but as far as it gos with the likness and image of Tupac no.

Who are some of your biggest influences?

I love Taylor Swift. I love her music and I think she has pretty friends! I guess she is not realy an influence on my image or songwrigting (or style for that matter) of music but just the good person, fun loving environment that surrounds her and those in to her music.

How are you affiliated with Corporate Records?

As an artist, as a writer, as a producer and as a label representative.

I am not sure I have ever been to Columbus, Indiana. Where is that located?

You should come. It’s nice. It is located in south central Indiana.

Do you write all of your own lyrics?

Yeah, I write them all. I also copyright them all as soon as I am done with a new track.

You recently had a show at Birdy’s Bar & Grill. How did that show go?

It was great. I love it there.

What is your favorite venue?

I don’t really have one right now, but I would love to do a show at an ice rink someday!

What is the biggest crowd you have ever played for?

I played for about 2,000 at a talent show one time.

You have quite the story. Your parents passed away when you were only two years old. How did they pass, if you don’t mind me asking? How have you dealt with that growing up?

My parents die when I was two years old. They were actually being robbed and didn’t want to give up their stuff. They were shot and killed right there. I’m not really sure where I was at at the time, the mystery behind it just gets to me. It’s kinda hard you know because I think and I feel that I would of had a lot more opportunity in life with loving parents by my side. Just to be there and give me that go. I remember one time I was at the park just sitting there on a bench. A mother and her daughter were near and the closeness they shared was amazing. I guess it put me in a trance. I was just dazing, thinking in my head that I felt so cheated. I will never know the feeling of someone who realy truly loved me, being there for the rest of my life, just someone I can always go to throughout the years. I think it gets better as the time passes, growing up I think a lot of people didn’t understand my situation. I don’t realy think I did either. I didn’t have any direction either. Maybe the music is the direction that I should be going. It makes me happy and it is something I just love to do.

Your MySpace picture is solid. Looks like you are in a state of trance. Do you dress like that on stage?

Yes I do. I wanted the picture to look like that because it is not only a picture of me and but is also a work of art.

What would you be doing if you were not rapping?

Nothing at all. That is all I got in me right now.

Do you have a job outside of music?

All I do is try to make people happy. I also try to help kids taken in my the gang life.

Being from Indianapolis I am sure you associate with other rap artists. Have you met Brad Real?

I have not met him. I really don’t know that many people. I mostly sit at home and read.

Who does all your graphic design?

Right now, it’s all me. But soon I will need to hire a graphic designer to do it for me.

Who designed that album cover? Do you know the girl on the cover?

My produce and me came up with the concept. No, I don’t know the girl.

Who is BC the Thriller?

He is my producer.

Is that your house pictured there on the top of your MySpace page? If it is, can I move in? (Laughs)

(Laughs) No, that isn’t my house. It is an attraction in Columbus actually. They are gardens around the property.

Your album has a large parental advisory sticker on it. Do you have a clean copy of the album available?

On the shelves, no. But the words that most people think are vulgar are totally acceptable in the way I use the words. I use them as an expression of anger, not just like some thug doing it because he has no other words to use.

What was the process of the new disc? Was it the first time you had been in the studio like this?

I have actually written over 20,000 songs. They are all floating around in my head, to get them out and mixed to good beats was like a dream come true. It was the first time I had been in the studio for something like this.

Towards the end of your track Society you have a long speech from our commander and chief. Are you a supporter of President Obama?

I agree with some stuff, but him giving back part of Arizona back to the drug dealers in Mexico, no. My feelings are mixed.

What are your thoughts with this initial release? Do you have anyone doing marketing for you trying to sell more copies?

Nope, no marketing behind this release. I am just trying to do my best to get the word out.

You are on MySpace. What about Facebook and Twitter?

Yeah, I am on all of them man! Look me up; I am on nearly every social network out there.

How do you stay so motivated up there on stage?

I just get up there and use my God given talents.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

You know man, I really couldn’t tell you.

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

I want people to remember me for the good times, not the bad. I also want to go major and then start giving back my riches to charity. I would rather help save a life than buy a gold chain for a gold differ to hang on to.

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

First off, I would like to than the heavenly father. When I get big I want to get together and write a book about my life. I feel like I have something to say.

Finland’s Super8 & Tab, darlings of the Anjunabeats label who recently released their debut album Empire, are bringing a taste of their Scandinavian trance revolution to select cities in the United States.

Since joining forces in 2005, Super8 & Tab’s Miika Eloranta and Janne Mansnerus have gained the support of trance heavyweights like Armin van Buuren, Paul van Dyk and Ferry Corsten, earned several Beatport #1 chart positions and five star reviews in Mixmag and DJ Mag, and moved up 22 spots to #60 in this year’s DJ Mag Top 100. They are firmly established as  Anjunabeats’ best selling artists behind Above & Beyond, with Empire going straight to #7 in the US iTunes Dance charts on the day of its release.

Super8 & Tab’s heart-lifting melodies, warm sounds and solid grooves, as well as intricate, innovative production values, are their hallmark. Side-stepping the obvious and the overblown, releases like their definitive Helsinki Scorchin, the ethereal epic Suru and the hypnotic, electro-twisted Elektra have conquered download charts and festival stages. Empire is an LP of genuine depth and diversity, featuring tracks like the bubbling groover Slow To Learn, the emotional rollercoaster of Mercy and the edgy, subtle title track Empire. And for fans of Super8 & Tab’s instrumental melodic trance there is plenty to savor, especially their sweeping, soaring recent single Black Is The New Yellow (with fellow Finn Anton Sonin). And now they’re bringing their deep, vocal anthems, classy downtempo excursions, and futuristic trance fusions to a few lucky US cities. Says Mansnerus, “We’ve spent more time on the road in 2010 than any other year. The events keep getting bigger and the clubs keep getting better – we’ve got nothing to complain about!

When I think of a vending machine, items like soda pop and candy bars come to mind. However, walking through the Indianapolis International Airport, you can stop by a Best Buy vending machine and purchase a wide variety of items, from headphones to iPods. You can even use a credit card since not too many people will have that kind of cash on them.

Speaking of credit cards and vending machines, the pop machines on the Indiana University Purdue University of Indianapolis campus (IUPUI) now accept both major credit cards and the IUPUI Jag Tag. The IUPUI Jag Tag is the student identification card and can be used to purchase items in the cafeteria and various bookstores on the campus. You can preload it online and use it at your leisure, similar to how you would use a credit card. There are even specific campus-wide discounts for using the Jag Tag.

Anyway, the Best Buy vending machine takes credit cards. I have even seen Apple vending machines in larger airports. But I came across an article the other day on Yahoo! News breaking down some of the weirdest vending machines in the world. Most of these can be found in major airports, but some of them you can find on the streets of your favorite city.

Fresh Out of the Oven

Imagine walking through the streets of Italy and thinking, “What sounds good for dinner?” Grab some pasta at the local bistro maybe or head to the closest fast food chain. Or maybe hit up a vending machine and grab a freshly prepared pizza! That’s right, there are pizza vending machines in Italy. But these vending machines don’t just pump out premade pizzas, but allow you to select your toppings and your choice of cheese, and it is made right there while you wait.

The vending machines, titled Let’s Pizza, will allow you to select all your favorite toppings and prepare your meal in under three minutes. It is “made from scratch” and costs anywhere from $3-$8. So the next time you are walking through the streets of Sicily make sure to keep your eyes peeled for a pizza vending machine.

Worth It’s Weight in Gold

You must be rich to visit one of these vending machines. Imagine purchasing gold… out of a vending machine. Yeah, gold bars at the touch of a button.

The price of these gold bars varies, keeping up to date with market value pricing. One of these vending machine can be found in the Moscow airport. That makes sense though since Moscow might be one of the most expensive cities on the planet. A good friend of mine was there not too long ago and said that a cup of coffee at the Starbucks in Red Square was nearly $20.

The next time someone says, “Bring me something home from your trip,” think about grabbing him a bar of gold instead of that generic stamp or t-shirt.

This Just “Cracks” Me Up

Get it? See what I did there? Anyway, if you are wondering the streets of Japan or certain cities in California, keep your eyes peeled for a vending machine packed with freshly laid eggs. Yes, eggs.

There are times where I enjoy a good hard boiled egg every now and again, but I’m not  sure I would trust an egg coming from a vending machine. For only $3 you can purchase an egg. Don’t worry, they are free-range chickens.

Freeze, You’re Under Arrest

If you find yourself in South Beach, make sure to grab a pair of gold handcuffs. Or a feather vest. That will only run you $400. You can even purchase a car or a condo. Prices obviously vary and I have a hard time taking this serious. Just saying.

Dropping a Line

I come from a town that might appreciate a vending machine like this. As a matter of fact, I am sure I have seen vending machines like this. Imagine laying in bed with the alarm going off before the sun comes up. You sneak out of bed, kiss your wife goodbye, and head to the lake for some early morning fishing. But wait, you forgot the bait. No worries, just find one of these live bait vending machines.

Surely these things are filled up every day as the bait is in fact live night crawlers and worms. You can get the live bait for roughly $3 a pound.

Riding on Two Wheels

This is actually a very cool concept. Imagine walking through your favorite European city and wanting to get from point A to point B a little faster. No fear, just stop by one of these bicycle vending machines and rent a bike! You heard that right, you can rent bicycles for your travels.

The concept is still new, and is not quite as detailed as Redbox. With Redbox you can rent a DVD in one city and return it in another for no additional charge. But with the bicycle rental program you must return the bike to the same location. It’s not very expensive either, running first time users only $16. They also provide return users a discount, offering $4 rentals for the next twelve months.

There are only a few of these bicycle vending machines around right now, but a dozen more are planned before the end of the year.

People Still Read?

This is actually not a new concept. The next time you walk through the airport, look around at all the shops and see if you can’t find a book return policy. The concept is simple. Purchase the book at full price, read it on your trip, and when you return you can return the book for a significant discount. Don’t expect the books that you buy to be new, but it does encourage people to read more often.

This concept also exists in a library. What a concept those things are. You head in, check out a book, read it, and return it for free. Weird, right? Well, sort of finding the middle ground here is A Novel Idea. You will find these vending machines in London right now but look for this trend to explode all across Europe in the next fiscal year. You can purchase these books for only $10 and the machines are packed with new releases and best sellers.

So no matter what your vice, you can find a vending machine for it. From soda pop to iPods to bicycles and more, there is a vending machine out there for you. Happy shopping!

On a recent trip to Arizona, I had the pleasure of attending an Arizona Cardinals football game. My cousin and her husband both have season tickets, and they asked me if I would like to join them. I am not that big into football, but there is nothing that beats tailgating before a game. Plus, the game was on Halloween, so the people watching would be prime.

When we arrived at the stadium, we headed to a parking lot dedicated to those tailgating. But before we got in, a line of volunteers were handing each car a Fan Code of Conduct. When they handed it to us they were adamant that we not only read it but that we make sure we followed the rules.

Prohibited Items

On one side of the card was a list of prohibited items. This list was not only in accordance with the Cardinals but also the National Football League. The list of prohibited items included the following:

• Bags measuring larger than 12”x 12” x 12”
• Any type of food, bottles, cans, alcoholic beverages, coolers, etc.
• Noise making devices, laser pointers/pens, umbrellas, flags, footballs
• Banners/signs measuring larger than eight inches
• Firearms or any other weapons
• Any items deemed dangerous or inappropriate by stadium personnel

This list is pretty standard, but I laughed at the firearms one. As a matter of fact, a lot of restaurants and public places in Arizona have a sign on their front door that says no firearms. Apparently that is an issue out in the desert.

Budweiser Good Sport Designated Driver Program

This is a cool concept. I am not sure if any other professional football team does this, but they all should. Especially when so many people will be spending their day drinking, partying, and having a good time.

With this program, sponsored by the Arizona Cardinals, Anheuser-Busch, Hensely, Coca-Cola, Rojo Hospitality Group and the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, fans that are over the age of twenty-one can pledge to be a designated driver. The person must have a valid driver’s license, but if you are interested you can make this pledge in the Great Lawn outside the stadium or at the 100 and 400 level Guest Relations office inside the arena.

Besides feeling good about yourself, you will also be rewarded with a free soft drink (or non-alcoholic beer) as well as be entered to win prizes that will be handed out during the game. Your name will also be entered for a grand prize that will be given out on the field during the final regular season game.

As you can see they try to reward you for not drinking and driving plus make the streets safer after the games. I love the idea and think more places should offer a program like this.

Fan Code of Conduct

On the other side of this you can find the official Fan Code of Conduct. Of course, the Arizona Cardinals are committed to providing a safe and enjoyable atmosphere for players and fans during a game. But they want to make sure that you know the rules as they exist.

• Fans are expected to present a valid handtag to enter the game day parking areas, sit in their tickets seat location, and produce their game ticket when asked by Arizona Cardinals parking lot, stadium or security staff.
• Fans wearing clothing deemed obscene or indecent will not be allowed entry inside or will be subject to ejection from University of Phoenix Stadium.
• Foul or abusive language and obscene gestures will not be tolerated.
• Behavior that is unruly, disruptive, or illegal in nature will not be tolerated, including verbal or physical harassment of opposing team fans.
• Intoxication or other signs of impairment due to any type of illegal drug or excessive alcohol consumption will not be tolerated.
• Displays of affection or other behavior not appropriate in a public setting will not be tolerated.
• Excessive standing in seating areas which blocks the view of other ticket holders will not be tolerated.
• Interference with the progress of the game or failure to follow instruction of Arizona Cardinals, parking lot, stadium or security staff will not be tolerated.

As you can see, there are a lot of rules and things to remember while at a game. But there has to be a reason for all of these rules and regulations. In the end, all the faculty and staff of the Arizona Cardinals are trying to do is make sure you and everyone else have an enjoyable time at the game.

Have you been to an Arizona Cardinals game before? Did you follow all the rules as they were presented to you?

The older I get the more I learn to appreciate good music. But not good because I heard it on the radio, but because I know how talented the folks that are producing it really are. There is so much bubble gum pop on the radio now days, I rarely listen to the airwaves. But one day while I was surfing around MySpace (yes, I still use MySpace on a regular basis) I found a band that impressed me from the first listen. They are a rock band, nothing new there. But they are a great bunch of guys to boot. The first track I heard hooked me and I haven’t looked back since. I have even been talking to them about appearing on the next rickyleepotts.com presents six bands for six bucks. Don’t take my word for it, just take a listen and hear for yourself why I am so impressed with these guys. I wanted to share their story with you here. So sit back and get to know the guys in Outer Sanctum.

I love the band name. It might be one of the most original names I have heard in a long time. Where did you guys come up with Outer Sanctum?

The two founding members of the band, Tony and Randy, came up with the name Outer Sanctum.  The basis for the name is that we (as Christians) are called to take the message of the Gospel to those that are needy and most of those people are outside the walls of the church.  It is one thing to be a Christian in the church, it is quite another to be a Christian in all the other realms of your life.  The word Sanctum literally means “a sacred or holy place”.  We believe that God is truly everywhere whether we want Him to be or not.  We have been called to take His message outside the church to the “Outer Sanctum”.

You guys consider yourself Christians. Did you know that you wanted to sing Christian lyrics at first, or did that come after things got started?

We have always planned on being a Christian lyric and founded band, but the two founding members originally thought that we were going to be a cover band.  In the end, the magnitude of original tunes that the band started putting out led us to strongly consider not doing those covers.  We are not trying to cram Jesus down anyone’s throats with any of our lyrics.  In some cases we are just trying to challenge people to think about themselves and the desperate needs in all of us.  The genre of rock music is almost always negative, hate-filled, depressed, or angry.  While we experience some of the same emotions, we just want to add the little extra notion that we also have a hope that cannot be swayed.  And that hope makes all the difference.

Where did you guys all meet?

The two founders are long time friends who decided to put together this concept of a Christian rock band in Indy.  They recruited Jonathan (vocals) and Mark (lead guitarist) through an Internet site called bandmix.com.  Asking about how we ended up on bandmix.com is literally answered that both of us stumbled on the site tooling around on the Internet and happened to find some other people who were interested in playing Christian rock which we already loved.  “Metal” Dan (drummer) was brought on I believe as a friend of a friend of a friend.  Earlier this year, our former rhythm guitarist, decided he needed to step back from the band for personal reasons.  At that time we put out a lot of ads, did some auditions, and now have the fine guitarist, Dustin.

Who writes all of the lyrics?

The lyrics for all of our current songs are either from Jonathan, Mark, or a collaboration of the two of them.  Periodic lyrics are certainly added by all of the members, but the body of the text usually comes out with the song and most of the songs right now have been written by Jonathan and Mark.

Where do you guys practice?

Right now we do all of our practices at the church of our drummer, Dan.  It has the stage, equipment, and most of the time already has his drums set up where he plays for Sunday services.  Sure beats having him teardown and set up all of his drums every time for sure!  Dan has a VERY full kit that he spreads out approximately over three counties when he plays.  You can call him, go-go-gadget-arms…

I dig your logo. Is that a font or did you guys have someone design that?

That is a font that Mark was able to piece together for us.

Do you all have jobs outside of music?

We all do have work outside of the band.  We have an engineer, a nurse, an electrician, a press operator, a warehouse manager, lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my!

Where do you get inspiration for a new track?

Our new music is completely individually inspired.  Usually one of us will have a flash of music or lyrics and then pitch it to the group.  Most of all of our songs after being brought to the group are shaped, changed, and what we call “Outer Sanctum-ized”.  Most of the time we have a general idea of a song  and then the rest of the band comes up something similar which is always better than anything that was originally planned.  We have almost constantly tweaked music based on suggestions or maybe adding an intro here or there or an extra chord to make the flow easier.  We love to just keep working on the same tunes to make sure that they are the best they can be!

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

Good Question!  A number of the guys in the band are not big travelers while other ones of us travel around the country about once a month.  Knowing the guys in the band, I would think that a place like Austin or Nashville would be the best fits for us where we are a bit more down to earth guys, but can get in to a great music scene.

Who are some of your biggest influences?

This is a complicated question.  We have a large range of ages in our band.  We are 53, 41, 42, 31, and 26-years-old.  That being said, we are from a number of different generations.  Our bass player has a lot of blues influence where he played full time for a number of years.  While the guys in their early 40’s have a big 80’s rock influence, our youngest member barely remembers the 80’s!  (Laughs)  To just name some bands though, we love Red, Breaking Benjamin, Rush, Skillet, Devo, Rob Zombie, Metallica, Glenn Miller and many, many more.  If it rocks, we pretty well love it.

You guys have some hard rocking tracks but you also have some softer, more “lighters in the air” songs. Do you prefer performing one style over another?

It always depends on the audience.  In general we love to play high-energy rock tunes where we can really move all over, get the crowd moving, and it is just too much fun to yell the word, “Break!” or “What?” in a tune!  At the same time, the lighter tunes that we write get a lot of great responses and have touched at least one person in just about every one of our shows.  The power of those songs and lyrics has been overwhelming.  Those songs also give us a chance to catch our breathe!

What is the best concert you have ever been to?

Two shows immediately come to mind.  The first is the NewsBoys.  I admit that I was not the biggest fan all of their music throughout their history, and was therefore a little skeptical going to the show.  I have to give those guys credit though, they put on a show like nothing I’ve ever seen before and may never again.  Everything from SUPER high energy and a drum stage that lifted up, turned sideways, spun around while he was playing a rippin’ drum solo. If you’ve never seen a guy play a solo upside down… you haven’t seen a NewsBoys show.  The second show that comes to mind was a Slipknot show.  I’ve never seen such an energetic show.  The work that they have done with light synchronization and having all 8 (or how ever many there are) guys in the band simply jumping around to get everyone going was infectious and exhilarating.  If you ever want a lesson in great shows though, simply sit down with Metal Dan for a few minutes.  He even proposed at a concert.  He loves this stuff…

I love your quote, “If not under God, then under what?” Who can I thank for making my day with that statement?

You can thank the great lead guitarist Mark Lentz for that amazing and stirring quote.  That one still kicks me in the gut every time.  What a great challenge!

Your music doesn’t seem to be Christian on the surface. Do you also appeal to non-Christians as well?

I think our music uniquely positions us to specifically appeal to non-Christians.  We have been approached by a number of people just wanting to ask us questions about our music and our faith and how we see the two aligning.  We have all been burned in one way or another by the church, but that is because churches are led by people and people are inherently sinful and fail.  We try to offer the perspective that we are anything but perfect, yet we can present the passionate love of Jesus through some heavy, melodic crunching rock.  What could be better than combining our loves of Jesus and rock?

Where can I get some of your merchandise? I want to wear Outer Sanctum on my chest!

We are planning some big changes before the end of the year including a brand new website with some merch available and hopefully dropping a full length album!  Right now if you shoot an email to outersanctum@live.com, we can get a shirt with our EP shipped to you for $12 plus shipping!

What is the biggest crowd you have ever played for?

The largest crowd we have played for was also are best crowd mentioned above in Bloomington.  We have played a number of great shows, but would probably say that one of the best ones is where we have played to a big group of high school kids down in Bloomington.  High school kids seem to not have the inhibitions to get physically in to our music and jump around like us!  It’s a blast to feed off each other that way.

The smallest?

We drove all the way out to a suburb of Columbus, Ohio with another band that we are friends with and literally played the concert to the other band.  That was more than a little disheartening, but heck, at least we got to have our practice that week in Ohio!

What are you all drinking on stage?

Usually just water.  We all seem to sweat like it’s our job!  We may share a beer before or afterward, but most of the time we are just too amped!

Do you guys have a favorite venue?

We are happy to be everywhere that we can be.  It really doesn’t matter if we play to 5 people or 5000 people, we believe that God meant for exactly those people to hear our words and message.  All we can do is plant His seed.  God makes it grow.

Any word on a full-length disc?

Soon, my friend!  We are in the final post-production stages right now hoping to have it on independent release by the end of the year for sure!  That CD will have a lot of the crowd favorites that aren’t on the EP like Hands Up and Lonely.  It should be a great CD after a lot of work!

What can someone expect seeing you guys live for the first time?

We seem to shock most people right when we start.  We start our shows with a small musical introduction and then WHAM; we launch in to some driving, in your face, rock.  You can expect that you will hear some polished music, great solos, strong melodies, and certainly not a “garage band” type of sound.  We were once described as a band destined to play in arenas because our sound is so big.  We like to put it right in your face and let the distortion and lyrics run over you like waves of Grace.  You can expect entertainment, a sore neck from head-banging, and a big smile on your face.

You are on the lineup for the next rickyleepotts.com presents six bands for six bucks. Are you pumped for a great night of live, local music?

Like you wouldn’t believe.  All of our band members are BIG in to live music and we are looking forward to meeting some other great local bands and melting some faces!

If you could only perform one track for the rest of your career, which one would you choose?

I may not be the best person to ask this question because I am the most musically A.D.D. person listening to songs and absorbing new stuff like crazy!  If you asked me today, I would definitely say For Those Who Wait by Fireflight.  That song just hits my soul right now.

What sort of motivation would you give to someone struggling in today’s music industry? Do you have anything to lift his or her spirits?

Ask yourself why you want to do music.  Is it all you can do or is it the most unbridled passion that you have ever imagined?  If it’s the former then (sorry to be blunt) get some new skills.  The music industry is not a place where the best musicians succeed any more.  It’s where people with passionate talent and great luck meet and a record company sees that.  Making millions in music shouldn’t be the goal.  Playing great music that you love… that’s the goal.  If you get that, then you will never have a bad show and never be sad with your decisions.

Have you ever been in a food fight?

Tony, our bass player, tells this story.  I was pledging a fraternity at Indiana University and it was my night with another pledge to serve the dinner.  We served the food to the entire house, but the cook was known as “broomhilda” and was notorious for her terrible, terrible food.  The other pledge and I were serving the food which was a ¼ lb of chicken, mash potatoes, and some veggies.  One of the upper classmen took a piece of the chicken, broke the bones open (the leg from the chest) and blood squirted up in his face.  At that moment, food started flying.  Everything that was on their plates went flying.  It was as epic as anything from Animal House.  In the end, though, all of the pledges (including me) were called to the cafeteria room to clean up the mess.  That was less the less than ideal part…

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

For me, it has to be Red.  Those guys to a style of rock all-their-own and it is a consistently amazing show.

What are you doing on most Friday nights?

Over half of the guys in the band have children so there are high school football games or date nights for most of us. Have you ever had one of those moments where you read something and think, “Man we sound lame!”?

Where do you see yourselves in five years?

To be honest… I never think about it.  Why live worrying about things that you can’t know.  Plan to do your best in everything that you do and pray about the rest.

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

When it is all said and done, I think all of us just want to be remembered as Godly men that showed people that to err is human, but to believe in His love and forgiveness is literally heavenly.

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

“We’re living with the proof.  We’re showing we have nothing left to lose.  We’re singing ‘we are so alive’.  We’re Undead.”