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

A couple of weeks ago, Sheryl and I went looking for something to do. We talked about going to Half Price Books, but never settled on anything. I went to Google Maps and typed in “beer” just to see what would happen. I found the Bier Brewery. Wait a second… where is Bier Brewery? Better yet, what is Bier Brewery? I had never heard of that. So I zoomed in and saw that it was right next to Great Fermentations, the place where Sheryl and I learned how to make our own beer last summer.

Before going in, I checked out their website and saw that they were a pretty small operation. I picked up the phone, gave them a call, and asked about their process. (It was funny, because he thought I meant the beer making process! I was just looking for information on pricing.)

He said they offer a full line of beers, with 8 currently on tap. They offer free samples and then sell growlers and half growlers. They are a brand new brewery, having opened last November, and can only do samples and growlers. The half growlers are actually made out of plastic, which at first didn’t make too much sense. Then he explained why they decide to make them plastic. You can blame the Indianapolis 500 for that! You can’t take glass into the track, so they made their half growlers plastic so patrons could take their beer to the race.

The inside of this place is pretty sweet. There are some tables and chairs, some couches, an old record player… and that’s about it. They do have a flat panel hanging on the wall, but since all they can offer are samples, people don’t hang out too long. They did just get clearance to sell their beer in bottles. Their goal is to eventually offer pints of their beer for sale. Speaking of for sale, you can buy a ton of merchandise from them including hats and shirts. They also wrap their logo on the growlers.

(I am in the process of scheduling an interview with the guys behind Bier Brewery. I am hoping to sit down with them in the next few weeks for an exclusive artist interview.)

While we were there dozens of people came and went. I was of course taking notes on every beer I drank. They had 8 beers available. The beers are listed below:

• Special K Kolsch
• Wildflower Wheat
• Dunkle Weiss (stands for dark wheat)
• Wit Beer
• Belgian Blonde
• Barley Buddy Brown
• PDG Pale (stands for pretty damn good)
• Cascadian Light Ale

When you come in, the folks behind the bar will ask for your ID. You must be 21 years old to enter. I am not sure all of the Indiana laws as it relates to that, but once they start serving food (if they ever want to serve food) then you can allow minors in. Take a look at places like Scotty’s Brewhouse and Rock Bottom. I am not sure if the place is big enough to accommodate that though.

The beer samples go from light to dark. They are very careful to serve you in that order. The beers actually get better too. The first few beers are extremely carbonated, but the darker they get the more flavorful they become. On a side note, the lighter beers have a much better nose. They all smell fruity and clean, yet the flavors are weak. I would actually drink these beers in the summer… beers that might get me into trouble. Their beers don’t have a lot of alcohol content. You can see the ABV below:

• Special K Kolsch – 4.7%
• Wildflower Wheat – 5.5%
• Dunkle Weiss (stands for dark wheat)- 6.0%
• Wit Beer – 5.7%
• Belgian Blonde – 6.8%
• Barley Buddy Brown – 5.1%
• PDG Pale (stands for pretty damn good) – 6.1%
• Cascadian Light Ale – 5.0%

The Bier Brewery is small, not too far from my apartment, and offers a lot of beers that seem to be changing quite often. Next week they are adding two more beers to their already impressive lineup. Plus, I LOVE the names of these beers. And the logos. There is a chalkboard behind the bar with all the beers’ names and logos drawn up there. I assume that these will play into the labels once they start bottling the beers.

This is also a big deal for me… it’s the first brewery I have purchased a growler at. Rock Bottom and other local breweries sell them… I just have never invested in one. But now I have two… since I bought the half growlers. They are only $2 each when you buy them, and half the fill price. They are 32 ounces, so you get a couple of pints per fill.

I plan on spending some time at The Bier Brewery, and plan on trying all their new beers as they are released. The guys behind the scenes started this as a home brew… now look where it’s taken them… they own their own brewery and are selling beers faster than they can make them. It’s good beer offered right here in the Circle City.

Kim Kardashian is getting married! Granted, that’s not news. But what I do find interesting is the amount of money that her fiancé spent on her engagement ring. Granted, the guy plays in the NBA… but still, $2 million seems a little bit outrageous for a ring. I don’t care how famous she is… or how hot she is… that’s just silly. Kim will be getting married to Kris Humphries. Kris plays for the New Jersey Nets and actually designed the ring with jeweler Lorraine Schwartz, who is a “longtime Kardashian friend”. (Friend of fan?)

Now let’s get back to the price tag… $2 million? What is the point in spending that much money on a ring? Just because you can? I recently played a round of golf with good friend Mark Dubec, and he said that the more money you make… the more stuff you buy. I like that, and that would be a good problem to have I guess… but what else could they have bought with that $2 million?

When asked about the ring, Kim said, “In high school I went to Macy’s and bought this fake ring, my ‘perfect’ ring, and this is almost the exact same. It’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It’s perfect.” Of course it’s perfect… it cost $2 million!

Sorry, I will stop obsessing about the ring. I can’t even tell you what she is famous for. According to my co-worker Joel Shutmate, “She’s famous for being famous.” I guess that’s a good enough reason. If you had $2 million, what would you buy? And please… don’t say a wedding ring.

With thirty-three artists already announced, Made Event is proud to release over forty more acts to the lineup of this year’s Electric Zoo Festival taking place from Friday, September 2 to Sunday, September 4 on Randall’s Island Park in New York City. The critically acclaimed and fan-adored festival is now spread across three days and four stages, headlined by electronic music superstars – Tiësto, David Guetta and Armin van Buuren. (We had the chance to see Armin perform at last year’s Electric Zoo. Nothing compares to seeing the world’s biggest DJ perform to thousands of screaming dancing fans.)

Here are the new additions:

Friday

Main Stage: AN21 & Max Vangeli.

Hilltop Arena: Felguk, Gareth Emery, Markus Schulz and Robbie Rivera.

Carl Cox & Friends Take Over Sunday School: Joris Voorn & Nic Fanciulli B2B and Victor Calderone.

Red Bull Music Academy Riverside: Bart B More, Busy P, Feed Me, SebastiAn.

Saturday

Main Stage: Sub Focus.

Hilltop Arena: Andy Moor, Dirty South, Joachim Garraud, Mat Zo, Sean Tyas & Simon Patterson B2B, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano.

Sunday School Grove: Carl Craig, Chris Liebing, James Holden and Steve Bug.

Red Bull Music Academy Riverside: 12th Planet, Beardyman, Kid Sister, Porter Robinson, Tommy Lee & DJ Aero.

Sunday

Hilltop Arena: Big Gigantic, Carte Blanche, Fake Blood, Excision & Datsik, Jack Beats and MiMOSA.

Sunday School Grove: Gui Boratto, Guy Gerber, Ida Engberg and Nicolas Jaar LIVE.

Red Bull Music Academy Riverside: Arty, EDX, Hardwell, Kyau & Albert and Mark Knight.

New in 2011, Electric Zoo fans have the option to purchase tickets on payment plans. Layaway options are available when ordering online, or by calling 888-512-7469. The last date to order via layaway is July 1, 2011.

Last year I attended Spotlight Indy, a benefit to raise money for the Indiana AIDS Fund. I shared a few blogs about the show, and was impressed with the performance… or should I say performances. There are some twenty different performances on one stage, in one night from all over the state of Indiana. It’s pretty magical to see it all come together. The cool thing is, if you don’t like one of the acts… don’t worry, the next act will be on stage in a few minutes. I also attended the event this year, and was equally (if not more) impressed. Working with Lisa Sirkin Vielee I have been able to attend these events… and I asked her this year if I could schedule interviews with each of the acts. That didn’t happen for the 2011 season… but will be happening (fingers crossed) for Spotlight 2012.

Lisa threw a few names my way, and I had the pleasure of sitting down with the Indianapolis Children’s Choir first. I met with Laura Neidig, marketing director for the ICC. I actually knew her before, as she worked at the Pike Performing Arts Center before. I had two art exhibitions at the PPAC. It was great catching up, and we shared a lot of stories over a cup of coffee. It is my pleasure to introduce you to Laura. (Have you heard these kids? They have some incredible talent.)

You are the marketing director for the Indianapolis Children’s Choir. Tell me a little bit more about what all that position entails. What are your daily responsibilities?

First of all, there is no marketing department. It’s just me. It entails advertising, promotions, and communications that come out of the office. On a daily basis, it could be promoting the next event or concert. Planning the next ad campaign. I am also the point of contact if we are performing with another organization. They may need information from us for their program. Basically, I do a little bit of everything.

You are originally from New Jersey. What brought you to the Circle City?

My husband was in the Army and we were stationed at Fort Harrison years ago. We moved around a little, but we ended up coming back here after he retired.

So is it all right if I call the choir the ICC? Is that acceptable?

Yep, perfectly fine. (Laughs)

A few years ago I had a couple of art exhibitions at the Pike Performing Arts Center. I knew you looked familiar! When did you leave the PPAC? (See, it’s a habit!)

I left there a little less than three years ago. There was no job in between; my next job was ICC.

Are you still close with Jared Duymovic, the community outreach coordinator at the Pike Performing Arts Center? (How is he by the way? It’s been a long time since I have seen him!)

Yes, we are very good friends. He is the executive director at the PPAC now. He’s doing a great job with what he’s got there.

You went to school in Scranton. Please tell me you watch The Office… that is where that show takes place.

I do, I love The Office. It’s very clever. I love the writing.

Tell me a little bit more about the ICC affiliation with Spotlight.

They have been partnering with Spotlight for quite a few years now. We have been working with them for at least ten. I think it’s an easy performance for us, because we are right there at Butler University. Logistically, the parents are already dropping the kids off. We always have to take that into consideration. What kind of experience will it be for the parents and the kids? It’s an organization that we feel like supporting. Sort of a no brainer.

So then do you guys practice at Butler?

Most of the choirs do. The college students use the choir rehearsal halls. Then ICC takes them over in the evening. It’s a very good arrangement, and I really don’t think the choir would have been quite as successful without the relationship we have with Butler. It’s been perfect.

Actually, our founder is director of choral activities at Butler. He has two jobs! (Laughs) Nobody knows we are at Butler. We have all this national attention with the Final Four, and there isn’t a single sign anywhere. No one would know we were there.

Tell me about the Summer Camp. There seems to be a pretty big focus on that on the website.

That is our main recruiting tool to get new kids into the choir. It’s pretty much the only half-day summer camp. It’s only been half day; the kids can pick morning or afternoon. It’s a pretty intense four days of learning music, music theory, and learning to sing in the choir. There are four days of practice, a rehearsal and then a performance. That’s usually their first time on stage.

Passing the audition doesn’t mean they get into the choir. It’s actually a really great experience for the kids. The show on the last night for a public concert held at Clowes Memorial Hall.  Not every kid that goes to the camp will join, or even decide that they like choral music. It’s still a fabulous experience, even if that’s the only touch they ever have with us.

The ICC has a ton of shows coming up. How do you stay organized with so many shows on the calendar?

(Laughs) ICC, in some ways, runs like a machine. They have been doing certain things for so long. It’s taken me a whole to get into the habit. We rely on the parents; they are fabulous volunteers. We are kind of in a rhythm now. Summer brings touring on, and then fall starts the concert season again. It’s a big cycle.

What are the age restrictions for the ICC?

We have programs from age 2 through 18. We have preschool programs through high school choir, the performing choirs, which most are familiar with, start at 4^th grade. The child is placed into a choir based on two things… his or her ability to sing and their age.

The choir will be appearing in the Indianapolis 500 Festival Parade. What’s that experience like?

That’s just one of the many community events that the kids get to take part in. that’s one of the best things about being with an organization like ours that has built such a great foundation. Even if we have a child that thinks, “I am not ever going into singing,” they still have all of these great experiences.

That particular event will be logistically challenging; they all have to wear the same thing. I don’t even know what they are singing for that. Events like that take a lot more planning, but we are used to it.

Some people who have not worked for us before, when they find out how big our choirs are (some are around 100 large) they back off from us. When people learn that, they are hesitant to work with such a large group, but we have such a set way of training, that our parents go through the same training that the kids go through… its usually flawless. People don’t even know we are coming and going. It really does run like a machine.

Do the kids get to go to the race?

We are singing the day before, but a lot of times if we are singing at an event, they will distribute tickets to the kids. A lot of times they include us. If we are donating our time, most organizations will go out of their way to at least give us free tickets to the events.

How do you decide what everyone wears? Where do you get the outfits?

The uniforms haven’t changed much in 25 years, especially for the younger choirs. 25 years ago, children’s choirs were just taking hold. That was just an industry standard, for lack of a better word. Each level has a different look to it. It gives the kids something to aspire to. As far as the upper choirs, we have come to realize that they are more advanced. They change their concert attire every season, to brand the season. Those decisions are made by the choir director.

If it’s a paid gig, then they tell us what to wear. For example, they sang at the Women’s Final Four… they wanted colored shirts and black pants. So if it’s a paid gig, we don’t get to choose!

Out of all of the venues the ICC has preformed in, is it possible for you to pick a favorite?

I think the favorite would be different for the singers and the conductors. ICC has performed around the world at some of the world’s greatest venues. If you ask a conductor, they might have some favorites. One place that they have never performed is the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. They are actually going to take care of that this summer. Name a famous venue, and they have probably performed at it.

To contrast that, they have performed outside, in the rain, for much smaller events. They have really done a little bit of everything.

Do you get to travel with them?

I want to. I haven’t yet, but I want to. There are so many stories to tell. I think the touring aspect of it is so important to our legacy. The documentary we just completed, a lot of the alumni spoke about how much the touring changed so much in their lives. It just opened their eyes. The world is a lot bigger than Indiana. Some of the alumni attribute it to them traveling the world, even studying abroad.

It’s amazing. Think about that… for 25 years they have taken people around the world. Next year they are going to Spain. I would like to go there. (I don’t even have a passport. I am taking care of that this year though.)

Where does the set list come from? Who decides what the kids sing?

The artistic director prepares that. He reviews music pretty much all year long. He has composers send him new compositions and colleagues suggest things. Its not just him… there is an artistic team that pass ideas around to each other. He once said that the first thing he looks at are the lyrics. If it makes the world a better place, and is uplifting to the soul… then he will look at the music. He’s always thinking abut the kid. Whatever decision he makes impacts the kids. That’s his first priority.

Speaking of the kids… they are the most important part of the ICC. Where do the kids come from? Are people out there actively seeking these talented youth or do they just sort of… come to you?

We do a little of both. Because of our reputation, people seek us out. There is a lot of work out there to recruit them. There are new families that don’t know about us… the choir is better known outside of Indiana than it is here in town. We constantly nurture our relationships with elementary teachers. We also have a teacher advisory board to help us recruit.

Part of our website is for teacher resources. In an elementary setting, they don’t have peers. We try to bridge that gap. That relationship is important. Now with the preschool component, we are actually providing preschool music lessons in some of the school districts. Some of our numbers come from there as well.

The ICC has a blog… is on Twitter… is on Facebook. How do you keep all of those social networks straight?

A lot of it is on the fly. Something will just strike me, and if its interesting to me… I think it might be interesting to our Facebook people or the readers of the blog. It’s not just about the ICC. Sometimes it’s about our partners, or the arts… there is never a lack of content for any of the social media, it’s more of a lack of time. Our founder alone could use his own secretary. He has done a lot of research on the changing of the voice. He has done a ton of public speaking. We do the best we can.

So what does it cost for a student to be involved? Do you offer any sort of assistance for students that might not be able to afford to get involved?

The tuition for the performing choirs can range from $300 a year to close to $600 for the year. That’s two semesters. The difference is the number of times they rehearse and the uniforms.

We do offer tuition assistance. We actually have a tuition assistance sponsor, which is the Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital. Henry has said he will never turn a child away. We will make it happen one way or the other.

You guys just finished a documentary. Tell me more about that. What’s this about? What was the process like?

The documentary focuses on how the choir affected our alumni to this day. A lot of our oldest alumni are in their mid to late 30s. We rounded up a bunch of them, and they shared their stories. We asked them about the choir and how it impacted their lives. Oh man… the things that came out of their mouths. We couldn’t have scripted it better. Story after story just kept pouring out… what this meant to them. When you think that we deal with a lot of middle school kids, the choir was always a constant. Many of them didn’t even go on to a music career.

The video was produced by SceneStream.

We talked to a lot of people who are business owners. Some did go into music, but the process was going through 100 alumni. It was interesting going through a lot of archival footage that we used. One of the final cuts of the video… people might not know that it’s the ICC singing. We added that to the credits. It was a fun process. After the end of the day, I had to go find Mr. Leck. I needed to shake his hand. I couldn’t even imagine impacting the kids that he did.

After WFYI saw it, they agreed to program it. Since they didn’t produce it, it wasn’t a given they would air it.

What’s the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened on stage? Seen anything crazy?

I have seen a kid vomit on the risers. Sometimes it just gets hot up on stage… especially if there are lights on. Sometimes they show up in the wrong uniform. There will be 100 kids in the same thing… and 1 poor kid will have the wrong uniform on. I always feel bad for him!

We had a child dropped off at the wrong location. There are always little things like that that go on.

Let’s say I wanted to book the ICC for a show… what is that process like and what do you folks charge?

You would call us and tell us the parameters of what you are thinking. How many choirs do you want? Most want 1. The cost is anywhere from $500 to $1,500 depending on the event. The timing, because sometimes we have to teach the kids the music and that could take a while, because we only see them twice a week. That could take a couple of weeks. The kids always memorize music. You will rarely see them with the music in front of them.

Our conductor is good about suggesting music. Nine times out of ten the client accepts his recommendation. That helps things move along faster. That is actually a personal goal of mine, to promote that aspect of us a little more. We just wait for the phone to ring right now… with the Super Bowl to come to town, I want to get on the radar of the corporations to see what we are all about.

What is your favorite part of being the marketing director of the ICC?

That it’s something different every day. If I go to work with a plan and a to do list, I can never follow it. Things come up all the time. That’s what’s nice working with an artistic organization… just that energy. It just flows through the office. People have ideas and want to take action on them. That part is nice. They just never know what to expect.

So who is the conductor?

There is more than one conductor. Our founder and art director is Henry Leck. Over 25 years ago he started the choir. There are 16 other choirs; they each have their own conductor.

The ICC is 25 years old this year. What is in store for the next 25? (Let’s just say for the next 5… 25 years is a long time!)

One thing I see us doing, since we have already built the foundation of artistic excellence, is becoming more of a support for music educators. Period. The music teachers, choral conductors… in other schools. Especially with music being cut out from other schools we can become an advocate… a support system for parents who want their kids to have a good music education. Whether or not we will keep growing… we probably will.

I don’t want to speak for Henry, he is the one with the vision… but he is always willing to change, as the situation demands it. When he sees something on the horizon, a need… he’s always willing to change. He doesn’t put boundaries on things. He has an open mind and is always willing to do things. Especially when it benefits the kids.

What do you, as the marketing director for the ICC… better yet, as Laura Neidig, want to be remembered for when this is all said and done? What is your legacy?

I think being a good communicator. I find people fascinating. I love finding out their back-story. Just talking with the families in the choir. Some of the different backgrounds. You’ll find a child whose parent might be a big wig at Eli Lilly standing next to a single parent home child. The reason I find this social media interesting is it is a different way to communicate.

In all of the interviews that I have done, I always give the artist the last word. Go.

I want people to realize what a gem this organization is, not just to Indianapolis but really the state of Indiana. We are looked at as a world leader in children’s choral music. If you become a part of the organization, you are afforded so many opportunities to give your child an experience like that.

Whether it’s the choir… or whatever it is. Just bring art into your child’s life. It is so important to get your kids out of the movie theatre and to live theatre. Don’t just assume because you don’t like it your kids won’t either. There are a lot of kids that haven’t been exposed to it and would literally blossom and get a lot of positive experience out of this.

When you stand in the Indiana Statehouse, there are 8 statues that our founding fathers said were important. One of them… the arts.

With Las Vegas now firmly established as an international hotspot for house music, TAO Las Vegas is going back to where it all started. On Sunday, May 29, TAO Nightclub presents the return of international superstar Erick Morillo for an epic 8 hour set to celebrate the fifth year anniversary of a legendary Memorial Day Weekend event that first put Vegas on the dance music map.

“Erick Morillo has the unique ability to capture the energy of a room and hold it until the sun rises. TAO has been able to build on his energy over the past five years and we’ve created a holiday within a holiday every Memorial Day Weekend and this year will be no different,” said Jason Strauss, Partner, TAO Las Vegas.

In the last five years, Memorial Day Weekend at TAO Las Vegas with Erick Morillo has become a veritable institution, exploding from 1,000 to 7,000 people last year and drawing clubbers from all over the world. The famed Asian-inspired nightclub, complete with 20-foot Buddha statue and state-of-the-art audio system, is the perfect backdrop for this larger-than-life house music pioneer. Indeed, the revolutionary night of house music has served as a catalyst in making Vegas one of the biggest markets for house music in the world, and TAO is ready to continue the tradition.

Erick Morillo says, “My Vegas love affair all started with TAO and the Memorial Day weekend party has become a summer kick-off institution. We really jump started the entire house music revolution here that is now exploding in Vegas today and it’s really special to come back to play again for their 5 year anniversary.”

Morillo is the owner of Subliminal Records and a platinum-selling artist whose hits include Reel 2 Real’s I Like To Move It, Break Down The Doors and Live Your Life (with Eddie Thoneick, featuring Shawnee Taylor). At the onset of 2011, he launched a celebrated monthly DJ residency at the newly minted dance music mecca Marquee Nightclub & Dayclub at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. This summer he returns to Ibiza for his annual residency this year dubbed “Subliminal Invasion,” with a companion CD to be released in June, along with his latest single Stronger on Subliminal Records.

Last week Tiger Woods pulled out of THE PLAYERS. (Insert your immature sexual commentary here.) Tiger played nine holes, fired a 42, and WD from the event complaining of knee problems. This should come as no surprise, as he has already had two surgeries on the same knee. I do find it funny that he has pulled out of the same event, held at TPC Sawgrass, two years in a row. Last year he WD due to a slipped disc. But this year, he hobbled his way around 9 holes and ended up leaving early Thursday afternoon.

Tiger also complained about issues with his Achilles tendon. Not sure what the scoop is there, but apparently he was trying to NOT hurt his knee further and ended up causing more damage. If you remember, back in April at Augusta he hurt himself late in the tournament. He still managed to take 4^th place. Granted, he has won a major with a broken leg. (Literally, his leg was technically considered broken.)

So what does this mean for Tiger? Just this week he said he would be playing in the US Open. But is he ready? He hasn’t won in nearly two years, and is making a fool of himself on the golf course. I knew as soon as he pulled out of THE PLAYERS that the media would have a field day. If you watch his post round interview, the guy just seems pissed off at everyone.

If the guy is truly hurt, then fine… leave him alone. I know that I won’t watch golf unless he is playing. I know I’m not alone on that one, either. There is a lot of speculation that Tim Finchem forced Tiger into playing in THE PLAYERS. Of course, Finchem denies this all day long, but think about… how many more tickets to you think they sold to that event simply because Tiger was playing? Tiger Woods isn’t bigger than golf, I’m not saying that… but he is the reason a lot of people even give the game a chance.

So what should Tiger do? I think he needs to take a step back, and get right… get right with himself. The marriage is over, and he has moved on. Of course, he’s dating his agent’s daughter… but still. (I do think its funny she is only 22 years old and looks JUST like Elin.) He needs to get his knee healthy, and get his mind back in it. Bubba Watson called him out last week. And he was right… Tiger is not the same man he was last year, let alone whom he was when he first came out on tour.

Tiger, if you are reading this… take the rest of the year off. No one is afraid of you anymore, and that’s okay. Get healthy, both physically and mentally, and let’s come back in 2012. Win your final few majors, and retire as the greatest player in the world. You have 10, maybe 12 competitive years left. Don’t waste them hurt watching from the sidelines. Spend those years breaking Jack’s record and winning golf tournaments.

Will Tiger still break Jack’s record?

Ever since I started listening to dance music, I have been obsessed with traveling the world and seeing my favorite artists in the biggest clubs. (I also like seeing these same acts perform in smaller, more intimate settings. For instance, I saw Paul van Dyk and Above & Beyond here in the Circle City with only a few hundred people Talbott Street, one of the only places in Indy to hear good beats.) An easy way to see a lot of these incredible DJs is to take in a festival, like Electric Zoo. Last year it was two days of some of the biggest names in dance. This year, they are taking it to three days featuring the likes of Tiesto, David Guetta, and the world’s number 1 Armin van Buuren. But I can’t wait until Labor Day weekend… I need beats now.

Next weekend I am headed to Las Vegas for Memorial Day weekend. It appears that EVERY big name DJ will be joining me. Tiesto is in town. Guetta will be there. ATB, Fatboy Slim, Armin van Buuren… they are all in town. And most of them are performing at Marquee Las Vegas, a superclub located at The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas. This hotel and club are brand new; so new that I haven’t even seen them yet. And I go to Vegas every year!

Hitting the Decks

The cool thing about Marquee is they hit you at night, and during the day. There is a dayclub here that is also featuring some pretty killer names. Below is a list of all the DJs you can see next weekend at Marquee.

• Markus Schulz
• Roger Sanchez
• Above & Beyond
• Captain of Industry
• Fatboy Slim (DJ Set)
• ATB
• Chuckie
• Armin van Buuren

There are several other names that will be making an appearance. As a matter of fact, I had the chance to give away two free tickets to see Fatboy Slim on Sunday, May 29^th. He will be performing at Marquee Dayclub.

I love Las Vegas, always have. I try to go a couple of times a year. I just need a weekend though. Much more than that in Sin City is bad for… well, my wallet! It’s true, you never leave Vegas a winner. This trip though, I am not focused on the tables but the beats. I can’t wait to dance the night (even the day) away with some of the best talent on the planet.

The DJ Booth

Earlier this year I had the chance to interview Chuckie, former resident at Marquee. He and I were chatting about the DJ booth and apparently they spent nearly $3 million on it. JUST for the DJ booth. The club itself isn’t huge, but apparently the DJ booth is unlike any other.

Benny Benassi calls Marquee the American Ibiza. That is a HUGE compliment, especially for a club that is so new to the scene. Dance music is not as big here in the States (don’t ask me why), but clubs like this are helping remedy that. I can’t wait to see Marquee. This is new Vegas… and I am glad to be able to see a club (a club that just opened on New Year’s Eve) in person. Come on people, let’s dance!

What are your plans this Memorial Day weekend?

The first time I saw Graham Colton perform was when he was with the Graham Colton Band. I saw them perform at The Patio in Broad Ripple, and I remember it like it was yesterday. It was one of my first concerts as an adult (well, as an adult meaning over the age of 21) and I still have the ticket from that show. I even remember where I sat… anyway, moving on. I have been listening to his stuff ever since, and have been dying to see him perform again. A few months ago I got the idea… let’s contact him regarding an artist interview! I connected with him on Twitter, and before I knew it we were on the phone together chatting about love, life, and the pursuit of happiness. Graham is a very passionate individual, and I am thankful to have had the chance to share a conversation with him. He is one of my favorite musicians out there, and I look forward to seeing him on the road again in the very near future. I am truly honored to introduce you to Graham Colton.

I have been listening to you for a LONG time. I was actually listening to you when you were the Graham Colton Band. What made you decide to just be Graham Colton?

To be quite honest, I started out as Graham Colton back in college; and in high school when I was first writing songs, just because I didn’t really have a band. I didn’t know any guys around town that played bass, drums, and electric guitar. So I always wrote the songs. When I moved to Dallas to go to school, I just found myself wanting to take songs that I had already written and play in a band. My first indie CD was in 2001… I have gone back and forth a few times, but the way it started was just moving. Then I came full circle.

When you age a band on the road, we played over 250 shows for a few years from ’04, ’05, ’06, and you have 5 different personalities. It’s the age-old thing; I’ll just put it this way… I love those guys, we still talk often, and after a certain amount of time we didn’t end up being whom we started. We had some replacement members, and it just didn’t feel like it was the original cast. There was an opportunity for me to make a solo album and I just ran with it.

I LOVE the video for Pacific Coast Eyes. Who is that girl?

That girl is my wife. It was kind of cool. Since I am indie again, I made my first video for Best Days for the last album, and that was on Universal Records. Nothing against that, I think it was totally fine for what it was, but I think this new video is an example of what you can do by yourself with a good creative vision. We spent ¼ as much money as we did on the Best Days video. We hired a great director, a great crew. My uncle is in TV in LA, he produced it. My brother was in the video and my wife the lead lady.

Quite honestly, I was at a place I was tired of seeing all these other videos, including my own, “okay, there’s a guy lip syncing looking at a camera.” As cool as those can be, I didn’t want to do that. I wanted something fun and light. You are making a video for YouTube these days. You don’t have to think about VH1 or MTV. I wanted something entertaining, and make people want to watch to the end… and then tell their friends about it.

You are on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube… how do you have time for all that?

Honestly, the number one thing is I am not that popular yet. It’s not that difficult. When you make it a priority… certain artists overuse it. Certain artists underuse it. Hopefully I am somewhere in between. I do think it’s critically important in the way you use it. I think that my goal with this album, the way I use it, is quality over quantity. I think it’s much more about interacting. I need to have honest and objective conversations.

Do you write all of your own lyrics?

Everything. I do every single thing.

You have played a ton of shows over the years. Does any one show stand out over another?

Oh man, that’s just so tough. I’m still at the stage where even sometimes the bad ones are memorable in someway. The funny thing, and I don’t know why this is, if I am sort of reminded of someone, like you seeing me at the The Patio in Indianapolis, in the thousands of shows that I played I can remember every single one if I am just taken back there. I have had some incredible opening experiences. I don’t think there is anything like that first Counting Crows tour. Going from a college dorm room to opening for my favorite band in New York City. That was pretty spectacular.

I’d say Chicago is one of my favorites, and the crowd is always incredible. Some of the shows at the House of Blues… there is something about Chicago.

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

Oh man, too many to count. I have been known to fall off the stage. I have defiantly fallen down or fallen off stage. Fortunately I come from an athletic background and play it off. Hopefully not that many people have recognized that I fell 6 feet off the stage and tumbled to the ground.

I really like Pacific Coast Eyes… but I’m not sure you will ever write a better album than Here Right Now.

I always like hearing what people think about the albums. There is all this talk now, among people in the business that albums are archaic and are going to not going to exist anymore. People are writing and saying that pop culture and the general public don’t want to sit through an album.

Everybody likes different stuff, I have a fan base… if I don’t make a single new fan I have a fan base that appreciated listening to an entire album and it’s a body of work. Getting back to your question, I didn’t want to make Drive Again. I didn’t want to make Here Right Now again. You want to make a new album, a new statement. I have never wanted to sway too far from my previous work. You want to challenge your audience.

I think the difference from my first record, with Drive… it was the band and we were touring. We had 11 songs and 11 songs went on the album. We did that album in 3 weeks. With Here Right Now, I was in the midst of a complete record label shift. I had brand new people that didn’t know me, didn’t know my history, and I was going to make an album with them. They just wanted me to write. What was interesting, with the last album, the songs started to become life-oriented. I was in this place where I didn’t know what was next. I didn’t know what people were going to think; it was my first solo album technically. I was not in a great place, not only with my band but another relationship in my life. I was just in a really weird place.

Where do you get inspiration, in both music and in life?

Anything and everything… anywhere and everywhere. Pacific Coast Eyes came from… I was in LA and I was staying at my brother’s place. He had this bulletin board. The drummer from the Beach Boys made a solo album called Pacific Ocean Blue. His album cover, which I still think is one of the coolest album covers I have ever seen, he looks like a homeless person… but it’s so rock and roll. I was just, in some weird way, inspired by that. I got in my rental car and started humming that first part.

Usually it’s not sitting down with a guitar, light a candle… dim the lights, light some incense and write a song. It doesn’t happen like that.

You seem to post a lot of content on Twitter. How do you think social media, and the Internet in general, has changed the way people absorb music?

I think everyone has his or her own personality. You have to realize, if you already have a fan base, I have to realize that I am going to use social media different than the next guy. Let it remain within your personality. My friend Wayne, who lives here in Oklahoma, he’s the lead singer of the Flaming Lips. He posts crazy, weird stuff that he sees in airports. Or he will post paintings that he will draw with his own blood. That’s the way he uses it. He offers content to his fans that is reminiscent to his personality. With my music, and my personality, that’s the challenge. You want to offer this content.

Whether it’s silly, a blurb, announcement of a tour date, it needs to remain you. You can’t overstep those boundaries. Whether you post ten times a day, or once every ten days… it needs to be you.

You are constantly on the road. Do you ever get bored moving from one city to the next?

Yeah, I have done so much touring. If I am out on the road too long, it’s too much. If I am home too long, that’s too much too. As long as I keep a good balance, that balance is really important to me.

I was looking at your tour schedule, and I don’t see Indianapolis on there. What do I have to do to get you to the Circle City?

We are working on it right now. We have a run in the Midwest. I just sent my guy; we are driving from Oklahoma to Wisconsin. It’s not one of my best markets around.

One of your singles Best Days was featured on Kyle XY. I really enjoyed that show. (It was also featured on American Idol.) When something like that happens, do they contact you or are you pitching your songs to them?

They found it. A lot of those shows that use my songs are all about being in the “right place at the right time”. We are always actively looking for opportunities to get my music out there. But oftentimes they present themselves organically.

You toured with NeedToBreath. How good are they? I think they sound a lot like Kings of Leon, but are better!

They are some of my best friends. We toured together really early on as well. When they were just getting started. I think it’s an amazing thing that our music is so different and our fan base is so similar. We come from the same spot, touring around and playing our music to as many people as we can. It’s come from an organic grounded place.

Football? You don’t look like a football player. But you have a pretty impressive history with the game. Are you still a fan? Do you think there will be a season this year in the NFL?

Especially college football.

Now that I think about it… you have toured with some pretty big names. Do you ever get nervous opening up for these bands?

No, it’s never nervous opening for that group, I’m nervous opening for their fan base. Quite honestly, the most nervous I was before the tour was Kelly Clarkson. I assumed it would be so different. Keep in mind I went from Counting Crows, The Wallflowers, to Dave to Kelly. Some of the harshest critics can be young kids. We are just four dudes playing some pretty simple songs. She was the biggest pop star in the world.

You have released a few EPs over the years. You actually released three of them between Here Right Now and Pacific Coast Eyes. Why focus on an EP and not a full album?

The EPs were a way, a window in to see what I was up to. So many times, like this album, I wrote over 100 songs for this album because I just wanted to keep going. I just wanted to write and write. Sometimes you have to try anything and everything. You have to write four or five songs to get that fit. Those four or five before, usually, no one ever hears them. I just felt like now that I was independent again, I can have an outlet for whatever I want to write for people to listen to and hear it. To hear the stuff that usually lives on my computer.

I think it’s a way to offer that stuff, but also have it be behind the scenes. That’s why I didn’t put them on iTunes, press up hard copies; I’m very aware of those songs needing to exist in a certain way. I want my fans to find those songs and realize that this is behind the scenes, special b-sides.

I know it’s a long time from now, but where do you see yourself in five years?

I think the greatest thing… everything that has happened has really been a surprise. It never happened the way I thought it would. I just hope five years from now there is another surprise. I hope that my music continues to surprise me. I will definitely still be doing it. I am so thankful and thrilled to have the support that I have had over the last seven, eight, nine years. If I can just make my music for my core fans, I’m good.

When this is all said and done, what do you want to be remembered for? What’s the Graham Colton legacy?

Defiantly honest. I think that’s the hardest thing. I want to be known as an honest songwriter. I am getting into that place in my life and career being a songwriter in all sense of that term, being honest is so critically important to me. I have needed to understand the ebbs and flows of being a songwriter. In my opinion you have to be honest. If you want to write a song about this, or that… you just have to do it, in order to put yourself out there.

I think that people… there’s something about music and there’s something about writing a 3:30 song… people are able to sniff you out if you’re not being honest, even if they don’t know you. A true music fan can listen to that song, and I’d be willing to bet in 30 seconds they can sniff out someone who is not being genuinely honest.

I feel like I have made a few missteps, and ways in which I have performed and recorded that I wish I had done differently. I am also really confident that I don’t regret any decisions I have made in any songs that I have written. I just want to be remembered for being an honest songwriter.

In all of the interviews I write I always let the artist get the last word. Go.

Even though I am a pop singer, pop rock, roots rock… whatever you want to describe me as. Recently I have allowed myself to show different sides of my music. Sometimes when you are making a 12-song album, you think, “How does this song go with that song?” If it’s honest, I have allowed myself let the songs be what they are. I believe in them, and if they are honest they coexist. I have been really surprised. A lot of people will come to learn about me. I am not just the Best Days guy. I am not just the guy that opened for Counting Crows.

What I hope people take away is give it a second. Digest the music, and there is something there for everyone. I like to do a lot of different things. I like Ryan Adams, Bob Schneider… they have been able to maintain these incredible careers. They have some that you wouldn’t even think are coming from the same guy. Give my music a chance. There’s something in there for everyone.

Who likes Fatboy Slim? Oh, you know who he is. He had that HUGE hit single a few years ago called Weapon Of Choice. The video features American actor Christopher Walken dancing his way through four minutes of beats. (He is also responsible for the infamous Funk Show Brother and the timeless track Praise You; we all know the words to those two songs.) Well Fatboy Slim is about to rock the house next weekend. He will be performing live in Las Vegas over Memorial Day weekend at Marquee Dayclub.

Fatboy Slim, known as Norman Cook to his friends, has been doing this for a long time. He has been performing since 1981, and has managed to get pretty good at several instruments. He has mastered the turntables (of course), the keyboard, the bass guitar, and the rhythm guitar… even the drums. He truly is a man of many talents. Fatboy Slim is currently offering a free download of his Las Vegas Take Over Mix. You can actually download that track below by entering your email address into the widget.

But wait, there’s more… How would you like to win two tickets to see him perform next weekend at Marquee? Well here’s your chance! I have a pair of tickets to his DJ set next Sunday, May 29th at Marquee Dayclub. He will be joined by James Zabiela, Aeroplane, and Thomas Gandey.

But Ricky, how do we win? It’s easy… the first person to answer the following question wins. Just answer in the comment section below…

Cook formed a band called Freak Power that featured horn player Ashley Slater and singer Jesse Graham. In what year did they release their debut album?

The first person to answer that question correctly wins two tickets to next weekend’s show! Good luck everyone… let’s dance!

Fresh from his stellar performances throughout David Guetta’s UK tour, Norman Doray will now be giving away his latest track for free via his official Facebook page. Available now Champagne mixes disco, funk and house to create a track that will keep clubbers dancing all summer long. Produced by Norman and fellow Frenchman Richard Grey, Champagne is full of warmth, soul and melody, taking us on a dreamy, summer-tinged trip through disco and funk on our way to the club dancefloor. Rolling beats join euphoric piano keys to take us back to the heady days of positive old school music, pleasuring the mind and soul as well as your feet. Whether outside in the sun or finishing off a hazy summer’s day in the club, Champagne will shower you in its own life-affirming rays of happiness until you are ready to stop dancing!

“I did this track because I wanted to do something a bit different. I’ve been used to doing really progressive, big room tracks and I just wanted to go back to my roots. I come from disco and funk music; I love this kind of music. I’m a bit fed up with tracks with the big chords and everything at the minute, so I wanted to change it and try to do something like this which has more of a disco vibe for the summer. Every time I have played it it’s worked so well because people are not so used to hearing tracks like this in clubs now. I’ve kinda gone back to the kind of music we heard from Junior Jack and Kid Crème over ten years ago.”