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

This November, The Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship comes to Whispering Pines Golf Club compliments of The World Health & Golf Association, a 501c(3) charitable organization. The event will be hosted at Whispering Pines Golf Club, located just outside of Trinity, Texas and will feature players from twenty countries on six continents.
The World Health & Golf Association and Texas Golf Association invite twenty countries from six continents to participate in the event. The Spirit International is a biennial event that alternates tournament years with the World Amateur Team Championships. The event will take place November 4-7, 2011.

IMAVEX, LLC. will provide a full marketing campaign for The Spirit International. The campaign will consist of creating enhanced traffic utilizing several Internet platforms including Facebook and Twitter, live streaming video including a detailed video marketing solution, and much more. Throughout the campaign, IMAVEX will provide consistent Internet marketing expertise as well as detailed traffic reports and advanced statistics to The Spirit International.

About IMAVEX

IMAVEX, LLC is a leading provider of interactive web solutions and Internet marketing products and services. IMAVEX helps companies and organizations to dynamically manage their web presence while providing a catalyst to promote and market their company. In addition, IMAVEX provides industry leading search engine marketing, search engine optimization, social media marketing, and video production and streaming services to drive pre-qualified users to their clients’ web presence, and then turn them into paying customers. IMAVEX is headquartered in Noblesville, Indiana.

For information: http://www.thespiritgolf.com/The-Spirit-International.html or http://www.imavex.com

Contact: rpotts@imavex.com

Phone: 317-774-7460

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This Monday night I had the chance to screen the new Transformers movie. Transformers: Dark of the Moon, is the third installment of the Transformers series and features such talent as Shia LaBeouf (Sam Witwicky), Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (Carly), Josh Duhamel (Lennox), Tyrese Gibson (Epps) and Patrick Dempsey (Dylan). (I prefer Dempsey in scrubs, but that’s just me.) In this release, the Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the dark side of the Moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and to learn its secrets.

Taking a Step Back

Before I get too far into this one, let’s take a moment to talk about the first two. The first Transformers movie was incredible, pushing the limit with big fight scenes, cars that transformed into the Autobots (hence the name of both the movie and the machines) and just the sheer “in your face” factor. The second one, however, felt rushed, had some pretty weak acting, and a storyline that felt unfinished. Now we move to a third, and hopefully final, chapter.

Ehren Kruger, who has also worked on films such as The Ring, Arlington Road, and Scream 3, wrote the script. (Not sure why he wrote Scream 3, having not touched the first two.) Unless you have been living under a rock, you are aware that Michael Bay was the one who directed this film. He has worked on some pretty epic films, including the first two Transformers, Pearl Harbor, and Armageddon. Pretty much every film he touches turns to gold.

How did we get here?

I don’t mean that in the literal sense… but for this film in particular. At the start of this movie, you are pretty much told exactly what happened… you hear (and see) part of the back-story, are shown the actual crash on the moon, and even are walked through the moon landing that supposedly happened in 1969. (I still don’t think we have been to the moon… but this isn’t the time or the place for that discussion.)

Then you are back with Sam, in his carefree unemployed ways. Of course, he is dating a hottie, played by English starlet Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. She replaced Megan Fox as the lead female role. (Rosie used to be a Victoria’s Secret model.) Megan Fox has moved on to “bigger and better things” including some movies we have never heard of and a TV show that I have never seen.)

The Acting, in General

The acting is no better than before, and that’s okay. You don’t need great acting when the Autobots are doing more of the on-screen time anyway. I do love the voice of some of these robots. A couple of them have that priceless “million dollar voice” that some actors dream for. Especially Peter Cullen, who pays the voice of Optimus Prime. (He also did the voice for Ironhide in the first Transformers.)

Leonard Nimoy makes an appearance as well. How can you not LOVE that man’s voice?

The humans are just mediocre. Shia is a pretty solid actor, and he doesn’t disappoint. You can always expect a pretty good performance from Patrick as well. But nothing in the film really got me on the edge of my seat. Not that I expected it to… I didn’t come expecting great acting. I came for the Autobots… and the 3D. (Yes, the movie is in 3D. Of course it is in 3D.)

The Machines Are Taking Over

I was impressed with the special effects relating to the Autobots. The first two have actually impressed me as well, and while this one wasn’t all that different, the machines looked more polished, the transformations seemed more streamlined, and the characters just seemed to mold together better. I do feel like they had WAY too much action in this film, though. There are too many scenes that feature the same repetitive fighting that we are used to.

They do introduce us to some new characters, but again nothing worth talking about. The focus is on the good guys here, and their battle for normalcy.

There are a couple of scenes that stood out. There are several fight scenes, but the one scene that sticks out in my mind is the final fight scene. There are several Autobots in this fight, but toward the end one of the robots begins to bleed… I didn’t know transformers could bleed. (Also, speaking of that… when a car turns into a robot the size of a building, where did the extra material come from? The cars are not that big. Not even the semi trailer.)

You’re Kidding… It’s in 3D?

Of course it’s in 3D. Nearly every movie that comes out anymore is in 3D. The new Smurfs movie is in 3D for goodness sake. But I will admit, if I liked anything about this movie, it was that… the 3D effects. I have yet to be impressed with 3D, but they did it right in this film. It’s not overdone, never obnoxious, and simply fits the film in every sense of the way 3D could. You are never overcome by it, and the times where it appears they are going overboard, you are quickly brought back down to reality.

You won’t catch me saying that very often. The last movie that was even decent regarding 3D visual effects was Avatar. But I will admit, Transformers: Dark of the Moon pulled it off.

Sweet Home Chicago

Part of this film was shot in Washington, DC. I actually learned, just today, that my good friend Steve Hill was an extra in one of the scenes shot in DC. Unless his name is in the credits, I am not sure I can believe him… but how cool is that? I wonder if he got paid…

The other half of the movie was shot in Chicago. I actually got the chance to see them film some of this. We were in Chicago during their last day of shooting, actually. Toward the end of the movie they were literally destroying the streets of Chicago, and I kept saying to myself, “I have been there… I know where that is… I have eaten there!” It was cool to relate to the film having been in the same city while they filmed part of it.

I could spend all day talking about the movie, but let’s wrap this up… the movie is decent at best. I loved the first one. I liked the second one. And I wouldn’t pay to see this one… (I got the ticket at The Beer Sellar as a pint promotion they were running last Monday night. If you bought a pint of beer – $3 on Monday nights – you got a free ticket to see the movie.)

If you have seen the first two, go see it. But if you are just looking for something to do this weekend, skip it. There are plenty of other good movies on the big screen that you will enjoy more than this. Plus, the movie is 2.5 hours long. Honestly, they could have made it 1.5 hours and told the same story just as well. Our time is precious, and I would rather read or write than watch another Autobot fight scene.

Again, I have to give a shout out to my good friend Brad Rockwood for giving me this new rating system… Transformers: Dark of the Moon gets 2/5 kernels. I’ll see you at the box office soon!

Have you seen the first two? Did you see the new one? What did you think?

When I was growing up, I listened to a lot of rap music. From guys like Tupac to Dr. Dre, Eminem (his early stuff of course) and Snoop Dogg I was always obsessed with the beats. The lyrics were decent, at best. I didn’t listen for the lyrics. Now, the older I get, lyrics matter more than ever before. (Don’t tell my mom, she hates this stuff!) When I met Dro Man (through Facebook actually) I was immediately impressed with his lyrics. His beats are great too. One thing that I like about his music, is his limited use of profanity. You know, the more I listen to it… I am not sure he uses any profanity at all. Regardless, that shows that a good rap artist can produce excellent music and not have to use improper language. (I try to not use profanity here on the blog, so we can relate.) I am glad that I had the chance to sit down with Dro Man, one of Indy’s hottest rap artists. Learn more about his dreams, his music, and what makes him tick from one beat to the next.

I used to be REALLY big into rap music. Not as much as I once was, but I still like to dance to it from time to time. What got you into rap music?

I come from a very tough place in life and rap was an outlet to me. I’ve literally been rappin’ since I was 9 years old. By the age of 15, my group (N.A.P. Boyz) had 2 songs on the radio, so it made this dream feel very real to me. I love to write and get things off my chest, while at the same time provide an opportunity for my family.

Where did you come up with the name Dro Man?

The name Dro Man comes from my music, my sound. My music is intoxicating, strong, and it sticks to you!. It resonates! So, Dro Man is a pun, so to speak on the quality of music he delivers.

I listen to a lot of electronic dance music. EDM is focused on bass. It seems that rap music is as well. What’s the affliction with hard-hitting bass?

It’s what makes you want to move. (Laughs) When you feel the bass in your chest, it’s a feeling like none other in music. It’s almost hypnotic and it makes people want to get on their feet and move. I’m an 808 guy myself specifically.

What speakers do you have in your car?

FACTORY! (Laughs) The police have cracked down on “booming” systems! I don’t have time to be messing with them over the sound coming out of my car.  I want those new Chrysler 300s with the Beats By Dre speakers in them though.  I like the sound coming out of those.

There are a TON of great rappers out there. Who are some of the best in the business right now?

To me I would say Lil Boosie, Gucci Mane (who I’ve worked with), Jeezy, and Dro Man. (Laughs)  They have influenced me in my music and I feel I stand right there with them as well. Most people might say I’m crazy because I didn’t say Jay-Z or whoever their favorite lyricists is, but I’m a street guy and the music I stated is who speaks to me and reflects how I live on a day to day.

Brad Real is making his way up through the scene here in Indy. Are you familiar with his work?

S/O Brad Real, I’ve heard of him, I don’t know him specifically but we work in 2 different lanes. He has the more “hip-hop” feel to his music from what I’ve seen but it’s not to say we couldn’t cross promote, I’m always down to fuse crowds. I want my music to touch everyone.

Where are you originally from?

Far east side of Indianapolis!

Your music is extremely polished. Where did you produce all those tunes?

I actually made those in our own studio. I have some GREAT engineers on my team. Big thanks to Kaz Lil’ Daddy, Sir Hart, and St. James.  They have all helped engineers my tracks to get the best quality. As far as the actual beats behind my songs it’s mostly a super producer by the name of  “Swift The Gift”.  We’ve known each other for a long time and he had a lot of confidence in me and my song writing ability and I had a lot of respect for his sound.  Together we have created most of the music I have including my hit singles Jiggalate and Wham.  He’s in Atlanta currently producing artists on Soulja Boy’s label SODMG.

Where did you guys shoot the Pelle Pelle music video?

We shot that on 38th and Franklin. It used to be a Hang time there. I am very much into showing people where I’m from and shooting videos in these locations gives them a feel on what type of person I am and where I come from. I’m very proud of that. Far eastside Stand UP! What the Trap Due?

Tell me a little bit more about Trappin for Dummies. What exactly is trappin?

Trap is a term I use with which urban youth can identify when it comes to working hard. “Trap is putting in hard work in the hustle of life”. By taking a term that has such an identity in a culture and associating it with hard work ethic in today’s times, is actually a way to encourage people to stay positive-be happy!

It seems like you have other artists in nearly every song you perform. Is there a reason to have guests like that?

Yes, because when I went solo I had it in my mind to help everybody as I got bigger. I could have just Dro Man on every song, but there are TOO many talented artists here in Nap and I want to showcase that. T-Eazy, Kaz, and Keezy are most featured because they are on my label THC Muzik/1 Hundred Ent/Starc Music. Swoe is an up and coming artist here too with his own movement, so we feature each other a lot to merge the fan bases.

Do you write all your own lyrics?

Absolutely! (Laughs) It’s my expression, my life that I want to portray. Who better to write the script than ME?

Do you prefer to produce mixtapes or full-length albums?

Mixtapes. The game has changed a lot and people are getting rich off mixtapes. I like the grind and hustle behind them. I’m totally in control of the project and when it drops, I can decide what singles I want to push and how much I want per show. It’s the independent grind.

Tell me a little bit more about THC Musik.

It’s my label. It’s something that I have been working on awhile. Shout out to Big Nate, St. James, and Sir Hart. They have taught me how to be a boss and run my own show. I’m still signed to 1 Hundred Ent for managerial purposes. But I wanted to sign myself and those around me with talent to make sure they come with me. T-Eazy is my cousin and artist on the label. We were in the group N.A.P. Boyz together and have been rapping together since we were kids. Kaz is the singer of the group and does most of my producing as well. He is magical with this music and really talented person in general. Keezy is the female element and the sex appeal. She has a lot of swag and a following so we wanted to run with that.

In one of your songs you mention Greg Oden. He is from the Hoosier state. Do you know him personally?

Don’t know him personally. Not yet anyways! (Laughs) Just showing love.

You have a few tattoos… do those hurt? I don’t have one!

Nope! (Laughs) They don’t hurt, in fact I’m looking to get a couple more.

Who is DJ Reddy Rock?

Big Shouts to DJ Reddy Rock. He is a DJ from the far east side and on WHHH 96.3.  He and I really started this mixtape game here in Nap. (The NEW school anyways.) He is a Violator DJ as well as an artist on one of the first groups to sign a major deal here (Jive) named Trillogy. I respect him a lot because he works for the radio, etc. but he really is a dude that wants the streets and the underdog to win.

It looks like you are using Twitter, Facebook, MySpace… how do you keep all these social networks straight?

My Manager does! (Laughs) Stay Tuned!

What’s the biggest crowd you have ever played for?

5,000 – 96.3 Circle City Classic Concert

What about the smallest?

Coming up in the game was tough man. I’ve played for 10 people but I rocked out like it was 10,000 because I wanted them to know that no matter what Dro Man gives his all at EVERY show!

It doesn’t seem like there is a big scene for rap music here in Indiana. Do you ever perform outside the Circle City?

Yep, I’ve performed in Cincinnatti, S/O Big Heff, St. Louis, Iowa (what up DJ Commando), Chicago and Atlanta. I’m looking to go on tour in the next month so we’ll be seeing the whole midwest. So look out for me Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee, Illinois, and Georgia.

So it’s all in the wrist?

Yes sir! D boys know what I’m talking about!

You recently worked with Gucci Mane. What was that like?

It was cool. He is someone that I looked up to in music and for my 1st feature to be with him was big to me. It let me know that I am reaching my goals.

What’s the best concert you have ever been to?

I’d have to say The Up in Smoke Tour! It was Legendary!

Do you have a job outside of music?

Nope. Full time Trapper. (Laughs)

You are famous for the “Ahn Hahn Yeah”. Where did that come from?

I made it up, in branding myself I wanted to make up something that a lot of people weren’t doing so I came up with my own lifestyle, language, etc.

You had some work the radio at a pretty young age. What was it like having that sort of exposure at such a young age?

It gave me a chance to grow and keep up in this business. I knew from then that someday I would break through.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

In 5 years, I see myself in movies, with a label and merchandising company among other things. My main goal was to become the 1st artist out of Indiana to be a nationwide platinum selling artist. So first things first.

I know it’s a long time from now… but when this is all said and done, what is the Dro Man legacy? What do you want to be remembered for when it’s all over?

I want to be remembered for being a humble guy and someone that cared about people. When I reach where I want to be I want to give back and bring those up behind me.  I want to take care of my family and their families. I want my great great great grand kids to say, “Thank you”to me for their Harvard education all because of the work I put in today.

I always give the artist the last word. Go.

Shouts to you, Ricky. Thanks a lot for exposing me to your global audience. Go check Trappin’ for Dummies 1 and 2 on datpiff.com. Big thanks to THC Muzik, 1 Hundred Ent, Stopbeefinradio, Saxx Attack, Matt Sims, Darren Bunton, and my whole staff. I want your fans to know that I am NOT your typical rapper, I really live my music and what I give to the people I do with the utmost humility. I have party music, real music, and everything in between. I’m here for the “have AND have nots” and I came from “nothing to something” with hard work, dedication, and faith in myself and God. I rep the Far Eastside of Indianapolis, but I want my music to touch the world, every genre of people out there.  Shouts to all the DJs, Wrekk 1, B Swift, DJ King, DJ Ski Mask, Reddy Rock, JF the Legend, Trill Tight DJs and every DJ in the city that played my record and believed in me. Lastly, I want to thank my mom, my little brother Jalen, little sister Tay-Tay, and my family for giving me the motivation to better my situation. Look me up, Google Dro Man or Jiggalate.  Ahn Hahn Yeah!

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If you have never been to Vegas before, you would know Fremont Street for several things… the Golden Nugget is one reason. It’s located downtown, as well as many other famous hotels and casinos. There are also a ton of great bars up and down the street. This is old school Vegas, where all the old timers hang out… and still do. The street is actually now covered with lights… and a light show that goes off every hour on the hour until the wee hours of the morning. On our most recent trip, I really wanted Sheryl to see this.

We got there just before one of the shows was about to start… and we were both impressed by the lights and the sounds above us. I even took a video on my phone. From there we made our way to some random hotel and casino for a bite to eat. Neither one of us had eaten since lunch, and were both starving. I grabbed a Jägerbomb before we headed to dinner. It was $5… the cheapest shots in Vegas. No, really… they are probably the cheapest shots in Vegas.

The place we ended up eating… where did we end up eating? I have no idea! But Sheryl was just excited to get a beer and a doughnut for $5. I ended up getting Chinese food. I mean, what beats Chinese food at 3 in the morning? (That’s actually 6:00 AM back here in Indiana. There is a three-hour time difference.) The food was good, but we didn’t want to gamble. We had seen all we needed to see on Fremont Street. But it was time for one more stop.

I have been to Vegas, oh… tons of times. Yet I have never seen the “welcome to fabulous Las Vegas” sign. I know, right? So we headed to the sign for one more iconic photo opportunity. After we saw the sign we called it a night, and Alicia was kind enough to take us back to the hotel. Our first day was in the books… welcome to Las Vegas, baby!

Earlier this week, I was over on the west side of town for meetings in the morning. The meetings actually went late, and we had to push one of them back until after lunch. So… what’s for lunch? Since I am on a diet, I am not able to eat anything, well, good. So we decided to just see what was around us. Our meetings were in an office park, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find something good to eat. Well, there was nothing good to eat anywhere in sight. We got in the car, headed back toward the highway, and were going to try the next stop down the interstate. That’s when we say a huge vinyl sign for Chef Mike’s Charcoal Grill. (Yeah, the sign was vinyl.)

We made a quick U-turn, and headed back only to get lost trying to find it. The entire area is confusing, but we eventually ended up in the right place. I told Braden, the guy I was with, “A Chinese buffet would fit well here. Perhaps some sushi.”

What are we getting ourselves into?

So we walked in, and were greeted by a man wearing a golf shirt and khaki shorts. He was nice enough, and sat us at a table in the dining room. We sat down, and were quickly greeted by our server. I forget her name, but she was very nice. She was able to greet us so quickly because there was hardly anyone there. It was 12:10 in the afternoon on a Tuesday. The line at McDonald’s was ten cars deep.

We both ordered something to drink, and began to look at the menu. I needed something healthy, so I was looking at the salads. Braden ordered a salad as well. He had a half Caesar salad and an order of fries. He ordered water to drink. I ordered a full strawberry grilled chicken salad and a Diet Coke to drink.

The bill was $21.

Braden’s salad was $5. His fries were $3. So that was $8 for a side salad and some fries. He said the fries were good, at least. (He ate the salad first, then the fries. I found that interesting, as I like to mix things up as I eat.) My salad was $10. When it hit the table, I about asked the server if she heard me correctly. I had ordered the full salad. This salad was TINY. It had some chicken on it, though. So I ate that. The dressing was pretty good, too. You know, it’s funny… I am not writing this to be mean or downgrade the restaurant, but just wanted to share my experience with you. That, and the price points. Oh, and the air conditioner.

Keeping the Room Cool

The first day of summer was earlier this week. So you would expect to, by now, have your air conditioner on. Well they had their AC on at Chef Mike’s… it was sitting in the middle of the room. The header image up there, that’s the AC on the right hand side of the image. Sort of looks like a laundry shoot.

Step Into My Office

I am not sure who the guy that sat us was, perhaps the owner. But during our meal, he was having a conversation with another one of the servers. I am not sure what was really being said, or if he was mad at her… or another employee. But he wasn’t happy. I heard a few “bad words” in there while he was telling his story.

I just find that very unprofessional, as an owner, manager, employee… anyone. If you work for a restaurant, or any place that has a rotation of customers, watch your language. The restaurant also serves families. (There were no families in there when we had lunch, by the way. I will tell you, though, on their website their tagline is, “A family restaurant right in your neighborhood.”)

The restaurant does have a bar. We didn’t order any alcoholic beverages, as it was our lunch break, but the bar did look nice. They have a few TVs floating around as well. They also have a HUGE projector at the back of the restaurant. They were playing sports while we were there.

Paying the Tab

So we are all finished, and ready for our check. Again, I can’t compliment the server enough. She was great. She brings the check in one of those old school check presenters. You know the ones I am talking about, with the black pleather and the spot for your credit card. She sits it down, and I think nothing of it. I put my card in there and she rings me up. (I did leave a good tip. She was nice!) Before I signed my credit card slip, I noticed that the Chef Mike’s logo was actually a sticker on the check presenter. I found that odd, so I decided to investigate. Sure enough, under the sticker was a logo from a different restaurant.

Braden and I laughed, as it truly was one thing after another from the moment we walked in. I did tell him, based on what we saw and experienced before we ordered our meal, that, “I am going to be mad if I get food poisoning from this place.”

Finding a Better Value

When we got back to the office, I told Braden, “I have never paid so much money for so little food.” That’s a pretty good way to describe this place. They do have a 3-pound burger that is made for sharing. I saw a few pictures of it, and it looks big… but the burger is $50. There is no way that burger is that good to justify $50. The menu did have a lot on it. They have burgers, and steaks, and pizzas. It’s your typical bar food, but with a kick. (Think Applebee’s or T.G.I. Friday’s.) Again, I am not trying to rip on this place. I would potentially go back. But someone else would have to be picking up the tab.

Have you ever been to Chef Mike’s Charcoal Grill?

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With over 70 acts already announced for Electric Zoo 2011, Made Event is proud to present even more lineup additions to this year’s expanded 3-day festival. The world’s top electronic music artists, including headliners Tiësto, David Guetta and Armin van Buuren, will play across four stages on beautiful Randall’s Island in New York City on September 2, 3, 4, 2011.

The 14 new additions include:

• Friday’s Main Stage: BT Laptop Symphony LIVE. Carl Cox & Friends Take Over Sunday School: Josh Wink, Nicole Moudaber, The Martinez Brothers. Red Bull Riverside: Egyptrixx, High Contrast.
• Saturday’s Main Stage: Daedelus. Hilltop Arena: Sidney Samson. Sunday School Grove: Reboot LIVE. Red Bull Riverside: SBTRKT.
• Sunday’s Main Stage: John Dahlbäck, TOKiMONSTA. Red Bull Riverside: Jaytech, Michael Woods.

3-Day Passes without transportation option will be sold out soon!

As the name suggests, Randall’s Island Park is on an island, and moving large numbers of people on and off such a small island with limited entry points in a safe and efficient manner is a challenge. When you decide to come to Electric Zoo, it’s important to us that your trip here (and back home again each night) is as swift and easy as possible. That’s why this year we are providing several different transportation options that are bundled with festival passes. And it’s important for festival goers to make their transportation plans early.  For those planning on coming to Electric Zoo in a friend’s car, by taxi or some other mode of dropoff, or MTA bus, please be aware that you should buy your festival passes NOW. Within the next few weeks, festival passes that do not include a transportation option will sell out. After that point, the only way to buy a festival pass will be to buy one that’s bundled with a transportation option (ferry, shuttle bus, or parking pass).

You know, I don’t remember how I was first introduced to these guys. Who cares, their music is great. I did a little bit of research before I met with them, and when I got the chance to hear their stories unfold… the interview turned from questions about them to stories about their careers as musicians. The guys all met me at Golf 365, located on Indy’s north side. They have a sweet conference room that was perfect for the interview. We met, talked, and shared laughs for nearly two hours. It was everything I want these interviews to be. When the band left, they handed me a couple of their albums, and I haven’t been able to put it down since. The sound is incredible, and not something you would expect to come from the Circle City. I truly enjoy it, and their personalities just made it that much better. It’s my absolute pleasure to introduce you to Tonos Triad. (Don’t worry, we talk about what that name means in the interview!)

What in the world does your name mean?

(Rod) The name came from a need for a name. (Laughs) We got booked for a gig, and we had been going back and forth; nothing stuck. We got booked, and needed something. That was the one we were on. Tonos is an ancient Greek musical concept that has to do with different scales at different pitches. It’s a complicated thing. Triad is a three-note chord. All chords are triads.

(Aaron) For the record, I was impartial to the band name. I didn’t like it. All I can remember is not liking that name.

Those are not typical instruments I see there… Is that standup bass?

(Aaron) Yev is the only one that played his instrument of choice before Tonos Triad.

(Yevgeny) I actually studied classic guitar in college. I wanted to get a performance degree, but then I decided that was a silly idea.

Tell me a little bit more about Typewriters & Tarantulas. I love that name, by the way.

(Rod) The day that I decided I wanted a band like Tonos Triad, we were at Wheeler Art Building in Fountain Square. It was  a First Friday or an open house… I wasn’t familiar with the scene at the time. There were a ton of artists hanging out, and I get to this room… and the guy had a few hundred typewriters hanging around in there. He collects them, and thinks they are awesome… old ones too. Nothing newer than 1940… he has some of the first typewriters ever made.

His name is William Lawson. I ended up talking to this guy, we hit it off, and we were talking about art, and music… ended up doing a guitar lesson for art trade, and he turned out to be a good friend. He collects typewriters and tarantulas. I thought it would be homage to him as a friend an artist to force him to do a self-portrait without painting himself.

(Yevgeny) The idea of having a local artist was nice too. We like to support local bands at a local bar in our local town…

(Aaron) It also happened to work out that our band name has two Ts in it.

So that is your second recording… what was your first? Are you working on a third?

(Rod) First album was recorded at my house. More of a “live sort of organic performance” record/album kind of thing. The second album was more of a studio album. We had individual rooms for that one.

(Yevgeny) By live, we mean that we played together at the same time… in the same room. Everything that you hear on the record is what you hear on stage.

(Rod) We are going to make a third record. We already have a few songs that will be on there. There is no reason to rush the album, and there is no hurry to start it right now. It’s only been seven months since the last release. We had a good year between the first and second one. It wouldn’t be fun to rush an album.

(Aaron) We are pretty self sufficient, as far as that goes. We don’t have to feel like we have to hurry to make an album.

(Yev) We do like to play new stuff though. We have been playing some new songs since the album release.

What’s the deal with the suitcase… it seems to be a reoccurring theme here.

(Rod) I teach guitar for a living, and as much as I love that instrument… after teaching forty-five kids a week, and doing more guitar on the weekends made me want to change it up. When we first started, we had a percussionist. The guy that did the album cover for the first record was in the band for a minute. He was going to be all percussion. I thought it was cool having all percussion in the band… so I did accordion and drums… I saw a live concert where a dude was playing a suitcase as a drum. I went to Goodwill, picked up a suitcase, and started banging on it with ladles to see if it had the right sound. The cardboard box was an after thought. I didn’t know what I was going to use…

(Yevgeny) He goes through shoeboxes… we can’t find another base drum. The suitcase is an interesting combination. Every time I see a thrift store, I stop in and see if they have the next suitcase… just in case.

I have been playing BS percussion since I was five years old. When I was a kid, before I even knew what a drumkit was, I had one with cardboard boxes and coffee cans. I would set it all around me and bang on all this stuff. My mom said, “Pick this stuff up!” I just moved it to the corner. I was a couch drummer in college. (Laughs) You can get a lot of good sounds out of a couch.

You guys did a photo shoot in a graveyard. What was the significance of that?

(Aaron) That graveyard was in the middle of nowhere. It was between Franklin and Edinburgh. There are only about six last names in there. I don’t think anyone had been buried there in 100 years!

(Rod) They told us to. (Laughs) There are some dark overtones to a couple of our songs. We have a tune called Devil’s Pinwheel… there’s a little bit of darkness behind the titles. Persoanlly, I didn’t think shooting a graveyard goes against at least what a slice of our sound is.

(Yevgeny) We had fun though.

You guys have a lot of random photos now that I think of it. Was that just one photo shoot, or a culmination of several?

(Aaron) The most recent photo shoot we did was with a team of photographers. They call themselves Lucky Willow Photography.

(Yevgeny) Those are all from the same shoot.

I won’t even begin to pronounce it… but where in the world does a name like Yevgeny Baburin come from? (Don’t you dare say Indiana!)

(Yevgeny) I am from Moscow, Russia.

Like I said, your sound is quite unique. But I love it… where do you guys find inspiration for new tracks?

(Aaron) Most of my music comes from anxiety and depression and not knowing how to deal with it… and not being medicated properly.

(Rod) I have a stereo in my head that next shuts off. There is not one genre I rule out anymore. When I was younger, I was more apt to rule out a genre. Musically, I am very spread across the board. I have a hard drive with just… too many gigabytes worth of music on it. I decided that I wanted to to listen to at least one album from every band. I am going from Slayer to Coltrane to Mississippi John Hurt.

The fun thing about it I can compare anything I want; any genre. The instruments in the band make it a Tonos Triad song. There are some things we are working on now that were pretty heavy before. It’s pretty hard, heavy funk rock thing. It’s the same tune, it still has drive and energy, but you couldn’t play it on X103. It was just a song that we left lying around for ten years. I can write whatever style of genre I want, when the band gets to it, it turns into… whatever you want to call us.

(Yevgeny) Between the three of us, we really listen to every single genre. We find gems in all walks of music. I think a lot of it comes from there. We also like fidelity of the sound is really important. We find that neat, listening to how good things sound. We look for those kinds of things, and those are inspiring.

What are you listening to right now? What is on your iPod?

(Aaron) I don’t have an iPod. Never have had an MP3 player of any sort.

(Rod) I listened to Mars Volta. Then I was listening to all that stuff I have been writing.

(Yevgeny) I have a twenty-eight gigabyte iPod; I listen on random. Today I got some Queen, Norah Jones, Talking Heads, and some Outkast. Check out John Zorn.

It’s been called “jazzpop/Eurofolk”. What exactly does that mean?

(Rod) It’s an elevator pitch that we are supposed to have. I hate when I ask someone about their band, and they say, “We don’t want to sound like anything. We’re totally original.” That’s crap, you sound like something. I also don’t like that people who give you a ten-paragraph explanation. That sort of takes the core elements and slams them into a single phrase.

So you guys had a CD release party last fall at Radio Radio, and in your band there is an accordion. The band The Accordions opened up for you. Please tell me that was planned!

(Rod) They actually had to borrow my accordion. They asked me if they could use my accordion. My accordion is called Carnegie Head-cutter.

(Yevgeny) We felt that they were a good local band. We had an illusionist; Ryan Siebert. We toyed with the idea of making it more than just a concert. If we were all made out of money, we would find a way to make it completely visual and audio. In a lot of ways, we are a fun band to watch because we play well and it’s interesting what we are doing… beating on weird stuff. Also, on the other hand, we are not the most interesting band to watch. Maybe for musicians it’s cool… the chops are there. But for the audience, we are not visually stimulating.

Do you guys have jobs outside of music?

(Aaron) I work at Carmel Music Center. I teach guitar lessons and do instrument repair.

(Rod) I teach guitar. I have my own studio in Noblesville. It’s called the Schindler School of Music. Between the two of us, we have eighty students a week.

(Yevgeny) I used to be a guitar teacher, but I was a student while I was a guitar teacher. I’m a technical writer now. I actually enjoy it. I get to do more than just write. I get to do some Excel programming, and stuff like that. It’s the technology end of Microsoft Office.

Do you guys play out very often? I would love to see you perform.

(Rod) Summer is slowing down a bit. We were busy until… up until now. I welcome the break so we can get back to songwriting. We have some symphony gigs to wrap up, and some private gigs.

We have done some pretty big gigs. We played at the WOW weekend… John Mellencamp opened up for us. We also do a lot with the symphony. After the show we are hanging in the lobby after. We have been booked for a lot of high profile gigs. It’s not like we are playing at a sleazy bar for twenty people. We take our craft serious enough where people know we’re not screwing around. It keeps us floating. We have never had a booking agent, and except from the very beginning… beg for gigs.

(Yevgeny) In general, we expect to play once every weekend at least. But we do have down time. Last year we didn’t have to book anything. We were contacted for every single gig.

(Aaron) I think we just decided to see if we didn’t book any gigs. We ended up getting enough phone calls and emails; it filled out our scheduled to be comfortable.

This music sounds like it would go great both in film and on television shows. Have you ever had your music featured on the big screen or on TV?

(Rod) It’s about getting the right person to hear it that has credentials. I agree, our stuff is very cinematic.

(Yevgeny) We wish, and we want to break into that so bad. We did do a couple of things where we had to empathize a sound track.

Let’s say that I wanted to book you guys for a private party. What’s that process like and what do you guys charge?

(Aaron) You can do that via tonostriad@gmail.com. You can also go to our website; there’s a link on there to contact us. Our rates depend on a few variables. We are relatively affordable… is what I like to think. We are rarely turned down because of price.

(Rod) One time we were selling CDs 1 for $15 and 2 for $10!

(Yevgeny) Shoot us an email… We are very open to doing house parties and house concerts.

What’s the biggest crowd you have ever played for?

(Aaron) How do you count at the Broad Ripple Art Fair?

(Yevgeny) There have been some big ones. I guess our two release parties…

What about the smallest?

(Rod) (Laughs) Two! Do we count the people who were supposed to put the show on? Then it’s 0! It turned around to be an interesting story.

So we try to get some gigs out of town, and we get booked at the Brick House, basically a community center for kids to hang out after school. It was cold… We had this gig and it turns out that it was being run by two crazy ladies. They were really nice, but they were weird. I bet they had a lot of cats. So we show up, there is no heat… barely any electrify. We setup anyway, and even though we are feeling grim… nobody shows. There wasn’t even a note on the door. We just played for these crazy ladies, and a couple of these kids. They realize, as a band, we are totally dialed in. They realized that we were not screwing around.

One of the ladies gets on the phone, and sees if they could squeeze another act in that night. They found this place for it. There were three old guys playing Jimmy Buffet and Neil Young… old guy rock. They decided that it would be cool if we did a guerrilla style set and play in their set break.

(Yevgeny) We setup really quick… played, and the crowd went wild. Rod ran to the car, and grabbed his accordion. We made our gas money back. And pizza!

So you guys don’t use lyrics… does that ever get boring?

(Aaron) Lyrics are always the last thing that I listen to in a tune, anyway. I will shut a song down after the intro. I won’t even give that lead sing a chance to start. Music without lyrics is more expressive than the lyrics. With all of our tunes, you don’t have “this song is about love” or “this song is about breaking up with your girlfriend”. We don’t slap you in the face with a chorus every thirty seconds.

(Rod) No, to me it’s really refreshing as a guitar player. I never played melody. I am just strumming chords, and the singer is singing… and not being the guitar player, and writing the material I get to play the melody. It’s fresh, and an exciting thing to me. It’s a real challenge to write a song that is memorable that doesn’t have a lyric. Those things to me are real satisfying. I would like to be more lyrically savvy… but for me, it’s all about the sounds more than the message.

(Yevgeny) I come from a classical music background, so instrumental music comes natural to me.

Where did you three originally meet?

(Rod) Aaron and me applied for the same job. I guess, I will give you the real story. Aaron and I, when I moved down here, my first real job was to be an art cop. We were applying for the same job, and they were applying for the same job. They waned us to “tell us about ourselves”. So I told them where I was from, that I played guitar… and Aaron was next. He said, “Pretty much everything that guy said, but I’m from Indiana.” Aaron and I should be related. I got him a job working at Meridian Music. That’s how we met Yev.

(Yevgeny) They restrung my guitar.

Where do you see the band in say, five years?

(Rod) Sitting somewhere… on top of the world. Five years from now… I would like to be in the movies, like we were talking about. Not acting, but applying movie soundtracks. It would be sweet if more significant part of my income came from Tonos Triad. Record deal… I don’t know if I care about that or not. More money, cooler gigs, and some travel. Mayeb a couple more records.

(Yevgeny) I feel like lately we have kind of evened out as far as our ambitions go. We are comfy doing what we are doing, playing gigs around here, and writing music. When something cooler comes up, and it will… we have figured out that we are not marketing geniuses, we just like making music.

(Rod) Fifteen years ago, if you asked me that… I am not some jaded musician that think everything sucks. I really don’t have any secret hopes that Tonos Triad makes it big. It’s a long shot. If I expect that, and we don’t get there… then I would hate this. And I don’t want to hate this. I’d be happy to just let it takes it’s own course. There is a lot of stuff that could be focused elsewhere… and it turns into hype. I don’t want to be a hype group. We see this stuff on Craig’s List all the time. You have all the hype, but you don’t have the band. It’s about good music… good art.

What do you want to be remembered for when this is all said and done? What’s the Tonos Triad legacy?

(Rod) I would like to be remembered for being an innovative group.

(Yevgeny) A super kickass record is a special thing. We might have already done it, but I hope that one of our records is special to a group of people. I have a ton of records that have made my life that much more compelling.

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

(Yevgeny) It should be our website… our email, and that we would like to do your party. Your corporate event… we want to sell ourselves as hard we can and hope that everyone buys it. We are also trying to do house concerts regionally.

(Aaron) I would rather play for 15 people that listen than 3,500 that don’t listen.

So I started a diet this week… Sheryl and I both did, actually. We are going to be doing the Slim⋅Fast diet. Not sure how long I am going to last though. According to my current BMI, I should be eating 2,800 calories a day to maintain my current weight. 2,000 is what I always thought a perfect intake would be, so when I found out I was allowed 800 more… I got excited. Well, with Slim⋅Fast I am allowed 1,200 calories a day.

That’s not very many calories! I actually discovered this diet on accident, just surfing the web for something new. I have tried to eat less, and it has worked to an extent. But I need more. I wasn’t losing the weight fast enough. So I found the Slim⋅Fast diet, and quickly learned that it’s not only a popular diet but it’s also a free program. Other popular programs like Weight Watchers charge you for access to their secrets.

Apparently there are no secrets. It’s about eating more while eating less. So the diet is pretty simple. It’s the 3⋅2⋅1 diet. I am allowed three 100 calorie snacks. Those can be actual Slim⋅Fast snacks, or the 100 calories packs that you can find at any grocery store. Nabisco makes a sweet collection of 100 calories packs, some containing Oreo cookies and shortbread!

I have been eating one of those in the morning for breakfast. I actually have been drinking a 100% fruit and vegetable juice. These are made by V8 and are pretty good. They come in a nice little can and everything. We have them at work, so I grab one before I even open my laptop. Then about halfway through the day I grab another 100 calorie snack pack or Slim⋅Fast bar. I get excited to eat the next item… because trust me, I am hungry ALL day long.

The final 100 calories comes from beer. Most beers are actually over 100 calories, but since Sheryl and I started the 1001 Bottles project, we split those beers. Most beers are less than 200 calories a bottle, so I just consider my daily beer a snack. That also gives me something to look forward to since we do those at night.

After my three 100 calorie snacks, I am allowed two meals. They call them meals… but they are not really meals. They are larger portion sizes, allowing me to eat 200 calories a serving. Slim⋅Fast actually has meal replacement shakes that have done a pretty good job filling me up. If I drink it slow, it can last for about a half hour. After that, I am stuffed.

My other snack can be a meal replacement bar, also from Slim⋅Fast, or anything else that is 200 calories. I have been eating two 100 calorie snack packs for the second meal. I wonder why they call it a meal? THAT seems more like a snack to me.

Through all that, I am allowed one 500 calorie meal a day. Now we’re talking. But 500 calories might surprise you… not much food in 500 calories. You can figure out some nicer, larger meals that are under 500 calories. Or you can just use the menu that the online Slim⋅Fast interface gives you. Either way, one meal a day can be up to 500 calories. That will more than likely be replaced by more beer in my book! (I am also hooked on these Archer Farms wraps from Target. They are delicious and are made with turkey and vegetables. Surely those are less than 500 calories!)

When all that is said and done, the only other requirement is to drink a LOT of water. Slim⋅Fast suggests you drink 8 glasses of water a day. Good thing we have cold bottled water at work. I can drink those all day long. We also have a filter there, in case we ever run out of bottled water. (If you go to Las Vegas this year, expect to hear, “Bottled water, $1.” There were people selling bottled water all over the strip in Vegas. “Cheapest drink on the strip,” they say.)

They ask you to work out 30 minutes a day… but let’s just start by cutting calories. It will be hard for me to work out 30 minutes a day. I don’t have the time!

I set my goal as January 1^st. Not sure what I will lose in the next 7 months, but here’s to trying out a new diet. This is the first time I have tried something that is fun, organized (with the online interface) and with someone to help me through it. She will force me to buy the shakes and snacks, and to drink the bottled water. I did discover several water enhancers though. MiO is incredible, and comes in a ton of different flavors like Berry, Peach, and Sweet Tea. Hopefully those won’t get old on me too fast. Better yet, I hope the diet doesn’t get old too fast.

Subway will be on the menu, as a lot of their sandwiches are lower in calories. But wish me luck as I try to lose some of this wasted weight. Let’s see how much I can drop between now… and whenever I order a slice of pizza! (Actually, three slices of the Hawaiian pizza from Pizza Hut is only 500 calories.)

Amazon announced that John Locke has become the eighth author to sell over 1 million Kindle books, becoming the newest member of the “Kindle Million Club,” and the first independently published author to receive this distinction. As of yesterday, John Locke has sold 1,010,370 Kindle books using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Kindle Direct Publishing is a fast and easy way for publishers and authors to start selling to Kindle customers worldwide via Kindle, Kindle 3G, Kindle with Special Offers, Kindle 3G with Special Offers, Kindle DX, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, PC, Mac and Android-based devices. The Kindle Million Club recognizes authors whose books have sold over 1 million paid copies in the Kindle Store. Locke joins Stieg Larsson, James Patterson, Nora Roberts, Charlaine Harris, Lee Child, Suzanne Collins and Michael Connelly in the Kindle Million Club.

“It’s so exciting that self-publishing has allowed John Locke to achieve a milestone like this,” said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President of Kindle Content. “We’re happy to see Kindle Direct Publishing succeeding for both authors and customers and are proud to welcome him to the Kindle Million Club.”

“Kindle Direct Publishing has provided an opportunity for independent authors to compete on a level playing field with the giants of the book selling industry,” said John Locke. “Not only did KDP give me a chance, they helped at every turn. Quite simply, KDP is the greatest friend an author can have.”

John Locke, of Louisville, Kentucky, is the internationally bestselling author of nine novels including Vegas Moon, Wish List, A Girl Like You, Follow the Stone, Don’t Poke the Bear! and the New York Times bestselling eBook, Saving Rachel. Locke’s latest book, How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months, is a how-to marketing guide for self-published authors.

Like all Kindle books, Locke’s books are “Buy Once, Read Everywhere” – customers can purchase these books and read them on the third-generation Kindles that start at $114 with the new high-contrast Pearl e-ink display, as well on iPads, iPod touches, iPhones, Macs, PCs, BlackBerrys, Windows Phones and Android-based devices. Amazon’s Whispersync technology syncs your place across devices, so you can pick up where you left off. With Kindle Worry-Free Archive, books you purchase from the Kindle Store are automatically backed up online in your Kindle library on Amazon, where they can be re-downloaded wirelessly for free, anytime.

Tiger Woods didn’t play in this year’s U.S. Open Championship. He has been battling a knee injury for many months now, and just wasn’t healthy enough to play. As you all know, if Tiger doesn’t play, I usually don’t watch. But thanks to social media outlets, like Twitter and Facebook, it’s impossible for me to ignore what’s going on. I follow a lot of golfers on Twitter! So needless to say, I know enough of what’s going on, even if I don’t watch the tournament, to be dangerous. I know who is playing well, who isn’t, and who didn’t make the cut.

Rory Makes an Early Statement

Rory McIlroy, a twenty-two year old kid from Hollywood, Northern Ireland, started the week off firing a smooth 65. He followed that up with solid 66 and fired 68 on Saturday. He took a HUGE lead into the final round, starting off with a birdie on the first hole on Sunday, Father’s Day. He was on cruise control all day long. He looked confident and managed to pull out another great round of golf shooting 69 on Sunday.

I don’t feel bad for not watching when Tiger’s not playing. He’s one of the main reasons I got into golf in the first place. But that doesn’t mean I don’t respect the others guys on tour and their ability to swing a golf club.

I have nothing but good things to say about Rory, his game, and his win here at Congressional Country Club for the 2011 U.S. Open. The kid made some big putts, managed to hit a ton of fairways and greens, and deserved to win this event. He was calm, cool, and collected. He looks a lot older than twenty-two years old on television. (Did you know he went to see Hangover II on Friday to stay focused with his lead going into the weekend? He also set the record for the lowest score after 36 holes.)

Tiger & the Young Guns

That doesn’t mean I didn’t miss Tiger this weekend. It just means that the older he gets, and the better these kids get at the game he once completely dominated, the more I realize I need to at least pay attention to what they are doing on the course. One day Tiger will retire. I have accepted that. If this knee doesn’t get any better, it will be much sooner than later when that happens.

When Tiger does retire, I will have to find a new favorite, because the game means more to me than just one player. He got me here… but guys like Rory will carry me through the years.

Congratulations Rory. Enjoy this win… it won’t be your last, I am sure of that.