A Conversation With, Interview

The Pride of Mike Tramp
Mike Tramp

Twenty-five years ago, White Lion released their breakthrough album, Pride.

The album, which featured two Top 10 hits, peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard charts and sold more than two million copies in the U.S. alone. Pride became one of the most-heralded pop-metal albums of the 1980s with Vito Bratta’s signature melodic guitar work and the heartfelt lyrics and vocals of Mike Tramp.

From his days in White Lion and Freak of Nature right up to his most recent project, 2011’s Stand Your Ground with Mike Tramp and The Rock ‘n’ Roll Circuz, the man who was the voice of a generation with hits like “Wait,” “Tell Me” and “When The Children Cry” continues to make great music.

You can read the rest of the article and my Guitar World interview with Mike by clicking  here

A Conversation With, Interview, Movies and TV

A Slice of Lauren Nash
Lauren Nash  (Photo: Nicholas Paulos)

Lauren Nash is forging her own path. The multi-talented actress, model and dancer is making a name for herself on-screen and off.

Not only does she have several film and television roles on deck (including an appearance on the new JJ Abrams show, “Revolution”, but Lauren is also busy writing and directing her own short films as well.

This fall, Lauren (herself a huge horror movie fan) will appear in CUT!, the David Banks/David Rountree film about a pair of filmmakers who decide that the best way to make a horror movie is to actually kill people for real.

I had the opportunity to speak with Lauren and get her thoughts on CUT! as well as some of her other upcoming projects!

gJg: Have you seen the trailer for CUT!?

LN: YES!!…. I LOVE it! <laughs>

gJg: Tell me a about how you got the role of Red.

Lauren Nash (LN): It was an early morning audition when I went in, but everything went great. A few days later they called me and told me they wanted to close the role after my audition because they thought I was perfect for it!”

What was the experience like filming your scenes?

The scenes were frighteningly real! <laughs>. We were all in a hotel that really fit the mood. Then of course, you’ve got the props and blood. It was one of the easiest transitions for me to get into character. And both Davids were so nice. The entire process was a great experience. We were able to film everything in one day.

gJg: Are you a horror fan?

LN: Yes, I’m a huge horror movie buff!! My all-time favorite is, “The Exorcist (Directors Cut)”. The only thing is, when I watch it I usually can’t make it past the scene in Iraq where the dogs start barking, only because I know what’s coming!! <laughs>

gJg: How did you get into it acting?

LN: I went to college in Florida and majored in literature and theater. I was living in a tiny little beach town and while I was there, I started getting into commercial work. From there, I began doing some HSN modeling and, after I had honed my skills more, started going on more and more auditions in the southeast. I got my credits together, moved to Los Angeles and here I am!

gJg: What do you like to do when you’re not acting?

LN: I love to dance. Since moving to LA, I’ve also gotten into hiking. I’m also an avid reader.

gJg: What other projects do you have coming up?

LN: I’m going to be appearing on the JJ Abrams show Revolution, which begins airing on NBC September 17th. My role has a potential to recur, so I’m very excited about that. I also have two films that I’ve completed earlier this year that are about to do the festival scene: “Heterosexual Jill” and “The Republic of Two”.

gJg: Tell me a little bit about those films.

LN: In “Heterosexual Jill” – I play a raunchy red-head named, Ruby. That was a lot of fun to shoot.

“The Republic of Two” is a project that’s near and dear to my heart. It’s my boyfriend’s movie and a lot of the film actually takes place in my home. I got to wear a lot more hats than just actor.

I’ve also written, directed and acted in a short film called “Plan B”. I was fortunate to be able to get the production crew from the show Workaholics to help me with it!  It’s the story about how far women will go to be able to afford acting. The truth is, it’s incredibly expensive to live out here, and being an actor is not something you can just do on the weekends. It’s something that you have to work on every day.

gJg: Between acting, writing, making props, editing; you really do it all!

LN: If I’m going to do this, then I’m not going to limit my opportunities! If I have the chance to learn all of these things, it gives me that much more appreciation for the people who actually do these jobs all the time. When you see all of the effort they go through each and every day by doing it with your own hands, you really respect it!

gJg: Where do you see yourself a few years from now?

LN: Continuing to do what I’m doing and being part of memorable projects!

Article first published as A Slice of Lauren Nash on Technorati.

Thought and Opinion

The Dream of Mark Abrahamian (1966-2012)
Mark Abrahamian (1966-2012)

I’ve never met him, but somehow I know him.

Mark Abrahamian, the guitarist for the band Starship, passed away over the weekend, following a concert in Nebraska.  He was doing the thing he loved to do most: playing music for people.

I never had the pleasure of hearing Mark shred on his Les Paul, but found many similarities about myself while reading his biography on his website:

Born February 23, 1966, Mark Abrahamian was taught to play guitar at the age of 10 after being prompted by his mother to “pick something to do this summer”. Mark chose the guitar and was encouraged by her to practice for 15 minutes each day. However, inspired by Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley, Mark was soon practicing on his own within a few months.

The turning point in Mark’s life came in the Seventh Grade when he heard Edward Van Halen’s song entitled Eruption from the album Van Halen..

“I went home and didn’t leave my room until the Ninth Grade.”

For the next few years Mark practiced for hours on end taking the guitar very seriously. He even modified his Dads record player by filing down the gear that drove the turn table so it would play at half speed, so he could take the riffs off the record. It wasn’t long before he was playing for his friends at parties as well as local bands.

When he was seventeen, Mark applied and went to GIT (The Musicians Institute). Being the youngest in his class, “I lived , breathed, ate and slept music.” It was during this period that he discovered such players as John Mclaughlin, Al De Meola, Allan Holdsworth, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan. Discovering different types of music was a big part of his development as a guitar player. Jazz, Funk, Blues and classical all intrigued and inspired him.

Like Mark, I too became inspired to pick up a guitar when I saw Ace Frehley is his KISS make-up. And Van Halen’s “Eruption” became the Holy Grail for me to someday learn how to play. Although I never went to GIT, there was a period of time where I too “lived, breathed, ate and slept music”.

The thing that inspires me the most about Mark’s story is that he made his dream come true. Mark shared the stage with many of the great artists and bands who’s music defined a generation: Starship, Survivor, Loverboy, Toto, AC/DC, Night Ranger and many others. He will surely be missed.

95% of guitarists are lucky to be gigging regularly (most never leave the garage). Fewer still get the opportunity to be the opening act for one of their favorite bands. And then there are those rare exceptions when players get to actually perform with their heroes and become part of the dream. That was Mark Abrahamian.

Mark made it to the “big leagues” as I like to call them. Imagine, growing up listening to your favorite bands and one day being in that band yourself. How cool it must be to walk on stage and see that band’s name on the drum head and know you are a part of it; part of the music you always loved. Mark was constantly reminded every day that he “made it”.

If I can take anything away from Mark’s untimely passing it’s this: Whether you’re performing in the garage or on the big stage always remember to live, love and laugh.

Dreams do come true.

RIP Mark.

1980's, Dear Diary, Life

Dear Diary: September 1987

Here’s another journal entry from twenty-five years ago. If you’ve been following along in my previous Diary entries, you already know about my dreams to make it big as a rock star.

For me, college was only a stepping stone towards reaching that goal. As far as I was concerned, as soon as the president of Atlantic Records showed up at my door with a contract for me to sign, I was gone.

Today’s entry deals with one of the best days of 1987 for me: the day I received my very first student loan check. I know what you’re thinking: “How can one of the best days of your life be about taking on a financial obligation?”

The truth is, words can not fully express how happy I was when I received the little white envelope at the Bursar’s office at Penn State. For you see, at the time it was money that I had very little concern or intention of ever having to pay back.

I found this entry particularly nostalgic when I re-read it again (and also a bit prophetic). First, it was written on the very first day of school in Easton; the first day I was no longer a student in the public school system. It reinforced the notion that I was indeed on my on again.

I also found it to be a sign of things to come. In the last paragraph, I mention the need of having someone “help” me when I become a rock star because I’ll waste all of the money I’ll be getting. In reality, I needed that “help” immediately. I wasted quite a bit of the money I received in student loans on such things as concert tickets and guitars. Loans that eventually took me nearly twenty years to pay off. A lesson well-learned.

***

Dear Diary: Well, here I am: Psychology 002 again. I’m really not in the mood for this today. I want my bed. Today, I’m going to once again find out if the refund check came back. (Notice that I didn’t say anything positive like, “I hope it’s here” because whenever I do, it isn’t). So I don’t get to get all worked up for nothing, I’m approaching it with an open mind. If it’s here it’s here, otherwise I just want a sure-fire date of when it will be.

I just thought of something: today is the first day of school in Easton, and the first year I don’t go there anymore. That’s weird to say. Weirder still, I can stay home on a Thursday and Mr. Jones (the principal) won’t call.  And I won’t get lost in Mr. Milisits’ music theory class anymore! I don’t even need a little yellow excuse. Radical Man!!

( a short while later)….

The check is HERE!! It’s out in the car and I think it’s only one of many: $1444! My knees were shaking. All that money at one time is really scary.

I swear, when I make it big as a rocker they’d better keep any cash in the thousands away from me. Sure, I want it, but I’d waste it. All I need is reliable equipment, food, a roof over my head, a car and maybe a couple of hundred to party or for clothes!

Interview, Movie Reviews, Movies and TV

Beside Her: A Short Film That Defines The Human Connection

Carrie Carnevale. Remember the name, because Carrie’s directorial debut in the movie Beside Her is nothing short of incredible.

The short film, a love story and fictional portrayal of the true human condition, will next be screened on Saturday, September 22nd at the Healdsburg International Short Film Festival in Healdsburg, CA.

Watching the film, you quickly forget that the lovers you see on-screen are female and become more enthralled with the deep love and connection they both share with each other.

Along with the amazing talents of actors Ashley Watkins , Erika Flores and Owen Conway, Carrie delivers a film that contains all of the elements that make up a great story: there’s love, tension, drama, passion, suspense and even a twist in the end for good measure!

But Beside Her is much more than a love story between two women. It’s a beautiful film about the human condition and the deep connection we all share but are often oblivious to.

Beside Her tells the story of Dr. Rachel Moretti (Ashley Watkins) and Sofia Rios (Erika Flores) and how, in one brief moment in time, their love for each other is measured beyond the norms of their everyday lives.

I had the opportunity to speak with Carrie and the cast of “Beside Her”.

goJimmygo (gJg): Carrie, congratulations on directing your first short film and all of your success!

Carrie Carnevale (CC): Thank You. I was lucky enough to have an amazing team, full of extremely talented people. It was a wonderful collaborative experience.

gJg: Tell me a little bit about the film’s origin.

CC: I wanted to write a story about the human connection; about the ways in which human beings connect with each other. Whether it be someone you’re dating, someone you’re married to, family, friends or even strangers; we’re all connected all the time. The problem is we tend to get distracted by the hustle and bustle of everyday life, that sometimes we forget that.

I wanted to concentrate this story on two people who are in a relationship because I think that type makes for a very complex and compelling situation. There’s an unspoken connection that two people in love share with each other that makes the connection a lot deeper.

gJg: Were you concerned at all about the content and subject matter of a love story between two women?

CC: No, not at all. Even when people initially read the script, they were glad to see that it was a story about love rather than a story about being gay. Showing that gay or not, love is love and we all have those same feelings of connectedness.

gJg: The musical score for the film is amazing. It perfectly complements the love scene and the ending as well.

CC: It really does. The song we chose for those scenes are an absolute match. Lyrically, it’s great and the mood it sets is just so powerful and amazing.

gJg: How did you get started in film making?

CC: I’ve always had a love for film making. I went to film school and spent time in the independent scene in the San Francisco Bay Area. Because of those years of work, I was able to learn so much about day-to-day production. I learned what to do and what not to do.

Along the way, I met some fellow artists who would hire me to work on their pieces, which I was honored and proud to do. In the past couple of years I felt it was time to start telling my own stories and producing my own projects and Beside Her was my first and I could not be more proud.

Ashley Watkins (Dr. Rachel Moretti)

It’s a project where it was the right time and the right place. Everything about it just felt natural!

gJg: How would you describe Beside Her?

Ashley Watkins (AW): It’s a story about love and that intuitive connection we all have and listening to it. 

We all go about our lives every day not really paying attention to that “little turn in your stomach” or the “ring in your ear”. It’s instinct.

gJg: What attracted you to this role?

AW: I’m very supportive and totally believe in equality for everyone. As an actress, there are no limits to the types of roles that I’ll play as long as I’m portrayed respectfully, and/or not exploited. If I can play something that emphasizes the common good for people and it’s something that I believe in, I love to do it. I was fortunate to get the opportunity to do that with this project and Carrie just has so much passion for the film.

Erika Flores (Sofia Rios)

It’s a story about two people who have a strong connection and in the end, there’s a twist. You don’t expect the ending at all.

gJg: Were you concerned at all about the subject matter?

Erika Flores (EF): No, not at all. I like portraying raw, challenging characters. I loved the idea of being connected and really showing the relationship.

What was it like working with Carrie on her first short film?

EF: It honestly didn’t feel like it was her first film, because the entire process was professional and handled so well.

gJg: What did you like most about the experience of filming Beside Her?

EF: Challenging myself with this role was fun. I also loved the location in Malibu where we shot my scene. That was beautiful.

gJg: If you had to briefly describe the story of Beside Her, what would it be?

EF: It’s a slice of life between two people and the relationship that they share. How their connection is so powerful that they can actually feel each other.

Owen Conway (Jeffrey)

gJg: What attracted you most to the role?

OC:  It was  a role that I really wanted to play. Jeffrey is a heavy character with a lot of desperation. It’s not something that you get to play very often.

gJg: Tell me a little bit more about Jeffrey.

OC: Jeffrey is  a “street” person who definitely has some issues. But the thing that struck me the most about him was the fact that he’s so young. 

For him, it’s just about survival.

gJg: What was the experience of filming Beside Her like?

OC: The entire shoot was fantastic. I remember seeing the final product for the first time at a screening a few months ago and being really moved by it. The whole thing came together beautifully.

You can keep up with Beside Her on Facebook and by following 17 Films on Twitter

Article first published as Beside Her: A Short Film That Defines The Human Connection on Technorati.

1980's, Music, Thought and Opinion

My Metal Method Story

It was sometime in the summer of 1985. I was a young, skinny, pimply faced teenager who had just started taking guitar lessons at the local music store. My Mom had rented me a Gibson Explorer with the only stipulation being, I take weekly lessons. Now a junior metal-head and armed with a black guitar, there was no stopping me.

I’ll admit, those first few months of learning how to play were rough. I had to endure my siblings berating me for playing “the same thing over and over” and to this day still have nightmares about muddling my way through a Mel Bay lesson book and painfully maneuvering my left hand in a futile attempt to form a “G” chord properly.

Fortunately though, my teacher always saved the best part of every lesson for last. Towards the end of each session, he would take a recording of any song I brought in from home and we (or should I say, “HE”) would figure out the chords to it for me. He was one of those little weasels who could figure out any song and lead on the guitar just by listening to it on the stereo. So songs by Bon Jovi, The Scorpions, AC/DC and Quiet Riot were all quickly added to my repertoire. My arsenal of music was slowly beginning to grow, and I was on my way to becoming the metal head I wanted to be.

But still, it felt like something was missing.

One day, I was at my local music store performing my ritual of staring at the expensive Gibson Les Paul guitars hanging on the wall when I happened to pick up my very first  guitar magazine. As a new player (and well before the advent of the Internet), those magazines were like the Bible. As I perused through the pages of gospel, I suddenly stopped when the face pictured in this post caught my eye. It was a picture of Doug Marks and an advertisement for his Metal Method guitar lessons.

These were lessons that were geared towards teaching how to play “METAL”, which was right up my alley. So, over the next few years I supplemented my weekly guitar lessons by purchasing all eight of the initial lessons and immersing myself in playing chords and leads geared towards the style of music I wanted to play. It was wonderful.

The thing I loved the most about Metal Method was the fact that there was always something you could use to make you better. And it wasn’t something that you had to rush to figure out; you could take your time with it. I’ll never forget the first time I learned how to play the two-handed tapping method that Eddie Van Halen made famous. If you listen to Eddie do it, you say to yourself: “This is impossible”. But the fact is, as long as you have the desire to play it, you can do it.

I’ve come a long way since the day I first picked up that tattered magazine. Today, I actually own one of the Les Pauls I spent years gawking at on the rack. And Metal Method is still going strong; continuing to make countless guitarists better players.

Even I, someone who now plays “G” chords with ease, recently checked out some of the updated lessons and still benefited from them. But I suppose that’s the real power and joy you get out of being a musician, no matter how long you’ve been playing.

You truly never stop learning.

You can read my Guitar World interview with Doug Marks from Metal Method Here.

Childhood Memories, Thought and Opinion

To The Moon: The Passing of Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012)

I still remember some of the oddball things I used to think about while growing up; one of them being the day I was born. I always liked to brag about which celebrities shared the same birthday as me (October 5th).

Among the lucky ones were Larry Fine (The Three Stooges), Michael Andretti (the Indy Car driver) and Brian Johnson (lead vocalist for the band AC/DC). It was as if somehow, me coming into this world on the same day as these icons put me on an different level of cool.

But, the bragging rights I had for my actual birthday couldn’t compare to what I could shout from the rooftops about the year I was born. It was 1969 and I was roughly seventy-five days away from entering this world when Neil Armstrong first stepped foot on the lunar surface and said:

That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

I’ll never forget the day I discovered that the first man to ever walk on the moon did so in the same year as my birth. For not only was it cool to be born in the same year as that monumental event, but it also made the date easy to remember on high school exams. If I ever needed to know in a pinch just how many years ago it took place, all I had to do was think about how old I was.

Neil Armstrong was a test pilot, an aerospace engineer, a university professor and a United States Naval Aviator. Those achievements alone are enough to inspire everyone, both and old, to reach for their dreams. But there will always be that one thing that Mr. Armstrong did during his lifetime that was the ultimate in cool.

Neil Armstrong was the first person to do something that no one else has ever done in the history of planet Earth. The same moon that Jesus and his Disciples taught under, the celestial body that Shakespeare wrote Sonnets to, the glowing orb that generations of lovers still hold hands and kiss beneath… Neil Armstrong was the first person there.

Now, think about it being near the end of your life and while you’re lying on your death-bed someone comes up and asks you what it was you did with it. What if you could look them in the eye and say, “I walked on the moon!”.

Godspeed Mr. Armstrong.

1980's, Dear Diary

Dear Diary: August 26th, 1987

Twenty-Five years ago today I officially began adult life by starting college at Penn State Allentown. This was the first time I had ever gone to “school” without the comfort of seeing familiar faces and teachers. Everything was new to me, but I was also excited about the possibilities. Fortunately, I kept a semi-regular journal about my experiences, including one about this monumental day.

As I read this entry again, a few things strike me as funny. First of all, the mindset I had at the time. I was already making plans with what I was going to do with the LOAN money I was going to receive. You see, I had big plans for those funds; the least of which was actually using them to pay for school expenses.

Funnier still, I wasn’t concerned at all about the obligation I had to pay it back. The way I figured it, that was somewhere  “down the road” and by the time I got there well, not only would I have a degree in music, but I’d also be a rock star millionaire.

In my post high school world: Rock and Roll Stardom was the only goal. How I got there didn’t matter and the rest either I (or someone the record company hired for me) would have to figure out later.

August 26th, 1987 was also the very first time I began to realize that I was out on my own. Not only had I received a high school diploma a few months earlier, but I also received my independence from such things as curfews and attending classes.

There would no longer be Mom and Dad to drive me around or write excuse notes for me when I was “sick” anymore. Sink or swim, everything was all on me now.

Here is the entry I wrote in my diary on this day, twenty-five years ago.

August 26th, 1987 – Dear Diary: Today is the first day of Penn State. All I have left is Poetry and I’m off for home. To bring you up to date, here’s what’s been happening:

1. I’m a Freshman in college.

2. I think there is a loan coming by which I’m moving to Allentown, buying a piano, taking lessons, getting a job up there and a pet cat.

It’s weird being in college. I mean, I don’t have to go to any class if I don’t want to and don’t even have to call off sick. If I don’t feel like going, I just don’t go. Yes, I could flunk, but now the responsibility is mine. There is no band yet, but I’m trying.

Well, gotta go. I’ve got Poetry in 12 minutes.

Childhood Memories, Life, Thought and Opinion

The Impact Of Jerry Nelson
Jerry Nelson (July 10, 1934 – August 23, 2012)

I remember when Jim Henson died back in 1990 it didn’t really affect me. I was, after all  twenty years old and having just recently left the confines of public school; eagerly looking forward to getting my “You can now purchase alcohol legally” card.

I was roughly nine years removed from the days of regularly watching Kermit the Frog and Ernie (who was always my favorite Muppet). So, although still tragic, I saw Henson’s untimely passing as something much too childish to think about.

Fast forward 22 years.

Jerry Nelson, another famous Muppeteer, passed away on August 23rd at the age of 78. Although having lived nearly three decades longer than Henson, his death has affected me more. I look at the list of characters he has portrayed over the course of his career; many of whom were a regular part of my life growing up in the 1970’s. Among them:

The Count and Jerry Nelson

The Count: my second favorite Sesame Street character, next to Ernie of course. I loved him.
Herry Monster: The one monster that ALWAYS scared me. Must have been that he always looked angry and had that big nose.
Sherlock Hemlock: The greatest detective.
The Amazing Mumford: Ala peanut butter sandwiches.
Mr Johnson: The  bald, blue-headed Muppet who always ate at the restaurant Grover worked at.
Floyd Pepper: the bass player for the band Electric Mayhem on The Muppet Show.

But perhaps the most sentimental Jerry Nelson character for me was Emmet Otter from the Jug Band Christmas story that played every December on HBO. A story that I will always remember sitting next to my grandmother and watching every year.

Funny, I can still hear her yelling to me from downstairs, and it always sounded like the house was on fire by the tone in her voice:

Emmet Otter and Jerry Nelson

JIMMY!!! HURRY UP AND GET DOWN HERE – EMMET OTTER IS ON!!

Perhaps it’s because I’m now a middle-aged man that I’m starting to become acutely aware of the fact that every day more and more parts of my childhood die. And even though I’ve never met Jerry, it’s hard not to look back at his passing without a sense of sadness. For in many ways, much like The Count and The Amazing Mumford, he was a part of my family.

My grandmother has been gone for 16 years now. Whenever I think about her, the first thing I think about are those cold days in December when Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas came on. And now, I’ll think about Jerry Nelson too.

Godspeed Mr. Nelson. Your work will not soon be forgotten; at least not by this 42-year-old kid.

Thought and Opinion

A Starbucks Dilemma

I’ve decided to venti a little bit about what’s going on at my local Starbucks. It’s starting to drive me crazy and I’m beginning to think that there’s some sort of grande conspiracy to make it that way. I swear, only in americano can a company get away with such silliness.

Consider this: I go into my local Starbucks every morning around 5:30 am. I am one of the first customers of the day so when I go in, there is usually no one else around and I’m able to go right to the register and order my usual.

After handing the Barista my Starbucks Gold Card (still not sure why I have to call the person who pours me plain old Gold Coast coffee a “Barista”), I spend the next fifteen seconds or so watching them pushing buttons in a futile attempt to log onto their cash register.

I swear, there is more security to get into a Starbucks cash register than there is to crack the code at the Federal Reserve Bank. Every time you place an order, they have to enter a 22 digit combination just to get the damn thing to open. I think part of the new employee orientation must include having to memorize the line: “Sorry, it’s a little slow this morning”. Ya think?

Then there’s the little issue with the vanilla powder. For those not familiar with it, vanilla powder is one of the many items you can use to decorate your coffee with (nutmeg, cinnamon and chocolate are also additives you can use). I prefer to use the vanilla because, (using coffee vernacular) it makes it taste smoother. The problem is, 99% of the time I go to reach for it, the container is EMPTY.

Now, wouldn’t you think that since this product is being used so often, it just MIGHT be popular and they’d have a latte of it?

Don’t get me wrong though, my addiction to a good cup of Joe espresso-ly forbids me from going a day without,  so I’ll suffer through.

Besides, there’s no way I’m going to settle for the coffee at work.