Grinder Productions Interview with Farewell's Marshall Davis

Grinder Productions: When did you first develop an interest in music? And when did you first decide you wanted to pursue music fulltime?
Marshall: I guess I've always had an interest in music. Even as a kid I listened to records
and played the piano a bit. I think it hit me that I wanted to do this for a living when I was a freshman in college. Our band was having a great response and I knew i wanted to take it all the way.

G.P.: How long have you been actively making music?
M: This is my first band, so technically 3.5 years...

G.P: What bands/artists have influenced you?
M: I am a huge Green Day fan. They were the first band to really get me into underground music. i would look at the shirts they wore in pictures and go seek out those bands. From there I found all the punk and pop-punk I listen to today.

G.P.: How much time do you usually spend touring and away from home?
M: It's about a 3/4 split. We tour 3 weeks for every one week at home.

G.P.: How has touring/being away from home affected your realtionships with friends and family?
M: It is hard, but it's what I do. I knew what being in a full-time band would entail, and I love every minute of it. PLUS it gives me things to write about.

G.P.: What do you do when you are home and not making music?
M: I work a lot on art/design. I also play "word-dojo" a bunch. If you ever get in front of one of those bar game machines.....try it out. ahah

G.P.: How has being a musician affected your personal life? Do you get recognized in public?
M: Yeah, I get noticed from time to time, especially in NC. I'll be at the grocery store and kids will come up and talk to me and stuff like that. It's kinda cool.

G.P.: Have you had any experiences with over zealous fans?
M: Absolutely. We call them "punishers" (a term we learned from I Am The Avalanche). There aren't too many, but the ones that do exist are a scary breed. Our tour manager usually gets stuck with them!! haha

G.P.: What is a typical day like on tour?
M: Get up at 10. Shower. Check out of hotel. Navigate the club. Drive to the club. Unload. Play monopoly on my phone. Sell merch. Play. Drink. Party. Sleep. Repeat.

G.P.: What are the best and worst parts of your job?
M: The best part is just being on stage and getting to perform. I think the worst part is driving for hours and hours everyday. Thats the only part i hate.

G.P.: What is your best memory from being on tour?
M: There are WAY too many to pick a favorite. I really like meeting new bands and having little adventures across the US.

G.P.: When did you develop an interest in design?
M: As a kid, I wanted to be a cartoonist, so I guess it came from there.

G.P.: Who has influenced your designs?
M: I did a lot of drugs when i was a teenager......hahaha. I think that is the main influence. I also watched a lot of Ren+Stimpy.

G.P.: Would you say that Zamn is something you do on the side, but the band comes first? Or are they both equally important and neither comes first?
M: Band first, always. Zamn! is just a different outlet for me. I'm lucky that I can combine the 2 with my band. It's pretty sweet

The Really Really Ridiculously Goodlooing Tour

DAY 1: January 16th, The Chance, Poughkeepsie, NY
I left Rochester around 7am, after picking up Katelyn and some of her friends in Highland Lake we all got to the Chance around 2pm. The wait outside leading up to the show was surprisingly uneventful. It was freezing, as expected. Not long after we got there Alex Suarez and some girls from line were going to get coffee, he invited us to go with but we diclined the offer, as well as his offer to bring us back something. Not much else happened until we went into the show. Katelyn and I got some videos of Mason, Blake and a couple others saying hello to Natalie, who is all the way over in London.
Once it was time for doors they split everyone into two lines, those with tickets and those with will-call. Basically Katelyn and I were fucked over. She and I had will call tickets and her two friends had their tickets already. People with will-call were let in after everyone else, which meant longer outside in the cold and shitty spots. Luckily, Jeanette was able to save spots for Kately and I, so we ended up second row to the left.
Doug was interesting. I did not care for him.
The Cab was Amazing! I heard so much about them, a lot of which was bad, but I was absolutely blown away. I enjoyed there set so much. They are a group of extremely talented musicians and their music is just truly amazing.
We The Kings were great. I really like them but I've never really gotten into them so much that I have to see them. Really I just wanted their set to be over so I could see Metro Station.
Metro Station. Was. So. Fucking. Amazing.
I was right in front near Trace for the whole set...the set was unbelievable. So good. Despite Trace being sick and in the ER that day he still sounded great and they all put on a great performance.
After Metro Station I left the crowd because I wanted to see Trace. I went back to the merch room and just kind of waited around. I finally got to meet Mason ( he didnt come out after the Buffalo show for the MCS tour so this was the first time I met him) and he was really nice, I got a picture with him. After that I just sat around waiting. I didn't really watch Cobra's set because I knew I'd be able to in Troy and Buffalo. Unfortunately, Trace never came out. I was really dispointed but I understood that he was sick and needed to rest.
After the show was over I met up with Katelyn again. We went outside and got pictures with everyone in Cobra (except the elusive Nate) and got a couple more videos for Natalie. After taking pictures we hightailed it back to the car because we were freezing and it was getting late.

DAY 2: January 17th, Revolution Hall, Troy, NY
I left Katelyn's house in Highland Lake around 9am to drive to Oneonta to pick up Sam and Jon. After getting intensely lost I eventually got there and we left about an hour or so later. We got a little more lost on the way to Troy, by the time we made it there it was about 5 o'clock; the line was huge so we decided to spend the hour until doors at the restaurant next door. We got done eating and left the restaurant after the line was gone. When we got inside the place was packed. We should in the back for The Cab and We The Kings. Both played great sets. Seeing the Cab a second time I defintiely started to fall in love with them. After We The Kings we started to make our way into the crowd for Metro Station.
Metro Station played an amazing set, yet again. I stayed in the crowd for maybe a song and a half before I decided I'd had enough. I watched the rest of their set from the back. I had a decent view and was definitely able to take everything in a little better not having to worry about pushing and shoving. Sam emerged from the sea of people after Metro. We headed to the merch to see who was out there and try to find Trace since I didn't get to see him the night before. I got pictures with Alex Marshall from the Cab, Mason, Anthonu and Blake.
As Cobra Starship set carried on I watched from the doorway between the main room and the front merch room, patiently waiting to see Trace. As the night was starting to come to an end I still hadn't seen him and began to think I wouldn't. But finally, he did come out, I let Sam now I was going over to talk to him and to pay attention so when I was ready she could come take a picture. I waited for what seemed like forever. He had so many little girls surrounding him, asking the most ridiculous questions and telling him the most inane stories. After waiting for what felt like forever and being pushed out of the way by silly fangirls, I got my chance to say hi and take a picture. I would have liked to talk to him more but the other girls there were so aggrivating and kept pushing me out of the way so they could drool all over him that I eventaully gave up and walked away.
Sam and I watched the rest of Cobra from the doorway. Once the show was over we found Jon and stuck around to meet everyone from Cobra. While we were waiting we saw Trace standing alone by the Metro merch, Sam and I went over and she got a second picture with him and I got another hug. I wanted to cry so many times throughout the night because I was just so excited to see him. But I held it together. Eventually we got pictures with everyone from Cobra Starship and we left.
The drive back to Oneonta sucked. We got lost multiple times and at one point we were on I-90 headed for NYC because we didn't realize we'd missed our exit. Once we made it back to Oneonta we went to Denny's for some food. Bad idea. We all stayed in Sam's dorm and at some point I got up and threw up all my food (just like I did the two previous time I ate at Dennys). I left Oneonta around 8am in order to get back to Rochester by noon for work at Home Depot. I made it with 45 minutes to spare.

DAY 3: January 24th, Mohawk Place, Buffalo, NY
Hands down best show of the tour.
I met up with Katelyn and Annie in Buffalo around 1:30 and got in line. Worst wait ever. It was freezing and everything was wet. We ended up taking turns waiting in line and going to Starbucks and Jims Steakout to warm up and escape from the cold. At one point when Annie and I were walking to my car we saw Vicky-T standing on the corner of Mohawk and Ellicot looking around and at a mapquest print out, I showed her how to get to Washington but I think she was still pretty confused. She worried me a little.
The wait in line was very uneventful. Rianna and Jensen met us there around 4:30/5 and doors opened a little late the end.
Doors opened and we headed inside. Annie and I were on willcall under my name and the club was checking ID's (the first time I have ever experienced that); Annie didn't have her ID on her and the guy wasn't gonna let her in but I told him to ask Jeremy and Jeremy told him to just let us in. Love Jeremy. We got in and ran to the stage. We were all close, second row, and in this venue that's definitely better than "baricade" because the stage is so low.
The Cab played a very interesting set. Alex D was sick and could barely sing, so they brought a couple fans onstage to help with the singing. They played a coupld of their own songs, they played a Goo Goo Dolls song, "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" by Panic at the Disco, the Aladdin Song, and a couple others. It was great! So much fun.
We The Kings was great, I really enjoyed their set.
METRO WAS AMAZING.
I was second row. Right near Trace. Great view. The sounded amazing.
The pushing at this point was starting to get out of control and the kids against the stage were freaking out and couldn't handle it. They kept telling Mason to tell everyone to step back, which he did a few times even though we all know it never works, but eventually he just said that no one is gonna listen to him and besides we were all there for a show that's what happens at a show. Amazing. I love him. Because even though, yes, it was painful against the stage (I ended up in the position about 3/4 of the way through Metro's set after the girl in front of me was pulled out), it's still how a show is and nothing can be done about it.
After Metro Station finished their last song I immediately decided I didn't want to stay in for Cobra, I climbed up on stage and headed out.
I met up with Jensen and Rianna by the merch and we just all hung out for the rest of the show.
We were talking to Alex M and Alex D from the Cab and were telling them where we could get food when finally I was like WE'LL JUST TAKE YOU! So the five of us headed out to Jims. We walked. I felt so bad because they're from Vegas and couldn't handle the cold (plus Alex D was already sick). While in Jims a bum came in trying to sell a bag of sex toys that Alex Marshall was going to buy before the Jims employees kicked him out. Marshall was so excited and after we left Jims he was still looking for that bum who supposedly brought all those sex toys back from California. We found a cab at the corner of Chippewa and Franklin and we all piled in. Marshall in the front, Alex D Ri Jensen and Me in the back with Jensen on my lap. We got back to the club, Alex Marshall paid the cab driver and we headed back in.
I got a picture with Trace. And he completely made my life because he remembered me from the week before. I told Mason and Blake that Brendan Valencia said hello. Blake got really excited and was like "Do you talk to him frequently!?" Haha oh Blake. We ended up hanging out with Blake for half hour or so; he kept walking away and coming back to our corner. He's so adorable and basically the most honest guy ever.
After the show we found Katelyn and Annie, we bought some merch, I got another picture with Trace and a million hugs. I seriously love those Metro Station boys so much. I think it is safe to say that they are up there with tonight the riot and valencia as far as my favorite people go.
After a little while Katelyn, Annie and I went outside to get pictures with Cobra. I told Nate and Gabe that Brendan says hi and they both seemed happy about that and told me to tell him they said hi back. All my pictures with them came out shitty but whatever.
After we left the club we went to Jims Steakout to get something to drink, after that we headed back home to Rochester. I got home around 2am and had just a few hours to sleep until work.

Brand New

So where to start, so much happened. Ridiculous.

I got to RIT around 8 o'clock Thursday night, went to get food with Annie and then went back to her dorm to hang out and stay the night.

Friday morning I was out in line at 10 am and it was ridiculous how cold it was. Around 11 I decided to go get food cus no one was there yet and it was too cold. I got back around noon and three other girls got there around then too. An hour or so later two other girls got in line. No one else got there until maybe 4pm. Jensen and Rianna joined me in line around 4 just before everyone starting showing up. I basically just sat bundled in my blankets until doors. I left a couple times to go with Annie around campus and use the bathroom in her dorm. Oh yeah, and I won two free tickets through WBER, so I gave those to Jensen and Jenelle so they could go.

The show was unreal. Jensen, Jenelle, Rianna and I were on baricade. The crowd was out of control.

mewithoutyou were better than I remember from the last time I saw them. Oddly enough I know find Aaron somewhat attractive. And I found mewithoutyou to be entertaining and they seem like they'd be interesting people to talk to. I'd definitely go see them again.

Thrice was horrible. Boring and just horrible and the crowd got so much worse during their set. Jenelle ended up being pulled out of the crowd by security cus she got pushed off baricade and was getting squished. There was a group of guys behind us that we complete assholes and two of them each had a hand on the baricade on both sides of me and I couldn't move. Rianna and I grabbed the one guys hand and tried to pull it off. Then he flipped out and screamed at me and said he was going to punch me in my face. So I flipped a shit and yelled and the short little security asshole said if we keep it up we are both getting kicked out. And I'm just like oh thanks security for allowing this drunk asshole to threatened a girl. One of the friends of those assholes was this really skinny girl who was basically passed out because of the heat and how bad everyone was getting pushed. She couldn't even stand up, her friends were holding her up. Security kept coming over and trying to pull her out but she refused and said she was fine. Then as soon as security walked away her friends would tell her they dont think she is ok and ask her how she felt.

At one point during Brand New's set (which overall was amazing, but I'll get to that) a kid got really hurt and they had to stop the show to get him out. Everytihng stopped and one of the guys in Brand New called for the house lights to be turned on. Jesse and Aaron (mewithoutyou) were sitting on the left side of the stage watching and all the other bands came out and some of the crew. Jeremy was on the floor on the other side of the baricade in front of me and we just waved to each other, it was kinda cute cus he's kinda adorable. The kid was taken out on a stretcher and everyone started to leave the stage and Jesse went back to his mic. He asked if the kid was ok, and what his name was and where his friends were. He said we all are friends here and he hopes his friend Andrew is ok and we all shared something just then. Everyone around me was so rude though. A couple girls were saying how they hope the set was cut short because they had to stop. One girl yelled "play piano man" and Jesse said "i really don't care what you want to hear right now".

For the rest of the show everyone calmed down a bit because of what happened. I was able to get in a little more comfortable position and confirm that I still had my wallet, phone and camer and that they were all in one piece and functioning.

Brand New was amazing. I wish they had played "Soco Amaretto Lime" but they did play one song from Your Favorite Weapon and a few from Deja Entendu, as well as a cover. Everything else they played was from The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me. Despite what a lot of other people have said, I think the entire set was amazing. Even though the songs are depressing and not fun and danceable, they are still amazing songs and mean a lot more than just some fun song would mean. The Devil and God really shows how much Brand New has progressed as a band and how much talent they have.

Regrettably I did not get to meet anyone. I would have loved to meet Jesse Lacey. He is one of three musicians (the other two being Frank Iero from My Chemical Romance and Ace Enders) who really mean a lot to me and have really had an impact on me.

Interview with Valencia's George Ciukurescu

I recently interview Valencia bass player, George Ciukurescu for a school paper, this is what we had to say.

Q: When did you first develop an interest in music? And when did you first decide you wanted to pursue music fulltime?
A: The biggest thing i remember was when i was 13 and wanted to be in a band. everyone played guitar but no one had a bass, so i thought hey why not, then everyone would need me, and after that i kind of got this obsession with it and never wanted to stop. i started playing full time when i was 19.

Q: How long have you been actively making music?
A: ever since i started playing guitar, probably for 8 years or so.

Q: How much time do you usually spend touring and away from home?
A: it never feels like it's that much time but when i look back and think about it, it's almost 10 or 11 months out of the year.

Q: How has touring/being away from home affected your realtionships with friends and family?
A: it's actually made them much more solidified because not being around home enough makes you appreciate seeing everyone when you're finally back there for a little bit. and when you're out with your band on the road, you guys know that you're the ones that are really there for each other so it's almost like having a second family away from home.

Q: What do you think you'd be doing if you weren't a musician?
A: i'd still be in school most likely, or working somewhere around here. i try not to think about that too much.

Q: What do you do when you are home and not making music? interests/hobbies
A: i don't really have much time for anything other than band related things but i read a little bit and i watch some tv because i don't get to see much of it while i'm on tour.

Q: How has being a musician affected your personal life? Do you get recognized in public? Have you had any experiences with over zealous fans?
A: it's happened, i love it. i love when people go out of their way to talk to me, i wouldn't be doing what i do if it weren't for that. we're all a family here, music is what helps unite everyone.

Q: What is a typical day like on tour?
A: wake up at 8 am, hit the continental breakfast at the hotel with jd, shower before everyone else is awake, check out by 11, drive a few hours, load in at 2, sound check, play on the internet until the line starts to form, go hang with the kids, play, and then hang with the kids from more. after that, you eat, sleep, and repeat.

Q: What are the best and worst parts of your job?
A: worst is being away from home so much, and the best is being away from home so much.

Q: What is your best memory from being on tour?
A: this entire last tour with boys like girls, all time low, and the audition has been my favorite memory of being on tour because it was with all of our old friends playing for thousands of kids every night and pretty much doing that for a month or so straight. it's like you get to have the best dream ever night after night, only it's real.

Q: What goes into making an album? How long does it usually take for it to be complete and ready for distrubtion?
A: you'd be surprised, some songs we've written for our new record are over a year old and it still hasn't been released. it's usually a four month or so process, you write for a while, record those songs, once that's done you mix and master it, get the artwork ready, and if it's done by a certain date, it can hit streets a couple of months later. it's a long process but once it's all finished, it's totally worth it.

I found...

my autographed hawthorne heights poster today while i was cleaning my room.

like i've said, i was never really a fan of them, i liked them after hearing 'ohio is for lovers' and then that was it, i lost interest. but i do remember when they came to town a couple years ago and i they did a signing at the house of guitars.

i watched the mtvu interview with hh and casey's wife yesterday. looking at the poster now, casey's autographed looks exactly the way his bandmates described it in the interview.

three hardest parts of the interview were definitely when eron talked about how he found casey on the bus. he described how he shook him to try and wake him and he was hard and cold. i can't imagine what he went through. the second being when they said how he is irreplaceable, and they will never bring in someone else to replace casey. and then when his wife talked about how she got casey's jacket and she could still smell him on it, and she'll never be able to smell that smell again, it won't last on the jacket forever. it was so hard to watch, im not ashamed to admit that i cried.

i ordered the twloha casey shirt yesterday. i feel like i dont have a right to own and wear it because until now i haven't thought or cared about hh or casey. but the money from all the shirts goes to casey's family to help pay funeral costs among other things, which i suppose is a big reason why i bought the shirt. but, i think no matter who the shirt was for i'd wear it because from what i remember when i met casey he was a very friendly person and his memory should live on...also because it is a reminder that death is impartial, death doesn not only take the old man who has lived his life or the murderer who unjustly took the lives of others; sometimes death takes the young man in the prime of his life, the young man who is not ready to die.

i wish the best to the surviving members of hawthorne heights and to casey's wife and the rest of his family.

Casey Calvert: R.I.P

People die. Everyday. And the world goes on, not missing a beat.

Something happens, though, when it is a member of our community. With the recent passing of Hawthorne Heights guitarist Casey Calvert, it is clear that when a member of our community is lost everything stops, if just for a moment. Everyone feels the loss. Whether a fan or not. This underground, indie music scene (or whatever you choose to call it) in very unique. In this scene everyone looks out for eachother in the pit. Fans and bands are the same people, all at the show for their love of music, only thing seperating them is a stage (or occassionally a baricade). Fans and bands are friends even. Bands all looks out for eachother; when one band rises they bring their friends with them. And when something tragic happens, like a death, everyone feels it.

For a moment we are reminded of our own mortality. We are reminded how fragile life is. And no matter how much we like or hated the band we all feel something for them and for the life that has been lost much too soon. When something like this happens it maks me wonder who could be next. What if it was someone I know and I care about it. T have a hard enough time dealing with the death of someone I didn't know. I cannot imagine if it was someine I was close to.

When something like this happens I ask myself why? Why was it their time? It's hard to imagine someone so young having their life cut short.

Regardless of how I feel about Hawthorne Heights, the death of Casey Calvert is horrible and tragic. He will be missed by so many, and I'm sure he will not die from the lives of thousands of young fans.

theDGKz Video Update 2: Sleeping With Giants

The latest video update is complete. Shot in Williamsville, NY outside Club Infinity and inside Party City before The Academy Is... Sleeping With Giants tour.


Enjoy!