In the vein of local music, arts and entertainment we are glad to debut our first local film related interview at hurdcore.com as we discuss the upcoming premiere of Saving Winston with director Shane Hawks. Saving Winston is a family-friendly drama about a troubled teen that finds redemption through her faith in God and the rehabilitation of a rescue horse. The film was shot and produced locally in Eugene, Oregon and will premiere Friday, October 21st at First Baptist Church of Eugene (3550 Fox Meadow Road).

When you attended school at the U of O, did you set out with the goal of getting into movies?
Shane Hawks – Director I’ve always loved movies. When I was 8 years old, I found out that there was a person called the director who made the movies. From that point on I knew what I wanted to do. I graduated from Oregon with a degree in Telecommunications and Film and for almost 20 years I’ve been pursuing this dream.

Do you remember the first film(s) that peaked your interest in pursing film as a career path?
SH Two films definitely had the biggest influence on me. For my 8th birthday I saw Star Wars for the first time in the theater in 1977. It of course had a huge influence. But when I was 12, I watched 2001, just on my family’s TV with commercial breaks and everything. This was when the light really turned on, I finally realized that films could also be works of art.

Your first films are in the horror genre, what about your process makes your perspective in this domain unique?
SH My early projects where all very surreal and “artsy” horror films. They never really found an audience, mainly because they were too “artsy” for the horror crowd and too horrific for the art house crowd. But I did learn how to make films on a small/micro budget.

The core of the story of “Saving Winston” intertwines the lives of a troubled teen girl and a rescue horse, how much of the background for the story is based upon real characters/experiences?
SH Jodi Johnson wrote the screenplay and she had experience as an actual horse trainer. So as we were working on new drafts of the script, I was encouraging her to put in as much of her real horse training knowledge as possible. That type of experience is priceless for a script. As far as the interpersonal relationships go, I believe Jodi based the ideas loosely on a few experiences she had, but probably 90% was created.

How did you come across the script and at what point did it become clear that this was a movie you wanted to be involved with?
SH This is a very long answer, so I’ll do my best to give you the shortest version possible. My wife and I were living in L.A. and my last film “Naomi” (which we put all our own money into) did nothing to improve my filmmaking career. I figured I would never make another film again. So when I hit rock bottom, God was there for me. I came to the realization that if I ever had the chance to make another film, it would only be for His glory. And not 3 weeks later, an old friend of mine who is also an aspiring script writer, Jodi Johnson, contacted me to let me know she was finishing a new Christian screenplay. That was 3 years ago and the script was Saving Winston.

Who are the key players in getting this movie off the ground?
SH Jodi, not only because of the screenplay, but also because she had contacts with people that owned horses and horse stables (all used in the film). My wife, Carrie who also served as a producer. Without her support and faith, Saving Winston would have probably just stayed on the page. Our investors who believed in our abilities enough and the message we were promoting to get involved. Victoria Emmons and the realism she brought to Ashley’s character. The list can go on and on. This might sound cheesy, but the biggest player was the Lord. This was my 4th film and I know what can happen to derail an independent film from ever being completed. We had countless miracles happen that not only allowed this project to be completed, but to also succeed.

“Saving Winston” is a family friendly film which is a little bit of a step away from your previous films which are notably darker, what is most important to you when writing, directing and/or producing a film?
SH When you make low budget films, you have to wear a lot of different hats. I’ve been lucky and learned how to not only write, direct, and produce, but also shoot, edit, and (for my earlier films) do special make-up effects as well. But I always felt that if I could only choose one, it would be to direct. I really feel that is my strength.

There is a certain stigma that comes with “Christian Films” which many writers, actors, directors and producers are making great strides to overturn, what have you seen in regards to the obstacles that positive movies face in the current entertainment climate?
SH I really feel the tone of Christian films is the biggest obstacle to overcome when trying to reach a bigger audience. It seems a lot of people feel Christian movies are just silly. Because my past films dealt with serious subject matters, I did my best to keep the tone of Saving Winston serious and as realistic as possible. It does have a happy ending but we didn’t shy away from the realism of a troubled teen’s journey.

As a writer-director, who/what do you see as some of the greatest impacts in the world of independent films with a positive message?
SH It’s almost impossible to not mention the Kendrick Brothers and what they have done to elevate the independent Christian market. I would also like to mention Terrence Malick and his new film Tree of Life. It is truly a masterpiece and a must see for anyone who considers themselves a film lover.

Whether films or any other line of business, budget is always a concern. What do you believe are the key lessons you have learned in making a quality low budget film that carries a positive message?
SH Use new technology. Just a few years ago, the equipment I used would have cost over $250,000. Today you can get a great HD camera and editing system for around $10,000. It’s still expensive, but not out of reach. I shot Saving Winston with the Canon 5D camera and it produces some of the best looking HD images I’ve seen. For the first time in film history, technology has leveled the playing field. So now it’s one’s own creativity that is the biggest obstacle.

The premier for “Saving Winston” is this Friday at 7pm at First Baptist Church of Eugene, where else can those interested see or purchase this film?
SH This is the only local screening we are planning at this point, but if successful, we may have others. Saving Winston was released on DVD early this month. It is available right now on amazon.com and most other Christian and Non-Christian websites that sell DVDs. For more information, please visit www.savingwinston.com

What other projects do you have in the works and when can we expect to see your work on the screen again?
SH We have a few ideas in the works right now. I’m working with Jodi on a new script called The Eddy Line. It’s a story of redemption that takes place in the world of recreational rafting and kayaking. We hope to shoot it on the Rogue River. But at this point, we’re not quite sure where the Lord will lead us next.

Saving Winston from Pure Flix Entertainment starring Victoria Emmons, Meghan McCabe-Habrat and Austin Kearney is directed by Shane Hawks, written by Jodi Johnson and co-produced by Jodi Johnson and Carrie Hawks. Find out more about the movie and how to get a copy at www.savingwinston.com

Redemption Rocks! Concerts announces: Esterlyn – Benefit Concert for the Egan Warming Center

Tuesday, November 15 · 8:00pm – 11:00pm
at New Life Church
2080 19th Street – Springfield, OR

Special Guests to be announced.
Tickets 7$ before Oct. 15th
9$ OCt. 15th – Nov. 14th
$12 at the door.

Please bring clean socks, sleeping bags, paper goods, towels and such to donate for the Egan Warming Center and a Women’s recovery house. Get your tickets 2 ways – charge by phone: 800-965-9324 or online @iTickets.com.

The Egan Warming Center is a coalition of community members representing service providers, nonprofits, faith and social activists communities and local government who have come together since 2008 to ensure that homeless people have shelter during extreme cold weather. Named in honor of Major Thomas Egan, a kindly gentleman who froze to death during a cold spell in 2008, the Warming Center mission is simple: to ensure that homeless people in Lane County have a place to sleep indoors when temperatures drop to 30 degrees or below between November 15th and March 31st.

On Tuesday, September 27, 2011 Mike Thrasher Presents welcomes We Came As Romans, Miss May I, Of Mice and Men, Texas in July and Close to Home to the WOW Hall in Eugene, Oregon.

Tickets are $16 in advance, $18 at the door, available from WOW Hall and TicketsWest. Doors open at 6:00 pm and showtime is 6:30.

Review the hurdcore.com interview with We Came As Romans Guitarist Joshua Moore from 2010 – HERE.

In many ways hip hop has become a caricature of itself, where so many rappers are playing and singing hard but living soft. Not to say that the “hard life” is a desirable style, but it is inspiring to meet someone who has walked the dark roads, found the light and works through music and motorcycles to help others to change course. Whether its hitting the road with the Gorilla Gospel MC, writing rhymes cast in real life for Gorilla Gospel Records, or speaking in venues from prisons to schools with Gorilla Gospel Ministries, Todd G is putting his life story and talents to work to bring good news where it can change lives. Todd G’s latest album, The Light, is available now stacked with 11 tracks of the signature method and message of Gorilla Gospel Records featuring artists such as JB The Don (A.K.A. Preacher J), KB The New, Cool Nutz, Arjay, J-Philly, Michael Kay, Hi-Q and more.

People often hear Christian rapper and are quick to dismiss it as second class to “real rap”, how do you maintain the essence of hip-hop and share a positive message?
Todd G: I have always just rapped about my life and what I am going through. I did that as a secular rapper, and I now do that with the music I make as well. I just put the truth as I know it above everything else and record. Like Cool Nutz once told me, “There is no recipe for being real, you just are or your not.” That’s what’s up.

You are proud and ready to share your life story with others, what did it look like in your life when you first felt God moving in your life?
TG: When God first began to move in my life I didn’t want to move with Him. I had been in a groove of negativity and crime for so long that I was more comfortable there. But, God is bigger than that and had other plans for me. All the credit goes to Him because I pretty much didn’t do anything but obstruct His plans.

How do you keep fresh in your pursuit of Christ and the purpose you believe He has designed you for?
TG: I follow what we call the three legged stool. Three things: Prayer, Reading His Word, and fellowshipping with other believers. I feel like you gotta practice all three with consistency in your life to maintain balance – like a three legged stool. If things start going haywire, I can usually pin point it back to one of those areas lacking in my life. Me, personally, I gotta read my Bible everyday. Even if it’s only for a few minutes. It’s necessary, for me….and as far as His (God’s) purpose, I find that you gotta slow it down pretty often, get away, get in the quiet away from all the noise of the world that keeps us distracted. God will speak to you, it’s our job to get to where we can hear Him…Word?

Where do you draw inspiration from and who keeps you accountable to your purpose?
TG: I have a Men’s Group Bible study that meets each Tuesday. It’s basically an accountability group. I also lift weights with a guy that helps me be accountable in the gym and in life…I get inspiration from Church, The Bible, other believers, and sometimes from music. I just listened to a Lecrae album the other day and it was major as far as getting spiritually “fed”.

Gorilla Gospel is one aspect of what you do, for those who are unfamiliar with these efforts – what is Gorilla Gospel and what are you and your team doing through this medium?
TG: Gorilla Gospel is our ministry, record label and MC (Motorcycle Club). We put out records and the club is a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity where we ride hard and help our brothers get assimilated back into healthy lives after prison, crime, drama, whatever. It’s a brotherhood for guys like us who are headed towards the right direction and want to make our lives and the world better. Give, rather than take. My Gorillas have done a lot of taking. Now we give back. I still travel and do speaking engagements as well.

You’ve been involved with Northwest hip-hop since 1989, what have been some of the most significant changes you have seen in the scene?
TG: Shoot, the Northwest has went from a few rappers to a few rappers on every street. That’s cool. Although it does tend to get a bit over saturated and at times the over all quality of the music suffers. Home studios were the best and worst invention ever for Hip Hop. But I will say that I love the Northwest and I represent that culture and vibe world wide, literally.

You have performed locally, nationally and internationally, what are some of the fondest memories from touring outside of your base here in Oregon?
TG: My fondest memories of touring are the first time I performed over seas in a huge venue. The crowd couldn’t even speak much English but thousands of kids were chanting my name, thanks to the Norwegian host leading them, and I stood back stage holding my cordless and tried not to cry for real. I was overwhelmed with where God had taken me to share what He has done in my life and I knew in my core I really didn’t deserve it. A second chance, a second life. It was crazy. Then I went out and chopped it up! It was good. My second tour over seas “Gangsta Boogie” with Cool Nutz was amazing. We had so much fun every day and Soren, who was the chief editor of Source Magazine came with us to cover the tour for the magazine…let’s just say before we even touched down on foreign soil, the flight attendants had asked us more than once to quiet down. We argued about who the greatest rappers ever were almost the entire flight! All in good fun though. *Next time you interview Nutz, ask him about turbulence above Greenland. Now THAT’S a story.

To Die For Records is your own label, when did you start TDFD and who do you work with to produce music?
TG: To Die 4 Records was started by me, Balou The Sasquatch and Tone Only back in 1999 to release Lisa Towner’s self titled debut CD. After that, Tone went to prison for murder and we moved out of the R&B game and got back into rap. We knew that market better and we had tried to market a pop/r&b project through hip hop channels and avenues and it quite honestly didn’t work. It was fun though. Then we put out Northwest Game the Compiliation – back when independent records actually sold with very little promotion. The rest is history.

The Light is your latest release dropping in 2011, will this be classic Todd G or do you have some new elements to unleash with this album?
TG: The Light is out now. And it is an album I am very happy with. It is a bit more aggressive in parts, but again, it is very true to where I am at right now. All my records really document the time and season of life I am in. Chopper Music is Gorilla Gospel album #7 and it’s crazy! It’s like hardcore west coast rap for new school bikers mixed with my testimony and our club biz. It’s cool. At least I think so. lol.

What else is in the mix for Todd G in 2011?
TG: This year we are going hard with the motorcycle club. We just got back from the Laughlin River Run in Nevada and we are on a roll. We got a lot of runs and events coming up soon. Check out www.gorillagospel.com for the updates.

Todd G (Hip Hop – Porltand, OR) latest album The Light (Gorilla Gospel Records) is available now at CD Baby, keep up to date at www.toddgministries.com

Hurdcore.com is local music, local art and local entertainment. Local music reviews, interviews, event promotion, art and entertainment collaboration. Whether hardcore, punk, indie or rap. Check in throughout the week, friend us on myspace and join us facebook.

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

Portland, Oregon based Fallstar takes a unique approach to the heavy music genre, delivering ambient infused hardcore on the very non-traditional label Come and Live Records. Teaming with the likes vision fueled standouts such as C&L and Veil Arms Clothing, the members of Fallstar are giving their music away while still cutting albums, hitting the road and growing a devoted fan base in the heavy music scene. As crazy as it sounds, many bands, fans and businesses want to be a part of something bigger than money alone and in doing so find a way to survive with their art and mission intact. Special thanks to Jameson Ketchum of Cadence PR for setting up this hurdcore.com interview with Fallstar bassist Bryan Ratzlaff as the band releases their debut album Reconciler. Refiner. Igniter. on Come and Live Records.

So every band looks forward to being signed by a label. At any point were you guys thinking, “Yes! We’ve finally been signed by a label – wait, they want us to do WHAT?!”
Bryan Ratzlaff – Bass: Ha Ha. Yes, there was definitely a point where that was going through our minds. But honestly we never worried much about the concept of giving out music away for free. Of course there was the question of, “How are we going to make any money and live on the road if we give our music away as a gift?” In the end we all agreed to go where God wants us, and every one of us felt a heavy push in the direction of Come&Live! If God asks us to go into an organization that asks that we give our music for free then he will make a way for us to support ourselves financially.

What about C&L made this the right fit for you?
BR: The biggest difference in C&L! is that it really isn’t a traditional record label. We learned quite a bit about the music industry and how labels work through shopping out R.R.I. And we found that most times those labels are nothing that we want to be a part of. We as individuals and as a band don’t care about making excessive amounts of money, and for the most part every label we talked to cared a whole lot. Not that wanting to make money is a bad thing, we just believe that the vision of C&L! is much more in tune to the Fallstar’s vision. We want to spread the message of Jesus, and we want to do that by playing music, from the beginning C&L has always wanted to support us in doing just that.

How do you approach the aspect of your lives where you would like to be living off of the music?
BR: I personally am just taking that step by step. I think it would be unwise to count on making enough money to live comfortably just by playing music, but I don’t believe it to be impossible. For now everything that the band makes just goes back into the band, weather it be to pay for new merch, and recording, or paying back band members, nobody is pocketing anything yet. All the guys have some alternate way of making money weather it be a regular job, or selling their blood plasma. Maybe some day Fallstar will be able to pay all of our bills but for now we are all just excited to be able to travel and play the music that we love.

Reconciler. Refiner. Igniter. are all adjectives in reference to Christ, what about these particular attributes stand out to you?
BR: These three words are really the process in which we have seen Jesus come to the aid of people who want his help. First he welcomes us back to himself with open arms, erasing all the bad things we have done and makes us clean. This part is pretty rad, there is actually a physical relief when we come back to God, like you just dropped a set of weights you didn’t know you were carrying. Then we are refined by God, as soon as we come back he starts working on us, straightening out all of the kinks and dents we have accumulated over the years. And finally “Igniter” is describing the way God’s spirit in us reacts with our souls. It is very close to the way a fire consumes a pile of wood, but instead of using us up and turning us to nothing, when God ignites souls we see men and women become something that never would have surfaced without God.

Are you Christians who make music that happens to also be Christian in tone or do you purpose to use your music as an expression of your faith?
BR: We write as an expression of our faith. People usually write about what impacts them the most, many times that will be girls, romantic relationships, politics etc. But what we have seen in Jesus blows all of those things out of the water. We have all seen how knowing God heals hurting lives and fixes broken families and we can’t help but write about that. We would be doing ourselves and everybody a disservice if we were to write about anything less.

How has music been a vehicle for growing in your personal faith?
BR: For me being in Fallstar and playing shows has been my church. The experiences that we have had with other people, and being on the road are what have grown me the most. I worry about very few things these days. I’m not scared about how I am going to make money in the future. I’m not phased when a wheel breaks off of our bus the day before we go on tour. We have had more crappy things happen to us than I can count, but God always brings us out of us in better shape than we were in before. It has been proven to us that we are taken care of.

Did you grow up in church? How/when did Christ become something personal for you?
BR: I grew up going to church. Every single Sunday for 19 years I would go, but my faith only became really my own a few years ago. I wanted to see God for myself, I had heard all about him in church and from my family, but I never really saw or felt anything that I could say was definitely God. So a while ago I decided that I needed to see him for myself. Chris speaks a lot about how each of us in the band had to find God on our own, what I did was go into my closet with all the lights off and started praying, asking God to show up. I resolved that I wasn’t going to leave that closet until I got an answer, and I got one. That is when Jesus became real for me.

Do you remember the first album/song that sucked you into the influence of heavy music?
BR: The Agony Scene – We Bury Our Dead at Dawn. When I was 13 I got a Solid State records sampler when I bought a shirt of some Tooth & Nail band that I really liked. I put the CD in and was blown away. I had never heard anything that moved me the way heavy music does. The level of energy and passion inside of heavy music got me instantly hooked.

What were the events and circumstances that lead to the formation of Fallstar?
BR: Fallstar has a crazy story. There have been more members in the band than I can count on two hands, and looking back, the chances of the current lineup being in same band together are really very low. I didn’t even play an instrument until I joined Fallstar. Jason lived in a tiny town called Monmouth 70 miles away and was told by a mutual friend to try out. Cody met a friend of ours through Craigslist and was in 2 different bands when we met him. Somehow everything worked out to where we can all play music together.

Is there any significance behind the name Fallstar?
BR: The name Fallstar comes from a story about Chris’ and my dad. A few years back he learned some pretty horrible things about his past and his family and really wanted a fresh start. So he decided that he would change his last name to disassociate himself from those things. Our last name is Ratzlaff, which if spelled backwards is essentially Fallstar, which he now goes by. We saw that as a beautiful illustration of how Jesus takes us and changes us and gives us a clean slate to start over.

Fallstar (Hardcore/Ambient – Portland, OR) is: Chris Ratzlaff – Vocals; Jason Brown – Guitar; Justin Hagg – Guitar; Cody Carrier – Drums; Bryan Ratzlaff – Bass. Their debut full length album, Reconciler. Refiner. Igniter. is available now on Come & Live Records. Keep up to date with the band via their facebook and download their album for FREE at comeandlive.com.

Applying the hurdcore.com spin to album reviews, band bios and artist interviews. Covering local metal, hip-hop and indie artists and events from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Illinois and far beyond. Interviews with local bands posted every Sunday, friend us on myspace and join us facebook.

What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul? - Jesus

As a follow up to our full interview with Portland progressive hardcore band Bring Me Solace, we offer this encore blitz with vocalist Josh. Read the full hurdcore.com interview with Josh and Garret of Bring Me Solace from earlier this year HERE.

One of our songs that personally means a lot to me… Of Solitude because I wrote it after going through a stint of depression. To me its a song of healing. If I had an extra $1000, the first piece of equipment I would purchase for the band is… Keyboard or synth! …maybe even a key-tar. One unforgettable experience as a performer that taught me volumes about music… Seeing how intense the pit was and the extremely positive reaction we got at the It Prevails show we played this past June. It was pretty incredible. For me music is… an extension of myself. Current trend in music/scene that bugs me… Pretty much trends in general bug me, it keeps true creativity suppressed. People should just listen to the music based on their personal music tastes. Don’t be afraid to be different.

Currently reading Anger: Wisdom for cooling the flames by Thich Nhat Hanh. Currently watching The Office season DVD’s. Favorite movie Step Brothers. Top 5 songs in my personal ipod right now… “Chrono” The Ghost Inside, “Whether to cry or Destroy” Shai Hulud, “Fever Dreams” Circa Survive, “The Walk” Periphery, and pretty much any song off of the album Diamond Eyes by Deftones. Any crazy pre-performance rituals? Blueberry Green tea and honey. everything the body needs. What are the weapons of choice for your band? A sack of oranges.

Bring Me Solace is a 5 piece Progressive Metal band from Portland, Oregon whose current roster includes: Garret/Drums, Cory/Guitar, Josh/Vocals, Brandon/Bass and Adam/Guitar. Listen to the music, keep up to date via the BMS Myspace and keep an eye out for their debut EP “Nomadic Refuge” to release soon.

Applying the hurdcore.com spin to album reviews, band bios and artist interviews. Covering local metal, hip-hop and indie artists and events from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Illinois and far beyond. Interviews with local bands posted every Sunday, friend us on myspace and join us facebook.

What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul? - Jesus

Challenges in life often are defining moments. When a band goes through a series of transitions it can seriously challenge the tenure and stability of a band, either derailing cohesion or opening the group to a new realm of exploration as they rebuild. Sickciety is taking their own blue collar nature and fusing that with a workman’s metal to craft a sound that resonates within their local scene. The dudes of Sickciety have weathered their share of highs and lows in life as well as music to arrive at this moment where they are knocking at the door of releasing their first album. For hurdcore.com this is a first as we are excited to introduce our first fan inspired/requested interview. Big thanks to the active scene fans in Medford, Oregon as well as the gathering of metalheads that is Sickciety.

There have been some significant changes to the faces of Sickciety, was this a trial that you feel will ultimately make the band stronger?
SICK Of course it will we had to weed out those with commitment issues.

Two of your songs “Creep You Out” and “Weirdo Freak” seem to be pretty personal, are these about or aimed at individuals or more generic observations?
SICK Yes, both songs are very personal almost everything that we write are personal observations in our lives.

Sickciety is headed to (or in) the studio, what do you have planned for this album?
SICK This album is going to define us. I mean as musicians and people and we plan on doing something completely different and have an album where not every song sounds the same.

There is metal and then there metal, Sickciety has that bare knuckles vibe where metal has been a part of the fabric of your lives from early on. If we took a time machine back to the metal roots of Sickciety would we find little metal heads running around in leopard stripes and mullets?
SICK More like a trench coat and combat boots but hiding a Winger album also some of us would have the ripped jeans and a Metallica t-shirt on too tight.

Most music fans in Oregon are aware or at least hear the rumbles of great things emerging from Medford, for those who haven’t experienced your scene what are some of the coolest things you see rising from your midst?
SICK Definitely meeting other cool bands on our local scene. We’re glad to have made friends with Tallboy and everybody knows they are completely blowing the scene up also watching some of these young high school bands like the Abyss and seeing them grow as a band also glad to see that there are a lot more venues to play at.

Sickciety appears to be a blend of sick and society, is this accurate? Is this a political statement of sorts or is there more/less to it?
SICK Yes, it is basically a play on words. We had a list of band names tried out several and Sickciety was the one that grew on us the most

What do you see when you observe our society and how are you using music to help turn the tides?
SICK We see it like this, what society lacks today is heart and pride as well as toughness. I try to put all that into every song and who knows maybe it will spark something in someone. Also letting people know that there are others that suffer and feel the same things that they do so maybe when they are down and hear our music it makes them realize that they are not alone.

What has performing music taught you about life that you didn’t see as clearly before?
SICK I’ve learned that everywhere you go there are rules, regulations, trends and things that bind but with music there is none of that. Music is free form, it gives you back the things we lose as children and you can be whatever you want. Its also a great way to express everything you are feeling and get out inner frustration.

Sickciety is (Metal – Medford, Oregon): Alan G. – vocals; Randy – lead guitar; Rick – bass; Matt Edelmen – guitar; Mike Gutierezz – drums. Check out info on their upcoming album, shows and other news at the Sickciety Myspace

Interviews with local bands posted every Sunday. Hurdcore.com is working with artists, fans and venues to promote music events from Portland to Spokane to Chicago. Whether hardcore, punk, indie or rap. Check in throughout the week, friend us on myspace and join us facebook.

I have come to call sinners to turn from their sins, not to spend my time with those who think they are already good enough. – Jesus

In preparation for The After School Special Festival to be hosted by King Arthur Booking we took some time with Samuel of KAB to get at the heart of what TASSF is all about. Join King Arthur and some of the best of local metal, hardcore and progressive music from the Portland, Oregon area and beyond as they assemble at The Revolution Room in Camas, Washington on Saturday, September 25th.

Samuel, you currently sing for City Sleeps play bass for …And The Sirens Sang and are booking with King Arthur, anything else (ha ha)?
KAB Well City Asleep is pretty much dead at this point. I’ve just been reworking the songs and making them a little less Pop Punk, so its basically just me doing that now. But other then Sirens I just do solo stuff. I branch out everywhere from like, 50′s cover songs to indie stuff and I’ve done a few electronic/pop styled songs.

How do you stay fresh in your drive to push the music and in maintaining creativity?
KAB As far as keeping it new with booking I try not to book the same bands over and over again. I pretty much just cycle through a bunch of bands who seems to be doing well and mix it up. I also try to give my shows a name that kids can remember, like “The After School Special” or “The Night of The Living Dead” for the Halloween show. In my writing perspective, I just try to keep it as original as possible while staying within the same genre. I’m really into post hardcore, so you could say I’m a bit of a revivalist with that.

The After School Special Festival will be held at Revolution Coffee in Camas, WA – what makes this venue unique?
KAB The Revolution Room is sorta the “home base” per say for Sirens, and its a great friendly venue that I love. I book at Pop Culture (formerly Moxie’s) as well, but its a small venue and The Revolution Room offers the right size for a festival. Its a Christian church though, so I sometimes have problems booking certain bands due to the zero tolerance of vulgarity on and off stage. I love the venue though, and I definitely see it as a huge factor in bringing the music scene back to what it used to be.

Is this your first all day festival?
KAB This is indeed my first all day festival, but I’ve had Will Breitner [And The Sirens Sang] and Brady Johns [King Arthur Booking] helping me out a little as far as do’s and dont’s, so I feel I have a pretty good handle on it.

What inspired putting this show together?
KAB What I am going for with this show is a day where the kids can come out and listen to music and hang out with friends and have a good time and have a nice little break from the first month back in school. I pulled bands from across the board as far as genres go, with a hope that kids that tend to listen to a certain one type of music will be able to experience the other genres of the NW and hopefully come out to support those bands at other shows.

Is there a genre or theme that brings all these bands together?
KAB The general theme for this show is to basically have fun and unwind a little. You’ll find Pop Punk, Happy Hardcore, Death Metal/Deathcore and Post hardcore at this show. Its hopefully going to be a great day for the local scene.

THE AFTER SCHOOL SPECIAL FESTIVAL (9/25/10) – 2PM [ALL DAY] @The Revolution Room (2008 SE 8th Ave. – Camas, WA 98607)

FEATURING SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS! Get rid of the back to school blues and come out and support some of the NW’s finest locals! Guaranteed to be an awesome time! Bands include (Hurdcore.com alumni w/ links to interviews): Proven, City Of God, Roseway, Boy Named Sue, Her Death & After, Chin Up Rocky, Mourning For Memories, Accrue, Ghosts & Monsters, If All Else Fails, Upon Departure…AND MORE!

Look for more shows from King Arthur Booking in the Camas/Vancouver/Portland area, keep up to speed on the KAB Myspace page and keep your eyes peeled for The Night of the Living Dead KAB Halloween Show October 30th @ The Revolution Room (Camas, WA)

Contact hurdcore.com – “fans supporting local music.” for opportunities to promote your band or event (hurdcore@gmail.com) album reviews, band bios, content management and more. New interviews posted every Sunday, stay in touch by friending us on myspace and joining us facebook.

Come to Me all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest. – Jesus

Eugene Weekly has long been the champion of all things entertainment, whether underground or above ground, in the Southern Willamette Valley. After a successful inaugural year of hosting an online search for the best original hit single in Eugene, they have assembled music friendly local forces again ignite the engines of this internet based and voter generated entertainment popularity contest.

For all local bands and artists interested in this contest, the process looks like this:

1) Artists can enter the contest by coming by Eugene Weekly offices at 1251 Lincoln Street. Artists will need to submit their song on CD plus photo and bio and a web-link if one is available. Artists must use the entry form located at http://nextbigthingeugene.com/entry.pdf

2) Entry fee is $20.00 per song. Bands can submit as many songs as they want.
You must submit only songs that are original and owned by the person or band making the submission. You will be asked to sign a release form for possible inclusion on the Compilation CD. All Artists selected for the compilation CD will be invited to host a “Release Party” in November of 2010.

Contact hurdcore.com – “fans supporting local music.” for opportunities to promote your band or event (hurdcore@gmail.com) album reviews, band bios, content management and more. New interviews posted every Sunday local shows posted on Thursdays, stay in touch by friending us on myspace and joining us facebook.

…for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart – Solomon

King Arthur Booking presents: THE AFTER SCHOOL SPECIAL FESTIVAL

Saturday, September 25, 2010
2:00 PM – 10:00 PM PDT

@The Revolution Room
2008 SE 8th Ave.
Camas, WA 98607

FEATURING SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS! Get rid of the back to school blues and come out and support some of the NW’s finest locals! Guaranteed to be an awesome time! Bands include (Hurdcore.com alumni w/ links to interviews): Proven, City Of God, Roseway, Boy Named Sue, Her Death & After, Chin Up Rocky, Mourning For Memories, Accrue, Ghosts & Monsters, If All Else Fails, Upon Departure…AND MORE!

Look for more shows from King Arthur Booking in the Camas/Vancouver/Portland area, keep up to speed on the KAB Myspace page and keep your eyes peeled for The Night of the Living Dead KAB Halloween Show October 30th @ The Revolution Room (Camas, WA)

Contact hurdcore.com – “fans supporting local music.” for opportunities to promote your band or event (hurdcore@gmail.com) album reviews, band bios, content management and more. New interviews posted every Sunday, stay in touch by friending us on myspace and joining us facebook.

Come to Me all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest. – Jesus