The Peverett Phile Interviews: Mandy Ventrice

Hello, welcome back to the Phile for another interview. Before we start let me just say thanks to everyone I interviewed so far and for all the positive comments I have received. The beauty of the Phile is I can interview an established name like Melissa Joan Hart, or a band that is starting out, or a performer who has a long career and is established like Webb Wilder or Dexter Romweber. And I can interview someone who is just starting out in the music business, or acting business, or any kinda of entertainment business and who will one day be a huge star like Lindsay Rush or Amanda Marsh. Today's interview is with such a person. She's an American recording artist, songwriter, producer and entertainer. And will be a big megastar one day. Please welcome to the Phile Miss Mandy Ventrice.

Me: Hello, Mandy, welcome to the Phile. How are you?

Mandy: I'm doing great!

Me: So, where are you right now? Are you on tour? Any luck of you coming down and playing in Florida?

Mandy: I'm in New York now, working on new material from home. No plans for a tour just yet, but I'd love to play in Florida.

Me: Where in New York do you live, Mandy? Do you live in the city?

Mandy: I live right outside the city.

Me: You gotta tell me about "Hello World". That's a Hello Kitty CD isn't it? I think I interviewed someone else who was on that CD. How did you end up doing a song about Hello Kitty? I bet that made you really big in Japan.

Me: My friends, Kyle Kelso and Mike Shimshack produced the song, "Hello Kitty", and asked me to come to Brooklyn to record the vocals for it. I didn't really know much about the project, or if the album would even be released. A few months after I recorded the song, I randomly stumbled upon a website that had all the artwork and a release date for the album. I had totally forgotten about it, and there I was... on an album that was going to be sold on iTunes and in Wal-Marts all over the country.

Me: Did you design that cool logo of the V inside the M? I love it. Do you have merch with that logo on it? If not, I think you def should.

Mandy: My best friend, Erin Frey, designed the logo. I plan on working with her a lot more in the future, especially with merch.

Me: I love the music you have on your Myspace site. Any luck you are gonna have music on iTunes soon I can download? I just downloaded the "Hello Kitty" song.

Mandy: I am hoping to have something on iTunes soon. I am writing a lot of new material that would be great for a full length album, and I am excited to share that with people.

Me: Speaking of music, I noticed all your songs have one word titles. What is the reason for that? Is your album gonna have a one word title?

Mandy: There isn't any significance to that, it's just kinda how it turned out. Since then, I have written songs that stray from the one word theme.

Me: Your working on an album, when do you plan for it to come out?

Mandy: I have been busy working with Let IT Burn Productions; they are based out of Amsterdam and re-locating to Los Angeles within the next few months. They send me music, and I write the lyrics, melodies and vocal production from my home studio. They have also done a few very cool remixes for my songs, "Ditto" and "Hussy".

Me: I read your bio and saw we have something in common, Mandy. We both have musicians for fathers. How is your dad and is he someone I would of heard of?

Mandy: My dad is doing well, he still plays with a cover band based out the Bay Area California. He has been in bands all his life, and has struggled just like most of us do in this industry. These days, he just focuses on the joy he gets from writing and playing.

Me: You're originally from San Diego, right? Ever been to Legoland out there? It's really cool. Do you go out there often?

Mandy: I'm actually from the Bay Area, and moved to Los Angeles when I was about fifteen. I've never been to Legoland!

Me: San Diego is a hot spot for surfing, isn't it? Did you ever surf when you lived out there?

Mandy: No, I have never surfed. I try to avoid being anywhere near large crashing waves that can drown me. I'm a wimp.

Me: You were in a band in Boston called Poetry In Motion. Do you prefer to be in a band or solo?

Mandy: Solo, definitely. I'm a pretty independent person in general, and that characteristic seems to roll over into my music quite often.

Me: How did you end up being from California, going to Boston and then New York. New York is so different then California. I went where ever my music took me. I had great opportunities both in Boston and New York, so I followed them.

Me: Mandy, I hope '09 is a good year for you. Do you have a website or anything you would like to plug?

Mandy: Sure, myspace.com/mandyventrice.

Me: Mandy, I hope this interview was fun. I wish you a lot of luck and really think you are going to have a big career in music once your CD comes out. Take care.

Thanks to Mandy for the interview. I hope to interview her again when her CD comes out. Tomorrow's interview is with the band Whitiker Forest. No, not the actor Forest Whitaker, the band Whitiker Forest. Then on Monday it's the popular Scottish band The Orchids. Next Phriday, or as I like to call it, Watchmen day, it'll be a special Watchmen entry of the Phile. Hell, I've only been talking about it for two years now. On Saturday it's the interview will be with a member of one of my favorite bands in the world. I won't say who it is yet, but I am gonna have some black coffee in bed, after I pull muscles from a shell. In the meantime, spread the word, not the turd.

The Peverett Phile Interviews: Brian Sullivan From Emerald Rose

Hello, kiddies, miss me? Welcome back to another entry and another interview on the Phile. Tonight I have a gentlemen who is in the band Emerald Rose, a Celtic folk rock band from Georgia. They are playing at MegaCon this weekend and maybe a convention near you. So, ladies and find fair folk... or phine phair pholk... the Phile welcomes Brian Sullivan.

Me: Hello, welcome to the Phile, Brian. How are you? So, you are first band I interviewed that wears skirts.

Brian: Fair enough! We actually see a lot of bands that wear the kilts, but you get that at Celtic fairs and a lot more at sci fi and fantasy cons these days. We have a whole list of kilt stories, but those are best told privately.

Me: You guys are from Georgia, right? What part of Georgia?

Brian: We're from North Georgia, near Dahlonega, in the county where the Appalachian Trail begins. It's in the foothills of the mountains, and a very beautiful place to live. We have been up there longer than we have had the band!

Me: Who is in the band and how did you guys form a band?

Brian: We are Brian Sullivan, guitar and vocals, Arthur Hinds, guitar, bodhran, vocals, Larry Morris, pennywhistle, pipes, percussion, and Clyde Gilbert, bass and percussion. We have all been friends for many years longer than the band has been around. We met down in Decatur, and one by one moved up to the mountains. Now we all live within five miles of each other.
We formed the band so that we would have something to do other than play Magic: The Gathering.

Me: Where do you shop for your clothes?

Brian: My leather jerkin is from www.ravenswoodleather.com , our kilts are from www. utilikilts.com, and many of our shirts are made by the Deva company. Clyde and Larry often have shirts custom made by their wives. I am big on Under Armor these days, too.

Me: What is a typical Emerald Rose show like?

Brian: That depends on where you see us, but usually by the third song the crowd is along for the ride. We have a great time playing music that we love, and we tailor our sets to the event we are playing. A three hour night at the pub is different from a 30 minute set on the concourse at DragonCon, but both will get your blood up. A Celtic festival set would be very different from a wedding. We try to play shows appropriate to the occasion.

Me: Okay, do you guys know what MegaCon is? How did you get booked there?

Brian: We will be playing at MegaCon on Feb 27 - March 1 in Orlando. We love playing at MegaCon! We played there once before, a couple of years ago, and it was a wonderful experience! They treated us so well, and we got a table next to the boffer sword pit. Arthur waded in and slammed some fan boy in the face a few times. I got to meet Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi from "Star Trek:Next Generation"), and we really enjoyed being wandering minstrels, playing for the registration lines. And did I mention that it's in Orlando in February?

Me: Do you often play sci-fi conventions? If so, how does your music fit in with comics and sci-fi?

Brian: We love to play conventions. We are all geek fan boys anyway. We connected with the Lord of the Rings fan site TheOneRing.net at our first DragonCon, and they invited us to play at their DragonCon Hobbit party. It was a wild gig, and later, they invited us to play for their LOTR Oscar parties for Two Towers and Return of the King in Hollywood. We have played DragonCon since 2000, ICon up in New York, ConClave in Michigan, and MegaCon in Orlando, among many others. With the recording of "Con Suite", we have a whole range of filky folky rock that explores fandom from Celts and starships to sexy vampires. And I got to play my electric guitar for a change.

Me: Have you ever had your music in a movie? You are doing something for AMC, right? Is that the movie theater chain or cable channel?

Brian: We have had two soundtrack placements, both in fan documentaries. Ringers: Lord of the Fans is a movie about the Tolkien phenomena and it's fans... we have two songs in that film and a very short appearance. Done the Impossible: The Fans Tale of Firefly and Serenity is a similar sort of documentary about the Firefly series. We have about nine songs on the soundtrack, we're interviewed several times in the movie, and they filmed Larry and me doing our arrangement of the Firefly theme song. We look good. AMC is the American Movie Classics channel on satellite TV. They ran one of our instrumentals in a commercial for a month. We made about $35.00, for that, I think.

Me: Do you guys like sci-fi? You look like you should be in Lord of the Rings.

Brian: Somebody mention that to Peter Jackson, would you? Yes, we are sci-fi fantasy buffs since elementary school. We read LOTR out loud to our kids for bedtime readings. I still record Justice League cartoons... so I can watch them by myself!

Me: I saw on iTunes you have some albums out. How many and what was the latest? Working on anything new?

Brian: Well, just about everything is on iTunes these days. Latest is the aforementioned "Con Suite" which has us breaking all the molds for this band. We just wanted to ditch the Celtic mantle for a while and play some fun stuff. It was really about exploring the studio as an instrument. Even though the songs are light hearted, we put a lot of time into capturing the sounds and tones we wanted, and overdubbing like crazy.

Me: Have you heard of the Celtic band Off Kilter? They play at Epcot.

Brian: Heard of them, don't envy the job. I think that might be a harder gig than people would think.

Me: Who came up with the name of the band? How long have you been playing?

Brian: I came up with the name, sitting at my computer. I remember thinking, 'What would be a good name for this band'. Then it came to me...'pop!'. It won out over '4 Fat Dads'. We have now been officially playing together for fourteen years.

Me: Okay, fellas, go ahead and plug your website and I will see you at the 'Con.

Brian: You can find us, along with audio samples, youtube links and embarrassing photos at www.emeraldrose.com. Thanks for the interview!

What a nice kilted lad, eh. I met two members from the band this afternoon and hope to meet Brian and see them play. The Phile will be back tomorrow with an interview with upcoming pop singer Mandy Ventrice. So, until then, spread the word, not the turd. 

Talk Nerdy To Me

PHIRST OF

Hello, welcome to another entry of the Phile. Tonight it's not one, but two entries. Right after this I will post an interview with Brian Sullivan from the band Emerald Rose. So, today was the first day of MegaCon. What is MegaCon? MegaCon, short for Mega Convention, is a large convention that caters to the anime, sci-fi, comic, and fantasy community, occurring between late February and early March at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. That's what Wikipedia says anyway. I had a good day, handing out Peverett Phile business cards, and trying to get autographs. Everyone was cool, except Dirk Benedict who should change his name to Dirk Bene-dick. And Margot Kidder, who looked like a confused old lady. It's kinda weird seeing fully grown adults dressed like anime characters, but if I could of painted myself blue and walked around naked like Dr. Manhattan I would of done. Maybe next year... So, today Logan and Jen flew to Utah for a skiing trip. I think they're crazy. Skiing means snow and snow means cold. Anyway, she's giving Logan a lifetime of memories and I gave Melody Anderson a lifetime memory... and Dirk Benedict, and Lou Ferrigno and Micky Dolenz... Arnold Schwarzenegger is taking time off as the governor of California to shoot a new movie. The movie’s about a terrible disaster — it’s called, Arnold Schwarzenegger is the Governor of California. So, the other night was the Oscars. There were a lot of parties for the Oscars last night. The biggest was the annual Vanity Fair event. US Airways pilot Sully Sullenberger showed up with his wife who wore an unusual dress. It had a goose strapped to it.
He was supposed to attend the governor’s ball, but at the last second he veered into the fountain outside the hotel. Oprah held her annual Oscars show. She had all the big winners on. Not only is it an annual tradition, it’s also Oprah’s way of letting the big stars know that she still owns them. President Obama gave his first State of the Union address. They say it was the best State of the Union address ever delivered by an African-American president. He says we can overcome this crisis if we all work hard and make sacrifices — which means we are screwed. The address is a very formal thing, but it’s really more like a boxing event. He comes into the room with little satin shorts and makes his way to the stage. The president says he intends to expand healthcare, improve education, and decrease energy dependence — all while cutting the deficit in half. Then, he’s going to make the Washington Monument disappear. George W. Bush is doing pretty well for a retiree. He will hit the lecture circuit next month for a reported 150,000 per speech. Actually it’s $150,000 per speech and an extra 25 grand if you want to throw shoes at him. He’s not alone; he’s got a couple of guys with him. It’s called the 2009 Blue Collar Comedy Tour. Things aren’t going so well for New York Gov. David Paterson. He’s had a shake-up in his staff. He’s had a tough time, and he’s hoping that a change in his staff will bring about a happy ending to his time in office. Though a happy ending is pretty much what brought down the last guy...

THE PEVERETT PHILE TOP TEN LIST

From the home office at MegaCon, here is this week's top ten list...

Top Ten Reasons Lois Lane is Dumping Superman 

10. His heat vision sometimes turns on accidentally when he's drunk. 
9. She's now totally deaf in one ear because of his super-snoring. 
8. Every time he left toilet seat up, blamed it on Clark Kent.
7. He always had to go "stop an earthquake" when her parents were in town. 
6. Was inspired when Jennifer Peverett dumped her man from another planet. WHAT?!
5. Always making wisecracks about how his x-ray vision couldn't penetrate her meatloaf. 
4. Had to expose him to kryptonite to get him to take out garbage. 
3. His insistence that the kids be raised super. 
2. She saw him barhopping in the Village wearing a Wonder Woman costume. 
And the number one reason Lois Lane is dumping Superman...
1. Faster than a speeding bullet, if you know what I mean. 

SOMEONE PHAMOUS HAS DIED

Philip Jose Farmer: He wrote "A Woman a Day" and "Blown". We might be on to what killed him.
Wendy Richards: Now about to star in "Are You Being Buried?"

FEBRUARY 27TH IN HISTORY

1859

Congressman Dan Sickles of New York shoots and kills Philip Barton Key, the son of Francis Scott Key (who wrote the Star Spangled Banner). The younger Key was having an affair with the congressman's wife. Sickles later pleads insanity and is acquitted.
1937
The Reichstag conveniently burns. A mad Dutchman who was arrested at the scene, Marinus van der Lubb, may have been partially responsible but if this is so, he is likely someone's patsy. The Nazi Party benefited greatly from the subsequent crackdown, and it's suspected that SA stormtroopers set things up for van der Lubb.
1977
Rolling Stone Keith Richards arrested in Toronto with his girlfriend Anita Pallenberg for possession of heroin. Found guilty at trial over one year later, he manages to get off with a suspended sentence plus benefit concerts for the blind.
1982
Freelance photographer Wayne B. Williams found guilty of two counts of murder, though he is suspected of killing 22 other Atlanta area black boys. Williams was caught dumping a suspicious load from atop a bridge in the middle of the night.
1991
Mitchell brother Jim shoots and kills Mitchell brother Artie for reasons that aren't exactly clear. The brothers had built up a San Francisco porn empire centered around the O'Farrell Theater, and were responsible for one of the best-selling porno films of all time: Behind the Green Door, starring Marilyn Chambers and John Holmes.
1992
Trying to get the lid off her McDonald's coffee to add cream and sugar, 79-year-old Stella Liebeck accidentally splashes the 180-degree liquid on herself, causing third-degree burns to the thighs, genitals, and buttocks. After skin graft surgery and weeks of recuperation, Liebeck asks McDonald's to turn down the temperature of their coffee and pay $20,000 to defray her hospital bills. McDonald's tells the old lady to fuck off, as they had done for a decade of similar burn claims. Ultimately, a jury awards Liebeck $2.9 million in the resulting lawsuit, which immediately triggers a renewed call for legislative tort reform.

PHAMOUS PEOPLE NEWS

Samuel L. Jackson has officially signed on to play Nick Fury in Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Thor, S.H.I.E.L.D, probably Darkhawk, and pretty much every Marvel movie until the end of time. Vivid Entertainment offered "OctoMom" Nadya Suleman $1 million to star in a porno. I'm not sure what category of porn that would fall into. "OctoMILF Hunters?" Barack Obama punches out Osama Bin Laden on the cover of the new "Savage Dragon" comic. Just give him his own series already. Warner Bros. will produce a Suicide Squad film. It's a comic about villains, not the Suicide Girls. Sorry, nerds. Rumor has it Rihanna might be pregnant with Chris Brown's baby. Total Recall is also getting the remake treatment. Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) is directing a remake of Clue. Gore, please travel back in time and get Colleen Camp circa 1985 to reprise her role as the maid. 

CANNED LAUGHTER

Q: How did Pinocchio find out he was made of wood? A: His hand caught fire.

THE AMAZING RACE

If the first episode of "The Amazing Race 14" is any indication, the show may be undergoing a renaissance period, as Survivor did a few years ago (and is still riding). I was more consistently engaged and entertained during last night’s episode than I have been for a few seasons now. The changes, which were minor but obvious, presented themselves immediately: The opening sequence had a modified logo, edgier theme music, and an emphasis on the dramatic instead of spectacular. Even better, there was basically zero airport time! Halle-fucking-lujah. If there’s anything that sucks the show into a black hole of boredom, it’s contestants trying to get flights. Of course, flights were pre-purchased for them on the first leg, so we’ll see how long that lasts. It also started with two strong challenges: a 700-foot bungee jump that made my hands sweat every time a contestant jumped to a hysterical Detour that featured 50-pound rolling wheels of cheese, laughing locals, and contestants sliding down a steep, muddy, slippery hill was almost as entertaining as last season’s colorful Holi challenge. The editing was also strong, with several split-screen moments, and also a lot more time stamps than usual. That "The Amazing Race" is still hasn’t switched to high definition is pathetic, though. What a damn waste. The contestants are fun but not too crazy. For example, the experienced travelers and flight attendants Christie and Jodi pulled their backpacks behind them on wheels, even across rough surfaces. There were confessions (Mel told us, “every time my legs parted the groin muscle would just ache”), a thinly veiled reference to how amazingly thin one contestant is (“This is my body weight,” Amanda said while carrying 100 pounds of cheese), incredible powers of observation (five feet from a piece of cheese that weighs 50 pounds and is as big as a small tire, Jodi told Christie, “There’s your cheese”), and sentences that are hysterical out of context (Victor to his sister, Tammy: “Your thing broke but the cheese is still in”). Besides displaying some great eyebrow and making Linda swoon, Phil learned ASL and signed “You are team number one” to Margie and Luke, the series first-ever deaf contestant (although as fans of the Asian edition of the series point out, its second season was won by a deaf contestant). Best of all, the young, bickering couple went home first. Although that still leaves the “hicks from the sticks” bickering couple, who are just kind of tragic, Preston and Jennifer were the really annoying, gratings ones. At least now Jennifer can pursue her dream to augment her existing nude photography and Playboy DVD appearance by doing Playboy. She told The State, “I keep waiting for that call. I hope that happens.” [realityblurred]

IDOL

People sure take "American Idol" seriously! 25 million voted last night, choosing the next three singers to advance to the top 12, joining Alexis Grace, Danny Gokey, and Michael Sarver. Based on the chosen three, this is gearing up to be a great competition. So far, everyone can sing and there really aren't any Sanjayas in the group yet. Yes, Nick Mitchell/Norman Gentle is a novelty act. But he can sing and he's really entertaining.  But before we got to learn which three went through, the producers tortured us with yet another group number, with the Idols awkwardly dancing and singing Neo's "Closer." I'm not a big fan of the group numbers, and the singers don't look like they're having that much fun either. Then Ryan chatted up the contestants, asking Matt Breitzke if he had any regrets about talking back to Simon last night. "I don't know that there's ever a point in my life where it's going to be too late for advice," said Matt. Meanwhile, Jeanine Vailes' legs were still in full view. First to step into the circle of stress are Allison Iraheta, Jesse Langseth, and Matt Breitzke. Out of these three, my favorite is Allison. At just 16 years old, she blows me away every time I hear her sing. She's such a natural performer. Randy said he hoped Allison would go through, because she sang her heart out last night. Randy's and my wish was granted, because Allison was put through, while Matt and Jesse will be going home. Up next are Matt Giraud, Jeanine Vailes, Megan Joy Corkrey, and Kris Allen. Paula said she had no idea which of these four would be going through. Kris is chosen, and looks like he's going to faint. He's so humbly surprised, it's sweet. And his family is weeping, too. Next, we were treated to a completely unnecessary filler thing with scenes of past winners and contestants, including Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, even the She-Bangs guy. After that, past contestant Brooke White sang her new single, "Hold Up My Heart," while playing the piano. She advised the current contestants, "Don't Google your name!" Mishavonna Henson, Kai Kalama, Adam Lambert, Nick Mitchell/Norman Gentle, and Jasmine Murray were next up in the circle. Simon said he prayed for 5 or 6 hours nonstop that Nick wouldn't get through. "Hopefully, God and I have a good relationship right now," said Simon. Apparently, God heard Simon's prayers. Adam is the one who made it through, and, as the other winners did, he sang his song from last night. He really does have a phenomenal voice, and I'm glad he made it through. In fact, if I'd chosen the winners, it would have been the three that America chose. They got it right, in my mind. As for Nick/Norman, there's still a chance he could come back as a wild card. As Simon explained, the judges will bring back a few people they feel deserve another shot. Will Nick/Norman be one of them? I hope so. [Idolnews]

GEEK TALK

Just when you think they're out of Top Cow properties, another one gets optioned. We have "Witchblade", "Magdalena", and "Fathom" all cooking in pre-production. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Top Cow is re-teaming with Platinum Studios and Threshold Entertainment to give "Aphrodite IX" her turn. The series centered on a female cyborg who goes on undercover missions that result in episodes of amnesia. She realizes she's an assassin -- and with that awareness comes a distaste for her mission, as well as human dreams and desires. As she seeks clues to her past and her true identity, she stumbles on a government conspiracy of cyborgs who are going all SkyNet on the government. And yes, she does it all while wearing a skimpy costume -- how ever did you guess? Here I should mention the film will be shot in 3-D ... I'm really surprised it took Top Cow and 3-D so long to find one another. There's no director yet, and producers are currently looking for a hottie to play Aphrodite. "This is just the kind of franchise we love: a visually stunning world, amazing effects, a great story and a hot, kick-ass babe in the lead," producer Larry Kasanoff said. "What could be better?" If only there was a Top Cow equivalent for chicks, eh? Oh wait... there is! It's called X-Men Origins: Wolverine. 

PHIANNLY

Whew! There you have it, kids, another entry of the Phile. But don't go anywhere yet. Coming right up is an interview with Brian Sullivan from the band Emerald Rose... who are playing at MegaCon. Then tomorrow the Phile Interviews will be back with singer Mandy Ventrice. So, until then, spread the word, not the turd.

The Peverett Phile Interviews: James Reber From Fight the Current

Hello, that's a huge logo, ain't it? For some reason blogspot won't let me download it normal size. Anyway, welcome back to the Phile inyerviews. Today we have the guitarist and songwriter for the alternative band Fight the Current. Please welcome to the Phile... James Reber.

Me: Hello, James, welcome to the Phile. So, tell me about Flight of the Conchords... Just kidding, James. Tell me about Fight the Current. Current what? President? Weather? TV shows? 

James: It's actually the ocean current.

Me: Where did the band name come from, James? 

James: Well our original name was C-side but there is a pretty established rap group called Cside, so we were forced to change it. one of my favorite bands the Goo Goo Dolls used the line "fighting the currents" in one of their songs, and thought it portrayed great imagery and thought it would make a great band name.

Me: The band is based in Seattle. A lot of good music came out of there. You were just a kid when the grunge music scene was big, right? 

James: I was very young, yes. I was born in 87 and the grunge scene started to fade in the early 90's. Its definitely left a big impact on music today with bands like Nirvana, Sound Garden, etc...

Me: So, how did the band form? Where did you guys meet? 

James: It actually started with me, an acoustic guitar, and a notepad. I just started writing and recording songs without a singer, and eventually I met Matt. He's the singer on all of the tracks except "Goodbye". I'm actually introducing another vocalist on the new full length album we're currently working on.

Me: I was looking at your photos, and man, you guys look so young. I betcha get a lot of girls throwing themselves at you. Do you get groupies? Your fan base seems mostly girls. 

James: We definitely got a young start. I'm the 2nd oldest guy in the band at the age of 21 (almost 22). There are alot of "interested" girls if you wnat to put it that way, but that's not what we're about as a band. We are about writing deep music and portraying a good image.

Me: Do you have a girlfriend, James, and if so, why? LOL 

James: Haha. No I'm single at the moment! I just got out of a long term relationship in June, so I'm taking my time and enjoying the single life.

Me: I like the tracks I heard from your CD which is called "Hold Tight." Tell the readers of the Phile about making it. 

James: Unlike the typical album filled with love songs, mine has only 2. "I Know" and "No Where Else". The rest of the CD is about where I was at that stage of my life. The song "Hold Tight" was actually written about a girls dad who passed away from cancer. She was telling me her story through a myspace message of all places, and I totally felt for her. That night I wrote almost the whole song in 45 minutes. That's what the power of inspiration can do.

Me: I know some friends who would love to download a copy. Any news when somebody will be able to download it from iTunes. 

James: With how slow iTunes is, hopefully by the end of my lifetime. LOL. Nah, it should be another month. I'm not going to lie, I am getting a little impatient. Haha.

Me: James, how long have you been song writing? You are very good at it. 

James: Thanks so much, I appreciate that. I've been writing for about 3 years.

Me: Are you planning on taking the band on the road? I am sure my niece Brianna would love to meet you all if you come to Florida.

James: Definitely! I can't wait to go on some tours. Especially Florida, I hear it's beautiful down there.

Me: Okay, James, if you can record an album and choose any singer or singer's you want, who would you pick? 

James: Johny Rzeznick from the Goo Goo Dolls or Jason Wade from Lifehouse.

Me: What's this you don't like Will Ferrell? 

James: LOL!! Honestly, I like alot of his old stuff. Especially his days on SNL, but his newer stuff has become very repetitive to me. I know I'm not going to be very popular for saying that.

Me: Is there any advice you'd like to give anybody who wants to start a band?

Brian: Do it for the right reasons. Work hard, promote, communicate with your fans, and be real. Music is a great influence on peoples lives and I feel to many bands haven't fully grasped that concept, or simply don't care enough.

Me: Who came up with your logo? It looks cool.

Brian: Thanks! a few friends of mine did it. It's actually a married couple. They do great work!

Me: Has anybody from any record label interested in signing you guys? 

Brian: Yeah, we have had some indie labels in communication with us. I would like to do as much as I can without signing to a label, but we might get to the point where we need to. It would definitely be a dream come true to be signed with a major label.

Me: And finally, James, if someone wants to purchase the CD "Hold On Tight", where should they go? 

Brian: Well there is a direct link from our myspace page that runs through paypal and also www.cdbaby.com. We will be on iTunes in the near future.

Me: Thanks again for taking time out to do this interview, James. I really like your CD and hope you get signed real soon. I think if you keep at it you have a big career ahead of you. 

Brian: Thanks so much! I'm greatly honored for this interview. It was a blast! God Bless and take care.

That Brian was such a nice guy, wasn't he? I really do think they'll be big one day. Hell, if the Goo Goo Dolls could make it, then these kids in Fight the Current should be as well. The Phile will be back with a Megacon edition of the Phile next Phriday then on Saturday it's pop singer Mandy Ventrice, then on Sunday it's rock band Whitiker Forest, and then on Monday it's the band The Orchids. So, until then, spread the word, not the turd. And thanks again to James Reber. 

The Peverett Phile Interviews: Aaron Pabon

Hello, welcome back to the Peverett Phile Interviews. Today's guest is a young comedian from Miami who does shows at sci-fi conventions and will be appearing at Megacon in Orlando Feb. 27th to March 1st. I will be there all three days as well, but will not be doing shows. Anyway, the Peverett Phile welcomes Aaron Pabon.

Me: Hello, Aaron, welcome to the Phile. How are you?

Aaron: Doing good.

Me: You were puzzled why I wanted to interview you, right. Well, it's simple. You and I are both gonna be at Megacon in Orlando and you're getting free publicity. So, are you excited about Megacon?

Aaron: Yes I am, this is going to be my first show at a major convention in Orlando. Most likely, I'll be getting my largest record in attendance.

Me: Aaron, where do you live? Do you do a lot of traveling?

Aaron: I currently live in Miami. I do a lot of traveling since there are so few cons in Miami. Most of my traveling is almost, always to cons up north.

Me: What's a Narutard?

Aaron: A Naruto fan boy or girl, anywhere in the age range of early to mid teens. They claim that Naruto is the best anime ever, despite the fact that it is the only anime they have watched.

Me: When did you start to do stand up? Do you do anything else? And it's very unusual for a comedian to do a show at a comic book convention. How did that happen?

Aaron: I started doing stand up in high school, almost 5 years ago. I used to make fun of my high school, the place itself, teachers, etc... afterward, it changed to politics, then to pop culture.
About two and a half years ago, I was working at an anime convention Yasumicon down here in Miami. My friends, who were in charge, knew I do comedy. When they found out the band guests were going to be 40 minutes late, they asked me to go on stage and kill time. So, I went on stage, cracked some jokes, and since then I took off.

Me: So, do you read comics?

Aaron: Yes. I've been reading comics since I was a kid. My two favorites are Superman and Spider-man. Superman inspired me to write and to become a journalism major. Spider-man really got me into wise-cracking to relive tension.

Me: I can't imagine you get heckled doing a show in front of a bunch of fanboys. But if you do what kinda shit do they yell at you?

Aaron: I don't get heckled that much. Usually they agree with me. If I do get heckled, I tend to bite back by insulting them. The only heckler I can vividly remember was during this one show, someone tried to be a smart ass and asked if I was a virgin. The guy who asked was not that good looking and obese so you can imagine what I said back to him.

Me: You don't make fun of "Doctor Who", do you?

Aaron: If I do, it's to make fun of the TARDIS.

Me: If you do conventions regularly, do you meet a lot of famous people?

Aaron: Yeah, but it's different now. I used to meet them as a convention goer, then when working at conventions, on staff, you would pay them to hang out with them. Now, when you're a guest, it's like hanging with your co-workers after a long day at the office, only the story exchange is more out there. The one guest I met that I will remember forever was Christopher Lloyd, (Doc. Brown, from Back to the Future). It was a sci-fi con and he was a special guest and I had a replica hover board. I was falling asleep in the elevator and he walked in and he woke me up, yelling, "Marty, you have to come back with me to the future!"

Me: Do you have a certain favorite sci-fi movie or TV show?

Aaron: The list is endless: "Star Trek", "Battlestar Galactica", "Firefly", "X-Files", Star Wars, etc... The one show I got into briefly and stopped watching was "Lost". I don't need to go further.

Me: Tell the readers about the United Anime Organization as I know a lot of the Phile's readers love that stuff. I, on the other hand, don't.

Aaron: United Anime Organization is a non-profit group that I am in charge of. We help anime clubs in high schools and colleges with any problems that they have, from starting one to fixing one.

Me: How many events like this have you done?

Aaron: More than 30.

Me: Can I buy you a beer at the convention?

Aaron: I'm gonna hold you to that; a pint of Guinness.

Me: You are writing to screenplays, Aaron, right? Tell me about Roomies and UnConventional. Have you ever seen the movie Comic Book The Movie? You should, it's great!

Aaron: Roomies is a coming of age college comedy about college students in their last year, leaving and finally growing up. Un-conventional is a comic about a bunch of friends going to an anime convention and all hell breaks loose.

Me: Aaron, do you have a website you wanna plug? And do you know any good dirty jokes? Take care, and I will see you at the 'Con.

Aaron: Anyone can visit my Myspace for up-to-date info on future shows and random rants I'll throw. I will be doing two shows at Megacon. An 18+ show and an all ages show. See you at the show!

Thanks, Aaron, I'll be there. The Phile will be back tomorrow with an interview with James Reber from Fight the Current. Then next Phriday I will post the usual entry of the Phile and post three interviews... one on Saturday, one on Sunday and one on Monday. So, until then, spread the word, not the turd. 

Without Me It's Just Aweso

PHIRST OF

Hello, welcome to another entry of the Phile, the most updated blog on the internet. Today it's my 21 anniversary working at Epcot at Walt Disney World. Twenty-one years... I think now officially I can drink on the job. This is funny, I saw a car the other day with two bumper stickers... "I Love My Wife" and "I Love Curves" which was weird. Happy Late Presidents Day! A solemn day in America, where we celebrate presidents past by getting a great deal on mattresses and big screen TVs. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has issued a stern warning to Kim Jong Il: “Stop wearing my pantsuits.” It’s International Flirting Week. I guess we’re supposed to know how to flirt. Like if a woman scratches her head, she’s flirting... or she has fleas. There’s a new study that says the bad economy can lower men’s testosterone levels. I really don’t think I can lose anymore. Scientists are saying that by the end of the decade, Ann Coulter could be a woman. Reports say that President Obama is moving towards the Swedish models of banking. A president moving towards Swedish models? That hasn’t happened since the Clinton administration. Even Trump is losing money. His casino in Atlantic City is going bankrupt. I am worried about Atlantic City. With casinos going bankrupt, I'm worried things there could get a little seedy. Obama’s spending package passed through Congress with almost no Republican support, but Obama says he’s still focused on bringing real bipartisanship to government. He even went so far as to send every Republican in Congress a jar of peanuts. Even when peanuts are salmonella free, some people are allergic to them. Some people, like one CNN anchor, can’t even say the word peanuts: “Northwest Airlines began serving peenus this month. Travelers with allergies are flooding the carrier with complaints.” Someone had a hell of a Valentine’s Day. President Obama was in Arizona speaking about the housing crisis. Arizona seems like a strange place to be speaking about the crisis because most of the homes there are owned by John McCain. Obama has addressed two of the three problems he said he would to avert a financial crisis... the first was to get the stimulus package passed, the second was the housing crisis, and the third is to get all of us to eat our pets. Things are bad in California. Gov. Schwarzenegger has done everything he can to get fellow Republicans to back his plan because it involves a tax increase. He told them he’d be back; he’s said, “Hasta la vista, baby”; he even threatened to terminate them. A new study says that in America rich people are ruder than poor people. I didn't think anyone hadn't figured that out. But I don't think there are any rich people left. Rich people are rude because of what's happening in Switzerland. One of the largest Swiss banks is revealing their secret client list to the IRS, according to The New York Times. The Times wrote about it so it must be partially true. Bad news for the octuplet mom, Nadya Suleman. The house where she lives with her mom is in foreclosure. If she loses the house, Nadya will be forced to get pregnant again so she can live in the hospital for another three months. It might be time to sell one of those kids to Jennifer Aniston... or one of her friends. 

THE PEVERETT PHILE TOP TEN LIST

From the home office in Groveland, Florida, here is this week's top ten list...

Top Ten Signs Christian Bale Was Your Valentine 

10. Instead of shooting you with arrows, Cupid is hurling F-bombs at you.
9. He surprises you with a romantic weekend getaway to the Anger Management Clinic.
8. Sweet little dirty talk is whispered into your ear at 120 decibels.
7. He takes you to Zales to pick out matching brass knuckles.
6. He says those three little words, all of which are four letters.
5. Holes punched in the walls are in the shape of a heart.
4. You get a card that begins, "Roses are fucking red, violets are fucking blue...".
3. The heart left on your doorstep is real.
2. Lovingly removes thorns from roses for you, then sticks them in lighting guy's ass.
And the number one sign Bale was your Valentine... 

1. Instead of a card you send him a restraining order.

FEBRUARY 20TH IN HISTORY

1947

A chemical mistake at the O'Connor Electro-Plating Co. in Los Angeles causes a huge explosion, killing 17 and leaving a 22 foot crater. Four city blocks suffer severe devastation, with over 100 buildings damaged.
1971
An erroneous warning is emitted on the Emergency Broadcast System causing a number of stations to go off the air, and others to completely ignore the alert (thus pointing out that many key stations would not react to any emergency broadcast over the system.)
1980
After some heavy drinking, Bon Scott, vocalist for heavy metal band AC/DC, is found in a friend's automobile choked on his own vomit.
1984
Ballerina Julia Pak marries the ghost of Sun Myung Moon's dead son, Heung Jin Moon, in a tasteful necro-ceremony. The couple were engaged to be married, but a car accident in December intervened. Unfortunately in the Moonie religion, only married couples may enter Heaven, hence the need for this awkward rite.
1987
A paper bag at a Salt Lake City computer store explodes, injuring store owner Gary Wright. It is the second time the Unabomber has used the old "paper bag in the parking lot" trick.

1988
I started my Disney career in Custodial at Epcot. 
1997
Victor Willis, the "cop" in the Village People is charged in Nevada on drug possession (45 grams of cocaine), possession of drug paraphernalia, and strong armed robbery. The events occurred February 15. Willis, 45, listed his occupation as "unemployed" and generously gave approval for his hotel room to be searched.
2003
A fire at a West Warwick, R.I. performance of eighties hairspray legends Great White caused by the band's indoor pyrotechnics leaves 100 dead. The pyrotechnics were illegal in that nightclub venue, and use of them by the band had been forbidden by other local venues. Guitarist Ty Longley is among the dead, his last journal entry containing the words: "I say we send a bunch of bands, food, artists, strippers, bartenders, proctologists, psychologists and lots of love over to Iraq and North Korea for a big party!"
2005
Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson blows his brains out with a shotgun in his Woody Creek, Colorado home. Family members are in the house when the gun goes off but mistake the sound for a falling book. Rolling Stone releases his final written words: "No More Games. No More Bombs. No More Walking. No More Fun. No More Swimming. 67. That is 17 years past 50. 17 more than I needed or wanted. Boring. I am always bitchy. No Fun—for anybody. 67. You are getting Greedy. Act your old age. Relax—This won't hurt."

CANNED LAUGHTER

Q: Why do men pay way more for car insurance? 

A: Because women can’t get blow jobs while driving.

A firefighter was working on the engine outside the station, when he noticed a little girl nearby in a little red wagon with little ladders hung off the sides, and a garden hose tightly coiled in the middle. The girl was wearing a firefighters helmet. The wagon was being pulled by her dog and her cat. The firefighter walked over to take a closer look. "That sure is a nice fire truck." the firefighter said with admiration. 

"Thanks," the girl replied. 

The firefighter looked a little closer. The girl had tied the wagon to her dog's collar and to the cat's testicles.
"Little partner," the firefighter said, "I don't want to tell you how to run your rig, but if you were to tie that rope around the cat's collar, I think you could go faster." 
The little girl replied thoughtfully, "You're probably right, but then I wouldn't have a siren."

HEROES

We went in three major directions tonight with the plot, skipping one group of "heroes" altogether, and surprisingly not missing them. First we had more drama in the Bennett household, complete with Claire rebelling against her father. It's nice to see that fifty episodes into the series, Claire's character has really grown and evolved into a mature young woman. The same goes for Hiro, who's gone from being an immature man-child with delusions of grandeur to an immature man-child with delusions of grandeur. Hmmm, doesn't sound as impressive when you put it like that. Claire learned that Aqualad is working at a comic book store, though he's apparently going to have to quit that job. Hopefully he doesn't own the place. Now he lives in her closet. I've always wanted to have the junior version of the lamest Justice League member in my closet. He's totally ready if a massive flood sweeps through the neighborhood and submerges the Bennett household up through the second floor. Then he can save her. Until then she'll have to keep him fed and take out his litter box regularly or mom will get suspicious. It was "Rebel" that tipped her off to Aqualad's impending danger at yonder comic shop. But who is it? Someone who knows the inner workings of Nathan's gestapo. My money's on HRG himself. Though tipping Claire off and then yelling at her later makes him a little flip-floppy. Or maybe he's just maintaining his cover. They are all under surveillance. I wonder if that means the Hunter knows HRG has been abducted by the Goober Gang (Matt, Peter and Suresh). Sylar and his protege continued their quest across the country to meet Sylar's father. But other than another failed attempt to apprehend the serial killer that trek is looking pretty boring. Telling was Sylar going back and rescuing the boy, though he did so for other reasons. As Junior said, though, he could have just as easily left him there. Our other plot was Hiro and Ando in India stopping a wedding. Why this was important wasn't mentioned tonight, but I'm sure it is. Maybe the bride-to-be has a power. We got Hiro acting incredibly jealous of Ando because Ando got to be the hero at first. Even though the objective was accomplished, Baby Hiro couldn't stand it, pouting until Ando was abducted. Nice to see that he, like Claire, has matured through all these astonishing experiences they've had. It's time now to start building the underground railroad to Canada. Aqualad can't keep living at the Bennett household, but where in the USA is going to be safe. Especially now that Tracy was kind enough to kill a man in front of the Department of Homeland Security Party-Pooper so that Nathan could get his funding. If she thought that was going to get her preferential treatment from Nathan, she has to know better than that. Nathan's a dick. He could have proven that people with powers exist to the Pooper much simpler than costing a man his life by just flying. Or hovering a bit. But then that would have exposed him as a hypocrite. Which he is. And a dick. Good guy, that Nathan. At least he has Claire off-limits. Maybe Nathan is "Rebel." That would make him crazy, too.

IDOL

Finally, we get to the point where we're starting to see the Top 12. Based on the performances, America chose the first three contestants to sail through. But first, we had the requisite judge's banter, promotional spots, and torturous "after the break" moments. Oh, and the musical number with all 12 contestants dancing and singing "I'm Yours." I'm not a big fan of the choreographed group numbers. They're just so awkward and weird. But whatever. Then Ryan chatted up the contestants. Anoop Desai said that everyone was fairly relaxed, but then Ryan got all creepy on him and pressed Anoop into saying, "This is the most nervous I've ever been." Way to ratchet up the stress level, Ryan. Then Ryan went after asked Stevie Wright how she was doing. Remember that Stevie really didn't do that well last night. In fact, she sucked big time. But she said she's proud to have gotten this far, so whatever happens, it's all good. The lights were dimmed, and Casey Carlson was first to be called into the spotlight (kiss of death). She said even though the judges were tough on her and said she picked the wrong song, she still had fun. But she'll have to continue having fun at home, because America voted and Casey is not in the top 12. Stephen Fowler was next, and given the boot just as quickly. Alexis Grace was next, and she's such a sweetie. After being told she was the first to make it into the top 12 (yay!)... and a few close-up shots of her weeping dad... Alexis was asked to sing again. She's an awesome singer, and America definitely got it right. Ricky Braddy and Jackie Tohn were next, and neither made it through. No surprise there, as neither one was particularly memorable. Anoop Desai and Michael Sarver were brought up together. Michael said his heart was pounding out of his chest, but tomorrow's another day if he doesn't make it through. Then the news: Michael is going through, while Anoop heads home. After a shameless promo for the American Idol Experience at Walt Disney Resort in Florida... where season 7's Carly Smithson and Michael Johns sang "The Letter"... Ann Marie Boskovich, Brent Keith, and Stevie Wright were brought up. Not surprisingly, none of them made it through. Then the moment of truth. Danny Gokey and Tatiana Del Toro were brought up together. Tatiana, who was wearing Paula's star bracelet, along with the ring she gave her, could barely speak. And it was even worse "after the break," when Ryan said that Danny was going through, and Tatiana was going home. Yay! America got it right! And let's hope Tatiana even though she did a pretty good job last night -- doesn't return as a wild card. And... how to say this... you could tell that the others were just consoling her to be nice. I get the feeling Tatiana didn't exactly win any popularity contests around there. Next week, the next group of 12 will sing for their lives. Note that the show airs on Wednesday and Thursday.

WHO WATCHES THE WATCHMEN?

Spoiler Alert! If you haven't read "Watchmen" and wish to remain unspoiled, read no further than paragraph 2. Watchmen buzz (good and bad) is building to the point that comic fans can't even sleep at night. But director Zack Snyder isn't content with that, oh no. At an MTV Spoilers screening of the film, Snyder revealed that he has the director's cut all ready to go (as Erik told us earlier) -- and you will see it considerably sooner than you thought.  "The director's cut is three hours and 10 minutes and comes out in July," Snyder said, describing his original cut as "considerably more violent than this ... and sexier." And if Watchmen does well, the director's cut will get a theatrical release in Los Angeles and New York. (If it does really well, might those of us stuck in the middle get to see it?) If you're wondering what has been cut out of the book (besides a certain squid), Snyder gave a few hints when he revealed the DVD plans. Watchmen hits DVD shelves this fall, and will include what Snyder dubs the "Crazy Ultimate Freaky Edition" that will work in those time-omitted extras like Tales of the Black Freighter, Hollis Mason's death, more Manhattan moments on Mars and dialogue-heavy scenes with the newsstand-bonding Bernies.  There's at least one thing on that list I'm really surprised didn't make the final theatrical cut, but it's comforting to know that just about every tiny story detail is making its way to fans in one format or another. It doesn't matter what else comes out after March 6 -- clearly, this year belongs to Watchmen... so far.

PHINALLY

Thanks for reading another entry of the Phile. Tomorrow the Phile will be back with an interview with comedian Aaron Pabon. Then on Sunday it's James Reber from the band Fight the Current. So, until then, spread the word, not the turd. 

The Peverett Phile Interviews: Marc Savoie From Infinite-Lane Highway

Welcome to the Phile on a Sunday with another entry of the Peverett Phile Interviews. Today's interview is with a French-Canadian... but don't hold that against him. He is the lead singer, drummer, guitarist, songwriter, producer, you name it of the band Infinite-Lane Highway who has a really good album available now on iTunes. Anyway, the Peverett Phile welcomes Marc Savoie.

Me: Bonjour, Marc, how are you? Welcome to the Phile, sir.

Marc: Thanks, I’m doing fine! It’s a real pleasure to be interviewed by you.

Me: I interviewed a lot of bands and singers from Canada, but you are the first from the French part. So, do you speak English and French?

Marc: Yes I do. French is my mother tongue of course, but I grew up listening to a lot of American and Brit music, which can’t hurt if you want to develop an ear for the English language. I’ve also studied at McGill University here in Montreal and I’ve traveled a lot in the States (I’ve been to Florida a couple of times, in fact!).

Me: I love that guitar you are holding in the photo above. It's a Telecaster isn't it? It looks like it has custom paint work done. So, what can you tell me about it?

Marc: It’s an old Ibanez guitar. It’s a Les Paul copy and the first electric guitar I bought, back in the day. Its original color was burgundy (a color I find rather dull), and although it’s not a bad guitar, I was feeling kind of uninspired by it until I had the idea to paint the Moon tarot card on the body. I’ve always loved those customized guitars from the sixties, like George Harrison’s psychedelic Strat ocaster and Hendrix’s Flying V. I changed all the electronics as well and it’s now one of my favorite guitars, along with my Gretsch Silver Jet and my Burns Double Six.

Me: I think it's very cool you played all the instruments on your CD, Marc. But when you go on the road are you gonna put together a band?

Marc: Yeah, when the time comes, I certainly will. In fact, I would have loved to record this album with a real band, but sometimes you have to manage with what you have, which at the time was me, my instruments… and my PC (LOL).

Me: Where did the name Infinite-Lane Highway come from and how come you didn't release the CD as Marc Savoie?

Marc: Well, I’ve always envisioned this particular project as a potential band project. In the long term, that’s what I'd like it to be. Plus, I thought “Savoie” was a bit hard to pronounce in English. So I came up with “Infinite-Lane Highway”. I thought it had a nice ring to it and I liked the fact that it could be interpreted as a way of saying that music was an infinite-lane highway, that every listener could hear different things and come up with a different interpretation of what a song means.

Me: I downloaded the whole album from iTunes and really like it, but where is "The Freak From Mars"? That's not on the CD, is it? You do have 16 excellent songs, though.

Marc: First of all, thanks for downloading my album. As for “Freak From Mars", it will be featured on my next CD, along with “Beautiful Stranger” and “Too Much of a Good Thing” which you can also listen to on MySpace right now. I figured that that whole MySpace experience was a nice way to test some of my new material before putting the last touch to it.

Me: I do love the album cover... was that your idea?

Marc: Yes it was. Again, I tried to convey the idea of music being an infinite-lane highway. I was looking for a very simple concept, so I just bought a couple of Matchbox cars and a black cloth, took my favorite guitars out of their cases, grabbed my Canon Power Shot… et voila!!! I also thought the idea of using toy cars was a graphical reminder of the lyrics of “Getting Too Young For This”.

Me: Tell me about The Graduates, was that your first band?

Marc: No it wasn’t. My first “serious” band was called “Prester John”. I recorded two independent albums with that band. They’re well-produced (by Luc St-Pierre, a friend of mine) but the songs are not always up to par. At the time I was trying to go back to rock after writing many French folk songs. I was also experimenting a lot, mixing various influences, from Jane’s Addiction, The Beatles and the Pixies, to The Cure and Velvet Underground. So the result, although quite unique(!) is kind of a mixed bag. Then came “The Graduates” in 1996 which, as the name suggests, was more sixties and pop oriented. That’s when I found my style, I guess.

Me: You took part in something called Le Festival de la chanson de Granby. What is that in English? Some kind of music festival I am guessing.

Marc: Yes, it’s a French songwriting and performing contest. It was a big deal for me because it’s so important here in Quebec and I was just starting in the biz when I auditioned for it. Next thing I knew, I was making it to the finals. I didn’t win but that’s OK. I’ve learned so much from it. That’s when I realized that if I was going to persevere as a songwriter and musician, I needed to do what was really appealing to me: playing rock music and putting together my first band.

Me: Who is Prester John, Marc?

Marc: “Prester John”, as I mentioned, was my first band, right after the Festival de la Chanson de Granby. But the name comes from a mythical medieval character. At the time, a card reader had told me to look for a name with a “J” in it! Success guaranteed! (LOL) I took it as a challenge and thought it couldn’t hurt if I played the game. So I went into a library, picked up a couple of books and landed on that name, which I thought sounded nice.

Me: Also, who are your influences and idols? And have you met any of them?

Marc: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are my biggest idols, along with the Beatles, John Fogerty, Bruce Springsteen, Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan and The Beach Bo ys. Unfortunately, no, I haven’t met any of them… yet! I also love KT Tunstall, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Leonard Cohen and a Russian singer and songwriter named Vladimir Vysotsky (amongst many others).

Me: Marc, do you have a website to plug, and anything to tell the readers of the Phile? 

Marc: I’m currently working on my website (infinitelanehighway.com). I expect it to be ready in a few weeks, and be sure that I’ll tell everyone when it is! As for your readers, I’d just like to tell them that they’re lucky to have found your page (as I am) and that I’d be glad if they’d visit mine!

Me: Thanks again for taking part, sir. I wish you all the luck, and I still want "The Freak of Mars" on CD. ; )

Marc: Thank you. “Freak from Mars” is a very dear song to me. It was one of the first songs I wrote for The Graduates and I’m so glad I’ve found a way to reinvent it for my upcoming album.

Me: Are you planning on touring the States? If so, come to Florida.

Marc: I would LOVE to tour the States and I would be more than happy to perform in the Sunshine State!

That was a really good interview. When his next CD comes out I will definitely do a follow-up interview. The Phile will be back on Phriday then on Saturday there's another interview and on Sunday as well. So, until then, spread the word, not the turd.