Alumni Month Pheaturing Tish Meeks From 3 Kisses

PHIRST OF

Hi there, welcome to the Phile, I am your host... Steve Fossett. The Phile of course is a sponsor of TACAnow.org and generationrescue.org. This morning calls were called in to the authority that a little girl was screaming over Central Florida, and they couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Then they looked up saw a hot air balloon with me in it. Yep, today I finally did my log-awaited hot air balloon ride. I was shot down by my wife and I wasn't thrown out of the basket, and actually I didn't scream, but I did almost shit myself. At 5:30 in the morning I met the crew, the other poor people who were to share a basket with me (a couple from Ireland, a family from Scotland, two lesbians from Florida and 7 Indians), and a pilot named Damien. I thought figures, can't I have a pilot with a normal name? Not Damien. We flew over swamps, and a few houses and landed behind some houses. I did take some pictures but there's only so many you can take of tops of trees, y'know. And I do have one pic of myself that I took. Take a look.

Scary, right. Imagine my head as a balloon itself. Anway, here's us shoving the balloon back in the bag after we landed.

Okay, I just stood by and supervised. They seemed to have it under control and I had to take a picture. So, that's my hot air balloon story. Thanks to Orlando Balloon Rides and my sisters for a once in a lifetime trip. Something balloon riding should be featured in, The X Games started in L.A. BMX racers, skateboarders, and motocross dudes all compete to win a golden bong. I love watching people test the limits of their bodies. The X Games is like Cirque du Soleil with better music. The only event I don’t like is when the skateboarders grind down the stair rail. It makes a very annoying sound. There’s a huge air show in Oshkosh, Wis. Anyone who’s anyone was there... Joan Jett... This year’s emcee was Capt. Sully Sullenberger, the pilot who hit the geese and then was forced to land in the Hudson. After that he did appearances on the “Today” show, on David Letterman... the geese made appearances on the Food Network... They had the Airbus 380 there. You can fit up to 700 passengers... or all five Baldwin brothers. A lot of the planes there were old... more than 50 years old. That sounds scary, but they’re not. Any plane that’s old actually has a lot of new parts. The planes are safe as long as the parts are replaced every couple of years. They’re like Cher. Thursday night, Obama had the Harvard professor and the police officer who arrested him over to the White House to talk... and more importantly, get stinking drunk together. Vice President Joe Biden was reportedly upset because Obama put his foot in his mouth by saying the Cambridge Police acted stupidly... that’s normally his thing. The world is still waiting on Michael Jacksons’s autopsy results. But they have been delayed indefinitely. Apparently, they’re still missing a nose.They’re dragging it out like a reality show. Okay, kids, I know you've been loving the new logos for a bad economy, right? I am letting you know that some companies are changing their names and their logos to reflect the bad economy. 3M recently changed their name and even downsized.

Now, you all know about those inspirational posters, right? I have shown you a few in the past on the Phile. This one is something only a few people would have on their walls.

Nice picture, but not so sure about the saying. Tish Meeks is coming up, but first...

1950
The U.S. Army knowingly kills hundreds of civilian refugees when Maj. General Hobart R. Gay gives the order to demolish the bridge, including refugees, over the Naktong River at Waegwan, Korea.
1963
Almost a year after the world barely averted World War III during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Hotline between the Pentagon and the Kremlin goes live. The system consists of two teletype machines, with a full-time communications link routed through London, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Helsinki. Not to be confused with the Batphone.
1966
Comedian and social critic Lenny Bruce dies of a morphine overdose in his Hollywood Hills home, two years after his original obituary was published in The Realist. At the time of his death, Bruce was being maliciously harassed by police and districts attorney in various states for his groundbreaking standup performances, causing great difficulty in finding venues at which to perform.
1996
An angry God makes "Macarena" by Los Del Rio #1 on the pop charts. The accompanying dancing disease afflicts millions before final eradication.

2009

I finally flew in a hot air balloon!!

Okay, kids, today's guest is the first in the Alumni Month interviews. She first appeared on the Phile last year on December 24th, and since then has released a new album "American Breakdown" and will be appearing on August 29th at The Stafford in Bryan, Texas. Please welcome the lead singer from the band 3 Kisses... Tish Meeks.

Me: Hello, Tish, welcome back to the Phile. So, are you honored to be back?

Tish: Thank you and of course I'm honored to be back! I am always grateful to anyone who is kind enough to keep our name out there in front of people. And you have been great to us!

Me: So, how are you and the kids, and Tony? Are you having a good '09?

Tish: We are all doing well. Our daughter Hannah celebrated her 8th birthday yesterday and we had a big birthday party last weekend. She and Benji are both enjoying summer and dreading school starting in a month. We have one free weekend this summer and Tony, the kids and I will be spending it out of town, shopping, going to movies and being a 'normal' family for a few days.

Me: I downloaded your CD "American Breakdown" from iTunes and I have to ask, who is that guy that had to wear a pig mask and carry a gun? And what is the meaning behind the cover? It's very creepy.

Tish: LOL... we get a lot of mixed reviews on the cover. Actually, that is Brian Hymel, our bass player. The gear (including the pig mask) belongs to a very good friend of ours in law enforcement who we stay with when we go on tour. The picture was taken when we were just being goofy, drinking beer, hanging by the pool and having a great time. There is no 'hidden' meaning behind it.

Me: You are working on a new album again, right?

Tish: We go back into the studio (Cherry Pit Mobile) in August and by mid August we will have over 30 new songs recorded. We'll then choose which ones will be on the next album and Rat Pak will set a release date. We also have plans to shoot a music video this fall.

Me: You'll be recording it in Wisconsin. Did you record "American Breakdown" in Wisconsin as well?

Tish: Cherry Pit is a mobile studio. Eric LaBrosse, our producer, flies down from Milwaukee, engineers here in Texas and then returns to WI with our tracks where he completes the mixing and mastering process.

Me: Are you guys still based in Texas?

Tish: Yes, we are still based in Texas and have no plans of leaving. :-)

Me: So, Tish, any new tats?

Tish: I got my last tat in January. It was the second one I got that my daughter drew. We have a pool so I try to avoid getting tats during the summer because I don't want to have to give up swim days. It is sweltering here, so the pool is a necessity. I'll be getting more this fall, though. Not sure what, yet.

Me: I didn't get to ask you this last time, but explain what is GoGirls Music. You have a tat with the logo, but I don't know what it is.

Tish: GoGirls Music is the oldest and largest online community of women in music. Madalyn Sklar is the founder and not only is she a very good friend of ours, but she has also been a key industry player in helping us make many of the connections we've made over the years.

Me: Have you been playing a lot of shows? Opened for anybody cool recently?

Tish: We stay pretty busy playing shows, even when we are writing and in the studio. We've been headlining most of the shows we've played lately.

Me: You're gonna be playing in St. Pete here in Florida aren't you? Are you bringing your kids down? Any chance you'll be hitting Orlando?

Tish: That's kind of up in the air right now. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we can't tour that week, so not sure that we are going to make the trip to Florida to play only one show. We will likely reschedule a tour out there this fall, though. No, we're not taking our kids on tour at this point. Until it becomes more of a full time thing, they attend public school. We hope to be home schooling them by next year.

Me: So, how is Rat Pak Records treating 3 Kisses? Good, I hope.

Tish: Rat Pak Records is awesome. Joe O'Brien over there is a great businessman. He has my utmost respect. He just put out an outstanding compilation CD featuring all the bands of Rat Pak. You can check it out on iTunes and on the official Rat Pak site: ratpakrecordsamerica.com/o9v1.cfm. Our song "Let's Dance" that is on the comp will be on the next album and has been selected for us to shoot the music video for.

Me: Tish, I have to ask you about the whole Michael Jackson ordeal. Were you a fan of his music? Where were you when you found out he passed away, and did you watch the memorial on TV?

Tish: I certainly respect Michael Jackson as an artist. There is no denying that he was one of the most talented artists in music history. I was a fan of his early work. I was at home when I found out, neck deep in 3 Kisses stuff. LOL No, I didn't watch the memorial. Our "Wife Swap" episode ran that day and I watched it with my kids at their request.

Me: Tish, I am hoping to interview Joan Jett. You're a fan of hers I think. What should I ask her? I should ask her if she's a lesbian.

Tish: LOL. Joan Jett is awesome. We covered her tune "I Hate Myself for Loving You" on the "American Breakdown" album. I would LOVE to tour with her... or even open one or two shows. Hopefully we will get that opportunity. I would ask her if she has listened to our cover of her tune and whether or not she likes it. But that's just me. LOL. I wouldn't ask questions about sexual orientation. I personally don't care one way or the other and would much rather know more about her plans musically. Again, that's just me. :-)

Me: So, still drinking Jager?

Tish: Like fish!

Me: Alright, Tish, Is there anything you wanna tell the readers of the Phile? I'll have you back when your next album comes out. Go ahead and mention your website. Keep rocking.

Tish: I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to get to know us a little bit. We're a pretty accessible band and we love to get to know our fans. I do my best to stay on top of e-mail and respond to everyone who writes. I hope everyone will check out "American Breakdown" and pick up a copy. I don't think people realize sometimes how much we appreciate their support when they buy our music: ratpakrecordsamerica.com/3kisses.cfm. Also, keep up with us on MySpace: www.myspace.com/3kisses. It does mean a lot to us and every band out there when a fan lays down their hard earned money for our tunes. Thanks!

PHINALLY

Thanks to Tish for a great interview and being the first in the Phile Alumni. Also, thanks to Wikipedia. The Phile will be back on Friday with comedian Shaun Mauss and then on Monday it's the second Alumni... Jeff Cameron, who did the strangest interview in the Phile's history. In the meantime, please check out the Phile's sponsors, lasersquadoforlando.com, AndASmallDog.com, World Class Travel and Just1stamp.blogspot.com, and check out the great people at orlandoballoonrides.com. Have a good week, and spread the word, not the turd.