Aaron Hernandez upon hearing the not guilty verdict... "Thank God I never killed a dog." Casey Anthony not guilty for killing her daughter, George Zimmerman not guilty for killing Trayvon Martin, Mike Vick guilty for killing a dog. Just saying. Hello, kids, and welcome to the Phile. This just in, Zimmerman is arranging a party with Johannes Mehserle as we speak. Paula Dean is catering. It's summer, kids. You can sure tell it's summer. The temperature is warmer, days are longer, and George Clooney's girlfriend is gone. George Clooney and his girlfriend split up. We know how that works. The crown will be passed to the new girlfriend and she will reign for a year. Clooney's old girlfriend was granted asylum in Venezuela. It turns out the Pakistani police pulled Osama bin Laden over for speeding. Pulled him over and wrote the guy a ticket. So listen. I don't want to hear any more of this nonsense about Pakistan being lenient on Osama bin Laden, okay? A new report from sociologists has discovered the number one cause of prison overcrowding... the NFL. It's now 32 NFL players that have been arrested since the Super Bowl. To give you an idea of how bad it's gotten, now when a team says they've hired a new defensive coordinator, they're talking about a lawyer. The latest NFL player to get arrested is New York Giants linebacker Dan Connor. He was arrested at the Philadelphia airport for carrying a switchblade. Experts say it’s the first time anyone in Philly has been able to stop a New York Giant in three years. I can say that, I'm a Giants fan. Speaking of football fans, a lifelong Cleveland Browns fan, a man 55 years old, recently passed away and for his last request he wanted six Cleveland Browns as pallbearers so the Browns can let him down one last time. That’s what he said. The bad news? They fumbled the coffin five yards from the grave. A new report found that Mexico has passed the U.S. as the most obese country in the world. It doesn't mean you got skinnier. It just means they're fatter than you. But don't worry... Twinkies are back, so we should be fine. Political experts are saying Joe Biden needs to start doing more fundraising if he wants to run for president in 2016. A lot of people are saying they'd definitely donate to a Biden campaign. Most of them are Republicans, but still. President Obama is getting a new limousine that will have advanced night-vision capabilities. The technology even has a cool name... it’s called headlights. Barnes & Noble CEO William Lynch just announced that he is stepping down after three years. When asked if he's looking for a new job, he was like, "Nah, just browsing." Well, I started off this entry mentioning the Zimmerman trial and the not guilty verdict. Man, people are so pissed off about that. I have an exclusive in what happened a few hours ago. Check it out.
That's it in a nutshell. Have you heard people talking about the Zombie Apocalypse? I didn't think it was true until I saw this...
The sad thing is they're all communicating with each other. Last week I showed you a picture of the Minions from Despicable Me dressed up as the Avengers. Well, they are so popular, those Minions, they will be in the next Hobbit movie.
I have to show you this, a reader of the Phile sent this to me...
Wonder what song they were thinking about when they came up with that. So, when I'm bored one of the things I like to do is to get on Twitter and see what people are saying about certain subjects. One of those subjects I look up is Foghat. This is one I recently found.
Thanks, Kenzie. So, it's summer, and one things I love to do in the summer is swim even though I have not had time to do that yet this summer. There's a lot of cool pools put there, so for the last few weeks I have been showing you the most phascinating ones. Check this one out.
The Nemo 33 diving pool in Belgium is, oddly enough, over 33 meters deep. It is filled with 2,500,000 liters of non-chlorinated, highly filtered spring water maintained at 30 °C (86 °F) and contains several simulated underwater caves at the 10 m depth level. There are numerous underwater windows that allow outside visitors to look into the pools at various depths. I don't know if I want to swim in that pool or not. And now for some sad news.
Cory Monteith
May 11, 1982 - July 13, 2013
Not being gay, I have no idea who this person is...
If you see the Mind Phuck email me at thepeverettphile@gmail.com. And now from the home office in Port Jefferson, New York, here is today's...
Top Phive Ways Edward Snowden Has Passed The Time In A Moscow Airport
5. Bumming rubles so he can get the high score on that old Centipede machine.
4. Missing the irony that complaining about a lack of privacy has led him taking sink baths in a very public bathroom.
3. Chatting up travelers by saying, "Flight delayed, huh? You think you have it bad! Have I got a story for you, friend..."
2. Hitting on Svetlana, the mustachioed widow who works the late shift at the Sunglass Hut.
And the number one thing Snowden to pass the time in a Moscow airport is...
1. Secretly kind of wishing he'd kept his freedom-fighting mouth shut.
From a marketing perspective, you want the sequel to Despicable Me to at least have the word "despicable" in its title. I get it. It helps the inattentive to remember they liked you once before. But if truth still has any value in this world, directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud might have considered calling this one Despicable Me 2: Except He's Super Nice Now. Gru (the voice of Steve Carrell) has evolved. He's no longer hatching plots to steal the moon; instead he's a caring adoptive father to three adorable daughters and an artisanal jams and jellies entrepreneur. He's good at the parenting but bad at the jams, so when the Anti-Villain League sends agent Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig) to kidnap him and press him into service battling a new villain, he's not exactly unhappy with the idea of using his bad-guy skill set. It'll require that he use his powers for good, but you can't have everything when you're a recovering evildoer. The mystery villain has a serum that transforms living beings into monsters. Injected into the Minions it turns them fanged, purple and hungry. Gru, Lucy and the remaining Minions leap into action... pausing frequently for a variety of Minion set pieces and dance numbers in an effort to catch whomever's responsible. They will catch the miscreant, of course, but the antics involved in getting there rest squarely on the Minions' shoulders (okay, yes, they don't have shoulders, but you get me). The Minions are, in fact, the answer to the question the film never explicitly asks but spends its running time addressing: what to do with your main character after you've un-despicable-ized him? And given him a love interest who's sweet instead of strange? And calmed down his idiosyncratic children? (fond memories of "FLUFFY!" gleefully shrieked will remain fond memories). You give him the starring role but effectively sideline him in favor of the bouncy supporting cast, that's what. The little yellow creatures speaking in French-inflected gibberish are getting their own film in 2014 but you'd be forgiven for thinking it was already here... and it doesn't feel that bad at all. It's as bright and colorful, as crisp and clean as the first go-round. These movies are visually inventive treats, employing 3D to kid-pleasing effect (aka lots of stuff thrown at your face). But if it's lost some of its edge, vitality and blackened wit, just think of it as analogous to your own life: unless you're involved in organized crime or keeping it French... Serge Gainsbourg, then becoming a parent ruins your edge. You'll never really be the cool dad you hoped you'd be. If it can happen to Gru it can happen to you. From one to ten, this movie gets an 8.
The 32nd and 33rd artists to be pheatured in the Peverett Phile Art Gallery are known as The Chalk Twins. This is one of their pieces...
The Chalk Twins will be on the Phile tomorrow.
Today's pheatured guest is a Phile Alum and lead singer for the band Bethesda who has a new CD available on iTunes called "The Reunion". They will next be appearing tonight at Bunbury Music Fest in Cincinnati, Ohio. Please welcome back to the Phile, the lovely... Shanna Delaney.
Me: Hello, Shanna, welcome back the Phile. How are you?
Shanna: I’m doing well. Thanks!
Me: You're from Ohio if I remember correctly, right? Are you guys still based there?
Shanna: Yes, we are from Kent, Ohio home of Kent State University, and we’re still based here.
Me: It's been a few years since you were on the Phile, Shanna. Does Bethesda have the same line-up?
Shanna: I don’t believe so. The current line-up is vocals (Shanna Delaney), rhythm guitar (Eric Ling), bass (Dan Corby), drums (Justin Rife), and two newer members since we last spoke, lead guitar (Jesse Scaggs) and violin/keys (Chris Black).
Me: Your husband is in the band with you, right? Was it a coincidence you are both musicians?
Shanna: Yes, we (Eric and myself) are married. It is sort of a coincidence we are both musicians. I have always been in music, but when I met Eric he was teaching himself to play guitar and had just started writing songs. He’s pretty talented to have learned so quickly.
Me: I interview so many musicians who are in bands with their spouses. That would never work with my wife and I. Do you and your husband get sick of each other?
Shanna: Honestly, no! He’s my best friend. You’d actually be surprised how much time we don’t get to spend together. Up until recently, we had a SUPER loud tour van, so none of us could really talk because we couldn’t hear each other! Also, we’re usually buzzing around loading into the venue, setting up, talking to the staff, etc. so we don’t get to spend as much time with one another as one might think.
Me: You have a very powerful operatic type voice. Did you ever sing opera?
Shanna: I did! I studied voice in high school and college. I was a musical theater major in college for a little bit as well but decided to change majors. Opera wasn’t my thing, but I do appreciate it and how rigorous it is.
Me: What do you do to keep your voice so strong, Shanna?
Shanna: I’m always surprised at how many musicians just jump on stage and sing without any warming-up. I have to warm-up. As a routine, I warm-up using a vocal drill on my iPod and drink organic ginger tea and honey before every show. Lots of water is key too!
Me: Okay, let's talk about your new album "The Reunion" which I downloaded off from iTunes. Where did the band name come from, you guys didn't break up, right?
Shanna: Thanks so much for supporting us! Yep, we are still Bethesda. We have a few new members since last we spoke. “The Reunion” title comes from the title track of the album. This track is about Eric’s grandfather. A few years back, Eric’s grandfather asked him to write a song to commemorate his life after he was diagnosed with cancer. He wrote many songs trying to capture what his grandfather meant to him and his family and to the world he was leaving behind, but none seemed to quite do him justice. It wasn’t until his funeral that it clicked. He saw all of the people from the different walks of his grandfather’s life coming together with their unique stories of his grandfather’s impact. This final reunion was his grandfather’s legacy. Without even meaning to, so many of the stories from the album tie to the idea of reunion and to family.
Me: I watched the video for "Go", the single from the album and it's a lot simpler then your past videos. I have a screen shot of it here.
Me: Where did those dancers come from?
Shanna: We were actually going for a simpler concept. Our director wanted to do more of a performance video this time. The dancers were from an Irish Dance Troupe. Eric taught one of the girls at the school he works at, and she got her dance troupe on board.
Me: I thought that was Irish dancing. Like "Riverdance,” right?
Shanna: Yep, you are correct! They are so fun!
Me: Do those performers perform at your shows as well?
Shanna: We had them perform for a fun addition to our album release show in March. It was a surprise for our fans and audience members.
Me: Speaking of shows, you are going on a summer tour, but are not playing in Florida. Any plans to come down here?
Shanna: We are going South but not that far unfortunately! We’d love to play Florida sometime though. We will be starting in New York, NY then to Richmond, VA, Athens, Ga, Columbus, GA, Atlanta, GA, Knoxville, TN and then Asheville, NC. Then we have several other summer dates as well.
Me: We mentioned last time how you guys are influenced and like The Decemberists. Since you were on the Phile last, a lot of groups have come out similar to yours. Mumford and Sons is one band that comes to mind. I don't know what to call that type of music. What do you call it?
Bethesda: We usually refer to it as folk rock.
Me: Are you fans of Mumford and Sons, Shanna?
Shanna: Oh yes! Big fans!
Me: What other bands are you into?
Shanna: I think every person in our band has different bands he or she is into. I love a lot of bands, so this is a hard question. Some of my favorites include: The Decemberists (of course), Laura Veirs, Feist, of Monsters and Men, Sufjan Stevens, and Mumford.
Me: What bands did you listen to growing up?
Shanna: I know this is different for all of us, but I when I was younger I grew up listening to bluegrass (Allison Krauss) and old country (Patty Loveless, Martina Mcbride, etc.) Into middle school, I got into bands like No Doubt and Garbage. I’ve always had a love to 80s female-led bands though, such as Pat Benatar.
Me: Another band that comes from your neck of the woods, who I am a fan of is Black Keys. Do you guys know those guys?
Shanna: They were here in Kent a little bit before our time, so we do not know them, but I remember being a student at KSU and people mentioning they were playing here or there, but I didn’t really listen to them at the time.
Me: I have to ask you about the artwork on the new cover, is that the same artist that did the artwork for your other releases?
Shanna: Yes, the artwork is by Morgan Mzik. She was the artist for our last three covers.
Me: You explained last time what the name Bethesda means, Shanna. Did you come up with the band name?
Shanna: Actually, no. It was the product of a group brainstorm. We were on the way to our very first show when we finalized the name. It just seemed to fit what we were all about!
Me: Have you met anybody who thinks your name is Beth Esda?
Shanna: Hahaha, not that they have admitted! But the band name does seem to throw people for a loop. The most common mispronunciation is “Bethseda”. Not sure why, but we figure it’s close enough.
Me: There's a town in Maryland named Bethesda, did you know that?
Shanna: Yes, we know that now. Would you believe that we didn’t know it before we named the band that though? I guess a quick Google search on the name would have been a good idea... haha. Looking forward to playing our first show in that town though. Bethesda in Bethesda! That’ll be something.
Me: Your band name has something to do with religion though, like the pool of Bethesda, right?
Shanna: Yes. In Jewish tradition, the Pool of Bethesda was believed to have healing powers. People would travel for many miles and through great hardship to bring their ill and crippled loved ones to this place. We loved that image, and feel it fits with what we aim for as a band.
Me: Okay, Shanna, on the Phile this year I am asking random questions thanks to Tabletopics... here's yours. If possible would you live year round in your favorite season? I would live round year in fall, but in Florida that doesn't mean a whole lot.
Shanna: Well, living in Ohio, we really get to bask in all of the seasons, which I like about Ohio. It changes things up quite a bit. However, if I had to choose, I’d go with fall for sure. It’s my favorite season.
Me: I have to ask about the promo picture of you guys bowling. Who came up with that concept? Are you guys bowlers?
Shanna: It was sort of a collective decision. It was shot at a local bowling alley that we love called Mahall’s 20 Lanes. It is a retro-refurbished alley, and we loved the feel of it. None of us are bowlers, but we do think it is great fun! We thought it had all of the elements of a quick and fun photo shoot.
Me: Shanna, thanks for being back on the Phile. Go ahead and mention your websites and I wish you guys continued success, and please come back soon. All the best.
Shanna: Thanks so much, Jason, for taking the time to interview us! For more information on Bethesda, your readers can visit wearebethesda.com, facebook.com/bethesdaband, twitter.com/bethesdaband, Instagram @bethesdabamoments, and more on our website.
Me: Thanks, Shanna.
That about does it for this entry of the Phile. Thanks to Shanna for a great interview. The Phile will be back tomorrow with The Chalk Twins, then next Saturday with singer songwriter Ed Pettersen, on Sunday with the kids from the Chicago band Daemon Familiar and on Monday with Phile Alum Pete Donnelly. So, spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.
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