DJ AM and Travis Barker

DJ AM  aka Adam Goldstein was best known as a celebrity DJ, he also co-owns LA nightclub LAX.  He found dead on Friday August 28, in his New York apartment. He was 36 years old.  Details have not been released yet, some are reporting that drug paraphernalia was found near the body. Police are investigating. DJ AM and Travis Barker were the only survivors of a  recent plane crash in North Carolina

UPDATE: A rep for DJ AM just issued the following statement: “Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein was found deceased this afternoon in his New York City apartment. The circumstances surrounding his death are unclear. Out of respect for his family and loved ones, please respect their privacy at this time.”

DJ AM’s last tweet: “”New york, new york. Big city of dreams, but everything in new york aint always what it seems.”

Martin Streek

The TIMAs are saddened to hear that Martin Streek is no longer with us. We remember him introducing us to so many bands on the air, his live broadcasts at the Phoenix Concert Theater and Thursday 30 Countdown on the Edge. We are devastated at the news and he will be missed dearly.

More information can be found here

Sat. July 18th @ The Phoenix Concert Theater, Tribute to Martin Streek Information here

Have you been attending the TIMA “Best Live” showcases the last two Wednesdays of every month at The Central in Toronto, Ontario?

If not, check out some video footage of the Wed. May 20th performances by Lucid Forge and see what you’re missing!

http://www.lucidforge.com/component/hwdvideoshare/?task=viewvideo&video_id=33

NEXT PERFORMANCES:

Wed. June 17th, 2009 – TIMAs Mixed Showcase (Funk, Rock, Pop)
The Central, Doors @ 7:30pm, 19+, $7 or FREE with a TIMA Season 1 Pass.

Steph Dunn
Big Blue X
Atlantis Blueprint
KC Roberts TIMA 2007 winner of “Best Live” – Electric
Marianne Turner
Zopiclone

Wed. June 24th, 2009 – TIMAs Folk and Adult Contemporary Showcase
The Central, Doors @ 7:30pm, 19+, $7 or FREE with a TIMA Season 1 Pass.

Janine Farragher
Elyse Simpson
Lizzy Clarke and the Pretty Boys
The Strip
Beth Moore
Japhy
The Al Lukas Band

Check out the listings in Toronto Star ,NOW, BlogTO + More!

Toronto Star “What’s On”: http://www.thestar.com/article/648774

Now “Critic’s Pick”: http://www.nowtoronto.com/music/listings/listing.cfm?listingid=8103&subsection=

BlogTO Listing: http://www.blogto.com/events/11154

BUY A SEASONS PASS HERE FOR $20!

By BD Marie Hughes

It’s not the size of the bar (or club or venue), it’s the music that’s in it…..
It was another spectacular night at The Central in Toronto on Wednesday, May 27. Standing room only!

Performances:
Hallowed Be
Sinister Trailerpark Magic
The MacHams
Pyramid Theorem
The Johnnys.

Hallowed Be, a raw and heavy rock-alt-metal band, is a masterpiece of juxtaposition – off-the-charts skill vs the riot of metal sound. Vedran Burdzovic has to be one of the best, most technically skilled guitarists I’ve heard I’ve heard in a long time. He, Peter McMaster (bass), Daniel Plague (guitar) laid down all the tricks. It was not only a real show but a performance of utter technical precision. One that die-hard metal fans clamour to catch “live”. Christian Pietrasiak on drums, a pure technician himself, seals the deal.

Many of Hallowed Be’s lyrics are “in your face” and shamelessly push back “the establishment” (“And now you do what they told ya”). This is a metal band that I, personally, live for. Songs on their cd “Calculating Madness” tell a story. One is about a WWII soldier out on a one-night pass. He has one night. To do everything he’s always wanted to do because he might not survive the next day’s battle. Another juxtaposition. About living. All in one night. Facing a possible end. This cd, recorded at FatLabs, will be out this year.

“We try to put on the best live show we can. I think that encapsulates what a band should be. When you’re on stage, you should give it your all,” says Vedran. All the guys told me how much they appreciated The Central as the TIMAs showcases venue.

Heros cited –
Christian – Led Zeppelin, My Chemical Romance
Peter – John Bonham
Daniel – Kurt Cobain, Led Zep
Vedran – guitar player from Synyster Gates, Dimebag Darrell, and singer from Holly Springs Disaster.
Seizing on the opportunity of their WWII soldier lyrics, I ask them –
BD: If today was the last day you were a musician, past this moment, right here, right now, what would you do?
Christian: I’d try my best to give my all. Everything is tight – no mistakes.
Peter: I’d play. Somewhere. I don’t know where, but I’d play.
BD: In the Alps with Heidi? (deadpan, then everyone laughs)
Peter: No! (laughing) Probably on the roof of my house. I’m up there a lot – it’s my personal spot. That’s actually where I write sometimes.
Daniel: I would play until somebody said, “Alright, that’s it – you’re done!” (laughing)
Vedran: Considering how strong of a message, I would probably collaborate with a bunch of other artists, you know. Hold a concert. And spread the message: You shouldn’t stop music! Of course! What else?! (everyone laughs)

http://www.myspace.com/hallowedxbe
http://www.hallob.com

Sinister Trailerpark Magic –
Jeremy Cavan (lead vocals/guitar)
Toby Cavan (lead vocals/drums/cd artwork designer)
Dustin Braiden (back up vocals/bass)
and Tavis Baird (back up vocals/guitar) –

is a very intense, technically polished rock band with crazy mad skills. They have been together for 12 years but only formally became a band in October 2005. Each member brought an unparalleled depth of experience with him. Tavis sat down with me so that I could find out more about their “magic” which seemingly includes blowing circuit breakers (clever and surprisingly relaxed on-stage banter ensued while matters were rectified…).

Tavis tells me that finishing their first self-titled album was a monumental moment for the band. STPM recently had a chance to play a big music festival in New Orleans, LA, for 120,000 people. “We got to play with Raise Against the Machine and Smashing Pumpkins,” a still-elated Tavis told me. “The weekend before this TIMA showcase, one of my favourite punk rock bands growing up – we playing with them in Barrie. About 800 people showed up. It was a pretty good show!”
I asked Tavis about their overseas tour in November 2008. “Going to Europe was awesome! We did 29 shows in 31 days through 14 countries. They were very, very well-received shows. We had a blast!”

Highlights? “Some were the most unexpected shows. We played a high school in Lithuania. We went back a week and a half later and played a different high school for similar kids. All these kids – they saved up money and had fundraisers so that we could have an authentic Lithuanian meal. Stuff like that was pretty awesome.”

Lowlights? “We got a ticket in Germany on our vehicle for being overweight. We were slowing down traffic going up a hill. (laughing) Because of the delay (with the police), we ended up missing one show.”

European fans vs Canadian fans? “My gut feeling – Montreal is a lot like Europe. It’s got that crowd of people that’ll go out to a show and they don’t even know what it is. Definitely the European promoters were all so professional.. They had a meal waiting for you when you got there. They never screwed around on your pay. They treated you like…” I jumped in, “Like rock stars!” “Yes! (laughing) Canada is half and half. Some (promoters) try to ‘shave off’ like, your gas money!” (we both laugh)
STPM is busy at work right now with a distribution company to re-release their cd.. Check them out!

http://www.myspace.com/sinistertrailerparkmagic
http://www.sinistertrailerparkmagic.com

The MacHams
It is, at once, apparent that The MacHams have a legion of fans. They were screaming, “Encore!” at the end of the guys’ set. Midway through, loyalty was rewarded with a generous toss of tshirts. Three multi-instrumental brothers – Jean-Pierre Dabbagh (“JP diddy”), Noel Dabbagh (“N Dash”), and George Dabbagh (“G Dash”) and joined by bassist Chris Campbell for live performances – deliver pop-rock music loaded with lyrics about the joys, uncertainties, and pitfalls of relationships (“Vulnerable”, “Ways to Go”, “If You Only Knew”).

In two months, The MacHams will be releasing their first full length album. “All the writing in the band is done by me and JP,” explains George. “You can tell which songs I write and what songs he writes,” he continues. “Sometimes we get inspiration from the weirdest places. If we’re watching a tv show like, ‘Boy Meets World’, we’re like, ‘You know what? This would be a good idea for a song’. One time, one of JP’s friends said, ‘Write a song based on one word.’ I said, ‘Give me a word.’ He goes, ‘Vaudeville’. So based on that one word, I wrote a whole song.” (laughing) George sums up the band’s writing process, “Really, we come up with something we’re both happy with”.
JP tells me, “The deepest thing is that we’re all brothers. Music is our entire life.” George adds, “It’s the relationship that we have with each other.” Both agree that the idea of forming a band ignited in 2002 with YouTube. The brothers were involved in the Catholic church and they first played for their church choir.

BD: What can you tell me about all your fans that were here tonight and making their presence known? (laughing)
George: They’re good people (also laughing)
BD: Are they friends of yours?
George: It started like 5 years ago when we started playing shows. We brought our friends. And, the next show, our friends brought their friends. It just kept getting bigger and bigger! Now, there’s a big group following us wherever we play. We really appreciate that. We take time to go out and say, “Hi” to them!

http://www.myspace.com/themachams
www.themachams.com

Pyramid Theorem, a progressive/metal/rock band from Richmond Hill, ON, opened with an epic song that featured an intricately stunning guitar solo that commanded all attention. From the back of The Central, I witnessed a crowd of many slowly and steadily, one by one, pulled to the edge of their seats, ultimately becoming a collective “one” while the band’s futuristic sound incrementally expanded outwards as though on a never-ending journey. The experience was astounding. “The Agency” was followed by “Forever in Chains”. It, too, was a big ass song that had the ability to take you on, what felt like, a blind rollercoaster ride. The entire place was hooked.
The band continued to build on that phenomenal opening platform. Near the end of the last song, the drummer delivered a massive piece (at one point he literally stood up playing from his kit) that nearly brought me to my knees – it was that fucking awesome. Pass me the nitro…..

Christian Di Mambro – bass
Stephan Di Mambro – guitar, keys, vocals
Sam Ermilini – guitar, vocals
and Vito De Francesco – drums
are the Canadian talent to watch. These guys came to their TIMA showcase with their band manager, Anthony Positano, a slick epk professionally printed in colour on glossy finish, packaged cd’s to spare, and their logo and branding firmly in place. They are as serious in the business aspect as they are in their music.

BD: Pyramid Theorem received a high rating on review of your cd “Voyage to the Star” (released in the summer of 2008) by Brutalism.com. How important was that rating to you?
Vito: It makes a big difference on our confidence level. And, it just goes to show we can do something with our music. It does reach out to people. It means a lot to us.
BD: What fuels your passion for your music?
Vito: Definitely, for me, on the musical side, would be my influences. It definitely plays into how I play and how we write music. But playing live, I love seeing the crowd getting into our music. Like I’m the furthest back (on stage). When I look out from behind the kit, if I see people looking at each other and talking and like rocking out, I feel great!
Stephan: To do something with my life.. People listening to our music. They can interpret it how it affects their life. And to just get out in the working world.
Sam: Listening to all other kinds of music, stuff that I like. It makes me happy and I’m sure it makes other people happy when they hear somebody they really like. It really gets me going. I like to have that reaction like what Vito said. Like seeing everyone, they’ve got smiles on their faces, and they’re rockin’ out. It’s a great feeling.
Christian: When I hear new music and I don’t know the songs. I listen to them more and more. I like to get to know them. I just want people to do that with our music.
BD: How do you want the audience to remember you? When they leave your show?
Sam: When you close your eyes, you can picture something. I really don’t want to say, “Oh, we sound like Rush or Dream Theater or Yes.” I want to get the crowd’s reaction saying we sound like Pyramid Theorem. I want them to come out of the show, “Oh, did you see that drummer? Keyboards? Bass? The guitar?”
Vito: I don’t want to be remembered, “Oh, these guys sound like them”. I want, “You know what? These guys are Pyramid Theorem and they’re…”
Sam: “… a distinct sound.”
Vito: You can listen to our cd and it will take you somewhere. And, to see us live, it just brings you somewhere else. Like, we’re a live band. The cd does us justice but seeing us live is the real thing.
Sam: Our music is supposed to be up on stage, live. Making the music and presenting it to someone.
Christian: And even if people don’t appreciate it and they’re not into the whole, long, complicated parts or different arrangements, at least they’ll be like, “Oh, that guitar player really shreds out.”
Sam: We just want to get that image, “We’re Pyramid Theorem. We’re not like anyone else.” That’s who we are. That’s what we sound like. We have our own sound.

http://www.myspace.com/thejohnnysrock

By Scott Bremner

Dame guitarist Alicia Stead was twelve when she “got into music and started to play really heavily”. The track was ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ off of Green Day’s ‘American Idiot’ album. “I also like a lot of Stevie Ray Vaughan and a lot of blues stuff and some classic rock.” She is also a fan of “Queen and Led Zeppelin of course.”
While her band mate drummer Kayla Faye mentioned how the group members “parents had a huge impact in that, because growing up that’s all we listened to,” said Faye
about her and the others, before she thought back to her childhood memories. “I remember going on long road trips and just listening to like the sound of Simon and Garfunkel.”

Stead recalled having, “Q107 on the road everywhere you go listening to classic rock”.

The girls’ friend, lead singer and bassist, Katee Lee, explained that she likes “anything Pink Floyd, definitely” and is a fan of their ‘Animals’ record. Lee became “interested in music” thanks to her father figure Dennis Fox, (whom the group penned the song ‘Intervention’ about) and was taught the bass by her brother Nick, (the guitarist of the rock band Dali Circus).

If one of the names of the band members doesn’t sound familiar, it’s because the band have recruited Stead to the lineup. The group talked about their future and many other topics at a Toronto café before performing.

Last year the band took home awards for Best Alternative Rock Band and Best Song (tying for “Intervention, which was the title track off the group’s EP and ‘Cyclops’). They worked on the tracks with Haydain Neale of jacksoul. Lee and Faye agree that working with him “was a blast” and “he definitely was an incredible teacher and exceptional role model,” informed Lee.

When listening to such tracks as ‘Bad Weather Friend’ or ‘Intervention’ the technique of imagery is noticeable. The style wasn’t there from day one.

“We did try around,” explained Lee adding, “that’s what Haydain did, he trained us.” He helped us find our direction”.

The trio’s musical education came in handy on May 3, when more than 200 people gathered for a benefit held at The Revival Bar to support continuing the education of students in Tanzania. Aside from Dame, the event in question for the Brighten Our Future campaign featured the band “Pop Cherry”, musicians, “Andrew Cole” as well as “Doug HornerÓ and Matt Easter’s Ò, U2 tribute band Us2Ó according to Emily Mallett, the International Director, for the cause. She spoke about whom else was on hand that evening. ÒTamsir Seck, followed by advocate for South African orphans, singer & Juno nominated songwriter Glenn Marais.Ó

Four years ago Mallett went to Tanzania and met Thadeus Mutarubukwa who at the time was a staffer for World Vision. Mutarubukwa oversees the Bukoba based Gerladina Orphanage and Education Centre that he began. The night of the concert $5,000.00 was brought in and the organization is still accepting funds according to her.

The money will be doing a lot of good.

“Last year, through external fundraising, we were able to register over 100 children in school and provide these associated materials; however, this year, the money for the associated materials and also for those continuing to secondary school is running out – so I decided to organize a big fundraiser, to keep these children in school,” explained Mallett who was introduced to the group by “a mutual good friend.”

She thinks highly of the group and refers to “Lee’s voice (as) simply remarkable – she has amazing strength and passion when she sings – and her band are the perfect compliment to that power. Katee, Kayla and Alicia are three really talented people”.

Mallet, described the first Dame gig she ever went too saying,” I was left speechless…literally!”

The band may have changed a member but Faye, considers that as the start of a“ new beginning” with Lee agreeing. Earlier in the interview the drummer for Dame discussed last year’s events.

“We won the awards and then we lost our original guitarist but luckily we found Ali. We strongly believe everything happens for a reason. And things are moving along pretty smoothly now and things are working out great.”

After the loss of Dame’s guitarist, Faye and Lee looked for the perfect replacement over a period of “three or four months,” Lee explained as she described that time as “hectic” and later said that she and Faye “went through a hard time.”

However, Faye tells how they “kept it together just kind of writing some ideas”. The majority of the time was spent searching out the new member. “Mostly we were looking for guitarists who fit the part and just auditioning them”.

So how did Stead join the group?

The remaining members of Dame put together an advertisement, which “she answered.” informed Faye. Lee and she took a trip up to Stead’s home where they visited with her according to Faye. During this time the girls, “jammed out and it fit so perfectly together,” she said.

Upon meeting they composed an acoustic piece, according to Stead who pointed out that, “We wrote right away.” She believes during “the second or third practice we wrote a song called ‘Customers of Crime,’ explained the guitarist. According to Lee the group had “almost” finished composing the song after that one practice”.

While Stead didn’t seem to have any trouble fitting in, a few of the aspects of life as a band were new.

“I had never been really in an original band before,” she explained though according to her she had previously been in band that played covers. Stead also had not penned material. “It was kind of different to jump into a band that’s already starting to go somewhere and to start just like writing songs because I’ve never written before”, she admits. Dame has recently won The Search For The Next Cutting Edge Band on April 24 of this year and will be performing on the main stage of the Cutting Edge Music Festival at Bingemans Fun Park, in Kitchener early in August. Swing on by www. cemf.com for additional details and announcements.

“Winning the whole thing was obviously pretty cool,” says Stead about the experience noting “There were a lot of great bands there so it was definitely a real tough competition, but it was fun too. “

However it could be said that while Dame was victorious a few weeks ago the most recent champions are the children who will be supported by the dollars brought in by the Brighten Our Future event and the paying concertgoers.

Mallett referred to the group’s set as “definitely a crowd pleaser”, before concluding that “The reaction of the crowd to Dame’s performance was very reminiscent of when I first saw them – mouths wide open in awe and a rapturous applause”.

During the evening the group not only played their own music, according to Mallett but also what she said was a “brilliant cover” of Hendrix’s ‘Little Wing’.

Dame seems willing to help benefits take flight. They have done a great deal of charity events, including several for breast cancer and consider it important to further causes.

“We have people coming out from all over Ontario coming to support us, I mean the least we can do is play a benefit show and you know not get any profit from it but at least we see smiles on peoples’ faces because it was a great show, great turnout and we raised lots of money for whatever cause we were playing for and it just really brightens your day knowing that you did something good for other people,” remarked Faye after Lee said, “the event’s going to be a great way to raise money for people who deserve it. They need it.”

To find out more about the Gerladina Orphanage individuals can look up both www.gerladina.com, and www.brightenourfuture.org according to Mallett

“There is a Facebook group called ‘Friends of Gerladina Orphanage in Tanzania.’ I also encourage people to get in touch with me directly as I am always working on events and am able to point those interested in the right direction,” she said. Mallett was also pleased with the band’s views regarding giving back to the community and gave her thoughts on labeling youth.

“These stereotypes simply aren’t true,” she explained when discussing Faye and Lee comments regarding assisting the organization. “Both the girls and their fans have been incredibly supportive of this initiative.”

She later said, “I am further inspired by Dame’s enthusiasm and compassion for this cause.” One of the ways Dame has gotten the word out according to Mallett is by using “MySpace and Facebook pages”.

To be kept up to date on Dame, logon to www.myspace.com/dameband or join them on Facebook- keywords Dame Brampton.

When asked about the importance of viral marketing to get musical material out to listeners’ when bands are not really that well-known and just coming up, Stead said, “The promotion (of) the internet is so huge” with Faye agreeing with her and pointing out that ‘”specially with things like Facebook, you can keep people up-to-date with literally a post of everything about your music.”

One of their fans happens to be George Stroumboulopoulos both of The Hour and The Strombo Show. Dame has been a guest on his radio show and he has mentioned the band and raved about Lee’s singing ability on television.

In January of last year the band was featured in a segment for ET Canada and two years ago another publication compared them to Rush, which Faye calls “a big name to look up to”, referring to the popular Canadian band. “We are a three piece but Rush, man, that’s a big friggin’…world’s best drummer (Neil Peart) in a lot of peoples’ opinions.”

Three years ago Dame won the Brampton’s Best Band award when Lee and Faye were in their early teens and last year they won the Brampton’s Citizens Arts Acclaim Award. Their song, ‘Intervention’ was featured in a trailer for the Apoxalipstxi comic book created by Ray Fawkes. The group’s management discovered the possible opportunity after reading the paper, according to Lee. “She found him and sent him an email about us. They contacted us immediately to play at the launch party”.

When thinking about the people in their lives that have helped them succeed Stead and Lee mentioned the assistance of the group’s parental factor. “Couldn’t have been done without them,” says Lee adding “who would take us to the shows? Who orders t-shirts?” Stead agreed, adding “and the support from all friends and family”. Earlier during the conversation Faye said, “We definitely need everybody else’s support not only the music,” later on brought up “the fans.”

Lee believes Dame “are very blessed to have an ever growing support team. People see our show or hear our music and almost always contact us to see if they can volunteer to help us in any way. They really dig the music (and) want us to succeed. Our fans are amazing.” Later, both girls thanked them ”for the support and wait for more (music)”, they said.

So how do the ladies envision the next year? Both Faye and Lee have thoughts on this matter with both agreeing that an album is a goal of theirs. “Writing an album and recording it,” says Faye while Lee believes that having “even a new EP right now you know” she mentioned, “ would be really cool to go tour for like three weeks in summer-just go with the band on the road, but at the same time we need to get focused on getting new material with Alicia and getting back (to) top notch”.

The band is aware that they need to get things together before they can go out especially this early in their career because if something’s not right, “you got to fix it right away” said Faye while Lee agreed.

They also noticed the careers of musicians such as Led Zeppelin front man “Robert Plant,” (whom all three would like to meet); Faye and Lee acknowledged that the group influenced them into getting into music.

Plant, age 60, won the Grammy along with Alison Krauss for their record ‘Raising Sand’. The joint project also won additional awards at the 51st annual ceremony. “Doesn’t matter man,” says Lee when asked about Plant’s impressive win despite his age.
“Well, (The Rolling) Stones are like that right too. They’re still like going crazy, that guy’s (Mick Jagger) going to die on stage. That’s awesome. I want to die on stage,” she says.

“That’s how I want to be- just like, playing until my death bed,” says Faye with Lee agreeing and saying, “That’d be so awesome.” Later in the interview, Faye summed up the feelings Dame has about what they do when she said, “I’m going to play music until I possibly can’t anymore”.

So for fans that may be worried about the music style changing you need not worry too much. “We have a good mixture of influences coming together to bring us a fresh new sound”, Stead pointed out. Later she asked Lee her opinion, “The music’s going to be a bit different right?” with the lead singer commenting, “but not too different, just a little bit with a cherry on top”.
a cherry on top”.