@ The Hard Bean January 23rd-CAB and BAG unite! ARt exhibition and Live Music Event

For Immediate Release:

Contact: Loly Reynolds 484-554-0281

Company Name: The Community Artists of Bethlehem

E-mail Address: Lolymosaics@yahoo.com

Website: www.myspace.com/c.a.b.- Loly Reynolds

www.myspace.com/bethlehemaboveground - Renee Uzzardi

Bethlehem Above Ground and The Community Artists of Bethlehem proudly celebrate a collaboration of the arts through audio and visual media.

In our continued effort to support the local arts scene, The Community Artists of Bethlehem has partnered up with Bethlehem Above Ground (Music Zine) in and exciting and dynamic night sure to entice your eyes and ears. This January 23rd, Join us at The Hard Bean located at 201 East 3rd St. on Bethlehem's Southside. Festivities will start at 6pm as Paul Thiessen will provide an acoustic backdrop to the opening of "The Artworks of Chuck Harris". Chuck Harris has been a staple of CAB as a supported and contributor of events such as Exhibit One (May 2007), Fertile Ground Mural Project (October 2007), and One Love Benefit: Bucks for Chuck (December 2007), where CAB facilitated a fundraiser for Harris due to an unfortunate, work related accident. Since then, his work has taken new dimension and has metamorphosed into strong, vibrant images that conjure emotions from deep within. Often his work is reminiscent of Jackson Pollock, but others are dreamlike and one can not help but to be pulled into the canvas on an adventure of jubilant, contemplation, sorrow, and human drama. Chuck Harris will be on hand to meet and greet from 6pm-9pm. Wine and cheese reception.

The Bethlehem Above Ground will be sponsoring a night of eclectic music from Bethlehem and beyond. The show will begin at 9pm and go on until 2am. BCDE (Bethlehem) will be kicking it off, following them will be Memes (Bethlehem/Philly), and lastly M(I)U (Tampa Bay, FL.). In between musical acts, DJ Tom (Philly) will be entertaining us with his variety of fresh beats. The Hard Bean is a BYOB establishment and welcomes 21+ to bring a spirit or bottle of wine, but please do not bring beer. There will be a corking fee of $2 and admission to the show at 9pm will be $5 (art reception is free).

Special thanks to The Hard Bean for supporting the local arts and for being so flexible with this event. We hope to see you all there in this wonderful night of artistic collaboration. Please feel free to share this release with your media contacts and friends/family alike.

For more information please contact the e-mails above or The Hard Bean at 610-419-9833.

Memes- http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=40806708

BCDE- http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=444478178

C.A.B.- http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=104553751

The Above Ground- http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=104553751

The people are the pieces!

interview w/ Matt Molchany

*How did this all get started?

Over the course of the two months before I left Los Angeles, my friend and partner Jeremy and I talked a lot about securing studio space or developing a mobile way for me to take what I do production and engineering-wise anywhere. We were leaning towards an entirely mobile set up but after returning east and seeing all the action on the southside of Bethlehem and other pockets of the L.V., I felt strongly that a brick and mortar recording/rehearsal studio heavy on the d.i.y. vibe and with multiple functions was the way to go here. It seemed like exactly what's needed to speed up the growth and push it further...so began the hunt for the space. I walked around endlessly in Allentown and up and down 3rd and 4th streets in Bethlehem collecting numbers, pictures for Jeremy, and calling realtors until one morning my mom came along for the hunt and instinctively turned down Graham Place and we found it--13 Graham--it was pretty much love at first sight and its location was ridiculously ideal.

*Any particular beginning inspirations?

I got the space the morning after hopping trains, making plans, and talking big shit with Hannae and John Paul--we all held the same hope for the area, similar traveling experience and outlooks. So after I hopped a train and rode across the trestle, I jumped off onto the gravel and called the owner of 13 Graham obscenely early in the morning to set up a date to sign the lease--they inspired me to take the final step but it was talking to local musicians and artists about their lack of rehearsal/recording/creation space that inspired me to make it my mission.

*What experiences in your life/past history that prepared you for this project?

I leased a space in Allentown when I was 19 for recording, rehearsal, and teaching drums out of--it was a huge undertaking considering I was in school and gigging regularly but I learned a lot about managing a studio, which I haven't really been able to apply in L.A. Every recording situation consisted of either showing up at a studio and working or recording with my gear at someone else's space which forced me to figure out people and other people's set-ups fast. Both of these situations were massive learning experiences and can finally be married in the new space.

*What is your vision?

Simply, a functioning spot for creation of all kinds--whatever we can fit and whatever will keep it running.

*a few months from now?

A New Madrid Faults album with a ridiculous amount of instruments, more recording/mixing projects, a few bands and artists locking it out, live recordings of touring bands, regular meetings for Bethlehem Above Ground, and a cute little indie library. Maybe a sweet mural on the outside wall...and a secret show or two...

*a few years?

Another building entirely for rehearsal space rental, our own line of recording gear, live video feed, ability to remotely control other recording sessions from Above Ground Audio Labs, and in general working towards patenting new studio technology and models.

*Upcoming projects about to be born out of the lab?

Paul Thiessen Band(lehem), Swift Technique (philly), Trevor Exter (ny), the next New Madrid Faults album, and quite a few yet to be named conglomerations of local musicians.

*Projects that have already been produced from here?

New Madrid Faults, King Ricco, The Power Cords, and some friendly demos/jam sessions.

*Is the space exclusively for music?

There's definitely space for art, photo, reupholstering, soldering, drafting, crafting, reading, and other non-musical projects that require space and levels of isolation.

*Plans for the physical space? layout/design

There are plans to have a control room when you first walk in with full carpeting, a couch, several bookshelves, a 15 foot wall, and control room window centered in the wall. The ceilings are going to be insulated and covered with an alternating mix of softer acoustic tile and hard plywood. The floors will be cleaned, painted, and left exposed for the most part except for a few rugs. Walls will have lots of stained random plywood pieces at varying angles to break up the parallel walls, smoothing out the room's reverberant character.

*Do you plan to move to a bigger space eventually?

When it's necessary, definitely. It's exciting to think that some day in the near future our area would need more spaces like this!

*How is this space connected to your broader network?

It's the headquarters to Bethlehem Above Ground and New Madrid Faults, both of which are bringing bands from around the U.S. to town to record, play, or in a non-physical sense for review in the zine, making both sides of the network aware of each other.

*How will the network outside of the local area influence what's happening here?

As B.A.G. gets more booking requests and NMF brings more bands to town, I think people here will be awakened by what musicians in random towns anywhere in the U.S. are doing, thinking, and creating--I think we'll all be surprised with how much we have in common but also how different we all express things, helping us make this town a little bigger but the world a little smaller.

column: poetry

~Thrill

Bashful delicacies

Like jewelled fire pallor the lovely face

Pleasures piquant

Coil on the sides of his mouth;

snakes dormant, silently conspiring

Sentiment thickens in a rush

of oceanic pulses.

The speckled compassion in his eyes in me

Strikes the thrill, seething

Sparks into lightening into

Quaking possibility

by paige meyner

Gardening in the Greenway Meeting - - -> notes

Saturday 11/15 at the Wildflower Café

Present: Nick Baily, Peter Christine, Gwen Colegrove, Peter Gaughin, Danelle Hakim, Annie Hasz, Darlene Heller, Daniel Hunter, Steve Hoog, Maureen Lynch, Lynn Nonnemacher, Dave Porter, Javier Toro, Gary Warren, Michelle

Those present included representatives from the city, the South Bethlehem Neighborhood Center, the YWCA, Holy Infancy School, the Wildflower Café, the Maze Garden Community, the Victory House, and the Alliance for Sustainable communities.

Darlene Heller summarized the Greenway project. Phase I will begin this spring with the trail section from New St. to Filmore. Workers will grade the land, add topsoil, seed grass, install the pathway and electrical conduits and establish basic landscaping. Once spots are selected for gardens, the city will do further soil testing but plans to import most of the growing medium after removing the gravel/cinder that composed the railroad bed. The city will use all $800,000 alloted for this site in this part of the transformation. Gardeners looking for funding should contact the Health Bureau, the Parks Department, and also look to independent sources like Rodale.

Gardens already growing in Bethlehem that may serve as models and resources for Greenway gardens include the Maze garden (all produce grown collectively, donated to New Bethany Ministries), the Victory House Garden (produce donated to the Neighborhood Center – Dave Porter contact), the Westside park garden (allotment gardens- Holly Heitmann contact), the MLK garden on Carlton Ave (started by Lehigh – allotment gardens – Dale Kochard contact) and the Calypso school garden (a garden as outdoor classroom).

So far, projects proposed for coming seasons include a garden near the Greenway that would be tended by children in the Neighborhood center's homework club and summer bridge program with collaboration from the YWCA. Maureen Lynch, a teacher at Holy Infancy, is working with Lehigh architecture classes to design an outdoor classroom including native plantings in the section of Greenway behind the school. Dave Porter hopes to expand already growing gardens in the Victory House G-way section.

These new garden projects have differing aims and needs, but can be connected through the following infrastructure:

• compost – establish centrally located compost that can double as demo

• greenhouse – shared propagation center (perhaps located behind Victory House)

• seed bank – we can begin saving more seed and holding regular seed and transplant exchanges

• classes – on seed saving, planning a season of gardening, cooking with the harvest, etc.

• growing protocol – establish "beyond" organic practices and share (for pest management, soil fertility, etc).

• food preparation + storage facilities – cold storage, demo kitchen (partner with LV Food Co-op?)

• farmer's market – we discussed moving this to the Greenway once phase I is completed – perhaps greenway gardeners could sell collectively

• interpretive trail – signage, tours

• the Landscape Framework – we all are interested in native, edible landscaping

• Parties + theater – regular events to encourage the use of gardens as a community gathering space

Here's some more ideas for themed gardens + different garden models: a peace garden (involve LEPOCO); allotment gardens (rented plots); science gardens (perform experiments – use to partner youth with college students); art gardens (sculpture); garden therapy (incl. Possibly very high raised beds for elderly); ethnic gardens (the tastes of Puerto Rico, of Bulgaria, of the homeland of Bethlehem residents); for-profit gardens, providing job training and entrepreneurship opportunities for youth, etc.

Other organizations and institutions not present but interested in supporting and partnering on gardening in the greenway projects include the CADC and Lehigh University. Others we should reach out to: LEPOCO peace center, Touchtone Theater, Hogar Crea, Unity house, New Bethany, Boys + Girls Club, the Fire Company, the NCC Culinary School.

Remember, gardens...

• can be beautiful AND productive

• feed people and save money

• can be playgrounds and classrooms

• grow leaders

• recycle "waste" materials (Waste = Food!)

• increase the lung capacity of the city

• give cultural heritage a place to thrive

• are fertile ground for healthy communities

Bethlehem needs a healthy green infrastructure to restore torn ecological and social fabric. A thriving network of gardens can be at our community's heart.

article: The Maze Community Garden, secret downtown oasis

The Maze Community Garden Annie Hasz 11/12/08

Welcome to the Maze Garden, a sun-filled niche on the corner of 3^rd and New Streets in Southside Bethlehem. This season a community formed around the gardens’ growing to fill the raised beds with vegetables and the space with conversation, laughter, parties, and music.

Of course community isn’t just a place you can visit. It is an active connection that, to be healthy, must be lived and renewed all the time. However, some places provide more fertile ground for the growth of community than others. Gardens and green spaces are typically more inspirational than the concrete jungle and the work of cultivating the Maze garden brought many lives together.

Designed by Lehigh University students and students at a Banana Factory summer art program, the garden contains a central pond, a maze of raised beds, and an outer cradle of perennial beds. This summer we brought this framework to life.

We started veggie seeds in a farmer friend’s greenhouse in March and then incubated the baby plants in Lehigh’s greenhouse. The vegetables we grew included sungold cherry tomatoes and Cherokee purple tomatoes; greens including red Russian kale, orach, spinach, collards, chard, bok choi and lettuces; hot and sweet peppers; eggplant, okra; beans; peas; corn; radishes; onions; and garlic. In early spring we planted perennial, edible species like pawpaw (a fruit-tree also known as the Michigan Banana), elderberry, high-bush blueberry, sweet crab apple, and strawberry. A grower east of Hellertown helped us fill in our herb wheel and southern beds with mint, echinacea, thyme, sage, parsley, nasturtium, hyssop, calendula, elecampane, and oregano.

From March until mid-November we held Thursday afternoon work parties to plant, harvest, weed, mulch, build, and more. Every Friday morning we took our harvest from the previous evening to the New Bethany Ministries Soup kitchen on West 3^rd Street. Every First Friday (weather-permitting) we hosted a garden party that featured potluck food, the tunes of a neighborhood old-school DJ, presentations by community groups like the Lehigh Valley Food Co-op, hula-hoopers, and break-dancers.

We in the Maze garden community are inspired by the principles of permaculture, a system of perennial agriculture developed from the wisdom of traditional cultures and ecological ethics and design. We believe that Bethlehem needs a healthy green infrastructure to restore torn ecological and social fabric. A thriving a network of gardens should be at our community’s heart.

interview: Dan & Ashley talk about ALIVE

This past summer 2008, two young Bethlehemians, Dan and Ashley, set out to create an 8-week summer program called Southside Expression.

The camp was based on an education curriculum called The Living Values Education Program, and was created by the Association for Living Values Education (ALIVE), an international, non-profit association of educators from around the world. According to their website, ALIVE is supported by UNESCO, sponsored by a wide variety of organizations, institutions and individuals, and is being implemented in all continents of the world. The basis of the curriculum promotes community and civic engagement by instilling a twelve core living values system that promotes peace, proactive involvement in community issues, and non-violent action. The twelve living values are: Unity, Simplicity, Responsibility, Happiness, Humility, Honesty, Respect, Peace, Love, Tolerance, Cooperation, and Freedom. You can find out more information about the program by going to their website at www.livingvalues.net.
All of the activities in the camp including poetry, stories, art, and role-playing were based around understanding and embodying the core values.
Southside Expression was sponsored and/or supported by St. Peter's Lutheran Church, from a stipend provided by Brockel Middle School, and The Spine, a statewide program established to bring children's PSSS scores up (the middle school equivalent of SAT's).
Though Brockel Middle School was the main supporter and participant of the program, there were a total of ten middle schools who's students were involved. During the eight-week course, the students were taught the importance of community action and active engagement in public policy. The group took time to discuss what some of the biggest problems in the Bethlehem community were and chose one issue they wanted to see positively changed. They decided to take on litter in the south-side Bethlehem community and organized projects to go out and clean the streets of Bethlehem. This hands-on community experience allowed them to meet many members of the local community, discuss the focus of the project, and taught them the meaning behind building a community network. They also received some notoriety for their deeds by having articles written about them in a few local newspapers, including the Morning Call and Express Times.
As the summer program moves further into hindsight, Ashley and Dan plan to continue to facilitate the development of community networking and build a community sanctuary focused around creating a culture for peace. Their next move is to create a non-profit organization based on non-violent action. They intend next to organize a fundraiser in the near future to develop the non-profit and other projects to help aid the youth in the greater Bethlehem region. They are presently looking for local people interested in becoming board members for the non-profit, as an active board is a must in order for them to be eligible for non-profit status. So, keep an eye out for Dan and Ashley's next series of projects set to materialize by the spring of 2009.

GREEN SMOOTHIE RECIPE!

i asked gary for a favorite raw recipe to share, and this is what he told me:
a 1/4 of a bunch of your favorite green thing (any leafy green vegetable! could be kale, chard, collards, parsley, lettuce, cilantro, basil, mustard)
water - like 1/2 cup
bananas (frozen makes smoothie thicker)
dates, pitted & chopped into chunks
maybe some raw agave or maple syrup

puree and enjoy!

interview w/ Gary Warren - Secret Art Man

this is the interview with gary warren, of raw love cafe fame. he also runs the secret art studio on rink street.
------ - - - - ->>
can you give us an idea of what it means to be raw?
there are many different interpretations. basically, the more processed, modified, and cooked food is, the less nutritionally valuable it is. your body can make the enzymes it needs to function, but you can also get most of them in raw form through food. the digestive process requires lots of energy, and by eating food that is easier to digest and absorb more nutrients from, we are saving energy. our body then has more energy to defend itself from pathogens, and our whole system works more efficiently.


i was never personally 100% raw - i probably peaked at about 80%. i can tell you from this experience that the first thing i noticed while eating mostly raw was that i had clearer senses and my overall vitality was incredibly high. i was just high energy. my appetite changed radically - i was never ravenously hungry. i would like to suggest as an experiment, for someone who hasn't already, to try eating mostly raw for a week, then go out for dinner and eat a plate of pasta or something processed, and observe how you feel afterwards.
one huge benefit of eating raw is that you are not limited in how much you can eat, because everything you are putting into your body is good for you. there isn't really a point of excess when you're eating whole foods. it felt wonderful to know i was doing the best i could for my body, and i was never concerned about food in a nutritional sense.


how did 'raw love' start?
Ruth Ann Rousseau (check sp.), a well rounded lady, who was very into raw food herself, wanted to prepare/ serve/ provide tools for the community, and came up with the idea to start a raw cafe. She wanted to also make part of the operation selling the implements necessary to prepare raw food, because some things you need are hard to find. She wanted to be able to fully trust the owners of this cafe, and asked me and Emily (her daughter) to take on this responsibility. We basically were given the mission to 'start the cafe'. So, we began taking lots of trips to City Hall, knowing absolutely nothing about what's required to start a cafe. The space that was decided upon for the cafe to occupy was probably decided upon too hastily - it was never a restaurant, didn't even have a back door, etc. Since we were changing what the space was used for, we needed to fill out a lot of paperwork - we were now dealing with a 'change of use', new coding, etc. A lot of hassles. In the process of start-up and getting all our equipment, paperwork, and applications taken care of, we came upon an ADA (American Disabilities Act) compliance. To meet this compliance, the building needed a ramp and an enlarged bathroom. Also, the Historic District has lots of beaureaucratic (sp?) nonsense about building modifications. So we had to fix the historic building and try to meet everyone's requirements, which was a long to-do list.

We were working towards the ADA compliance until the end of August, when the lawyers in the Rousseau family decided it was best to try and circumvent the compliance, to try and avoid all these structural modifications. We had to seek a 'variance' by successfully completing a process of approval by the (what board?) board. The lawyers were confident they'd be able to get the variance. In the meantime, Emily left to go back to college. The Rousseau's shifted my job to working for their publishing company, doing editing work - so at this point in the cafe, things are stalled. By the first week of September, the lawyers found out the variance was not an option. After that, I didn't really hear anything more about the cafe - I was kind of disconnected now. The fact is that following an informal meeting with Joe Rousseau, their company (D. J. Iber & Co.) exercised their option to terminate my employment. Within two weeks, 99 West Broad Street was sublet to another business. By the first week in November, it was Chateau Bow Wow.

do you think a raw vegan cafe would succeed in this area?
I feel like it's challenging to base a business on raw food. There are some inexpensive options, but it seems best to do it informally, non-commercially, or maybe as a novelty through an established venue.

i think a lot of people believe that the raw lifestyle is labor intensive. is it?
Preparing raw food itself is not difficult at all - there are some machines you do need, such as a good heavy duty blender, a juicer, and a dehydrater. There is a lot of dehydrating, blending, juicing, and sprouting in raw living. None of these processes are labor-intensive or difficult - but there are downsides. You need a lot of materials to produce a little bit of juice, sprouts take a day or two, the machines are expensive. It takes some patience and a sizeable initial investment to transition from conventional living to a raw or mostly raw lifestyle. I still think it's worth it because of how much better you feel.

do you intend to continue to share raw food with people now that the cafe is no longer a possibility?
I really believe the way that I can best share raw food with people now is through sharing it casually and maintaining a d.i.y. attitude - you don't need someone else to prepare your food for you. learn how to make your own food. spend time preparing food with other people. have a substantial garden, re-learn the connection of food to the ground, get reacquainted with the earth, be more self sufficient in all realms of your life.

any last words?
well.. on the whole idea of including money in the equation of raw food: i'd really rather just grow a ton of wheatgrass and feed shots of it to people. i could have like a stand on the side of the road. i'd rather be providing my two amazing kids with substantial amounts of good food than making money off of it.

interview w/ Frank Foe!

B.A.G. First off, we'd like to thank you for doing this interview as several of us have read your zine since our teenage mustache days.

F.O.E. That is awesome. In those beginning days of FOE I never would have thought that F.O.E. would be something people remembered, never mind had an influence on them.

B.A.G. Who is Frank Foe? What is F.O.E.?
F.O.E. Frank Foe is a music addict. Preferably, vinyl, but the IPOD or Sirius radio is not very far away from me at all times. My addiction fueled my desire to put out a zine, do a radio show and create my own music in bands. FOE stood for Freedom of Expression, not necessarily the political side, but more like you have to be able to express yourself, you have to give yourself the freedom to express yourself, whether that is in a zine, a band or whatever artistic means suits you. I later added FOE to mean Freedom of Evolution, as once you give yourself that freedom to express, you have to be able to let yourself go with the flow, change it up as needed.

B.A.G. Frank, what is the meaning of your life?
That was always something I was trying to get at in the pages of F.O.E. Right now, the meaning of my life is taking care of my family, learning as much as I can, gaining life experiences and enjoying life as much as possible.

B.A.G. When did you start doing your physical zine in the Lehigh Valley and what motivated you?
I think it was what, 1984? At first, I had a real purpose, definitive purpose, which was to challenge what MRR was saying and doing. I figured if they could do it so could I. Then I discovered an amazing worldwide community that I loved being a part of. It sort of fed off itself. People from all over the world were sending me records to review, people loved the zine so much they were willing to distribute it in their home scenes. You have to remember, this was a different time. 1984 was 24 years ago!!! The internet wasn’t the tool that it is today. Hell computers were not the tools they are today. We relied on the post office to get us around the world. Now I reach worldwide from my computer.

B.A.G. Why a local music zine and why a zine at all?
F.O.E. It started out as myself and Scott Andrews of Russian Meatsquats fame. We really wanted to get the LVHC scene moving. We started setting up shows and doing the zine, really trying to make a local scene. Therefore, the local slant was necessary. Feed the local scene and watch it grow. Zines were necessary back then. You couldn’t just post your bands demo on myspace or your video on youtube and then tell everyone where to get it. Now a zine is part of the whole package, not the package.

B.A.G. Has the proliferation of the Internet affected how you are involved and what do you see as the future of the physical zine and how it connects to people in a unique way?
F.O.E. I think there is a need for physical zines. I wish there was a zine I could pick up at Double Decker records and read a new issue of every month. I wish every time I was at a show someone handed me a zine to read. I relate to it like I relate to vinyl. I love a record. I keep records. I load CDs up on my ipod then sell them used to Double Decker or my friend Jack who I do the Allentown Record Convention with.

B.A.G. Can a zine define a scene or even create, nurture, and help one grow?
F.O.E. I’m sure a lot of people felt F.O.E. defined the LV scene or at least a part of it for a number of years. It can definitely help a scene grow. It’s one thing to see a local band play, but when you become intimate with their happenings by reading about them, reading an interview about their thoughts, that intimacy brings everything in closer.

B.A.G. We're trying to use a blog space and a quarterly zine to draw more non-local bands to the area while inspiring local artists and musicians to work more cohesively, creating awareness--what was your motivation for going from physical to digital and do you think your audience has changed because of that decision?
F.O.E. For me, not printing a zine is solely due to having other things on my plate. Raising a family, working, taking classes towards my masters and paying attention to my health are my priorities at 42. I would love to print FOE again. I can’t really put my arms around doing it on the web. A zine feels permanent, like a record. The web feels impersonal, like a CD. I think your motivation is truly noble.

B.A.G. What were some of the best experiences you got out of the years of the F.O.E. zine?
F.O.E. Wow, I could go on for weeks talking about this. It lead to friendships, like the band Half Life, to the point where I would stay at their house in Pittsburgh when I was out there. It gave me the opportunity to have one of the greatest conversations with anyone ever, which was the Max Cavallera interview. It got me into hundreds of concerts for free. It got me thousands of records and cds for free. As a music fan, the experience of experiencing more music is what really made it for me. I am like a junkie when it comes to music.

B.A.G. How have your musical tastes changed over the years?
F.O.E. When I first got into the scene I was hardcore 100%. I remember Joe at Play It Again Records trying to widen my tastes. It was all Dr. Know, Verbal Abuse, DRI and Agnostic Front for me for a long time. I think the zine offered me the opportunity to expand my tastes. Record labels would send me records I never would have purchased and took a chance on and the next thing you know a label like Touch and Go has me hooked on bands like Big Black. Now, which may disappoint some people, is that I listen to almost anything. I still love HC and punk and metal. Those are my favorites. Slayer is the one band I die for. Always has been that way. But I’ll listen to anything from Lamb Of God to Rihanna to George Jones to Kylesa to Geto Boys to Sick Of It All. I love music. I am a music fan, but my ties and heart are with the LV punk scene.

B.A.G. What are you listening to right now?

F.O.E. Fu Manchu “In Search of…” LP on Mammoth records 1996 and then Get Up Kids “4 Minute Mile” vinyl reissue.

B.A.G. How have your thoughts on the lehigh valley music scene changed over the years and has it affected your involvement?
F.O.E. I would say my involvement in 2008 has been revitalized. I played in two bands, doing a FORTHRIGHT reunion and have been playing in the punk cover band NOSTALGIA CRISIS. The only reason I am not still doing a radio show and a physical zine is that I really can’t fit them into my schedule right now. The music scene is a bit noisier than it used to be! I’m not a fan of noise. I love what guys like Reject and Jordan do for the LV. There always has to be the people setting up shows, putting out zines and records and now hosting message boards etc… Otherwise the scene will die. It’s funny but I have noticed a lot of older LV punk rockers rely very heavily on the message board, because they really can’t get out as much. But you know, it is always in your blood. In a perfect world, I’d still be doing the physical zine and a radio show, and be in three bands, but not the record label. That was a pain.

B.A.G. There are bands out there in the world that aren't playing in the valley--who do you wish you could see come through here?
F.O.E. I really wish there were shows happening here more often. We always seem to have a dedicated warehouse sort of scene. I wish we would have some of the bigger bands come through. I haven’t been to Philly in years for a show. Something I used to do on an almost weekly basis. Sometimes at the bigger shows, exposure to opening local bands, handing out flyers or zines gets new kids involved in the local scene.

B.A.G. What do you think Bethlehem/the LV has to offer as far as its local scene?
F.O.E. I really like the small venues in Bethlehem like St. Bernards and the Wildflower. Those are always fun shows. There is a tight knit group of people involved in the scene. I think we are a scene ready to get big again. The scene since the early 80s has had waves of greatness and then waves where it sort of need to reorganize. I think the LV is in a reorganization period where it will come back huge in 2009.

B.A.G. Are you a Pulse Weekly guy or a MetroMix guy?
F.O.E. No comment.

foe411@yahoo.com

www.frankfoe.com

article: Chen Arts Group!

The Allentown Chen Arts Group includes artists living and working in Allentown, as well as regional artists who are interested in exhibiting and selling their work in Allentown. The group includes visual artists, film makers, musicians, dancers, writers, and creative people of all ages who are interested in supporting and promoting the arts in Allentown. The group is called "Chen Arts" because we meet for good food and conversation at the fabulous House of Chen restaurant on Hamilton St. in Allentown. We also meet monthly as a group for parties and events at artist's studios/homes where we share slides or images of our work. In the spirit of community building we are hopeful that our group will help to promote a positive image of Allentown through the arts.

The current Chen Arts Group show, "Momentum", contains artwork from 32 different artists. Sculpture, paintings, glass work and many other mediums are represented in the most exciting show to hit downtown Allentown in years. The vibrancy and inventiveness shows in every aspect of this show. It is NOT to be missed.

''Momentum,''
Chen Arts Group exhibition
5-9 p.m. Friday,
noon-5 p.m. Saturday,
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 15-19,
5-9 p.m. Dec. 20, Butz Corporate Center, 840 W. Hamilton St. (by Ninth Street), Allentown. Receptions on opening and closing days.
http://www.chenarts.blogspot.com , chenarts@gmail.com.

CALENDAR! updated weekly

December 27th-
@Above Ground Audio Labs show @ 7pm with anitlles, ida sessions, the ugly love, snowing
@wildflower--Edith Head 9-11 and Brother JT
December 30th--
@The Secret Art Space-Hannae's birthday party
New Year's Eve--
@Wildflower (3 band series)
@Nisky Hill Cemetery--Metallic animals Urban Adventure Fun Squad hosting New Years Eve bike ride. meeting at nisky hill cemetary (see map) 11pm.
January 7th--
@The secret art space--D.I.Y. crafting with music by nay z and the pimps. featured artist series--john antijohn (painting)
January 14th--
@The Secret art space--D.I.Y. crafting with music by L,M,N,O,P,. featured artist series--dan savage (photography)

January 23rd--
@the Hard Bean--Allentown Chenarts group art exhibition. 3 bands tba

January 31--
@Wildflower Cafe--3 bands. New Madrid Faults, Gods and Queens, 3rd band??
Every Monday and Tuesday
@Wildflower Cafe--Open mike with garfield williams

Every other Monday:
@The Funhouse--Open jam night with The Paul Thiessen Band (1/5, 1/22)
Every Thursday
@The Hard Bean--Open mike with garfield williams
CAT workdays:
Wednesday 4-6pm
Thursday 5-9
Saturday 8-4pm

Every Sunday Evening
@The Hard Bean--Acoustic Artists Night!!
7pm-10pm

review: The Study

The Study wouldn't have taken up a drop of our ink if they didn't drive up to Bethlehem from Philly on a monday night to play an open mic at the funhouse, scoping out where they'd be playing several weeks later.

Most acts on these mondays are joyfully soaked in booze, uncomfortably loose, and happy to test out new music on an equally uncomfortable crowd...enter The Study. They filled the room with a controlled sound, blasting through four songs found on their EP, XXXXXX, laying a foundation that sucked everyone in. Live, they filled the room with just enough sound for each moment, building urgent loudness aligned with the curving, swelling arc of each song.

The CD was full of well-written danceable and more melodramatic versions of the taste they gave us live, but it lacked the intimacy and energy of the open mic set. Hints of death cab, television(i compare all things to them--deal with it), cursive, and heaps of classical music--their keyboard player super-defined their sound playing piano, cello, and synth licks that spanned Rick Wakeman of Yes to Bach...very definitive and super-dramatic live but on the CD it came off like bad acting at times. Telemundo style.

In person, I believed this band--focused right on their sound and words--and can't wait for them to again come take the funhouse open mics to another level on a random night or see them live elsewhere in the valley, but I really hope they immerse themselves in all the filthy local bands and attitudes, scarring up their sound into something a little more damaged and not as dramatic. They don't have to fight for attention when they're being what I think is their best--a hypnotic live band.

review: Big Pean'

Goin' Nuts Productions presents
Peanut aka Big Pean'

Yo, bro, where you going with all that funk in your pocket? Holy shit, Pean, your music took an unsuspecting bystander by storm into some sort of catatonic state, where they claimed not to know how to contemplate death. To say the least, Big Pean's jams whisk you away on a gravy train ride of sloppy funky bass lines, grabbing you up, funking you in the throat, then leading you inevitably into a pile of peanuts.
The third jam on the album is by far the most video-game-worthy of the lot. It makes you giggle and it also makes you cry. It also makes me think of an old Donkey Kong gamebooth living inside a washed out saloon, with bar-funk blasting from inside its very core.

review: Sports for Kin - Half Lights

Cheers to these Allentown boys for doing something really unique in the local scene. It's an album to make out to. Or to sit and stare at the wall to. It could make you feel sort of down or help fill in your little gaps of emptiness with its embracing drone effect. The drone aspect is definitely the band's unique forte, though not limited to.
The lead singer, Michael Martrich, really has an interesting voice. The tone of this music says much for its meaning. It feels sad and slightly hopeful, and that things are just going to go on forever. I really find myself impressed with the guitar playing of Kevin Kiernan. He pulls off doing interesting things without overplaying. The same cred to be given to the band as a whole, but it is a unique trait to have fit so nicely with a guitar player.
"a silhouette takes shape" really stands out in the album. The whirling whistle effect feels like a portal to a different universe, one that's blanketed with puffy clouds and birds. The vocals also feel more angsty and passionate in this number.
The change of pace to a more explosive jam on "never left the desert" feels appropriate at its stage in the album. Everything up to this point is quite mellow so this piece feels reviving, and I feel like breathing again. The song also sort of feels like robot karate at some space-station match.
I also really appreciated "brackish homes" a lot. The lines are really well-presented, creative, and not overdone. Skill is shown without the excess baggage. Props to the drummer and bassist for holding it down and keeping things full without being loud.

review: Orange Sky- Dat Iz Voodoo

Orange Sky--Dat Iz Voodoo

As if you could ignore the dreadlocked and tattooed persona's of Orange Sky on the streets of Bethlehem, the same could be said about their newest album, Dat Iz Voodoo, which was released earlier this year through StarCity Recording Studios. This trio from Trinidad is anything but the epitemal sunshine-happy reggae ensemble you might initially judge them to be. Their album is hard-metal-rock to the core, with a tinge of reggae occaisonally spouting from the whipping ends of their headbanging dreads.
Forget the happy island days calling out from their perverbial ancestral tree. These guys keep it real by addressing issues in today's society and backing it up with loud and in-your-face instrumentals. Politically conscious lyrics such as "Could never trust a politician," and listing "The reasons I must eat shit all my life," pour out from the heart of the band with the same conviction as, say, one of the Marley's, yet is delivered with enough metal to get you convulsing in your room with your hands punching the air.
The first song on their album is exactly the equation that equals heavy metal. I love this one for its balls-out ultimate 80's feeling. It's an anthem worthy of marching down the streets to when you really want to say fuck politics.
Heads up for a nice change of pace on track 6. 'Rainbows' is a verbal expression of the band's faith and their take on confronting death. These introspective topics usually make for interesting songs, and it's a good time to notice the skill in the lead singer Nigel's songwriting.
The mood of their album is set at metal-reggae-rock, and it's members are lead by really beautiful vocals and full-power drumming by Obasi. That guys arms are like powerhouses. This, combined with his fine sense of rhythm, allows Obasi's beats to be loud, clear, and dangerous.
Dat Iz Voodoo is definitely an album I'd bring home to the kids to shake them out of blind contentment...

The year musikfest was broken. by matt molchaney

broken into... The usual somewhat disconnected vibe of funk, soul, world/ethnic, and local music splattered about bethlehem was electrified by FOUR separate GUERILLA performances by local and touring acts. The Insidious Rays played a reunion show on top of Hotel Bethlehem a la the beatles in their tumultuous "let it be" days. I was playing down the street (legally) in front of the apollo when I heard wild outerspace surf-punk music coming from heaven. It turned out it was my bandmate matty love rocking the fuck out on top of one of the tallest buildings in town. The gears turned.... Why does it feel so good to rebel?

Two nights into musikfest, the band "Lion of the North" from Chicago, IL and northern Indiana came through to play at the infamous wildflower open mic. After walking around town flyering the hoards of tightpants teens with massive sunglasses and gaining imediate fans merely by being a band, I mentioned that we should bring the music to them in addition to trying to get people across the bridge to the wildflower. we loaded up their van and my car with a makeshift PA, parked at the top of the moravian chapel with old parking passes(no one checks them), and loaded into the moravian book shop entrance like we belonged. The cops even watched the gear while we made runs back to the car--the same cops that would later shut us down. Allow me to throw an unbalanced equation at you: tons of kids wanting something different congregate by moravian chapel and the bookstore. They're told to keep moving by cops and they do only to congregate and get kicked out elsewhere, totally lacking entertainment beyond themselves. Bands like Lion of the North aren't booked on main street where these kids wander and obviously get shut down if they just start playing. And Lion of the North played..... Loud and angry, fast as fuck and LOUD for about one minute. An ocean of kids--maybe 50-70--ran over and surrounded them immediately jumping excitedly to their new favorite band, blocking the cops partially and allowing them to play the full minute. Cops pushed through the kids, somewhat rudely I might add(knocked my friend Gracie's purse on the ground), and shut them down. They played dumb and said they thought they could just play and did so on a whim, playing the "we're not from around here" card. They were told to leave and they did, eventually after the scores of kids left them alone. So these kids with no entertainment relevent to them and with no place they're allowed to congregate just watched a band they wanted to hear who also weren't allowed to be there. Fuck that.

My band New Madrid Faults followed the next two nights in front of the store Topsy Turvey. Our trumpet player Kassie has some family connection so we set up with that excuse in mind and played one night full band, one night a super rock drums and keys/guitar duo, the latter being shut down after 3 songs, the former actually playing a full 30 minute set with no cops and a massive attentive, reactive audience. The best part was that I had a fake parking pass, a car full of gear, and I just drove up to main street asking a musikfest volunteer to clear the cops on horses and people out of the street for me because I'm playing main street and need to load out. He complied immediately and I pulled up, loaded out, and played a completely illegal set.

There's clearly a need for something different, dare I say, CHANGE as far as music at musikfest as well as the format. If you feel the same way, call or email dr. musikfest machine and tell it what you want. Either way, musikfest was broken and will be broken into again this year. Fuck yeah.

L.E.T.S.- local exchange trade system! ASAP!

Money is an EXCHANGE unit for goods and services, and U.S. money is getting funnier and funnier as the debt grows by leaps and bounds. So NOW is the time to start a LETS [local exchange trade system] in the valley. Please come to the Wildflower Cafe for a potluck and discussion of an alternative currency at 11:30 on Saturday, Dec.6. We will pass a basket for donations to help defray Michelle's [owner of Wildflower] costs.
Though you may not know me, I am working through the Alliance for Sustainability, which is how I got most of your email addresses. Please R.S.V.P. so we can have a handle on how many to expect. You were chosen to attend this meeting because you are a " shaker and mover;" that is, you already have some expertise and/or a group to build on.
If you don't know much about alternative currencies, a couple of good websites are www.ithacahours.org and http://reinventingmoney.com.
I hope to see you all at the Wildflower for a great beginning discussion on how to get an alternative currency in the LV. Please feel free to invite other people who are interested in this venture. We will discuss ways to open the idea to the community.
Gwen Colegrove
NOTE: THERE IS A POTLUCK MEETING JANUARY 11TH TO TALK ABOUT L.E.T.S. IN THE LV. IT IS AT THE CARING PLACE IN ALLENTOWN. WE WILL POST DETAILS ASAP.

SO I like TOTALLY DID THE DIY TABLE AT the first annual INDIEMADE CRAFT MARKET!!!

jenn sem (of home and planet on southside, you know the store that sells cool recycled shit like jewelry made from skate decks?), my aunt inger (of comfort and joy, the cute store specializing in delish soy candles and monkey paraphernalia, also on southside) and myself were sliding over icy puddles in the frozen sunlight, through the parking lot of the fearless fire co. in allentown. we were struggling to carry our bins and baskets of glitter, glue, markers, recycled paper, tons of garlands we'd made, and a pokey little purple tinsel tree. i hadn't even had any coffee yet. we were greeted at the door by a very pleasant and smartly dressed man who directed us to our tables.

the banner went up, the checkered tableclothes went down, and the D.I.Y. AREA came into focus right in front of our eyes. we spied on the crafters setting out their crafts ('OMG DID YOU SEE THE PLUSHY CUPCAKES!!? SHUT UP SO FCKN CUTE!!!') and i ran out for some much-needed caffeine, wading through a line of happily chattering people that wrapped around the building! i rushed back and everyone's faces were floating behind their wares, anxiously awaiting the opening of the floodgates. flitting around to the folk-indie-rock jams provided by Craft:zine (check that shit out.. wow), we chattered, sleepy but psyched. this was the big moment we had all been waiting for, all these nights of preparation and planning were finally coming together.

suddenly it began.. with a swarm! the super sweet swag bags disappeared rapidly as the starlight ballroom filled up. people rummaged through our various bins, collecting supplies to turn into garlands, ornaments, or anything they dreamt up. our tinsel tree was soon weighed down with glitter encrusted creations of all kinds. we showed how easy paper chains are to make, hung silly stenciled phrases up all over our space, and facilitated the application of sparkles on everything late into the afternoon. by the end of the day we were ready to never glitter or paper-chain ever again - but were still excited as hell that we got to be a part of something we've all been waiting for in this area. it was an outlet for a lot of creative energy that we feel has been steeping for a long time.

i'm glad we provided a space for people to collect themselves and process everything they saw, after taking in a whole lot at once. i'm also happy we had the opportunity to include kids who got dragged along; instead of being bored, they got to make something of their own to take home. i think my favorite tables were the stuffed monster cupcakes with crazy antlers, the ceramicists from PGH who made beautiful ceramic bird earrings (they had a birdcage on the table) and the girl who made little mustached key hooks with mustache magnets for her price tags (find her at www.myspace.com/hurleymcgee).

overall it was an amazing event. everyone went home exhausted and smiling. the turnout was huge, the crafters had a day of much needed networking and promotion, the organizers were ecstatic, we were certainly kept busy, and couldn't have felt more accomodated. we can't wait til the next one! word on the street is that the diy station will be featuring a 'turn-an-old-book-into-a-new-

journal' theme!! it's set for june, so if you're interested in tabling visit www.indiemadecraftmarket.org for more info.

hannuh's WINTER PLAYLIST PART ONE: 'plastic bag shoes'

15 songs/// some kinda old jams, some kinda new jams

Fleet Foxes 'Your Protector'
Pantaleimon 'Tall Trees'
Dirty Mittens 'Winter Hymnal'
Cibelle 'Green Grass'
The Dirty Projectors 'Fucked for Life'
Mariee Sioux 'Friendboats'
Mirah 'Cold, Cold Water'
Erin Tobey 'Flotsam in the Wake'
TV on the Radio 'Dry Drunk Emperor'
Cocorosie 'Rainbowarriors'
Feist 'Sea Lion'
Yacht 'See a Penny Pick it Up'
The Knife 'Marble House'
The Microphones 'i felt your shape'
Peter Gabriel 'Mercy Street'
(( always check back for more playlists))

review: local band on a local tape label!

GODS & QUEENS TAPE, DEAD FORMAT CASSETTE LABEL (LOCALS!)
in my headphones. i hear a sound wall being built slowly by drums and shrieky growls, pouring down monk chants on my mullety head. bounce to this fierce bassline fuzzing low-fi jams through your speakers. early Sonic Youth? says one friend. trance inducing Boris-esque guitar streams into ethereal vocals backed by dark busy rhythm. will be listening to this all winter, probably. although a smoother transition between tracks would be nice, if they were too cleaned up in the production department i don't know if i'd like it as much. i will say that after it's over (far too soon) i am left wanting a lyrics sheet to better understand their message. lyrics are available on their site. the tape itself and the packaging is really fucking sweet. the cobalt blue, rose-petal embellished cassette comes in a tape-sized manilla envelope which is lovingly stamped and branded by hand, thanks to the dedicated folks over at Dead Format Cassette Label in Allentown. a bonus screenprinted canvas patch with the Dead Format tape crossbones is included. they're only $5.50! get one quick! Dead Format - find them in person - hunt down Christ Reject - at shows, or online on myspace, or their for real website which is (http://squareofopposition.com/SofOdeadformat.html) or find Gods & Queens on myspace (www.myspace.com/godsandqueens)

review: favorite old vinyl

PETER GABRIEL SELF TITLED ALBUM RELEASED 1978 ON ATLANTIC RECORDS- - -
i can't hide the fact that i know all the words to almost every song of peter gabriel's, at least the ones that made it big. i grew up listening to his stuff, Talking heads, and other late-70's/ early 80's greats. BUT, i was totally unaware of this album. it came on one cozy night up at my house on south mountain, cooking dinner with my roomates. Gary put it on especially to showcase the second track on the first side, "D.I.Y." which, along with the Bee-Gee's "Trash", is the newest crucial component of my secret anthems. in dramatic gradients of shadow and light, it's a visually striking record to come upon. the front cover is so fucking great - white claw marks streaking down from his skinny fingers, one bold silver ring on his right hand standing out against the shadows of his grim, wild face. he's like a wild hairy man clawing his way out of a concrete jungle. on the back, his staggering form wanders through the cold, dark sea of the city, and what were drifts of slush become icy unforgiving waves crashing down on his bent back as he pushes on perhaps towards a warmer world. just wait for the brilliance of "Exposure", one of two tracks worth buying this album for. although there is some enjoyable foofy flute on "Indigo" most songs are dated with dragging beats and drawn out cheeseball-y riffs. but his trademark hoarse and pleadingly gentle shout comes through timelessly; his voice has always sounded comforting to me. i'd say this album is worth buying for "D.I.Y." and "Exposure". once you've put it on a mixtape for someone, hang it up so you can look at it everyday.

D.I.Y. bike trailer instructions!

Building a Shopping Cart Bicycle Trailer
by scott slingerland

Materials we used:
(1) shopping cart (charitably donated by a local business)
(2) wheels and thru-axle (from a used child's trailer)
(2) automotive hose clamps (1 1/4" size)
(1) hitch arm (from a used child's trailer)
(3) 1/4-20 bolts (1.5" long), lock washers, small washers, large washers

Tools needed:
hacksaw
metal chisel & hammer
metal file (to clean up any sharp edges)
drill and drill bit slightly larger than 1/4"
two 1/2" wrenches/sockets

Procedure:
1. After we obtain the shopping cart, we haul it to the workshop.
2. Straight away, we remove the wheels/undercarraige frame. This is done by sawing half-way through the (four) rivets and chiseling the rest of the way through them. The undercarraige will not be needed any longer for this project.
3. The axle is slid through the sides of the cart at the mid-section. Then, the wheels were installed. At this location, the cart approximately balances on the wheels.
4. The hitch arm is mounted on the bicycle's rear-wheel quick-release before mounting it on the trailer. In our case, a longer quick-release skewer is not needed, but it is likely that mounting it on another bicycle may require such a modification.
5. With the hitch arm on the bike, it can be lined up with the trailer so that it is horizontal - and not rubbing against the trailer tire. In this location, locations are marked for bolt holes through the cart's side.
6. The bolts are installed with the large washers inside the cart and the hitch arm outside the cart.
7. Last step - test ride and listen closely for rubbing. Check handling and braking at slow speeds, before bombing down the mountain.

Finished trailer weight ___???