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.
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