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Come join JENNY LEWIS in Las Vegas and LA to hear tales of childhood fame, dysfunctional parents and a 20-year singersongwriter career full of audio riches and heartbreaking wrenches. “You wanna blaze a doob outside, then I’ll shower?” she asks EVE BARLOW.
With arms outstretched: Jenny Lewis jumps for joy, Los Angeles, 8 May, 2019.
Photography Rachael wright Watch this!” says Jenny Lewis, sipping on a Modelo. “Take a visual of this for a second.” It’s midnight in Mandalay Bay’s casino, Las Vegas, and Lewis is exiting the House Of Blues where she’s just played the debut show of her tour for fourth solo album, On The Line. In the bar next door a band plays; a group of long-haired men whose bodies look beaten by decades of strife, yet their faces exude a purposeful passion. “Big wheels keep on turning…” chews the lead vocalist. “Carry me home to see my kin.”
They holler the chorus of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Sweet Home Alabama and Lewis marvels. “Oh my God. This! These are my people!” Lewis isn’t coming home to Vegas, though she was born here, sharing a birthday with Bowie and Elvis. Los Angeles has been her home throughout a 20-year singer-songwriter career, her second. Her first career was as a child actor. She met her agent aged two-and-a-half, bought a house at five and quit by 20. Highlights include starring in 1989’s The Wizard opposite Fred Savage and playing Lucille Ball’s granddaughter in Life With Lucy.
Tonight, she’s an extra in a different scene. “These are lounge musicians”, she says of Vegas’s Lynyrd Skynyrd. “A covers band. This is like my whole family: my parents, my sister, my brother.”
Unlike the tale of Sweet Home Alabama, Lewis doesn’t have much kin left. “Just my sister. And a shit ton of half-siblings.” Sister Leslie isn’t here, but will be at tomorrow’s LA show. Her dad died in 2010.
Eddie Gordon was a virtuoso harmonica player and absent. “He played Brahms on the harmonica – a prodigy”, she says. Her mother Linda sang in a ‘70s duo with Gordon, called Love’s Lounge. Eddie and Linda played at the Tropicana and the Sands, which has since been bulldozed. “Beautiful footage”, she says – of the bulldozing, not her parents.
Lewis grew up watching things fall apart.
It made her a great raconteur. Brother Steve lives in Minnesota. His 30-year-old covers band is called The Rockin’ Hollywoods. One night The Rockin’ Hollywoods played local bar Mancini’s. “In the middle of the set the drums stopped”, she says. The band looked back to find their drummer slumped over the kit. He’d died. It’s part of Minnesotan lore: Prince, The Replacements and this. What song did he die playing? “Footloose”, she laughs. “He died on his throne. His drum throne. God, I hope I don’t die on the fucking throne”, she says, meaning the toilet.
“What a terrible place to die.”
Her parents divorced and Lewis moved to LA’s San Fernando Valley where she still lives. Her first memory is in Vegas – of her babysitter Lisa holding her by the pool.
“Lisa was a female Elvis impersonator – called Ellis.” She chortles. “I’m not making this up. That’s the fucked-up part, I don’t make shit up.” Throughout her four albums with indie band Rilo Kiley, four solo albums, plus numerous side-projects, Lewis has never made shit up. She seems destined to outclass her family’s talents. “None of my peeps were writers”, she says. “They were song interpreters.”
That fate changed when one of Linda’s boyfriends taught seven-year-old Lewis piano. “The moment he taught me Phantom Of The Opera I took the chords and wrote about my dad.” For her 15th birthday she wanted an acoustic guitar but Linda bought her a red Stratocaster. “I was so bummed.” She studied her Beatles songbook, and another one of Linda’s boyfriends taught her Desperado by the Eagles. “I wrote five songs over Desperado’s chords. One was about my friend Camille. A dark tale.
I played her it. She goes, ‘Ugh, I hate this song.’ I was like, ‘Sorry!’”
Turns out, Lewis’s catalogue contains many such harsh facts, but for years fans assumed some of it was fantasy. When she sings, “Where my ma is now, I don’t know/ She was living in her car, I was living on the road/And I hear she’s putting that stuff up her nose” on Rabbit Fur Coat (2006), she’s singing about their estrangement. Linda used to spend Lewis’s earnings on heroin.
“When you’re a child of an addict there’s a dynamic”, she says of her premature adulthood. “But I rebelled at 15, smoked cigarettes, ran away, did acid at the mall.” From the age of 12 she was in Alateen meetings – AA for teenage relatives of addicts. “My mom was in and out of jail and rehab. I was dropped off at an Alateen dance thinking, ‘Maybe I’ll meet a cute guy!’
GETTY
Riding high: (clockwise from right) Lewis goes for a spin in her back garden, LA, 2019; acting alongside Fred Savage in 1989’s The Wizard; with Rilo Kiley, 2004. “When you’re a child of an addict there’s a dynamic. But I rebelled at 15, smoked cigarettes, ran away, did acid at the mall.”
I didn’t.” She beat a kid up at school when word got out that Linda was using. “You defend your family’s honour”, she says. “So I fucking clocked them.”
Linda died from liver cancer in October 2017: Friday 13th. Lewis was by her side for eight weeks after two decades of silent treatment. Since then, she’s been sharing more than ever about her parents. Why? “Well they’re dead, so…” she says, cuttingly. “Sorry. I mean that’s the rule. I’m spitting on their graves. I didn’t wanna hurt them. Now they’re gone it’s my story. The truth as I see it.” Before she was terrified of what she saw. “I was repressing. I was writing about it but didn’t talk about it. I let very few people in. I was afraid they’d leave.” She pauses. “And I am my mother, so…”
The inner child in Lewis is contagious. Before the interview, she’s smoking a joint in a parking lot with LA restaurateur Roy Choi – a can of La Croix in one hand, a copy of Eminent Hipsters by Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen in the other. She’s 43 going on 13: boy crazy, talks like a character in Clueless, wears a weed-shaped pendant close to her heart. Later we’ll pass a Titanic exhibit. She’ll sigh, “Oh Leo.” Lewis would hang out with DiCaprio when they were teens. What did they get up to? “Well…” she giggles.
A mensch never tells. “We played video games at the arcade. Street Fighter.” She played as the character Dhalsim. “The long-legged guy. Never Ken. Ken’s too normal and definitely not Jewish.”
Jenny Lewis: “I feel in control of my craft right now…” As Lewis lets the night guide her, gliding past slot machines lined up like dominoes, she seems unfazed by losing her way or missing her 1am bus call. “This is where I feel most at home. With dirty carpets and a faraway smoke smell. It’s truly formative.
I feel like myself.” Even in moments of joy, her face has a way of falling. It reminds me of her lyric from 2006: “I was born secular and inconsolable.” Like a child, she becomes hopeless when there’s nothing to say. She tuts, hums, shakes her head.
On The Line is a grief album mourning her mother, but began as a grief album mourning a break-up. Lewis and Scottish- American songwriter Johnathan Rice were not married, but together for 12 years and made one album as Jenny And Johnny. Rice’s new LP came out today. Titled The Long Game, it’s about that dissolution.
It includes two songs they co-wrote. Has she listened to it? Her head shakes. “I uh…” Another silence. She takes her time and whispers quietly, “Not today.”
One co-write – Another Cold One – reads like a post break-up song (“It’s bittersweet in the long run/We’re both lost, nobody won”). Again her head shakes. “Often you don’t understand a song till later.” Her break-up was “pretty fresh” when Linda was hospitalised. “Johnathan was there for me”, she says. “I never want to hurt him.” She doesn’t believe in editing herself, though.
“I’ve said before: don’t hang around cannibals if you don’t wanna get eaten. I did not listen to his record today. But his record is fair game. It’s like Fight Club. The number one rule of dating another songwriter is: you can’t say anything about their songs.”
After all, her album contains songs about Rice (“after all we been through, don’t you wanna kiss me?”). After the split, Lewis fled to New York, the first time she’d lived outside LA. Her friend Annie Clark, aka St. Vincent, gave her her apartment. When she was younger she’d dream of NYU (“I never took my SATs”). “I’ve been trying to get out of the Valley since I was 16.” In New York, she realised that wherever you go, there you are. “Kind of a bummer”, she says.
By way of circumstance the songs were the first she’s written alone since Rabbit Fur Coat. She writes “almost every day”. “I feel in control of my craft right now in a way I hadn’t fully felt before”, she says. It contains all of Lewis’s nuances: her ‘60s classicism (Heads Gonna Roll), her blues-y rockers (Red Bull & Hennessy), her balladry (Dogwood). Little White Dove is its centrepiece. An olive branch to her mother on her hospital bed, and a reclamation. “In the middle of love, I’m the little white dove/ I’m the heroine”, she sings. She performs it onstage with a victory strut and a pout.
She recorded the LP with a showstopping group of legends, including Rolling Stones producer Don Was, Beck, and Ringo Starr in Capitol’s Studio A. “He’s so cool”, she says of the Beatle. “Way more relaxed than I was. I’d say, ‘Hello Ringo’, but between my teeth I was like, ‘Oh Jesus Christ!’ I love the fucking Stones. But I’m a Beatles stan.
It’s all I listen to.” The other day she was at AutoZone getting a new car battery. The clerk, an old man from India, was playing The Beatles. They bonded. “He said something so beautiful: ‘Babies love The Beatles.’ It’s true.” She sighs. “The Beatles transcend everything.”
WE’RE NO SPRING CHICKENS BUT WE’VE STILL GOT IT.
Says Lewis about her new which includes highlights…

1. HAPPY

From solo LP Rabbit Fur Coat (2006)
Lewis performs this sad ballad banging two wooden claves. It’s slow and sleepy, like a train pulling into its station, while she waits for contentment to return.

1. SILVER LINING

From Rilo Kiley’s Under The Blacklight (2007)
Rilo Kiley’s final LP was a go-hard-or-gohome effort for the band; a synth-y crossover into mainstream rock. Lewis carries its legacy effortlessly. “Hooray hooray, I’m your silver lining/Hooray hooray, but now I’m gold,” she sings.

1. JUST ONE OF THE GUYS

From solo LP The Voyager (2014)
One of Lewis’s finest: an ode to curating your own rules in a man’s world but eventually hitting a wall.“There’s only one difference between you and me,” she sings.“When I look at myself all I can see/ I’m just another lady without a baby.”

1. RED BULL & HENNESSY

From solo LP On The Line (2019)
There’s a moment in the bridge where Lewis goes full-on Kate Bush. Contains all the drama of Fleetwood Mac, and similarly she’s lived it.

1. WITH ARMS OUTSTRETCHED

From Rilo Kiley’s The Execution Of All Things (2002)
One of Lewis’s most beloved anthems on unrequited love. She cuts the house lights for this, invites a sea of iPhone torches and lets the crowd carry the verses.“And if you want me, you better speak up/ I won’t wait, so you better move fast.”

1. ACID TONGUE

From solo LP Acid Tongue (2008)
A folkier acoustic ballad and one of Lewis’s best stories. She sings about taking solace in sex, drugs and rock’n’roll. “To be lonely is a habit like smoking or taking drugs/And I’ve quit them both but, man, was it rough.”
Performing These Days with Jackson Browne at the Hollywood Palladium;
“No popping, guys!” Lewis is a band freak. Before Rice, before her solo career, came Blake Sennett and Rilo Kiley. Sennett and Lewis wrote songs, played them to room-mates and formed a foursome. They took off in 2001. “It took over my entire life. I was in a relationship with my bandmate, just like my parents. The cycle continued. I had no idea.”
The band survived long after their split. “It sucked!” she says. “It was so hard. You break up, then you see the person the next day and spy on them outside the club like, ‘Are they making out with someone else?’
But I don’t know how to be with someone unless we play music together. I’m away for so long. I wanna hang with my babe.”
You wonder if it’s tough for a prolific, successful female to be with a male songwriter of lesser success. One of Rice’s new lyrics goes: “I always pictured you and me growing old disgracefully/Now I see the club’s sold out and there’s no room for me.”
She makes a pained face. “Yeah, probably not a good idea”, she says, of the question, seeking to keep things sweet. “Johnathan is amazing, and was supportive. It takes a very special person to be able to support a strong woman. It shouldn’t but it does.”
Lewis gravitated towards special men, who lent her their platform. In the 2000s, she was a queen amid a sea of male anti-heroes including Bright Eyes, Modest Mouse and Death Cab For Cutie. She was a “superfan” who studied the back of Death Cab’s Something About Airplanes LP and sent Rilo Kiley’s demos to their label Barsuk. She discovered Bright Eyes from a friend’s mixtape, bought Fevers And Mirrors and listened in the car “crying my fucking eyes out”. She wanted to know Conor Oberst. “Who was this? My soulmate? And he’s super cute? It was fucking Christmas!”
Oberst was the reason she made debut Rabbit Fur Coat, which was the catalyst for Rilo Kiley’s demise. He asked her to make a solo album for then new label Team Love.
“I go, ‘That’s so controversial, I’m in a fucking band. I’m not a solo artist. I’m a band person!’” He insisted. The resulting album – confessional, spooky and gospel-tinged – was a cut above. Soon she was invited to be on Death Cab frontman Ben Gibbard’s side-project The Postal Service, too. “What a lovely gift to pluck me out of a dysfunctional [band]. Without Conor, without Ben… They believed in me and gave me a chance to learn, to step up and just fucking do it.”
Not all have been princes, though. The unmentionable of On The Line’s players is Ryan Adams, who produced briefly. Weeks after the LP was announced, the New York Times ran a story containing allegations of sexual misconduct against Adams employing the voices of ex-wife Mandy Moore, exfiancée Megan Butterworth, artist Phoebe Bridgers and a woman named Ava who was 14 years old at the time of Adams’s alleged abuse. He worked with Lewis in early 2017.
“I was in a relationship with my bandmate, just like my parents. It was so hard. You break up, then you see the person the next day outside the club like, ‘Are they making out with someone else?’ But I don’t know how to be with someone unless we play music together.”
“I was born secular and inconsolable…”: Lewis relaxes at home;
this year’s On The Line album. Lewis looks glum when Adams’s name is mentioned. After the allegations, she tweeted, “I am deeply troubled by Ryan Adams’ alleged behavior [sic]. Although he and I had a working professional relationship, I stand in solidarity with the women who have come forward.” She told Pitchfork she “hates” that he’s on the album. It’s not Lewis who should have to justify her actions.
She doesn’t resent having these conversations. “I get scared when I’m asked about Ryan. Ryan is an important part of the bigger story of my career. We have a deep musical connection. I really appreciate his contributions. Unfortunately I sometimes feel like I can’t say it. However! Bad behaviour is bad behaviour and if you’re fucked up people are gonna find out about it. You have to treat people well. To bring it back to The Beatles, we need to project peace and love. We also need yin and yang. But we can’t accept abusive behaviour.”
The next night at LA’s Palladium, the room brims with Hollywood starriness. The set is the best she’s ever designed. In a moment only a Jenny Lewis can pull off, a perspex phone rings upon a heart-shaped platform onstage. “Oh shit”, she says. She takes the call.
“Jackson Browne?”
She asks. “I’m in the middle of a show right now…” Browne appears. They perform These Days. “Don’t confront me with my failures, I had not forgotten them”, they sing. It’s an interpretation, sure, but Lewis could have written it. Her band ran through it at soundcheck in Vegas yesterday afternoon. Who called Jackson? “I mean I actually dated his son way back”, she said backstage.
Despite her family traumas, Lewis’s inheritance – music – is her greatest ally. “It was the family business. It wasn’t a choice. But music as a job? What a fucking snooze. It’s such a gift to have success in music.
Playing in a Vegas lounge is better than jail, or another boring ass job. It’s like Cass McCombs sang [The Executioner’s Song] – you gotta love your fucking job.” As she moves into a new independent life, she’s trying to take stock more. “I’m so short. I’m five-foot-three-anda- half. I have to remind myself: Look up!”
In 2019, she’s greeted by a new generation as an icon. Her lyrics have become mantras like Buddhism for millennials. “It’s crazy to do something for 20 years, let alone do an OK job”, she says. Bus call looms once more and she sparks up. “You wanna blaze a doob outside, then I’ll shower? There’s an order for things.” Spoken like a true professional.

6 Nights in Vegas - On a Budget

A little background on us. I’m 35 my wife is 28. We aren’t major gamblers by any stretch, but we usually hit up a local casino maybe once a month, twice if we do good, and usually gambling about $100 a piece each time. We are both huge sports fans, especially college sports (Notre Dame). I’m a bit of a tightwad most of the time.
The morning of April 2, 2016 I asked her if she wanted to marry me (both of us have been married once before), she said yes. I bought tickets that morning, didn’t tell anyone our plans and drove from South Bend Indiana area to Chicago O’Hare, and arrived in Vegas right around dark.
The first couple of Hotels I tried for were booked, but we ended up finding a room at Planet Hollywood (which we spent all of about 4 hours in). We then flew out the next morning, spending a total of about 12 hours in Vegas.
This time around, after finding out my kids would be with their mom over Spring Break, I decided to save up and actually plan a trip this time. We debated Florida, Canada, the Smokies, and ended up deciding on Vegas.
Tuesday – March 27 We stayed the night at Blue Chip Casino (BOYD Gaming) in Michigan City Indiana (halfway to O’Hare). Both of us had comps for a free room and Buffet’s as well and about $75 worth of food credit that we had been saving for our Vegas trip. They also gave me a $25 gas card. We decided to gamble $100, and lost pretty quickly. After eating our “free buffets” we decided to go to bed, anticipating an early morning.
Wednesday – March 28 Once we got to O’Hare, we went and checked our 1 bag in at the Spirit Airlines desk. Everything at Spirit is A la Carte, and I had paid for 1 checked bag, however the lady in front of me discovered that their checked bags cost even more if over 40lbs. I had gone with Spirit to save a buck, and overall the experience wasn’t terrible, but I’ve had much better experiences with other non-discount airlines. After arriving in Vegas, we rode the bus from the airport to the Rental Car facility, and in short time had our new car for the week. The nice lady at Payless tried selling me several extras, and I politely declined each of them. I’ve come to expect the sales pitch no matter what rental company I use, and overall my experience with these guys was very good. We ended up changing reservations last minute for our Hotel due to additional offers I received while at Blue Chip. After checking in at the Fremont (all 6 nights) we unpacked, stopped at IN & OUT Burger, and made a run to Wal-Mart for snacks and drinks. We then decided to go check out the Nuwu Dispensary, we were both very impressed with the selection, cleanliness, and friendliness of everyone we talked to there (we are novices at this lol). After making a “small” purchase, we decided to drive out to Mount Charleston for the evening and ended up catching the sunset before driving back into town. We spent the rest of the evening walking around Fremont Street mostly just people watching, before we grabbed a snack from the Café inside the Fremont and went back to our room for the night. The food was average at best, but the price was right, even if I hadn’t used my points.
Thursday – March 29 We slept in until about 9:30, and slowly made our way over to the Hoover Dam. On our way to the Dam, we stopped at Sunset Station for their Brunch Buffet, and were really impressed, especially for the $7 price. After gambling a little and not winning we continued to the Dam. Waze had me going some crazy roads that I’d never taken before to get there, and took us about 3 times longer than I had ever remembered. After getting closer and seeing all of the traffic/road construction I now knew why. All of the lower parking lots were full, so we drove to the little gift shop on the Arizona side (I was surprised to see the road now ends here), got a couple of little souvenirs for our boys, and walked around a little bit before exploring Lake Meade a little and driving back to Fremont. After relaxing for a little bit we again decided to walk around Fremont Street and ended up getting Margaritas and Enchilada Nacho’s at Nachodaddy’s. I would highly recommend this place if you want a good drink and great nachos, we both loved it, and our bartenders were great. After walking back to the Fremont and going back and forth on winning/losing at the slot machines, my wife got a bonus feature on the machine she was playing, when I noticed a guy standing behind her watching. He looked really familiar, and after seeing “Deez Nuts” on the back of his jacket, I realized he was the youtube star from the Deez Nuts video. He posed for a picture with my wife and then went on his way. We gambled for a few hours and went to bed about even on the day.
Friday – March 30 After grabbing coffee from Dunkin Donuts inside the Fremont, we decided to drive down to Primm, because my wife had never been to California. We stopped at the truck stop and decided against topping off on gas, due to the price being over $4/gallon. We walked around the shop, found some more souvenirs for the kids, and ate lunch at Qdoba. After driving around behind the outlet mall, I realized there wasn’t a sign saying welcome to California, so I hopped on I15 and continued South/West until she got to see her sign. We went a few exits and decided a trip all the way to Baker wasn’t worth the drive, so we turned around just past the giant solar farm on the right. In the stretch from about a mile outside of Primm to where we turned around, we passed probably a dozen of each Nevada State Police and California Highway Patrol, many of which were on motorcycles and all of which had at least 1 car pulled over. About the time we made it back into Vegas, my buddy’s flight from Washington DC had arrived (he’s getting ready to leave for Japan for the next 3 years) so we went and picked him up at his hotel (Hooters). My wife won some money on the “Vacation” machine in Hooters and we decided to go walk the strip, which wasn’t a bad walk at all. We ended up going through the MGM, across to the Aria/Monte Carlo area and decided all the bars were a bit too busy due to a Golden Knights game getting ready to start. We walked over to Excalibur and rode the monorail to Mandalay Bay. We spent the rest of the evening here, and I decided to bet on Notre Dame Women, which turned out to be a good bet. My buddy, being born in Connecticut bet on UConn and that pretty much set the tone for his luck the rest of his trip. My wife and I ended up getting a giant hot dog/pepsi combo for $3.99 at the Café inside the Fremont after returning, and it was a better bet than the Chinese food we had tried earlier in the week.
Saturday – March 31 Another buddy of ours had moved to Vegas about 6 weeks ago, while his wife and kids are moving out there today. He called me late Saturday morning, and had us meet him out at the RV Dealership he works for. After getting a tour of their half million dollar Motorhomes (built here in Indiana), we hopped in his convertible and rode out to Red Rock Canyon. The line to get in was about 100 cars long, and it looked like they were only letting a few in every 15 minutes, so we drove out along that area and headed back a different way to the south side of town. The company he works for sponsors the Horse Arena at the South Point Casino, so we rode over, watched some of the show, and got the behind the scenes tour of the stalls, practice arena, and got to meet the horses/cowboys. We ended up spending most of the day at South Point, and we really enjoyed it, probably our favorite one on the “strip” so to speak. We ate dinner at Baja Miguel’s and all enjoyed our food. Later on Saturday night we rode back to downtown. My buddy that now lives in Vegas, took us to Container Park, which was really cool. After that we walked back down Fremont Street and I had bet earlier on Michigan beating Loyola in Men’s basketball. Another good choice, however I had to find a casino with a sports book that could cash me out. We ended up going to “The D” and really enjoyed the atmosphere/older machines. My wife ended up playing the old school Horse Racing Quarter Machine upstairs and stayed on it for quite a while. We ended up heading back to the Fremont, where we gambled the rest of our “$200 limit” for the day, and did pretty good. After several hours of gambling, we decided we were hungry, so we walked over to the Café at Binions, and were really impressed with what we had.
Sunday – April 1 We ate the Breakfast Buffet at the Fremont (comped), took an Uber back to our rental car on the other side of town, picked our buddy up at Hooters and headed north to Zion National Park. A couple hours later we arrived and were somewhat surprised that it wasn’t completely packed. My buddy has a free pass (Military) so we saved $30 on the gate fee. We spent most of the day at Zion, climbing, hiking, and exploring, it was my 4th time there, but the first time for my wife and buddy, and while my wife isn’t a hiker like me, she really enjoyed it and mentioned that it was one of her top 3 things we did on our trip. On our way back to town we stopped at Casa Blanca in Mesquite for a few hours, we didn’t do any good, but enjoyed the change of pace from the Vegas casinos.
Monday – April 2 We walked the strip again, and ate the brunch buffet at the Bellagio. It was really good, but if I hadn’t used the buy 1 get 1 free coupon I had, I wouldn’t have been quite as impressed. We walked around the strip some more, and ended up buying tickets to X-Country for my wife and I for the 10pm show at Harrah’s. The lady at the Box Office didn’t offer any discount, but when I asked about using my players card, she gave me a $10/ticket discount on the tickets. After that we drove across town to Sams Town (Boyd Gaming) and gambled for a few hours, I remembered a Steak House from several years back that I really enjoyed here, but we ended deciding against it for our anniversary meal. After going back to our hotel to change and shower, we ended up going to Viva Zapata’s (based on Reddit reviews). We weren’t disappointed! The food was amazing, the atmosphere even better, and the wait staff was the best! Our waiter asked what brought us out there, I told him it was our 2 year anniversary and we had flown in from Indiana to celebrate. We were enjoying the live Mariachi music, but started getting a little anxious as we were waiting on our bill (we wanted to get to Harrah’s by 9:30). A few minutes later here came the wait staff/musician to our table, put giant sombrero’s on us, gave us a couple of churros and each of us a shot of Tequila (no charge) while they sang us a song. I tipped them well and we were on our way to the show. My wife is a huge country music fan, and while I enjoy some of the older stuff, I’m more of a metalhead. I was pleasantly surprised at the price of our tickets, and for the money, the show wasn’t bad. 1 of the dancers really stood out from the rest though, but all in all it was a good experience. I wanted to go see Absinthe but found out they weren’t playing on Monday night. After our show we walked down to the Bellagio Fountains to see a show before heading back to the hotel.
Tuesday – April 3 We spent most of the morning packing up from our 6 nights at the Fremont, I checked with the Casino host to see about possibly comping more than 2 of our nights, but she showed me where my score in their algorithm was only a 65, and needed to be 100 to qualify for more. I still only paid $165 for the 4 nights I had to pay for, which was more than fair in my opinion, considering how little time we actually spent in the room. We went to Hooters and gambled for about 20 minutes, winning a couple hundred dollars, then took my buddy to the airport. Our flight wasn’t until 6:30pm, so we drove back North and had to try another Reddit suggestion for our last meal in town. We ended up at Hamburger Hut as we love to eat wings, and although the location and building were a bit sketchy, we ordered hot wings, a hot dog, and chili fries, this was our favorite food of the trip. We also really enjoyed hanging with some of the locals while we ate lunch. After eating lunch we hit up Walmart by the airport to find some last minute souvenirs to take back home, and then returned our rental car and waited a few hours for our flight back home.
What I would recommend
Sight Seeing - Zion National Park, Red Rock Canyon, Lake Mead, Container Park (especially if you have kids)
Food - Hamburger Hut, Viva Zapata’s, In & Out Burger, Nachodaddy, Hotdogs at South Point, Breakfast Buffet at Sunset Station, also saved a bunch of money by getting snacks and drinks for our room at the grocery store on day 1.
Casinos – As a gambler, the ones off the Strip seemed to pay better, but the ones on the strip were much classier and had newer slots you can’t find elsewhere. My 3 favorite were the Fremont, The D, and South Point. My wife really enjoyed seeing the sights at the Bellagio, the Flamingo, and others on the Strip. No matter what, if you’re going to gamble, get a players card, it saved me a bunch of money.
Transportation – If you like to do more than just stay in town and walk all week, I’d highly recommend getting a rental car like we did (about $200 for the week for a nice sized car), but if you don’t plan on going on long day trips like we did, UbeLyft would be great.
Entertainment – XCountry at Harrahs wasn’t the top show I’ve ever seen, but 2 tickets for $80 something and a happy wife, I can’t complain at all. Watching all the entrepreneurs on Fremont Street as well as the stage shows for free was hard to beat, and any trip to Vegas should include the Bellagio Fountains, the Flamingo Habitat, and any other free entertainment you can find along the strip.
What I wouldn’t recommend
Airlines – don’t go with the budget airlines expecting to save a bunch of money if you plan on taking a bag with you, checked or carry on, prefer to pick your seats out in advance, or want to get a snack while flying.
Food – While we didn’t really have any “bad” experiences, the café and Buffet at the Fremont were probably my least favorite, but I can’t complain because I didn’t have to pay for anything at either of them. Also I was looking forward to checking out Heart Attack Grill (based on Ducktales review), but they were packed and took Cash Only fyi.
Sight Seeing – Fremont Street after dark really isn’t the place to take your small kids but be sure to take them to Container Park during the day, Hoover Dam (unless you go early), Red Rock Canyon scenic trail on a holiday weekend. Pawn Stars was packed and if you’ve seen it once, the excitement kind of wore off, and they apparently charge for parking now. I parked up the street for free and only had a short walk, but the people trying to push you to buy extras outside of the store really kind of rubbed me the wrong way.

CONTENT COURTESY OF COLUMBIA CVB
 
ON STAGE

• University of Missouri theater professor Heather Carver has mined the harrowing experience of surviving breast cancer, writing humor and heart into her plays “Booby Prize” and “Booby Trap.” The latest in Carver’s series, “Booby Hatch,” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at MU’s Corner Playhouse; the work will be presented in concert with several other theater pieces. $12. theatre.missouri.edu.
  
• Stephens College presents its annual Dance Company Spring Concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Macklanburg Playhouse, 100 Willis Ave. Students perform in a variety of styles, their work choreographed by faculty and visiting artists. $8 to $16. stephens.edu/performingarts.
  
• Déjà vu Comedy Club presents Sandman Comic Hypnotist Friday 9 PM and Saturday 8 PM and 10 PM. The Sandman, the famous comic hypnotist, is a Vegas favorite that has hypnotized over 10,000 people from coast to coast. From Nashville, TN to stages all over the U.S., he has been dubbed the “Copperfield of Hypnosis.”
   
  

SPECIAL EVENTS

• Ragtag Cinema presents the True/False NeithoNor Kick Off Event and ‘Mondo Cane’ Wednesday 8 PM. Come meet and share a drink with our critic-in-residence, Nick Pinkerton at 8pm. Then at 8:30pm, Nick will introduce us to Mondo Cane, the 1962 classic that inspired this year’s series. Refreshments courtesy of Schlafly beer and MO Wines. MONDO CANE Warning: Contains graphic content Dir. Gualtiero Jacopetti, Franco Prosperi & Paolo Cavara; 1962; 108 min. Released in 1962, Mondo Cane is a leering transcontinental tour: knee-walking drunks in Hamburg, a high-end restaurant in New York City where the hoi polloi dine on insects, the tragic effects of atomic radiation on the wildlife of the Bikini Atoll, and the effects of the bikini upon sailors enjoying shore leave. Frequently the film takes bounding leaps from one side of the planet to the other. Rather than chastening the savage with the example of superior civilization, the cheek-and-jowl positioning of images from the industrialized and undeveloped world shows the continuing importance of rites and rituals in both. The purpose of this is not necessarily to elevate the lowly savage, but to place kennel, a dog’s world.
  
• True/False Film Fest Thursday-Sunday in downtown Columbia. For the 13th installment of the True/False Film Fest, we’re leaving the comfort of the well-trod path and heading Off the Trail. This year, we’re surrounding ourselves with the inspiration of secret missions, treasure maps, personal geographies, and the virtue of being lost. Through our films, music, conversations, art, and design, come explore with us a variety of special, hidden, and sacred places, both real and constructed. Find information on films, schedule, live music, and more at TrueFalse.org.
  
• GREAT WALL is True/False’s outdoor movie screen, close by fest headquarters at Ninth and Broadway. Ramble by this free walk-up cinema where films will play Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights from 8pm to 11pm.
  
• FROM THE EAST, A FILM BY CHANTAL AKERMAN THURSDAY, MAR 3 / 8PM TO 11PM When the spirited and luminous Belgian filmmaker Chantal Akerman left us on the 5th of October last year, all of us at T/F mourned her passing. She created a body of work that brought us joy and inspiration, and deepened our abiding love for personal cinema. In homage, we’re showing D’Est (From the East) from 1993, her visual essay about public spaces and the quality of human presences in those spaces. She wrote, “While there’s still time, I would like to make a grand journey across Eastern Europe. ...I’d like to film there, in my own style of documentary bordering on fiction. I’d like to shoot everything. Everything that moves me.” Chantal, you moved us all and we miss you. (110 min., looping) (PC)
  
• BETHLEHEM STEEL PROJECT FRIDAY, MAR 4 / 8PM TO 11PM For the past several years, filmmaker Jesse Epstein — and a team of cinematographers, photographers, and musicians — have snuck into the former Bethlehem Steel plant in Pennsylvania as it morphs into a casino. In true Off the Trail spirit, the artists walked more than a mile down train tracks, climbed over fences with Bolexes in hand, and hid inside old lockers until the sun went down. Their original film about these secret missions, commissioned by T/F, renders this disappearing cathedral of industry on 16mm, Super 8, video, and large-format stills. (30 min., looping) (PC)
  
• CONCERNEDSTUDENT1950 SATURDAY, MAR 5 / 8PM TO 11PM Varun Bajaj, Adam Dietrich, and Kellan Marvin, students at the Murray Center for Documentary Journalism, were well-positioned to film the Concerned Student 1950 protests that roiled the MU campus in the fall. With keen observational camerawork and all sound artfully removed, this piece (created as a special installation featuring footage from a forthcoming Field of Vision film) bears witness to the events of November 2015. (20 min., looping) (PC)
  

• March March – Friday 5:15 PM leaving from the Boone County Courthouse - Now's your chance to "create your own scene" at the True/False Film Festival. Find a wacky costume, and join the fest's kickoff parade.
  
• True Life Run – Saturday 9 AM at Flat Branch Park. Before spending the day sitting around and watching movie after movie, compete in the True Life Run. Breakfast will include Harold's Doughnuts and Kaldi's Coffee, and the male and female winners of the run will win Lux passes to next year's festival.
  
• T/F Logboat Beer Brunch – Saturday 11 AM at Craft Beer Cellar. Start off your True/False Film Fest mornings the right way with a brunch at Craft Beer Cellar. Harold's Doughnuts and Boss Taco will bring the food, and Fretboard Coffee and Logboat Brewing Co. will bring the beverages, including cold brew coffee and Shiphead BeerMOSAS. And, if you're lucky, you just might snag a sip of a Logboat special release.
  
• The Art Ramble - Bon vivant and raconteur Gabriel Williams leads rollicking tours of downtown art and curiosities, including many of True/False’s art installations. Free and open to the public. o Saturday, Mar 5 / 12:00PM / Box Office o Saturday, Mar 5 / 2:30PM / Box Office o Sunday, Mar 6 / 12:00PM / Box Office o Sunday, Mar 6 / 2:30PM / Box Office.
  
• Official T/F After Party – Saturday 9:30 PM at Rose Music Hall. After a weekend fill with films and festivals, finish with a bang at this official afterparty. Musical performances by Screaming Females, Bruiser Queen and Hearing Things.
  
• Consign with Grace Spring Consignment Sale Friday 9 AM at Grace Bible Church. Visit Grace Bible Church's Tri-Annual Kid's Sale to find everything from gently used toys to children's clothes to nursery decorations. Proceeds from the event will support the church's youth mission teams.
  
• First Fridays in the North Village Arts District Friday 6-9 PM. A FREE gallery crawl held the first Friday of each month in the North Village Arts District. Come explore the unique venues and enjoy the live music art and entertainment! The first Friday of each month, the North Village Arts District will collectively open its doors, encouraging residents, visitors and tourists to explore and appreciate the ever-growing collections of art and entertainment that diversify and energize our community.
  
• First Friday Contra Dance 7:30 PM at Ballroom Academy of Columbia. Mid-Missouri Traditional Dancers will host an evening of community dancing with music by 32 Bartenders of central Missouri. Paula McFarling will be leading dancers through the steps. Beginners are encouraged to come to an introductory lesson at 7:00 p.m. No prior dance experience is required, and individuals of all ages are welcome.
  
• Pancake and Sausage Breakfast Saturday 7 AM – 1 PM at Trinity Lutheran Church. Pancake and Sausage Benefit Breakfast for Trinity Lutheran Laymen’s League Fellowship Club and Good Shepherd Lutheran School PTL. Free Will Donations Accepted at Door. – Whole Hog Sausage – Aunt Jemima Wheat and Original Pancakes – Coffee, Milk and Juice
  
• Columbia Winter Farmers Market Saturday at Parkade Center. The Columbia Farmers Market moves indoors to Parkade Center for the winter. All winter you’ll be able to continue shopping with your local farmers! A wide selection of produce, meats, cheese, baked & canned goods, artisan crafts and more can be found! Find us every Saturday (closed Saturday after Thanksgiving and Christmas) from 9 am – noon through November 21- March 12.
  

 
SPORTS

• Mizzou Baseball vs. Arkansas – Pine Bluff WED 4 PM at Taylor Stadium
  
• Mizzou Baseball vs. Illinois – Chicago FRI 6 PM at Taylor Stadium
  
• Mizzou Gymnastics vs. Arkansas FRI 7 PM at Hearnes Center
  
• Mizzou Baseball vs. Illinois – Chicago SAT 1 PM at Taylor Stadium
  
• Mizzou Men’s Basketball vs. Florida SAT 6:30 PM at Mizzou Arena
  
• Stephens College Softball vs. Goshen College SUN 10 AM at American Legion Park
  
• Mizzou Baseball vs. Illinois – Chicago SUN 1 PM Taylor Stadium
   
  

GALLERY

• Orr Street Studios, 106 Orr St., presents Temporal Auxiliaries: Works by David Spear through March 6. orrstreetstudios.com.
  
• Sager Braudis Gallery, 1025 E. Walnut St., presents its 2016 Late Winter Exhibit through March 26. Exhibiting artists are Jessica Keiser, Emily Burns, Frank Stack, Jeremy Lepisto and Joel Sager. www.sagerbraudisgallery.com.
  
• The Montminy Gallery, located at the Boone County Historical Society, 3801 Ponderosa St., presents Through Weather and Time, an exhibit of works by Jane Mudd, through April 3. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. boonehistory.org
  
• Columbia Art League, 207 S. Ninth St., presents Passages and Pathways Tuesday through April 15. The exhibit takes its cues from “Off the Trail,” the theme for this year’s True/False Film Fest. A reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday. columbiaartleague.org.
  
• The State Historical Society of Missouri, located at Lowry Mall on the University of Missouri campus, will show Vernacular America in the 1930s and 1940s: The Art of Ben Messick and Fred Shane through May 2016. The exhibit will show the ways in which these Missouri artists depicted “ordinary Americans” in an extraordinary time. The Society also presents Picturing Politics: Political Images by George Caleb Bingham and Thomas Hart Benton through June. shs.umsystem.edu
  
• The University of Missouri Museum of Art and Archaeology, located at Mizzou North, 115 Business Loop 70 W., presents Afro-Cuban Artists: A Renaissance Tuesday through May 1. The exhibit prominently features the works of Manuel Mendive and Eduardo “Choco” Roca Salazar. The museum also presents Black American Artists: Envisioning Social Change through May 15. Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. maa.missouri.edu.
  

 
LIVE MUSIC
Thursday

• True/False Film Fest presents Lee Fields, Seratones 10:15 p.m. at The Blue Note; $10 to $15.
  
• Radkey, Bummer, Mocklove 8:30 p.m. at Rose Music Hall; $10 to $12.
  
• True/False Film Fest presents The Creek Rocks, River Kittens, The Flood Brothers 8 p.m. at Café Berlin; $5.
  
• Mercer and Johnson, Adam Lee, Matt Woods 9 p.m. at The Social Room; free.
  
• Artie’s Univibe 6:30 p.m. at Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen.
  
• Leighton Roden 7 to 10 p.m. at Murry’s.
  

Friday

• True/False Film Fest presents Ruth Acuff, Molly Healey 2 p.m. at Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream; free.
  
• True/False Film Fest presents Lone Pinon, Les Trois Coups, Gora Gora Orkestar, Yes Ma’am 8 p.m. at Café Berlin; $5.
  
• The Bends, Ray Wild, The Fade 8 p.m. at The Bridge; $5 to $8.
  
• Calvin Street Band 5 p.m. at Rose Music Hall; free.
  
• The Maytags, Collegiate Shag Brass Band 9 p.m. at The Social Room; $5.
  
• Molly Gene One Whoaman Band, The Kay Brothers, Soul Mama 9:30 p.m. at Rose Music Hall; $5.
  
• Artie’s Univibe 6:30 p.m. at Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen.
  

Saturday

• True/False Film Fest presents Hearing Things, Bruiser Queen, Screaming Females 9:30 p.m. at Rose Music Hall; $10.
  
• True/False Film Fest presents Stepdaughter, The Lentils 2 p.m. at Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream; free.
  
• Brad Cunningham Band 5 p.m. at Rose Music Hall; free.
  
• True/False Film Fest presents Your Friend, Bella Donna, DeQn Sue, David Wax Museum 8 p.m. at Café Berlin; $5.
  
• Don’t Mind Dying, The Many Colored Death, Paralandra 8 p.m. at The Bridge; $5 to $8.
  
• Integrow, Richard Parker, Digital Heroes 9 p.m. at The Social Room; $5.
  
• True/False Film Fest presents Anni Rossi, Mal Devisa, David Wax 7 p.m. at Missouri United Methodist Church; free.
  
• Andrew Sieff Trio with the Henessy Brothers 6:30 p.m. at Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen.
  
• DeepWater 7:30 p.m. at VFW Post 280; $8.
  

Sunday

• Music in the Air Benefit Concert 3 p.m. at Broadway Christian Church; $10 to $20.
  
• True/False Film Fest presents Wishbone Zoe, Nevada Greene 2 p.m. at Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream; free.
  
• The Children’s Chorus, Young Artist Philharmonic, Junior Sinfonia, and the Chamber Players 7-9 PM at Rock Bridge High School; Free.
  

 
MOVIE GUIDE
THE CHOICE - In this romantic drama adapted from the novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks, medical student Gabby moves next door to a charming womanizer named Travis in North Carolina. Although Gabby has a serious boyfriend, she and Travis quickly develop feelings for each other that blossom into love; over the course of a decade, their relationship faces ups and downs as they try to decide what they want out of life and what is truly important.
DEADPOOL - In this irreverent spin on the superhero genre, former Special Forces soldier Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) agrees to participate in a top-secret experiment after learning that he has terminal cancer. When the procedure leaves him with advanced healing powers and a disfigured face, he reinvents himself as a wisecracking, spandex-clad mercenary known as Deadpool, and seeks revenge on those responsible.
EDDIE THE EAGLE - Inspired by true events, Eddie the Eagle is a feel-good story about Michael “Eddie” Edwards (Taron Egerton), an unlikely but courageous British ski-jumper who never stopped believing in himself – even as an entire nation was counting him out.
GODS OF EGYPT - In this spectacular action-adventure inspired by the classic mythology of Egypt, the survival of mankind hangs in the balance as an unexpected mortal hero Bek, undertakes a thrilling journey to save the world and rescue his true love.
HAIL, CAESAR! - Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin), a slick Hollywood fixer, is pressed into action when superstar actor Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) is kidnapped and held for ransom by a mysterious group. Mannix races to quietly collect the ransom money without gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (Tilda Swinton) catching wind of the scandal.
HOW TO BE SINGLE - Four women with vastly different ideas about love and relationships navigate the single life of New York City. Taking a break from her long-term boyfriend Josh (Nicolas Braun), Alice (Dakota Johnson) sets out on a journey of self-discovery aided by her hard-drinking new friend Robin (Rebel Wilson). Meanwhile, Alice's career-driven older sister Meg (Leslie Mann) struggles with the idea of settling down, and uptight romantic Lucy (Alison Brie) searches for her perfect match.
KUNG FU PANDA 3 - Jack Black returns as the voice of lovable martial-arts panda Po in the third adventure in the animated series. Po is reunited with his long-lost father Li (Bryan Cranston), and the pair travel to a secret panda sanctuary where they must team up to defeat an evil ancient force and restore the kung fu order.
LONDON HAS FALLEN - In this sequel to the 2013 action thriller Olympus Has Fallen, a terrorist plot unfolds in London as a number of politicians gather for the funeral of the British prime minister. A Secret Service agent (Gerald Butler), the U.S. president (Aaron Eckhardt), and an MI-6 operative (Charlotte Riley) must work together to stop the terrorists from assassinating the world's leaders and destroying the city's landmarks.
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES - In 19th-century England, Elizabeth Bennet (Lily James), master of martial arts and weaponry, joins forces with zombie killer Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley) to battle the undead
RACE - Based on the incredible true story of Jesse Owens, the legendary athletic superstar whose quest to become the greatest track and field athlete in history thrusts him onto the world stage of the 1936 Olympics, where he faces off against Adolf Hitler.
RIDE ALONG 2 - Kevin Hart and Ice Cube lead the returning lineup of Ride Along 2, the sequel to the blockbuster action-comedy that gave us the year’s most popular comedy duo.
RISEN - In this suspenseful drama set in biblical times, a Roman soldier (Joseph Fiennes) has a crisis of faith when he witnesses firsthand the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
TRIPLE 9 - In TRIPLE 9, a crew of dirty cops is blackmailed by the Russian mob to execute a virtually impossible heist. The only way to pull it off is to manufacture a 999, police code for “officer down”.
WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT - Eager for a new professional challenge, TV reporter Kim Baker (Tina Fey) decides to serve as a foreign correspondent in Afghanistan, where she is embedded with a Marine unit. During her time abroad, she is forced to contend with a fiery U.S. general (Billy Bob Thornton), and befriends a fellow reporter (Margot Robbie) and a British photographer (Martin Freeman)
THE WITCH - A devoutly Puritan family in 1630s New England is exiled from their village and struggle to survive in their new home situated on the edge of a mysterious wilderness. The sinister, witching forces in the wilderness emerge silently to terrorize the family, first by stealing the youngest of their five children. As their life-sustaining crops fail, the family falls victim to paranoia and fear as they begin to turn on one another, suspecting young teen Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) of witchcraft. With the vast majority of the dialogue culled from primary sources of the time period, Robert Eggers' shocking debut horror feature is a terrifying glimpse into a family descending into madness.
ZOOTOPIA - In a city inhabited by anthropomorphic animals who have abandoned traditional predatoprey roles in favor of civilized coexistence, uptight rabbit police officer Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) is forced to work with charismatic fox con artist Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) to crack a major case involving the mysterious disappearance of some carnivorous citizens. But when a few of the missing critters reappear, having reverted to pre-enlightenment savagery, it exposes existing anti-carnivore prejudice among the city's herbivores that threatens to damage the fabric of their diverse metropolis.
 
CHECK EACH THEATRE FOR SHOWTIMES
RAGTAG CINEMA – 10 Hitt Street 573-443-4359
REGAL STADIUM 14 THEATER – 2800 Goodwin Pointe Drive 573-817-0770
GOODRICH FORUM 8 – 1209 Forum Katy Parkway 573-445-7469

This past weekend, Saturday, January 19 through Monday January 21, was the Gamers of Winter 2013 convention that is hosted by the gamers of South Central Pennsylvania. http://pocketchangeproductions.net/gowc2013.html
This is a small convention that only took up two rooms in a small hotel out near the Hollywood Casino in Grantville, PA. It sounded like they had it at other locations in past years. They have a summer and winter convention.
I was able to attend Saturday and Monday and thought I'd share my thoughts on the games I played there.
My first game on Saturday was Titan http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/103/titan I had gotten to the convention about an hour after it opened and so some games were already started but this was a very casual setting so I was invited to play Titan. I had seen it at another small convention in the fall but had declined to play it back then as it was scheduled to take up a time slot for another game I wanted to try. So we began to play with 4 players. The forth player left the game to GM another game so most of the game was just 3 players. It took us about 5 hours to get down to two players. Some of it was learning the game for me but most of it is because it's a long ass game. You go around recruiting creatures for your stacks of armies following paths that wind around the board, having to go your full dice roll or not at all. When you run into another player you resolve the battle on another board for that type of terrain on the board. Even when the two experienced players resolved a battle it seemed to take 20 minutes. So when it was just me and another player left we took a break and ended up not coming back to the game as we got involved in other games.
It's an interesting game with cool creatures and mechanics, but it's just too long with too much downtime for other players. During the first half of the game that wasn't a problem as I was learning the game but after that I was bored by the downtime while the two other players resolved their moves and recruitment and then battles. The only way this game would work for me is if it was a computer game where everything moved much more quickly. So in review, I would not buy this game, I would not recommend this game unless I knew someone it really fit, and I would rarely play it in the future.
The second game on Saturday was Star Trek Catan. http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/117985/star-trek-catan I had really wanted to play this game as I like Catan but wanted to see if this was significantly different. The only difference and it is a big difference for me, is the character cards that give you special abilities. It is enough of a difference that I will buy this when it goes on sale again. Getting it on sale is not a judgement against the game I just know it will go on sale and I can wait. I loved the added layer of those cards and it's a really well done skin of Catan. So in review, I will buy this game, I would recommend it to fans of Catan and Star Trek, and I'll play it whenever I have the chance.
The Third and last game on Saturday was Og the RPG. http://rpggeek.com/rpg/313/og-revised This is a fun and simple RPG where you are a cave man. Everything is decided by rolls of d6, you have a very limited vocabulary and simple skills. The group that goes to these local conventions use this as a way to cap off the evening. Many of the players had brought there character sheets from past sessions which made it even better. Our tribe ended up riding saber tooth tigers that were fleeing a volcano but it was the aliens that really saved us. One of our party now has his one leg replaced by a saber tooth tiger leg, thanks to the aliens. So in review, I won't buy this game because I would only play it with this group, I would recommend it to all gaming groups to do as part of there gatherings, and I'll play it whenever this group plays it.
I couldn't go Sunday because of my D&D 3.5 group having there regular bi-weekly session.
I was lucky to have Monday off and so I went back to the convention. I should note I didn't pre-register and so I paid $9 at the door on each day that I attended. Considering I got about 9 hours of entertainment it was a good deal. I also got a door prize of a little game I can give to friends with young kids, "Fix the Fence".
When I got there there on Monday there were definitely fewer there but a game of Doctor Who the RPG was starting to draw up character sheets and so I decided to join them so we would have a party of 3 with a GM. http://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/45008/doctor-who-role-playing-game I learned after the game that the GM and another player who also brought his copy of the game came from a few hours north and a few hours south just to meet up and play this game. This was a really good take on the Doctor Who Universe as you weren't the Doctor or any of his companions but you were agents of the CIA, Celestial Intervention Agency. One player was a time lord, another was a scientist, and I was a blatant rip off of Captan Jack Harkness. We did well and it was fun to discover the plot which non of us knew was the plot of the Pirate Planet episodes of Doctor Who, a story written by Douglas Adams. The humor of that episode (which I had not seen but have read up on now) really came through. I think it helped that my character, Sgt Nick Howling was very take action, while our Time Lord was clever, and our Scientist was able to bluff his way through preventing a NPC from being vivisected. We even survived splitting the party. I think this game made my weekend along with Og. So in review, I would not buy this game (I've heard it has gone up in price astronomically since the Doctor who revival), I would recommend it to Doctor Who fans and anyone wanting to try out an RPG that isn't D&D related, and I will play this again when I get the chance and Sgt Nick Howling will again drink, bluff, and insult his way through the Doctor Who Universe.
My next game on Monday was Carcassonne. http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/822/carcassonne I seemed to be a game that is mentioned a lot, but one that never drew my interest because it's theme is not that great. It's a tile placement game where you build roads and cities. We played with both the Traders & Bulders, and the Inns & Cathedrals expansions. It was a very fun game with nice touches of strategy for a very random game. I did well but the winner was about 50 points ahead of everyone else. In review, I might buy this game (I'll have to see if it is still on sale at that calendar store at the mall that's going out of business for the season), I would recommend this game to people, and I'll play it again.
We followed up with a game of Puerto Rico. http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3076/puerto-rico I can see why people on /boardgames rave about it. It's well balanced, no one was jumping so far ahead of the group. It was engaging as I was always doing something even it wasn't my "turn" and you have to pay attention to what others are doing and how it effects you. There was little that was random. Everything is a choice by you or another player except for what plantations are available. I liked the game even though I was 12 vp away from the winner. All the end game triggers seemed to happen at once so we could all see the end game approaching. In review, I doubt I will buy this game but not because it isn't good, it's just not my type of game to have on my shelf, I would recommend it to all gamers, and I'll play it again.
The last game I'll review because we finished off the night with Og again, is Mag Blast. http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/23142/magblast-third-edition This was a fun card game that I'm sure has haters on /boardgames since it's a card game that reminded me of Munchkin and not just because of the art. This was a great game for me because even though the guy next to me had all my ships outgunned I was able to do damage to him that at least he didn't win and I had fun doing it. Basically you have your own mother ship that you protect with a fleet of ships around you. You draw cards to play and you attack the person to your left of right. The only bad thing about this game is that it is a game of elimination and any game that pushes players out before the end game is one that is not as much fun for everyone as one where you all are there to the end. Even so I will buy this game as it is a theme I like and it is fun to play, I would recommend it as a good filler game for a few people (we had 8 to start so that was rather large) and I will play it again.
I recommend anyone starting out in gaming to go to a convention like this one to get a feel for the games they like before they buy anything. You learn a lot about the games you want to play and what you want to buy. Some games I'll only play at conventions like this others, I'd play with friends or family. The ones I'll buy are the ones I want to be able to play with my friends. I will be buying Star Trek the Original Series Deck building game because of this convention because I now know there are people I could play that game with at this convention. (I was surprised no one had it there). You also get to connect with people and find the kinds of gamers you want to play with. Even though everyone there seemed to know everyone else from way back I felt welcomed and I had a lot of fun.

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Date: 2014-02-05
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Questions	Answers
As the music director for a non-profit public radio station, do you ever feel a duty to expose KCRW’s listeners to “important” music which may not be popular among your listeners? Or does the station’s reliance on listener donations necessitate the dumbing-down of music programming to ensure sufficient funding? Is that why more eclectic, but less popular, DJs such as Tom Schnabel are no longer on the air?	Well, you always want to strike a balance between things that are familiar, and things that are going to be a new discovery. A lot of our listeners tune in for music discovery specifically, so that's a priority for us. And over the years, we've been able to present many many artists with their first airplay in the states. So whether it's Adele, or Norah Jones, or whomever, it's almost like the list runs really long. So that's an honor and a privilege, but to your question, you want to strike a balance between things that are accessible and things that are just much more progressive. I still think that our sweet spot is pretty far left of center. I mean our world is far more independent and in most cases unfamiliar to the mainstream.
	Specifically for Tom, he's still at the station and he hosts an online music blog called Rythm Planet (Link to blogs.kcrw.com so he is still with us. He was our very first music director in the late 1800s.
Jason, thank you for doing this. You've been my favorite DJ for as long as I can remember. Morning Becomes Eclectic is the best show on the radio. What are your favorite small clubs to see bands in LA? What is the coolest place you've ever DJ'd at?	Good questions! For local venues, I like the El Rey and I like the Fonda (even though it's a little bit bigger) and for nightclubs, I think Sound is best. And there's a new spot called DBA which is great too. As far as favorite DJ sets, that's really hard to say because it's like 2 decades of playing. Sometimes if I imagine a map of Southern California in my mind, I could drop a flag at so many locations over the years. But I would say a special honor was playing the Governor's Ball, which is the Oscar's after party, which I've played twice. And also Coachella is a personal favorite because I haven't missed a single Coachella and I've played there 3 times now.
As a person who has pretty much been a part of the Los Angeles "EDM" scene since the get-go, what aspect of this recent boom in popularity has been the most surprising for you? Also, any crazy story you care to share about the old school warehouse days??	Well you know to see EDM on Superbowl commercials, major motion pictures, basically the highest level of popular exposure is pretty remarkable. And also these events, whether it's EDC or Hard or Ultra in Miami, it's pretty astonishing. I didn't expect that it would become as big as it has gotten. But it's certainly validating for those of us who had a sense of its potential very early on, the power of connecting and a different way to experience music unlike rock n roll. As far as the old days, lots of very funny stories. One time I was at a rave and I stumbled down the wrong hallway and came upon a Quinceneara that was happening at the same time. We threw a rave on Catalina called Gilligan's Island in the casino that's out there and I just remember people as the boat was leaving the next morning running down the dock trying to jump on the boat at the last minute. I remember a rave in a bullring in east LA and the Orb played. Fond memories of a really influential event called Organic in 1996, probably the ultimate lineup of any rave, it had Underworld, Orbital, Meat Beat Manifesto, The Orb and the Chemical Brothers. And actually I really hope that we can get a 20 year anniversary of Organic event together. So that would be coming up in a couple of years. Countless memories, breaking into warehouses. I knew these promoters that would go downtown and they would put padlocks on different doors and they would come back a few weeks later and if the padlock had been cutoff they knew they could not use that warehouse, but it was a great way to test whether people were actually using the space. Sort of a reverse psychology there. So if the padlock was still on, they knew it was open season. Map points were also a really big part of the scene. Before everybody had a cell phone, the party would have a voicemail and you would call the voicemail number and you would get directions to a map point. You would go there, pay your money and get a map to the rave. There was always a sense of adventure in the scene. It needed to be illicit and sort of dangerous. That was a big part of it. So you and your friends would drive for hours trying to find these places, and you get there and it would be a giant room or giant sound system, something very special about all of that. I don't run around looking for underground parties anymore, so I don't even know if that scene exists. But I'm sure it does.
Hey Jason! Long time listener, first time writer. How much would it cost for you to DJ my wedding? And for the follow-up, will you be the groom at my wedding?	I do not play weddings, it's just potentially a minefield with music, so I steer clear of that. We should probably have dinner first.
My question is, what is a common thread you've seen in bands/artists who have started out small/unknown and have broken into wider success? What advice would you give to the struggling independent musicians out there that hope to gain wider exposure?	As far as common thread, I think you just need to love what you do, playing music and making that connection to people. Look at a band like the National right now. Their trajectory is over multiple albums, they are from the midwest (Cincinnati) and now they are headlining festivals. I like that trajectory where it's a slower build, you work to establish an audience over time and over multiple records. It's tough when you go big on your first record. Look at MGMT. They clearly don't like their early success. They have been trying to get away from the music they wrote in college ever since they put the album out.
I love KCRW and listening to it in my car is one of the top 5 things I miss about not living in LA anymore.	Yeah, Henry really is crazy. He's outta control, he's a special individual. I recruited him and he's been great. One thing I really appreciate about him is how he has so much passion in what he does, and when you hear that in his voice, you're pretty much going to give anything a chance, no matter what he plays, you're going to sit there and go Ok, if you're that into it I'm happy to check it out.
Can you really put on anything you want (that's not cursing)? Like could you find some random band from anywhere and put them on the air, or do you have certain sources that you're 'allowed' to choose from?	Well first, to quote Peter Parker's Spider-Man, with great power comes great responsibility.So I can play anything I want, but I need to be mindful of the audience and the radio station's reputation, and our credibility, so I take all of that very seriously and my goal is to play the best music possible. I jokingly say sometimes that I listen to bad music so you don't have to. And KCRW is an important filter for people, and you know, in a pop culture landscape where there's more choices and access than ever before it can really make your head spin. But that puts KCRW in a more important position.
Hi Jason, thanks for coming here. What bands from the past decade or so do you think will hold up as classics of the era? By that I mean the bands that will remain the most culturally and musically important in the coming decades.	Wow. That is a tough one. I'll say that it was great to see Daft Punk receive 5 Grammys just a couple weekends ago. That for me was special because i presented their first DJ appearance in Los Angeles and have worked closely with them over the years, specifically on Tron: Legacy, so to see them validated at that level was pretty special. People know me as a real pioneer for electronic dance music, and they are obviously such a part of that too. The EDM movement over the past couple of decades has been my most significant genre and is my sort of "British Invasion" if you will.
	As far as other bands, it's really hard to say who will endure, especially these days it seems like you know pop music and culture moves so quickly now because of digital and the internet, you are just seeing things turning over more rapidly. I think that when record labels were in more of a powerful position, they would really help to refine artists over time, but now when artists break on the internet, it's a little more disposable.
Jason I've been listening to you and KCRW since I was 15-16 and it has become the soundtrack to my life, I'd first off like to thank you and the staff for everything you guys do! 1st question: How is your voice so smooth and soothing? Rumor has it, it sends men and women alike into states of delirium. 2nd question: What is your favorite 90's 1 hit wonder, I'll go easy and let you pick 3 :]. Lastly if you were to be stuck with 5 albums to listen for the rest of eternity what would they be?	1st question: Proximity effect, look it up. 2nd question: Blackstreet's No Diggity, Eels' Novocaine for the Soul, The Breeders' Cannonball. 3: I'll take a shot. I would say The Who's Quadrophenia, The Clash London Calling, Kate Bush's Hounds of Love, Radiohead OK Computer, and Massive Attack's Blue Lines.
THANK YOU JASON AND KCRW FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR LA!! RADIO ISN'T DEAD.	You're totally right, I consider those proprietary.
P.S. You always have the best background tracks/interludes between sets or when you talk, I'm beginning to think you keep all those instrumentals as your own little gems, and are sending me on a musical scavenger hunt. P.P.S. Please start doing audiobooks.	And people call about the interludes and I either ignore them outright or give them the wrong information.
If you could have been apart of any movie to provide music for what would it be? Do you think you could improve it?	Well earlier I mentioned wanting to hang out with Stanley Kubrick. I guess a bunch of his films, but A Clockwork Orange definitely changed my whole worldview when I saw it as a teenager. I think that being involved in that process would have been pretty amazing. I think the genius of Kubrick is that he is a complete filmmaker. I think it really was a case of Kubrick appropriating and placing the ideas, not a traditional film score. But any of Kubrick's films would have been great to have worked on. I really liked There Will Be Blood in more recent times. Gotta credit The Social network and Trent Reznor because it was so unconventional and represented the film so well.
	One of the things that people don't realize is that composers will come onto a picture when there's already a temp score in place. And the effect of that is usually limiting creatively. Because the direction and the sensibility has already been set in place. And so the conversation is usually with the director saying something like do something like this, I know it's the temp, it's from another film but we're used to that. It's a negative spiral. Sometimes you have directors like David Fincher for instance who involve a composer very early on and there is never a temp. Because a director like Fincher will appreciate the pitfall of doing that. So he involves someone in that process from even the script phase, getting ideas going. That's what we did with Tron: Legacy and Daft Punk. Daft Punk were on that project for 2-3 years wire to wire. On the set we were playing demos they had made. It helped to inform a scene and inform actors on a mood. So not everybody has that luxury because it doesn't make sense for a working composer to set aside 3 years for 1 film but the great films and the great directors (back to Kubrick), these are people that are approaching it with a holistic vision and that's when you get great results.
JB! Long time listenesupporter of KCRW and MBE. I have built a lot of my music library around your selections and have a great amount of respect for what you and your KCRW colleagues do for artists. That said, what genre(s), if any, do you have your eye on for 2014 and who's albums are you anticipating most?	Good question. New music trends are trancehall and gravewave (a mix of witch house and chill wave, it's the next thing). No I'm joking I just made that up.
	The Beck album is superb. So is the Broken Bells record. Those 2 albums are early candidates for the best of the year when all is said and done.
I went to a PACKED sold out Tame Impala show one time, and you stood right next to us. There was a good 2 foot radius of space/respect around you so you were not crowded.	Practice.
How did you get so cool?	Stay in school.
How do you line up your music supervision gigs ... do producers/directors reach out to you directly, or is it vice versa? Also, how many of movie/tv/game projects per year can you ideally work on?	Well the music director position here at the station is my priority and takes up most of my time. The other projects such as films, commercials, video games, I will consider on a case by case basis. Honestly they are really about relationships. Directors that I've worked with over time, projects that I feel have a certain creative reward, in other words I'm not just looking for anything to pick up. I don't have a set number I try to do, it's just about interesting opportunities that come up that I'm excited about and working with good people.
You play incredible music, and your voice is as soothing as Bob Ross'. Those are the highest compliments I've ever given someone. Are you just constantly listening to new music or do you have interns helping out? What do you think of the Broken Bells new album? Who's your favorite band of 2010+?	Love the new Broken Bells. I listen to all the music. I don't know how I could assign someone like an intern to do that for me. It does not really compute for me. And as far as a favorite band post 2010, let's say M83.
Jason, I need to know. Who cuts your hair, player? And can I walk in and say give me the Bentley?	I go to Yuki Sharoni in Beverly Hills, the mecca of hair salons.
Hi Jason! Love the show and glad to have discovered it. Thanks for all the music you play. You've really opened my ears! What made you pursue the music life? Was it an artist or a DJ that you listened to when you were younger?	When I was young I was totally fascinated with radio and subculture. By that I mean style and graffiti and music in the city. And so I think without having a set plan I have always known what excites me, what interests me and have naturally been drawn to music and culture. I have always loved radio as a medium. I think partly because it engages the imagination. I think music videos and video in general it establishes too much. It tells you too much. I always liked radio being theater of the imagination and that's what drew me to KCRW originally because there was this exotic music programming and really unusual radio drama that I had never heard before. I'm not talking about the BBC presents Shakespeare, it was weird radio drama like an intimate conversation that you should not be listening to. So I think KCRW always drew my interest from just being very young.
1) How does one become a KCRW DJ, is there anything specific that you look for?	1 well I started at KCRW as a phone volunteer in the main office and traditionally that's how people get involved and find their way and many of our DJs had their start as volunteers so that's certainly 1 way. We don't really go out and recruit people so much. Henry is an exception but he's an exception in a lot of ways. Get involved is the easy answer. It's public radio and there's a lot of ways that you can.
2) What was the inspiration for bringing back Metropolis?	2 When I became music director my responsibilities broadened significantly. While my passions for electronic dance music remained, I didn't really have the outlet. It was by popular demand, enough people over time asked me about it and ultimately our general manager brought it up and asked me to bring it back. And so we devised a saturday night program and that's my forum for just pure unadulterated Metropolis.
3) How do you think the electronic music scene in Southern California has changed in the last decade, and where do you see it going in the near future?	3 Well Los Angeles has always been a beacon for dance music culture. It's probably a combination of reasons (weather, the aspirational spirit, interesting venues, British expats) and so from the early 90s we really picked up from a lot of what was happening in Europe. Over the years it has evolved and we have made it our own in lots of ways. There have been growing pains where the rave scene has had major issues with people being injured, dying, it's just a matter of managing the masses and safety. There have been growing pains. But we do have the biggest dance music promoters in the country whether it's Insomniac who do a number of events including the Electric Daisy Carnival which is the largest single event in the country (used to be in LA for many years), also the Hard Festival, and then megaclubs like Avalon and Create. And also a lot of the leading Djs have relocated here like Tiesto and Zedd. So Los Angeles is undeniably the US capital of dance music. As far as where it is going, it's hard to predict the future but wherever it's going I will be there.
Boxers or Briefs?	Briefs.
Jason! Awesome job all the time, love MBE!	There are so many different ways to do this nowadays. I think it's very important for an artist to have a strong aesthetic. It's more than the music which needs to be great, but it's an artistic statement that extends beyond that in terms of whatever imaging or affiliation they make. It's really important. And it's definitely not lost on me the effort that is made. I can't really offer a magic bullet in terms of what a solution is for people across the board. But aesthetics are important. For instance if you send me a CDR with some writing and a sharpie, I would prefer to find you based on a compelling statement musically and artistically. So be careful about the partnerships that you strike. Generally people are more forgiving of commercial endorsements and brands, people understand that it's a necessary evil of sorts. But try to be discriminating of who you get in bed with. There are lots of opportunities out there. Music is a special magic that connects all of us. As human beings it's our connective tissue. So if you are able to make that magic, just protect it and respect it and you might have to turn some things down if you don't feel good about it. As far as great marketing, it's more about respecting your craft and finding the right people to help you get the word out.
Since you're neck deep in the industry and see a lot of musicians moving towards more innovative ways of making money (due to the old ways not working as well), such as utilizing themselves as brands and integrating alongside partners such as movies (Pharrell + Despicable Me 2 and his 24 Hours of Happy website or even Bieber getting the digital video makeover from addidas) and more - What have you seen in the digital music marketing world that you feel has been really effective in spreading awareness of the artist, brand and getting listeners and fans excited?
Hello, Have been a KCRW member for a while, listen to you in the morning at work, and very excited for this summer's line up at the bowl. anywho, living behind the orange curtain, there aren't many shows down here. KCRW did an event at the Segrestrom Center a couple years back, and that was it, no mas. Any chance it might happen again? Or any KCRW events in Orange County for that matter? Thanks and keep up the good work :)	I totally hear you. And it's really a matter of limited staff and resources. We would love to do more events down there, it's just about finding the time and the energy honestly. We enjoy coming down there and also the reception that we get is always terrific. People really appreciate the effort and that is an important audience for us. But sometimes all we can do is focus on the more immediate community in central LA, but please know that we definitely are trying to find more opportunities down there.
When would be the most convenient time during a DJ set to approach you and ask questions?	Never...
Hello Jason, I was wondering how it was working on the music for the Matrix? And also, what is your favorite fruit?	I love raspberries. But on the Matrix, amazing project, a good 3 years of my life working with the Wachowskis. Just totally inspiring. A long time ago. Wonderful to be around such creative people. The first Matrix was such a game changer. I also got a Grammy nomination for that soundtrack. Unfortunately I lost to Phil Collins for Tarzan. It's true, I was on the edge of my seat when they made the announcement and then they said Phil Collins.
	The funny thing about working on a film is that you are too close to it. You see a film in pieces and at the end of it you've seen it 50 times or more so it becomes really difficult to even tell anymore. I knew it was great but it's so hard because your perception is so off. I don't think I knew it would have the kind of pop culture impact that it did. It's just impossible to say that. But amazing group of people, visionaries, and it changed my life.
MBE is hands down my favorite way to discover new music. Thanks so much for all that you do. Probably a hard question, but which in-studio guest session surprised you the most?	Hmmm. Well, I think I hope for surprise every day in terms of what people are bringing to that stage. It's a rarity that any radio station would allow live bands nearly every day to play their hearts out live for the radio audience, it's almost old timey, it doesn't happen anymore. So I hope for the sense of surprise and excitement for everybody. I think the last band that really made me kind of stop and my jaw drop was White Denim. They've been in studio a few times, they're from Austin, Texas, and they are just so good as musicians, they are completely in a zone when they play. It's almost startling to watch. Probably the best live band I know that I've played at KCRW. I mean, everybody's good, but there's something about White Denim, they take it to another level. Oh, and they're at the Troubadour on Friday!
Jason. As a curator for the KCRW world festival shows @ the Hollywood bowl, have you thought about bringing house music to the bowl? Something like say Masters at work? a Reunion of Nuyorican Soul? With some contemparies to show the evolution? I think 30 plus years on House music is having a revival currently. Any thoughts on this?	House music is definitely having a revival, largely due to Disclosure, 2 young brothers from England. Their Grammy nominated album Settle is a nod to classic soulful house music. As far as the Bowl, booking is not easy and it has to be done so far in advance so a lot of times ideas will go on a back burner but it's a good one, house music night. We did have the Basement Jaxx from London there 6 or 7 years ago and that was a great night of house music. But the genre has definitely seen a resurgence and that's just the cyclical nature of the dance music world. I think it's down to move in a different direction in time, probably Trance will make a comeback.
Hey Jason! You've played Coachella 3 times, and even did the voiceover for their trailer. How did you first get involved with the festival? What were your thoughts on the introduction of the new Yuma tent last year?	Yuma is very cool. It's the result of the Sahara tent getting overblown. The EDM takeover of Sahara, Yuma is the answer to that. And it puts music first. And low on spectacle. It's very much an environment where you can feel the sound. I think it's a brilliant innovation on Coachella's part, and Coachella is a very influential festival. I would guess that other festivals like ACL or Lollapalooza or Sasquatch will probably follow suit. But it's basically an answer to the EDM bombast of Sahara.
Hello Jason, what did you have for lunch yesterday?	I went to The Counter (location undisclosed but I love The Counter).
Jason, hi. Listening to your show on KCRW for a long time ... nearly 20 years. I volunteered during a few membership drives during your shift too. I'm sure you've had many offers to accept jobs elsewhere. What's kept you in the KCRW studio for all this time?	It's more of an extended family, and you know, it's home. It's like a big house of crazy people and you know the little secret place where you can sneak off and get a little work done, and the place where you're going to run into somebody, it's just sort of a touchstone over the years. So I'm just totally a KCRW person, I listen to the radio station when I'm not here, and I'm here every day. I have been here a really long time. It's really strange, I didn't think I would be a lifer, but it's sort of working out that way. As long as I wake up and I'm excited to come here and excited to play that first record and that first set and figure out how I'm going to inspire people and do something special on the radio, I just don't see a reason to stop. It's really special to find a purpose and a calling. Not everybody finds that. We all make sacrifices here to do what we do, we take less money than we might make or we have to make other compromises in our life but it's worth it.
What are your current favorite restaurants in LA?	I love inc. because it's a culinary adventure. I also like Scopa on the west side for italian, and Tar & Roses is also good. We definitely have it good in LA for food.
Hi Jason, do you have any advice for an aspiring produceDJ?	Probably find your community. When I think back to the days when I was just getting started, you're naturally gravitating towards your friends and like minded people, whether it's at your college radio station or a live music scene. But don't take any of that for granted. It's amazing to me, looking around at some of my peers today who are successful, are friends I've had for a long time. And you know you really never know. If you find people with a shared passion for something… music, a club scene, a live music scene, everybody has a skill set. And so you probably know a person who can act as a manager or as a promoter or as an art director or as a lighting person, there are so many different ways to express your talents and your passion. I feel like it's easy to overlook these people who are right in front of you a lot of the time, especially when you're hanging out with your friends.
Hey Jason, really appreciate you doing this. I'm a huge fan of KCRW and a member.	We host roughly 150 live musicians every year, so it's difficult to pinpoint a few. But personally I loved Underworld. They're a british electronic act and they were just great. But I have a chance to speak with a wide range of artists from Neil Young to Broken Bells. It's pretty crazy. So I really just want to facilitate a good conversation and provide a little insight into an artist's creative process. And there are good and there are bad, but I think my goal ultimately is just a solid conversation. Nick Cave, he's an intimidating figure and an amazing artist, but if you just sort of listen to his music, he seems like a pretty serious customer. That was a real triumph getting a better than good interview with him. It's funny because he is someone who during our conversation talked about the importance of creative tension, and sometimes when you step out of your comfort zone, you bring your best effort, because of the anxiety, because of the tension. And I thought a lot about that when he talked about that and it's true. Having those butterflies really means that you care about something going into it. A lot of artists have dysfunction or they have a certain reputation and from my position you're thrust into a place with someone you don't really know and you have to try to get this conversation done so whether it's Sigur Ros or Ryan Adams, everybody is complicated. So some of my main principles are to be gracious and welcoming. For us, the art is the most important thing. We all rally around the art and the artist. So one of the most important things is to just show our respect for that and our care for that.
Just wanted to ask, in your time as host of Morning Becomes Eclectic, who has been your favorite in studio performance and any good stories from the people that have played?	Also as an addition to that, if I can promote our fundraiser tomorrow, we have a very unique place here, we have a very unique philosophy here, and that is only made possible by listener support. We don't answer to a corporation or a boardroom, we are free to share our passions for music and art and culture, and really, honestly the only way we are able to do that is that individuals decide to pick up the phone or go online and support us. It's a very 1 to 1 relationship. So if you want to keep that spirit alive here at KCRW which has made such a huge difference for artists over the years, we hope you will make a pledge starting tomorrow.
Thank you for the years of great interviews and not dumbing down electronica and having such a great taste and ear for great music! Who would you say are your favorite all-time electronic music artists that influenced you in the biggest way? Also, if you could open for any electronic music act, who would it be?	I don't know who I would want to open for. Maybe Daft Punk just for the sake of it? Also the year they have had. It would be great to open for them.
Long time listener here, loved Metropolis for years, glad it came back. How do you find some of your tracks? Great selection as always.	I'm a fan, first, so I'm always on the lookout for leading indicators, whether it's producers or labels or different recommendations or things that are buzzing online. It's sort of a lifestyle. You're just immersed in a music scene that you love. So I think that when you're approaching it that way with an open mind and excitement for what you do that really helps. Also maybe people will mention things and I will pick up on that and pursue it. Also I review a lot of music, people send me music constantly, I'll get hundreds of submissions a week so I try and go through as much as possible, typically in the evenings.
Speaking of listener support, could you break down, roughly, how is the money from donations distributed in order to keep KCRW on air?	Roughly 70% of our operating budget comes from listener donations. The rest of it is from major donors, corporate grants, things like that. people can hear that on the air, it's not quite a commercial but you will hear credits for different people. It's like our version of an advertisement. But 70% is a lion's share. Also we are working on a new building which is part of Santa Monica college but hopefully in a couple of years we will have that finished. That's a huge commitment, but there is something called a Capital campaign where we go to more institutions, organizations like the Annenberg foundation and things like that for support. So it's not so much the listeners for that one. But we are excited to move into a new facility in a couple of years in Santa Monica. It's a big deal and it's been taking a long time.
Where do you get all those awesome t-shirts?	I am photographed a lot, so I have to be thinking about my shirt selection. I really like All Saints. I know it's just a mall store, but I think it's because they are from England that I really like them. For more unusual fashions, I like Opening Ceremony. But I have to keep mixing it up, it's true, because I take photos with all the bands that come through and I can't be seen wearing the same shirt every day.
Ready for torturous question? Your favorite LA taco spot. Go Bentley! Haha.	El Galleon.
Why did you leave KROQ? I first heard you on KROQ on weekends, but I forgot what show you did… Edit: I remember KROQ gave your Silversun Pickups remix a lot of plays back in the day...	Well when I became music director of KCRW it would have just been weird for me to carry on at KROQ. But I love those folks, they do great work and we're still friends.
Yay hi Jason! Is there a particular artist you have not yet had the pleasure of interviewing that you would just love to talk to?	Maybe that will be my fallback career if this radio thing doesn't work out, I will do yoga and meditation tapes.

Last updated: 2014-02-10 00:45 UTC
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