Volume 2, Issue 21 September 28 - October 11, 2000

Hello Denver, I am back in town and as busy as always. I want to let all of you know that I will still be doing the local music notes for Go-Go, but will no longer be music editor. The people at Go-Go are terrific and I consider them good friends. I am a full time musician and Go-Go is a full time magazine. I simply cannot dedicate the hours that Go-Go deserves. Fret not, local bands, because I haven't disappeared, and this magazine does care about you.

As of next month Russ Austin will no longer be working with Nobody in Particular Presents, Russ has done an American job helping to build the local scene. He is loved by all of us. I have no doubts you will see Russ again priming the local scene somewhere soon. Let's face it, he's a great guy and we all owe him a lot.

Hard rockers Van Buren are still in search of a drummer after completing a monster audition run. If you are interested call Theresa Rueles at 303-783-3607.

I saw Silencer's new guitarist Matt Bolten play the other night when he filled a gig for vampire rockers Moore. This guy shreds, great chops with lots of feel, and his stage presence is something to talk about. I've known Matt awhile and never knew he was so bad ass. This town once again amazes me.

Sinkwhole, a band fairly new to the scene, played a showcase for Capital Records last Friday at Iliff Park Saloon. Word has it they kick ass so let's wish them good luck. Guys, all it takes is one of us.

Rhythm Junkie is back, and I think they will surprise the hell out of anyone whose heard them before. I was way impressed by their sound. This band has come a long way, Congrats, my friends, longevity has made you a great band.

Former members of the blues rockin' band Mad Bastard are back on the scene and are now called Concrete Sandwich. They have several shows coming up including one with Peace, Love and Destruction at the kickass new original club Sportsfield Roxxx, so check it out.

Last but not least, let me say change is always going to come; that's the way of the world. It's how we react to that change which makes the difference in our lives and careers. This town will rise because there is too much heart and talent here to keep us down. Until next time, keep working hard, keep supporting one another, and take care of the family. Peace Out.

--Bill Terrell

B link 182's singer and guitarist will no longer be called Tom DeLonge, his given name. For reasons none of us care to fathom, he will now officially be called Lode Swallowere. This announcement came too late for MCA Records to change his name in the liner notes of Blink 182's upcoming live album, Live: The Mark, Tom & Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back). Mr. Swallowere will no doubt be reminding us of his name a whole lot between now and then...

Good news: U2 will be touring to support their upcoming album, All That You Can't Leave Behind. The band has been trying to distance themselves from the over-the-top path they've taken with the ZooTV tour and their album Pop. The concerts will be indoors and stripped down compared to the last extravaganzas. No word yet on whether the seminal Irish band will hit Denver (it is slated to be a "limited tour"), but if they do roll through, it will probably hit the Pepsi Center...

Fatboy Slim's next album will feature two songs with scratch-voiced singer Macy Gray. The album, tentatively called Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars, is expected to spawn a full-fledged tour, possibly with Gray in tow...

Speaking of new albums, Huey Lewis & the News will be coming out with a new offering, Plan B, in November. Why? And why now? It probably has something to do with Huey Lewis' much publicized turn in Duets with Gwyneth Paltrow. Here's to old dogs and old tricks.

--Chris J. Magyar

Jessica Alba's Max may just give the Terminator a run for his money. A Bionic Woman for the 21st Century, Max, the central character in James Cameron's new Fox series, "Dark Angel"-- possesses unique, superhuman skills that put her on par with those X-Men mutants and a certain caped crusader dressed all in black. With X-ray vision, mindbending physical strength and staggering speed, Alba's motorcycle-riding Max plans to pounce every criminal in 2020 Seattle until they're begging for mercy... or at least a ride to jail.

Are you excited to be carrying a brand new show on your shoulders?

Yes! Can you believe I'm the star of this fucking show?!?!

Okay ... so what attracted you most to the role?

When I first read Max's dialogue, I thought it was amazing. I love how she says one thing, but underneath, she really means something completely different. I can relate to that myself; sometimes it just hurts too much to be open and honest. And with Max, you never know where she's coming from because she's always struggling mentally to reconnect with her past.

Your role is very physically demanding. What do you do to prepare for all the stunts?

I ate Oreo cookies, doughnuts.... Actually, I worked out for a year with a trainer, and also took gymnastics, motorcycle training and kungfu. For a while I felt like I'd entered boot camp!

--Michele Fontanelli

So what's all this about a strike? As you've probably heard by now, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) has been on strike against television commercials for quite some time now. This seems harmless enough now-- certainly not as immediate as an air traffic controller strike-- but a bad storm's a-coming, folks.

After May 2, 2001, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) will also strike, meaning no new movies or television series will be written. Then after June 30, 2001, SAG and AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) will escalate their efforts and refuse to star in television or movies as well. This means no new episodes for the 2001 fall TV season. It also means no Hollywood movies in 2002. Sound ridiculous? It's not-- L. A. is already prepared for the worst.

What's brought all this on? Well, think of it as Tinseltown's preemptive strike against Napster. We all know that Napster has pissed off recording artists by circumventing the processes that line their pockets. Hollywood isn't stupid (despite outward appearances), and knows similar software will soon allow Internet users to download their favorite Frasier and When Harry Met Sally for free. Actors and writers want to stop that-- or at the very least they want to rearrange things so they get a piece of it.

Also on the table are some very old issues about revenue sharing on reruns, syndication and residual payments. Although this isn't the first time a strike has hit Hollywood, it is the first time all three major parties (writers, actors, and, yes, directors, who will follow soon after SAG) will strike at the same time and for basically the same reasons. With corporate ownership of studios, expect these issues to be resolved much more slowly than they were in the mogul-media past where a studio head could be bought with a trip to Vegas.

--Chris J. Magyar