In the Studio with Ant Matos

by Jason Pollak

Anthony Matos is a 23 year old rapper currently residing in Wantagh, New York. As a younger child, Anthony grew up in the hustling and bustling city of Corona, Queens. He enjoys having fun with his friends at Loose Camp and is pouring his heart and soul into his music. Matos is also a former D-1 soccer player. He played at St. Francis College, located in Brooklyn Heights. Anthony has also earned a degree in communications.

He has combined his affluent background along with his life lessons into three extraordinary mix tapes. Matos is very lyrical and his upbringing as a child as well as his views on life can be seen throughout his songs. They are full of variety and there is something for everyone. He has taken his passion for music and deep understanding of culture and life and really combined it all together to put out something special.

Jason: When did you move out to Wantagh, Long Island? Do you remember the reason behind the move?

Ant: My parents wanted to move out to Long Island. In December 2005 we moved out there. My close friend and cousin Joey Jerez was already out there. Now he is a big part of Loose Camp and what we’re doing. I just basically picked up where I left off in Queens and took it from there.

Jason: When did you discover you had a passion for music?

Ant: When I was young my family played a lot of music around the house. My older sister was a big influence as well. She played a lot of hip-hop such as Rakim, Wu Tang and some Usher. That definitely caught my attention.

Jason: You played a lot of soccer as a kid. How did you get into that? What was it like playing soccer at the Division 1?

Ant: Well my mom is from Argentina and is half Italian, so she naturally had a passion for the sport. I started playing when I was five. I also played baseball. I just worked hard at it in practice. I played on some travel teams, good teams in high school and that eventually led to me getting a full D-1 scholarship. I played defense and went on to win a couple awards including first team honors my junior and senior year. Soccer is definitely something I love and will keep playing while I do this music thing. We will see where it goes.

Jason: What was your major in college? Which classes did you enjoy?

Ant: I graduated with a degree in communications. I really enjoyed taking philosophy. That was the first time I was introduced to those types of classes. I never got to take those classes in high school. I took way more than I was required to take. I liked economics as well.

Jason: Do you feel as though studying philosophy has helped you as a singer and songwriter?

Ant: I think it has, but at the same time it makes you feel a little crazy. You can take a look at what these philosopher’s have written, but sometimes it can become overwhelming. They can go on for pages talking about numerous things and if you miss one line you can kind of miss their whole point of view. I think balance is a major necessity to life. Therefore it’s something I use a little bit, but I don’t like to go crazy with it.

Jason: How do you balance your life now? You are now a graduate, working a job and trying to record music. How do you do it all?

Ant: At first when I graduated I didn’t have a job, so I had a lot of time on my hands to do whatever. I could go record songs all night and then have the next day free. Now I have a job from 10-6 in New York City. I go to work then make my way out to the studio in Glen Cove around 8 pm. Even though I find myself going to sleep at 2 o’clock in the morning every night, the money from my job has ultimately made my life more organized. You begin to understand you have to do it this way, so I really don’t have much of a choice.

Jason: Why is this the profession you want to get into?

Ant: I just feel like if you are going to rap or perform, you have to have certain qualities. You have to be thick skinned, have confidence in yourself and you have to be able to accept the ridicule that comes with it. I think I have those qualities and have something important to say. I also think when people listen to what you are saying, that holds a lot of value.

Jason: How did everything get started for you with the music business? What’s the story behind that?

Ant: The whole thing with putting out music and everyone being down to do this, started last January. We met up with PMS Radio and they started to promote my music. They were also nice enough to help me fund studio time. It was really cool. I got the chance to meet up with Mercedes Dukes at PMS Radio and she has become my manager. I have put out three mix tapes with them. The first one was called “Get to Know me Before I’m Famous”. The next one was called “Vs. A-tility”. It was pretty much exactly that, as I did a variety of genres of music ranging from pop to rock and hip hop. I also did some R&B and even some alternative music. The last mix tape, called “Schools Out Forever”, was really cool to do because I got to work with my in-house production.

Jason: Who worked with you on that last mix tape “Schools Out Forever”?

Ant: My boy Pete “The Force” Marchelos produced most of those tracks. He’s really talented at his craft. My boy Yalla from the Bronx also contributed some dope tracks. Another producer by the name of K.P. from Long Island also helped produce some tracks on it.

Jason: There are a lot of talented musicians from the Queens area. Do you think one day you could be one of them? Which of those people do you wish to be like the most?

Ant: Yea, I listened to a lot of Queens hip-hop growing up. There is so much diversity from the music scene that comes from there. I listened to a lot of Stack Bundles, Nas, Mobb Deep. I remember in high school when 50 Cent came out, he was huge. Jay-Z is one of those people I look up to as well. New York City in general is what I grew up in and there are just so many talented people. I just want to be someone that people can listen to, whether or not they know I’m from New York and whether or not they are from New York. It just matters that they hear what I say and think of me as a talented artist.

Jason: You’re a part of Loose Camp. Can you explain the meaning behind “Loose Camp”?

Ant: Yea, you know I say this without trying to sound like too much of a hippie, but people don’t need to be fighting in the world. We just need to live. You know, we only get to live once. That’s what we are all about. We just want to be fun and outgoing. We know that there is time to be fun and joking and also a time be serious. We just try to have a good time when the time is right and get through the tough things in life together.

Jason: You guys at Loose Camp seem fairly open to a variety of people. Is that part of the Loose Camp motto?

Ant: Yea and that goes back to what I was saying about balance. There are a lot of different people in this world and I’m just down with anyone who is trying to do what they want to do and doing it right. You have to be someone who doesn’t want to settle. If you go to school, you shouldn’t settle to get B’s just because you can. Why not learn more and read more than the person next to you if you’re there? The thing with hip-hop is that there seems to be a stigma that they are all naive, hateful and violent. With us, it’s just about having fun. If someone else is doing something that sounds good, then we wish you good luck and I hope you wish us luck as well. However, there are some people who are out there on their own agenda who can tarnish things. So, that’s what I mean by balance. You just have to be careful of who you let in your life, because one person can bring everyone down. Other than that, if you’re a cool person, then yea, we’re down with you.

Jason: Do you think having a team is an important part to the success? Is having a group behind you important?

Ant: Yea and I think the most important part is finding that team. It really isn’t about numbers, it’s about the quality of the people and what you can provide for one another. I don’t see myself as the face of anything. We are all working together and all have the chance to do well. It gives us the opportunity to all do our own thing, but remain connected. Right now my music is doing well, so that translates to everyone doing well. My cousin Joey is doing well. My producer Pete Marcheos is doing well. My other friend Eric Matusoff has been engineering for me and he’s doing well. We know who’s down and how everything is split. You need that team. You need someone there to rile you up and keep you going. It is like going to the gym. If you go with a partner your more likely to work out harder, lift more and overall get more out of what you’re doing. It’s good to have someone pushing you to go harder.

Jason: How has playing a team sport like soccer transferred over to working with a team like Loose Camp?

Ant: It’s crazy. If we are going to get a little abstract with this, it’s like Carmelo Anthony coming over from the Nuggets to The Knicks. The Denver Nuggets were his team, but it wasn’t his hometown. That’s what soccer was like. They were my team, like the Nuggets, but now I’m back home. New York was Melo’s home town and music is my “hometown”. I’m coming home to music.This is what I want to be doing. That’s what I mean. They are both great teams, this one just feels right, you know. It’s just more comfortable. It feels that much better. Music is my number one love and I couldn’t pick a better group of people to go on this adventure with. I don’t want to stop until we have the mansion and everything that comes along with it.

Jason: You seem like a very motivated individual. Do you think the drive and passion you have is an important aspect to becoming successful?

Ant: Yea I think you need those qualities in any industry. I definitely need it in music where there’s so much room for scrutiny. You can really get moved and discouraged by one poor comment. I try not to take what those people say seriously. I am a competitor and want to do well. The more music I put out, the more people take a liking to it. It’s a business and I love it. It’s always about the music first and the other side of it is to prove to people you can do it.

Jason: What do you find is the most satisfying part about making music?

Ant: People actually liking it. I was really excited that we got some great feedback from the people who have been following me. It’s especially cool because a lot of people knew me as just a person who played sports. They never knew I had this other side to me. Now my songs have been out for over a year, so it’s getting kind of crazy with people finally recognizing my talent in music. The people close to me though, knew I had been writing rhymes and songs my whole life, so they weren’t too surprised. It was still cool though that everyone was able to enjoy it.

Jason: Music seems like an industry that is full of ups and downs. How do you deal with that ever changing landscape of success and failure?

Ant: Music relates to me like sports. In sports, teams have good years and bad years. A team might win a championship or have an awful season, but either way there is going to be another season. That’s how you have to prepare yourself. You have to continue to train harder than you did the year before. Competition is always evolving, as am I, so you have to keep yourself in shape to deal with new challenges. Even if it was a successful year, you still have to adapt to the next season. You can never go back in life, so I choose not to dwell on the past, good or bad. I just try to move on to the to the next thing.

Jason: There seems to be a number of new rappers these days. My question to you is, what separates you from everyone else putting out new material? Why should I pick up my MP3 player and put on Ant Matos?

Ant: I think when you do music in general, people have a personal check list of what they want to hear from you. Everyone has their own criteria. Different people will look for different qualities. I feel like the way I am caters to a lot of people. I am very general and down to earth. I don’t mean to sound repetitive, but there is a lot of angst in the world and people just need to live. I am trying to put out music that is just easy to listen to. It’s just something that is of good quality and is done by someone who cares. I want to appeal to everyone no matter the race or class. You can be black, white, Hispanic, poor or rich. I just want to continue to put out quality music for everyone.

Jason: How do those ideals relate to your actual life?

Ant: I’m from the middle class and know of the ups and downs that come with that lifestyle. It’s full of good times and bad times. I joke around with my friends and they all call me a middle class rapper, but that’s what it is. I have some family that are completely well off and yet I have other members of my family living in shacks in the Dominican Republic. It’s just very different wherever you go. Growing up with that kind of diversity and living in Corona, I think makes me very well rounded. It gives me the ability to talk about numerous subjects.

Jason: Do you feel as though you deserve it as much as anyone else, even though you are coming from the middle class?

Ant: I feel as though times have changed. When hip-hop started it was mostly in the ghetto’s and the people that represented it, were the people who came from those places. It was people telling their story of survival and that’s what made the music such an art form and so beautiful. They really showed that hunger that one can have deep down inside of you. I don’t think you can help where you are brought into the world. I think the passion for music is more important. That’s how it is with hip-hop these days. Even if you’re not from the projects, there’s no reason that you can’t like rap. I’m not trying to be Biggie, Tupac or Jay-Z, nor I am taking anything away from them. I understand where they are coming from and I know who I am. I am just trying to tell everyone about my world. I just happened to be born where I was and people are liking my music, so I will continue to make it.

Visit Ant Matos on Twitter

and Facebook

2011 Rock and Roll HOF Induction Ceremony

by Mick DuRussel

[cincopa AULAEhKtLRLj]

On Monday evening, March 14th, the world of rock united in New York City at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel for the 26th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions. This year’s class was an eclectic group of legends who came to join the elite membership of rock’s hallowed Hall. Those inductees included Neil Diamond, Alice Cooper, Dr. John, Darlene Love, Leon Russell, Tom Waits, Art Rupe and Jac Holzman.

John Densmore of the Doors was there to induct Electra Records founder Jac Holzman. Densmore looked like a Confederate general with the long gray jacket and gray hair tied back. Very personable with the press, he seemed to be having a great time. Neil Diamond was dressed in his usual black, a true class act. He said he just flew in from Australia, where he is on tour, and would be flying back the following day. “I would not miss this for the world” Neil told the press. Elton John was there to induct Leon Russell. Elton did all of the talking while the two sat together in the press room. Leon looked like he was in a hypnotic state and showed virtually no emotion at all. I guess his music did the talking already!

Stray Cat Lee Rocker was there with his beautiful wife Debbie. Lloyd Price was there to induct Art Rupe, founder of Specialty Records. Lloyd is one cool guy. He said he currently manages Icon Food Brands, which makes a line of primarily Southern-style foods, including Lawdy Miss Clawdy food products, ranging from canned greens to sweet potato cookies. He also said he is an avid bowler his whole life and carries a 214 average and even has six 300 games under his belt!! Incredible! Darlene Love was ever so gracious about her induction and gave a real heartfelt induction speech. She is one incredible lady and it’s great she finally received her due. Bette Midler was very happy to be there to induct Darlene. Bette is just full of personality that just spreads throughout the room.

John Legend was there to induct Dr. John. Legend looked sharp as nails in his perfectly fitted suit. He is not only a great singer but very articulate as well. Dr. John (aka Mac ReBennack) was dressed in a purple suit with beads, a fancy cane and feathers. One of the photographers whispered to me that he looked just like a pimp! So when someone asked Dr. John about his unusual shoes, he said he got them in a pimp shop! It drew a lot of laughs!

Alice Cooper (real name: Vincent Furnier) was his typical theatrical self complete with full makeup, a bloodied shirt and a large boa constrictor snake! His band sounded just great, all veterans from Cooper’s early days. They were backed by a chorus of school children who were also in makeup!! Cooper said they were thrilled to finally be in the Hall and they just might be the first rock band kicked out of the Hall!! Joking of course!! They were inducted by another hard rocker Rob Zombie!

Those who chose not to meet the press were Tom Waits, Neil Young and Paul Simon. Among those who were present included Bruce Springsteen, Michael Douglass and his wife Catherine Zeta Jones, Michael J. Fox, John McEnroe, Dr. Oz and John Mayer.

Next year’s inductions will go back to Cleveland, as they do every third year.

Photos by Mick DuRussel

]]> http://spotonli.com/2011/03/2011-rock-and-roll-hof-induction-ceremony/feed/ 0 http://spotonli.com/2011/03/miss-new-york-claire-buffie/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=miss-new-york-claire-buffie http://spotonli.com/2011/03/miss-new-york-claire-buffie/#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 11:00:10 +0000 admin http://spotonli.com/?p=3303 March 1, 2011

Miss New York Claire Buffie

by Mick DuRussel

Beauty, talent and ingenuity don’t always go hand in hand but in Claire Buffie, these traits can’t be more evident! Claire is Miss New York 2010 and she is the first Miss America contestant in the 90 year history of the pageant to run on a gay rights platform. Having placed 12th in the Miss America Pageant, she keeps a very busy schedule throughout the state as her charming and inviting personality makes her much in demand for various functions and activities. Claire took a break to speak with me recently about her amazing life…

MICK: Congratulations on your great success in the Miss America Pageant! Can you tell me about your amazing experience?
CLAIRE: The whole thing was just surreal! I went to the Miss America Pageant two years ago just to watch Katie Stam and she actually won Miss America that year. The next year I went to watch her give up her title. So I’ve been around the pageant for the last few years but on the other side, in the audience. So to be a part in it this was completely surreal!

MICK: What was the hardest part of the competition?
CLAIRE: Just the subjectivity in general. That’s your biggest competitor. You prepare and prepare for months! For me, it was essentially a process of four years with the prior six months of extreme preparation for it. You work very hard. You do so much work in your community and grow so much as a person. The title of Miss America is the subjective opinion of seven strangers who get to you for about 14-15 minutes. That, in relative to the entire year with all the work you’ve done, is a difficult thing. That subjectivity you have no control over.

MICK: Do you feel that your stand on the gay rights platform hindered your chances in the pageant at all?
CLAIRE: Not at all. In fact, that is what actually catapulted me into the finals because it was an America’s Choice vote. America chose who they wanted to be the finalists. That’s how I made it into the top 15. That just shows that my platform is something that related to people on a National scale more than just my city or state.

MICK: How can girls from Long Island get involved in the Miss New York competition?
CLAIRE: We have a new local on Long Island. We actually have two titles we will be giving out this year. One is Miss New York and the other will be Miss Long Island County. Once the girl is crowned, she will become either Miss Nassau or Suffolk County based on the county she lives in. The pageant is going to be on Sunday, March 26th at Hewlett High School in Woodmere. You can check out the details at missnyorg.com and that’s the Miss New York website where you can find more information on the local. You can also stay in touch on my blog which is missny2010.blogspot.com. I will be posting things since this is a new local pageant we actually just got confirmation on the high school for the pageant.

MICK: You are originally from Indiana and you placed second in the 2008 Miss Indiana contest. What are the regulations as far as competing in a different state other than the one you came from?
CLAIRE: You must have six months residency based on full time employment, your university or college, or your actual residency. When I came to New York, the way I qualified for my residency was based on my apartment lease. You have to be in the city at least six months before you compete for your local and you have to maintain that residency through the state pageant that year. Last year I was new to it all. This year, I had a couple years under my belt and lots of New York taxes and rent that is already out of my pocket! The Miss America Organization is a scholarship organization so a lot of girls compete where they go to school. My first year that I competed in Indiana, the girl who was giving up her title was actually from Texas but she went to the Indiana University School of Music. In New York, it’s unique in that sense. This year, we had 20 contestants. Ten were from the New York City area and ten were from the rest of the state. Seven out of those twenty were not born in New York! It’s because New York is a place girls come to go to school or for their dreams in their careers.

MICK: What are your duties as Miss New York?
CLAIRE: Before Miss New York, I was doing a lot with my platform. I do a lot of personal appearances and engagements on behalf of my platform “Straight For Equality: Lets Talk” and also Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) where I’m on the board. I work with Marriage Equality in New York. After the Miss America Pageant, I’ve been doing a lot of schools. I did a fair amount of schools before Miss America but now this is when my full tour really launches.

MICK: You have a photography business also. Please tell me about that!
CLAIRE: I started my photography business in 2005 and it is focused in commercial photography. I do head shots for actors and dancers and I do weddings too. I was actually a graphic design major in college so I also do web design and graphic design as well. My passion is definitely in photography. Although I don’t do too much dance photography, that is my most exciting thing to photograph. The hard part is just finding that access to the dance companies and the magazines that pay to have you photograph the dancers!

MICK: I also see that you work for Apple! What is your job function there?
CLAIRE: I did work for Apple until November of 2010. I had to quit Apple because of the work I was doing with Miss New York was taking up my entire schedule. I was a family room specialist there so essentially I was a genius for small devices like iPods, iPads and iPhones. I also taught people how to use their computers in a one to one program.

MICK: And you know how to fix iPods also right?
CLAIRE: Yes I do!

MICK: Do you have any other hobbies?
CLAIRE: I love to travel and I love to cook. I think those two things go hand in hand being that I love to travel and eat! I played tennis growing up and still enjoy playing with my dad when I go back to Indianapolis.

MICK: How do you like living in New York City?
CLAIRE: I love it! I’ve known since I was in sixth grade that I would move to New York. I chose to do my internships during college in New York rather than going to school in New York. I still wanted to have that all American college experience so I did that in the Midwest. When I competed for Miss Indiana in 2008, I knew it would be a win win situation for me. Either I was going to win Miss Indiana and stay in Indiana for the year or I would be going to New York immediately after the pageant, which is what happened.

MICK: What is on your agenda for 2011?
CLAIRE: I have four months left of being Miss New York and I really want to take full advantage of that. I’m traveling a lot. Since Miss America, my platform has made a really big splash so I’ve been booked all over New York, Florida, Indiana and Arkansas as well. Based on those next four months, I want to see where those opportunities take me. In my future, past Miss New York, I want to continue in my photography business. I will definitely be doing consulting for interview preparation and public speaking. I feel that my design skills really support my public speaking.

MICK: What words of advice can you give future Miss New York contestants?
CLAIRE: I will give the same advice that I gave to Katie Stam. Katie was Miss America in 2009 and Miss Indiana in 2008. She was actually my first runner up in her first local at Miss Central Indiana. She was a little bummed about that as anyone would be getting close and not winning the title. She asked me for advice. I told her you have to go into the pageant with the confidence that you can win but the humility that only one girl wins. Also with the self respect and self love that you don’t have anything to prove to anyone else, that you are already doing enough just by getting on that stage. That takes a lot of courage, especially for the first time in a local. I gave her that friendly advice and then crowned her in my old local. She beat me in Miss Indiana and then went on to win Miss America.

Miss Nassau/Suffolk County and Miss Southern NY Pageants Official preliminary competitions to Miss New York in the Miss America Organization

Sunday March 27, 2011 at 2:00
GW Hewlett-Woodmere High School
Hewlett, NY
www.missnyorg.com
Email: Paul Brown paul@missnyorg.com for application and information

Compete in Interview (10 Minutes), Swimsuit, Evening Gown, Talent (90sec), and On-Stage Question.
Over $1,000 in scholarships will be awarded with chance to represent Long Island at the 2011 Miss New York State Pageant

You can find out more about Claire at: www.clairebuffie.com

The Fourteenth Annual Festival of One Act Plays at Theatre Three

The Fourteenth Annual Festival of One Act Plays at The Ronald F. Peierls Theatre, on the THEATRE THREE’s Second Stage. Selected from over 500 submissions world-wide, these six cutting-edge premieres are guaranteed to entertain and engage.

The evening begins with Robert White’s disturbing look at a woman on the road to recovery as she confronts her demons in Cocktails, Anyone? Cary Pepper’s Finding Love@.com is a hilarious look at the contemporary world of internet dating. The Body Politic, by David Hall, follows an uptown man in a very downtown situation.

The second half of the evening opens with Sandor McKellan’s Fair Enough, in which a hapless single attempts a pick-up in the oddest of places—a public library. Jeremy Grimmer’s Symphony for Two, in L Minor is a raw exploration of fidelity. Closing the evening is Solitary, by Frank Tangredi, a disturbing and pointed look at the impact of prison release on a dysfunctional family.

This festival marks Tangredi’s fourth play produced by THEATRE THREE: Tangredi’s Of Dogs and Dolphins was seen in 2000 and Along the Faultline in 2006. Last season, the program featured his look at the world of gameshows: Useless Information.

The company features returning one-act performers Toni Caracci, Heath Cohen, Steve Corbellini, Odell Cureton, Tom Evans, Phyllis March, Linda May, Maryellen Molfetta, and Sheila Sheffield. Joining them are Suzanne Mason, Anthony Mattera, and James Schultz. Marking his thirteenth festival, the evening is directed by Executive Artistic Director Jeffrey Sanzel. Please Note: Adult content and language. Parental discretion is advised.

Performance schedule is available through the box office at 928-9100 or online at www.theatrethree.com.

Tickets are $14.

Sun, Feb 27 at 7:00 pm

Sat, Mar 5 at 3:00 pm

Sun, Mar 6 at 7:00 pm

Wed, Mar 9 at 8:00 pm

Sat, Mar 12 at 3:00 pm

Sun, Mar 13 at 3:00 pm

Wed, Mar 16 at 8:00 pm

Sat, Mar 19 at 3:00 pm

Fri, Mar 25 at 8:00 pm

Sat, Mar 26 at 8:00 pm

Sexy Song of the Week

Adam Tese’- Back at One

This month on SpotonLI.com we will be showcasing our favorite, ‘Sexy Song of the Week!’ You already heard “Natural” by Silent Generosity and “To Be My Man” by Victoria Faiella. Our last song celebrating the month of love is a beautiful rendition of Brian McKnight’s “Back at One” by Long Island’s most sought after saxophone player, Adam Tese’. Adam’s 25 year career has brought him all over the world. He has graced the stages of Madison Square Garden, The Budokan in Japan, Wembley Stadium and our very own Nassau Coliseum. He’s performed with Debbie Gibson, Taylor Dayne and countless bands and artists. Become a fan of Adam at Reverb Nation.

All songs are performed by Long Island natives, so please support your local artist!

The Inspiration

In 1999, Brian McKnight released Back at One (his second release from Motown; after the Christmas album Bethlehem), which sold over three million copies. In 2011 Adam’s solo performance keeps the song fresh, sexy and romantic. Enjoy it right here at SpotonLI.com.

One, you’re like a dream come true
Two, just wanna be with you
Three, girl it’s plain to see
That you’re the only one for me and
Four, repeat steps one through three
Five, make you fall in love with me
If ever I believe my work is done
Then I’ll start back at one

[cincopa AgMADfquUvDH]

Sexy Song of the Week 2/14/2011

Victoria Faiella- To Be My Man

Happy Valentine’s Day!  This month on SpotonLI.com we will be showcasing our favorite, ‘Sexy Song of the Week!’ This week’s song is “To Be My Man” by Victoria Faiella. Victoria is a sultry singer that has toured with many artists including Enrique Iglesias.   She is also a creative songwriter that plays percussion and guitar. Her new CD Wild Butterfly produced by Barry Hartglass will be in stores soon and will feature Victoria’s best songs including an incredible rendition of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” and of course “To Be My Man”.

All songs are performed by Long Island natives, so please support your local artist!

[cincopa AoMAYf6FgKj4]

The Inspiration

[cincopa A4AAid6ugqzj]

Ripe Art Gallery’s Cherie Via

by Mick DuRussel

She is talented, pretty, spunky, intelligent and has one of the coolest art galleries around! Cherie Via is the owner of Ripe Art Gallery, located at 67A Broadway in Greenlawn, NY. Ripe is also the home to an expert frame shop, folk art gifts and handmade jewelry. Cherie’s superb taste flourishes throughout the gallery and wraps its unique essence on all who enter its doors. I had the great pleasure to speak with Cherie just days before her big annual Valentine’s Day Show “Through Rose Colored Glasses” opens…

MICK: How long has Ripe Art Gallery been open?

CHERIE: I have been in this location [Greenlawn] for almost five years now but I’ve been Ripe Art Gallery for seven years. The business started as a house painting business. I used to work with a full female crew and we would do whole apartment jobs. We would get hired for a week while somebody was on vacation and we would repaint an entire apartment or a whole floor of a house. When they returned from their vacation, the whole place was painted and put back together. I got a lot of jobs because we were all females and customers just assumed that women are cleaner as painters! Then I scaled down on my staff and started doing more high-end faux finishing and working with decorators. At that point, I needed a location because my paint was freezing in my garage. At that time I was also doing custom framing for my painting clients. So I got my first location in Northport which lasted about four months and I outgrew that location very quickly. Then I took a location in Huntington for one year and that’s where I started showing art. I did several gallery shows there and it was a real small space.
I literally had to move out all of my tools and stuff, do the gallery show, then move it all back in. I was only open Wednesday nights and Saturdays! I couldn’t afford Huntington so I found this place in Greenlawn and it was the perfect price and the perfect layout! I was still house painting when I moved in there. That lasted for about one year. In June of the first year at Greenlawn, the painting business came to a standstill. No work was coming in. That’s when I really started paying attention to the gallery, being there full time and taking on more framing jobs. And that all leads me up to where I am right now!

MICK: How did you come up with the name Ripe Art Gallery?

CHERIE: I was trying to come up with a name using my name in its title. My last name is Via and I couldn’t come up with anything that sounded good. So my boyfriend at the time suggested I use my first name, Cherie. But since it looks like Cherry, it sounded a little risqué to use. Then he suggested Ripe Cherry. I said wait….Ripe! I immediately envisioned a sticker on an avocado. That was it! Ripe Art! I went to a graphic designer to make my logo and told her to think avocado sticker. I started collecting avocado stickers from avocados in the grocery store. That’s how it came about!

MICK: Are you an artist also?

CHERIE: Yes I am! I am a “mother taught” artist! My mother was an artist and our dining room was her studio. My father would get mad at her a couple times a year and say “We want to eat in here!” She would have to clear off the dining room table, we would eat, and then she would put all of her things back. My mother was very talented but also very shy about it. I was actually a trained musician. The reason I came to Long Island is that I got a teaching job in Levittown teaching high school band for five years. After four years, I became unhappy and left after five years. I then went to work in a book store and that’s when I started painting! After I got another job at a frame shop, my boss encouraged me to start selling my paintings. It was all small, folk art style paintings and they started to sell!

MICK: You have a wide variety of shows at Ripe. What are some of your more memorable shows?

CHERIE: The Valentine’s Day show every year is memorable. This year is my fifth one. This show is always huge and brings in tons of artists. People really get excited about this one! Another great show was Mike Stanko. I felt really proud to have somebody of his caliber have a show at my gallery. A couple of years ago I showed Ray Lamantia. He’s a painter from Bay Shore who is very technically advanced. He does photo realist paintings. When he was interested in showing at my gallery, I was also very flattered. I constantly feel flattered because the caliber of artists who are willing to show in my space keeps getting better and better. I feel that the fingers of Ripe Art Gallery keep reaching out further to the west as well as the east. With the economy the way it is and galleries closing, I feel very fortunate not to have succumbed to the economic times.

MICK: Can we talk about the alcohol incident? [Cherie was fined for serving wine at a gallery opening show early last year. Serving wine at art show openings is common practice in the art world.]

CHERIE: Yes, I am ready to discuss the alcohol incident now that it’s all over. It’s completely over as of January 11th. It’s been totally dismissed out of the court. My attorney found that the verbiage of the law does not actually state what art galleries are or aren’t allow to do. There is nothing in the law about art galleries. There is very little in the law about serving alcohol as a refreshment and giving it away. Basically the law says a lot about selling it. Since I have never sold it, my attorney put together 30 objections to the case and was prepared to subpoena the first cops who came to last year’s Valentine’s Day Show. There were two uniformed policemen who didn’t know what to do. They wrote a police report and that was that. The undercover cops who showed up in April never showed up for the court date and gave very incorrect information as far as what I was facing. I actually walked into a courtroom of DWI’s and drug arrests and was very thankful brought an attorney with me. My attorney did not charge me for this and I had two court appearances. By the time I got to the second, the DA decided it just wasn’t worth taking to trial. The judge dismissed the case under the terms that I kept my nose clean for six months. So I decided it wasn’t worth it to have alcohol anymore as this whole fiasco could happen again. For over a year now, this has not affected my business at all. Now I’m serving soda which is sort of a treat to people these days as most don’t drink soda anymore. I have candy; get them hopped up on Twinkies, Funny Bones and stuff they don’t normally buy. It’s really working out for me. Still selling art without the booze! I also have a speakeasy gallery in the back room which is an “invite only” gallery. I’ve been showing tattoo artists who show their personal work. It’s exciting because most people are coming in getting pieces commissioned to put on their body. So to see what a tattoo artist wants to create is very interesting. Both shows I’ve had back there so far have been wildly successful. The last show I did we sold everything but one piece. People like coming to these shows because by invite only, this makes them feel special. I’m building a clientele who wants to be invited and know when they are being invited through the back door, they are coming to something very special. These events are not publicized. If you don’t have a card in your hand, you can’t come in. So I’m continuing to book that space more.

MICK: What are the future plans for Ripe?

CHERIE: Going forward, I want to continue doing what I am doing and potentially make a living at this. If I get to the point where I am paying myself…that would make me feel like a success. What I make now basically pays for my lifestyle which is not extravagant at all! I’m very happy I haven’t starved yet or my dog hasn’t starved yet! Right now, I’m redesigning the website. We are going towards E Commerce so that my artists whom I represent will now be available to a larger market through our website. I’m also in the process of promoting myself as the Rock Star Framer, which is a niche that I don’t know anyone has taken. Ultimately I’d like to get to the point if you want to get the Rock Star Framer, you must make an appointment. They would get a special service when they come to see me with special designs…the whole experience from the Rock Star Framer! And then I’m thinking about taking the Rock Star Framer on tour! Go to other cities, showing the artists I represent and building it into a musical theme as well. Maybe picking a bar and having a couple musical artists play as well as show art. That would be fun!! I’m a single girl and I have my whole life involved in this. The website will be up and running with several artist pages in about a month.

MICK: The Valentine’s Show opens this Monday evening (Feb. 14th). When is the deadline to submit pieces?

CHERIE: Ideally Saturday. I put it out as Friday the 11th as the deadline but I will still take last minute pieces on the 12th. There’s still plenty of room. I expect anywhere from 40 to 70 artists. Last year I had around 60 artists. The year before I had 70. It fills up quickly and of course it fills up at the last minute. Everybody shows up on Friday!

Ripe Art Gallery, 67A Broadway, Greenlawn, NY (631) 239-1805
Please come to “Through Rose Colored Glasses”, Ripe Art Gallery’s Annual Valentine’s Day Group Show! Opening reception is Monday, February 14th, 2011 from 6-9pm. Running through Saturday, February 26th, 2011.
Gallery hours:
Mon: closed
Tues-Thur: 11am-6pm
Fri: 2pm-8pm
Sat: 11am-5pm
Sun: closed

Ripeartgal.com Coming Soon!

CALLING ALL GLEEKS!

Glee

LIVE! IN CONCERT!

RETURNS THIS SUMMER WITH

16-CITY NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

PRESENTED BY CHEVROLET

THE CAST OF FOX’S SMASH SHOW “GLEE” TO RETURN

TO CONCERT STAGES IN THE U.S. AND CANADA THIS MAY

FOR BLOCKBUSTER CROSS-COUNTRY TOUR

PRIOR TO PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED EUROPEAN ENGAGEMENT

Special Presale to American Express Cardmembers Starts February 11;

Tickets Go on Sale to General Public Saturday, February 19

On the heels of blockbuster ratings for the post-Super Bowl episode Sunday night, Twentieth Century Fox Television and “Glee” co-creator Ryan Murphy are pleased to announce that the critically acclaimed “Glee Live! In Concert!,” starring 13 members of the television show’s cast, will return to North American concert stages this spring.

Beginning Friday, May 21 at the Mandalay Bay Event Center in Las Vegas, “Glee” stars Lea Michele (Rachel), Cory Monteith (Finn), Amber Riley (Mercedes), Chris Colfer (Kurt), Kevin McHale (Artie), Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina), Mark Salling (Puck), Dianna Agron (Quinn), Naya Rivera (Santana), Heather Morris (Brittany), Harry Shum, Jr. (Mike), Chord Overstreet (Sam) and Darren Criss (Blaine) will perform in an all-new singing and dancing celebration of the Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning show.

The North American engagement of “Glee Live! In Concert!,” is a unique concert experience once again conceived by Murphy that will include live performances of some of the show’s most memorable musical numbers from Seasons One and Two, including “Empire State of Mind,” “Toxic,” “My Life Would Suck Without You,” “It’s My Life,” and of course, the show’s anthem,  “Don’t Stop Believin’.” Described by the Los Angeles Times as “triumphant,” USA Today called last year’s concerts “equal parts musical theater, giddy pop culture phenomenon and Journey-loving rock show.”

“The cast and I were so moved by the love and enthusiasm of our fans at last year’s concerts that we knew we had to do it again,” said Murphy. “There is something magical about thousands of ‘Gleeks’ coming together to share a special night with our cast, and this tour is one way we can thank them for their unbelievable support from the beginning.”

“Joining the cast this year has been like hopping on a fast-moving train,” commented Overstreet. “I have already had so many incredible experiences, but the chance to perform live on stages across the U.S., Canada and Europe takes the cake. This is too cool.”

“Joining the cast of ‘Glee’ has been an amazing, rewarding and humbling experience all at once,” added Criss. “On top of all of that, I’m fortunate to play such a strong and interesting character like Blaine that speaks volumes to fans. Now I have the chance to perform for thousands of them this summer, and I couldn’t be more excited!”

2011 Glee Live! In Concert! Dates:

May 21            Las Vegas, NV            Mandalay Bay Event Center

May 22            Sacramento, CA         Arco Arena

May 24            San Jose, CA              HP Pavilion

May 27            Anaheim, CA              Honda Center

May 28            Los Angeles, CA         Staples Center

May 29            San Diego, CA            Valley View Casino Center

June 1             Minneapolis, MN         Target Center

June 2             Indianapolis, IN           Conseco Fieldhouse

June 3             Chicago, IL                  Allstate Arena

June 6             Boston, MA                 TD Garden

June 8             Philadelphia, PA          Wells Fargo Center

June 11           Toronto, Canada         Air Canada Centre

June 13           Detroit, MI                   Palace of Auburn Hills

June 14           Cleveland, OH            Quicken Loans Arena

June 16           East Rutherford, NJ    Izod Center

June 18           Uniondale, NY             Nassau Coliseum

Select tickets will be available to American Express cardholders in an exclusive presale beginning Friday, Feb. 11; tickets go on sale to the general public for most cities on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 10:00 a.m. (Tickets for the Boston concert go on sale Friday, Feb. 18 at 10:00 a.m.; Toronto goes on sale Friday, Feb. 18 at noon and Sacramento Saturday, Feb. 19 at noon.) Tickets will be available via www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000 or at any Ticketmaster Outlet. Tickets will be available at the arena box offices as well. “Glee Live! In Concert!” has also teamed with I Love All Access to provide a variety of fan ticket packages for the show, including premium seats, parties and more. For more information, please visit “Glee” at www.gleetour.com.

“Glee Live! In Concert!” is presented by Chevrolet, in a continuation of a longstanding partnership with the hit FOX series, that recently included sponsorship of the post-Super Bowl episode and an elaborate, longer-form Chevrolet spot featuring members of the cast performing  the classic song “See the U.S.A. in your Chevrolet.”

“Glee” airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on FOX.

In its sophomore season, “Glee” is a biting musical comedy that has quickly become a pop-culture phenomenon. This season’s No. 1 entertainment series among Teens and a Top 3 series among Adults 18-49 and 18-34 boasts critical acclaim, a loyal fan base of “Gleeks,” two Platinum and two Gold albums, two Grammy Award nominations, more than 16 million song downloads, the record for the most titles on the Billboard Hot 100 by a non-solo act (beating out The Beatles), the No. 1 soundtrack of 2010 (“The Christmas Album”), an incredible 19 Emmy and 11 Golden Globe nominations – earning it the distinction of being the most-nominated series of the year – and four Emmy Awards. To top it off, the genre-defying, award-winning series has been picked up through its third season.

“Glee” is produced by Ryan Murphy Television in association with 20^th Century Fox Television. Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan are co-creators of the series. Murphy, Falchuk, Brennan and Dante Di Loreto serve as executive producers. Become a fan of “Glee” on Facebook at www.facebook.com/glee and follow the series on Twitter at www.twitter.com/gleeonfox.

About Chevrolet

Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 3.5 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. In the U.S., the Chevrolet portfolio includes: iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs, such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers, such as Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly” solutions, such as Chevrolet Cruze Eco with an EPA-estimated 42 miles per gallon highway, and the Chevrolet Volt offering 35 miles of electric driving and an additional 344 miles of extended gasoline range, according to EPA estimates. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models, fuel solutions and OnStar availability can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Sexy Song of the Week 2/7/2011

Silent Generosity- Natural

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. This month on SpotonLI.com we will be showcasing our favorite, ‘Sexy Song of the Week!’ This week’s song is “Natural” by Silent Generosity. Silent Generosity had a huge year. They performed at The Great South Bay Music Festival, opened for Creed, Nine Days and Brett Michaels plus they won both WRCN and WBAB rock contests.  You can purchase their music on iTunes.

All songs are performed by Long Island natives, so please support your local artist!

[cincopa AoCADdq1xppp]

The Inspiration

“Natural was written about those wonderful moments in life where love takes a back seat (literally) to lust. Where skin meets skin in a collision of uncontrollable desire. Those moments where we find ourselves needing someone desperately, and seeing in that person’s eyes that we’re needed in return. It’s about allowing yourself to feel and be felt in our most natural state of longing.” – Silent Generosity

[cincopa AUOATeqLypYn]

]]> http://spotonli.com/2011/02/sexy-song-of-the-week-natural/feed/ 1 http://spotonli.com/2011/02/the-animals-hilton-valentine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-animals-hilton-valentine http://spotonli.com/2011/02/the-animals-hilton-valentine/#comments Thu, 03 Feb 2011 11:00:35 +0000 admin http://spotonli.com/?p=3117 February 3, 2011

The Animals, Hilton Valentine

by Mick DuRussel

He is one of the original wild men of rock and roll, often found ripping off his shirt and getting down on the ground wailing away on his guitar back in the early 60′s. Hilton Valentine went on to become the guitarist for the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band The Animals. His guitar riff that opens “House of the Rising Sun” was voted number 29 on the top 100 guitar riffs of all time! He continues to play, though no longer the wild man! I had the great pleasure to speak with Hilton from his Connecticut home…

MICK: Is it true that “House of the Rising Sun” was recorded in one take?

HILTON: Yes it was!

MICK: Do you still have the Gretsch Tennessean guitar that you used on that classic song?

HILTON: No I don’t. I can’t even remember what happened to it. I don’t have any of my old guitars.

MICK: In 1964, the Animals appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show”. What was the experience like for you and the band?

HILTON: It was a strange experience. It was strange for us to be going on a show that had such a variety of acts. I think there was an elephant there, when we were on! And there was that Topo Gigio guy. It was the first time we were on this kind of family orientated situation. There was a feeling amongst us that once we had done The Ed Sullivan Show, that was breaking us into America. That was the show that did it for everybody.

MICK: I know The Animals toured with Chuck Berry early on. What was that like touring with the father of rock and roll?

HILTON: That was amazing. That was the first tour that the Animals ever did in England. We had “Baby Let Me Take You Home” which was our first single that was released in England and because of that, we got to go on the Chuck Berry tour. At that time, there was always five or six acts that were on the bill that went around in a Greyhound Bus kind of thing. We went from city to city in England. The fact that we were working with one of our idols was just amazing!

MICK: And he’s still playing today too!

HILTON: He probably still just travels with his guitar and arrives at whichever gig and there’s always a band set up for him. He just plugs in, runs through a few songs, goes off to get something to eat, comes back to do the show and then off he goes!

MICK: When the band dissolved in 1966, was there any bitterness among the band members?

HILTON: No, I don’t think so. It was all quite amicable.

MICK: Are you still friends with the guys from the band today?

HILTON: Well I wouldn’t say I was friends with Alan Price. I’m sort of friends with Eric [Burden]. I saw him about two years ago. We toured together for a couple of years which ended two years ago. I’m not really friends with John Steele.

MICK: You have a new CD coming out this spring?

HILTON: Yes! It’s called Skiffledog on Coburg Street. Coburg Street is where I grew up in my hometown of North Shields, England, which is beside Newcastle. There’s a lot of skiffle songs on the album. It was basically relearning those old songs again and singing them, which is what I used to do when I was 13 or 14. There’s some original stuff as well.

MICK: Is this an acoustic album?

HILTON: Yes it is!

MICK: Will you be touring this year?

HILTON: As soon as the album is mixed and mastered and pressed! We are doing a gig in Bordentown, New Jersey on March 19th at a place called “The Record Collector”. And on April 30th, we will be at The Keeney Memorial Cultural Center in Wethersfield CT. This is the gig with Nick Frasco, the artist who drew the Skiffledog for our last album. An evening of art and music!

MICK: Are there any plans for an Animals reunion?

HILTON: No. The Animals bass player Chas Chandler passed away a few years ago. I can’t see the band getting together with a different bass player.

MICK: What are your long range plans, looking past the spring release of your new CD?

HILTON: I just want to get out and start promoting this CD and keep it going. Hopefully I will do another one in a couple of years!

You can find out more about Hilton Valentine on his website www.hiltonvalentine.com