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Oct 22
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Blane Fonda – 10.03.11
Interviewed by: Jenny Tate (10/11/11)
The following is a mini interview of generic questions that we posed to all bands that wanted to answer:
Blane Fonda (Questions answered by Matthew Witt)
www.blanefonda.com
www.facebook.com/BlaneFondaMusic
www.twitter.com/BlaneFonda
1. How did you get your band name?
Blane Fonda is a pen name that our singer used back in his college years. He would post pics and comments about his old band under the name. The band never knew it was him, and they believed Blane Fonda was a super fan of the band.
2. How did this band get started?
Blane Fonda was formed from the instrumental members of The Sapiens and the singer from Technicolor Stallion. The Sapiens needed a new singer and they found Mark (singer) on Craigslist. From there Blane Fonda was born.
3. What bands are you influenced by?
Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Muse, ELO, The Killers, Tears for Fears, Flaming Lips, The Cure, The National, Chet Baker, this list can go on forever.
4. If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
The Rolling Stones back in the 70’s. The Stones are the definition of a rock band. Their music is timeless, and they are definitely known to party hard. It would be exciting to play in a era when music was raw and the corporate world wasn’t running the music industry.
5. Best food to eat on tour?
We are fortunate to have a food coach in the band (Dave the bassist). He prefers for us to split a chicken sandwich before a show with Miller High Life, and on the road we eat Sunflower seeds (ranch flavor) and drink Gatorade.
6. Why should people listen to your band?
We are a fun band with clever lyrics and catchy hooks. Our music is melodic and energetic. Your dads will love us and your 12-year-old niece will too!
8. If you won a Grammy, who would you thank?
Parents, Family, and Friends!
9. If you could change something about the music industry, what would it be?
I think the radio industry needs to change. Radio is monopolized by the corporate world. It seems that you have 5 stations playing the same 20 cookie cutter songs all day long. There is no variety anymore, and it’s almost impossible to hear something fresh. Internet radio has become popular because of its variety. It should be easier for bands to get their songs played on their local stations, which seems impossible today.
10. Memorable tour experience?
Playing at the ES Jungle in Indianapolis. Our second show at the venue, we had fans singing lyrics to all our songs. Stage diving and crowd surfing was happening all around us. It was a surreal moment – it felt like we were in a staged music video. The energy in the venue was explosive. It’s moments like this that makes being a musician worth all the hassle.
11. What does AP.net mean to you?
AP.net means a lot to bands like Blane Fonda who are DIY. You give us a opportunity to get our name and songs out to people who would have ever heard us. In today’s music scene, it’s hard to get credible acknowledgment if you don’t have professional representation. AP.net definitely helps out the DIY scene.
12. What is your favorite song to play?
“Cucccurucucu” by Franco Battiato. It’s an Italian pop song that we were asked to play for a fashion show. We don’t speak Italian so we don’t know what we’re saying, but it’s one catchy tune.
13. What is your vacation spot of choice?
Maui, Hawaii.
14. What music reminds you of your childhood?
Grunge music: Specifically Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” It was the anthem song during middle school – every garage band was covering it.
15. If you could have any super power, what would it be? Why?
To fly at super sonic speeds, so I never have to be stuck in traffic or buy a plane ticket.
16. Any pre-show superstitions or rituals?
Eat half of a chicken sandwich and pound a Miller High Life down. And if I have enough money, a shot of Jameson.
17. What is something that most fans don’t know about you?
I used to kill mosquitos for a summer job.
18. What is your assessment of the current state of radio? Do you think it’s a place where your band could flourish?
Radio is pretty stagnant right now. I do not listen to it much, because the same 20 tunes are played on it. The corporate world has monopolized the radio stations and force them to play the same cookie cutter songs. I do give props to 93.1 WXRT in Chicago for breaking the mold. They play a large variety of music that keeps me listening. If Blane Fonda could get their tunes on radio, we could definitely flourish from it. People still listen to radio, and if we could reach them through radio, it could only help us draw a larger fan base.
19. What do you like to do in your spare time?
In my spare time I fish for musky.
20. What kind of hidden talents do you have?
I can blow bubbles off my tongue.
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Oct 22
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Recycling is Fun…
Posted on October 12, 2011 by BagsRevolt
I had the immense pleasure to meet the founder of Recycling is Fun, Sara Fonda, who has been actively spreading this important message for thirty eight years now. I was obviously interested in visiting their shop, since I was warned it had more than 3000 samples of creative projects to get inspired with.
Recycling is Fun is a Non for Profit Organization which aims to promote crafts as a means of improving well-being. “ Craft relieves stress and boredom, bringing purpose to life, improving self esteem and creating a sense of fulfillment and achievement.”
They work with councils and community groups through out Victoria. One of their projects is the “Home-bound” ready made kits which include materials, patterns, projects and instructions for a wide variety of crafts, tailored to the abilities of the person. It gives the opportunity for a social worker, carer, relative or friend to bring dignity and meaning to people who are unable to or do not want to leave their homes.
Anyone interested is welcomed to make an appointment to their showroom at 66 Punt Rd, Windsor in Melbourne. There you can view hundreds of exciting, fun and enjoyable projects created from recycled household waste. The materials are beautifully organized by types, themes as well as levels of difficulty and are given at NO COST!
This visit has helped me broaden my view on the importance of Recycling. I had previously concentrated mainly on the environmental aspect of it and not so much on the social side of it. From an individual point of view, making something with your hands, expressing yourself in new ways, creatively, while recycling, gives enormous satisfaction. I have been experiencing this in my life for some time now. What is completely new to me is realizing that crafting is a powerful tool to connect with others as well as to make someone´s life a bit more happy!
I was lucky enough to experience this first hand at the workshop abandoned sock characters creation at the Eco Center. I went to help Chloe Farmer who was giving the workshop, and also to learn since I had never myself used socks to create characters. What a huge surprise I got when the participants arrived: 9 older men with disabilities. Most of them had never even sewn before, but the workshop was awesome! It felt great to help them out with simple things like treading their needles. The end products were all beautiful! The most rewarding part were the huge smile on their faces and the laughs we had together. Here is a picture of one of these little creatures created from a lost sock and other materials that Chloe got from Recycling is Fun for this workshop.
Recycling is fun for everyone, even men!
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Oct 15
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PCA’s ‘The Miracle Worker’ communicates Helen Keller’s amazing story
By Scott Orr, The Daily Courier – 10/11/2011
PRESCOTT – To see “The Miracle Worker” performed live at the Prescott Center for the Performing Arts is to simultaneously suspend disbelief and realize what an effort it is to stage this very physical play effectively.
And it is effective. For anyone who has never seen the film or the play, “The Miracle Worker” tells the true story of Helen Keller, a young deaf and blind girl, and her teacher, Annie Sullivan. The story is set in the period immediately following the Civil War, when such children were sometimes believed to be uncontrollable and placed in asylums.
Annie (Joanne Robertson, right) and Helen (Carly Fonda, left) have a breakthrough in communication with the help of a doll.
Helen, played by 10-year-old Carly Fonda, is indeed uncontrollable as the play opens. Fonda, acting in a role that has no dialogue, yet sees her on stage for nearly all of the show’s two hours, gives a nuanced performance. “I have learned that you can (convey) words through your facial expressions,” she said.
The role requires violent behavior: Helen slaps, kicks and bites people, throws silverware, breaks dishes, and wreaks all manner of other destruction whenever she fails to get her way. Annie (Joanne Robertson) gives as good as she gets, although Robertson said playing the part required a little extra help. “It’s very physical,” she said. “I’m wearing kneepads and I have bruises all over.”
Supporting actor Justus Burkitt as Helen’s half-brother, James, steals nearly every scene he’s in, cracking pointed jokes and delivering sarcastic comments to Annie and his father, Captain Keller (Kevin Nissen). He acts as the comic relief in an otherwise very intense show, but his appearances never seem forced or extraneous.
Helen (Carly Fonda) acts up at the breakfast table while Annie (Joanne Robertson) assesses the situation in the Prescott Center for the Arts' production of "The Miracle Worker." Callaghan Howard, Kevin Nissen, Karla Burkitt, Lois Fazio and Justus Burkitt co-star.
The show is directed by Catherine Miller Hahn; this is her 60th production. She said it was not easy to stage. “This one is very difficult. There’s lots of pieces to it, lots of scenes, lots of places,” she said. Because of the nature of the theatre (it is a converted church), plays like this one, with multiple sets, require some unusual techniques and staging. “In our theater, we don’t have flies (cables to a tall ceiling) to take things up or down, so you have to figure out a way to move and weave it all,” Hahn said.
The set design takes advantage of the open space above the stage, allowing the upstairs spare bedroom in which Annie writes her diary entries to literally be upstairs, above the rest of the house. As usual for this theater, there are unavoidable viewblocks presented by the structural pillars of the church which stand at the front of the stage. It is surprising how frequently these relatively small obstructions block parts of the action at times.
If you know the story or have seen the film, you know how it ends. This production also includes a touching “extra” after the end of the play itself.
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Sep 11
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Pop-up phenomenon: Here this week, gone the next
By Sarah Gish, The Kansas City Star – Mon, Aug. 22, 2011
(..)
Port Fonda — a cross between a food truck and a mobile restaurant — has since become one of the city’s hottest foodie destinations. On Friday and Saturday nights, Ryan parks it in a lot at 20th and Main streets and starts selling $3 tacos out the window. The chef also accepts reservations from customers who want to dine at the cozy table inside Port Fonda. A four-course meal for six people costs $250.
“We started joking when we opened, telling people this is the hardest table to get in Kansas City,” Ryan says. Now that might be true: Reservations are booked through September, and Ryan won’t even accept reservations for October until Sept. 1.
Port Fonda embodies planned spontaneity: It’s parked at the same location every Friday and Saturday, but because it’s a food truck, eating there feels spur-of-the-moment.
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Port Fonda Food Truck
Written By: Around the Block – June 05, 2011
Wow. What a treat. I stopped by the Port Fonda food truck last Saturday afternoon to sample chef/owner Patrick Ryan’s Mexican fare, cooked to order at the truck’s stove. I had been reading for months about Ryan’s project, a retrofitted airstream trailer. And this is not any old trailer. The interior is wrapped with gorgeous wood and has a chef’s table to match (more on that below.)
The truck is only open on weekend nights, with the exception of Saturday afternoons when you can usually find Port Fonda in the Rieger Hotel Exchange and Grill parking lot for about a 14 hour stretch. During the day the menu is limited to a few items, but when evening comes another handful of offerings take shape in the kitchen, ranging from tacos to tortas (Mexican sandwiches.) With our ever-increasing reliance on social media, the best way to discover where the truck will be parked and what will be on the menu is to follow Port Fonda on Facebook or Twitter.
I had the great fortune of going to Port Fonda on a day when they were serving chilaquiles– tortillas layered with a tomatillo/habanero sauce and chorizo verde, and topped with a fried egg. I’m a big fan of Frontera Grill in Chicago, and when I heard Ryan used to work there, I knew this was going to be good. Even with high expectations, it blew me away. I haven’t been this excited about a dish since I first had a pizza at Pizza Bella and dreamt about it that night.
Ryan nailed the salsa. It sang with the roasted flavor of the chiles and had a marvelous kick to it. The tortillas had been softened by the sauce but weren’t soggy, as tends to happen if the dish is allowed to cook too long. And the egg was perfectly cooked, its runny yolk melding with the other ingredients to complete the happiness in my mouth. The pozole was also authentically prepared. Red chile base, chunks of hominy, topped with radish and lime. A hearty and warm soup for a chilly, dreary day.
I wanted to try a taco and the only one they were serving that day had a tripe filling. For those unfamiliar with tripe, it’s part of a cow’s or pig’s stomach and is the main ingredient in a traditional Mexican soup called Menudo. Not a fan of Menudo, I was not overly enthused, but I ordered it anyway. It came in crisp strips and had I not been acutely aware of what I was eating, I may have mistaken it for meat. It was simply garnished, as are most street tacos, with pickled onions and just a touch of sauce. Not my favorite taco ever, but worth sampling.
Within the truck is a cozy table for 6, with a U-shaped banquette. The dining room (known as el comedor) is available by reservation only on weekend nights. Ryan is offering a 3 course meal centered around a pork shoulder and served with all the fixings to roll up in tortillas. I’m excited for that experience– based on my initial visit to Port Fonda, it should be a blast.
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Also see: Port Fonda, KC Magazine, Eldo Recommends, Yelp, Fonda History
More Updates: Patrick Ryan is ready to get rolling with Port Fonda in Westport (June 18, 2012)
Mexican restaurant Port Fonda now has a home in Westport (June 18, 2012)
Port Fonda Restaurant Set to Open Tuesday, June 26 (June 18, 2012)
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Sep 11
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Student finds his soundtrack to success
The past few weeks of Grant Fonda’s life would not make for a very stirring motion picture.
Although Fonda participated in an international contest that tested his skill and resolve, there was no final scene of victory, only quiet affirmations. No triumphant hoisting of a trophy over his weary head, only subtler moments to be cherished and worthwhile lessons to be tucked away for a future date.
University of Missouri graduate student Grant Fonda recently traveled to Poland to compete in the Transatlantyk Instant Composition Contest.
The graduate student at the University of Missouri School of Music traveled to Poland earlier this month to compete in the Transatlantyk Instant Composition Contest, a compositional pressure cooker that tested his ability to write emotive music for motion pictures. Although Fonda did not achieve a level of glory worthy of having his own tale captured on celluloid, he came home with a better understanding of what it means to be part of the film industry.
Fonda applied to the competition — founded by Oscar-winning composer Jan Kaczmarek (“Finding Neverland”) — almost as an afterthought, engaging the process between finishing a commission and heading to his native California for vacation. In addition to submitting previously composed works, he was required to score two short film clips that were distinct but equally daunting. The first, a climactic scene from the 2009 film “Get Low,” included a stirring soliloquy from Oscar winner Robert Duvall; it was an “intense” and “delicate” moment with dialogue that needed to be preserved, not drowned out, he said. The second was from a “bizarre” French cartoon in which a young girl, among other things, falls into a bowl of alphabet soup and is attacked by zombies.
For the Duvall clip, he evoked themes of mystery and absolution through the use of unresolved dissonances, inverted chords and pedal tones; Fonda balanced “menacing” and “childlike” themes for the latter. For his work, he was selected as one of 30 participants, which meant trekking to Poland, watching a short film, and composing and performing an accompaniment before a panel of American and Polish judges on the spot.
Fonda was shown a five-plus-minute piece called “Walking,” produced by a Canadian travel commission decades ago; the work was bizarre and psychedelic, with no discernible plot or dialogue, he said. Immediately upon leaving the screening room, he sat at the piano and performed his level best. His strategy: attach a winning theme to the film’s central character and balance out its more extreme elements with a relatively accessible, melodic score. Ultimately, Fonda did not take his place among the 10 finalists. He received praise from the American panelists but was told the European judges wished he’d taken more risks; other contestants incorporated elements of prepared piano or relied on a more serial, clustered set of tones.
Although Fonda did not advance in the competition, his compositional sensibilities were advanced by encouraging, “invaluable” interactions with the likes of composers Christopher Young (“Spider-Man 3,” “The Grudge”), George S. Clinton (the “Austin Powers” films), Bruno Louchouarn (“Total Recall”) and producer Roy Conli (“Tangled,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”); these professionals offered lessons on life and art in master classes and specific feedback in personal conversations.
Among the comments Fonda received were praiseworthy pronouncements on his ability to convey mood and character and his capacity to musically captain viewers through a spectrum of emotions in a short period of time. Clinton remarked on his remarkable capacity for suggesting and creating color through orchestration. Additionally, he was told he had a fitting temperament for composition and was encouraged to stand up for his abilities, even while avoiding walking on others in collaboration. Ultimately, he was deeply encouraged by Young’s comments on the relationship between a composer’s maturity and the potency of his or her music.
“He said, ‘You’re not going to be able to evoke the right emotion for a romantic scene if you’ve never been married,’ ” Fonda recalled. “ ‘You’re not going to be able to evoke the right emotion for a funeral if you’ve never witnessed somebody close to you die.’ He said there’s just a certain advantage that being older in the industry has than being younger. … All this time I had been thinking,” as someone who’s closer to 30 than 20, “I’d missed my stride.”
Fonda said he’s likely to reapply next year — this year’s contest might not have provided a feel-good movie ending, but, as he exercises his talent and applies messages received an ocean away, there’s little doubt a sequel is in the works.
Reach Aarik Danielsen at 573-815-1731 or e-mail ajdanielsen@columbiatribune.com.
Copyright 2011 Columbia Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
This article was published on page C2 of the Sunday, August 28, 2011 edition of The Columbia Daily Tribune.