shane "helping" daddy a few years back

The good news is, we’re getting a new computer. Yay!

The bad news is we’re getting a new computer because our old one died.  : (  I’m posting this from our old computer, but it’s a race against time because inevitably it will be attacked by viruses and crash.  And the system can’t be updated.

Sooo.... I’ll have very limited access to the internet for a week or so.  I’ll be back the minute we are up and running.  See you soon, peeps!

[REPOST: some friends said they couldn't read the original post.  I don't know what the problem was, but I hope it's working this time.]

Matt, Misha and Vlad  (l-r)

Not every American rock band has three members who were born in eastern Europe.  Not every American rock band’s lead singer dares to stand on top of an audience of 15-year old girls at least once during every set.  Not every American rock band somehow managed to find a way to use the word “mensch” in their lyrics. Then again, Jet Lag Gemini is not every American rock band.

Jet Lag Gemini has always done things their own way. “Even when we first started out as a local band, we were the odd band out,” recalls Vlad Gheorghiu, JLG’s lead guitarist. 

Mahwah, New Jersey was the setting for the birth of JLG.  “We all met at Mahwah High School,” remembers lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Misha Safanov referring to himself, Vlad, Vlad’s brother Matt and Dan DiLiberto, the only member of the band born in the USA.  The four decided to start a rock band, but didn’t want to follow any trend, be it pop-punk or screamo, which was riding a wave of popularity when the guys came together.  “We always wanted to do something different,” says Vlad.

Vlad

One difference that is apparent when the band performs is that at some point in every JLG song, Vlad’s bandmates step aside to let him shred.  When Vlad, a self-taught guitarist, first picked up the instrument seven years ago, he not only immersed himself in bands like Green Day and blink-182, but was an avid student of classic rock and the blues. Vlad cites the late, great blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughn and Brian May of Queen as two of his early influences.  He quickly found that his musical ear and nimble fingers  served him well in his quest to become a lead guitarist.

Lyrically, JLG’s songs on past albums seem to have shown the cynical side of the band’s outlook, but always done with intelligence and a poetic flair.

In the song “Bittersweet,” the narrator seems to be asking for a reconciliation through the use of strong, tangible images:

Wait and stay

Without you I’ll decay away

And there won’t be a whole lot that’s left of me.

With muscle and marrow and strength in my bones

I will tear out the bricks that are holding together the walls

That divide our frail homes.

Matt

On a lighter note is the story of how the word mensch, a Yiddish word meaning nice guy came to have a place in the JLG song “Fit to be Tied.”  When Vlad first saw the line Misha had written, “I’m such a mensch in my clothes,” he was sure Misha had written the line as a joke.  The band debated using the word, but Misha wasn’t about to let his “awesome” word go.  “Eventually it stuck with us,” recalls Vlad.  Apparently, fans must have agreed with Misha, as “Fit to Be Tied” became one of JLG’s most popular singles.

Another thing the song “Fit to Be Tied” is known for in concert is Misha’s crowd walk, or more accurately, crowd stand.  “The first time it happened my friend just threw me into the crowd.”  After that, Misha decided to make it a tradition.  But he doesn’t venture into the audience until he has determined if the group standing in front of him looks strong enough to bear his weight.  Once in a while his judgment fails him and he tumbles to the floor.  Watching Misha balance on top of a sea of teenagers makes an observer wonder whether Misha’s ancestors include circus performers as well as musicians.

Misha

 “Fire the Cannons” was released in January 2008, and the band is currently writing songs for their sophomore effort.  Not that the material on their first record was without hope, but the band has decided to go in an even more inspirational direction for their next record. “We’re trying to write a record that people will listen to and feel better, one that will speak to them about what’s going on in their lives,” Misha states.  According to Vlad, the band hopes to begin recording the new album in November of this year.

Where do the members of JLG see the band several years down the road?  While Misha would be happy if they were simply able to tour, put out albums and make a living, Vlad has a grander vision. “We want to be the ultimate arena band with crazy fireworks going off on stage and every song a hit.”

Dan

all photos courtesy of shotmonster.com

Matt, Misha and Vlad (l-r)

Not every American rock band has three members who were born in eastern Europe. Not every American rock band’s lead singer dares to stand on top of an audience of 15-year old girls at least once during every set. Not every American rock band somehow managed to find a way to work the word “mensch” into their lyrics. Then again, Jet Lag Gemini is not every American rock band.

Jet Lag Gemini has always done things their own way. “Even when we first started out as a local band, we were the odd band out,” recalls Vlad Gheorghiu, JLG’s lead guitarist.

Mahwah, New Jersey was the setting for the birth of JLG. “We all met at Mahwah High School,” remembers lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Misha Safanov referring to himself, Vlad, Vlad’s brother Matt and Dan DiLiberto, the only member of the band born in the USA. The four decided to start a rock band, but didn’t want to follow any trend, be it pop-punk or screamo, which was riding a wave of popularity when the guys came together. “We always wanted to do something different,” says Vlad.

Vlad

One difference that is apparent when the band performs is that at some point in every JLG song, Vlad’s bandmates step aside to let him shred. When Vlad, a self-taught guitarist, first picked up the instrument seven years ago, he not only immersed himself in bands like Green Day and blink-182, but was an avid student of classic rock and the blues. Vlad cites the late, great blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughn and Brian May of Queen as two of his early influences. He quickly found that his musical ear and nimble fingers served him well in his quest to become a lead guitarist.

Lyrically, JLG’s songs on past albums seem to have shown the cynical side of the band’s outlook, but always done with intelligence and a poetic flair.

In the song “Bittersweet,” the narrator seems to be asking for a reconciliation through the use of strong, tangible images:

Wait and stay

Without you I’ll decay away

And there won’t be a whole lot that’s left of me

With muscle and marrow and strength in my bones

I will tear out the bricks that are holding together the walls

That divide our frail homes

Wait and stay

Matt

On a lighter note is the story of how the word mensch, a Yiddish word meaning nice guy came to have a place in the JLG song “Fit to be Tied.” When Vlad first saw the line Misha had written, “I’m such a mensch in my clothes,” he was sure Misha had written the line as a joke. The band debated using the word, but Misha wasn’t about to let his “awesome” word go. “Eventually it stuck with us,” recalls Vlad. Apparently, fans must have agreed with Misha, as “Fit to Be Tied” became one of JLG’s most popular singles.

Another thing the song “Fit to Be Tied” is known for in concert is Misha’s crowd walk, or more accurately, crowd stand. “The first time it happened my friend just threw me into the crowd.” After that, Misha decided to make it a tradition. But he doesn’t venture into the audience until he has determined if the group standing in front of him looks strong enough to bear his weight. Once in a while his judgment fails him and he tumbles to the floor. Watching Misha balance on top of a sea of teenagers makes an observer wonder whether Misha’s ancestors include circus performers as well as musicians.

Misha

“Fire the Cannons” was released in January 2008, and the band is currently writing songs for their sophomore effort. Not that the material on their first record was without hope, but the band has decided to go in an even more inspirational direction for their next record. “We’re trying to write a record that people will listen to and feel better, one that will speak to them about what’s going on in their lives,” Misha states. According to Vlad, the band hopes to begin recording the new album in November of this year.

Where do the members of JLG see the band several years down the road? While Misha would be happy if they were simply able to tour, put out albums and make a living, Vlad has a grander vision. “We want to be the ultimate arena band with crazy fireworks going off [on stage] and every song a hit.”

Dan

all photos courtesy of shotmonster.com

In a year highlighted by signing with Fearless Records, releasing their debut LP, “Eyes to the Sun,” and embarking on the Shh. It Happens tour, what has been the most exciting thing that’s happened for Sparks the Rescue recently? “We got a new van!” drummer Nate Spencer crows.

During one leg of their recent tour, their old van died and the five members of the band found themselves huddled on the floor of a rented cargo van, headed home. The musicians weathered that crisis with ease. “We’re getting used to roughing it,” says rhythm guitarist Toby McAllister. Natives of the state of Maine, Spencer, McAllister, and their fellow bandmates, Alex Roy, Patrick O’Connell and Ben Briggs, have Down East Yankee hardiness in their genes.

At least one of the bandmembers has a softer side, revealed when he tells the story of how this pop-punk quintet got its name. “I love cheesy romantic novels,” admits McAllister, The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks being one of his favorites. The band agreed to call themselves The Rescue, but discovered that another band had beaten them to it. They added the name of the author, and Sparks the Rescue was born.

Sparks the Rescue came together four years ago when Spencer, McAllister and Briggs, who were playing in a blink-182 cover band joined forces with Roy, who played in a rival blink-182 cover band. O’Connell, the only Sparks the Rescue member not playing in a blink-182 cover band, had been honing his skills on classic rock, trying to follow in the footsteps of Jimmy Page.

 
Toby                                                      Patrick

Today, Sparks the Rescue play their own original compositions. “I usually write the skeleton of the song and bring it to the other guys and they all help finish it,” says Roy. Sometimes it can take weeks for the band to fine tune a song to the point where it’s ready to demo. Other songs seem to almost write themselves. “Nurse! Nurse! (I’m Losing My Patients),” a single from the band’s EP “came together in an hour,” reveals Spencer.

Relative newcomers to a crowded pop-punk scene that already includes bands like All Time Low and The Maine, Sparks the Rescue plans to break out of the pack by making sure their live performances are simply unforgettable. Their unique and dynamic stage presence includes a tight rhythm section, (“They’ve been together since eighth grade.”), flawless vocal harmonies, and a lead singer who’s not afraid to literally reach out and touch his audience. When Roy says, “We bring it,” it’s not an idle boast.

Alex and Toby

Ben and Alex

This summer, Sparks the Rescue will play on the Shh. It Happens tour, headlined by Fearless labelmates Every Avenue. This guarantees that kids will pack in to venues across the country to see Sparks the Rescue “bring it.” Last summer told a different story for McAllister and his bandmates. They arrived at one venue only to be told that unless a requisite number of patrons attended their concert, the band themselves would have to pay the rental fee for the venue. McAllister’s response at the time was, “Dude, we can’t do that. We’ve got, like, five bucks.”

The shortage of funds at the time forced the band to load up the van and head straight for home. Despite setbacks like this, the bandmembers remained optimistic about their future. While some bands quit after one bad experience, Sparks the Rescue refused to give in. “We weren’t worried about if it would ever happen for us. It was just a matter of when,” says McAllister.

Signing with Fearless Records in March of 2009 has brought big improvements to the daily lives of these hard working musicians. They were able to hire a tour manager to handle everything from interfacing with venue management to what’s-for-dinner. In addition, instead of having to book their own shows, Fearless assumes that responsibility, along with all promotion of the band.

Despite growing success, one thing that hasn’t changed is the band’s genuine connection with the fans. They still write their own Myspace blogs (although now someone at the record label corrects their spelling), and they still make time for fans before and after shows. Spencer speaks for the band when he says, “We’re here because of you...If I could, I would take you all home with me and cook you dinner!”

Nate

all photos courtesy of shotmonster.com

There was a whole bunch of real life happening this week.  I’ve missed you!

First, we were in Pittsburgh.

silly cupcakes at the Oakmont Bakery

Then came Shane’s birthday.

 unrelated photo of Shane

Then came Shane’s spring band concert.

blowin' that horn

Friday night I interviewed Misha and Vlad from Jet Lag Gemini.

Vlad shredding (did you know he moved here from Romania when he was 10?)

Saturday I wrote up an interview with Sparks the Rescue. 

 Alex Roy of Sparks the Rescue

Today we saw Terminator Salvation.

Phew!

I still love Buzznet and hope to be more active; also I’ll do my best to catch up on your posts.

What have you been up to?

luv.....helen.....xo

photos courtesty of shotmonster.com

Steve Juliano doesn’t just sing I Am Ghost’s songs; he performs them.  He prowls the stage, from north to south, from east to west. His head bangs like a stamping press; his face twists into a tragic mask; his arms strike a dancer’s poses; his voice ranges from a whisper to a scream.

Ironically, Juliano, lead vocalist/frontman for the L.A.-based band I Am Ghost, and a man who seems like he was born for the stage, joined his first rock band almost by accident.  His career as an animator for film and TV was well under way when he found himself at a party one night.  The band that was playing the party was minus a singer, so Juliano filled in by singing a Sublime cover. “After the party, they were like, ‘Man you sang that song really good.  We’re looking for a singer for our band...Do you wanna try out?’”  Juliano turned down the offer that night.  “I never thought I would be in a band. I was just doing it like karaoke, with a few beers in me.”  He happened to run into a guy from the band a few weeks later, and they still hadn’t found a singer. Juliano agreed to give it another shot. “I tried out and the rest is history. I loved it.”

It’s only fitting that Juliano is an exuberant showman.  Most of  I Am Ghost’s songs tell tales of romance, tragedy and death.  “We don’t sing about the government.  We don’t sing about ex-girlfriends,” Juliano explains.  Matched to the dramatic lyrical content is a musical blend of elements of hardcore, metal, pop-punk and screamo that produces a sound that is distinctly I Am Ghost’s.   Juliano and his bandmates, Timoteo Rosales (lead guitar), Ron Ficarro (bass/vocals), Chadd Kulengasky (rhythm guitar/vocals) and Justin McCarthy (drums), have even coined a new term to describe their music: “epic-core.”

Juliano assumes all the duties of lyricist for the band, but doesn’t make his contribution until after the music has been composed.  Guitarist Rosales and bassist Ficarro wrote all the music for IAG’s most recent album Those We Leave Behind, released in October of 2008. Juliano seems to trust his bandmates implicitly.  “The band knows the idea of I Am Ghost, the image and the vision. They’re not gonna write a poppy song.”

The stories told on Those We Leave Behind seem like they must have come from Juliano’s vivid imagination, such as this excerpt from Bone Garden.

I am the man they couldn’t hang,

A force-fed son of romance dressed in hooks,

who kissed your head, killed twelve dead, baby.

I am an addict burning winter, a closed-door annihilator

Motherf*cker burned who was married in your bone garden.

However, Juliano reveals that every song is based a real person who was connected to Juliano’s life somehow, and who ended up dying. Hence the album’s title.

Contrast Those We Leave Behind’s  roots in reality with the total fantasy that was the group’s first LP, Lover’s Requiem.  Released in late 2006, this work is what Juliano considers a “rock opera.”  Inspired by The Who’s Tommy,  Juliano, who, as a child, had acted in the musical, and his fellow bandmates at the time set out to produce an album on a similarly grand scale.  Juliano describes the story told on the album this way: “A vampire meets a girl; they both die at the same time.  He goes to hell; she goes to heaven.  And it’s this big epic battle in the afterlife trying to be with each other.” Each song on the album represents a new chapter in the story.  The production on the album complements the concept of the opera, incorporating a full orchestra and latin choir.

Apart from Juliano and Rosales, I Am Ghost had a different lineup at the time Lover’s Requiem was released, including female vocalist/violinist, Kerith Telestai.  As Juliano tells it, after touring with the band in 2007 and surviving  the rigors of Warped Tour, Kerith and bassist Brian Telestai decided that life on the road was not for them. The husband and wife team relocated to Utah where they work as schoolteachers. 

Juliano weathered a number of personnel changes to arrive at the crew he plays with now.  In assembling the current lineup for the band, Juliano searched for potential bandmates who were not only good musicians, but were also committed to the business of being in a professional touring band. While there’s something to be said for the chemistry of bands  made up of guys who’ve known each other since high school, Juliano thinks that can also work to a band’s disadvantage, the attitude being, “I’m on tour with my best friends; we’re just gonna have fun.” 

Juliano says he and his bandmates have fun and get along great. But when it comes to making I Am Ghost a success,  like Juliano, Rosales, Ficarro, Kulengasky, and McCarthy take their jobs very seriously.

Three Things You Didn’t Know About Steve Juliano

• Steve took tap dancing lessons when he was a kid.
• As an animator,  Steve worked on the highly popular HBO series “Tales from the Crypt.”
• In his spare time Steve is writing and illustrating an original graphic novel.

Special Buzznet Addendum

While Steve Juliano can be considered a pretty serious guy, his eyes did light up once, toward the end of our talk when I mentioned that the interview would appear on Buzznet. “Buzznet?” he said. “I love Buzznet!”  (Don’t we all.)

photos courtesy of shotmonster.com