The Roots Report: Beat the Heat with Cool Shows

Okee dokee folks … It’s summer. I would be remiss if I didn’t reiterate my feelings about it. I hate summer. I am sorry. I know many of you folks like summer. I am not a fan of the heat and humidity. Fortunately, we are more than halfway through. Music makes the summer easier to deal with – for me anyway. There are still a lot of summer shows to catch while the weather is warm, though sometimes “warm” can be a bit of an understatement. Onward.

The Downtown Sundown Series

The Downtown Sundown Series has been steadily gaining a solid audience, mostly by word of mouth. Every show brings more folks who are amazed by the talent of the performers and the beauty of Roger Williams National Memorial. Now in its third year, this music series brings free music into downtown Providence two Saturdays per month. Already this season, performers such as WS Monroe, Billy Mitchell, Malyssa Bellarosa, Kala Farnham, Mark Cutler, Heather Rose, Tracie Potochnik, Bob Kendall, Jesse Liam and Jack Gauthier, and others have graced the park stage with their wonderful music. The middle lawn at the Memorial is the perfect spot for a sundown show. The music starts at 7 pm and continues until 9:30 pm, and four performers are featured at each show. The audience members sit back in lawn chairs, lie on blankets or directly on the grass and enjoy some of the best singer- songwriters from the area. Picnickers are welcomed and encouraged. It could be a great start to a night out in Providence or as a complete evening activity. It’s a friendly and safe environment where children and well-behaved dogs can join in. This season’s last two shows are August 10 and 17, both Saturday nights. Emma Joy Galvin, Steve Allain, Aoife Clancy, Ed McGuirl, WS Monroe, Dylan Sevey, Mary Ann Rossoni and the Rank Strangers are scheduled. For more about the series, twilight to hearinrhodeisland.com

Three Dog Night

Back when I was in fifth or sixth grade, I had a French teacher who taught us how to sing “Joy to the World” in French for a school assembly. No, it wasn’t the Christmas song. It was the song by Three Dog Night. At the time this song was a pretty big hit. Yup, do the math, it was quite a while ago. I heard their songs on AM radio and loved their sound. I also loved the band name. It was taken from an Australian expression that basically means that a “three dog night” is a really cold night. The colder the night, the more dogs the bushmen would sleep with. Being a dog person all of my life, I actually have had three dog nights! It hasn’t been cold here in months, but it’s the perfect time for a Three Dog Night. The Zeiterion Performing Arts Center (The Z) in New Bedford will present the legendary Three Dog Night on Friday, August 9. Three Dog Night songs have become part of pop culture with hits including “Joy to the World,” “Mama Told Me (Not to Come),” “Black and White” and many more. Since forming in 1968, they’ve charted 21 Top 40 hits, seven of which went gold. Their well-loved songs, delivered in their unmistakable style, are still performed for audiences spanning generations by founding members Cory Wells and Danny Hutton on lead vocals, original keyboardist Jimmy Greenspoon and guitarist Michael Allsup, Paul Kingery on bass and vocals, and drummer Pat Bautz. Tickets for the Three Dog Night show are $35 to $59 and are available by phone, online or in person at the Z box office. For more information, howl over to zeiterion.org.

Cherish the Ladies

The Blackstone River Theatre will present a rare summer concert featuring Cherish the Ladies on Saturday, August 3. The “Ladies” have grown from a one-time concert concept to an Irish traditional music sensation, literally the most successful and sought-after Irish-American group in Celtic music. Organized by folklorist/musician Mick Moloney and sponsored by the Ethnic Folk Arts Center and the National Endowment for the Arts, Cherish the Ladies began as a concert series featuring the brightest lights in Irish traditional music. Taking their name from the name of a traditional Irish jig, the group initially won recognition as the first and only all-women traditional Irish band. In a relatively short time, they soon established themselves as musicians and performers without peer and have won many thousands of listeners and fans of their music. With their spectacular blend of virtuosic instrumental talents, beautiful vocals, captivating arrangements and stunning step dancing, this powerhouse group combines all the facets of Irish traditional culture and puts it forth in an immensely humorous and entertaining package. For more, jiggle over to riverfolk.org.

The Small Axe Cafe

Nestled past the Fantastic Umbrella Factory gardens, attached to the Small Axe shop, is the one of the best-kept secrets around, The Small Axe Café. Every Sunday from 2 to 4 pm you can hear live acoustic music by local performers out on the patio (weather permitting). The Fantastic Umbrella Factory is just off Route 1 in Charlestown, a little past Ninigret Park. Head down and grab a bite to eat before or after shopping or beach-going and take a stroll through the garden near the Small Axe. Don’t forget to say hello to the animals, especially the emus! The Fantastic Umbrella Factory is located at 4820 Old Post Road in Charlestown. For more about this series; chop, chop, chop over to facebook.com/smallaxeproductions.

ConserFest

If you are into a bit of a bop across the bay, then you should get on board one of the Block Island ferries and get to New Shoreham for August 3 and 4. This is when ConserFest will take place on “The Block.” You can hear local and regional performers at Poor Peoples Pub, Club Soda, Captain Nick’s, The Fred Benson Town Beach Pavilion and Yellow Kittens Tavern. Scheduled for the fest are Brandon Morris, Homeslice featuring Travis Greenlee, The Max Balmforth Band, Bonfire Bandit, Kristin Plater, The Shades, Viennagram, Alex Brady, Mr. Kowalsky, Christina Holmes, Phil and David Turano, Frank Viele, The Johnny Lingo Trio, Cooper Rivers, Cheers Elephant, The Booze Beggars, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad and more. ConserFest’s mission is to raise consciousness for environmental conservation on Block Island through the celebration of music and art. The proceeds and donations from ConserFest events help support and fund non-profit organizations dedicated to protecting the natural environment. Through this annual music and art festival, ConserFest raises finances and awareness for land conservation and for the preservation of local heritage and culture. For a schedule and more info, float on over to conserfest.org.

The Towers

It may be cooler by the ocean, but The Towers in Narragansett makes the temperature rise every Thursday night with great music and dancing. Towers music coordinator, Kate Vivian, has a passion for good music and dance and presents weekly shows to share the love. Thursday, August 15, experience a unique combination of two-fisted piano, red hot trombone, blazing guitar, rock solid bass, powerful vocals and frenzied percussion antics when the Superchief Trio bring in their jump blues and boogie- woogie. Slippery Sneakers slides in on August 22 with Southwest Louisiana Cajun and Zydeco roots music. The annual season closer for The Towers Series is the Grammy Award winning Steve Riley and The Mamou Playboys on Thursday, August 29. Riley and his Playboys have delighted audiences with Cajun, zydeco and swampgrass for more than 25 years. For a complete schedule and more about the shows, two-step over to thetowersri.com.

The Narrows

The Narrows in Fall River is moving into the ice age. Well, not really, but sort of. Their state-of-the-art air conditioning system should be completed by the first week of August and it will be an even cooler place to catch live music, especially during the dog days of summer. Coming up on August 17 is Nick Lowe. Please go and tell me how it was; I would love to get to it but unfortunately, I can’t. It has been many, many, MANY years since I have seen Lowe in concert. I was very excited when I saw him on the Narrows’ schedule but, alas, I have my own gig that night. Nick Lowe has made his mark as a producer (Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, The Pretenders, The Damned), songwriter (“(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding,” “Cruel to be Kind,” “So it Goes”), a short-lived career as a pop star, and a lengthy term as a musicians’ musician. But in his current second act as a silver-haired, tender- hearted, but sharp-tongued singer-songwriter, he has no equal. Do yourself a favor and go! On Friday, August 23, The Pousette-Dart Band hits the Narrows’ stage. Led by Jon Pousette-Dart, The Pousette- Dart Band carved a place in the landscape of American music in the 1970s. They were a mainstay of album radio, a favorite on the college circuit, and became one of the busiest touring groups in the US. If you remember hits such as “Amnesia” or “County Line,” you’ll definitely want to see them. Now this is where the idea of a Narrows’ bed and breakfast would be awesome. The following night, Saturday, August 24, the man who used to float around in commercials selling laundry detergent, but is best known for his flapper-era radio ditties, Depression-spawned ragtime and World War II folk-jazz Leon Redbone will be “tuning up” The Narrows’ stage. You can round out the month with a performance by one of the best banjo couples around. Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn have mastered the deceptively intricate art of the duet and the banjo. Their performances embrace a diversity almost unthinkable coming from just two banjos and one voice. Washburn’s beguiling composing, playing and singing blend with Fleck’s riveting and virtuosic musicianship to create unique music. For more about these shows and more, claw-hammer your way to narrowscenter.org.

Summit Music Festival

For East-Siders and beyond, the 4th Annual Summit Music Festival will be held on Saturday, August 24 from 1 to 6 pm at Lippitt Park. This will be a fun-filled day of music, food and local crafts. Entertainment will be provided by The Stooges Brass Band, Marco Benevento, The Sugar Honey Iced Tea, Roz Raskin and the Rice Cakes, Extraordinary Rendition Band, and Emeline Easton. There will be activities for the children, a garden (don’t mix the two), food and craft vendors and much more. Admission to the fest is free and the rain date is August 25. If you want to find out more, climb over to sna.providence.ri.us/smf/

Becky Chace CD Release

The multi-award winning singer-songwriter Becky Chace will be celebrating the release of her latest musical offering, Rise and Fall, her tenth or so, on Friday, August 30, at Sandywoods in Tiverton. Chace told me, “Basically, we produced ourselves in our own studio in an attempt to use all of our knowledge to get our own sound and not something that a studio would influence; we feel as though what we got was honest and different.” Her long-time musical partner, Brian Minisce, was her co-conspirator on this project. Appearances by local musical luminaries such as Doug Woolverton from Roomful of Blues, The Complaints, Tom Petteruti of Brass Attack, Steve Allain, Sean Kennedy, Tom Hall, Jennifer Minuto all add spice to mix. Her own “new-ish” band members also contribute to some tracks with Eric Hastings on drums and Mark Minisce on bass. Sandywoods is a nice place for this show. You can BYOB and bring your own food and enjoy the show your way! For more about the CD and show, head “Downstream” to beckychace.com.

That’s it for now. Come on autumn!!!

John Fuzek www.johnfuzek.com

Charitable Zombies Take Over Fort Adams

It’s well-known that the only way to cure the zombies in your life of their affliction is a quick blow to the head, ending their insatiable appetite for human flesh. But can you really call a headshot a cure? The creators of the Zombies Got Guts 3K adventure race, which takes place at Fort Adams on August 25, came up with a much better kind of cure.

Race participants start the challenge as zombies, with costumes strongly encouraged, and as they complete each one of 10 obstacles successfully, they’ll receive a bit of zombie antidote that will make them human again at the end of the race. Those who finish the race without all 10 pieces of the antidote are doomed to forever roam the earth in search of human brains.

Though zombies aren’t usually considered the most generous of creatures, the ones tackling this obstacle course are doing so in the name of an important local charitable organization. Punks for a Princess was formed after the tragic drowning death of 7-year-old Kaitlyn Ferra. Originally formed to raise money for the Kaitlyn Ferra Memorial Fund, the organization has since evolved to raise money for the A Wish Come True organization, which grants wishes to kids facing life-threatening illnesses, so that more children can benefit from the organization’s events. PR Director of Punks for a Princess, Bobby Forand, said, “We wanted to plan a summer event so we teamed up with Dave Prata from Hallowed Entertainment and the Zombies Got Guts idea was born. While there are few original ideas anymore, we thought the idea of starting as a zombie and getting a piece of the antidote after completing every obstacle was somewhat unique. After negotiations, Fort Adams offered us their venue and the rest is history. Planning the event has been a worthwhile challenge, but I have loved every minute of it and can’t wait to see everything come to fruition.”

To give your zombie a chance to be cured, preregister him at zombiesgotguts.com. On-site registration is available, but limited, so preregistration is encouraged. Spectators of all ages can attend, but participant zombies must be at least 18. The event takes place at Fort Adams on August 25 with check- in at 7 am and the first wave of zombies hitting the obstacle course at 9 am.

Rhode Island Mini Maker Faire Brings Robots, Escape Artists and Beer!

“A bunch of weirdos with strange machines and art”

Ah, it’s that time of year again; the doldrums of summer have arrived with each day being more hot and humid than the last. To fight the oppressive heat, you reach for your favorite beer and hear … CRUSH! KILL! DESTROY! A small squad of mechanical men with sharp steel appendages flailing and glowing red eyes comes after you, having recently been released from their maker’s control at the 2030 Maker Faire. Wait, wait … it’s not 2030 yet? Oh … well, that’s the future. Prepare.

Fortunately, it’s still 2013, the great robot uprising still hasn’t occurred and the Rhode Island Mini Maker Faire is going strong. What is RI Mini Maker Faire (RIMMF), you ask? It’s a celebration of all things do-it-yourself that happens once every year. In short, the RIMMF event gets the most innovative, creative and odd-ball people in the area together for a day to showcase what they’ve been working on. The larger cousin of the RIMMF, the Maker Faire in San Mateo, California, attracts thousands of people every year and has everything from a large dinosaur sculpture constructed from steel to demonstrations of Tesla coils featuring Adam Savage of “MythBusters” fame. While the RIMMF may not be able to boast such size, it is in its fifth year of existence and has grown larger since that first year when it took over a small square in the financial district. The RIMMF was started by two local tech titans who saw an opportunity and duty to show off the creativity of the local culture in Providence and greater Rhode Island. The two men behind the RIMMF are Brian Jepson and Kipp Bradford, both with strong maker and RI ties. Jepson is also a founding force behind the monthly Meetup Providence Geeks, which helps shine a light on the local tech economy. Kipp is a lecturer at Brown University and owner of Kipp Kits, a company devoted to making professional-grade engineering kits to facilitate easier living.

Previous years have seen all kinds of booths from trebuchets to sub woofers, upcycled RC planes to games projected on the sidewalk, recumbent bikes to beer. The moral is, if you made it and have a story to tell, then RIMMF is for you. For the last four years, I’ve done a live demonstration, first with my friends and then with my homebrewing club, The Rhode Island Brewing Society (RIBS). We always get people walking up to the booth asking, “What is that heavenly (or horrible) smell?” and then staying to chat about how beer is made. As homebrewers and makers, we tend to evangelize our hobby and we’re not alone in the community. Each booth at the faire has someone enthusiastic about something behind it; don’t be afraid to ask questions about what they do.

The roster this year has a number of RIMMF Alums, including:

The RIBS live homebrewing demonstration TRACIMOC, which converts homeless comics into usable and wearable art E1, a robot constructed from a motorized wheel chair base DC401 and their how to escape from handcuffs demonstration Brooklyn Aerodrome, which makes upcycled RC planes (they make trash fly!) Free Geek Providence and fun demonstrations of open source software

This year will also include a few new acts worth checking out:

Modibot, Mo a fully articulated “action figure” with interchangable parts that can be 3D printed. Close Quarters, a local maker/hackerspace in Pawtucket will be showing some past projects International Yacht Restoration School, demonstrating fabrication methods AS220 Labs demoing projects and providing a soldering workshop area

There’s plenty more acts that sign up and too many to list in this article. Speaking of AS220, where would MakerFaire RI be without AS220’s Foo Fest? This is the second year that RIMMF has been a part of the Foo Fest lineup and it seems to be a very fitting place to exhibit. For those foos who don’t know about the Foo Fest, I sure do pity you. Foo Fest is a yearly block party on Empire Street bringing you music, art, performance, activities for all ages, food and most importantly BEER!! Don’t worry, there are also non-alcoholic beverages there. It will be tough to top previous musical acts such as Andrew WK, Big Frieda and Thrillhouse w/ the viking parade, but I’m sure the AS220 gang is up to the task.

Foo Fest is happening August 10 on the block of Empire Street between Washington and Westminster. You should be able to follow your ears. Admission is only $7 per person. That’s like the price of a really good beer for hours and hours of entertainment. The Maker Faire will be held in the Pell-Chafee Auditorium; there will be signs posted and it’s likely the Rhode Island Brewing Society will be brewing beer right out front. There is no admission for the Maker Faire, but there is a kickstarter for you generous folks who want to see more events like this in the future (http://kck.st/1aipTiD). All the festivities begin at 1 pm and continue till 1 am.

So now you have plans on August 10, and who knows, maybe you’ll even run into me at the Maker Faire. I could be manning the Close Quarters or RIBS booth.

Mix-a-Six: Notes and Happenings From Around the State

Dogfish Head is returning to Rhode Island! In a fun announcement trailer, they announced higher capacity and the intention of returning distribution to RI later this year. Unfortunately, no dates have been announced yet.

Word on the street says that Beervana will happen on October 18. Better save the date.

Foolproof is throwing their own little fiesta, dubbed Augtoberfest, on Saturday, August 17, from 12 to 4 pm. The festival will be held at the and will feature live music, food trucks and a new Foolproof beer, King of the Yahd Imperial IPA. Tickets can be purchased for $26 on http://augtoberfest.eventbrite.com. Four are included with each ticket.

A number of 40BBL fermenters were recently delivered to Grey Sail Brewing of Rhode Island.

Bucket Brewery is also expanding and they’re going big. They’ve already picked out a 3,700 sq. ft. space at 545 Pawtucket Ave. and have started molding the space to their needs. Once they’re done, they’ll add a 10BBL brewing system and some 20BBL fermenters. Unfortunately, as all these transitions occur, they won’t be brewing new beers, so grab them up while you can.

A law was recently passed that allows growler and small quantity sales at RI . Finally!

Mike D’s Top Five: Can’t Miss Shows of August #1 Saturday, August 10: Foo Fest 2013 featuring SSION, 14Foot1, Atlantic Thrills, Black Pus, Dylan Sevey & The Gentlemen, Littlefoot, Lolita Black, Neutral Nation, Saint Jude, Vudu Sister, Vulgarrity, Whore Paint and many more. $7. 1pm to 1am. All ages. Empire St. Providence, RI. Foo Fest these days to me is less about who’s playing when, and just going down to Empire Street and enjoying some of the best local food and bands that Rhody has to offer. Two years ago, Andrew WK put on the worst set I have seen from any national in years, but I still left walking on air from all the other great sets I saw. With 21 or so acts playing, there is something for everyone. The local band standout this year for me would be Littlefoot. Littlefoot describes themselves as dream pop / surf and remind me of Dum Dum Girls. Give it a year or so and they should be the best band in Providence.

#2 Saturday, August 10: Del Tha Funky Homosapien, Symmetry and Dox, Eddie Rap Life and music by DJ Nook. $10 advance / $15 day of. 8pm doors / 9pm show. All ages. The Met, 1005 Main St., Pawtucket, RI. Deltron 3030’s self titled 2000 debut album is not only Del’s best outing, it’s arguably the best underground hip-hop album of the last 13 years. A concept album set in the year 3030 made by producer Dan The Automator (Dr Octagon / Handsome Boy Modeling School), turntablist Kid Koala (Loveage / Gorillaz), and veteran rapper Del was a flawless album beginning to end. Thirteen years later, the sequel is coming, Event 2, on October 1. Del says, “I don’t know if you could even categorize this as a hip-hop album, it’s more like a rock opera, but using rap.” Sign me up. This is the can’t miss show of the month. Hopefully, Del performs some of this new material, but regardless of what he does, his catalog is stacked. This show also marks the return of local rapper Symmetry performing sans his live band, but back to the old days with a DJ with Providence’s Dox. Eddie Rap Life opens and my dude DJ Nook is spinning all night.

#3 Friday, August 23: The Upper Crust, White Dynomite, TOTAL BABES. $10. 8 pm. All ages. The Met, 1005 Main St., Pawtucket, RI. We might not be worthy. Boston’s premier princes of rock & roll pomp and circumstance, The Upper Crust, are back at it again and I am thankful. Part AC/DC and part Spinal Tap and maybe dressed a little bit like Jane Austin-era suitors, The Upper Crust rock and rule with no mercy. I am a big fan of onstage banter, and they bring the A game. Boston’s White Dynomite are a great blend of punk as influenced with a touch of soul and R&B (think along the lines of the New Bomb Turks) and feature future PCL / Death Hawk Hall of Famer John Darga. And this show also marks the debut of TOTAL BABES and claim to be “but rock.” That could mean many things, but likely that they are so focused on the rock they do not have time for the spell.

#4 Thursday, August 29: Diarrhea Planet, The So So Glos, Krill. $10. 9 pm. All ages. Great Scott, 1222 Commonwealth Ave., Allston, MA. Nashville’s Diarrhea Planet is my favorite band of the last year or two. I caught them for the first time at SXSW in 2011, and they shred live. They can go from heavy riffs in the vein of Jay Reatard to three guitars soloing as if they are Van Halen on the drop of a dime. I’m Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams drops this summer on Infinity Cat Records. For an introduction, I recommend going to watch “Warm Riding;” I imagine these dopes break a lot of bones. For advanced learning, check out “Ghost With A Boner.” No, really. Brooklyn’s DIY indie punks The So So Glos support.

#5 Friday, August 30: Hope Anchor, Neutral Nation, Benny Sizzler, Tim Flynn’s Area 51. $8. 8 pm doors / 9 pm show. All ages. The Met, 1005 Main St., Pawtucket, RI. Hope Anchor will be celebrating the release of their brand new album Never Going To Let You Go. These Providence music scene veterans are currently performing at the best I have ever seen them. “After playing many, many years and recording music, me and Terry finally get to put our own necks on the line and call the shots, and this is the crazy pay off!” says Hope Anchor’s vocalist Paul Everett. Providence stalwarts Neutral Nation and Newport’s finest Benny Sizzler will also 100 percent satisfy you, and the elusive Tim Flynn’s Area 51 open.

Alt-Nation: New Discs and Summer Shows The McGunks – Highlights for Lowlifes

Photo by John Capitão

It’s been a while since we had some new material from everyone’s favorite pub-punks, The McGunks! They did have a live album last year, but what the world really needed was some fresh new material from The McGoons. The McGunks give The Pogues a run for their money when it comes to drinking songs. That is cool, I like to drink. Highlights for Lowlifes kicks off in vintage McGunks style with “Bad Decision” about staying at the bar a little too long. “Beer and a Beaten’” reminds a little of The Queers with the harmonies. Singer/guitarist Bob Kadlec has a very gruff voice, but he knows how to use it. “Dead to Me” has a fist pumping sing-a-long chorus and a voice that gets you jumping. It reminds me a lot of the second album by Marky Ramone and The Intruders, The Answers to Your Problems, which was an excellent record despite my hatred for the wig man. The McGunks throw a curveball with the instrumental “Halfway to Hell,” which while an enjoyable punk romp, it’s debatable whether that would better be left as something to open shows with. “One for The Road” is a slower mid-tempo that has a tinge of a Supersuckers flavor. “Speaking of Crazy” revs thing back up while serving as an open letter to someone who is apparently bat shit loco. “The Devil Was Right” is a slab of just really well done punk rock and is my favorite tune of the bunch. If the McGunks view themselves as lowlifes, than this CD is very aptly named!

The McGunks CD release for Highlights for Lowlifes will take place at Fete as part of an awesome show that includes the world renowned Supersuckers, Hellbound Glory, The Mighty Good Boys, and Dog Day Afternoon on September 1.

The Silks – Debut 7”

The Silks released their debut release as a 7 inch and if you haven’t gotten a copy, welp, Houston, we have a problem. The pressing was limited to 300 copies with 80 copies on white vinyl and are almost sold out everywhere, so grab it if you see one of the few remaining copies floating around. The record is already fetching $40 and $50 on the internet. The Silks are a great band, but there is no doubt that having the producer, Paul Westerberg of The Replacements, sing the B-side may play a role in the incredible demand. The A-side is an original ditty called “Down At The Heel.” Complete with a mammoth chorus, it is one of the more rocking numbers in the band’s live repertoire and should serve as an excellent introduction to all those around the world that ordered the record for Westerberg. The B-side, featuring lead vocals by Westerberg, is one of my favorite Stones songs called “One More Try.” The Silks may play the song better than the Stones did on the original. My one critique would be that the original felt like a train that was always about to veer off the tracks but somehow, against all odds, makes it to the destination. The Silks and Westerberg do a great rollicking romp of it that I can listen to over and over. It’s just the near train wreck survival rush of the original isn’t there.

Big Big Shows!

Wheatus & Math The Band

Wheatus were one of those one hit pop-punk wonders in the 90s that has managed to trudge on. Everybody knows the hit “Teenage Dirtbag,” but few other catchy numbers off that debut album. Wheatus isn’t going to go all serious or pull a Flaming Lips where they have one novelty hit and turn into everyone’s critical darlings. You’re pretty much going to get what you know as far as fun, loud pop- punk with Wheatus. Math The Band from Boston is also one hell of a time as far as fast indie dance pop ‘n’ roll that makes this a very attractive show.

Wheatus and Math The Band will rock AS220 on August 7.

The Evens

The Evens are an band composed of Ian MacKaye on baritone guitar and Amy Farina on drums with vocals duties shared. MacKaye is, of course, a legend from his time in the seminal DC hardcore band Minor Threat and later with . A diehard believer in D.Y.I. ethos, MacKaye founded Dischord Records, which has since put out many brilliant records through the years. Moshers looking for something similar from The Evens aren’t going to find it. The Evens come off as more an acoustic indie rock outfit. Still I have faith; Mackaye is a talented mofu and an engaging performer.

The Evens return to AS220 on August 9. Please note this is an early show with doors at 7:30 pm and no opener. The Evens will be onstage by 8 pm.

Baroness

Baroness come to The Met Café for what promises to be a heavy night of music. Baroness are a metal band that had an excellent release last year with Yellow & Green and they have an EP due out in July. Recommended cuts off Yellow & Green to check out include “Collapse,” “Psalms Alive,” and “Stretchmarker.” Don’t miss them this summer at The Met!

Baroness and Royal Thunder will bring the thunder to The Met Café on August 13.

Hope For Kyla

It’s awful to hear that anyone has cancer, but when it’s a 10-year-old, it’s just beyond crushing and all comprehension. Kyla is a 10-year-old girl who was recently diagnosed with kidney cancer. She is undergoing chemotherapy and radiation at Hasbro Children’s Hospital. The family is holding a benefit at The Last Resort in Smithfield. Despite the dour circumstance, this will be a good time with raffles, swimming, music and more! The greatest thrill will be the feeling you get contributing to this brave young girl’s fight against a crippling disease that nobody ever should have to face so young. For those unable to attend, you can still help out by going to http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/hope-for-kyla/62649 and making a donation. Thank you for whatever support you can offer.

The Hope For Kyla Benefit Concert will take place August 17 at The Last Resort in Smithfield. There will be a lot of live music with performances by The Ocean State Rollers, Able Thought, The Denver Boot, Loose Change RI, Time Bandit, and Courters.

Email music news to [email protected].

Not so Great Gatsby’s Visit to Wooly Town Dear Nick,

It was one of the days this summer that was neither raining nor hotter than Hades in August. I was taking the morning news in my usual way: reading The New York Times, watching Bloomberg and listening to NPR simultaneously. If you haven’t tried this technique, I highly recommend it. It’s like being put in one of those booths where the money blows around and you try to hold on to whatever you can, and like those booths I rarely hold on to any of the stories that envelop me, but I feel satisfied in my attempt.

Distracted by the number of papaya stones in my fruit salad (it’s unfair to eat fruit salad with mango, pineapple and papaya and call the seeds “pits.” Nothing can be the pits when devouring such a delight.) a pundit was shouting about Asian currency when the Motif phone chimed out, waking me out of my fruit-induced daydream. The request on the other end of the line asked that I check out the Wooly Fair and let them know what I found. I pondered the penultimate pineapple, picked up my pen and hit the street.

The only knowledge I had of wooly was the malapropism sung by Nuke Laloosh in Bull Durham. And armed with the information that women sometimes get wooly wearing that same shabby dress, I entered 351 Kinsley Street prepared to try a little tenderness. The maze of old mill buildings behind Harris Ave is difficult to navigate, but the juxtaposition of a lost era and the dawn of a new age. Trainless tracks pull up to loading docks that have been vacant since choo-choos made house calls. But inside something exciting and modern was happening.

The Wooly Town Fair happens August 16 through 18 at the Steel Yard in Providence in the same industrial maze as the prep area, but the Steel Yard is a bit more ready for prime time. There will be music and art and installation pieces, and the loose theme is a kind of temporary town, a utopian arts community that seeks to combine the artistic spirit and human innovation. The music and lights will all be powered by bicycle-powered generators, which is why the slogan this year is “off the grid and on the lamb.” What’s exciting about this versus your run-of-the-mill art and music festival is that Wooly invites, nay, encourages, attendee participation and is a hands-on, feet-shuffling, toe-tapping, finger- snapping full body and mind experience.

I saw the Woolies working with wood and whitewash, building what will become for one weekend a town of creativity and experimentation. In a world where even our “reality” television is scripted word for word, it’s refreshing to see a group dedicated to trying something new, something fun, all inclusive and inspiring. I think I’ll head down to the Steel Yard mid-August, old sport, to have some wool pulled over my eyes.

Yours Truly,

Gatsby

(Wooly Fair is 8/16-18 for more information and tickets: woolytown.com)

Roller Derby for Dummies

By Ali Walsh

What’s a better way to spend a Saturday night than to watch a group of women slam into each other on roller skates? To my surprise after my very first experience watching the Old Money Honeys v. the Sakonnet River Rats (the winners of the night), not much.

I walked into the arena with little knowledge of the sport. Without seeing the 2009 film, Whip It, which tells the story of a teenage girl who discovers and falls in love with the game, I probably would have not even known it existed. Thankfully at the matches, Providence Roller Derby hands out pamphlets for the crowd that explains the most basic key points of the game, which is great for those (like me) who knew nothing about how it all worked.

The game, or “bout” contains two 30-minute halves, each broken up into “jams.” In the jam, one jammer from each team and four blockers play both offense and defense to earn points for their team. The first jammer to break from the pack becomes the lead jammer. The jam ends after the lead jammer calls it off or until two minutes have passed. Whoever can get the most points at the end of the bout wins the game. Get it? One may think roller derby is an underground event that not many people know or care about. However, if you actually go to a game, you’ll see the large following the sport has in Rhode Island (and, for that matter, the world– it is under consideration to become an event at the 2020 Olympic Games). Returning fans brought fold-out chairs and set them up right by the rink to get the full experience and not miss a beat. During the match, players ended up, a time or two, in these makeshift stands after a hard hit, but the fans definitely did not seem to mind.

I enjoyed the first half of the match in an excited confusion. I just clapped when everyone else clapped, yelled when everyone else yelled and stood up when everyone else was sick of sitting down. Despite my bewilderment, I am proud to say that within one bout, I went from confused newcomer to screaming fan.

So next time you’re bored of the same Saturday night scene, check out the RI Riveters, the Killah Bees, the Old Money Honeys, the Mob Squad, or the Sakonnet River Rats play against each other or a neighboring New England team. Bring a chair or sit on the bleachers, enjoy some food at the concession stand and maybe even find yourself at one of their infamous after-parties.

For a complete season schedule visit http://providencerollerderby.com/schedule/.

San Diego Comic-Con 2013 – Day Four

Oh my God what a time I’ve had so far. Day Three was unbelievable! It’s been mind-blowing; I can’t believe all that I have seen, heard, and experienced!

I don’t even think these blog posts can truly convey the scale of it all. There was just too much to see and do—I’d need ten of me to cover it all. So definitely head over to the io9.com website after reading this to check out their super-comprhensive wrap-up of San Diego Comic-Con 2013.

And now there is just one more day to go… Day Four.

Sunday is the last day. It’s supposedly when the convention starts winding down but I certainly didn’t experience that.

It seemed like it was even more packed. I think it had something to do with lots and lots of families coming to Comic-Con on this day.

Anyway, got up in the morning and got ready to head out. Pete was all done and had to catch a flight back home. Joel and I bid him farewell and he left.

We then headed out to the convention center one last time.

First we stopped at this killer burrito place called Lolita’s. We got some breakfast burritos and headed on our way. Hahaha, I don’t even know what to say here—excellent!

We were just south of Petco Park where there are a lot of parking lots that have some great outdoor exhibits going on. Some were promoting The Smurfs 2 movie coming out complete with a 40-foot giant smurf hanging around, a Hello Kitty store, a giant pavilion setup promoting the remake of Mad Max, and a special 3D preview of Alfonso Cuarón’s new movie Gravity (starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock)—which I’ll get to later.

Oh, and speaking of Sandra Bullock, I co-host a movie review show with Rosemary Pacheco for Motif Magazine’s web-channel MoTiV called Take 2. Our latest episode featured the movie The Heat starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. What was great about that episode, aside from both Rosemary and I loving the movie, was that we had a couple of awesome guest stars who starred in and worked on the movie! Erica Derrickson and Tiffany Crosby really rocked on Take 2 telling hilarious stories from the set of The Heat!

You can check out Take 2 and the other killer shows on MoTiV here at MotifRI.com!

So Joel and I took a quick look around and then headed to the convention center.

Here I wanted to take another long look at all the stuff inside the main exhibit hall.

I don’t know if I really described it well enough so here it goes:

Companies like Rhode Island’s own Hasbro, Mattel, Sony, Lucasfilms, Warner Bros, Legendary Pictures, tons of game companies I can’t even recall, and tons more all have multi-million dollar pavilions set up in the exhibit hall to promote their movies, games, toys, and tie-ins of all kinds—with tons and tons of free give-aways (t-shirts, books, buttons, etc.).

And there’s more!

Tons of celebrities are there doing autograph signings; as well as, authors, graphic novelists, etc. There’s also whole swaths of graphic artists there with tables showing off their work. tables are there selling so many graphic novels, comic books, and other books that are just too numerous to describe. And Yu-Gi-Oh! and Magic: The Gathering table games going on.

Also, there’s tons and tons of vendors selling everything from t-shirts, toys, games, sculpture and figurines, to hard-to-find movie/comics memorabilia of all kinds. It’s beyond count!

And there’s killer MMO (Massive Multi-player Online) gaming pavilions with live stations and games going on.

And there’s more, and more, and more!

Not to mention the thousands, upon thousands of people in and around there—most dressed up in the most elaborate costumes you can imagine. People were taking pics of these cosplayers left and right. I even got a shot of me being accosted by a giant, and I mean giant, demon!

My new best friend! Aaahh!!!

We must have wandered around for hours checking things out and talking to people.

Galactus baby! I can’t even imagine how these artists make these phenomenal costumes—love it!

I even interviewed Daniel Benkwitt (Senior Manager, Brand PR & Communications) for Rhode Island’s own Hasbro. He was telling me about the great new Transformer Constructs line of toys that were being exclusively launched there at San Diego Comic-Con.

Awesome!

I can’t even tell you how much stuff there was to see and experience.

Of course there were also plenty of zombies about, even a The Walking Dead pavilion with a prison setup like in one of the recent episode. Only here, the zombies were eating willing spectators!

And the celebrities were everywhere!

I saw Evangeline Lilly from the upcoming The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug movie doing autograph signings. Michael Dorn who played Lieutenant Worf (the Klingon) from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Movie screen and TV star Edward James Olmos (most recently of the Emmy Award-winning Battlestar Galactica rebooted series), and many more!

But the best one that I saw was just outside the exhibit hall. It was none other than Lou Ferrigno from the old The Incredible Hulk TV series.

He had just come out of the bathroom and walked by me. I said, “Mister Ferrigno!”

He gave me a sideways glance and said, “How are you?” And then kept on walking.

I totally understand why he really didn’t want to shake my hand post-toilet! Hahaha!

Anyway, I thought that was great. And even after all these years, he is still is one “hulking” dude. Wow!

And so Joel and I were almost done with the whole epic adventure.

But I still wanted to interview one more cosplay conventioneer so we went outside and found a great girl who was dressed up in a mash up costume of The Green Lantern and Sailor Moon (an anime character). And she called herself Anna-Mae (a play on the word Anime, the Japanese style of animation).

Now that’s a great costume!

Come to find out during the interview, she actually had several different costumes going for the entire con! She mentions them in the interview. That’s dedication! Finally, Joel and I head over to the Alfonso Cuarón Gravity 3D sneak peak. We were sitting inside a mini-stadium seating theater (one that comes on a truck!), with about 50 people all wearing 3D glasses.

So we saw the already posted trailer for the movie in 3D, cool, but we also saw a 5-minute exclusive clip from the movie! And it was amazing! I can’t even describe the level of effects and thrills it had. Everyone in that theater had their minds blown!

What a way to finish up San Diego Comic-Con!

Looking at the San Diego Convention Center one last time from the suspension walkway to Petco Park.

So after a quick bite to eat at The Tilted Kilt, Joel and I headed to the hotel to get our stuff and get to the airport.

So here I am now flying at about 36 thousand feet recalling my once in a lifetime experience that I soooo want to experience every year.

This has been the convention to end all conventions!

Everything you’ve ever heard about San Diego Comic-Con pales in comparison to actually being there yourself.

I plan on coming back because I just cannot get enough of this pop-culture mega-extravaganza!

With my mind blown to bits and my body in sheer and utter exhaustion, it will take me weeks to decompress.

But my memories of the end-all-be-all of sci-fi/fantasy/comic book/movie/cosplay/pop-culture conventions will last forever!

San Diego Comic-Con I love You! Oh yes, I will be be back in 2014!!!

Nicholas Iandolo is a freelance writer from Boston, MA. He is also the author of two books on screenwriting: Cut The Crap and WRITE THAT DAMN SCREENPLAY! and Cut The Crap and PITCH THAT DAMN SCREENPLAY!, as well as the epic Sci-Fi eBook series NLV (a.k.a. New Las Vegas). He also hosts Motif Magazine’s Take 2 with Rosemary Pacheco on MoTiV, and is the producer/writer/director/host of the upcoming Nick’s Sci-Fi Corner for DedhamTV. Follow him on Twitter @cutcrapwrite, email: [email protected].

San Diego Comic-Con 2013 – Day Three

So here it is, the big day at Comic-Con! Day Three! That being the Saturday of the convention. Day Two was phenomenal but this is the peak day, an all-out tour de force of people and events. The scale of it is like nothing you could ever imagine—if you can believe that the last two days could get any bigger!

And big it is!

In the morning, I head down to the lobby to do some work on the hotel’s complimentary computer. While working, Pete and Joel soon join me. We start talking about the Godzilla exhibit that we’re all dying to get into (the buzz about it is insane!) but only Pete has a ticket. Joel and I are bummed. Then in an act of divine providence (no pun intended Providence Rhode Island, hahaha), a guy named Victor who is sitting at a computer across from mine looks up and says, “Hey, my company’s the one that built and runs the exhibit.”

And Pete replies, “That’s awesome! Can you get my boys here in?”

And Victor says, “Yes!”

OMG! We’re getting into The Godzilla Encounter first-class style! What that meant was that we were able to sit across the street on the patio of Bubs Restaurant enjoying a morning beer while they were getting ready to open up the exhibit, and then Victor comes over and says it’s time to line up—first in line that is!

Okay, so here’s what this once in a lifetime experience is all about: The Godzilla Encounter is an entire warehouse that has been converted into a Las Vegas-style Star Trek Encounter live action experience complete with actual sets from the new Gareth Edwards movie; tons of Godzilla memorabilia, and lots staff running around pretending that Godzilla is on the rampage!

A little small for Godzilla I admit but the real deal is on his way! And he’s P-O’d!

Rampage? Yep! Godzilla is headed to San Diego!

After touring the sets made up to look like Tokyo (including a high-tech sushi bar), with street signs that read: “Gojira Street” (the Japanese name for Godzilla), the alarms sound, the lights flicker, and the staff rushes everyone into the command center where banks of video monitors and NASA-style mission control equipment all say that Godzilla’s arrival to San Diego is imminent!

You know Godzilla is coming when you see this sign!

And then he attacks!

The lights flicker, the entire place shakes, and the staff moves us into a huge elevator to get us to safety!

And as the elevator ostensibly heads up to the roof of the building, it shudders and shakes and goes dark! Godzilla has arrived!

So we stop at the nearest floor and get out in a dimly-lit office. Out through the rain-streaked windows we can see something moving amongst the buildings. And we can hear that massive “thump!” sound of the monster’s footfalls.

Then we see him!

Oh my God he’s huge! Larger than any creature I’ve ever seen!

He stomps among the buildings. The staff tells us not to move or turn on any lights.

Godzilla walks off.

Then all of a sudden one of the staff’s lights goes on by “accident”…

Godzilla sees it!

His gargantuan head rises before us, and then comes the most famous roar in history, the one roar that everyone has heard since the first 1954 Godzilla movie!

He bellows his mighty roar! We’re doomed! The entire building shakes!

And then by some miracle Godzilla spares us and let’s us go!

Whew!

IT WAS AWESOME!

Then the encounter is over and the staff lets us out of the building where we can see a mighty gash hewn into it’s side by a creature beyond comprehension: The King of all Monsters!

How can you top that?

Well, there was something completely different and equally as awesome coming up later that night.

But now it was time to get lost in the crowds outside by the convention center for a few hours.

Soooo many people at San Diego Comic- Con! Upwards of 150K!

OMG was there sooooo much going on out there—especially at the gates of the Gaslamp District. And even more people enjoying the end-all- be-all sci-fi/fantasy/comic book/cosplay/pop culture convention in the world!

There were a ton of street performers and promoters doing so many things that I feel like I caught only a fraction of it amongst a sea of people just as vast as the one inside the convention center.

Can you really beat this level of cosplay? Poison Ivy and Shazam Woman. Awesome!

For example, promoting the upcoming X-Men movie, X-Men: Days of Future Past, were a bunch of people protesting for mutant rights. Yeah, in the X-Men universe there’s a big rift between so-called normal humans and the mutants who exhibit bizarre looks and superpowers. Trask Industries is an evil organization dedicated to wiping out the mutant population from the world. Hence the protests!

It was awesome to watch this realistic street performance of acting and marketing.

In fact, Joel (being a web-marketer himself) remarked that the level of sophisticated marketing techniques exhibited here at Comic-Con should be a required study for any company or marketing school!

Also of course there were tons of zombies about. People loved having their pictures taken with Hollywood-level-made-up zombies totally in character. Darth Vader busts a move on the streets of San Diego Comic-Con 2013!

There was Darth Vader dancing up a storm on the street to the dance club music being blasted from the Gamespot Basestation Bar (the hottest scene of all the bars and clubs there in my opinion).

And there was also a copious amount of Christian fundamentalists with bullhorns and signs screaming at the top of their lungs to the crowds that we’re all going to hell in a hand basket if we don’t repent and embrace Jesus.

Some of them were especially upset over a gay comic-book character that came out a few years ago (seriously, no pun intended there): The Green Lantern, Alan Scott.

Yep! There were all kinds on the streets.

From giant gargoyles with 15-foot wingspans, a horde of Hello Kitty girls, people passing out tons of freebies and postcards promoting everything hip going on, independent filmmakers looking for donations to help fund their movie projects, to every conceivable comic book character mash up you can imagine, and more, it was crazy, crazy, crazy!

I was in a complete blur for what seemed like days!

So I went back into the Gamespot to chill and recharge (with a couple of beers). Soon my buddies Joel, Dan, Ben, and Pete all joined me. Joel spent over an hour waiting in line to get into a Game of Thrones exhibit/event where he got to sit on the throne of swords and even had a custom t-shirt made that said House “X” (his last name that is).

Pete too was wrapped up for a few hours getting into a the Person of Interest and Grimm panels.

And Dan was just having a blast.

Since Dan is a real Hollywood filmmaker, I decided to interview him for the magazine. He’s done some amazing work so far, and he’s got some great stuff coming up!

It won’t be long before people will be waiting for hours to get into his panel at San Diego Comic-Con! Speaking of hours, the people started lining up the night before for the Warner Brothers panel in Hall H happening this day!

There was no way I was going to go through that again, despite the fact that they showed some exclusive footage from the upcoming 2014 Godzilla movie, and a crazy announcement about what the next Man of Steel movie is going to be about…

Can we say, Superman vs. Batman?

Oh yes! The mashed up bat symbol/S-shield logo was blasted on the jumbotron in the hall!

The fans went ape-s**t when they saw this! What else needs to be said?

From what I read on io9.com the crowd went wild over it!

But for me and my friends we were just hanging out on the Gamespot patio watching the crowds, talking to people, and having a grand ole time!

I even interviewed an upcoming graphic artist named David Turner who came to this year’s Comic-Con to find a pathway to his dreams. He was there with his girlfriend, Stephanie Guidera, who was dressed in an eye-catching Where’s Waldo costume. She certainly got my attention and did some great PR for her guy!

I found Waldo! I found Waldo! Then it was time for Dan and Ben to head back up to LA. I bid my dear friends a fond goodbye and then they left.

And we had a place to be too!

Now we were on our way to attend the famous Comic-Con Masquerade.

As I mentioned previously, this is a costume contest and pageant like none other, and thousands of people were in attendance. In fact, people started lining up at noon to get into the second largest hall at the convention center, Ballroom 20.

We knew we’d never get in so we decided to opt for the overflow room at the nearby Sails Pavilion. And I’m sure glad we did!

This place was the perfect place to watch the Masquerade on a giant jumbotron and hang with another thousand or more people all partying up a storm.

There were drinks, food, and tons of energy in the house!

And when the Masquerade was happening, everyone in the room got into it.

We cheered our butts off for the best costumes and spectacles. There was one that was a Star Wars musical to the tune of “America” from the musical West Side Story. There was a mash up of Marvel comic book characters versus He-Man & Skeletor, oh it was funny. There were super elaborate fairy costumes, superheroes, incredible demonic creatures, mind-blowing battle-tech suits, Master Shredder from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and stuff I can’t even describe!

Master Shredder on the jumbotron rocking it at the famous San Diego Comic-Con Masquerade! Look out turtles!!!

And we in the overflow room loved it!

There’s this great Comic-Con Masquerade tradition where the hosts say something like, “It’s now time for costume number…”

And the audience replies with whatever number they’re on and then, “Ah, ha, ha…” Like The Count from Sesame Street. There’s also something else the audience yells but that constantly changes as there are signs that are held up with the newest taunts to the hosts. I’m dying to know what they are so I’m Googling them as soon I get home to Boston!

Tons of fun watching and hearing all of this!

Then once the judges in Ballroom 20 retired to make their decisions, the Masquerade was paused and the dance party began!

Yep! Right there in the Sails Pavilion it was the happening-est of all after-hour parties.

OMG! The dance music was blasting, the lights were blazing, and the dancing was out of control!

It was hotter than hot!

I was caught up in a mass of revelers grooving and shaking up a storm baby!

Yeah!

I was dancing with Bane, a female Captain America, Unicorn (a guy with a giant inflatable unicorn), Poison Ivy, and Wolfman to name but a few!

This is the largest costume rave party in the world!

And everyone was having such a great time the massive floor was literally shaking like Godzilla was joining in the festivities!

I don’t know how long we were there for but it seemed like the party went on forever.

And rightly so!

These awesome people probably spend so much time in their daily lives and jobs trying to be conservative and/or mainstream that when they ultimately get to Comic-Con they can finally, finally cut loose and be themselves and everyone loves it!

It was a beautiful sight and I’m so thankful to have been a part of that!

And so after the winners of the Masquerade were announced on the jumbotron (though I don’t think anyone could hear it), the dance party went on and on. Pete bugged out a while ago, totally exhausted.

Joel and I took off about an hour later.

I think we got back to the hotel by about 2AM but I can’t be sure.

Regardless, we were spent!

I hadn’t had that much fun in a long, long time.

One more day to go! Day Four, “Ah, ha, ha…”

San Diego Comic-Con 2013 – Day Two

What a Day One yesterday!!!

Now it’s time for Day Two of San Diego Comic-Con baby!

After a slow start due to some technical difficulties getting my pics of the adventure uploaded due to the fact that the Internet here in San Diego seems to be overloaded by the multitudes of people all trying to use it, even Tweeting has been an issue, I finally get on the road back to the convention center.

Hey man! Watch the claws!

On my way, I pass by none other than Wolverine! Well, maybe not Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine but this guy is pretty damn close.

And so, I approach the convention center and already it’s a mass of people!

Friday and Saturday are the peak days for San Diego Comic-Con–Saturday being the most full. And I mean full to capacity and beyond! Inside it is a sea of people!

You can hardly walk as you’re pressed against comic book characters and soldiers from Halo (cosplayers really), etc.

Speaking of cosplay (that’s costume playing), this year it is truly amazing. The level of detail these conventioneers have put into their costumes is astounding. This is no mere hobby for some of these people. This is both a labor of love and maybe even hopes for a career doing this stuff.

These women and their costumes are simply super!

Great costume! But don’t ask me what she’s supposed to be…

Tomorrow night (Saturday) is the famous Comic-Con Masquerade. It’s a costume contest unlike any other where thousands of people get to see the most elaborate sci-fi/fantasy/anime/gaming/etc. costumes ever devised! We’re talking Hollywood movie-level quality costumes. And just like America’s Got Talent, these cosplayers also put on quite a show. It’s not just a pageant but an entertainment spectacle that people talk about for years to come!

Whole careers have been launched for winners of this amazing event! So I’m planning on camping out for a bit on Saturday to get into The Masquerade!

After walking around the gargantuan exhibit hall, I meet up with my buddy Joel and we head over to the outside Ender’s Game exhibit. It’s a collection of actual sets, props, and costumes from the upcoming movie. It’s an awesome pavilion that looks and feels like you’re actually walking through the story of the movie. What a great compliment to the Ender’s Game panel yesterday that featured Harrison Ford.

A real walk-through of ‘Ender’s Game’ the movie!

Real costumes, props, and sets from the movie ‘Ender’s Game’!

Then I went off on my own to a do a meet the author event. Part of the reason for my going to Comic- Con is also to promote my epic sci-fi eBook series of which I’m the author titled NLV (a.k.a. New Las Vegas). Today would be a great NLV day as I will get to in a moment. Book cover for ‘NLV — Double Down’ by sci-fi author Nicholas Iandolo.

After the meet the author I found myself wandering down 4th Ave in the Gaslamp District. There seems to be a plethora of zombie infestations happening this year at San Diego Comic-Con!

Zombies are everywhere!!!

Run for your life! The Zombie Apocalypse has begun!

And so I got besieged by a zombie horde as I walked by the special event (free drinks, food, etc.). As I walked into the space-age discotheque-like bar, one of the women at a makeup table asked me if I’d like to become a zombie.

So I said, “Hell yes, my publisher would love that!”

After about a half hour of makeup work, I was a zombie! Nick Iandolo – Zombie Journalist for Motif Magazine!

So, I proceeded to stagger back to the convention center–hahahha!

Anyway, people were actually complimenting me on my makeup. I looked great! In an undead sort of way.

Comic-Con is the only place where you can look like a zombie and people love it!

So, after bit trying to get into a few panels that weren’t happening due to the mass amount of people (I totally missed out on the Marvel: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. panel that I really wanted to get into), I took another stroll through the exhibit hall.

Time just seemed to pass like crazy in there. Got some good pics of cosplay attendees, and some footage of how endless the throngs of people are.

Meantime, my other buddy Pete was working The Walking Dead Run For Your Life experience. He had volunteered to work this amazing event for the latter part of the day. What is it? Well, the entire Petco Park (where the San Diego Padres play), is converted into a zombie run where guests get caught by a zombie horde and run for their lives through the stadium. It’s crazy, scary, and challenging! There’s obstacle courses and you have to NOT get tagged by a zombie!

Pete was one of the military guys trying to get people to the so-called “safe zone”–of which there was none!

Afterwards, he got to run for his life too!

Anyway, during that time Joel and I met up again and then we met up with another buddy of mine from LA. His name is Daniel Thron, a director/writer whose short zombie-procedural film Spoiler was an official selection of the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con International Film Festival. He was also the winner of the 2012 NY/LA International Film Festival for Best Director and Best Narrative Short with Spoiler.

And then he got his film reviewed on io9.com, the ultimate sci-fi/fantasy/cool science and related stuff website. When that happened, it went viral and he started getting calls from the big agencies and production companies in Hollywood! That’s how it’s done sometimes.

So, io9.com was running a panel and I asked Dan if he’d introduce me to somebody on it to help me promote NLV. The panel was called Science Fiction That Will Change Your Life. It was an engaging and great discussion from most of the main people at io9.com about life-changing sci-fi books and films.

io9.com is your goto website for all things Sci-Fi!

After the panel, Dan and I went up to the panelists. He spoke with Lauren Davis (one of the io9.com editors who wrote about Dan’s other notable work, a spec pitch trailer of Philip K Dick’s A Scanner Darkly), introduced himself (who she was delighted to meet in-person), and then introduced me and my book to her. She seemed genuinely happy to meet me. And then I gave her my 10-second pitch about NLV and my card, which she very nicely accepted. And I was psyched!

Sometimes that’s all you can do but it could be just enough to get the ball rolling and make a breakthrough in one’s career—we’ll see!

Anyway, after that it was now mid-evening time and we were all exhausted. So finally it was dinner, some drinks, and then time to crash.

All to do it again on Day Three the Saturday–the biggest day of them all!