---------------Feature • Jon Reep--------------- The Naked Truth By Deborah Kennedy Comic Standing.” Known for his bits on the many splendors of life in the country Do you like your martinis made and his sage advice on how to survive with moonshine? Perhaps you’re a fan these crazy times, Reep recently created of both 50 Cent and Conway Twitty. Nakediquette, rules for how to conduct Are you cool with wax- ing your backside be- fore heading out to the county fair? Do you do a little yoga on your bass boat? --------------------Feature • Papa Roach-------------------- If you’ve answered yes to any of the above questions, you just might be a Metro Jethro. According to the official definition on comedian Jon Reep’s Hearts on Sleeves website, a Metro Jethro is (1) anyone who was By Deborah Kennedy Ben Luther, and together they entered their high born and raised in a school talent show where they performed their small, rural area and Imagine a full-on audio assault, basically the own version of Jimi Hendrix’ “Fire.” now has to function in a equivalent of a kick in the pants, only for the ears. They lost the contest, but you could safely say big urban area (or vice At the risk of mixing a few too many metaphors, they won the war. Having gone through a couple versa); (2) anyone who we’re talking about a no holds barred cage fight lineup changes (they ditched the trombone player understands and appre- between rock n’ roll in one corner and the heavi- after only three months; Buckner left, came back, ciates both small town est of heavy metals in the other. left again; James left and stayed gone) Papa life and big city life; or Obviously, we’re talking about the Raid Roach soon had a fan following to match their (3) Jon Reep. the Nation Tour, which will be hitting Piere’s own drive to tour and create. In 1999, under the There’s even an Wednesday, May 18 for an evening sure to punch DreamWorks Records label, they released their artist’s rendering of a you right in the face, in a good way. Headliners full-length debut, Infest. It sold 30,000 copies in p r o t o t y p e Papa Roach will be joined on the million-dollar its first week and made Papa Roach (named for Metro Jethro stage by Escape the Fate and Pop Evil. Shaddix’ step-grandfather William Roatch, who above the JON REEP And “raid” is right. Papa Roach haven’t sold committed suicide in 1996) an almost overnight definition to w/Scott Dunn yourself when 10 million album copies worldwide by being success. Soon the guys were hopping on the Vans clear up any Saturday, May 21 • 7:30 p.m. nude in a locker shrinking violets. This Warped Tour and playing confusion. room. (Ladies, quartet from Vacaville, PAPA ROACH with the likes of Limp The rather The Honeywell Center these only apply California has a sound Bizkit, Eminem and Lu- c o m e l y 275 W. Market St., Wabash to men; women, w/Escape the Fate & Pop Evil gentleman Reep says, can that pounds and drives dacris. Tix: $12-$25, 260-563-1102 and takes no prisoners. Wednesday, May 18 • 8 p.m. They followed is decked do whatever All it takes is a few short Infest with Lovehatet- out in a crisp they want na- listens to some of their Piere’s Entertainment Center ragedy, which, while not white shirt, tie and black jacket on top ked, as long as he gets to watch.) highest-charting hits – 5629 St. Joe Rd., Fort Wayne selling quite as quickly and cutoffs and flip-flops on bottom. The guiding principles of Nakedi- “Kick in the Teeth,” for Tix: $30 adv., $33 d.o.s. thru as Infest, did chart high- At his feet is a jug of moonshine; in his quette include: you only get five min- instance, and “Burn” – er and marked the band’s hand, a martini. utes to be naked; no nude talking; and to understand that this Ticketmaster or Piere’s box office, transition from nu metal This gentleman, minus the mullet, do not blow dry your butt. Jacoby Shaddix-fronted 260-486-1979 rap (that’s right – these represents Reep, who was born and So far, so solid. What about his act likes to make a big white boys can rhyme) to raised in Hickory, North Carolina but take on the country pastime of tubing? impression. These songs cover the gamut of emo- a more traditional rock sound. It also introduced now spends much of his time in Los “I like it because I can drink and pee in tion from anger to fury to broiling resentment. the world to one of their most beloved tunes – Angeles, where, since 2000, he’s doing the same spot.” His ideas on marriage? Actually there’s a lot of love in there too, and “She Loves Me Not” – and got them into a Pepsi the whole standup comedy thing. It’s “Me and my wife are trying to make even though it’s often of the unrequited variety commercial. paid off. After sweating it out in audi- marriage gansta. You got the Bloods, (see their incredibly popular single “Forever”), You might think that selling one of the coun- tion after audition, dank, smoky club the Crips. We’re the whips.” Shaddix and his mates – Jerry Horton on lead try’s top cola brands is the pinnacle for many after dank, smoky club, Reep eventu- Their gang colors? Butterscotch guitar, Tobin Esperance on bass and Tony Paler- rock bands, but Papa Roach had more tricks up ally landed the part of the pot-smoking and taupe. mo on drums – know quite bit about the subject. their collective sleeve. The year 2003 saw them farmer, Raymus, in the comedy Harold If Reep’s blend of big city fun and This is evident when you consider that Shaddix, release Getting Away With Murder, and, boy, did and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo down-home humor appeals to you, a very inked-up guy, has the Chinese character they. The single from that album, “Scars,” sent Bay. You can also see his pale mug on mark your calendar for Saturday, May for “love” tattooed on his neck and the English the Getting Away With Murder straight to Plati- the ABC sitcom “Rodney,” where he 21 when he’ll be at the Honeywell Cen- characters for “love” on his right hand. And while num, and while fans whined about what they con- plays the dimwitted cop, Gerald Bob. ter with “Bob and Tom” favorite Scott I’ve got you going all mushy on the guy, he mar- sidered the softer side of Shaddix and company Perhaps his biggest claim to fame, Dunn. ried his high school sweetheart, Kelly, in 1996, displayed on the release, it propelled the band according to his website anyway, is his It’s your chance to, as Reep so and the lovebirds have matching star tattoos by onwards and upwards and road-wards. In other work as the redhead hillbilly “Hemi humbly put it, see the “best comedian their right eyes. I know, right? Awwww ... words, the dudes hit the tour bus for pretty much Guy” on the Dodge Ram commercials. in the world.” Papa Roach got their start way back in Shad- all of 2005, hanging out with Slipknot, Dead Po- He had one line, but it was a big one: “For one year I was the best co- dix’ high school days when he met drummer etic and Unwritten Law, among others. “That thing gotta Hemi?” median in the world, according to the Dave Buckner during a football game and the The next year they went right back to the If you don’t recognize him yet, show [“Last Comic Standing”]. It’s not two started talking music. Shaddix and Buckner Continued on page 6 you will when I tell you he was the top my fault that Jerry Seinfeld and Chris recruited bassist Will James and trombone player finisher in season five of NBC’s “Last Rock did not enter the contest.” May 12, ’11 ----------------------------------------------------------------------www.whatzup.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------5 ------------------------------- Feature • B.J. Thomas ------------------------------ Still Hooked on That Feeling By Mark Hunter “Hooked on a Feeling,” over and over until In his teens he sang in the church choir and the needle wore out. The guy even sang a then joined the Houston-based group The Sometimes you just have to wonder few verse at the service. Triumphs. The first record The Triumphs re- ON about things. Like what if the lyricist Hal When I mentioned the funeral story and leased was a cover of Hank Williams’s “I’m TV David had been able to excise the word another about the recent National Record So Lonesome I Could Cry,” and it was a hit. “raindrops” from his head when writing the Store Day where the reporter invoked his Thomas left The Triumphs and signed song “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” name, he seemed surprised “That’s unbe- with Scepter Records. His first big solo hit with Burt Bacharach? What if, say, he de- lievable, I can’t explain that.” was “Hooked on a Feeling.” Then came cided on “kumquats” or “anvils?” And what “Your music seems to touch people in a “Raindrops,” which had tremendously broad on NBC if Bob Dylan had agreed to sing the song powerful way,” I said. appeal and brought him not only equally after Ray Stevens turned broad fame but a load of after SNL it down? Hmmm.