As if today's youth aren't receiving enough mixed signals. Don't take drugs—but here's some Paxil and Ritalin because you're just way too energetic for us to deal with otherwise. And if you don't contract salmonella or have an allergic respiratory reaction to the pesticides we put on them, eating those fruits and vegetables will help you grow up big and strong.
Now, just as Six Flags New England (sixflags.com/newengland) and KISS 95.7 declare the official start of summer via a hip-hop heavy June 22 concert at the park featuring Bow Wow, Danity Kane and Idol-alum Blake Lewis among others, veteran Valley guitarist Matthew Kim (a guitar instructor with more than 25 years' experience and a 50-students-per-week workload) has declared that school is in session. His summer "school of rock," that is.
Borrowing a page from the Jack Black flick, Kim has constructed the Rock Shop, a week-long class aimed at aiding aspiring musicians in their never-ending quest to kick ass—or at least make some decent music, line up a few gigs and get paid.
"There are a lot of obstacles out there, and I noticed more and more of my students not communicating with each other about it," Kim explains. "Things like dealing with a weaker player in the band, to having to set up or break down in two minutes if you have to. These may seem like small things, but you'd be surprised how often, when not addressed, they lead to band breakups or missing a chance to perform."
Aiding Kim in his quest to hone chops are a slew of Rock Shop "mechanics," including Cordelia's Dad bassist Gerald Gulaberto, ex-All That Remains drummer Mike Bartlett and his wife and bandmate in his Milton Gabor Rush tribute act, Kristy Kim.
Together the team will take the field of middle school- through high school-aged guitarists, bassists, percussionists and vocalists through the paces—schooling them on the finer points of a favorite song or on general performance etiquette.
Of course, students' experiences will be tailored to their abilities. For some, simply keeping a beat or learning a scale to solo with may be the final exam. But others, with the fundamentals already in place, have been known to become bonafide "Shop"-aholics, soaking the classes up for all they are worth and occasionally, Kim says, even causing the teacher to reveal a couple of veteran tricks not normally found in the curriculum.
"We had this one kid last year that was so into learning an Iron Maiden song that he blistered his fingers," Kim explains. "He wanted to keep going, though, so I showed him how, in a pinch, a thin coat of Super Glue on the fingertips can get you by."
The Rock Shop runs July 7-11 at the Greenfield Teen Center, and an initial deposit of $80 is due by June 20. For more information, call Kim at 772-6067 or email mattkim@comcast.net.
In other news, the Amherst Chamber of Commerce is once again offering up a scrumptious assortment of delectables and decibels courtesy of its annual "Taste"—occurring this year on June 21 at the Town Common.
Sprinkled between this year's foodstuffs are Mike & Ruthy of The Mammals infamy, Noho soul/funk/jazz-men Unit 7, the Dixie-ragtime infused Primate Fiasco and regionally-known roots rockers The Amity Front—the last of whom recently enjoyed some high profile cyber time on billboard.com with video footage neatly nestled between the latest by Lil' Wayne and Britney Spears. For a complete list of performers including showtimes, directions and more, kindly point your browser to www.tasteofamherst.com.
Last up, the one and only "Good Ole Boy" Dukes of Hazzard narrator/country music legend Waylon Albright "Shooter" Jennings is slated to perform at the Iron Horse this Friday, June 20.
The following night at the Horse, June 21, it's a veritable new studio product hat trick as Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks promise to premiere unreleased tunes from their forthcoming CD at the 7 p.m. show. Both ambient alt-rock faves Running With Karma and power-pop punksters The Fake Boys celebrate CD releases (the former's is titled Ferocious, the latter's Sleepwalk) at 10 p.m. Tix and info on both shows can be found at iheg.com.
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O. Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 698-9373 or email Garycarra@aol.com.
