headspace magazine

1 WINTER - SPRING 2013 HEADSPACEMAG.COM

2 HEADSPACEMAG.COM WINTER - SPRING 2013 3 WINTER - SPRING 2013 HEADSPACEMAG.COM


14

parking lot

greens

munchies

tunes

spaced out

CONTENTS WINTER - SPRING 2013

5 Letter From the Editor

6 Comix Corner - Fresh joke - Skiouros- a Sapphic ode By Pinocchio Jones

7 Rocks With A Fox Simplifying snowflake obsidian By Shawn “Fox” Rybacki

8 What Does It Take To Be A Head Of The Game? By Tim Dougherty

10 Fare and Square Market A good deal for Chester By Jesse Bellosi

12 D.I.Y. Wine A how-to guide By Kaitlin Jersey Garlitz

14 Molecular Munchies - Restaurant visits: Charcoal and Marigold Kitchen - Creating delicious experiments at home By Mandie Pandarella

17 The Vibration - Jimkata By Jesse Bellosi - Flux Capacitor By Tim Dougherty 18 Kicking It With Kimock An interview with Steve Kimock and Bernie Worrell Interview by Alessandro Satta

22 Galactic Taking funk to another galaxy Interview by Becky Blumenthal

24 Time Travel with PIFA By Becky Blumenthal and Mia Jester

26 Artist Showcase: Brandon Gross

30 Cherry Blossom Festival By Mia Jester

18

22

26

founder / editor - in - chiefAlessandro Satta

[email protected]

chief executive officerTim Dougherty

[email protected]

creative directorJoe Gurreri

[email protected]

copy editorBecky Blumenthal

[email protected]

illustratorsRoss Marinaro

rmarinaroart.comJohn Warner

jduballstars.com

contributing photographersRodrigo Nunez

graphic designersJason Waggaman

Eric Tonzola

contributing writers Mandie Pandarella

Shawn “Fox” RybackiJesse Bellosi

Kaitlin Jersey GarlitzMia Jester

Pinocchio Jones

Letter from the editor

A couple weeks ago I had the chance to go hang out with Steve Kimock at his barn-studio. The short stretch of PA highway leading to his house was lined with massive stone faces decorated in icicles. My purpose: a cover shoot with Mr. Kimock. This ragamuffin crew of space cadets had an hour to contain our excitement and put on our game faces. We were instructed to pull up to a red barn and knock on the door. A smiling, unshaven Kimock quickly ushered us out of the bitter cold into his beautiful studio. As we stepped inside I was taken aback by the intense amount of instruments contained within. Some amazing 1970’s Brazilian jazz helped get the photo shoot under way. Our original intent for the shoot was to “bury” Kimock in his guitars. As my team carefully arranged his collection, he would randomly pick up a guitar and noodle. His casual noodling is what most average guitarists aim to play once in a lifetime. “I use hot pink duct tape to mark my gear and luggage. This one time I was on Jam cruise and every single bag came out marked with a hot pink tag. This made things very confusing,” Mr. Kimock said in between shots. The random stories and knowledge being dropped on us pushed the experience past a photo shoot. Our faces beamed with smiles as we headed out the door. We quickly piled into the car and started to recount the event to each other. Snow and insane traffic gave us plenty of time for that. An hour and twenty-minute drive the way up took more than 4 hours to get back. I felt this was the universe’s way of balancing how badass the rest of the day had been.

-Alessandro Satta

Follow

on

and

https://www.facebook.com/HeadSpaceMaghttps://twitter.com/headspacemag


We are always looking for fresh jokes! Submit them on our Facebook page and we will choose the joke with the most likes!

Skiouros- a Sapphic ode

Blind at birth, the rest of your life a scramblePlaying, chattering, scrupulously preppingHow much is enough? With your shadow tailingConstant companion

Nesting, you find asylum within the drayOf what you will hoard, some will nourish, some willRot, forgotten, but some will germinate andProtect you, my friend.

by Pinocchio Jones

SUD

OK

U

Simplifying Snowflake Obsidian [By Shawn “Fox” Rybacki]

parking lotparking lot

I realized recently that it’s not always clear to me why I channel inspiration from a particular crystal to feature it in an article. After meditating more with snowflake obsidian, I was not at all surprised why I stopped to ponder. Beyond its name being appropriate, snowflake obsidian is a darn near perfect companion for this time of year. If you’re like me, you might be suffering from an annual case of ants-in-your-pants, fed up with cold weather and being stuck indoors. Many of us are more than ready for spring and feeling frustrated that we have to wait several long, dark months until it finally arrives. With this impatience in mind, snowflake obsidian is a great mineral to explore. Obsidian is a form of volcanic glass. In this particular vari-ety, the “snowflakes” are spherulites of cristobalite. It is an unbelievably common deposit. Archaeological specimens have

been found dating back to the Acheulian period. Snowflake obsidian has long been associated with properties that help

anyone get through a rough time. With its contrasting colors, it’s a beautiful, physical representation of two polar op-posites forming a single whole, like a yin yang. We all have a tendency to forget the balance of life when hardships last longer than we’d like them to. Snowflake

obsidian reminds us that things change! Whether we’re on the edge of our seats, ready for spring, or fighting with all we have left to endure a painful time in life, we must always remember the old Sufi proverb, “this, too, shall pass.” This mineral can help us reinvent hope when we’re close to giving up. When we are hopeful, we can learn deep lessons from the tough times and find new ways of making the best of situations. Snowflake obsidian has grounding qualities as well. It has been associated with redirecting energy used

to turn daydreams into creative avenues that may help relieve our anxiety rather than escape it with distraction. We often become negative because we feel like our time is being wasted. With snowflake obsidian the message reminds us time is only wasted if we refuse to learn all we can from our experiences no matter how frustrated we may be. Remember each day is a gift and life is what we make it. Just as its unclear to me at first why I feel I should feature

a crystal, it is usually unclear why any particular hardship or obstacle presents itself. Willingness to reflect can provide the answers we seek.

Writing and photos by Shawn “Fox” Rybacki


a head of the gameWhat Does It Take To Be ?

Passion, drive, a long-standing commitment to the scene; these are all things we take into consid-eration whenever we choose the person featured as our “A Head of the Game,” a feature that has also been called “Ask an Old Head.” Since our inception we highlighted people who stand for an issue that we can also get behind. In this first issue of 2013, we are turning to you, the Headspace audience (our reason for being and inspiration to continue) to tell us who you think deserves to be featured. Below we will highlight the most

important aspects to being A Head of the Game. Take this information to heart while you ponder the people in your life that deserve to have their story told. We want to introduce community leaders to our readership, so that these pivotal people can be recognized for their passion, exceptional dedication, and creativity.

Do you know someone who is A Head of the Game? Are you A Head of the Game? Please contact us with your recommenda-tions.

By Tim Dougherty

A Positive leader: A Head of the Game whom we choose to feature will be a truly positive leader. This person may lead by example; by living their life in exceptional ways that everyone should follow. Or, they could literally lead by running a company, charity, or other important venture. A Head of the Game should shine as an example of how a person or group can really change things for the better when they take a leadership role. The person could be young or old, age is not a factor of consideration. At any point in their lives, people can be models of excellence and positive leadership, the kind of person whom allows our scene to thrive. Truly we would be nowhere without these community leaders.

Selflessness: While many people’s motivations for undertaking a path towards greatness are self-centered, A true Head of the Game is motivated only by the benefit of the community, their friends and loved ones. This doesn’t mean that making money is an invalid reason to be a vendor or promoter, but it shouldn’t be the only reason that people fill a role in our community. The values we are looking for are so much bigger than monetary gain. Our community provides a home for people where they can allow their true self to flourish. Many times this simple fact is lost in the hustle and bustle of today’s world. Only the most exceptional people truly strive to make our world a better place.

Passion for Art and Music: A focus of this community is our passionate love for art and music. Though these things don’t define us, they permeate throughout our daily lives. Ours is a place where extreme experimentation in both art and music is not only encouraged, but is vital to standing out. This passion for art, music, and community is a key component to reallybeing A Head of the Game.

Innovation: Our community’s proclivity towards experimentation goes beyond music and art. The boundaries of business are constantly being stretched as well. We present an accepting place for people to try new ideas. Whether it be an edible concoction, an art show, a new music venue, or even an awesome magazine like Headspace, innovation drives our community forward. We recognize this fact and feel that true innovation is a necessity for bettering everyone. A Head of the Game really pushes boundaries and takes risks.

History of helping the scene grow and maintain: Our scene didn’t just materialize out of the wild blue yonder. Years of dedication and hard work from many different individuals allowed us to be where we are today. From promoters to musicians and artists, many people have devoted their lives to helping this community blossom. Headspace wants to acknowledge these people and their hard work. A Head of the Game strives to help our scene grow every day.

Expertise: Heads of the Game should also be people from whom we can all learn. People who are experts in things that are central to the community are very important. From gemologists to chefs and musicians to straight road warriors, our Heads should be experts in their field whom we can learn from. Knowledge is power and expert advice empowers us every day by sharing accumulated knowledge, allowing each of us to be successful in our own endeavors.


A view of Chester, PA., in the 1950s was one of booming industry. Today, Chester’s population sits at roughly 34,000, with one-third of its residents living at or below poverty. Streets are forsaken, and crime rates rank among the highest in the country. Fare & Square, the city’s first non-profit grocery store, is slated to open in the late winter/early spring of 2013. The store will provide fresh produce and food staples at an affordable price to the residents of Chester. Chester was once a busy port city home to several shipbuilding and manufacturing plants. Manu-facturers, including Ford and Scott Paper, employed many of Chester’s 66,000 residents. As time went on and technologies advanced, com-panies found it more profitable to conduct business elsewhere, and in-dustry began to leave the city. From

1950 to 1980, employment in Chester dropped by over 30 percent. Chester has since become a food desert in the Delaware Valley. The area lacks access to affordable fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Fare & Square will be a welcomed oasis of sustenance. According to a recent survey, 54 percent of Chester residents do not have access to a source of nutritious foods. The unsavory climate in Chester makes it difficult to attract and maintain new small businesses. In fact, Ches-ter’s last supermarket closed over a decade ago, which left residents scram-bling for a source of fresh groceries. “A lot of folks might have access to corner stores or bodegas or might go to a pharmacy, and that’s how they shop,” says Philabundance spokeswoman Marlo DelSordo. The need for a supermarket in Chester became public news four years ago when the area was ranked the

greensgreens

second hungriest Congressional district in the nation. Food insecurity in Chester prompted Philabun-dance to step in and create a place where residents can get wholesome food. Fare & Square is a non-profit that will operate out of a 13,000 square foot facility on the corner of Ninth and Trainer streets in the city’s West end. “It may not have a health and beauty aisle, but folks will be able to get produce, meat, chicken and dairy. That way they can shop for their family and get the ingredients they need for a nutritious meal,” DelSordo said. Fare & Square differs from a commer-cial supermarket in that it works in con-junction with foundations, corporations,

and the government in order to provide affordable nutrition to the area.

The market is based on a mem-bership program and will

accept state ACCESS and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. They will also issue

bonus credits to customers, to be used toward future purchases. “We’re allowing people to really stretch their dollar. The whole idea is to allow people to buy more food,” DelSordo said. Fare & Square will immediately create 30 new jobs in Delaware County’s sole city. The market will also hire from the surrounding community when possible.

The objective is to feed the residents of Chester and serve as a model for future non-profit grocery stores which may become the standard for delivering healthy and nutritious foods to those in less affluent regions.

Written by Jesse Bellosi

Photos byJoe Gurreri

Illustration by CBX

Fare and Square MarketA good deal for Chester


D.I.Y. WINE: A HOW-TO GUIDEAs the bottle of homemade berry wine made its way around the party, so did the smiles. My friend, who chooses to remain anonymous, made this wine in his parent’s attic. His projects have been ongoing for years with his parents none the wiser, hence the allusiveness of my mysterious, flannel-wearing friend. As I sipped his wine for the first time, I longed to learn his craft. He assured me that the process was simple and shared his secrets to simple home wine making with me. He twisted the corner of his beard as he described the fermentation process. Wine making is relatively simple. When fruit falls from a tree and naturally rots, fermentation is occurring. Wine basically makes itself! Almost any fruit/plant material can be used to make homemade wine. Preferably, the fruit should be organic, and therefore unsprayed and unwashed (natural yeast found on the outside of the fruit is a necessary part of the process). Quality ingredients make for higher quality product.

For the exceptionally lazy first time fermenter...The process can be made simpler and cheaper. Combine two twelve-ounce cans of half thawed frozen grape juice with three and a half cups of sugar. Pour the mixture into a glass gallon jug. Dissolve one-third cup of yeast in a cup of lukewarm water and add the mixture to the jug. Fill the jug the rest of the way up with enough lukewarm water to fill the jug within two inches of the top. Top with a balloon the same way as you would in the more involved recipe. This wine should be done in about a month. When the balloon no longer expands, the wine is finished fermenting and ready to be siphoned into bottles or enjoyed! For an interesting alcoholic experience, homemade wine can be made from dandelions from your own yard as long as you don’t spray your yard with fertilizer/herbicide. Collect a gallon of open dandelion blos-soms. Pour boiling water over the flowers, cover with a cheesecloth, and let sit at room temperature for three days. After squeezing the juice out of the flowers, pour the liquid into a large pot. Add three pounds of sugar, three chopped lemons, and three chopped oranges. Boil for thirty minutes. When lukewarm, pour into a large crock and add one and a half packages of yeast.

Cover with a cheesecloth and when the bubbling stops in two to three weeks, strain and enjoy. My friend took me into his attic to see this operation. It wasn’t much to look at, just a simple room with some jars and bottles. It was so simple in fact I was instantly assured I could do it myself. Get seasonal, get creative, get smiling, and get ferment-

ing with your first batch of homemade wine to impress yourself and your friends!

Written by Kaitlin Jersey GarlitzIllustrated by Ross Marinaro

The first step is to fill the large jar with fruit, leaving about an inch and a half at the top. If you don’t have enough fruit, add some water. This will just make the flavor a little lighter. Massage the fruit, releasing the juices for about ten minutes.

Stir in two to three cups of honey. The amount of honey added depends on sweetness desired and sugar content of the fruit used. Your first batch of homemade wine is a learning experience of trial and error. More honey as opposed to less is usually safer.

Cover the jar with a t-shirt or other material and tie off with string or a rubber band to keep out dust and bugs. Stir vigorously every few hours. Store the jar in a room that is warm, preferably around 70 degrees. Continue to stir the mixture and cover back up every few hours for the next two to three days. The mixture will bubble as the fermentation process occurs. After three days, the bubbling will slow down. When this happens, strain the liquid and pour into the thin-necked container.

Specially designed airlocks are available to use as a lid on the thin-necked container during this step of wine making. But balloons work well. Regardless, cover the wine. If using a balloon closure, stretch the mouth of the balloon over the mouth of the bottle. It should be secure and airtight. Over the next week, release some of the gas by removing the balloon and returning it quickly to the mouth of the container. In a month (or longer, to taste) you will have your own homemade wine to impress your friends.

DIRECTIONS

Enough fruit to fill a 2 gallon jar

Water

2-3 cups honey

A two gallon glass jar

1 t-shirt,

1 rubber band,

1 balloon

1 thin-necked glass gallon jug

INGREDIENTS

munchies munchies


Molecular Munchies

Human culinary prowess and the latest advancements in technology are teaming up to lend the dinner plate some surprising texture and flavor combos. Molecular gastronomy is an explosive underground phenomenon, delivering a slow burn to the foodie regime. Since the late 1980s, originator and physical-chem-ist-turned-chef, Hervé, has heralded his own self-taught fusion of food, art and technology as ‘culinary constructivism.’ Explorations in food science such as his are afoot in many advanced hubs of culture, including major US cities like Philadelphia. This exploratory branch of tablecloth-topping science investigates the infinite possibilities of appetizers, visually stunning dishes and sublime desserts never before thought possible. Transformations happen either before or during the meal, components of the dish are often interactive: ever popped a garlic scent-filled cheese balloon? Cracked a cocktail-filled ice sphere with a mallet to liberate your drink into your own frozen glass? Peculiar physiochemical deception is commonplace, such as controlling the properties of a substance, the phase changes it undergoes, and enzymatic reactions. Tech-niques include flash-freezing, thermal immersion, dehydra-tion, utilizing gels or thickening agents, meat glue, edible paper, syringe-injected fillings and spherification, which allows any liquid to appear as little balls similar to caviar. Never in the history of mankind have such a variety of textures been available to the Homo sapiens’ palette. We are light years beyond our hunter-gatherer ancestors, building upwards from fire and the wheel; we are now exponentially increasing the uses for tools and techniques of chemistry and physics labs. Culinary prodigies continually create new cuisine on the fly. By controlling the temperature, pressure and cook time, chefs are now able to bring out the best in our food. Everyday people can optimize the eating experience by prepar-

ing their meal to its maximum potential. If you think “molecular gastronomy” is too futuristic, technical, or outside the realm of your interest, I implore you to think again. What aspect of your life is non-technical? Simple? Which aspects are un-complicated by modern technology? Chances are not many! Technology rules almost every aspect of everyday life for the common American. New advancements in technology and the ability to manipulate states of matter (solid, liquid and gas) at-will have laid the pavement for a new experimental foodie culture. We’ve invented a

multitude of machines and apparatuses to help us with every aspect of modern life. Consider the fact you have limitless knowledge at your fingertips (phones, e-books, GPS and the Internet), can travel thousands of miles per day (air-plane, high speed rail), and purchase food from the far corners of the Earth in one convenient place. Why then do we settle for a McDonald’s breakfast sandwich instead of a healthy dose of carbonated fruit with a liquid everything bagel broth (complete with dill, lox, and chives in the glass!) “I think it is a sad reflection on our civilization that while we can and do

measure the temperature in the atmosphere of Venus we do not know what goes on inside our soufflés.” — the late Nicholas Kurti, a father of molecular gastronomy. Something so run-of-the mill as ‘eating lunch’ is a challenge to keep modern and interesting and kitchen science is coming to the rescue! What and how we consume is a direct reflection of exactly who we are and how we feel. Powerful combos of healthy foods positively affect energy levels, thought processes, and even gracefulness of aging. Author Bill Phillips says, “Food is the most widely abused anti-anxiety drug in America.” So why then are we not all masters of the kitchen? There’s almost nothing we do more regularly than chow down. The kid who

liked to take apart his alarm clock is the same adult who enjoys knowing why his food tastes so good vacuum-sealed and slow cooked. We tend to gravitate toward simple pleasures, those of sensory enjoyment. Molecular gastronomy is nothing more than emotional cuisine, since all 5 (or more) senses are heightened during a meal. Stimulated senses produce an emotional response.

Artistically arranged food conjures emotions and colorful foods contain powerful phyto-nutrients; therefore the healthy and artistic aspects of molecular gastronomy go hand-in-hand. Synergy is the name of the game; the more colorful the dish, the more impact it will have visually, as well as on your health and appeal. Taste, see, and FEEL the rainbow. Gastronomical science, art, cuisine and the thrill of surprise all blend so intricately that the transitions between them are seamless, and one meal is a potential triumph of edible scientific art. A dinner with multiple courses is a feast of the senses. Even an amateur enthusiast with a day-job can still learn and enjoy molecular gastronomy techniques and practice them on the regular. The same principles are at work in your everyday life, science is all around you. Less than $5 buys you a lifetime supply of most food chemicals, and less than $50 investment would get you started making spheres, gels, and cocktails.

RESTAURANT VISITS

Chefs in Philly are on the leading technical edge of edible manipulations. So for those in pursuit of the fun and unusual I have included two hand-select-ed delectable dining experiences in and around the Philadelphia metro area.

501 S. 45th street, a quaint converted West Philly corner row house. Open Tuesday - Sunday 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Website: mari-goldkitchenbyob.wordpress.com

Headspace Magazine visited Marigold Kitchen and we instantly realized why Marigold Kitchen scored in at #2 on Philadelphia Magazine’s 50 Best Restaurants List. On a Sunday night, at 8, the joint was popping off, a con-siderable flurry of activity in the kitchen complimented the multiple floors of noticeably packed dining rooms. Since 2009, Philadelphians immediately noticed Chef Robert Halpern’s sensational Marigold Kitchen fare. The customer

gets to choose the number of courses then creates their own menu from a list of choices in each category, such as hot appetizer, meat/fish, or dessert. New additions to the menu include Hamachi, a hot appetizer of a wild mushroom “forest” with duck kidney mousse and puffed sticky rice with steeped mushroom tea. Another new dessert is the Butterscotch Cremeaux, with ingredients listed as ap-ple, peanut butter, pomegranate, coffee, bergamot, and bacon-oatmeal cookies. YELP Review: “Might have been one of my favorite dining experiences ever, molecular style of cooking is not only unique and fun, but the food is excep-tional… be prepared to spend several wonderful hours exploring new foods you never would’ve imagined! The homey interior is adorable, and the restau-rant blends right into the homes on the street. We almost walked straight past it! Everything at Marigold was perfection. And I can now die happy having had cinnamon-flavored bubbles.” –Laura D., Philadelphia 1/13/13

11 S. Delaware avenue Yardley, PA., 19067. Breakfast & lunch: Tuesday-Sunday 8a-3p. Dinner: Tuesday-Thursday 5a-9p and Friday–Saturday 5p-10p. Website: charcoalbyob.com

We were able to sneak in to snap some shots and talk shop with the chefs during the intermission between lunch and dinner on a typical Tuesday. Strik-ingly filled and spirited, perhaps more

than anything the place was comfortable, reminiscent of a home rather than a business. The sunset over the water was picturesque with a clear shot of the river, given the restaurant is situated on the second floor. Charcoal is obviously different than your average establish-ment, boasting an extensive array of kitchen equipment and shiny silver contraptions. Yet the dining room experience manages somehow to be kept low-key, with inquisitiveness answered with as much technical detail or nonchalance as the specific customer requires. True investigators of palat-able phenomena, these young brothers love to explain the reasons behind their creations. Personable and obviously fond of their craft, this family team of crack science chefs have become a fixture in Yardley and its safe to say they’re here to stay. Our tour guide Chef Eric Plescha even opted to give up their recipes, in the true spirit of spreading the love and proliferation of quality dinner possibilities. Ingredients are all fresh and local and the menu changes seasonally. That means Charcoal will have a brand new menu for spring, premiering in March! YELP Review: “Unbelievable food. I can’t even begin to explain how awe-some the food is and I’ve been to top restaurants all over the country. The menu changes every couple months, all seasonal… they sous vide much of the meat and I’ve never had even an average meal here - been about 10 times. Every menu item is [made] with ingredients that I wouldn’t normally choose, at Charcoal they’re awesome.” Josh H. Hamilton, NJ 11/26/12

Photos by Joe Gurreri and Rodrigo Nunez

[By M. Pandarella]

munchies


- 1/3 cup maltodextrin - 1/2 cup Nutella- 2 large unripe bananas - 3/4 cup sugar- 1/2 cup bourbon- 1/2 cup butter- 1 mint leaf for garnish

SPECIAL INGREDIENT NEEDED: MALTODEXTRIN (I found this at a home brew supply store)

Nutella Powder1. Whisk manually Nutella and maltodextrin

2. Place mix in a blender and blend for a few seconds, stop the blender and shake it. Blend again, shake and contin-ue repeating this process until you obtain a fluffy Nutella powder.

Bourbon Sauce1. Melt a half cup of butter with a half cup of sugar in a small saucepan.

2. Whisk in the half cup of bourbon and bring to a boil, whisking constantly for 5 minutes.

Caramelized Bananas1. Cut bananas crosswise in half and then cut them again lengthwise. Thoroughly coat bananas with the remaining sugar.

2. Place a pan on high heat. Once the pan is hot, place the banana halves on it.

3. Once the bananas are golden brown, flip them. Remove them from the pan when both sides are golden. This should take only a few minutes per side.

Assemble and Serve1. Place two banana slices on each plate.

2. Pour a big spoonful of Bourbon sauce on top of the bananas.

3. Sprinkle them with a spoonful of Nutella powder and garnish with mint leaf.

JIMKATA

The VibrationKEEPING UP WITH THE LOCAL SCENE

FLUX CAPACITOR The Pennsylvania-based band of brothers, Flux Capacitor, has created quite a stir in the jam scene within their three-year span of touring. Having blazed a trail of shows spanning from California to England, their reach is growing quickly. Headspace Maga-zine was fortunate enough to catch up with Jason Specht (drummer of Flux) as he was busy preparing for their first band-centered festival, Influx Infest.

HS: So you guys are brothers right? Do you think this gives you an advantage or disadvantage?JS: Yep, I think it definitely helps in a lot of ways because we’ve been playing togeth-er from an early age which has helped us develop our style together. It also gives us this psychic connection; we can kind of read each other’s minds when we are improvising, creating music on the spot. It always feels right when we are jamming together. We’ve jammed with a lot of different people along the way, but there is something special about playing with your brothers.

HS: You guys just threw your first festival. What went into making that happen?JS: Well we teamed up with SoundEffect productions for this festival which was founded by our friend Nik Seitz. He’s wanted to throw a festival for us for; oh it’s got to have been almost ten years now. He emailed us and said, “I know it’s been ten years, but I think I’m finally ready to make good on my promise.” He wanted to create a festival

centered on us and call it Influx Infest.

HS: What are your plans for the future? Anything you’re especially excited for during this upcoming festival season?JS: Well we have been touring for three years now and we are looking to take it to the next level, up by 110%. We want to work with new agents and expand our reach geographically. We made it to England last year and we are trying to get a Europe tour together. We are in the final stages of mixing our new album Cycle 9, although we don’t have a release date set.

Interview by Tim DoughertyPhotos by Joe Gurreri

The story of Jimkata started when Evan Freidell, Aaron Gorsch, and Packy Lunn began jamming in middle school. The friends eventually parted ways, but their original, raw jams were something that members of the band missed. This compelled the group to re-form in 2006 in the small college town of Ithaca, New York. With the addition of Dave Rossi on bass, Jimkata has become a nationally touring act. In anticipation of their March 16 show at the Blockley, Headspace Magazine caught up with Evan Freidell, lead singer of Jim-kata, and spoke about the state of the band as well as his prospects on playing Philly this time around.

HS: Can you describe your sound?EF: We call it electro-rock. Basically rock ‘n’ roll mixed with a little bit of electronic and hip hop influences. We use a lot of samples and analog synthesizers on stage, and we focus a lot on our songwriting.

HS: So your most recent album “Die Digital” was completely fan-funded, can you tell me what it took to produce that album?EF: Well, we’re a band, so we’re broke. The benefit of being on the road is that we gain a fan base and we de-cided to kind of put it to them to see if they could help us out. Sure enough we came

up with the funds for most of the recording cost, I’d say probably like 80 percent. So we went into the studio with Jacko, Jason Randall, in Syracuse at More Sound Studios and I think we creat-ed our best work to date.

HS: What makes a good song?EF: I think a good song should bludgeon clichés with a cinder block. It should also have something familiar; I think that’s the challenge of songwriting. There are a lot of cheesy songs out there. You don’t want to write something that sounds so familiar that everybody can go, “Oh, that sounds like this, this, and this.” It’s a challenge of riding a line between catchy and not cliché.

HS: What are your expectations for the Blockley this time around?EF: I expect by now that we have built a pretty big fan base in Philly and the Penn-sylvania area. Every time we play Philly it’s pretty exciting; there are lots of people that know all the songs. Given the nature of the way we re-leased our album, as an inde-pendent band, we rely more heavily on word of mouth. At this point, since we released the album in September, it feels like that word of mouth is spreading and we’re notic-ing more people coming out because they’ve heard it. My expectations are pretty highjudging by the start of our Northeast tour here.

Interview by Jesse Bellosi

CREATING DELICIOUS EXPERIMENTS AT HOME

INGREDIENTS

Caramelized Bananas with Bourbon Sauce and Nutella PowderConverting high fat liquids to powder is a trick of the trade. The same principle can be used to convert olive oil, caramel, peanut butter, white chocolate, or even bacon fat from liquid to powder form.

Carbonated Fruit

SPECIAL INGREDIENT NEEDED: Dry Ice aka frozen CO2

(Walmart, some Grocery Stores, just make sure to call first!)Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide at a temperature of -108 ˚F. When the temperature rises, dry ice does not melt, it subli-mates (turns from a solid directly to a gas, skipping the liquid phase). The water inside fruit will absorb the CO2 gas and become carbonated.

DIRECTIONS

DIRECTIONS1. Decide on the fruit, some taste better than others when carbonated. Peeled and sliced de-seeded citrus fruits work well (blood oranges are in season!), any type of sliced apples, peeled bananas, red or green grapes with the skin-on, pineapple chunks, or blueberries. Bite sized pieces are most effective!

2. Use oven mitts to place small pellets of dry ice at the bot-tom of a container. I used a stainless steel pot with a steam-er basket and glass lid with vent hole. When you place dry ice in a metal container it will make a squealing noise, until the two components come into equilibrium. This is a heat transfer that produces a sound via the Bernoulli effect.

3. Place the fruit on top of the dry ice. To prevent fruit from freezing, place it on a piece of wood or in a basket/strainer.

4. Cover the container with a kitchen towel, cutting board, or lid with vent hole, DO NOT SEAL the container with an air tight lid or pressure will build and it MAY EXPLODE.

5. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes, up to 3 hours. As the dry ice sublimes from solid into gas, the CO2 will dissolve into the water of the fruit. The dry ice will keep the fruit cold, allowing more CO2 to dissolve in the fruit. If the fruit freezes, wait for a few minutes before eating to avoid burning your tongue.

tunes


Kickin’ It With Kimock And Friends

An interview with Steve Kimock and Bernie Worrell

A musical medley of monstrous proportions is making its way to the Blockley on March 8. Steve Kimock and Bernie Worrell were brought together by unlikely circumstances to combine their legendary skills. These musicians are joined by Wally Ingram and Andy Hess to create some of the most experimental jams currently being made. A huge repertoire of influences and an unquenchable thirst for pushing the limits of music helps Steve Kimock and Friends create their unique sound. Headspace Magazine was lucky enough to catch up with both Steve Kimock and Bernie Worrell.

HS: WHERE ARE YOU JOINING US FROM?

KIMOCK: I’m in the Lehigh Valley. I’m near Martin’s Guitar near Nazareth. I was born in Pennsylvania so I have a lot of family here.

HS: HOW DID THIS PROJECT WITH MR. WORRELL COME ABOUT?

KIMOCK: That’s a good question. My son, who is a fabulous drummer, was playing in a band that Bernie was sitting in with occasionally. So they became friends and did a bunch of playing together until one day my son turned to Bernie and said, “You know my Dad plays guitar?” or something like that. My son brought me together with Bernie.

HS: HOW LONG HAS YOUR SON BEEN PLAYING WITH YOUR VARIOUS PROJECTS?

KIMOCK: Johnny has been playing music since he was 2. He’s 24 this year, so ya know, about 22 years.

HS: WAIT HE WAS PLAYING MUSIC WHEN HE WAS TWO?

KIMOCK: Yea… It’s kind of scary. His first gig was with Merl Saunders of all people, and he was in his stroller as a baby. His butt wipes came in these blue tubs that we duct taped to his stroller. So he had his big drum sticks sticking out of his stroller beating on the tubs right next to us up on stage. So he was literally gigging with us in diapers, with Martin Fiero being the only other member of the band who occasionally wore diapers back in our days as the band Zero.

HS: TELL US ABOUT THE VARIOUS EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUMENTS THAT YOU USE TO CREATE YOUR AMAZING SOUND.

KIMOCK: The guitar is an attractive object to me. I love playing them and finding guitars that point me in a certain direction, forcing me to go somewhere. So I think to myself, “I should have this because it compels me in some direction,” as opposed to guitars that you pick up and you can do whatever you

“So I sort of have an accumulation of guitars that paint me into a corner and then I play my way out of the corner.”

18 HEADSPACEMAG.COM WINTER - SPRING 2013


Tunes Tunestunes tunes

want on. So I sort of have an accumulation of guitars that paint me into a corner and then I play my way out of the corner. I guess if I had a schtick that would be it in a nutshell. That is if you could fit a schtick inside a nutshell, then that would be the schtick. I’ve done a lot of musical instrument manufacturing, research and development, going all the way back to the 70’s with Mesa/Boogie. I was Randy Smith’s neighbor in Lagunitas, California, right when Mesa/Boogie was getting started, at the beginning of higher end amplifiers. Most of my shows I play with a guitar that somebody gave me many years ago through the amplifiers provided by the venue.

HS: HOW LARGE IS YOUR GUITAR COLLECTION?

KIMOCK: Hmm wait a minute I’ll count. There are 55 instruments not counting keyboards that I can see from where I am standing. This is composed of guitars, sitars, basses, ukuleles, 12 string guitars and others. There are about a dozen that I rotate between for most of the on stage stuff. But again, it might just be a personality quirk of mine that I hoard stuff. Don’t read too much into it. It’s not like it’s this huge collection that should be in a museum or that it’s particularly fancy. I’m 57 I think and I have been playing all my life. A lot of these instruments just came to me through people that thought, “You should play this instrument because it would be good for it or you.” Most of the instruments I play on stage I did not

buy. Somebody just walked up to me and said, “You should play this,” and I said, “Okay I will.” My wife’s Stratocaster, my Mustang and the list goes on, ya know? It’s like they were cosmically attracted to me or something. I’m pretty much talking through those guitars. It’s not like I have an incredibly keen sense that an instrument is special.

HS: THERE’S A RUMOR THAT YOU LEARNED A LOT OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF PLAYING GUITAR FROM JERRY GARCIA. IS THERE ANY TRUTH TO THIS RUMOR?

KIMOCK: No that is completely untrue. I’m self-taught. Jerry and I became friends. We did some playing together. He was a super sweet, intelligent and wonderful person. He was a great aficionado of all things guitar so we got along well because we’re both geeks on the guitar level. But it was quite the oppo-site of learning stuff from him. In order to have any identity of my own, I deliberately pushed away from doing that. My take on guitar playing in this modern era is that it’s greatest failing is everybody sounds the fucking same. I like the idea that it’s possible to have your individual voice on these things, or that people can recognize the sound of your playing. On the other hand Jerry didn’t have that problem, he could borrow things from my guitar playing and people would ask me why I was trying to sound like him.

HS: WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

WORRELL: I was born in South Jersey (down the shore), in Long Branch New Jersey. It’s near Asbury Park.. People call that “Springsteen territory.” My parents and I moved north to Plainfield, NJ., when I was eight years old so I’m a Jersey guy.

HS: HAVE YOU SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN PENNSYLVANIA?

WORRELL: Yes, through my years touring with P-funk, the Talking Heads, and with Steve Kimock who I’m currently working with now. Steve lives in Pennsylvania, about 45 minutes from where I live in Jersey. We’re right across the border from each other; so I’m there quite a bit. We can rehearse at Steve’s, so I guess I’m in PA. more often now than in previous years. Recently I’ve played in Pennsylvania a lot with Steve and with my own group Bernie Worrell Orchestra. In previous years it would just be when I was coming through on big tours. I like the cobblestone streets. Of course I like the Philly International Airport, as well.

HS: YOU HAVE PLAYED HUGE VENUES WITH BANDS SUCH AS PARLIAMENT, FUNKADELIC, AND THE TALKING HEADS, HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE PLAYING SMALLER VENUES WITH THESE SMALLER PROJECTS?

WORRELL: I like it better because there isn’t all the cacophony (I call it) or drama of dealing with big venues. It’s small,

which brings you closer to the people. I feel that as you get closer to the people, the people get closer to your music. You can interact with each other better. I’m tired of the big coliseum thing, it just isn’t as intimate.

HS: FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A MUSICIAN HOW DOES THE DIFFERENCE IN ACOUSTICS BETWEEN THE LARGER VENUES AND SMALLER VENUES ALTER YOUR PLAYING?

WORRELL: Well it depends on the monitors. A good monitor system lets me hear better, so I can relate to the other musicians on stage better. I love playing outdoors, because you’re sending the music out into the atmosphere and the atmosphere is bringing its own sounds and reverberations back to you. As far as proximity, I like indoors better because you feel a closer relationship with the audience. The vibe is different. I like aspects of both, but there are also negative aspects so you just adjust. I adjust and that will affect how I play. I don’t play anything the same anyway. It also depends a lot on what instrument I’m playing. That’s my freedom. It might be the same song but it will be different.

HS: YOU ARE KNOWN FOR CONSTANTLY PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF SOUND WITH YOUR KEYS. WHAT KINDS OF EQUIPMENT ARE YOU USING IN THIS PROJECT WITH STEVE KIMOCK TO THIS END?

WORRELL: I’m using a vintage Hammond organ with a Leslie speaker, a Hohner D6 clavinet, a vintage ARP-Pro Soloist synthesizer-monophonic (that means single voice), a Minimoog and an electric piano; vintage, old school stuff.

HS: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT CURRENT POPULAR MUSIC SHIFTING TOWARDS ELECTRONIC AND DJ-THEMED CULTURE? WAS IT INEVITABLE?

WORRELL: I don’t know if it was inevitable and I wouldn’t call it progress, but I would call it evolution. Minds are influenced by genres before them and by their own experimentations they are led to a new form or a different form or something new. So it’s an evolutionary process. We don’t know what’s coming next, but it’s forming all the time. It’s happening all the while man. I like some of it; it’s interesting. But sometimes it can

be too repetitive and noisy for me. I like stuff that involves melodies along with the effects but I’m not judging. Everyone has their own tastes

IS THIS SOMETHING YOU HAVE BEEN EXPERIMENTING WITH?

WORRELL: Every time I play I’m experimenting. It’s not conscious. I just play.

IS IT PIVOTAL FOR MUSICIANS TO HAVE AN APPRECIATION FOR CLASSICAL MUSIC?”

WORRELL: It’s not necessarily about trying to appreciate classical music, but more about what you can get from it for your technique. Which is a little more vigorous than rock or funk. So as far as technique I would say it’s advantageous but not everyone has an ear for it. So in that respect I say it depends on the person because you can also go to a jazz show and learn about technique, depending on the player. What I would say is to appreciate all genres of music. Lend an ear even if you don’t typically appreciate that type of music. Just see what it’s about because you can learn something from every genre. I just like to melt everything together: cartoon theme songs, church music, Scottish chants, rock, funk, and reggae. I like to play everything and mix it all together. People try to apply labels, which I don’t like because it’s all music.

HS: DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THE INTERVIEW?

WORRELL: Well I would just like to thank those who come out and support live music. We artists appreciate the support. It’s important because we give, but we also receive from the audience. We feed off the audience’s appreciation and vice versa.

Interview by Alessandro Satta

Photos by Joe Gurreriand Brian Diescher (middle last page)



tunes

Headspace Magazine had the opportunity to speak with Richard Vogel, keyboardist from Galactic, about New Orleans music, cheese steaks and what “headspace” means to him.

HS: It’s almost Mardi Gras. How do you bring New Orleans with you?

RV: It’s inherent in what we do and have been doing for 17 or 18 years. The nature of the band has always been a funky New Orleans party. We bring in the brass band element with Corey Henry on trombone along with Ben on the saxophone. And then we have a rhythm section. We were lucky to be running around hearing the Meters when they were playing as the Meters and the Neville Brothers in the late 80s and early 90s. There is so much great New Orleans music.

HS: It seems like the funk scene is exploding with Kermit Ruffians, Rebirth Brass Band, Orgone, and Dumpstaphunk among others. How do you feel about the growth of your scene?

RV: Really what has changed for New Orleans music is that it’s really gotten out there. These bands have been touring the country more. There is more New Orleans music at festivals – and Jam Cruise. Jam Cruise has a lot of New Orleans artists each year. It’s become more and more New Orleans each year. Now a solid aspect of Jam Cruise is the funk. It’s really a matter of more expo-sure of New Orleans music to the rest of the country.

HS: New Orleans is as much about funk as it is good Creole food. If we are in New Orleans, what should we eat?

RV: It’s hard to know where to start. I have to say, for total food tips, you are lucky you aren’t talking to Ben Ellman or Jeff Raines. They always have their ears to the ground more than I do - know the latest and greatest. There are so many famous New Orleans restaurants. Really, a lot of the best places for food in New Orleans are the ma and pa places that you discover here and there or by word of mouth. One thing a lot of people don’t know is we also have good Vietnamese food because there is a really large Vietnamese population – especially on the west bank. When I venture far from where I live to eat, it’s normally for Vietnamese. Every culture that comes to New Orleans interacts with the traditions herein and in a way, it gets Creole-ized.

HS: Sort of like how Philly turns everything into a cheesesteak?

RV: Exactly. My favorite is a Vietnamese po’boy. You get the French intersection in both New Orleans food and culture and Vietnamese food and culture. Yeah, I just love the po’boy.

HS: And do you have a recommendation for good NOLA food in our area? Or do you stick to cheesesteaks?

RV: I have to be honest. We’ve had our fill of cheesesteaks. At one point we did a cheesesteak tour – places that you always hear about. They are loyal about Pat’s versus Geno’s. One time, a long time ago, we went around to all and split

them up and tried them. It’s kind of the nature of our band. A couple of the mem-bers of the band are food adventurers.

HS: What else does a band from New Orleans do when they are on the road?

RV: We check out the food spots, discuss, debate and argue about everything we eat. I’ve definitely had my share of cheesesteaks.

HS: It seems at this point you have to do something really different or really complex to break through because there are so many bands and so many festivals. What do you think?

RV: Yes, it’s interesting. It’s definitely true. There are a lot more bands and festivals out there. There’s a lot more out there then when we hit the road in ‘96. You had the Jam scene that revolved around Phish and Wide Spread Panic throughout the South. There were a few bands like Medeski, Martin and Wood that had been around for a year or two before we were. I remember seeing them come through New Orleans. The first time I saw them there were 20 people in the club, then the next time there were 200 people in the club. I saw them doing it right before we jumped in the van. I could have counted on one hand, the bands that were out there doing that, armstronging the country in vans. It’s funny because it came under this umbrella term “jam”. We became part of the jam world, but musical-ly we were drawing everything from our love of old

school funk, R&B and New Orleans music. The essence of it was East Coast punk, DIY. Just buy a van, books some gigs, call some clubs, talk to some promoters. We were doing it all ourselves. Before we knew it, there we were, a “veteran jamband.” It’s a title we neither encouraged nor ran away from. Over the course of the last 5-10 years, there has been a real explosion in live music and the number of bands who are out there touring and living off of the live music scene.

HS: What does the word “Headspace” make you think of?

RV: Headspace makes me think about the fact that I want to be in a good one. It’s worth working to make sure you are in a good headspace. When I walk on stage to play music for people – that’s what it’s all about. Bringing a good headspace to the place – and hopefully it’s contagious.

HS: I saw a quote on Jambase that said, “after all these years, Galactic is telepathic.” Would you say that the telepathy or that feeling of collaboration is the band being in a good “headspace?”

RV: Yes, I totally agree. I think the band is in a good “headspace” – there’s something comforting that comes from a long term musical relationship. When we haven’t played in a while and we are

suddenly together again –get on stage and pick up instruments – there is a certain comfort factor and a certain musical security. Which is nice – it means that there’s a base level of tightness and togetherness. There’s a lot you can count on so that gives you the freedom and confidence to jump off and see where you can take it. That’s the reward for sticking it out for so many years.

HS: It sounds like you are a family. Everyone has their role and you grow together.

RV: We are definitely a family at this point. We are a musical family. Everything that comes with family - Good bad and ugly – we wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s what we set out to do and wanted to do. We have been able to achieve it and make it work and make it grow. We are always working to keep it interesting and find new ideas – to be able to do that and make a living making your own music is a tremendous gift. We try not to forget that and show up in a positive headspace to each show.

Galactic will be performing Union Transfer on April 11 with the Nigel Hall Band (Soulive/Lettuce). Tickets are $25 and available at utphilly.com

Interview by Becky Blumenthal

Photos by Taylor Crothers and Ryan Mastro

G A L A C T I CTAKING FUNK TO ANOTHER GALAXY

GALACTICTAKING FUNK TO ANOTHER GALAXY

tunes

24 HEADSPACEMAG.COM WINTER - SPRING 2013 25 WINTER - SPRING 2013 HEADSPACEMAG.COM HEADSPACEMAG.COM WINTER - SPRING 201324


t


Brandon Gross is a 30 year-old York, PA., native who has, “been drawing and doing art for as long as I can remember.” He began writ-ing graffiti in 2008 under the name “Strike” which led to his efforts in helping form the York-based Writers Block Crew. Shortly after Gross began writing OneDer and started doing legally commissioned walls throughout the city on various establishments including the York Rev-olution baseball stadium. By 2009, he was regularly appearing at art shows using a canvas medium, which then led to a tattoo apprenticeship. After completing his apprenticeship in 2010, he opened a tattoo shop called Skin Graff Studios which was named best in York in 2011 and 2012. The end of 2012 culminated with Bran-don closing down Skin Graff to focus on music and other artistic ventures. We can’t wait to see what he has planned for the future.

spaced outspaced out

28 HEADSPACEMAG.COM WINTER - SPRING 2013 29 WINTER - SPRING 2013 HEADSPACEMAG.COM 28 HEADSPACEMAG.COM WINTER - SPRING 2013 29 WINTER - SPRING 2013 HEADSPACEMAG.COM

spaced out spaced out


Cherry Blossom Festivalhe transition from winter to spring can be challenging for those eagerly awaiting the arrival of festival season. Win-ter warriors wrapped in thick-knit scarves and armed with

Kleenex and cough drops can seek comfort in an event that is synonymous with the arrival of spring. For the past sixteen

years the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival has

graced the spring in Phil-adelphia. Presented by

the Japan America Society of Greater

Philadelphia, the festival runs

from April 1 through

April 26, 2013. No need to buy early bird tickets or get an oil-change before packing up the car, the festival’s events take place within or shortly beyond city limits. This festival, “cel-ebrates Philadelphia’s rich cultural connections with the art, music, food, natural beauty, and industry of Japan” dating back to the 1876 Centennial Exposition, Philadelphia’s first world fair. The main day of the festival is Sakura Sunday which takes its name from the word sakura, Japanese for cherry blossom, many specimens of which will be abloom in Fairmount Park’s Horticultural Center. While enjoying the beauty in bloom, attendees can participate in the Cherry Blossom 5K, enjoy live music and martial-arts performances, enter their dogs in the Prettiest Pet in Pink Parade, and try their hand at authentic Japanese crafts. Philadelphia native and Ursinus graduate Elaine Maulluci raves, “Hanging out under the cherry blossoms, checking out the crazy taiko drum performances and just enjoying a nice day in the park …what’s not to love about

Sakura Sunday?” Neighboring the festival is Shofuso, an authentic Japanese house and garden built in Japan in 1953 for the New York Museum of Modern Art and trans-ported to its new home in Philadelphia in 1958. The most recent addition came in 2007 when artist Hiroshi Senju donated twenty waterfall-inspired murals. In addition to the events of Sakura Sunday, various venues in Phila-delphia and the surrounding area will host performances, tastings, and workshops throughout April. The festival boasts that it will be like “visiting Japan without leaving Philadelphia” and offers a little something for everyone.For a Headspace approach to the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival check out headspacemag.com

Written by Mia Jester Photos by Cherry Blossom

spaced out

T

32 HEADSPACEMAG.COM WINTER - SPRING 2013

headspace magazine

Documents

steve kimock

unshaven kimock

photo shoot

cover shoot

game faces

galaxy interview

universes way

becky blumenthal24 time