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1. Matt Salton | Interview
2. Jeffery Self | Interview
3. Anthony Johnson | Interview

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Jon Durant is the creator and designer of CausAnEffect.com which has the lofty goal of changing the world. If our conversation is any indication, it would seem that he is well on his way to attaining that goal. His main thrust is his T-Shirts which can be bought online. Their slogans, as well as their designs, speak to a larger purpose which is you can change the world while still looking good. Admittedly, it has taken a while to transpose our talk, which actually occurred a couple of months ago during the Lilac Festival in Calgary. The following is a transcription of that talk.

Two Word Heap: How did the whole thing start?
Jon Durant: About thirteen years ago, I was sitting at a park bench at a camp site. I was always a curious kid and wanted to change the world with my ideas. It first started out as HR, because I was a fan of hockey and it stood for Hockey Rules. I designed scribblers upon scribblers of stuff. And then I thought how about we gave some money back to a cause, or make it much more than just a company. That’s where it just spiraled. It became a company called System and then eventually became Causality. From there it became a movement to change the world. (Spelled move/meant). It’s kind of a fun little thing I’ve always wanted to do. At the same time people can do good and look good at the same time. My favourite slogan is “Everybody wants to rule the world, I want to change it.”

TWH: What have you learned in the past thirteen years?
JD: The clothing business is a hard one. Gotta stay fresh and gotta stay new. You have to give people something they haven’t seen before. I learned a lot about marketing. I went to school for small business and got my degree in small business. I feel my whole life has been leading up to this moment. I love the festival. Today has been one of the best days ever.

TWH: What has the response been from people coming by?
JD: Really, really good. Set up this morning about 8:30 this morning. Poor Crystal here has been the talent sorting shirts. She was going to give up on me and was going to defect to another booth. People have been great. They’ve been walking by, their heads turn and they stop and they come up. The crowds have been amazing. It’s more validating than anything. You have these ideas and you’re like: “Will anybody like them? Will anybody really enjoy it?” And to know that people actually want to buy them and wear them, it’s hugely satisfying. It’s a high I will not come down from for days.

TWH: You launched in June?
JD: We did. June 21, 2008 we had a huge, huge video. We got it out and had a huge response. This is the first festival I’ve done ever. So we’re just over a year old.

TWH: The difference is that you’re donating some of the money.
JD: That’s correct. Five dollars from every shirt is donated. We give to local causes. The first launch we gave to Simon House. The new launch (Change Your Clothing Change the World) we’re donating to a local Child Wish Foundation here in Calgary. Long story short, I met a kid in the airport and he was 10 years old. I asked him if he was going anywhere. He said no, that they couldn’t afford it because his dad had left them. I was like “Oh, my God.” It pulled at my heartstrings. Then I asked why he was at the airport and he said that he was waiting for Grandma to come and help move them out of their house. Finally I asked him if he could go anywhere where would he go and he said Florida. I thought it was to see Mickey, but he said no, it was to see the Space Shuttle because he wants to become an astronaut. And I found my next cause right there. For kids like him, I need to help them.

TWH: What’s your next goal?
JD: My next goal is really to enlarge the operation. I want to be in stores, and grow the online store. More festivals. One day this will be a full time job for me. I’ve been really impressed by the response here today.

TWH: Thanks so much.
JD: Thanks so much there, bud!

Related posts:

1. Matt Salton | Interview
2. Jeffery Self | Interview
3. Anthony Johnson | Interview

]]> http://www.twowordheap.com/think/jon-durant-interview/feed/ 0 http://www.twowordheap.com/see/anthony-johnson-interview/ http://www.twowordheap.com/see/anthony-johnson-interview/#comments Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:09:12 +0000 Kyle Marshall http://www.twowordheap.com/?p=5170 Hairspray. I recently got the chance to have an email conversation with him.

Related posts:

1. Jeffery Self | Interview
2. Evil Dead: The Musical
3. Matt Salton | Interview

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Anthony Johnson is an aspiring Broadway performer currently on tour with Hairspray. I came upon his YouTube channel over a year ago while browsing videos with and about Stephen Sondheim. A fortuitous find it proved it be! I have a feeling that if we actually knew one another not only would we get along extremely well, but we would spend an inordinate amount of time talking about why musical theatre is so great. Recently I got the chance to have an email conversation with him. A transcript of that conversation is what follows.

Click here to view the embedded video.

PART ONE – PERSONAL LIFE

Two Word Heap: Let me know where you grew up and what it was like.
Anthony Johnson: I grew up in the middle of North Carolina. I guess you can say I’m a small town boy at heart because Burlington isn’t very big – though it has grown a lot since my family first moved there. But I will say that I grew up in a town with the perfect mix of city and country. Ten minutes in one direction gets you lost in farmland while ten minutes in the other direction has you in the middle of a University. So I got to experience the city and country life while growing up.

TWH: When did you know that you wanted to be a performer?
AJ: It took me a while to realize that I wanted to be a performer. Or better yet, it took me a while to trust that I had the abilities to follow my passion. I did school and church plays growing up, and I was always doing skits and performances, but it wasn’t until I started doing theatre in high school when it dawned on me that I might want to try a career in acting. And it really wasn’t until college when I was in the thick of my BFA degree in musical theatre when I acknowledged the fact that this was the career path I wanted to follow.

TWH: Were there specific influences you had?
AJ: No one in my family is a performer, so my passion for theatre always seemed a random gift. But both of my parents are very creative people in their own right – my mom is a brilliant arts and crafter and my father is an excellent carpenter. So even though I didn’t have a musician or actor influencing me growing up, I was still inspired by both of my parents and their hobbies. Also, I’ve seen so much sadness and bitterness in people who’ve sacrificed their lives out of obligation – obligation to supporting a family instead of obligation to personal happiness – that I vowed to myself that I would, above and beyond everything else, follow my dreams as far as I possibly could. That in itself was an inspiration – and still is.

TWH: Moving to New York City must have been a big change. Was it scary? Or, did you know everything would work out?
AJ: Moving to New York actually wasn’t much of a change at all – only because I moved to New York from Osaka, Japan. Not long after my college graduation I was cast in a show at Universal Studios Japan, and I ended up working there for two years. So needless to say, I learned pretty quickly that if I could survive in Japan on my own, I could live anywhere. As for knowing that everything would work out – well, I don’t know that things will work out. I just have faith that I’m living the life I’m supposed to be living and that things will work out the way they’re meant to. That faith keeps me going.

TWH: What do you do to stay grounded?
AJ: And I guess that faith keeps me grounded. I have absolutely no idea where my life is taking me or what’s to come – but I believe in myself and I believe in the universe (or God or whatever/whoever it is out there calling the shots…)

Click here to view the embedded video.

PART TWO – SONDHEIM TIME AND STAGE TIME

TWH: Why start posting YouTube videos?
AJ: I started posting videos on YouTube when I was living and working in Japan. In all honestly, the only reason why I created a YouTube account was to post a music video some friends and I made to “Come What May” from Moulin Rouge – my friends were dressed as dogs and we ran through the streets of Osaka…it was silly, but delicious. I never really intended on posting any other videos. But then one day I was bored, and decided to record myself singing so I could check up on my voice and my progress, and as I was singing a song from the musical The Last Five Years (by Jason Robert Brown), my cell phone went off – and instead of stopping my video, I proceeded to sing and search for my phone. When it was all said and done, I found the video hilarious and thought it should go on YouTube – and thus, my obsession with posting ridiculous videos of me singing and blabbing to perfect strangers was born.

TWH: You obviously have a love for Stephen Sondheim. What is it about his shows that you respond to?
AJ: I respond to Sondheim’s BRILLIANT lyrics and the way he weaves such perfect lines into melody and harmony. Nothing is out of place, nothing is contrived – he has managed to write some of the most perfect, resonant truths and set them to some of the most intricate (yet at the same time simple) music ever written. AND he somehow manages to do this while telling a story!!! So it’s not just that he writes amazing songs, BUT he write amazing STRINGS of songs that, together, tell such wonderful stories!!! I have to stop myself before I start to give you a dissertation. Ha!

TWH: Which other composers do you admire and why?
AJ: This might seem like a cop out answer, but I really am in awe of everyone who writes music. And not just in musical theatre. Music is a gift to the human race and I have such an admiration for people who embrace its power in our lives by writing. And I also have such a respect for lyricists. You can never underestimate the power of good lyrics. Otherwise, we’d just listen to instrumental music. On the musical front, I am also obsessed with Adam Guettel, Jason Robert Brown, John Bucchino. In popular music I live for Sufjan Stevens, Death Cab for Cutie, Glen Hansard and his band The Frames. But it’s so hard for me to single specifics out – I have such a large collection of music on my iPod!

TWH: You are currently on tour with Hairspray. How has the experience been? What have you learned? Is it hard being away from home for so long?
AJ: As you can tell, I’m pretty verbose, so I’m sure you can only begin to imagine how much I could write about my experience with Hairspray. Being on tour has definitely been a rollercoaster, but I’ve loved every minute of the ride. The show itself is such a wonderfully crafter piece of theatre that performing it every day is a gift. And we’ve been blessed with such wonderful audiences who really respond to what we’re doing on stage, which makes sleeping on the floor of a bus and eating mostly junk food from gas stations worth it. I’ve learned a lot more about myself while on the road – and a lot more about the business of theatre. I graduated with a BFA in musical theatre in 2005, so I was pretty well educated in the business, but there’s only so much you can learn before you just have to experience it. Being on tour and working with such a big production company enhanced my training tenfold. As well as learning about the circumstances under which I can still manage to perform – lack of sleep, lack of rest, being on a bus for 600 miles and driving into a show, having to alter blocking and choreography right before curtain because of stage restrictions…I’ve learned if you can tour, you can do anything. As for being away from home for so long – that’s never really been a problem for me. I lived in Japan for two years and only came home to the States a few times. So being on the road isn’t really hard on me – yet. I’m sure one day it’ll hit me that I want to settle. But for now, I’m up for the adventure!

TWH: Obviously not everyone will like everything, but why do you think that Broadway, and musicals in general, are not looked on favorably by many people? Is it bad marketing, close-mindedness, or something else?
AJ: I think musical theatre is loved more than we think. I just think the material that gets produced is what gets in the way of it being more mainstream. Think about it – shows like American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With The Stars have been wildly successful. There have been reality shows casting Broadway shows – Grease: You’re The One That I Want and Legally Blonde: The Search for the Next Elle Woods. Movie musicals have started making a serious comeback. People love music and people love dancing. People love being entertained – and what’s more entertaining than a musical number? Rock concerts nowadays have become increasingly more theatrical in production. I just think that some of the material in musical theatre makes it difficult for people to relate to and enjoy it. People like me OBSESS over Sondheim, but for anyone else his work can be intimidating and scary. I LIVE for Sondheim, but it took me a lot of work to grasp the depths of his oeuvre. And that’s just Sondheim – a lot can be said for the rest of musical theatre! It’s a very intellectual art form. It can also be wildly entertaining and flashy and campy and silly, but above and beyond all of the hype, it takes a lot of work to be in the audience of a show. We’re living in an age where things are shrink wrapped and convenient. THANK GOD musical theatre isn’t (or I wouldn’t love it nearly as much) but I think that’s one of the things that stands in the way of its mainstream success.

Click here to view the embedded video.

PART THREE – COMING ATTRACTIONS…

TWH: What is your next big goal?
AJ: My next big goal? For so long my goal has been to just keep working, but I’m beginning to set my sights on bigger things. My Broadway debut is definitely something I am working towards. I have no idea how or when it will happen (or if it’s even in the cards) but it’s something I am definitely working towards.

TWH: Do you think that performers have it easier in the age of YouTube (and the Internet in general)? For instance, Bernadette Peters didn’t post vlogs and songs online until someone noticed her. (Although I admit it would have been fantastic). Is it easier for performers, or harder because so many people are trying to be noticed?
AJ: I don’t think YouTube has made anything easier for anyone – though it has created a new venue for exposure that I, for one, am thankful for. For instance, I’ve been contacted by executives at Disney Theatricals because of a video I made begging them to put Newsies on Broadway. That video made Disney aware of my existence in a way that they weren’t before – but that relationship also hasn’t yielded anything beyond a friendly email correspondency. I think people are fascinated by YouTube and the people who post videos, but at the end of the day, they’d rather find their talent the old fashioned way – at least in the musical theatre world. There may be the lucky person who is signed to a recording contract because of YouTube, but that’s very rare. I guess YouTube could help someone start a career in film or television, but not necessarily on stage. There’s a lot to be said for the live component of musical theatre. You might sound good on camera and have good lighting, but sound and look completely different in person. Of course, who knows what tomorrow will bring. I’ll keep you posted if YouTube ever gets me a job on stage!

TWH: If you could be cast in one show what would it be, which role, and why?
AJ: I have a pretty long list of shows I’d love to do and roles I’d love to play. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about playing Boq in Wicked. And I’d love to play Melchior in Spring Awakening. But I could go on and on with this.

TWH: Be honest, have you practiced a Tony Award speech? If so, how does it start?
AJ: Who hasn’t practiced a Tony speech?! Haha. I haven’t really settled on my opening lines yet, but it would start something like “I’ve dreamed of making this speech since I was 18 and I have no idea what to say now that I’m standing here…”

TWH: Do you have any fear for the future?
AJ: I’ve been listening to music as I’ve been writing these answers, and as I got to this question this line sang out in a song – “I can give you the present. I don’t know about the future. That’s all stuff and nonsense.” I have no idea what the future brings, and I’m ok with that. I have faith that things are going to work out the way they’re supposed to. And there are things I REALLY hope will happen, but for the most part I’m just trying to let go of any expectations, because that’s just going to set me up for disappointment. I think I’ll be happy with just about anything that happens. But I will admit that my one fear is going through life and never reaching my full potential. I know what I am capable of – I just hope other people give me the chance to show it.

I hope that others will allow Anthony to showcase his talents as well. I have written before about the fact that more people do not know about him is a travesty. I can foresee great things happening for him in the future. I cannot wait to find out what that is.

Related posts:

1. Jeffery Self | Interview
2. Evil Dead: The Musical
3. Matt Salton | Interview

]]> http://www.twowordheap.com/see/anthony-johnson-interview/feed/ 0 http://www.twowordheap.com/see/jeffery-self-interview/ http://www.twowordheap.com/see/jeffery-self-interview/#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:45:21 +0000 Kyle Marshall http://www.twowordheap.com/?p=4979 Related posts:

1. Anthony Johnson | Interview
2. Matt Salton | Interview
3. Jon Durant | Interview

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I’ve written in the past about how I stumbled upon Jeffery Self without meaning to. What a happy accident that was. Jeffery is a writer and performer who lives in New York City. He makes YouTube videos, writes a blog, is a stage performer, and soon, perhaps, a TV star. With this busy schedule you would think he would have little time for anything else. Luckily, he made time in between the hectic life he leads to answer some questions via e-mail. What follows is the conversation we had.

PART ONE – LIFE BEFORE NOW

Click here to view the embedded video.

Two Word Heap: From watching your videos and reading your blog, it does seem like you had an interesting childhood. But for those who may not be as acquainted, can you let people know what it was like?
Jeffery Self: I had a really cool childhood. Grew up in Rome, Georgia which is this awesome town in the Northwest corner of Georgia. An hour from Alabama and Tennessee. It’s got a population of like 30,000 people so it’s small but not too small. There was a pretty rich cultural community of local artists. Lots of community theater. I was really lucky. Any given month there were probably four or five different community productions going on. That’s pretty amazing for a small town in Georgia!

TWH: What sorts of influences did you have as a kid?
JS: Definitely the community theater. I think that’s the biggest thing. It’s all about doing it yourself. Putting on a show! I think that’s the sentiment that’s carried me into the YouTube self generated world.

TWH: You’ve written before about starting your own community theater. Why do you think community theater is important?
JS: I’m ALL about it. I think community theater offers a great source of… well, duh… community. My best friends and teachers growing up came from the community theater. Then, when I started my own, it totally prepared me for depending on myself and being independent with whatever I create.

TWH: Did you always think of yourself as a performer?
JS: I guess so. I did plays and stuff as a kid… I got really into directing for a while in high school and thought that was what I wanted to do until a couple years ago.

TWH: I think there is always this romanticism about New York City. How did you feel about it before moving there, and what do you think of it now that you live there?
JS: I just always assumed it’s where I’d end up. I think the romanticism is all perfectly correct. It’s sorta the greatest city in the world. There are days that I curse it for whatever reason but truly, it’s damn near perfect.

PART TWO – LIFE ON THE SMALL AND SMALLER SCREEN

Click here to view the embedded video.

TWH: What made you begin making YouTube videos? What did you learn about online celebrity?
JS: I did it sorta randomly. I just felt left out. Everyone else online was doing it, so why not me? It was after a couple videos that I realized how intensely cool the whole idea of making something and thousands of people being able to see it the minute you finish is.

TWH: FUN QUESTION! How much do you love Elaine Stritch?
JS: She’s amazing!

TWH: I know that the LOGO Network has asked you to make a show. Tell me about what it is and how it came about.
JS: LOGO started being interested in us (Cole and I) last summer when we were actively making videos a couple times a month and beginning to get some media attention. It was all sort of happening under our noses and then we started having meetings with some really nice folks at the network and it clicked! The show we’re doing for them is a strange sort of hybrid that I’m fairly certain hasn’t happened on TV before. The show started out as a web show for their website – written, directed, starring, edited, filmed by us – in my apartment, like the YouTube stuff. However, they really liked what we made so they’ve given us our very own time slot on the network. Friday nights at 11pm! The show begins June 19th! Tune in! Here are the details:

Jeffery and Cole Casserole
Fridays at 11PM
Beginning June 19th!
On The Logo Channel

TWH: What are the challenges of keeping up a blog?
JS: Having something to write about every day, and actually making one’s self write it. It’s a good challenge though. I’m pretty lazy and it’s a good motivation to force me into being productive.

TWH: Do you think that performers have it easier in the age of YouTube (and the Internet in general)? For instance, Bea Arthur didn’t post rants on her MySpace page^[1], she had to establish herself on Broadway and then later television. Is it easier for performers, or harder because so many people are trying to be noticed?
JS: Definitely! No one has an excuse not to be seen anymore. I can’t sit around and complain that I can’t get anyone to see my work. Musicians can’t complain, actors, writers, animators, nobody. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, all this social networking stuff gives the artist all the power because they’re controlling who sees their stuff and how.

PART THREE – WHAT’S NEXT AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

Click here to view the embedded video.

TWH: What’s your next big goal?
JS: Hoping great things happen with Jeffery and Cole Casserole, as it’s something I am really proud of. I’m working on a book that I’m hoping to get published and I’d really like to get back into Lost.

TWH: Do you have any fear about your future?
JS: I guess everybody does, right? Things are constantly changing which I tend to get especially freaked out about but so far the changes have proved to be for the best.

TWH: What do you do to stay grounded?
JS: Nothing is too nutty right now but I guess talking to my mom on the phone multiple times a day is pretty grounding. That’s coincidentally what I do to stay co-dependent as well!

TWH: FUN QUESTION #2! Who is the most underrated performer?
JS: HMMMMMMMMMMM. I’m really into Leslie Mann right now. She’s in Knocked Up and recently 17 Again. I think she’s pretty awesome and should be the new big movie star

TWH: I know that you will be in San Francisco performing your show My Life on the Craigslist. Tell me about the show, how it came about and what you learned after writing it.
JS: I wrote the Craigslist show over a year and a half ago. This is the first time I’ve performed it in a year so it’s odd to revisit the material because I think I’ve definitely changed a lot since the period of my life when I wrote it. I wrote it when I first moved to NYC and I was meeting a lot of guys online, which came from the easiness of doing so and growing up in Georgia and that being the only way to meet other gay people. I think it’s a totally respectable way to meet people as long as you’re careful and safe about it.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jeffery is obviously a very driven individual. Great things are in store in the coming years for this abundantly talented individual. I say that as a fan, but also because he deserves it. So do the people who do not know they are fans yet. Jeffery will be performing his show My Life on the Craigslist in San Francisco from June 10 to June 27 at the New Conservatory Theatre Center. You can find out more information here.

Footnotes

1. How awesome would that have been?

Related posts:

1. Anthony Johnson | Interview
2. Matt Salton | Interview
3. Jon Durant | Interview

]]> http://www.twowordheap.com/see/jeffery-self-interview/feed/ 0 http://www.twowordheap.com/see/matt-salton-interview/ http://www.twowordheap.com/see/matt-salton-interview/#comments Tue, 26 May 2009 01:36:56 +0000 Kyle Marshall http://www.twowordheap.com/?p=4795 Related posts:

1. Jeffery Self | Interview
2. Jon Durant | Interview
3. Anthony Johnson | Interview

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The Fairy Tales International Queer Diversity Film Festival is entering its eleventh year. This is pretty amazing for a festival that began in the most humble of ways. It is still the only gay and lesbian themed festival to happen in Alberta. Recently I talked with the Festival and Programming Director, Matt Salton, over the phone. In our brief conversation, it was obvious how busy the festival has become, with phones constantly ringing in the background and quick questions being asked by the staff. Mr. Salton is passionate about his job so it is easy to realize why the festival is able to thrive. What follows is a transcription of our talk.

Two Word Heap: How did the festival come about?
Matt Salton: The festival was founded eleven years ago by four students, young activists, who all had an interest in film. The first festival began at the Gary Theatre in Inglewood over one weekend. It since has grown to a ten day festival with over 90 films. We’ve still kept with our roots, and Kevin Allen who is one of the co-founders of the festival is still volunteering and helping out when needed. His husband Gordon Sombrowski is the president of our board. So we still have a watchful eye from the co-founders. Last year was our tenth anniversary and the original founders came from across Canada to be here. They were all remarking how that they never thought the festival would get as big as it has, and that they were quite proud of it. All were very professional and went on to great things after starting Fairy Tales. And we’re quite proud of it as well.

TWH:On the website it says this is the only gay and lesbian festival in Alberta. That is somewhat surprising. How does that make you feel? Does that put pressure on you, or take pressure off?
MS: No pressure. We try to cater to everybody. We’re clearly trying to create a positive space to those who fall under that umbrella of queerdom. But like any other festival that Calgary offers, we’re here to entertain, to educate. We show a variety of films. Yeah, it’s sort of our unique pitch that we’re the only gay and lesbian film festival in Calgary, but it is amazing what some of the smaller rural communities have been up to in the past few years; starting their own film clubs, their own films societies, putting on gay plays. Edmonton has a large arts and culture festival called the Exposure Festival which film is a small contingent of that. We also want to help foster those groups so we’re starting a new initiative called Reels on Wheels which will be run annually. We’ll be offering film and video to community serving agencies that are currently working in the school system for educational purposes to promote gender and sexual diversity. We’re going to travel with films to rural centers for those citizens that don’t have the accessibility to queer cinema.

TWH: Calgary, I think, is seen as a somewhat less progressive city. Has there been any sort of pushback from the community or city?
MS: No. This is my third year as Programming Director. I’ve been an occasional visitor of the programmer from the Reel Out Film Festival over the years. I did my research before coming in to see if perhaps there was some adversity, especially coming from Ontario where we’re such a liberal establishment and everyone is quite accepting. In fact I think there was more vocal opposition in Kingston, where I started off than here in Calgary. I haven’t read of anything negative that has gone on in the past.

TWH: What is the lineup of films this year?
MS: We’re focusing on three separate themes. We’re focusing on Women and Film. In particular, we’re using the moniker of the Herlet Film and Video Festival which was Calgary’s longest running Film Festival up until a couple of years ago. There is a lot of interest in the community to get that festival back up and running. Fairy Tales has sort of taken up the gauntlet to keep the name and we’ll continue to keep the name and the spirit alive until they can get their act together and start it up again. We also have the Health and Wellness focus which touches on all elements of living well and keeping well. And our Two-Spirit focus which we’re very proud of. What we’re doing is inviting two-spirit filmmakers from across Canada to convene in Calgary to take part in a panel discussion which will involve talking about the aesthetics of spirit in film and video in Canada and where it’s going and the nature of it. As two-spirited filmmakers, do they subscribe to two-spirited film and increasing the visibility of two-spirited people? Or, is a broader issue, such as Native issues, a priority? That’s being held over three days. We wanted to have a focus on the filmmakers, so we’re showing their films having a panel discussion and having an immersion into it.

TWH: I think that the most obvious example of gay cinema was Brokeback Mountain. Do you think that has opened people up to gay cinema, or was that more of a one-off phenomenon?
MS: Brokeback Mountain is only the most recent example. There have been mainstream films that have been modern successes in Hollywood. I mean I can think back in the seventies when Making Love came out with Harry Hamlin and Kate Jackson that it caused quite a stir and people thought that would open the doors. Really, exposure is the key for people to not be so homophobic. Like Will and Grace. If it’s out there they don’t have to be afraid of it. People are most afraid of what they don’t know. Is Will and Grace an accurate representation of gay life? Maybe. It’s not mine, but it’s still less harmful than gay serial killers or transsexual serial killers, or lecherous perverts who lurk in the shadows. The other thing is that in gay and lesbian film festivals, they aren’t the heterosexual interpretation of homosexual lives. They have queer authorship; they’re a little bit different in that queer audiences “get” them more than a straight audience would.

TWH: What are the dates for the festival and where are the films being shown?
MS: We start on Thursday, May 28th and run for ten days until June 6th. Our opening gala is The Baby Formula. It’s a Canadian feature film discovered by a local producer Shirley Vercruysse when she was in Mannheim, Germany. So thanks to Shirley we secured that film and Shirley will actually be in attendance as will be the filmmaker and writer Alison Reid who is actually a stuntwoman. She’s actually making a film with Kevin Spacey in Toronto. She’s going to fly to Calgary for opening night and then she’s going to fly back on the red eye so she’s back on set Friday morning. Our closing gala is The New Twenty which is about a group of friends both gay and straight and very encompassing of all relationships. So they’re all going to be at the Plaza and then we have few films playing at EMMEDIA.

For more information and a complete program guide, please visit the Fairy Tales website.

Related posts:

1. Jeffery Self | Interview
2. Jon Durant | Interview
3. Anthony Johnson | Interview

]]> http://www.twowordheap.com/see/matt-salton-interview/feed/ 0 http://www.twowordheap.com/hear/annalyce-interview/ http://www.twowordheap.com/hear/annalyce-interview/#comments Sat, 14 Mar 2009 02:32:37 +0000 Kyle Marshall http://www.twowordheap.com/?p=3312 Related posts:

1. Heavy Metal Experience
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3. Jeffery Self | Interview

]]> The weather in Calgary has been somewhat bipolar in the last few weeks. The days have ranged anywhere from Spring-like where the streets became rivers to mid-Winter conditions where it felt as if your spit would freeze before it hit the ground. It was in those frigid conditions that I ventured downtown to see another metalcore show.

Of all places, it was taking part in a Legion. It was a place that had the unmistakable smell of impending death. The youth that were congregating seemed oddly out of place with the gaudy and decaying architecture. It was dimly lit and cold. The sweet smell of stale cigarette smoke hung in the air. I silently hoped that the intensity of the music would not collapse the building.

The majority of the bands had already arrived and were either setting up their gear or storing their instruments in various locations around the hall. The camaraderie between the bands was evident. Hugs were being exchanged frequently in an atmosphere akin to long lost friends being reunited. Equipment was being loaned and everyone was helping each other.

For Annalyce, the night was a tad nerve racking and constantly in flux. Busy promoting their freshman EP they were ready to perform third as scheduled. For no discernible reason the headliners, Callahan, decided they wanted to play in the middle of the bill. Annalyce were pushed back twice more so that they were eventually the last band to play.

Two of the band members, Jason Bank and Ryan Buckley, were able to quickly chat after their set. The following is a transcription of that interview.

*****

Two Word Heap: How do you think your set went tonight?

Jason Bank: It was pretty good. We had a couple of rough moments.

TWH: Yeah.

JB: Like Scott’s amp breaking, because it breaks all the time. I don’t know why.

TWH: You kept getting pushed back and pushed back…

JB: Yeah.

TWH: Is that more frustrating, or…

JB: It kinda is-

Ryan Buckley: Kills our momentum.

JB: You get the momentum up and then it’s gone.

TWH: I’m interested in your creative process. Is there one person who does the writing? One person who does the composing? Or, is it more of a group effort?

RB: I don’t know. It usually starts off where Scott or Jason have something, and then we all build around it. It’s not usually one person’s deal, it’s one person’s… like it starts at that point where that one person writes something and then we build around it. It’s not like one of those classic rock bands where one guy is writing everything-

JB: And he’s a genius.

RB: And everyone else doesn’t have their high school [diploma] and they just drink all the time.

JB (laughing): Yeah.

TWH: I’m interested, too, in you being a Calgary band. Do you think that shapes your music at all? Or, is that kinda just incidentally where you live?

JB: You know, that’s a hard one.

RB: There’s a lot of metalcore. It might be.

JB: Yeah.

RB: It’s just what people listen to, I guess, and we started listening to it too, right?

JB: Yeah.

RB: I guess that’s our kind of deal.

TWH: What kind of influences do you have as far as your band goes?

JB: I know Means influences me a lot…

RB: Taken.

JB: Yeah, Taken! I’m really influenced by Taken. Even Explosions in the Sky and really light bands.

RB: Yeah, I like soft stuff. Like metalcore stuff.

JB: Kanye West, PI..

RB (laughing): Kanye West.

JB: Dr. Dre, pretty much.

RB: Chronic 2001. That’s where it all comes from.

TWH: I’m guessing you all have jobs or school. How easy is it to get together? Or, is that hard?

RB: We’ve traveled fast, because we have set practice dates. We have two a week and if we miss those then someone is really pissed.

JB: And I’m always the one who misses them. It’s hard, man.

RB: We only have, usually, two practices a week.

JB: We have school or [a] job.

RB: There’s some of us who do our homework and some of us that don’t.

JB: But me and Ryan have grades.

RB (laughing): We care about our futures. The other ones, uh…

JB: They like the band.

TWH: About your futures, what do you want the band to achieve?

RB: I’d like to go on tour just once.

JB: Yeah.

RB: After I graduate. I just think it would be fun, right?

JB: I think traveling around would be fun.

RB: As long as we haven’t killed each other.

JB: We’ll be all right.

RB: We’ll be all right.

JB: We’ll still stick together. Yeah, I think traveling around would be awesome.

RB: We don’t even need the money, I just want to go.

JB: I already have money, I don’t need anymore. I have enough.

TWH: Who came up with the name of the band?

RB: That was way back at the start, I think. We were just looking for a name that was one word, and we tried to look for something that people couldn’t make fun of and was catchy. So we thought of Annalyce.

JB: It means grace or something, right?

RB: It means grace. But then I somehow managed to form that into the term Anal Lice.

JB: It’s a long going joke, I guess.

RB: So, as long as we started it I guess it’s all right.

TWH: No one has that, by the way, right?

RB: No, I don’t think so.

JB: I don’t think I have it.

RB: If anyone it’s Dean.

JB: Dean would have it.

TWH: Now I think, and I could be wrong, Jason, but you’re pretty new to this band. Is that correct?

JB: Yeah.

TWH: How is that coming into a band that’s already been formed?

JB: I thought it was going to be difficult, because in previous bands I’d play with I’d have people invited in and they wouldn’t even join in at all because they were scared that people had been playing together for so long. But I think they just had bad social experiences or something, because when I started playing with them I thought it was pretty dope. I thought it was pretty fun. This guy used to bag my groceries!

RB: Yeah I used to bag his groceries. That’s not a sexual term.

TWH: Well, it can be. So, final question: what are your favorite two words?

RB (motioning to a blackboard behind us): 420 Pussy.

JB: Who wrote that there?

TWH: I don’t know.

JB: I don’t really have favorite words. Oh my? I wish I was more creative.

RB: Can I swear?

TWH: Yeah, that’s fine.

RB: Shit a dick. Oh, that’s three words.

TWH: Awesome.

JB: Um, I love you? No, that’s three.

TWH: Yeah, all the good ones are three.

JB: I don’t know, I’ll think of something for next time.

RB: Two apple! One of them’s a number.

TWH: Just randomly two words. Awesome guys. Thanks!

To our dear readers: What questions would you ask Annalyce?

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