Posts in Q&A
Travel Writer and TV Host Rick Steves On Publishing, Packing, Pints, and Patience

Famed traveler, writer, television host, activist and tour guide, Rick Steves, is an inspiration. He’s curious and adventurous but he’s also compassionate and empathetic. He works to keep a long view of global sustainability, rather than promote quick gains. And, as such, he’s helped bring countless people out of their shells or out of their normal day-to-day behaviors and taken them on excursions around the world, whether through his travel guides, TV shows, or guided tours.

Steves is also a devout Christian, who works to make the world a better place through his faith. And in a time when travel is at a near standstill, Steves tells Americans (and other travelers) to stay calm, enjoy your nearby surroundings, and hold tight until the world can move about freely and safely again.

We caught up with Steves to ask him about how he first got into travel writing, how it’s changed his life over the decades, what he does to bridge his faith with his adventurous spirit and how he thinks the recent Presidential election might bring about a renewed appreciation for science and leadership.

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Q&AJake UittiUnder The Radar
Sir Mix-A-Lot Shifts His Focus to ‘Keep Music Live’

Sir Mix-A-Lot is a champion of local and smaller venues. In fact, more than the multi-thousand person showrooms that he could assuredly sell out in Seattle, Washington, and beyond, Mix says he likes the intimacy of the smaller, few-hundred person rooms. If you can’t rock those, he says, then you can’t really handle the bigger places to begin with. And to help bolster these now-at-risk businesses during this time of COVID-19, social distance and stay-at-home quarantine, Mix has started to work with the Washington organization, Keep Music Live, to raise money and, more importantly, awareness for music venues, which both help up-and-coming artists and give many people in the community jobs. We caught up with Mix to ask him why venues are so important to him, what work he’s doing to help and how venues help bolster songwriting, in general.

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The Cranberries on Dolores O’Riordan and “No Need to Argue”

If you’re of the right age, chances are you have a favorite song from the ’90s Irish rock ‘n’ roll band The Cranberries. For many, it’s “Zombie,” the aggressive, buzzy track that talks about bombs, guns, and war inside your head. For others, it’s the jangly “Dreams” or sticky “Linger” that have become personal favorites. Whatever the song, the lasting impact of the band, which was founded in 1989, is astounding. A quick YouTube scan will show that the songs above boast hundreds of millions of views—or, in the case of “Zombie,” one billion, despite the fact that these songs were released upwards of a decade before the streaming platform was even conceived.

To commemorate the band, which sadly lost its lead singer, the indelible Dolores O’Riordan, just a few years ago, in January 2018, The Cranberries will release a remastered and expanded version of the band’s seminal 1994-released hit album, No Need to Argue, on November 13. No Need to Argue was the band’s sophomore album and is their best selling one, moving over 17 million albums, in part fueled by “Zombie.” The reissue, out today, includes B-sides, demos, remixes, and live tracks.

We caught up with founding members Noel Hogan (guitar) and Fergal Lawler (drums) to talk about the early days of the group, O’Riordan’s passing, and much more. The band also featured Hogan’s brother, Mike Hogan, on bass.

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Q&AJake UittiUnder The Radar
Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka on Husbands, Asian Grandmas, and AR-15s

Atsuko Okatsuka has survived an earthquake. Actually, the L.A.-based comedian thrived in one, and she’s got a viral clip to prove it. Okatsuka, who moved to the United States when she was young with her grandmother, has weathered several storms: living undocumented for seven years, growing up with a schizophrenic mother, and being called “Stacey” by classmates and teachers. But, in her own brilliant way, Okatsuka has been able to sublimate all that into quirky bursts of comedy as host of the popular Let’s Go Atsuko! podcast. On Twitter, Okatsuka lambasts the soon-to-be-former president and dances with her grandma. We caught up with the comedian for a quick whirl through her roller coaster life.

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David Byrne on Broadway, Doodles, and “Reasons to be Cheerful”

Champions and lovers of art, in all its forms, likely have come across the work of musician and performer, David Byrne. The Hall of Fame songwriter rose to prominence in the ’80s and ’90s with his band, Talking Heads, releasing all-time classic tracks like “Psycho Killer,” “Burning Down the House,” and “Once in a Lifetime.” He is known for co-producing one of the most beloved concert films of all time, Stop Making Sense, and more recently, Byrne has made headlines for projects like his positive-thinking magazine, Reasons to be Cheerful, and his Broadway stage show (recently released on HBO MAX), American Utopia.

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Q&AJake UittiUnder The Radar
Behind the Song: “So Emotional,” by Miles Davis

On September 6th, 2019, the Miles Davis estate released the latest in the musician’s (posthumous) catalogue, Rubberband. The music for the album, which was record in 1985 but put on pause to complete and release Davis’ record, Tutu, was finished, improved upon and modernized by several players and engineers close with the legendary trumpet player, including his nephew Vince Wilburn Jr., son Erin Davis and original producers, Randy Hall and Zane Giles. The record, after it’s recent release, peaked at number-one on the Billboard contemporary jazz albums chart. We caught up with both Vince and Erin to ask them about the new addition to Davis’ oeuvre and to go behind the song on the band’s fourth track, “So Emotional,” which features the silky-smooth vocal styling of Lalah Hathaway, daughter of celebrated soul singer, Donny.

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Paris Berelc on “Hubie Halloween,” Modeling, Disney, and Her Career Family

Paris Berelc lights up the screen. Whether the 21-year-old actor is working on a Disney show with one of her bright young co-stars or whether she’s showcasing her luminescent talents in a movie like Netflix’ Hubie Halloween with Adam Sandler and China Anne McClain, Berelc is one of the fast-rising on-screen performers of the 2020s.

Berelc, who grew up in the Midwest, has worked seemingly constantly ever since her first gig at 11-years-old. She boasts a number of Disney and modeling credits to her name and, these days, she’s flying between jobs, from New York City to Toronto to who knows where is next. We caught up with the rising success story to ask her about what it’s like working these days, what her time on Hubie Halloween showed her, growing up on-set, and much more.

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Behind The Song: “Barracuda” by Heart

As soon as the chucking rhythm hits your eardrums, you know it’s Heart’s sharp-toothed song “Barracuda” that’s on your stereo. Written in the aftermath of an insensitive comment from a record promoter directed at the band’s sisters, “Barracuda” is a sonic barrage of fitful fists in response, bludgeoning any lingering inappropriateness to a pulp. The track, which first appeared on the band’s second album, Little Queen, rouses audiences and is one of the band’s most memorable songs. (It’s also wildly popular as a karaoke song.) We caught up with Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson to talk about the song’s powerful opening riff (and its semi-controversial origins), the revenge it might have offered the sister songwriters and more.

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Kim Dawson and Bobby Herbeck on the Original “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” Movie 30 Years Later

For anyone who grew up in the ’80s or ’90s, you likely crossed paths with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. If, like me, you were rather obsessed with them, then you likely had dozens of figures and maybe even rode around on the large TMNT blimp like a horse (I regret nothing!). But one of the biggest highlights of Turtle fandom back then was the live action movie released in 1990, which was co-written by Bobby Herbeck and co-produced by Kim Dawson.

The movie, which featured costumes made by the famed Jim Henson, portrayed the Turtles’ story in a darkened, though humorous light. There were jokes about pizza for as much hand-to-hand combat. It was a great movie for fans and did big business in the box office, despite expectations and some critics’ opinions. Today, with the 30thanniversary of the movie’s release, fans can enjoy the special three-day appearance of the movie on movie theater screens nationwide from Nov. 5th through the 7th.

We caught up with Dawson and Herbeck (who dropped into the conversation a little later) to talk about their experiences making the movie, what its success taught them, and which is their favorite Turtle.

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Mike McCready Shares The Importance of Music, SMASH, Healthcare

Pearl Jam’s celebrated lead guitarist, Mike McCready, knows a thing or two about the importance of healthcare. McCready, who has suffered his whole life from Crone’s Disease, which causes inflammation in the digestive tract and often leads to very severe symptoms like constant and painful defecation, began to speak out about his affliction later in life. Since then, McCready has learned what its like to find community around a shared problem and how important that cab be when coupled with proper care.

As such, McCready recently joined forces with SMASH – or, Seattle Musicians Access to Sustainable Healthcare – to raise money and awareness for the organization, which offers mental and physical health services to musicians who often don’t have health insurance. For this partnership, McCready has joined forces with the mighty Seattle rock ‘n’ roll band, The Black Tones, which is co-founded by twins Eva and Cedric Walker.

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Patty Griffin Sets Series of Online Shows To Help Save Live Venues

Today, songwriter Patty Griffin is considered one of the greatest in the world at her craft. She writes spare songs that tear at your heartstrings and rattle the marrow of your bones. Griffin, who has lived in Austin, Texas, for decades, got her start, though, in New England, playing small coffee houses as she honed her craft. She first learned about music at the feet of her mother, singing along with her, and bought her first guitar for $50 at 16-years-old. Ever since, she’s been creating, writing and touring her work around the globe, first in small clubs then later in larger venues.

Now, Griffin is giving back to those spots, many of which are independently owned. Griffin, who released her Grammy-winning, self-titled LP last year, has scheduled three unique shows livestreamed from the historic Continental Club in her hometown of Austin, Texas to help raise money and awareness for those venues who have dramatically and severely suffered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tickets are available here for the gigs, slated for November 7th and 21st and December 5th.

Venues all over the United States have had to close their doors and will have to keep them shut for an undetermined amount of time. They need help. And Griffin is here to add her support. We talked with the exquisite songwriter about why venues matter to her, what she’s learned by playing their stages, how the government may or may not be helping and much more.

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China Anne McClain on “Hubie Halloween,” “Black Lightning,” and Meeting Michelle Obama

Actor and singer, China Anne McClain, could power a space station with her buoyant energy. In fact, for all we know, she might be doing that right now. She does just about everything else, from sing to act to light up each and every room she enters. McClain, who recently co-starred in the Netflix-released, Adam Sandler-produced Halloween movie, Hubie Halloween, is also one of the three sibling members of he harmonizing trio, Thriii. But to list her complete resume would take a while. McClain has also worked extensively with Tyler Perry, currently co-stars on the CW superhero show, Black Lightening (as the main character’s daughter, Jennifer Pierce, who is also super-powered), sang the Doc McStuffins theme song, worked with Disney, collaborated with Nick Jonas, and much more.

We caught up with the 22-year-old McClain to talk to her about her burgeoning career, what it was like working with Sandler on Hubie Halloween and much more.

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The Squad Is Expanding, and Jemele Hill Loves to See It

You may know Jemele Hill from her many years on ESPN, both critiquing jump shots and covering Colin Kaepernickkneeling during the National Anthem. You may know her for her outspoken critiques of Donald Trump on Twitterfor her 1.3 million followers. You may also know her from her work in The Atlantic, where she writes mostly about sports, power, and Black lives, or her podcast, Jemele Hill is Unbothered. And now, she’s hosting a weekly TV showfor Vice TV alongside her fellow ESPN alum Cari Champion. The point is, Hill is everywhere, often talking about things before some are ready to hear them. So it only made sense to talk to her about what where we’re at, and where we’re going.

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H.E.R. is Listening to Prince, Stevie Wonder, and The Proud Family

With one look or one listen, it’s clear: H.E.R. is quite possibly the coolest artist in music. The singer-songwriter, born Gabriella Wilson, sings smoothly, writes thoughtfully, and when she picks up a guitar, slices open imaginations with each fuzzy, bending riff. At age 23, H.E.R., who recently launched her own signature line of Fender Stratocaster Guitars, has already entered a stage of global fame. After all, she’s used to this; she signed to RCA Records at 14, and has already been nominated for a handful of Grammys, winning Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Album. Ahead of her turn as this week’s musical guest on Saturday Night Live, hosted by Adele, we caught up with the artist to ask her about the music that has shaped her, from To Pimp A Butterfly to the Proud Family theme song.

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Peter Frampton on His New Memoir “Do You Feel Like I Do?”

Peter Frampton, who is recognized as one of the world’s greatest guitar players, has traveled the globe, earned a #1 record (Frampton Comes Alive), and was friends with David Bowie as a schoolboy. Indeed, in many ways, Frampton has lived a charmed life. But it hasn’t all been roses and sunshine for the virtuoso, as he explains in his new memoir, Do You Feel Like I Do?, out yesterday. The lengthy book, which talks about Frampton’s loving and supportive parents and his friendships with the legends of rock (from Bowie to The Beatles), also talks about his bouts with depression, his debilitating physical afflictions, divorces, and band breakups. The memoir isn’t so much a window into Frampton’s life as it is a wide-open front door and a magnifying glass. But that’s the artist’s style: put it all out there, leave nothing for later. We caught up with the musician to talk about his parents, his love of songs, his musical relationships, and much more.

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