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Stretch Lefty

Local Band on lineup at Hookahville XXX this weekend

by Dwayne Steward
The Advoacte
Entertainment Coordinator
August 28, 2008

Cramped in a small back room of an abandoned industrial building amongst Fender, Gibson and Kraig Phillips guitars, the Columbus-based band Stretch Lefty takes a step back through time to explain themselves.

Some of their first thoughts go back to the band’s inception at Northridge High School — four of the five members are Johnstown natives. They’d practice at bassist Matt Jago’s house before sneaking through the woods into the biannual Hookahville music festival — then only 10 minutes away at Frontier Lake in Pataskala — to catch a glimpse of their rock idols.

More than eight years later, the band finds itself back where it began. But their excitement about the festival, celebrating its 30th installment this weekend at the Legend Valley Concert Venue and Campground in Thornville, has a different meaning. This time around, the eclectic funk band, mixing the sounds of hip-hop, reggae and punk rock, will be among the lineup of artists they’ve always counted as their influences.

“To be on the other side is blowing my mind completely,” said drummer and backup vocalist Johnny “Coco” Williamson.

The band — consisting of Jago, Williamson, guitarist and keyboardist Tyler Starkey, guitarist Anthony Fancelli and lead singer Brian “Tabu” Thomas, who joined the band almost four years ago, after meeting Starkey at the Columbus College of Art & Design — will take the stage Saturday afternoon, wedged between festival headliners Arrested Development and Big Head Todd and the Monsters.

“When we were 16 years old, Hookahville was always a fantastic musical event, and it’s really a great honor to be a part of it,” said Jago, who is also a music instructor at Newark’s Martin Music, 910 N. 21st St.

Stretch Lefty’s Hookahville debut comes on the heels of the release of their second album, “Universe Box,” just last week.

The album received a warm welcome during its release party Saturday at Skully’s Music Diner, 1151 N. High St., Columbus. The album also received the seal of approval from producer Ron Saint Germain, who mixed a few of its tracks.

“When they were brought to me, I thought the band was fantastic,” said Germain by phone from his offices in New York. Throughout his 35-year career, the producer has worked with pretty much anyone who’s anyone in the music biz, from 311, Creed, The Cure and the Red Hot Chili Peppers to the likes of U2, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston.

“They’ve created a unique hybrid by marrying hip-hop, rock and reggae, which is refreshing, and I think they can stand shoulder to shoulder with the popular stuff that’s out there,” Germain said.

The release party, sponsored by the band’s newly formed label, Big Bounce Boombox, also featured their sister band, Street Corner Rockas, which includes a majority of Stretch Lefty and also was formed under the Big Bounce umbrella.
So, it seems Hookahville is just the beginning.

Led by manager and producer Austin Briggs, formerly of The Barber Shop Studios in New Jersey, the record label and band are hoping to use the new album and exposure to launch not only their own careers but promote the rest of the local music scene as well.

“Their dedication to Columbus is unheard of,” said Briggs, whose belief in the band’s potential led him to leave the big-city recording company and move back to Ohio to work with the band. “The music scene here is still pure. It’s untouched.”

Germain agrees, citing the success of Bruce Springsteen and Creed, who each built home fan bases of 25,000 to 75,000 before hitting it big nationally.

“It’s really not something new. You have to deal from your position of power, and that’s your home base,” he said. “I endorse that policy wholeheartedly. It shows they’re organized and can be a working unit. It’s not rock-star status but a great start.”

Jonas Brothers

Disney sensation Jonas Brothers in high demand

by Dwayne Steward
The Advoacte
Entertainment Coordinator
August 21, 2008

The Jonas Brothers are coming! The Jonas Brothers are coming!

The famous Paul Revere chant signaling the arrival of the British sent colonists into a frenzy, and Nick, 15, Joe, 19, and Kevin, 20, will send Columbus’ members of tween nation atwitter when they take the stage during their sold-out concert Saturday night at Nationwide Arena.

Out on their “Burning Up Tour,” which kicked off Independence Day in Toronto and runs until Sept. 5 in West Palm Beach, the pop-rock trio is scaling the country on the promotion of their critically lauded album “A Little Bit Longer,” released last week, and the soundtrack to their Disney Channel movie “Camp Rock.”

The brothers appeared on Miley Cyrus’ record breaking concert tour “Best of Both Worlds” last year. They released the platinum album “Jonas Brothers,” which is still atop Billboard charts. Singles “S.O.S.,” “Hold On,” and their latest smash hit, “Burnin’ Up” — their highest charting single to date, peaking at No. 5 — have been cemented within the minds of 14-year-olds across the nation.

The show is sold out, but here are a few future projects according to www.JonasBrothers.com to look forward to for those unable to snag tickets.

• Film crews showed up to the boys’ July gig in Anaheim, Calif., with plans to release a concert movie in January, much like Miley Cyrus’ box-office hit early this year.

• A Disney Channel series staring the trio is set to debut spring of 2009, the title and script of which are being reworked.

• Disney is also set to release a behind-the-scenes book about the band’s adventures later this fall.

• A script for “Camp Rock 2” is being worked on and filming is said to begin next summer.

BalletMet presents "Hot Nights, Cool Dance"

'50s revival part of 'Hot Nights, Cool Dance' ballet

by Dwayne Steward
Entertainment Coordinator
The Advoacte
Aug. 14, 2008

If one thing is apparent, it’s that Adam Hundt loves his mom.

Since the onset on his dancing career at an amateur level in high school, the Dayton-born dancer has wanted to dedicate a show to his mother, Sue Hundt. A small goal for some, but for the fifth-year BalletMet academy member it’s a major check off his lifelong to-do list.

Hundt will present and perform in “Rock-a-Betty,” putting ballet and contemporary dance to the tunes from the 1950s rockabilly era of music, in BalletMet’s season opener, “Hot Nights, Cool Dance” which starts its run Thursday night.

“I normally do more abstract pieces that don’t necessarily have a storyline,” said Hundt, who has also danced with Hubbard Street in Chicago and Southern California’s Ballet Pacifica. “But I’ve always really liked artists like Little Richard, so I did my research and was able to combine some of the social dance aspects of the decade into what we normally do.”

Expanding the dedication to all of the women of his family, three of the songs Hundt uses are specifically tied to certain individuals. For instance, “Good Golly Miss Molly,” a Little Richard classic, was inspired by his sister Mollee, while his other sister, Marilee Howard, was the basis for the inclusion of “Mary Lou.”

“‘Mary Lou’ is a bit of a stretch but I couldn’t find any songs with Mary Lee in the title,” Hundt said, laughing. “I remember my mother always singing that song, ‘Good Golly Miss Molly,’ to my sister when we were kids.”

His mother is paid tribute to with the song “Wake Up Little Susie,” made famous by the legendary Everly Brothers, and the title “Rock-a-Betty” was a play on words using the name of his grandmother.

Hundt said he tried to embody what each woman was to the singer in the movements of the dance, incorporating two couples and a soloist representing the song’s title female.

“Rock-a-Betty” appears alongside five other pieces, two of which are also world premieres. John Butler’s masterpiece “Othello,” choreographed for BalletMet by Lawrence Rhodes, who worked with Butler and originated the role of “Iago” during its 1976 premiere, will also be in the program. And the company’s well-known rendition of Stanton Welch’s “Play” is making a welcomed return.

“Hot Nights, Cool Dance” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Aug. 24 in the BalletMet Performance Space, 322 Mount Vernon Ave., Columbus. Tickets are $30. For more information, call (614) 229-4848 or visit www.balletmet.org.

Marcella's Ristorante

Bustling Marcella's embraces togetherness in dining

by Dwayne Steward
Entertainment Coordinator
The Advoacte
Aug. 14, 2008

Marcella’s Ristorante’s motto, “Where plates are passed and flavors shared,” displayed prominently on the Italian restaurant’s Web site pretty much explains it all.

The pizzeria and wine bar, located on High Street in the middle of Columbus’ Short North — with another location at Polaris Fashion Place — has built a distinct dining experience, featuring a “small plate” menu and homemade Italian cuisine, ultimately bringing a piece of traditional Italy to central Ohio.

“The food and style of service is meant for people to share and to enjoy the experience together,” said Ian Rough, Marcella’s executive chef, who has been with the restaurant since its original development more than a year ago. “It’s an old-feeling restaurant that is newer and lively.”

A part of the Cameron Mitchell Restaurants juggernaut — operating 10 eateries in Columbus and Louisville, Ky., including Cameron’s, M, Martini and the Ocean Club — Marcella’s opened in May 2007, immediately packing out the small pizzeria throughout the weekend. Still a year later Marcella’s is receiving record attendance, according to its owners, and there’s been much talk about expanding to major cities such as Chicago and New York.

The long interior at the High Street location sports an intimate setup with close tables, a tan and brown, slightly darkened color scheme and gold lighting. The front features tall bar-style chairs around raised tables in an opened window, where you could literally shake hands with someone walking along the sidewalk while you eat. The small space looks a bit cavernous when empty, but come nightfall Rough said that definitely is not the case.

“It can seem a little overwhelming to somebody that doesn’t know what’s going on,” Rough said, laughing. “But for us, we’re used to it, that’s what we’re going for. We want this place to be packed all the time.”

The menu largely features Marcella’s famous flatbread pizzas, each $11 or $12. There are also a wide range of pasta selections for the more major entrees, including the fan favorite Fettuccine & Meatball.

“It’s a mixture of veal beef, ricotta cheese, bread crumbs, seasonings and the softest meatball you’ve ever had. We braze them in a tomato sauce, and it’s just to die for,” said Rough, who has been with Cameron Mitchell Restaurants for the past six years. “It’s been number one since we opened, and it’s not losing that spot anytime soon.”

Appetizers range from the $3 olive plates to an extensive cheese list and hot small plates featuring the homemade Sweet Italian Sausage, a dish that has a special meaning for Rough.

“It’s sort of a family recipe. I’ve been making sausage for years with my father so we kind of morphed one of those recipes into this recipe,” he said. “It’s served with peppernota that’s warm with a little bit of sauce and goat cheese. It’s phenomenal.”

The hot plates run between $6 and $8, but be sure to remember the “small plate” motto. If you’re looking to fill up, the best bet is to bring a few friends and order two or three menu items apiece to share.

We mustn’t forget the wine. Marcella’s has a bar that may rival any in the city. The bar is stacked with 50 different Italian wines, including a special house Pinot grigio made especially for Marcella’s in Italy and two house sangrias, white and red. Each wine comes served as a “quartino” (one-third of a bottle), “mezzolitro” (half bottle) or “litro” (full bottle).

“In Italy they drink wine like it’s water,” Rough said, laughing. “But here wine is more just for special occasions. We’re trying to make it more of the norm.”

The concept goes back to the restaurant’s overall casual, good-time atmosphere.

“It’s also the feel of the restaurant. … It’s loud, there’s a lot of conversation, clanking of the plates, people sharing their food,” Rough said. “That’s what the restaurant is all about. The food is just a piece of helping make that happen.”