John Vanderslice (Original Location)
Everyman: John Vanderslice cultivates his passions, plants and all.
By Jon Paxton



John Vanderslice has yet to break American Idol big, which isn’t a bad thing for the well-rounded musician or his loyal fans. In fact, he prefers to hit small-scale venues like one of Salt Lake City’s beloved community stomping grounds.

“I definitely clearly remember the first time I played Kilby [Court]. They had a bonfire going, and I was opening for Death Cab. It was amazing!” he recalls fondly. “I remember Ben Gibbard saying, ‘You’re going to love this place; it’s really special.’ It’s definitely about the scene that people have created.” And he loves touring here. “There’s something about all that space and air. It’s a tremendous feeling … that feeling when you get to the mountain states. You see how many times I’ve played Kilby; I obviously have a real connection to that club.” Vanderslice also enjoys Velour in Provo, and is eagerly anticipating that show, as well.

Of course, he isn’t just sitting on his hands waiting to take the stage. Vanderslice recently released Romanian Names, a gem of an album marked by well-crafted lyrics and melodies that stick in your head for days after impact.

He’s also owned and operated analog studio Tiny Telephone since 1997. Spoon, among others, have chosen to record at the San Francisco spot for the attention to detail that a Vanderslice project entails. He is as meticulous in his recording as he is with the care of the Echium plants in his garden.

“They’re this kind of Dr. Seuss, ridiculously over-sized, glorious plant. I have about 10 or 11 varieties. I have one that’s blooming right now, and the spire of blooms is 12 feet tall.”

When he isn’t tending his 70 plants— more, if you count his herb garden—Vanderslice is touring and improving his chops.

“It’s something I’m still learning. Every rehearsal, I learn something about how to play my guitar and how to sing and how to back away from a phrase and how to attack a song,” Vanderslice says. “It’s very, very complicated.”

This confession sounds bizarre coming from a seasoned pro with eight LPs under his belt, but the man has heavy goals.

“I want to be a good live performer. I take all that stuff very seriously. I think there’s something very sacred about getting up on the stage with an instrument and being a good performer,” he says, adding that his commitment extends to the back end of making music. “I really respect good songwriters. I want to h
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ave practiced my craft to be considered a good songwriter. I’m not there yet, but I’m really working.”

And work he does. He is so obsessive when crafting his albums that he decided to bring some equipment into his home to track Romanian Names, a decision that had its ups and downs.

“You know, it can make you insane because you’re never free from feeling like you have to work because you’re 20 feet away from a 24-track tape deck,” he says with frustration. “It’s constantly calling to you like a neglected child.”

Vanderslice found this process very different from his other work, though, as his setup was more “bare-bones” and suited for microphone work. “That again was very freeing because I was able to do a lot of tracking, doing vocals and backup vocals in the basement. That’s why the album is so vocal heavy,” he explains. “Some of the songs have 18 or 19 voices on them. They’re intensely layered.”

Vanderslice is equally complex. In fact, he has something else to share that he’s never really discussed before. “I’m totally obsessed with basketball. I played it when I grew up and I’m obsessed with the playoffs and the NBA. And nobody has ever asked me about basketball, and I’m deeply disappointed,” he sighs. “I’m a huge Utah Jazz fan forever. I don’t know what happened this year with them. But the Jazz are the kind of team I love. They play very correct basketball and their defense is obsessive. Of course, the antithesis of everything I love is the Los Angeles Lakers.”

JOHN VANDERSLICE
Velour
135 N. University Ave, Provo
Wednesday, May 27
8 p.m.

Kilby Court
741 S. 330 West
Thursday, May 28
7:30 p.m.
All-ages

X96's Todd Nuke'Em (Original Location w/ better photos)
Business Time: Todd's Top 5
By Jon Paxton



Don’t let his blue mohawk throw you off, Todd Nuke ’Em of X96 is all business if your business is to play rock & roll on one of the longest-running alternative stations in the nation. He’s also not such a bad writer, authoring three books in his down time.
Nuke ’Em’s latest novel Blogs of Wrath (iUniverse), to be released this summer with co-author Zack Shutt (of the Geek Show Podcast with Kerry Jackson), is an interesting follow-up to his second work, Rated F (Star). Nuke ’Em describes the new novel this way, “It’s a story about a kid trying to grow up in the suburbs of Salt Lake City. It’s placed in this post-Columbine era where teachers are scared of kids,” he says, then continues with a wry grin, “It’s about the kind of stuff I would do as a kid that would get you thrown out of school now.”

Nuke’Em has been a DJ in the local radio scene for a long time—“In August, it will have been 21 years. Oh, my God, my radio career is old enough to drink!”— having started as an 18-year-old at KJQ. “It was 1988. I started as an overnight board-op, then did some intern on-air shifts. Then I started doing regular weekend hours,” he reflects with fondness. “My first daytime shift was Christmas morning, but I was excited, because the sun was up.”

It’s hard to imagine this veteran being excited about a daytime slot, but his career steadily upgraded from KJQ parttime to X96 full-time, culminating with Nuke ’Em’s latest progression in broadcasting as he took over as X96’s Program Director in 2003.

Nuke ’Em still has youthful energy radiating from him after all these years, but he handles the responsibilities of the station professionally as organizers ramp up for this scene mainstay’s biggest event of the year. “There’s this little thing we’re doing called the X96 Maverik Big Ass Show [BASh]. We keep ticket prices as cheap as we can: $20. It’s our way of letting the listeners come and have a blast,” he reveals. “This year we moved it up to May 29 [at Usana Amphitheater] to start the summer with it and have a kickoff party.”

The list of bands for this year’s blowout is massive and growing all the time (Dropkick Murphys singer Mike McColgan’s group Street Dogs was just added, for instance). Todd has a few groups he’s really looking forward to, beginning with an X96 listener favorite. “Obviously the Offspring is going to be huge, it’s been four-and-a-half years since we’ve seen them. They’re going to put on a headlining set. And it’s going to be nuts.” The BASh is also known for bringing new talent onto the radar of Utah rock fans. Consider the case of The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus: “One of their first big shows was the BASh back in 2006 when they were brand new and nobody really knew who they were,” Todd explains, “it was one of the first big things they did. And they’re excited about coming back.”

Another well-established band with a huge regional following and nationally growing fan base join the bill playing the main stage, as Todd excitedly exclaims: “I’m stoked about Mury. Those guys just tear the place apart.” And the BASh’s signature Live & Local stage will also be presenting several homegrown bands for Utah fans. Nuke ’Em has decided to start the party early with his iPod’s bevy of big-ass music put on shuffle: some songs from upand-comers featured at the BASh popped up along with a couple of tracks from his days at KJQ.

Joy Division
“New Dawn Fades”
Unknown Pleasures
"This band will always remain underestimated, mostly due to the dark nature of their lyrics and Ian Curtis’ deep, droning—and yet somehow soulful—vocals. I can’t resist a great song about personal struggles of life and death."

The Offspring
“You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid”
Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace
"This song will stir the Big Ass Show into a swirling, sweaty mosh pit. But, then again, every song they play will do that."

Billy Boy on Poison
“On My Way”
Drama Junkie Queen
"This is the band that Kiefer Sutherland signed to his Ironworks record label. This is a young band, but they make sassy rock & roll songs beyond their years. Make sure you arrive early at the Big Ass Show. Kiefer told me a few stories about how this band behaves on stage. Trust me. You want to see their performance."

Depeche Mode
“Home”
Ultra
"I have every Depeche Mode song ever made on my iPod, but this track remains a favorite. Brilliant lyrics around a captivating melody, sung by Martin Gore … hell, I put this song on repeat."

New Order
“Bizarre Love Triangle”
Brotherhood
"This song may not live up to their timeless classic 'Blue Monday', but 'Bizarre Love Triangle' is a highlight of ’80s dance music in an era of Taylor Dane, Stacy Q., and Milli Vanilli. New Order knew how to keep a beat and make an intelligent dance record."