Tag: Interview

Miu & Maira • EP.6 | DVD Concerts

DVD Concerts, Episode 6 — Miu and Maira perform 4 songs (Moon River, Desire, Moliendo Café & Never Gonna Give You Up) and talk about their process on Dan Victor Does. They are dancers, singers, musicians, artists and entertainers that show us how to have fun and ignite the imagination. These two capture an authentic enthusiasm for their craft, which is apparent and infectious to their audiences.

Maira Duarte, from Mexico, and Miu Soda, from Japan, met in Staten Island in 2015, at a Dance to the People CUNY Dance Initiative Residency. Since then, they have performed together in several DTTP works such as the Tampon Piece (2018), which they co-created, and at New York venues such as Bizarre Bar, Judson Church, Center for Performance Research, The Spectrum, Local Project, Nublu, and in Mexico at Foro Performatica, in Cholula, Puebla. They are featured in the music videos Los Pastores, by Chancha Via Circuito and Soul in my Body by the Pinc Louds. 

Miu, Maira and Marcus

Since 2019 they started seriously picking up trash and dancing with it in such called Trash Outings (www.dancetothepeople.org for more info). The trash found was later used in elaborate costumes and in choreographed performances. 2020 has been a very productive artistic year for Miu and Maira, for they added ukulele playing to their performance. They have been showcased regularly at different parks and community gardens, such as The Hercules Garden, in which they met the Open Mic Host, Dan Victor.

Dan Victor thanks Miu & Maira

Watch and listen to the four music videos from their set:

• “Moon River“ on ukulele, the song originally performed by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s and written by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. It won an Academy Award for best song and 1962 Grammy Awards for Best Album and Best Song.

• “Desire“ sang by Miu with dance routine, originally by Akina Nakamori, a Japanese pop-star, released 1986.

• “Moliendo Café“ or Grinding Coffee, on ukulele sung in both Spanish and Japanese, is a Venezuelan song by Hugo Blanco, a number 1 hit in Argentina 1961.

• “Never Gonna Give You Up“ on ukulele with synchronized dance routine to the words, originally by Rick Astely, famous for the “Rickrolling” internet meme, was learned for a friend’s moving away party, without any knowledge of the joke, made it a heart-felt tribute.

Maira Trash Dance in the park.
Miu Roller Dance Reel

Grateful for having Miu and Maira for the sixth episode of DVD Concerts and conclusion to Season One. It was so exciting to work with dance, in addition to music performance. They exposed me yet to another way to work with creativity. It was by-far, the longest shoot, with costume changes, different lens, mic set-ups and post-production, offering many challenges, but yielding some incredible results I’m very proud to share. These talented women leave a lasting impression on your mind, with a smile on your face and a song in your heart. Follow Miu on Instagram and Maira on Instagram. Check out DanceToThePeope.org for more great content.

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Dan Victor Does — Art + Music + Mental Health: Performances, Interviews and Commentary on how creatives achieve mental well-being through their craft. Support the podcast.

Adam Kautz • EP.5 | DVD Concerts

DVD Concerts, Episode 5 — Adam Kautz, drummer, musician and NYC scene aficionado, performs some songs and talks about his process on Dan Victor Does. Watch the full performance and story he shares on this episode of DVD Concerts.

As Adam likes to say, I introduce him as a friend first and neighbor second, Mr. Kautz has a huge impact in the world he inhabits. He has been around the world as a touring musician with many bands, participated in a vital part of New York City culture and been a been a fixture in our community. A very inspirational and fun-loving guy to be around. Favorite visual artist is Keith Haring, favorite musical artist is Jim Morrison of The Doors and animal he would most like to be is a Golden Retriever in New England.

He currently resides in Bushwick. Brooklyn, where he has lived for the last ten years. Having grown up in Florida, but born in New York, he says this city was always an inevitable destination for his creative interests. Adam has been playing music since grammar school. He asked his father for a guitar and drum-set for Hanukkah, which he got with the condition he join the school band. It has been a passion for music which has been pervasive his whole life.

Adam is a collector of gear, records, organs, art, amps and objects which he creates a wonderland-like environment, which extends to his wardrobe, style and can be observed in the external habitats he cultivates. The Neverland Ranch, one such space, is a converted vacant lot he transformed into a punk-charming palace to perform and chill with zero fucks given.

Adam curates musical acts into an outdoor show he calls The Matinee which starts and ends early, but rocks during daylight with respect for the neighbors. If you live here, you are invited, but if he’s DJing, don’t ask him to put on a song. There is a sign clearly posted that says, ‘No Requests’ and that we play punk rock here.

Part of the DVD Concerts series started with Dan interviewing the artists upstairs and afterwards Adam would host a “Secret Show” with those performers. So all of the artists that you have seen on this podcast has also been a part of The Ranch.

After the first wave of the quarantine lifted, Adam introduced me to The Hercules Garden, a community space that he helped convert from an empty lot, with the rest of the local community. It was a magical place we all contributed to and were able to express ourselves artistically, while connecting with our Bushwick neighborhood. Marcus Vigilance began The Garden in memory of his dog Hercules, who was also an institution on the block, but passed away during the pandemic. Adam and I hosted the DN’A Open Mic during the late summer months to allow all to have a platform for 10 minutes on the stage we constructed collectively.

His album “Even If It’s A Dream, Who Cares” celebrates the mystical qualities that a dreamer like Adam cultivates and cherishes. It is a sentiment that I admire and whole-hearted approve of. Give a listen to his work that opens a door to his musical aesthetic and vision that extends to visual and experiential expression.

Adam Kautz album “Even if its a Dream, Who Cares”

Grateful for having Adam Kautz for the fifth episode of DVD Concerts. Watch and listen to the music video “Die By Your Side“, a selection from his set. Follow Adam Kautz on Instagram and Youtube.

Follow DVD Concerts on Youtube, Spotify or Apple.

Dan Victor Does — Art + Music + Mental Health: Performances, Interviews and Commentary on how creatives achieve mental well-being through their craft. Support the podcast.

Tony Island Baby • EP.4 | DVD Concerts

DVD Concerts, Episode Four — Tony Island Baby performs 5 songs (Curse of November, Talking in Your Sleep, Daddy Never Knew, Hits Hits Hits cover by Fat White Family, and I Know a Place) and talks about his process on Dan Victor Does. Watch the full performance and story he shares on this episode of DVD Concerts.

Tony grew up in Asbury Park, New Jersey. He worked on the boardwalk and would bring his typewriter with him to write stories to stave off boredom. He grew up in the shadow of Bruce Springsteen and the desolation of the surf city. So making music on his own came natural.

As a child, he won a writing contest, which he was awarded with a pizza party at his Teacher’s house. For some reason the teacher whispered in Tony’s ear that he didn’t belong there, which he thought was odd since he already ate his slices. But what did she know? The eight graders who judged the contest believed he deserved his pizza prize and they outnumbered her. Although, Tony admits, this did leave a lasting impression.

Not long after beginning to make music, Tony set his sites on New York City. CBGB‘s, The Ramones mythology and music scene of Greenwich Village called to him and was compelled to answer. He would visit on weekends, underage until he finally moved up to begin performing in bands and DJing in clubs. After 15 years, he still calls NYC his home.

Writing is a daily practice for him, sometimes two pieces a day. When Tony writes a song, he begins with the words and the story, which later is put to music. When he is on hold, it is a good moment to come up with some chord changes that marries well with his verse.

I thought I heard some Conor Oberst, which Tony confirmed he had collected all of the Bright Eyes records, even ones you had to call up the radio station to get. Bob Dylan was a clandestine influence (Uncle Robby as Tony refers to him) as he found The Best of Bob Dylan record in a snow bank. It must have been fate.

Tony Island Baby is putting out a new album entitled “I Let The Dogs Out” on December 19th, 2020 – to celebrate the 35th anniversary of his birth.

Grateful for having Tony Island Baby for the fourth episode of DVD Concerts. Watch and listen to the music videos “I Know a Place” and “Daddy Never Knew“, two selections from his set. Follow Tony Island Baby on Instagram and SoundCloud.

Follow DVD Concerts on Youtube, Spotify or Apple.

Dan Victor Does — Art + Music + Mental Health: Performances, Interviews and Commentary on how creatives achieve mental well-being through their craft. Support the podcast.

Superdeaf Releases Mass Hysteria To The Masses

New York City based thrash-punk band Superdeaf recently released their new EP, Mass Hysteria. It dropped on August 10th, 2020 with their label Maximum Collabo. The title is an eerily accurate description of our times. The album is four songs of pure adrenaline. As soon as the first track kicks in, I am gripped by the need to bang my head, grind my teeth and blindly throw myself into the pit. I’m immediately picking up a unique blend of metal and hardcore, that brings me back to my youth.

The musicians have international origins, before coming together in NYC to form a super-band with members from Escarioka, Outernational and Chango. The band is comprised of Cristøbal Miranda (drums/vocals) from Chile, Leo Minimum Tek (guitar/vocals) from Seattle, and Javier Barquet (bass/vocals/fx) from Mexico.

They have political, pro-rights lyrics with out leaving the joy of life. In your face kinda attitude. Fast riffs fast songs with that latin rhythmic section influence. Spanglish is their language. They stand strong amongst everybody’s rights. No racism, no fascist USA. No one is illegal.

Recorded by Steelwolf Jon Markson, Brooklyn & Alex Lanas Global Goal, Corona Queens. Mixed by Jhon Reyes Wisenoise, Saltillo Mexico. Mastered by Maceo Fuentes, Brooklyn.
  1. TEAR GAS
  2. SICK
  3. TRUMP SUPPORTER DISORDER (TSD)
  4. MASS HYSTERIA

I was lucky enough to catch up with Javier Barquet, the bass player of Superdeaf, for an exclusive interview. He’s a very friendly, laid back guy, that was super gracious with his time.

Dan: Could you talk about your origins? How did the band start out?

Javier: Superdeaf started as a studio band, right? These guys got free studio time and they just record an album. So they made an album before they had a band. After they record four songs, they’re like oh shit! It sounds cool, we should get a band. Right? So I got auditioned as bass player. They called me in and I nail the job, now I’m the bass player. We used to have a singer originally. Cass, he was a wrestler, but he couldn’t handle his shit, so he ended up getting fired and we split the vocals between the three of us. We decided to keep it a power-trio and, just like the Beastie Boys, everybody sings a little bit, because none of us are really singers. Kept it simple so we could travel. 

D: Do you play a lot of shows?

J: We don’t really play shows in New York. We do, but we’re tired, we all come from different bands that been around the scene forever. So we’re just tired of these fucking New York gigs. If it’s a cool show, of course we’ll take it, but no weekend bullshit. We prefer to work than take off a Saturday night.

D: Yeah, playing for like 15 people?

J: Yeah, we’re tired of that shit. But we produce a lot of songs. We just released a new album Mass Hysteria. I don’t know if you listened to the first EP? It’s a totally different sound.

D: I haven’t. what’s it called?

J: Contraband. We made a video for each song, it was the first EP. We are doing the same for this album. Now we working with a singer in Las Vegas. We just took our voices off the songs, but we left the choruses, he’s going to translate everything into Spanish. So every song we’re going to feature someone else. The first one is from Spain, Estragos Trifulka, he was in a huge band from the 80’s. He’s going to sing in Spanish. So for each song we are going to feature a different super star.

D: Very cool to do the songs in Spanish.

J: We are going back to the studio in November or October to record 2 new songs. The two songs we just made, they are fucking awesome.

D: Are you going to add it on this EP to make a full length?

J: No, it’s going to be all new.

D: So the EP just got released, have you been releasing singles before?

J: Yes. We did four singles. Every three weeks, I believe, we released a song. We just got played in Toronto on the radio, which is really cool. We just got played in Mexico, on the radio. Really cool.

D: Talk a little bit about your background. You’re from Mexico, right?

J: Yes. And the drummer is from Chile and the guitarist is a Polish dude from Seattle.

D: So you all come from different musical backgrounds?

J: Yeah, these fuckers play Salsa and Merengue. Cristo is a metal-head. They’re musicians for a living. You know? 

D: Right. I was a metal-head in my youth.

chango – bass • cristo – drums • leo – guitar

J: They have different bands and projects, [Cristo] plays congos and bongos. They make money. He plays in a jazz band on the street. They make a shitload of money. Leo is the same thing. He plays Salas and Bachata. 

D: How about you?

J: I’m a punker. I’ve played punk my whole life. I’m a metal-head, I love metal. I became a busker when I first came to New York. I made an electronic project, so I spent a lot of time in the underground playing music. I met a lot of people and made a lot of money and did a bunch of networking. Made a couple videos that went viral.

D: Nice! What was the project that went viral?

J: It’s called Chango. We worked with Mathew Silver. Do you know who he is?

D: No, I don’t think so. Not sure.

J: We worked with this fucker.

He shows me this video of a performance artist and Javier’s electronic group Chango, two guys that perform in luchador (Mexican wrestler) masks.

D: Wow, that’s incredible! Do you still do this? 

J: Sometimes. I do it by myself now though. 

D: Where Superdeaf’s influences come from? Thrash?

J: Thrash & Metal. Sepultura, Metallica, Pantera, Anthrax, Slayer.

D: It has a very fresh sound. When you finish each song, what do you say?

J: “Superdeaf”. Someone has to say it.

D: All three of you?

J: One of us has to say it. There’s one song we all did it. When we’re recording, everyone has to be in the cabin, so we all say it. “Superdeaf”. Then whoever says it best. Live it’s cool. What’s the name of the band? Superdeaf. Superdeaf. Superdeaf. When you’re listen to the band, it’s fucking cool. Right?

Definitely! It was a pleasure to speak with Javier and learn about the rich history of these metal veterans. Look out for more music and videos from this powerful band that will literally melt your face. Say it with me while I scream… Superdeaf!

Superdeaf on Youtube | Instagram | Facebook

Lenese Calleea: Black N Fashion • Podcast Review

This installment of The Industry Is Watching podcast features Lenese Colleea, a fashion designer that is sharp with her words and on point with her perspective. Her quick wit is apparent as she decodes the fashion business. Both charming and ambitious, Lenese is a formidable visionary that has overcome many obstacles to get where she is. She is making moves and shows no signs of slowing down.

This has been a life-long pursuit for her. Lenese lovingly credits her grandmother with getting her started, teaching her to sew at the age of seven. Although, she had to prove to her Granny that she was committed. She had to sew a straight line on paper before she could advance to cloth. As a teenager, Lenese ran a lucrative pillow making business with personalized details such as hand-stitched lettering. Her work ethic sets a shining example of what you can accomplish with determination.

Fashion Entrepreneur Lenese Calleea created the blueprint on how to get into the fashion industry. From concept to product, Lenese offers education, empowerment and fashion consulting classes on how to bring your fashion dreams to life.

Lenese offers a variety of opportunities to young designers looking to break in the business. She established The Black Girlz Designer Club, a non profit organization dedicated to providing mentorship, scholarships, and an array of creative resources to Black youth with a passion for fashion. She is even the host of her own podcast. The BlackNFashion podcast is a forum dedicated to the education and development of Blacks in fashion, from the novice to the professional.

Her excellent sense of humor ignites the non-stop dialog between Lenese and Champ, the host of The Industry is Watching podcast. Their chemistry seems to spark immediately and continues throughout the conversation. This interview is exceptionally entertaining, as well as an informative peak behind the curtain, into the world of fashion.

Be sure to catch Lenese Calleea on this exciting episode of The Industry is Watching podcast. You can listen regularly on iTunes,  Spotify or Soundcloud. Discover if you are an Insider, an Underdog or fall somewhere in between. Because like Champ says, you are only one contact, one call, or one post away from making it happen. Follow Champ on Instagram @champmedia.

Dan on Cheddar TV

📡 For full interviews of Dan on Cheddar TV🎸

📼 Compilation of Dan Victor’s interviews as a guest on Cheddar News. Broadcast live from their studios at the New York Stock Exchange & Flatiron building. Hosts included Kristen Scholer, Baker Machado, Brad Smith, Tim Stenovec with topics covering The Emmy’s, HBO, MTV, VMAs, Netflix, Star Wars, Amazon, Streaming, Stranger Things, Stephen King, Katie Perry, Miley Cyrus and more.

⚡️While Dan was the editor in-chief of Popdust, he developed & produced “Popdust Presents”, a weekly show featuring artist interviews and un-plugged performances. It streamed live to the Popdust Facebook audience of 500K.