#very excited for jay solo session soon

[hello-naptiime]

Missing Riptide Like a Mf

Haiiii jrwi community o// Have Ive been here since the start of riptide, yes. Did I only recently decide to interact with the community, also yes

How are you doing ^-^

[onestowatch]

Mk.gee Creates with Transparency and Intention on Sophomore EP, ‘Fool’ [Q&A]

Photo Credit: Erica Hernandez

Throwing caution to the wind, Michael Gordon better known as Mk.gee, left his East Coast home of New Jersey for the modern Land of Milk and Honey, California. Attending the USC School of Music, Mk.gee began honing his craft and allowing his new home to mold his identity as an artist. Weaving together elements of R&B, jazz, electronica, funk and pop, Mk.gee refuses to let genre stand in the way of his creative process.  

Mk.gee released his first body of work, an album titled Pronounced McGee in early May of 2018. The album is as dynamic as the artist, various elements of sound combined with dense lyrics create a sonic catacomb of emotion. Needless to say, Mk.gee’s album debut was a victorious showcase of his raw talent as a songwriter and musician.

Wasting no time, Mk.gee returns with his new EP, Fool, serving as a time-stamp of his growth, both as a musician and a person. We had the privilege to speak with Mk.gee about his passion for music, the construction of his sound, first tour, Frank Ocean and his plans for the future.

OTW: When did you first start making music?

Mk.gee: I started around 7, I started writing on the piano while I was taking lessons. It felt very natural to write music, and it was the only fun thing about playing the piano at the time to be honest. Having a voice early on in both writing and playing was really important for me. It allowed me to find some sort of identity. I started actually recording my own music when I was in middle school/ early high school though. I had a band most of my teen years. They were really talented guys, but it was a really unhealthy environment to be creative and to grow. They put down a lot of my writing and singing. For my 14th birthday, I asked for a Tascam porta studio, so I could just record my own songs and play all the parts. It wasn’t like a “Fuck youm I’ll just do everything” intention, it just happened out of absolute necessity to create without repercussions.

OTW: You’re originally from New Jersey -- did the move to California effect your sound in anyway?

Mk.gee: Of course, hundred percent. I didn’t even really take recording my music seriously until I moved. I primarily saw myself as a guitarist when I first lived on the west coast. I’ve had stuff at that time of the move that I recorded/produced by myself at home in New Jersey, but I’ve never released any of the songs, so I didn’t really have a “sound” beforehand. When I moved, I became infatuated by a lot of music and artists that I was never exposed to on the East Coast. I moved in 2015 by myself kind of abandoning all preconceptions of me and my ego/past-life/etc… with that I learned to become a sponge. Not that I let go of past tastes and identity completely, but I learned how to let everything inspire me because subconsciously I knew no one could call me out and say listening or making a certain type of music wasn’t “me.” 

I was introduced to artist’s like Blood Orange, Jai Paul, Lolawolf, New Order, just really awesome popular counter-culture stuff that I found an identity in.

Photo: Erica Hernandez

OTW: What inspired your pursuit of a music career? Did you ever think you would be getting the recognition you are?

Mk.gee: The music career thing felt like very natural just because I’ve been gigging and writing since I was pretty young. I was inspired by a lot people; I don’t think one person inspired me, but I remember my old jazz upright bass teacher taught me really important life lessons as a musician -- to preach honesty and intention. My parents are really supportive, even though they don’t necessarily love my music, which is cool. I know I would be writing and recording my music, I just didn’t know I would be a full out solo artist. I focused on guitar and jazz for most of my teen years and thought that I would be primarily a session/touring musician. 

I’m not sure if I thought about recognition or validation a lot as I grew up, but my younger self probably would be pretty proud that I’m even doing what I’m doing in the first place.  

OTW: Your lyrics feel personal, what’s your songwriting process like?

Mk.gee: It used to only be rhythm based. I’ve always been obsessed with rhythm, not just rhythm counterpoint like in guitar/drums but in the way people pronounce things and the way rhythmic words sounded specific to how they come out of people’s mouths. I slaved to this the last record, making the groove/track/beat first then finding sounds that married together really well with lyrics. For this project, I broke that a bit and found some different schools of thought for lyrics and writing. This record I wrote more with just guitar and vocals or synth and vocals just to stress the songwriting more. The process constantly changes though; I get bored easily. 

But yeah, vulnerability is adjacent to connection.

OTW: Saying your music is diverse would be an understatement, what inspires your sound? Mk.gee: A lot of stuff. I don’t really believe in like guilty pleasures. I listen to what I like and what makes me feel something. Just anything that moves me. Could be from like experimental electronic/noise music to folk or pop music. I make different music because it’s just a lot more fun Having an album with every song consistently like the last is boring to me. I just like to change and bounce around a lot; that’s just how I like to operate. For this project I listened to a lot of artists like Grouper, Phil Elverum, and George Harrison. I try to find a lot of inspiration in colors and photographs too. It brings the music to a more physical, colorful place. A lot of the writing on the project was to Lauren Greenfield and Nan Goldin photographs/magazines. 

OTW: You’re undertaking all of the writing, recording and mixing duties yourself; what spurred the crusade to do it all yourself?

Mk.gee: It doesn’t really come from a selfish point of view. Doing all of the parts just brings together the most organic piece of “me” that can possibly be curated. It makes me really happy and satisfied doing all of the work. I find out a lot about myself through every song and every record because of it. I don’t really like to talk about me doing it all because it becomes distracting to the music. 

It’s not about how I did it or where I did it, it’s just about the art.  

OTW: You worked on your new EP between tour dates this summer; was the project inspired by your time on the road?

Mk.gee: To be honest, almost all of the songs were done before I went on the road, and some of them before I released the first double EP in May. A lot of people say I’m releasing this music too soon after the album, but I want to catch people up with who I am now as a person and what I’m gravitated towards. Pronounced McGee was done about 2 years ago, which is usually the standard album cycle, but for a 21-year-old at the time, that’s 2 completely different beings, and I’m very conscious of that. 

I think it’s good to release spontaneously and freely; it should be an accurate reflection of the artist as they release it, not who you were a couple years ago. It should be a time stamp.

As for the tour, I didn’t write on the road too much. I wrote a lot when I came back being inspired by the shows and traveling. It’s too early to tell what will happen to them though.

OTW: You recently toured with Omar Apollo; what was that experience like? Are you excited to hit the road again any time soon?

Mk.gee: I really couldn’t ask for a better tour partner. Omar is a homie, and the whole crew was just a great hang, really down to earth. The tour got me really excited to hit another one soon, hopefully on the East Coast because my friends and family really haven’t seen me play and sing my stuff ever.

OTW: Do you plan on releasing visuals alongside the upcoming EP?

Mk.gee: Some things are in the work for post release, yeah.

OTW: How did you choose which singles to release first; what made you go with “Come On” and “New Year?”

Mk.gee: I chose “Come On” because it was the good bridge from the old stuff to the new project and the title of the EP, Fool, is taken the song. “New Year”’s color represents the album a bit more accurately.

OTW: Your song, “You,” was recently featured on blonded RADIO, specifically blonded Midterms pt. I -- how does it feel to know Frank Ocean is a fan of your music?

Mk.gee: It feels a bit unreal still. I screamed so much when it happened (laughs). I’m obviously a huge fan of Frank as well as the radio show. Huge shout out to Joe for throwing me on and showing me so much love. I don’t strive for validation, but it feels good when it happens. I’m extremely grateful.

OTW: Who are you listening to right now? Who are your Ones to Watch?

Mk.gee: I’ve been listening to a lot of The Microphones, Grouper, Lucy Pearl, The Stylistics, etc… My friends are ones to watch for sure. They are making really amazing/individual art right now and they inspire me a ton; Bella Porter, Big Buddy, Orkka, and Umi to name a few.

[thejustinmarshall]

The 80s Cruise Omnibus: The Like, OMG, Totally Awesome Recap.

This is a part of our full coverage of the 2018 80s Cruise. Read more about the floating music festival here. 

Guitar picks are the holy grail for many concertgoers, but Robin Legat was able to score one recently from Lou Gramm guitarist, Michael Staertow, under the oddest of circumstances. The 43-year-old fitness trainer from Los Angeles didn’t have to scramble over chairs for the keepsake, she got it by wearing bumble bee colored spandex and gifting Staerlow something very unexpected.

The Legats (center) as Stryper.

Legat was part of a foursome dressed like the 80s Christian rock band, Stryper, as a part of “Glam Rock” night on The 80s Cruise. The 2200 passengers on board the Celebrity Summit were encouraged to wear costumes for each of the six theme nights. Legat and her husband, Michael, rarely disappointed. They were clad from head to toe in spandex and scarves and passed out little keychain bibles throughout the night.

As she tells it, during Gramm’s performance, “our entire group was sitting together in the sixth row. (Staertow) and I made eye contact, and he mouthed ‘Stryper?’ to me.” She nodded and when she ran into him later that night, gifted him one of the bibles. He gave her several of the coveted picks in return.

So goes life on board The 80s Cruise. Every year, Entertainment Cruise Productions (ECP) brings together fans from all over the world to celebrate the music and pop culture of their youth. The 2018 Cruise took place from March 17-24th and featured bands with one thing in common – their music is synonymous with the decade that blinded us with science and took our breath away.

The lineup consisted of Gramm, Loverboy, Mike + the Mechanics, The Tubes, Billy Ocean, Berlin, Thomas Dolby, Katrina (of Katrina and the Waves), Tommy Heath (of Tommy Tutone), and cruise host, Rick Springfield. This was the first time ECP has booked a big-name act to anchor various events throughout the week with Springfield playing extra shows and introducing various events.

Guests were thrilled with the concerts they saw during the week. Maryland native Dave August had a clear favorite saying, “Lou Gramm was the runaway winner. (His) voice was spectacular (and) the crowd was pumped.” Legat offered a simple explanation for Gramm’s popularity amongst guests. “90 minutes of nonstop hits and he didn’t even get to everything!”

Deane Draper wore a spot on Quay Lewd costume on the 80s Cruise. Photo by Chuck Coverly

It was hard for some people to pick one favorite show. Betsey Fellwock, from Tulsa, OK, couldn’t decide, so she listed her favorites, “Loverboy, Lou Gramm, Billy Ocean, Tommy Tutone,” Tim Kelley insisted, “I’ll give two answers” before explaining that Lou Gramm had the best overall performance, but stagemanship went to The Tubes. The Asheville office manager added, “Berlin sounds better than they did in the 80s.” Steven Sciglimpaglia of Stamford, CT liked Thomas Dolby, Berlin, and The Tubes.

Sciglimpaglia appreciated the sheer weirdness of The Tubes, but they scandalized a few passengers who weren’t sure what to make of their unconventional stage show. Most passengers only knew of them from their MTV-friendly videos, “She’s a Beauty” and “Talk to Ya Later.” It came as a surprise when, near the end of the show, lead singer Fee Waybill changed into glam rocker Quay Lewd and starting drinking from a giant bottle of what looked like scotch shoved into the crotch of his silver spandex pants. John Clark from Dallas enjoyed the spectacle saying, “The Tubes should do a comedy act! They crack me up!”

The Tubes brand of humor seemed to appeal to a certain type of music fan, but Leskanich had pretty much everyone giggling during a question and answer session with Terri Nunn of Berlin and Jenna O’Gara of Jessie’s Girl. The “Walking on Sunshine” singer infused each reply with deadpan humor, often mocking the ridiculousness of the situation. When she was performing, each show felt like individual episodes of “Storytellers.” Like Berlin in 2017, Leskanich may not have been familiar to most outside of her one big hit, but she quickly endured herself to passengers, making her one of the favorite acts of the week.

Berlin’s second stint on board proved to be as successful as the first with passengers flocking to various events hosted by the band. A wine tasting with lead singer Terri Nunn sold out well in advance of the sailing and a group Q&A was standing room only. Drummer Christopher Olivas emceed two wildly popular poolside dance parties under his alias, DJ Christopher J. Longtime fans were thrilled to have John Crawford and David Diamond, both of whom founded the band with Nunn, perform in both main stage shows.

Bryan Do as “Long Duk Dong”. Photo by TuKe Photography

For Claudine Edwards of Plano, TX, just being able to see Berlin again felt like a miracle. Edwards discovered she had stage IV breast cancer following a car accident last October. A bleak prognosis made the 2018 Cruise seem like an impossibility. When radiation treatments made her incapable of eating and her hair falling out in clumps, she turned to an old favorite to help her cope. Berlin’s “Hideaway”, from Count Three and Pray, assured her it was okay to, “cry away there’s no harm.” She said, “I cried a lot and listed a lot to that song about hiding away.”

She found out she was in remission a month before sailing. Still in pain, she and her husband, Jason, arrived in Ft. Lauderdale thrilled to see friends and excited about heading back to the 80s. Each day made her feel more like her old self and she got the chance to tell John Crawford how much his song had meant to her. She said afterwards that the Cruise made her feel better for the first time since her diagnosis. She felt that, “the 80s and all of my friends lifted me up, made me stronger!”

Edwards’ opportunity to speak to Crawford highlighted one of the many things that made the Cruise so special to guests. Being able to interact with their idols through organized events was exciting, but it was the casual conversations that happened around the ship that passengers savored most. Mina Credeur from Spring, TX. said her favorite moment was hanging out in the martini bar with the two lead singers from Mike + the Mechanics, Andrew Roachford and Tim Howar.

Mike + the Mechanics were on board as a part of a small American tour to support their latest album, Let Me Fly. The last time the band was out on tour was three years ago with no plans to tour again this year, fans were lucky to catch them. They were on board for a short time, but their 90-minute set was excellent, thanks largely to Credeur’s drinking companions.

Big name acts were the obvious draw for passengers, but there wasn’t a shortage of other talent on board. Crowds were excited to see their favorite cover bands, Jessie’s Girl and Trial by Fire, back for another year. Jessie’s Girl had their own fan club that refused to miss any shows. Trial by Fire had a bigger presence this year after a very successful debut on the 2017 sailing. The two bands complimented each other with Trial by Fire providing a more traditional rock vibe while Jessie’s Girl attacked the top 40 with style and flair.

Things got a little weird on St. Patrick’s Day. Gus and Wendy Molony on The 80s Cruise.

Jessie’s Girl’s shows featured dozens of costume changes, but they couldn’t compare with the 80s cosplay going on each night. Passengers spent all year planning what they would wear for each theme and the results were pretty incredible. The entire ship was clad in green for the St. Patrick’s Day departure with Aqua Net and lamé ruling Prom. The amount of spandex roaming around for the Glam Rock theme was almost intimidating, but the one evening that brought out the most elaborate costumes was Pop Icon night.

Passageways were quiet in the late afternoon as guests returned to the cabins to transform into a variety of different pop culture icons. Soon the hallways were filled with rock stars, movie characters, and all sorts of odd 80s references. Weird Al, ZZ Top, and David Lee Roth wandered by the martini bar while Jason Vorhees and Elvira looked through the previous day’s pictures in the Photo Gallery. King Tut had a crew that followed him around all night walking like Egyptians. There were at least two sets of Blue Brothers and more Ghostbusters than you could shake a gallon of ectoplasm at. Two human-sized Smurfs sat in the balcony while Terri Nunn sang “Highway to Hell” to a Yip Yip.

The costumes caused more than a few laugh out loud moments for the musicians on board. Mike Reno of Loverboy smiled and pointed at several clones wearing his trademark headband during one show, but Bryan Do’s “Long Duk Dong” costume forced him to stop singing to take a moment and stop laughing. Do had not only nailed the outfit from Sixteen Candles, but included a blow up “sexy American girlfriend” that he carried around all night on a set of disembodied handlebars.

Mike Reno tries to silence Jay Lewis on the 80s Cruise.

Reno had a great week on board the Summit. Not only did Loverboy put on two energetic shows on the main stage, but the singer also jumped in on several performances with other artists throughout the week. Jay Lewis from Kiawah, SC was having so much fun singing along to Loverboy’s set that Reno had to walk over and Lewis’s mouth with his hand.

Loverboy wasn’t the only act Lewis found himself singing with during the week. Rick Springfield held a microphone out to him during, “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” and was a part of a crew invited up on stage to sing with Heath. He and his friends wore t-shirts that spelled out the title of Tommy Tutone’s 1981 hit, “867-5309.” After spending so much time singing along with celebrities, Lewis joked, “If I knew they expected me to also perform I would have never quit taking those piano lessons from Sister Mary Francis when I was nine.”

Heath did several solo shows during the week in addition to jamming with Jessie’s Girl and Rick Springfield during their performances. When he wasn’t on stage, the singer spent his time socializing with guests and posing for a ton of selfies. But despite patiently standing for one picture after another, the award for “Most Selfies of the Week” went to Springfield.

Springfield was the main draw for the hundreds of passengers who booked through his fan club before the last Cruise left port. Their enthusiasm was contagious, but it could also be exhausting to other guests who struggled to get into venues. As Legat explained, it was frustrating “not being able to get remotely close at any of the Rick Springfield piano bar shows because people would hold seats for hours!”

Rick Springfield gets this a lot. Shelley Meier and Rick Springfield on the 80s Cruise.

Springfield himself was affable and engaging, despite the chaos that seemed to surround him. During the main stage shows, he leapt into the audience while performing 1983’s “Human Touch”. He climbed over chairs and stopped for selfies as he traveled up and down the center section.

The “famous-person selfie” ruled the day during Billy Ocean’s concerts as well. The singer hopped on board in Jamaica for two flawless sets during which he would routinely reach down to shake hands and take pictures. He left the cruise immediately after the second show, much to the dismay of Ziva Gottesman. The San Diego native was hoping for either a meet and greet or Q&A with Ocean lamenting, “some artists aren’t on the ship long enough to do either which is a shame.”

Question and answer sessions were popular with guests, but the most surprising turned out to be the one that featured Thomas Dolby. He was familiar as the musician behind one of the instantly recognizable “She Blinded Me With Science,” but the audience for his Q&A discovered the 1982 single was just one small accomplishments in a career that has included the creation of a groundbreaking software company, directing an award-winning documentary short, and revolutionize electronic music. As if all of that wasn’t enough, Dolby explained to the crowd that his latest job is as the head of the Music for New Media program at Johns Hopkins University.

Dolby’s two sets in the 400-seat Revelations lounge at the top of the ship were amazing, despite many guests having to miss the last two songs of each. The biggest complaint with the Cruise was the conflicts caused by poor scheduling. Fellwock hated “having to leave shows to get the 9 p.m. concert.” She wasn’t alone. Dolby and Leskanich played all of their shows in Revelations with either 7:45 or 9 p.m. start times, which always conflicted with the main stage shows. The timing meant passengers never had a chance to see a full show in Revelations.

Dave August had a whole week of David Lee Roth costumes on the 80s Cruise. Photo by Chuck Coverly

It was infuriating having to choose, particularly for Michelle Tower whose two favorite acts were Dolby and Leskanich. Like everyone else holding cards for the late show, the IT Director from Cincinnati never got to hear “Walking on Sunshine” or “She Blinded Me With Science” because those were the songs at the end of the setlists. Guests had to be in the Celebrity Theater by 9 p.m. or lose their seats and have to take whatever was available in the back of the third tier.

But despite the aggravation of having to miss shows and activities due to scheduling conflicts, just about everyone said the 80s Cruises were the best vacations they had ever taken. Some passengers cited the bands as the best part of the week, some loved the decorations and feeling like they had actually traveled back in time, but for most, it was something they could never find on another vacation.

Sometimes you should meet your heroes. John Crawford and Claudine Edwards on the 80s Cruise

The bands and costumes were what initially sold the cabins, but the what brought people back after the 2016 and 2017 sailings – and will bring even more back next year – were the people that traveled back to the 80s with them. Time and time again, people said the single best thing about the Cruise was, as Amanda Olivas put it, “All of the friends we have made in the past two years!” Texan Kathy Machacek agreed that it was “the friendliness of the other guests” that made the planning and expense worthwhile. Curtis Wayne Lanclos summed it up saying, “enjoying 80s culture together is what makes it all more enjoyable!”

Olivas, Machacek, and Lanclos will be joining Edwards on the 2019 Cruise. “Yes, I will be back,” she said. “Cancer didn’t take me in 2010 and it certainly isn’t going to take me now. I have the 80s to live out again each year with our amazing friends!”

LJ Moskowitz is a photographer and writer based out of New Jersey specializing in concert, product and fine art photography. She is a member of the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) and Professional Photographers of America (PPA). You can find her at Shutterchick Photography, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

All photos appearing on this page are the property of LJ Moskowitz. They are protected by U.S. Copyright Laws and are not to be downloaded or reproduced in any way without the written permission of LJ Moskowitz. Copyright 2018 LJ Moskowitz. All Rights Reserved.

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