The Next Big Thing...Larkins Call. Interview with Mike Civetti

So going along with the whole music theme...I wanna bring to everyone's attention this pretty sweet band I've been listening to lately. Larkins Call is a 5-piece, rock/power-pop band out of Germantown, Md. If you're into bands like Motion City Soundtrack, The Metro Station and Hellogoodbye, you should def consider checkin these guys out. Here's a youtube video of their latest song, Sometimes I get so Crazy.






I had the pleasure of sitting down with Larkins Call synthesizer player, Mike Civetti, to discuss the band and their upcoming summer tour

Stush: How did Larkins Call come to be

Mike: Luca (Larkins Call frontman and guitarist) started writing songs when he was at Ohio State University and he started talking to John (bass) and I about starting an actual band to play the songs he was writing. So when he got back we all jammed and what not...

Stush: Who came up with the name, Larkins Call? What does it mean?

Mike: At Ohio State, the gym is called "Larkins Hall". So Luca said it was like the gym was calling him to go lift, hahahahaha.

Stush: I hear you guys are going on tour this summer. Is this your first tour as a band?

Mike: Yes it is. We're hitting up Maryland, New Jersey, three shows in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Connecticutt. Overall, we'll be playing seven shows in eight days.

Stush: How long have you been playing the synth?

Mike: I taught myself how to play the synth and keyboard, I'm not the best, but I get the job done.

Stush: Where's your favorite venue to play at? Why?

Mike: Probably Fletchers, because it's small and we usually get a good draw there of about 150-200 people. We also played with the hint and american diary at recher and it was sold out (800-900 people) and it was siiiick so its kind of a toss up... I like anything in Baltimore.

Stush: I understand you recorded an EP with Senses Fail and All Time Low producer, Paul Leavitt. What was that experience like?

Mike: It was awesome most the time but he was really busy too... He was in the middle of finishing The Spotlights album then he had problems with All Time Low and mastering their Cd, and he was also recording The Dangerous Summer too, so yeah he was busy...I recorded with him in my old band (12 Noon) before he started recording with all these big bands... But it was definitely more fun this time around because it was in Fells Point. So all in all it was fun.

Stush: When can we expect a full-length Larkins Call album?

Mike: We're kind of writing right now, and were going to record another song mid-late July. Ummm maybe within the next few months we'll have things ready to start recording.

Stush: Are there any bands that inspired larkins call or you in particular?

Mike: Blink 182, early Green Day, and stuff on old-school MTV.

Stush: Is there anything you would like to say to the readers?

Mike: Ummm I guess just check us out. We like hanging out with people after the show and we're down to meet and hang out with new people.

Make sure you check out www.myspace.com/larkinscall to pick up Larkins Call merchandise, download the EP, and find out tour information.

I want to take the chance to thank Mike Civetti and Larkins Call for taking to time to speak with me. You can contact Larkins Call at larkinscall22@yahoo.com.

***picture taken from www.myspace.com/larkinscall. Video taken from www.youtube.com

Just Another Weezer Concert?

So World Entertainment News Network reported a story that caught my eye yesterday. Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo is encouraging all fans to show up to Weezer concerts with their instruments in hand and ready to rock out to all the great Weezer hits. Cuomo went on to say, "I won't even need a guitar, because there will be hundreds of people playing."

Now several things came to mind while reading this...this could be the most ingenious and baller-ass concert ever...or this could go horribly wrong and leaving me searching for a means to get a refund.

Obviously, I'm sure fans would only show up with guitars and bass guitars since there's no possible way people could actually lug around their drum kits.

So lets look at the two possible outcomes:

Everyone who shows up to the concert actually know how to play all of Weezer's songs and everyone just rocks out. The definition of audience participation is revolutionized and
Weezer goes down into history as the band who did...

OR

Some people show up with their guitars and try to rock out. Nobody knows how to play any Weezer songs correctly, and the whole concert sounds like shit. Weezer is faced with thousands of people asking for refunds or threatening to burn down the venue...

I really doubt though that either of these situations will actually go down though. Most people will probably just leave the music playing to the band, and stick to gettin hammered and singin along. While I dont really see people bringing their instruments to the concert, I give props to Weezer for trying to think outside of the traditional concert box. However, I get the feeling the only kind of Weezer that most people should be playing is Say it Ain't So, Buddy Holly and El Scorcho on Rock Band like me.

I'm interested to hear what you guys have to say about this story. Please leave some feedback about Weezer's new idea, or any other cool concert things you've seen before!

*picture from www.weezer.com*

Extremely Funny Video

So today's post is kind of a cop out, cause all i'm really doing is just posting a video...but this video is hilarious. If you have heard about the computer game, World of Warcraft, and you know all those countless hours that gamers spend playing it...you'll probably appreciate this video.

its called Leroy Jenkins...enjoy and have a nice weekend

What To Do After You're Done Making "C-Rate" Movies?

So today's post is about something i came across on PerezHilton.com earlier today. Hot-off-the-press, you can now go party with American Pie babe, Tara Reid, if you're going to be in the Chicago area. Reid will be hosting her very own "Bikini Beach 2008" party on Friday, June 27th. Doors open at 9, and a ticket will run you 10 dollars (you can purchase your ticket here at http://www.wantickets.com/affiliates/affiliate_event_detail.asp?e_id=41760&id=454 ).

Personally, while Tara Reid def is a babe, there is no way you would see me dropping 10 bucks for cover to go check this out, even if I was in the Chicago area. Honestly, if you think you're going to have the chance to "party" with Tara by going to this thing, you're out of your mind. But if I haven't convinced you yet that it'll be lame, let me give you a rundown of how your night could possibly turn out at the Bikini Beach Party...

9:00- you and your friends show up lookin all fly (if you're girls...then looking as slutty as possible, probably to show Tara up). Why are you showing up at 9? Because you think this place is going to be packed like hell because of C-rate Tara Reid. Even though doors open at 9, the bouncers still don't let anyone in to make it look like the club is all exclusive and shit.
Total Money Spent: 10 Dollars

9:30- Finally, you get into the club and scout the place out. You head to the bar and purchase your first 7-dollar Vodka-Tonic (Crantini if you're a lady). Why Vodka drinks? If you've ever been to these types of clubs, you know that no one drinks beer...ever.
Total Money Spent: 18 Dollars (don't forget to tip)

9:31- After chugging your first vodka drink with your friends because you're set on this night being the best night of your life, head back to the bar for round 2.
Total Money Spent: 26 Dollars

10:00- The club is starting to fill up and now you're ready to mingle. If you're a guy, you start giving every girl you can the "sex-eye", and every girl who happens to make eye contact with you makes you think they want to bang you out. You approach 2 different groups of girls and ask them to dance, only to get turned down because of that one ugly dude rolling in your entourage. (Note: If you're a girl...the same thing applies, except you are the one doing the rejecting and getting your freak on with your lady friends).
Total Money Spent: 26 Dollars, however, there is confidence lost, which could be worse than money.

11:00- After getting rejected several times and downing 2 more Vodka-Tonics, you start to get tipsy. A girl across the club notices you getting liquored-up, and makes her way over to you. You, now ecstatic over the idea of a girl talking to you, make the "Where's your drink" comment and she responds with the casual, "The bar was too crowded " remark. You, now wanting to be her hero, grab her hand, take her to the bar, and get her Crantini and another Vodka-Tonic for yourself. Bad Move.
Total Money Spent: 58 Dollars

11:02- After talking with you for 2 minutes, the girl says she needs to go to the bathroom or go find her friends (you take your pick). After realizing you've just been played, you purchase another drink to make your embarrassment and now extremely low confidence go away.
Total Money Spent: 66 Dollars

Midnight: You've met back up with your friends and you're drunk out of your mind. Finally, the moment everyone has been waiting for...Miss Tara Reid makes an appearance. She heads to the bar, pours some liquor down some lucky girl's throat, and then is surrounded by 5- 6 foot 2 bouncers. Since she's about 5 foot 5, she might as well not be there.
Total Money Spent: Still 66 Dollars, thank god

1 AM: You've given up on girls and told yourself you just wanted to get drunk tonight anyways. You buy your last Vodka-Tonic and drink a fourth of it before forgetting where you put it down. Your friends are now all drunk also, and you guys get bounced after your one friend pukes on the floor. You grab a taxi home, pass out, and forget the night even happened.
Total Money Spent: 92 Dollars (8 for the last drink, 20 for the cab)

So a night with Tara Reid costs about 92 dollars, and you saw her for 10 seconds. Is it worth it? Here are 3 other, cooler, things you could have done with that 92 dollars.
1. Buy 92 Songs off Itunes
2. Buy 9-30 packs of Natty from Shoppers
3. Buy a 3- 6 foot Subway Subs for yourself

But who I am to tell you how to spend your money? Enjoy your Wednesday

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Done With Boxing?

Last Friday, arguably one of boxing's greatest welterweight fighters of all-time and current WBC welterweight champion, "Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather, Jr., announced his retirement from the boxing world. During his professional career, Mayweather, Jr. amassed a 39-0 record, with 25 of those wins coming by way of knockout.

Originally, I was a little skeptical to take his retirement seriously, as boxers tend to retire and come out of retirement fairly frequently, when they realize they miss the sport or their wallets get real light all of a sudden. Mayweather, Jr. himself has even retired earlier in his career after making $25 million in the Oscar De La Hoya fight, later to come back out of retirement and fight British brawler, Ricky Hatton.

However, there are several reasons that are leading me to believe that we might not actually see Mayweather Jr. come back out of retirement. This morning, Splatter.com released an announcement that they had been given with information from a reliable source stating that Mayweather, Jr. would be signing a contract with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Diane Stupar from the "Elliot in the Morning" radio show also announced this morning that the contract would be worth an outrageous 200 million dollars.

With that sort of money on the table, it wouldn't surprise me one bit to see Mayweather, Jr. jump ship to UFC and begin his ultimate fighting career. Mayweather, Jr. has already declined to fight the two most up-and-coming fighters in the welterweight division, Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto and Mexico's Antonio Margarito. Many believe this was because Mayweather, Jr. was fearful of potentially adding a loss to his undefeated record, and Cotto and Margarito are the two welterweights with the most potential to beat Mayweather, Jr.

More information on Mayweather, Jr.'s decision to come out of retirement and join UFC will be posted as soon as possible. Stay Tuned!

*Picture courtesy of Splatter.com

Doors Closing? Or Not...

So I'm on way way into work the other day, and if you're familiar with the DC Metro system, a ride into work can look an awful lot like the "Running of the Bulls" festival through the narrow streets in Pamploma. As soon as the metro doors open, grown men and women seem to have no problem running over each other to get to their next train, the exit turnstile, the guy giving away free Express newspapers (please remember to recycle!), etc...

Anyways, so a friend and I have just boarded a metro, when we hear the infamous "Doors Closing" message played on a loud speaker. Then it happened. This "I think I'm Hot-Shit, Its cool to board metros and bump into as many people as possible, when the train's obviously packed to capacity" girl in her late-20's decides to make a mad dash for it. It's actually kind of funny how the "Door's Closing" message as turned into the "Yellow Light" of public transportation. Anyways, the doors begin to close, and I'm still trying to figure out whether I think the girl's gonna make it or not. I mean, yeah, she's only gotta travel about 7 feet and she's on...but still, when the lady on the intercom says, "Doors Closing", she means it.

So this girl is still booking towards the metro, in what seems to be the longest 3 seconds in metro history, and it's starting to look like a scene out of Independence Day, when Will Smith and that Dude from Jurassic Park are trying to get out of the Alien Mother ship before it shuts. As the doors are finally coming to a close, Miss Hot-Shit takes makes one last lunge forward and forces her way onto the metro, bumping into 5 or 6 people in the process. Usually, this wouldn't bother me and I would even go as far as applauding her metro-boarding efforts...but one of those un-expecting passengers happened to be your's truly. So now I'm face-to-face with Miss Hot-Shit who appears to have no intention in apologizing, and the doors finally manage to close...on her purse and her plastic bag lunch (If there's anyone who's unaware, the metro doors can be quite unforgiving. I've seen a grown man's shoulders get turned inward by a pair of metro doors before they decided to release him. I guess its the Metro's way of teaching people a lesson for thinking they're above the law). Again, I tend to think of myself as somewhat of a nice guy, and if it were anyone else, I would have definitely lent a hand, but all Miss Hot-Shit got was me, laughing in her face, hoping it catches on with the other passengers on the metro (it didn't). So she's all embarrassed now, clearly red in the face and probably pissed off that I'm laughing at her instead of trying to help her, and finally, after 3 or 4 hard tugs, the jaws of death that are the metro doors decide to spare her purse and probably not-so-delicious lunch.

Moral of the story: "Doors Closing" means "Doors Closing". Just wait for the next train, people. I promise, its only 3 minutes later and I doubt anyone actually cares about getting to work 3 minutes late. Trust Miss Hot-Shit, its not worth the embarrassment :)

Welcome to my Blog

What up homies...welcome to my blog titled "Go Ahead Stush". Basically, this is a blog about the crazy things that make up a college student's life. I'll post about my experiences, funny stories, advice, music, sports, girls...you know the drill.

First, let me take this time to introduce myself. For all intents and purposes, let me be known as Stush. I'm a rising Senior at the University of Maryland, College Park, majoring in Communication with a focus in Public Relations. Currently, I'm working as an intern at an online marketing and digital public relations firm in Arlington, VA...attempting to gain some good experience to make post-college life a little easier.

As for some interests...I'm a huge Terps fan, and you'll definitely find me at the Terps football and basketball games. Personally, i'm into playing volleyball, basketball, football, snowboarding...you know, just trying to stay active. In terms of music, I'd say I like most types of music...but what you'll find on my ipod right now is a lot of punk, rock, top-40's , and some hip-hop. If I had to name-drop a little...you'd hear me reppin bands like Green Day, Taking Back Sunday, Brand New, and Blink 182 (still waiting for the day these guys get back together...).

Well that's a little intro into my life...but don't worry, there is a ton of info left to come!

Thanks for checkin out the blog and feel free to comment as long as it's somewhat appropriate.