Segarini: Canadian, Eh? Happy 150th Canada Day!

Have a safe and happy Canada Day…I love you all. And yes…this IS the Greatest Country in the World…even if some of us don’t know it.

Portions of this column originally appeared in FYIMusic, Cashbox Canada, and DBAWIS.

Having lived in Canada for the past 44 years and change, (my 45th anniversary here is this coming November), I proudly call myself a Canarican even though, truth be told, I am more Canadian (in certain ways) than most of you born here. A transplant from the lower 48 (San Francisco, to be exact) who moved here with the band I was in (The Wackers) solely on the basis of how much great music you could hear regardless of where you went or what kind of music you liked, how many places there were to play, Montreal radio and media’s acceptance of our music, and how wonderfully audiences reacted to our shows. It didn’t occur to me at the time that part of that acceptance was because we were from the U.S, specifically California, and that (in some mysterious,  and completely goofball way) we were believed to be ‘better’ than our local counterparts. Say hello to The Great Canadian Insecurity Complex, boys and girls.

No longer as pervasive as it once was, The Great Canadian Inferiority Complex still hinders our ability to recognize and embrace our homegrown talent, and not just when it comes to music. Canada, a country with less than a tenth of the population of the U.S of A, around the same amount of people as   the state of California, supplies the world with more comedians, writers, movie crews and technical support persons per capita than anywhere else in the world. Our contributions to the music, acting, and songwriting fields are usually recognized first by the Americans or British after years of under appreciated slogging in their fields here at home. Canadians, feeling less than equal to people from the U.S or even other countries, work themselves to the bone to get better at their craft in the misguided belief that they are never going to be good enough, only to discover they are better at what they do than the very people they are so desperate to be as good as when they ply their craft anywhere outside of Canada. We so doubt our own relevance to the point of not even being able to recognize greatness in our own accomplishments until someone else points them out to us. This National trait lies deep within us in almost every aspect of our daily lives. Timed traffic lights, city core downtown one way street systems, even 4 way crosswalks, all developed here in Toronto in the 1950s, and in place in almost every major city in the world, still haven’t been implemented here where we suffer incredible gridlock and congestion.

How many of our now National Treasures were brought into the public’s consciousness only after acceptance in the U.S or elsewhere? From Neil Young to Avril Levigne, from Jim Carrey to Arcade Fire, the mainstream didn’t get it until someone else told us it was okay to like these people. Jesus.

I know artists who have been told they are “too Canadian” to make it in the States. WTF does that mean, exactly? I guess no one learned anything from SCTV, an insanely Canadian export which even today, decades since any new skits were filmed for television, still makes Saturday Night Live (invented by a Canadian, Lorne Michaels, and whose best work was done by transplanted Canadians) look like what it has become; a layover for ‘comedians’ looking to get a sitcom deal or become movie stars. Meh….

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What makes me unusual (and insane to many I call friends) is that I migrated here from The Promised Land; California. Why, some of you will ask, scratching your heads through your Roots toques and taking another sip of your Timmy’s double double, would anyone in their right mind move from the fabled land of MILFs and Honey and move to a climate better suited to parkas and gloves instead of beach towels and flip flops? Well, first of all, who says I am in my right mind?

I have been playing music since I was 5 years old. Had I been in my right mind at any time since then, I would have become a lawyer, or better still, followed my dad’s footsteps into the family business, which was groceries and produce. I could stock a shelf like a pro (back to front), bag groceries (canned goods first, followed by packaged goods, topped with eggs and/or bread and baked goods), and tell you when iceberg lettuce was fresh and crisp and well grown (very little give when squeezed) melons were ripe (thump them, they make a certain sound), and avocados were ready to eat (darker green in colour, slightly pliable when squeezed), all before I was 12 years old.

What stopped me from turning my ability to talk my parents out of grounding me into a law degree and a new Mercedes Benz every year, or turning the family’s 5 grocery stores into a state-wide chain of supermarkets, was the uncontrollable desire to write and make music, be in a group, see the world, and get laid. You know…money for nothing and the chicks for free. Even after I learned that was bullshit, it was too late. While my friends drank themselves through college or worked at a real job that would land them in a happy marriage with kids and a dog and a modicum of security, I was busy chasing the dream, the dragon, and the tail. Living for that hour or two on stage, or coming up with a great verse or chorus, or the elusive bridge that turned a piece of music into a bonafide song. I cannot begin to describe the elation of creating something out of whole cloth. The only thing more fulfilling, is creating a living, breathing child who makes you proud, like my daughter does, and turns out better than anything else you have ever done. Born in Montreal, a dual citizen and staunch Canadian like her daddy….

Me – “How did you turn out so great?”

She – “I just looked at what you did and didn’t do it.”

My Best Production Ever

(Still Number One)

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When Elektra Records sent my third recording band (The Wackers) to Montreal to record our second album, I finally succumbed to the lure of Canada that had started back in the ‘60’s when The Family Tree (my first recording band) had played regularly in Vancouver at Tommy Chong’s Retinal Circus, among other venues.  Where Vancouver had seemed exotic (weirdly branded cigarettes, pop, and chips), Montreal was positively alien. Cosmopolitan like San Francisco, but somehow more urbane, sophisticated, and mysterious. I fell in love, not only with the city, but the people, the food, the ambiance, and most importantly, the music.

Like Vancouver, there were so many great local artists in Montreal, if we weren’t playing or recording, The Wackers could go out every night of the week and hear something new and original. Years later I would discover that the same was true of Toronto, and Halifax, and London, and Hamilton, and Calgary, and Edmonton…Canada, it seemed, was boiling over with hard working, creative, musicians and writers whose sole reason for existence was to make music and spread the word. This, I thought, is home. It still is, and for the same reasons.

Mushroom Records Creative VP the late Shelly Siegel. As great a Canadian Gate Keeper as they get.

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We have the best writers, creative people, and talented support crews and technicians per capita in the world. Period. And not just on the music side of entertainment. Our country has a wealth of authors, novelists, actors, directors, and other creative individuals who all fly just under the radar, or off the grid altogether.

Why is it then, most of them and what they create (or more importantly, could create) goes unrealized, unseen, unheard, unread, or unnoticed by the masses? Well, I’ll tell you;  A lack of visionary, risk-taking, creative Gate Keepers…and a Government more interested in Hockey and promoting Canada to the rest of the world than they are in feeding and housing the poverty stricken, repairing our infrastructure, putting aside money for pensions and senior assistance programs, and funding the creative people who live in Canada, the people who ARE Canada.

The almost 2 Billion dollars spent on the Olympics and G8/G20 Summit could have been better spent in so many ways that my poor little head just spins at the thought. Jingoism comes at a much higher cost than just financial as well. We live in a world where hype has become the biggest turn-off when it comes to getting people interested in something. We now live in a world where quality speaks much louder than an exploding Pizza Pop or loud Dorito. The mainstream may be lining up to buy Ga Ga tickets and watching Survivor on TV, but the trend setters and non-conformists are filling the clubs for local and touring acts the mainstream has yet to discover, and watching Archer on their computers, always on the lookout for something new, something fresh, something of value. You have to ask yourself a question; if popular items weren’t hyped so much, would they become or stay popular based solely on their quality? Or does greatness always come from left field, unannounced, unpredictable, and unsullied by hype, marketing, and artifice, gaining popularity and attention purely because of their honesty, simplicity, and uniqueness? You all know the answer to that question, don’t you?

Everyone in Canada is either creative and talented at what they do, or count creative and talented people among their circle of friends. It is the creative and talented we should be investing in and nurturing. Even more than water and lumber, these people are our most important natural resource, and they deserve our encouragement, support, and attention.

As far as musicians, singers, and songwriters go…

Dear Mr. Government, Music Industry Leaders, Radio Consultants and Music Directors, Agents, Managers, and the Mainstream Public, please realize what an important resource our music, and the people who create it, are to our culture and economy. Start digging deeper, looking beyond the usual suspects, through the hype, and past the consultants, committees and contests. Help the hard working, self-starting individuals who eke out a living creating, performing, writing, and honing their craft. Respect those who take day jobs so they can better their skills and excel at what they do. These are not people hoping to win a contest, be famous, or achieve popularity by formula or compromise. These are artists looking to make a living doing what they love by doing it honestly, better, and with a personal stamp and  dedication money can’t buy. They need a roof over their heads and food on the table, not a new guitar or fancy clothes. You have seen what originality and perseverance are capable of. Find these people. They’re all over this country. They exist, and cannot be manufactured or created by a team of experts. They are Leonard Cohen and Gordon Lightfoot, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young, Dominic Troiano and Doug Riley, Alec Fraser and Jeff Healey, Carole Pope and Mary Margaret O Hara,. Blue Rodeo and Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, and so many others. They all come from the streets and clubs of Canada. That is where the artists are. There are a bunch of them out there now…go find them and listen to what they have to offer.

A Personal Aside to Toronto’s City Fathers….

John John and The Bobo

Dear “Music City”,

Okay…first of all, we have been a ‘Music City’, like…forever. There was a time when the AFofM (The American Federation of Musicians) had a law on the books (a law? maybe just a rule that the venues respected) that stated if you had a capacity for 50 or more occupants, you HAD to have some kind of LIVE entertainment. Prices were reasonable, there was more than one bartender, and audiences would go from venue to venue because there was always a wealth of good music to be had.

It all disappeared.

People could smoke, drink, eat, have a ‘Happy Hour’, drink specials, free finger foods, and a closing hour that allowed people to take transit to and from the clubs. Even when the smoking laws came into effect, the venues could (and did) build smoking rooms to accommodate not only the non smokers, but the smoking crowd as well.

Democracy. Fairness, Equality.

…and then, thanks to YOU and your stick-up-the-ass constituents,  THAT disappeared as well.

…and ALL those things that contributed to Toronto BEING a Music City were dismantled, rescinded, and made illegal by YOU…the City Fathers who are NOW making MORE idiotic rules to further destroy our musicality, the businesses that used to flourish, and the economy as a whole.

You are not doing one thing to contribute to being the MUSIC CITY you constantly yammer about. We have GREAT music people, artists, musicians, bands, venue owners, operators and managers, and a huge amount of music fans who would LOVE to reclaim their clubs and their music.

So either HELP these people and places or shut the fuck up.

We don’t need you involved in the venues or the music…we’ve got that.

We don’t need outside people, or festivals, or hype, or anything at all from you in regard to the MUSIC part of MUSIC CITY.

We need you to do what you are supposed to do.

…make the CITY part work.

I don’t know who you are listening to, but I can tell you without any doubt whatsoever, that they are NOT the people (or ‘brands’ or ‘corporations’, or knee-jerk politically correct dimbulbs that seem hell bent on fucking things up further) you SHOULD be listening to.

We pay you folks to run the city, make it livable, protect its beauty, charm, greatness, and accessibility. Put the PEOPLE back in “PEOPLE CITY”, Goddammit!

Start here….

A few suggestions for your consideration….

Five dollar parking from  7pm till 4am near venues. If private lots refuse or continue to gouge drivers, buy their lots and impose the 5 dollar limit.

If you will not extend transit hours until 4am, then drop the price to 2 dollars inbound at 7pm and raise it to 5 dollars outbound at 1 am.

Really? Bars open until 4am?

Fine.

Then limit live music in those bars  to the hours of 8pm until midnight. Bars can close anytime after that. People have to work, musicians need lives, and no one wants to play to 16 drunks at 3 in the morning.

Reinstate happy hour, free snacks, drink deals, and a mandatory 3 dollar beer and mixed drink special. All at the venue’s discretion. Venue also has the right to be smoking, non-smoking, or both with smoking rooms and designated patios. They pay taxes…their employees pay taxes, YOU need to butt out and help them thrive.

Guarantee 100 dollars a man for every artist. A combination of what the bar can afford, the door, and a city slush fund to bring it up to 100 dollars if it falls short.

Designated load in/load out parking for artists. Stickers to display on the dashboard of vans and cars. 30 minute parking before and after gigs.

Thank you.

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As far as books, movies, and television go…

I know this probably isn’t really the case, but it seems as though the Publishers, Networks, and Motion Picture companies in this country aren’t interested in anything that isn’t about Hockey, Canadiana, autobiographical or second hand biographies of famous people, or Canadian-centric or formula takes on existing American and British TV shows, murder mysteries, and  (once) the Avro Arrow. I find this highly insulting.

Ty Templeton is a ridiculously talented (and successful) writer and illustrator who does tons of work for DC and Marvel, Bongo (The Simpsons), and even Mad Magazine, yet I cannot recall having ever seen his work in any Canadian publication. Jaimie Vernon, who successfully ran an Independent record label called Bullseye for 25 years, has been working for decades on a book called The Canadian Pop Music Encyclopedia for which he could not find a publisher and eventually self-published. The only other book similar to this has not been available since 1998, and there are thousands of people, libraries, schools, colleges and Universities, and radio stations, not to mention all the others outside of Canada, who would be interested in this book and yet not one Canadian publisher sees the value or historic significance of this ongoing work-in-progress. WTF? Do any of the publishers troll the blogosphere looking for writers? I highly doubt it. Is there even a place where an aspiring author can have his work read by professionals, evaluated, or considered for publication? Does the government have funding available for these people?  The same applies for screenplays and scripts. Studios,, directors, production houses, none will accept unsolicited material, so how do you get solicited? With all the mandatory Canadian content laws, you would think they would be falling over themselves searching for quality work, but oddly, they don’t seem to be looking at all. Is it a closed shop? It may be. Look for book publishing and film making to go more and more independent in the near future…that is, if the creative community doesn’t starve or freeze to death living on a steam grate or in a refrigerator carton, first.

Clearly, as more and more creators break through without the help of the existing Gate Keepers, new businesses and distribution avenues will spring up around them and like the music industry, more and more control will be handed over to the innovative and visionary upstarts who will come to replace the current regime. A regime whose agenda seems to be financing and releasing only that which they consider to be risk free, mainstream, board member approved, sure bets…which they very rarely are.

Canada has always had a favourable atmosphere for the arts, and up until about 12 years ago, the government was instrumental in funding a lot of arts and entertainment that otherwise would have died on the vine. Severe cutbacks as of late have sent alarms through the arts community, and they seem to be rallying their numbers to change the current government back into a more benign and supportive force.

Regardless of what the current government says, their actions have sent a clear message that the people of this country are considered less a responsibility than the image and corporate identity of a country regarded the world over as a compassionate and people friendly entity. Not just the arts community, but seniors and the young first time voters, also seem to feel that it is time for a change, that taxes (the money we give back to the government to keep our standard of living high and our streets safe, our infrastructure sound, and our culture meaningful) shouldn’t be cut, only to have the tax money that is available spent on the military, money draining events like the Olympics and the G8/G20 Summits, and other areas that ignore the needs of the people and the heart of the country. I don’t want a tax cut, I want a job, lower prices, better health care (bring back dental and optometry care) and more diverse media, and entertainment choices made available to me. I want to hear new music, see home grown films and television shows, and read books that I would otherwise be unable to experience without our taxes being spent to aid and abet our desire for a better life. That the government has mandated Canadian businesses such as radio, television and other media conglomerates to create and maintain funding to help finance these things is a sound and wise decision. All we need now are people to disperse those funds to the deserving, the unique, the honest artists, and hard working individual groups whose goals are to first create quality entertainment and content, not for fame or financial rewards, those will follow.

We need Gate Keepers whose love, knowledge and passion for the various branches of the Arts comes ahead of commerce and stockholder appeasement. Give the public the music, media, books, movies and television shows we are capable of, not what the bean counters and copyright owners think will generate the most money. When that happens, there will be more money coming in than the bean counters ever dreamed of. It will just be going into the creative Gate Keepers and Artists’ pockets instead of theirs.

Some Canadian Gatekeepers from the Past

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The Public, taken as a whole, really can’t be trusted to decide what’s great and what isn’t. The Public Whim is a hit and miss way to tell what is worth your time and what isn’t. Collectively, we are more interested in popularity than we are talent or depth of quality. Harvey’s, the Canadian hamburger chain is hanging by a thread here, even though they make a hamburger a beautiful thing, hands down the best fast food franchise burger out there. Fresh, grilled, made to order, Harvey’s has a fraction of the market share of McDonald’s and Burger King, but take an American visitor to Harvey’s and they won’t stop raving about it. Mickey D’s is WAY more popular than the clearly superior and much more tasteful Harvey’s. Can anybody explain this to me without citing voodoo or hypnosis as the reason McDonald’s is so fucking popular.

Popular things can be popular for a variety of reasons, none of which are based in any form of logic. We are, for better or worse, attracted to bright shiny objects, loud noises, and sexually stimulating images. Lady Ga Ga, Nickelback, and the Black Eyed Peas’ Fergie explained. We are our own worst enemy when it comes to suffering through what becomes popular, even though it is us who make these trivialities so bloody successful. The real problem, however, lies with what we are exposed to in the first place. That’s right record industry and radio corporations…I’m talking about you. Again. Sorry, but you only have yourselves to blame. Ultimately, however, it is us, the public, who are most responsible for the proliferation of style over substance, icing over cake, and sizzle over steak.

There was a time when we could trust the majors and radio to turn us on to great music. Of course they fed us crap too, but we (every generation) tends to like our McDonald’s along with our prime rib. Just because radio played Wooly Bully and You Light Up My Life and Who Let the Dogs Out didn’t mean we had to like it, but Gee Whiz, how could you not? Thing is, they also used to serve up a lot of new, interesting, and musically and lyrically wonderfulness too. Enough so that we trusted them completely, knowing they would sift through the stacks of hopefuls and expose us to the best of what was out there. Now, it seems, they expose us to what they think will be popular, not necessarily what deserves to be heard. And Lord knows what deserves to be heard these days generally isn’t, because it doesn’t fit the format.

Of course there are exceptions, but how many songs and artists have been lost because the criteria for label signings and radio content has changed so much? How many careers have been stalled, how many artists have thrown in the towel, how many great pieces of music go unheard because the right producers, label, and songwriters weren’t attached to the project? How many wonderful round pegs were cast aside because they didn’t fit the square hole?

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All of these artists have had some success, some have fair to middling careers, and some have actually done pretty well. Some, unfortunately either gave up, or worse. What I’m saying is just how big could they have gotten/could get if The Great Canadian Inferiority Complex hadn’t been/isn’t in play? If Mainstream radio had played these earlier songs? If the labels  they were on (or the public) hadn’t dropped the ball? Of course, major labels and radio airplay are no longer the goal of most artists these days. Pity.

Cadence – I Wish: I can remember when mainstream radio played a cappella music without blinking. Canada even embraced The Nylons years ago who followed up their Canadian success with a good deal of American and European success. This Toronto area based group should have been all over the radio when this amazing cover of the Stevie Wonder classic was released, but I never heard it on the radio, ever. I find that unconscionable.

Major Label: No

Radio Airplay: Little if any.

Career: Yes

Cameo Blues Band – Rockin’ My Life Away: There are myriad versions of this Jerry Lee Lewis chestnut out there but none of them (including the original) come close to this incredible little gem. A mainstay in the hipper blues rooms around the GTA for decades, the Cameos are underrated even in their hometown. This, to me, is even more puzzling than the George W. Bush presidency.

Major Label: No

Radio Airplay: Limited if any.

Career: They can always get gigs.

BB Gabor – Girls of the Future: When Beeb started out he was the darling of local radio station CFNY when it really was The Spirit of Radio and, like all of Toronto’s local radio stations at the time,were proud to play local artists and champion them. We all expected, knew, really, that he was destined for greatness. This track, the title cut from his second album, is a good example of his songwriting and guitar and vocal skills. You can hear why Todd Rundgren became a huge fan and produced some of BB’s recordings which were, unfortunately, never released. My favourite song of his is Girls of the Future, but there are so many great ones you need to hear. Here’s a link to the whole LP. Frustrated by his lack of success after the Girls of the Future album, BB committed suicide in 1990.

Major Label: Distribution.

Radio Airplay: Yes

Career: No

Dala – Levi Blues: I became a fan of Dala after seeing their first couple of live shows, the second of which was in a church basement. The purity of their voices, songwriting skills, and the out and out joyousness of their harmony sold me out of the gate. Like the Fleetwoods, Patience and Prudence, and Ponytails before them, they embodied the soft, ethereal delivery of words that cut to the heart of what makes a young girl a woman. When you listen to this song, you can almost picture them at a slumber party or on the phone, sharing the dream of the perfect love and the perfect life with the perfect boy. Such a refreshing change from forced beats, rude lyrics, auto-tuned sameness, and meat dresses. Timeless.

Major Label: Since 2005

Radio Airplay: Yes

Career: Yes.

The Wackers – Oh My Love: This track, from the Hot Wacks album, ended up on over 100 Beatle bootlegs as the version cut by the Beatles for inclusion on the Abbey Road album. Kinda cool, but weird as hell too, because I don’t think it sounds like The Beatles at all, even though we asked ourselves how would they have done it if they were still together. Elektra had high hopes for the single and so did we. We were beat out by a version by The Letterman, whose recording was the equivalent of Pat Boone doing a Little Richard song. Oh well.

Major Label: Yes.

Radio Airplay: Limited.

Career: No longer together.

Junkhouse – Shine: Tom Wilson. This guy is a national treasure. His catalog is impressive and his music is unique. Hopefully, one day he’ll be the household name he deserves to be. Track down his Florida Razors, Junkhouse, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, and Lee Harvey Osmond CDs.

Major Label: Yes.

Radio Airplay: Limited

Career: Yes for most members.

The Respectables – Sweet Mama: Good Lord, this should have been the number one rock record of the year when it was released. This is rock and roll at it’s most authentic and honest best. I would love to see a Rival Sons, Respectables double bill one of these days. Eat your heart out Kid Rock.

Major Label: Distribution.

Radio Airplay: Limited.

Career: Yes.

Blue Shadows – Riding Only Down: With just two albums, this group, fronted by ex Cowsill Billy Cowsill, instantly became the band everyone who heard them wanted to see succeed. A cross between the Everly Brothers’ vocal prowess and the early Beatles jangle driven guitar sound, the Blue Shadows represented the alt-country, early rock and roll community better than anyone else at the time. For whatever reason, their great sound, loyal fans, and even their label, couldn’t bring this group to fruition. After the two albums failed, they broke up, and Billy formed another band called the Co-Dependents who met with the same lack of success. It is still hard for me to understand why this vital, eerily haunting music didn’t break through. Billy passed away at home in Calgary in 2006 after years of failing health.

Major Label: Yes.

Radio Airplay: Very Limited.

Career: No. 

Michel Pagliaro – J’entends Frapper Even after his initial massive success in Quebec, Pag remains virtually unknown outside his Province with the exception of every rock musician in the country who speak of him in reverent, awe-inspired voices. Of all the artists on this very short list, Pag is the one who is regarded as the Great Canadian Rockstar and an inspiration to every singer/songwriter in the country. Bands still cover his songs, and I have been part of dozens of kitchen table discussions as to why this man never got the attention, and rewards he deserved. He still packs a wallop live, lives up to his cult-like status, and remains the creator of some of the greatest rock songs to ever call Canada home.Here are some other Pag tracks that have stood the test of time. I envy you if this is the first time you have ever heard him.

Michel Pagliaro – What the Hell I Got

Michel Pagliaro – Some Sing Some Dance

Michel Pagliaro – Lovin’ You Ain’t Easy

Major Label: Yes, more than one.

Radio Airplay: Yes.

Career: Yes.

David Celia – Best Thing Ever: Personally, I think this guy is the best singer/songwriter/guitarist this countyry has produced so far. The depth and breadth of David’s material is jaw dropping. The man easily shits gears from rock, to country, to Beatlesque pop and Grateful Dead psychedelia in the space of a single set or CD and still manages to leave his individual stamp on all of it. David has done some self produced CDs which sell well at his shows, and when he lands some major distribution and continues to record these 3 minute gems, he is going to have the ability to rise as high as he wants to. David just got back from a tour of house concerts in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and returns to England again in the Spring. If you’re in Toronto you can catch him at The Cameron House every Friday from 6:00 until 8:00 pm. Go see him and judge for yourself. Here’s another Celia song to whet your appetite.

David Celia – Welcome to the Show

Major Label: No

Radio Airplay: Very limited.

Career: Yes.

And currently happening….

July Talk

Courage My Love

Sam Taylor

Happy Happy Joy Joy, Canada…I fucking LOVE YOU!

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Segarini’s regular columns appear here because Word Press has no conscience and it is YOUR fault if your kids read any of them

Contact us at dbawis@rogers.com

Bob “The Iceman” Segarini was in the bands The Family Tree, Roxy, The Wackers, The Dudes, and The Segarini Band and nominated for a Juno for production in 1978. He also hosted “Late Great Movies” on CITY TV, was a producer of Much Music, and an on-air personality on CHUM FM, Q107, SIRIUS Sat/Rad’s Iceberg 95, (now 85), and now publishes, edits, and writes for DBAWIS, continues to write music, make music, and record.