Kup O ' Korn Koffee
Hello My Name is Jim
Jim Kerr, Simple Minds
With Bob Marley ' s family, it’ s marijuana. With Toby Keith, it ' s mezcal. But with Korn, the storied California pioneers of the Nu-Metal movement, it’ s just coffee- for now. According to Esquire, Korn Koffee, the fair-trade certified brew is, " a collaboration with J Gursey Coffee, is a smooth blend of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, Guatemalan Huehuetenango, organic Peru beans, and Vintage Black Diamond blend." This blend was " uniquely curated " by the members of Korn.
Like us, the band members are coffee snobs when it comes to finding the best cup o’ joe while on tour.“ It’ s good to have something to really kick you in the pants in the morning,” dreadlocked guitarist James“ Munky” Shaffer told the fans and press in a Facebook Live video with Revolver Magazine," according to Eater. com.
Most recent studies tend to agree that 1 or 2 cups of coffee are good for you every morning, so that goes along with the healthy living mantra Korn founder Jonathan Davis told us about earlier this year.“ I’ m still there. It’ s past the awakening – it’ s just everyday life for me now. I’ m just happy in my life, with nothing but healthy things around me, and I’ m learning at 47 years old how to deal with life’ s obstacles in a healthy way. And I’ ve had a lot of obstacles thrown in my path, like everybody in life. But I’ m dealing with them well, so I feel good about myself. So I’ m eating clean." Which now includes a signature brand of coffee.“ It has a kick,” says drummer Ray Luzier of the coffee blend. The bags retail for $ 15— or $ 24 for a 12.2-ounce bag with a Korn Koffee mug. A little more than a bag of Eight O’ Clock Coffee at Jewel.
10 • 2018 White Album Privilege
E
ven back in pre-Twitter 1982, it wasn ' t easy for a vagabond Scottish rock star to keep a low profile in America. But Jim Kerr was doing his best. Visiting San Francisco behind his group Simple Minds ' breakthrough New
Gold Dream( 81-82-83-84) album on A & M, the singer had a few free days to kill, and-- informed that there was only one music club open on a Sunday night, he and his hard-drinking entourage headed to Earl ' s, which spun strange alternating hours of reggae and New Wave music. Naturally, the place had a huge video screen that was showing the latest clips, which Kerr edged gingerly past, his coat collar pulled up for anonymity. He settled in for a drink at the bar with the band ' s guitarist Charlie Burchill, who was gaping in wide-eyed wonder at the plethora of punk and Goth girls filling up the room. Suddenly, an image of Kerr appears on the lounge monitor, crooning Simple Minds ' flagship Dream hit " Promised You a Miracle," and he almost does a spit-take with his pricey cocktail. Nervously, Kerr pulls that collar a little higher, trying to disappear like a spider into the bar shadows. But Burchill, God bless him, as naive as a wee bairn, doesn ' t stand on ceremony- he jumps up from his seat, points at the screen and yells, " Look! It ' s us! IT ' S US!" and the pair is immediately descended upon by a flock of females big enough to rival Alfred Hitchcock ' s The Birds, minus the pecking. Fans can ' t quite believe that one of their favorite bands on the planet is there, at a dinky dive in North Beach, and happily handing out autographs! Burchill might have gotten laid that night, or maybe not, but his pompadour-topped pate just seemed to disappear beneath a groundswell of gorgeous girls after a few minutes, while Kerr decides it ' s time to get the hell out of there before familiarity breeds contempt.
Continued on page 8 Reminded of the halcyon-days incident a few weeks ago, Kerr, now 59, guf-
Etc, Etc
KISS
The Beatles
This is the one we’ ve been waiting for. Of all the Beatle re-issues, the ** White Album [ aka The Beatles ] was the most experimental, least commercial( as far as singles went) and had the individual members of the Beatles branching off into solo-like recording methods, ditching the Fab Four constrictions that kept them together as one unit for eight years of recording and touring. And it was two albums, something rare for the cohesive unit that only put 12 to 14 songs on their five previous albums. At a listening party at Capitol Records Studio A hosted by engineer Giles Martin( son of the Beatles late producer George Martin), anticipation for the new album was ferocious, but unlike the unveiling of the Sgt. Pepper ' s Lonely Hearts Club Band re-issue last year, there was no full album playback- Martin only played outtakes and demos from the 1968 album, which just added to the intrigue.
According to Variety,“ Martin walked his audience through the process of making the album chronologically, beginning the playback with five of the four-track stereo demos, previously bootlegged and now released in authorized form for the first time, in startling clarity. These recordings, Martin noted, were“ the spine of how the thing was made,” and were executed in an intimate singalong fashion.” Only the Deluxe Edition will contain all the White Album outtakes, making it a must buy for Beatle fanatics.“ An alternate“ Cry Baby Cry” finds the song taken at a sinuous pace. An early version of“ While My Guitar Gently Weeps” that ends abruptly with a blown chord change features already stirring solo work by guest guitarist Eric Clapton. An early version of“ Good Night,” sans strings, shows off luxuriant vocal harmonies by the band members.” The reissued White Album comes out on November 9th.
They’ ve hinted at retirement before. Remember the Y2K – era“ kinda farewell tour?” Now it appears that Kiss does have a sabbatical of some sort on their radar, and their latest outing is called the " End Of The Road " tour. Does this mean we ' ll see Ace Frehley and Peter Criss make an appearance? Stanley refused to confirm or deny the possibility to Ultimate Classic Rock.“ I really can’ t say,” he stated.“ This will be a celebration of Kiss and not any individual lineup or any individual members. I wouldn’ t rule anything out, but it’ s not the crux of what we’ re doing.” No doubt there will be plenty of merch and swag to commemorate the momentous occasion.
Longtime Chicago rockers M & R Rush, who have been reunited longer than they were originally together in the‘ 70s and ' 80s, have released a new album, Between The Lines, a throwback melodic rock album with driving anthems and rich harmonies. Look for the BTL review in IE ' s November Spins.
NWI and Southside musicians will appreciate the Fall edition of the ** Northwest Indiana Guitar and Music Instrument Swap * which comes to The Best Western Plus In Portage, IN on Sunday, October 14th from 11-4. Admission is free. Musicians can buy, sell, and trade guitars, amps, percussion and more. For details go to NWI Swap Meet ' s Facebook page.
6 illinoisentertainer. com october 2018