Alison Neubauer
Jrn 400
Profile story
1922
Mark Rubel arrived at Rosfest in Phoenixville, Pa. to find this annual progressive rock festival behind schedule by 3 hours. Despite his delayed flight, he hadn’t missed anything except for a long line of angry fans and workers waiting for the lighting man to show up. Star Castle, a progressive rock band from the 1970’s, were the headliners supporting the album Gary Strater, musician, worked on for ten years. Strater died of Pancreatic cancer 3 weeks after he finished recording it 2004. Rubel promised Strater he would help him finish and put out the record. A promise that by 2007, he kept. Now Rubel was front row at the concert in support of his best friend’s last album. Things did not go as smoothly as planned. The lighting man, who was bringing necessary equipment to run the show, was 3 hours late.
“The sound people were cool, the recording people were cool, the lighting people were good and the lighting guy was drunk,” said Rubel. The light show is an important part of a progressive rock concert. After trying to communicate with him, Rubel just gave up realizing that this man could not understand how he wanted the light show to be.
“They go on. The band is fine, the P.A. is fine, everything sounds great and it’s the worst lighting show in the world,” said Rubel, but they just dealt with it until the man started disrupting the performance.
“So they start to play this song, nice, calm acoustic guitars and stuff and I hear this sound from the lighting guy. He’s singing. Wait, he’s chanting. No, he’s swearing. He’s decided he’s angry at the band. So he’s yelling profanities over the music and throwing things at the band while they are playing. And I’m thinking this is the part of the show where I have to vault over the amps and wrestle this guy to the ground and end up on You Tube,” said Rubel. He didn’t have to do that because 8 cops came and arrested the lighting man on stage while the band continued to play. That put an end to the light show.
“That’s one of my favorite stories and I have a million others,” said Rubel.
Soft yellow light gently falls over antique microphones, new and old instruments, recording magazines, records, an analogue sound board, large shelves holding books, magazines and music and a large variety and quantity of sound equipment that has been collected over the years, decorating Mark Rubel’s recording studio on Taylor St. in Champaign. Pogo Studio has been around for twenty-five years. It’s couches, warmth, original equipment, comfort, and homeliness contrasts the majority of studios which are usually “frigid, air conditioned and just feel like outer space,” said Rubel. He is the chief engineer, the studio owner, the studio president, an accountant, a producer, a full time teacher at Eastern University, and a part time teacher at Parkland College. He writes articles for recording magazines, plays bass in a rock band, and is involved with many panels, committees and organizations. He has run art councils, been a booking agent, works as an expert witness for law firms and trials, is working on a new curriculum for music business and audio technology at Eastern and is on the producers committee for the Grammy’s. His free time is filled with work.
“I like to hang out with my wife on the rare occasion that I get to see her and the cats. And you know, go out and eat and occasionally see friends and family. But it’s a very hard working lifestyle and I’m really working 7 days a week, eighteen to nineteen hours a day, day in and day out, year in and year out. I don’t take vacations. I don’t have hobbies, but it’s something that happens when your passion is your living,” said Rubel.
Fifty years ago in Princeton, N.J. Rubel was born into a world of creativity. A majority of his time was spent in Champaign-Urbana, Ill. where he sticks close to his roots to this day. His father was a mathematician at the University of Illinois, his mother was a journalist from Denmark, his sister is a painter and graphic artist, his wife is an artist and animal rights worker and his half brother is a TV producer.
“I haven’t grown up but I’ve gotten older mostly in Champaign-Urbana,” said Rubel. His father went on sabbatical so they lived in France for a year when Rubel was 8. There he learned French almost fluently. They spent another year in New York, one back in New Jersey, a summer in California, a summer in Montreal, and lived briefly in Holland and Denmark. After graduating from University high school he got an English literature degree from the University of Illinois in 1979. Since he was twelve years old Rubel has been a musician, playing the bass guitar.
“I started this silly band called Captain Rat and the Blind Rivets as a joke in 1980 and we decided to keep doing it as long as it’s fun. It’s been almost thirty years and it’s still really fun,” said Rubel. “When you start a band when your twenty-two you don’t expect to be in the band long enough for the members to become grandfathers.” Captain Rat and the Blind Rivets just booked their annual gig at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. They used to play 200 gigs a year but now they play about once a week.
Being an audio engineer hadn’t even crossed his mind as a possible career until he ran across a guy who was getting a team to put his studio back together and run it. Rubel had previously been working as a manager of this local arts council but when the offer to build the studio arose, he took advantage of it. The ramshackle white house sat twenty feet from active train tracks and for one hundred dollars a month, they had a studio.
“We took the minimal equipment that we had, wired it together and called it a studio,” said Rubel. “The 6 or 8 others involved were mostly electrical engineers that had jobs. I was a liberal arts guy and didn’t. I was playing in the silly rock band so I got elected to sit behind the council and run the studio.”
Having no training in audio engineering, Rubel learned everything by doing it or from reading about it. In 1983 he left this studio to start Pogo Studios in the same place it is today. He named the studio after his dog. Since then he has worked with mostly regional and local bands but also does projects for relatively well known people and major labels. He has recorded musicians such as Alison Krauss, Adrian Blue, Rascal Flatts, Ludacris, and Fall Out Boy. He produced Hum for RCA Records, Poster Children for Warner Reprise, Menthol for Capitol Records, various projects for Sony Records, the music for the 1988 Olympics and Jay Bennett from Wilco. He did live sound for Toby Twining so he was able to travel.
“I really like being able to travel and see other places. That seems to be where a lot of the memorable times come from. All these Bahamas gigs are great. That’s my vacation actually. I think if I had time and money to do it I would never go to a fancy resort with a casino. But this way I can rationalize it, I’m being paid. I have to be there, so I’m getting better at learning to be lazy,” said Rubel.
Aside from running the studio and being an audio engineer, Rubel is a teacher at Parkland College and Eastern University. He is finishing building a new studio and creating a new curriculum for a music business and audio technology program at Eastern. Dr. Tim Schirmer, a professor and the program director for music at Parkland, became friends with and boss of Rubel when he met him at Parkland in 1987. Rubel has recorded most of the projects Schirmer has done.
“He is wonderful, pleasant, helpful, meticulous, and a patient person interested in the world at large, and he is an excellent engineer and musician,” said Schirmer. “He has a real knack for making a tense environment very relaxed and always keeps his focus on getting the best result possible. He is a very nice guy.” Rubel has been at Parkland for 22 years.
The first word that comes to Stephen Fonzo’s mind when he thinks of Rubel is “nice“. Considerate, open-minded, talented and always busy follow. Fonzo is the media training advisor for the Independent Media Center in Urbana and read about Rubel before moving to Champaign from Virginia in 2006. Fonzo was transitioning to a new town. Rubel was from Champaign, knew everyone, helps the IMC by loaning them equipment and helped Fonzo meet people.
“That’s an aspect I’ve always been interested in, community. I’m kind of defined by a series of communities. I guess one of the things I’ve done that’s unusual for people in my area is I’ve stayed in a small Midwestern town and had a whole career staying in the town I originated from,” said Rubel. According to Rubel, he tries to encourage and help the musicians, advise, lend gear, help with WFT and IMC and anybody else. He is also part of a community of engineers/producers.
Rubel attends the annual Tape Op conference where engineers and producers get together. He meets many people from different places there. Greg Norman, recording engineer and electrical technician at Electrical Studios in Chicago, is one of those people. Rubel has also recorded sessions at Electrical Studio and stops by whenever he is in Chicago.
“He always has a new story to talk about but doesn’t waste time or air on small talk. He genuinely pays attention to people and is thoughtful in what he does and how he responds to people,” said Norman.
After recording with him and seeing Rubel at major recording events, Norman learned that Rubel’s creativity and layed back personality contributes to the positive mood in a recording session but also that he doesn’t steer the session.
“He allows people to do their own thing and he gets the best out of that,” said Norman. Norman visits Rubel whenever he is in Champaign.
“It’s really important for there to be a studio like Pogo in Champaign-Urbana. He has a variety of very nice equipment and he knows how to use them. It’s a place where people can record the old way with really good microphones, amplifiers and the space designed,” said Fonzo. “It’s an inspiring place.”
Inspired by his parents, Les Paul, Steve Albini, artists, musicians and writers, Rubel became a well known producer and engineer, instead of enlisting in the Army, with few regrets. If he has time he wants to get MBA, possibly go to law school, write a couple books, and travel all while keeping the studio running.
“If I had realized I was going to be doing this I would have wanted more training, taken more music theory, studied architectural acoustics, physics of acoustics, music history, studied abroad and researched. I would have been more hands on, doing stuff earlier, and been more self promoting earlier. You have to inspire confidence in people by having confidence in yourself. I would have taken more opportunities that came along. I should have taken every gig that came along,” said Rubel. “One thing I don’t regret is that I’ve stayed here. It’s been great.”
Sources
Mark Rubel
217-351-8155
pogostudio@sbcglobal.net
Tim Schirmer
217-373-3740
Tschirmer@parkland.edu
Greg Norman
773-539-2555
Greg@electrical.com
Stephen Fonzo
502-475-9289
fonzo.stephen@gmail.com
Monday, April 20, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
profile exercise
The familiar grey crutches lay on the carpet next to the couch where the high school senior wrestler, Steven Neubauer, rests. He is recovering form his second hip surgery in 2 years. His buzzed blonde head stares blankly at the T.V. Sleep, T.V. and food will make up the next 6 weeks of his life. His mom brings him a try of food and without batting an eye, politely says "thanks."
Monday, April 13, 2009
Alison Neubauer
Jrn 400 lab
3rd beat article
828
Faint sounds of fast guitars, thunderous bass, thrashing drums, and a clamor of voices conversing or singing to their favorite songs seep up and out through the walls of the white house at 700 Illinois St. in Urbana. Through the weathered wooden cellar doors at the back of the house, down the creaky wooden stairs, a crowd of fans enjoy live bands in a small, intimate basement. Andrew Hajduch hosts punk shows here regularly, once every month.
The Copyrights from Carbondale, IL, who are currently signed to Red Scare Records, are returning to Hajduch’s this year to headline the upcoming show on April 24th. The Knock Down from New York, The Kobanes from the Chicago suburbs, Teenage Martians from Champaign and Kid Tim from Champaign form the rest of the lineup. The show costs $5 and doors are at 9 p.m. Fans of all ages are looking forward to another entertaining night.
“That show is going to be awesome. They did that last year too,” said Chris Li, junior at the University of Illinois. Li has attended almost every show at Hajduch’s since he began hosting shows in 2007.
Andrew Hajduch, a senior at the University of Illinois, uses his basement as a venue for local and some national punk bands. When looking for a house to rent, Hajduch said that he specifically looked for a house that had a suitable basement for his bands to practice in and to hold shows in.
“House shows are fun. I like picking the bands that play. I like to pick bands that I like, bands that I’m friends with, bands that I want to see and bands that I want to play with,” said Hajduch. According to Hajduch, the shows are for fun and to promote the bands.
“I try to keep the genre consistent. Punk shows. Mostly local, sometimes out of town,” said Hajduch.
Tim Janis, guitarist for local band Dizzy Chair Time, acoustic guitarist for his local solo project, Kid Tim, and senior at the University of Illinois, plays shows in Hajduch’s basement and likes the laid back atmosphere. He said that he likes having the chance to play with new bands and that it’s fun making new friends.
“I like Andrew’s place because there’s always something interesting going on, whether it’s that someone lost their porn or there’s a big fight,” said Janis. “There’s not a bunch of dick bags telling you when to play, what to play or where to play.”
In comparison to a larger more traditional venue, Li said that in Hajduch’s basement the sound quality is worse and there’s barely any space or ventilation but that’s the fun part. It’s a bunch of friends getting together, playing music and making inside jokes.
“It’s hilarious,” said Li, laughing. “You don’t get that at a large venue.”
According to Li, the biggest difference is that at Hajduch’s, people don’t have huge egos, it’s just friends.
“There’s a big difference between going to a Green Day concert with a bunch of 12 year old kids and their moms and going to Andrew’s and getting beer spilled all over me,” said Li.
There’s not much space to move, people scream to hear each other, it’s so cramped that the sweat on you isn’t just your own, somebody lights a cigarette as another stumbles through the crowd, beer in hand. Hajduch quit smoking and doesn’t sell liquor at these shows but he doesn’t mind what people do. He said that there are basically no rules.
Hajduch said that the shows usually last from 10 p.m. until 1 or 2 a.m. and an average of 50 or more people come in and out throughout the night. The cops haven’t been called yet this year, the neighbors and roommates don’t mind, according to Hajduch.
“It’s not like it’s going all night,” said Hajduch. “One roommate stays in his room the whole time, but they don’t complain.”
Hajduch, band members, and friends walk around town posting handmade flyers on coffee shops and venues. They also post announcements on Myspace and opening bands.com to get the word out about the next show.
By hosting these shows, Hajduch is not only able to promote bands that he likes or that he’s friends with but he’s also able to promote the four bands he is currently in. Those bands are Dizzy Chair Time, Fourth Grade Rats, Social Defiance and Teenage Martians. He said that he will continue to play in bands after college and keep music as a hobby but isn’t sure he wants to book bands for a living. Right now, Hajduch is the only person in the area who hosts these types of shows regularly.
“Andrew’s house is a big part of the Champaign-Urbana scene. Bands come to play and have fun and that’s something you need in a budding music scene,” said Janis.
Sources
Andrew Hajduch
Ahajdu2@illinois.edu
847-3617573
Tim Janis
Tjanis2@illinois.edu
847-609-7582
Chris Li
Cli20@illinois.edu
973-420-8243
Jrn 400 lab
3rd beat article
828
Faint sounds of fast guitars, thunderous bass, thrashing drums, and a clamor of voices conversing or singing to their favorite songs seep up and out through the walls of the white house at 700 Illinois St. in Urbana. Through the weathered wooden cellar doors at the back of the house, down the creaky wooden stairs, a crowd of fans enjoy live bands in a small, intimate basement. Andrew Hajduch hosts punk shows here regularly, once every month.
The Copyrights from Carbondale, IL, who are currently signed to Red Scare Records, are returning to Hajduch’s this year to headline the upcoming show on April 24th. The Knock Down from New York, The Kobanes from the Chicago suburbs, Teenage Martians from Champaign and Kid Tim from Champaign form the rest of the lineup. The show costs $5 and doors are at 9 p.m. Fans of all ages are looking forward to another entertaining night.
“That show is going to be awesome. They did that last year too,” said Chris Li, junior at the University of Illinois. Li has attended almost every show at Hajduch’s since he began hosting shows in 2007.
Andrew Hajduch, a senior at the University of Illinois, uses his basement as a venue for local and some national punk bands. When looking for a house to rent, Hajduch said that he specifically looked for a house that had a suitable basement for his bands to practice in and to hold shows in.
“House shows are fun. I like picking the bands that play. I like to pick bands that I like, bands that I’m friends with, bands that I want to see and bands that I want to play with,” said Hajduch. According to Hajduch, the shows are for fun and to promote the bands.
“I try to keep the genre consistent. Punk shows. Mostly local, sometimes out of town,” said Hajduch.
Tim Janis, guitarist for local band Dizzy Chair Time, acoustic guitarist for his local solo project, Kid Tim, and senior at the University of Illinois, plays shows in Hajduch’s basement and likes the laid back atmosphere. He said that he likes having the chance to play with new bands and that it’s fun making new friends.
“I like Andrew’s place because there’s always something interesting going on, whether it’s that someone lost their porn or there’s a big fight,” said Janis. “There’s not a bunch of dick bags telling you when to play, what to play or where to play.”
In comparison to a larger more traditional venue, Li said that in Hajduch’s basement the sound quality is worse and there’s barely any space or ventilation but that’s the fun part. It’s a bunch of friends getting together, playing music and making inside jokes.
“It’s hilarious,” said Li, laughing. “You don’t get that at a large venue.”
According to Li, the biggest difference is that at Hajduch’s, people don’t have huge egos, it’s just friends.
“There’s a big difference between going to a Green Day concert with a bunch of 12 year old kids and their moms and going to Andrew’s and getting beer spilled all over me,” said Li.
There’s not much space to move, people scream to hear each other, it’s so cramped that the sweat on you isn’t just your own, somebody lights a cigarette as another stumbles through the crowd, beer in hand. Hajduch quit smoking and doesn’t sell liquor at these shows but he doesn’t mind what people do. He said that there are basically no rules.
Hajduch said that the shows usually last from 10 p.m. until 1 or 2 a.m. and an average of 50 or more people come in and out throughout the night. The cops haven’t been called yet this year, the neighbors and roommates don’t mind, according to Hajduch.
“It’s not like it’s going all night,” said Hajduch. “One roommate stays in his room the whole time, but they don’t complain.”
Hajduch, band members, and friends walk around town posting handmade flyers on coffee shops and venues. They also post announcements on Myspace and opening bands.com to get the word out about the next show.
By hosting these shows, Hajduch is not only able to promote bands that he likes or that he’s friends with but he’s also able to promote the four bands he is currently in. Those bands are Dizzy Chair Time, Fourth Grade Rats, Social Defiance and Teenage Martians. He said that he will continue to play in bands after college and keep music as a hobby but isn’t sure he wants to book bands for a living. Right now, Hajduch is the only person in the area who hosts these types of shows regularly.
“Andrew’s house is a big part of the Champaign-Urbana scene. Bands come to play and have fun and that’s something you need in a budding music scene,” said Janis.
Sources
Andrew Hajduch
Ahajdu2@illinois.edu
847-3617573
Tim Janis
Tjanis2@illinois.edu
847-609-7582
Chris Li
Cli20@illinois.edu
973-420-8243
issues budget line
Alison Neubauer
Jrn 400 lab
Issues story budget line
Shelley Smithson
I’m going to explore the issue of illegal downloading of music and movies on campus and how authorities of U of I deal with the situation if the deal with it at all. I want to know roughly how many people illegally download on campus and how many are caught and if they are caught, what happens to them. I’m going to find out how they catch people. What the actual rules are about downloading. What the consequences are and do they differ depending on circumstances. I want to know who does the monitoring and who does the disciplining. I want to find out what the worst case scenario has been so far and what the standard situation is. I need to talk to people who have been caught and been punished, people who have been caught but nothing really happened to them and people who haven’t been caught. I want to talk to the people who monitor and catch people, people who do the discipline, find out about the federal law by going to the Urbana federal court, and maybe find out about how high university authorities feel about the situation. Is it even a big deal?
Jrn 400 lab
Issues story budget line
Shelley Smithson
I’m going to explore the issue of illegal downloading of music and movies on campus and how authorities of U of I deal with the situation if the deal with it at all. I want to know roughly how many people illegally download on campus and how many are caught and if they are caught, what happens to them. I’m going to find out how they catch people. What the actual rules are about downloading. What the consequences are and do they differ depending on circumstances. I want to know who does the monitoring and who does the disciplining. I want to find out what the worst case scenario has been so far and what the standard situation is. I need to talk to people who have been caught and been punished, people who have been caught but nothing really happened to them and people who haven’t been caught. I want to talk to the people who monitor and catch people, people who do the discipline, find out about the federal law by going to the Urbana federal court, and maybe find out about how high university authorities feel about the situation. Is it even a big deal?
Monday, March 16, 2009
thoughts about portraits of grief
In Portraits of Greif, the obituaries were basically written in the same style. They were short, to the point and aimed to sum up a persons life in about 200 words. What set each apart was what the author chose as their main focus about the person, the quotes and how they chose to use their words. My two favorite portraits out of the first 20 “N” were “Mildred Naiman: Thumbed Her Nose at Age” and “Peter A. Nelson: A Marriage Proposal.” In each of these stories the writer chose his words in a way that I really felt for the person and his family or I admired how the person lived their life.
In “Mildred Naiman: Thumbed Her Nose at Age” The writer chose to write about how Mildred loved to travel and get out and do things despite her age. I see a little of myself in that. It makes me think about how even though she died in an awful way before her time she still lived to be 81 and was still having the time of her life doing what she loved. It makes me look up to her. If I make it that far I too want to still be as energetic and enthusiastic as her. She didn’t die necessarily in a bad state of mind which is what makes this story lighter and a little easier to handle.
“Peter A. Nelson: A Marriage Proposal” made me think about how you have to take advantage of situations as they come because you never know what’s going to happen later. The way the story was ironic left me in a state of disbelief and grief. The very way he was saved the first time was how he ended up dying. It makes you wonder. The quotes used show how he would have been a loving father and the ending line leaves you speechless. Leaves you heartbroken that that he never lived to meet his daughter and how the first time she saw her father was at his funeral. The words choice really strikes a nerve.
What really makes the story are good quotes and words choice and arrangement. And if that isn’t great then a person with a really interesting story would catch my eye. Each person has a different story but it’s the writer that really captures their essence.
In “Mildred Naiman: Thumbed Her Nose at Age” The writer chose to write about how Mildred loved to travel and get out and do things despite her age. I see a little of myself in that. It makes me think about how even though she died in an awful way before her time she still lived to be 81 and was still having the time of her life doing what she loved. It makes me look up to her. If I make it that far I too want to still be as energetic and enthusiastic as her. She didn’t die necessarily in a bad state of mind which is what makes this story lighter and a little easier to handle.
“Peter A. Nelson: A Marriage Proposal” made me think about how you have to take advantage of situations as they come because you never know what’s going to happen later. The way the story was ironic left me in a state of disbelief and grief. The very way he was saved the first time was how he ended up dying. It makes you wonder. The quotes used show how he would have been a loving father and the ending line leaves you speechless. Leaves you heartbroken that that he never lived to meet his daughter and how the first time she saw her father was at his funeral. The words choice really strikes a nerve.
What really makes the story are good quotes and words choice and arrangement. And if that isn’t great then a person with a really interesting story would catch my eye. Each person has a different story but it’s the writer that really captures their essence.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Alison Neubauer
Jrn 400
Article 2 imc fest
782
IMC Fest is back this year, bringing together an eclectic mix of local music, visual and performing arts, belly dancers and political social speakers to perform during a three day festival on April 17-19. This year the Independent Media Center and Boneyard Arts are working in conjunction to promote both events.
A widely diverse range of music will be featured. Thirty bands are scheduled to play including Kilborn Alley, Elsinore, Headlights and Jigsaw. The bands’ musical styles range from folk, rock, indie, punk, blues, hip-hop, jazz and electronica. Twenty-Eight of those bands are local to the Champaign area.
Besides music, Boneyard Arts will have it’s art show on display noon to two a.m. beginning Thursday April 16.
“Traditionally the IMC is always part of Boneyard as a venue for artists but this year we are both that and evening entertainment spotlight as well,” said Dan Blah, an active IMC volunteer and the main organizer of this event..
The speakers include local activists and people who are part of the IMC who will talk about the history of this local IMC, the Indy media movement and their own movements and organizations.
“I want it to be a spectacle. A kind of controlled chaotic circus. It’s going to be crazy,” said Blah.
IMC Fest is a music and arts festival coordinated by groups of volunteers and IMC staff. The shows group, finance group, production group, WRFU 104.5, and the tech group make up the IMC organization. This year, IMC Fest encompasses the whole organization and Boneyard Arts, unlike previous years when just the shows group put the event together. IMC Fest and Boneyard Arts focuses on local talent.
“This is a way to get people and bands exposed to the IMC,” said Blah. Blah hopes to see 600 people over the entire weekend.
Planning for IMC Fest starts months in advance. Prospective headlining bands and bands who previously played are contacted first, then others follow. About 50 bands were contacted this year and because of such a large positive response, 20 had to be let go.
“You lose three months of your life every year,” said Blah. This fest also digs into the pockets of organizers.
According to Blah, all the funding is donated from the organizers and sponsors. Nobody gets paid, all the money goes to the IMC to pay for programs.
Local band Common Loon is playing for their second time at IMC Fest after playing in 2007, the year their band formed. They are looking forward to hearing the local bands they will be playing with.
“There are tons of good musicians in town and you don’t always get to hear all of them,” said Matt Campbell, the drummer, keyboardist and vocalist of Common Loon. “It’s a very eclectic mix of music. It’s cool to hear something new,” said Campbell.
Common Loon, a kind of dreamy psychedelic pop band, as described by the guitarist and vocalist Robert Hirschfelb, see IMC Fest not only as an opportunity to hear new music but also an opportunity for new people to hear them. IMC fest grew significantly since the last one two years ago.
“I’m pretty excited about this year. There’s a lot more collaboration and new shows members. It’s not just me,” said Blah.
The first IMC Fest was held in 2003 at the Canopy Club. It was a building campaign to raise money to buy a building specifically for the Independent Media Center. When the original organizer, Zack Miller, left after he got a job in Australia, the IMC Fest took a hiatus resulting from lack of motivation and time by other members. Another IMC Fest in 2007 raised money for a better radio tower for WRFU 104.5 that covered a larger area.
To avoid interfering with Pygmalion and other fall festivals, IMC fest skipped fall 2008 and prepared for spring 2009. According to Blah, IMC fest will now be annual.
The IMC is a non-profit, grassroots organization that uses media production and distribution to promote social and economic justice in the Champaign-Urbana area, according to their website.
“The goal is to bring the media to the people, allowing people to get their voices out. It’s a community center with social goals for social progress,” said Blah.
Blah is looking forward to seeing the public’s reaction and to seeing the impression everyone’s hard work makes on the audience.
“It’s not just about seeing the bands. It’s also about the art, the culture, the influence, talking to people, and the sense of ownership. It’s exciting to see that happen,” said Blah.
Sources
Dan Blah
Blah@chambana.net
217-714-2738
Matt Campbell
309-530-1701
Casacada@gmail.com
Robert Hirschfelb
217-417-3302
www.Ucimc.org
http://www.40north.org/events/festival.html
Jrn 400
Article 2 imc fest
782
IMC Fest is back this year, bringing together an eclectic mix of local music, visual and performing arts, belly dancers and political social speakers to perform during a three day festival on April 17-19. This year the Independent Media Center and Boneyard Arts are working in conjunction to promote both events.
A widely diverse range of music will be featured. Thirty bands are scheduled to play including Kilborn Alley, Elsinore, Headlights and Jigsaw. The bands’ musical styles range from folk, rock, indie, punk, blues, hip-hop, jazz and electronica. Twenty-Eight of those bands are local to the Champaign area.
Besides music, Boneyard Arts will have it’s art show on display noon to two a.m. beginning Thursday April 16.
“Traditionally the IMC is always part of Boneyard as a venue for artists but this year we are both that and evening entertainment spotlight as well,” said Dan Blah, an active IMC volunteer and the main organizer of this event..
The speakers include local activists and people who are part of the IMC who will talk about the history of this local IMC, the Indy media movement and their own movements and organizations.
“I want it to be a spectacle. A kind of controlled chaotic circus. It’s going to be crazy,” said Blah.
IMC Fest is a music and arts festival coordinated by groups of volunteers and IMC staff. The shows group, finance group, production group, WRFU 104.5, and the tech group make up the IMC organization. This year, IMC Fest encompasses the whole organization and Boneyard Arts, unlike previous years when just the shows group put the event together. IMC Fest and Boneyard Arts focuses on local talent.
“This is a way to get people and bands exposed to the IMC,” said Blah. Blah hopes to see 600 people over the entire weekend.
Planning for IMC Fest starts months in advance. Prospective headlining bands and bands who previously played are contacted first, then others follow. About 50 bands were contacted this year and because of such a large positive response, 20 had to be let go.
“You lose three months of your life every year,” said Blah. This fest also digs into the pockets of organizers.
According to Blah, all the funding is donated from the organizers and sponsors. Nobody gets paid, all the money goes to the IMC to pay for programs.
Local band Common Loon is playing for their second time at IMC Fest after playing in 2007, the year their band formed. They are looking forward to hearing the local bands they will be playing with.
“There are tons of good musicians in town and you don’t always get to hear all of them,” said Matt Campbell, the drummer, keyboardist and vocalist of Common Loon. “It’s a very eclectic mix of music. It’s cool to hear something new,” said Campbell.
Common Loon, a kind of dreamy psychedelic pop band, as described by the guitarist and vocalist Robert Hirschfelb, see IMC Fest not only as an opportunity to hear new music but also an opportunity for new people to hear them. IMC fest grew significantly since the last one two years ago.
“I’m pretty excited about this year. There’s a lot more collaboration and new shows members. It’s not just me,” said Blah.
The first IMC Fest was held in 2003 at the Canopy Club. It was a building campaign to raise money to buy a building specifically for the Independent Media Center. When the original organizer, Zack Miller, left after he got a job in Australia, the IMC Fest took a hiatus resulting from lack of motivation and time by other members. Another IMC Fest in 2007 raised money for a better radio tower for WRFU 104.5 that covered a larger area.
To avoid interfering with Pygmalion and other fall festivals, IMC fest skipped fall 2008 and prepared for spring 2009. According to Blah, IMC fest will now be annual.
The IMC is a non-profit, grassroots organization that uses media production and distribution to promote social and economic justice in the Champaign-Urbana area, according to their website.
“The goal is to bring the media to the people, allowing people to get their voices out. It’s a community center with social goals for social progress,” said Blah.
Blah is looking forward to seeing the public’s reaction and to seeing the impression everyone’s hard work makes on the audience.
“It’s not just about seeing the bands. It’s also about the art, the culture, the influence, talking to people, and the sense of ownership. It’s exciting to see that happen,” said Blah.
Sources
Dan Blah
Blah@chambana.net
217-714-2738
Matt Campbell
309-530-1701
Casacada@gmail.com
Robert Hirschfelb
217-417-3302
www.Ucimc.org
http://www.40north.org/events/festival.html
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
city council meeting article
Alison Neubauer
Jrn 400
City council meeting
655
Champaign residents are concerned about long term exposure to toxic chemicals in their ground water from Ameren’s toxic site near the Fifth and Hill neighborhood. Ameren recently released information of testing reports that show large parts of the property that pose a threat to people due to vaporization of toxic chemicals from contaminated ground water.
Claudia Lennhoff from the Champaign County Health Care Consumers, addressed the city council at the meeting Tuesday regarding the 2007 Ground Water Restriction Ordinance. The ordinance only deals with ingestion of water but does not mention contact with or inhalation of water.
“Vaporization means that you have the risk of inhaling. This has been a long-standing concern of the residents and their concern has been about long term exposure to vaporization and inhalation,” said Lennhoff.
Long term exposure to this contaminated water can lead to Neurological problems, cancers, asthmas, reproductive health problems and many others.
The test results show that the levels of toxic chemicals exceed the safety standards for residential property. Lennhoff said that there is residential property 50 ft. away from the toxic site and they haven‘t tested levels outside their boundaries..
“There is no reason to think that vaporization stops at the boundaries of this fenced in area,” said Lennhoff. “Other new information is that the ground water is far more contaminated than we have ever been told or led to believe.”
There are 20 different toxins identified in the water. Benzene, a highly toxic chemical, is one of them. Lennhoff explained that the safety standards for Benzene are not to exceed five parts per billion but Ameren’s test results from that well show 1000 parts per billion.
According to Lennhoff, in Ameren’s report they do not plan to clean up the contaminated ground water and they don’t have to because of the ordinance the City of Champaign passed in the summer of 2007.
“It’s important to understand that the only thing this ordinance accomplishes for the people of the city of Champaign is that it prohibits them from drinking contaminated water which they have not been doing,” said Lennhoff.
In this neglected neighborhood, the contaminated water floods resident’s basements and property, and flows into Boneyard Creek effecting residents.
“There are many gardens in the neighborhood where people grow vegetables, sell and get vegetables which has been going on for years,” said Lennhoff. She also said that there are children’s daycare centers surrounding the contaminated property.
According to Lennhoff, the ordinance allows Ameren to not clean up the contaminated ground water. Ameren’s report said that they are using an “institutional control to remediate the toxic ground water.” Lennhoff said that the institutional control is the city ordinance.
“What this amounts to is an administrative sleight of hand that allows Ameren to have the appearance of addressing contaminated ground water,” said Lennhoff, “the use of this ordinance is what’s allowing Ameren off the hook for cleaning up the ground water.”
According to Lennhoff, the real intent of this ordinance was to protect Ameren from incurring the costs associated with doing a thorough cleanup which would be very costly.
“ It doesn’t necessarily result in truly protecting and promoting the health of the residents of the neighborhood and the city,” said Lennhoff.
The city of Champaign worked with the Illinois EPA to pass this ordinance. Lennhoff said that there are concerns about the Illinois EPA being close with Ameren and helping them.
“The best case would be if the EPA would be a watchdog, not a lapdog for Ameren,” said Lennhoff.
Ameren and the Illinois EPA only focus on there being no immediate effects to people but they don’t mention the long term effects.
“I would hope that the City of Champaign will re-examine this issue and see if there’s a way to work with the Illinois EPA and Ameren and basically demand that Ameren do clean up the contaminated ground water.” said Lennhoff.
Sources
Claudia Lennhoff
217-352-6533
cchcc@healthcareconsumers.org
Jrn 400
City council meeting
655
Champaign residents are concerned about long term exposure to toxic chemicals in their ground water from Ameren’s toxic site near the Fifth and Hill neighborhood. Ameren recently released information of testing reports that show large parts of the property that pose a threat to people due to vaporization of toxic chemicals from contaminated ground water.
Claudia Lennhoff from the Champaign County Health Care Consumers, addressed the city council at the meeting Tuesday regarding the 2007 Ground Water Restriction Ordinance. The ordinance only deals with ingestion of water but does not mention contact with or inhalation of water.
“Vaporization means that you have the risk of inhaling. This has been a long-standing concern of the residents and their concern has been about long term exposure to vaporization and inhalation,” said Lennhoff.
Long term exposure to this contaminated water can lead to Neurological problems, cancers, asthmas, reproductive health problems and many others.
The test results show that the levels of toxic chemicals exceed the safety standards for residential property. Lennhoff said that there is residential property 50 ft. away from the toxic site and they haven‘t tested levels outside their boundaries..
“There is no reason to think that vaporization stops at the boundaries of this fenced in area,” said Lennhoff. “Other new information is that the ground water is far more contaminated than we have ever been told or led to believe.”
There are 20 different toxins identified in the water. Benzene, a highly toxic chemical, is one of them. Lennhoff explained that the safety standards for Benzene are not to exceed five parts per billion but Ameren’s test results from that well show 1000 parts per billion.
According to Lennhoff, in Ameren’s report they do not plan to clean up the contaminated ground water and they don’t have to because of the ordinance the City of Champaign passed in the summer of 2007.
“It’s important to understand that the only thing this ordinance accomplishes for the people of the city of Champaign is that it prohibits them from drinking contaminated water which they have not been doing,” said Lennhoff.
In this neglected neighborhood, the contaminated water floods resident’s basements and property, and flows into Boneyard Creek effecting residents.
“There are many gardens in the neighborhood where people grow vegetables, sell and get vegetables which has been going on for years,” said Lennhoff. She also said that there are children’s daycare centers surrounding the contaminated property.
According to Lennhoff, the ordinance allows Ameren to not clean up the contaminated ground water. Ameren’s report said that they are using an “institutional control to remediate the toxic ground water.” Lennhoff said that the institutional control is the city ordinance.
“What this amounts to is an administrative sleight of hand that allows Ameren to have the appearance of addressing contaminated ground water,” said Lennhoff, “the use of this ordinance is what’s allowing Ameren off the hook for cleaning up the ground water.”
According to Lennhoff, the real intent of this ordinance was to protect Ameren from incurring the costs associated with doing a thorough cleanup which would be very costly.
“ It doesn’t necessarily result in truly protecting and promoting the health of the residents of the neighborhood and the city,” said Lennhoff.
The city of Champaign worked with the Illinois EPA to pass this ordinance. Lennhoff said that there are concerns about the Illinois EPA being close with Ameren and helping them.
“The best case would be if the EPA would be a watchdog, not a lapdog for Ameren,” said Lennhoff.
Ameren and the Illinois EPA only focus on there being no immediate effects to people but they don’t mention the long term effects.
“I would hope that the City of Champaign will re-examine this issue and see if there’s a way to work with the Illinois EPA and Ameren and basically demand that Ameren do clean up the contaminated ground water.” said Lennhoff.
Sources
Claudia Lennhoff
217-352-6533
cchcc@healthcareconsumers.org
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