ASUN

I’ve played different kits over the years, constantly evolving the set-ups of each. My current kit began as a basic five-piece Pearl set. I first added a second floor tom, then later two more rack toms. The added drums were black, while the original five were burgundy.

I reached a point where I wanted them all to be the same color, but actual drum wrap can get expensive, especially for an 8-piece kit. I did some research and put my mind to using simple vinyl adhesive. That’s what I did, but there were many time-consuming and annoying steps to get the finished product to look how I wanted it to. WARNING: this project will likely take longer than you predict. It took me a few weekends to get it all done. It takes longer the more drums you have, but it’s no quick process.

Step One: Take everything apart, and try to keep it organized. This isn’t even close to all the parts and pieces I removed.

Step Two: Soak any rusty bolts or parts in a 4:1 solution of either vinegar or bleach to water. Rinse and repeat if necessary.

This next step is completely optional and probably unnecessary. I cut about four inches off  my bass drum for a couple reasons. One: shallower shells make deeper tones. Two: it gave me four inches of space for setting up – which, if you have to fit your kit in your room, or if you’ve ever played a small stage, you understand how much difference four inches of area depth can make. This was done with a stable pair of hands and an electric jigsaw. First make simple and accurate measurements, then draw a cut line and follow it. It helps to have one person hold the shell steady while another cuts. Mi madre is super into woodworking projects, so she helped me out a lot with this project. (That’s her jigsaw I’m using.)

Step Three (optional): Cut down any drums you want shallower.

If you elect to cut any of your drums, keep in mind that you will have to mark and drill new holes for hardware like lugs, legs, or mounts. Just maintain the same distance from the outer edge and you’ll be golden.

Step Four (if you cut): Drill new hardware holes.

Step Five: Smooth out the edges with an electric sander. It takes a while with the electric one, so don’t even try to sand it by hand. It’s simple enough that my son Jack did it.

When it comes to this next one, you’re going to have to sand the outer shell no matter which way you decide to go. You can either take off the existing wrap and sand through all the leftover, gunky adhesive, or you can do what I did and just keep the original wrap on for added shell protection and sand the actual wrap. It needs to be as smooth as possible for the new wrap to properly stick to it.

Step Six: Sand the outer shell.

Now while all this sanding is going on, you may want your lugs and rims to be all one color. Possibly something other than the standard chrome. This means spray painting and leaving the hardware to sit while you attend to the shells. WARNING: this will affect the sound of your drums, but I personally found it to be a favorable one.

Step Seven: Paint the hardware.

Sanding the outer shells on its own doesn’t quite get them ready for new wrap. There are likely oils and residue that will disrupt the adhesive. To save yourself the trouble of finding that out the hard way and wasting perfectly good drum wrap, scrub the sanded shells with a wood-friendly cleaning solution such as vinegar or potentially Goo Gone.

Step Eight: Clean the shells with a 4:1 vinegar solution or, if needed, something more aggressive like Goo Gone.

Your work space will become quite a mess, so make sure you have room for that mess. It will be there for days, perhaps weeks.

This is what the UPS guy saw when he delivered a package.

Some of these toms use the same head size, but vary in depth, thickness, and types of wood – all of which have different effects on the sound they produce.

Step Nine: Measure and cut the wrap to fit the shells.

Now just take a tape-measure and measure the depth and circumference of each shell. Be sure to go over about two inches for the circumference length. It helps to place the cut wrap with its corresponding shell.

Step Ten: Wrappa da bass, mon!

When you wrap a shell, it reaaally helps to have two people. It is critical for one person to hold the shell tightly and steady while another person slowly and meticulously sticks the new wrap to the shell. Be ever-vigilant for bubbles; they are the enemy. Too many bubbles means one of two things: you either didn’t clean the shells well enough or you’re stretching the wrap. If you find some bubbles are simply unavoidable, it is fine to just stick the wrap down and cut through the bubbles. These things are inevitably going to be scratched anyway, and no one will notice.

Eight shells all wrapped up!

You can choose virtually any self-adhesive vinyl for your drum wrap. I legitimately went with black marble counter-top cover. It’s more difficult to find in stores these days. I was able to get a killer deal on Amazon. Something like $10 for 18″ x 20′! This kit used almost two rolls.

YOU ARE NOT DONE! Step Eleven: “RE-AS-SEM-BLE! Reassemble, Stephanie!”

Yeah, that’s a Johnny 5 quote. I was a dope little kid. Putting everything back together will take quite some time in itself. Just think about tuning your entire kit. Drummers don’t have to tune every single hour like guitarists and bassists, but when we do, it sure as Hell makes up for it. This probably took me the longest amount of time, even though it’s the most straight-forward.

I would like to take this moment to plug Aquarian in here. I’m not getting paid for this, but I highly recommend that every serious drummer invest in an Aquarian Super Kick II bass drum head. This thing is amazing. It’s perfectly self-muffling via a built-in foam ring. If you’re like me, you’re tired of adjusting your pillow inside every time you set up at a different gig. You will never have to do that again, and your bass will sound great.

The Aquarian Super Kick II is worth every penny. No pillows ever again!

When you do finally get your drums sounding right again and all set up… it’s just a fantastic feeling. RISE, PHOENIX! FROM THE ASHES AND LIVE AGAIN!!!

BEHOLD, MORTALS! My rebuilt and refinished 8-piece drum kit!

Food Truck Friday

Starts Friday, May 18th

Every Friday from May until September a slew of food trucks park along the edge of the pond at Idlewild Park and serve guests until the sun sets. This is a great opportunity to experience a large variety of food and drink.

Rib Cook-Off

August 29th – September 3rd

Not only does this cook-off have ribs, but it also has corn on the cob, deep fried pickles, and alligator on a stick. Nothing is left out at this carnival weekend in Downtown Sparks.

Biggest Little City Wing Fest

July 6th – 7th

If you’re a wing enthusiast this event will supply you with 20+ wing vendors in Downtown Reno.

Best Burgers in Tahoe:

1.) Char Pit – 5 stars

Char Pit supplies burgers to drool over, a rock-n-roll atmosphere, and a dedication to the craft of specialized burgers. Their patties are to die for, and their buns cup all of the addages of the burger ever so perfectly. Located in Kings Beach, this location is outdoor-based and allows dogs on the deck!

2.) Sno-Flake Drive-In – 4.6 stars

When you’re craving that drive-in style burger and a shake, this burger shack does not skimp any corners on supplying you with more than what you need when your order is up! Order at the outdoor window, and bring your food to the nearest park in South Tahoe because Sno-Flake is nothing but a treat.

3.) Izzy’s Burger Spa – 4.2 stars

This casual burger hut located in South Tahoe offers an outdoor and open feeling to accompany its mouthwatering options on the menu and enlarged steak fries. This burger is perfect for a day at the beach.

4.) California Burger Company – 4 stars

This destination located in Heavenly Village is an atmospheric masterpiece. From its warm inviting doors to its mesmerising burgers, this location is sure to satisfy a casual date or a family outing.

Stemming from Reno, the Plush Life collective has spanned across the entire West Coast region. From Reno and Carson City, to Portland, and Washington, the crew has all come together to produce some of the best music that’s out on the market today. It’s hard to draw comparisons to other artists within the hip-hop/rap community, and that’s the way they want it. Their sound has great bass, beautiful lyrics, and sweeping melodies. There’s really only one actual word to define their sound: plush.

Plush Life consists of Lil Traffic, Icy Dave, Theonly1197, Lord Saiyan, Brooksy, Cvrlos Enrique, and 86’bul. Lil Traffic, Icy Dave, and Theonly1197 should sound familiar to you, as they have been slaughtering the Reno market when it comes to local hip-hop acts with a mainstream and underground appeal, throwing shows at the Holland Project and Potentialist Workshop as well as being opening acts for performers that come into town, most notably being Rich the Kid and $uicideboy$.

Lil Traffic’s biggest feature was on the track “Let Me Go” off of the 2017 album Hilo, released by EDM artist, Graves. Outside of that, he does have quite the body of work, and it’s all very high quality. Tracks such like “I wanna be a superhero” featuring Icy Dave, “Halle Berry Backwood” featuring Lo Adams and Icy Dave, “Gems” with Lord Saiyan, and “Bounce Out” all show his versatility in being able to sing and rap. Lil Traffic is a Reno artist now living in Portland that you should be on the lookout for this upcoming year.

Theonly1197 recently came out with a self-titled mixtape on January 8th of this year. The tape is all self-produced as well, and shows great versatility as well as good lyricism and instrumental structures. Outside of his mixtape, Theonly1197 has some hard-hitting features that’ll start moshpits wherever its played. High energy or somber, Theonly1197 can do it, and do it well.

Icy Dave has this high-octane delivery about him, spitting unrelenting bars at a fast pace. Some of his tracks that you need to check out are “31 Below,” “Lindsay LowEnd,” and “I married a Wiccan” featuring Theonly1197. These tracks show his ability to do either slow or fast tracks, and execute properly. Personally speaking, I’ve started many mosh pits and have just gone bonkers when listening to his music. All in all, Icy Dave delivers a fast-paced fury of fire on any beat that he hops on.

Lord Saiyan is originally from Vancouver, Washington. Using social media and Soundcloud to link with the Reno members of Plush Life, he has become an integral member of the group. Boasting a good online presence with his statistics on Soundcloud, it’s easy to see why once you listen to some of his music. “Vlad Tha Impaler” is a track that shows how fast Lord Saiyan can rhyme, and his melancholy repeating of “I can’t sleep no more” puts the listener in a trance before being knocked with a spirit bomb level of flow and lyricism. He’s also performed in Reno twice and looks to do so again in the future.

Brooksy is currently out in Utah, but he’s around in the Reno area, which is how he got together with the Plush Life Crew. His voice puts listeners in a trance, although he has a small offering available on Soundcloud currently,such as “Whowhatwhere” featuring Lil Traffic as well as “Too Much”. However, Brooksy has been around and has much more than is offered on Soundcloud, making it worth seeing him live and anticipating his next music release.

Cvrlos Enrique is a new addition to the Plush Life roster, although he brings his own energy and sound to the forefront. He, along with his own collective known as the Bass Boys, have also been killing each and every stage they’ve been given the opportunity to perform on, with hard hitting songs such as “Mix n Jax” and “Underrated.” 86’bul is also a new addition to the roster, but it’s easy to see why. Literally with every track that he’s featured on or releases himself, it shows an improvement and progression.

Overall, Plush Life is a group that boasts hits in many genres, as well as many diverse styles that it brings to the table. Factor that in with a group that with each release their music exemplifies their artistic styles and unique personalities, and you have a unique collective that’s making noise within the underground hip-hop and rap community. Plus, they’re from Reno, and it’s important to support your local artists, especially when they’re doing it big like Plush Life.

There’s something in the air. The mist of our problems possibly or the political climate giving us a shivering fever. There are a number of factors honestly, but one thing is for sure – the tension is thick and I’m feeling it as I write for you today.

Something that’s been on my mind has been the sexual assault and sexual harassment in various industries, the taboo it has been for years, the domino effect of Hollywood’s exposing of its elite, and what it means loving the art of abusers. Does us loving their films, their music, their shows, and the art they’ve brought into this world, make us anti-feminist? Are we supporting their abuse by finding comfort in their work? Is it time to boycott what makes us, us because of their actions?

These thoughts have been on my mind since last fall when I heard of the allegations that proved to be true against film producer Harvey Weinstein. At the time I didn’t care to look into it. I was always against feeding myself negative information, but now looking back on it, it was just me being apathetic to what was going on.Women for most of history have been the lowest of the low. Though the once expected domestic pattern of archaic Americana and being the perfect housewife who attends to her home, her children, and her husband while juggling the decorum of a saint with a red lipstick smile has vanished, things are still unfair. In the last century things have changed and women have been given the opportunities to break romanticized roles, but just because they have the opportunity doesn’t mean it’s promised to be easy for them. Women are still being mistreated, abused, harassed, assaulted, belittled, and depending on a collection of factors, their obstacles maximized and the respect for them minimized. These women are our professors, our doctors, our lawyers, our police, our mothers, our daughters, our sisters, our cousins, our aunts and our best friends. These women are us.

So, why is this going on?

Thankfully we are living in a time where women and men are standing up and saying enough is enough of these injustices. Since the fall, movements like Me Too and Time’s Up have been helping women speak up against their abusers, giving the once voiceless a platform. Though abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and inequality doesn’t affect everyone, it still occurs each and everyday, in all industries across the country and around the globe. Movements like Me Too and Time’s Up are here to be the platform of difference, but it is up to us to be the productive catalyst of change.

What changed and motivated me to start doing something was when it began to affect me, as selfish as that sounds. I have always respected and admired creative people, but in the fall my world became winter. A friend of mine messaged me an article about Jann Wenner, editor-in-chief of Rolling Stone Magazine. The creator and innovator that I admired for years turned out to be one of the abusers. He had assaulted Ben Ryan, a journalist who looked forward to writing for Wenner. Wenner attempted to offer him a career advancement and bylines in exchange for sex and this inflicted a lifetime of trauma for Ryan. I couldn’t believe a hero of mine was capable of inflicting fear onto a fellow writer. I put the Wenner’s biography on the floor, placed my writer’s arsenal of pens and current journal under my bed, and laid on my sheets. I feared for myself and feared for women and the little boys and girls who will one day dream to only be let down. I feared that the only way to make it in these already unstable and arduous industries was to face the inevitable and succumb to people with power. I didn’t write for days.

It was in those days that felt I wasn’t doing enough for the abused, the women in my life, and for little girls and boys who are asked what they want to be when they grow up. I wanted their dreams of being doctors, lawyers, engineers, astronauts, and what have you, to be not only possible, but safe for them. I then began to loath the fact that I supported Wenner; the source of inspiration for me, but the source of fear for another and not knowing of this my whole life.

My friends loathed the fact that they supported and admired men like Weinstein and other figures like Louis CK. “At first, I was shocked. I couldn’t believe that [CK] got away with his inappropriate actions for so long. I couldn’t believe that a human could be so awful by taking advantage of his success and power. I couldn’t believe that he would take advantage of his fellow comedians who looked up to him. I then went through a stage of anger. I was angry with CK because I spent so many years watching Louie and his standup specials.” Emily Muramatsu, UNR student and journalism major said during an interview for The Electric Bunch, a blog I created profiling the women and future of industries who are under fire because of abusers. My friends and I felt cheated. If we felt this way, we couldn’t even imagine the hurt in their victims’ hearts. These men have been figures of admiration. An illusion for us, but something sinister for the women and even men they took advantage of. They were our Kevin Spacey, the actor we adored in films like American Beauty and shows like House of Cards. They were our James Franco, our fun-loving comedian, writer, and filmmaker with the raunchy, yet lovable humor we couldn’t help but laugh with. They were our Woody Allen, the man behind films like Annie Hall who left an impression of film enthusiasts and critics. But, for the women and men behind the scenes, their employees and in some cases, even their family, they were the monster under their beds.

I asked my friends and myself ‘Should the art of these men be loathed and banned as well?’ Should we as women give up on their films, books, shows or whatever else that has shaped us into us because of the men behind it? James Franco for example was a role model of mine. My thirteen-year-old brother and me would bond over his films and shows. We supported Franco so much, we watched his recent film, Disaster Artist, two times in theaters. We would share popcorn over Freaks and Geeks. I couldn’t stand the fact that a person who brought us so much joy, was really a facade. As humans, we are prone to make our mistakes, but as humans we should never be the villains. I couldn’t support him anymore and refused to let my impressionable younger brother, only a teenager, think that Franco’s behavior is acceptable. I felt conflicted up until a friend of mine told me that the accusations shouldn’t take away from their art and shouldn’t be hated. However, the accusations do take away from who they are as people. I gained the clarity I yearned for and learned that he, and all of these abusers, cannot steal these things from us. They aren’t entitled to that too. Sure, they’re behind these films, shows, books and all, but aside from them, these pieces and worlds were created by honest men and women. One man’s mistake shouldn’t take that away from them. We should praise the other minds behind these works.

“Honestly, it’s so much easier for us to compartmentalize and separate the artist from the art. Especially when we enjoy the art so much, it’s hard to suddenly dislike it because we now despise the creator. It only makes us anti-feminist to support their work when we blatantly ignore their wrongs and not hold them accountable for their actions,” said Audrey Cagasan, a Computer Science major at UNR. And, she is right. If we ignore the issues, if we continue to support these men without accountability, and not support the others behind their works, we become the problem. We become apathetic.

UNR English and Women’s Studies instructor, Patricia Eagan, has noticed a rise of this conversation about sexual assault and sexual harassment in her classes and when asked if it made women anti-feminist if they support the work of problematic men, Eagan gave an answer that made me realize that as fans we have the power. “I don’t think you should stop liking their art, but perhaps think of ways in which their conduct affects their art or deconstruct their art so you can see and others can see, where their art ends and self-indulgence begins.” I don’t look at James Franco’s art differently. It’s a picture in its golden frame. I cannot change how it made me feel at the moment. I respect him for placing smiles on people’s face and his work ethic, but as a person I view him as something different and his work post-exposing will be viewed critically, following Eagan’s advice of checking where the art ends and self-indulgence begins.

After taking some time off from writing and after I stopped thinking nothing was worth it because despite of hard work, it will only be tampered with in the end,  I began thinking of the incredible and creative souls in my life. From my favorite author, Patti Smith, and the incredible life she’s lead by being a risk taker, to singer Selena Quintanilla and the way she challenged the male dominated industry of Tejano music, and my mother whose strength has motivated me to be as tough and independent as her. I phoned a fellow creator and we spoke for hours about the admirable men and women in our lives. We spoke of the pain the victims must be in and hoped for their peace. She confessed to me how betrayed and cheated she felt when Weinstein, the film producer of some of her favorite films, was raping women, harassing and threatening them for sex, and being accused of numerous of sex crimes, while she daydreamed of working for him.

After spending some days away from my pens and spending my days phoning and engaging with people with passions all spread out on the spectrum, I felt some relief. The more these men are exposed and the more these once taboo topics are talked about, the more that these women’s realities becomes ours. I realized that the women and men I was talking to about this domino effect and frenzy, were going to be the future of these industries in the future. There is hope. The stories of victims need telling and it’s our job to be the storytellers. It’s our job to be the advocators. The more we talk about it and speak up, the cleaner these industries will become. Sex crimes, abuse, and harassment will no longer be tolerated nor will inequality. Ladies and gentlemen, bring your sage and lighters, these industries need one hell of a cleanse and it starts with us.

There are many things that can be done right now to begin this change. Though it will not change the world tomorrow, it will change the world for our children and their children. You can start today by having an open heart and open arms for victims. Talk to your friends about their experiences, though it might be a touchy subject for some. Aid your young surroundings by teaching them what it means to respect people and teach them consent. As trite as it sounds, children are really our future. Teach others and yourself about consent and what it means to have it or not to. Donate and make an economical contribution.  You can visit Time’s Up website (www.timesupnow.com) to order some Time’s Up merch or donate. All proceeds go to the legal defense fund for the women who cannot afford it on their own. Start supporting female creators by watching their films, reading their books, listening to their music, and so on. Filmmakers like Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird), Ava DuVernay (Selma), Sofia Coppola (Virgin Suicides), and Nora Aniello (When Harry Met Sally) are women to start supporting.  Musicians like Beyonce and her anthems like “Who Runs the World (Girls)” and “Flawless” and Christina Aguilera’s catalog full of gems like “Can’t Hold Us Down,” “Fighter,” and “Beautiful,” are only a couple of women that you should start and or continue to support.

If you have experienced sexual harassment, sexual assault, and or inequality, know that there are movements out in the world trying to protect you and who are rooting for you. You are not alone and thankfully, UNR offers counselors, their Title IX office, and their police department are here to assure you that you are safe and to remind you that you deserve to feel safe on your campus. All of their contact information is located on UNR’s website. There are millions of beautiful people fighting for you and fighting for a change with the hopes of turning sexual assault, harassment, and inequality, an archaic issue we can one day will read about in disbelief.

Remember that you are allowed to advocate for a change and allowed to stand up for what you believe is right. You’re allowed to speak up and allowed to comfort others. You’re allowed to be a fan and  allowed to cut off the things you feel uncomfortable supporting. Remember that these abusers, whether they’re creators or real monster for you, are not entitled to steal your happiness away because of their actions and self-indulgence. Your spark is yours. Your body and your life is yours. Change is coming and things are happening, and I’m here for it. I hope you’re here for it too.

You walk in front of a room full of people, nervous to give your big speech. Just as you’re about to start, you look down and realize you’re completely naked. Luckily, after what feels like eternity, your alarm clock goes off and you realize you’re safe in bed, the tragic social mishap just in your mind.

Dreaming of being naked is incredibly common. But what does this dream mean? Dream analysis can help you figure this out. Dr. Andy Drymalski, a Jungian psychotherapist based in the Reno area who has been practicing since 1997, explains that, in dreams, being naked is often a symbol of being revealing.  So, depending on what’s going on in your life, this dream could be telling you that you’re being too revealing or that you need to be more revealing.

But dreams are often much more complex than this, and contain many different situations and images that need to be unpacked through psychotherapy in order to better understand them.

“There’s different levels to dreams. There’s a level of personal association, so let’s say if you dream of a dog, the proper interpretation of that symbol may involve your own associations to dogs,” said Dr. Drymalski. “But there can also be cross cultural or mythic level to that symbol. So, for instance, a dog is often a symbol of a guide to the unconscious. So you take in these different levels and examine each level and see which one seems to resonate and fit together with the rest of the dream story. And when you do that you often get a better sense for what that dream might mean.”

Why try to get to the bottom of your dreams, though? Well, it can help you in many ways, mainly in helping to better understand yourself and your purpose in life. According to Dr. Drymalski, dream interpretation reveals the work of the psyche, or the Self with a capital “s,” and its attempt at promoting growth and healing while we sleep. The idea of the Self, or the core of one’s character, comes from Carl Jung, negating Sigmund Freud’s idea of conflicting parts of the personality.

When working with clients, Dr. Drymalski starts by asking them what dreams they remember from the week, or what dream they’d like to talk about. He then asks clarifying questions about the symbols and situations of their dream, as well as their associations to them. He takes note of what the dreamer does in the dream, how they felt upon waking, what they think it might be about, and what’s going on in their lives at the time.

“To talk about these things helps a person get feedback and develops a dialogue between their ego or conscious mind, and their deeper self and that always has a healing effect because you become more conscious,” said Dr. Drymalski.

Once he and the client have gained an understanding of the dream and what it’s telling the client, they explore what to do with the meaning, and how to embody that “greater conscious awareness.”

Dream work can be especially important for students and young people in this stage of our lives, Dr. Drymalski notes. Paying attention to our dreams can help to guide us in the right direction.

“There’s more to you than you realize, and life and your deeper self want you to reach your full potential and your dreams are one way that the psyche communicates to you and wants to help you to find your path and negotiate the challenges of relationships and career and so forth,” Dr. Drymalski said. “Because it’s very important that you guys find your path, that you do the right thing, that you be with the right people.”

Not everyone has the time or the finances for a psychotherapist, however. If you want to examine your dreams on your own, Dr. Drymalski suggests writing them down and giving them titles, in order to reflect on them and treat them like a story. Then write your associations with images in the dream.

“If you dream of the house you grew up in, what are your associations to that house, what were you like back then? That may be saying you’re still like that now or still living in that house in some way,” Dr. Drymalski said.  

Then explore what mythological or cross cultural meanings the images might have by googling them or looking them up in a dream book. You can also share the dream with a friend and ask what they think it might mean. Determine how all of these meanings fit with the dream and what you’re going through, then work out how you can apply it to your life.