Page 30 - SPIRE Digital Version SEP-DEC 2024 9th Issue
P. 30

Hello  Storm  Large!  Everyone  at  the  Spire       Considering  your  culinary  background,  if  you
            Center loves you and we’re thrilled that you’re       were to create a meal that reflects the essence
            back with us in Plymouth, MA! Your career has        of your music and performances, what would it
            taken you from local stages in Southborough to       be  and  why?  How  would  the  flavors  and
            international  acclaim.  Reflecting  on  your        presentation capture your artistic style?
            journey,  what  was  a  pivotal  moment  early  on   Blistered  vegetables  with  black  rice  and  a
            that  made  you  feel  this  path  was  truly  meant  miso/butter roasted salmon. It has nothing to do
            for you?                                             with  my  music  but  DOESN’T  IT  SOUND
            Around 7 years old… Once I figured out I would       AWESOME??!!
            never get to be a werewolf, I became aware that
            people  would  pay  attention  to  me  when  I  sang.  Your  beginning  audition  for  Season  16  of
            And they would be delighted , as opposed to me        America’s  Got  Talent  was  a  phenomenal
            getting  into  trouble,  which  was  way  more        rendition of “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” that
            common.                                               was  achingly  heartfelt  and  got  a  standing
                                                                 ovation  from  the  judges.  What  can  you  share
           At the time, my hair was                              about your experience on the show? Would you
                                                                 recommend it to a peer and what would you tell
           purple, I was wearing a                               them?
                                                                 All I am legally allowed to say is that AGT and I
           rubber, HR Geiger style                               were  in  100%  agreement.  I  should  be  returned
                                                                 to the wild where I belong. And, no, I would not
           bikini, and had drawn a                               recommend it to a peer.

           goatee on my face with

           a black sharpy.



            You  initially  moved  to  Portland  to  pursue  a                                                                          What’s  the  funniest  or  most  unexpected  thing  guitar  for  sometimes).  I  was  singing  a  few  songs
            career  as  a  chef.  What  led  you  back  to  music,                                                                      that’s  happened  to  you  during  a  live          with Eric’s band and George asked me to sing with
            and  how  did  that  unexpected  turn  at  Dante’s                                                                          performance?                                        him  too.  At  the  time,  my  hair  was  purple,  I  was
            impact your career trajectory?                                                                                              Oh  jeez.  Legal  or…?  Well…Because  it’s  you,  I’ll  wearing  a  rubber,  HR  Geiger  style  bikini,  and  had
                                                                                                                                                                                            drawn  a  goatee  on  my  face  with  a  black  sharpy.  I
            The chef school was super expensive, so while I                                                                             just  tell  you  about  the  time  when  half  my  band  looked incredibly hot and totally confusing. I kinda
            was  looking  at  financial  assistance,  I  started                                                                        had  covid.  So  it  was  just  me,  Matt  (bass)  and  look  like  Dave  Navarro  when  I’m  in  glam  drag.
            bartending  at  Dantes.  My  friend  Frank,  who                                                                            Scotty (guitar) and we were here, at the Spire. It  Anyway, I couldn’t get the ink-beard off so my face
            owns  Dante’s,  was  a  huge  fan,  and  was  always                                                                        was  December,  super  close  to  Christmas.  I     mostly  looked  filthy…but  we  were  singing  “Free
            trying  to  get  me  to  sing  at  the  club…and  I  kept                                                                   introduced  a  song  by  telling  the  story  about  Your Mind” and I was just wailing in the back with
            telling him that I was done…F the music biz, I’m                                                                            Jesus  when  he  was  in  Gethsemane,  the  night   my  half  naked  filthy  faced  self  and  my  eyes
            going to teach folks on food stamps how to make    All Spire photos taken by Denise Maccaferri                              before  he  was  arrested,  his  dark  night  of  the  squinched  shut…just  getting  totally  lost  in  the
            big, healthy meals for their family, or start a new                                                                         soul…etc. And the song is one that every soul in    music. Next thing I know, my voice gets crazy loud
                                                                                                                                                                                            in  the  mix,  louder  than  everyone  else  on  stage,  I
            kind of meals on wheels. After 9/11, I felt being     With your diverse career—from punk rock and                           that  church  knew  by  heart,  a  song  that,  in  my
            an artist was vapid and vain…and I wanted to be      being  a  finalist  on  Rock  Star  Supernova  to                      opinion,  REALLY  captured  the  essence  of  that  open  my  eyes  and  see  George  with  his  face
                                                                                                                                                                                            contorted in utter joy, inches from my face, holding
            more  of  service.  I  started  singing  at  Dante’s,  collaborations  with  Michael  Feinstein,  and                       fateful  night.  I  sat  at  the  drums  and  sang  and  his   mic   in   front   of   my   mouth.   “SING
            finally,  when  Frank  was  in  a  pinch  and  really  performing  at  Carnegie  Hall,  as  well  as  your                  played  THE  SHIT  outta  “Dream  On”  by           MUTHAFUKKA!  SIIIING  THAT  SHIIIIT!!!”  He’s
            needed an act for a suddenly empty spot in the       work  as  a  writer/performer  of  a  one-woman                        Aerosmith.  It  was  epic.  Mostly  because  I  CAN  screaming  at  me.  I  sang.  I  fucking  SANG.  Sang  til  I
            week. At some point during those first months of     play—have  you  ever  had  a  particular  role  or                     NOT PLAY DRUMS. It was a Christmas miracle.         tasted  blood  in  my  mouth.  Later,  voiceless  and
            performing  again,  plus  all  the  non  profit  work  I  project  you’ve  always  wanted  to  explore  but                 No doubt about it.                                  sweaty backstage he hugged me deep and chuckled
            started  doing,  raising  money,  awareness  and     haven’t yet? And what’s next on your agenda?                                                                               to  everyone,  “That’s  my  BOY!  That’s  my  BOY
            helping people…WITH my voice…I finally started       My  music  director/pianist  James  and  I  have                       You’ve  worked  with  some  amazing  artists  and   Storm!”
            to see art and music AS acts of service. Yes, we                                                                            had many standout moments in your career. Is
            get paid some of the time, but even in for-profit    written  several  musicals,  and  I  have  just  loved                 there  a  particular  performance  or  project  that  Organizing benefits for those in need is something
                                                                 that  process.  Now…I  HATE  most  musicals,  for
            scenarios,  what  is  received  by  the  consumer  is  real,  but  we  have  written  some  hilarious  shit,                still  gives  you  goosebumps  when  you  think     that you do without much notoriety. What cause or
            joy  and  connection…they  get  turned  on  and  in  hopefully  one  day  we  can  get  it  together  and                   about it?                                           issue  are  you  most  passionate  about  outside  of
            turn,  go  out  in  the  world  and  spread  it  around  make them happen. I’m also working on another                      When  I  was  in  my  twenties,  starting  out  in  SF,  music?
            themselves. Like herpes…but more like HAPPIES        book and studying psychology.                                          my  friend  Eric  McFadden  was  opening  for       Anyone  who  doesn’t  get  a  fair  shake  or  whoever
            or HOPEes?
                                                                                                                                        George Clinton and P Funk (whom he plays            gets bullied. Underdogs and the overlooked.
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