VOLUME Entertainment Mag Spring 2005 VOL. 01 ISSUE 07 A nice li'l news blurb in the new issue: "33DEGREE has been awarded "L.A.'s Best Female-Fronted Band 2004" by Rock City News. The band has also just completed the entire soundtrack/score of an upcoming independent horror film, The Lonely Ones. Not only did the band place several existing songs and original tracks but also provided piano compositions. DJ Laurie Steele of Las Vegas' KOMP Homegrown Radio Show writes: "33DEGREE works hard not only at perfecting their music and live stage show but also at promoting themselves. With tireless and inventive methods to increase their fanbase, it won't be long before the industry HAS to pay attention to them. The recent Volume II Release Show (also sponsored by Coffin Case and Jägermeister) in Las Vegas was a prime example that they ROCK!""

FROM THE UNDERGROUND... UNSIGNED BAND OF THE MONTH D E C E M B E R   2 0 0 4 Interview by Vivian Hua Photos by Jody Domingue Introduce yourselves for our readers. BLAIR: I play guitar. LIZ: I sing. JESUS: I lay the low end. MACK: Drums please. Why 33DEGREE and not 68 or 235? BLAIR: We picked the name for a specific reason, but after the fact, we realize it has many meanings. LIZ: Yeah, what he said. JESUS: Go to google.com and type in 33DEGREE, read the results, then search for 235DEGREE... you'll see! MACK: I really love 98 Degrees and I just don't think we are as powerful, emotional, talented and stuff as them, plus they're so hot, like pushing boiling point, so we're like pushing freezing point. Does that make sense? They're so hot and we're so cool. In a nut shell, I mean. Using as many creative adjectives as possible, how would you describe your music? BLAIR: Dark, moody, melodic, intense, heavy, introspective. LIZ: Emotional, provoking, painful. JESUS: Personal, instinctive, chaotic. MACK: Damn, they took all of my adjectives. Hmph. Add powerful, tight, stylistic, label-defying, mathematical, syncopated and of course, sarcastic. In honor of Mack�s acting experience, what kind of movie do you think your music would most fit the soundtrack for? BLAIR: A horror movie! Oh wait, our music will be in a horror movie called The Lonely Ones (www.thelonelyones.com). We just finished recording a bunch of music for it. LIZ: Horror or thriller. JESUS: Anything suspenseful, on the edge, something to keep the audience on the tip of their toes. MACK: That's actually funny that you asked us that. Great timing. And yes, it's true, we just recorded over two hours of music for the entire score of a very independent horror film. It's such a great project. The producer and director saw us at a show, started it as wanting one song, then another, then a third...finally I said why don't we just score the whole film? They thought it was a brilliant idea, so we'll get to make the whole soundtrack! Plus, I think that Liz and Blair will shine in this project, and especially Jesus pulling his piano talent out of his back pocket (his robe, I mean)... Did I answer the question? Uh, nope. So, I'd have to say that we have a lot of different parts and I think it just depends on the film or project. We could probably fit some stuff into anything, action, thriller, horror, drama, comedy... damn, bring it on! Blair and Liz were in the band God Among Men. What do the two different members offer that make the music different? BLAIR: After GAM fell apart, Liz and I took a year off from playing. We slowly started to write again and the music was much darker. I tuned down my guitar and Liz really started writing more personal lyrics. When we got together with Mack and Jesus we all decided to really focus on longer songs to express the full range of emotions and to throw in as many odd-time signatures as we could. I also think that we really learned all the ropes in GAM so we knew exactly what we wanted to do this time around so things have been moving quickly. LIZ: GAM was very different from 33. It really isn't fair to compare the players. JESUS: Since I wasn't a part of GAM, I'm not sure how things worked internally. 33DEGREE is a family, not only are we band mates, but we are best of friends. We hang out together outside of the band; we help each other out whether it be financially, personally or just taking care of each other's animals. So I think we connect on a personal level - differently than GAM ever did. MACK: Since I wasn't a part of GAM either, I can say that 33� is a new thing, especially for me. Had a couple past bands, I just never connected like this. Since I started playing drums, I always loved playing odd-time stuff so it was hard to find people who weren't afraid of branching out and using odd-time signatures that flow. And for me, adding a female member to a band really makes a difference. It feels more well-rounded. Who are your influences? BLAIR: I love Deftones, A Perfect Circle, The Cure, Coheed and Cambria� I really could go on forever. LIZ: I enjoy bands that don't underestimate their listeners. JESUS: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Far, 311, Incubus. MACK: Tool, Deftones, Pantera, Rush, Primus, Quicksand, Helmet, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, Jawbox, Metallica, 311, Rage Against the Machine, Corrosion of Conformity, White Zombie, A Perfect Circle, Filter, Skid Row (more cowbell) and Twin Peaks, of course. There�s so much more too; it�s crazy. Which do you like better: Tool or A Perfect Circle? BLAIR: APC. LIZ: APC. JESUS: Tool. MACK: I'll say Tool, so we're even. There has been a�rise in�female-fronted bands as of late. What do you guys think are the positive and negative aspects of having a female-fronted band? BLAIR: Well it's tough. I think men and women are equally creative and talented. You see bands like OTEP and if you just listen you have no idea it is a woman. Same for Coheed and Cambria. People ask all the time, "Is that a girl singing?" So, it just goes to show you that if the music is good, it doesn't matter. People make all these special rules for women in rock and it's stupid. It doesn't matter if you're male, female, black or Latino, we all love music. LIZ: Positive: very few. Negative: very many. JESUS: Well, one positive aspect is that we are all forced to be clean people! One negative aspect is that we're all forced to be clean people! MACK: [A positive is] the kind of music we make. We stand out because of the female vocals and the female stage presence. [When] you look at Liz on stage and listen to her voice, it really makes you pay attention because she is so emotional. You just don't want to look away. She's engaging. I would rather the audience just stand there in one spot, not moving, just staring. That's a positive. The negative aspect... that's a good question. How did you get sponsored by Jagermeister? BLAIR: They made us drink 33 bottles in one day... and we passed the test. LIZ: Not sure; I don't remember much about that day. JESUS: Not only did we pass the test, but I think we all passed out! MACK: Since GAM was sponsored (not sure how) so that's a plus but we did have to re-earn the sponsorship. It could have helped when I product-placed a Jager t-shirt on myself as a guest star on a television show. Sponsors love that stuff. What is your favorite alcohol? BLAIR: Jager and Sunny D� mmm. LIZ: Um, Jager. JESUS: Jager and Sunny D for sure, with Jager & Red Bull as a close second. MACK: Damn, I feel like I should or supposed to say JAGER! JAGER! JAGER! I... um... kinda like... wine though... heh heh... Tell us about your most memorable experiences as a band. BLAIR: That's the hard part; I don't remember any of the last 2 years� LIZ: Most of our experiences ripple into the other, so I don't think it's right to single out just one. JESUS: That is a tough question, although our very first show will always remain in my mind. As a band, no one really knew how our stage show would turn-out, but it was effortless. A very natural, flowing experience, as if we had been playing for years! That naturalness has followed us to every show, every recording - everything this band does seems very real for us. MACK: Well, most of our time is spent in the van. Many hours... many, many hours in the van. So, it kinda has to be plush and comfortable. We have an L-shaped velvet couch, velvet walls and ceiling, captain's chairs, tinted windows all around, blinds and curtains, black everything, mood lights, a mirror on the vaulted ceiling, superior sound system w/ 6 speakers, a 12-disc changer, tow hitch, premium wheels and tires, and the most recent addition is the DVD player with a 10.4" LCD flatscreen TV built-in for the rear viewing. It's nice traveling in style. Why are you guys unsigned? BLAIR: Because we're not naive. We are open-minded about it, but right now we book our own tours, record, manufacture, market our own pocket cd's and it's fun for us. We're finishing our 1st DVD, and we just finished some work on a movie, so things are going well. So we just figure as long as we are able to do it ourselves, we like having control. But if things get to the point where we need help, we're always looking. I think it's hard right now to find a label that really understands what is going on out there. I think we will meet a company we can really connect with and things will work out, or we'll just start our own label. LIZ: Because I don't want to be a puppet. JESUS: I definitely agree with all of the above, a major label just doesn't seem like the right thing for us, and as Blair said, we do it all ourselves, so what's the point of having a middle man? MACK: That's another good question. No wonder you're the interviewer. Well, we actually haven't broached the label approach bridge yet. Yes, we do everything. We've met some great people, but it's just one of those things. If you don't do it yourselves, it doesn't get done right. We are inactively looking for an active manager who is actually very passionate about our music. There are some amazing small labels out there who would be great for us. Again, it's a control issue. We love it. It's personal. So, I think it's out there. It's a matter of time and timing. What are your goals as a band? BLAIR: To make great music, everything else is just icing on the cake. LIZ: To make the music we want to make. JESUS: It's all aboot the music - we enjoy having people truly connect on a personal level with our music. MACK: I think we're all on the same page. The connection and energy in this music is contagious. I want to play it live as long as I can possibly do it until someone tells me, "If you pick up those sticks, those are gonna be the last sticks to grasp." Like a priest or something. Our magazine has a color theme for every month, and this month�s is blue. What does the color remind you of? BLAIR: Blue Velvet, I love David Lynch. LIZ: The ocean. JESUS: Blue is a very positive color - a very calm, relaxing color, reminds me of peace and harmony. MACK: Ah yes, peace and harmony, like the blue furry handcuffs hanging off the rear view mirror in the van. Actually, the color blue makes me think of sadness and tragedy. Blue makes for some great stories. Makes me want to cry. Not like a single tear, like in the movies. An actual silent sob. Share with our readers any last wise words of wisdom you guys may have! BLAIR: As George W. spends the next 4 years imprisoning people in the name of freedom and killing people in the name of morality, we will be in the underground with the other 50 million people who voted against him. We live in serious times and people need serious music. I hope somehow we can help people make it through the day, so thanks Redefine for letting us speak our minds. LIZ: Fate cannot be tamed. What will be, will be. JESUS: If the restroom is full, grab some napkins and head off to the nearest secluded parking lot, hunker down and let the good times roll!!! MACK: I'm just a fucking actor. Don't listen to me. Please. Check out 33degree at their MySpace page, and tell them we sent you! Tell us your thoughts. Write us or visit our forum, and you may win Zoo, the first full-length release from this month's cover band, Anadivine. � 2004 Redefine Magazine

theEDGE[underground] Interviewed by: EVY Date: OCTOBER 2004 [33DEGREE] BLAIR: I play guitar and wear sunglasses. JESUS: I lay down the low end, and have a full time position as the PVT. MACK: I have to sit in the back (I always have to sit in the back) and bang the hell out of drums and cymbals. LIZ: I whine and cry and hog the spotlight. Evy: How did the band come up with the name 33DEGREE? BLAIR: There is actually a lot of different meanings, I always tell people to type in 33DEGREE in a web search and a whole new world will open to you. MACK: The less you know, the better. Besides that, I've always liked numerals. The number 3 is a very important number. Once you know about 33DEGREE, you can't escape the number 33. It's everywhere... LIZ: We weighed the options, and decided it was worth the risk. Evy: Do you consider the band to be a live band or a studio band or both? BLAIR: Live band for sure, we're all about passion and emotion and feeding off of a live crowd. JESUS: Definitely live, but the studio brings out all the little nuances we all do. MACK: Love the live. The music is very visual as well as the audio. If you hear the music, it's one thing but then you see the music, it's a totally different experience. Hear the intensity, see the angst. LIZ: Live. All six senses must be available to truly experience the band. Evy: What is your favorite jam to perform live? BLAIR: The Great Separation. JESUS: Blueberry Preserves... oh wait, I mean Speak From Within. MACK: Speak From Within for sure. I said it first. It's just chock full of interesting beats, changes, the chick's vocals, the ending... LIZ: Anorexia. Evy: What is the weirdest thing that has happened to you during a live performance? BLAIR: I don't know if it's weird, but I tend to break a lot of gear, so far both my guitars, my amp, my pedals and tons of strings and cables have all suffered at shows. JESUS: One time, at band camp, I chopped Liz right in the mouth with my bass, then she hexed it and I broke my bass on the very next song. MACK: Well, the last time we played The Whisky, August 10 2004, it was five days after the murder of a friend of ours, Paulette Velenzuela of The Abuse. Liz dedicated a song, Nothing. It was very emotional. In the middle of the song, a slow and intimate moment while Liz and Blair were performing acoustic-style, a couple of idiots in the back started haggling, throwing insults at the stage. Then when I joined the song, I got so upset about them and I started playing so hard that I think I broke, like, three sticks in a minute and a half. When we ended the song with a big crazy screamfest, after hitting my last cymbal, I stood up and whipped a stick so hard like a bullet right at the idiots. I hit the wrong guy. I thought this Samoan tattooed pierced beast was gonna rip my skull off. Luckily, he liked us. Not me so much... LIZ: I've had a couple of seizures on stage... Does that count? Evy: From your past experience, what advice would you give to a band who is starting out? BLAIR: Just be yourself and take things as they come. JESUS: Be open to new things, they don't always go the way you expect. MACK: Actually, I'm soliciting advice myself. But try. Please try. Don't pretend that people want to see you. They don't. You must blow them away. Audio, visual, connection, emotion, humanity. Don't lag. Silence equals bad. You will lose people. People do not want to watch you drink your water. Try harder. LIZ: Know what you want, and why you want it. Evy: Favorite place to play live? BLAIR: The Whisky, they have great sound, the people are cool and you can have all-ages show and still have a bar for over 21 fans. JESUS: Definitely The Whisky. Great stage, cool chill/green room, and hey, you get your name on the marquee outside The World Famous Whisky A Go-Go. MACK: The Whisky is awesome. My favorite drum riser. The lights are so dramatic, with fog too. Unfortunately, there are so many extra fees, video fees, merch fees, parking fees, pay-to-play fees. It's crazy. But we just played a brand new venue called The Clubhouse in Tempe, AZ. Now that is a great stage. Actually, that was the first show ever at that place, brand new stage, new lights. It was sick. LIZ: The Troubador. Great Sound, great stage. Evy:Least favorite place to play live? BLAIR: The Knitting Factory. The place is cool but I've been banned by some Nazi security guy with his lame little headset thinking he rules the world. JESUS: The New Boston...the toilets over-flow and you have to trek through sewage to get your gear on stage. MACK: Any place that has a backline kit. Hate unfamiliar kits. Love my kit. LIZ: Don't really have a least favorite. They all have their charms. Evy: Describe 33DEGREE in one word. BLAIR: Intense. JESUS: Emotional. MACK: Powerful. LIZ: Tragic Evy: Finally, in your opinion, how do you view the music industry today? In what direction would you like to see the music industry head towards? BLAIR: If you went to any other industry, that had a 95% failure rate, fraud, firing sprees and general ignorance to business trends, they would have folded years ago. Yet somehow on the blood of young artist and heavy government lobbying this industry is still here. I think that more and more you are finding intelligent artists and industry people who actually have a clue. The major labels are still living by their old school rules and that's why they are doing so poorly. But there are a lot of smaller label and indy artists who are realizing that there will always be music and there will always be fans, so they just cut out the money grubbing, art murdering, middle men and everyone will be happy. JESUS: Some aspects of the music industry are really great now. Small indie labels are really prospering and a grip of bands are getting a lot of underground recognition. It's the 5 or 6 major labels that's killing "pop" music right now and taking over radio world-wide. But there's internet radio, internet downloading/filesharing and web pages like MySpace.com that allow the artist to interact with "friends" all over the world. There are SO many things an artist can do right now to self-promote and get their name out there. Plus, artists now can pay small promo companies to distribute their cd's to stores and sites like itunes. There are new ways to sell merch online and with email - you can keep in touch with sponsors, street-teams and fans worldwide!! Who really needs a major label? MACK: I know that both major and indie labels need revenue. Obviously. Will this band sell records? Will people relate to this band's message? Do they have longevity? Who can tell? If you say "yes'" to those questions and you love to write textbook 3 and a half minute head-popping spoon-feeding "music", then you're in for a treat. When power-people tell us that we need to "dumb down" lyrics and music, that actually makes us stronger when we say "Thank you for your time." We do not need any more dumb-downed bands. There are plenty of those on the radio. It's a matter of time. There are actually a few great artist-friendly labels, aka Wind-Up. We will never escape the money-grubbing, so it would be nice to have a nice artistic medium. LIZ: It is what it is. We live in a Capitalist society. We should expect fighting, and clawing, and backstabbing, as people climb "the ladder." Would I prefer not to live in Capitalism? Yes, but shhh, let's keep that a secret, I wouldn't want the powers that be to hear such blasphemy of their god. ================================== BLAIR: Just want to say thanks It's people like you who keep the real music out there.

Feb. 26 - Mar. 3, 2004 NOISE: Independents Day 33 Degree makes music on its own terms By Josh Bell  33 Degree w/Rich Tradition, Otherwise, Conflict of Interest Where: Cheyenne Saloon When: 9 p.m., February 28 Tickets: Free Info: 645-4139 Andrew Blair has a lot on his mind. The former God Among Men and current 33 Degree guitarist has opinions about everything from the state of the music industry to the Las Vegas music scene to the right way to achieve success to Linkin Park. He's got plenty to say about that particular Southern California rap-metal outfit. "They are a giant karaoke machine, like most artists now," says the one-time Vegas resident, now based in Los Angeles with his new band. Having been through the major-label wringer, with a demo deal for Columbia Records that ultimately led to his earlier band's demise, Blair has a somewhat jaded view of the way bands are packaged for mass consumption, and he singles out Linkin Park as "the epitome of what's wrong with the music industry. There is nothing intricate or interesting or innovative about anything they do." Linkin Park aside, Blair and God Among Men did go through Behind the Music-style hell after leaving Vegas for Sacramento a few years ago. Set up for development with Columbia, they encountered every music business horror-story cliché you can imagine: label interference with their sound, producers who didn't understand their music, even an attempt to take front woman Liz Adkins away from the band and turn her into a solo artist. "After a while, we didn't even know how our own songs went anymore," Blair says. It took the breakup of the band to get out of the contract. Blair and Adkins took time off from music and moved to Los Angeles, where they eventually hooked up with drummer Andy Mackenzie and single-named bassist Jesus. They began writing songs in the God Among Men vein (which is something like Tool fronted by Fiona Apple), but with a bit more complexity, stretching tunes to eight or nine minutes and playing in odd time signatures. Older and wiser, Blair and Adkins have returned to Vegas a handful of times with 33 Degree, but this month's show at the Cheyenne Saloon represents a full-on assault on their former home base, with 35 radio ads running on X-treme Radio, street teams handing out flyers, and a sponsorship by that beverage of champions, Jagermeister. The band plans to play the last Saturday of every month at the Cheyenne, performing as frequently as a good many actual local acts. "They expect to make 100 flyers, get their friends to come, play a show, and they're done," Blair says of the typical Vegas band. He's out to show some of the young-'uns how it's done, schooling newer bands on promotion and sponsorship, and even contributing pointers to local music 'zine Smash. 33 Degree is all about alternative marketing, with little interest in pursuing a major-label deal, or even in putting out a full-length album. They plan to release a set of five three-song mini-albums that will sell for $3 each, and to offer downloads. Blair isn't worried that his band will have difficulty reaching the average music listener. "If a fan goes to Target and can't get our record, and therefore doesn't buy it, and doesn't go out to local shows, then I don't really want that person as a fan," he says. At the same time, the band is not hiding in a corner; they're simply pursuing their passion in different ways. "Tons of my friends are signed right now, and I couldn't tell you one of them that's happier than I am," Blair says. He'd rather take money from a company like Jagermeister than from a label that will stick its nose in everything his band does. "Jagermeister's never once told us how to change a song, how to dress, how to act, how to change lyrics the way labels did," he points out, cutting off any criticism of accepting corporate sponsorship. What's most impressive about Blair is the amount of enthusiasm he's retained for his music, even after years of people telling him why it wouldn't work. His main concern is simply to bring 33 Degree's intelligent hard rock to the masses, while circumventing as many people as possible who are standing in the way. "I just hate the fact that you have thousands of artists, millions of fans, and literally, in LA, like 50 people, what I call the gatekeepers, that hold back the music from the millions of people who want it, to the thousands of artists who produce it, and it's like, 'Why?'" he asks, with a real sense of urgency. It's that urgency, that drive to create, that will keep 33 Degree going even if they've got to spend all their own money on promotions and hold down day jobs to keep the band alive. Their belief in their music as more than just a commercial product is unwavering. "Music can be art," Blair says, "but maybe not on a major label."

ANNUAL BEST OF 2003 SHOW Top Requests: 1. The Painkillers - Goodbye 2. Ill Figures - Died Fighting 3. Bent Valve - Control 4. The Day After - No Regrets 5. Cornerstone - Tremble 6. 33DEGREE - Dissolve 7. The Utmost - Things Are So Much Better 8. Magna-Fi - Down In It 9. Face Down - The Road Of Good Intentions 10. Pancho Villa - Deceit 11. Truth In Cliche - Truth

12th Annual Hot 100 Unsigned Artists Compiled By: Bernard Baur & Eric Moromisato This year's list of Southern Californiabs top 100 unsigned bands is hotter than ever. Given the hunger for cutting-edge artists, the following list provides industry players with a guide to the best of the undiscovered talent pool. Those involved with determining the results of this yearbs poll included club bookers, A&R scouts, publicists, journalists and industry professionals. From world music to pop, this list gives bookers, managers, and A&R reps an opportunity to contact acts worthy of a deal. Check It Out! MC Hot 100 2003.PDF NOTE: In order to view this directory you will need Adobe Acrobat. If you don't have Acrobat you can download a copy for free at: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html

Vol. XXVII, No. 19 September 15 - September 28, 2003 Photo By: Deana Segretario 33DEGREE: Well-rehearsed, professional, compelling band with an ultra-heavy Tool-like sound. 33DEGREE Dragonfly Hollywood Contact: Hot Line, 213-422-5096 Web: www.thirtythreedegree.com The Players: Liz, vocals; Blair, guitar; Jesus, bass; Mackenzie, drums. Material: 33DEGREE is a great-sounding, ultra-heavy, Tool-like band with an unexpectedly appealing female lead singer. Songs are lengthy, full of crashing cymbals, precisely timed pauses, countless tempo changes and big kahuna finishes. Liz wails her throaty, yet pretty, voice with an inflection full of angst as she painfully repeats "look what you've done" to the point of exhaustion. The odd combination of three angry men supporting a five-foot tortured female is appealing to both guys and girls and should engage more fans. Musicianship: This band is well rehearsed and prepared to showcase for labels. Mackenzie is a monster on the kit, rigged with a double bass and rows of toms and cymbals. Blair's mysterious and spacey guitar solos create a climactic atmosphere worthy of the wild applause he generates. Jesus' presence is impossible to ignore, feeding off of Liz's tormented aggression. This band is into their music and their energy is contagious. Performance: 33DEGREE performed full-throttle from beginning to end for a very enthusiastic crowd, whose cheers were a substantial part of the show. Most of the tunes were long, allowing the players to cause a very intense vibe inside the club. As the band's sound waxed and waned, Liz gripped the mic like it was the very thing that pissed her off. Pacing the stage, engaging the crowd, pounding the floor with her fists, she got her point across. This little lady is angry, but performs without going over the top. Summary: Well rehearsed, professional onstage, and already with a sizable fan base, 33DEGREE is capable of standing out among the many mixed gender bands in this particular genre. They are currently working on a demo that should lead them in the right direction. -Deana Segretario

(Issue 5, Vol. II - Summer '03) "...[Friday June 27th] 33 Degree came out to rock the packed house at the Boston. They are comprised of a couple members from the nomadic and one time Las Vegas local darlings, God Among Men. 33 Degree played a blistering set that gave the crowd a 3rd degree burn (sorry, but I had to go there). They proved that even after leaving Las Vegas for Sacramento there is no love lost between old friends. Hopefully they will be making more appearances here in Vegas soon." - Verde

5.28.03 God Among Men = 33D3GR33 Let's go back a few years, it's a cold Saturday night in the valley and we're all heading over to the local music hangout to see what's going on: The date:: November 11, 2000 Location: The Boston Who: God Among Men With: SLIVERFIT We're bringing with us 2 of our favorite Sac bands DREDG and TENFOLD. Were you there? I think I was... God Among Men played the night and then shortly after ( a year or so later ) they were gone. We won't get into the whereabouts of the guys but all we can say for now is..... They're back!!! We caught up with them and their new project to see what they have been up to, what we can expect and just where the hell they have been. We hope you enjoy this little interview and we hope you can make out to the Boston on June 27th to see :::33D3GR33::: and to welcome them back with open arms!!! lvlocalmusicscene.com Formerly known to the vegas community as members of God Among Men, where has the road taken you over the past couple of years? Blair: When we left Vegas we ended up in Sac.  We spent a year or so up there and then we ended up in LA.  That's where we are now. Liz: To some places I'd rather say I've never been. lvlocalmusicscene.com The Boston's reopening, are you guys stoked to be included on the opening night of festivities? Blair: It's perfect.  We played our first and our last show there as GAM--it was home to us for 2 years.  I think Lavant and One really understood how to treat bands and the better the bands were treated the more people they would bring to the bar.  Every city needs a "Boston."  As soon as we found out Kat would be doing the booking, we knew THE NEW BOSTON would carry the same ideals and have the same success as the original Boston.  That means a lot to us. Liz: The Boston was our first show in Vegas and it helped to nurture our career there.  I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather play. lvlocalmusicscene.com Talk to us about the new product 33DEGREE. What can one expect from the music and the stage? Blair: It's very personal. And I think because this music is so close to all of us it will be very close to our fans.  We've spent the last year working really hard on 33DEGREE, it's not something we've taken lightly.  The 2 best compliments I've heard so far are "intense" and "original." Liz: It is definitely not God Among Men.  I am very proud of this band.  The music is very intense and the lyrics are very personal. Mackenzie: This is by far the best band I've ever been in.  Like Blair said, it's very personal.  The lyrics for Liz, the music for all of us, the beats for me.  I love my beats.  Everything is just taking on a deeper level of intensity.  And that intensity clearly translates to the stage when we play for people, whether it be for the bartender, the sound man and the local drunk, or for a packed house of thousands.  Even in rehearsal I break a stick or a cymbal every other song.  Or I bleed.  It's getting expensive.  I should revise my earlier comment: this is by far the most expensive band I've ever been in. Jesus: I agree with all of the above.  The chemistry is as if we've grown up with each other and can read each other's minds.  I feel like I've known the band for years now.  It's great to play live again and it's great to see people's faces again. lvlocalmusicscene.com How did the band get together? How does the band click? Talk to us about Mackenzie and Jesus... Blair: Well....after GAM, Liz and I took some time away from music, at least the business side.  We just jotted down ideas and melodies for about a year.  When we met Mackenzie and Jesus we took the time to talk before we ever played.  We found out we shared the same passions: Deftones, Tool, SOAD, as well as The Simpsons and David Lynch.  Once we found out we all had the same goals for the band, the rest was easy.   Everything they play is perfect.  We all seem to hear the same songs in our heads.  It really amazes me how lucky I am to have found 3 musicians this incredibile. Liz: We found both members through Music Connection, and from day one it felt right.  I feel privileged to be in a band with both of them.  They are accomplished musicians and both have become very good friends of ours. Mackenzie: Liz said it, this is definitely not God Among Men.  I think it may have been hard at first for them to let go of that idea.  In fact, I know it was.  We tossed around the idea of playing some of those songs and even sticking with the name.  But once we started coming up with new ideas and writing songs collectively as a new personality, it was obvious that this was going to be something new and push us all to greater heights.  It was one of those lucky scenarios.  I picked up the Music Connection mag, saw their ad, called, we met, didn't even play music, just hung out for a while.  Then we played once that week and it was like, "Ahhh...finally..." lvlocalmusicscene.com Recording of your new um.. ep? demo? full length? How is the studio treating you guys this time around?  When can we get our hands on some tunes from 33DEGREE? Blair: I love recording, so it's great for me.  We did a live recording that turned out really cool.  Those clips are on the website: www.thirtythreedegree.com.  But as far as studio stuff, it'll be a little while, we want to make sure it's perfect. Liz: We are in the first stages of recording.  It's hard to say when it'll be done. Jesus: Well, from the way things have been going so far, the recording will just show up at our door one day.  I think it'll happen naturally - we've put a lot of work in this project, but at the same time there's no stress or bad energy floating around and things have seem to come to us pretty easily. Mackenzie: I hate recording...but it's one of those stupid necessities.  I'm more of a live guy.  Love the crowd.  Love the intensity.  Love the adrenaline.  But I'm looking forward to recording our stuff.  We're working on a 4-song EP right now.  Soon... lvlocalmusicscene.com Are you guys excited to come back to Vegas and play at the Boston again? Blair: Hell yeah.  I think two of our best shows were: OBC at Sam Boyd Stadium and our going away show at The Boston.  We're looking forward to showing our band the Vegas we know; not just the Strip but all the really supportive people who love music. Liz: OF COURSE!!!  I want to show off this band to Vegas, and I want to show Vegas off to this band, so it works out great!! lvlocalmusicscene.com Is this the first time for Mackenzie and Jesus to come through Vegas? If so...what are you guys expecting and if not... um.. what are you guys expecting? he he, that was funny!! Jesus: I've been to Vegas before, once, and I lost money.  So, I'm coming back with more money.  As for the show, it'll be sick. Mackenzie: Yeah, this'll be my virgin Vegas show.  I'm stoked.  I'm just stoked generally right now.  I feel a little like it's my homecoming too, even though I wasn't a part of GAM.  But I know that GAM fans are gonna be stoked. lvlocalmusicscene.com What's in the future for 33DEGREE, are you guys looking for the major deal?  Some touring? Just sellin your damn music? Might this just be the main income for the bands habits of Hookers and Blow? Blair: Well, we just want to share our music with as many people as possible.  As far as "the business", I think it is important to differentiate between entertainment and art.  The Brittany's out there are very entertaining and that's great, but entertainment will not facilitate an environment of change.  Art reflects everything we are and everything we want to be.  Art is the mirror that forces us to examine life.  Entertainment makes you forget about who you are.  Entertainment distracts people from the truth.  We want to wake people up from their anesthesia.  If one person hears these songs and reacts to life instead of becoming a bystander, then I'm glad we wrote them.  Everything else is extra. Liz: My hookers and blow are usually comped, so I'm not worried about it just yet. Jesus: I agree with Blair.  Music is all about sharing and making people smile.  I have a small secluded Turkish camp in northern Iowa and they're in need of some new playing cards and rain ponchos, so I'm working as hard as I can for the Turks right now. Mackenzie: I want to tour 'til my ears bleed, my fingers break off, my throat closes up and the veins in my neck burst...then undergo reconstructive surgery and start fresh, all the while bouncing from label to label because of creative differences, making them millions of dollars in the process, thereby compelling said labels to fight over who pays for Liz's hookers and blow this week, so as not to worry the rock goddess. lvlocalmusicscene.com Anything final you'd like to share with the Las Vegas music minded folks? Blair: I just want to thank everyone who has ever helped us and to let everyone know how much we've missed them.  I can't wait to sit at The Boston and drink a beer with Crud & Melissa, Doug & Roxanne, Nick & Tracy, Nick O & Dallas, Nikki and the rest of our family........it'll be just like old times. Liz: I miss you and I know you'll love 33DEGREE as much as I do! Jesus: Just keep your eyes peeled for the rapist van!! Mackenzie: Who IS paying for the hookers and blow this week?