Superheroes: All Shapes, Colors, and Sizes.

HELLO and welcome back to HAIR IN THE AIR, The Official Blog of 3D IN YOUR FACE.  If you are just reading this blog for the first time, thank you very much.  I hope you enjoy this and please feel free to leave a comment at the bottom.  I promise to get back to each and every one of you.  What a wild week we had last week and things are only starting to heat up.  We are two weeks out from the beginning of our traveling season and we already have our first outdoor show coming up quick.  For those of you living in the mid-west you know that spring still hasn't arrived so we are a little nervous about playing outside.  Not even mother nature can hold this ROCK N ROLL bulldozer back.  Our show last Friday at The 21st Saloon was huge and I want to thank each and everyone of you for showing up and supporting us.  Thank you again to Spotlight Entertainment and DJ Steve for laying down some amazing 80's karaoke.  I personally love karaoke and the singers DJ Steve had up there blew me away.  GOOSEBUMPS BABY.  Also a special thank you to our guest musicians for joining us on a few tunes.  I hope you had fun.  This Friday we have something really special for you.  I am very excited to announce this show.  Krypton Comics Presents: 80's Superhero Roc-Kon Roll with 3D In Your Face.  For the first time ever we will be doing a show dedicated to all things comic books, movies, superheroes, super villains, Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel, DC, Dungeons and Dragons, X-men, Avengers, Fantastic Four, and even KISS. On Friday March 29th, The 21st Saloon will be crawling with the biggest and baddest characters from around the galaxy.  Excited yet?

For as long as I can remember I have been a super hero fanatic.  My first memories are of a very bad ass Avengers poster I got when I was really young.  I would sit in my room and just look at those guys for hours.  The Hulk, Captain America, The Human Torch, Spider Man, Iron Man, and Thor.  I had no idea what I was looking at but I loved it.  I loved the possibilities.  Then came Saturday morning cartoons.  When I was growing up Saturdays weren't for sleeping in they were for waking up early and watching The Uncanny X-Men and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  This is when I joined the amazing world of superheros.  I started collecting comic books, t-shirts, and cards.  I would mow my grandparents lawn every week in the summer and blow my money as fast as I earned it at the local card shop.  I still have piles of Fleer Ultra X-men cards.  I also started buying action figures.  Now looking back if I could have left them in the packaging I could have had a gold mine.  But I had to play with them.  I had to get my hands on them.  I wanted my own intergalactic adventure.  For hours I would play with these action figures and read the back of my cards.  Imagination was the name of the game here, and you could create what ever reality you wanted.  On top of cards and action figures I remember going to the local Fremont Swap Meet and buying up as many old comics as I could find.  I still have a huge stack in the basement of my parents house.  My parents were pretty cool about all of this.  It seemed like something a normal kid would do.  But little did they know I was traveling aboard the Fantasti-Car hurtling through space to save the planet from the evil Galactus.  OK OK.  Around 13 I was still into superheroes and this wasn't winning me any popularity contests at school.  Then came KISS and things shifted drastically.  In KISS I found four real life superheroes that played music for the outcast. They were different I and felt different and when I played their music I was back aboard that starship screaming towards the outer limits of the universe. I soon became obsessed with Rock N Roll music.  The theatrics of it all really ignited a fire in me.  A blue print was layed out in front of me on how I could turn myself into a superhero.  I have never aspired to be KISS or Motley Crue (not that I haven't had those dreams, but really who hasn't).  I wanted to create my own character, those guys just proved to me that it could be done.  

Now that I have grown up, some would say, I don't really play with any of my action figures.  They sit quietly on a shelf and collect dust.  I have traded my Spider Man t-shirts for Iron Maiden t-shirts.  In my free time I don't get to the outer reaches of the galaxy as often as I should (to many blogs to write).  As I began to write this article I really wanted to convey Super heroes as imaginary beings that shaped my childhood in the positive.  Low and behold right in front of me I was blessed with so many real life superheroes that I didn't even know existed.  My parents and my grandparents were the original Fantastic Four for me.  I remember my grandfather being the toughest John Wayne-esque bad ass I had ever seen.  He smoked Camel non-filters and drank coffee black.  He had served in the Navy and traveled the world as a big game hunter. And my grandmother was the strongest women I have ever know. She kicked Rosie the Riveter right in the ass then back for a refill on her coffee (black).  My mother is one of the most creative people.  She can make things with her hands that deserve awards.  She is smart and talented and was even a hippie in a galaxy far far away.  My stepfather can play any instrument, he can play any song ever written, and he can read any piece of music.  You want to place a bet on this.  My father is the strongest man I know.  I remember going to his softball games when I was a kid and seeing him hit a home run ever time he stepped up to the plate.  My stepmother is smart, and talented, and strong.  Hell, she raised 5 kids in the 90s, that deserves a gold medal.  Now I know that I am not the only one with superheroes for parents and that many people have amazing parents.  What I am saying is that all you need to do is take a look.  Superheroes come in all shapes, colors, and sizes.  

Friday March 29th at The 21st Saloon Krypton Comics and 3D In Your Face will be celebrating all things Superhero and you are encourage to dress up as your favorite character.  Also if you wear your Krypton Comics t-shirt the cover is only $3.  There is only one rule BE CREATIVE AND HAVE SOME FUN.  There will be appearances by The Duct Tape Transformers and The Omaha Star Wars Club.  So dig out your Plutonium batteries for the camera because you will be taking a lot of pictures.  This is a party for you as much as it is for me.  

ALWAYS LOUD

FOREVER PROUD

HAIR IN THE AIR

SPADE

21 Gun Salute; A tribute to Randy Rhoads and The 21st Saloon.

Hello everyone and welcome to HAIR IN THE AIR, The Official Blog of 3D In Your Face.  I would like to start out by thanking each and everyone of you for helping make last weeks birthday bash one of the best birthdays I can remember.  I am overwhelmed by the out pouring of love that I received, not only on this blog and on the internet but at our shows in Omaha and Des Moines.  I don't have words to describe how special you made me feel.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart and a special thank you to the guys in my band for proving why we truly are The Nation's Number One 80's Show.  One last thank you goes out to Sniper, my best buddy, for penning a very beautiful and touching edition of HAIR IN THE AIR last week.

Enough of the mushy stuff.  Let's get down to it.  This is a very special week for two reasons.  The first being that our spring tour has started and we will begin traveling soon.  But for all you die-hards we are still playing at The 21st Saloon every Friday until Memorial Day. I thought a lot about what I wanted to write this week and I just kept coming back to The 21st Saloon.  Our run with this now legendary Omaha bar hasn't been a smooth one.  Being a house band is more difficult than I had imagined when I signed up for this last year.  But all the heart ache and stress we have been through is finally starting to prove fruitful.  The 21st Saloon/3D In Your Face relationship started a few years back.  We were hired on to play an 80's costume contest at a relatively unknown bar in the rock circuit in Omaha.  I didn't think to much about it that first night but when we showed up and started playing people started flooding in and not just our normal fans but random people we had never seen.  The atmosphere was there, the stage was there, and the people where there.  The best story from our first night at The 21st Saloon happened to me.  I was still a tech at the time and I got up to play Thunderstruck like usual.  The song started and I began running around the bar like an Olympic sprinter.  This in itself was not uncommon.  I stopped by the stage and climbed up on a chair to try and impress the crowd below me.  When the moment hit I did a jump kick off the chair but didn't realize that the chair I was standing on had wheels on it.  The chair flew back I fell onto a near by table holding 100 cupcakes and cocktails for a birthday party.  I hit the ground, my guitar hit the ground, and everyone of those cupcakes hit the ground.  There was frosting everywhere.  I was covered.  I swiftly got back up like it was all part of the show, but the damage had been done.  Now there were no cupcakes and the birthday girl was crying.  Great job SPADE you ruined someones birthday.  New rule NEVER STAND ON ROLLY CHAIRS.

I figured we would never play there again.  A year or so later we started our residency at The 21st Saloon and I was mortified to be returning to The Cupcake Incident.  We played out our first residency which was 16 Fridays to a lukewarm response.  People were excited but the crowds just weren't there.  Hot Rod just kept telling me, "Hold on.  Keep at it.  This is going to be the biggest party in Omaha."  Naturally I didn't believe him but we persisted.  For our second residency we decided that we would invite sponsors to come and be apart of the show.  We would have a different sponsor and a different theme every week.  Our goal was two fold, first we wanted to help promote local organizations that we fully believed in.  Secondly we wanted to cross promote with these organizations and reach new fans we might not reach and in turn our sponsors would reach potential new clients through our fans.  This was all well and good.  At the beginning the crowds were good but something changed.  Over the last few months each show has been a blow out.  I mean people out the door ready to get wild.  A new person has come into our circle who believes in what we are doing and has the drive and determination to make this residency successful for everyone.  Scott, the new bar manager came in like a flash of light and has turned The 21st Saloon into what I believe to be the most best bar in the entire city of Omaha.  Now you may disagree with me on this but I stand firm in my proclamation.  Scott has taken The 21st Saloon and given it the class it so desperately needed.  He has made this place not only into somewhere for people to hang out and be entertained but somewhere that people will return week after week.  It's not only a place where you can grab a beer and watch live music it's become a destination bar in Omaha.  I should know I have been playing there every Friday for almost a year and a half.  You mark my words, The 21st Saloon is the best bar in the entire city of Omaha.

Sorry my rant went a little long there.  I also wanted to quickly touch upon another very memorable thing that happened this week.  March 19th marks the anniversary of the death of one of the most influential guitar players of all time.  31 years ago today we lost Randy Rhoads.  Rhoads was perhaps best known for his work with Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot.  Rhoads practically rewrote the book on guitar playing.  His style and talent were beyond anything heard at the time.  I myself was not old enough to experience Randy Rhoads first had but I can tell you that his influence was not lost on me at all.  I remember first coming across Ozzy when I was in 8th grade.  A teacher played a video for the class that was trying to link satanism and heavy metal music together.  The songs that came from that video shaped my entire future.  Not that I am obsessed with the devil or satanism but the power of Rock N Roll and Heavy Metal struck me that day like a locomotive.  A few years later when I began my vinyl collection, one of the first records I ever got was The Ozzy Osbourne, Randy Rhoads Tribute album.  I can still remember sitting in my parents house with those giant head phones on waiting for that needle to drop.  As soon as the record started it was all over.  Randy's guitar tone has never been duplicated.  You can always listen to an Ozzy song and go, "Yep that is Randy playing".  He changed the world of guitar playing and he changed the world of Rock N Roll.  Most of all he changed my life.  Thank you Randy Rhoads you will never be forgotten.

This Friday March 22nd we are back in action at The 21st Saloon.  We are bringing Spotlight Entertainment and DJ Steve back for another round of 80's karaoke.  You get the chance to sing whatever you want (as long as it was from the 80's) on our stage with our lights in front of our crowd.  Excited yet?  We will still be playing three sets of kick ass-ball crushing Rock N Roll but on our breaks you will get the chance to be the star.  Dress the part and start practicing those high notes.

ALWAYS LOUD
FOREVER PROUD

HAIR IN THE AIR
SPADE

Spades Birthday Blog Written By Guest Author Sniper

This is a special blog this week for 2 reasons first and foremost its Spades birthday and second I asked Spade if i could write it and give you guys an inside look at the other side of Spade. I will readily admit I'm not a blogger at all so I will apologize in advice for my blogs shortcomings.

       I actually did an interview with Sam to get a little more background on his early influences and bands and likes and dislikes etc....
       The first time I actually met Sam was at the Chrome Lounge when 3D In Your Face was playing a gig there. I was not in the band at the time and had never seen them before. He was their guitar/stage tech and merch salesman. He was going 100MPH . I was like "who the Fuck is this guy with the 2 feet tall hair  ". He was a little drunk and selling merch like a madman!!!  Soon after that they had him get on stage and play a song with them. He was even more intense when he got onstage!!! He ran around the whole club and had so much energy and intensity it was unbelievable!!!! I left the club thinking "wow that Sam dude is a madman".
       The next time I actually talked to Sam was March of 2011 in Wayne ,NE at a gig called The Rugby tournament . Their Guitar player wasn't able to make the show so Hot Rod called me to fill in for the night. I drove up to the gig and was told Sam was in a band that was opening up for 3D In Your Face. The band was called The Lowly Thieves. They were a fast and loud Punk type band. Sam was his usual over the top energetic self. The band was really good and Sam was AWESOME!!! When I took the stage with 3D In Your Face, Sam was pulling double duty that night. He just got done playing and now he was my guitar tech telling what i needed to do  and hand me my guitars for the night!!! That is his work ethic in Rock and Roll and in life. He never quits and is always willing to do whatever it takes to get the mission accomplished. Our friendship started that night . I found a battle buddy/Terror Twin in Sam. I consider him My Best Friend. I trust him with my life.

       I joined 3D In Your Face later that week and started playing with them the weekend after that. Sam was always there helping me and teaching me the ways of the 3D In Your Face load ins, load outs and set ups. I was actually the new guy and Sam was the Veteran  He never lost his patience or got upset with me when I did something wrong or stupid. I thank you Sam for Patience.
     Sam actually started working for 3D In Your Face in 2005 doing all the heavy lifting ,stage manager, guitar tech and merch sales man. He used to sit in for a couple of songs with 3D In Your Face and play his favorite guitar an Ace Frehley Les Paul. I have actually played this guitar and it is a BEAST!!! It is battle scarred and road proven. It wears its scars with Pride and is a Rock and Roll Machine.

      Now some history of the birthday boy.

 Sam is a song writing machine!!! We have collaborated on every new song that 3D In Your Face has written except for one. He could not be easier to work with when it comes to song writing. I have been in bands where fist fights occur over song writing. It seems effortless when we start working on a new original and I think they come out sounding pretty good. I could not be prouder or happier how the songs have turned out.

The things that you don't know that Sam does is all behind the scenes. All the interviews and corresponding with companies getting us endorsements and getting us free P R. He does this with out pay on his own time and never complains. We would not be where we are if it wasn't for Sam,


Sam was born March 17,1985 in Fremont,NE .  He was obviously different than most kids growing up. I will not embarrass him with childhood photos but I will tell you I have seen a few and they are Priceless!!!!
   
    While in school Sam discovered KISS and Ace Frehley. It was an an epiphany. The music spoke to him and it changed him forever.

   Ace Frehley is the reason Sam started playing guitar. He soon discovered other types of music and genres but Ace remains his most important influence.

Sam played in several bands before joining the 3D In Your Face lineup.

Speedkill 2003 - 2012

Officially Terminated 2003-2012

Bandit Sound 2005-2011

3D in your Face 2005-current

All of his bands toured nationally and played anywhere and everywhere.

Sam is a seasoned road veteran

I stated earlier that I interviewed Sam and got very candid answers. This is a small section of the interview.

Favorite KISS song?  I love it Loud

All time biggest influence? Ace Frehley

Favorite 3D In Your Face moment as a Bass Player? When I Look up  and see people singing our original songs.

Favorite Quote from Sniper? I'm a handful in the sack

Favorite Quote from Hot Rod? Alex I'll take blown speakers for $200.00

Favorite Quote from Playboy?  I speak with Brett Michaels from Time to Time


I 've had my fun with Sam and now I'm gonna get serious.

When the old bass player left the band I wasn't sure if I was gonna stay or go. I thought the band was done and I was going to be looking for a new Project.

When Hot Rod suggested Sam I was totally stoked and shocked. I didn't think he would want to do it. Man was I wrong!! Sam has made the chemistry of this band the best it has ever been. His positive attitude and song writing and work ethic and energy on stage have put this band over the top and made me a better player as well!!!!!

I am so honored and Thrilled to play in a band with Sam and even more Honored to call him my Best Friend!!!

Happy Birthday Sam!!!!!!!

SOLD OUT. #COUNT IT

WOW OH WOW.  What a wild week here in The 3D In Your Face camp.  I will get to that in a minute.  But first I would like to welcome you all to HAIR IN THE AIR, The Official Blog of 3D In Your Face.  Here and only here I will be giving you all the low down information about the nation's number one 80's tribute band.  So please buckle up for this tornado because there is a lot of information to over this week.

First of all last Friday night we partnered up with Omaha Night Out Guide, Boulevard Brewing, Omaha Rockin' Against Cancer, and Backstage Entertainment.  Together with the help of The Queen of Omaha Rock N Roll, Susan Borchers, we raised $384.00 to help battle cancer.  One lucky fan even won themselves a three hour limo ride with 3D In Your Face.  We set the attendance record at The 21st Saloon (we still didn't sell it out but I will get to that later).  I heard a rumor that somewhere around 2000 pictures were taken of the band.  We also got the opportunity to do an amazing interview with the wonderful Backstage Entertainment.  Check this out it's a lot of fun and will make you laugh.  But most of all we were all there to help out an amazing organization.  Everyone knows someone that has been effected by cancer and this was our chance to give back in our own way.  Thank you to everyone who donated and participated in the auction.  I am very proud of everyone.  YOU ROCKED OUR FACES OFF.

If you were living under a rock and didn't hear the great news well let me be the first person to tell you that we did it.  We finally got our sell out.  If you remember back at the beginning of the year it was one of my goals to sell a show out as I had never played a sold out show before.  Saturday found us in my home town of Fremont, NE playing at The Legendary Uncle Larry's (the old Lariete club).  I was lucky enough to land an interview with 1340 KHUB the Thursday before the show and The Fremont Tribune ran an amazing article about the band in their entertainment section.  The hype going into this show was out of control.  My wonderful mother even passed out flyers to local business' in town.  I expected a great turn out but I never could have thought by 8:00 PM there would be a line out the door.  Word got up to our dressing room and we were ecstatic.  We got our first sold out show.  Now 3D In Your Face has been playing for around 13 years and we have played for thousands of people at outdoor festivals but I always wanted that sold out club show.  We busted our asses and the great people of Fremont came out in force to support us.  It was like a class reunion for the entire city.  The staff at Uncle Larry's busted their asses and they deserve a lot of credit as well.  They ran out of glasses, buckets, and beer.  By 1 AM when the bar closed it looked like a hurricane of Rock N Roll had swept through this legendary bar.  From the time we hit the stage to the last song everyone was on their feet.  It was exhilarating to look out over the crowd and see so many familiar faces.  My entire family, childhood friends, school mates, and ex-band mates were all in the crowd cheering us on.  Even some of our Omaha friends (thank you Diane and Del) Neb. City friends (thanks Chasta and Dave) Norfolk friends (thanks Kora, Nicole, Momma, and Don) and Lincoln friends (thank you Jake, Sarah, and Ian) made the trip to show us their support.  I don't have enough thank yous to express the feelings I have about selling out my first show in my home town.  It really makes all those terrible bar shows and police busted VFW shows with OFFICALLY TERMINATED  worth it.  Thank you everyone you made one of my dreams come true Saturday night.  We will be back to Fremont soon.

Here is the Podcast Link for the radio inteview

1340 KHUB 3D In Your Face Interview

Here is the Fremont Tribune Article

Fremont Tribune 3D In Your Face Article

This Friday March 8th at The 21st Saloon our sponsor is The Glam Gore Girls.  This was one of my favorite sponsors last year and we are going to be doing this show bigger and better than before.  Please do yourself a favor and go check out this amazing group of women.  There will be appearances by Mystair, Isis, and Mandie M.  The girls will be walking around taking donations for Make-A-Wish and there will be a photo-booth where you will get the opportunity to take pictures with these Vixens of Doom and the members of 3D In Your Face.  There will also be a Glam Gore Girl raffle with the proceeds going to help send the Girls to a horror movie convention in Dallas, TX.  I really can't put into words how wild these ladies look and how much fun we are going to have. You will just have to take my word and get your ass out to The 21st Saloon this Friday March 8th.  OUR GOAL IS NOW TO SELL OUT THE 21ST SALOON.  Spread the word.  We can't do this without your help.

Thank you to everyone who was made these last six weeks the best 3D In Your Face has ever had.  We still have so many big things coming up and I will keep everyone informed on what is going on.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

New Record Update-I don't have a lot of news for you this week.  We are still in the writing process but we have been discussing locations, producers, and artwork.  We will also begin looking for record labels that will be interested in putting out the new 3D In Your Face record.   I will give you more information when it comes.

ALWAYS LOUD
FOREVER PROUD

HAIR IN THE AIR
SPADE