Hey guys welcome to this week's installment of “A Brutal State of Mind” I just want to start out by saying thanks to everyone who checked it last week and gave me some feedback! Love hearing from everyone and love the opinions that come with everything. Now enough with the lovely intro, we’ve got some s#@t to talk about!

This past weekend I attended the ‘Bay State Metal Fest’ and wholly crap was that a fun time! Over 12 hours of music, sweat, and semen. Huge national acts like Emmure, Alesana, BlessTheFall, and Memphis May Fire took to the stage and absolutely put on a show like I haven’t seen in a long time. Representing our neck of the woods was She’s SO! Entertaining. A band that everyone should be on the lookout for because they’re making some big moves and are shaking some rafters around the state. Not to mention the very next day they went ahead and played with The Greely Estates and The Plot In You. If you missed this show man you’re something special because it was a great experience. Two stages over 2000 people. IT WAS VISCIOUS. Me and my close knit group returned breaking the “smell-o-meter” smelling like Andre the Giant rolling in hot garbage. That’s how you know it was a show to remember.

Now looking forward to this weekend and coming week we have got some stuff for you to check out!

This weekend marks what I think will be a sick show, that if I am lucky enough to attend, will destroy a lot of things. Up in New Milford at The Maxx, City Ablaze is throwing a HUGE show featuring some pretty amazing bands. Climb The Sky, Currents, Cursed By Reason, As Daylight breaks, and Exalted Corruption will all be taking the stage this Friday night so be sure if you’re in the area and have about $8 to spare to check it out. You won’t be disappointed.  If you’re looking for a little bit of a laid back night head on down to Gallery 77 in New Milford with some cool acoustic performances by Mild Wine, BabySnakes, and MORE. Heading in Sunday we are going to kick it up a notch and head over to Danbury for what is being called the “Big Ass Metal Fest.” You wan’t brutal? This is the place you want to be at! Tuxedo Junction in Danbury is bringing you an all day music fest starting at 3pm all the way until 11pm. Taking the stage will be Tuesdays with Morrie, Float Face Down, Divide the Universe, From Peasants to Kings and many, many more!

Now usually the weekend is where the s#@t hits the fan, but next Wednesday Nonpoint is taking their tour through Hartford and two, that’s right two of CT’s best will be taking the stage with them. My Empire and Ocecmic will be opening at the Webster Theater for this Nonpoint show. BE SURE TO GET TO THIS! It’s going to be a show to remember and if you need tickets hit up either band for a reduced presale price of only $16. Trust me when I say, do not miss this. If anything is a guarantee, it’s that when Ocecmic and My Empire get together, a kick ass show is def going to go down.

Now it’s time! Last week I promised all of you an interview and an interview you all shall get! I recently sat down with the founder of Mindz-I Entertainment Group Maria Manes for a little insight on who she is, what Mindz-I is all about and what’s on the horizon for this company making so much noise in the Northeast. Here’s how it went down…..

 

ABSM) Now Maria we all know you are the founder of Mindz-I Entertainment, but give us a bit of background. Where are you from? What sent you in the direction to manage artists?

MM) Well, I was born in a log cabin in Montana on a ... *laughs*... Just kidding. I was born in Ozone Park, Queens. I have to say, growing up there was amazing. It was the kind of place where everyone knew everyone and my entire family lived within blocks of each other. Getting away with things as I became a teenager was next to impossible because of that though. Questions like "Aren't you Tony's daughter?" or "Aren't you Jimmy's cousin?" always resulted in my "adventures" getting back to my dad and me getting some "alone" time in my room, but still, I wouldn't change a thing about my childhood. My dad LOVED music and so I grew up listening to everything from the Ink Spots to Floyd. Once upon a time he had this crazy garage band in which he played guitar and my uncle played drums and it was quite the "scene" from the stories I've been told. I guess I always loved music and everything I have done in my professional life as well as my personal life has had music tied into it somehow. Thing is, I cannot play an instrument nor can I sing, (I barely get away unscathed at a karaoke night) but I'm pretty good at business and so managing artists enables me to do what I do best in an industry that I truly love and enjoy.

  

ABSM) Out of all the local scenes in the US, a lot of them more thriving than the northeast. Why did you choose to set up shop here in Connecticut?

MM) The CT music scene is big and I don't think most people realize how huge it really is. It annoys me that everyone thinks you have to travel into the city or to Massachusetts to hear great talent or see a kick ass show. That truly is not the case, and so when I decided to launch Mindz-I there was no question in my mind that I would do it here in CT because as far as I am concerned it's time to put CT on the map and bring the industry "powers" that be to us. 

ABSM) When you first had the idea to run a management company did you ever think it would be where it is now so quickly?

MM) Honestly, yes and no. I knew after getting my feet "wet" managing Solistic that I had found my calling and as I kept getting inundated with requests from other artists to manage them, I knew I needed to take the time and pay attention to what the Man Upstairs and the universe was trying to tell me. When (Damon) Hall and I set up the initial company projections, we anticipated the "branding" part of the program to happen by end of year 1. It's nice to be able to say that we are WAY ahead of that projection. Mindz-I was branded within a matter of a few months. We really just have the right formula, he handles the financial stuff, I handle everything else, and it works brilliantly. I trust him to do what he does best and he trusts me to do what I do best and we let each other do it. We also always have each other's backs. We are also affiliated with some of the most talented people in the music scene and those affiliations pick up and take over where we leave off.  The formula works and while we will always strive to improve, we will never change the original recipe.

 

ABSM) It's no secret that "Mindz-I" is a very unique name for the company. Where did it come from?

 MM) It stands for a lot of things actually. When I was thinking up names for the company, I hit up my brother who can be super creative. We were on the phone bouncing ideas off each other for a couple of hours this one day and the conversation veered off track to our paternal grandmother. My grandmother always said that we could "accomplish whatever was in our mind's eye" and when he said Mindz-I it just clicked, I liked it immediately. The more I thought about what the minds’ eye stood for and the history behind it the more I knew that this was THE name. Again, everyone who knows me knows that I am a big believer in God and the universe both of whom have strong "roots" to the mind's eye. 

 

ABSM) Alright Maria I am going to put you on the spot, in your opinion who are the top tier rock/metal bands in the Ct Local Scene right now?

MM) Wow Flores I cannot believe you just did that to me! Okay, in my opinion, obviously I believe the bands I represent are some of the best in CT right now or I wouldn't have signed them, but truth be told, I think one of the best if not the best band in the rock/metal scene right now is Kali Ma. I had the pleasure of having them on the FuzeOnFest bill and they just blew me away. Those guys are so incredibly talented and professional. The music is so well structured and arranged, melodic yet at the same time has this undeniable kick ass hardcore edge to it, it's simply brilliant. Those guys are going to go far, no doubt in my mind about it. From a management/business perspective, I think the bands to watch over this next year are Hate Your Guts, My Empire, The Brothers Rock and of course Ocecmic, She Eats Planets, and See Thru Soul who are back on the map with a new lead singer, looking forward to catching one of their rehearsals within the next few weeks.    

 

 ABSM) For my last question all the readers want to know, what's next for Mindz-I and their talent? Any sort of inside scoop you can give on any type of upcoming shows?

 

MM) What’s next? Well, the sky's the limit and the sky's gone. We are focusing hard on distribution deals, recording new material and CD releases for some of the artists we represent, festivals and tours, finalizing the last of the 2011 events and planning our huge events for 2012, with FuzeOnFest 2012 being one of them. I can tell you this much, Mindz-I is here to stay and we have only just begun to MAKE NOISE...

 

Alright guys and gals that is it for this week’s installment of “A Brutal State of Mind” don’t forget to sound off on the Facebook page and also hit me on twitter @OcecmicJustin and sound off with #ABSM.

Until Next week.....

Stay Brutal