ETCETERA
KIDDUSH CLUB
Josh Malerman: The Laid-Back Frontman of High Strung
By Natalie Sugarman
\1 n Showtime's new Sunday night series, Shameless, the theme
'
iisong
to the critically acclaimed show that stars William H. Macy
is titled The Luck Got You and is sung by a local Berkley rocker
named Josh Malerman; he's the frontman and lead guitarist of the
band the High Strung.
RT: How long has the High Strung been playing together?
JM: Officially we've been playing together for nine years. We
met in elementary school; Stephen Palmer is new. Derek [Berk],
Chad [Stocker] and I have known each other since we were 10.
RT: What was the reaction from that?
JM: I got a letter from a cop. It said,"Hi, Mr. Malerman. This is
Sgt. So and So, who had to remove your vehicle. I want you to
know that I and the men on the force actually thought this was
hilarious!'
RT: How did you react when you found out that your song
"The Luck Got You" was going to be the theme song for the
Showtime series Shameless?
JM: I was ecstatic! This little song that we play at shows and in
bars that sometimes you can't even hear — and here it is now on
Showtime with William H. Macy. It's incredible!
RT: What made you decide to start writing books?
JM: I've been trying to write books for years. I tried my hand
at five or six of them. I didn't finish a single one, and I tried from
probably age 19 to 29. At age 29, we had a couple of months off
from the road. I was at home and I don't know what happened,
but I started a new book and finished it. Once I understood the
right trajectory of writing a book, there was an absolute explosion.
I wrote 14 novels in five years.
RT: Has your family been supportive?
JM: My dad would oftentimes say, "Why can't you be a lawyer
during the day and a crazy songwriter at night?" My mom is com-
pletely all for it; they both are.
n the search for warmer weather, Mexico is looking pretty
good to us right now. Yet, due to a pesky logistics problem,
namely distance, we can only gaze southward with longing
desire.
So, raise a glass to our amigos in the state of Jalisco (where
the city of Tequila resides) and let us ask for a warm embrace
— courtesy of the blue agave-based nectar that has become
synonymous with our friends south of the Rio Grande — and
go loco for tequila.
Not unlike a famous Kentucky export that is close to our
hearts, tequila is more than just a type of liquor. Its name is
safeguarded by the Mexican government (like champagne
is to the French), which states that tequila may only be pro-
duced in the state of Jalisco and limited regions of four sur-
rounding states — and has threatened legal action against
manufacturers outside that geography (because that's a
priority for the government).
Not surprisingly, all tequilas are not equal. Without getting
too complicated — lest we confuse ourselves — there are
four categories of tequila. Here's our RT 101:
• Silver, or Blanco, with little or no aging beyond 60 days in
stainless steel tanks, is suited best for mixed or blended
drinks;
• Gold, which is just silver with added caramel color and
flavor;
• Reposado ("rested," en Espanol), which is aged in wooded
casks for a minimum of two months, is the juice the locals
pick. Better-quality brands are aged up to nine months;
• Anejo ("old") is tequila aged for a minimum of one year
in wooden casks. The highest-quality anejos are aged be-
tween 18 months up to three or four years, depending on
the type of tequila it is (told you it can get complicated).
With that, let's take a look-see in the cabinet and see what
brands we recommend for those with a penchant for salt,
lime and pickled worms!
lo.1
Terlarnpa Azul Tequila Silver
$19.99
Clear with a nickel cast, or so we're told. Our tequila
expert noted "lush aromas of freshly tanned suede,
saddle soap, olive skin and dried cherries." Sounds like
an animal hide to us, but we have been assured those
attributes are all good things for tequila. At $20 a
bottle, our expert also says this is a best buy. Ole!
No. 2
Olmeca Tequila Gold
THE SCALLION
Homeland Security to Terrorists: "In Your Face!"
Rep. holds hearing to ferret out extreme elements in society.
By Drew P. Hodensack
ep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), chairman of the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, recently
held a controversial hearing to target what is an undeniable fact: Anybody who didn't vote for
the current House majority party — or doesn't love Pat Boone — is likely an extremist.
The focus of the hearing was the Muslim-American community and its reluctance to publicly acknowledge
their hatred of everything this country stands for — including freedom from government tyranny. As proof of his
allegation, Rep. King offered the lack of a unified response from the members of an entire religion to condemn violent
acts committed by radical Islamists.
The failure to take out ads in all major media markets should not be ignored."[They're] not willing to speak out and
of radicalization that is going on,"King told CNN.
condemn this type
Some of the more interesting facts that emerged from the hearing include:
• Muslims really long to join the Moonies.
• Muslims refuse to call the singer Yusuf Islam by his
Christian name, Cat Stevens.
• Muslims hate cats; and anyone named Steven.
• Muslims have single-handedly kept the city of Dearborn, Mich., solvent.
Many observers on Capitol Hill are bracing for what could be an ongoing
inquiry, only rivaled in effectiveness to that of former Sen. Joseph McCarthy
(R-Wis.) in the 1950s.
Critics claim it's a throwback to the worst practices of other government-
sponsored witch-hunts, including the House Un-American Activities Corn-
mittee, which chased down U.S. citizens refusing to believe that Annette
Funicello and Frankie Avalon really were just playing bingo on that blanket.
King has vehemently defended himself, telling CNN, "I have no choice, I
have to hold these hearings; and these hearings are absolutely essential!'
He added that it's "the right thing to do," and that sometimes the least
popular policies are the best.
7 ,
RED TIMEAD
Hello, tequila lovers —
never thought you'd
saddle up at our bar!
Next stop, the
Kiddush Club!
I
RT: What's the story behind the High Strung donating a
tour van to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
JM: We had toured in it like absolute madmen for
about five years. We played 250 shows a year, we didn't
live anywhere; we just toured from city to city. At some
point people started to write on the outside of the
van, and I started to write the outline of a book on
the inside of it.
It turned into what looked like a vehicle that
would transport Dr. Mindbender. At one point
Derek said,"Hey, the van is breaking down; we
could scrap this thing and get $200." I really didn't
want to do that.
One night I was at my mom's house and said I wanted
to drive it up to the door of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
She said we should. I called the band mates that night, and
we drove up those steps and left it at the front door. We had a
plaque made for it to make it look like an exhibit.
16 April 2011 I
i Hola Los
Amantes Tequila!
We trust it obvious this is a satirical piece.
nut
$24
Its pale gold color glints like the light of 1,000 suns, or not,
but poetic prose is always nice. The expert opines,"Key lime
pie and caramel aromas herald a silky entry lead to a dryish
light-to-medium body of coconut cream and key lime pie
flavors with a touch of grilled pepper, escarole and spice."We
assume this is all relevant to tequila fans because the one
thing that made sense to us is when he suggested, "This is
shot worthy — and a solid choice for margaritas."That, we
understand!
No. 3
El Gran Jubileo Reposado Tequila
$34.99
This mid-priced tequila we sampled, too. While not prepared
to make tequila our signature beverage, we agreed with the
expert when he described the aroma aslavish honeycomb,
spicy fruitcake and powdery anise cookie."Truthfully, we
didn't feel it our place to argue. But it was kinda sweet and
spicy — like a Mexican mariachi band on the tongue.
1
Tanteci
No.4
Tanteo Chocolate Tequila
$49.99
It's like a sundae with a sombrero! Our tequila
expert says, "It's like sweet hot chocolate with
whipped cream aromas with a mildly sweet,
medium-full body — with hints of pineapple and
coconut pudding!' Really? Sounds a bit much, but
perhaps he's right. To us, it tastes like a Hershey bar
that fell off the wagon. But, it should be a hoot for
making cocktails.
No. 5
Agave 99 Anejo Kosher Tequila
$82.99
Perfect for Passover! This tequila is aged for at least two years
in American oak barrels, is triple distilled and triple filtered
— and is certified by the OU (Union of Orthodox Jewish
Congregations of America) as kosher for Passover. Certainly
not cheap, and you'll have to special-order it, but how often
can you say"Hey, Elijah — wanna slam a shot?"
— By Red Thread staff
www.redthreadmagazine.com