Rush MIDI song Bravado (live) courtesy of Allen Graves

For best results, use a Yamaha MIDI plug in with a good sound card.

Last updated September 23, 2009
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If you've visited this site during the past couple of months, you've probably noticed I haven't updated this site in over a year. It's been a grueling year; heck, it's been a grueling decade. This will be the last site update for this year and decade. The next couple of months are going to be crazy. There will be lots to do, and I won't have time to come to this site. If you're truly curious about what I've been up to, your best bet will be to visit my MySpace page, which is where I do the majority of updates-and even then, you won't be seeing many of those. I'm an EXTREMLY busy person, with VERY little free time to spare.

NEW PORTRAITS: LUCY LAWLESS, RENEE O'CONNOR, NOEL CLARKE, JOHN LEGUIZAMO




Here are the portraits I've done over the past year. One of the artworks, as you can see, is a montage. As usual, I've tried pushing colors into different areas to see what I come with. I have no idea whatsoever how colors will turn out in a piece. I just sit down and get to work-and whatever gets onto the paper is the result. Coloring is truly spontaneous for me-and I find it's best this way. You can see these works in the portrait gallery below, as well as my MySpace page.

The new Lucy pieces will not go into the Lucy galleries. The Lucy gallery will be reserved for Lucy art done between 1996-2004. I don't have the time to redesign each gallery, so that's why I'm doing this. As I said, I'm going difficult times right now, and they are likely to get worse. I don't know when another piece of art will go up. It will all depend on how much life is smacking me around.

IT'S BEEN TWELVE YEARS!



12 years have passed since these Lucy photos were taken. So much has changed since that time, so long ago. Life for me has changed radically. Things have been very difficult as of late-but you've got to put one foot in front of the other and make the best of it.

I don't really travel long distance-finances won't allow it. I also have a disabled elderly mom to look after. I rarely attend science fiction conventions these days; I go to them every 3-4 years. So, I've never been to the Xena conventions on the west coast-nor am I likely to appear at them. I was lucky I made it to the Secaucus, New Jersey Xena convention back in June, 2007. Previous to that one, I attended a Xena convention in Brooklyn, New York, several years back. Attendance at that convention was so poor that Creation apparently decided it wasn't in their best interests to have any more Xena conventions in the New York City area. It would be a good 5 years before a Xena convention came back to this area. And to be frank-if Lucy Lawless and Renee O' Connor weren't headlining this Secaucus con, there wouldn't have been a convention-period. The Brooklyn Xena con was the most poorly attended convention I had been to in 26 years. This is a business. Creation isn't in it to lose money.

12 years ago, when Lucy Lawless came to New York City to appear as Rizzo in GREASE, I had been going through a difficult period. My father barely escaped death-he had quadruple-bypass surgery a couple of months prior, and was still recovering. He was a diabetic as well-and he required a lot of care. I had started watching Xena: Warrior Princess back in 1995, and had become a Lucy Lawless fan. There were other things going on that made 1997 a very troubling time for me. So, for Lucy to appear here in New York City was a much-needed distraction.

As you know, I'm an illustrator-though not as much these days; I'm focusing on writing. 12 years ago, I knew I had a golden opportunity to take photos of Lucy and use them as a basis for some portraits. Also-I figured I could sell some pics, so why not?

I won't rehash the whole tale; my account from 12 years ago is available at the link below. Suffice to say, I had a tremendous amount of fun. But I will also say-it wasn't easy. Waiting around could be very tiresome. If you wanted to get a good spot to take pictures, you had to get there early. And there were also the crowds-which could get boisterous at times. I'd have my walkman with me, usually listening to Rush to pass the time while I waited for Lucy to come out. Also, I was extremely lucky that Lucy walked up to the limo to sign pictures-which is how I got so many close-up shots of her. Lucy was very friendly, but at the same time, she was signing autographs like a fiend. She would be there for 5-8 minutes at a time, signing autographs, then it was into the limo and away. Lucy was also incredibly patient. At a few points, I was machine-gunning my Canon EOS 630 at her face, and the poor woman was being barraged by my flash! I'm surprised she didn't go Xena on me and give me the pinch!!

Wow...12 years. I look back at those photos, and it's amazing to me that this much time has passed. Oddly enough, there is supposed to be a GREASE revival in New York City. GREASE, by the way, is a great show, and I highly encourage anyone who hasn't seen it to watch it live.

By the way-it also means that this site is 12 years old! Pretty amazing.



LUCY LAWLESS RETURNS TO TV IN "SPARTACUS"




Lucy Lawless returns to TV in January 2010 in the television show, "Spartacus". Once more, she plays a character in ancient times-a gladiator slave owner named Lucretia. The following is from the September 2009 issue of Wizard Magazine.

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From 'Xena: The Warrior Princess' to 'Battlestar Galactica,' Lucy Lawless is no stranger to genre fare. The actress continues that trend in the Sam Raimi-produced 'Spartacus: Blood and Sand'

WIZARD: Lucy, can you talk about your character on "Spartacus"?

LAWLESS: Lucretia is the wife of Batiatus who owns the Ludus-the gladiator training school that has been in his family for generations. Her mission is to keep the family business going, and she's failing in her eftorts to bring an heir. She also really despises Spartacus. She's just a tragic and terrible character-which I've found hugely entertaining! [Laughs}

WIZARD: Why does Lucretia hate Spartacus so much?

LAWLESS: He's a completely different class. As far as she's concerned, the gladiators are just horseflesh. Some she likes-a little too much'-but not him.

WIZARD: How would you compare this character to other villains you've played, such as D'Anna on "Battlestar Galactica"?

LAWLESS: I've never even thought to compare them. They're very different, though they're both trying to survive. In fact, I think that all of my characters have been doing that—just trying to survive. I've never been drawn to roles where people are not at least morally imperiled. I don't want to play something where we talk about mundane stuff all of the time. I have to do things that are very tasty and tangy and intense.

WIZARD: What have you found challenging about the role?

LAWLESS: A lot. not the least of which is doing sex scenes. Honestly, the first day I had to do one. I went home and crashed for 12 hours because it was just so stressful! [Laughs] I'd like to think that I'm a more modem woman who doesn't think that these things are a org deal, but I found it really hard.

WIZARD: Do you miss playing action-oriented characters?

LAWLESS: I'm so thrilled that I don't have to do any of the fighting! [Laughs] I hated doing that stuff on "Xena." But I'm glad I was forced to do it m retrospect, because that would ve been an aspect of life that Id never pursued. I'm glad I was forced out of my comfort zone but I'm very happy to leave that in the past. God. it's fantastic!
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It will be fun to see Lucy back on the little screen again.

VISIT ME AT MYSPACE

Click on the banner below to stop by my MySpace site, if you want to drop me a line. There are some interesting MySpace "friends" at this site you might want to check out as well.



XENITE/RUSH FANS-NEW RUSH CD: "SNAKES AND ARROWS" IS OUT NOW



The following album review was written May 1, 2007.

Twenty-four years. That's a long time to be associated with anything. That's nearly a quarter century of someone's life. This happens to be the amount of time I've been a fan of the rock band Rush. From the beginning, not only was I blown away by their incredible musicianship, I was also taken by the thought-provoking lyrics. Too many songs tend to be in the vein of "love songs." While there's nothing necessarily wrong with love songs, it's tiresome for me to hear that subject done so many times. It's been done to death. Some folks have no problem with that-and all the more power to them. But I like variety. I like songs that deal with more philosophical themes, tunes that challenge you and the way you look at yourself and life.

Rush fit that mold perfectly. The band has been the main inspiration as to how I approach my own work as an artist. Geddy Lee, singer/bassist, and sometimes-keyboard player, summed it up well: "You have to be willing to fail in public if you really want to achieve any kind of growth as an artist." I've taken that as a credo of my own.

The various Rush albums throughout these twenty-four years have been markers of my own life. I associate each album throughout this period with what I was going through at the time of their releases. The band's last album, "Vapor Trails", was associated with the darkest period of my life. It came out almost a year after the passing of my father and the 9/11 attacks, which happened nine days apart.

And now, here we are, five years later. The band has just released their latest work, "Snakes & Arrows". As always, Rush tries to explore new areas, using their vast expertise as musicians to create new soundscapes.

Lyrically, it's a bleak album. Neil Peart, the lyricist and drummer, explores the dark side of faith, and how it can often blind people, resulting in widespread strife. There's also exploration of those who aren't blessed with the fortune others have-and how important it is to look at both sides of the coin-the haves and have-nots.

In terms of the playing, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson (guitarist, back-up vocals) and Neil Peart continue to display growth as musicians. There is a restraint here that comes with maturity. They take from their vast musical toolbox only what they need, and focus on the mood and shape of each song, giving the thirteen tracks on this album a distinct personality. They are all very different. Some songs have heavy moments, afterwards shifting into lighter moments. Some songs are quiet, others snarl at you. A few songs have a deceptively cheery feel, while the dark lyrics within these particular tunes give them an ominous undercurrent.

"Snakes & Arrows" is an album you really have to sit with and digest slowly. This isn't music in the vein of fast-food. It's an album you revisit over and over again, discovering new things along the way, in terms of song arrangements and textures. The lyrics too, require absorption and introspection.

This album isn't for everyone. You have to be open-minded enough to try and grasp what the band has done here. Personally, I couldn't be more pleased with this record. Rush continue to inspire and make me think, as they've done in the past quarter-century of my life.

As I said, Rush has always been known for very thoughtful lyrics, which is why I've dubbed them the Thinking Man's Rock Band. During his extensive motorcycle riding across the U.S, Neil Peart (drummer and lyricist) had been noticing a lot of different church signs, with various slogans. This led him to think about the topic of faith-the good and the dark side of it. When you think about it, this is a highly relevant subject, particularly when you look at 9/11 and radical Islamic fundamentalism. This subject has formed the basis for this new album.

As to the title of "Snakes & Arrows", here is an explanation from this link:

"Chutes and Ladders, the popular children's game, is derived from the ancient Hindu game Leela, or Snakes and Arrows, which charts the ups and downs of the soul's path toward reunion with the Infinite. Snakes and Arrows was designed by the seers and saints of India as a tool for understanding the relationship of the individual self to the Absolute Self. For thousands of years the 72 spaces on this game board have enabled players to chart the paths that represent the course of their lives. Each space represents a virtue or a vice, an aspect of consciousness, or a plane of reality and is accompanied by a commentary explaining its meaning. The player's progress on the board is dictated by the fall of a die corresponding to the forces of karma. Repeated encounters with the snakes and arrows on the board reveal the full meaning of the commentaries and can give shape to habitual patterns of the player, resulting in greater self-understanding and even as gradual detachment from the ego's delusions." - Innertraditions.com

Here are excerpts from drummer Neil Peart's official site. This was updated December 8, 2006, on his news page.



Meanwhile, a certain young producer and engineer in California heard we were working on new material, and asked his manager to contact our office, and send us some of his work. His name—Nick Raskulinecz—remained unspellable and unpronounceable for a while, but we liked what we heard.

Nick was best known for his highly successful work with the Foo Fighters, but before that he had a long history as a musician, engineer, and producer. He had started out in Knoxville, Tennessee, and more-or-less worked his way west, studio by studio. When we met Nick, we all liked his youthful, unbridled enthusiasm, but at 36, he was also experienced enough to have a strong background in music and recording. We agreed with the comments and suggestions he had for our new songs, and loved his excitement about them, so we signed him up.

By October, Toronto’s days were often chilly, damp, and gloomy, with cold rains and occasional spells of glittering autumn sunshine, darkening earlier every day. Nick joined us in the little studio down by the old waterfront, and together we continued refining the arrangements and our individual parts. We had ten songs finished by then, and were working on one of our typical “mental-instrumentals” to be the eleventh. Nick was an irrepressible air drummer, and he would describe his suggestions for my drum parts with wild flailing arms and vocalizations: “bloppida-bloppida-batu-batu-whirrrrr-blop—booujze.”

That last syllable is onomatopoeic for a combination of bass drum and crash cymbal (of course), and before long it became Nick’s, er, “nick”name: “Booujze.” (There was considerable discussion over its proper spelling.)

We also recruited master engineer Rich Chycki, who had worked with Alex on the mixes for the R30 DVD, and (we thought) captured our best-ever live recording. So, adding in Lorne (Gump) Wheaton and Russ Ryan to look after the equipment, we had a great team in place by November, when we moved to Allaire Studios in New York’s Catskill Mountains to start the “serious” recording.

------------------------------

All of the songs were mapped out in rough form by then, each of our parts developed and refined back in Toronto. However, any traveler knows that having a map is not the same as riding the road. Now we had to deliver performances as perfect, powerful, and musical as we could, because now they would be permanent. The first job was recording new drum and bass parts over those demos—and of course, trying to “beat” them. (My judgment of a recorded performance: “Can I beat it?” For a while I can, and when I can’t, I know I’m done.)

The Mighty Booujze came into his own there, coaxing, coaching, and inspiring me into ever more outrageous drum parts and fills. “Bloppida-bloppida-batu-batu-whirrrrr-blop—booujze.” Sweaty and sore, I would come into the control room to listen to a playback, and hear myself thrashing away at the very edge of my abilities, just barely pulling it off (or not), and I would have to laugh out loud at the audacity—and the excitement, if it worked.

Geddy was listening, too, and he shook his head slowly and smiled, saying, “Now that’s comedy!”

In turn, Booujze also urged Geddy’s bass playing into uncharted areas, playing along with him on “air bass” as he described his ideas. Geddy and I soon decided we were “the world’s funniest rhythm section,” and thought we ought to call the album Don’t Try This at Home.

Earlier, back in Toronto, we had been working on a complex, syncopated section in one of the songs—a part that had taken me hours to learn—and Nick turned to me and said, “Do you think you could solo over that?”

Ha—what a question! Of course I could solo over it—I’d love to!—but I would never dare to suggest such a thing myself. When Nick pushed me like that, he would say, “Hey man, I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t know you could do it,” and of course that was a kind of challenge. All of us picked up that “can do” spirit, and it came to express the mood of our sessions at Allaire—brash, confident, determined, inspired, challenged, fired-up, defiant, excited.

As I said to Rich and Nick when my last drum track was finished, “I have never enjoyed the recording process so much, nor been so satisfied with the results.”


Learn more here at Rush's official site:

http://rush.com



GALACTICA CARTOON



Don't get used to seeing these. In fact, this is most likely my last one, ever. My free time is too rare these days to do stuff like this any more. Like the one at top, this cartoon was a purely spontaneous idea. This one came up in a conversation with a friend about the new "Battlestar Galactica". In my mind, it seemed too funny an idea to pass up. Have fun with it.


THE HURRICANE KATRINA DISASTER


Hurricane Katrina is one of the greatest natural disasters this century, and one of the greatest disasters in American history. 1,700 people died as a result of Katrina. This was the worst time in the history of the United States since 9/11. At this time, New Orleans is far from being reconstructed. Some people have managed to move on; others are still struggling tremendously.

There are a variety of charitable organizations I could point you to, but I'm going to start you folks off with the link directly below. The problem is that, at times like these, unscrupulous people take advantage of kind hearts. Therefore, my suggestion is that you start with the link below. Also-remember that money is important, but if you have old clothes or food you can donate, that's even more important in a sense. People need clothes and food right now-and a large percentage of the people affected by Katrina only have the clothes on their backs.

http://give.org/



The following is off of Lucy Lawless's official website, written December 15, 2005:


Ohhhh, New Orleans! How I love you.


It was wonderful to see the pulse quickening down in the French Quarter, but it is certainly an isolated island in a sea of darkness come nightfall. There is no electricity in many areas, which is hampering rebuilding. My N.O. friends tell me that while single folk are starting to get curious about returning, families won't start coming back till January and truthfully, for thousands and thousands, there is nothing but toxic waste to come home to. The heavy metals deposited by flooding have covered miles with poison mud, now dried to a thick dusty crust. Bulldozing kicks up a lot of mercury, arsenic etc. which is an added hindrance to recovery.

Today a Louisiana native came to stay with us till she gets on her feet. She's relocating to LA. She has lived here before and did not love it, but she is strong, talented and resourceful and she's going to make it.

The police and emergency services begged me to keep talking about New Orleans. They feel so alone and they fear that everybody has forgotten about them. I'm afraid they might be partially right. I am just sick at their isolation and their vulnerability. Any kind word of support just makes them melt. Forget any stain of corruption or rats jumping ship. These officers and emergency personnel have remained at their posts through thick and thin. Their marriages are under awful strain, their children are living far away. In many, many cases their houses are destroyed and some have lost family members to the flooding and the pestilence that followed.

The wealth of a nation is not about having a Walmart at every off-ramp. It is not about a free clothes iron with your mail-order vacuum cleaner. It is about the quality of caring between strangers. Last year, I visited Bangladesh, one of the poorest countries on Earth, where 80% of usable land floods every year. I have seen poverty, and more pernicious inter-generational poverty, which destroys the fabric of caring even to the point of mothers throwing their 4-year-old children on the roofs of trains just to get rid of them. I understand now that even the mother-child bond is eroded, destroyed or never develops where survival is threatened. What hope then for the bonds between strangers?

Hurricane Katrina has lifted the lid on our own dirty laundry. The poverty that we have too long ignored, the ecology that we have undermined further stressed inadequate infrastructures for the above and blasted out of the water the hopes and dreams of hundreds of thousands of people.

It seems a bitter joke that, like Blanche Dubois, New Orleans natives have come to rely on the kindness of strangers. But to me this care is the glue that binds us in a social compact. You cannot have civilisation where there is no trust/respect between strangers. It proves the strength of a nation. This is Unity. It seems to me that this is something the United States should know something about. This holiday season we could forgo the latest gizmo and pledge a gift to a stranger in our community, or in New Orleans or even overseas. Every time we do this we add a thread to the fabric of care that binds all beings on this planet far more securely than all the political manoeuvring in the world.

Let us be Conscious.

Love always, Lucy L


MUSICIAN TO WATCH: DAVID VECTOR


I came upon Dave's site over a couple of years ago, and I was simply blown away by this incredibly talented musician. Dave's music is a combination of rock and techno. He is a solo artist, creating all of the sounds himself!! I strongly suggest you go over to his website and check out his music. The link is at the bottom of this page. Dave's music is very dynamic, full of lush textures, incredible guitar, keyboard and bass work. The lyrics to his music are very thought-provoking. Talent like this should not be left unknown to the world. Check it out and spread the word. The first CD I bought of his was "Reality Show", and it is incredible. There are 11 songs on this album. A particularly powerful track on this CD is "Ryan's Last Drive", which deals with gay teen suicide.



Dave's new album, "Go" is out now. It is simply phenomenal. Dave also has a video from the opening track, which is also called "Go." Click on the picture below to take you to his Myspace page, where you can see the "Go" video and listen to the whole album. You can also purchase the album here as well.



OLDER NEWS



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NEW PORTRAITS: LAWLESS TIMES TWO, PLUS DAVID VECTOR (2008)




Well, here we have three new portraits-two Lucys, and one of Mr. David Vector. These three pieces herald the return of black to my color palette. I'm glad to bring it back, since it adds a dimension to my work that wasn't there before. That doesn't mean I don't like my earlier work-I do, but now, it's time to add black to the color family and see what it does. But these 3 pieces were done under very tough conditions. Life has been tremendously difficult this past year, and right now, I'm sort of in the eye of the storm-an area of relative calm. But soon, the other part of the eyewall will be coming. I'm amazed that these drawings got done at all. I also recently completed a novella. I finished formatting it to send out to magazines. The problem though is that the subject matter is rather controversial. There's also the fact that novellas are a harder sell due to length, at least from what I gather. But we'll see.

In Memory of Kevin Smith...you will be sorely missed.




Kevin Smith
1963-2002

The following message appeared on The Official Xena Fan Club page from Lucy Lawless:


"I've been wanting to thank all those nice people who care about Kevin and gave money at the convention. I wanted to say that I'm sorry that a place for their money to go wasn't arranged sooner. It was simply that the people who were arranging it were so close to Kevin and needed time to support his wife and family. I want the fans to know they weren't being ignored. I don't want them to feel disrespected. Tell them I'm sorry I haven't sent word. Every day I say I've got to write a letter and I'm just out of words. I know that his wife and children will take a great deal of heart of how much Kevin meant to people out there that they don't even know. It's going to help them through this tough time. Please thank everyone so much for me."

-- Lucy Lawless

In support of Kevin's widow and children, please send donations here:

The Kevin Smith Trust Fund
c/o Auckland Theatre Company
P.O. Box 6513
Wellesley Street
Auckland, New Zealand



Hey there, fellow Lucy fan!! I'm selling copies of my collection of Lucy Lawless photos, taken at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre between September and October of 1997. Here's your chance to get your hands on rare photos of this beautiful, multi-talented actress!!

In order to find out how you can order your own prints, please click on the picture directly below. All the photos I took are at this link as well, and are arranged by the dates in which they were shot.



COPYRIGHT NOTICE

All of the photos in this collection are copyrighted 1998 Saul Trabal. All rights reserved.

These photos are meant only for private viewing pleasure.USE OF THESE PHOTOGRAPHS FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSES (including magazines, web sites, and other forms of self-promotion) IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM ME. UNAUTHORIZED DUPLICATION OR SALES OF THESE PHOTOS IS ALSO STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

All photos in this collection will each carry a copyright sticker on the back.

That being said, I hope you enjoy the photos!!

Saul Trabal

Photographer

email:ghost_kingdom@yahoo.com


But don't leave yet, oh wayworn Net Surfer!! There's more!!!


If you're a computer geek, stop by the site of my friend, Brian Cirulnick-
the person who hosts my Lucy photos:




Stop by and listen to the incredible music of David Vector:



Be sure to visit my site. I'm a writer. Check out my work at:



Take a look at the Lucy Lawless artwork I did between 1996 and 2004:




Check out my other portraits here:



Learn about the idiot who created all this crap, aaaaand if you're curious about Rush because of this MIDI file.



Check out Xena fan fiction I wrote to help promote TRABAL CREATIONS:



Learn about how this Lucy photo-shoot came together:



Read about my experiences during one of the darkest times in American history:



Go to THE place on the Internet for news on Lucy, Renee, and all things Xena:



Join the Lucy Lawless Webring!
Visit HOME for all the details!



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