Page 10a
The Behrend Beacon
: ehind the Three Ton Gate
L to R: Scott Putesky (guitar), Smoothy (drums), J.C. Riley (vocals), and ex-bassist
Martin Davis of Three Ton Gate. The band recently changed their name from Stuck On
Evil. Putesky was part of Marylin Manson before becoming involved in Three Ton Gate.
by Rob Walsh
staff writer
",S7ll' (Wile on like a / Double wide smile /
pee 1e,7 as a scraped knee /She came across
like a chill / Trailer park eyes / Made you
&earn Of %Tar
This excerpt from the Three Ton Gate track
"Double Wide" is just your typical trailer-park
whore love ballad, complete with the standard
bloody / influenza style romantic cliches
we've all come to expect from popular mu
sic. But. 1 assure you, the level of comfort and
familiarity you're currently experiencing is in
no v ay typical of the band Three Ton Gate.
or its genre-refracting assault on the stagnant
flux of today's music industry.
Three Ton Gate. brainchild of former
Marilyn Manson guitarist/songwriter Scott
Putesky, incorporates hazardous elements of
redneck thrash and macabre blues with coun
try metal to mix up a Molotov-rock-cocktail
that is as intriguing as it is volatile. The Florida
quartet originally assumed the name Stuck on
Fvil in parody of the inane nature of Putesky's
former enterprise. That title recently became
Three Ton Gate, as current events no longer
allow any aspect of evil to be taken lightly.
The band ostensibly uses its powers for
good, as evidenced by their debut album
"Suntanic," which features content ranging
from a Beatles' cover to the heartbreaking tale
of a mentally challenged youngster and his
pursuit to mow people's lawns for free. Vo
calist and frontman J.C. Riley is the head on
this rock & roll Voltron, but he would be noth
ing without Smoothy Bobo on drums and
In spite of fear, country
music triumphs
by Heather Fleming
staff writer
This year's 35th annual Country Mu
sic Awards aired on Nov. 6 at 8 p.m.
Vince Gill was the host for the evening.
This 18-time CMA Award winner cel
ebrated his 10th anniversary of hosting
the show.
The first award of the evening went
to Brooks and Dunn for vocal duo of the
year. The single of the year award was
presented to The Soggy Bottom Boys
for their hit, " I Am a Man of Constant
Sorrow". The third award was given to
Lee Ann Womack for female vocalist of
the year
The crowed was excited to hear of
Faith Hill's current pregnancy, while
Tim McGraw accepted his entertainer of
the year award. The music video of the
year award was presented to Sara Evans
for her song "Born to Fly." Willie
Nelson performed alongside Sheryl
Crow, which was extremely entertain
ing. The Dixie Chicks did not win any
Putesky on guitar. Bassist Martin Davis has
been kicked out of the hand due to an ongo
ing battle with musical impotence, hut his per
formance anxiety didn't stop singer Riley
from sitting down with me for a few words.
Beacon: J.C., is there a defining moment
invoked in officially becoming a musician?
In the whole sordid dedication process? Is
there a declaration of freedom and poverty
and nihilism? Did you sign some type of
rock star treaty which - along certain pa
rameters set within your band -completely
restricts all members from any affiliation
whatsoever with terms even vaguely de
rived from 'sobriety,' including all appli
cable root-words? Did your transformation
involve the breaking of ceramic dishware
and gnashing of teeth? Utter pandemo
nium? What, exactly, did J.C. Riley say into
the mirror on that fated day he handed his
life over to music?
Kilo.: I svanna tuck! I have been a ruck .slai
since I Iva.% 7( I linknit to tell anyone). 41t en
tire life has been .spiraling towards this defin
ing moment. Every etperience, every les son
learned and eret - y sticky sock has prepared
me for this interriess. I'm not sole if I suit the
lifestyle or the lifestyle suns me. Inn we're
meant JOr each other
Beacon: How much of a role does Scott
Putesky's former position as Marilyn
Manson's guitarist play into your band's
publicity? Does this bother you, consider
ing how badly Manson sucks?
awards that night but looked as though
they had a great time performing on
stage.
Other award winners included Dann
Huff for musician of the year, Keith Ur
ban for the Horizon Award, Lonestar for
vocal group of the year, and Toby Keith
for male vocalist of the year.
The two most important awards for
country music artists are album of the
year and song of the year. Album of the
year was - 0 Brother Where Art Thou,"
which featured various artists. "Mur
der On Music Row" took song of the
year and was written by Larry Cordle
and Larry Shell. It was recorded by
George Strait and Alan Jackson.
To close the show, Gill led the audi
ence with a heartfelt performance of
"America the Beautiful," while all of the
evening's performers gathered on stage
to show their patriotism.
To view pictures of the musicians and
to read quotes from your favorite coun
try artists, you can visit the country mu
sic website at www.country.com.
. A \
'ad.
„irk di
Friday, November 16, 2001
Vocalist J.C. Riley talks about the band's debut album, Marilyn
Manson, the virtue of one-eyed nuns, and groupies
Riley: Using Scott's affiliation with Marilyn
Manson was a necessary evil we had to deal
with in order to promote Stuck On Evil. But,
if anyone has the right to cash in on that
name, it's Scott - he and Brian created the
concept. Now that we are Three Ton Gate we
will be moving away from the Manson con
nection and focus on the future. It just wasn't
the time to be Stuck On Evil.
Beacon: Before I give you my thoughts on
Three Ton Gate's inaugural release,
"Suntanic," how do you see your album
fitting into the music landscape?
Riley: "Suntanic" is back-to-basics rock and
roll. You can't lose with good songs. We all
play our asses off and I think it shows. Scott
produced the album himself so it has that cer
tain intimacy, that (I'm watching Mass on the
Catholic Channel now so Pr give how crazy
I'm getting. Wahoo! Its the Eucharist!) was
needed to capture for our live sound. We lore
to peiform- I can't wait to get back out on
the road - and the songs are a showcase for
Scott's unique guitar style and my vocal prow
ess. I can't believe I said prowess.
Beacon: "Suntanic" is a really fresh album.
1 think 1 may be in love with it. At the risk
of sounding all gooey and contrived, your
precious voice - truly - brings me to violent
weeping sessions in which 1 have been
forced to telephone my mother and engage
in conversations which eventually involve
cooing. How does it feel to toy with the
emotions of grown men?
Riley: It feels damn good to toy with vour emo
tions - it
,giVeS me the upper hand cmd 1 will
crush you to my will. The songs were created
from the emotions of grown Mell AO it's only
natural for ton to fuel what we 're .saying - it
means we got it right. Mine is the only point
of view I can reference. You know what I
mean'
Beacon: Yeah, except most people misin
terpret the music I perform as odd displays
of domestic violence. On the topic of view
points, what artists have most influenced
the maturation of your work and the di
rection you've decided to take it in?
Riles: At first I thought that said masturba
tion of My work. I have crazy influences and
I don't want anyone to feel left out so I'll de
cline to list them here. What influences do you
hear?
Beacon: Hmmm ... I don't know. Maybe
a kind of Mike Patton meets Ween, who
Catch the Hogwarts Express
with 'Harry Potter'
by Ann Marie Havey
advertising manager
Pack your trunk, polish your broomstick, and
visit Diagon Alley to get everything you need
to enter Harry Potter's world for the movie
premiere of J.K. Rowling's book, "Harry Pot
ter and the Sorcerer's Stone" today.
Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) has spent the first
10 years of his life living under the stairs in
his aunt and uncle's house, and with his cousin
who likes to use him as a punching bag. Pot
ter does not enjoy living with his aunt and
uncle, but then one day a kind giant named
Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) comes to him with
an invitation to study at Hogwart's School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry. Potter had no idea
that there were two worlds: one is the dreary
world of the Muggles where he's grown up,
and the other is one of magic and fantasy.
This leads to numerous adventures for Pot
ter, including Quidditch, a kind of aerial hockey
played while flying on broomsticks, difficult
classes, and encounters with Lord Voldemort.
Voldemort is the villain in "Harry Potter," who
is more commonly referred to as "he who must
gang up with Hank Williams Hl and get in
a brawl with Toni Waits at a country &
western pub type sound?
Riley: Some of my influences are var\ appar
ent and others are more sUbrie //if' tri(k is to
not bornnt. too heavily from aIIV one influ
ence and to combine them so as to c wale your
ovi'n unique stele (not as tricky a 1 reading that
last sentence do / sound like an leli(d vet.'
Keep reading). I think !.round like (_'her some
times and that makes - nu' sod. Oh my (h u l,
there's a one-eyed nun on Inv
Beacon: On the sexual orientation scale,
with 1 being perfectly straight and 10 be
ing perfectly gay, w here would y o u rank
yourself?
Riley: I am Very
,i;t11 1;), ni man.
older brother and Inv ,ilder sisict are both gay
(the water:'). I've been around them and their
friends throughout my entire life and I have
lived with my bionic, - and his /over 1 (1111
comfortable wound my gar ft - lends and CO-
`I would be happy singing for a living and
being respected for what I do. I'd love to
own a nightclub with a recording studio
in the back so I could record or perform
anytime I want. I want to live a static free
existence '
workers and this AT/men/nes 111/ .c them 01
il'lhey don't know me well. At the same time
,straigla peoplepeak out carer
,g(l\ I am. I
require much more Wide 111‘111 Other
people. So, 'I
the Illt:IleSt a 111'011:11I
son can go, I rick .5.
Beacon:Considering the music of Three
Ton Gate is a noticeable departure from the
blatant commercialism of bands like, say,
Marilyn Manson, how big of a role will
small alternative media outlets play in your
band's success?
Riley: AlaaSall Is (Or ll'axl Ils Mill [hall; and
can't hr thiph(taCtl. It uus a one in a million
dung that became a mon!er I hope we nc vet
become what happened to theist.
the guy.‘ I used to /,arts - (richand I hop,. I nc r e r
lose what they lost. s ln, .small alt, rnathe
media otalciA Ore\ are the hear for tl t
like to he: .succesqul b u t completely in to:tell
with who I am I apprectatc an\ one that will
let me ramble on about nothing. In (11.;( ,
manufactutvd and prepackaved music. out
not be named."
Potter and his Gryffindor House co-conspira-
lets like yours keep it real and give exposure
to artists outside of the mainstream. Where
else would you hear about Three Ton Gate?
Beacon:Do you feel prepared to handle the
relentless fame and fortune which will in
evitably come via the PSU Beacon's mas
sive audience? [laughs]
Riley: I lee' completely confident that I will
11Se this fame and fortune (can I trade that for
notoriety and respect . 9 )fOr good and not evil.
No wait - I mean evil (someone actually ar
gued with me that Michael Jackson is not a
child molester).
Beacon:You just returned from an abbre
viated tour. How does your girlfriend cope
with the fierce groupies implicit of all such
music tours? Does she buy your stories?
Riley: I w as a good hoy on tour. I was drunk a
lot hut I sang my ass off and only made sweet
love with Smoothy. I would rather make
friends then get laid -that's too temporary. A
friend you can trust is
worth a thousand fOl.r7c##s.
-J. C. Riley, guitarist
Riley: I would be happy
tin,~ir+e Jan a living and being respected fin
whai 1 do. I'd lore to own a nightclub with a
111 studio in the IMO(' AO I could record
or perform anvtime 1 want. 1 want 10 lire a
static:tree
Beacon:How does it feel to know people
I myself] sing along grotesquely in their au
tomobiles while listening to your album?
Flattering or disturbing?
It !s very tufflhling that people enjoy our
music - 1 never quite believe people when they
tell me how much they enjoy it; it's my therapy.
If it makes something move inside someone
that :s just a bonus. All I have are my
experiences and if you can relate then I did a
1;00 ,001) o f getting my point across.
Beacon:Thanks for your time brother.
Riley: thank vou, man. I love vou
For more info, song samples, etc., visit
www.stuckonevil.com
tors, Ron and Hermione are always getting into
adventures. Redheaded Rupert Giant plays the
clownish and nerdy Ron Weasley, while Emma
Watson is the brainy, supercilious Hermione.
Casting for the movie was imperative to help
keep the movie accurate to the book. Alan
Rickman plays Snape, the sinister Professor of
Potions, and Maggie Smith is the tart but con
cerned Professor McGonagall. Richard Harris
has a sage delicacy as Hogwart's revered head
master Albus Dumbledore, and John Hurt is
Mr. 011ivander, seller of magic wands.
Production started on "Harry Potter" in Oc
tober 2000, with most filming done in and
around London (mostly in Leavesden Studios.)
The movie is directed by Chris Columbus and
written by Steve Kloves (who are already in
production on the second "Harry Potter"
movie). They collaborated closely with
Rowling to keep the movie faithful to the book.
Readers' curiosity to be a part of Potter's
world will finally be satisfied. They will get
to tour Diagon Alley, watch a Quidditch match,
and see the enchanting castle that houses
Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone" opens on
three screens today at Tinseltown and one screen at the
behrcolls @ aol.com
(Are you buying my sto-
Beacon:What is the one
thing you would most
like to accomplish dur
ing your recording ca-