We have a new blog site

As we continue to grow we are upgrading to our new blog at: Click here

BarspaceTV

Check out this new site called Barspacetv.com It is allowing users to tune into their favorite bar via live streaming video.

BarspaceTV


MIX IT UP North Bay!

MIX IT UP While You Still Can

And so the time has come that I am now in a position to give advice to the under 30 crowd about what they need to do to avoid the many pitfalls that I have experienced in order to get to the other, ugly side of 30.

First, let me assure you, it’s better to be 30 than to be 20, 21 or even 25, but, more on that later. There are some basics you’ll need to know that will get you through the night.

DRUGS
Now, I feel like I’m getting preachy. Put down the pills. Use only as prescribed. Yes, this means you, clown-ass.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Many of you have it and don’t know it. Get it treated or your head will explode.

CARBS
Pretty much, you should give up the carbs now. I’m talking about refined carbohydrates, essentially any food made by humankind that comes in a box. This will, generally, stop you from becoming a fat ass, or becoming more of a fat ass or getting Type II Diabetes or high blood pressure and a bunch of other stuff by the time you turn 30.

RELATIONSHIPS
They’re not going to be the way you think they’re going to be. So go easy on yourself and the other person. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Is there someone for everyone? Who knows? But, I do know this: you’re good enough for you. And speaking of standards. . .

CAREER
Dreams die hard, bitches. And you can quote me on that. First, remember you don’t have anything to prove. Then, live with passion. Don’t try to impress me. I don’t care what you do with your lives. I just want you to be able to wake up in the morning and wonder what the hell’s going on. And then let me know.

EXISTENTIALISM
You’re gonna have a crisis. Not right before you turn 30 or right after, but 8 months later. That’s when it hits you. You’re not a teenager, anymore. You’re not in your mid-20s reveling in post-college wonder. You’re a 30-something and you’ve achieved some things and not other things. And you probably haven’t taken any of my advice and are fat, dying of liver failure and all your relationships have fallen apart, along with your general appearance (and on a side note, how come all the men at a 10 year high school reunion look like bald, middle aged plumbers and the women are still hot? I’ve seen the pictures, though I refused to attend. Can someone explain this?) But, life is still better than ever, if for no other reason than you’ve outlived Jim Morrison.

BOOZE
Your liver’s dying. Unless you have a donor, it’s time to start cutting back, especially if you’ve hit 25. And if you’ve hit 25 you know what I’m talking about. I’m preparing you to be able to function for life after 30 which is much better, but I’ve decided not to say why. But, suffice it to say, I’m preparing you for the time of your life when you need to be able to get up in the morning and be quasi-functional physically and mentally.

STANDARDS
As legendary pornographer Jackie Treehorn put it “Regrettably, Dude, standards have fallen.” This is true. What are your standards? Do you have any? If you have to think about this for more than 10 seconds you don’t. Get some. You’re gonna need them, before you abandon them.

TEXTING
Stop texting. It’ll destroy your relationships. Stop e-mailing. Give people a call. Better yet, meet them in person. Only call or text people if you don’t care if your relationship is destroyed. Oh, and get the pictures of you with your pants down around your ankles in the bathroom at Spanky’s off your Facebook. I don’t mind looking at them, but Human Resource departments typically don’t.

ONE MORE THING
Finally, I’d like to caution you against taking any sort of advice. You’re probably not going to take it anyway. You’re probably gonna find some all new way of destroying the cosmos or your love life or libido or mental health. In that case, I’d say sometimes not doing anything is better than doing something. Or just do everything I say and don’t blame me for the inevitably negative consequences.

You’ll make it. I’ll be there cheering and welcoming you to the club. It involves a lot of soup.

~ Charles McAuley

Release party

I want to start out by thanking all of you for coming last night to our release party. It was a great turn out and everyone had a good time.


I just wanted to let you know that today is the day MIX IT UP will be available to the public. You can find out where you can get your copy by going to our website and clicking on About Us and then find us. For those of you who are not able to pick up a print edition you can click here

I hope you all enjoy!

Also, please go to our home page and take our short survey so that we can get some feedback from you. We want to know your thoughts so we know what to do for the next one.

One last note, if you know of anybody that would be interested in advertising with MIX IT UP please let me know or they can send an email to advertise@mixitupmagazine.com as well as check out the website for more details.


Thank you,
Ed Troxell
Publisher / Executive Editor

Bowl for Kids' sake- Big Brothers, Big Sisters

Today team MIX IT UP went out and supported Big Brothers Big Sisters of the North Bay for the Bowl for kids' sake. Our team was made up of Robin, Tim, Daniel, Jessica, and I. We all had a great time out at Double Deckers where the event was held. Big Brothers Big Sisters had everything set up from registration to T-shirts, to pizza and drinks to even silent auctions on decorated bowling pins. This was one event that we will have to catch again next year. Check out our video and for more information on the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the North Bay go to


More photo's from Steve at BBBS of the North Bay

Napa’s Miracle Workers Creativity is a fickle mistress.

It doesn’t come from a simple A+B+C formula, in fact it’s a product of so many factors both environmental and internal, that it’s nearly impossible to pin point what exactly creates an exciting and dynamic band. However, those in the Napa/Santa Rosa area should look no further than local sensation, The Helen Kellers, a band that exudes such wild and unencumbered ingenuity like it’s going out of style.

Taking their name from the legendry miracle worker herself, The Helen Kellers craft an exciting blend of bludgeoning alternative rock that’s punctuated with gentle atmospherics, flourishes of power-pop, and large sounding choruses. The band is comprised of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Ryan Rushworth, his sister and keyboardist Rebecca Rushworth, drummer Dustin Miller, bassist Drew Wright, and multi-instrumentalist Kyle Stoner. Through all of it, it’s been the Keller’s passion that has pushed them into their budding notoriety in the local music scene.

“I started the band when I was 16,” explains vocalist Ryan Rushworth.

“I’d turn most of the poetry that I had written into songs. When my sister took up piano, we started collaborating and writing songs together and the band’s grown from there.”
And indeed the band’s grown alongside the Rushworths’ ambition, hooking up with Miller and Stoner and finally settling on Wright for bass, after a revolving door of bassists. And like with all great artists, their heroes and idols played an integral part to their eclectic sound.

“People like Brand New, Elliott Smith, The Velvet Teen, and Radiohead really inspire us,” explained Rushworth.

“These artists really tap into something from the creative insides, and we’re really interested in exploring that ourselves rather than making something that’s sugar-coated.”

And make no mistake; the Kellers examine some deeply personal topics from alienation to broken relationships. Backed by rolling percussion and feedback induced guitars, their song

“Shadow” seems to reach up from the depths of nightmares as Rushworth’s black sarcasm laments, “We drink together/Friends forever/As we toast the setting/Sun…”

“I was picked on a lot as a kid and I channeled a lot of those feelings into our music,” revealed Rushworth.

“For people that are struggling with those same feelings and fears, I hope they can be inspired by what we create.

But it hasn’t just been The Helen Kellers’ ability to tap into something personal that’s given them their allure, the band has also worked tirelessly in promoting themselves.
“There isn’t a music scene in Napa,” explained Rushworth.

“It’s a very conservative town that’s populated by people who primarily listen to cover bands and jazz. There aren’t really any venues or clubs, so we have to go over the Petaluma, Santa Rosa area to really play gigs.”

And indeed, their live show is quite the experience. Catching one of their shows at the Phoenix Theater in Petaluma, it’s clear that The Helen Kellers’ passionate performances are the mark of a band that leaves a little bit of themselves on stage. They work as a unit, often rotating instruments between themselves, but always pushing their voices and instruments well past their breaking points, show after show.

For The Helen Kellers, they’d rather go big before they go home.

A typical Kellers show is bound together by Rushworth’s enigmatic stage presence as his body sharply seizes to his dissonant and caustic guitar, his Robert Smith hairstyle flailing with each spastic movement and heart wrenching scream. Elsewhere, Rebecca Rushworth’s gentle keyboards add soft texture to their songs, while her syrupy backing vocals make their Keller’s material simply soar. Elsewhere, Miller and Wright keep a tight rhythm section while Stoner fluctuates between additional percussion and occasionally sharp, lead guitar work. To see The Helen Kellers is to see a finely tuned machine, one that offers up raw, unfiltered emotion, through musical prose.

And people have begun to take notice.

“The local bands have been really good to us here,” explained Rushworth, “Bands like Body or Brain, Subtones, The 33’s, Nan de Carlo, and Tear It Down have really helped us out. It’s not really a competition around here, more like a bunch of friends looking out for one another.”

And with such fantastic support, it seems the Kellers are truly aiming for something large in their future, consistently building a following after each show.

“”We’re going the distance!” laughs Rushworth, “But seriously, we’re really excited right now. We’re going into the studio at the end of November and will hopefully be done with our album by next February.”

It’s difficult to imagine that The Helen Kellers won’t blow up big at some point. With songs like the positively expansive “Poetry To Bleed” and the mammoth pseudo metal of “Not Going Home,” the band is perched to become a force not just in the Santa Rosa area, but perhaps in the mainstream as well. And while it’s unclear what the exact ingredients are that make an immersive band, it’s clear that The Helen Kellers are just as much part of the ride as their fans are.

“I was to expose us to anyone and everyone,” chuckles Rushworth.

“Take that as you will.”
/By Michael Digrande