"Brace yourself: She's a VIXEN...how the lead singer of a rock band ended up cleaning teeth for a living..."

By Kristen Cusato

 

Janet Gardner recently walked down the hallway of her son's school, carrying a tray of cupcakes. Because it was his birthday, 8 year old Ryan was allowed to bring a drum and play it for his classmates. As Gardner approached his room, she heard two young girls gushing about her son. "Oh, he's so good on that drum!" That stopped her dead in her tracks. "He's got groupies already," she thought to herself. "This...is gonna be dangerous."

 Is turnabout fair play? Janet Gardner did front an all-chick rock and roll band for several years in the 80's and 90's. She wore leather, had big hair, and as the lead singer for VIXEN, opened up for groups like OZZY and KISS on stages all over the world in front of thousands of fans. You think her parents didn't worry?

 Today, Janet Gardner is a wife, a mother, and a dental hygienist in Connecticut. How did she end up where she is today? Let's start with where she came from. Gardner was the youngest of five children born into a very loving Mormon family in Utah. Yes, that's right. Janet Gardner, former lead singer of VIXEN, grew up a Mormon. "My Dad didn't push it. Up to a certain age, we were required to do the Mormon stuff, but then once we reached an age where we could make the decision for ourselves, we were allowed to," Gardner says. That included a tour of U.S. with the Young Americans, a show choir made up of high school kids from several states that mixed dancing and singing. After performing for a few years, she landed in Los Angeles, and started singing with a band. And one night, at a gig, someone told her she would be perfect for an all-girl band in town. She auditioned, but it didn't feel right.  "Too Go-Go's like", she says. "I was into melodic rock, Pat Benatar, Heart." But they worked together, melded their styles, and VIXEN was born. "We did little mini-tours, where everybody was sleeping on the floor of one hotel room, it was really funny." Eventually EMI signed them. Then they changed their mind. Then they signed them again, putting these girls in their early 20's on one big rock and rollercoaster. They made a record, and went out on the road to support it with the only artist going out at the time, Eddie Money. Gardner called that pairing a mismatch, but said it was fun. And it lead VIXEN to their first arena tour, opening for THE SCORPIONS in Europe. Every night, she says, the lights would do down, the lighters would go on, and the crowd would roar.  "It was like everything you dream about as a kid 'I'm a rock star! Ahhhh!' Constant goosebumps," Gardner says. Her 'we made it' moment? The day she was driving into Hollywood, and heard the DJ for KLOS radio in L.A. introduce her song on the radio. "'Here's VIXEN with Edge of a Broken Heart', I had to pull over! Although I did feel pretty confident about that song when Richard Marx, who produced it, played the final mix for me a few weeks before," Gardner says. It wasn't easy though, being part of an all-girl band. The members of VIXEN found they had to prove themselves over and over again. "People are always quick to write you off as some sort of novelty thing, so we knew every night had to be pretty amazing."

 She has some good stories. Like the time she opened the bathroom door of the tour bus and found a male fan standing there. "Hello," she said. "How did you get in here? Did you climb in through the toilet?" Or the time a fan tried to go with the band to their next destination, by climbing onto the top of the bus and holding on for miles. She did date a few rock stars, although she wouldn't say which ones. But Janet Gardner doesn't have a lot of crazy partying stories. "Most of the time after a show, we'd get on the bus, pop popcorn and play pictionary," she said. Really? Really. "We had our moments, but nobody fell over drunk on stage or ended up in rehab." Which may be the reason VIXEN was able to tour for so long. They were on the road from 1984 to 1991, sometimes doing 200 dates a year, with BON JOVI, RATT, DOKKEN, and often headlining. 

 But the band broke up. Musical differences. It happens. Bands also tend to get back together, and when two of the members started playing as VIXEN again, the guitar player sued for the rights to the name. They settled. Then they tried to tour again with the original members. It didn't work. That was about the time Janet Gardner decided she wanted something more out of life. She had met her husband, engineer and guitar player Andy Katz while making the album "Tangerine" in 1998. "I said 'I want to have a family and can't be at the mercy of the music business anymore'." She had a son. And followed in the footsteps of her grandfather, uncles, and cousins and went into the stable field of dentistry. She graduated in 2005 from the University of Bridgeport with a degree in Dental Hygiene and is very content cleaning people's teeth at an office in Fairfield County. Does she get recognized? "Sometimes it comes up. I've seen patients four or five times and they have no idea who I am," she says. "And there are others who are musicians who come in and just talk music."

 Janet Gardner is beautiful, by the way. She may look better today than she did back then. She has luminous skin, and gorgeous straight, thick strawberry blonde hair. And she's pretty animated, especially as she describes the technique shes used to get her hair so big back then. "It was so peroxided, it was crunchy. I'd blow dry it upside down, tease it really good at the roots, and use lots of Aqua Net. The white can, with pink letters. Extra super lacquer hold." 

 Who is she listening to now? She's a big fan of GRACE POTTER AND THE NOCTURNALS, PINK and JOHN MAYER. And she does still dabble in the scene occasionally. There was a VH1 Bands Reunited show that brought all the original members of VIXEN together for a one time show in 2004. And she's played the Mohegan Sun casino with "Scrap Metal", a band made up of old friends from WARRANT, MR. BIG and NELSON, who all sing their top hits for a nostalgic crowd. She admits she misses it. "I do think I'm getting to the point where I want to have some music back in my life," she says. "I went completely out so I could have a family life. But now I want to get back into it. We'll see how it goes." She and her husband have a studio in their home and they've been 'tinkering with some songs', preparing for what could be a Janet Gardner solo album. "It's time for that," she says. The VIXEN days may be over, but Janet Gardner's star may just be ready to shine once again.

(This story with pictures is here....in the July/August issue of VENU magazine page 54)

Ooo la la! It's outdoor concert season!!!

 Thanks to my new friends Mark and Steve, I was able to take my Dad (who was visiting) and my brother  to see Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, and Michael Franti and Spearhead at the Ives Concert park in Danbury. I had never been there...it being an hour away, and...well, I have no other excuse. This particular show was on a Monday and I had Tuesday off, so off we went to the Westside campus of Western Connecticut State University.
 Doors at the Ives open at 5pm, and the opening band (this week it was Bronze Radio Return out of Hartford...they were very good) starts at 6pm. I have been to plenty "bring your own lawn chairs, pick an area to call your own and hope nobody stands up in front of you" outdoor concerts. But not in a while. We didn't bring food, but you can and there is plenty there to buy. We did buy a bottle of wine, and...walked around with it. That was different! And kinda fun. We had seats (there are both reserved and lawn seats) but next time, I'm bringing a blanket and sitting on the lawn...and there is not a bad "seat" in the house. The stage is on the water, on a small, what appears to be a man-made pond, with a lovely fountain in the center. And the Ives center is NON-PROFIT. Most of the folks who work there are volunteers! They did a fab job. From all the folks directing traffic (get there early, there is a lot of traffic as people try to get in to park), to the people searching your bags, (you cannot bring alcohol or other drinks in. food yes, drinks, you buy there), to those taking tickets, or working at will-call, to the young girl who gave us a huge "HELLO THERE!" as we approached the under the tent bar, all nice folks, working so we can have a nice outdoor concert experience. Win.
 And when the second band came on stage, we were mezmerized. Grace Potter is hot, with her short dress, high heels, long blonde hair. But she is good, too. Not good, great. She scream sings, rocks out, jumps around the stage, with her two other guitar players, drummer and chick bass player. She runs between singing behind the piano, and the middle mic while playing guitar (a flying 'V"). Amazing. She made us wait for the Ooo la la song (the one getting radio play) but it was worth it, and we didn't suffer as we waited. Think Janis Joplin meets Gwen Stefani, but she looks like Heidi Klum. Yeah. Then, if you weren't sure if she could hit those crazy notes, she sent everyone else off the stage and sang her tune called "Nothing But The Water" ACAPELLA. Uh huh. She's got it, kids. Cause I know. (kidding, I'm kidding). But I am a music fan and I am now a fan of Grace Potter. Plus it was kinda fun at the end of the show when she pulled her shoes off so she could jump around a little more, and then her bass player (also a girl) pulled hers off and, yes, threw them into the moat in front of the stage. Ha! That was after the drummer sent his sticks flying into the water.
 Wonder who has the job of fishing all the band paraphanalia out of the moat?
 Great bands are coming to the Ives center soon like Earth, Wind and Fire, Peter Frampton and Alison Krauss. Get there. Good times guaranteed, kids.

*Music is the elixir of life, take the time to take a good, long drink*

He's Not Really Little....

 I stayed up for 24 hours the other night. Totally worth it. Work, as normal (early morning news hours), then had plans to see a band that night. Oh, not just any band. THE MIKE CUSATO BAND. Yup, there's a relation. He's my little brother. He's 6'5", so he's not really that little, but he is younger than me, which means I've got bragging rights forever :) And brag about him I do!!! I am so proud of him. He's so freakin' talented. An architect who plays music (lead singer/lead guitar) as just one of his hobbies. He was playing Friday night as part of Bandapalooza, a 12 band competition, for 3 opener-band slots at Alive at 5 in Stamford this year. He could open for bands like MC Hammer, or the B 52's, or Vertical Horizon. Pretty cool, huh? His set Friday night started at 10:30pm, with a scheduled jury arrival at 12:15. That's when 20 people with lanyards walk in, the band immediately starts playing original tunes, and those 20 people rate them on music, showmanship, energy. Mike and his bandmates played original and cover tunes for two hours first. I hadn't heard some of the original tunes, so I was pretty blown away. Maybe it's because I'm related to him, maybe because it's been a helluva year for us, maybe because music fills my soul, maybe because he's really that good. Shredding guitar solos, harmonies, well written lyrics, all that and more.
 Back several years ago, (2005) his old band BIG BONED opened for Third Eye Blind at Fairfield University, in front of a lot of screaming college kids. It was an amazing moment. After his rockin' set, with a smile so huge, he turned his back to the audience, then spun back around and flung a pick into the crowd. Ha! Rock Star.
 So, when the jury members walked in at about 12:40 the other night (morning) and I watched as they took a few steps and turned to the band, and smiled, or found their beat, or said out loud to anyone who was listening "Wow. They're awesome!" I said to myself, and maybe to some of them...."That's my little brother! He is awesome!" My smile was huge then. He will always be a Rock Star to me, his big sister.
*Music is the elixir of life, people, make sure you take the time to take a good, long drink.*
(6 bands go on the finals this week, I will keep you posted :)

The Red Phone did not ring...

 Chris Cornell started and ended his solo acoustic show on April 8th, 2011 with songs that were not his. But it didn't matter, he made them his own, with his absolutely amazing voice. He kept the 1400 people who filled the Klein Auditorium in Bridgeport, Connecticut riveted for two hours. Two hours of tunes, sung by Chris Cornell from every part of his career (a little help, if you don't know: CC is/has been the lead singer of Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple of the Dog). Can I just say HE WAS AMAZING. A thought came to me early on: that his voice was almost too big for the room--in a good way. So clear, so good, so "the doors were pulsing because the sound was trying to get out".  He was flanked on stage by five guitars, a record player on one side of him, and a red phone on a stool on the other. The red phone, he told an audience once, was given to him by Jeff Buckley's Mom, after Jeff passed away...Jeff used to use it to call God. Chris said he uses it sometimes to call Jeff. The red phone did not ring this show.

 When he came out, the crowd stood, whooped and cheered, and eventually sat down. I, along with others, held my breath to hear him live--for the first time. Wow. He started by covering Syd Barrett, then John Lennon, then old the audience he has no set list. So, some people tried to help by yelling out requests, but I have a feeling he knew exactly where he wanted this show to go, and where he wanted to take us. You may think things would start to sound the same, as you listen to one person playing for two hours. No. way. He played Can't Change Me, followed by a b-side of SCREAM, called Wide Awake, which he said was autobiographical in that it was about his "giving up on drinking." He hit some ridiculous high notes on Call Me a Dog, and told the story behind Like Suicide. About a bird that flew so hard into his window, it broke it's neck, so...he had to smash it. (!)

 It was as if he invited us all into his living room. CC took off his guitar, and walked over to the record player, and pulled out a vinyl version of the piano part for When I'm Down. Oh My. That was a highlight for me. He stood there, eyes closed and sang with such power, and passion. It was truly a beautiful moment. Sigh. After the song was over, he gently took it off the record player, placed it back in the cover and handed it to a guy in the front row as a "wedding present". (I heard from friends who were sitting near him, that the dude got so obnoxious later in the show, that he was thrown out. Happy Wedding!) Speaking of wedding, CC's wife Vicky was sitting right off stage, with their son Christopher for much of the show, you could see his little feet kicking along with the music from the audience. Chris played the song he wrote for his wife and sang at their wedding...Finally Forever...and told us it was a REALLY good idea to do that if you can for the one you marry, it's an idea he said, that will pay off for years!
He covered, Zeppelin. He sang a Mother Love Bone tune, and told us through the lyrics where the name of the band Temple of the Dog came from. (There are other lines in this song: 'Words and music, my only tools, communication...' which explain my life, thank you very much.) That tune segued into a few lines of Comfortably Numb, as if we all weren't already. With giant smiles on our faces.
 The show proper ended with Black Hole Sun. And then he brought his son Christopher out for the encore, asked the little guy what he wanted to hear, and played Scream, Billie Jean, and A day in the Life. Little Christopher played air guitar with his Daddy. Can you imagine? "Yeah, Chris Cornell is my Dad...I was on stage with him when I was 5 years old, it was a pretty good childhood,"
Awesome. Awestruck. Chris Cornell live and unplugged. See him if you get the chance. No, make it happen. You will be more than pleased with the musical journey he takes you on.

Music is the elixir of life, people. Drink it down.

3rd Chance at Life

 I met Mike Falzone at the mall. Well, I actually "met" him last year, when I hosted BRENTAPALOOZA, an awesome multi-band music festival in Bridgeport. But I met him at the mall for this interview. And in true, "Hey, I'm a musician, I'm probobly gonna blow up soon" fashion, he made me wait. But it was ok, 'cause my pretzel bites were deeelicious. I've been a fan of his music since right before the festival last year. (go check him out here out after you read this k? k.) The music is good, but the dude is funny. Funny on stage, funny sometimes in person. But REALLY funny on YouTube. What? Yes, ladies and gents, this guy and others are proving the interwebs are the way to do the music thing. You get people to subscribe to your channel, or you put your tunes on facebook and  twitter, and the audience grows without a hell of a lot of legwork. Mike Falzone has been doing this for about five years now on 'the YouTube'. But more seriously for the last several years. He does a cover song or some other funny bit just about every week, and makes sure he interacts with every person who comments. The response to his work has been amazing. And the reason I am writing this, is because I am very excited about his new venture. He is about to fly to Orlando and take part in something called PLAYLIST LIVE. Falzone describes it as the the Lollapalooza of YouTube, with 50 artists and personalities performing. He doesn't really know what to expect, but he's siked to go. "I would love a music and comedy blend to be able to able to help me pay for my groceries, and I've recently decided that I don't want to work for anyone else anyway," Falzone says.
 Well, his attitude may have changed a bit since he ALMOST DIED TWICE IN A MONTH. Last fall, his appendix burst, he had two kidney stones, and then he had a pulmonary embolism (that's when a blood clot floats to your lungs. Check Serena Williams. Falzone did it first. And he lost his job while he was sick. Good times.) So, the 26 year old is on blood thinners, he isn't really drinking (imagine if you were 26 and told alcohol is just not a good idea), and he's thinking a tad differently. He's jumping on opportunites, he's hitting his music pretty hard. (Michael Mangini recently produced an EP with Falzone. Mangini has done albums with Joss Stone, the Jonas Bros and local band Kicking Daisies). "When you hear a doctor say 'you almost died twice in one month' you start to realize what wouldn't be there again. I am done getting mad at the small things. And I am very appreciative of people who watch my stuff on YouTube. I know how precious time is, and I want to thank them for watching," the guy who almost died says.
 He tours too, he just wrapped up a NYC, Philadelphia, Hamden CT and Cleveland tour, and according to his facebook posts, sold every show out. He says people travel from all over to see him, after following him on YouTube.
 Playlist Live is next. Then, who knows. Perhaps a mall tour? I asked him if he knew who Tiffany was. He said "I would love to hang out with Tiffany. She still looks good."

Plug it in people...and enjoy the musical ride. xoxo

My Skin is Painfully New...

 I love it when you find an album that moves you. I mean truly moves you. To the point where you listen to it over and over again, and hear different things each time. One that speaks to you. One you may happen to revisit over a few glasses of wine a few years after you first fell in love with it, and you realize you still know all the words.
 SKIN by Melissa Etheridge.
 I will try to tell you what it means to me by telling you how it makes me feel. (And yes, I am very well aware she is gay and is singing about her break-up with Julie Cypher, who was Lou Diamond Phillips' ex-wife. They had two children together, fathered by David Crosby--I got the back story. And I don't care who she's singing about, a chick or a dude, it is an amazing album.) It may help that I first fell in love with this while I was trying to repair my own heart after a pretty painful break-up years ago. I love that SKIN tells a story. That doesn't seem to happen in albums anymore, in part because people tend to buy single songs these days, in part because some artists realize that and therefore some don't think people appreciate a story...so I appreciate being taken on a journey from the first song.
(I approve the following interpretation, well, cause it's mine)

Track-1
"Lover Please". As in Don't go. Come back. This hurts.
Track-2
"The Prison". About not being able to break free from the pain that becomes your prison. She knows what needs to be done, but she cannot get out.
Track-3
"Walking on Water". Wishing things could change. Wishing for a miracle to bring it (the love) back.
Track-4
"Down to One". And the fun stuff. Realizing you are solo. Trying to fix what's in you, that you feel broke the love between you two.
Track-5
"Goodnight". The tables begin to turn. You begin to feel a little bit again, a sharp, cool breath in. "called a new friend for a second time", she sings. When you say Goodnight out loud before you go to sleep, and no one hears you.
Track-6
"It's Only Me". Mmm....a tad pissy now, grit your teeth as if to say, you will never know love like I showed you. You will never feel the way I made you feel.
Track-7
"I Want To Be In Love." (this was the song that got radio play) OK, bring it on! Ready for love...give it to me!!!
Track-8
"Please Forgive Me". This song is so powerful. Lyrics: "Please forgive me/if I don't know what to do/it's an old fire/this familiar desire/but my skin is painfully new." This is the sing out loud part. LOUD.
Track-9
"The Different". Time to take a chance, a risk, to fall. "It's time to fly..."
Track-10
"Heal Me". A plea. In a place that was so dark but now can see the light and bask in it. I picture arms lifted, open, still sore, yet determined to make it...and be ok.
I am exhausted from writing that. Ride the wave, until it comes ashore. May you love deeply, and if it ends, may you heal and be able to bask again.
OK, your turn. :)
Peace, love and musica.

Black Rock does indeed, Rock!

 It was, in a word, "Jam-tastic"! I'm talking about Black Rock Rocks, an annual event in Black Rock, a small area nestled between Fairfield and Bridgeport. The Mardi Gras styled day was filled with good music, good people and it went really well. I had the pleasure of emceeing, so I had my schedule in hand for most of the night, to make sure I didn't miss my next stage announcement, raffle prize winners, tip your bartenders speech. I started at Neutral Ground (former Lady Luck), to introduce the Michael Cleary Band, or MCB (not to be confused with the Mike Cusato Band). It was early, but they rocked it. I headed across the street next to wrap up Iron Chicken Foot. They were playing in Marty's Brick Oven pizza. Small venue, with a big pepperoni smell. It was two dudes, one with a fiddle and the other with a banjo. They were pretty tight, sounded good. Next up, Acoustic Cafe to introduce King For a Day, a new and improved KFAD, if I may. Three guys with guitars and mics, sitting on stools, perfect for the stage at Acoustic Cafe. They were...AWESOME. Granted, I am biased. I know these fellas, I interviewed Benj, Dan and Randy last year for an article for the Fairfield Weekly when they released their rock CD. This time, they were broken down, minus a drummer (although I told them I am planning to take cajon lessons, and they told me to call them when I was ready to play with them. HA!). They really were fantastic. They rocked their harmonies, songs are a little different....good music. More and more people came in to listen...filled up the dance floor area, where there are usually small tables and chairs, right in front of the stage. The Acoustic Cafe is a great place to see shows. Intimate, comfortable, with cool paintings on the walls and nice bartenders. Bands of all genres play there, and there's a pretty diverse open mic scene on Tuesday nights, as well. I then popped back across the street to intro Otis and the Hurricanes. My friend Doug, who occasionally plays with my brother, is one of the sax players in this band--that was a nice surprise. They've been doing this a loooong time. And it shows. They got Neutral Ground rocking, quickly. Back over to the Acoustic Cafe to introduce my friend Renard Boissiere and his band Nardy Boy. You see, this is Renard's Christmas, Mardi Gras time. He is from New Orleans, and doesn't really need to play with anyone else, in that he can make all the horn sounds with his...mouth. But he does have a band and they were FANTASTIC! They made everyone move in song #1. A cool side note, the dude on drums Michael Paolucci, was ON BANJO in Iron Chicken Foot! Multi-talented. A lot of these guys/gals are. Many of them lend their talents to several bands, which means more musical goodness for us. Every time I went on stage, I'd say "I'm Kristen Cusato from News 8, but I'm really just a big groupie..." Tis true. And I like it when I get new bands to dig. The last one I intro'd at Neutral Ground is on my list. The Primate Fiasco is a band out of Massachusetts, they played The Gathering of the Vibes last year...and it's like the crazy members of my high school concert band...on steroids! Tuba? check. Clarinet? check. Trumpet? check. Banjo player? check. They started across the street at Acoustic Cafe and led a parade of folks over to the bar, where they paused to plug in...and let the tv girl say a few words. Think Squirrel Nut Zippers. They played themes from Star Wars, 2001 A Space Odyssey. And this is just a few hours after they played...a funeral. They look like college kids...they make adults dance around with no cares, they were very fun. You should check them out if you get a chance.
Thanks to Nicole and Angel and Juan and Darian and all the other folks who made it a great, smooth, musical night...twas most enjoyable. Thank you for including me. And proving, once again, that Black Rock, does indeed, Rock!!!