CHUCK DIETRICH

OWNER OF BASEMENT RECORDS & REHEARSALS

Chuck Dietrich is easily one of Orange County’s hardest working punks. When he’s not playing in his revolving-door band Bullet Treatment, he’s running Basement Records, Basement Rehearsals and Basement Recording Studios.

Q: Has it been beneficial on the label side of things to have a recording and rehearsal studio at your disposal?

A: For the recording part, yes, but it kind of works in reverse with the rehearsal studio. People practice here knowing that we’re a label and ask questions about how to submit promo packs, get music placed in TV shows … Sometimes guys will hang out here three or four hours a night, just picking my brain.

Q: Let us pick your brain about Bullet Treatment – why the revolving lineup?

A: The Bullet Treatment idea would have never happened with a permanent band. For this new record I’m doing with Fat Wreck Chords, it’s going to be one song with six different singers, so the music is going to be the exact same on every track, but every singer is singing their own lyrics to their own melody. The idea was strictly that I knew a million people in bands that were always having trouble with other members, and band that I liked and looked up to would always lose members. It was never the original lineup. So I said I’m just going to do a band where there are no permanent members.

Q: How have you adapted a punk label to the current industry trends?

A: Ha, I actually still do a lot of vinyl. Vinyl is something that this core audience will always buy. As long as you cater to the diehards, that’s most important. You still have to do the digital stuff just because that’s the nature of the beast, but I’ll put a record out and the vinyl will actually sell faster than downloads and CDs. Also, for the first 100 Insurgence 7-inchs we’re putting out, I’m putting a CD in with the 7-inch, so if you just want to collect the record but put the CD in your car, you can.

www.basementrecords.net

Venue Profile

THE OC TAVERN

SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY’S PRIMARY TOUR STOP

Opened in March 2007, San Clemente’s OC Tavern is still relatively new but already building an impressive resume. Carving out its niche as the perfect tour stop for bands traveling between Orange County and San Diego, the venue boasts a state-of-the-art sound system and laidback vibe, earning a reputation as a smaller Belly Up Tavern (Solana Beach) or House of Blues. Dedicated to showcasing up-and-coming bands, one thing that really sets the OC Tavern apart is the fact that its crew genuinely appreciates the talent coming through the door and treats the musicians accordingly. “I’m a musician myself,” OC Tavern founder Michael Merrigan told Performer. “That’s why I built this place.”

Capacity: 300 live room;

450 with adjoining bar and restaurant.

Stage: 21’ wide by 14’ deep with an 8’x7’x1’

drum riser; audiences love that they can

get right up close next to the performers.

Genres: As a surf town and home to the famous

Trestles surfing spot, San Clemente loves its

reggae, but rock, punk, funk, blues, jazz and

hip-hop shows are also popular at the OC Tavern,

along with live country every Tuesday night.

Alumni: Agent Orange, L.A. Guns, The

Aggrolites, Dave Wakeling of the English Beat,

Mike Ness, Eek-A-Mouse, Pato Banton, KRS-One.

Booking: Send info and MySpace link to octavern@gmail.com 2-3 months in advance.

2369 El Camino Real, San Clemente, CA 92672 | (949) 542-8877

www.octavern.com

IN THE NEWS

Fearless Records has singed L.A.’s Funeral Party and a label debut from the band is in the works. Meanwhile, the

post/punk dance quintet has been on the road with Yelle for their “Set Out & Set Up Tour,” which after crossing the entire country, will wrap on November 2 at the Beauty Bar in San Diego. In other label news, Fearless will release the self-titled debut EP from Dallas, Texas quintet Artist Vs Poet on November 18, and is getting ready for the release of The Maine’s new EP next month.

www.fearlessrecords.com

The Jakes, an avant garde indie rock band from Orange County that

“finds comfort in traditionalism through

Whiskey Blues, Sinatra and electric chant,” have a new EP out, Shake My

Hand. The band will play a few shows around California this month in support of the new release, including a home

turf performance at Chain Reaction in Anaheim on November 22.

www.myspace.com/the

jakes

The Bolts have announced a new partnership with DC3 Entertainment Group, a full-service artist management firm located in Hollywood. The Orange County five-piece, who has seen a lot of positive attention from L.A. radio stations like KROQ Locals Only, recently released its debut album, Like a Fantasy.

www.theboltsmusic.com

Anaheim’s The Willowz haven’t slowed much since the release of their album Chautauqua last spring. This fall, they opened for Beachwood Sparks in Philadelphia and New York, they toured the Southwest with Eagles of Death Metal and The Hives, and they immediately headed over to France to tour in support of the album.

www.thewillowz.com

Long Beach’s I Am Ghost have emerged from self-imposed songwriting solitude with a sophomore album, Those We Leave Behind, and embarked on a world tour in its support last month that will continue through December and cover all of Europe and the UK. The follow-up to 2006’s critically acclaimed debut, Lovers’ Requiem, was recorded with producer Paul Leavitt (Senses Fail, The Bled, Circa Survive) in Baltimore, Md. After a lineup change in 2007, I Am Ghost founder and singer Steve Juliano along with co-founding members Gabriel Irahete (guitar) and Timoteo Rosales (guitar) enlisted the help of Ron Ficarro (bass) and Justin McCarthy (drums) to complete the revamped and revitalized lineup.

www.iamghostmusic.com