PLEASE NOTE: This is a form letter that I'm sending out to a SELECT FEW. So, if you're now reading this, it's because I'm hoping you'll have the heart (and a free schedule) to take part in a very worthwhile event. I saw an article in the paper today that made me realize just how precious life really is and, it made me feel for a total stranger. So, out of the blue, I made a phone call, explained who I was, what I do and what I'd like to do...and I got permission to do something. And that's where you come in...HOPEFULLY. On August 19th, I will hold a benifit concert for Crystal Clark in Kulpmont, Pennsylvania to help cover her medical expenses. I'm now in the process of trying to get some "prizes" donated to sell chances for in order to help raise some money. I won't get into any of that here because I'm still talking to people about that. But, what we really need are a few bands who are willing to get together for a good cause and help make this event happen. After all, we can't have a concert without bands now, can we? This will be a NON-ALCOHOLIC event that will be held OUTDOORS at the West End Fire Company in Kulpmont, Pennsylvania. So, if you'd be willing to offer your time and talents for an hour or two, please get in touch as soon as you can. As soon as I get a set line up, I will begin advertising the show. There will also be an article in the Sunbury Paper (written by me) two days before the event and hopefully, there will be other news coverage as well. I'm looking into a few things, all of which will be announced once I get things confirmed. I can be reached at 570-644-0354 pretty much any time, day or night. I'll leave my answering machine on if I go out, so, leave a message if you happen to get the machine. If you can't do the show, but, you'd like to donate items to use as prizes (or, if you'd like to give Crystal a copy of your current album, a T-Shirt, whatever). Send them to my P.O. Box and I will make sure she gets them on the night of the show! Thanks In Advance, The 1/2 Creeper c/o Paul Autry P.O. Box 227 Shamokin Pa. 17872 AND NOW, HERE'S THE ARTICLE THAT MADE ME DECIDE TO DO THIS EVENT! KULPMONT -- In early April, high school graduate Crystal Clark was tested to see if she was eligible for a much-needed heart and lung transplant. A few weeks later, she received the call. It was a 'go.' Now, her name rests at the bottom of a waiting list, until an organ match comes through. Could be years, could be months, could be tonight. Anytime, she could get the call. The call that would mean activating the LifeFlight helicopter, reserved to transport her to The Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh, where she must arrive within four hours to recieve the still-viable organs. Sound a little intense? Not for Crystal. Nineteen-year-old Crystal has severe pulmonary vascular disease, according to Dr. Stephen Cyran, director of pediatric cardiology at Hershey Medical Center. All her life, she's dealt with doctors and pulmonary difficulties, having been born with abnormalities in the structure of the blood vessels in her lungs. "Her vessels - they are deteriorating. How fast? They don't know," said her father Scott. For years, she has passed her regular check-ups, conducted every 1-3 years at first and then once a month. But, a heart catherization in October 1999 showed that her arteries and vessels were not growing adequately and keeping up with her own growth, leading to the significant overwork of her heart's right side and a continual high pressure in her lungs. Dr. Cyran describes her prognosis as "quite guarded ... because the pressure in her lungs will get higher as she gets older, resulting in more overwork on her heart." Her condition forced her to leave school early and go on medical leave at Burger King in October. She has since, spent her energy doing chores at home and having "low-energy" fun. "I used to help with the wash, but now I can't carry a basket of clothes up the steps," said Crystal. "But, I still help fold them." Despite her limiting condition, Crystal has been denied SSI benefits, according to Diane. "I don't think they realize it's deteriorating," she said. In 6-7 months, a hearing will be held to overturn this denial. She's not "going away to college," but she's going to get a higher education. "It's kind of sad that all my friends are going to college and I'm not, but I am taking correspondence courses through mail in computer graphics design," said Crystal, stating that she could be certified in six months. Still, she joins her friends on trips to the mall, cruising, chatting and surfing on-line -- all low-energy activities. For three days, Crystal withstood a full day's worth of pricking and prodding, pushing to see how far her stamina could stretch, mental measuring by a psychiatrist, X-rays, MRI's, EKG's - all to see if she was sick enough to need a transplant and healthy enough to accept one. Weeks after, the team of doctors who examined her at The Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh, one of few facilities in the country that perform the double organ transplant, revealed the results. "Some people just need lung transplants. They had to see if I needed a heart transplant, too," said Crystal. "Mainly they wanted to meet her, get familiar with her structure, condition, her activity level," added her mother Diane. "And, for Crystal, it's high-risk because of the other surgeries," said her father Scott, mentioning that Crystal's condition required two open-heart surgeries at ages 2 and 12. Now, Crystal must be on guard, because at any moment an organ donor, matching her blood type, could come through. "I'll have to decide, 'should I pass that and wait till the next one comes along? Pass it to the next person?," explained Crystal. Crystal reasoned that she "feels good now," but she also realized that her condition could take a turn for the worse at any moment. "You might pass it [organs] up and what if your condition deteriorates?" she considered. According to Cyran, the transplant process is a long one - sometimes with a wait of up to a few years for a matching donor. In the meantime, the Clarks have reserved a helicopter and are seriously considering buying a "beeper" for Crystal so she can be alerted at any moment. "See, if a computer match comes in, we have to be down there within four hours," said her father. "And, I don't know where she is all the time," said her mother, as Crystal smirked. "I'm out," she answered with attitude. The heart and lung can only be presereved for four hours, unlike other organs, according to the Clarks. "A kidney can be preserved longer, not a heart and lung," said her father. Crystal isn't nervous now, nor does she think she will be when the call comes. "When she's on the operating table...," said her mother. "That's when it hits me," finished Crystal. "We have LifeFlight booked to transfer her and a back-up plan -- some '1-800' number that sets up an airplane for that purpose." Is a "call" a cure? Sadly, it's not a cure. "If she gets it -- it's not a cure. In six years, she'll probably need it again," said Scott. "That could happen." "It's just a temporary...solution," seconded Crystal. The "temporary solution" requires some upkeep too -- some potentially damaging upkeep. "Once you're living on a transplant, it's maintenance," said Scott, explaining that 'anti-rejection" medicine is needed for the rest of the recipient's life. "The lymphatic system [connected to your lungs] cleanses you of diseases that set in from the outside world, that go into the lungs and lymphatic system," said Scott. "But, you can't keep that [lymphatic system] with the lung." "And, the anti-rejection medicine could make my kidneys go bad," said Crystal, citing yet another consequence of lung transplants. The success rate, according to Cyran. "With heart transplants alone in her age group, it's quite good," he said, noting those surviving for five years range from 80-85 percent. The lung transplant has a lower rate of success, with 60 percent surviving for five years, he added. Heart-and-lung transplant operations have been performed since 1980 in the United States. The donated heart and lungs are from a human who has been declared brain-dead but remains on life-support. Tissue matches must be made to assure the patient's best chance of fighting off rejection of the transplanted tissue. While the patient is deep asleep and pain-free (general anesthesia), an incision is made through the breast bone (sternum). Tubes are used to re-route the blood to a heart-lung bypass machine to keep the blood oxygenated and circulating during the surgery. The patient's heart and lungs are removed and the donor heart and lungs are stitched into place. The risks associated with this procedure are: risks associated with reactions to anesthesia, medications and problems breathing, bleeding and infection. Additional risks of transplant include infection due to anti-rejection (immunosuppression) medications and blood clots (deep venous thrombosis). The costs of any surgery varies significantly between surgeons, medical facilities, and regions of the country. Patients who are younger, sicker, or need more extensive surgery will require more intensive and expensive treatment. Heart-lung transplant surgery may exceed $250,000, including the surgeon's fee, anesthesiologist's fee and hospital charges, which includes nursing care and the operating room, the medications, and additional charges. =============== The 1/2 Creeper July 2000 (E-mail creeper@sunlink.net to be added or removed from this mailing list!) I know it's been awhile since I last sent out a newsletter. After the release of my last print issue, which I was greatly disappointed with, I took somewhat of a vacation in order to get away from it all so I could figure out what I wanted to do with this publication, how I wanted to do it, what direction to go in, the whole nine yards. Well, I've been away long enough and now it's time to get back into the swing of things. I'm doing a lot of cool stuff now and this newsletter will bring you up to date on everything that's going on. With that said, let's get right into it, shall we? A new print issue is once again in the works. Some of the reviews & interviews might be considered "old news" by now. But, I have some great material sitting here and, no matter how long I've had it, it's still worth writing about. After all, that's what I'm supposed to do with the stuff that gets sent my way. Also, with this issue, promotion through the mail will be secondary. I'm going to direct my efforts towards my local music scene. The bulk of what I print up will be placed in various clubs & music stores as a FREE publication. If you're looking to advertise, get in touch now. This is gonna happen with or without your support, but, why not get something out of it? I'm now doing a weekly column for a city newspaper that reaches some 75,000 people a day. Once a week, I'll be doing a full length article on various national and independent artists. For the most part, I'm gonna concentrate on the Pennsylvania scene. But, from time to time, I will be writing about other artists...depending on who they are and if I feel they have something to offer the people of this area. For those of you interested in a possible article, please send a press kit to the address at the end of this newsletter and TWO photographs (required). No pictures, no article! I'm already working a few weeks ahead of myself, so, if you want an article, now is the time to get in touch because I already have plenty of bands lined up and more are constantly being added. Our debut compilation CD is still in the works. We still have plenty of space available on this release. So, if you'd like to be involved, get in touch now. There is a $25 fee per song and submissions must be sent on CD. We already have material by Draganoid, Young & Fabulous, Torie Tyson, Darling Demoniac, The Bridge and Halestorm. We'll keep you up to date on our progress! Finally, we have our distribution list, which hasn't been too well promoted since we started it. But, we have CD's for sale by such artists as Killer Kahn, Heaven's Burning, Seasons Of The Wolf, Funhouse, Theoadore Muddfoot and many more. A complete list will be released soon, so, keep watching for more information. Now, let's get into some reviews...shall we? Here are some pages that you should know about already if you actually read anything that I send out. Besides my efforts with The 1/2 Creeper, I'm also involved with Degy Shop and Ballbuster Magazine. Both do exceptional work in getting music known all over the world and that's something every independent musician can and should appreciate. Plus, if you're just a fan, these two web pages should be at the top of your list when it comes to looking for new music to check out. http://www.degyshop.com http://www.ballbusterhardmusic.com Black Velvet Magazine: http://www.blackvelvetmagazine.com >From day one, Anisa Murphy has been one of my most dedicated supporters. She has shown me nothing but kindness and encouragement in the six years that I've been doing The 1/2 Creeper. She was the first person to feature The 1/2 Creeper on a web page, which is where it has remained for quite some time. Due to my little vacation from the music scene, I haven't sent her anything new recently to add to her page. So, I'm currently not up there. But, go check out her page anyway. She's an exceptional solo artist who makes some amazing music that's kind of hard to describe. I guess the best way to describe it is with two words...UNIQUE and ORIGINAL! Check it out! http://listen.to/anisa Kruzt is an exciting new band featuring two well known and respected area musicians, John Donavan and Alexander Paul, who have worked together in the legendary Youth In Asia. Now, together again, they've released their debut album, "No Accounting For Taste," a totally professional, 13 song CD that pretty much has to be heard to be understood and appreciated. This release is gonna give the music industry something to talk about, that's for sure. A total "do it yourself" production with top notch production. Hell, you can't go wrong with this one! http://www.kruzt.com I've gotta tell you, I have recently found a band that puts all others to shame. These guys have my vote for band of the year. They're called Cut Throat and they're like, TOTALLY AWESOME! As of this writing, I haven't heard their CD, but, I have seen the home video that they released and, well, I was hooked. These guys play energetic, balls to the wall, in your face, rock and fucking roll! You can't beat this. I'm getting more information on this band, but, while you're waiting, you can check out their web page, which I suggest you do if you have any taste at all! http://www.cutthroatonline.com Undergreen is a band that's a recent addition to The 1/2 Creeper. I've seen them live twice and I have a copy of their ultra-cool CD, "The Devil You Know." As far as musical style, in a way, you could compare 'em to Megadeth, but, they're not a carbon copy of that band as they do have their own original sound. Plus, they're a hell of a band to know on a personal level. I even had the pleasure of doing an improvised version of "Fight For Your Right To Party" with them and Draganoid. You had to be there, people! Anyway, these guys are making some serious noise on the local scene and everyone's invited to the party. Accept the invitation and check out their web page. http://www.undergreen.com Not only has he been a part of The Flaunt and Crabtree, he's also been a solo artist. If that's not enough, he now has a new band called Orange Helicopter. To find out more about this band, as well as WHO I'm talking about, be sure to check out the official web page! http://www.orangehelicopter.com I was asked by a friend of mine to mention something cool that his record label is doing and since this request came from a long time supporter of this magazine, this deserves a mention. Now, the name of the program is The World Conquest Records Indie Distribution Program. It provides FREE online distribution for musicians. Doesn't matter what style of music you play and it doesn't matter if you have a label or not. Indie bands, major bands, self financed bands, all are welcome. Only catch is, you need to have a professional market ready CD or cassette available for sale, which most of you do anyway. If you're interested in more information, check out the web page below. http://www.worldconquestrecords.com I find it hard to review a style of music that I'm not well versed in. It's true, I listen to a wide variety of musical styles. But, a lot of the non-metal music I have in my collection is stuff I never had to write about. So, I'm kind of at a loss for words as I sit and listen to the latest release by Southern Jazz. According to the liner notes, the music this band likes to create is a combination of traditional Dixieland & Swing. If you can imagine that, then you'll have a good idea of what to expect when you listen to "There's No Place Like Home." The production on this release is excellent and it makes the experience all the more enjoyable. This release might be a bit mellow for most of you. But, if I can get into it, I'm sure some of you will like it as well. There are some songs on here that I am familiar with, such as "Makin' Whoopie," "Amazing Grace," "Home Sweet Home" and my personal favorite, "Georgia On My Mind." I'm always one who likes to experience something different and one of the main reasons why I started this publication was to turn other people on to good music. I've always said, it doesn't have to be metal to be good...it just has to be good. If I ever need a CD to back up that statement, Southern Jazz will be at the top of the list. So, give it a chance. Also, ask about their first release, "Swingin' In Paducah." http://www.southernjazz.com I'm very open minded when it comes to music. I listed to a wide variety of musical styles. However, when it comes to country music, that's a style that I can live without. But, every now and then, an artist comes along who makes quite an impression on me. Beth Singer is one of those artists and, SUPRISE, she's a country music artist. Her album, "Live While I Can," became a favorite of mine from the moment I heard it. Her newest material (which can be found on her web page) is making me pay even more attention to this talented young singer. She's the perfect example of someone who has made their dream a reality through hard work and dedication. It's only a matter of time before Beth Singer is a household name and, believe me, she will be a major force in the country music scene when the rest of the world gets the chance to experience this talented performer. http://www.bethsinger.com I've only known this band for a very short time, but, in that time, it's become clear to me that these guys are going places...and crushing everything that happens to stand in their way. Without a doubt, they're the most aggressive band to ever appear on a Pennsylvania stage. The band's name is Spinebelt and there's no other band in this area that can match what they do in concert. I recently had the pleasure of catching 'em live and it was pure, sonic perfection. After the show, I was in awe, no words could describe what I saw. To match their killer stage show, they can now be heard on their impressive, full length CD, "The Throne Of The Hive." I have one word to describe these guys...UN-REAL! Need I say more? http://www.spinebelt.com "White" is a nine song compilation album from The End Records that features Odes Of Ecstasy, Sculptured, Mental Home, Love History, Agalloch, Mistigo Varggoth Darkestra, Scholomance, Epoch Of Unlight and Nokturnal Mortum. There's some good music on this disc, but, there's a lot of the typical black/death metal vocals which do NOTHING for me. There's so many bands out there who do this style of music. So, this compilation is a good way for you to hear some of what's out there. Nine songs, nine bands and over an hour's worth of music to please even the darkest of hearts! http://www.theendrecords.com I normally don't jump on any "causes," but, since this has to do with music and one of my favorite groups, I felt the urge to voice an opinion. I spent $16.00 on Motley Crue's "Live: Entertainment Or Death" CD because, well, Motley Crue is an awesome band, second only to Kiss. Anyway, it turns out that WAL-MART sold me an EDITED version of this album and they REFUSED to give me a refund, as I wasn't satisfied with having a CHOPPED version of a Motley Crue album. It's nice to know that WAL-MART is trying to "protect" me from the naughty F word and by doing so, they sold me what I consider to be DEFECTIVE merchandise. So, I'd like to salute WAL-MART with an uncensored FUCK YOU! I will NEVER buy another CD at WAL-MART because I DON'T SUPPORT CENSORSHIP and I urge each and every one of you to do the same. I'd also like to urge Motley Crue to take a stand against this. Don't ignore the fact that your music is being sold in such a cheap manner. WAL-MART IS RIPPING OFF YOUR FANS WITH YOUR NAME! Are you gonna stand for that? http://www.walmartsucks.com Well, on that note, I'm gonna end this newsletter. But, I'll do my best to keep bringing you more web pages to check out on a monthly basis now that we're back in action. I don't expect you to like every band that I write about, but, that's the whole point of having a variety. At least there's something here for everybody. Please make an effort to SIGN GUESTBOOKS where available and let the artists know that you heard about them through this newsletter! Until next time, keep rocking and SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC! The 1/2 Creeper c/o Paul Autry P.O. Box 227 Shamokin Pa. 17872 E-mail: creeper@sunlink.net