Psych of the South

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TEXARKANA GAZETTE ★ SUNDAY, JANUARY 14, 2007
REMOTE
POSSIBILITIES
AMC’s Zarf/Zoe
storyline surprises
Zarf. Zoe. Zarf. Zoe. Zarf. Zoe.
Yes, I like the name Zoe better. Much better.
And while I do not love the name Zarf,
I have to yell from the
rooftops, that I do love the
Jodi
character Zarf. And Zoe,
Sheridan his female being.
Zarf, if you can’t rememColumnist
ber one of my previous
columns, is a character on
“All My Children.”
A transgender character.
The first major transgender in daytime. With a
major story.
Zarf was first introduced to AMC watchers
last year as a rocker lending a song to the fictional
company Fusion.
Well, he blew into PIne Valley recently,
taking advantage of a clause giving him
quite a bit of artistic control.
Immediately, he fell for Bianca, the show’s
lesbian character, and finally figured out
why.
He’s really Zoe.
The story that AMC has weaved with the
telling of Zoe’s tale has been wonderful.
Amazing. And it surprises me.
I had no idea Zarf or Zoe would command this much presence and story.
The scenes where Zoe made her first
appearance on Bianca’s doorstep and the
subsequent reveal to a stunned Bianca were
outstanding scenes. Better than I thought
AMC could ever pull off.
I’ve read message boards and listened to
fans tell of how they could feel the emotions and were captivated by Zoe’s words.
Count me in as captivated.
But Bianca doesn’t understand. And Zoe
was left heartbroken and humiliated. And
now, Zarf has re-emerged with the intention to leave Pine Valley.
However, and here’s a spoiler, so stop
reading if you don’t want to know: Zarf is
going to become a prime suspect in the
show’s Satin Slayer killings.
The residents of Pine Valley should be
prepared to be knocked off their feet next
week as Zarf is set to explain his story to
those who suspect him of murder.
I’m positive that I wouldn’t love the characters Zarf and Zoe this much if it weren’t
for the talents of actor Jeffrey Carlson.
He is stunning in his delivery and a true
gem that AMC was lucky to find.
Shortly after my initial column on this
subject ran, I received several e-mails from
transgenders—all of them looking forward
to their story finally being told.
One, Marti Abernathey, who has a blog,
is holding her judgment, but thinks the
storyline was “sheer genius” on the part of
AMC.
“I think it could be a great thing to educate people to our plight,” said Marti. “One
thing that has been impressed upon me is
how much misinformation/misunderstanding there is about the lives of transgender
folk.”
Another transgender believes telling this
story could benefit the community as a
whole.
Leigh Smythe, another transgender, fears
there may be a little sensationalism about
the life of transgenders, but is still hopeful.
“ I hope they have a whole episode about
Zarf getting kicked out of a ladies rest
room!!! And some of the other bigotry that
we commonly face,” said Leigh.
Leigh summed it up nicely in an e-mail:
“The most wonderful result that could
happen is to get the public incensed at the
discrimination that happens. But, it would
not be good if it’s framed in such a way that
the populace agrees with the people who
look down upon us, the police that arrest
us, or the thugs that beat us, or the killers
that murder us, just for being who we are.
There are so many kind, gentle, deserving
(transgenders) that don’t deserve that kind
of treatment in any media.”
So, kudos so far, AMC. Keep the good
work going.
And if you’ve formed opinions so far, I’d
love to hear them! E-mail me at jsheridan@
texarkanagazette.com.
SHNS
Jeffrey Carlson portrays Zarf on “All My
Children.”
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Staff photo by Aaron Street
Mike Hubrel
“I regard music
as a common
language I have
been blessed to
learn. Anytime
somethingbothered
me I went to my
room and picked up
the guitar. It was my
sanctuary. Music is
a growing process.
The music takes me
in many different
directions, I don’t
necessarily set the
direction.”
—Mike Hubrel
A lifetime spent in love with music
Local musician’s song preserved for posterity on Website archive
“Rock is so much fun. That’s what it’s all
about—filling up the chest cavity and empty
kneecaps and elbows.”—Jimi Hendrix
By Anthony Davis
Texarkana Gazette
When Mike Hubrel, Texarkana, Ark., songwriter/guitarist, picks up his flat-top Martin
guitar and begins to play, Hendrix’s words
become more easily understood.
Hubrel’s entire presence and sense of being
seems to inflate as his fingers find notes and
chords easily and efficiently, animating his
movements and demeanor.
It is evident Hubrel maintains a lifelong love
affair with his guitar and his music.
But, like many young guitarists in the early
1960s, heeding the siren call of the muses
meant being in the right place at the right time.
At age 12, Hubrel found himself standing on the stage of the famed San Francisco
Cow Palace as a winner of a South City (San
Francisco) battle of the bands contest. His
instrument was tuned and handed to him by
union stagehands and to his back was a mountain of amplifiers.
But it was short-lived attention for the young
musician.
Just when this teen gunslinger with a head
full of lyrics and a blossoming set of skills was
contemplating ways to make his mark on the
San Francisco, Calif., music scene, his family
moved “lock, stock and barrel” to Ashdown,
Ark.
“I literally broke down and cried,” Hubrel is
heard saying in a video interview conducted
recently by Harold Ott, founder of “Psych of
the South,” a rather new Website focusing on
psychedelic, rock and garage bands of the early
1960s.
“I left all the glamour and the glitter and so
many more opportunities to play. When we
moved to Ashdown, I didn’t know anyone into
rock music. But we recorded the song “Run,
Hide, Getaway” shortly after that.”
“We” in this case meaning bandmates for a
time—Hubrel, Paco Ritter, Roger Snead and
Steve “Wildman” Adams performing under the
name Dead On Arrival.
That particular song was literally “dug up” by
Ott and his partners, sister Rachel and music
obsessed friend Cliff Farmer, while searching
for material for psychofthesouth.com.
This trio of rock hounds and treasure-seekers developed the Internet site in 2006, “when
a few kids from Arkansas decided to research
psychedelic rock bands in the South. From
these reports, the crew tracked down band
members of Arkansas bands, hanging out,
reminiscing and fact finding.”
The Otts and Farmer are now making these
recordings, interviews and related trivia and
memorabilia available to the public at www.
psychofthesouth.com.
“A lot of these bands may not have even
been popular locally, as many were just high
school friends with bands or garage bands like
DOA. It was ‘the’ band from Ashdown,” Ott
said in a telephone interview.
“Most of the music we focus on is prior to
the British Invasion in about 1963-64. There
were a lot of frat bands, surf bands, garage and
psychedelic bands up until about 1971. We even
researched newspapers and found the amount
of coverage of local music declined after the
mid-’60s.”
Ott and company maintain an “Open Call” to
musicians who were members of bands in that
era and encourage them to make themselves
known as part of their labor of love.
For Hubrel, being “discovered” again
unlocked a vault of memories of his own musical path from San Francisco to Ashdown, from
Ashdown back to San Francisco for a time and
finally back to his “home” in Texarkana.
Along the way Hubrel has jammed, practiced, performed and generally hung around
with some of Texarkana’s old-school rock ’n’
roll heads and country crooners. As a member
of The Pines house band he backed up major
country music performers and shared the stage
with an array of Texarkana and area musicians.
But long before Hubrel found his way to local
performance venues, he continued to live and
breathe playing guitar and toying with song
ideas.
Hubrel was bitten by the guitar bug at about
age 6. His uncle presented him with an F-hole
Harmony guitar he accommodated by laying
the instrument flat on a bed and strumming it.
Hubrel had his first guitar lessons
in an
area of San Francisco called “South City.” (as in
“South City Midnight Lady” by the Doobies).
After a few lessons, the music store owner,
Mr. Bronstein, had Hubrel sit in the showroom
window and play his guitar. No reason was
given, but being an apt pupil, he was not about
to object.
“I suppose I got my first love of music from
the radio,” Hubrel mused. “It’s been my whole
life since I was 7. My guitar and my music are
extensions of me, whether playing quietly to
myself or performing.
“I regard music as a common language I have
been blessed to learn. Anytime something
bothered me I went to my room and picked
up the guitar. It was my sanctuary. Music is a
growing process. The music takes me in many
different directions, I don’t necessarily set the
direction.”
The sense of culture shock at his arrival
in Southwest Arkansas initially dampened
Hubrel’s enthusiasm.
“There were still outhouses in Ashdown,”
Hubrel said with a shudder of reminiscence.
He couldn’t find many kids his age and into
music who were aware of West Coast groups
such as Moby Grape, The Seeds, Frank Zappa,
Grateful Dead or Buffalo Springfield.
But he could turn them on to some new stuff.
And some were eager to learn.
“Not many people were doing Hendrix. It
was mostly country western around here. But I
had a Fender guitar, a Fender amp and a distortion booster, so I could do it,” said Hubrel.
With the opportunities for playing the music
he craved to perform still relatively few and
far between in Texarkana, Hubrel elected to
See HUBREL on Page 3D
Texarkana band
Loose Change—featuring the keyboard and vocals of
Tommy Ables (far right) and the harmonies of Tracy
Davis. Hubrel (far left) laid down the lead guitar for the
band.
and Mike Hubrel face
e Fowler as Jaxx member Chris LeGrand
Scott Morton points out drummer Wad
hairstyles.
the camera—note the distinguished 80s
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Ten-year-old Mike Hubrel already had dreams of
guitar stardom as evidenced by his sharp look and
eager smile.
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FEATURES 3D
Where’s all that
excess fat going?
Hubrel
Continued from Page 1D
move back to the culture and
music styles he had grown up
revering. He returned to San
Francisco looking to hook up
Recently, a reader named Jim my high-school years, is “any
with musicians of a similar bent.
Cornell sent me a postcard
of a group of esters, CH2(OO
Ther he fell in with a group
with a picture of insects on it,
CR1)CH(OOCR2)CH2(OOCR
of musicians whose sound was
posing an interesting question. 3), derived from glycerol and
a lighter, acoustic/electric mix,
three fatty acid radicals.”
(No, the
a style Hubrel was already
insects were
But what does this mean?
Dave
developing in his original
not posing a
One thing it means, of course,
music. The group, August
Barry
question. As
is that “Three Fatty Acid
Wolf, released one album
far as I know.) Radicals” would be an excelColumnist
before drifting apart.
Jim stated
lent name for a rock band.
that he, like
“I met some friends out
But it also means that fat is
every other
there who were jamming on
some kind of chemical item
American
that nature puts inside certain
original material. I had a day
above the age plants and animals to make
job in San Francisco. I’ll never
of 4, is on a
them taste better. A good rule
forget practicing in this fifthlow-fat diet,
of thumb is: The more fat
floor flat overlooking the city,”
and he noted something contains, the better
said Hubrel. “I played in a lot
that we have
it tastes. This is why we eat
of cover bands in Northern
become basi- hamburgers, but we do not eat
California. I finally stepped
cally a non-fat ants. Ants have a very low fat
up and sang ‘Danny’s Boy’ by
nation. This
content, so nobody eats them
Yes, we have become a lowof soys bleating and suckling
Loggins and Messina in a club
is true; virtually all edible sub- except unfortunate animals
fat society, which brings us
their young? As a consumer,
in Danville, Calif.”
stances, and many automotive
such as birds, who, because of
back to the question posed by
I’d like some answers. I don’t
Whether on the Left Coast
products, are now marketed
a design flaw, cannot use drive- want to discover years from
Jim Cornell: What’s being done
or in Arkansas fly-over counas being “low-fat” or “fat-free.” thru windows. Human beings,
with all the fat? Jim offers this
now that “soy” is an oriental
try, Hubrel absorbed music
Americans are obsessed with
on the other hand, enjoy ham- word meaning “compressed
theory: “I suspect that they’re
from a number of influences.
fat content.
burgers, because they (the
ant parts.” This is not intended dumping it in some small town
“Maybe that’s the down side
DOCTOR: Mrs. Stoatbonker, hamburgers) come from cows, as a criticism of the “Harvest
in Texas or Mexico.” No way,
of
loving all kinds of music.
you will die within hours
which are notoriously fat. You
Jim. Our government would
Burger,” which is a well-conIt
becomes
hard to separate it
unless you take this antibiotic. will never see a cow volunnever
allow
a
major
fat-dumpstructed, extremely cylindrical
from yourself and your own
tarily going anywhere near an
PATIENT: Is it fat-free?
ing facility in the same region
frozen unit of brown foodlike
style,” he said.
Abdominizer.
where we’re storing the dead
DOCTOR: I don’t know.
substance. The package states
But the Reagan years brought
UFO
aliens.
No,
the
truth
is
that
it
contains
“83
percent
less
PATIENT: I’ll just have a Diet
Of course, there have been
fat than ground beef"; I believe that the fat is being loaded into gas lines and a general socioPepsi.
efforts to make low-fat “hamgiant tanker trucks, transported political “mess.” Hubrel’s fondthis, because it also tastes
burgers.” In researching this
So anyway, Jim, after noting
by night and pumped into: my
est recollection of his return to
exactly 83 percent less good
column, I purchased a prodthat “millions of pounds of
thighs.
There
was
no
choice:
California is having been able
than
ground
beef.
Nevertheless
uct called “Harvest Burgers,”
formerly fat-rich food is now
to spend time with his dad
I highly recommend it for any- Marlon Brando was already
de-fatted,” asks: “What are they which are “All Vegetable
before his death.
doing with all that fat?”
Protein Patties” manufactured body who needs more “soy” or full. But I’m happy to do my
part for a leaner America, so
a
backup
hockey
puck.
The return to Texarkana
by
the
Green
Giant
Corp.
Jim, that is an excellent quesOh, sure, there will be people don’t bother to thank me. Are
Upon examining the package,
brought a new relationship
tion, and I intend to answer it
you going to finish those fries? with local musicians. Hubrel
who will claim that soy patthe first thing I noticed was
just as soon as I have written
Postscript: After I wrote
that the Jolly Green Giant has
ties taste “almost as good” as
met Tracy Davis, a highly
enough words to make a colthis
column, my editor, Tom
apparently
had
plastic
surgery.
real
hamburgers.
These
are
umn. (Don’t you wish you had
accomplished vocalist and
Shroder, sent me a note saying guitarist, and the two began
the same people who have
a job like mine? All you have to He no longer looks like the
convinced themselves that rice he thinks he read somewhere
do is think up a certain number “Ho! Ho! Ho!” guy; he now
doing a few gigs together. Still,
looks like Paul McCartney on
cakes taste “almost as good” as that ants do contain fat. I think Hubrel was itching for someof words! Plus, you can repeat
steroids. Check it out.
potato chips, when in fact eat- he’s wrong, but since we’re
words! And they don’t even
thing more when a call came
both professional journalists,
have to be true!)
ing rice cakes is like chewing
The second thing I noticed
from Wyoming.
on a foam coffee cup, only less neither of us will look it up. I
is that the key ingredient in
First, however, we need to
Scott Morton of Texarkana’s
will
say
this:
If
ants
do
contain
filling. You could fill a containHarvest Burgers is “soy.” This
consider exactly what “fat” is.
’80s power rock band Jaxx
fat,
it’s
only
a
matter
of
time
er with roofing shingles and
ingredient is found in many
Just off the top of my head,
called Hubrel to seek his help.
before somebody comes out
put it in the supermarket with
low-fat foods, and I think it’s
without glancing at a dictionScott Stuart, guitarist, had
with
low-fat
ants.
a sign that said “ZERO-FAT
time that the Food and Drug
ary, I would define fat as “any
become ill and was returnROOFING SHINGLES,” and
of various mixtures of solid or Administration told us just
ing
home, and Jaxx needed
This classic Dave Barry colthese people would buy it and
semisolid triglycerides found
what the hell it is. A plant?
a replacement pronto. With
umn
was
originally
published
convince themselves it tasted
in adipose animal tissue or in
A mineral? An animal? Are
barely more than a passing
Nov. 3, 1996.
the seeds of plants.” A “triglyc- there enormous soy ranches
“almost as good” as French
knowledge of who these guys
eride,” as I vaguely recall from in Nebraska, with vast herds
toast.
Tribune Media Services
were, Hubrel responded to
the call by loading up for a 28hour bus ride to Wyoming.
LAD OU SKED
“I stepped off the bus at a
Now here’s an arts question
ing.”
poster, and he was drinking nails
movie with a ballerina dunking a
place where the paved road
that’s been buggin’ me for some
See, back in the 1890s, the
and glass and stuff to show how
basketball. I do.
time: Can ballerinas dunk a basMichelin brothers (French dudes) tough and unpuncturable he was? ended and the bus turned
ketball?
saw a beer poster of a giant holdVoila! The Michelin bros ripped
FACTOID OF THE WEEK
around,” Hubrel recalled.
ing a tankard. On it were the Latin off the beer poster, our tire man
They sure can jump, and they
A baby is born with about 300
“Finally, I saw a figure walking
words “Nunc est bibendum” from was dubbed Bibendum, and an
got those long gangly arms. Many bones. Some fuse and grow
toward me in the dust, and it
the poet Horace. Translation:
ballets would be greatly improved together, and a typical adult has
advertising legend was born.
was Scott and the guys.”
by a couple of big ol’ windmill
Why is Bibendum white?
206 bones. So says the Centers for “Now is the time for drinking.”
Hubrel then proceeded to
(Once again, my cultural contridunks. Think about it: “Slam
Because back in the day, tires
Disease Control and Prevention.
learn
more than 40 songs’
bution to the arts section kicks
Lake.”
were off-white, like those gloves
guitar leads in a matter of 24
some serious bootay.)
If you’re a ballerina who can
the doctor wears. (Group shudTHAT BOOZY MICHELIN MAN
hours. Hubrel crammed like
der.) Carbon black was later
Later, the bros saw a stack of
dunk, call me and we’ll get a
And now, for the first reader
no test he’d ever taken before,
added as a preservative.
tires and one remarked to the
movie of you dunking (tutu
question in this week’s Glad You
Mr. Bib, as Michelin insiders call and the tour went smoothly
other that if you put arms and
points!). We’ll put it on Charlotte. Asked column:
Y
A
com, and you an’ me’ll be famous.
Q. What is the name of the
I can toss the ball up before you
Michelin tire mascot? —John
dunk for a “ballet oop”!
Nash, Reno, Nev.
I am completely serious about
His name is Bibendum, which
this: I want to be in an Internet
means, basically, “heavy drink-
To us you’re always
royalty....
legs on him, he’d be a man of
tires. Hmmmmmm, a man of tires
...
What if, the Michelins thought,
you put a tire man into that beer
him, is one of the oldest corporate
mascots in the world.
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Deidra Deanne Hall and David Stephen Parish
were united in marriage November 11, 2006 at First
United Methodist Church in Texarkana, AR. Hal
Habecker, a close family friend, officiated. A reception
was held following the ceremony at Texarkana
Country Club.
The bride is the daughter of Bradley and Darlene
Hall, and the groom is the son of Stephen and Jyme
Parish, all from Texarkana, TX.
Matrons of honor were Dosha Anderson and Dereca
Gist, sisters of the bride; Maid of Honor was Ashley
Eoff; bridesmaids were Elisabeth Parish, sister of the
groom, Angela So, Gwin Huey, Jamie Reed, and Mary
Escamillla. Flower girl was Britton Anderson, niece of
bride. Bestman was James Parish, brother of the
groom; groomsmen were Gregg Anderson and Mike
Gist, brothers-in-law of the bride, Chris Clark, Nick
Harrel, Jess Daniel, Patrick Cowan and Ross Brown.
The bride received her Bachelor of Science at
Abilene Christian University, and she earned her
Juris Doctor at Baylor University School of Law. She
works at the law firm of Hope, Fuqua & Campbell,
P.A. in Little Rock, AR. The groom graduated from
Baylor University where he received his Bachelors of
Arts, and he will graduate from the University of
Arkansas Medical School in May 2007.
The couple honeymooned in Maui, Hawaii and
resides in Little Rock, AR.
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from there.
Upon his return to T-Town,
Hubrel became a member of
The Pines house band, where
he and other musicians of note
in Texarkana played behind
everyone from The Hag to
Hank Williams Jr.
“We played a lot of Urban
Cowboy music during that
time,” Hubrel said. “We also
played for a lot of big names.”
It was also in the ’80s when
Hubrel joined the band Loose
Change with fellow local musicians Davis, Randy Lee, Perry
Steitler and Tommy Ables.
Hubrel’s versatility on guitar
combined wonderfully with
Able’s keyboard work and
vocal stylings and Davis’ vocal
and instrumental support.
Hubrel came into the ’90s
with a wide range of local
musician friends and potential
“play-mates,” but he became
more comfortable with original folk-rock and covering
songs by great songwriters.
Wade Fowler, a longtime
friend and fellow band member, sought out Hubrel for
an acoustic-centered band.
Chasing Rita was formed.
That’s a lot of music for one
musician with a wife and kids.
It’s a lot of music for almost
anyone, for that matter. But
for Hubrel, it’s a reservoir of
moods, feelings, thoughts,
philosophies and ideas that is
called upon frequently for creating new sounds of his own.
“We played with a lot of the
big names, only we didn’t have
the hassles of management
and venue worries. When I
think about it, we’ve had just
as much fun as the big boys,”
Hubrel said.
The 12 y-ear-old singing of
a desire to just “Run, Hide,
Getaway” still rambles around
in Hubrel’s psyche. We all
have a bit of kid in us, after all.
But this songwriter has also
found the solace and peace
of becoming one with a song,
something very few people
can achieve.
And Hubrel respects that
gift.
Ask The Video
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“We played with a lot
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—Mike Hubrel
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