HELLO PDBOY1210!!! These are for YOU!

A Fun Saturday Night.....

Show and Tell...

Guess Which One is ME???

The Brakes are a Philadelphia-based band of twenty-somethings intent on staking a claim to the rich lineage of American rock and roll music. They’re set to release their debut full-length album, Tale Of Two Cities, this spring on HYENA Records. The 12-track collection was recorded live during a dual city residency in April and May 2007. The band would head up the New Jersey Turnpike every Tuesday to set up shop at The Knitting Factory in New York City, while getting cozy with hometown fans every Thursday at MilkBoy in Philadelphia. Each show was recorded and the best performances from both cities were assembled. On standout versions of songs like “Into The Ground,” “Big Money,” “Boat Trip,” and “Song Of Imponderables,” The Brakes distinguish themselves with equal parts songwriting and musicianship.

“I’ve always loved those live records that set the bar for how tight a band can be. Those albums were always benchmarks for me, like a goal to aspire to. And going into the Philly and New York City residencies, we saw this opportunity to make a record where we could listen through multiple shows and pick the best performances,” states guitarist Matt Kass.

Tale Of Two Cities captures The Brakes at an idyllic time in their evolution, transitioning between an intimate neighborhood listening room and a legendary big city rock club. But more importantly, a young and swaggering rock band is found growing into their shoes, clearly electrified by the music they’re creating. The Brakes seamlessly intertwine infectious indie-pop circa Ram-era Paul McCartney, crunchy California rock in the spirit of The James Gang and starry-eyed British psychedelia that harks back to Traffic. The breadth of this vision belies a band whose oldest member is 23 years old.

Zach Djanikian, The Brakes’ lead singer and principle songwriter, has an affinity for sugar sweet melody and wry turn of phrase. It’s a combination that proves consistently compelling over the course of Tale Of Two Cities. On the album’s opening number “Into The Ground,” he spins the following: “So hold me baby, just like you used to, feed my hands and blow the shingles off my roof, then kiss me baby, kiss me with your mouth, bite my lip and drain this blood into the ground.” Djanikian sells what he’s singing. His sarcastic bluster doesn’t hide the fool on “Supermarket”: “I’m only one or two steps behind you, I’m only three or four whiskeys down, I’m only five or six cigarettes smoked, on the seven, eight, nine, ten, walk on home.”

If Zach Djanikian brings the stylized pop, the twin guitars of Matt Kass and Derek Feinberg provide the old school sting. They serve the song first, but if pumped-up guitars are called for, they deliver without hesitation. Tunes like “Big Money,” “State Of The Union” and “Danger Blues” are case in point. Feinberg’s deft slide work bumps up against Kass’ chugging rhythms and tasty fills. Their twin leads tend to coalesce in a full-tilt boogie, conjuring all the glory that rock music, of the vintage variety, once promised in less ironic times.

What’s not apparent on Tale Of Two Cities, yet a staple of The Brakes’ live experience, are the members trading off between instruments. Zach Djanikian switches between acoustic guitar and bass, while also playing saxophone. Matt Kass and Derek Feinberg also fill the bass roll as needed. Keyboardist Adam Flicker, who surely draws inspiration from the great Garth Hudson, alternates between clean piano lines (“Into The Ground), swirling keyboard effects (“Who Am I To Be”) and fat organ parts (“Tale Of Two Cities”). He even plays precise trumpet lines on “Into The Ground.” Josh Sack, The Brakes’ drummer and youngest member, sticks to his kit, but likewise, offers staggering range in his performances. Where big bottom grooves are needed, he’s right in the pocket. On the turn of a dime he can swing out rhythms with jazz finesse.

The Brakes formed in 2002, but their roots run much deeper. Guitarists Matt Kass and Derek Feinberg first started playing guitar together in fourth grade, only months after they’d both begun learning their instruments. All five members, including principle songwriter and vocalist Zach Djanikian, keyboardist/trumpeter Adam Flicker and drummer Josh Sack, attended the same middle school together, performing music with each another in various configurations during their high school years. By 2006, The Brakes had matured into a national touring act. The entire band would spend their 21st birthdays on the road, while going on to play dates with The Hold Steady, Robert Randolph, Widespread Panic and Willie Nelson among others.

“Our history together adds a certain level of interpersonal musical understanding. We anticipate each other musically, better than a band that’s three months old, or is auditioning a new bassist,” explains Flicker. “We feel the connection. It’s tangible. We’ve played a lot of music together. It’s like hanging out onstage every night with your best friends.”

“We’ve worked hard for a long time, and I think we’ve gotten to a place where we’ve figured ourselves out enough to make music that’s inherently ours,” concludes Djanikian.

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The Brakes

EP Vol. II

© 2005 The Brakes (714577601125)

CD permanently out of stock. Sorry!

Philadelphia’s new favorite sons combine the music of their contemporaries and the musicianship of the legends.

tracks

1 Animal Eyes

2 Johann

3 Life’s Work

4 Friday Night Minute

5 Find My Way

try this

albums you will love

• THE BRAKES: EP Volume 1

genres you will love

• Rock: Jam-band
• Rock: Modern Rock
• Featuring Guitar

By Location

• USA: Pennsylvania

Recommended if you like …

• The Black Crowes
• Jamiroquai
• Traffic

links

• The Brakes

notes

Philadelphia’s own The Brakes are the cure for the common band. In an era where musicality has taken a back seat to manufactured talent, where aimless improvisation has replaced good songwriting, The Brakes emerge as a unique and powerful force, poised for success.

Formed in 2001 by some of the Philadelphia area’s most talented young musicians, The Brakes have grown from a local favorite to a touring rock band in record time. Gaining a loyal hometown following while playing to audiences at the cities premier music venues, The Brakes have supported acts from Robert Randolph, moe. & Derek Trucks Band to the Wailers and The Disco Biscuits.

As the band grew in popularity, a significant buzz brewed around them leading up to their first EP Release Party at the Theater of the Living Arts last December where they drew near sellout crowds; impressive for a band that has jumped over “local band” in one short year. Followed up with an equally successful second EP Release Party in June, The Brakes have solidified, with authority, their place as one of this major market’s most powerful acts.

With an emphasis on compelling melody, refined songwriting and deep musical exploration, The Brakes sound brings to mind the classic sounds of yesterday while exposing the attitudes of a younger generation. Duel lead guitar lines soar over tight rhythmic syncopations; crisp harmonies blend nicely into powerful, catchy choruses; and just when you think it’s over, they switch instruments to reveal a horn section of jazz trained musicians, hiding among the guitars and keyboards.

A sound that the Philadelphia Inquirer calls “Clutch rock”, The Brakes combine influences young and old; such as Traffic, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder with The Black Crowes and Jamiroquai to create a new hybrid that combines a strong rock & roll influence with a fresh neo-soul sensibility.

In a scene where derivative jambands are a dime a dozen, and gimmicky acts alike cannot fill the void left by true artists, The Brakes are a breath of fresh air as they continue to grow and redefine the norm of what a real band should be. After two successful EP releases, and a strong growing presence in the Northeast, the future looks bright for these young talents, as they continue to wow audiences all over the country.

reviews

Please log in to review this album.

• Great CD!

  author: Mike Hanley

  Saw the Brakes last month live at Dante’s in Portland, OR based on a friend’s recommendation. Thought they were great - love their music. Think they’re a great group of musicians with a very promising future. They’re music and lyrics are clean and tasteful. Am 52 and my teenage kids really like them as well. Can’t wait for their next CD. Hopefully they’ll come back to the Pacific Northwest soon. Good luck!

• The Brakes continue to evolve…

  author: JF

  The Brakes continue to evolve and mature with the release of EP Vol. II. Sophisticated tunes and lyrics keep me hungering for more. I just can’t wait to here their next release.

• Wish i could get more of these guys

  author: Cindy

  My friend told me about them and then seeing them on the H&R Block commerical even sold me more. They are the best, refreshing sound.

• These guys are awesome!!

  author: Jason

  this CD really surprised me! The grooves are really tight and the songs kept me interested the entire time! I’m anxiously looking forward to what else these guys put out…so keep em’ comin’!

• These guys are awesome!!

  author: Jason

  this CD really surprised me! The grooves are really tight and the songs kept me interested the entire time! I’m anxiously looking forward to what else these guys put out…so keep em’ comin’!

• my friends loves them and now i do too!

  author: Kim

  My friend got me hooked on the first CD and was totally surprised when I got her the second one so now we have plans to rock out to it on our next road trip :)

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White Flag

dido
whiteflag
whiteflag
[Verse 1]
I know you think
Ihat I shouldn’t still love you
I’ll tell you that But if I didnt say It would I still have felt It where's The sense in that
I promise I’m not
Trying to make your life harder
all the Time to where we were

[chorus]
But I will
Go down with his ship
I wont put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my Door
I’m in love and always will be

[Verse 2]
I know I left you much mess and Destruction to come back again
I caused nothing but trouble
I understand if you cant talk to me Again and if you live by the rules and Its over then im sure that that makes Sense
[ Dido Lyrics are found on www.songlyrics.com ]

[chorus]
But I will
Go down with his ship
I wont put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my Door
I’m in love and always will be

[Verse 3]
And when we meet
Which im sure we will
All I have said will be there still
I’ll just pass and hold my tongue
And you will think that I’ve moved on

[Chorus: x3]
I will
Go down with his ship
I wont put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my Door
I’m in love and always will be

The fountains mingle with the river,
And the rivers with the ocean;
The winds of heaven mix forever
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single;
All things by a law divine
In another’s being mingle—
Why not I with thine?

See, the mountains kiss high heaven,
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister flower could be forgiven
If it disdained its brother;
And the sunlight clasps the earth,
And the moonbeams kiss the sea;—
What are all these kissings worth,
If thou kiss not me?

Poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley

The Brakes - a tale of two cities - promo

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March 18, 2008
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Sign In or Sign Up now! The Brakes - a tale of two cities - promo debut album in stores May 6th on Hyena records. Visit www.brakesband.com for more info. The Brakes - a tale of two cities - promo
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Eminence Front

The 1 shines
And people forget
The spray flies as the speedboat glides
And people forget
Forget they’re hiding
The girls smile
And people forget
The snow packs as the skier tracks
And people forget
Forget they’re hiding.

Behind an eminence front
Eminence front - It’s a put on.

Come on join the party
Dress to kill
Won’t you come and join the party
Dress to kill.

The drinks flow
People forget
That big wheel spins, the hair thins
People forget
Forget they’re hiding
The news slows
People forget
The shares crash, hopes are dashed
People forget
Forget they’re hiding.

Behind an eminence front
Eminence front - it’s a put on
Come on join the party
Dress to
Come on join the party
Dress to
Come on join the party
Dress to
Come on join the party
Dress to kill
Dress yourself, dressed to kill.

Change The World

by Tommy Sims, Gordon Kenney and Wayne Kirkpatrick

If I can reach the stars,
Pull one down for you,
Shine it on my heart
So you could see the truth:

That this love I have inside
Is everything it seems.
But for now I find
It’s only in my dreams.

And I can change the world,
I will be the sunlight in your universe.
You would think my love was really something good,
Baby if I could change the world.

And if I could be king,
Even for a day,
I’d take you as my queen;
I’d have it no other way.

And our love would rule
This kingdom we had made.
Till then I’d be a fool,
Wishing for the day…

That I can change the world,
I would be the sunlight in your universe.
You would think my love was really something good,
Baby if I could change the world.
Baby if I could change the world.

I could change the world,
I would be the sunlight in your universe.
You would think my love was really something good,
Baby if I could change the world.
Baby if I could change the world.
Baby if I could change the world.

April 1, 2001
Psychiatric Times. Vol. 23 No. 4

Stalkers and Their Victims

Paul E. Mullen, M.B.B.S., D.Sc., and Michele Pathý, M.B.B.S.

---

More Like This

Being Stalked—An Occupational Hazard? Comprehensive Treatment of Stalking Victims Psychiatrists and Clinical Sexuality More > >

“Stalking” is defined as repeated and persistent unwanted communications and/or approaches that produce fear in the victim. The stalker may use such means as telephone calls, letters, e-mail, graffiti and placing notices in the media. A stalker may approach or follow the victim, or keep their residence under surveillance. Stalking is often associated with other forms of harassment, such as ordering goods on the victim’s behalf, sending unsolicited materials and initiating spurious legal actions (Mullen et al., 1999). Stalking intrudes on the victim’s privacy and evokes a fear of violence. Such fears are justified, as threats, property damage and assault occur all too frequently in association with stalking.

Community surveys suggest that each year between 1% and 2% of women and 0.25% to 0.5% of men are stalked (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1996; Tjaden and Thoennes, 1998). Although these behaviors have been documented for centuries, stalking has been recognized as a social problem only during the last decade (Meloy, 1999; Mullen et al., 2000). The media began using the word stalking in the late 1980s to describe persistent following of celebrities. It was soon generalized to include a wide range of recurrent harassments and an equally diverse range of victims. Successful media campaigns established stalking as a public issue and stimulated legislative changes to allow the more effective prosecution of stalkers.

California passed the first anti-stalking statute in 1990, followed shortly by the rest of the United States as well as Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and now some European countries. It was only after stalking became a specific form of offensive behavior that behavioral scientists and health care professionals began to systematically study stalkers and, equally important, the impact of their conduct on the victims.

The Stalker’s Victim

Stalking is predominantly a victim-defined crime. The victim’s fear changes the perception of the behaviors from inappropriate, intrusive and inept, to damaging and criminal. This is not to trivialize being stalked, but to place the experience of the victim in its proper place as the defining characteristic.

A criminal offence usually requires both criminal intent and an action. A significant proportion of stalkers, however, have no obvious criminal intentions. For example, they might wish to initiate a new relationship or restore a lost one. It is the way in which they pursue their apparently benign goals that a reasonable person might find distressing and frightening. Anti-stalking laws, if they are to be effective, have to define the offence in terms of the victim’s reactions and not the perpetrator’s intentions (Gilligan, 1992; McAnaney et al., 1993; Sohn, 1994).

The impact on the victim’s psychological and social well-being is considerable. Pathý and Mullen (1997) studied 100 victims of persistent stalking. The majority had to severely restrict their lives by changing or abandoning work, curtailing all social activities, and becoming virtual recluses. Over 80% developed significant anxiety symptoms. Sleep disturbance was common, and many resorted to substance abuse. Over half had symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. Feelings of powerlessness and depression were common, and nearly a quarter of the victims were actively considering suicide as a means of escape. Similar levels of distress and disturbance were reported in Hall’s study (1998).

Several classifications of victims have been proposed, usually on the basis of the stalker’s relationship to them (Fremouw et al., 1997; Meloy and Gothard, 1995; Zona et al., 1993). Harmon and colleagues (1995), for example, separated prior relationships into personal, professional, employment, media, acquaintance or none. Personal victims are most likely to be stalked by an ex-partner. These victims often reported having been subjected to domestic violence prior to the end of the relationship (Tjaden and Thoennes, 1998). They are typically exposed to a wide range of harassments and are the most likely to be assaulted (Harmon et al., 1998; Meloy, 1998; Mullen et al., 1999). Professional victims (such as health care providers, lawyers and teachers, who come into contact with the lonely, the inadequate and the aggrieved) are particularly vulnerable. When stalking first emerged as an issue, it was thought to be a problem peculiar to celebrities. Now it is recognized that virtually anyone can fall victim to a stalker.

I'm BAAAAAACCCKKK!

Hello to all of my blogger friends and fans.

So much has happened, so much time has gone by. I haven’t been around “here” too much in recent months, although I do still check in occasionally. I have missed you all, and this place, that for so long became like home to me. We have all shared so much, and I miss this healing place, my time with Lucy, my time with all of you.

Recent happenings have brought me back here, and sparked a resurgence of interest. I will resume posting and updating my page more regularly now, so please check in with me often.

My hope is that my friends are still here, and that you all are well.

It feels so good to come home again.

Pam

Status 2

I credit Lucy for this idea. While blog reading one day, I noted the section titled “Status.” It got me thinking that I haven’t seen much of my fellow bloggers in quite a while. I miss you! All of you!

My fellow bloggers have come to be a source of comfort, of inspiration, of course drama, and in some cases friendship. The blog is a place I turn to when I need to get my mind off of the stress of everyday life, take a little break from the “real world,” and find my little safe haven. It sometimes helps me to refocus my energy and my thoughts.

Last year there was quite a bit of “blog drama,” some of it missed, some not. All in all, the people here have contributed to this diary in some way, and make it a place I like to belong to.

I would love to get a complete Status check on everyone. Seeing as Lucy now gets thousands of hits every day and week, let’s hear from you! Where are you John A, Tricia, Kareena, Christos, Al, SHIRLEY, Peter, Messenger of Bean, INKY INKY INKY, Heather, Christine, Holly, Chris, Sue, Joanne….should I look up more names because I think in my very tired state I am forgetting people?

Whomever and wherever you are, please start posting here! I would love to hear about how everyone’s summer is going, if anyone is traveling, what everyone is doing….take a little space here to “shoot the breeze”….and I will share as well.

I look forward to your commentary.

A Beautiful Poem...

 ‘MAYA ANGELOU’S’

 BEST POEM EVER


 A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
 enough
 money within her control to move out
 and rent a place of her own,
 even if she never wants to or needs to…
 
 
 A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
 something
 perfect to wear if the employer,
 or date of her dreams
 wants to see her in an hour…
 
 
 A WOMAN SHOULD
 HAVE .
 a youth she’s content to leave behind….
 
 
 A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
 a past juicy
 enough that she’s looking forward to
 retelling it in her
 old age….
 
 
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
 a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra…
 
 
 A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
 one friend who
 always makes her laugh.. and one who lets her cry…
 
 
 A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
 a good piece
 of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her
 family…
 
 
 A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
 eight
 matching plates, wine glasses with stems,
 and a recipe for
 a meal,
 that will make her guests feel honored…
 
 
 A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
 a feeling of
 control over her destiny..
 
 
 EVERY WOMAN SHOULD
 KNOW…
 how to fall in love without losing herself..
 
 
 EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
 how to quit
 a job,
 break up with a lover,
 and confront a friend
 without;
 ruining the friendship…
 
 
 EVERY WOMAN
 SHOULD KNOW…
 when to try harder… and WHEN TO WALK
 AWAY…
 
 
 EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
 that she can’t change the length of her calves,
 the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..
 
 
 EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
 that her
 childhood may not have been perfect…but it’s over…
 
 
 EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
 what she
 would and wouldn’t do for love or more…
 
 
 EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW….
 how to live
 alone… even if she doesn’t like it…
 
 
 EVERY
 WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..
 whom she can trust,
 whom she can’t,
 and why she shouldn’t take it personally…
 
 
 EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
 where to
 go…
 be it to her best friend’s kitchen table..
 or a
 charming Inn in the woods….
 when her soul needs
 soothing…
 
 
 EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..
 What she can and can’t accomplish in a day…
 a
 month…and a year…

An Old Schoolmate.

Marblehead -

Mark Smuckler

Mark Smuckler, 38, of Marblehead, died April 30, 2008, after a nearly five-year battle with a brain tumor.

Mr. Smuckler was raised in Marblehead, where he played youth soccer for many years.

During high school, he was involved with the youth group at Temple Emanu-El and served on the regional board. A 1987 graduate of Marblehead High School, he attended Wesleyan University, where he majored in chemistry and graduated with honors in 1991. He spent several summers as “The Tie-Dye Guy,” making tie-dye T-shirts and selling them in Boston.

Mr. Smuckler worked at DuPont in Boston for several years before becoming a Ph.D. student in organic chemistry at UCLA. He lived in Los Angeles for 12 years, where he was able to indulge his passions for music and film. He moved back to Marblehead last spring.

Mr. Smuckler will be greatly missed by his parents, Barbara and Jack Smuckler of Marblehead; his sister, Abby Smuckler of Jamaica Plain; his aunts and uncles, Elaine and Bernard Brody of Hudson, N.H., Joseph and Mary Poskanzer of Atlanta, Ga., Edith and Saul Disler of Denver, Colo., and Lillian Smuckler of Beverly; and many cousins and friends.

She Was Someone I Knew....

Lisa M. Wedge
Worked at Doyle’s Restaurant
    Lisa M. (Jones) Wedge, 39, of Lakeville, died Friday, June 13, 2008 from injuries sustained in a car accident on Route 24 in Taunton. She was the wife of Scott Wedge for 20 years.
    Born and raised in Brockton, she was the daughter of George Jones of Brockton and the late Patricia Flaherty. She was a 1986 graduate of Brockton High School. She and her husband lived in Lakeville for several years.
    Mrs. Wedge worked at Doyle’s Restaurant in Brockton for the past seven years.
    A devoted mother, she loved to travel with her husband and children. She also enjoyed spending time with friends and was a regular at spinning classes at Metro South Gym in Brockton.
    Besides her husband and father, Mrs. Wedge leaves three sons, Scott, 20, Dylan, 13, and Jakob, 8; a brother, Bud Jones of East Bridgewater; a sister, Kerry Palm of Taunton; her in-laws, Robert and Suzanne Wedge; a brother-in-law, Michael Wedge and fiancée Marilva Mendonca; a sister-in-law, Laura Wells and husband Dave; two nieces and three nephews. 
    A funeral mass was held Wednesday, June 18 at St. Martha and Mary Church, 354 Bedford St., Lakeville.  Burial was in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Middleboro. 

Am I Really That Far Off Base.....?

CENTRAL ISLIP, New York (AP) — A $300,000 payoff to a teenage mistress. Thousands of dollars worth of online porn. Extramarital trysts in the office and his supermodel wife’s Hamptons homes.

Details of Christie Brinkley and Peter Cook’s marriage are being revealed during their divorce proceedings.

Sensational testimony about Christie Brinkley’s estranged husband opened their divorce trial Wednesday, giving the public a salacious peek into the former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model’s fourth marriage.

The husband, architect Peter Cook, testified that he and Brinkley used pornography “to get the mood going.” Alexa Ray Joel, Brinkley’s daughter with “Piano Man” Billy Joel, said Cook once shoved her head into a bucket of water.

And Diana Bianchi, the young woman whose affair with Cook set off a tabloid frenzy and ended the couple’s marriage, testified that he hid cash for her under a rock and gave her $15,000 to help her buy a Nissan Maxima in 2005.

“That is the man who’s come before this court and asked for custody of his 13-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter,” said Brinkley’s lawyer, Robert Stephan Cohen.

Brinkley, 54, and Cook, 49, wed in 1996. She filed for divorce a decade later, after his affair with Bianchi exploded into public view.

“There is no way to make that right,” said Cook’s lawyer, Norman Sheresky. “Peter has apologized. He’s cried his eyes out. He’s lost his marriage.”

Cook and Brinkley are mainly disputing custody of the children. Her ownership of her $30 million home is not being contested because the couple had a prenuptial agreement. They are also arguing over property that includes three boats.

Hooking Up With The Joneses

If you believe the cocktail chatter, swinging is alive and very well in Cohasset, Needham, Marblehead, and everywhere in between. Suburban legend? Or are your neighbors, and their neighbors, really getting it on? Pagan Kennedy went to find out for herself.

By Pagan Kennedy

Illustration by Juliette Borda.

I’ll call her “Ann,” because I can’t give her real name. Nor can I disclose her town, though I can tell you she and her husband live with their kids in a mini-mansion not far outside Boston. Ever since high school, Ann had fantasized about cavorting in a bed full of men and women. Eventually, she worked up the nerve to tell her husband, Paul, who admitted that he, too, hankered for group sex. But neither planned to actually act on the urge. The one time they dared peruse the advertisements at the back of some dirty magazines, about a decade ago, they were scared off because the people seemed creepy. Anyway, the life they’d built in the suburbs seemed inextricably linked with monogamy, the way a cashmere sweater matches a Burberry jacket.

Click to read more ...

Starbucks Looks for a Fresh Jolt

Thursday, Mar. 27, 2008 By BARBARA KIVIAT / SEATTLE

The Starbucks executive team at the Starbucks coffeehouse at Starbucks Support Center, Seattle Washington.

John Keatley / Redux for TIME

 

I’m walking up to a starbucks with Howard Schultz when we spot a barista standing in the parking lot, passing 11 cups of coffee through a car window. “I’ve never seen that,” says Schultz, who took over Starbucks in 1987 and transformed it from a six-shop seller of beans into a thread that runs through our social tapestry. He asks the barista what she’s doing. She says the drive-through order was so large she decided to bring it out. Schultz waves to the driver to roll down her window—“Where are they going with 11 beverages?” he wants to know—but as he approaches the car, the driver speeds away. Sometimes it’s tough to connect with your customers. But Schultz is trying. Very, very hard.

 

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