Some kids do homework after school. Some watch TV or play video games. Others go to soccer practice, dancing school, or ride their bikes. But there are some kids who actually prefer to hang out with their parents, turn up the amps to 10, and practice their A harmonic minor gallop. Where do these mystical metal children exist? In sunny California, of course! I would like to introduce you to the CheeseBergens… the Bergen family with just the right dose of “cheese.”
Check out their video of their second single, “Mommy and Daddy Worship Satan” below.
As many of you know if you’ve been reading my columns here for a while, my son Jesse Bergen has been a student at School of Rock here in Los Angeles, CA, for almost 5 years now. He’s primarily a guitar player, but is also proficient at bass, vocals, and drums. We’re very fortunate to live in L.A. where celebrities often stop by to support the school and mentor the kids.
Mine is a family of metalheads, so you can imagine our excitement when we heard that on Friday, August 21, 2015, David Ellefson, bass player and founding member of Megadeth, would be dropping by for a Q&A and jamming with the kids. So my son and his fellow house band members set about learning two Megadeth classics.
Check out my videos of the performances here below, along with my firsthand account of the event.
Hellyeah, the band featuring former members of Mudvayne and Pantera, has just released the official video for their new single “Hush” and it features the acting debut of none other than my own 12-year-old son Jesse Bergen. That’s right… that is my gorgeous boy playing a teenage version of Hellyeah singer Chad Gray in the video.
“Hush” is a song about the domestic violence that Gray faced at home as a child and features the chorus “Hell’s where I was born/Hell’s where I was raised/This hell is where I’m from/And this hell is where I’ll stay.” The band has lent use of the song to the No More organization, which works to raise awareness about sexual assault and domestic abuse.
The official video for “Hush” addresses the issue of domestic violence through flashbacks to Gray’s younger years and the scenes that played out around his own situation. It’s pretty heavy stuff! Check it out here below.
Students of the Unusual™ comic cover used with permission of 3BoysProductions
The Mercuri Bros.™ comic cover used with permission of Prodigal Son Press