The reports are in. Backstage Bar & Grill, despite its almost-end-of-Sixth-Ave, strip mall locale, is pretty freakin' bad-ass. From what Bobble Tiki hears, the stage is epic, the drinks are strong, and it's the kind of place that hires chicks like these to sling drinks. How can you really go wrong?

Saturday, Backstage hosts an event with a rather uninspiring name that seems destined to be so much more than that - the "Tacoma Rock Festival."

Bobble Tiki assumes "Day of Live Rock Music in Tacoma" was taken.

But, name aside, the Tacoma Rock Festival offers a full day's worth of action that's sure to be right down the alley of many of T-Town's finest. Kicking off at 2 p.m., and running all ages from 2-9 p.m. before going 21+ until last call, the Tacoma Rock Festival boasts a bill of at least 12 bands and over ten hours of entertainment.

On that list of bands is Shyan Selah, of Shyan Selah and the Republic of Sound. Having earned fans in the area off the back of his most recent release, Brave New World (which just happens to be the name of the record label and "music conglomerate" he founded), Selah is back on stage this weekend looking to make new fans and new connections.

Bobble Tiki caught up with Selah to get his take on Brave New World and Saturday's Tacoma Rock Festival.

BOBBLE TIKI: First off, talk about Brave New World the record, which has garnered a bunch of positive reviews and was touched by many prominent names in the bizz, both locally and on a national level. Did you accomplish what you set out to with this record? And what's the situation with future releases? When might fans see something new?

SHYAN SELAH: Yes and no. I was able to get the studio quality that I was striving for. I believe in old school method. I like new technology, but there's still something to be said for the energy and vibe of classic studios, great engineering and of course great production. So I chose House of Blues Recording Studios (home to Pink, Nas, Maroon 5, Macy Gray, etc.) and just focused on that sound quality. I got to work with multi-platinum award winning mixer, Booker T. Jones and had the album mastered by Eddy Schreyer of Oasis Mastering, who've both worked on many great albums, and I just stayed on the vibe of the experience. On the other hand, we couldn't come up with the dollars to really market the project. So even though it garnered good reviews and things like that, I couldn't market or promote it with as much support as I was expecting.

I'm currently working on finishing an album now and people can expect to start hearing new singles from that album beginning to be released this summer.

TIKI: Secondly, talk about Brave New World the record label and media group. What exactly is the goal of this enterprise, and where did it come from? Can you explain your roll and what it is you do with Brave New World?

SELAH:BNW is really a conglomerate. It's a dream child of mine that has divisions that specialize in specific areas of the music business, such as the record label, the promotions company, the media company, a publishing company and most importantly, a charity in the Brave Foundation.

The goal is to push positive music and content to the global music fan community. It was something I always desired to do. In getting my entertainment roots in Los Angeles and New York City, the process is standard in building a new entertainment company. I believe in the old school models like Disney, Warner Bros, Sony, Motown. Those entertainment companies had autonomous divisions that handled aspects of what they were doing, but also provided services to other companies and productions that needed to utilize the platform. Then of course, at the end of the day it's all about new, meaningful, refreshing, and viable content.

I'm the founder and CEO. My job is to be the vision and the heart of the company, but truthfully none of this happens without my ability to delegate to my executive officers that handle a large bulk of the operations, especially when I'm in creation mode. My job is to be more of a guide and an advisor in the course of the operations. It's important to me to stay true to BNW's philosophy.

TIKI: Saturday's show at the Backstage Bar & Grill (which has one of the best new stages in town) is a fairly epic ordeal -- a bunch of bands are lined up to play. What's the backstory, and how did you become involved? What do you aim to do as an artist when you're part of a lineup that big and with no-doubt a bunch of talented acts?

SELAH: My good friend and partner, Joe Gingerella, has always brought quality opportunities to perform and do things in this industry. The Northwest has always had a need - not for more talent, but for more opportunities for the current talent. So, I'm excited to not only be performing, but also showcase some of the talent I'm currently developing (performing artists Jasmine Parker, Zhane Juniea and In All Honesty are a part of the BNW Records team). To do it at a new venue in my opinion serves as an indicator that great things are on the rise for entertainment here. The idea is to continue to foster these opportunities, make the most of them and continue to set a trend throughout the region for making things happen at an industry quality level.

The idea is to stay true to your sound and style, be prepared to show up and play and give the fans an experience they can appreciate - where they feel they got their money's worth being at the show. That's what it's all about - the fans, giving them a good time and taking them on a musical journey.

[Backstage Bar & Grill, Tacoma Rock Festival with All Eyes Closed, Dylan Jakobsen, Echo Reason, From Sword to Sunrise, In All Honesty, Jasmine Parker, Point of Defiance, Project Euphoria, Seize the Sun, Shyan Selah & the Republic of Sound, Zamara Bennet, Zhana Juniea, Saturday, May 14, 2 p.m. - 1 a.m., $10, 6409 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.223.2373]