Post by jptheprofessor on Jan 11, 2008 10:31:24 GMT -5
JP'S HIGHLIGHT REEL - 2007
As we turn the page into a new year, it’s time for me to go back over the past year and highlight some of the good and bad things, memorable shows, CD’s, songs and photographic images from the local and regional music scene during 2007. These ramblings are my own viewpoints, and do not reflect the views and opinions of Rockpage, Q94, Pennsylvania Musician Magazine or anybody else with a working brain. No animals were harmed in the making of this recap, except perhaps the chickens whose wings I consumed; then again, they were likely already dead by the time I was compiling this listing. Without further ado, let’s take one more sojourn through 2007 on the area music scene:
JP'S HIGHLIGHTS/LOWLIGHTS OF 2007
I'll begin by listing a few highlights and lowlights from the past year, musically and otherwise...
HIGHLIGHT: THE RETURN OF THE GRIMM AND WINE OF NAILS: 2007 marked the return of two of this area's most adventurous and progressive bands, The Grimm and Wine Of Nails. After a two year absence, the original Grimm roster of Kent Tonkin, Kirk "Otto" Tonkin, Bob Lee and Ron Brode returned in September with a comeback performance at The Lost & Found in Juniata, picking up right where they left off. After several years away to pursue other projects, John Charney, Dom Peruso and new bassist Scott Jeffreys reconvened Wine Of Nails, making their official onstage return in October during the kickoff party for Mad Muse Productions' 2007 edition of The Rocky Horror Show at The Brewery in State College. Both bands have announced plans to record new albums in 2008; I for one will be very excited to hear what new frontiers these two bands take on.
HIGHLIGHT: ROCK FOR THE TROOPS: It started as an idea that was bumped around and discussed on Rockpage, and then snowballed into a special initiative that unified much of the music community towards a special goal of providing hope and encouragement to local servicemen and women serving our armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Rock for the Troops provided the basis for some of this year's most memorable local shows, involving a number of bands volunteering their own shows towards the cause, to the big all-day outdoor concert at downtown Altoona's Heritage Plaza in early September to cap the first phase of the project. Hats off to Bill, Kevin, Mike, Donna and everyone else involved in the Rock For The Troops effort, for the dedication to a good cause that allowed this area's music scene to shine in a positive light!
LOWLIGHT: NO HOEDOWN: One of the highlights of my summer of 2006 was experiencing my first-ever Central PA Hoedown near Lincoln Caverns in Huntingdon County. I had eagerly anticipated returning to my second Hoedown this past summer, but it was not to be. Damage to the concert grounds from irresponsible people put an end to the Hoedown at the Lincoln Caverns site. That, coupled with the tragic fire that wiped out Eckberg Guitars (a sponsor for the event) and other problems resulted in organizer Ray Springsteel nixing this year's Hoedown. Here's hoping Ray brings it back in 2008.
LOWLIGHT: BURGI'S ROUNDHOUSE CLOSES: After two years in business, Burgi's Roundhouse in Greenwood closed its doors in late September. In its brief existence, Burgi's provided this area's gateway to the Pittsburgh blues scene, bringing in such names as Norman Nardini, the Billy Price Band, Tony Janflone Jr., the Mystic Knights, Angel Blu & the Prophets, Jimmy Adler, Jill West & Blues Attack and more. Burgi's also provided the Altoona home for bands such as Kyx, Totem, the Nightcrawlers, the British Invasion, Flight 19, Felix & the Hurricanes, Generation Gap, Homer's Army, the Tony Mollick Project and others. Burgi's also staged the first Altoona appearances of (then) future Pittsburgh national country group the Povertyneck Hillbillies, and presented an outdoor concert with Shenandoah. This room also provided a steady stage for local acoustic performers as well. I enjoyed a number of memorable shows there, and Burgi's was also where the Rockpage community presented me with my new camera two Christmases ago. Burgi's closure was a big loss for the Altoona music scene, not just depriving area bands of another stage to play on, but also depriving this area of a venue that brought in blues entertainment on a regular basis. Unless somebody else steps forward to fill the gap, it will probably be a long time before we see Norman Nardini and Billy Price back in this neighborhood again.
HIGHLIGHT: NATIONAL CONCERTS RETURN TO ALTOONA: After many years with national concerts happening few and far between in this neck of the woods, the Altoona area erupted with numerous national and former national names in concert in 2007! Starting with Mushroomhead at City Limits in early April, this area saw appearances from the Kentucky Headhunters (twice!), Gin Blossoms, Collective Soul, Live, Counting Crows, Povertyneck Hillbillies, Donnie Iris, Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers, The Clarks, Bill Deasy, Jackyl, Lonestar, Joe Diffie, Jeff Bates and Ronnie McDowell. And also playing close to the Altoona area was Grand Funk Railroad, the Doobie Brothers, Meatloaf, Quiet Riot and Skid Row at the Clearfield County Fairgrounds, plus various concerts at State College's Bryce Jordan Center and State Theatre, plus rising national indie and metal names at places such as Ace's in Johnstown, the Jaggard United Methodist Church in Altoona and more! At least as far as I'm concerned, I was more excited about shows happening in this area this year than I was about anything coming to Pittsburgh or Harrisburg! And the early indication is that more concerts will be hitting Altoona in 2008, courtesy of the Railroaders Museum Alive @ Five Concert Series and Blair County Ballpark. This year's concerts were very welcomed, and long overdue!
LOWLIGHT: WOEFUL WING-OFF'S: 2007 was a very bad year for the Lakemont Park Wing-Off's. The first Wing-Off, with Felix & the Hurricanes entertaining in July, was the only Wing-Off not to be impacted by legal issues or bad weather. Legal issues regarding beer sales caused problems for the next two Wing-Off's, and the remaining Wing-Off's suffered from heavy rains and thunderstorms either before and/or during! Even when the organizers staged an extra "make-good" Wing-Off in late August, it rained again! This season may have been the nail in the coffin for the Wing-Off's, at least at the Lakemont Park location. The Wing-Off's future in 2008 will be a question mark.
HIGHLIGHT: BLUEGRASS TAKES ALTOONA BY STORM: As prophesized by John "Songsmith" Stevens himself, 2007 was the year that bluegrass music erupted and took Altoona by storm. John himself was a big catalyst for this, promoting the musical form through his monthly bluegrass jams at the Hitching Post, as well as his involvement with the bands Mama Corn and Mt. City Grass. Proprietor Butch and the Hitching Post provided a steady venue to allow bluegrass to flourish, and attendance for bluegrass shows there has been strong throughout the year. Chuck Cox (co-host of the former open mic nights at The Bar before it closed) also played a big role in this, as it was he who brought Morgantown-based bluegrass upstarts the Hillbilly Gypsies to the Heidelberg Country Club in January. This show ended up packing the Heidelberg, leading to two return visits by the Gypsies later in the year! And then there was the Community Interest Group (spearheaded by Kat Bullington of Oak & Ivy), who staged the inaugural Folk & Bluegrass Festival at the Railroaders Memorial Museum in May. The following month, the first Crow's Nest Bluegrass Festival happened at La Ferme Rouge near Prince Gallitzin State Park. Bluegrass was all around the Altoona area in 2007, and it looks like it will continue to prosper in 2008.
HIGHLIGHT: MEETING THE KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS: Little did I know when I decided to drive to Delgrosso's Amusement Park on a cloudy June afternoon to catch the freebie by the Kentucky Headhunters that I would actually get to meet them! Thanks to Richard Kos and The Red Arrow contingent in attendance, my accomplice Guv'nor Jesse and I got to go back to the group's tour bus, meet and hang out with members of the group for close to an hour! This was a highlight not just because the guys were down to earth and fun to talk to, but also because of the story involving my T-shirt! I just out of the blue decided to wear my Witches In Bikinis T-shirt that day (a shirt the Witches tossed out to me during their performance at the Millennium Music Conference in February). Upon being introduced to the Headhunters' guitarist, Richard Young, his first words to me were "What does that shirt say?...Witches in Bikinis? I want one!" Later that evening, I emailed the Witches' manager, Julie, and told her the story, and she said the group would have a special run of 3XL shirts done so they could send one to Richard (who told me he would wear the shirt on stage if they sent him one)! Needless to say, a very memorable day!
HIGHLIGHT: ALDO'S STEPS UP FOR ORIGINAL MUSIC: When Peter C's closed its doors in early 2006, it was feared that original music wouldn't have a place to play in this town. Enter Aldo's, who stepped up big time to become THE original rock room in Altoona. Original music has become such the prominent flavor at Aldo's, that people complain if a cover band plays there! Metal, punk, hardcore, rockabilly, alt-country, swamp, progressive, roots, even alt/pop have been welcomed on Aldo's stage. Hats off to Aldo for providing the venue, and Rich and Jason for stepping up to make a home for original music in Juniata.
JP'S TEN FAVORITE LOCAL MUSIC SCENE MOMENTS OF 2007:
There were a lot of memorable things I saw and experienced on the area music scene during the past year. These are ten of them, in no particular order:
1) THE ROCK FOR THE TROOPS CONCERT: The first phase of Rockpage's "Rock for the Troops" effort, the videotaping phase, culminated in this special day-long free concert event in September at downtown Altoona's Heritage Plaza. This quickly became a very special afternoon for local music. A variety of area bands and artists - including the Rock Brothers, Spirit Lost, Friends Of Mine, Dustin Burley, Generation Gap, Silver Sunday, Keith Little, Red Letter Band, Homer's Army, Kitty Whip, the Tony Mollick Project, Lies Inc., Slacker Theory and Felix & the Hurricanes - all brought their 'A' game to the stage and made their sets count; winning new fans throughout the course of the day. Beyond the music was the sense of community as musicians, bands, organizers and fans shared a unique bond, working and playing together for the benefit of our troops overseas. The "Rock for the Troops" concert showed that there was far more musical talent in this town beyond the "safe" bands that usually get selected to play at public events; and it opened a number of people's eyes and ears to this area's music scene as a community of people that can pull together for a good cause. A very special day.
2) THE HILLBILLY GYPSIES' FIRST HEIDELBERG CONCERT: Bluegrass was growing a following in the Altoona area through jam nights and Mt. City Grass' performances during the Hitching Post's Wednesday country nights. But this night in late January, featuring the first visit by Morgantown, WV-based bluegrass upstarts the Hillbilly Gypsies to the Heidelberg Country Club, slammed the exclamation point on the explosion of bluegrass' popularity. A packed house crowd was in attendance to watch the Hillbilly Gypsies dazzle with their precision, rapid fire brand of bluegrass. The crowd loved it, too, demanding several encores at the end of the night. This night would pave the way for two return visits from the Gypsies later in the year, and proved that bluegrass music was indeed a hot ticket on Altoona area stages!
3) THE JEFF WALLACK TRIBUTE CONCERT: The third annual Jeff Wallack Tribute Concert was one of the most memorable nights of the year on Altoona stages, as new-school and old-school rockers donated their talents to remember Jeff and raise money for the St. Vincent DePaul Food Kitchen. Death Upon Arrival, Choking Faith, Half Tempted, The Flame Sky and Vengence provided the hard-rocking backdrop to a night of special guest appearances and collaborations; from Troy Earnest singing with Choking Faith, to Joe George, Steve Oswalt, Doug Tussey, Tom Brown and Denny Frank performing with Half Tempted, to Steve and Scott Botteicher performing with The Flame Sky. The musical highlights were constant onstage, and off stage, many memories of Jeff Wallack were shared among the large crowd in attendance. I heard from more than a few people who said they had never met Jeff, but came away with a greater appreciation of him from this night.
4) THE MICHAEL "2-FISTS" MEMORIAL BENEFIT: Although I probably walked past him at gigs, I didn't know Michael Hicks before he suddenly passed away last April. But when musicians in the hardcore and metal communities united to celebrate his life and raise money for his surviving family, I attended this benefit show at Aldo's to help out the cause. What I witnessed was five bands - Vengence, Not Without Resistance, Suicide Switch, Chapter 5 and Choking Faith - giving all on stage to celebrate the life of their departed colleague. Not Without Resistance removed their shirts and played shirtless as a tribute, and shared stories about Michael and how he got his "2-Fists" nickname. There were frequent toasts and other celebrations of Michael's memory onstage, and off stage, stories and memories shared about him. The atmosphere became more festive and spirited as the night went, with musicians and fans alike joining Chapter 5 and Choking Faith onstage to help sing and celebrate. By night's end, although I didn't know Michael, I came away with a better appreciation and understanding of who he was and what he meant to the area hardcore and metal scenes. A special and memorable night.
5) HURRICANES BLUES CRUISES: I got to do the trifecta of Hurricanes Blues Cruises aboard the "Proud Mary" at Lake Raystown, and each was special and fun in its own way. The midsummer "Bikini Blues Cruise" in July featured a packed boat, Hurricanes music, drunken debauchery and - of course - bikinis! The September "Fall Blues Cruise" was a little more laid-back but just as fun, with music from the Hurricanes and special guests The Red Arrow and a warm, pleasant vibe. The late October "Halloween Blues Cruise" featured another pleasant vibe, fall colors, Halloween costumed craziness and more. Bottom line, these three Blues Cruises were three of the outdoor season's best parties.Count me in for next year!
6) THE NIGHTCRAWLERS AT THE CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS: This performance by The Nightcrawlers at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts was great for all the expected reasons; the crowd was huge, and the band's musicianship dazzled as they performed songs from their forthcoming new album Blue Silver. But what made this most memorable for me was the magic that happened at the end after a technical snafu. During The Nightcrawlers' popular signature song, "African Echo," the main sound system suddenly cut out. As the band continued playing, the sound was soon restored except for the microphones, and it looked like keyboardist/singer/flute player Aeb Byrne wouldn't be able to perform her trademark flute solo at the end of the song. But after the rest of the band brought their own volume down low, the huge crowd followed suit and got quiet enough that Aeb's flute solo was audible above the murmur of the crowd without any amplification...very cool!
7) THE LISA BAUM BENEFIT CONCERT: This show had some added significance for me, as the beneficiary, Lisa Baum, used to work in sales at Q94. This show was set up to raise money to help Lisa in her battle against cancer. The whole evening was one big positive vibe, with upbeat performances from Ruff Rodes, Acalasia, Beyond Reason and Tie Down. Other highlights included constant back-and-forth comedic highjinks between the Ruff Rodes, Beyond Reason and Tie Down organizations, Esa's bachelorette celebration (including future hubby Jamie "Deathmaster" Smith of Beyond Reason demonstrating his headbanging form in front of the stage during Tie Down's set) and more. The biggest highlight, though - although her prognosis was pretty grim during the night of the benefit, Lisa's cancer has since gone into remission, and she is reportedly doing a lot better now.
8) THE COUNTRY OUTLAWS AT MEMORIES SPORTS BAR: Every so often, I run into the "routine" bar show where everything comes together; the house is packed, the band is in top form, and the energy and atmosphere of the whole night rise above and beyond the norm. During a Saturday night in late June, those elements all came together during a chance show I caught by the Country Outlaws at Memories Sports Bar in Huntingdon. First, this wasn't even the primary gig I was on the road to see this day; I just decided to stop in and check out this show while driving home from the Relay for Life Band Jam in Shade Gap. After first finding the place (it was the first time I had ever gone to Memories), I entered to find a packed house, and a band firing on all cylinders! The Outlaws' manager, Joyce, gave me a seat near the stage to witness the action. This was also the first time I got to see the Outlaws with new singer Angela Dodson completely worked into the routine; she and singer Charlie were both in great form! The Outlaws kept the dance floor busy the rest of the time I was there, and the energy and atmosphere from both band and crowd was great! This was one of those typical Saturday night bar gigs that went above and beyond the norm!
9) U.S. SOUND THEATRE'S PERFORMANCE BEFORE THE GIN BLOSSOMS CONCERT: Although national recording group The Gin Blossoms were the headliners at Blair County Ballpark this night, the phoenix-like reunion performance by the U.S. Sound Theatre on the Party Deck second stage arguably stole the show! With their horn section a-blazing, the U.S. Sound Theatre delivered a spirited and fiery set full of horn-rock classics from Chicago, Huey Lewis, Edgar Winter Group and more. This band was feeling it this night, and the crowd size and cheers grew bigger and louder as their set progressed. The U.S. Sound Theatre awakened the crowd and set the bar high; the Gin Blossoms had their work cut out for them, having to follow this performance!
10) THE "SELLING OUT THE NATIVE SONS" TRIPLE-CD RELEASE SHOW AT THE STATE THEATRE: In late August, this show at State College's State Theatre provided a rare and special treat, as three Happy Valley-based groups - The Nightcrawlers, Ted McCloskey & the Hi-Fi's and The Rustlanders - all celebrated the release of brand new CD's. Each band showcased music from their respective CD, and each brought a little something extra to the stage for their performance. The Nightcrawlers featured an ethnic-styled dancer performing along with their music. Ted McCloskey & the Hi-Fi's featured accompanying video footage during several of their songs. And The Rustlanders welcomed several guest musicians and backing singers onstage during their performance. All three groups were in great form, and a good-sized audience cheered their performances and bought their CD's. Beyond celebrating all three groups' new CD's, this night was a celebration of the quality and diversity of State College's own musicians, and a memorable and special night.
As we turn the page into a new year, it’s time for me to go back over the past year and highlight some of the good and bad things, memorable shows, CD’s, songs and photographic images from the local and regional music scene during 2007. These ramblings are my own viewpoints, and do not reflect the views and opinions of Rockpage, Q94, Pennsylvania Musician Magazine or anybody else with a working brain. No animals were harmed in the making of this recap, except perhaps the chickens whose wings I consumed; then again, they were likely already dead by the time I was compiling this listing. Without further ado, let’s take one more sojourn through 2007 on the area music scene:
JP'S HIGHLIGHTS/LOWLIGHTS OF 2007
I'll begin by listing a few highlights and lowlights from the past year, musically and otherwise...
HIGHLIGHT: THE RETURN OF THE GRIMM AND WINE OF NAILS: 2007 marked the return of two of this area's most adventurous and progressive bands, The Grimm and Wine Of Nails. After a two year absence, the original Grimm roster of Kent Tonkin, Kirk "Otto" Tonkin, Bob Lee and Ron Brode returned in September with a comeback performance at The Lost & Found in Juniata, picking up right where they left off. After several years away to pursue other projects, John Charney, Dom Peruso and new bassist Scott Jeffreys reconvened Wine Of Nails, making their official onstage return in October during the kickoff party for Mad Muse Productions' 2007 edition of The Rocky Horror Show at The Brewery in State College. Both bands have announced plans to record new albums in 2008; I for one will be very excited to hear what new frontiers these two bands take on.
HIGHLIGHT: ROCK FOR THE TROOPS: It started as an idea that was bumped around and discussed on Rockpage, and then snowballed into a special initiative that unified much of the music community towards a special goal of providing hope and encouragement to local servicemen and women serving our armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Rock for the Troops provided the basis for some of this year's most memorable local shows, involving a number of bands volunteering their own shows towards the cause, to the big all-day outdoor concert at downtown Altoona's Heritage Plaza in early September to cap the first phase of the project. Hats off to Bill, Kevin, Mike, Donna and everyone else involved in the Rock For The Troops effort, for the dedication to a good cause that allowed this area's music scene to shine in a positive light!
LOWLIGHT: NO HOEDOWN: One of the highlights of my summer of 2006 was experiencing my first-ever Central PA Hoedown near Lincoln Caverns in Huntingdon County. I had eagerly anticipated returning to my second Hoedown this past summer, but it was not to be. Damage to the concert grounds from irresponsible people put an end to the Hoedown at the Lincoln Caverns site. That, coupled with the tragic fire that wiped out Eckberg Guitars (a sponsor for the event) and other problems resulted in organizer Ray Springsteel nixing this year's Hoedown. Here's hoping Ray brings it back in 2008.
LOWLIGHT: BURGI'S ROUNDHOUSE CLOSES: After two years in business, Burgi's Roundhouse in Greenwood closed its doors in late September. In its brief existence, Burgi's provided this area's gateway to the Pittsburgh blues scene, bringing in such names as Norman Nardini, the Billy Price Band, Tony Janflone Jr., the Mystic Knights, Angel Blu & the Prophets, Jimmy Adler, Jill West & Blues Attack and more. Burgi's also provided the Altoona home for bands such as Kyx, Totem, the Nightcrawlers, the British Invasion, Flight 19, Felix & the Hurricanes, Generation Gap, Homer's Army, the Tony Mollick Project and others. Burgi's also staged the first Altoona appearances of (then) future Pittsburgh national country group the Povertyneck Hillbillies, and presented an outdoor concert with Shenandoah. This room also provided a steady stage for local acoustic performers as well. I enjoyed a number of memorable shows there, and Burgi's was also where the Rockpage community presented me with my new camera two Christmases ago. Burgi's closure was a big loss for the Altoona music scene, not just depriving area bands of another stage to play on, but also depriving this area of a venue that brought in blues entertainment on a regular basis. Unless somebody else steps forward to fill the gap, it will probably be a long time before we see Norman Nardini and Billy Price back in this neighborhood again.
HIGHLIGHT: NATIONAL CONCERTS RETURN TO ALTOONA: After many years with national concerts happening few and far between in this neck of the woods, the Altoona area erupted with numerous national and former national names in concert in 2007! Starting with Mushroomhead at City Limits in early April, this area saw appearances from the Kentucky Headhunters (twice!), Gin Blossoms, Collective Soul, Live, Counting Crows, Povertyneck Hillbillies, Donnie Iris, Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers, The Clarks, Bill Deasy, Jackyl, Lonestar, Joe Diffie, Jeff Bates and Ronnie McDowell. And also playing close to the Altoona area was Grand Funk Railroad, the Doobie Brothers, Meatloaf, Quiet Riot and Skid Row at the Clearfield County Fairgrounds, plus various concerts at State College's Bryce Jordan Center and State Theatre, plus rising national indie and metal names at places such as Ace's in Johnstown, the Jaggard United Methodist Church in Altoona and more! At least as far as I'm concerned, I was more excited about shows happening in this area this year than I was about anything coming to Pittsburgh or Harrisburg! And the early indication is that more concerts will be hitting Altoona in 2008, courtesy of the Railroaders Museum Alive @ Five Concert Series and Blair County Ballpark. This year's concerts were very welcomed, and long overdue!
LOWLIGHT: WOEFUL WING-OFF'S: 2007 was a very bad year for the Lakemont Park Wing-Off's. The first Wing-Off, with Felix & the Hurricanes entertaining in July, was the only Wing-Off not to be impacted by legal issues or bad weather. Legal issues regarding beer sales caused problems for the next two Wing-Off's, and the remaining Wing-Off's suffered from heavy rains and thunderstorms either before and/or during! Even when the organizers staged an extra "make-good" Wing-Off in late August, it rained again! This season may have been the nail in the coffin for the Wing-Off's, at least at the Lakemont Park location. The Wing-Off's future in 2008 will be a question mark.
HIGHLIGHT: BLUEGRASS TAKES ALTOONA BY STORM: As prophesized by John "Songsmith" Stevens himself, 2007 was the year that bluegrass music erupted and took Altoona by storm. John himself was a big catalyst for this, promoting the musical form through his monthly bluegrass jams at the Hitching Post, as well as his involvement with the bands Mama Corn and Mt. City Grass. Proprietor Butch and the Hitching Post provided a steady venue to allow bluegrass to flourish, and attendance for bluegrass shows there has been strong throughout the year. Chuck Cox (co-host of the former open mic nights at The Bar before it closed) also played a big role in this, as it was he who brought Morgantown-based bluegrass upstarts the Hillbilly Gypsies to the Heidelberg Country Club in January. This show ended up packing the Heidelberg, leading to two return visits by the Gypsies later in the year! And then there was the Community Interest Group (spearheaded by Kat Bullington of Oak & Ivy), who staged the inaugural Folk & Bluegrass Festival at the Railroaders Memorial Museum in May. The following month, the first Crow's Nest Bluegrass Festival happened at La Ferme Rouge near Prince Gallitzin State Park. Bluegrass was all around the Altoona area in 2007, and it looks like it will continue to prosper in 2008.
HIGHLIGHT: MEETING THE KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS: Little did I know when I decided to drive to Delgrosso's Amusement Park on a cloudy June afternoon to catch the freebie by the Kentucky Headhunters that I would actually get to meet them! Thanks to Richard Kos and The Red Arrow contingent in attendance, my accomplice Guv'nor Jesse and I got to go back to the group's tour bus, meet and hang out with members of the group for close to an hour! This was a highlight not just because the guys were down to earth and fun to talk to, but also because of the story involving my T-shirt! I just out of the blue decided to wear my Witches In Bikinis T-shirt that day (a shirt the Witches tossed out to me during their performance at the Millennium Music Conference in February). Upon being introduced to the Headhunters' guitarist, Richard Young, his first words to me were "What does that shirt say?...Witches in Bikinis? I want one!" Later that evening, I emailed the Witches' manager, Julie, and told her the story, and she said the group would have a special run of 3XL shirts done so they could send one to Richard (who told me he would wear the shirt on stage if they sent him one)! Needless to say, a very memorable day!
HIGHLIGHT: ALDO'S STEPS UP FOR ORIGINAL MUSIC: When Peter C's closed its doors in early 2006, it was feared that original music wouldn't have a place to play in this town. Enter Aldo's, who stepped up big time to become THE original rock room in Altoona. Original music has become such the prominent flavor at Aldo's, that people complain if a cover band plays there! Metal, punk, hardcore, rockabilly, alt-country, swamp, progressive, roots, even alt/pop have been welcomed on Aldo's stage. Hats off to Aldo for providing the venue, and Rich and Jason for stepping up to make a home for original music in Juniata.
JP'S TEN FAVORITE LOCAL MUSIC SCENE MOMENTS OF 2007:
There were a lot of memorable things I saw and experienced on the area music scene during the past year. These are ten of them, in no particular order:
1) THE ROCK FOR THE TROOPS CONCERT: The first phase of Rockpage's "Rock for the Troops" effort, the videotaping phase, culminated in this special day-long free concert event in September at downtown Altoona's Heritage Plaza. This quickly became a very special afternoon for local music. A variety of area bands and artists - including the Rock Brothers, Spirit Lost, Friends Of Mine, Dustin Burley, Generation Gap, Silver Sunday, Keith Little, Red Letter Band, Homer's Army, Kitty Whip, the Tony Mollick Project, Lies Inc., Slacker Theory and Felix & the Hurricanes - all brought their 'A' game to the stage and made their sets count; winning new fans throughout the course of the day. Beyond the music was the sense of community as musicians, bands, organizers and fans shared a unique bond, working and playing together for the benefit of our troops overseas. The "Rock for the Troops" concert showed that there was far more musical talent in this town beyond the "safe" bands that usually get selected to play at public events; and it opened a number of people's eyes and ears to this area's music scene as a community of people that can pull together for a good cause. A very special day.
2) THE HILLBILLY GYPSIES' FIRST HEIDELBERG CONCERT: Bluegrass was growing a following in the Altoona area through jam nights and Mt. City Grass' performances during the Hitching Post's Wednesday country nights. But this night in late January, featuring the first visit by Morgantown, WV-based bluegrass upstarts the Hillbilly Gypsies to the Heidelberg Country Club, slammed the exclamation point on the explosion of bluegrass' popularity. A packed house crowd was in attendance to watch the Hillbilly Gypsies dazzle with their precision, rapid fire brand of bluegrass. The crowd loved it, too, demanding several encores at the end of the night. This night would pave the way for two return visits from the Gypsies later in the year, and proved that bluegrass music was indeed a hot ticket on Altoona area stages!
3) THE JEFF WALLACK TRIBUTE CONCERT: The third annual Jeff Wallack Tribute Concert was one of the most memorable nights of the year on Altoona stages, as new-school and old-school rockers donated their talents to remember Jeff and raise money for the St. Vincent DePaul Food Kitchen. Death Upon Arrival, Choking Faith, Half Tempted, The Flame Sky and Vengence provided the hard-rocking backdrop to a night of special guest appearances and collaborations; from Troy Earnest singing with Choking Faith, to Joe George, Steve Oswalt, Doug Tussey, Tom Brown and Denny Frank performing with Half Tempted, to Steve and Scott Botteicher performing with The Flame Sky. The musical highlights were constant onstage, and off stage, many memories of Jeff Wallack were shared among the large crowd in attendance. I heard from more than a few people who said they had never met Jeff, but came away with a greater appreciation of him from this night.
4) THE MICHAEL "2-FISTS" MEMORIAL BENEFIT: Although I probably walked past him at gigs, I didn't know Michael Hicks before he suddenly passed away last April. But when musicians in the hardcore and metal communities united to celebrate his life and raise money for his surviving family, I attended this benefit show at Aldo's to help out the cause. What I witnessed was five bands - Vengence, Not Without Resistance, Suicide Switch, Chapter 5 and Choking Faith - giving all on stage to celebrate the life of their departed colleague. Not Without Resistance removed their shirts and played shirtless as a tribute, and shared stories about Michael and how he got his "2-Fists" nickname. There were frequent toasts and other celebrations of Michael's memory onstage, and off stage, stories and memories shared about him. The atmosphere became more festive and spirited as the night went, with musicians and fans alike joining Chapter 5 and Choking Faith onstage to help sing and celebrate. By night's end, although I didn't know Michael, I came away with a better appreciation and understanding of who he was and what he meant to the area hardcore and metal scenes. A special and memorable night.
5) HURRICANES BLUES CRUISES: I got to do the trifecta of Hurricanes Blues Cruises aboard the "Proud Mary" at Lake Raystown, and each was special and fun in its own way. The midsummer "Bikini Blues Cruise" in July featured a packed boat, Hurricanes music, drunken debauchery and - of course - bikinis! The September "Fall Blues Cruise" was a little more laid-back but just as fun, with music from the Hurricanes and special guests The Red Arrow and a warm, pleasant vibe. The late October "Halloween Blues Cruise" featured another pleasant vibe, fall colors, Halloween costumed craziness and more. Bottom line, these three Blues Cruises were three of the outdoor season's best parties.Count me in for next year!
6) THE NIGHTCRAWLERS AT THE CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS: This performance by The Nightcrawlers at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts was great for all the expected reasons; the crowd was huge, and the band's musicianship dazzled as they performed songs from their forthcoming new album Blue Silver. But what made this most memorable for me was the magic that happened at the end after a technical snafu. During The Nightcrawlers' popular signature song, "African Echo," the main sound system suddenly cut out. As the band continued playing, the sound was soon restored except for the microphones, and it looked like keyboardist/singer/flute player Aeb Byrne wouldn't be able to perform her trademark flute solo at the end of the song. But after the rest of the band brought their own volume down low, the huge crowd followed suit and got quiet enough that Aeb's flute solo was audible above the murmur of the crowd without any amplification...very cool!
7) THE LISA BAUM BENEFIT CONCERT: This show had some added significance for me, as the beneficiary, Lisa Baum, used to work in sales at Q94. This show was set up to raise money to help Lisa in her battle against cancer. The whole evening was one big positive vibe, with upbeat performances from Ruff Rodes, Acalasia, Beyond Reason and Tie Down. Other highlights included constant back-and-forth comedic highjinks between the Ruff Rodes, Beyond Reason and Tie Down organizations, Esa's bachelorette celebration (including future hubby Jamie "Deathmaster" Smith of Beyond Reason demonstrating his headbanging form in front of the stage during Tie Down's set) and more. The biggest highlight, though - although her prognosis was pretty grim during the night of the benefit, Lisa's cancer has since gone into remission, and she is reportedly doing a lot better now.
8) THE COUNTRY OUTLAWS AT MEMORIES SPORTS BAR: Every so often, I run into the "routine" bar show where everything comes together; the house is packed, the band is in top form, and the energy and atmosphere of the whole night rise above and beyond the norm. During a Saturday night in late June, those elements all came together during a chance show I caught by the Country Outlaws at Memories Sports Bar in Huntingdon. First, this wasn't even the primary gig I was on the road to see this day; I just decided to stop in and check out this show while driving home from the Relay for Life Band Jam in Shade Gap. After first finding the place (it was the first time I had ever gone to Memories), I entered to find a packed house, and a band firing on all cylinders! The Outlaws' manager, Joyce, gave me a seat near the stage to witness the action. This was also the first time I got to see the Outlaws with new singer Angela Dodson completely worked into the routine; she and singer Charlie were both in great form! The Outlaws kept the dance floor busy the rest of the time I was there, and the energy and atmosphere from both band and crowd was great! This was one of those typical Saturday night bar gigs that went above and beyond the norm!
9) U.S. SOUND THEATRE'S PERFORMANCE BEFORE THE GIN BLOSSOMS CONCERT: Although national recording group The Gin Blossoms were the headliners at Blair County Ballpark this night, the phoenix-like reunion performance by the U.S. Sound Theatre on the Party Deck second stage arguably stole the show! With their horn section a-blazing, the U.S. Sound Theatre delivered a spirited and fiery set full of horn-rock classics from Chicago, Huey Lewis, Edgar Winter Group and more. This band was feeling it this night, and the crowd size and cheers grew bigger and louder as their set progressed. The U.S. Sound Theatre awakened the crowd and set the bar high; the Gin Blossoms had their work cut out for them, having to follow this performance!
10) THE "SELLING OUT THE NATIVE SONS" TRIPLE-CD RELEASE SHOW AT THE STATE THEATRE: In late August, this show at State College's State Theatre provided a rare and special treat, as three Happy Valley-based groups - The Nightcrawlers, Ted McCloskey & the Hi-Fi's and The Rustlanders - all celebrated the release of brand new CD's. Each band showcased music from their respective CD, and each brought a little something extra to the stage for their performance. The Nightcrawlers featured an ethnic-styled dancer performing along with their music. Ted McCloskey & the Hi-Fi's featured accompanying video footage during several of their songs. And The Rustlanders welcomed several guest musicians and backing singers onstage during their performance. All three groups were in great form, and a good-sized audience cheered their performances and bought their CD's. Beyond celebrating all three groups' new CD's, this night was a celebration of the quality and diversity of State College's own musicians, and a memorable and special night.