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Vol.37 #426 April 2019
PA’S LEADING PANTERA TRIBUTE BAND! FIND OUT WHAT SPACE AND THE GANG ARE UP TO!
FREE!! CENTRAL PA’S MUSIC NEWS SOURCE
04/06
THE RECORD COMPANY
04/14
EARTHGANG DETONATION TOUR
SOLD OUT!
05/04
Joan Osborne
For Details, Ticket Information & Season passes...
www.HUconcertseries.com
Club XL 801 S. 10th St. Harrisburg, PA 17104 Whitaker Center: 222 Market St. Harrisburg, PA 17101
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Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
April, 2019
April, 2019
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
3
Editor’s Ramblings By Josh Noll
The Magazine that keeps on giving over 36 years later!
Founder- “Whitey” Lee Noll Consulting Editor/Angel of design-Robin Noll Owner/Publisher/Sales-Joshua Noll Lead writer/Photographer/Sales- “Rachel Rocks” -ProductionJosh Noll, Robin Noll, Rachel Rocks, Sadie the dog -Staff PhotographersJim Price, Rachel Rocks, Meredith Kaminek Chris Rider -MOFO (Master Of Financial Operations)Missy Weidenhof -Assistant MOFOEmily Strawser -DistributionRobin Noll, Josh Noll, Rachel Rocks, Jim Price, Keith Hummel, “Space”, Deanne Trio, Randy Wilson, Shawn Kurey, Fuzz McGirk, Jimi Jaymz, Dan Mccorkle, Zac Grace, Imelda Redding, Jeff Pittinger, Sterling Koch, and whoever else we can talk into. -Field EditorsJim price..........................................The Professor Rachel Rocks...................................Out & About
Holy cow its APRIL!! This winter flew by quicker then old man winter sporting a p-51 mustang flying at full throttle. It has been a whirlwind and the paper seems to keep growing. This is one of the most action packed issues yet, and we will soon have to go to more pages but that means more black and white at our current press location. I know I would love to go full color on every page, and maybe someday we will, but right now I have to focus on going more pages to include more content but still keeping the cost of advertising with us the same. I know its 2019 lets get everyone in full color. I still prefer black and white photos for some shots. In particular with all the crazy lights that modern computer lighting systems are throwing at our photographers it really makes color tricky at some spots. So if you’re reading this feel free to let me know what you think. Which do you prefer or does it even bother you? I think it will always be a good mix of both no matter what we do cause some shots just look better the good old fashion way. So what’s happening in PA for April? Well, one spot you should go check out is Gary’s Bar in Palmyra. Its a cool spot that’s got that old school feeling going. When you walk in it sorta takes you back a minute. I mean hey, they have free Nintendo, so what else would you need you ask, well no cover charge ever at Gary’s and they are coming out with some seriously cool t-shirts. They have music all month so check out the ad and make your plans to get down there and support live music. They have a wild night on the 26th featuring Phantasm with A Four Letter Word, Beer and Pretzels and Keyhole Peepshow. For all of you that read these pages and go out and continually support “Live” Music…THANK YOU!! We all do this stuff so people have places to get together and meet face to face and share in the sounds of live music. The Union house is another good spot. From what I’m told they have some great food. I think Sterling Koch helps deliver papers just so he gets to enjoy the food once a month. We love all our volunteers! After you sample the fine food stay for the band they too have music all month with Brandi LM on the 13th and Southbound 66 on 4/20! The Fredericksburg Eagle Hotel is in my delivery zone. I get to enjoy the food on occasion but lately its been pretty busy when I get there Fridays around happy hour. The place is always hopping and the burgers rule, live acts playing while you eat and a great atmosphere. Make your plans now and get out for a spring cruise and see some bands and get some food. Speaking of cruising there is a big Benefit to help the York County Children’s Advocacy at the end of the month on the 27th. Its a bike cruise and benefit at Racehorse Tavern with 5
bands as of now including; Madness At Midnight, Annica, Time Bomb!, Denim & Leather with a special Headliner for a first time appearance at the Racehorse —D-BO!!! There is a lot of buzz about this guy so go check him out. Sounds like a great time for an even greater cause. Also this is a non-smoking event. The Harrisburg University Concert Series is in full swing with The Record Company on the 6th followed by Earthgang on the 14th and the SOLD OUT show for Frank Turner on the 20th. All three shows are at CLUB XL which is quickly becoming the go to venue for bigger shows with the indoor, and now that the weather is breaking outdoor space. Hats off to Club XL for upping the game in Harrisburg with a great staff and unbelievable show after show. There always seems to be another big show right around the corner now days. In Lancaster on April 20th L.A. Guns will be at the Chameleon Club with Defiant and if you’re going to the show contact Defiant and see about getting tickets in advance. Support the local opening act by getting your tickets from them. This lets the venue know that they mean business by helping bring in the crowd plus you avoid extra fees when you get them from the opening acts. Up in the great city of Williamsport this month there will be a Good Friday Concert on April 19th upstairs in the Jeremiah Room at The Bull Frog Brewery. Featuring The Betty Ford AllStars, Mallory Scoppa, 44mag, Gabe Stillman, Madness at Midnght and The House Band! There will be a $10 cover charge and doors open at 7:00pm with the bands starting at 7:30 and going on till around 12:30. Don’t miss this awesome event and you can get more details by tuning into WZXR radio! On a side note I have been up to The Rusty Rail Brewery a couple times over the winter in Mifflinburg and you can now pick up the paper there but might want to grab one early in the month, I hear they are flying out the doors. The Rusty Rail is doing open mic nights on Monday’s and local bands on Thursdays I believe. They have great food, I always eat upstairs but I hear it’s just as amazing downstairs as well. Scott Bachman runs the open mic and books the local bands so get in touch with him if you’re interested in getting in on the fun. Our cover band this month is the mighty Penntera! Check out the story of what these guys have been up too on page 13. I would give you a hint but Rachel still hasn’t sent it to us hahaha. We all know that Space (The Drummer) has been through one hell of a year but that doesn’t stop him. Hell he even played at his own benefit. They have a ton of shows coming up this spring and are taking it to new areas and spreading the love all over. So be sure to go check out what PA’s own ‘cowboys from hell’ have got going on in the works. Cover photo this month is by Meridith Kaminek —Through Meredith Eyes Photography. Well that’s about it, I am hoping we can squeeze a couple of Jeff Solomon’s photos in the magazine in the near future another music loving photographer that I have always heard about but just met recently so be on the look out for that as well. Have a great month and embrace spring by getting out and about to see some live music.
Eric Hoffman.........................................National Chris Rider & Michele Kelley.....Hitting the Road Daisy the cat................................The Daily Yawn
Melanie Morrison Zeigler / Melanie & The Valley Rats photo by Jeff Solomon
PA MUSICIAN MAGAZINE 178 ANDY STROUP RD LIVERPOOL, PA 17045 717-636-4203 CALL TODAY FOR INFO OR ADVERTISING DEADLINE THE 20TH OF EACH PRECEDING MONTH. The PA Musician Magazine is published by Joshua Noll 178 andy stroup rd liverpool PA and reserves the right to exercise its discretion in the acceptance of all advertisments and to edit or condense any ad based on its standards of publication. PA Musician Magazine is not responsible or liable for the condition, dispostion, or availability of any article advertised, and disclams any warranty, expressed or implied, of any item published herein.. ALTHOUGH EXTREME CARE AND DILIGENCE IS TAKEN IN CHECKING AD COPY FOR ACCURACY. The PA Musician Magazine or the advertisers are not responsible for compostion errors, mistakes, or misprints.
®2019 by PA Musician Magazine. all rights reserved
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Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
April, 2019
Keeping The Blues Alive in PA
HARD ROCK ANTHEMS FROM THE 70s, 80s, AND 90s
April 6th, The Circle, Hanover PA
May 18th, Rock and Blues Festival, Felton PA THEREDACTEDBAND.COM
FACEBOOK.COM/THEREDACTED
www.facebook/latimoresky
latimoresky@gmail.com
Apr 13th Cadillac Cats Trio@ Que Brew Selinsgrove PA Apr 20th @ North Mountain Inn Carlisle PA Apr 28th Cadillac Cats Trio@ Nippenose Tavern, Willamsport PA For gigs: www.facebook.com/kgcadillaccats Email:cadillaccats123@gmail.com Call 570-651-5014
thecadillaccats.com
April 20th Chameleon Club w/ L.A. Guns! May 25th Sparta Inn, Sparrows Point, Maryland FOR BOOKING CONTACT
Ryan Casey email: defiant17055@gmail.com www.facebook.com/defiant17055
Classic Rock, Blues, & Originals
The
Sat. 04/06- THREE PINES TAVERN Mt. Holly Springs, PA (8-11pm early show)
Juice!
Sat. 05/11 - HAT CREEK FARMS WINERY, Carlise, PA 6pm
Booking info: 717.448.3888
www.pamusician.net Now Booking 2019
Original & Covers of Hard Rock/Classic Metal
“The Red Album”, “Wolves” & “X-Nihilo” CDs at: Wayne’s World, 419 Memorial Hwy. Dallas, PA, April 27th-Tenative- check website April 28th- 6:30-8pm-St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Rt 309 Mountaintop, PA Bill Hunt of X-TERRA will be performing songs from his acoustic solo CD. As well as acoustic versions of some of X-TERRA’s songs. “EXPERIENCE THE POWER” Available at CDbaby www.cdbaby.com/cd/xterra7
Bookings: 570-881-7734
Facebook.com/X-terra
www.xterrarockband.com
April, 2019
717-567-7070 artisticimagescreenprinting.com artisticimage@earthlink.net 211 NORTH 4TH STREET NEWPORT PA, 17074 Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
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Booking now! Contact CTC for booking 717.979.9234 Email: ctcdub@gmail.com
For more information vist our website & follow us on facebook.com/Steel
Fri Apr 19th 9:00pm
Cliffs Underground Live Camp Hill, PA
Follow us on Instagram @phlphRpunk www.facebook.com/phlphR Booking Now! contact phlphR 717-979-9234 Email: PhlphRPunk@Gmail.com 6
Sat Apr 20th 8:00pm
Mcsherrystown Moose Lodge 720 Mcsherrystown, PA
ailable at “Steel Hammered” Av bsite we r ou on & s gig All
Booking: Chris 717.688.9177 or Aaron 717.580.0218 Email: info@steelrocks.com ~ Hope to see YOU at one of our shows! ~
www.steelrocks.com
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
April, 2019
Stonewood APPEARING LIVE AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS:
APR 13th 8pm Riverside Camping Association Lancaster, PA MAY4th 8pm Littlestown Eagles post 2226 Littlestown, PA MAY 17th 8pm The Burning Bridge Tavern Wrightsville, PA MAY 18th 2pm Wounded Warrior Bass Bash Harrisburg, PA MAY 26th 8pm Deer Run Camping Resort Gardners, PA
For Bookings Contact: 570-687-8827 www.Facebook.com/Stonewoodblues www.thebandstonewood.com April, 2019
THE BACKYARD ROCKERS Acoustic Classics & Fun... Classic Rock, Folk & Blues from Tom Petty, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Santana, Johnny Cash, Rolling Stones, Steve Earle & more! UPCOMING SHOWS:
APRIL 27 – MAYFEST, HUNTINGDON (Desert Garden Spa stage, 9am) Booking for Spring & Summer. Need Live Acoustic Music for an Upcoming Festival or House Party, Reunion Or Other Event? Call THE BACKYARD ROCKERS: 814.330.1883 Email: rd1950@aol.com
VISIT US ON FACEBOOK & ROCKPAGE.NET/BANDS! Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
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Stop in for dinner, check out our beer selections, and then stick around for the Area’s greatest entertainment!
LIVE ENTERTAINMENT
• 4/4 - Ben Ginder Acoustic 7-9 • 4/18 - Ben Ginder Acoustic 7-9 • 4/6 - The Hot Toddy’s 9-12 • 4/20 - Dance Party w/DJ Payne • 4/13 - Brandi LM 9-12 • 4/20 - Southbound 66 9-12 Follow us on Facebook for upcoming specials and events Facebook.com/unionhousetaproom
12 E. Main Street • Richland, PA 17087 • 717-866-9394
Just minutes from the Eastern Lebanon / Western Berks County Line • Make us your New Favorite!
OUT ‘n’ ABOUT By Rachel Rocks
Let me tell you about all of the fun I had throughout March. It all started a long time ago at Crostwater Distillery in Lewisberry for DMC Duo. It’s overwhelming how many Distilleries and Breweries we have in our immediate area and throughout the state. The cool part is that so many of them are supporting live music. It’s becoming an acoustic musician’s dream. DMC Duo is Darrell on guitar with Marisa on vocals. Marisa has a great range and they cover songs from the 70’s to today, and everything from Janis Joplin to Justin Bieber! There are plenty of sing-a-long songs, and even some songs that easily get people up and dancing. DMC Duo has a special Thursday night show at Blarney’s on April 11th as part of their new acoustic Thursdays. Blarney’s has been having acoustic Thursdays, with the last Thursday of the month being an Open Mic. Get to Blarney’s and support live music! After DMC Duo we stopped in at Newfangled Brewery, another new brewery in Lower Paxton Township, off of Locust Lane. When people said a brewery was going into the development, I really just pictured a small little place, but Newfangled is HUGE, and it has a full restaurant, Koda attached to it. It’s sort of odd how it’s nestled right amongst homes, but so far it seems to be working. Dan Jamison runs the music at Newfangled. Every time I’ve been there he’s on stage, so I’m not sure if he’s actually booking “other” bands there or not. This night he was playing with Brandon and Ryan. We didn’t stay long, but it seemed they had quite a few people there because of the music, so that’s a good thing. They have a cute little stage area with lights, PA, etc. It’s a cool set-up. The next night I headed over to Blarney’s for the Queen Tribute Band, when I arrived the opening band was playing. I’m pretty sure the opening band was Heaven Tonite, or maybe the Queen Tribute Band was called Heaven Tonite, but when the opening band went on their break they said the Queen Tribute Band will be up next, the same band came back on stage, but ‘Freddie Mercury’ was on stage with his exotic clothes and his huge front teeth, and ‘Brian May’ showed up with his wild curly hair. I just watched Bohemian Rhapsody the day before, so it was cool seeing them get into character. I only stuck around for a few Queen songs and then it was time to head out on my next adventure. Next stop was over at Johnny Joe’s for The Curly Jeffersons. continued on next page...
www.facebook.com/RoadCasetheBand instagram@road_case_the_band www.roadcasetheband.net
April 6th Blarney’s /Mechanicsburg, PA
@ 9:30 Debut Show, We Want To See You There!
May 18th Cliff’s Tavern/Camp Hill, PA @ 9:00 w/Renegade Radio May 24th Tourist Inn/Hallam, PA @ 9:00 w/Hot & Dangerous June 1st 2019 DAM Party /Boiling Springs, PA w/Pat Travers More Info Coming Soon! For Booking Info Call: 717-645-3107 8
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
April, 2019
OUT & ABOUT continued...
The Curly Jeffersons are pretty new to the scene, and are showing their newness by also playing mainly newer songs sticking with the 90’s and newer. It started out with three friends Darrin, Chris, and Jay, but now they added in 2/3rds of Observe the 93rd with Dylan on drums, and Tyler on bass. The Curly Jeffersons had their friends out in full force and Johnny Joe’s was hop-
Fuzzy Bunny Slippers at the Union House
ping. People were dancing the whole last set, and not only in front of the stage, but on the sides and all the way to the back of the bar. Johnny Joe’s was literally hopping! A lot of the cover bands stick with the 80s and “older” party songs it was cool to see and hear a band pulling out some newer songs. The next night was jam packed with craziness. It was the night of the big Jackyl show at Club XL, but also Illusions of Grandeur was having a CD Release Show at HMAC. I started my night out early at XL, 1st catching our advertiser, Road Case’s opening set. It was awesome to see how many people were already at XL at 8pm. So many times the venue doesn’t fill up til later in the night, but everyone was there and ready to rock. Road Case killed it. Chris Redding from Steel has now taken over the helm as Road Case’s lead singer. Tony’s schedule is just too busy with Back in Black, and their schedules were just too much for him to do both. Chris is doing a great job, and lucky for us the show can go on. Road Case is fun to watch because all of the musicians in the band have played in enough bands for enough years, that now for them it is
definitely all about having fun and entertaining the crowd. They always play with such passion it’s easy to get caught up in their energy and enjoy the show. The crowd was yelling for more when their set was over, that’s pretty awesome for an opening band to experience, and with Road Case it was well deserved. Adrian Blitzer took the stage next and continued warming up the crowd in true Blitzer fashion. They had everyone jumping, dancing, and singing along. It was awesome seeing Adrian Blitzer on a nice big stage again. They were able to really run around the stage and entertain the masses. After I listened to a few Adrian Blitzer songs, I had to go, but I was hoping to make it back for the tale end of Jackyl. Unfortunately for me, Jackyl was done just before midnight and I missed them! My next stop was HMAC for Illusions of Grandeur’s CD Release Party. I.O.G advertised this Record Release Show in the magazine so I wanted to get out there and support them. I never saw them before but after googling them and watching some videos, I was definitely intrigued. When I arrived I unfortunately missed continued on next page...
101 East Main Street • Fredericksburg, PA • 717.865.4672
OPEN JUKEBOX during HAPPY HOURS
Monday thru Thursday 3pm-6pm/ Friday 3pm-5pm
16 Oz. DRAFT BEER SPECIALS ALL DAY, EVERY DAY!
TWELVE ICE COLD CRAFT-MICRO & DOMESTIC BEERS ON TAP
• AMERICANA & MICH MONDAYS: Hamburger, Cheeseburger ($6) or Chili Dog ($5) w/ Fresh Cut Fries (w/beverage purchase) Shocktop 22 oz. Drafts...$3.50 • YUENGS & WINGS TUESDAYS: AUCE WINGS ...$13.99 pp (w/ beverage purchase) 16 oz. Yuengling Lager Drafts $2.50
• HUMP WEDNESDAYS: Cheesesteak or Cheesesteak Hoagie w/ Fresh Cut Fries $7.99 (w/ beverage purchase) $1 OFF a 16 or 22 oz. European Draughts
• NITRO THURSDAYS: 50¢ WINGS (minimum order of 10) EAT IN ONLY (no take outs) Dressing & Celery extra. Sorry No other Discounts apply. Beverage Purchase required. $1 OFF 16 oz. or 22 oz. Nitro Draughts Ask your server for details
APRIL ENTERTAINMENT & DINNER SPECIALS AT THE EAGLE
TRIVIA EVERY MONDAY w/ CHEATERS NEVER PROSPER
7-9pm
Friday, 04/05- PRIME RIB NIGHT 4-10pm acoustic 6-9pm w/
MYCENEA WORLEY w/ DJ KICKIN ' KEV 9pm-1am
Deck Stage
5401 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg
Info & Tickets:
717.697.0321
Saturday, 04/06- PRIME RIB NIGHT 4-10pm 6-9pm w/
DJ STU 9pm-1am
SAL BIONDOLLO
Friday, 04/12- STEAK
NIGHT 4-10pm/ 6-9pm
w/
MERELY PLAYERS
• Open 4pm-2am
/DJ HALO 9pm-1am BEER PONG... with
~THURSDAYS - ACOUSTIC/ OPEN MIC NITE~
GARRETT SHULTZ Sat. 04/06 ~ ROAD CASE Fri. 04/12 ~ COLT WILBUR BAND Sat. 04/13 ~ EMILY’S TOYBOX Fri. 04/19 ~ WHISKEY ON THE ROCKS Sat. 04/20 ~ THE FAMOUS Fri. 04/26 ~ HOMETOWN STRANGERS Sat. 04/27 ~ SMOOTH LIKE CLYDE Fri. 05/03 ~ THE GRANT BRYAN BAND Sat. 05/04 ~ LEAD FOOT Fri. 05/10 ~ CHASIN’ MOODY Fri. 04/05 ~
April, 2019
Saturday, 04/13 -
sign up 8pm /Balls fly at 9pm play for CASH PRIZES!
STEAK NIGHT 4-10 pm / 6-9pm w/
COLTON MILLER Friday, 04/19-
DJ STU 9pm-1am
PRIME RIB NIGHT 4-10 pm /acoustic 6-9pm
JESSE WADE KARAOKE with
/DJ KICKIN KEV 9pm-1am
Saturday, 04/20 PRIME RIB NIGHT
4-10pm/ 8pm to midnight...
DMC DUO w /DJ HALO 9pm-1am
Friday, 04/26- STEAK
NIGHT 4-10pm/ 6-9pm
JOSEF DJ KICKIN ' KEV w/
w/ 9pm-1am
Saturday 04/27- STEAK NIGHT 4-10pm /7-10:30...
CHEYENNE BAND
~ Handicap Accessible~ Hrs: Mon. thru Sat. 11am-2am /Sunday 11am-12mid. Kitchen Hrs: Mon. thru Thur. & Sun. 11am-9pm /Fri. & Sat. 11am-10pm FACEBOOK.COM/FREDERICKSBURG EAGLE HOTEL
www.fredericksburgeaglehotel.com
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
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OUT & ABOUT continued..... Mutiny at Midnight, but From Dawn Til Death was on stage. I’ve seen these guys a few times and as usual they were rockin’ the stage and giving it all they got. It’s awesome to see them out playing more shows locally, keep an eye out for Dawn Til Death. Finally, it was time for Illusions of Grandeur to take the stage. Their website describes their music as a “Theatrical Hard Rock/ Fantasy Metal Band”, one word I would use to describe their music is intense! I’m often complaining about bands and their lack of stage presence, but that is definitely NOT the case with I.O.G. They come to the stage with make-up on, props and tons of energy. It was a very cool show just to watch, let alone hear. They were celebrating the release of their new album “The Songs of the Siren”. They played the complete album from start to finish. Unfortunately, it’s just a teaser because the album isn’t completely released yet, but will be soon. I originally only planned on sticking around for a couple songs, so I could make it back to Jackyl, but in all honesty, they had me so hooked in I lost all sense of time and just enjoyed the show. I’ve seen Jackyl use a chain saw on the stage before, but I’ve never seen anything like this! It’s hard for me to believe Illusions of Grandeur is from right here in the Lancaster area. I’ve said it 1,000 times, we are absolutely surrounded by amazing music, I’m grateful that Illusions of Grandeur advertised their show so I was able to learn about who they were and enjoy their music. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for future shows and their full album release! The rest of the month was a blast from the past, I felt like I stepped back in a time bubble. The first reunion show I went to was Fuzzy Bunny Slippers at the Union House. The Union House was packed and was standing room only, I guess I wasn’t the only one that missed these guys! I’m glad to say they still know how to get people up dancing and having a great time. They were throwing out ‘Fuzzy Bunnies’ which were a huge hit and a very coveted item. I was thrilled to see they didn’t just come out and play the same set list they were playing 10 years ago, they learned some newer songs and shocked the crowd. It was extra entertaining as band members easily swapped instruments and vocal duties without missing a beat, and the Fuzzy Bunny Slippers were amazing at that feat. Overall it was a great show and it was awesome to see Union House so packed for this special event. I hope we see more reunion shows from Fuzzy Bunny Slippers, it was tons of fun! The next blast from the past was seeing a Deezle Church acoustic show at Crostwater Distilllery. Deezle Church hasn’t played since 2009! It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years. Jim has been getting the itch to get back on the stage, so he grabbed Mike and Darrell and they packed the Crostwater Distillery. When you have original bands like Deezle Church who have such awesome originals and then they break up it’s so heartbreaking because not only do you lose a great band, but you lose their music too. It was awesome to hear their music again. They also had Pam Weaver from the old band Steel Kitty come up and sing some Janis Joplin for us. Hearing Pam sing is always a special treat. Hopefully Jim and the boys keep scratching that itch and get out there and play more shows! The last band of the reunion tour was Bubba! It wasn’t an actual reunion show but I haven’t seen them in a really long time so it was like a reunion to me. I think the last time I saw them was at the Drinkin’ Bone, so it’s been a while, though some people said they last saw them at the Metron, so that goes to show you how long these guys have been out performing. Tonight they were playing at Cliff’s. Again, it was great to see Cliff’s packed to the point of being standing room only. Bubba really brought out some people that you don’t regularly see such as Gretta and Rochelle from Take 147. It was awesome to see old friends, make new friends, and have a great night ‘Out & About’. All of the reunion shows reminded me of how great it is to see packed venues. I strongly feel that technology is one of the biggest hurdles of the live music scene. So many people communicate every day on their phones thru Facebook, FaceTime, Snapchat, whatever… they don’t have the desire or the need to get out there and actually see their friends face to face. These shows were a perfect example of that, probably most of the people at all 3 of these shows were, I’ll be nice and say 35+, but where in the world are the young people? Where do the 20 somethings hang out? How can we get them off their gadgets and out to a shows?? I know I’m calling all of us hard rockers old fogies, and that’s ok, at least us old fogies still know how to rock and have a great night out and about actually seeing, hugging, and interacting with one another. On a super special side note, APOLOGIES to The Redacted. I continued on next page 11...
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Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
April, 2019
OUT & ABOUT continued..... did see them back in February, but unfortunately they were part of my faulty memory card nightmare, so I lost their pictures, and then with everything I had to write for the MMC, I honestly forgot to mention them, but they are definitely worth mentioning. The Redacted are some of the old members of Jughead, but they also have Sarah on vocals. Sarah’s range is ridiculous and the songs she can cover are off the hook amazing! Mike Bonilla is on drums and he used to be the lead singer of Jughead so who knows maybe they’ll convince Sarah to learn a couple songs behind the kit so Mike can come out front too. He’s also a great frontman so it was sort of shocking to see him back there being loud but in a different way. The Redacted has a full schedule coming up this month, so please check out their ad and get out there and support them! Please check out the full magazine and see everything happening this month. It is packed with schedules with amazing bands and venues that support, perform, and love live music! There are Benefits happening too. One is at the Racehorse Tavern who is hosting a Benefit and Bike Ride for the York County Children’s Advocacy Center. The Bike Ride starts at 11am at the Conewago Inn, and the Live music starts at the Racehorse at 4pm, with 5 bands. They have a little bit of something for everyone, including the newly added Time Bomb! Check out all of the details in Racehorse Tavern’s ad. There always seems to be one insanely busy day of the month for me, and this month it is April 6th; The Juice playing at Three Pines in Mt. Holly Springs, and Road Case is playing at Blarney’s for the first time, The Record Company is playing at XL Live which is part of the Harrisburg University Concert Series, and I’m sure there is even more.. that’s just all I know about BEFORE I read the latest issue of the mag. Please get out there and support live music! Put your phones down and have a good time interacting with REAL people! Make new friends, have fun, live life to the fullest!! If you see me Out and About please stop me and say Hi! Don’t forget to “Like” Facebook.com/PAMusicianMagazine page where you can see tons of pictures and also get reminders of upcoming shows throughout the month. Hit me up at RachelRocks@pamusician.net SUPPORT LIVE, LOCAL MUSIC!!!
NATIONALS By Eric Hoffman
Greetings Rockers ’N’ Rollers! Heavy metal band Jackyl began last month with a show at Harrisburg’s Club XL on March 8th. The band is best known for the song “The Lumberjack”, which features a chainsaw solo by lead singer Jesse James Dupree. There was a great crowd turn-out to hear hit singles like “Down on Me,” “Dirty Little Mind” and “When Will it Rain.” Jackyl’s debut album in 1992 sold more than a million copies and strangely enough hold two Guinness world records, one for playing 100 concerts in 50 days, and one for performing 21 concerts in a 24-hour period. Jackyl had visited Harrisburg once before in November 1994 at Metron. The Martinis (formerly Martini Bros) returned last month with a couple shows in both Reading and Pottsville. It had been a few months since their last performance and they opened for Gleasons Drift for these two nights. Martinis put on a great show for
Jackyl at Club XL a fun night at Mike’s Tavern in Reading, PA. Its always a great experience seeing a familiar band in rare settings and different Pennsylvania towns. I was fortunate to be invited to watch the band Jet Silver on March 17th, as they rehearsed for a show later in the month. The Lancaster/Harrisburg based band sounded amazing and is gaining momentum again as they play shows periodically. Jet Silver continued on page 12...
HOUR HAPPY- 9pm 7pm THRU Y SUNDA SDAY! THUR Food & Drink Specials Every Day!
Hours: Mon. 3pm-11pm Tue. & Wed 3pm-12mid Thu thru Sat. 11am-2am Sun. 12pm-12mid
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Friday April 5th
Saturday April 13th
Saturday April 20th
Saturday April 6th
Friday April 12th
n a M f ons o
S
Friday April 19th
Friday April 26th
www.racehorsetavern.com
April, 2019
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
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January 2019 Billboard Magazine Emerging Artist...JOHN VENTO John Vento is often called a chameleon in the Pittsburgh music scene; and, while his critics may use the term as a pejorative, Vento views it as a compliment. He understands that they’re motivated by the frustration of their inability to lock him into a specific musical style. After all, the front man for the high-energy, hard-rockin’ bands, The Businessmen, and the Nied’s Hotel Band, is also known for his introspective, brooding solo recordings. Rather than a drawback, however, Vento considers such diversity to be among his strengths; and his fans agree. They relish sharing his tumultuous trek toward achieving his artistic vision, which he accomplishes by channeling a blend of eclectic influences through his own, raw emotions. Helping to engineer the roller coaster ride is a stout core of collaborators, including John Randall Fox, Buddy Hall, Tim Hadley, and Frank Ferraro, along with renowned playwright/lyricist, Amy Hartman. Many members of this crew have been with him for more than a decade; and it’s easy to understand why, as Vento consistently showers them with appreciation and accolades.
Though a one-of-a-kind performer, he professes a great distaste for the word, “solo,” insisting that, “Without my collaborators, I would not have accomplished anything.” That’s no surprise to those who know him, as he truly is a humble, loving, and grateful person, who treasures his family and friends. Certainly, that comes across, loud and clear, in his honest, from-the-heart songs; and that, undoubtedly, is another quality which endears him to his fans. As he puts it, “If just one person is touched in some small way by one of my songs, that’s the greatest reward that I could receive.” Of course, it’s purely logical that Vento would find a great following in this town. His steely resistance to categorization is the very essence and backbone of Pittsburgh. Built by a veritable melting pot of blue-collar workers, the once-gritty city has risen from the slag heap, through the smoke and haze, to become a sparkling, spectacular hub of culture and learning. Yet, it remains true to its deeply-forged identity. John’s 2019 MTS release is “Love, Lust and Other Wreckage.” His single, “Rainbows And Lightning” reached the Top 20 on
“Top 20 ITunes Rock Chart Artist and Billboard Magazine Emerging Arist”
JOHN VENTO LOVE LUST & OTHER WRECKAGE ! W O LE N
B A L I AVA
iTunes Canada charts, receiving national and international airplay and charting. John is a January 2019 Billboard Magazine Emerging Artist. Go to John’s social pages to learn more and to give his new release a listen: www.johnvento.com https://www.facebook.com/johnventomusic https://twitter.com/JventoM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y65K1Hu2uik
The Martinis NATIONALS continued.....
were preparing for a benefit show at Lancaster’s Tellus 360 on March 31st. The event benefits the Susan Giblin Foundation and features the music of The Clash played by local artists. The legendary album “London Calling” will be played in its entirety and Jet Silver will contribute 6 Clash songs. March 23rd required a trip to the Rock ’N’ Roll Hotel in Washington DC where Plague Vendor opened for All Them Witches. It was my second time seeing Plague Vendor who are incredible live and led by the rail thin wail of vocalist Brandon Blaine. The garage-post-punk band has been on the scene for a decade and will release their second full-length album By Night on June 7th. Plague Vendor are signed to Epitaph Records and return this Summer in June for Vans Warped Tour in Atlantic City, NJ. NATIONAL NEWS: Woodstock 50 has announced many artists for the festival at Watkins Glen Raceway in Bethel Woods, NY. Headlining on August 16th are: The Killers, Miley Cyrus and Santana. Dead & Company, Chance The Rapper, and The Black Keys top the lineup August 17th; and Jay-Z, Imagine Dragons, and Halsey close out on August 18th. Other artists include The Lumineers, The Raconteurs, Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats, Run The Jewels, The Head and The Heart, Maggie Rogers, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Bishop Briggs, Fever 333 and Larkin Poe on Day 1. Sturgill Simpson, Greta Van Fleet, Portugal. The Man, Leon Bridges, Gary Clark Jr.; Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Dawes, Margo Price, India.Arie, Jade Bird, Rival Sons, and Emily King are among the performers on Day 2. And Cage the Elephant, Brandi Carlile, Janelle Monáe, Young The Giant, Courtney Barnett, Common, Vince Staples, Judah and The Lion, Earl Sweatshirt, Boygenius, Reignwolf, The Zombies, and Pussy Riot are highlights on Day 3. Tickets go on sale on Earth Day, April 22nd. continued on page 16...
www.johnvento.com 12
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
April, 2019
PENNTERA – PENNSYLVANIA’S PANTERA EXPERIENCE Article & photos by Rachel Rocks / Cover photo by Meredith Kaminek
Penntera is a Pantera tribute band hailing from South Central PA. They are doing everything in their power to keep the music of Pantera alive! You unfortunately can no longer see Pantera play live, but for the last 10 years Penntera has been doing their best to not only bring you all of your favorite Pantera music, they also make sure that every show is a true Pantera experience!
Jason Robison 2019 marks ten years of entertainment for Penntera. They’ve undergone some member changes throughout the years, but their line-up now has by far the most energy with some of the most dynamic stage presence I’ve seen from any band in the area. Eric Dengler (Space) is still the main ring leader of the band behind the drum kit. 10 years ago, he saw the video for “Cemetery Gates” on VH1 Classic, and he knew that the world needed more Pantera, and from that moment Penntera was born. At one point in 2015 Penntera lost their guitar player, and Space thought for sure that was the end, you can’t have Penntera without a “Dimebag.” He was talking to Pat Bowser about it, and Pat’s comment was, “Dude! We can’t let that happen..” There was a big show coming up in a month at Reverb that Space thought he was going to have to cancel, but Pat was determined to not let Penntera give up, so he locked himself in his bedroom and in one month he learned 9 Pantera songs, which is what they needed for the Reverb show, since then he just keeps adding and perfecting more songs and making “Dimebag” proud. In 2017 Space was playing at Gettysburg Rocks and he saw the band Wrath of Typhon play. He was instantly hooked into Jason Robison’s voice. Then a few weeks later he saw him play at The Depot in York
Pat Bowser April, 2019
and he was literally swinging from the rafters! When the lead vocalist position came open, he knew exactly who he wanted to fill that spot. Space barely had to ask the question, and Jason was saying, “YES!” I strongly feel they should put up warning signs all around the stage for Jason’s “Jump Zone”. He will literally leap into the crowd during their shows, so make sure you are always paying attention! Last but not least to join the line-up is Zack Arthur on bass. Zack and Pat have played together for 10 years in an original project called Xstrophy. When Zack heard that Penntera needed a new bass player he jumped at the opportunity. I’ve only seen this newest line-up a few times, but I am always amazed at the new energy and emotion pouring off the stage. All of the guys are having a blast and loving what they are doing and it shows. Penntera’s energy is so contagious that if you are in the room watching them, chances are you’ll be a sweaty mess by the end of their show, just like the band. You can’t help but head-bang, mosh, or just dance and sing along. At first it wasn’t easy for Penntera to find venues
“you guys are the only ones I’ve heard cover “Primal Concrete Sledge” and you killed it!”
that were willing to give them a chance, but they’ve developed quite a reputation, and now they play all over the place in New York, Virginia, and beyond. They often put on shows with other Tribute Bands and they have shared the stage with multiple times, such as Schism (Tool Tribute), Vatallica (Mataillica), Show No Mercy (Slayer) and Back In Black (AC/DC) just to name a few. On 4/20 they have a big Headbanger’s Ball show at Breakaway II in Hagerstown, Maryland, with Show No Mercy and Vatallica. I’m sure that show will be a headbangers dream come true! You can check out all of their upcoming shows in their ad in this issue. Some people they definitely wanted to thank are all of the people who have bad things to say about Tribute Bands. Being in a tribute band is not easy, if anything it is even harder because you have a reputation to uphold. Every song they play they get a great response from the crowd so they believe they are doing a pretty darn good job! When they were up in New York the sound guy came up to them and said, “you guys are the only ones I’ve heard cover “Primal Concrete Sledge” and you killed it!” Even though they love all of the songs they cover there are a few that are their top favorites; Jason loves that they are finally playing, “No Good, Attack the Radical” Zack and Pat both agreed that “Domination,” with the insane bass drop that almost instantaneously starts a mosh pit is pretty awesome too. Altogether they have about 25 Pantera songs that they mix around in their setlist, but there are still plenty more to learn, so their show is still growing and changing. Another cool thing about the guys in Penntera is they all still currently play in original bands. Pat Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
Space and Zack still play with their band Xstrophy, who is also going on their 10th year, Jason’s original band is Wrath of Typhon, and Space is always trying to get Scapegoat back on the stage. They would like to get a show together where all of the bands play together on the same bill. Everyone in this band has been playing music for years, and it shows. They work hard to make sure they are putting on a fantastic show every time. As usual Penntera is very thankful for all of the support from their fans, friends, and family. Being in a band, especially for 10 years takes a lot of dedication and support! They all wanted to thank their beautiful wives, Angela, Kristen, and Rachel, and just their families overall. Space wanted to throw out a special thanks to Dale at Dale’s Drum Shop for always supporting him and especially this last time when his throne was in desperate need of repair. Pat wanted to thank Greg at BCR Music & Sound for all of his set-ups, helping his guitar sound as good as it possibly can. They all want to thank 101.5 Bob Rocks for always supporting them and giving them air time to help promote their shows. They of course also want to
Zack Arthur thank Pantera for making amazing music! If you want to see where Penntera will be rocking next, check out their ad in this magazine every month, or you can also “Like” them and follow them at facebook.com/penntera. If you would like to get them booked at your venue or special event, give them a call at 717-701-0992. 13
Abby Lappen
Big Fat Meanies Autopilot
Observe the 93rd
Royal Benson Marcus King Band
JJ Grey & Mofro
Medusa’s Disco
Gabriel Kelley
Chelsea Takami
Marcus King Band
JJ Grey & Mofro
Trip The Light
JJ Grey & Mofro
Calling Off Doug
Friday, 05/03 - CHICK’S, Hummelstown, PA Friday, 05/31 - GINGERBREAD MAN, Mechanicsburg, PA Contact us: Email: callingoffdoug@gmail.com Phone: 717.379.3973 facebook.com/CallingOffDoug
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Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
Single By Sunday The Bad Verbs
Autopilot Photos by Chris Rider Photography pages 14 & 15. See all of Chris photos at facebook.com/PA Musician Magazine
April, 2019
HITTING THE ROAD By Michele Kelley
Welcome Spring! I didn’t think it would ever get here! I am so glad to leave the snow and cold weather behind us. Last month, I promised to include our first experience with The 23rd Millennium Music Conference. So, where do I start? The amount of music you see and hear is just mind-blowing. I could write a whole article just on MMC and everyone we got to see. Maybe that will be my plan for next year. We arrived early on Thursday night of MMC to check out what this bag stuffing thing was all about. It’s just what it sounds like, stuffing bags with band and venue goodies. Boss-man Josh put us to work right away. Rachel Rocks can tell you that timing is everything! She had to pick up her friend at the airport and arrived just as we were finishing. Lucky girl! Joking aside, it was surprisingly fun. You get to meet lots of people and have some very interesting conversations. After the bag stuffing, we headed over to Blarney’s Pub for the start of the welcoming party. We saw some amazing performances from a wide range of genres and from all around the world. Chelsea Takami, NY, Abby Lappen, NY. Autopilot, Canada. The Bad Verbs, FL and Single By Sunday, Scotland. These guys were so much fun to watch and were a very tight group. They got everyone up dancing. They even had a band member table surfing and playing on the bar. It was a great kick off to weekend. The next day offered several great panels during the conference and an open mic stage, which was probably one my favorite parts of the conference. All open mic performers did an outstanding job! The evenings highlighted over 250 artists/ bands performing at 28+ venues around the Capital Area. Friday night we were covering Keller Williams and The Accidentals at Club XL in Harrisburg, so we did not get to see any of the showcases around the area that evening. Check out last month’s article for Keller Williams Accident. I was able to talk with a bunch more people on Saturday during the conference. I sat in on one of the panels at the end of the day that was very informative. The talk was about social media and music. We then went over to Blarney’s Pub to grab a bite to eat and we got to see a solo performance from The Accidentals. An extremely talented trio from Michigan. Seeing them with Keller Williams and then alone as a band was cool. They highlighted their sound and their personalities were able to shine through much better. After dinner, we ended the long weekend at the showcase hosted by Club XL. There we got to see nothing but Pennsylvania bands that included: Observe The 93 from Mechanicsburg, Nearly York from Lancaster, The Stonewall Vessels from Lancaster, Medusa’s Disco from Lancaster, and Big Fat Meanies, also from Lancaster. All of them were great and I encourage you to check out their Facebook pages and go see a show near you. Hats off to PA Music! I am already looking forward to 2020’s MMC! The interactions you get with musicians, singers, songwriters, producers, talent scouts and everyone working in the music industry is well worth the time. So, for next year, if you are a musician, or work in the music industry, get to the conference. If you just love live music, go see a showcase or two and support LIVE music! Now on to March’s shows. We kicked off the month seeing JJ Grey and Mofro at The Whitaker Center in Harrisburg. JJ Grey and Mofro is one of Chris’s favorites, and high on my top favorites as well. We got to see JJ a few years ago in Johnstown and Chris captured an awesome picture of JJ. We were able to have him sign it at this show and JJ commented on what a cool picture it was. JJ Grey and Mofro perform a genre mix of swamp-blues, funk, and southern soul-rock. JJ has a way of capturing the audience with his lyrics and storytelling. All the songs JJ sings reflect the area he grew up around in Jacksonville, FL. Every lyric has a deep meaning that pours out to his fans. It is an experience that you will never forget. They started out in the mid 90’s when John, aka JJ Grey, and Daryl Hence signed with a UK label and did a tour in Europe as “Mofro Magic”. After the tour ended, they returned to Florida and started a band called “Mofro”, a nickname given to JJ from a former co-worker. After enduring some shame from his Grandmother, JJ later changed the band’s name to JJ Grey and Mofro. They have released several albums over the years and are known for their extensive touring and festival appearances. You will be surprised where they pop up. Check out their website or Facebook page to see where they will be this summer. A few days later, I was honored to meet one of my top favor-
April, 2019
ites. The Marcus King Band. They played at Club XL in Harrisburg on March 9th. We arrived a little early with hopes of sitting down with them to do an unofficial, mini interview. When we arrived, they were on stage doing a sound check. When finished, Marcus came off the stage, introduced himself to us and we had our opportunity. Only then did I realize that I probably should not have left my questions at home. Duh! Nerves kicked in and I fessed up to my error to Marcus. He was so cool about it and made me feel at ease. He is very laid back and has a dynamic southern charm that makes you feel very comfortable. Just an ordinary guy playing music. During our talk he answered “yes ma’am” to one of my questions. I wasn’t sure it was a southern thing or that I am twice his age. Joking aside, they are all great guys. When I found out he was coming to Harrisburg, I was so excited and surprised that few people in this area knew who he was. Marcus has been playing guitar as long as he can remember. He is a 3rd generation guitar player and 4th generation musician. His father, Marvin King still plays today. His grandfather played guitar and fiddle and his great grandfather played the fiddle. He grew up listening to folk, country, and blues. He recorded his first track at age 11 and later went on to study Jazz. This goes to show, he is not new to music. The band is a self-described Americana band from South Carolina. Although, Marcus told me he recently moved to TN. The band released their first album ‘Soul Insight’ in 2015. In 2016, they released a self-titled album, produced by one of the best musicians, in my opinion, Warren Haynes. So, if you have been reading my articles, this might shed some light on how I found Marcus King. Their latest album, ‘Carolina Confessions’, released in October and they are
Michele Kelley & Marcus King touring now to promote it. When talking with Marcus, he said this one is going to be a long tour, lasting into September. That will give you all plenty of time to make plans to see them play. They will be coming back to PA in July to perform at Peach Music Festival at Montage Mountain in Scranton. I know I have talked a lot about Marcus but his band is equally as talented as he is. Members include Jack Ryan: Drummer, Stephen Campbell: Bass, Justin Johnson: Trumpet/Trombone, Dean Mitchell: Sax and DeShawn Alexander: Keyboard. If you haven’t heard of these guys before now, check them out. Before The Marcus King Band took the stage, we had the pleasure of seeing Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Gabriel Kelley. He has an amazing story and I hope you stick around to read it. Gabriel was raised outside of Athens, GA and is now living in Nashville, TN. At 16, he spent time in Sweden as an exchange student at a music school. After returning to Georgia and completing his senior year, he spent a couple of months at the University of Georgia and set off for the road for 2 years playing for anyone that would have him. He landed a job in Nashville and signed with a Nashville publishing company that most musicians would dream of having. He spent many long days writing songs for big named artists. Being unfilled writing country songs that he could not relate to, he sold everything he owned and moved to Guatemala, where he helped raise funds to start a music program at an orphanage. He toured around Sweden and wrote songs for Jill Johnson and appeared in a hit Swedish TV show. Upon returning to the US, he continued to write, this time for himself and about his life experiences. He completed a very successful Kickstarter campaign in 2013, raising over $35,000 in 60 days to record the album ‘It Don’t Come Easy’. In 2016 he released ‘Lighter Shades of Blue’ gaining him recognition and he started months of touring and supporting artists like Chris Stapleton, The Allman Brothers, Old Crow Medicine Show and more. In 2018 he released a 5-song album ‘Free Your Heart’. He has a self-titled EP coming in May. At the show in Harrisburg, he sang the song “Come & Go Blues’ in honor of Gregg Allman, I think I have found a new favorite singer-songwriter. The next band, Royal Benson from Lewisburg, was a band we covered back in September and have been waiting to see them
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
again. They have been quiet over the winter and I happened to notice they had a couple shows lined up, one being at Spyglass Ridge Winery in Sunbury, so we had to get out and see them. They performed a cover song that surprised me. It was a funky, jam version of Paula Abdul’s, ‘Straight Up’ and I have to say, I may like that song now. They also performed some originals and other covers. I believe my favorite of the day was “Don’t Let Me Down” by The Beatles. Members include Tim Myers: Bass/ Vocals, Adam Tarin: Keyboard/Vocals, Matt Fern: Guitar/Vocals and James DeVoss: Percussion. As I write this, they do not have any shows lined up on their Facebook page but they are a great band and a must see, so keep an eye out. Owner Tom made an announcement of some incredible shows coming to their Backyard Concert Series this summer. Bands like Chicago, Marshall Tucker Band, Molly Hatchet and Big & Rich. More big news from Spyglass coming very soon. If you have not been to one of their Backyard shows, you must! The whole team at Spyglass does a wonderful job hosting these events. When then set north to see my long-time friend’s band, Trip the Light. Now Keith and I go back a long time. From the days of bus trips with the Marching Millionaires to meeting my best friends from high school to introducing me to the person that would give me my amazing daughter. It was just a matter of time that I cover this talented drummer. TTL played at The Valley Inn in Duboistown and they had people tapping their feet from the first song. By song three, people were hitting the dance floor. TTL is a high energy, 9-piece party band from Williamsport. They include a horn section, which I really enjoyed. Members include Diane Freynik: Vocals, Keith Bashnick; Drums, Kato Clark: Keys/Vocals, Chris ‘Bart’ Bartley: Bass, Ted Kipp: Trombone, Tyler Crossley: Guitar, Dee Waddell & Len Cagle: Sax, Jeff Johnson: Baritone Sax and Doug LeBlanc: Trumpet. Len and Jeff were not able to make this show. Fill in performers were Victoria Ricedorf: Tenor Sax and Jerome Bennett: Aux. Percussion. We were not able to stay for the whole show but I was glad we were able to catch them play. What a fun time! Great job guys! The final entry for the month is Otis. We only were able to stay for a few songs but enjoyed what we heard. OTIS is a band from Kentucky that is self-described as Blues Flavored Southern Rock and Roll. They played at The Bar on Market in Williamsport and are very good musicians. Members include: Boone Froggett: Guitar/Vocals, Steve Jewell: Guitar, John Seeley: Bass and Andrew Gilpin: Drums. Well, that about wraps up part February and March for us. It looks like April will be a busy month for us so stop and say hello if you see us out. Upcoming shows for us are April 6th – The Record Company and April 20th The Frank Turner Band at Club XL in Harrisburg as part of the Harrisburg University’s 2019 Spring Concert Series. We are going to try to get out to see Lotus at Club XL on the 18th. I am super excited to see Uptown Music Collective presenting “Running Down A Dream: The music of Tom Petty” at The Community Arts Center in Williamsport. It will run April 12th-13th. These kids and staff do such an amazing job! When people ask me what UMC is, I refer to it as the real-life version of Jack Black’s ‘School of Rock’. It is sure to be a good show and consider coming if you can. Mostly Mutts will be at Spyglass Ridge Winery in Sunbury on April 27th and music by our friends from Prairie Dogma. So much music! I have a feeling it’s going to be a music filled summer for us. Thank you to the musicians that have been sending me invites to your events. I am adding them as quickly as I can. Check out my Facebook page @MichelePAmusician if you’re looking to support LIVE music. No doubt there is something for everyone near you! As I have mentioned before, we run strictly off advertising, venues and bands, please check out our really affordable pricing at www.pamusician.net and give Josh a call to place your inexpensive and painless ad. See you all soon and have a great Easter!
~Specializing in Portrait & Music Photography~ facebook.com/chris rider photography email: chrisriderphotography@gmail.com
300 N. Market St.
717.982.0295
Liverpool, PA 17045
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Plague Vendor & Eric NATIONALS continued..... On December 28th, Lady Gaga launched her Las Vegas residency at the Park Theater at Park MGM. She sold out all 11 shows and grossed a combined $15.9 million with 59,162 tickets sold. Gaga returns to the Park MGM from May 30 to June 15 for nine shows; and Oct 17 to Nov 9, when she will perform 12 more shows. Celine Dion began her Vegas residency 16 years ago at Caesars Palace and has been followed by many artists including Aerosmith, Lady Antebellum, Drake, Britney Spears, Elton John, Bette Midler, Reba McEntire, Brooks & Dunn, Jennifer Lopez and currently Cher, who recently returned to Park Theater on March 13th. Cher has played 39 performances, selling 324,595 tickets, totally $39.4 million. Music loss several musicians this past month including: Dick Dale, the “King of the Surf Guitar” who inspired musicians from the Beach Boys to Jimi Hendrix, died March 16th after battling cancer for more than 10 years. He was 81. Peter Tork, bass player of The Monkees died at the age of 77, from adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare cancer of the salivary glands. Keith Flint, frontman of The Prodigy, committed suicide at his home in Essex, England. He was 49. The Prodigy were known for their huge hit, “Firestarter.” Two notable bands of Central PA have announced Summer tours. York natives, Live, are co-headlining with Bush for the
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ALT-IMATE Tour, honoring the 25th anniversaries of Live’s Throwing Cooper and Bush’s Sixteen Stone, both released in 1994. The 33-date trek begins June 6th with shows in Baltimore August 24th and the Allentown Fair August 27th. Our Lady Peace will provide support on the tour. Live frontman Ed Kowalczyk commented, “I’m really looking forward to spending the summer with Bush. I know the fans are going to get one hell of a show.” And Red Lion natives, Halestorm, are joining Alice Cooper for a 19-city tour. The outing kicks off July 17th in Allentown at the PPL Center and wraps August 16th in Camden, NJ at BB&T Pavilion. This will be Lzzy Hale and company’ first Summer amphitheatre tour. Lzzy stated, “We are beyond excited to announce our new tour with the man who burnt the rule book on Rock ’N’ Roll .. Alice Cooper. We are honored to be sharing the stage with such a legend. School’s definitely out!” Aerosmith are bringing their Vegas residency “Deuces Are Wild” show to three East Coast venues for multiple nights. MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md., with gigs scheduled August 8th, 10th and 13th and Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City is hosting the Bad Boys from Boston August 16th and 18th. MGM Springfield in Springfield, Mass., completes the run with shows August 21st, 24th, 26th and 29th. The Las Vegas shows kick off April 6th at the 5,200-seat Park Theatre at Park MGM resort, where the show will feature never-seen-before visuals and audio from Aerosmith recording sessions. Morrissey has announced a 7-date residency at the 1,505-capacity Lunt-Fontanne Theater in New York City. The run is slated May 2nd to May 11th and will cover The Mozz’s work with The Smiths and his solo stuff, including his new cover album California Son, due out May 24th. Morrissey’s Broadway residency follows in the footsteps of Bruce Springsteen’s incredibly successful run at Walter Kerr Theater, which drew to a close at the end of 2018. UPCOMING CONCERTS: BRONCHO Baltimore Metro Gallery Apr 2. LIVE WIRE AC/DC tribute Hollywood Casino Apr 6. DON EGAN Harrisburg Zeroday Apr 19. FRANK TURNER & Sleeping Souls Harrisburg Club XL Apr 20. TIMMYS CREEPSHOW Harrisburg River City Apr 20. THE SHRINE NYC Baby’s All Right Apr 24. TOMMY CONWELL & Young Rumblers Ardmore Music Hall Apr 27. Edgewood / Tsunami Experiment / TSHTJF Harrisburg Zeroday Apr 28.
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
THE PROFESSOR By Jim Price
And so it begins…As we transition into spring and warming temperatures, live music will start to inch its way back outdoors for the warmer season. A few outdoor events take place this month, and several summer outdoor festivals and events have already announced lineups, giving area live music connoisseurs lots to look forward to. Wrapping up the winter season…The 23rd annual Millennium Music Conference (MMC) happened February 21-23 at the Park Inn by Radisson Harrisburg West complex near Mechanicsburg, and again featured the two-day business conference with its variety of panels, workshops and mentoring sessions that addressed many aspects of music and the music industry. The conference also featured the daytime trade show with tables and displays from various music-related businesses and organizations, plus the acoustic day stage where performers could sign up and perform, and nighttime showcase performances by nearly 300 different bands and performers at venues throughout the Harrisburg area. The festivities began on Thursday night at the conference kickoff party at the host hotel’s Blarney’s Twisted Irish Pub. I arrived at Blarney’s in time to catch the last few songs from the night’s second performer, Albany, New York area singer and songwriter Abby Lappen. I heard her perform “Turning the Page,” her clever tune that appears on this year’s MMC compilation CD. I only heard three songs, but liked Abby’s style of bluesy and jazzy folk, and would get to see her in action later in the weekend on the trade show open stage. Next was Saskatchewan, Canada’s Autopilot – not only attending their third MMC, but also playing the kickoff party for their third straight year. I enjoyed their intriguing set of indie/alternative-geared rock, as they did several songs off their latest CD, Afterglow, including their new single “Living Dead,” “Weightless” and more. From continued on page 17...
April, 2019
THE PROFESSOR continued..... Tallahassee, Florida, The Bad Verbs next delivered an energetic mix of electronic-tinged rock, pop, dance and funk numbers. Their singer, Gaia Jones, showed a lot of spunk and sass up front, singing with vigor and personality. The group did original songs and select covers; some of the numbers included “Mama Didn’t Raise No Fool,” “Trip the Lights” and a version of The Proclaimers’ “(I’m Gonna Be) 500 Miles.” The night ended with another returning international entry...Glasgow, Scotland’s Single By Sunday first arrived last year and took the conference by storm with their catchy, high-energy brand of pop-punk rock and unforgettable hair colors. MMC actually opened the door to opportunities for this group, as they hooked up with the Warped Tour and several festival appearances through contacts they made at the conference. They came back to experience MMC again this year, and again provided a go-for-broke, fun set. Blue-haired lead guitarist Jonny, crimson-haired lead singer and rhythm guitarist Josh, purple-mopped bassist Jack and yellow-haired drummer Jorge fired off lots of catchy original tunes, including “Say That You Love Me” and “I (Asked) Your Girlfriend,” and – like The Bad Verbs before them – paid homage to fellow Scotsmen The Proclaimers with their own take on “(I’m Gonna Be) 500 Miles.” Single By Sunday delivered feverish energy, with band members running out and among the crowd, and Jonny even hopping up on tables and the bar. It fired folks up and brought the first night of MMC to a happy, high-flying close. My Friday evening MMC showcase journey began at Blarney’s, as I caught part of Laura Cheadle’s performance of funky jazz-informed numbers, including original songs and a Stevie Wonder medley to close her set. Next was northeastern PAbased punk-rocking trio Blind Choice, delivering a lively set of original songs and select covers. Singer/guitarist Dylan Pysher, bassist Matt Habrial and drummer Tanner Snyder brought fast-firing energy as they did their own songs such as “Balance on the Floor” and “Welcome to the New Age,” as well as tunes from Linkin Park, Green Day and more. Six Bar Break then demonstrated their brand of hearty, hard-edged guitar rock. Singer/guitarist Ben Bollinger, bassist Robert Trowbridge and drummer David Long mixed roots-based influences with elements of modern rock and grunge as they performed original
numbers such as “Soldier’s Call,” “Broken Road” and “Straight and Narrow,” as well as a version of CCR’s “Fortunate Son.” I then stepped next door to Blarney’s deck stage to see Stephanie & the Wild Hearts delivering their brand of rowdy outlaw country. Currently in a state of transition, the group’s founding core of singer Stephanie Onkst, guitarist/singer Bob Onkst and drummer Doug Fetter were joined by Mike Gambardella on lead guitar, Eric Wertz on bass and Kira Burley on keys and backing vocals. Stephanie & the Wild Hearts kept folks dancing with several of their original tunes such as “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is” and “Jealous of You,” as well as fast-firing country favorites from Miranda Lambert, Dwight Yoakam, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and more. I returned to Blarney’s pub stage to catch part of a unique band, Wilkes-Barre’s Kali Ma and the Garland of Arms. Group namesake, singer and synthesizer player Jami Kali, guitarist Ray Novitski, bassist Matt Chesney and drummer Shiny Montini blended elements of progressive and alternative into a distinctive style and sound all their own. Their tunes displayed eccentric, spacey arrangements with intriguing melodies, marked by Kali’s distinctive vocal passages and cadences. I then drove to the Brewhouse Grille in Camp Hill to see Bloomsburg area singer and songwriter Jeff Mamett. Jeff’s music is rooted in traditional country and folk, inspired by the singing cowboys and country storytellers. He did a mix of songs off both of his albums, plus a few select covers. He played numbers off his latest CD Carry Me Back such as “Poor House Road,” the single “Bing Bang Boom,” “Off and Runnin,’” “Same Old Moon,” “Take It Slow” and “An Outlaw’s Song.” He also did select tunes from Jimmy Rodgers and Guy Clark. Jeff sang with a steady, strong voice, and was conversational with the audience, telling stories and sharing perspective on his songs. I stuck around for the final performer of this showcase, Harrisburg’s Suzi Brown. A performer I have witnessed before, Suzi again dazzled me with her unique brand of worldbeat-informed folk music, as well as her incredible talents on acoustic guitar. She blended masterful finger work with percussive techniques on her guitar as she played her set of original compositions, sharing insights and inspirations along the way. I had enough time to catch the final performer of a nearby continued on page 18...
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April, 2019
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
17
THE PROFESSOR continued.....
Matt Habrial/ Blind Choice
Jonny / Single By Sunday
Stepahnie & Bob Onkst/ Stephanie & The Wild Hearts
Dylan Pysher / Blind Choice
David Long / 6 Bar Break
Robert Trowbridge/ 6 Bar Break
Savannah Buist /the Accidentals
Alex Cano
Kate Koch/ Freeway Jam
Lauren D’Imperio & Noah Giglio / Running Late
Jack/ Single By Sunday
Michael Squillace
Ryan Bria & Dan Chetnik/ Brother Jerome
Ruschelle Dillon /The Dillons
HOT SHOTS, SHOT HOT
Tony Duggins the Tossers
by Jim Price See all JP’s Shots
at facebook.com/PA Musician Magazine
18
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
showcase up the street at Flinchy’s, Harrisburg area singer and guitarist Cody Ross Smith. Displaying a bold voice and friendly personality, Cody had the Flinchy’s crowd happily singing along with his mixture of original country-flavored songs and favorites from Georgia Florida Line, Charlie Daniels, Chris Stapleton, Hank Williams Jr., Sister Hazel and more. As with the past two nights, my Saturday night MMC showcase sojourn began at Blarney’s, starting with Traverse City, Michigan-based trio The Accidentals. This group dropped my jaw to the floor with their enthusiastic, inventive brand of indie folk rock featuring a cello and a violin, crisp vocal harmonies and more. Multi-instrumentalists Savannah Buist and Katie Larson, plus Michael Dause on drums, showed their creative skills on a range of original song compositions, and even stretched their talents into a take on Dave Brubeck’s jazz classic “Take Five.” Next was New York City-based trio The Parkers, who crafted an intriguing electronic pop/rock sound. Sisters Anya and Kate Parker-Lentz generated pulsing, dark-toned numbers that escalated in intensity and roped you in, such as their original songs “Let’s Disappear” and “Wasted Generation,” plus a surprising take on “Hey Joe.” New Jersey’s The View From Here then followed with their set of driving, hard-edged alternative rock. I then stepped next door to Blarney’s deck stage to see Kingston, Ontario, Canada’s The Wilderness. Six members strong, The Wilderness mixed elements of folk, funk and alternative rock into a freewheeling flavor of their own. I then drove to Cliff’s Tavern Underground (formerly Gullifty’s Underground) in Camp Hill to witness a blues-geared showcase. Sterling Koch & Freeway Jam were just under way as I arrived. Sterling on guitar, daughter Kate Koch on bass and John Goba on drums delivered lean, mean blues-rocking grooves as they performed an all-instrumental set. They mixed some of Sterling’s originals with select covers; some of their numbers included versions of Jeff Beck’s “Big Black,” Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing” and Steely Dan’s “Pretzel Logic.” Sterling’s guitar displays were mesmerizing, and John and Kate provided the tight backdrop to propel the tunes forward. Up next was Harrisburg’s Switch Fu, who mixed up an interesting variety of sounds spanning blues to funk to rock to original numbers and more. John Merx sang and wailed harmonica, flanked by guitarist Bill Wasch, bassist Jake Kirssin and drummer Eric Slaughter. They blended styles and generated interesting arrangements along the way and musically never stayed in one place for too long; some of their songs included “Magnolia,” Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle,” “It’s Been Way Too Long” and more. Next was a performer I look forward to seeing and touching base with each year, New Jersey’s Jake Tavill and his band. Jake faced a challenge this night, as his drummer was not able to make it to the show, so the performance went on sans drums. But Jake, sax man Michael Squillace and bassist Casey O’Connell pulled it off – not only making their tunes happen, but drawing increased cheers from the Cliff’s audience as they went along. Jake introduced a few new songs and did some numbers off his Twisted Ideology CD such as the set-opener “Gold,” “Legs in a Twist” and “It Don’t Matter,” and also fired off renditions of Sly & the Family Stone’s “If You Want Me to Stay” and Norah Jones’ “Don’t Know Why.” Harrisburg’s D-Bo and his band closed out the night. Delonne “D-Bo” Wilbourn is a one-man party machine, and he and his band proceeded to get folks up and dancing. D-Bo sang and did dance moves, backed by Billy Wray on keys, Nick Carothers on guitar, Kenny Madera on bass and Jon Fiaschetti on drums. D-Bo spanned funk and R&B to slow soul to blues to hard rock and lots of flavors in between. D-Bo was energetic and enthusiastic, displayed an excellent voice and upbeat vibe as he welcomed dancers onto the floor. The dancers started moving as D-Bo did “Do It,” and he even had some line dance action going on later with his set-closer “My Kind of Night,” as he instructed the dancers on how to do his namesake dance, ‘The D-Bo!’ And I witnessed many MMC performers on the day stage during the Trade Show’s two days – including Connecticut-based country artist Frankie Justin, Abby Lappen, Miguel from Kansas City-based Middle Theory, Lancaster singers and songwriters Justin Angelo and Matt Tarka, Maryland’s Driftwood Renegades, New York’s Alex Cano, Sweden-based performer Allwin, New York-based singer and songwriter Chelsea Takami and New Jersey’s Running Late on Friday…and Jake and Nick of Harrisburg’s III For the Road, PA/New Jersey-based duo Clark & Kobel, Philadelphia singer and songwriter Jessica Graae, New Jersey’s Brother Jerome and West Virginia’s Sour continued on page 19...
April, 2019
THE PROFESSOR continued..... Mash String Band and more on Saturday. It was all good; each artist showed a distinctive flavor and slant, and the overall vibe at the day stage was uplifting as the musicians and passers-by cheered each other on. It was a special atmosphere of like-minded, creative people appreciating and celebrating each other, and encouraging one another to keep creating their craft and doing what they do. This year’s Millennium Music Conference was again a rewarding experience, and I encourage musicians and music-minded folks to consider attending this event in the future. Closer to home, Altoona’s Greenbean Coffee House presented the inaugural Singing For Survivors awareness and fundraiser event last month at Altoona’s Bavarian Aid Society. The event benefited Family Services, Inc. of Blair County, while raising awareness about the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault, and the programs and services Family Services provides. Women and female-geared groups took the spotlight at this event. I missed the opening set by singer and guitarist Michelle Barnes, but arrived as Asbury Lane was under way. Singer Tami Hinish and guitarist/singer Jeremy Schimansky performed a variety of acoustic folk favorites – including John Prine numbers like “Spanish Pipedream (Blow Up Your TV)” and “Clocks and Spoons,” their blending of Old Crow Medicine Show’s “I Hear Them All” into Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” and more. Next, This Albatross’ set provided perhaps the most powerful moment of the night, as singer Autumn Wagner disclosed to the audience that she is a survivor of domestic violence, and she shared how Family Services’ programs and services helped save her life. Autumn, husband Philly Grooves Wagner and Kirk Robison on guitars, PJ Kelly on bass and Shawn Gioiosa on drums quickly filled the dance floor as they played upbeat rock, pop and country favorites from Gretchen Wilson, Miranda Lambert, Roxette, Madonna, Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty, Pink, Blondie, Shania Twain and more. Autumn’s voice was in great form, as she displayed power, range and passion; and in the spirit of the evening, she offered support to other victims of domestic violence with her heartfelt rendition of Martina McBride’s “A Broken Wing.” Sans regularly-scheduled singer Erika Marino, Shallow 9 continued the dance party to finish the night. Multi-tasking frontman and soundman Mike Stanley shared lead singing duties with guitarist Ryan Weaver, as the group mixed rock, pop and hip-hop favorites. Among the highlights was show emcee Garrison Bailey stepping up to sing lead on Shallow 9’s version of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.” This first Singing For Survivors event was a big success, and plans are to make this an annual event.
After a snowstorm forced a postponement in January, Downtown Bedford, Inc. finally got to “feel the heat” last month with their sixth annual Feel the Heat Chili & Soup Cook Off event. Again, area eateries presented their best and most creative chili and soup concoctions for sampling among seven downtown Bedford venues, with attendee votes determining the winners for best-tasting and most creative chilis and soups. Live music took place at each venue during Feel the Heat’s three-hour duration. As Feel the Heat was getting under way, I arrived at HeBrews Coffee Company to enjoy my first chili and soup samples while Eric Delozier and Mo Yon performed. Eric sang and strummed acoustic guitar while Mo played bass; both did numbers from John Prine, Pink Floyd and Marshall Tucker Band. I next headed up Pitt Street to Bedford Candies, where Brandi Naugle played acoustic guitar and sang country numbers, including original songs from her recently issued EP. Next door, at Deepwood Gallery, I then took in a small portion of Dave Howsare’s performance, as he performed acoustic classic rock favorites. Around the corner at Pigeon Hill Studios on Juliana Street, Charles McClanahan entertained chili and soup tasters with his mixture of favorites. Charles took an exploratory and inventive approach to his presentation, varying his arrangements as he transitioned seamlessly from song to song, employing loop pedals and effects. I then headed across the street to my next stop, Founder’s Crossing, where Happy Hour – the duo of singer Sarah Mellott and guitarist/singer Tom Fix – were performing. Sarah and Tom mixed original songs and covers, spanning country, pop and rock flavors. Sarah showed a great voice on songs by The Cranberries and 4 Non Blondes plus the original song “Here for the Ride,” while Tom sounded impressive on a request for Alice In Chains’ “Rooster.” I next proceeded to Oak Spring Winery’s Bedford location, where hometown talent Coltt Winter Lepley performed his variety of folk numbers. Coltt’s presentation was friendly and welcoming as he did numbers from Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, Bill Withers, original songs and more. Folk and acoustic weren’t the only flavors of this day – proven at my next stop, Locality art space, where the Bad Luck Lover Boys fired up punk, pop and rock sounds. Singer and lead guitarist Chris Diehl, bassist Brennon Miller and guitarist Matt Godisart mixed original songs off their CD with popular numbers from Green Day, Weezer, Blink 182 and more. As the event entered its homestretch, I arrived at my final chili and soup-tasting destination, Briar Valley Winery, where Borrowed Time entertained with their blend of vintage and classic rock’n’roll. Singers and guitarists Chad Patterson and Michael Clapper – playing one of their final performances – had fun as they did rock’n’roll favorites by Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs, Led Zeppelin, CCR, Badfinger, Stealer’s Wheel and more. When the tasting was fin-
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ished and votes were tallied, Bedford’s 10/09 Kitchen’s Bacon Bison Beer Chili ran the table in the chili divison, capturing top honors for both Best-Flavored and Most Creative Chili categories. In the soup division, Bad Boyz Bistro won Most Creative Soup for their Rock n’Reuben Soup, while Golden Eagle Inn won Best-Flavored Soup for their Rah Rah Ramen Soup. This year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration started early last month at McGarvey’s, as renowned Chicago-based Celtic punk band The Tossers came to visit. Work duties prevented me from seeing show openers Full Kilt (more on them later), but I arrived midway through The Tossers’ set to find a packed house having fun with the group’s brand of rowdy Irish-flavored sounds. Singer and banjo player Tony Duggins disclosed that he was battling throat issues this night, but his gruffer-than-usual vocal growl actually seemed to fit the rowdy tone of The Tossers’ music even better. The group – Tony, Aaron Duggins on tinwhistle, Mike Pawula on guitar, Emily Ruth on violin, Peter Muschong on bass and Bones on drums – performed many of their own popular numbers along with takes on other Irish and Celtic tunes. And when fans yelled out “Free Bird,” the group fired part way into the Skynyrd classic, and also answered calls for Iron Maiden with their own take on ‘Eire-n’ Maiden’s “The Trooper!” McGarvey’s kicked off St. Patrick’s weekend with Pittsburgh Irish punk rock favorites, Bastard Bearded Irishmen. I was able to see the latter half of their performance, as singer/guitarist Jimmy Bastard, mandolin player Danny Rectenwald, fiddler Paul Dvorchak, bassist Sean-Paul Williams, rhythm guitarist Ryan Warmbrodt and drummer Dan Stocker fired off high-velocity Irish rock originals, plus select covers. Among the late highlights were the group celebrating punk rock with their take on Flogging Molly’s “Drunken Lullabies,” and band members bringing instruments onto the dance floor and into the crowd during the last song of the night. The Gallitzin Fire Company presented the 11th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Party last month at the Gallitzin American Legion’s Oriental Ballroom. This again lived up to its tradition as one of the best St. Paddy’s parties in these parts, with hundreds of green-clad lads and lassies enjoying food, Irish libations and live music. With a hearty “Slainte,” openers Full Kilt commenced the music. This was my first look at Full Kilt since their change continued on page 20...
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of helm behind the drum kit, as Jake Yarnish takes over for Pat Boland. Jake did a good job, fueling the beats behind frontman/ guitarist Mike Zerbee, Mandy Passmore-Ott sawing the fiddle and Chris Myers on bass and vocals. Full Kilt got their Irish up and going, doing their mix of Irish pub and drinking songs, original tunes and Irish-edged takes on popular hits. They did tunes such as Gaelic Storm’s “Drink the Night Away,” “Back Home in Derry,” “Johnny Jump-Up,” “The Night That Paddy Murphy Died” and many more. They did Irish takes on Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls,” John Denver’s “Thank God I’m an (Irish) Boy,” the Van Morrison double-shot of “Brown Eyed Girl” into “Wild Night,” and their crowd-enhanced version of Smokie’s “Living Next Door to Alice.” More and more people populated the dance floor as the group’s three sets continued, and Full Kilt successfully escalated the festive mood of the night. After the intermission, the mostly green-clad Giants Of Science took the stage and quickly filled the dance floor with their festive, energized party of 1980s hits and other favorites. Mick on guitar and vocals, Scotty B on keys and vocals, the Irish viking-clad Johnny 5 on bass and Steve behind the drum kit pulled out all the stops and let the party fly, packing the dance floor with numbers from Flock of Seagulls, Greg Kihn Band, Neil Diamond, Simple Minds, Modern English, Men At Work, Green Day, Gary Numan, Men Without Hats, Bangles and many more. The Giants left a few audience members get up to help sing, and kept the mood ecstatic and upbeat. Toward the end of their nightcap set, Mick took a moment to thank all the fans and friends in this part of the world that have supported the group over their twoplus decades of existence. Both bands and crowd elevated each other to the maximum Irish party good time. Hats off to Chris “Dauber” Cox and his staff of volunteers for making this party yet another memorable highlight of St. Patrick’s Day weekend! After the aforementioned party wound down, I headed to Hagen’s Irish Pub in Chest Springs to catch the latter part of their St. Patrick’s party. The Clovers – the collaboration of area solo performers Rick Ramsey and Kenny Karlheim – kept a lively crowd happy with a wide range of rock, country favorites, oldies and more. After reuniting for a show late last year, Altoona-based quintet The Hope Fallacy is continuing on; they played a full three-
set show last month at Altoona’s Four Dees Lounge. Singer/guitarist Adam Pielmeier, singer/bassist Eric McCrum, guitarists Adam Mueller and Evan Fredo, and drummer Trey Carruthers packed the house and dance floor with their charged mixture of power pop/punk original songs and favorites. They introduced a few new songs and did tunes from their 2010 EP Bringin’ It Home, and also kept the crowd happy and dancing with tunes from Nena, Sublime, the Beatles, a rocking take on Michael Sembello’s Flashdance hit “Maniac,” Tom Petty, Def Leppard, a hard-rocking version of Toto’s “Africa” and more. Based on the ecstatic response to their return this night, more Hope Fallacy appearances at the Four Dees are likely. A new area band to check out is The Unusual Circumstance, who I saw in late February at Underdog’s in Bellwood. Featuring Mike Williamson on lead vocals, guitarists Cameron Irvin and Cody Lenglet, and drummer/percussionist John Finamore; The Unusual Circumstance performed a mixture of acoustic, country-flavored original songs, classic and modern country favorites. Mike demonstrated a clear, powerful voice up front as well as a welcoming, friendly personality that won the crowd and earned steady cheers. The Unusual Circumstance played several originals, as well as country favorites from Brantley Gilbert, David Lee Murphy, Tyler Farr, Alabama, John Michael Montgomery, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, Luke Combs and more. Mike continues to hone his original songs, and has made several trips to Nashville to explore the musical climate there. I again had the joy of witnessing singer and songwriter Eric Ian Farmer during one of his weekly Thursday appearances last month at the Tavern’s Adam’s Apple in State College. Playing ukulele, Mary Ann Cleary opened the evening with a variety of favorites, joined later on by brother Brian Cleary on acoustic guitar. Eric then worked his musical magic with the audience, delivering a soaring, spiritual, passionate and uplifting performance. He felt the music from the get-go, and captivated the audience with his blend of cadence, dynamics, finesse and heartfelt emotion. Eric demonstrated his dynamic range from inspired and soulful singing and vocalizing to pristine silence, holding the audience in total attention throughout. He opened with Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide,” and had the audience hanging on every note, clear until his final note trailed off, before they then began their
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applause. After Eric sang an original number inspired by a past girlfriend, Mary Ann and Brian joined him for the rest of the performance. One of the big highlights was their version of Don Henley’s “Heart of the Matter,” as Eric rode this number toward a rousing homestretch where he emphasized the word “forgiveness” and made it the hopeful theme of the song itself. That is perhaps the enduring attribute of Eric Ian Farmer’s performances; that he emphasizes hope and positivity, and audiences leave his shows in a better frame of mind than when they first arrived. I checked out The Dillons for the first time last month at the Holiday Bowl Strike Zone Bar & Grille in Altoona. Ed Dillon on bass and vocals, Ruschelle Dillon on guitar and vocals, and Jason Selfridge on guitar kept a busy room happy with their mix of acoustic classic rock, pop and country favorites. They broke out tunes from J. Geils Band, Blondie, Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, Lady GaGa, Marshall Tucker Band, Eric Church, Bob Seger and more. Ed and Ruschelle alternated singing duties, and sounded good through all of it, keeping the mood cordial, friendly and often humorous. And I also caught a four-band show at McGarvey’s last month, featuring solo performer Kevo Can’t Dance, Philadelphia indie-progressive rock group Diaphane, Susquehanna Valley-based indie-folk group MA’AM and Hollidaysburg’s From Down the Road. News and notes…Altoona native Jimmy Mowery has advanced to the battle round on NBC Television’s “The Voice”… We The Kings and Go Go Gadjet will perform at the third annual Ivyside Off the Rails: Music and Arts Festival, happening at Altoona’s Railroaders Museum April 14…The Reverend Horton Heat returns to McGarvey’s on April 6…The Allegheny Ukulele Kollective presents the fifth annual Ukulele Soiree May 3-5 at the Altoona Grand Hotel, featuring ukulele workshops, jam sessions, open mics and guest performers including Sarah Maisel, Craig Chee, The Dirty Hillers, Abe Deshotel, Mim of Mim’s Ukes and more…Western PA classic metal rockers Iron Wolf have issued their debut CD, Strong Never Broken. Please send correspondence and recordings to: Jim Price, 1104 S. Catherine St., Altoona, PA 16602. You can also e-mail me at jptheprofessor@gmail.com. And if you’re into social networking, look me up on Facebook or Google+. SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC!
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AVAILABLE: Lead guitarist looking for working cover band. Prefer Hard Rock/metal, Pro gear, located near Lancaster Forsburg@reagan.com (919) 606-3443 Jeff
WANTED: Bass player with serious metal chops needed to round out Metal cover band. We play anything from Sepultura, Ozzy, Queensryche, Slayer, Metallica, Testament to Dream Theater, Opeth, and Children Of Bodom. Interested? Hit us up. Practice in Dillsburg. divinemizery@gmail. com WANTED: Old school ba-
FOR SALE: Epiphone ES339 natural wood, $375; Epiphone cherry sunburst, $375; Epiphone Turquoise blue, all traditional Pro’s with cases. Epiphone Hummingbird, $400. 717-303-4211. FOR SALE: Epiphone Explorer Flying “V: Les Paul, all three Korina wood with cases, $1,000. Epiphone customs white and black, both mint god HDW cases, $1,000. Gibson Firebird studio 717303-4211. FOR SALE: Guitarist throwing in the towel selling 16 electric guitars, one Gibson, one Dean, rest Epiphones. All almost mint condition. Cases and stops go with instruments. 717-3030-4211.
To place your FREE Classified Note Email to: JoshNoll@pamusician.net. Submit your “Note” along with your phone number and area code...Or fill out the form (one word per space). CLEARLY print your NOTE along with your AREA CODE & PHONE NUMBER. Send it to: PA MUSICIAN MAGAZINE, 178 ANDY STROUP RD. LIVERPOOL, PA 17045
MUSICIANS WANTED WANTED: Frontman or Woman for early 2000’s to current hard rock cover band in the Williamsport area. yeldarbsperk@yahoo.com WANTED:”Carlisle drummer seeking guitar, bass, and singer for a RUSH tribute band.” 717- 609-5353. WANTED: Reliable bassist for lewisburg 5-piece lite-jazz, pop, rock, swing,
www.pamusician.net
April, 2019
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
21
PA CD REVIEWS By Jim Price
JESSICA GRAAE – BLUE HEART (no label) Born in the nation’s capital but now calling Philadelphia home, classically-trained singer and songwriter Jessica Graae has evolved her distinctive style of folk-based music over the course of three albums; winning regional music awards and performing at established venues and festivals along the way. Jessica’s latest
album, Blue Heart, offers nine acoustic-rooted songs that often explore issues of the heart and soul. Jessica plays acoustic guitar plus mandolin and shruti (an Indian bellow-based instrument), accompanied on several songs by Art Cohen on electric guitar and Michael G. Ronstadt on cello. Her guitar style is graceful yet straightforward, and she sings with a gentle, delicate, siren-like croon. Jessica’s words lean toward thoughtful and reflective themes; the melancholy album-opening title track “Blue Heart” explores issues that weigh heavily on the heart, such as troubling words and past mistakes. The wistful “Winter Is Breaking” juxtaposes the onset of cold weather with cold emotions and issues of the heart. With its cello accent, the story song “The Sailor and the Angel” suggests an English folk ballad feel, while “Keep You Safe” ponders physical and emotional security. The somber “Words on Fire” explores words said and unsaid as an emotional release, while “Not Meant for You” weaves a tale of the tragic consequences of a youth’s curiosity. In a more playful vein, Jessica sings a whimsical story of a barnyard romance on the disc-closer “Chicken Dance.” Jessica generates captivating melodies and song hooks throughout the album, and the simple, stripped-down arrangements allow those melodies to emerge front and center. Produced by Jessica and Art, and recorded at Alpenhof Studio in Media, Blue Heart sounds clear and radiant, enabling Jessica’s pristine voice and gentle guitar tones to shine through. Blue Heart showcases Jessica Graae’s gifts for songcraft and lyrics, and provides a rewarding glimpse into her musical world. (The album can be obtained through online retailers, or through Jessica’s website, www.jessicagraae.com.)
America’s Original Indie Label Celebrating 6 Decades
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CANADIAN AMERICAN
P.O. Box 808, Lititz, PA 17543
717.627.4800 canadianamerican@dejazzed.com www.joeywelz.com www.canadianamericanrecords.net
“Being Independent is Being Canadian American.”
Guitars On Main SALES / LESSONS / SERVICE Call
(717) 823-6945
84 E. Main St. Mount Joy PA 17552
www.guitarsonmain.com 22
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
BLACK WATER GREED – CIRCLE OF SIN (no label) Since their beginnings in 2010, York and Lancaster County based group Black Water Greed has evolved a melody-geared hard rock sound, culminating in their first full length CD, Circle of Sin. Currently singer Michael Mundy, drummer J.J. Tyson and guitarist Andy Patzer; Black Water Greed’s sound is rooted in classic-flavored hard rock, featuring effective song hooks, cogent lyrics, and strong vocals and harmonies to bring them across. The group runs the gamut from edgier and aggressive rockers to expressive and heartfelt ballads. The disc-opener “Till Death Do Us Part” shows a driving ‘80s-rock edge reminiscent of Dokken or Def Leppard, while the thundering “Am I Closer” contemplates staying the course against adversity. Black Water Greed displays a knack for power ballads, evidenced by the sullen “One Last Time” with its theme of dealing with
personal loss, and “Walk Away” with its words about leaving a toxic relationship situation behind. Perhaps the disc’s strongest highlight is the patriotic-themed “21 Shells ‘Say Goodbye,” saluting America’s fallen soldiers. Black Water Greed tackles angrier social commentary as well, with the title song “Circle of Sin” venting on political corruption, while “Crude Awakening” lashes out at power and greed pushing society to the edge. The performances are energetic and tightly executed, giving the songs a sense of urgency. Michael Mundy displays a solid and rangeful voice, with two and three-part harmonies adding depth and emphasis. Produced by the group and David Mobley, Circle of Sin sounds balanced, crisp and polished, enabling Black Water Greed’s musicality and songwriting chops to fully shine. The result is a strong debut album; Circle of Sin introduces Black Water Greed as a band with the total package of good songs, vocal and instrumental chops, and meaningful lyrics. Fans of strong, melodic hard rock will find plenty to savor here. (The CD can be obtained through CD Baby and other online music retailers.)
DEADLINE FOR
THE MAY 2019 PA MUSICIAN MAGAZINE IS.... APRIL 20th Don’t Delay, call or text Josh today...
717.636.4203
April, 2019
REPAIRSStarts Here”.... “Your Music Journey
CENTRAL PA FRIENDS OF
SPRING CONCERT SERIES - 2018
Sunday April 7 2019 3pm
Samba Jazz & the Music of Jobim!
DUDUKA DA FONSECA TRIO Featuring vocalist
Maucha Adnet
Duduka Da Fonseca - 3-Time Grammy® Nominated Brazilian Drummer Helio Alves - Piano & Martin Wind - Bass POLLOCK CENTER FOR THE ARTS, 340 North 21st Street, Camp Hill PA.
NG RISI R STA SAX MAN
~Specializing in REPAIR & SERVICE~
• VINTAGE • USED • BUY • SALE • TRADE • LESSONS 58 West Main Street • Mechanicsburg, PA •
717.691.3659
www.noteworthyguitars.net / Email: noteworthyguitars@yahoo.com
J.D. ALLEN QUARTET
SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019 3PM THE TRUST - LANCASTER PA
SEAN JONES
Friday June 14 2019
Mack Avenue Recordng Artist Chairman of Jazz @ Peabody Institute & Director of Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Jazz Orchestra
HIGH CENTER - MESSIAH COLLEGE
7:30PM
FRIENDS OF JAZZ STAGE @ HARRISBURG ARTS FEST
MAY 25 - 27, 2019
JAZZ 10AM-7PM Saturday & Sunday 10AM-5PM Monday
CPFJ JAZZ STAGE
FRONT & WALNUT Sts./RIVERFRONT PARK
CENTRAL PA FRIENDS OF JAZZ CAMP - JUNE 12-15
A four day camp for students from 12 thru 21 who seriously desire to further their music education and learn about jazz improvisation. All instruments and voices are welcome. Trumpeter Sean Jones & saxophonist Tim Warfield head this year’s faculty. There is no audition requirement. Resident and commuter camping is available. High Center - Messiah College - Mechanicsburg PA This year's Camp is made possible by a generous grant from the Olewine Family Trust with scholarship funding from the Kline Foundation and the Hall Foundation.
Information on these and other CPFJ events is available at
www.friendsofjazz.org 717-540-1010 April, 2019
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
23
ticketmaster®
VIP LOFT Seating Available with Bottle Service
APRIL 2019 801 S. 10th Street • Harrisburg, PA 17104
Box Office Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays 11:30am-1:30pm and on Event Nights Tickets can also be purchased by phone with a credit card, Call 717-409-8975
Doors open at 7 p.m. except where noted • Patio Open/Smoking Section Available • Snack Bar • Pool Tables Parking for over 500 cars • Also Available for Private Parties & Special Events 04/05 - FIRST FRIDAY HAPPY HOUR 5:30-7:30 Discounted Food & Drinks Hosted by HYP
SUNDAY 04/07
7pm / 21+ $10 advance
7pm / 21+ $30 advance
FRIDAY 04/05
$5 cover / 21+ 8PM
plus
DeFunk FREE
TICK NEEDEDEFT ENTRY! OR
THURSDAY 04/11
7PM / 21+ $20 ADVANCE
8pm / 21+ $10 cover
plus SPACE BACON / SUN & RAIN
THURSDAY 04/18 3:00 PM ~ALL AGES~ $20 (GA) $40 (Loft viewing)
LOTUS
7pm / 21+ $30 advance
8pm / 21+/$15 adv / $20 day of show
8pm 21+ $10 Cover
SATURDAY
APRIL 20
FRANK TURNER & THE SLEEPING SOULS
7pm / 21+ $10 cover
7pm / 21+ SOLD OUT !! SOLD OUT!!!
Shows Coming Up.... THURSDAY MAY 23rd
w/Nate Myers & the Aces / SWITCH FU
w/Every Mother’s Nightmare / Time Bomb
SATURDAY APRIL 27th 24
8pm / 21+ $10 cover
FRIDAY, MAY 3rd/
7pm 21+ $30 (GA)
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
7pm/ $10advance $15 day of show
SATURDAY JUNE 8th
8pm / 21+ / $30 adv.
April, 2019