CHAMELEON CLUB
223 NORTH WATER STREET, LANCASTER, pa www.CHAMELEONCLUB.NET (717) 299 -9684
&LIAM LIS
SHERMAN THEATER
524 MAIN STREET, STROUDSBURG, PA www.SHERMANTHEATER.COM
(570) 420 -2808
Tickets at Ticketmaster.com, Ticketfly.com, charge-by-phone 800.745.3000 & at each venue’s box office. VISIT FACEBOOK.COM/SLPCONCERTS OR SLPCONCERTS.NET
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Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
January 2018
Catch Us Online @ Facebook.com/ TimeBombBandPa For Info & Bookings Contact:
(717)-266-4470
JANUARY: Sat. 13th ~ ORIOLES, Denver, PA w/CONVICTION! Fri. 19th & Sat. 20th ~
Stonewood
Appearing Live at the following locations:
~HERSHEY PARK STADIUM ~ AHL OUTDOOR CLASSIC GAME
Friday, 01/12 -THE COVE, York, PA
(IHeart Radio Stage Fan Fest) Hershey, PA Fri. 26th ~ TOURIST INN, Hallam, PA ~ ANGELA’S BDAY BASH w/JAMES KIRK FOLK! Sat. 27th ~ ZIPPER’S BAR & GRILL, Bonneauville, PA with/ GETTIN’ IT WET!
Saturday, 01/13 - HERITAGE HILLS - PVT Event Saturday, 01/20 - RACEHORSE TAVERN, Thomasville, PA Friday, 02/9 - BLARNERY’S TWISTED IRISH PUB, Mechanicsburg, PA Friday, 02/23 - THE BURNING BRIDGE, Wrightsville PA For Bookings Contact: 570-687-8827
www.Facebook.com/Stonewoodblues www.thebandstonewood.com
Buy Our CDs at One of our shows, Itunes, Amazon or CD Baby
For more information vist our website & follow us on facebook.com/Steel
Friday, February 2nd 9:30pm Tourist Inn, Hellam, PA ailable at “Steel Hammered” rAvwe bsite All gigs & on ou Booking: Chris 717.659.9356 or Aaron 717.580.0218 Email: info@steelrocks.com ~ Hope to see YOU at one of our shows! ~
www.steelrocks.com
January 2018
Jan. 19th, TWO GUNNZ UNPLUGGED (Bob & Mike) 6pm-9pm - Fredericksburg Eagle Hotel, Fredericksburg, PA Jan. 27th, 9:30-1:30am - Double K Tavern, Harrisburg, PA Feb. 2nd & 3rd, 9pm- 1:30am - Winners Circle Saloon, Grantville, PA Feb. 10th, 8pm-12mid - Carlisle Eagles, Carlisle, PA Feb. 23rd, TWO GUNNZ UNPLUGGED (Bob & Mike) 6pm-9pm - Fredericksburg Eagle Hotel, Fredericksburg, PA March 3rd - 9:30-1:30am - Double K Tavern, Harrisburg, PA March 23rd - TWO GUNNZ UNPLUGGED (Bob & Mike) 6pm-9pm - Fredericksburg Eagle Hotel, Fredericksburg, PA March 31st, 12 noon - 3pm -TWO GUNNZ UNPLUGGED Hunters Valley Winery -Wine Trail, Liverpool, PA
www.smokingunnz.com Call Vickie at SOUTH SOUND PRODUCTIONS:
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
717.832.6154
3
Original & Rock ‘N’ Roll Favorites Created through Emotion & Passion Catch us ‘Live’ on February 9th
at GETTYSBURG ROCKS 8pm
Location to be announced watch www.facebook.com/Latimore Sky for details Check out our cd
“LEFT BEHIND” Available on ITunes Bookings & Info:
610.420.9401
“Modern Jesse James” @ https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/latimoresky Bookings Call Pj at 717.887.6471
Facebook.com/Latimore Sky
latimoresky@gmail.com
www.HEADSTONE118.com
DAN STONEROOK Solo Acoustic Music
“Bearded Acoustic Bluesy Storytellin’ Music”
814.270.7662 Facebook.com/Dan Stonerook-Music Email: danstonerookmusic@gmail.com
717.745.NOTT (6688)
www.frayednott.com
Fri. 02/02- RACEHORSE TAVERN, Thomasville, PA Keeping the Blues Alive in PA
The Cadillac Cats
for gigs: www.facebook.com/kgcadillaccats Available for your next party...
570-651-5014
Now Booking 2018-2019
Original & Covers of Hard Rock/Classic Metal
“The Red Album”, “Wolves” & “X-Nihilo” CDs at: Wayne’s World, 419 Memorial Hwy. Dallas, PA, Hoffman’s Music 381 Bennett St. Luzerne, PA
“EXPERIENCE THE POWER” Available at CDbaby www.cdbaby.com/cd/xterra7 Our New CD,
“God Don’t Make Junk” is now Available through CD Baby: www.cdbaby.com/cd/xterra & at all shows
Bookings: 570.654.4758
Facebook.com/X-terra
www.xterrarockband.com
4
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
January 2018
SATURDAY, JANUARY 27th METRO GALLERY, Baltimore, MD ~ Now Booking for 2018 ~ Facebook.com/ Penntera2112 or / Penntera420
Watch our Videos YouTube.com/penntera
BOOKING INFO: 717.776.1043 Cell: 717.701.0992
Email: skapegot@yahoo.com
State College, PA
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!
More dates TBA / FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK Booking now! Contact CTC for booking 717.979.9234 NEW Email: ctcdub@gmail.com
UPCOMING SHOWS: Saturday, Feb. 17th – PARK AVENUE PUB, PATTON (starts 10 p.m.)
EVERY TUESDAY – We host OPEN MIC NIGHT at D’OTTAVIO’S GRAN SASSO, HOLLIDAYSBURG;
Bring your instrument, voice & songs and join us. 8pm start.
Need Live Acoustic Music For An Upcoming Holiday Party, Reunion Or Other Event? Booking for 2018 Call THE BACKYARD ROCKERS: 814.330.1883 / Email: rd1950@aol.com VISIT US ON FACEBOOK & ROCKPAGE.NET/BANDS! January 2018
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
“CONSIDIRATION” & “CHEMICAL the EP COCKTAIL” Available at: closetoconsideration.bandcamp.com FREE downloads, Music, Videos, Pictures & more visit... REVERBNATION.COM/CTCNATION Facebook.com/Close to Consideration Follow CTC on Twitter@tweetctc 5
ACROSS THE DESK By Robin Noll
It’s a new year, 2018 and music is happening everywhere throughout Pennsylvania and it is bitter cold right now so it’s a good month to head out and put your dancing shoes on and have some fun. John Harris for The John Harris Group has listed his shows for the following months and he is one busy promoter. He has shows happening at Joe K’s, Hmac, The Abbey Bar, Blarney’s, Savannah’s and now Gullifty’s Underground is reopening in February under new ownwership with a new name called the Cliff Tavern. They have remodeled but they do plan on having live music at The Underground. It’s amaing how many shows are listed so be sure to check out his ad. John is also working on the 22nd Annual Millennium Music Conference and Showcase and was telling me he has been listening to some amazing artist. He is really excited about the showcases and the talent this year and he’s also excited about the new
venue at the Park Inn in Mechanicsburg. There’s plenty of Free Parking and the room rate is only $89 per night and there are actually 2 big stages to be utilized in the Hotel so that will make it nice to be able to hear music throughout the venue plus Blarney’s is located in the Park Inn. Call this month and get your rooms reserved. They go quick and it’s nice being able to stay close to all the action. Check out www.musicconference.net for the full list of venues and artist. Hopefully we will have the list available to you next momth in our pages. Speaking of Blarney’s all the rage this past Christmas is the onesie pajamas so they have decided to have a Pajamma Jammi, Jam. Chapel Hill Country Band will be performing the Jam and you all need to come in your comfort jammies and join in the fun. Club owners and managers are constantly looking for new ways to create fun for their clientele. Check out Blarney’s schedule, they have a whole month of great entertainent. Racehorse Tavern in Thomasville will be hosting their 18th Annual Y2K New Year’s Bash on the 13th. This is a party for all those who had to work on New Year’s Eve and also for those who are not done celebrating the beginning of a new year. DJ Woody will be spinning the sounds and Jim and his staff know how to throw a great party. Kirk Folk starts off the month. I remember Kirk from the earlier years of the PA Musician Magazine. He continues to keep the music flowing in his own unique way and style. Stonewood makes a return to their home stage on the 20th and I noticed Jim is giving Yakbone a chance to strutt their sounds on February 2nd. Great memories and great music is happening at the Racehorse Tavern. Congratulations to Eric Hoffman for writing the National column for 10 years. He has such passion and love for everything music. He is always going to a live show somewhere, not just in PA either. Jim Price’s fans put on a great event to honor him for writing about the western part of the state. It was great how they honored him and showed their appreciation for all that he does for the music scene. We weren’t really told much about it until the last minute but we to do appreciate Jim Price and all that he does. He wrote this month’s cover story on Dan Stonerook and while he was compiling it
Dan’s stepdad, Bill Venet Sr. passed away rather suddenly so once again Jim stepped up and included a memorial write up on Bill as well. Bill helped Dan develop his musical talents in his band Cash Through the Years. An event coming up in March is the Lancaster Root’s & Blues Festival. Rich Ruoff, former owner of the Chameleon in Lancaster has been putting on this event the last 4 years and this will be number 5. Rachel had the opportunity to attend last year and she said it is AMAZING. You can read all about it on page 20. People are always asking about Whitey and how he is doing. He is now 76 and he’s is still doing. He is now on facebook so if you would like to check in with him become his friend on facebook.com/Whitey Noll. You’ll have to remind him who you are as his memory isn’t what it use to be but I know he would love to hear from you. There is a whole lot of information in the pages of the Pennsylvania Musician Magazine please take your time and check out all the schedules and read all about the many bands that our writers have enjoyed the past few months. If you have a band or a club or a business that you want to let people know about please consider placing an ad. We are solely funded by our paid advertisers. We are not independently wealthy (as most of us aren’t) so we need ad dollars to continue to cover the music scene that we do. Every month bands approach me about covering their wonderful, talented band who have been performing for years (and I have never heard of them before) and they are quite popular in their area.That is why we started the paper is to give the music scene a place where they can promote what they are doing and let the public know who and what is happening and where it is happening at. Thank you for your support over the past 36 Years but to continue we need YOU! THANK YOU!
Every Friday in January...
KARAOKE w/ DJ JERRY ~Saturday Night LIVE in January~ Sat. 6th -
OVERRIDE
Sat. 13th -
SWIFTKICK Sat. 20th -
TICKLED PINK Sat. 27th -
SMOKIN GUNNZ
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Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
January 2018
OUT ‘n’ ABOUT By Rachel Rocks
Happy New Year!! 2017 was a year of chaos and craziness. I’m really not complaining my life is never boring, but I’m still hoping things will slllloooowww down. I’m very blessed to have so many family and friends that keep me hopping from activity to activity, but every know and then I wish I could just freeze time and take a nice long breather, and maybe a bubble bath! I managed to squeeze a couple of bands in this month, mixed in with all of the birthday and holiday celebrations. My first night out and about I saw Steel at Double K. Every night with Steel is a wild party, but this night they were also celebrating Aaron’s birthday, so everyone was even crazier than usual, and of course Vicki made one of her famous cakes! Steel plays so many of my favorite head banging songs. It never gets old watching people see Steel for the first time and watching people love every song they play. Steel’s energy is contagious and gets people on the dance floor and loving every minute of their show. Steel’s stage presence is always entertaining just to watch, let alone hear. Even their drummer Trevis gets involved making as many facial expressions he can making eye contact with crowd and having a blast in the process. They also had a couple of musicians watching their show, and as usual they invited them up on the stage for a song. Gary Lee Roxx took over the microphone and Dave Gary strapped on Dave’s bass, it gives the guys a break and it mixes things up and always makes it interesting. If you want to be fully entertained while you are out on the town check out Steel’s ad in this issue and plan your next night out!
January 2018
My next night out was a long one, it started with a quick visit to see the first set of the Nate Myers Trio at Colonial Lounge. It’s not the ideal place to see or have a band, but kudos to them for still doing what they can to support live music, and kudos to Nate, Pete, and this night it was Kenny behind the kit, for making it as much of a show as they could. Their big smiles, quick wit, and hilarious humor were all still there mixed in between their amazing music. They played mainly originals, but threw in a couple of covers that were requested. As usual Nate and his crew go above and beyond to keep the crowd entertained. You
only a month away. This year it’s going to be February 22-25th and it will be over in the Park Inn, which is the hotel attached to Blarney’s. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen Suzi at one of her shows, but not only does she still have her amazing storytelling and percussion guitar playing, but she has also added in a looper machine. She is now an even more impressive one woman band. Every time I cross paths with Suzi I’m amazed with her talent and this night was no different. The last band of the night was Booby Trap at Double continued on page 8....
Pete Netznik
can catch Nate Myers jamming with his rock n’ roll blues all over the midstate and beyond. To see his full schedule check out his website at www.natemyers.com. The next stop of the night was The Blue Moose for Suzi Brown. I haven’t crossed paths with Suzi since the MMC last year, but it is always a special treat when I do. Just seeing her makes me miss the fun times of the MMC. It’s hard to believe the Millennium Music Conference is
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
7
Out & About continued...
K. As usual the room was nice and steamy with people on the dance floor having a great night of rock n’ roll. Three guys in the band are getting ready to celebrate 20 years of jamming together! If you’re in a band or know a band, you know how absolutely impressive that is. There’s no drama or egos, just a few friends having a good time and entertaining people in the process. The way they can back each other up with just a nod of the head or just existing is pretty awesome. The word on the street is that Double K is cutting back to only have live music on Saturdays. It’s a common occurrence amongst venues. It’s so hard to get people to come out and be willing to pay a cover two nights in a row, or even just come out period. People look at their schedule and pick and choose which shows they can afford to come to, and which ones they will have to skip. It’s sad to see how strapped people are in today’s world, but it’s so true.
Venues are getting fewer and further in between. If you enjoy live music I highly suggest getting out there and supporting it before it’s gone! My next night out was another trip to Double K for Banished for Life. These guys probably don’t even want me to say how long they’ve been playing together, but the most important part is they can still get the stage rockin’ and the dance floor packed with people having a great night! The music alone should be enough to get people on the dance floor, but the Purple Hooters probably help too! If you are at Double K ask Karen or Jim for a Purple Hooter. You’ll be hootin’ and hollerin’ and the next day you might even wind up with a new purple bruise, that makes you wonder how that got there! In all seriousness tho, the Banished for Life fans are tons of fun and make sure everyone is having a party! The guys on the stage rock the night away playing so many of your rock favorites. They also play quite a few of the older rock songs that I don’t hear every night which is refreshing!
The last night out of the month was on a Thursday to The Blue Moose in Linglestown for their open mic night. I was told it was being an Unofficial 717 Christmas Party. There were quite a few musicians there. Unfortunately I missed most of them because I didn’t get there until 11. One set I wish I would’ve heard was Timmy and The Creeping Thyme. They created a whole set of just Christmas music that I heard was pretty amazing. I also missed Ben Bollinger from Six Bar Break and I always appreciate his music. When I got there Sweet Corn and Peanut were on the stage. I heard them play on our acoustic stage at the MMC before, but they are always a special treat. They are a husband and wife duo that are so in sync with each other that they take “harmonies” to a whole new level and just sing in stereo. The way they can match each other’s inflictions in their voices is just amazing. Each note, sang in stereo. The Blue Moose isn’t a very big room, but their voices are so powerful they probably don’t even need a mic. Sweet Corn has some amazing guitar licks, mixed in with Peanut’s leg slappin rhythms, foot stomps, and overall shenanigans and topped off with their amazing voices.
Sweet Corn & Peanut
5401 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 717.697.0321 • Open 4pm-2am Fri. 01/05 - THE
DAVE ROOT BAND Sat. 01/06 - OBSERVE THE 93rd / NINE D Fri. 01/12 - SADDLE HORN Sat. 01/13 - GAS STATION DISCO Fri. 01/19 - CHAPEL
GAS STATION DISCO
It was definitely a very special Christmas treat. Next up was Suzi Brown, she told me about the open mic while I was out at her show the week before, and I’m glad I stopped out to see everyone. After Suzi performed a couple songs, she invited everyone up for a wild jam to end the night. I was excited to see Sofeya hop up there with her ukulele. Overall it was an amazing night of music. They are trying to have open mics the 1st and 3rd Thursdays at Blue Moose. It’s definitely a super fun night of absolutely amazing music. I also enjoyed just hearing Ben networking with Sweet Corn and Peanut. They were sharing secrets about how to get their music copyrighted, to even which cameras work continued on page 10
HILL COUNTRY BAND
PAJAMA JAMMI JAM....Wear your warmest, coolest, sexiest, hottest, jammies or onesies.
Sat. 01/20 - JASON
DUMM BAND Fri. 01/26 - COLT WILBUR BAND Sat. 01/27 - BLACK TIE STEREO Fri. 02/02 - GARRETT SHULTZ BAND Sat. 02/03 - ADRIAN BLITZER Coming February 22nd, 23rd & 24th - MMC 22 - 2 Stages of FREE
CHAPEL HILL COUNTRY BAND
ADRIAN BLITZER
Live Music! Blarney’s Sponsored by;
~~~~~~Facebook.com/Blarney’s Twisted Irish Pub~~~~~~~ 8
Aaron Zimmerman of Steel
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
January 2018
738 N. Biesecker Rd. Thomasville, PA 17364
717.792.9838
HAPPY HOUR 7pm - 9pm EVERY DAY!
101 East Main Street • Fredericksburg, PA • 717.865.4672
OPEN JUKEBOX during HAPPY HOURS
Food & Drink Specials Every Day!
Entertainment in January...
Monday thru Thursday 3pm-6pm/ Friday 3pm-5pm
BOB NOBLE Fri. 5th - KIRK FOLK & BLUE VOODOO Sat. 6th - PRISON EARTH Fri. 12th -
RADIO BRAVO
Sat. 13th - Our 18th Annual
Y2K PARTY!!!
Hats, Noisemakers, Champagne Toast
DJ WOODY
Fri. 19th -
STONEWOOD Fri. 26th - SCARLETT Sat. 20th -
Sat. 27th -
HEADSHOT
Fri. 02/02 -
YAKBONE
www.racehorsetavern.com
Hours: Mon. 3pm-11pm / Tue. & Wed 3pm-12mid Thu thru Sat. 11am-2am / Sun. 12pm-12mid
16 Oz. DRAFT BEER SPECIALS ALL DAY, EVERY DAY!
TWELVE ICE COLD CRAFT-MICRO & DOMESTIC BEERS ON TAP
• AMERICANA MONDAYS: Chili Dog, Burger or Cheeseburger with Fresh Cut Fries only $5 ALL DAY plus...
CHEATERS NEVER PROSPER TRIVIA
• ALL U CAN EAT • HUMPDAY
7-9pm SPECIAL All Day Tuesday: Our famous WINGS
(Eat in only/NO to go boxes) 10 at a time.
SPECIAL: CHEESESTEAK w/ Fresh Cut Fries $7 -ALL DAY! Or CHEESESTEAK HOAGIE
• TACO THURSDAYS 4-9pm (BUILD ‘EM YOURSELF Hard or Soft Shell, Beef or Chicken) 1/2 PRICE APPS & 50¢ WINGS
(min of 10 wings) w/ Purchase of any regular MENU ENTREE
• All Day Sunday: WING
SPECIALS...
JANUARY ENTERTAINMENT & DINNER SPECIALS AT THE EAGLE 9pm-1am
ZIGGY DJ HALO DJ STU BERKLEY
Friday, 01/05-LOBSTER NIGHT 4-10pm/ Saturday 01/06 - 6-9pm acoustic w/
9pm-1am
MONDAY, January 8th - WE ARE CLOSED SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE / NO TRIVIA Friday, 01/12 - PRIME RIB 4-10pm/ 6-9pm acoustic w/
NATE MYERS & PETE DJ STU 9pm-1am
IN HOUSE BEER PONG / Sign ups at 8pm / Balls Fly at 9pm Saturday, 01/13 -
ASKING?ANDY 5-8pm acoustic w/
SCOTT LUTZ RACING FUNDRAISER / 8pm-Mid. Lots of Food, Fun &/ Prizes Friday, 01/19 - CRAB NIGHT
4-10pm/ Acoustic 6-9pm with...
2 GUNNZ UNPLUGGED
w/
DJ HALO 9pm-1am
Saturday, 01/20 - 8-11pm / no cover....
CHEYENNE ROCK BAND Friday, 01/26 - STEAK NIGHT
W/
4-10pm/6-9pm acoustic w/
MYCENEA WORLEY Saturday, 01/27 - 8pm - 12midnight
DJ STU 9pm-1am
BRETT MARKS #19 RACING FUNDRAISER Entertainment by DJ HALO Lots of Food, Fun & Prizes!!
CDBaby
~ Handicap Accessible~ Hrs: Mon. thru Sat. 11am-2am /Sunday 11am-12mid. Kitchen Hrs: Mon. thru Thur. & Sun. 11am-9pm /Fri. & Sat. 11am-10pm
For Booking & info: FULL FORCE MUSIC 570.205.1350 P.O. Box 67 Friedensburg, PA 17933 Email: steelguitar01@hotmail.com
www.fredericksburgeaglehotel.com
Available at:
January 2018
Amazon,
Apple iTunes,
FACEBOOK.COM/FREDERICKSBURG EAGLE HOTEL
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
9
Out & About continued...
best for video and other secrets they’ve discovered with trial and error throughout the years. It’s awesome to see musicians working together. It again gave me the itch for the Millennium Music Conference. The MMC is all about music! People playing, talking, and learning all about music. I know a lot of local musicians don’t take advantage of this opportunity right in their own backyard, but I can tell you, if you don’t come out, you are missing a huge opportunity. Sure, you might not get paid to be there, but the information you can absorb and learn just from talking to other musicians is priceless. Then if you actually go to the panels and learn from so many down to earth amazing professionals, and create friendships that last years!! You need a foot in the door to a different area other than Harrisburg, the MMC is your threshold! Get out there and spend a couple bucks to invest in your music and in your talent. Take advantage and get involved, talk to people, swap stories, support each other, and do yourself a huge favor and go out and hear some of the music that attacks Harrisburg for two nights. I’ve never been disappointed in any shows I get to go see. And one more tip is just don’t sleep… there is too much you’ll miss! For all of the details, that are at this point getting updated daily, check out www.musicconference.net. A super special thank you to those that ordered special pictures for their favorite rockstars for Christmas. My last second idea of selling some pictures to make a couple bucks for my own Christmas shopping worked out great! If you would still like to purchase pictures of your loved ones and favorite rockstars I’d be more than happy to get them printed for you. I also can make collages if I have enough pictures of your Rockstar. I save ALL of my pictures… so trust me I have lots to choose from. I’m also starting to create a spreadsheet so I can find my pictures even faster. Starting January 1st I’m going to start featuring some of my favorite pictures on my Facebook page. They might be older, or newer. I hope I don’t offend anyone by posting pictures of them with an old band, or whatever. If you really don’t want your picture featured, please let me know. If there is a certain person or band who’s pictures you would like to see, you can let me know that too! I can send you pictures to view in private so you can surprise your loved one, or I can also just share them on Facebook. I appreciate all of your continued support. There’s no way I could ever get all of my pictures printed in the magazine, but there are plenty of good ones I know a lot of people would enjoy seeing. Well that’s all for this month!! Huge birthday shout outs this month to my most beautiful sister in the entire planet, Andrea Greene on January 6th, and my super studly and absolutely amazing husband, Kris on January 8th! There wouldn’t be a Rachel Rocks without his continued support behind the scenes. Again, I will say I am so extremely blessed to have Kris & Rachel the family and friends that love me and support me. Hopefully you will see me Out and About this month. I hope you all have a very blessed and music filled 2018!! If you have any questions or comments you can hit me up at RachelRocks@ pamusician.net. Don’t forget to check out www.facebook. com/PAMusicianMagazine.
www.pamusician.net 10
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
January 2018
NATIONALS By Eric Hoffman
Greetings Rockers ’N’ Rollers! Happy New Year! This month marks my 10th anniversary writing for the PA Musician Magazine It has become a very satisfying and rewarding effort to write about my passion for music. I thank the Noll family and all at the PA Musician Magazine who make it possible. I especially would like to thank our readers, there is no better compliment when someone mentions reading your article. The legendary KIX band returned to Camp Hill’s Radisson for their annual WTPA Birthday Bash the day after Thanksgiving. Congratulations to promoter John Harris Jr. on another successful sold-out show. It was a great night with local support bands: Steel, Grumpy Old Men and LeadFoot. Steel played an awesome set and was great to see them play to a massive audience, which they deserve. KIX continue to draw huge crowds from their long history of loyal fans and still put on an amazing live show. It just never gets old hearing such great songs as “The Itch,” “Heartache” and “Blow My Fuse.” Unfortunately radio station WTPA was recently sold - but its rumored KIX will still return next year. Other local shows included: The Reverend Horton Heat brought his Holiday Hayride to HMAC on Dec 12. The show also included the incredible Junior Brown as well as The Blasters & Big Sandy. A tremendous crowd filled the huge Capitol Room upstairs at HMAC. The venue recently installed a sound system from Clair Bros. in Lititz and is nearly completed and will soon bring many National acts. Metal band Cry Tuff reunited on December 23rd at The Depot in York. It was their first show in nearly 30 years. After speaking with the band, it sounds like more shows are planned for the future.
disagreements, determining equipment to be used, practicing the songs in a whole different way and eventually coming up with something special and fantastic. NOTLebowskis is an acoustic version of the group’s original Lebowskis punk band. The year 2017 ended with seeing the elusive Morrissey at DC’s newest venue The Anthem. The English singer rose to fame as the frontman for the Smiths, who were active 1982 to 1987. Since then, Morrissey has had a solo career and is currently touring his latest record Low in High School. Morrissey puts on a really great show with a powerful stage presence and amazing vocals Unfortunately, he cancelled the following 3 shows (including Philadelphia) citing an “illness in the touring party.” Moz has become known for cancelling shows and has cancelled or postponed 127 shows since 2012. Despite cancellations, Morrissey remains a potent box office draw, with an average gross of $298,000 and average attendance of 4,377 per show. NATIONAL NEWS: Forbes’s Top 10 highest-paid musicians of 2017 are: 01. Diddy ($130M) 02. Beyoncé ($105M) 03. Drake ($94M) 04. The Weeknd ($92M) 05.
phone:
Jan. 6
3523 Union Deposit Rd. Harrisburg, PA 17109
5401 Carlisle Pike Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
Junior Brown & Eric
The highlight of December was watching local punks NOTLebowskis practice 6 sessions. I feel very fortunate that they asked me to be a part of their preparation for NOTLebowskis show at Zeroday in Harrisburg on Dec 30. They are truly an amazing group of guys and proud to call friends. As much as I love music, I was never involved or witnessed a band practice, so it was so great to see behind the scenes. Observing the whole process was awesome: developing a setlist, structuring songs, band
717.221.1124
1110 3rd St. Hbg, PA 17102
100 Hannah St. Hbg. PA 17104
50 N. Cameron St. Harrisburg, PA 17101
NOTLebowskis
Coldplay ($88M) 06. Guns N Roses ($84M) 07. Justin Bieber ($83.5M) 08. Bruce Springsteen ($75M) 09. Adele ($69M) 10. Metallica ($66.5M) Lady Gaga is currently locked in the Top 15 highest-grossing touring acts with a total reported gross of $85.7 million. Gaga played 41 headlining shows this year, giving her an average gross of more than $2 million. She continued on page 14....
email:
johnharrisgroup@gmail.com
WATERLOO REVIVAL,
Bob 94.9 - Joe K’s Brewhouse UD Jan. 6 TRAGEDY: Metal Bee Gee’s - H*MAC, Stage On Herr Jan. 6 COLT WILBUR BAND - Savannah’s On Hanna Jan. 6 OBSERVE THE 93RD, NINE D - Blarney’s Jan. 13 GAS STATION DISCO - Blarney’s Jan. 13 HONEYPUMP - Joe K’s Brewhouse UD Jan. 20 SLACKER - Savannah’s On Hanna Jan. 20 THE FAMOUS - Joe K’s Brewhouse UD Jan. 27 BLACK TIE STEREO - Blarney’s Feb. 2 JERRY JOSEPH & THE JACKMORMANS - The Abbey Bar, ABC Feb. 3 CHAPEL HILL COUNTRY BAND - Savannah’s On Hanna Feb. 10 ZERO GRAVITY - Joe K’s Brewhouse UD Feb. 10 DOC MARTEN & THE FLANNELS Blarney’s Feb. 10 PENTAGON Cliff Tavern Grand Opening Feb. 10 HANNAH WICKLUND & THE STEPPIN STONES H*MAC, Stage On Herr Feb. 16 WYCLEF - H*MAC,The Capitol Room Feb. 17 THE MELLOWSHIP SLINKY Joe K’s Brewhouse Feb. 17 THE JELLYBRICKS - Savannah’s On Hanna Feb. 17 THE LUV GODS - Cliff Tavern, The Underground Feb. 23 BUBBA SPARXX- H*MAC, The Capitol Room Feb. 23 & 24 KIX Chameleon Club, Lancaster, PA Mar. 11 BUCK CHERRY - H*MAC, The Capitol Room Mar. 17 KELLER WILLIAMS - H*MAC, The Capitol Room
February 22, 23, 24, 2018 MILLENNIUM MUSIC CONFERENCE & SHOWCASE 2 Nights, 28 Venues & 275 Acts • All Free Open to the Public
Eric & Cry Tuff January 2018
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
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BEARDED ACOUSTIC BLUESY STORYTELLIN’ with DAN STONEROOK
By Jim Price For the record, Dan Stonerook has a beard. So it is appropriate that the Johnstown-based singer and songwriter describes his brand of music as “bearded acoustic bluesy storytellin’ music.” Dan’s musical story began during his college years in the early 2000s. He would get into debates with several of his college friends about music; the friends (and particularly, their girlfriends) were into the ‘boy band’ groups of the day such as the Backstreet Boys – music that Dan largely dismissed as ‘junk.’ When one of his friends challenged him to make better music, Dan invested in his first guitar. Dan found playing the guitar a challenge at first, and switched to playing harmonica after discovering the music of the legendary Bob Dylan. But harmonica players were not in demand at the time, so Dan returned to learning guitar, began composing his own songs, and now plays both guitar and harmonica as part of his repertoire. So what is “bearded acoustic bluesy storytellin’ music?” Dan describes it as his mixture of acoustic Americana and folk music, rooted in the singer-songwriter tradition. Dan says that his music draws comparisons to such names as Steve Earle, Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Dan incorporates his personal experiences and observations, stories and blue-collar realities into his own distinctive, stripped-down sound. His creative process can begin either with a simple lyrical thought, or a chord progression generated while he jams on his guitar. His inspirations are real life and things he has seen and experienced. Dan is working on developing his craft of creating characters within his songs, protagonists around which song storylines can be created. One year ago, Dan issued his first recording, a six-song EP called “Ghosts From the Past”. According to Dan, “It’s a personal album, everything is from my life.” He added that the recording shares his “…reflection on the area of Johnstown. There’s an angle where progress here is slow, and it seems that there is a thin line that people are afraid to cross, between remembering the past and clinging to it…And when you cling to it, you’re not gonna move forward, but remembering it will move you forward.” On the disc’s second song, “Our Old Town,” Dan does not mince words about the past and future of rust-belt Johnstown and its steel industry. “It’s political,” he commented. “This situation, with it being local, I think it’s something that needed to be said. It’s one of those things where the whole clinging to the past – everybody seems to have this mentality that one big industry coming back is gonna save everything. It’s not there…Falling for false promises and things like that, and realizing that the mills are not coming back.” Other songs on the disc include the opener “Confusion,” one of the first songs Dan wrote, which contemplates what path to take in life…the relationship song “Small Town Ten,” about a temporary love that was never intended to last…and the “Damn Right I Got the Blues…Blues,” offering the musical exclamation ‘I’ve had enough!’ after being used and taken for granted. 12
Dan recorded the EP in Blairsville, with Black Ridge guitarist Paul Chakot recording and producing it. The songs were recorded all in one take, and multiple microphones were positioned around Dan and his guitar to capture an authentic, live feeling. According to Dan, “I wanted a stripped-down sound; I wanted it as natural as possible.” The recording can be obtained at Dan’s live shows, and online through his Bandcamp, Reverbnation, Twitter and Facebook pages. Dan maintains a live performance schedule that takes him from Pittsburgh to State College, and points near and between such as Clarion, Indiana, his hometown of Johnstown, Somerset and more. Last year, Dan traveled to Tennessee to perform, and he is open to more road adventures in the future, within a six to seven-hour driving radius. Presently, Dan performs every Tuesday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at Barrel 21 Distillery in State College. On the live stage, Dan blends his original song material with select covers from a variety of artists. Dan’s purpose with audiences is to give them a good evening of entertainment through his musical storytelling. According to Dan, “I try to tell some stories in between songs, giving my background on music or my angle on becoming a musician and where I am as a musician.” Dan also covers songs from well-known artists such as Bob Dylan and Neil Young, but also from lesser-known names like Hayes Carll and Ray Wylie Hubbard. He tries to make the cover material his own, applying his own arrangements and musical persona to each selection. Beyond his solo career, Dan has played bass for the past decade with Johnstown-based Johnny Cash tribute show Cash Through The Years. In this family-based group, Dan has performed alongside his stepfather, group singer and leader Bill Venet Sr., as well as his brother, guitarist Bill Venet Jr. (NOTE: Sadly, during the creation of this story, Bill Venet Sr. passed away on December 9 after a brief illness. A remembrance article about him follows this article.) Cash Through The Years presents music from throughout Johnny Cash’s career and its various phases, along with historical perspective about the timelines of Cash’s career, plus instruments and musicians who appeared on and recorded each song. Dan enjoys that historical aspect of Cash Through The Years, as well as the musicianship and strong chemistry he shares with guitarists Bill Jr. and Todd Schafer. The group has performed on stages throughout the state, and journeyed to perform in North Carolina last summer. In addition, Dan owns and operates his own music store, Roxbury Commons in the Roxbury neighborhood of Johnstown. Dan began the store seven years ago as a section in his father’s variety store, and moved the store to its present location as it became bigger. Dan carries a variety of guitars, amplifiers and music supplies and accessories. Dan’s future plans include a second album, which he plans to record this year. He will return to Paul Chakot’s recording facility in Blairsville to record the set, and Dan said the album will include a few electric twists. Dan is also in the process of assembling a band, and will continue to perform and get his music out to the world. Dan is thankful for everybody who has supported him so far, and cites positive responses and the realization that his music has touched others as the most rewarding aspects of his career. Dan especially thanks Bill Venet Sr. for helping to get him up on stage to perform, as well as his mother, Dively’s Tavern in Johnstown with its weekly open mic night, Dave Distefano and Paul Chakot. Make the resolution to discover Dan Stonerook’s brand of “bearded acoustic bluesy storytellin’ music” in 2018, by catching his live show or exploring his music online via his Bandcamp, Reverbnation, Facebook and Twitter pages.
IN LOVING MEMORY of
BILL VENET, SR.
“He would do anything for anybody.” Bill Venet, Sr. passed away on Saturday, December 9 after a brief illness. He was 63. Bill was the singer and centerpiece of the Johnstown-based Johnny Cash tribute act Cash Through The Years, which played throughout the state. Bill was a pleasant personality on and off the stage, and had a vast knowledge of Johnny Cash and his career. He was a U.S. Army veteran, and also owned his businesses, Bill Venet Lawn Care and Variety Depot. He is survived by five children and a brother. Bill was the stepfather of Dan Stonerook, this month’s cover feature artist, and Dan played alongside Bill for ten years as the bassist for Cash Through the Years. “Bill was my stepdad, he helped me get into music,” said Dan. “He helped me cut my teeth getting on stage and playing. I don’t play much like the style of Johnny Cash…But he did help me along the lines, I started playing harmonica with him for a couple of shows here and there, and then went to play bass for him for all these years.” Dan recalled Bill’s charitable spirit: “He would do anything for anybody. If somebody came to him who needed help with a benefit or something, he would donate his time and the band’s time, and we would go. It didn’t matter if we were playing for five people or 500…Whatever the cause was, if anybody needed help, he would be willing to give his time and talent to make sure people came to help whatever cause it was… When asked about a favorite memory regarding Bill, Dan shared this story: “We played at the Marysville Lions Club this past summer. I was running late getting there and there was a radio station that had set up for a live remote. They had interviewed Bill, and Bill got his picture taken, and he was all excited because they had said they hadn’t drawn big crowds there for a long time, and they weren’t even thinking about opening on a Monday night. They had one of their largest crowds ever for any night, let alone a Monday, because they heard it was a Johnny Cash band coming. We were playing on the roof; it was a two-story building, and the stage was on the second story, and there was a concession stand underneath…While we were doing an instrumental, Bill went down to the crowd, and he was shaking everyone’s hand and high-fiving everybody that showed up and came…He was so excited about the great turnout.” Regarding Bill’s lasting legacy, Dan said, “He enjoyed what he did…He kept building upon the band year after year. For the last two years, we had probably as close to the sound of Johnny Cash as we could. He was willing to go anywhere, play anywhere, and bring on anybody who wanted to play, who could help make the band better.”
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
January 2018
January 2018
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NATIONALS continued...
Jay Z
sold a total of 737,155 tickets for an average of 17,979 per show. Most shows took place at arenas with the exception of a couple shows at baseball parks. The concert at Wrigley Filed was the pop star’s highest grossing show, raking in more than $5 million and selling 41,847 tickets. Gaga recently announced a two-year Las Vegas residency at MGM to begin in late 2018. “It’s the land of Elvis, Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra, the Rat Pack, Elton John, Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli,” Gaga said in a statement. “It has been a life-long dream of mine to play Las Vegas. I’ll leave my heart on the stage every single night. Meet me in Las Vegas baby, we did it!” Bon Jovi, The Cars, Dire Straits, The Moody Blues and the late Nina Simone will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame during a ceremony in Cleveland April
14
14. Artists are eligible for nomination 25 years after the release of the artist’s or band’s first commercial recording. Each year’s inductees are chosen from votes by more than 900 industry-related people as well as online fan votes. The Rock& Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be televised on HBO, next year. Jay Z is the leader of the 2018 Grammy Award nominations in a year where the top four categories are heavily dominated by rap and R&B artists. The Recording Academy announce that Jay-Z is nominated for eight honors, including album, song, and record of the year. Bruno Mars is also nominated for the big three, while Kendrick Lamar — who earned seven nominations — and Childish Gambino are also up for major awards. No rock or country acts were nominated in the top four categories. Jay-Z or Lamar could make history next year when the Grammys take place in New York City on Jan. 28, 2018. This year is the first year the Grammys used online voting for its main awards show. There are 84 categories for the 60th annual Grammys. Pat Dinizio, lead singer for Smithereens, died Dec. 12 in Scotch Plains, N. J., at age 62. The cause of death wasn’t revealed. Dinizio said a few days before that he was looking forward to touring and was undergoing physical therapy for neck and back injuries. Smithereens formed in New Jersey in 1980 and went on to be known for hits including “Blood and Roses” and “A Girl Like You.” They were scheduled to go back on the road in January. With its eighth number 1 album overall, U2 made history as the only band to ever have #1 albums in four consecutive decades on the U.S. charts. Songs of Experience debuted December 1st at number 1 with 186,000 album units and became the best selling rock album of the year. The last album to sell more than Songs of Experience was Metallica’s Hardwired .. To Self-Destruct, which hit the
charts in December of 2016 with 291,000 units. Bono and the boys, who recently announced 24 arena dates for May and June, are in the running for tour of the year after the Joshua Tree 2017 stadium tour grossed $316 million. John Mayer’s emergency appendectomy has forced Dead & Company to postpone its remaining 2017 shows. The band has made good on its promise to reschedule three missed shows in Louisiana and Florida. Dead & Company is made up of Mayer plus Grateful Dead veterans Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann along with Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti. The band’s average gross per appearance during the past two years has been $1,647,090. In addition to Justin Timberlake playing this year’s Super Bowl halftime on Feb 4, Pink is joining a list of stars performing in Minneapolis during Super Bowl week. The singer will perform Friday, Feb. 2, at Nomadic Live! Imagine Dragons will headline the EA Sports Bowl on Thursday, Feb. 1, at the Armory. Jennifer Lopez will also perform at the same venue on Saturday, Feb. 3. Other Super Bowl week performers include The Chainsmokers, Florida Georgia Line and the Dave Matthews Band. There is a 10-day free concert series featuring a “Prince night” and local acts such as Soul Asylum, Mint Condition, Sheila E., The Revolution, Morris Day & The Time, Bob Mould, The Jayhawks, Idina Menzel, Dessa and The Jets. Gwen Stefani will close out the week on Sunday, Feb. 4, at Club Nomadic. UPCOMING SHOWS: The Killers Washington DC Anthem Jan 10. The Killers Philadelphia Wells Fargo Jan 13. Junior Brown Annapolis Rams Head Jan 18. US Bombs Pittsburgh Mr Smalls Jan 19. Junior Brown Ardmore Music Hall Jan 20. US Bombs Long Branch NJ Brighton Bar Jan 21. Jeffrey Gaines Ardmore Music Hall Jan 28. Facebook.com/Eric S. Hoffman
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
January 2018
THE PROFESSOR By Jim Price
Welcome to New Year 2018! Cutting to the chase quickly, I wish all of our readers and the state’s music community a safe, prosperous and Happy New Year! The New Year is the time for resolutions. Last year, I marked 30 years of writing for PA Musician Magazine. I never expected I would still be doing this when I wrote that first article back in 1987. My tenure in covering the local and regional music scene has seen its ups and downs through the years, as music styles and trends, the music business, careers, people and interests change. I have encountered crossroads moments when I asked myself why I continue to do this, and weigh whether to keep doing this thing or hang it up and try to pass the torch. In such moments, something always reminds me why I continue to write for PA Musician, whether it be a kind comment from a reader or musician, witnessing a stunning musical performance, or seeing an exciting new band or performer that re-energizes my mission. My original inspiration for writing that first PA Musician article (then branded the “Altoona” column) was twofold: I was managing the Altoona-based hair-metal band Tommi-Gunn at the time, and saw my article as a way to help get them exposure and possible gigs. But I was also discovering the other bands and faces of the Altoona area music scene at that time – names such as Sidewalk Romeo, The Front, Xeno, Rapid Fire, Slammer, The Edge, XL and numerous others – and I realized that few people beyond the Altoona area had any clue that these groups existed, and many people within the Altoona area weren’t aware of this talent, either! As I wrote that first article, I realized my mission – to share my enthusiasm for these performers and the excitement of the live music experience in general, and to encourage readers to get out and see these performers for themselves. Thirty-plus years later, that fire still burns…When I witness an exciting performance or discover a new band or performer with something fresh and exciting to offer, I want to tell the world about it. I want to generate excitement for that performer, as well as the live music experience in general. And given the changes in recent years that have diminished audiences for live music in many situations, I realize a renewed importance to that mission I established in 1987. My resolution for 2018 is to continue to bring my passion for live music into these pages. And I hope that sharing my enthusiasm will inspire others to want to discover what the area music scene has to offer, bring new fans into the fold, and to help re-energize support for the live music scene so that musicians will continue to have places and situations to play. I extend big thanks to the Altoona area music community for the great gift bestowed upon me early last month, a day-long celebration of my 30 years with PA Musician Magazine that took place at McGarvey’s. For me, it turned into a celebration of the vast amount of musical talent that populates this region and powers my monthly writs, as eight different bands – all with distinctive styles and angles of musical flavor – brought excellent performances to the McGarvey’s stage. This day even prompted a reunion performance of area hard rockers Lies, Inc. to kick off the afternoon. This reunion marked the first time that two guitar players graced the Lies, Inc. roster simultaneously, as both Jason “Dax” Berardi and Nate Nagle joined singer Lily Hoy, bassist Kent Tonkin and drummer Ron Brode. Lies blasted off the rust as they reprised numbers from their original song arsenal such as “Plaster Apparent,” “Invertigo,” “Hypnotic,” “Waking the Misery,” continued on next page...
January 2018
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THE PROFESSOR continued...
Members of Fyre & Chris Vipond & the Stanley St. Band w/Jim Price photo by Darlene Hassinger “Losing Ground,” and more – plus their rousing treatment of Rush’s “Temples of Syrinx.” The chameleonic Agent Smith followed with a powerful set that split between their ‘Agent In Chains’ Alice In Chains tribute and other hard-rocking classics. Watching this group turned into a reflective moment for me – singer Steve Oswalt was one of the first area musicians I ever saw and met, dating back to his days in the band I.O.U. in the mid ’80s! Likewise, drummer Shawn Gioiosa was also making music when I started this gig in 1987, playing drums in Giornesto and Chilling Vision. And I recalled my first time seeing guitarist/singer Phil “Philly Grooves” Wagner in the teenaged band Misconceived in the late 1990s! Agent Smith fired off Alice In Chains classics such as “We Die Young,” “Them Bones,” “Angry Chair,” “Sea of Sorrow” and “Would?” before firing off tunes from Queensryche, Stone Temple Pilots, and a storming edition of Iron Maiden’s “Two Minutes to Midnight.” Next was my first look at the updated roster of Locked &
Loaded. Now featuring singer Dawn Morrison, guitarists Bill Maguire and Mark Pettenati, bassist Bethany Helsel and drummer Toby Hunter; Locked & Loaded have forged a bold new direction, now mixing edgy female rock and alternative. Dawn has developed into a poised and confident frontlady, and she brought the fury on tunes from Hole, No Doubt, Cranberries, Volbeat, Pat Benatar, and even a fiery read of the Runaways’ “Cherry Bomb!” Also thanks to Locked & Loaded for doing one of my punk favorites, the Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop!” Chris Vipond & the Stanley Street Band brought more reflections, including my first encounter with namesake Chris as he fronted Neogumbo in the 1990s, and witnessing Brian Pavlic for the first time in the teenaged jam-rock group Sound Driven. Chris on vocals and guitar plus the Stanley Street Band – Brian on lead guitar, Bill Smith on bass, Nate Beatty on keys and Randy Servello on drums – laid down the grooves with their selection of new and older original tunes. They did tunes off their latest CD Trinkets and Time Travelers such as “Weird Angry Hard,” “Lonely Cells,” “Never Again” and “Armchair Preachers,” and also did earlier songs such as “Be,” “Pink Parking Ticket,” “Shine” and “Tupelo Tree.” Up next was Zach Wade & the Good Grief; I reflected on how, two years ago, I received a Facebook message from namesake Zach Wade, inviting me to come check out his new band as they played at an open mic stage in Altoona, and then the joy of discovery as I saw this exciting, fresh-sounding group for the first time and shared that enthusiasm in my PA Musician article. Now an established local force, Zach on vocals and acoustic guitar, Rogan Allen on lead guitar, Devin Pierce on bass and Keegan Allen on drums fired off a set of catchy original acoustic-rock songs. Thanks to Zach and the Good Grief, area musician Dustin Wagner and the other musicians for the gift of an electric ukulele to surprise me during the middle of the set,
and to Zach and company for their torrid take on MC5’s “Kick Out the Jams” to slam the lid on their set! The show then angled toward a heavier rock direction, with Small Town Horror Show taking the stage. I recalled how guitarist Chris Peters and bassist Eric Shumac helped introduce extreme metal brutality to area stages with Dragonfire in the 1990s; now with singer Todd McKeone, keyboardist Mike Hennaman and drummer Joe Richards, they pave a fresh new path with their unique style of ‘zombie groove metal,’ merging aggressive heavy metal rhythms with strong melodies and eerie touches of electronica. Small Town Horror Show mixed songs from their debut CD The Dead Didn’t Die with newer material from their forthcoming album, expected out later this year. Todd provided the voice for the next band as well, Black Sun, who torched the stage with their brand of heavy, intensifying, angular metal rock. Todd, guitarist Jason Feathers, bassist Dave Mollica and drummer Nate Woods generated expansive compositions that grew and evolved into climactic, apocalyptic sonic fury. And closing the night, Naildriver tore the roof off with their set of savage, driving metal. Frontcontinued on next page...
The Brew Dogs
Listen to 105.9 Qwik-Rock’s weekly local music program,
THE HOMEGROWN ROCKER SUNDAYS 8-10 PM You can STREAM the HOMEGROWN ROCKER LIVE on
www.1059QWIKROCK.com! UPCOMING GUESTS AND SPECIALS: Sunday, January 14th
~ DAN STONEROOK ~ Sunday, January 28th
~ STERLING KOCH ~ To have music aired on the HOMEGROWN ROCKER, submit Broadcast-quality recordings to:
MAGNUM BROADCASTING 315 SOUTH ATHERTON STREET STATE COLLEGE, PA 16801 Attn: Jim Price/Homegrown Rocker
www.1059QWIKROCK.com! 16
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THE PROFESSOR continued...
Erika Marino / Shallow 9 man Matt Watson was clearly fired up, bringing total rage on Naildriver’s mix of new and older originals, including “Enemy Within,” “Executioner,” “The Ghost of Me,” “Hypocrite’s Anthem,” “Sinking Ship,” “Seal the Exits” and more. Guitarist Scott Botteicher threw heat on the fretboard with searing solo displays, and the rhythm battery of bassist Gregg McCloskey and drummer Luke McCloskey played it full force from start to end, providing the perfect sonic punch to the jaw to energize the house and slam the lid on the night. Thanks again to the organizers, all the musicians, Rich McGarvey, and all the friends and fans for making this special day happen! The late year holiday season provided several musical highlights in recent weeks. Often one of the busiest nights of the year for live music, Thanksgiving Eve 2017 delivered musical fun as well. After my own weekly Wednesday night trivia-hosting duties at Altoona’s Buccinese Society, I stuck around to watch Flight 19’s acoustic show. The ‘Party Plane’ roster of singer Brian Thomas, keyboardist Phil Steele, guitarist Rogan Allen and drummer Paul Caracciolo II provided an upbeat party with tunes from the Black Keys, Tom Petty, Elton John, Sweet, Three Dog Night, Stone Temple Pilots, Collective Soul, Journey, Jim Croce, Alice In Chains and more. Brian, Phil and Rogan all shared lead singing duties, and guest Kathy Niedenthal joined Brian to help sing on the group’s take on John Mellencamp’s “Hurts So Good.” I finished Thanksgiving Eve by catching the last two sets of Shallow 9’s dance party blowout at McGarvey’s. I arrived to a packed house and good times as singer Erika Marino, guitarists Ryan Weaver and Tucker Landis, bassist Mitch Neuder and drummer Todd Harshbarger brought the party full force and full production! The dance floor stayed busy throughout the night, as Shallow 9 kept folks moving and grooving with hits from DNCE, Lady Gaga, Soft Cell, Wheatus, Billy Idol, Fallout Boy, Justin Timberlake and more. Guests joined Shallow 9 during the last set, as Rogan Allen (showing up after the Flight 19 show at the Buccinese Society ended) joined in on guitar alongside Tucker on several numbers, guest drummer Shawn Gioiosa provided the beats on Tom Petty’s “American Girl,” and Mike Stanley joined Erika to sing and rap out a floor-packing dance medley that commenced with their floor-igniting take on House Of Pain’s “Jump Around,” and wound its way through seven other tunes before arriving at “Uptown Funk!” Shallow 9 executed as a welltuned party machine, and they kept this celebration firing on overdrive clear until the last note! Jim Donovan & the Sun King Warriors returned to Hollidaysburg’s U.S. Hotel for their annual Black Friday performance. Kicking off the night was the Nag Champions Mystery Band – this night the trio of singer/guitarist Derek Gresh, percussionist Ed Hofer and guest guitarist C. Leo Bloomfield. The group performed a set of their original tunes, with the emphasis on songs from their brand new second CD Earthworks. Their style was a mixture of folk, rock, blues and a touch of jam fusion as they did numbers such as “Brown River Blues,” “Leaving on the Light” and more. Jim Donovan & the Sun King WarJanuary 2018
riors soon followed with a strong, two-hour performance mixing tunes from their first album, their forthcoming second CD (expected out in April) and select covers. The group – namesake and former Rusted Root drummer Jim Donovan on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, guitarist Kevin McDonald, guitarist/harmonica player Dan Murphy, percussionists Harry Pepper and Bryan Fazio, bassist Kent Tonkin and drummer Joe Marini – quickly had dancers on the floor by the time they got to their third song “Oolalala.” Highlights were constant, including Harry’s spoken-word passage of wisdom during the group’s version of Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away,” a two-song Tom Petty tribute with renditions of “Wildflowers” and “You Don’t Know How It Feels,” slow dancing and grooving during the Rusted Root classic “Back to the Earth,” the raucous extended percussion jam featuring Jim, Joe, Harry and Bryan, and the funky night-ending spin on Sly & the Family Stone’s “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).” Jim and the Sun King Warriors’ constant musical
Brandon King versatility and upbeat, hopeful vibes kept the audience happy from start to end. Besides preparing to release the new Sun King Warriors album in the New Year, Jim Donovan is also playing drums on his former Rusted Root continued on next page...
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THE PROFESSOR continued...
Flashpoint w/guest Frank Ciccarella bandmate Jenn Wertz’s forthcoming new album, also expected out later this year. Christmas season began with the release of a brand new Johnstown-based Christmas compilation CD, A Johnstown Christmas (see review in last month’s issue). The official kickoff event for the CD took place on Thanksgiving weekend at Johnstown’s BottleWorks Ethnic Arts Center. CD organizer and brainchild Bo Moore hosted the event, which featured songs from the CD mixed with live performances from some of the album’s participants, along with background and perspective about each song. Live performances included Bo and the Moore Brothers performing the rock-and-roller “Christmas Time in Johnstown,” Mutual Fun Society doing “How to Build a Snowman,” the combo of singer/guitarist Johnny Bayush (who engineered several new songs on the album), singer Rachel Allen, keyboardist Brandon King and singer Jessica King lighting up the house with their rousing “Jesus, the Light of the World,” Denise Baldwin singing and strumming guitar on “His Holy Light,” Sam Coco performing “Windows in the City,” and Bo and Rachel Allen singing “Winter Lullaby.” The event also featured a video message early on from former NBC-TV The Voice finalist Josh Gallagher before the playing of his contribution to the album, “Silent Night.” The event closed with Denise Baldwin and one of her voice students, Hailee Halaburda, singing “Silent Night,” before Bo and Denise led audience sing-along versions of “Let It Snow” and “Jingle Bells.” Proceeds from sales of A Johnstown Christmas helped out the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat newspaper’s Santa Fund, which helped area needy children and families during the Christmas season. Following the CD release event, I headed a few doors down the block to take in the monthly Blues Gathering at Johnstown’s Venue Of Merging Arts (VOMA). This was a fun performance, as Chandler Mical on bass, Adam Mundok on vocals and percussion, Rob Bonsell on drums, TK Mundok on vocals and harmonica, Adam Milkovich on acoustic guitar and John Bagnato on resonator guitar mixed up a wide variety of traditional and electric blues. This gathering of blues practitioners did numbers from B.B. King, Son House, Willie Dixon, Professor Longhair, Robert Johnson, Bo Diddley, Howlin’ Wolf, Jimi Hendrix and more. Musical highlights were numerous, including the version of Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love” venturing into snippets of the Strangeloves’ “I Want Candy” and U2’s “Desire,” the stormy rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Chile,” and the instrumental skills demonstrated by all six of these musicians throughout the course of the show. After the VOMA Blues Gathering concluded, I decided to make it a Johnstown area tripleheader this night by heading to the Windber Hotel in Windber to catch my first look at the group Saturn Plan. Formed last summer, this project features Wine Of Nails collaborators John Charney on lead vocals and guitar, and Dominick Peruso on drums; Brad Barron plays bass, and the group was joined 18
this night by guest keyboardist Mike Meketa. Saturn Plan performed an eclectic mix of tunes, blending select hits with some back-of-the-rack and obscure gems and surprises. Their diverse song mixture included Van Halen’s “Little Dreamer,” the Prince double-shot of “Take Me With You” into “Raspberry Beret,” Led Zeppelin’s “Fool in the Rain,” Elton John’s “Honky Cat,” a jamming version of Kool & the Gang’s “Jungle Boogie,” Bob Marley’s “Get Up, Stand Up,” the night-ending version of Steely Dan’s “Do It Again” and more. The musicianship was strong, with John demonstrating his fretboard prowess often, and Mike showing some colorful and inventive keyboard work. Saturn Plan plays infrequently on area stages; keep an eye open for them in the New Year. As Christmas approached, Altoona’s Unter Uns Musical & Entertainment Society featured Flashpoint as part of a holiday-themed night highlighted by visitations by Krampus (who beats and punishes children who misbehaved) and Saint Nicholas (who rewards good children with presents). Flashpoint – singer/guitarist Don Osborn, bassist Bill Hunter, keyboardist Ken Civils and drummer Jeff Crownover – provided their ‘rock’n’roll with a groove’ before and after these seasonal characters’ visit. Flashpoint mixed up a variety of classic rock, blues and pop hits; stirring up dance floor action with songs from Dire Straits, Van Halen, Van Morrison, Robert Palmer, ZZ Top, Wild Cherry, Stevie Ray Vaughan and more. Some of their highlights included their Cheap Trick take on “Don’t Be Cruel,” their Social Distortion take on Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” the ‘Under the Boardwalk Singers’ (comprised of several band members’ wives and friends) joining the group for the Drifters’ classic of the same name, and their fusion of Bruce Springsteen’s “Pink Cadillac” with the “Peter Gunn Theme.” I caught my first look at The Brew Dogs last month as they performed at The Brewery in State College. Four established area musicians comprise this pack of musical Dogs – Brian Lubrecht on vocals and guitar, Adam Becker on lead guitar and vocals, John Cimino on bass and Kevin Thomas on drums. The Brew Dogs barked up a variety of rock favorites from the late 1960s to 2000s, spanning the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin to Kings Of Leon and The Killers – and lots in between, including tunes from
Chandler Mical, Adam Mundok, Rob Bonsell, TK Mundok, Adam Milkovich & John Bagnato at Voma Foo Fighters, Stone Temple Pilots, David Bowie, Black Crowes, CCR, Journey, Toto, Dropkick Murphys, Alice In Chains, and a pounding rendition of Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher” to slam the lid on the night. The Brew Dogs’ performance was solid, and stirred up increasing amounts of dance floor action as the night progressed. Southern Illinois-based roots rockers The Number 9 Blacktops made their first visit to McGarvey’s early last month. Together since 2005, the Blacktops – singer/ guitarist Jim Rotramel, upright bassist Kasey Lee Rogers and drummer Cody Beckman – played high-energy rock’n’roll rooted in early rock, surf-rock, rockabilly and blues as they mixed original songs with select covers. Their own songs centered on lyrical themes such as hot rods, women and the rock’n’roll lifestyle; some of their original songs this night included “Rock’n’Roll Band”
and “Holy Holy Hell.” They also covered the Dusty Springfield-popularized hit “Son of a Preacher Man,” Gary Glitter’s “Rock and Roll Pt. 2,” “Ice Cream Man,” John Prine’s “Paradise” into Juice Newton’s “Queen of Hearts,” and JJ Cale’s “Call Me the Breeze.” The Number 9 Blacktops drew cheers with their rowdy and enthusiastic performance, with Jim frequently offering energetic solo work on his Gretsch guitar. McGarvey’s also hosted a heavy-hitting tripleheader last month featuring Fÿre, Dilemma and Paradigm. Fÿre led off the proceedings with their blend of classic and modern original metal music, doing numbers off their III Ghosts CD plus several newer songs that showed a more experimental edge with more complex song arrangements. Matt Stoyanoff’s high-soaring voice brought the house to attention, backed by powerful backdrops laid down by guitarists Zach Kensinger and Sean Stringer, bassist Joe Earnest and drummer Tanner Kaurudar, plus Denice Stoyanoff singing backing vocals. Next was the debut performance for new Altoona-based rockers Dilemma. Featuring guitarists/singers Micah Button and Devin Conrad, bassist Theopolis T-Hammer and drummer Joel Kyle, Dilemma introduced a hard-edged sound that blended elements of metal, punk and alternative, performing songs from their recently-issued debut EP. Their songs were solid and their performance was on the mark, making for a strong debut. Bedford County’s Paradigm then slammed the lid on the night with their fiery blend of high-velocity power metal, mixing newer and older original song material. Lead howler Joel Gerber worked the crowd well with his blend of gentle persuasion and aggression to get folks up and rowdy. Joel, guitarist Art Hollabaugh, bassist Josh Savage and drummer Tyler Hillegass fired on all cylinders on numbers such as “Mindfreak,” the shout-along anthem “One Word One Voice,” the sinister “The Illusionist” and more. It’s hard to believe it was almost a dozen years ago that I heard some buzz and then first saw the teenaged roster of singer/guitarist Tom Fronauer, guitarist/singer Mike Furry, bassist/singer Ryan Furry and drummer/singer Chris Conrad – The Syrins – doing music created long before they were born, ‘60s and ‘70s era classic rock. The Syrins have quietly continued to become a mainstay on Altoona area stages, and they remain rooted in vintage classic rock, demonstrated during last month’s performance at Hollidaysburg’s Old Canal Inn. With Tom, Chris and Ryan sharing lead singing duties, The Syrins performed classic hits from the Yardbirds, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Tommy James & the Shondells, CCR, Them, Monkees, the Kinks and more. They also did some “newer” rock from the Romantics, Greg Kihn Band, R.E.M., The Smithereens, Simple Minds and others. The Syrins were amazingly tight and precise with all of it; their vocals and harmonies were airtight, their instrumental performances clean and on target, and they played each tune for keeps. They triggered dance floor action and hearty cheers throughout the evening. I salute The Syrins for staying rock solid for more than a dozen years, and continuing to keep ‘60s and ‘70s-era rock vibrant on this area’s stages. Other performances I saw recently included various performers during both the weekly Tuesday Open Mic Night at D’Ottavio’s Gran Sasso in Hollidaysburg, and Wednesday Open Mic Night at the Unter Uns Musical & Entertainment Society in Altoona. News and notes…A Happy Valley landmark and tradition, The All American Rathskellar in State College is set to close this month after 85 years in business…Members of Black Sun, Small Town Horror Show, Rain Must Fall, The Good Seeds, The Black Snakes and Saving Jake will take part in “Petty Crime: A Tribute To The Music Of Tom Petty” at McGarvey’s on Jan. 27…Altoona-based rockers Teazed played their final show last month…Guitarist Jason “Junior” Tutwiler is leaving the bands Pure
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
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January 2018
THE PROFESSOR continued...
The Syrins Cane Sugar and Raven and the Wren to relocate to Nashville; replacing him is Brian Cleary…Drummer Rick Rock has parted ways with Johnstown-based heavy rock group Rust to pursue other musical interests…Bassist Mike Gherrity announced his retirement from full-time live playing, and is stepping away from Altoona-based rockers Bone Jacked…Big thanks and kudos to Deanna Trio-Schompert, Mo Yon and Zac Grace, who help me deliver PA Musician to Johnstown, Bedford and Huntingdon County locations respectively every month. 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 IN 2018!
PA MUSICIAN REVIEWS By Jim Price
THE DIRTY MOJO BLUES BAND – MADE CENTS AT THE TIME (no label) Formed in 2009 by the fatherand-son tandem of Gary and Shawn Strickland, Williamsport’s Dirty Mojo Blues Band serves up a heaping dose of dirty, greasy blues on their first album, Made Cents at the Time. Shawn growls out lead voice and wails some sinister harmonica, while Gary and Al Meck wield guitars, Tim Reinhard plays bass, Mark Peterson beats the drums, and Greg Burgess tinkles the piano keys. Through the album’s 11 tracks, The Dirty Mojo Blues Band merges rock, funk and soul influences into an energetic, swaggering blues sound. Shawn’s rugged growl up front recalls classic George Thorogood, Dr. John and even Louis Armstrong, as he voices wit-tinged lyrics and drops blasts of gritty harmonica in just the right places. A Bo Diddley-like beat propels the cautionary disc-opener “Thin Ice,” and the group cuts loose on the 12-bar booze blooze rant “Too Much Alcohol.” The group cranks jailhouse rock’n’roll on “Morrow County Jail” and tallies up spare change on the raucous title song “Made Cents at the Time.” The group gets somber on the breakup ode “That’s Alright” and becomes suspicious on the lowdown “Papa Bear,” while Shawn evokes a Satchmo flavor on the charming “Honey Bee.” And Dirty Mojo gets funky on the disc-closer “I Gots This.” These melodies are catchy and on the mark, and the Dirty Mojo Blues Band mixes in enough stylistic variety to keep this album interesting throughout. The performances are skillful, strong and enthusiastic, and it sounds like the group had a good time creating this disc. Recorded analog at Holland Sound Studios, Made Cents at the Time sounds raw and gritty, balanced and full. The Dirty Mojo Blues Band knows their January 2018
blues on Made Cents at the Time, a rowdy debut album that fans of dirty electric blues will savor. (The CD can be obtained through CDBaby.com.) CALLIE TOMBLIN – CALLIE TOMBLIN (no label) Self-taught performer Callie Tomblin began playing guitar when she was 14 years old, and decided on a musical career path after graduating from the Red Lion Area School District in 2016. Callie’s self-titled debut album introduces listeners to her musical world, as she blends elements of folk, country, blues and rock. Immediately obvious is Callie’s expressive singing style and emotion-packed delivery, phrasing and cadence, with her gentle-toned acoustic guitar strum providing counterpoint, accompanied by some electric and steel guitar. Through the disc’s 10 tracks, Callie crafts simple but alluring melodies and thoughtful, personal and story-based lyrics. The country-flavored opener “Sleep Tonight” finds Callie closing the book on a relationship gone sour, while country-blues provides the musical vehicle for “Miss the Feeling,” where she douses the spark of an old flame. Other songs provide a hopeful tone; the gentle folk-flavored “Hold On” suggests embracing special moments and savoring them while they last, while the bluesy “Open Your Eyes” encourages hope in the eye of the storm, and the tranquil “Beautiful” is about self-respect and being happy in one’s own skin. Callie muses about her career goals on “Famous,” and admires a special guy on the country-rock disc-closer “Heaven’s Baby.” The songs are direct and to the point, and Callie sings them with intent and purpose. Recorded and produced by Jeff Stike, the disc sounds crisp and clean, with the simple arrangements allowing Callie’s voice to radiate in the spotlight. A young talent on the rise, Callie Tomblin brings her singing and songwriting talents to the table on this debut album, which offers a pleasant and upbeat listen. (The CD can be obtained through Callie’s website, www.callietomblin.com.) PHOBOS ANOMALY – PHOBOS ANOMALY (no label) The State College-based music anomaly that is Phobos Anomaly has existed off and on since 2005. After resurfacing from dormancy last year, the group – guitarist/singer Jon Spearly, bassist/singer Mark Holland and drummer Damien Page – has issued their 10-track, self-titled CD. Phobos Anomaly’s sound has evolved into a freewheeling mixture of hard, punk-fueled modern
rock with touches of psychedelic and progressive rock flourishes. The group’s song arrangements are often charged and high-velocity, and mix various textures and tempos, intriguing melodies and vocal harmonies, often cryptic lyrics and more. Developing from a Spanish guitar-flavored introduction, the disc’s opening track, “7 of Diamonds,” sets the table for the rest of the album with its go-for-broke tempo, chugging guitar riffs and soaring vocal harmonies. The group maintains a heated tempo on numbers such as “Dollface,” the furious boogie-driven “The Bearded Lady,” the acidic “Skeleton” and the agitated “Breaking in the Tomb of God.” The group experiments with acoustic tones on “Grandfather Clock” and the slower-grooving “Cleaning Dirt,” dabbles in a surf-toned dynamic on “Silent K,” and mixes multiple angles of attack on the inventive “Misfortune Biscuits” and the disc-closer “Celestial Catastrophe.” Phobos Anomaly delivers these tunes with feverish intensity, and constantly stirs the pot Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
for a variety of sonic angles. Jon Spearly’s guitar attack ranges from punk-styled buzz chords to manic, Robert Fripp (King Crimson)-flavored acidic burn. Holland and Page keep the rhythms continually busy and intriguing, and the group’s production implements various studio and vocal effects to keep the mix chaotic and never staying in one place for too long. The end result is an action-packed, moving debut album; Phobos Anomaly establishes the parameters of their sonic turf with this first chapter, and sets a captivating foundation for further exploration and experimentation. (The CD can be obtained through CD Baby, www.cdbaby.com.) FŸRE – III GHOSTS (no label) Heavy-hitting sextet Fÿre started igniting on Altoona area stages in 2014, introducing their blend of original classic, progressive and power metal. A concept album, Fÿre’s debut CD, III Ghosts, explores a Faustian theme of a protagonist who sells his soul to the Devil to save a loved one’s
life, and the body count and chaos that ensue from that decision. Influences spanning Iron Maiden to King Diamond/Mercyful Fate to Ghost BC inform Fÿre’s sound, with the group incorporating elements of power, death metal and hardcore at various points through the disc’s seven tracks. Anchoring Fÿre’s attack are the battering rhythms of drummer Tanner Kaurudar and bassist Joe Earnest, with the battery of lead guitarist Zach Kensinger and rhythm guitarist Sean Stringer providing forceful riffs and searing solos. Singer Matt Stoyanoff displays a siren-like wail and dramatic singing style that sells the album’s story line, with Denise Stoyanoff providing backing vocals. From its Maiden-ish intro, “Madness” sets the music and story in motion with a stern, forceful rumble. The sullen power ballad “Memo” introduces the story’s Faustian angle as it intensifies, and the body count begins with the hammering “Doctor Doctor.” “Doorbell” is informed by a lead guitar door chime and pulsing hardcore-like bass surges, while Kaurudar’s double-kick drum thunder powers “Thy Will Be Done.” “No Remorse” steps up the aggression with some Slayer-like guitar fireworks, before the tense title track “3 Ghosts” storms toward a death metal-infused finale. Fÿre develops intriguing melodies and angles of attack throughout the disc, executing their song material with tightness and purpose. The music and plot are cohesive from start to end, and the production and mix sound balanced, crisp and full. III Ghosts establishes Fÿre as a creative and innovative metal-geared force, and provides a strong, ambitious opening chapter. (The CD and digital album can be obtained through the group’s Bandcamp page, https:// fyretheband.bandcamp.com.)
Please send correspondence and recordings to: Jim Price, 1104 S. Catherine St., Altoona, PA 16602
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LANCASTER ROOTS & BLUES ANNOUNCES 2018 ANNUAL FESTIVAL MARCH 9th, 10th, & 11th
“What could lift you out of your mid-winter music depression? Answer: The Lancaster Roots and Blues Festival, booked to the rafters with many old blues friends … and a townful of others, that’s what. Neither rain nor snow nor gloom of night halts the music, because it’s indoors, at cool venues all over Lancaster, PA.” – Elmore Magazine
Lancaster, PA – Curator, promoter and area native, Richard Ruoff launches his fifth annual Lancaster Roots & Blues Festival March 9th, 10th & 11th, 2018. The festival kicks off Friday evening and the Lancaster County Convention Center will serve as the festival’s main stage alongside local favorites 26 East at Altana, Chameleon Club, Tellus 360, The Elks Lodge, The Sugar Tank, The Village Nightclub and ZoeTropolis. Ruoff cheers, “Lancaster Roots and Blues is heading into our fifth year of bringing fantastic music to beautiful Looking for Musicians or want to join a band? Check the classifieds in the hard copy and on line at
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downtown Lancaster for three days of fun. Featuring our best selection of music yet with Blues, Jazz, Rock and Rockabilly, Ska, Soul, Reggae, Celtic music and more. We have great bands and great fans from around the country to see and hear live music that will move your feet and your soul. Two new venues this year promises to make for an even better festival experience. I hope to see you all there.” This year’s festival will highlight performances from JJ Grey & MoFro, Shemekia Copeland, Eric Johnson, Morgan James, NRBQ, Peterson Brothers, Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers, Samantha Fish, Johnny Nicholas, Kenny Neal, Lil’ Ed and The Blues Imperials, Magic Dick and Shun Ng, The Meditations, Clarence Spady, Ron Holloway Band, Vanessa Collier, Anthony Gomes, Bailey Fulginiti Trio, Billy Burnett, Billy Kemp, Blues on the Loose, Corsair Blues Jazz Orchestra, Corty Byron, Doug Deming & The Jewel Tones, Dr. Harmonica & Rockett 88, Gabe Stillman, Happy Sally, Linwood Taylor, Little Buddy, Little Leroys, Lowercase Blues Band, Mama Tried, Miss Melanie and the Valley Rats, Moe Blues Band, Phil Gammage, Ray Fuller & The Bluesrockers, Ray Owen, Rue de la Pompe, The Ardvark Felon, The Big Takeover, The Commonheart, The Probables, The Town Pants, The Trey Alexander Band, The Willie Miller Xperience with The Marblettes, Tommy Z, Ursula Ricks Project, and Vinegar Creek Constituency amongst others. 2018 marks the local promoter’s fifth annual foray into the Roots & Blues Festival. Concert promotion has been a part of Ruoff’s life as long as he can remember. He was the founder and owner of the Chameleon Club for seventeen years. After its sale and and the growth in arts and popular culture in Lancaster, Rich was inspired to resurrect the blues festivals he promoted in the mid-80s at the
Chameleon. He hit the ground running in 2014 for a very successful festival drawing concert-goers from Lancaster, central PA, Harrisburg, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and beyond. But none of this was new to Ruoff, as a young boy in the 1960s, his parents were the proprietors of a nightclub called Hullaballoo – where many great musicians made stops in central PA on their way through the country. For Ruoff there was an excitement to bringing live music to Lancaster. What to do following graduation from McCaskey High School and some night classes at F&M seemed obvious as he opened the The Chameleon Club at local restaurant Tom Paine’s – bringing live and contemporary music to Lancaster. The back room at the restaurant that housed the early Chameleon Club neatly segued into owning and operating the club at its current location. Flash forward to 2014 and Ruoff was ready to promote a festival celebrating his favorite style of music: blues. Of the 2017 festival, Elmore Magazine raved, “although I never stopped moving and saw many performers, I wish I could have seen even more of the artists at Lancaster. Rich Ruoff and his staff put on an excellent, diverse roots and blues festival. The Lancaster Roots & Blues did their job in Saving American Music.” This March 9th, 10th and 11th, Rich will bring all the things he loves about his hometown and music to the fifth annual Lancaster Roots & Blues Festival. Find Lancaster Roots & Blues 2018 Online: Official: www.lancasterrootsandblues.com/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/lancasterrootsandblues/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/lancasterrootsandblues/ Twitter: twitter.com/LancRootsBlues
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CLASSIFIED NOTES BUSINESS CLASSIFIEDS WANTED: WE PAY CASH for used guitars, amps, effects, etc!!! Call Matt at Creter Guitar Shop, Jonestown at 717865-3677. We also do guitar repair and have a variety of lessons available. WANTED: Vintage guitars, basses, amps, banjos, etc. Fender, Gibson, Martin, Rickenbacker, Gretsch, etc. Top dollar paid! Call Player’s Exchange at 717-975-2385 or stop by and see us at 225 S. Third St. Lemoyne, PA. Email: bslotus@aol.com THE BEST VALUE FOR YOUR RECORDING DOLLAR: Celebrating our 30th
year in business. Pro Tools, HD3/Accel, 192k Interface, 2 inch 24 track analog, 16 channels of API outboard mic pres, Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute kit, SWR 7 GK bass amps, Marshall half stack, Fender twin & Bassman guitars amps, Hammond B-3, Yamaha C7 grand piano, Authorized Pro Tool dealers. CD/DVD duplication on site 3 CCC Video Services. 5.1 surround mixing. $300 per day. www.datamusicves.com, Altoona PA. Phone 814-9442406.
DRUM LESSONS AVAILABLE: Currently teaching at Dale’s Drum Shop in Harrisburg on Wednesdays and Thursday evenings. All ages, styles, and levels taught. Contact Tony Pichler 717-6080709. SEARCHING:In search of 1970s PA regional band Woolly Bear ‘Wouldya?’ vinyl. Can anyone help?? Contact Drew 443-373-7120
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE
FOR SALE: Marshall amps, speakers from low end. Great sound to cave your head in. Equipment full stacks, half stacks. Pieces sold separately. Play, hear and decide. Call 717-303-4211. FOR SALE: Tama Star classic full Bubinga wood omni tune. cash only. 10” Tom 14/14 floor. Sounds like a 16” . 18” kick. Thumps. This is the shell package 1100.00 an Ahead 13” black chrome snare. $400.00 Two Paiste rude crashes 200.00. One 12” Paiste anniversary series splash $95.00.. Pearl hard-
SEEKING BOOKING AGENT: for Pennsylvania. 50/50 split in revenue-wages. Already play out of state. Just seek local gigs for musical/ comedian /Sharky, call 443310-1325.
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ware cases and more. Inbox me or call 717-376-5782 for more info. I’m willing to meet up. FOR SALE: Black Tuck & Roll Kustom 100 Bass amp with two 15” speaker cabinet $500. Sunburst Fender American Standard P-Bass Thomastik Infeld flats $850. 814321-2457
FOR SALE: Engl 50 watt Screamer combo tube amp, 12” Celestion speaker. Mint, never gigged. Over $1400 new at Musicians Friend. $725 484-898-5068 FOR SALE: 78 RPM Record Collection. Recordings of Gene Autry, Montana Slim, Spike Jones and others. Most
Bernie’s Guitars, LLC • Buy • Sell • Trade Used / New / Vintage
records are in good condition. 814-244-0248. FOR SALE: 1977 Fender Bassman Ten amplifier. Original owner. Super clean. $400.00 OBO. Call 610-6785357. FOR SALE; Personal collection of Marshall Amps, Tube solid-state, 3 full stacks, 4 half combo’s MXR Pedals, 20 approx. 15 guitars, plug in and hear equipment, drums. 717303-4211 FOR SALE: Red Fender
Squire Strat, $150, Black Epiphany Les Paul standard, $195; Peavy XRD PA System, 8 channels, $350; Pair of Randall monitor speakers, $125 pair, 717-379-8010.
dio gear. Low prices, great condition. Signal processors, mics, stands, cables/snakes, multi-track recorders, much more. Call for list. 570-6063677.
FOR SALE: Fender Mexican 2006 Anniversary Strat Light gray texmex, $400; Mint Roland Guitar Synth and pickup GR20 $200. mint. Emcnice 15” pair speakers, 175 watt 4 OHM each w/ cab, $100. Wilkes Barre area 570-654-0700.
FOR SALE: Tascam DA-88 multi-track recorders with RC-848 remote control. Well maintained. Includes SY-88 option, sync/digital dubbing cables. Much more. 570-6063677.
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guitar wah pedal by Dunlop. Model #GCB-95 - $45. ProCo CB-1 DI box - $15. 570606-3677 FOR SALE: Tascam DA88 multi-track recorders and RC-848 remote control. Well maintained. Includes SY-88 option, sync/digital dubbing cables. More…. 570-6063677 FOR SALE: PA System, 18” bass bins, 15” mid cabinets, EV horns, 16 Channel BiAmp Board, Carvin monitors, Peavey amps, various effects units with case. $1500, call Ray 717-385-7430 FOR SALE: PA System, 800 watts Peavy speakers. 14 channels, excellent condition, $400. 717-951-2128. FOR SALE: Tascam 380 24 track recording board with V.U. meters, $500. Call 717627-4800. FOR SALE: Mastering cassette recorders like new, $35 each. Call 717-627-4800.
MUSICIANS WANTED WANTED: Singer bass player for Motorhead tribute band. Harrisburg, York, Hagerstown, Martinsburg, Frederick, Baltimore. We practice in Chambersburg PA. Call or text 717-729-8753 or ewillphone@gmail.com
Over 200 New & Used Guitars in stock. With over 50 brands to choose from. Over 60 Amplifiers. Also Drums, Banjos, Mandolins and Ukuleles plus: Straps, Pics, Strings, Effect Pedals and much more!
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WANTED: Looking for Lead singer, bass player and keyboard for local cover band Skynyrd,ZZTop,Pink Floyd. Looking to play a couple gigs a year. Ephrata area. Call 717201-4460. WANTED: Working cover band “Route 15” is currently auditioning drummers. We do a variety of covers, most-
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ly from the 1980’s, strong following with a consistent schedule. Call: 570-850-5277
request. Email 4playbandpa@ gmail.com or call 717-3781690 if interested.
WANTED: Acoustic/electric guitarist with vocals to compete or form acoustic duo, trio or band with good bass player with strong vocals with 35 plus years experience. . 610451-3824.
MUSICIANS AVAILABLE
WANTED: Smooth Opinion seeks lead vocal and bass. Rock/dance cover band has bookings in 2018. smoothopinionband@gmail.com “Central PA 717-805-6615 WANTED: Established Misfits Tribute Band Psycho 78 is seeking a drummer.. have kit on practice site. Must be able to practice 3x’s per month on Sundays. Call Mike 717-5422998 WANTED: Band of journeyman players seeking same keys/vocals. We’re all working musicians that love to play. York county, 717-7793237. Leave message. WANTED: Seeking a drummer for our band Diversifyed. Please check us out on bandmix.com to hear our music. 570-428-5766 WANTED: York-Harrisburg based local working band currently auditioning drummers Gigs 2-3 times a month. Modern and classic rock, metal, and pop (i.e., Tool, Godsmack, Maiden, Sabbath, Benatar, Blondie, Maroon 5, Staind, etc.). Song list available upon
AVAILABLE: Mature Guitar player looking for working/near working situation. Classic Rock/Blues..Beatles-SRV-Petty-Aerosmith etc.. York /Lancaster /Harrisburg. area. e-mail..jonandzach@ gmail.com
looking for a steady working band. Anytime, anywhere. Blues, country, rock, oldies. Call 717-363-2946. Ask for Gus. AVAILABLE: Tambourinist Debbie Jesic available love
most music, call @ 717-7375423. AVAILABLE: Singer bass player looking for working band in Altoona Area. 40+ years experience. Send email to bassplayerd1@yahoo.com or call 814-502-8629
The area’s BEST PRICES on Strings & Accessories
Expert Repair & Service •BUY • SELL • TRADE • CONSIGN ~Vintage Guitars & Amps~
AVAILABLE: 63 years old. Acoustic guitar/singer looking to get together with like minded musicians. Get together once a week to see what happens. Maybe a trio. I also play bass. Interested in country and the acoustic standards. Lock Haven, State College, Williamsport area. planetmark18@hotmail.com AVAILABLE: Experienced Hardcore/Metal vocalist looking to form 90’s style Hardcore band in the vein of Hatebreed, Sworn Enemy, Walls of Jericho, Integrity...not looking to reinvent the wheel here. Email me at prhmetal138@ gmail.com AVAILABLE:
“The Player’s Choice in Carlisle, PA”
717.422.5794
www.woodshedguitarworks.com 147 N. Hanover Street Carlisle, PA 17013
Drummer
America’s Original Indie Label Celebrating 6 Decades
Get Released on Winter Radio CD released to 9,000 plus Stations. Call for details... 717.627.4800 Join Us for: 1. Worldwide Radio Releases 2. Worldwide Distribution 3. Shopping Deals at Conventions 4. Manufacturing on C.A.R. 5. Submissions to Movie Music Super 6. Publishing ASCAP & BMI
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.”
January 2018
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
23
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Set up your next BAR PROMO with Fireball Whiskey, call Frank at 717.319.8209 Email: fpensiero@sazerac.com 24
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
January 2018