Pennsylvania Musician Magazine July 2018 - The Gong Show by RACHEL ROCKS

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Vol.36 # 417 JULY 2018

Performing at the:

THE SCOTTISH RITE THEATRE

Nate Myers & The Aces @ BAPS Motor Speedway July 15th.. 38th Annual Central PA

Jazz Festival July 5-8th..

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Central PAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music and entertainment guide..

Nate Myers & the Aces Special Pre-Race Performance at 4:30

C2017 Jeff Solomon photo

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Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

July, 2018

~dance • rock • covers from the 90’s to today~

July 29th: Jeff/w Darrell of Asking Andy Fredericksburg Eagle Hotel 5-8pm Please check facebook for additional dates Booking contact: Jeff 717.798.6218 www.facebook.com/element22

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!

EVERY TUESDAY – hosting OPEN MIC NIGHT at D’OTTAVIO’S GRAN SASSO, HOLLIDAYSBURG; Bring your instrument, voice & songs and join us. 8pm start.

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JULY 8 – VALLEY VIEW PARK AMPHITHEATER, ALTOONA (starts 6 p.m.) JULY 15 – RESERVOIR PARK, TYRONE (starts 6 p.m.) JULY 22 – ROXBURY PARK BANDSHELL, JOHNSTOWN (starts 5 p.m.) Booking for Summer & Fall. Need Live Acoustic Music for an Upcoming Festival or House Party, Reunion Or Other Event? Call THE BACKYARD ROCKERS:

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July, 2018

Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

EDITOR’S RAMBLINGS

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 -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 Eric Hoffman.........................................Nationals Robin Noll...............................Words of Wisdom Daisy the cat.................................The Daily Yawn

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.

Hello and welcome back for another new edition of the PA Musician Magazine. We are changing things up a bit this month (as you can see with the cover) in an attempt to make the paper something fresh and new again. I hope everyone likes it and I also want to throw out there that we will help promote and write about more than just your standard bands. Even though local bands will remain our main focus, we can also help promote major events and happenings in our area to help get the word out and also make the paper more diverse with new and entertaining articles for people to read. We are also seeking out new bands to put in the paper and I want to make it clear to everyone that we don’t just support one genre of music. The paper is here to serve all bands; beit a country band, hair band, thrash band, cover band , original band, hip hop band (hmm maybe I’m getting out of line with that one). Ok, just to make it clear, we like all music! When working with Robin(mom) at the old office I get to listen to some great hymn music(I did make her turn it down though) even though I am more of a SLAYER/Metallica guy I have found myself listening to more old school, country-rock style music as of late. Point being the paper is your paper, we are just here to help your band have a better show or help get the word out about what you are doing. We can’t do that if you don’t contact us. We unfortunately do not have the resources to seek out every band, so if you have been thinking of being in the paper call us, it doesn’t cost a fortune to get started. Onto music, June was a great month for local music. Wish I had more time to get out there, but I did have a couple exciting weekends of music. I made it to the DAM Party and it is no joke. They have a very nice setup down by the creek with tents for shade/rain protection and a huge stage setup and a great food spread, all of which was covered by a simple donation. We got there just in time to see ROAD CASE play. I knew when I got out of the car and heard a Black Crowes song that I

Road Case would love this band. They do a great mix of songs and are sure to be a name you will be hearing in the future. Be sure to check out one of their upcoming shows, you won’t be disappointed. Next was STEEL. If you have never seen STEEL then you are missing out. It’s hard not to like these guys. You will not meet another bunch of guys who are as dedicated to putting on an awesome show every time out. I have seen them years ago and I was just as impressed this time as I was then. They plain ROCK! It amazes me the song database those guys have in their brains, it’s nuts. While I would have liked to stay at the DAM party we had to roll over to ROOSTERPALOOZA. We got caught in a nasty storm on the way but that didn’t slow down all the party maniacs over at ROOSTERPALOOZA. SUICIDE PUPPETS were just taking the stage as we rolled in and they put on another face melting show. I have been watching this band grow for years and they really are doing something

Suicide Puppets original and coming into their own with some newer members and sounds. It looks like it’s paying off for them with some news coming out of the woodwork about them being signed with Diminished Pitch Entertainment.

Radio Bravo So you would think that was enough, but no, we decide RACEHORSE TAVERN is only a short jaunt away, let’s go check it out. Glad we did because we got to see two bands that were a real treat. First was RADIO BRAVO. While we didn’t get to catch the whole set, we did get to see a couple songs and these guys really get into it and have a smooth sound. Wish I could have seen more, but what we did was worth it. Next BLUES VULTURES came on. They have a guy by the name of Ronnie Yonkins in the band and although you would think he would steal the show from the rest of the band, this is not the case. The whole band is a great bunch of musicians and each one added up to make for some great music. All the ladies were up dancing for these guys. To be able to travel around and see that much music in one night is a testament to our local music scene. Well, I feel as if I will be cut short due to space constrictions, so I will leave out the rest of the month and you can catch it in “Out and About” from RACHEL ROCKS. As for July, there is great stuff going on. You can catch the 38th Annual Jazz Fest July Ronnie 5-8th. We have NATE MYYonkins ERS AND THE ACES doing something a little different for

all you motor heads out there, aka ME. They will be performing before the Race at BAPS Motor Speedway for the Champion Oil Showdown on July 15th. There is a full line up of bands at the RACEHORSE TAVERN, PARK INN(Blarneys), and THE FREDERICKSBURG EAGLE HOTEL. So please check out the dates in this issue and get out there and support these clubs who support our local music scene. Also read the GONG show article, it’s sure to be an entertaining show for the Harrisburg area and we are excited to see what the SCOTTISH RITE THEATRE will bring the Harrisburg area next. Last and not least, check out HEAVEN AND HELL RECORDS. I just found out about these guys and if you’re wondering where to get your old school, local, metal fix, look no further. I will be talking to these guys so look for a future story as to what they do in an upcoming issue. Talk to you next month Pennsylvania.

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Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

July, 2018

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Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

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July, 2018

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OUT ‘n’ ABOUT By Rachel Rocks

The Summer is finally heating up. So many of my friends are posting pictures of the beach, and here I am typing my article. A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do! I’ve appreciated all of the love we have received in the new reign of the PA Musician Magazine. It makes typing this article so worth it. This month my brother actually came out with me to a couple shows and I was able to introduce him and Missy to a bunch of my friends, and we were able to see quite a bit of amazing music as well.

My month started out many moons ago on a late Friday night when I was trolling Facebook and I realized that Epoch Failure was playing at the Blue Moose. I met Epoch Failure a few years ago at the MMC and I’ve been following them ever since. They describe their genre as Urban Pop, but I love their line on their Facebook page that says, “Making good music and sending good vibes, for the good times and turning the not so good times around.” They already have over 30 film/tv/ad credits on amazing shows, like their song “Champion” was played at the end of the Superbowl, and another song “Every Day Great (Dreamers)” is on the trailer for the hit movie Wonder. I think their style was a little overwhelming for some of the regulars at Blue Moose, but then the other half really seemed to enjoy and appreciated hearing something different and fresh! I know I per-

Beatlemania NOW at Scottish Rite Theatre

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sonally loved having them there, especially on a Friday. For Memorial Day I went to my friend Rex’s private party. Every year Rex throws an amazing bash with super awesome musicians. This year he had an amazing local musician, Mycenea Worley. I was excited to get there in time to hear the end of her set. Mycenea’s voice is so unique and powerful. I love hearing sing her original songs. She’s such a great songwriter. After that Angie Keilhauer took the stage, she just got off a red eye flight from her tour, but she still looked bright eyed and sang beatutifully. Angie is an amazing, young musician that used to tour on Carnival Cruise Lines, and if you’ve ever been to Disney in the last year and watched the show at night that lights up on the castle, you’ve heard her sing before, because she’s the voice behind the show!! Super impressive! The last duo of the night were two amazing songwriters and performers from Nashville, Frank Myers and Aaron Barker. Both musicians have numerous #1 Hits. Not only did they perform their big hits, but they also told the stories behind the music. It’s definitely an amazing opportunity. I’m so grateful for Rex and Deanna for providing us with such an amazing opportunity to hear such amazing artists right in their own backyard! continued on next page...

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Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

July, 2018

Out & About continued... My next adventure was a Thursday night show over at Spring Gate, right behind my house, for Six Bar Break. Spring Gate hosts a lot of great bands. I really should get there more often and sit back and enjoy some music. Wine slushy nights are Thursday nights, so I called my friend Holly and we went to listen to the amazing music of Six Bar Break and enjoy the slushies. It was definitely a refreshing way to spend a Thursday night. The slushies were delicious and the music was amazing! You can check out Six Bar Break’s ad on the back of this issue. Get out there and support them!! Sitting back and enjoying the music of Six Bar Break is an amazing way to spend any night of the week! They will be back at Spring Gate July 29th and August 12th, so plan your next night out now! The next day was the big DAM Party. This was the 5th Annual DAM party and I can’t believe I missed the first four. DAM stands for the name of 3 people that all celebrate their birthdays in June, and obviously they like to celebrate in style! They have an amazing set-up on a gorgeous property right along the Yellow Breeches creek. When I arrived I was surprised to see Josh already there wearing his gear and getting shots of the band! I got there in time to catch the tail end of the new band Road Case. There are plenty of familiar faces and amazing musicians in the line-up of this band: Tony from Back in Black is the lead singer, Chris DellaPorta and Clint Lyons from Single Barrel on guitars, Ed Piccolo on drums, and Jeff Lawrence on bass, both are from End of Silence. It’s hard to believe so much talent is wrapped into one band! It was awesome seeing and hearing them all play together. They Chris of Steel play classic rock from some of

your favorites of all time, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Tesla, Gov’t Mule, and many more. They definitely put on a great show and really got the party started! You can check out Road Case’s ad in this issue and see where they will be traveling next. They are ready to rock the local area stages and beyond! Steel stepped up next and kept the show rocking! It’s always fun seeing my Steel family outside enjoying some sunshine! We are all used to seeing each other so late at night, sometimes you wonder if we are all part vampire or something. I never heard of an actual count of people at the DAM party, but there were easily a few hundred people. A good amount of people there never saw Steel before, but I guarantee you that Steel and Road Case got a few new fans after this show. As usual at the end of their set Steel played Hallowed Be Thy Name and had quite a few people up front by the stage head banging along with them to finish their set. You can also check out Steel’s schedule in this issue and get out there and have a head bangin’ good time!! The final band at the DAM Party was Back in Black. It was

definitely the band everyone was waiting for. As soon as they took the stage everyone came up to the stage, even when it started raining about halfway through their set no one cared and everyone just kept rockin’ and singin’ along! There was also free camping, so plenty of people were there for the night, so they had no where else better to go. The Pennsylvania Entertainment Group had quite an amazing outdoor stage set-up that when it did start raining no one seemed phased. The show was able to go on and the rock was able to continue. The whole event was very well organized. If you paid $10 you got a meal ticket that even included beer and jello shots, they had big tents set up. It was really a great set-up. I know I’ll be keeping an eye out for next year’s big event! After Steel’s set, Josh and I split ways. I stayed at the DAM Party, but he continued down to Roosterpalooza to rock out with Suicide Puppets. It’s awesome to have someone to help spread the love throughout the Harrisburg area and beyond. Him and continued on page 10...

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Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

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Out & About continued... Missy had a great time at Roosterpalooza, and then they zoomed over to Racehorse Tavern for Radio Bravo and Blues Vultures. Josh said he loved how everyone was so welcoming when you walked in to Racehorse. It really is that local bar where everyone knows your name, but yet they really get some amazing acts that pass through the area. Blues Vultures guitar player is Ronnie Younkins, also of Kix. Josh and Missy were impressed with their show and the whole vibe of the Racehorse. We have to make sure we support as many local venues as possible, there aren’t many left! To see Racehorse’s full entertainment schedule, check out their ad in this issue. They are a very rare venue that still has live entertainment Friday and Saturday nights, so there is plenty to do and plenty to see at the Racehorse! When it started raining at the DAM Party I decided I still had too much energy, so I decided to zoom down the highway to the Union House to see some more music. Union House had a last minute cancellation and since Darrell lives right down the road he filled in with an “Asking Andy” acoustic set, which consisted of Darrell and Keith Collins (Keith 2). Keith was playing the Cajon and Darrell was on guitar. It always amazes me how many different songs these guys can pull together and play on the fly. It’s always entertaining and it was a great way to end my night of craziness! And it helps that the Union House is such a cool place to hang out and hear music. Anna is a super fun and awesome bartender. My drink was delicious and had a Swedish fish swimming inside.. Yummy!! My next night out was another super special night where I got to witness the Scottish Rite Theatre come to life!! Mom and I went out for a girls’ night to see Beatlemania!!! I of course knew a lot of the songs too and Mom and I had a great night of music and entertainment. It was cool hearing Mom tell the story behind all of their costume changes (there were four of them) and the different sounds of their music. Mom of course knew all the great dance moves and I loved to see her dancing, singing and having a great time! The Scottish Rite Theatre have such an amazing room. Out of all of the places I’ve seen shows their “Live” acoustics are absolutely amazing. Their sound and lighting was once again provided by Pennsylvania Entertainment Group, I swear those guys were following me this month, anyhow.. the sound and lights were awesome and overall it was a great show. I obviously see a lot of cover bands, tribute bands, etc. It was cool to see these guys playing note for note and even using the same actions of the original Beatles. The Scottish Rite Theatre also had a great set up where they had Millworks come in with their beer for sale, the brewer himself, Jeff Musselman, was popping the tops, and working the booth. They also had Midstate Distillery for the non beer drinkers. And also WGC Catering was there with yummy food and goodies, and of course non-alcoholic beverages. It was awesome because you were also able to take your food and drinks into the theatre!! I know at other “fancy” venues it’s sometimes stressful because the beverage lines are so long at intermission and then you don’t have time to enjoy your drink before you have to go back in for the show. This was very relaxing and enjoyable. We truly had a great time! At the end of the show they even had their ballroom open for the Meet and Greet, where Mom and I were able to get our picture taken with Beatlemania! Super cool and a super fun night out! My last night out on the town was a trip back to Club XL to see Kix. It’s awesome to see Club XL getting such great crowds. People are catching on to this new super cool venue and supporting it! It’s so awesome to have such a large venue right here in Harrisburg that will be able to catch awesome acts passing through the area. I got there in time to hear the opening bands, Small Town Titans are definitely a local favorite and they also have quite a few local fans that were out there to support them. Small Town Titans are getting geared up to hit the road and go on tour with Adelita’s Way. It’s an awesome opportunity for these guys and I can’t wait to see where their music takes them next! Stone Horses were up next. Wowza yet another great rock vocalist! These guys have a quote on their site that says they write their songs about love, hate, struggle, and triumph. I think that pretty much sums up most writers these days, but they also have the band and the vocals to support their songs. They were a great band and they really kept the party going. When Kix took the stage it was cool to see and hear Steve’s reaction about finally getting another cool club in the city of Harrisburg. He talked about the old Metron Days and of course the City Island Concerts. (I wish I would’ve been old enough for those shows, they definitely sound like a good time in everycontinued on page 11....

Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

July, 2018

Out & About continued... one’s memories.) It was cool to see Kix with my big brother, and quite a few of my friends. Kix put on one heck of show with over 2 hours of non-stop music! I wish I knew all of their anti-aging secrets. It’s just crazy how the guys just never age! It’s hard to believe the “Blow My Fuse” has been around for 30 years! It’s awesome to see these guys still packing rooms and rocking the stage all night long! I put a shout out on Facebook asking for any upcoming shows because unfortunately I don’t see the schedules before the mag prints, so it’s a little hard for me to write about what’s coming up. My advice on finding out what’s happening in the future is to turn the pages, flip through the mag and check out all of our amazing schedules of all of the awesome venues, bands, stores, etc that advertise. My article is about me going Out and About and checking out bands along the way.. It is the job of the ads themselves to tell you the future.. Check out the cover story this month and read about “The Gong Show Off Broadway” event coming to the Scottish Rite Theatre on August 17th! Just doing the interview had me rolling with laughter, I can’t even come close to imagining what the actual show will be like. Read about all the details in the month’s cover story. Nick Myers from 717 Entertainment told me about his special First Friday in Lebanon event. You can check out the details in Six Bar Break’s ad since they will be playing there. It sounds like a great event with a few

bands and even an art gallery. James Oliver Lott III listed out HMAC’s schedule. They have quite a few bands coming up this month, some of them are blasts from the past. Check out my post on Facebook for HMAC’s dates.. facebook.com/pamusicianmagazine. You’ll also see some shows coming up with Tonewall Jackson in September up in Paxinos, PA, and another show in the opposite direction, in Winchester, VA there is a 3 Band Showcase on July 20th. There is always so much happening all around us.. just get out there and support it, wherever you are! Speaking of Facebook… we are trying to get moving with all of this Social Media shenanigans. We now have a Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, #pamusician, @pamusician, facebook. com/pamusicianmagazine. Please like us, follow us, tweet us, or whatever shenanigans you enjoy! Also, if you are out at a show and you want us to know about it, please tag us!! If/when we have extra “filler” space in the mag we will go to our tags and pick out some lucky photos to be put in the mag. It will be a great way for us to cover even more shows, more bands, and more fun!! So please start tagging away!!!!! Well that’s all for this month. If you have any other questions, comments, or concerns… hit me up at RachelRocks@pamusician.net. Have a great month and get out there and SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC!!!!!!

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, “EXPERIENCE THE POWER” Available at CDbaby www.cdbaby.com/cd/xterra7

Our New CD, “God Don’t Make Junk” www.cdbaby.com/cd/xterra & at all shows:June 1st 2018. Recording session

Bookings: 570-881-7734

Facebook.com/X-terra

www.xterrarockband.com

www.facebook.com/pamusicianmagazine

Chris DellaPorta

Jeff Lawrence

Tony Sitler

Ed Piccolo

Clint Lyons

Featuring former & current members of Smokin’ Gunnz,

End of Silence, Single Barrel, & Back in Black

www.facebook.com/RoadCasetheBand instagram@road_case_the_band

August 11th - 11th Annual Operartion SOS Ride @Susquehanna Harley Davidson 6300 Allentown Blvd. Harrisburg, PA 17112

August 18th - Racehorse Tavern w/ 6 Bar Break & Monkey Foo (Foo Fighters Tribute) 738 N. Biesecker RD. Thomasville, PA 17364

For Booking Info Call: 717-645-3107 July, 2018

Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

NATIONALS By Eric Hoffman

Greetings Rockers ‘N’ Rollers! Last month began with some incredible National bands in very small clubs. I was beyond fortunate to catch Billie Joe Armstrong’s (Green Day) latest project The Longshot at both Baltimore’s Ottobar and Philadelphia’s First Unitarian Church. An incredible experience to see the Green Day frontman wail to a capacity 400 crowd. The Longshot were amazing playing their EP as well as covers of The Ramones, The Replacements, David Bowie, Generation X and The Damned. Fellow punk rockers Bouncing Souls played a fabulous show at Washington DC’s Rock and Roll Hotel on May 31 - another venue with a capacity of 400. The Souls are always consistently good with song staples “Hopeless Romantic,” “Sing Along Forever” and “True Believers.” And Scranton natives The Menzingers played to capacity (400) a sold-out show at Stage On Herr in Harrisburg on May 27. Legendary alternative band Depeche Mode returned to the States for the second leg of their Global Spirit Tour. The English electronic band visited Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center on June 3 and played songs since they began in 1980 including, “Enjoy The Silence,” “World in My Eyes” and “Personal Jesus.” This year Depeche Mode were nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall Billie Joe of Fame and their latest release Armstrong of Spirit is their fourteenth alThe Longshot bum. Kurt Vile and the Violators sold-out Lancaster’s Tellus 360 on June 14. The former War on Drugs member just finished a brief 14-day excursion but will follow in the Fall with 17 more shows. Last year Vile collaborated and toured with Courtney Barnett, his music is influenced by Neil Young, Pavement, Tom Petty and John Fahey. Locally, historic rock band KIX returned to Harrisburg and its newest largest nightclub Club XL on June 16. The venue is only blocks away from the old Metron, a club which KIX dominated in the 80’s and 90’s. The band played their album Blow My Fuse in entirety marking its 35th anniversary. KIX always put on one of the best live shows in Central PA with hits “Midnight Dynamite,” “The Itch” and “Girl Money.” Fantastic local band

The Give Take were meant to play Harrisburg’s Zeroday on June 15 but had to cancel (slightly) due to their keyboardist Susan not feeling well. However, a couple band members did fill-in with Don Egan labeling themselves “Los Misfits!” - which turned out great! playing songs of Ramones and Misfits.

Los Misfits! The highlight of June consisted of possibly two of the best concerts I’ve ever witnessed. The band who introduced music to me, U2, brought their latest tour Experience + Innocence 2018 to both Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center and Washington DC’s Capital One Arena. Truly one of the best experiences I’ve ever had at a concert. The stage ran right down the middle of the general admission floor, from end to end. And having floor tickets, with so much room to move, gave every fan the experience of being a few feet from the band. U2 are one of the world’s best-selling artists in history, having sold more than 170 million records worldwide. With 14 studio albums to pick from, the setlist reigned hits “Gloria,” “Pride (In the Name of Love)” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday.” It was unbelievable to witness one of the greatest bands in such a setting. NATIONAL NEWS: Robert Plant says he would be “whore” if he were to agree to take part in a LED ZEPPELIN reunion. This year marks the band’s 50th anniversary and the remastered reissue of “How The West Was Won.” Plant stated, as for Led Zeppelin “38 years ago, John Bonham passed away, that’s all I know. That’s it. That’s the story. Those times. That’s not going to stop me doing what I’m doing now. It doesn’t matter to me... If I didn’t, I’d be a whore.” Plant recently toured behind his latest album, “Carry Fire” and concluded, “For me, my time has got to be filled with joy and endeavor and humor and power and absolute self-satisfaction. That’s not with LED ZEPPELIN. That’s doing what I’m doing right now, with this band, on this tour.” Pink’s first “Beautiful Trauma” North American tour leg has wrapped, with more than $95 million grossed on 46 shows and she has another 42 shows in Australia/New Zealand this year, followed by 40 North American dates in spring 2019. The

STERLING KOCH & FREEWAY JAM

July 7 PA BBQ Festival, Leesport 1:00 PM July 22 Berks Summer Concert Series, Grings Mill, Wyomissing 6:00 PM July 28 Bethany Band Fest, Cressona 4:00 PM

FOR BOOKING & INFO: FULL FORCE MUSIC 570-205-1350 P.O. Box 67 Friedensburg, PA 17933 Email: Steelguitar01@hotmail.com 12

March-June tour leg sold a total of 691,953 tickets and grossed an average $2.51 million per night with 18,209 tickets per show. Pink will finish her tour with two dates in May 2019 at NYC’s Madison Square Garden. Blink-182 says drummer Travis Barker is suffering from blood clots in both arms and therefore the band has to reschedule Las Vegas residency shows. The band has dates at The Pearl Concert Theatre in Las Vegas also scheduled for weekends in October, September and November. In May it was announced the band would not be able to make its scheduled appearance at Bunbury Festival in Cincinnati as well as dates in Windsor, Canada. Blink-182 was recently added as headliners to Riot Fest in Chicago, which takes place Sept 14-16, where they share the bill with Beck, Elvis Costello, Incubus and many others. The newly opened ‘60s bowling alley turned music venue Asbury Lanes reopened June 18 featuring performances by hometown legend Bruce Springsteen, Portugal. The Man, and a DJ set by the Roots’ Questlove. The Lanes’ features upcoming shows

U2 by Lupe Fiasco, Cold War Kids, The Hold Steady and more. The venue’s reinvented stage sees platforms covering the bowling lanes during performances allowing for a capacity of 746, doubling its former limit. Jack White found time between two sold-out show at The Anthem in Washington DC, to throw a surprise, lunchtime concert for the students at nearby Woodrow Wilson High School on May 30. White squeezed in a 45-minute set in the school atrium where there was no press, the musician just wanted to play. White and his band played 8 songs, finishing with the hit “Seven Nation Army.” Punk rock band NOFX have had every scheduled show in the US canceled. This comes after making tasteless jokes about the Las Vegas shootings at the Route 91 Harvest Festival. Singer Fat Mike stated “We did not drop off the shows. We were told that NOFX is not welcome to play ANY big venue in the United States. No joke! NOFX has effectively been banned in our own country.” International shows remain as planned. He added, “It f-n sucks! We made a mistake, we apologized, and we gotta suffer the consequences. Maybe it ain’t fair, but whoever said life was. We are just very thankful that our fans are being so supportive. Thanks to all of you! U2 is continuing its eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE tour run in North America selling every available ticket at their shows. Each night averages 22,365 tickets sold with an average gross of $3.1 million per night. U2 played a special event show at Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater on June 11. For the first time ever the theater cleared the orchestra seating for a general admission floor. Bono began the night stating “We’re a punk band .. from Ireland,” in which the group opened with the trio “I Will Follow,” “The Electric Co.,” and “Out of Control.” A horn section of at least a dozen members joined the band for their 1988 song “Angel of Harlem.” Bono exited the 1,500-capacity theater expressing, “What a night! .. No, really, what a night.” UPCOMING SHOWS: Southern Culture on the Skids Harrisburg HMAC July 1. Poptone (Bauhaus/Love & Rockets) Silver Spring Fillmore July 1. Steel Camp Hill Cliffs Tavern July 7. KIX Dewey Beach DE Bottle & Cork July 12. 38 Special / Uncle Kracker / Puddle of Mudd Hershey Vineyard July 14. Janet Jackson Hersheypark Stadium July 20. Fuel / Eve6 / Fastball Lancaster Clipper Stadium July 21. Badfish (Sublime tribute) Harrisburg Sawyers July 27. Steve Forbert Kennett Square Flash July 27. Faster Pussycat Reading Reverb July 28. War On Drugs Camden NJ BB&T Pavilion July 28. Bad Luck Charms Lancaster ABAG July 28. Go to www.facebook.com/Eric S. Hoffman to follow all of Eric’s concert travels with more photos and live recordings.

Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

July, 2018

Grab a Seat and Fall Off of it Laughing… The Gong Show Live, Off Broadway is Coming to Town…

By Rachel Rocks We all need a night to leave our troubles behind and let loose and laugh till it hurts, and the Harrisburg Scottish Rite Theatre has the best show coming to town to do just that! The Gong Show Live Off Broadway is coming to Harrisburg on Friday, August 17th. I had the privilege to interview Leslie Gold, the Executive Producer, and Peppy Castro, the Associate Producer and Creative Consultant of the Gong Show Live to find out all about the show. The Gong Show Live is just like the old TV show you loved watching. There are 10 different mind-blowing acts, 4 hilarious judges, and a host that will be sure to make you laugh! Leslie was a big fan of The Gong Show for as long as she can remember. She used to run home from school just so she wouldn’t miss any good acts. It was a great day when it got moved to prime time so the whole family could watch it together. Chuck Barris, the original host and creator of the Gong Show was on tour with his movie, “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” and Leslie, who is also a radio host, jumped at the opportunity to interview him. When Chuck was on her show they got the idea to bring back the Gong Show on radio in the middle of the day, a Radio Gong Show. The response was overwhelming and people were talking about it for days afterwards, and that sparked Leslie into bringing back the Gong Show Live! After getting the rights to produce the show from Sony, Leslie got busy finding the perfect talent. Luckily, she had the help from her Casting Director, Robert Russell, and Peppy Castro,

July, 2018

founder of The Blues Magoos, Balance, Barnaby Bye, etc. and was in the Broadway show HAIR, and a never-ending list of other bands and has influenced so many artists like Ace Frehley and many more. They weeded through over 9,000 auditions and came up with their top 20, oddly talented people, curated from around the globe. These are the masters of entertainment. We all know we like to see people flop just as much as we like to see them soar, and I’m told you really see it all and then some at the Gong Show Live. All of the “contestants” are professional actors and actresses. They all have very interesting back stories that have been written into the show that will make you fall in love with them. These performers have fought through their

own struggles to get to where they are today. After they got their cast of characters they first had a 3 year residency in New York, but then they decided to hit the road. They’ve now been on the road for two years and they are planning on heading back to New York City soon. Leslie and Peppy took the original concept of the Gong Show and elevated it by producing the talent into a well-polished professional performance. Even though their performers have a scripted show, the crowd is definitely not scripted and reacts differently in every city and every show. Peppy loves to sit in the back of the house and watch the crowd’s reaction, that is a show unto itself. They do have a hilarious host, comedian Ray Ellin, and 4 super-hilarious judges, Chuck Nice, Brian Scott McFadden, Mike Fine, and Leslie Gold herself. The judges are all comedi-

Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

ans and they write their own material. They are also good at ad libbing because this is a live show and they are real people and mistakes do happen, and like I said the audience’s reactions are always different, so the judges are always prepared to keep the show interesting to say the least! They also have a live band, The Gong Show 10, even though it only has 4 members. Some of you that grew up with the Gong Show might remember some of your favorite acts like Gene Gene the Dancing Machine, well they have Teen Gene the Dancing Machine, that will definitely have you rolling with laughter. The Unknown Comic was another crowd favorite, so they adapted their character into The Unknown Convict, wearing a bright orange jumpsuit and everything! One of the newer acts is Amazing Amy, a toothless, 80-year old, contortionist that can fold herself up into her own luggage! You might be wondering what happened to all of those rejects from America’s Got Talent, or just some nuts you’ve seen on YouTube. Look no further, you found them, right here in The Gong Show Live. Each show has 10 different acts, plus they also have understudies, because you never know what’s going to happen next, and they are prepared for everything. As in any professional theatrical show they have rehearsed every move, but they also mix it up every night to keep it interesting for not only their fans, but the performers themselves. Some of the acts performed can be difficult and dangerous, and some are just flat out hilarious! I asked them if this is an all-age show? They said they would classify it as PG, there is no swearing, but there is some adult humor which is why they say it is PG. They suggest 10 and up, but they’ve seen plenty of younger kids at shows that are cracking up laughing along with their parents. The Harrisburg Scottish Rite Theatre is located at 2701 N. 3rd St. Harrisburg, right beside the Zembo Shrine. There is plenty of free, well-lit parking, and the theatre itself is amazing! Tickets for this once in a lifetime show are only $45 with a VIP option of $55 which gets you a seat in the first 6 rows and there is a Meet & Greet with the performers after the show. For more details check out the Harrisburg Scottish Rite Theatre’s ad in this issue. You can also check out The Gong Show Live’s website, www.gongshowlive.net. I don’t know about you, but I’m more than ready to laugh and have a great night out on the town! Get your babysitters lined up now, Friday, August 17th, Harrisburg Scottish Rite Theatre, you don’t want to miss it!

THE CENTRAL PA FRIENDS OF JAZZ PRESENTS THE 38TH ANNUAL CENTRAL PA JAZZ FESTIVAL

HARRISBURG, PA – Central PA Friends of Jazz will host the 38th annual Jazz Festival July 5th thru the 8th with performances at the Pride of the Susquehanna Riverboat, Appalachian Brewing Company’s Abbey Bar, Hershey Library, Mt. Gretna Hideaway, Gretna Playhouse, and Indian Echo Caverns. The Friends of Jazz welcomes NEA Jazz Master saxophonist/composer Benny Golson, whose six-decade career has graced generations of musicians and jazz lovers alike. The Festival promises to be a joyful four days of music and fun celebrating America’s original art form. Thursday, July 5th: Dave Stahl quintet performs on the Pride of the Susquehanna, 5:30-8:30 pm. Joining Dave (trumpet) are Tom Strohman (sax), Wayne Fox (piano), Rob Cochran (bass), and Lew Leabman (drums). Tickets

are $10 and may only be purchased at harrisburgriverboat. com. Friday, July 6: Jazz Party from 7pm to midnight at Appalachian Brewing Company’s Abbey Bar, 50 N Cameron St., Harrisburg. The Party opens with a set by Cathy Chemi (vocal), Tom Strohman (sax), Jim Miller (bass), Bill Tesar (drums), and Steve Rudolph (piano). The Andrew Loose Quartet will feature Andrew (trumpet), Mark Hunsberger (drums), Andy Alonso (bass), and Connor Rohrer (piano). Guitarist Gavin Horning leads his quartet for the final set, followed by an open jam session for jazz musicians of all skill levels. Tickets are $15 general admission/$12 CPFJ friends/$6 students. CPFJ thanks Appalachian Brewing Company for their support. Saturday, July 7: Tom Strohman, respected jazz educa-

tor/musician, discusses “JAZZ: What, Why & How”, in a free lecture at the Hershey Library from 11a.m.-12:30p.m., 701 Cocoa Ave. CPFJ thanks the Hershey Library for supplying the space for this event. Saturday evening, CPFJ presents two events in Mt. Gretna: a jazz jam session from 3-6:30 pm (free) at the Mt. Gretna Hideaway (40 Boulevard Ave.), followed by a concert by saxophone giant Benny Golson’s quartet at the Gretna Playhouse (200 Pennsylvania Ave.). Accompanying Mr. Golson from NYC are Sharp Radway (piano), Kris Funn (bass), and John Lamkin III (drums). Tickets range from $12-30. CPFJ thanks the kind folks at Gretna Music for their assistance in co-producing this concert. Sunday, July 8: CPFJ hosts a jazz picnic at Indian Echo Caverns (368 Middletown Rd., Hummelstown) from 17pm. Live music come rain or come shine by the CPFJ Youth Band, Jimmy Wood/Ron Waters Quartet, Daniel Sawyer Trio, and a CD release performance by New Cumberland native Jonathan Ragonese, saxophone. Tickets are $15 adults/$10 friends/$5 students/free for children under 12. About Benny Golson: Golson has played in the bands of Benny Goodman, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Earl Bostic and Art Blakey. Few musicians can claim a recording career that literally redefines the term “jazz”. Benny Golson has made major contributions to the world of jazz with such jazz standard compositions as: Killer Joe, I Remember Clifford, Along Came Betty, Stablemates, Whisper Not, Blues March, Five Spot After Dark, Are You Real? Benny Golson is the only living jazz artist to have written eight standards for the jazz repertoire. About Central PA Friends of Jazz: Formed in 1980, CPFJ is a non-profit organization dedicated to the education, promotion, and presentation of jazz, America’s original art form. CPFJ produces six concerts annually, as well as the Jazz Stage at ArtsFest of Greater Harrisburg, Central PA Jazz Camp, CPFJ Youth Band, jam sessions, and more For more info or artist interviews please contact CPFJ: 5721 Jonestown Rd. Harrisburg PA 17112 Office phone: 717-540-1010 Email:friends@friendsofjazz.org. Check out our website for further information

www.friendsofjazz.org.

Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

July, 2018

THE PROFESSOR By Jim Price

Summertime outdoor live music has roared to life in central Pennsylvania, with numerous concerts, festivals and other outdoor events to keep this local music connoisseur busy and happy. “Ron and Teresa, they had a good plan-oh/Pick a little bluegrass, Smoked Country Jam-oh!” (from the song “Smoked Country Jam” by Mama Corn) One of my favorite summer season events is the Smoked Country Jam Bluegrass Festival. Created 15 years ago by Ron and Teresa Kodish, this year’s edition took place last month at the Quiet Oaks Campground near Cross Fork (north of Renovo) in the northern “Pennsylvania Wilds,” celebrating bluegrass and traditional American music while raising money for the Lupus Foundation of Pennsylvania. Each year’s festival presents a smorgasbord of groups and artists performing bluegrass, new-grass, folk, country, traditional string music and more on two stages, and each year presents its fair share of pleasant surprises and discoveries. I got to see 15 of this year’s 21 performing acts over the three days I attended. One of my favorite discoveries was Asheville, North Carolina-based quintet Fireside Collective. This group features two Pennsylvania natives, singer/mandolin player Jesse Iaquinto and guitarist/singer Joe Cicero; along with dobro player Tommy Maher, upright bass player Carson White and banjo player Alex Genova. Fireside Collective merged a traditional string music foundation with adventurous song arrangements, elements of jazz, rock, reggae, funk and other flavors, irresistible song hooks and bright harmonies. Their fresh sound and bright presentation captivated new fans early on, and their crowd size increased with subsequent performances throughout the weekend. Another crowd favorite during the weekend was the Becky Buller Band. An International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) multiple award-winning singer, songwriter and fiddler, namesake Becky previously wowed Smoked Country Jam audiences as a member of Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike. Leading her own band, Becky performed tasty selections of original bluegrass, country and folk-flavored numbers, displaying bright melodies, a mixture of tempos, uplifting vocals and harmonies, and sharp instrumental performances. Her band included Dan Boner on guitar, Nate Lee on mandolin, Dwayne Anderson on upright bass, and bluegrass legend Ned Luberecki – known as an on-air personality and performer on Sirius XM Radio’s Bluegrass Junction and More Banjo Sunday. Ned provided some comic relief with vintage radio commercial-styled ad-libs promoting Becky’s merchandise, but also spotlighted the group’s sense of musical adventure by leading them on a bluegrass version of Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five.” Based in Washington, D.C., Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen also mixed traditional string music flavors with instrumental prowess and improvisation. Namesake Frank dazzled on mandolin, flanked by Mike Munford on banjo, Chris Luquette on guitar and Jeremy Middleton on bass. During their Saturday night set, they performed original bluegrass compositions, but also tapped early rock’n’roll with their grassed-up take on Roy Orbison’s hit “Oh Pretty Woman,” as well as offering their unique take on Steely Dan’s “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.” Returning festival favorites also delivered numerous highlights…Harrisburg’s Colebrook Road dazzled the Saturday night audience with their rootsy reworking of Billy Joel’s “Prelude/ Angry Young Man”…From Pittsburgh, Jakob’s Ferry Stragglers showcased songs off their newly-released CD Poison River, including “St. Anne’s Prayer,” a song written by Sue Cunningham which they dedicated in her memory (Sue was a fiddler and founding member of progressive bluegrass group The Hickory Project; she passed from lung cancer in 2015)…Albany, New York’s Jim Gaudet & the Railroad Boys, offering up their feisty blend of bluegrass and outlaw country with a touch of funk… Owego, New York’s Bug Tussle with their upbeat mixture of modern bluegrass and country tones…Altoona’s Mama Corn – joined by Bug Tussle’s Dave Carey on mandolin – inspiring dancing children and families with their pleasant mix of folk, bluegrass and humor…And the ever-present happy and relaxing vibes generated by performances from Virginia duo Herb & Hanson, Jersey Shore’s Bronze Alley Boxer, Nashville-based singer and songwriter (and Huntingdon native) Doug Forshey, State College’s Tussey Mountain Moonshiners and The Crooked Line. Although I didn’t get to see them, this year’s festival continued on page 16...

July, 2018

Shawn Gioiosa of This Albatross Mark Lux of The Holy Gift

George Byich & TK Mundok / Black Cat Moan

Scott Heller & Danny Balzano of Fire & Ice

Dave Carey of Bug Tussle Darion of Fire & Ice

Damin Bennett of Axemaster James Forish / Money Shot

Eileen Christman / OverheaD

Tab Benoit & Jeff “Jellybean” Alexander

Warren Peace w/ Zach Wade & Good Grief

Jeff “Jellybean” Alexander of Tab Benoit’s Band

Lily Taylor of Lies, Inc.

Frank of Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen

Bob Mitchell of Nighthunter

HOT SHOTS, SHOT HOT by Jim Price See all of Jim’s HOT SHOTS, SHOT HOT at... www.facebook.com/PA Musician Magazine

Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

THE PROFESSOR continued.....

also featured performances from Doc Pappa & the Renegade Ramblers, the Lockport Drifters, Strawberry Ridge, Grain, Chris LaRose and Mountain Ride. Another festival highlight was the return of Danville-based singer and songwriter Van Wagner. The creator of more than 1,000 songs – many about Pennsylvania’s history, heritage,

The Becky Buller Band people and folklore – Van performed established song favorites during his set such as “Mountain Lion,” “Churches and Bars,” “North of 80,” “Shikellamy”…and his ode to the popular handyman multi-tool, “Leatherman,” highlighted afterward by a marriage proposal, as suitor Mike used a Leatherman to offer the engagement ring to his betrothed Chelsea, who said yes! Near set’s end, Van received an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Pennsylvania Heritage Songwriting Contest, presented by contest coordinator David Pinelli. Van also hosted a special workshop, “Pennsylvania History Through Music,” where he explained the history and stories behind his songs about the Keystone State. I also attended other festival workshops, including the “Songwriter Round Table,” hosted by Doug Forshey, Mama Corn’s Johnny Stevens and The Crooked Line’s Chris Strait; and the “Jam Protocol and Etiquette” workshop offered by Bridgett and R.B. Powell.

And following festival tradition, Smoked Country Jam ramped up to its official Saturday night finale with annual headlining favorites – Morgantown, West Virginia’s The Hillbilly Gypsies. The founding couple of singer Jamie Lynn Buckner and singer, guitar and clawhammer banjo player Trae Buckner, along with fiddle and banjo player Ben Townsend, multi-instrumentalist Levi Houston Sanders and upright bass player Ryan Cramer, fired up the party with their high-energy brand of traditional bluegrass and string music, honoring audience requests along the way. The Hillbilly Gypsies performed requests for the Johnny Cash and June Carter hit “Jackson” and the traditional “Pretty Polly,” as well as versions of Joan Baez’s “Silver Dagger” and the Grateful Dead’s “Brown Eyed Women.” The set reached its pinnacle as the Gypsies invited musicians from the festival’s other bands to join them onstage; the resulting multitude of musicians first performed Mama Corn’s ode to the festival, “Smoked Country Jam” (with Johnny Stevens singing lead vocal), before jamming and blending their talents on renditions of “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” and “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” to close the book on this year’s Smoked Country Jam. Hats off to Ron and Teresa Kodish, George Powell and GP Audio for the excellent job on production, all the volunteers, the bands and musicians, and all the friendly fans and families in attendance for another great weekend! Another recent highlight was last month’s night of blues at People’s Natural Gas Park in Johnstown, headlined by Tab Benoit. Johnstown blues favorites Black Cat Moan opened the night with their set of traditional blues and original songs. Singer and harmonica player TK Mundok, guitarist George Byich and drummer Rob Bonsell gently ushered in the night with their tasteful renditions of classics like “Statesboro Blues” and “John Henry,” as well as original tunes like “Anna Lee,” “Anyday” and more. TK invested himself in each song to bring out the full range of emotions while wailing some sinister harmonica licks, with George displaying great slide skills on his chrome resonator guitar, and Rob applying just the right blend of stick and brush rhythms to guide the tunes along. Black Cat Moan’s performance set up the crowd for the ensuing sets of fiery blues rock from four musicians in two bands. From New Orleans, Eric Johanson took the stage to introduce his brand of blues rock, opening with a solo rendition of Robert Johnson’s “If I Had Pos-

Eric Johanson session Over Judgment Day,” before the rest of his band joined him onstage – headliner Tab Benoit on drums, and Tab’s bass player Corey Duplechin. These three musicians further fired up the blues rock party, doing a number of songs from Eric’s debut CD Burn It Down including “Bang Against the Wall,” “Graveyard Queen,” “In the Morning,” “Live Oak,” “Till We Bleed” and the title tune to close the set. Eric showed excellent skills as both a shredder and slide player, and Tab showed he is quite good behind the kit. (During his own set, Tab explained that he started off as a drummer and later learned guitar.) Corey provided the solid and driving bass thread through it all. Tab Benoit’s performance marked his return to the venue he helped christen when it first opened in 2012, People’s Natural Gas Park. Tab later explained another special connection with Johnstown – it was the place where he discovered pierogies! Tab on voice and guitar, Corey on bass and Jeff “Jellybean” Alexander on drums delivered fire-and-brimstone Louisiana blues and blues-rock, mixing original tunes and a few audience requests. Tab quickly continued on page 17...

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:

JULY 8 – COVER SONG SPECIAL JULY 15 – PSYCHO PROPHECY JULY 22 – DYLAN E. MILLER JULY 29 – NATIVE ALLOYS 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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July, 2018

THE PROFESSOR continued.....

established himself as a performer whose guitar is an extension of his personality – as he was happy, enthusiastic and witty as he addressed the Johnstown audience, his guitar playing was happy, enthusiastic and all-out – he made those strings sing! Tab was all in with this performance – even a broken guitar string on one tune did not slow this guy down! Some of his songs this night included “Whole Lotta Soul,” “Night Train,” the slower and soulful “New Orleans Ladies,” the feisty “Too Many Dirty Dishes,” his own fresh take on Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” and more. Each tune became a heated, extended joyride with Tab pushing his guitar skills to the limits, and – judging by the happy expressions on Corey’s and Jeff’s faces – his bandmates hanging on for the ride and loving every minute of it! Much of the crowd gathered up front from the get-go, and danced, moved and grooved nonstop for the duration. When the crowd unanimously called for the encore, Tab and his band returned – joined by Eric Johanson – to slam the lid on the night with a hearty rendition of “Bring Me My Medicine.” This was an excellent show from start to end, and I’m glad I finally got to experience Tab Benoit on the live stage! Altoona’s Railroaders Museum kicked off their annual Alive at Five summer concert series early last month with Long Island-based Pat Benatar tribute Fire & Ice. Opening the night

Eric Delozier & Dean Berheimer

was This Albatross, who did a great job of firing up the crowd for the headliners as they performed a mix of rock, pop and country favorites. This Albatross recently updated their roster, as P.J. Kelly now plays bass and Kirk Robison plays guitar, joining newlyweds Phil “Philly Grooves” and “Autumn Grooves” Wagner on lead guitar/vocals and lead vocals respectively, and Shawn Gioiosa behind the drum kit. Launching with Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll,” This Albatross fired through tunes from Miranda Lambert, Tom Petty, Scandal, Alanis Morisette, Veruca Salt, Pink, Lita Ford and more. Highlights included their Joan Jett double-shot of “Do You Wanna Touch Me” into “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” the Autumn/FPhil duet edition of Stevie Nicks’ “Edge of Seventeen” into Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” and more. Heading into Fire & Ice’s performance, my big question was simple – did this group’s singer have the voice to pull off Pat Benatar? Within the first few moments of their first set, the answer was a resounding YES – singer Darion displayed the multi-octave range and vocal power on hits and classics from throughout Pat Benatar’s career. Influenced in his youth by Neil Geraldo’s guitar skills, Danny Balzano showed some stunning lead guitar work throughout Fire & Ice’s two sets, while Scott Heller on bass and Rob Cardone on drums provided the rhythms, and Tony Saraceni manned the keyboard. Fire & Ice did all the essentials from the Pat Benatar catalog, and even reminded me of a few songs I had almost forgotten – such as Pat’s version of the Beatles’ “Helter Skelter” and The Rascals’ “You Better Run,” “Little Too Late,” the title track from Pat’s Precious Time album and “Sex as a Weapon.” Pat classics performed included the opener “Shadows of the Night,” “Treat Me Right,” “Promises in the Dark,” “We Belong,” “Hell Is for Children,” “Anxiety (Get Nervous),” “All Fired Up,” “Fire and Ice,” “We Live for Love,” “Everybody Lay Down” and “Love Is a Battlefield.” Darion and Danny split the crowd and officiated a sing/shout-along contest to commence “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” which immediately fired into “Heartbreaker” to end their second set. When the crowd demanded more, Fire & Ice quickly responded by saluting Joan Jett with their own take on “I Love Rock & Roll” to end the night. As I returned homeward from the aforementioned Smoked Country Jam, I stopped in Lock Haven to catch the opening con-

Jim Gaudet & the Railroad Boys cert of the city’s Sunday summer concert series at the J.Doyle Corman Amphitheater and Floating Stage, featuring Williamsport’s Gabe Stillman Band. This band dazzled two audiences – the land audience sitting in the amphitheater, and the river audience of festive pontoon boat onlookers – with scorching blues and blues rock. Namesake Gabe sang lead vocals and wielded guitar, with Colin Beatty on bass and 17-year-old Tate Berkey on drums. Gabe, who at age 22 has already been to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis twice (once as a youth performer in 2012, and in 2016 after his band won the annual Billtown Blues Challenge), dazzled on guitar and voice, investing every ounce of his energy into his performance. Tate provided a commanding presence behind his drum beats, and Colin tied it together with steady bottom end on bass. The group did numbers from their just-released debut EP The Grind, including the grooving instrumental title track and “Ain’t Gonna Change,” plus numbers from Otis Rush, Willie Dixon, T-Bone Walker, Howlin’ Wolf, Freddy King and more. Gabe and his band roused the crowds on both sides of the stage; especially the boat folks, who danced on the pontoon decks, dove from boat roofs, tooted boat horns after songs and more! The Gabe Stillman Band will be part of the festivities during this year’s Central PA 4th Fest in State College on July 4, and – after recently winning the 2018 continued on page 18

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THE PROFESSOR continued..... Billtown Blues Challenge – return to Memphis next January for the International Blues Challenge! Summer also means fire company carnival season, and I caught northern Cambria County rockers Night Train during the first night of last month’s annual Patton Firemen’s Jubilee. Night Train continues to spotlight two generations of musicians, as Jerry Carnevali sings and plays guitar alongside his sons, Jesse on lead vocals and guitar, and Jared on bass and vocals; Tim Laney plays drums. Night Train entertained the street party audience with their uptempo mixture of classic rock favorites, performing numbers from CCR, Grand Funk Railroad, Cheap Trick, Rare Earth, Stray Cats, Styx, Hollies, the Beatles, Free and many more. Jerry, Jesse and Jared can all carry a tune, and they demonstrated crisp vocal harmonies along the way. Keeping with my recent Memorial Day tradition, I again spend much of the holiday in Boalsburg – one of the locations that lays claim to the origins of Memorial Day – to check out the daytime festivities and evening memorial service at Boalsburg Cemetery. Live music was again part of the festivities, with performances both at the downtown Diamond and at Boal Mansion. It was at the latter where I caught the latter set of OverheaD’s performance. Singer Wendy Hanson, singer/guitarist Kevin Fagley, multi-instrumentalist/singer Eileen Christman, bassist/guitarist/keyboardist Tom Mallouk and drummer Rick Plut mixed up a variety of original songs, classic rock and pop hits and favorites. They remembered local music past by breaking out a version of “Catch a New Wave,” a 1980 local radio hit by State College’s Backseat Van Gogh. They also did tunes from Otis Redding, the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, B-52s, and more. Highlights included Eileen demonstrating her fiddle talents later in the set on tunes from Green Day, Janis Joplin, Van Morrison, Patti Smith and the finale, Charlie Daniels’ “Devil Went Down to Georgia.” OverheaD will perform on July 15 at this year’s People’s Choice Festival of Pennsylvania Arts & Crafts in Boalsburg. I caught my first look at young area singer-songwriter Elmira Hope last month at downtown Altoona’s Heritage Plaza, as she performed at the “Families Belong Together” candlelight vigil, held to address the situation about children being separated from their families at the southern border. Elmira did a short set of original songs before the vigil, and later performed a version of Bruce Springsteen’s “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” before finishing the vigil with a sing-along version of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.” Elmira demonstrated a strong, clear voice and a passion for the music she performed. In between the songs, various speakers addressed the border situation, and shared thoughts about families, immigration and the contribution of immigrants to American society. I managed to escape central PA to spend part of Memorial Day weekend in Erie. Part of that trek included a visit to Erie’s long-established rock room, Sherlock’s, where a triple-band rock and metal bill took place. Headlining the night was the premiere of a new Erie-based band, Nighthunter, which features a cast of metal musicians from past projects; singer Bob Mitchell was previously with such projects as Savior From Anger and Attacker, bassist Brian Callin and drummer Joshua Shank also were with

Tracey Moriarty/Boalsburg Memorial Day 18

The Crooked Line Savior From Anger, while guitarists Sean Nestor and Jazz Byers previously rocked with Homicide Black. On a mission to “bring back true heavy metal,” Nighthunter introduced a sound rooted in the classic heavy metal traditions of Judas Priest, Black Sabbath and Dio. Bob demonstrated an amazing, power-packed, soaring voice, and his bandmates brought the firepower on a selection of original tunes (from their forthcoming debut CD, expected out in September) and select covers. Their original song arsenal was impressive, including such numbers as “Ghost of the Valkyrie,” “March of the Bones” (co-written by Bob’s son and inspired by the marching skeleton army from Jason and the Argonauts) and more. Nighthunter also brought the crowd to attention and loud cheers with their renditions of Judas Priest’s “Metal Gods” and Rainbow’s “Man on a Silver Mountain.” The two opening acts were impressive as well. Five members strong, Erie’s Glasswing launched the night with an intriguing progressive rock/ metal sound that mixed elements of blues, jazz, metal aggression, tricky time signatures and unusual song arrangements. The group – singer Kyle Myers, guitarists Nick Vollbrecht and Aiden Sloppy, bassist Chris Fohner and drummer Ryan Javens – did a mix of new and older original tunes, each with a different flavor,

Guest Rachel Singing w/ Felix & The ‘Canes

before breaking out a version of Kansas’ “Carry On Wayward Son” toward set’s end. And first formed in 1985, northeastern Ohio-based fivesome Axemaster blasted full-force classic power/thrash metal, performing a set of original numbers from their more recent albums. Comprised of singer Geoff McGraw, guitarists Joe Sims and Damin Bennett, bassist Jim Curtis

and drummer Denny Archer, Axemaster performed such songs as “Death Before Dishonor,” “Bed of Nails,” “Forsaken,” “Bravado,” “Crawling Chaos,” “10,000 Pound Hammer” and more. Bands, musicians, fans and friends converged at Slammin’ Sam’s in Johnstown last month to raise money to help out friend, musician, sound and recording engineer Brad Hawken as he battles colorectal cancer. Jeff Perigo, The Dillons and Locked & Loaded performed before I arrived, and Stone Bridge was under way when I entered the venue. Featuring Craig Stiles on lead vocals and guitar, Steve Stull on bass and Darren Byer on drums, Stone Bridge fired off modern metal and hard rock favorites from Rage Against the Machine, Linkin Park, Staind and more. My favorite highlights included their heavy take on the “Fat Albert Theme” shifting into Monster Magnet’s “Powertrip,” as well as renditions of Coal Chamber’s “Big Truck” and Sepultura’s “Roots” to end their set. Next was a reunion set by Lies, Inc. Singer Lily Taylor, guitarist Nate Nagle, bassist Kent Tonkin and drummer Ron Brode delivered a powerful set of original heavy-hitting tunes from their career, including “Waking the Misery,” “Hypnotic,” “Plaster Apparent,” “Mommy Dearest” and more. Lily’s vocal power and range was again front and center, and it was cool watching audience members experiencing her powerful pipes for the first time. Darkness On The Radio followed with their scorched-earth metal set, delivering a full-force wall of sound as they showcased original assaults such as “Judas Take the Wheel,” “Sons of Devil-

ry,” “The Snakes That Walk Like Men” and more. Johnstown hard-rocking favorites Inside Out then took the stage to introduce several new songs toward their next CD, such as “Find A Way,” “Burn” and the rowdy “Get Up.” Singer, guitarist and show organizer Tim Frick, guitarist Cody Williams, bassist Larz Philip and drummer Mark Gindlesperger also fired up the large Slammin’ Sam’s crowd with established original song favorites like “Sacrifice,” “Taking My Life” and “Demons Inside.” Next was Chasing Frequency, who did a strong blend of hard-rocking tunes from Ozzy Osbourne, Chevelle, Danzig, Dead Or Alive, Pop Evil and more. Singer Tori Miller delivered some great voice, backed this day by guitarist Jeff Bassett, Darkness On The Radio’s Jay Snyder on bass and Octane’s Chris Jimerson on drums. Guest singer Eric Voeghtly (former frontman of Stone Krow and Deviance) joined Chasing Frequency for versions of Audioslave’s “Tell Me How to Live,” Volbeat’s “Lola Montez” and more. Then Johnstown’s new Tool tribute project, The Holy Gift, took the stage. Singer Mark Lux has shown in past projects that he can capture the voice and charismatic demeanor of Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan, and he totally lived up to the task here; flanked by guitarist Darien Lux, bassist Mike May and drummer Frank Tomaselli. The Holy Gift did excellent work on

Gabe Stillman Band Tool classics like “Opiate,” “The Pot,” “Schism,” the set-ending rendition of “Aenima” and more. And Money Shot – a one-time collaboration featuring Undercover singer Jason Riek backed by the Octane contingent of guitarist James Forish, bassist Dave Bambino and drummer Chris Jimerson – finished the night strongly with their blend of hard-rocking favorites from Rage Against the Machine, Van Halen, The Cult, Journey, Eve 6, Def Leppard, Soundgarden and more. A big highlight of the day was show beneficiary Brad Hawken checking in for a short while, just days after undergoing surgery. Hats off to all the organizers and volunteers this day; Rawken For Hawken raised more than $1,800. Other performers I saw recently included Felix & the Hurricanes, who rang in Memorial Day at Altoona’s Black & Gold Tavern with special guests Pat McGinnis on bass and Chuck Knepper on guitar…and the tail end of Zach Wade & the Good Grief’s show last month at McGarvey’s, which ended with guest Warren Peace firing up the crowd with his spirited performance on Outkast’s “Hey Ya!” News and notes…Rising PA country performers Devon Franks and Jackie Brown & the Gill Street Band will be among performers during the July 4 Central PA 4th Fest near Penn State’s Beaver Stadium…The 52nd annual Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts takes place in downtown State College July 1215…The return of northeastern PA rock powerhouse Harpo is one of the highlighting attractions of the 26th annual People’s continued on page 19...

Guest Libby Eddy (Jakob’s Ferry Stragglers) w/ Jesse Eisenbise of Colebrook Road

Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

July, 2018

THE PROFESSOR continued.....

Choice Festival of Pennsylvania Arts & Crafts, happening July 12-15 at the Pennsylvania Military Museum in Boalsburg...The annual Remington Ryde Bluegrass Festival happens July 4-8 at Grange Park in Centre Hall…The owners of Tubby’s Nightclub in Duncannon, which burned down early last year, announced last month that due to circumstances beyond their control, they will not be rebuilding the venue in Duncannon, and are looking into other locations to reopen the venue…Zac Grace, launching his solo career as singer and songwriter after years of playing drums for several area bands, has signed an exclusive songwriting agreement with Nashville-based independent publishing company Nashville Cool; he recently departed Chris Woodward & Shindiggin,’ and has taken over drum duties in Railtowne, freeing up Eric Wertz to become the group’s second guitarist…Scott Kinsey has taken over drum duties in the Chris Bell Band…Singer Matt Wagner teams with former members of Vs. the Earth, Pistol Peg & the Beer Kegs and Third Standard to form a new group, August Wake… A fundraising event to benefit the children of Matt Pacacha will take place Aug. 24 at Pittsburgh’s Hard Rock Café; Matt, the drummer for Pittsburgh-based metal rockers Conflict Cycle, died in a house fire early last month…More sad news arrived at press time, as Troy Lamey, drummer for Williamsport rock group C-4, passed away unexpectedly while performing with his group on June 23; our condolences go out to Troy’s surviving family, bandmates and friends. Thanks again to my “street team” who helps get PA Musician to various locations in west-central PA: Mo Yon (Bedford), Zac Grace (southern Bedford and Huntingdon Counties), Deanna Trio-Schompert (Johnstown and Somerset), Rick Ramsey (northern Cambria County) and Dylan Miller (Huntingdon). 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! ~ All photos by Jim Price~

Jerry Garcia Band drummer Pete Lavezzoli, as well as upright bass player Don Coffman and guest drummer William Newell Bate. Recorded at studios in Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale, Human Race sounds crisp, broad and full, with Tim’s expressive voice front and center in the mix. Tim Woods delivers hearty performances and hopeful messages on Human Race, a strong, blues-infused set that radiates enthusiasm and purpose. (The CD can be bought through CD Baby or Tim’s website, www.timwoodsmusic.com.) THE CROOKED LINE – FAR FROM PERFECT (no label) Founded two years ago, The Crooked Line stamps their signature and creative edge on American string music tradition with their debut album, Far From Perfect. The core of singer/ acoustic guitarist Chris Strait, banjo player/singer Bob Baronner and violinist/mandolinist/ singer Stephen Buckalew, plus mandolin player Kevin Briggs and bassist Steve Belcher (both who have since departed the group) forged 10 numbers with Nashville’s Doug Forshey; the tunes fuse together catchy melodies, witty lyrics and quality musicianship. The desire for

simplicity and an escape from the daily grind inform the lyrics of several tunes, such as the driving opener “Comfort Zone,” where Chris sings of getting back to his happy personal space and state of mind. Borrowing a cue from The Wizard of Oz, Chris sings of getting swept up in the hectic, tornadic life of a college town (such as the group’s home base of State College) on the funky-strutting “Kansas Now,” while building a new home – and perhaps a new life – is the theme of “The Carpenter.” The group channels a Grateful Dead theme on “Song For You,” seeks another chance on “One More Time,” and fears the end result of a tumultuous romance on “Tied to the Tracks” (also the title song of an album jointly recorded by Chris and Doug). The Crooked Line also flexes their musicality and blends string music with elements of Celtic folk, jazz and more on the inventive instrumental/vocal combo, “D Modal Banjo Suite/Do You Ever Really Know?” The performances shine throughout the album; Chris’s voice convincingly conveys the witty edge of the lyrics, and the instrumental talents exhibited here are top notch, as these players showcase clean solo work while blending their skills to suit each song. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Gene Gibson at Winterstream Music in Centre Hall and produced by Gene and the group, Far From Perfect sounds crisp and full, with all elements of the group’s sound balanced clearly. Far From Perfect is catchy and edgy, as The Crooked Line introduces their distinccontinued on page 20...

PA MUSICIAN REVIEWS By Jim Price

TIM WOODS – HUMAN RACE (no label) For more than three decades, western PA native Tim Woods journeyed throughout the country and lived in the south, before building a regional music family “dynasty” with sons Derek (Derek Woods Band) and Ryan (Habatat), as well as his own self-named band and the Woods Family Band. Along that journey, Tim soaked in a wide range of musical influences, and those influences and experiences coalesce into his second full-length CD, Human Race. A dozen tracks strong, Human Race finds Tim celebrating life, music, humanity, nature and the planet, and the album follows a loose theme of appreciating and respecting all of these things. Tim’s musical vehicle for this journey combines elements of classic-flavored rock, folk, blues, Americana, jazz and more. As Tim has lived in Macon, Georgia and traveled through the south, southern flavors inform much of the

album; the Allman Brothers are channeled through the bluesy love song disc-opener “Can You Feel It” and the self-confident “Every Day,” as well as the life-goes-on ode “Image Is Clear.” Folk, blues and jazz flavors weave together on “Take a Minute,” offering advice to take stock and appreciate the simplicity of love; and Tim tackles harder funk and blues-rock workouts on “Have Mercy” and “Where Did She Go?” respectively. Tim expresses concern for mankind and the planet, evoking a spirited Jim Morrison-like presence on the explosive title track “Human Race,” and urging care for Mother Earth on the jam-fueled disc-closer “Leave the Earth Alone.” Tim also lays down catchy blues and funk grooves on three instrumentals, “Step,” “TW Funk” and “Trixie.” Tim displays personality in his vocal performance, singing with a passionate, versatile voice. Several renowned collaborators help Tim bring these songs to life; including founding Codetalkers member and multi-instrumentalist Bobby Lee Rodgers (who produced the album) and

July, 2018

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tive, feisty slant on traditional-styled folk and string music, and provides a pleasant, entertaining listen. (The CD can be obtained through the group’s Facebook page.) ALMOST HOWE – DECEIVED (no label) Almost Howe is the band project brainchild and alter ego of York area-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Bill Jones, whose music career spans more than 50 years. Almost Howe’s second CD, Deceived, features 11 tracks displaying a variety of rockbased flavors. 1970s-era hard rock and classic heavy metal comprise the primary foundation here, with many of the songs featuring beefy, thunderous rhythms, chunky guitar chords and Bill’s mid-ranged lead vocal. Never Say Die-era Black Sabbath comes to mind as a reference. Bill angles for intriguing, unpredictable song arrangements several times, including the leadoff track “Dignity” with its oddball chord shifts and twists, “Sea of Dreams” with its Jeckyl-and-Hyde shifts between synth underscores and pulverizing metal thunder, the angry album title stomp “Deceived” and “Mother Bankrupt’s Door.” Almost Howe delves into hard funky rock on the catchy “The Look,” and explores darker blues-rock flavors on “Wounded” and “Speechless Blues.” Bill vents about the country’s dysfunctional two-party political circus on the punk-fueled rant “Party Demise” – complete with mid-song “God Bless America” guitar solo – and generates a speed-metal science lesson finale with “Supercollider.” Bill plays all instruments here, including guitars, bass, drums and keys, and shows solid skills on all of them. Recorded by Bill and mastered by Gene Paul, the album sounds gritty and raw. The mix comes off slightly murky in spots, but sounds clear and balanced more often than not. Bill Jones reveals more of his musical world via Almost Howe’s Deceived, a solid set that reveals a bolder, stronger rock edge and sense of adventure. (The CD can be obtained through the website www.almosthowe.com.)

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KIX LIVE AT CLUB XL / Harrisburg, PA photos by Exit Hibernation Media / Albert Heefner

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Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

SUNBURN RELIEF RECIPE: 1 Part Fireball 1 Part Coconut Rum Chill & Shoot

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Set up your next BAR PROMO with FIREBALL, Call Frank at 717.319.8209 Email: fpensiero@Sazerac.com 24

Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

July, 2018