Steel Notes Magazine Fall 2019 by Steel Notes Magazine

Fall 2019 HALL AND OATES ROCK THE ALLENTOWN FAIRGROUNDS MARLOWE B. WEST & FRIENDS SHARE THE “SIDEWALK STORY” NYC

Reba McEntire AT THE WOLF TRAP, VIENNA VA

INTRODUCING THE ADVENTURES OF KICKAZZ AND SPITFIRE

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Steel Notes Magazine is a monthly magazine featuring what is happening in the art, music, entertainment, and fashion industry. Copyright is reserved. Re posting is whole or in part on other sites and publication without permission is prohibited. All right to photos belong to their respective owners.

IN THIS ISSUE FEATURED

STAFF

p. 10 Reba McEntire at the Wolf Trap, Vienna, VA ADMINISTRATIVE

STAFF WRITERS

Alexxis Steele Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

Marlowe B West Jerry Saravia Scott Saxon Josie Janci Luca Cerardi Monique Grimme Scott Aber Nikki Palomino Jennycat Rex Maurice Oppenheimer Todd Sobczak JR Peterson Christopher Annino Domenic Marinelli Dawn Belotti Don Aters Jim Allford Sam Leighty

p. 14 Hall and Oates Rock the Allentown Fairgrounds p. 16 Elvis Aaron Presley Jr. Comes to the Scottish Rite Cathedral, Allentown, PA p.20 Marlowe B. West & Friends Share “The Sidewalk Story”

Josie Janci VP of Business Development

p. 44 Introducing the Adventures of Kickazz & Spitfire!

Kristy Jamison of Sparrow Forge Branding House Graphic Design/Layout

PHOTOGRAPHERS

p. 4 Rex Carroll Brings Rock Chicago Style p. 6 The Golden Voices of Rock N Roll by Don Aters p. 8 Mike Geroni Rocks Racing p. 12 CD Review by Jim Allford - The Kenton Stitch Band p. 13 CD Review by Jim Allford - Renée Heiser Lentz “Behind Closed Doors” p. 18 Luca Cerardi in Italy Interviews David Ellefson p. 36 Brandon Race as George Michael by Rhonda von Buskirk p. 38 The Spencer Davis Group by Samantha Jane Leighty p. 42 The Janet Fitch Book Review - “Chimes of a Lost Cathedral by Sophia di Gonis, the Gypsy Poet p. 52 Chiller Theatre Expo Memories

Bob Klein Sheri Bayne Ron Shirey John Turk John Millington Gary Preis Mike Dorn Brian Limage Larry Dell Rhonda Jean VanBuskirk Dave Hummell John Warner Nick Christophers

VIDEOGRAPHERS Lisa Koza Larry Dell John Turk

Artist Bio REX CARROLL “This is non-stop Hard Rock of the highest calibre filled with awesome guitar leads from Rex Carroll... -Damn this guy knows how to handle his guitar... PERIOD!” - Powermetal.dk

onsidered by many people as one of the most extraordinary rock guitarists in the world, Rex Carroll is an American born and bred musician who hails from the Chicago area. Like all great guitarists, Rex draws from a wide range of influences. From the earliest of American blues, Elmore James and Sister Rosetta Sharpe, through the rock and roll of the 50’s and 60’s, to the British Invasion. Everything from Little Richard to Jimi Hendrix. Coming of age in the 80’s, all the bands and guitar heroes of that era were also an influence. Finally, Rex was discovered by the great talent scout Jim Delehant, who ran the A&R department at Atlantic Records for many years. Jim signed Rex to his first record deal for the label, and it’s been nonstop ever since. Rex is known for several reasons - the bands he has put together (Fierce Heart, Whitecross, King James, Rex Carroll Band and several others), the melodic hard rock songs on the albums, his blistering classically influenced guitar solos, and the live concert tours. Performing in the USA, Europe, and South America have helped to mold his vision as well. Of late he has not only played the guitar on the albums, but has even been producing in the studio! Primarily for his own projects, but also occasionally for other artists. Growing up in the blues-inspired 60’s and 70’s, Rex is a bit of a hybrid on the guitar. He’s able to draw inspiration from the more modern technical/shredding style of the 2000’s, but always comes back to a heavy blues influence. Classically trained on the violin, he went on to earn a degree in classical guitar studies. The melodic sensibility gained in the classical realm perfectly counter-balances the blues licks learned from Albert King and Johnny Winter. This is what enables him to connect to a broad fan base, and lead Guitar Player Magazine to call out the “masterful solos...packed with authority” while Guitar For The Practicing Musician

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QUICK STATS ARTIST SHOW HISTORY Cornerstone Festival / Bushnell, IL / 16,000 att. Scandinavium / Goteberg, Sweden / 14,000 att. Summerfest / Milwaukee, WI / 2,000 att. Tomahawk Fall Colors Ride / Tomahawk, WI / 15,000 att. Stuttgart Rock Club / Germany / 1200 att. (overflow SRO) Creation Festival / Pennsylvania / 20,000 att. Rio de Janiero Festival / Brazil / 55,000

ARTIST AWARDS Two times recipient of the DOVE AWARD for Metal Album of the Year for the band Whitecross Third place finish in the 2004 North American Rock Guitar Competition, an international event sponsored by Guitar Player Magazine

“This is non-stop Hard Rock of the highest calibre filled with awesome guitar leads from Rex Carroll... -Damn this guy knows how to handle his guitar... PERIOD!” - Powermetal.dk “If shredders like George Lynch, Warren DeMartini, Vivian Campbell, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Eddie Van Halen and a host of others gets your head bobbing and feet tapping than again Rex Carroll and company are a band that you need to hear.” - SleazeRoxx.com “Those of you who have followed Whitecross over the years know that the group possesses a world class guitarist in Rex Carroll.” - Andrew Rockwell/AngelicWarlord “I was absolutely blown away by this guys work, there are NO bad tracks on this album. Rocky, Bluesy and without doubt one of the best things Iove had in this year and this is sure gonna be a tough album to better. ‘My Train’ is an AWESOME track.” - Overloaded Radio/Wales UK “Four ‘short pieces’ of instrumentals, master Rex Carroll in for the kill...SUPERB guitar shreds do an assault on your ears. FANTASTIC!” - Metaltoinfinity.com “All Killers and no fillers” - Paul Chesworth/Room13.com “Carroll’s masterful guitar solos are brief, but packed with authority.” - Guitar Player Magazine/June 1985 “The birth of a guitar hero” - Guitar For The Practicing Musician/Jun1985

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“Golden Voices”

OF ROCK N’ ROLL by Don Aters

The wondrous mysteries of women crooners continues in 2019. Bonnaroo has a history of Queens awaiting the diadem that is the mirrored image of these chosen muses of Rock n’ Roll. Over a decade ago, a stunning, somewhat inhibited young woman played on one of the auxiliary stages at Bonnaroo and albeit unknown at the time, she was captivating, charismatic and charming with a voice that continues to resonate across the globe. After her performance we stumbled into each other and she ask what I thought. I told her that with her God Given ability to write songs, mesmerize an audience and please the masses with a masterful idiom of lyrics, she would be the next nobility of her chosen genre and all these years later that is exactly what happened. We can render the plaudits

and kudos for her contribution to music to Ashley Capps (AC Entertainment and Ken Weinstein (Big Hassle Media). It would a daunting task to replicate the magnitude of Grace Potter but welcome to Bonnaroo 2019 and Brandi Carlisle. Again, another protege who played Bonnaroo several years ago and unknown as a Canadian folksinger. She has continually grown as an artist, a force to be reckoned with as of 2019. She has an innate ability to communicate with the fans, her artistic epiphany of long ago has now reached the apex of grandeur, a gradual climb to “Rock n Roll” Royalty and again, plaudits to Ashley Capps and Ken Weinstein. The vapid attempts by others has now been replaces with not only the return of Grace Potter in 2019 but augmented with the splendid performances of Brandi Carlisle. It’s “personal sunrises” for both of these youthful mavens of todays world of music. These are lyrics of today’s world, acerbic yet tunes that will be the monolithic epic radio songs that will transcend for decades. Only a few have the ability, Lauren Murphy, Lynn Asher, Nancy Nevins years ago and of course Grace Slick and Janis Lyn Joplin. These are the paradigms of todays musical tapestry, the laurels of their impacts will be duly noted as time progresses, it just never gets better than these women who “Rock the souls”.

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SHE HAS CONTINUALLY GROWN AS AN ARTIST, A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH AS OF 2019.

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MIKE GERONI Musician & Racer Photos by Brian Limage

ike Geroni from Quakertown NEVER slows down. If he’s not performing in his punk and hard rock band Mike Geroni & the Road Zombies, he’s serving as lead guitarist for the Chelsea Lyn Meyer Band. If it’s neither of those, he’s probably fronting his 10x awards winning band Groovitude. If you see him without a guitar in hand and sporting some serious fireproof safety gear, he’s about to strap into his Geroni Racing 1948 Fiat bodied ‘funny car’ and go for another ‘0-200 mph in about 6 seconds’ joy ride down a quarter mile racetrack. The 29 year old drag racing rock musician and songwriter has been making his presence known in the Lehigh Valley in the last several years with his many (quite literally) fast and loud endeavors. Participating in numerous thrill shows and racing events on the NorthEast/Mid-Atlantic circuit and performing a loaded schedule of show dates in and around the Lehigh Valley scene, this summer may be his most ambitious to date and makes him a ‘mustsee showman’ wherever he goes. Don’t blink because whether he’s on the track or on stage, Mike Geroni sure knows how to put on show! For more info, check out the following: www.facebook.com/geroniracing/ www.facebook.com/MGroadzombiesrocks/ www.facebook.com/GroovitudeRocks/ You Tube and Instagram: nitropunk.M190

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THIS SUMMER MAY BE HIS MOST AMBITIOUS TO DATE AND MAKES HIM A ‘MUST-SEE SHOWMAN’ WHEREVER HE GOES.

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REBA...

You Just Need the First Name. by Bob Klein

AND IN A FLASH SHE IS OFF INTO THE NIGHT... First time I saw Reba McEntire was over 20 years ago at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island NY.

COUNTRY ICON, R E B A...

I recently had the opportunity to see Reba again at Wolf Trap in Vienna Va. Truly is the County version of the Energizer bunny...She keeps going and going... A multifaceted career as Singer/Songwriter, Actress, and Record Producer.

She has been active as an artist for over 40 years. Reba doesn’t look more than 40 years old (she is 63) a testament to her vitality. And for the fans at Wolf Trap they couldn’t get enough.

She kicked off her nearly 2 hour set with “Turn On the Radio” a great up tempo County song that had them dancing in the aisles. She did a medley of hits that included The Fear Of Being Alone / The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter / Walk On / Can’t Even Get the Blues / Little Rock /

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One Promise Too Late / and Aretha Franklins Respect. “Whoevers In New England” and “The Greatest Man I Never Knew” are 2 of her best and she gave them the full treatment. (There is a reason this lady has 42 number one singles, 16 number 1 albums and 28 albums that have been certified gold,Platinum, or Multi Platinum in sales. ) She has sold over 95 Million Records worldwide. And the hits kept coming, “The Night The Lights Went out in Georgia”, “Is there life out there”, “I’m a Survivor”. She also treated the crowd to 2 songs from her Gospel Album “Sing It Now...Songs of Faith and Hope” which were “Back to God” and “Swing Low Sweet Chariot”. She also included 2 of my favorites “Take It Back” and “Why Haven’t I heard from you”. NO Reba show is complete without the inclusion of her trademark song “Fancy”. And in a flash she is off into the night... Country Icon, R E B A...

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by Jim Allford

HE KENTON SITCH BAND is the making of KENTON SITCH. Kenton is from a little boonie town called, Saxton, Pa. You blink your eyes and you’re through the town. Kenton has been playing guitar, in and out of the area, for many years with cover bands and some original bands.

Kenton is a contemporary country guitarist/vocalist and songwriter and making quite a name for himself. The ‘live’ band is: KENTON SITCH: Lead vocals and guitars; AR BANKS: Lead guitars; JAC GASSLER: Bass guitar and RON WINTERSGILL on Drums. Also, his ‘studio’ band is: KENTON SITCH: Lead vocals; BACKING VOCALS: COURTNEY DICKENSON and MARK OLIVERIUS; KENTON SITCH and JON CONLEY: Guitars; JIMMY CARTER: Bass and WES LITTLE on Drums. This 4 song EP were recorded at Sonic Eden Studios, Nashville, Tn in conjunction with OMG Nashville and Kinkade Entertainment. Engineered by John Albani and produced by Mark Oliverius. The first song is titled, EYES OF BLUE, with a great guitar intro and sweet melody that will carry you away in minutes. The band is solid as ever and Kenton’s vocals has a natural twang to it. WHEN IT RAINS starts out with a rockish guitar riff and backs off a bit as Kenton sings in a low voice. This song has another great melody. YOU has a sweet simple rock and roll beat that will have people doing ‘The Line’ Dance’ in a minute. The band is wrapped tight on every note. LOVER AND A FIGHTER is the real gem on this EP. You can find the song on iTunes, just search Kenton Sitch, Lover And A Fighter. The melody is great and all the right hooks are at the right place and the band is sweeter than ever. This IS the song that should be on all the Country charts headed to the TOP 10. Please check out THE KENTON SITCH BAND at: www.kentonsitchband.com and on Facebook . This EP is a must to have on anyone’s musical list. I promise you, you will not regret it. A BIG THANK YOU to Kenton for giving me the opportunity for letting me review this great EP. Please go check him out and see him live if you can. Let him know I sent you. ROCK ON, JIM ALLFORD

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by Jim Allford

enée Heiser Lentz hails from York, Pa and is quite unique in her own right. She is a singer/ songwriter with a B.A. in music from Millersville University. She made appearances at the Millennium Music Conference, LAUNCH Music Conference and with the Lancaster Symphony Chorus, Opera, as a solo vocalist and pianist. Renée’s repertoire, as a lyric soprano, consists of a range of genres of music including art songs, arias, traditional folk songs, pop, blues and her true passion for jazz and blues. Her 15 song debut album, Behind Closed Doors was released in 2017 and only can be bought at her shows. Renée HEISER LENTZ: Vocals and Piano: DAVID PATTERSON II: Guitars. Engineered by DAVID PATTERSON II for PRAVA CREATIVE STUDIOS. The CD starts out with WHY DON’T YOU DO NIGHT with her singing sexy and bluesy as she plays the piano. This is quite a seductive song. DAMN YOUR EYES is a revealing song that commands your attention as she takes control of you. Don’t stand in her way.

CHEERS OF SORROW in quite dramatic as pounds on the piano as she gets your attention. The lyrics really will grab you. DAY DREAM is a nice mellow song that brings her to another level as brings you close to her. A little dose of jazz which is well done. HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN is the classic song that she makes her own. She will have you in a trance as she pours her heart to you. BABY WHAT YOU WANT ME is a the pure blues song that will have you singing along in no time. I must admit, she really shows her wears on this song. CREEP is one of the great rock classics that she sings from the heart as she has all your attention from the very first note. You’ll, definitely, love the CD and all the treasures on it. You can find Renée Heiser Lentz at: Reverbnation, Facebook You Tube, Twitter and Deezer. I want to give a BIG THANK YOU to Renée HEISER LENTZ for giving the opportunity to review this amazing CD. Please go see her live and purchase this CD, it’s well worth. ROCK ON , JIM ALLFORD

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HALL & OATES

ROCK THE ALLENTOWN FAIR by Lizzy K

s the opener finishes and treks offstage, and the setup crew for Hall and Oates begin, and the crowd’s anticipation climbs steadily.

A backdrop of brightly colored RCA records of their hits illuminates the night sky. Hall and Oates and their musical entourage peruse onto stage and the band starts as I march back from the restroom. I walk past more glad, smiling faces than I had seen the whole day at Allentown Fair thus far. Electric Keyboard, bass, guitar, drums, percussion, brass and keys, and Hall and Oates. Oh, Wow! They begin with their killer “She’s a Maneater” continuing for a while playing songs I don’t know (sorry Lexxie)... Let me say, Hall exudes more energy than one could imagine (who’s never seen them live) with just a leather jacket and a smile. I can tell he loves his job! After their 7- something-minute rendition of “Sara Smiles”, They cruise through another hit from an early album. The crowd light up. With a full moon backdrop, it dawns on me- by dating a musician and watching other musicians- that they’re regular people.. well, not-so-regular, they choose irregular against everyone “trying to tell them how to live.” Thank You, Darryl Hall and John Oates for helping me realize everything will work out eventually, and it’s all going to be better than I could ever imagine.

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The King’s Legend

CONTINUES... Elvis Aaron Presley, Jr., son of Elvis Aron Presley, Sr. and Angelique Delores Pettyjohn, born December 24, 1961 in Gary, Indiana and raised by adoptive parents in the circus. Elvis’ manager, Colonel Tom Parker, feared that a marriage to Angelique, as well as his impending fatherhood, would seriously damage the King’s reputation thereby destroying his wealth and fame. Unbeknownst to Elvis, Angelique agreed to deliver the baby in secret, and that the baby would be immediately adopted following birth, thereby saving Elvis the shame and publicity of a Hollywood scandal. Colonel Parker, an orphan adopted by a circus couple, began combing the circus troupes for a suitable couple. A young Yugoslavian couple known as “The Vargas” performers, traveling with the Ringling Brothers Circus very much wanted a child of their own and was unable to conceive. When Pettyjohn gave up her son, her words to the couple were, “Take special care of this boy; he belongs to Elvis.” She wanted the young couple to have a mental description of what the baby would look like when he was grown. The conditions of the adoption were simple: the couple was not to reveal under any circumstances, the child’s

biological parents until the infant reached his 21st birthday; and they were not to seek any monetary compensation from the Presley family on behalf of the child. Elvis, Jr, who began life as Phillip Stanic, grew up surrounded by the glittering circus world. At the tender age of 5, he first entered the spotlight as a circus clown being mentored by the likes of Blinko and Gene Randall. He later trained exotic cats and by the age of 15 was known as the youngest wild animal trainer in the world. He trained his exotics with love - no whips, no chairs and uncaged. At 16 he discovered he could sing and began performing in clubs and showcases at night, while working with his cats during the day. He had occasion to meet the King of Rock and Roll one time, in 1976, a few months before his death. “I was 15, going on 16 and was there to meet him as a young entertainer would meet another entertainer. Right before the show, we were escorted to meet him. When he came up to me, I didn’t know what to say to him.” I just said, “Man, you’re a great entertainer.” He took a ring off his finger, and said “Try one on.” “It didn’t fit me at all and I gave it right back to him because I was afraid I’d drop it.” He said, “Keep it, son, It looks good on you.” Addressing someone as son was a common Southern expression at the time.

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When Phillip turned 21, his parents made the hard decision to tell him that he was adopted, and that his father was Elvis Presley. Phillip struggled but realized he wanted his true identity to be acknowledged. After sufficient documents, sworn testimonies, and additional evidence presented by independent third parties were presented to a judge of the US Federal Court System, he was granted the legal right to bear the name Elvis Aaron Presley, Jr. on January 21, 1983. No objections were filed by any person and Phillip Stanic was now recognized as Elvis Aaron Presley, Jr. Elvis, Jr. is a riveting performer with a rare capability to establish a very special rapport with his audience with a singing voice, naturally reminiscent of “The King”. He has performed worldwide on 6 continents in 18 countries and 6 islands. A gifted linguist, Jr. has surprised many crowds by serenading them in their native tongue. Colonel Tom Parker became a close personal friend. He has been accompanied by many greats, such as Bobby Morris (who was also Elvis Sr.’s musical conductor). He has generated 21 DVD’s of his performances and has recorded career 34 CD’s culled from both live and studio performances. He is also the curator of The

Private Collection of the King on Tour. Launched in 2013, this spectacular one-of-a-kind mobile museum is sure to thrill any Elvis fan. His collection is of one of the largest private collections of Elvis memorabilia in the world outside of Graceland. The collection encompasses motorcycles, costumes, jewelry, movie props, personal items and other exciting memorabilia. Elvis Jr.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talent as a musician and entertainer is a gift to all who enjoy the works of his late father. His looks, style, grace and demeanor

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Luca Cerardi Cerardi Luca Interviews Interviews

David Ellefson Ellefson David For this For this newnew issue issue I had I had the the privilege privilegetototalk talk withwith oneone of the of the BigBig Four’s Four’s Legends: Legends:Dave Dave Ellefson, Ellefson, oneone of the of the icon icon ofof heavy heavymetal. metal.Here Here is hisiswords. his words. You You havehave been a Megadeth member been a Megadeth membersince since day day one,one, what does that mean what does that meantotoyou? you?How How havehave youyou changed during allall these changed during theseyears yearsand and howhow would youyou describe your would describe yourjourney journeywith with them? What’s thethe first word that them? What’s first word thatcomes comesto to mindmind when I say Megadeth? when I say Megadeth? The The firstfirst word is: Omninuous! word is: Omninuous! Starting Megadeth was anan incredible Starting Megadeth was incrediblemoment moment in time, which happened right in time, which happened rightwhen whenI Igot gotinto into LA back in 1983. It felt right, but LA back in 1983. It felt right, butlike likeany any worthwhile endeavor, it also had worthwhile endeavor, it also haditsitsstruggles struggles overover the the years. But, if itif were easy, years. But, it were easy,everybody everybody would be doing it! it! WeWe areare ofof the would be doing thefortunate fortunate onesones for sure, notnot because success for sure, because successcame cameeasy, easy, but because we we persevered inin spite but because persevered spiteofofany any setbacks. As the saying goes: “fall setbacks. As the saying goes: “falldown down seven, get get up eight!” seven, up eight!”

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The music world quickly went from cassettes to social media. What’s your view on this big shift, both from a technological and business perspective? You have to embrace change in life and in our industry social media is all part of the change game. I don’t hold with those who always long for way it like it was in “the good old days”. To me, these ARE the good old days! Every day is a day we make a new memory we will look back on and say “remember when we did this, or that?” I like things moving forward and personally, I’ve always loved technology and how it has been part of music, recording and how we interact with our fans. Megadeth was the first band with a world wide website, called Megadeth For this new That issuewas I had the to deep, talk Arizona. back in privilege 1994. It had with interactive one of thefeatures Big Four’s Legends: for us to email Dave and chat Ellefson, of the iconitof heavyitmetal. with one our fans. I loved because was SOHere is hismuch words. easier than reading and replying to fan

much different from that as far as it being a commodity that is grown on plantations, except that the beans are from other parts of the world around the equator, which I find fascinating. I love those cultures and ironically some of the best cultures for metal music. To me, coffee and metal are one in the same.

Luca Cerardi

Who inspired you the most along your career? Is there any turning point or a person that changed your life?

Interviews

My dad was my main inspiration on business and for music, I first watched, emulated and then learned from all of my heroes like Kiss, AC/DC, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and more. In fact, I still learn from them and also from younger artists who bring new outlooks and carve new paths. I think it’s important to pay attention to the next generation of artists and how they shape the world for tomorrow’s audience, the same way we did when we were coming up the ranks.

David Ellefson

mail from the post office! You have been a Megadeth member since day one, what does that mean to you? How have you changed during all these years and how would you describe your journey with them? What’s the first word that comes to mind when I say Megadeth? The first word is: Omninuous! Starting Megadeth was an incredible moment in time, which happened right when I got into LA back in 1983. It felt right, but like any Let’s go beyond Megadeth. What does Dave worthwhile endeavor, it also had its struggles Ellefson like to do in his spare time? over the years. But, if it were easy, everybody would be health doing and it! We are of thetime fortunate I like exercise. I like at the onesbeach for sure, not because success came easy, and out door physical activity. I also but because we persevered inmy spite of any like business endeavors like coffee setbacks. As the goes: down business. It’s asaying labor of love “fall learning about seven, get up eight!” the coffee, the growing, roasting and all aspects of it. I grew up on a grain and livestock farm in Minnesota, so coffee is not

What kind of music is most appealing to you nowadays? What makes you feel good, inspired? What is your “philosophy” in life as a musician and as a man? I still like the artists I grew up on but I also keep an open mind to new ones, too. For instance, I LOVE the new Judas Priest album “Firepower”, but just last week I walked into a show in my hometown of Phoenix, Arizona and pleasantly discovered a younger new band called Delain. They blew me away! It’s so great to discover new artists and become a fan of them. It’s what inspires me as a musician and keeps me excited about it all. I started as a fan when I was a kid, and I want to always remain a fan of music. To me, continually learning and being inspired is what makes a life of music work.

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What’s your advice to all musicians around the world who want to be successful in today’s music industry? My motto is: “Be famous for what you do and don’t do things just to be famous.” We don’t need more celebrity without substance. We are creative people and in the end, musicians will always be remembered more for their songs, than for their selfies!

Luca Cerardi Interviews

David Ellefson For this new issue I had the privilege to talk with one of the Big Four’s Legends: Dave Ellefson, one of the icon of heavy metal. Here is his words. You have been a Megadeth member since day one, what does that mean to you? How have you changed during all these years and how would you describe your journey with them? What’s the first word that comes to mind when I say Megadeth? The first word is: Omninuous! Starting Megadeth was an incredible moment in time, which happened right when I got into LA back in 1983. It felt right, but like any worthwhile endeavor, it also had its struggles over the years. But, if it were easy, everybody would be doing it! We are of the fortunate ones for sure, not because success came easy, but because we persevered in spite of any setbacks. As the saying goes: “fall down seven, get up eight!”

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Ladies and Gentlemen and Children of All Ages … My name is Marlowe B West and I am your Ring Leader … Once upon a time … not so very long ago … and right here on the Lower East Side of Manhattan … There was a brilliant joint named Sidewalk owned by Pini Milstein. It was the perfect equivalent to the timeless phrase “Eat, Drink & Be Merry” … Because not only was it a very fine and super trendy restaurant with a menu that was so tasty and diverse it would leave you stumped for a decision … but this groovy place was also one of a circle of fun and friendly neighborhood bars, so dangerously convenient for ‘making the rounds’ … The clincher is that the backroom was a shimmering nightclub that continuously presented New York City’s pride and joy (our bountiful treasure of glimmering talented ‘starving’ artists and musicians) … All shapes and forms of non-stop entertainment took the stage … As fate would kindly have it, there were two young ladies who booked the acts … Anne Husick and Somer Bingham … As usual, I was extremely fortunate (and am forever grateful) to have caught the eye and attention of my darling Anne during my three year stint as monthly co-host of The Rew & Who Show.

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Rew Starr (of the Rewd Ones) hosted her own weekly underground cable TV show from the backroom stage of Otto’s Shrunken Head Tiki Bar … The zany trending Rew& Who Show aired live every Wednesday from 4 to 6 under the same gracious and generous premise of offering local artists their “15 minutes of fame” … as per Andy Warhol’s promise to a depraved society … You can still check out and literally die over episodes on You Tube … Whenever I was co-host I would get some musicians together and sing a couple numbers and grew a little following … One fine day Rew and Anne got together and asked “So Marlowe, when are you gonna get your act together and play out?” … What angels !!! … That was the beginning of Marlowe B West Takez Manhattan … Anne booked me at Sidewalk and I joyfully became part of an ongoing, ever growing, fun loving, mucho creative, resourceful and exciting scene … We were a happy loving rock ‘n rolling family … Anne then offered me a monthly residency there … Marlowe B West Takez Manhattan kept getting better and better … starting to make a name for ourselves … It was a dream coming true and then … abruptly … Sinkhole !!! … Sidewalk was gone … That, my friends, is The Sidewalk Story … The End What my friends had to say about The Sidewalk Cafe:

Puma Perl On July 25th, 2014, I had a second book party for my recently published collection, “Retrograde.” It was a joint effort between AH Presents (Anne Husick) and Puma Perl Pandemonium Productions and it was a blast. It was definitely not your average poetic release party, unless maybe the poet was an exceptionally drunken Bukowski. The Downtown Pidgeons, Joey Kelly Allstars, Dirty & Naughty, and Red Gretchen played, in addition to Puma Perl and Friends. Luckily, I’d sold most of the copies of the book at my previous book party as there were fewer available to withstand overturned tables, spilled whiskey, and general debauchery. I’ve had 4 books published so I’ve had a number of signings, etc, in NYC and other parts of the country but none were as fun and as out of control as my Sidewalk book party

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Cyndi Dawson The Sidewalk was The Cynz home base in NYC. We played a gig there nearly every month. It was the place where you walked in and saw your musical ‘family’. You knew almost everyone. And the crowd wasn’t afraid to get up and dance. I’ll miss it. A lot.

Donald Blackcat Sztabnik Here are some thoughts on Sidewalk: Sidewalk was a Special Place. A special place for performers, for music, for the fans and for The East Village. Anne Husick wore many hats... guiding and booking many great show ( AHPresents) .... playing many great sets ( solo, Red Gretchen, Exit 99), and being a fan like many of us. Sidewalk had a comfortable set up - bar, restaurant and the music room... it was a place for Music and Friends... and always about the Music and the Friends... I have played there, watched bands there and made friends there ,... and taken photos there... it all blended into a perfect mix. I am aware that there is a natural ebb and flow to all things and also that all things must pass. But,... the spirit can live on and we can thank Sidewalk and Anne’s guiding hand to have had presented an eclectic mix of great music and greater personalities! Hopefully the Sidewalk wheel will continue to roll and rock in some fashion. It is certain that the music played there will continue to be played and Anne will continue to book acts here, there and everywhere...

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Rew Starr Sidewalk was a haven for a group of misfit toys to belong to a place and feel so connected. Anne Husick created a vibe and a space for us to all be ourselves and sing our hearts out. She had the ability to pack a room no matter what night it was.. Spending New Years Eve there was the best way to bring in the year.. Marlowe always took the best pictures of me at Sidewalk!!!!

Phyllis R. Charney I first stepped off an Avenue A sidewalk and into SIDEWALK 8 years ago, Saturday, May 28, 2011. A few days earlier, my life totally changed. Like the mythical phoenix, I rose from the ashes of my own destruction into an amazing new life! First thing I did after my rebirth was head down to the Lower East Side, where David Peel & The Lower East Side were playing Tompkins Square Park; I hadn’t seen David since the ‘70s, it was like a hometown reunion! Then I made my way to Sidewalk, don’t recall how or why I got there but I loved it, had an Anti-Folk Burger (with blue cheese, bacon, and drunken onion sauce) and stayed for the music. Soon after that first visit, Sidewalk became a home away from home, I met so many new friends whose friendship I still cherish today, as Sidewalk had such a warm ‘n’ homey vibe… like hanging out in someone’s living room, listening to talented new friends perform while I sang & danced along, eventually performing there myself. Doing original parodies with a little stand-up comedy and inspirational speaking “Spoken word” : reading and acting out an original story MUSIC, the Sidewalk crowd, and inspiring talented new friends made every visit a welcoming, restorative and emotionally nourishing experience.

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And then there was the FOOD. I began recreating fave Sidewalk dishes at home. Here are some: My version of Sidewalk’s Fried Cauliflower with Mint and Tahini sauce. More sautéed than fried, I used grapeseed oil mixed with a little hot toasted sesame oil for an extra kick, a dash of crunchy kosher salt & a dusting of ground cumin. At Sidewalk the tahini sauce was on the side in a tiny container as a dipping sauce. But I love my homemade garlicky lemony tahini sauce so I just drizzle it on copiously! Seven Spices Tuna - Seared tuna served with cucumber slices and harissa. When you make it at home, use sushiquality raw tuna or if you can’t find that, a tuna steak from any market. Coat with a mixture of “Chinese 5 Spices” (in most markets it’s 5 spices, not 7, no biggie) & black and white sesame seeds. Pre-heat a cast iron skillet to very hot, add a scant amount of oil of your choice (I use hot toasted sesame oil or olive oil) and sear it QUICKLY, both sides, do NOT overcook: it’s still basically sashimi. Wrap in tin foil and refrigerate to prevent further cooking. When ready to serve, slice, add cuke slices, harissa* and a shpritz of fresh lemon juice. *You can find ready-made jarred harissa at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, etc. but might prefer homemade as I do, just Google the recipe. Grilled Halloumi (hard goat & sheep cheese) served with oven roasted tomatoes & za’atar. Didn’t take a photo of my version but this is similar to that served by Sidewalk. I also rain down minced flat-leaf parsley. No photos available, but I also made these popular Sidewalk dishes: Shaved Fennel Arugula Salad with Oranges - Fennel, baby arugula, shaved parmesan, and orange supreme tossed with citrus vinaigrette. Shakshuka - Poached eggs served in a spiced Tunisian tomato sauce topped with fresh cilantro and served with challah bread, with goat cheese or grilled vegetables Fattoush salad – Chopped fresh romaine lettuces with garden vegetables, toasted za’atar pita croutons, and feta cheese, tossed in extra virgin olive oil & lemon

Anne Husick I hung out at Sidewalk on and off from 1994 til the fat lady sang in Feb, 2019. I ran sound for a couple of years in the late 90s as well as assisting Lach with booking and all things antifolk. I had a band and played bass in several other bands. Like now. It was a great scene. But after a falling out with the powers that be, I turned my focus toward being a ‘professional’ musician. I joined Ronnie Spector’s band 2 weeks later and played with her for most of 11 years. I also did a few shows with Wilson Pickett, appeared in the off Bway and Chicago productions of Hedwig & the Angry Inch, and toured Europe and the US with several NYC bands. Early 2010’s.... off the road and teaching guitar lessons at night, I started booking once a month at Sidewalk as a way to see my friends’ bands that I couldn’t get out to see otherwise. After playing with Red Gretchen @ Otto’s Shrunken Head one ‘Wind Down Sunday’ in the spring of 2012 and making the acquaintance of many old school punks and poets from back in the CBs/ Max’s days, I brought a different flavor to Sidewalk as my shows - now once a week - became more like old school rock and roll get downs. From birthday bashes to benefits, spoken word whispers to screaming guitar solos, new faces to old friends.... it was a whole ‘nother great scene. It brought people together and no amount of renovation will ever remove that spirit from our memories of the corner of 6th and A. AHPresents, baby!! xxoAH

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5 of Anne Husick’s Favorite Sidewalk Photos

Antifolking in the 90’s at Sidewalk Cafe with my band ‘Shameless’. Robert Knot Watkins played guitar - he was with me almost from the beginning and all the way til the end. Otherwise, the band had a rotating cast of players. Also pictured here is Ron Spitzer, my former Band of Susans band mate, on drums.

I met my honey on New Year’s Day, 1999. I had booked his band SMELT and was running sound that night. Took a couple of gigs before I asked him out, and here we are, 20 years later, still dancing to the beat of the same drummer. True love.

Photo by Donald ‘BlackCat’ Sztabnik Red Gretchen circa 2016 - Ronnie Wheeler on guitar/vox, Nancy Pollak on guitar/backing vox, me on bass, and Shauna Westgate on drums. I was in the band from 2011 til 2017 and it changed my life in so many ways.... We still play the occasional reunion show. It’s always great to play Ronnie’s unique songs with my good friends.

Photo by Alan Rand Back in the day, Frank Wood dubbed me ‘Queen of the Selfie’. Here I am with two of my very favorite people, Donald ‘BlackCat’ Sztabnik and Cyndi Dawson (Cynz). Some of the friendships I made at Sidewalk will last a lifetime. — with Donald Sztabnik and Cyndi Dawson.

My first meal at Sidewalk was in the spring of 1991. Lach booked me for my first show 3 years later. My last show was on Valentine’s Day 2019, night #2 of the annual Winter Antifolk Fest. I carved AHPresents into the bar 5 nights later and said goodbye forever. Sigh. I have so many memories of this place, and most of them are about the friends that I made. The music was GREAT! Booking was a love/hate thing but love won every time. Music goes on. I’m gigging and recording with my band EXIT 99, playing bass in few other bands, and AHPresents will be booking a couple of shows a month at Otto’s. Stop by and say hi!!

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Photos by Marlowe B West, Alan Rand & Johan Vipper

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This is my best memory at Sidewalk! I am still flying high from this party! Kim Reaper in a pink sweater created by artist Samoa. | Photo courtesy of K. Reaper

BY PUMA PERL | This is what can happen when two native New Yorkers run into each other on social media. Call it the “upside” of Facebook. Kim Reaper (who has a history in the fashion industry) and musician Anne Husick knew each other slightly from the Downtown scene. In early 2018, Reaper’s yearly mammogram revealed suspicious calcifications. A follow-up biopsy tested positive for cancer, which had spread to the lymph nodes. She decided to go public, and, to help educate others, she sent a mass email asking every woman on her Facebook friends list to get a mammogram and to urge others to do the same. Husick was a recipient of the message, and wrote back, wishing her luck. “When I’m done with treatment,” Reaper responded, “I want you to throw a rock ‘n’ roll party.”

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Husick decided to turn the party into a benefit, which will be held October 26 at the Sidewalk Cafe. The lineup includes several women with personal and/or familial histories of breast cancer. Serendipitously, the date falls on the exact day of Reaper’s final radiation session, and less than two weeks before her birthday. Reaper is looking forward to the event. “Last March, when I began chemotherapy, I threw myself into an art project, which I called ‘Art in Recovery,’ and began collecting work from local artists. Besides art, music plays a very big part in my life. When I’m well enough, I follow a fabulous group of musicians around the Lower East Side.” Reaper added that by going public, “I wanted to share my strength with others. Today, cancer no longer has to be a death sentence!” Husick feels a personal connection to the issue. “My mother had a radical mastectomy in 1969,” she said, “and is still alive today. Early intervention and education are key and National Breast Cancer Month supports that.” Her musical roots began in childhood. “I wrote my first song at age six, to the rhythm of my father’s windshield wipers.” She picked up the guitar at nine, and 25 years later added the bass to her repertoire. Her first New York City gig was with an early band, Ground Control, at CBGB, in 1980. “They thought we were too ‘hippie-ish,’ ” Husick recalled, “but the crowd loved us.” In 1999, she auditioned for Ronnie Spector’s band as a guitarist and back-up singer, and ended up also playing harmonica and percussion. Through that association came other opportunities. She played bass in “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” Off-Broadway and in Chicago, and, for four months, sang backup with Wilson Pickett. Currently, she is the guitarist and front woman in her band Exit 99, and bassist in four others, led, respectively, by Frank Wood, Ronnie Wheeler, Phil Gammage, and Cid Scantlebury.Since 2012, Husick has been booking a weekly series, AHPresents, at the Sidewalk. “I was so busy giving guitar lessons at night that returning to Sidewalk, where I’d done sound years earlier, was the only way to see my friends play.”

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Anne Husick fronting Exit 99. L to R: Roger Stoltz, Husick, Mike Reed, Emma Z, Gass Wild. | Photo by Alan Rand

Together, Reaper and Husick decided on a program for Oct. 26 that includes both solo acts and bands. Cyndi Dawson, who lost her mother to breast cancer, will perform with her band, The Cynz, which she has fronted for the last eight years. “I’m doing this benefit to honor my mother, her mother, two of her sisters, and several cousins, all of whom have battled breast cancer,” Dawson said. “Today I know several women who have lived up to 20 years following diagnosis. Treatments have improved, which is why early detection is paramount. I was part of a 10-year study at The Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. I learned about amazing gains being made. Women’s issues are always funded well behind those of men. It’s up to us to push research and raise money to keep moving forward.” One long-term survivor who will participate is Alice Espinosa-Cincotta, who was profiled in 2016 by this writer, in this publication’s annual Pink Paper edition (“After Cancer Diagnosis, Drawing Strength From the Art of Expression”). “Two years ago, you gave me the choice of revealing my identity or staying anonymous,” recalled Espinosa-Cincotta, who described herself as “secretive” up to that point. “Something changed in my thinking. It was time to come out of hiding. I felt free and found a new strength in sharing my experience.” At that time, she’d been exploring photography and videography. While continuing to develop those interests, she discovered a love of writing after being referred to a workshop for cancer patients and survivors. “Expressing my ideas through writing has allowed me to get in touch with a hidden side of myself,” she said. “We critique and support each other. I found my voice and it has helped clarify my thoughts.” After sharing her work at an open mic reading, Espinosa-Cincotta was encouraged by the poets and writers present to continue; she will

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read an original prose piece at the benefit. “Performance may be another hidden strength,” she said, adding that she looks forward to sharing her work with other spoken word artists and musicians.

Alice Espinosa-Cincotta on the beach. | Photo by Michael Cincotta

Another artist who has been active on the New York scene is Lindsey Anderson. She is a singer, performer, writer, and promoter, and was co-owner of Coney Island High. As Kitty Kowalski, she fronted her own band, The Kowalkskis. Like Reaper, she was diagnosed with breast cancer in early 2018 and made the decision to go public for similar reasons — encouraging others to get tested and to carry the message that it’s not a death sentence. Although this will be the first time she is performing since before her surgery, she said she had “no hesitation” when asked to do this benefit. “I also want to show that you can be in treatment and be strong, have energy, and, through diet and exercise, alleviate the symptoms of chemotherapy,” she said. All of the performers are donating their time and talent. There’s no cover or admission — and the tip jar proceeds, which usually go to the artists, will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, which Husick chose because of their emphasis on research. The show is open to all ages and the roster of talent also includes Christian Dryden, Marlowe B. West, The Hipp Pipps, Exit 99, Sea Monster, and Don BlackCat & Friends.

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Cyndi Dawson sings lead for The Cynz. | Photo by Jim Belmont

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Lindsey Anderson, self-portrait. | Photo by L. Anderson

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BRANDON RACE by Rhonda VanBuskirk

Brandon Race born (Rhonda VanBuskirk) entered the world on May 25, 1965, in Michigan. He is often referred to as an “old school” drag king. In 1984 on a dare, Rhonda dressed up in drag and Brandon Race was created. Between 1984 – 1990 he fulfilled his childhood dream of being an entertainer. Making appearance throughout Michigan. He is known for this makeup techniques and was heavily influenced by 80’s music. Always up for a challenge, he is not afraid to step out of his comfort zone to perform other genres. Brandon has shared the stage with some of the greatest drag kings and queens of the time. Hosting Pride events and judging pageants are some of his favorite memories. In 1991 Brandon moved to Florida and retired from the stage to concentrate on his management career in the automotive parts industry. During the 29 years that he was “retired” his love of the stage continued, and he performed for a couple of special charity events. In 2019 at the age of 53, Brandon with the support of his friends decided to resurrect his career. Making his first appearance at The Sawmill Campground which time he performed his most memorial duet with CeCe Devine. While performing at Hamburger Mary’s Brandon was thrilled that after all those years he still had a devoted following.

When not on stage Rhonda enjoys spending time with family and friends, photography, traveling (especially to their lake front property in Michigan) spray paint art and playing drums. She has been with her partner Binda since 2003 and the two married in 2012. To learn more about Brandon please check out his Facebook and YouTube pages, both can be found by searching for Brandon Race. For booking information please contact Brandon’s manager at binda.cloud@verizon.net

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LEHIGH VALLEY MUSIC AWARDS #20

Photos by Sheri Bayne

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SPENCER DAVIS GROUP

(No maa’m it’s just music that’s all)

by Samantha Jane Leyte Spencer Davis was born and raised in Wales where he listened to Appalachian string band music,straight blues,soul music and rock and roll. He became a good guitarist and he played harmonica,mandolin,banjo and autoharp. Davis was also a good singer which is sometimes overlooked. Spencer Davis has an IQ of 200 and he speaks 6 languages. Spencer went to the university in the UK. He became a school teacher. He worked in various UK school districts and everytime the administration and staff found ihm to be “too unconventional” and asked him to find a job someplace else! Spencer ended up in Birmingham,England kind of halfway between The English midlands and The Welsh foothills.

Spencer Davis came to Birmingham under what circumstances I don’t know how but he met Muff Winwood and Pete York in Birmingham after he was there for a few weeks. The three of them played 10 songs in half an hour and they thought they were really going to town! Afterwards, Muff, Pete and Spencer decided to go to a pub for a few drinks. They all three agreed their first rehearsal was a huge success. Someone said “there’s something missing so” Muff Winwood said next time I’m bringing my brother Steve Winwood along. Steve Winwood was about 14 years old when Muff brought him into The Spencer Davis Group. Spencer recalls that Steve didn’t like that he press emphasized his age so much. Truthfully He hated it!

I got a pretty good look at Birmingham coming Steve left the Spencer Davis Group at north on the train from London in about 1998. approximately his 18th birthday, about May or Birmingham looks so much June of 1967. He left because he didn’t like Trenton or Pittsburgh THERE WAS want Spencer, Pete York and his brother They could all three sue GOOD NATURED Muff ’s opportunity to continue making each other for identity COMPETITION music to get shot to hell by a load of 60s theft. Birmingham has steel OVER THIS fanzine bullshit about the young Steve mills,anthracite processing Winwood. Getting back to The group’s BETWEEN THE plants. Huge pylons 1963 beginnings. Spencer, Pete and DAVIS GROUP carrying electricity and huge Muff went to that upcoming rehearsal/ AND THE HENDRIX smokestacks. Birmingham-the Jam Session with this mysterious EXPERIENCE. EU’s virtual hardware store! Winwood brother who Muff Winwood Birmingham’s got a small but told them all about. They didn’t know what to thriving skyline of high rise buildings. Skylines expect! They set up their ramshackle bits of have been slower to develop in some of these equipment. Steve Winwood sang something like out of the country locales because architects Ray Charles and he scatted and moaned over and engineers didn’t want to obscure things the breaks,choruses and fade outs. They played like old cathedrals,old towers,castles and old for several hours, just the four of them, and got government buildings. together as often as possible to hone their chops.

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After awhile Steve and Muff ’s Mom and Dad owned some sort of Bar or Union Hall. They decided The fledgling Spencer Davis Group could practice there on off hours, and they would also let the boys gig there often too. The group was really in its element on those gigs and they were getting a big local following. There was a piano and an organ in there, which the group members tinkered around with. It was 1963 and a lineup had been arrived at through simple experimentation. It was Spencer Davis(Lead Vocals,Harmonica,Rhythm Guitar)Steve Winwood(Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar, Hammond Organ), Muff Winwood (Bass Guitar and Backing Vocal)Pete York(Drums and Percussion). The Spencer Davis Group is most well known for a couple of singles they did in the early weeks of 1967 called “Gimme Some Lovin” and another 45 rpm came quickly called “I’m A Man”. Steve Winwood sang lead on these and he played a Hammond Organ with a Leslie Speaker. Steve sang lead on the groups more well known songs and he was a burning,searing Lead Guitarist. Spencer Davis group’s first single came in 1964 and people wanted to promote them based on their big Birmingham bar following. It was a version of John Lee Hooker’s “Dimples”. Spencer played harp while Stevie sang lead. The record was successful on The UK and Western Europe’s Offshore Pirate Radio. The amount of The Spencer Davis Group’s output on both singles and albums was more prolific than you’d think. One of those early 1967 single’s called “I’m A Man” uses a chord progression something like the one used on the then new Jimi Hendrix Experience song “Purple Haze. There was good natured competition over this between The Davis group and The Hendrix Experience. Wisecracks, etc. The truth is both groups were good friends with each other. “Gimme Some Lovin’”came right before “I’m A Man”. Steve Winwood sang lead on both and he kicks ass on The Hammond B-3. For several years Spencer Davis had been touring The British Isles, Europe and a whole lot of other places. These two singles cracked The market in The USA and charted very nicely. The group’s American label issued an album of very fine but remixed tunes they’d recorded in the UK in the previous year. Let’s be serious, this is a good album, but the songs have undergone some remixing, like I said.

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Spencer’s Vocal is edited off a track called “On The Green Light”. Whatever silly reasons that record company may have had,Spencer’s management was planning on taking the group to The USA in The fall of 1967 and arrangements were being made for Spencer Davis to play The Fillmore plus TV appearances on some American shows. How did The Spencer Davis Group get their name? “Dimples” had started to sell in 1964. It was probably Radio Caroline or Radio London who called The group up. Muff Winwood answered the DJ on the line and said “This is a very good record”, but there’s no listing of the performers, so please what is the name of your group? The guys were all there and they stood there dumbfounded and before too much time could elapse, he told the guy the group was called “Spencer Davis Group”. So they were now British Invasion “hitmakers.” The group went on to have approximately a dozen or more hit singles in The UK and Europe and finally in The USA. They also recorded several vinyl albums which could really burn rubber. The truth is ,from Pete’s excellent drumming, to Muff on Bass,to Steve Winwood. Spencer did sometimes play a leadership role. The Spencer Davis Group was a democracy not a dictatorship. Spencer’s academic slant came into play at times. Davis MC’d the group’s concerts and he SO THEY WERE NOW was a diplomatic personality when needed. BRITISH INVASION “HITMAKERS.” THE I used to own over 500 vinyl records which I gradually sold or GROUP WENT ON TO gave away, so I could lighten the load on several moves I made HAVE APPROXIMATELY in the 80s and the 90s. I buy CDs nowadays and i started buying A DOZEN OR MORE HIT them in 1994. In 1986 I started to collect Rock and Roll Video,not SINGLES IN THE UK AND of the MTV/VH1 variety. I watch You Tube often but I don’t sell EUROPE AND FINALLY videos . I collect for my own amusement. I own 200 DVDs and IN THE USA. VHS,but people,there are many much larger collections out there. Steve Winwood left The Spencer Davis Group in the late spring of 1967. Pete York And Muff Winwwod stayed on for awhile. Steve’s replacement was Eddie Harden,a great lead guitarist. Harden also played The Hammond B-3 with a Leslie Speaker on a few of the groups blockbuster hits. Eddie was talented, and sang lead sometimes. Dee Murrsy and Nigel Olson got their start with Spencer Davis. Phil Sawyer joined Spencer on The Hammond with a Leslie Speaker. Spencer Davis continues with many fine musicians coming and going. I’ll leave you with some reviews of some Spencer Davis Group Videos, from 1966-1967. The first is a four song set from a July 1966 installment of Beat! Beat! Beat! on German TV. German speaking American DJ Mal Sondock is MC and he very briefly interviews Spencer Davis. Sondock is impressed by Spencer’s education. It’s interesting to point out that Spencer Davis welcomes the audience in a lot of clap alongs like Mark Farner. This particular TV Concert is stripped way down. No special effects,not even Leslie Keyboard or Electric Piano. It’s a straight ahead R&B set. Steve Winwood sings lead on “Baby Do Something” “Keep On Running” “Somebody Help Me”. Spencer sings lead and plays Harp on a slow blues called “Baby Don’t Do It”.The interplay on Bass and Drums by Muff Winwood and Pete York is fascinating! The individual SDG songs from this show are scattered all over You Tube. You Tube has streamlined and improved their selection yet they have also made it unmanageable and incomprehensible. Fortunately there is a video disc of this Spencer Davis set(no not the whole show!)It’s by some European outfit. It’s a grand show! Another

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SDG item which has a tendency to show up as a discount item in a VHS Cassette is a 15 minute studio concert in about January or February of 1967 in Finland with two Finnish student types for MCs. The whole group rocks hard but with kind of a graceful jazzy interplay. Spencer sings lead on Elmore James’”Dust My Blues” and Stevie does most of the lead Instrumentation on the Hammond Organ with a Leslie Speaker and a White Stratocaster. You get to hear him stretch out on those for a long time! Songs include “Till The End Of Time” “Mean Woman Blues” “Dust My Blues” “I Got A Woman” “Gimme Some Lovin’” “I’m A Man” “When You Comin’ Home”. Spencer appears to speak a little bit of Finnish as he calls out the songs. The last item in our trilogy is two songs from a curious European source which I honestly cannot tell if this is a German,Belgian or Dutch TV show. It’s called “Beat Aus London” and I don’t think “Beat Aus London” lasted longer than two or three Installments. It was probably April or May of 1967. Steve, Spencer, Muff, Pete are equipped with Marshall Cabinets, Organ with a Leslie and miked drums with a particularly loud bass drum. All of this serves to tell us that coming up in the last 2 or 3 months of 1967 “Heavy Rock” will be well along and that along with groups like The Yardbirds,The Kinks,The Who and The Creation.Spencer Davis Group was a prototype of The “Heavy Sound”. The Kenny Woodman Dancers,Sandie Shaw,The Shadows shared The Bill with SDG on this TV show which didn’t make it. But the Spencer Davis Group did play at least two dynamite songs and maybe more. I’ve never seen a complete print of this “Beat Aus London” show. The first song was a loud and raucous exactly like the record “I’m A Man”. This is great mid-sixties Rock and Roll and it’s a live show! Muff and Spencer do Motown oohs and ahs while Steve sings lead flamboyantly. Remember ,this was a hit record a few weeks earlier in the USA. The guys show Spencer’s love for American Country Music by covering “I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water”. Spencer sings lead and Stevie and Spencer’s entwining country guitars sound really wicked. “I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water” was a country crossover hit into The Rock and Roll charts in 1965. “Beat Aus London” has a live audience of something like 200 15 year old girls. They are all wearing a strange before their time renegade of punk haircuts with miniskirts. I’m not sure of where in Europe this show was videocammed but in this region, young girls dance with other girls as partners! “Beat Aus London” didn’t last as a Euro TV series but it definitely did have that “transistor radio under the pillow excitement that many of us remember from 1962 to 1968. So these are The Spencer Davis items I’m recommending and sadly, YouTube gets gems like these SDG things filed where you almost can’t find them.

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The Janet Fitch Review: Chimes of a Lost Cathedral by S.E. DiGonis, The Gypsy Poet

riters often read. It’s what makes them good at what they do. For the last twenty-five years, I spent a lot of hours behind a computer writing poetry, anecdotes and whatever else would come to mind. I also read a lot in those two and a half decades and each book, as well as each author had something to teach me. One author that stood out to me was Janet Fitch and rightfully so. I started with her first book, White Oleander, which is about a mother and daughter who struggle throughout a decade in two different situations for the same reason: The mother, Ingrid, was convicted for murdering a man while her daughter, Astrid, was put in various foster homes. But what is interesting is, they both mirror their experiences. Ingrid is convicted for murdering her boyfriend, while Astrid is almost killed by her first foster mother for having a relationship with her foster mother’s boyfriend. Each foster home Asttrid enters is an eerily similar situation her mother mirrors in the story. I will just say in the end, they are both set free from their convictions. The book is as beautiful as it is poisonous, just like the flower the book is named after. This book being a bestseller, it is very clear as to why Janet Fitch is a profound and gifted writer and should be considered a contemporary great. Her storytelling involves strong, poetic women who are independent yet marginalized by society, much like the Bronte or Jame Austen characters we consider classics today. But they are so flawed, you cannot help but take them in and make them your own because they are so relatable and have strong,

sharp and sophisticated qualities. Chimes of a Lost Cathedral is a masterpiece, to say the least. It is a sequel to the Revolution of Marina M., which both books take place during the Russian Revolution. The Russian Revolution changed not only Russia, but its people due to the transition they brought along with them. They embraced Marxism which of course, led to the communist ideology. Chimes of A Lost Cathedral, which is Janet Fitch’s latest release, engages the reader in this massive transition in Russia. It is a continuing saga of Marina Markova, who at the height of the Russian Revolution, finds herself. She is of course a poet and a headstrong one and as the revolution she sees outside of herself continues, she also evolves along with it. Her story begins with The Revolution of Marina M., which takes place in the Petrograd, known to us today, as St. Petersburg, Russia. She has experiences of volunteering at a hospital in helping soldiers write home to their families, which is one big experience that enriches her poetry. Every experience is a poem throughout both novels. Fitch’s skills are immaculate in her writing because she combines the history of the revolution and creates a character that is rich in Dostoyevskian detail for all of us to dive into her personality and feel her words. In both novels, you see growth in both writer and characters, which is amazing to find. Ms. Fitch is not only a storyteller, but a teacher at heart because she makes you feel like you are the only one that is in the audience being taken through the story.

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What I do enjoy about Fitch’s writing in this novel is the evolution of Marina Markova. In the characters that I have seen in Fitch’s writing, you feel the growth with the characters which seriously stands the test of time. I asked myself a number of times, what defines a “classic” novel and the answer to that is, how you grow with the characters in the story. In all of Fitch’s novels, you will find that you grow with the characters not only because of what the characters endure, but with the story that surrounds them. In this case, it is the Russian Revolution and what is astounding about this story is how much is revealed about the things we did not know about this time period. The impact that it had on the rest of the world politically was something that was never experienced before. The execution of the Romanov dynasty was just the beginning of a brutal, cold and cruel period for the Russian people when this time in history began. What this book left me with was one of the most important periods in modern European history and because of this movement, I find my own history entangled as to why I am actually here. I seriously have to thank Janet Fitch for exposing through Marina Markova, a very important piece of my own historical puzzle. Without knowing it, she brought to my attention a deeply planted root that made me understand that sometimes, what looks like just another event in history is actually a source of how and why I exist today. Chimes of a Lost Cathedral is a haunting reminder that the sounds of the past are brought to our attention to show us something about ourselves we never knew until the calling of the bells bring us closer to the temple of truth.

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CHILLER THEATRE EXPO by Alexxis Steele Photos by John Millington

wice a year in April and October, we have the pleasure of covering The Chiller Theater Expo, at the Sheraton In Parsippany NJ. For many of us baby boomers, we have an awesome time connecting with some actors and actresses from our favorite tv shows that can only be seen on stations like Me Tv, Get Tv, and Tv Land. In addition to the stars, wrestlers, and musicians we get to speak with there are also the comic book, tv, and movie costume designers, and artists.

This past April we had the opportunity to talk with and do interviews with several of them. For the most part, the majority of them are cordial and take pleasure in telling their stories, and there were several people there that I had not met in previous years. I had fun with two of the Village People, The Cowboy and the Indian Felipe Rose. Felipe told me he has some new music of his own out and gave me a copy of his music to play on Steel Waves Radio.

October is the special time of the It was very interesting to meet “The year when all of the horror movie Amazing Kreskin” The Magician. He artists and the like show up. told us he loves Allentown, Pa, where FOR THE MOST We will be going on Saturday we are from, and has some family up PART, THE October 26th and looking forward our way.. He even treated us to a magic MAJORITY OF to seeing Elvira, and the daughters trick! We were happy to run into Tony THEM ARE of Boris Karloff, and Vincent Price. Danza, who has been in our magazine CORDIAL AND You will be in for a treat when you before, and friends with one of our NYC see my buddy Dennis Dunaway, writers- Victor Collicchio. TAKE PLEASURE bassist for the original Alice Cooper IN TELLING THEIR group, and the premier of his Other favorites were actor John O STORIES macabre movie - “Cold Cold Coffin”. “Hurley who played Elaine’s boss on Also coming up this weekend we Seinfeld, Singer Constantine Maroulis, have scheduled interviews with from American Idol, Aussie singer and Runaways vocalist Cherie Currie and Fanny 80’s sex kitten, Samantha Fox, and I can’t forget my Drummer- Brie Darling with their new musical Facebook friend, Geri Reischl, actress, “The Fake project. I am looking forward to seeing actress Jan”, from The Brady Bunch special, who I will be Sondra Currie, who is the sister of Cherie Currie seeing again this Saturday. and my Girl Mariezee-, Cherie’s twin sister Marie Currie. Sondra’s husband, Alan Levy is a producer/ Stay tuned to next issue for more of this weekend’s director who will also be there as well. Chiller Theatre Expo!