April was a good month for music. I got to see friends that I haven’t seen in a while; I got to see new-to-me acts and a new-to-me genre; and even national act that I’ve listened to for years now and finally got the opportunity to photograph. May is shaping up to be another good month, so definitely stay tuned!
My first trip out was down to Millersville University for the Central Pennsylvania Music Hall Of Fame’s “Youth Music Showcase.” I love the event every year as I get to see what the future holds for our music scene. This year’s event featured 13 outstanding examples of the future of our music scene of ages ranging from 8 to 18 each playing one song. There were a number of cover songs but also a remarkable number of original pieces written by the artists themselves. I left this event feeling very good about our future.
Next up was a quick drive over to the Capital City Music Hall in Harrisburg for a show that I’d been looking forward to since it was announced. Opening up the evening was Tampa based rock duo Kamenar playing a healthy mix of originals with a few covers, with a ton of energy. I have to say, for only being two musicians on stage, they did an awesome job of filling the stage with their presence, and the room with their music. Next up was Canada based Sierra Pilot cranking out their high energy original rock for a crowd that by this point had packed the room. This is their third time touring with Pop Evil and they were very good as they commanded the entire stage. Headlining the evening was Pop evil, originally formed in Michigan and now celebrating 25 years together. I’ve been listening to these guys for more than a few years now, and with songs like Trenches, Legendary, Survivor, Waking Lions, and more…I can without a doubt say their performance did not disappoint. Once I’d gotten my pictures, I just stood at the back of the room and absorbed the emotion and energy they were sharing so well with the crowd.
A few days later, I stopped over at RecordSmith in Mechanicsburg to see my buddy Matt Tarka. RecordSmith is a really cool little record shop with a surprisingly huge inventory of vinyl records, definitely a place worth checking out! Matt played a solo acoustic set full of original tunes with folk & rock flavors to them like Time Travels, Now Or Never, and a song he co-wrote with his five year old son called Gaslighter which was based on a classic Sesame Street storyline. Matt’s an extremely talented songwriter that has a way with words and stringing phrases together that really draw the listener in. I loved hearing the stories and thoughts he shared to introduce each song. I also learned that Ollie’s (Good stuff cheap!) is a great place to find music posters. Apparently this is a closely held secret, so don’t go telling everyone 😊
The following week, I headed up to The Doyle Hotel in Duncannon for the Waynestock Tap Takeover to have a drink or two, some good grub, a ton of laughs with great friends that hit up Waynestock (coming up fast in June by the way!), and enjoy some great tunes from Hank The Buffalo. The guys will also be kicking off Waynestock down in West Virginia this year which was awesome news! The guys had a blast playing songs like Steal My Kisses, Simple Man, Squeeze Box, and even an original or two. It was great to see them and I can’t wait to see how well they do at Waynestock! There are still tickets available for Waynestock; if you’re in to music festivals with awesome adventures, this is definitely one you should look in to!
My last trip out for the month was over to The Abbey Bar in Harrisburg at the invite of the headliner promising a show unlike one I’ve seen before. I’m always up for something new, so I was in! Opening up the evening was my buddy Shine Delphi. Unique is the best single word I’m able to come up with to describe Shine…and it’s meant in the best possible way. Playing tunes with rock, soul, and deep south blues roots; with his trademark laugh punctuating his occasional jokes between a great mix of originals and cover songs (you’ve just got to hear it to understand LOL), including a few of his signature versions of songs from the movie The Jungle Book, Shine just puts on a great & entertaining set. Headlining the evening was Harrisburg based Plunder & Lightning, self described as “Pirate Rock” which is definitely a new-to-me genre. When I originally asked what Pirate Rock was, I was told “you just have to see it to get it.” Challenge accepted! There were definitely celtic and rockabilly roots to their original songs, with the occasional reggae mixed in for flavor. The entire set was a ton of fun with a great sound. I was especially struck by the harmonies produced by their frontline trio of vocalists. If you get the chance to see this awesome group of people, I highly recommend it as I really don’t think anyone would be disappointed!
So there it is, my month of music through my eyes and ears. I want to once again thank all the bands, venues, and everyone else involved in our incredible local music scene for everything they do. Just a reminder: if you’ve got a show coming up that I should see; make sure to send me an invite, shoot me an email or a message, let me know about it. Venues: please don’t hesitate to reach out to me as well. The majority of the shows that I go and shoot I find out about through invites from all of you or your friends. Hit me up on facebook: @chrisriderphotography or email: chrisriderphotography@gmail.com, stop me if you see me out & around and say hi. Until next month…go find some live music and give them and the venue your support, they truly need it more now than they ever did.
