Frost on the ground and windshield, deer season has started up, leaves are getting crunchy on the ground…Fall is definitely my favorite time of year minus the shorter days LOL.
Our first trip out of the month, Wendy and I headed up to Sherman’s Creek Inn. As we walked in we were greeted by Mike Musson doing his solo acoustic thing in the corner of the bar (note – he also plays with Love Rocket who are a ton of fun too!) playing songs like Work It, Drive, Cumbersome and a ton more. After a great dinner (not a surprise), Six Whiskey Revival took the stage along with their special guest Greg Platzer. The guys brought their signature 100 Proof “God, Country, Rock & Roll” theme to the Creek with style. Cranking out songs like Whipping Post, Gimme Three Steps, Tush and a ton more; this was just a pure rock and roll party for a packed house. The crowd filled the dance floor, sang along and had a great time.
Next up was a 717 Entertainment show that was originally scheduled for the new Capital City Music Hall, but due to some minor issues (that I believe have since been resolved), was moved to HMAC. The evening was promised to be a loud one, and it delivered that in spades. Kicking off the evening was No Fight No Victory, a local 5 piece metalcore band with pounding instrumentals, deep rhythmic screams and vocals, and a ton of energy. Next up was the guys in Blood & Earth. It’d been a few years since I last caught them, but the Harrisburg based Metalcore/Prog Rock band has only apparently upped the ante with their powerful tunes, ripping up the stage and keeping the crowd thrashing from start to finish. Next up was Missouri based metalcore band Left On Red. Mixing in some pop/rock flavors, this band had a great sound and vibe and were a lot of fun. Coming out shortly after, NYC based metalcore band Resistor that changed things up a bit by adding their own dj to the mix, scratching along with their high energy metalcore bangers that had the crowd hopping and circling in the pit. Rounding out the night, Fight From Within (also from NY) brought their intriguing and unique Metal/Rap-core (is that a thing? If not, I want credit for the name LOL) to the stage with a level of energy that honestly made me jealous. They were constantly on the move and in the air, playing for a crowd that was absolutely all about it this evening.
The following week I go to head out for one of my favorite charity events of the year, the sixth annual Children’s Miracle Network Music Festival to raise money for 105.7 The X’s Pay 4 Play. Since the wife was out of town for the weekend, I decided to take Sir Preston along to assist me since this is a dog friendly event. I have to admit he was the goodest of boys, but he’s not much of a photographer LOL. Playing this awesome event were Matt Jameson, Blood & Earth (hadn’t seen the guys in years and I lucked in to seeing them two weeks in a row!), Ruiness, Radio Gypsies, Nicks In Time, and Social Parasite – Alice In Chains Tribute. All of the acts did a fantastic job and I can’t recommend enough that you go see each & every one of them any chance you get. They all donated their time to this great event that I learned raised around $4000 for the charity! Eric Dengler (and friends) has done just an outstanding job of organizing this fantastic day.
Next up was an evening that I’d been invited to a while ago: The April Skies album release party for “A Cure For The Lost.” Opening up the evening was a new-ish band from Lancaster, Longride. This was only their fifth or so live performance, but I never would have guessed that given the show they put on. They had a great vibe to them, sort of a smooth classic rock with maybe some post grunge flavor mixed in. I really enjoyed their set a lot, and after talking to lead singer Chris Lausch in the days after the show, I think we’re going to see some pretty big and exciting things from them. Coming out on stage second was my pals in The Jellybricks bringing the energy that I’ve come to expect from them playing a killer set including Shine On, Mondays Never, Dreaming in Stereo and more. You just can’t have a bad time seeing these guys. Also, Tommy gives great hugs, highly recommend it! Headlining the evening was the men themselves: The April Skies. It’d been a while since I’ve seen them play, but we got together a few months ago for a promo shoot, had a blast of a time, heard some great stories, and got to hear all about this new album that was mixed and produced by Mitch Hood. They played some of their older songs, then ripped in to a bunch off the new album like Lights, Fighting Battles, and Favorite Thing. It was a great evening with a bunch of great people and music.
Our last evening out for music was to a friend’s annual Halloween party. Shine Delphi was brought in to play music for the guests and was the perfect fit. You’ve probably noticed that I try to give at least some sort of genre description of the acts I see to give my four or five readers an idea of what to expect from an act. Shine is one of those beautiful rare instances where I’m simply at a loss. His style goes from deep south New Orleans blues to classic Disney to pop, rock & country…and it all FITS. He’s just a great, wholesome human with a free spirit; and seeing him play is just a great experience. If you love music, and I don’t care what style is your favorite, just go see him. If you don’t leave with a smile, something’s wrong with ya. Shine’s playing just…makes me happy, and I like that.
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.
