Here we are already peeking at September with it’s cooler weather, more campfires and hoodies, and at least a few more weeks of outdoor music before we get sent scurrying inside to hide from whatever this upcoming winter has in store for us. I apologize for being absent from last month’s issue but I had a ton going on for the month including Wendy and I getting married while surrounded by friends and family here at our home. Following that, as well as a week or two out of town, I was definitely ready to get back to capturing our live music scene.
Wendy and I kicked the month off with a trip up to Spyglass Ridge Winery in Sunbury to catch one of their Summer Concert Series shows. Opening up the evening was a fella named Wade Bowen: a relatively new and up & coming country artist out of Texas. Wade and his crew had a warm and friendly stage presence, often interacting with and joking with the crowd to introduce themselves to folks that may not have heard him up to that point. They had a great overall vibe to them and played a bunch of cool country songs that Wendy & I really enjoyed. Headlining the evening was a guy that I saw with Wendy a few years ago, Chase Rice. Now hailing from Montana, living in his truck with his dog to focus on his life writing country music. Chase put on a great country show that had the crowd dancing and singing along to all of his songs like Two Tone Trippin and Circa 1943 (which was just released that very day), as well as a great version of Simple Man. About half way through his show, he even brought his dog Jack out on stage so that he could sing Jack’s favorite song for him. His newer songs that he’s released since the last time we saw him definitely seem to bring back more of an “old school” country feel to them, and the crowd was definitely in to it!
A few days later, I finally got the chance to get back to Live Underground in New Cumberland for a Nate Myers & The Aces weekly show. Every Tuesday the guys get together and start playing around 7pm. Generally they do a set of their own, then they start inviting various musicians up to play with them in a sort of “open mic” style. Nate kicked off the night was an awesome cover of 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover, followed by a healthy mix of originals and covers. After playing for a while, they started inviting up a bunch of other folks to jam with them. It was a great evening of music.
My next trip out was up to The Facktory in Liverpool to join our friends The Suicide Puppets to do some behind the scenes photography while they shot their newest music video. The Puppets have a lot of exciting things coming up in the very near future, with this video being only one of them, so definitely keep an eye on their socials to see all the exciting moves these guys are making!
Next up, Wendy & I trekked right down the road to Big Bottom Brewery for some live music. Now, we’ve lived about 2 miles away for a few months but this was the first time we’d managed to make it down there to catch it. I might mention that they had a Mango IPA (the name escapes me now, sorry) that was absolutely delicious! They had set up a nice little stage out back in the parking area, as well as a few tables for guests, which made for a really nice evening. This particular evening, music was put on by Finnegan, Dan & Austin (father and son) started this project and are quickly working to create a full band experience. The guys cranked out a ton of covers including Take It Easy, Sharp Dressed Man, Scar Tissue and others. They had a number of people singing along and dancing and just having a great time. I did get to talk to both of them afterwards and was really struck by their love and passion for just playing good music for folks. I’m looking forward to seeing and hearing more from these guys!
My last trip out for the month was again to a new (to me) venue over in Carlisle, Crossroads Wine Shop. The place has a real nice patio and seating area with gas firepits which was a great setting for Dave Gates to play in this evening. Dave played a great mix of tunes like Ophelia, One Headlight, a really creative reggae version of Gin & Juice that the crowd loved, All Along The Watchtower, and more. I’d say three quarters of his songs were requests from the crowd too which was awesome to see.
September looks to be a busy month for me all around, but I wanted to make sure I mentioned one that I just found out about that supports a great cause: Breast Cancer. I ran in to Terry Rider (of the band Riders, and as far as we can tell no relation to me LOL) at Big Bottom Brewery and he filled me in on most of this. TaTaPalooza will be held September 27th & 28th at Jen-Jen’s Rhythm N Brews in East Berlin. The event will feature great live music, food & beverages while supporting Pink Hands of Hope, a local charity that helps breast cancer patients. Some of the bands include Paul Minnich, Crazy Jane, Coffee With Lions, The Moshfits, Neil & Shannon, and more. Full production is provided by Ed Allison. Some of the sponsors include Jen-Jen’s, Seve-N-Dot’s Pizza, Totem Pole Ranch & Winery, North Mountain Inn, Big Bottom Brewery, and Thirsty Farmer Brew Works. Each of these sponsors will also have live entertainment on these dates from 3-9pm in support of the benefit. There will also be a giveaway this year that will include a Gretsch Jim Dandy acoustic electric with case and accessories. This benefit has been going on for a few years now and I’m looking forward to attending at least for a little while for this year’s event.
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.
