And just like that…the holiday season is here! Again, I eagerly anticipate slowing down my tempo during this special time of the year, enjoying friends and get-togethers, taking stock and being thankful, and recharging my batteries for 2025. I wish all of our PA Musician readers, friends and the state’s music community a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year 2025 and pleasant holiday season!
As reported in last month’s issue, my PA Musician friend and colleague Chris Rider and his partner Wendy Ellenberger lost everything in a structure fire in early October. Two benefit shows were held last month to help out Chris and Wendy; the first took place early in the month at the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center (HMAC). I was able to attend the second one, which happened at Lovedraft’s Brewing Co. in Mechanicsburg. Brenden Starr and Lyndhurst opened the afternoon’s music before I arrived, but I got there in time to catch much of Hot and Dangerous’ set. This group – singer Erica, guitarist Reggie, bassist and singer Lauren and drummer Ben – packed some serious wallop into their rock; doing numbers spanning a version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Oh Well” to Danzig’s “Mother,” Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades,” Black Sabbath’s “Children of the Grave,” songs from Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, original tunes and more. Erica displayed a potent voice and presence, and the rest of the group provided the powerful backdrops behind her. Next up was Cass and the Bailout Crew, who performed a strong set of original songs mixed with some select classics. After opening with their original “Lover,” singer and namesake Cass Chatham dazzled the house as she belted all-out heart and soul on the Jefferson Airplane double-shot of “Somebody to Love” into “White Rabbit.” Cass, guitarist and singer Mike Steppe, bassist Nick Laylon and drummer Mike Wrench introduced some of their new numbers such as “Hurricane” and the scathing “Die in Pain,” and closed their set with Joan Jett’s “I Hate Myself for Loving You.” York-based fivesome Coal then delivered their set of high-powered, groove-driven original rock. Singer Dal Dawn brought purpose, intensity and charisma on the microphone as he led Coal on hard-hitting originals such as “Sick Like Me,” “Ugly,” “Nothing to Lose,” “Worst Enemy,” the new number “The Color Gray” and more. A special and emotional highlight during Coal’s set was when Dal presented Chris Rider with a painting by Donna Jones Sanders to replace a similar piece lost in the fire. And Harrisburg’s Suicide Puppets finished out the benefit with their distinctive brand of industrial heavy metal brutality. Lead snarler Twisty Suicide, lead guitarist Steven Suicide, rhythm guitarists Invictus Suicide and Z Suicide, and drummer Veritas Suicide rampaged through original song creations such as “Your Love My Hate,” “Pethumanhead,” “One Way to Die” and others, as well as a volatile version of Golden Earring’s “Twilight Zone.” Suicide Puppets’ blend of metal punishment and theatrics kept the audience riveted for the duration. The variety of rocking flavors and the prominent theme of the area’s musical community in support of Chris and Wendy made this a heartfelt and memorable afternoon.
Eight bands and performers donated their talents early last month during the “Knock Out Cancer for Rod Patterson” benefit, which took place at Altoona’s Newburg Fire Association Social Hall. Proceeds helped out Rod, a longtime contractor and coach/trainer for the Altoona Boxing Club, who is battling stage 4 prostate cancer. Leading off appropriately with Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger,” 7th Virtue began the music with their upbeat mix of rock and pop classics spanning the 1970s through 1990s. New keyboardist Therese Perino and rhythm guitarist Dale Perino have joined singer Lynne Wigand-Deyarmin, lead guitarist Rob Lynn, bassist Steve Everett and drummer Randy Deyarmin; the group rocked the arriving crowd with numbers from Quarterflash, Joan Jett, Loverboy, Janet Jackson, Heart, Wild Cherry, Badfinger and more. My crew, the Backyard Rockers, followed with our own acoustic blend of classic rock, folk and country. Singer and guitarist Rich Dasch; guitarist, harmonica player and backing vocalist Peter Wolf, and yours truly on hand percussion and backing vocals did numbers from Tom Petty, Faces, The Band, Steve Earle, the Beatles, Old Crow Medicine Show and more. Joyful Noise Acoustic – the pairing of singer Steve Oswalt and guitarist Ben Eberhart – then followed with their blend of songs from Paul McCartney & Wings, the Beatles, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Doors, Led Zeppelin and more. 100 Proof then shifted the musical gears into country mode, Singer RJ Payne, lead guitarist Todd Belardi, rhythm guitarist Denny Yon, bassist Moose and drummer Dave Russell helped kick up the dance floor activity with favorites from David Lee Murphy, Toby Keith, Eric Church, Bryan Adams, Rick Springfield and more. Fortune & Glory followed with their mix of rocking classics, keeping the dance floor busy with their versions of favorites from the Knack, Better Than Ezra, Tommy Tutone, Scandal, the Police, Grand Funk Railroad and others. Huntingdon-based quintet Downfall kept the rock coming with their set of classics from the 1970s, 80s and 90s. Singer Jason Satta, guitarists Jeremiah Shafer and Dusty Sipes, bassist Beau Cabassa and drummer Zach Roll mixed up songs from Poison, Weezer, Kiss, Collective Soul, Ted Nugent, White Zombie, Twisted Sister, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Buckcherry and more. Playing their first show, Altoona’s F.N.A. generated more rocking favorites. Singer and guitarist Rob Hiles, guitarist Ron Hiess, bassist Fritz Wyland and drummer Jamie Shumac sounded good on their maiden voyage as they rocked the house with tunes from Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Clarks, Queen, U2, Pearl Jam, Velvet Revolver, Judas Priest and others. Closing the benefit was Bone Jacked, who helped organize the benefit plus provided backline and production for the day. Singer and guitarist Kip Woodring, bassist DJ Gates, guitarist Chris Guella and drummer Terry Wilt generated more dance floor activity with classic rock favorites from the Stray Cats, Eagles, Tom Petty, John Mellencamp, ZZ Top, T. Rex and more. The Knock Out Cancer benefit saw a great turnout as the community showed their support for Rod Patterson in his battle.
Besides at the aforementioned Knock Out Cancer benefit, I also got to see Bone Jacked as they were the first live band to initiate the new Funky Claud’s, the latest incarnation of the former Club Kryptonite, 30 Something, City Limits and New Sebastiano’s venue in Altoona. Bone Jacked again reliably delivered the classic rock over three sets. This band’s presentation is always heartfelt, and you can tell these guys live to be on the stage and playing their music. Frontman Kip Woodring frequently ventures out onto the dance floor to make his guitar sing to the crowd, and Bone Jacked will often ride the muse and extend songs into hearty and energetic jams; this night generating a heated jam on Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Green River.” Their effort was not lost on the audience, who applauded and showed their appreciation of Bone Jacked’s enthusiasm this night.
When opportunity presented itself (in the form of a free ticket, Thanks Tina!), I got to journey to the Oaks Theater in Pittsburgh’s Oakmont suburb to again witness Swedish guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen during his 40th Anniversary Tour. With a wall of Marshall stacks behind them, Chase The Comet opened the night. This group’s story began in 2016 when their founding members – singer Nika Comet and guitarist Alexander Mishustov – left Moscow, Russia and settled in Los Angeles. Now joined by Anton Yalovchuk on drums, Chase The Comet entertained the crowd with their sharp, alternative-edged rock sound. The group did a number of original songs, including “Hero,” “First Time,” “Rage Inside,” “Gone” and more. Nika’s voice and cordial stage persona won over the audience, and Chase The Comet was well-received. Yngwie Malmsteen and his band soon surfaced on the stage, and he immediately started showcasing his fast and furious guitar talents as he blended elements of heavy metal and classical music. Shortly into his set, though, Yngwie scolded the spotlight operator for not keeping the light trained on his guitar as he made his way around the stage. This may have worked for the benefit of the audience, though, as Yngwie’s guitar playing seemed to become more intense and his face looked more determined from that point onward. His performance ran the gamut from fast and furious to mild and reserved and everything in between, and it was amazing to observe his fingers masterfully work the strings. I didn’t recognize all of his selections this night, but he did perform a rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner,” versions of Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” and Jimi Hendrix’s “Red House,” and I recognized a few of his original numbers such as “Evil Eye” and “You Don’t Remember, I’ll Never Forget” to end his main set. When the crowd called for the encore, Yngwie started into an acoustic guitar exercise first, which evolved into his popular instrumental “Black Star.”
Penn State Altoona’s Wolf Kuhn Theatre inside the Misciagna Family Center for the Performing Arts provided the setting for the live music and theatrical production “Flights of Fancy and Other Modes of Transportation” in late October. The production – arranged by Bonnie Cutsforth-Huber and KT Huckabee – centers on a dream sequence as the dreamer – played by Adria (Jay)Schmidt – envisions a sequence of vignettes each tied to an assortment of popular songs all themed or connected with forms of transportation. Local rockers The Pines – this night Daman Mills on lead vocals, bass and keys; drummer Ben Brumbaugh and guitarist Logan Warner – performed the songs and song backdrops, spanning such hits as Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride,” America’s “A Horse with No Name,” the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine,” the Hues Corporation’s “Rock the Boat,” Queen’s “Bicycle Race,” Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” Prince’s “Little Red Corvette,” Gladys Knight & the Pips’ “Midnight Train to Georgia” into the O’Jays’ “Love Train,” Elton John’s “Rocket Man” and more. After curtain call, The Pines ended the show by playing their own original, “Shoot to Kill.” This was a fun presentation, and for me it was fascinating to see these young performers interpreting songs that were mostly created years before they were born!
New Americana music performers One Acre West made their onstage debut in late October to preview songs from their forthcoming album at Pine Grove Hall in Pine Grove Mills. Several members of this group – singer Kristi Jean, guitarist Steve Branstetter, drummer Sean Hershey and bassist Chris Gallagher – played together previously in Kristi Jean and Her Ne’er Do Wells; they are joined by keyboardist and accordion player Bill Ritzman and – performing in her first band – singer Megan Irwin. One Acre West mixed a wide variety of musical roots flavors into their collective sound, including elements of folk, rock, country, blues, and even zydeco on one song. The group introduced and performed many songs from the upcoming album; including “Bitter Pills,” the folksy waltz “Dance Floor Romance,” the bluesy “Home By 9,” the uptempo country-flavored “Long Haul Lady,” “Six of One” and others. They also did several cover selections in their own rootsy flavor; including Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide,” Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin,’” Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark,” Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” and more. One Acre West’s performance was strong; Kristi Jean and Megan blended their voices for some great-sounding harmonies, and instrumentally, each musician’s contributions worked in tandem to serve and support each song.
I caught my first look at rising area party-rockers Second Hand Monkey in late October at Altoona’s 4D’s Lounge. Featuring lead singer and keyboardist John Bauman, bassist JR “The Worm” West, lead guitarist Toby Mercer and drummer Toby Hunter; Second Hand Monkey played a mixture of rock and pop favorites spanning the 1980s and 90s. The group kept the dance floor busy with tunes from Duran Duran, Rick Springfield, Bon Jovi, Billy Idol, Nena, Lit, Poison, Garth Brooks, Georgia Satellites and many more. Second Hand Monkey played it all with lively enthusiasm, setting the tone for a fun show. Watch for Second Hand Monkey’s return to the 4D’s, as well as other area stages in 2025.
Coming up on 30 years of serving up “80s cheese” and other popular songs to audiences spanning Happy Valley to throughout the Northeast, State College’s Velveeta paid their latest visit to the 4D’s Lounge last month. Singer and guitarist Brian Kriley, bassist and singer Adam Becker, keyboardist Brent Martin and drummer John Harper presented a balanced mixture of rock and pop favorites from the 1980s, with a touch of 1990s thrown in. They kept the dance floor busy with songs from Third Eye Blind, The Cure, Violent Femmes, Hall & Oates, Def Leppard, George Michael, Fountains Of Wayne and more. Velveeta cranked up the rock a few times with renditions of Rush’s “Tom Sawyer,” Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality” and Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher,” and honored a request for Motley Crue’s “Home Sweet Home.” And toward night’s end, the group performed Rusted Root’s “Send Me On My Way,” with John Harper delivering a rowdy drum solo display midway through. Watch for Velveeta in your neighborhood, and prepare for Velveeta’s 30th birthday party at Stage West in State College on August 9, 2025!
Emily’s ToyBox brought their brand of rocking fun and mischief back to Altoona’s Concordia Society last month. The seasoned cast of frontman Mike Wise, guitarist Brandon Reece, bassist Rick Lienhard and drummer Muff mixed a wide assortment of rock and pop hits and favorites, sometimes doing the unexpected. Some of their chicanery this night included transitioning Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music” into Metallica’s “Creeping Death,” turning their version of “Mony Mony” into Kiss’ “Rock and Roll All Night,” and teasing the intro to Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Fishing in the Dark” before heading into Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls.” Mike improvised lyrics on the spot several times with hilarious results, and he led the crowd on gang shout choruses during the popular Emily’s Toybox original “Back of the Bus to close the night. Emily’s Toybox returns to the Concordia on Feb. 8.
Becoming a monthly performer at Molly’s Pub in Altoona during recent months is Wiley Ford, West Virginia-based singer, songwriter and “Cowboy” Nick Price. Singing and strumming guitar, Nick’s primary flavor is country; but as this night showed, he isn’t a one-trick pony. As I arrived, he was doing country numbers, including the Toby Keith double-shot of “How Do You Like Me Now” and “Ain’t Much Fun Since I Quit Drinking,” Robert Earl Keen’s “Merry Christmas From the Family” and Alabama’s “Dixieland Delight,” before ending the set with Rehab’s “Sittin’ At a Bar.” Nick began to fire up the crowd during the next set, mixing some country favorites with tunes by Steve Miller Band, Georgia Satellites, and by set’s end, a reggae/rap rendition of Merilee Rush’s “Angel of the Morning.” From there, Nick got wilder with versions of Buckcherry’s “Crazy Bitch” and Kid Rock’s “Cowboy,” a rowdy take on Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll,” a country take on Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice,” and even Puddle Of Mudd’s “She Hates Me.” The Molly’s crowd loved it, enough so that they passed the hat around to keep Nick playing longer. From rural to rowdy, Nick Price can fire up the crowd; watch for his return to Molly’s Pub.
Other shows I caught recently were the Halloween night doubleheader at McGarvey’s with The Zuds and Toy bringing their respective brands of rock; the Halloween costume contest was one of the better ones I have seen in recent years…Also the Silver Linings at Altoona’s Levity Brewing Co.; one half of the duo, Rick Wertz, was a little under the weather, so singer and guitarist Michelle Barnes was joined instead by drummer and singer Doug Stephens. The two both sounded good this night, and even had folks up and dancing before all was said and done.
The area music scene was saddened by recent passings…Fred Lake, a founding member of longtime area rock’n’roll band White Shadow, passed away on Oct. 3rd in a hospice near Downington after battling three types of cancer…Longtime Altoona area musician and radio broadcaster Craig Boore passed on Nov. 1. Craig had been involved in the music scene since the 1970s, and played bass for several bands including Pulse and Back To Zero. Craig was known as radio air personality Craig Andrews, whose voice was heard on several Altoona area radio stations. Craig was also the father of Sweet Desire drummer Trey Boore…And the music scene was saddened by the unexpected passing of Northern Cambria’s Ken Pompa on Nov. 17; he was 77. Ken was an active member of the area music scene during the past four decades and played with a number of band projects; among them Double Take, Triad, Jerry’s Fault and others. More recently, Ken sang and played guitar alongside his cousin, Denny Pompa, in the Denny & Ken acoustic duo…Our thoughts go out to the families and friends of all three musicians.
News and notes…An arrest was made last month in the February 2023 murder of Lance Ross, the owner of the Freight Station bar and live music venue in Johnstown; Johnstown police announced that 53-year-old Tami Shafer of Latrobe faces criminal homicide charges, along with charges of aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and tampering with/fabricating physical evidence…Johnstown-based singer and songwriter Dan Stonerook heads to Nashville this month to record a new EP with some notable Nashville-based musicians; Dan started a funding campaign on his Facebook page to cover travel costs and paying for studio time. A minimum donation of $10 will earn donors a copy of the new EP plus copies of Dan’s previous two solo albums, the funding campaign lasts until Dec. 24…The Lee Miller Experience, Electric Swamp, Abstentious, Negan and Alice In Chains tribute Deny Your Maker will donate their talents to the “Toys For Tots Concert 4 and Toy Drive,” taking place Dec. 14 at the Hastings Memorial Building in Hastings; the music starts at 3 p.m. and a basket auction and free pizza party will also take place. Donation at the door is a new, unwrapped toy or a cash donation…Drummer Steve Holtz announced his decision to step away from area alternative rock band Paper Plants…Longtime Altoona-based Christmas season performers Jack Frost and the Frostbites have issued their first CD; the album, called “Songs From the Back of a Truck,” can be purchased and downloaded through their website and at their area performances this month – including their annual “Flight of the Frostbites” area neighborhood tour around Blair County “from the back of a truck” on Dec. 21…Danville-based singer and songwriter Van Wagner has released his 34th album called “Harrisburg Blues,” featuring guest appearances from Matt Harrison on mandolin and fiddle, Bill Stetz on upright bass, Kate Anderson-Twoey and Zoey Wagner on vocals, Steve Treado on pipe organ and Kevin Briggs on guitar. The release party for the album will happens Dec. 5 at the Elk Creek Cafe in Millheim.
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. SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC! HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Photos by Jim Price
