Welcome to 2025…For some people, New Year’s Day is just another day, no different than any other. Others consider it an opportunity to reboot, re-center, set goals and make resolutions to accomplish as we embark on this next 365-day cycle. If you’re of the latter group, here’s hoping you achieve what you set out to accomplish in 2025. And as always, we wish all of our PA Musician readers a happy, productive, prosperous and safe New Year!
The weekend before Thanksgiving brought another enjoyable edition of the “Patched Together: A Day of Music to Benefit the Healing Patch” event, which took place in the upstairs hall of Altoona’s Bavarian Aid Society. Five bands and performers donated their talents to help out the Healing Patch Children’s Grief Program. Following this year’s theme of “The Hunt for Healing,” the event also saw a basket raffle and other giveaways, a kids’ drum circle facilitated by Jim Donovan of the Sun King Warriors, food and refreshments and more. After the day’s introduction and Rebecca Culp’s singing of the National Anthem, The Jaded Lips kicked off the day’s music. Singer and guitarist Mike Wertz, bassist and singer Hunter Karns and drummer David Applas set the day’s tone with their vibrant set mixing catchy original numbers and their versions of classic rock, funk, soul and blues favorites. They opened with their newest single, “Loose Change,” and did other newer songs as well as numbers from their debut CD “Lip Service.” The Lips also generated dance floor activity with their takes on Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer,” Prince’s “Kiss,” Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” the Black Crowes’ “Hard to Handle” and their closing Red Hot Chili Peppers cover double-shot of “Love Rollercoaster” and “Higher Ground.” Next was the father and daughter duo of John and Kiara Smith; John strummed acoustic guitar while Kiara demonstrated her strong and soaring voice on a number of rock and pop favorites plus several of her original songs. Kiara showed her songcrafting ability with catchy original numbers such as “Way Back Home,” “No Regrets,” “Wake Up Now” and more. She also delivered a fresh-sounding variation on Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” and did numbers from Linda Ronstadt, Alannah Myles, Joni Mitchell, Blind Melon and others. Half Tempted reliably rocked the house with their classic rock mix; singer and guitarist Ron Dalansky, guitarist and singer Jim Mincin, bassist Todd Batzel and drummer Dan McConnell confidently fired off numbers from Thin Lizzy, Tom Petty, Jimi Hendrix, Kiss, Wild Cherry, Judas Priest, Free and many more. Greg Burley continued with his brand of acoustic outlaw folk and country numbers. Greg kept the music constant as he strummed and sang a variety of numbers from such names as Blackberry Smoke, 49 Winchester, Chris Stapleton, Neil Young, Zach Bryan and the Red Clay Strays; he closed his set with his distinctive take on Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.” Finishing the live band portion of the event was the Sun King Warriors, fresh off releasing their long-awaited third album, “Like A Light.” The group led off with their popular update of The Record Company’s “Off The Ground” (which opens the new album), and proceeded to trigger dancing and grooving with their mix of original songs and select covers. Group ringleader, singer and guitarist Jim Donovan, lead guitarist Kevin McDonald, bassist Kent Tonkin, multi-instrumentalist Dan Murphy, hand percussionist Bryan Fazio and drummer Joe Marini played another song off the new album, “Right Into Your Love,” and did established original song favorites such as “Oolalala” and “The Last Dance.” Also performed were numbers from the Allman Brothers, David Essex’s “Rock On” and the Kent-fronted version of Golden Earring’s “Radar Love.” This all set up for the exciting homestretch, when their original song “We Have Arrived” transitioned into their “two tons of drums” segment, where Jim, Joe and Bryan all pushed each other to the limits on hard-drumming energy, to the ecstasy of all watching. An extended rendition of that famous song from Jim’s Rusted Root past, “Send Me On My Way,” triggered a substantial groove-fest on the dance floor, followed by the explosive “You Are My Everything” and the funky finisher edition of Sly & the Family Stone’s “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” to close out the event. Patched Together again saw a large turnout, and raised much money and awareness for the Healing Patch.
The fourth annual “Toys For Tots Concert and Toy Drive” event happened last month at a new location this year, the Hastings Memorial Building in Hastings. Four bands donated their talents this day to raise toys and monetary donations for the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots program, helping out area families during the holiday season. PA Musician delivery duties prevented me from arriving in time to see the opening set by Abstentious, but eyewitnesses told me the group’s performance was strong. I arrived during the second group, Electric Swamp, who sounded strong on their set of hard-jamming rock. They did a number of original songs during portion of their set I witnessed, as well as a version of Alice In Chains’ “Man in the Box.” The Lee Miller Experience followed with their celebration of rock and country favorites. Slinging guitar, namesake Lee sounded great on the vocal end; flanked by lead guitarist Bob Gray, bassist Josh Yahner and drummer Mike Davis. Lee led the group on renditions of numbers from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Charlie Daniels, James Gang, CCR, Eddie Rabbitt, Rolling Stones, Jimmy Eat World and more. Lee’s support cast remained on the stage to finish out the night as the backbone of Deny Your Negan, a morphing together of their other two groups, the original project Negan and their Alice In Chains tribute Deny Your Maker. Mike Davis moved to lead vocals with Damian Falatek taking over behind the drums, and Rich Johnson joined them on additional guitar. Deny Your Negan did several Alice In Chains numbers such as “Dam That River” and “Rooster,” as well as numbers from Live, Weezer, Danzig, Iron Maiden’s “Two Minutes to Midnight” and more. A dad got to jam with his kids during this set, as Mike Davis’ son Graham contributed guitar on the Deftones’ “My Own Summer (Shove It)” and Alice In Chains’ “It Ain’t Like That,” while his daughter Tigerlily helped sing lead vocals on 311’s “Down.” This year’s Toys For Tots benefit raised 445 toys and a large amount of donations to help out Toys For Tots.
Keeping with German holiday season tradition and mythology, the Christmas demon Krampus and Saint Nicholas paid their annual visit to Altoona’s Unter Uns Musical & Entertainment Society for “Krampusnacht.” Since there were apparently a lot of naughty children in the house this year, two Krampuses – the “Krampi” – showed up to dish out the punishment! The night’s musical entertainers, Fortune & Glory, appeased the burly demons with a rendition of Ghost’s “Square Hammer,” and both Krampi and St. Nicholas joined the group onstage. Pleased with these developments, the Krampi left all of us off easy and didn’t give any of us the feared beatdown with tree branches! Fortune & Glory – singer Dana Martino, guitarist and singer Art Martino, bassist Nicholas Martino, keyboardist Adam Baranik and drummer Bryan Starr – kept the demons away for the rest of the night and drew some dancers up to the floor with their fun variety of rock and pop favorites. They broke out a number of tunes not often covered on area stages; such as Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing,” Better Than Ezra’s “Good,” Janis Joplin’s “Move Over,” Scandal’s “Goodbye to You,” Great White’s “Call It Rock and Roll” and more.
I caught up with Altoona-based Christmas season performers Jack Frost and the Frostbites last month as they were kicking off their annual “Flight of the Frostbites,” their seasonal journey around the Altoona area playing Christmas season favorites “from the back of a truck.” Starting from the Barrel and Bean Café near Penn State Altoona, the assembled Frostbite cast braved low 20-degree temperatures as they performed upbeat renditions of “Jingle Bells” (“Jazzed Up Jingle Bells” from their just-released debut album “From the Back of a Truck”), “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” With the truck readied and all systems go, the group then rode off to bring Christmas music and cheer to neighborhoods throughout the area. (See the review of “From the Back of a Truck” elsewhere in this issue.)
Comedian Don Jamieson (of VH1’s “That Metal Show” fame) returned to McGarvey’s last month to host and emcee two consecutive weekend nights of live music. I caught the second of the nights as Don emceed “Metal Night” with four of this area’s hardest-hitting groups. State College’s Goatsmoker was just finishing their set as I arrived; they reportedly scorched the walls with numbers from Primus, Helmet, Melvins, Orange Goblin, Mastodon and more. Don Jamieson then did his first of two rock music-rooted comedy routines, with lots of laugh-inducing digs at such musical celebrities as Ozzy Osbourne, Kiss, Faster Pussycat, Twisted Sister and others. This led to Don introducing the next group, A Starlite Gray. This was the first I got to see of this group’s reboot; guitarist Joe Neary, drummer Andy Melusky and guitarist Breydon Bremer remain; joined by new lead singer Greg Griffin and new bassist Isaac Sell. A Starlite Gray unleashed a number of new power metal-flavored original songs, displaying intense rhythms, scathing vocals and volatile song arrangements. I didn’t catch much of the song titles except the last assault, called “Falling Down.” Don Jamieson then returned for his second comedy routine, this time generating laughter with his observations on Guns N’Roses, Gwar, Celine Dion, Metallica and more. He then introduced Altoona-based scorched-earth metal purveyors SamarA. Backed with a video screen displaying a myriad of apocalyptic imagery, SamarA – lead snarler Travis, guitarists Rug and Ryan, bassist Brian and drummer Shaun – brought the fury with a set of intense, scathing metal originals; including “A Negative Theory,” “Devil’s Danse,” “Ride My Knife,” “Modern Day Curse, “Reclaim,” “Hitch Hole,” I-Am-I” and more. Deny Your Negan closed out the night with their celebration of Alice In Chains and other 1990s-era heavy rock. Their set featured numbers by Queens of the Stone Age, Soundgarden, Danzig, Audioslave, plus Alice In Chains numbers such as “Dam That River,” “Rooster,” “It Ain’t Like That,” “Them Bones” and more. Mashbrotatoe frontman Matt Watson contributed vocals to Deny Your Negan’s rendition of Deftones’ “My Own Summer (Shove It).”
Speaking of Mashbrotatoe, I caught my first look at them – albeit short – during a late-November triple-bill at McGarvey’s. Opening the night, Mashbrotatoe is a collaboration of several established musicians from the area punk and metal scene; including guitarist Philly Grooves Wagner, Matt Watson on vocals, Wes Shriner on bass and Jake Hicks on drums. I only got to see the last song of their opening set, but Mashbrotatoe sounded strong on their rendition of Helmet’s “Unsung.” Altoona ska rockers Tom Nevers Field followed; four of their ten members were missing this night, but the six that did perform sounded strong on their set of original ska and punk numbers. Among those numbers was the group’s newest single, “Not My Enemy,” along with “Impossible,” “Hey Mr. Newsman,” “Punk’s Gotta Do” and others. This night also celebrated the release of the BSXpress’ second CD, “Round the Bend.” The BSXpress – singer and guitarist Brian Walker, bassist Nick Bayer and drummer Dean Kepner – slammed out numbers from the new CD; including “Fascist Theology,” “Your Life,” “Street Kombat,” “What Do You Do,” “Gas Station Chicken Salad,” the 48-second “Lobbyist,” “Lie to Me,” “Hometown Curse,” “You Stupid A**hole” and “Soulcrusher.” The BSXpress delivered their punk no-nonsense, short and to the point.
Also in late November, I checked in with the Bomb Cyclones at McGarvey’s. Lead singer Mellissa Vella was under the weather and couldn’t perform this night; but the remaining cast – bassist and singer Doug Cruse, guitarist and singer Kenny Karlheim, lead guitarist Rich Johnson and drummer Paul Caracciolo did good work on their selection of classic rock numbers. Doug and Kenny shared singing duties as the group did numbers from Metallica, ZZ Top, the Allman Brothers, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Stone Temple Pilots and more. The Bomb Cyclones also broke out a version of the Black Pumas’ “Colors,” and toward night’s end, guest Rick Ramsey sang lead vocals on the Toadies’ “Possum Kingdom” and Lenny Kravitz’s “Fly Away.”
Funky Claud’s (formerly Club Kryptonite) hosted the double-bill of Altoona’s Sweet Desire and Nashville’s The Garden Of Eden last month. I arrived in time to witness the last few songs from The Garden Of Eden. From Nashville, this group sounded amazing as they performed strong renditions of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” and the Allman Brothers’ “Whipping Post.” Singer and guitarist Scotty Chapman displayed a powerful and versatile voice, and the remainder of the group were impressive as well. Sweet Desire followed with their own powerful set, as they again explored hard-rocking frontiers rooted in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Singer Jordan McCaulley, guitarist Kenton Lewis, bassist Josh Simpson and drummer Trey Boore boldly engaged in improvisational, exploratory jams as they maneuvered their way through the classic rock and blues cosmos with such numbers as Rufus Thomas/Aerosmith’s “Walkin’ the Dog,” Buddy Miles’ “Them Changes,” the Animals’ “House of the Rising Sun,” Steve Miller Band’s “Space Cowboy,” Buffalo Springfield’s “Mr. Soul,” the Guess Who’s “Heartbroken Bopper” and more. Sweet Desire’s jams often went for broke and delivered intensity, and Trey uncorked an intense drum solo display late in the set. I have learned over time that every Sweet Desire show is its own journey, and the fun of seeing what these musicians will explore next is what entices me to want to see more.
I caught a bunch of performances at Altoona’s 4D’s Lounge in recent weeks, including the Zac Grace Band prior to Thanksgiving weekend. I arrived in time to witness the last two sets, and Zac and his band had the country party going strong. The dance floor was consistently packed as the group got rowdy with numbers from Alan Jackson, Hank Williams, Kip Moore, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Luke Combs and many more. Some highlights included the group honoring a request for Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places,” the merging of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” with Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long,” and the nonstop four-song stretch of Georgia Satellites’ “Keep Your Hands to Yourself” into Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Achy Breaky Heart” into Toby Keith’s “A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action” into Don Williams’ “Tulsa Time.” Zac also mixed in two of his own songs – “PPL I Drink With” and the night-ending “This Is the Time.” Watch for Zac’s return to the 4D’s in February.
Shallow 9 fired up the dance party with a huge crowd at the 4D’s Lounge during Thanksgiving weekend. This group delivered nonstop music through their three sets; the dance floor became busy from the moment Shallow 9 opened the first set with Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie” until their night-ending version of The Darkness’ “I Believe in a Thing Called Love.” In between, the group brought the classic and modern rock, rap and hip-hop, soul, funk, punk, fast-firing medleys and more. Singers Erika, Ryan and (Mike) Stanley kept the dance floor engaged, and this group never gave anybody a reason to want to sit back down! I’ll witness Shallow 9 again triggering the dance party when they provide the music during the Central PA Humane Society’s Chili Fest & Wings event on Jan. 25 at Altoona’s Bavarian Aid Society Hall.
And I ended up seeing both The Jaded Lips and the Giants Of Science at the 4D’s – TWICE – during recent weeks. The Jaded Lips performed on both Thanksgiving Eve and Christmas Eve’s eve, while the Giants played clean-up on Thanksgiving weekend and during the weekend preceding Christmas. All were good times!
2024 ended on a sad note in the area music community with the passing of Tim Glass late last month at age 72. Known to many by the nickname “Head,” Tim was an avid music fan, and was a big part of the Mysterytrain community and extended family. He often helped load and unload equipment, plus frequently tended the gate at the group’s local festivals. Tim was also at Coast Guard veteran, and had worked as a therapeutic activity director for the Ebensburg State School for 35 years. He’ll be remembered for his smile and upbeat persona. Mysterytrain is setting up a full weekend memorial show locally for “Head” in mid-June.
News and notes…After 23 years in operation, a popular Pittsburgh live music venue, the Hard Rock Café in Station Square, will close with February 13 being its final day of operation. According to an internal memo from Hard Rock International, the reason for the closing is that the lease for the venue expires in February…A new live music venue is taking over the former location of The Saloon in State College; Manny’s Live Performance Space began operations on New Year’s Eve. Operated by Corey Elbin of Gorinto Productions, the venue will feature a variety of underground, diverse and international artists…Popular regional 1990s rockers Heaven Tonite are staging a 30-year reunion in February; that two-night reunion will happen Feb. 21 at Charlie’s Pub in Dubois and Feb. 22 at Funky Claud’s in Altoona…After ten years, popular area performers Stormy have decided to step aside…State College-based Americana and folk-rock group Raven and the Wren has ended its run, and singer Natty Lou Race announced that she will be introducing a new project shortly…Clearfield County-based heavy rock band Hell Bent has ended their 8-year run on area stages, citing family reasons; three of the group’s members have moved on to form a new rock and metal band called Nero, which will debut on stages soon…Jim Bagrosky and Andy Krager have formed a new heavy-rocking studio project called Man In Reverse, and are releasing new songs in 2025…The Jaded Lips recently issued their new song, “Loose Change,” as well as an accompanying video. The video was directed and filmed by Matt Otis, and features a cameo appearance by musician Kent Tonkin in the role of Rich Uncle Pennybags (of Monopoly fame)…Johnstown’s Still Rockin’ is changing their handle to Sonic Boom…The Backyard Rockers officially announced the addition of their newest member – longtime Altoona area musician Peter Wolf, who will play acoustic, electric guitar, harmonica and sing backing vocals…And speedy get well wishes go out to Bob Watters, the drummer for Felix & the Hurricanes, as he recuperates from recent triple-bypass surgery.
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 and LIVE MUSIC IN 2024!
