When I submitted my very first article to Robin Noll in hopes of having it published in the June, 1987 issue of PA Musician Magazine, I never would have thought that I’d still be writing for this publication, this month for 39 years! More than half of my life! I believe more and more that music is the fountain of youth, and writing about it every month never gets old for me. Thanks again to publisher Josh Noll for allowing me to occupy space here every month, and thanks to consulting editor Robin for her patience as I fight the good fight to get my articles in under deadline each month. Thanks to the area musicians, venues and show organizers for keeping me busy every month, and HUGE thanks to you the readers for your kind words and support through the years. On to Year 40 next year!
Cold temperatures refused to let go for much of the past month, but live music persevered through several cold and soggy situations…Rain deluged Huntingdon’s annual Mayfest celebration in late April, but folks still came out to enjoy five eras being celebrated over five city blocks in downtown Huntingdon, with numerous vendor tents, food trucks and live music. My first live music upon arriving was courtesy of local festival favorites Dan & Galla in the lot of Weaver’s Florists & Gifts. Dan on keys and Galla on acoustic guitar and harmonica had passers-by dancing and singing in the rain as they did favorites from the Doors, Santana, Billy Joel and much more. Next I proceeded to the Bryan Park stage to see Huntingdon hard rockers Downfall. Singer Jason Satta, guitarists Jeremiah Shaffer and Matthew Royer, bassist Dusty Sipes and drummer Zach Roll chased the rain showers with their mix of rocking favorites spanning the 1970s to 1990s, with an emphasis on the latter. With Jason’s strong, gritty vocals up front, Downfall did numbers from Grand Funk Railroad, CCR, the Knack, Metallica, My Chemical Romance, the GoGo’s, Blur, Blink-182, Weezer, Golden Earring and more. As Downfall’s performance and Mayfest drew to a close, the rains tapered off. Go figure.
After Mayfest ended, I decided to stick around Huntingdon for my second live music destination of this Saturday, the Juniata Brewing Company, where Conner Gilbert made the music with his selection of favorites mixed with select originals. Strumming acoustic guitar and singing, Conner played a wide range of material, including numbers from Green Day, Pure Prairie League, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Alanis Morisette, Bruce Hornsby & the Range, Gin Blossoms, INXS, Peter Gabriel, Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce, the Beatles, Oasis and much more. Conner also played two of his own, “Here’s to the Days” and “All Alone.” He set a brisk pace and kept the music nonstop through his two sets, and kept the Juniata Brewing Company audience satisfied for the duration.
I wasn’t done yet…My third live music destination of this day was heading back to Funky Claud’s in Altoona, where Hair Force One packed the house with their 80s hair band rock favorites. The current Hair Force – singer Victor Synn, guitarists Milo Nuttz and Richard Rodd, bassist Finn Gurher and drummer Shawn Toppuver – brought the headbangers’ ball to the crowd with favorites from Ratt, Def Leppard, Kix, Poison, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue (with Shawn playing keys on “Home Sweet Home”), AC/DC, Quiet Riot and more. Victor still delivers the voice, including the convincing David Coverdale wail on Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again.” The hot and sweaty crowd loved every minute of it, and when they demanded more at the end, Hair Force One answered with renditions of Accept’s “Balls to the Wall” and an unexpected surprise, Dio’s “We Rock!” Stellar sound production by Jeff “Rit’s Drunk Again” Rittenhouse enabled Hair Force One to bring the full thunder. Keep an eye out for Hair Force One as they continue “The tour that never ends” during the summer months!
The Altoona community and music scene came together to help out a friend in need during late April with the “Standing with Kevin” benefit at the Unter Uns Musical & Entertainment Society, raising funds and support for area musician Kevin Siegel, who battled recent health issues and then suffered the unexpected passing of his wife Amy in February at age 47. Seven bands donated their talents, providing plentiful highlights throughout the day. (A scheduled eighth act, PletchVello, had to pull out of the event due to health reasons.) Shallow 9 kicked things off and set the tone with their groove-driven set of dance-friendly favorites. Many of their songs were strung together into medleys, including a funk/hip-hop medley early on and a Sublime groove-rooted medley to close out the set…The Jaded Lips kept the soulful grooves moving along with their rock’n’soul set of favorites and original songs. The Lips played tunes from Prince, Peter Gabriel, Miley Cyrus (yes, they do a version of “Flowers”), Don Henley and more; plus did their original favorites “Testify,” “DaDeDaDe” and more…A band who Kevin drummed with multiple times over the years, Felix & the Hurricanes, played their mix of rock and blues-rooted classics. Felix Kos on guitar, Bob Watters on drums and Bill Nusom on bass (all sing) did numbers from Delbert McClinton, ZZ Top, Boz Scaggs, Lynyrd Skynyrd and more. The big highlight of their set was when they coaxed the man of the day, Kevin, to step back behind the drum kit to provide the beats during Molly Hatchet’s “Flirtin’ with Disaster” – the smile on Kevin’s face as he rocked the house with his musical brothers said it all!…Kevin returned behind a drum kit with another band he previously drummed with, D.D. & the Pub Crawlers, who performed next. Kevin provided the beats during the group’s rendition of Ides Of March’s “Vehicle.” The group also did frisky numbers from Sam & Dave, the Kinks, Chicago, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, a ska version of Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” and a mash-up of Spencer Davis Group’s “Gimme Some Lovin’” and War’s “Low Rider.”…Autumn Rising continued the momentum with a powerful set of favorites, spanning songs from Bon Jovi, Britney Spears, Green Day, Backstreet Boys and more. Highlights here included Shallow 9’s Erika Machiel joining Autumn Shiffler on vocals for strong duet renditions of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” and Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me,” and Autumn – honoring her late father, popular Altoona frontman Steve Shiffler – by doing pushups on the stage while fronting the group on Georgia Satellites’ “Keep Your Hands to Yourself.”…Bone Jacked then played a strong set of classic rock favorites. As always, these guys love to play, and they sank heart and soul into each tune. At one point, singer and guitarist Kip Woodring stepped out onto the dance floor and serenaded the crowd with his clean and precise guitar work…After Kevin stepped up to the mic to express appreciation to everyone who made this benefit happen, area country favorites 100 Proof closed out the day with their blend of new and classic country plus a few rock numbers. They did numbers by Hootie & the Blowfish, David Lee Murphy, B.W. Stevenson, Luke Bryan, Jelly Roll, Duran Duran and others. Kevin returned to the stage one more time to sing backing vocals on 100 Proof’s rendition of “Wagon Wheel.”…The “Standing With Kevin” was a special and successful event, raising funds to help out Kevin Siegel, and – perhaps even more importantly – providing support and solidarity with Kevin during a difficult time in his life. This event showed what community is all about.
Rain, cold temperatures and blustery breezes did not thwart last month’s Blair Creators Festival at downtown Altoona’s Heritage Plaza, presented by ArtsAltoona and Penn State Altoona’s Sheetz Fellows Program. The day saw plentiful live music, arts and crafts, food, refreshments and more. Eight different bands and solo performers played on the Plaza’s Railcar stage, while other various performers entertained near the Plaza’s gazebo. The Backyard Rockers kicked off the Railcar stage with their blend of acoustic rock, folk and country classics; the group welcomed special guest Lisa Wolf (guitarist Pete Wolf’s wife and singing partner in the duo Firewheel) to sing backing vocals on “Wagon Wheel.”…Making their first Creator’s Festival appearance, Wanderlost dazzled the audience with their piano and sax-driven brand of jazz-infused rock and pop, doing original numbers plus a version of Billy Joel’s “Movin’ Out.”…Returning performer Dom Frucella and his new country group, the Pittsburgh-based Winston 27’s, then performed a mixture of original songs plus select covers by Tyler Childers, Ol 60 and others…Altoona’s Tom Nevers Field – this day eight members strong including four-piece horn section – brought the ska sounds, triggering dancing and jumping youngsters in front of the stage…One of two former contestants on NBC Television’s “The Voice,” Jimmy Mowery sang a number of his original songs, including his Central PA Music Award (CPMA)-winning number “Am I Going Crazy” and the emotional “There’s Not A Reason”…7th Virtue then escalated the tempo with their energetic set of 80’s rock and hits…The other NBC “The Voice” contestant and CPMA “Male Vocalist” award winner, Ethan Eckenroad, braved the cold to perform several of his original songs including “Wallflower,” “Chase the Sun” and a new number, “Goes to Galilee”…And introducing their new guitar player Chris Martell, Stephanie & the Wild Hearts finished the day with their mix of original outlaw country numbers plus country and rock favorites from Fleetwood Mac, Jeannie C. Riley, Linda Ronstadt, Dwight Yoakam, Pat Benatar and more. Performers near the gazebo included Emo Rave 814 by Keyska, solo acoustic performer Vinny Simparola, Dom Frucella performing solo, flow artists Flow N’At with both silks and fire performances, and Altoona’s Keystone Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps. Despite the less-than-ideal weather, this year’s Blair Creator’s Festival saw a strong turnout for the celebration of community and creativity.
I checked out something a little different last month when I sampled the second day of the Lunar Collective’s second annual Faerie Fest at Duncansville’s Memorial Park. On a sunny and warmer day, this fest saw a good turnout, with a number of folks decked out with capes and fairy wings, pointy elfin ears, costumes and more; also a lot of vendors and several food and beverage trucks. Live music was a part of it, and I got to see Lemoyne-based Sweet Maple, who performed a variety of Celtic and folk-flavored original songs plus their spins on some hits and classics. Featuring singer Jasper Night; fiddler, guitarist and singer Robbie Mann; guitarist, mandolinist and singer Matthew Kerns and drummer David Weisinger, Sweet Maple did Celtic-toned numbers such as “Back Home in Derry” and “Wild Rover,” renditions of John Hartman’s “Gentle on My Mind,” They Might Be Giants’ “Istanbul (not Constantinople),” Violent Femmes’ “Blister in the Sun,” the Beatles’ “I’ve Just Seen a Face” and more. They also played accompanying music during the festival’s Maypole dance. Also bolstering the happy vibe were Higher Frequency Illusions, demonstrating fire twirling and dancing in front of the stage. It all made for a pleasant spring afternoon. Near the end of the fest, it was announced that Faerie Fest will return next year.
I managed to enjoy a getaway journey last month to see a couple of shows further north and east. I first headed to the Valley Inn in Duboistown (across the Susquehanna River from Williamsport) to attend a four-band Saturday night bill. Bluegrass was growing on the stage as I arrived, as Shoofly served up some good-sounding traditional bluegrass, including their grassy renditions of “Fox on the Run,” “Copperhead Road” and more…Williamsport’s Audiobox followed with their mix of hard-hitting original songs (including some from their upcoming next album, currently being recorded) and a few selected 90s covers, such as Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Otherside”…The Betty Ford All Stars then fired up the crowd further with classic hard rock and metal. Three of the songs were Judas Priest numbers, with singer Jeff Pittinger demonstrating his Rob Halford wail in great form; the All Stars also rocked the house with tunes from Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath, ZZ Top, Blue Oyster Cult and more…Closing the show was Carnage Carousel, featuring a cast of seasoned performers from past projects. Singer Brian Storm (back after several years away), guitarist Gary Lynn, bassist Joe Lorenzo and drummer Jesse Roedts slammed the lid on the night with heavy 90s numbers from Godsmack, Velvet Revolver, Black Stone Cherry, Three Days Grace, Metallica and more. This group kept the dance floor moving, and when folks called for an encore, Gary fronted the group on Ted Nugent’s “Stranglehold” to finish the night! This road trip was well worth it, as I was rewarded with some kickass music and discovered some new groups to keep an eye on.
After staying overnight in Williamsport, I decided to head to Bloomsburg to enjoy Sunday brunch and live music from Antonio Andrade at Brewski’s Coffee Bar. I had played Antonio’s songs on my “Homegrown Rocker” radio program and met him a couple of times at the Central PA Music Awards events, but hadn’t yet seen him perform live in person until this day. Singing plus playing acoustic guitar and harmonica, Antonio’s performance was vibrant and pleasant; he played a wide variety of songs, spanning classic hits of the 1960s, 70s and 80s, along with several of his original songs. He sang my favorite of his original songs – following his rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” with the title track to his album “Something Happened,” his autobiographical story about the pivotal television moment in the early 1960s that changed his path from wanting to be a baseball player toward becoming a musician. Antonio also played his songs “Bended Elbow, Bended Knee” and “Get A Little Cup.” He also broke out two numbers from Tom Waits, including “Ice Cream Man” and another, plus did hits from The Left Banke, Harry Nilsson, Talking Heads, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Soul Asylum and even a version of Pat Benatar’s “We Belong” that included a Spanish verse. I enjoyed Antonio’s performance, and Brewski’s Breakfast Slam was good eating as well.
Altoona’s Oak Spring Winery and 814 Distillery debuted their outdoor Barrel & Vine Courtyard last month, and PletchVello provided some of the musical entertainment that weekend as folks enjoyed some of the venue’s adult beverages and a food spread. The duo of singer and guitarist Matt Pletcher and drummer and singer Randy Servello, PletchVello kept the audience happy and festive with their mixture of country and rock’n’roll favorites; including songs from David Lee Murphy, Johnny Cash, Toby Keith, John Mellencamp, Chris Stapleton, Semisonic, Foo Fighters, Zac Brown Band, Bob Seger, John Denver, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats and more. Matt sang it all with a clear, strong voice with Randy providing good harmonies, and Randy demonstrated his precision and mastery on the drums throughout the performance. Both musicians had fun making the music, and that vibe prevailed with the audience.
Altoona’s Ugmo is a rising name, and I witnessed these young musical adventuring upstarts at McGarvey’s last month. The more I see this group doing their thing, the more I enjoy them! They’re fearless! Featuring lead singer and guitarist Eli Steward, guitarist Gage Ickes, bassist Michael Brown and former Sweet Desire drummer Trey Boore; Ugmo perform a mix of their own original songs and a few covers, and in between songs – adventure! On this night, Ugmo performed several tunes from their debut “Snacks” EP such as their first single “Neil’s Diamond,” “Mason Dixon Line” and more; and they also jammed away on versions of the Grateful Dead’s “Shakedown Street” and Steely Dan’s “Reeling in the Years.” These guys deliver freewheeling jam passages, psychedelia, letting the vibe carry them and going for broke on all of it! Ugmo’s positive musical energy and fun vibes are catching on; their fan base grows larger every time I see them. Watch for Ugmo when they play your neighborhood stage; this group is pure fun!
After completing my May PA Musician deliveries in Johnstown last month, I headed to Southmont Gardens for my first look at Texas Tex’s Honky Tonk Review. This Pittsburgh-based foursome was having fun knocking out honky tonk, southern rock, rockabilly and other rowdy rootsy sounds. Texas Tex sings and plays guitar, “Lonesome” Bob Chaney plays bass and sings, Stozch Djrumski plays a stand-up drum setup, and Josh was filling in on lead guitar this night. Texas Tex’s Honky Tonk Review played a wide selection of numbers; including twang-infused tunes from B.W. Stevenson, Eric Clapton, Allman Brothers, The Blasters, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, CCR, J.D. MacPherson, Waylon Jennings and much more. Southmont Gardens proprietor Mark Middleton has even jumped in to sing and play guitar on Them’s “Gloria,” and Rick Napolitan sat in on a number as well. Texas Tex’s Honky Tonk Review delivered freewheeling fun; watch for their return to Southmont Gardens.
And I checked out the acoustic duo of Turk & Chris last month at the Dog House in Bellwood. Don “Turk” Schnars and Chris Norris made the music as they performed hits and classics from the 1970s to 1990s. Chris handled most of the lead vocals this night, as the pair pulled out tunes from Foo Fighters, Jimmy Buffett, Dave Loggins, Bob Dylan, The Band, Sammy Johns, Poison, Black Crowes, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, even a rendition of the Badlees’ “Fear of Falling!” Turk and Chris had fun and let the vibe carry them, and the audience enjoyed their efforts. Since this night, Turk and Chris have rebranded themselves as The Frayed Knots; watch for their return to the Dog House and other area acoustic stages.
Other performances I saw were the Giants Of Science, weathering chilly and rain-soaked conditions at Johnstown’s Mitchell Park during Cambria Summit A.B.A.T.E.’s “Motorcycle Awareness Day” event…And I was spectator and participant during the monthly last Thursday Open Mic night at Over The Mountain near Rockton in late April. Hosted by Brandon Giuffre, a number of musicians gathered on the stage to make music, and for me it was fun to test my djembe-playing skills on songs I had never heard before. And I like Over The Mountain’s lit sign on the back wall of the stage, which says, “We don’t play music…We make music!”
The area music scene was saddened by the passing of two musicians in recent weeks…Bob Kise passed away on May 11 at age 58. From Lewistown, Bob played guitar with a number of area rock bands dating back to the 1980s. Bob was known especially as a guitarist with Strychnine, Bashful and other area rock, punk and country bands, and he played the Ace Frehley role in a regional Kiss tribute called Cold Gin for a few years…Popular longtime area singer and keyboardist Mark Rossi passed away on May 22 at age 66. Mark is remembered as a well-known, talented piano player, singer and songwriter. He and his brother Jimmy (who passed in 2000) helped build a community and brotherhood of area musicians in the late 1980s and early 1990s by hosting weekly Wednesday jam nights at the U.S. Hotel in Hollidaysburg with their host band, the U.S. Hotel House Band. Most recently, Mark had performed with drummer Bill Hocherl in the duo Native Sons. A Celebration of Life in honor of Mark will take place on Sunday, July 12 at the Unter Uns Musical & Entertainment Society in Altoona.
News and notes…The 13th annual Wam Bam Mountain Jam happens on July 4th near Port Matilda. Thirteen bands and performers will perform this year; including Liv and the Juveniles, Kyle Womer, Mr. Pocket, The Narrows, Luke Goes Electric, Matilda, Racer Y, Making State, GoatSmoker, festival hosts Donny Burns & the 3rd Degree, Sidewinder, Forrester Grey and PDA. Admission is free…The “Drumming Out Cancer” benefit happened early last month at the Windber American Legion raised money to help out Harold Knappenberger. Known as the longtime drummer for the Desperadoes, Harold has been diagnosed with stage 2B pancreatic cancer and is currently undergoing treatments. Along with the Desperadoes, the bands From The Top, Rust and Southern Steel also donated their talents to help out Harold…Altoona’s Sweet Desire announced last month that they are closing the book on the group after a successful five-year run; the group thanked everyone for their support, and the remaining members indicated they would be resurfacing sometime soon under a different name…Altoona-based indie rockers Toy (the Band) last month ended their six-year run on area stages; as lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Christian Douglas has relocated to the Lancaster area. Toy’s remaining members are working on a new project, which they plan to unveil within the next few months…Citing singer Jason Peterman’s impending departure as he relocates to Nashville, area country group K4 Kountry will end their run on live stages after they play the last remaining shows on their current schedule; their final local show will be on July 3 during the “Mainline Media” event at Altoona’s Railroaders Memorial Museum.
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!
