PA Musician Magazine - August 2020

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Vol.38 #442 Aug 2020

In this Issue:

Exit Hibernation Media interviews Metal Mike!! Drums Etc Closing Lancaster store HUGE! Liquidation sale! Middleburg Rocks the Pond! How to kick the Covid blues find live music news inside!

August, 2020

Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

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LIQUIDATION SALE! DRUMS ETC. THE DRUMMER & GUITARIST PRO SHOP

Holland w e N n o Avenue

Monday August 3rd, thru August 29th, 2020

THE END of an era… MOVING ON...

GUITARS, AMPS, DRUMS, PA’S, LIGHTS, PARTS, DISPLAYS, TABLES, CHAIRS, HOURS: Monday Thru Thursday – noon to 7:30pm / Friday & Saturday – noon to 5:00pm POSTERS, SHIRTS, NEW, USED, MUST GO.

www.DrumsEtc.com Facebook.com/Drums Etc

New Holland Ave, Lancaster PA 17602 • 717-394-3786 DRUMS ETC. 548Moving to... Fiddlers Green Village, 2503 Lititz Pike C, Lancaster, PA 17601 2

Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

August, 2020


NASHVILLE RECORDING ARTIST

BOB RANDALL 8/1 Western Village RV Park, Carlisle PA 8/8 Little Mexico Campground, Mexico PA

8TH T S U G U AY A FAIR SATURD NTY WEST END ON COU :30 AND 9PM! I N U E H T OWS 7 TWO SH

For more info and Booking: Facebook:@FOBRocks Email:mike.worthy@me.com

www.bobscountrymusic.com

Bookings: Bobrandallmusic@yahoo.com Keeping The Blues Alive in PA

Info/booking: Observe the 93rd-observethe93rd@gmail.com

8/14 Seven Mountains Winery, Reedsville PA 8/15 Red Run Gun Club, Ralston PA 8/22 Pier 87 Blues Bash, Williamsport PA 8/23 Grange Fair, Centre Hall PA 8/26 Gamble Farm Inn, Jersey Shore PA

NOW BOOKING!

www.facebook/latimoresky

latimoresky@gmail.com

For gigs: www.facebook.com/kgcadillaccats Email:cadillaccats123@gmail.com Call 570-651-5014

thecadillaccats.com

Derek Henry solo acoustic-derekehenry@gmail.com

www.observethe93rd.com

www.facebook.com/observethe93rd

717-567-7070 artisticimagescreenprinting.com artisticimage@earthlink.net 211 NORTH 4TH STREET NEWPORT PA, 17074 August, 2020

Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

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Founder- “Whitey” Lee Noll Consulting Editor/Angel of design-Robin Noll Owner/Publisher/Sales-Joshua Noll Lead writer/Photographer/Sales- “Rachel Rocks” -Staff PhotographersJim Price, Rachel Rocks, Meredith Kaminek Chris Rider -MOFO (Master Of Financial Operations)Missy Weidenhof -DistributionRobin Noll, Josh Noll, Rachel Rocks, Jim Price, Keith Hummel, “Space”, Deanne Trio, Randy Wilson, Shawn Kurey, Fuzz McGirk, Jimi Jaymz, Dan Mccorkle, Zac Grace, Imelda Redding, Jeff Pittinger, Sterling Koch, and whoever else we can talk into. -Field EditorsJim price..........................................The Professor Rachel Rocks...................................Out & About Eric Hoffman.........................................National Chris Rider.........................Rider’s on the Storm

PA MUSICIAN MAGAZINE 178 ANDY STROUP RD LIVERPOOL, PA 17045 717-636-4203 CALL TODAY FOR INFO OR ADVERTISING DEADLINE THE 20TH OF EACH PRECEDING MONTH.

August is here and the return of live music has been snuffed out by the evil Covid-19 once again. Just when we thought we were back on track to start printing again the wind was quickly taken out of the sails. After the new restrictions I was pretty bummed out and almost decided to take the month off and wander around the state on my bicycle. However the diehard music fans and performers just wouldn’t let that happen so we decided on another online only issue. Its amazing the support we get from all of you and without your help we just wouldn’t be doing what we do. July buzzed past like a whirlwind and it turned out to be a reset for me with lots of family and friend time. For the big July 4th weekend Rachel Rocks and Andrea Greene decided they would take on a large stretch of the Susquehanna river in their Kayaks. Being the voice of reason I decided to tag along on day one and enjoy some river time with them. We floated down towards Ferryboat Campsites for some fireworks and live music to end the day. We picked up Mom (Aka: Angel of design aka co-founder of the paper) about halfway down and continued our lazy way to the campground. Upon arrival the campsite was buzzing with people enjoying the day and the sounds of Friends of Bob echoing in the distance. We unloaded the boats and headed up the stage area grabbing some grub along the way. We found a table and enjoyed the tunes while we ate. Friends of Bob had the place rocking and everyone was enjoying the show while also maintaining social distance. Although Millersburg cancelled the annual firework show the locals decided it was up to them to entertain the crowd and celebrate our freedom. Dr. Tom showed up with a trailer full of works and setup out by the pond at the campsite. He put on a great show accompained by other local campers who filled in the gaps with there own works. After the fireworks and despite the attack of bugs, Friends of Bob got back to work and played another great set of music. It was an awesome way to celebrate the 4th. Thank you to The Ferryboat Campsite for supporting local music and making sure everyone had a great 4th of July. The next live music event for me was our annual family camping trip to Lake Heron. Located in Liverpool PA it offers cabins, tent and RV camping, and a pavillion all around a beautiful lake stocked with plenty of fish. It’s always a blast when we go camping and Lake Heron is our new favorite place to get the family together. As always Whitey brings the entertainment with his Uke playing. This year he had some help from The Juice’s drummer Dave Greene who is also an awesome singer songwriter and can play a mean 12 string. The best part was that the younger generations are now picking up the guitars and are playing along with Whitey who is teaching them how to “jam”. Its awesome watching them learn and takes me back to when Dad taught me how to play

the 8 bar blues. Great job Zack and Robert, can’t wait to see how they progress over the years. While I didn’t get out to see a lot of live music the family and friends time over the last month is just what I needed to escape the Covid blues. So what’s happening in August and how do you beat the Covid blues. Well to start about one of the only county fairs happening in PA this month is the Union County West End Fair. While they usually have some huge national acts they decided to go a more local route this year and picked some the areas best talent. They have a full schedule of events from tractor pulls to beauty pagents to live music for the week of Aug 2nd to the 8th. On the 3rd its Rust with JR Keister, the 4th has Rapid Run, the 5th is Williamsports One80, the 6th has Harvest Worship, 7th is Mark ALexander & Mayhem with Trainwreck Survivors, and to finish off the week it’s Nashville Recording artist Bob Randall. Bob will be playing with a full band which is a treat as he brings his outlaw country style music to the West End Fair. If you are looking for some good old fashion county fair fun this is the event to do it at. Where else can you beat the Covid blues? The Eagle Hotel is coping with the new regulations and have found ways to still have live acoustic music. Go check out the full schedule in this issue and stop out and support them in these tough times. The Racehorse Tavern is another place that is not giving up and are having acoustic music on the patio every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Stop out, eat some food, and enjoy some music. Bar owner Jim Delisio is not only a supporter of live music but he is also out there fighting for restarutants and bar owners rights. As a board member of the PLBTA and also President of the York County Tavern Association, Jim has been very vocal about helping the industry and also testified on behalf of PA’s small business taverns and licensed restaurants at the House Majority Policy Committee hearing in July. We all owe Jim a big thank you for standing up for our local watering holes and if you can make time please stop down to The Racehorse Tavern and thank him by supporting his small business. On some sad notes for the month the organizers of The Dam Party have decided to cancel this years event. At first they postponed it until September but now have decided to cancel the event until next year. Also, along with the closing of Noteworthy Guitars at the end of June, Drums etc has announced it will be closing its shop at the New Holland Ave. and will be eventually opening a new scaled down store at a another location. To prepare for the move they are having a HUGE!!!! liquidation sale for the month of August. Everything must go! Drums, guitars, PA’s, Lights, parts, displays, chairs, and just about everything in the store must GO! So stop down and check ou the deals before they are gone. That’s it for this month and the good Lord willing we will be back to printing soon and enjoying live music. Hang in there PA and we will see you soon back out on the road.

www.pamusician.net Like us at www.facebook.com/ PA Musician Magazine

The PA Musician Magazine is published by Joshua Noll 178 andy stroup rd liverpool PA and reserves the right to exercise its discretion in the acceptance of all advertisments and to edit or condense any ad based on its standards of publication. PA Musician Magazine is not responsible or liable for the condition, dispostion, or availability of any article advertised, and disclams any warranty, expressed or implied, of any item published herein.. ALTHOUGH EXTREME CARE AND DILIGENCE IS TAKEN IN CHECKING AD COPY FOR ACCURACY. The PA Musician Magazine or the advertisers are not responsible for compostion errors, mistakes, or misprints.

®2020 by PA Musician Magazine. all rights reserved 4

Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

August, 2020


8/8 Pa Pipeline Taping Montoursville, PA 8/15 Roundhouse Harley Davidson Duncansville, PA 2-3:3pm 8/22 Private Party 8/29 Private Party

8/15 -REID’S CIDER HOUSE Gettysburg, PA 7-10pm Acoustic duo: 8/23 - Sunday Brunch 11am-2pm MIDWAY BOWL, Carlisle, PA Full band: Friday, 9/18- MIDWAY BOWL, Carlisle, PA 7pm-10:30 Acoustic duo:

Booking info: 717.448.3888

August, 2020

BOOKINGS:

814-215-5317

stephanieandthewildhearts@gmail.com

the Juice

www.stephanieandthewildhearts.com

Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

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Sept 5th Arties Beach Bar MONSTERS OF TRIBUTE SHOW!! w/Maiden America and Victim of Vengenace Frenchtown, NJ

For more information vist our website & follow us on facebook.com/Steel

Fri. Sept 11th 8:00pm

O HOO! O B ! ! D E L E C N CA DAM PARTY! Boiling Springs PA

le at ered” Availabite “Steel Hammon bs we r ou & All gigs Like us on Facebook.com/Penntera Watch our Videos 6

YouTube.com/penntera

Follow us on Instagram@Penntera

BOOKING :717.701.0992

Booking: Chris 717.688.9177 or Aaron 717.580.0218 Email: info@steelrocks.com ~ Hope to see YOU at one of our shows! ~

www.steelrocks.com

Email: skapegot@yahoo.com Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

August, 2020


Stonewood

APPEARING LIVE AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS:

8/7 Amvets Post 19, Lancaster PA 8/9 Racehorse Tavern, Thomasville PA (stonewood Acoustic Duo) 8/29 Burning Bridge Tavern, Wrightsville PA For Bookings Contact: 570-687-8827 www.Facebook.com/Stonewoodblues www.thebandstonewood.com

August, 2020

Like/ follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and keep an eye out for live streams and updates on our debut LP “Lucky Shot” (Release Date TBA). We have 7 Demo Tracks from “Lucky Shot” available on our SoundCloud.

Booking Now ! for CTC and Blind Accuracy! 717.979.9234 Blindaccuracyband@gmail.com ctcdub@gmail.com Follow us on FB, Instagram: @blindaccuracy

Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

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OUT ‘n’ ABOUT

a “nightclub”. So heartbreaking! I can’t imagine getting prepared and making all of the changes to meet the regulations, and then no sooner do you get going again, and then BOOM! More regulations. Hopefully XL Live comes back with even more gusto than before! I can’t imagine our Harrisburg nightlife without them. That Saturday night I was at Penntera’s Weekend Mountain Party! Since the bands can’t actually play in a venue right now, a Penntera superfan reached out to Space to find out if he would

By Rachel Rocks

Hello Rockers and Rollers!! I hope you are all alive and well, this no live band thing is no joke! I’m thankful that Facebook at least allows me to keep track of my rockin’ friends, but it just isn’t the same. I miss seeing everyone live and in the flesh! I miss hugging everyone!! My heart is absolutely broken for all of the bands and businesses that are struggling, or worse yet closing! I hope we can all somehow hang in there, and make it through to the other side. I know I’ve been super busy with fun Summer activities, but if this continues into the Fall and Winter, it’s gonna get ugly! This month I’ve been pretty busy going on adventures with the family, so I really didn’t get out to see much music, so this article won’t be very long. My first family adventure was an overnight float trip down the Susquehanna in kayaks with Andrea, Josh, Missy, and Mom. We started at Mohantango, and we ended our first night at Ferry Boat Campsites for 4th of July fireworks and fun! Ferryboat had a whole festival going on all day long, we unfortunately missed the 1st band, Make Mine Country, and DJ Sunfire, but we did make it in time for Friends of Bob and the Fireworks. Millersburg canceled their fireworks that people usually enjoy from Ferryboat, but they didn’t let that stop them, they talked to Tom at Tom’s Fireworks and he came and put on one heck of a show! There were lots of Ooos and Ahhhs from the crowd. After the fireworks, Friends of Bob took the stage to finish off the night. You can quickly tell these guys have played in bands for a few years, and they know how to put on a great show. Unfortunately, gigs near the river in Summer, also bring Mayflies.. LOTS of Mayflies. They had a nice big fan because of the heat, and of course they had lights, which in turn, made the Mayflies become more of a Mayfly Snow blizzard! The band was literally being pelted with Mayflies! They tried everything they could, but there was no relief in sight. The guys played on to the best of their ability. I can’t imagine how many bugs they ate by the end of the night, but they didn’t let it stop them, they knew the show must go on! All of the guys took turns singing and rockin’ the night away. It was a great night with the family rockin’ along the river! At the beginning of the month I was very excited to see that XL Live was opening back up. Friday night they had a solo per-

Natalie Lane at Club XL former, Natalie Lane, as their soft re-opening. It was awesome to see how respectful everyone was with wearing their masks and keeping socially distanced. It was a patio show, so it was even outside. Natalie Lane’s voice was amazing, it was easy to just sit back and listen to her sing! I saw quite a few old friends and it was awesome reconnecting. The next night the Stonewall Vessels were playing inside on the main stage. XL was prepared with 250 seats around tables, prepared for the amount of guests they were allowed and everyone had plenty of room. I heard it was a great show and everything went off without a hitch! Unfortunately, the week after this show is when they were closed because they are

Jason & Zack Penntera

like to have a party at his house in the woods. Space went and checked it out, and he was all in! They had an amazing piece of land with a house with a nice deck, that just so happened to

Pat w/ Air Guitar Winner!

Space w/ Lead singers L to R: Mark /Dead Center Jason/Penntera - Gordon /Maiden America

make the perfect size stage, and plenty of parking, and a nice huge yard where we could all spread out and enjoy the show. It

Contact: yakboneband@gmail.com

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Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

August, 2020


Out & About continued...

was awesome to see so many tents and people there truly making it a full weekend party. This was also a perfect party for Space to debut his newest band, Dead Centre. Dead Centre is a party rock band covering all of the ages of rock n’ roll in one band. Mark from Ebenezer Screw is also the lead singer from Dead Centre, so I’m sure these guys rock! I unfortunately missed their set, but I heard lots of great things about their show. It was so refreshing to see so many friends and to see Penntera rockin’ out on stage! It felt so good just to

101 East Main Street • Fredericksburg, PA • 717.865.4672

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Space / Penntera

Zack & wife Kristen / Penntera

let loose and bang my head! Penntera once again put on an amazing show filled with so much energy! We need way more backyard parties and if you are having one, please let me know so I can clean the dust off my camera and come have a rockin’ good time!! Last but definitely not least we had a family camping weekend. We had an absolutely amazing time camping around a lake. We had our own private area with plenty of shenanigans and good times, but one thing the Noll Family always has is music. It was fantastic seeing Dad sit around the fire jamming with the family. We now have Dad, Dave, Zack and Robert all jamming together, plus my friends Matt and Holly came with us, so Matt was able to join in on the fun too! I really should’ve taken more pictures, but my children always yell

at me to take pictures with my mind instead of my camera, so I guess that’s what I was doing. Also, I was usually floating in the lake til dark every day since it was so hot! Having a musical family is always something I’ve loved. We are truly blessed to have Dad to teach us his musical ways!! I love you Daddio!!

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Fries $8 (w/ bev. purchase) $1 OFF a 16 or 22 oz. European Draughts

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WE ARE

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VAUGHN HUMMEL

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STEAK NIGHT! 4-9pm

Fri., 08/14- FEHO PRIME RIB NIGHT 4-9pm/ Acoustic 6-9pm with

ZIGGY

Saturday, 08/15 - FEHO PRIME RIB! 4-9pm Sunday, 08/16 - Acoustic Music on the Deck 5-8pm with/

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Saturday 08/29- FEHO

COLTON MILLER

JESSICA BETZ

PRIME RIB! 4-9pm

Sunday, 08/30- Acoustic Music on the Deck 5-8pm w/

NATE MYERS & PETE

Robert Greene & Whitey Noll August, 2020

NEW HOURS!! KITCHEN OPEN: Sun. thru Thurs. 11am-8pm/ Fri. & Sat. 11am -9pm BAR OPEN: Sun. thru Thurs. 11am-9pm/ Fri. & Sat. 11am -10pm ~~~~~~~~~~~~ HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

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Drums Etc…

The Gangs all here!!!

Out & About continued...

Nothing too crazy happening anytime soon that I’ve heard about yet. But there are places still having acoustic music and serving up delicious food. The Fredericksburg Eagle Hotel has amazing food!! And great music too! Plus the Racehorse Tavern is also still doing their best to keep their acoustic music flowing, and also crazy food specials, including Seafood Sundays! Of course we all know everything changes at the blink of an eye, so keep an eye on social media pages and double check before you go. Also

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Lancaster’s Drummer & Guitarist Pro-Shop is Closing it’s Doors

make sure and overtip your servers and remember to respect those that are out there trying to serve us and give us the entertainment we need! I love you all.. and again I will say if ANYONE needs assistance, food, shelter, child care, etc.. reach out, ask for help. I have a plethora of amazing friends that are willing to help those in need. I truly do hope to see you all Out and About.. Please if you can, get out there and Support Local Businesses and Music! We all need you!!

Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

Drums Etc… Lancaster’s Drummer & Guitarist Pro-shop is closing its retail store at 548 New Holland Avenue, Lancaster Pa after 35 years. Beginning Monday August 3rd, 2020 Drums Etc will begin to liquidate the entire store as they will be closing their musical specialty shop in Lancaster City. The goal is to sell out completely by August 29th with an aggressive sale that will have no holds barred. They will be open Monday thru Thursday from Noon to 7:30pm and Friday and Saturday from Noon to 5pm, for you to stop by and check out everything they have available! Get there early in the month to have the best selection, once it is gone.. it’s GONE! They have to clear out 10,000 square feet of inventory to fit into 1,700 square feet so believe that there will be some awesome deals. After the liquidation is over, they will be offering any remaining items, furniture, store fixtures, etc. for sale on an internet auction site for bid, there will be more details about what’s available and how exactly this will happen in our September issue, and on their website, www.drumsetc.com or their facebook.com/drumsetcstore. Rick Hamilton, who established Drums Etc. in 1985 said that larger size music store’s like Drums Etc. have been marveled for many years, but have now lost their effectiveness in recent times. Each hour of every day the internet works like gravity pulling customers away from brick & mortar stores. Since the start, we have adjusted our focus towards musicians needs and their purchasing habits. Our first store on the edge of town in 1985 presented what I felt were many obstacles, quite different from today but not any less challenging. Through the years, we have dealt with ever more challenges, we have paid attention to consumer trends and we have adapted. Small store to bigger store to even bigger store and from 1-inch newspaper ads to mail order catalog to Internet sales. It’s time to adapt once again. Do not be sad, “when one door closes, another one opens…” it is the law of nature. There is a different Drums Etc. coming! We are adjusting the sails, cutting fat, and focusing on Internet sales more exclusively, offering boutique parts and accessories for drummers and guitarists around the world. Drums Etc.’s new music shop will be located inside a quaint 1700 square foot store space located at “The Fiddlers Green Village”, Neffsville, PA Rt.501 North of Lancaster City. We plan to open our new store sometime early to mid-September of this year. Along with our internet sales we will still serve our local customers in a smaller capacity, featuring a scaled back showroom and private music lessons for guitar and drums much like the way we began our long journey on June 17th, 1985. So many music stores are struggling to make ends meet. I know it might seem easier or more convenient to type in big website addresses.. but www.drumsetc.com is a great one too, or any other local music store website, there are plenty of them in this magazine. They also all will gladly ship you any wire, or part you may need, or maybe even a new instrument. Plus their PERSONAL Customer Service is WAY BETTER than any of those “other stores”. For years I was the one dropping the mags at Drums Etc. even when the store was closed, I would almost always hear music coming from inside from one of their practice rooms. Please support local musicians, and shop in local music stores! You won’t be disappointed. August, 2020


NATIONALS

The recent acquirement dangerously gives one man and one company the ability to control the trajectory of the music industry. Country music and Southern rock legend Charlie Daniels died early July 6 of a hemorrhagic stroke at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tenn. He was 83. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Musicians Hall of Fame and member of the Grand Ole Opry, Daniels rose to fame in the 1970s with the Top 40 hit “The Devil Went Down To Georgia.” Daniels was a road warrior who drew well until the coronavirus shut down touring in March. His last reported show was Nov. 23 at the Fox Theater in Atlanta. Daniels’ lifetime record sales exceeded 135 million units. This put him in the ranks with musical legends like Paul Simon, John Lennon, Natalie Cole, Yes, the Temptations, and Jefferson Airplane. His earliest songwriting success came in 1964 when his co-written “It Hurts Me” became a Top 30 pop hit for Elvis Presley.

By Eric Hoffman

Foo Fighters, Jimmy Buffett, Jefferson Starship and New Kids on the Block performed for a Fenway Sessions Livestream on July 22. Hosted by Will Dailey at Boston’s Fenway Park baseball stadium benefitting the Red Sox Fund and Live Nation’s Crew Nation charity for COVID-19 aid. All proceeds went toward touring and venue staff. Fenway Park is a centerpiece when it comes to Boston venues and hosted Dropkick Murphys livestream on May 29. In 2019, Billy Joel, Zac Brown Band and Phish all played Fenway. Rap superstar Kanye West has qualified to appear on Oklahoma’s presidential ballot, the first state where he met the requirements before the filing deadline. West filed the necessary paperwork and paid the $35,000 filing and is one of three independent presidential candidates. West, who is married to reality television star Kim Kardashian West, initially announced his candidacy on July 4. He once praised President Donald Trump and said the two share “dragon energy,” but now is no longer a Trump supporter and is “taking the red hat off.” West, who says he’s been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, often referred to himself in the third person and claimed he was “one of the most powerful humans” although acknowledged there were “a lot of alien level superpowers.”

Shea & Len at Copper’s Pub

had complained during Trump’s 2016 campaign about the use of their music to fire up his conservative base at rallies. Other artists have also complained about having their music associated with Trump’s events. The family of the late rock musician Tom Petty said that it had issued a cease-and-desist order stating “Both the late Tom Petty and his family firmly stand against racism and discrimination of any kind. Tom Petty would never want a song of his to be used in a campaign of hate. He liked to bring people together.’’ Grammy Award-winning musician Neil Young lashed out at Trump in 2018 after hearing one of his songs played against his wishes during Trump’s pre-midterm campaign rallies. The Canadian-born musician admonished Trump for using his music in spite of earlier warnings Live Nation, iHeartRadio, SIRIUSXM, Ticketmaster, and Pandora are now all under control of billionaire John Malone. The Justice Department approved a proposal that granted Malone a virtual 360 degree domination of the music industry via radio, streaming, concerts, festivals, and ticketing. Malone is known for his expansionist and aggressive business tactics and drew scrutiny in recent year for his support of Donald Trump’s presidency.

The Swisher Sweets at The Vineyard of Hershey

Foo Fighters

Paul Manna of 24-7 Entertainment is rejoining forces with Brian and Scott Recher to bring back one of Maryland’s most beloved showrooms, the former Recher Theatre, which will now simply be known as The Recher. Scheduled to open as a 650-cap venue in September (or whenever local government allows mass gatherings to begin taking place), The Recher will include numerous upgrades in the form of a new stage, refurbished restrooms, sound and lighting improvements, new dressing rooms and catering from neighboring restaurant Towson Tavern. In its previous life The Recher hosted the likes of Iggy Pop, Linkin Park, Slayer, Keb Mo, Vince Gill, and The White Stripes. Technically located in Towson, Md., The Recher hosted 275 shows a year from 1997 to 2011. The Rolling Stones are threatening President Donald Trump with legal action for using their songs at his rallies despite cease-and-desist directives. “The BMI have notified the Trump campaign on behalf of the Stones that the unauthorized use of their songs will constitute a breach of its licensing agreement,’’ the Stones said. “If Donald Trump disregards the exclusion and persists, then he would face a lawsuit for breaking the embargo and playing music that has not been licensed.’’ The Stones August, 2020

Now Booking 2020

Original & Covers of Hard Rock/Classic Metal

“The Red Album”, “Wolves” & “X-Nihilo” CDs at: Wayne’s World, 419 Memorial Hwy. Dallas, PA,

Watch for a live digital release celebrating 35 years of X-Terra! On Youtube and CDbaby!

Bookings: 570-881-7734

Facebook.com/X-terra

www.xterrarockband.com

Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

11


METAL MIKE INTERVIEW

Cover Photo & Article by Exit Hibernation Media With the past few months being a challenge for musicians and the live music scene, the folks at Exit Hibernation Media felt it would be interesting to hear some thoughts from artists that have a strong perspective on the music industry. Everyone suffers when we can’t see our music heroes play live, or when we can’t be part of the live music experience. Music binds us and inspires us on numerous levels, and when that experience is lacking, it is felt by many. In the hopes of providing a bit of perspective on this present-day anomaly that we are all going through, Exit Hibernation Media reached out to legendary metal guitarist Metal Mike Chlasciak to get his thoughts on a few questions. Metal Mike is known for being a powerhouse guitarist for the Metal God Rob Halford in the solo project called Halford. Halford’s first album, “Resurrection”, was released in 2000, and was well received by the legions of Judas Priest fans and the fans of Rob’s other work (Fight and 2wo). Metal Mike’s blazing guitar, along with that of fellow guitarist Patrick Lachman, was right there to grab the listeners by the throat in a fashion that the metal world was yearning for. Metal Mike was not just a guitar player on that release, as he had writing credits to boot (Nightfall, Cyberworld, Temptation, etc.). Halford’s second release, “Crucible”, followed up in 2002, and is arguably one of the best metal albums of all time. Again, Metal Mike was present not

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just for his skills on the fretboard, but as a writer for such songs as Golgotha, Heretic, One Will, and others. Metal Mike continued on with Halford for two more CD’s, “Winter Songs” and “Made of Metal”, and has shared the stage with the likes of Bruce Dickinson, Geoff Tate, Axl Rose, Sebastian Bach, along with many other bands and artists. Aside from being a core Halford member, Metal Mike is also one of the world’s leading guitar instructors. His “Chaos Made Simple” is considered one of the most effective teaching methods for learning metal and other styles of guitar. Metal Heroes Music Academy is Metal Mike’s creation for providing not just guitar lessons, but guitar workshops, summer camps, and musical retreats. Now, on to the interview…

I wanted to do something that would make people change their state and be excited about something. EHM: Many great players have teaching experience as part of their core musical evolution. What has teaching guitar to others brought to you? MMC: Well, teaching foremost keeps me sharp as far as knowing what I am doing. As the saying goes, if you can’t teach it, you don’t understand it. In some ways, I find that to be true. For me, it is all about spreading the love of the music that I and my students listen to. I enjoy the fact that I’m of help for someone else and that I can provide coaching, so someone else can achieve their goals or dreams. I find it to be a positive experience for me. I feel it matters.

EHM: What made you pursue music professionally over other paths to follow? EHM: What is the appeal of heavy metal versus other genres? MMC: I think there were a couple things that pushed me to do so. Even from when I was a kid, I always had a creative MMC: I think to me, Heavy Metal has a tremendous sense approach to things, I had an imagination that was perhaps of power that is possesses. You feel it when you listen to it more vivid than some of my friends. I also remember my or when you attend a concert. It provides a sense of unity grandfather pulling out a violin every so often when I was a between people because the fans are very die-hard. You eikid. He did not play it well at all, but I remember the reac- ther like real metal, or you don’t - we are lifers, you know. tion that people had whenever an instrument was out of the This is why the motto is Metal For Life. I love it. I’m in. As case. I loved it. It was exciting, people started laughing, get- a friend of mine Pat Mac says … not everyone likes Heavy ting loud. So, to me, that was something that attracted me. Metal - You have to be cool first. I have to agree. Metal fans continued on page 15...

Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

August, 2020


like what they like because they find value in this music that start concentrating on getting ready for a show or a tour. has succeeded without major radio airplay. It’s motivating. Your family wants you back, but a part of your brain lives somewhere else. That’s always difficult. EHM: How did the Halford gig present itself, and what was it like playing with one of the legends of heavy metal? EHM: With social media being so pervasive and central to consumers, what are some pros and cons of this format for MMC: When I was a start-up guitarist on the East Coast, I the working musician? would make and press my own independent records which would get reviewed in local media and often times interna- MMC: Social media changed everything, didn’t it? Musitionally. My first real album “Grind Textural Abstraction” cians these days spend so much time on Facebook, Instagot me the hot-talent spots in magazines such as Guitar gram and things like that. It takes away from your practice Player, Guitar World and Guitar For The Practicing Mu- time. It takes your focus. I mean things have changed. When sic. I was creating a small buzz. I also had an instrumental before bands would create a local buzz, play all around town band that would open up shows for guitar heroes when they collecting new fans here and there …. Now, it might be came through town. I supported Yngwie Malmsteen, Ron- much better to build your fan base on social media first. It’s nie Montrose, Steve Morse and others when they played in different. You can reach a lot of people, but it’s very noisy. the NJ area. I found out that The Metal God was looking for Everyone has something to show, whether it is good or not. a guitarist through an early stage of the internet, which was But, this is where we are now, so you have to adapt and keep 1998. At that time, Rob was just about done with the Two the core of why you are doing this clear. project he did with John 5 on Trent Reznor’s label Nothing. I send Rob’s management all my videos of my band playing EHM: What do you see as the future of live shows? full houses in front of Marshall stacks, my press, my album and wrote a letter saying that if Rob was looking to do a MMC: I’m not sure just like everybody else at this moment. metal band, I was clearly the guitarist. There were 100s and I have seen some of these drive- through concerts take place 100s of submissions, but the rest is history, as they say. and I don’t think they would work for many metal bands. You need the cranking amps, sweat, smoke. So, for me, EHM: How has the music industry changed since you be- these separated metal shows are not something that will came a professional, and what has remained constant? work. Not for metal. I can see why some bands would try, to do it for the fans, for themselves. What I really hope is that MMC: Well, the industry changed in the way that the num- a vaccine will be developed and then we can resume playing ber of physical copies bought of the albums has gone down. heavy music the way it was meant to be played. So, I hope You can definitely see a difference between sales in 2000 that will become a possibility soon. and today. This could, and usually mean less publishing royalties and much smaller record label advances which both EHM: What advice do you have for aspiring musicians in were a good addition to any professional musician’s bottom today’s volatile world? line. One constant that stayed true is that the way to approach playing metal as a professional is to do it for only MMC: I think, as I mentioned before, musicians should reone reason – and, that is because you love it. It has always ally think why they want to be a musician. It takes work. been important to be better on your instrument, write better Playing an instrument at a high level these days is the startsongs and provide great value as a musician. This must be ing point. There are guitar players at every corner of Quick the core. The love of it. The love of the music, the playing, Check. You have to have the love, the reasons why, the pasthe tour whether it’s in a van, RV or whatever. The monetary sion for playing metal. I’d also tell them that having a job aspect of it is the icing on the cake, which becomes avail- and playing music, well, there is no shame in that. There is able, but only really once you have the other items in place. nothing glorious about playing in a metal band and being broke. Once the opportunity arises to quit their job and do EHM: What are the rewards with playing live, and what are music full-time, then wonderful. I am all for that. These days the challenges with playing live? are not the 80’s. Actors own restaurants, metal musicians own tattoo parlors, I own my Metal Heroes Music AcadMMC: I love playing live. I enjoy making records, but not emy. Reality is that we need many buckets to draw from as much as playing live. Making records is a fun work, but financially these days as musicians, so we can do what we playing live is the best. The reward is the ability to connect do. I think it’s important to keep these things in perspective. with others through music and feel the sense of unity with others. The greatest emotions have been experienced by me EHM: What does the future have in store for Metal Mike when I had the guitar in my hand playing music for others. Chlasciak? When I did not play live as much for a few years, I kept chasing that feeling, but nothing comes close. The challeng- MMC: For me, I’m going to continue to perform with my es are, in order to do so, you are away from your family, it solo band, doing guitar seminars, special events and of costs a lot of money to put a band on the road, it’s physically course teaching with my Metal Heroes Academy. I will do challenging so you have to be in shape to perform your best. some of my past album reissues soon as well. Most then It is always a challenge to break away from daily life and likely do another solo album soon enough. Additionally, August, 2020

Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

Metal Mike Chlasciak I enjoy performing with other people and bands, so I do foresee doing more of that. There are a couple bands out there I’d love to be a part of, so that’s part of the plan, too. It’s all steered toward music that I love to play and share, which is Heavy Metal. For more on Metal Mike Chlasciak, check him out at the following links: www.metalmike.net www.metalheroesacademy.com https://www.facebook.com/MetalMikeC/ www.metalforlife.blog www.instagram.com/metalmikec www. twitter.com/metalmikec https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Mike_Chlasciak About Exit Hibernation Media: A.G. with Exit Hibernation Media (www.exithibernationmedia.com, https:// www.facebook.com/exithibernationmedia/) is a freelance photographer and artist relations representative who works with musicians, bands, models, makeup artists, and other media talent on a variety of projects and efforts. Band photos, EPK’s, bookings, comp cards, and modeling portfolios are just a few of the things that Exit Hibernation Media can do to help established and aspiring artists for a variety of mediums and genres. For more information, contact A. G. at 717- 504-5737, or email directly at photography@exithibernationmedia.com. 13


RIDER’S ON THE STORM By Chris Rider

So, here we are...still dealing with the Coronapocalypse, and back to more restrictions. This isn’t the place to argue the logic, or lack of, of these restrictions...but I can’t express how badly I feel for all the venues, musicians, and live music fans that are being adversely affected as a result of these restrictions both emotionally and financially. Between these restrictions forcing the cancellation of many shows, as well as some other life things, it did severely limit my ability to see shows this last month as I’m sure it did for everyone else...but I did get to see a few. I made my annual trek down to Oak Hill, WV (yes I know, it’s not PA...but stick with me here) for Waynestock ‘20. If you might recall from last year’s article, Waynestock is a small festival that has morphed from a group of friends going on a whitewater rafting trip, to an adventure weekend with whitewater rafting, live music, Zip line, horseback riding, paintball, ATV tours, spa / massage packages, rock climbing, hiking, bridge tours, and more. The festival is hosted by my buddy Wayne and I have to say... with all the challenges tossed at him by this year’s events, he did an awesome job of rolling with the punches and still putting on a great time for everyone that attended. I was really looking forward to seeing Yam Yam put on a show as the headlining event, but unfortunately more restrictions were put in place in West Virginia just a few days before the festival forcing Yam Yam to cancel.

The Roof

Hopefully they’ll be able to come down next year as I think they’d be a perfect fit. While the stage was cancelled and not set up, entertainment was still provided in a more limited form first by Drew Ryan aka LSDJ. Drew also owns the A.R. Entertainment who was scheduled to provide the stage and production for the weekend. Be sure to check out both of his pages on Facebook. Following a set by LSDJ, 2 members of The Roof stepped up to play an acoustic set for the crowd. The Roof is a 4 piece band out of State College and was set to open for Yam Yam, but 2 of them still came down even after having to be canceled. These guys put on a great set of originals and some covers that had the crowd well entertained. I look forward to catching a show with the full band sometime in the (hopefully) near future.

Diversifyed

focuses on music with a message. This was their first live performance and included originals and covers including Aerosmith and Maroon 5, Jimmy Eat World. Had they not announced that this was their first performance, I’d have never guessed. They’ve clearly been putting the work in to polish their music and it shows. Keep an eye out for them, this likely won’t be the last time you hear their name. Next up was Pine Grove based UltraViolent, a heavy rock/metal band with high energy, all original music and a great group of fans that followed them to Middleburg that day. Founded in 2014, these guys recently signed with DI Records and have an EP “Eviction” out and available now for your listening pleasure. Their music is heavy, it’s raw, and quite honestly it kicked ass on

My only other venture out was this past weekend up to Middleburg for Rock The Pond, a rock and metal show held in Charles Park. As I’m sure everyone’s aware, it was blazing hot this past weekend, but that didn’t stop all eight bands from showing up and each putting on a great show. First act of the day was Diversifyed – an all original rock band out of Montandon, PA. These guys did a great job warming the crowd up (see what I did there? LOL) and put on a great show. If you check out their facebook page, you’ll find some videos coming up of their performance at Rock The Pond. Second act of the day was Sovereign Archetype, a progressive rock trio out of Berwick, PA. They played several rock covers including White Wedding & Glycerine, as well as several originals from their most recent EP released in September 2019. Next up was central PA’s Eternal Frequency. You might remember they recently were awarded Best New Band/Artist 2020 at the Central Pennsylvania Music Awards. Emelle and crew played a number of originals and covers, coming close to setting the stage figuratively on fire. Their music is loud, it’s moving, and it’s powerful. If you haven’t heard them yet, do yourself a favor and check them out! Coming out on the stage fourth was From Me To You, a new pop rock band that

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Ultra Violent

stage. Fifth on the bill was Kris And The Trainwrecks - from WilkesBarre, an energetic rock cover band playing anything from Aerosmith, Boston, Living Colour, Def Leppard, to Tool. Playing songs that maybe normally aren’t covered, but everyone seems to be familiar with and can sing along with, these guys were an absolute blast to watch on stage. I talked with a few of them briefly after their show, and they’re just genuinely nice guys as well. I hope to see them come back to the area sometime soon. Coming in next to last on the bill, Threatpoint, a heavy metal band from Scranton original metal-core music that was powerful with a mix of good groove. It did start cooling down a little as the sun went down during their set, but they kept the fires going quite well on stage. Headlining the evening was the Art of Deception, a metalcore band from Pine Grove. I’ve been following these guys on Facebook for a while now and was happy to finally get the opportunity to see them on stage. I was happily not disappointed a bit. Those that August, 2020


know me know that metal isn’t my first choice personally when it comes to music, but I can say without hesitation that I’ve grown to appreciate it over the last few years as I became more involved in the local music scene as a photographer and now a writer. Metal also makes for great images as it’s always high energy and full

Kris & the Trainwrecks of emotion. These guys have put in a ton of hard work crafting their music, and it truly shows on stage. I can’t way to see how they grow in the future and highly recommend checking them out should you get the chance. Overall, this was a great little festival and I will surely attend it again next year. I’d mentioned in my last article an announcement coming up. The details will be going up on my photography page this week, but I wanted to make sure it was included here as well. I realize that this whole apocalypse is affecting everyone involved in the music industry, local and national. I hate seeing how it has affected my friends both emotionally and financially, and I want-

Threatpoint

ed to find my own way to help out a little bit. That being said, here’s what I can do. I’m going to have a post up shortly on my page with all the rules and details outlining the giveaway of a free promo photo-shoot. This will be open to any and all bands and solo musicians in the local Central PA area. Someday, this apocalypse and the restrictions that come with it are going to go away and you’re going to be putting yourself out there again to venues and fans, advertising yourself, selling yourself, etc. Wouldn’t it be nice to have some

Folks, I’ll end with the same paragraph I did last month...it applies more now than ever: 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. 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.

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THE PROFESSOR By Jim Price

Some have said that 2020 has become the most difficult year ever for the music industry and live music…And it’s become a frustrating year as well. After a few recent weeks when the area’s music world seemed to be starting to get back on its feet, coronavirus got its second wind and new restrictions have forced many music venues to curtail events again, plus redefine what constitutes a “meal.” (And I hereby dispute any claim that chicken wings don’t constitute a meal; they have been my Monday night supper cuisine of choice for three decades!) Yet in spite of these challenges, musicians are still making music, and live music is still finding ways to happen – through outdoor venues and places that have an outdoor option for providing music, community and neighborhood festivals, backyard and backwoods shindigs, even basements, garages and more. And as music has found ways to happen live, I have been catching performances where and when the opportunities present themselves. One of those opportunities was the annual Wham Bam Mountain Jam, which happened last month at a 13-acre backwoods location in the mountains near Port Matilda. Twelve different bands and performers graced two adjacent stages during this event, leading off with an acoustic set from Steve Treado. Keyboardist, bass-

ist and vocalist with area band Jampact, Steve performed a set mixing some of his original songs with renditions of classic rock favorites. He did a few songs from his new album “Off the Grid,” as well as versions of Hank Williams’ “Move It On Over,” Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love” and more. Next was my first look at State College’s Scotia…Five members strong, Scotia introduced their brand of original, alternative hard rock, plus a version

worldbeat. Some of their selections included the international-flavored instrumental “Night Train to Shymkent,” “Clockwork” and the title track from their next album, “Technicolor Dreams.” The Perkolators followed with their blend of rock, funk, reggae and jam vibes. Despite a few technical issues, the cast of singer Crissee Gordon, guitarist and singer Eric Milinchuk, guitarist Tim Higgins, bassist Ed Colby, sax player Jack Ray and drummer Thomas Niuman percolated with their mix of upbeat original songs and their distinctive takes on the Grateful Dead’s “Shakedown Street,” Pink Floyd’s “Young Lust” and more. Luke Cimbala then took the music in an acoustic direction with his selection of original songs, including such numbers as “Chasing Demons,” “Breeze,” “Shook_ Mo Yon / The Backyard Rockers

of Nirvana’s “Breed.” Iris Corey and guitarist Jake Bersebal share lead singing duties, flanked by guitarist AJ Keashon, bassist Joe Bednarczyk and drummer Joel Deserio. My own band, the Backyard Rockers, then played our first set since February. It was refreshing to hit the hand drums again alongside bandmates Rich Dasch on vocals and guitar, and Mo Yon on bass; we shook off the rust on numbers from The Band, Steve Earle, Old Crow Medicine Show, Neil Young, Elton John and more. From there, State College’s Gelatinous Cube brought their eclectic original sound to the stage. Singer/guitarist Tom Harper, bassist Ed Colby and drummer Z. Rozzi did an assortment of original songs and compositions that blended elements of alternative and progressive rock, jazz and

Spark,” his car jingle song (created while he was a car salesman) and more; he ended his set with a take on Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” Lowjack’s Jason Davoli continued the acoustic sounds with his blend of originals and favorites. Opening with Stealer’s Wheel’s “Stuck in the Middle with You,” Jason did numbers from Johnny Cash, Oasis, Rolling Stones, Ramones, Pearl Jam, Bush and more. He also did his own songs, includ-

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The Professor continued... ing “One Last Kiss,” “For You” and more. Channeling a classic folk vibe reminiscent of Bob Dylan and John Prine, singer and songwriter Bill Ryan then performed a set of his acoustic original songs; including such numbers as “Suits and Guns,” “A Girl Named Freedom” and “Pennsylvania Grass.” As the sun began to set, event hosts Donny of Donny Burns Donny Burns & the 3rd Degree & the 3rd Degree played a rousing set mixing their original songs and classics. Namesake Donny on lead vocals and guitar, Nick Stahlman on guitar and vocals, bassist James Arroway and drummer Rob Chisholm fired off hard-rocking songs off their forthcoming first album, including “Summer Rain,” “Thinkin’ Straight,” “Never Givin’ Up,” “Give It All Away” and more. They also fired up the audience with numbers from Stone Temple Pilots, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Aerosmith, the Doobie Brothers and others. From east of the Susquehanna, Broken Fayth kept the rock going with their set of hard classic, modern rock and original tunes. Singer Chuck Michael, guitarists Tim Seiler (nursing a leg injury and performing from a chair this night) and John Leitzel, bassist Wesley Whitaker and drummer Danny Herner kept the audience energized with tunes from Live, Beastie

Boys, Poison, Godsmack, Theory Of A Deadman and more, and also did their blues-rocking original “Whiskey Blues” and their popular “Sex Kitten.” Port Matilda’s Homegrown kept the party going with their inspired set of classic rock, blues and soul. Once again, this group was amazing – the sibling duo of singer Tabby Wilson and guitarist/singer Billy Wilson, plus bassist/singer Nathan “Tubz” Eisenhuth all displayed excellent voices throughout the set; flanked by guitarist Caleb Mitchell, keyboardist Rick Bailey and drummer Ray “Bink” Eisenhuth. Homegrown mixed together numbers from Stevie Wonder, Fleetwood Mac, ZZ Top, Doobie Brothers, Marshall Tucker Band, Janis Joplin, the Rolling Stones and more. And The Roof finished out the night with their distinctive mix of modern rock, funk and Americana. Playing one of their last local shows before relocating to Pittsburgh, singer/guitarist Frank Musaraca, guitarist Jacob Finkbiner, bassist/keyboardist Ivan Zvorsky and drummer Skyler Scholl mixed original numbers and select covers. They performed original songs such as “You and I” and “Honeybee,” and also did tunes from Tom Petty, The Band Rob Chisholm of Donny Burns and others. & the 3rd Degree

Former Candlelight Red guitarist and founder Jeremy Edge will later this month release the first album of his new venture, the Jeremy Edge Project. Leading up to that album’s release, the Jeremy Edge Project kicked off Lock Haven’s Sunday Summer Concert Series in late June at the J. Doyle Corman Amphitheatre and river stage. Jeremy on lead vocals and guitar, Ray Gieda on drums and John DeLowery on bass played a mixture of classic rock and blues numbers over two Tom Harper of sets, plus one song from JereGelatinous Cube my’s album. The emphasis was on songs and artists that inspired Jeremy to pick up a guitar; he displayed his guitar skills early and often throughout the performance on numbers from ZZ Top, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King, Robin Trower and more. Jeremy welcomed two guest singers to the stage along the way – during the first set, Houston Bryce joined the group and flexed his pipes on Jeremy’s original song “Hot Love,” as well as versions of Curtis Mayfield’s “People Get Ready,” the Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues” (where he also wailed some harmonica), and the Led Zeppelin double-shot of “Immigrant Song” and “When the Levee Breaks.” During the continued on next page..

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The Professor continued...

second set, Jeremy’s bandmate from the Ozzy Osbourne tribute group Bark At the Moon, frontman Greg Gory, stepped in to sing lead on renditions of Rainbow’s “Man on the Silver Mountain,” ZZ Top’s “Tush,” CCR’s “Fortunate Son” and Black Sabbath’s “N.I.B.” Houston then returned to help close out the show, fronting the group on Don Nix/ Freddie King’s “Going Down” and Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll.” The Jeremy Edge Project sounded strong through the entire performance, and kept both the amphitheater and river pontoon boat audiences happy. The week leading up to the July 4 holiday provided several opportunities to check out live Jeremy of the music. Morrisons Cove MemoJeremy Edge Project

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rial Park in Martinsburg held their annual July 4 Celebration during the week leading up to the holiday, including several live musical performances. I saw The Lawn Darts in action at the park’s gazebo as they entertained following Tuesday’s Agricultural Parade. The Lawn Darts team this night – singer, guitarist and keyboardist Mark Snyder, singer and guitarist Marvin Walter, bassist and singer Kim Metzgar, drummer Greg Williams, and percussionist and harmonica player Perry Conrad – took the audience through a fun assortment of classic rock, country, R&B, folk and other favorites. These Darts did tunes that “stick in your head” – including such classics as Tony Joe White’s “Polk Salad Annie,” Roy Head’s “Treat Her Right,” Don Williams’ “Tulsa Time,” Wilbert Harrison’s “Let’s Work Together,” Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game,” plus tunes from Ozark Mountain Daredevils, CCR, Dwight Yoakam, the Rolling Stones, Romantics, the Doors, the Hollies and more. The Lawn Darts’ performances were sharp and to the point; Mark, Marvin and Kim all displayed strong singing voices, and the group’s instrumental variety kept this song mix captivating throughout. It amounted to a fun night of Lawn Darts in the park, and nobody lost an eye or an ear! Two nights later, I saw Roadkill as they entertained during the Columbia Fire Company’s annual carnival, raising funds for the town’s fireworks display. Ringleader, singer and bassist Greg Majewsky, guitarist and singer Tommy Raab, and drummer and singer Clayton Miller let loose with their “rot and roll” fury over two sets, mixing rocking favorites with several Roadkill rot-androll originals, and some of their trademark “terrible music, terrible singing and unfunny jokes” thrown in along the way. Leading off with CCR’s “Bad Moon Rising,” Roadkill fired through tunes from Neil Young, Lit, Tom Petty, Seven Mary Three, Grand Funk Railroad, Violent

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Femmes, Jimi Hendrix, Ramones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hank Sr. and many more. They also did tunes from their original song catalog such as “Them Blues,” “Not Your Fault,” “Thrashin’ Generic Cigarette Blues,” the seasonal “Fifth on the 4th of July” and their closer, “The Adam Stomp.” Other chicanery included a guest singer on Alice In Chains’ “Man in the Box,” the group grunging up some country with their take on Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Brian Kriley of Velveeta Prison Blues,” twisted birthday greetings and more. It was all fun, as the group kept the rock and self-deprecating humor steady; Greg’s bass sounded especially grungy this night, Tommy was firing off some hot guitar solos and Clayton was hitting the skins hard. The audience was festive, and a good time in Osceola Mills was had this night. A morning live stream performance became part of my musical July 4th celebration the day before the holiday as well. While enjoying a late morning cup of coffee, I came across musician and Progressive Enterprises Sound Studios main man Joe Trojcak as he gave a patriotic online piano performance. Joe played an instrumental selection of music from across the American catalog, opening with the “Star Spangled Banner,” and spanning “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” a Ray Charles-inspired take on “Amazing Grace,” “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” an Armed Forces medley, “America (My Country Tis of Thee),” Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World,” and his closer, “America the Beautiful.” Joe also paid homage to the recently-departed Carl Reiner with a rendition of “All of Me,” a 1931 song that was the title to a 1984 movie directed by Carl (and starring Steve Martin); and he did his own original piano composition, “Cherish Your Freedom.” Joe did nice work on the keys, and his arrangements were smooth-sounding and captivating. Capping my Independence Day celebration was the Fabulous 4th 0f July Celebration at Altoona’s People’s Natural Gas Field. This event featured performances from Velveeta and Chris Woodward & Shindiggin,’ preceding 4th of July fireworks to close the night. Marking a quarter century of musical fun this year, Velveeta set the festive tone of the night with their celebration of mostly

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The Professor continued...

1980s-era “cheese” and classic rock/pop hits. Singer/guitarist Brian Kriley, bassist/singer Adam Becker, keyboardist/guitarist/singer Brent Martin and drummer John “Bones” Harper began with John Mellencamp’s “Authority Song,” and proceeded with upbeat numbers from Duran Duran, Modern English, Van Halen, The Cars, Kenny Loggins, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Poison, Romantics, Violent Femmes, Rick Springfield, Ramones, The Knack and many more. Velveeta kept the music constant and happy as folks continued to arrive for the celebration. An added highlight toward the end of Velveeta’s set was when the group welcomed Brian’s 15-yearold daughter, Alex, on stage to strap on the bass and perform during Dexy’s Midnight Runners’ “Come On Eileen” and Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music.” The group then answered calls for “One more song!” with their rendition of Journey’s “Separate Ways.” Chris Woodward & Shindiggin’ then took the audience up to the fireworks display with their brand of country-geared musical fun. Chris on lead voice and acoustic guitar, Mike McCartney on lead guitar and backing vocals, Brian McHugh on bass and Michael Hillegas on drums mixed country favorites and original songs with a few rock’n’roll favorites and other highlights. Opening with Luke Combs’ “When It Rains It Pours,” Chris and Shindiggin’ did numbers such as the ever-popular “Wagon Wheel,” Chris’ original songs “A Dog Is A Man’s Best Friend” and the upbeat “Happy Campers,” and tunes from Chris Stapleton, Blake Shelton, rock’n’roll numbers from Tom Petty, Bon Jovi, Queen and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Among the highlights were Chris rushing off stage to do fist bumps with audience members during Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues,” the group’s playful teasing of hard rock and metal riffs, and the patriotic finale, as Chris saluted veterans and servicemen with a rendition of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” Shortly after their set concluded, the festivities culminated with an impressive 30-minute fireworks display. This was a fun evening, and offered those who attended an opportunity not just to celebrate America, but community as well. It provided a much-needed evening of happiness, and a George Byich of Black Cat Moan

August, 2020

brief escape from the chaos and craziness of 2020 so far. Newly-imposed restrictions on inside venues threated to derail Black Cat Moan’s scheduled performance inside Johnstown’s Venue Of Merging Arts last month. But thanks to the nearby BottleWorks Ethnic Arts Center, who donated their parking lot, the show was able to take place outside. This turned into a nice show – the sun was starting to set on a 90-degree day as things got under way, leading to a cool

Guest Houston Bryce with The Jeremy Edge Project

breeze off the Conemaugh River to make things more comfortable. Social distancing was in place, and folks willingly used masks when moving around (and even dancing). Black Cat Moan gave them plenty of reasons to dance and groove with two sets of newer and older blues-rooted original tunes, plus a few select bluesy covers along the way. Singer and harmonica man TK Mundok took charge from the get-go, working all corners of the stage as he passionately crooned and shared upbeat messages of hope and love. George Byich frequently displayed his guitar mastery, making his strings sing with fiery solos and slide work. And drummer Rob Bonsell and bassist Brad Jamison kept the rhythms tight and grooving to power the tunes forward. Black Cat Moan did a bunch of new songs, including “Take Me Back,” “Groundbreaking Mama,” “Sophia,” the hard-driving “Coming Home” and more. They also did plenty of tunes off their first two CD’s, including “No One Gonna Love You” (which they opened the night with and repeated by request late in the second set), “Lay It Down,” “The Veil,” “Medicine Man,” “Anyday,” “Feelin’ Free,” “Wanna Be Free” and – for their closer – “Is What It Is.” The group also did their distinctive take on “House of the Rising Sun,” as well as “Georgia,” Howlin’ Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightning” and a version of “Baby Please Don’t Go” that cleverly worked in a Golden Earring “Radar Love” midsection. Fired up to perform and happy that this show was able to happen, Black Cat Moan made it count for the entire evening, in turn igniting the audience into grooving in their seats and happily dancing at the rear of the parking area behind the seats. One of this region’s busiest performers, Zupe, hadn’t performed since March entering last month’s performance at Tyrone’s

Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

Reservoir Park, part of the park’s summer Sunday concert series. Shortly into the performance, Zupe – now sporting a beard – joked that he might earn enough money this night to get a shave! Decked in his gold coat and tie on this balmy evening, Zupe appeared to be relieved when a small, quick-forming thunderstorm passed nearby, with its cloud cover and a few brief raindrops bringing down the temperature by a few degrees! Zupe sang, tickled the ivories and entertained the mixed-ages audience with his blend of pop, early rock’n’roll, patriotic and other standards, and mixed in a couple of original tunes from his forthcoming new polka album, “Na zdrowie! (Nostrovia).” From the album he did the “Are You Workin’? Polka” and the title song “Na zdrowie! Polka (Nostrovia)” (Polish for “bless you”), and shared the inspirations for both polkas, citing memories of his family traditions and get-togethers. Zupe also broke out renditions of Bobby Troup’s “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66,” Frank Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight,” the Bobby Darin hit “Mack the Knife,” Fats Domino’s “Blueberry Hill,” Roy Orbison’s “Only the Lonely,” Fats Waller’s “I’m Going to Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter,” the Dean Martin hit “That’s Amore” (which turned into an audience sing-along) and more. On the patriotic side, he saluted veterans and their families in the audience and performed renditions of “God Bless America,” “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Zupe also did a couple of Elvis Presley hits, “All Shook Up” and “It’s Now or Never,” and he broke out the trumpet on several numbers including both of his polkas, Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World” (voicing the Satchmo growl as well), Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass’ “A Taste of Honey,” and his encore at show’s end, Louis Prima’s “Jump Jive an’ Wail.” Zupe sounded great on all of it, and explained to the audience that he also composed and performed all of his own backing arrangements for the numbers in his own recording studio, thus they were listening to a “bunch of Zupe’s” on the stage this night. The audience – socially distanced via the park’s benches and Ted Bundy of continued on next page.. The Legendary Hucklebucks

19


The Professor continued...

in their own chairs – clearly enjoyed the performance and showed appreciation throughout. Indoors, McGarvey’s was able to present a few shows before the new restrictions silenced their stage for the time being. One of the shows was the return of Pittsburgh favorites the Legendary Hucklebucks. Opening the night was the debut performance of The Heathen Parade, formed from the ashes of Johnstown metal rockers Darkness On The Radio. Darkness alumni Jason Straw on vocals and guitar plus Jay Snyder on bass join Rik Golden on drums; their sound retains the jagged heaviness of Darkness, but injects more outright groove and swagger into the mix. The Heathen Parade introduced a number of new original numbers, including their title song “The Heathen Parade,” the slower-grooving “Victorious,” the rampaging “Hellbent Hellbound,” “Blasphamerican,” “Born Again Leviathan,” the Primus-like stomp “Diesel Jesus” and more. The Legendary Hucklebucks then cranked up their high-powered rock and roll party, slamming forth rock, rockabilly, surf, country and punk elements into all-out excitement and mayhem! Clad in red, white and blue overalls and suspenders, massively tattooed frontman Ted Bundy brought the fury with his enthusiastic personality, over-the-top vocal howl, ferocious harmonica wailing and crazed facial expressions; assisted by upright bass man Uncle Piddles, guitarist Dave Fresch and drummer Brian Gault. Opening with one of their older original tunes, “21 Days in Jail,” the Hucklebucks quickly fired up the audience with their mixture of rowdy original tunes and amped up covers. Some of their original tunes this night included “The Crusher,” “B-Movie,” “Don’t Feed the Rats,” “Black Eyed Susan,” “Honky Tonk Angel” and more. And their cover selection included a stormy rockabilly take on Hawkwind/Motorhead’s “Motorhead,” The Kinks’ “I Need You,” Johnny Cash’s “Wreck of the Old 97” and “Folsom Prison Blues,” Johnny Winter’s “Lights Out” and AC/DC’s “Kicked in the Teeth.” The Legendary Hucklebucks never took foot off the gas pedal, and kept this show at a feverish pitch from start to end, providing the McGarvey’s crowd with an exhaustive good time blowout! I caught Old No. 7 in action as they performed at McGarvey’s in late June. Cheeze and Tom Noel strummed acoustic guitars and sang an eclectic mixture of song material. They did versions of better-known numbers such as Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” and “American Girl,” The Misfits’ “Skulls,” Sublime’s “Santeria,” a PA variation on John Denver’s “Take Me Home Country Roads,” Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” and CCR’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain.” They also did renditions of Frank Turner’s “Substitute,” Rancid’s “St. Mary” and more. Online…As reported previously, COVID-19 led to the cancellation of this year’s Central PA Festival of the Arts in State College. But organizers did stage a virtual Arts Festival last month, which included online art sales and exhibitions, plus live-streaming performances from a number of entertainers, including renowned Celtic fiddler Alesdair Fraser and folk duo Trout Fishing in America. A number of local performers and Arts Festival regulars did online performances as well, and I caught one of them – the Denicats – in action. Singer and keyboardist John “JT” Thompson, upright bass player Bill Stetz and Doug McMinn on guitar, sax, clarinet and vocals did a variety of blues, jazz, swing and pop originals and covers with a Uncle Piddles of prominent New Orleans/Mardi The Legendary Hucklebucks 20

ZUPE

Gras flavor, performed before a continuous backdrop of New Orleans street scene footage. The Denicats did a few of JT’s and Doug’s original songs, including JT’s “Chicken Bone” and “Last Night,” and Doug’s “Burgers and Fries.” The group also did their own Big Easy-styled variations on Marc Cohn’s “Walking In Memphis,” a Professor Longhair number and more. As they gear up to return to live stage action soon, Harrisburg’s Six Bar Break presented a

full-band live stream performance in late June. Singer and guitarist Ben Bollinger, bassist Robert Trowbridge and drummer David Long performed original songs from throughout their career, including several numbers from their upcoming new recording being released later this year. Six Bar Break blends classic and modern rock elements into a straightforward, hard-driving, melody-based rock sound. Their songs this night included new tunes such as “Walk On” and “Strange Days,” plus established original songs like “Water’s Edge,” “Soldiers Call,” “Nashville Calling,” also “Mother Daughter,” “Jesse James,” “Coming Home,” “That Woman Knows” and more. And I saw the Vinegar Creek Constituency duo of Leonardo DiSanto and Jeff Bryson as they live-streamed a late June performance at the Black Knight Tavern in Landisville. Leonardo played guitar and Jeff played mandolin and banjo; both shared singing duties as they entertained diners and onlookers with their blend of folk, rock and string band sounds. The pair did an assortment of their original songs, including “The Corn Husker’s Ball,” “The Dizziest Train,” “Big Blue Sky,” “Our Burning Building,” “No Darlin’ One,” songs from their forthcoming new album such as “Non Alcoholic Beer,” and more. They also saluted influential singer and songwriter Gram Parsons with a medley of several of his songs. The area’s music scene was saddened last month with the passing of Dennis Ivory from injuries suffered in a July 22 auto accident near Altoona. Dennis in 2006 founded popular area vocal oldies trio The SharpTones, who frequently entertained at festivals, car shows, charity events, retirement homes and more. Dennis was 61. News and notes…The Rail Gang Rockers, Urban Myth, Greg Burley, Above the Radar and 4th Street will perform during “A Day Of Music,” happening Aug. 8 at the PPG Pavilion near Tipton…The annual Route 22 Rock & Blues Festival will take place on August 21-22 at the Lincoln Caverns Campground near Huntingdon; this Crissee Gordon of year’s performers include Faded The Perkolators Flowers, Matt Otis & the Sound, Kevo Can’t Dance, Maul, Negan, Hate Grenade, Iron Wolf, On The Brink, PennSoulvania, Anchors to Anchors, The Roof, The Snipped, Wrath Of Typhon, The Blacksnakes, Abstentious, Donny Burns & the 3rd Degree and Black Sun…In lieu of the cancellation of the annual St. Bernard’s Homecoming Picnic in Hastings this month due to COVID-19, Hastings Woodstock 2020 will instead take place on August 15 at Hastings Park, featuring performances from Acoustic Stew, Nag Champions and Mellissa Vella…The Johnstown Area Heritage Association has Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

VELVEETA postponed their inaugural Homegrown Music Festival at Johnstown’s People’s Natural Gas Park from Aug. 29 to Oct. 17…Mr. Small’s Theatre in Pittsburgh’s Millvale neighborhood has postponed their annual Yinzfest event until December 12…Chris Rattie & the New Rebels have issued a new self-titled, four-song EP that features songs the group released digitally through the past year… Mysterytrain announced they will be taking the rest of this year off from performing live shows and festivals, and will concentrate on writing and recording some new songs in the studio, plus stage some live streaming events through the rest of the year…Acoustic duo Sarah Mellott and Tommy Fix entered Data Music Services last month to record their original music, with members of Felix & the Hurricanes assisting…And Pittsburgh’s Black Ridge entered the studio last month to begin their next recording. 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. Keep washing those hands and wearing those masks, and SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC!

ZUPE

Photos & Drawings from page 16 to page 20 by Jim Price / The Professor

August, 2020


PA MUSICIAN REVIEWS By Jim Price

NORMAN NARDINI – NOTORIOUS (no label) With seven decades of life and five decades of music-making under his belt, “Pittsfield, Pennsyltucky” legend Norman Nardini has a lot of stories, memories, thoughts and wisdom to share. He expresses some of them on the ten songs of his latest album, Notorious. Norman is front and center on lead vocals and guitar, helped by his longtime bass player Harry Bottoms, keyboard and sax man Larry Siefers, drummer and percussionist Brice Foster, Bubs McKeg on backing vocals and several guests. Norman offers wisdom about living life to its fullest on the hard-rocking opening track, “Life,” before he celebrates the life and legend of Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Roberto Clemente on the Caribbean-toned “Ole Number 21.” Norman takes stock in the world and its beauty on the gentle and soulful “Wonder,” and celebrates the influence and impact of his father on “The Tree,” featuring accordion accompaniment from guest Lamont Samuels. He recalls the poise and integrity of western film hero “Josey Wales” on a rocking ode by that name, and ponders the ingenuity and wisdom of America’s founding fathers on the gospel-edged “What It Is.” Norman displays his lyrical storytelling skills on two numbers, weaving

a tale about bad guys on the hard-rocking “The Devil,” and fleeing from a bad gal on the soulful and slinky “Girl With A Gun.” Norman acknowledges his struggle for respect and recognition in his own hometown on “Pittsburgh, PA,” and declares his resolve in the face of naysayers and backstabbers on the album closer “The Horse.” Norman sings his words with gusto and sincerity, and his go-for-broke personality radiates throughout the album. The songs themselves are strong, distinctive and well-executed, and Norman’s seasoned cast of players give sharp performances. Produced by Norman and Brice and recorded at Norman’s East Side Sound, Notorious sounds balanced and solid, edgy and hearty. Notorious is the sound of a seasoned sage and storyteller, and Norman Nardini delivers one of his finest sets of “Real. Manful. Music.” yet. (The CD can be obtained through Norman’s website, www. normannardini.com.) PIECES OF REASON – BIPOLAR (no label) Philadelphia’s Pieces Of Reason came together when the group’s members – lead singer and guitarist Mike Lang, lead guitarist and singer Pat Rooney, bassist Mark “Dust” Shouldis and drummer Johnny Bowers - tired of playing cover songs. Their attention to original music has resulted in the group’s debut album, Bipolar. The album title is a reference to the range of styles that informs the group’s overall sound. Hard and alternative rock are parts of that equation,

as well as funk flourishes and progressive elements. Through the album’s 11 tracks, Pieces Of Reason shows a knack for clever song melodies and structures, busy rhythms, intriguing guitar riffs and stinging solos, all topped with Mike’s varied vocal attack, which can go from August, 2020

mild to wild and intensities in between. Many of the group’s songs are based on personal themes and experiences. The 6-minute-plus opener “Waiting” concerns the cycle of anger and anguish associated with a tumultuous relationship; the song displays a complex arrangement with hints of Avenged Sevenfold and Incubus. The turbulent and circular “Be The Man” examines inner personality battles, while the funk-driven rocker “Sobriety” dissects the inner struggles of substance abuse. The dark and elaborate “The Cost” deals with the gradual loss of a loved one, while the erupting and thunderous “It” ponders the curve balls life throws at us. The driving title song “Bi-Polar” channels a Nirvana flavor, while “And I Know” and “Punk” aggressively rock the album homeward. Pieces Of Reason executes their material well, and their busy song material comes off tight and together. Produced by the band plus engineer Neil Gibbs and recorded at Sunlight Studios in Perkasie, Bipolar sounds sharp and straightforward, with the group’s cutting edge not dulled by studio gloss. The result is a strong album; Pieces Of Reason delivers an impressive opening salvo with Bipolar, and introduces their compelling blend of hard-hitting rock and musical ingenuity. (The album can be obtained through the group’s website, www.piecesofreason.com.) LITTLE BUDDY – BLUE ZASU (no label) For more than two decades and six albums, Little Buddy has carved his niche in the southeastern PA blues and rock scene. He and his band’s latest CD, Blue Zasu, offers 10 tracks of smoldering blues, blues-rock, funk and other flavors. Little Buddy (a.k.a. Johnstown native Mark Kormanik) sings and slings guitar, assisted by Ken McCoy on saxophone, Tom Webb on drums and Anton Marc Clockson on bass. Blues is the prominent foundation throughout the album, starting with the funky and sassy R&B opener “What You

a dozen tracks. His melodies are tight and infectious, and he sings with a sturdy voice as he muses about themes of life, love, music and persistence. Gary reflects on his father’s truck on the album-opening “Ol’ GMC,” setting the rustic tone for the set. Fleshed out with banjo and keys, “Building an Empire” offers wisdom about being humble;

while the uptempo hoedown title track “The Whole Nine Yards” offers a lesson on learning from life’s hardships. Gary channels a slight 1950s doo wop flavor on the romantic “Kiss Me in the Morning, and sings of not throwing in the towel on love on “Another One More Try.” On “The Pencil and the Paper,” Gary offers some philosophy on the mystery of song lyrics, and he comes to grips with aging on the disc-ending “Quarter Life Crisis.” Gary’s voice sounds steady and stalwart throughout the album, and his presentation is comfortable and confident. A cast of musical friends contribute various instrumental talents, including guitars, bass, drums, fiddle and keyboards; all nicely fill and color the sound of each track, and lend further consistency to this album as a whole. The arrangements give each song depth and distinction, and each song stands solidly on its own. Recorded, mixed and mastered at SI Studios in Old Forge, this album sounds clean, smooth, balanced and full; Gary’s voice is front and center, and the instrumental contributions sound distinct and work well in the mix. The Whole Nine Yards further establishes Gary Carl’s credentials as a songwriter and country artist, as he demonstrates his gift of crafting melodies, meaningful lyrics and pleasant moods. (The CD can be obtained through Gary’s website, www.garycarl.com, and through online music retailers.)

Gonna Do?” Slow blues is the flavor on “Made Up My Mind,” as Little Buddy resolves to embrace love and better times. He laments a relationship going sour on the lowdown bluesy soul of “Lifelong Dream,” and dreads the middle of February on the brooding “(No) Buddy’s Valentine.” Little Buddy devotes himself to a musical love on “Her Name Is the Blues,” and steps up the tempo on the bluesy boogie of “Nelly.” He also fires off hard-edged funk on “All About You,” and dabbles in Caribbean tones with “Reggae Chet,” with Ken’s saxophone and Tom’s varied percussion taking the spotlight. The album also features two instrumental workouts, the rockabilly-driven “Straightaway” and the Texas-styled blues stormer “Dynamite Sandwich.” Little Buddy sings with heart and emotion, and makes listeners feel all the joy and despair he conveys. He dazzles on the guitar strings, and his band executes these songs with optimum groove and swagger. Produced and recorded by Steve Puffer at Parallel Productions in Lancaster, this album sounds crisp and full, with Little Buddy and his sidemen all sounding clean and distinct in the mix. Blue Zasu continues to establish Little Buddy’s strong and feisty brand of blues-based music, and provides a stirring, satisfying listen. (The CD can be obtained through Little Buddy’s website, www.littlebuddy.rocks.) GARY CARL – THE WHOLE NINE YARDS (no label) A multi-instrumentalist who played in a variety of Scranton area cover bands, Gary Carl developed his songwriting skills along the way. Those skills eventually culminated in three albums with Gary’s original rock band endeavor Jakesway, and more recently in his own solo career. On his third solo CD, The Whole Nine Yards, Gary has forged a distinctive style of country and country-rock over the course of Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

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established project preferred but will consider all offers. Covers or originals, just wanna play with high end musicians. If this is you we can talk. I live in Enola and prefer to stay within reasonable driving distance. divinemizery@gmail. com

Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

The area’s BEST PRICES on Strings & Accessories

Expert Repair & Service •BUY • SELL • TRADE • CONSIGN ~Vintage Guitars & Amps~

717.422.5794

www.woodshedguitarworks.com 147 N. Hanover Street Carlisle, PA 17013

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Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

August, 2020


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