Jim Price
Moderator
Joined: 07 Dec 2002
Posts: 4817
Location: Altoona, PA
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 Posted: Wednesday Mar 14, 2007 |
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THANKSGIVING WEEKEND RECAP 11/27/06
THE RESONATORS @ THE HITCHING POST, ALTOONA 11/22/06
Thanksgiving Eve had arrived; acknowledged in recent years as the biggest party night of the year. I made
a point to finish up my usual Wednesday evening "hell night" duties as early as possible, so I could take in my first look at The Resonators at the Hitching Post.
The Resonators are actually a slimmed-down update of Mudbone, featuring Bruce Foor on guitar, dobro and lead vocals, and Barry Steindel on guitar. The pair dug a special guest out of the mothballs this night, veteran area drummer Buzzy Robinson, to provide some beats behind them.
The Post was packed as I arrived, and procured a single empty seat near the entrance to the main band room. The trio was playing "Friend of the Devil" by the Grateful Dead, and continued with a selection of classic rock, blues, folk and country. They did selections by Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, Robert Johnson and more. The group also did renditions of Luther Dixon's "Big Boss Man," the traditional "Man of Constant Sorrow;" as well as a few original songs such as "Going Up The Mountain."
It was a good-sounding performance. Bruce and Barry were solid on their instruments, with Bruce switching back and forth between his various acoustic weapons of attack. Behind them, Buzzy provided steady beats as always; it was good to see this man out and playing again!
The Hitching Post crowd thoroughly enjoyed it, and so did I. And with a plate of ribs and fries on the side, The Resonators provided a good start to my Thanksgiving weekend.
Surfacing from the mothballs to play some drums this night, Buzzy Robinson.
The Resonators kick off Thanksgiving Eve at The Hitching Post.
Bruce Foor of The Resonators.
Barry Steindel of The Resonators, with Buzzy Robinson on drums.
GREEN EGGS @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 11/22/06
After The Resonators' performance ended, I continued my Thanksgiving Eve festivities at Pellegrine's, where Green Eggs was ushering in the holiday. Pellegrine's had a full house, and Green Eggs put the crowd in festive spirits with their wide-ranging, uptempo party mix.
Singer/bassist Brad Nicarry, singer/keyboardist Brian Nicarry, guitarist/singer Steve Nelson and drummer Doug Black were in the midst of a hip-hop passage as I arrived, but soon shifted into rock mode with Guns'n'Roses' "Sweet Child O'Mine" and AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long." The party continued with Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama," before heading back into hip-hop mode. Green Eggs kept mixing it up, doing songs from Tom Petty, Jackson 5, Fallout Boy, Kelly Clarkson, and for the set finale, an 80's hair-band medley featuring Metallica's "Enter Sandman," Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name."
Green Eggs made it look smooth as always. These guys kept the tunes constant, never giving the Pelly's crowd any reason to sit down. They smoothly glided between styles, vocal duties and sometimes even instruments while keeping the energy level high. The band was having fun, and the crowd fed off of it. It was a party.
That party soon resumed with Dexy's Midnight Runners' "Come On Eileen." Green Eggs didn't remain in any one place musically for long, again jumping between modern and classic rock, hip-hop, and even country with a rendition of Big & Rich's "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy." Eventually, the group closed out the night in a heavier vein with Danzig's "Mother."
Save for one short-lived fracas back by the rear entrance early in the third set, it was mostly a festive and freewheeling good time at Pellegrine's, as the dance faithful burned off some last calories before ingesting mass quantities of roasted bird hours later.
Green Eggs turns up the Thanksgiving Eve party at Pellegrine's.
Brian Nicarry of Green Eggs.
Again, Brian Nicarry of Green Eggs.
Green Eggs and some happy fans.
Brad Nicarry of Green Eggs.
Once again, Brian Nicarry of Green Eggs.
More partying fun with Green Eggs.
It's a mass of humanity on the dance floor, partying down with Green Eggs.
The band and crowd party on.
Yet again, Brian Nicarry of Green Eggs.
One more time, Green Eggs.
SPIRIT LOST @ MAGOO’S, CRESSON 11/24/06
For Black Friday night, I decided a trip up the mountain was in order, to catch my first look at Spirit Lost, performing at Magoo's in Cresson. I barely missed seeing these guys and gal several times before, so this night I was determined to catch their show.
A nice mid-sized crowd populated Magoo's as I arrived, early in Spirit Lost's second set. The group – Austin Tepsic on vocals, Joe Harpster and Brian Smith on guitars, Russ Patterson on bass and Lisa "Woo" Fazenbaker on drums – performed an eclectic mix of classic, modern rock and original songs. The group was doing one of their original songs, "Soul Seeker," as I arrived, and continued to do numbers by CCR, Better Than Ezra, Proclaimers, Twisted Sister, Alice In Chains and Weezer. A guest named Jim got up to perform with the group on Weezer's "Buddy Holly," before Spirit Lost broke out a heavy-handed read of Garth Brooks' "Thunder Rolls." The group then finished up the set with a version of Kenny Wayne Shepherd's "Blue On Black," welcoming a former bandmate of Brian's and Lisa's from the Pneumatic days, Colton Fouse, up to play guitar. Colton went to town on the axe, totally immersing himself in his solo to the point where he sat down on the stage to focus total attention on his instrument. It was a pretty wild display to finish out the set.
To begin their nightcap set, Spirit Lost welcomed another guest onstage, Tie Down drummer Jason Grodis, who staffed the drum kit on Green Day's "Holiday." Spirit Lost continued with Soundgarden's "Outshined," which transitioned into Tool's "Stinkfist." After a Foo Fighters number, the group did another of their own songs, "Lost Soul," followed by a renditon of Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls." Another guest named Tyler joined Spirit Lost onstage to sing lead on Seether's "Remedy." Next was Foo Fighters' "M0onkey Wrench," before the band closed out the set with Pink Floyd's "Run Like Hell," capped by an extended drum solo display by "Woo" that had the house cheering wildly. This set up nicely for the Magoo's crowd to demand two encores; Spirit Lost first responded with Seven Mary Three's "Cumbersome," before answering the second encore demands with Chevelle's "The Red."
Spirit Lost showed that they were a work in progress this night. The group left their own muse and the mood of the Magoo's crowd guide them, shifting musical directions at their own whim. The group was instrumentally solid for the most part, although I did detect an occasional miscue here and there, nothing fatal. They also appeared a little tentative in spots; continued onstage experience should resolve this. Their song selection was interesting and upredictable, and their original songs were each unique and hard to categorize. The appearance of various guests through the course of the night kept things interesting. Overall, a good show, that served notice that this will be a band to keep checking back with in coming months.
Spirit Lost, rocking Magoo's.
Again, Spirit Lost.
Guest Colton Fouse, soloing for dear life.
Again, Spirit Lost.
Brian Smith of Spirit Lost.
Joe Harpster of Spirit Lost.
Austin Tepsic of Spirit Lost.
Lisa "Woo" Fazenbaker of Spirit Lost..
Once again, Spirit Lost.
Joe Harpster and Russ Patterson of Spirit Lost.
Joe, Russ and Austin of Spirit Lost.
Yet again, Spirit Lost.
Firing off a drum solo, Woo of Spirit Lost.
More "Woo" for you drum fans.
Elated after her skin-pounding display, "Woo" of Spirit Lost.
TOYS FOR TOTS BENEFIT @ CITY LIMITS, ALTOONA 11/25/06
For the 4th year in a row, Q94, Pennsylvania Musician Magazine and City Limits presented the Toys For Tots Benefit concert at City Limits on Saturday night, Nov. 25, with five excellent area bands donating their talents to help out the U.S. Marine Corps' Toys For Tots program, brightening the holiday season for needy area children and families. Again, it was a memorable and fun evening.
At the stroke of 8:30 PM, Felix & the Hurricanes kicked off the evening, showcasing a set of their original brand of rock and blues. Kicking off with their new instrumental "Wild Turkey" (appropriate given the Thanksgiving holiday weekend), singer/guitarist/lead 'Cane Felix Kos, bassist/singer Jeff Clapper and drummer Bob Watters performed such original song favorites as "Issues," "Keep On Rockin,'" "The Lonely One," and "Walkin' A Straight Line." The group ended their set with a rendition of Ted Nugent's "Stranglehold." Again, the Hurricanes' musicianship was amazing, and set the bar high for the rest of the bands to follow. My favorite part of their set was their rendition of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s fast-flying instrumental “Rude Mood,” which dropped my jaw to the floor as I watched Jeff Clapper's fast fingers flying up and down the neck of that bass, matching Felix note for note! It was a rousing start to the evening that quickly fired the crowd up.
Kicking off the music for the Toys For Tots benefit, Felix & the Hurricanes.
Again, some Hurricaning to kick off the Toys for Tots benefit.
With a look of intensity on his face, Jeff Clapper of Felix & the Hurricanes.
The lead Hurricane, Felix Kos.
Again, Hurricane Felix.
Once again, Felix & the Hurricanes.
Next up was FedUP. Frontman Brian Stotler, guitarist Dave Charlton, bassist Don Singer and drummer Matt Popp performed their more coarse brand of hardcore-infused heavy metal, including original songs from their recently-issued 5-song EP such as "Out Of My Way," "Ignorance and Apathy," "Useless" and more. These guys delivered the full brutality; with the band rampaging on all cylinders like a runaway tank, and Brian furiously venting his feral, pass-a-kidney-stone vocals. A surprise highlight of FedUP's set happened during their final song, "In The Darkness," when several members of the U.S. Marine Corps contingent – in full uniform – began moshing in front of the stage. Marines in full uniform moshing – what a sight!
Fed up that needy area children and families can't afford toys this holiday season, Altoona's FedUP donated their talents this night to help raise money and toys for the U.S. Marine Corps' Toys For Tots program.
Again, FedUP.
Don Singer of FedUP.
FedUP, performing music for Marines to mosh to. Oh my!
The night continued to heat up with the next band on stage, Silver Sunday. Singer Cathie, guitarist/singer Buck Dickson, bassist/singer Mike Stanley and drummer Todd Harshbarger triggered the first major dance floor action of the evening as they played a charged blend of current hits, reworked 80's and 90's tunes and more. Cathie rallied the growing dance floor crowd by getting out on the floor and mixing it up with fans along the way. Besides maintaining a high energy level with numbers from Sublime, Goldfinger, the Outfield, No Doubt, Blondie and more; Silver Sunday broke out a funky dance medley commencing with Mike rapping on House Of Pain's "Jump Around," also the Buck-sung "Bucky Spears" edition of Britney's hit "Hit Me Baby," and one of their original songs, the funk-edged "Just Like Lisa." And Todd did his 'patented' cowbell display. Silver Sunday nicely elevated the fun and energy level of this evening, setting the stage for the remainder of the party to follow.
Triggering the dance floor party, Silver Sunday.
Cathie from Silver Sunday brings her party out onto the dance floor.
Again, Cathie from Silver Sunday.
Buck Dickson of Silver Sunday.
Again, Buck from Silver Sunday.
Todd Harshbarger of Silver Sunday.
Once again, Silver Sunday.
The dance floor gets busy during Silver Sunday's set.
Todd from Silver Sunday brings his drumming skills out to the front of the stage.
Up next was Bad Daze, who kept the dance floor busy from start to finish with their hard rocking mix. Singer Rob Carolus, guitarist Kenny Murdick, bassist Paul Rainey and drummer Randy Wilson rocked the house with current numbers from Rob Zombie, Disturbed, Buckcherry, Puddle Of Mudd, Seether, Weezer and Hinder, plus 80's classics from AC/DC, Poison and more. Bad Daze kept the energy level high and constant, giving the dance floor revelers no reason to want to sit down. And there were even some unconfirmed "dancing JP" sightings on the dance floor during this set! Bad Daze had the party chugging along nicely, and continued to elevate the mood of the evening.
Bad Daze picks up the party and runs with it at City Limits.
Keeping City Limits' dance floor filled, Bad Daze.
Rob Carolus and Paul Rainey of Bad Daze.
Paul Rainey of Bad Daze.
Kenny Murdick of Bad Daze.
Again going 'old skool' on guitar, Kenny Murdick of Bad Daze.
City Limits parties down with Bad Daze.
Once again, Bad Daze.
Rob Carolus of Bad Daze.
Bad Daze continues to heat up the dance floor at the Toys For Tots benefit.
Turbulent dance floor action ensues during Bad Daze's set.
More dance floor excitement with Bad Daze.
The fun continues with Bad Daze.
The party then achieved full meltdown with the evening's final band, Saxton's Fayted. Singer Josh Lockard, lead guitarist Kenton Sitch, rhythm guitarist Ron Horton, bassist Larry Bishop and drummer Zac Grace mixed rocking favorites from Seven Mary Three, The Clarks, Ugly Kid Joe, Beastie Boys, Buckcherry, Poison, Lit, Weezer and more. This set rode at a continuous high, and got crazier as it progressed, with various folks joining the band onstage along the way. By set's end, there were more Marines and ladies dancing on the stage than there were musicians! It was a feverish, hard-partying finish that slammed the lid on an excellent night!
Ron Horton and Larry Bishop of Fayted.
Again, Ron Horton and Larry Bishop of Fayted.
Kenton Sitch of Fayted.
Entertaining millions (err...hundreds) from atop City Limits' speaker stacks, Josh Lockard of Fayted.
Again from atop the speakers, Josh Lockard of Fayted.
More excitement with Josh of Fayted.
With some Marines joining him onstage, Josh Lockard of Fayted.
Kenton Sitch of Fayted.
Fayted, again joined onstage by some happy Marines.
It's bump and grind action with Kenton Sitch and Fayted.
Josh Lockard of Fayted keeps the dance floor crazy.
Josh from Fayted goes for a ride on City Limits' dance floor.
Josh Lockard continues his ride around City Limits' dance floor.
Larry Bishop of Fayted with some partying ladies.
Fun and craziness with Kenton Sitch and Larry Bishop of Fayted.
Once again, Fayted.
Ron Horton of Fayted, flanked by Marines.
Josh and Kenton of Fayted.
Your friendly neighborhood Professor, announcing the totals raised for Toys For Tots from the night's festivities.
Bumping, grinding, dancing madness with Fayted and some lady revelers.
More bumping and grinding with Fayted and their fans.
Busting some dance moves with a happy lady, Kenton Sitch of Fayted.
More onstage pandemonium with Fayted.
Flanked by ladies, Josh Lockard of Fayted.
Fayted, rocking both on and off the stage.
This was an excellent night of live music and fun for a good cause. The end tally was a huge pile of toys collected by the front door, along with $1,122.50 raised for Toys For Tots.
Thanks en masse to soundman Scott "Zilly" Zillinger for putting in the longest evening of anybody; the man was definitely feeling it this night, and made every band sound like a million bucks! Also big thanks to Claudio and the City Limits wait staff, all five bands for donating their talents (especially Fayted and Bad Daze for helping provide the backline for the event, and Fayted for giving up a paying gig this night at City Limits to allow this special night to happen. And of course, thanks to all the fans who came out and supported the cause – we'll do it again next year!
What this night was all about: A big pile of toys and $1,122.50 was raised for the U.S. Marine Corps' Toys For Tots program!
TIL DECEMBER @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 11/26/06
My good-time Thanksgiving holiday weekend finished at Pellegrine's, with Til December rocking the weekend home.
Surprisingly, given the other high-profile shows that had already taken place thus far this weekend, as well as buck season starting the following morning, there was a good-sized crowd at Pellegrine's as I arrived towards the end of the first set. Altoona was still partying on this Thanksgiving weekend, and Til December gave them ample reason to continue to party as the evening progressed.
Frontman Matt "Goody" Goodreau, guitarist Jeremy Edge, bassist Jamie Morral and drummer Tony Esposito kept Pelly's rocking steadily in the second set with favorites from Buckcherry, Joan Jett, Beastie Boys, Weezer, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sublime and more. Along the way, the group broke out two of their own songs, a new number and "Stages" from their Hollow CD. The dance floor crowd remained rivetted at the front of the stage, rocking along as Goody worked all sections of the stage and kept the fans fired up.
The nightcap set offered fireworks, both musical and non-musical. Renditions of Violent Femmes' "Blister In The Sun" and Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me" quickly brought the crowd back onto the dance floor. During Johnny Cash's "Ring Of Fire," though, a catfight erupted in the middle of the dance floor, with both women soon separated as the band broke into laughter. I didn't catch the whole story, but one of the two combatants had keys to the band's bus, which Pelly's security retrieved before she was escorted from the premises. Catfight settled, Til December continued with a mellow-out song, Hinder's "Lips of an Angel," before doing another original song, "Frustrated." Bassman Jamie then barked the lead voice on Pantera's "Walk," before the group playfully shifted into their Jeckyl-and-Hyde rendition of Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville." One song later, the group ended the set with Tool's "Sober." Pelly's wasn't ready to end Thanksgiving weekend just yet, so the group provided an encore, ending the night with their popular original "Seatbelt."
It was another fired-up, hard-rocking Til December party. The group was tight and together, and kept the excitement level riding at a constant high throughout the evening. The crowd was fired up as well, and band and crowd fed off each other's energy to propel the evening's energy higher and higher. It was a good blowout to party to end Thanksgiving weekend '06 on a positive vibe.
Matt "Goody" Goodreau of Til December.
Again, Goody from Til December.
Jeremy Edge of Til December.
Tony Esposito of Til December.
Goody of Til December, joined by gtuest fan Doug.
Jeremy Edge and Goody of Til December.
Once again, Goody of Til December.
Jamie Morral of Til December.
Again, Jamie Morral of Til December.
Once again, Jeremy Edge of Til December.
JP’s HAIKU
Toys for Tots party
Five bands rocked for local kids
Moshing Marines rule!
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