Jim Price
Moderator
Joined: 07 Dec 2002
Posts: 4817
Location: Altoona, PA
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 Posted: Tuesday Apr 17, 2007 |
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WEEK/WEEKEND RECAP 1/29/07
THE RESONATORS/BRENNON JOHN @ THE HITCHING POST, ALTOONA 1/24/07
I was hellbent on completing my Wednesday workplace duties early this night, so I could shoot on over to The Hitching Post for the Wednesday Country night double-bill featuring The Resonators and solo performer Brennon John.
I succeeded, and got to the Post right before the show began. Brennon John wasn't alone onstage to begin the evening; he was joined by his sister, Brianne, who provided backing vocals and harmonies. Brennon himself is an Altoona native who spent several years pursuing his music career in Nashville, before opting to return home to do music. He and Brianne performed a strong set blending acoustic delta-styled blues, roots country and Dylan-esque folk sounds, showcasing original songs and some cover material. He did songs from his full-length album, Variations: I and his recently-issued EP, including "Southbound Train;" and also pulled out a rendition of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues." Brennon demonstrated a strong and sturdy voice and a full acoustic guitar sound to support it; and both he and Brianne combined for some tasty harmonies along the way.
After a brief intermission, The Resonators were ready to go. As they did the last time I saw them back on Thanksgiving Eve, singer/guitarist Bruce Foor and guitarist Barry Steidel brought local drum veteran Buzzy Robinson out of the mothballs again to provide some additional beats this night. The three musicians blended classic rock, blues, country and bluegrass sounds; performing originals and covers. Some of The Resonators' diverse song selection included Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Green River," which they opened with; as well as Paul Simon's "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard," Black Crowes' "Hard to Handle," the traditional "Don't Let the Deal Go Down," the Grateful Dead's "Friend of the Devil," Loudon Wainright III's "Dead Skunk," Neil Young's "Heart of Gold," the Stones' "Dead Flowers," Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" and more. Along the way, guest John "Songsmith" Stevens contributed some harmonica on Bill Browning/The Seldom Scene's "Dark Hollow," the traditional "Woke Up This Morning" and Robert Johnson's "Crossroads."
Again, The Resonators sounded good. Bruce and Barry brought a lot of different guitar flavors forth on their variety of material, even turning a few songs into longer jam excursions. Buzzy again provided the steady beats behind them, not looking worse for the rust. The Hitching Post crowd enjoyed it from start to end, and it was yet another fun way to spend a Wednesday evening.
With guest Johnny Stevens blowing some harp, The Resonators.
Once again serving duty behind the drum kit, Buzzy Robinson.
Bruce Foor of The Resonators.
One more time, The Resonators, with John Stevens on harmonica.
GREG & DUSTIN BURLEY @ THE BELMAR HOTEL, ALTOONA 1/25/07
Last summer, for my annual "Backyard Rocker" Father's Day Special, I welcomed the father-and-son pairing of Greg and Dustin Burley on the program, and they performed several selections together on the air. This night, in lieu of Rock & Rye's regular Thursday night performance at The Belmar Hotel, Rock (Greg) and son would team up again, this time on a public stage.
I arrived late in the pair's second set, getting there in time to see Greg and Dustin perform The Band's "The Weight" and Van Morrison' "Brown Eyed Girl." Greg joked with the Belmar audience that he was suffering from "Anheuser's Disease" this night.
Greg and Dustin told me they had run through a lot of the material they did together before I arrived. But they still had a few songs left up their sleeves, as their final set of the evening would reveal. The pair started off their nightcap set with Seven Mary Three's "Cumbersome," before going for some comic relief on a version of Denis Leary's "A--hole Song." Dustin then handled vocal duties on Oasis' "Wonderwall," followed by a reggae treatment of Lynyrd Skynyrd's ever-popular "Sweet Home Alabama," which morphed into Steve Miller Band's "Take the Money and Run." The pair did Robert Johnson's "Crossroads," before Dustin again took the spotlight on Pearl Jam's "Black," and finished the set with the Talking Heads' "Psycho Killer." The Belmar audience requested more, so the pair returned to finish out the night. Greg this time took the spotlight, unleashing his growly Man-In-Black voice on Johnny Cash's "Cocaine Blues" and a request for "Folsom Prison Blues."
It was enjoyable, watching father and son blend their talents and complement one another on the stage. You could tell that both Greg and Dustin were enjoying their time making music together, and the Belmar crowd showed their appreciation as well. A fun show.
Father and son: Greg and Dustin Burley, at the Belmar.
NOTHING SACRED @ ALDO’S, ALTOONA 1/25/07
After Greg and Dustin Burley finished up their performance at the Belmar, I headed to Aldo's to see Nothing Sacred, and catch what I could of the Maxim Magazine Talent Search.
Fortunately, I did get to catch Nothing Sacred's final set. Unfortunately, I missed the Talent Search, although a few of the model hopefuls were still hanging out at Aldo's after the contest. A good-sized crowd was still in the house as singer Cheeze, and guitarists Tim Mort and Tom Noel played their mix of favorites and acoustic punk rock treatments. The trio opened with Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues," and also did renditions of REM's "The One I Love," Against Me!'s "Pints of Guinness Make You Strong," Social Distortion's "Ball and Chain," Prince's "Purple Rain" and more. The vibe was festive, with many of the Aldo's onlookers gathered at the front of the stage and singing along.
Although I arrived too late for the Maxim Magazine festivities, I was glad to see a good attendance for the event, and folks sticking around to enjoy Nothing Sacred's party as well.
SOMERHILL @ ALDO’S, ALTOONA 1/26/07
I had hoped to venture out of town this night to catch live music, but a heavy workplace workload scuttled those plans and relegated me to sticking in the 'Toona. Not a problem; I decided to head to Aldo's, to catch another look at western PA's Somerhill.
I was again pleased to see a good crowd in attendance for this group's second visit to Aldo's. Somerhill again demonstrated a varying, wide-ranging sound, and equal variety and diversity on their range of musical talents. Chad Gontkovic sang, played acoustic guitar and keys through the course of the night. Greg Kehl and Greg Gillen played guitars. Bill Rose played bass, keys and guitar; and Steve Page played drums and saxophone. Together, these musicians played a diverse sound that can't be pigeonholed; incorporating elements of pop, funk, jazz and modern rock.
Through their two lengthy sets, Somerhill played a selection comprised of mostly original songs, with a few select covers mixed in along the way. Some of the original numbers included "Enrapture," "Smooth Radical," "Come On Home," the title song from the group's forthcoming debut CD, New Disease, "Zabadee," "Be Alive," "The Highway" and more. A few songs, notably "Free Your Mind" and "Crazy," erupted into lengthier jam workouts, with the latter number featuring a cameo appearance from New York City's Charles Constantino on drums and keys; he will be recording the group's forthcoming album. Somerhill closed the show strong, with the Dave Matthews rendition of "All Along the Watchtower" segueing into Tom Petty's "Mary Jane's Last Dance" to finish the night.
Somerhill put on a very entertaining show. Chad demonstrated a clear, high-ranging voice that could do a variety of things, including falsettos, scatting, providing counterpoint to the instrumentation and more. And every member of this band was solid on his instrument and instruments; and together the group's execution was sharp and on target. The constantly changing variety of musical flavors and tempos kept the show interesting throughout, and never gave the audience any reason to get bored or leave.
Although Aldo's is typically thought of as a harder-rocking room, it was good to see Aldo's audience appreciating the lighter-geared original flavors that Somerhill provided onstage this night. Hopefully that translates into more future visits from this group, so more local music fans can experience this unique band and what they bring to the stage.
Here is some video footage from Somerhill’s performance:
http://www.rockpage.net/users/jprice/video/MOV09364.MPG
Somerhill, entertaining at Aldo's.
Chad Gontkovic of Somerhill.
Again, Somerhill.
Once again, Somerrhill.
More from Somerhill.
Chad Gontkovic and one of the Greg's from Somerhill.
Steve Page of Somerhill.
One more time, Somerhill.
THE HILLBILLY GYPSIES/OAK & IVY @ THE HEIDELBERG, ALTOONA 1/27/07
With the growing popularity of bluegrass music on area stages, several noted musicians began buzzing to me about a group from Morgantown, West Virginia, called The Hillbilly Gypsies. These folks were reported to be giving bluegrass music a new, livelier flavor with aggressive, energetic performances. When it was announced that this band was coming to Altoona to appear at the Heidelberg Country Club, my curiosity had been aroused, and I had to check it out. This occasion would also give me an opportunity to set foot inside the Heidelberg for the first time ever.
A good-sized crowd was already present when I arrived, and procured a table near the rear of the room. Soon I was joined by singer/songwriter Chris Whitmer, who had journeyed all the way in from Danville to check the show out!
Opening the show was acoustic duo Oak & Ivy. I first saw singer/mandolin player Matt Harrison and guitarist/singer Kathryn Bullington perform last summer at the Music Is Life Festival in Pleasant Gap, and was eager to catch a full set of their traditional folk-flavored sounds. Unfortunately, I didn't get to experience much of their set due to technical/microphone issues and low volume levels; it wasn't until late in their performance that I could really hear much of what was going on from where I was sitting. What I did hear from them sounded good, as the duo mixed original and traditional folk tunes. Their instrumentation was nicely coordinated, and their harmonies shined. If only I could have heard them better...
Opening the evening, Matt Harrison and Kathryn Bullington: Oak & Ivy.
The crowd continued to arrive through Oak & Ivy’s set, and soon the Heidelberg was a packed house. If The Hillbilly Gypsies delivered the show that their proponents had advertised, it was definitely going to impact a lot of people and elevate bluegrass’ profile even more locally. Soon we would find out just what this band was all about.
The Hillbilly Gypsies soon took the stage and kicked off the first of two sets. Immediately, this group demonstrated and defined their musical turf, performing hard-driving, fire-and-brimstone bluegrass. Positioned around a central condenser microphone; singer, guitarist and clawhammer banjo player Trae Buckner, singer Jamie Lynn Buckner, upright bass player Jason Teel, fiddle player Ty Jaquay and banjo/guitar player Dave Asti fired off a blend of fast and feisty bluegrass originals and traditional bluegrass sounds. The faster numbers featured detailed, tight musicianship; Ty’s fiddle sawing and Dave’s banjo picking were rapid fire and amazing! Jamie Lynn sang with power, soul and passion. All five musicians were coordinated as they stepped towards and away from the microphone to emphasize various components of their sound. The Gypsies’ song selection over the two sets included numbers from their CD One Foot In The Gravy such as “Crow Black Chicken,” "Mama's Hand," “West Virginia My Home,” “I Know You Rider,” “Mercy” and more; also their fast-firing takes on bluegrass standards like “Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms” into “Mountain Dew,” Arlie Duff/Bill Monroe’s “Y’all Come,” “Rocky Top," "Cotton Eyed Joe," "Orange Blossom Special” and more. The packed-house Heidelberg audience became more excited as the performance went along, and were dancing and stomping in front of the stage by the latter stages of the show; before demanding three encores from the Gypsies.
The Hillbilly Gypsies bring a new fire and vigor into a traditional brand of music; and it was easy to understand by this night’s performance why they are drawing a whole new generation of fans into the bluegrass genre. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this band enjoying national exposure in the near future.
Hats off to Chuck Cox for putting this shindig together; here's hoping the success of this show leads to more like it down the road.
Here is some video footage from the Hillbilly Gypsies’ performance:
http://www.rockpage.net/users/jprice/video/MOV09369.MPG
Some fun on the Heidelberg dance floor with the Hillbilly Gypsies.
The Hillbilly Gypsies.
Again, the Hillbilly Gypsies.
Fire-and-brimstone bluegrass with the Hillbilly Gypsies.
Once again, the Hillbilly Gypsies.
More fun with the Hillbilly Gypsies.
Ty Jaquay of the Hillbilly Gypsies saws some fiddle.
The Hillbilly Gypsies' hoedown continues.
Ty Jaquay and Dave Asti of the Hillbilly Gypsies.
More Hillbilly Gypsies.
The Hillbilly Gypsies, in the heat of their performance at the Heidelberg.
Jamie Lynn Buckner of the Hillbilly Gypsies. This gal delivered some vocal firepower!
Yet again, the Hillbilly Gypsies.
More fire and brimstone bluegrass from the Hillbilly Gypsies.
Once again, Ty Jaquay of the Hillbilly Gypsies. Behind him is Matt Harrison of Oak & Ivy, who was invited to join the group onstage.
Some fun onstage during the Hillbilly Gypsies' third encore.
THE UNDERGROUND TV: KATHY’S BIRTHDAY PARTY w/THE NIGHTCRAWLERS/GRADE E @ CITY LIMITS, ALTOONA 1/27/07
With the Hillbilly Gypsies’ show starting early and ending before midnight, I made a quick exit after their show ended, and headed to City Limits, where another big show was going on. The Underground TV was celebrating co-host Kathy’s birthday, and the birthday bash was well under way. It was also a Hawaiian theme party, with lots of people getting lei'd during the course of the night.
Obviously arriving late, I missed Grade E’s set, but eyewitness accounts gave their groove fest a big thumbs up.
I did arrive in time to see The Nightcrawlers, who demonstrated their stellar musicianship on a mixture of original numbers and classics. The group played both new and established original songs, including the set-opener "Desert Sun," "Lover's Test" and more. Noah Figlin dazzled with his Jimmy Page-like fretboard fireworks on Led Zeppelin’s “Ramble On;” and Aeb Byrne’s flute magic shined on The Police’s “Roxanne” and the group’s popular original “African Echo.” Aeb also left her best blues wail rip on Janis Joplin's "Me and Bobby McGee." Steve Arnold continues to provide the steady and fluid drumbeats, and former Sideshow Bob bassist Peter Jogo is now providing bottom end. Other Nightcrawlers highlights included their dazzling rendition of the Beatles’ “A Day In The Life” and their coupling of the Grateful Dead’s “Shakedown Street” into “When The Saints Go Marching In.” Once again, another excellent showing from this group!
And then there was sumo wrestling in front of the back bar, courtesy of Ianni's Sumo Wrestling. The crowd witnessed epic sumo bouts between Todd and Buck of Silver Sunday, and The Underground's Chris and one of his staffers; Birthday Girl Kathy reportedly was in sumo action early on before I arrived! And the birthday girl was in prime form, her sobriety diminishing as the evening progressed.
The turnout here was strong as well, with numerous Rockpagers in the house, including Ron, Hawk, and ZappasXwife. Bottom line, it was another excellent time!
Every so often, the planets align correctly, and one of those special Saturday nights happens in this town; where there isn't just one, but several great shows going on. This past Saturday night was one of them! It was one of those excellent nights in Altoona that went above and beyond the normal routine. Hats off to everyone involved in both of these shows, and I'm hoping for more Saturdays like this soon!
The Nightcrawlers.
Steve Arnold of The Nightcrawlers.
Aeb Byrne of The Nightcrawlers.
Noah Figlin of The Nightcrawlers.
Noah Figlin and Aeb Byrne of The Nightcrawlers.
New bass man Pete Jogo of The Nightcrawlers.
Again, The Nightcrawlers.
Again, Nightcrawler Steve.
Again, Noah Figlin and Aeb Byrne of The Nightcrawlers.
Again, Noah of the Nightcrawlers.
Going to work on that guitar, Noah Figlin of The Nightcrawlers.
Again, Pete Jogo of The Nightcrawlers.
Piping some sweet sounds on the flute, Aeb Byrne of The Nightcrawlers.
Birthday girl Kathy, in her Hawaiian finest.
Birthday girl Kathy, passed out on the stage? (She'll have you believe she was taking a picture, yeah right.)
Again, Kathy, attemtping to say something intelligible on stage.
Merriment with birthday girl Kathy and the UGTV Street Team.
Settling their musical differences on the sumo mat, Todd and Buck of Silver Sunday.
More sumo action with Todd and Buck.
Chris from The Underground TV and one of his crew, hashing out programming decisions on the sumo mat.
More rock 'em, sock 'em Underground Television sumo wrestling action.
It's settled; it'll be Sheetz instead of Mickey Dees for The Underground TV staff's next weekly meal.
Jim and Aric are next to square off in the sumo circle.
It is on!
The sumo action continues. These two were running some classic smack at each other during this match; it was hilarious!
AGONY HILL @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 1/28/07
After serving my weekly "Backyard Rocker" duty, I headed to Pellegrine's to close out my weekend, with New York party rockers Agony Hill supplying the tunes. I arrived just as the band was closing out their second set with Harvey Danger's "Flagpole Sitta."
After watching some of Guv'nor Jesse's DVD of the week, Star Trek: Generations, during the intermission, I was ready to take in Agony Hill's nightcap set. Drummer Spam, bassist Joe (back with the group after a brief departure), singer Eric and guitarist Dickie continued with their wild and freewheeling mix of punk-infused modern rock and favorites, pulling out a few surprises along the way. The group did a Green Day medley that fused together "American Idiot, "Holiday" and "Longview;" also Rancid's "Ruby Soho" and a punked-out version of Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville." I was pleasantly surprised to hear Agony Hill break out a tune I hadn't heard in a long time, Rocket From The Crypt's "On a Rope."
It was the expected Agony Hill party. Jager was flowing freely onstage, and singer Eric was his usual wild and crazy self, rallying the stagefront Pelly's crowd. Attendance was again on the light side this night, but Agony Hill succeeded in giving those who did show up a good time.
Agony Hill, partying down Pellegrine's.
Joe, back and playing bass for Agony Hill.
Again, Agony Hill and some partying Pellegrine's fans.
Dickie of Agony Hill.
Once again, good times with Agony Hill.
Joe and Eric of Agony Hill.
JP’s HAIKU
Hillbilly Gypsies
Hot fire-and-brimstone bluegrass
Heidelberg hoedown!
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