Jim Price
Moderator
Joined: 07 Dec 2002
Posts: 4817
Location: Altoona, PA
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 Posted: Friday Jan 11, 2008 |
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JP'S HIGHLIGHT REEL - 2007
As we turn the page into a new year, it’s time for me to go back over the past year and highlight some of the good and bad things, memorable shows, CD’s, songs and photographic images from the local and regional music scene during 2007. These ramblings are my own viewpoints, and do not reflect the views and opinions of Rockpage, Q94, Pennsylvania Musician Magazine or anybody else with a working brain. No animals were harmed in the making of this recap, except perhaps the chickens whose wings I consumed; then again, they were likely already dead by the time I was compiling this listing. Without further ado, let’s take one more sojourn through 2007 on the area music scene:
JP'S HIGHLIGHTS/LOWLIGHTS OF 2007
I'll begin by listing a few highlights and lowlights from the past year, musically and otherwise...
HIGHLIGHT: THE RETURN OF THE GRIMM AND WINE OF NAILS: 2007 marked the return of two of this area's most adventurous and progressive bands, The Grimm and Wine Of Nails. After a two year absence, the original Grimm roster of Kent Tonkin, Kirk "Otto" Tonkin, Bob Lee and Ron Brode returned in September with a comeback performance at The Lost & Found in Juniata, picking up right where they left off. After several years away to pursue other projects, John Charney, Dom Peruso and new bassist Scott Jeffreys reconvened Wine Of Nails, making their official onstage return in October during the kickoff party for Mad Muse Productions' 2007 edition of The Rocky Horror Show at The Brewery in State College. Both bands have announced plans to record new albums in 2008; I for one will be very excited to hear what new frontiers these two bands take on.
HIGHLIGHT: ROCK FOR THE TROOPS: It started as an idea that was bumped around and discussed on Rockpage, and then snowballed into a special initiative that unified much of the music community towards a special goal of providing hope and encouragement to local servicemen and women serving our armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Rock for the Troops provided the basis for some of this year's most memorable local shows, involving a number of bands volunteering their own shows towards the cause, to the big all-day outdoor concert at downtown Altoona's Heritage Plaza in early September to cap the first phase of the project. Hats off to Bill, Kevin, Mike, Donna and everyone else involved in the Rock For The Troops effort, for the dedication to a good cause that allowed this area's music scene to shine in a positive light!
LOWLIGHT: NO HOEDOWN: One of the highlights of my summer of 2006 was experiencing my first-ever Central PA Hoedown near Lincoln Caverns in Huntingdon County. I had eagerly anticipated returning to my second Hoedown this past summer, but it was not to be. Damage to the concert grounds from irresponsible people put an end to the Hoedown at the Lincoln Caverns site. That, coupled with the tragic fire that wiped out Eckberg Guitars (a sponsor for the event) and other problems resulted in organizer Ray Springsteel nixing this year's Hoedown. Here's hoping Ray brings it back in 2008.
LOWLIGHT: BURGI'S ROUNDHOUSE CLOSES: After two years in business, Burgi's Roundhouse in Greenwood closed its doors in late September. In its brief existence, Burgi's provided this area's gateway to the Pittsburgh blues scene, bringing in such names as Norman Nardini, the Billy Price Band, Tony Janflone Jr., the Mystic Knights, Angel Blu & the Prophets, Jimmy Adler, Jill West & Blues Attack and more. Burgi's also provided the Altoona home for bands such as Kyx, Totem, the Nightcrawlers, the British Invasion, Flight 19, Felix & the Hurricanes, Generation Gap, Homer's Army, the Tony Mollick Project and others. Burgi's also staged the first Altoona appearances of (then) future Pittsburgh national country group the Povertyneck Hillbillies, and presented an outdoor concert with Shenandoah. This room also provided a steady stage for local acoustic performers as well. I enjoyed a number of memorable shows there, and Burgi's was also where the Rockpage community presented me with my new camera two Christmases ago. Burgi's closure was a big loss for the Altoona music scene, not just depriving area bands of another stage to play on, but also depriving this area of a venue that brought in blues entertainment on a regular basis. Unless somebody else steps forward to fill the gap, it will probably be a long time before we see Norman Nardini and Billy Price back in this neighborhood again.
HIGHLIGHT: NATIONAL CONCERTS RETURN TO ALTOONA: After many years with national concerts happening few and far between in this neck of the woods, the Altoona area erupted with numerous national and former national names in concert in 2007! Starting with Mushroomhead at City Limits in early April, this area saw appearances from the Kentucky Headhunters (twice!), Gin Blossoms, Collective Soul, Live, Counting Crows, Povertyneck Hillbillies, Donnie Iris, Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers, The Clarks, Bill Deasy, Jackyl, Lonestar, Joe Diffie, Jeff Bates and Ronnie McDowell. And also playing close to the Altoona area was Grand Funk Railroad, the Doobie Brothers, Meatloaf, Quiet Riot and Skid Row at the Clearfield County Fairgrounds, plus various concerts at State College's Bryce Jordan Center and State Theatre, plus rising national indie and metal names at places such as Ace's in Johnstown, the Jaggard United Methodist Church in Altoona and more! At least as far as I'm concerned, I was more excited about shows happening in this area this year than I was about anything coming to Pittsburgh or Harrisburg! And the early indication is that more concerts will be hitting Altoona in 2008, courtesy of the Railroaders Museum Alive @ Five Concert Series and Blair County Ballpark. This year's concerts were very welcomed, and long overdue!
LOWLIGHT: WOEFUL WING-OFF'S: 2007 was a very bad year for the Lakemont Park Wing-Off's. The first Wing-Off, with Felix & the Hurricanes entertaining in July, was the only Wing-Off not to be impacted by legal issues or bad weather. Legal issues regarding beer sales caused problems for the next two Wing-Off's, and the remaining Wing-Off's suffered from heavy rains and thunderstorms either before and/or during! Even when the organizers staged an extra "make-good" Wing-Off in late August, it rained again! This season may have been the nail in the coffin for the Wing-Off's, at least at the Lakemont Park location. The Wing-Off's future in 2008 will be a question mark.
HIGHLIGHT: BLUEGRASS TAKES ALTOONA BY STORM: As prophesized by John "Songsmith" Stevens himself, 2007 was the year that bluegrass music erupted and took Altoona by storm. John himself was a big catalyst for this, promoting the musical form through his monthly bluegrass jams at the Hitching Post, as well as his involvement with the bands Mama Corn and Mt. City Grass. Proprietor Butch and the Hitching Post provided a steady venue to allow bluegrass to flourish, and attendance for bluegrass shows there has been strong throughout the year. Chuck Cox (co-host of the former open mic nights at The Bar before it closed) also played a big role in this, as it was he who brought Morgantown-based bluegrass upstarts the Hillbilly Gypsies to the Heidelberg Country Club in January. This show ended up packing the Heidelberg, leading to two return visits by the Gypsies later in the year! And then there was the Community Interest Group (spearheaded by Kat Bullington of Oak & Ivy), who staged the inaugural Folk & Bluegrass Festival at the Railroaders Memorial Museum in May. The following month, the first Crow's Nest Bluegrass Festival happened at La Ferme Rouge near Prince Gallitzin State Park. Bluegrass was all around the Altoona area in 2007, and it looks like it will continue to prosper in 2008.
HIGHLIGHT: MEETING THE KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS: Little did I know when I decided to drive to Delgrosso's Amusement Park on a cloudy June afternoon to catch the freebie by the Kentucky Headhunters that I would actually get to meet them! Thanks to Dick Kos and The Red Arrow contingent in attendance, my accomplice Guv'nor Jesse and I got to go back to the group's tour bus, meet and hang out with members of the group for close to an hour! This was a highlight not just because the guys were down to earth and fun to talk to, but also because of the story involving my T-shirt! I just out of the blue decided to wear my Witches In Bikinis T-shirt that day (a shirt the Witches tossed out to me during their performance at the Millennium Music Conference in February). Upon being introduced to the Headhunters' guitarist, Richard Young, his first words to me were "What does that shirt say?...Witches in Bikinis? I want one!" Later that evening, I emailed the Witches' manager, Julie, and told her the story, and she said the group would have a special run of 3XL shirts done so they could send one to Richard (who told me he would wear the shirt on stage if they sent him one)! Needless to say, a very memorable day!
HIGHLIGHT: ALDO'S STEPS UP FOR ORIGINAL MUSIC: When Peter C's closed its doors in early 2006, it was feared that original music wouldn't have a place to play in this town. Enter Aldo's, who stepped up big time to become THE original rock room in Altoona. Original music has become such the prominent flavor at Aldo's, that people complain if a cover band plays there! Metal, punk, hardcore, rockabilly, alt-country, swamp, progressive, roots, even alt/pop have been welcomed on Aldo's stage. Hats off to Aldo for providing the venue, and Rich and Jason for stepping up to make a home for original music in Juniata.
JP'S TEN FAVORITE LOCAL MUSIC SCENE MOMENTS OF 2007:
There were a lot of memorable things I saw and experienced on the area music scene during the past year. These are ten of them, in no particular order:
1) THE ROCK FOR THE TROOPS CONCERT: The first phase of Rockpage's "Rock for the Troops" effort, the videotaping phase, culminated in this special day-long free concert event in September at downtown Altoona's Heritage Plaza. This quickly became a very special afternoon for local music. A variety of area bands and artists - including the Rock Brothers, Spirit Lost, Friends Of Mine, Dustin Burley, Generation Gap, Silver Sunday, Keith Little, Red Letter Band, Homer's Army, Kitty Whip, the Tony Mollick Project, Lies Inc., Slacker Theory and Felix & the Hurricanes - all brought their 'A' game to the stage and made their sets count; winning new fans throughout the course of the day. Beyond the music was the sense of community as musicians, bands, organizers and fans shared a unique bond, working and playing together for the benefit of our troops overseas. The "Rock for the Troops" concert showed that there was far more musical talent in this town beyond the "safe" bands that usually get selected to play at public events; and it opened a number of people's eyes and ears to this area's music scene as a community of people that can pull together for a good cause. A very special day.
2) THE HILLBILLY GYPSIES' FIRST HEIDELBERG CONCERT: Bluegrass was growing a following in the Altoona area through jam nights and Mt. City Grass' performances during the Hitching Post's Wednesday country nights. But this night in late January, featuring the first visit by Morgantown, WV-based bluegrass upstarts the Hillbilly Gypsies to the Heidelberg Country Club, slammed the exclamation point on the explosion of bluegrass' popularity. A packed house crowd was in attendance to watch the Hillbilly Gypsies dazzle with their precision, rapid fire brand of bluegrass. The crowd loved it, too, demanding several encores at the end of the night. This night would pave the way for two return visits from the Gypsies later in the year, and proved that bluegrass music was indeed a hot ticket on Altoona area stages!
3) THE JEFF WALLACK TRIBUTE CONCERT: The third annual Jeff Wallack Tribute Concert was one of the most memorable nights of the year on Altoona stages, as new-school and old-school rockers donated their talents to remember Jeff and raise money for the St. Vincent DePaul Food Kitchen. Death Upon Arrival, Choking Faith, Half Tempted, The Flame Sky and Vengence provided the hard-rocking backdrop to a night of special guest appearances and collaborations; from Troy Earnest singing with Choking Faith, to Joe George, Steve Oswalt, Doug Tussey, Tom Brown and Denny Frank performing with Half Tempted, to Steve and Scott Botteicher performing with The Flame Sky. The musical highlights were constant onstage, and off stage, many memories of Jeff Wallack were shared among the large crowd in attendance. I heard from more than a few people who said they had never met Jeff, but came away with a greater appreciation of him from this night.
4) THE MICHAEL "2-FISTS" MEMORIAL BENEFIT: Although I probably walked past him at gigs, I didn't know Michael Hicks before he suddenly passed away last April. But when musicians in the hardcore and metal communities united to celebrate his life and raise money for his surviving family, I attended this benefit show at Aldo's to help out the cause. What I witnessed was five bands - Vengence, Not Without Resistance, Suicide Switch, Chapter 5 and Choking Faith - giving all on stage to celebrate the life of their departed colleague. Not Without Resistance removed their shirts and played shirtless as a tribute, and shared stories about Michael and how he got his "2-Fists" nickname. There were frequent toasts and other celebrations of Michael's memory onstage, and off stage, stories and memories shared about him. The atmosphere became more festive and spirited as the night went, with musicians and fans alike joining Chapter 5 and Choking Faith onstage to help sing and celebrate. By night's end, although I didn't know Michael, I came away with a better appreciation and understanding of who he was and what he meant to the area hardcore and metal scenes. A special and memorable night.
5) HURRICANES BLUES CRUISES: I got to do the trifecta of Hurricanes Blues Cruises aboard the "Proud Mary" at Lake Raystown, and each was special and fun in its own way. The midsummer "Bikini Blues Cruise" in July featured a packed boat, Hurricanes music, drunken debauchery and - of course - bikinis! The September "Fall Blues Cruise" was a little more laid-back but just as fun, with music from the Hurricanes and special guests The Red Arrow and a warm, pleasant vibe. The late October "Halloween Blues Cruise" featured another pleasant vibe, fall colors, Halloween costumed craziness and more. Bottom line, these three Blues Cruises were three of the outdoor season's best parties...Count me in for next year!
6) THE NIGHTCRAWLERS AT THE CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS: This performance by The Nightcrawlers at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts was great for all the expected reasons; the crowd was huge, and the band's musicianship dazzled as they performed songs from their forthcoming new album Blue Silver. But what made this most memorable for me was the magic that happened at the end after a technical snafu. During The Nightcrawlers' popular signature song, "African Echo," the main sound system suddenly cut out. As the band continued playing, the sound was soon restored except for the microphones, and it looked like keyboardist/singer/flute player Aeb Byrne wouldn't be able to perform her trademark flute solo at the end of the song. But after the rest of the band brought their own volume down low, the huge crowd followed suit and got quiet enough that Aeb's flute solo was audible above the murmur of the crowd without any amplification...very cool!
7) THE LISA BAUM BENEFIT CONCERT: This show had some added significance for me, as the beneficiary, Lisa Baum, used to work in sales at Q94. This show was set up to raise money to help Lisa in her battle against cancer. The whole evening was one big positive vibe, with upbeat performances from Ruff Rodes, Acalasia, Beyond Reason and Tie Down. Other highlights included constant back-and-forth comedic highjinks between the Ruff Rodes, Beyond Reason and Tie Down organizations, Esa's bachelorette celebration (including future hubby Jamie "Deathmaster" Smith of Beyond Reason demonstrating his headbanging form in front of the stage during Tie Down's set) and more. The biggest highlight, though - although her prognosis was pretty grim during the night of the benefit, Lisa's cancer has since gone into remission, and she is reportedly doing a lot better now.
8) THE COUNTRY OUTLAWS AT MEMORIES SPORTS BAR: Every so often, I run into the "routine" bar show where everything comes together; the house is packed, the band is in top form, and the energy and atmosphere of the whole night rise above and beyond the norm. During a Saturday night in late June, those elements all came together during a chance show I caught by the Country Outlaws at Memories Sports Bar in Huntingdon. First, this wasn't even the primary gig I was on the road to see this day; I just decided to stop in and check out this show while driving home from the Relay for Life Band Jam in Shade Gap. After first finding the place (it was the first time I had ever gone to Memories), I entered to find a packed house, and a band firing on all cylinders! The Outlaws' manager, Joyce, gave me a seat near the stage to witness the action. This was also the first time I got to see the Outlaws with new singer Angela Dodson completely worked into the routine; she and singer Charlie were both in great form! The Outlaws kept the dance floor busy the rest of the time I was there, and the energy and atmosphere from both band and crowd was great! This was one of those typical Saturday night bar gigs that went above and beyond the norm!
9) U.S. SOUND THEATRE'S PERFORMANCE BEFORE THE GIN BLOSSOMS CONCERT: Although national recording group The Gin Blossoms were the headliners at Blair County Ballpark this night, the phoenix-like reunion performance by the U.S. Sound Theatre on the Party Deck second stage arguably stole the show! With their horn section a-blazing, the U.S. Sound Theatre delivered a spirited and fiery set full of horn-rock classics from Chicago, Huey Lewis, Edgar Winter Group and more. This band was feeling it this night, and the crowd size and cheers grew bigger and louder as their set progressed. The U.S. Sound Theatre awakened the crowd and set the bar high; the Gin Blossoms had their work cut out for them, having to follow this performance!
10) THE "SELLING OUT THE NATIVE SONS" TRIPLE-CD RELEASE SHOW AT THE STATE THEATRE: In late August, this show at State College's State Theatre provided a rare and special treat, as three Happy Valley-based groups - The Nightcrawlers, Ted McCloskey & the Hi-Fi's and The Rustlanders - all celebrated the release of brand new CD's. Each band showcased music from their respective CD, and each brought a little something extra to the stage for their performance. The Nightcrawlers featured an ethnic-styled dancer performing along with their music. Ted McCloskey & the Hi-Fi's featured accompanying video footage during several of their songs. And The Rustlanders welcomed several guest musicians and backing singers onstage during their performance. All three groups were in great form, and a good-sized audience cheered their performances and bought their CD's. Beyond celebrating all three groups' new CD's, this night was a celebration of the quality and diversity of State College's own musicians, and a memorable and special night.
JP'S TEN FAVORITE LOCAL/REGIONAL CD'S OF 2007:
2007 was another strong year for albums from the local and regional music scene. Keep in mind that this list is based on albums that I was able to listen to in 2007, and that time constraints prohibited me from hearing or reviewing everything sent my way in the past year. Even after listening to what I was able to get to, it was difficult scaling the list of favorites down to just ten. But after the dust settled, these are the ten I selected as my favorites; again, in no particular order:
1) TED McCLOSKEY – TECHNICOLOR THIEVES Ted McCloskey raised the bar on himself once again with his fourth studio album in five years, Technicolor Thieves. Ted again crafted catchy tunes using a variety of styles, from edgy rock to acoustic flavors. But on this album, Ted got some issues off his chest, and delivered some of his most biting lyrical messages yet, calling for a change at the top on "Out with the Old Queens," slamming on pop culture on "The Lowest Common Grain of Salt," and lamenting on the nearing extinction of State College record stores on "The Last Independent Record Store." But there are also fun and imaginative songs, such as "Mermaid in a Bar" and "Passing in Stereo." Ted McCloskey proved once again that he is one of the most prolific and clever songsmiths in the state, and this album is his best yet.
2) VICTORY IN HEAVEN BAND – V.I.H. V Steel guitarist and singer Sterling Koch and his Victory In Heaven Band took a decisively funkier lean on their brand of gospel blues/rock on V.I.H. V. The group tapped some 60's and 70's funk and soul influences, giving a Funkadelic flavor to Willie Johnson's "Trouble Will Soon be Over," a disco funk flavor on "I'm Gonna Stand," and Sly & the Family Stone references on Sister Rosetta Tharpe's "Can't No Grave." But the group retained its gritty blues roots as well on Tom Waits' "Jesus Gonna Be Here," Robert Randolph's "Pressing My Way," "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" and the album-ending treatment of "Amazing Grace;" and Sterling teased his rocking roots as well with his Jimi Hendrix ending to Sam & Dave’s "Hold On" and his Joe Walsh "Rocky Mountain Way" finish to "Amazing Grace." It all sounded feisty, uplifting and smooth. And with V.I.H. officially signing off as a band in September, V.I.H. V provided a triumphant swan song.
3) WAY DOWN EAST – SUMMON THE SEA HAG The long-awaited sophomore effort from McConnellsburg's Way Down East, Summon the Sea Hag picked up where the Modern Day Outlaws debut left off. Way Down East delivered 18 more examples of their booming, redneck-rooted heavy rock, including some instant classics such as the ode to a golf course misadventure, "Jager Shots for Par," the Motorhead-like blast about fear of big cities, "Caught in the Crosshairs," "Hillbilly Rock n Roll," "He Haw Jehad," the title song "Summon the Sea Hag" and the more serious and thoughtful "Law of the Land." Through it all, weighty rhythms and buzzsaw riffage underscored Paul Wilson's full-bodied, razorback roar. Summon the Sea Hag was a rowdy, loud, proud, satisfying, and ultimately superior follow-up.
4) THE NIGHTCRAWLERS – BLUE SILVER The Nightcrawlers elaborated on their colorful sound on their full-length CD Blue Silver. The group continued their exploration and blending of a variety of sounds, from country and Americana to blues, jazz, worldly sounds and more. Blue Silver introduced some remarkable new numbers, such as the title song with its slight Dire Straits flavor, country- and rockabilly-styled exercises such as “Place in the Dark,” “Open Doors” and the album closer “On My Way;” the soaring and playful “The Grasslands,” the Aeb Byrne-penned and sung dreamy jazz/blues number “So Many Stars,” updated songs from their debut EP such as their popular “African Echo” and more. Dazzling musicianship was constant throughout the album, along with fresh arrangements that never stayed in one place for too long. With the Nightcrawlers going their separate ways at year’s end, Blue Silver is a excellent album to remember this group’s magic by.
5) ICARUS WITCH – SONGS FOR THE LOST Old-school classic-styled heavy metal doesn't get much better than this! Pittsburgh's Icarus Witch delivered the goods on Songs for the Lost, with excellent tunes, virtuoso-like musicianship to carry them, and singer Matthew Bizilia's dramatic, gritty and sinister vocal edge! This album was all killer and no filler; standouts for me included "Out for Blood," "Written in the Stars," "The Sky is Falling," "House of Usher" and the eerie and stringed "Smoke & Mirrors." And having former Rainbow/Black Sabbath/Yngwie Malmsteen singer Joe Lynn Turner helping out on the update of Def Leppard's "Mirror Mirror" didn't hurt, either! As I said when I first reviewed it, if Songs for the Lost had been released in the 80's, Icarus Witch would be spoken in the same breath as Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Dio. But if Icarus Witch keeps putting out albums this great, they may soon achieve that level of prominence in the metal world anyway! A stellar effort!
6) DEJA VUDOO – SCRATCHING THE SURFACE After several formative years as an acoustic-geared act, Harrisburg’s Deja Vudoo came roaring out the gate as a bonafide hard-rocking entity in 2007 with their fiery full-length debut CD, Scratching the Surface. Blending powerful and clever hard-rocking melodies with slight goth and techno elements, Deja Vudoo provided a riveting listen from start to end. The group dabbles with religious innuendo on such highlights as the opener “Your God” and “Making Angels Cry,” delivers powerful rockers like “Scapegoat” and “Skeleton in My Closet.” and evokes some twisted tribal sounds on the band title track “Deja Vudoo.” Singer Tina Marie makes her full arrival with a commanding, powerful and rangeful voice through it all. An impressive debut, Scratching the Surface is edgy, powerful, clever…and it pounds!
7) JUSTIN MACK – LONG ROAD HOME Portage native Justin Mack (Mackovyak) hit the road several years ago to pursue his life and career, and learned some lessons along the way. Justin reflected on those life experiences on his introspective third album, Long Road Home. Justin effectively blended a variety of flavors, including folk, country, rock and even Celtic. This album featured some excellent numbers, such as the escalating opener "N.F.A.," the introspective "Morning," the suitably somber read of Johnny Cash's "Long Black Veil," Justin's contemplation of mortality "Killing November," and the Celtic-flavored "Hope Road." Long Road Home is a defining album that reveals Justin Mack's musical growth, artistry and maturity.
8) CHAPTER 5 – A GREAT DAY TO DIE The long-awaited third CD from Altoona's Chapter 5, A Great Day to Die was well worth the wait. Chapter 5 fired on all cylinders, charging ahead with a hard-hitting, angry, full-throttled hardcore/metal-fueled punk attack over eight songs. This album comes at you at a breakneck pace and never lets up through such song highlights as “Inside Out,” “Buried,” “Hollow Song,” “Compromised,” “Same Old Thing” and more. Beyond the musical aggression and torrid clip, though, these songs have something to say; “Self Inflicted” is about the futility and finality of drug addiction, while other songs address deceit, deception, inner demons and standing up for one’s beliefs. Chapter 5 passionately went for broke and unleashed their full fury on A Great Day to Die, and the result was their most convincing no-holds-barred thrill ride yet.
9) SHERRI MULLEN – FEARLESS Middletown-based singer, songwriter and guitarist Sherri Mullen focused and honed her style and sound on her third album, Fearless. Distilling her style into a more acoustic-based mixture of rock, country and pop; Sherri delivered some of her most focused songs yet, singing about personal themes such as weathering adversity and embracing life’s opportunities on the title track “Fearless,” the need to simplify one’s life on the country romp “Swing,” and confronting relationship situations on “Asleep at the Wheel” and the heavier-rocking “Domino.” Sherri’s voice was in great form, and the presence of several guest musicians helped to color and flesh out the overall sound of the album. Fearless was Sherri Mullen’s most complete album yet, and was another impressive step forward in this songstress’ career.
10) THE RUSTLANDERS – THE RUSTLANDERS The self-titled debut CD from State College's The Rustlanders offered a crisp, fresh blend of Americana sounds, smoothly fusing together elements of country, rock, folk and blues. The base sound recalled the classic rural-flavored rock of The Band, Bob Seger, Tom Petty and Neil Young; as The Rustlanders combined varying amounts of guitar twang, keyboard groan, harmonica wail and rustic lyrical imagery. The strong opener “Holdin’ Out” sounds like a long-lost Band classic, while other album highlights such as “La Conchita,” “Blind Faith,” “Broken Bottles,” “Route 251” and “My Rock n Roll” each offer convincing variations of The Rustlanders’ rural-geared style and sound. The songs are all well crafted and arranged, and the album flows together smoothly as a cohesive whole. The Rustlanders is a strong debut, and offers a definitive representation of what this band is about.
Honorable mentions go to CD's from Vs. the Earth, Rise Phoenix Rise, Jackson Monsour, Milkshake Jones, Cootie Brown, The April Skies, Dashboard Mary and Codorus Cruise Line.
JP'S TEN FAVORITE LOCAL/REGIONAL SONGS OF 2007:
The area music scene again provided some very memorable songs during 2007. These are ten that stood out to my ears, once again in no particular order:
1) WAY DOWN EAST – "Caught in the Crosshairs" One of several songs that could have made my list from Way Down East's Summon the Sea Hag CD, this short Motorhead-like blast convinces us that lead howler Paul Wilson is not very fond of the big city. Relating his account of a visit to the Big Apple, Paul convincingly roars his disdain for subways and punks with purple hair over a powerful and torrid backdrop, complete with infectious gang shout choruses. Short, sweet, and kicks ass!
2) TED McCLOSKEY – "The Last Independent Record Store" Although I liked many of the songs on Ted McCloskey's latest CD, Technicolor Thieves, this country/folk-flavored ode connected with me the most, because I can relate to the sentiments Ted expresses in the lyrics. A song about the nearing extinction of independent record stores in his State College hometown, Ted reminisces about browsing through the record bins, sharing that common bond with other customers as he incorporates classic album titles into his words. Anybody who has ever spent time searching for treasures in State College record and CD stores like City Lights and Arboria should be able to relate to this song.
3) THE NIGHTCRAWLERS – "So Many Stars" One of the new songs from the Nightcrawlers' full-length album Blue Silver, "So Many Stars" showcases the songwriting and singing abilities of keyboard and flute player Aeb Byrne. The song has an eloquent feel, starting out with a dreamy lounge jazz/pop flavor, and slowly evolving towards a more uptempo finish. Aeb’s voice sparkles through it all, upping the ante in soul, grit and passion as the tune builds along. Very nicely done.
4) DEJA VUDOO – "Making Angels Cry" For me, one of the highlight tracks from Deja Vudoo’s powerful debut CD, Scratching the Surface. Riding along a powerful riff, the song rocks along as singer Tina Marie belts out words about temptation and her soul on the edge, arriving at a midsong crossroads narrative where the fates of angels ride on which way her soul falls. Clever, imaginative, and hard-rocking; this tune logged some “Backyard Rocker” airtime in 2007, and likely will be heard in ’08 as well.
5) VS. THE EARTH – "Lightswitch" One of the newest shining examples of Vs. the Earth's knack for crafting catchy, hard-rocking ear candy. A song about reconciliation, “Lightswitch” opens with the chorus and quickly jumps into action along a fast, driving rhythm. Layered vocals help build the song as it races along to the end. Short, sweet, to the point and catchy…”Lightswitch” is my favorite new number from Vs. the Earth’s The Initiative offering, and shows that singer Adam Marino and company still have the gift for catchy pop hooks.
6) JUSTIN MACK – "N.F.A." The leadoff track from Justin's latest CD, Long Road Home, "N.F.A" is a song that captures Justin's sense of restlessness as he picks up and leaves town to pursue his life and musical career. Tapping Johnny Cash as a reference point, this song evolves into a strong and driving rocker, with Justin selling his words with a gritty, defiant howl. This song nicely sets the tone for the rest of the album, and Justin's often introspective musical journey.
7) HELLO, VIXEN – "Grandpa's Medicine" From their 4-song EP The Stroke of Midnight, “Grandpa’s Medicine” is a clever and catchy representation of Hello, Vixen’s brand of punk-driven pop/rock. This song quickly builds into a fast-firing rocker, with singer Mark Simanski giving a sassy and spirited performance as he sings about the possible consequences of consuming Grandpa’s bottled, alcoholic “medicine,” leading to charged, gang-shout choruses. Raw, rowdy, fun stuff!
8) MY TURNING POINT – "Words Are Not Enough/Everlasting" For me, the biggest standout highlight from My Turning Point’s debut CD Seclusion Serves Me Well. This is a hauntingly beautiful passage; frontman/guitarist Jim Bagrosky’s message of hope for his child. After the acoustic prelude “Words Are Not Enough,” “Everlasting” slowly and dramatically builds up to a powerful, hard-rocking climax, before tapering off to a tranquil close. A shining example of Jim’s evolving songwriting skills.
9) WHITE WITCH – "Game That I Play" My favorite track from Never Dies the Dream, the latest CD by reunited Williamsport-based 80's rockers White Witch; "Game That I Play" is singer Jeff Pittinger's autobiographical account of life on the edge. Jeff sings his story along a crunchy, hard-driving backdrop, leading to a catchy chorus hook. This song also features a strong midsong lead guitar solo from Doug Lehman. This tune logged a lot of tune on Q94's "Backyard Rocker" in 2007, and should see some airplay in '08 as well.
10) ACALASIA – "Based on True Stories" The climactic closer from Acalasia’s What Makes You a Maniac? CD, “Based on True Stories” is a detailed, multi-pronged song that builds along drummer Cory Aboud’s busy rhythms, with singer Krystal Shore demonstrating her clarity and vocal range as she yearns to resolve a mystery of the heart. The band keeps things busy throughout the song, and frequent vocal harmonies help build things along. As Krystal reaches a conclusion in her lyrical search, the song shifts into a homestretch run that tapers off through a group chorus recitation to Krystal’s lone voice to finish. “Based on True Stories” is cleverly put together and catchy, and shows that Acalasia is a crafty band we need to keep an eye on in 2008!
JP'S 50 FAVORITE PHOTOS OF 2007:
During the course of 2007, I took some 5,569 digital photos (and actually, the number is higher than that; 5,569 is the number of photos that "made the cut" into my computer folders, and does not include the photos that were deleted for being too dark or blurry, etc.). Out of that 5,569, I selected an initial 152 photos that I considered to be my favorites, and proceeded to whittle that number down to a final 50. Here, without further ado, are those 50:
1. Let's start by celebrating some of the ladies seen on area stages in 2007, such as Krystal Shore of Acalasia, as seen during her group's performance at Ace's Music Sales' Customer Appreciation Day concert in June.
2. Stefanie Seskin of Blue Number Nine, enjoying the 80-degree heatwave during the group's first-ever appearance at the Bedford Fall Foliage Festival in early October.
3. Here are three more ladies for ya...from right to left, Tyne Replogle, mother Teia and grandmother Erma; 3 Generations on Strings, during their performance at the Blair County Arts Festival at Penn State Altoona in May.
4. Angela Dodson began performing in her first official band setting in 2007, singing for the Country Outlaws. Here she is singing during the group's show at Memories in Huntingdon in June.
5. Debbie Bush of The Red Arrow belts out some voice during the group's performance at the 17th annual "End Of Summer Jam" benefit at the Cresson Sportsmen's Club in late August.
6. Aeb Byrne of The Nightcrawlers pipes out some flute during the group's performance at the Phyrst in State College in June.
7. Angela Oertner of Pitch Black, during the group's comeback show in March at Electric Avenue in Houtzdale.
8. Marianne Kokus of Echoes, belting out the voice during Ebensburg's Potatofest in late September.
9. Denise Baldwin, performing under the tent at St. Columba's Church during the Cambria City Ethnic Festival on Labor Day weekend.
10. Lisa Fazenbaker of Spirit Lost is in the Christmas spirit as she drums during the Toys for Tots benefit at City Limits in late November.
11. You just knew that these ladies would make my favorite photos of the past year; Witches In Bikinis, during their performance at Rumors in Enola in July.
12. From Altoona's Railroaders Memorial Museum's Alive @ Five Summer Concert Series in September, Scott Blasey of The Clarks burns one while he sings about it - "Cigarette!"
13. Also from the Alive @ Five Summer Concert Series, Pittsburgh great Donnie Iris during the start of his performance in August.
14. Michigan-based singer/songwriter Andru Bemis gets the Hitching Post crowd spinning in circles (his method for getting high without narcotics) during his visit to Altoona in mid-May.
15. Doing his best impersonation of the album cover of Joe Satriani's Surfing with the Alien, Bad Daze frontman Rob Carolus during a show at Pellegrine's in July.
16. If he was flipping the bird, he'd look exactly like Johnny Cash! Felix Kos of the Hurricanes gives his best Man-in-Black scowl during the group's "Rock for the Troops" show at Classic Attitudes in early March.
17. From one of the most anticipated concerts of the summer in these parts, the Counting Crows during their performance at Blair County Ballpark in August.
18. A rising talent who made his presence felt in 2007 during the monthly Wednesday bluegrass jams at the Hitching Post: Sav Sankaran, having fun thumping out notes on the upright bass during a jam in May. Sav can play bass, banjo, dobro, and you gotta hear him sing!
19. It's a reunion of former Edison members during the Callum Robbins Benefit Concert at Aldo's in early April. Pictured are Chris McConnell (Shades Of June), Shawn Shultz (The Flame Sky) and - flipping off the Rockpage cameraman - Ryan Tyler (lowercase Thieves).
20. Dave Wessels of Camino Sky, pounding out the beats during the group's Memorial Day weekend performance at the Petersburg Tavern. (I had to decide between this picture of Dave or "the Centipede from Hell" photo; I decided that the 'pede got enough run in 2007!)
21. During the "Selling Out the Native Sons" triple CD-release party at State College's State Theatre in late August, Ted McCloskey & the Hi-Fi's, performing in front of video footage during the song "Mermaid in a Bar."
22. Self-proclaimed local street musician Ernest Wachter (of The Bridal Chamber), performing near the parking lot of Hollidaysburg's Canal Basin Park following the Park's Old Tyme Festival in October.
23. It was good to see this image on area stages again in 2007; Bob Lee of The Grimm, howling out the voice during the Thanksgiving Eve "Feast on the Beast" all-ages show at The Lost & Found.
24. Celebrating Fathers and Sons, Part 1: Dad Denny and son Carter Cerully, during Mt. City Grass' performance at the Folk & Bluegrass Festival at Altoona's Railroaders Memorial Museum in May.
25. Celebrating Fathers and Sons, Part 2: Dad Greg and son Dustin Burley, performing for the first time together publicly at Altoona's Belmar Hotel in January.
26. Celebrating Fathers and Sons, Part 3: Son Ryan and dad Jeff Clapper, performing together during Felix & the Hurricanes' Fall Blues Cruise aboard the Proud Mary on Lake Raystown.
27. Celebrating Fathers and Sons, Part 4: Dad Ron and son Rory Dalansky, rocking together during Half Tempted's set at the Jeff Wallack Tribute Show at Aldo's in late March. What a night!
28. A man with dollar signs in his eyes...Steve Whiteman of Funny Money, during the group's November performance at Mojo's in Clearfield.
29. Opening the festivities before the Gin Blossoms concert at Blair County Ballpark in June, Rock & Rye play on the Party Deck stage while their performance is shown on the stadium video screen.
30. Flanked by ladies, Michael J. Cox of Hair Force One during the group's blowout party at City Limits in September.
31. Helping to spearhead the exploding popularity of bluegrass music on Altoona stages in 2007, Morgantown's Hillbilly Gypsies during their May performance at the Heidelberg Country Club.
32. Chris Lawson of The Marauders, whooping it up with some fans during a show at Aldo's in September.
33. Tim Mort of Chapter 5, rumbling out the bottom end during the group's performance at the Michael Hicks Memorial Benefit at Aldo's in early June.
34. Also during the Michael Hicks Memorial Benefit at Aldo's, Jason Mittan of Choking Faith.
35. Caught with hazy blue lighting behind him, Mushroomhead frontman Waylon, during the group's concert at City Limits in early April.
36. He does lap dances, too.During his earlier life as a guitar player in 9 Planet Tour, Eric Wertz displays a tip beneath his skull cap during a show at Altoona's 4D's Lounge in March.
37. Pittsburgh proud...'Burgh legend Norman Nardini and guest Ryan Clark (Rock & Rye), celebrating the Terrible Towel during Norman's performance at Burgi's Roundhouse in early June.
38. Kent Tonkin of Lies, Inc., during the group's performance at the "Backyard BBQ" in the Jaffa Shrine parking lot during Roar in the Mountains weekend in September.
39. Armed with chainsaw, Jackyl frontman Jesse James Dupree gets ready to do some "Lumberjack"-in' during the group's concert performance at the Jaffa Shrine during Roar in the Mountains weekend.
40. Randy Wilson of Way Down East and a portrait of Hank Williams Jr., as the group opened for Jackyl at the Jaffa Shrine.
41. Tony Mollick of the Tony Mollick Project, during the Rock for the Troops concert at downtown Altoona's Heritage Plaza in September.
42. The ladies swoon over Buck "Bucky Spears" Dickson during Silver Sunday's mid-March performance at The Bar in Altoona.
43. Caught in mid-solo, Spitshine guitarist Larry Werner during the group's performance at the 4D's Lounge in June.
44. Again demonstrating his credentials as one of the area's most intense frontmen, Cheeze of Suicide Switch vents full fury during a show at Aldo's in late November.
45. Obviously having fun during his drum solo, Don Brewer of Grand Funk Railroad during the group's concert performance at the Clearfield County Fairgrounds during the Thrills in the Hills motorcycle rally in June.
46. Putting a megaphone to use, Jason Eyer of Nyne during the Toys for Tots benefit show at City Limits on Thanksgiving weekend.
47. One of the more unique groups to visit the Altoona area in 2007, Long Island duo The Two Man Gentlemen Band, during their backyard house party performance in July.
48. Showing some intensity behind the drum kit, Elliot Wiley of Vs. the Earth, during the group's Rock for the Troops show at the 4D's Lounge in late March.
49. Warren Dane's March visit to the Hitching Post turns into a good-time country singalong, with guest Steve Yetzko (right) and Hitching Post main man Butch and his mom (center) joining in.
50. Bringing his roar to an Altoona audience for the first time, Paul Wilson of Way Down East, during the Underground Television-sponsored St. Patrick's Day party at City Limits.
JP's 2007 RECAP HAIKU:
2007
Bluegrass, blues cruises, concerts
Want more in '08!
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