Jim Price
Moderator
Joined: 07 Dec 2002
Posts: 4817
Location: Altoona, PA
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 Posted: Friday Mar 12, 2010 |
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WEEK/WEEKEND RECAP 3/8/10
THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID/ALL HEART/GAMBER GONE WILD & A THREE RING CIRCUS @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 3/1/10
With the winter weather the way it has been lately, Mondays at Pellegrine’s have been either feast or famine. Either the weather is cooperative, and a large contingent of people and craziness show up for Monday wing night; or the weather and road conditions suck, nobody shows up and it turns into another mild Monday.
This Monday night definitely fit in to the former scenario. It was a wild one!
There was already a healthy crowd in place as I arrived, and the crowd was watching as Rich “All Heart” Edmundson was performing a set of tunes, among them a request for a song called “Dreamer.”
That’s What She Said – now the official ‘band’ name for the pairing of Adam D and Jess P – then performed for a while. Jess sang lead on Poison’s “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” James’ “Laid,” Melissa Etheridge’s “Come to My Window,” the Rolling Stones’ “Angie” and Sublime’s “Santeria.” Adam sang lead on Dr. Hook’s “Cover of the Rolling Stone” and Guns N’Roses’ “Patience,” and tried unsuccessfully to “stump the Professor” with his lounge version of Stabbing Westward’s “Save Yourself.” Along the way, Jess’ unofficial manager and bodyguard, Jenn The Heckler, cheered Jess and jeered Adam. On the set’s last number, a Red Hot Chili Peppers tune, an unexpected guest entered the mix, as an audience member took up position near the stage and began playing spoons. Spoonman!
All Heart then returned to play some more tunes, including his reggae-tinged take on “Wild Thing,” and his percussive guitar display, as he again precisely tapped his guitar and guitar strings on his final song.
That’s What She Said then carried the party to the end, and things continued to get crazy. Adam sang tunes from Jethro Tull and Divinyls, and Jess sang tunes from K.T. Tunstall, Johnny Cash, Radio Gaga, 4 Non Blondes and more. Toward night’s end, Gamber Gone Wild stepped to the mic to do his thing on Looking Glass’ “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl),” with JP Kazoo providing accompaniment. And another musical guest, Eric Wertz, stepped up to properly operate Adam’s digital percussion array late in the set.
Multiple musical guests, Gamber Gone Wild and a spoonman turned this edition of Monday night wings into a three ring circus and a fun time. And the wings kicked butt as usual!
Rich “All Heart” Edmundson.
That’s What She Said is graced by a spoon player.
Gamber Gone Wild gets loose during That’s What She Said’s performance.
Esteemed guest Eric Wertz contributes his percussion prowess to the waning moments of That’s What She Said’s performance.
JAM NIGHT @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 3/3/10
As it continues to pick up momentum from week to week, Pellegrine’s Wednesday Jam Night is becoming another anticipated highlight during my week. And like the week before, I was looking forward to not just being an observer this night, but a participant!
My participation would come later on. First, as I enjoyed my weekly Pelly’s pizza fix, I observed as several musicians performed during the course of the night. Eric D, the Shark Bite pair of Adam D and Big Jim, Matt Burns and Rich “All Heart” Edmundson all took turns on the microphone to perform. There was also a birthday party going on with several youngsters in the house, and cake being served up. There were a few musical highlights along the way, including Rich playing bongos during a few of Eric’s tunes, Matt singing the “Free Credit Report-dot-com” jingle, and Rich doing his own unique spins on “Over the Rainbow” and “Wild Thing.”
In the latter stage of the night, I became a participant in the jams, tapping bongos and cajon alongside Adam D and Big Jim for several numbers, including the finale version of Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild.” I’m starting to dig this hand percussion stuff…It feels good to hit things!
Eric D performs during Pellegrine’s Jam Night.
Adam D and Eric D (not related) team up during Jam Night.
Becoming a frequent flyer during Pelly’s Wednesday Jam Night, Rich “All Heart” Edmundson.
Adam D, Eric D and All Heart.
ROCK & DUSTIN @ BELMAR HOTEL, ALTOONA 3/4/10
I hadn’t originally planned to catch any live music at the Belmar this night. I was there for a Penn State Altoona-related social get-together, and had just finished my meal when Ron “Ronny D” “Budman” Dalansky stopped and chatted with me briefly. I then went to chat with him some more as I was getting ready to pay my food bill and head out the door, but ended up sticking around to watch the ongoing Bud Light promotion, the “Belmar Bouncers” contest. No, this didn’t involve actual bouncers like the guys who work doors and throw out idiots. This was a contest for the patrons, involving bouncing Bud Light plastic chips into containers to score points (sort of like bouncing quarters or pennies into a glass). As one observer noted, it was like tiddly-winks without the winks…or without the tiddly, depending on your perspective.
As I stuck around and watched several co-ed couples compete with each other to score the most points, the father and son team of Rock & Dustin set up their gear, and I ended catching most of their first two sets. Since I didn’t plan to stick around the Belmar this long, I didn’t have a notepad or camera with me. But Rock & Dustin did sound good on a variety of tunes. Among the ones I best remember; versions of Grand Funk Railroad’s “Feelin’ Alright,” a reggae-flavored take on “Sweet Home Alabama,” Marshall Tucker Band’s “Can’t You See,” Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s “Blue on Black,” The Band’s “The Weight,” Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer,” Poison’s “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” and more.
Be on the lookout for a similar Bud Light chip-bouncing promotion at a neighborhood watering hole near you. Based on what I observed, it looks like a lot of fun!
RAPID FIRE @ 30 SOMETHING, ALTOONA 3/5/10
My Friday night didn’t go quite as planned, but still resulted in my touching base with two good area rock bands.
After spending Friday afternoon and evening delivering the new March issues of Pennsylvania Musician around the Altoona area, I tried to catch the last hour of the Fabulous Flashbacks’ sendoff party for last founding member Don Trullander. However, the door was locked when I arrived; and I didn’t feel like dealing with the “members only” stuff, so I headed down the 13th Street hill to Pellegrine’s, hopefully to catch my first look at country performers Sugar Ridge. But upon arriving there, I learned that Sugar Ridge was cancelled for this night, and Adam D was playing instead. Having already seem Adam twice so far this week, I opted to head elsewhere for live music. That first elsewhere was 30 Something to check in with rocking trio Rapid Fire.
Although not crowded, it was good to see at least some people in attendance for Rapid Fire; evidence that this group is building a following. Singer/bassist Aaron Gindlesperger, singer/drummer Bud Beals and guitarist Buck Parsley kept that following happy over the first two sets, as they mixed hard-rocking favorites spanning the ‘70s to present. Aaron and Bud alternated lead voice duties, with Bud handling the bulk of the higher-register stuff. Buck was showing some serious skills on the guitar, especially his precision work on the Randy Rhoads solo during Ozzy’s “Crazy Train!”
Rapid Fire triggered some dance floor action along the way, which seemed to intensify as the night progressed; even to the point of a quadruple dry-hump during the second set!
Satisfied that Rapid Fire had this party well in hand by the close of their second set, I departed 30 Something to check in with another band before the night was through.
Rapid Fire, rocking at 30 Something.
Aaron Gindlesperger of Rapid Fire.
Buck Parsley of Rapid Fire.
Bud Beals of Rapid Fire.
Again, Buck Parsley. Buck was delivering some stinging leads this night!
Once again, Rapid Fire.
SLACKER THEORY @ ALDO’S, ALTOONA 3/5/10
It had actually been close to three months since I last saw Slacker Theory in action, so I was due to check in with this crew at Aldo’s to see what was up.
The group was set to launch their third set as I arrived, and a good-sized crowd was in the room. Singer/guitarist Steve Danfelt, lead guitarist Dalton McDonald, bassist Ryan George and drummer Rob Bonsell entertained “Aldo’s in Wonderland” (in deference to the new Tim Burton version of Alice In Wonderland, which hit theaters this day) with a mix of contemporary hard rock and metal. Their third set featured tunes from Seether, Fuel, Metallica and more. At one point, the group teased Jethro Tull’s “Aqualung,” but abandoned further exploration of the classic when Steve couldn’t remember the next line (Psssst Steve – “Eyeing little girls with bad intent!”). And when somebody yelled out a request for Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steve responded “My name isn’t Felix, so I can’t do Skynyrd…How about we do Seger instead?” This was followed by the Metallica spin on “Turn the Page.” And Slacker Theory did one of their own to close out the show, ending with “Shake.”
It all sounded pretty solid from my vantage point, and the Aldo’s crowd appeared to enjoy it.
Steve Danfelt of Slacker Theory.
Cutting Aldo’s no slack this night, Slacker Theory.
Again, Slacker Steve.
Rob Bonsell of Slacker Theory.
Dalton McDonald of Slacker Theory.
Slacker Steve, apparently amazed by a mysterious growth on Dalton’s neck.
Again, Slacker Theory.
Ryan George of Slacker Theory.
80 PROOF @ TURNER HALL, JOHNSTOWN 3/6/10
Since the weather forecast was favorable for a roadtrip this Saturday night, I took advantage and hit the highway. I deliberated band options in Clearfield, Johnstown, Windber and Hopewell; and ultimately decided to go with one of the band options I hadn’t seen before, new Johnstown ‘80s hair-band rock specialists 80 Proof, performing at Turner Hall in downtown Johnstown.
It took me a trip or two around the block to locate Turner Hall, since I had not been in this venue before. It’s located fairly close to Coney Island Hot Dogs; something I made a mental note of in case the urge for late night munchies came along after the show…
Turner Hall was nearly packed when I arrived. 80 Proof – lead singer Mike Prebehalla, guitarist Mel Deneen, bassist/singer Paul Hearn and drummer Jared Michaels – was in the midst of Quiet Riot’s “Metal Health (Bang Your Head),” and Mike was quickly making a believer out of me! He nailed the Kevin DuBrow polecat howl on this one in a way I’ve not heard anyone achieve since Paul Reddon was fronting the Poptart Monkeys! Mike followed that up by showing his ability to capture Sebastian Bach’s howl on Skid Row’s “18 & Life” to finish the set.
After the intermission, 80 Proof was back to resume the last leg of the party; kicking off with Judas Priest’s “Breakin’ the Law.” The group soon filled the dance floor as they brought the crunch with tunes from Motley Crue, L.A. Guns, The Cult, more Skid Row, Kiss, the Dokken double-shot of “Breaking the Chains” and “It’s Not Love,” Ozzy Osbourne and AC/DC. Mike’s voice was again in good form, and the rest of the group was solid around him…not surprising, given that Paul has been playing this vein of rock since the ‘80s, and Mel and Jared were playing it together more recently in Sunset Strip.
After their set ended, the crowd wanted to hear more. But instead of calling out for more hair-band rock, audience members were calling out for Journey and Lynyrd Skynyrd. 80 Proof showed their flexibility, answering the crowd demands with Journey’s “Stone In Love” with Paul singing lead, and then satisfying the Skynyrd requests with a makeshift spin on “Free Bird,” followed by the medley of “Sweet Home Alabama,” Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long” and Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London” to end the night.
My first impressions of 80 Proof were favorable, and it seems that this new group is off to a strong start. Based on this display, these guys appear poised to see their stock rise on area stages in coming months. Watch out for them.
80 Proof, rocking Turner Hall.
Again, 80 Proof.
As a thick fog rolled onto the stage at Turner Hall, Paul Hearn of 80 Proof.
Mike Prebehalla of 80 Proof. This guy’s got a voice!
Again, Paul Hearn of 80 Proof.
With fog visibility at nearly zero, Mel Deneen of 80 Proof.
Mel and Mike of 80 Proof.
As the fog begins to lift, Paul Hearn.
Again, Mike Prebehalla of 80 Proof.
Again, 80 Proof.
Again, Mel Deneen.
Jared Michaels of 80 Proof.
Mel and Paul of 80 Proof.
Once again, Mel and Mike of 80 Proof.
BENEFIT FOR DAVID @ 30 SOMETHING, ALTOONA 3/7/10
It sucks when youngsters enter the world with the odds already stacked against them due to serious health issues.
David Whittington is such a youngster, born with multiple heart ailments and a chromosome deficiency condition called DeGeorge’s Syndrome. David’s situation has kept him hospital-bound since birth, and created a substantial financial burden for his parents. The local music community came together this Sunday afternoon to help David and his family out with the matinee Benefit for David.
Work-related duties prevented me from arriving at this benefit sooner, and I missed some of the earlier acts on the bill. Past Times was just finishing up with the Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues” as I entered the building.
The Whatleys were next. Singer/bassist Eddie Fraud, guitarists/singers Hiro and T.J. Fadehawk, and drummer Jimmy Whatley fired off high-velocity, old-school-styled punk rock with spit, vinegar and a sense of humor. Their songs were short, simple, catchy and to the point, delivered with maximum fury. Some of their songs included “Over You,” “One More Drink,” “One Last Time” and the anthemic set-finisher “82.” It was good, fast punk rock that drew cheers from the crowd, and had at least one toddler on the dance floor and bouncing along.
The Whatleys.
T.J. Fadehawk and Eddie Fraud of The Whatleys.
Again, The Whatleys.
Again, Eddie Fraud.
Jimmy Whatley of The Whatleys.
Once again, The Whatleys.
A young fan shows her appreciation for The Whatleys.
I was able to stick around for the first three songs from the next band, A Fight with Sledgehammers. Dan, Whitey, Boog and Chuxema let loose with agitated, scathing, hardcore-flavored punk. These guys seem to have developed from their first show I witnessed last spring on this same stage; they sounded tighter and appeared more confident and caution-to-the-wind.
A young fan gets a closer look at A Fight With Sledgehammers.
Again, A Fight With Sledgehammers.
Whitey of A Fight With Sledgehammers.
Boog of A Fight With Sledgehammers.
Due to my weekly “Homegrown Rocker” duties, I had to depart 30 Something shortly into A Fight with Sledgehammers’ performance, and missed the rest of the entertainment on this slate: Mysterytrain, Wild Guess and McCrea’s Café. It turned out to be a successful day, with nearly $500 raised; enough to purchase a generator to run young David’s ventilator in case the power goes off. Good deal!
VENT @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 3/7/10
After completing my weekly “Homegrown Rocker” duties, I headed to Pellegrine’s to end my weekend in rocking fashion with Centre County’s Vent.
It’s too bad few other people did. This was the emptiest I’ve seen Pellegrine’s on a Sunday night in quite a while. Whether people had already spent their entertainment wad earlier in the weekend, were tuckered out from enjoying activities in this day’s warmer temperatures, or were just afraid to take a chance on a band name they weren’t familiar with; Pelly’s was noticeably under-populated this night.
But Vent didn’t let the lack of crowd get them down; they did what all good bands do in situations like this, entertain the people who did show up rather than whine about the people who didn’t. Frontman Tom Getz, guitarist Dave Plisco, bassist Rob Staph and drummer Jason Houser featured a variety of sounds over their last two sets; blending ‘80s, ‘90s and current rock, with a few surprises added along the way. Vent did solid work on favorites by Stone Temple Pilots, Candlebox, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Toadies, My Chemical Romance, Seven Mary Three, Duran Duran, Green Day, Blink 182 and more. At the close of their second set, Dave picked up his acoustic guitar, and he and Tom did acoustic selections from Pearl Jam and Paul Westerberg.
Vent’s reward by the close of the third set was at least a few of the few peeps in the house venturing onto the dance floor to groove and cheer the band on. Hopefully those folks will spread the word to those who stayed away this night; that Vent is worthy of checking out and having a good time to. For what it’s worth, I enjoyed them!
Vent, closing out the weekend at Pellegrine’s.
Rob Staph of Vent.
Tom Getz of Vent.
Dave Plisco of Vent.
Tom Getz of Vent.
Again, Vent.
Again, Dave Plisco of Vent.
Once again, Tom Getz.
Performing acoustic, Dave and Tom of Vent.
Once again, Vent.
Jason Houser of Vent.
Again, Jason Houser.
Yet again, Tom Getz.
One more time, Dave Plisco of Vent.
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