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4TH OF JULY WEEK/WEEKEND RECAP 7/5/10
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Jim Price
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 Post Posted: Monday Jul 26, 2010 
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4TH OF JULY WEEK/WEEKEND RECAP 7/5/10

THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 6/28/10

It turned into a bit of an interesting night during this week’s edition of Monday wings and That’s What She Said at Pellegrine’s.

As I arrived and settled into my regular seat, I noted two women verbally feuding at the main bar. It didn’t escalate into any catfight, but did raise a few eyebrows as they had their words and one made for the door. A little drama on a Monday night; interesting…

A little more lighthearted drama started on Facebook earlier in the evening, when the idea of tazering Gamber Gone Wild came up. Would it happen at Pelly’s this night when he tried to sing? I learned the answer early on, when he did his regular marking of Looking Glass’ “Brandy,” and didn’t get tazed. That would have been a funny sight, though…

As far as the That’s What She Said dynamic singing duo of Adam D on keys and Jess P on acoustic guitar, no drama this night, as the two alternated singing duties on their respective repertoires of song favorites. Jess did her ever-popular feline singalong ditty “The Pussycat Song,” K.T. Tunstall’s “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree,” Sublime’s “Santeria,” John Denver’s “Take Me Home Country Roads,” Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” and more. Adam countered with his spins on The Flys’ “Got You Where I Want You,” U2’s “New Years Day,” Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge,” Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades” and more.

No unexpected “full moons” or other atrocities in Pelly’s men’s room this night; all was good…

JAM NIGHT @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 6/30/10

This week’s edition of Pellegrine’s Wednesday Jam Night saw one new participant, as “Vergen” Jam Night partaker Jeff Renner of The Verge brought guitar and helped create the music this night.

Eric D was performing as I first arrived, doing renditions of the Grateful Dead’s “Friend of the Devil,” Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold” and more.

The combined talents of Adam D, Big Jim, Gary Leighty on guitar and Terry Wilt on drums then brought to life renditions of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” and the Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues,” with Jamie Shumack stepping up to sing lead on the latter.

Jamie then stepped behind the drum kit while Jeff Renner and Matt Burns took the stage, setting up for an impromptu unofficial mach version of The Verge to perform numbers from Bon Jovi, Steppenwolf, Poison, AC/DC and the Steve Miller Band.

The jam session portion of the night then kicked in, with Adam, Big Jim, Gary, Terry, Jamie, and yours truly on bongos blended forces to get musical on tunes from Bad Company, The Who, the Doors, Steve Miller Band, Stevie Wonder, Neil Diamond, Journey, Bob Seger, Black Crowes, Three Dog Night and many more.

Half a year after it was introduced, Pellegrine’s Wednesday Jam Night continues to draw new musicians each week, and continues to be a good time of music creation and enjoyment.

Jammin’ again…Adam D, Jamie Shumack, Terry Wilt and Big Jim.

Adam, Terry and Jim.

Adam and Jamie.

Jeff Renner, Adam, Jamie and Big Jim.

Plucking the cherries of Pellegrine’s “Vergens,” Jeff Renner and Matt Burns of The Verge.

Jeff and Matt of The Verge, with Jamie behind the kit.

FELIX & THE HURRICANES @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 7/1/10

After completing broadcast workplace duties this night, it was again off to Pellegrine’s to catch what I could of the last set of the Hurricanes’ and Dave Villani’s weekly Thursday show.

The Hurricanes started their third set just after my arrival. The chemistry between Dave and lead ‘Cane Felix Kos gets better each week. These two have more and more “conversations” between keys and guitar each week, providing frequent highlights. Dave’s organ groan added depth and mood to the sullen ‘Canes blues dirge “On the Bottom Again.” The group’s work on Santana’s “Europa” this night was dazzling, both with Dave’s organ underscore and Felix’s rapid fire tremelo strumming. The group triggered some dance floor do-si-do’ing when they did an audience request for “Rocky Top,” and Dave sang lead on the increasingly popular rendition of Stephen Stills’ “Love The One You’re With.” My favorite highlight of the whole set, though, was the Allman Brothers’ “Whipping Post” – with Dave’s authentic organ licks, this night’s version sounded stunningly close to the Allman’s original version!

The Hurricanes’ upbeat original tunes “La La Land,” “Cut That Line” and Los Lonely Boys’ “Heaven” kept the dance floor active, and prompted quick demands for more at set’s end. The Hurricanes responded with Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl,” which became a crowd singalong.

Bottom line, this Thursday edition of the Hurricanes with Dave Villani grows stronger and provides more musical excitement each week, and it’s catching on…check it out!

PICNIC ON THE PLAZA @ HERITAGE PLAZA, ALTOONA 7/2/10

The 4th of July holiday weekend had arrived, and with it, the first of a few live music-related festivities happening around the area. The Blair County Community Action Agency was providing “Picnic on the Plaza” this night at downtown Altoona’s Heritage Plaza, a community get-together and concert featuring several popular area bands.

I arrived too late to see the openers Big Mac N’ the Fries (I instead settled for nachos and a coke Rolling Eyes ). Felix & the Hurricanes were well under way when I got there, and were dazzling the large audience with their performance of blues-rocking original songs and favorites. Felix, Bob and Jeff introduced several new original songs, such as the surf-flavored instrumental “Whirlwind,” which prompted a lively solo dance display by Hurricaniac Ed, and The Jeff-fronted “Hey Looky There.” The group also did other popular original tunes such as “The Lonely One,” “La La Land,” “Keep On Rockin’” and “Black Widow,” and also broke out versions of the Allman Brothers’ “No One to Run With,” Wilson Pickett’s “Mustang Sally” and Blackfoot’s “Train Train” to close their set. The Hurricanes triggered lively dance action from the all-ages audience, including a few wheelchair-bound fans getting their own grooves on; it almost looked like the Hoveround TV commercial!

Playing to picnickers on the Plaza, Felix & the Hurricanes.

Hurricane Felix.

Hurricane Bob, with concert emcee and organizer Allan Robison standing behind him.

Working that bass, Hurricane Jeff.

Hurricaniac Ed busts some dance moves in front of the band.

Once again, Felix.

The Front was the next scheduled band; but before playing their own set, The Front welcomed Minus One up to do a couple of songs; bassist Colleen Cassarly is singer Bob Gates’ niece. Minus guitarist Paul Hoover, Minus One did a rendition of Jet’s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl,” followed by the song “Weekend Warriors.”

Minus One plays a two-song set to the crowd.

Again, Minus One.

One more time, Minus One.

The Front then took the stage and finished the concert with their celebration of classic ‘70s, ‘80s rock and original songs, inspiring widespread dancing activity from youngsters to senior citizens, the wheelchair crowd and everybody in between! Bob, guitarist/singer John McKelvey, bassist Randy Rutherford, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist Harold Hayford and drummer Clint Carothers kept it interesting with a number of ‘80s gems I hadn’t heard them do in a while, such as Midnight Oil’s “Beds Are Burning,” the Cars double-shot of “You Might Think” and “Magic,” The Alarm’s “Sold Me Down the River,” Honeymoon Suite’s “New Girl Now” and more. Harold’s keyboard mastery was highlighted on a version of Deep Purple’s “Hush,” and Bob broke out the harmonica on Alice Cooper’s “Be My Lover.” The Front saved my favorite highlight for the end, though, rocking the party to a close with Angel City’s “Marseilles.”

The Picnic On The Plaza provided a fun start to the 4th of July weekend, and brought a large chunk of community together to enjoy live music and company.

The Front gets folks dancing on Heritage Plaza!

The Front and the dancers.

Harold Hayford of The Front.

John McKelvey and Bob Gates of The Front.

Again, John McKelvey.

Again, The Front.

Clint Carothers of The Front.

With Harold playing rhythm guitar, The Front.

Harold and John.

More of The Front.

From behind the band, The Front and the Heritage Plaza dancers.

7/3/10

It’s an extreme rarity that I do not take in a live band or performer of some sort on a Saturday night, but it happened this weekend. I had been out delivering Pennsylvania Musician magazines all day in a car with broken air conditioning, and was tired. And other than a band I wasn’t familiar with called The K Band playing at 30 Something, everything else happening on the area stages this night was “been there, done that” recently for me.

The night’s fate was sealed for me when I was invited to a friend’s house for some outdoor grilling. When host Brian informed me that 1½-inch thick steaks were on the menu, it became a no-brainer.

The steaks and burgers ruled, washed down with some cold brews. The back porch barbecue had its own built-in form of entertainment, though…the bug zapper. We learned this night that bug zappers are more entertaining and amusing after a few brews. We watched as various insectoids met their demises in arc lightning and puffs of flame and smoke. Especially entertaining were the beefsteak mothras that blundered their way into the electrified grates, creating arc currents and loud sizzling noises when they made contact. And this back porch get-together was located in the remote sticks country bordering both the Homer’s and Riggles Gaps sections of northern Altoona, so the insect life forms were large, making for even more entertaining bug zapper fireworks.

The neighbors provided some entertainment as well, setting off their own 4th of July backyard nukes. At least that’s what some of the explosions sounded like…They sure brew those basement explosives big here in the backwoods country of northern Altoona!

Alas, cheap entertainment on a Saturday night…It was a holiday weekend, so it was as good a time as any for me to finally take a Saturday night off…

BALLPARK BLOCK PARTY @ BLAIR COUNTY BALLPARK, ALTOONA 7/4/10

The 4th of July was hot and smoldering, with stifling 90-plus temperatures and humidity. With the “Homegrown Rocker” memorexed this night, the usual options for this night’s obligatory fireworks were available…I could visit a friend’s grandparents’ picnic in Tipton and walk to nearby Delgrosso’s Park for their annual “Summer Thunder” fireworks extravaganza (and the local Tiptonoids’ backyard atomics and fireworks were almost as entertaining as Delgrosso’s every year)…Or I could take in a new option this year, as Blair County Ballpark – in lieu of the Altoona Curve baseball team being away this weekend – was hosting their first ever “Ballpark Block Party,” with fireworks, games, children’s activities and three live area bands. After not taking in a band the night before, live music won my attentions this night…

I arrived at Blair County Ballpark to find a good-sized crowd of families and music fans already present, and settling in under the shade of the concourses. Some of the audience games were already getting under way; these were some of the same games witnessed between innings during Altoona Curve games. In a contest involving a musician early on, 7th Gear frontman/guitarist Brendon Burns got “beheaded” during the jousting contest.

The joust begins, as Brendon Burns (in red) and his opponent go at it.

It’s on!

Brendon gets ready to counterattack.

The action is heated.

But Brendon loses his head…and the match.

The music would soon begin…The Hope Fallacy got the short straw, and received the honors of kicking things off in the 90-degree heat and sun. Then again, these guys recently played in sauna conditions when they opened for the Mayday Parade in front of a packed house of teenagers at the Eldolyn Terrace, so they were better suited for it! Singer/guitarist Adam Pielmeier, singer/bassist Eric McCrum, guitarists Adam Mueller and Evan Fredo, and drummer Trey Carruthers did a mixture of fast-firing numbers off their Bringin’ It Home EP and various favorites from Third Eye Blind, Matchbox 20, Def Leppard and more. Their performance was essentially sharp, and showed that this group is poised for playing upcoming over-21 shows at the 4D’s and other area nightspot stages.

The Hope Fallacy triggers some early dancing action in the blazing sun.

Eric McCrum of The Hope Fallacy.

The Adams – Pielmeier and Mueller – of The Hope Fallacy.

The Hope Fallacy and dancing ladies.

The Hope Fallacy dance party, live and on the jumbotron.

Photos can sometimes be deceiving…This jumbotron view of The Hope Fallacy didn’t appear psychedelic to the audience, but due to the difference in shutter speed and speed of the image projection on the screen, this image looks psychedelic. In other words, the camera technology and jumbotron technology weren’t seeing eye to eye.

Again, Eric McCrum.

Trey Carruthers of The Hope Fallacy.

Again, The Hope Fallacy and their dancers.

Again, Adam Mueller.

Altoona power trio 7th Gear soon picked up the party and ran with it, delivering their uptempo mixture of originals and favorites; Brendon, bassist/singer Kelly Montgomery and drummer/singer Randy Servello introduced catchy, melody-geared original songs such as “Stay,” “When I See You” and “Jealousy.” They also kept the dance area in front of the stage busy with favorites from Phish, Duran Duran, Sublime, Ozzy Osbourne, Def Leppard and more. Again, this band was instrumentally tight, and their vocals and harmonies were dead on. It was a good display that kept the mood of this party happy and upbeat.

7th Gear kicks off their set.

Again, 7th Gear.

Kelly Montgomery of 7th Gear.

Randy Servello of 7th Gear.

7th Gear inspires these ladies to dance.

More of 7th Gear.

The dance action in front of 7th Gear heats up.

Again, Randy Servello.

7th Gear, under the tent and on the jumbotron.

Again, Kelly Montgomery.

Brendon Burns of 7th Gear.

7th Gear’s dance party continues.

Again, Brendon Burns.

Again, a jumbotron’s eye view of 7th Gear.

Frank, nursing a gimp leg, enjoys the festivities.

Another part of the Ballpark Block Party; families and kids could play catch down on the ballfield.

Leading up to the fireworks was Chris Vipond and the Stanley Street Band. Namesake, singer and keyboardist Chris, co-namesake and bassman Mike Stanley, guitarist Phil Wagner and drummer Jacob Smith quickly got their groove on; mixing original songs and select cover material, and blending it all into nearly nonstop grooves that kept fans dancing and moving. As the clock struck 10 PM, neighboring Lakemont Park set a dazzling backdrop by setting off their fireworks as the group entered the homestretch of their performance.

It’s a full-blown 4th of July party with Chris Vipond and the Stanley Street Band.

Folks get their groove on with Chris Vipond and the Stanley Street Band.

The jumbotron view of Chris Vipond and the Stanley Street Band…And the Altoona Curve are losing at Reading.

Again, Chris Vipond and the Stanley Street Band.

Group namesake Chris Vipond.

Co-group namesake Mike Stanley.

Revelers party down to Chris Vipond and the Stanley Street Band.

Phil Wagner and Chris Vipond.

Again, Mike Stanley.

Jacob Smith of Chris Vipond and the Stanley Street Band.

More of Chris Vipond and the Stanley Street Band.

Again, Phil Wagner.

Again, Chris Vipond.

Again, Jacob Smith.

Yours truly, enjoying the party.

Neighboring Lakemont Park starts setting off their fireworks display as Chris Vipond and the Stanley Street Band perform.

More fireworks.

More band and fireworks.

The party and fireworks continue.

More of Chris Vipond, the Stanley Street Band and fireworks.

Happy 4th of July!

Blair County Ballpark then followed suit by setting off their own fireworks display after the group finished. The only disappointment of the night was that Blair County Ballpark’s fireworks didn’t last a little longer; their display was over after about five minutes.

Some highlights from both Lakemont Park's and Blair County Ballpark’s fireworks displays:















But short fireworks notwithstanding, the rest of the Ballpark Block Party was a good time. Here’s hoping that Blair County Ballpark take advantage of future Altoona Curve roadtrips and stage more concerts at this facility, during the 4th of July and on other occasions!

7TH GEAR @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 7/4/10

My post-fireworks options were between the Hurricanes at Shaw’s, and following 7th Gear down the road to Pellegrine’s. Since I had seen the Hurricanes twice already this weekend, I opted to continue the party with 7th Gear.

Pellegrine’s decided to try a band this night to see if they could catch some of the post-fireworks crowds looking for something else to do. It turned out to be a good move; there was actually decent attendance here by the time all was said and done.

7th Gear kept the people entertained with their upbeat, rocking sets. Brendon, Kelly and Randy mixed it up again with a variety of favorites; one of the highlights during their ensuing three sets included the fusion of the Phish instrumental “First Tube” with Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World,” with the latter tune being dedicated to audience member Rocco, who was leaving to serve in Afghanistan the following day. The group also played hits from Collective Soul, Kid Rock, Stevie Wonder, Pink Floyd, Sublime, Aerosmith and more.

This after-fireworks party provided a fitting close to the 4th of July holiday weekend.

7th Gear rocks Pellegrine’s post-fireworks party.

Randy Servello of 7th Gear.
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Jim Price
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Location: Altoona, PA

 Post Posted: Thursday May 26, 2011 
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