[Jim Price]

JP’S HIGHLIGHT REEL – 2006

As we turn the page from 2006 into 2007, it's time for yours truly to reflect over the past year one more time, and offer my thoughts on the past year's happenings, music and otherwise. The following opinions and views on the past year are strictly those of your friendly neighborhood Professor, and do not reflect the views and opinions of Rockpage, Q94, Pennsylvania Musician Magazine or anybody else who tends to get irritated by my mental meanderings...

JP’S HIGHLIGHTS/LOWLIGHTS OF 2006

I'll begin by listing a few highlights and lowlights from the past year, musically and otherwise...

HIGHLIGHT: THE AREA HEAVY ROCK/METAL SCENE: Many observers have noted in the past that metal and heavy rock are big in this part of the world; 2006 showed that trend is getting stronger. A number of this area's hardest-hitting bands stepped it up in 2006; putting out some excellent CD's and delivering the goods onstage. 4 Days Dirty, Second Offense, Choking Faith, House Of Cain/Killjingle/The Embalmed, FedUP, Condemned Existence, Dragon Fire, Chapter 5, Suicide Switch, Pivot, Lies, Inc., Flord and Opposition all represented well in 2006, putting on excellent live performances, and many issuing killer CD’s (or planning to issue CD’s in 2007). The strengthening of the area’s heavy music scene has opened the door for bands from outside of our area, such as York’s Ninetail and West Virginia’s Stuck In Kaos, to develop fan bases locally as well. And two western PA heavyweights, Pittsburgh’s Skell and New Castle prog-metal monsters Coinmonster, also saw good crowds during their visits over this way. Credit the strength and quality of the area heavy rock scene; venues that host shows such as Aldo’s, Westmont Gardens and others; and entities such as The Underground Television and Dave Moses’ One Voice Musical Showcase for providing some of the catalysts for people to discover this scene. I’m looking forward to more great things from area heavy rock in 2007!

HIGHLIGHT: BURGI'S ROUNDHOUSE PROVIDES THE GATEWAY TO PITTSBURGH MUSIC: Once upon a time, long ago in the 80's, Altoona used to see regular visits from some of the biggest names Pittsburgh had to offer: Billy Price & the Keystone Rhythm Band, Norman Nardini, B.E. Taylor, G-Force and others, playing places like the Coaches Inn (now City Limits) and Cisco's (now Red Lobster). After Coaches Inn and Cisco’s closed their doors, and up until Burgi’s Roundhouse opened up two years ago, sightings of such names became sporadic and rare in the Altoona area. But the powers that be at Burgi’s remember the days of Coaches Inn and Cisco’s, and have strived to reopen the gateway to Pittsburgh’s top talent. The Billy Price Band, Norman Nardini, Tony Janflone, Jr., Jill West & Blues Attack, Glenn Pavone & the Cyclones, Povertyneck Hillbillies, Angel Blue & the Prophets, Mystic Knights, The Jimmy Adler Band and others have graced Burgi’s stage in the past year. Although some of these groups have drawn well, consistent support needs to improve for Burgi’s to want to continue to bring such acts to their stage. Please support these shows when you can in 2007, and guarantee that this great talent continues to visit our area.

LOWLIGHT: PETER C'S, CASTLE PUB, CROWBAR CLOSE DOORS: The area lost three of its premiere live music venues in 2006. Although Peter C’s announced they were closing in 2005, delays in the transfer of the liquor license and deed kept the venue open until late January, with the annual Rockpage Benefit Jam closing out the venue. Ebensburg’s Castle Pub was forced to shut its doors due to repeated problems with liquor law noise enforcement, believed to be grudge-motivated. And State College’s Crowbar, citing lease issues and competition, closed its doors in early summer. Although this location has reopened as The Cell Block, live music has been sporadic so far, and the business’ future plans regarding live music aren’t yet clear. Each of the closed venues served a unique aspect of the live music scene; and all three are sorely missed.

LOWLIGHT: WE LOST SOME FRIENDS: It was a rough year for losing friends, both on the area music scene and personally. Of course, the music scene suddenly lost John Baker to a heart attack in late January. We also lost Clearfield music scene member Al Forsyth during July, and Michael Gingrich of State College’s Chaos Method lost his life in an auto accident in early August. And in December, Infused drummer Ed Longo lost his battle with cancer, and local music fan Steve Lockard passed from a heart attack. Also in December, Harrisburg music personality Bob Brechbill, who played drums for the swing band Big Tubba Mista and ran sound production, was lost to a heart attack. Personally, I lost a good friend, Cynde Clapper (mother of Jen Snyder, aka sword-twirler “Nikki Slice”) to cancer in April, and Q94 lost a devoted listener and friend, Dale Zunich, at the hands of a murderer during Memorial Day Weekend. Needless to say, a rough year.

HIGHLIGHT: THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT! Cheers to the area music scene’s youth movement, and the organizations and events that nurture it. From my position, it’s very cool to see youngsters develop their musical talents and blossom into the fresh new names on the music scene. Hats off to Get Closer To The Music for their efforts to get kids interested in music, and to Dennie Huber and his annual Crazy Fest Amateur Youth Talent Show for giving youngsters the stage and opportunity to showcase their talents in front of a supportive audience. Every year, I see Crazy Fest alumni graduate into the music scene in different ways; surfacing in bands, or developing into solo talents. It’s also very cool to be writing about the children of musicians I was writing about when I started covering local music nearly 20 years ago! Based on what I’m seeing, the future of the music scene shows much promise, with a steadily evolving crop of young musicians progressing into and refreshing the scene every year.

LOWLIGHT: SMALLER CROWDS AND FEWER OPPORTUNITIES FOR LIVE MUSIC: This is a complex problem with no simple solutions. There are a number of factors involved; the dollar doesn’t stretch as far, and jobs in this vicinity are generally lower-paying, so people have smaller budgets to allot for entertainment and often pick their night of the weekend for going out instead of venturing out two or three nights as in years past. DUI and checkpoint concerns keep more people indoors on weekends. Competing entertainment from deejays, karaoke, mechanical bulls, sumo wrestling, movies, the internet, video games and more all take their toll on live music support on any given night. Diminished crowds have contributed to the closure of places like Peter C’s and Crowbar, and the scaling back of live entertainment at other venues (both City Limits and Burgi’s cut back on their Friday live entertainment in recent months). There is no single solution to reversing this trend. But now more than ever, bands need to put their best foot forward on stage every night to keep fans coming back to support live music. More and more, it seems that two- and three-band bills are more successful for new and developing bands than new bands attempting to win a fan base alone. And bands and venues need to keep promoting, and keep EDUCATING the public about who they are and what they do, and why folks should choose their show over the other entertainment options available on any given night. The music scene needs to keep pulling together and selling the live music scene as a whole.

HIGHLIGHT: THE HITCHING POST'S WEDNESDAY COUNTRY NIGHT: For the longest time, in spite of country being the dominant force on radio in this part of the world, local country bands and artists had a tough time landing local gigs or drawing crowds on area stages. That trend has changed in recent years, and The Hitching Post’s weekly Wednesday “Country Night” has contributed to that trend. Since its inception, Wednesdays at the Hitching Post have seen steadily increasing crowds and support for such area country names as Blind Jonny Death/Rusty Gun Revival, .00 Buck (R.I.P.), Broken Pony, The Country Outlaws and more. And bluegrass has found a stage on select Wednesdays at the Hitching Post, with John Stevens’ monthly bluegrass jam night, and Mt. City Grass sowing ‘grass seeds on stage. It's good to see local country and roots music finally getting some love on area stages; kudos to the Hitching Post for providing one of those stages.

LOWLIGHT: THE STEELERS: It’s tough for teams to repeat as Super Bowl champions in this era of NFL parity, so the Steelers already had their work cut out for them in the 2006-07 season. Then Big Ben had his motorcycle crash and nearly lost his life, followed by a bout of appendicitis that set him back further in getting ready for the season. There was the distraction over whether coach Bill Cowher would be leaving at the end of the year. Having finally earned that “one for the thumb,” there may have been some complacency and “Super Bowl Hangover.” And there were injuries to key players, mental lapses and stupid penalties; and the Steelers found themselves 2-6 at the midway point of the season. To their credit, the Black and Gold battled back and were not eliminated totally from the playoff race until the next to the last week of the season, and finished 8-8. At presstime, Bill Cowher had resigned and is stepping away, so the Steelers will have a new skipper to guide them next year. Here’s hoping they find the missing pieces to the puzzle, stay out of motorcycle wrecks, and return to the NFL forefront next fall.

HIGHLIGHT: THE MARAUDERS HOOK UP WITH BRIAN SETZER: One of the best stories to emerge out of the area music scene this year...Through a mutual friend, local roots rockers The Marauders came to the attention of Brian Setzer, who identified with the group's grit and blue-collar, don't-give-a-damn attitude enough that he penned a song for them, "We Are The Marauders," and then took them out on the road to open six dates for his Brian Setzer Orchestra. It was quite a ride for The Marauders in 2006; here's hoping 2007 is just as exciting for them.

LOWLIGHT: QUEENSRYCHE CANCELS GREENSBURG CONCERT: It was one of the more anticipated concerts of the year for many of us; Queensryche, touring in support of their Operation: Mindcrime 2 sequel album, was performing both the original Operation: Mindcrime and Mindcrime 2 albums in their entireity, complete with theatrics and actors onstage. Eyewitness reviews of this concert in other cities were excellent, and this concert was to visit Greensburg’s Palace Theatre in early November. However, those arriving at the ticket window that night learned 20 minutes before showtime that Queensryche singer Geoff Tate became ill after sound check, and the show was cancelled. There was no make-up date. For Queensryche fans like yours truly, a major disappointment!

JP’S TEN FAVORITE LOCAL MUSIC SCENE MOMENTS OF 2006:

Next, I'll list my ten favorite moments on the area/regional music scene during the past year. Your mileage may vary. These are in no particular order.

1) BURGI'S BLUESFEST: Burgi's Roundhouse pulled all the stops on Veteran's Day and brought together four of western PA's top blues-geared acts; Pittsburgh legend Norman Nardini, Johnstown's Totem, Felix & the Hurricanes and Pittsburgh's Tony Mollick Project; in the first-ever Burgi's Bluesfest. Highlights were plentiful this night, from the steady and large audience on hand for the entire evening, to Tony Mollick performing in his first appearance since being seriously hurt in a June motorcycle accident, to stunning musical fireworks from all four bands, to Norman Nardini bringing members of the other three bands onstage with him for a jam session during his set. The vibe was happy and festive the entire evening, and this was easily one of the highlight shows of the year! Look for Burgi's to do another one in 2007!

2) THE JB VAVAPALOOZA BENEFIT: Obviously, the circumstance that led to this show ever having to take place – the passing of popular area musician and friend John Baker in January – was a lowlight. But the second memorial benefit concert for John (the first took place at Davey's Lounge in Hastings in February), the JB VaVa Palooza Benefit at Electric Avenue in Houtzdale, was unforgettable. The electricity in the room this day was incredible; every band and musician rode at an incredible high, pouring it all out onstage in honor of John Baker. Although I arrived later and caught the latter half of the show; the Tugger tribute, and sets by Buck-It, Serious Jones and the Ozone Rangers were exciting and passionate, capping a very memorable day and a fitting tribute to a good friend.

3) ELVIS ENTERS THE BUILDING w/RUSTY GUN REVIVAL AT CUSTOM SKIN ART'S CHOPPIN' LOT PARTY: This magical moment from Rusty Gun Revival's performance at Custom Skin Art's Choppin' Lot Party in early June...Towards the end of the performance, popular local Elvis impersonator Phil McCaulley stepped up to belt out his 'King-ly' voice on "That's Alright Mama." The Rusty Gunners hadn't heard Phil sing before, and it was cool to see the smiles on their faces when they heard his convincing Elvis voice. Toes were tapping, and folks were digging this unexpected musical treat.

4) CITY LIMITS TOYS FOR TOTS BENEFIT: The fourth annual Toys For Tots Benefit at City Limits, co-sponsored by Pennsylvania Musician and Q94, was another excellent night with lots of highlights. There was Felix & the Hurricanes' fiery set to kick things off, followed by moshing Marines during FedUP's performance, and escalating nonstop party mayhem during Silver Sunday's, Bad Daze's and Fayted's sets. By night's end, there were more ladies and partying Marines onstage than musicians! The bottom line was a highlight as well - well over $1,100 and several sacks of toys raised for the U.S. Marine Corps' Toys For Tots program.

5) MAXWELL STRAIT DURING SENIOR WEEK AT THE PHYRST: One of the best times to experience live music in downtown State College is during Senior Week in May, the week when graduating Penn State seniors are whooping it up one last time before donning caps and gowns and leaving to enter the real world of employment. Although Maxwell Strait always delivers an excellent show Wednesdays at the Phyrst, I discovered that during Senior Week, things get even crazier. Band and partying packed house crowd pushed each other skyward through the course of the night...All the components came together - excellent band, fired up by a wild and crazy packed house of celebrating Penn State seniors! A great time, and I'll be sure to head to Happy Valley during Senior Week again in 2007!

6) THE FLAME SKY'S ALL-NIGHTER AT THE CENTRAL PA HOEDOWN: I had heard about the legend of The Flame Sky's all-nighter performances at the annual Central PA Hoedown near Huntingdon, but never got to experience it firsthand until this past August. 24 hours removed from Felix & the Hurricanes' all-nighter the night before, yours truly and several other hardcore music fans battled drooping eyelids and watched as the Flame Sky played until the sun rose. For me, the highlight was watching the Flame Sky perform as the sun started to rise, giving the sky an orange 'flaming-sky' effect - very cool! And my first Central PA Hoedown experience was a good enough time that I plan to use a vacation day and make a whole weekend of it in 2007!

7) HURRICANES MEET CYCLONES AT BURGI'S ROUNDHOUSE: It was a memorable night of stormy blues rock at Burgi's Roundhouse in September, as Pittsburgh's Glenn Pavone & the Cyclones and Felix & the Hurricanes paired up for plentiful musical fireworks. Both bands put on excellent performances in their respective sets, capped by Glenn Pavone's nightcap set, when he welcomed Hurricane Felix onstage for a stormy guitar summit! Here's hoping for more stormy musical weather like this on Burgi's stage in the New Year!

8) GET CLOSER TO THE MUSIC'S MUSIC FESTIVAL: This event keeps getting bigger and better, and this year's was the best yet! Get Closer To The Music's annual Music Festival again provided ample opportunities for youngsters to experience the world of music, with instructors, instrument petting zoos, and chances to play instruments with professional musicians. Youngsters were given opportunities to play alongside .00 Buck and Felix & the Hurricanes, and one teenager even got to play a guitar solo with the Hurricanes! Other highlights included local country star Ricky Lee making a cameo appearance, singing with the Hurricanes and handing out free tickets to his concert later that night at the Jaffa Mosque. An all-around excellent day!

9) HAGERSTOWN'S INAUGURAL DOWNTOWN LIVE: In late October, Hagerstown, Maryland hosted its first-ever Downtown Live concert, a day-long music fest right in the heart of that city's downtown area. The weather was perfect, the autumn leaves in that part of the world were achieving their colorful peak, and the music was equally colorful, with stellar performances from such names as DC & the Continentals, The JiMiller Band, Ledbetter Heights, The Jarflys, Kelly Bell Band, Jah Works, Lloyd Dobler Effect and Jimmie's Chicken Shack. The crowd grew throughout the day, and music brought a diverse gathering of people together to celebrate the day. An excellent time, and I'm hoping to return for the sequel in 2007.

10) WISKERBISKET'S DEBUT BLOWOUT AT THE HITCHING POST: New Year's Eve weekend got off to a wild and crazy start during this show, Wiskerbisket's first appearance at The Hitching Post. The band's energy and enthusiasm was feverish and contagious, and band and crowd rode the festivities to a wild and crazy high. It's very rare that any band can get JP up and doing the 'Chicken Dance!' (I drew the line at country line-dancing and conga lines, though, I have my dignity!) A wild time and a memorable blowout; unfortunately, singer Doug Snook is leaving Wiskerbisket in early 2007, and the group's future is in question.

JP'S TEN FAVORITE LOCAL/REGIONAL CD'S OF 2006:

Once again, 2006 saw its share of excellent recordings emerge from the area music scene. These are the ten that stood out most for me; again, in no particular order:

1) 4 DAYS DIRTY – RAISE YOUR HAND...IF YOU FEEL LIKE DYING After honing their hard-hitting style and sound on area stages over the past two years, 4 Days Dirty unleashed a powerful calling card in 2006 with Raise Your Hand...If You Feel Like Dying, introducing us to their musical turf of bone-jarring rhythms, menacing guitars and emotion-packed vocals. The group’s hard-hitting sound was ever-changing and dynamic, with no two songs the same and each displaying variations in dynamics and intensity. There were lots of standout tracks here, including the popular “Killbox,” “Downtime,” “Wanted,” “Stone Cold,” the live showstopper “’Shot’ Gun” and “Worthy.” Raise Your Hand...If You Feel Like Dying demonstrated 4 Days Dirty's volatility and all-out metallic aggression, as well as detail and a knack for dynamics and subtlety. This album marked 4 Days Dirty's full arrival, and was one of the strongest albums to emerge from the area music scene this year.

2) THE MARAUDERS – THE MARAUDERS The Marauders were the talk of the town in 2006 for attracting the attention of Brian Setzer, who wrote a song for them and took them on the road with his Brian Setzer Orchestra. Setzer’s ode to the group, “We Are The Marauders,” is the rowdy centerpiece to The Marauders’ self-titled third album, a boisterous set that continued and expanded upon their fiery roots rock sound. The Marauders stepped it up another notch here, with a grittier and rowdier overall sound. They also dabbled in other styles, mixing in a slight swing flavor on “Rumble On The Rocks” and “Nothing to Prove,” and a Bo Diddley beat on “Rhythm Fix.” Other new Marauders favorites were introduced here as well, including “Johnny Don’t Like It (When You Call Him Elvis)” and “Hell On High Heels.” The Marauders continued to update roots rock’n’roll in their own unique and rowdy way on this album, an exciting and fun set that should help pave the way for more good things in this group’s future.

3) RUSTY GUN REVIVAL – RUSTY GUN REVIVAL Also continuing to update roots music in their own unique way in 2006 was Rusty Gun Revival. Their self-titled release remained true to the rural roots sounds of their original Blind Jonny Death incarnation, yet demonstrated more grit and edge. Rusty Gun Revival set the tone with the fire-and-brimstone opener "Revival," and showed off its edgier approach on the wistful electric-tinged Smoke;" the driving rockabilly of "Step It Up n'Go;" and the electric surf-abilly instrumental "LF/T." The group updated "That Girl Is Hot" and "Long Way From Home" from their Blind Jonny Death inception, both songs given extra punch and fullness from Tom Hipps' snare beats and guest John Stevens' lap steel. Rusty Gun Revival demonstrated this band's new beginning, as they displayed more drive, vigor and vinegar. The result was rural Americana music with a bite, and a strong album.

4) SECOND OFFENSE – SEVEN Another excellent CD to emerge from this area's heavy metal/rock scene in 2006 was Second Offense's sophomore offering, Seven, a caustic concept album dealing with the Seven Deadly Sins, with each song titled and themed after one of the sins. Second Offense stepped up the brutality, intensity and aggression on Seven's all-out metalcore, with the ferocious instrumental components setting the harsh and uncompromising backdrops for frontman Myke Long to vent with convincing aggression, clarity, angst and passion. Second Offense stepped up the rage and brutality, but also offered more variety and brains behind their aggression. Coupled with their equally venomous live show, Seven marked Second Offense's full arrival as one of this region's most lethal metal forces.

5) DAVE BLACKLEDGE – SPREAD IT ON THICK Bloomsburg-based singer/songwriter Dave Blackledge has always had the funny songs since he first surfaced several years ago, but up until this year, his recordings varied in quality and consistency. But on Spread It On Thick, Dave hooked up with "Some Drunk Bar Band," whose members included Bret Alexander and Ron Simasek of The Badlees; and he recorded the CD at The Badlees' Saturation Acres studio in Danville. The result was a home run; the band fleshed out Dave's songs with fitting arrangements that accented and amplified their comic impact. Dave introduced one new song, "She's Not Bad For An Old Bar Hag," and he and the band breathed new life into such favorites as "Your Butt's Too Fat to Dance Like That," "Whoops, I Pooped My Pants," "I Blew Up My Date" and "I'm Not This Fat, Just Constipated." One of my favorite listens in 2006, Spread It On Thick slams the exclamation point on Dave Blackledge's credo: "The guy ain't right!"

6) JOHN CHARNEY – BE WATER Anybody who knows John Charney could easily have forecasted that his first solo album would be anything but ordinary! Be Water is a wild and unpredictable ride through a myriad of musical styles, as John Charney pushes the boundaries of his musical imagination and creativity, and exposes us to his wide-ranging personality and world. The album vaults out the opening gate with the hyperspeed thrash metal blast “American Swine” with its Manowar-like choruses; veers off into progressive rock-geared excursions on “Sojourn,” the vanity observation “Girl Before A Mirror,” “Forever Endeavor” and “Mourningside;” gets its own led out on “Wo Ooh Oh;” offers a funk-driven anti-abortion statement on “Pre-Choice;” and delivers rockabilly- and surf-flavored odes to departed family members and pets in “Holy Hoptoes!” and “Ode to Krystle” respectively. Refreshingly eclectic, captivating, clever, outspoken and personal; Be Water throws out the rulebook and reveals the wildly adventurous musical personality of its creator.

7) CHOKING FAITH – THRU THE ASHES Chock up another strong outing for local metal with Choking Faith's 2006 CD entry, Thru The Ashes. Choking Faith reprised their brand of scathing, brute-force heavy metal with rampaging, raging backdrops serving as the vehicle for frontman Jason Mittan to go full roar. After "Porno Tongue," "Wait," "Oblivion" and "The Trainwreck Of Life" dish out maximum punishment, Choking Faith throws a curve on the 7-minute-plus dark epic title track, "Thru The Ashes," exploring themes of regret and atonement with haunting chorus duet vocals from Mittan and his sister, guest Michelle Santora. Choking Faith delivered ample brutality with a touch of finesse and artistry as well; making Thru The Ashes another quality display of metal from our own backyard.

8) BILL FERRELL – BIKER'S PRAYER Kyx guitarist Bill Ferrell introduced us to his musical and personal world on his first solo album, Biker's Prayer. With his Kyx bandmates helping out, Bill used a backdrop of heartland-styled rock, country and folk as his musical canvas to share his love of motorcycles and riding on the open road, to celebrate life’s simple pleasures, and to offer common sense observations about our society and world. The songs are uplifting and thoughtful, and the arrangements vary from deep and powerful full-band settings to stripped-down and simple acoustic arrangements to fit and enhance the moods of each song. Ultimately, Biker’s Prayer is a strong introduction to the world of Bill Ferrell, and enables us to appreciate this man’s talents and what he brings to the stage with Kyx.

9) STERLING KOCH – STEELIN' HOME Sterling Koch gave us an update on his developing lap steel talents on his second steel album, Steelin’ Home; and the student is progressing along nicely. Sterling sounds more comfortable and confident with his lap steel, and gives the instrument a healthy workout over his eleven-song 'Sacred Steel' exploration of blues, gospel, rock and soul flavors, assisted by a talented corps of bandmates, sidemen and backing singers. There are swaggering interpretations of traditional gospel numbers like the Holmes Brothers' "Jesus Is The Way" and "12 Gates To The City," honky tonk-geared renditions of "If I Could Not Say" and "If It Was Not For," and a Memphis soul-styled read of "God Is A Good God." Also included are three instrumentals, a hearty R&B update of Bob Dylan's "Serve Somebody," and a muscular reworking of Peter Green/Fleetwood Mac’s "Oh Well." The overall impact is bright, boisterous and uplifting, and Steelin’ Home shows that Sterling Koch is not just progressing on his conquest of lap steel, but having a good time doing it as well.

10) PIVOT – PIVOT The long-awaited debut CD from Johnstown’s Pivot, their self-titled disc offered a strong introduction to what this hard-hitting band is all about. Pivot gave us clever, well-constructed songs, ranging from the hopeful opener “Redefine” to the deep and captivating “River Entrance,” the scathing “Mud,” the Tool-like “Y,” and the haunting ode to a fallen friend, “Moore.” The group’s arrangements were dynamic and effectively escalated the intensity of each number, while singer Mark Lux sold each song with his go-for-broke, passionate delivery. Pivot was a powerful calling card that accurately represented the scope of this band’s heavy-rocking musical turf.

Honorable mentions go to CD’s from House Of Cain, Shades Of June, Condemned Existence, Ricky Lee, Michael Reich, Lowjack, Lumpy Gravy, Pink Yard Flamingos, Skyla Burrell Blues Band, Billy Price Band, Ledbetter Heights, Kiwi, Keystone and Just Megan.

JP'S TEN FAVORITE LOCAL/REGIONAL SONGS OF 2006:

The area music scene again produced a number of memorable songs during 2006. These are ten noteworthy local/regional songs that grabbed my attention the most in the past year; once again in no particular order:

1) THE MARAUDERS – "We Are The Marauders" The rowdy Brian Setzer-penned centerpiece of The Marauders' self-titled third album, "We Are The Marauders" makes the perfect calling card for the group. The song is a boisterous rockabilly statement of purpose, telling listeners to lock up their daughters, decrying American Idol and celebrating Latrobe-based foamy adult beverages. This song almost feels like a television show theme, a rowdier and more badass spin-off from Happy Days! (I could see The Marauders chugging down brews with the Fonz!) Two and a half minutes of pure unadulterated fun, “We Are The Marauders” has become this group’s fitting anthem.

2) 4 DAYS DIRTY – "Killbox" One of the standout tracks from 4 Days Dirty's excellent debut disc Raise Your Hand...If You Feel Like Dying, Killbox" kicks off with a powerful galloping intro, leading into a heavy-rocking, angst-ridden diagnosis of a cyber battle game. This song is continually busy with tempo and chord shifts and varying degrees of intensity, culminating in the full-scream choruses of Steve Danfelt and Joe Neary. It's a well put-together tune that stuck out in my mind throughout the year.

3) RUSTY GUN REVIVAL – "Smoke" One of the most memorable numbers from Rusty Gun Revival's self-titled album, "Smoke" slowly evolves out of a solo string intro into a solemn song and story about unfulfilled ambitions and an unrewarded life journey. More elements enter into the song as it builds along, and Marc Prave's voice takes on sterner tones as the finality and futility of the song's story line evolves. The song reaches a powerful crescendo in its homestretch, with a brief pause adding some dramatic effect. This is one of Rusty Gun Revival's most shining examples of their edgy brand of Americana music.

4) CHOKING FAITH – "Thru The Ashes" The title track epic and centerpiece of their latest CD, Choking Faith's "Thru The Ashes" paints a dark picture of reflection, regret and atonement during a moment of decision upon which life or death teeters in the balance. There’s tension and release, as softly-recited self-reflections build up to the anguished choruses, where frontman Jason Mittan’s tortured screams blend with guest singer Michelle Santora’s sung refrains along an explosive metal backdrop, and the moment of decision arrives with enlightenment or darkness hanging in the balance. The sequence repeats itself and escalates in intensity as the song progresses. The overall effect is powerful and haunting, a memorable song that reverberates in the cranium long after the first listen.

5) PIVOT – "River Entrance" My personal favorite track off Pivot’s self-titled debut CD, “River Entrance” is a slow-building thunderstorm of a rocker that examines themes of cleansing and redemption. The song starts out calm, with the band gradually building up the intensity as singer Mark Lux’s voice begins to lift and soar. By the homestretch, what started as a quiet stream has developed into a powerful, thunderous torrent; quite a musical river indeed! The song’s progression, and Pivot’s smooth transition as the song builds towards its powerful crescendo, made this another song that stood out for me from this past year.

6) HOUSE OF CAIN – “Emissary" Another memorable song that emerged from the area's heavy rock scene in 2006, House Of Cain's "Emissary" wickedly develops along a creeping bass line, as guitarist/frontman Jason Straw utters malevolent words about killing a messenger and fulfilling a destiny; the apparent mission of the emissary whose title he howls along the explosive savage metal chorus backdrop. For me, this song works because of its mystique, its tension and release, and clean, sharp execution. This was a favorite of House Of Cain’s live show before the group went on the backburner during the summer; Jason has carried it over to the setlist of the reformed Embalmed.

7) DAVE BLACKLEDGE – "She's Not Bad For An Old Bar Hag" The lone new song from Dave Blackledge's Spread It On Thick album is a romping ode to his favorite rough-hewn neighborhood barmaid. With The Badlees-fortified "Some Drunk Bar Band" packing a crisp heartland rock punch behind him, Dave extols the virtues of the lady serving up his drinks, until his classic and timely exclamation near song's end, "Whad'ya mean I'm shut off!?" This song logged a lot of "Backyard Rocker" airtime in 2006, and will likely log more in 2007. Great stuff!

8) SECOND OFFENSE – "Vanity" One of the standout scathing assaults from Second Offense's impressive Seven CD, "Vanity" is a bristling metalcore condemnation of hubris. A varying and swarming wall of metal sound underscores frontman Myke Long's snarling prosecution of the accused, leading to his repeated simple four-word chorus, ""Pride Sin Vanity Poison." The song ends with a clever twist, as Myke roars out a fairy tale reset of "Mirror Mirror On The Wall." Brutal and punishing, yet clever and catchy; "Vanity" was yet another excellent assault to emerge from the area music scene during this past year.

9) OPPOSITION – "Finger Lickin'" Altoona’s Opposition caught a lot of folks’ attention with this catchy number. “Finger Lickin’” blends elements of funk, rock and rap into a playful and feisty account of boy-meets-girl, boy-gets-dissed-by-girl..."But my chicken is still finger-lickin' good!" The performance and vibe are loose and fun. I'm not alone in liking this tune, a number of other Opposition fans have identified this tune as the group's 'hit." Here's hoping that singer Mike "Iceman" Bryant's health improves, and that he and Opposition are back out and doing this tune again in 2007.

10) JOHN CHARNEY – "American Swine" Local musical adventurer John Charney kicks off his first solo album, Be Water, with this raging blast of speed-metal apocalypse, "American Swine," a commentary about the ugly side of our nation’s psyche. Paced by the torrid hyperspeed high-sticking of Hi-Tyde drum man Mike Davis, this tune races through gang shout rants and Manowar-styled operatic choruses, to a totally off-the-wall jazz-infused guitar solo midsection, and back to its rant-and-rave finish. It’s feverish, hard-hitting, catchy, clever, and as musically eccentric as anything bearing the brand name John Charney should be! An absolutely wild ride!

JP’S 50 FAVORITE PHOTOS OF 2006:

Once again, here are my choices for the favorite 50 photos that I took during the past year. These photos are mostly all music scene-related; some tell stories by themselves or have stories behind them; while others were just performance shots that I thought stood above and beyond the rest of what I took in 2006. This was again a tough process; I began by selecting some 121 photos from everything I shot over the past year; I then repeatedly whittled down the number until I arrived at 50. Towards the end, it was agonizing to choose which shots made the cut and which got cut. But after the selection process, here are my favorite 50 photos of the past year:


1) The Buck may be shot for now, but from a show in March at Altoona’s Hitching Post, here is Tim Kelly thumping out some upright bass low end with .00 Buck.

2) My 50 Favorite Photos wouldn’t be complete without at least one Old Skool pose…Here are Kenny “Old Skool” Murdick and Rob Carolus of Bad Daze, from an April show at Pellegrine’s.

3) It was cold enough that he couldn’t feel his fingers and was probably seeing “polka dots on the sidewalk,” but Rick Wertz soldiered on during British Invasion’s performance at the Blair County Arts Festival on a chilly May Sunday afternoon.

4) During Burgi’s Bluesfest in November, a meeting of local guitar greats onstage, Perry Sheesley of Totem and Felix Kos of the Hurricanes.

5) Also during Burgi’s Bluesfest, Norman Nardini hosts the All-Star Jam session, featuring Perry from Totem, Felix from the Hurricanes, and Tony Mollick and Fred Smith (on left) from the Tony Mollick Project.

6) Multi-tasking, Part 1…Aeb Byrne plays both flute and keys at the same time during The Nightcrawlers’ performance during the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in State College in July.

7) Multi-tasking, Part 2…Choking Faith frontman Jason Mittan sings and tends bar at the same time. Jason was actually singing backing vocals for Silver Sunday during a June show at Aldo’s.

8) Here is Jason Mittan once again, this time dueting with his sister, Michelle Santora, during Choking Faith’s CD release party at Aldo’s in October.

9) With a look of intensity on his face, Jamie Smith of Beyond Reason, during the group’s performance at the PA Cleanways Benefit Concert at Altoona’s Victory Lane Saloon in late March.

10) A humorous moment during the 16th Annual Crazy Fest Amateur Youth Talent Show at the Greenwood Firehall in April…Devon Ingold of Cresson, singing a show tune about not going to a dance with somebody, keeps making flirtatious glances over at unsuspecting Crazy Fest judge Don Hughes as she declares she won’t dance with him. The laughs grow, as does Don’s surprise, with each glance. Eventually Devon grabs Don’s hand and pulls him onto the floor to dance during the song. Devon’s performance won her top honors in the age 15 bracket.

11) Local country star Ricky Lee is joined by some company onstage as he performs during the DeltaPalooza benefit at St. Francis University in early October.

12) A female fan clamors at the feet of Dragon Fire frontman “Robo” Ron Riley during a performance at Aldo’s in late February.

13) Flood City Brass singer Tom Pavic visits the peanut gallery on the hillside overlooking the stage, during the group’s performance at the annual St. Rochus Parish Oktoberfest at the church’s picnic grounds near Tanneryville.

14) This Colonel does chicken and guitar right! Bill “The Colonel” Ziegler of Fools On Stools during the group’s Halloween weekend performance at Peggy’s Place in Mill Creek.

15) One of the highlights during Get Closer To The Music’s annual music festival in late April was drum instructors Lisa Fazenbaker and Bill Hocherl bringing a legion of young aspiring drummers up to the stage to provide additional snare drum accompaniment as Felix & the Hurricanes performed “Wipe Out.”

16) What happens when a Cyclone meets a Hurricane? In this case, guitar fireworks, when Pittsburgh’s Glenn Pavone of the Cyclones and Felix Kos of the Hurricanes met onstage at Burgi’s Roundhouse in early September.

17) It’s not often that we get to see Hair Force One frontman Victor Synn behind the drum kit, but it happened during the group’s Memorial Day weekend show at City Limits.

18) Half Tempted, rocking and rolling just before thunderstorms arrived during their appearance at the Lakemont Park Wing-Off in late July.

19) Singer Bryan Harmony of Spitshine stands before a crowd of fans and band members onstage, after Spitshine’s set turns into an all-out rock’n’roll party during the Harper’s Memorial Park Rockfest at the Shade Gap Picnic Grounds in July.

20) Mark Diehl and Roy Corle of Midnight Rodeo kick out the jams during Midnight Rodeo’s performance at Harvestfest at Delgrosso’s Amusement Park in Tipton in late September.

21) Jason Straw of House Of Cain, during an April show at City Limits.

22) Chad Straw of The Embalmed (brother of Jason above), during the One Voice Musical Showcase benefit show at Aldo’s in late December.

23) Contrary to what SpellboundByMetal might have you believe, local extreme metal heavyweights Condemned Existence are a dance floor party chick magnet, evidenced by this shot of frontman Von Baas busting some moves with the ladies during the Iceman Benefit show at the Alley Popper in Houtzdale during late December. Perhaps they were doing the Toxic Waltz. (Any Exodus fans on Rockpage?)

24) You could tell Buck-It guitarist Bob Haight was fired up in this shot, as he performed during Buck-It’s set at the JB VaVa Palooza Benefit at Electric Avenue in Houtzdale in late April. The entire vibe for this show was fired-up, as bands, musicians and fans remembered local musician and friend John Baker.

25) Now those are some fast fingers! The fingers outsped the shutter speed as Eric Tessmer scorches the fretboard during his band’s performance at Johnstown Folkfest on Labor Day Weekend.

26) Ed “Red” McDonald plunks away on his upright bass during Rusty Gun Revival’s performance at Johnstown Folkfest on Labor Day Weekend.

27) During the same Johnstown Folkfest performance, Rusty Gun Revival hits a heated and intense moment toward’s set’s end.

28) While we’re digging into the ‘roots’ for some good pictures for the Favorite 50, here’s one of The Marauders, with Ben Dumm standing atop Chris Lawson’s bass during their Wing-Off performance at Lakemont Park in August.

29) If you had headed to Bar 53 in Coalport in search of T-n-A in late September, you might have seen Tim Yingling of T-n-A playing drums and singing.

30) Bottleneck slide, Part 1. Bob Muhlbauer of the Ozone Rangers, demonstrating his bottleneck slide abilities with a Jack Daniels bottle during the group’s performance at Altoona’s Hitching Post in February.

31) Bottleneck slide, Part 2. Again, Bob Muhlbauer of the Ozone Rangers, demonstrating his bottleneck slide talents, this time with a frothing bottle of Coors Light, during the JB VaVa Palooza Benefit at Electric Avenue in Houtzdale in late April. It was such a charged evening, even the beer got excited!

32) Mark Lux of Pivot during an impassioned moment, during Pivot’s late July show at the Boulevard Grill in Johnstown.

33) C.C. Deville and Bobby Dall of Poison, during the group’s sold-out performance at the Clearfield County Fair in August.

34) Who can forget this shot? Cambria County festival denizen “The Unicorn Man” became a favorite of Rockpage PhotoShop artists everywhere after this photo of him was taken during the performance by the band Echoes at Ebensburg’s Potatofest in late September.

35) Felix & the Hurricanes are immortalized in spuds following their performance at Ebensburg Potatofest; lead ‘Cane Felix Kos gets a laugh out of “Sammy Spud & the ‘Toona Taters,” presented to him by Johnstown Hurricaniac Sugar Bear.

36) Elvis has entered the…parking lot! Popular area Elvis impersonator Phil McCaulley brings The King to life during Rusty Gun Revival’s performance at Custom Skin Art’s outdoor Choppin’ Lot Party in Altoona during early June.

37) American flags were waving as Ricky Lee & the Mustangs, assisted by a children’s chorus featuring students from Allegheny #1 and C.W. Longer Elementary Schools, performed Ricky’s song “A Soldier Like You” during a concert at Altoona’s Jaffa Shrine in late April.

38) It’s dueling guitars between Skyla Burrell and Mark Tomlinson, during the Skyla Burrell Blues Band’s performance at the R-Bar in Hyde in August.

39) Finishing up a feisty drum solo display, Lisa Fazenbaker of Spirit Lost during a Thanksgiving weekend show at Magoo’s in Cresson.

40) Although attendance was light when Pellegrine’s brought in local acoustic favorite Steve Summerhill in April, these ladies took a liking to Steve’s tunes enough to give him a dance floor audience.

41) During his Burgi’s Roundhouse debut performance in early July, Pittsburgh’s Tony Janflone, Jr. schools the house with some incredible guitar fireworks.

42) Jes Mattern of Second Offense, during the Toys For Tots benefit concert at Aldo’s in December.

43) Singer Josh Lockard gets a piggyback ride during Fayted’s performance at the Toys For Tots benefit concert at City Limits on Thanksgiving weekend.

44) Also during Fayted’s set at the City Limits Toys For Tots benefit, Ron Horton is flanked by Marines.

45) From one of my favorite national concerts in 2006, former Scorpions guitarist Uli Jon Roth, during his performance at Jaxx in Springfield, VA (outside Washington, DC) in May.

46) Taking their party to a table of ladies in the back of the room, bassist Milhouse and singer Doug Snook of Wiskerbisket, during their first appearance at Altoona’s Hitching Post in late December.

47) Obviously this man is in the holiday spirit: Doug Snook of Wiskerbisket, also during their late December show at Altoona’s Hitching Post. Sadly, Doug announced that he is leaving Wiskerbisket in early 2007 to devote more time to family.

48) Father and son, Part 1. Son Evan Rutherford sits in behind the drum kit with father Randy Rutherford and Broken Pony, during a December show at Altoona’s Hitching Post.

49) Father and son, Part 2. Son Matt Hunter joins father Bill Hunter of Square One onstage during Square One’s annual appearance at the Lakemont Park Wing-Off in mid-August.

50) Mother and daughter. Cathie of Silver Sunday with her mom, singing during Silver Sunday’s Labor Day Weekend “Booze Cruise” aboard the Proud Mary at Lake Raystown.
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[Jim Price]

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http://pamusician.net