[Jim Price]

EASTER WEEKEND RECAP 3/24/08

ROCKPAGE BENEFIT JAM @ 30 SOMETHING, ALTOONA 3/20/08

Wow, what a night!

It's been too long since Rockpage threw a bash like this; what a fun time! The latest installment of the Rockpage Jam provided lots of fun, some great music, and quite a few surprises along the way!

The first surprise was the discovery that 30 Something's resident soundman, Zilly, was out of town and unavailable to run the sound board this night. Rockpage Ron's arrival resolved this problem, and the music eventually got under way with the debut public performance of the Arthur Itis Blues Band. This was also the first public performance of Rockpager "mjb" - a.k.a. Mike - who showed some serious skills on the guitar! He, singer Brian "nakedtwister" Elliott, bassist Harry Walter and drummer Bill "Hawk" Hocherl laid on the blues thick and heavy, including tunes from Cream, Stevie Ray Vaughan and more. I especially liked the dirty and authentic fuzzy tone these guys gave to "Born Under a Bad Sign," which really captured that live Cream dynamic! Good first showing, I look forward to hearing more!

The debut of the Arthur Itis Blues Band.

Brian Elliott of the Arthur Itis Blues Band.

Mike "Mjb” Borstnar, making his public performance debut!

Harry Walter of the Arthur Itis Blues Band.

Again, the Arthur Itis Blues Band.

One more time, the Arthur Itis Blues Band.

With two-thirds of Half Tempted either incapacitated or unavailable this night, "RonnyD" Dalansky dubbed the assemblage of himself, bassist Joe "fbooth" George and drummer Clint "ccdrums" Carothers as Sausage Magic. Sausage Magic triggered the night's first dance floor action with classic rocking favorites from Aerosmith, Free. AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Kiss and more. Denice "nece1013" Neely belted out lead voice on AC/DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie."

The debut of...Sausage Magic.

Ron Dalansky of...Sausage Magic.

Again, Ronny D.

Joe "fbooth" George of Sausage Magic.

Clint "CCdrums" Carothers of Sausage Magic.

Denise "Nece1013" Neely gets up and sings one with Sausage Magic.

One more time, Sausage Magic.

The music then shifted into acoustic gear with Rockpage acoustic duet "Big Jim" & "BadDazeRob." These two stirred up some dancers as well with their short set of favorites from Rick Springfield, Poison, Queen and more. Rob showed some top-notch voice, and Big Jim crooned lead on Cat Stevens' "Wild World."

Big Jim & Bad Daze Rob.

Again, Big Jim & Bad Daze Rob.

Big Jim without Bad Daze Rob.

One more time, Big Jim & Bad Daze Rob.

Then it was time for some 'grass, courtesy of Mama Corn. Celebrating Rockpage, the good cause this night and banjo man Jeremy Nelson's birthday, the 'Corn picked and grinned on bluegrass and grassed-up favorites. Along with traditional numbers such as "Salty Dog" and "Man of Constant Sorrow," the group also broke out the original number "Shenandoah Mountaintops" (written by Jeremy's father, Ben), and grassed-up renditions of Guns N'Roses' "Sweet Child O'Mine" and Men At Work's "Down Under" ("It's country music.just from a different country!").

Providing some quality 'grass, Mama Corn.

Bruce Foor of Mama Corn.

John "Songsmith" Stevens of Mama Corn.

One more time, Mama Corn.

At this point, various collaborative combinations of musicians took the stage in succession as the jam session part of the evening got under way. First was 80% of Spirit Lost with Bad Daze Rob singing lead (replacing singer Austin Tepsic, under the weather this night); they did songs from Seether, Jimmy Eats World and more. Then it was the trio of "Dirty Sanchez," "DrumAndDestroy" and Joe, performing as The Side Effects, doing a few punk-geared numbers, including the Misfits' "Last Caress" and Diesel Boy's "Titty Twister." Next was three-quarters of Slacker Theory, as "Slacker Steve" Danfelt, "RobtheDrummer" Bonsell and Dalton McDonald did two unplugged original songs, "New Life" and "Here's to You." A few members of Dick Shack Posse, including Rockpager "DickShackBass," then took the stage under the monicker The Asscracks of Society, to perform some old-school punk numbers including Agnostic Front's "Crucified," Black Flag's "Rise Above" and The Clash's "White Riot." Then the finale, a freewheeling, hard-rocking jam featuring a number of musicians, including singer Troy "tshovel" Earnest, show organizer Bob "hurricane" Watters and show beneficiary Steve McCulley on drums, Joe George, Rich "pickerichie*1" Piccerillo, Jody Earnest, Ryan McCulley, Denise Neely, Erick Carlson, Uncle Bud and more. Tunes performed included "Paranoid," "Roadhouse Blues," "Ace of Spades," and lastly, "Highway to Hell." The jams were so hot during this end phase of the night, that an amp even billowed smoke! (I love the smell of burning polymers!)

A good-sized crowd of Rockpagers and fans are on hand to enjoy the Rockpage Jam.

Bad Daze Rob sings with Spirit Lost.

Bad Daze Rob.

Again, Bad Daze Rob singing with Spirit Lost.

The Side Effects.

Brian “DirtySanchez” Stotler of The Side Effects.

Joe and "DirtySanchez" of The Side Effects.

Again, The Side Effects.

Once again, The Side Effects.

Three-quarters of Slacker Theory.

The Ass-cracks of Society...their name, not mine!

Andrea "DickShackBass" Weibley takes on Joe George's big double-neck bass!

Brian Weibley and Scoob Lanzendorfer of The Ass-cracks of Society.

Again, The Ass-cracks of Society.

Again, Brian Weibley.

Again, Andrea Weibley of The Ass-cracks of Society.

One more time, The Ass-cracks of Society.

Ryan McCulley and Joe George during the night-ending jam session.

Uncle Bud, Denise and Joe as the jam session continues.

Sitting in behind the kit for a song, show beneficiary Steve McCulley.

More jam session fun!

Troy Earnest.

Erick Carlson.

The jamming continues.

Troy and Jody Earnest.

Joe George and Rich Piccerillo.

Joe George and Jody Earnest.

Again, Troy and Jody Earnest.

Ryan McCulley.

Again, Rich Piccerillo.

Putting two drum kits to work, Bob Watters and Steve McCulley.

The jams were so hot, amps burned up! That's what I call a smokin' jam!!!

It was also a night of reunions, including two former members of the Sebastiano’s-era wait staff, Jody and Lisa.

Thanks to all the people who came out to support the Rockpage Jam, from the Rockpagers themselves (at least 26 that I counted, there were probably more there who I didn't recognize) to Hurricaniacs to 30 Something regulars to other fun-loving folks just there to take in the good times and music! A good chunk of change was raised to help out Steve McCulley.

THE TONEHOUNDS/THE MARAUDERS @ ALDO’S, ALTOONA 3/21/08

As I had just seen The Marauders the previous weekend at the 814 Riot at the Castle Pub, I hadn’t really planned to see them this night at Aldo’s. But my curiosity was piqued when Bill “hawk” Hocherl informed me that one of his relatives was playing drums for the band opening for The Marauders this night, Maryland roots rockers The Tonehounds. So I headed to Aldo’s to catch the roots-rocking double bill.

The Tonehounds were under way with their opening set when I arrived. Singer/guitarist Mike Colyer, bassist/singer Butch Moser and Juniata native Todd Hocherl on drums played a blend of rootsy rock’n’roll, blues and honky tonk; performing original songs and a few familiar favorites. All three of these guys were top-notch on their respective instruments and delivered a tight and vibrant sound on original selections like “Living High and Wild” and “Marie Marie,” as well as renditions of “Shake Your Money Maker,” “Big Boss Man” and “Folsom Prison Blues.” I was impressed with Mike’s smooth guitarwork and tone, Butch’s lively bass-playing style, and Todd’s steady beats behind the tunes; he made it look almost effortless behind his kit! (It seems that all of these Hocherl types have the magic touch when they get behind drum kits!) The Tonehounds received a favorable response from the mid-sized Aldo’s crowd; hopefully this was just the first of more appearances of this band in the area.

Making their Altoona debut, The Tonehounds.

Again, The Tonehounds.

Mike Colyer of The Tonehounds.

Again, Mike Colyer of The Tonehounds.

Butch Moser of The Tonehounds.

Drummers of a feather hanging together…Todd Hocherl of The Tonehounds and Bill “Hawk” Hocherl.

After the changeover intermission, The Marauders took the stage to continue the roots-rocking fun. Singer/guitarist Ben Dumm, stand-up bassist Chris Lawson and drummer Abe Weber kept the stagefront audience lively with a steady stream of original numbers, including “Kill Pop Radio,” “Hell on High Heels,” “My Revolver,” “Late Night Livin” into “We Are the Marauders,” “Rhythm Fix,” “Alibi,” “Oh My My,” “”New Tattoo,” “She Put a Curse on Me” and “Dead of Night.” Abe noted the significance of the Easter holiday by declaring that “If Jesus sees his shadow, 6 more weeks of winter!” The group also introduced a few new songs, such as the Bo Diddley-beat number “Dead End Town,” “On the Radio” and a new song for their encore at night’s end. The Marauders sprinkled in a few select remakes along the way, including versions of the Stray Cats” Rock This Town,” Buddy Holly’s “Oh Boy,” and the Misfits’ “Astrozombies” and “Where Eagles Dare.”

The Marauders offered an adrenaline-pumped set that kept people festive up front, and even triggered some swing-dancing from a couple or two along the way. It was again cool to witness this trio in action, and The Marauders and The Tonehounds made for a fun night of roots-geared sounds.

Chris Lawson and Ben Dumm of The Marauders.

Chris Lawson of The Marauders.

Ben Dumm of The Marauders.

Abe Weber of The Marauders.

It’s a fist-pumping good time with The Marauders.

Once again, The Marauders.

“GLENN’S SPRING ROCK & BLUES FEST” w/NORMAN NARDINI/FELIX & THE HURRICANES @ GLENN’S PLACE, CLAYSBURG 3/22/08

While they were open, Burgi’s Roundhouse hosted several blues fests, and had also served as the local stage for Pittsburgh favorite Norman Nardini. But after Burgi’s closed its doors last fall, the future of such blues fests in this area was up in the air. Fortunately, Chuck and Dave from Burgi’s wanted to keep blues alive in this neck of the woods, and proceeded to organize a spring blues fest event at another venue, Glenn’s Place in Claysburg. Glenn’s Spring Rock & Blues Fest would feature local favorites Felix & the Hurricanes and the return of Norman Nardini, plus a third guest, Erie’s Ron Yarosz to play keys with both bands. Unfortunately, likely due to wintry weather in the northwestern part of the state, Ron was unable to take part in this night’s festivities. But it didn’t dampen the spirits as the Hurricanes and Norman Nardini proceeded to light it up big time on Glenn’s stage!

I arrived prior to the start of the show, and procured a seat next to my friend Pat at the main bar to view both the music and the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey game on one of the televisions. I quickly ordered up some food from Glenn’s kitchen; life was good!

After the sound and light crew of Pat “Pmac” McGinnis and Tim Yingling completed their stage preparations, the Hurricanes were ready to kick off the evening’s music. Singer/guitarist Felix Kos, singer/bassist Jeff Clapper and drummer Bob Watters mixed original songs and classics, and previewed a few songs from their forthcoming new album, expected out later this year. The Hurricanes opened with “La La Land,” and also performed such original song favorites as “Walking a Straight Line,” “It’s Just Me,” “Issues,” “Talk About Love,” “On the Bottom Again” and more; and also did favorites from Johnny Cash, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers, Iron Butterfly, and even a rendition of Glenn Pavone’s “Postman Jack!” The Hurricanes were in great form, with Felix displaying some great voice this night, and all three players playing it tight and tasteful. The Hurricanes succeeded in getting some early dancers onto Glenn’s floor, and set the festive tone for the night.

Kicking off the night’s festivities, Felix & the Hurricanes.

Felix Kos of the Hurricanes.

The Pittsburgh Penguins continued to set the festive tone by clobbering the New Jersey Devils on the ice this night, 7-1. Hurricanes tunes, good Glenn’s grub, Norman Nardini music forthcoming, and the Penguins win big…Saturday nights don’t get much better than this!

But this one did, as Norman Nardini and his band soon took the stage and escalated the mood of the evening. Dancers populated the floor as soon as Norman, bassist Harry Bottoms and drummer Whitey Cooper introduced their first set with blues- and surf-flavored instrumentals, preludes to a show that Norman assured the Claysburg audience would “…Make you feel good from your nipples to your knees, and all points in between!” After the rowdy “Rock ‘n’ Roll City,” Norman introduced himself (“Norman, Roosevelt, Aloysius, Nicodemus, Amadeus, Valentino, Giovanni, Romeo, Bruno, Raphael, Lucien Nardini”) and proclaimed “I Kiss everything that wiggles!” He then invited the Claysburg crowd to "shake that monkey loose" as he, Harry and Whitey played an assortment of Norman originals and select early rock'n'roll and R&B covers. The rock’n’soul party continued with Norman’s “Minimum Wage Love Affair,” “If I Had a Child,” “Mr Right Now” and “Little Things,” before a group of festive ladies climbed atop Glenn’s main bar and busted their best dance moves during the songs “Ready Freddy” and “Not Fade Away,” including directly in front of and above me! From a “When the Saints Go Marching In” intro, Norman and his band kicked into “You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine,” kicking off a string of slower numbers for the couples in the house to do some grinding to. Norman, Harry and Whitey then broke out some Bob Dylan, doing “Like a Rolling Stone,” before Norman sent his original “Burnin’ Up” out to yours truly. Norman then sent “Heaertbreak Shake” out to Chuck, while assuring the ladies in the audience that the tune would snap their girdles.” With the show at a feverish pitch at this point, Norman and bandmates sent the party into intermission with his popular spin on Bob Marley’s “Smoke Two Joints.”

The night got even better during the final set, when Felix joined in and played guitar alongside Norman on smoking renditions of Wilbert Harrison's "Let's Work Together," Big Joe Turner's "Shake, Rattle and Roll," Robert Parker's "Barefootin,'" the Whitey-sung version of Roy Head's "Treat Her Right," Muddy Waters' "Got My Mojo Workin'" and more. The Claysburg audience was clearly loving the musical fireworks and festivities, as Glenn's dance floor stayed busy through much of this set. Both Norman and Felix were demonstrating mile-wide grins as they traded licks with one another and had fun making music together. This little blues, rock and soul summit on Glenn’s stage capped an excellent night!

Thanks to Dave, Chuck, and Joe and the staff at Glenn’s Place for making it happen; this was a great show! The fireworks are always amazing when Norman Nardini and The Hurricanes get together; here's hoping we see another such summit soon!

Here is some video from Norman Nardini, with Felix sitting in:

http://www.rockpage.net/users/jprice/video/MOV00502.MPG


Norman Nardini.

Norman and the rest of his band, Whitey Cooper and Harry Bottoms.

Again, the “Manful Hanful,” Norman Nardini.

Norman, Roosevelt, Aloysius, Nicodemus, Amadeus, Valentino, Giovanni, Romeo, Bruno, Raphael, Lucien Nardini.

Mark “Whitey Clyde” Cooper.

Ladies dance upon Glenn’s bar as Norman Nardini kicks up the party.

More bar counter dancing.

Another happy dancer on top of the bar.

More rug-cutting atop Glenn’s bar…and not a drink was tipped over!

Harry Bottoms and special guest Felix Kos.

Norman Nardini and Whitey Cooper.

More Norman!

Norman Nardini and Felix Kos.

Matching guitar wits, Norman and Felix.

More Norman and Felix!

Again, Felix Kos.

The “Pittsburglar,” Norman Nardini.

Again, Harry Bottoms and Felix Kos.

Glenn’s dance floor gets busy as the Norman and Felix guitar summit heats up.

Again, Norman Nardini and Harry Bottoms.

Norman preaches to the congregation at the “Church of Rock’n’Roll.”

Yet more Norman!

Once again, Norman and his band.

A happy guy, Norman Nardini.

One more time, Harry and Felix.

HI-TYDE @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 3/23/08

As is often the case for me, the weekend’s conclusion channeled through Pellegrine’s, where Hi-Tyde was providing the party onstage.

Shortly after arriving during their second set, I discovered that Hi-Tyde is now partying down to the beat of a new drummer, as Erik Wardrup has taken over behind their drum kit position. Erik, singer Dale Nitti, guitarist Rob Sottile, guitarist/keyboardist Ted Depto and bassist Mike Weber were in the midst of a medley, stringing together hits by Orgy, Lipps Inc. and Dead Or Alive, before finishing out the set with the odd combo of Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music” into Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.”

Erik’s impact in Hi-Tyde was immediate; his steady, hard-hitting beats recalled his predecessor in this band, Mike Davis, and kept the energy and pace constant. Although dance floor action during the latter part of the second set was on the sparse side, I sensed this would change as Hi-Tyde commenced their final chapter of the evening.

I was correct, as the dance floor soon became busy as Hi-Tyde fired through nonstop favorites from Bon Jovi, Outfield, Bryan Adams, Fallout Boy, Buckcherry, Disturbed, Alice In Chains, Fountains of Wayne, Rick Springfield and more. Fueled by the driving thunder of their new drummer, Hi-Tyde hit their stride during this set and confidently kept this Pelly’s crowd on the dance floor. When the folks demanded the encore at night’s end, Hi-Tyde closed out the night with Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name.”

With their drum position stabilized, Hi-Tyde seemed to execute with some additional spark and swagger this night. It was good to see this band firing on all cylinders again!

Ted Depto of Hi-Tyde.

Again, Ted Depto of Hi-Tyde.

Rob Sottile of Hi-Tyde.

Dale Nitti of Hi-Tyde.

Hi-Tyde’s new guy behind the drum kit, Erik Wardrup.

Again, Rob Sottile of Hi-Tyde.

Ted Depto and Dale Nitti of Hi-Tyde.

Dale and Rob of Hi-Tyde.

Once again, Rob Sottile of Hi-Tyde.

One more time, Dale Nitti of Hi-Tyde.

JP’s HAIKU

Claysburg blues party
Hurricanes, Norman summit
Dance fest on Glenn’s bar!
_________________

http://pamusician.net

[Jim Price]

...
_________________

http://pamusician.net