[Jim Price]

WEEK/WEEKEND RECAP 3/15/10

THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID/GAMBER GONE WILD @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 3/8/10

After a busy day finishing up Pennsylvania Musician deliveries and logging some hours at the broadcast employer, it was time for another edition of Monday night wings, That's What She Said and Gamber Gone Wild at Pellegrine's.

This night was epic! What started as an innocent convergence of musical entertainment and a delicious chicken wing feast escalated into over-the-top craziness and surprises!

It quietly started with solo performances by both Adam D and Jess P, before the two joined forces as That’s What She Said on a variety of rock, pop and country numbers…including Jess tackling The King’s 1972 hit “Burning Love.” Eventually, the evening’s first chapter of Gamber Gone Wild transpired, with Gerry “Gambino” trying his hand at Dylan’s “Knocking on Heaven’s Door.”

The craziness began to escalate with the arrival of a beered-up Guv’nor Jesse, who soon engaged the “Gambino” in a round of smack-running that escalated into a verbal slobberknocker that had much of Pelly’s laughing and staring on in bewilderment. Fueled in part by this, Gamber Gone Wild returned to the microphone for his weekly rendering of "Brandy You're A Fine Girl," with Pelly’s fans cheering and impromptu JP kazoo accompaniment. Not to be outdone, Guv’nor Jesse stepped up a few minutes later to team with Adam D for a rendition of a Gordon Lightfoot hit, resulting in the "(Train)wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald."

You had to be there, I guess…Gamber Gone Wild vs. beered-up Guv’nor, plus fractured musical hits to boot…My gut was hurting from laughing so hard! At least I wasn’t laughing hard enough to hurl wings…

Yours truly, kazooing with Gamber Gone Wild.

Two broadcasters ham it up while Jess P and Adam D look on.

A guest rapper provides the voice to That’s What She Said’s rendition of “Ice Ice Baby.”

It’s a verbal smackrunning slobberknocker between a disgusted Gamber Gone Wild and Guv’nor Jesse, while That’s What She Said tries to keep straight faces.

The Guv’nor flexes his vocal cords with Adam D on “(Train)Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”

Guest Bryan offers his 2 cents’ worth during That’s What She Said’s performance.

Pelly’s Sunday night doorman Tony (“Twan”) taps out his own percussion.

Tony breaks out his own gitfiddle.

JAM NIGHT @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 3/10/10

Pellegrine’s weekly Wednesday Jam Night keeps getting bigger and better, and this week was easily the best edition yet!

For me, the tone was set the minute I stepped in the door, saw a large crowd and heard some top-notch music emanating from a band I didn’t immediately recognize. It turned out that regional country performer Chris Woodward and his band, ShinDiggin, were in the house to partake in the Jam Night festivities, and to stage-test some of their songs on a new audience. Based on the audience response, the group’s songs and performance passed with flying colors…Good stuff!

Besides Chris Woodward and ShinDiggin (including Mike Gambardella on guitar, D.J. Gates on bass and Jamie Shumac on drums), numerous other musicians were partaking in the creation of music this night; including the brothers Tonkin, Otto and Kent; Eric D, Don Osborn, Big Jim, Brian Cupples, Jeff and Randy of The Wiseguys, Missy B on percussion, Rich “All Heart” Edmundson, Jess P; and before all was said and done, yours truly helping out on bongos and cajon! At one point, Jamie, Rich, Missy and yours truly comprised a nice little rhythm section. It’s fun to hit on things!

The night rode at a nice high for the entire duration, and musicians and audience had a good time. This was the best Jam Night yet since its inception; the participation and positive vibes grow bigger each week!

Chris Woodward and ShinDiggin participate in Pellegrine’s Jam Night.

Providing some percussion, two Tonkin brothers and a Wiseguy (Jeff Van Clief, back to camera).

A mighty fine-looking percussion session during Pellegrine’s Jam Night! (Thanks to Don Osborn’s girlfriend, Deb, for grabbing my camera and snapping these shots!)

Kicking out the jam, left to right: Rich “Allheart” Edmundson, yours truly, Otto Tonkin and Missy Bailey.

Otto, yours truly, Missy, Big Jim and Kent “grimmbass” Tonkin.

Percussion section solo!

JP gettin’ down on the cajon…

More jamming ensues.

The fun continues with (left to right) ShinDiggin’s Jamie Shumac, yours truly, “Allheart,” Missy, Otto and Adam D.

Adam D, Big Jim and Kent.

PAT McGINNIS & JASON McINTYRE @ SHAW’S BAR, ALTOONA 3/11/10

I had been intending to check back in with Pat McGinnis and his solo show for a while. Finally, this night I caught up with Pat, and he was joined by Rustlanders guitarist/singer Jason McIntyre.

As I would later find out, this would be Jason’s last local performance for several weeks, as he and The Rustlanders are embarking on a cross-country road trip and tour. The following weekend, The Rustlanders would be performing at the prestigious South By Southwest (SXSW) Music Conference in Austin, Texas. They would also be heading to Los Angeles to record their next CD. And during May, the group will be opening a series of southern show dates for renowned indie singer/songwriter Ryan Bingham. Clearly things are moving forward for The Rustlanders!

For this night, Pat and Jason teamed up to perform a tasty selection of classic rock, folk and Americana sounds spanning a variety of sources. Pat played acoustic, while Jason played electric guitar; both sang. There were some obvious favorites like Bob Dylan’s “Tangled Up in Blue,” the Grateful Dead’s “Friend of the Devil,” Marshall Tucker Band’s “Fire on the Mountain,” the Rolling Stones’ “Dead Flowers” and Crosby Stills Nash & Young’s “Helpless.” There were other interesting selections as well, including Little Feat’s “Willin,’” the Rolling Stones’ “Sweet Virginia,” Johnny Horton’s “Battle of New Orleans,” traditional numbers like “Don’t Let the Deal Go Down” and “I Know You Rider” and more.

Both Pat’s and Jason’s voices were in good form, and they both shined on their guitars. Their song selection was well-received by the Shaw’s audience, even though some of this song material wasn’t stuff readily heard on the radio. The quality performances and cordial vibes won the night, and made for a good night of music.

Jason McIntyre and Pat McGinnis at Shaw’s.

TRIPLE A BLUES BAND @ ZENO’S, STATE COLLEGE 3/12/10

I decided to hit the road for State College this night, and check out a blues doubleheader. The first half of the doubleheader was the weekly early Friday evening performance of State College favorites the Triple A Blues Band, playing at Zeno’s.

For some reason, I was thinking this show ran from 7 to 10 p.m., which turned out to be a mistake as the group played until 9. As such, I arrived at Zeno’s around 8:30, and was thus relegated to catching the final half-hour of the Triple A Blues Band’s performance.

But what I was able to witness smoked. Joined by a guest sax player this night (I didn’t catch his name, but heard someone on stage announce he was from San Jose, California), the Triple A Blues Band – singer/keyboardist John “JT Blues” Thompson, guitarist/singer Andy Tolins, harmonica player Pete Sheridan, drummer Curt Krebs, and both Ronnie Wasco and Pete Jogo switching off on bass – played a variety of blues-geared selections. Some of the highlights I witnessed included T-Bone Walker’s “T-Bone Shuffle,” and a sharp night-ending spin of Billy Preston’s “Will It Go Round in Circles.”

The musicianship was hot through it all, with walking bass lines, greasy harmonica, colorful keyboard accents, tight rhythms, soulful voices and more. The Triple A Blues Band inspired some dance floor action in front of the stage with their tasty sounds.

I wish I would have arrived earlier to witness more! But at least I know that with this group playing the early Friday evening slot at Zeno’s each week, I should have ample opportunities to catch a full show on another Friday sometime soon.

The Triple A Blues Band.

CHUCK MASON & BLUE REALITY @ THE ARENA, STATE COLLEGE 3/12/10

The other half of my Happy Valley blues doubleheader took place later at The Arena, where I would catch my first look at Chuck Mason & Blue Reality. The group was performing a benefit to help out the family of Sgt. Bill Cahir, who died in action last August while serving in Afghanistan.

I arrived shortly before the start of the first set, and audience members were still arriving. Soon, group namesake Chuck Mason on vocals and guitar, bassist Graham Sanders and drummer Jerry Kisatsky started into their performance of electric blues and classic blues rock of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s; opening with “Hey Joe.” The first set featured such numbers as Freddie King’s “Going Down,” the Beatles’ “Come Together,” ZZ Top’s “Tush,” Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love,” Led Zeppelin’s “Heartbreaker,” Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Texas Flood” and Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire.” Chuck also introduced an instrumental blues jam original.

Several times during the set, Chuck took time to enlighten the audience on Sgt. Bill Cahir, his life and contributions to his country before making the ultimate sacrifice. Several things about his life were unique, including his enlistment in the Marine Corps at age 34 (he had to get a special petition to enlist at this late age). He was also a journalist, guitar player, blues enthusiast and Penn State graduate. He left behind a wife and two daughters.

After an audience member named Joe stepped to the mic to sing an a cappella version of Sgt Barry Sadler’s “Ballad of the Green Berets” in memory of Sgt. Cahir, Chuck Mason & Blue Reality resumed with their second set. This time, they started off with Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused,” highlighted by Chuck using a bow on his guitar Jimmy Page-style. Also performed were ZZ Top’s “La Grange,” Cream’s “White Room,” Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Chile” and Foxey Lady,” Elmore James’ “The Sky Is Crying,” Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Pride and Joy,” Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” and Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen.”

The group’s performance was strong so far. Chuck definitely knows his way around a guitar fretboard, and he fired off inspired solo work throughout the night. Graham and Jerry provided a tight and hard-hitting rhythm section that provided the platform for Chuck’s guitar displays. I liked the group’s song selection as well, mixing up blues-rock classics, blues and the occasional original song.

The nightcap set started with Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll,” and included versions of Cream’s “Tales of Brave Ulysses,” Muddy Waters’ “Mannish Boy,” Willie Dixon’s “Hoochie Coochie Man,” Jimi Hendrix’s “Manic Depression,” Blind Willie McTell’s “Statesboro Blues,” Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” and John Brim/Van Halen’s “Ice Cream Man.”

Although the students were out of town for Spring Break, attendance at this show wasn’t bad, as a few folks showed up to support Sgt. Cahir’s family and enjoy some tough, strong blues and blues-rock. I was satisfied with my first encounter with Chuck Mason & Blue Reality, and look forward to seeing more of this group in the months ahead.

Chuck Mason & Blue Reality.

Chuck Mason.

Graham Sanders of Chuck Mason & Blue Reality.

Again, Chuck Mason & Blue Reality.

From a different angle, Chuck Mason & Blue Reality.

Again, Chuck Mason.

Jerry Kisatsky of Chuck Mason & Blue Reality.

One more time, Chuck Mason & Blue Reality.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY CELEBRATION w/TREE/RIBBON GRASS/YUM/SHADES OF JUNE @ ACE’S LOUNGE, JOHNSTOWN 3/13/10

Partially in celebration of the fact that my weekly “Homegrown Rocker” program was debuting on the Johnstown area radio airwaves in less than 24 hours, I decided to head to J-town this night to start ringing in the St. Patrick’s Day holiday with the St. Patrick’s Day Celebration at Ace’s Lounge. This year’s fourth annual event featured four bands: Tree, Ribbon Grass, YUM and Shades Of June.

Broadcast workplace duties delayed the start of my evening and I arrived too late to see openers Tree, who kicked off the night with traditional Celtic folk flavors. But eyewitness accounts reported that Tree represented well; their traditional sound serving as a fitting prelude to the Irish-themed festivities.

I arrived about midway into Ribbon Grass’ set. With Ace’s packed by a sea of revelers decked out in their most festive green attire, Ribbon Grass set the large dance floor churning with their lively mixture of pop hits and dance favorites. Highlights that I witnessed were plentiful, including David Single’s fiery fiddle work on Charlie Daniels’ “Devil Went Down to Georgia,” drummer Mark Vatavuk stepping from behind the kit to duet with singer Terri Single on Black Eyed Peas’ “My Humps”; and Steve Toma’s excellent fretboard skills, including a ripping guitar solo on Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name,” and his jazzy guitar flavors on Dave Matthews’ “Crash Into Me.”

Ribbon Grass gets folks dancing during the St. Patrick’s Day Celebration at Ace’s.

Again, Ribbon Grass and a packed dance floor.

David Single of Ribbon Grass.

Ribbon Grass drummer Mark Vatavuk steps out front to help sing and rap.

Terri Single and Mark Vatavuk of Ribbon Grass.

Once again, Ribbon Grass keeps the packed dance floor moving.

Back behind the kit, Mark Vatavuk of Ribbon Grass.

After Ribbon Grass’ set, Terri and a friend pose for a picture.

In between bands, Terri invited me into the backstage hospitality room, where I got to shoot the breeze with members of all the bands. Thanks to Terri and all the bands for the hospitality, brews and food; always fun and welcome!

Yum soon picked up the party ball and ran with it, keeping the dance floor packed with their festive mix of favorites. Singer Dan Vavrek worked the dance floor crowd early and often, while guitarist Darren Buchko, bassist Shawn Mock and drummer Brian Scaletta generated the thumping, continuous backdrop. Par the course for Yum shows, everything including the kitchen sink was fair game, and the group kept the party raging with renditions of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell,” Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like a Wolf,” Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl,” Lady GaGa’s “Poker Face,” Pink’s “U and Ur Hand,” the “Crazy” double-shot of Ozzy’s “…Train” and Buckcherry’s “…Bitch,” and more.

Dan Vavrek of Yum.

Yum brings the party.

Shawn Mock of Yum.

Again, Dan Vavrek of Yum.

Once again, Dan Vavrek.

Yum gets the dancers rowdy.

Wearing shamrock shades and singing to the ladies, Dan Vavrek.

Yum’s party continues.

Dan Vavrek and Darren Buchko of Yum.

The packed dance floor keeps partying down with Yum.

Yum’s rhythm section, Brian Scaletta and Shawn Mock.

And Shades Of June capped the night by inciting more dance floor frenzy. Singer/guitarist Ryan Krinjeck, guitarist Alex Davis, bassist Chris Myer and drummer Jesse August couldn’t keep the ladies off the stage as they kept the party jumping with their wide variety of favorites. The group did classics and more recent tunes, including renditions of Blues Traveler’s “Runaround,” the Man In Black’s “Folsom Prison Blues,” Nena’s “99 Redballoons,” The Proclaimers’ “(I’m Gonna Be) 500 Miles,” Lit’s “My Own Worst Enemy” and more. The group invited Yum’s Dan Vavrek to the stage to help sing lead on Bryan Adams’ “Summer of ’69.” The raucous fun continued until the end, as Shades Of June closed out the night with the two-song fusion of Garth Brooks’ “Friend In Low Places” into Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode.”

Shades Of June with some ladies on the stage.

Chris Myer and Ryan Krinjeck of Shades Of June.

Ryan Krinjeck of Shades Of June.

Shades Of June, keeping the dance floor busy.

Stepping out front, Ryan Krinjeck.

Chris Myer and more dancing ladies.

Jesse August of Shades Of June with some ladies on the stage.

Dan Vavrek of Yum joins Shades Of June onstage.

One more time, Shades Of June and dance floor mayhem.

This St. Patrick’s Day Celebration was an exhaustive, rip-roaring good time. The bands all brought their “A” games and pulled all stops to deliver the good time, resulting in a sea of happy faces and a continuous upbeat vibe. Bottom line, proven to me again this night – Johnstown knows how to throw a party!

MIA MANIA @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA

The conclusion to my weekend again happened at Pellegrine’s, with Mia Mania setting the musical backdrop.

This night, work mixed with play, as I needed to record an interview with Mia Mania for the cover story about the group in the April issue of Pennsylvania Musician. Thanks to the band for sitting down to do the interview with me on short notice, and for giving me 14 minutes’ worth of good quotes to use in the article!

Singer Brian Storm, guitarist Chris Lee, bassist Jason Dumm and drummer Justin Betz also took care of business on the stage, triggering some dance floor action with their freewheeling mixture of classic and current rock/hit favorites. The group sounded strong on tunes from Metro Station, Cars, Cheap Trick, Black Crowes, Billy Idol, Puddle Of Mudd, Rage Against the Machine, Nickelback, Wheatus, Big & Rich, Violent Femmes and more.

Mia Mania’s instrumental execution was crisp, and Brian’s energetic performance and unpredictable stage antics kept folks interested and on the floor.

Per their norm, Mia Mania again delivered a solid and upbeat performance to slam the exclamation point on the weekend.

Mia Mania strikes up the party at Pellegrine’s.

Brian Storm of Mia Mania.

Chris Lee of Mia Mania.

Mia Mania’s rhythm section, Justin Betz and Jason Dumm.

Again, Jason Dumm of Mia Mania.

Chris Lee and Jason Dumm of Mia Mania.
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[Jim Price]

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