[Jim Price]

WEEKEND RECAP 6/7/03:

Yes folks, late again. PA Musician paperboy duty this week was the main culprit. As I usually say, better late than never…enjoy.

THURSDAY NIGHT 5/29 - A night of firsts for me…I've lived within five minutes of the Bellemead Inn in Altoona for most of my life (I used to ride my bike past it as a kid), but only ever set foot inside the place for the first time this night, to see - also for the first time - local duo Acid Reflux. I had heard good field reports about the show Dwayne Edmiston and Matt Burns were putting on area stages, and I'm glad to report that those reports are true, these guys are very good! Interesting sound, Dwayne's distinct guitar flavor running alongside Matt's busy basswork, with Lynn Endress supplying conga rhythms. I liked the song selection too, as they mixed classic and current rock favorites from Stone Sour, America, Stevie Wonder, Black Crowes, John Mellencamp, Santana, Chris Isaak, the Stones, Pearl Jam, Train and much more. Instant favorite highlight for me was Acid Reflux's "commercial break," when they broke into the Bud Light "Real Men of Genius" commercial jingle! This night, they sang the one about the 'Supermarket Sample Guy' ("You put the FREE in Freedom!") I understand they break out a different commercial episode each week, I'd like to see the house erupt when they do the 'Nudist Camp Entertainment Coordinator' episode! (Ron the Budman, you've gotta hook these guys up with a sponsorship deal!) Other highlights included several musical guests onstage, including Matt Loibl helping out on Stone Temple Pilots' "Creep" and Kansas' "Dust In The Wind;" and off-duty Q94 Calendar Girl Anne, who belted out a solo rendition of Janis Joplin's "Mercedes Benz," and later joined Acid Reflux to sing lead on Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide." Good crowd in the house, it was a fun night!

Dwayne Edmiston and Acid Reflux entertain the revelers at the Bellemead Inn.

Off-duty Q94 Calendar Girl Ann sings Stevie Nicks with Acid Reflux.

FRIDAY NIGHT 5/30 - A weird but interesting night for me. First, day job duties took me to Kelce's Bar in Philipsburg for a live remote, which ended with me sitting and shooting the breeze with former Slammer axe Matt Socoski and former Stept On drummer Jim Bagrosky. Matt told me he wants to bring back the Mountain Of Rock Fest in Osceola Mills next summer. I was at the last one in 1992, it was a blast and I hope this show does make a comeback! We were also talking about the various incarnations of Slammer, both live and in-studio. Great band in their day, and cool memories!

Unfortunately, live band nightlife was sparse in this part of the world this night (Hair Force One was playing not too far away, but I had just seen them the weekend before). So I hit the road in search of live music, and proceeded across two county lines to the Sanbar in Mill Creek in an attempt to catch my first look at Way Down East. But when I arrived, I learned that Way Down East's singer had to go to work at 1 AM, and the band had already played their set for the night. But I didn't drive all the way to the Sanbar for nothing; Way Down East had brought along guests to finish out the night for them, Spring Drive. From Hustontown and Mount Union, this trio turned out to be pretty good on the half-set that I witnessed, doing punk-geared modern rock originals and a few covers. Singer/guitarist Justin Gelvin, bassist Jamie Gelvin and drummer Ronny Leonard were instrumentally tight and hard-hitting, and their vocals were solid as well. I didn't catch titles on the original tunes they did, but the tunes were solid and respectable. Way Down East drummer Randy Wilson fronted the group on a version of Seven Mary Three's "Cumbersome." So though I didn't get to see the band I had traveled there to see, I did discover a new band, and a group I wouldn't have been aware of had I not driven there.

Spring Drive onstage at Sanbar.

Justin Gelvin of Spring Drive.

Randy Wilson of Way Down East joins Spring Drive onstage.

Since Spring Drive wrapped up their show shortly after midnight, I still had time to get back to the 'Toona and catch somebody else's last set of the night. I ended up at Peter C's to check out Jack's Farm. This was the first time I had seen this group with their current lineup, they were EXCELLENT! Guitarist/Hammond B-3 player John Rattie, drummer Chris Rattie, bassist Jimmy Lovcik and lead/slide guitarist Arlo Tarr were amazing on their blend of classic rock gems from the Allman Brothers, Dead, Creedence, Doobie Brothers and more. Their vocals and harmonies were strong, their playing was tight and tasteful; I really liked the harmony guitar leads on the Allman's "Blue Skys." I was disappointed more people weren't on hand to check this group out, especially considering this group's earlier inception used to draw well at Pellegrine's a few years ago. That version of Jack's Farm was good, but this version is better, definitely cleaner and tighter-sounding! Here's hoping Big John gives these guys a call the next time Felix & company go on vacation and take a Thursday off (better yet, let's hook both bands up onstage together some night, I bet that would be a JAM!). If you're a fan of quality musicianship and improv jamming, this band does it extremely well. Must see!

Jack’s Farm jams onstage at Peter C’s.

Jim Lovcik of Jack’s Farm.

Arlo Tarr of Jack’s Farm.

SATURDAY 5/31 - I'm sure when the organizer drew up the plans for the Summer Break Band Bash at Hollidaysburg's Legion Park, he envisioned sunny skies and tons of happy kids out of school for the summer, on hand to partake. He probably did not envision monsoon-like rain conditions and light turnout. But that's the hand the organizer and the bands were dealt this day, off and on rain throughout the day that stunted attendance. Fortunately, the show was underneath a pavilion, and at least enough kids were in attendance to make it worthwhile for the bands to perform. For me, the show afforded me a good opportunity to catch some of the younger bands that aren't old enough to play the bar scene. I just barely missed Destroy Elroy's set, but got there in time to witness Red Forty. This foursome played high-velocity punkish rock originals, delivering 3 chords and a cloud of dust on tunes like "Pushover" and "The Final Chapter." Red Forty was fairly solid on their instruments, and I liked drummer Tyler Moyer's double-kick bass drum abilities on several songs.

Red Forty rocks at the Summer Break Band Bash.
Next up was Duncansville's No Complaint. I had heard this band's CD, and was curious to see what they were about live. The focal point of this four-piece band was frontlady Emma Maatman, a spunky performer whose voice showed good range and clarity in the live setting. Guitarist Justin Showalter, bassist Derek Rhodes and drummer Matt Gibbons showed good energy and enthusiasm as they backed Emma on hard-driving punk/pop original tunes from their CD such as "Sick Polygon of Love," "Holding Back" and more. The young audience cheered approval for No Complaint, especially the group's last song, a tongue-in-cheek punkish ode to corn dogs. No Complaint's set was fun, and escalated the energy level of the day despite the soggy weather.

Emma Maatman of No Complaint.

Matt Gibbons of No Complaint.

No Complaint rocks the Summer Break Band Bash.

The stagefront audience looks on as No Complaint continues their set.

Once again, Emma Maatman of No Complaint.

Justin Showalter of No Complaint.
After a short intermission, Choco Sam - with bassist Eric Sakmar and guitarist Mike Duffy wearing raincoats - broke into their freewheeling set. Mike kept identifying the group as ‘Avril Lavigne & the Berwind Construction Workers,’ as the trio unleashed the most unpredictable, adventurous set I've witnessed from them yet. Lots of bass, guitar and drum acrobatics; funk-geared improvisational songs that veer off in all sorts of directions; one of the freshest takes on Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" I've heard to date; the trio breaking out a wild version of Primus' "Too Many Puppies," new originals and more. At several points, the stagefront fans jumped up and down in unison and organized crazy dance moves to celebrate Choco Sam's wild grooves. These three musicians are already in a league all their own, they execute tightly and stay together on the same page no matter what direction their musical journey veers off in. Apparently due to a band or two canceling out of the show, Choco Sam played for an additional 45 minutes, freewheeling more jams as they went. Definitely I was blown away by Choco Sam's set; I only wish these guys played out more often!

Raincoat-clad Mike Duffy introduces Avril Lavigne & the Berwind Construction Workers.

Also raincoat-clad, Eric Sakmar of Choco Sam.

Mike Duffy of Choco Sam.

Eric Wertz of Choco Sam.

Once again, Eric Sakmar of Choco Sam.

Choco Sam generates freewheeling musical mayhem at Summer Break Band Bash.

Choco Sam has ‘em hopping at Summer Break Band Bash.
Next up was The Vicars, a new band risen from the remnants of Ebensburg-based Christian ska band The Mad Katz. Like the Katz before them, The Vicars – seven members strong – did upbeat ska-geared originals, mixed with friendly banter and joking between songs. Song titles I caught included “Extinction” and “Lottery;” plus the group surprisingly broke out an uptempo take on “Oh Holy Night!” The Vicars’ lyrics deal with some positive and social message themes, which band members commented on before each song. The performances were upbeat and enthusiastic, and The Vicars had several audience members dancing and grooving at stagefront.

The Vicars lay down the ska at Summer Break Band Bash.

With arms raised, The Vicars.

What are trombone players to do when they’re not playing on a given song? Adam and Brian of The Vicars engage in a heated bout of thumb wrasslin.’
And, as the sky cut loose with yet another volley of monsoon-like rains, The Keystone All Stars slammed the lid on the day with their set of high-octane original punkish rock. The group showcased numerous songs from their new CD, “Once…And Young;” including “Concrete Rulers,” “United,” “Workin’ My Way Up” and more. The group also broke out some earlier anthems like “King of the Highway,” plus a version of Rancid’s “Ruby Soho.” The Keystone All Stars delivered high-velocity, blue-collar punkish rock, fueled by Chris O’Leary’s torrid drum mayhem; they rocked so hard they even knocked the power off at one point. Atop the high-velocity backdrop, Brian Dumm sang lyrical messages about growing up in the working class, small town settings of western PA, unity and more. Perhaps because of the long rainy day, the crowd seemed a bit tired at this late stage, with one or two bursts of spontaneous moshing otherwise interrupting the stagefront tranquility. Although the weather put a damper on the day (the show was a benefit for the MS Society, I don’t know that a lot of money could have been raised given the light attendance overall), those who did attend stuck around for the day, and the band performances were all good.

Brock Holland of the Keystone All Stars.

The Keystone All Stars slam the lid on the Summer Break Band Bash.

Brian Dumm of the Keystone All Stars.

Gig Nileski of the Keystone All Stars.

Once again, Brian Dumm of the Keystone All Stars.

Once again, Gig Nileski of the Keystone All Stars.

Chris O’Leary of the Keystone All Stars.

The Keystone All Stars rock the stagefront crowd in the waning moments of Summer Break Band Bash.

SATURDAY NIGHT 5/31 - After witnessing Eric Wertz and Choco Sam earlier in the afternoon, I got to see Eric's father in action this night, as Rick Wertz and the U.S. Sound Theatre celebrated their 26th anniversary with a gala at the Bavarian Hall in Altoona. (I’m a little bit confused, though…This band first hit the stages in 1971, and was together through 1996. So wouldn’t this be, say, the 32nd Anniversary celebration? Am I missing something here?) Though I arrived late and missed them, I wanted to mention the two opening bands, Square One and especially Your Dad's Friends. This latter band featured veteran radio guy/voice of Penn State Radio Sports Roger Corey on keys and vocals. Eyewitness accounts said this band did well; and it was good to hear that Roger was onstage and in action, obviously recovered from his heart attack several months ago. I arrived just as the The U.S. Sound Theatre was wrapping up their first set. After an intermission, the group returned to celebrate their lengthy career on area stages. Armed with 4-piece horn section, the group opened the set with the Chicago triple play of “Beginnings,” “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is” and “Colour My World,” before proceeding with various tunes from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s by the Beatles, Blood Sweat & Tears, Steely Dan, Rascals, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Doobie Brothers and more. Rick Wertz manned the lead mic on the funky double-shot of “Play That Funky Music” and “I Feel Sanctified;” and Ric Criste fired off some hot guitarwork on Stevie Ray’s “Crossfire.” These ten musicians were having fun onstage, and their set was a good time vibe start to end. Singer Jim Pastore seemed happy with the large attendance, asking where everybody was when the group played their last official gig at the 4D’s in 1996. As with the last U.S. Sound Theatre reunion in November 2001, this one too was a good party, raising a lot of money for the American Cancer Society Reliance Bank Relay for Life Team.

Rick Wertz and Jim Pastore of the U.S. Sound Theatre.

Rick Wertz of the U.S. Sound Theatre.

The U.S. Sound Theatre continues the celebration at the Bavarian Hall.

Complete with 4-piece horn section, the U.S. Sound Theatre.

Harold Hayford of the U.S. Sound Theatre.

The U.S. Sound Theatre horn section.

Once again, Rick Wertz of the U.S. Sound Theatre.

Once again, let’s review our local music lineage lesson from this day…

Son Eric Wertz of Choco Sam…

…And father Rick Wertz of the U.S. Sound Theatre.

After leaving the Bavarian Hall, I headed to Aldo's to catch the last set from Judgement. I only got to see about five songs, but Judgement sounded solid on Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” and “N.I.B.,” Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World,” and their encore version of Megadeth’s “Symphony of Destruction.” Interesting was Judgement’s onstage set-up this night, with drummer Mike Jellen’s kit positioned near the front of the stage, and frontman Dom Valenti singing from the back of the stage, atop the drum riser! (According to Dom, this arrangement allows the audience to see everybody in the group. Attendance was on the light side, but it was still a party.

Dom Valenti of Judgement.

Judgement, in the latter stages of their show at Aldo’s.

Again, Dom Valenti of Judgement.

Patrick Newby of Judgement.

Mike Jellen of Judgement.

SUNDAY NIGHT 6/1 - My weekend concluded with Something Fluid at Pellegrine's. Though this band wasn't annnounced for Pelly's until the last minute, a good-sized crowd was still on hand to partake in the festivities. Partake they did, as audience members were platooning on and off the stage, while singer Gretchen returned the favor and was platooning off and on the stage. In fact, it seemed the whole band sans new drummer Len Lechene was interchangeable with the crowd; it was a combination show and community party! Anyway, Something Fluid sounded good as they mixed it up between current favorites, 70’s and 80’s rock, hip-hop and more. It was a good time party, and further evidence that Something Fluid’s Altoona area fan base is rapidly growing.

Flanked by females, Chris of Something Fluid.

The new guy, Len Lechene of Something Fluid.

Once again flanked by females, Chris of Something Fluid.

Jerry of Something Fluid.

C.J. of Something Fluid.

Jerry and C.J. of Something Fluid.

Gretchen of Something Fluid.

Flanked by fans, Gretchen of Something Fluid.

Once again, Gretchen of Something Fluid.

Something Fluid bassist Jerry discovers that someone is looking over his shoulder. And he doesn’t seem to mind.

Girls just wanna have fun onstage with Jerry and C.J. of Something Fluid.