Jim Price
Moderator
Joined: 07 Dec 2002
Posts: 4819
Location: Altoona, PA
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 Posted: Saturday Nov 20, 2004 |
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WEEK/WEEKEND RECAP 9/13/04
BIG JIM & ADAM D @ BELMAR HOTEL, ALTOONA 9/7/04
I was able to escape the workplace relatively early this night, enabling me to check in with the weekly Adam D, Ronny D and Big Jim get-together at Altoona’s Belmar Hotel.
It was relatively late in the show when I arrived. A modest-sized Tuesday night crowd of Belmar regulars and music fans were on hand to watch as Adam, Big Jim and special guest Fat Vinny of the Wiseguys fame (Ronny D was not present this night) jammed on select classics, new songs, requests and curios. Vinny assisted Jim and Adam on Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” Vinny then sang lead on Dire Straits’ “Sultans of Swing.” Adam dug deeper into the rack for D.C. Talk’s “Jesus Freak,” before calling it a night with Nirvana’s “Come As You Are.”
It was fun for the short time I witnessed, at least; a loose and laid-back good time, with no pre-determined set list. Just three musicians sticking wet fingers up into the air and letting the wind direction determine what musical paths they would follow this night.
Fat Vinny and Big Jim – how can we fit them in the same picture? How can we fit them in the same Belmar?
Fat Vinny, Big Jim and Adam D, kicking back and having fun at the Belmar.
MATT WAGNER @ THE BAR, ALTOONA 9/9/04
After putting in a late night at the day job, I headed to The Bar to see what was up. I walked in just before Matt Wagner was set to begin his final set of the night.
Matt had a decent-sized crowd of fans and friends in the house. I got to see most of Matt’s third set, and witnessed as he mixed original songs with select modern favorites. Matt sang his somber original song “You Never Know;” also versions of James’ “Laid,” a request for Pearl Jam’s “Yellow Ledbetter,” songs from Dave Matthews Band and more.
Matt’s voice was again in good form, and Matt continues to develop a unique style and cadence all his own. While some comparisons can be made between Matt’s sound and Dave Matthews, Matt takes it in his own unique direction, and his original songs take a more shadowy, thoughtful slant.
I only got to witness a small portion of his show, but it was enough to reaffirm that Matt Wagner is still justifiably one of the most promising rising names currently happening on the Altoona music scene.
FELIX & THE HURRICANES @ PETER C’S, ALTOONA 9/9/04
With Matt Wagner’s show finished at 12:30 AM, I had some time to motor a few blocks to Peter C’s and check in on Felix & the Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes were into their final set of the evening as I arrived, and a decent mid-sized audience of friends and “Hurricaniacs” were on hand. In typical fashion, singer/guitar man/lead ‘Cane Felix Kos, bassist/singer Jeff Clapper and drummer Bob Watters were tearing through another evening of classics and original tunes. The group started into their original tune “Grow” as I arrived, and continued with takes on Ted Nugent’s “Stranglehold” and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man.” Acid Reflux’s Dwane Edmiston joined the group onstage to help sing “All Along the Watchtower;” and Dafunkt drummer Mike “Iceman” Bryant spotted Bob behind the ‘Canes drum kit for the night-ending rendition of “Standing on Shaky Ground.”
Both band and crowd wanted the show to continue, but – pushing 2 AM – Peter C’s matriarch Jodie K cracked the whip and dropped the hammer on the night’s proceedings.
While it lasted, though, it was again musicians at the top of their game, executing fire and brimstone performances on their respective instruments.
AT HOPE’S END/MARTYRDOM/EPICUREAN @ ALDO’S, ALTOONA 9/10/04
In a metal mood this night, I decided to take in the heavy-hitting triple-bill at Aldo’s, featuring local entries At Hope’s End and Martyrdom, and Minneapolis-based JCM Records recording artists Epicurean.
I was somewhat surprised by the light turnout at Aldo’s as I arrived. Besides the three bands and their support people, only a handful of people were present to take in this triple-bill. Where were all the ‘Toona metal fans?
At Hope’s End was in the midst of their set. This was my first look at this Clearfield-based group, which features former Nine Six Nine frontman Frank Rumfola and guitarist Ken Wagner, and former Not Without Resistance guitarist Mark Passarelli; along with bassist Tom Herring and drummer Aaron Musser. Not surprisingly, At Hope’s End’s sound was consistent with these musicians’ former bands – ultra-aggressive, explosive, hardcore-driven metal. I didn’t catch much in the way of song titles, except for “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” Frank’s rabid bark was at front and center, his style suggesting a cross between an extremely pissed-off Zack De La Rocha and a Doberman after you jab a lit cigarette butt into its hind leg. Frank was all-out aggression, supported by rigid rhythms and jagged guitar riffage. At Hope’s End appears to be a work in progress; I didn’t note quite the degree of brutal intensity or swagger I recalled with Nine Six Nine or Not Without Resistance. But I trust that will further develop as this group creates more tunes and continues to rebuild a fan base. It was still a quite capably abrasive start to the night, and the small audience present cheered its approval.
Next would be my first look at Johnstown’s Martyrdom. I had heard this band’s first demo CD, and had been impressed by the group’s blend of monstrous metal aggression and technical prowess; I was curious to see how it played out live. Over their nearly half-hour set, Martyrdom let fly with rapidfire death metal-styled tenacity rooted in Slayer and Obituary; I could even detect an old-school thrash Kreator flavor present. Drummer Scottie D. and bassist Timicide powered the sound with furious hyperspeed obliteration rhythms, and frontman Shane topped the mix with high- and low-register monstrous “AAOORRRGGGHHH!!” vocal aggression. Soon, though, my attention focused on the masterful high-velocity shredding of guitarist Punkinhead. His searing leads were technically precise and amazing, adding a technical, classical-geared darkness and edge to barrages from the Martyrdom arsenal such as “Blood Moon,” “Fragile,” “Horror Is Beauty,” “Confessions of Murder,” the new original “Genocide” and more. I wasn’t the only person who noticed Punkinhead’s skills; as I saw a member of Epicurean shift his seat over to the other side of the stagefront table area so he could get a better view of what Punkinhead was doing! Overall, I admired Martyrdom’s attention to song structure; within the parameters of this genre, Martyrdom’s assaults all showed focus and direction, and discernable melody lines with clear plots and resolutions. I thought Shane’s monstrous howl might have been slightly weak in the overall mix; and was sometimes overpowered by the rest of Martyrdom’s maelstrom. But overall, I was still impressed by my first look at Martyrdom and what they brought to the stage. If your metal tastes run extreme, definitely give this band a look!
Despite the addition of a keyboard and the replacement of a drum kit, intermission between Martyrdom and Epicurean didn’t take long, and soon the Minneapolis entry was ready to go. Six members strong, Epicurean unleashed an intriguing brand of dark, classical-geared heavy metal. The group mixed detailed song structures and lavish melodies with apocalyptic metallic aggression. Malmstorm’s keyboard runs presented an eerie counterpoint to the explosive assault rendered by lead guitarist Rob Nesco, rhythm guitarist Lance Vien, bassist Angelia and drummer John Gensmer. Frontman John Laramy vented an apocalyptic vocal roar up front, but could quickly shift to understated singing, with Lance and Malmstorm combining for unexpected two- and three-part harmonies. I only caught a few song titles, including tracks from the group’s full-length CD, V. II R. VI, such as “Channeling Divine Creations” and the set-ending “ Hypnotic Descent;” and a new song, “A War of Always.” Epicurean’s song composition was detailed and challenging, with interesting plot twists and chord and tempo shifts. The group executed it all tightly and cleanly; obviously this band has its act together in a big way! Although still sparse, the few Aldo’s onlookers were unanimous in their approval of Epicurean, and a few folks purchased CD’s and T-shirts afterwards (including yours truly), so the group at least earned some gas and food money for their efforts.
Attendance notwithstanding, this was a rewarding night for me, as I got to witness three bands with their own diverse slants on modern-day heavy metal. Both At Hope’s End and Martyrdom proved themselves to be aggressive local forces well worth keeping an eye on, and Epicurean served notice that they might not be too far removed from more notoriety on a national scale; I wouldn’t be surprised to see this name surface on an OzzFest bill someday. It was also cool to see the camaraderie between musicians, and mutual support as each of these three bands networked with each other and helped expand each other’s respective fan bases – if only incrementally – this night.
Shane of Martyrdom.
Martyrdom, getting ferocious at Aldo’s.
Punkinhead of Martyrdom, going full shred.
Epicurean, bringing the metal at Aldo’s.
[color=cyan[Epicurean, demonstrating their brand of metal arts at Aldo’s.[/color]
Once again, Epicurean.
Angelia and Rob Nesco of Epicurean.
Again, Epicurean, stating their case onstage at Aldo’s.
John Gensmer of Epicurean.
Angelia and John Gensmer of Epicurean.
Lance Vien of Epicurean.
Lance Vien and John Laramy of Epicurean.
IN @ 4D’S LOUNGE, ALTOONA 9/11/04
This was one of those Saturday nights when the musical menu was pretty much “been there, saw that” for me. Ultimately, I decided to check in on the progress of In, as they made their first 4D’s Lounge visit.
Given the relative newness of this name, the fact that it was 9/11, and the fact that Vs. the Earth was down the street at City Limits, I wasn’t totally surprised that attendance at the 4D’s was a little light this night. But there were still enough people there to populate the dance floor, including three bachelorette parties that stopped in during the course of the night. As I procured a table vantage point towards the back of the room, a nearby bachelorette party quickly made their presence known to me, as the bride-to-be surveyed my underwear preference this night (per a bachelorette card game). Was I wearing “whitey-tighties” or boxers? In hindsight, I should have said “Underwear? I don’t need no steenking underwear!” But I didn’t. It was still good for a chuckle.
Anyway, on to the band…In was taking care of business on stage, and already had most of the women in the house on the dance floor. Frontman Greg Matthews, guitarist Matt Day, bassist Adam Zimmer and drummer Josh Hetrick were blazing through modern rock tunage from Velvet Revolver, Good Charlotte, Harvey Danger and more, and blasted out a version of The Sweet’s “Ballroom Blitz.” The group then triggered a ‘medley from hell,’ musically welding together portions of 18 songs by my count – including tunes from Bon Jovi, James, B-52’s, Ohio Players, some hip-hop, AC/DC, Skynyrd, Bryan Adams, Vanilla Ice, David Bowie, Jimmy Buffett, EMF, the “Gilligan’s Island” theme (!), House of Pain, Metallica and Alice In Chains. Talk about a mixed bag of sounds! With Josh supplying the beat underneath it all, the medley kept the dance floor busy, before In ended their second set with Motley Crue’s “Dr. Feelgood.”
Based on what I witnessed thus far, In is progressing along well. After the dust has settled from the band member changes during the metamorphosis from Stept On to In, the group seemed to be working well together. Instrumentally, the recent roster moves have reunited a previous Stept On line-up, thus Matt, Josh and Adam have performed together before and have re-established their groove together. Greg appears more at home now than during his debut with the group earlier this year, and was able to smoothly rally the party along as the group shifted gears between sounds and styles. In is now definitely more focused as a modern rock-geared party band, compared to their heavier direction under their previous monicker.
The crowd thinned out some during intermission, as the various bachelorette parties departed to do their tour stop thing at a few other nightspots. Still, enough people remained to give In some semblance of a dance crowd during their final set of the night.
During the final set, In mixed more uptempo favorites, including tunes from Sublime, Jet, Beastie Boys, Violent Femmes and House Of Pain. A small dance floor scuffle erupted during “Fight for Your Right (to Party);” apparently two guys took the song to heart! During the set’s latter stages, In honored several requests for heavier tunes, and thus broke out Disturbed’s “Sickness,” Nirvana’s “Lithium,” Tool’s “Stinkfist,” Drowning Pool’s “Bodies” and the Limp Bizkit take on “Faith” to finish out the set. The remaining audience demanded an encore, so In returned to end the night with Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality.”
In all, In delivered a solid party this night. It takes some time to redevelop a fan base and momentum after changes such as this band has experienced in the past few months. But as this night showed, this band can generate dance floor excitement, and is refocused and determined to build it back up again. Considering the circumstances surrounding this particular night, In made the best of it, and kept the 4D’s dance floor ‘in’ the party.
Adam Zimmer of In.
Josh Hetrick of In.
Matt Day of In.
In, bringing the party at the 4D’s Lounge.
Again, Matt Day of In.
IN full party mode at the 4D’s, In.
DAVE & PAULA @ 4D’S LOUNGE (SCHNAPPES SHOPPE), ALTOONA 9/11/04
As I was leaving the 4D’s Lounge, I popped my head in the door of the upstairs Schnappes Shoppe to catch the finale of the Dave & Paula show. It was only one song, but I got to witness Dave singing lead and playing keys on Paul McCartney & Wings’ “My Love.” A mid-sized audience was still in attendance at this late juncture, and a few couples were displaying some frisky slow-dancing moves on the stagefront floor.
It reminded me that it’s been too long since I’ve seen this pair in action, and I’ll have to pick a night and take in a complete Dave & Paula show sometime soon.
BACKSTREET LAW @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 9/12/04
My weekend again concluded at Pellegrine’s, where Backstreet Law was providing the tunes.
As expected, it was another packed house for Backstreet Law, and the group was rocking the crowd in the midst of their second set as I arrived. The group effectively mixed it up, venturing from Trapt’s “Headstrong” into an 80’s hair-band medley weaving together tunes from Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Poison, Scorpions and Ratt; to Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean;” favorites from Violent Femmes, Jet and more; and culminating with their ever-popular original risque shout-along “Seatbelt” to end the set.
Backstreet Law’s final set featured more of the same, as frontman Goody, guitarist Jeremy Edge, bassist Jamie Morral and drummer Choke kept Pellegrine’s dance floor churning with tunes from Smile Empty Soul, Motley Crue, Rage Against the Machine and more. Jamie provided his best Anselmo bark on Pantera’s “Walk,” leading to two original songs to end the set. The first was a new original tune, the title I did not catch; Backstreet Law then capped the set with “Shake” from their Hollow CD. The Pelly’s crowd quickly demanded one more song, and Backstreet Law delivered with Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” to end the night.
As Backstreet Law shows go, this one was pretty much a day at the office. Backstreet Law effectively brought the party, never staying in one place for too long and keeping the show constantly moving forward. This group again played with a convincing swagger and confidence, generating enthusiasm and excitement, and keeping Pellegrine’s dance floor crowd attentive and involved for the duration. A day at the office for Backstreet Law means a damned good, rocking party for those in attendance!
Flanked by ladies on stage, Goody of Backstreet Law.
Once again, Goody of Backstreet Law.
Backstreet Law, keeping Pellegrine’s dance floor masses happy.
Choke of Backstreet Law.
These ladies are having a good time onstage with Backstreet Law.
Making a cameo appearance, audience member Doug take over lead mic for a song.
Once again, guest Doug barks lead voice during Backstreet Law’s performance.
Jeremy Edge of Backstreet Law.
Backstreet Law keeps the stagefront mob happy.
Once again, goody of Backstreet Law.
Jamie and Goody of Backstreet Law.
Once again, Jeremy Edge of Backstreet Law.
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