Jim Price
Moderator
Joined: 07 Dec 2002
Posts: 4817
Location: Altoona, PA
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 Posted: Monday Feb 14, 2005 |
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WEEKEND RECAP 11/22/04
METAL CHURCH/3 INCHES OF BLOOD/SPINEBELT @ DRAGONFLY, HARRISBURG 11/18/04
This weekend would get off to a highly metallic start, as I made a roadtrip to Harrisburg to catch Metal Church at Dragonfly.
I wasn’t alone. Ronny D from Half Tempted notified me that he was planning to attend this show, and wanted to see if I was in. After clearing some work-related hurdles out of the way, I was ready to join Ron’s travel entourage and do some serious headbanging! The travel party came together, with wheelman Ronny D, Adam D, Steve McCulley, his friend Wade, and yours truly.
The trip down to Harrisburg was entertaining; no animals were harmed during the course of this roadtrip; although the staff at the Lewistown Mickey D’s might need some counseling and therapy after their close encounter with us.
We rolled into Harrisburg about 30 minutes shy of the actual start time at Dragonfly. Thanks to Jim at Harrisburg Online for hooking me up!
We entered Dragonfly, hooked up with brews and moved towards the front of the stage to partake in the metal festivities. The crowd was filing in at this point; I recognized and spoke with several members of Balistic in the house. Soon, Spinebelt took the stage and was ready to kick off the evening.
Spinebelt roared through a nearly 30-minute set of their brand of cyber-meets-metal originals, featuring songs from their CD’s and one new tune. The new tune, “13,” was consistent with the group’s previous song output; dark, heavy, terse, yet melodic. The group also performed established original songs such as the volatile “Change, Adapt, Evolve,” “It’s All Running Out,” “Motherblood and Moving Earth,” and the set-closer “Mine.” The volume was loud, and with Dragonfly’s hard walls and surfaces, Spinebelt experienced a few feedback issues in the early going. But in all, Spinebelt’s presentation was focused and powerful, and they were well-received by the growing Dragonfly audience.
Spinebelt opens the metal onslaught at Dragonfly.
Butch Lloyd of Spinebelt.
Don Belsh of Spinebelt.
Again, Butch Lloyd of Spinebelt.
John K of Spinebelt.
Once again, Spinebelt fires things up at Dragonfly.
Although the audience began gathering at stagefront during the early stages of Spinebelt’s set, it wasn’t particularly crowded up front. Among those who did move to the front was an out-of-control, possibly drunken mosher who careened off several other audience members and myself in his frenzy. Not surprisingly, it was only a matter of minutes before Dragonfly security converged on this individual and hustled him out the door.
After a brief intermission to change over gear, the night’s second band, 3 Inches Of Blood, took the stage. From Vancouver, this band had an interesting style and slant. Their style was high-speed, pedal-to-the-floor metal, with detailed melodies rooted in the classic metal tradition of Iron Maiden and Helloween. The interesting slant was the presence of two singers; Cam Pipes, who pierced the heavens with his high-flying, valkyrian howl; and Jamie Hooper, who matched him with a more nu-metal-styled, maniacal scream vocal. 3 Inches of Blood mixed songs from their albums, including “Fear on the Bridge,” “Deadly Sinners,” “Ride Death Horse Ride,” “Crazy Nights,” “Revenge Is a Vulture,” “Destroy the Orcs,” “Premonition of Pain” and more. This band’s execution was fierce and tenacious, with guitarists Shane Clark and Justin Hagberg, bassist Brian Redman and drummer Matt Wood (whose didn’t use toms on his drum kit, interesting!) unleashing full-tilt and caution-to-the-wind. Vocally, I’m not sure how the dual-singer arrangement plays out on the group’s albums (which I haven’t heard yet), but live – this night – the harsh room acoustics seemed to play the two singers against one another in the mix, and Jamie’s screams muted out any intelligibility of what Cam was singing. 3 Inches Of Blood’s instrumental intensity won them some fans at the stagefront, but the consensus of folks I spoke with afterward was that the vocals were unintelligible and a mess.
3 Inches Of Blood continues the onslaught.
Dual vocalists Jamie Hooper and Cam Pipes of 3 Inches Of Blood.
Justin Hagberg of 3 Inches Of Blood.
Again, Cam Pipes of 3 Inches Of Blood.
Matt Wood of 3 Inches Of Blood.
Still, the crowd – which now filled most of the room but wasn’t huge – was fired up and ready for the main event, Metal Church. It had been several years since I paid attention to Metal Church, and I wasn’t even sure who was still with the band from their 80’s heyday. But I remembered many of the band’s heavy-hitting tunes, particularly from the first two albums, and I eagerly anticipated this night’s upcoming Metal Church service. The Altoona contingent and I stood our ground up front, and we were ready for some serious headbanging!
Soon Metal Church arrived onstage, and hit like a ton of bricks off the bat – opening with “Ton Of Bricks!” The group proceeded to blaze through a set that mixed songs from most of their albums, with the emphasis on their self-titled Metal Church debut and second album, The Dark. Metal Church – these days original guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof and drummer Kirk Arrington, plus new singer Ronny Munroe, guitarist Jay Reynolds (ex-Malice) and bassist Steve Unger – continued with another song from The Dark, “Start the Fire;” before jumping into a tune from their new Weight of the World CD, “Leave ‘Em Behind.” The stagefront headbanging was furious as Metal Church returned to The Dark for “Watch the Children Pray,” and then launched into one of the songs I most anticipated hearing, “Battalions” from the debut album. METAL!!! At this point, Kurdt Vanderhoof stepped to the microphone and spoke to the crowd, introducing the new band members, and joking as he introduced Steve that “there’s no smiling in metal!” Metal Church continued with the title track from The Dark, and returned to the new Weight of the World album for “Cradle to Grave.” After crunching out “Date with Poverty” from The Human Factor, Ronny took a moment to introduce and recognize Kurdt and Kirk, “the original theologians” of Metal Church. He then introduced another song from the latest album, “Madman’s Overture,” followed by “Bad Lands” from the Blessing In Disguise album. The set then finished with three songs from the first album, “Gods of Wrath,” “Beyond the Black,” and the other song I anxiously wanted to see them perform, their forceful title song “Metal Church.” Dragonfly’s response was swift and immediate, and the crowd wanted to hear an encore. After about a minute, the band members returned to the stage and played one more song, their remake of Deep Purple’s “Highway Star” from the first album.
Metal Church delivered just what I was hoping for – fire-and-brimstone, all-out aggression power metal! New singer Ronny was a near-perfect fit, blending vocal range, grit, and in-your-face tenacity as he belted out voice to the Dragonfly metalheads. Kurdt’s and Jay’s guitars were appropriately slice-and-dice, blistering out solos and monster chords; and even maintaining the detail and dynamics of the original studio versions of these tunes (particularly “Metal Church;” everything was perfectly in place from the original studio version!). Kirk’s drumbeats were thundering and explosive, and Steve’s bass was full-sounding and appropriately weighty. Metal Church was constant action, working all parts of the stage and keeping the show moving forward at a steady and urgent clip. With only two original members, this current edition of Metal Church defended the faith and stayed true to their original style and sound. I was blown away enough with this performance that Weight of the World will be one of my next CD purchases!
Metal Church was also fan-friendly, and eagerly came out to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and pose for photos after the show. Very cool.
Thus capped a fun night of heavy metal fun and excitement…This was the most serious headbanging I had done in quite a while; I was spent and slept during most of the trip back to Altoona! Our travel entourage had an excellent time at this show; it was very much worth the 2-hour-plus roadtrip to check out!
Jay Reynolds of Metal Church.
Ronny Munroe of Metal Church.
Steve Unger of Metal Church.
Metal Church unleashes the beast at Dragonfly.
Kirk Arrington of Metal Church.
Kurdt Vanderhoof and Jay Reynolds of Metal Church.
Ronny Munroe of Metal Church and the Dragonfly fans.
Jay Reynolds and Steve Unger of Metal Church.
Again, Ronny Munroe of Metal Church.
Again, Kirk Arrington of Metal Church.
Once again, Metal Church and their appreciative congregation.
Again, Jay Reynolds of Metal Church.
Steve Unger and Jay Reynolds of Metal Church.
After the show festivities: Kirk Arrington of Metal Church, flanked by Wade (left) and Steve McCulley (right).
Steve and Wade, this time with Ronny Munroe of Metal Church.
PIVOT @ ALDO’S, ALTOONA 11/19/04
(NOTE: Just a week prior to this posting, I received word that Pivot had broken up. So this is a post-mortem review, which I decided to leave intact. Pivot R.I.P. – JP)
Aldo’s in Juniata was my destination this night, to see catch the first Altoona visit of Johnstown heavy rockers Pivot.
I was happy to see a fairly good-sized crowd in Aldo’s on a Friday night, looking on as Pivot was in the midst of their second set. The group was in between songs, and animated frontman Mark Lux was addressing the crowd before leading the band into Filter’s “Hey Man Nice Shot.” Mark then addressed the audience again, this time resetting a local news event, the Swedish Health Spa getting busted for prostitution – setting the stage for Pivot’s version of Tool’s “Hooker with a Penis.” The group then broke out one of their original songs, the Tool-flavored “Y.” At this point, Pivot launched into Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls On Parade,” and welcomed a guest onstage – Shades Of June frontlady April Karlheim – to belt out lead voice. Pivot then returned to the Tool catalog to finish the set, performing “Forty Six & 2.”
My last previous look at Pivot was during their stunning set at Rock the House in Johnstown last August. Pivot’s presentation was musically as sharp as that day, with guitarists Mike Lepley and Jay Snyder, bassist Mike Wozniak and drummer Jason Kirchner nailing their instruments sharply and on the money. As expected, Mark Lux was again the focal point, moving unpredictably about the stage, singing to the crowd one moment; crouching, venting and staring distantly the next. This show wasn’t quite as theatric or formal as the Rock the House show, but was still action-packed and exciting.
Pivot celebrated Tool for a good chunk of their last set, opening with the triple-shot of “Schism,” “Sober” and “Stinkfist;” and tackling “Parabol/Parabola” in the set’s latter stages. Mark went full Maynard, again capturing the erratic mood swings and intensity of the Tool frontman. There was one non-Tool song during this set, with Mark and Pivot going full-vent on Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name.”
Again, Pivot showed this night that they are continuing to tackle the more adventurous and incendiary sides of modern rock and metal; both on their original song material and choice of cover material. And with Mark’s wild stage persona and the group’s visual nuances, Pivot continues to be one of the more intriguing entities gracing area stages.
Guest April Karlheim belts out some voice for Pivot.
Once again, April, with Mark Lux of Pivot.
Mark Lux of Pivot.
Jay Snyder of Pivot.
Mike Lepley of Pivot.
Again, Mark Lux of Pivot.
Jason Kirchner of Pivot.
Pivot, rocking the Aldo’s fans.
Mark Lux and Mike Lepley of Pivot.
Once again, Mark Lux of Pivot.
Jay Snyder and Mike Wozniak of Pivot.
After the show, a sight not often seen…a lead singer helping break down and move equipment! Sans facepaints, Mark Lux of Pivot.
TOYS FOR TOTS BENEFIT w/SHIFT/FELIX & THE HURRICANES/THIRD STANDARD/CUCUPLEX/IN @ CITY LIMITS, ALTOONA 11/20/04
For the second year in a row, City Limits, Pennsylvania Musician Magazine and the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program teamed up to present a special night of live music to raise money and toys to help make some needy area children a bit happier this upcoming holiday season.
A strong line-up of area bands was assembled, initially including Shift, Felix & the Hurricanes, Third Standard and In. One more band, Cucuplex, would later be added to the bill. Like the first Toys for Tots benefit, this night turned out to be another memorable party.
Originally, like the previous year, Pennsylvania Musician first couple Whitey and Robin Noll were to make the roadtrip to Altoona to be part of the event; but a family emergency rendered them unable to attend. Representatives from the U.S. Marine Corps Ebensburg Barracks were in attendance to represent Toys for Tots.
Shift had the honors of kicking off the festivities this night. This was my first opportunity to see Shift since the addition of guitarist Sean Ammerman. Sean, singer Martin Lybek, bassist Joe Pyzowski and drummer Phil Hopnick triggered the party with a mixture of upbeat current and classic rock favorites. Their set included tunes from Everclear, Bryan Adams, Lit, Ugly Kid Joe, Jet, Southern Culture On The Skids, Wild Cherry, White Stripes and more. His trademark, Martin broke out his wide assortment of headgear during Shift’s set, varying the hats with the music. And though it was early and City Limits was not yet crowded, several ladies hit the dance floor – one of them even pulled me up to do some heavy-duty rug-cuttin!’ Shift was solid on the instrumental end, and their blend of fun tunes, Martin’s hat highjinks and uptempo presentation provided an uplifting start to the evening.
Shift kicks off the festivities at the Toys for Tots Benefit.
Once again, Shift.
Joined by two dancing ladies onstage (actually, Q94 2004 Calendar Girls Lisa and Amber), Shift parties down at City Limits.
Martin Lybek of Shift.
Up next was Felix & the Hurricanes, playing the first of two shows this Saturday night (their second gig was up the mountain at Buckhorn’s Ferris Wheel). Commencing with “Walking A Straight Line,” the Hurricanes made this set a showcase of their original song material, firing through tunes from both of their albums. “Issues,” “Little Ears,” “Backyard Rocker” (thanks guys!), “The Feeling,” “Black Widow,” “Grow,” “Keep On Rockin’” and more. As expected, the Hurricanes were tight and polished, and delivered each song with passion and enthusiasm. This resulted in City Limits’ dance floor staying busy through much of their set (including me being pulled up for some more rug-cutting, I was a veritable dancing fool this night!). The Hurricanes’ set not only kept the show and party moving forward, it was also testimony to the strength and catchiness of the group’s original song arsenal; that the group’s original songs kept this audience dancing and cheering through the entire set!
Felix & the Hurricanes continue the party at the Toys for Tots benefit.
Jeff Clapper of Felix & the Hurricanes.
Felix Kos of the Hurricanes.
Once again, Felix & the Hurricanes.
Some technical issues with drummer Steve Holtz’ drum kit delayed the start of Third Standard’s set slightly, but soon the group was ready to go. Third Standard hit the stage at nearly the perfect time; it was just past 10:30, City Limits was filling up with Saturday night bar traffic, and since many people had a beer or two in them at this point, it was time to dance. Dance floor traffic steadily increased during the group’s opening salvo of the original rocker “14 Days in a Bender,” The Refreshments’ “Banditos,” and Guns’N’Roses’ “Used to Love Her;” and the dance floor was packed by the time Third Standard launched into their fourth song, Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell.” Steve, singer Tyson Ruhlman, guitarist Joe Scott and bassist Andy Heinze kept escalating the party with songs from Tom Petty, Cheap Trick, AC/DC, Poison and more. The band and dance crowd fed off one another, pushing Third Standard’s set to a crescendo by the homestretch of their performance.
Third Standard kicks off their party during the Toys for Tots benefit.
Tyson Ruhlman of Third Standard.
The new guy, Steve Holtz of Third Standard.
Joe Scott and Tyson Ruhlman of Third Standard.
Joe Scott of Third Standard takes his guitar behind his neck.
Tyson Ruhlman of Third Standard tosses a Pennsylvania Musician T-shirt out to the fans.
Once again, Third Standard.
Helping collect spare change for the cause, Q94 2004 Calendar Girls Lisa and Stephanie.
The late addition to the party, Cucuplex, was next. Cucuplex brought the party, and kept the show and mood upbeat with their selection, primarily spanning 80’s and 90’s rock favorites. Singer Scott Russell, guitarist/singer Phil Wagner, bassist Bill Rickard and drummer Dave Russell mixed tunes from John Mellencamp, Bad Company, Sublime, Bon Jovi, Duran Duran, Kiss, Twisted Sister, Goldfinger and more. Cucuplex picked up momentum as they proceeded, steadily upping the energy level and intensity; and as a result, the dance floor activity as well. This set was another indication that Cucuplex was indeed back, and more confident and focused than ever.
Cucuplex continues the Toys for Tots party.
Once again, Cucuplex.
Bill Rickard of Cucuplex.
Scott Russell of Cucuplex.
Once again, Cucuplex brings the party.
Phil Wagner of Cucuplex.
Dave Russell of Cucuplex.
Once again, Scott Russell of Cucuplex.
The U.S. Marine Corps representatives pose with the toys collected for Toys for Tots.
A healthy contingent of In fans gathered at stagefront during the final intermission of the night, awaiting the final band of the night. I was informed of another subplot of the evening, as an audience member asked if he could be given the microphone before In’s set for a special purpose – to propose to his girlfriend. It was cool with the band, so the audience member – Joe – stepped to the mic and popped the big question to his lady – Marissa. Fortunately, happy ending – she accepted. The audience roared applause as the two embraced on the stage, and stepped down to let In do their thing.
Kicking off with Don Henley/The Ataris’ “Boys of Summer,” In delivered their mix of energized current and classic rock favorites, including tunes from Good Charlotte, The Sweet, Velvet Revolver, Beastie Boys and more. There was a brief hip-hop medley interlude, and as the party escalated, a lengthy “medley from hell” to end the set. Frontman Greg Matthews confidently worked the stagefront and rallied the fans. Matt Day again demonstrated fire and finesse on his guitar, mixing staccato solo work and creative use of effects. Bassist Adam Zimmer and drummer Josh Hetrick kept the rhythms steady and booming. The result was the heaviest dance floor activity of the evening, with the crowd staying put on the floor clear to the end of the night.
At show’s end, show emcee “Yours Truly” presented the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots representatives with the night’s proceeds, which totaled nearly $900 plus a healthy donated stack of new toys near City Limits’ front door. This night of good music and good times was going to make some needy area kids’ Christmas holidays a lot brighter.
Thanks en masse to all five bands for donating their talents and good vibes towards the effort; also Claudio and the staff at City Limits; Zilly the soundman; the U.S. Marines for attending; Pennsylvania Musician for the T-shirts to give away; and all the fans who came out and made it another special evening. Look for the third Toys for Tots benefit next November!
Greg Matthews of In looks on as Marissa accepts Joe’s proposal, and the couple embraces.
With lots of stagefront fans to help celebrate, In slams the lid on the Toys for Tots party.
Once again, In parties down.
Matt Day and Greg Matthews of In.
Greg Matthews of In.
Josh Hetrick of In.
Adam Zimmer of In.
After the show, yours truly presents the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots representatives with the money proceeds.
JETHRO TULL @ FISHER AUDITORIUM, INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA 11/21/04
I had this date circled on my calendar since I learned about it in late summer – Jethro Tull, live in concert at Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Fisher Auditorium. I was there!
Well, almost…As I arrived at IUP, I had little idea where Fisher Auditorium was, or how to get there. And complicating matters further, there was roadwork being done in the general vicinity, blocking at least one street near the facility. Recognizing the name of at least one street that was near the venue, I parked in a nearby parking garage and asked a passer-by for directions. It was already passing 8 PM at this point, and I was facing the prospect of arriving late and not being able to get a seat.
Fortunately, though, the concert was running slightly late, giving me the opportunity to purchase a ticket and locate my seat. And I lucked out – my seat was near the front, about 8 rows back from the stage.
Within a few minutes, the house lights dimmed, and the first of two sets began. With this particular concert, Jethro Tull focused on lighter and more acoustic-geared material during this first set, deferring their harder rock sounds for the latter set. With Ian Anderson singing and playing guitar – sans flute – Jethro Tull opened with “Life Is a Long Song” off Living In the Past. Ian addressed the audience in between songs, offering some background on the songs and anecdotal humor in his own unique, well-spoken manner. Ian introduced the next song, explaining that it was from the Warchild album, and that guitarist Martin Barre could be seen acting out the song on the album’s back cover; he then had Martin demonstrate his famous pose from that album, that of a skater. The song, of course – “Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day.” Some different instrumentation entered the picture during this song, with keyboard man Andrew Giddings playing an accordion, and drummer Doane Perry – sitting out front and not behind his kit – playing bells and an xylophone. After this song, Andrew took a turn speaking to the audience – the first cameo chat from the remaining members of Tull during this set – leading into the song “Eurology” from Ian Anderson’s 2003 solo album, Rupi’s Dance. This was followed by “Jack in the Green” from Songs From the Wood. Martin then spoke to the audience, cracking a joke before Jethro Tull performed their next selection, “Slipstream” from Aqualung. This segued into the jazz-flavored instrumental “Empty Café” from Martin’s 1994 solo album Trick Of Memory. Ian then introduced “Up to Me” from Aqualung, and “Dun Ringill” from Stormwatch. Ian then introduced the next song, “Boris Dancing” from his 2000 solo album The Secret Language of Birds, as a song he wrote about Russian president Boris Yeltzin and his love affair with the bottle. Next was another song from Aqualung, “Cheap Day Return” into “Mother Goose,” featuring Martin and bassist Jonathan Noyce both playing flutes. Drummer Doane Perry then took his turn at the mic, displaying some witty humor before introducing holiday jazz with “We Five Kings” from The Jethro Tull Christmas Album. Ian then introduced final number of the first set, the interlude “Wond’ring About” into “Bouree.”
I thought this set was very entertaining. The five members of Jethro Tull were cordial and jovial as they spoke to the audience and introduced their repertoire, breaking the ice with the IUP audience. It made for a more intimate and one-on-one communication between the band and audience, while giving the audience more insight on a number of the group’s songs and the inspirations leading to their creation. While many concerts focus more on performance, bells and whistles; Jethro Tull’s first set this night added a personal touch to the evening.
During the intermission, I observed the packed house at Fisher Auditorium. This was a very mixed crowd age-wise, with a number of older fans mingling with IUP students and younger audience members.
After about 25 minutes, the house lights dimmed, and the second set – Tull’s electric set – began. With Doane Perry now seated behind his large drum kit behind the rest of the band, Jethro Tull reconvened with “My Sunday Feeling” from their 1968 debut album, This Was. Ian Anderson then introduced one of the hit rockers from Aqualung, “Cross Eyed Mary,” which brought the loudest response from the IUP audience thus far. Ian continued by introducing another song from the Tull Christmas Album, the group’s jazzy interpretation of Faure’s “Pavane.” The group continued with a Celtic-tinged version of another Aqualung hit, “Hymn 43,” followed by “Weathercock” from the Heavy Horses album. Tull then dug back to the Stand Up album for “A New Day Yesterday,” before the attention shifted to guitarist Martin Barre for one of the instrumentals from his latest album, Stage Left. Jethro Tull then shifted more recent for “Farm on the Freeway” off the 1987 album Crest Of A Knave, before closing out the set with two of Aqualung’s best-known classics, “My God” and the title song “Aqualung.”
The IUP audience immediately roared to life to demand an encore; and after several moments, Jethro Tull returned to the stage to perform a few more. The five musicians again turned to the classic Aqualung album to commence the encore with “Wind Up,” which then shifted into “Locomotive Breath.” During this song, the encore merriment began, with the band presenting first one, and then two, huge balloons; sending both out into the audience to be bounced around Fisher Auditorium. Out of “Locomotive Breath,” Jethro Tull closed out the performance with the instrumental finale of “Protect and Serve” and “Cheerio.”
Jethro Tull’s second set and encore were faster-paced and more rocking. Although Ian Anderson still addressed the audience and introduced songs, the band was more business-like and less laid-back, with the performances themselves more firmly in the spotlight. Although this half of the show was more serious in tone, Ian still injected some humor into the performance with his witty commentary and a faked groin injury while in the heat of intense flute piping during “My God.”
My second time seeing Jethro Tull in as many years, I again thoroughly enjoyed this concert. This show, moreso than the earlier one (at Williamsport Community Arts Center in August ’03, “JP’s Corner” review at this link: http://www.rockpage.net/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=1701), showed me that Jethro Tull weren’t just skilled musicians; but entertainers as well. I was glad I made the roadtrip to IUP to check it out.
Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull.
Once again, Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull.
Jethro Tull rocks Fisher Auditorium.
Doane Perry and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull.
During the encore, one of the giant balloons makes its appearance.
SIDESTEP @ THE HITCHING POST, ALTOONA 11/21/04
With the Jethro Tull concert finishing by 11 PM at IUP, I arrived back in Altoona close to 12:30 AM, and headed to the Hitching Post to finish my weekend with Sidestep, filling in for the vacationing Felix & the Hurricanes.
While not a packed house, a respectable crowd was still on hand to witness Sidestep as they were under way in their final set of mostly 70’s-geared classics. The group was into Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” as I arrived, and followed it with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Call Me the Breeze,” during which frontman John Stevens showcased his harmonica skills. The group continued in the southern/blues-rock vein with renditions of ZZ Top’s “Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers,” Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “The Sky Is Crying” (showcasing more hot harp from John), and the ZZ Top double-shot of “Tube Snake Boogie” and “Sharp-Dressed Man” (with drummer Steve Brullia singing lead on the latter). Then a bit of a surprise, as Sidestep shifted into a funky direction and did James Brown’s “Get Up (Sex Machine),” laying down some wicked grooves in the process. Hell, I didn’t know John had that much soul in him! This also succeeded in drawing some audience members onto the slim and small Hitching Post stagefront dance floor area, where they continued to dance as Sidestep continued with Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music.” The group then did an extended jam version of Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit In The Sky” to end the set, with guitarist Greg Larrimore showcasing a histrionic guitar solo display. But with the Hitching Post crowd now in a frisky mood, Sidestep got called back for not one, but two, encores. For the first, the group did Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Pride and Joy,” and then finished the night with the second encore, Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way.”
This was a fun show, with Sidestep stepping into a groove and riding it. Their mood was loose, but their execution was tight. This group was having serious fun this night, fueled by a decent-sized, appeciative Hitching Post crowd.
Sidestep’s fan base appears to be growing, based on this night. Strong, fun performances like this one should enable that trend to continue. Good show!
Sidestep provides a rocking close to the weekend at The Hitching Post.
Steve Brullia of Sidestep.
Tim Kelly and John Stevens of Sidestep.
Once again, Sidestep.
Once again, Steve Brullia of Sidestep.
Greg Larrimore of Sidestep.
Once again, Tim Kelly and John Stevens of Sidestep.
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