Jim Price
Moderator
Joined: 07 Dec 2002
Posts: 4817
Location: Altoona, PA
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 Posted: Saturday Apr 30, 2005 |
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WEEK/WEEKEND RECAP 2/21/05
BLIND JONNY DEATH @ HITCHING POST, ALTOONA 2/16/05
Able to escape the workplace somewhat early this Wednesday night, I took advantage of the opportunity and checked in with Clearfield’s Americana dynamic duo, Blind Jonny Death, making their bi-weekly appearance at Altoona’s Hitching Post.
As I arrived early in their final set of the night, I noted a slightly different twist, as Blind Jonny Death had a special guest with them onstage; mandolin player Chris McGarry. With a mandolin player present; singer/guitarist Marc “L.C. Slim” Prave and upright bass player Ed “Red” McDonald took things in a slightly more rural and bluegrass direction this night, performing several bluegrass numbers such as “Blue Moon Over Kentucky,” “Going to the Races” and more. The trio also did roots rock and country from the Beatles, Johnny Cash, Big Bill Broonzy; and to end the night, their popular rendition of “Land Of The Navajo” from Muleskinner.
Although I only got to witness one set from them, Blind Jonny Death with their guest showed a slightly different angle of their repertoire this night, and broadened my (and the audience’s) horizons with the expanded range of material they tackled. Although the crowd wasn’t huge for this week’s edition of Wednesday ‘country night’ at the Hitching Post; the audience that was there – including Hitching Post main man Butch, his father, and a group of rowdy Altoona hick-a-zoid women – appreciated Blind Jonny Death’s performance and howled approval.
Blind Jonny Death has already evolved into something special and unique on area stages with their roots-rooted musical repertoire. By introducing different elements and angles into the mix – such as Chris McGarry and his mandolin this night – this group will only continue to broaden their scope and define their special niche further on area stages. Check them out!
Blind Jonny Death, with special guest Chris McGarry (on right).
Again, Red, L.C. Slim and Chris.
Chris McGarry on mandolin, accompanying Blind Jonny Death.
Marc “L.C. Slim” Prave of Blind Jonny Death and guest Chris McGarry.
BANDITOS @ HITCHING POST, ALTOONA 2/17/05
This night, I was back at the Hitching Post to catch the latest fiesta being offered up by the Banditos.
As I arrived, a fiesta atmosphere prevailed in spite of only a light crowd in attendance. Hitching Post main man Butch was in a mischievous mood, and duct-taped guitarist Phil Wagner and his guitar together as Phil and Banditos segued together Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music” and Black Crowes’ “Hard to Handle.” On a more serious note, the group then dedicated Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On a Prayer” in memory of the late Jeff Showalter, with bassist Bill Nusom announcing that Sept. 24 would be the date of the second annual Jeff Showalter Memorial Motorcycle Run. Banditos turned it into a Bon Jovi double-shot by proceeding into “Wanted Dead Or Alive,” and continued with tunes by Hootie & the Blowfish, Neil Young, Van Morrison, the Refreshments’ “Banditos” and more. The group closed the set with Velvet Revolver’s “Slither.”
During the intermission, a few more people arrived, but it still remained a small crowd and a quiet evening at the Hitching Post. But the Banditos were having fun nonetheless, delivering their rock’n’roll and honoring a few requests from the bar along the way.
After kicking off their nightcap set with ZZ Top’s “Beer Drinkers and Hellraisers,” Banditos offered up the interesting merger of Neil Young’s “Rocking in the Free World” and Bush’s “Everything Zen.” The group continued with songs from Lit, Alice In Chains and more, eventually ending their set with Seven Mary Three’s “Cumbersome.” The few fans in the house requested one more song, and Banditos responded with Buckcherry’s “Lit Up” to finish the night.
As Banditos shows went, this one wasn’t especially memorable. The group did what they did well, but a lack of crowd diminished the overall energy and urgency of the evening. Banditos made the best of it, and the mood was laid-back, relaxed and good-natured. But Banditos on a quiet evening in an empty room is still better than no Banditos at all. All bands go through nights like this at one time or another; tonight was Banditos’ turn.
Banditos, having fun on a slow Thursday night at The Hitching Post.
Banditos, with an audience member helping on backing vocals.
Wally Archer of Banditos.
Wally Archer of Banditos, with an audience member guest helping with backing vocals.
Once again, Banditos.
QUAGMIRE SWIM TEAM @ PHYRST, STATE COLLEGE 2/18/05
For most of this day, I had no idea who I was going to see this night. It was “been there, seen that” with everything playing in Altoona this night, and it wasn’t until I was browsing through some nightspot websites that I discovered that State College was hosting one of Harrisburg’s top jam rock names, Quagmire Swim Team. I had heard and read a number of rave reviews of this band from people who had experienced them firsthand, so I was hopeful that this band would live up to all of the hype.
The Phyrst was already full and getting fuller as I arrived early in Quagmire Swim Team’s first of two sets. No seats were available early on, so I stood in the rear of the room to observe Quagmire Swim Team in action. The group – singer/keyboardist Pat Bowman, guitarist/singer Chris “Buzz” Deardorf, bassist/singer Nate Kruis and new drummer Marshall Deasy (the same Marshall Deasy who produces and engineers CD’s at Stress Free Studios in Mechanicsburg) – proceeded to blend elements of funk, rock, jazz, blues and more into catchy, playful grooves. What set Quagmire Swim Team apart from most other jam-geared groups, though, was the emphasis on keys. Pat worked four different keyboards; his fills and underscores helping establish mood and atmosphere on the group’s selections, while his ivory-tinkling abilities provided additional highlights throughout the evening.
Quagmire Swim Team performed mostly original compositions this night. Thanks to the band posting their setlists on their website, I was able to pinpoint that I arrived during the heat of jamming on “Million Years Of Pain.” The group followed with a shorter number, “Below the Line, and “Mighty Kite,” which started out funky, but gearshifted into interesting improvisational passages reminiscent of early Yes or Genesis. The Swim Team then performed a lengthier jam, “Heroine Songability,” before ending their set with a feisty read of The Who’s “Eminence Front.”
During the intermission, as Phyrst steadily became even more crowded, I proceeded my way towards the front of the stage area for a better vantage point. I actually lucked out and found an open space directly in front of Pat and his keyboard array, so I could witness Quagmire Swim Team’s fireworks at close range.
The group launched into their final set with the funky-flavored “Hairy Stone,” which segued into “Girls On Film.” “Endlessy” varied the tempo between slow and fast, and took on a more jazz/blues-geared flavor. Next was “Broken Shooter,” which started off with an upbeat jazz/funk-flavored groove, and steadily intensified to a healthy, powerful jam display that had the crowded Phyrst stagefront section gyrating and grooving. Entering the show’s homestretch, Quagmire Swim Team kept the crowd dancing with “Slide;” and, after deliberating for a few moments, finished out the night with a tasty and feisty version of David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.”
It was fun to observe Quagmire Swim Team do what they did this night. With Marshall’s steady, in-the-pocket drumming serving as the launching point, Pat, Chris and Nate set off to explore each groove; then once established, the musicians played off the groove and each other to carry each jam to a full, intense crescendo. The Phyrst crowd rode on these journeys as well; their dancing becoming more animated as the grooves intensified. It jammed; it was often funky; it was good top-notch musicianship; and it was fun.
The only bad part of the whole evening was gridlock at the Phyrst men’s room, caused by one out-of-order urinal. In State College on a Friday, an out-of-order urinal can cause men’s room gridlock on the scale of the PA Turnpike or I-95 being closed down to one lane during rush hour…nasty!
Otherwise, my first experience witnessing Quagmire Swim Team was a good one, and I’ll not mind seeing this group and their musical adventures again should they visit the neighborhood.
Pat Bowman of Quagmire Swim Team.
Three quarters of Quagmire Swim Team, jamming at the Phyrst.
Nate Kruis and Chris “Buzz” Deardorf of Quagmire Swim Team.
Marshall Deasy of Quagmire Swim Team.
Chris “Buzz” Deardorf and Marshall Deasy of Quagmire Swim Team.
Again, Chris “Buzz” Deardorf of Quagmire Swim Team.
Nate Kruis of Quagmire Swim Team.
THON @ PENN STATE REC HALL, STATE COLLEGE 2/18/05
After Quagmire Swim Team’s show wrapped up, I decided to brave the frigid 10-degree temperatures and walk across the University Park campus to Penn State’s Rec Hall to check out the annual Thon – the Penn State Dance MaraTHON – in the hopes of catching one of the several bands performing during the course of Thon weekend.
For those oblivious to this popular annual event, Thon is the world’s biggest collegiate philanthropic fundraiser, raising millions of dollars annually for the Four Diamonds Fund, which battles childhood cancer. Hundreds of Penn State students volunteer to dance nonstop for 48 hours and collect pledges to raise the money. Penn State student organizations, fraternities and sororities, community organizations, businesses and individuals all chip in to help raise the money.
Upon arriving, I made a cash donation to the cause. Cancer affects everybody, so anything that helps in the battle against cancer is worth my donation. I then walked into the main floor area of Rec Hall, which was alive with energy as students danced, and a Penn State organization was leading cheers up front, with DJ Larry Moore Productions providing the musical entertainment at the moment. It was a charged atmosphere, with the group up front rallying the dance marathon participants, with a multitude of students throughout the stands yelling and cheering their support. I stuck around and took in the scene for a little while; but with no band equipment being set up, I deemed my attempts to witness one of the participating Thon bands fruitless, and soon departed for my road trip back home to the ‘Toona.
It was a mass of dancing humanity at the 2005 Thon, even after 2 AM…
ATOMIC BLONDE @ MAGOO’S, CRESSON 2/19/05
Up for discovering a new band again this night, with weather cooperating, I made the roadtrip up the hill to Magoo’s in Cresson to catch my first look at Atomic Blonde.
Arriving towards the end of the first set, I obtained my first brew of the evening as Atomic Blonde finished the set with John Cougar (Mellencamp)’s “I Need A Lover” and Bon Jovi’s “Runaway.”
During the intermission, I met the band. Atomic Blonde’s nucleus is a family operation, with Jim Kennedy on guitar and vocals, and wife Carol and daughter Jennifer Kennedy swapping between keyboards and lead vocals. Randy Krouse plays bass, and Les Beatty plays drums. This was the first time I had witnessed Les in action since the late 80’s, when he was in the band Up For Grabs and playing Mike’s Brass Rail Lounge (now Beerbellies) in Duncansville.
Eventually Atomic Blonde returned to the stage to entertain the mid-sized Magoo’s crowd; kicking off with Head East’s “Never Been Any Reason,” with Jennifer on lead voice and Carol on keys. The two women then switched as the group performed Berlin’s “No More Words.” The two women continued to swap roles as Atomic Blonde proceeded with a mix of classic and female-fronted rock and pop, with an emphasis on the 80’s. Highlights during this set included versions of Tom Petty/Stevie Nicks’ “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” Patti Smyth’s “The Warrior,” the B-52’s “Love Shack to end the set, and more. Both women were fairly solid singers, and Atomic Blonde was instrumentally on target. Magoo’s saw increased dance floor action as the set progressed; and in all, this was turning into a respectable party.
Atomic Blonde’s third set provided a similar music mix, offering a few more artists and songs I hadn’t heard covered in a while. The group followed a rendition of The Ventures’ “Walk Don’t Run” with The Motels’ “Tragic Surf;” other highlights included versions of The Bangles’ “Walk Like An Egyptian” (which reignited the dance floor party), Pat Benatar’s “Hell Is for Children,” Heart’s “If Looks Could Kill,” and to end the set, Scandal’s “Goodbye To You.” When Magoo’s indicated they wanted one more song, Atomic Blonde closed out the night with Lita Ford’s “Kiss Me Deadly.”
In all, this was a good primer on what Atomic Blonde was all about. I found their setlist intriguing, with its emphasis on female-fronted 80’s rock and pop – a vein not too many other bands tap into. The group’s presentation was upbeat, and they seemed to pick up steam as the Magoo’s crowd started populating the dance floor. Based on this first encounter with them, Atomic Blonde offers a slightly different 80’s flavor to area stages, and are a band worth checking into.
With Carol Kennedy singing lead, Atomic Blonde.
The ladies switch spots, and it’s now Jennifer Kennedy fronting Atomic Blonde at Magoo’s.
MO LESTER & THE HURRICANES @ THE HITCHING POST, ALTOONA 2/20/05
It was a snowy, sleety, messy winter Sunday night in the ‘Toona. Lead Hurricane Felix Kos was taking a rare Sunday night off to make his debut with the WWE in Pittsburgh, wrasslin’ under the name Wild Turkey…Seriously, though, he took his son to see the WWE in Pittsburgh, making him unavailable for the regular Sunday Hurricanes appearance at Altoona’s Hitching Post. After Rick “Mo Lester” Ramsey filled in for Felix at another Hurricanes show recently, drummer Bob Watters (a.k.a. the WWE’s “Eugene,” who wasn’t in ring action on the Pittsburgh card this night) contacted Rick about filling in for Felix this night. Since Rick was already in town this night to appear on Q94’s “Backyard Rocker,” it was pretty automatic, and Rick would pair up with the Hurricanes this night. Curious to see how this night might unfold, I headed to the Hitching Post after completing my “Backyard Rocker” duties.
Musically, it was fun and entertaining. Crowd-wise, it was a packed house despite the inclement weather; and it was a freak show. More on that later…
Onstage, it was an interesting mix of two Hurricanes and several guests. The aforementioned Rick Ramsey was singing and playing guitar. Also playing guitar was somebody I hadn’t seen in action for a while, Mike Gambardella. And Rick’s former Stix and Stones associate, Red “Redawg” Solinski, was providing additional percussion on congas.
With this different mix of musicians onstage, the musical repertoire was different as well. The second set featured a range varying from Hank Williams Sr.’s “Hey Good Lookin’” to Sublime’s “What I Got,” from Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Down On the Corner” to Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick In The Wall” (with Redawg playing bass). Reminding the Hitching Post audience that this was under the banner of The Hurricanes, the group finished the set with the Jeff Clapper-fronted version of The Animals’ “House Of The Rising Sun.”
As I previously mentioned, the packed Hitching Post crowd featured its share of crazies, including the ever-popular ‘Ed’ (as any Hurricaniac can tell you, I need not say more!); a spazzed-out college-aged dude whose outlet for getting down with the sounds was jumping erratically in place in front of the stage; a small, well-endowed lady with a low-cut top who wasn’t shy about ‘bust’-ing her moves in front of the stage (to the pleasure of the male audience members); and – to my chagrin – drunken diarrhea-of-the-mouth neighbor dude. This was a neighbor of mine who I’ve only spoken to a few times, who upon recognizing me decided to ratchet-jaw to me for most of the duration of my Hitching Post stay, drunkenly repeating his observations about the band in an endless loop. (“Okay, pal, you’ve already said this to me ten times already!”) Eventually, my neighbor decided to call it a night, and stumbled out of The Hitching Post, tripping and almost faceplanting himself on the floor in front of the men’s room. Yes, it was a freakshow…
‘Mo Lester’ & the Hurricanes returned for the nightcap set, and offered more interesting variations from the regularly-scheduled Felix & the Hurricanes repertoire. The group opened with a new original song ballad, sung by Jeff, with frequent-flyer Hurricanes guest singer Lauren providing backing vocals. Lauren then remained on stage to front the group on Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead Or Alive.” A Jeff Clapper-fronted rendition of Tom Petty’s “Breakdown” was followed by Iron Butterfly’s “Innagaddadavida” and the Redawg-fronted read of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode.” Back to Creedence Clearwater Revival for “Born On The Bayou,” before Rick Ramsey broke out the harmonica to accompany the Jeff-fronted version of Bruce Springsteen’s “Pink Cadillac.” The night then drew to a close with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama.”
Although off the beaten path of the usual Sunday night Hurricanes presentation, this was still quality stuff. ‘Mo Lester’ is an entertaining frontman and a fiery guitar player in his own right, and the Hitching Post crowd quickly warmed to his presence as the night progressed. The other musical guests were on target, and offered Jeff and Bob some different challenges to play off and accompany. The result was an upbeat, fun show; under the Hurricanes brand name, but offering some unique twists and turns that provided an interesting change of pace. And still a damned good party that made driving through the sleet and slush worth it.
Hurricaning guests Redawg on vocals and Rick Ramsey on guitar.
Once again, Red and Rick.
Jeff Clapper of the Hurricanes and guest Mike Gambardella.
The guests outnumbered the Hurricanes onstage this night, but it was still a damned good party at The Hitching Post.
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