Jim Price
Moderator
Joined: 07 Dec 2002
Posts: 4817
Location: Altoona, PA
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 Posted: Wednesday May 04, 2005 |
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WEEK/WEEKEND RECAP 2/28/05
THE UNDERGROUND TV PRESENTS FINK’S CONSTANT/THE NIGHTCRAWLERS/FLORD @ CROWBAR, STATE COLLEGE 2/22/05
It was a Tuesday night, and the forecast was for an inch of snow to fall around the region. But The Underground TV was presenting their first live band showcase event in State College, and the band line-up was compelling enough for me to make the roadtrip to Crowbar. And by the end of the night, I was damn glad I did!
First, despite the snowy forecast, snow accumulation amounted to a dusting between Altoona and State College, which moistened the roads but didn’t make them hazardous (unless you drove like an idiot). I arrived at Crowbar just minutes into the set of the first band of the night, Fink’s Constant.
From Harrisburg, Fink’s Constant is a six-piece band whose sound is rooted in reggae and ska flavors. These guys were sharp, with a two- and three-part horn section that absolutely kicked ass! Singer/guitarist/trumpeter Mike Fox, trumpeter Chad McCartney, trombonist/keyboardist Don Wood, guitarist Zak Nye, bassist Marlin Bressi and drummer Andy Hartman performed a selection of original songs, including tunes from their latest CD, Two Wrongs. The songs (the titles which I didn’t catch) varied in tempo between medium speed and faster numbers. Their vocals were solid, and when Fink’s horn section came out swinging, look out! The only disappointment was that it was still relatively early in the evening, and not much crowd had arrived yet to witness Fink’s Constant and their fiery presentation. But I liked it, and hope this band swings back over this way again soon!
Fink’s Constant, in action at Crowbar.
The Fink’s Constant horn section goes to work: Don Wood, Chad McCartney and Mike Fox.
Mike Fox of Fink’s Constant.
Once again, Fink’s Constant, stirring it up onstage to get the night started at Crowbar.
Next up was rising State College force The Nightcrawlers. The group battled some feedback problems early, and had to sidestep a rotund drunken dude who repeatedly tried to climb onstage early before being escorted from the premises by security. But as they kicked into their set, The Nightcrawlers did what they do best, mixing rock, blues, funk, jazz, country and worldbeat styles into a musical melting pot that continually dazzled and impressed. The Nightcrawlers showcased a number of their original compositions, such as “Nightcrawler,” “Grasslands,” “Free” and the bluesy “Black Hole.” The climax of their set was when the group finished with their “hit,” “African Echo.” The crowd of stagefront fans began clapping along with the song from the get-go, and cheered wildly as Noah Figlin scorched off his hot guitar solos. And then the coup de grace, as Aeb Byrne stepped out from behind the keyboard to pipe out a passionate flute solo; the rousing round of applause she received from the crowd was probably the most love I’ve seen for a flute player since Ian Anderson came along! Noah, Aeb, bassist Mike Leitzel and drummer Steve Arnold were again at the top of their game, and kept the crowd of stagefront fans happy and grooving the whole set; as the Underground TV camera crew caught the magic for the television audience.
Steve Arnold and Mike Leitzel of The Nightcrawlers.
Again, Mike Leitzel of The Nightcrawlers.
Noah Figlin of The Nightcrawlers.
Aeb Byrne of The Nightcrawlers.
Both Fink’s Constant and The Nightcrawlers demonstrated two distinct and different styles and sounds. Now, the music at Crowbar would shift gears again, as Flord would finish the night in a heavy metal vein. I was eager to see Flord; it had been a long time since I had last witnessed the group, they had a new drummer, and Flord had developed a number of new originals towards a second album during that time. Singer Butch Woodward, guitarist Phil Keith, bassist Tom Yannitelli and new drummer Don Frye introduced a number of new original songs, including “Get Up” with its agitated chorus, the slower “Broken,” the funk-tinged “Outside,” “Why You Hate Me,” and the menacing and stern title track from the forthcoming new album, The Next Level. This was the most intense I have seen Flord yet; likely fueled by the fact that this was their first live appearance in some time. Butch bristled like a rabid Doberman and displayed more tension and rage on the vocal end; Tom’s bass riffs were fast and furious, as he jumped and charged the front of the stage like a madman. Phil’s guitar solos were searing and intense, and new drummer Don proved capable of fueling the sound with his powerful beats. Late evening attrition took its toll, and the crowd dwindled to the diehard metalheads in the house; but Flord nonetheless delivered a powerful and impressive set, whetting my appetite for the new CD when it comes out. Flord’s strong return this night is another indication that area metal is back with a vengeance in 2005!
Although the overall attendance this night wasn’t quite as strong as previous Underground TV showcases at Aldo’s were, the program’s first State College sojourn was still a successful one. Once again, The Underground TV brought together three bands doing original music, and succeeded in attracting at least a medium-sized crowd to witness them. It provided a good opportunity to see three diverse and distinct bands; hopefully more such showcases are in The Underground TV’s future.
Flord, bringing their angry brand of metal to the Crowbar stage.
Tom Yannitelli of Flord.
Butch Woodward of Flord.
The new guy behind the kit, Don Frye of Flord.
Once again, Tom Yannitelli of Flord.
Flord steps up the intensity at Crowbar.
Again, Flord’s new drummer, Don Frye.
Phil Keith of Flord.
Again, Phil Keith of Flord.
More pissed off than ever, Butch Woodward of Flord.
JEREMY & DUSTIN @ CITY LIMITS, ALTOONA 2/23/05
I had known for several weeks that City Limits had started running acoustic music on Wednesday evenings, featuring Jeremy Gena and Dustin Burley. This Wednesday, after being able to escape the workplace early, I had the opportunity to stop by and check it out.
After obtaining my first brew from City Limits main man Claudio, I positioned myself at a table in front of City Limits’ band room rear bar area, as the two musicians were performing in front of the rear bar rather than on the main stage. Soon Dustin donned his guitar and began a solo set. I had heard Dustin’s demo CD, but this would be the first time I had seen him perform live.
Dustin kicked off his portion of the performance with Phish’s “Back On The Train,” before doing one of his original numbers, “Broken Mirror.” He dug back for some deep cut Traffic, doing “Light Up or Leave Me Alone,” before doing another original song, “Illusion.” Dustin again tapped Phish for “Gumbo,” followed with the Grateful Dead’s “Sugaree,” and then ended this brief set with another original song, “Yesterday.” Dustin showed he was a steady and solid performer, demonstrating strong voice and confident guitar skills.
His counterpart, Jeremy, then positioned himself before the microphone, and countered with his own mini-set; kicking off with Elias McDaniel’s “Before You Accuse Me” and staying bluesy with T-Bone Walker’s “Stormy Monday.” Jeremy then broke out the Marshall Tucker Band’s “Can’t You See;” and introduced a composition he put together paying homage to the late Jimi Hendrix, called “Tribute,” incorporating excerpts from various Hendrix classics into the body of the piece. Jeremy segued this into “Little Wing;” before ending his mini set with an interesting version of The Police’s “Message In A Bottle” in which he worked in several jazz-flavored guitar phrasings.
As the two performers played through their respective mini-sets, a steady stream of people arrived at City Limits, and by the time Jeremy’s set ended, a good-sized crowd was in the house, and much of it was seated and watching the two musicians! Obviously word about these two was spreading around.
After a few minutes, Dustin was back for his next set, and again commenced with a Phish number, “Fluffhead.” Then an interesting remake, as Dustin did a viable acoustic reworking of Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice!” From there, he returned to “Fluffhead” momentarily before revisiting the Grateful Dead for “Terrapin Station,” then veering into Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” and another Phish tease, “Punch You In The Eye.” (Obviously Dustin is a Phish-head!) Dustin continued with the Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer,” before again tapping into Phish for “Ghost,” and back to the Dead for “Franklin’s Tower.” At this point, Dustin did another of his original songs, “Ball and Chain,” before finishing out his set with – you guessed it – Phish, doing “Rift” into a “Fluffhead” reprise. (No, I don’t know the Phish library that well; Dustin posts his setlists on his website, [url]http:shaggs247.tripod.com[/url].)
At this point, Jeremy returned to perform some more. It was approaching midnight, and I was getting hungry for my usual Wednesday night Pellegrine’s pizza supper, so I stuck around to see Jeremy kick off with a bluesy original song, before I departed City Limits for the night.
What I got to witness, though, was two distinct acoustic performers with differing styles and preferences. Dustin obviously leaned towards the jam side of the spectrum with his frequent visits to Phish and Grateful Dead, and his improvisational approaches to some of the other material he performed, particularly “Gin and Juice.” Jeremy’s style is more rooted in classic rock, blues and jazz, and his guitar playing style implemented elements of those forms. It made for a varied, interesting evening of acoustic music. Based on the attendance this night, it appears likely that City Limits will be hosting these two performers on Wednesdays for the foreseeable future. And based on the interesting flavors both performers offered, I expect to be taking in more of these two performers in the coming months.
Dustin Burley, going Phishing at City Limits.
Once again, Dustin Burley.
Jeremy Gena, entertaining at City Limits.
FELIX & THE HURRICANES @ PETER C’S, ALTOONA 2/24/05
It was a snowy night in the ‘Toona, and with snow covering the roads as I left the workplace late, I did the safe trip several blocks down 6th Avenue to Peter C’s to check in with the Hurricanes (and in the process give the highway crews time to clear more snow off the roads leading to my abode).
Hurricaniacs are a tough breed, though, and the snow did not keep them away. Peter C’s had a good-sized crowd in spite of the weather, and these folks were fired up and partying down! The bare bones Hurricanes trio of Felix Kos, Bob Watters and Jeff Clapper were cranking it up as I arrived, and had the dance floor busy with their soulful original “Walking A Straight Line.” The group kept ‘em dancing with Los Lonely Boys’ “Heaven,” Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild” and Blackfoot’s “Train Train.” The tempo then slowed down slightly for the Allman Brothers’ “Dreams,” picking back up again for the original “Keep On Rockin.’” The Hurricanes again slowed it down for Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man,” before going fire-and-brimstone on the Allman Brothers’ “Whipping Post.” Jeff then fronted the group on the new original “Cut That Line,” before the group set the crowd grooving with Grand Funk Railroad’s “I’m Your Captain (Closer to Home).” The group revisited the Allman Brothers (and Blind Willie McTell) one more time for “Statesboro Blues,” segueing directly into “The Saints Go Marching In,” before closing out the night with Iron Butterfly’s “Innagaddadavida.” The Peter C’s crowd boisterously demanded an encore, but with the time too close to 2 AM, Peter C’s management stood firm despite five minutes of pleading, and the night was over.
It was a good show, as the Hurricanes were feeling it, and the crowd was feeding off of it. The ‘Canes’ performances were inspired and soulful, and the group left it all onstage. It was that magical bond between band and crowd, both sides fueling the other’s energy and propelling the mood sky high. It was fun and entertaining, and a good way to pass the time while the highway departments worked their magic on area roads.
WISKERBISKET @ PETER C’S, ALTOONA 2/25/05
It had been a while and two roster moves since I had last seen Lewistown wildmen Wiskerbisket; and with the roads in much better shape this night than they were in 24 hours before, I returned to Peter C’s to see what the updated Wiskerbisket was up to.
Wiskerbisket was most of the way through their first set as I arrived, and playing to only a small crowd early on. But even with only a few people in the house, Wiskerbisket was making it into a party, with lead madman Doug Snook running amok throughout the venue, grabbing audience members and making them a part of the show as the group ended their set with Dion’s “Runaround Sue” and Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me.” It would only get more insane as the night progressed.
Knowing that redneck chicanery was a major part of Wiskerbisket’s repertoire, I found it very appropriate to note that USA Network was airing a Dukes Of Hazzard marathon on Peter C’s wide screen TV this night. This was not lost on the Wiskerbisket contingent; who took note of the coincidence, and would likely use it for inspiration for the rest of the night’s chicanery…
Soon the ‘Bisket returned to the stage and started Round 2. With guitarist John Everly singing lead to start, the group commenced with Greenday’s “American Idiot” and Blur’s “Song 2.” After tunes from Sublime and Good Charlotte, Wiskerbisket broke out Devo’s “Whip It,” as John coaxed a female audience member to do an “ass plant” on the dance floor. Some slow dancers then populated Peter C’s dance floor as Doug fronted the group on Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man;” improvising a hilarious X-rated third verse. As the group then launched into Poison’s “Nothin’ But a Good Time,” Doug perused up into Peter C’s upper bar level, bumping and grinding with patrons there. Redneck time, as the group unleashed “Rodeo Mud” from their new CD, Something New, before enticing dancers onto the floor with Violent Femmes’ “Blister In The Sun.” The group then proceeded with three more songs from the CD; the hard-rocking “Killer,” their cowpunk remake of “Dukes Of Hazzard (Good Ol’Boys),” and the melodic “Just Like.” As they closed their second set with the Beastie Boys’ “Fight For Your Right (to Party),” Doug – noting one particular woman sitting by herself in Peter C’s upper level – ran up to this woman and dragged her down onto the dance floor; NO person is left out of a Wiskerbisket party!
Thus far, it was all the insanity I was expecting from a Wiskerbisket party…Doug Snook, John Everly and new bass player Mark Swartz (ex-Vicious Cycle) were constantly taking the party out onto the dance floor and all throughout the Peter C’s complex, hellbent on giving what small-ish crowd there was the maximum party blowout! Harry Bleyer fueled the musical craziness with beats from behind his drumkit, and new guitarist Jon Benevento kept things somewhat sane at home on stage. As Wiskerbisket had demonstrated before, the group could execute with instrumental tightness while they cavorted about the premises like deranged wildmen, resulting in a feverish, insane rocking party!
Soon the group’s final chapter of the evening was set to begin. Favorites by Lit and Rage Against the Machine launched the third set, before the group broke out their most popular original tune, “Skank.” Renditions of Weezer’s “Hashpipe” and The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” led to Doug ditching his pants in favor of boxer shorts, and the group performing Alice Cooper’s “Be My Lover.” More Doug highjinks at this point, as he raced back to the men’s room to sing while relieving himself; a feat I hadn’t seen since Mike Wise of Emily’s Toybox several years ago! As Doug returned to the dance floor, he was blindsided by Peter C’s Mary, who pulled his boxers down. This set the tone for the rest of the night, as Doug became the prey and Mary was the predator, chasing him around the Peter C’s complex in a crazed free-for-all; the inmates had clearly taken over this asylum! The set ended with a birthday, as sang “Happy Birthday” to a female fan named Tracy.
Having fired up what Peter C’s crowd there was, Wiskerbisket immediately heard demands for an encore at this point, and answered with two more tunes, The Offspring’s “Come Out And Play” into Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music” to end the night.
This was a party that just kept getting crazier by the minute, as Wiskerbisket made the whole room their stage and took their party to the people, and the Peter C’s crowd responded by getting insane themselves! This was easily more fun than Altoonans should be have allowed to have in one setting, it was off the map!
John Everly of Wiskerbisket, stirring up the party from atop the staircase.
Doug Snook of Wiskerbisket and Peter C’s Mary.
Mark Swartz of Wiskerbisket hams it up for the ladies.
Entertaining tens from high atop the chairs at Peter C’s, Mark Swartz and Doug Snook of Wiskerbisket.
Doug Snook of Wiskerbisket takes the party to Peter C’s upstairs peanut gallery.
Jon Benevento of Wiskerbisket.
The new guy on bass, Mark Swartz of Wiskerbisket.
Entertaining from atop the tables, Doug Snook of Wiskerbisket.
Harry Bleyer of Wiskerbisket.
Wiskerbisket, kicking ass and taking names at Peter C’s.
Dance floor shenanigans with John Everly and Mark Swartz of Wiskerbisket, and Peter C’s Tina.
Once again, the Big H, Harry Bleyer of Wiskerbisket.
Once again, dance floor chicanery at Peter C’s with John, Mark and Tina.
DR. NAQLEUS @ TUSSEY MOUNTAIN SKI LODGE near BOALSBURG 2/26/05
After hearing and reading buzz about them over the past few months, I decided to head to Happy Valley for my first look at Penn State jamsters Dr. Naqleus (pronounced “NACK-lee-us”). The group was performing at Tussey Mountain Ski Resort for a post party following the Penn State Snowboard Club’s annual Big Air Competition.
I arrived shortly before Dr. Naqleus started their second of two sets. As expected, the Tussey Mountain Ski Lodge was filled with snowboard and ski enthusiasts, celebrating after a day snowboarding on the hill. I saw at least one guy on crutches; I don’t know if that was a result of the day’s activities or not. I found an open table towards the back of the room, and seated myself as Dr. Naqleus was set to begin their second of two sets.
Bassist/singer Mike Frank, lead guitarist Andy Pribisco, rhythm guitarist Tom Koester, keyboardist Bob Wampler and drummer Tom Connolly started into a funky groove, and pushed this groove into an intense crescendo; setting the stage for the general flavor of most of the rest of their song material during this set. Dr. Naqleus blended rock, funk and ska into intense, furious grooves; featuring heated instrumental improvisation and occasional side journeys. Their excursions seemed more rooted in the modern jam stylings of Phish than the older-school jamming of the Grateful Dead or Allman Brothers. Among the songs the group performed were the fast, ska-flavored original “The Black Meat,” and a ska-flavored read of The Talking Heads’ “Life During Wartime.” Dr. Naqleus' grooves picked up steam quickly, and soon had fans entranced, excitedly dancing, or both. The group pushed each jam to the limit, riding each to an intense, fiery peak.
After the group finished their set; the remaining fans wanted more, so after a few minutes the group did one more jam; triggered by Bob’s keys, this adventure evolved into a funky groove and grew into a full-out funky jam, taking improvisational side journeys into a gothic Munsters-styled theme and back into a funk jam. Dr. Naqleus was showing a lot of styles here, and some interesting musicianship suggesting influences also stemming from progressive rock, jazz and more.
It was just one set, but it gave me an idea of what Dr. Naqleus was about. And after witnessing their escalating brand of jamming grooves, I could understand why this band’s name has been spoken much in Happy Valley music circles. Dr. Naqleus offers some interesting slants on the jam frontier, and I’ll be interested to check in with them again soon to see how their musical journey continues to develop.
Entertaining the skiers and snowboarders at Tussey, Dr. Naqleus.
Bob Wampler of Dr. Naqleus.
Once again, Dr. Naqleus.
INSTANT TRANZMISSION @ THE WAREHOUSE, BEDFORD 2/26/05
Although it doesn’t happen often, occasionally a Saturday night comes along where I am undecided on where to go and what band to see. It could be a night where I’ve “been there and done that” with all the known band options, so I set out to discover something that I perhaps haven’t seen. That often means venturing out of town, and exploring the unknown.
On this Saturday night, I had seen everything playing on the Altoona stages, and had written about mostly all of the bands in action recently. I checked the Rockpage show listings, and only saw a scant handful of bands playing out of town I either hadn’t seen before, or hadn’t written about in a while. Since I hadn’t seen a show south of the county line in several months, I decided I would head south to Bedford County this night. I knew that a new band, Crossroads, was playing at Granatelli’s in Everett; and I figured the Warehouse in Bedford was probably running a band, but I didn’t know who. So my game plan was to check in at the Warehouse first and see who the band was; if it was somebody else I had already recently written about, I would then proceed to Granatelli’s. Upon arriving at the Warehouse, though, I learned that the band playing there was one I had yet to see: Instant Tranzmission. So I decided to stick around and see what this group was about.
I found out that I missed an opening band this night, Rain. But eyewitness accounts said this band was pretty good; so I’ll make a note to catch Rain at some point later on. As I stepped up to the bar to procure bottled beverage, I met a fellow Rockpager in the house, The Staceman, who was present to take in the festivities.
The main event soon took the stage. Singer Bob Patterson, guitarists Chris “Sumo” Bahn and Fred Hansen, bassist Bill Sweitzer and drummer Scotty Reisinger launched into a set that mixed current and 80’s rock plus a few harder-edged original songs consistent with their modern rock setlist. During their first set, Instant Tranzmission rocked The Warehouse with tunes from Tommy Tutone, Blink 182, Blur, Nena, Good Charlotte, Blink 182, James and more. Instant Tranzmission broke out versions of Aha’s “Take On Me,” Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose”and Metallica’s “Sanitarium;” plus did original songs such as rap-metal flavored “Revolver” and the abrasive “Lost Love.” It took the audience most of this first set, but a few of them began grooving on the dance floor as the set progressed.
Instant Tranzmission’s second set provided more of the hard-rocking current and classic rock mixture, with tunes from Breaking Benjamin, Nickelback, Lit, Greenday, Ramones, Jimmie’s Chicken Shack, Puddle OF Mudd and more. The group included an 80’s hair-metal interlude towards the middle of the set that included tunes from Warrant, Twisted Sister and Quiet Riot’s “Metal Health” with Warehouse main man John singing lead. The group also featured a brief rap/hip-hop section that led into the night’s finale of Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing in the Name.”
Instant Tranzmission provided constant movement and action onstage during their two sets, and worked diligently to get fans on the Warehouse dance floor and keep them there. Their efforts increasingly paid off, as the Warehouse dance floor became busier as the night progressed, especially during the final set. Their presentation was pretty solid, and the group executed well as a unit.
In all, this was a good showing. Instant Tranzmission brings a fun hard-rocking party to the stage, and proved this night that they can draw people onto a dance floor and keep them there. If they can continue to develop their presentation and spread their good vibes, Instant Tranzmission is a band you’ll no doubt be hearing more about.
Instant Tranzmission gets the ladies dancing at The Warehouse.
Giving Bedford reason to party on a Saturday night, Instant Tranzmission.
From a different angle, Instant Tranzmission.
Once again, Instant Tranzmission.
Warehouse main man John (right) belts out some voice alongside Fred Hansen of Instant Tranzmission.
Once again, John from The Warehouse.
Scotty Reisinger of Instant Tranzmission.
Once again, Fred Hansen of Instant Tranzmission.
Chris “Sumo” Bahn of Instant Tranzmission.
Once again, Instant Tranzmission, keeping the dance floor busy at The Warehouse.
Rockpager in the house! The Staceman was in attendance at The Warehouse as Instant Tranzmission partied down.
IN @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 2/27/05
Another Sunday night ended with me arriving at Pelly’s to slam the lid on another weekend. This night would give me a progress report on In as they continue to build their fan base on Altoona area stages.
A good sized crowd was in the house as In wrapped up their second set with Living Colour’s “Cult Of Personality” during my arrival.
A little bit of a surprise awaited us during the intermission, as In vacated the stage and made room for some between-set entertainment in the form of Dustin Burley, who brought his acoustic guitar up to the stage and performed several songs: his original song “Ball and Chain” segueing into Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice,” Phish’s “Punch You In The Eye” into Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer,” Pearl Jam’s “Black” and another original song, “Illusions.” Dustin’s performance was received well by the Pellegrine’s audience, and provided a change of pace that was an improvement over an empty stage for 20 minutes.
Eventually In returned to the stage for the nightcap set, starting off with Greenday’s “Basket Case.” The group proceeded to mix current and classic rock favorites, bringing throngs of Pelly’s fans to the stagefront with tunes from Tom Petty, Aerosmith, The Sweet, Good Charlotte, Maroon 5, Marilyn Manson, Disturbed, Nirvana, Pantera and more. In kept a good, tight pace and maintained a strong, upbeat tempo to keep the dance floor crowd excited and partying.
It reaffirmed that this band is moving forward again now that their lineup is steady and staying put. And as I expected, In is quickly developing an Altoona fan base; it just took their getting in front of ‘Toona music fans on a regular basis, which their regular Pelly’s and City Limits shows are accomplishing.
Greg Locke of In, rallying the dance floor crowd.
Once again, Greg and In keep the party going.
Greg Locke and Adam Zimmer of In.
Again, Adam Zimmer of In.
Rob Bonsell of In.
It was the IN party to be at on Sunday night at Pellegrine’s.
More In party mayhem…
Matt Day of In.
Once again, Matt Day of In.
Looking emaciated, this fan probably should have indulged in some items from Pellegrine’s kitchen before partaking in hardcore partying with In.
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