Jim Price
Moderator
Joined: 07 Dec 2002
Posts: 4817
Location: Altoona, PA
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 Posted: Monday Sep 19, 2005 |
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WEEK/WEEKEND RECAP 7/25/05
THE PASTIME BAND @ HERITAGE PLAZA, ALTOONA 7/20/05
Lucking out by finishing my essential workplace duties early this night, I headed over to downtown Altoona’s Heritage Plaza to take in one of the weekly Wednesday shows of the Summer Concert Series, presented by the Blair County Community Action Agency.
I had no idea what band was there this week until I arrived; it turned out that The Pastime Band was the group providing the entertainment.
A good-sized crowd was on hand as keyboard player Ken Civils, guitarist/singer Reed Larrimore and drummer/singer Randy Lang started into their second and final set of classics from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Randy did the lion’s share of lead singing from behind his drum kit as the group performed favorites from Bob Seger, Tommy Tutone, Georgia Satellites, Loverboy, John Mellencamp, Elton John, ZZ Top, Cars and more. The group’s performance was solid and together, with Ken’s keys providing the bottom-end bass tones in tandem with Randy’s drum beats to fuel the mix. Reed’s guitar work was clean and accurate, and vocally Randy and Reed did a decent job. Behind the sound board, Rick Claar ran a balanced mix and had everything sounding good.
The mixed-ages Heritage Plaza audience was in a festive mood, and several folks were soon dancing in front of the stage area. Blair County Community Action Agency volunteers sold hot dogs and soda for audience members to enjoy while taking in the live music.
It all blended together into a pleasant Wednesday evening in downtown Altoona. It appears that crowds are steadily growing every year for this midweek concert series; hats off again to executive director Allan Robison and the Blair County Community Action Agency for providing these opportunities to take in live rock’n’roll in downtown Altoona every Wednesday evening. These free shows help break up the tedium of the work week, and allow a wide diversity of people to sample some of the musical talent we have in the Altoona area.
The Pastime Band gets folks rocking and rolling at Heritage Plaza.
Ken Civils, Randy Lang and Reed Larrimore: The Pastime Band.
CLIFF TURNER & THE AFTERBURNERS @ TUSSEY WING CHALLENGE, TUSSEY MOUNTAIN AMPHITHEATER near BOALSBURG 7/21/05
Last summer, I discovered the Tussey Wing Challenge. Yes, for this Altoona-based wing connoisseur, the Lakemont Park Wing-Off’s are closer; but the Tussey Wing Challenge is better. Less expensive wings (Tussey’s are 4 for $1, as opposed to 6 for $2.50 at Lakemont), later hours (Tussey’s Wing Challenge goes until 10 PM, Lakemont is done at 9), and more entertainment (Tussey usually has two bands/artists compared to Lakemont’s one). The wing variety is better, and the lines to wait for wings are shorter and faster-moving. Yeah, there’s that hour drive to get to Tussey, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s worth it.
This night, I did the roadtrip to Tussey Mountain Amphitheater for the first Tussey Wing Challenge of the season; not just to enjoy wings, but to enjoy a long-running Happy Valley band I had yet to see, Cliff Turner & the Afterburners.
The Nightcrawlers had opened the evening, but were already finished by the time I rolled into Tussey around 7:30 PM. A good-sized wing-eating contingent was already on the grounds, as I bought my wing tickets, set up my lawn chair and stepped up to one of the competing restaurant’s stands – Don Corleone’s – to procure my initial dose of wings.
Cliff Turner & the Afterburners were already in progress, performing a mixture of classic soul and R&B, funk, rock and disco. Group namesake Cliff Turner plays bass; flanked by lead singer Jim Taylor, guitarist John "JP" Phelps, keyboardist John Wise, drummer Donnie Rhoades, and the three-piece horn section of sax and flute player Darryl Davies, sax player Tom "Mugs" Gallagher and trumpet/trombone player Andy Harbison. The group was performing Ides Of March’s “Vehicle,” and was in the midst of a number of classic 60’s R&B favorites; continuing with Spencer Davis Group’s “Gimme Some Lovin,’” Jackie Wilson’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher,” the Temptations’ “My Girl,” Sam & Dave’s “Soul Man,” Eddie Floyd’s “Knock On Wood” and Joe Cocker’s “Feelin’ Alright.” While the rest of the band kept it grooving onstage, Jim several times left the stage to venture out into the wing-eating crowd with his cordless microphone, serenading audience members as he made his way around the Wing Challenge grounds. The group slowed things down for Billy Paul’s “Me and Mrs. Jones,” before kicking the tempo back up with Van Morrison’s “Wild Night” and American Breed’s “Bend Me Shape Me” to end their first set.
Sparky D’Engineer (who works in State College) caught up with me during the Afterburners’ first set, and we sampled a few of the different wing vendors during the intermission. Unlike the Lakemont Park Wing-Off, the Tussey Wing Challenge is still a competition, and people are invited to vote for their favorite wing vendors, with the winner moving on the championship Wing Challenge in early September. Don Corleone’s Restaurant won this week’s round.
Before the group started their second set, group namesake Cliff Turner stepped up to the microphone, and thanked the group’s fans for their support and encouragement during his recent health issues in the past year.
Cliff Turner & the Afterburners offered up more of a mixed bag in their nightcap set, opening with the Doobie Brothers double-shot of “Takin’ It to the Streets” and “Listen to the Music.” The group then got funky and soulful again, performing Joe Cocker’s/Boxtops’ “The Letter” and the Temptations’/Rare Earth’s “Get Ready.” The group slowed it down for Percy Sledge’s “When A Man Loves A Woman,” during which one of the sax players displayed some sharp solo work. The band then shifted things up into disco mode, with renditions of Kool & the Gang’s “Celebration,” K.C. & the Sunshine Band’s “That’s The Way I Like It,” Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music” and another K.C. number, “Get Down Tonight.” It was then time to rock out, as Jim strapped on his guitar, and Cliff Turner & the Afterburners performed Foreigner’s “Urgent,” Free’s “All Right Now,” (Bad Company’s) “Walk Through Fire” and “Good Lovin’ Gone Bad,” and T.Rex’s “Get It On (Bang A Gong),” with Darryl’s and Tom’s saxes providing an authentic touch to this classic. With a number of folks dancing in the stagefront lawn, Cliff Turner & the Afterburners closed their nightcap set with the ever-popular Wilson Pickett classic, “Mustang Sally,” during which each band member did a solo. The audience called for one more, and the group picked up their instruments one more time to close the night with Tom Jones’ “It’s Not Unusual.”
I liked what I heard from Cliff Turner & the Afterburners. These area music vets were sharp and together on their instruments; and Jim – formerly the longtime frontman/guitarist for Hitchcock – showed soulfulness, range and a friendly onstage personality. I liked the mixed song selection, especially when the group tapped into the 60’s soul vein and pulled out some chestnuts I had not heard performed in a while. The Wing Challenge crowd dug it, and the atmosphere felt more like a party as the night went along.
The wings and Cliff Turner & the Afterturners’ fun performance made the roadtrip to Tussey Mountain Amphitheater well worth it. And I decided that this night would not be my last trip to Tussey this wing season; I definitely was coming back for more!
Cliff Turner & the Afterburners get some folks dancing at the Tussey Wing Challenge.
The horn section for Cliff Turner & the Afterburners tears it up at the Tussey Wing Challenge.
Again, Cliff Turner & the Afterburners.
One more time, Cliff Turner & the Afterburners.
OZZFEST 2005 @ POST GAZETTE PAVILION AT STAR LAKE, BURGETTSTOWN 7/23/05
It had been three years since my last partaking in Ozzy Osbourne’s annual heavy metal three-ring circus, OzzFest. With Ozzy and Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Black Label Society and Rob Zombie all on the bill, I knew this was an OzzFest I wanted to see.
I almost didn’t go. Initially, I had purchased Ozzy Osbourne’s boxed set, Prince Of Darkness, this past spring. Included in the purchase was an offer to get two OzzFest tickets for the price of one by going to a website, confirming that you had in fact purchased the boxed set, and ordering the tickets. I tried this shortly after purchasing the boxed set, but kept getting error messages from the website. Eventually, a few weeks before the Pittsburgh area appearance of OzzFest at Post Gazette Pavilion, I received the message that the offer was valid “while ticket supplies last,” and that OzzFest tickets were no longer available. I was pissed off, and initially was just going to sit out OzzFest again.
But as chatter about OzzFest picked up on Rockpage in the week preceding the concert, I changed my mind. The Grimm contingent was heading to OzzFest and returning that night (important, as I had a benefit concert to appear at the following day), and since the ticket price for a lawn seat was reasonable ($32 plus handling fees for a day of metal, including Black Sabbath, Maiden and all the rest; total $45 – still not bad), I purchased a ticket online, hooked up with the Grimm contingent and did this year’s OzzFest.
The ride to Star Lake with Bob, Kent and Dom was interesting. Just like The Grimm’s music, The Grimm’s roadtrips provide unexpected twists and turns, not to mention the occasional missed turn. In an attempt to find a back way into Star Lake, we took a succession of twists, turns, hills and dales, eventually winding up in some town in Egypt according to designated wheelman Bob (I think the town’s name rhymed with “dumb duck”). Actually, we wound up in Hopewell, the same area where the jetliner crashed back in 1994. Anyway, we stopped and asked directions from a postman (“Star Lake, you’re WAAAAYYYY off!”), and eventually pulled into Star Lake at around 11:30 AM.
The traffic was lighter than I expected pulling into Star Lake, and we experienced very little delay in getting parked. Parking at Star Lake now costs $10 – what a ripoff!
We then tailgated for a little while, imbibing in the Star Lake parking lot to diminish the need to procure $7 drafts once we entered the Star Lake complex. Along the way, Bob hooked us up with a tailgate two cars away, and the couple there treated us to some free grub (kolbassi kabobs, good stuff!). Wanting to catch Soilwork’s set on the second stage, Kent went inside Star Lake ahead of the rest of us.
Big Bad Bob of The Grimm, engaging in devious activities in the front of the truck.
Eventually, Bob, Dom and I decided to head inside ourselves, in hopes of catching Mastodon’s set on the second stage. But we soon discovered that the second stage was running some 15-20 minutes ahead of schedule; and by the time I reached the second stage area, Mastodon was already starting their last song, the aggressive “Blood and Thunder.” What I heard sounded all right, but I was disappointed that this stage was running ahead of schedule; anybody else relying on this schedule to see a particular band on the second stage was likely to be disappointed.
One change from the last time I had attended Ozzfest three years ago was the second stage entertainment all taking place before the main stage started. I liked this, as I could see the second stage acts without missing bands on the main stage; and it eliminated having to run back and forth through the massive crowds between the two stages.
Since it was general admission and no seating for the second stage, I worked my way forward into the mass of humanity little by little for each subsequent second stage act. I advanced a little bit closer as the next band, As I Lay Dying, started their set. As I Lay Dying’s prominent sound was hardcore-infused “cookie monster” metal, marked by brash, coarse guitar chords and rhythms and screaming guttural vocals. Lead throat Tim Lambesis introduced various original assaults; including several from the group’s latest album, Shadows Are Security, such as the set-opener “Meaning In Tragedy,” “Empty Hearts,” “Through Struggle” and “Confined.” The group closed their set with “Forever” off their second CD, Frail Worlds Collapse. Although not quite my preferred style of metal, I thought As I Lay Dying was good at what they did; and judging by the crowd-surfing happening near the front of the stage, apparently the audience was into them as well.
As I Lay Dying and a sea of Ozzfest humanity.
I advanced even closer to the stage as Killswitch Engage geared up to perform. I had heard a lot about this group, but had yet to hear or witness them myself. Killswitch Engage blasted into their set of Pantera-rooted aggressive metal, and the stagefront mass of humanity erupted into a mixture of crowd-surfing and moshpitting. This group demonstrated ample intensity and velocity; their song arsenal was fast-firing and heavy. My first time experiencing them, I didn’t know any of Killswitch Engage’s song material, but was impressed with their delivery of technically-geared metalcore aggression. Obviously the crowd was stoked, as small moshpits and body surfers were everywhere during their set – including one fan even doing a “Jesus walk” on top of the sea of humanity!
Killswitch Engage fires up Ozzfest Nation.
Again, Killswitch Engage.
With the intermission between performers came more crowd shifting and another opportunity to move forward. This time I made some good progress, advancing to within 40 feet of the stage by the time Rob Zombie was ready to perform – not bad for an old guy!
This was the second time I had seen Rob Zombie perform (the first time was also at Ozzfest, a few years ago when he was playing the main stage). With a backdrop of nude women behind him, Rob and his band – including Johnny 5 from Marilyn Manson on guitar – put on a hard-rocking party that showcased many of Zombie’s hits, including a few White Zombie numbers. Opening with “Superbeast,” Zombie and his band played such faves as “Living Dead Girl,” “Dragula,” plus White Zombie hits like “Supercharger Heaven,” “More Human Than Human,” and – sandwiched between teases of the James Gang’s “Funk No. 49” and Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” – “Thunder Kiss ’65.” Through it all, Rob Zombie served both as frontman and master of ceremonies, addressing the crowd between songs and revving the party up further with his personality and wit. The Ozzfest crowd achieved meltdown during this set, with moshing and body-surfing en masse; I was spending just as much time helping body surfers pass over my head as I was watching the band! Rob Zombie’s set was the first big highlight of the day for me; this guy belonged on the main stage!
Rob Zombie and band kick off their set.
Rob Zombie and fans.
Once again, Rob Zombie and band fire up the fans.
More Rob Zombie.
I luckily turned around at the knick of time to catch this fan showing her appreciation for Rob Zombie.
The lowlight during this set was standing near the “human rottweiler.” One guy, who apparently hadn’t experienced many concerts from this close to the stage, was continually threatening to throw down with anybody who moshed too close to his personal space; snarling, baring his teeth, and getting in the faces of moshers and body surfers. This guy was a fight waiting to happen; fortunately, no fisticuffs erupted with him. Memo to “likes to fight guy” – if you don’t like moshing at a show of this sort, stay away from the front of the stage, or stand off to the side!
Next was the arduous task of making my way through the mass of humanity towards the Ozzfest main stage. This wasn’t an easy task, as the second stage crowd had to move through a narrow passageway with vendors and a gate before they could access the rest of the Star Lake grounds. It looked like a massive cattle herd as the exodus proceeded from the second stage to the main stage; it took me about 20 minutes to exit this area.
I missed most of main stage openers In Flames’ set; as I decided to wait in the long Star Lake lines to procure a soda. I noticed that Star Lake had implemented a new policy regarding serving sodas; they served them in paper cups only. If you bought a plastic bottle of soda, they opened the bottle and poured it all into a paper cup before serving it to you. This was likely implemented after the “projectile wars” that graced previous Ozzfests.
I finally got my soda and moved to the Star Lake lawn area, sitting down on the hillside and awaiting the next main stage act, Black Label Society. I had heard Black Label’s latest album, Mafia, and was eager to hear how the material sounded done live. Their set opened with a Zakk Wylde guitar solo. Then a song. Then another Zakk solo. Then another song. As Black Label Society’s set progressed, I wasn’t sure if I was seeing a band or a Zakk guitar clinic! Still learning the Mafia album myself, the only song I recognized for sure was “Suicide Messiah,” out of the half dozen songs the group did amidst the continuous Zakk guitar solo wankings. Yes, Zakk, you’re an impressive shredder; but what can the rest of your band do? I like guitar solos myself, but even I thought Zakk was a bit excessive here, and his domination of this set diminished the overall impact of Black Label Society for me. Out of the acts I witnessed at this year’s Ozzfest, this was the disappointment of the day.
I remained seated on the lawn as the next band, Shadows Fall, set up. This was another band I had heard mentioned a lot, but had never heard or seen before. But by the time their set had ended, they were a name I would not forget – Shadows Fall was the big discovery of the day for me! This band had an old-school thrash-geared edge happening as they piledrove their set of aggressive, raging metal. This band could slam and mash, but also deliver bursts of instrumental virtuosity along the way as they performed songs such as “Destroyer Of Senses,” “The Light That Blinds,” “Stepping Outside the Cicle,” “Inspiration On Demand,” “Thoughts Without Words,” the set-closer “What Drives the Weak” and more. Dreadlocked frontman Brian Fair addressed the crowd between songs, thanking them for the continued support; mentioning that two years ago Shadows Fall was an Ozzfest second stage act, but now they had been promoted to main stage. Shadows Fall held my attention the whole set, and I was impressed enough by them that within the week I had purchased a copy of their latest album, The War Within. Bottom line, Shadows Fall kicked ass!
At this point, I went to the concession area to procure another soda; but returned to my lawn spot just in time for the start of Mudvayne’s set. Mudvayne was another case of a band I had heard lots about, but had never seen or really paid attention to. Here on the Ozzfest main stage, I would see if they would win me over like Shadows Fall had done minutes before.
Ultimately, they didn’t. I can’t really fault Mudvayne for that, their style and sound just isn’t my cup of tea. Out of their circus-styled introduction, Mudvayne performed a set of screaming, hardcore-informed metal. As others have indicated, their sound mix wasn’t the best; the bass was undermixed, and the emphasis seemed to be on the screaming vocals. Again, I was largely not familiar with Mudvayne’s song material, but caught a few titles they did, such as “Forget To Remember,” “Nothing to Gain,” “World So Cold” and “Not Falling.” Their performance was intense; packed with charged onstage movement and constant aggression. Mudvayne was good at what they did, but didn’t really hold my attention.
For me, the real meat and potatoes of this year’s Ozzfest was next – Iron Maiden. Since I didn’t have pavilion seats, I instead got as close as my lawn ticket would allow me, on the sidewalk behind the rear of the right side pavilion area. I watched as the stage preparations were completed for Maiden’s set.
Soon Iron Maiden launched into their set, kicking off with “Wrathchild.” Maiden proceeded to showcase early classics off their first four albums. As they continued with “The Trooper,” singer Bruce Dickinson donned a red and black uniform and ran about the stage brandishing a British Union Jack flag. The group then performed “Revelations,” before Bruce introduced “Phantom Of The Opera.” Bruce then addressed the massive Star Lake audience, telling them, “If this doesn’t define heavy metal for you, get the f**k out of here – go see Dave Matthews! No hippie motherf**kers in the house tonight!” Maiden then immediately kicked into “Run to the Hills.” From there, with a red devil/beast prop appearing with the band onstage, Iron Maiden continued with “Number Of The Beast.” The group then went into “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” before closing their set with the title song “Iron Maiden,” during which a huge ghoulish Eddie mascot appeared onstage and paraded around among the band members. The massive Star Lake crowd instantly demanded an encore; and after a few moments, Bruce and Maiden returned to the stage to close out their performance with two more early numbers – “Running Free” and “Sanctuary” – providing the only encore during this year’s edition of Ozzfest.
Maiden’s performance was excellent. Bruce Dickinson’s voice was in top form, and the man still displayed more energy and spunk than frontmen half his age, as he ran and cavorted around the stage. Instrumentally, Maiden was dead-on precise. The guitar tandem of Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Jannick Gers blazed clean, surgically precise solos, and blended for excellent guitar harmonies along the way. Bruce and Maiden kept the pacing tight and excitement level high during their entire set, and the group again proved why they belonged near the top of this metal bill.
I admit, I was too far away to get any good pictures of Iron Maiden, but here you can at least see the hulking Eddie onstage in the distance.
One group remained: Ozzfest namesake Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. I was curious and a bit apprehensive about Black Sabbath’s set this year. I had heard that the group was digging deeper into their vault to play some Sabbath classics they hadn’t performed in a long time; I was curious as to how deep they would dig. And I was apprehensive about Ozzy himself; just how much did this metal icon have left in the tank after all the years of substance abuse, his serious ATV accident last year, doctors over-prescribing medications to him, life with Sharon, Jack and Kelly, and more? Would we see Black Sabbath’s lead singer, or a drugged-out, drunken mess?
As the sun set and the night’s longest intermission continued, I witnessed a somewhat amusing sight in the pavilion seats in front of me. Star Lake yellow-shirt security had discovered a lone guy, sitting in his seat, apparently unconscious and passed-out. A medical-type person was called over, and I observed as this person nudged and tried to awaken the unconscious fan, to no avail. I then saw the medical person grab something from his kit, apparently smelling salts, and waved it under the fan’s nose. Suddenly the guy came to, and regained consciousness. But his day was over, at least for the moment, as several more security folks came over and assisted in walking him out of the pavilion area.
Eventually, a video montage of Black Sabbath footage began airing on the video screens, signifying that Black Sabbath’s set was nearly ready to begin. At the end of the montage, Black Sabbath erupted into “N.I.B.” to open their set. Ozzy Osbourne paraded around the stage, rallying the audience, and at one point turning around and mooning the crowd. The group proceeded with “After Forever,” before Ozzy took a moment to thank the audience for supporting Ozzfest over the past ten years. He then introduced the next song, “War Pigs,” setting the stage for one of the most powerful images I carried away from this year’s Ozzfest – as a sea of cigarette lighters quickly illuminated the jam-packed Star Lake hillside as the song got under way – what an image! Ozzy then took a moment to introduce the rest of the band – guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward. Ozzy paused and beckoned the crowd to get louder for each band member, especially “Mr. Bill Ward! Mr. Bill Ward!;” eventually getting the crowd to chant Bill’s name. From there, Ozzy and Sabbath again dug into the vault and performed “Dirty Women.” The group then did a medley, fusing together portions of “Fairies Wear Boots,” “Symptom Of The Universe,” “Sweet Leaf” and “Electric Funeral.” (As I understand it, Ozzy’s deteriorating voice doesn’t allow him to do full versions of “Symptom” and “Sweet Leaf” any more.) Bill Ward’s brontosaurus bass drum beat then introduced the next song, “Iron Man.” Ozzy was getting more fired up at this point, as he started to toss buckets of water on the fans in the stagefront pit area. This led into the group’s title song “Black Sabbath,” again bringing a sea of lit cigarette lighters across the entire Star Lake complex; accompanied with burning cross footage on the video screens, and Ozzy continuing to douse the pit crowd – and himself – with buckets of water. Black Sabbath then concluded their set – and this year’s Ozzfest – with “Paranoid,” as Ozzy draped an American flag around his microphone stand.
In all, I was pleased with Black Sabbath’s overall performance. Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward are still a lethal combo onstage; they were powerful on their respective instruments, and Iommi proved several times during the set that he can still blaze on the frets! Ozzy Osbourne was in better shape than I expected him to be in; he appeared competent and on top of his presentation for the most part, and his voice held up better than I expected it would given the years of wear, tear and abuse. At times, he came across like a Lawrence Welk-styled bandleader, almost politely introducing the next Sabbath selection. I didn’t expect Ozzy to sound like Pavarotti or jump around the stage with the exuberance of Bruce Dickinson earlier; so I was satisfied to see his Ozzness do as well as he did this night. And hell, Ozzfest is his party, so if he wants to get onstage and “be Ozzy,” who’s to question him?
Thus closed the book on this year’s Ozzfest. I met back up with the Grimm contingent at the car and compared notes, and we departed the Star Lake parking lot without too long of a delay.
As expected, this year’s Ozzfest had its share of highlights, a few lowlights, some sunburn, and all the metal you could handle in one day! Given the tumultuous feud that developed between Iron Maiden and Sharon Osbourne, plus Ozzy stating that he was finished headlining at Ozzfest; one has to wonder about the future of Ozzfest or if there will even be one next year. Thanks to Bob and the Grimm contingent for the ride and the good time!
SUMMER JAM TO BENEFIT EASTER SEALS @ LAKEMONT PARK, ALTOONA 7/24/05
Still in recovery mode from the previous day’s OzzFest, I groggily made my way to Lakemont Park in the noon hour to partake in the first-ever Summer Jam to Benefit Easter Seals, being sponsored by The Underground TV, Your Home Mortgage and my broadcast employer. Four area bands would grace the stage, and I would have my first-ever encounter with a dunking tank.
I arrived as the first band of the afternoon, Silver Sunday, was already on stage. Still early, a small crowd populated the picnic tables and pavilion area as Silver Sunday performed their variety of reworked 80’s rock/pop favorites. Silver Sunday appeared excited to be playing outdoors for a change, and it showed in their feisty, fun performance. The group fired through favorites such as the Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star,” The Outfield’s “Your Love,” and Dexy’s Midnight Runners’ “Come On Eileen.” Their rendition of Madonna’s “Material Girl” featured crisp harmonies between frontlady Carrie and guitarist Buck Dickson. The party continued with Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” and Cathie’s sassy performance on Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way.” Buck then took over lead singing chores on Loverboy’s “Working for the Weekend,” with the attention shifting to drummer Todd Harshbarger’s cowbell solo midway through the song. Cathie and Silver Sunday then finished out their set with Guns’N’Roses’ “Sweet Child Of Mine.”
Silver Sunday gets the afternoon started at Summer Jam to Benefit Easter Seals.
Cathie of Silver Sunday.
Buck Dickson of Silver Sunday.
Again, Cathie of Silver Sunday.
Cathie directs the spotlight to drummer Todd Harshbarger.
Todd Harshbarger of Silver Sunday, laying it thick and heavy on the cowbell.
Once again, Silver Sunday.
Jason Wechs of Silver Sunday, taking his guitar behind his head.
Shortly after Silver Sunday finished their set, Buck Dickson became the first person to take a turn in the dunking tank. For a dollar donation to Easter Seals, participants received three balls to throw and try to dunk Buck. It didn’t take too long for Buck to hit the water.
Buck Dickson on the firing line at the Summer Jam to Benefit Easter Seals.
In the meantime, Wiskerbisket set up their gear and were soon under way. This type of setting was perfect for Wiskerbisket, and it didn’t take long for singer Doug Snook, guitarist/singer John Everly and new bassman Mike Swartz to leave the stage and frolic through the picnic table area, jumping atop picnic tables and playing to audience members as they delivered their energized mix of everything-including-the-kitchen-sink party sounds. The group quickly made the picnic area their stage. It was typical Wiskerbisket madness, with Doug suddenly vaulting off the stage to run over to the dunking tank and dunking Buck. The group partied down with favorites from Dead Or Alive, Violent Femmes, Jimmy Eats World, Ramones, Duran Duran, Beastie Boys, Alabama, Kiss, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Chuck Berry and more. Having used his voice quite heavily during the previous night’s gig, Doug’s voice was a little spent and high notes weren’t in the arsenal this afternoon, but his spunk and enthusiasm more than made up for it. Wiskerbisket stepped up the party, in the process turning up the energy level on the afternoon.
Doug Snook of Wiskerbisket makes the picnic table his stage.
Doug Snook and Wiskerbisket bring their party to Lakemont Park.
A raffle drawing takes place during Wiskerbisket’s set.
Some young fans get down to some Wiskerbisket rock and roll.
Entertaining dozens from atop the picnic table, John Everly of Wiskerbisket.
Harry Bleyer of Wiskerbisket.
Doug Snook of Wiskerbisket takes the party out to the audience.
Jon Benevento of Wiskerbisket.
John Everly of Wiskerbisket.
Again, John Everly of Wiskerbisket.
Along the way, Underground TV co-host Kathy took up position in the dunking tank, and also quickly became the recipient of several instant baths. I even took my best shots at putting her in the drink, but Nolan Ryan I’m not, and I was lucky to even hit the backboard of the target area with my wild throws.
A young fan attempts to put Kathy from The Underground TV under water.
Yours truly gives it a shot.
Flight 19 was up next, to pick up the party where Wiskerbisket left off. The group led off with three of their original songs, the new “Liquid Courage,” along with “Unlock” and “Migraine” off their Pumpkin Fogger EP. Bassman Sean Johnson then sang lead on Queens Of The Stone Age’s “First It Giveth,” and the group launched into funky mode with The Commodores’ “Brick House.”
Flight 19 kicks off their set at the Summer Jam to Benefit Easter Seals.
Brian Thomas of Flight 19.
Sean Johnson of Flight 19.
A young fan shows his dance steps during Flight 19’s set.
At this point, I was beckoned to do my tour of duty in the dunking tank, and had to listen from afar as Flight 19 continued to mix original songs and current and classic rock favorites. Over the next half hour, I grew to acquire a taste for chlorinated water, as a steady stream of participants took their best shots. Drummers especially seemed to have good aim putting me in the tank, as did the Right Honorable Guv’nor Jesse and several Q94 listeners. In all, it was fun, save for one mishap that gave me a gimp knee for the rest of the day and next several weeks, when the seat gave out as I was climbing back up and I wound up twisting a knee (this could have been far worse, had I not caught myself on the side of the tank as I started falling back in). If I ever do the dunking tank again, I’ll make damn sure the seat is locked and steady before attempting to climb back up!
Yours truly, after getting one of my first tastes of chlorinated water for the afternoon.
I can’t see!
The Right Honorable Guv’nor Jesse hits me with his best shot, as Kathy from The Underground TV looks on.
In the drink I go again...
JP takes a licking, but Flight 19’s Mardi-Gras beads keep ticking...
I realized that I had injured my knee as I left the tank and started hobbling around. But it hadn’t stiffened up at this point, and didn’t prevent me from catching the final band of the afternoon, The Nightcrawlers. As expected, this band left the audience spellbound by their melting pot of sounds, as they mixed their arsenal of colorful original songs with a wide array of classics. Singer/guitarist Noah Figlin, flutist/keyboardist/singer Aeb Byrne, bassist Jason Ebersole (one of several bass players the group has been working with since the departure of Mike Leitzel) and drummer Steve Arnold performed such originals as the country-tinged “Lover’s Test,” the epic “Desert Sun,” the new original “Blue Silver” and their popular “African Echo” to close out the set. Interspersed with the original songs were Dire Straits’ “Sultans Of Swing;” The Police’s “Walking On The Moon,” featuring nice flutework from Aeb and captivating trade-off solos between Aeb and Noah; Aeb singing Janis Joplin’s “Me and Bobby McGee;” Men At Work’s “Down Under;” the Grateful Dead’s “Shakedown Street;” and the surprise of the set for me, the Aeb-sung rendition of Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots.” The Nightcrawlers’ musicianship was excellent, and the feel-good, laid-back vibe of the set made for a relaxing conclusion of the day’s musical activities.
Noah Figlin and Aeb Byrne of The Nightcrawlers.
The Nightcrawlers kick off their performance at Summer Jam to Benefit Easter Seals.
Again, The Nightcrawlers.
Aeb Byrne of The Nightcrawlers.
Steve Arnold of The Nightcrawlers.
Jason Ebersole of The Nightcrawlers.
Noah Figlin of The Nightcrawlers.
Again, Noah Figlin of The Nightcrawlers.
Again, Aeb Byrne of The Nightcrawlers.
Demonstrating her flute skills, Aeb Byrne of The Nightcrawlers.
Once again on flute, Aeb Byrne of The Nightcrawlers.
Attendance was a little disappointing for this first-ever event, especially considering the excellent weather, the low $5 donation price tag at the gate and the amusement park setting. But those who attended had a good time (and some of us had a wet time), and according to one of the Easter Seals/Your Home Mortgage representatives, they were pleased enough with the day’s success that it’s likely that there will be a sequel concert next summer.
Another feature of the afternoon was Tim Klock’s chainsaw carvings, on display a short distance from the stage.
One of Tim Klock’s chainsaw creations, a full chess set.
THE NIGHTCRAWLERS @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 7/24/05
After the Summer Jam to Benefit Easter Seals ended, I hobbled my way over to Blair County Ballpark with associate Guv’nor Jesse to watch the Altoona Curve beat the Harrisburg Senators in dramatic fashion (Josh Bonifay homered in the bottom of the ninth inning to break the tie and win it for the Curve, 8-6). I found I could walk on my twisted knee, but experienced pain when I tried to bend it. I was becoming concerned about the knee, but decided to hold off doing anything about it until I knew the full extent of the injury and if it was something that required medical treatment.
No steenking knee injury was going to prevent me from taking in The Nightcrawlers’ maiden voyage at Pellegrine’s this night. I eventually limped my way forward to an open table near the front of the stage, sat down and enjoyed the show. (Sitting down was the easy part; standing up would be another story…)
While the evening featured a few repeat songs from the Summer Jam concert earlier in the afternoon, the Nightcrawlers unveiled a lot more material I hadn’t heard earlier in the day. I was awed as the group did original songs such as “Grasslands,” the rockabilly-flavored “On My Way,” and the salsafied “Latin Groove.” The group also mixed more interesting cover song selections, including renditions of The Wallflowers’ “One Headlight,” Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” The Police’s “Roxanne” and the night-ending rendition of Talking Heads’ “Burning Down the House.” The big highlight for me, though, was the group’s take on Led Zeppelin’s “Ramble On,” featuring incredible guitar-meets-flute harmonies from Noah Figlin and Aeb Byrne, and Noah’s stunning Jimmy Page-like histrionics on guitar – amazing!
Not accustomed to bands doing material other than Good Charlotte and Blink 182 covers, the Pellegrine’s audience seemed a little bewildered by the Nightcrawlers’ eclectic repertoire this night. But as the night proceeded along, more adventurous fans gathered at the stagefront and grooved along. And the majority consensus of folks I spoke to during the show was that the Nightcrawlers were a very welcome breath of fresh air, and that hopefully more Pellegrine’s visits were on the way.
The Nightcrawlers, making their Pellegrine’s debut.
Again, The Nightcrawlers.
Noah Figlin of The Nightcrawlers.
Aeb Byrne of The Nightcrawlers.
Showing her keyboard talents, Aeb Byrne of The Nightcrawlers.
again, Noah Figlin of The Nightcrawlers.
Jason Ebersole of The Nightcrawlers.
Steve Arnold of The Nightcrawlers.
In the midst of some guitar solo exploration, Noah Figlin of The Nightcrawlers.
Once again, Noah Figlin of The Nightcrawlers.
Again, Steve Arnold of The Nightcrawlers.
One more time, Noah Figlin of The Nightcrawlers.
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