Jim Price
Moderator
Joined: 07 Dec 2002
Posts: 4817
Location: Altoona, PA
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 Posted: Friday Mar 10, 2006 |
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HALLOWEEN WEEKEND RECAP 10/31/05
FELIX & THE HURRICANES “TRICK OR TREAT TOUR” 10/27/05
For the second year in a row, Felix & the Hurricanes celebrated Trick Or Treat night in the Altoona area their own way. The second annual Trick Or Treat Tour found the Hurricanes setting up a generator, amps, speakers and instruments aboard a fenced flatbed truck, and with several guests along to throw out candy and treats, rode about the streets of Altoona to serenade trick-or-treaters. This year, I got to be one of the guests.
Shortly after the stroke of 6 PM, the Hurricanes’ mobile stage pulled out of Peter C’s parking lot, and down 5th Avenue towards Union Avenue After cruising up and down 5th and 4th Avenues, the tour made its way down Union Avenue to Broad Avenue, and traveled around the Jaffa Shrine area, before heading up 18th Street, and then back towards the Jaffa Shrine. Felix, Bob, Jeff and guest harmonica man Barney Sledge serenaded the young costumed Halloween crowd and their parents with ample doses of classic and blues-rock favorites, with a slight Halloween twist thrown in. Among such popular Hurricanes fare as Al Green’s “Take Me to the River,” Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Pride and Joy,” original numbers like “Walkin’ A Straight Line” and “Keep On Rockin,’” the group threw in special Halloween-geared numbers such as The Classics IV’s “Spooky,” Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett’s “Monster Mash,” Sam the Sham’s “Wooly Bully” and Fleetwood Mac/Santana’s “Black Magic Woman.”
I felt like I was in a parade. I never fully appreciated how many people go out for Trick Or Treat night in this town until I rode on the Hurricanes’ mobile stage; every block was busy with parents and kids going door to door for treats, along with some houses throwing Halloween and block parties and more. Hurricane Bob’s wife, Hurricanes’ frequent-flyer guest vocalist Loren Johnson, Frank “Zappa” and I were all tossing treats out to the trick-or-treaters, but our cache of goodies was pretty well exhausted after the first half hour, and I found myself having to ration the remaining supply I was tossing out.
There were some highlights - and one lowlight - along the way. Highlights for me were getting to pelt my Q94 boss, Adam Erickson, with a bag of Benzels’ pretzels; passing by Inversion guitarist/frontman Rug’s abode and witness him blowing fire in the front yard (in the dark and on Halloween night, this was pretty awesome!); and experiencing the appreciation of the folks as we drove by - some even tossed treats up to us! The lowlight was one random egg, which nailed Hurricane Bob’s wife flush, rendering her trick-or-treat bucket unusable for the duration of the trip.
And although not necessarily a lowlight, the nighttime temperature was cold this night, in the upper 30’s. I was bundled up appropriately and dealt with the cold, but Barney - from Austin, Texas - wasn’t accustomed to being outside in the cold, let alone riding in an open-air flatbed truck!
Cold and egging aside, though, this was still a very good time, and kickstarted my Halloween weekend in style! It seems that the Hurricanes have come up with a new Trick-or-Treat tradition for the Altoona area with this annual tour of the town; and if they decide to continue it for Halloween 2006, I hope to a part of it again!
As the trip gets underway, Hurricane Felix gets his mask in place, while prom queen Loren looks on.
Trick-or-treaters and parents look on as the Hurricanes’ Trick Or Treat Caravan rolls by.
The Hurricanes’ Trick Or Treat Caravan heads up the street, with Whoopee Cushion Bob, Barney Sledge and Felix playing on.
More trick-or-treaters look on as Darth Vader brandishes his light saber.
The Hurricanes’ Trick Or Treat Caravan proceeds up Union Avenue.
HUGE MIDGETS @ THE BAR, ALTOONA 10/27/05
Following the Hurricanes’ Trick Or Treat Tour, I logged a few hours back at the workplace, before heading over to The Bar to catch my first look at the Huge Midgets.
I had been wanting to catch this group for a while, if for nothing else, because of the name. For a while, every time I heard the name ‘Huge Midgets,’ I began laughing, as I reflected on a comedy bit I heard on the Bob & Tom Show. A comedian talked about how his dad used to take him to a bargain-basement circus when he was a kid, “Bob’s Circus,” and the attractions included a stripeless zebra (“It was a damned HORSE!”), bearded men (!), and the ‘huge midgets’ (“it was just a bunch of GUYS walking around!”).
I arrived at The Bar just before the Huge Midgets were ready to start their third and final set. That ‘bunch of GUYS walking around’ the stage included several familiar faces: Angelo Pompa on guitar, Bob Gray on lead vocals, guitar and keys, Alan Connell on bass, and Brian Bowman on drums. Their set featured mostly classic rock favorites with a few more recent numbers thrown in. Huge Midgets kicked off with Bob Seger’s “Turn the Page,” and continued with the Eagles’ “Hotel California,” Marshall Tucker Band’s “Can’t You See” and Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here.” Angelo then sang lead on Sublime’s “What I Got.” The set continued with Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music,” Santana’s “Evil Ways,” Violent Femmes’ “Blister In the Sun” and Nirvana’s “Rape Me,” before finishing with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” and John Mellencamp’s “Pink Houses.”
Huge Midgets put on a decent show. Bob’s voice was strong and clear, and he and Angelo harmonized well. This band had some energy and gusto going for them, and the mid-sized Bar audience paid attention and grooved along. In all, good stuff. In the future, the name Huge Midgets won’t just make me think of comedy, but also of a solid rock’n’roll band playing these parts, which I’ll make a point to check out again sometime soon.
Huge Midgets deliver some rock and roll to The Bar.
Angelo Pompa of Huge Midgets.
Bob Gray of Huge Midgets.
Once again, Huge Midgets.
WHITE WITCH/TRIPLE SHOT/EMPTY POCKETS/FOREVER GOODBYE LETTER @ THE LOG CABIN INN, MUNCY 10/28/05
Inquiring minds want to know…How the hell did I wind up seeing a show at the Log Cabin Inn in Muncy (near Williamsport) on a Friday night?
By my own rule, I usually don’t venture beyond a one-hour driving radius of my home base, Altoona, to check out shows, unless it’s a big, multi-band extravaganza or a national act I really want to see. But I occasionally can be persuaded to make exceptions to this rule…Reunited Williamsport heavy rockers White Witch had been beckoning me to come check out one of their shows for a while, and threw in a few incentives to make it worth my while to do the two-hour roadtrip. Since it was a Friday night and musical activity in the Altoonian home vicinity was on the slow side, and since the weather was cooperative, and I just felt like getting out of Dodge for an evening, I hit the road after exiting the workplace at 6:45 PM and embarked on an adventure to - for me - a new and unexplored land…
White Witch frontman Jeff Pittinger’s directions were pretty accurate, and I had little trouble finding the Log Cabin Inn. After entering, I made my way in the direction of the room where the music was emanating, and arrived in the middle of Empty Pockets’ set. (I had missed openers Forever Goodbye Letter; sorry guys, perhaps some other time).
First, a little about the Log Cabin Inn…This struck me as a good, mid-sized, blue-collar, biker-friendly restaurant-by-day, rock-and-roll-roadhouse-by-night establishment. A decent-sized crowd of fans and patrons were tipping back some brews and hooting and hollering to some good ol’ rock’n’roll.
Empty Pockets was under way with their set, which mixed classic and current rock. After a rendition of Nickelback’s “Figure You Out,” drummer Greg Sangle sang lead on a version of Them’s “Gloria.” And the group finished out their set with solid and energetic renditions of the Kinks’ “Destroyer,” Tommy Tutone’s “867-5309/Jenny” and AC/DC’s “TNT.” The crowd was clearly enjoying Empty Pockets’ set, and were shouting and raising glasses as the band rocked onward. It was clearly feeling like a fun night in Muncy, and it was only going to get better.
I hadn’t met any of the members of White Witch in person yet, and as I looked around the room, I didn’t recognize anybody I knew - not surprising, since I was about 100 miles from home and watching bands in a room I’d never been in before. But somebody soon recognized me - soundman Kevin Gross, who has mixed sound for bands throughout the region, including a few bands at Pellegrine’s in recent years. He was surprised to see me in his neck of the woods; I explained the circumstances that brought me here, and we chatted for a few minutes, until the next band, Triple Shot, was ready to go.
Triple Shot soon took the stage, and it only took a few moments into their set to realize what this band was about - Southern rock! A five-piece, Triple Shot opened with Molly Hatchet’s “Bounty Hunter,” and proceeded to fire off an inspired set of Southern classics from Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, Allman Brothers and more. Skynyrd was clearly Triple Shot’s home base - they didn’t just do Skynyrd hits like “Call Me The Breeze” and “Don’t Ask Me No Questions,” but dug deeper into the Skynyrd lexicon for “Down South Jukin’” and “Whisky Rock-a-Roller.” Singer Alan Phillips gave a charged and rowdy performance, and lead guitarist Gary Strickland’s solos were fiery and impassioned. The Log Cabin Inn crowd was clearly enjoying the Southern sounds, as they danced, hooted and hollered along. At the close of Triple Shot’s set, singer Alan ended with a poetic reading of Jim Stafford’s novelty hit “Wildwood Weed,” which he sent out in memory of a friend who recently died in a motorcycle crash, Fred Baker.
Gary Strickland of Triple Shot.
Greg Weigle of Triple Shot.
Alan Phillips of Triple Shot.
Triple Shot, down South jukin.’
Once again, Triple Shot.
One more time, Triple Shot.
The Log Cabin Inn filled up steadily during the course of the evening, and a sizable crowd was in place by the time White Witch was ready to perform.
For those not familiar with their story, White Witch first formed in the 80’s, put out an album and had a successful run on regional stages before separating in 1989. The group reunited in 2002, and issued their comeback CD, The Power, in 2004.
Singer Jeff Pittinger, guitarist Doug Lehman, bassist Jack Death and drummer Carl Berry soon kicked off their classic metal-flavored set, opening with the title track from The Power. The group showcased tunes from the album throughout their set, continuing next with “Marrianne.” Jeff then addressed the crowd, remarking that there were a lot of good-looking girls present, to which one audience member could be heard responding, “What are YOU drinking?” White Witch proceeded with another track from the album, “Cry of the Bain Sidhe,” before Jeff introduced the lone cover song from The Power, Alice Cooper’s “No More Mr. Nice Guy.” From a spoken intro, White Witch then recalled a tune from their 1988 EP, Hell Is Doomed, called “Streetcorner Madness,” bearing a Scorpions/UFO flavor. From old to new, the group then introduced a brand new original number, “The Game That I Play.” Another cover tune at this point, as White Witch broke out Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid,” before returning to The Power for “The Crutch” and “Rawhead Rex.” The group tapped the Judas Priest catalog for “Breakin’ the Law,” before ending their set with another new number, the midtempo “Single Man.” The large crowd immediately called out for more, and White Witch delivered one more song to finish the night; another new number, the Ozzy-ish “The Prince of Darkness.”
I came away very impressed with White Witch’s live presentation. As you might recall, I thought their album The Power had its flaws; but in the live setting, this band delivered the goods! The group was tight and spirited, and they sold their song material with passion and fire - you could tell these guys believed in their music. Doug Lehman was particularly remarkable this night, his guitar solo work was clean, precise and fiery. (This was especially impressive, given that Doug had just flown in from Florida earlier in the day, and had very limited rehearsal time with the group prior to this show.) Jeff did a respectable job on the vocal end, and served as a good master of ceremonies to keep the crowd involved in the set.
The crowd gave White Witch feverish applause throughout the set, with various folks dancing, grooving and headbanging along. I observed one exuberant middle-aged fan accidentally spill his meds all over the dance floor! There seemed to be a large number of people in the audience who were long-time fans of this group dating back to their earlier stint, as well as some younger fans discovering them for the first time. But the applause was unanimous, and White Witch had the house fired up.
I spoke with the band members afterward, and got a better understanding of their music and background. I also came away appreciating their passion for what they do, and some of the journeys and adventures they had to endure to get to this point. It was interesting and enlightening conversation, and gave me a better appreciation of White Witch and what they do. The group is in the process of putting together their next album, tentatively entitled The Mother Load, which should be released sometime in spring 2006.
In all, this was a rewarding roadtrip and a good time. Thanks to Jeff Pittinger and the White Witch organization for the invitation and the hospitality. I will look forward to the new album, and hope to check out this group in action again sometime soon.
Doug Lehman of White Witch.
Again, Doug Lehman of White Witch. This guy could play!
Jeff Pittinger of White Witch.
Doug Lehman and Jeff Pittinger of White Witch.
Doug Lehman and Jack Death of White Witch.
Again, Doug Lehman of White Witch.
Carl Berry of White Witch.
White Witch rocks down the Log Cabin Inn.
Again, Doug Lehman and Jack Death of White Witch.
Jack Death of White Witch.
With fog enveloping him, Jack Death of White Witch.
Once again, Jack Death of White Witch.
Yet again, Doug Lehman and Jack Death of White Witch.
Once again, White Witch.
Again, White Witch, putting pedal to the metal at the Log Cabin Inn.
One more time, White Witch.
NAKED BEGGARS/HAIR FORCE ONE @ CITY LIMITS, ALTOONA 10/29/05
The ingredients were in place for a blowout party at City Limits this night. It was City Limits’ annual Halloween costume party, and on the stage were local favorites Hair Force One, and Naked Beggars - featuring Cinderella guitarist Jeff Labar and bassist Eric Brittingham. I was there!
In my devil mask, I showed up at City Limits early into Hair Force One’s set. The party was already well under way, with a packed house and dance floor rocking along as the group played hair-band era favorites from Motley Crue, Britny Fox, Twisted Sister, Warrant, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and more. The group staged a costume contest after Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” and frontman Victor Synn uncorked some incredible and rangeful voice on Skid Row’s “Youth Gone Wild.” The energy level and excitement on and off the stage escalated through the whole set, culminating in a huge highlight at set’s end, when the group invited Jeff Labar and Eric Brittingham up on stage to join the group on two Cinderella classics, “Gypsy Road” and “Shake Me.” Needless to say, an unforgettable moment!
Iva Biggin of Hair Force One can't believe the well-rounded fan base joining the band on the stage this night.
Hair Force One gets the Halloween revelers dancing at City Limits.
Melissa and Ann are obviously enjoying the party with Hair Force One at City Limits.
Hair Force One stages a costume contest during their set.
Somebody has their hands full during the costume contest with Hair Force One.
Hair Force One's party continues.
Victor Synn of Hair Force One goes chairborne to flex his vocal cords during Skid Row's "Youth Gone Wild.".
Jeff Labar and Eric Brittingham of Naked Beggars/Cinderella join Victor Synn and Hair Force One to do some Cinderella numbers.
Eric Brittingham, singing with Hair Force One.
Hair Force One's party continues with Jeff Labar and Eric Brittingham of Naked Beggars/Cinderella.
More of Hair Force One with Jeff Labar and Eric Brittingham.
Hair Force One's "Hair Bears" prepare to administer punishment unto a Professor exhibiting devilish behavior.
It was apparent from the offset that the Naked Beggars, Jeff and Eric included, were fan friendly, as the group was mingling with the City Limits crowd and signing autographs on CD’s and other items. I had brought along my vinyl copy of Cinderella’s Night Songs, and had no difficulty getting Jeff and Eric to sign it - Thanks!
After the intermission, Naked Beggars took the stage in their first City Limits visit. Based out of Nashville, Naked Beggars spotlighted various original songs, both from their self-titled album and from their forthcoming new release, Spit It Out. The group opened with a Led Zeppelin-flavored number and the sassy title track from Spit It Out, before frontlady Inga Brittingham (Eric’s missus) greeted the City Limits audience with a hearty “Happy F***ing Halloween,” complimenting the Altoona crowd for dressing up for the occasion. The group continued with a series of tunes from the new album; “Get It On,” the slower “Creep,” “Playin’ the Fool” and “Lies.” Naked Beggars then performed one of the more popular tracks from the first album, “Bitch,” before continuing with two more songs from Spit It Out - the ballad “What’s The Question” and the hard-edged “Too Late.” Two more songs from the first CD followed, “No More” and “Kind Of Girl,” before the spotlight shifted to drummer Shawn Hughes, who executed a fiery drum solo - literally - culminating with his flaming drumstick display! At this point, with two members of Cinderella in the band, Naked Beggars deferred to the Cinderella catalog, first performing “Coming Home,” and then an intriguing variation on “Nobody’s Fool,” accented by Kristine Braswell’s violin accompaniment. Naked Beggars then returned to their own sassy brand of rock, doing “Ain’t “Your Mama” and “Nothin’ But Trouble” from the new Spit It Out disc, and “Open Eyes” from the first album. Then returning the favor from earlier, Naked Beggars invited Hair Force One to come up on stage with them and dance along as the group performed their final song, “Caught with the Meat,” from the new album.
Naked Beggars was very entertaining. Inga Brittingham took charge from the offset; as advertised, she delivered her voice with spirit and spunk, making constant eye contact with the dance floor audience and taking her performance to the crowd. Instrumentally Naked Beggars were sharp, with the guitar tandem of Jeff Labar and Kris Casamento plus Kristine Braswell’s keys combining for a full-bodied sound, and Eric and Shawn anchoring the sound with strong, authoritative rhythms. I liked the direction of the Beggars’ new song material, which appeared to step up the spit and vinegar from the first album, yet retaining the knack for catchy hooks displayed on that album. I look forward to hearing the new album. Naked Beggars also came off as good people off the stage, easily approachable and eager to talk about their band and music.
This turned into a special and fun night, as Hair Force One and Naked Beggars made this a Halloween party to remember. Here’s hoping the two bands hook up locally again sometime soon!
Eric Brittingham and Kris Casamento of Naked Beggars.
Eric Brittingham of Naked Beggars.
Inga and Eric Brittingham of Naked Beggars.
Kris Casamento of Naked Beggars.
Kristine Braswell of Naked Beggars.
Again, Kristine Braswell of Naked Beggars.
Inga Brittingham of Naked Beggars.
Jeff Labar of Naked Beggars.
A Hair Bear celebrates during Naked Beggars' set.
Again, Jeff Labar of Naked Beggars.
Again, Eric Brittingham of Naked Beggars.
Once again, Kristine Braswell of Naked Beggars.
Kristine Braswell and Jeff Labar of Naked Beggars.
Shawn Hughes of Naked Beggars.
Again, Inga Brittingham of Naked Beggars.
Jeff Labar and Kris Casamento of Naked Beggars.
Again, Jeff Labar and Kris Casamento of Naked Beggars.
Once again, Inga Brittingham of Naked Beggars.
On keys, Kristine Braswell of Naked Beggars.
Once again, Kris Casamento of Naked Beggars.
He's playing with fire...Shawn Hughes of Naked Beggars.
Naked Beggars, bringing their party to City Limits.
Once again, Kris Casamento and Eric Brittingham of Naked Beggars.
Once again, Inga and Eric Brittingham of Naked Beggars.
One more time, Inga and Eric Brittingham of Naked Beggars.
Naked Beggars, continuing the party.
Once again, Shawn Hughes of Naked Beggars.
Once again, Naked Beggars.
For the finale, Hair Force One parties down onstage with Naked Beggars.
The post game party begins: Jeff Labar of Naked Beggars with Ashley from City Limits.
There's a happy Hair Bear!
Ashley from City Limits gets a leg up on Jason Berardi, in the house to support his friends in Hair Force One.
IN @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 10/30/05
This won’t go into the record books as a banner Halloween for yours truly.
First, despite my best brainstorming for weeks leading up to this year’s Halloween season, I could not come up with a good idea for a costume. I had ideas, but they mostly required too much time or too much money to put together; or required me to make a huge sacrifice (i.e. - shaving off my moustache or cutting my hair - I couldn’t bring myself to do either). So, in lieu of any feasible ideas for Halloween outfits, I ducked into a K-Mart and purchased a devil mask, which got the job done, but won’t go in the books as being anything particularly original or creative. So yes, this was an off year for J.P. Halloween creativity. Hopefully I bounce back next year.
Actually, I did come up with an idea late for a possible outfit, and had started putting it together over the weekend leading up to this night’s annual Halloween bash at Pellegrine’s. But after allowing paint to dry on the outfit, I decided it just wasn’t working, and ditched it in favor of the devil’s mask. So I drove over to Pellegrine’s with devil mask, conceding that I wouldn’t be a factor in the costume competition this year. Oh well, Barry Bonds didn’t make it to the playoffs this year, either.
But to add insult to injury upon arrival at Pelly’s, I locked my keys in my car! So I entered Pellegrine’s in a dejected state, with my sucky Halloween mask and my keys locked in the car. Fortunately, Schtiv the former new Sebastiano’s doorman and wife Yan were in the house - both decked out for the forthcoming costume contest - and they offered to wheel me by my abode to pick up my spare car key and return me to Pelly’s.
Pellegrine’s Halloween costume contest was interesting. Schtiv was a hazmat worker in a clean-up suit, while Yan was a Playboy bunny. Yan wound up winning a prize, cheered on by the male populace. The winning costume was a guy with an original and creative concept called “The Morning After” - he wore a box done up as a bedroom nightstand with a lamp shade on his head, with a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, and a condom on top of the nightstand. Also interesting were Little Bo Peep and her devious sheep, a dominatrix and her partner, and various Pelly’s staffers done up as Amish farmers (they even made a special roadtrip to the Belleville flea market to purchase the appropriate clothing).
Between the costume contest and my car key rescue trip, I didn’t get to see much of In’s performance except for the latter part of their final set. Frontman Greg Locke, guitarist Matt Day, bassist Adam Zimmer and drummer Josh Hetrick kept the costumed crazies dancing with tunes from Metallica, Alice In Chains, Weezer, Jimmy Eats World, Oasis, Marilyn Manson and more.
Car key debacle notwithstanding, Pellegrine’s annual Halloween blowout was nonetheless a good time.
Matt Day of In.
In keeps the costumed crazies dancing at Pellegrine's.
A few ladies show off their costumes during Pellegrine's Halloween costume contest.
A hazmat worker...wing sauce spill at Pellegrine's, scary!!!
Little Bo Peep and her naughty sheep during Pellegrine's Halloween costume contest.
Then again, maybe it's not the sheep who is naughty...
More chicanery with Little Bo Peep and her sheep.
An Asian tourist shows up at Pellegrine's Halloween party.
A wayward Amish man is also in the house.
What a Whopper! The Burger King shows up during Pellegrine's Halloween costume contest.
A toga party celebrant and a dominatrix during Pellegrine's Halloween costume contest.
Harry Stoltzfus and his farm hand, Graeber, bring quality entertainment to Pellegrine's Amish Restaurant and Lounge every Sunday night.
A dominatrix and her slave during Pellegrine's Halloween costume contest.
"The Morning After," the eventual winner during Pellegrine's Halloween costume contest.
A cast of costumed crazies line up during Pellegrine's Halloween costume contest.
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