[Jim Price]

Merry Christmas!

Here is the recap of the December 23 edition of Q94's weekly local music program, "The Backyard Rocker," which airs every Sunday night from 8 to 10 PM on WBXQ 94.3 FM.

This was the official “Backyard Rocker” Christmas Special, featuring two hours of local and regional Christmas music. We heard area bands and musicians offering their renditions of traditional Christmas songs, as well as their own original Christmas tunes. We heard a couple of new entries this year, including Rick Cosgrove’s acoustic instrumental treatment of “The Christmas Song” and an encore performance of Walt Churchey’s “Under the Christmas Tree,” a new song he played live on the program during SongWorks’ appearance two weeks ago. And we heard established favorites from Tony Harlan, Halestorm, Cloud Party, and Roadkill singer Greg Majewsky’s hilarious recounting of a Christmas morning with a cherished dartboard on “Santa Claus is a Big Fat Jerk.” We also updated Local Music News, and we conducted an email contest to give away three local music CD prize packs during the program.

Here is this week's playlist:

TONY HARLAN - "Jingle This"
PENSIVE FEAR - "Carol of the Bells"
THE MARTINI BROS. - "Santa Claus is Back in Town"
KIWI - "Christmastime"
THE BADLEES - "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"
ZUPE - "O'Tannenbaum"
B.E. TAYLOR - "Go Tell It on the Mountain"
TONY PERRY - "We Don't Talk About the Baby"
NEGATIVE SPACE - "I'll Be Home"
POPTART MONKEYS - "Mele Kalikimaka"
JOHN STEVENS - "That Night"
BLIND JONNY DEATH (RUSTY GUN REVIVAL) - "The Greatest Gift"

HOUR TWO:

HALESTORM - "Tempest Holy Night"
EMILY'S TOYBOX - "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"
DAVE KEPHART - "Christmas in Whoville"
J.R. MANGAN - "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch"
CLASHING PLAID - "All I Got for Xmas Was Drunk"
ROADKILL - "Santa Claus is a Big Fat Jerk"
BUSTED MONKEY - "Merry Christmas (Your Stuff's in the Yard)"
CLOUD PARTY - "The Ghost of Christmas Presents Past"
RICK COSGROVE - "The Christmas Song"
WALT CHURCHEY - "Under the Christmas Tree" (performed live on the air 12/9/07)
DAVE SINGLE TRIO - "Frosty the Snowman"
LORDS-A-LEAPING - "Sailing Home"

Next Sunday night, we’ll close the book on 2007 with one last look back over the year in our 2007 Year In Review Special. Starting with January, we’ll work our way through the past year, recounting the news, events, band personnel wheelings and dealings, break-ups and make-ups, and music that emerged from the local and regional music scene in 2007. It’s a three-hour special starting at 7 PM; take one last journey through 2007 on the area music scene on Q94’s “Backyard Rocker,” next Sunday night!

Forthcoming guests and specials include:

JAN. 6 - Crow In The Snow
JAN. 13 - The Wilcox Hotel
JAN. 20 - Images Of Eden
JAN. 27 - End of the Sun
FEB. 3 - Super Bowl Widow's Special (the Ladies of Local Music)
FEB. 10 - Local Music Live in Concert
MAR. 2 - 10th Anniversary Special w/Felix & the Hurricanes
MAR. 9 - Acoustic Jam Special
MAR. 23 - My Turning Point
APR. 20 - Chris V. & the Stanley Street Band

The "Backyard Rocker" is happy to announce its continued partnership with "The Underground TV," the local/regional music television show airing on WWPC Fox 8 Sunday and Monday mornings at 1 AM. Check out "The Underground" as it features different unsigned local and regional bands every week; and watch for "Backyard Rocker" updates on the show each week as well!

For regular updates on what is happening on the area music scene, pay a visit to Rockpage (www.rockpage.net). Rockpage features band links, a message board, "Backyard Rocker" updates, the online 'zine publication "The Final Cut," and other local music scene information.

Bands and artists interested in having music aired on "The Backyard Rocker" are invited to send their broadcast-quality recordings to: WBXQ Radio, 2513 6th Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601; ATTN: Jim Price. Or drop the recordings off at the station during regular business hours, Monday-Friday 9 AM - 5 PM.

Q94’s “Backyard Rocker” has been introducing listeners to the region’s best musical talent for over nine years, and we plan to do it for many more. Help guarantee the program’s future, and consider becoming an advertising sponsor of the “Backyard Rocker.” If your business involves music, a “Backyard Rocker” sponsorship can get your message in front of listeners interested in music. To inquire about becoming a sponsor of the “Backyard Rocker,” call Diane Boslet during regular business hours at (814) 944-9320, or email diane@wbxq.com.

Jim Price

In Local Music News.

The staff and management of Q94 and the "Backyard Rocker" would like to express our deepest condolences to area musicians Don Osborn and his son, Sean Osborn, on the passing of their wife and mother, Deb, last Tuesday. She was 57. Deb was an avid fan of live music, and could often be seen at performances by her husband, Don's, band Square One and her son Sean's acoustic duo Born and the Beanstalk. A benefit to help out Don, Sean and the surviving family will take place on February 16 at 30 Something Restaurant & Lounge in Altoona.

Some changes on the horizon involving two of State College's most popular bands...First, The Nightcrawlers are going their separate ways after the holidays, as singer/guitarist Noah Figlin and keyboardist/flutist/singer Aeb Byrne are relocating to southern California in the new year. The group's final weekly Thursday appearance at the Phyrst in State College will be on December 27, while their swan song performance will happen New Year's Eve at that same venue.

Happy Valley favorites Velveeta are bidding farewell to two of their members. Founding member, guitarist and singer Mike Lee and bassist and singer Steve Bentz are leaving the group to form a new band called My Hero Zero. Both members' final shows with Velveeta will be on Jan. 11 and 12 at The Saloon in State College. Altoona fans can bid farewell to the two members when Velveeta brings their "80's cheese" to the 4D's Lounge on Dec. 28.

Dubois-based hard rockers Disasterpiece played their final show this past Saturday night at Mary's Place in Clearfield. That group featured Chris Kane and Fred Terwilliger on guitar and vocals, Nate Socoski on bass and vocals, and Shane Farrell on drums and vocals.

The final weeks of the year have seen new CD releases by some area favorites. Acoustic one-man party machine Steve Summerhill has just released his second CD, called One Man Band. Like his first album, On Tap, the new album captures a Steve Summerhill live performance, this time at Jethro's in Altoona during September 2006. The CD is available at Steve's live shows, or through his website, www.stevesummerhill.com.

And two well-known area musicians have issued a new instrumental album. Solo performer and composer Zupe and Johnstown-based guitarist and composer Dave Nichols have released a brand new CD called Speechless. Nearly three years in the making, the CD features a dozen instrumental compositions blending elements of jazz, rock and funk. The CD can be obtained through the website CDBaby.com. Listen for music from both CD's on the "Backyard Rocker" in early 2008.
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