[Jim Price]

WEEK/WEEKEND RECAP 5/15/06

BODY & SOUL @ QUAKER STEAK & LUBE, STATE COLLEGE 5/10/06

When you do this thing I do for as long as I have been doing it, you learn that from time to time…things don’t always go as planned.

My game plan for this night came together as follows…Several weeks back, I received an email from State College classic rockers Body & Soul, who I have never had the chance to witness a full show from. Body & Soul informed me that they were playing during Wednesday “Bike Night” at the recently-opened Quaker Steak & Lube State College location. I’ve enjoyed Quaker Steak & Lube’s Pittsburgh and Sharon eateries already, so I was eager to initiate the new State College location. And with a band playing there, even better! Due to day job Harley remote broadcast duties and Pennsylvania Musican delivery duties, it took me a few weeks before I could free up a Wednesday to go check this out, but a Wednesday did eventually open up, and my game plan was to catch Body & Soul this night as they performed from 8 to 11 PM.

I arrived at Quaker Steak & Lube and found a mass of biker humanity on hand, and the band on break. I located a table inside the restaurant and not too far away from the stage area, and set up shop, ordering a brew and a bucket of wings. Sparky D’Engineer, who works in State College during the day, was to meet up with me. At this point, life was looking good.

Body & Soul then took the stage and started back up with Bryan Adams’ “Summer Of ’69.” Then singer Chrissy Miller announced to the audience that the band had one last song to end the night with, before starting into AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long.”

“Last song?” WHAT!!!???

Speaking with fill-in drummer George Powell shortly after the performance ended, I got the lowdown…Body & Soul had been playing their show from 8 to 11, until the arrival of warmer weather, when the restaurant opened their garage-styled doors and the band started performing to the outside crowd. This looked like a good idea on paper, until the neighbors up on the hillside on the other side of Atherton Street began complaining. The good ol’ PLCB and local law enforcement became involved, and told Quaker Steak & Lube that their show – at least if they were directing it outdoors – had to be over by 9 PM. I had arrived here at 8:30 expecting the show to be from 8 to 11; it ended by 9. What a revolting development!

What could I do? I sat and enjoyed my wings (a split bucket of Louisiana Lickers and Golden Garlic), while watching the Pittsburgh Pirates lose to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Along the way, I shot the breeze with Body & Soul fill-in bassman John Cimino and Sparky D’Engineer (who showed up after the band was done). We also marveled over the original Batmobile, parked in a display area near the front doors of the restaurant – cool!

Alas, I still have yet to catch a full night of Body & Soul; perhaps another night.

But at least the wings were good…

MAXWELL STRAIT @ THE PHYRST, STATE COLLEGE 5/10/06

Well, with gasoline prices what they were ($2.93 a gallon as of this night), I didn’t drive all the way to State College for just two songs (even if the wings at Quaker Steak & Lube were good)! So as 10:30 PM standard bar gig time arrived, I decided to venture another mile or so to downtown State College and check in with Maxwell Strait, entertaining a Senior Week party crowd at the Phyrst.

Yes, I did say Senior Week. Not the old fogey-like seniors like we have in Altoona, but Penn State seniors, ready to graduate! Seemingly all of PSU seniordom was piled into the Phyrst, getting their last official drunk on before donning their caps and gowns and venturing out into the REAL world. It was one wild, happy vibe, with friends drinking, autographing each other’s T-shirts, drinking, taking photographs, drinking, dancing on benches and tables, drinking, striking up conversations with total strangers like me, and – did I say drinking?

Maxwell Strait had the task of entertaining this jubilant mass of humanity – and they were more than up to that task. I could barely see the stage through the mass of people when I first arrived at the Phyrst, but Maxwell Strait – singer Molly Countermine, singer/keyboardist John “JT” Thompson, guitarist/singer Ted McCloskey, drummer/singer Jack Wilkinson and bassist Rene Witzske – were performing Indigo Girls’ “Closer to Fine.” As packed and crazy as this place was already, I decided it wasn’t even worth attempting to obtain a beer at this point; I just located a vacant seating space along a bench in the rear of the room near the steps, and sat down to take in Maxwell Strait’s performance. As the group started to perform Bruce Springsteen’s “Pink Cadillac” and I started jotting notes down on my notepad, I noticed that some of the surrounding revelers were observing…me! One happy celebrant soon approached me and asked what I was taking notes on, and I explained what I was doing. The guy then started raving about his favorite classic rock bands. This guy would strike up the conversation with me again two or three more times before the night was done. A few ladies also curiously asked me what I was doing; I’ve noticed this before during Senior Week – graduating seniors just seem to be a whole lot friendlier and outgoing towards strangers this week than at any other time during the year!

Back to the music – Molly and Maxwell Strait continued with Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit,” before doing a boogie-informed version of Joe Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way.” The group then did the homestretch half of Derek & the Dominoes’ “Layla,” teased the Eagles’ “Hotel California,” before shifting the spotlight to JT for a set-ending rendition of Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock.”

Although I knew I wanted to get up to the front of the stage area to get some photos before the end of the evening, I didn’t feel like linebacking through the mass of college humanity to do so just yet. So I just sat at my bench and took in the sight of Penn State seniordom partying hardy and enjoying each other’s friendship and company – in many cases, probably for the last time before they all went their separate ways. It occurred to me that twenty-three years ago, this was me, doing the same exact thing with my college buds…

After the intermission, Maxwell Strait returned to the stage for Round Two, kicking off with U2’s “Desire.” Ted then sang lead on the Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women,” with Molly chiming in to belt out a growling third verse of the song. As the stroke of midnight arrived, the group acknowledged a birthday in the house – “Nightcrawler_Steve” Arnold of The Nightcrawlers – and led the crowd in a “Steve’s Birthday” song/chant before dedicating the Beatles’ “Birthday” to their fellow Happy Valley music comrade. Molly then led the group in a spirited rendition of Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots,” before the group romped out on a country-flavored original song called “Christine,” which beared a “Good-Hearted Woman”-type flavor. The party continued with Sam the Sham’s “Wooly Bully,” which ventured into Henry Mancini’s “Baby Elephant Walk” before returning to a “Wooly Bully” finale – with the mass of Penn State senior humanity dancing crazily all the while! Molly then sang lead on Cheryl Crow’s “Change Will Do You Good,” with the rest of the Maxwells supporting her with some great-sounding harmonies. The mood then shifted soulful and funky for Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground,” followed by Maceo Parker’s “Shake Everything You’ve Got;” this tune allowed the band members to showcase some solo skills, with Molly blasting some trumpet, JT tinkling out a key solo and Ted ripping it up on the frets. Molly again demonstrated her soulfulness on Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man,” before the group headed to their second intermission with Ray Charles’ “Unchain My Heart.”

Maxwell Strait thus far was amazing! This group performed such a variety of material, yet kept the mood continually upbeat, showcased some incredible instrumental skills, and belted out their voices with abundant pure soul and passion! I’ve been floored by this group on past occasions, but nothing beats seeing them during a Senior Week performance, with the packed Phyrst partying and celebrating the music like there was no tomorrow! I definitely chose to come here on a great night!

At this point, during the intermission, I decided to make my move, and weaved and sidestepped my way towards the front of the stage area to take in Maxwell Strait’s nightcap set. And now standing close to the bar and having worked up some thirst via my struggle forward, I finally procured a brew.

Maxwell Strait soon commenced their third set with a playful and spicy number I had never heard before, “Give Me My Money Back,” during which Molly instigated some shout-along f-bombing by the rowdy stagefront crowd. JT then took the spotlight with a blistering read of Dr. John’s “Right Place Wrong Time.” Back to Molly, who then sang lead on Neil Young’s “Down By The River,” highlighted by Ted’s incendiary guitar solo fireworks. This segued into Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Pride and Joy,” capped by trade off solo dueling by Ted and JT. JT then pounded the ivories and sang on Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Great Balls of Fire,” before Ted sang lead on the Stones’ “Brown Sugar.” Lead mic duties then went to drummer Jack, who did an impressive job singing on Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London.” The group then did their finale, first welcoming up birthday boy Steve from the Nightcrawlers, who strapped on Ted’s guitar for the night-ending rendition of the Talking Heads’ “Burning Down the House.”

What an absolute crazy night! Parties don’t get much better than this! All the components came together – excellent band, fired up by a wild and crazy packed house of celebrating Penn State seniors! It all made for a very fun night, and more than made up for my disappointment of missing most of Body & Soul’s show earlier. And this night reminded me how much fun it is to catch shows in this town during Penn State Senior Week – if you can handle being in large, happy-go-lucky drunken crowds, by all means make a point to experience Happy Valley during this time of year – it’s a one-of-a-kind experience!

John “JT Blues” Thompson of Maxwell Strait.

Jack Wilkinson of Maxwell Strait.

Molly Countermine of Maxwell Strait.

Again, John “JT Blues.”

“JT Blues” and Rene Witzke of Maxwell Strait.

Ted McCloskey of Maxwell Strait.

Again, Molly Countermine.

Once again, John “JT Blues” Thompson of Maxwell Strait.

Ted McCloskey of Maxwell Strait picks up the trumpet.

Again, Ted McCloskey.

ULI JON ROTH/THE LIZARDS/DNS @ JAXX, SPRINGFIELD, VA 5/12/06

When people are asked to name rock's top guitarists, often the familiar names come up - Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, Eric Clapton, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen, Michael Schenker and others. One name that I'll add to my own list after seeing him in concert is Uli Jon Roth.

Roth replaced Michael Schenker as lead guitarist of the Scorpions in 1973, and performed on four Scorpions studio albums before leaving the group in 1977 to do his own thing in Electric Sun. (Michael Schenker returned to replace Roth in Scorpions on the group's Lovedrive album in 1979.) After releasing a few albums with Electric Sun, Roth started exploring more classical terrain on guitar, in the process even designing his own "sky guitar" and blazing his own trail of rock-meets-classical guitar virtuosity; he has released several albums since, most recently Metamorphosis in 2003.

Roth and his latest Sky Band - which now features another Scorpions alumnus, bassist Francis Buccholz - kicked off their latest North American tour this past Friday, May 12, at Jaxx Nightclub in Springfield, Virginia (outside of Washington, D.C.). A large entourage of music fans from the Altoona area, including yours truly, made the roadtrip southward to see this legend in action.

There were two opening bands on the bill. The first was a power trio from West Virginia called DNS. Their sound was heavy and aggressive, citing a Metallica influence. They demonstrated some melodic ability, but were jagged and raw in their delivery. Overall, though, not bad.

The opening band, DNS.

Again, DNS.

Second on the bill was The Lizards, featuring two noteworthy names - former Rainbow/Black Sabbath/Blue Oyster Cult drummer Bobby Rondinelli (who played drums for Blue Oyster Cult when they did "Thunder In The Valley" in Johnstown two years ago), and former Riot lead singer Mike Dimeo. Their style was blues-based hard rock in the Led Zeppelin/Black Crowes vein. Mike showed an excellent voice with ample range and power, and Bob was a powerhouse behind the drum kit, even unleashing a drum solo midway through the set. I liked what I heard from The Lizards enough that I'm looking into purchasing a CD or two soon.

Former Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult drummer Bob Rondinelli of The LIzards.

Former Riot singer Mike Dimeo of The LIzards.

Randolf Pratt of The LIzards.

Again, Randolf Pratt.

Patrick Klein of The LIzards.

Again, Bob Rondinelli.

One more time, Randolf Pratt of The LIzards.

As we awaited Uli Jon Roth's performance, one onlooker standing next to me near the front of the stage remarked, "I feel like I'm a few feet away from Beethoven!" Had it not been for an onslaught of technical problems that dogged Uli and his Sky Band throughout their set, it was almost that magnitude.

Uli was incredible! Through their main set, Uli and his Sky Band – Francis Buchholz on bass, Ferdy Doernberg on keys and slide guitar, Olaf Senkbeil on lead vocals and Michael Eree on drums – played a range of material spanning Uli's solo compositions to early Scorpions. They introduced at least one new composition, "Land Of Dawn," with an American western theme; and did such Uli solo compositions as "Fire Wind" and "Cast Away Your Chains." Among the selections from the early Scorpions archive, Uli and the Sky Band did "Dark Lady," "Sails Of Charon," "Polar Nights" and more. Uli's guitar talents were jawdropping incredible; he played with speed and finesse, but all of it with feeling and soul! And not one note was wasted - every note on his guitar had purpose and served the song and melody. And Uli has been playing long enough that his guitar playing has long since become an extension of his personality, he spoke to the audience through his instrument! His Sky Band was impressive as well; Olaf sang with good range (although he was at times overpowered by the instrumental mix, at least from the vantage point where I was observing from), and Ferdy dazzled with his keys and slide work!

Uli and the Sky Band were called back for three encores! During the first, they did two more early Scorpions classics, "Pictured Life" and "Catch A Train," plus a version of "All Along the Watchtower." During the second encore, Uli spotlighted his classical guitar ability with some solo displays, including a Vivaldi passage.

Definitely, Uli Jon Roth's performance was exciting, inspirational and even spiritual. He, his band, and the video presentation and accompaniment behind them onstage combined to take the audience on different journeys throughout the show. After the show ended, Uli and his bandmates came out and met the audience, signing autographs for everybody who wanted one. Uli was humble and personable; it's always refreshing to see somebody who has achieved music industry success recognize and take care of the fans!

The trip itself was fun (even if I found out the hard way that there are no rest stops along the Capitol Beltway). Thanks to Ron "The Budman" Dalansky for the transportation, and to Joe George and Steve Oswalt for the pre-concert "concert" in the mini-van on the ride down!

Here are some pictures I took from the concert, from right in front of the stage:

ULI! ULI! ULI!

Francis Buchholz.

Again, Uli Jon Roth.

Uli, Olaf Senkbeil and Francis Buchholz.

Uli and Francis Buchholz.

Again, Uli Roth and his Sky Band.

Olaf Senkbeil, Francis Buchholz and Ferdy Doernberg of Uli Roth’s Sky Band.

Again, Uli.

Michael Eree of Uli Roth’s Sky Band.

Again, Francis Buchholz.

More virtuosity from Uli Roth.

Once again, Uli Roth.

Uli, singing "All Along the Watchtower" during the first encore.

One more time, Uli Roth and his Sky Band.

Uli’s guitar.

After the concert, Ron Dalansky gets his guitar autographed by Uli. Uli even picked it up and jammed on it!

V-TWIN @ OHIO STREET LOUNGE, JOHNSTOWN 5/13/06


V-Twin, rocking at the Ohio Street Lounge.

Ron Stepien of V-Twin.

Scott Barkhimer of V-Twin.

Again, Ron Stepien.

Again, Scott Barkhimer.

Scott trying to coax more sounds out of his bass.

Once again, V-Twin.

One more time, V-Twin.
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