[Jim Price]

WEEK/WEEKEND RECAP 12/20/04

“BEHIND THE SCENES” w/THE FLAME SKY @ “BAIT SHOP BAR & GRILLE,” ALTOONA 12/15/04

It was another rare Wednesday night where I was able to escape the workplace earlier than usual. I first thought I’d swing by the Hitching Post to try to catch part of the show from acoustic duo Broken String. But I arrived as the duo – Dwane Edmiston and Ed Brinkel – were already packed up and nearly out the door. Ed had already left, and Dwane was relaxing and enjoying a cold one with his Wood-n-Strings partner, Jeremy Nelson. After chatting with both musicians briefly, they invited me to join them as they headed to the weekly Wednesday night practice session of The Flame Sky. Having not seen The Flame Sky since at least last summer, I thought it would be a cool idea to pop my head in the door at one of their practices, especially since I would be one of the last persons in the world the band would expect to show up at one of their practices.

We headed to The Flame Sky’s current practice pad, the “Bait Shop Bar & Grille.” I won’t give up too much about this location, except that it is a former Altoona area business that closed its doors this past year, and The Flame Sky practices there every Wednesday night.

As expected, the remaining members of The Flame Sky – guitarist/singer Jason Feathers, drummer Nate Woods and new bassist Shawn Shultz – were surprised to see a member of the media arrive at their practice pad. After dispersing malted beverages around the room, The Flame Sky and guests retreated to the central practice area to flex some instrumental muscles. After warming up with some heavy-leaning Santana (dubbed “Sab-tana”), the group launched into Metallica’s “Fade to Black,” with Dwane helping out on congas. After two instrumental numbers, The Flame Sky blew me away by suddenly launching into Iron Maiden’s “Phantom Of The Opera;” the first time I’ve ever heard an area band tackle this one – and for the most part, they nailed it dead on! The group then worked out on two original songs, “Only In Your Head” and “Some Things Left Unsaid,” before the group took a cigarette/beer break.

At this point, I departed the “Bait Shop Bar & Grille” to procure my evening meal. As I departed the premises, I noted how soundproof this place was for staging band practice. In the midst of a residential neighborhood, you had to really concentrate to detect that anything musical was going on within the inner rooms of this facility! It was cool to witness The Flame Sky practicing up, and also cool to see this former area business – where I used to purchase minnows, nightcrawlers and assorted fishing gear – being put to good use!

SIDESTEP @ PETER C’S, ALTOONA 12/16/04

With Felix & the Hurricanes AWOL from Peter C’s for the next several Thursdays due to their annual SCI prison tour, Sidestep was in charge of keeping ‘Caniac Nation happy this week.

Judging by the scene when I entered Peter C’s, Sidestep was keeping the fans happy. Although not heavily crowded, there were at least some folks in the house and looking on, as Sidestep played a hearty blend of classic rocking favorites.

Drummer Steve Brullia was growling out the lead voice on George Thorogood’s “I Drink Alone” as I procured my first cold one of the evening. The band then played Marshall Tucker Band’s “Can’t You See,” with Greg “G-Funk” Larrimore firing off a spacey guitar solo. After Foghat’s “I Just Wanna Make Love to You,” Sidestep broke out their own original bluesy shuffle title tune, “Sidesteppin.’” Several dancers populated the stagefront floor as Sidestep continued with Joe Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way,” Bob Seger’s “Her Strut” and ZZ Top’s “La Grange;” and I soon found myself being pulled upon the dance floor as well. Tom Petty’s “American Girl” and Free’s “All Right Now” completed the set.

Sidestep was sounding sharp thus far. Their instrumental execution was crisp, with Steve’s beats and Tim Kelly’s bass providing the steady, upbeat rhythmic foundation; and Greg firing off fiery, precise guitar solos. John Stevens fleshed out the sound with his rhythm guitar, did a steady job on vocals and spiced things up with occasional bursts of harmonica. Sidestep exuded confidence, and there was some swagger in their strut as they played their tunes.

Soon the group returned to the stage for their nightcap, resuming with the Black Crowes’ “Hard to Handle.” Sidestep kept the ‘Caniac contingent happy with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Call Me the Breeze,” before providing a somewhat unexpected twist from their classic rocking flavors with Violent Femmes’ “Blister In The Sun.” John and Steve shared lead vocal duties on Sidestep’s rendition of ZZ Top’s “Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers,” before the group slowed things down with Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “The Sky Is Crying.” The group kept it Southern with ZZ Top’s “Tube Snake Boogie” and Georgia Satellites’ “Keep Your Hands to Yourself,” followed by Eric Clapton’s “I’m Tore Up.” The biggest highlight of Sidestep’s last set was when the group stepped up the funk with James Brown’s “Get Up (Sex Machine),” bringing dancers back onto Peter C’s dance floor; where they remained for Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Pride and Joy” and Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music” to end the set. When the dance floor participants and Peter C’s fans called for more, Sidestep delivered one more tune, the Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues,” with Acid Reflux’s Dwane Edmiston stepping up and singing lead.

It was another good showing for Sidestep, who delivered the goods and kept the audience happy. This band seems to be getting more polished and feisty with each performance. It’s not an easy task to fill in the shoes of Felix & the Hurricanes at Peter C’s on a Thursday night; but Sidestep did an admirable job in the pinch-hitting role this night.

Sidestep, pinch hitting for the Hurricanes at Peter C’s.

John Stevens of Sidestep.

Greg “G-Funk” Larrimore of Sidestep.

Once again, “G-Funk” of Sidestep.

Post-game chicanery with “G-Funk” and some new fans.

Steve Brullia of Sidestep with one of his admiring fans.

Banana Fandango rocks!

New electric duo hitting stages soon! Banana Fandango & The Professor!

THE GRIMM/UNCLE TRAVELLING MATT @ PETER C’S, ALTOONA 12/17/04

Although The Grimm had announced that they were going on hiatus through much of the winter in order to revamp their live show and learn/write new song material, they did have a Christmas present in store for their fan base, in the form of a special holiday season performance, which wo8uld include a special visit from Satan Claus.

First, there was an opening band, who was onstage as I arrived. From Happy Valley, Uncle Travelling Matt was drilling fast and ferocious punk, metal and hybrid crossbreeds thereof. The group mixed original rants and select covers, executing with razor sharpness and intensity. Uncle Travelling Matt picked up momentum and cheers as they progressed, finishing their set with Metallica’s “Creeping Death” and the original assault “Down Not Out.”

The festive holiday spirit was in the air, with The Grimm handing out their own unique printed nativity scenes to the fans. Peter C’s wasn’t packed, but there were Grimm fans and Grimmettes in attendance to witness what Satan Claus and The Grimm were cooking up (other than ass sweat soup). This would be my first opportunity to observe The Grimm in action with new guitarist Scott Botteicher.

Scott, frontman Bob Lee, bassist Kent Tonkin and drummer Dom Peruso opened their set with an earlier original number, before playing a tune from their self-titled debut CD, “My God, It’s Full of Stars.” My God, it’s full of ass sweat soup, as frontman Bob was cooking it up onstage, and started collecting soup seasonings off his forehead with a feminine sanitary product. Then a moment many Grimm fans were awaiting: the arrival of Satan Claus, as Bob morphed into the evil elf and began dispersing Ramen noodles and other treats from his ‘big bad bag’o’stuff.’ The Grimm then proceeded with two more earlier original tunes, “Enough,” and – surprisingly – “Unreal” from the self-titled disc, a song I’ve not heard them do for a long time! The Grimm then broke out their first cover selection of the night, A Perfect Circle’s “Judith,” before stretching out with their Resurruption original “Flatline Pt. 2,” with Scott, Kent and Dom turning it into a bit of an exotic-flavored jam. Then storming into the opening chords of Metallica’s “Master Of Puppets,” The Grimm finished out their first set with a Metallica medley that fused together portions of “Master…,” “Creeping Death,” “The Small Hours,” “Four Horsemen,” “Am I Evil,” into a “Master Of Puppets” reprise. Members of Uncle Travelling Matt jumped onstage and helped provide backing vocals.

The Grimm festivities and chicanery continued into their nightcap set, kicked off by the original number “6’s and 7’s.” The group then did several selections from Resurruption, including “Forced Reflection” and “Fade;” before presenting their own edition of Tool Time, performing “Aenima” and “Sober.” The group then brought the night to a close with their original stormer “Black Sheep.”

I was interested to see how this group carried on with their newest addition, and how well Scott Botteicher fit into the scheme of this band and their complex repertoire. Scott passed with flying colors; he demonstrated ample technical ability and fire on his leads, and melded well with the rest of the group. Among other things, this show demonstrated to me that The Grimm is still a very stable unit musically and instrumentally (mentally…well, the jury is still out), and I’ll be interested to see the new musical terrains this band decides to explore when they return from their winter hiatus.

Uncle Travelling Matt opens the festivities at Peter C’s.

Once again, Uncle Travelling Matt.

Peter C’s Mary models an Uncle Travelling Matt bumper sticker.

Since they are bumper stickers, Mary gets one placed on her bumper.

The Grimm’s evil elf, Satan Claus, makes his annual appearance.

Kent Tonkin of The Grimm.

Big Bad Bob and Scott Botteicher of The Grimm take it to the fans.

Bob Lee and The Grimm rock the Peter C’s masses.

Members of Uncle Travelling Matt assist The Grimm on the Metallica medley.

Kent Tonkin and Bob Lee of The Grimm.

Lending a Lawrwence Welk mood to the festivities, Esa makes bubbles. Brought to you by our proud sponsors this evening, Geritol.

Once again, Big Bad Bob of The Grimm.

Adorning a feminine sanitary project, Big Bad Bob.

Scott Botteicher of The Grimm.

Dom Peruso of The Grimm.

Once again, Scott Botteicher of The Grimm.

Continuing to rock Peter C’s, The Grimm.

Once again, “Big Bad Bob” Lee of The Grimm.

Once again, The Grimm.

“DUANEFEST” APPLIANCE OUTLET CHRISTMAS PARTY, ALTOONA 12/18/04

I don’t often report on private parties, but I kicked off this Saturday night with the annual Christmas party thrown by Duane Sipe at his business, Appliance Outlet in Altoona. Besides the usual amenities of ample food and drink, usually this party includes some live music.

Attendance wasn’t especially heavy this year, including the musician populace. But eventually, without a drummer, Duane and several members of Bedford County country rockers Midnight Rodeo got together and performed several numbers. It was a little more low-key this year, but at least there was some jamming in the house.

As the clock approached midnight, I decided to depart and take in another band in action in the ‘Toona this night…

Duane Sipe, flanked by Mark Diehl and Terry Feathers of Midnight Rodeo.

Once again, Terry, Mark and Duane.

SCREAM @ PETER C’S, ALTOONA 12/18/04

It had been a few months since I last saw Huntingdon County 80’s rockers Scream, and I had yet to witness this band with their new drummer, Greg Reigle. So I headed to Peter C’s for the third night in a row to witness Scream in their first appearance there.

While not packed, I was happy to see at least a mid-sized crowd in the house, and a receptive and cheering crowd as Scream fired through 80’s hair-band favorites. Greg, singer Jeff Hoover, bassist Robert Port and guitarists Ed Miller and Skip Henry were in the midst of some Def Leppard as I arrived, performing “Pour Some Sugar On Me” and “Love Bites.” The group then revved things up with Motley Crue’s “Kickstart My Heart,” featuring Ed utilizing a guitar talkbox. Scream proceeded with Judas Priest’s “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin,’” Rhino Bucket’s “One Night Stand” and Slade-via-Quiet Riot’s “Cum On Feel the Noize.” Then it was Scream’s take on Golden Earring-via-White Lion’s “Radar Love,” stalled briefly by a Jeff Hoover Alzheimer’s moment, and showcasing new thunder man Greg with a solo behind the kit. The group then slowed things down to finish the set, performing Aerosmith’s “Dream On.”

Peter C’s was appreciating Scream’s performance thus far, and the audience was cheering after each tune. Several audience members remembered these musicians’ previous bands, too, and called out for the band to perform some Bashful music. Several off-duty musicians were in the house taking in the show as well.

Soon Scream returned to the stage for more. Their nightcap set kicked off explosively with Sammy Hagar’s “Heavy Metal,” and proceeded with tunes from Kix, Poison, Autograph’s “Turn Up the Radio” and Bulletboys’ “Smooth Up In Ya.” After another Rhino Bucket number, Scream slowed it down for the couples again, performing Ozzy Osbourne’s “Goodbye to Romance.” The group made it an Ozzy double-shot by launching into “Crazy Train,” and were joined onstage by Sidestep frontman John Stevens, reliving his Thin Ice glories and singing lead. John remained onstage for Scream’s final tune of the night, Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls.”

As expected, Scream rocked in good form this night. New drummer Greg is a great fit behind the kit, his style is rapidfire, forceful and thunderous. Ed and Skip again dazzled on the frets, demonstrating clean and precise solos and combining for effective dual guitar harmonies. Robert’s bass boomed as always, and Jeff’s voice was in decent form.

Peter C’s seemed to enjoy Scream, and their debut there appeared to be a success. Hopefully more Peter C’s visits are in the future once the group completes their winter hibernation.

Scream, making their debut at Peter C’s.

The new guy behind the kit, Greg Reigle of Scream.

Once again, Scream.

Jeff Hoover of Scream.

Ed Miller and Skip Henry of Scream.

Breaking some thin ice on Scream’s microphone, John Stevens fronts Scream during Ozzy’s “Crazy Train.”

Once again, John Stevens.

Again, Scream with John Stevens.

From Peter C’s peanut gallery, Tina, Michelle and Deb enjoy Scream’s performance.

John Stevens, flanked by Ed Miller and Skip Henry of Scream.

Skip Henry of Scream.

Jeff Hoover and Skip Henry of Scream.

Once again, Greg Reigle of Scream.

Robert Port of Scream.

Post-game festivities: The Right Honorable Guv’nor Jesse poses for a picture with Robert Port of Scream.

GIANTS OF SCIENCE @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 12/19/04

Late Sunday night found me back at Pellegrine’s to put the wraps on the weekend. Giants Of Science provided the musical entertainment, making their first appearance at Pellegrine’s in a long time.

The Giants Of Science had undergone two changes since the last time I saw them. Guitarist Johnny 5 has been replaced by another guitarist who simply goes by ‘C.’ And the group has added a fifth member to play keys; Scotty B, formerly of Tin Pan Alley. This move frees up Crow to concentrate on rhythm guitar and singing.

The Giants were closing out their second set as I arrived, performing Dead Or Alive’s “You Spin Me (Like A Record)” and John Mellencamp’s “Hurts So Good.” A good crowd was on hand, and several people were on the dance floor and having fun.

The Giants were without their customary facepaints and labcoats this night. One band member remarked that their makeup was frozen outside in the truck; and that now everyone would learn how ugly they were.

Soon, the group returned to the stage to play their final set of the evening. Kicking of with Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” the Giants kept Pelly’s dance floor active with a set of mostly 80’s tunes. Numbers from the Beastie Boys, Don Henley, Cheap Trick, Men At Work, Cameo, Violent Femmes, Rick Springfield, Bruce Springsteen, Guns’N’Roses and the Bangles kept Pelly’s festive and dancing. The party was festive enough that the audience demanded two encores this night. The Giants Of Science answered first with Tom Petty’s “American Girl,” and for the second encore did J. Geils Band’s “Centerfold,” enveloping a brief Weezer “Hashpipe” side journey within.

The updated Giants Of Science roster did a solid job this night. The new additions to the group worked out well; ‘C,’ although not particularly flashy, was a solid and capable guitar player who got the job done; and Scotty B contributed depth and texture to the group’s sound with his keyboard fills and effects. Scotty’s presence also freed up Crow to concentrate more on voice and rhythm guitar; and as the group’s strongest singer, this served to strengthen his impact on the group’s overall sound.

Overall, it was a good performance, and a successful return to Pellegrine’s that will hopefully lead to more visits there. And perhaps one of these times, I’ll again get to witness these Giants in full labcoat and facepaint regalia.

New guitarist ‘C’ and Mickey of Giants Of Science.

The Giants Of Science’s new keyboardist, Scotty B.

Once again, ‘C’ of Giants Of Science.

With some ladies singing backing vocals, Crow of Giants Of Science.

Aaron of Giants Of Science.

Mick of Giants Of Science.

Once again, Crow of Giants Of Science.
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