[Jim Price]

WEEKEND RECAP 7/18/05

FAT VINNY & THE WISEGUYS @ WING-OFF, LAKEMONT PARK, ALTOONA 7/14/05

Summer 2005 was in full swing, and one of my favorite summertime rituals had arrived; the annual Lakemont Wing-Off’s – providing six consecutive Thursdays with hot wings, cold beer, good bands and fun times. With Fat Vinny & the Wiseguys providing the entertainment for the Wing-Off 2005 kickoff, I was there!

Citing the special occasion of the inaugural Wing-Off for 2005, Fat Vinny & company didn’t show up empty-handed, as they brought along special guest Denny Owens to wail some harmonica along the way. As I procured initial wingage from The Cantina, Fat Vinny and company started the Wing-Off bluesfest with Muddy Waters’ “Mannish Boy,” and proceeded to mix blues, blues-rock favorites and original songs. Songs by Delbert McClinton and B.B. King sandwiched the original tune “Barroom Floor,” before the group bluesed out further with Robert Johnson’s “Sweet Home Chicago” and Lightnin’ Hopkins’ “Have You Ever Been Mistreated.” The ZZ Top triple-shot of “La Grange,” “Tube Snake Boogie” and “Tush” finished out the first set.

The crowd grew as late afternoon progressed into evening, as Altoonadom showed up to celebrate wings and good times on a summertime Thursday evening once again. And a number of folks gathered around the stage and picnic table area to enjoy wings, brews and band.

Fat Vinny & the Wiseguys took me by surprise to open their second set, unveiling their own bluesy take on a Tracy Chapman number, “Give Me One Reason.” The group introduced another number from their new Tight Play album, “Lucky Charm,” went pool hustlin’ with Jonny Lang’s “Rack ‘Em Up” and delivered the John Lee Hooker double-shot of “Boom Boom” and “Jesse James.” After Elias McDaniel/George Thorogood’s “Who Do You Love,” Fat Vinny & the Wiseguys returned to the South with the Marshall Tucker Band’s “Can’t You See,” continued with more blues, Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Cold Shot” and “Pride and Joy” to complete the set.

I stuck around for the first few songs of the Wiseguys’ nightcap set, as the group continued with Hank Sr./George Thorogood’s “Move It On Over,” the Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women,” Willie Dixon’s “Little Red Rooster” and another George Thorogood hit, “Bad to the Bone.” Due to workplace duties, I had to force myself to depart this celebration of wings, brew, music and general Altoid debauchery.

But Fat Vinny & the Wiseguys sounded fine (avoiding the sound system problems that plagued their 2004 Wing-Off appearance), the wings were good, the brews were cold, the ladies were attractive, and with Wing-Offs 2005 officially underway, all was right with the world.

Denny Owens, blowing some harp for Fat Vinny & the Wiseguys.

Fat Vinny & the Wiseguys, with guest Denny Owens on harp.

Group namesake Fat Vinny.

A happy fan grooves in front of the stage.

BLUE NUMBER NINE @ CURTIN MALL, ALTOONA 7/15/05

When Blue Number Nine performed at the Blair County Arts Festival back in May, I only was able to witness ten minutes of their performance before having to depart for work. When the group had mentioned that they were returning to the area in July, I made a point of adjusting my schedule in order to catch a full show.

The setting was Altoona’s Curtin Mall, for the “Summer Sounds Of Jazz” Friday evening concert series, with proceeds helping out the Blair County Arts Foundation and Altoona Community Theater. The performance itself was free, with mixed drinks and beer available and Clem’s Ribs and other food items for sale. And the musical entertainment, of course, was New Jersey’s Blue Number Nine.

These gals and guys were excellent! I arrived just as they were ending their first set, but did get to see guitarist Luca Tozzi fire off an incredible lead solo in the waning moments of the set’s last song. Intermission enabled me to order up some Clem’s ribs and procure a strategic seating spot to witness the second and third sets from.

A good crowd was on hand to take in the show. This was encouraging, and bode well for the future of this particular outdoor live music event to continue in downtown Altoona. I touched base with the production contingent of Tom and Casey from Freelance Audio, who indicated their amazement with what Blue Number Nine had shown the Altoona audience thus far.

Soon Blue Number Nine returned to the stage to commence their second set, doing so with a tasty rendition of Carole King’s “I Feel the Earth Move.” Singer/flutist Stefanie Seskin, backing singers Morgan Rose Fite and Christine Vaindirlis, the aforementioned Luca Tozzi on guitar, drummer Jack Gourdine II and bassist Marco Accattatis performed a blend of pop, funk, jazz and blues-flavored sounds, incorporating luscious vocal harmonies, tight musicianship, choreography and a warm, fun vibe. The group continued with the lightly funky “Take It All the Way,” and Stefanie showcased her flute abilities on “When You Are Down.” Stefanie then introduced a song from Blue Number Nine’s just released new album, Living It Up in the New World, called “Dig My Hands.” After a funky, hard-driving number, the group launched into Stevie Wonder’s “Living In The City,” with Morgan singing lead. The other backing singer, Christine, got to showcase her lead singing abilities on the following tune, “Call to Freedom.” The jazz/funk-leaning song “Make Believe” featured the ladies demonstrating some cool choreographed dance moves, and Luca Tozzi blazing yet another stunning guitar solo as the tune built to a crescendo. Blue Number Nine then did a version of Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love,” followed by more original numbers, including “You’ll Know What to Do,” and “Love the Beat” from the new album to conclude the show.

As I said, this band was amazing! Stefanie, Morgan and Christine sang like birds, harmonizing smoothly and tastefully on each number, and keeping the vibe friendly and upbeat. On the instrumental end, Jack and Marco combined for soulful, in-the-pocket rhythms that supported and carried each number along; while Luca frequently dazzled with his stunning guitar abilities – this cat could work those frets! The crowd was clearly digging the sounds, and the applause steadily grew after each song. At show’s end, a number of new fans stepped up to the stage to purchase copies of the group’s CD’s; obviously Blue Number Nine had expanded their Altoona fan base this night!

Count me in as one of the new fans; I thoroughly enjoyed my first full look at Blue Number Nine and what they brought to the stage. According to Morgan, more local dates are likely within the year, including a possible State College show soon. And based on the response they received this night, I think it is a good bet that the Altoona area hasn’t seen the last of Blue Number Nine – watch for them, and check them out when they return to the neighborhood!

Luca Tozzi of Blue Number Nine.

Blue Number Nine entertains the audience at Altoona’s Curtin Mall.

Stefanie Seskin of Blue Number Nine, showing her flute abilities.

Demonstrating excellent voice, Stefanie Seskin of Blue Number Nine.

Once again, Blue Number Nine entertains the mixed-ages audience at Altoona’s Curtin Mall.

As the sun goes down, Blue Number Nine lights it up onstage.

ROCK & RYE/THE EARTHTONES @ BURGI’S ROUNDHOUSE, ALTOONA 7/15/05

After leaving the Curtin Mall, I made my way to Burgi’s Roundhouse to check in with The Earthtones. It had been almost a year to the day since I last experienced this group’s reggae sounds, when they provided the finale to the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in State College.

I arrived as Rock & Rye was ending their dinner hour show. Greg Burley (“Rock”) and Ryan Clark (“Rye”) were in the midst of Dobie Gray’s “Drift Away,” and with audience member Colleen joining in on backing vocals, the pair finished up their performance with Bob Seger’s “Turn the Page.” I didn’t get to hear much of Rock & Rye, but what I did hear sounded good, and the Burgi’s dinner crowd seemed to enjoy it.

The Earthtones finished setting up their gear, and eventually did a soundcheck. Several fans anticipated the Earthtones’ performance, and started dancing during the soundcheck, as the group warmed up with “Life Without Music.”

After a few minutes, the set did officially begin. As expected, The Earthtones – singer Rodney “RT” Thompson, guitarist Chris Younken, keyboard players Roger Emes and Kamau Diallo, bassist Chris Kepler and drummer John Lynch played various reggae and reggae-geared sounds, including generous doses of Bob Marley and more. Over the course of their two sets, the group did such Marley classics as “Lively Up Yourself,” “Stir It Up,” “Rat Race,” “No Woman No Cry” and more; also songs from Burning Spear, Culture, original tunes and more.

Despite a lower-than-expected turnout, the Earthtones dazzled at what they did. I was steadily impressed by the varied and flavorful backdrops laid down by the keyboard section of Roger and Kamau, working in balanced tandem with Chris Younken’s guitarwork and Chris Kepler’s and John’s rhythms. The former Chris frequently amazed with fiery guitar solo displays throughout the night. And RT again demonstrated good voice, personality, charisma and style as frontman. Put together, it amounted to a variety of captivating grooves and songs that kept things interesting start to end.

Although attendance was off this night, Burgi’s appears to have become the Altoona ‘home’ for The Earthtones, and more appearances here are likely. For your reggae fix, it doesn’t get much better!

The Earthtones, bringing their reggae sounds to Burgi’s Roundhouse.

Rodney “RT” Thompson of The Earthtones.

The Earthtones’ rhythm tandem, drummer John Lynch and bassist Chris Kepler.

Once again, Rodney “RT” Thompson of The Earthtones.

Chris Younken of The Earthtones.

Once again, The Earthtones, bringing reggae to Burgi’s Roundhouse.

From a different angle, The Earthtones.

The Earthtones’ keyboard tandem of Kamau Diallo and Roger Emes.

CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS, STATE COLLEGE 7/16/05

It has now become a required part of my summer; I had to make my annual pilgrimage to the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in State College.

The weather forecast was threatening as I made my sojourn to Happy Valley. I could see dark clouds on the horizons, and I was hoping that the event wasn’t going to be drenched by rain and thunderstorms. I parked at Penn State’s Beaver Stadium, paid the $5 parking fee and took the shuttle bus in to downtown State College and the Festival. Five dollars was worth avoiding the hassle of trying to find a parking space downtown.

Upon departing the shuttle bus, I had a piece of unfinished business from last year’s Arts Festival I had to take care of before taking in any of the musical entertainers at this year’s event. I had wanted to try some food from the India Pavilion Restaurant pavilion, but it had closed up by the time I went to get food there last year. So I was determined not to miss out this year. I made my way to the pavilion, and ordered up Chicken Makhani. This was good stuff, a spicy chicken recipe with bright orange sauce, served over rice. I promptly devoured it, and was now ready to explore what else this year’s Arts Festival had to offer.

I made my way to the Allen Street stage, to catch the latter portion of the group Strangers Vibe. Out of Philadelphia, this band was a four-piece, performing acoustic-driven jam rock. I got to witness the band’s last two songs, “Say Goodbye” and “Up and Coming.” The former song became an extended jam when one of the guitarists’ strings broke. The latter song featured some interesting chord progressions and tunings. Another broken guitar string prompted an end to their set. Strangers Vibe was good for what I saw. The group primarily performs around the Philadelphia and Washington DC areas; future Happy Valley visits are a possibility.

Strangers Vibe, entertaining at the Arts Festival.

Once again, Strangers Vibe.

I then proceeded across College Avenue to the main stage in front of Old Main on the Penn State main campus, where Luminiscent Orchestrii was finishing up their set. I had seen this group for the first time at last year’s festival, as they performed an intriguing mixture of gypsy folk, klezmer, tangos and more. The group finished their last song of the set, but due to audience demand, continued with a six-song encore. The group again featured a female fiddle section, along with other interesting instrumentation like melodica, gitaro and more. Songs performed during their encore included their original song “Too Hot to Sleep,” along with the Hungarian “Mahalla,” the Cuban bolero “Latarde” and more.

Luminiscent Orchestrii again wows the audience at the Central PA Festival of the Arts.

Once again, Luminiscent Orchestrii.

After making my now-traditional Arts Festival stop at the Penn State Creamery tent to do some “Peachy Paterno” ice cream, I headed back to the Allen Street stage to catch some of Deirdre Flint’s set. Also from Philadelphia, Deirdre – armed with her acoustic guitar – mixed song and comedy for an interesting presentation. Deirdre’s songs were witty odes to every day situations and things we take for granted. “Food” was, according to Deirdre, a ‘love song’ about her favorite edibles. Sung to the tune of the Gilligan’s Island theme, “Home Depot” was about a store ‘island’ that men visit but never leave. Deirdre also sang songs about people’s well-intentioned advice, the bridesmaid’s dress, and idiot emails and spam (this one was especially clever), before ending her set with her musical prayer to “The Boob Fairy.” Deirdre’s presentation was friendly and conversational, as she comfortably bantered with the audience between her song selections. Her lyrics were witty and thoughtful, and the large Arts Festival audience responded with cheers and laughter along the way.

Deirdre Flint.

These onlookers take in Deirdre Flint’s performance from the rooftop above Ben & Jerry’s.

After Deirdre’s set, I stuck around and procured a seat near the front of the stage so I had a good vantage point to witness the next band, Kairos. I had only seen Kairos once before, several years ago after they first formed, at Peter C’s. I was impressed with that show, which was a CD-release celebration for their equally impressive self-titled first disc. Now, after seemingly vanishing in the period since that show, Kairos had landed a slot in the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.

Kairos underwent one roster change in the years since that first show. After their bass player departed, singer/guitarist Jason Sturm met and married his wife, Shar, who became the group’s new bassist. Josh Sturm remains the group’s lead guitarist, while Andrew Rodaniche provides the drumbeats. After opening with their own soaring, stern-rocking treatment of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” (the only cover song they did in this set), Kairos showcased a selection of hard-hitting original songs, most from their newly-released second CD, Rethink: Reshape. Kairos’ base sound continues to be melody-geared, technical, heavy modern rock with soaring vocals and escalating, oceanic song arrangements. From the new CD, Kairos did such numbers as the Tool-like opener “Loss of Supplication,” “Saturate,” “Digging Through Sand,” “Synapse,” “Possessions,” “Futility” and more. The group was instrumentally strong, tight and powerful; and singer Jason was a model of vocal control, varying his intensity between understated and quiet to soaring and passionate. Based on this set, Kairos has definitely moved forward since their debut, and with an appearance on the Vans Warped Tour’s Pittsburgh date, the future appears bright for this group. Good stuff!

Kairos kicks off their set at the Central PA Festival of the Arts.

Jason Sturm of Kairos.

Kairos rocks the crowd at the Central PA Festival of the Arts.

Shar Sturm of Kairos.

Josh Sturm of Kairos.

In the heat of a solo, Josh Sturm of Kairos.

Again, Jason Sturm of Kairos.

Once again, Jason Sturm of Kairos.

Andrew Rodaniche of Kairos.

Again, Josh Sturm of Kairos.

Again, Shar Sturm of Kairos.

I remained near the front of the stage, and even moved to front row and center to witness the next scheduled act, Tyne & the Fastlyne. I observed as the band members set up their instruments, including frontlady Tyne Replogle’s interesting assortment of banjo and guitars, and Pat McGinnis’ upright bass. As they set up their gear, though, I noticed distant lightning flashing brighter and more frequently; a storm was approaching. I hoped this storm might peter out or sidestep State College, or at least hold off until after Tyne & the Fastlyne got their performance in. But just moments before Tyne & the Fastlyne were to start their set, the skies cut loose, and heavy rain, lightning and thunder descended upon downtown State College. Festival-goers dove for awnings, storefronts and other cover. Musicians and production people scrambled to cover instruments and gear. I pulled out my plastic rain poncho from my camera case and put it on, initially determined to ride the storm out in my seat – but one sudden close lightning strike quickly changed my mind, and I moved to cover as well. The downpour grew more intense, and after a stage-covering awning suddenly buckled and emptied its contents onto the stage and gear, power was cut off, and Tyne & the Fastlyne’s performance was officially rained out; bringing a soggy ending to this day at the Central Pennsylvania Festival Of The Arts.

FOXXY @ THE ARENA, STATE COLLEGE 7/16/05

After rain ended the evening at the Arts Festival, I deliberated what to do. Penn State was staging “After Fest” on the Hetzel Union Building (“HUB”) lawn; this is the late Saturday night concert that was introduced a few years ago to give students a fun alternative to the drunken rioting that plagued Arts Festival weekend a few years ago. The concert, with the Verve Pipe headlining, was to begin at 11 PM, but the rains delayed the start. Rain had tapered off to a light drizzle as I made my way up to the HUB lawn to investigate. But, after pondering whether to stick around for a few minutes, I decided I didn’t feel like waiting around to see the Verve Pipe, so I walked back to my car (yes, I could have taken the shuttle bus, but I was already halfway to the stadium parking lot when I left the HUB lawn, and traffic was light at this point of the evening). I then drove to The Arena to check in with Foxxy.

This was my first visit to The Arena since their previous life as The Last Cowboy. The venue’s set-up is basically the same, only they’ve dumped the country and western theme. Foxxy was in between their first and second sets, and a good-sized crowd was resting their dancing feet and joyfully socializing. Shortly after arriving, I learned that Foxxy was playing with a few injuries this night; guitar man Bill Ziegler had injured his knee after banging it into an amplifier earlier in the week, and during their first set, new Foxxy frontlady Lexxy Berich had a mishap with the microphone and chipped one of her teeth. But these two musicians realized that in the Saturday night leagues of the music biz, the show must go on, so they troopered on. Lexxy’s father greeted me, and graciously treated me to a plate of The Arena’s delicious wings (Thanks!) as we awaited the start of the second set.

Soon, Foxxy returned to the stage, at first minus Lexxy. Bill, bassist Stan Orndorf, keyboardist Johnny X, drummer Kevin Thomas and new guitarist Ryan Carter (ex-Blaz-On) started into U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name,” with Ryan singing lead. Lexxy then took over lead vocal duties, firing up the dance floor party with Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” and Madonna’s “Like A Virgin.” Stan then flexed his vocal cords as Foxxy broke into renditions of two classics, Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit Of The Sky” segueing into ZZ Top’s “La Grange.” Lexxy, taking her presentation out onto the dance floor and around to the tables, stepped up the party further by leading Foxxy in renditions of Lit’s “My Own Worst Enemy,” the B-52’s “Love Shack,” and the K.C. & the Sunshine Band triple-shot of “Get Down Tonight,” “Shake Your Booty” and “That’s The Way I Like It.” Foxxy then shifted into a more classic vein with Steve Miller Band’s “The Joker” into Dobie Gray’s “Drift Away.” Foxxy then gearshifted into 80’s mode, performing Bon Jovi’s “Living On a Prayer,” Bryan Adams’ “Summer Of ‘69” and the Beastie Boys’ “Fight For Your Right (to Party).” With the dance floor packed, Lexxy and Bill led the group in a rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ever-popular “Sweet Home Alabama;” before slowing things down to showcase Lexxy’s vocal range and power on 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up.” From behind the kit, Kevin then sang lead on Garth Brooks’ “Friends In Low Places,” before Foxxy closed out the party with the Commodores’ “Brick House,” Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock’n’Roll,” and Lexxy’s especially feisty read of Shania Twain’s “Man I Feel Like a Woman.” But the Arena crowd quickly demanded one more song, and Foxxy rewarded them with an encore performance of No Doubt’s “Just A Girl.”

Foxxy is clearly back up to speed following their transition between singers. Lexxy picked up where her predecessor left off, and her enthusiastic performance and fiery vocal style has injected new energy into this group. As her bandmates backed her with a tight and upbeat backdrop, Lexxy confidently worked the crowd and the room and lifted the Arena into party mode quickly. The band was confident, solid and steady, having fun and keeping it happy onstage with nearly nonstop action. This was a seasoned party force, doing what they did well. Foxxy stickers were again gracing the derriers of willing dance floor participants, and it was easily clear that this band’s party is back on track.

Things are back on track enough so, in fact, that Foxxy is re-introducing their country music alter ego, Crossover, on select stages as well – according to Bill, country music is what Lexxy started out singing, so she is no stranger to it. So watch for Foxxy, Crossover, and Bill’s acoustic duo Fools On Stools, on area stages; based on this night, all are a good time waiting to happen!

Foxxy, firing up the party at The Arena.

Lexxy Berich and Stan Orndorf of Foxxy.

Stan Orndorf of Foxxy.

Lexxy Berich of Foxxy.

Again, Lexxy Berich of Foxxy.

With a knee injury keeping him stoolbound this night, Bill Ziegler of Foxxy.

Once again, Lexxy Berich of Foxxy.

Ryan Carter of Foxxy.

Lexxy Berich and Foxxy keep the Arena dance floor busy.

Once again, Ryan Carter of Foxxy.

AND NOW OUR “OUTDOOR SPORTSMAN” SEGMENT…

ROCKPAGE FLOAT TRIP, JUNIATA RIVER near HUNTINGDON 7/17/05

It had been talked about for months on Rockpage; plans were drawn up and organized, and the day had finally arrived, the first-ever Rockpage Float Trip on the Juniata River, below the Raystown dam and down river to near Huntingdon. I had never floated a river before, so I was stoked to see what this was all about. And armed with fishing rod and small tackle box, I was ready to see what fish treasures this portion of the Juniata held.

As the we arrived at our predestined meeting point to start our afternoon river sojourn (the Huntingdon Sheetz), float trip organizer John “Songsmith” Stevens and I discovered two things: First, we were the only two Rockpagers taking part; second, there were thunderstorms nearby, with more in the forecast. We made our way to the first boat launch area, where we ditched my car, and took John’s truck (carrying the kayaks) 3 miles upstream to our launching point. Decision time had arrived; did we put kayaks in the river and chance getting stormed on, or did we heed the rumbles of thunder nearby and abandon our long-awaited float trip and do some riverbank fishing instead? Call us crazy, but as thunder rumbled nearby, we decided to go for it, and set kayaks in river and began our journey. As we were putting our kayaks in, I noticed a bunch of hellgrammites populating the edge of the river. John gathered up a bunch of them in his bait-holding container (an upside-down plastic milk jug with the bottom cut out, a simple and innovative device I have since made for myself). I had never used hellgrammites for bait, yet, but learned by the end of the day that these things were lethal for catching bass!

As I said before, this was my first float trip, and also my first time in a kayak. It took me a few minutes to figure out how to propel the kayak to where I wanted it to go, how to “brake” it against the river currents, and how to use the oars to steer the kayak. John and I started our three-mile trek down the river; and as John had told us, this was one nice stretch of river! Clear water, relatively shallow and slow moving, and for the most part, easy to navigate once I got my bearings on how to operate the kayak. For a first-time kayaker, this was an excellent spot to learn!

But there were clouds around, and shortly into our journey, the skies opened up and we got rained on. No problem, I was dressed in attire appropriate for getting rained on, and it was warm and steamy anyway, so the moisture was not necessarily unwelcomed. Fortunately, though, John had equipped both his kayak and mine with sponges, so we used them to drain the rainwater out of our vessels, so we wouldn’t be brewing up bowls of ass sweat soup during the rest of our journey.

After I gained some confidence in my kayak-maneuvering abilities, I broke out my fishing rod and tackle box, set up and began casting. I didn’t have any live bait with me (my usual preference), so I used a rooster-tail spinner. I generally don’t fare very well when using artificial baits, spinners, jigs, etc.; I haven’t mastered the art of effectively using these devices to catch fish yet. (And I tend to think that many of these artificial, surefire fish-catching devices offered up by the manufacturers are more designed to catch dollar bills out of the wallets of gullible fishermen than to catch fish out of lakes and streams.) But it didn’t take long for me to hook my first fish of the afternoon; a smallish redear sunfish, which I promptly unhooked and threw back in the river.

As we slowly proceeded down the river, though, we started to hear thunder in the distance, which grew louder and closer. Uh-oh. I certainly didn’t want to be in the water during a thunderstorm, and we took notice as high dark clouds started gathering behind us. The thunder grew louder and more frequent, and it was apparent that Lake Raystown was coming under direct fire from the storm. John and I both decided we should make a run for it and try to outrun the storm, hopefully reaching an area where we could exit the river before the storm caught up with us. Problem was, we were hitting a more shallow stretch of river, littered with rocks and riffles that we had to avoid or risk getting hung up on rocks in the middle of the river. Just as a bolt of lightning struck close by and this storm was threatening to nail us, guess what? I got hung up on a rock! I frantically struggled to free my kayak from the rock, using my oar and my hands, while trying not to upset the kayak and make matters worse. This was in a part of the river where the current was a little stronger, and John was already past me and downstream, so he couldn’t backtrack to assist me. It got tense, but I eventually freed my kayak, and then did my best Olympic kayaker impersonation as I blazed the kayak down the river, with the oncoming storm rumbling louder behind us. Fortunately, as we powered our way downstream, the thunder started fading, and the sky grew brighter; the storm was passing behind us, and appeared to be less of a threat. When it appeared that we had dodged this storm, we slowed down our escape and began casting our fishing lines again. I soon hooked up with a small rock bass, which I also unhooked and released back into the river.

After about 3-4 hours, we reached the launch area where my car was parked, and we exited the river. We spent a short while fishing from the bank, witnessing as an elderly man nearly did in his boat and his grandson while putting his boat in the river (the motor came off the boat during the incident, but he was able to reattach it and they were still able to go out on the river). As the sun started to set, we loaded up kayaks and fishing gear, and called it a day.

This was fun! Yes, it had its share of storm-related drama, and we got rained on and wet, but I still had a blast experiencing this stretch of the Juniata River up close and personal! Thanks to John for the use of the kayak; hopefully I didn’t scratch too much paint off of it during my run through the rocks. And I highly recommend this trip to Rockpagers when we put it together again next year. Because based on the fun I had on this trip, I’m definitely up for the sequel!


Just starting out on our journey, Songsmith starts casting in the Juniata River.

Shortly into our journey, we got caught in a downpour.

My first catch of the day, a rock bass (I threw him back).

Further downstream, Songsmith gets well ahead of me in his kayak.

After leaving the water, I caught another rock bass as the sun began to set.

LOVE STOMP @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 7/17/05

After returning home and getting showered up after the Rockpage float trip, I headed to Pellegrine’s to conclude my weekend, with Harrisburg’s Love Stomp providing the tunage.

I arrived just before the start of Love Stomp’s second set, and a mid-sized crowd was on hand. But as I had seen with Love Stomp’s prior Pellegrine’s shows; while a crowd was present, they were unresponsive early on. Nobody got up to dance as frontlady Amy K., guitarist Willy G., bassist Milhouse and drummer Ray Ray kicked into the Ramones double-shot of “Blitzkrieg Bop” and “I Wanna Be Sedated” to begin their set. The group continued with the James Gang’s “Funk #49,” a rocking take of Alanis Morisette’s “Hand In My Pocket,” Weezer’s “Hashpipe,” and Cranberries’ “Zombie,” enhanced by Milhouse’s eerie bass effects. The group continued to try to fire up the party with Hole’s “Celebrity Skin,” White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” No Doubt’s “Just A Girl” and finally, Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls On Parade” to end the set, not succeeding in drawing more than the occasional drunken nutjob onto the dance floor. Yes, it was one of those nights at Pelly’s.

Love Stomp didn’t help out their cause during the intermission, though. The band disappeared for a nearly 40-minute intermission even though their second set ended at 12:50, and they could only play until 2! The group slowly returned to the stage at 1:30, and gave the Pellegrine’s audience an entire six-song final set; featuring tunes from Blondie, Tone Loc, Wild Cherry, K.C. & the Sunshine Band, Donna Summer, and Lit’s “My Own Worst Enemy” to end the night. Along the way, some more people got up and danced, helping Love Stomp salvage what was an otherwise slow night.

Performance-wise, Love Stomp did a respectable job, when they were on the stage. Their presentation was crisp, and Amy continues to be a lively, exciting frontlady with a powerful voice and stage presence. Some of their transitions between songs appeared haphazard and disorganized, but once they entered into each song, they did a decent job.

Off stage, though, this band needs work. This is the second time I’ve witnessed marathon intermissions from this crew, what gives? People pay their cover charge to see you perform, not to see an empty stage! I again heard disgruntled audience members and Pelly’s staff, growing impatient as the group’s second intermission dragged on and on. The band Great Train Robbery once did an album called “Short Sets, Long Breaks, Big Money.” It might be a formula that some bands dream of, but in practice, it doesn’t do much to earn fans or confidence from club owners.

Ultimately, while I liked what I heard from Love Stomp, I didn’t like the long amount of what I didn’t hear. If Love Stomp can put their energetic stage show together with a more professional attitude off the stage, their future could be bright. But this night probably sealed their fate at this venue; and I wouldn’t expect to see any Sunday night sightings of Love Stomp again any time soon.

Amy K. of Love Stomp.

Ray Ray of Love Stomp.

Again, Ray Ray of Love Stomp.

Milhouse of Love Stomp.

No apparent relation to Kenny G, Willy G. of Love Stomp.

Love Stomp parties down at Pellegrine’s.

Again, Willy G. of Love Stomp.

Again, Amy K. of Love Stomp.

A little psychedelic Ray Ray behind Love Stomp’s drum kit.

While we’re at it, a little psychedelic Amy K. of Love Stomp.

And some psychedelic Willy G. and Milhouse of Love Stomp.
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