[Jim Price]

JP’S HIGHLIGHT REEL – 2002

As we cross the threshold into another new year, here are my ten favorite area music highlights of 2002 (in no particular order):

1.) THE NEVERMOURE “ROCK THE BLOCK” PARTY. As far as I’m concerned, the Nevermoure-staged block party along 1st Avenue next to Prospect Pool in July was the best outdoor party that happened in Altoona in 2002. Nevermoure, Poptart Monkeys, Felix & the Hurricanes, Stickboy from North Carolina, and last-minute addition V.I.H. provided the music; the 1st Avenue neighbors provided the food, and Furrer Beverage provided the liquid refreshments. The Block Party turned out being a great time, a much-needed day of music, food, fun in the sun and an opportunity for a large cross-section of the community to come together and share the day. The music was great, and the atmosphere was electric and fun the whole day. Altoona needs more feel-good summertime events like this; and at last word, Nevermoure was planning to stage a sequel to this party next summer!

2.) FELIX & THE HURRICANES’ AUTUMN “BLUES CRUISE.” The final outdoor music event I got to enjoy in late October was my first ever Felix & the Hurricanes “Blues Cruise,” aboard the Proud Mary at Lake Raystown Resort. It turned out being a great autumn day, with the fall foliage display in the mountains overlooking the lake showing colors in peak form, as a good sized crowd rode the boat and cruised while Felix & the Hurricanes delivered the tunes. Friendly vibes, good music, reasonable temperatures, and the boat pulled back into dock in plenty of time for me to zip back over the mountain and do the “Backyard Rocker” live at 8 PM! I thoroughly enjoyed my very first “Blues Cruise,” it will not be my last!

3.) HALESTORM’S MARATHON WEEKEND. This was one of those situations that, if you didn’t know the circumstances leading up to it, you wouldn’t fully appreciate it. The adventure began on Friday night, when “Big Jim” Bandito and I roadtripped to the now-defunct Spectators in Bellefonte to see the double-bill of Stept On and Halestorm. We arrived during Halestorm’s set, and were planning to stick around and catch both bands. Because of the underage members in the band, Halestorm was informed they had to leave Spectators after their set. No problem, “Big Jim” and I would catch Stept On’s first set while Halestorm packed up their gear. Since the group was playing Peter C’s the following night, and had hotel accommodations in Altoona, we offered to escort them back to Altoona and help them find their hotel. En route to State College to grab a bite to eat, Halestorm’s van broke down with a blown fuel pump – right outside of Rockview State Penitentiary! “Big Jim” and I helped the band and their entourage get the van towed to a garage in State College, and good Samaritan that Jim is, he drove two carloads of Halestorm’s entourage back to Altoona to the group’s hotel, and lent the group the use of his spare car until they got their van back and running the next day. To make a long story short, through the ordeal, Halestorm got very little rest, and was “running on fumes” by the time they did their Peter C’s show Saturday night. Despite the lack of rest; after Feight opened the evening, Halestorm played an incredible show, going NONSTOP for over 2 hours, catching their second wind and picking up energy as they went! Perhaps this show more than any other convinced me that singer Lzzy and drummer Arejay are troopers; and despite their current PLCB and band personnel issues, these two young musicians are in it for the long haul.

4.) SAUCEMONSTER’S POST-CALENDAR GIRL CONTEST PERFORMANCE AT PETER C’S. Though I witnessed a number of kickass sets from Saucemonster during the past year, this night was the one that stood out above and beyond in my mind. The atmosphere was charged following Peter C’s first “Calendar Girl” contest (by the way, when are those calendars coming out?), and Saucemonster fed off the energy of the moment and went for broke! I believe this was also the first time I had seen the group after the addition of their second frontman, Dig.
Da Sauce simply had Peter C’s rocking and partying for broke, this set was a pure adrenaline rush! This was the show that totally sold me on Saucemonster, and convinced me that this band was destined to be a major force on area stages.

5.) RIBBON GRASS’ ‘SWEATFEST’ FINALE AT JOHNSTOWN FOLKFEST. Although all of Johnstown Folkfest could qualify as an annual music scene highlight as far as I’m concerned, I’ll remember the finale this year. Ace’s Lounge was jam-packed and felt like a sauna, and Ribbon Grass proceeded to turn it into a sweatfest dance party! Ace’s dancefloor quickly filled up, and by the end of it all, the band and the crowd were sweat-soaked and happy.

6.) DICKEY BETTS VISITS JOHNSTOWN. This was an unforgettable night, as former Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts and his band Great Southern put on an excellent show at Ace’s. Dickey’s sax player, Kris Jensen, said afterward that the moment he saw people getting up on chairs to dance during the second song of the night, he knew the band was in for a good night! Dickey and Great Southern, also featuring former Allman Brothers guitarist/bandmate “Dangerous” Dan Toler, broke out many of the Allman Brothers classics Dickey wrote and helped create; also played a lot of his excellent newer stuff, and “schooled” a number of area musicians in attendance. By the latter stages of the show, I was standing directly in front of “Dangerous” Dan, and observing the guitar fireworks between Dickey and Dan at point blank range! The music was great, and the atmosphere at Ace’s was energized and festive. A great show!

7.) THE HURRICANES “ALL-STAR JAM” AT “END OF SUMMER JAM.” Felix & the Hurricanes provided another classic moment of 2002 during the “End of Summer Jam” benefit at the Cresson Sportsmen’s Club, when they invited several other performers onstage for some heated jamming. The armored guitar division of Felix, Bobby Lee, Tony Mollick and bassist Jeff was formidable, and the brother and sister duo of Paul Parrish and Trace Baker added vocal fireworks to the jam as well. Felix & the Hurricanes again put the “jam” into “End of Summer Jam,” and again it smoked!

8.) MAGOO’S RIOT. St. Patrick’s Day weekend was rocking at Magoo’s in Cresson with the annual Magoo’s Riot, presented by 814 Records. This was a wild blowout, as the night saw fiery sets from Keystone Allstars, Dragstrip Syndicate from Virginia, Ten Sent Wings, Mad Cows, The Marauders and Rebel Spies. The music was high-octane and fun, much beer was consumed, and despite one fight, the atmosphere was wild and festive the whole evening.

9.) THE ONE LESS TEAR SUPER EVENT. Easily one of the biggest highlights of the year was July’s One Less Tear Super Event at the historic Rowland Theatre in Philipsburg, raising money for cancer research. Organized by local musician and cancer survivor Chuck Navasky, the Super Event featured performances by Chuck’s One Less Tear Band (which included Mark Slaughter of Slaughter and Dale Russell of the Guess Who), plus national performers Cahal Dunne and Tony Orlando (of Dawn fame); and special guest speaker – former President and future Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn. The former President told the audience about his own family’s problems with cancer, and he saluted the musicians for going on the offensive in the war against cancer. This whole evening was very special, and nobody who was there will ever forget it. Truly a major highlight of 2002.

10.) THE SELINA BROTEMARKLE BENEFIT CONCERT. Definitely the Selina benefit was a big highlight of 2002. Three regional powerhouses from the late 80’s, Bashful, Thin Ice and Defiance, reunited onstage at Mount Union’s County Line Inn for a night of maximum 80’s rock to help a little girl battling leukemia. This whole night was excellent; with great attendance, killer concert-caliber sound and lights, all three bands breaking out tunes I hadn’t heard in ages, show honoree Selina onstage dancing with all three bands, and me meeting people I hadn’t seen in years! (And added bonus, none of the band members attempted to squeeze back into their spandex!) Most importantly, around $3,500 was raised to help out 5-year-old Selina and her family. An excellent night!

SHOWS/HIGHLIGHTS RECEIVING HONORABLE MENTION: The Oldies Spring Break benefit in Johnstown, the Humane Society Benefit Concert at Peter C's, the Flight 93 Memorial Benefit at Dougherty's "Terra" Tory, the "Sauce Boss" at Penn State Altoona, the Salvation Army Benefit Concert in Lewistown. Hell, I liked mostly ALL of the shows I attended in 2002, these were the ones that stood out the most in my memory!

Finally, out of the hundreds of photos I took of bands and happenings over the past year, I selected these 50 shots as my “favorite 50” photos of 2002. Most of these are music scene related, a few are not. Enjoy!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!


1. Tim Kelly and Brian Cupples of Backdraft get down to some serious jamming during an April performance at Peter C’s.

2. Kevin Bandito of Banditos enjoys a happy moment shortly before a thunderstorm rolls in and cuts the group’s set short during “End of Summer Jam” at the Cresson Sportsmen’s Club in August.

3. Along College Avenue in State College, near the Crowbar, an exhibit featuring several paintings hung along the sidewalk where some building construction was taking place. The paintings mostly featured famous performers who played at Penn State, including Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner and others. But this painting was included among them, featuring two popular recently-departed names from the State College music scene – guitarist Jason Zarecky of Original Soul Project, and “Queen Bee” Tonya Browne of Queen Bee & the Blue Hornet Band. Truly a nice tribute to two musicians we will forever miss.

4. Wild and crazy in Huntingdon County…Rob Klingler of Blackout, rallying fans to get loud and rowdy during a February show at Sanbar in Mill Creek.

5. During the Flight 93 Memorial Benefit Concert at Dougherty’s “Terra” Tory in Johnstown this past January, singer Mark Lux hangs from the rafters during Bonedigger’s wild and crazy reunion set.

6. Promoting their just-released album “Another Happy Ending,” The Clarks perform an “in-store” unplugged set at Altoona’s Logan Valley Mall in June.

7. Jennifer Cerreta of Clove, during a March performance at Pellegrine’s. After a revolving door of personnel changes, Jen and Clove went on indefinite hiatus this past fall.

8. Darcie Miner shares a happy moment with bassist Milhouse during the Darcie Miner Band’s set at the Humane Society Benefit Concert at Peter C’s last February.

9. Art Martino of DD & the Electric Mayhem is joined onstage by young guest sax player Anthony Martino during the “End of Summer Jam” benefit concert in August.

10. About a dozen different photos from this show could have made my “favorite 50” list, but we’ll stick with one…Former Allman Brothers Dickey Betts & “Dangerous” Dan Toler provide guitar fireworks a-plenty during Dickey Betts & Great Southern’s November show at Ace’s Lounge in Johnstown.

11. Bryan Nicarry of Green Eggs, immersed in a sea of Penn State seniordom onstage during a Green Eggs show at Crowbar in State College this past May. In a show that took place between the end of Penn State finals and senior commencement, Green Eggs invited every senior in the house to come up onstage for the final song of the night.

12. Big Bad Bob of The Grimm dons some big bad headgear during “Summer Rockfest” near Harrisburg this past July.

13. Armed and dangerous…The Grimm’s femme fatale support cast, The Grimmettes, prepare to do water gun supersoaker battle during “Summer Rockfest” near Harrisburg in July. (The Grimmettes soundly defeated the Balistic contingent later in the afternoon).

14. Since you probably won’t be seeing this scene in over-21 venues in 2003…Arejay Hale of Halestorm, twirling a stick during Halestorm’s June performance at the Altoona G-Man.

15. Halestorm, rocking the wing-eating masses at the Lakemont Park wing-Off in July.

16. The multi-talented Harry Pellegrine, Jr., adding his own pyro to the onstage fireworks during the Fred Delozier Memorial Benefit Concert at Pellegrine’s in November.

17. Sparks were flying during Horror Technics’ set at “Summer Rockfest” near Harrisburg this past July, courtesy of some industrial onstage grinding.

18. With the picturesque fall foliage of the mountains as a backdrop, Felix Kos and Bob Watters of The Hurricanes are shown as they rock Lake Raystown during the late October Hurricanes “Blues Cruise” aboard the Proud Mary.

19. Putting the JAM into “End of Summer Jam;” Felix Kos, Big Bobby Lee, Tony Mollick and Jeff Clapper generate ample guitar fireworks during the Hurricanes’ set at “End of Summer Jam” in Cresson in August.

20. Because you can never have too much pyro in the “Favorite 50” gallery…Druug of Inversion belches fire during the finale of the group’s set at the Becky Sheetz Building in July.

21. No, it’s not the Electric Amish from the Bob & Tom Show, or the Gun Runnin’ Amish…Instead, it’s hyjinx during Jimmy Sweatpants’ Cinco de Mayo party at Shooters in Johnstown in May.

22. The Johnstown Classic Rockers entertain the masses during the Oldies Spring Break benefit at Johnstown’s Cambria County War Memorial in May.

23. Yours truly, Troy Earnest and friends help Ferris Wheel matriarch Alfreda celebrate her 77th birthday in November.

24. Carrie of Juiced demonstrates her own version of the “Bertha Butt Boogie” with a fan onstage during a November show at Pellegrine’s.

25. Is it Mick or is it Memorex? Actually, it’s Skip of Stones tribute Jumping Jack Flash, getting his ya-ya’s out during an August show at Aldo’s.

26. Providing music and merriment to pound pints of Guinness to, Brian and Mike of the Michael O’Brian Band get their Irish up during a St. Patty’s Day party at Bennigan’s in Altoona.

27. From one of the more interesting band entities to make their mark on the area music scene in 2002, Derek of Mission Cricket Invasion demonstrates his acrobatic skills during an August “Battle of the Bands” at the Altoona G-Man.

28. Surrounded by adoring young fans, Shawn and Adam of Nevermoure rock the block at the “Rock the Block Party” alongside Altoona’s Prospect Pool in July.

29. Also at the Nevermoure “Rock the Block Party,” Adam of Nevermoure takes a lawn chair breather.

30. While on the subject of breathers during the “Favorite 50,” Jack Servello of the Prime Time Band lays down on the job during the group’s set during the “Unity Concert” at Altoona’s Heritage Plaza on Sept. 11.

31. One more gratuitous Nevermoure photo…Adam of Nevermoure gets a piggyback ride during Nevermoure’s April show at City Limits.

32. From the One Less Tear Super Event in July, a moment that left very few dry eyes in the Rowland Theatre…cancer warrior Chuck Navasky of One Less Tear holds back tears himself as young Joey Thompson ‘takes a sad song and makes it better,’ singing his rendition of the Beatles’ “Hey Jude” with the One Less Tear Band.

33. Mark Slaughter of Slaughter performs with the One Less Tear Band during the One Less Tear Super Event in July.

34. Jennifer Bell of the One Less Tear Band, singing with the children’s choir at the One Less Tear Super Event in July. (My only disappointment from this show was that my diskette containing the photos of former President Jimmy Carter showed an ‘error’ message when I put the disk in my computer. I still have that disk, hoping someday I can figure out a solution to the problem and access those photos! DAMN!)

35. Paul Reddon of Poptart Monkeys with special guest Gage, at the Nevermoure “Rock the Block Party” in July.

36. From my birthday weekend debauchery…Yours truly and “Guv’nor Jesse,” onstage with James and Paul from Poptart Monkeys during an October show at Pellegrine’s.

37. Not a music-related photo, but I included it anyway…One of “Guv’nor Jesse’s” Cadillacs picks up four interesting hood ornaments; Q94 2002 Calendar Girls Lisa, Amanda, Tamara and Wanda. The photo was taken during Q94’s Harley Giveaway at PPG Pavilion in Tipton in June.

38. During the finale of Johnstown Folkfest on Labor Day Weekend, Terri Hilbrecht of Ribbon Grass rallies the Folkfest masses into a dancing, sweat-soaked frenzy at Ace’s Lounge.

39. Another shot of Terri Hilbrecht of Ribbon Grass, this time helping get the party started at the Oldies Spring Break at the Cambria County War Memorial in May.

40. Bill Wharton, “The Sauce Boss,” cooks up some blues and gumbo onstage at Penn State Altoona’s Port Sky Cafe during an October matinee freebie.

41. Because the Devil made him do it...Greg Hatch of Saucemonster delivers devilish rocking fun at the Firefest benefit concert in Tipton last June.

42. Another Saucemonster shot, this time rocking the all ages masses during a November show at Peter C’s.

43. Bill Atkinson of Spinebelt, unleashing the beast during “Summer Rockfest” near Harrisburg in July.

44. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride...Chuck Budzina of Stept On, adorning interesting headgear during Stept On’s August show at City Limits.

45. Drumming doesn’t get much more intense...Jay of Suicide Switch levies the intense beats during an all ages show at Peter C’s in September.

46. From one of the contenders for the best band nobody came to see in Altoona during 2002; Lori Bernish of Pittsburgh’s Voodoo Babies, during the group’s April appearance at City Limits.

47. The always amicable Chris Kurtz of Poptart Monkeys, during the recent December show at Pellegrine’s.

48. During the Selina Brotemarkle benefit at Mount Union’s County Line Inn in November, Defiance frontman Boz sings to show honoree Selina.

49. It wasn’t a hailstorm, but a snowstorm that erupted during Halestorm’s set at the recent Salvation Army Benefit Concert in early December at the Brooklyn Firehall in Lewistown.

50. Big Bad “Satan Claus” Bob of The Grimm, during The Grimm’s recent December show at Peter C’s.