[Jim Price]

WEEKEND RECAP 11/7/05

FELIX & THE HURRICANES @ PETER C’S, ALTOONA 11/3/05

Not much to write about regarding this week’s Thursday Peter C’s Hurricaning. After putting in a very late night at the workplace, I swung by Peter C’s on the way home to catch the tail end of the Hurricanes’ show. I was only there long enough for the last two songs and a beer; witnessing as Felix, brother Dick Kos, Jeff, Bob and Barney Sledge on harmonica lit up the house with the Allman Brothers’ “Dreams,” and the finale, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Ballad Of Curtis Loew,” which the ‘Canes stretched into a country-rock medley to end the night.

At least for what I got to take in, good tunes and performances, and rowdy Hurricaniacs to cheer them on. It was just enough to affirm that all was well in ‘Toona Town on this Thursday night…

Dick and Felix Kos, and Barney Sledge light it up onstage at Peter C’s.

The Hurricanes and their esteemed guests get a few ladies dancing at Peter C’s.

Barney Sledge and Hurricane Bob.

Hurricane Bob raises his stick in the air.

Barney Sledge, wailing some harp.

Lead ‘Cane Felix consults with Jodie K and Peter C’s CEO Bandit.

The Hurricanes pose with Jodie K and Bandit.

Jeff Clapper of the Hurricanes, as lady Loren looks on.

AMPLIFIED HEET @ AJAY’S CAFÉ, ALTOONA 11/4/05

After finishing up day job duties and doing supper at Hong Kong Buffet, I ventured into new territory – at least for me. I set foot into Ajay’s Café for the first time ever. I had been beckoned by Esa “L’il Fighter” to come out to Ajay’s to join her in partaking in the festival of music and bacchanalia that is The Amplified Heet. Several Rockpagers were present and supporting the Heet – including Esa, DMFJ03, undercoverjoe, zappa, and a little later, 4:33 and his better half.

For the two sets I stuck around for, Jules “Little Midget Felix” Bianchini on the geetah and vocals, Andy Mathers on largemouth (bass) and drummer Bill Bonsell played lots of classics from such time-honored names as Cream, Guess Who, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, Marshall Tucker and more. Deathmaster Funk Jae (off duty from Beyond Reason this night) strapped on the bass and jammed for a few songs, including Marshall Tucker’s “Can’t You See,” Social Distortion’s “Ball and Chain” (which he sang lead on, despite coming off a cold), Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” and the Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues” (with Andy demonstrating bottleneck slide using a real beer bottle). The group also did their lone original, “Sweet Cheeba.” Abundant hooting and hollering was going on through the duration of the group’s sets, and fun was being had by all.

Jules “Little Midget Felix” Bianchini and Bill Bonsell of Amplified Heet, with “Zappa” helping with backing vocals.

Once again, Jules and Zappa.

Amplified Heet, with special guest Deathmaster Funk Jae on bass.

Battling a cold but tearing it up on bass, Deathmaster Funk Jae.

Jules Bianchini belts out the voice, while Andy Mathers does bottleneck slide on his acoustic with an actual beer bottle.

Andy Mathers supplying the bottom end for Amplified Heet.

INFUSED @ CITY LIMITS, ALTOONA 11/4/05

Since my initial game plan was to catch another band playing later this night, I then headed over to City Limits to check in with that band, Infused. This was the first I had seen of this band since they returned from their hiatus slimmed to a trio, and man was I impressed!

Singer/bassist Shawn Huss, guitarist Rod Skelley and drummer Ed Longo were nails-on tight as they performed their set of original songs, current and classic hard-edged rock. Infused sounded tight and powerful, and showed more confidence and poise now than they did during their earlier stint. Rod’s guitar work was dead-on clean and precise, and Shawn’s vocals were incredible, he did a very convincing Roger Waters on Floyd’s “In The Flesh?,” and delivered full intensity on Filter’s “Hey Man Nice Shot.” Infused also did a number of their original songs; “Don’t Shoot Anymore,” “No One Knows,” and “The Feeling Inside Of Me” all were captivating and powerful, sold onstage with passionate, rock solid execution. For the duration of the show I got to witness, very impressive!

On the minus side, City Limits was empty this night, as people once again weren’t up for taking a chance on a band they might not have heard of before. But at least for me and the small number of onlookers present, we came away quite impressed by the new Infused, and I look forward to hearing more from them.

Infused, lighting it up at City Limits.

Rod Skelley of Infused.

Shawn Huss of Infused.

Once again, Infused.

Again, Rod Skelley of Infused.

Ed Longo of Infused.

Again, Shawn Huss of Infused.

Once again, Ed Longo of Infused.

One more time, Infused. Come support this band!

“ONE VOICE MUSICAL SHOWCASE” w/INVERSION/KILLJINGLE/ONE GUN SALUTE/HOUSE OF CAIN @ CASTLE PUB “DUNGEON,” EBENSBURG 11/5/05

This Saturday night, I headed up the hill to the Castle Pub in Ebensburg, to bear witness to a new project organized by Dave “Tornandfrayed” Moses to promote the area’s original music scene. The One Voice Musical Showcase would feature several bands performing their own original songs, with the proceeds benefiting a charity. This first installment of the Showcase was taking place in the Castle Pub’s Dungeon, and would take on a heavy metal flavor, with proceeds going to the Altoona Food Bank.

I arrived late during the set of the first band, Altoona’s Inversion. This was the first time I had seen Inversion since their comeback show in August at Altoona’s Lion’s Den. I only got to witness the last three songs of the set, “In Memory of the Dead,” a Slayer remake and another original number to end the set. At least from what I observed, Inversion appeared to be in good form, and the crowded Dungeon was roaring approval. And I thought given Inversion’s dark presentation and lyrical slant, a medieval setting like the Castle Pub’s Dungeon was a natural fit for this group; they looked perfectly at home, and this setting would be a great place for a video shoot, should Inversion ever be interested in doing one.

Mike of Inversion.

Inversion rocks the Castle Pub Dungeon during the One Voice Musical Showcase.

Once again, Inversion.

In between sets, half of the Mosai, Dave Moses, played original tunes from area bands over the PA system, and the crowd was treated to a preview of 4 Days Dirty’s forthcoming recording. More fans filed into the already crowded Dungeon as the next band of the evening, Johnstown’s Killjingle, set up.

This was my first look at Killjingle, the new project featuring former Deviance/Embalmed frontman/bassist Chad Straw (playing guitar and singing in this new project), Rennis bassist Steve Stull and Darren Byer on drums. As their set unfolded, Killjingle delivered an eclectic metal style and sound that combined a wide assortment of elements. The base sound appeared rooted in Motorhead and Megadeth textures but taken to a next heavier extreme, with rampaging rhythms and roaring guitars and vocals a-plenty. But there was a lot of other stuff going on – unexpected twists and turns, odd song structures; in a nutshell, Killjingle was discarding the “rulebook” and doing their metal a bit differently. I only caught a few song titles along the way; the tune that stood out most to me was the somewhat whimsical “Focused on the Negative.” Some of the other songs performed included the opener “Throw the Pieces of Your Life Away,” “Count Spatula,” “Here Comes the Shark,” and the Steve-fronted “Just A Breath Away.” Killjingle provided an interesting, heavy-hitting sound that is hard to describe or define on first listen; but I think this band will be one to keep an ear out for in months to come, as they continue to explore different avenues and directions, and they continue to build and define their multi-faceted style and niche. For my first exposure to them, good stuff!

Steve Stull of Killjingle.

Chad Straw of Killjingle.

Killjingle states their case on stage during the One Voice Musical Showcase.

Once again, Killjingle.

It would also be my first time witnessing the next band, One Gun Salute, the new metal project formed from the ashes of Frayed. Former Frayed frontman Dave Moses and guitarist Scott Bush, plus bassist Chris Dell and drummer Terry Gardner, introduced their brand of enraged, rampaging metal. Their style was aggressive, torrid, raging heaviness; topped by Dave’s passionate, torn and frayed vocal cry. One Gun Salute performed a number of new originals, including “From Where I Stand,” “I Am the One,” “Scream” and “Song No. 2.” I was also pleasantly surprised to see the group reprise and resurrect some songs from their Frayed past, including “Float Above it All,” “From the Mountains” and “Pictures of My Disease.” Dave sold his words with a passionate, emotional delivery bordering on deranged; he got in people’s faces and wildly worked all corners of the stagefront floor. The rhythm battery was hard-hitting and pretty much on target, and Scott seared and scorched on his fretboard to great effect. Like Killjingle before them, One Gun Salute stated an impressive case for themselves during this set, and further solidified the exciting prospects for original metal in this area in the coming months as they continue to hone and develop their sound.

Dave Moses of One Gun Salute.

Terry Gardner of One Gun Salute.

Scott Bush of One Gun Salute.

Again, Scott Bush of One Gun Salute.

Chris Dell of One Gun Salute.

Again, Dave Moses of One Gun Salute.

Once again, Scott Bush of One Gun Salute.

Again, Terry Gardner of One Gun Salute.

One Gun Salute brings the fury during the One Voice Musical Showcase.

Once again, One Gun Salute.

One more time, One Gun Salute.

The finale for the inaugural One Voice Musical Showcase would be provided by House Of Cain. Singer/guitarist Jason Straw, bassist Dan Little and drummer Mikey Wax performed a large selection of their original numbers, which ran the gamut from aggressive metal assaults to more punk/hardcore-geared numbers. House Of Cain got their hell up with such tunes as “Laid to Waste,” “Leave Your Mark,” the punkish “Serpentine,” “Murder On My Brain,” “667,” the tension-and-release “Emissary,” “What’s Killing You,” “Death Threats and S**t Lists,” “Made to Suffer,” “Subservience,” “Final Insult” and more. House Of Cain’s grooves were mean, lean and tight, and delivered with razor sharpness and precision. Jason topped the instrumental savagery with his feral vocal delivery, ranging between restrained and rage. House Of Cain captivated the Dungeon masses, many of who steadily assembled at the front of the stage as the set progressed. Like the first time I saw this group earlier at Aldo’s, I was impressed with what House Of Cain brought to the stage this time as well; they seem to be honing a sleek, focused brand of metallic aggression, and it will be interesting to observe their continued progress and development on area stages.

The first One Voice Musical Showcase was a successful one; as a good chunk of change was raised for the Altoona Food Bank, and a good-sized crowd was introduced to four of this area’s heaviest-hitting bands, each with distinct styles. According to Dave Moses, more such showcase events will be taking place, with varying styles of music in the spotlight. This is a positive development for this area’s music scene; here’s hoping it continues to grow and develop.

Mikey Wax of House Of Cain.

Jason Straw of House Of Cain.

Dan Little of House Of Cain.

Jason Straw of House Of Cain.

House Of Cain gets their hell up for the fans.

Again, Mikey Wax of House Of Cain.

Once again, House Of Cain.

One more time, House Of Cain.

BAD DAZE @ TOYS FOR TOTS BENEFIT, DECATUR FIRE CO., LEWISTOWN 11/6/05

It was an unseasonably warm November Sunday afternoon, and with no guest scheduled on the “Backyard Rocker” and the show pre-recorded for this week, I decided to go for a ride. Specifically, I decided to make the journey over to Lewistown, to catch the Wiskerbisket-organized Toys for Tots Benefit at the Decatur Fire Company.

Along the way, I decided to pick up some toys at a Huntingdon store to donate at the door of the benefit. As I passed through Huntingdon, I observed what appeared to be hundreds of large birds circling the area where the new Walmart was to be constructed. I stopped and watched these birds for a while. They looked like hawks, but somebody else I spoke with later said they were probably vultures, perhaps doing some sort of migration or similar activity.

The road to hell is sometimes paved with good intentions. I arrived in Lewistown, and thought I would arrive early enough to take in two of the three bands on the bill. Not the case. I drove into downtown Lewistown, thinking the benefit was at the same downtown fire company where Wiskerbisket had staged an earlier benefit I attended a few years ago. Only when I reached that firehall did I realize this was not the case. I had no idea where the Decatur Fire Company was, so I broke out a road map and studied it. I noticed Decatur Township to the east of Lewistown along Route 522, so I decided to give this a try. I started to think I had passed the place or was in the wrong part of the world, it felt like I was halfway to Selinsgrove on 522. But alas, I did come upon Decatur Township and the Decatur Fire Company, arriving just as ominous storm clouds appeared on the horizon. In fact, a tornado watch had been issued for the area. I made my way to the doorway just as the winds picked up and the sky broke, and made my entrance to the surprise of the Wiskerbisket and Bad Daze contingents on hand.

Because of my travel miscues, I missed both the host band, Wiskerbisket, and show openers Anything Jane. But Bad Daze was just about ready to perform.

A medium-sized, mixed-ages crowd looked on, as singer Rob Carolus, guitarist Kenny Murdick, bassist Paul Rainey and drummer Randy Wilson commenced their set with Disturbed’s “Sickness.” Rob made his way around the room, dispensing Snickers bars to all who would accept them. As the group continued with tunes from Good Charlotte, Linkin Park and Godsmack, several young fans began dancing and jumping up and down in front of the stage. Soon Bad Daze arrived upon Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing In The Name,” bringing apprehension to this observer – how would the group handle the song’s f-bomb laden homestretch in front of all these wee folks in the house? Rob answered my concerns by defying John Lennon’s widow instead – “Ono I won’t do what you tell me!” I breathed a sigh of relief. Bad Daze proceeded with Lit’s “My Own Worst Enemy” and Bowling for Soup’s “1985,” before shifting into 80’s hair-band mode for Poison’s “Talk Dirty to Me.” On the next song, Guns’ N’Roses’ “Sweet Child O’Mine,” the group invited a guest to the stage to sing – former Foxxy frontlady Lexxy Berich. Lexxy’s voice lit up the room and brought a number of onlookers to attention; this lady will be back in front of a band full-time very soon, I predict! Bad Daze then finished their performance with AC/DC’s “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” and Green Day’s “Wake Me When September Ends.”

After Bad Daze’s set, members of the Wiskerbisket contingent gave away door prizes and announced the results of the benefit - $427 and 27 toys raised. What I was able to take in of the benefit was a good time; hopefully if Wiskerbisket stages this benefit again next year, I’ll at least know the correct firehall to go to!

Kenny Murdick of Bad Daze.

It’s dueling cameras between yours truly and Bad Daze frontman Rob Carolus.

Bad Daze gets the young fans dancing during the Toys for Tots benefit.

Bad Daze rocks the young’uns.

Rob Carolus of Bad Daze calls out a mean round of bingo.

Making his way around the room, Rob Carolus of Bad Daze.

Bad Daze, with guest singer Lexxy Berich.

Lexxy Berich provides some lead voice for Bad Daze.

Kenny Murdick of Bad Daze with guest singer Lexxy Berich.

Once again, Bad Daze with guest singer Lexxy Berich.

THE NIGHTCRAWLERS @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 11/6/05

I arrived at Pellegrine’s this night, late enough that I only got to witness the last half of The Nightcrawlers’ third set.

Again, I was disappointed to find a relatively empty Pellegrine’s for these guys and gal – what more does this band have to do to get a crowd in this town!? At least their fellow musicians and Rockpagers were supporting them – members of the 4 Days Dirty, Plazma, Hexhed and Hi-Tyde organizations were representing, as was Kissmydagoass and PastaJoe.

The Nightcrawlers shined as always, performing their popular “African Echo” as I arrived and made my way to Pelly’s main band room. The group continued with a wide-ranging selection, including The Clash’s “London Calling,” Men At Work’s “Down Under” and Jane’s Addiction’s “Been Caught Stealing,” before shifting into their original song catalog for “Grasslands” and several newer originals to finish out the set. The small but enthusiastic Pellegrine’s audience demanded more, and the Nightcrawlers answered with Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.”

The Nightcrawlers’ performance was again top-notch. Their musicianship was sparkling, clean and precise; and Noah brought full soul and fury with his voice. As I said in a previous review, Pellegrine’s Sunday night clientele doesn’t seem to be open-minded to anything outside of the same old same old song list that most bands hack through every other Sunday night. How dare a band like The Nightcrawlers come in here and try to play something different? The horror!

Oh well. I liked it. Hopefully The Nightcrawlers will keep testing the waters in this town, and find the situation that’s the fitting match for them (Hitching Post, Burgi’s, and Aldo’s with its close proximity to Penn State Altoona come to mind). Otherwise, I’ll be logging miles on my vehicle to catch this group in their Happy Valley home base.

Noah Figlin of The Nightcrawlers.

Steve Arnold of The Nightcrawlers.

Aeb Byrne of The Nightcrawlers.

Jason Ebersole of The Nightcrawlers.
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