[Jim Price]

WEEK/WEEKEND RECAP 2/5/03:

Sorry the report is a little late this week. I had lots to write about, plus PA Musician paperboy duties, so better late than never, here it is…

TUESDAY NIGHT 1/28 – I did a State College doubleheader this night, starting with Big Head Todd and the Monsters at Crowbar. I've always wanted to see this band live; Big Head Todd's "Circle" was one of my favorite songs to come out of the 90's. Not a lot of people at this all ages show, perhaps owing to Saliva being at Crowbar the night before and Big Head Todd and the Monsters not having a major radio song in nearly a decade. But it was still a very good show. The group did all the important songs - the aforementioned "Circle," the hit "Bittersweet," "Kensington Line," and "Broken Hearted Savior" during the encore. The group also did a number of catchy melody-geared tunes from their latest album "Riviera," including "Julianna," "Secret Mission," and "Again and Again;" plus their remakes of Led Zeppelin's "Tangerine" and John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom." I was impressed with the group's stylistic diversity, as they did everything from harder rock to blues to country- and rural-flavored material. And frontman Todd Park Mohr wields a mean guitar, he dazzled with good solo work on a wide range of styles, and even broke out the harmonica on a few tunes. Another thing I like about Big Head Todd and the Monsters is that this group is fan friendly. They invite fans to tape their live shows and swap tapes; all three band members came out ten minutes after the show ended to meet fans and sign autographs; and - at their merchandise table - they were selling their new double live CD "Live at Red Rocks" (available only through their website) at the single CD price of $10! And if you read about this group, they are DIY - they built their fan base before the record companies paid any attention to them, and they continue to do their thing even though their big moment in the limelight has passed. Even though I had to drive through some snow to get home, I'm still glad I went - good show.

Todd Park Mohr of Big Head Todd and the Monsters.

Todd Park Mohr, from another angle.

Big Head Todd and the Monsters, towards the end of their Crowbar performance.

Once again, Todd Park Mohr of Big Head Todd and the Monsters.

Brian Nevin of Big Head Todd and the Monsters.

After the show ended, I headed up around the street corner to the Lion's Den to get my first look at Furious Styles. This is a case where the band's name tells all.these guys played a variety of styles in furious fashion, making for an interesting, lively show. A product of the Penn State fraternity circuit, Furious Styles mixed colorful original songs with a wide variety of stuff.a funky version of Elton John's "Bennie & the Jets," Stevie Wonder's "Superstition," a ska/funk take on Paul Simon's "Me & Julio Down by the Schoolyard," the pairing of Steppenwolf's "Magic Carpet Ride" into the Doors' "Touch Me;" plus recent tunes from Weezer, Sublime and more. I liked the way this band did these songs on their own terms, coming up with their own fresh takes on their covers rather than trying to replicate the origiinal versions. Furious Styles kept it energetic, and was solid instrumentally. Several band members took turns on lead vocals, and did a decent job; and most of the group'' vocal harmonies were solid as well. Not a huge crowd in attendance (the Lion's Den never seems to be packed when I catch shows there), but still a good time.

Furious Styles mixes it up onstage at the Lion’s Den.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT 1/29 – I took in the Wednesday all-ager at Peter C's, featuring By Any Means Necessary, Suicide Switch, Nine Six Nine and Inversion. This turned out being one of the best Wednesday all ages shows I've seen since Big John started doing them last year! First, there was a great turnout of both over-21 and under-21 fans. Second, there was mutual cooperation between all four bands, starting at the very beginning of the night. Inversion was running late and couldn’t open the show, so By Any Means Necessary kicked things off instead. But again, after blasting out his voice at an all ages show the night before, By Any Means Necessary frontman Carl’s throat was not at 100%, and he couldn’t front a whole set with the group. Enter Suicide Switch, who was contacted just two hours before, but was nonetheless present to spot for By Any Means Necessary. Frontman Cheez led off with this classic convocation: “We’re gonna do this fast, we’re gonna do it heavy – get the f**k up front and LET’S SEE WHAT YA GOT!” Cheez and Suicide Switch then ignited the Peter C’s crowd with their full-steam ahead, down-your-throat, all-out metalcore assault; including audience faves like “Truth,” “Bitch,” and new songs from their forthcoming release, including their volatile closer “In The Wake” – this brutal full-force tune repeats its apparent ending several times, each time getting more volatile and intense, inviting the crowd to unleash its fury all the more! Excellent display! This set things up perfectly for Clearfield’s Nine Six Nine, making their first onstage appearance in some 5 months. With former bandmate and Not Without Resistance drummer Justin Strickland behind the drum kit, Nine Six Nine unleashed total rage and devastation, getting it all out of their systems after five months on the shelf! Frontman Frank Rumfola was all-out passionate frenzy and fury, proudly barking out lyrics about standing your own ground and being yourself. The rest of the band was total tenacity, and kept the Peter C’s crowd at total attention through the entire course of their set. Inversion then capped the night in a slower metalcore vein, unleashing their harsh, terse musical vision upon the Peter C’s audience. Grinding and gnashing guitars, malevolent keys and samples, caustic and doomesque vocals from guitarist Druug and bassist Kuug, leading to tribal drums and Druug belching pyro in the end to end the show on a fiery note. Again, an all-around excellent show! All four bands played their sets for keeps, giving all and doing whatever it took to give the audience their money’s worth. Beyond that, there was cooperation and unity between bands and fans, which enabled this show to transcend the music and build community among everyone involved. I saw bands and fans showing total solidarity with one another. Somebody even brought in several racks of CD’s and placed them on the pool table in the back of the room, making for a music marketplace in addition to the show itself (I wound up buying a bootleg Sepultura live album, too cool!). This show will likely make my list of 2003 highlights, because it demonstrated what is possible when everybody works together for the common good of the show and the audience. Here’s to seeing more nights like this!

Paul and Davey of By Any Means Necessary.

By Any Means Necessary kicks things off at Peter C’s.

Doran and Carl of By Any Means Necessary.

Suicide Switch, throwing it down at Peter C’s.

Cheeze of Suicide Switch.

Jay of Suicide Switch, slamming it out.

Frank Rumfola of Nine Six Nine.

Nine Six Nine rips it up onstage at Peter C’s.

Ed McDonald of Nine Six Nine.

Designated drummer Justin Strickland of Nine Six Nine.

Frank Rumfola, barking out the voice of Nine Six Nine.

Ed McDonald and Justin Strickland of Nine Six Nine.

More intensity with Frank and Ed of Nine Six Nine.

Big John and the audience paying full attention to Nine Six Nine.

The pool table at Peter C’s becomes a CD marketplace.

Druug of Inversion.

Inversion keeps the metal intense at Peter C’s.

Frank Rumfola makes a cameo appearance during Inversion’s set.

Kuug and Druug share a percussion moment during the latter stages of Inversion’s set at Peter C’s.

[color=Cyan]Druug provides the fiery finale to Inversion’s set.

One more time with feeling, Druug delivers the FIRE and brimstone at Peter C’s.

Not Them Guys’ Steve Shiffler gives Jodie K a lift at Peter C’s.

THURSDAY NIGHT 1/30 – This night turned into a doubleheader, beginning with Dirty Dogz at City Limits. It’s been about two years since I last saw these guys in action. Not a whole lot of crowd in the house this night, which stinks because this band deserves to be seen. I arrived during their first intermission of the night. Dirty Dogz kicked off their second set with a version of Traffic’s “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” enabling guitarist Billy Stoppe to take command with an absolutely incredible axe display! This guy was fire and brimstone, but executed precision leadwork as well, awesome! The group continued with a mix of original songs, plus current and classic favorites from Puddle of Mudd, Poison, Twisted Sister, Bloodhound Gang, Jimi Hendrix, Cake and more. Highlights included more Billy Stoppe guitar foreworks on Jimi’s “Little Wing;” plus the rare sighting of bassist Ron Yancey singing lead voice on Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music” and Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times Bad Times. Dirty Dogz were tight and together, and Billy Stoppe’s guitar talents opened some eyes among the few in attendance this night. Make these Dogz’ days, and show up for Dirty Dogz when they return to City Limits Feb. 27!

Billy Stoppe of Dirty Dogz.

Ron Yancey of Dirty Dogz.

Dirty Dogz rocks out at City Limits.

Billy Stoppe belting out voice for Dirty Dogz.

Once again, Ron Yancey of Dirty Dogz.

In the heat of a guitar solo; Billy Stoppe of Dirty Dogz.

After leaving City Limits, I headed to Peter C’s to catch the last part of Not Them Guys’ unplugged set. A laid-back, lighthearted good time was in progress as Not Them Guys blended tunes from Neil Young, CCR, Live, Brooks & Dunn and more.

FRIDAY NIGHT 1/31 – Curious to see and hear Balistic since the addition of former Spellbound singer Mark McNelly, I took in the double-bill at Peter C’s featuring Balistic and Xpendable. I arrived during the latter stages of Xpendable’s set, they heated up the mid-sized Pete’s crowd with tunes from System of a Down, Godsmack, Pantera, Black Sabbath, Motorhead and more. Mark and Balistic then took the stage, performing two sets mixing new and old original songs, plus metallic favorites from Metallica, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Pantera, Queensryche, Black Sabbath and more. Mark’s addition definitely makes this lineup stronger; he now handles the high range vocals, while bassist and previous frontman Dave Fox now handles the low end vocals, and guitarist Mike Bordner handles the midrange and more aggressive vocals. This arrangement adds another dimension to Balistic’s attack, and enables them to tackle a wider range of the metallic spectrum. Balistic favorites like “Land of the Living,” “The Darkness,” “Lean on Me,” “Long Goodbye” and “”Into the Grey” all sounded powerful, and I was especially impressed by how Mark’s addition improved the harmonies on “Hear My Prayer/Man of the House!” I also liked the selection of cover material, including Judas Priest/Joan Baez’s “Diamonds & Rust,” the Dave Fox-fronted version of Rush’s “Red Barchetta,” a killer version of Pantera’s “Cowboys from Hell,” and especially their version of Queensryche’s “Empire,” with Mark handling the high-end Geoff Tate vocal and Dave rumbling the “Empire” chorus – excellent! And for a little levity, there was also the Mike Bordner fronted crusher take on “The Rodeo Song.” Smoking show, and a good mid-sized crowd on hand to take it in, including the Grimm and Grimmette entourages and members of Broken Neck. Definitely Balistic is on the rise, make sure you catch this band the next time they visit Peter C’s!

A jubilant fan celebrates as Xpendable tears it up at Peter C’s.

Lerch of Xpendable.

Dave Fox and Mark McNelly of Balistic.

Brian Kneasel of Balistic.

Mark McNelly of Balistic.

Dave Fox and Mark McNelly of Balistic.

Once again, Brian Kneasel of Balistic.

The Grimmettes worshipping at the feet of Brian Kneasel of Balistic.

Mike Bordner of Balistic.

John Lohman of Balistic.

Dave Fox of Balistic.

Once again, Dave Fox of Balistic.

Chell, sandwiched between Jay and Danny of Xpendable.

SATURDAY 2/1 - "What were you doing when you first heard about the shuttle Columbia disaster?" I didn't learn about it until almost two hours after it happened. I had just woke up and turned on the Weather Channel to find out the forecast, and forecaster Kelly Cass quickly mentioned in passing that the shuttle Columbia had crashed. I quickly tuned into the news channels and networks, and I had the tube on the rest of the day following the story. Needless to say, a very sad day. At least the seven Columbia astronauts exited while they were doing something they believed in and found rewarding, and gave their lives in the quest for knowledge and to benefit humanity. I hope that NASA can quickly determine what went wrong, and that the delay to mankind's quest to explore space is temporary. If the Columbia astronauts' ultimate sacrifice leads to safer space travel and the continuation of our quest for knowledge, then their deaths won't be in vain.

SATURDAY NIGHT/SUNDAY MORNING 2/1-2/2 – Scratch another one from the list…After several years of wanting to check it out, I did Groundhog Day 2003 in Punxsutawney and lived to tell about it!

Thanks to my day job and night job colliding, I headed up to Punxsutawney on Saturday night to broadcast live from one of the Groundhog Eve parties, taking place at Joe’s Drive In. It was an outdoor party, with live band entertainment courtesy of The Marauders. Hats off to The Marauders for dealing with the elements this night, low-30 degree temperatures, and spitting rain and snow showers! Set up inside the entrance to a shed with a small tarp covering them overhead, The Marauders entertained a healthy throng of mostly young fans with their all-original brand of punk-fueled rockabilly, including familiar favorites like “Sapphire/Oh My My,” “Roadkill,” “New Tattoo,” new songs from their forthcoming CD “Alibi” and more. With the cold temperatures came some guitar string casualties and even a case of arcing electricity on the mic, but through it all The Marauders persevered, and the happy, cheering group of fans was the reward.

The Marauders, braving the elements at Joe’s Drive In.

Ben Dumm and Ryan Sager of The Marauders.

The Marauders, heating up the cold fans at Joe’s Drive In.

After The Marauders finished their set, I ventured into downtown Punxsutawney in search of nightlife, and quickly found it at the Eagles Hall, where Down To The Wire was rocking a massive crowd in a benefit for Rails To Trails. For fans who remember Down To The Wire’s run at the 4D’s a few years ago, this band still lights it up with generous dosages of classic rock favorites with a sprinkling of current rock. This is still the Down To The Wire lineup that played the 4D’s, including singer Joe Serian, keyboardist/singer Kevin Cielo, guitarist Matt Taladay, bassist Steve Leach and drummer John Tedeski. This show featured a lot of highlights, including Matt Taladay’s blistering guitar display on Golden Earring’s “Twilight Zone,” their fiery treatment of Queen’s “Tie Your Mother Down,” their crisp harmonies on Journey’s “Lights,” and the group’s excellent treatments of Boston’s “Foreplay/Long Time” and the encore of Head East’s “Never Been Any Reason.” This band still features excellent and fiery musicianship, crisp vocals, full production, a fun vibe and lots of enthusiasm. These guys played for keeps, and kept the dance floor packed all night. Here’s hoping we get to see Down To The Wire back in this neck of the woods sometime soon.

Down To The Wire, rocking out at the Punxsutawney Eagles.

From another angle, Down To The Wire.

Joe Serian of Down To The Wire.

Down To The Wire rallies the dance crowd at the Punxsutawney Eagles.

Matt Taladay and Steve Leach of Down To The Wire.

John Tedeski of Down to The Wire.

Kevin Cielo of Down To The Wire.

Once this show ended, I joined the throngs of streetwalkers in downtown Punxsutawney, and took in the atmosphere of this town, just hours away from the weekend’s climactic moment at Gobbler’s Knob. Several businesses in downtown Punxy stayed open all night, and a lot of younger visitors stuck around McDonalds for food and coffee. Shuttle buses began transporting visitors up to Gobbler’s Knob at 3 AM; with nothing else to do, I took one of the early shuttles so I would have a good vantage point. Upon arriving, I headed to the souvenir stand and purchased a few items, and then took up my position in front of the main stage where Punxsutawney Phil would make his appearance. I took up position at around 3:30 AM; Phil wouldn’t make his forecast until 7:25 AM. The temperature was hovering around 30 degrees, with occasional breezes and snow showers. Memo to me if I attend future Groundhog Day festivities on Gobbler’s Knob…bundle up better! I wore a baseball cap instead of a pullover cap, and soon had to wrap my souvenir T-shirt around my head to keep it from freezing. Fortunately, we didn’t just have to idly stand around and do nothing; the event organizers provided onstage entertainment leading up to the big moment. Mostly it was canned dance music, with audience members invited to come up onstage and dance along. Audience members were encouraged to groove along and keep moving to help fight off the cold temperatures. There were audience polls of which colleges and universities were representing (IUP, Pitt, Penn State and Slippery Rock gave the loudest responses), plus other occasional audience participation things happening, plus a youth karate demonstration and more. This activity helped make the time pass a little bit quicker leading up to the big moment. The audience kept building and building as more shuttle bus passengers arrived, and by the time everyone arrived, some 35,000 people populated Gobbler’s Knob! (This event used to draw 1,000-1,500 people each year until Bill Murray and his “Groundhog Day” movie a few years back, attendance has exploded at this event since then.) Business picked up after 6 AM, when a big fireworks display was set off (I can only imagine the response of any nearby residents who were trying to sleep this morning!), and soon after, the introduction of the state’s new First Couple, the Governor and Mrs. Ed Rendell. The tophatted Inner Circle made their trek up to Gobbler’s Knob, and the moment of decision was at hand. The world’s best-known whistlepig, Punxsutawney Phil, was removed from his burrow and placed atop his “domicile,” the old oak stump, where he promptly saw his shadow and rewarded his minion with six more weeks of winter. (Observation: If I was awakened at 3 AM by loud music and a bunch of crazy people dancing around my burrow, and I had the living defecation startled out of me by those fireworks, I’d doom those silly humans to six more weeks of winter, too, lol!) I found it humorous how the sentiments of the crowd changed from cheering and celebrating Phil to suddenly cursing him and demanding his hide! The moment of decision now past, I trudged my frozen butt up the hill to board the shuttle bus back to downtown Punxsutawney. Although there was a heavy state police presence at the event (because of the Governor’s attendance), and alcohol was prohibited, I still noticed an empty Jack Daniels bottle next to one of the trashcans, so somebody at least wasn’t feeling the cold temperatures!

Yours truly, upon arrival at Gobbler’s Knob.

Fans dancing onstage and keeping warm at Gobbler’s Knob.

Maybe this was the crew with the Jack Daniels bottle? If you can’t read it, “I (heart) P-H-I-L” is spelled out on the chests of these wildmen.

Where else but in Punxsutawney, PA can you get away with setting off fireworks at 6 AM on a Sunday morning?

The Governor and Mrs. Ed Rendell make their arrival at Gobbler’s Knob.

The Inner Circle gathers at Gobbler’s Knob as the moment of decision draws near.

The world’s most famous whistlepig is extracted from his burrow.

Punxsutawney Phil, his handler and Governor Rendell.

Although I initially boarded the wrong shuttle bus and wound up getting the scenic tour of Punxsutawney; I eventually did make it back to downtown Punxsutawney, where the Groundhog Day festivities were under way. There was the outdoor “Groundhog Day in the Park” festival, happening at Barclay Park in downtown. This was a nice little festival, featuring food vendors, ice sculptures, souvenir and craft vendors, one performer who hammered nails into his face, and I could hear…music. I went to investigate, and discovered a performer whose show is called “Paul Plays It All.” His name is Paul Order, and Paul really does play it all, with a show featuring him playing over 20 instruments – guitars, accordions, keyboards, drums, and a number of other creations, including a kitchen sink! Literally, a one-man band! Paul performed a variety of favorites, including tunes from Van Morrison, Paul Simon, Righteous Brothers, Violent Femmes (yes, he did “Blister In the Sun”), early rock’n’roll favorites and more; going back and forth between instruments, and letting audience members step up and help out on various percussion and other instruments. It was a novelty act to be sure, but I give anyone credit who can stand outside and perform in 30-degree weather at 9 AM on a Sunday morning! If you want to learn more about “Paul Plays It All,” he has a website, www.paulplaysitall.com.

As I told you, Paul plays it all, including the kitchen sink!

Here’s a closer look at the sink.

Paul Plays It All, even in 30-degree weather.

At this point, I made one more quick pass by one of the downtown souvenir areas at the Punxsutawney Area Community Center, before embarking on the journey back to Altoona. I had survived my first Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, and I expect it likely won’t be my last.

SUNDAY NIGHT 2/2 – My busy week and weekend concluded at Pellegrine’s, with Papercut supplying the tunes this night. It appears the Altoona crowd is starting to warm up to this band; Papercut had fans on the dance floor this night, including a steady stream of female fans onstage! Papercut kept the party moving with their uptempo mix of rocking favorites and punk-fueled classics; and kept the vibe fun and upbeat. While not a packed house, at least people seem to be responding to Papercut, and this band seems to be catching on. Good party.

Papercut rocks Pellegrine’s.

More Papercut partying at Pellegrine’s.

Bassist Joe of Papercut.

Guitarist Chas of Papercut.