[Jim Price]

WEEK/WEEKEND RECAP 7/2/07

RUSTY GUN REVIVAL @ THE HITCHING POST, ALTOONA 6/27/07

Despite my best plans, the workplace held me later than I expected this night, so I arrived late during Rusty Gun Revival's latest Hitching Post visit and only got to catch a few songs in their nightcap set. But what I heard from the trio of singer/guitarist Marc "L.C. Slim" Prave, percussionist Tom Hipps and retiring upright bassist Ed "Red" McDonald sounded good. The group did several songs from their self-titled CD, such as "Revival," the instrumental "LF/T" and the show-ending "Smoke;" also Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" and the traditional folk number "Freight Train." The crowd in attendance was into it, and the ribs were good.

GIANTS OF SCIENCE @ THE WHITE LADY TAVERN, BUCKHORN 6/29/07

“For the record, I’m here to photograph the band onstage. If some ladies decked out in bikinis happen to be on stage at the time, it’s just one of the hazards of my line of work…” – JP

Sometimes, things don't quite go as planned. Originally, I was to take part in the Rock For The Troops show at Aldo's this night with 4 Days Dirty, Stuck In Kaos and The Alluminati. However, I had to finish up work duties at the radio station first, and things didn't go smoothly. The equipment decided to gang up on me, with computer problems, malfunctioning mics and bad plugs all combining to prevent me from leaving until after midnight. And at that point, with my voice shot (partially from yelling at equipment), nerves frazzled and no supper in my stomach yet, I wasn't in the frame of mind to interview people or get on stage in front of a crowd, so I decided to bypass Rock For The Troops and instead head up the hill to the White Lady Tavern, where the Giants Of Science were staging a bikini contest. I needed something to settle my nerves and lift my spirits.

Fortunately, that was the tonic. The bikini contest only had two contestants, but they were both worthy. On either side of the bikini contest, the Giants Of Science kept the mood happy with their mix of 80's and current rocking favorites. Bassman Crow and guitarist Mick shared lead vocal duties, switching off between each other as the night went. The Giants' set list varied between songs from Nickelback, Goo Goo Dolls. John Mellencamp, James, Gin Blossoms, Poison, Violent Femmes, Ramones, Guns'N'Roses, Sublime, Cheap Trick and more. The Giants kept the crowd constantly involved in the party, allowing two ladies to sing lead on James' "Laid," and leading the dance floor singalong version of Gin Blossoms' "Hey Jealousy."

It was a fun party that settled my frayed nerves, with a bikini contest that provided soothing eye candy for my frayed eyeballs. It was the Giants Of Science delivering the good time in their most reliable fashion.

The Giants of Science, bringing the party at the White Lady Tavern.

Crow of Giants of Science.

Mick of Giants of Science.

Jamie of Giants of Science.

The bikini contest begins.

The first contestant states her case.

Mick from Giants of Science introduces the second contestant.

A rush of paparazzi rush to capture the bikini contestants’ onstage highjinks.

The bikini contest action continues. The contestant on the left won the contest.

The Giants of Science continue the party.

Again, Mick of Giants of Science.

Again, Crow of Giants of Science.

More party mayhem with Giants of Science.

THRILLS IN THE HILLS @CLEARFIELD COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, CLEARFIELD 6/30/07

One week after Johnstown's big biker bash weekend, Clearfield was staging theirs, as Thrills In The Hills took place at the Clearfield County Fairgrounds.

Of course, my interest in this event was the musical entertainment, which included Grand Funk Railroad performing at the grandstand main stage on Saturday night. Although the group's best-known member, singer/guitarist Mark Farner, had exited the group a few years ago, this still looked to be a promising line-up, with founding drummer Don Brewer and bassist Mel Schacher, plus former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick and former .38 Special singer Max Carl in the roster.

I arrived during late afternoon, in time to catch the last few songs of Rusty Gun Revival's performance. I caught the fiery finale of their last set, as they did Elvis' "That's All Right," with Marc "L.C. Slim" Prave stepping atop Ed "Red" McDonald's upright bass to jam out. The seated crowd demanded an encore, and the group responded with "LF/T," the surf-flavored instrumental from their self-titled CD.

Marc “L.C. Slim” Prave of Rusty Gun Revival.

Rusty Gun Revival, in the waning moments of their Thrills In the Hills performance.

The seated audience looks on during Rusty Gun Revival’s performance.

“L.C. Slim” takes a ride on Ed “Red” McDonald’s big upright bass.

Some of the bikes that showed up at Thrills in the Hills.

More bikes.

This cool-looking trike showed up as well.

Before Grand Funk Railroad’s performance, I caught some of the Psychogang Thrill Riders’ show.

More Psychogang Thrill Riders.

Wheelies were a big part of the Psychogang Thrill Riders’ show.

Bringing the bike to a stop on one wheel!

Part of the Psychogang Thrill Riders’ show was the riders challenging each other to stop their bikes without hitting the pretty female member of the entourage.

He managed to get the bike stopped in time!

She stopped both riders dead in their tracks!

After chatting with some friends and grabbing some grub, I headed to the grandstand for the main event, Grand Funk Railroad. This was a good show, even without Mark Farner. This was total general admission, so you could pick your spot to view the band, from either the grandstand or in front of the stage. I decided to take a seat in the grandstand, so I could have a good view of the whole stage area.

The aforementioned Grand Funk Railroad roster, along with journeyman keyboard player Tim Cashion (whose resume includes stints with Bob Seger and Robert Palmer), began the show by each surfacing on stage individually and starting into a jam. This eventually culminated in the song "Bottle Rocket," a newer song the group introduced four years ago. The group then sang a "Nothin' but a Party" intro, which led into "Rock and Roll Soul." This kicked off a string of Grand Funk hits, including "Footstompin' Music," "Shinin' On," and "The Locomotion," which really brought the crowd to life. The hits continued with "Walk Like a Man," followed by a hit that Max Carl penned and sang for .38 Special, "Second Chance." At this point, Don Brewer took the spotlight, performing an excellent drum solo display, after which he tossed his sticks out to the audience. Don and the rest of the band then started into an all-around percussion jam, which evolved into the song "Devil's Daughter." Bruce Kulick then took the spotlight, performing a solo electric guitar rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner;" he continued his guitar solo display out of this, and into a bluesier number. Then it was Mel Schacher's turn to shine, as he pumped out the familiar bass lead-in to "Some Kind of Wonderful;" Don Brewer stepped out from behind the drum kit and to the front of the stage, leaving Mel to power the song as Don and Max shared lead vocal duties and led the rowdy Clearfield audience in a singalong of this classic! Grand Funk Railroad then closed out the set with "I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home)," before exiting the stage and leaving an ecstatic crowd to demand one more song. After a few moments, Grand Funk Railroad returned to the stage and picked up their instruments for one more - what else? - "We're An American Band!" Don sang the lead vocal on this classic, and at the end, closed out the show by yelling a hearty "God Bless Pennsylvania!!!" to the jubilant crowd.

This edition of the band sounded good, and appeared happy to be playing at this event. Max Carl and Bruce Kulick seemed to fit in well; Max's voice was in very good form, and fit the Grand Funk hits reasonably well. These guys seemed very comfortable and at home playing in front of a motorcycle crowd, and the enthusiasm between the band and audience was constant. Their performances were inspired, and Don Brewer especially seemed to be inspired by the crowd and the chance to perform in front of them. It was a constant fun vibe, as the crowd came to life every time the group started into another of their hits. While seeing the original Grand Funk Railroad would have been great, this edition of the group did very well, and delivered a fun and rocking show that made me glad I did the roadtrip to Thrills In The Hills to check it out.


Mel Schacher and Don Brewer of Grand Funk Railroad.

Grand Funk Railroad.

Tim Cashion of Grand Funk Railroad. Prior to Grand Funk, Tim logged time on tour with Robert Palmer and Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band.

Don Brewer of Grand Funk Railroad.

A large grandstand area crowd watches Grand Funk Railroad’s performance.

Bruce Kulick of Grand Funk Railroad.

Don Brewer and Max Carl of Grand Funk Railroad.

Again, Don Brewer.

Again, Bruce Kulick.

The stagefront crowd gets down to Grand Funk Railroad.

Again, Tim Cashion.

Again, Grand Funk Railroad.

Mel Schacher and Don Brewer of Grand Funk Railroad.

Again, Mel Schacher and Don Brewer.

Again, Mel and Don.

Max Carl of Grand Funk Railroad.

Again, Max Carl.

Under way with his drum solo, Don Brewer.

Again, Don Brewer.

Once again, Don Brewer.

In the midst of his drum solo, Don Brewer.

One more time, Don Brewer.

After Don's drum solo, the rest of the group donned percussion instruments and did a percussion jam.

The Grand Funk percussion jam continues.

Once again, Bruce Kulick.

Into his guitar solo, Bruce Kulick.

Mel Schacher.

Again, Max Carl.

Don Brewer steps out from behind the kit to lead the crowd in singing "Some Kind of Wonderful."

Leading the crowd, Don Brewer.

Mel Schacher, Max Carl and Bruce Kulick.

Closing out their performance, Grand Funk Railroad.

One more time, Grand Funk Railroad '07.

ROADKILL @ MARY’S PLACE, CLEARFIELD 6/30/07

After the Grand Funk Railroad show concluded at Thrills In The Hills, I decided to stick around the Clearfield vicinity for a little while, and eventually headed to Mary's Place for some maximum rot-and-roll with Roadkill, in front of their hometown crowd.

I arrived prior to the start of Roadkill's first set, and quietly slinked into the main band room and located a seat while the band was completing their set-up preparations. Eventually the band spotted me, and Roadkill main man Greg Majewsky asked what I was doing at Mary's Place. I jokingly shrugged my shoulders, bringing a tirade from Greg, who concluded that I was in town to see "the real band" playing up at the fairgrounds. This confirmed that Greg was fired up and in prime sarcastic form, and that we were in for a good evening.

Initially seated on stools, Greg, guitarist Sean McCracken and drummer/singer Shawn "Teach" Evans soon kicked off their first set with the Teach-fronted rendition of the Black Crowes' "Hard to Handle." In his somber fashion, Greg then broke the news to the fans that this was...the last show. I wondered if it was true...the end of 17 years of "rot and roll?" But knowing Greg, I had my suspicions that there might be more to this than meets the ear. Roadkill offered their own unique spin on Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky," complete with tambourines, "Kumbaya" choruses and Disturbed-styled grunts. The group then shifted gears, doing Stevie Ray Vaughan/Elmore James' "Sky Is Crying," with Sean singing lead and going to town on the guitar. Roadkill then began into a barrage of original song favorites, including "I Don't Care," Greg's fiery performance on "I Wanna Be an Ex-Boyfriend of Alanis Morisette," "The Adam Stomp" with a Bon Jovi "Bad Medicine" midsection, and "Hardcoreo." Sean again sang lead and took the spotlight for the group's pairing of "Folsom Prison Blues" into Jimi's "Voodoo Chile." Greg again repeated to the smallish audience that this was Roadkill's last show...of the summer. They were finishing work on their new CD during the rest of summer, to be released in early fall. The rock continued with Golden Earring's "Twilight Zone," followed by a rendition of the Doors' "Roadhouse Blues" that playfully included a "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" midsection. In his best Dylan voice, drummer Teach then sang Bob's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," before Roadkill closed out this lengthy first set with one of their new original tunes, "The Remaining Days of Zed."

Relieved that 17 years of Roadkill "Rot & Roll" weren't coming to an end this night, I stuck around for the nightcap set. Greg and company started back into the music by honoring an audience request, as somebody yelled for them to "play that song about golf!" Roadkill responded with "Lost in the Woods," which prompted some dance floor activity and even an audience singalong. Teach then sang lead on Roadkill's spin on Big & Rich's "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy." Guitarist Sean then sang lead on the Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated," followed by renditions of AC/DC's "Sin City" and Seven Mary Three's "Cumbersome." The group then broke out an acoustic take on another of their own songs, "You Lied," before a guest singer from the audience sang on Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight." Nearing the end of the night, Roadkill picked up the tempo on their driving version of Huey Lewis' "Walking on a Thin Line," before another guest singer helped the group close the night with Collective Soul's "Shine."

This was a good rowdy Roadkill time. In front of the hometown drunks, Greg, Sean and Teach were in good form, delivering their original tunes and cover selection with ample doses of sass, wit and attitude. This band did it their way, playing rock on their own terms. Seventeen years has given this band their own distinct voice, style and personality, and that rang out through each song they performed this night. It was as strong a display of Roadkill "rot & roll" as I've ever seen.

Roadkill, rotting and rolling Mary’s Place.

Again, Roadkill.

Shawn “Teach” Evans of Roadkill.

Sean McCracken of Roadkill.

Again, “Teach” of Roadkill.

Greg Majewsky of Roadkill.

Once again, Roadkill.

Again, Greg Majewsky of Roadkill, sitting on the job.

One more time, Greg Majewsky of Roadkill.

RISE PHOENIX RISE @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 7/1/07

The weekend again boiled down to one final night, Sunday, and again it concluded at Pellegrine's, where Rise Phoenix Rise was providing the tunes.

I got there well past midnight, but found a good-sized crowd, the biggest I've witnessed for this group in the 'Toona thus far. Rise Phoenix Rise had the party going, as they mixed favorites and original songs. Their song selection the rest of the night included tunes from Georgia Satellites, Panic at the Disco, Jimmy Eats World, American Hi-Fi, Bon Jovi, Lustra and others. Also included along the way were an 80's medley stringing together tunes from Soft Cell, the Knack, Devo, Cars, Duran Duran and Billy Idol; guitarist Jarrod Griffith showing his higher vocal range on Four Non Blondes' "What's Up;" a song from drummer Rob Hampton's last band, Poptart Monkeys, as the group did "She Likes Girlz;" and a hip-hop medley with tunes from House Of Pain, Vanilla Ice and Run DMC to close out the night.

Rise Phoenix Rise did a good job, keeping the energy level high and the action constant. Singer Gibson displayed a good voice, and the ability to work the crowd and keep them involved. The group maintained a steady throng of dance floor occupants through the remainder of the evening, and made a point to thank them for the support.

In all, a good, sound, rocking end to the weekend.

Gibson of Rise Phoenix Rise takes it to the dance floor crowd.

Jarrod Griffith of Rise Phoenix Rise.

Again, Jarrod Griffith of Rise Phoenix Rise.

Taking his turn singing and interacting with the crowd, Rob Hampton of Rise Phoenix Rise.

Ronnie Williams and Gibson of Rise Phoenix Rise.

Chris Bishop of Rise Phoenix Rise shows coordination by playing guitar and doing a tequila and lime shot at the same time.

Ronnie Williams and Chris Bishop of Rise Phoenix Rise, having fun with a lime slice.

Again, Ronnie Williams of Rise Phoenix Rise.

Once again, Ronnie Williams of Rise Phoenix Rise.

Rise Phoenix Rise keeps the party going.

One more time, Rise Phoenix Rise.

JP’s HAIKU

Clearfield Thrills in Hills
Rocking with Grand Funk Railroad
American Band
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http://pamusician.net

[Jim Price]

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http://pamusician.net