Alright, with '07 wrapping up here in a few weeks, let's hear some of the most memorable shows you've seen from local bands. I'll start. In no particular order...
1). The Embalmed (Aldo's, Juniata) - There are so many mediocre "original" metal bands around, but these guys are the real fucking deal! Great musicianship and great songwriting and arrangement. I couldn't get over how incredibly tight they were. Of course, they're all really cool cats too and are very approachable.
2). Lemonsoul (Bar Bleu, State College) - If you haven't seen these cats yet, you owe it to yourself to do so. I normally cringe a little when someone tells me about a "jam band," because I start to envision these bands who wank on pentatonic bullshit that goes nowhere for thirty minutes, but these cats smoke. The singer's a tall dude with hair like Lyle Lovett. The guitarist looks like an MIT grad student or something and plays a Les Paul through a Mesa combo, very awesome David Gilmour-like tone. The bass player slaps, taps, and funks. I remember they were doing this jam. I'm not sure if it was an original or a cover, but it had a very Santana type of thing going on. I swear the jam was like half a set. In this one part, the drummer hits this pocket. It was one of THOSE pockets! You know what I mean! The hihat sounded like a sequencer off of a Chemical Brothers record.
3). Hitchcock (The County Line Inn, Mount Union) - These cats opened for us in the fall. This is one of the bands that has everything together. The vocal harmonies are all where they're supposed to be and the end is a professional product. Adam Becker is one of the most underrated guitarists around, in my opinion. The bass player, Justin, was using a Bongo and it smoked. Their singer is incredible and sang everything from ballads to Down On Me by Jackyl.
4). Fedup, Lies, Inc., and The Grimm (Lost and Found, Juniata) - I think that this show is in a lot of people's top list. First Sanchez, Bushy, and the boys laid it all out. Then Lies took the stage. Despite the mediocre FOH mix, Dax's guitar tone was on like always. Then the long-awaited Grimm reunion took place. Bobby Lee commanded the room from the get-go, while Kent, Ron, and Otto-Christ took us all on a wild ride. What a kick ass show!
Let's hear some of your favorite moments in the audience.
Best Local Shows You've Seen This Year?
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bassist_25
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Best Local Shows You've Seen This Year?
"He's the electric horseman, you better back off!" - old sKool making a reference to the culturally relevant 1979 film.
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bassist4life2004
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In order
1. Til December at Pelly's - Definitely THE BEST BAND ive seen around here so far. First time I ever saw them, and I was impressed beyond belief.
2. H8Ball at City Limits is definitely the runner up for best show this year. I thought that they sounded great, even though they aren't together anymore.
3. Pop Shop at 4D's - Great party band, kept things very interesting, and the female vocalist is pretty hot too. For the song "Hit me with your best shot" she sang "Hit me with your huge cock" and it was funny for some reason.
4. Spirit Lost at Magoo's - Very tight band, and great people to work with. Had them open for us in St. Mary's a while back, one of our first shows, and they've been entertaining since!
5.Bad Daze at the Slovak club - Only because they always have this incredibly talented singer come up and do Bodies.
Fun group of guys and talented entertainers!
1. Til December at Pelly's - Definitely THE BEST BAND ive seen around here so far. First time I ever saw them, and I was impressed beyond belief.
2. H8Ball at City Limits is definitely the runner up for best show this year. I thought that they sounded great, even though they aren't together anymore.
3. Pop Shop at 4D's - Great party band, kept things very interesting, and the female vocalist is pretty hot too. For the song "Hit me with your best shot" she sang "Hit me with your huge cock" and it was funny for some reason.
4. Spirit Lost at Magoo's - Very tight band, and great people to work with. Had them open for us in St. Mary's a while back, one of our first shows, and they've been entertaining since!
5.Bad Daze at the Slovak club - Only because they always have this incredibly talented singer come up and do Bodies.
Fun group of guys and talented entertainers!-
DirtySanchez
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My memory can't recap the whole year, but these two shows stand out.
Big Jim and BadDazeRob- Petersburg Tavern Halloween show.
So much fun. They were clearly having a blast and it was contagious.
Thanksgiving at The Lost And Found- End of The Sun, The Grimm, Samara, The Plastered Bastards.
Awesome show!!! The Grimm - very talented and Bob keeps the crowd into it. End of the Sun- These dudes were so stoked to play. Jittery nerves before the show. It was great to see the passion even though it's not really my kinda music. Good dudes too. Samara- I've never seen a band that rug was in that I didn't dig. The Plastered Bastards- My personal favorite. This band kicks ass. Fast paced, energetic, piss and vinegar Punk Rock. Just the way it should be. Plus it was at an all ages venue that doesn't serve alcohol. So the people were all there for one thing. To rock the fuck out.
I'll post more as the past year comes back to me.
Big Jim and BadDazeRob- Petersburg Tavern Halloween show.
So much fun. They were clearly having a blast and it was contagious.
Thanksgiving at The Lost And Found- End of The Sun, The Grimm, Samara, The Plastered Bastards.
Awesome show!!! The Grimm - very talented and Bob keeps the crowd into it. End of the Sun- These dudes were so stoked to play. Jittery nerves before the show. It was great to see the passion even though it's not really my kinda music. Good dudes too. Samara- I've never seen a band that rug was in that I didn't dig. The Plastered Bastards- My personal favorite. This band kicks ass. Fast paced, energetic, piss and vinegar Punk Rock. Just the way it should be. Plus it was at an all ages venue that doesn't serve alcohol. So the people were all there for one thing. To rock the fuck out.
I'll post more as the past year comes back to me.
"You are now either a clueless inbred brownshirt Teabagger, or a babykilling hippie Marxist on welfare."-Songsmith
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WerewolfMovies
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Man did I have a headache that night...DirtySanchez wrote:My memory can't recap the whole year, but these two shows stand out.
Big Jim and BadDazeRob- Petersburg Tavern Halloween show.
So much fun. They were clearly having a blast and it was contagious.
Thanksgiving at The Lost And Found- End of The Sun, The Grimm, Samara, The Plastered Bastards.
Awesome show!!! The Grimm - very talented and Bob keeps the crowd into it. End of the Sun- These dudes were so stoked to play. Jittery nerves before the show. It was great to see the passion even though it's not really my kinda music. Good dudes too. Samara- I've never seen a band that rug was in that I didn't dig. The Plastered Bastards- My personal favorite. This band kicks ass. Fast paced, energetic, piss and vinegar Punk Rock. Just the way it should be. Plus it was at an all ages venue that doesn't serve alcohol. So the people were all there for one thing. To rock the fuck out.
I'll post more as the past year comes back to me.
That show kicked tons of ass...
Samara- These guys are amazing... I loved the samples integrated into the mix.
Plastered Bastards- I admit to anyone that 'hardcore' isn't really my scene... but their frontman had all the energy that I didn't that night. Mofo was just exploding with energy...
The Grim- I think that they were amazing. I didn't talk to many of the guys, but Kent made us feel right at home. You all rocked!
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ToonaRockGuy
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For me, even though I didn't catch a lot of shows this year, two for me stood WAY out.
1. Vs. The Earth, Rock For The Troops, 4D's Lounge. Adam, Dawg, Ritchey, and Elliot put on an electrifying evening for the RFTT crew. We had American flags all over the place, and the lads were great about doing interviews and playing not only for the crowd, but for the camera also. Just a magical night.
2. Rock For The Troops Wrapup Concert, Heritage Plaza, Altoona.
This was the best show I've seen in years. There was an unbelievable sense of community and unity unmatched by any of the "stuffed shirt" organiztions. Every single band absolutely SMOKED, and the sense of sharing was off the charts. Every band worked together to get on and offstage as quickly as possible, and bandmembers were volunteering their equipment for others to use. Tony Mollick's van broke down, and all kinds of folks were offering equipment for the band to use. Kitty Whip kicked major amounts of arse, I got to hold Kent's (Lies, Inc) Spector bass, Slacker Theory debuted (Everyone was talking about how Danfelt sounded just like Chad Kroeger of Nickelback during "Animals"), and Felix and the boys just ripped the sh*t out of the nightcap with a smoking set.
That show, to me, is what the Altoona music scene is all about, and why I'm proud to be a part of it.
1. Vs. The Earth, Rock For The Troops, 4D's Lounge. Adam, Dawg, Ritchey, and Elliot put on an electrifying evening for the RFTT crew. We had American flags all over the place, and the lads were great about doing interviews and playing not only for the crowd, but for the camera also. Just a magical night.
2. Rock For The Troops Wrapup Concert, Heritage Plaza, Altoona.
This was the best show I've seen in years. There was an unbelievable sense of community and unity unmatched by any of the "stuffed shirt" organiztions. Every single band absolutely SMOKED, and the sense of sharing was off the charts. Every band worked together to get on and offstage as quickly as possible, and bandmembers were volunteering their equipment for others to use. Tony Mollick's van broke down, and all kinds of folks were offering equipment for the band to use. Kitty Whip kicked major amounts of arse, I got to hold Kent's (Lies, Inc) Spector bass, Slacker Theory debuted (Everyone was talking about how Danfelt sounded just like Chad Kroeger of Nickelback during "Animals"), and Felix and the boys just ripped the sh*t out of the nightcap with a smoking set.
That show, to me, is what the Altoona music scene is all about, and why I'm proud to be a part of it.
Dood...
Yea... I hardly go to any shows, except a few VTE, but I think downtown show was pretty amazing. Not often do you get to see like 10 bands or more in a single sitting... not in a bar!ToonaRockGuy wrote: 2. Rock For The Troops Wrapup Concert, Heritage Plaza, Altoona.
This was the best show I've seen in years. There was an unbelievable sense of community and unity unmatched by any of the "stuffed shirt" organiztions. Every single band absolutely SMOKED, and the sense of sharing was off the charts. Every band worked together to get on and offstage as quickly as possible, and bandmembers were volunteering their equipment for others to use. Tony Mollick's van broke down, and all kinds of folks were offering equipment for the band to use. Kitty Whip kicked major amounts of arse, I got to hold Kent's (Lies, Inc) Spector bass, Slacker Theory debuted (Everyone was talking about how Danfelt sounded just like Chad Kroeger of Nickelback during "Animals"), and Felix and the boys just ripped the sh*t out of the nightcap with a smoking set.
That show, to me, is what the Altoona music scene is all about, and why I'm proud to be a part of it.
(Free too!)No comment.
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Killjingle
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thank u Paul. I really appreciate your compliment. I havent been on much lately.
I missed my one chance to see Way Down East because of poor planning on my part. Im really dissappointed with myself about that.
Id say my fav performances from 2007 would be in no particular order:
1. FedUp at Katies Place - I think they blew the "headlining band" off the stage the night I saw them.
2. Subdue at Too Loud Festival - these guys can shred; dont let them drink at a Halloween show though that they will be playing
3. Litany at Moorefest (Aces) - if u havent heard of Litany u are missing a really good band
4. Choking Faith at Aces - I earned a lot of respect for Jason Mittan that evening; he has a lot of stage presence
5. Pelt unplugged at Westmont Gardens - too bad they dont understand how good they sound in this format... it only happened once to my recollection
I missed my one chance to see Way Down East because of poor planning on my part. Im really dissappointed with myself about that.
Id say my fav performances from 2007 would be in no particular order:
1. FedUp at Katies Place - I think they blew the "headlining band" off the stage the night I saw them.
2. Subdue at Too Loud Festival - these guys can shred; dont let them drink at a Halloween show though that they will be playing
3. Litany at Moorefest (Aces) - if u havent heard of Litany u are missing a really good band
4. Choking Faith at Aces - I earned a lot of respect for Jason Mittan that evening; he has a lot of stage presence
5. Pelt unplugged at Westmont Gardens - too bad they dont understand how good they sound in this format... it only happened once to my recollection
Everyone wants to go to heaven but noone wants to die
Man, it was real cool to see you and the missus out that night ... thanks for road trippin' and for the kind words, Brian.DirtySanchez wrote:Big Jim and BadDazeRob- Petersburg Tavern Halloween show.
So much fun. They were clearly having a blast and it was contagious.
I agree with Jason, FedUp put on one helluva show at City that night. I can't stress enough how much I enjoy being part of multi-genre gigs like that. Variety at a live music event is awesome.
r:>)
That's what she said.
Musically, the best show I saw this year was the Hillbilly Gypsies at the Heidelberg last month. They're always musically pretty amazing, but this time, it was at the end of their busiest summer ever, and they were just scary, sell-your-soul-to-the-devil-at-the-crossroads good. I never saw a progressive metal band execute any better, just flawless and filled with fire. Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver at the State Theater come in a close second.
Best vibe award goes to (TIE) the RFTT show in Intown Altoona, and The Sobriety Party in Pinecroft, wish you all could have been there, ask me for a bootleg recording of it.
Best festival was Smoked Country Jam (top regional talent), followed by Mountain Vista Bluegrass Festival at Blue Knob State Park... excellent national and local acts, and a well-kept secret locally, though people from elsewhere show up in droves.
Also, best local CD you never heard: Untitled, by Harold "Harlo" Taddy. It's stripped-down ambient music... No rhythm. No real key. Odd, disconnected lyrics. Limited production values at best. Still, through the use of an Echoplex, a harmonizer, and a multi-tracker, he manages to grab your ear, and you remember lines like, "... all we have, is one big item. Big item." Yeah, it's weird, but in a completely new way.
Overall, I was right. This past summer was The Summer Of Bluegrass. I saw a response to bluegrass, folk, rockabilly, Americana and other roots music, that I've never seen before, and may not ever again. I hope that's not the case. I hope people find the joy of standing in a small circle with a group of folks, playing music and sharing that bond.
Merry Christmas y'all, I'm looking forward to 2008!----->JMS
Best vibe award goes to (TIE) the RFTT show in Intown Altoona, and The Sobriety Party in Pinecroft, wish you all could have been there, ask me for a bootleg recording of it.
Best festival was Smoked Country Jam (top regional talent), followed by Mountain Vista Bluegrass Festival at Blue Knob State Park... excellent national and local acts, and a well-kept secret locally, though people from elsewhere show up in droves.
Also, best local CD you never heard: Untitled, by Harold "Harlo" Taddy. It's stripped-down ambient music... No rhythm. No real key. Odd, disconnected lyrics. Limited production values at best. Still, through the use of an Echoplex, a harmonizer, and a multi-tracker, he manages to grab your ear, and you remember lines like, "... all we have, is one big item. Big item." Yeah, it's weird, but in a completely new way.
Overall, I was right. This past summer was The Summer Of Bluegrass. I saw a response to bluegrass, folk, rockabilly, Americana and other roots music, that I've never seen before, and may not ever again. I hope that's not the case. I hope people find the joy of standing in a small circle with a group of folks, playing music and sharing that bond.
Merry Christmas y'all, I'm looking forward to 2008!----->JMS
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bassist_25
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Two more shows I forgot to mention in my original post...
Hello, Vixen (White Lady Tavern, Ashville) - Great cover song selection and well-written originals. I get a kick out of watching Mark execute from the stage. I swear that his microphone is as big as him. LOL
The Allumanati (Aldo's, Juniata) - I probably just spelled their name wrong. LOL I'll be honest: I went into this with some bias. I saw the band was made up of a bunch of young guys, and thought, "Oh no, not a band full of a bunch of kids who can't play or write songs." Well, I made a mistake, A BIG MISTAKE!!! These guys fucking rip!!! Their lead singer/lead guitarist rocks a Les through a Marshall stack and just plain shreds. He's still developing his vocals, but give this guy two or three more years, and I think that his vocals will be as good as his excellent guitar playing. They were pulling off harmonized guitar parts that would make the biggest Thin Lizzy and Judas Priest fans proud. Their drummer was hitting everything in site. They closed their set with a kick ass cover of Walk by Pantera. If you dig bands like Unearth and God Forbid, I highly suggest checking these guys out.
Hello, Vixen (White Lady Tavern, Ashville) - Great cover song selection and well-written originals. I get a kick out of watching Mark execute from the stage. I swear that his microphone is as big as him. LOL
The Allumanati (Aldo's, Juniata) - I probably just spelled their name wrong. LOL I'll be honest: I went into this with some bias. I saw the band was made up of a bunch of young guys, and thought, "Oh no, not a band full of a bunch of kids who can't play or write songs." Well, I made a mistake, A BIG MISTAKE!!! These guys fucking rip!!! Their lead singer/lead guitarist rocks a Les through a Marshall stack and just plain shreds. He's still developing his vocals, but give this guy two or three more years, and I think that his vocals will be as good as his excellent guitar playing. They were pulling off harmonized guitar parts that would make the biggest Thin Lizzy and Judas Priest fans proud. Their drummer was hitting everything in site. They closed their set with a kick ass cover of Walk by Pantera. If you dig bands like Unearth and God Forbid, I highly suggest checking these guys out.
"He's the electric horseman, you better back off!" - old sKool making a reference to the culturally relevant 1979 film.
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Viva la Pelt
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Killjingle wrote:thank u Paul. I really appreciate your compliment. I havent been on much lately.
I missed my one chance to see Way Down East because of poor planning on my part. Im really dissappointed with myself about that.
Id say my fav performances from 2007 would be in no particular order:
1. FedUp at Katies Place - I think they blew the "headlining band" off the stage the night I saw them.
2. Subdue at Too Loud Festival - these guys can shred; dont let them drink at a Halloween show though that they will be playing
3. Litany at Moorefest (Aces) - if u havent heard of Litany u are missing a really good band
4. Choking Faith at Aces - I earned a lot of respect for Jason Mittan that evening; he has a lot of stage presence
5. Pelt unplugged at Westmont Gardens - too bad they dont understand how good they sound in this format... it only happened once to my recollection
wow Chad thanx.....that means alot coming from u
POUND-REBELS WITHOUT APPLAUSE!
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RobTheDrummer
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UNEARTHA7XMatt
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Mine
Ninetail, Stuck In Kaos, and Choking Faith at Aldos. Amazing show, one of the first good ones I have been to in a while. Great time. Jason you are still crazy as hell! Unfortunately I missed the Naildriver Debut! Kinda angry with myself for missing that one!
We got all highed Up and somebody put the car in the Pool!
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MatchstikDrummer
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If I had to pick only one, it at the Wallick tribute last spring. The set was played by The Flame Sky band with whitedevilone (Scotty B.) on guitar and the incomparable Steve Oswalt leading the vocal onslaught. Mostly Iron Maiden and Ozzy/Randy Rhodes material if I recall correctly. The whole night was awsome, but that set was stunning.
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RiffRandell
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The Marauders w/ October Allied @ Aldo's
hands down....October Allied "in my opinion" is the best fucking band to come through in a long time!
Scott Quay. enough said.
...i just hope scott & the boys get a chance to return to the area again soon. if they do....don't miss it. i promise you, you won't be disappointed!!
hands down....October Allied "in my opinion" is the best fucking band to come through in a long time!
Scott Quay. enough said.
...i just hope scott & the boys get a chance to return to the area again soon. if they do....don't miss it. i promise you, you won't be disappointed!!
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mistikalvalkrie
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In no particular order:
- Bad Daze/ Fed Up/ RFTT show at City Limits
- the Grimm/ Lies, Inc/ Fed Up show at Lost and Found
-Ninetail/ Choking Faith show at the Wheelie Bar (I really enjoy seeing both of these bands, plus the other two that were there kicked ass that night too)
-another vote for Lemon Soul at Bar Blue...such a tight group, and they had an amazing drummer
-Naildriver debut...it was an excellent set, you guys sounded great and I really can't wait to see you again.
- Bad Daze/ Fed Up/ RFTT show at City Limits
- the Grimm/ Lies, Inc/ Fed Up show at Lost and Found
-Ninetail/ Choking Faith show at the Wheelie Bar (I really enjoy seeing both of these bands, plus the other two that were there kicked ass that night too)
-another vote for Lemon Soul at Bar Blue...such a tight group, and they had an amazing drummer
-Naildriver debut...it was an excellent set, you guys sounded great and I really can't wait to see you again.
Worth dying for. Worth killing for. Worth going to hell for. Amen.
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JustinGelvin
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Waydowneast, Jackyl, Wiskerbisket
www.myspace.com/yourdyingwish1
"True Love Lies in Body Bags The World Can't Hear Your Faintest Crys"
"True Love Lies in Body Bags The World Can't Hear Your Faintest Crys"