"I Remember When"

[TJ Kelly]

I'm definitely showing my age here but some of you oldtimers will "Remember When"

1.) You could carry all your gear in a station wagon.

2.) Nobody had "Openers"

3.) Nobody learned 10 songs and then offered to "Open"

4.) Everyone used Shure Vocalmasters and then Bose PAs

5.) Nobody was Mic'd

6.) Singers didn't stand with one foot on the monitor wedge

7.) Club Owners returned your call or were on premises when you stopped by

8.) 5 & 3 night

9.) Everyone went to the Holiday Inn on Tuesday nights

10.) Vince and the 1st Place (Them was some muscians folks)

11.) A booking was a booking and you wouldn't get cancelled for another band at the last minute

12.) No Cover, place was packed and the club actually paid you and get this...You didn't have to pay the club for the privilege of playing there.

13.) Getting your AF of M card renewed at Loy's house

14.) You could go hear 3 different bands in a night and not hear the same setlist

15.) Kustom Tuck & Roll ( Naugahyde baby )

16.) Beach parties at the Mall

17.) Soundmen??????

18.) Nobody played for "The Door"

19.) Louie Brumbaugh and the Rainbow City Band

20.) Battle of the Bands

21) P.L.C.B. left everyone alone



Chime in you "Oldtimers"

[tonefight]

I'm sure my Dad can relate to some of this but he never figured out how to use one of them there computers so he's not gonna reply

[HurricaneBob]

19.) Louie Brumbaugh and the Rainbow City Band

I was 17 and was introduced to rock and roll playing the Colinade (Joe Abrahams) with Louie 3 nights a week for a year...He needed a drummer ..No wonder i can drink so good...............<3 Louie!

[rickw]

From one old man to another, great list Tim! Now, ya might have to check with Bobby senior at the 4D's, but I believe FM was the first band to actually play the D's. Dave Villani, Beau Saller, and meself. And yep, yer right, Bose PA, no mic'ed amps, great times and big crowds Thursday thru Saturday! Also spent many a Thursday night at the Colonade. Joe Abraham was, and is, a saint to musicians that had the pleasure to know him. What a wonderful human being. To Bobby Diventura (4D's), Snooks Dively (Coaches Inn) and Harry Pellegrine, Sr. (Pellegrines), now those were some band supporting club owners, and I thank you. Many out of town clubs were all too cool as well. Yep, them was the days!

[TJ Kelly]

I think it was a right of passage that all us "Old Timers" had to do our "Internship" at the Colonade. And we all remember Papa Nicks

I actually had the 1st beer at the 4 Dees. They were building the place and it was nothing but a cinder block foundation but a group of us split a case of Colt 45 on the way to the football game right about where the bar stands today. Gawd am I old.

[313]

By the time I could get into Altoona clubs, the hot area bands were Pulse, Toyz, and Intruders. They seemed to alternate weekends playing at the Varsity Lounge. Pulse was amazing, and Toyz always pleased with their covers of the obscure band "Angel City". I think Intruders eventually morphed into "The Front".

Do any of you fellow old-timers have any information about the Altoona band "Black Diamond"? They were just a little before my time. I heard that they relocated to California, but not sure that is true.

[daveb]

Is that the Papa Nick's in Kane? If so, it was a great rock n'roll bar. Ask a Stranger and the first band I was ever in, Rockhopper, used to play up there all the time. Great bar with great people.

[lonewolf]

I'm definitely showing my age here but some of you oldtimers will "Remember When"

1.) You could carry all your gear in a station wagon.

Except for the guy with the Hammond B3...

2.) Nobody had "Openers"

We always used them to open beer bottles before they came out with twist-offs.

3.) Nobody learned 10 songs and then offered to "Open"

Anybody who only learned 10 songs could open my beer bottle anytime, they just weren't allowed on stage.

4.) Everyone used Shure Vocalmasters and then Bose PAs

Or, (gulp) Heil Bathtubs...

5.) Nobody was Mic'd

Mic'd?? Was he that Norwegian bass player?

6.) Singers didn't stand with one foot on the monitor wedge

What monitor wedge?

7.) Club Owners returned your call or were on premises when you stopped by

Yeah, and Club Owners actually owned CLUBS!

Most of the rest happened after I moved to Chicago.

[lonewolf]

18.) Nobody played for "The Door"

I moved back here in 1997 and got into a band. The drummer booked a job "for the door". All I could say was "What the f&^%k does "for the door" mean?" I owned an apartment building at the time and had quite enough doors, thank you. He explained it to me and all I could say was "What the f*^&k?"

Then there's the club PA systems. They want you to pay $50 to use them, but after you get a good look at them, you begin to wonder if they were offering you $50 to haul them away. Sorry, roll-offs cost more than that these days.