BIG JIM & BAD DAZE ROB @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 6/9/08
One of my favorite times of the week had arrived again…WINGTIME! It was again my opportunity to savor the best wings in the land at Pellegrine’s, plus enjoy live music courtesy of Big Jim & Bad Daze Rob. And if I was lucky, I could juggle wings, pen and camera without getting pen ink on the former, or wing sauce or shrapnel on either of the latter two!
I arrived just in time for the start of the duo’s second set, as Jim Ricotta and Rob Carolus delivered copious amounts of classic and current rock/pop favorites and chicanery. The pair played the whole way through to night’s end, never taking a break for the duration. The duo’s set list this night included songs from the Beatles, Bryan Adams, Five Man Electrical Band, Bon Jovi, CCR, Ugly Kid Joe, Counting Crows, Dobie Gray, Elton John, Neil Diamond, Simon & Garfunkel, Jimmy Buffett, John Lennon, Journey, Michael Jackson, Elvis and more. Highlights along the way included Jim crooning the voice on Cat Stevens’ “Wild World,” The pair breaking out Elton John’s “Your Song,” and audience requests for Spirit’s “Nature’s Way” and Elvis’ “Suspicious Minds” to close out the performance. Highjinks along the way included an audience member stepping up to demonstrate his freestyle rap abilities during Sublime’s “What I got,” and the pair’s improv blues jam. And somebody dropped an “f-bomb” (a sticker) on one of Pelly’s ceiling air conditioning conduits.
It was all in a Monday’s night’s enjoyment of tasty wings at Pelly’s.
Big Jim gets excited as Bad Daze Rob brandishes a canister of pretzels.
Somebody dropped an f-bomb on one of the air conditioning conduits at Pelly’s.
MATT BURNS @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 6/13/08
After dealing with the madness of anchoring the two final Harley remote broadcasts before my workplace gave away a Harley-Davidson motorcycle the next day, I headed to the relative tranquility of Pellegrine’s to do some dinner and enjoy some dinner music courtesy of Matt Burns.
I arrived and procured a table near where Matt was set up and performing, between the main bar room and the band room. Matt played an interesting mixture of favorites, and honored audience requests along the way made from the song request lists he had placed on tables throughout the venue. Matt was doing a slower spin on the Police’s “Message in a Bottle” as I arrived, and followed with requests for Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” and Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.” Matt then did a song by Lifehouse, followed by renditions of Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Girl” and Men at Work’s “Down Under,” before he broke out the kazoo on Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.” More audience requests were next, as he performed Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” and Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl,” the latter song drawing a table of ladies up to dance in front of Matt’s set-up. After Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name,” those ladies returned to dance along with requests for Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots” and Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.” Matt closed out this set with Simple Minds’ “(Don’t You) Forget About Me.”
After a 15-minute break, Matt was back to play some more tunes. CCR’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” and Looking Glass’ “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” led to a request for the Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” which drew the ladies back for more dance action. Billy Idol’s “White Wedding” was followed by a request for 4 Non Blonde’s “What’s Up,” before Matt took things on a country twist with George Jones’ “Race Is On.” Then the moment I was waiting for, Matt’s ‘commercial break,’ as he performed the “Bud Light Real Men of Genius” commercial (honoring the Toilet Paper Refiller) and the “Freecreditreport.com” commercial. Returning from a message from the show’s sponsors, Matt proceeded with another request, this time for The Who’s “Squeeze Box.” As Matt performed Bon Jovi’s “I’ll Be There for You,” I had settled up my dinner bill with Snooks the waitress, and was ready to depart to find musical adventure elsewhere in the land.
What I witnessed of Matt’s performance was good. Matt calmly and confidently handled his wide range of song material well, demonstrating a versatile voice and sturdy guitarwork. He accommodated audience requests well, delivering the song requests promptly and politely. It was a strong display overall, and elevated the mood of the evening as people unwound at Pelly’s after a week at work.
Matt Burns entertains at Pellegrine’s.
SUNSET STRIP @ MAGOO’S, CRESSON 6/13/08
From Pellegrine’s, I ascended the mountain to Cresson, to catch my first look at new 80’s hair band tribute group Sunset Strip, performing at Magoo’s.
Magoo’s had a pretty good-sized crowd in place as I arrived early during the group’s second set, as Sunset Strip was firing off a rendition of Ratt’s “You’re In Love.” Sunset Strip features a veteran cast of players, including former Torn Blak/Force of Habit frontman Scott Mulligan, Jim “Oliver Squash” Zemlock and Joe Hoffman on guitars, Frank “Booter” Rodes on bass, and Hair Force One alumnus Jared Michaels on drums. The group continued with The Cult’s “Fire Woman,” Poison’s “Fallen Angel” and Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” battling a few feedback issues along the way. Scott stepped off the stage and did a circuit of the room during Quiet Riot/Slade’s “Cum On Feel the Noize.” After LA Guns’ “Never Enough,” the group accommodated the slow dancing couples in the house by performing Poison’s “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.” After another power ballad, the group finished out the set with Tesla’s “Little Suzi,” Def Leppard’s “Foolin’” and Bulletboys’ “Smooth Up in Ya.”
Sound problems notwithstanding, Sunset Strip was giving a solid performance thus far. Scott still has the vocal power and high range, although the constant reverb on his voice made him challenging to understand at times. The rest of the group executed on the mark; Joe’s guitar solos were strong, and Jared’s beats, Frank’s solid bass lines and Jim’s rhythm chords combined into a powerful driving force.
Soon the group’s nightcap set got underway with Quiet Riot’s “Metal Health (Bang Your Head).” A few ladies populated the dance floor as Sunset Strip rocked with Cinderella’s “Gypsy Road,” Motley Crue’s “Looks that Kill,” Judas Priest’s “Breaking the Law,” Poison’s “Talk Dirty to Me” and Faster Pussycat’s “Bathroom Wall.” At this point, the group broke out some Iron Maiden, unleashing a torrid version of “Wasted Years.” This was followed by Motley Crue’s “Primal Scream” and Kix’s “Blow My Fuse” to close out the night.
For just their fourth gig, this was a satisfactory display overall from Sunset Strip. As mentioned earlier, this group was solid instrumentally, and executed tightly for the most part. Vocally, Scott’s voice was again good; a few vocal harmonies could stand to be better, but again, not bad for the fourth gig in. It was clear that these guys liked the music they were playing, and they made it a good time for the Magoo’s crowd. Sunset Strip represented well this night, and as they continue to tweak and fine tune their 80’s attack, they should be a force to look forward to on area stages.
Scott Mulligan of Sunset Strip.
Joe Hoffman of Sunset Strip.
Sunset Strip puts pedal to the metal at Magoo’s.
Scott Mulligan and Joe Hoffman of Sunset Strip.
Again, Sunset Strip.
Frank “Booter” Rodes of Sunset Strip.
Booter and Scott of Sunset Strip.
Jim Zemlock of Sunset Strip.
Jim Zemlock and Booter of Sunset Strip.
Again, Frank Rodes of Sunset Strip.
Again, Scott Mulligan of Sunset Strip.
Again, Jim Zemlock of Sunset Strip.
Jared Michaels of Sunset Strip.
Again, Sunset Strip rocks the house at Magoo’s.
Once again, Sunset Strip.
More fun with Sunset Strip.
Some ladies party down with Sunset Strip.
“Take our picture!” Gladly!
Apparently, I missed a miracle happening earlier in the night, as this pair of crutches was laying next to a trash can across the street from Magoo’s when I left. Somebody was healed!
Q94 HARLEY DAVIDSON GIVEAWAY @ RAILROADERS MEMORIAL MUSEUM, ALTOONA 6/14/08
School kids always look forward to the last day of the school year, in anticipation of summer vacation. College students look forward to the end of spring finals so they can enjoy a summer break. And at my workplace, I look forward to this day, not just for the party associated with the giving away of a Harley Davidson motorcycle, but because it is the culmination of two months of busy and often hectic times at the radio station; constant phone-in qualifiers, seven-day work weeks, setting up and tearing down live Harley remote broadcasts and more. Q94’s Harley Davidson giveaway means the end of our spring “term,” and afterward, a chance to catch our breaths.
This day, for the 11th year in a row, Q94 gave away another Harley Davidson motorcycle, a black pearl softtail deluxe! The Harley giveaway happened at Altoona's Railroaders Museum. Cutting to the chase, congratulations to the winner, Bill McDowell of Altoona, whose name was the last one left in the barrel!
As is usually the case, live music preceded the Harley giveaway. And this year, a special collaboration came together solely for this occasion. Dubbing themselves Toolbox & the Fossils, this group merged together members of Flight 19 and Half Tempted; as Flight 19 voice Brian Thomas (himself a qualifier for the Harley), guitarist John McKelvey and bassist Tim Kelly were joined by Half Tempted singer/guitarist Ron Dalansky and drummer Clint Carothers.
Just before 11 AM, the group began their performance, opening with Honeymoon Suite’s “New Girl Now,” which immediately brought Q94 wildman listener “Wolfie” to the stagefront lawn to show off his dance moves. Brian continued to front the group on renditions of Judas Priest’s “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin,’” a hard-rocking spin on Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” and the Romantics’ “What I Like About You.” Ron then handled the lead vocal duties on Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll,” before Brian again provided lead mic service on the bluesy Flight 19 original tune “Unlock.” After Ron sang on Brownsville Station’s “Smokin’ in the Boys Room” (which again drew Wolfie up to bust some more dance moves), John fronted the group on Tom Petty’s “I Need to Know.” After a rendition of ZZ Top’s “Tush,” the occasion of Front alumni John and Clint being back together on the same stage was celebrated as the collaborating musicians updated The Front’s best-known number, their 1983 regional hit “Girl Like You.” John again sang lead on Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s “Blue on Black,” before the group finished up the set with AC/DC’s “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.”
At this point, the group took a break while Q94 air personalities and calendar girls gave out some free stuff to the Harley hopefuls, including doo-rags donated by E&E and Sons Logging in Loretto, Miller Lite swag and T-shirts, Q94 T-shirts and more. Afterward, the group eagerly returned to their instruments to enjoy playing a few more songs together, doing renditions of Judas Priest’s “Living After Midnight,” the Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues,” the Ron and Brian duet edition of AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” and more.
Here is some video from Toolbox & the Fossils’ performance, with the emphasis on dancing wildman Wolfie:
http://www.rockpage.net/users/jprice/video/MOV01276.MPG
Soon, the drama of the Harley giveaway itself began. With 943 qualifying entries placed in a spinning barrel, 50 semifinalists' names were drawn. Those 50 names were then placed back into the barrel, and 10 finalists' names were drawn. Those ten names were replaced into the barrel, and one by one, the finalists were whittled down to two remaining names: Rita Imler of East Freedom (a 60-ish grandmother), and Bill McDowell of Altoona. One more card was drawn as the runner-up; that name was Rita's...leaving Bill's card as the last in the barrel, and Bill was the Harley winner!
As expected, it was a good time. The weather generally cooperated; although skies threatened, only a few brief sprinkles fell, with the bulk of the rainfall not happening until well after the motorcycle was given away. Musically, it was a special opportunity for some local music vets to make music together on the same stage. For Bill McDowell, it was an unforgettable day that culminated in his scoring a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. And for me and my coworkers, it marked the conclusion of our busiest two months of the year; and time for our summer fun to begin!
This memorable day in pictures:
The coveted prize of the day, Q94's Harley-Davidson softtail deluxe.
Providing the pre-giveaway musical entertainment, "Toolbox & the Fossils," featuring members of Flight 19 and Half Tempted.
Again, "Toolbox & the Fossils."
John McKelvey, Tim Kelly and Ron Dalansky of "Toolbox & the Fossils."
Ron Dalansky of "Toolbox & the Fossils."
Clint Carothers of "Toolbox & the Fossils."
Tim Kelly and Ron Dalansky of "Toolbox & the Fossils."
Again, John McKelvey.
Once again, "Toolbox & the Fossils."
"Wolfie" shows off some of his dance moves.
"Wolfie" is feeling it!
The Wolfman can air jam, too!
The crowd clamors for a free doo-rag, courtesy of E&E Logging.
Who's going to grab a free Miller Light ballcap!?
The ten finalists. One of these folks will soon win a Harley!
Two finalists remain: Rita Imler of East Freedom and Bill McDowell of Altoona.
And we have a winner: Bill McDowell of Altoona!
Let the celebration begin!
Bill and his friends celebrate!
JACKSON MONSOUR @ SHAN-NICOLE’S IRISH PUB, HOLLIDAYSBURG 6/14/08
Although I had contemplated attending the Day Of Rock benefit in Roaring Spring after the Q94 Harley giveaway, I had only gotten about 3½ hours of sleep the night before, and was pretty beat after the giveaway; so I headed home to recharge. After doing so, my initial Saturday evening destination was Shan Nicole’s Irish Pub in Hollidaysburg, to catch Bedford singer/songwriter Jackson Monsour’s performance. It turned out to be quite a fun night.
I arrived shortly before Jackson was to start into his first set. Shan Nicole’s wasn’t particularly busy early on, and I easily found a vantage point right at the main bar, mere feet away from where Jackson was set up and ready to perform. I ordered up a brew, and since I hadn’t done an evening meal yet, some Louisiana Cajun wings. I was soon joined by somebody I hadn’t seen in a long time, former Studio VII/Rodeo Lounge proprietor Paul, who purchased a beer chip for me (Thanks!). The night was off to a good start.
Armed with acoustic guitar, Jackson started into his first set, opening with Sublime’s “What I Got,” and segueing directly into Sugar Ray’s “Fly.” He then tapped the Weezer catalog to do “Say It Ain’t So,” followed by a rendition of Violent Femmes’ “Blister in the Sun” with a fast-driving finish. Jackson then shifted into country gear, breaking out a version of Steve Earle’s “Copperhead Road,” before returning to Sublime for “Santeria” and Tom Petty’s “Learning to Fly.” Next was a new original song Jackson said was inspired by witnessing an elderly person having problems loading groceries into a car; the tune was called “We All Get Old and Die.” Jackson then took the music into a Caribbean direction with “No Woman No Cry,” before performing a Social Distortion double-shot, “Story of My Life” and “Ball and Chain.” Jackson then threw an unusual twist into the mix by doing an acoustic rendition of a TLC number, before introducing one of the original songs from his July 5th CD, the reggae/folk-flavored “Criminally Insane.” Another change in musical direction followed with Jackson’s rendition of “The Scotsman,” followed by an Irish drinking tune and Men At Work’s “Down Under.” The audience, largely unresponsive up to this point, suddenly came to life as Jackson closed his first set with the ever-popular Neil Diamond chestnut “Sweet Caroline.”
Folks had been arriving through the course of Jackson’s first set, but the party quickly came to life during the intermission as the first of two different wedding parties arrived on the Shan Nicole’s premises. Suddenly I found myself trapped at the bar by wall-to-wall people behind me. I would soon witness how Jackson would convert this crowd of people into a lively and rowdy party.
Jackson’s second set launched with Spin Doctors’ “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong,” followed by the Jimmy Buffett double-shot of “I Don’t Know” and “Cheeseburger in Paradise.” After Jackson did Matchbox 20’s “Push,” he led the crowd in a clap-along rendition of Jim Croce’s “Bad Bad Leroy Brown.” This crowd was coming to life! After tunes by Neil Young and Nirvana, Jackson did a Metallica double-shot of “Nothing Else Matters” into “Enter Sandman,” which in turn segued into George Thorogood’s “Bad to the Bone.” Blink 182’s “Dammit” and another new original song led to Jackson’s fast-strumming rendition of Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” followed by Goldfinger’s “Here in Your Bedroom” and the Johnny Cash double-shot of “Folsom Prison Blues” and “Ring of Fire” to draw the set to a close.
Still more people were arriving, including what appeared to be a second wedding party! Again, I couldn’t escape my seat if I wanted to; but as it turned out, the company wasn’t bad. I had ladies crowding in on either side of me to purchase drinks, and a few of them were giving me complimentary neck and backrubs while awaiting their drinks. And as Jackson started into his third set, two guys from the wedding party sat down on either side of me. The guy on my right had a full pitcher of Yeungling; the guy on my left had an empty glass. I had been sipping Yeungling myself this night (Shan Nicole’s didn’t serve my usual beer of choice, Genesee). Guy on the left passes his glass in front of me to the guy on the right, who filled it up. Then the guy grabbed my glass and filled it up as well, explaining that since he had to cross my airspace to accommodate his friend, he was sharing the beer wealth with me as well. Very cool!
With Shan Nicole’s in very happy spirits at this point, Jackson kept them happy in his third set, starting off with the Steve Miller Band’s ever-popular “The Joker.” A rendition of “Angel of the Morning” led into Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” another song and Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here.” Jackson then broke out a song I hadn’t heard in ages, Fine Young Cannibals’ “She Drives Me Crazy,” before returning to the Buffett catalog to lead the Shan Nicole’s revelers in a singalong of “Margaritaville.” The singalongs continued as Jackson performed Tom Petty’s “American Girl,” Crosby Stills Nash & Young’s “Ohio,” and for the finale, a repeat of Sublime’s “What I Got” into “Sweet Home Alabama” and back to finish out the night.
Wow, what a party! I got to witness as Jackson Monsour took the arriving masses of people and converted them into a happy-go-lucky, singalong good-time crowd! He seized the moment and helped make it special for everyone in the house, pulling these folks together into a happy, festive community. I noted that the two bartenders, although swamped with drink orders, were grinning as they realized they were smack-dab in the middle of this party as well.
With the music ended, and an opening by my bar stool, I took the opportunity to exit Shan Nicole’s at this point. My initial game plan was to leave this show midway through and catch another band elsewhere; but I ended up having so much fun at Shan Nicole’s, I wasn’t going anywhere else! Thumbs up to both Jackson Monsour’s performance and the friendly atmosphere this night at Shan Nicole’s; if this type of night is a commonplace occurrence at this venue, I definitely will be back for more!
Jackson Monsour, entertaining at Shan Nicole’s.
Again, Jackson Monsour.
Jackson Monsour, entertaining the bar crowd at Shan Nicole’s.
One more time, Jackson Monsour.
CANDLELIGHT RED @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 6/15/08
There had been buzz around the area about this show for several weeks before it happened. The new regional “supergroup” featuring former Backstreet Law/Til December guitarist Jeremy Edge and the former Stept On rhythm section of bassist Adam Zimmer and drummer Josh Hetrick – Candlelight Red – was making their Altoona debut this Sunday night at Pellegrine’s.
I arrived at Pelly’s early in the group’s second set to find a brisk, good-sized crowd of curious fans in the house. I was curious to witness this group as well; I expected that Jeremy, Adam and Josh would mesh well together, but I was also curious about the unknown factor in this line-up, Alaskan transplant frontlady Charlotte Kopp. What would she bring to the stage?
As it turned out, a lot. Charlotte demonstrated a clear and powerful voice, and a feisty stage presentation at the center of the action. As expected, Jeremy, Adam and Josh provided her with a heavy-geared, hard-rocking backdrop as they mixed rock and pop favorites from the 80’s to today. Some of the second set highlights included lively spins on No Doubt’s “Hella Good,” Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock and Roll,” Panic at the Disco’s “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” and Motley Crue’s “Wildside.”
Candlelight Red’s third set started with Tool’s “Stinkfist,” as Charlotte showed she could deliver the angrier vocal tones as well as melodic ones. The Pelly’s dance floor filled back up as the group did the Beastie Boys’ “Fight for Your Right (to Party),” Buckcherry’s “Crazy Bitch,” Poison’s “Nothin’ But a Good Time,” Guns N’Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle,” Danzig’s “mother” and John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band’s “On the Dark Side.” Then a surprise, as Charlotte went Ronnie James Dio and pulled off a competent read of Dio’s “Holy Diver,” before the group closed the set with Drowning Pool’s “Bodies.”
The crowd started immediately yelling for an encore. And something I openly predicted would happen this night did…I heard several folks yelling out for a favorite from Jeremy’s former band…”Seat-belt! Seat-belt!” No “Seatbelt” was forthcoming, but Candlelight Red did deliver an encore, finishing the night with Rage’s “Killing in the Name.”
Overall, Candlelight Red’s first Altoona performance was a strong one. Instrumentally this group was as tight and thunderous as I expected they would be. And Charlotte showed a good voice, even though I could detect a slight bit of shyness as she performed in front of this crowd of strangers for the first time. I get the feeling that touch of shyness will be very short-lived as she gets more shows with this band under her belt.
But bottom line, Candlelight Red delivers the goods. And according to Jeremy, the group is working on original material to be unveiled onstage soon. Based on what I witnessed this night, Candlelight Red should be a dominant force on regional stages in short order.
A crowd looks on as Charlotte Kopp and Candlelight Red rock Pellegrine’s.
Charlotte Kopp of Candlelight Red.
Charlotte Kopp and Adam Zimmer of Candlelight Red.
Josh Hetrick of Candlelight Red.
Again, Charlotte Kopp of Candlelight Red.
Jeremy Edge and Adam Zimmer of Candlelight Red.
Once again, Charlotte Kopp of Candlelight Red.
Again, Adam Zimmer of Candlelight Red.
A large crowd cheers on Candlelight Red rock Pellegrine’s.
Jeremy Edge and Charlotte Kopp of Candlelight Red.
Yet again, Charlotte Kopp of Candlelight Red.
The Candlelight Red party continues.
Again, Jeremy Edge of Candlelight Red.
One more time, Candlelight Red.
JP’s HAIKU
Shan Nicole’s party
Jackson Monsour, wedding peeps
JP trapped at bar!
