HOMEGROWN ROCKER 9/26/10 (ROYAL BENSON)

[Jim Price]

Hello Everyone,

Here is the recap of the September 26 edition of Rocky 99 and Rocky 104.9's weekly local music program, "The Homegrown Rocker," which airs every Sunday night from 8 to 10 PM on WRKW-FM (www.rocky99.com) and WRKY-FM (www.rocky1049.com).

Thanks to our guests this week, Matt Fern and Jordan Thompson of State College jazz-rockers Royal Benson (www.royalbensonmusic.com). Matt and Jordan told us the Royal Benson story, and we got inside the group’s debut CD, (long)Drive, hearing several songs from the disc. Four lucky listeners called in to win copies! We also checked out a 2007 tune from our guests' previous band, Cootie Brown, for a "Local Music Flashback." Along the way, we debuted a new song from Ted McCloskey, updated “Local Music News,” and reviewed Maddam Ink’s Inklination CD in “The Professor’s CD Corner.”

Here is this week's playlist:

HOUR ONE:

FELIX & THE HURRICANES – “Icy You”
CHRIS VIPOND & THE STANLEY STREET BAND – “Yourself”
ROYAL BENSON – “(short)Drive”
TED McCLOSKEY – “Some Other Planet”
ROYAL BENSON – “Firefly”
BEN HARDT & HIS SYMPHONY – “Come On, Come On”
ROYAL BENSON – “Red Maple”

HOUR TWO:

NATE MYERS & THE ACES – “Jager and Waffles”
ROYAL BENSON – “What She Gets”
MADDAM INK – “Jaded”
ROYAL BENSON – “Partner in Crime”
COOTIE BROWN – “The Cat’s Pajamas” (2007, Local Music Flashback)
ROYAL BENSON – “Worth All the Time”

Our next show will feature aspiring young Altoona rockers Original Sin. We’ll meet the band members and learn their story to date, plus hear newly-recorded tunes from them. We’ll also update “Local Music News,” dig a song from the archive for a “Local Music Flashback,” and review Fourth River’s The Crow That Pecked You CD in “The Professor’s CD Corner!” Original Sin on the “Homegrown Rocker,” this Sunday night!

Upcoming guests and specials include:

OCT. 10 – ACOUSTIC JAM SPECIAL
OCT. 17 – MYSTERYTRAIN
OCT. 24 – SCORCHED
OCT. 31 – (NO SHOW DUE TO STEELERS FOOTBALL)
NOV. 7 – SYNESTHESIA
NOV. 14 – (NO SHOW DUE TO STEELERS FOOTBALL)
NOV. 21 – AFTER THE FALL
NOV. 28 – THE TAKEN
DEC. 5 – (NO SHOW DUE TO STEELERS FOOTBALL)
DEC. 19 – CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
DEC. 26 – 2010 YEAR IN REVIEW SPECIAL, PART 1
JAN. 2 – 2010 YEAR IN REVIEW SPECIAL, PART 2
JAN. 9 – JACKSON MONSOUR
JAN. 16 – THE UP DOWNS

For regular updates on what is happening on the area music scene, pay a visit to Rockpage (www.rockpage.net). Rockpage features band links, a message board, "Homegrown Rocker" updates, the online 'zine publication "The Final Cut," and other local music scene information.

Bands and artists interested in having music aired on "The Homegrown Rocker" are invited to send their broadcast-quality recordings to: WRKY Radio, One Forever Drive, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648; ATTN: Jim Price. Or drop the recordings off at the station during regular business hours, Monday-Friday 9 AM - 5 PM. You can also email me with inquiries about the show at profjp@rocky1049.com.

Jim Price

In Local Music News…

The region lost another musician and friend this past week, with the passing of Pittsburgh’s Robert “Bobby Lee” Rubaker on Wednesday following a heart attack and auto accident; he was 43. Bobby sang and played guitar with numerous regional bands since the ‘80s; including Roadhouse, Forces, Austin Nichols, Dreamcatcher, One Night Stand and The Groove Junkies. He also served as vice president of the Western Pennsylvania Musicians Group, a Pittsburgh organization that provided instruments and practice space to needy and young musicians. We at the “Homegrown Rocker” express our heartfelt condolences to Bobby’s surviving family, friends and fellow musicians.

The “Party Plane” will see a crew member change at year’s end…Flight 19 will rock to the beat of a different drummer, as Darin Hand will depart the group at the end of the year. Replacing him will be Clint Carothers, who will finish his drum duties with Half Tempted at year’s end.

Area entertainer Zupe is looking for some volunteers to appear in a video. Zupe will be shooting a music video to promote his new Dance album. The video will be for the song "Let's Dance," and Zupe is seeking people to pose as an audience and dancers. Zupe is hopeful that the finished video will help get the Dance CD onto this year's Grammy nomination ballot. Anybody interested in volunteering can email Zupe through his website, www.zupe.net. Zupe performed in Ebensburg yesterday as part of the annual Potatofest celebration.