ADAM D (AND GAMBER GONE WILD) @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 2/1/10
I arrived at Pellegrine’s for my weekly Monday night wing fix wondering if the rising sensation known as “Gamber Gone Wild” could outdo himself this week. We would find out as the night progressed.
Adam D was flying solo, with no Bad Daze Rob or Jess P in the house this week. Big Jim was present, and sat in as the night progressed.
This provided a bit of a refreshing change of pace, as Adam’s solo show contains many different songs from the repertoire usually seen in his shows with Bad Daze Rob. Adam did a wide-ranging selection of song material, and often took stabs at audience requests as well. His song selection this night included numbers from Elton John, Pearl Jam, Marc Cohn, Train (I had nearly forgotten the song “Drops of Jupiter,” it’s been so long since I heard anyone do it), Hinder, Doors, Beatles, Godsmack and more.
Some of the more interesting highlights along the way included Adam’s rendition of Toby Keith’s “Whiskey Girl,” stabs at Quiet Riot’s “Metal Health” and Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs,” audience request performances of Gordon Lightfoot’s “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” and Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun,” and after audience debate on whether he should do a Nickeback song, his version of “How You Remind Me.” Big Jim joined Adam on a version of Bad Company’s “Shooting Star” early on.
The night got a little crazier after…Gamber Gone Wild! Jerry did his thing, singing Looking Glass’ “Brandy,” and promised he would take on a second song next week. Yowza!
A few more guests would help Adam out as the night entered its homestretch. A guest named Brian stepped up to sing lead on Frank Sinatra/David Lee Roth’s “Just A Gigolo.” When Pellegrine’s resident mascot Samson the Wonder Airedale sounded off after Adam solicited audience requests, Adam responded with “Who Let the Dogs Out.” And yours truly was recruited to buzz out some kazoo on the last two numbers, Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” and Kansas’ “Dust in the Wind.”
It was a slightly different flavor of craziness this Monday night, but craziness nonetheless…
With guest singer Brian chiming in, Adam D.
For yet another week, the sensation known as Gamber Gone Wild.
Jerry Gamber, gone wild once again.
Gamber Gone Wild at the bar.
JAM NIGHT @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 2/3/10
So far in its infancy, Pellegrine’s weekly Jam Night seemed to be happening in fours, with four musicians taking part every week. During the first week it was host Adam D, Big Jim, Eric “D” Delozier and Don Osborn. Last week, it was Adam, Matt Burns, Rick Ramsey and his cohort Wally. This week’s jam night upped the ante slightly, with five performers in total taking part by the time all was said and done.
But while the number of performers incrementally increased this week, this jam night’s duration was a lot longer than the first two weeks, stretching out around 4 hours! During the course of this night, Adam D and Big Jim were joined by Eric D. The performing duties blended and shifted through the course of the night, with Adam D and Big Jim doing some numbers, Eric D doing some numbers, and all three joining forces.
The other two performers were guest singers. Early on, guest singer Crystal Marie (yes, the fair circuit country singer) gave a bright cameo performance on a rendition of Gretchen Wilson’s “Redneck Woman.” And from the previous Monday night wing night, guest singer Brian stepped up to try his hand on several tunes by Pink Floyd, The Who, Harry Chapin, Bon Jovi and more.
Other highlights included Eric D doing several Todd Snider numbers, most notably “I Can Drink Any Woman Pretty” and “Ballad of the Kingsmen”; Adam tackling “Fernando” to honor a request for an Abba song by two German visitors in the house this night, and Adam and Jim honoring a post-holiday season request for Adam Sandler’s “Hanukah Song.”
It was fun and enjoyable, and hopefully Wednesday Jam Night will continue to grow, even if slowly, into a regular weekly highlight.
Eric D, Adam D and Big Jim.
SNOWSTORM 2/5-2/6/10
“Snowmageddon” began arriving Friday afternoon, and by the time it cleared out on Saturday, dumped heavy amounts of snow across a wide area. Altoona received 20 inches of snow in general (I measured about 19 inches of snow in my driveway, photo below), and parts of Cambria and Somerset Counties saw snowfalls well in excess of 2 feet!
I had considered venturing out Friday night to see Shallow 9 at nearby 30 Something, and even considered walking to that show. But I thought better of it when I saw how fast the snow was coming down. Had I tried walking, I would have had to return uphill to my home in nearly a foot of snow as of 2 AM!
Saturday afternoon was spent shoveling and catching the massive snowfall in photography, as the pictures below show…
The view out my kitchen window when I got up this morning; my bird feeder was doing brisk business.
My car in the driveway, as the Logan Township plow truck clears my street and hill.
My car before I started shoveling out.
But first, the official measurement...just shy of 19 inches.
The yardstick relative to my car.
Three hours later, done!
REPRESENT THE LIE @ ALDO’S, ALTOONA 2/6/10
No snowstorm since the Blizzard of ’93 has prevented me from seeing live music two nights in a row, and “Snowmageddon” wasn’t able to thwart me two nights in a row, either. Having shoveled out, and convinced that the main roads at least were passable, I was Juniata-bound this night to see Represent The Lie at Aldo’s.
Although not a big crowd in the house this night, at least some folks – from the group’s State College homebase as well as some locals – also braved the roads to enjoy Represent The Lie and openers It Is Written. I got a bit of a late start and missed the openers, but heard that they represented well.
Represent The Lie started their first of two sets shortly after I arrived. Singer Brent Carolus was battling a cold this night, but still poured it out on the mic for the duration of the two sets; if the cold was impacting his throat, it might have even given him a grittier presence on lead voice, and added some abrasion to his howls. Brent, guitarists James Gingerich and Chuck Lavera, bassist Chris Walter and drummer Brandon Anderson crunched out fare from Godsmack, Breaking Benjamin, Velvet Revolver, Helmet, Disturbed, Jimmie’s Chicken Shack, Tool, Danzig and more during this initial set. They broke out Smile Empty Soul’s “Bottom of a Bottle,” the first I’ve heard this song done on a local stage in many moons! They also did Guns N’Roses’ “Mr. Brownstone,” broke out their original song “Falling Down,” and closed the set strongly with a rendition of Pantera’s “This Love.”
The nightcap set featured more hard-hitting modern rock and metal; including more numbers from Breaking Benjamin, Seether, System Of A Down and Drowning Pool. Represent The Lie also killed with a strong rendition of Prong’s “Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck,” and introduced another original song, “On The Inside.”
Represent The Lie represented well, with a brisk, strong performance. Brent’s voice held together well despite his illness, and the rest of the band was tight and powerful. The guitars were appropriately abrasive and menacing, and the group delivered their goods with tenacity and swagger. This was a confident performance, and succeeded in getting the Aldo’s crowd rowdy for the duration. It served further notice that Represent The Lie is an area rock force on the rise, and you would be wise to give this band a look if you haven’t already done so. They will be heard from.
Brent Carolus of Represent The Lie.
Represent The Lie.
James Gingerich of Represent The Lie.
Again, Represent The Lie.
Chris Walter and Chuck Lavera of Represent The Lie.
Again, Brent Carolus of Represent The Lie.
Chuck Lavera of Represent The Lie.
Brandon Anderson of Represent The Lie.
Again, James Gingerich of Represent The Lie.
Again, Chris Walter of Represent The Lie.
Singing to a fan, Brent Carolus of Represent The Lie.
SUPER BOWL PARTY/HARDCORE SHOW w/GRINDSTONE/ROCK BOTTOM/C.D.C. @ 30 SOMETHING, ALTOONA 2/7/10
Friday’s “Snowmageddon” colossal snowstorm wrecked the Friday and weekend schedules of many. One item the snowstorm scuttled for me was my plan to view the “Dark Side of Oz” presentation at State College’s State Theatre on Friday night. This was the synchronized playing of the movie classic The Wizard Of Oz with Pink Floyd’s classic Dark Side of the Moon album in surround sound. I had looked forward to checking this out, and seeing if there was anything to the claims that parts of the movie synchronized with parts of the album. Alas, Old Man Winter deemed it was not to be, at least for this year. Hopefully next year…
But this Super Bowl Sunday night at 30 Something, I experienced possibly the next best thing; viewing the Super Bowl in conjunction with a hardcore triple bill. No Money Productions was presenting their Super Bowl Party/Hardcore Show.
Originally, there were four bands advertised on the show flyers; but two of the advertised bands, Steel Nation and Terrible Minds, bowed out. Headliners C.D.C. and Rock Bottom did show, along with a replacement band who opened the show, State College’s Grindstone. Four members strong, Grindstone led off with a short 6-song set of screaming, high-velocity hardcore. These guys were tight on their execution, and brought the velocity with a sense of melody. I caught three of their song titles; “Ready to Die,” “Stay Up” and “Never Forget.”
State College’s Grindstone kicks off the action.
Again, Grindstone.
Grindstone’s singer.
Once again, Grindstone.
There wasn’t a huge crowd in attendance at 30 Something, but there were some people there for both events, with football fans converged around the bar area to watch the Super Bowl on the plazma screens, and hardcore fans sticking toward the stage area to enjoy the bands. And there were good percentages of both audiences who were there to enjoy both, myself included.
Perhaps due to there being only three bands instead of the original four, or perhaps out of respect for their musical forefathers, there was a long intermission between Grindstone and the second band on the bill, and the show didn’t conflict with The Who’s halftime performance on the tube. During the halftime, 30 Something presented a complimentary food spread with hot dogs and kraut, veggies, shrimp, baked beans and more.
As the Saints executed their onside kick to launch the third quarter, the second band of the hardcore bill, Rock Bottom, launched their set. (I didn’t notice any particular synchronicity between the start of the band’s set and the onside kick.) Five members strong from Doylestown, Rock Bottom executed pummeling, raging hardcore originals. Their first song, “Parasite,” erupted out of a Metallica “Wherever I May Roam” intro. The group also did such numbers as the accelerating and decelerating “Bleeding Out,” and the finisher “Raise Hell.” While brash and vicious on the vocal front, I thought Rock Bottom was skillful on the instrumental end; their drummer was precise with his rapidfire beats, and their lead guitarist demonstrated some impressive leadwork, something not often associated with hardcore music!
From Doylestown, Rock Bottom.
Again, Rock Bottom.
One more time, Rock Bottom.
After another intermission, the headliners, C.D.C., were ready to go. It may have been coincidental, but I thought the beginning of C.D.C.’s set synchronized perfectly with the Saints’ Tracy Porter intercepting Payton Manning’s pass for the pick-six in the 4th quarter. Like the first two groups, C.D.C. brought the brute force hardcore rage, their assaults triggering several bursts of spirited moshing along the way. And it again may have been coincidental, but C.D.C.’ set ended in close proximity to the Super Bowl’s conclusion.
It was a different way to experience the Super Bowl, but it was fitting…hard-hitting music to go along with a hard-hitting game!
Fans get ready to look on and mosh as C.D.C. starts into their throttling set.
C.D.C.’s lead throat.
Let the moshing begin!
Fans get ready to look on and mosh as CDC starts into their throttling set.
WHITE SHADOW @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 2/7/10
After the Super Bowl and hardcore show ended, I made my way up Pleasant Valley Boulevard to Pellegrine’s for the post-party, hosted by White Shadow.
Not surprisingly given the Super Bowl and the road conditions still not being back to 100%, attendance was light early on as the White Shadow trio of drummer/singer Jerry Carnicella, keyboardist Harry Young and guitarist/singer Bob Helbig (subbing for Johann Von Schrenkel, whose return from Mexico was delayed by weather-related airport hassles) started into their first set of classics. This edition of White Shadow showed the ability to improvise on the fly, quickly responding to audience requests and going out of their way to accommodate them. The first set featured tunes from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Doobie Brothers, Rolling Stones, the Hollies, Wild Cherry, Johnny Cash, Steppenwolf, Bryan Adams and more. Perhaps the highlight of this first set was the group’s rendition of the Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin,” with Bob even providing the song’s closing poetic passage!
During the first intermission, I bided my time by checking out the beginning part of this week’s DVD movie, Zombieland…Funny flick…Good stuff!
A few more folks arrived as White Shadow continued the party into their second set. Songs from the Temptations, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Wilson Pickett, ZZ Top and Tommy James sounded sharp. After Sam The Sham’s “Wooly Bully,” the group reverted into Beatlemaniacs mode and fired off a string of Beatles classics such as “Hey Jude,” “I Saw Her Standing There,” “Get Back,” Back in the U.S.S.R.,” “She Loves You,” “Can’t Buy Me Love” and more. A guest singer from the audience, Corey, joined the group onstage to help sing on a couple of songs.
White Shadow was sounding good. They were instrumentally sharp, and their vocal harmonies were in good form this night. And although the crowd wasn’t huge, they were appreciative, with more folks making their way forward to the stage area as the night progressed.
The third set soon reconvened with the Eagles’ “Take It Easy,” and White Shadow picked the party up where they left off. Hits by Neil Diamond, Foundations, more Beatles, Pat Benatar and Deep Purple kept the audience cheering. White Shadow slowed it down once more for Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” and The Miracles’ “Ooh Baby Baby,” allowing the young fans in the audience to discover the lost art of slow dancing. I even got pulled up for some slow-dance action! White Shadow then took the music up to the 2 AM closing time with Greg Kihn’s “Break Up Song” and the Doobie Brothers’ “Listen to the Music.”
White Shadow’s good time rock’n’roll capped Super Bowl Sunday, and provided an upbeat end to an otherwise weather-impacted weekend.
Providing the poetic close to “Nights in White Satin” with a red glow, Bob Helbig of White Shadow.
Jerry Carnicella of White Shadow.
Harry Young of White Shadow.
White Shadow.
Again, Jerry Carnicella of White Shadow.
Once again, Jerry Carnicella.
Guest singer Corey belts some voice with White Shadow.
Again, White Shadow.
Yet again, Jerry Carnicella of White Shadow.
Again, Harry Young of White Shadow.
Again, Bob Helbig of White Shadow.
One more time, Jerry Carnicella of White Shadow.
Some fans on the dance floor cheer on White Shadow.
