HOMEGROWN ROCKER 11/25/12

[Jim Price]

Hello Everyone,

Here is the recap of the November 25 edition of Rocky 104.9 and Rocky 99's weekly local music program, "The Homegrown Rocker," which airs every Sunday night from 9 to 11 PM during Steelers football season on WRKY-FM (www.rocky1049.com) and WRKW-FM (www.rocky99.com).

We again packed maximum local and regional music into this week’s two hours! We unloaded the “Homegrown Rocker” mailboxes to check out new recordings that have arrived recently, and debuted a number of new songs! We gave first airplay to new stuff from Jimmy Mowery, The Turbosonics, Ben Dumm & the Deviants, Sucker, Jonah Whale, Bill Stock, Look Left, Biscuit Jam, The Arts and Dreamtime Project. We also updated “Local Music News,” dug a 2001 song by Johnstown’s Shadow from the archive for this week’s “Local Music Flashback,” and stepped “Across State Lines” to hear music from Massachusetts rockers The Self-Proclaimed Rockstars! And we reviewed Marty Rakaczewski’s Kickin’ It Old School CD in “The Professor’s CD Corner!” It was a jam-packed show!

Here is this week's playlist:

HOUR ONE:

FELIX & THE HURRICANES – “Walking a Straight Line”
SOUTH SIDE STRAYS – “Sprawl”
JIMMY MOWERY – “Turn Out the Lights”
RON GALLUCCI – “2012”
THE TURBOSONICS – “Clambake”
BEN DUMM & THE DEVIANTS – “Gasoline”
SUCKER – “Circus”
JONAH WHALE – “Fade”
BILL STOCK – “Just to Be with You”
LOOK LEFT – “Riddance”
BISCUIT JAM – “I Won’t Back Down”
JEFFREY GAINES – “Scares Me More” (live)

HOUR TWO:

LIES, INC. – “Invertigo”
TUKURPA – “Take ‘Em Down”
THE ARTS – “Let It Snow/Winter Wonderland”
MARTY RAKACZEWSKI – “Freight Train”
DREAMTIME PROJECT – “Dance of the Shaman”
SHADOW – “Call Me Duality” (2001, Local Music Flashback)
THE SELF-PROCLAIMED ROCKSTARS – “Whisky” (Across State Lines)
GIORNESTO – “Righteous Due”
THE EMBALMED – “Coming Black Winter”

On our next program, we will be joined in the studio by Indiana (PA)-based indie performers Look Left! We will meet the band members and learn what makes them tick, and hear recorded music from them! We will also update “Local Music News,” dig a song from the archive for another “Local Music Flashback,” and review John “JT” Thompson’s This Way, That Way CD in “The Professor’s CD Corner!” Look Left visits the “Homegrown Rocker” next Sunday night!

Upcoming guests and specials include:

DEC. 9 – VISE VERSA
DEC. 16 – THE HOPE FALLACY
DEC. 23 – CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
DEC. 30 – 2012 YEAR IN REVIEW SPECIAL PT. 1
JAN. 6 – 2012 YEAR IN REVIEW SPECIAL PT. 2
JAN. 13 – INSTRUMENTS DO THE TALKING SPECIAL (ALL INSTRUMENTALS)

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, live show and CD reviews in “JP’s Corner," 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…

Bad Daze closed out a ten-year run on area stages last Wednesday evening, playing their swan song performance at Davey’s in Hastings. Several band members are moving on to other projects; bassist Paul Rainey has joined Huntingdon country group Chris Woodward & ShinDiggin,’ and singer Tim Howsare and drummer Jim Bagrosky are joining forces with former Stept On and Green Eggs guitarist Matt Day in a new band project.

Again, the Brothers In Rock Against Cancer benefit concert happens next Sunday, Dec. 2 at the Reliance Fire Company Rec Hall in Philipsburg, as musicians gather to help raise funds to help out The Jam’s guitarist and singer Terry Welsh, who is battling stage 4 colon and liver cancer. The music will begin at 2:30 p.m. with The Lucky 13s, and will continue with performances by The Jam and The Mockingbirds. The group Temptation Alley will perform between bands. There will also be door prizes and a silent auction featuring items donated by local businesses.

And a key figure on the Harrisburg music scene passed away during the past week. Mike Van Jura, better known as “Jersey Mike” because of his New Jersey origins, died at age 36. Jersey Mike was a popular blogger about the Harrisburg music scene, and also promoted and orchestrated shows in the Harrisburg music scene, often introducing new and rising independent groups and artists. He worked closely with the Appalachian Brewing Company’s Abbey Bar venue. He was a strong advocate of original live music, and more recently had become interested in improving conditions in Harrisburg, recently applying to fill a vacant Harrisburg city council seat prior to his passing.