WOOD’N’STRINGS @ THE KNICKERBOCKER, ALTOONA 1/26/05
It was another Wednesday night where I was able to escape the workplace earlier than usual; so I walked around the corner to The Knickerbocker to check in with Dwane Edmiston and Jeremy Nelson, a.k.a. Wood-N-Strings.
A mid-sized crowd was on hand to watch as Dwane and Jeremy blended an assortment of current and classic rock favorites, and more. The pair alternated lead singing duties, while harmonizing and combining their guitar talents well. Their song assortment was interesting; featuring both common favorites and songs not often covered on area stages. Highlights for me during the set I witnessed included the Jeremy-sung rendition of Oasis’ “Wonderwall,” the Dwane-sung version of Jane’s Addiction’s “Jane Says,” the interesting pairing of America’s “Sandman” with Tenacious D’s “Karate,” the Jeremy-fronted version of Steve Miller Band’s “The Joker” with Dwane providing scat accompaniment, and two Wallflowers numbers, “6th Avenue Heartache” and “Three Marlenas.” Wood-N-Strings also performed tunes from Grand Funk Railroad, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Jimi Hendrix, Grateful Dead, Jim Croce, Beatles, a request for acoustic “Wipe Out,” and more.
The lure of my usual Wednesday pizza supper across town prompted me to depart the Knickerbocker after Wood-N-Strings’ set ended. Again Dwane and Jeremy were in good form; and their combination of good voices, musicianship and song variety made this an enjoyable performance.
ROCKPAGE BENEFIT JAM 2 @ PETER C’S, ALTOONA 1/27/05
For the second year in a row, Rockpage broke up the mid-winter doldrums with another Jam Benefit, staged at Peter C’s. And as was the case with the inaugural Rockpage Benefit Jam last year, this one also featured a wide assortment of bands, musicians and jams.
Kicking off this year’s Rockpage Benefit was Gypsy & the Crazymoon. Frontlady, keyboardist, namesake and ringleader Gypsy had totally overhauled this band since the last time I witnessed them, at last year’s “End Of Summer Jam” benefit in Cresson. Gone was guitarist Brian McHugh and drummer Mark Panek; and instead Gypsy has assembled a new cast with several young players – including her son, Jeffrey Peachey, on bass; John Lord on drums; and a rotation of three different guitar players. This particular night, Roy Schaeffer was handling guitar duties. Gypsy and her new Crazymoon mixed blues and blues rock from Robert Johnson, Mike Bloomfield, Led Zeppelin, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Ray Vaughan and more. This was a new, young cast of players, just starting to play out together; and as such, there were some rough spots. Roy in particular seemed out of synch with the rest of the band, and didn’t appear to know some of the material they were playing. As a powerful, explosive drummer, John’s energy and velocity rocked a bit harder and faster than what the song repertoire called for; he did get to showcase his powerhouse style of drumming during a solo that bridged together Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “The House Is Rockin’” and Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll.” But as many drummers have learned through the years, achieving the art of “the groove” takes time and experience. Glitches as there were, though, I think this new edition of Gypsy & the Crazymoon will be fine once they get more playing time under their belts; and I applaud Gypsy for working and bringing along young talent and giving them the chance to develop and grow into their roles (i.e. – this is her son, Jeffrey’s first band situation). And unlike the Crazymoon model I witnessed last summer, this one seemed to work more as a team, rather than musicians competing and clashing with one another. Under Gypsy’s tutelage, we’ll keep an eye on how this edition of the Crazymoon develops in the coming months.
After Gypsy & the Crazymoon’s set, Kevin “ToonaRockGuy” Siegel and Rob “Robthedrummer” Bonsell took up position behind the two drum kits on stage, and kicked off a drum groovefest. After establishing their groove, the two drummers alternated beats and rudiments back and forth, drawing increased cheers as they proceeded.
Shortly after this percussion display, a new band took to the stage to make their debut, Opposition. This new band would mark the lead singing debut of Mike “Iceman” Bryant, who played drums during the debut of his previous band, Dafunkt, at this same event a year ago. The group also features former Infused bassist Bill Fischer, plus CuCuPlex/Banditos guitarist Phil Wagner and drummer Dave Russell. Opposition played five original songs that blended funk with punkish speed and velocity. Iceman gave a confident, feisty and gritty performance on the vocal end, and instrumentally this band was tight and fiery. As the group progressed into their set, the cheers and approval grew louder from the Peter C’s audience. Clearly Opposition’s debut was a hit, and an impressive calling card that left many of the folks present excited to hear more.
After a short intermission, another band was set to go, Dropout High. This would be my first legitimate look at this young Altoona foursome, who played a set of original, hard-driving melody-geared pop/punk rock. Singer/guitarists Jimmy Mowery and Jeff Wendle, bassist Andy Cosnotti and drummer Jeremy Jock fired off a string of fast-paced, crisp original tunes; including “Words Are Weapons,” “I Took the Bullet,” “Restless,” “In Reference to You,” “Until We Meet Again” and more. The group also mixed in a few select covers, such as Matchbook Romance’s “Promise” and Fall Out Boy’s “Chicago Is So Two Years Ago.” The group demonstrated fairly tight rhythms fueled by Jeremy’s high-velocity hammering behind the kit, and solid vocals coupled with crisp harmonies. Dropout High held the audience’s attention throughout their set, and applause became louder and more widespread as their set progressed. Although I thought their volume was a bit excessive, I otherwise was pretty impressed with what Dropout High had to offer.
Following Dropout High’s set, a presentation. Rockpage Benefit Jam coordinator “Hurricane” Bob Watters stepped up to the stage and counted down the list of the top 30 Rockpage posters (excluding yours truly). “Songsmith” John Stevens had the most posts, and was presented with a new computer keyboard – with the letters J. M and S missing.
Up until this point, with the exception of the “Robthedrummer”/”ToonaRockGuy” drum groovefest, there hadn’t been any actual jamming at the Rockpage Benefit Jam. But some jamming started up at this point, as “Hurricane” Bob, “Robthedrummer,” Phil Wagner, Dan Martino and Troy “tshovel” Earnest got together for a few songs. This combination of players did Journey’s “Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’” and The Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues;” before Bob and Rob yielded their respective drumkits to “ToonaRockGuy” and Gypsy & the Crazymoon’s John Lord, who slammed forth the beat behind the remaining musicians on Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll.”
It was then reunion time, as Dan, Phil, Dave and Scott Russell – all members of former area heavy-hitters Broken Neck – got together to break out two Broken Neck original tunes, including “The Gat Song.” “Robthedrummer” then replaced Dave behind the kit for a rendition of Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing In The Name.”
For the rest of the Rockpage Benefit Jam, it was – jamming! A parade of Rockpagers and area musicians – Brian from the Clan Plush, Paul “bassist25” Rainey, Ed “getclosertothemusic” Murvine, Hair Force One consultant “hitman18,” Acid Reflux’s Dwane Edmiston, “Songsmith,” Gypsy, Rich Piccerillo, Hurricanes bassman Jeff Clapper, Chakey “Mo Lester” Stolzfus (English translation: Rick Ramsey), Bill “Bandito” Nusom, and a newcomer singer named Lauren – all platooned on and off the stage in varying combinations, doing songs from Neil Young, Bush, Alice In Chains, Metallica, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steppenwolf, Grand Funk Railroad, Judas Priest, free form jams and more. At night’s end, “Hurricane” Bob presented Rockpage imperious leader/webmaster Ron with the proceeds, amounting $300; Ron will be using this money to fund a streaming audio page to air Rockpage and local bands on the site in the near future.
Again, it was a fun night of musicians getting together to jam, network, and celebrate the community and depth of the local music scene and the Rockpage website that supports it. It’s safe to say that more nights like this are likely in the coming months. Stay tuned…
If you didn’t see the pictures from this special night at Peter C’s posted earlier, check them out: http://www.rockpage.net/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=5315.
IDOL EYEZ @ CITY LIMITS, ALTOONA 1/28/05
This night, as I often like to do, I opted to check out the new band in town. And this night, that was Scranton’s Idol Eyez, making their first Altoona appearance at City Limits. Recently gracing the cover of Pennsylvania Musician, Idol Eyez had aroused my curiosity, and I wanted to see what this band brought to the stage.
There was to be an opening band I wanted to see as well, Panacea, but word arrived that they were kay’oed by vehicular maladies near Harrisburg while journeying in, and would not be able to perform. There was a slight delay in Idol Eyez getting started due to this, but by 11 PM the group was ready to show their stuff on the City Limits stage.
Idol Eyez – singer Jay Green, lead guitarist Dan McDonald, bassist Brian McDonald, rhythm guitarist Eric Black and drummer Zack Kelsh – started off with a party set that blended rocking current favorites with select 80’s and 90’s numbers. By their second song, Green Day’s “American Idiot,” several ladies in the audience were starting to populate the dance floor. Idol Eyez also performed tunes from Velvet Revolver, Rage Against the Machine, Pearl Jam, Dead Or Alive, Bryan Adams, Blink 182, Blur, White Zombie, Cameo, Limp Bizkit and more.
This first set showed Idol Eyez to be instrumentally solid and good on their instruments. Jay was satisfactory on the vocal end, serving up decent voice and good stage movement. The group’s overall pacing could have been tighter, as there were numerous pauses and slow moments between songs that disrupted their overall momentum. Although not crowded, it seemed that the majority of what crowd was at City Limits was paying attention and sticking around.
After the intermission, Idol Eyez returned for a lengthy nightcap set, and in a different twist, showed a different side to their musical personality, going all-out heavy. The group mixed modern heavy-rocking favorites with a number of heavy-geared original songs, featuring torrid guitars, full-vent vocals and intense wall-of-sound rhythms. Original numbers the group performed included “”Weak,” “Useless Life,” “Facelift,” “In Your Face,” “The Violence,” “Dig” and more. Idol Eyez also mixed in select covers from Tool, Rage, Static X, System Of a Down, Godsmack and more.
Interestingly, much of the crowd still stuck around during Idol Eyez’ latter set, despite the shift in musical direction. The ladies weren’t populating the dance floor as much, but several male audience members were getting crazy on the dance floor as Idol Eyez unleashed the beast. The group showed they were equally adept at both party rock and heavier-geared sounds. I’m not sure how this musical split personality will work for all venues, but at least for City Limits, it seemed to connect with the audience that did attend, and more Idol Eyez Altoona appearances are on the horizon.
Idol Eyez, making their City Limits debut.
Brian and Dan McDonald of Idol Eyez.
Again, Idol Eyez.
Brian McDonald of Idol Eyez.
Jay Green of Idol Eyez.
Jay Green, flanked by brothers Brian and Dan McDonald of Idol Eyez.
Once again, Idol Eyez.
Again, Jay Green of Idol Eyez.
Dan McDonald of Idol Eyez.
Once again, Jay Green of Idol Eyez.
Zack Kelsh of Idol Eyez.
“THE UNDERGROUND TV/KATHY’S BIRTHDAY BASH” w/DROPOUT HIGH/HAZ-COM/4 DAYS DIRTY/DRAGON FIRE @ ALDO’S, ALTOONA 1/29/05
I was off to Aldo’s this Saturday night for the latest party courtesy of The Underground TV. It was show co-host Kathy’s birthday party; and while Kathy was celebrating, several bands – including a surprise band at the end – rocked the house.
The first band of the evening, Dropout High, was in the latter part of their set as I first arrived. As they demonstrated two nights earlier at the Rockpage Benefit Jam, Dropout High again demonstrated their knack for high-velocity punk-driven rock, hooks and harmonies. I caught their last three songs, including the original tunes “I Took the Bullet” and “Until We Meet Again.”
Next on the bill was a band from the Washington, D.C. area, Haz-Com. Their Altoona debut didn’t get off to the best start, as technical difficulties forced a nearly 15-minute delay after the group opened with a rap-metal geared original number. After the problems were cleared up, Haz-Com delivered their set of hard-hitting sounds. The group’s general flavor was aggressive nu-metal with occasional rap overtones. Guitarists Julio Castillo and Chris “Birdie” Johnson, and drummer Chris Scott were sharp and continually on the attack on their instruments, while frontman Josh “Worm” Russell sang and barked his words with confidence and authority, hellbent on firing up the Aldo’s masses. Although I didn’t catch too many song titles, some songs Haz-Com performed were the fast-paced title track to their latest CD, Face Your Destiny, “Stand Up” and their set-closer, “Nothin’ Left to Give.” The Aldo’s crowd seemed to dig Haz-Com’s brand of hard-hitting sounds, and cheered them on as their set progressed.
Josh “Worm” Russell of Haz-Com.
Josh Russell and Chris Johnson of Haz-Com.
Haz-Com, bringing their hard-hitting sounds to Aldo’s.
Chris Scott of Haz-Com.
Julio Castillo of Haz-Com.
Taking the stage third this night was a local band I was witnessing for the first time, 4 Days Dirty. Singer/guitarist Steve “Dig” Danfelt, guitarist Joe Neary, bassist Paul Greiner and drummer Justin Fair showcased a number of hard-hitting nu-metal flavored original songs; with a few select cover numbers thrown in, such as Breaking Benjamin’s “Polyamorous” and 3 Days Grace’s “(I Hate) Everything About You.” This band’s presentation was focused and intense, with Steve and Joe taking their game up front and in the crowd’s faces. 4 Days Dirty kept the pace tight and the excitement level high, picking up the ball handed to them by the earlier two bands and running with it.
Steve “Dig” Danfelt and Joe Neary of 4 Days Dirty.
Joe Neary of 4 Days Dirty.
Steve “Dig” Danfelt of 4 Days Dirty.
4 Days Dirty rocks the crowd during Kathy’s Birthday Bash at Aldo’s.
4 Days Dirty rocks themselves into a blur at Aldo’s. (Actually, birthday gal Kathy grabbed my camera and inadvertently changed some settings, resulting in these funky pictures.)
Once again, 4 Days Dirty.
Justin Fair of 4 Days Dirty.
The combination of intense performances and roving Underground TV cameras was fueling crowd excitement as the evening progressed, setting the stage for the finale. It was actually the worst-kept secret in town, but this night would end with the return of the heaviest band in Altoona history, Dragon Fire. Four years after they exited area stages, frontman “Robo” Ron Riley, guitarist/Underground TV co-host Chris Peters, bassist Eric Shumac and drummer Steve Stuckey were back to close out the night. This appearance would serve as a teaser, as Dragon Fire did just two songs. The group opened with the most famous song of their prior stint on area stages, “Cutting Dead Weight,” and they ended with a new and ferocious original onslaught, “Unstoppable.” It was almost as if they never left…Onstage, Dragon Fire was all-out apocalypse, with Chris, Eric and Steve laying down the pulverizing backdrop for “Robo” Ron to snarl his most monstrous bellows. Off stage, it was almost as if they never left as well, as by the middle of Dragon Fire’s second song, two women on the dance floor were jawing at each other verging on catfighting, while Aldo had to break up a quick throwdown and hustle one overly rowdy fan out of the building. It was only two songs, but it served as a preview of the acid bath Dragon Fire has in store for the Altoona music scene when they perform their full-blown return at Aldo’s in May.
Just when you thought it was safe, they’re back – Dragon Fire.
Eric Shumac of Dragon Fire.
With the Underground TV cameras rolling, Dragon Fire.
Chris Peters of Dragon Fire.
”Robo” Ron and Steve Stuckey of Dragon Fire.
Chris Peters of Dragon Fire, with Bud from The Underground TV filming the maelstrom.
Judging by the wild and crazy antics of birthday gal Kathy, this was a successful night that achieved its objectives. (No word on whether the birthday girl practiced any porcelain deity-worshipping rituals afterward.) And the night offered further evidence that not only is The Underground TV becoming more established as a television show, but their live showcase events are becoming established as kickass parties that are exposing revelers to some of the region’s independent original bands and artists. Thanks to The Underground TV, this was another good night!
Underground TV birthday lady Kathy and her friends, celebrating at Aldo’s.
Fan Christine and Underground TV birthday co-host Kathy, having fun at Aldo’s.
IN @ PELLEGRINE’S, ALTOONA 1/30/05
My weekend again drew to a close at Pellegrine’s, with In providing the musical backdrop.
This was In’s first Sunday performance at Pelly’s. Although not a packed house, the attendance this night was still much better than In’s Pellegrine’s debut on New Year’s Eve’s eve just a few weeks before. And the group had undergone a personnel change since that show, as drummer Josh Hetrick was released from the band due to his recurring back problems; and Rob Bonsell – who played Pelly’s stage four weeks prior with his former bandmates Mad Dog Kool – replaced him.
In was keeping the mid-sized Pelly’s crowd content as I arrived late in their second set, and watched them close out the set with The Sweet’s “Ballroom Blitz” and Velvet Revolver’s “Slither.”
During the nightcap set, In succeeded in getting the dance floor party going with tunes from The Ataris/Don Henley, Good Charlotte, Beastie Boys, Nirvana, Pantera, a funk/hip-hop medley and more. At night’s end, the dance floor crowd demanded more, and were rewarded with the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” and Limp Bizkit/George Michael’s “Faith.”
In gave a strong, workmanlike performance. New drummer Rob fit in well with his new band surroundings, and his beats were confident, boisterous and steady. Frontman Greg Matthews seemed more at home with a crowd to sing to this night; and guitarist Matt Day and bassist Adam Zimmer were solid in their roles as well. While not a blockbuster night, this show still indicated that In could trigger a party at Pellegrine’s, and it set the stage for future In festivities at this venue in the coming weeks and months.
Matt Day of In.
Matt Day and Greg Matthews of In.
Now brandishing a Flying V, Matt Day of In.
He’s In! The new guy behind the In drum kit, Rob Bonsell.
Once again, Matt Day of In.
Greg Matthews of In.
Adam Zimmer of In.
Once again, the In bassist, Adam Zimmer.
Once again, Rob Bonsell of In.
Again, Greg Matthews of In.
