PART THREE: FRIDAY 2/16
We resume my recap of Millennium Music Conference weekend in Harrisburg with the Friday showcase performances I attended.
For my showcase itinerary on Friday night, I split time between the Radisson and Gullifty's Underground. Beginning at the Radisson, I first saw Goat, who I also saw earlier in the day during the WXPN "Free at Lunch" live concert broadcast at the conference. Their sound blended elements of pop, jazz, rock and funk; topped by singer/keyboardist/namesake Goat's (Andrew Scott Rosen's) smooth and soulful voice. Next, on the second stage, was Keaton Simons and his band from Los Angeles; he played blues/funk-edged modern rock, with plentiful hot guitar work along the way. New York's Porter Block performed a more acoustic-leaning brand of melodic rock, before hometown favorites The Incredible Rubber Band broke out a dazzling display of funky, groove-laden rock. Incredible Rubber Band was fun, with bassist Dan Honegger frequently taking his party out into the audience. From Hershey, The April Skies weathered some technical issues during their set, but still successfully presented their brand of clever and edgy pop/rock songcraft.
A few photos from the Radisson showcase:
Performing their evening showcase at the Radisson, New York's Goat.
Andrew Scott Rosen, a.k.a. Goat.
From Los Angeles, Keaton Simons and his band.
Again, Keaton Simons. Last year, Keaton appeared on national late night television, performing on The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Last Call with Carson Daly.
Once more, Keaton Simons.
From New York City, Porter Block.
Peter Block of Porter Block.
Caleb Sherman of Porter Block.
Ben Kumler of The Incredible Rubber Band.
Ben Kumler and "Joey E." Elakrah of The Incredible Rubber Band.
From the Harrisburg area, The Incredible Rubber Band. These guys laid down some spicy, funky grooves!
Dan Honegger of The Incredible Rubber Band.
Again, Ben Kumler of The Incredible Rubber Band.
Joey Elakrah of The Incredible Rubber Band.
Spent after pouring it out for the audience, Dan Honegger of The Incredible Rubber Band.
One more time, The Incredible Rubber Band.
From Hershey, The April Skies.
Singer/guitarist Jake Crawford of The April Skies. The April Skies first formed in the 80's, separated in 1998 and then reformed in 2001.
Mark Higgins of The April Skies.
Here’s some rough video I shot of the Incredible Rubber Band (unfortunately, I ran out of space on my memory card before the song ended):
http://www.rockpage.net/users/jprice/video/MOV09503.MPG
I then headed to Gullifty's Underground, arriving in time to see York's Kingsfoil perform melody-geared modern pop/rock, before Shippensburg's Ledbetter Heights closed out the night with their hard-edged brand of rock.
Some photos from Gullifty's:
From the York area, Kingsfoil.
Kingsfoil singer/guitarist Jordan Davis.
Once again, Kingsfoil.
From Shippensburg, Ledbetter Heights.
Lead guitarist Brian Stoner of Ledbetter Heights.
Ledbetter Heights' lead singer and rhythm guitarist, Nick Staver.
Tim Carr of Ledbetter Heights.
(Saturday's and Sunday's Millennium Music Conference recaps will be posted in separate threads shortly.)
