HOMEGROWN ROCKER 7/18/10 (THE BIG TIME)

[Jim Price]

Hello Everyone,

Here is the recap of the July 18 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, up-and-coming young Altoona-based rockers The Big Time (www.myspace.com/thebigtime_music). (Thanks also to The Underground for use of their studio facility for this week’s interview.) We got acquainted with The Big Time and learned their story, plus heard songs from their debut 5-song EP, One for the Books. Along the way, we debuted new tunes from Mark DeRose Band, Freeze Time, Ground Resonance and Lana Avacada. We also dug a 1989 song by Pittsburgh’s G-Force from the archives for a “Local Music Flashback,” updated “Local Music News,” and reviewed The Hope Fallacy’s Bringin’ It Home CD in “The Professor’s CD Corner.”

Here is this week's playlist:

HOUR ONE:

THE RUSTLANDERS – “Beginning to Show Through”
MARK DeROSE BAND – “Bounce”
THE BIG TIME – “Remix”
ACALASIA – “Tell Me How to Be”
THE BIG TIME – “For the Win”
ON THE RUN – “Occupational Hazard”
THE BIG TIME – “Falling”
COMIC BOOK HEROES – “Pride”
FREEZE TIME – “His Grass Isn’t Greener”

HOUR TWO:

FLIGHT 19 – “Crank It Up”
CONNER GILBERT – “When Will I Ever See You Again”
THE BIG TIME – “Making Me Look Bad”
THE HOPE FALLACY – “Dear Jesi”
THE BIG TIME – “Never Look Back”
G-FORCE – “I’m Coming In from the Rain” (1989, Local Music Flashback)
GROUND RESONANCE – “Punch”
THE SUNFLOWER SPECTACLE – “Clouds Look Painted”
LANA AVACADA – “The Rain”

On our next program, we welcome the return of singer-songwriter Conner Gilbert. Conner has been doing some writing and recording since his last visit in January; we’ll hear some new songs, and he’ll again bring guitar and play a few live. We’ll also update “Local Music News,” dig into the archives for another “Local Music Flashback,” and review Nancy Micciulla’s The One to Shine CD in “The Professor’s CD Corner!” Conner Gilbert returns to the “Homegrown Rocker,” this Sunday night at 8 PM!

Forthcoming guests and specials include:

AUG. 8 – FAST FORWARD SPECIAL
AUG. 15 – JUSTIN GARMAN
AUG. 22 – KEN GRAY
AUG. 29 – ROYAL BENSON
SEPT. 5 – COVER SONG SPECIAL
SEPT. 12 – MIKE VAVREK
SEPT. 19 – FULL KILT
OCT. 3 – ORIGINAL SIN
OCT. 10 – ACOUSTIC JAM SPECIAL
OCT. 17 – MYSTERYTRAIN
OCT. 24 – SCORCHED
NOV. 7 – SYNESTHESIA

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…

One of central PA’s most popular party bands is stepping aside indefinitely. Silver Sunday has announced that after eight years on stage, they are going on indefinite hiatus at the end of this month to focus more time on families and personal lives. Silver Sunday’s final show will be at Pellegrine’s in Altoona on July 31.

Portage-based singer/songwriter George Bollman Jr. has an important road trip happening at the end of this month. He will be journeying to Memphis to perform for patients and their families at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital on July 29. He will perform for nearly two hours, doing a variety of country music original songs and favorites. Bollman contacted the hospital through their website, and was approved to make the appearance.

Area composer and performer Zupe is back in the news for charitable reasons. Zupe recently donated his 1995 Ford cargo van to Purple Heart Cars, a not-for-profit charity of the Purple Heart Service Foundation. The organization provides a variety of local programs for disabled and wounded veterans. For more information about Purple Heart Cars or how you can donate a vehicle towards their efforts, visit their website at www.purpleheartcars.org.

And blues will be celebrated next weekend in Pittsburgh, when the annual Pittsburgh Blues Festival takes place at Hartwood Acres. Proceeds from the three-day event benefit the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Featured performers at this year’s Festival included Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Tinsley Ellis, Eric Burdon & the Animals, Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band, and a number of Pittsburgh and western PA blues bands and performers. For more information about the benefit, visit the Pittsburgh Blues Festival website, www.pghblues.com.