HOMEGROWN ROCKER 12/12/10

[Jim Price]

Hello Everyone,

Here is the recap of the December 12 edition of Rocky 99 and Rocky 104.9's weekly local music program, "The Homegrown Rocker," which airs every Sunday night from 9 to 11 PM on WRKW-FM (www.rocky99.com) and WRKY-FM (www.rocky1049.com).

Originally we were to have a band guest on this week’s program, but as happens occasionally, those plans fell through. Instead, we took the overdue opportunity to clean out the “Homegrown Rocker” mailbox and get caught up on new local and regional recordings that have arrived in recent weeks and months. We debuted a ton of new songs, from such names as Rain Must Fall, Borrowed Time, E.V.K., The Sketties, The Electric Boa, Scott Weitzenfeld and The Downfall. We also debuted new local Christmas songs from Gas Station Disco and The Servello Family. We dug into the archive for a 1997 song by Stone Alley for a “Local Music Flashback,” and ventured “Across State Lines” to check out a tune by Cleveland rockabillies Lords Of The Highway. And we reviewed John “JT Blues” Thompson’s Chase Away Your Blues CD in “The Professor’s CD Corner.” A busy week!

Here is this week's playlist:

HOUR ONE:

LORDS-A-LEAPING – “The Bells of Christmas”
CHRIS VIPOND & THE STANLEY STREET BAND – “Media Controls the World”
RAIN MUST FALL – “Come On!”
FLIGHT 19 – “Hands”
BORROWED TIME – “Roughneck Blues”
MYSTERYTRAIN – “It’s Alright” (performed live at Berry Farm, State College 7/31/10)
E.V.K. – “Fun”
ROY HANDY & THE MOONSHOT – “Socks are Overrated”
GAS STATION DISCO – “Christmas Without You”
MYCENEA WORLEY – “100 Days”
THE SKETTIES – “Clapper Claw”

HOUR TWO:

DAVE DISTEFANO – “Light the Fya Get Down”
THE SERVELLO FAMILY – “Go Tell It on the Mountain”
JT BLUES – “The Boss Told Me”
THE ELECTRIC BOA – “Ink In My Skin”
STONE ALLEY – “Asylum Walls” (1997, Local Music Flashback)
SCOTT WEITZENFELD – “Ruined”
LORDS OF THE HIGHWAY – “Johnny in the Trailer Park” (Across State Lines)
THE DOWNFALL – “Take Time”
THE GRANATI BROTHERS – “The Sun in Your Eyes”

For the next show, we again will do what we always do on the Sunday before Christmas; feature two hours of Christmas music from local and regional bands and artists on the annual “Homegrown Rocker” Christmas Special! We will hear area performers’ original Christmas song compositions, as well as their interpretations of time-honored holiday classics! We will also review a new local holiday album, The Servello Family’s Wise Men Still Seek Him, in “The Professor’s CD Corner!” So break out the eggnog and cookies, and let local music get you into the yuletide spirit with the Christmas Special edition of the “Homegrown Rocker,” next Sunday night!

Upcoming guests and specials include:

DEC. 26 – 2010 YEAR IN REVIEW SPECIAL, PART 1
JAN. 2 – 2010 YEAR IN REVIEW SPECIAL, PART 2
JAN. 9 – JACKSON MONSOUR
JAN. 16 – THE UP DOWNS
JAN. 30 – JEREMY dePRISCO
FEB. 6 – SUPER BOWL WIDOWS’ SPECIAL
FEB. 13 – THE GOOD SEEDS
FEB. 27 – MILLENNIUM MUSIC CONFERENCE RECAP
MARCH 6 – RAIN MUST FALL (tentative)

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…

Next Sunday night, December 19, area musicians will take part in a memorial jam benefit show to remember the late Jimmy Rossi, who passed away ten years ago on Christmas Day, 2000. The Jimmy Rossi 10-Year Memorial Jam will take place at Pellegrine’s starting at 5 PM. The event will be hosted by The House Band, and feature many of the musicians who used to perform with Jimmy, his brother, Mark, and the U.S. Hotel House Band during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s at the historic U.S. Hotel in Hollidaysburg. Proceeds from the Memorial Jam will benefit the St. Vincent DePaul Food Kitchen in Altoona.

Pittsburgh favorites The Clarks will mark a big milestone at the end of this month. The group will perform their 2000th show on Wednesday, December 29, at the new Stage AE club in Pittsburgh. The all ages show will also be a benefit for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank; portions of proceeds that night will go to the Food Bank, and fans donating to the Food Bank will be eligible to win a package of autographed Clarks items. The Clarks recently issued an EP called Songs In G, featuring five reworked Clarks classics as voted on by fans; as well as a cover of Whiskeytown’s “16 Days.”

And a two-day benefit event is being organized to raise money to operate local music website Rockpage.net. The Rockpage.net benefit will happen on January 7-8 at 30 Something in Altoona. The benefit will start at 9 PM on Friday night the 7th with performances from the bands Oh The Horror, Represent The Lie and Aunt Lisa’s Bone.
The music will then resume at 1 PM on Saturday the 8th, and performers that day will include E.V.K., Mr. Mike and the Rhythm Kings, Dustin Burley, Chuck Mason & Blue Reality, Saving Jake, The House Band, Nick Miller Project, Eon Blu and Chris Vipond & the Stanley Street Band. Donation to attend on either day is $5. For more information, see the “Benefits” section on Rockpage.net.