Although the warm weather held out as long as it could, cold weather has finally arrived, everything is back indoors, and another holiday season is upon us.  I begin this month by wishing all of our readers a happy, peaceful and safe holiday season...Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The end of the year always signifies a time of change; out with the old, in with the new.  And with that, we report the changing of the guard for one of our esteemed long-time advertisers and Altoona area music venues.  Proprietor Claudio has closed the book on City Limits, after a 20-plus-year career of bringing live music to his stages, dating back to the old Sebastiano’s Hotel days, the 1991 move to a new bigger location as New Sebastiano’s, and the metamorphosis into City Limits several years later.  Claudio’s stages helped give a number of local and regional bands their starts in the Altoona area, brought a variety of national names to the area, and hosted a number of benefit concerts over the years.  In fact, the final event to close out City Limits was Pennsylvania Musician’s annual Toys for Tots benefit concert on Thanksgiving weekend; recap in the next issue!  Pennsylvania Musician Magazine thanks Claudio for his support through the years, and I thank him for his friendship and support.

But while City Limits is done, Claudio has left the building in good hands, and a new business has started its journey.  30 Something Restaurant & Lounge offers an 80’s-themed, family atmosphere, and will continue to host bands on Saturday nights – including Hair Force One on New Year’s Eve!  Check out their ad for more details, and check back for more special happenings in the months ahead!

One of the last big shows I saw at City Limits was White Witch’s gala celebration of the release of their new CD, “Never Dies the Dream”, during Halloween weekend in late October. Folks attending the City Limits show received a free copy of the new CD when they paid the cover charge. The night opened with Lucid from the Harrisburg area. Five members strong, Lucid combined hard-edged alternative and melody-geared female-led modern rock into a fresh, interesting mix. Singer Holly displayed a clear and rangeful voice, and harmonized nicely with frontman Justin on several numbers, especially Evanescence’s “Bring Me to Life.” The rest of the group; guitarist Steve, bassist Mike and drummer Mike; provided tight, rigid backdrops behind the two singers on numbers from Smashing Pumpkins, Staind, Deftones and more.  Lucid helps christen the new 30 Something Restaurant & Lounge Dec. 15.  Williamsport’s 44 Mag then scalded the walls with their blend of scathing heavy metal original songs and covers.  Singer Chad Warren, guitarists Josh Welteroth and Drew Lomison, bassist Jason Miller and drummer Jesse Roedts performed scathing original assaults from their new CD “Past Sins”, along with numbers from Metallica, Pantera, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and more.  Headliners White Witch completed the celebration by showcasing hard-hitting songs from “Never Dies the Dream” such as “Slaughter in Salem,” “Game That I Play,” “Singleman,” their remake of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” and “Street Corner Madness;” performing songs off their previous CD “The Power” such as the title cut, “Marrianne,” “The Crutch” and “25 Hours to Live;” and select songs from Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest and Alice Cooper.  White Witch delivered the goods on their brand of 70’s/80’s-flavored heavy rock, with drummer Carl Berry and new bassist Bill Zimmerman anchoring the sound with pounding, thunderous rhythms; guitarist Doug Lehman executing sharp, searing leads; and frontman “Uncle Jeff” Pittinger confidently singing his words, marauding the stage and offering color commentary between songs.  When White Witch does a party, they do it up big time, and their first Altoona sojourn was a good time!  (The scheduled fourth band on this bill, the Tony Mollick Project, had to withdraw after drummer David Blake’s father-in-law died in a traffic accident the morning of the show.  We offer our sincerest condolences.)

Pennsylvania Musician celebrated 25 years of service to the state’s music community last month with an anniversary gala at Gullifty’s in Camp Hill.  Armed with his trusty ukulele, magazine founder Whitey Noll opened up the evening strumming tunes (accompanied several times by David Greene on acoustic guitar), thanking family and friends, and breaking the ice with the arriving Gullifty’s audience.  After editor Robin Noll and yours truly presented several awards, Wilkes-Barre’s X-Terra performed a set that combined heavy-rocking original songs with select 70’s-era classics.  Lead singer/guitarist Bill Hunt, bassist/singer Anne Kachline and drummer Bob Kachline performed several songs from their new “X-Nihilo” album such as the anthemic “I Will Survive,” “Feather Tank” and “Don’t Knock the Rock;” and acknowledged their 70’s roots with renditions of Black Sabbath’s “Children of the Grave” and Bob Seger’s “Turn the Page.”  I was impressed with this veteran line-up’s tightness, and Bill displayed some blistering lead guitar work.  Harrisburg’s Drop Of Grey then demonstrated their brand of aggressive, hard-hitting modern rock.  Guitarists Ben Rider and Clint Goldschmidt, drummer Ryan Kiscaden and bassist Glenn Kitch generated stern, rigid, hard-rocking backdrops, serving as the launching pad for the commanding and powerful vocals of singer Eric Musser.   Drop Of Grey’s fast-firing original songs, offering interesting melodies, rhythmic and tempo variations, quickly brought fans and audience members to the dance floor to cheer and rock along.  Asking Andy then picked up the party and ran with it to finish out the night, delivering a high-energy mix of current and classic rocking favorites.  The fun was constant, with singer Keith Hoppes taking the party throughout the room and involving everybody in the show, especially my writing cohort Rachel Rocks, who was even brought onstage to help sing along and log some quality moments with an inflatable sheep!  Keith, guitarists Brian Miller and Darrell Adams, bassist Justin Shaffer and drummer Luke Barnhart kept the music and action nonstop, fueling constant dance floor activity to the end with favorites from Greenday, the Ramones, Wild Cherry, Romantics, Buckcherry, Lustra, Journey and more.  Asking Andy’s freewheeling rocking party is clearly on the rise; watch for it in your neighborhood soon!  Thanks to Gullifty’s for the food, brew and hospitality; and to everybody who came out to help us celebrate!

Another recent highlight was last month’s double-bill of two bands with ties to the 80’s, Funny Money and Naked Beggars, performing at Mojo’s in Clearfield.  Nashville’s Naked Beggars, featuring Cinderella’s Eric Brittingham on bass, opened the night with straight-up-the-gut rock’n’roll, fronted by the feisty stage presence of Eric’s wife, lead singer Inga Brittingham.  Kris Casamento still plays guitar, and the group has a new drummer since I last saw them, Lisa Rav.  The Naked Beggars introduced several songs from their forthcoming new album, “XXX”, and played established favorites from their first two albums such as the title track from “Spit It Out” and “Bitch” from the first album.  The group also performed classics from Black Crowes, the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith; and even did an acoustic segment featuring renditions of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” and Tesla’s “What You Give.”  Funny Money, now featuring two Kix alumni in singer Steve Whiteman and drummer Jimmy Chalfant, continued the party with their own fiery and fun rock, mixing Funny Money originals with Kix classics.  I was amazed with Steve’s energy; this man hasn’t lost a step since the first time I saw him with Kix in 1983!  He, Jimmy, bassist Mark Schenker and guitarist Rob Halpin introduced upbeat, rocking tunes from Funny Money’s new CD, “Stick It” such as “About Women” and “Play Me Like a Rhythm;” established Funny Money favorites like “You Rub Me the Right Way;” and Kix hits like “Sex,” “Poison,” “Cold Blood,” “Blow My Fuse,” “Don’t Close Your Eyes,” “Cold Shower,” “The Itch;” and for the night-ending encore, “She Dropped Me the Bomb,” “Midnite Dynamite” and “Girl Money.”  It was clear from the start that both Naked Beggars and Funny Money were there to give the Clearfield crowd the best rock’n’roll good time they could, and both bands freely mingled with the crowd throughout the night.  This was a fun show; here’s hoping both bands do another get-together like this in our region sometime soon!

I took in two benefit concerts last month.  The British Invasion provided the music during Mya’s Miracle Benefit Dance for Autism early last month at Altoona’s Bavarian Hall, with proceeds support Mya’s Miracle Team’s participation in the fight to find a cure for autism, during the local 2008 Walk Now for Autism.  The British Invasion; singer Bob Gates, guitarist Rick Wertz, keyboardist/guitarist Harold Hayford, bassist Kent Tonkin and drummer Beau Saller; entertained the large audience and kept the Bavarian’s dance floor busy with a wide variety of British rock from the 60’s and 70’s, spanning the Beatles and Rolling Stones to Deep Purple, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, the Moody Blues and many more.  This band doesn’t merely cover British rock; they strive to capture the sound and atmosphere of the original classics with attention to guitar textures and tones, keyboard effects, vocals and vocal harmonies and more.  And The British Invasion isn’t afraid to tackle some of British rock’s more challenging classics; this night they performed convincing renditions of Pink Floyd’s “On the Run/Time,” the Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin,” Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” and The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”  The inaugural Mya’s Miracle benefit was a huge success, and an encore benefit is being planned for spring of next year.

The bands Lies, Inc., Slacker Theory and Hello, Vixen all donated their talents last month at the all-ages Tiahna Myers Benefit at the White Lady Tavern near Altoona, with proceeds helping out the family of Tiahna, an infant who recently passed away from SIDS.  I arrived too late to see Lies, Inc.’s set to begin the night, but did get to catch my first look at Slacker Theory.  Featuring former 4 Days Dirty singer Steve Danfelt and bassist Paul Greiner, former My Turning Point guitarist Dalton McDonald and drummer Rob Bonsell; Slacker Theory played a mix of hard-hitting modern rock, including their own new original songs and a few carryovers from the former 4 Days Dirty, also select tunes from Nickelback, Breaking Benjamin and more.  Hello, Vixen finished the show with their action-packed party, as singer Mark Simanski, guitarists Bill Maguire and Brian Simanski, bassist Justin Brown and drummer Steve Holtz kept the stagefront dance crowd rocking and jumping with punk-fueled original songs and covers.  Hello, Vixen introduced a number of new original songs this night, including “I’m in Pretty Good Shape, for the Shape That I’m In” and “Can’t Spell Awesome Without Me;” and also did numbers from Say Anything, Hawthorn Heights, the Quietdrive update of the Cyndi Lauper hit “Time After Time” and more.  Hello, Vixen fired the crowd into enough of a frenzy that they not only demanded an encore, but picked the song; the showstopper shout-along rendition of Bouncing Souls’ “Ole.”  Despite light snowfall and foggy roads, a good-sized crowd was in attendance, and made this benefit a success.

The Halloween season saw another production of “The Rocky Horror Show” by State College-based independent theatre organization Mad Muse Productions.  Staged over three nights at The Brewery in State College, this year’s Rocky mixed things up by giving each primary character their own musical slant, with backing group Wine Of Nails skillfully keeping each character’s musical personality distinct while tying everything together into a cohesive whole.  Rocky antagonist Frank’n’Furter (played by J.D. Rau) displayed a funky presence; his creation, Rocky (Colin Nickell) was more punk-flavored; and ill-fated Eddie (portrayed by producer Lori Howsare) took on a 50’s-styled Elvis-like persona.  “The Time Warp” still rocked, and all the expected Rocky Horror highlights and callbacks made this another memorable and fun performance (particularly the midnight showing, which I got to see).  Hats off to Lori, musical director John Charney, and the Mad Muse Productions cast and staff for again giving a fresh makeover to this Halloween season favorite!

Beyond Rocky Horror, progressive/eclectic music trio Wine Of Nails has reconvened.  During their Rocky Horror kickoff party performance at The Brewery, guitarist/singer John Charney, bassist Scott Jeffreys and drummer Dom Peruso introduced a number of new and intriguing compositions, which picked up where the group left off following their last album, 2001’s “On and Beyond”.  The group continues with experimental, improvisational arrangements that dabble in spacey, jazz, jam and funk/rock flavors, with unpredictable plot twists and surprises along the way.  Wine Of Nails plans to record and release a new album next year.  Following Wine Of Nails’ set, J.D. Rau (“Frank’n’Furter” in Rocky Horror) performed an acoustic set, demonstrating a high-ranging voice of the Perry Farrell/Robert Plant variety as he did a selection of original songs and tunes from Led Zeppelin, Jeff Buckley, Silverchair and more.

Mama Corn delivered a bluegrass-flavored Halloween party at Altoona’s Hitching Post in late October.  Before an audience of costumed crazies including a geisha girl, a “Star Trek” admiral, a cavewoman, Satan and a Bass fisherman (hey, it was a quick get-up to throw together and my only expense was the six-pack of Bass Ale!); Mama Corn brought the bluegrass with ample doses of Flatt & Scruggs, Bill Monroe, and traditional favorites like “Man of Constant Sorrow,” “Wagon Wheels” and more.  But singer/guitarist Bruce Forr, singer/banjo player Jeremy Nelson, dobro player John Stevens, mandolin player Brad Floyd and bassist Brett Fanelli had fun along the way, offering lighthearted bluegrass spins on Michael Jackson hits, Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s Halloween hit “The Monster Mash,” Black Sabbath’s “Fairies Wear Boots” and more.  Their pickin’ and grinnin’ was tight and on target, and their vocal harmonies were great!  Mama Corn recently recorded a demo EP, which is available to fans upon request.

I saw several interesting shows at Aldo’s this past month.  One was a special Sunday night triple-bill, featuring The Regrettes, October Allied and The Marauders.  I arrived too late to see The Regrettes, who opened.  From Oakland, California, October Allied featured former area musician Scott Quay on lead vocals and guitar, Greg Stults on guitar and vocals, Robert Meade on bass and vocals, and Rich Herr on drums.  Their sound offered a unique fusion of vintage roots rock/rockabilly, R&B and punk, as they played a selection of original songs and select roots-flavored versions of songs from The Pogues, Misfits, Buddy Holly and more.  Those who remember Scott’s thrash/punk days in Necracedia years ago may be surprised to hear his current sound, as he has evolved into a rangeful singer with soul and grit.  The Marauders closed out the night with their high-octane brand of roots-flavored rock.  Singer/guitarist Ben Dumm, upright bass player Chris Lawson and drummer Abe Weber executed like a well-tuned machine, firing off their arsenal of original roots-rock songs at a brisk clip that kept the large stagefront audience rocking and grooving til the end.  A highlight of their set was Scott Quay joining the group to sing lead on the set-closing rendition of the Misfits’ “Astrozombies.”  When the crowd demanded an encore, The Marauders responded with a brand new original song, “Dead End Town.”

Two new area bands, Without Zerb and Dick Shack Posse, teamed up for a fun show at Aldo’s last month.  Opening the evening, Dick Shack Posse is a collaboration of longtime friends from the local punk and underground scenes, celebrating classic old-school punk from names like Agnostic Front, the Misfits, Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Exploited, Bad Religion and more.  Scoob Lanzendorfer sings lead vocals, flanked by guitarists Jeff Reid and Brian Weibley, Andrea Weibley on bass and Dustin Lanzendorfer on drums.  Although I only got to witness the last two songs of their set, Dick Shack Posse sounded strong; their presentation was fast, proud and slamming!  Reuniting former Carbon 14 singer Brian “Zerb” Zerbee and guitarist P.J. Kelly, with Chuck on bass and Mike on drums; Without Zerb continued with a high-powered blend of rock and alternative numbers from the 80’s and 90’s.  Their setlist included some interesting highlights, including a rocked-up Backstreet Boys hit, tunes from Helmet, Supersuckers, Police, R.E.M., Social Distortion, Jane’s Addiction, The Cure, Judas Priest, original songs and more.  Without Zerb delivered the songs with velocity and enthusiasm; frontman Zerb was clearly happy to be back onstage and singing again!  This was a fun show, and Dick Shack Posse and Without Zerb are two exciting bands well worth watching for.

True story…A few years ago, regional music website PARocks.com posted a link to download a Christmas song by Philadelphia’s Clashing Plaid, called “All I Got for Xmas was Drunk.”  I downloaded the tune and played it a few times on Q94’s “Backyard Rocker” during subsequent Christmas seasons.  Then, during the aforementioned Dick Shack Posse/Without Zerb show at Aldo’s, I saw a flyer on a tabletop for the following night’s show by Pittsburgh’s Cosmosonics, and noted the name of their special guests; Clashing Plaid!  My curiosity piqued, I returned to Aldo’s the following night to check out this double-bill.  Partially decked in plaid and featuring singer/guitarist Anthony Porter, lead guitarist Andy Watts, bassist Kenny Leso and drummer Steve Ackerman; Clashing Plaid opened the night with high-powered rock rooted both in old-school punk and gritty 70’s-era blues-based rock a la the Rolling Stones.  They even covered the Stones’ “Happy” during their set, and performed lively original numbers; including tunes from their latest CD, “Play It Loud”, such as “Pretty Things,” “Disconnect,” “Werewolves in the Dark” and “Waiting for the Wrecker.”  Clashing Plaid had fun and threw caution to the wind, and their vigorous presentation provided an exciting start to the show.  With a 70’s-styled glam look, Pittsburgh’s Cosmosonics also delivered a sound rooted in bad-boy bluesy rock, punk and 70’s glam recalling the Stones, early Aerosmith and the Black Crowes.  Lead singer/guitarist Gary D’Grave, guitarist Chaz Zalapski, bassist Harrison Dray and drummer Angel O mixed hard-driving original rockers with select covers from Kiss, Cheap Trick and Aerosmith.  Like Clashing Plaid, the Cosmosonics took basic, stripped-down rock’n’roll and gave their own distinct slant to it.  Despite low attendance, this was a fun night, and I was happy to discover both bands.    

Although Grade E stepped aside as a group earlier this year, two of their members are still in action with a new project.  Chris V. & the Stanley Street Band features Grade E alumni Chris Vipond on lead vocals and guitar and Mike Stanley on bass and vocals, plus Mike Z on cajon (a Latin box drum you sit on to play).  Like Grade E before them, Chris V. & the Stanley Street Band play the second and fourth Thursday of every month at Al’s Tavern in Altoona; and like Grade E, generate frequently nonstop, freewheeling grooves that serve as the launching pad to explore a variety of styles and songs.  You’ll hear original songs such as “Lucy,” “Do You Try,” “Shine,” “Pass Me By” and more; along with their own unique slants on classics from the Stones, Bob Dylan, even music from Schoolhouse Rocks and more.  Chris V. & the Stanley Street Band plan to do some recording shortly, and also plan to expand their live schedule to more stages throughout the region.

Other shows I got to enjoy recently included Felix & the Hurricanes’ Halloween Blues Cruise aboard the Proud Mary at Lake Raystown; Flight 19’s pre-Halloween party at The Hitching Post; Broken Pony at The Hitching Post; BluesMoon’s first visit to City Limits; Hi-Tyde’s latest party at City Limits; recent visits by Bad Daze, Rise Phoenix Rise and Head Plug to Pellegrine’s; and Echo Chamber at the 4D’s Lounge.

News and notes…Ted McCloskey, the Fatman Band, Hannah Bingman and Rhyne McCormick are among the performers donating their talents to an HIV/AIDS benefit concert December 3 at Cafe 210 West in State College; proceeds benefit the Until There’s A Cure Foundation...St. Francis University presents a free percussion ensemble concert Dec. 3 at 7 pm at JFK Auditorium...A sixth crew member has boarded the “Party Plane,” as keyboardist Phil Steele joins Flight 19…Clint Carothers has taken over behind the drum kit of Half Tempted to provide the beats while Steve McCulley recovers from recent back surgery…My Turning Point has a new guitar player, as Chris Kane replaces Chris Bellocchio…Shades Of June is seeking a new singer to replace Jess Maguire, who is exiting the band for career reasons…Lewistown’s Unit 509 is reforming, and is currently seeking a drummer to complete their lineup…Huntingdon’s Cyphin is in search of a new drummer as well…Ron Showalter is taking over the drum position behind lady rockers Kitty Whip.

Happy Birthdays to Dom Peruso (Wine Of Nails/Duke Morrison Quartet/House Of Commons), Harry Bleyer (Wiskerbisket), Wally Archer (Banditos), Victor Synn (Hair Force One), Dwane Edmiston (D-n-A), Adam Zimmer (Nyne), Tony Mollick (Tony Mollick Project), Russ Patterson (Spirit Lost), Chuck Budzina, Joe Mulligan, Shawn Hocherl, Punkinhead, Duane Sipe, Natalie (Pellegrine’s), Faith and Bob Jr. (4D’s Lounge)…Belated Happy Birthday to Kenny Murdick (Bad Daze).

 

 

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