July 2007
Out and About
By Rachel Rocks
4 Days and 17 Bands!
Wow. July’s issue. This business really makes your summers fly by even faster, you have to think so far in advance, it’s really overwhelming! So much is happening and going on in the month of July, I really need to find a way to not sleep for the rest of the summer. 4th of July makes it busy from the very beginning, Tuesday, July 3rd, is a very special night at Shade Mt. Inn, Scream will be performing with a licensed fireworks show, so it’s going to be amazing. Then on the 4th, SOS, will be headlining at the Harrisburg Hardware Bar, that’s a very exciting night for them and for you. I’ll unfortunately be out of town, but please hit up these shows and let me know what I missed. The festivals I have my eyes on are the Grounds of Sound Festival in Middletown, to be held on July 21st, and the Allentown Fuzetival on July 28th. I’ll have a booth at the Fuzetival with T-Shirts and Hats for only $5. Come by and say, “Hi!” and meet our newest writer, BriAnna. July 16th Witches in Bikinis are going to be performing at Rumors in Enola. Instead of going to NY for a show, let the show come to you. Don’t miss it! See like I said, overwhelming…Hopefully I’ll somehow manage to see everything I want to and more. Also if you have any special night (Tues, Thurs) shows let me know about those too, my weekends are starting to get too crazy, I might have to find a new night to go Out and About!
I didn’t get out too many nights this month, but when I did get Out and About I was busy! Sat. June 9th I headed out to Lotus Blue's CD Release Party at Gullifty's in New Cumberland. It was the first "Release" party I went to, so I was pretty psyched. The night was packed full of entertainment. The 1st band up was Revolver del' Angelo, which unfortunately I missed, but I heard they were really good. The 2nd band was The 4th Element from Baltimore, MD. For my first band back after such a long break, I was shocked with the amount of energy from the beginning all the way till the end. Their lead guitar player was all over the stage, but always made sure he was back at a mic to do his great harmonizing to add the extra sound to all the songs. The drummer was spinning his sticks like a wild man, never missing a beat. The lead singer also had his own special effects pads adding to the sound of the show. They are definitely some great musicians, that are willing to make a long haul to entertain their fans.
Our next performers were Jealousy Curve out of Philly. Wow! That pretty much sums it up. Their lead vocalist had an amazing voice, their drummer was more insane than the Muppets, Animal, the lead guitarist was phenomenal, and they all had such a connection on stage, that was astounding. You really do have to see these guys for yourself. Finally after their set, Lotus Blue got their turn to shine.
Throughout the entire night, all the guys of Lotus Blue were walking around welcoming everybody, selling merchandise and signing CD's. It was cool to witness a band taking that next major step in their career, releasing their first full-length CD! Congrats to Lotus Blue. Finally it was their turn to take the stage. Will came out wearing a black tie, which didn't stick around long. (He ripped it off by the 2nd song.) They opened the night with "Get Outta Dodge," which was a good opener because they are getting ready to blow Incubus out of the water and seriously 'get outta dodge' Will has one of those voices that you don't hear locally anywhere else unless you have the radio on. This guy knows how to sing. Jared and W.B. were pumped up as well for the big night and were more energetic than I've seen in the past, they were definitely ready to give their fans the night they deserved. Jason, behind the kit, was keeping the band focused and on beat. It was a lot of work on such an exciting night, but they all pulled it off amazingly well. They showed us that they've only just begun when they introduced us to a new song, "4 Bucks a Gallon." It was a great song, but lets all hope that never happens. Their CD was recorded and produced by Green Room Studios in Harrisburg, PA by Derek Euston. He even came up and played the acoustic guitar, to help slow Lotus Blue down for a song. All in all I felt Lotus Blue had a very fun and successful night. Congrats again to them and their fans.
Due to my lack of being Out and About, I decided to brave the weather and head out to Twisted Tuesday at the Harrisburg Hardware Bar to see Drop of Grey and Deja Vudoo. It was great seeing Drop of Grey back on a big stage where they can put all that Taurine to good use! Eric was back on top of his game leading every song, with Clint happily harmonizing on the side. Dan and Ben were definitely able to move around a lot more and they took advantage of every empty space they had. Those guys definitely like to move. Eric's voice is so clear, with original music, it's definitely a plus when you can actually understand the words. A couple of my faves were "Asleep" and "Unfaithful." These guys really made a great opener for Deja Vudoo, they are so hyper, you really feel the positive energy flying off the stage.
Deja Vudoo has contacted me plenty of times to come out to one of their shows, so I'm so glad I finally caught up with them. I never really go see a new band with high expectations, because you never know what you're gonna get. But let me tell ya, Deja Vudoo really amazed me. Tina Marie's voice is amazing and all the guys back her up magnificently. Michael, is on lead guitar, making sure everyone stays entertained with his amazing rips. Anthony takes care of the rhythm guitar, keys, and he also does a lot of back-up vocals, he has a lot of jobs but he keeps everything straight. Tony on drums knows he's going to be crazy, he's all ready with his hair up in a pony tail so it doesn't get in the way. These guys just went crazy from one song to the next. They really had me amazed by their original talent.
I was finally able to have a TRUE 2nd St. Harrisburg Experience. I arrived a little early to have some drinks with friends and then remembered that 3 of our advertisers are playing at 3 different venues all in one night, all on 2nd St. I started out by parking in the parking garage for extra security, it’s only $5 and to me, it’s worth it. Tom Sawyer starts their bands off first at 9pm because of the sound ordinance, all bands are stopped by 12 midnight. Tom Sawyer has an interesting stage under a big, white, tent. They have very nice comfy chairs and tables out under the stars, some are even seated around Fire Rings. The funniest part for me was that they even have their pool tables outside, that was definitely a first. Our first entertainment of the night was Hair Force One.
Hair Force One is quickly becoming a recognized name in the Harrisburg Area. They said they wanted some Harrisburg gigs, and they are getting them. At one point of the night I saw Victor applying HIS make-up with his little mirror, and he requoted a line from the cover story last month, “It’s expensive to look this cheap!” HF1 is a one-of-a-kind band. They can play and sing the “poppier” 80’s music that I remember growing up with. Every time I hear them I want to roll up my pants, and teaze my hair! These guys really get you in the mood to go back to the ‘80’s. I couldn’t really stick around long, but I would be back, I had to run down the street to Ceolta’s and check on the AmyK Band.
I haven’t seen AmyK for a while, so it was nice to catch up on everything. Fran and Rick are both back on bass, and guitar respectively. You can tell Amy is getting back in the groove, now that everyone is back where they need to me. Amy wasn’t feeling too good that night, but she knew they show must go on, so there she was belting out great hits, even one of my faves, “Ballroom Blitz”. Ceolta’s was packed elbow to elbow, so it was hard to get a good picture. I’m so short, I really need to get some stilts! After I hung out there I went down to Harrisburg Hardware Bar to catch a little bit of Sugarcoat.
Sugarcoat is a regular on the Hardware Bar rotation, and rightfully so, they know how to bring in a crowd. The place was packed like usual with everyone having a great time. BJ was his regular self, swinging those hips getting those girls up dancing. Sugarcoat plays more of the current covers, that not a lot of bands play. I don’t thing I’ve ever had to “jump” while listening to them, which is nice. They make you feel like you’re cruising down the road, listening to your favorite CD or radio station. They really play a great mix with hardly any interruptions. After Sugarcoat I went to check out HF1’s last couple songs.
HF1 ended their show and packed up their equipment, then they decided to come check out Ceolta’s and the AmyK Band. Back at Ceolta’s it was even crazier than before, I think a lot of Tom Sawyer people had the same idea. When the AmyK Band saw HF1 in the crowd they threw them up on stage to play a couple songs. It was just a warm-up for HF1 because they were going to be playing at Ceoltas the next night. Finally at about 2am we decided to head home, after all we had to wake up at 6am to drive out to Shade Gap for the 4th Annual Jam Band Festival.
The Jam Band Festival was held out at the Shade Gap Picnic Grounds. It was an all-day event with live music, kids activities, an awesome silent auction, a car show, and craft/yard sales from 10am-11pm, all benefiting the American Cancer Society through Relay for Life. It was intense but tons of fun. There was something for the entire family. It was nice to see so many families having so much fun together. Heather Shakes-It went with me and we put up a booth with T-Shirts and Hats available. We met a lot of cool people and a lot of long-time readers/supporters of the PA Musician Magazine. It was fun getting into a different area of the state, and checking out a different scene.
The entertainment ranged from Rock to Country, with a lot of other stuff in between. Lee from Lee Worthy Sound and Light was the only soundman of the day. He had one other guy helping him, but it was mainly all up to Lee. He did a fantastic job pulling off a 13 hour day without any major delays or sound problems. I was extremely impressed.
The first performer was Brianna Sheeder. She’s only 13 years old, but she created her 1st CD when she was only 6, so she’s been around for a while. Her voice was amazing. She quotes herself as “Living for the One Who Lives in Me.” She’s a Christian singer with tons of passion. In between most of her songs she describes a little bit about them and quotes something out of the Bible. It was a great start to a benefit. We were all there for a great purpose, to raise money for Relay for Life.
The next performers were the Twin Hill Express, a bluegrass band. I haven’t heard much Bluegrass before, but these guys seemed like they knew what they were doing. Duane Stinson, was on an upright Bass, which I’ve only seen played once before so it was nice seeing it again. Christina will be leaving the band soon to go do some Songwriting in Nashville. It’s very exciting for her and her Daddy, Brad, also a member of the band, but it’s sort of Bittersweet, because unfortunately that means this will be Twin Hill Express’s last tour. Make sure and catch them soon, you won’t be disappointed.
Chris Ruble and his band took the stage next. Chris Ruble is an amazing country singer. He was actually just selected as the Rising Star of 2007! Rightfully so, this guy can sing! He actually sang two sets for us, because one band cancelled at the last minute. His guitar player, and bass player James, both know my Dad, Whitey. They’ve been playing in bands for years and James used to be part of a band called Friction that Dad used to hang around and jam with occasionally. It’s a small world, and the best part about this job is you never know what’s going to happen next, or who you’re going to meet.
Doug Forshey was up next. He was just playing as an acoustic act, but his original lyrics were amazing. He came up all the way from Tennesee, even though he used to live in Huntingdon County. He’s now down there writing and co-writing on the TN circuit. He played solo for a while, but then we all got a special treat when he pulled his daughter up there. She even sang a song, she really has her Dad’s talent. I’m sure the whole family is excited about that.
Finally it was time for the Rock music to start. Faded X took the stage next. I honestly didn’t get much time to sit and listen to these guys because I was busy tearing down my stand, but I could definitely tell the “rock” started. One thing I noticed about Faded X is that they were proud of who they were. They wore Faded X shirts and they had stickers on their nice, big trucks, that said “Faded X.” I really don’t understand what is so “uncool” about wearing your own logo. When people see me Out and About there is no denying who I am. I’ve had people tell me all I need is a big bumper sticker on my a** and I’ll be good to go. If a club owner walks into a club and sees 100 Faded X shirts walking around isn’t that a good thing?? People say you shouldn’t wear a band’s t-shirt to their gig?? I don’t get it. Please someone explain this to me. I’d love to hear all opinions at rachelpam@verizon.net. I just don’t understand why bands get shirts, and everything made if they don’t want people to wear them. Anyway, enough of that craziness. Faded X did a fabulous job, and no offense to anyone else, but I was ready for the rock to start.
After Faded X, The Lakota Band, took the stage. These guys are real sweethearts. All day long they were hanging out with us telling us all about how they got started, what they do for their “real” jobs, etc.. It was a lot of fun getting to know someone new, and realize what bands go through to get to where they are today. Jimmy Allen, the guitarist, even showed us a pic of him many years ago, made up like Alice Cooper, now his hair is bright white. The Lakota Band has been together since 1998, so they’ve had plenty of stage practice. They are technically from Hagerstown, MD, but they would love to be playing on a more regional level. During their performance, they even snuck in a few originals that were amazing. These guys are so down to Earth, just wanting to jam and have a good time. If you want some good Classic Rock in your Club or Venue, give these guys a call.
Up next was a “new” band, Easy Money. It’s actually a side project of Scream featuring everybody, but Skip, he wanted some weekends off. They play all kinds of cool music ranging from Tommy Tutone to .38 Special to Skynyrd to Nickelback! It was hard at first hearing Jeff sing “Pretty Woman,” but then you realized that he’s doing a really good job. It amazed me to think of all the lyrics that must be floating around in Jeff’s head. From Bashful to Scream to now, Easy Money, he’s one amazing musician. He even plays the guitar with Easy Money. They ended the show by saying playing at a VFW near you soon. So if you book for a VFW give these guys a call.
Scream was up next, there wasn’t much of a set break because the show was running a couple minutes behind so they wanted to catch up. It was crazy seeing Scream go from Easy Money to Scream so quickly, but they really pulled it off amazingly well. Scream has always amazed me. It was nice to catch them at a “dry” show to make sure I was truly aware of their greatness! I can’t wait to jump on board with them on the Proud Mary on July 7th.
The final band of the night was Sound of Silence. These guys were at least having a bunch of fans wearing their shirts. Even the little kids were wearing them. You definitely knew that a big percentage of the fans were there for Sound of Silence. They played more of the heavier rock/metal songs, and they had fans eagerly awaiting every song. It’s one of those things with playing outside when it ends at 11pm, you think, wow, I was just getting started. Sound of Silence really completed a wonderful, full day of music. Everyone had fun all the way up until the last minute of the day.
Thanks so much to all the bands for donating their time and talents to such a great cause. Thanks also to Missy Miller for organizing the whole event. Without her none of this would’ve ever happened!
Can you believe I had that much entertainment in only 4 days!! That’s so crazy. Bands are out there everywhere just waiting to entertain you. I’ve never been disappointed. Every night is a new adventure. Hopefully this month I’ll go on an adventure with YOU! Please come be my friend on myspace at www.myspace.com/pamusician