September 2007

 

by Rachel Rocks

 

    Vacations, Vacations, I hate you, you stink! I never thought I’d say that, but the best part about my job is going out to see bands, (and working for my parents of course) and I’ve been too tied down vacationing to see as many as I’d like. Hopefully September will calm down, we’ll see. Even in my couple of days I did have, I managed to squeeze in quite a few bands.

   Well I finally had my first “true” festival experience, with 8 stages and over 100 artists, there was always music “happening” somewhere at the Fuzetival in Allentown. The Fuzetival was organized to help raise money for the Allentown Fire Department I hope it was as successful for them as it was for me. I was personally able to catch 19 bands all in one day!

   The first band of a very long, but entertaining day was Ajar. These young guys are definitely headed in the right direction for success. Their orginal, progressive, rock is definitely something a little different and catchy. One song they played called “Hands” was amazing. Ajar seems to making waves in the Lehigh Valley, hopefully their success will continue. There were only 30 minute sets, so it was hard to stay in one place for a very long time because with all the stages, you didn’t want to miss anything. My next band was into Banana Joe’s Patio to check out Bi-Polar.

   Bi-Polar was more of a funky rock band. The drummer was actually on a set of bongo drums, giving it more of that “island” feel. There were only 3 guys. Which I was told was not their “full” band. That’s one thing for sure, if I have any of these facts wrong I’m sorry, it was all in all a confusing day for a journalist J

   Then it was finally my turn to check out Postal. BriAnna, our new Lehigh Valley writer has seen them a couple times, but it was my first. Their lead singer is very animated and full of energy. They had more of a hard rock edge, which is nice to switch to from all the poppy songs once in a while. They played their hearts out the whole 30 minute set with hardly a breath in between songs.

   Wow! These 30 minute sets are brutal. Before I knew it I had to run across the street to Rock N’ Roll Cafe to catch Stasis live and in action. They played at our MMC acoustic stage back in February, so I wanted to check them out at a “full” show. Julia’s voice is amazing. Her long notes really catch your attention. They are currently recording with Racetrack Sound Studios. That’s going to be a CD I’ll need for my collection.

   I’m pretty sure I caught a few minutes of Reality Stricken next over at the WZZO East Stage. The band was up at 4:30, but I’m not sure who it was. Bands really need to put up banners at their shows. Even if it’s a piece of paper taped to the front of a stage with your name and website on. If someone’s really diggin’ your set, you might just have a new fan. For almost all the bands I saw I had to write down what stage I was at, at what time, then I had to go home and check out the band show times on the Fuzetival’s site and hope they are correct. Your average fan isn’t going to go through all the hassle, I only did it to write about what I saw. I’m sorry to use Reality Stricken as the example, but there were a lot of bands where I had to guess.

   At about 4:45 I decide it was time to finally, go check out the Sterling Hotel. They actually had 3 stages inside one venue. That place is definitely a lot bigger than you think. The first stage I ventured to was the patio stage. Throdl was up and they were just dripping with sweat. It was definitely a hot and beautiful day at the Fuzetival. Throdl had tons of energy and somehow survived their set, they said yeah, it was hot, but it was still a lot of fun. The intensity of the Metal Bands just absolutely amazes me. Not only the intensity of the musicians, but of the fans too! After sweating with Throdl, I headed outside to cool off.

   So many bands and fans were just chilling outside the Sterling Hotel. That’s the other important thing about going to festivals and conferences is all the networking. I talked to so many people who rolled my dice and got FREE PA Musician Gear! It was a lot of fun and a great way to meet new people. There were so many bands playing at the same time that I unfortunately didn’t get to see them all, but at least I got to hang out with some of them. After hangin’ out for a while I headed back over to Banana Joe’s for Spitshine.

   Spitshine describes their original genre as “Powerpop” I now know what that means. Those 4 guys were filled with so much energy putting on an awesome set. They actually got to play a little longer because a band didn’t show. They were very local, reigning out of Bethlehem, PA, so they had a great amount of fans there. One of my favorite songs in their set was “Every Little Lie,” you can check it for yourself on their myspace page. They also even played their own version of “Tainted Love,” and who doesn’t love that song?!? It’s always amazing to me when original bands have their fans singing right along with them. You can really tell they have fans that truly love their music and I can’t imagine how awesome that must feel as a musician.

   Next up was Path Aesthetic. They are only a 3 piece band playing more of a Progressive/Alternative form of Rock. Their song “Sold Away,” (not sure if that’s right...sorry) was definitely the mind stealer of this set. Their guitar player was amazing. He played his guitar up and down the staff like it was a piano. Wow! They were also the first outside band I noticed taking advantage of the merch table. They even had an e-mail list. What a great idea! I can imagine that it would be a pain to lug all that stuff for a 30 minute set, but ya just never know where you are going to pick up your next best fan! I know Path Aesthetic picked one up...me!

   Then it was back around the building to check out Poker Face, a Classic Rock/Rock Metal type of band. They consider themselves “America’s House Band,” because they’ve played all across the country. These guys sent me a CD before the gig, to give me a taste and to make sure I’d check out their set. After I heard those awesome 3-part harmonies, I had to check them out for “real,” and they were just as good, if not better than on their CD. Their one song, “Area 51” will blow you away. They are trying to wake up America which I think is great, because it definitely needs to wake up about a lot of things!

   Up next was Canto 6. I’ve been wanting to see these guys for a while. I’ve heard a lot about them and now I know all those things are true. They’ve acquired a new bass player and a guitar player in the past year, but they are back rockin’ like they’ve been together for years. I’ve heard their song “Wait” on myspace, but there is nothing like seeing a band live and in action. They were the first band I saw with a banner with their name, good job guys way to promote yourselves!

   Back at the Sterling Hotel, Methodical was on the Rock Room stage. With 2 guitars, bass, keys and drums, they definitely had a thick, rockin’ sound. Their head “rolls” or bangin’ whatever you want to call it, is just crazy. The way the whole band does it all together in sync is just amazing to watch. Not to mention their metal. One thing great about the festival is that they had so many different types of music available. I believe the Fuzetival site refers to it as a “Fusion of Music.” You can definitely say that. The Rock Room definitely has great acoustics and there is plenty of room to pack the people in there. I couldn’t tell you how many people were in there during the Fuzetival, but I know I had to squeeze everywhere I wanted to go. After Methodical I heard more awesome sounds coming from the Sterling Patio stage so I headed in there.

  I had their special $2 Margarita and enjoyed watching the energy of the youngest band of the night, The Last Tempest. If I heard it correctly some of the band members are only 14 years old. They’re playing metal like they’ve been rockin for years! The drummer was pounding away so much, he almost pounded his kit right off the platform. Plus at one point the lead singer was practically hangin from the rafters. These guys definitely must’ve been getting into the Rockstar Energy drink, because they definitely had the energy and the rockstar personalities! Keep up the great work!

     I wanted to check out this record breaking “Longest Bar on the East Coast,” so I headed over to the Long Bar stage at Sterling. It definitely is a VERY LONG bar. You pretty much can’t see who’s sitting at the opposite end, it’s just that long, go check it out for yourself! The entertainment was Beaten Down Mary. The Metal bands definitely seemed to have the biggest crowds. I know I’m starting to repeat myself, but when you see so many amazing bands, it’s hard to describe them any differently. I can’t say any of them sucked, because they honestly didn’t, except of course for those who chose not to show.

    My next band was Type 14. These guys were the winners of the WZZO Rocker award last year. They definitely had fans walking around with lots of Type 14 t-shirts very visible. They were also all there as a band before their show supporting the other artists which was very cool of them. Their music was very intense and cleverly written. Their guitar player was a ball of energy that definitely knows how to shred! It’s hard to believe how many bands are out there waiting to be discovered. I’m always amazed at the talent that is so easily found right in our own backyards.

    Also during the same 30 mins. I had to run over to BJ’s Patio stage and check out Blue Sees Red. These 3 guys are also part of the band Psycho Bettie, that was just on our cover. They love being a part of Psycho Bettie, but their true passion is in their original work with Blue Sees Red. It was crazy seeing Benny on lead, but he definitely did a great job. With all of their talent, they just want to play those instruments however they can.

    For the last venue of the night I headed back over to the Sterling to check out Subskin. They saved up their big CD Release show for this event. That was awesome because they definitely had the fans their supporting their big day! Their CD has 15 songs, so it’s packed full with plenty of entertainment. The party turned more and more into a Mosh Pit, filled with crazy fans, helping to celebrate the release of their CD. Great job Subskin!!

    My final band of the night was Ovlo. These guys helped put the event together, organizing bands and doing whatever needed to be done. The Rock Room was absolutely packed. I think the “rough count” was around 600. We were all squeezed in there. I was even stuck on the 3rd step going up to the stage, once I got there, there was no going back. They had a very crazy mosh pit happening. It was best to stay on the outside as much as possible. Their lead guitar player made the craziest faces, you could tell he was definitely having a blast up there. Ovlo deserved the fans they had there. It was a great band to end the Fuzetival with.

    Overall I definitely had a wild, good time at the Fuzetival. All the people were super nice, and the bands were set up wonderfully so you didn’t have the distractions from one band or another. All of the sound men did a fantastic job keeping their stages running right on time. They had to be exhausted after such a very long day of rockin!! Thanks to all the bands and clubs for being so nice and welcoming me into the Lehigh Valley.

   Finally back into Harrisburg I decided to finally go check out Small’s on 2nd St. SOS was playing there so I knew they’d have my back if I needed help. I shouldn’t have worried. Their security is extremely tight with the “Tugboat” outside! He’s a big guy, and nobody’s gonna mess with him. When you go check out Small’s tell the “Tugboat” Rachel Rocks sent ya! Inside Small’s they have a nice long bar with plenty of seating and at the end a nice sized stage set up with great acoustics. I’m so glad I finally went there, now I have yet another great place to go hang out and listen to live music! Talking about music...

   SOS was the first band of the night. It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten to see them, and a lot of changes have been happening for them. Murph recently left, so that left Jon and Puliti to pick up on vocals, they also hired a new quitar player, Mike K., but he has since left to join up with the newly formed Cheeze. SOS is just going to stick with the 3 piece of Jon, Puliti, and Scottie, and focus back on their originals. They really play some awesome original songs, so I’m personally very happy with their choice. With Jon and Puliti’s great harmonies, they’ll have no trouble surviving on their own. You can check out their schedule in this issue.

   Next up was the Real Be Easys. These guys are from New York City, but they are taking Pennsylvania by storm. They’re spreading out their listening area, and I’ll tell you one thing, they definitely got a new fan this night. Their awesome Funky, Rock, Groove thang they got goin’ on is definitely something to hear and see. It’s also a genre of music you don’t hear too often in this area, which is a very good thing. There are only 3 guys, but they got their act together, making sure they are entertaining their crowds to their full ability. Just looking at these guys makes you want to bop your head to their funky beat. Evan’s turquoise guitar and their crazy shoes, just help get you into the groove. They have their first CD out that you can order online plus they have tons of merchandise. These guys are definitely coming in with a bang. Wait till you here them, Evan’s voice really has that funky twang, and the way Paulie plays that bass, wow! Let’s not forget Leighton on drums, his beat, keeps you head boppin all night long. In September they are all over the state, so make sure and check out their schedule so you can go hear some of their great songs like “Maniac,” “Defunkt,” and “On the Road.” I’m sure you’ll be glad you did.

   The final band at Smalls was Serving the Industry. I unfortunately couldn’t stay too long for these guys, but they were full of energy and ready to play. There are five guys with a very crazy guitar player, and a singer that can sing his heart out. They had a room full of people dancing right along with them. My whole night at Smalls was a very pleasurable experience, and I can’t wait to go there again soon.

   To end my night I headed down to the Hardware Bar for Green Eggs. They’ve recently acquired a new guitar player, Matt Day, so I wanted to go check out the new addition. No offense to the old Green Eggs, but I felt that Matt definitely brought a new spark to the stage. He fits right in, even trying to keep up with Brad’s insane, kicks and Yoga moves. He’s also not afraid to jump right in and help with vocals, even taking the lead at times. I caught the tail end of their show and simply amazes me how these guys can keep up their energy level from the beginning all the way to the very end. Green Eggs definitely bring in a crowd no matter where they are, so go check out what you’ve been missing!

   Johnny Joe’s in Mechanicsburg is really putting in some great bands. They’re trying their hardest to liven up Mechanicsburg, and I think they are doing a great job at it. Leadfoot was this nights entertainment, and they were rockin’ to their 80’s even though it was well over 80 degrees inside. It was HOT! I’m sure Johnny Joe’s was just having some major AC problems, but it was definitely hot in there. At one point, James Thomas, poured his water on him instead of in him. I don’t blame him, I just wish he would’ve poured some on me too! These guys never complained...they just played their hearts out, sweating way more than usual. Leadfoot has been spreading out their playing area, heading out into the Mt. Union/Altoona areas. Make sure and welcome them out there, you’ll be glad you did. I just know I’m glad I finally got to see them again.

   Tubby’s finally had Echoburn back on stage, so I had to get up there to support that show. I love Tubby’s and Echoburn, so it was a great combination. I unfortunately missed their opening act, DropDeadKen, but I heard they were fantastic. Kenny, their lead singer, was invited up on stage to help out Echoburn, so I got a little “tease” of how great DropDeadKen must be. Hopefully I’ll be able to catch them “Out and About” soon. Echoburn had a great crowd at Tubby’s. Even at 1:15am, the dance floor was still packed with people having a great time. Echoburn is really gaining some great attention in this area, which is definitely well deserved!

   On a Thursday night I got the chance to head over to the Hummelstown Carnival to see Smokin Gunnz. It was great seeing them at an all age venue, seeing people of all ages enjoying their Southern Rock sounds. As the night progressed, Bob, the lead singer/drummer, realized the whole carnival had shut down except them. (I guess that tells you where all the excitement was.) He asked if they were supposed to stop, but from the crowd yelled, “15 more minutes.” Well that means, one more song, “Freebird”. Once again Smokin Gunnz nailed it, blowing the crowd away. They had all kinds of people coming up to grab their schedule, I’m sure they gained a lot of great fans that night. It’s definitely nice catching a band outside in a much less crazy atmosphere.

   Hair Force One made it back to the midstate, with a Headlining show at Gullifty’s. It was great to see them get invited back there to play at such a great venue. I thought for a second they had a new member, but Michael J Cox, just got a new hairdo. His new do, definitely makes him look much more hip. Even Roman Fyngerz was back and ready to jam. They’re currently auditioning for a new bass player, so their line-up will be changing soon, but I’m sure they’ll continue to pump out their amazing Top ‘80s Hits.

   This is definitely the season of change. I can’t believe all the bands that have changed members lately. No matter what though, the bands keep pushing on, trying to be the best that they can be, entertaining us all!

   My final night of the month, I headed to a new club, Black Knights, to check out a new band, Bob Noble & the Blue Voodoo Band. I’m always a little hesitant, but I never should be, because I’m always pleasantly surprised. This band is actually our Cover feature band this month, so you can check them out in greater detail in this months cover story, and check out their full schedule in this month’s ad.

   Last but by far not least is Steel. Yeah, I finally got to see them again! I saw them for the first time way back in December, and I was determined to go see them again. These guys are a great tribute band for Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Due to some scheduling issues, I guess they created a 3 set list that doesn’t contain any songs, by either of those artists. Some people are afraid they’ll be too hard and scary. Some of their songs, according to Chris, “are back from when I was still swimmin’ in my Daddy’s nuts!  But I still love to rock to the music.” If you only took the time to meet theses guys, they are the friendliest guys out there, and that isn’t all they play, they have a wide variety of songs. Steel definitely needs more gigs, they deserve it. Give them a call today, and get them booked at your venue, you won’t be disappointed!!