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Vol.38 #439 May 2020
FREE! CENTRAL PA’S MUSIC NEWS SOURCE Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
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BACKYARD CONCERT SERIES
at Spyglass
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH TICKETS SALES TBA
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WWW.SPYGLASSRIDGEWINERY.COM Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
May, 2020
For more info and Booking: Facebook:@FOBRocks Email:mike.worthy@me.com
717-567-7070 artisticimagescreenprinting.com artisticimage@earthlink.net 211 NORTH 4TH STREET NEWPORT PA, 17074 May, 2020
Sat. May 16th - HOOK & FLASK STILL WORKS, 7pm Carlisle, PA (Acoustic Juice)
Booking info: 717.448.3888
the Juice
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
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Founder- “Whitey” Lee Noll Consulting Editor/Angel of design-Robin Noll Owner/Publisher/Sales-Joshua Noll Lead writer/Photographer/Sales- “Rachel Rocks” -Staff PhotographersJim Price, Rachel Rocks, Meredith Kaminek Chris Rider -MOFO (Master Of Financial Operations)Missy Weidenhof -DistributionRobin Noll, Josh Noll, Rachel Rocks, Jim Price, Keith Hummel, “Space”, Deanne Trio, Randy Wilson, Shawn Kurey, Fuzz McGirk, Jimi Jaymz, Dan Mccorkle, Zac Grace, Imelda Redding, Jeff Pittinger, Sterling Koch, and whoever else we can talk into. -Field EditorsJim price..........................................The Professor Rachel Rocks...................................Out & About Eric Hoffman.........................................National Chris Rider.........................Rider’s on the Storm
PA MUSICIAN MAGAZINE 178 ANDY STROUP RD LIVERPOOL, PA 17045 717-636-4203 CALL TODAY FOR INFO OR ADVERTISING DEADLINE THE 20TH OF EACH PRECEDING MONTH.
Hello once again, it’s hard to believe that another month has passed and none of us have been able to go out and enjoy a night of live music. Not that I haven’t seen some great music thanks to the miracle of technology. Live streams have taken over and I saw so many this last month it was impossible to keep track. Ed Varner is hard at work keeping us all entertained and hosting live streams to support the local venues where he had shows cancelled at. He is rumored to not wear pants during some of these events and if I’m not mistaken may even be part of his regular routine. He does a great job taking requests and keeping things fresh for the fans. The Central PA Music Hall of Fame and Keystone Amplifiers have been hosting live streams every day at 7pm. They have been bringing in some great performers and offer links in the comments so you can tip the actual performer while you watch them play. Spyglass Ridge and Winery has also jumped into the fray and have started the Spyglass Rocks Live Streams. They have Nate Myers on the 1st and Runaway Stroller on the 3rd with more to follow. The River 97.3 has also got in the game and I got to see Shea Quinn perform from my couch and also caught a great performance by Dave Venet and Ryan of The Snyd’cats. All of this great music and never leaving the house. So you really can’t complain about lack of music during the pandemic, as always central PA will find a way to Rock and Roll. You will notice we are missing one article this month as Chris has taken the month “off” with the paper to concentrate on his daily work duties and catch up on life. Along with working for the local borough he is also a volunteer firefighter who risks life and limb to help out the community. We are thankful for all our local volunteers who have come to our rescue many times including the scary chimney fire that Robin and Whitey aka Mom and Dad had a year or so back. Its scary as hell pulling up to your parents house surrounded by fire trucks, but knowing you got the A-Team on your side makes it a little better. They got things under control and saved the house. Hats off to all the emergencey and medical volunteers who even during a pandemic are out there taking care of us all. Also thanks to all the essential workers out there dealing with all the changes. Putting themselves out there on the frontlines wether it’s working in
a hospital or Doctors office or working at the Dollar Store, which to me has now become one the battlezones, where we go to find the only toilet paper left in the county. These dedicated workers are out there dealing with every crazy pissed off person that comes through the door. So remember please don’t take it out on them. It is not their fault, they are just doing a job so be nice to them and also wear your mask. One thing for certain I can’t wait till the mask thing is long gone. Going out and delivering The Shopper’s Remedy for mother has made the mask thing a little too natural. I find myself going out the front door at the house and pulling my mask/buff up over my nose and there isn’t another person in yelling distance let alone my sneezing zone. I can’t tell if I’m turning cowboy heading out on the range or just your average guy getting ready for another apocalypse. It’s hard to tell when we will return to normal but when we do get back to being able to enjoy a night out on the town you can count on us being there to keep you informed as to who is playing where and when. We can’t express how much the support of all our fans and advertisers means to us during the pandemic. Without all of you we wouldn’t be here. Please go read Rachel Rocks article as she dives head first into thanking all the wonderful people that make up the PA Musician Magazine Family. She thought it would be a short and sweet story but when she realized how many people support us each and every month we almost had to extend the paper just to fit it all in. Jim Price cannot be kept from covering Live music. In his words, “I covered more than 50 events and 100 performers, and I didn’t even have to leave the house or spend a cent on gasoline...Strange times!” Strange times indeed and while we will get back to real live music I think we should all consider live streams as a new way of enjoying music even after this is all over. This month the cover story is a feature on Rock Mill Industries. As with many of us in the music business they have been hit hard by the shutdown of all non essential businesses. They were planning a big open house for Memorial Day weekend and as of this writing that has been cancelled. Basically when they went to apply for permits with the city they were told not going to happen. So please read the story these are a great group of guys who help support the local music scene in more ways then one. Its crazy to think the last live show/event I attended was the Millennium Music Conference. While there I got to hang out with the Rock Mill crew as they hosted the open mic stage. These guys are always up to some sort of goofcontinued on next page...
The PA Musician Magazine is published by Joshua Noll 178 andy stroup rd liverpool PA and reserves the right to exercise its discretion in the acceptance of all advertisments and to edit or condense any ad based on its standards of publication. PA Musician Magazine is not responsible or liable for the condition, dispostion, or availability of any article advertised, and disclams any warranty, expressed or implied, of any item published herein.. ALTHOUGH EXTREME CARE AND DILIGENCE IS TAKEN IN CHECKING AD COPY FOR ACCURACY. The PA Musician Magazine or the advertisers are not responsible for compostion errors, mistakes, or misprints.
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Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
May, 2020
ing off and shannigans but always do a professional job at whatever they do. Screen printing, stickers, banners, studio space, musical lessons, and more. These guys have you covered and can help you build your brand. Go check out the webpage at www.rockmillink.com you can purchase Rock Mill Relief Gear and help them make it through these tough times. I got myself a sweet ass tye-die shirt so everyone can see me coming and going.
May, 2020
Well let’s all hope this is the last “online only issue” as I can’t wait to start printing again. Chances are we won’t be back to full normal for June but I’m staying optimistic and praying that we will move past this and come out the other side with a new appreciation for live music and all the venues that support it. Stay safe and healty PA!
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
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Keeping The Blues Alive in PA
Info/booking: Observe the 93rd-observethe93rd@gmail.com
Derek Henry solo acoustic-derekehenry@gmail.com
www.observethe93rd.com
www.facebook.com/observethe93rd
5/2 Oregon Hill Winery, McElhattan 6-8pm 5/9 Riverside Campground, Montgomery 7-10pm 5/17 Fallen Soldier Ride, Muncy American Legion 3pm
NOW BOOKING!
www.facebook/latimoresky
latimoresky@gmail.com
For gigs: www.facebook.com/kgcadillaccats Email:cadillaccats123@gmail.com Call 570-651-5014
Stonewood
thecadillaccats.com
APPEARING LIVE AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: 5/8 The Burning Bridge Tavern, Wrightsville 5/23 Holtwood Sports Farm, Holtwood 5/24 Deer Run Camping Resort, Gardners 5/29 Amvets Post 19, Lancaster
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For Bookings Contact: 570-687-8827 www.Facebook.com/Stonewoodblues www.thebandstonewood.com
For more information vist our website & follow us on facebook.com/Steel
Sat. May 9th 9:30pm Tourist Inn, Hallam PA Fri. Sept 11th 8:00pm Dam Party, Boiling Springs PA ered” Available at “Steel Hammon All gigs & our website Booking: Chris 717.688.9177 or Aaron 717.580.0218 Email: info@steelrocks.com ~ Hope to see YOU at one of our shows! ~
www.steelrocks.com
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
May, 2020
REUNION SHOW!
Original members Chad Wright and Austin Weaver reunite with special guests to perform at the
WEEKEND AT WOLFIE’S FESTIVAL JUNE 11-13TH
Booking Now ! 717.979.9234 Email: ctcdub@gmail.com
Booking Now! 717.979.9234 Blindaccuracyband@gmail.com Follow us on FB, Instagram: @blindaccuracy May, 2020
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
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OUT ‘n’ ABOUT By Rachel Rocks
BOB RANDALL
“I Can’t Get You Off Of My Mind”
https://vimeo.com/249320973 www.bobscountrymusic.com
Bookings: Bobrandallmusic@yahoo.com
Wow. I don’t think anyone possibly imagined this lockdown would last this long. For someone constantly on the go, and out with friends, this truly seems like an eternity. Compassion, patience and understanding are not an easy thing for a lot of people, but at this time it is what we need. Don’t judge the person who has
Calling OFF Doug Jun 13 ~ Sun Valley Campground Sat 8 AM · Sun Valley RV Campground · Narvon, PA July 10th ~ Chick’s Fri 8pm · CHICK’S · Hummelstown, PA Contact us: Email: callingoffdoug@gmail.com Phone: 717.379.3973 facebook.com/CallingOffDoug
a cart full of groceries, who knows how many people they are trying to feed. Don’t raise a hairy eyebrow at someone not following the arrows in the grocery store.. Have compassion be kind.. If you are out there struggling to make ends meet, please reach out, I am more than happy to lend a helping hand, and have lots of friends all over the state that are ready to help me, help you. Feel free to email: RachelRocks@pamusician.net or call or text: 717-5801939. So anyway, enough rambling, now on to the fun. I’ve had a blast watching all of the live streams and recordings on Facebook, Twitch, and all of the other platforms. Watching the streams change from full bands to solo musicians was a little sad, but it is very interesting seeing all of the creative ways musicians are using their talents to keep us and them entertained. Jason Carst has been streaming almost every day, on April 22nd he posted that after 29 streams in 31 days, (51.75 hours of live music) he was finally taking a night off, but he was right back at it the next day. He live streams for like 3 hours, taking requests and partying the night away. He also has different themes on different nights. On Easter Sunday he even took his concert to his front porch. He lives down the street from me, so when he said 2 more songs, I zoomed over and did a drive by. It was cool to see all of his neighbors out sitting on their front lawns enjoying the music. There was at least one other guy sitting in the middle of the road in his pickup truck too! I can’t wait til the weather warms up again, and hopefully we can sneak in a few more outdoor
Jason Carst
social distancing concerts. If you want to watch some entertainment you can check out Jason’s new streams and old streams from his Facebook page Jason Carst Music. It seems like most concerts and shows are being pushed back and rescheduled to September at the earliest. I’m really hoping they will open venues and let live music return before that, but we will just have to wait and see. I know the big Summer Kick Off party, the DAM Party has been postponed until Sept. 11th and 12th with continued on next page.9...
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Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
May, 2020
OUT & ABOUT continued...
Steel and Back in Black on Friday the 11th, and Road Case and Jimmies Chicken Shack on Sept. 12th. I’m just glad that a lot of the shows are trying to postpone instead of completely cancelling, unfortunately for the venues with national acts, like XL Live, Chameleon, HMAC, Harrisburg University, etc. it is even more complicated because the bands are rescheduling full tours and trying to make it all happen. With most venues they are honoring the previously purchased tickets for the upcoming rescheduled shows, so hold on to your tickets. Obviously, I couldn’t go out and see live music, but I decided to flip through our latest issues of the magazine and support those that support us, by writing about every advertiser and then some. We greatly appreciate everyone who has stuck by us during this quarantine and our online only issues. Here is a little spotlight for all of you… Spyglass Ridge Winery in Sunbury still currently has their big concerts kicking off June 6th with their big Live United Live Music Festival has been brought to you by the The Greater Susquehanna Valley United Way to benefit youth mental health. This concert has some awesome bands from 12noon – 11pm. A full day of amazing 80s music with bands like Lynch Mob, Firehouse, Warrant, and Dokken closing out the night. They have a full line-up of entertainment from live music to comedians, to wine bingo! You can check out their full schedule and see all they have going on at www. spyglassridgewinery.com. To keep you entertained during the quarantine they’ve also been hosting live shows by different musicians through their Facebook page. It’s giving the musicians a different platform to use and hopefully helping to fill their virtual tip jars! Reverb in Reading has a full schedule of shows, the first show currently on their schedule is Quiet Riot on Friday, June 19th. Then on June 21st it is Fit For a King: Dark Skies Tour. Reverb has a full schedule listed on their website, www.reverbconcerts.com. If you’ve never been to Reverb, it is very easy to get to, right off the highway with plenty of free parking. Once you are inside it is a nice spacious room with big screen TVs on the wall and a nice big bar in the back of the room. There is also a great smoking section patio outside. A lot of their shows are also all ages, so it’s a great way to introduce your kids to the world of live music! The Central Pennsylvania Music Hall of Fame along with Keystone Amplifiers has been hosting a Quarantine Live Stream almost every day since April 1st. It’s awesome because they also have a virtual tip jar to help support each musician as they are playing. All of their live streams start at 7pm. It’s awesome to see how the CPMHOF continues to support local music any way they possibly can, and they supported the magazine by advertising their live streams! Once we can get things back to operational again keep a close eye on CPMHOF, you never know what tricks Brandon, the president, has up his sleeve! You can keep up to date on everything CPMHOF related on their Facebook page, or on their website, www.cpmhof.com. Goblin Alchemy the creator of amazing Meads: Dragon Heart, Siren Song, and Blackberry Fairy is bottled and distributed by Deerfoot Vineyards and Winery in Shoemakersville, PA. They have been quarantining, but also offering curbside pickup and shipping throughout the state of PA. Goblin Alchemy also currently sponsors two bands: Suicide Puppets and Stricken. Suicide Puppets have been kept busy developing new merch, you can check it out and even donate for a chance to win their super special custom created bowling pin, at www.puppetmerch.com, the lucky winner will be picked on May 31st. The first show currently on Suicide Puppets schedule is June 27th with them along with False Icons and Spinebelt at Johnny Joe’s. Stricken has also been doing their best to keep learning new songs and getting themselves pumped up to play music for the masses. They are psyched that during this pandemic they have already hit 4,000 likes on Facebook. The love they get from all of their fans is awesome. They currently have on their schedule that their next show is May 29th at the Racehorse Tavern with Decipher Life opening for them. Ed Varner just started advertising with us a few months ago, I caught him playing once down here at Boneshire Brew Works Thursday night live music nights. He’s a great solo performer who loves to have his crowd singing and dancing along. He plays all of your classic rock favorites from the 60s, 70s, and 80s plus more! He’s a 30+ year musician with one heck of a repertoire of music in his head. It always amazes me how people request such random songs from many different decades and he can switch gears and rock out. If you want someone to liven up your acoustic music night at your venue, give Ed a call and get him booked! It looks like his next show is supposed to be at Newfangled Brew Works on May 16th, but I would be shocked if that one still happens. Keep an eye on his Facebook page, Ed Varner Music, for any schedule changes, and of course he’s been streaming different live shows as well. If you’ve read my article lately, chances are you already know all about Defiant. They are a high octane, hard rock band from Mechanicsburg. But even Defiant has their limits of being “defiant”… their ad last month said, “Now is not the time to be defiant… stay safe and we will be back!” Defiant has been posting old flashbacks of great shows they’ve played, check out all of their videos on Facebook, especially their Official Videos of their original songs: “Wendy” and “He’s Watching”. Their next show for now is August 14th with Escape the Fate at HMAC. Keep an eye on their ad or their Facebook page for more updates and entertainment. Dead Cowboy might be another newer advertiser, but they definitely aren’t new to the music scene. They’ve been playing all around central PA since around 2008. I know I saw them once many moons May, 2020
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continued on next page.10.. Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
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OUT & ABOUT continued...
ago, hopefully after this is all said and done I will be able to catch them Out and About again. Their last show was at the Racehorse Tavern with Alice In Sane on March 13th. It looked like one heck of a party, but unfortunately, I was home sick. Dead Cowboy plays all of your favorite rock and metal covers, with a few great originals mixed in between. You can learn all about them if you go to their Facebook page and click on the link to Ian Strong’s podcast “Strong Words” where he sits down with all of the guys and talks about the origin and evolution of the band. Nate Myers and the Aces: Energetic, original music based in roots and blues… Nate has been playing solo, and even though he’s doing a great job he’s missing his band mates. They’ve been trying ways to be able to collaborate and record music together, but they haven’t been able to figure out the perfect set-up yet. Nate Myers and the Aces haven been working on a new album, they hoped to have it complete by now, but since the pandemic put a hold on production, they decided to release a sneak peek of one song “Check Taylor” this is a song that they originally released 15 years ago and they play it at most shows because it is a crowd favorite, it’s usually just played with Nate and Pete acoustically, so it’s a cool mix hearing Chad on drums and Chris on electric guitar. I know I’m excited for their new release! They currently don’t have any shows listed until the quarantine is released, but keep an eye on their website, www.natemyers.com for updates on upcoming shows. Friend of Bob, another newer advertiser, I never got a chance to check these guys out and about, but hopefully will sooner than later. They have a cool contest going on right now on their Facebook page, if they hit 2,000 likes by May 8th, they are awarding one lucky fan a private backyard concert! I don’t know about you, but I am ready for live music, any time.. anywhere! Another fun fact of Friend of Bob one member is Darren Cohick, one of the members of the band The Inciters, which is the first band I ever saw live at The Metron, sitting on a bar stool being babysat by Angie Gramm Finney.. the first bartender to serve me a drink.. a Shirley Temple with extra cherries!! A night I’ll never forget… DJ Addam is still live every Monday from 6-9pm on Lurch’s Lair working hard to bring you the best original music out there! One song he played on his last show, April 27th, was “Autumn is Burning” from Images of Eden. They are currently finishing up production of their latest album “Angel Born” but they did an early release of this song with an official video. You can listen to the song along with a lot of other great music on the Lurch’s Lair website, www.LurchsLairRadio.com. If you’re tired of listening to your same boring playlists, checking out his website is a great way to keep yourself entertained during the pandemic, and even when you’re free, sitting outside around a camp fire! I recently saw The Juice! as part of Gettysburg Rocks. They were the first band of the night to get the people up dancing and having a good time. They play all of your favorite classic rock, blues, and even a few originals. They are lucky that so many of them take turns at the lead vocals, it really helps open up their set list to a great mix of music. With Tammy as the main vocalist they are able to nail a lot of great female vocalists like Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crow, etc. They play as a full band, but also have the option of Acoustic Juice, of the husband and wife duo Randy and Tammy can play the smaller more intimate venues. The Juice! is ready to rock your venue, so give them a call and get them on your schedule! Once this crazy quarantine is over and the venues get to reopen, we will all be able to check out the electric jam at Champions in Highspire hosted by the Blues Society of Central PA every Thursday. So far I’ve only made it to one jam, but it is pretty awesome. Everyone shows up and lists which instruments they play, and then they mix things up and get the jams started with a variety of musi10
cians. It’s awesome to see people just jamming and having a good time! In the summer months at Champions they are able to open up their deck doors and let the fresh air in, it’s a cool place to hang and listen to great music with friends. Big Bang was on our cover in August of 2019, if you want to read all about them, you can check out our Archived issues on our website, www.pamusician.net. They are an 80s cover band playing all of your favorites. They do a great job mashing songs together and making them their own to keep things entertaining and interesting. They are another group of seasoned musicians that have been playing for so long, it’s hard to throw a request at them that they can’t handle. They’ve been laying low during the quarantine, but they hope to be rockin again on May 30th at Riverbillys Grill and Bar in Huntingdon. Keep an eye on their Facebook page (bigbangpa) for any updates to their schedule. We all know how much I love my merch. Well, our amazing merch people are Artistic Image Screen Printing & Embroidery. They are located in Newport, but they can ship merch anywhere. You can check out their website, artisticimagescreenprinting. com, check out their great deals, and do your whole order online! Technology is a beautiful thing. Obviously the more you order the cheaper your merch is. My favorite order was when I called and talked to one employee, Jonny from Suicide Puppets and said I’m sick of wearing black, which of course he couldn’t understand, but he just randomly went through their extra pieces and sent me a bunch of cool colors of our merch. Now I don’t feel like I’m wearing the same clothes every weekend. HA! Thanks Artistic Images! The South Bound Band is Central PA’s Tribute to the Allman Brothers Band. SouthBound strives to capture the essence and spirit of the Allman Brothers Band in admiration of one of the most influential bands in modern American music history. During this pandemic they’ve been busy getting ready for the future, they just put together a new Demo video, they are ready to get out there and book some shows and play some music! They’ve also been posting videos of previous shows to keep their fans entertained. Please check them out for yourself at www.thesouthboundband.net. They hope to be playing at least by June 6th at the American Legion in Stewartstown. Tax Time!! What’s that? How do you do that?? Well, this year everything is even a bit crazier with the extension to July 15th, but have no fear, The Bookkeeper, Rita Casey, is here! Rita specializes in accounting, payroll, and bookkeeping services for individuals and small businesses. Her husband is in the band Defiant, so chances are she also has experience on how to get a band organized to file properly. Don’t stress about the words “tax time” just take your messy box of receipts and what nots to Rita, and let her help get you organized and get all of the deductions you possibly can! JT Thompson is a piano/keyboardist that you can catch playing out around the Altoona area in a variety of bands. His main band is JT Thompson and The Denicats, but he can also be seen playing with: Natascha & The Spy Boys, Jackie Brown and the Gill Street Band, The Triple A Blues Band, Maxwell Strait, or many more. JT has been playing all around the US since the 70s but in 2002 he found his way back to his hometown of Bellefonte. You can now find him entertaining people all over the Centre Region from nightclubs to restaurants to private gatherings. If you want him booked at your venue, check out his website, www.jtblues.com. Maiden America is ready to rock our faces off!! We just have to get these crazy venues open! It has not been easy for any band to have to cancel so many shows, one way to help them is to still order their merch. Maiden America just released a new super cool shirt. You can see it for yourself on their Facebook page. They are only $25, which includes shipping. Penntera has also released new merch, including women’s tank tops just in time for Summer. Their new shirts are only $20. You can check out the new designs on their Facebook Page. Penntera is Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
also going Live from Quarantine, Saturday, May 2nd at 7pm. If you miss it live, it will still be on their page to view later. They will be performing your favorite Pantera tunes and taking requests, plus they will have a live Q&A. It’s a virtual happy hour where you can hang out in real time. They are hoping it will be a “Germ Free Stream!” Again, the way the bands are getting creative is very interesting, I know I can’t wait to check out that stream! Close to Consideration MAIDEN AMERICA NEW is still hoping to play at SHIRTS FOR SALE the Weekend at Wofie’s, a 3-Day camping and music festival June 11-13 at Fort Royale Farm in Bedford, PA. You can check out more info about this crazy festival at www.bumpinugliesmusic.com. Chad Wright and Austin will be joining forces once again with some special guests to bring you a special CTC set that you won’t soon forget! If CTC isn’t enough “Austin” for you, you can also check him out playing in his other band Blind Accuracy. Both of Austin’s bands are full of crazy energy that will have their fans up moshing and dancing along! Six Bar Break was the first band I watched streaming live to Facebook as part of the Quarantine Live Streams. Their first live stream was the full band, but unfortunately due to all of the lovely regulations, Ben was soon jamming alone. He does a great job at keeping Six Bar Break in your newsfeed with Quarantine Live Streams at least once every week! If you have a couple bucks when you’re enjoying all of the live streams, please consider adding some money into their virtual tip jars. Some bands have lost 10, 20, or even more shows because of this crazy quarantine, that is a lot of money lost! They need all of the help we can give them. Their next show is currently listed as May 8th at The Porch in Myerstown, but it will probably more likely be May 29th at Spring Gate Winery. Keep us a close eye on them at www.sixbarbreak.com. Prairie Dogma’s Facebook page is a perfect example of we are all in this together. Even though they’d rather be playing, their page is filled with posts promoting all of the businesses where they regularly play. Letting people know the businesses are still open for curbside pick-up, delivery, or whatever the case may be. Prairie Dogma is a quartet that plays a bunch of covers mixed in with some great originals. All of them perform vocal duties which helps make their set list even more diverse. You can check out videos, songs, etc. on their website, prairiedogma.net. They hope to be playing the Hepburn Twp. Vol Fire Co. Carnival on May 14th, but chances are their next show will be May 30th at the Isle of Que Brewing Company in Selinsgrove. Latimore Sky finally has a full band and they are ready to rock and roll, and then the Pandemic hits! It is so frustrating for anybody, let alone a band that just wants to play! Latimore Sky regularly takes off for the Summer, so chances are they won’t be playing again until Fall unless something pops up for them. PJ, their lead singer recorded a special Inside the Song video about their song “Just a Devil”. I’m hoping he keeps making videos and entertaining us even though they aren’t playing out. I love it when bands take the time to explain the meaning behind their songs. I know songs can mean different things for different people, but I like to see what they were thinking as they wrote it. Thanks PJ for explaining your continued on next page 12... May, 2020
NATIONALS By Eric Hoffman
Greetings Rockers ’N’ Rollers! As the world continues to battle the affects of the current pandemic, the music industry suffers as well. Entertainers and crew have already lost billions of dollars as a result of COVID-19 related cancelations. Guns ’N’ Roses bassist, Duff McKagan, recently addressed the financial side of the current lockdown. “My most important thing right now is keeping the people that work for me employed. We have 80+ people on our crew that we’re terrified about right now. We have truck drivers, riggers, carpenters, lighting people, the backline, people at the monitor, the sound people etc. I think it’s a responsibility to keep them employed. I think it’s patriotic - whether they’re working or not.” A special adviser to the director general of the World Health Organization doesn’t anticipate it to be safe to return to concerts, sporting events and other mass public gatherings for another 18 months. Dr. Ezekiel “Zeke” Emanuel stated, “I think larger gatherings will be the last to return. Realistically we’re talking fall 2021 at the earliest Restaurants where you can space tables out, maybe sooner.” He added, “In Hong Kong, Singapore and other places, we’re seeing resurgences when they open up and allow more activity.” Ticketmaster is finalizing a plan to begin offering refunds for concerts by Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift and other artists consisting of more than 18,000 concerts and events that had to be postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Starting May 1, fans will begin receiving emails from Ticketmaster to initiate full refunds. The ticket agency has already cancelled or postponed 30,000 events representing $2 billion in ticket sales. On April 18 the globally broadcasted show, “One World: Together At Home” brought entertainers from around the world to join forces to pay tribute to first responders and those on the front lines battling COVID-19. Global Citizen with the help
of Lady Gaga, featured the Rolling Stones, Eddie Vedder, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Billie Joe Armstrong, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and others. The event raised $127.9 million to support healthcare workers in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. In recent weeks, a number of artists have held virtual concerts from their homes as the world continues to practice social distancing to slow the spread of the virus. Rapper, Post Malone, shocked the world on April 24 with his 80-minute live stream tribute to the music of Nirvana. Malone backed by a band featuring Travis Barker of Blink 182, raised over $4 million for coronavirus relief. The stream earned the approval of two key Nirvana figures, bassist Krist Novoselic who tweeted, “So proud of Post Malone and crew. I don’t think these fellows can play any better. They are on fire!!!!” and widow of Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love tweeted, “GOOSEBUMPS! F--- YES. Nothing but love from here.” Singer-songwriter, John Prine, died at the age of 73 from complications from the coronavirus in Nashville, Tenn. He was hospitalized on March 26 and then put on a ventilator in the intensive care unit. Prine won a lifetime achievement Grammy earlier this year and in 2017, Rolling Stone proclaimed him “The Mark Twain of American songwriting.” Adam Schlesinger, who co-founded Fountains of Wayne died April 1 at the age of 52 from complications of COVID-19. Fountains of Wayne earned two Grammy nominations in 2003: for best new artist and best pop performance by a group for the single, “Stacy’s Mom.” Legendary English singer/musician Marianne Faithful had a 22-day stint in the hospital battling systems associated with COVID-19. She is home now recuperating in London. The singer, Pink, had tested positive as well and is donating $1 million across two coronavirus-related relief funds. Jackson Browne, tested positive and is recuperating from what he describes as “mild” symptoms at his Los Angeles home. The 71-year old singer/ songwriter believes he was exposed to the coronavirus when he traveled to New York City for a benefit concert on March 7. Duran Duran bassist, John Taylor, tested positive and recovered stating, “Perhaps I am a particularly robust 59 year old or was blessed with getting only a mild case of COVID-19 .. the quarantine gave me a chance to really recover.” Dead & Company has cancelled its summer tour. For the first time since its fall 2015 formation, the band, comprised of Grateful Dead founding members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, along with John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti, won’t play American stadiums this summer. Dead & Company were meant to play Hersheypark Stadium on July 29.
Post Malone live stream tribute to Nirvana May, 2020
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NATIONALS continued... Taylor Swift announced she will not perform any of her previously scheduled 2020 dates either. Swift wrote, “The U.S. and Brazil shows will be rescheduled to take place in 2021. I’m so sad I won’t be able to see you guys in concert this year, but I know this is the right decision. Please stay healthy and safe.” Willie Nelson’s long-running annual Farm Aid benefit went digital on April 11, hosting Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews and Nelson and his sons Lukas and Micah for “At Home With Farm Aid.” Thousands of donors from all 50 states and 15 countries donated more than $500,000 to help farmers and ranchers across the country. Bill Withers, who wrote and a sang popular songs in the 1970s, including “Lean On Me,” “Lovely Day” and “Ain’t No Sunshine,” died from heart complications at the age of 81.
OUT & ABOUT continued...
song to us. Hopefully we get to see you rockin’ again soon. You can watch PJ’s video on their Facebook page. The Cadillac Cats are doing their best to keep the blues alive in PA, but this quarantine is making it very difficult. Bands work so hard to get any gigs that they can, and then watching as all of them are getting cancelled is unbelievably frustrating. They are holding out hope that they will still get to play their show at Riverside Campground on Sat. May 9th, or maybe at the Red Run Gun Club on May 16th. You can keep an eye on everything The Cadillac Cats are up to on their website, thecadillaccats.com.
Derek Henry was just getting the groove of doing his own solo shows, plus playing with Observe the 93rd, throughout the months of March and April he lost 24 shows. Derek has been playing “Live from his Living Room” on Thursday nights at 7pm. His shows turn into a happy hour of sorts. We are all used to being together at shows, so at least when he’s live it gives us all a place to gather and check in with each other. Derek takes requests through his live stream, and does his best to keep his fans happy. Derek has also been really promoting Observe the 93rd merch. At one point he was even hand drawing doodles to send with the merch purchases to add in a special personal touch! You can check out OT93’s merch on their website at www.observethe93rd.com. Katz 22 is bummed they can’t all be together rockin’ out and fine tuning more new songs, but they are making the most of this craziness. Kathy has been doing some solo songs ripping away on her guitar and singing some great songs. A couple hundred people also tuned in to listed to Dr. Zach Nyce playing hymns on his piano on Easter Sunday. Zach has been playing on his personal page at least once a week, keeping everyone entertained. I’ve also seen their drummer John Hawk fine tuning his drumming skills and sharing his tricks with the world wide web. These guys and gal are constantly working, making their music the best that it can possibly be! They will hopefully be back at Duke’s Riverside on May 24th just in time for Memorial Day Weekend. They also have a show coming up May 30th at Union House Taproom and Livery in Richland. Keep up with all of their events at www. katz22band.com.
Speaking of Union House Taproom and Livery, we are hoping they can get back to full operations again soon! They have been a great supporter of live music and of us, The PA Musician Magazine. It wasn’t feasible enough for them to stay open for curbside pickup so they closed on March 16th. Hopefully they soon get the all-clear so they can open up again, and we can get back there to enjoy their delicious food, great music, and very refreshing drinks! Stonewood is patiently waiting to get back out there doing what they do best, entertaining the masses. Their one guitar player, Kenny, has been recording and sharing a couple of teaser songs for us, but hopefully we will get to see the full band rocking again soon. Shannon is an amazing lead singer that loves to interact with the crowd and the whole band does a great job at keeping everyone entertained. They have a pretty full schedule kicking off May 8th at The Burning Bridge in Wrightsville. You can keep an eye on their schedule and their shows near you on their Facebook page. Steel is ready to rock the Tourist Inn in Hallam on May 9th, but the big question is, will they be ready for Steel? We know that their DAM Party show has been postponed til September, but hopefully they get some more shows booked in between the two dates, it’s been way too long since I’ve rocked out with my Steel family. You can keep up on all of their shows at their website, www.steelrocks. com, you can also purchase their merch, or order their original CD. Their CD is by far one of my faves! X-Terra has been advertising with us for as long as I can remember. They have been rockin’ it loud and positive since 1985. Bob and Anne both felt a calling to perform music that would have a continued on next page 20.
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By: Rachel Rocks Rock Mill Industries in Mechanicsburg, PA has been created to be a one stop shop for bands to get everything they need from recording to merch to videos, and even tattoos. Logan Summey started his Rock Mill Studios in 2013. Then, around 2015, Brandon Vartenisian and Greg Hildebrand all started throwing around
Work, Rock Mill Studio: Recording Studio & Video Editing Suite, Rock Mill Sound Stage: Podcast, Rehearsals, Video Sound Stage, and Rock Mill Institute: Private and Group Music Lessons for all ages: Drums, Guitar, Bass, Piano, Vocals, most “rock band” related instruments. Aside from the 4 things that RMI offers, they have a bunch of other tenants within the building that provide a variety of services too. Noah Higgins of Higgins Media and Josh Nesmith of Nesmith Films specialize in videography and cinematography. Justin Hershey of Hershey A/V Solutions specializes in Live Event Produc-
Brandon Vartenisian / Logan Summey / Greg Hildebrand
ideas until their visions became a reality in January 2016 when Rock Mill Industries was born. Their original idea was to build a recording studio, offer live sound/event production, then to start screen printing and a merchandise outlet for musicians. The next step was to start looking for a building. Whatever building they found they knew there had to be plenty of room to expand. They lucked upon a 1,000 sqft old office building and a 10,000 sqft warehouse with plenty of room to grow! The building is over 100 years old and has generations of history in the town of Mechanicsburg. The community has been supportive, and their landlord has let them do what would normally be insane for anyone else in a similar situation. It seems they were meant to be there from day one. They feed off of positive energy and they are working hard to breathe new life into the community and the local music scene. The core of Rock Mill Industries has grown to be a branding and merchandise outlet. They have found their niche providing everyone from musicians, non-profits, schools, business owners, and beyond with a premium quality product. They’re constantly pushing themselves to grow and refine their craft and now are considered by many as one of the top merchandise suppliers on the east coast. Rock Mill Industries is essentially the parent company, kind of like a mall that you go to and shop between the different stores inside the mall. Inside Rock Mill Industries you will find the following: Rock Mill Ink: Custom Merchandising, Screen Printing, Embroidery, Vinyl, Design May, 2020
true appreciation for what they are up to until I toured their facility. When you look at the front of the building you think, oh, this is cute, then when you start walking inside you feel like you’re on a game show where you are like, and what’s behind Door #3? I was shocked when I saw their rehearsal space, it alone is around 1,000 sqft! If you are sick of rehearsing in a crammed storage unit or basement and you want a place where you can move and REALLY rehearse, that alone is worth checking out. Remember, you can bundle things together, or you can just go there for one thing specifically, they are very accommodating, and they will help make things easier for you and/or your band or business. You can contact them for any of their services through their email: info@ rockmillindustries.com, or give them a call, 717-691-1059. As most people know that are reading this article, this Covid-19 Pandemic has taken a huge toll on the music community, from bands to businesses like Rock Mill. As a business owner it’s not easy to get the grants, loans, etc. they don’t have unemployment. Plus, if you are just starting out and don’t have years of filing taxes it is hard to prove exactly what you are worth, or how much money you are missing. Some of the guys still play in bands and have lost quite a few gigs because of this craziness. As artists do, they got creative and came up with Rock Mill Relief, which offers financial relief to our employees who have been out of work. To help support the Rock Mill vision and the guys behind the scenes here, go to www.rockmillindustries.com/relief to buy a custom shirt or hat. Proceeds go to our musicians in need. The shirts and hats are definitely a collectible item to remember this crazy time. Of course running a business is hard work and they know they can’t do it alone, so the guys would like to thank their wives, friends and family, and the clients for each tenant at Rock Mill, their landlord and everyone that has helped lend a hand over the years growing Rock Mill to what it is today. An extra special thank you to Justin Hershey of Hershey A/V Solutions for always lending an unconditional helping hand to everyone at RMI.
tion, Professional Audio / Video Installations. Todd Williams of Laser Fang Tattoo Emporium Extrordinorium just recently opened a private tattoo shop, along with Greg & Tara Hildebrand from Honey Bee Friendly who has a workshop for bee hive equipment along with a serve safe commercial kitchen and bottling facility. A Podcast called Darker With Daniel records and films once a
week in the Rock Mill Sound Stage. Every day is like an episode of Rob Dyrdeks Fantasy Factory but their own version. With so many services within their company and under one roof, there are obviously package deals available. If you record, print merch, or rehearse with Rock Mill, they will definitely take good care of you. Rock Mill Industries was supposed to have their Annual Rock Mill Community Day on May 24th, but unfortunately it is now postponed until hopefully the Fall of 2020. Last year I was able to attend their Community Day where they opened their doors to welcome neighbors, friends, family, and clients to come check out their building, eat some free food, and listen to some great music. I’ve known most of the Rock Mill guys for years, but I never had a Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
Are you tired of trying to DIY, then reach out to RMI! All of the guys would love to talk about your goals and help you achieve them. You can check out their website, www.rockmillindustries. com, and keep an eye on what they are up to, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
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THE PROFESSOR By Jim Price
We are living in very strange times during this COVID-19 mess…You might think that under quarantine, I’d see less musicians and events during a single month; but thanks to live streaming, I checked out some 52 events and more than 100 performers since last deadline – and I didn’t have to leave my abode or spend a cent on gasoline! More than 50 of those performers I observed as they donated their talents to help out fellow artists and members of the service industries during two benefit live stream events from the Pittsburgh area. Pittsburgh’s Oaks Theater presented the “Emergency Fund for Artists Web-a-Thon” benefit early last month, which raised more than $23,000 in donations for the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council and its Emergency Fund for Artists, providing financial assistance to impacted artists. Hosted by local indie jazz artist Phat Man Dee (who also sang a few times during the event), the benefit featured live and prerecorded performances from a variety of entertainers
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from throughout the Pittsburgh area. Some of the performers I witnessed included family rock band Sons Of Margaret, who kicked things off; along with flamenco performers Carolina Loyola-Garcia and Jon Bañuelos, gospel performer Deryck Tines, former 2018 “American Idol” contestant Aubrey Burchell (accompanied by her father, Russell, on guitar) and popular singer and songwriter Bill Deasy. Also appearing were actress and speaker Tracey Turner, dancer Christine Andrews, magician Tim Kutch, singer and songwriter Adeniji Jemiriye, and entertainer Alora Chateaux. Two weeks later, more than 60 different bands and performers participated in the 12-hour-plus Pittsburgh Service Staff AID live stream benefit, raising more than $25,000 to help out the United Way’s Basic Needs Fund for hospitality workers. Some of Pittsburgh’s biggest names were among the performers: Donnie Iris, Joe Grushecky, Norman Nardini, John Vento with David Granati, Chris Higbee and Bill Deasy. I saw many of the performers as they
streamed live from their own living rooms or shared prerecorded performances; including Matt Barranti, The Rust Project, Steven Vance, Self Preservation, Brian Belonzi, David Mnemo, Donna O, Rocket Loves Blue, Michael Taco Evans, Jason Joseph, Gary and Libby of The Jakob’s Ferry Stragglers, Deborah Starling of the Flow Band, Todd Jones, The String Theory, Cathy Stewart, Miss Freddye, Gone South, Leaping the Bull, Acoustic Fingers, Justin Wade, Slam Band and Sam, Anger the Ant, Royce, Pierce Dipner, Dave Wilson, Lost in the Mutiny, Bethany James, Devon Johnson, Blended Reality, Jimbo Jackson, Junior Guthrie, Aubrey and Russell Burchell, the Borstal Boys, Frank Vieira, Tina Daniels & Tom Lagi, Katie Simone, Gallo Locknez, Heather Potts, Billy Evanoc-
hko of Billy the Kid & the Regulators, Royal Honey, Cherylann Hawk, Totally 80s and Dave & Andrea Iglar. I also caught two of Norman Nardini’s live stream performances in recent weeks. Norman has made his online events into something special, as he not just plays music, but shares memories, perspectives and humor with the audience. During the two presentations I witnessed, he shared stories of his musical past with his prior bands, Diamond Reo and Norman Nardini & the Tigers. He also shared memories of his parents and his childhood. During his first live stream, he did a “show and tell” segment featuring several of the guitars and other gear he has used during his career – such as the “Bastard Normanstein” guitar, done up in a greenish motif based on his 1995 album “It’s Alive,” also his tiger-stripe guitars, his current favorite Anderson “Old Red” guitar and more. And he shared perspectives about his creative process, how he comes up with his songs, and his approaches to songwriting, such as telling stories and creating characters through his lyrics. He demonstrated the power of good storytelling by emphatically reciting the lyrics from several of his tunes, including “Cornbread,” “Messin’ with the Law,” “Kingfish” and more. And he played songs from throughout his career – such as “Over Said and Done,” “Love Dog,” “Dust Pan Annie,” “Ready Freddy,” “Dance a Little Closer to Me” (about his parents), “At the Get Down,” “Pittsburgh, PA,” “Three River Rock,” newer songs such as “Clown,” “I Was Good at Being Young,” “Mazeroski Way,” “Let’s Find a Way” and “All She Wants to Hear is the Blues.” He honored a few requests, such as “I Hate a Nickel” (he got the title idea from Bon Jovi’s David Bryan), and he even did a few numbers on keys, including a take on “Over the Rainbow.” Norman’s live-stream performances and presentations were personal, insightful and straight from the heart, and very much connected with the folks who tuned in. Members of The Clarks have been performing live streaming shows, including singer and guitarist Scott Blasey, who presents his “Live from the Blasement” each Saturday night. During one edition I caught in late March, Scott played a number of Clarks numbers and shared the inspirations and stories behind them. “Penny on the Floor” was inspired by penny that fell off a dresser and rolled on the floor following a breakup. “In Blood” was written after a horrific traffic accident near Scott’s house. Scott welcomed a special guest, his daughter Ava, to help sing backing vocals on “Roses.” He also honored some requests, including “Fast Moving Cars” and “Born Too Late,” and mixed in several cover selections, including John Lennon’s “Nobody Told Me,” Tom Petty’s “Breakdown” into “Hit the Road Jack,” and Prince’s “Little Red continued on next page...
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Corvette.” Scott also fielded questions from the online audience; including his tattoos, and the shirt he was wearing this night (from an artist who designed the shirt following the 2018 Tree Of Life Synagogue shooting). The whole presentation was cordial and friendly, and it gave the online audience a deeper appreciation of Scott and his life, as well as The Clarks and their music. Scott’s bandmates, Rob James and Greg Joseph, have each hosted live stream performances as well. And Scott has been using the “Live in the Blasement” performances to raise donations toward local food banks and community organizations. Another Pittsburgh artist I caught via live stream recently was
Bill Toms. The former lead guitarist for Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers and now leading his band Hard Rain, Bill’s late March live stream performance was personable and heartfelt, as he took the online audience on a journey through many of his older songs, including numbers he hadn’t visited in a long time. He shared his insights and inspirations behind many of the songs; his 1997 song “Walls and Bridges” was inspired by the tragic “Romeo and Juliet”-styled true story of a couple gunned down on a bridge in Sarajevo in 1993 during the Bosnian war. Bill also performed numbers such as “Chasing a Dream,” “Your Love Is Good for My Soul,” “A Girl Like You,” “4th of July,” “Fisherman’s Blues” and more. Bill delivered his songs with a hearty, soulful style as he sang, played guitar and some harmonica. The first weekend in April afforded me a unique opportunity to catch four former area musicians now living in other parts of the country as they performed live streaming shows. The first was former Altoona musician John McKnight as he sang and strummed acoustic guitar from his Atlanta area home base. I arrived on the feed just as John was singing one of his popular original tunes, “Way Behind” (a favorite when he was a member of Felix & the Hurricanes in the 1990s). John did a variety of classic rock favorites, delivered with his hearty and soulful voice. His takes on Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon,” Men At Work’s “Overkill,” the Allman Brothers’ “Midnight Rider,” the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby,” Blind Faith’s “Can't Find My Way Home,” Bob Seger’s “Turn the Page” and Grand Funk Railroad’s “I’m Your Captain (Closer to Home)” all sounded great, and the presence of many of John’s PA music colleagues in the chat room made this a nice little local music com-
munity gathering as well…I then did the cyber jump from Atlanta to the Florida Keys, where another former area musician, John Solinski, was live streaming. This was a party! John and his production crew at Hideaway Studios pulled all the stops to make this presentation sizzle, with several different camera angles of John as he performed (including the mobile “Spider Cam,” as a crew member ran onto the stage and provided a panning camera view of John from all sides), plus digital screen graphics synchronized with John’s performance and more. John did what he does best, singing songs and acting crazy. He brought his Key West stage show to the online realm, and had fun with it...One highlight was when John continued on next page...
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threatened to start into Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird,” declaring he would do the 45-minute version unless somebody donated to his virtual tip jar. It took mere seconds for a tip to show up and save the day. Other highlights included online “Happy Birthday” recitals, raised-glass toasts, and John’s attempted rowdy sing-along rendition of Smokie’s “Living Next Door to Alice” (“Alice! Alice! Who the %$#& is Alice?”). John also attempted to establish a Skype virtual meeting room for fans to hang out and ask him questions.
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This turned into hilarious, drunken video-conferencing, as folks wouldn’t turn down their computer audio, leading to a chaotic cacophony of feedback as John tried to get things organized – an act in futility. Now living in the San Francisco Bay area, former Altoona musician Scott Quay did a live stream performance that same weekend. The former frontman of Altoona hardcore punk rockers Necracedia three decades ago, Scott now sings and plays guitar for the Bay area group Spider Garage. During this live stream, Scott strummed acoustic guitar and sang a number of Spider Garage original songs, displaying an edgy, roots rock style. Some of his numbers this night included “Tears By the Pail” and “Sleepytown.” And now working in the Austin, Texas vicinity, former Altoona area drummer Lisa Fazenbaker – the drummer for area bands Spirit Lost and Pneumatic – is providing drumbeats with Austin-based singer and songwriter Hanna Barakat. I caught the last few songs of their live stream performance, as they did several of Hanna’s original songs. Singing and playing guitar, Hanna blended rock, pop and a slight Middle Eastern vibe into her original music; she and Lisa did music from her “Siren” album such as “Wildfire,” along with other originals and a version of One Republic’s “Love Runs Out.”
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
I checked in Jack and Barb Servello as they live-streamed last month from Leesburg United Methodist Parsonage in Shippensburg. They performed classic hits and oldies, including a number of songs I have not heard in a long time. They broke out versions of the Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods 1970s hit “Billy Don’t Be a Hero,” the Beach Boys’ “In My Room,” “On the Way to Cape May” (a New Jersey beach song I hadn’t heard since the days when Altoona radio icon Sean McKay used to play it on his morning show!), America’s “You Can Do Magic” and the Benny Bell novelty hit “Shaving Cream.” Jack and Barb also sang tunes from CCR, Carl Perkins, Bobby Vinton, Louis Armstrong (I liked Jack’s “Satchmo” growl on “What a Wonderful World”), Tony Orlando & Dawn, John Denver (they did “Take Me Home Country Roads” followed by the Pennsylvania adaptation, “Take Me Home Bumpy Roads”) and more. Their presentation was pleasant and jovial, and Jack dropped a few of his trademark jokes in along the way. Originally from Altoona, Jack and Barb plan to relocate to Huntingdon next month. Some bands and artists are doing weekly themed live stream performances, including Johnstown indie-folk duo The Evergreens. I caught part of their “Breakfast with the Beatles” live stream performance in late March. Laurel Harrison and Amanda Alt did selec-
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great as she played many of her original songs plus select covers during both performances. She played songs from her “Siren” EP such as the title track, “Low,” “That Is All (The Leaf Song)” and “9 Lives,” and also performed newer songs such as “Memphis” and “Blessed.” She also lent her expressive singing style to renditions of the Black Crowes’ “She Talks to Angels,” Dolly Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors” and more. Mycenea presented her songs with her signature effervescent personality and sense of humor. Helping her in the humor department was her resident feline Nigel, who showed a knack for lying on the floor, lifting his paw and hooking it on the couch. (To borrow a Mycenea expression, “Schnikeys!”) More “Lockdown Lounge” performances are likely; watch for them and check one out!
tions from throughout the Beatles catalog, including “Yesterday,” “Oh Darling,” “In My Life,” “Something,” “8 Days a Week,” “I Saw Her Standing There,” “Yellow Submarine” and more. Singing lead vocals, Laurel mixed it up on instruments, playing guitar, keys and ukulele along the way, while Amanda kept the beat behind the kit. The Evergreens have also done 1970s, 1980s and female-fronted themed live streams in recent weeks; keep eyes and ears open for their next one! Mycenea Worley has been staging some “Live from the Lockdown Lounge” live stream performances lately. I caught two of them; strumming her 12-string acoustic guitar, Mycenea sounded
For an Easter Sunday musical treat, Altoona’s Pat McGinnis and Eric McCrum teamed up for a live stream performance. It was cool to see these two making music together, as they blended a wide variety of tunes old and new, as well as original songs and some songs off the beaten path. They did a few favorites such as the Beatles’ “Come Together,” The Band’s “The Weight,” Marshall Tucker Band’s “Heard It in a Love Song” and a request for the ever-popular “Wagon Wheel.” They also did a few we don’t often hear, such as Kris Kristofferson’s “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” The Wood Brothers’ “Luckiest Man” and Little Feat’s “Willin.’” With American folk music great John Prine passing earlier in the week, the two did some of his songs, including “That’s the Way That the World Goes Round” and others. And both Pat and Eric did original songs from their respective libraries; Eric sang one from his band, The Hope Fallacy’s collection, doing “Up All Night” – this was a nice, folksy arrangement of the song, with Pat accompanying on harmonica. And they did some of Pat’s originals as well, such as “Shades of Grey,” “Walking My Dog” and “I’ve Just Killed the Bottle” off Pat’s self-titled 2014 CD. The mood was laid back and friendly, as the two musicians enjoyed blending their talents and entertaining the online world plus some family members in the room. Pat and Eric are hooking up for another live stream performance on May 3. One recent live stream performance took me pleasantly by surprise…As I was checking in on Facebook one last time before 2 a.m. on a recent Monday morning, I discovered that Rick Ramsey had just STARTED a live stream performance. Not under the continued on next page...
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bar and liquor law restraints of ending the performance at 2 a.m., Rick proceeded to play for more than two hours straight. And several online insomniac night owls and yours truly stuck around to enjoy all of it! A special moment happened early on…After doing some songs from Led Zeppelin, Pearl Jam and Pink Floyd, Rick introduced a brand new song written about his friend, the late Bryan Haluska, known to many locally as green-caped and masked superhero “Cambria Green Man,” who showed up and donated his time at local charitable events, helping out because it was “the right thing to do.” Rick’s heartfelt song tribute was called “Ballad of the Green Man,” and was a very nice and fitting tribute to Bryan; Rick performed the tune under solely green lighting. Rick proceeded to play nonstop and touched on a wide variety of tunes, includ-
ing numbers from the Eagles, Beatles, Stone Temple Pilots, Fuel, Creed, Pink Floyd, Randy Travis, Social Distortion, Men At Work, Bon Jovi, Jimmy Webb, Kenny Rogers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, CCR, Tracy Chapman and many more. He also broke out an original song from his Stix and Stones past, doing “Call on Me.” Another fun online performance last month came from brothers Dan and Chris Myers as they live streamed one of their “Corona Daze Quarantunes” performances. With Dan on acoustic guitar and lead vocals, and Chris on bass and backing vocals (and occasional lead vocals), these two jammed well over two hours, mixing up a variety of favorites, original songs and more. They honored requests from online viewers plus a few folks in the room looking on. They did tunes from Don Henley, Tom Petty, Chris Stapleton, Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks, the Animals, Bad Company, Led Zeppelin, Outlaws, CCR, Kenny Rogers, U2, Lynyrd Skynyrd and more. Some highlights included Dan’s version of Dan Fogelberg’s “Leader of the Band,” original songs such as “Rain” and “Lady Liberty” (the latter which Dan recorded with Felix & the Hurricanes on their “Travelers Not Forgotten” CD), Jimmy MacCarthy/ Celtic Thunder’s “Ride On” (which Chris performs with his Celtic-rocking bandmates Full Kilt), Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats’ “SOB,” and the night-ending Lynyrd Skynyrd double-shot of “Ballad of Curtis Loew” and “Tuesday’s Gone.” Dan’s voice sounded great, and both brothers kept the mood upbeat and fun. The Biscuit Jam contingent of Kelly Countermine and Mark Hill fired up a fun live streaming party last month. These two sounded very good; Kelly on acoustic guitar and vocals, and Mark on acoustic guitar, mandolin and vocals played a nice mixture of numbers. During the time I was tuned in, they saluted the late John Prine with renditions of “Angel from Montgomery” and “That’s the Way The World Goes Round,” and did renditions of Johnny Cash & June Carter’s “Jackson,” Roger Miller’s “King of the Road,”
duo Dandy during an April live stream performance, presented by the Central PA Music Hall Of Fame. Brothers Cory and Jordan Dandy sang and played acoustic guitars on a mix of original songs and select covers. I liked this duo's harmonies as they played their set; one of their originals was “Honey,” and they also did their own unique take on Outkast’s “Hey Ya,” Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” (their slower and dreamy close to this hit was unique and
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Hootie & the Blowfish’s “Hold My Hand,” REM’s “Superman,” their performance-closing rendition of Steve Earle’s “Copperhead Road” (with Mark on mandolin) and more. Their vocals blended well, and both Kelly and Mark were clearly having fun making their music this night. Live streaming has enabled me to witness several artists live for the first time. Among those was York’s Callie Tomblin. I have heard both of her CD’s, but hadn’t had an opportunity to witness Callie’s live performance until I saw her recent live stream presentation – hosted by “Busking Down the House,” an online group that organizes live stream and video presentations by a wide assortment of performers. Callie displayed her expressive, emotion-packed singing style as she mixed original songs with her takes on a variety of covers. She gave her own folksy read on Abba’s “Dancing Queen” as I encountered her live stream, and she also did classics from Bill Withers (doing “Ain’t No Sunshine” following his recent passing), Melissa Etheridge, Bad Company, Dolly Parton, Matchbox 20, a very unique spin on Steve Miller Band’s “Jet Airliner” and more. Just like on her CD’s, Callie sang with a hearty voice, cadence and clarity, and her folksy, bluesy style shined throughout…I also discovered Harrisburg-based brotherly
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May, 2020
THE PROFESSOR continued... fresh-sounding), Blackstreet’s “I Like the Way You Work It” and more…Also courtesy of the Central PA Music Hall Of Fame, I discovered Cody Tyler during a live stream performance last month. Strumming acoustic guitar and singing, Cody displayed a strong, hearty voice as he performed a mix of country and folk-geared original songs and select covers. His original songs contained solid melodies, relatable words and stories; some of them included “A Blessed Life,” “Still That Never Goes Dry,” the rowdy “Ramblin’ in the Hills” and the darker “Let the Rain Come Down.” Among his cover selection were versions of Tyler Childers’ “Shake the Frost” and Charlie Daniels’ “Long Haired Country Boy.”…And I saw Ed Varner for the first time in late March as he live streamed “NOT at the Short Bus Brew House” in Burnham. Instead streaming from another domicile, Ed worked his acoustic guitar and sang a wide variety of hits and favorites in his own energetic style. Ed’s presentation was enthusiastic and witty as he jumped between numbers from Kenny Rogers, The Turtles, The Cars, Ben E. King, Phil Collins, Collective Soul, Nancy Sinatra, Queen, Van Halen, Dion and more. He honored online audience requests for the ever-popular “Wagon Wheel,” “Sweet Home Alabama” and the Grateful Dead’s “Truckin,’” and he broke out a kazoo on his performance of Europe’s 1980s classic “The Final Countdown.” Tuesdays usually seem to be a busy night for live stream performances. One busy Tuesday evening in late March enabled me to see four online performers, starting with Matt Otis. Matt was blending new and older original songs with select covers and requests. Singing and playing mostly acoustic guitar, Matt did a few songs from his forthcoming new CD, expected out in June, including “Life Ain’t Gonna Wait” (which he performed on keyboard) and “Seasons.” He also honored a request for Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me,” and did his own unique takes on Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin,’” Dave Matthews’ “Crash Into Me,” Bush’s “Glycerine” and Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.”…I then stumbled onto Joe Craig’s live stream performance. Jamming on guitar and singing, the Scranton area singer and songwriter did good work on renditions of Gerry Rafferty’s “Baker Street” and Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” before the cat took over. Joe’s feline kept climbing over his shoulder as he attempted to play his next song, prompting him to close the performance a little early…I then saw Six Bar Break frontman and guitarist Ben Bollinger’s solo live stream performance. Playing electric guitar and singing, Ben played a number of original songs, including rock-driven tracks from Six Bar Break’s CD’s plus some new songs expected to be on the group’s next release. Some of
the songs included the new “Saving,” as well as “Soldier’s Call,” “Down to the River” and “The Long Road.” The new songs were in the similar style that Six Bar Break has established so far, a mix of hard-edged, roots-based rock and elements of 1990s grunge… And although it was just one song, I was glad to witness Altoona’s Chet “Che” Denny finish off his live stream performance with his soulful original “Fortunate.” A more recent busy Tuesday night of live stream surfing enabled me to see more performers…I first came across a performance by Dani Hoy. A Baltimore native and former PA musician now living in Key West, Dani performed a number of her beach and tropical-flavored original songs and a few select covers. Strumming acoustic guitar and singing. Dani sang such catchy numbers as “Walking in the Rain in New Orleans,” “Meet Me on the Boardwalk,” “Drunk on Mallory Square,” “I Like It Hot" and “Drivin’ Slow.” She also did her own take on Janis Joplin’s classic “Me and Bobby McGee.”…Next was Johnstown’s Dany Vavrek, who did a half-hour set featuring his distinctive takes on classic cover material. Playing guitar and singing, The former Yum frontman did versions of the Foo Fighters’ “Everlong,” Simple Minds’ “(Don't You) Forget About Me,” Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What Love Is” and more. Dany sounded good on all of it, and he does live stream performances at least twice a week…I then landed on Craig Fitzpatrick’s live stream performance. Patton’s resident musical ‘timelord’ did a wide variety of cover material, displaying a good-sounding voice through it all. Armed with both 12-string and 6-string acoustic guitars, Craig did material from Del Shannon, U2, Santo & Johnny, Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac and more. Craig threw in a few surprises, including his takes on John Denver’s “Annie’s Song” and Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time.” He also broke out a Jethro Tull medley near the end of his performance, stringing together portions of “Aqualung,” “A Passion Play” and “Thick As a Brick.” Other live streaming performers I saw included renowned ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro (who live streams from Hawaii every Friday night), Whey Jennings (grandson of the legendary Waylon Jennings), John “JT” Thompson, the Hillbilly Gypsies (I also caught an online painting class by the Gypsies’ Levi Houston Sanders), Alyssa Hankey, The Corner Brothers, Chip & the Charge Ups, Mad Acoustics, Nate Myers, Drew Bentley, David Mantz, Phil Firetog, Aeb Byrne, Darien Lux of The Holy Gift (doing a guitar performance of Tool’s “Aenima” CD), the Jakob’s Ferry Stragglers, Chelsea Takami, Jeff Renner, Jason O (of My Hero Zero) and Lux & Co.
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The Fabulous Flashbacks. We at PA Musician extend our condolences to the families, friends and musical associates of both musicians. Please send correspondence and recordings to: Jim Price, 1104 S. Catherine St., Altoona, PA 16602. You can also e-mail me at jptheprofessor@gmail. com. And if you’re into social networking, look me up on Facebook. SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC!
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News and notes…Numerous regional music-related events have been cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19; cancelled events include the Central PA 4th Fest and Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in State College; Boalsburg Memorial Day events and People’s Choice Festival of Pennsylvania Arts & Crafts in Boalsburg; Philipsburg Heritage Days; PolkaFest, Thunder in the Valley and AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival in Johnstown; the Westsylvania Jazz & Blues Festival in Indiana; the Huntingdon County Arts Council’s annual Folk College at Juniata College in Huntingdon; the Smoked Country Jam Bluegrass Festival at Quiet Oaks Campground near Cross Fork; and the Deutschtown Music Festival and Three Rivers Arts Festival in Pittsburgh…Pittsburgh’s Millvale Music Festival has been postponed until August 8…Felix & the Hurricanes have issued a limited-edition live CD called “All Roads Lead to Cresson”…Western PA progressive rockers We Came From Space have issued a new EP entitled “Reasons in the Rhyme”…A well-known musician of the northeastern PA music scene, Jerry Hludzik, passed away on April 12 at age 68. Jerry played guitar and sang with The Buoys, who scored the 1971 Billboard Top 20 hit “Timothy,” and he later was a member of national recording group Dakota, who issued two major label albums and opened for Queen during their “The Game” tour in 1980…And Altoona area musician Jeff Guyer passed away on April 9 at age 64 following an extended illness. Jeff sang and played guitar with a number of area bands, including Take 5, Freebird, Pass Time and
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Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
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PA MUSICIAN REVIEWS By Jim Price
BLACK CAT MOAN – SYMBOLS (no label) Western PA’s Black Cat Moan has steadily evolved since the group’s beginnings as a duo in 2012. Following the 2016 release of their first full-length CD, The Saint, the Munk and the Moan, drummer Rob Bonsell and bassist Brad Jamison joined the founding core of singer/harmonica
player TK Mundok and guitarist George Byich. Those additions have enabled Black Cat Moan to expand beyond their blues foundation to explore elements of funk, jazz and rock; demonstrated on their latest CD, Symbols. Throughout the set’s eight tracks, the group combines busy and punchy rhythms, George’s masterful slide guitar skills, and TK’s freewheeling and expressive singing style. Black Cat Moan sets the tone with their update of “Is What It Is,” which starts out slowly before escalating into a spirited blues rocker, as TK reminds us that the truth is in the moment. George’s crafty slide guitar work helps drive “The Veil,” which channels early period Led Zeppelin, with TK’s soaring and shifting howl recalling Robert Plant. TK’s vocal acrobatics also shine on another update of an earlier number, “Medicine Man,” as his voice explores, propels and surrounds the song’s melody along the group’s blues-driven rock backdrop. Black Cat Moan flexes their funkier side on the playful and folksy “Lay It Down,” “No One Gonna Love You” and the catchy “Wanna Be Free.” The group also gives a lively blues shuffle treatment to the traditional folk number “John Henry,” and lets their instrumental skills blend and shine on the disc-closing instrumental “Hula Blues.” Black Cat Moan clicks on all cylinders here; their musicianship and instrumental interaction shine continuously throughout the album, and the songs become TK’s playground, as he rides the muse and lets his personality radiate. Rob’s busy rhythms and rudiments synchronize with Brad’s jazz-informed bass work to guide these songs along. Recorded by David Villani at Altoona’s Data Music Services, and mixed and mastered at studios in Pittsburgh and Nashville respectively, Symbols sounds smooth, crisp and balanced, and the album sounds cohesive throughout. Symbols shows Black Cat Moan’s growth and progress, as they forge their own unique blues-rooted style and personality. This offers a rewarding listening experience, and is well worth checking out. (The CD can be obtained through the group’s website, www.blackcatmoan.com.) YIGGA DIGGA – NO LIMITER (no label) First formed more than a decade ago, Pittsburgh’s Yigga Digga – named as a verbal imitation of a guitar riff – has been developing their brand of no-holds-barred, riff-fueled, classic-styled heavy rock. Their third album, No Limiter, finds this group in good form as they blend catchy and interesting melodies, badass guitar riffs and weighty rhythms into ten powerful, swaggering slabs of pure rock. Drummer Scott Pegram and bassist Bill Colflesh generate the rhythm assault, lead guitarist Chris Semonik ignites the fiery fretwork, and frontman and rhythm guitarist Tom Dillon brings his straightforward, gravelly voice to the group’s forefront. These songs connect with infectious hooks, 20
and each holds its own as a strong, distinctive number. Gunning the engine, the title track “No Limiter” sets the album’s tone with its chugging, almost Motorhead-like forward charge, establishing that Yigga Digga means business. “Secrets” recalls 1990s-era melodic heavy rock, with vocal harmonies reminiscent of Tonic and Alice In Chains; while the rumbler “Better Way” is angrier and inyour-face. The nearly 8-minute “Blood Runs Deep” builds its case slowly as a song of loyalty and solidarity, arriving at a breakneck, thrashing, guitar-shredding homestretch. Yigga Digga delivers shorter, sweet punches to the jaw with the tough “Bucket Lyst,” the forboding “Divination,” the harmonica-edged rocker “Truth in Lies” and the grooving “I Think I Thought I Know,” before arriving at the album’s pinnacle – the nearly ten-minute, multi-tiered “Opus,” and its clever words about human discourse and how it has turned more hostile in modern times. The number builds through several stages, including a string interlude featuring guest Bob Banerjee on violin and mandolin, before climactic courtroom-styled chants lead into the homestretch and the lyrical realization that we can change the system by agreeing to disagree, appreciating each others’ views and working together. Yigga Digga’s performances are strong, as the group rumbles, swaggers and grooves with confidence. Produced and mixed by Chris Semonik, No Limiter sounds big, powerful and edgy, letting the strength of the songs and performances radiate front and center. Fans of melody-driven, thundering, classic-rooted rock should enjoy what Yigga Digga brings to the table on No Limiter, an album that deserves to be cranked at high volume. (The CD can be obtained through the group’s website, www.yiggadigga.com.) KALI MA AND THE GARLAND OF ARMS – CUSP (no label) Some band names instantly conjure intrigue…enter Wilkes Barre/Scranton-based foursome Kali Ma and the Garland of Arms (named after a Hindu goddess), who demonstrate an equally intriguing style and sound on their second full-length album, Cusp. Namesake Jami Kali sings and plays the synthesizer, flanked by guitarist Ray Novitski, bassist Matt Chesney and drummer Shiny Montini. As the album unfolds over 11 tracks, Kali Ma
and the Garland of Arms mix elements of synth pop, space and progressive rock, generating alluring, atmospheric melodies and dynamics. Jami’s smooth voice floats along and rides atop the melodies, sometimes soaring and other times immersing itself within the layers of synth and guitar. The opening track (and current single) “Something Else” channels a Cure flavor as Jami sings words of riding life’s twists and turns. “Too Smooth” rocks along with some urgency and purpose, arriving at a busy, jangling midsection. Space rock informs the melody and lyrical theme of “Star Eye,” with Jami and Ray alternating singing duties between verses and choruses. The group incorporates a psychedelic edge into “Medicate/Meditate,” as Jami crafts intriguing wordplays along an intensifying melody. The group rocks hard on several tracks; including the punk-fueled “Other Kind” and the exotic-toned, mystifying album-closer “Compromiser,” tapping a space-rock dynamic reminiscent of Hawkwind. Cusp works for a number of reasons, starting with Jami’s voice and creative synthesizer riffs and fills, which generate atmosphere and mystique throughout the album. The rest of the group executes their roles smoothly to support and build the texture of each number. Each song offers its own irresistible dreamscape and adventure, yet all the songs work together as a consistent whole effort. Self-recorded and produced, Cusp sounds smooth and consistent, cavernous and full. As the word ‘cusp’ means a point of transition, Kali Ma and the Garland of Arms have Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
arrived at the cusp of a uniquely original, captivating musical identity with Cusp, an adventurous album that launches the group into a fresh and exciting musical frontier. (The album can be downloaded through the group’s Bandcamp website.)
SCARLET MOON – FIFTH DIMENSION (Fungal Ape Records) Guitarist and singer Nick Sokolovich, bassist Joey Bednarczyk and drummer Ryder Huey formed Scarlet Moon four years ago while all three were in high school. The Reading-based group has forged a unique slant on progressive metal music, exhibited on their first full-length album, Fifth Dimension. Scarlet Moon’s musical world fuses together elements of progressive metal, jazz, funk, gothic rock, psychedelic rock and more over the album’s 11 tracks. Their song creations are experimental, imaginative, theatric and unpre-
dictable; no two numbers are the same, and fierce mood swings can happen at any moment. Scarlet Moon shows their hard-hitting side on the lengthy opener “Blue Sunlight,” as Slipknot-styled riffs and King Crimson-like dynamics collide head on. “Reptilian” erratically escalates toward a winding, psychotic homestretch, and “Berserker” generates delirium with its metalcore-laced prog-metal arrangement. The group taps an early Pink Floyd-meets-goth rock flavor on the angular “Bloody Skies,” and channels a Marilyn Manson-like vibe on the intriguing “Centipede.” They also fuse jazzy licks with Primus quirkiness on “Macrophy,” and purge demons along an intensifying arrangement on “Dystrophy.” It’s clear that Scarlet Moon throws out the rulebook here, as melodies veer, twist and turn, and Nick’s theatric vocals can quickly shift from mild to full rage. Scarlet Moon’s instrumental prowess is sharp, as all three musicians stay together and on target throughout these wild and improvisational musical episodes. Recorded by the band at Spyro’s Modern Music, Fifth Dimension sounds spontaneous, sharp and raw-edged, and the mix allows the group’s quark strangeness and charm to shine. Fifth Dimension offers an adventurous listen, as Scarlet Moon embarks on a freewheeling, hard-hitting musical journey. (The album can be obtained through the group’s website, www.scarletmoonmusic.com.)
OUT & ABOUT continued... positive message and glorify God, hence X-Terra was born. When the PA Musician Magazine asked for help, X-Terra was one of the first bands willing to step up and play. It was cool to be able to see them live. They are constantly writing new songs and recording CDs. You can listen to their music and find out more information at xterrarockband.com. Bob Randall has written and recorded country music with an outlaw edge his entire life. He has played all along the East coast and in 2019 he was inducted into the New York State Country Music Hall of Fame. He’s hoping to still have his show June 5th at Castlerigg Wine Shop in Carlisle. If you like Waylon, Merle, Willie, Cash, Coe and more, along with Bob’s original songs, this is the place to be! You can check out plenty of music and videos on Bob’s website, www.bobscountrymusic.com. I’ve seen Calling Off Doug quite a few times, and every time I know it is going to be one heck of a dance party! Another very diverse band where most of them can take the lead on vocals and rock out to their own special songs. Stephanie does an amazing job at belting out all of your favorites, all while making sure the dance floor stays hopping! They hope to be dancing the night away at Sun Valley Campground in Narvon on June 13th, and then they continued on next page 21. May, 2020
OUT & ABOUT continued... will be returning to Chick’s in Hummelstown on July 10th. You can “like” and “Follow” them on Facebook to keep up with all of their latest events, and they also have quite a few entertaining videos on there too. The Eagle Hotel in Fredericksburg is still going strong with their Curbside Take-Out and Delivery of all of their delicious foods! You can check out their specials in their ad in this issue. They are having Sunday Funday with 10% off their entire menu! And Wednesdays, that Cheesesteak Special looks amazing!!! It’s super sad to see they don’t have any entertainment scheduled, but we know that Mike will get the bands, acoustic acts, and DJs back in there as soon as he possibly can. The Eagle Hotel is a great supporter of the community, racing teams, bands, etc.. Now it’s time to pay him back. Check out their full menu online at www. fredericksburgeaglehotel.com and get your dinner from HOOOtel! All of their food is simply FABULOUS! Yak Bone might be going a little stir crazy during all of this madness. I know for sure they are ready to party til the cows come home! They have a date scheduled for May 15th at Chick’s Tavern in Hummelstown, I’m hoping it happens.. but we shall see! If you haven’t seen it yet, you have to go to their Facebook Page and check out Ro’s newest original “Corona Chubb”. She is quarantined at home, so she plays guitar and sings along with her wife Cindi, it is hilarious and so true!! I definitely have some Corona Chubb going on. They are the first band I saw release a true “pandemic” song. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for updates about their show, and any new gigs they might add. The Racehorse Tavern is also currently closed, but they haven’t been sitting around, the entire bar has been scrubbed from top to bottom and they are making improvements and updating things around the bar to keep their patrons even safer when they get to reopen. The Liquor Control Enforcement paid them a visit and gave them props on what they are doing with the bar. All of the shows have been postponed for now, but they are in discussions with bands and promoters making sure they are ready to get dates finalized when they get the go ahead! Hopefully it will be sooner than later. Jimmy always treats his patrons like family, and he desperately misses everyone. Hopefully we will all be partying together again soon! Noteworthy Guitars on Main Street in Mechanicsburg are also eagerly waiting the approval to be open full time specializing in repair and service of stringed instruments. Ed also has a store filled with Vintage and Used Equipment. You can buy or trade equipment. You can also kickstart your musical journey by signing up for guitar lessons. Noteworthy Guitars has over 30 years of expertise in guitar sales and services. When things get back open, stop in and see everything Noteworthy Guitars has available. You can also check him out online at www.noteworthyguitars.net. Speaking of Vintage, once things are open, you can also take a drive over to Players Exchange in Lemoyne, his store is practically like a museum! Players Exchange has been open for over 20 years, he has all kinds of crazy cool vintage guitars and collectibles. He has affordable, quality, used guitars and amps. He also has Vintage Guitars that are just fun to look at! Scott has also been a bass player throughout PA and beyond for over 40 years, if you want to know the history of the music scene in central PA, Scott Frange, the owner of Players Exchange, is your man. Who hasn’t been amazed by the pictures Chris takes from Chris Rider Photography?!? Don’t forget photo equipment is expensive. I know it’s fun and easy just to share pics on Facebook and give it a big thumbs up, but if you truly love his “art” reach out and buy his work. He also schedules photoshoots for your band or business for a small fee. You can pay him to specifically come cover your show, or just shoot promo shots, whatever your photography needs might be, Chris is your man! If you like any of our photos, mine, May, 2020
Jim Price’s, Eric’s, Chris’s.. all images are always for sale. Just send us a message on Facebook and we will be glad to hook you up. Jim Price will even print images of his caricatures, or he will even sketch you specifically if you ask him. Another music store down in York that has a great mix of new and used instruments is Guitars on George, obviously located on George St., Jerry Duncan has a store full of treasures at great prices. When I sat down with Jerry it was cool to see him interact with his customers as they came in. They are all long term customers who know they need to stop in regularly to see what’s new and maybe just to drool over something that’s been hanging there a while. Jerry is also another musician that has been around and knows more about the local scene than the scene itself. Jerry posted on Facebook that when he is allowed to re-open it will only be by appointment or by chance. There will be no more scheduled store hours, so make sure and call before ya go! 717-650-2007. You know Jim Price is a man of many talents?!? He does his article, hot shots, and caricatures, but he is also an actual Professor at Penn State Altoona, hosts his Homegrown Rocker show on Quik Rock 105.9, DJs Trivia at local bars, etc., and he plays in his own band, The Backyard Rockers, oh and the guy grows a garden! The guy is a beast and deserves all of the appreciation he gets. If you missed his article last month on his drawings, please check it out on our website Digital Issue archives. Sterling Koch and the Freeway Jam are trying to stay busy during the quarantine. They have been posting flashback videos, but I hear they will be going live on their Facebook page This Sunday, May 3rd at 8pm. All proper social distancing protocols will be followed! The first event listed on their Facebook page is June 7th at Stone Mountain Wine Cellars in Pine Grove. Make sure and tune in to the live stream on Sunday, and if you miss it live, I’m sure you will still be able to watch the recorded show. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for any updates. Creter Guitar Shop has been put through the ringer with strange floods and now a Pandemic, but no matter what Matt and his team don’t give up! As soon as they are able, they will open their showroom to the public, but for now their repairs continue with curbside pickups and drop offs. They also have most of their guitar/amp inventory available to see on their website, www.creterguitarshop. com. When they are up and running again, they do have 4 independently contracted instructors that give lessons on Electric or Acoustic guitar, Bass, Banjo, and even Mandolin. They have limited time slots available, give them a call now to get your lessons scheduled, 717-865-3677. We have a new advertiser this month, The Unforgettable Big Band. They were the winners of the Central PA Music Awards for Best Ensemble, and now they have been nominated for Harrisburg Magazine’s “Simply the Best Directory” in the category of Best Local Band. Voting ends June 15th and you can only vote once per category during the voting period. So while you are stuck at home, go to the link on their Facebook Page and give them a vote, and while you’re there check out all of the categories and pick your favorites. The Unforgettable Big Band is celebrating their 20th year anniversary, and they are so excited to be getting nominated and winning such amazing contests. It just all shows you that eventually, hard work does pay off. Hopefully they will be back playing out and about soon! Guitars on Main also offers Sales, Lessons, and Service right on Main St. in Mt. Joy. Their showroom is currently closed, but they have a full store on their website, www.guitarsonmain.com. They’ve still been adding to their inventory and are constantly throwing up pictures on their Facebook page to keep everyone up to date. Guitars on Main was built on giving guitar lessons. They offer guitar, bass, ukulele, mandolin, and beginner banjo lessons. They teach all ages, styles, and skill levels. Your private lesson is tailored to your needs and interest. If you would like help along Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
your musical journey give Bob a call at 717-823-6945 and he will be glad to answer any questions. Data Music Services is another long time advertiser. Dr. David Vilani D.M.A – is the owner, producer and engineer. He has over 30 years serving the music community. He is also an Audio Engineering and Pro Tools Instructor at Penn State Altoona. You can reach out to Dr. Dave to learn pro tools for college credit! Feel free to email him at ADV2@PSU.EDU for all of the details. He is always seeking raw talent and great songs, and focusing on producing new artists and bands. Check out his studios online at www. datamusicsvcs.com. Guitar Villa in Bethlehem is a music store and custom shop. Many years ago word got out that there was some bass guy out there that knew a lot about the nuances, features and set-up techniques for old basses and amplifiers. The vast list of visitors started growing and the realization that this might just be able to become a business was realized, and eventually came to fruition. He even wrote a column in Bass Player Magazine titled “The Great Basses” for 33 months. Guitar Villa has a very extensive website at www.guitar-villa.com where you can see their inventory or order your custom build. They also have a wide range of music lessons available, they are even set up to do online lessons during the Pandemic, so if you’re bored and want to learn something new, get on their website and get your personal remote lesson scheduled! Canadian American Records has also been an extremely long time supporter of the magazine. They are America’s original indie label, celebrating 6 Decades of business! Joey Welz has been JOEY WELZ creating music longer than I’ve been alive. I heard someone wailing away on a piano at this past MMC, and I knew before I even saw him, it must be Joey. Sure enough there he was “Rockin Around the Clock”. Let someone help you with your grunt work and getting your music released worldwide. Someone who has been there and has been working hard his entire musical career to get to where he is today. Check it out online at, www.canadianamericanrecords.net, or give Joey a call, 717-627-4800. Chris Dellaporta is still working hard at Woodshed Guitar Works. The showroom is closed, but the work bench is open. If you need anything or need to stop off/pick up and repair/service work, they can meet your curbside. He’s also not opposed to picking up or delivering if curbside is too much. They also have their website that they are updating daily, www.woodshedguitarworks.com. If you see something on there you have to have, don’t hesitate to give them a call or send a message. The hours are definitely modified during the craziness, but feel free to also give a call at 717-4225794. Together, we will get through the craziness! Mike’s Music Shop is your headquarters for Electric Pick-Ups. I’ve never seen so many pick-ups before then when I walk into his shop. He doesn’t get a lot of foot traffic, but it is crazy to see how much he is shopping throughout the world. He specializes in Dimarzio and Seymour Duncan Custom Color Pick-Ups, he has over 7,000 guitar and bass pick-ups in stock, and he’s constantly getting more and shipping more out. He no longer has regular shop hours, but you can check out his selection at www.mikes-music-shop.com or give him a call at 717-580-2621 to make sure he will be there to let you take a look at all he has to offer. Aaron Zimmerman from Sonic Productions is also probably close continued on next page 22... 21
OUT & ABOUT continued... to one of the longest advertisers of the magazine. Obviously he hasn’t been working now, but when he is working, he puts on a great show and is very attentive to every detail! So many bands in the area have depended on Sonic Productions for years, and will continue to do so when all of this is over. I know Aaron can’t wait to get out there running sound and lights, or better yet, shredding his guitar with Steel! Harrisburg Scottish Rite Theatre has been bringing all kinds of amazing acts to the Harrisburg area. They are sort of out on their own as the only entertainment complex in uptown Harrisburg, it’s like they have their own secret location. I always wondered what the big square building was on 3rd St. in Harrisburg, and when I went to interview Lee Boltz about the theatre I was amazed! It has nice comfy tiered theatre seats, so everyone has a great view of the show. Their next big event is Vegas McGraw, the Ultimate Tim McGraw Tribute Band, and on July 24th, Bennie And the Jets, the Premier Elton John Tribute. You can check out all of their shows and ticket prices on their website, HarrisburgArtsAlive.com or on their Facebook Page, Harrisburg Arts Alive. Also, just as an FYI if you saw the event Charity Rockz that was to be held May 23, 2020 at XL Live, it has now been postponed until May 15, 2021. IT will still be an amazing event, we just have to wait a little bit longer.
“The Player’s Choice in Carlisle, PA”
The area’s BEST PRICES on Strings & Accessories
Expert Repair & Service •BUY • SELL • TRADE • CONSIGN ~Vintage Guitars & Amps~
Well, there ya have it. Just shy of 7,000 words. That’s what I get for thinking I don’t have anything to write about this month. I totally didn’t realize we had 52 advertisers when I started this process! Thank you all for your support!! Please do your best to hang in there and be kind to one another! Remember we are not all in the same boat, but we are all struggling through the same storm! If you need any support, food, mental, etc.. please don’t hesitate to reach out, RachelRocks@pamusician.net. I’m really hoping I can see you all Out and About again real soon!!! Oh and get ready.. because as soon as I can, I’m hugging EVERYBODY!!!!
THE BEST VALUE FOR YOUR RECORDING DOLLAR: Celebrating our 30th year in business. Pro Tools, HD3/Accel, 192k Interface, 2 inch 24 track analog, 16 channels of API outboard mic pres, Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute kit, SWR 7 GK bass amps, Marshall half stack, Fender twin & Bassman guitars amps, Hammond B-3, Yamaha C7 grand piano, Authorized Pro Tool dealers. CD/ DVD duplication on site 3 CCC Video Services. 5.1 surround mixing. $300 per day. www. repair and have a variety of datamusicves.com, Altoona PA. Phone 814-944-2406. lessons available.
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WANTED: Vintage guitars, basses, amps, banjos, etc. Fender, Gibson, Martin, Rickenbacker, Gretsch, etc. Top dollar paid! Call Player’s ExWANTED: WE PAY CASH for change at 717-975-2385 or used guitars, amps, effects, stop by and see us at 225 S. etc!!! Call Matt at Creter Gui- Third St. Lemoyne, PA. Email: tar Shop, Jonestown at 717- bslotus@aol.com 865-3677. We also do guitar
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FOR SALE: Peavey electric guitar with case $95, Ibanez
FOR SALE: Littlite gooseneck task lights. Desktop/tripod mic holders. Pair of AKG 391 B condenser mics. 570-6063677. FOR SALE: Onkyo 6-disc carousel automatic CD player with remote. Model DX-C320. One owner, great condition. 570606-3677 FOR SALE: t.c. Electronics M5000 w/ADA-1, DSP-1 and Digital Toolbox. Profession-
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717.422.5794
147 N. Hanover Street Carlisle, PA 17013
FOR SALE: Black Diamond custom shoe Explorers. RedBlack Bengal Tiger/James Hetfield exotic wood, both neck thru call 717-578-9342.
FOR SALE:Tascam DA-88 multi-track recorder with SY88 sync card and RC-848 remote control. Well maintained. Includes sync/digital dubbing cables. Much more. 570-6063677
‘‘Your Headquarters for Electric Pick-Ups”
Guitar & Bass tock! Pick-Ups In S
www.woodshedguitarworks.com
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE
electric guitar with case $95, Eric Claptons crossroads pedal $75, Harbinger 4 channel PA system $125. call: 717379-8010
Eas Access y fr I-81 & om Across I-83 Dunkin from ’ Do Exit 50 nuts B on I-83
Specializing in Dimarzio & Seymour Duncan Custom Color Pick Ups
www.mikes-music-shop.com 3966 Jonestown Rd • Harrisburg, PA 17109 • 717-580-2621 Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
May, 2020
al high-end multi-effects unit with mastering package. One owner, studio-kept. 570-6063677. FOR SALE: Tascam 380 24 track recording board with V.U. meters, $300 firm. Call 717-627-4800. FOR SALE: Mastering cassette recorders like new, $25 each for 2 door, $20 each for 1 door. Call 717-627-4800. WANTED TO BUY: T. C. Helicon mic mechanic 2 vocal pedal reasonable Please call: 717379-8010.
MUSICIANS WANTED WANTED: Female vocalist needed for Tom Petty project all backing, a few front. Please call: 717-668-1543 WANTED: Solo Country Artist seeking guitarist, bassist, drummer, and vocalist to play and write some great country music. Interested? Hit me up at michaelmckenziemusic@ yahoo.com or 717-816-9156. WANTED: New project looking for bass player and a singer. We wanna play some covers and a few originals mixed in. Rock/Metal. Seasoned musicians. Flexible time slots. Pro gear required. Call Dave 717525-0014 WANTED: Musician: Vocalist needed for a hard rock/hair metal cover band, that also writes originals. yeldarbsperk@yahoo.com or 570-4127614 WANTED: Drummer needed for experienced top 40 cover dance band with active 2020 schedule. Call or text for more information, 717-880-0101. WANTED: Looking for bass player to play mix of covers May, 2020
and original, versatile musician willing to work in different genres, no metal. Centered in Selinsgrove area. Contact Bruce at bcb1946@gmail.com WANTED: Co-writer. Aspiring lyricist seeking a musician to write songs with. If interested please email mikeefacc@ gmail.com. WANTED: BASS PLAYER: John Entwistle impersonator bassist wanted for National touring & gigging who tribute band must be able to look and play like John Entwistle call or text France 310-798-8294 WANTED: Food not bombs is looking for musicians to perform a Reservoir Park Harrisburg fundraiser 8/22/2020. Proceeds benefit sustainability workshops & community gardening. REGGAE WELCOME! 717-608-8811 (Niles)
blues, southern rock. Lots of area equip exp. trans all good. stage time and experience My style classic rock-n-roll. Please call: 717-422-0157 can learn all. provide CD call 717-303-4211 AVAILABLE: 47 year old, seasoned, ( Old School ) Thrash, Hard Rock, metal drummer looking for other like minded, serious musicians. Joining an established project preferred but will consider all offers. Covers or originals, just wanna play with high end musicians. If this is you we can talk. I live in Enola and prefer to stay within reasonable driving distance. divinemizery@gmail.com
WANTED: Guitar, Bass, Drummer for Cover Band in Norristown. -Contact Danny 610290-3492.
MUSICIANS AVAILABLE AVAILABLE Vocalist looking to start cover band. Influences from 80’s-90’s rock through today’s hits. Bloomsburg area Call or text 570-764-0105. AVAILABLE: Singer looking to help out a band that needs a strong vocalist. Love rock,
gressive industrial fusion metal band. Have rehearsal space location Selinsgrove. Contact: kan.ek86@live.com
www.pamusician.net
AVAILABLE: Professional rock drummer available for established band 35+ years covers or originals hard rock, classic rock and dance Many years experience live and studio call: Erik 814-381-5312 AVAILABLE: Guitarist looking for other players in the HBG.
WANTED: Musicians. York area bassist and drummer seeking guitars, keys, and vocals for a powerhouse lineup. Danceable and fun rock. Email: Drummerboy922@yahoo.com or call: 717-424-4451 WANTED: Looking for Lead singer for Local cover band Ephrata area. Skynyrd, Black Sabbath, Doobie Bros stuff. Call Greg at 717-471-1292
AVAILABLE: Crazy inspired versatile drummer 33yrs old Seeking like minded individuals Start/ join original thrash death pro-
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CANADIAN AMERICAN
P.O. Box 808, Lititz, PA 17543
717.627.4800
canadianamerican@dejazzed.com www.joeywelz.com www.canadianamericanrecords.net
“Being Independent is Being Canadian American.”
Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
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Pennsylvania Musician Magazine
May, 2020