SCREAMIN DAISYS

Shine Through The Shade

tainment LLC. Starting out the evening was Heartbent, a young Maryland based Emo/Pop/Rock band that did a great job setting the bar for the evening in terms of energy with their hard driving melodies. Second band up was Defending Cain, a West Virginia based Nu Metal rock band that I’ve heard of, but didn’t have the pleasure of seeing until now. These guys had an awesome sound with vocals ranging from deep screams to rap and rock singing. Coming out third was Bakersfield California based Adema. While they were missing lead singer Ryan Shuck (congrats on the birth of his new baby!), but the rest of the guys did a great job carrying on with songs like Unstable, Close Friends, and Immortal. Fourth in the lineup was a band who’s music I’m very familiar with, and was very thankful to cover for my first time last year at the Rock On The Hill Music Festival – Tantric. Hugo and the boys tour the stage up with with a setlist of songs that frequently show up in my playlist like Astounded and Breakdown. It was an absolute pleasure seeing them perform again. Coming out next was a band that...while I knew the name, and was more than familiar with one of their songs, that was really all I knew of them. Crazy Town hit the stage with an almost frantic, high energy set that had the crowd rocking, and ended it with their ever-familiar “Butterfly”. Rounding out the evening was headliner Hed PE. Bringing their unique fusion of Rap and Metal to the stage with songs like Blackout, Sophia, and Peer Pressure... they had the crown slamming and singing along with them for the entire set. Once again, 717 Entertainment brought a great show to a great venue!

The following week Wendy and I headed down to Hook & Flask in Carlisle for some dinner, drinks and relaxing tunes

The Cretins

Sunday 11-11 Mon-Tues 7am-11pm Weds-Sat 7am-Midnight

NO COVER CHARGES FOR BANDS!

5/5 Saint Eldridge 8-11

5/6 Stonewood 8-11

5/11 Bike Night 6-9

5/12 The LeBlancs 8-11

5/13 The Unusual Guests 8-11

5/18 Country Line Dancing 6-?????

5/19 The Almost World Famous Tommy B 8-11

Defending Cain

5/20 Dead Centre 8-11

5/21 Adult Naughty Bingo 5:30-??

5/25 Dueling Pianos & Jeep Night

5/26 On Stride 8-11

5/27 DeadLocked 8-11

5/28 Kings of the Creek Male Review call for tickets

6/1 Bike Night with Red 102.3 Come Ride the Bull!

6/2 Michael Pape, Straight From Jamestown TN

Shermans Creek Inn’s Roadhouse Pavilion

6695 Carlisle Pike Mechanicsburg @ Appalachian Harley Davidson

Friday 11-5

Adema

provided by Ben Simcox Music. Covering songs like Tennessee Whiskey, Livin On A Prayer, and a great version of Ain’t No Sunshine, Ben played his acoustic guitar with occasional harmonica tossed in to go well with his smooth vocals.

My last evening of music for the month was just the other night, and to be honest it still has a smile on my face. All four bands playing this night on Stage On Herr at HMAC I am happy continued on next page...

Saturday 11-5 Sunday 11-4 May-October Only Bands 1-4

5/5 Opening Day!

5/6 The Forbidden Fruit

5/7 Gun Metal Gray 5/13 Still Smokin

5/20 Midnight Riot 5/21 Dave Gates

5/27 Suckerpunch 5/28 Shine Through the Shade and proud to call friends. Starting out the evening was Dinosaurs In Paris. Louis and the boys brought their Pop/Punk originals to the stage and lit it up. I’ve enjoyed these guys since I first caught them a few years ago and they get better each time I see them. I also should mention they have some of the cutest fans I’ve seen, bass player Jesse’s young son and daughter came out for the show throwing down right in front of the stage with everyone else. The memories I saw them create that evening will last a lifetime. Next up was Lyndhurst bringing their Pop/Punk/Emo originals to the stage with a huge energy that sorta belies the whole “emo” part of their description LOL. Their songs are all about life, different

Must be 21 to enter Shermans Dale building. Our tent & the Pavilion are all ages and pet friendly!

Shermans Creek Inn Performer Spotlight

Date Night, featuring Kevin & Lisa Nelson, a husband and wife acoustic duo playing the perfect music for your next “date night”. Kevin works as SCI’s Entertainment Manager and is also a DJ at RED 102.3. They Play a wide variety from the 70’s through modern day “date night” music and more!

aspects of it, and are easily relatable to most people. They played a great setlist including several of my favorites: Jaded, I’m Sorry For The Way I Am, and Messy. Third on the bill for the evening was another band needing little introduction in these pages: Observe The 93rd. Derek and the guys definitely had their crowd there, dancing and singing along to their originals like Nightraid, Simulation, and Hypnotic. Headlining the evening is my friends in Sink In. Originally from Pennsylvania and now based in LA, Tighe and the guys rounded out the evening in style with their all original Pop/Rock tunes. I hadn’t seen them in about two years now I think, and this time they had a new drummer Sam that somehow managed to multiply the awesome energy this band already had. With constantly changing lighting, smoke/vapor machines, and the guys moving around on stage more than a pack of 12 year olds high on Mountain Dew, they’re always a challenge and absolute blast to photograph. If you haven’t seen any or all of these bands, I can’t recommend enough that you do.

I’ve got a couple shows already lined up to cover next month, including the 2nd annual Rock On The Hill Music Festival in Hanover. Twenty or so bands on two stages over the course of the day on May 13th, including locals acts like Brenden

Starr, Coal, Faith Noel, JHR and Heroes 4 Ransom, as well as bands like Sponge, Flaw, and Trapt...this festival has music, food, games and activities for everyone and I can’t wait to experience it again.

So there it is, my month of music through my eyes and ears. Just a reminder: if you’ve got a show coming up that I should see; make sure to send me an invite, shoot me an email or a message, let me know about it. Venues: please don’t hesitate to reach out to me as well. The majority of the shows that I go and shoot I find out about through invites from all of you or your friends. Hit me up on facebook: @chrisriderphotography or email: chrisriderphotography@gmail.com, stop me if you see me out and say hi. Until next month...go find some live music and give them and the venue your support, they truly need it more now than they ever did.

By Jim Price

In last month’s article I was raving about the return of warmer weather and the return of live music to the outdoors. But outdoor live music during this time of year has a risk factor, as rain and the last vestiges of winter cold can still wreak havoc on early season outdoor events. As I write this, I’m looking forward to doing emceeing duties at one outdoor festival event and attending another outdoor event this weekend (the last weekend in April). The forecast says rain, heavy at times, both days. But the show must go on, and I’ll plan and prepare accordingly.

All of the shows I attended since last month’s deadline were indoors, and thus no rain…One of the big highlights was attending the 4th annual Central Pennsylvania Music Awards (CPMA’s) and Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in late March at the Hershey Theatre. Witnessing who took away top honors in the 2022

CPMA’s was again exciting, as awards were presented live for 35 different categories; 11 additional awards were presented during the pre-show red carpet event in the theatre’s lobby area. Multiple award winners included Cody Tyler & Gypsy Convoy, taking awards for Best Country Band and Album/Ep of the Year for their “Stare Your Demons Down” album; Bobby Gentilo, taking the awards for Best Blues Band and Best New Band; LeahBeth Evans of The Frost Duo, who won Best Female Vocalist while the duo won Best Jazz Band/Artist; and Hunter Root won the Best Songwriter award, while his band, Medusa’s Disco, captured the Best Rock Band award. This year’s Whitey Noll Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to long- time sound production professionals The Clair Brothers. For a total list of award winners, visit the website www. cpmhof.com. The awards were presented in between Hall Of Fame inductions; famous for their 1971 Top-20 hit song “Timothy,” The Buoys were the first band inducted; three of the group’s surviving members received the award and performed acoustic versions of both “Timothy” and the follow-up single, “Give Up Your Guns.” Inducted immediately after them was Harrisburg-based band The Legends, which Dan Hartman was affiliated with before he left to join the Edgar Winter Group. The next inductees were York-based 1950s and 60s soul and doo wop group The QuinTones, who performed their 1958 nationwide Top-20 hit “Down the Aisle of Love. Although not present, Poison frontman Bret Michaels and jazz artist Steve Rudolph were recognized for their inductions. Breaking Benjamin was then inducted into the Hall Of Fame; guitarist Aaron Fink, bassist Mark Klepaski and drummer

Jeremy Hummel received their award and thanked the audience for their support during the past two decades, and the group Ignite The Fire performed a rendition of Breaking Benjamin’s “Breath.” The final induction to close the night was presented to Harrisburg-based 1970s pop and funk group The Maxwell Project. The current group continues to entertain audiences with classic R&B, funk, soul and dance music; known as Maxwell in the 1970s, the group issued three albums and enjoyed regional airplay with the hit songs “Radiation Funk” (created in the aftermath of the Three Mile Island nuclear incident) and “A New Star.” The Maxwell Project performed “A New Star” and ended the night with their fusion of Morris Day & the Time’s “Jungle Love” and Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk.”

California rockers (hed)PE returned to McGarvey’s in Altoona last month, headlining a Monday night triple-bill. Altoona’s Hate Grenade led off the bill before I arrived; New York City’s Rebelmatic was just getting started when I entered the venue. The rowdy roster of vocalist Creature, guitarist Alkatraz, bassist gae. Frontman Jared Gomes, guitarist Nathan Javier, bassist Kurt Blankenship and drummer Jeremiah “Trauma” Stratton did songs from throughout their career, opening with “Game Over” and proceeding through such numbers as “Peer Pressure,” “Killing Time,” “Let’s Ride,” “Pac Bell,” “Sophia” and more. The group ran the gamut from intense to grooving, with Jared breaking out his melodica from time to time. (hed)PE’s homestretch included their version of the Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated” (from their latest album, “70s Hits from the Pit”), followed by their popular radio song “Bartender” and the finale, an extended slow-burning take on “Renegade,” with Nathan riding the song’s repetitive riff to set up for an explosive finish.

Karnage and drummer Ramsey Jones lit up the crowd with their high-powered, all-out blend of funk, punk and hardcore. Their music was heavy and volatile, but it grooved and kept folks moving. I didn’t catch many of their song titles, but some of Rebelmatic’s songs this night included “Blood and Gold” and “Blown Away.” (hed)PE then ignited the house with their feisty mix of rock, punk, hip-hop and regcontinued on next page...

I also caught some local musical theatre at McGarvey’s last month, as “McGarvey’s Theatre” hosted 39 Tigers Productions’ presentation of “The Great American Trailer Park Musical.” Directed by Rich McGarvey and Tony Malvoisin, the two-act musical – written by David Nehls and Betsy Kelso – presented a hilarious adventure set in the fictitious Armadillo Acres Trailer Park in Florida, weaving a tale of abduction, a stripper, infidelity and magic marker-huffing that would make Jerry Springer quiver. Obviously, music was a part of this production, and the cast – Quinn Allen as “Betty,” Andrea Taylor as “Lin,” Ally Piper as “Pickles,” Michelle Barnes as “Jeanie,” Coryell Barlow as “Pippi,” Travis Ross as “Norbert” and Jake Kibler as “Duke” – all displayed excellent singing voices on the various songs that helped to connect the story and transition between scenes. The pit band behind the music – keyboardist Jessica Heckman, guitarist Nate Nagle, bassist Aaron Kenawell and drummer Mike Vatavuk – sounded tight and consistent throughout the production. Theatre returns to McGarvey’s in August with 39 Tigers Productions’ presentation of “Glengarry Glenn Ross.”

Mother Nature attempted a bad April Fool’s joke with violent wind and thunderstorms on April 1, but that did not thwart me from catching my first look at Mr. Pocket as they performed at the LaunchPad in Philipsburg. Formed several years ago, Mr.

Pocket – lead singer and guitarist Nate Sopic, bassist and singer Jason Sopic, lead guitarist and singer Tom Zattoni, and drummer and singer Mike Hughes – introduced the large audience to their wide-ranging selection of rock, blues and Americana original songs and covers. Their setlist was diverse, as Mr. Pocket tastefully tackled numbers from Stevie Wonder, The Band, Queens Of The Stone Age, Gin Blossoms, Oasis, the Pixies, Dire

Straits, Tom Petty, Wallflowers, John Hiatt, Peter Gabriel, Jason Isbell, Drive By Truckers and much more. The group was vocally strong, and their instrumental arrangements and musicianship provided consistency and their own stamp on the material they performed. Some of their unexpected song highlights include versions of Mudcrutch’s “The Wrong Thing to Do,” Uncle Tupelo’s “New Madrid,” Warren Zevon’s “A Certain Girl,” REM’s “What’s The Frequency Kenneth,” Crosby Stills Nash & Young’s “Almost Cut My Hair” and more. Mr. Pocket kept the audience engaged and excited, enough so that the crowd called for more at night’s end, resulting in a three-song encore to cap the evening. LaunchPad owner Shawn Inlow’s house band, Stone Man, will perform the release show for their debut CD, “Heartbreaks,” at the LaunchPad on May 6.

After completing my monthly PA Musician delivery route through Cambria County last month, I spent the evening enjoying some Johnstown area performers, beginning with Justin Garman at the Stadium Pub & Grille. I caught Justin’s last set; brandishing acoustic guitar and harmonica, Justin sang a variety of original songs, 1960s and 70s favorites. His song list was interesting, as he performed a number of songs not often covered on area stages, and did them in his own hearty and expressive style. Some of his highlights included a version of Elvis Costello’s “Deep Dark Truthful Mirror,” Bruce Springsteen’s “Blinded By the Light,” Jimmy Ruffin’s “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” merging into the traditional song “I Bid You Goodnight,” and the night-ending audience clap-along version of Bill Withers’ “Lean On Me.” Justin also sang numbers from Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, the Allman Brothers and more. Justin continues to be a frequent flyer on Johnstown area acoustic stages.

A rising name during recent months in the Johnstown area music scene has been The SuperAlrights, who I checked out last month at the Windber Hotel in Windber. Wil Fine plays bass, Mike Lux plays guitar and Kraig Maldet plays drums; all three sing. “The world’s okayest alt-rock band,” The SuperAlrights specialize in 1990s-era rock. Their song list this night featured a blend of favorites plus a few surprises. The group did plentiful 90s favorites from Foo Fighters, Oasis, Nirvana, Goo Goo Dolls, Sponge, Bush, Gin Blossoms, Everclear, Toadies, Collective Soul and others. They also pulled out some almost-forgotten 1990s gems like School Of Fish’s “Three Strange Days,” Dishwalla’s “Counting Blue Cars” and Screaming Trees’ “Nearly continued on next page...

Lost You.” The SuperAlrights had fun playing all of it, and the Windber crowd fed off that enthusiasm and kept the dance floor busy through the course of the night. The SuperAlrights have become frequent flyers on Johnstown area stages, and plan to expand their reach to other areas in the months ahead. They return to the Windber Hotel on May 27.

OK Otter and Donny Burns & the 3rd Degree teamed up for a double-bill last month at The Bar in Boalsburg. This was my first time seeing OK Otter, who has established a steady presence on Centre region stages. Singer and guitarist Mike Doyle, keyboardist Joe Tombasco and drummer Rob Bonsell introduced a distinc- tive, piano-driven alt-pop rock sound with catchy melodies and often playful lyrics. OK Otter performed several numbers from their 2022 album “Dad Rock 2,” including “Drinking Outside,” “Richie Tozier” and “Wendy Peffercorn,” plus newer numbers such as “A Little Bit More,” “Knock at the Door” and “Midnight Mass” (inspired by the Netflix TV show). The group threw in a few covers toward set’s end, giving their own flavor to Burt Bacharach/Hal David’s “Always Something

There to Remind Me,” Dead Or Alive’s “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” and Dire Straits’ “Walk Of Life.” Donny Burns & the 3rd Degree followed with three sets. Namesake Donny on lead vocals and guitar, Nick Stahlman on guitar and vocals, bassist James Arroway and drummer Rob Chisholm performed all original songs during their first set; playing the entirety of their 2020 debut album “Satisfied” before introducing four new songs from their forthcoming new release – “Polythemus,” “Ripple,” “Fear and Trust” and a currently untitled newest number. The group fired up the rocking dance party in their latter sets, doing favorites from Guns N’Roses, Tom Petty, Aerosmith, Van Morrison, Sublime, a dance-inducing rock, funk and disco medley and more. Donny Burns & the 3rd Degree will anchor the 10th annual Wam Bam Mountain Jam near Port Matilda on July 1.

After departing The Bar, I headed into downtown State Col- lege to check out Lowjack during their weekly Friday performance at The Brewery. The house was packed due to being the Friday eve before Penn State’s annual Blue-White football game. Lowjack kept the crowd festive – lead singer and bassist Jason Davoli, guitarist and fiddle player Dan Collins, keyboardist Joe Tombasco (who played with OK Otter earlier) and drummer Jake Shaffer played a wide variety of classic and modern rock and pop favorites, original songs and requests. The Brewery crowd partied down as Lowjack cranked out the favorites, including songs from Billy Joel, The Killers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rolling Stones, Modest Mouse, Lynyrd Skynyrd and many more. The group also honored requests for Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge,” Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” and Matt Maeson’s “Hallucinogenics.” Guest Nate Cutshall joined the band onstage a few times to wail harmonica, including on versions of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” and the Wallflowers’ “One Headlight.” And Lowjack did several of their own tunes, including “In My Head,” “One Last Kiss” and “I’m Coming Home to You.” Lowjack is a mainstay on downtown State College stages, playing every Thursday and Friday at the Brewery, and Saturdays at the

Phyrst.

After releasing their double-album set “Saints and Souls” Volumes 1 and 2, the Jeremy Edge Project returned to Altoona’s 4D’s Lounge in late March to celebrate music from the albums and multiple blues and blues-rock gems. Jeremy on lead vocals and guitar, John DeLowery on bass and Ray Gieda on drums did many bold and blues-rocking songs from the new albums, including “No Way Home,” “Ghosts of the Living,” “Better Way,” “South of the Border,” the soulful “Coral Castle,” “Move On” and others. They also triggered dancing with many of their blues-rooted cover fare, including numbers from Cream, Doors, ZZ Top, George Thorogood, Blackfoot, Black Crowes, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Led Zeppelin, Free, Jimi Hendrix and more; they also gave the slow-dancing crowd a treat with a version of The Commodores’ “Easy.” The Jeremy Edge Project again gave a powerful performance; Jeremy demonstrated his guitar skills early and often, generating some amazing solos and shredding along the way. And the rhythm section of John and Ray delivered the rumble behind Jeremy; Ray sounded especially thunderous on the group’s night-ending rendition of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” If you haven’t yet checked them out, the Jeremy Edge Project returns to the 4D’s Lounge on May 27.

“Being Independent is Being Canadian American.”

The full-band edition of Altoona’s Walkney took the stage at the 4D’s Lounge in late March. Originally slated as a double-bill, sickness forced the other band to bow out, opening the door for the debut performance by solo singer and guitarist Dominic Frucella. Dominic made the most of his opportunity, prompting applause as he did a mixture of acoustic originals and favorites. His style encompassed popular folk, country and soul; his originals this night included “Country Blues” and “Southbound,” and he did nice work on songs from Bill Withers, Chris Stapleton and John Denver, helped out on a few by banjo player Mike Wallace. Walkney – singer, guitarist and founder Derek Mrdjenovich, bassist Nate Nagle and drummer David Applas – performed two sets featuring numerous original songs. The general style was hard-rocking modern pop. Some of the original numbers were newer songs such as “I Don’t Care,” “Is

Anybody Out There,”

“Because of Love” and Derek’s solo acoustic number “Run Away,” which he sent out to his Aunt Marsha. Walkney also did a continued on next page...