Weekend of local rock volume 44
You can subtitle this one, “the Bands for Baby Ava benefit.”
At some unknown future point in another venue, I’m going to point out all the good the local musicians do for the community.
That spirit of giving was on display last week – a full month after Christmas – when a number of bands and assorted one-off impromptu groups gathered to help raise money for Ava DelRicco, a toddler who was seriously injured in a December auto accident just a piece up the road from the Pour House in Ocean City. Since then she’s been recovering at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.
So as the Pour House mascot looked on approvingly, we were treated to almost 10 solid hours of musical entertainment from the various bands and DJs Skip Dixxon and Bigler.
And the order of presentation was fairly interesting, as a couple of the bands already had other gigs planned for the day but felt in their heart they needed to come and participate.
So you had a more experienced group who would otherwise be one of the headliners leading off. Paul Lewis and Y-Not had an evening engagement across the Bay Bridge so they were the first band in this instance. They also made one of the more popular donations to the silent auction, which I will get to in due course.
They were one of the few bands who played some originals as well, which was a good touch considering many of the participants specialized in covers of various rock genres.
And by the way, the Sons of Patriots motorcycle club came in as a group right behind me as the event started – about a dozen or so to help fill the room nicely to start the show.
I think the next group has a collective mancrush on Sublime, since there were two of their covers I heard in their set.
Sunny Side Up began as half of the youthful group The Hooplas, which, as you may recall, made their debut at the 12 Bands of Christmas back in December. They picked up some vocal help for the latter part of their set.
The place was beginning to fill up quite nicely at this point, and it was heartwarming to see the community support.
That open mike feel to the event was a recurring theme. But I also learned an old musicians’ trick, thanks to Bryan Russo.
That guitar case isn’t carelessly laid on the floor. It’s by his foot with a microphone inside so when Russo taps his foot it becomes his bass drum. Very multitalented and smart.
Brian brought a bluesy feel to the event with his attire and his playlist, which also featured a number of originals. He also announced that he would donate a portion of the proceeds from the CDs he had for sale at the event to the cause.
He was the one-man band at the event. But we’re not quite done with Bryan yet.
As Russo was clearing out, Blake Haley made a request: to play a song. He wasn’t on the bill but wanted to make his presence known, too.
And since Bryan hadn’t completely packed up and left he helped Blake out with his song.
Next up was Easy Action, a group of classic rockers who reset the stage with a more traditional feel.
As I said above, it was an open mike night of sorts. So Witches Brew singer Susan Witchey stepped in to help Easy Action with vocals on a couple tracks.
Her band didn’t participate either, but she stayed most of the night to support the cause.
Then it was time to put the host to work playing his drum set.
Livin’ the Dream did their normal hard rock show, with the obligatory tribute to KISS as part of the set. And Susan helped out with a song or two on their set as well.
This picture is in there just because I like it.
I’d heard this lady’s name mentioned a number of times but last week was the first time I’d seen Lauren Glick play.
Her band dug back to the era of the late sixties and early seventies for most of their covers, with a country-tinged set.
But that’s what brought people to the dance floor.
After another one-song cameo by the Bob Blair Project (sadly, I have no photo of that) we next heard from Familiar Soul.
And they played some familiar songs that kept the party going, as the dance floor was filled during their set, too.
After Familiar Soul played, I saw an opportunity for a little calm before the storm.
This may be the only month out of the year you can take this shot at 7 p.m. on a Saturday night without a truckload of people in it.
I decided to do something a little different with the Phantom Limbs. Here’s each member of the trio separately.
In the frenetic manner that this trio plays their mosh pit of originals crafted from surf, punk, and rock, it was almost easier to get individual shots, although the group one came out okay as well.
Next up was the hard-rockin’ Dust n’ Bones, with a more modern rock playlist than most of their predecessors on stage.
The last three groups had more of an up-to-date playlist than the earlier groups. High Test came from across the bridge to play the show.
And the Prince George’s-based band probably made a lot of fans with an active show. I was sitting when I took this – the singer was standing on two chairs.
Closing out the show was Vivid Season. We know they bring the hard stuff.
But before they played, we had the conclusion of the silent auction. As I noted up top, Y-Not helped out with this PRS guitar and also donated several other items as a package.
Despite their playoff failure, Ravens items were in high demand, too.
Here’s a look at some of the other items up for bids. There were two other smaller tables, too.
You could even wear your support.
The really good news is that, between the $5 cover charge, the pair of 50-50 raffles, the silent auction table, the various other raffles they had, and straight cash donations, the event raised over $7,000 for the family.
Even better news is that there will be a “sequel” event on March 10, with a venue to be announced. With as many people as there were at the Pour House, they may need a bigger place.
Benefit set to go
On this upcoming Saturday afternoon/evening – be there or be square.
In case you’re wondering, the subject of the fundraiser is little 19 month old Ava DelRicco. She was gravely injured in an auto accident along Coastal Highway in Ocean City on December 16, 2011 and has been at Johns Hopkins ever since. By most accounts she’s on the mend but there’s going to be a long road to recovery for Ava and this fundraiser will help the family deal with all the expenses. As usual, the local music scene is stepping up to participate.
It’s highly likely that more items will be donated for the silent auction and, trust me, 5 dollars is a very inexpensive day out, particularly when the venue is providing complementary appetizers. After all, we’re talking about the dead weekend between the conference championships and Super Bowl and there’s no primary being held on the 28th – so there’s no excuse for any of my core audience in the area to not at least stop by the event for a little while. The band lineup looks pretty promising.
The Pour House is located at the corner of Baltimore Avenue and Wicomico Street near Ocean City’s Inlet.
Update: the event has 10 bands and has been extended to 10 p.m.
Friday night videos – episode 71
After a hiatus of just over five months, I’m bringing back the series this week. Don’t anticipate I’ll do this every week, but I think it’s likely I can do this every one to three months, anyway.
All of these videos were recorded over the last two months in two venues: the first two were among the live entertainment at November’s Punkin Chunkin up in rural Delaware, while the others came from the recent 12 Bands of Christmas show I attended earlier this month.
I’ll begin with Semiblind doing a Led Zeppelin classic.
What surprised me was the wind noise not being the problem I feared, because it was a-blowin’ out there – as it always seems to that time of year.
The next band up was Vivid Season, and they did their rendition of this Fuel hit.
Unfortunately, I didn’t stick around there to see some of the other bands which were featured, nor did I get a good video of every band at the 12 Bands of Christmas.
But these young guys were impressive, as The Hooplas blended in a little funk and hip-hop on this number.
Now this is one you don’t hear a cover band doing every day. Aside from the slight false start, I enjoyed a little Pantera as done by Slackjaw. Walk on home, boy.
Another song which rarely finds its way onto playlists but should more often is The Cult’s ‘Love Removal Machine.’ Livin’ the Dream has it on theirs.
Fast forward about a decade and a half, add a couple dancers, and you get this video of Dust n’ Bones doing some Nickelback.
Just so you know, this IS Abby’s Cage, because they tell you so.
I compare this version with another band (which shall remain nameless) that did this song until the vocalist lost his beer trying to sing it. No such mishap on this one.
No beer was spilled with this, either. But Susan, the lead singer of Witches Brew, was less animated than usual on this one.
Having just watched this, I really need to complain about the lighting. It would have been a better video with one more spot on the front of the stage – so I can see the singer.
The other video which gave me difficulty was this one. First of all, We Might Collide is a six-piece band. Second, there were a lot of people up front. And third, I thought the sound wasn’t all that great. But this at least gives you a flavor.
So now you all know a little bit of what I’ve been up to lately. But I also need to hunt down more good videos and further promote the local musical talent. Maybe my friend Ridgely needs to put my channel on his Facebook rotation. (That’s called a hint.)
In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this edition of FNV. My YouTube channel now has 75 videos on it (although not all are music) so I’m getting quite the collection here. Maybe I’ll dig through my archives and see what other nuggets I have over the next few months.
Weekend of local rock volume 43
For the seventeenth time, Skip Dixon held his annual Christmastime tradition last weekend.
Okay, so it was only nine bands who show for the annual 12 Bands of Christmas event. Still, The Pour House in Ocean City was the place to be for local rock, as those nine local bands wailed through the night. And unlike previous events, there was a nifty prize to be had:
The reason the autographed Paul Reed Smith guitar was being raffled off (at $25 per chance) was to raise funds for Melanie Davis, a 9 year old Pittsville Elementary student who was hit by a car in October, with the family racking up over $150,000 in medical bills so far with her care. They also had a 50-50 drawing and passed the hat, collecting a few hundred dollars more. It’s amazing how many shows I go to which are like that – the local music community is always happy to lend a hand.
Before the hat was passed, though, we heard the Phantom Limbs and it was good.
As always, they entertained with their mashup of punk, surf, and jam music – so much so that they only played four lengthy originals in their set.
But the crowd was gathering while the Phantom Limbs jammed to see the next band play.
These guys had to play early or else the bar would be in trouble – none of them are over 18 yet. But The Hooplas showed talent some bands with much more seasoned players couldn’t match, and it will be interesting to see what happens as they mature in the local music scene. All I know is that these youngsters packed them in, apologizing for not knowing all that many cover songs. Fellas, I don’t mind a bit – keep doing those originals!
…was next. As opposed to The Hooplas, they did all cover songs but picked out a heavy set which included a reasonable version of ‘Master of Puppets’ that got me screaming out the lyrics. “Taste me you will see…more is all you need.”
Apparently this singer doesn’t always sing for them, and I can’t recall who he normally sings for. (I want to say Lime Green?) But Slackjaw played a couple songs as a three-piece, too.
Livin’ the Dream also played part of their classic hard rock set as a three-piece. They put the host to work back on the drum kit, as you can see here and in the next photo.
But midway through the set they picked up the second guitarist to play some Van Halen and other classics. Yes, there was a KISS song too – ‘Detroit Rock City.’
We reached the midway point with another hard rock cover band, Dust ‘n Bones.
While they played a solid, workmanlike set I wonder why they don’t play their namesake Guns ‘n Roses song. Maybe next time I see them.
One has a bad leg, another has a surgically-repaired wrist, and they’ve gone through more drummers than Spinal Tap lately. Yet Semiblind keeps on playing as they remain a staple of Skip’s events.
But Jim Hogsett’s wrist held out and Michele Hogsett managed to stand through the whole half-dozen songs they played, gamely going through several of their newer cover songs. Semiblind doesn’t just play standard classic rock anymore, as they can toss out some country, funk, or Top 40 too. They are perhaps the most versatile band playing about these parts.
We took a short break to draw the 50-50 winner and hear a little bit from this friend of Skip’s.
Tim “Thunder Walrus” Yarosh is a comedian of some repute, although I wasn’t familiar with him. But perhaps I should check him out further since he was kind of a funny guy. (That or he may threaten to stay at my house.) I won’t dislike him simply because he didn’t draw my 50-50 ticket. Nor will I blame him for messing up the sound, as I’ll explain a bit later.
After the brief bit from Yarosh, we got back to music. A band which apparently hadn’t been playing around here of late was Abby’s Cage.
Just by a close listen I thought maybe they weren’t quite as tight as a couple of the other bands, but that would come back as they return to the fray. And Abby’s Cage liked the hard stuff, too.
Yet most of those who stayed waited to hear We Might Collide, a band making their debut at this show. The six-man band could be construed as a local supergroup of sorts as it includes three former members of the popular local band Lennex and two others from the late Baltimore-based band Fourth Element. Both of these late, lamented groups were talented enough to write a number of good, original songs – some of which I own on CD.
And they played all new material, too. So when I figured out that these guys shouldn’t have been that rusty, I had to concede that the last bands in this 9-band show suffered from a lack of sound quality – the mix didn’t seem right to me. Perhaps it sounded great in the stage monitors that the bands hear themselves from, but on my end it seemed too muddled together. So I’d rather not judge either Abby’s Cage or We Might Collide based on this show.
The sound was really off by the time Witches Brew, the final band of the night, took the stage. I couldn’t even hear the drums on the first song and the overall sound detracted from should have been a better effort to close the night.
I know Witches Brew can play their Judas Priest covers better than they sounded, because I’ve seen them enough – they’re also reliable veterans of Skip’s shows. But I have to chastise the fans as well.
Sure, they probably came out to see We Might Collide. But it always annoys me that so few stay around to see the last band, which gets to play to a half-empty bar but works just as hard as the other bands do. To me, it’s just common courtesy to stick around. Maybe that’s just me, and of course I wasn’t looking to get smashed or pick up someone. I just wanted to hear some good tunes and support local music. It’s what I do.
So the next time Skip has one of these shows – probably Spring Luau 2012 – come out and stay for all the bands. You won’t be sorry.
Weekend of local rock volume 42
One thing about the Good Beer Festival is that they also have good music. On Monday I reviewed the event as a whole, now it’s time to talk about the music. Here’s a handy-dandy guide to what’s coming up:
One admission I had to make: with a couple exceptions, I couldn’t stay and hear every musical act. For the most part, acts on the bar stage were lost in the crowd noise but I could hear those playing on the main stage pretty well.
Weekend of local rock volume 41
At one time this was supposed to be two posts, but as it turned out – thanks to my faulty memory and other things which happened (or didn’t happen) over Delmarva Bike Week – this can fit comfortably into one post.
However, my camera misfortune actually opened the door for me to introduce you to a kind friend of mine who deserves a lot of credit. I’ll share that with you in a bit, but first I’d like to mention that this WLR post came from the recent (Save the) BreastFest that occurred a couple Thursdays back out at the Oasis Bar and Grill.
I was expecting an inside event, but instead the BreastFest was set up outside, amid some other Delmarva Bike Week vendors like these:
But you can tell which one was the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition tent – it was pretty in pink.
By the way, the woman seated on the hay bale with the gray shirt next to the crutches – this event is her baby. Michele Hogsett gets a lot of help but has organized this event over the last three years.
She lined up quite a few interesting items for the raffle. Believe it or not, I’ve won something two years in a row – seems like this is the only place Lady Luck smiles on me.
It’s a shame the weather wasn’t better and warmer; still I believe there were quite a few of these consumed.
This shot? Well, I added it to show that some guys have WAY too much time on their hands.
Okay, okay, now for the bands. As I said, I had camera issues and shortly after I took that last shot of the short bus, well, my batteries died and I didn’t have a spare set on me. I also had the occurrence of a longer-than-normal day of work, which meant I couldn’t get to the show until just before the third band took the stage. (My haste was probably why I forgot the batteries!)
Fortunately, there was an award-winning photographer there who I’ve come to know over the last few months through her work. She was there for the whole event and got some great band shots, so the photography credits henceforth go to Francie Davis/3roses photography.
The first band up was Fast Nixon.
By the accounts I heard these guys had a very tight sound. I had hoped to catch them live since they’re frequently played on the ‘Local Produce’ radio show but it was not to be.
Dust ‘n Bones took the stage next and I assume, based on my previous encounters with them, rocked the place with some strong cover tunes. They led into the point where I arrived, just in time for The Electric Co.
They took a folk-rock turn in their set, mixing in a few originals and showing their wide influence base of rock, folk, and even bluegrass. It may not have been everyone’s cup of tea, but those who stuck around definitely enjoyed the show. Nate Clendenen of TEC was a second-time participant in the event, leading off last year with a solo gig.
The growing chill in the air reminded me of the upcoming Halloween season, and told me it was time for a dose of Witches Brew. (Clever segue, huh?)
The way Witches Brew rocked the stage, I’m sure they were quite toasty by the end. As usual, they pummeled out some hard rock covers from the catalog of groups like Judas Priest and Nirvana. They’re one of two bands which has played all three of these events, the other being the host group Semiblind.
Another band I’d looked forward to seeing was Deep Sea Research, which played next.
They may have been one of the most unique cover bands I’ve ever encountered (although they played one original tune too.) In a 45-minute set, they played only 3 or 4 full songs – the first 25 or 30 minutes was one continuous jam of various song snippets from the classic rock era. Just when you thought they may settle into a groove, they up and changed the thing around – I frankly enjoyed it.
Their last song was a Pink Floyd cover with a special guest.
Since Semiblind was next on the bill anyway, they asked guitarist Jim Hogsett to jam with them on their last song. And it made the transition between bands easier, too.
Even though Michele Hogsett was hobbling around on crutches helping to direct the BreastFest proceedings, Semiblind did their set with her gamely standing throughout. You can get a little more of the backstory behind the (Save the) Breastfest here and here. It’s definitely been a star-crossed event, having survived three venue changes including a last-minute cancellation.
With two new players on stage, they stuck to their bread-and-butter of classic rock covers – but Jim promised that exciting stuff is in the works with the new members. Stay tuned.
A band with a definite affinity for Van Halen is Fuzzbox Piranha. The music of those classic rockers was a staple of FP’s set, with a definite lean toward the days of David Lee Roth. But anyone who starts ‘Panama’ with the opening riff to ‘Everybody Wants Some!!’ will get your attention.
Last but not least was Vivid Season.
A lot of what they played was those songs you’d find on a modern rock radio station, but they took a country detour for a couple tunes just for fun. Heck, those still out there were freezing by then so whatever worked to get up and dance, right? Some of the ladies were getting into it, that’s for sure.
I’m not sure just how much the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition raised from the event, although it figures that the first fall-like day with threatening weather happened to occur for this event. Sunny and 80 degrees would have likely doubled or tripled the turnout. But I’m sure Michele is undaunted and probably working out ways to make edition number four next year bigger and better.
I also want to point out that Francie Davis was most helpful and thank her for permission to use her work. She has a full album of the event, which includes many more band shots that I didn’t include here. Francie is probably best known, though, for her award-winning nature photos, with prints available for sale. Check her site out!
Weekend of local rock volume 40
You know, I promised this edition about a month ago and completely forgot.
To be honest, I have no idea if Third Friday came off tonight because of the storms which rolled through town (by several accounts.) I was actually up the Shore for my job so I couldn’t make it to 3F this month anyway.
But these bands were featured at last month’s Third Friday, so better late than never I suppose. Let’s begin at the Plaza with alex&shiloh and the Hot Mess.
I’ve seen alex&shiloh together as a duo but this was their full-band debut. There was definitely a nice variety of instruments and sounds in the few songs I heard from the band as I was strolling the Plaza – they seemed to have something of a folksy vibe to them in this arrangement.
Moving around the corner to the courthouse, I came across The New Standards.
Despite the intriguing dual-percussion lineup, they played the most classic rock. While there’s nothing wrong with that at all, perhaps I was expecting more of a jam band feel to them and that may have been the case in those times I was out of their earshot. Still, if I were out to see any of the three bands in a more formal setting this would be my first choice.
The last band along East Main Street was Skyway Nine.
I have to admit that of the three I heard by far the least of Skyway Nine so they didn’t have a lot of opportunity to make an impression on me. But the one thing which did stick out was that the singer needs to find songs to better complement his voice. Sometimes the wrong song makes all the difference.
As I noted up top, tonight was supposed to be another Third Friday but I don’t know if it went off as normal because of the rain. On the bill were three local acts, in order of stage from Plaza to East Main the slate was The Hot Meals, Bigtimeshipwreck, and The Tent Pins. I’ve heard Bigtimeshipwreck before and enjoyed them so I was bummed to miss out on their show.
Oh well, next month is another chance although I have plans to see a big show the night before.
Blessing of the Combines in pictures and text
Today my significant other and I wandered down to Snow Hill for the 13th Annual Blessing of the Combines. In its short history the event appears to have placed the otherwise sleepy town of Snow Hill on the map.
(Just so you know, some of the photos I’m featuring come from my girlfriend, and if you can’t figure it out from the enhanced quality of her photography compared to mine I’ll have to clue you in. The one to start this post is by Kim Corkran.)
The event begins with a parade, and seeing a row of combines coming down the road can be impressive.
Some of the combines had politicians on them. Andy Harris joked that it was one of the few times he was on the left, but Norm Conway and Jim Mathias were at home there.
I did get the chance to bend Andy’s ear a little later. The lady in the center is former Delegate candidate and Worcester County Republican Chair Marty Pusey. (Photo by Kim Corkran.)
Now that they’ve wrapped up the budget, I want Andy to work on reducing those government mandates!
Both political parties were represented there, although the Republicans were a little more open about it.
Meanwhile, two tables down the Democrats were trying to register voters as well.
But there was something I noticed about their table – not one item I saw mentioned President Obama. Odd, don’t you think? Maybe the local Democrats are running away from him?
Interestingly enough, the featured speaker was Nelson Brice. He serves the federal government as the District Conservationist for the USDA, and he pointed out how farmers were helping the environment.
Still, most of the people there weren’t interested in politics. The actual blessing was handled by the Rev. Rick Edmund, a former Snow Hill pastor who now serves a church in the village of Ewell out on Smith Island.
For the kids, there was plenty to do – crafts, face painting, a bounce house, a petting zoo, and the chance to play in a bed of soybeans, all tucked away on Pearl Street.
If their parents wandered around the block the kids could have a pony ride as well.
This feathered friend awaited across the way (photo by Kim Corkran.)
And kids of all ages who like to eat had plenty to choose from. I took this while standing in line waiting for some pit beef.
While standing in that line, Kim took this unique crowd shot. (So did I but hers came out better.)
While we were eating, the band began to play. Mike Short, Jr. and Statewide were the featured performers, playing a mix of country and rock originals and covers.
The second photo of Mike is by Kim Corkran.
After listening to his band for a spell, we worked our way down to one of my favorite parts of the event, the Wheels That Heal car show.
Here’s a pair of Pontiac Firebirds from a bygone era.
My dad used to have a truck like this but it was in nowhere near this good of shape.
For those who wanted to really relive a bygone era, there was the opportunity to ride a horse-drawn carriage.
It also was a chance to meet friends old and new. Kim took this last picture of this couple, who have been married 55 years. Surely they saw a lot of people they knew and probably recalled a lot who are no longer with us.
If you weren’t there, you missed a chance to celebrate our rural heritage with a family-friendly event. Come the first Saturday in August 2012 you just might find us there again!
Friday night videos – episode 70
In order to commemorate the 2nd anniversary of FNV, I’m doing a double-length episode featuring ten of my favorite music videos I’ve featured. They’re not really in rank order as I decided to place those others shot first and then my own stuff later. At the end I throw in something a little different.
Let’s begin with a group that’s a regular on FNV, and hopefully they’re advancing their musical careers outside the Delmarva region soon. While they do the occasional cover, one reason I like Not My Own is their reliance on original music. The other is that they play hard rock, which is a little unusual for a Christian band. This is a pairing called ‘Bleed/Believer.’
Another original hard rock staple coming from Ocean City is the band Lower Class Citizens, a band where you immediately hear the influence of Led Zeppelin. (Yes, they play a few Zeppelin covers in some shows.) While I have taped their songs in the past, I chose to use a more slickly produced version of ‘The Dark Midnight’ because it’s a longer song and the sound quality is excellent.
The quartet of hard rockers known as Order 6D-6 is no longer around, sadly – they called it quits earlier this year. They always seemed to be that band that just couldn’t quite break through to a higher level, but they put together some good original songs with strange videos, like this one for “Holeshot.”
To succeed in getting gigs, though, a band out of Delmarva likely has to know a number of cover songs, and I’ve featured those too. Maybe my favorite among those isn’t necessarily from a band which plays around the area but just some guys getting together. Bob Daigle got some friends in the studio and cranked out a heavier version of ‘The Legend of Wooley Swamp,’ an old Charlie Daniels classic.
There’s just something that I like about how Amy Walls of Petting Hendrix sings this song. It’s actually not a song I heard on the radio that much (nor am I that crazy about the song lyrically) but then again I’m not a big pop music fan, either. In this case, Petting Hendrix takes it up a notch.
Anymore when I go see a local band I have my camera in tow – if not, I feel like I’m missing something. I’ll grant to you that my videos aren’t the most spectacular in quality but what’s more important to me is spreading the word about the talent we have here, whether they’re playing covers or originals.
My YouTube channel has nearly three dozen different music videos on it, and I’ve featured the bulk of them on FNV. Strangely enough, the most-viewed music video comes from a band which doesn’t play around here a lot but when they do they tear the place up. Smokin’ Gunnz comes down from Pennsylvania a couple a times a year to play Southern classics like this one.
Another well-played video is a song I’m adding for my sweetie – this is one of her favorite songs, done by the classic cover artists of Agent 99.
Yep, it’s sort of a long intro. I think that’s one of the first shows I took full-length video at for inclusion in FNV. That was recorded at the 12 Bands of Christmas show in 2009.
I like multi-band shows because I can get a bunch of different videos, and every once in awhile I’ll get an original song. To me, songs like this one – ‘Bookshelf’ by Crookedfinger – are gold.
The same goes for my friends in Semiblind. You had to know they would be represented here, and I chose their original ‘Take Control’ for inclusion.
Sometimes I like to do something a little different. Having seen Semiblind enough times, I knew if I did a video of guitarist Jim Hogsett on this song it would turn out well. He shreds up ‘Seven Nation Army.’
This song isn’t as heavy as most of the others I featured, and it’s not by a local artist. But sometimes I need to send a message. I don’t recall who introduced me to it, but it’s a staple of FNV at particular times when a reminder is needed. This is Ava Aston doing ‘We The People.’
Now, I promised you something different at the bottom.
I grew up in northwest Ohio, which like Delmarva is a rural area (except for the city of Toledo and its suburbs.) So there wasn’t a lot of local music to be easily found in the pre-internet age – you had to have at least some sort of record contract to be heard. I liked hard rock from my mid-teens but also enjoyed ‘borrowing’ my brother’s 8-track of this band called The Other Half.
Their biggest claim to fame was having one of their songs (‘Smut’) featured on the ‘Doctor Demento’ radio show, since many of their tunes featured humorous lyrics with a number of double entendres.
The Glass City also had their own hair metal band as one of those ‘almost was’ groups. This video was shot around Toledo in 1988 and I still have this album on cassette from Damien, which like the song is called ‘Every Dog Has Its Day.’
So I’ve always been a fan of those bands who toil around my local area. Alas, Toledo wasn’t L.A. in 1983 and Delmarva isn’t Seattle circa 1990 so a lot of bands I like are undiscovered.
But I’ll keep doing my little part to change that!
35th Annual Tawes Crab and Clam Bake in pictures and text
As the old saying goes, there are two sides to (almost) every story, and the annual event in Crisfield provides plenty of comparisons.
Take the location for example – a marina filled with boats valued in the tens of thousands of dollars hard by low-income housing. Denizens of the immediate neighborhood look forward to the Clam Bake as it provides an opportunity to sell parking spots to people who don’t wish to walk as far to the event.
In short, they create their own economic development. But bringing 3,500 visitors to Crisfield is an economic boost to the area.
While the event has a reputation as a political stop, there is a business element there too. Some companies look to get or keep their name out in the area.
Others use it as a reward to their customers, hosting elaborate parties within the party.
But the crowd was noticeably smaller than last year’s. Yes, this is not an election year but even the number of businesses which took tent space seemed smaller. How often do you see this?
Maybe it’s something about Area 51? But this is a shot I took around 1:30 or so at the peak of the festivities.
Compare that crowd to this still shot from last year.
Even the mugs weren’t being snatched up as quickly.
As you’ll notice in the panoramic picture, there are two main areas where crowds gather. On one side are the smaller tents set up for businesses and groups. But many people sit in the pavilion and enjoy musical entertainment.
I can’t say I’m a fan of country or bluegrass, but a number of people sat under the pavilion to listen.
I know, I know – you readers are saying, “Michael, you have a political website. What’s the political dirt?” Well, there are two sides to that as well.
One guy who seems to straddle that line is Bruce Bereano, who annually has among the largest tents and his own “corner.” However, with a revised setup this year he was more in the middle.
In a nice touch, Bereano has honored a local leader for the last couple years.
If you don’t believe he works to both sides of the aisle, consider that the following two signs were close together on his tent.
Could this be the gubernatorial matchup for 2014? Peter Franchot could obviously be entrenched as Comptroller for as long as he wants to be but my feeling is he wants something more. Meanwhile, David Craig is term-limited as Harford County Executive but obviously has a run for something in mind three years hence. My guess would be that “something” is a long-term stay in Government House.
A matchup which will occur sooner is a statewide battle for the U.S. Senate seat held by Ben Cardin. Presumably he was a little busy today, but a number of volunteers were sporting his colors and registering voters as they stood in the food lines.
Arriving a little later was a man who’s aiming to be his Republican rival, Dan Bongino. Here he’s talking to Bill Harris of Cecil County.
I also spied Eric Wargotz there with his wife. But he wasn’t openly campaigning at this time.
Like Senator Cardin, Congressman Andy Harris was likely a little busy today but had volunteers and signs with a sharply pointed message about. Eventually a lot of folks were wearing yellow Harris shirts.
By gosh, I think Andy is right. But there was someone quite familiar to him there.
Allow me to pose a question. Why would you spend $200 on tickets and a half tank of gas to come down and eat crabs one can probably get just as readily in Queen Anne’s County? Perhaps it’s a case of best two out of three? For all his talk about time with the family I don’t think, given the power and prestige of a seat in Congress, he can let it go just to be a cheerleader for Ben Cardin.
And there were a few cheerleaders for our state’s junior Senator.
Yet the Democrats had a modest, unassuming presence compared to the GOP.
That’s not to say both parties weren’t represented, to be sure. Here’s two of our best freshman Delegates, Charles Otto and Justin Ready.
They weren’t the only freshmen Republicans there, as I saw Michael Hough, Kathy Szeliga, and of course my Delegate Mike McDermott at the event.
Meanwhile, Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt was reaching across the aisle, greeting old friends in the Somerset County Republican tent.
On the other hand, Norm Conway was holed up around the Democrats’ base.
Even the unaffiliated were there. Yes, last I checked Laura Mitchell of Salisbury City Council doesn’t state a party affiliation. I did catch up to her just outside the Democratic tent, though.
Nor was national politics forgotten. Kevin Waterman (who some may know for the Questing for Atlantis website) came supporting his choice for President, Gary Johnson.
Republican politics must run in that family – his mother Diana (who I cut off in the photo) is First Vice-Chair of the Maryland GOP.
Needless to say, the media was there as well. WBOC-TV was on location shooting footage, and I saw print reporters and fellow bloggers about, too.
But I’m curious if anyone else will report on this tidbit.
Notice the flag placed in the corner of the Democrats’ tent? It’s the Wicomico County flag.
Now I’m not convinced that the official imprimatur of our fair county should be in that tent – granted, Democrats have a plurality of voters here but Republicans hold more elected seats in county government. If it’s an endorsement of Democratic principles (such as they are) for our county, consider me as a conscientious objector.
So while the turnout was smaller than in years past, it was still a good event for the Crisfield community. And the rain, which I noticed on my drive back, stayed away.
Look for an interesting cast of characters for next year’s event, which should fall after the 2012 primary on July 18, 2012.
Friday night videos – episode 69
The series returneth. Let’s begin with this up-and-coming group of young whippersnappers caught on Live Lixx the other day. They’re known as Hot Sauce Sandwich.
They’ve been playing around the area and seem to be embarking on a familiar route as they work hard to get their name out. Consider this a little more help.
I really like these guys, and Not My Own is beginning to become a little more of a regional band. This was recorded in New Jersey a few weeks back – it’s a song I’ve featured before but in a new venue.
I don’t doubt they’re working on new material, too. It will be interesting to see when they have a full-length formal release.
The other day I was listening to this CD and wondered if the Baltimore-based Se7enth Seal had any videos on YouTube. Well, here’s one of their song ‘Isomorph.’
Haven’t heard much from them of late, but they just may run in different circles.
This is something else I happened to toss into my CD player this week. Hey, I’m on the road quite a bit. It comes from Woodstok Nation.
I recorded that way back at the tail end of 2009 and I think I’ve used it before somewhere down the line. But it’s still pretty good.
Another underrated local band which does originals and that I like to feature on occasion is Lime Green. This one is ‘Psychadelic Dream.’
Finally, since it IS episode 69 I thought I’d add a cover of “Summer of ’69″ – Semiblind does the honors. I recorded this last month at Third Friday. And Kim just wanted me to record a couple songs because she had to leave early – little did she know.
By the way, this month’s Third Friday is next week. Not sure who’s playing, though.
It’s hard to believe, but summer is about half over and I’m approaching the second anniversary of FNV. Yes, this whole series began back in July of 2009. While it started out as a political vehicle, I’ve found that the music videos are much more fun so that change is permanent. (They’re just a bit harder to compile, which is why the pace of episodes have slowed down somewhat.)
So it looks like episode 70 may be a “best of” or even a “viewer’s choice” if I can drum up enough interest. What do you think were the top music videos I featured? Look for it in a week or two!
Weekend of local rock volume 39
You should have received a sampling of these bands last night on my FNV episode (well, 2 of the 3 anyway.) But here’s my rundown of Third Friday’s music. The stated intention of this month’s edition of 3F was to feature female-fronted bands.
One thing about attending an event such as this was that all three bands were playing at the same time, so I could only sample some of each. I’ll work in this case from east to west geographically, and since Pugsly was situated down East Main Street they’ll go first.
In watching and listening to the group briefly, one thing I liked about Pugsly is that they don’t forget the bass. Maybe it was the sound mix, but this group almost seems like they have a lead bass rather than a guitar. Their sound carried well down the street.
They also have a sense of humor, which is good for a stage presence. It was kind of a shame they drew the worst spot for their setup because not many people traveled down Main Street to watch them play.
Moving down to the courthouse, we found Semiblind. They are a versatile, veteran group which has the advantage of being able to play in two configurations. They started out as an acoustic duo…
…then transitioned to their normal ‘electric’ lineup once the bassist and drummer arrived.
Anyone who knows me knows I’m part of an unofficial fan club for the group. But one can’t argue with their success and hard work because Semiblind in its various configurations is in demand and playing practically every weekend this summer all over Delmarva, from Chincoteague to Stevensville. And while they do sprinkle in originals from time to time, the songs I heard last week were classic rockers they placed their stamp on.
Meanwhile, on the Plaza itself the all-female group The Zen Monkeys held court.
As you may be able to tell by the sheer number of instruments on stage, these ladies perform a very eclectic mix of original songs – in fact, in the times I looked on they didn’t use the drums. That’s pretty unusual for a rock band, but so is using a washboard as they did on one song. Suffice to say, The Zen Monkeys are difficult to categorize. They would have probably been at home on the Flavors stage.
But I’m still not done, even though I’ve covered the three ‘official’ bands. These two guys were playing jazz down at the west end of the Plaza.
They weren’t part of the bill because they’re not female, but one thing I’ve noticed about 3F is that things aren’t necessarily planned or scripted. Two guys want to show up and play a little jazz? More power to them; just keep a little distance apart so you’re not playing on top of each other.
Certainly on the third Friday in July there will be music downtown of some sort. Come on down and enjoy.
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