OOT News

By: Krista Doran

I really love writing this segment for the Out On The Town. Over the last 2 years I have been writing this column, I have had the opportunity to meet some great musicians and I truly enjoy the wonderful friendships I have made. Some interviews are better than others of course, but they are all interesting to me. That being said, I am very proud of the fact that I am writing this month’s “In The Spotlight” about a young woman from our area that is a true musician in every sense of the word. She doesn’t just perform her own music, she writes from her soul, and is driven by her faith. Please let me present to you, Ms. Loretta Allen.

Loretta actually started out as an actor. She enjoyed a happy and successful career performing on Murder Mystery Dinner Tours. This life was very lucrative for her and then one day she decided to trade in her playbill for a guitar. I asked Loretta what helped her make this decision and she explained “I walk by faith and not by sight. I received a sign from God, telling me that this is what I should be doing so it is my mission.” Because Loretta has always been so driven by her faith, early in her career she took to the road with a beat-up old Ovation that her Aunt found in the trash. In her even-more-beat-up Jetta, Loretta went from town to town playing at gas stations making just enough money for food and gas that would get her to the next town. Driving out as far as California, she realized she’d found her second home. The wild ocean and tall trees gave her the inspiration to write her songs on a whole new level. Her music is soulful and graceful with heavy influences of Folk and good ol’ Rock and Roll. Her voice is devastatingly haunting. Each of her songs are an eclectic mix of music that moves people, both in a happy and sad way. Loretta explained to me, “I like to take people on a journey with my music. I love people and I want to inspire them through the stories in my songs.”

I asked Loretta what she used as inspiration for her music. She giggled and said “Anything! I don’t really think that people write songs, however. I think the songs are already out there; we just have to grab them and pull them into this world. Songs come from a very special place in the universe and we are just the interpreturs.” Loretta’s music has greatly evolved over the years. I asked her in what ways she felt things changed and she told me that she has put a lot of study into what she does. “I have lots of wonderful coaches who have graciously given their time to help me realize my potential, especially my vocal coach, Mardelle F. DeLancey. I have been amazed at the growth I have achieved because I really didn’t expect it.”

With major influences of artists like Tori Amos, Jewel, Sarah McLachlan and The Beatles, Loretta has developed her own unique style that is innocent, yet wise, insightful and melodic. She is a highly sought after musician, playing many local upcoming events such as the Stirfry Music Festival at Snipes Farm in Newtown which will be taking place August 28 – August 30. She is also the Sponsorship Coordinator for the Montgomery/Bucks Music Awards, which are based on the very successful Lehigh Valley Music Awards. This alone is huge testament to her talent and validity as a musician. You can also catch Loretta performing every Sunday night at The Tullytown Pub on Main Street in Bristol.

Loretta Allen has certainly made a name for herself in the area through her music. She explained to me that it was very hard at first because she was making great money pursuing her acting career. “It was tough being broke all the time and starting a brand new career,” but 10 years later and look at her – she is soaring like a bird and all of us here at The Out On The Town couldn’t be more proud of her. She has done all the right things, the right way, and continues to stay true to herself and her beliefs. Not many people can honestly say that. Loretta is a beautiful, yet old soul and her music will inspire you. Check her songs out and see her schedule right now on Myspace at www.myspace.com/loretta.allen or better yet, go see her live! You’ll be glad you did!

By: Krista Doran

Is it just me or does it seem as though the cover band scene in this area has done a good amount of “self-weeding” lately? Let’s face it, everyone is, or at some point in time wants to be in a band. It’s a pretty cool job, if I may so myself! I spend a lot of time out there on the scene and it seems like the bands that truly have the staying power are easily getting booked, while others are struggling to get a return date anywhere. I suppose there is always going to be a level of saturation when it comes to local cover bands but clubs and fans of the local scene are wising up and they will no longer settle for mediocre or the same old thing. They want something “different.” One band that we have been seeing and hearing a lot about lately is a band out of NJ called Goodman Fiske, and that is who we are featuring in this issue of the OOT!

I sat down and talked to band co-founder, Gene Goodman who is a very down-to-earth, no nonsense guy, who truly knows the talent of this band. Gene told me, “I have spent a lot of time researching all the bands around the area, as well as the music scene itself, and I can pretty much guarantee the musicianship you see with this band is different that any other cover band out there. We have definitely raised the bar.” Specializing in hard-hitting Rock and Party Rock, Goodman Fiske is a band that has been getting a lot of attention lately, and for good reasons. These guys have only been together less than 3 years, and they are playing some of the best clubs in the area such as Ri Ra and Bally’s Beach Bar in Atlantic City, and most recently they added 3 shows in August and will be performing on the Carnival Cruise line out on the Atlantic Ocean! GMF usually plays mainly in the NJ area, but are making an effort to start working the Philly scene and will be appearing at Tavern on Broad, Wednesday 8/11. “We are here to show everyone that there are still really good cover bands out there that not only play well, but know how to entertain a crowd,” Gene told me. I have to agree with Gene because I have been around the scene a long time and I really believe a lot of bands have forgotten how to entertain. Many don’t even know there is a difference between playing and entertaining. This band “gets it” and they strive to be the best they can be.

If you go to see Goodman Fiske, you are going to experience a very entertaining party band that will stun you with their musical ability. The things they do onstage, the songs they choose to perform and their overall playing style is something every music lover should experience. In the time GMF has been playing live, they’ve had some major opportunities to shine such as performing on channel 3’s “Beasley Reece Show” inside CBS studios. They have also worked with local radio station events such as 94.1 WYSP’s Fat Tuesday with Danny Bonaduce, 93.3 WMMR’s MMRBQ with Pierre Robert and recently became the house band for 102.7 WJSE – a rock station down at the NJ shore area.

Managed by The Shore Bets Agency, you can find Goodman Fiske playing up and down the East Coast all year long. This band definitely has the energy, drive, dedication, and creativity to become one of the best cover bands to ever come out of the Philly area. Goodman Fiske is: Gene Goodman, Lead Guitar and vocals, Ryan Fiske, Guitar and vocals, Ian Lightcap, Bass and vocals, John Kresge, Drums. You can view their schedule online at www.goodmanfiskeband.com. Goodman Fiske is certainly one of The Out On The Town’s favorites because we know and support the best local music!

By: Krista Doran

It’s been a crazy beginning of summer so far, so my husband and I, with our friends Patty and Shawn, decided to check out a new place that everyone has been talking about called Dean Casmirri’s Colonial Inn, over on Beaver Street in Penndel. It’s an out-of-the-way place along the Neshaminy Creek and just the kind of place we were looking for last Saturday night to beat the heat. We pulled up and heard some live music playing outside and took a walk back onto their private and secluded deck area. The place was hopping! There were a bunch of people back there dancing and having a great time, so we decided to sit and stay a while. The band was Jokers Wild, and I am happy to say we’ve decided to feature them in this month’s issue.

For any of you that read this article every month, you’ve probably noticed that I will go from writing about an original band to a real well-known cover band to a lesser known but up and coming band. I like to keep a good variety going so that it appeals to many people. After hearing this band Jokers Wild and seeing how the people reacted to them, I thought they would be the perfect subject for this month’s In the Spotlight. I spoke to their leader and rhythm guitar player, Mike Hope who explained to me that they are really having a lot of fun just playing all the music they group up listening to on the radio. Jokers Wild plays a nice blend of music from 70’s Classic Rock to heavy Modern Rock and well as some Blues. Mike told me “we’ll go right from playing Hotel California to Metallica. We like to appeal to a broad audience so we’ll play a little of everything.”

Mike was a long time, on-the-scene musician and had been away for a few years when he deiced to put Jokers Wild together. He assembled a band that he felt had the talent to progress into something that everyone will really like and so far so good! They have now been playing the local circuit since January of this year and have been making many people sit up and listen. Although they don’t play more than 2 or 3 times a month, Mike told me they are taking things slow and really working on their sound to get things just right. “We really like playing the heavier stuff; Iron Maiden, Metallica, Ozzy – you’ll never hear us playing any of the sappy stuff.” I liked that saying myself, (I use it in my own marketing!) because too many people ARE playing the same old songs. It’s ALWAYS nice to hear a band that takes the time to learn and play something different for a change. The members of the band are Mike Hope on Rhythm guitar, Harry Phron on Lead Vocals, Joe “Rip Riley” Ellsworth on bass, Shawn Young on Drums and Billy Ba on Lead Guitar. Jokers Wild is a unique blend of talent that gets the job of rocking the crowd done!

Jokers Wild will be playing a benefit for a really great cause on July 25, and I urge everyone to help support it! It’s for the Bensalem School District’s music program and the proceeds raised will be used to help KEEP MUSIC IN SCHOOLS. It’s a family event, so bring the kiddies for a day of fun at The Newportville Fire Company. There will be live music by Joker’s Wild, Wicked Stranger and Tommy Spirk of the Richards Brothers Band. There will also be moon bounces, a dunk tank and a real Army Tank so plan for a very fun day! This event starts at 1:00 pm and ends at 6:00 pm and tickets are just $25. This is a great way to help support local music and a very good cause at the same time!

So if you are looking for a “good-time” band, be sure to go hang out and have some drinks with Jokers Wild. You can view their schedule and take a listen to them now on their Facebook page called Jokers Wild Bucks County.

By: Krista Doran

I have to be honest with you all. When the decision was made on which band would be featured in this issue, I was a bit apprehensive. I was asked to write about an agency band who I assumed would be similar to many of the other cover bands out there. Well, you know what they say when you ASSUME, right? I learned my lesson to not assume anything anymore, because the band in this month’s spotlight is fresh, unique and an extremely talented group of guys called The Nameless Few!

I spoke to their drummer, Rich who was so polite and so happy that the OOT was going to feature their band. The more he spoke about his fellow band members, the more I liked them because they all just really love doing what they do. The Nameless Few does fall into the Party Band category because of the music they play, which is a unique blend of great music from the 70’s on up through to what you hear on the radio right NOW. According to Rich, “we’ll play anything that will get people moving and that includes a lot of Top 40 songs.” As I have stated in previous features, I am not really one that enjoys the Top 40 scene. On the other hand, I do know that when you are in a band, you have to play a good amount of crowd pleasures because they are what the people want to hear. The Nameless Few does this, plus they take the time to throw in, as Rich called them, “our selfish picks” or songs they like to do as a band. They have been able to inspire crowds and lovers of music from Vermont to Virginia, so obviously they are doing it right.

The Nameless Few has been around since 2005 and with their guitar player, Kratzy being the only original member; I think it’s safe to say that like most bands, they have had their share of changes. Rich told me that “one of the things that have really made a big difference for this band is the addition of our new lead singer, Gary. His vocal range is so strong it is almost effortless. This has opened up so many more doors for us, because we can now play music we couldn’t before, such as ‘Thing Called Love’ by The Darkness or the Chemical Romance version of ‘Under Pressure.’ We are better than ever now because Gary’s vocals really shine.” In addition to that fact, you’ll be blown away when you hear these guys, considering that there are just 4 members, 3 that are playing instruments! The Nameless Few truly has the sound of a 5 or 6 piece band and they do it WITHOUT sampling of any kind. With Ricky rounding out their rhythm section with his tremendous bass playing skills, something that also adds fullness to their sound is the 3 part harmonies. This is something that is really hard to pull off live at times, but this band does it with ease and precision.

Rich explained to me that when people come to see the Nameless Few “they are going to experience songs played a little bit more in depth than a typical cover band would play. We collaborate as a team to play them in our style, and make them more our own.” One of the songs you may hear them play is “Brown-eyed Girl,” which is perhaps one of the most played out songs ever. But The Nameless Few will do it Reggae-style, breathing new life back into the song for those of us that have heard it one too many times. This is a beautiful thing and it makes you start to love these songs all over again. Music is meant to be enjoyed and make you happy. This is exactly what The Nameless Few offers each and every time to their audience. They deliver their songs with passion and emotion, reminiscent of the days when local live music was in its heyday.
You can catch The Nameless Few next on Friday, June 25th at The Trappe Tavern in Trappe, PA and then on Saturday June 26th at Harrigan’s Pub in Warminster, PA. To see their full schedule of dates and to hear samples of their music, go to www.tnfband.com. The Nameless Few is booked through Shore Bets, 215-884-HELP.

By:  Krista Doran

Like many of the people who read this feature, music has always been a big part of my life.  As a kid, I remember how exciting it was to go buy a brand new album.  I would get home, jump on my bed, tear that thing open and would study every picture, read every word from cover to cover, inside and out.  The stories about the artists and their songs simply fascinated me.  To me, getting to know a musician or band through their music is so interesting.  You get to share in their joy and their pain. Like Mick Jaggar sang, “If I could stick my pen in my heart and spill it all over the page,” musicians certainly have that unique ability to express themselves.  As a musician myself, I know that it takes a lot to write and perform from the heart and behind every musician there is always a great story.  This fact holds true for the artist I am writing about in this month’s issue, AJ Slick.

For anyone that knows AJ, you know what a humble, yet extremely talented musician this man is.  Born right here in Philly and growing up in the true rock and roll era of the 60’s and 70’s, AJ was first influenced by some of the best music ever written…by The Beatles, of course!  He heard the song “Revolution” and his desire to play guitar was born.

AJ’s great talent developed early and by the age of 14 he started playing local clubs in Philly and New Jersey with his bands Destroyer and the 5670 Band. In the mid 80’s, AJ was noticed by a couple of Philly’s major acts and had the opportunity to share the stage with Cinderella and Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers. “Tommy is such a great guitar player and a really cool dude,” AJ told me.  By the late 80’s, when AJ was just 18 years old, he went full force into his style of Texas Blues and Southern Rock and started playing at many Blues festivals all over the East Coast and down South.  While in Texas playing at the Crazy Horse Saloon Blues Festival, he got to meet Blues legend Sonny Rhodes.  Once Sonny heard AJ, he asked him to accompany him on a short tour of the East coast playing guitar for The Sonny Rhodes Band. AJ told me “I learned so much from that tour.  Sonny showed me a lot of great things.  It was definitely a pivotal point in my career.”  After that tour, AJ decided to go on touring with his own band playing the first Woodstock Festival back in the early 90’s and things just progressed from there.  AJ was really starting to get his name out there as a musician, and had some great opportunities to play with many well-known artists.  AJ told me “one of the coolest things that ever happened to me was when Rick Danko from The Band approached me and asked if we could play some songs onstage together.  That was a really incredible experience for me, one that I will always remember.”

Over the years, AJ has been inspired by some of the best music out there such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, C.C.R, The Allman Brothers, Led Zeppelin, Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhodes, Jimi Hendrix and Yngwie Malmsteen.  When you hear AJ play, you can hear all of this influence erupt into a whole other unique style, all his own.  “I play what I want to play, not what people expect me to play.  I just feel like it comes across so much better and people really seem to enjoy it.”  Whenever AJ plays, you can believe it all comes from the heart.  He is a very intense player, whose movements are fluid, as if the guitar is part of his body.  He plays with so much feeling and it always comes across so genuine.  AJ told me, “I play every show like it’s the last time I’ll ever play and I always play with one goal and that is to play the best I can.”

Even with all that he has seen and done over the years, AJ still remains modest yet confident in his abilities as a musician.  He spoke very highly of several of the local musicians he knows and truly believes that Philly has some of the most talented musicians anywhere and I have to agree with him.  AJ’s “Northern Rock” attitude is a no holds barred, tough but fair Philly attitude, which keeps him focused on playing the music he wants to play and not become a sell-out.

Of all the great music that has influenced AJ, there is definitely one artist that has had a major effect on him, and that would be the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan.  AJ started his SRV Tribute band, appropriately named Soul to Soul with band members Stevie K on Bass and Bill Beck on Drums.  This trio also performs AJ’s original music, and along with top notch female singer Eileen Silverman, they gig as The AJ Slick Band, performing Classic Rock covers.  You can catch AJ’s Stevie Ray Vaughan Tribute every couple of months at one of the venues in Philly that definitely supports local music, whether it be original, cover and especially Tribute band, Sweeney’s Saloon.  The next stop for AJ Slick and Soul to Soul will be at The Pennypack Park Music Festival on Wednesday 6/23, along with Joe Coyne’s Eric Clapton/Cream Tribute and Axis (Jimi Hendrix Tribute).

AJ’s love for music has gone on to inspire many others that he now teaches at R & M Music Studios in Langhorne, PA.  In fact, two of his students recently won Guitar Center’s King of Blues contest.  AJ is also a great dad and he tries to spend as much time as he can with his kids which includes helping to coach their hockey teams.  AJ told me, with a smile, “My kids are my life and I love hanging out with them.”

AJ has had it tough at times, having to overcome many trials and tribulations through the years.  He was very candid during our interview and out of respect for him I did not mention everything here.  But I will say that all of these experiences have molded him into a strong-willed, unique individual who will, if nothing else, always be true to himself.  This man is worthy of our admiration.  Not just for his music, but for the person he is – husband, father, teacher, and friend.  You can get more information about AJ and where he will be playing next at www.ajslick.net or by calling 215-437-1219.  See you all at Pennypack Park on 6/23!

By:  Krista Doran

So, I’m food shopping last week when my cell phone rings and on the other line is someone introducing himself as Francis Orsini.  I thought to myself, “Hmmm… should I call him Francis?” I mean, I knew who it was but his band’s name is Don’t Call Me Francis. I certainly did not want to be rude, and say “Hello Francis!”, so I pretended I didn’t hear him and said, “I’m sorry, who is this?” The voice on the other end said, “Krista, its Frank Orsini!”  I am very happy to say that this week’s In the Spotlight segment features a local party band that has been bringing the good times everywhere they go for close to 20 years now – the Don’t Call Me Francis Band!

I have to admit, I thought I was going to be interviewing a somewhat egotistical “ladies man” but that could not be further from the truth.  Frank was an extremely down to earth, personable gentleman, who wears his heart on his sleeve and talked more about the members of the band than himself.  He had such wonderful things to say about every single person in the band and I was really surprised to find out what huge talent backed him on stage.  For anyone that has ever seen Don’t Call Me Francis live, you know what kind of powerful sound they have, but their musical backgrounds are even more impressive.  Several members of the band have played with major acts such as KC and the Sunshine Band, Alicia Keys, Prince and Blood Sweat and Tears, just to name a few.  Frank was particularly fond of how his percussionist and female lead singer Mary Harris has contributed to the band.  “Mary is such an extraordinary singer with a beautiful voice.  Having her on stage is a blessing for us.”  Frank was also very excited about his drummer, who simply goes by the name “M&M” and he told me that “playing with these musicians is like a reward for all the adversity I have had to deal with in the past. They are all professional, SMOKIN’ players and every one of them has mastered their skill.”

With an exceptional horn and vocally powered sound, the Don’t Call Me Francis band has been one of the top-rated Party Rock/Dance Bands in the tri-state area since 1991, and there is definitely a reason for that.  Frank grew up loving rock and roll and because he plays the trumpet, he was also exposed to a lot of Jazz and R & B.  His experience as a music lover has certainly influenced what the band plays onstage and they will do anything from Rock to Disco and everything in between.  “What we play is extremely diversified.  Our shows are high energy and intense with crowds of people chanting and singing right along with us.  People come to our shows expecting to hear fun, danceable music and that is exactly what we give them.  We make people get up out of their seats and dance!”

Don’t Call Me Francis is also the ultimate in wedding bands.  From Sinatra and all the standards to Beyonce and The Black-Eyed Peas, if it’s good party music, they play it.  There are perhaps a handful of acts in this area that can come close to what this band can do onstage.  The level of musicianship, the seriousness of how they studied music and how they perform is unmatched.  As Frank put it, “we strive for an old-school mentality of playing that is professional and hands-down, will give people a time they will never forget.”

You can catch Don’t Call Me Francis playing all over the area including 5 of the local PJ Whelihan locations and plenty of clubs at the Jersey Shore this summer such as The Trump Plaza Beach Bar in Atlantic City, Martell’s Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant and Flip Flopz Beach Bar in North Wildwood.  You can check their schedule at www.francisband.com to see where they are will be appearing and plan your next night out.  You can be certain that with this band playing, it will be the time of your life!  To book the band for your wedding, party, event or club, call 856-986-6749.  The party continues….

By:  Krista Doran

When I am not writing for the OOT, playing music, going to see a live band or having fun in some other way related to music, I actually go to work.  I am an outside sales rep so I spend a lot of time traveling to customer sites in my car. This gives me a chance to listen to music on the radio and sad to say, there really isn’t much new music out there that inspires me.  I thank God that 93.3 WMMR, 94 WYSP and 104.5 WRFF still play some great music because the other stations playing poppy, top 40 or Rap don’t exist in my world.  In my opinion much of today’s music has no soul, no groove…it all sounds the same and this is why my car is full of CDs.  I have been searching for music I can listen to that gets me fired up and makes me want to sing out loud with my windows down and I found it from a band right here in Philly.  That band is Sinners Saints.

I first heard of Sinners Saints from my friend Lori Stidham of the Whiskey Tango. She told me, “Krista, you have to see this band.”  I took her advice because Lori knows her stuff.  From the moment I walked into the bar and heard them playing, I felt that old familiar energy start to stir up inside of me again.  Could it be…new music that is raw, ballsy and really, really good?  YES!!  My faith had been restored and contrary to what so many people are saying, there ARE bands out there that still play good, hard rock and roll in Philly!

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing a few members of Sinners Saints at my home studio.  Rhythm Guitarist Joe O’Hara, Drummer Dave Kenneth and Bass Player Chris McKeever came walking in, cans of PBR in hand and right then and there I knew this was going to be a fun night!  Here in front of me sat 3 very confident, yet humble musicians.  We talked about many things and one comment that impressed me was what Dave said to me when I asked them about what they thought of their shows, “we only have 45 minutes to an hour to get everyone’s attention when we play.  Even if there are only 10 people in a room, it doesn’t matter to us.  We play with passion and the music is always rocking – every time.”  There is never a show where they are playing for only 10 people of course and these guys really believe in what they do and they know it rocks.  It was designed to!  In fact, Sinners Saints have already appeared at some major events and venues including when they played at The Spectrum for a 94 WYSP event back in November.  Just last week they performed at the Lehigh Music Conference, and coming up on May 28^th they’ll be at the TD Arts Center in NJ playing at a Cancer benefit along with Me Talk Pretty, who was voted best new band by MTV.  Sinners Saints will also be one of the bands featured at Ride For Dime – a huge event that will be held at McStew’s Irish Bar in Levittown on June 26^th which honors fallen heroes and gives back to local charities.

Sinners Saints is now a top-rated Philly original band and their music is reaching further out than just the local area.  One of their biggest challenges has been trying to grow their fan base on their own, but they are doing all the right things and it is working.  They have been playing venues anywhere between New York and Maryland and they are really starting to expand their fan base.  Their bass player, Chris McKeever told me “people are constantly coming up to us at our shows saying they heard about us from a friend who said they had to come see us and that they loved every minute of it.”  Word of mouth is this bands best advertisement.

I have to say, it was so refreshing to talk to musicians that really and truly enjoyed every second of what they are doing out there.  Joe, Chris and Dave all had the same belief and dedication to their music and one thing I was really excited to discuss with them was the EP they just released a few months back, which is titled “Bad Habits”.  Dave told me “Recording our EP Bad Habits was a great experience especially since we had the opportunity to work with producer David Ivory.”  If any of you are not familiar with that name, you’ll be happy to know David has produced Philly acts such as Patty Labelle, Halestorm, The Roots and Silvertide.  Obviously, David knows talent when he hears it.  In the case of Sinners Saints all he had to do was listen to them one time before he knew he wanted to produce them.  The EP is superb and needless to say, I keep one in my car now for those days when I really need to hear some good music.

If you like hard-rocking, attention-grabbing music that is refreshingly different, you really need to go to see Sinners Saints.  Their CD, “Bad Habits” is now available for sale on iTunes, Amazon.com and of course at their shows. They are writing more music and do plan to release a new CD sometime in the near future.   Although the CD sounds awesome, Joe told me “We sound so much better live.  It’s the energy that we create by running around, jumping off sh*t and getting the audience very fired up.”  They are now also mixing in a few covers with their originals because they know that people also like to hear some songs that are a bit familiar to them.  They are smart enough to know that everyone is craving good rock and roll and believe me when I tell you this: Sinners Saints is delivering it.

You can visit the Sinners Saints website at www.myspace.com/sinnerssaintsmusic right now to hear songs like“Whiskey Train,” (my favorite song to listen to while driving!), and “Dirty Sexy” which is an extremely catchy, sultry, hard-rocking song that literally made me bang my head the moment it started.  Their music is reminiscent of the heart pounding music you would hear from bands like Motley Crue and Guns & Roses, which are definitely bands that have inspired these extremely talented musicians.

Sinners Saints is:  Vocals, Don Michael, Lead Guitar- Chris “Bones” Morganelli, Rhythm Guitar- Joe O’Hara, Drums – David Kenneth and Bass – Chris McKeever.  Their next show is coming up this weekend – a double shot at the Cherrywood in Clemonton, NJ, Friday and Saturday night, April 23 and 24.  If you too are craving some really good, hard rock and roll, go check them out and be sure to let them know you heard about them through The Out On The Town!

By Roundhouse Ron

It is time once again for the all new Centurions Motorcycle Club calendar model search!! You may have already seen a few of the calendar model search competitions that Philly Music Video Promotions has conducted either at the FOP Lodge #5 or at Penguin’s Pub in Warminster , Pa. Also, let’s not forget the online contests that were held on facebook, myspace and Model Mayhem. Most of the amazing gurlz have been selected already and are waiting for their professional photo shoots with Roundhouse Ron (me) to begin in the month of April.

This calendar has been developed over the past few years as a premier local charity fund raiser for the Centurions M/C with all proceeds being donated to the FOP Lodge #5 Philadelphia Police Survivors Fund. This very special fund is for the wives and families of the Philadelphia Police officer’s who have been killed in the line of duty. The Centurions M/C are a law enforcement motorcycle club with the mother chapter based here in Philadelphia and other chapters in Pennsauken, Burlington, South Jersey, and Delaware County. The 2010 calendar also teamed up with Brian’s Harley Davidson and over 12 other smaller local businesses to raise over $16,000.

Yes, my crazy azz has been selected once again as the lead project manager on this awesome fund raising project. I will be recruiting the 12 beautiful women, shooting all the photographs, designing the layout and also developing the 2011 Centurions M/C calendar. Projects like this are very exciting because everyone comes together, donates all of our time and hard work, but never complains about raising funds for an awesome cause!!

The all new calendar will be released on June 5^th, 2010 at the Philadelphia Police Survivors Benefit in center city at Finnigan’s Wake from 3pm to 7pm. Many of the amazing calendar gurlz will be in attendance for signing of both the 2010 & 2011 calendars!! For more information on this outstanding event, please go to: www.fopsurvivorsfund.com

On July 25^th, 2010 the Centurions M/C will be holding a huge Beef & Beer fundraiser for Shriner’s Hospital for Children at the Ukie Club 847 N. Franklin Street in Philly from 12pm to 4pm. Many of the sexy calendar gurlz will also be signing at this event.

To purchase the 2010 Centurions M/C calendar, you can still grab then at either the Philadelphia Police FOP Lodge #5 Cop Shop, Brian’s Harley Davidson or go to www.CenturionsMC.org

Ladies who wanna be in the amazing 2011 Centurions M/C calendar project must contact Roundhouse Ron as soon as possible @ 215 696 3841

By:  Krista Doran

The Philly area has so much to offer along the lines of live music.  Whatever your taste may be, you can find something to your liking and of course, here at The Out On The Town, we bring you some of the best and most diverse entertainers you will see anywhere.  We have been covering the best live bands for years and have been bringing our readers lots of choices in where to go and who to see.  As so many of you already know, the OOT is the one and ONLY place you can go to that will give you some of the best choices in live music today!

I wanted to switch gears a little for this issue and give our readers something different to think about, along the lines of live music.  There has been quite an uprising of Tribute Bands in this area and we thought it would be a great idea to point you in the right direction as to who to see.  Tribute Bands are a rare breed and work extremely hard to bring their fans a musical experience that is as close as possible to the real thing.  Seeing a Tribute Band gives you an opportunity to see a live band playing music from some of your favorite popular artists that you would not be able to see otherwise.  Many of these acts have formed because of how much they might enjoy the music of a particular artist.  Or perhaps some want to pay tribute because their favorite band may no longer be around or members may have passed away.  Whatever the reason may be, we are very lucky to have such bands around that take the time to do this for our entertainment.

Some of the more popular artists such as The Beatles, Elvis Presley and the Rolling Stones have literally hundreds of Tribute Bands across the US, who put on sensational shows almost as spectacular as the original.  But right here in the Philly area you have the opportunity to see many truly talented and dedicated bands that put on such great shows, you would think you were listening to the real thing in a more intimate atmosphere. Some of them even look the part.  One of the Tribute acts that have really been making a splash in our area is Steal Your Face, who puts on a fantastic Grateful Dead Show.  I had the opportunity to speak to Paul Baroli, better known as “Kahuna” and who is the bass player for SYF.  Paul explained to me that it’s really the love of the music from the Grateful Dead that inspired them to form.  “We love the Grateful Dead – that’s where it starts and ends for us. We have always been big Dead Heads and we love the fans and the community that is the Grateful Dead experience.  It has always been part of us and we just wanted to be able to bring that music to everyone to enjoy.”

Tribute bands, in many cases can be the next best thing to seeing the original.  Here are some great choices if you think you would like to check them out:

Steal Your Face (Grateful Dead Tribute) – www.myspace.com/syfjamband

Raised on Radio (Journey Tribute) – www.raisedonradio.info

Get The Led Out (Led Zeppelin Tribute) – www.gtlorocks.com

Think Pink (Pink Floyd Tribute) – www.thinkpinkfloyd.com

The Big Jangle (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Tribute) – www.thebigjangle.com

Sir Rod (Rod Stewart Tribute) – www.tommyedward.com

Tuesday’s Gone (Lynyrd Skynrd Tribute) – www.myspace.com/tuesdaysgone1

Romeo Delight (Van Halen Trubute) – www.myspace.com/vanhalentributeband

Runaway (Bon Jovi Tribute) – www.runawaybonjovi.com

AJ Slick Band (Stevie Ray Vaughan Tribute) – www.myspace.com/ajslick68

Disposable Heroes (Metallica Tribute) – www.disposable-heroes.com

Hot Rocks (Rolling Stones Tribute) – www.stonesshow.com

There are also a few websites I found that promote Tribute Bands:  www.gigmasters.com, www.tributecity.com .  You can go to these sites to see if there is a particular Tribute Band you may want to see in your area or even to book them for a party or club event.

I give these musicians lots of credit for what they do.  Being in a tribute bands means every note, every chord; every nuance of a song has to be completely accurate in order for the music to sound authentic.  You can’t get away with playing anything other than note for note, because people that come to see a Tribute Band are true fans of the original and expect the bands paying homage to be no less than perfect.  This is why it’s a great idea to go see a Tribute Band.  It’s always going to be a great show!