Mr Hand Played Saloon Saturday Night Again
Posted by Ryan Chase on 09/07 at 09:05 AM
As students new and old settled into their apartment (or dormitory) that will be their home away from home for the next eight months or so, the dawn of new classes, new over-priced books, new roommates and new experiences impatiently awaited them. At least one thing could be counted to stay – Mr. Hand, Saturday nights at the Saloon.
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Atlas Soundtrack: A refreshing, soulful mix
Posted by Pat Baxter on 08/17 at 09:49 AM
Atlas Soundtrack certainly made an impression last Saturday night among newly graduated Penn State students and casual bar-hoppers at Bar Bleu. As I arrived, I was unsure of how their mix of styles would work (reggae, rock, hip-hop, funk). But by the end of the night, I witnessed a genre experiment gone right cementing them, in my mind, as one of the best bands in State College, and a refreshing break from the cover-band antics that is typically the State College bar music scene.
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Atlas Soundtrack Playing at Bar Bleu
Posted by Pat Baxter on 08/13 at 01:16 PM
Local band Atlas Soundtrack will be performing at Bar Bleu this Saturday, then The Phyrst on August 18th before they head out to New York and Harrisburg.
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Lowjack Hits Mixed Notes At Bar Bleu Friday Night
Posted by Ryan Chase on 08/03 at 03:03 PM
Lowjack opened the show with a stirring original song, reminiscent of the quasi-alternative sound of the Counting Crows. It drew patrons towards the stage like politicians to petty, jejune behavior. It was my favorite number of the night.
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Lowjack Performs at Bar Bleu, 10pm Friday Night
Posted by Ryan Chase on 07/30 at 03:38 PM
Lowjack, a local rock & roll band with a touch of soul, walks into Bar Bleu tonight, with a solid reputation as a live act.
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My Hero Zero at Wing Fest: Top 40 Haven
Posted by Pat Baxter on 07/30 at 02:39 PM
It was near-perfect weather at Tussey Mountain for this week’s Wing Fest. A reasonable 78 degrees, not too much humidity, and a smattering of clouds highlighted the pre-sunset sky—a great scenario for enjoying both potentially delicious chicken wings and live music. After waiting in a long, but fast-flowing line I was led into the field/hill where the wing-off and live music was happening. Wegman’s, Major League, and Bonfatto’s dueled it out for the hearts and minds of wing lovers. On stage, the Insomniacs kicked things off for the musical portion of the entertainment. They were the precursor to My Hero Zero. I’ll touch on the Insomniacs later on, but will focus on My Hero Zero as they were the headliner for this event.
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My Hero Zero to Play at Tussey Mountain Wing Fest, 7/29
Posted by Pat Baxter on 07/28 at 01:42 PM
Summer is winding down to its final weeks, but there’s still time to have some fun before the long daylight hours disappear into autumn oblivion. One way to enjoy the remainder of the summer is to head to Tussey Mountain for the Wing Fest Challenge.
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Deirdre Flint Lampoons the Arts Fest Heat with a Javelin of Political Humor
Posted by Ryan Chase on 07/15 at 04:04 PM
Deirdre Flint is a satirical folk singer and songwriter whose songs aim to poke fun at pop culture and Americana. Before taking up music full time, she was an elementary school teacher.
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Mark DeRose Band at Arts Fest
Posted by Pat Baxter on 07/15 at 11:34 AM
Carol Baney, operations manager for Arts Fest, introduced the Mark DeRose Band on the Friedman Park stage on Saturday evening. She said they were one of her favorite bands playing at Arts Fest and embody what Arts Fest is all about. Though I thought she went a little overboard in her praise, I would agree they were one of the stronger acts at this year’s festival.
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Ruby & the Hummingbirds: Best Corn Dog I Ever Had
Posted by Ryan Chase on 07/14 at 11:20 AM
Ruby & the Hummingbirds? Ruby & the Hummingbird rather. Even so—hummingbird or hummingbirds—this act lost more viewers than the Gulf of Mexico lost wildlife after the oil spill. It was horrid. Billed as “vintage jazz,” Ruby & the Hummingbirds infused as much jazz into their performance (it was a performance) as Lady Gaga infuses subtly into hers.
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Music from Arts Fest: Encounter at Friar’s Point
Posted by Pat Baxter on 07/13 at 09:28 AM
Arts Fest typically peaks on the Saturday of the five-day event, so that’s when I decided to make my way down to the festivities. There was a large crowd out and about on the gorgeous, sunny day. Patrons browsed exhibits and tried to stay cool, doing everything from sitting in the shade to walking through what can only be described as a human car wash on Allen Street.
I made my trek across Penn State’s campus, moving through several tents of artwork and trinkets that would be any hoarder’s dream come true. Eventually I arrived at the Old Main lawn—just in time to catch Friar’s Point, a blues band from Kutztown, Pa.
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Experience Quality Music At The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts
Posted by Ryan Chase on 07/09 at 11:44 AM
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts is an annual event, celebrating the art through music, dance, and paintings to name a few. Every July, the Arts Festival draws approximately 125,000 people. Everyone from alumni to curious tourists suffocate the streets and exhibit questionable taste in footwear.
Booths line each side of South Allen Street for five consecutive blocks showcasing local artwork - and fried food. Water falls from buckets hanging high above, drenching excited children in their bathing suits. Slender tattooed women with pasty white skin tap dance on a small wooden stage. It is the high mark of the summer season.
Spanning five days, the Arts Festival technically starts off July 7 for Children and Youth day which features more kid-focused entertainment and activities. Then things turn towards the adults for the remaining four days. At this point everything from Italian street painting to sand sculpture to silent auctions can be wondrously witnessed.
For further information, either pick-up a copy of the Arts Festival pamphlet downtown (which is available for free) or swim over to the official Arts Festival Web Site: http://arts-festival.com/.
Fifty-five bands perform during the Arts Festival. I have rundown a few below to give you a taste of some of the musicians and their musical styles.
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Summer Fest Brings Exciting Mix of Music 6/26/10
Posted by Ryan Chase on 07/01 at 03:13 PM
Last Saturday, June 26th, twenty bands—from hip-hop to bluegrass—jumped, stomped, and jammed in State College. They performed on one of three outdoor stages spread throughout the downtown area for the 4th Annual Summer’s Best Music Fest & Street Bazaar.
Of those twenty bands, I watched ten.
Of those ten, I covered three. Here are the three: the Nittany Knights, Sugabone, and Spider Kelly.
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Salsamba Revs it Up as Featured Players at Summer’s Best 6/26/10
Posted by Pat Baxter on 06/29 at 10:42 AM
Summer’s Best Music Fest concluded on a high note with Pittsburgh-based Salsamba, the featured band of the evening. The audience was treated to high-quality jazz music that you could really groove to.
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Audio Imagery on Display at Summer’s Best Music Fest 6/26/10
Posted by Pat Baxter on 06/29 at 10:33 AM
Audio Imagery was among the music acts at Summer’s Best Music Fest in State College this past weekend. It was their second appearance at the annual event, and they were listed as a rock band based on their lineup from last year. Their current incarnation, however, is more accurately described as pop hip-hop with some 80s synth leanings, and deriving their influence from the likes of T-Pain and OutKast (but without the auto-tuner, thank God).
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Most recent entries
- Mr Hand Played Saloon Saturday Night Again
- Atlas Soundtrack: A refreshing, soulful mix
- Atlas Soundtrack Playing at Bar Bleu
- Lowjack Hits Mixed Notes At Bar Bleu Friday Night
- Lowjack Performs at Bar Bleu, 10pm Friday Night
- My Hero Zero at Wing Fest: Top 40 Haven
- My Hero Zero to Play at Tussey Mountain Wing Fest, 7/29
- Deirdre Flint Lampoons the Arts Fest Heat with a Javelin of Political Humor
- Mark DeRose Band at Arts Fest
- Ruby & the Hummingbirds: Best Corn Dog I Ever Had
- Music from Arts Fest: Encounter at Friar’s Point
- Experience Quality Music At The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts
- Summer Fest Brings Exciting Mix of Music 6/26/10
- Salsamba Revs it Up as Featured Players at Summer’s Best 6/26/10
- Audio Imagery on Display at Summer’s Best Music Fest 6/26/10
