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The opinions expressed in these blogs are solely those of the people who wrote them, and do not represent the views of WPSU or Penn State University.
Live Local Music
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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Live Local Music
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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Live Local Music
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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Live Local Music
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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Live Local Music
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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Live Local Music
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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Live Local Music
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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Live Local Music
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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Live Local Music
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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Live Local Music
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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Live Local Music
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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Live Local Music
Domenick Swentosky at the American Ale House 6/18/2010
Posted by Ryan Chase on 06/29 at 10:23 AM
Domenick Swentosky started off slow with songs that were long, meandering, and—if only for the moment—uninspired. Audience members stretched their necks straining for a closer look, as if they expected the problem to be readily visible—perhaps a broken string or malfunctioning amp.
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Live Local Music
4th Annual Summer’s Best Music Fest & Street Bazaar
Posted by Ryan Chase on 06/25 at 12:31 PM
During a season that causes your legs to stick to the seat of your car, you may be likely to turn on the air-conditioning and stay indoors.
But not this weekend! The 4th Annual Summer’s Best Music Fest & Street Bazaar, everybody’s favorite pre-Arts Fest fest, comes to State College.
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Live Local Music
Ted McCloskey and the Hi-Fi’s
Posted by Ryan Chase on 06/15 at 04:56 PM
A small, rowdy crowd watched Ted McCloskey and the Hi-Fi’s last Friday night at the Phryst. Girls lined the stage, dancing. Guys stood behind them, bopping their heads and sipping from their beer bottles. The lead singer rapped—a hint of Bob Dylan in his delivery—about an attention-hungry woman, while his guitar spiraled higher and higher into crescendo. He smiled, the brim of his gray cadet cap shadowing his eyes, thanked the audience, and stepped back from the microphone. Someone cat-called and yelled, “I love you.”
He replied, rather sheepishly, “I love you, too.”
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Live Local Music
Casting Crowns, Tenth Avenue North and Caleb hit up the BJC
Posted by Natalie Plumb on 04/29 at 03:43 PM
Contemporary Christian artists Caleb and Tenth Avenue North set the mood on Thursday, April 15, for Casting Crowns’ “Until the Whole World Hears” tour, filling the Bryce Jordan Center (BJC) with music.
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Most recent entries
Lowjack Performs at Bar Bleu, 10pm Friday Night- Friday, July 30, 2010
- By Ryan Chase in Live Local Music
Fridays Mean Vegetables- Friday, July 30, 2010
- By Emily Reddy in Local Food Journey
My Hero Zero at Wing Fest: Top 40 Haven- Friday, July 30, 2010
- By Pat Baxter in Live Local Music
Central PA Local Foods Week- Thursday, July 29, 2010
- By Emily Wiley in Local Food Journey
-
Blueberry Peach Cobbler
- Wednesday, July 28, 2010
- By Emily Wiley in Local Food Journey
-
My Hero Zero to Play at Tussey Mountain Wing Fest, 7/29
- Wednesday, July 28, 2010
- By Pat Baxter in Live Local Music
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