LOCK HAVEN - The annual Lock Haven Area Jaycees Labor Day Regatta offers more to enjoy than the boat races at the amphitheater. As always, this year's milestone event will feature music that many will remember as a highlight of the holiday weekend event.
The entertainment schedule includes the following bands.
SATURDAY
FAT GIRL SLIM will play from noon to 3 p.m. The hard-driving, high-energy band that plays a wide variety of music from classic rock like Heart and Fleetwood Mac to the latest hits from Evanescence, Sugarland, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson and many others.
The band is comprised of Al Miller on lead guitar; Chrissy Miller on lead vocals; Carole Backman on guitar, keyboard and vocals; Mike Hohnka on drums; and Bill Brickley on bass.
PHIL REEDER will perform from 4 to 6 p.m. He covers a wide array of musical styles and periods. His all-acoustic show specializes in classic rock, oldies and standards, as well as forays into blues, country, folk and bluegrass.
Throughout his musical career, Phil has performed in rock, pop, jazz and bluegrass bands as the featured vocalist as well as lead and bass guitarist. From this experience he has compiled a rich repertoire of songs that can cover just about any type of musical genre. Also included in his show are song selections highlighting Central Pennsylvania's cultural history.
Currently, the guitarist and front man for the club band Loose Cannons as well as the bassist and featured vocalist for the classic rock trio Face Down, Phil also sings and plays electric bass for the jazz trio Keystone Cats. In addition to these musical credentials, he is one of the founding members and upright bassist for the bluegrass ensemble Lockport Drifters and can be seen providing the bottom line for local Dixieland favorites The Last Resort.
Phil is a Lock Haven native and lifelong resident, graduating from Lock Haven University in 1976. He also a full-time career as a goldsmith at Addie's Jewelers in Lock Haven.
Past highlights in his musical journey through the Susquehanna Valley include stints with such varied bands as Stonehenge, The Last Complete Show, Swing Reunion, Trouble and Last Call.
Visit online at: home.uplink.net/~prcs/philreedercreativeservices/id4.htm
SHOT IN THE DARK .357, a Beech Creek area band, will play from 7 to 10 p.m.
The band is becoming a staple in venues throughout Clinton, Centre and Clearfield counties.
Specializing in the genre of country/rock/pop, the band packs a punch. Their music ranges from Johnny Cash to Metallica, as well as original music written and composed by their very own: Christopher "Pip" Schenck, on lead guitar, vocals and rhythm.
Other band members are John "The Big Dog" Hagyard on bass and vocals, Brandon "Wonder Boy" McCloskey on drums and vocals, and Andrea "A.J." Jones on lead vocals and harmony.
Their playlist includes country stalwarts such as Johnny Cash and Brad Paisley to the rock of Zac Brown Band, Kid Rock, Seether, Buckcherry, AC/DC and Joan Jett.
They can be found on the Web at: shotinthedark357.weebly.com/
SUNDAY
RIDIN' SHOTGUN (formerly Open Road) is based in the Bloomsburg area and consists of three talented musicians: Ed on guitar, keyboard and lead vocals; Krispy J. on lead guitar and Shaun (The Kid) on drums and vocals. In January of 2005, Ed and the guys decided to change the name of the band to better fit their changing style of music. They perform everything from Big and Rich and Toby Keith to Van Halen and ZZ Top... plus some originals. Ridin' Shotgun is a regular at the regatta feature Bear Bash.
The Queen is gone, but the legacy lives on. From 1986-1999, Queen Bee and THE BLUE HORNET BAND recorded two studio and two live albums, and toured worldwide, building a reputation as one of the best live bands this area has ever seen.
Queen Tonya Browne passed away in 2001, and the remainder members of the band are determined to preserve her memory. Through the Queen Bee and the Blue Hornet Band Facebook page, new "best of" collectioncalled "Honey From the Hive" is now available. The band, once described by the New York Daily News as "rockin' harder than a freight train" will make a rare live appearance at this year's Bear Bash!
PHILIP MASORTI is an attorney by profession but started writing songs to help him cope with his dad's death several years ago. From those initial tunes has come a new career - a terrific first album called "Father's Eyes" and another on the way - and interest from music publishing companies, TV and movie studios in his songwriting.
Philip will be backed up by The Dave Fields Band who also will play a set at the Bear Bash.
CORRINE KING was born in Lock Haven and sang her first solo in church at the young age of 5. She has been singing ever since! Corrine has recorded five songs with Robert Metzgar Productions on Platinum Label in Nashville, and has opened for Jeannie Pruitt, Shenandoah, Merle Haggard, Shucks, Pat Garrett and Ray Owen. She is a member of the Appalachian Jubilee in Chambersburg.
DOUG AND MEGAN IRWIN is a father/daughter duo who delighted audiences at Bear Bash last year, and are excited to be back this year! Doug is a singer/songwriter from Bellefonte, and Megan has starred in several plays in the area. They have been performing together for a few years now and enjoy sharing their songs and harmonization when they get the chance.
LAURA RAE has enjoyed singing and dancing for as long as she can remember. She has performed in Nashville for two different events, a four-day music festival and an independent awards show, where she won "Most Promising Female Artist Of The Year."
Locally, she has performed at the Clinton County Fair, Lycoming County Fair, Relay for Life at Susque-View, Calico Creek, Knoebels Grove, birthdays, weddings and family gatherings.
More recently, her travels have kept her closer to home. Laura is married and has a beautiful little boy. She says she's not looking to be famous, but just wants to have fun doing what she does best - sing!
MONDAY
THE BILLY PRICE BAND is the "keystone" of the weekend's entertainment and will perform on the river stage Monday from 7 to 10 p.m.
Billy Price, East Coast blue-eyed soul man, has been entertaining audiences for the past three decades. In his hometown of Pittsburgh, as well as in this region, he is an institution. Price's popularity isn't hard to explain. As Geoffrey Himes of the Washington Post has written, "Unlike so many blues revivalists, Price is not an imitation of older, better singers - he's the real thing."
Price formed The Billy Price Band in 1990. In addition to performing popular songs from Price's years with Buchanan and the Keystone Rhythm Band, the Billy Price Band features new interpretations of blues, R&B, and soul classics. Members of the Billy Price Band are Steve Delach (guitar), Paul Thompson (bass), Dave Dodd (drums), Jimmy Britton (keyboards), Joe Herndon (trumpet), Eric DeFade (tenor sax) and Rick Matt (baritone and tenor sax).
Price first attracted national attention during his three-year association with guitarist Roy Buchanan. Price is the vocalist on two of Buchanan's LPs, "That's What I'm Here For" and "Livestock." He toured the U.S. and Canada with Buchanan, playing such venues as Carnegie Hall in New York, the Newport Jazz Festival, the Roxy and the Troubadour in Los Angeles, and the Spectrum in Philadelphia. Price assembled Billy Price and the Keystone Rhythm Band in 1977. Before their breakup in 1990, the band recorded four critically-acclaimed LPs and developed a reputation as one of the most exciting touring bands in the U.S.
In April 1997, Billy Price released The Soul Collection, which featured a duet by Price and his friend and mentor Otis Clay on Clay's "That's How It Is," as well as background vocals by veteran Chicago vocalists Theresa Davis (former member of the Emotions), Robin Robinson and Dianne Madison.
In Living Blues (September/October 1997), Bill Dahl called The Soul Collection "an inspired stroll through the glorious history of soul music (invested with) uncommon passion and authenticity."
In the April 25, 1997 edition of the Washington Post, Mike Joyce called The Soul Collection "an R&B homage full of revealing and compelling performances... Price is a terrifically expressive soul singer, one who conveys both the pain and the pleasure in these choice songs."
"Can I Change My Mind" on Green Dolphin Records was produced in Los Angeles by Jerry "Swamp Dogg" Williams, who also produced artists like Z.Z. Hill, Doris Duke, Irma Thomas, Solomon Burke, Patti LaBelle, Lionel Ritchie and others. Since its release 11 years ago, "Can I Change My Mind" has received critical acclaim from publications throughout the world, including: "...the most imaginative and entertaining record in Billy Price's 30-year musical career" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) and "Price's expressive abilities define the term 'deep soul.'" (Pittsburgh City Paper)
Price released a double CD, "Sworn Testimony: The Billy Price Band Live" in July 2002.
"Price is a terrific vocalist who deserves to be a bigger star," wrote Hal Horowitz in Blues Revue (Oct/Nov 2009). He called "Night Work": "a thrilling collaboration that...should delight lovers of soul or blues."
Price, whose real name is Bill Pollak, lives in Pittsburgh with wife Rebecca. Their children are Valerie Pollak, Leland Scruby, Jon Scruby and Calvin Pollak.
For more, visit: billyprice.com
The following bands are being presented by 92.1 The Mountain:
SUGAR RUNN presents a blend of musical and vocal improvisation of the classic sounds of good ol' rock 'n roll, with a touch of country, designed to please whether you enjoy dancing, tapping your feet, singing along or simply getting into the music.
Sugar Runn prides itself on providing a fast-moving show. The guys to what they do because first, they enjoy producing great music, and also because they love to perform.
Most of the band members have performed with various local and regional bands. Members include founder Gary Smith on guitar, keyboard, bass and percussion; Denny Furl on percussion; Tom Williams on bass and rhythm guitar; and Nate Martin on lead, rhythm and bass guitar. All members contribute to lead and backup/harmony vocals, with Tom Williams doing much of the lead vocals. Most of the current band members have been together since May of 2005.
Songs and performers that have influenced Sugar Runn members are those that make audiences feel good and also challenge the individual band members.
Covers included in the band's repertoire include classics by such artists as The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, Bob Dylan, CCR, Steppenwolf, The Doors, The Marshall Tucker Band, Van Morrison, Tom Petty, David Bowie, The Who, Journey, Bob Seger, John Cougar Mellencamp, Metallica, Bryan Adams, Greg Kihn Band, Eric Clapton, Lonestar, Ozzy Osbourne, Guns 'N Roses, Three Doors Down, Daughtry, Green Day, Creed and Theory of a Dead Man.
The band also performs some of the members' original material.
The band performs at clubs, private parties, weddings, special events and charitable and church events.
SNUG, a local band, is comprised of Pete Wert, vocals, guitar and percussion; Joel Long, vocal and bass guitar; Chris Oechler on vocals, guitar and percussion; Will Hanson on lead guitar and vocals; and Rich Tressler on drums and vocals. It has gone through many different names, and its most recent before becoming Snug was PEC.
Wert played with Hanson in a band called Firedogs until he joined PEC when former lead singer Shawn Lacy moved to Pittsburgh. That group later transformed into Snug.
Long, a Clinton County commissioner, said he has always loved music and has been performing since his days in high school and "The Purple Whirl." He first teamed up with Missi Lewis, Dave Irace and Paul Chatterton for a talent show at the Clinton County Fair.
He then joined David Danger and The Dark Reaction before Tressler had an idea to put another band together with the members of The Dark Reaction, which became known as Toyz. Later, he joined the band Scarecrow, and joined with the rest of Snug playing with them Saturday afternoons at Benjie's.
After various incarnations of bands, and a trip to Europe in between, Oechler joined his friends in Snug.
Hanson is a computer graphics and animation instructor by day and a guitarist at night. He has played in the bands 2 to 5 Live and Firedogs.
Tressler has been a maestro on the drums for the last 30 years. His bands include Pearl, Driver, The Catch, Asylum, Toyz, PEC and Snug.
More information is available on the Web at: snugrocks.com
TEACHERZ PET can be found on the Web at: myspace.com/weareteacherzpet.
During the 1990s, founding members of Teacherz Pet - Steve Hauser, Rich Schlesinger and Mitch Cohen - rocked central Pennsylvania in the classic rock/country rock band Texas Twister.
Due to work schedules and other obligations, the band took a seven-year break. During this time Hauser and Cohen played with other area bands.
In 2003, Schlesinger wrote and recorded the CD "Every Emotion." During the fall of 2004, the three took to the practice loft in Mitch's barn, and by the fall of 2005, Gigi Kaluzny joined the band and Teacherz Pet was born.
STONEHENGE will reunite on the Jaycees stage. The local '70s band still features Pat Leone on drums, Steve Linn on guitar, Phil Reeder on bass and Wally Grier on guitar. All four also provide vocals for the band.
