Erie Beat                                                February 2, 2012 | Volume 8 Issue 6

Rhythm’s Rebirth
By Jenna Croyle

Most cover bands that you have heard all have the same basic thing in common, regardless of how talented they may be, they are still a cover band.
 

Occasionally, a cover band comes along that produces something so amazing and are so unique that the music of others that have come before them no longer can contain their collective talents. This week’s featured band, Chasing Moira is not only brimming with talent, but also electrified with the passion that has transformed them into one of the most popular and sought after original bands in Erie today. Started in 2010 as a Dave Matthews cover band, Chasing Moira soon took their music to new heights, writing an extensive repertoire of original music that is nothing short of awe-inspiring. This six piece collection of musical masters include Mike Wolfe on Drums, Chris Moore on Guitar and

Vocals, Brendan Beall on Saxophone, Adam Brown on Guitar and Vocals along with Ben Henry on Bass and Rob Morrison as the groups Violinist.

It is not unusual for most bands to come with keyboard, percussion and rhythm sections, though Chasing Moira has added the flavor of a Violin, lending an extraordinary texture and pulse to the overall sound of the music.

Rob Morrison is an outstanding treasure trove of rich sounding bow action that perfectly complements in every way, the melody and the band as a whole.

Both the vocal and instrumental harmonies of Chris Moore and Adam Brown are simply stellar in both delivery and excitement, each contributing their own special flair and twists for an intertwining blend of both vocal and rhythmic rapture.

The truth is, the saxophone is anything but a perfectly tuned instrument, simply pressing down the keys and blowing will not cut it. Let’s face it, saxophonists are notoriously known for playing out of tune.

The Band’s Saxophonist, Brendan Beall is without question, the exception to the rule. Beall seems to have developed an excellent relationship between his ears and his inner mouth, throat, and tongue for purely exceptional intonation.

Trap set legends such as Kenny Clarke, Jeff Porcaro, Art Blakey, Louie Bellson and of course, the incomparable Buddy Rich made drumming look so easy and effortless.

With his precision beats, a tremendous sense of timing and powerful drum fills, Mike Wolfe provides the framework and sets the feel of every song with the ease and texture, reminiscent of the greats.

The commanding base lines and riffs of Ben Henry creates a rhythmic pulse that demands your interest, capturing your attention from the first beat. Henry’s astute awareness of groove and technique with his own extraordinarily expressive style that infuses every song is the perfect complement to balance the already overwhelming magnitude of this band.

As 2011 RockErie Award Nominees for Song of the Year and Album of the Year, Chasing Moira has not only reinvented themselves, but also the standard for the original music scene in Erie.

For show dates and more information on Chasing Moira, Please visit their Facebook page.

Lisa Marie Presley Wants to Make Better Elvis Film

Over the years, Lisa Marie Presley has become dissatisfied with movies chronicling her father's life, so she just might make a film about the rock 'n' roll icon.

The daughter of Elvis Presley said she has been in talks about a movie, though she didn't offer a timetable.

"There's not been anything done properly with him yet, you know, that has satisfied me in terms of capturing everything," she told The Associated Press. "It will happen, though."

Presley, who rarely gives interviews, was at Graceland this week to attend the opening of a new exhibit. "Elvis Through His Daughter's Eyes" is a personal look at Lisa Marie and includes her baby shoes, her first record player and a small white fur coat — touchstones from her days living at Graceland, her father's longtime Memphis home until his death Aug. 16, 1977.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of Elvis' death, which is observed each August with a weeklong gathering of fans in Memphis. Officials anticipate as many as 75,000 people, the number that showed up in 2007 for the 30th anniversary.

Presley lived at Graceland until she was 5, which is when her mother Priscilla divorced Elvis and moved with Lisa Marie to California. She continued to visit Graceland, and she smiles when talking about the time spent with her dad, such as when they would ride a golf cart through the neighborhood together. She recalled waiting for her father to make his daily entrance down the stairs.

"He was always fully, fully geared up. You'd never see him in his pajamas coming down the steps, ever," she said. "You'd never see him in anything but 'ready to be seen' attire."

Elvis, a renowned car and motorcycle aficionado, also was known to leave the grounds and hang out with locals in the neighborhood.

"Sometimes he would go and there would be a convoy and everybody would follow," she said. "He'd be going down Elvis Presley Boulevard and you would see these devices riding down the road, of all sorts."

Lisa Marie has spent much of the past few years taking care of her 3-year-old twin daughters she had with husband Michael Lockwood. She has two children from a previous marriage to musician Danny Keough, which ended in 1994. She also was married to actor Nicholas Cage and pop star Michael Jackson.

Presley did not want to talk at length about Jackson. The exhibit displays a photo of her and Jackson visiting a children's hospital in Budapest, Hungary.

"It was just one of the moments that was captured ... we were helping this child get a liver transplant," she said.

When asked what comes to mind when she thinks of Jackson, she said: "I can only say that I have good memories."

Lisa Marie has found time to make a new record, her third. Set for release in May, the album is being produced by Grammy-winner T-Bone Burnett.

Presley said she stays involved with the workings of Elvis Presley Enterprises, which licenses her father's name and image in merchandising, music, television and film. Likenesses of Elvis have appeared in countless movies and TV shows, some without permission.

"There can be a sort of cheesy take on him, which I don't always love sometimes — you know, the later years and that whole thing with his white jumpsuit," she said. "Now I'm probably over it. But I mean it was kind of running wild for a while. It was a little bit cringe-worthy."

For her movie, Presley envisions something like "Walk the Line," the Johnny Cash biopic starring Joaquin Phoenix.

Presley, the heir to her father's estate, said she is glad the business is back in the hands of a private company, Apollo Management Group. The private equity group purchased CKx Inc., which owns Elvis Presley Enterprises and the "American Idol" franchise, in May.

She likes the idea of updating exhibits and the Heartbreak Hotel at the Graceland tourist attraction across the street from the home. She also would like to see revitalization of the poverty-stricken neighborhoods near Elvis Presley Boulevard.

"It makes me sad to see that, it does, because I remember when it wasn't there," she said. "I don't like to see that anywhere I am, to be honest."

Memphis officials have for years talked about improving some of the areas around Graceland, but nothing has been done. Graceland is one of Tennessee's most visited tourist attractions.

As for the exhibit, Presley said one of her favorite items is the key used to operate the golf cart because it helps her recall when she was alone with her father, riding around the neighborhood.

"That was my life," she said. "I carried it everywhere. It was never far from me or not on my person when I was a child. I hadn't seen it in 35 years."

Rap Reggae Pioneer King Stitt Dies at 72

King Stitt, a pioneer in rap reggae, died Tuesday in his Caribbean homeland of Jamaica. He was 72.

Stitt died at his home in the capital of Kingston after a long fight with prostate cancer and diabetes, said Jamaican musicologist Bunny Goodison, who was a close friend to the performer for more than 50 years. Stitt had recently been discharged from a public hospital.

The entertainer known offstage as Winston Sparks started his musical career in the late 1950s on Kingston's circuit of sound systems, a sort of portable disco.

Stitt is credited as one of the earliest performers of "toasting," a vibrant form of Jamaican deejaying that directly inspired hip-hop music.

He is best known for songs like "Paradise Plum" and "Fire Corner." He was a close collaborator of the late music producer Clement "Sir Coxsone" Dodd, who ran the celebrated Studio One and guided Stitt's career for years.

Born with disfigured facial features, Stitt, who was also missing numerous teeth, dubbed himself "The Ugly One."

"Without being disrespectful, Stitt made a mark vocally and visually. Because of his image, everyone knew him," Goodison said Tuesday.

Big Youth, a veteran Jamaican deejay whose real name is Manley Augustus Buchanan, said he vividly recalled his times as a boy watching Stitt's unique performances in the 1960s.

"He was the first king. Stitt really did a lot for the music, always had a nice vibe," Big Youth said.

Stitt is survived by a daughter.

The KerPUNK Festival and the Power of the Internet

It started a little over two weeks ago as a simple idea within an online community to get a few friends together in one place for great music and fun. Peaceful protest through art, they said. Freedom, they said. Evolution. Revolution. Just to prove we can, they said. And the The KerPUNK Festival was born. And it grew. And American and UK bands alike dropped everything and committed to it. And the online community grew, and excitement mounted, and suddenly #GreenDayFamily was trending on Twitter all over the world.

It was this Green Day online family that started the phenomenon that happened on Saturday and Sunday, January 21 & 22, 2012 in London, England. And this family of Green Day fans makes its second home at the www.greendayauthority.com fan site community forum, proving to be one more example of the power of the Internet and its ability to organize people from all over the world into action in a short amount of time.

Concert Organizer and Owner and Site Manager for Tony Anastasi said, "The key to this for me is transcending the barriers of the Internet. Through this community, I've seen the wonderful way that a group of people with similar interests come together and form such strong bonds that they are willing to travel across the world to see a show with them at the drop of a hat. That is a very powerful thing."

The KerPUNK Festival was in essence a reaction to the introduction in the United States of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), which is seen by many within the online community as a direct assault on Internet freedom, the very freedom that allowed this event to happen. "The power of the people I talk about being stronger than ever is going to face a big fight to maintain that power and freedom by the sounds of this," according to Anastasi, and this was their peaceful way of collectively organizing and protesting it.

The Festival was officially named by punk rock icon Larry Livermore, the music producer credited with discovering Green Day and giving them their start at Lookout Records when on Twitter a few days before the event, he suggested calling it The KerPUNK Festival.

And punk showed up in full force. The big draw was the headliner show by Prima Donna. Specializing in grime, Prima Donna was polished and ready to rock with a stage presence that would have fit in anywhere, whether it was the small venue atmosphere of drinking shots and gulping beer with the fans in-between songs to the more choreographed setting of an arena show with thousands in attendance. As Aaron of the band The Mystic Knights & The Cobras told me many times over the weekend, "They are the hardest working, nicest, best looking band out there right now." I couldn't agree more. These are true rock stars, with their newest album called Bless This Mess being released on Valentine's Day. Check it out. You won't be disappointed.

The Phenomenauts was pop-punk at its finest, with the best light show of the night amid flashing colors and smoke everywhere. With a futuristic theme and a blast from the past style, it was impossible not to dance the moment the music started, giving me flashbacks of high school in the 80s. Actually, I had flashbacks of Weird Science and, strangely enough, Duckie from Pretty in Pink. I have no idea why. I freaking love these guys and they are now one of my new favorite bands.

In an in-your-face pure punk explosion, The Mystic Knights & The Cobras were a free-for-all of music and dance where anything and everything goes that set the pit in front of the stage, and the rest of the audience, on a nonstop twenty minute frenzy.

For a break from the hardcore, Bryan McPherson came onstage with only his guitar and played a brand of folk music reminiscent of the Dylan-esque intensity of the 60s with a Bruce Springsteen-like content focused on the working man and the plight of today's America. Full of passion and heart, it was obvious this wasn't just music to him, but a very personal journey through his own demons.

The one word I can use to describe Adam Bones is cool. This was the coolest band at the festival. Very focused, very serious, with a Jimmy Hendrix iconic style, Adam Bones, lead vocalist, brought the audience punk rock that demanded respect. And the 12 Bores, who opened the show on Saturday night, brought them familiarity and acceptance. Sporting a mohawk and piercings, tattoos and black leather that defines the revered punk idea of individualism and being "different," this fast-paced, high energy rockfest set the stage for what proved to be a great weekend of music.

Combining punk rock with raunchy and sometimes political satire, Bobby Joe Ebola & The Children MacNuggits left me wondering if I wanted to laugh, think or dance. I chose to dance, laughing in the process, and decided to think about the lyrics later. They were just that good. Believed to be largely responsible for getting the majority of the bands to London, Bobby Joe Ebola earns his creds from the Oakland music scene.

And then there was Kepi Ghoulie. In the process of re-organizing his band, Kepi epitomized the spontaneity of the event by pulling in members from the other bands to play various instruments and proving the close-knit family all of these bands have become.

Which brings me to the biggest surprise of the weekend that came in the form of the California Bay Area teenage band called Fever Charm. To be honest, when I heard they were teenagers, I was expecting the usual high school basement band of shit, but a basement band they were not. On the same level as these other bands comprised of older, more experienced musicians, Fever Charm rocked out on alternative and punk rock eagerly received by the same fans who cheered for Prima Donna. Between their California good looks and exceptional talent, this is a band to watch. I expect big things from them in the near future.

The diversity of the music and stage presence of the bands only added to the general mystery surrounding the entire weekend. Even with the venue, which was undecided up until two days before the first show, it became a surprise treasure hunt within the city of London, a fly by the seat of your pants, be ready for anything, jump when they say go, intense spontaneous game requiring hardcore rock music fans to stay glued to The KerPUNK Festival's Twitter page for updates, ticket info and directions, as well as their Facebook page.

Held at The Rhythm Factory in Whitechapel in East London on Saturday and at Dingwall's in Camden Town on Sunday, which was announced in-between sets Saturday night, the entire weekend was a whirlwind of go with the flow and try not to stress it. And the excitement of the unknown only added to the phenomenon that this entire thing was organized on the Internet in a period of a week, with people flying in from all over the United States and Europe.

Though I didn't make it to the second venue on Saturday night at The Pipeline, it was where the UK bands played. They were The Paperjets and the Green Day Tribute band Dookie G Day. The Bay Area band The Copyrights was also scheduled to perform, but got turned away at the border. Nobody is sure why, but think it had something to do with a work Visa, or rather a lack of one.

Because Green Day was unable to attend, the fans had to be content with the cover band, as well as Kat Mitchell and Fever Charm covering Green Day's "Good Riddance/Time of Your Life" and "When I Come Around." And throughout the weekend, online radio coverage was provided by Lushie Radio
including interviews with the bands, giving more credence to the power of the Internet and the freedom of instant access. With protests like this, I'm almost glad SOPA has become such a huge debate. Almost.

Grammy-Winning Composer Clare Fischer Dies at 83

Clare Fischer, a Grammy-winning composer who wrote scores for television and movies and worked with legendary musicians like Dizzy Gillespie, has died. He was 83.

Fischer died Thursday at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank after suffering a heart attack two weeks ago, family spokeswoman Claris Sayadian-Dodge said.

An uncommonly versatile musician, Fischer worked as a composer, arranger, conductor and pianist for more than 60 years.

He is best known for his arrangements for Prince, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Branford Marsalis, Usher and Brandy.

Nominated for a Grammy 11 times in the Best Instrumental Arrangement category, Fischer won in 1986 for his album "Free Fall" and in 1981 for "Salsa Picante plus 2+2."

Born in Durand, Mich., Fischer got his start playing piano and writing jazz-inspired arrangements for the group The Hi-Lo's, an a capella quartet popular in the 1950s.

He worked as the arranger on Gillespie's "Jazz Portrait of Duke Ellington."

Fischer recorded 51 albums over his lifetime with his son Brent Fischer. The music ranges in style from jazz to salsa to symphonies.

"Clare Fischer was a major influence on my harmonic concept," Herbie Hancock is quoted as saying on Fischer's website.

"(Fischer) and Bill Evans, and Ravel and Gil Evans, finally. You know, that's where it really came from. Almost all of the harmony that I play can be traced to one of those four people and whoever their influences were," Hancock said.

Clare Fischer is survived by his wife, Donna; sons Lee and Brent; daughter Tahlia; and three grandchildren.

Willie Nelson Re-signs to Sony Records, Announces New Albums

Wednesday marks a homecoming of sorts for Willie Nelson: He has inked a deal to return to Sony Records, his label from 1975 to 1993.

Nelson will record five new albums and re-release archival works via Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony. The deal will serve as a retrospective effort, including the distribution of material from every stage of the country icon's career, which spans approximately 60 years, seven Grammys and involvement in 200 albums. In his initial tenure at Sony/Columbia, Nelson released several of his most legendary works, including 1975's "Red Headed Stranger" and 1978's "Stardust."

"I'm really happy to be back home with Sony Music. We have been partners for many years, all the way back to Pamper and Tree Music," said Nelson in a statement, referencing his former publishing companies. "We share a great history, and I'm looking forward to many more years together."

Nelson's first new record is scheduled for a spring 2012 release. Since leaving Sony in 1993, he has worked with a slew of other imprints, including Island, Lost Highway and Rounder. The latter released his "Country Music" in 2010, which was produced by T-Bone Burnett and reached a recent career peak of No. 4 on the Billboard country charts.

Peter, Paul and Mary Bassist Dick Kniss Dies at 74

Dick Kniss, a bassist who performed for five decades with the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary and co-wrote the John Denver hit "Sunshine on My Shoulders," has died. He was 74.

Kniss died Wednesday of pulmonary disease at a hospital near their home in the Hudson Valley town of Saugerties, said his wife, Diane Kniss.

Kniss was born in Portland, Ore., and was an original member of Denver's 1970s band. He also played with jazz greats including Herbie Hancock and Woody Herman.

Active in the 1960s civil rights movement, Kniss performed at benefits for a range of causes and played during the first celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as a national holiday.

Peter, Paul and Mary's Peter Yarrow said in a statement that Kniss was "our intrepid bass player for almost as long as we performed together.

"He was a dear and beloved part of our closest family circle and his bass playing was always a great fourth voice in our music as well as, conceptually, an original and delightfully surprising new statement added to our vocal arrangements," Yarrow said.

Visiting hours are set for 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Seamon-Wilsey Funeral Home in Saugerties, with a service at 2 p.m.