HOME-GROWN PASSION FOR MUSIC 

WVIA-FM'S GEORGE GRAHAM HAS BEEN NURTURING LOCAL TALENT AND PROVIDING EXPOSURE FOR AN ECLECTIC MIX OF ARTISTS FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS

ALAN K. STOUT

TIMES LEADER STAFF WRITER
JUNE 14, 1998

JENKINS TWP.- Whether it's listening to music for several hours a day, searching albums for that one special track, recording original music, writing album reviews or producing live radio concerts, George Graham's life is music.

 He has shared his love with others. And if you took a survey among area musicians asking which person has offered the public the most insight into their work and who has been the most appreciative and most supportive of that work, Graham's name would likely appear on every list.

 This year marks WVIA-FM's 25th year of radio broadcasting and Graham's 25th year at the station. As a DJ, producer and chief engineer, Graham has worked with hundreds of regional artists, overseen hundreds of recording sessions and hosted thousands of broadcasts.

 He's become somewhat of a legend in the local music community, perhaps in part because of his night hours and relatively low public profile. His 25th anniversary is a milestone that has not gone without notice by area musicians.

 Graham was recently acknowledged by the Local 120 Musicians Union with an award for his continued efforts in promoting live music.

 Mayor James Connors recently proclaimed a special "George Graham Day" in Scranton.

 The duo Flannery and Clarke recently performed a song written in Graham's honor at the station's 25th Anniversary Open House.

 And Badlees vocalist Pete Palladino- during the group's recent performance at the station- also presented Graham with a commemorative plaque from the station and thanked him on behalf of all of the musicians who he's supported over the years.

 "I just try to cultivate individuality," says Graham, reflecting on his 25 years in public radio. "I try to be as sensitive to the music as I can, rather than trying to make somebody sound like something that they aren't or sound like a hit record."

 Commercialism is of no consequence to Graham. It's quality that matters.

 His "Mixed Bag" program is aptly named, offering an eclectic array of music. His "Homegrown Music" programs - which can be equally diverse - offer artists the opportunity to make quality recordings at the WVIA studios and then have them broadcasted on the program.

 Graham also hosts WVIA's "All That Jazz."

 A native and resident of Carbondale, Graham, 47, was hired in 1973 as an engineer to help put WVIA-FM (89.9) on the air. A natural choice to help get the station started, Graham held a degree in electrical engineering from Duke University and had several years of college radio experience. His "Homegrown Music" program began on a weekly basis in 1976, but it was actually in the fall of 1973 that the first acts appeared on the show: folk singers Lex Romane and Ted Bird.

 The live concerts began in 1982, and have become a monthly feature. Graham says nearly 500 artists have appeared on the program.

 And unlike the popular "basement tape"-type programs that are found on many FM stations across the nation, the music played on the "Homegrown Music" show does not consist of tapes or independent releases sent to Graham by musicians, but rather music he has personally recorded and produced.

 " ‘Homegrown Music’ is, by definition, music that originated from the WVIA studios," says Graham, adding that the station was built with the idea of also serving as a recording studio for area artists. "I figured a public radio station should be kind of an artistic resource. The management at the time agreed, so recording equipment was put into the original budget for getting the radio station on the air."

 Musical history

 Graham says his love for music has been life-long, and that he first began honing his skills as a producer while still a teenager.

 "I had a fascination with audio and music going back to grade school," he says. "In high school, I recorded some bands and worked with the AV department and recorded some concerts. In college, I continued with radio and was involved in some recording projects. It's always been an interest of mine."

 Graham - who plays piano and can read music - names The Beatles' "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band," Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" and Atlantic's "Best of John Coltrane Collection" as a few of his "desert island" albums. Still, he pauses when asked to name the type of music he likes best, or the sounds that had the greatest effect on him and led to his career in music.

 "It's hard to say," he says with a smile. "I liked easy-listening things growing up. My piano teacher was good in the sense that every week he would give me a classical piece, and a pop standard, so I learned these songs sort of unwittingly ... .

 "Of course, in college, between '68 and '72, this was that whole period of turmoil, and the '60s and that whole scene of very eclectic music was just happening ... The Beatles releasing the `White Album' and later breaking up ... the psychedelic era ... . Some of it was really pretty fascinating and presaged a lot of the music which is still around.

 "Some of the early precursors of New Age music was coming out at that time," he adds. "The Moody Blues were starting with the whole `art-rock' thing. I remember going to a Janis Joplin concert at college, and she was advocating the blues and spreading the blues to wider audiences ... . I liked a good deal of it."

 Graham's eclectic tastes are showcased on the "Mixed Bag" program, which premiered in 1974 and includes the "Homegrown" show and his "Weekly Album Review." Graham says the show has evolved over the years, and that because there was no true commercial rock FM station in the area when WVIA first hit the airwaves, he once played more mainstream artists on the program.

 That, of course, was before they were mainstream.

 "Once commercial radio started moving into album rock, I started moving into other directions to provide an alternative," says Graham. "If YES and Bruce Springsteen were going to be on commercial radio, then we could get into blues, folk music and other different things that would have some crossover appeal from the commercial rock audience but would be different and go into different areas. The eclecticism of the program is, to some extent, driven by the alternative factor."

Graham says the recent trend of large corporations purchasing many commercial FM radio stations has resulted in a diminished role for program directors in choosing music. At WVIA, he's been able to maintain musical control of the programming, and spends several hours each week just listening to the national and independent releases he receives, deciding what to play.

 "A lot of times, the most commercial track is the first one on the CD, which for me would be a turn off," he says. "So I go further into the record. If I hear something that's intriguing, then I give it more time. ...

 "Today, it's far less the gut reaction of a local program director, but rather marketing research and computer analysis that's driving the programing of commercial radio," he says. "That's great for building audience numbers and getting your (ratings) up, but it does leave a few people unserved."

For 25 years, Graham has served not only listeners, but also artists. He names The Badlees, Tom Flannery, The Blue Sparks and Bob Dorough as some of the musicians that have stood out in his mind over the years. He says that he's aware that because the media has become so star-oriented, it's difficult for up-and-coming artists to find media exposure.

 To further articulate what he finds interesting about certain music, Graham also writes detailed album reviews, which can be found on his Web site at www.georgegraham.com. The site also has archive information on past programs, as well as information on upcoming broadcasts.

 In addition, some pre-taped "Homegrown Music" live studio concerts are being aired on WVIA-TV on selected Fridays at midnight, and the station recently released an 18-track CD, the "Homegrown Music Sampler," featuring a variety of artists who have performed on the program over the years.

 "To me, it's a great deal of fun to introduce people to new music," says Graham. "There's just something about it. ... I find it a lot of fun to say `Hey, listen to this. This is really interesting.' ...

 "After 25 years, it's still fun doing that."

 

(Alan K. Stout has written about rock and pop music in Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1992. His weekly radio show, "Music On The Menu," airs every Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on 105 The River in Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Hazleton, Bloomsburg.)

 

DAKOTA

BACK WITH RAVES
FORMER REGIONAL FAVORITES AND NATIONAL RECORDING ARTISTS

 RELEASE NEW ALBUM 

By ALAN K. STOUT
MUSIC ON THE MENU
April 19, 1998


SCRANTON- The names of the rock and pop musicians from Northeastern Pennsylvania who have had some national success make for a very short list.  But rightfully on that elite roster is the band Dakota, which recorded a string of nationally released albums in the late '70s and early '80s.

Now, after a 12-year absence, Dakota is back. Still a popular act among collectors and fans of '80s-rock throughout Europe and Japan, the band has released a new album, "The Last Standing Man," which is available as an import at Gallery of Sound stores.  And with rave reviews pouring in from overseas, Dakota co-founder Jerry Hludzik is feeling a sense of musical revival.


"I knew this was a possibility for me to dig down and get some of the writing juices flowing again and maybe finish some of the legacy of the band," says Hludzik.  "It's a long shot - in other countries far away - but it's a chance."

The Legacy

Hludzik has always taken chances. He has dozens of road stories and tales of record company politics, power-plays and inner-band squabbles that have at times helped and at other times hindered his career. But whether the stories have good or bad endings, there's always a sense of pride in his voice when discussing any aspect of his musical past.


The history of Dakota can be traced to The Buoys, the area band that recorded the song "Timothy," which became a national hit in 1971. Hludzik and vocalist Bill Kelly were members of the group, but left in 1978 - straining some relationships - and released the Jerry Kelly album for CBS/Epic Records.  In 1980 the group changed its name to Dakota. That same year, they released their self-titled album on Columbia/CBS Records, and later snagged the opening slot on part of Queen's U.S. tour, which included three sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden.  In 1984, the band released "Runaway" on MCA Records, but label politics and changing musical trends prevented the band from reaching national stardom. The Kelly/Hludzik creative relationship and friendship soured, and the group disbanded in 1987,  giving a farewell concert at Montage Mountain.  "The Lost Tracks," an independently released recording featuring previously unreleased material, was distributed regionally in 1987.


In 1995, Hludzik says he was contacted by representatives from a Swedish label who informed him that the band was still selling albums overseas and had maintained a fan-base there. In 1996, Hludzik reached an agreement with Escape Records to re-release the "Lost Tracks, with a few minor changes, throughout Europe under the title "Mr. Lucky." Soon, Escape asked Hludzik if he was interested in recording a new Dakota album.


After some deep soul-searching, he decided he was.

Hot Nights

Keyboardist Rick Manwiller - who had joined Dakota in 1982 and has remained friends with Hludzik - was contacted, and a reformed Dakota began to take shape.


"I told him I decided I was going to give it a go, and that I hoped it was with him rather than without him," says Hludzik. "He called back the next day and we decided we were going to do it."

Guitarist Jon "JL" Lorance, who played with Hludzik and Manwiller in SecretCity, a post-Dakota project, was enlisted, and the drum stool was filled with Hludzik's teenage son, Eli.  Soon, the band was working at Sound Investments studios in Scranton, writing and recording new songs and looking to spark some new musical chemistry.  New numbers such as "Hot Nights" and "The Last Standing Man" seem to address, even lyrically, the fact that there's still some unfinished business left in the Dakota story.


Hludzik says he felt compelled to make a record that stylistically complemented the band's previous work.


"We had to make another Dakota record," he says. "And I had to exorcise a lot of demons.  It was the first thing I would be involved with Dakota without Kelly being a part of. I knew there was a possibility people would rip me apart ... but I'm not afraid of falling down.


"Failure to me ... I've been on my face so many times ... it’s just a word. If you lay down and don't get up, then it's a tag."


Overseas reaction to the album has been positive. Lawrence was featured in an interview with Young Guitar magazine in Japan and there have been flattering articles in Music Life and Music Guide magazines. There was also a four-star review in Belgium's Rock Report.  The CD was also spotlighted as the "Album of the Month" in Power Play magazine in England, and there was a "four-skull" review in Italy's "Metal Shop" publication.


"You've got to promise bite the head of bird to get a review in that magazine," quips Manwiller.

The music

Now in their mid-40s, Hludzik says the band's members - who are also involved in other musical projects - are still able to make their living performing, writing and producing music. Still, he and Manwiller say inspiration for songwriting now comes from different sources than it did in the '70s and '80s.


"I don't think either one of us could have written songs like this when we were 20 years old," says Hludzik. "You have to go through a little experience with a lot of different things to come up with where you are at the present time."


"We both have teenage kids," adds Manwiller. "A lot of the lyrics Jerry came up with were about parenting. It becomes more important to you, and you think of things that might help somebody."


One track, "Mama Teach," which Hludzik describes as "therapeutic," is about his son Eli leaving the house to go off to college.


"No matter how old your son or daughter is, you want another day," he says. "You want another day of sitting down with them before they leave the fold. It's about letting go. If someone can relate to that, and it helps them - that's the joy of it.


 Also a joy for Hludzik was working with his son. He points out that Dakota had never had a permanent drummer, and that Eli, now 19, is the first drummer to be an official member of the band.


"To have my son playing with me at my side was something you can't describe as a father," he says. "And it wasn't because we were throwing him a bone, but because he deserved to be there. I can't think of another drummer around that I would have wanted to use. He's so beyond his years, as far as music savvy ...


 "That was really instrumental in making the album sound the way it sounds," he adds. "What Rick and I brought to the table was one thing, but Jon and Eli upped the game of Dakota. The guitar playing ... I could have had three hands and couldn't have played as well as Jon played on this record."


Hludzik - who says there are no immediate plans for Dakota to perform live - adds that the recorded project and the positive response it's received has rejuvenated his interest and love for creating music. It's a feeling he admits had at once left him. He reiterates those sentiments - and his appreciation to those who still have an interest in Dakota's music - by referring to the lyrics to the album's title track:


"To remember how it felt to touch through expression," he says, quoting the song ... "I had forgotten about that."


He then finishes the line:


"Now we'll take our place, in your hall of grace, and sincerely - thanks to you all."

(Alan K. Stout has covered rock and pop music in NEPA since 1992. His weekly radio show, “Music On The Menu,” airs every Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on 105 The River.) 

Out of Respect for Elvis

Pittston’s Shawn Klush delivers the music

 of Elvis Presley with a striking resemblance and sound

ALAN K. STOUT

MUSIC ON THE MENU

JANUARY 9, 1998

 As an eighth-grade student, Shawn Klush asked his principal if he could sing a number at the school’s annual year-end play.

 He chose Elvis Presley’s “Memories.”

 “It was my way of saying that we’re going on to high school,” says Klush, 28, of Pittston, who was already a big fan of The King.

 “I was scared to death, but I stood there and I did it. I look back on it now and laugh like hell … but it was a step.”

 A step - one might say - right into The King’s own blue suede shoes.

 Klush is now one of the world’s most respected tribute artists to the late Presley, who would have turned 63 on Thursday. He has performed across the country, including near the gates of Graceland, and has recorded with some of Elvis’ own closest friends.

 Last year, he placed second out of nearly 800 worldwide entrants in a huge Elvis convention/competition in Canada, judged by Elvis’ former drummer, D.J.Fontana, and backing singers, The Jordinares.

 Tonight, Klush - along with fellow Elvis tribute act Rick Saucedo - will perform in The Woodlands Grand Ballroom in Plains Township.

 Although raised in Pittston, Klush’s voice is occasionally peppered with a slight southern drawl. His lip occasionally curls upwards when he speaks, and he often breaks into a boyish grin after telling an interesting story. He often begins and ends his sentences with the word “man,” and even in plain clothes and a relaxed environment, there’s an uncanny likeness to Presley.

 “By the time I was 8 years old, I probably had every Elvis record that ever existed and could probably sing every song,” says Klush, who became a fan at age 4. His father, also a big Elvis fan, was once a DJ for WPTS-AM in Hughestown and actually saw The King perform at Madison Square Garden in 1972.

 Music, says Klush, always filled the home.

 “I grew up listening to Elvis and Dean Martin, which is funny for a kid born in 1969,” he says. “When you grew up in the ’70s, you were listening to KISS and Queen and Billy Joel … I still enjoy listening to that and love it, but to me it all stems from what Elvis did. He was the man.

 “There’s just something about his magnitude and something about Elvis that you can’t walk away from.”

 Klush says he respects and appreciates the great instinct Presley had for music.

 “His style, and the way that he felt music … I don’t think there was ever a guy that had that much natural rhythm,” he says. “He could just zone in … The whole style and everything that he did - even in the ’70s - there was still something to explore. Elvis was an unbelievable cat. To this day, I can still get chills listening to `2001? start. (Elvis’ traditional entrance music). You knew something was going to happen.”

 Klush’s childhood love for Elvis continued throughout his teens. He began working with friends in area bands, and at 17, played in a group called Triple Shot. He then sang in another Elvis group that performed frequently in the Scranton area, and later moved on to the Pocono resorts. He eventually landed steady work with the Las Vegas-based “Legends In Concert” tours and has been a regular in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Klush also landed an annual gig playing near Graceland in Memphis.

 “Every August, I play across the street from the mansion,” he says, reverence in his voice. “It’s the coolest thing. You have no idea what it’s like to stand in front of that house singing something like `My Way’ and looking over that wall … I consider myself real lucky to have that gig.”

 Last Aug. 16 marked the 20th anniversary of Presley’s death. The milestone drew some of Graceland’s biggest crowds, and while performing in Memphis, Klush was able to meet and spend time with Joe Esposito, Presley’s best friend, plus Presley bandmates Charlie Hodge, Scotty Moore and Fontana.

 Interestingly, Klush says he won’t perform in costume while performing near Graceland. On those occasions, he prefers to let the music do the talking.

 “That’s my way of showing respect for Elvis,” he says. “I won’t wear a costume or a jump-suite or anything like that. I just wear street-clothes.”

 The respect that Klush feels for Presley is now being returned by some of Presley’s friends. Klush’s new CD, “From the Heart” - on which he covers Presley’s material - features backing vocals by Elvis singers J.D. Sumner & The Stamps, plus Charlie Hodge. The suit Klush wears on his cover was done by the same designer who made suits for Elvis. And the striking vocals on the album could easily pass for The King.

 “I never had to force myself to sound like that,” says Klush. “We have almost the same tones, the same range and same baritone. I could sing a baritone note and still hit a tenor part and not have a problem.”

 For tonight’s show at The Woodlands, Klush will offer the music and persona of the Elvis of the late ’60s and early ’70s, while Chicago’s Rick Saucedo will stick to the Elvis of the ’50s and ’60s. Both singers will be backed by The Northern Lights from the Bronx, N.Y.

 Klush says he hasn’t performed in his home region in about six years. He says the special birthday event will not be simply an Elvis show, but also will offer outstanding musicianship from the band. Nearly 1,000 seats already have been sold.

 “I’m not Elvis and never will be,” says Klush. “I can’t scratch the surface of what this guy was. We’re only copying it, but hopefully we’re bringing it across the line where people can believe … If you let your inhibitions go when you come into the show, you’re going to have a better time.

 “It’s a real show paying tribute to a man that rocked the world.”

(Alan K. Stout has written about rock and pop music in Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1992. His weekly radio show, "Music On The Menu," airs every Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on 105 The River in Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Hazleton, Bloomsburg.)

KIRBY STARS SHINE BRIGHT IN HIS HEART

 On its 10th anniversary, assistant GM looks back on those that have graced the Kirby stage

By ALAN K. STOUT

Times Leader Staff Writer
September 15, 1996    

 WILKES-BARRE -- From wonderfully warm, down-to-earth icons to pompous, ego-maniacs, John Cardoni has seen them all in his decade of work at the F.M Kirby Center for the Performing Arts. As assistant general manager and technical director of the venue, Cardoni has been dealing with some of the world's top entertainers for more than 10 years. Through it all, he's been charmed by George Burns, entertained until the wee hours of the morning by Rodney Dangerfield and slugged in the face by comedian Hal Roach.

One thing he makes clear, however - the good experiences have far outweighed the bad.

 “There's some wonderful stories that come to mind,” says Cardoni, reflecting on the center's 10th anniversary this month. He says most of the big stars who have performed at the venue have arrived with no big, Hollywood attitudes, and offers as a prime example Wayne Newton's willingness to help hang the stage lights.

 “Newton's lighting company's truck was held up somewhere south of Washington,” says Cardoni. “They'd had a blowout of a tire or something, so we decided we'd make use of the Kirby's lighting system for the event - which meant we had to re-hang all of the equipment.”

Cardoni says he and his crew, plus the union and road crew were discussing what to do when the star of the show arrived on the scene. “Wayne came up with a pair of blue jeans on and a crescent wrench in his hand and said ‘What can I do to help?’”

Rodney Dangerfield, says, Cardoni, is just as zany off stage as on.

“There's always something happening with him,” he says, telling the story of how he, Dangerfield and the show's promoter were discussing Dangerfield's interest in opening a few comedy clubs throughout the country. Dangerfield was asking about Wilkes-Barre, and Cardoni told him about a recently vacated restaurant right on Public Square.

 “Oh, that would be perfect,” said Dangerfield. “We've got to go look at it.”

 At 1 a.m., Cardoni, Dangerfield and the promoter headed out to the square, where Dangerfield enthusiastically began envisioning plans for his comedy club.

 “Kids were cruising the square - this was a Saturday night - and they're yelling  ‘Hey, Rodney,’ ” says Cardoni. “ ‘Hey yourself,’ ”  he'd yell back. “I'm coming to Wilkes-Barre.' He just stood there yelling at kids as they drove by. We were out there until 2:30 in the morning before he finally wound down and said ‘OK, I gotta go have dinner.’”

Cardoni says rumors of Diana Ross's rude behavior before her 1990 Kirby show are completely untrue.

“She was a lovely lady to deal with,” he says. “She very much treasures her privacy - but other than that - once she came into the building, she was demure. She introduced herself, went down to the dressing room, came up, hung out with the crew for a while, did her soundcheck - no different that the hundreds of artists that have been through here.”

Cardoni names pianist/comedian Victor Borge, who appeared at The Kirby in September of 1986, as one his favorite performers to grace the stage during the venue's early days.

“I've always admired Victor Borge from when I was a child watching him on television,” says Cardoni. “To actually have him here to perform was a wonderful moment for me, personally. He was remarkably pleasant.”

Cardoni says Borge also had a wonderful sense of dry wit and was obviously unimpressed with the Kirby's then brand new 7-foot grand piano.

“He walked over to it, played a few keys and said ‘Oh, look, a toy piano’ and walked away. That told me what he thought of that particular brand.”

The unpretentious demeanor of mime great Marcel Marceau also left a deep impression.

“He behaved in such an unassuming way,” says Cardoni, “yet this is somebody that was probably responsible more than anyone for teaching the art of mime and mimicry in the world. Here he was in Wilkes-Barre - he just walked in the stage-door carrying his own suitcase.”

Cardoni says Bill Cosby packed a bunch of Abe's hot dogs for his return trip to Philadelphia, and David Copperfield's stage-smoke effects once set off the Kirby's fire alarms. “David didn't realize they were going off,” he says. “He though it was another sound effect from his show, so he just kept going.”

Of the hundreds of shows that Cardoni has helped produce at the Kirby, only two entertainers stand out in his mind as being extremely difficult. The first, he says, is rock 'n roll pioneer Chuck Berry.

Berry's contract, says Cardoni, was loaded with bizarre clauses designed to earn him extra cash. Berry required obscure musical equipment for each show, and if the venue didn't have it, they could rent it from him, which he conveniently carried on his tour bus. When Cardoni was able to come up with all of his demands, Berry seemed peeved.

“I admire Chuck Berry's music very much,” says Cardoni, “but his whole approach to this facility was that this was a backwater town and he was doing us a favor by coming in.”

Cardoni says Berry gave a shortened, generally lifeless performance and then stormed out of the building.

One performer went a step further in his rude behavior. Irish comedian Hal Roach actually struck Cardoni.

“He punched me flat in the mouth in the lobby,” he says. “He didn't want to pay his merchandising percentage of sales tax. The state of Pennsylvania requires tax to be collected on non-clothing items. I don't have any control of that. That's the law. I was about to turn to my house manager and tell him that we'd pay the tax and it wasn't worth arguing with this guy, and as I turned, he slugged me, grabbed his money, and ran to the dressing room and locked himself in.”

Still, Cardoni says that “two (bad incidents) out of 10 years and over 1,500 shows isn't too bad.” He describes the 1991 performance by the late George Burns as particularly special. In March of that year, Cardoni underwent open heart surgery and nearly died on the operating table. Following the operation, he was told he'd need up to 11 weeks of recovery time at home. But George Burns was scheduled to perform at the Kirby in April.

"I decided that this was an opportunity I didn't want to miss,” remembers Cardoni, setting the Burns show as his goal to return to work.

Without Cardoni knowing it, one of the stage hands had told Burns of his recent surgery and that it was his first night back at The Kirby.  Soon, Cardoni was being summoned to Burns' dressing room.

“I heard you had heart surgery,” the nearly 100 year old entertainer said. “Have a cigar, kid ...

"You've got a long way to go."

(Originally published in The Times Leader in September of 1996 as part of the paper's coverage noting the 10th anniversary of the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts.)

 Jett’s set for no-frills rock show

Rocker will play at Tink’s on Sunday

By ALAN K. STOUT
Times Leader Staff Writer
April 26, 1996

  "It was like you were in the eye of the hurricane," says Joan Jett, recalling the spring of 1982 when her single, "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," hit number-one on the country's Hot 100 singles chart.

  "You'd see Billboard and things like that and it was exciting - but you didn't really know what was going on or how people's views of you were changing. The Blackhearts were this punk garage band that nobody would even deal with, then all of a sudden we have this number-one song and we're mainstream. It's all perception. We didn't change a thing."

  With more than 20 years of professional experience under her belt, it could be said that the hard-rocking, straight-shooting Jett still hasn't changed a thing. From playing in a national touring band at age 15 to scoring a number-one hit single and more recently, becoming an outspoken leader of women's safety issues, Jett's career has been marked by a sense of contemporary validity and progression, while never straying too far from her early punk roots.

  Her career began in 1975 as a member of the all-girl group The Runaways. When Jett was only 15, the band was signed to a national recording contract, and by the time the group dissolved in 1978, they'd toured the United States, part of that time opening for the Ramones.

  Jett says that although she and other members of the group were extremely young and were often perceived as an industry-created project, the music was always paramount to the band. She says the fact that most critics never could get past their sex-pot image was disturbing.

  "That was really frustrating," she says. "We had the enthusiasm to talk about the music and people always got around it - I guess (they were) threatened by teenage girls that wanted to play rock 'n' roll ... As soon as we let people know that it wasn't a phase -- that this was something we wanted to do - that's when people got strange."

  Although the group was frequently panned by critics and ignored by radio, time has allowed Jett to recall that period with fondness.

  "The thing that I remember overall is that we had a good time and I really enjoyed myself," she says. "It was a lot of work because we were always on the road, and when we weren't on the road, we were making albums."

  In 1978, The Runaways disbanded, and in 1981, Jett's solo debut, “Bad Reputation" was released. In late '81 came Joan Jett & The Blackhearts' "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," with the single of the same name soaring to the top of the charts.

  Jett continued to record and tour throughout the '80s, going gold with 1983's “Album,” and platinum with 1988's “Up Your Alley,” which featured the top-10 "I Hate Myself for Loving You." She hit the top-40 again in 1990 with a cover of the AC/DC classic "Dirty Deeds (Done Dirt Cheap)."

  More recently, Jett has worked on a project called Evil Stig, a band made up of members of The Gits, a Seattle group whose lead singer, Mia Zapata, was raped and murdered. Jett, who was living in Seattle at the time, dedicated her video "Go Home" - a song about being stalked - to Zapata, and began dedicating the song to her at live shows.

  Jett later befriended the band and played with them on a short tour, singing Mia's parts. Benefit shows were held to raise money to finance a private investigation into Zapata's murder, and the shows were then recorded and released as an album. Her murder also inspired the formation of Seattle's “Home Alive” program, a women's self-defense program. "I thought it was really wonderful that something positive could come out of such a tragic thing," says Jett.

  Currently, Jett is having success with her rendition of "Love Is All Around," the theme of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. ESPN asked her to record the song to promote women's basketball during the NCAA tournament, and now, radio has begun spinning the track.

  "I was more than happy to help," she says. "I'm a big sports fan and I'm an advocate of women doing what they want to do."

  Jett says those heading to Sunday's show in Scranton will see a no-frills rock 'n' roll show, with a wide selection of material spanning her whole career.

  "It's straight forward," she says. "No flash-pods or anything like that. It's just us and the audience ... Hopefully it will be hot enough for some sweating - to me, that's very important."

IF YOU GO:

Who: Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Where: Tink’s, 519 Linden Street, Scranton
When: Sunday, April 27
Tickets: $8
Info: (570) 346-8465

 

 

 

Making their own way 

Mere Mortals strike a chord with original music

By ALAN K. STOUT
MUSIC ON THE MENU
APRIL 19, 1996

Billy Lieback, drummer of the band Mere Mortals, has simple advice for any group considering playing original music.

“If they like it, they come back,” he says. “If they don’t - it’s just like anything else - they don’t come back. Obviously, we’re doing something right. ”

Obviously.

Flashback to December 1995: The recently re-formed Mere Mortals wins “Best Original Band” in Sound Choice II, The Times Leader’s second annual reader’s poll.

Update to April 1996: The Mere Mortals new album, “Grin” is completed; a record release party is planned for Saturday night at Casey’s in Wilkes-Barre.

A steady following of local fans continues to grow, the band opens for The Badlees before a crowd of 1,400, is added to the bill of the Wilkes-Barre

Music Festival, and the new album is featured on WZMT-FM’s “Cellar Full of Noise.”

“Doing something right” is an understatement. Simply put, this band is rollin’.

“Grin” is the follow-up to the band’s 1992 debut “In Search of Simple Things.” Self-produced, the album was recorded from June 1995 until March 1996 at Sound Investments in Scranton and was engineered by Tom Borthwick and Joe Wegleski. Vocalist Eddie Appnel says the band is pleased with the end result of their second voyage into the studio.

“It’s a really honest record,” he says. “We can still present the songs live. We didn’t over-produce it.”

Production, says Lieback, is one of the great joys in recording an independently released album.

“Being that we’re not signed with a record company, we may as well (enjoy) the freedom while we can,” he says. “We produced our own instruments and got the sounds that we wanted.”

 Formed in 1991, The Pittston-based Mere Mortals include Appnel, vocals, acoustic guitar; Lieback, drums, percussion and backing vocals; Pat Flynn, lead guitar, backing vocals; and Mark Kiesinger, bass, backing vocals. Appnel, who does most of the songwriting, says he’s been stockpiling song ideas for years. Inspiration, he says, comes from everywhere - including, oddly enough, the remote control.

“I’m inspired a lot by TV,” he says. “I do a lot of channel surfing, and I mostly listen for little lines that sound interesting and would jive with a certain melody that I have bouncing around.”

In addition to the TV, Appnel says his biggest influence remains The Beatles - a sound that frequently pops up on “Grin.”

“It’s no secret that I’m a huge Beatles fan,” he says with a laugh. “If you’re going to be influenced, be influenced by the best.

“I love all music,” he adds. “I can’t listen to the radio too much or watch too much MTV because I’m easily drawn toward the flavor-of-the day. It really does have an effect — all of the influences that you may notice (on the album) are probably conscious efforts.”

Appnel, who began playing guitar and writing songs at age 12, says he’s always found songwriting, or “putting words together with a catchy melody in a four minute time frame,” the best creative outlet for his own personality.

“I always wanted to tell a story, but I don’t have the patience or the attention span to write a novel,” he says. “The pop-song format is perfect for me.”

Lieback says that although many local artists frequently complain about the local original music scene, Mere Mortals have been able to find an audience.

 “Since we started with this back in 1992, it’s taken a complete 180 degree turn,” he says. “When you’re sitting there on the stage and see the people singing the words to your songs and they’re really getting into it — that’s what makes it worthwhile.”

 “I’ve heard a lot of bickering about the original music   scene lately - which I don’t like to hear,” adds Appnel.   “It’s not going to happen overnight, but (now) it’s more   affordable for people to record, and things are really   starting to open up. People are starting to listen and   show up in the clubs for original bands.”

 Appnel says immediate plans for the Mere Mortals   include shopping “Grin” to major labels and local   commercial radio. In a few months, he says, the band   will be back in the studio working on album number   three.

 “We’re just going to keep on doing it until we get   someone’s attention and we can take it to the next   level,” he says. “Every time we do it, we’re just trying to perfect the craft.”

Mere Mortals are regulars at Casey’s in Wilkes-Barre, and can also be found hitting the stages at Jitterbugs, The Staircase, Mantis Green and Market Street Square. Appnel points to the fact that the group has garnered support from local press and specifically mentions Mike Naydock of WZMT’s “Cellar Full of Noise” and George Graham of WVIA-FM’s “Homegrown Music” as some of the band’s strongest supporters. He also thanks family, friends and fans for being among the band’s biggest backers.

“We’re really fortunate,” he says. “It’s a good support team between the fans and even the club owners who are letting us come in and do originals … there’s no reason it can’t happen. We’re playing the best clubs in the area on prime nights. There’s nothing to complain about here.”

He also praises his bandmates for choosing the more difficult path of playing original material — a path which may ultimately bring a greater reward.

“Mark, Billy and Pat should be commended for the commitment they’ve made,” he says. “Here I am with these songs, and these guys are giving every effort. They could be playing in the best cover bands anywhere, and they’ve chosen to give that up to pursue this.”

REVIEW: ‘Grin’ should bring smiles to listeners 

Right from the first track on the Mere Mortals’ new album, you know you’re in for something special.

An ambitious project featuring 11 original numbers, the album offers elements of pop, rock and alternative, with high production value and an ample selection of radio-ready songs. Titled “Grin,” the sophomore effort from the Pittston-based band showcases tight musicianship, great harmonies, unformulated arrangements, witty, intelligent lyrics and a fresh sound that remains cohesive while never becoming mundane or contrived.

Kicking off with mid-tempoed “If This Is Hell,” the cleverly-arranged mood-setter features driving rhythms, a distorted Beatle-esque vocal break and soft, well-placed harmony backdrops that immediately set the tone for one of the best regionally-released indies to come across this desk in quite some time. “Resoluto” brings an early ’80s alternative vibe, while “Killing Me” showcases the band’s heavier guitar sound and offers one of the catchiest choruses on the record.

Throughout the album, vocalist/acoustic guitarist Eddie Appnel’s songwriting reveals a wide array of influence and intellect, while the rhythm section of bassist Mark Kiesinger and drummer Billy Lieback holds everything together with a solid backbeat and frequently steps up for notice. Pat Flynn’s lead guitar work consistently packs a solid punch, yet always remains within the songs, never becoming too flashy. 

“Ashes To Ashes” hints towards a U2 influence, with Flynn’s soft, melodic solo fitting the song perfectly, and elements of jazz/fusion appear throughout “Funny Animals.” The album’s title track, “Grin,” showcases the group’s folksier side, offering a mid-’60s, Beatles “Rubber Soul” flavor, while “Blind Will Lead the Blind” also reveals a Fab Four influence, only this time with more of a mop-top sound.

“Mountainslide” - possibly the album’s finest track - offers some of the record’s best and most intriguing instrumentation; the Police-like “Footlights” again brings the kind of dynamic tempo and arrangement changes which prevent the band from falling into any formulated traps. The radio-friendly and instantly likable “Keeping Up With The Jones” showcases some funky reggae rhythms and is clearly one of the album’s highlights, and the riff-heavy, post-Beatle McCartney-sounding “Goodnight Calabash” closes the album with a bang.

The end result? A very pleasurable listening experience. And a guaranteed “Grin.” - Alan K. Stout

 

Don’t call me X

By ALAN K. STOUT

Sound Check Magazine  

October 1994

Generation X, huh?

That’s what someone, somewhere, has decided to label me and a few million other young people, ranging in age from teens to early thirties.  At 27, I guess I’m about right in the middle.

We are, Madison Avenue says, a lost generation that is absent of ambition, squandering our intellect, and lacking in direction and identity.

In August, a few hundred thousand of these Xers gathered in upstate New York and tried to recreate the magic of a grand concert that our parents’ generation held 25 years ago. And I guess some feel that we even managed to screw that up, as Woodstock II forgot the little part about getting a powerhouse lineup of great bands.

  

I don’t buy any of it.

We do have an identity. We do have our own past, our own memories, our own music, and our own heroes.

The Who talked about their generation.

I’ll talk about ours.

Our generation, the one they call “X,” consists of anything that we can recall happening in our lifetime. And, so far, it’s been a pretty cool ride.

I can vaguely recall, as a young child, hearing “American Pie” on the radio and being intrigued by its lyrics. I can remember listening to Elvis Presley albums with my grandfather, marveling at his wonderful voice. I can recall watching old Monkees reruns on TV, and thinking that’s how life for a rock band actually was. And right around that same time, I recall seeing four guys from New York City slapping on the greasepaint, cranking up the amps and becoming “The Hottest Band In The World.”

But music is only a small part of it. There’s much more.

Generation X is Little League, dance recitals and fireworks on the Fourth of July.

Generation X is “Jaws,” “Saturday Night Fever,” “Star Wars” and “Dancing With Wolves.” It’s “M*A*S*H,” “Cheers,” “Cosby” and The Fonz from “Happy Days” trying to jump over 14 garbage cans.

Generation X is “Batman” with Adam West and Michael Keaton. It’s “Saturday Night Live” with John Belushi, Eddie Murphy and Dana Carvey. It’s silly horror movies with 10 sequels and “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.”

Generation X, probably more than anything, is "The Breakfast Club."

Generation X is baseball strikes, free agency, and Reggie Jackson hitting three home runs in one game of the World Series. It’s Super Bowl Sunday with Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana and Walter Payton. It’s “Monday Night Football” with Tony Dorsett rushing for 99 1/2 yards on one play.

Generation X is astronauts. Remember the blastoffs? The splashdowns? Do you recall hearing those static-filled voices, “Come in Houston. Houston, do you read?” and seeing that tiny little white dot on the TV screen zooming towards the stars and thinking, “Wow, guys are actually in there.” Every little kid wanted to be an astronaut. (Until we found out it was really, really hard.)

Many years later, Generation X saw seven of those brave astronauts die.

Generation X is MTV. It’s J.J. Jackson, Martha Quinn and Adam Curry. It’s “120 Minutes,” “The Week In Rock” and “Headbanger’s Ball.”

Generation X is “Purple Rain,” “Pyromania,” “Born in The U.S.A,” “The Joshua Tree,” “Synchronicity” and “Thriller.”

Forget Woodstock II. Generation X is Live Aid, with millions of dollars being raised by young people to feed starving people.

Generation X is heavy metal. It’s denim jackets, faded jeans and high-top Converse sneakers. It’s Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Guns ‘N Roses and Metallica.

Generation is also classic rock and roll. It’s John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel. It’s The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith and The Grateful Dead. And it’s grunge, with flannel shirts, goatees and black shoes. It’s Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots and Soundgarden.

For Generation X, the guys don’t have to shave every day. A little stubble is alright.  They play softball with their friends and go to ballgames with their dads. The women can wear their hair however they want – long and straight, short and trimmed, or a big, funky perm. They’re smart and they’re ambitious in the workforce, but they still love to talk on the phone with their friends and go to the mall with their moms.

Generation X is student loans and ridiculously high rates on car insurance.

Generation X is Ollie North, William Kennedy Smith, Clarence Thomas III and O.J.

Generation X is the fall of the Soviet Union and the Berlin Wall. It’s hostages in Iran, Operation Desert Storm, Ronald Reagan beating an assassin’s bullet, George Bush and Bill Clinton.

Generation X is concerned about the environment and the future of the world. It’s U.S.A for Africa, Greenpeace and Amnesty International.

Generation X does have ambition. We still study to be scientists, teachers and doctors.

Generation X, like Generation A or Generation C or whatever generations came before it, also likes a long walk on the beach, a cool summer breeze and a beautiful moonlit fall night.

Generation X, huh?

People never really change and our lives, in part, serve as both a mirror and a reflection of what goes on around us. And really, there’s no need to look to the past, or the future, to find an identity. We’re doing OK, right now, and we’re still only just beginning. If you look hard enough, you’ll see. We’re leaving our mark, here and there, slowly but surely. And when we’re all gone, the things that we built, the impressions that we left, and the changes that we’ve made will be even easier to recognize.

Rest assured, X will mark the spot.