For Immediate Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE…

by Tom Lounges / Editor

REGION ROCKERS TO RUMBLE!

After a lot of ear fatigue due to checking out demos of the 50-plus artists who submitted entries for consideration in regards to playing at the 7th Annual Midwest BEAT Region Rumble, our panel has finally narrowed it down to the last 10 bands standing.

On Saturday, January 14th at Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville, the following Indiana/Illinois groups (in no particular order yet) will rock their hearts out for 40 minutes each –– Asteria, The Recs, Tyrant’s Reign, Ripley Street, Ditchwater, Detour, Kamera, Farewell To February, Seven By Seven (formerly A-Train) and Lazer Band.

This year we’ve added two female vocalists to the brief 15-minute intermission mix to give ticket buyers even more bang for their buck.

The ladies – R&B recording artist Nicki G and Tina Dohl – will alternate on each break to belt out a song, before BEAT columnist Freak and Yours Truly step up to dish out free stuff like t-shirts, CDs and other cool stuff!

Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door for the all day (doors open at 12 noon), all ages concert. The first band hits the stage rockin’ at 1pm sharp. Get your tickets from any of the artists on the bill, from Ticketmaster or from the Star Plaza Theatre box-office.

BASHES BACK ON TAP!

• I would like to cordially invite all BEAT readers and listener’s of my Sunday evening Night Rock radio show (6-9pm on X-ROCK 103.9) to the Midwest BEAT/Night Rock “Christmas Break Bash” taking place on Friday, December 23 at Bin Willy’s Night Club (3530 N. Calumet Ave.) in Valparaiso, Indiana.

This show offers the very best of both musical worlds –– original and cover –– indie college rock and commercial hits.

Performing a 90-minute concert set will be one of the most talented group’s to emerge from the South Suburbs in many years – Stellar Road – a heavily requested band with Night Rock listeners.

The acoustic-driven original rock of Stellar Road has packed The Metro, Joe’s Sports Bar, The Pearl Room, and other prestigious Chicago venues as a headline act. This is a band sure to be going places.

If you like the Dave Matthews Band, The Pat McGee Band and artists of that caliber – I promise that you will absolutely love Stellar Road.

The second half of the show will feature the popular rock/dance cover band, NAWTY, who were profiled in these pages last month. A tight party rock combo, NAWTY, are a super high energy band guaranteed to have the dance floor filled all night.

MELLENCAMP EXHIBIT OPENS

Hoosier-bred rock icon, John Mellensamp, has long been just as productive in front of an easel as behind the walls of a recording studio, and just as capable with a brush and palate as with a guitar and microphone.

Twenty-seven never-before-seen new paintings by Mellencamp are on display for the first time ever in an exhibition simply titled –– “John Mellencamp/Paintings” –– at Herron Galleries at the The Indiana University Herron School of Art and Design, located at 735 West New York Street, Indianapolis, Indiana.

The exhibit runs through January 7, 2006 – daily from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm and until 7:00 pm on Thursdays during exhibitions. The exhibition is free to the public. For more info, call (317) 278-9419.

LOUNGES GETS HIS IRISH UP…

Yours Truly…Tom Lounges represented X-ROCK 103.9 during the Grand Opening Month’s celebration at T.J. Maloney’s Irish Pub in Merrillville. All guests to the restaurant during my visit were invited to fill out a free raffle entry for a variety of prizes.

One visitor to the restaurant that afternoon, Carl Tramona (pictured), was all smiles as he won a dinner party for 15 that was presented on stage by me and T.J’s Sales Manager Martin Hughes .

After a few hours of hanging out and a big plate of Shepard’s Pie washed down with a cold pint, I mugged for the camera with T.J’s hard working management and serving staff before climbing back into the “Bob & Tom X-ROCK 103.9” van and riding off into the sunset.

LOCAL MUSIC SCENE LOSSES…

• Condolences are extended to local rocker Rik Menconi and his family. The X-Girlfriend bassist and band leader lost his mother, JoAnn Menconi, to cancer last month.

Also condolences to the family and friends of Jerry Clemons, Sr., age 66, a Northwest Indiana country/rockabilly/bluegrass music icon, who was lost to us last month as well. Mr. Clemons had an amazing music career that began in Kentucky and ended in Indiana.

This columnist was very honored to present the “Lifetime Achievement Award” to Jerry during the late 1990s at one of our annual Midwest BEAT Awards nights.

The veteran picker was totally surprised to hear his name called, as he was lured to the event under the false pretense that I needed his help with something connected to the show and the stage gear we were using for the live band sets that night. A photo of Jerry and I with his award was take that night by then BEAT Photo Editor, Roy Ferrer. That image is shown here.

See this month’s Soapbox column for more about Jerry Clemons Sr.

Another truly great Indiana traditional bluegrass picker, Lum Patton of Knox, also passed away last month at the age of 62.

In his younger days, Patton has shared the stage with the likes of Grand Ol’ Opry stars Bill Monroe and The Stanley Brothers. Patton also fronted his own group, The Half Mountain Boys, and some of his original songs were recorded by bluegrass legend, Ralph Stanley. Condolences to his family, friends and fans.

BAND BITS

• Northwest Indiana’s Steepwater Band have been higher profile than ever – co-headlining a major European festival, opening for Bon Jovi at the United Center, etc. – since parting ways with their former vocalist Michael Connelly.

Which made many of us wonder – “What ever happened to the harmonica blowing blues singer whose musical fingerprints are all over Steepwater’s red hot ‘Dharmakaya’ CD?”

The answer finally came via an email from Connelly, announcing a new line-up of his pre-Steepwater band, Bottles Of Wine.

“It’s a rock ‘n’ roll trio, but still close to the blues,” he said. Along with Connelly’s vocals, harmonica and guitar playing, the band features drummer Luke Smith (ex-V90) and bassist G.W. (formerly of The Covingtons and The Calico Cats).

Along with his musical progress, that includes recording a new three song EP, Connelly has been spending time in front of the cameras as an “extra” in two major motion pictures filmed this past summer.

The first to feature the long-haired blonde blues singer lurking in the background will be “The Lake House”, starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. The second is “The Break Up”, starring Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughan, which includes concert footage of the Chicago band, The Old ‘97s, filmed at Chicago’s Riviera Theatre. More at: www.bottlesofwine.com.

• Local singer Joe Reeves (ex-Crossroads Band) has put together a new project called Boxcar Willy with bassist Jon Romonavich (ex-Ramblin’ Hearts/Bob Lamere Band), drummer Tony Schoon (currently with Monkey Cocktail), guitarist Drew Hastings (ex-Bob Lamere Band) and keyboardist Eric McKnight, a new Hoosier transplanted here from Ohio.

The group are best described as Southern Rock and are currently pumping out covers, but with that talented line-up involved, could likely to slip in some originals soon.

The recently resurrected late ‘70s region band, DYLLYNGYR (pictured) and Pink Floyd tribute act, ECLIPSE (pictured) were among the live in studio guests on my Sunday evening Night Rock radio program during the months of October and November.

Upcoming live band guests who will be performing live on air and guest DJ-ing with me during January and February will include Ripley Street, Steller Road and The Lazer Band.

The Night Rock show features a good deal of locally recorded music and also features live on air performances from selected original music groups.

For more information on the show and to view old playlists, log on at – www.nightrock.6string.net or www.nightrockonline.com

• Regional club band, Krossroadz, has recruited singer/songwriter Darrell Terry as their new frontman. His Krossroadz cohorts are guitarist Phil Holman, bassist Eldon Holman, and drummer Jeremy Dykhuizens. More info: www.darrellterry.com.

• Fueled By Hate, the new group assembled by former Terminal Fix frontman/vocalist Chris Q-Ball Roark, has wrapped up recording work on their debut CD-EP, Hate With A Smile. With studio work wrapped up, look for the band to start hitting stages after the first of the year.

• Southside hair metal stalwart, Andrew Walker of heavy rock group Drama Queen Die, can be heard kicking out “Never Say Goodbye” on a newly released international Bon Jovi tribute CD from Versailes Records titled, Always.

The Jovi salute disc also features performances by ex-Warrant singer Jani Lane (“Lay Your Hands On Me”), ex-L.A. Guns vocalist Jizzy Pearl (“Bad Medicine”), and one time Motley Crue singer, John Corabi (“Born To Be My Baby”).

Walker’s is one of the best of 14 tracks found on the disc.

Drama Queen Die will also have a new CD of their own wrapped up and available soon. More at: www.dramaqueendie.com

• There’s a new R&B star on the rise, as 21-year-old singer Nicki G celebrated the release of her full-length debut CD, Versatility, with a free all ages concert last month at Andorra Banquet Hall. The event was a huge success.

• Speaking of amazing young female vocalists, uber-talented teenage jazz chanteuse Susan May, has released her sophomore album – Black Coffee – on the Chicago indie imprint, Southport Records.

The new 11-song CD, like its predecessor The Rose, is a collection of remarkably well-done standards, arranged and recorded with her musical director/pianist, Bobby Schiff.

The fourteen-year-old Northwest Indiana singer – who has been a featured guest on CBS-TV Morning News, Fox TV News, Chicago Tonight and The Oprah Winfrey Show – employs a wondrous 3-1/2 octave range and her phrasing and timing is impeccable.

If you love jazz, you owe it to yourself to discover this artist. More online at: www.SusanMay.com.

• Thunderclap Recording Studio in Hammond, Indiana has been a very busy place in recent months, kicking out music of all genres – from rap to rock to Christian.

Region rapper Vizion just wrapped up (pun intended) his new CD there, with guest producer/engineer Jeune (Dr. Dre). You can en-vizion the disc in your hands by the end of December.

Local rock band, Summer Fight, likewise finished work on their three song EP with John Carpenter producing. The band said they are so pleased with the three song set, they plan to return and release a full length album.

College rock combo, Sad Hannah, has popped back up on the radar by starting work on a new full-length CD at Thunderclap. No title or release date as of yet.

Also busy at Thunderclap are Rusted Halo, working with studio engineer Greg Vaughn, who just returned from a six week national tour with the international recording artists and jam band, Particle.

Christian Womanhood Publications has sponsored the making of a full length Christian music album there with producer Dan Wolfe, that ranges from simple piano and voice pieces, to full choir and orchestration numbers. The sessions wrapped up this month.

Thunderclap owner John Carpenter also has signed on as the official studio prize sponsor of Midwest BEAT’s 7th Annual Region Rumble, at Star Plaza on January 14th.

THIS ‘N’ THAT...

• Plaza Bowling Lanes in Highland, Indiana is jump-starting their all ages Rock ‘N’ Bowl Thunder Alley events on January 21st with classic rock and dance cover band, Nawty. Admission includes the band and some blacklight bowling to boot.

Kudos to Plaza manager, Timm Sieber, for also putting together a safe and rockin’ New Year’s Eve show for the 21 & under crowd that features live music by the band, Flashpoint. More information: (219) 923-3800.

• A benefit dinner/dance/karaoke party will be held on Friday, January 6 from 6-12pm at the Knights of Columbus Hall (1400 S. Broad) in Griffith, Indiana. The event will help to pay medical expenses for 12-year-old Charles Peek, a local dirtbike/bmx enthusiast who is battling Synovial Sarcoma Cancer.

Charles is has already had 2 fingers removed since being diagnosed in April of 2005. To donate raffle prizes, make a financial donation or purchase tickets to the dinner/dance, please call: (219) 838-7990 or (219) 844-4808.

Be safe over the holidays people and I’ll see you back at our Holiday Break Bash, the Region Rumble and our Jan. 21st Bash at Cronies! Peace.

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