FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE...   (Local Music News)

by Tom Lounges


LOCAL MUSIC GETS TUBE TIME

    There are three local cable television shows in the N.W. Indiana area
that are available to local musicians who have something to offer and who are
looking to make their presence known.  Yours truly will be popping up on all 
of them in the very near future to chat up the local scene with the
respective hosts. 
    One of them is the long-running “Johnny Ross Show” hosted by veteran
touring and recording artist Johnny Ross (a region guitarist/vocalist who
recorded R&B sides for both Chess and 20th Century Fox Records).  Ross covers
top shelf musical talent of all styles, with a heavy leaning on blues and
R&B.  Ross can be reached during regular business hours at: (219) 938-1036.
   The other two shows are brand new projects just getting on the air. 
   The first is “Crazy J’s Metal Mayhem” and as you might have guessed, is
dedicated to strictly metal music. It's hosted by  former Midwest Beat
contributor, Jason Elkins.  Email your interests to Jason at:
metalhead17@hotmail.com
    The second show is called “Regional Music Underground” and is hosted by
longtime local rocker, Bill Hayden. Email Bill at: possum9@msn.com

REGIONAL BAND BITS...

•   Chicago area metal band, SOIL, who have been beating around the clubs for
some time have finally gotten their well-deserved break.  The band has inked
papers with Clive Davis’ new imprint, J Records (yes...home of O-Town...but
we won’t hold that against them).  The release date for their first full
length CD – Scars – is expected to be Sept. 11.  Congrats guys!

•   South Siders – Eat A Peach – the southern rock band who recently opened
for The Wallflowers at the Star Plaza, introduced their newest member that
night on stage.  Talk about a baptize of fire!  But to his credit, Mike
Lubecke (of Wicked City and Hyper-Tribe fame), slipped into the groove
smoothly as the group’s new bassist, replacing former member Roger Anders.

•  Chicago metal group, Dark Ritual, will be filming a music video at
Superior Street Studios in Chicago on August 25 for their song, “Frayed.”  
Those interested in being in the video can contact the band via their website
at: www.darkritual.com

•  The local rock band Wolcott will host a CD release party at The Note in
Chicago on Aug. 24.  The band has been likened to a modern version of REO
Speedwagon.

•   Starkist’s ol’ Charlie Tuna had better start looking over his shoulder,
because he’s not the only talking fish on the pop culture scene anymore.  Jon
Rice of the Michigan City-based pop/rock band, The Merkins, does the voice of
a talking fish in a new Public Service Announcement for the Northern Indiana
Public Schools. 
     “The PSA (commercial) promotes ‘water safety’ and ‘beach safety
tips,’” according to Rice.  “It’s done as a quirky dream sequence involving
a small boy and his parents going to a local beach where the boy has a
conversation with a talking fish.  I got to be the voice of the fish!”  The
Merkins also scored the incidental music for the PSA, which will be played to
all the grade schools of N.W. Indiana and on Public Access radio and
television stations.
 
•    Noted local singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Jeff Sarver is
performing a solo acoustic show every Wednesday from 7 to 10:30 p.m. at the
Savoy Supper Club (The Portage Mall) in Portage.  His show features two sets
-- one of popular covers (Paul Simon, Harry Chapin, etc.) and one of original
songs.

•    Biscuit Miller, the flashy and personable bassist of the Lonnie Brooks
Blues Band has brought his acclaimed side band, Biscuit & The Mix in to host
the Sunday “Blues Jam” at LaRosa’s (6817 Indianapolis Blvd.) in Hammond. 
The weekly jam takes place from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. and is open to all
ages.  More info, call (219) 844-1000.

•  Congratulations to Shannon Raye & The Diamondback Band of Portage on
taking first place in last month’s “True Value Country Showdown.”   Ten
strong regional artists competed at the Indiana 105-sponsored event at the
Porter County Fairgrounds.  It was the first round (local) of a national
talent search series which annually awards a $50,000 pay check to the last
band standing at the Grand Finals held in Nashville in November. 

•   Congratulations to Mike Meadows (frontman/vocalist of the regional modern
metal band, Undertow) and his wife Dawn on the July 12 birth of their twin
sons and future metal heads – Nikolas and Gunnar Meadows.  

•  Former Styx frontman/founder Dennis DeYoung recently confirm rumors that
his 1984 solo album – “Desert Moon” – will at long last be made available
to fans.  The title track was a Top 20 hit single for DeYoung and spawned one
of the most requested videos on MTV that year.
   “Yes. I’m very happy to say that the album will again be available to
people through Universal,” said DeYoung from his South Side home  The
remastered CD will hit stores nationwide on Sept. 18.

•    The blues-rock quartet, The Steepwater Band, will released their second
full-length CD – Brother To The Snake – on July 28. For more info and to
check out sample mp3 files, log on at: www.steepwater.com

•   Crown Point-based band, The Same Difference, has signed a management deal
with Tommy Boy Entertainment and recently completed recording a 10-song set
of original music at Speak Easy Production Studio in Bloomington, Indiana. 
The sessions were produced by Dave Cocalis (who twisted knobs for The Why
Store).  The band expects to have the self-titled CD for sale by the end of
this month at shows and on their website – www.thesamedifference.com 


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BAND BITS...
•  Chicago rocker – Cathy Richardson –  who has been having a remarkable run
as the star of the off-Broadway stage play about the life and music of Janis
Joplin – “Love Janis” – served as a special guest in the New York City Gay
Pride Parade.  Richardson rode atop a float in Janis Joplin’s original 1965
Porsche convertible.  The car, which has been on display at the Rock ‘N’
Roll Hall of Fame is still owned by the Joplin family.
      Richardson, who has four indie CDs to her credit, recently released a
four-song EP titled, Buzzzed.   The EP is meant to hold her fans over until
her fifth full-length disc is completed later this year.  She is tied up with
“Love Janis” until at least Labor Day.  To keep up with Richardson, fans can
log on at her site: www.crband.com
•  Hometown rock heroes Disturbed and our Peoria neighbors Mudvayne are two
of the featured bands on the new live OzzFest album – Ozzfest 2001: The
Second Millennium – which hits stores worldwide on August 14.  On the CD,
Disturbed offer up “Fear” and Mudvayne give us “Death Blooms.”
•   Liquid Soul, who were nominated for a jazz Grammy this past year, took
part in a benefit concert and “Friends” star David Schwimmer popped in to
host the night.  Seems the popular TV star likes good jazz!

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS BITS...

•   Local music is now the featured fare, every Thursday from 6-9 p.m. at
Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History.   Their “Thursday Night Mixers”
take place on the museum’s spacious terrace, where there is food, drink and a
spectacular view of Chicago at night.   Local bands are presented by WTMX
(101.9 FM) each week.  Among those artists slated for these special shows are
– nationally recognized folk-rocker, Michael McDermott (Aug. 2), modern
rockers Umphrey McGee (Aug. 16), and rhythm and blues band, Robert Cornelius
7 (Aug. 30).   Cost is $10 and it’s a rain or shine event.  For more
information call, (312) 665-7600.

•    Indie imprint VRF Records and the eight songwriters featured on the In
The Beginning: A Songwriter’s Tribute to Garth album have created a
songwriting contest which gives aspiring tunesmiths a chance to compete for
the opportunity to go to Nashville and perform their original songs at both
the famous Blue Bird Cafe and on WSM-AM Radio’s nationally-broadcast “Opry
Star Spotlight.”  This comes with a plane/hotel package to boot.
    Songwriters can enter only one song and it must be an original song
showing copyright ownership to the contestant.  Mail it on CD or cassette to:
PitchSheet.com/Garth Brooks Songwriters Tribute Songwriting Contest, P.O. Box
90640, Nashville, TN 37209.   Deadline for submitting your song is August 31,
2001. 
   For more information on the contest, point your web browser to:
www.garthtribute.com  - or - www.pitchsheet.com

•  Because of the wonderful turn out at the the benefit concert held for Stan
Serna in June at the Back Door Lounge, I know most of our readers are aware
that Stan (who is the drummer for the Grammy-nominated bluesman Carl
Weathersby) is battling cancer for a second time.  Our spirited comrade will
be undergoing a bone marrow transplant in Chicago the third week of August,
so please keep him in your prayers and your thoughts this month.

•   There’s another region neighbor battling cancer who has touched the
hearts of several area bands.  On Sunday, August 12 at McTavern’s (7443
Indianapolis Blvd.) many regional artists are gathering to help Carol
VanderLugt, a 30-year resident of Riverdale and a 1966 graduate of Rich
Central High School in Olympia Fields.
     Performing will be Greg Pogue & The Hard Luck Band (country), Bonfire
(AC/DC trib.), TimePeace (Top 40), Guns & Hoses (old school rock) and The
Current (retro-rock).  If you can, please support this event. For more info,
call (219) 841-1071, (ext. 227).

•    Mark Stefanich, a 1977 Highland High grad, who has been out in
Holly-Weird doing stunt work and some acting for many years, dropped us a
note saying that he is doing some technical advising on the newest William
Friedkin (“The Exorcist”) film – “The Hunted” – which stars Tommy Lee
Jones and Benito Del Toro.

•   Chicago rock acts have a new on-line radio station to tap in regards to
exposing their music.  Eric J. Olsen, a local music fan turned radio host,
now be spins local artists 24-hours a day on his new online site:
www.chicagolocalradio.com .  At present, only CDs are accepted for airplay.
You can send your discs and (this is important) a letter given them written
persmission to air your songs to: Chicago Local Radio, 205 E. Butterfield
Road, #119, Elmhurst, IL 60126.   For more information, log on the site or
call Olsen at: (847) 452-7243.

   That’s all for now!