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LOCAL MUSIC NEWS COLUMN by Tom Lounges LAST CALL FOR REGION RUMBLE SUBMISSIONS...
HEY BANDS!!!! This will be the LAST month that we will be accepting demo/publicity kits from area bands interested in being a part of the Midwest BEAT’s “Sixth Annual Region Rumble” at the Star Plaza Theatre. The event will rock the award-winning Merrillville, Indiana theatre on Saturday, January 15 and only eight regional bands will make the cut. All styles of music are welcome to take part in this day-long, all ages gala, as this is intended to be a “taste of the region” type of showcase. Each band chosen to perform must agree to pre-purchase 65 tickets for the show. The two artists selling the most tickets above that amount will each win a special prize package of great music-related gift certificates for product and/or services, plus FREE advertising space in Midwest BEAT and radio time on Night Rock Radio. The cut off date for us to receive your package and cover letter requesting to be considered for the event is OCTOBER 25th. No packages will be accepted after that date. For more basic information on the event, log on the Midwest BEAT web –– www.midwestbeat.com –– and click on the “Region Rumble” icon. Send your kits with demos to: Region Rumble c/o Midwest BEAT, P.O. Box 9069, Highland, IN 46322.
MONSTER BASH ...
Nathaniel Stewart who has been battled leukemia for seven of his young years, is discovering that he has many friends in the region these days. Some are big and burly and ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles, some play loud guitar and sing rock ‘n’ roll, and some just care about a little boy who has been bravely enduring chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and who has undergone bone marrow transplants courtesy of his loving twin brother, Matthew Stewart. On Sunday, October 17 all these friends will gather at W.D.’s Bar & Grill (6121 Melton Road) in Nathaniel’s hometown of Portage, IN, where from 2pm to 12am, they will roast hogs, rock and rap to help Nathaniel. The $5 door donation will go to the Stewart family to help cover the expense of having to travel to and from Riley’s Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, where Nathaniel frequently has to go for the treatments he requires. Joining together this effort are the musical groups –– Psychomancer (death metal), Mas Kaos (heavy rock) and the rap group D-Low, Flexxican & Mo’Shine Rap –– with other acts possibly being added. Door prizes are currently being sought from local businesses. Donations for the family are also being accepted for the “Nathaniel Stewart Family Fund” at all Centier Bank locations. For more information, call (219) 762-0509.
FISHNET-WEARING FUN...
Northwest Indiana rocker Kevin Lee Giese is getting back in fishnets and stiletto heels once again for the sake of his art.
After a strong mid-summer run with the U.K. rock musical, Giese (who is also directing) decided to stage some encore performances for the Halloween season, including 8pm shows each night and two additional midnight shows on October 16 and 23. “This is a full audience participation show,” said Giese. “Bring squirt guns, flashlights, hot dogs and the whole nine yards, just like you would to a midnight movie screening of the film. Dress up like your favorite character and leave behind any sense of decorum.” More information: (219) 879-7509 or info@dunessummertheatre.com
MUSIC LAB IN LANSING GETS ROCKED!
Music Lab owners Neal Barnhart and Nick Kutzko will have the store rocking this month as they welcome two great guitarists to their humble Lansing location at 17805 Burnham Avenue. Paul Hanson (ex-Vanilla Fudge/Andy Taylor’s Thunderworld) will conduct a Roland Guitar Clinic on Tuesday, October 19 from 6-8pm (see this issue’s special spotlight feature on Paul Hanson for more on his impressive resume and reputation). Then on October 23, Music Lab will be a guitar haven once more as Night Rock Radio on 103.9 welcomes down to the store –– virtuoso guitarist, Joe Satriani. The famous string bender will stop by at 2:00pm to meet and greet region fans, while he is in town for three dates at Chicago’s House Of Blues. He will demonstrat the new Peavey Satriani Amp while at the store, so come hear him play live. There will be opportinities at the store to win tickets to see Mr. Satriani perform at HOB. More information at: www.musiclabinc.com
GOODBYE TO GUY
• Condolences to the many friends, family, fans and band mates of Chicagoland bassist Guy Joseph Guercio of the original recording group, Ripley Street. After a couple of years spent fighting valiantly, early last month Guercio lost his battle against leukemia. Fans can send their condolences to the band at: www.RipleyStreet.com
BAND BITS & SOUND BITES
• Chicago’s progressive-leaning rock group, The Thadeus Project, are close to wrapping up their third full length CD, Simple Wisdom. The former studio project headed up by Ted Putbress, has officially become a full-service rock ‘n’ roll band with live shows on the horizon. Catch music from Thadeus Project’s last album – Danger & Bliss – on Night Rock radio on Sundays via X-ROCK 103.9. More info: www.thadeusproject.com • Three of the members of Blind Sight –– vocalist/guitarist Dan Berry, bassist Tim Creech and drummer Dan Huston –– have hooked up in a new “tribute band” side project with former Mudda Fugga guitarist, Chris DeArmond. The new group will be playing music by modern heavy rockers, System of A Down. • Doug Henrichs and Mike Nannengh, formerly members of Traxx, are back in action on the local music scene once again now that they have hooked up with the Hammond-based blues rock band, Krossroadz. • Bassist Chris “Karp” Karpinec and lead guitarist Mike DeChantal have exited from South Side Southern rock group, Soul Pride. The band will carry on with new members. Karpinec is looking to gig and can be reached by email at: Karposvt@aol.com No word on DeChantal’s post-Pride plans. • S.O. is a new Northwest Indiana rock trio. The music is described by drummer Eric Stugis (ex-Eighty 94) as --- “A cross between reggae and hard rock. Sort of ska-like but darker.” Rounding out the trio are bassist/vocalist Brian Lee (ex-The Holiday) and guitarist/vocalist RJ (ex-Winepress). • Chicagoland’s acoustic-driven modern rock group, Emitter, will be back in action soon. On hiatus since spring –– so bassist David Schoon could get married and frontman/vocalist Jason Chappell and his wife Jennifer, could celebrate the birth of their first child –– the boys are writing material for their next album. A newly revamped Emitter web site is soon to be launched, including pay-to-own downloads of all officially recorded Emitter songs. More at: www.emitteronline.com • South Side metal veterans, Quick Change have finished their latest CD with local metal producer Mike Sheffield. The band promises this CD, Outside Looking In, is their strongest effort to date. More information at: www.quickchange1.com • Midwest singer/songwriter Jonathan Rundman, who built a full time touring career as a Chicago folk-rock troubadour, has relocated to Minneapolis. But not before completing work on his new 11-song CD, Public Library, set to be released on Oct. 5 via his own nationally-distributed label, Salty Lady Records. The CD is a mix of Americana rock and power-pop. Rundman’s first single from the CD, “Smart Girls,” has been chosen to be included on the October/November edition of the Paste Magazine Sampler CD, alongside such tunes by Nick Cave, Elliott Smith and Ben Harper. Info at: www.jonathanrundman.com • Here’s a blast from the past! The Elvis Diet, the punk rock quintet from Northwest Indiana who once had lines out the door to see them in area clubs back in the early 1990s are reuniting for two shows next month. The first happens on November 6 Kenwood Tap in Hammond and the second on November 26 at Angelo’s Sicilian Cart in Merrillville. The original line-up –– Dave Lamberg (vox), Phil Kucer (guitar), Steve Panchisn (guitar), Kerry Orze (drums) and Jack Chant (bass) –– immortalized on their now classic Gravity Furnace CD recently got together to make plans to go see The Pixies reunion concerts which are coming to town. They decided what’s good enough for Frank Black & Co, is good enough for them. For information on the reunion dates and other related E.D. stuff, log on at: www.elvisdiet.com • Tamallicka, the classic rock cover band who broke up over a year ago, will soon be back in action. Original vocalist Mike Reyna of Hammond and guitarist Gary G.W. Burks of Munster, have been rehearsing with new members, including guitarist James Link (still full time with the Southside metal band, Cryptic Visions). • A special benefit concert will be held to help the four young children of Melody Hobson, a young Lake Station woman who died suddenly in August from complications following heart surgery. The event taking place on October 29 at McCool’s (391-1 West U.S. Highway 6) in South Haven, Indiana. Donating performances to help raise money for the family will be –– Mas Kaos, The Killer J’s and The Mosh Crew. Other bands are still needed. To help out or for more information, please contact McCool’s bartender, Suzanne Wilkie at: (219) 763-0031.
LOCAL KIDS GET HELPED BY ROCKERS!
For some rock ‘n’ rollers, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! A fundraiser concert to help under privileged kids and their families this holiday season, will be held on November 5 at the Synergy II night club (243 West Roosevelt Rd.) in West Chicago. Proceeds will go to the Children’s Home & Aid Society Toy Drive. Thanks to well known Chicago ‘80s rock DJ Mark Zander and the always big-hearted John Shenk of Chicago’s Rainbow Foundation, local music fans will be able to help out local kids while getting to dig the heavy sounds of metal veteran Robin McAuley (ex-McAuley-Schenker Group) at “Zander’s Rockin’ Christmas Party”.
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The former local club singer turned theatrical actor/director, will reprise his role as Doctor Frankenfurter, while regional singer Tony Banks (vocalist with area band, Portraits Of Shadow) does the same as Riff Raff for the Dunes Summer Theatre performances of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” on October 15, 16, 22 and 23. Additional shows may still be added for Halloween weekend. 
Also on the bill that night is hometown guitar virtuoso, Dave Uhrich, and a new artist named, Amy Schugar, who is Michael Schenker’s most recent music collaborator. Tickets are $12 at the door or $10 with a new toy (unwrapped). For more information, call (630) 231-6000.