| For Immediate Release |
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LOCAL MUSIC NEWS COLUMN by Tom Lounges
REGION RUMBLE NEWS...
Our annual “Region Rumble Local Music Showcase” hosted at the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville has been bumped from it’s usual late November spot to SATURDAY, JANUARY 15. So plan now to reserve that date and join us at Star Plaza to catch some of the very best live music talent our region has to offer. With the official date now set... Musical groups interested in playing at this annual gala, are invited to begin submitting their publicity kits/CD demos for consideration. As always, only 7-8 bands will make the final line-up and play. BANDS! Before sending off your materials, remember that EACH artist on the bill is required to pre-purchase and sell 65 tickets to this event. Artists who do not feel they can draw at least 65 people to see them perform at this all ages concert event, are probably not ready to play a venue like Star Plaza Theatre and should not submit your materials. The two artists who sell the most tickets over that amount, will win a variety of assorted prizes, ranging from free advertising, a free publicity photo package, a recording studio package, and more still being added. Artists and bands interested in playing, can check out all the details about our STAR PLAZA THEATRE REGION RUMBLE on our web site: www.midwestbeat.com Just click on “Region Rumble Information”. While there, browse thorough photos from our past “Rumbles.”
AFTER WORK ROCKERS...
From the Lake Country Fairgrounds to the weekly “After Work Parties” we hosted. It was a blast to rock ‘n’ roll with you all! Kudos to my sexy MGD girls –– Starr, Wanda, Holly and Andrea –– who made the gigs all the more enjoyable!
STORMY WEATHER HITS THE BALKINS...Northwest Indiana-based vocal group, Stormy Weather, spent part of the summer doing their “Doo-Wop in the Balkans” tour, entertaining troops on U.S. and NATO military bases in Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Tuzla, and other parts of the Balkan region. “One of our stops was at a NATO base in Sarajevo, where we were fortunate enough to interact with troops from 40 countries, all working together to stabilize a war-torn country,” reported group leader, Henry Farag. “We learned a lot, saw a lot and sang a lot. Being acappella, we not only did our regular performances, but also did spontaneous jamming in the mess halls, barracks and for individual soldiers from all over the world.” Farag has posted photos of their trip online at: http://groups.msn.com/balansentertainment/
BAND BITS & SOUND BITES...
• Gold Star, an original melodic metal group from Michigan City, Indiana has inked a recording deal with Old Metal Records. The band -- TJ Gold (vox), Dean Tavernier (bass), Stevenvy (guitar) and Jerry Roc (drums) -- is hard at work recording tracks for their debut CD, Aurum, targeted for a late Fall 2004 release.
• Influential R&B and jazz saxophonist Noble “Thin Man” Watts died on August 24 in his hometown of DeLand, Florida at the age of 78. Watts, who shared stages with the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry, had local connections as a former recording artist for the Gary-based VeeJay Records in the mid-1950s and most recently being on the talent roster of Chicago’s Alligator Records. • The Gary, Indiana-based hardcore band, Paincore, performed last month in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as the regional support band for the ongoing “Road Rage Tour” with the national heavy rock artists Chimaira and Machinehead. Paincore’s members are: vocalists Mike Dovich and Jim Surman, guitarists Jason Ross and Bill Hall, bassist Lonnie Knight, and drummer Carl Rhiccio. More at: www.paincore.net • Gary-based rapper, James Healey who performs as “Vizion”, was chosen by Adidas to help promote their new Kevin Garnett shoe. “I entered a licensing agreement with www.Adidas.com giving them permission to use one of my songs [“Jaded”] on their website,” reported Healey. “If you go to www.adidas.com/us/ and click on the picture of Kevin Garnett holding his new shoe a flash window pops up. Click on the ‘beats’ link and my song in on the flash jukebox.” • Southside rock perennials, M&R RUSH, have released their highly infectious musical tribute to the Chicago Cubs –– “I’m Dreamin’” –– as the first single from their new Thrill Of The Chase album. The catchy song name drops 52 Cub players -- past and present -- in just 4-minutes. We played it on my Sunday Night Rock radio show a few times and the response has been strong. It might just turn out to be the “Curly Shuffle” of the new millennium! • Chicago’s country music sweetheart, Dayna Malow, will release her newest original music CD, Tangled Up In You,to her large Indiana following with a party on September 17 at Cronies Gin Mill. If you miss that gig, you have one more chance to catch the divine Dayna on October 15, as she co-headlines our All-Country BEAT Bash at Cronies, along with Mack Creek’s Band and Jimmy Henrich & The Western Haze. Start bugging my good buddy, Mike “Mullet Man” Summers, at Indiana-105 to slip some of Dayna’s latest tunes on his Friday Night Fights show. • Popular classic rock cover band, The Crawpuppies, have finally wrapped up work on their first all original music CD. The 12-song CD, Peaceful Amnesty, will be released on Sept. 11 when the group plays Valparaiso’s Popcorn Festival. Catch them playing live and acoustic on my Night Rock show, Sunday, Sept. 19 (6-9pm) over the WXRD/X-ROCK 103.9 airwaves. • After changing their name for a short while to Abraxas, the popular Santana tribute group, have officially returned to using their original name –– The Soundz Of Santana. Their current line-up features original S.O.S. keyboardist Al Sanchez, guitarist David Sanchez, William J.R. Roque on timbales and Pedro Hernandez on lead vocals. Newer members include bassist Aron Ligon, conga player Xavier Villareal, and teenage drummer Raymond Roque, who also drums for East Chicago teen metal band, Tribal Scar. • Congratulations go out to a pair of local region rockers who recently added to the Lake County citizenry by making babies instead of music. Five Star Deluxe guitarist Steve Stasny (ex-Alison’s Mailbox) and his wife Jamie welcomed their son, Stephen Blake Stasny, into the world on August 5. Bravo Johnny frontman/singer Don Baron and his wife Amber, went the other route on August 18 by having a bouncing baby daughter, Alexandra Rose Baron. • Happy birthday to my rockin’ office manager, Dawn Tobin, who turns another year on September 21st. She’s got to be close to 21 by now... right? • My deepest condolences are extended to jazz/rock guitarist Dennis “Buddy” Pearson of Freek Johnson on the lost of his wife, Kirsten M. DeLaney, age 32. The sad news came in just as we were going to go to press, so further information was not available. That’s all for this month! Happy Fall! | ||
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As the summer months end, I wanted to take a second to thank the many region rockers who came out and joined me and Hegewisch Lisa of the Night Rock show at our many live radio remotes we did for X-ROCK 103.9. 
• X-Girlfriend’s lead guitarist, Colin Peterson, lived out a personal fantasy last month by hopping up on stage during a “jam night” and playing his guitar on stage at the famous Cavern Club in Liverpool while on a 17-day “holiday” in the U.K. The Cavern Club helped launch several British Invasion bands of the 1960s, including Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer, Freddie & The Dreamers, and The Beatles.