Memorable and creative local band names from MGK's 2015 House Band Competition and beyond

Just like covering the Philadelphia Folk Festival, I think being a judge in the WMGK House Band Competition could become an annual thing for me.
A semi-final round Aug. 6 at Havana in New Hope featured mid-day jock Debbi Calton as emcee, and a slate of competing bands whose names are burned into my brain.

• There's Bradley Cooper's Left Arm, featuring James Darlington, the husband of Lansdale interfaith minister Rev. Dr. Deborah Darlington, on bass.

• The band I thought was going to win was Moroccan Sheepherders because of all the wild stuff they had going on stage -- three-piece horn section, multiple singers, a guy on bongos, interesting set list ...

• The band that did win was Fuzzy Side Up, and they will be a force to be reckoned with during the contest finals Aug. 20 at Parx Casino.  

•  And check out The Naturals!

Other favorite local band names I have are Norristown's Jean Claude's Damn Van. And don't forget Crossroads Tavern semi-regular Two For Flinching.

Worcester Township bar The Keystone Lounge has a whole scene of crazy band names to keep an eye out for, among them: Funk Church and Native Maze (as opposed to Native maize). Another of those bands that you can sometimes catch at The Keystone, Mr. Fuzzy & The Barbarian, is scheduled to play the Music on Main Street Lunchtime Concerts series in Lansdale's Railroad Plaza at noon Sept. 9

Mighty Manatees hit all their Bobs with "Medicine Show"

Area band The Mighty Manatees used to have a mission statement of sorts -- which has since disappeared from their website -- that they were equal parts Bob Dylan, Bob Nesta Marley, Bob Weir, etc. So longtime fans of the group, no doubt, instantly got a chuckle out of a song titled "Yesireebob" on their latest disc.
According to The Mighty Manatees Wikipedia page, "Medicine Show" is their 17th album since 1988. That's counting the cassette-only releases and all of the live recordings.
Stylistically, the Manatees can expertly switch between reggae, country, folk and rock. On this collection of Will Hodgson songs, they even dish a dollop of jazz! They channel The Grateful Dead throughout the album. The opening track "My, My, My" is like something out of -- yesireebob -- Robert Hunter's lyric book:

"Free to play on Mothers Day/on a Sunday afternoon

We while away the month of May/leaving it too soon

Grooving through the universe/living a life of song

 Searching for another verse/that we could sing along."

The Dead's fingerprints are also all over "I'll Let You Know" and "Rainbow."
They get their Bob Marley on with "Yellow Sun, Yellow Moon" -- with a singalong-friendly "hey, hey, hey/what I say" refrain -- and a reggae re-telling of a Gospel parable in "Samaritan's Day." Hodgson turns into the protest storyteller-wordsmith Bob Dylan circa 1962-63 in "Ballad of Leonard Peltier." The song makes you want to look up the story of the incarcerated Native-American activist, and wonder what really went down June 26, 1975.
The Manatees are known for being a fluid musical cooperative that can be as small as an acoustic duo or as large as a 10-piece orchestra. Adding to that mythos is an arsenal of guest musicians on "Medicine Show." The female blues/gospel lead vocal on "I'm On My Way" is a standout moment. Also noticeably augmenting the Manatees' core band are the album's producer, Jason Crosby, on violin, marimba and xylophone; Walter Tates Jr. on saxophone; Brian Herder on pedal steel and dobro; and Chris DelSordo on flute. There are sone tasty solos on "Medicine Show," gutiar and organ in particular.
Hogdson turns a few attention-grabbing lyrical phrases. "Gonna do it for the money" from "Fast Money" seems out of character for the hippie Manatees ethos. In that song, he also sings:

"She's smoking a pack and a half a day

And after the first shot/the shaking will stop

And that's when all the night was over/and everybody was gone

She sat alone

The winter came too soon."

From "Hold On To Your Dreams":

"It doesn't matter whatever they say

They sure do change their minds after Election Day ..."

"So many futures being bought and sold (which has a double meaning that could be a reference to stock futures) ..."

"I read the papers/and I watch the news

But I don't believe that they're entirely true ... do you?"

 Listen to the tracks from "Medicine Show."

And don't forget, local bands, you too can get your music reviewed here on Talk About the Passion. Email me your Soundcloud, etc. links to bbingaman@thereporteronline.com, or mail your CD to:
The Reporter 307 Derstine Ave. Lansdale, PA 19446.

Live music @ the YMCA

The North Penn YMCA in Lansdale, 608 E. Main St., has never been very good with publicizing when they're having concerts. So I'm giving you the heads up straight from the Lansdale Local Facebook page. Doors open at 7 p.m. Saturday April 28 for a show with Dugout, SkumPunch, Meddling Kids, NCA Irish Punk Rock, Wake Up Call and Not That Average. Cover is $5. The Y's number is (215) 368-1601.
While these guys would likely not playing their songs on acoustic guitars, I'm hoping to get a series of Reporteronline acoustic online performances of area musicians from The Reporter's Community Media Lab at 307 Derstine Ave., Lansdale. Available from noon to 1 p.m. Thursdays? E-mail me at bbingaman@thereporteronline.com. 

Found them on Facebook?

As the saga of what to do with 311 W. Main St. in Lansdale continues, there's a growing movement to the tune of 1,000+ petition signatures to turn the place into an all-ages music and arts venue.
The ethos behind it is to recapture the excitement of Lansdale's local music scene from the '90s. The long-gone Jumper's, near the Acme in Towamencin, was the epicenter of it, and since has been replaced by the VFW and the Third and Walnut.
It was definitely one of those you-had-to-be-there things. While I was not there, those who were can run down a laundry list of bands of local and international renown that have played shows in and around Lansdale.
Derek Calhoun of Boondocks Booking, and the originator of the Lansdale Local Facebook page, said at one of the 311 W. Main Street Task Force meetings that booking bands that young people will come to see will be easy.
While it remains to be seen if there's a viable business plan to get the building up to code and have such a venue survive long term, one glance at Lansdale Local and you notice that there is indeed a scene.
The next biggie at the VFW at 805 W. Second St. is $2 Bill Fest on Feb. 18 with an Animalhaus CD release party and bands Run For It, Troublesome, Stoked on Being Pumped, Bottom Feeder, Pleasant Living, Rough Justice, Get Railed, Dugout and Early Flight Home.
There's also info. on local music shows in Quakertown Feb. 23 and March 10 in Red Hill.
Social media's a beautiful thing, isn't it?

Send me your music today

A review of North Wales band Find Vienna's "In Your Favorite Colors" appears in "Go" Thanksgiving Day. Because of tight deadlines this week, I was unable to work in remarks from a conversation I had with their bass player, Paul. Good thing I have a blog, right?
These guys really have it together in that major record labels are taking notice. It is surprising considering that they've all graduated from North Penn High School within the past five years.
They're live at the Lansdale Center for the Performing Arts at 7 p.m. Nov. 25. There's also an acoustic show at 7 p.m. Dec. 20 at Puck in Doylestown.
They've played a Radio 104.5 Up and Coming show in West Chester and they're WSTW-FM Hometown Heroes.
Sample their tunes at www.myspace.com/findvienna or www.facebook/findvienna.
I'd like to keep this local music thing going on Talk about the Passion. So if you have a CD, send it to me at:
Brian Bingaman
The Reporter
307 Derstine Ave.
Lansdale, PA 19446