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RSSLocal Scene By Tom Lounges
Lounges looks at the latest projects of local musicians and bands and lets people know about upcoming musical events.
The region will miss 'Big Jack!'
Northwest Indiana's music community lost another beloved member of its ranks May 4, when veteran music maker Jack Adams Sr., 75, of Highland, passed away.
Adams was known as “Sidewalk" to his childhood friends from East Chicago and as "Big Jack" to those in the local music scene where he played drums for more than 30 years as a member of two popular dance hall bands, The Carpetbaggers and A Little Night Music. Adams’ love of music and his passion for playing was passed on to his son, Jack Adams Jr., formerly the lead vocalist and guitarist with the region rock groups Sgt. Roxx and Monkey Cocktail. The younger Adams presently sings and plays guitar with area rock band Boys Are Mean (B.A.M.).
While I am sure everyone that knew him will have a special memory, what I will most remember about Big Jack Adams was his big smile, good humor, and upbeat greetings. “Tommy Lounges! How’s things?”, he’d say in a way that conveyed he really wanted to know and honestly cared. Such a greeting was often followed by chats about music, about family and about why I should take up golfing. You see aside from being passionate about music, Adams was passionate about golf. He owned and operated The Golf Locker for many years in Highland’s Sir James Court, in the very same storefront once home to Highland Records where I had worked in the days of my youth.
These puppies have a musical bite and a region connection
Have you ever heard of Snarky Puppy? Neither had I until earlier this week.
Thanks to an email from region resident Denise Lynch, a loyal reader of “The Local Scene” column each week in The Times, I recently turned on to this instrumental ensemble whose jazz, funk, R&B and rock hybrid sound is lightly seasoned with a variety of world music grooves with the flavors of Brazil, Puerto Rico, Africa and the Middle East.
Formed in 2005 by jazz students from the University of North Texas and currently based in New York, Snarky Puppy has a region connection in percussionist and original member Nate Werth, who credits his being a professional musician to having supportive parents, the positive influence of older brother Nick Werth, and many great teachers along the way.
Local Scene: The "Earl" of Old Town leaves quite a legacy behind
The world lost two icons of folk music last week, starting April 22 when news broke of guitarist/vocalist Richie Havens, who with a strum on his guitar in the farm field in upstate New York, kicked off a history-making musical weekend as the opening act of Woodstock died of a heart attack. He was 72. Havens frequently performed at Chicago’s revered Old Town School of Folk Music before standing room only audiences. He will be missed.
Closer to home and certainly closer to the heart of the Chicagoland music community, came word on April 26 of the death of “the godfather of Chicago folk music,” Earl J.J. Pionke. Pionke, 80, the owner of the legendary Earl Of Old Town folk club died following a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer.
Pionke was an important figure in the folk music scene of Chicago’s Old Town district in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Although the Earl of Old Town at 1615 North Wells Street, closed its doors more than 30 years ago, for decades it was a launch pad for the careers of countless folk singer/songwriters. It’s became one of the nation’s most famous folk music venues, a place all the big names in folk music came to play.
Local Scene: Bad Cadillac dances as Juice sets in
Northwest Indiana’s Bad Cadillac has been rocking every Sunday night for the past several months at Goodfellas Bar & Grill in Cedar Lake, but this Sunday will be an extra special night for the nearly two-year-old quintet and their fan base.
On Sunday, Goodfellas - 11200 West 129th Ave. – (219) 374-6700 – is the site for the official CD Release Party for Bad Cadillac’s long awaited debut album, “Dance the Night Away,” recorded over the winter months at The Spot Studio in Schneider with producer John Huber.
“We’ve had a busy year recording and playing and making music,” reported keyboardist Bill Hayden. The first video for their lead single, “Fade to Rust,” has gotten more than 100,000 views in the short time since being uploaded to the Internet, according to Hayden.
Region music community loses a longtime friend
It is with sadness I report the passing of longtime drummer Anthony “Tony” Nicoletto, 65, of Valparaiso. Tony was a well respected and well known member of the regional music community for many years.
I first met Tony when he was doing artist management and regional concert promoting. Over the years, I came to learn a lot about the music business from my discussions with him. Tony’s knowledge of musical artists, especially those from the 1960s was so keen I would often in the early days of my writing, call upon him to reference my articles pertaining to that era. Tony came to my aid with his knowledge as recently as late last year, when I was preparing to guest on a radio program and wanted to double check some details about bands from the ‘60s “Garage Rock” era.
Nicoletto had a great ear for talent and was passionate about music. He advised and mentored many young Northwest Indiana talents; even aiding a few in getting their original music heard by record companies.
The day my daughter critiqued a film for Roger Ebert
When Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert died last week at the age of 70, this columnist immediately flashed back when my job included sharing downtown film screenings with Ebert, his then rival/partner Gene Siskel, and other media folks. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, along with covering popular music, my writing output included film features and reviews for this newspaper and other publications.
As a single parent at the time, my daughter Sarah would sometimes tag along for screenings of PG-rated children’s films. At the preview screening of 1990’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” as the lights rose at the conclusion Ebert spied five-year-old Sarah and called out.
“Excuse me, would you mind telling me what you thought of the movie?” he softly asked. I will never forget the sight of Sarah sitting with the famous media icon and expressing her feelings about the four masked heroes in a half-shell (Leonardo was her favorite!), the kindly rat Master Splinter, evil mastermind Shredder and his Foot Soldier minions. What a classic Kodak moment and me without a camera.
Local Scene: Rocker helps others find “Happily Ever After” lives
Michael McDermott wholeheartedly believes in “happily ever after” stories. The singer/songwriter/guitarist has battled many personal demons and points to his own life as proof a person can get through the darkest, stormiest days to find a rainbow waiting for them.
McDermott’s “happily ever after” came after discovering newfound success in Europe and marrying his band’s electric violin player, Heather Horton, the mother of his beloved daughter Rain.
“The secret is not giving up and not giving in,” said McDermott, who wants to share that secret loudly on Saturday as he and his band turn up their amplifiers for a 7:30 p.m. all-ages concert at the historic Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso to benefit those seeking help with substance abuse at The Respite House. Tickets for McDermott’s second fundraiser in as many years for the Porter County facility are $25.
Local Scene: "Beatlemaniacs" Set To Bop 'N' Boogie in The Barn
Fans of John, Paul, George and Ringo are in for a “fab” time on Saturday, when the fourth annual “Beatles at the Barn” fills the acoustically astute confines of the County Line Orchard’s big barn with four hours of tunes by the famous mop tops from Liverpool.
Performing faithful renditions of everything from early classics like “Please, Please Me” and “She Loves You,” to end of an era epics like “Come Together” and “Hey Jude,” will be a collective of regional music makers who are all confessed “Beatlemaniacs.” The music for this all-ages family show begins at 6:30 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.) and ends about 10:30 p.m.
“The Beatles are probably the greatest influence ever in popular music,” said Chad Clifford, vocalist/guitarist of The Crawpuppies, one of the bands performing Saturday night. “Their music changed rock ‘n’ roll and pop culture forever.”
Local Scene: Pop star Chris Wallace “Radios” home to region
Singer, songwriter, radio hit-maker, and Northwest Indiana native Chris Wallace will be the musical guest Tuesday on my weekly radio program, “Midwest BEAT with Tom Lounges,” which airs at 6 p.m. on 89.1FM – The Lakeshore. Listeners can win copies of Wallace’s new CD, “Push Rewind,” featuring the recent Top 20 radio hit, “Remember When (Push Rewind).”
A 2004 graduate of Boone Grove High School, Wallace grew up on Lake Eliza and spent time on the local music circuit singing with the bands, Avenue and A Perfect Gentleman.
Wallace now has a Los Angeles zip code. In between here and there, Wallace’s life was turned upside down when his original song “Allow Me To Introduce Myself…Mr. Right” was posted online and went viral. The buzz landed his then Chicago-based group, The White Tie Affair, a recording contract with Epic Records and an opening slot on Lady Gaga’s 2008-09 tour.
Local Scene: Catching up on Local Scene happenings
• A triple band “St Baldricks Day” concert for all ages will be held on Saturday at The Art Theatre in downtown Hobart (230 North Main Street) to raise funds and awareness for the Locks of Love program to help kids with cancer.
Event promoter Jason Lach has booked three popular region rock groups – The Allen Wronko Band, The Difference, and Mr. Right. As the bands rock out, clippers will be buzzing off the hair of patrons to help the cause in this annual holiday tradition. The 5 to 11 p.m. event will include beer (for those 21 and over), a silent auction, and raffles. To sign up for a head shaving, call Lach at (219) 730-0427.
• Singer/songwriter Robert Rolfe Feddersen of Crown Point – whose original songs have been used in a variety of MTV series and films – did some “jamming” with guitar-slinging Valparaiso’s Mayor Jon Costas earlier this week at Flint Lake Elementary School in Valparaiso.
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