PD Arts & Entertainment

And the Beat Goes On

May 19, 2008

Brian Quinn brings new band ‘Fosterchild’ to Penn’s Peak

Ryan O ’ Malley

For Brian Quinn this Memorial Day weekend will be looked upon as his homecoming, as the Pittston native will be returning to the area, this time at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, with his new band Fosterchild.

Returning to the area after a two-month national tour, the Penn’s Peak stop will also feature Fosterchild’s tour mates, rock favorites Tantric.

Throughout the tour, including the Peak stop, Fosterchild has been heavily promoting their upcoming debut album, ‘Independence Day,’ which is being produced by Alice In Chains veteran producer Toby Wright. The album should be released this summer by ILG, a division of Warner Brothers.

For those unfamiliar with Quinn, before forming Fosterchild in 2005, he was a member of Philadelphia rock favorites Octane. With his new band, which also includes former Fuel drummer Kevin Miller, Quinn is one of the main songwriters in the group, with his name on every one of the bands tracks, including the lead single “On My Own.”

The May 24 show featuring Fosterchild and Tantric at Penn’s Peak starts at 7:30p.m.

For more information visit www.myspace.com/fosterchildmusic

Bethel Woods Center

Now that the summer concert season is finally getting here, and even though a majority of the Toyota Pavilion’s lineup is recycled, it doesn’t mean there aren’t other good amphitheatres in the area.

Take the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, New York.

It’s a little over an hours drive, but well worth it. For any music lover, the venues location is synonymous with musical history, as the center is located at the site of the original Woodstock festival in 1969.

While the amphitheatre itself may not be directly on the legendary farmland owned by Max Yasgur, the center encompasses all the area surrounding the farm, and has a permit to host musical festivals at a sub-site, which is located directly on the grassy hill a half-million people called home almost forty years ago.

As for the venue’s summer lineup, they are offering a little bit of everything for any kind of music fan. Cyndi Lauper and The B-52s will be by on June 14 as part of their “True Colors” tour. Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd will be by on June 20; followed by former Beatle Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band on June 21. Finally, the month finishes off with a co-headlining bill of Chicago and The Doobie Brothers on June 29.

Other highlights include: Steely Dan on July 10; Steve Miller Band and Joe Cocker on July 13; Tony Bennett on July 19; Rascal Flatts on Hippiefest (featuring Eric Burdon and The Animals, Jack Bruce of Cream, and The Turtles feat. Flo and Eddie on August 3; and The Allman Brothers on August 12.

For more information, visit www.bethelwoodscenter.org

Battle of the Bands

If any bands are still interested in signing up for either the Battle of the Bands or the Original Music Showcase at the Northeast Fair are reminded to do so soon as spots are quickly being filled.

Currently we have approximately three spots left for the Battle of the Bands on Tuesday, June 24. Each act who enters the Battle of the Bands will have approximately 25 minutes stage time, and are not required to follow a strictly original or cover material format. However, each act must abide by the Fair’s policy of no profanity or screamo. All acts will be judged on different aspects of their performance and awards, including monetary prizes, will be given to the top three acts.

The Original Music Showcase, sponsored by The Weekender, The Sunday Dispatch and 102.3 The Mountain, will be held on Friday, June 27 and has openings for just two more acts. With the night’s title focusing on the word ‘original’ we are allowing only original material to be played by each band. Each act will get approximately thirty to forty minutes of stage time, and while they will be judged on their entire performance, emphasis will be placed on each acts final song.

A panel of judges including representatives from all three sponsors will judge each act; and the crowd will do a larger majority of the voting. We are finalizing a smooth and effective voting process where each audience member will be allowed to cast one vote for only one band. Simple enough: the more fans you bring, the better your chances.

The same policies apply for the Original Music Showcase – no profanity and no screamo. While most of the awards are the same, the Original Music Showcase does offer higher monetary awards for the top three acts, but the competition will be steeper.

To sign up for either the Battle of the Bands or the Original Music Showcase contact me at either musicjournalman@hotmail.com or 606-9893.

And the beat goes on…

Ryan O’Malley is tmusic journalist for the Sunday Dispatch and a correspondent for The Weekender. He may be reached at musicjournalman@hotmail.com

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