Whooooo weeee! July was a wild time with thrills at every turn, especially with the Fourth of July and all those great festivities galore!

I started this month off, last month actually, when, on June 27, I was playing bass for 7th Layer at the Sterling Hotel in Allentown. I got to watch the very different act/band named Wired. Check them out at connecttowired.com and you’ll see what I mean. After their set I ran up the street to Crocodile Rock Café were Seis Fifth was showing the East PA crowd what South Central PA Hip Hop is all about.

Now the next day turned into an all-day event and I experienced a heavy case of the “band road blur,” not crawling home till 6 o’clock Sunday Morning.

I started out by interviewing Ken Evens, the headlining Comic of the Week at the Harrisburg Comedy Zone, then ran over to Gullifty’s in Camp Hill to see the great bands performing at the Morning Star Festival, where I finally got to see the band Bob from D.C. I came away very impressed and would recommend them to anyone who likes music with an edge.

After that I ran to The Brewhouse Grille - Camp Hill and was already so wiped out I collapsed, but lucky for me there was a nurse present that performed CPR on me and got all my blood flowing again (see photo). There were stops at the West Shore Hardware Bar and Johnny & Joes, both in Mechanicsburg, where each had some great local live music.

I finished the night by seeing the last set of Nutsinfutz at McKay’s Cave in Carlisle. They were a fun band that had the people up dancing more then anywhere else I was all night.

Since Tori Sparks was up from Nashville to perform over the Fourth of July weekend, I started that week off early by seeing her July 2 at The Brewhouse Grille and then again the next night at Ceoltas Irish Pub, Harrisburg. She also played at the American MusicFest on the Harrisburg riverfront on July 4 and a few other places in South Central PA while she was in the area. If you want to learn more on her, visit www.torisparks.com.

Friday, July 4, I went to Freedom Fest in Lancaster which had an outstanding lineup with Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Darcie Miner Band, The Mint , Fooling April, Slimfit, Kheris, April Skies, Uncle Skip, Stinging Nettles, Barrel of Wolves (featuring Dave and Matt of High Falootin’), The Sleeping World and the Clayton Mars Project. Then at night I interviewed the comics performing at the Comedy Zone in New Cumberland, and finally caught the last set of Sheri Mullen at Scott’s Grille in New Cumberland.

On the 5th I spent most of my waking hours on the riverfront of Harrisburg at the American MusicFest, hanging for awhile with the folks at 105.7 The X Rock’s Battle of the Bands overseen by the always lovely Maria (from the X). Some of the performances worth mentioning at MusicFest were The Tamboureens, Old Man Cactus, Lasting Factor, CCL and Friction Broadcast.

Sorry, but July 6 I was a traitor to PA original music and was off at my Long Island, N.Y., hang out the Crazy Donkey (got to love that name) for Lita Ford and her new band. I talked a lot with her new guitarist, Tom Cavanagh (also with Almost Queen and Bent Pussycat), who’s a son of Long Island, for most of the night.

Friday July 11, I was off to cover Bo Bice in Towson, Md. Saturday July 12 it was the Harrisburg Street Festival were I saw Steven Courtney, Roadworthy, The Trespassengers, and The Mint. Then right from there I ran to see Green Jelly’s (formerly Green Jello) gig in Allentown at Croc Rock. Wow what a crazy wild show. Next time they are in the area get out and see them!

Thursday July 17 it was off to the Chameleon Club in Lancaster to see my friend Bob (Todd) and his two son’s in the very dynamic and hard working Nu World Disorder, who opened for Wednesday 13. Friday July 18 was a big night since I was playing bass at the Silo in Reading with 7th Layer and the Suicide Puppets. I ended this weekend at the 100-plus band Fuzetival in Allentown at the Sterling Hotel. Out of the 100 or so bands, these are the ones I got to see were: 11s Edge, Altered Ground, Amedeus, Anamide, Bloom, Chemical Dependants, Comic Book Heroes, Half Lip, Hiccup Helen, Holluck, Rex, Last Evening, October Skyline, Overlook, Pullsh, Showin’ Tell, Solace, The 54th Day, The ‘Curds’, The Understated, Third Phase, Twin Phil, Vose, Worse For Wear, 3rd Side, Aztek Trip, Intoxication, IX From Chaos, Organized Confusion, Vio, Self Titled, Solar Child, Father Of Sin, Ferrum, From Ashes, Heart Of War, Misery Void, Misfittoyz, Nu World Disorder, Pieces Of Eight, Plethora, Rid Of Waste, Terminal, Inertia, Warhawk, Alize Passion, Emac, and The Heavy Beat.

The weekend of July 25 to July 27 I plan to see Tone Loc at the West Shore Hardware Bar. On the 26th, I’m off to Carlisle Bike Fest where Torn From Red, The Underwater, Nate Myers and the Aces, Cyphor, Ledbetter Heights, Raise Up Roof Beams and Mitch Hood are performing. On the 27th, I’m taking a break.

Be sure to look for me at Musikfest 2008 in Bethlehem from Aug. 1 to Aug. 10. See you there!

I also plan on hitting Hoots & Hellmouth on Aug. 15 at Gullifty’s Camp Hill, Witches in Bikinis at the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg on Aug. 23, and, on Aug. 30, The Old Mans Birthday Bash at Croc Rock in Allentown.