I lived in Hanover for 23 years, almost two thirds of my life. Gonna eventually retire to Burlington, VT when I’m ready to give up the greatest heady lifestyle work schedule ever. (mon thru wed 5 AM til 5 PM, thurs, 5 AM til 1 PM.) Then I’m off. Can hit a Thursday show and have a 3 day weekend. Hitting 9 shows from now until mid June. Using 1 vacation day. Pretty sweet. But while in Hanover, I want to make the best of it. And so does everyone else. Last night on March 26, a whole lot of like minded very cool people got together and put on one amazing night of music, good vibes, and fund raising for a good cause, the Halt Hunger Jam. It is without a doubt the headiest thing that has EVER occurred within the borough of Hanover
First, this was all EyeDeal Production, a company run by one Mr. Josh Perkins. Amanda (I never got your last name) also is doing a lot of the work that goes into these shows. They had it at the American Legion Hall, Post number 14. This is where we had the Chad Wolfe Memorial show with Devolver and Winter House Band Halloween 2009. Perkins set it all up. We load in at 5, Slade doing his thing on the sound. As always, the sound was outstanding.
Jim Grennin (sp), friend of Brian Davis, did a quick acoustic opening set. Couple covers, venue starting to fill up. Perkins doing what he wants with the drop ceiling. Another thing about Perkins, he knows his hospitality. 2 kegs of treog’s , well played sir. I introduce the band as “Soccer legend Diego Maradona’s favorite band: Frank Miller’s Beard”. Adrian totally misses it. Then Frank Miller’s Beard redefined music.
Not sure even how to describe this electric folk/rock assault. Frank laying down some cultured bass lines, Andy Miller owning the mic, and Andy Beard was MVP of FMB. But wait there’s more. Corey O laying down the rhythm on tablas and other drums that looks really cool. Ian playing a driving violin/fiddle. I could form a band just around him. The lights, the atmosphere, incredibly beautiful. A light show to rival Bucket’s at Devolver. Great covers, I don’t recall the setlist. Just mind blowningly Acid Testish.
Wide variety of demographics within the audience. Lots of straight folk who read the article in the Evening Sun and Flipside and thought benefit for food bank was worth it. Parents with kids. Two kids who had a high school garage band. A 6 month old baby. An 81-year-old man. You don’t have that diversity at a Prodestent church. People getting a good drunk buzz on but none of the insane treat fueled madness that was typical of a golden era of a certain local band that I may or may not have seen over 200 times.
They end, I do my best vaudeville act as I give away doorprizes. Not sure too many were actually given away. Would like to give a mad shout out to the York Silver Bullets, a semi pro team based out of York. The guy who runs it, I think his name was Chris worked the door. He was huge. Intimidating yet thoughtful. Worse job when it comes to shows. He did an outstanding job.
Then Boxcar Social brings IT. They laid down their amazing blend or rock, bluegrass, and just a dash of funk. Beard comes on as a special guest and they redefine Women Smarter. I am serious. It’s usually a celebration of women but they had a dark, typical of late ’67 Stones flirting with the Dark Side type of vibe going on. Bravo! No one does it like that. They were on fire. Watchtower with Andy Miller. The original wailing whale. Andy shredding it. Set I:
Funk #12
Caught Up In The Sound
Frannie May
Franklin's Tower*
Wagon Wheel*
One More Time
Man Smart, Woman Smarter ^
Bananas & Blow ^
43
D
Set II:
All Along The Watchtower%
Comin' Into Los Angeles%
Sittin' On Top Of The World #
SPAP > Paradise City > SPAP > 3 LIttle Birds > Spaceman#
Push > Which Way It Is > Push#
Something To Say#
Get On Down#
*-w/ Jim Grinnen ^-w/ Andy Beard %-w/ Andy Miller #w/ Ian Carroll -Entire show with Craig Walker
Funniest part of the night. Perkins had a 60 dollar gift certificate for the Hanover Laser Hair Removal Center. Didn’t actually have it. Will get an email about it. It was a real gift certificate. No joke. Just struck myself as rather humorous.
I was exhausted and walked home. Love the local shows, strolling back to my apartment of 11 years. How crazy is that? The scene is what you make it. And we have made a pretty cool little scene here.
Dave Kemp
BA in American Studies
PhD In Rock and Roll
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