Another Fun Saturday Night and the Pictures to Prove It

So, I went on a road trip this weekend to see a show.

And I took a few pictures.

And as usual I had stuff to say about it. Check it out here: Jimi Jamison and Hybrid Ice Rock Hard Again

It was fun and highly recommended.

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Wanna Rock Til You Drop?

Sometimes, you have to take the time to support those friends who have supported you. So, next Saturday, if you are in the mood for a real fun time, and I do mean a real fun time, then check out this little announcement and get your butts down there for the show.

Hybrid Ice, Jimi Jamison in Encore Performance

Hybrid Ice, Jimi Jamison, Holy Hannah

March 22^nd at 8pm

Washie’s, Danville PA

Local veteran rock band Hybrid Ice along with world acclaimed vocalist Jimi Jamison return to Danville for a highly anticipated one-night only show at Washie’s on March 22^nd.

Danville Pennsylvania area natives Hybrid Ice “The Most Famous Unknown Band in the World,” return to the local music scene for a full night of knock-you-down rock and roll. After the night starts with opening act Holy Hannah, Hybrid Ice will take the stage for a full set of their best known original and classic rock cover songs. Following their set, Hybrid Ice will support Jimi Jamison, the voice behind such hits from the 80s as: “High On You,” “Burning Heart,” “The Search Is Over,” and “I’m Always Here (The Theme from Baywatch.)

Tickets for the show at Washie’s, 400 Railroad Avenue, Danville PA, are $22 in advance and $25 at the door. The show begins at 8 pm, and the venue is expected to fill quickly. Tickets are available locally at Washie’s, or at Reichart’s Mardi Gras 1416 Montour Boulevard, Danville PA. For more information contact Rick Klinger at 570-441-2040 or check out the Hybrid Ice website.

Hybrid Ice built their fan base over years of supporting such bands as: The Beach Boys, Toto, Bad Company, Ted Nugent, Hall & Oates, Todd Rundgren, Kansas, Foreigner, Joan Jett, Steppenwolf, 38 Special, and The Outlaws. Known for their “Classic Rock Show,” Hybrid Ice delivers a first rate musical event which also features music from their three original albums.

Tennessee native Jimi Jamison first gained recognition with the local Memphis band Target, later becoming the voice behind Cobra, and Survivor. Still in demand world-wide as a solo artist, Jamison has played with Hybrid Ice many times over the past few years. The March 22^nd show will be a preview of the “Legends of Rock” vacation package to be held this May in Mexico.

With the usual above average support expected from the local community, this show with Hybrid Ice and Jimi Jamison is expected to be one night to remember.  Purchase your tickets early and get ready to rock.

www.hybridice.net

www.jimijamison.com

Washie’s 400 Railroad Ave. Danville PA (570) 275-2200

Rick Klinger (570) 441-2040

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The Magic Behind the Music

Like many of you, I've been to countless music shows, and have thoroughly enjoyed most of them. I've watched set-up, sound checks, breakdowns, the whole process. Last night, I was fortunate enough to enjoy the spectacle that is sound check, as well as a knock-your-socks-off show. So I thought I'd give you my observations on the evening.

Sometimes, and not always, when you do your job the right way it is appreciated, and trust and friendship develops. Through one of these friendships, I was invited to a private party with entertainment from two classic rockers, still at the top of their game. While I eagerly anticipated the show, I was front and center early to hang with the guys and watch the preparation for the show.

Set-up for a music show ain't pretty. It begins with boxes and cables and stands. Drums kits are pieced together, keyboards are hooked up to the computer, guitars are placed in stands. Then one by one, each piece is plugged in, attached or lined up, until the unit is complete. Now every hall, every venue has certain advantages and limitations, and it's up to the road crew to figure out what they are and make it all work.

Now it's time to tinker. The technicians test everything. When the task is complete, the band steps in to get it all up to their standards. Testing 1-2, is followed by phrases that while are technically in English, seem like they are another language. It's all the technical terms for what works and what doesn't. As the first performer steps in, the adjustments on his vocals and guitar take place. There's grunts and groans and stops and starts. Then through a maze of notes and guitar riffs, the sweet sound of a saxophone brings an instant sense of serenity to the scene.

Time for the second artist to check his vocals. A series of starts and stops, a verse here, a chorus there, getting the sound correct in everyone's ear, you wonder if they will get it together before showtime. While adjustments are made by the sound crew throughout the show, at one point during the sound check, it all kicks in. The stage once again is empty and we await the start of the show.

Hybrid Ice
John Cafferty and Michael "Tunes" Antunes
Jimi Jamison

Seasoned performers all. It was a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere, as the performers are well acquainted with both the host of the evening and most of the crowd. It was like playing in front of old friends, and in fact, it was.

While the mood was intimate and jovial, the music was all business. It rocked. A lot.

And it was great.

Thanks guys, it was a blast.

The Music in Danville: Jimi Jamison Rocks Hard

Yesterday's post talked about Danville PA's own Hybrid Ice. After opening the night with a solid hour of rock, Ice then backed up former and soon-to-be-present lead singer of Survivor, Jimi Jamison.

In a venue this intimate, the performer quickly needs to establish a relationship with the audience...and he did. A man who is quick to smile, Jamison got the crowd engaged early with a Survivor classic "High on You" and lots of crowd interaction. After another Survivor song "Is This Love", Jamison went into the first of quite a few covers singing Gary Wright's "Love is Alive" which featured hard and heavy drums from Hybrid Ice's Rick Klinger. After "It's the Singer Not the Song" from Survivor's hit album "Vital Signs", the song chosen as one of the top ten catchiest ever "I'm Always Here" (the theme from Baywatch), was the next choice.

Then the real rocking began. Starting off with "Rock Hard" from his 1991 solo album "When love Comes Down", next up was one incredible cover of "Layla."  Doing "Layla" requires not only a good vocalist, but a guitarist and keyboard player to handle the solos that mark the true substance of the song.  Rusty Foulke on lead guitar and Bob Richardson on keys did just that...masterfully. As the song ended, I looked at my friend next to me and we both said at the same time "they nailed it."  Another friend, also a musician later told me it was the best version he had ever heard...aside from Mr. C himself.

Not missing a beat, Jimi Jamison then got everyone's 'motor running' with "Born to Be Wild." Talking 'heavy metal thunder'...yes, thunder courtesy of Mr. Klinger on drums. After a band breather with "The Search is Over," covers of "Separate Ways" and "Carry On Wayward Son," led the way for the song which rocketed Survivor to the top of MTV's 80's video rotation "I Can't Hold Back."

An excellent rendition of "Caught in the Game" was followed by another Survivor song "Didn't Know It Was Love", before leading into Jamison's title song from his solo album, "Crossroads Moment." CM featured really fine bass work from Jason Shaffer as well as a nice strong vocal from Jamison.

Tonight like most nights with Jimi Jamison, the final song was "Eye of the Tiger."  While not the original singer of the song, after many years and countless performances, Jimi Jamison is EOTT.

As a performer, Jimi Jamison owns the stage. Like the tiger, he prowls across it staking claim to every inch of it. Vocally, is the voice the same as it was 25 years ago? No, it is not, but would you really expect it to be? While the high range is not quite the same, a deeper, richer quality has taken its place. Instead of being all power, his vocals offer a give and take between power and pointed restraint.  This is a vocalist who knows his capabilities and delivers every millimeter of them to the crowd.

All in all, the night was an unending high note...so worth the road trip.

On a personal note, many thanks to both Hybrid Ice and Jimi Jamison for both a wonderful night of music and their personal grace. Their mommas definitely taught them "it doesn't hurt to be nice."

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The Music In Danville: First Up, Hybrid Ice

On Kat's Theory of Life, I've begun to tell the story of the road trip to Danville.  While the adventure will be continued there, the trip was after all, about the music.

A little while back, I conducted an interview with veteran rock group Hybrid Ice. This road trip was to see Hybrid Ice perform both alone and as the support band for Jimi Jamison (past & soon-to-be-present vocalist for Survivor). The location of the show was the hometown of Hybrid Ice, Danville PA.

Bob Richardson (keyboards), Chris Alburger (guitar)

Performing in front of a supportive crowd usually makes for a good show. This night was no exception. The assembled troops were ready to party for St. Patty's.  Everything from flashing green earrings to a woman wearing a green beard was in evidence last night. However nothing would detract from the rock-til-you-drop performance by the home town boys.

Rusty Foulke

With a set list encompassing both their original songs as well as a healthy dose of covers, Hybrid Ice showed what years of dedication to your craft can produce. When four of the five members of the group sing, the range of the artists catalog expands greatly. Going from fun songs like "Raise a Little Hell" and "Going Down for the Last Time" to classics such as "Baba O' Riley"  and "Rebel Rebel", Ice seamlessly threw in "Enter Sandman", "Dead or Alive" and a smoking version of the Starship's "Jane."

Rick Klinger on drums, Jason Shaffer on bass

The one thing that becomes clear after seeing and hearing Hybrid Ice is there is no weak link in the group. Bassist Jason Schaffer, the newest member of the group, plays well beyond his years with a pounding beat that along with the wild man drumming of founding member Rick Klinger, drives the rhythm of the band. Rusty Foulke showed throughout the night, both fine technique and a joyful enthusiasm in his role as a lead guitarist. The vocals of guitarist Chris Alburger were never more striking than when singing Hybrid Ice's own "Magdelene" and the man behind the keyboards, Bob Richardson delivers the goods with both precision...and fun.

Halfway into their hour long set, Ice hit the beat heavy and never looked back. With barely a breath between songs, they kept the audience on their feet and singing along for the rest of the set. The veteran rockers in my group all agreed, Hybrid Ice is an incredibly tight group of musicians, full of talent and still enjoying the ride.

Tomorrow: Hybrid Ice & Jimi Jamison

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Hybrid Ice: On Fire And Going Home (Part Two)

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview veteran rock band Hybrid Ice. The following is Part Two of that question and answer session. This interview first appeared on Technorati.com. This post contains some additional video links so you can enjoy just how good this band continues to be 30+ years later.



“The Most Famous Unknown Band in the World.” is how Hybrid Ice once described themselves. This year, that may change in a big way.

While this Pennsylvania-based band has toured with and supported some of the greatest names in rock history, a deal with a major record company has never materialized. But it isn’t for lack of talent or conviction. Coming up this year, Hybrid Ice will be the support group for such classic rock names as Jimi Jamison, best known as the former frontman for the chart-topping band Survivor, Bobby Kimball (Toto), Joe Lynn Turner (Deep Purple) and Derek St. Holmes (Ted Nugent). The first set of shows will feature Jimi Jamison, including a March 17th date in the hometown of Hybrid Ice…Danville, PA.

Recently, three members of Hybrid Ice answered a few questions about their approach to working as a support band, their 30+ year history and what’s in store for the upcoming shows with Jamison.

Hybrid Ice is: Rick Klinger (vocals/drums), Bob Richardson (vocals/keyboards), Jason Schaffer (bass), Chris Alburger (vocals/guitar) and Rusty Foulke (lead guitar/vocals).

In Part Two of the interview, Hybrid Ice discusses the band’s long journey, how they reunited, the current line-up and their expectations for the upcoming shows.

Kat's Theory (KT): Reading your bio, I was really impressed by the marketing ingenuity you guys possessed at such an early age, before you had the Hybrid Ice name. Since I think I’m about the same age as most of you, I can gauge pretty accurately and I know many of the things you tried would never have popped into my head. Example, renting the local Y, hiring a headline band and having your band open for them. Who was the entrepreneurial genius at work back then?

Rick Klinger (RK): If I remember correctly, that was Rusty. Jeff (Willoughby, former bassist) was responsible for the idea to buy old limos. Playing clubs like PJ'S in Daytona Beach for the purpose of finding out whether or not we could find a concentration of hot girls who liked guys in bands - that was me.

Bob Richardson (BR): The band has the ability to think outside the box. We did not have the internet back then and marketing was done the old fashion way. We earned it. One plan comes to mind. We wanted to play New York City at the same place Aerosmith was discovered: Max’s Kansas City. We hired two buses and brought our fan base to make an impact. It was a lot of fun and we had some interest from labels, but unfortunately nothing ever developed.

KT: With more than 30 years of music in the rear-view mirror and a legion of fans following you from the start, Hybrid Ice is a very odd success story. You’ve opened for some of the greatest musical acts, did some recording and had your music recorded by others, most notably Boston covering “Magdelene”…yet the brass ring was never quite in your hand. Do you think the music demise of the 1990s was a key factor?

BR: It is one of those mysteries that will never be solved. We had a regional hit on our hands but still could not get a record company to take interest. Looking back you can see that we were not alone. Record companies did not want to sign Rush or Boston either. Proves that the suits don't really have a clue when it comes to good music.

RK: Who knows for sure. We were told we had too many lead singers (like The Beatles or Styx). We were told we were too self-contained. This is true: We were actually told that a deal from a New York label was pretty much in the bag if Chris would shave his beard! I get your question though. All I know is that when I realized nobody recorded guitar solos anymore, our dream was probably toast.

KT: Bob, you started out as a drummer and switched to keyboards when you joined Hybrid Ice. That takes a lot of conviction in thinking this was the right band to join, when hooking up with another band and staying on the skins might have been an easier path. What did you see in Hybrid Ice that allowed you to make that decision?


Looks like Bob still has all the right moves!

BR: I had seen Hybrid Ice play before I joined and they were very impressive. They had talent and full production at a young age. The real question would be why did they hire me? When I played drums in my previous band I had a synthesizer at my side, so I guess this made me a keyboard player. The audition was shaky at best but I am glad they decided to take a chance on me. I wanted it so bad that I practiced 8 hours a day to get up to speed.

KT: Around 1998, the band went their separate ways for quite a few years. Now you’re back, sounding great and looking toward a very busy summer. What was the driving force for the reunion?

RK: A label in England contacted us wanting to reissue the first record, remastered, on CD. ( It was only ever out on vinyl ).

BR: The five that had recorded on the album had a meeting to discuss this. A reunion idea came up to support the release so we had intended to play one or two shows and go our own way. To our surprise it went over extremely well. This is too much fun, so we still do it.

RK: We recorded 2 new songs for it. That spawned the idea for the shows. We just never knew that they'd be so successful. So, 2002 became 2003 became 2004 - you get the idea. And here we are.

KT: Rick, you and Rusty are the two members with the most seniority. Having Chris on vocals and Bob back as well, the current line-up must be very comfortable for you.   With several other former members to choose from, how did this line-up come together.

RK: Myself, Rusty, Bob, and Chris, and at the time Jeff (Willoughby, who left the band in 2010 for medical reasons)…we're bandmates, brothers, the recording version of Hybrid. Rusty and I talked, then went to Bob to see if he wanted in. He said yes, and at that point we decided to " blow the dust off of Chris to see if he could still sing ". We had decided that in order to do reunion shows, we had to have all 5 original guys. Really, playing music with these guys is like putting on your favorite old comfy jeans. It just fits.

KT: The first shows with Hybrid Ice supporting the classic rockers begin in March with Jimi Jamison. One of those shows is in the town where it all began…Danville PA. It’s got to be a kick to be back performing to the fans who were there when you first started out, as well as backing up one of melodic rocks most respected voices. How fun is that night going to be?

BR: This is one of those moments that we will have to see before I can answer that one. It is a new thing for us to have a world renowned singer with us in our little home town. It is kind of strange.

RK: I'm sure we'll all relax, play loose, and kick ass. Not much happens around here. All indications are that this will be HUGE!

Jason Schaffer (JS): It’s going to be beyond a blast doing the shows. Can’t wait!

Kat’s Theory: Can’t thank you enough for your time and insight. Danville, PA is sure to be rocking on March 17th, looking forward to being there.


Hybrid Ice Interview (Part 1)


Enjoy a taste or three of Hybrid Ice.

Looking Glass

Never Coming Back

Magdelene

Find Hybrid Ice:
The Hybrid Ice Official Website
Hybrid Ice Facebook Page

Jimi Jamison Official Website

Article first published as "Hybrid Ice: On Fire and Going Home (Part Two)" on Technorati