You know you're in for a good night when they sing some Frank Zappa during the soundcheck.

And so I settled in for the late show at Club Cafe on the South Side, a couple of cups of coffee keeping me going, to watch a pair of bands, Big With Seed and Wino Riot, put on some distinctive and tightly played performances.

My first impression of Wino Riot (besides some of the guys' apparent affinity for Zappa) was the instrumental configuration: a keyboard rack was set up smack in the middle of the stage, which struck me as kind of unusual. But after hearing keyboard player/lead singer Doug Fitzsimmons exercise his vocal power, I understood. His soul-drenched style served the band's repertoire well: funky, boogie-down sound that projected well within the friendly confines of Club Cafe.

The band cites Stevie Wonder as a prime influence - the lengendary early '70s stuff, like "Livin' for the City," which they cover - along with the numerous George Clinton aggregations collectively known as P-Funk. And Doug drew sounds from his Hammond, Roland and particularly his mini-Korg that you don't hear too often this side of P-Funk keyboardist Bernie Worrell - that bent-tone, outta-space synthesizer that propelled numerous R&B hits a couple of decades ago.

Situated on either side of Doug were Wino Riot's guitarists, Charles Kubacki and David Bruno Barton. The two work very well together, trading off licks and riffs to great effect, with the stereo image created by the amps on either side of the stage. David played a good bit of the show using just the clean tone through his Marshall. Of course, Charles' Fender amp held up his end of the bargain as well.

The rhythm section - bass player Nick Michaels, drummer Marc Martinka and percussionist Joe Bellinconish - drove the band through a set of mostly originals that displayed a knack for writing catchy, well-constructed tunes. Their set closer, "Monkey Spine," developed into a ferocious jam that left the crowd wanting more music.

Big With Seed came through with the set that followed, putting the talents of lead singer Adam Rossi to full use. What a set of lungs, and he says he came by his vocalizing naturally. He looks a bit like Nick Gravenites, has stage mannerisms slightly reminscent of Joe Cocker, and sings like ... well, at one point, I thought I heard some of Skynyrd's Ronnie Van Zant coming through. So I looked down on the stage floor to see if Adam - like the late, great Ronnie - preferred to perform barefoot. Sure enough, no shoes!

All things considered, Big With Seed's sound is somewhere in its own category. Tuck Majeran's ever-present blues harp sets a certain tone, and Derek Scalzott's fluid, driving bass sets another. Scott Delledonne's hard-eged Stratocaster serves to beef up the sound around Adam's voice. And drummer Jarrod Svenzeny displays a flexibility on percussion that adds yet another dimension.

(By the way, it's great to meet a fellow like Tuck, who's hanging out with the "younger generation" to make some music.)

Good news: You can catch both these bands on the same bill again on Saturday, Nov. 5, at the "Get Off Your Couch and Jam" show at the Shadow Lounge in Pittsburgh (also featuring Doodis and CK9 & the Old E Allstars). More on that coming soon.

PHOTOS:

1) Adam Rossi sets the tone for Big With Seed.

2) Derek Scalzott is all over his bass.

3) Scott Delledonne and Tuck Majeran wail away on their respective instruments.

4) Doug Fitzsimmons at center stage with Wino Riot.

5) You probably can't see David Bruno Barton's T-shirt, but it's from Project/Object, the exceptional Frank Zappa tribute band featuring several of the late Mr. Zappa's former sidemen.

6) Nick Michaels and Charles Kulbacki help anchor the sound.

PS - If you've never heard of Nick Gravenites, he's best known as lead singer for the Electric Flag, guitarist Mike Bloomfield's semi-legendary, short-lived "American Music Band" of circa 1967-68.

When music is in your blood, it never quite works its way out.

T. Mitchell Bell spent a good bit of the '90s riding the initial wave of the Internet, putting his computer skills to work for organizations like amazon.com in Seattle. At that point, his musical aspirations kind of took a back seat.

"I was still playing and writing, but I wasn't playing out that much," he says.

Now that he's back in the Pittsburgh area and settled in Washington, he's getting back to his roots - in more ways that one - and performing on acoustic guitar, drawing from his large repertoire of originals.

His roots are in music: His dad, Tom Bell, is a drummer who played with the likes of Tony Janflone Sr. when Mitch was young. As such, he always has been around music and received plenty of encouragement from his father when Mitch decided he'd give playing and singing a try, too.

And Mitch's music is in the roots: That's how he describes his style, which draws influence from artists like Taj Mahal, Ry Cooder, Bob Dylan and James Taylor.

Mitch got his start musically on a rootsy instrument. "My dad turned me on to a harmonica book when I was about 12 years old," an instructional manual by legendary blues harp player Tony Glover.

He also was a singer and performed in his first band while he was in high school, "doing Neil Young and Robin Trower covers." But that was during the latter part of the '70s, when people weren't particularly interested in listening to good music. So to get work, "We started learning a bunch of disco tunes."

To their credit, "We still worked in some interesting stuff, like Parliament and the Isley Brothers." But, still ...

Mitch saw the light a little whie later and picked up the acoustic guitar, learning material from the '70s singer-songwriter genre while listening to jazz players such as Larry Coryell and Al DiMeola. And a big influence on him at that time was Steve Forbert - whose style in turn led him to discover the treasure trove of material that is Dylan.

He continued to play in bands during the '80s before settling on another course.

"It was probably the early '90s that I got into the coffeehouse singer-songwriter thing." He performed at places like the Beehive, probably the first coffeehouse in Pittsburgh, and did a live broadcast on WYEP-FM in 1994. Meanwhile, as the Internet started coming into public consciousness, he put his computer skills to work on promoting artists like the Gathering Field.

From there, he went full-fledged into computer work, but now he has a bit more time to pursue his musical interests. He has a home recording studio and has put together a collection of his originals, simply called "t. mitchell bell."

The tunes have interesting sources of inspiration. Mitch wrote "Bloody Angle," for example, about his great-great-great grandfather, who was killed at Spotsylvania Courthouse during the Civil War. And the song "Simple" was inspired by words of wisdom on a bumper sticker: "Live simply, so others can simply live."

Mitch also has put together a Web site, acousticSongs.com, that helps call attention to acoustically oriented artists.

You can catch Mitch Bell at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Cafe Bean, 31 E. Wheeling St., Washington (right across the street from the newspaper office). Plans call for him to perform there on a monthly basis, and he's looking to put together an open stage type of deal for local musicians.

After all, there are plenty of other folks who like to get back to their roots, too.

Here's the formula for a successful CD release party:

1) Book it in an acoustically superior venue.

2) Schedule some talented opening acts.

3) Kick out the jams and keep everyone rockin' for hours on end.

4) Release a killer CD from which to draw material.

There you have it. And it was executed to perfection by Bill Toms and Hard Rain on Saturday night at Cefalo's Restaurant & Nightclub in Carnegie.

If you haven't been to Cefalo's, check it out. The restaurant/showplace is inside a renovated

church - the type of building that was constructed with acoustics in mind. Combine that with a clear sound system, and everyone can enjoy the music (and good food, too, from what I'm told).

Preceding Bill's band to the stage were Joey Murphy, solo with acoustic guitar, and Tom Breiding and American Son, a four-piece band.

Joey performed a set of her originals, her husky, well-projected voice and catchy strumming providing an atmospheric opener as the crowd settled in for a night of rock 'n' roll. And Tom's band rocked, drawing material from several of his albums, including closing the set with my personal favorite of his: "You Don't Want to Lose Her," from "Happy Hour in the Round Hotel" (named after the departed Peters Township tavern). The talented Jill Simmons joined in to lend her vocal talents to that tune's chorus.

Tom, of course, also is a member of Bill Toms and Hard Rain, so he strapped on his Telecaster again for the evening's main attraction, a show celebrating the release of Bill's "The West End Kid." (Scroll down for more about this fine recording.)

The band was smokin' all night, with all the guys putting their many years of experience on full display: Bill and several other band members also are members of the locally legendary Houserockers. So of course, the head Houserocker, Joe Grushecky, guested on several songs, blazing away on his Schecter. Another guest was Marc Reisman (yet one more Houserocker), wailing away on his collection of Marine Bands.

Others musicians joined forces with Bill and his band throughout the evening (at one point, we counted 10 people on stage) for a thoroughly entertaining show that had a good bit of the packed house dancing, and most of the crowd alternately drained from the high energy and wanting to hear more.

Talk about doing it right.

PHOTOS:

1) Bill Toms does his thing.

2) Joe Grushecky helps Tom tear it up.

3) Marc Reisman teams with Hard Rainer Phil Brontz (also of 8th Street Rox).

4) Tom Breiding plays during his band's set.

5) Joey Murphy performs.

Just a little while into my first conversation with Angela D'Ambrosio, I thought: Yeah, she sounds like she sings some mean blues.

Hers is that raspy type of voice that sounds like what I've heard of Janis Joplin in old video footage, minus Janis' Texas drawl.

And that suits Angie fine. Not only is she really a blues singer, under her nom de guerre of Angel Blue, but she does a heck of a Janis impression, both in song and persona. We'll get to that a bit later.

For now, let's talk about her band, Angel Blue and the Prophets. They're wrapping up work on a new album, "Bottom of the Bottle Blues," and plan a CD release party on Dec. 2 at the Hard Rock Cafe at Station Square.

"What I like about the CD is that you don't hear too many people coming up with original blues," she says. But that's exactly what she's working on: her own compositions, lyrically, with some musical assistance from her band's drummer, Scott McLean. And seeing as how she's the voice here, "These songs are coming from a woman's perspective."

Except, that is, for the title track, for which she drew inspiration from a scene one New year's morning ... you can picture it. Not only does the song "Bottom of the Bottom Blues" have a cool enough name to lend itself to the whole album, it will feature a pretty cool guest guitarist: Reb Beach, the Pittsburgh native of Winger, Dokken, etc. fame.

The album, in fact, is full of guest guitarists from Pittsburgh's rock/blues scene, including Buddy Hall, Frank Giovi, Randall Troy, Lee Cherry and Craig King. Her goal is to showcase some noteworthy axemen.

"There is fabulous talent here," she says. "We probably have more talent here in this little city than in many of our surrounding states. I believe that firmly."

There's some talent in her working band, too, including a pair of guitarists who look to have a bright future, considering their head start on stage: Lee Hindman is 18 and Dan Parks is 17.

"Between the two of them, we have a real nice sound," Angie says, noting they drew their blues influence at young ages from Stevie Ray Vaughan; and in turn from his big influence, Jimi Hendrix; and in turn from Jimi's influences, people like "Muddy, B.B. and Robert Johnson."

The other Prophets are Scott, who studied at the Berklee School of Music, has his own private studio and has recorded a solo CD, "Rock and Roll Karma"; and bass player Jonathan Smith, a longtime veteran of the regional musical scene. The sound is fleshed out by Joe Maryanski on saxophone and Jeff Conners on keyboards and harmonica.

While they're finishing the CD, band members continue to play at venues around the area, showcasing their instrumental skills while backing an emotional, distinctive vocalist.

So, why does Angel Blue sing the blues?

"By happenstance," she says. See, Angie was in a wreck a number of years ago, and her injuries changed her from a soprano to sounding more like Janis. "I thought, my voice is ruined."

She'd sung before, but stopped for a while, until an impromptu performance at a party. A gentleman within earshot sidled up to her and said, "How would you like to help me out with a festival? I'm in a blues band."

As Angie tells it: "I said, 'What's the blues?'"

The guys in that band showed her, playing classics from T-Bone Walker, Muddy Waters and the like. So Angie learned some tunes and belted them out for the festival, a charity event benefitting an organization that helps children who've lost a parent.

Ironically, around the same time, her mother, the late Margaret D'Ambrosio, told her: "If I die tomorrow, I want you to sing."

"She knew me better than myself," Angie recalls.

So she followed her mother's wishes, forming her own band a few months later and starting to adapt some of her poetry to original blues lyrics. (Margaret also was a talented poet, and Angie is planning a recording featuring her mother's work.)

The band adopted the moniker of Angel and the Blues Prophets. "People started to call me Angel Blue," Angie says. "They said, 'You're going to be the next Barbara Blue,'" a reference to the Memphis-based blues singer who happens to be another Pittsburgh native.

Later down the road, she altered the name of the band slightly to become Angel Blue, and the result can be heard shortly on "Bottom of the Bottle Blues."

Oh, more about her and Janis: Angie is putting together a show for April 7 called "Cheap Thrills (Are You Experienced?)," a dual tribute in which she'll be Miss Joplin and Craig King will be Mr. Hendrix. Plus, we might hear from Mr. Vaughan, too.

So, there are a couple of more dates to mark on your calendar: Dec. 2, 2005, and April 7, 2006. Or, if you want to hear a rousing performance before then, check out Angel Blue and the Prophets live.

And hear a voice that's made to sing the blues (and Janis Joplin tunes).

PHOTO: Angel Blue performs blues festival this spring in Marietta, Ohio. By attribution, it's from the Web site http://www.dustyblues.com. Please check it out!

Sequencing is a vital task for record producers. Draw the listener in, keep him interested and sustain the momentum to a rousing conclusion.

The opening salvo of the leadoff track takes care of the first part of that equation on the new album by Bill Toms and Hard Rain. Bill delivers an infectious guitar riff that screams, "We mean business!" The full band kicks in to reinforce the message, paving the way for a tune so well-constructed that it has the listener singing along midway through his first spin of the disc.

The song is "Another Round for the West End Kid," and the album is named "The West End Kid." Its official launch by Bill and his band will be during a CD release party at 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at Cefalo's, 428 Washington Ave., Carnegie.

The album is the fourth by Bill Toms and Hard Rain, or the fifth, if you count Bill's solo album, "One Lonesome Moment." Not only does "The West End Kid" pack a wallop right from the beginning, it manages to sustain the pace through nine well-crafted compositions. (Or 10, if you count the bonus jam from the opening track provided as a two-minute treat at the album's conclusion.)

Bill creates a landscape for the album that ties in closely with his Pittsburgh roots. As he told me, this is a city that really lends itself to inspiration for songs, and that influence comes to the forefront on "The West End Kid."

"Another Round," for example, portrays the plight of a boxer who's well past his heyday - the album is "in memory of Perry Petrone, the real West End Kid" - and features lyrics that make no secret of the locale: "In a steel town you do what's expected/ No one here has high expectations."

The album abounds with characters written into the songs, with references to everyone from Frankie and Caveman at Paige's bar, to Jane the secretary, to Betsy, "who's only 16, there's darkness in her soul." The net effect is to help convey the gritty realism of Bill's lyrics by helping the listener identify with the situations presented. (Springsteen comparisons probably are inevitable, but this album stands on its own merit without reading too much of other people's work into it.)

The playing is stellar throughout; as is the case with Bill himself, many of the guys in his band also are members of Pittsburgh mainstays the Houserockers. Speaking of which, Joe Grushecky co-produced "The West End Kid" and does a guest spot on the upbeat rocker "She Takes Me Home."

And speaking of production, the album's sequencing carries the listener through a stylistic rollercoaster, showcasing the band's versatility. The roar of the opening track meshes into the catchy, if melancholy, sax obbligato by Phil Brontz on "This Is Nowhere." A subdued drum shuffle by Joffo Simmons leads off the next track, the relatively quiet "I Was in Love With You," in which Bill draws effectively from the Dylan-Knopfler school of vocals.

Then it's time for heavy riffs again, with the epic "I Don't Live There Anymore," which features an extended jam that shows just how much this band can cook. From there, it't time to explore a bit of country blues (musically, at least) with "Satan's On My Shoulder (Jesus Ain't Nowhere in Sight)," with guest Marc Reisman on harp. Then Joe Pelesky's piano provides a funky lead-in to the R&B-flavored "I'll Take My Pride."

Bill shares one writing credit on the album, with guitarist-singer Tom Breiding (from Peters Township) assisting on "In the Paradise," a song that would be right at home on one of Tom's own albums.

"I'm Walking With An Angel Tonight" closes out the proceedings (besides the jam coda), with Jill Simmons providing backing vocals on a highly atmospheric piece.

Whew! That all makes for a heck of a journey, and I'd recommend that anyone who likes good music - particularly of the homegrown variety - take it with "The West End Kid."

Bill Toms and Hard Rain: B.T., vocals & guitar; Tom Breiding, guitar & vocals; Joe Pelesky, keyboards & vocals; Art Nardini, bass; Phil Brontz, saxophone; Joffo Simmons, drums; Bernie Herr, percussion

Since the beginning of time - or at least since the beginning of Classic Rock - bands have relied on a handy stable of cover versions to please the typical audience member.

Of course, I'm not your typical audience member. And Boss Diablo doesn't have your typical set list.

It's been many moons, for example, since I've heard anyone tackle Sonny Boy Williamson's "Help Me." Boss Diablo did it in style, with guitarist Chuck Beatty playing the signature riff through a menacing layer of reverb, while harp player Stanley J. Mikolajek, who's in his 20s but wails away like he's been hanging out with the spirit of Little Walter, put a genuine blues stamp on the 12-bar classic.

That was just the band's second song of the evening, and it had me clapping like a seal on Saturday night at Otto's Pub in Canonsburg.

The guys continued to trot out some tunes I really enjoy throughout the evening, and stuff you don't hear too many other people play: Wilbert Harrison's "Let's Work Together," Warren Zevon's "Carmelita" and Otis Rush's "Homework," to name a few.

Even their Rolling Stones selection steered away from the usual fare, with the Jagger-Richards composition "I'm Free" followed some tunes the Stones covered themselves: "Hitch Hike" (originally Marvin Gaye), "Crackin' Up" (Bo Diddley) and "The Hip Shake" (Slim Harpo). Plus Brian's singing and Stanley's harp made for a strong rendition of the disco-flavored "Miss You."

Throw in some country-flavored Buck Owens and Hank Sr. tunes, and some good old rock 'n' roll standards like Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild" and the Animals' "We Gotta Get Out of This Place," and it certainly made for one eclectic and rip-roaring night.

The band's repertoire may have been impressive, but Boss Diablo is a quartet of crack musicians. Veteran drummer Tom Hohn and bassist Brian Washington combine for a formidable rhythm section, and Stanley's harp adds plenty of depth to the sound while serving as a second lead instrument to Chuck's guitar.

Speaking of which, Chuck impressed me considerably by playing without a pick all night and by coming up with a wide array of tones to suit the band's variety of song styles. For example, during "Them Changes," a song recorded by Buddy Miles and Jimi Hendrix in the short-lived Band of Gypsys, Chuck struck up an inspired Jimi-type lead that jived perfectly with the fluid bass playing of Brian (who doesn't use a pick, either).

Tom, Chuck and Brian shared vocal duties throughout the evening, coming up with tight harmonies in combinations of two or three singers. Chuck gave a particularly effective reading of Tom Waits' gravelly voice for "Way Down in the Hole," as well as a heartfelt nod to Lowell George with a lengthy version of Little Feat's "Willin'."

So ... mark Oct. 28 on your calendar and check out Boss Diablo for yourself, if you like to hear stuff you don't usually hear. The guys will be at Auggie's Roadhose, right off Route 19 in South Strabane Township.

I've known Vic DaPra and Tim Matyas, who co-own the Guitar Gallery in North Strabane, for several years. Many times when I drop in, we'll strike up a conversation about what we consider to be the golden age of music, back there in the '60s.

On Sunday, I finally had the opportunity to see a performance by their band, Sugarcane (named after a song on "The Jeff Beck Group" album, co-written by Jeff and Steve Cropper), as part of the Washington Arts and Heritage Festival. And as no surprise to me, their repertoire was straight out of the '60s, tapping heavily into the hits of the British Invasion - everyone from the Beatles to Donovan to Peter & Gordon.

Joining Vic (lead vocals and acoustic guitar) and Tim (bass) were Bill Cameron, also on acoustic guitar, and Vic's brother Val on drums. Tim and Bill added harmony vocals to really capture the spirit of some songs that were "part of everyone's growing up," as Vic put it.

The highlight for me was a rendition of "Itchycoo Park," the sole American hit by the highly talented Small Faces. (You might know them better as the Faces, after original leader Steve Marriott departed to form Humble Pie, to be replaced by Ron Wood and Rod Stewart.) Sugarcane did a great job with the rather complex song, without the trendy and somewhat distracting phase-shifting effect that characterized the original version.

Bill strapped on a Gibson Les Paul to add some electricity to what Vic accurately called the top rock song of all time, the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." Good idea. You can't really play that riff on acoustic.

Look for Sugarcane at some other special events around the area, and get ready for a visit back to the good times of the '60s.

PHOTOS on the North Stage, Main Street Washington: 1) Tim & Vic; 2) Bill

A nice lady named Maree (aka "Tenacious Ree"), who distributes information on behalf of bunches of talented people, sent me this note about an upcoming event to mark on the calendar:

On Thursday, Oct. 20 at Cefalo's Restaurant & Nightclub in Carnegie, four musicians who usually front their own bands will join each other on stage, together again for the first time, as they say, to perform their original songs: Ed Masley, frontman for The Breakup Society, a punky pop/rock band whose recent album, "James at 35," won raves (Ed's also a great music writer); LaRen, former frontwoman from the popular band Lushwell, who music has received lots of airplay on WYEP; Chad Alexander, frontman for the Rockstar Collective; and finally a musician who is used to performing alone at times, but not usually his own original music - the cover king himself, Mark Pipas, aka "The Sleaze."

This show, part of the nightclub?Äôs monthly songwriter?Äôs feature called Cefalo?Äôs Circle, will be a rare treat for the fans of these artists, an up-close-and-personal performance bound to be laced with hilarious humor, since Mark Pipas will also serve as emcee for the night. A popular feature of Cefalo?Äôs Circle is the audience Q & A segment, a chance to ask the musicians anything you want, within reason, that is. As Carol Lee Espy remarked, "Please, no math questions."

For more info, call 412-276-6600 or visit www.clubcefalo.com

In the film version of "Let It Be," the Beatles raise a ruckus during a workday afternoon in downtown London by playing on the rooftop of Apple Studios in what turned out to be their final live performance.

Downtown Washington wasn't quite as frenetic on Friday, but it was rocking at lunchtime as performers kicked out the jams on Main Street during the city's Arts & Heritage Festival, which continues throughout the weekend.

The Jaggerz led off the proceedings with a noontime concert, and Don Cameron entertained with his one-man show starting around 1. An enthusiastic crowd enjoyed the diversion, which certainly beats the heck out of sitting in the office.

If you're going to Washington, be sure to check out Sugarcane, with my buddies Vic DaPra and Tim Maytas of Guitar Gallery fame. Their portion of the program starts at 4:30.

PHOTOS (I just had to walk up the street from the office to snap these):

1. Jimmie Ross of the Jaggerz thanks the crowd after concluding a medley of "Dancin' in the Streets" and "Some Kind of Wonderful."

2. Jimmie and guitarist Bennie Faiella are original members of the Jaggerz, back when they hit the top of the charts with "The Rapper."

3. Other members of the Jaggerz get into it.

4. Some fans check out the show.

5. Don Cameron belts out "The Devil Went Down to Georgia."

A sticker affixed to the sound shield surrounding Veronica Kiger's drum kit boasts:

"Female drummers do it better!"

I had an opportunity to check out Veronica's band, the BootHill Gang, at a benefit concert at the Greene County Fairgrounds on Saturday, and that sticker is on the money. She's a dynamo at the kit (just as she told me she'd be), pounding out rhythms you'd expect from a big, brawny guy instead a rather petite young lady. Hearing her stoke up the opening beat to the Rolling Stones' "Honky Tonk Women" was enough to make anyone get up and start moving his or her feet.

She's a powerful drummer, and she's also a powerful vocalist, really belting it out in her best Martina McBride style - not an easy feat, considering she has to keep time back there while singing. I guess that's why you don't see all that many drummer/vocalists (remember, Phil Collins pretty much gave up the drum kit when he decided to become Genesis' lead singer).

Veronica is the self-professed "baby of the group" for a band that's been around, off and on, since the early '80s, built around the core of singer/front lady Dee Eisiminger and guitarists Tink Eisiminger and Gary D'Angelo. On Saturday, they put on a fun, high-energy performance that ran the gamut from country to classic rock to a very entertaining version of the old disco hit "Play That Funky Music," sung by new bassist Alex Volex.

Keep an eye out for the BootHill Gang playing around the band's native Waynesburg. Not only do they play a good show, but they're some of the nicest musicians you're going to meet. (And if you mention you play music yourself, they just might ask you to sit in for a tune or two.)

PHOTOS at the Fairgrounds: 1) Veronica; 2) Dee; 3) Gary; 4) Tink

Check out some of our friends at upcoming shows:

aBetter Yesterday, Ennui and the Inconsiderate Few ?Äì triple-header on Thursday, Oct. 13, at the Hard Rock Cafe, starting at 9 p.m.

The BootHill Gang - Disaster Relief Benefit on Saturday at the Greene County Fairgrounds. Drummer Veronica Kiger has organized the event and hopes for a great turnout. The Gang's set starts at 3 p.m.

Boss Diablo - Friday Oct. 14, at Paparazzi's, 2100 E. Carson St., South Side, 9:30 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 15, Otto's Pub, 605 W. Pike Street, Canonsburg, also at 9:30

Flashback - Saturday, Oct. 15 at Vi's Bar in Vandergrift, which is celebrating 25 years in business. Festivities begin at 7 p.m. with the Lenny Collini Trio. Also appearing will be¬ÝZMW, Suckerpunch Thompsons, Jesse Jon, and Skippy and The Boys

Also Friday, Oct. 28, at Zanderz Nightclub in Plum Boro, starting at 8:30 p.m. You'll want to don your¬Ýgrooviest '60s threads because the band will award a $25 prize to the best-dressed hippie.¬Ý

Tony Lee - CD release party for "Pocket" starting at 7 p.m. Thursday at Club Cafe, with special guests Bill Toms and J.D. Strum

(And don't forget the CD release party for Bill Toms & Hard Rain's "The West End Kid," on Saturday, Oct. 22, at Cefalo's in Carnegie.)

Neon Swing Experience - Thursday at the Underground at California University of Pennsylvania. The show starts at 9, and NSX begins its set at 10. This is for Cal U students and their guests only.
¬Ý
Also just added (getting into 2006 already): NSX is scheduled for Jan. 27 at the Hard Rock Cafe, Station Square, to be joined by The Inconsiderate Few and one other band TBD.
¬Ý
NSX's CD release party for "Late To The Party" is rapidly approaching. Mark the date of Nov. 26 at the Hollow Tavern (Route 30 between Latrobe and Ligonier)

These guys have a link to my site from their site, so we'll put them back where their fans can find them here.

When it comes to playing "classic rock," any band can strum three chords and claim they're doing Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Members of Flashback - you've gotta love that name - takes a different approach.

"One thing I really like about this band is that we're not just covering these songs," says Jeff Beasom, Flashback's bass player and one of three members who alternate lead vocals. Their approach is to try to replicate the tone of the original; for example, "on a Hendrix song, you'll hear the sound of Hendrix's guitar."

And they do it with the same type of equipment the musicians of the '60s actually used. For example, readings of the Byrds' "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" and "Mr. Tambourine Man" feature a Rickenbacker 12-string guitar, just as Jim McGuinn (before he was Roger) strummed on the original. And the band recently added some equipment that truly evokes the period: a Hammond B3 organ and Leslie speaker box.

Jeff put the band together with guitarist/keyboardist George Hudson, from Mt. Washington, after they met through the Internet. They initially tried to go another direction as far as the repertoire, but during rehearsals, they kept coming back to their old favorites.

"We started searching for guys who felt the same way," says Jeff, who hails from Harrison City in Westmoreland County. They round some kindred spirits in drummer Peter Waddell and two recent additions, harp player/lead vocalist Andrew Mrasz and guitarist/lead vocalist Mike Carson.

The guys may draw their material from quite a few decades ago, but that doesn't mean they play exclusively to old-timers.

"There's definitely a younger audience for this, too," Jeff says. "They're actually hearing some real musicianship."

The band's song list includes, as they put it, "recognizable (but not overplayed) Classic Rock, with many good dance numbers." I'm very impressed that they do a tune by one of my favorite virtually unknown bands, the Electric Prunes' "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)."

"We get a good reaction to that one," says Jeff. "And the other one people like is 'Pictures of Matchstick Men,'" Status Quo's sole U.S. hit.

Flashback returned to live action this summer with a show at Zanderz in Plum, which usually features bands exclusively on Saturday. But the Flashback performance went so well that the guys were told, "We're going to break our own rule and have you out on a Friday night." And that's the Friday before Halloween.

Sounds like a good time to break out your tie-dyes and headbands.

http://flashbackrockband.home.comcast.net

Guitarist Tony Lee was taking requests from the crowd on Saturday afternoon. He even played a very loose and fun version of the perennial crowd-pleaser "Margaritaville," occasionally asking listeners for help with the lyrics.

Fittingly, Tony was strumming his six-string - a fine Martin, in this case - on the porch (or patio, if you will) of La Casa Narcisi Winery in Gibsonia, his backdrop a sunsplashed canopy of green, his audience a group of appreciative wine connoisseurs.

But despite his spirited interpretations of artists the Beatles, the Stones, Stevie Ray and, of course, Mr. Buffett, Tony Lee prefers to play Tony Lee. And he has the original material to pull it off.

Saturday's performance featured acoustic versions of tunes from "Pocket," his new album that will be featured at a CD release party on Thursday, Oct. 6, at Club Cafe on the South Side. (Special guests are Bill Toms and J.D. Strum.) Tony will be playing with a full band for that show, just as he does on the disc.

Some of the highlights of the acoustic show included "Whisper," which provides a good introduction to his style as a rootsy rocker in the tradition of Springsteen and Mellencamp; "Last Goodbye," the song he calls his favorite on the disc; and "Surrogate Man," one of those compositions inspired by a breakup (and my own favorite on the disc).

And a definite high point was a song that he has yet to record, "Neve Campbell," a heartfelt, affecting and very convincing lament of a man with unrequited longing for a certain beauty of the big and small screens.

One of his cover versions is worth mentioning as a great song I'd never heard of before: "All I Can Do Is Write About It," which appeared as a previously unreleased song on a Lynyrd Skynyrd boxed set.

Tony puts on a good acoustic show, and if his CD is any indicator, he does well with a band, too. His voice is full of emotion with a touch of grit that lends itself to both harder and softer numbers.

As I mentioned, my favorite tune on "Pocket" is "Surrogate Man." The arrangement brings the guitar playing of Jason Sichi (of Mojo Filter) to the forefront, with a smoking pedal-driven lead reminiscent of work by Ian Moore, a pretty good axeman from Texas.

The entire disc is very listenable, features some catchy chord changes and well-constructed lyrics, putting Tony's talents as both songwriter and performer on full display.

Check out Tony's release party and remember: Anyone can play "Margaritaville." But if you see Tony Lee, you're going to want to hear him play Tony Lee.

PHOTO: Tony Lee enjoys himself on a perfect afternoon at La Casa Narcisi.