By Journal staff

Rock and roll icon Chuck Berry is coming to the Buffalo Chip.

The legendary musician, who scored huge hits with “Maybellene,” “Roll Over, Beethoven,” and “Johnny B. Goode,” will make his first appearance at the Chip during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally on Saturday, Aug. 1.

Chip owner Rod Woodruff points out that Berry invented rock and roll.

”The truth is that (rock) came from Chuck Berry’s crazy idea that you could mix the blues with country influences and get something that moves people,” said Woodruff.

“We are honored — humbled — to have this giant coming to our stage.”

For more information or tickets, go to www.buffalochip.com.

Chuck Berry, \"Johnny B. Goode\"

By Eric Lochridge

King Shindig is playing at Dublin Square April 10-11. The power-rock trio’s shows are a homecoming of sorts. The band started out in the Black Hills as Bishop before moving on to Minnesota. Guitarist/vocalist Zach Hollander, bassist/vocalist Mousey Stines and drummer Joshy Thums have been playing for quite a while now, with four albums under their collective belt.
Just for kicks, I pulled out my way-back review of Bishop’s “Strato.” For purposes of comparing and contrasting with what you hear down at Dublin this weekend, here it is:

Bishop is everything I love about rock. The manic sound of the band’s latest CD, “Strato,” blasts through such influences as the Ramones, Led Zeppelin and The Who.
All of that distinguishes Bishop from the spit-and-shine post-grunge punk acts, such as Blink 182 or Sum 41. Our local rockers make music more in line with the disheveled nonchalance of the recent crop of garage rockers such as the Strokes or the Vines.
In any case, turn it up and hold on because the unaffected, unadorned “Strato” is composed of eight loose-but-lean punk songs totaling about 25 minutes. It’s short but complete, and if it’s your thing, you’ll definitely want to hear more.
The band launches into “Sunday,” the opening track, with a clamor that settles into a jaunty march reminiscent of Cheap Trick’s best moments. Bishop takes it up a rung with “Are You Ready,” and the funny thing is: You definitely are.
“Steal the Rain” has a cool, quiet intro that builds into a cacophony of bird chirps and primate calls before ripping into a grand holler.
Just when the title track ends in a pyre of Ramones-style flames, Bishop launches into a Zeppelinesque riff fest titled “Throw It Down.”
It’s the opposing forces of simplicity and variety at work in Bishop’s music. The songs are straightforward but exhibit enough artistry to hold listeners’ interest and even pose a few surprises.
Bishop consists of Zach Hollander on vocals and guitar, Mousey Stines on bass and vocals, and Joshy Thums on drums.

By Crystal Hohenthaner
Journal staff

So the front cover of the Weekend section today is all about the Imperial Inn’s venue below Roman’s Lounge. We even got to interview members from two of the bands that will be performing at the Imperial on Sunday night. So I recommend you go shell out a little cash for the paper because it is print-exclusive content.

What I can tell you about here on this here blog is that the Pharamcy show that was originally Sslated to be at the Imperial tomorrow night has moved. I talked to Amethyst Thorpe myself two days ago and she gave me the scoop — here’s the new info as I know it now:

Saturday’s Rock Show at the Dahl

The Pharmacy, an independent rock band from Seattle, Wash. will perform Saturday, Sept. 6 at the Dahl Arts Center at 7 p.m. Three local groups will also be performing; experimental rock duo Bronson’s Shark Attack!, singer and songwriter Amanda Conway and acoustic duo Love, Mark & Tyler. Admission will be $6 at the door.

The show will be held in a small performance room and offer an informal setting with standing room only. People are welcome to come and go throughout the night. The show is also open to all ages, however discretion is advised, as occasional song lyrics may contain mature themes and language. No drugs or alcohol will be allowed.

This show is presented by Subterranea Booking and is not a presentation of the Dahl Arts Center or the Rapid City Arts Council. For more information, please call 394-4101 ext. 209.

To get a taste of the Pharmacy before the show go to www.myspace.com/pharmacy

While I was working on the stroy about the Imperial I also found that Judah Diaz has put together a show coming up that looks like it will be awesome. Spindrift, VonVeeder Veld, and Bronson Shark Attack are all slated to play an all ages show at 7 p.m. at the Imperial Inn on Sept. 17.

Now, if you read my blog you know that I have a hard enough time keeping up with mainstream pop music, so I must confess I know nothing about these bands. But I do know what Judah told me. Spindrift just signed with the Dandy Warhols’ record label and the band’s music will be featureed on the soundtrack of the new Quentin Tarantino movie “Hell Ride.”

So it is fair to say this band is probably going somewhere big — which means music-lovers probably won’t get many more chances to see them play an intimate venue like the Imperial Inn. So, if you want the chance to say, “I saw them before they were big,” you’d better see them while they are in town on Sept. 17.

By Crystal Hohenthaner
Journal staff

Lately, I’ve been able to talk to some famous people – how cool is that. In fact, I almost got to interview the guitar player for Three Doors Down…almost. These famous folks are mostly musicians. Now obviously I’m a writer, not a musician, so the creative process of the musically inclined has always been fascinating to me.

This Monday morning I got to talk to RyAn McCombs, the lead singer of Drowning Pool about their upcoming gig with Motospycho Mania here in Rapid City at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center on Aug. 20.

I’m a total dork about talking to famous people – especially talented famous people and Drowning Pool is kind of a big deal. They just played Ozzfest last week, after all.

So, during our conversation I have to admit I allowed my fascinations to get me a little off track. But the things I found out were really interesting. So, I thought I’d share.

 

So where are you in the world right now?
We just had a show last night and we’re travelling right now. We’ll be getting some hotel rooms so we can relax for the night in St. Louis for a day off.

So how did you guys get hooked up with Motopsycho Mania?
Our booking agent handles the booking of that as well so we got involved.

How do you feel about the motorcycles and music set-up?
Well, at this point I’ve not done a Motopsycho Mania show yet. But we’re excited about it. I’ve always enjoyed these type of shows though. We’ve done stuff in the past they’ve mixed us up with some extreme sports and it’s a gift of a job to have. We really appreciate it.

Touring can be a lot of the same stuff over and over when you think about it. You feel like you’re caught in that movie “Groundhog Day” once in a while. It’s a change of pace for us.

It’s also cool because of the bands we’ll be playing with. We’re long-time friends with Sevendust and the other guys we’ll be playing with are cool too.

For our readers who might not be too familiar with your band can you explain your sound a bit?
We like to consider ourselves a little more rock than metal but it’s combination. The older I get the more they add categories into music. I don’t even understand most of them. We’re a modern day rock band. We like to bring a lot of energy to the show. We like to have fun. We like the crowd to have fun and we just like to have a good time.

So I was trying to figure out if you guys have been to Rapid City before.
Oh, I think we have, but honestly I couldn’t tell you for sure. We do five to six different cities every week. This past Saturday was our 250th show just on this record alone. I know I’ve played in every state but as far as the cities we’ve been to it can really just blur together; especially being in a band — a Texas band at that — we tend to get carried away with the libations.

Can you tell me a little bit about your current album?
I think it’s a well-rounded album. There seems to be something on there for every body. We have tracks that the old school drowning pool fans are going to like, plus we have the stuff like “Soldiers” and “37 stitches.” There is going to be a new single out this month called “Paralyze” it’s one of the softer lighter songs I think that Drowning Pool has ever done before.

When we were making this album we didn’t ask “is this ‘Drowing Pool’ enough?” We just let every song be what it was going to be. We are letting each song stand on its own and as a result this album ended up with a little bit of something for every body.

So this is your third studio album, right?
Well, its Drowning Pool’s third album, not mine. In 2001 they put out the first album “Sinner” then in 2004 was “Desensitized” and on Aug. 7, 2007 we put out this one, “Full Circle.”

You weren’t on the first two albums?
Nope, the band has been together since ’96 or ’97. I’m the new guy though. I’ve been with the band for about three years now.

Was it hard for you to come in to an already established band to be the lead singer?
It was definitely a hard descision for me to make. I met these guys back in 2000 when I was in a band called Soil. We all just hit it off. Their lead singer was my best friend in the business and then he passed a way.

That was about the same time that I was taking a break. I was out of music for about nine months. I just got burnt out from the business side of things. Then the guys came too me about the time the bug was biting me again and they asked me if I’d like to be their singer.
I just thought to myself that if I was going to do it again these were the guys I was going to do it with. It was just a good fit.

In a band setting someone usually has to be in charge and a lot of times that’s the role the lead singer takes. How did that work? Were you worried about being an outsider or messing up the group dynamic when you came in?
I just stepped right in and took control. Because of the friendships that were there we already knew each other inside and out. In general we knew ach other for so long that there wasn’t any fear of stepping on toes.

I played my first show when I was 13 so I’ve been in a lot of bands, and this group is the healthiest situation I’ve ever been in. The egos are checked at the door which is great with the writing.

I’m not kidding when I say we check the egos at the door. We can say that riff wasn’t as good as it could be or that vocal line wasn’t as great as it could be. We have that freedom in this band. Everybody knows that at the end of the day we’re just trying to make each song as good as we can.

So, Ryan was a really cool guy and that makes me want to go to the show. It also made me want to do a ton more research on the bad.

If you want to know more you can check out their website: www.drowningpool.com, or their MySpace page: www.myspace.com/drowningpool. You can also check out their new video “37 Stitches at: music.aol.com/video/37-stitches/drowning-pool/2186530

For more information on the Motopsycho Mania event see this Friday’s Weekend section in the Rapid City Journal

By Crystal Hohenthaner
Journal staff

When I was in high school and college there were always those aspiring rock-star guys who would bring their guitars with them everywhere. (I always secretly suspected that they were trying to get the ladies). Plus there were those theater folks who always had a new Broadway-style audition piece that they were willing to perform for anyone. Or does anyone else remember that guy who always managed to find a piano to sit behind?

Those are the folks I would consider “living room musicians.” And their tours usually didn’t go much further than the city – or neighborhood – limits. Well, imagine my surprise when I heard that there is a guy who is going all across the country touring people’s living rooms! Plus he’s doing it for only $100 a venue.

Check out his press-release:

Living room Musician to visit Rapid City on 100-dollar tour

Finding an audience for your music is always a challenge for a young musician, but Jon Troast isn’t waiting around for listeners. Armed with a guitar and a tank of gas, Troast is currently embarking on what he’s calling the “100 Dollar Tour.”

The concept is simple: For one hundred dollars, Troast will come to your house and play. For the money, you’ll receive one hour of acoustic music and some CDs. People from Massachusetts to California have been taking him up on his offer, hosting parties for friends with Troast’s music as the centerpiece.

“I’ve played in plenty of noisy bars,” Troast says. “It’s so great to play for people who are actually listening.”

With an easy guitar style and a Jim Croce/David Gray voice, Troast’s music is full of hope and heart. During his one hour set, Troast answers questions, explains the stories behind the music and is as approachable as a performer today will ever be.

“The show was much more than we ever expected,” says Lisa Merchant, a recent $100 Tour host from South Portland, Maine. “Jon gave us a great reason to throw a party and an unforgettable night with our friends. It was like getting to hang out with James Taylor at the start of his career.”

Troast was recently featured on “Prairie Home Companion” with Garrison Keillor. He’s a native of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. To learn more about the tour or to contact Jon Troast directly, visit www.jontroast.com.

So, how crazy is that? Well, the craziest part might be that Troast is going to be performing in a Rapid City Living room tonight.

More from the release: “Wisconsin singer/songwriter Jon Troast will be playing at the home of Linda and Tom Kushman in Rapid City on July 30 at 7 p.m. This private concert is the latest stop on musician’s unique “Living Room” tour.”

Tom Kushman took some time to talk to me about tonight’s event. Tom and his wife actually heard Troast when he was recently featured on Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor.

“After the show we went to his website and got one of his albums,” Tom Kushman said. “We really like it and we started corresponding with him about the living room tour.”

After the Kushman’s living room was added to Troast’s tour the Kushmans sent out invitations. I asked him if the event was open to the public.

“It was by invitation, but if some one shows up to hear him I don’t think we will turn them away,” Kushman said.

It is a private living room which means the Kushmans won’t be able to accommodate a whole throng of people. So, for folks who are interested in seeing the Rapid City portion of this living room tour, Tom said you could give him a call: 484-4963.

I just think this is such an interesting idea. If there’s any way to swing it I might try to go down to the Kushmans to catch a bit of the concert.

So, how famous do you think a person can be if he performs cross-country one living room at a time? Does this inspire any of our local musicians to try a living room tour? Personally I think it sounds a little dangerous…but then I don’t really have that adventurous rock-star spirit. I’m a writer, not a rocker.