Hello Everyone,
Here is the recap of the August 17 edition of “The Homegrown Rocker,” which airs every Sunday night from 8 to 10 PM on Q94 Classic Rock (www.q94classicrock.com), and from 10 PM to midnight on 107.1 and 101.3 Jack FM (www.1071jack.fm)!
Thanks to our in-studio guests this week, the husband-and-wife pair of Chanz and Paula Hale, known to Altoona area music fans as The American Mood! We learned about The American Mood’s story and their time spent entertaining the bar circuit in Nashville, before they returned to Altoona and have become local favorites with their upbeat live show! We heard several of their recorded songs, and Chanz and Paula also performed a couple of songs live for us too! Along the way, we introduced new songs from Screech Owl, Scott Blasey, Radio 45 and Bill Dann & Jack Servello; updated “Local Music News,” and dug a 2005 song from Altoona area favorites Flight 19 from the archive for this week’s “Local Music Flashback!” (For those who missed the program, a four-part podcast of this show is available for listening or download from Q94’s website, www.q94classicrock.com. Click on “The Professor’s Classroom,” and then scroll down to “Homegrown Rocker Podcast” and look for the four show segments marked with the date, 081725.)
Here is this week’s playlist:
HOUR ONE:
CRAWDAD JOE – “Full Of It”
COLTT WINTER LEPLEY – “The Bandito”
THE AMERICAN MOOD – “Till You”
SCREECH OWL – “Cemetery Lawn” (new)
THE AMERICAN MOOD – “They Never Told Me”
SCOTT BLASEY – “Rockin’ Chair”
THE AMERICAN MOOD – “Headin’ Down South” (played live in the studio)
RADIO 45 – “Ah! Leah!” (Donnie Iris cover)
HOUR TWO:
ALYSSA HANKEY – “Miss You Like Hell”
ALLISON BOREK – “Hellos and Smiles”
THE AMERICAN MOOD – “Just Walk Away”
ALEX LEE WARNER – “Peace Love Blues”
THE AMERICAN MOOD – “With A Love Like That”
FLIGHT 19 – “Hands” (2005, Local Music Flashback)
THE AMERICAN MOOD – “Miss Heloise” (performed live in the studio)
BILL DANN & JACK SERVELLO – “Marty the Roaming Robot” (new)
For our next show, we will preview the upcoming annual “Homegrown Music & Community Festival” with our guest via phone, festival organizer Mike Hype! Mike will fill us in on the details on this year’s festival, which takes place on Saturday, September 6 at People’s Natural Gas Park near downtown Johnstown! We’ll also update “Local Music News,” dig a “Local Music Flashback” from the archive and more! Listen to the “Homegrown Rocker” this Sunday night (August 24) on Q94 Classic Rock – 94.3 FM and online at www.q94classicrock.com, and on 107.1 and 101.3 Jack FM, online at www.1071jack.fm!
AUG. 31 – Local Music Live in Concert Special
SEPT. 7 – Sterling Koch
SEPT. 14 – Almost Honest
SEPT. 21 – Dan Stonerook
SEPT. 28 – Dream the Heavy
OCT. 5 – Alex Shumaker
OCT. 12 – Gonto
OCT. 26 – Halloween Special
NOV. 23 – All-Request Special
NOV. 30 – Local Music on Vinyl Special
DEC. 14 – Dr. Barry Atticks (Lilla Jul Rockeband)
DEC. 21 – Christmas Special
DEC. 28 – 2025 Year in Review
(All dates are subject to changes as circumstances warrant.)
Bands and artists wanting to submit news items for “Local Music News” may email their news to homegrownrocker@gmail.com. Indicate “MUSIC NEWS” in the subject heading!
Bands and artists interested in having music aired on the show are invited to send their broadcast-quality recordings to: The Homegrown Rocker, 2513 6th Avenue, Altoona, PA 16602 (ATTN: Jim Price). You can also email digital song files or inquiries about the show to homegrownrocker@gmail.com; and submit digital song files through the link on “The Professor’s Classroom” page. And bands and musicians interested in being guests on the program can email their interest to homegrownrocker@gmail.com as well!
Jim Price
In Local Music News…
BrookeStock 2025 will be taking place on Saturday and Sunday, August 30 and 31, at Camp Living Waters in Schellsburg, with proceeds helping out the Secret Santa Society. The music begins at 3 p.m. on Saturday, with performances from Trading Paint, the Brambley Family Band, MC Union, Dan Ottemiller (of the band Hexbelt), Jackson Monsour and the Zillion Dollar Combo. Music resumes on Sunday at 4 p.m. with performances from T.J. Simpson, Allison Borek, Free Donuts, Matt Otis & the Sound, The Evergreens and Coltt Winter Lepley. Special guest Kevin Kutz will appear throughout the weekend. For ticket information, email secretsantasociety62@gmail.com.
And some sad news from Pittsburgh with the passing of Judy Zarra on August 12 after a battle with cancer; she was 78. Better known as “Judy Banana,” Judy was known as the mom, chef, bartender, booker and cheerleader for the bands in the Pittsburgh punk scene from the late 1970s through the late ’90s, as the matron of The Electric Banana venue. Along with nurturing the local scene, the Electric Banana quickly became the Pittsburgh stop for such touring punk bands as Black Flag, Husker Du, The Minutemen, Social Distortion and Sonic Youth. Knowing that homecooked meals were rare for touring acts, it became the tradition for Ms. Zarra to make lasagna, eggplant Parmesan and other Italian dishes for them, and they looked forward to it whenever they came to the Banana. After the venue closed in late 1999, it was converted into the Italian restaurant Zarra’s, where many of the musicians continued to go for the food and camaraderie.
