Hello Everyone,
Here is the recap of the October 12 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 guest, western PA-based hard rock artist and creator Gonto for joining us via phone to share his story and music! We learned about Gonto’s career to date and heard several of his song creations, which will be on his upcoming album “Oceans Of Time!” Along the way, we debuted new songs from Blood Union and Horror Scene, updated “Local Music News” and dug out a 1998 song by Backstreet Law 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, 101225.)
Here is this week’s playlist:
HOUR ONE:
ALMOST HONEST – “Haunted Hunter”
MELLOW HONEY – “Group Think”
GONTO – “Core”
BLOOD UNION – “Wasted” (new)
GONTO – “Queen Of Valhalla”
JUKEHOUSE BOMBERS – “Mountain Water”
GONTO – “Raise ‘Em High”
DREAM THE HEAVY – “Until Tomorrow”
HOUR TWO:
JONAH WHALE – “We Came Alive”
SYNESTHESIA – “Eat Your Demons”
GONTO – “Deep in Your Darkness”
HORROR SCENE – “Welcome to Your Hell” (new)
GONTO – “Break Me”
BACKSTREET LAW – “Hockey Helmet” (1998, Local Music Flashback)
GONTO – “Blinded By Fear”
OPEN ENDS – “Awakened”
It’s been a while since we last checked on the “Homegrown Rocker” mailboxes to see what new local and regional recordings have arrived in recent weeks, so we’ll undertake that task on our next program – expect to hear lots of new local and regional music! We’ll also update “Local Music News,” dig a “Local Music Flashback” song from the archive and more! Listen to the “Homegrown Rocker” this Sunday night (October 19) 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!
UPCOMING GUESTS AND SPECIALS:
OCT. 26 – Halloween Special
NOV. 2 – Kevin Briggs
NOV. 16 – Punchline
NOV. 23 – All-Request Special
NOV. 30 – Local Music on Vinyl Special
DEC. 7 – Patrick Motto
DEC. 14 – Dr. Barry Atticks (Lilla Jul Rockeband)
DEC. 21 – Christmas Special
DEC. 28 – 2025 Year in Review
JAN. 11 – Man In Reverse
(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…
One of the state’s most heralded bluegrass festivals is no more. The annual Smoked Country Jam Bluegrass Festival is closing the book after 22 years. Organizers Ron and Teresa Kodish cited the uncertainty of the economy, rising costs of producing the event, along with the physical and mental demands of the festival as factors in their decision to discontinue the event, which took place during June in recent years at Quiet Oaks Campground near Cross Fork in Potter County. The festival’s goals were to promote Lupus awareness and raise money to support Lupus research, treatment, and education. The festival’s Lupus Auction and other fund raisers have raised nearly $70,000 for the Lupus Foundation. In their announcement, Ron and Teresa thanked the collective family of attendees that supported the festival over the years, as well as the volunteers, past festival-hosting locations, all the performing acts that appeared at the festival, and the sound and production crew.
The area music scene and broadcasting community were saddened by the passing of Craig Shaffer on October 2 at age 69. Born in Reading, Craig retired as a driver for Blair Senior Services and previously worked for a number of area and regional radio stations, including Q94 and Jack FM’s sister station, WRTA. And he was a musician involved with several bands over the years, including as a founding member, vocalist and bassist for the Spoon River Band, and later as a singer and bassist with Your Dad’s Friends.
And we also report sad news from the Pittsburgh area with the passing of Gil “The Duke” Snider, the keyboardist for Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers. He passed away at his home in Trafford on October 2 at age 72. Gil was a lifelong musician, artist and showman, as well as a founding member of the Iron City Houserockers and the Mystic Knights.
