Pencilstorm Rockers Have Rocking Gigs Coming Up - by Jeff Hassler

Want to rock the night away with some of the guys from Pencilstorm?  In September and beyond, Scott, Colin and Wal will all be appearing locally (but separately).  Check out the details below. - Jeff Hassler

Colin Gawel

Every Thursday

Pencilstorm Editor-In-Chief and infamous Columbus rocker, Colin Gawel, takes his solo talents to the stage every Thursday night at the Four String Taproom on West Sixth in Grandview Hts. A more intimate version of his solo bands and Watershed, Colin sounds like part Springsteen jamming out his acoustic on the Jersey Shore with a little bit of Black Crowes and The Rolling Stones mixed in. But like the good Black Crowes that played "She Talks to Angels." Not that hippy stuff.  Make sure to catch his set starting at 9pm. Every week will be a different set of Watershed, League Bowlers and solo tunes. Though he has still NEVER played "Wanted Dead or Alive" even though I request it all the time. One time I covered his rent and he promised to play it for me one day. Could that day be one of these days?? It's only fair. Just sayin'. A quick word of warning about Four String Brew, everybody knows I'm a Coors Light guy but I do really like their new Hilltop Lager. But last time I was at the taproom for our Thursday night pinball league, Greg May bought me a couple of Switchblade IPA and I threw up all over the KISS game and ended up asleep in the Five Guys dumpster covered in mustard and some kind of sauce resembling mayonnaise.  That Switchblade packs a punch so take er sleezy when you are sucking down those sudz! Hassler warned ya!!

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Radio Tramps

Sept. 23

Resident discographer and historian, Scott Carr, will be rocking out with his band Radio Tramps this Saturday, September 23 at Cardo's Pizza & Tavern in Pickerington. Performing hits that span nearly four decades of rock, dance and pop,  the Radio Tramps will give you a total live, raw and in-your-face four-hour music experience. With soaring vocals, high energy, and a relentless pursuit of fun, they are sure to please all night long. The show starts at 8:30 pm. Get your grub on, get your drink on and get Tramped! I should know. I got Tramped at their Red, White and Boom show, tried to hug Tiffany and then fell off the stage in front of thousands of people. Even worse, my boss, Mr. Johansen saw the video on youtube and suspended me from all church activities for three weeks. Very embarrassing. Great band though! 

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Armada

Sept. 30

Wal Ozello will be fronting his band, Armada, next Saturday, September 30 at King Avenue 5. Once credited as "Rush meets Bon Jovi," Armada will play a staple of originals made popular during their days at the Alrosa Villa along with a mix of covers from '80s hair bands. Not your average bunch of musicians, you'll have to catch them as they pull off Rush, Journey, Tesla and Guns N Roses in a way few other bands can. Rumor has it this may be one of their last shows, so make sure to catch them while you can. I know I will be there. Not only do they always put on a great show but I met my future ex-wife Kim at one of their sold-out shows at the Alrosa Villa back in the day. Actually it was my first and last time working as the Armada drum tech but if I hadn't gotten fired before showtime Kim and I never would have hooked up. She liked that I knew drummers and was hoping I could get her back stage. She used to be so much fun back then and she looked so sexy in her Triumph Sport of Kings T-shirt. If I had known how she had gotten the shirt from Gil Moore in the first place I probably wouldn't have proposed so soon but I was young, dumb and full of.....ANYWAY... Doors open at 7pm and special guest No Direction starts at 8 pm. Make sure to get there early as Armada promptly takes the stage at 9 pm.

Look for more Pencilstorm appearances in the upcoming weeks! See ya at the gigs and buy me beer why don't you? - Hassler is out. 

Dan Cochran Celebrates the Release of Hilltop Lager by Playing Bass

Four String Brewing Company founder Dan Cochran is no poser. His beer isn't some brand whipped up in an ad agency conference room in Zurich. It was whipped up in his head while playing bass for bands such as Big Back 40, The Lonely Bones and Why Isn't Cheap Trick in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Put simply, the dude brews killer beer. And he also plays bass. On Friday May 12th, Dan will be introducing his latest creation - Hilltop Lager - with an International Can release party at both of his Columbus Four String locations. (click here for more details)

As the party winds down at the taprooms, Dan will be lugging his rig over to Woodland's Tavern to play bass with the semi-legendary bar band League Bowlers. Seems like a very long day for the father of two with another on the horizon. Dan would have it no other way. "Hilltop Lager is a beer for the working man and The League Bowlers are a working man's band. It's a perfect fit. I'm excited to share this new beer with the world and then play some lager fueled rock n roll. I'd have it no other way. Hope everybody can join us at one venue or both."

The Four String Taprooms will be open 4pm until late. The League Bowlers will be onstage at Woodland's Tavern 9:30-11 pm. Admission is FREE to all events

Related reading: English Pub Rock and The League Bowlers.  Dan Cochran Talks about playing in Why Isn't Cheap Trick in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? . The Real Story Behind Four String Brew. .

Four String Brew's Dan Cochran Talks About Playing in Why Isn't Cheap Trick in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

Why Isn't Cheap Trick  in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? is playing Ace of Cups Friday, April 8th. Click here for details

- What is is about Cheap Trick that motivated you to join this band?
 
Dan - I’ve been a Cheap Trick fan for years now.  They have such a great catalog of tunes, and most of it is underrated.  In addition to that, they have toured forever.  It’s great for fans, because they come through most American cities every year.  They headline their own shows, open for obscure bands, play corporate gigs, and come through on festival dates.  If you pay attention, you can see them a couple times of year without having to travel very far.
 
 - Tom Petersson and his 12-string bass have a very distinctive sound, how has your rig evolved over the years trying to simulate it?
 
Dan - When we started this thing four years ago, I really had no idea what I was getting into.  The first few years, I used one of my Fender basses and my regular rig.  I’ve always played with my fingers and continued to do so on the Cheap Trick tunes.  In the end, it didn’t feel right and it didn’t sound right.  What a lot of people don’t understand is that Petersson’s sound is most of what you hear in the Cheap Trick sound.  His bass covers a giant frequency range, and the way he plays holds down the bottom end while creating melody and full harmonic range at the same time is truly distinctive.  

Once I really started listening to the Budokan record, I realized that he was playing most of the parts.  What I thought was guitarist Rick Nielsen in so many places was actually Petersson.  Nielsen really just paints on top of everything with tasty leads (and writes nearly all of the tunes).  Even Robin Zander plays more guitar live than people think…..and not like a pussy either (Bono).  So, I realized last year that I needed to take the plunge and get the 12-string bass sound going.  For those who don’t know, Tom Petersson literally invented the 12-string bass.  His basses have multiple outputs and he splits his signal in many ways.  Nobody knows for sure exactly how he is crossing the frequencies. He also changes his amplifiers on a regular basis.  For me, part of the fun of going to see CT is to stand stage left in front of Petersson and look at what amps he brought out.  It’s different every time, and always totally bad-ass.  

Dan Working on Gonna Raise Hell at his Brewery. Photo by Chris Casella. Bass Tuning by Oscar.

I decided against buying a 12-string bass.  What I would want is ridiculously expensive and I’m still not convinced it would sound right.  So, the challenge is to get a distorted 12-string bass sound from a 4-string bass.  With some help from bandmate Rick Kinsinger, I started building the rig.  I have played with bass distortion for many years, and there is a major problem with it.  No matter what pedal you use, the low end goes away when the distortion is engaged.  So, the answer is to split the signal.  I use my regular rig for a clean low end.  It’s a Traynor 200 watt bass head on an Ampeg SVT ported 4x10.  For the high end, I’m basically putting a guitar half-stack on top of my other amp. This year I’m using a Sovtek 50 watt head on a vintage Music Man folded cabinet.   The high end signal is run through distortion and a pitch fork pedal.  The pitch fork gives me the octaves for the 12-string sound.  Together, it sounds killer!  

The other issue is what bass to use.  When I plug a Fender bass through it, it sounds great, but not like Petersson.  Last year I used a vintage Gibson Thunderbird.  It was perfect!  Everything I wanted.  Lately, Petersson has been playing a semi-hollow body Gretsch 12-string.  I recently found a 4-string version of the bass that is really cool.  That’s what I’m using for the show this year.  The hollow body gets a great low end tone and tons of feedback!  It’s basically a giant guitar envy setup, which has been a lot of fun. 

- Do you feel like Tom gets enough credit strictly as a bass player? 
 
Dan - No, I don’t think he does. I think it’s linear with Cheap Trick as a band.  They are one of the great bands in rock & roll, and most people don’t realize it.  Petersson is the same way.  If you ask bass players who their favorite players are, his name doesn’t usually come up.  It’s probably because of his crazy tone and 12-string basses.  What CT fans need to know is that his sound IS Cheap Trick.  His sound covers the entire stage.  He’s more than a bass player.  There aren’t many other examples of this.  John Entwistle from The Who is one.  I remember reading an interview with Pete Townsend talking about the reunion tour The Who did back in the late 80’s.  They decided that because of hearing damage, the stage volume would have to stay below 90 db.  The problem was that when The Ox wasn’t able to turn the full rig on, they had to hire strings, keys, and horns to sonically fill things out.  Petersson does the same thing.
 
 - What are your favorite Cheap Trick songs to perform live?
 
Dan -  I really like the heavy stuff….Auf Wiedersehen, He’s a Whore, On Top of the World, etc.
 
- Who are some of your other favorite bass players?
 
Dan -  There are so many: James Jamerson, Donald “Duck” Dunn, John Paul Jones and Paul McCartney are a few.
 
 - Four String Brewing is going through a major expansion and you have two young ones at home, how do you find the time to squeeze in a project like this?
 
Dan - That’s a great question.  My time has gotten really tight in the last year or two.  We just built a new production facility on the West side, expanded the Grandview taproom, and opened distribution in the rest of the state.  I decided a few months ago to promote my two year old son, Oscar.  He’s basically running the show these days: running the brewery, booking gigs, and working as my bass tech.  He gets a little whiny sometimes, but I don’t have to pay him.  It’s a good deal.  The brewers get a little pissed off that they have to report to a two year old, but whatever.
 
- If I stopped by the Four String Taproom and I hear some Cheap Trick playing, what beer would go best with that?
 
Dan - Definitely a Brass Knuckle Pale Ale!
 
 - Any chance of a special edition 12 String Brew in honor of Tom Petersson making the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
 
Dan - I think we would have to brew (3) Four String beers for the math to work.

Dan Cochran is a founding member of the band Why Isn't Cheap Trick in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? and the Four String Brewing Company. He also plays bass in Colin Gawel and The Lonely Bones and toured the world and elsewhere with the band Big Back 40. Four String Brew is available everywhere so look for it on a tap or in a store.

Auf Wiedersehen / Goodnight - Cheap Trick Live 01-21-89 at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Tom Petersson Hoisting a Four String Brew to Honor Dan.

A Cannonfest Primer - by Greg May

What is Cannonfest? Now in it's sixth year, Cannonfest is a grass roots event organized by fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets for fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets. What began as a cookout for CBJ bloggers to gather, meet each other, drink beer and  talk hockey in anticipation of the coming season has grown each year and morphed into the ultimate fan-fueled hockey event of the year. More than 500 fans are expected to attend this year's edition of Cannonfest to kick off the 2015-16 CBJ season.   

When and where is it?  Sunday, August 23, from 1-4PM.  Cannonfest has moved to the spacious digs of the brand new Dick's Last Resort, located a mere 45 steps from the east entrance to Nationwide Arena, as well as the surrounding plaza outside of Dick's. 

Are there cannons at Cannonfest? No. That would be dangerous. And to be honest, most of the people that attend the event only care about one cannon, the one that goes BOOM every time the Jackets score. Speaking of which, have you ever wondered how many people who come to Nationwide for the first time (and even the second, third and fourth) have crapped themselves when that bad boy goes off? I'd bet it's in the thousands by now. 

What is there to do at Cannonfest? What do you normally do at festivals? You hang out, you eat, you drink some beers, you check out the booths and exhibits that the various fans and fan groups have set up and you meet a lot of really fun CBJ fans. Plus, there are fan-produced videos to watch, like this one from 2013 by Cannonfest legend Tom Larrow.  There will be a CBJ-themed game show and usually a surprise guest or two to be interviewed by emcees Dave Maetzold (Fox Sports Ohio Game Host) and Mike Todd (in-arena personality). Here's a great recap of what went down at last year's event held at Strongwater. 

You had me at beer.  The beer will be flowing both inside Dick's Last Resort and outside on the patio. This year, for the first time, a locally crafted beer has been brewed for the event. Pencil Storm favorite Four String Brewing Company will tap a special firkin of its Solo Series Troika Tripel conditioned with blueberries.  At 10% ABV, it'll hit you like a puck to the noggin. On top of that, a variety of Four String beers will be served in draft and in cans. 

So who benefits from this Blue Jackets love-in? Cannonfest has always been about raising money for various charities near and dear to the hearts of Blue Jackets fans. Each year the Jacket Backers conduct a raffle of some very cool CBJ swag, the proceeds of which go to The Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation. This year, money will also be raised for Hartnell Down and Force Network Fund. For more info about the fundraising efforts of Cannonfest, click here. 

Will Dancing Kevin be there? You betcha. And if you ask him nicely he'll probably take his shirt off and pose for a selfie with you. 

BOOM! See you at #Cannonfest!

Colin Gawel and The Lonely Bones / The Randys Live @ Grandview Digfest Sat June 14th.

Colin Gawel and The Lonely Bones will be returning to the Grandview Digfest on Saturday June 14th. The event is sponsored by the Grandview Chamber of Commerce and will be held at the Grandview Yards. There are 23 different beers being served, including Bones bassist Dan Cochran's Four String Brew. The Bones will be hitting the stage at 6:00 for an hour-long set followed by one of our all-time favorite bands, The Randys. And admission is.......FREE! If you miss this, you are truly a jack-ass. See you June 14th at Digfest.

Click here for more details about the event.

Live from the CD102.5 Big Room, Colin Gawel with "Sad Drive" on April 10, 2010.

Official music video for Colin Gawel's "Superior". The single was released on the EP-CD "Superior" by Mike Landolt's Curry House Records label. More at www.colingawel.com. Video produced by Palestra Creative (www.palestracreative.com).