My latest act of sketchy behavior was committed in recent days, resulting in this depiction of the Steam City Riders, playing their first set in nearly a decade at JOOS in Altoona this past Tuesday evening, part of a four-performer showcase called “Alt Jams” which was raising money toward the Mass N Tha Grass festival happening later this year.
Jon Wittmer wielded acoustic guitar and sang, while Colin Lennox generated low-end sounds and rhythms on didgeridoo. Dedicating their performance in memory of Damien “Peach” Petry, Jon and Colin performed their unique brand of Americana and roots sounds, mixing original songs and a few covers over two short sets. They opened with the traditional folk tune “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad,” and also did renditions of “West Texas Cowboy” and their take on “I Know You Rider.” I recognized a couple of originals but forgot titles since the last time I last heard them. Colin opened their second set with a tutorial on the didgeridoo and how it is played. It was good to hear him make that didj moan and groan, and puff out rhythms to help drive the tunes along! (I’m pretty sure this is the first time I have ever sketched a didj as well!)
I saw the other performers on the slate this night as well, including singer and guitarist Wolfgang Moon, Jesse & the Ghost with his brand of alt-punk-folk sounds, and Tois (pronounced “toys”) with their hard-edged garage rock sound. This was also my first time inside JOOS – pretty cool place, offering up various intriguing, healthy and flavorful vegetable and fruit juice concoctions plus baked goods, and also providing a space for the area’s creative art and music scene to do their things!
It all amounted to an enjoyable evening – watch for more of these Tuesday night events at JOOS in the weeks ahead, and check out the Mass N Tha Grass, celebrating local music and art, happening at the Sinking Valley Fairgrounds August 6-7!
