In a Valley... A Writer's New Beginning

By Michael Phoenix

Not really a tourism guide. Instead, an author's new beginning as a journalist. Writing about my experiences in the Lehigh Valley, Pa area.
Reviews and Interviews include: arts, music, businesses and events. They are mixed with photos of the area.
You will find out why this author started on the journalist side.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael Phoenix
• Release date: Apr 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301577958

Michael Phoenix

My first book, "A Dream in the Night", began as one poem / song: Goodbye. Written when I was 15, after the death of a friend. The entire design and every word are a part of my spirit and soul. 25 years are in this book, a long journey on a road that has ended. One life spent looking back. One ghost who believed they only belonged in the shadows. "Memories faded. Ghosts laid to rest. One life, over. A darkphoenix has risen from the ashes of a fresh grave." What began as writing music reviews for fun, evolved into something serious. My second book: "In a Valley... A Writer's New Beginning" began the journalist side of my writing. I live in the Lehigh Valley, Pa area. In January, 2012 I started noticing the local side: music, arts, events, businesses, etc. Everything that makes the area different and unique. I started with music reviews and constantly evolve and expand what I write about. Like "A Dream in the Night"; I did the entire book from front to back cover, with one exception: John and Sheri contributed photos. Several, failed, attempts at picking up freelancing jobs (local) later. I decided to start up an online magazine. I seriously looked at everything I wrote: my style / categories / genres, etc. I figured it was time to kick everything up a level. I wanted to do something different. A Valley and Beyond was born. 2012 started a new life for me. I feel at home walking the streets or in an art gallery. I still like the shadows, but now, I fade into them when I choose. A new book and story has begun. How it will be written, I have no idea. No person knows what will happen from one moment to the next. I wrote all this for one reason: I want to know that what you see with me is real. The person in the photos is who you would see on the street. The words written are who you would talk to. I know professionalism sells books and everything. My style, to a point: Realism, the moment as it happens, is more believable and is never repeated. One last thing, a quote I live by and is great advice to everyone. "Life is not about what we do. It's about who we are. Never losing sight of our dreams. Having the courage to go after them, not matter what the odds. Believing in our dreams and ourselves, even when no one else does." Be safe in the night and always, Michael Phoenix Almost forgot: mandatory tradtional bio part: I currently call the Allentown, Pa area my home, for now. Hobbies: walking, reading, rock music, trying new things and ideas, writing, etc. Current projects: continuing the journalist side, writing my first fiction novel, recording my first single, Writing an album. Personal history: currently writing / living / trying new things. Favorite colors: red, black, blue and purple depending on my mood. Style of dress: jeans / sneakers / t-shirt or dress shirt / leather jacket.

Book preview

In A Valley…

A Writer’s New Beginning

- Michael Phoenix

Front Cover Photos:

John Bedics / Sheri Bayne

In a Valley… A Writer’s New Beginning

Michael Phoenix

Published By Michael Phoenix at Amazon

Copyright 2013 Michael Phoenix

Table of Contents

I Who made this one possible…

II Introduction / In case you are curious…

III Creating emotions through Music…

IV ...And moments through Visual Arts

V Not the Major and Large…

VI Making a difference in our lives…

VII Expanding a moment into our lives…

VIII In their own words…

IX From the Personal Side…

Who made this one possible…

I promise not to make this sound like an acceptance speech! You will not be reading this part for 5 minutes.

Local (Lehigh Valley, Pa)

The long list of bands, artists, galleries, people

Who gave a first-time, indie writer a chance

Who sent invites to their events

Who took me seriously, even without a business card

Who gave me a chance to experience what makes the Lehigh Valley unique

And different

The people who let me know

What they think of my writing

Good and bad.

Beyond the Lehigh Valley

The authors, readers and reviewers

You gave A Dream in the Night a chance

You re-tweeted my posts and promos

Helped out a new writer

Through your opinions and advice

Most important

My father

You supported me

Through this crazy idea

I had

About becoming a writer

Dad,

You will never

Know

How much it means to me

A very sincere Thank You to everyone. This is from the heart and not just words. This book is for you. The great bands, artists, galleries, businesses, events and people. Who make the Lehigh Valley, Pa area unique and different.

Now, what was I saying about the acceptance speech part??? Trust me, if I listed everyone, it would be a short book.

Introduction / In case you are curious…

Evolution of a Dream in the Night

I should, probably, start at the beginning. Usually a good place, right?

A Dream in the Night was my first book. It’s publication closed the book on one life. Forgive the analogy. The life started in the Lehigh Valley, Pa area. Moved to Fayetteville, NC for 8 1/2 years. Ended about 1 year after my return to the area. The person and life no longer exist, period.

January 2012: I was going out on the weekends. Catching local bands. Learning the local area and scene. I remembered a comment a professor made 5 years ago. I wrote two game journals, reviewing 10 video games. The second journal, he asked if I considered doing an internship at a gaming magazine. For some reason, I thought: Why not try to review local bands? I have always loved music. Having no idea what format I would use, I started doing it for fun. It was, literally, a spontaneous idea.

I have always loved to write, a natural talent. Until this point, most of my writing has been creative and abstract. Here was my first, serious, attempt at stating facts / observations / experiences. You will notice which reviews were done at this point.

At one point, I chose to start taking writing seriously again. As I wrote more reviews, the style evolved. Live music: it went from basics like music and crowd response to a point-by-point criteria. I, recently, developed a base criteria for art galleries. Book reviews were fairly easy from the start. Reading was once another passion, so I had a good idea of what to look for. The areas I write about started with music only. Books and the local arts scene was next. Expanding into events, interviews, and sports. 2013 will include more areas and genres. In case you are asking: How is this the evolution of a dream?

The first thing I remember writing was a poem in second grade. I started as an unknown author, with one book. Next step, a blog with reviews, articles and interviews. Praying people thought they were interesting on both fronts. Here is the second book a merging of the author and journalist. Some people may not agree with the second term. As a journalist, I try to combine the creative and factual sides of writing. Hopefully, that fills you in on the evolution part.

What you can expect in the book

At the risk of stating the obvious: standard book format. There are reviews, articles and interviews are a majority of the book. Most are on my blog and website. A few are exclusive to the book. I know, you can check both and read them for free. Why would I compile them? Easier to find / everything in one, condensed space. You can not find the exclusives or other surprises. I will be honest; trying to make a few bucks. I really hope you are not expecting a tourism guide. I do not even know how to write one.

What I have not clued you in about. A personal section that may catch you off guard. Quick hint: there is a down side to everything. Every person acts like an idiot at times. I decided to include this section because I want you see one fact: I am just trying to be honest and real. One of the many terms I do not like using, too cliché.

A serious attempt at having a conversation with you. Main emphasis on attempt. I want to talk with you vs. at you. Unfortunately, I have no idea what your side of the conversation is. Sucks to be me! Damn, another cliché. Yes, I do throw some humor in. I think you get the point here.

With the conversational style of my writing, proper english / sentence structure can get thrown out the window. A few spelling mistakes may be here as well. I did my best to catch them. I thought about this as the journalist side evolved. In normal conversation, we don’t worry about the punctuation or if we phrased something correctly. Add in net / text speak, completely forget about it. Quick definition: net / text speak is the way we talk online or in text messages. Often abbreviating words and using symbols as a substitute. Any english majors / professors who read this, feel free to tear the technical side to shreads. I won’t take offense. What I did not previously publish, was written straight through. With one exception: final editing. Hey, I wanted to make sure everything looked and sounded good one last time.

Before I forget: at the beginning of each chapter, there will be a quick introduction to the area. There is no, specific, order to each section.

Now you have a background, introduction and foreshadowing. Let’s get the main party started with some live music!

Creating emotions through Music…

My first love and passion

It only makes sense to start the book with the first area I fell in love with. Music was my first passion. It will create and change emotions. Bring back memories. Kick you in the ass when you are ready to give up. The Lehigh Valley has a music scene that will do this and more.

Music: From cover songs to originals, the area has variety. As of this publication, cover (see term definition) bands are a majority of the rock / pop scene. I will admit, after a while, it gets hard to separate some of the bands. Especially if you are only looking at the music aspect. OK, vocals / instruments is the main reason you and I go to see a band.

When a cover band decides to something different, that makes the difference. Playing songs other bands don’t or slowing it down one or two times will make you notice one band vs. another. Some bands, like Psych and Beyond Eden do have originals. Psych will do a 3 set show combining covers and originals. Cover bands like Another Lousy Cover Band, combine good music / theatrics / non-stop energy.

One, final, point here: cover music is what draws the crowds for now. I realize this. I enjoy a good cover song like you and everyone. The venues want bands that will pack the place. Entertainment Business 101 and common sense. Now that I mentioned venues, time for that area.

I was caught up with the cover and original bands. Almost forgot about the genres. On any given weekend, pick one. Jazz, rock, pop, and some that is hard to catgorize (Josh Klein) can be found in the area.

Term Definition: Cover: song performed by a band they did not write. Performing a song originally done by another band / musician. Check online for examples and technical definition.

Venues: The Sands / Artsquest / Steelstacks area is great to see live music. There is more to the area than a major music venue. Allentown has places like Maingate with outdoor shows in warm weather. Easton: You can leave the cities to find a few. Planet Trogg (Whitehall) and Gin Mill (Northampton) are great for hard rock / heavy metal shows. I have been to both. In warm weather, check out the lineup in parks (Catasauqua, Egypt, etc.). Spring / Summer / Fall, stop by the fairs and festivals. I am talking about all over the Lehigh Valley. Please do not only think of Musikfest here. Mayfair, Fullerton Fair, Coplay Community Days, etc. all have local bands. You can even find some national / international bands performing. You will be at Musikfest? Check out the all the local music there. In 2012, I attended 4 days for local, 1 for national, 1 for major recording artists. 6 days was a personal record.

Btw: Music was the easiest category to establish a set criteria for doing reviews. So much for not sounding like a tourism guide at the start….

Criteria for Live Music Reviews

09/25/12

I debated about posting this for a while. After being asked more than a few times, I decided to do it. When I decide to do a review of a band, there is specific areas or points I look for. I apply this criteria to all bands I see. I don't care if it is a new, local, band or one that has made millions. I am also including definitions for some terms I use in the reviews. These definitions will also be included at the end of every review. The criteria can be flexible depending on a situation. I will provide a few examples of flexibility next.

Technical: A venue does not have a good sound system, I do not make it a major point. I am concerned with how the band overcomes any technical issues.

Dance floor: If the crowd is very small and it appears that nothing could get them moving. I do not even take this point into consideration.

Stage Show: This varies depending on stage size. A very small stage does not leave room for movement. I think you get the point here. Now, for the areas I am no longer making exceptions for.

I did make exceptions and give flexibility in every area. I will no longer be doing this. The reason, I have seen a few bands give it their best even with a very small crowd. The following areas I will always have as major points: Music, Band Energy, Crowd Interaction and Crowd Response. I have seen a few bands have high levels in these areas with only a few people in attendance. Flexibility areas covered, time for why I skip the first set.

Unless it is due to time constraints or I am hitting more than one show, I will never show up for the first set. There are two, main, reasons I do this. The first reason is every band / artist hits the stage with a high level of power and energy right off. Can they carry the energy and power to the end? The second reason: the crowd reaction, response, interaction is usually at a very high point in the beginning. Will these points still be there on the last song? There is only one reason I will ever review a band / artist who performs for only one set.

If I attend an open mic or band competition (battle of the bands), I will be doing a brief review on each band / artist performing. I will also make every attempt to see the artist(s) / band(s) after that show. If I am attending a show, such as a benefit, I will review the entire show including Disc Jockey, announcer, etc. If anyone thinks they will get by doing only one set, you are wrong.

Before I forget, you will no longer see the following quote in any review: Maybe the band had an off night. I am able to tell if this is true or not.

Video and photos: I will make every effort to include at least one video and photos with each review. The video helps a reader experience what the band is actually like. You can't hear the band through photos. I don't care how many words I use, not going to happen on the audio. The photos will include a band shot on stage, individual members and crowd shots. I will not have any photos with the band posing. I always shoot natural and not posed. I want a reader to see how the band is on stage.

Now, onto the point - by - point breakdown....

Music (not flexible): The easy part of this one is cover bands. Almost every cover band I see I am familiar with most songs they do. I can easily tell if a band hits or misses on a song. I have seen and spoken with some bands that do not try to do an exact duplication of the original song. Again, I can tell if this is the case. The music point includes both vocals and instruments. I will point out if the band hits or misses on each one.

Band Energy Level (not flexible): One of the main reasons I rarely show up for the first set of a show. As I have stated, every band hits the stage with a high energy level. I am concerned with the band carrying that level to the last song. After speaking and agreeing with some artists / bands, this is the first half of a loop that is created. The band and crowd feed off each other's energy. Yes, I have seen some bands / artists with almost zero energy through the last two sets.

Band interaction (not flexible unless a solo artist): Do the band members interact well with each other? Is there communication between them on stage? While playing / singing, are there movements coordinated or are they bumping into each other? Are members introduced more than one time during the show? Is each member given equal credit for the performance? Do they joke around with each other during a hard break (see definitions). Several examples of what this point is about.

Crowd interaction (not flexible): A band has to make a strong attempt to include the crowd in the show. By including the crowd, I mean more than thanking them for showing up. I have seen some bands that do little more than that. Cover some hard breaks (see below), by joking around with the crowd. During one show, the band brought people with birthdays up on stage and had everyone sing Happy Birthday to them. Thanking people is not the only or best way to make them a part of the show. I look for creativity and originality here. I don't care how many or few people show up. The lowest attendance can be turned into a high level of response.

Staff / organizers / behind the scenes are included in this category. The Tip your bartenders, waitresses quote is essential, but can be overdone. Security, event organizers (when applicable), should be mentioned at least a few times. If there are any photographers, other musicians or behind the scenes people there, mention them also. Before you think it, I know this can take some time to do. Due to the above point about only reviewing a minimum of two sets, this is easy to accomplish. Especially since there are a few hard breaks in the music.

A good artist / band will have no problem with crowd interaction. I want to stress this: Get creative and original at times.

Crowd response (not flexible): This one is obvious, to a point. The number of people attending is not taken into account here. The obvious part is, is there a high level of applause and cheering / shouts or not? Easy, no brainer, right off. Now for the part that is not obvious. Does the crowd respond between songs or just at the beginning / end of a set? Are a majority of the people paying attention to the band / artist or each other / their drinks? Does the band / artist have the attention of the majority or only people near the stage / dance floor? One main place I see bands, people at the bar are rarely paying attention to the band / artist. Are people on the dance floor? (see next point). Other than applause and cheers, how does the audience respond to the band? These questions are only some examples of what I look for. Yes, I do observe the entire crowd throughout a show.

Dance Floor (flexible): This point is flexible for a few reasons. The first is not all venues have room to dance. I have been to one recently where it is not possible. The second reason is a very low attendance. Yes, I have seen this happen once or twice. If there are only a few people at a show, I do not expect people on the dance floor, no matter what the band / artist does. As stated in previous points, this is only two examples of flexibility on this point.

Technical (flexible): I rarely hold this one against a band / artist. A lower end sound system, weather, unforeseen glitches they have no control over. I have been to shows where these have happened. What I look for on this point is how a band covers and deals with any technical issues. If something happens during the show, do they continue like it's nothing or do they stop completely? Extreme circumstances being the exception here. Involving the crowd comes into play here.

Crowd Energy (flexible, to a point): This is the other half of the Band Energy loop that is created. When the crowd has a high level of energy, the band can feed off it as well. Now, for the reason of flexibility. On rare occasions, no matter what a band does, the crowd's energy level is almost flat-lined. I have seen this happen. The band hit the stage with a high energy level, great crowd interaction, etc. Every point continued through the entire show and almost zero on the audience end. Like other points, I can tell if the band / artist had any control over this point.

Attendance (very flexible): The number of people who attend a show can vary for several reasons. Weather, other events, time of year are some very good examples of factors. You could see a band twice in two weeks and completely opposite attendance levels. Another factor that especially applies to bars and clubs is time of evening or night. I will mention attendance but make it a minor point.

Point - by - point breakdown down finished, onto the next area....

Overall Review: After the breakdown, I will do a brief summary of each point. I will include a rating on each point. Ratings system from low to high: A Joke, Not Bad, Caught My Attention, Average, Have Attention, Surprised Me, Excellent! I know, not the standard. The standard just does not cut it for me anymore. After the point summary, I will give an overall rating and if I would suggest the artist / band or not. I will also give a reason.

Closing Comments / Notes: In case there was something not mentioned. Also any final thoughts I have.

Term Definitions: Hard Breaks and Slides will be defined at the end of each review. If I come with any others.

Links: I will provide links to the artist(s) / band(s) website and Facebook page. I will add a link to any interviews I do as well.

That is it for how I will do each review of live music. Additional notes and definitions will round out this article.

Additional notes of importance: Like everyone, I have personal opinions. Every review, no matter who does it, is an opinion. There is a difference between personal and professional opinions. Establishing this criteria separates my professional and personal opinions. Each review will only contain my professional opinions. There are rare exceptions to this area: I will not listen to a band before I review them. I want to give a first time experience. If there are variances on a review, I will be including the reasons with that review. This criteria may be updated and revised over time. If / when I decide to update it, the changes will be posted and reasons for the changes. What I look for in a live performance has evolved over time and number.

Term Definitions:

Hard Break: 1) A hard break occurs when there is a break or space in between songs during a set. This break or space can vary in length. 2) No musical transition or slide between any two songs in a set.

Slide: 1) A slide occurs when there is a musical transition between songs played in a set. An example of a slide would be a medley of songs from one group. 2) No space or hard break in between any two songs in a set.

Set: The time starting when a band / artist starts playing until they stop for an extended break. The end of a set is usually announced as taking a break and back in..... A set includes all hard breaks and slides between the start and finish.

Common Bond

Introduction:

Place: Mezza Luna / Allentown, Pa

Date: 01/19/13

Common Bond has been on the review list for months. The band plays cover music from the 70's to current. Their variety includes songs several bands do not play.

I did the usual: arrived around 11:00 P.M., between the first and second sets. Mezza Luna was kind of dead. No surprise on this one. With rare exceptions, the bar usually starts to empty out around 11:30 - midnight.

I did not check their calendar to see what band was playing that night. Sometimes, I like surprises. It has been a while since I reviewed a band. Common Bond has been on the list for months. Why not? The second set started around 1/2 hour after I arrived. Band Energy Level will be first on the list.

Main Review:

Band Energy Level: The band appeared to have a fairly high energy level. For most the show, I really did not feel that energy.Warren (lead / rhythm guitar), was lighting things up in this area. The energy level did pick up, at points, as the show went on. I found out, in between sets, Greg (lead / rhythm guitar / keyboards) was not feeling good. On stage, he appeared 100%. Rating: Average.

Technical: I noticed few technical issues during their performance. I usually state any band is up against Mezza Luna's sound (not the best at times). The sound was very good for the show. I only noticed one or two glitches. Rating: Have Attention

Crowd Response / Dance Floor / Crowd Energy: On most songs, the crowd responded with high levels of applause and a few cheers. I noticed something not all bands can do at Mezza Luna. Some people at the main bar were watching the band. People were on the dance floor for all but a few songs in both sets. The last song, Common Bond slowed it down with dark side of the moon. The crowd numbers had noticeably decreased. Couples made their way and enjoyed the song. Common Bond knew how to play the crowd. One song I want to point out here is Born To Be Wild. The reason: on the chorus, the band left vocal to the crowd.

Crowd reaction: Did not miss a beat and loud. The energy level was high during most of the show. Even some people at the main bar were moving to the music. Rating: Surprised Me.

Music: Common Bond had a good variety in their sets. Some high points, where the band seriously nailed it were: Can You See The Real Me, Dark Side of the Moon and Born To Be wild. I'm A Believer really got the crowd going and into the music. Now for some low points. Billy Jean the vocals and keyboard were slightly off. Play That Funky Music for vocals.One major low point was Superfreak the background vocals and keyboard were off more than slightly. There were songs that I just shook my head on. Others I raised my eyebrows and thought Nice Job. In this section, one thing that I give points for is slowing it down at least one song. Common Bond did this at the end. Ending the show with Pink Floyd and the dance floor raised the rating here. The band did do a few Slides (no break between songs). Play That Funky Music / Get Down Tonight was very impressive. TheHard Breaks (break between songs) were very short with only a few seconds between most. Rating: Have Attention

Band interaction: The members of Common Bond did a great job in this category. Even making a few jokes with each other. Glen did a great job not showing he was not up to 100%, straight through the last song. Marcus (Vocals / Drums), Fran (Vocals / Bass), Glen (Vocals / Guitar / Keyboards) and Warren (Vocals / Guitar) did excellent work playing with and off each other. I did not observe any mistakes with the set list. Rating: Have Attention

Crowd Interaction: Here is the main point where Common Bond could have done better. The way a band interacts with a crowd is a major point with me. The level of interaction was not that high. The band appeared more concerned with keeping the dance floor moving than making people a part of the show. I realize the dance floor is a main concern for every band. When the audience feels a part of the show, not just watching it, the dance floor will stay busy. The band will have an even larger following. Rating: Not Bad.

Point by Point review down. Time for Overall Rating and closing comments.

Overall Review / Closing Comments:

Overall Rating: Have Attention. Common Bond earned this rating by gaining points in the areas of Music, Crowd Response and Glen's ability to overcome not feeling good.

Overall Review:

I just could not feel that much energy from the band. By this I mean, very few times did I have a desire to get on the dance floor. The energy level is the main point of effect for me here. The technical did not play a major factor, but, I was still somewhat impressed. The response on Born To Be Wild and Dark Side Of The Moon really caught my attention. Variety of music and slowing it down (even at the end), surprised me. The music variety showed Common Bond's flexibility. Crowd interaction was the main low point for me. They did announce birthdays and occasionally talked to the crowd. I want to give Glen and the band credit for pulling off the show against circumstances beyond their control.

Closing Comments:

When I first started doing music reviews, I would write: Maybe they had an off night. I realized by doing that, every review will sound the same after a while. I no longer make that exception. I realize the last sentence of overall review may sound that way. It was not my intention. I give credit where people earn it. Every band earns the ratings, I do not take the ratings or reviews lightly.

More info about the band:

commonbondband

http://www.facebook.com/Commonbondband

School of Rock - Allentown / Easton

I did several reviews on School of Rock. The reason: every show is different. The differences range from venue to music genre. Also, students graduate and new ones come in. Over the course of a year, the bands are not the same for every show. I hold the Schools’ performances to the same level as other bands. In the beginning, I did not. The students have progressed and evolved in every area. School of Rock will be the longest section in the music chapter. I also support both schools by trying to catch every show. This is one example of the professional / personal being separate. My support does not reflect in any reviews of School of Rock. The last review, open mic, is exclusive to the book. The open mic night has, recently, been added.

Performafest

Location: Easton, Pa

School of Rock is a nationwide program for young adults to develop their music abilities. The Lehigh Valley, Pa area has 2 locations: Easton and Allentown. Performafest was a two week camp / workshop in the summer of 2012. I was able to attend the opening day of this workshop. I also attended the finale at Musikfest 2012 in Bethlehem, Pa.

Quick note: I primarily wanted you to see what Performafest was like. The first set of photos was from Day 1. The second set of photos and top video