WPPJ is throwing a concert this Thursday, featuring local and regional bands to end the year with a bang. Before You, Mace Ballard, Bluebird Midwest (Roger Harvey of White Wives), Wearing The Inside Out, and the 2012 Battle of the Bands winner: Bakery will all hit the stage during this year’s Springfest.

Admission is FREE and open to all Point Park Students.

Check it out in the Lawrence Hall Ballroom, on April 12th from 6-9pm.

RSVP on Facebook!

Tonight in the Lawrence Hall Ballroom, five bands will fight for victory in WPPJ’s Battle of the Bands. The show kicks off at 6:30 pm and admission is 100% FREE to all Point Park students.

In addition to watching the amp revving and drum kicking war zone, Stage AE will be joining the party to give you chance to win FREE tickets to an upcoming show.

All of the bands tonight have at least one member who is a Point Park student. The winner of this brutal battle will open SpringFest on April 12th, which will feature local talent. Judging will take place after all the bands have had a chance to stun the audience on stage.

Below is the official lineup schedule:

6:15-6:30 – BAKERY

6:30pm – 6:45 – UNRAVELER

7:00 – 7:15 – THE SEMI-SUPER VILLANS

7:30 – 7:45 – STAGE AE TICKET GIVEAWAY

8:00-8:15 – PAPER POLITICIANS

8:45-9:00pm – JAMBOREE

The Just Ill Professor (Marcus Christian) along with his co-host DJ Foxxi (Ashley Smith) interview Common Courtesy on the Hip Hop Shop.

Common Courtesy is from the Homewood area. Though he is only 19, this young musician is proof that age does not define talent. He has already opened for various big name artists such as the Wu-Tang Clan and Kid Cuci.

The Hip Hop Shop features new music, hip hop news, interviews, and more. You can catch the show Mondays from 10 – noon.

Watch the exclusive interview here:

Marcus Christian

Pittsburgh native and music enthusiast, Marcus believes in the power of hip hop and will dig deep to find amazing artists who live right here in the heart of the Steel City.Marcus Christian (“Just Ill Professor”) E-mail: drmchristian@yahoo.com Twitter: @Just_Ill_P

Coming out of Brazil, a listener would expect loud fuzzy guitars, or even electro-pop, but not lush lo-fi bedroom rock; Cambriana, a six member band, presents perfectly crafted indie rock that has been likened to Grizzly Bear and Volantes. As a band who draws influences from Radiohead and The National, it’s not surprising that they create buzzy music (when I say buzzy, think of the loud yet soft qualities of nearly every Radiohead song) Paired with lead singer Luis Calil’s hushed yet husky vocals, every song on the album is it’s own entity and while the album flows together, there is somewhat of a disconnect, however, in a good way.

From the first song on the album, “Vegas” the band premiers itself as somewhat dreamy and quiet (much as bedroom indie rock is), but immediately following, “Astray” jolts you with a somewhat Vampire Weekend-esque indie pop, then the final shift allows listeners to flow into the cool indie rock that this band is known for. It sounds like quite a leap through genres on paper, but don’t let that fool you –this album is purely good music. It’s one of those albums that when you first listen to it, you may like it – but the real trick with this album is to listen to it more than once.

This album needs to be listened to and appreciated in more than one listen because it has so many complexities within rhythm, melody and vocals that it’s impossible to be appreciative in one go. This band is a band for everyone, whether you prefer rock or indie or even electronic–because it involves all the intricacies of each genre and melds them into this jumbled album that turns out to be quite fun.

 

Kelsey Kahla

Passionate for music and British television among anything else, Kelsey has a sharp listening ear for the most obscure albums and manages to find fantastic artists that are not getting enough love. Kelsey Kahla, Music Director of WPPJ   E-mail:kikikahla@mac.com Twitter @currentscarryou. Check out Kelsey’s personal blog page called The Most Indietastic!

Grab an axe and rev up the amps!

On March 29^th 2012, the Lawrence Hall Ballroom will transform into a furious fighting pit filled with musicians hammering their drums, striking their strings, and screaming their hearts out.

Various local Point Park talent will battle it out to determine the ultimate clan of musical warriors. Only one band/artist will survive this chaotic cadence clash and move on to face another challenge.

Brace yourselves — for this will be the last battle of the bands at Point Park University before the end of the world!

When: Thursday March 29th from 6 – 9 p.m.

Where: Point Park Ballroom in Lawrence Hall

Each band will be given a limited amount of time to show their legendary worth to the crowd and judges

At least one member of the band must be a currently enrolled Point Park student.

The winner of the WPPJ Battle of the Bands will open Spring Fest which will feature local talent.

If interested send an e-mail to wppj.battle@yahoo.com. Submissions must be received by March 22^nd at 11:59pm (EST). No late submissions will be accepted.

The official lineup of bands will be announced within 24 hours of receiving all the submissions.

Be sure to include either an MP3 of your music, or a video of you/your band playing.

For the latest news on “Night of the Apocalypse: Battle of the Bands” find WPPJ Radio on Facebook!

N8 Zerambo

Tech enthusiast and gamer at heart, Nate embraces his inner-geek by covering topics ranging from gadgets, video games, and other nerd news.Nate Zerambo Program Director of WPPJ E-mail: N8zerDude@gmail.com Twitter: @N8zerDude Facebook: N8 Bit RadioCheck out Nate’s website N8 Bit Radio!

The chart aboves reveals more results for other radio stations in the area too, and it turns out Bob-FM (A variety formatted station) was a close second. Why is it that these stations are so popular? Well, for starters, I believe that KISS-FM is really the only radio station in town that targets young adults and teens. Bob-FM is (because of its format) truly a station everyone can listen to, with a different genre of music on-air all the time, so I have a feeling that whenever a young adult or teen is bored with KISS, they’re turning to Bob just to hear a different song.

Another theory I have as to why these two stations are most listened to by my age group, may be the fact that these stations are centrally located within the Pittsburgh area. A central location makes it easier for both KISS and Bob to interact with listeners from all parts of Pittsburgh at promotional events or remotes, because their location allows them the ability to reach the North, South, East and Western parts of the city in a timely manner.

Val Palmieri

A metal chick with eclectic taste, Val’s enthusiasm for music and celebrity newshas her excited about keeping up with the latest stories.  Val Palmieri, Promotions Director of WPPJ E-mail: vipalmi@pointpark.edu  Twitter: @WPPJ_ValPal.Check out Val’s personal blog called Val’s Velocity!

Stand-up comedy in Pittsburgh has always done well, if you’re an established act.   If you’re an up-and-coming comedian, or just someone who likes to check out the new faces on the scene, times lately have been a little more rough here in the Steel City.  The Improv on the Waterfront, while it does book some great comics, operates as what some comedians have described to me as an old boy’s club – you have to be in their inner circle to perform there.  The Funny Bone at Station Square inexplicably closed last year, supposedly to move to Greentree, but what came of that cannot be found.  There are other places for comedy in Pittsburgh – Southside’s Rex Theatre and Mr. Smalls in Millvale will sometimes have comedy shows, but those are concert venues, not comedy clubs.  Not all hope is lost, however.  Comics on the rise and those who enjoy seeing them in small, intimate clubs have a new home in Pittsburgh – Wolfie’s Comedy Upstairs at Mullen’s on the North Shore, across from PNC Park.  Upstairs at Mullen’s just had its grand opening this last weekend with a full slate of great comics, including headliner Jesse Joyce.

Mullen’s is a sports bar, no doubt about it. It has a superficial Irish theme, but the place is pure Pittsburgh.  Comedy in a sports bar might seem slightly out of place, until you meet the owner – Bubba from Star 100.7.  If the owner of the place is a successful morning drive DJ, then converting at least part of the bar in to a comedy club makes a lot more sense.  Bubba teamed up with Matt Wohlfarth and Bud Adams, the guys behind Wolfie’s Comedy, one of the premier comedy producing companies in the region to make Upstairs at Mullen’s a reality.

They transformed the upstairs bar and party room into a real comedy club.  The bar is accessible along the left side; the stage is flanked by the picture windows overlooking PNC Park; there are tables right up front and there isn’t a bad seat in the house.  There is seating capacity for about 120, but with this being the grand opening, it was standing room only for about 250 patrons.  Luckily, not one of them was a fire marshal who might have taken an issue with the overcrowded room.

Welcoming everyone to the grand opening of Wolfie’s Comedy Upstairs at Mullen’s, Matt Wohlfarth warmed up the crowd.  Wohlfarth is a comedian with over 20 years experience, and he demonstrated that in his short opening set.  He started off clean, and then skillfully eased the crowd into profanity, setting the tone for the other comics. If you have the chance, go see Matt perform live.  It’s worth it, the guy’s a riot.

Matt introduced Bubba, the host for the evening as well as the owner of the bar.  Bubba is naturally a funny guy.  Being a morning show DJ, he has to be.  He swore up and down that this was only his second time ever doing stand-up, but he has the stage presence of a seasoned veteran.  Bubba worked in some very clever call backs, providing a solid cohesion to his set.  The pantomimes he has incorporated into his act were superbly done, providing a great visual for his material which he can’t normally do when he is on the radio.

Up next on the stage was another radio personality, DVE’s Sean Collier.  Sean does movie reviews for the DVE Morning Show and writes for Pittsburgh Magazine.  Many Pittsburghers are familiar with Sean’s sense of humor having heard him on DVE, but nothing will prepare you for how absolutely funny he can be uncensored.  Sean Collier truly is a great comedian.  His delivery is intelligent, low key and subversively sly.  He definitely could put out a comedy album; it would sell, and not just in Pittsburgh.

Tim Dimond (pronounced “diamond”) was the next comic to take the mic. He doesn’t have a household name, but after catching his set, it is shocking as to why he doesn’t.  Tim is the reason to go to small comedy clubs; he’s the next star rising.  He isn’t famous – yet.  He will be.  He has the perfect mix of high brow and toilet humor, with just the right amount of self-deprecation.  Keep your eyes and ears out for Tim Dimond.

Jesse Joyce was the headliner, and he did not disappoint.  His off-stage persona is the same as when he is doing his act: he’s hyperactive, motor-mouthed, and has a wit as sharp as it is fast.  Jesse was on fire playing to his hometown crowd, mixing some of his classic bits in with new material.  A couple of the jokes could have been awkward if done by a lesser comic with his parents in the crowd, but Jesse played it masterfully with his dad sitting only ten feet away.

All in all, the grand opening of Wolfie’s Comedy Upstairs at Mullen’s was a huge success.  If the caliber of acts booked can be maintained, with both big name headliners and new, promising up-and-comers, there is no reason why this club can’t become the dominant comedy venue in Pittsburgh.  It is ideally located on the North Side, across the Clemente Bridge from downtown, making it the easiest venue to access from all of the greater Pittsburgh area.

Wayne Weil

WPPJ Radio

Wayne with Sean Collier

Jesse Joyce and Wayne

Wayne with Tim Dimond

Wayne Weill

Lifelong metalhead and the man of many voices,  Wayne is diverse in his knowledge and interests. He is notorious for his comedic timing and voice acting talents. Wayne Weil, Assistant General Manager of WPPJ   E-mail: wpweil@pointpark.edu Twitter @WayneWeil.

About This Podcast:

Wayne Weil of the Metallic Meltdown  sits down with Trivium guitarist Corey Beaulieu for a wide ranging conversation from musical influences to touring to sports.

Date: 02/19/2012

Location: Stage AE

Part 1:

Part 2:

Wayne  Weill

Lifelong metalhead and the man of many voices,  Wayne is diverse in his knowledge and interests. He is notorious for his comedic timing and voice acting talents. Wayne Weil, Assistant General Manager of WPPJ   E-mail: wpweil@pointpark.edu Twitter @WayneWeil.

Alabama Shakes have made it; indie bloggers love them and MTV plays them. From Athens, Georgia, this band has taken rock n’ roll and soul music to a whole new level.

As an individual, I’m beyond alright with the revitalization of soul music and Alabama Shakes has furthered my love for it. It’s bluesy, ballsy, and brassy–with Brittany Howard at the helm, this band is headed for greatness.

Brittany Howard is beyond the talent of most singers of the nowadays –she evokes qualities from singers like Aretha, Billie and Bessie while being a power house all on her own. If you haven’t seen videos of her singing their single, “You Ain’t Alone”, do yourself a favor and watch it.

She tears through your emotions in a second, and will make other indie singers today sound sub-par in comparison to her amazing vocals. Not in a long time have I poured my heart out while singing along to someone’s song, but with Alabama Shakes, it’s a pretty common occurrence.

With influences that range from Bowie and prog-rock to Otis Redding, this band blends rock n’ roll and soul together, creating music that transcends simple pop tunes or Top 40 radio, but really pays an homage to the legends of yore–of course with their own spin.

This band will go far, and while the debut album (which officially releases on April 10th) sounds raw, it is this raw quality that makes them stand out. Their live videos show a put together band that are tightly knit but with room to grow and jam whenever they want to. And like I said before, Howard’s voice makes everything perfect.

I Found You- Alabama Shakes

Check out their website here

Or their Facebook here.

Kelsey Kahla

Passionate for music and British television among anything else, Kelsey has a sharp listening ear for the most obscure albums and manages to find fantastic artists that are not getting enough love. Kelsey Kahla, Music Director of WPPJ   E-mail:kikikahla@mac.com Twitter @currentscarryou. Check out Kelsey’s personal blog page called The Most Indietastic!