■ Entertainment Review By Kellye Way Staff Reporter kjw2o3@psu.edu Artist: Bowling For Soup Album: A Hangover You Don’t Deserve Release Date: September 14, 2004 Number of Tracks: (plus 2 bonus tracks) Rating: of 4 stars! It’s no secret that the first sin gle “1985” from Bowling For Soup’s latest album “A Hangover You Don’t Deserve” tops most-requested charts all over the country. The Texan pop-rock quad showcases sim ple, easy to enjoy lyrics without making the listener think too hard. Vocal leader Jaret Reddick proclaims that the band aspires to be the next Silverchair, but their sound is actually more reminiscent of Green Day, Blink 182, or Fountains of Wayne. “1985” was a great choice for a starter single off this album since it gives a short, accurate glimpse into the overall feeling of the whole album. The fun, snappy lyrics are “catchy as hell” says Johnny Loftus of All Music Guide. With words and ideas that are not any more complicated than they have to be, this band has a very fun feel, The group claims that their biggest influ ences are The Ramones and Cheap Trick and many of their songs are stuffed with refer ences to pop culture, including a shout-out to the Bush twins on the track “Ohio (Come back to Texas)”. If alternative pop-rock isn’t really your thing though, “A Hangover You Don’t Deserve” can be fun for a few songs, but might get old after 17 tracks. However, the cleverly funny words on every track are worth hearing at least once. The album also offers two bonus tracks, which give a rare, raw look into the jam sessions of the quirky band guys just hang ing out. Although the overall beat and rhythm remains the same throughout most of the tracks, each new song has it’s own catchy hook and irresistibly fun lyrics that musters a smirk and a smile every time. Just in case you were won dering where the band’s name originates from, in an interview with VHI, front man Reddick said, “Steve Martin’s Wild and Crazy Guy album has a bit where he talks about a fake show called “Bowling for Sh*t.” Me and the original drummer - we’ve been best friends since we were three - thought that was funny and we decided to milk it for everything it was worth, so we were constantly bowling for something. When our original band was breaking up, he said at our last show, “Come see our new band in a month, Bowling for Soup." It was totally fictional, but it worked and stuck.” Learn your ABC’s of beer The Capital Times reviews the Hot Spots of Harrisburg By Eric Thomas Assistant Editor and Nat Melincove Staff Reporter ewtl22@psu.edu ncml2B@psu.edu 1 7 3 out Since 1997, the Appalachian Brewery Company has been one of the most popular spots in the city of Harrisburg. The 50,000 square foot build ing houses one of the largest brew pub in the country and the first brewery in the city in 46 years. Aside from their assortment of homegrown beer, the place prides itself as one of the better dining spots in and around the capital region. “People walk in and they are overcome at what they see compared to what it looks like on the outside,” said manager Eric Beamesderfer. “The first time I came in here, I said to myself, I’ve got to get a job here.” The cozy atmosphere wel comes ‘everyone Wh© is getting off from work or looking to relax after a 12-hour day of classes. The building was reborn after a fire in 1993, which gutted the entire structure. It was redesigned two years later and reopened in 1997 later by four owners whose friends became known as “Friends of the Gregorits takes another turn in his life By John Fox Staff Reporter jtfls3@psu.edu Motivation to create can be found in the most unlikely places. For Gene Gregorits, AKA Gene Suicide, it was the brash music of the Sex Pistols which fueled his mid-90’s fanzine, NO FUTURE. Spanning 4 issues and 3 years, NO FUTURE was Gregorys’ retort to his miserable surround ings in Harrisburg as well as a lit erary condemnation of the cur rent state of punk rock. “Sex Pistols fetishism and gen eral obnoxiousness,” said Gregorits on the genesis of NO FUTURE. “It was my introduction to self publishing, it taught me how to write journalism, do graphic layout, utilize a Xerox machine’s special features, and make myself everyone's enemy.” In NO FUTURE, the indication of self-loathing was always pres ent and the disenchanted youth of Harrisburg eagerly devoured its Xeroxed pages. Gene Suicide became the voice of adolescent unrest in a conserva tive good ‘ol boy town. Gregorits is more humble when referring to his readership. “I did n’t have a fan base,” said Gregorits. “I merely had an assortment of cheap voyeurs who tried to keep tabs on me, because they were all waiting for me to die. People who enjoy my work I’d assume to be heavily Brewery.” For your drinking pleasure, year round brews include Susquehanna Stout, Rurist Pale Ale, Mountain Lager, Jolly Scott The Capital Times staff takes a break from work to enjoy festivities and homegrown beers at the Appalachian Brewing Company Wednseday night. Scottish Ale, and Broad Street Barely Wine and Water Gap Wheat. If you are in the mood to check out multiple beverages, peruse medicated and/or drunk. I con nect with people with severe emotional problems; sex fiends and manic depressives. NO FUTURE lasted 4 issues, each one was better than the last, but it was so hideously misguided that it became an unintentional spoof of punk zines in general. I hated punk culture, and I was highly critical of it in NO FUTURE. My message, which was essentially anti-conformist, was correct, and justified, but it just came out all wrong. I looked like an asshole.” For those who want to know, Gregorits defined Gene Suicide; his life, death, and occasional resurrection “Gene Suicide isn’t really any thing more than me when I’m drunk,” said Gregorits. “It’s a side of my personality that I’m not proud of, and no one calls me that anymore. I could easily say that it was my alter ego, but to be honest my behavior hasn’t changed much. When I was on the rampage last night, in downtown Detroit, throwing myself down upon the sidewalk until both my hips became swollen and black, that was Gene Suicide. When I’m rude to a girl, that’s Gene Suicide. You have no idea how unpleasant it is to maintain that other self, because I am, believe it or not, a very sweet person.” In 1997, Gregorits started to compile interviews with New York City song writers and film the microbrew scale by getting their popular sampler, an assort ment of microbrews on tap. The menu also includes the monthly special, which features two different brews each month. The September special is the Rockville Rye Ale, October’s is the Pennypacker Porter, which A.B.C. calls a “chocolatey flavor makers for his new project called Sex & Guts. It was at this time he realized, as most creative occupants of Harrisburg do, that in order for his work to be appreciated and flourish he would have to move to a real city. The Big Apple was the most natural choice. “I resumed doing Sex & Guts in New York and worked at Kim’s Video, whose clientele consisted of many high profile celebrities, ranging from John Waters and Quentin Tarantino to David Bowie and Annabella Sciorra,” said Gregorits. “I also worked for a punk rock cosmetic company as international sales manager, and in a chess store. In New York I didn’t feel quite at home so I started drinking very heavily. I became known around town as Gene Suicide. My magazine became recognized, and I met many of my heroes. Much of my time in NY remains an alcoholic blur...dozens of one night stands...l was starting to unravel. I began a column in a music tabloid, writing as Gene Suicide. The column was a monthly gig, and I used it to vent my frustra tion with culture, New York, and American apathy.” Gregorits talked specifically on the origins of Sex & Guts. “I start ed doing Sex & Guts because I couldn’t gain access to Johnny Rotten, and didn’t see much point in continuing to do a Sex Pistols fanzine without that inter view ever becoming possible, so with a slight roast finish.” The menu includes such entrees as the 9/11, which is a juicy 16-ounce New York strip steak grilled to your liking with onions and mushrooms, the reason for its name? For each steak sold, a dollar contribution goes towards the Trade Towers Orphan Fund in New York City. The menu is also loaded with A.B.C. originals such as beer battered fish and chips, sun dried tomato pierogies, and lager bratwurst and garlic mashed potatoes The best part of the menu is the brew master’s suggestions underneath each listing. A.B.C. also houses a bar upstairs, which includes pool tables and serves liquor. “We are talking about having a three story deck that we could use in extreme winter,” said Photos By Jennifer Kauffman The Appalachian Brewing Company provides a nice atmosphere for relaxing after work or meeting friends for dinner to catch up on old times. Photo C'ourtsev ot'dcnc (ircgorits I instead created Sex & Guts to write about films and cover the underside of entertainment cul ture with the energy of the Sex Pistols. Sid Vicious did manage to appear on the first issue’s front cover,” he said. Sex & Guts was a hit and earned Gregorits infamy across Beamesderfer. “We are always looking for improvement and welcome suggestions from guests.” Beamesderfer said weekends tend to be the busiest, mention ing that the bar gets anywhere from 125-300 people on a given Friday or Saturday. To maximize your microbrew drinking experience make sure to check out Octoberfest, which is ongoing until October 9. Check out the next HOTSPOT in the next issue: October 11 2004 KoKomo’s sports bar and grill the U.S. and Europe. The fourth and most recent issue, published in 2003 by Phony Lid Books, came out in the form of a hugely anticipated and highly successful 280 page book chock full of inter views with prominent musicians, filmmakers, writers, and enter tainers. Sex & Guts also has a
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