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Photo courtesy of www.simpleplan.corn
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Artist: Simple Plan
Album: Still Not Getting Any..
Release Date: 10/26/04
Number of Tracks: 11 (plus a
bonus DVD)
Double check the labels! I
could have sworn I was listen
ing to Sum 41, no wait, I mean
Fountains of Wayne. Or maybe
it was Good Charlotte I was
thinking of. Well, whether or not
you've heard of the Canadian
based fivesome of rockers that
call themselves Simple Plan,
you've probably heard their
style of music in one or twelve
different bands. According to
their website (www.simple
plan.com), the band declares
they are "not a punk band, a
pop band, a rock band or what
ever label you can come up
with..." but they are definitely
some kind of style we're
already very familiar with,
regardless of label. For those
who really enjoy this style of
rock, Simple Plan proves they
can hold their own against their
musical counterparts.
The device that sets this band
apart from the overcrowded
genre of shaggy, young rockers
is their lyrical content. The track
"Crazy" poses the question
"diet pill, surgery....is everybody
going crazy?" which is just one
song that addresses more
pressing social issues, as
opposed to funny, silly songs or
slow and angry love-gone-sour
ballads. Despite a harder musi
cal edge, many of the lyrics are
uplifting and inspiring ("Me
Against The World" and
"Welcome to My Life") in the
way that makes despair seem
like a less lonely torture. Songs
like these are pivotal to the
anguished sixteen year-old
guy, but by our twenties, many
of us have worked out our
teenage woes. Despite the
overplayed melodies, I couldn't
resist tapping my foot to the
music.
Artist: No Show Ponies
Album: What Am I To Do?
Number of Tracks: 3 track sam
pler
Release Date: pending
If you didn't get a chance to
catch the band No Show
Ponies at this year's Fall Fest,
you missed an opportunity to
see one of the area's most tal
ented, up-and-coming bands.
With a clean, fun sound with a
uniqueness like Counting
Crows or Jakob Dylan of The
Wallflowers, the first few sin
gles from NSP makes you want
to put the top down, tap your
foot, and sing along. Lead
vocalist Ben Brown says the
songs on their first sampler
"deal with themes such as the
loss of innocence, the notion of
identity, and the existential nau
sea one faces in the modern
world." Look for this great band
at local hot spots around the
area and be sure to check out
their website www.noshow
ponies.com for more photos
and to find out when their first
full-length CD will be released.
Photo courtesy of No Show Ponies
Local band No Show Ponies
recently performed at Fallfest.
Local hangout offers laid-back atmosphere
Friendly service and a
neighborhood atmosphere
makes Guido McNeal's
feel like home
By Elizabeth Wingate
Staff reporter
eawl9l@psu.edu
Just around five o'clock in the
evening, the impatient energy of
the school/workday wanes to a
gentle fatigue and the relentless
drone of three-hour classes and
stuffy rooms fades from stu
dents' consciousness for a few
merciful hours. The early creep
ing darkness of late autumn
begins its sweep across the
landscape, a chilly gray-black
ghost whose advances are best
rebuffed with cozy, candlelit
spaces wherein somebody
always knows your name.
Settling into a booth or a bar
stool at Guido McNeal's in
Middletown is like coaxing tired
feet into well-worn slippers, the
fit is comforting, not showy, and
the place glows with authentic,
small-town character that no
chain could ever provide.
Guido's sits on the square in
Middletown, and according to a
bit of history provided by the
menu, the square was the site of
the Native American town of
Swandowvi in the 1700 s. As
Middletown became a resting
point for travelers journeying
between Carlisle and Lancaster,
the structure that now houses
Guido's served as a general
store and a colonial inn. The
building's central location in town
ensured a colorful role in the
comings and goings of
Middletown, and the current
incarnation of Guido's is no
exception.
In 1997, the Pellegrini family
purchased the property and
Guido's was born. The Pellegrini
family know their way around the
Radio station hitting the waves?
Every day this semester, stu
dents walk past the brightly lit
WPSH campus radio station
sign. The blue neon sign outside
the studio is bright, the equip
ment is lined up neatly inside,
but the room remains complete
ly empty. The station should be
heard on FM 88.9, but the studio
transmits no music, no talk
shows, and no campus news.
There has been an erase board
outside the studio door covered
with several students' names
and e-mail addresses, and com
ments like "Call us all please!"
and "Interested," but for months
club information has been diffi
cult to find. The station has been
silent - no DJs, no rock and roll,
no students goofing off behind
the glass wall. There are many
interested students, but they
have yet to take part in the radio
club this semester.
In February, the WPSH radio
station was supposed to reach
the airwaves, but it never hap
pened. This is just one of many
failed attempts to get the station
off the ground. WPSH has been
dormant for about the last four
years. Once the new Towne
Square was finished fast spring,
the station was anticipated to
serve the students with rock,
hip-hop, daily news, hosting
restaurant business. They are
also proprietors of the much
acclaimed Alfred's Victorian just
down the road. Fred Pellegrini
serves as the manager of
Guido's, while his brother, Geoff,
is the chef; the family-run ele
ment of Guido's is strong without
being overbearing, and the staff
all have an easy manner that
promptly makes any customer at
Bartender Audrey serves drinks to the customers at Guido McNeals. Guido McNeal's provides a laid-back
retreat from school and work. The bar and restaurant offers a friendly atmosphere through both its
employees and decor. Guido's is located in the square in Middletown, just blocks from the PSH campus.
home.
The bar at Guido's is a wonder
ful snug and inviting place to go
and have a drink. There is no
pretense here, only dark wooden
booths overhung with upside
down bucket lampshades, signs
proclaiming, "God gave the Irish
whiskey so they wouldn't rule the
world," as well as dollar bills
adorning the glass rack over the
bar emblazoned with messages
bands - whatever students in the
radio club had the time and
energy to do. Penn State
Harrisburg has a beautiful new
room located near Food
Services in the Olmsted building
that is loaded with equipment
and a new mixer board - but
"The club won't
be tied down to
one generic style,
it can be as
diverse as every
one here is."
-Angelo Martarano
WPSH has yet to be used to its
full potential.
Jim Dougherty, history major,
has worked as a radio DJ
before. He used to DJ with his
dad over the summer in Villas,
N.J. He remembers when they
put on a record and it started to
skip, and they were on the air
live. "It was hilarious," said
Dougherty, "it's stuff like that that
you can't get out of just learning
from patrons (including appeals
for advertising for this paper).
The lighting is low and autumnal
leaves dotted with amber lights
twinkle along to strains of gentle
music and the muffled declara
tions of NFL announcers.
There are several beers on tap
at Guido's, including Troeg's
Pale Ale, Yuengling Lager, and
Coors Light, but some students
(like the two guys I saw when I
was there) preferred to do shots
whipped up by Audrey, bartender
extraordinaire. The "Sicilian
Kiss" was the drink of the
moment, and while I never found
out what was in it, the concoction
was sucked down with gusto and
another round was ordered. The
menu offers many appealing
appetizers to buffer a couple
rounds of drinks, including pota
about the radio. It needs to be
hands-on, and that's why l'd like
to work on a radio station again."
When Dougherty saw the radio
station on campus, he saw it as
an opportunity. He tried contact
ing Student Affairs and professor
Catherine Rios, faculty advisor
to the radio club, over the sum
mer but could not determine the
condition of the radio club. No
one seemed to be able to
explain to him what was happen
ing.
Dougherty found out after the
start of the fall semester that
Rios was away all summer.
Since then he has tried to learn
how to join the radio station club,
and resorted to writing his name
on the board outside the studio.
He hoped that the right person
would see his message and e
mail him information.
"I knew I wasn't the only one
waiting for a response," said
Dougherty. "I was starting to get
impatient."
After half the semester has
come and gone, a meeting was
finally held for all interested stu
dents on November 4, and
approximately 10-15 students
attended. Student interest was
high as Catherine Rios and
Please see RADIO on 12
to skins, stuffed mushrooms,
wings, sausage bites, and beer
battered onion rings.
The menu spans a broad range
of tastes, from salads with a mul
titude of toppings such as Cajun,
rotisserie, or teryaki chicken
strips, to grilled steaks strips and
calamari, to Italian and Irish
entrees like veal eggplant
parmesan, chicken and beef
Photo by Elizabeth y‘lingate
cheese crepes with tomato
sauce, braised chicken in
Guiness, and the pub classic,
"Bangers & Mash." All entrees
are served with a choice of
baked potato, French fries,
applesauce, salad or coleslaw,
and many are under $lO.
More involved dishes on the
menu include the Rattlesnake
Rub, half of a rotisserie chicken
served with sausage, the fish of
Students packed WPSH's message board ilith their contact informa
tion to indicate interest in participating in the radio station. Despite
numerous attempts to get WPSH off the ground, it has not vet been
up and running.
the day prepared in carribean
style, grilled, broiled or black
ened, and backfin crab cake.
These entrees are a bit pricier,
running in the $l4-20 range. For
diners looking for a special expe
rience, Guido's offers "Chef's
Masterpieces," a feast prepared
for two or more people that might
include pork loin Inclosta, a deli
cate puff pastry filled with pork,
vegetables and mushrooms
($l7) or seafood cartoccio, a
variety of clams, mussels and
shrimp served over spaghetti
($l9). The kitchen needs
advance notice to whip up these
house specialties, and a bit of
planning ensures a memorable
meal.
Guido's offers six-packs to go,
as well as a non-smoking dining
room. Reservations are recom
mended, though I had no trouble
snagging a booth in the bar
when I stopped by on a Tuesday
evening. Happy hour runs night
ly from 4-6 p.m. during the week,
and features 50 cents off of all
drinks. The crowd is a mix of
students and local residents and
the range of servers echoes this
demographic.
Next time the violet hour falls,
don't drag yourself home to
watch television in a brain-dead
stupor. Grab a friend or two, or
more, and make the short walk
or drive just a few blocks from
campus to Guido's, a great
small-town kind of place. Lo si
mangia bene!
GUIDO MCNEAL'S
9 East Main Street, Middletown,
PA 17057
Price Range: Inexpensive
Telephone: (717) 930-0466
Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 3-9:3opm,
Fri.-Sat. 3-10 pm, Sun.- 4-Bpm
Payments Accepted: Visa,
Master Card, Amex
Handicapped accessible through
side door
Photo by Kelly Nagurny