As Lisa and I rolled through Waynesville, Ohio I
couldn’t help taking in all the beautiful scenery on our way to the 6th
annual Hog Jam Music Fest hosted by our good friends Tony and Chelsea Herdman.
The event is held at gorgeous Hisle Ranch near Waynesville; owner Cowboy Steve Hisle
opened up his spot in paradise for Tony and several hundred of his friends and
fans. The stage is set in the middle of the historic 200 year old barn and is
the perfect setting for any gathering.
The event featured live music from many local artists and don’t forget
one of the stars of the festival, the 300lb plus hog I nicknamed Suie! Tony
graciously invited Buckeye Music Magazine to this year’s festivities and I’m
glad he did.
Around 1:00 Tony came to the stage to thank everyone
for coming and to introduce the first act of the day, Alec Delphenich. Alec has
had a busy summer on the festival circuit spreading cheer with his acoustic set
of original tunes and his talent was on display at Hog Jam. The
singer/songwriter took the stage and proved why Tony calls him one of the most
talented musicians in the area. Alec was kind enough to feed the Hog Jam crowd
with a new tune that he was playing for the first time called “Sometimes” that
is about the need that we all have from time to time; the need to be alone and
reflect on one’s life. It was a pretty cool tune. Alec also has a tune that he
sings in French and the song is a real crowd pleaser, especially with the
ladies. I have no idea what he is saying but it doesn’t seem to matter; you
could see women melting all over the farm, Lisa included. Alec was a great
choice to start the day as he set the stage for our next performer, Kris
Hanson.
If you are a fan of Buckeye Music Magazine you are
no stranger to Kris Hanson’s Solo Act. Kris is a one man show on steroids and
his stage show is one you have to witness for yourself to really appreciate it.
When Kris takes the stage you can always count on his set being entertaining
and one that will draw a crowd. His improvisation keeps folks guessing and you
never know from one moment to the next where his musical journey will take you.
Hanson does a version of “Shakedown Street” that is guaranteed to get you
dancing. On this day Kris brought a little help to the stage in Tracy “Sax”
Lakes. Tracy was armed with saxophone in hand and together he and Kris ROCKED
the farm; I’m pretty sure Suie was even dancing. Kris announced that this was
his final festival of the season so he was going to go out with a bang and he
did just that. Thanks Kris for a great season, hope to see you soon!
Following Kris was Chuck Drake. I knew little about
Chuck prior to the festival, but Tony had plenty to say about the man he called
“the man that took me under his wing.” Tony said that at the age of 19 Chuck
mentored him and gave him direction, something that many young artists are
seeking rarely find. Chuck is a gifted musician and you can see why Tony was
influenced by such a talented guy. The trio performed many original songs
written by Chuck and the crowd loved it. The guys were a lot of fun; Chuck and
his band have a chemistry that is infectious and the audience picked up on it
in a hurry. I can’t wait to hear more from these guys.
The next band on the Hog Jam Menu was Savoy Truffle,
a Beatles tribute band from Cincinnati. When Tony introduced the band he said
you could simply close your eyes and think you’re listening to the Beatles; he
was right. These guys bring the music of the Beatles to life and cover songs
from some of their best albums like Sgt. Peppers, the White Album, Abbey Road, and
more. I was privileged to see Paul McCartney a few weeks ago and I had mixed
feelings about seeing a “tribute” band. I mean how could any band compare to
that? But to my surprise I found myself reliving the McCartney show as I
listened to Savoy Truffle play songs like “Back in the USSR” and “Hey Jude.”
There was quite a crowd gathered in front of the stage; it was cool watching
everyone sing and dance to Beatles tunes that are older than most in the
audience. These guys are a lot of fun and very entertaining; I’m so glad they
were a part of Hog Jam. Savoy Truffle is Steve Goers (Keyboards, Vocals), Eric
Baumgartner (Guitar, Vocals), Adam Wheeler (Drums, Vocals), Steve Langemo
(Guitar), and Brad Myers (Bass).
The star of HOG JAM, “Suie” stole the show for a few
minutes and was served to all the hungry folks who had smelled her all
afternoon; but it was worth the wait. So was the wait to hear Oh Kee Pa,
the Phish tribute band from Dayton. I have talked much about these guys over
the past couple of weeks and for good reason, they ROCK. I could write more
about the capability of the band to duplicate the music and energy of Phish,
but instead I think I will talk a little about the guys in the band. We begin
with Jeremy Armstrong on Guitar for the tribute band. Jeremy has the unenviable
task of playing the part of Phish front man Trey Anastasio. But once you hear
Jeremy on tunes like “Maze” or listen to the cover of Phish’s cover of the
Talking Heads tune “Psycho Killer” you quickly realize that Jeremy channels
Anastasio in a way that is kind of eerie; the guy is amazing. Rob Brockman is a
virtual technician on drums. Don’t expect Brockman to go off into one of those
15 minute drum solos that many drummers live for, although he is more than
capable. Rob is content to consistently deliver the beat that drives the Oh Kee
Pa train. And ask fellow musicians who they would go to if they ever needed
someone to sit in on drums and more times than not you would hear the name Rob
Brockman. Dino Dimitrouleas plays Bass for the group and he is a big reason for
the bands success. Not only because Dino is a presence on stage standing around
6’4” or so, but because Dino is a great Bassist. Dimitrouleas is a technical
master and you never hear him miss a beat. Rounding out the band is Keyboard
player Nathan Springhart. Nathan is one of those guys that can play a number of
instruments and play them all well. Sitting in for Nathan on this night was
Dino’s brother Norman Dimitrouleas (The Werks). Seriously, if you are in need
of a Phish fix I strongly recommend you hook up with these guys, they will more
than deliver.
The same can be said for our next band of the
evening Magic Jackson. You have heard me talk about these guys from the start
of Buckeye Music Magazine as being one of the best bands in the Miami Valley
and the guys keep proving me right; just ask those in attendance at HOG JAM. The
light show provided by High Voltage Lighting added to the ambiance as Magic
Jackson tore into an hour long set that was intense to say the least. The guys
played Magic Jackson favorites like “Meatfinger” a FUNK masterpiece. The band
features John Gentry Jr. and his unique seven string Guitar, Mike “McNasty”
McKewen’s smooth groove on Bass, Rob Brockman on Skins and Vocals, and Nathan
Lewis provides the funky Vocals and Rhythm. Norm Dimitrouleas joined the guys
on Keyboards for one of my favorites, “Daddy’s Funk,’ the lyrics always makes
me smile; and you thought they couldn’t get any funkier. I’ve heard rumors the
guys are in the studio working on some new tunes, something to look forward to
indeed. Does your Daddy like my funk?
Chris Houser (The Werks) was next to the stage.
Chris might be best known as the Lead Singer and Guitarist for The Werks;
tonight Chris was werking solo. The Werks are one of the busiest bands in the
area and the guys are preparing for their festival The Werk Out Music and Arts
Festival beginning September 8th so you would think Chris would be
resting up for the four day fest. Actually Chris looked very relaxed and seemed
to take this time to forget about everything but his music. When Chris closes
his eyes and tilts his head back you know he’s feeling it; you are about to
hear something special. Highlights from his set were when Chris performed the
song he wrote for his father called “Going to Shore” and when Kris Hanson
joined Houser on stage; the pair made quite a duo and the crowd ate it up.
Up next was the host of HOG JAM Tony Herdman and his
band The Tony Red Band. It had been a busy day for Tony but as he took the stage
he seemed to be energized. Perhaps because of the audience, this was one of the
most enthusiastic and animated crowds I have seen all summer. The rest of the
band seemed to feed of the crowd and the guys matched their enthusiasm and Tony’s
energy to make for one of the best set I’ve heard from the band. The band was
without the without the talented Scotty Bratcher so that meant Guitarist Brad
Daugherty was on his own to provide the bands signature riffs on tunes like “Let’s
Run Away.” Brad seemed to take the challenge to heart and gave an awesome
performance. The band performed many songs from their self titled debut album like the song
“I Will Not Go” that features Norman Dimitrouleas on Keyboards and Tony’s gritty
vocals. Norm’s brother Dino gives the band a constantly smooth beat on Bass and
the busiest man of the night, Rob Brockman rounds out the band on Drums. Even
after playing two very memorable sets with Oh Kee Pa and Magic Jackson,
Brockman never missed a beat. The guys also played one of Lisa’s favorite songs
called “DUI” a true song that describes a couple of Tony’s unfortunate indiscretions.
Tony and the guys put on a great show!
Providing the late night tunes was the bluegrass band
from Myrtle Beach, SC called Sawgrass. The band who is usually a five piece
band was tonight a quartet. The guys stood in the middle of the barn in front
of one microphone and absolutely tore-it-up. This was my first encounter with
the guys from one of my favorite places to visit and I was more than impressed.
The vocal harmonies were incredible and are a perfect fit for the bands
eclectic sound. Sawgrass was the perfect choice to end a fantastic day of
music, good food, and great friends.
There are many people to thank for throwing this
wonderful event; first and foremost are Tony and Chelsea Herdman. You guys are
two of the most gracious hosts and finest people I know, thank you so much for
your hospitality. Thanks also to Cowboy Steve for opening up his beautiful property
for this great event, Jim and Sue Hamden, the guys behind the grill in the VIP area for keeping us fed and hydrated, the guys at High Voltage Lighting
for the one of the best light shows in the area, and for everyone else who made HOG JAM possible, you guys ROCK. HOG JAM may not
be the biggest festival of the season but it is definitely one of the most
enjoyable; I had so much fun, can’t wait for next year!
2011 Summer Festival Season 
