If you love good music, old cars, bikes and a good time on a Sunday afternoon then stop by the first ever Stick it to Autism Car and Bike Show August 29th from 10 am to 2 PM at Patte’s Sports Bar in Wilkes Barre.

The idea of the event is a friend my mine named Jim McClure who works with child with autism and he helps the child with drum lessons. Studies have show the children with autism benefit from activities like this and others that involve eye and hand coordination.

There will be burgers and hot-dogs compliments of Schiffs and Tom Malloy. Lateral Hazard will be playing live, raffles and T-shirts. All proceeds benefit Stick It To Autism. This is an outside event that is open to all and is kid friendly.

What a difference a year makes. Remember last summer, the year without a summer? I think we had three days of 90’s and that was it. We had three days of 90 plus just this week and it seems more to come. However, before you complain about how hot it is, three months from now we will be hoping for 50’s, loving a 60 or 70 degree day. And just why do they call it ”the dog days?”

Just wondering if you wanted to share your thoughts on a couple of questions:

1. What do you like about the Mountain?

     2.What don’t you like about the Mountain? 

     3.  What songs or artists would you like to hear more or less of on the Mountain?

Some sage advice from someone who once had a chance to see Billy Joel in concert in Scranton and turned down the offer, here is the story. Let’s rewind to the fall of 1977 and Just the Way You Are is climbing the pop charts. I liked the song, was just getting into some other Billy Joel music when I was asked if I wanted to see him at the University of Scranton. You may not remember this but Billy Joel was a fixture in Scranton playing at least one concert a year in the Electric City in the 70’s. Armed with this knowledge, I replied: Thanks but I will wait until next year and see him then. Well, The Stranger turns out to be Billy Joel’s breakout album, spends six weeks at #2 in album chart sales…to this day The Stranger is still Billy Joel’s best selling album and needless to say he never returned to Scranton in 1978. So learn from my mistake and go to the show, you never know what the future holds.

What is it about summer time songs that just sound different from other hits the rest of the year? Maybe it’s the fact they remind you of the good times that summer usually brings with it like fun out doors, parties, relaxing by the water. About ten years ago or so on a vacation down south, I fell in love with Jimmy Buffet’s Barometer Soup album. If you have never heard it, do yourself a favor and listen to the title track, from the steel drums to the fun upbeat sound, it is one of those perfect summer songs that belongs on a I-Pod next to your beer, book and the pool.

I was speaking with a fan of the Mountain the other day, Dave and our conservation turned to the subject of “One-Hit-Wonders” so I thought let’s revisit some of those great songs that gave some band or performer their 15 minutes of fame, some that we play on the Mountain and others you might remember.

I always like Jerry Mungo’s “In the Summertime”…Mungo like music. One of our famed Mountain Grown Artists are listed by Songfacts, it’s the Buoys with “Timothy”….and Patti Smith with “Because the Night.” Now on to some you should remember from the 70’s including….”Undercover Angel” by Alan O’Day, “Smoke from the Distant Fire”, good luck remembering who did that song…and finally “Pop Muzik” by a group simply known as M. I think I remember that video……Do you have some you want to share, then drop me a line and I will make sure to mention your song and name on The Mountain.

One of those common complaints heard in NEPA, at least back in my younger days when the Kirby Center was the Paramount, the arena was The Sunshine Market and Montage was a mountain, baseball was only being played in Philadelphia and hockey was something you caught once in a while on television. 

How far have we come? In the last four weeks here are some of the bands, artists and acts that have played in our area:

T.S.O, Goo Goo Dolls, Wilco, Alice in Chains, Ron White, Disco Biscuits, Skillet, Ray Davies, Train, Break Benjamin, Carrie Underwood, Riverdance, Concert for the Cause 8, numerous local artists performing in venues all around our area. Throw in Pen’s Playoff Games and Wilkes Barre Scranton Yankees games to the mix and I would say there is plenty to do around here. 

In the weeks to come, concerts by Alan Jackson, James Taylor and Carole King, Dave Matthews Band, Jefferson Starship, Keith Emerson and Greg Lake, Kings of Leon, Sugarland and Adam Lambert kicking of his first ever tour in Wilkes Barre. 

NEPA, we’ve come a long way!

Growing up I remember my Dad going around the house and turning off the lights, televisions and other devices that we “the kids” left on. He would shout out “Do you have stock in PP&L? Because I don’t!” Now this was the 60’s the electric bill was what, $20 bucks a month, maybe? Jump ahead to the present day. I find myself going around the house turning off lights, tv’s, cable boxes, x-boxes, computers and other assorted electrical consuming devices. I have said to my children “Do you have stock in PP&L? I have honest. Only wish my electric bill was only $20 dollars a month. I have become my Dad.

There is a special connection between music and memories, songs are a connection to events, people, good times we have all enjoyed. When you heard a certain song, a door opens to memories, at least that the case with me but I am sure the same holds true for you. On the Mountain we play the Blues Image Song, Ride Captain Ride, one of the first times I heard this song was riding in a Dodge Dart GT heading up Route 115, it was warm day and a group of my friends were off to the Poconos for a weekend camping trip. Jump ahead about five years, a group of us on a seven hour ride to ski in Vermont and a new group, with a new sound was on the air, wasn’t really sure what a Sultan was, or a Dire Strait, but they were both swinging away. It was a fun weekend of hitting the slopes and hitting the bars, all on about four hours of sleep a night. What songs on The Mountain bring back memories for you? Drop me an e-mail or just comment on this blog. Gotta go and turn up the volume, getting ready to play “I Robot/I Wouldn’t want to be like You” by Alan Parsons Project…I remember that night.

I was driving to Philadelphia the other day, listening to Imus in the Morning on WABC, when Charles McCord announced that legendary WABC Jock Ron Lundy had died at the age of 75. I never met Ron Lundy, but it was because of him, Harry Harrison, Dan Ingram and others that I fell in love with the idea of being on the radio. The WABC signal made it into the Wilkes Barre area back in the 60’s and 70’s, especially at night when other local stations would power down for the night. It was 50,000 watts of broadcasting power, the all the hit’s, hot jingles and DJ’s that made you want to never turn the dial. WABC touted themselves as “the most listened to station in the USA” reaching far out from the New York City studios up and down the East Coast. They ran what would called in the business “a tight board” no dead air, out of a song it was a jingle, then the DJ with a fast pace talk up into the next song, always ending just in time with “77 WABC.” Man they knew how to do it and all of the DJ’s had a set of pipes on them, meaning a million dollar voice. So rest in peace Ron Lundy and thanks for getting one young man excited about the radio biz…..