Making Memories with The Echo & Sway

 Beautiful article written my good friend Aron Agerton wrote about our show a year ago appearing in the Lock Haven Eagle Eye 02/16/12.  Feels like forever ago, but so was Allison Walden.  Looking forward to Saturday nite's anniversary show.

You can read the original article HERE.

Making Memories with The Echo & Sway

 Even under the weather, The Echo & Sway manages to be above the bar. “Sorry we’re not our usual energy level. I’m just trying not to snot over everyone,” said lead vocalist Anthony LaLota.  Without fail, Anthony and his partner Jared Conti manage to use a folk style reminiscent of Badleys and a light hints of pop that bring back adolescent memories of the gin blossoms and kissing Allison Walden behind the bleachers during gym class.

Mixed and mingled through the show is a beautiful melange of music and madrigalities that manages to make even the meanest of meanies mistakenly miss their mothers. The duo tell stories of their family and friends that make you wish one day, perchance, you too may be mentioned.

A time for all ages, the Echo and Sway lets you relax your shoulders for a spell and sip down a sweet vanilla chai latte just as it was meant to be sipped.

No atmosphere like avenue, nor sound like E&S can be found in this faded town.  As the snow falls on to the quiet streets, and the underage kids begin their raucous journey into the cold night, those of any age can find solace knowing that in a world where chaos is on every Evergreen apartment and campus dorm hall, there can be peace wandered upon in the music and lyrics of The Echo & Sway.

In a town where it’s so very hard to feel good without the help of a captain, jack, or fast food clown, at Avenue 209 I found it at an evening with two men who sought only to make me remember Allison Walden behind the bleachers during gym class.

LHU Eagle Eye 04/12/12

So, just fiddling around on the internet today and Gail Simone of all people posted about none other than "super"villain The Crumbler.  It just so happens that I read that comic and some other silly ones a year or so ago.  Hope you enjoy these!

And oh, yah!  I'm already married!  It was a superhero wedding in case you didn't know.  Pictures to follow!

So, if you didn’t already know, I’ll be getting married in a coupla months. I’d like to think my lady fancies me a bit of a super hero, and we’re focusing that into making a theme-wedding. With superheroes. Not sure of all the details yet, but we’ve been buying up old comic books and re-purposing them for decorations. The most positive outcome of this whole thing is that I get to read before we get to use ‘em. I found these few on a jaunt to Pittsburgh a few weeks ago for a quarter a piece. Read on, true-believers!

 “The Punishment of  Superman’s Son!”  Action Comics No. 391 Aug 1970

In this “imaginary story,” Superman’s son Clark Kent, Jr. isn’t the crime fighter his ol’ pa is. It doesn’t help that Supes is overly critical of his son—even to the point of calling him a flop—or that he’s comparing him to Batman, Jr. Batman’s kid, however, is smart because he works hard at it, and Superman the younger doesn’t, just because he’s invulnerable. Superman’s son’s punishment? Ever hear of Gold Kryptonite?! Ridiculous!

“The Crimes of the Crumbler!”  Green Lantern/Green Arrow No. 114 Mar 1979

In this team-up series, Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) and Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) have been making a case across the United States to stand in for crimes against humanity, and not just the super heroic ones. Dealing with Speedy’s heroin addiction and other social justice victims, this issue specifically deals the with the atrocities of a vacation condominium developer. Turns out he’s also a villain, suped-up with a  bodysuit, sabotaging his own projects to fund his suit. Sound crazy? Well, he is a super-villain.

“The Patchwork Man” Swamp Thing No. 3 Feb-Mar 1973

At the helm of this issue are Len Wein and Berni Wrightson. There’s really no need to go on, but I will for your sake. Heck of a coupla guys writing a hero that’s basically a humanoid plant, and making him real. Quite the feat. Swamp Thing is traveling around the Balkan mountains looking for traces of his former way of life and stumbles upon his arch-enemy’s labs that may or may or may not have spawned him. He meets a Frankenstein-like character that’s more horrific than he! Not your typical superhero fare, but real smart reading.

“The Men Who Sold Destruction!”  Justice League of America No. 125 Dec 1975

As far as comics go, this is a bitter pill to swallow. The issue is being narrated by some sort of alien beings, discussing at length their plan to transfer catastrophic energies from their planet to ours. In order to do this, they have outfitted typical “bad guys” with powers that essentially make them gods.  One of their many downfalls, however, is choosing to recruit Harvey Dent a.k.a Two-Face. This Batman foe flips his coin and decides not to help these alien beings and instead calling for help from the JLA, making use of one wicked villainous idiosyncrasies. The aliens are unsuccessful (particularly because they’re disguising themselves as famous generals in statue form) they call upon the Weaponers of the anti-matter planet of Qward to return next issue!

“Hellfire and Holocaust” All-Star Comics No. 61 Jul-Aug 1976

Another great issue because of who’s in charge of what’s happening, you’ve got Keith Giffen pulling illustration duties.  We find ourselves in the middle of the melee with between Dr. Fate and Alan Scott Green Lantern battling Vulcan. Poor Vulcan was an astronaut caught in some sort of hideous transformation as he orbited the sun. It’s nice to see the Justice Society of America here without any kind of filthy continuity to get caught up in. Also nice to see Power Girl not look like a skank.  Oh, the action’s pretty good, too.

Beginning of the End?

Someone asked if I'd do a review of World War Z by Max Brooks.  Already in the can, man!

These're the old reviews, so you'll even see me rating them with the ol' beard scale!

If you click here on the link, you'll find my LHU Eagle Eye article from 10/20/11.  There's also a nice review of the premiere of The Walking Dead season 2 opener.  There's ALSO a nice picture of me in my zombie get-up for a small film I did a few years ago.

Maybe if you're lucky, I'll see if I can dig it up.  Get it?  Dig it up?  See what I just did there?

Why so serious?

So, Thursdays are going to be review days.  For now, I suppose I'll alternate weeks with a new review from the Lock Haven Express with an older one from The Eagle Eye.  LHU Eagle Eye, 10/13/11

In keeping with the news, I've got this one that coincides with the release of the Dark Knight box set.

In it you will find:

BUY IT HERE!

and:

BUY IT HERE!