West Coast Wonders Wander to Manayunk

From roxborough.patch.com:
Second acts can be hard in rock ‘n’ roll. Then again, for The Memorials and Just Like Vinyl, who will be playing The Grape Room Feb 1 (7 p.m., $10), this is more like the umpteenth act.

Memorials drummer Thomas Pridgen has played with Foxy Shazam, Juliette Lewis and, most famously, The Mars Volta. Guitarist Nick Brewers has done time with everything from reggae to metal. Just Like Vinyl’s Thomas Erak fronted prog-metal act Fall of Troy; bassist Henry Batts was on the road crew.

Memorials frontwoman Viveca Hawkins is the one fresh face among the vets. Sure, she’s got plenty of experience with music, but rock was a new game for her.

“(Pridgen) wanted it to be an original sound. I provided that with an ignorance,” she said. “I didn’t listen to much popular music. There are those hardcore rock fans who don’t hear what I hear. Where I’m coming from is a totally different background. All the different ways I choose to use my voice come from gospel and jazz and hip-hop and soul.”

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Article written by Joe Pelone.

In the News: Jeff Thomas

From roxborough.patch.com:

Liberated from the record label game, Jeff Thomas (ex-Frogs/Mighty Head) does what he wants now.

“The goal is to have fun. Last time at Grape Street I broke like 15 keys on my piano and threw it off the stage. I had to buy a new one,” he said.

Thomas has been playing music professionally in one way or another since 1991, and Saturday, he’ll be playing two hours worth of music at the only consistently reliable music venue in Manayunk, the Grape Room, with pop rock acts 28 North and Early Ape.

Helping him out is fellow industry survivor and Philadelphia music icon Eric Bazilian of The Hooters. It’s kind of a big deal to be backed up by the guy who wrote hits like “And We Danced,” “Blood From a Stone” and “What If God Was One of Us,” but Bazilian remains nonchalant about it.

“I have no expectations,” he said. “It’s his show. I’m a guest.”

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