News Archive
So 2015, what is there to say?
2015 was a year of change and a bit going back to the future. I did a lot of new things and some things I hadn't done in a long time for various reasons. I attended new conventions and events like Kotoricon, AnimeNEXT, Sakura Sunday, and Thy Geekdom Con. I also returned to Wizard World and Philly Auto Show for the first time in ten years, the Jersey Shore for the first time since 2008, did a lot more karaoke, attended a book signing, took part in a Kickstarter campaign, met the rest of the crew behind the web series "Living In 8 Bits", went to a Barcade and Morris Arboretum, saw a few movies outdoors, finally saw "Evil Dead 2" and the "Dark Crystal" and started catching up on Doctor Who.
After RetroCon 2014, through projects by my friend Captain Kyle (check out his YouTube page here), creating Catapilla Cosplay and interacting with people through that page, cosplay and collectors groups on Facebook, I have met dozens of new people, felt more comfortable speaking in public, getting strangers commenting about my costumes and being a part of some new communities. The path to the cosplay side is almost complete. Now to invest in more costumes...
I met more people on the Meetup side too, hosted more fun events and became an organizer myself to take over after one of the groups I was a part of, which was fun and quite successful, ended after two years. We'll see how it goes, a lot of people from the old group have been joining. I joined another local Meetup as well and plan to continue having more joint events with them.
After 13 years of conventions, a dream came true this year when I finally got to see and meet actors who worked on Power Rangers and Star Trek. People like Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker, The Next Generation), Barbara Goodson (voice of Rita), Kerrigan Mahan (voices of Goldar/Magna Defender), Austin St. John (Jason), Walter Jones (Zack) and Karan Ashley (Aisha). I attended panels of George Takei (from Star Trek, Heroes and the Internet), Jason David Frank (Tommy from Power Rangers, master martial artist and sensei) I also saw Dee Synder (Twisted Sister singer, writer and radio host), learning a lot about acting and the music business.
Looking forward to more fun and adventures in 2016!
2013: Lots of fun and joy and some growth
If I had to describe 2013 year in a few words, I would say it was enjoyable. Really, it was. Like the things I've been doing are leading somewhere special, not just feeling like mindless wandering. With me there's always some of that but less than before. I made plans to do see exhibits and go to events and actually followed through with them, inviting friends along. I attended the PA Renaissance Faire for first time since 1990 and explored more of Philadelphia, seeing the refurbished Franklin Square and Clark Park for the first time. Visited the Franklin Institute for the Spy Exhibition, my first time there since high school, and the 1968 exhibit at the Constitution Center. And had a few surprises, like stumbling upon the Philadelphia Naked Bike Ride. Got to hang out in Haddonfield, NJ and Conshohocken. Finally got to see San Diego and almost experience the Phillies playing at Petco Park, braving the mass transit on my own. Texting the numbers at bus stops to get schedules, what an amazing idea!
I dedicated more time strengthening the friendships I have and meeting new people and spent less time with those who didn't really seem to care about me all that much. I learned more about what loving someone else is supposed to be about. Chatted with a few awesome ladies and saw some possibilities. Instead of looking for something that isn't there, I'm following up on those feelings; gut, heart, butterfly, whichever you like to call it, instead of dismissing them, they are there for a reason. I continue to vow to go to as many events my close friends invite me to if I'm able, who knows what could happen or who I could meet there?
Here are other things I learned this year. First, I learned that bad first impressions can sometimes be overcome. Next, I learned to tailor my communication based on what is easiest and more comfortable for the other person whether its via Facebook or texting. Another thing learned, it's the people you hold closest who matter and they make the experiences in life even better. Inviting friends to smaller events during the year is better than just having one bigger party and getting upset if a friend doesn't come.I stepped up and took on extra responsibilities when my family needed me. I learned a lot about construction helping remodel my parents' basement. I helped a relative move to the home of their dreams and saw the potential. Watched my nephew, the first of a new generation, grow and change. I think this grown-up thing is worth it after all.
Finally, I welcomed guinea pigs back into my life after many years, adopting "Chip" and "Dave" from my friends Karen and Josh. Love these crazy guys.
Next goals, deciding whether to repair, upgrade or replace my PC with a laptop or tablet-thing. And where my work life will take me next.
2012
December
2012 was one of the most eventful years for me and my family that I can remember. It was a year of change, a new generation starting and old traditions ending but new ones hopefully beginning. It was very stressful at times but it also brought a lot of happiness and the welcoming of new people into our lives and hearts.
On a personal level, I became an uncle and godfather, served as a groomsman in my sister's wedding after getting to know many of the amazing people in their circle of friends. I attended five conventions, including my first trip to Dallas for the annual Transformers convention, and helped out my friends Tony and Rose with their first convention, RetroCon. I attended my first official high school reunion and started sharing old VHS clips and photos with my former classmates there and on Vimeo.com.
Another important development came in my social life. I made an amazing friend who helped me see that there is more to New Jersey than the "crazy" roads and the shore and we shared plenty of wonderful times. I spent time with some old friends, including a former co-worker who is truly one-of-a-kind, whom I hadn't seen in a while and mostly talked to on Facebook. A better phone plan helped me keep in touch with more people. I got to do some things I hadn't been able to for a long time including attending a renaissance faire, exploring some of the new buildings on Independence Mall and going bowling again which I found I'm still not really good at.
Finally, I attended my fourth major artist concert seeing Bruce Springsteen for the first time. You can't really duplicate one of his shows, a blend of religious revival and rock-and-roll concert with an entire stadium of people dancing and chanting his name. Even if it at first sounds like they're booing him.
Whatever 2013 brings, I'm not sure it would be able to top this.
2011
September
I've gotten deeper into that time-wasting void known as Facebook. I'm on a pace to attend less shows this year than last which is disappointing but also happy to hang out a bit more with friends and former classmates and value other important things in my life. I joined a social group recently but my work schedule is crimping the activities I could be participating in and getting to know the group members.
The Absolute Zeros are currently the most active of the bands I follow, with shows at the Legendary Dobbs, Connie's Ric Rac, the Piazza At Schmidt's and a live recording session at Cedar Street Studios. I saw Mouth of Wilson for the first time in three years and finally received their new album but was not sure of what to make of this new version of the band. Cofounder Joe Edwards is currently teaching in Mexico so the band is on hiatus. Fantastic Planet continued their string of hot shows and put out an EP but appear to be limited to performing at two venues, the Note and the Grape Room. Tiffany Randol appeared with Moby on the Tonight Show and soon after performed in her old home of New Hope.
2010
December
My adventures in 2010 took me back to the place my music journey began, the Triumph in New Hope. I visited their location in Old City Philadelphia and the Tin Angel for the first time. More than a few musicians and artists I knew left old groups but formed new collaborations. I returned to Otakon and visited a new convention in New Jersey. I helped spread the word about an unoffical high school reunion and reconnected with many people I new then in the process, even some who couldn't attend. I attended more parties than ever before and met new people through family and friends. Half of these things wouldn't have happened without the amazing Facebook which I finally joined at the start of the year.
July
Facebook has been a revelation for me. I've added almost everyone I knew on MySpace and learned more about how each are doing.
I attended a high school reunion and brought Tracy along. I went to Ocean City to see my friend Karen and her new guiena pig.
My friend Greg from Blue Sinatra formed two new groups, Fantastic Planet (which has Mike and Steve from Blue Sinatra and Jon from Case of the Mondays) and the soulful duo Ohm Brellas.
Jealousy Curve released their third album, but is no longer playing shows. Have they broken up? Stay tuned...
March
The beginning of the year was sort of slow, as usual, but in a last minute decision on a slow New Year's Day I decided to join Facebook. I felt I was comfortable with how I wanted to present myself and was finally ready to see who was on there. It hasn't changed things a lot, just an evolution.
I met a few new bands, spent more time with my good friend Lara Allen and attended a surprise party for my sister's boyfriend at his house which he has been fixing up. I also went to my old friend Bill's birthday party and got to see his house, had an informal work reunion and met a new friend while enjoying a good night of Rock Band.
2009
December
How do you like me now?
Happy holidays! Squarespace life has been pretty good. Almost every report and story from the old site from this year has been reformatted as a journal entry. But they are always a few things that aren't worthy of a full entry. Recently I saw JAB at a hot tub store with fellow jam band Electric Yellow which are inspired by Phish, guitarist Nathan I had seen a few times at Karaoke and Pheromones shows.
October
Sarah Lane is one of my idols. Since she was on G4 I've listened to everything she's reviewed or recommended since, unlike some of the other personalities there, she had a good idea of what she was talking about. I started using Firefox as my browser because she talked about it on The Screen Savers and Attack Of The Show. Even after she left the network I and many other fans kept up on what she was doing through her website and blog. I heard about Squarespace from Revision3's Digg Reel, which she guest-hosted back in March. When I found out that Geocities was shutting down I had an excuse to try something new, so here I am! (I messed around with WordPress too, but I won't get into that.) Jumping into the blog pool is a very interesting experience but I know I'm interesting and have enough to talk about so let's get to it. Since unlike Sara Lane, who was able to port everything to Squarespace from her old site, I'll have to move all the old reports and convert them to posts myself but it's no big deal.
September
Geocites is closing at the end of October so this will be the last update for the site in its current form. It's been a great four years but the site will be expanding, adding new sections for experiences with technology and the Internet, conventions and going more into my personal life and reaching out to more people. It will feature a new customized theme and the best elements from artist and music websites, archives and blogs. There will be no more ads and I hope to have a new domain by then, too. Look for it all soon.
July
I think these every other month updates will go well. I'm holding tight on the old design of the site for now. I'm taking a look at some services before the Geocities account is closed later this year, that will go a long way to determining where I go and what the site will look like. It may include an intergrated blog.
My trip to California for BotCon was a fun time. I had some more fun at Carnivolution last month with my friends Elisha and Heather but it was crazier than usual including some suprising nudity from Eric "Jelly Boy" himself. Glad I've got over a month to recover from that. I also went to Karaoke recently in a tribute to Michael Jackson. The organizer played his songs occasionally and one girl did "Thriller" and "The Way You Make Me Feel." I'm looking forward to returning to Baltimore for Otakon and seeing more than one Phillie at the baseball All-Star Game.
May
As this site expands and I get more comfortable talking about other aspects of my personal life, you'll see it looking more like a blog. It's not really a blog, however, since you can't search or comment on my postings. I'm seeing less live music these days but there will be more about events, conventions and other interesting things I'm doing. JAB and the Hydrogen Jukebox are now on my band links; I've been seeing them for years so I thought I'd finally take some pictures and add them to the site. I'll also be looking forward to my trip to Pasadena at the end of May for BotCon (if the H1N1 virus hasn't infected everyone by then).
In band news, Blue Sinatra will be taking most of the summer off to work on new material but will have an EP ready on iTunes to tide their fans over. Mouth Of Wilson added another talented singer/songwriter, Jim Gavin, who plays bass and will take some of the writing load left by Devin Rosa's departure for a solo career.
March
There are a lot of birthdays for people I know in February and March other than Laura Cheadle and I celebrated with some of them. For Lara Allen's birthday I came over the house where she was staying and hung out with her friends. Various instruments were set up in the "dining" room and some of us jammed there. I listened for awhile, then joined in, playing drums then some bass. I had played drums a few times at Richie's and at JAB's New Year's Eve party, but it was only the second time I had ever played bass. Next I hung out at my friend Bill's apartment for a combination birthday/housewarming and played Rock Band. Finally, I celebrated my own birthday with my family and good friend by doing Karaoke at Mike's York/Street Bar. I got a new digital camera and my original one went back into retirement. I tested it during a JAB show.
Dave Devlin and the Gruffs have taken a break but he is working on his acoustic album and playing with a new group, Exquisite Live. Lara Allen is performing with Stellium, a psychedelic-like group that recently played at South By Southwest. I haven't seen them yet but I hope to in April. The Hydrogen Jukebox starts back up with 2nd Fridays at the Tiberino Museum in May.
2008
December
There weren't a whole lot of concerts for the rest of 2008 but there were other things to enjoy including Otakon and house parties at the Arnolds featuring JAB. My camera was dunked into the ocean while visiting my friend Karen in New Jersey so I've been using my ol' trusty first digital camera (circa 2002) in the meantime. In local music adventures the Pheromones started playing regular shows again and I finally went back to John and Peter's to see a Smiths cover band. Laura Cheadle's new album comes out in February. In a bit of sad news Mouth Of Wilson said farewell to co-founder and lead guitarist Devin, bringing an end to a nice run for the group but they are playing some acoustic shows.
July
Finally some good news about the local venues, South Street is regaining an old favorite venue from the '90s: J.C. Dobbs is returning to its original location, the former site of the Pontiac Grille. It should be open soon with all-ages shows. Their new site is here. And the Fillmore experiment is over, the TLA is back to being simply the Theatre Of Living Arts.
Blue Sinatra and Laura Cheadle gave fans a taste of their new music on their MySpace profiles which was great news but the fact that Polymer changed their name to The Classic was a big surprise. I feel part of the reason the name was changed was because with the departure of Jon, their co-lead guitarist and a major songwriting partner, they were no longer the same band. Fans were recently able to see this new version of the band in action for the first time this year at the North Star Bar. I went to my second big concert, Dave Matthews Band, in Hershey. And finally, one of my friends, Linzi from The Pheromones, recently got married! I hope the band plays again soon!
April
With the recent closing of Grape Street, area bands and their fans have been coping the best they can. One of the venues that they have turned to is the North Star bar and I recently took in two shows there. I had not been there since 2005 and wanted to see what, if anything changed there. Both of the shows were on Thursdays so not as many people could come out as at Grape Street; it is tough to find open nights there with national acts booking many Fridays and Saturdays. Read my MySpace blog post about Grape Street's closing, and some reaction, here.
February
The first update of 2008 wraps up quite an interesting 2007. In artist news, it was an eventful year for the bands I follow. Whereas almost all of them released a new album in 2006, in 2007 many changed lineups: the Pheromones' co-founder Jessica got married and moved to Maine, Blue Sinatra and Mouth Of Wilson saw their bassists move on and Polymer's guitarist Jon headed to California. It was sad to see them go since all of them were founding members but most were able to pass the torch to their replacements. Taking advantage of the usual slow winter Dave Devlin, Polymer, Blue Sinatra and Laura Cheadle headed to the studio and started recording new songs.
In personal notes I greatly expanded my music collection over the holidays. Most of these albums I have wanted for years. I picked up the debut albums of the Cars and Pretenders, (which I recommend that everyone should own) Collective Soul's second album and complations of the Gin Blossoms, Doobie Brothers, 10cc, Squeeze and Stevie Wonder. That should give you an idea of the variety of music I like to listen to.
2007
October
I have had plenty of things going in the past two months or so, not as many concerts but plenty of other things like going to the shore and my sister's wedding, details and pictures of which I posted on my Flickr and MySpace pages.
I also attended the September 20th Genesis show in Philadelphia. I was proud that my first concert with a major artist featured my favorite group of all time. I could not take pictures there but you can find some at their German fan club site, here.
July
I have been really thinking about where this site had been and what I hope to accomplish with it. I really want to work on changing the format and refocusing on what I want to do now. Things have changed a bit since this started but after over three years of going to concerts and spending time with musicians and music fans two things continue to be true - I cherish the friendships I have made and my love for music is as strong as ever.
Recently I caught shows by Dave Devlin and Mouth Of Wilson in Trenton and saw Future 86 and Laura Cheadle again. I also attended BotCon, pictures from that can be found on my Flickr page. In some exciting news, the Pheromones have found a new drummer and hope to be playing shows again in the near future.
June
Alternative rock returned to the Philadelphia airwaves in May with the new Radio 104.5. On their website they promise to deliver the alternative music and showcase for local indie artists that has been relegated to WMMR (93.3) since Y100 went off the airwaves a few years ago. Will it be the chance for some more of my friends to get played on the radio? We shall see. Check their website: radio1045.com.
The TLA is now The Fillmore at the TLA. With the new name came a bit of needed remodeling.
In Project news, I was finally able to see Laura Cheadle again and help welcome Mouth Of Wilson back to Grape Street and WMMR's Thursday Night Rock show. I also finally sang (yes, sang) doing Karaoke over Memorial Day weekend.
March
I have healed up and the Project is back in gear. I was so happy to go to shows again and my local music collection has doubled after all the recent releases by the groups I am friends with, including Blue Sinatra's Move and Mouth Of Wilson's self-titled album which I finally picked up a few weeks back. In regards to doing something special for the anniversary of this site, I would like to let everyone know that things are progressing quickly but I want to make sure that things are done right.
Coming up, I have a date with Polymer and a long-awaited reunion with Laura Cheadle in April, and shows by Dave Devlin and Mouth Of Wilson in May.
January
I have been unable to attend any shows recently due to a car accident around the holidays. However, I was able to finish off the rest of the reports for 2006 and had more time to work on a little something special that you are going to really like and will take the Project to another level.
In local music notes, Dave Devlin is promoting his new album and getting some college radio play. Mouth Of Wilson recently released their self-titled debut and have posted a music video for "Heavy" and an interview on MySpace.
The releases by my favorite groups are halfway done and there has been a lot of really good music so far. Here's what we have left:
- The Pheromones - Sundered (2/10/07)
- Blue Sinatra - Move (3/9/07)
They may be EPs but don't think they will be any less awesome than the others!
2006
December
What inspired all five of the main artists I see to release records within four months of each other? It must have something to do with the Catapilla Project I guess! Anyway, these guys are giving me new recording overload. The release dates are as follows:
- Polymer - Start To Move (11/11/06)
- Dave Devlin - The Stand (12/16/06)
- Mouth Of Wilson - Mouth Of Wilson (1/21/07)
- The Pheromones - first EP (2/10/07)
- Blue Sinatra - second EP (3/9/07)
I'll enjoy it while it lasts since it will probably never happen again!
November
Dave Devlin's new site now features my newer pictures and I have been helping him out with both it and also his new album, most of which I have already heard. You'll have to wait until December for its release. However, Polymer's new album, their first with Candice Harris, is out this month.
The venues section is updated, adding World Café Live but, sadly, removing venues that have recently closed. Some maintenance has been done on artist pages as well.
October
It is a sad time for Philadelphia local-music fans. Club 218 and Abilene have recently closed their doors, adding to the news earlier this year that the Pontiac Grille would no longer feature live bands. The two bands that I follow that will be most affected are Blue Sinatra and the Pheromones. Thanks to these bands playing at these venues, I came back to South Street in April after a long absence. Now, there is hardly a reason for me to return. While music venues on South Street have dwindled, Grape Street and the clubs in New Hope continue to thrive. Many music fans, including myself, are wondering if and when new venues will rise up to fill the void. I won't have to drive as far to see bands in Philly, but I will miss the venues and walking around on the Street (and trying to find free parking spaces) just the same. And all this just before the city's smoking ban came into effect. Read Blue Sinatra main man Greg's blog post for more.
August
A evolution is coming... or is it a revolution???
Blue Sinatra and Polymer have both ended their summer schedules and have taken September off to record new albums. With the changes each group has undergone since their last one and the new songs they have been playing live, it will be very exciting to hear how the recordings turn out. And not to mention Mouth Of Wilson's upcoming first release also due in the fall. I'll have to start saving my money!
July
It's summer break here at the Project and some connections are being expanded but there are some interesting upcoming shows and events to cover. Bear with us, there is some server construction going on so some sections may be temporarily unavailable.
June
I have added or fixed links on Dave Devlin's page and the related show pages so you can now access all of the pictures I took for him back in the day (two years ago, way before this site was started). I can only hope he will use my pictures from this year...
May
Most of the concert reports this year now feature links to more photos on Flikr! The local music section continues to be cleaned up.
April
You know what they say, change is not easy. It has taken plenty of events and concerts, new bands entering my world and old ones evolving or breaking up in the past year to figure out exactly what the Catapilla Project is and what I am trying to do with it. Mission goals have changed; some things are not as important as they were when this whole thing started. It's about getting down to what really is important: sharing myself, my love for music and related ideas, knowledge and experiences and helping the friends I have made along the way. That's what I really want to do with this - everything else is just icing.
March
One year anniversary, baby!