Music To Your Fears

Taste the music: Headliners Edgar Winter and Charlie
Daniels amped up the jam packed crowd during the 2010 Taste of Syracuse. MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO

“We’ve got bands from Boston, Chicago, New Jersey and of course New
York,” says Jeff Meyer, prime organizer of the event since its
inception, as well as the mad scientist behind the Brew and View events
held at Eastwood’s Palace Theatre and a factotum of other trades around
town. “It’s one of the most unknown events that is probably one of the
biggest around that doesn’t have a corporate sponsor and is made
possible by a bunch of do-it-yourself people and bands that care about
donating their time and efforts to a good cause.”

The event was created in memory of Meyer’s friend Shaun Luu, a
Syracuse resident who passed away June 10, 2005, from brain cancer.
Meyer, with a little help from his friends, stage the festival in honor
of Luu, who had a zest for horror flicks and hard-rocking music, the
latter which really came out when he was fronting the local band Word as
Virus. But another aim of the Horror Fest is to raise awareness—and
funds—for a good cause: Proceeds from the Saturday and Sunday events
will be donated to the Golisano Children’s Hospital. Last year,
$5,480 was raised for Golisano, and Meyer has a feeling that number
might be even higher this year.

MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO

Kicking things off on Friday is a six-band blowout at the Westcott
Community Center, 826 Euclid Ave., that will see all proceeds
donated right back to the host venue to help them keep neighborhood
programs and events rolling along. The event is an all-ages show and the
music begins at 6:30 p.m., with bands Cowards, Tiger Flowers,
Mistletoe, End of the Year, Mandate of Heaven and Like
Wolves slated to appear; tickets cost $7 and can be purchased at
the door.  

On Sunday, the music moves to Monirae’s, 688 Route 10,
Pennelville, where

15 bands are slated to take the stage during this all-ages, all-day
event; tickets cost $10 and the doors open at noon. A “secret” band
kicks things off at 12:15 p.m., followed by Strong Willed, Lucertola,
Ebony Sorrow, Public Assistance, East of the Wall,
Rosetta, Iron Rain, Walk the Line, The Last
Season, Freya, Ringworm, This is Hell, GhostXship,
Another Breath. The last band is scheduled to finish up at 11:35
p.m., but this is rock’n’roll and time is not of the essence, so if
you’ve got a midnight curfew, all times are not exact. 

A portion of the bar proceeds from Monirae’s will be donated to the
Golisano’s Children Hospital, while all proceeds after band fees and
travel expenses will also go to the same cause. And if you work up an
appetite slamming and jamming to the heavy and hardcore sounds of the
bands, Monirae’s is more than happy to make special additions to their
usual food menu and get in on the fun of the event to accommodate their
Sunday crowd.

“We worked with Monirae’s to create a menu with food items that
vegetarians and vegans can order off,” continues Meyer. “They came up
with about five or six entrees and sandwiches named after movies and
bands that are playing the Horror Fest, like the ‘Indiana Jones and the
Burrito of Doom’ and the ‘Street Trash Garbage Plate,’ and they can be
made for vegans or meat eaters. {Monirae’s} has been really helpful with
us every step of the way and really seemed to want to get involved and
help us out as much as they could with everything and it should be a
real cool time.”

And if you haven’t had enough and need a little more thrash to get
you primed for the Monday morning work week, an after-party nightcap
will be held at the Half Penny Pub, 321 W. Fayette St., beginning
at 11 p.m., commencing before the music’s even over at Monirae’s. Bands
scheduled to appear are Adelphia, Mayflower, Night
Owls and more, and like always at this joint, it’s only for ages 21
and over, but the admission is free. So drink up to some hair-raising
fun and end the night waking up Monday morning chasing the hair of the
dog that bit you. Cheers to fears.

Cutting Loose

Los Blancos bid farewell to their regular Sunday gig at Empire Brewing Company, 120 Walton St., Sunday, June 13, with a CD release party. The new CD, influenced by the acoustic sets they have serenaded brunchers with for years, is called Taj for Breakfast (Casablancos), and will be available for purchase at the brunch, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. “This is the end of the series for us,” notes Aberdeen. “We’re done with the blues brunch after Sunday, but the brunches will continue.” As for the differences between the Blancos’ normal, Blues Fest-type sets, Aberdeen explains: “It’s much quieter, for one thing, and we play more roots and blues, not as much rock and wide-open roots rock on steroids, as some have described it.” For more information, call Empire at 475-BEER.