Audio Rumble: End Year Review 2023

 Audio Rumble end of year review for 2023:

Dec. 10 – Video of Buzz Zeemer at the Franklin Mills Mall in 1997 released on YouTube on Good Day Philadelphia with “Psychedelic Santa.”

Dec. 2 – Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers perform at The Recher in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dec. 1 – Tickets go on sale for Buzz Zeemer reunion to promote “Lost and Found” at Ardmore Music Hall on March 29. https://wl.seetickets.us/event/buzz-zeemer/578079...

Nov. 11 – Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers perform at Ardmore Music Hall.

Oct. 16 - Frank Brown (Flight of Mavis/Buzz Zeemer) interview “Yo That’s My Jawn"

https://theimpactplayers.com/.../yo-thats-my-jawn-the.../...

Oct 24 – Frank Brown (Flight of Mavis/Buzz Zeemer/Travel Lanes) interview with “25 O’Clock” – Philadelphia’s longest running music podcast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtnd8ObESnQ

Sept 30 – Tommy Conwell plays Ardmore Music Hall with David Uosikkinen's In The Pocket.

Sept. 24 – Video of Buzz Zeemer performing “Crush” live on Walnut Street at HMV in 1996 released on YouTube.

Sept. 23 – From Sept 23 – Oct 13, Buzz Zeemer’s “Lost and Found” topped the Radio Free Americana charts and remains near the top at the end of 2023.

Sept. 8 – Released on Main Street Music Records, Buzz Zeemer’s “Lost and Found” is their first album release in almost 30 years. And a very personal project for Pat [Feeney], the owner of Main Street Music, who managed Buzz Zeemer during their run. Curated from recordings done with Adam Lasus between 1993 and 1997. MainStreetMusicPA also hosted a record release listening party that evening.

Aug. 30 – Buzz Zeemer’s single “Sometimes” is released on all streaming platforms! This early version features Kevin Karg, Andrew Chalfen and Gus Cordovox.

Aug. 28 – Video of Buzz Zeemer performing “I Live Next Door” on Walnut Street 1996 in front of HMV.

Aug. 9 - All Better Said,” the 3rd single from LOST AND FOUND by Buzz Zeemer, is out on all streaming options.

Aug. 8 - Tommy Conwell Rumblers and the Young Rumblers released their national debut album 'Rumble' 35 years ago on August 8, 1988.

July 28 – Tommy Conwell and the House Rockers perform at the 37th Annual Upper Merion Concerts Under the Stars in King of Prussia, PA

July 23 – Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers perform at Bottle & Cork in Dewey Beach Delaware.

July 18 – “Shelly Don’t Mind” released on streaming sites.

June 30 - Dan DeLuca includes Buzz Zeemer’s “C’mon If You Can” in his Summer Music article in @phillyinquirer: “Before you hop in the car, roll the windows down and drive into the sun, you need some good tunes.”

June 24 – Flight of Mavis (3/4 of the band Buzz Zeemer: Frank Brown Ken Buono and Dave McElroy) perform to a sold-out audience at 118 North in Wayne, PA.

June 24 – Buzz Zeemer’s first single “C’mon If You Can” hits streaming across the internet.

June 20 – Main Street Music Records announces their inaugural record release of Lost and Found by BUZZ ZEEMER on September 8.

April 28 – The Return of the Guild! Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers perform at Ardmore Music Hall. https://audiorumble.blogspot.com/.../the-return-of-guild...

Jan. 20 – Tommy Conwell and the House Rockers perform at 118 North.

Buzz Zeemer - Psychedelic Santa

Buzz Zeemer at the Franklin Mills Mall in 1997. Psychedelic Santa is from the Record Cellar release, Season's Greetings. 🎅🎄❄⛄

Music Dreams Do Come True!

 And they said this day would never come! Tickets go on sale today for Buzz Zeemer at Ardmore Music Hall with The Tisburys. Tickets can be purchased here.

R.E.M and Ardmore Music Hall

Dude:  What’s up, DJ Caterina?

DJ Cat: Hey, did you hear that Michael Shannon, part-time musician and full-time famous Hollywood actor (and he’s so amazing as an actor!) and musician Jason Narducy (Bob Mould Band, Superchunk) are taking their act on the road for a tour in February?

Dude:  Really?

DJ Cat: Yup, the duo is going out for a seven-date concert tour where they will perform R.E.M.’s debut album “Murmur” in full every night. And one of the stops is at Ardmore Music Hall.

Dude:  Sounds intriguing.

DJ Cat:  Maybe. I’m not necessarily a big R.E.M fan, but I have enjoyed hearing R.E.M.’s lead singer Michael Stipe discuss how he was in awe of Michael Hutchence's (lead singer of INXS) songwriting.

Dude:  But are you going to this concert?

DJ Cat: Another R.E.M story that I’m familiar with is that when Philadelphia’s Flight of Mavis was touring with The Reivers in 1991, people began hearing ‘underground’ stories that R.E.M. were performing secret concerts on the East Coast under the name, Flight of Mavis. Except it wasn’t R.E.M.—it WAS Flight of Mavis.  

Dude:  …and?

DJ Cat:  Frank Brown, the lead singer of Flight of Mavis, now fronts a band called Travel Lanes. AND his other band, Buzz Zeemer has also just released an album of “new-to-us” songs recorded in the 1990s, hence the name, “Lost and Found.”
It’s on bandcamp!

Dude:  Am I in a commercial here?! Look, I’m leaving.

DJ Cat:  I’m all out of R.E.M. stories, anyway.

Buzz Zeemer - The Red Sessions

Somewhere in the early 2010's, I picked up some Buzz Zeemer "demo" tracks online that were ID'd as "The Red Sessions" or "The Red Days." What I didn't know was that these tracks--Easy Does It, All Better Said, What I've Got--were recorded at Adam Lasus' Studio Red in the 1990s. You can see Studio Red on the inner sleeve of Buzz Zeemer's "Lost and Found" vinyl. If you still haven't heard any of these tracks, check it out soon! 
Meanwhile, one of my goals is to walk down a city street, turn a corner and BOOM! There's my favorite band just performing on the sidewalk! And listen to that TC solo! 🎶🤩🎸 

Punk Rock Girls - Tommy Conwell and the Little Kings

Tommy Conwell and the Little Kings' cover of "Punk Rock Girls" by American punk rock band, the Queers. Track is from the 1999 album "Hi-Ho-Silver!" by Tommy Conwell and the Little Kings on Llist Records.

Buzz Zeemer CD Extra Tracks - "Lost and Found"

 

If you are wondering about the five 😉 “extra” songs on the Buzz Zeemer CD…wonder no more! The songs are: 

• You Told Me 
• I Didn’t Know 
• Make You Feel Better 
• Different Roads 
• I Live Next Door 

My current faves are “Happy Hour” and “Anywhere.” These two songs are ‘new to me’ – because as a BUZZ ZEEMER SUPER FAN, I’ve been lucky enough to own and hear these songs for many years now, including “Shelly Don’t Mind.” Mainly getting my copies online from other fans, finding some live music on MySpace (yes—MySpace!), and even Dave Maybaum, who gave me a CD of BZ songs the first time I met him before a Travel Lanes gig. And what I always considered my super-secret favorite songs of all time are now available to the world: “Easy Does It” and “Make You Feel Better.” Oh! And those amazing Tommy Conwell guitar solos! 😍 

Thank you to Frank Brown, Pat Feeney, Adam Lasus, Ken Buono and all the others who made this recording a reality in 2023. And giving me something that kept me hopeful this summer. 

🎶 ...Still nothing seems to matter
but the time we’re on her step
it's just that what she takes for granted I can’t forget 

…she don’t have time much to wonder 

what’s in the stars or what’s under
she don’t have a clue about the guy she calls a friend
So please accept my bit the best performance. 

'cause if I tried to tell her
 there’s no way to take it back
If I told her I’m not sure how we’d react. 🎶
- Easy Does It by Buzz Zeemer

Tommy Conwell Concerts - July 2023

Two Tommy Conwell shows in July!

• Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers – Sunday, July 23, 2023
  

  Bottle & Cork

  Dewey Beach, DE

  7:30 PM - 11:00 PM 

  Tickets: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/bottleandcork/888903? 

• Tommy Conwell & The House Rockers – Friday, Jul 28, 2023
    37th Annual Upper Merion Concerts Under The Stars
    Upper Merion Township Building Park
    King of Prussia, PA
    Doors: 6:00PM | Show: 7:00PM
    Tickets:  https://wl.seetickets.us/event/Tommy-ConwellandTheHouseRockers/541651?afflky=ConcertsUndertheStars

 

Flight of Mavis - 118 North *Sold Out*

Flight of Mavis (3/4 of the band Buzz Zeemer: Frank Brown Ken Buono and Dave McElroy) performed live at 118 North in Wayne, PA on June 24, 2023. The event was sold out! Mike Brenner sat in for the encore!

• I Need You
• NRBQ
• You Got It
• Gotta Getta New Car
• The First Step
• Curious
• Through Her Eyes (Disneyland)
• It Comes in Time
• Anywhere (new/old Buzz Zeemer song)
• We Believe in You
• Trying to Get Close
• See Saw
• Looking for the Fort
• Top of the Pops
• C'mon if U Can
• I'll Miss You
• The Backyard (Miracle Legion cover)
• Waitin' on a Wave
• On My Mind
  
  Encore
• Skip Around It
• Through It All

A Buzz Zeemer Concert Story

Thanks to Dave Maybaum for this incredible Buzz Zeemer concert story!

"The GREATEST BUZZ ZEEMER SHOW in history took place at The Tin Angel one night in 1997. Two friends and I went out for dinner and a concert. On this night, Buzz Zeemer were scheduled to play a double-bill with a group called The Bathers and we planned on seeing both sets. 

We got there a little early and Buzz Zeemer had just finished rehearsing—I had my copy of Plaything with me. I had the entire band autograph the CD and Tommy Conwell said, “Don’t let this go to your head, guys!”

We saw The Bathers play and then Buzz Zeemer—they were spectacular! But then Buzz began playing new songs that I had not heard before and weren’t available yet:  “Useless Information,” “Red Balloon,” “I Don’t Want To Fall,” and “There Should Be a Book.” 

One of my friends left early after the first set—but he was going to be sorry for missing what we were about to see at that second set.

The Bathers came back and played again and then Buzz Zeemer came back, took the stage-- and played the show of a lifetime!

Song after song after song--the band would NOT stop playing and we were not complaining! I remember singing along to “What The Hell I Got” and just grooving. Finally, the band seemed to run out of tunes and started playing covers like Fats Domino’s “My Blue Heaven” and Cheap Trick’s “Downed.” 

We were worn out by the end of the night. Me and my friend still talk about Buzz Zeemer’s amazing 2nd set at The Tin Angel to this day!"

Lost and Found | Buzz Zeemer: On Main Street Music Records

It’s *officially* Buzz Zeemer summer!

LOST AND FOUND out on Friday, Sept. 8--get your pre-order on BandCamp!

From Main Street Music:
We are so excited to announce a debut release on Main Street Music Records: Lost and Found by BUZZ ZEEMER out September 8th. Almost 30 years in the making, this is a very personal release for Pat [Feeney], the owner of Main Street Music, who managed Buzz Zeemer during their run. Curated from recordings done with Adam Lasus between 1993 and 1997, Lost and Found is more than a collection of loose recordings; it’s truly a standalone record that tells the story of a band underrated during their time that sounds both classic and modern. If you’re a fan of 90s power pop and classic songwriting, Lost and Found is for you. Pre-orders for black and red translucent vinyl are available now on Bandcamp and in-store. First single “C’mon If You Can” will hit streaming this Saturday, June 24, the same day as the sold out Flight of Mavis reunion show at 118 North. More to come soon!

Buzz Zeemer - the 90s!

 

The Return of the Guild!

Kind of a big deal at Ardmore Music Hall on Friday night when Tommy Conwell brought out the 1969 Guild X500. 

For those who aren’t up to speed on the history and legacy of this guitar to Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers, here are a few articles to catch you up. 

• Rolling Stone Magazine – October 1988 – Introduction to Tommy’s autographed guitar. 
• The guitar was stolen when the Young Rumblers were on tour in 1990, but eventually recovered. 
• My mini-short documentary on when Stevie Ray Vaughan signed Tommy’s guitar and the history behind the signatures. 

Cornerstone TCYR promo [1988]

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers promo image from Cornerstone Management, 1988. 

Photographer: Patrick Harbron

Philadelphia icon: Jerry Blavat [1940-2023]

The passing of a Philadelphia icon: Jerry Blavat, the Geator with the Heater, an American disc jockey and radio legend known for his eight decades hosting events and on the radio in Philadelphia has died at 82.

In 2011, Jerry contributed his vocal stylings to a cover of The Dovells’ “You Can’t Sit Down” with David Uosikkinen's In The Pocket along with Eric Bazilian, Graham Alexander, Rob Hyman, Tommy Conwell, David Uosikkinen, and Jay Davidson.

Happy Birthday, Tommy Conwell!

Happy Birthday, Tommy Conwell! [January 14, 1962] 

The best!

🎸🎶🎉😎