Sunday, December 9, 2001 - Toys for Tots - Royal Crowne Plaza Hotel Ballroom

Sunday, December 9, 2001 - Toys for Tots - Royal Crowne Plaza Hotel Ballroom - 1pm-11pm

Sunday, December 9, 2001
Toys for Tots
Royal Crowne Plaza Hotel Ballroom
1pm-11pm

Locke http://thefuture.locke.net
Nevermoure http://www.nevermoure.com
Zero Gravity http://www.zerogravityrocks.com
Juiced http://www.juicedrocks.com
Darcie Miner http://www.darcieminer.com
Clove http://www.clovemusic.com
Martini Bros. http://www.martinibros.com
Emily’s ToyBox http://emilystoybox.com
Negative Space http://www.negativespacerocks.com
Spellbound http://www.spellboundrocks.com

Arriving somewhat late to the Toys for Tots benefit show, we knew we had not missed anything. We choose a table behind the empty dance floor and next to the sound and lighting tables. Lights dimmed and the Locke trio took the stage for several songs. Before their time finished, the guys stepped down and turned the stage over to two new guys. One sang while the other played guitar.

While they performed, we checked out the goodies adorning the tabletop. Proud American X air fresheners, 105.7 X window clings, Sight and Sound brochures, Sight and Sound pens, and a centerpiece of helium-filled X balloons. One of the guys running the equipment next to us gathered all the air fresheners in a pile and later took them away to put with his belongings we suppose. As he sat in front of the lighting table, he munched on Pringles out of a mini Pringles canister. S hannon mentioned how they looked good and not a minute went by before he turned his head and extended the canister to her. She politely shook her head no. We tried to think of where to get lunch since there was no food in the ballroom…until the Pringles guy appeared with a hot dog. So the ballroom had food, just not the kind we wanted.

During the in between time, Evelyn arrived to see her friends from Nevermoure. She sat at the table next to us with a group of her friends. After an X air personality tossed out some CDs and t-shirts Nevermoure began a great show, in which they debuted a wonderful new song. The guys of Nevermoure also had one of the Marines come up to the front to receive a bicycle they brought to donate to the cause. This was our second time seeing the guys, but our first full show of theirs. Melanie enjoyed them the first time outside in front of the 5:01, but this second time made Shannon a fan too.

At the conclusion of Nevermoure’s set, Zero Gravity prepared to take the stage. We had seen Zero Gravity at the WLAN Rediscover America Benefit where they did mostly covers. We knew this would be a band Shannon’s mom would enjoy. We took a break from the dark ballroom (and sonnet writing) to sit in some of the cushy chairs in the lit second level lobby area and chat. We saw Angela who introduced us to Michelle, who posts on Negative Space’s board.

When Zero Gravity was off stage, we re-entered the ballroom to see how Shannon’s mom enjoyed the show. Before we left the ballroom she had been mouthing along lyrics to the songs. Turns out she was talking with one of the guys’ wife. She had fun listening to them.

Juiced, the female fronted band that covers many hard rocking songs fronted by male vocalists (and covers them well), had the dance floor packed. The lead vocalist Carrie, we noticed, hung around all day and night. Beth, the bassist, was there pretty late too. While they poured out energy on stage, we looked over the Plaza’s menu from the restaurant downstairs.

Next the Darcie Miner Band was on stage. Some kids that we had seen playing in the lobby during Zero Gravity’s set got comfortable to watch Darcie. They brought some pillows in off the couches onto the cleared dance floor. Darcie, in usual Darcie style, broke a string mid-song. Poor gal. Christian of Locke brought out his acoustic for her to borrow to finish out her set. Luckily her last song did not require her to play guitar.

Clove was up next and some people wandered over to the stage front, including us. They played a clap along song and had two adult audience members come onstage and one little boy join Jen, the blonde bare-foot lead vocalist. Jen tossed some of her water from her bottle onto her husband Dave’s drum set at one point, which created a cool effect.

The Martini Bros. were up next and we nabbed front and center positions. Deuce, clad in a red sport jacket, came over and said hello before they began. To our left was the kids posse, which moved to the far right of the stage before the set was over. Mike placed a ripped, duct-taped, stepped on, written on piece of paper that had formerly been white on one side and an American flag on the other in front of him. One boy offered to throw it away for the bleached blonde Mike. His reply was laughing no and that it was important stuff! It was his set list. While the kids were still on our left, two of them eagerly hopped about, pointing our dropped guitar picks to each other. During the set, when Mike finished playing with a nd empty beer bottle, he dropped it. One of the kids then picked it up and set it upright! When on the last song, Mike swiped his set list off the stage and quickly handed it to Shannon.

We tried to keep our space for Emily’s ToyBox, but it did not happen. We shifted down towards Danny and his green bass. Then, during the first song, someone squished in between us and the stage. However, before that first song began Michelle Cruz took a mic to announce the band and toss out CDs and shirts. While Melanie was inserting one of her earplugs, she wasn’t looking at the stage. Michelle tossed out a CD, which hit her head, bounced off, flew open, and landed in Shannon’s mom’s hands. She looked behind her and Shannon’s mom asked, “You have this CD already don’t you?” Melanie told her that we both did and then realized that everyone was looking at her as Michelle was apologizing and telling the crowd that she had hit her on the head. She handed Melanie a t-shirt to make up for it. Melanie wordlessly accepted it, kind of surprised. (Thank you Michelle, it really didn’t hurt that much at all.) ETB entertained the crowd and invited Nevermoure members, who had stuck around since two, on stage to finish out a couple songs. Adam finished out the vocals for “I’m the Bomb” and Dawg finished out on bass for “Bionic.”

This was our second time seeing ETB perform and our first seeing them with Todd (formerly of Negative Space and Novelty). On Sunday, November 11th, Claudine announced on Under the Radar (105.7 the X @ 10:30P.M.-11:00P.M.) that Todd had officially joined ETB. But how did she know? hmmm… The official announcement was made November 16th at the Crocodile Rock in Allentown, PA. However, apparently not many listen to the radio show because the surprise announcement was not ruined. Also, Danny has left ETB. His last show was Saturday, December 15th at Club Xcess in Wilkes-Barre, PA. That was four shows after Toys for Tots. Leon has become the new bassist. His first show as an ETB member was on Monday, December 17th at the Rio Station in Rio Grande, NJ. (Leon and his wife Beth of Juiced are both bassists.) Leon is a former member of Clove and Block. Leon also played in both of those bands with Rick, who is now a member of Negative Space, filling the space left by Todd when he left and joined ETB. Rick’s first show with Negative Space was on Monday, October 29th. In early December, Negative Space’s drummer Sean left the band like as announced months earlier. Don, the newest Negative Space member played with the band on Thursday, December 6th for his first show. Whew! Could ya follow that?

After ETB played, we decided we no longer wanted to be a part of the big crowd up front. Melanie wasn’t feeling wonderful so we sat to the right of the stage where Angela later joined us as well as Juiced and ETB members as Negative Space played. However, before Negative Space started to play, we gave Evelyn her belated birthday present (it was a t-shirt we designed). She got busy with people wanting to purchase ETB merchandise, but found us and thanked us before Negative Space began their set.

Negative Space did well with their covers, however we enjoy their originals more. (Carrie loved their Linkin Park “In the End” cover.) They played two originals, which were the only ones Don knew so far. After they were finished we gave Josh a box of chewy chocolate chip cookies, the kind he requested members of the mailing list send if they want to be taken off the list. We said hi to Stu, Rick, and Don in the lobby and chatted with Mark for a bit before finally leaving.