Scott Tady: Beaver County singer tours Left Coast, zombies invade Rochester

Scott Tady, Beaver County Times

Let's get you caught up on the local entertainment scene:

Morgan Gruber embarks next week on a West Coast tour.

Franklin Township's "American Idol" Gold Ticket winner will play eight dates in Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada, then hop to Hawaii for a nine-date run with Hawaiian-raised Nashville recording artist Waylon Nihipali.

Gruber and Nihipali just released a duet, "Next to Me."

"It's '90s style with some modern arrangements," Gruber, a Riverside High grad, said, adding that the lyrics will strike a chord with anyone in a loving relationship where time has dimmed the sparks.

Gruber's debut single, "Whatever Gets You Through It," originally pitched to Munhall-raised country star Gabby Barrett, is getting radio play.

Morgan Gruber's first single, "Whatever Gets You Through It," is playing on local country radio stations.
Morgan Gruber's first single, "Whatever Gets You Through It," is playing on local country radio stations.

Billy Price's new album, "Person of Interest," arrives June 7.

Pittsburgh's premier blue-eyed soul singer had planned to wait until August to uncork the album. But radio attention, including locally from The Beaver 95.7, given to songs "She Checks All The Boxes" and "Inside That Box," prompted Price to move up the release date.

The track "Change Your Mind" finds Price collaborating with world-famous guitarist Joe Bonamassa, in a tribute to another guitar great, the late Roy Buchanan. Price came into prominence in the 1970s singing lead vocals for Buchanan's internationally touring band.

Price's album release party June 7 at the Pittsburgh Shrine Center open-air venue in Cheswick begins with Beaver County blues stalwarts Billy the Kid & the Regulators, Price's set will feature notable background vocalists Anne Celedonia and Addi Twigg, and a three-piece horn section. Also sharing the stage with Price will be Pittsburgh guitar slinger Norman Nardini and Central PA's Gabe Stillman.

Tickets are $20 at showclix.com.

A zombie film, "Dead Friends Forever," shot this past week in Rochester, including scenes with two actors who played zombies in George Romero's original Western Pennsylvania zombie trilogy ― Mike Ancas ("Day of the Dead") and Jeanie Ferguson ("Dawn of the Dead" filmed in the Wampum mines).

"We are recreating their makeup and looks from those films, at their request," Ohioville filmmaker Joshua Maley of Grimm Sleeper Productions, said. "A third Romero original zombie (Bill Wadell from "Day of the Dead") will be filming some behind-the-scenes stuff for us as well."

Maley found other actors for his short film through a posted ad.

"I got a particular gentleman whose story warmed my cynical heart. An older gentleman in his 70s, a self-described 'shot-up old war veteran' from the Vietnam war who is a huge zombie fanatic and who always wanted to be one," Maley said. "I couldn't turn that away."

Vietnam veteran Tony Yannachione (far right) checked a box on his bucket list by appearing as a zombie in a film being shot in Beaver County. To the far left is Dave Ogrodowski, an actor who has appeared in dozens of Pittsburgh area indie films over the years. In the middle are Yannachione's daughters Laurie Hammerle and Amber Yannachione.
Vietnam veteran Tony Yannachione (far right) checked a box on his bucket list by appearing as a zombie in a film being shot in Beaver County. To the far left is Dave Ogrodowski, an actor who has appeared in dozens of Pittsburgh area indie films over the years. In the middle are Yannachione's daughters Laurie Hammerle and Amber Yannachione.

"We filmed on Veder Street in Rochester, which brought out a positive and interested response in some of the neighbors," Maley said, adding other neighbors looked to be a bit perturbed.

Film director Joshua Maley, back to the camera, shoots a scene for his indie zombie movie involving actress Jamie Krashna (fresh off the set of Paramount+'s "Mayor of Kingstown," where she played a cop.
Film director Joshua Maley, back to the camera, shoots a scene for his indie zombie movie involving actress Jamie Krashna (fresh off the set of Paramount+'s "Mayor of Kingstown," where she played a cop.

"We had an eight-passenger zombie transport shuttle, complete with a taxi-cab like sign, run by Shawna Selinsky of Hopewell to haul our crew to Sheetz and Giant Eagle throughout the day, for parking, restrooms, etc. "We had something like 30 people on-set, mostly extras or the folks joining them to help out. The zombie makeup was done by More Gore Effects, run by Jason Proakis and his two assistants, Jason Quaigg and Tyler Roman. We were on-set for about 15 hours Monday."

Vietnam veteran Tony Yannachione (far right) checked a box on his bucket list by appearing as a zombie in a film being shot in Beaver County. To the far left is Dave Ogrodowski, an actor who has appeared in dozens of Pittsburgh area indie films over the years. In the middle are Yannachione's daughters Laurie Hammerle and Amber Yannachione.
Vietnam veteran Tony Yannachione (far right) checked a box on his bucket list by appearing as a zombie in a film being shot in Beaver County. To the far left is Dave Ogrodowski, an actor who has appeared in dozens of Pittsburgh area indie films over the years. In the middle are Yannachione's daughters Laurie Hammerle and Amber Yannachione.

The Vietnam vet-turned-zombie-actor Tony Yannachione was "so happy" to be involved and meet the cast and crew, and to be a part of a few scenes, Maley said.

Publicity photo for Grimm Sleeper Productions' zombie film, "Dead Friends Forever."
Publicity photo for Grimm Sleeper Productions' zombie film, "Dead Friends Forever."

Denise Marie Lupinacci of Ambridge gets her name on a Times Square bulletin board May 30.

That's one reward for Lupinacci earning second-place honors at The BookFest Awards for her Renaissance-era romance-historical novel "The Highlander’s Distraction."

"Being selected as a winner of The BookFest Awards is an incredible honor," Lupinacci says. "I am grateful to be recognized for the hard work and dedication that went into creating 'The Highlander’s Distraction.' I hope this award will inspire others to pursue their own literary passions."

Denise Lupinacci, local author, has won a writing award.
Denise Lupinacci, local author, has won a writing award.

"Barbie The Movie: In Concert," scheduled July 10 at The Pavilion at Star Lake, was canceled.

No reason was given, which typically suggests low ticket sales.

Co-sponsored by Mattel, the live-to-film concert experience was set to feature The Sinfonietta, an all-women orchestra − the majority of members being women of color − performing the award-winning score from 2023's blockbuster "Barbie" film.

"Barbie: The Movie in Concert" won't visit The Pavilion at Star Lake this summer as originally planned.
"Barbie: The Movie in Concert" won't visit The Pavilion at Star Lake this summer as originally planned.

2 mini-reviews

Goth dresses, drastically dyed hair and more fishnets than a harbor town.

Sleep Token fans made a cool fashion statement Sunday at the masked alt-metal band's sold-out Petersen Events Center show.

I understand now why Sleep Token got so popular so quickly.

Sleep Token entertained a sold-out Petersen Events Center crowd.
Sleep Token entertained a sold-out Petersen Events Center crowd.

They're different.

The anonymous lead singer, identified only by his nickname, Vessel, showed expansive vocal range that at some of its deeper moments reminded me of Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan. Vessel didn't banter, but oozed charisma through the emo-like intensity of his vocals and the way he stomped around the stage in a mask and cloak that would work in a background scene for "Dune."

Sleep Token doesn't get thrashy, though a couple of big mosh pits erupted at The Pete.

Lyrical references to trust, lust and betrayal poke through the fantasy and quasi-religious imagery to keep Sleep Token rooted on earth more than many prog-metal peers. Songs like "Like That" and "Chokehold" had enticing shifts in speed and heaviness. Emphasized vocal passages yielded intermittently to thunderous drums rolls. Vessel finished "Alkaline" with some synthesizer swells.

Sleep Token entertained a sold-out Petersen Events Center crowd.
Sleep Token entertained a sold-out Petersen Events Center crowd.

Three female backup singers adding ambient vocal flourishes was a nice touch. And the lighting effects with a full-color spectrum were outstanding.

I'd recommend checking out Sleep Token.

Sleep Token entertained a sold-out Petersen Events Center crowd.
Sleep Token entertained a sold-out Petersen Events Center crowd.

Utterly unrelated, though I'm happy to report, Amy Grant delighted a Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead audience May 14.

Amy Grant at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall.
Amy Grant at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall.

Flanked by a tight Nashville band with two female backing vocalists helping on the high notes, Grant sang prettily and spoke charmingly, bantering with both humor and inspiring commentary.

At the close of her first set, the Queen of Christian Pop encouraged everyone to stand and dance to her pop-crossover hits "Baby Baby" and "Every Heartbeat," followed by a soulful take on Jackie Shannon's 1969 hit "Put a Little Love in Your Heart."

Amy Grant at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall.
Amy Grant at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall.

Set Two featured more of Grant's Christian-pop fare, like "El Shaddai," and a winsome cover of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi."

Singing old songs for longtime fans is like peeling back layers to relive old memories, Grant, 63, said.

"I can't believe how well you know these songs and how well you sing," Grant said after an impromptu audience singalong for "Our Time Is Now."

Grant talked candidly of attending therapy with her 23-year-old daughter, and how that bolstered their relationship and yielded the song "Be With You" and its nugget of wisdom, "It doesn't matter how I mean it/If that's not what you heard."

Amy Grant at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall.
Amy Grant at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall.

From the effervescent electric piano in "Lucky One," to Grant's longtime bassist Mike Brignardello's warm tones on "Helping Hand," instrumental nuances added to the uplifting sounds of Grant's singing.

Grant said she momentarily considered doing a campfire-style acoustic tour, before deciding that might be a bore.

Amy Grant at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall.
Amy Grant at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall.

The full band, plugged-in treatment worked well in Munhall show, as she even gave electric guitarist Gene Miller a chance to sing lead on “That’s What Love is For."

And just as hubby Vince Gill took a moment to praise Grant when he did double duty last year at PPG Paints Arena as both the opening act for and full-fledged member of The Eagles, Grant gave a shout-out to Gill. She joked how one of the first things she ever asked him was how does he sing higher than her.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Tady: Beaver County singer tours Left Coast, zombies invade Rochester

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