Pittsburgh City Paper -11/02/2011

So, the Punk Rock Sock Hop is a Critic’s Pick in the Pittsburgh City Paper this week.  How cool is that?  Thanks to music editor Andy Mulkerin for noticing us, & running our photo!

• Peep our mugs on page 26 of the digital print issue: http://digital.turn-page.com/issue/46452/26
• Check it out on the web: http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A102633

Better yet, pick up a copy & read the whole damn thing!

Pittsburgh City Paper - November 11, 2011 - Pages 26 & 27

You can wrestle with a chicken.

So, catch us on Saturday, and again with Locksley on the 15th!

The Punk Rock Sock Hop Invades Pittsburgh! Sat.11/05/2011

We’ve told you about it before, but now… there’s more!  More!  More!  The Punk Rock Sock Hop is about to invade Pittsburgh!  We’re going to shake, rattle, and roll you!

THE PUNK ROCK SOCK HOP IN PITTSBURGH! Sat. Nov. 5th, 2011

First off, thanks to Pittsburgh Punk Rock, you can win some tickets.  That’s right FREE STUFF!  Here’s what you need to do to win:

Pittsburgh Punk Rock

CONTEST ! CONTEST ! CONTEST !!! CONTEST !!! CONTEST !!!

New ticket give away contest! Best 50′s zombie craft– picture with the most likes wins a pair of free tickets & two pairs of “Veronia Roo’s Valuables” earrings. 2nd & 3rd place runners up get earrings & 1 free ticket each.

A craft could be an image, hand crafted item, collage, drawing, painting, etc.

Punk Rock Sock Hop is Nov 5th at Howlers in Pgh Pa!!!! TAG PITTSBURGH PUNK ROCK in the photo of your entry. Contest will end on Oct 30. Good luck !

Easy, right?  So, get to it!  For motivation to make that craft & get those tickets, here are all the show details…

The Bands:

• Ernie and the Berts (Pittsburgh, PA) – Facebook / Reverb Nation / MySpace / Twitter / Yahoo! Group
• The Wakening (Pittsburgh, PA) – Facebook / Twitter / ReverbNation / MySpace
• The Whatleys (State College, PA) – Facebook / MySpace / ReverbNation
• Wentletrap (State College, PA) – Facebook / Twitter / ReverbNation / MySpace
• Suicide Success Story (State College, PA) – Facebook / ReverbNation
• Eat The Government (Pittsburgh, PA) – Facebook / MySpace / ReverbNation

Additional Entertainment:

• 50′s & 60′s rock n’ roll spun by DJ Kevin!  Vintage dance party meets local punk rock!
  

  DJ Kevin

• Doc Huntley’s Medicine Show!- Check out Andrew W. “Doc” Huntley II a local sideshow performer/illusionist do such things as sleight of hand and other feats of magic, escaping a regulation straitjacket, and walking on broken glass barefoot without harming himself!
  

  Andrew William Huntley II - Doc Huntley's Medicine Show

The Place:

• Howler’s Coyote Cafe – Facebook / Reverb Nation / MySpace / Twitter
• 4509 Liberty Avenue
  Pittsburgh, PA 15224-1830
• (412) 682-0320
• Click here for Google directions.
• howlerscoyote@comcast.net / booking@howlerscoyotecafe.com

Howler's Coyote Cafe

The Details:

• 21+
• Doors open 8:00pm
• $10
• Benefits Free Ride Pittsburgh.
• 50′s Costume Contest!
• Zombie Costume Contest!

The Event Links:

• Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=251359741573428
• Google Calendar
• Reverb Nation Event: http://www.reverbnation.com/show/5437184
• TribLive event: http://calendar.triblive.com/pittsburgh-pa/events/show/211014066-the-punk-rock-sock-hop-a-fundraiser-for-the-free-ride-organization

Hey, there are still more details!  This of from show organizer, Veronica:

The Punk Rock Sock Hop is a vintage dance party/punk show with live music and a dj playing 50′s & 60′s Rock. It started in State College July 8th & I’ve decided to have them seasonally, once in the spring / summer / fall. I have every intention of doing it in Pittsburgh seasonally and the November hop is the first one =) There is a 50′s costume contest so 50′s dress is encouraged — I can’t say it’s an authentic sock hop b/c we won’t be in a gym and we are going to keep our shoes on and the music is a little harder but the concept is there. The sock hop has some extra motives — aside from trying to show everyone a good time — I started the hop to try to raise funds for local non profits — I’m giving each band one share of the cover charge and one share to free ride pittsburgh:

http://freeridepgh.org/about/mission/

& also…

Come Welcome The Punk Rock Sock Hop To Pittsburgh!  –  A vintage dance party mixed with Punk Rock! 50’s & 60’s rock played by DJ Kevin. Live Music from the following bands;

• Suicide Success Story of State College
• Eat The Government of Pittsburgh
• Ernie & the Berts of Pittsburgh
• The Whatleys of State College
• Wentletrap of State College
• The Wakening of Pittsburgh

Check out Andrew W. “Doc” Huntley II a local sideshow performer/ illusionist do such things as sleight of hand and other feats of magic, escaping a regulation straitjacket, and walking on broken glass barefoot without harming himself!

TICKETS are $10 per person and will be available online & at the door the night of the event. The link to follow for purchasing tickets will be posted on the event page the week of the show. Look for it then.

—

A portion of the evening’s Ticket Sales go to Free Ride, a collective dedicated to recycling bicycles, offering mechanical education, and promoting bicycling by helping people of all ages and backgrounds obtain, maintain, and repair bicycles.

Free Ride aims to operate without a hierarchy and to be respectful of all people. It is very important that all people who come to the shop are respected and encouraged to learn, regardless of their experience level or background. As a collective, Free Ride is supported and operated by the community of people who use it. All participants can benefit from Free Ride in a variety of ways, and in return should give back to the Free Ride community in some way.

Check out Free Ride at http://freeridepgh.org/about/mission/

—

Come one, come all! Enter The Punk Rock Sock Hop’s 50’s Costume Contest for a chance to win some cool stuff! Winner with the best costume gets miscellaneous goodies from etsy.com’s crafter/artists shops. Second & Third place winners also receive prizes. Register at the door =) If you don’t feel like dressing in 50′s garb — channel your inner zombie for a chance to win the “Best Zombie Award” to show your infection for The Wakening! 1 lucky zombie gets a prize =)

The Punk Rock Sock Hop’s Prize Pool Donated by:

• RefinedRubbishLLC | Mixed Media Jewelry & Refined Rubbish!
• Wylde Ivy | Inspired Perfumes and Handmade Bath and Body
• Veronica Roo’s Valuables | Vintage Dresses & Handmade Jewelry
• Jack’s Daughter | Handcrafted Vintage Reproductions
• Of Course You Can! | Screen printing

If you know someone who knows someone that might want to donate for free publicity and verification of awesomeness, send them my way!! If you want to donate samples or products yourself for free publicity — message me (Veronica Barnett).
—
Come out and help us support the local community while seeing an awesome show and possibly winning some cool prizes & don’t forget to bring your fun!

Bring your friend, your mother, your neighbor & your tax attorney.

THERE’S GONNA BE A WHOLE LOTTA SHAKIN GOIN ON!

Sorry kids, this show is 21+

So, really, now… you have no reason to not attend.

Tue. Nov. 15th @ the Smiling Moose with LOCKSLEY!

Locksley

These Locksley cats are all over the place.  Ernie and one of the Berts caught them a while ago opening for Fountains of Wayne, and they were blown away by the coolness & energy of these dudes.  Ernie worked hard to bring them directly to you, here in the ‘Burgh.  Please come out to show your support and have a great night full of poppy catchy rock n’ roll!

The Bands:

• Locksley – Facebook / Reverb Nation / MySpace / Twitter / YouTube
• Ernie and the Berts – Facebook / Reverb Nation / MySpace / Twitter / Yahoo! Group
• Special guest T.B.A.

The Venue:

• The Smiling Moose
  1306 East Carson Street
  Pittsburgh, PA 15203-1510
• (412) 431-4668
• Facebook / Twitter / Myspace / Reverb Nation
• Click here for directions from Google Maps.

The Details:

• Tuesday – Nov. 15th, 2011
• 9:30 PM – LATE SHOW
• 21+
• $10
• BUY TICKETS HERE!
• Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=179579555454462
• Reverb Nation Event: http://www.reverbnation.com/show/5680261
• Smiling Moose Events Page: http://www.smiling-moose.com/events/index.php
• Google Event.
• PittsburghBeat: http://www.pittsburghbeat.com/mb/viewtopic.php?p=67524

♫♩♪♬

Locksley “The Whip”

Ernie and the Berts “Toybox”

Locksley – Locksley

Sat.08/27 @ GOOSKI’S! – The Dirty Charms / Ernie and the Berts / What Else? – 21+/$5/10:00pm

GOOSKI’S.  That’s all I need to say.  Come early, stay late.  Rock out with some cheap beers, tasty wings & pierogies.  We all need a night of debauchery in Polish Hill every once in a while.  That’s what your favorite local rock n’ roll bands are for!  What Else? channels some glam, Ernie and the Berts will make you feel scuzzy & fuzzy, and the Dirty Charms just may make you need to take a shower.

⚡ Sat. 08/27/2011 at Gooski's! ⚡

The Bands:

• The Dirty Charms – Facebook / MySpace / Reverb Nation
• What Else? - (Sorry, they have no discernible online presence.)
• Ernie and the Berts – Facebook / Reverb Nation / MySpace / Twitter

The Place:

• Gooski’s
  3117 Brereton Street
  Pittsburgh, PA 15219-6748
• (412) 681-1658
• Click here for directions from Google Maps.
• Facebook / Reverb Nation / UrbanSpoon / PubCrawler / Yelp

The Details:

• Saturday – August 27th, 2011
• 10:00pm
• $5
• 21+
• Facebook event by Ernie
• Google Calendar Event
• Reverb Nation Event
• PittsburghBeat.com Thread

Sun.08/14 @ The Fallout Shelter – Ernie and the Berts/Hopeless Otis/The Awful Waffles – $5/21+/9:00pm

Beat the heat, not your meat!  Hang out in the cool relaxing not-humid soothing basement of Sheffield Lanes… a little place we like to call the Fallout Shelter.  Well, they called it that, so that’s why we call it that.  We didn’t name it.  Although, it is a pretty good name.  For some reason, they like us there, and keep letting us come back.  Randy just may be a little insane.  That’s OK, I think we are too.  At any rate, they have good drinks, some nice food from Ricky Dee’s upstairs, and a quaint little atmosphere.  Until we start playing that is.  When we start playing, you belong to us.  You can’t escape.  We’ll see you, and call you out if you try to leave.  We might even follow you.  The last thing you want is an Ernie or a Bert on your trail.  We might even have a new song or two.  Ernie’s been prolific and productive lately, and is whipping the Berts into shape.  Hopeless Otis is from New York City and they’ll show us how they do it up there.  The Awful Waffles will sing about Han Solo, and they might even have a keyboard.

ICEE you want to come to the show!

 The Bands: 

• Ernie and the Berts - Facebook / MySpace / Twitter / Reverb Nation
• Hopeless Otis - Facebook / MySpace / Reverb Nation
• Awful Waffles - Facebook / Reverb Nation / MySpace

The Place: 

• The Fallout Shelter 
  Facebook / MySpace / ReverbNation / Twitter / UrbanSpoon / BarSmart
  818 Raccoon St.
  Aliquippa, PA 15001-2360
• Click here for Google directions.
• (724) 378-3581 / (724) 375-5080
• It’s in the basement of the Sheffield Lanes bowling alley.

The Details: 

• 21+
• 9:00pm
• $5
• Sunday August 14th, 2011
• Fallout Shelter Event Calendar
• Facebook Event
• Google Calendar Event

Tickets still available for Thu. March 17th w/ the Blasters!

So, we still need you to buy some tickets for the St. Patrick’s Day gig at the Altar Bar with the Blasters.

The Blasters! - Thu., March 17th 2011 @ The Altar Bar

We have tickets available for $15 each & no TicketBastard processing fees.  Leave a message here, hit us up on Facebook as a band or individually and we’ll hook you up, or email ernie@ernieandtheberts.com.  All the details for the show and links to check out the other bands are in our last post… as well as the flier here.

There’s a new Facebook event page too!

The Blasters, St. Patrick’s Day, Ernie and the Berts, and maybe… just maybe, Tom Weber.

Who is Tom Weber?  I have no idea.  But, I do know that he’s too cool to listen to local bands and give new music a chance.  He’s good at pointing out the obvious but sometimes necessary pay-to-play position of Pittsburgh bands opening for national touring acts, like The Blasters.

What am I talking about?  Well, there are a few Facebook Event Pages for this show, and Tom posted a comment on one of them:

Put me down as a “maybe” — but not till after the pay-to-play opening bands are done.

Tom is too cool for us, but in case you’re not… come see us, Highway 13, and The Nancy McKeen Bluz Machine open for the Blasters.

Put me down as a "maybe" -- but not till after the pay-to-play opening bands are done.

Here’s the other Facebook event page, by Drusky Entertainment, without Tom’s comment:  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=183878114966598#!/event.php?eid=117670424968351

Tom is obviously a genius, because for Ernie and the Berts, it is indeed a pay-to-play situation.  We need to sell tickets in order to get on the bill.  But, it’s hard… because buttholes like Tom Weber don’t give local music (or probably anything new) a chance.  How are you supposed to gain fans if no one’s heard you?

So, please get a hold of one of the band members, buy a ticket, and come to this show.  Ernie and the Berts may not be good-looking, musically talented, well-rehearsed, or even smell all that good,  but we do guarantee an entertaining show.

All the details that I have are below…

The Blasters exemplify the best traditions of American Music, performing with passion and honesty that for over three decades has won the hearts and souls of fans worldwide. Composed of founding members vocalist-guitarist Phil Alvin, drummer Bill Bateman and bassist John Bazz with Keith Wyatt on guitar, they carry on a hard-won legacy as one of the most recognizable and credible bands in American Music. Their influences range from the likes of George Jones and Carl Perkins to Ike Turner, Howlin’ Wolf, James Brown and Big Joe Turner, all blending into a sound that ignores the lines between Rock & Roll, Country, Blues and Rockabilly. “4-11-44″ (Rainman Records) is the Blasters’ fifth and latest studio album, featuring fourteen tracks that extend the band’s legacy of classic recordings. Fronted by Phil Alvin’s powerful vocals, the band follows through with spontaneity, power and grit that make their live performances into experiences not to be missed.

The Bands:

• The Blasters – Facebook / MySpace
• The Nancy McKeen Bluz Machine – Facebook / MySpace
• Highway 13 – Facebook / MySpace
• Ernie and the Berts – Facebook / Reverb Nation / MySpace / Twitter

The Place:

• The Altar Bar1620 Penn Avenue

  Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4323

• (412) 263-2877
• altarpgh@gmail.com / briandrusky@druskyentertainment.com
• Click here for directions from Google Maps.
• Facebook / MySpace / Twitter

The Details:

• Thursday – March 17th, 2011 (That’s St. Patrick’s Day!)
• 6:00pm Doors / 7:00pm Show
• $16 (Tickets available from ernie@ernieandtheberts.com with no Ticketmaster fees!)
• 21+
• Show by Drusky Entertainment – Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
• From the Altar Bar website: *** WE ARE A NON-SMOKING ESTABLISHMENT ***

Tom Weber will not be on the bill that evening.

Maybe Tom will come jam out a song with us, and he can show us all what it takes to be truly deserving of an opening slot for a national touring band.

Last night’s Tubonegro tribute!

One lucky Ernie and the Berts friend & fan who goes by the YouTube handle johnnyaUSA captured a very special moment last night.  Ernie got to live out 3 rock n’ roll dreams (a.k.a. “steps to becoming a man”) at the 31st Street Pub and it’s all captured here on video.  What are they?  Well, you’ll just have to watch and see!

It just goes to show you that if you don’t really put any effort into things, it’s OK.  Why?  Because you can do a half-assed job in front of a room full of friends, peers, and strangers… and most of them will be too drunk to care anyway.

Here are some photos that Jason took of our set, click the thumb to see the full size photo…

Here’s all the bands that participated last night, even though the sign clearly stated “Absolutely No Covers“:

All of the above bands are worth checking out.  If you see that they’re playing somewhere soon, go out an see them!  The theme of the night (besides Turbonegro love) was that it’s all about having a good time, getting along, and supporting all of the other bands and venues in the local scene.  We look forward to rocking out with all these cats in future shows, and hope we’re invited back to the next one of these million-band tribute shows!

These are all the links that I could find…

• Trousersnake -  MySpace
• The Cheats – Facebook / MySpace
• The Undercover Saints – Facebook/MySpace
• Ernie and the Berts – Facebook / Reverb Nation / MySpace / Twitter
• Shiver – Facebook / MySpace
• El Grosso -  MySpace
• Trash Magnet – Facebook / MySpace / Reverb Nation
• Rust Belt Homewreckers – Facebook / MySpace
• The Sablowski’s – Facebook / MySpace
• Face Down Presley – Facebook / MySpace
• Hot Stuff – ??? (Anyone have any url’s for them?)

Check all the bands out when you have the time!

And, really, this was the undisputed highlight of the evening from the Trouser Snake set:

Photos by Bert from all the bands that night can be seen here:

Grid View or Slideshow View

Or, check them out on Facebook (and don’t forget to tag your friends)!

It’s not easy being purple.

Well, we didn’t make the cut for the Hard Rock X Winter Rock Showcase, but congratulations to all the bands that did… especially The Hang Lows, Reel A Peel, and Masters of the Universe.  LONG LIVE SKA!

Here’s the list from the X’s website:

Semi-Finalists Announced:

A big Thank you to all the bands for submitting their material for the Winter Rock Showcase V. Once again the Pittsburgh area has proven to be deep with incredible talent, and it was a tough choice for the panel of music experts to narrow the field down to 20.

If your band is on the list below you will be contacted soon by the Hard Rock Cafe about the next steps in the competition, which starts on Thursday, January 27. Thanks and best of luck to all the bands moving on to the next round.

The top online voted picks by the fans that are moving on to the semi-finals are:

1. Masters of the Universe

2. Speaking 7

3. Rivers Run Scarlet

4. The Show

The bands picked by panel of music experts and moving on to the semi-finals are:

(in no particular order)

ShirtCollarSmile

Chaos Killed

The Dream Intended

Tuesdays Too Late

You The Symphony

The Semi-Supervillians

Yours Truly

Reel A Peel

August Ruins

My Cardboard Spaceship Adventure

Kiss Me Quick

Long Time Divided

Atlas

The Hang Lows

Music From Another Room

Flyght

Congratulations to all the semi-finalist. The weekly schedule will be released shortly.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote for us!