Tag Archives: Mike Portnoy

August 2016: The Best Month Ever?

Posted on by Leave a comment

Well… that was quite a month!

It started with the story of how we wound up here in the first place. Then, we announced a Mega Powerful partnership with our pal Dustin Schoof. That was reason to party, so we followed it up with a ten-day celebration of the grandest musical tradition in our Valley. We covered artists from our region and beyond, and even had the chance to get in on the action, thanks to a special assist from our friends at the Greater Lehigh Valley Music Association and ArtsQuest.

The fun didn’t stop there. We hung out at an open jam featuring former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy and a couple of the best and brightest young bands in our region. We enjoyed a diversified #SuperSaturday around our Valley that included a studio performance, a grand opening, and a night of hardcore. We reviewed albums, featured some great pieces from contributors, and had a wonderful time doing it all.

What did all of that mean for us? It meant shattering every meaningful record – Every. Single. Record. – when it comes to LVU’s site traffic. Here are a few of the milestones we reached this August.

  • Surpassed 50,000 all-time page views
  • Surpassed 10,000 all-time unique visitors
  • Surpassed 12,500 page views in a single month (previous record – 9,199)
  • Surpassed 2,300 unique visitors in a single month (previous record – 1,747)

The moral of the story is that Lehigh Valley Underground grew up this month, from a fledgling local music blog to a force to be reckoned with. Our platform has improved greatly over the past month, which bodes well for the many talented artists and music people on our local scene.

There’s no sense in stopping now. Tonight, we cap our amazing month at the Great Allentown Fair, supporting just a few of our favorite local artists as they compete to win WZZO’s 28th Annual Backyard Bands Competition.

So, that was August — a milestone month for LVU in every way. After all of that, only one question comes to mind…

How will we #GoUnderground to make September even better?

PHOTOS: Dead:Stop, Next to None, and Another Day Dawns at The Originals Music Series (with special guest Mike Portnoy)

Posted on by One comment

Some nights on the music scene make us realize why we do what we do.

OK, to be fair, we’ve had quite a few of those lately. However, tonight reinforced for us that there’s much to look forward to around our Valley, year-round, and that any night can be amazing.

Let’s start with Dead:Stop. The heavy rock/hardcore band started the evening with a dash of punk edge and infectious energy that got the folks in attendance — many of them among our music scene’s younger demographic — up and moving.

After that came Next to None, another young, but wickedly talented band whose progressive metal flair is perhaps only rivaled by its stage presence. Their genre, of course, is not a surprise — the band’s backline includes Max Portnoy on drums, whose father, Mike, is the former drummer for Dream Theater.

Speaking of Mike Portnoy, he was in the house, and would join in on a special treat after his son’s band finished its official set. Portnoy, as well as members of Next to None and local hard rock band Another Day Dawns (who we’ve recently seem somewhere… can’t put our finger on it, though…) participated in an open jam. Musicians rotated in and out for about 45 minutes, playing a jukebox worth of hard rock and metal hits and ending with a full company version of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.”

Through it all, the packed house and sense of enthusiasm at Chicago Restaurant’s Club Gravity also provided good vibes. With so much youth in the room and onstage, it was easy to dispel the notion that the younger generation doesn’t “get it.” Not only do they get it — but they are just as good at making music as folks twice their age.

The future is bright for our Valley’s music scene, and for every artist who took the stage on Thursday night.

Can’t-Miss Shows of the Week: Aug. 15-21

Posted on by Leave a comment

Well, wasn’t that fun?

You might think we’d take a break after covering the nation’s largest free, outdoor music festival right in our backyard over the past couple of weeks. But that, my friends, is just not how we roll.

There’s music year-round in our fair Valley, and we’re going to make it known again with these…

Can’t-Miss Shows of the Week!

Thurs., Aug. 18 | 7 p.m.
Next to None and Dead:Stop at The Originals Music Series
Venue: Chicago Restaurant and Club Gravity, 1179 Airport Road, Allentown
Admission: FREE
Description: Rumor has it that Dream Theater’s Mike Portnoy may be sitting in on a couple of songs…

Fri., Aug. 19 | 9 p.m.
Owls and Lions
Venue: TD Community Stage on the Air Products Townsquare, SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem
Admission: FREE
Description: Enjoy a mix of covers and originals from the North Jersey acoustic duo.

Sat., Aug. 20 | 5 p.m.
Sugar Hill Jazz House Grand Opening
Venue: 39 S. 9th St., Allentown
Admission: FREE
Description: Celebrate the official launch of Allentown’s newest live music venue!