Review: Breakdown Jimmy Builds Rapport at the Highway

Photo and Story by Rick Hiduk

Breakdown Jimmy guitarists (front, from left) Sam Scavone, Jack Davenport, and Matt Scavone and drummer Mike Stash made believers of a receptive crowd at the Highway Inn on Jan. 10 with classic rock covers and some engaging antics.

When I attend an event for a feature story, I gather as much information and as many photos as possible in the course of an hour or so and return to my studio to upload everything and compose an article that is essentially a “slice” of life – a snapshot of what the event had to offer.

Entertainment reviews require a different approach – and more time – because it is important to take in the event as a whole. In that amount of time, there is much more going on in a bar than just the live music.

A legitimate review should take in the entire experience, not just the ability of the band. That said, I have yet to give any band a perfect review, and I think its fair to also note that there’s room for improvement at every establishment, whether that be service, traffic flow, cleanliness, crowd dynamics, air quality, or acoustics.

Acoustics are particularly tricky in smaller bars, and Breakdown Jimmy’s first set suffered a bit because the vocals had not yet been brought up to where they needed to be. To the chagrin of some patrons, bands or DJs have to play loud enough to balance the sound and to create a party atmosphere. (If you’re going out to chit-chat with friends, go someplace where there is no entertainment and quit bitching.)

There was no doubt that Breakdown Jimmy’s repertoire was in the right zone, as patrons immediately began singing along with the time-honored hits that the band began cranking out, but the lost vocals had some of us wondering if the kids were merely going through the motions.

For a band that is primarily composed of teenagers to take on songs that are clearly older than they are is a tall order, and I wasn’t immediately convinced that the band members could actually feel the music without having grown up with it.

That changed when Sam Scavone, the band’s sole female, belted out Heart’s “Magic Man.” That and a smooth rendition of last year’s country rock hit “Boys ‘Round Here” grabbed our ears and convinced us that the band had true substance. The first set, in a sense, served as a warm-up round as the band and sound man sharpened their sound, and the patrons got a little primed.

The second set was not only more crisp, but much more dynamic. Scavone treated us to another scorching Heart song – “Barracuda” – and Jack Davenport, whose vocals seemed a bit forced in the first set, found his voice.

He also proved to be an engaging front man, able to trade barbs with bar patrons much older than himself in a professional and humorous manner.

He had his finger on the pulse of the crowd, and he kept it there. Davenport exuded a sex appeal that had a few of the women in attendance feeling a little naughty for swooning after a 19-year-old all night. “I was ready to go all-cougar on that,” a smitten patron admitted on Facebook the next day.

A hot medley of “La Bamba” and “Twist and Shout” was a big crowd pleaser, but the band made fast friends with audience members with an extended rendition of “Wipe Out.” Davenport moved behind the drum set and switched places with regular drummer, Mike Stash. He, in turn, picked up a single drum and set of stick and moved around the bar pounding out the iconic drum solo with the help of random patrons. Stash then returned to the drum set and played simultaneously with Davenport. It was a comical scene that highlighted both the musicians’ talents and sense of fun.

Other memorable tunes from the night included renditions of Sublime’s “Santeria” and “What I Got,” Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me,” Lita Ford’s “Kiss Me Deadly,” Grand Funk’s arrangement of “Some Kind of Wonderful,” and Smash Mouth’s arrangement of “I’m a Believer.”

In the end we were all believers. Breakdown Jimmy made a great impression on a fun crowd, and they will certainly make new fans wherever they play. It will be especially interesting to check back in with these young musicians in five and 10 years, whether or not they come back around in the same combination.

Review – Highway Inn Packed with Mixed Emotions

Photo and Story by Rick Hiduk

Members of Mixed Emotions, (from left) George Sheffer Jr., Roger Miller Jr., Roger Miller Sr., and drummer Denny Nichols fully satisfied a standing-room-only crowd at the Highway Inn in Washington Township on Saturday night.

A drastic change in the weather couldn’t stop area residents from getting out for one more normal weekend night before the holiday stretch begins, and the band Mixed Emotions made the evening a celebration nonetheless.

The four-piece all-male ensemble features guitarist and lead singer Roger Miller Jr., accompanied on guitar by his father, Roger Sr. and George Sheffer Jr. Percussionist Denny Nichols rounds out the Tunkhannock-based group.

At first glance, the band’s mish-mosh of attire that was a little bit hippie, a little bit country, and a little bit rock and roll seemed to fit their opening repertoire of southern rock, classic country hits, and some rock and roll oldies.

But, as the group moved from set to set, each song, drawing on a slightly different genre, was its own pleasant surprise, and the crowd loved it. Bar patrons, numbering more about 65 at their peak, were drawn to the dance floor by renditions of standards like “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Driving My Life Away,” “Move It On Over,” “Your Mama Don’t Dance,” and the Eagles’ “Already Gone.”

But the band also pulled some fun oldies out of their hats, like “Rock Around the Clock” and “Johnny Be Good,” as well as well-received ballads, like Jeff Healey’s “Angel Eyes” and Bruce Springsteen’s “My Hometown.”

The instrumentals were sharp, and three guitars create a kind of grinding rhythm that makes sitting still impossible. The vocals were somewhat murky however and, despite pleasing father/son harmonies, lyrics were often not discernible.

Despite the large crowd, which pretty much maxed out the space without making it uncomfortable, there was only one bartender on duty. Angie ran her ass off, however, and patrons were generally patient and good-natured about waiting for their drinks. She did get some assistance after the crowd had peaked.

The bar was adequately warm, and the heater fans kept the air from getting stagnant. The evidence is in the flash photos however that the room was generally smokey. The front door and a few windows were flung up a couple times to alleviate the smoke, but throwing expensive heat out into the surrounding woods doesn’t seem a practical solution – a tricky dilemma often faced by the few bars left in the area where smoking is still permitted.

The Highway Inn has evolved quite a bit in the past few years. Those who haven’t been there for a while should stop in to see the changes made in seating and overall appearance. More changes are on tap for winter, with improvements to the men’s room recently completed and an upgrade to the women’s room in the works. The crowd is as friendly as ever.