May 2016

May, 2016
Magazine
Joe Milligan Project
The
Rosewood Creek

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
The Magic Behind The Buzz!
Please get to know our volunteers!
Dear Tampa Bay Musicians and Fans,
We’re officially back to Tampa Bay! The Relaunch
Celebration was a huge success and we’re now
concentrating on what’s coming up next!
I can’t tell you how grateful we all are for the love and
support from Tampa Bay on making our relaunch even
bigger than we imagined. A special thank you goes to
Cherie and Brad from CJ’s on the Island for hosting our
relaunch and for making the day great.
The volunteers of Bay Buzz worked hard to be sure
everything was set and ready for the big day. Pam Wills
and Janice Lautner are a great team and they deserve a
vacation after the hard work they put in.
Rebecca Michela, the cover girl for the May issue, is the
founder and an amazing ukulele player in Junction 27
(JCT 27). She and her bandmates brought an amazing
energy to the relauch and as I went around the room
during their set, the crowd was enjoying their folk sound
and asking, “who is this band?”. So we look forward to
interviewing them in the near future.
On another note, Bay Buzz is keeping an exciting secret
that will be announced in the month of May. Be sure to
check our Facebook page for this huge announcement.
Also don’t forget to nominate your favorite local band
for “Best of the Buzz 2016”. And as usual, we want to to
hear from you, the readers. Please comment on any
story, and send in your suggestions for what you would
like to read about
We look forward to hearing from you!
Pamela Wills is a
mother of five children,
three of her
own and two step
children which she
has helped raise for
the past 11 years
with her fiancé, John. She has been in the Administrative
Field for a little over 16 years and
has completed 2 semesters at Saint Petersburg
College for Computer Technology back in 2002
and in 2010. She currently resides in Largo,
Florida with John, her two step children, two
cats, and 3 birds. Her hobbies include supporting
live local music, spending as much time as
possible with family and friends, swimming, kayaking,
computers, cooking and gardening. She
does her best to live by three general rules: Live,
Love, and Laugh often as you don’t know what
tomorrow may bring, so cherish today and all its
surroundings!
Jennifer Lane, owner of Jen-
MusePhoto, is a Tampa Baybased
photographer, musician
and writer who is completely
GEEKED OUT about
contributing to the revamped
and exciting Bay
Buzz. She brings a playful
spirit and serious work ethic
to the table and a devotion
to area bands. Jennifer is a published poet and
performing musician, ready to get out there to
take photos of YOU playing your music, your
way! To view more of her work, please visit
JenMusePhoto.
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Mission 180
Live Show Review by
Jennifer Lane
18
The Sting/Police Tribute by
The Iris Calling Band, Lisa Noe
& Rebekah Pulley at
The Hideaway.
Live Show Review
by Jennifer Lane
22
The Joe Milligan Project
“Anticipation”
CD Review by
Jennifer Lane 25
The Hummingbirds Live at
The Mermaid Tavern
Live Show Review by
Jennifer Lane
28
Rosewood Creek
“American Sojourn”
CD Review by
Dave Summersill
27
4
May 2016

Publisher
Constance Hilton
Editor
Jennifer Lane
Contributing Writers
Jennifer Lane
Dave Summersill
Photographers
BAY BUZZ RELAUNCH!
Bay Buzz Celebrates Their
Return to Tampa Bay!
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MORE MUSIC NEWS
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ON THE COVER: Rebecca Michela from Junction 27.
Photo taken by John Stalter. Photo used with permission.
Jennifer Lane & John Stalter
Marketing & Advertising
Constance Hilton
Pam Wills
President - Constance Hilton
Event Coordinator - Pam Wills
The Bay Buzz
St. Petersburg, FL
(727) 422-2427
baybuzzmusic@gmail.com
BUZZ MAGAZINE IS
A BAY BUZZ
PUBLICATION
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ALL PHOTOS OF RELAUNCH TAKEN BY JOHN STALTER & JENNIFER LANE
PHOTOS OF BEERHAND TAKEN BY ANNE ANDERSON

The Bay Buzz Relaunch Celebration was a huge success! With five
bands to keep the music going all day and a table full of raffle items,
everyone was having a great time! Pam Wills and I had so much fun
setting up the table, while Dave Summersill worked with Tommy, the
soundman at CJ’s on the Island, for the perfect balance of music on the
stage. The party began at 1 o’clock and lasted till 7. What a party!!!!
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The famous
BOOZE BARREL
& the Esteban
Guitar (donated by
Randall Owens)
Congratulations to
our winners!!!

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Electric Powered Windmills

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Beerhand
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Written by Jennifer Lane
Q: Does rock require long hair? Nope.
A: Hard driving beats? A: You betcha!
It was a hard rocking night that didn’t disappoint with
a message of devotion and recovery in Largo on April
9 when Tampa Bay-based “Mission 180” took the
stage.
The second of two bands performing that evening for
the center’s Second Saturday Concert Series, Mission
180 offered up one and half hours of Christian music
favorites, hymns with a decidedly rock bent and wellpenned
originals for an appreciative crowd. A steady and
passionate beat from Tim Annen’s drums got the crowd
on their feet, as Kirk Parrish’s flawless bass lines kept
things moving and the keys added another layer of complexity
from Charlie Dickun.
About the Venue: Dream Center Metro in Largo is a
recovery house offering hope to those who seek it. Per
their website, “Dream Center Metro's purpose is to reconnect
isolated people to God and a community of by
providing human services that address immediate and
long-term needs in areas of homelessness, hunger, poverty,
addiction and education.” You can visit them at
www.dreamcentermetro.org.
“The Mission 180 concept is to see lives
transformed by Jesus Christ, to turn
around 180 degrees and turn to the
Lord”, Daniel told me after the show.
The band was founded by multi-instrumentalist and lead
singer/main songwriter Daniel Childs. Daniel’s lead guitar
playing was solid and often electrifying. His original
and co-penned songs conveyed a strong Christian message
in the style of Chris Tomlin, Relient K and other
popular Christian progressive rock bands. One of the
songs the band nailed absolutely perfectly was a cover
of Chris Tomlin’s “Our God”.
“The Mission 180 concept is to see lives transformed by
Jesus Christ, to turn around 180 degrees and turn to the
Lord”, Daniel told me after the show. Since last year, the
band has been building a solid reputation for themselves
primarily in the recovery circuit. Their next show is in
Orlando on May 6 and they return to Tampa Bay on May
27. For more details on their schedule please visit their
website.
To Contact the band, please visit www.mission180.org.
The Band:
Daniel Childs - Lead singer / guitar
Kirk Parrish - Bass
Tim Annen - Drums / Percussion
Charlie Dickun - Keyboards
PHOTOS BY JOHN STALTER (INSPIRE PHOTOGRAPHY
AND JENNIFER LANE (JENMUSEPHOTO.COM)
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4923 20 th Avenue South - Gulfport

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Live Show Review by Jennifer Lane
On a clear Spring night on April Fool’s
Day 2016, a cadre of female musicians
gathered to pay tribute to that seminal
band, “The Police” and some guy called Gordon
Matthew Thomas Sumner (affectionately
known to all as “Sting”). This review is a loose
accounting of the magic those women wove
that night, interspersing tribute songs with
their own wonderful songs - in the up close and
intimate listening environment that the Hideaway
Café does so well.
The evening was MC’d by the talented and
lovely PaMela Palumbo, whose “Twirl Girl Promotions”
is heavily and gratefully entwined
with our local music scene.
First on the gorgeous Hideaway Café stage,
with a grand piano shining behind her in purple
light, was singer/songwriter Lisa Noe. Lisa got
the show off to a great start with “Every Little
Thing She Does is Magic” after she amusingly
introduced the song as by “Sting, that amazing
musical madman.” A self-penned song with an
empowering message followed, “Big Beautiful
Woman,” and the amusing “Hot Flash in the
City” (not to be confused with “Hot Child in the
City”, ya’ll).
My personal favorite Sting/Police tribute by
Lisa was her beautiful rendition of “King of
Pain” and a close second would be “Fields of
Gold”. You could feel Gordon M. T. Sumner
Lisa Noe
nodding approvingly from wherever he was
strumming his guitar that evening. Perhaps her most amusing story was the back story on a song called “Rebound
Girl”, written on a somewhat unusual form of writing paper in a public place. Contact Lisa to find out the rest of
that story…

Next up was the immensely talented Cheryl Smith and
Gwynne “Bootsie” Leonard (percussionist) of the Iris
Calling Band, with “Trixie” on lead guitar hanging with
Bootsie later in the show. Cheryl told me she started
doing open mics on the Hideaway stage only three short
years ago, and she exuded confidence as a lead singer
that night. Their Sting and Police cover tunes were
played in that inimitable Cheryl Smith style, with graceful
flights up the neck of her guitar – the beautiful and
somewhat lesser known Sting song “Seven Days”, “Message
in a Bottle” (everyone was singing along on that
one!)
Cheryl’s (and Iris Calling Band’s) wheelhouse is original
music and they didn’t disappoint there with songs about
love, lost and won; love seen from “The Other Side”; a
heartfelt tribute to her sweetheart; and “Flashback”,
which is the title track from the band’s CD produced at
the Hideaway Café.
Last up to pay tribute was Tampa Bay favorite, solo this
time, Ms. Rebekah Pulley with her guitar and banjo. My
favorite moment from Rebekah’s set was when she
moved to the drum kit and simultaneously played her
guitar, sang and played the bass drum with her foot. “I
do this all the time at home,” she told an amazed Hideaway
audience.
Trixie and Bootsie
The Bootsie/Trixie combination was magic when they
performed “Roxanne” and “Don’t Stand So Close to
Me”. Wow, powerful pipes on our Bootsie!
Rebekah Pulley
If you’ve never seen Rebekah Pulley play live get thee to
a show!! She is absolutely one of my favorite songwriters
and performers in the Tampa Bay area. This night she
covered “Invisible Sun”, “Synchronicity II” (“Many miles
away, something crawled to the surface… you know,
that song that we love but can never remember its title),
“Da Do Do Do, Da Da Da Da”, “Spirits in the Material
World” (squeee! I love that song!!), and “Every Breath
You Take”.
Rebekah, if you’ve never heard her, has a unique
breathy delivery and syntax all her own – making those
cover songs undeniably hers. She also presented a number
of self-penned songs that paid tribute to various
types of alcohol and achingly beautiful songs to cover
the other end of the emotional spectrum.
Bootsie
“I can’t play reggae music, but I can play
hillbilly music” - Rebekah Pulley
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Favorite quote of the evening by Rebekah Pulley: “I can’t
play reggae music, but I can play hillbilly music” as she
whipped out the banjo.
About the Venue:
www.HideawayCafe.biz
Known for many years as THE listening room in the
Tampa Bay area, and the original, the Hideaway on
Central Ave in St. Pete offers music recording services,
great food, libations and amazing music with a strong
focus on local music as well as national acts. Open mic
night, Betty Fox, TC Carr, etc etc etc! We at the Bay Buzz
love John Kelly and the Hideaway Café! Phone:
727.644.7895
Rebekah Pulley
So it’s time to answer that question I posed earlier –
How DID Sting get his name? Well, according to the
all-knowing Wiki, and I quote: “He gained his nickname
after his habit of wearing a black and yellow sweater
with hooped stripes with the Phoenix Jazzmen. Bandleader
Gordon Solomon thought he looked like a bee,
which prompted the name "Sting".” There you have it!
About the “Tribute” Series:
Singer/songwriter Cheryl Smith, of the Iris Calling Band,
started pulling together great musicians for tribute
nights in January 2015 with an evening dedicated to Joni
Mitchell. In 2015 there were a total of 9 tribute nights,
and the series shows no signs of stopping in 2016! The
next one, a tribute to those Liverpool boys “The Beatles”
is scheduled this Friday, May 6 at the Hideaway Café.
The June series will feature the music of Prince.
Cheryl Smith - Iris Calling Band
Visit These Beautiful Women at:
www.reverbnation.com/lisanoe
www.reverbnation.com/iriscalling
www.rebekahpulley.com
Photos by John Stalter and Jennifer Lane
Photos Used with permission

The Joe Milligan Project “Anticipation”
CD Review by Jennifer Lane
Iwas at the Joe Milligan Project’s recent CD release
party at ProStar Studios in St. Petersburg.
After hearing the song “Cherry Stones, Little
Necks and Chowders” I bought the latest CD from the
band on the spot. The song is a compelling portrait of
a time and place that immediately brought me back to
many happy days roaming the beaches of eastern
South Carolina, with the stinging salt air and hearty
meals of clams/red potatoes with Old Bay seasoning,
newspaper spread out on wood plank tables.
And portraits – story songs – are what I feel the Joe
Milligan Project does so incredibly well. Whether it’s
the warning by way of a tale of the “Mexican Cowboy”
that comes from the Garden State, or the gripping
gorgeousness of “Don’t Let the Devil Steal Your Joy”,
this collection of songs primarily penned by Joe Milligan
delivers.
“
The musicianship is also top notch – I remember talking
with Joe at the CD Release party and he said he was
looking for the best musicians to surround himself, and
he’s found them. The opening mandolin riffs of “I
Know You” grab me every time, as does the stunning,
languid guitar on the cd’s title track, “Anticipation”.
Comparisons with Bob Dylan are inevitable and welcome,
at least for me. Joe’s voice is Dylanesque but
remains uniquely his own. And this may be a radical
thing to say, but I think his songwriting is reminiscent
(but not derivative) of early Dylan. You can judge for
yourself, dear reader.
Eclectic is a good descriptor of their sound – acoustic
folk/country/with a bit of rock ‘n roll driving force
coloring some tunes. Their cd is covered with the fingerprints
of Chris Harmon, a founding member of The
Joe Milligan Project, who died in 2015. According the
band’s press, without Chris there would have been no
Joe Milligan Project.
I sincerely hope you’ll give this polished yet accessible
disk a listen for yourself soon. It’s terrific.
The Joe Milligan Project is a diverse cast of musicians
whose credits include a career with the Florida Orchestra,
shared billing with the Grateful Dead and Jefferson
Airplane, and live appearances at popular local venues
including Skipper’s Smokehouse and The Ale and
Witch. The Joe Milligan Project has also regularly appeared
on the Florida Folk Show on WMNF.
Joe Milligan (guitar and vocals), Bill LaGrandier (percussion),
Amanda Gerttula (violin), Russell Roush
(bass), Douglas Lichterman (lead guitar) and Mandy
Frick (background vocals).
www.joemilliganproject.com
”
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CD REVIEW BY DAVE SUMMERSILL
Not too many bands would have the nerve to start
the CD off with a version of the Florida classic,
“Seminole Wind”, but the band stakes its claim
to the song by playing a terrific and refreshing
version. The band’s material itself contains songs
that can stand proudly on their own.
“Crooked River Sojourn”, written by Colin Ward;
“My People”, written by Marty Fouts and “Small
Town Mind” penned by Shawna Vercha are just a
few of my favourites on the CD, each with a
different direction, stylistically.
The production is clear and crisp. Recording and
production is attributed to Dartmouth Sounds
and to Colin Wards.
Looking at the cover of Rosewood Creek’s
new CD, American Sojourn, with the band
comfortably posed on an old set of steps
leading to the building behind them, they have a
familiarity about them. The music also brings
back memories of better times.
While the bluegrass elements, traditional and
otherwise, hold sway with most of the songs, the
advantage of having three writers, creating separately
and together, would appear to be to enable
the band to go in multiple directions. From folk
and traditional bluegrass, to country, Americana
and rock and roll.
With laudable talent at each position, the duel
guitars (and many other stringed instruments),
bass, drums, percussion and tight group harmonies,
show this band to be experienced and capable
players. Telling their stories in song, with
passion and grace, they transcend any generalized
genre classification known.
“My People” and “Mixed Blessings” both written
by Marty Fouts, were recorded with the inimitable
Steve Connally at Zen Studios. Each of these
songs show a harder rock and roll edge than the
others on this beautifully constructed CD.
A very pleasant album by Rosewood Creek where
the roads they travelled are converted in beautiful
pieces of art.
To listen and to purchase American Sojourn,
please visit CD Baby.
Rosewood Creek’s Website:
www.rosewoodcreekband.com
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Live Show Review by Jennifer Lane
[Disclaimer by Reviewer: The Hummingbirds duo (aka,
S.G. Wood and Rachel Lynn) is one of my favorite duos
in all of time and space so this will be a VERY glowing
review by this fan. I can’t help it. I just can’t. “Fan” comes
from the word “fanatic”, so there ya go.]
***
Ok, so kids, let’s start with why I was at the Mermaid
Tavern in Tampa on 4/3/16. There’s this Tampa Bay
tradition called Tropical Heatwave every year. Actually it
is 31 years strong, aka since 1975 (where were you,
hmm?) Musicians local and national of only the finest
caliber take over Ybor City for one day and night in April.
If you’ve lived here awhile and you love local music (and
of course you do, dear reader!) then you probably know
all about it.
Oh yes. Yes, you can. Grabbed a camera and headed on
over the bridge to Tampa to see them.
Ok. They don’t disappoint. Ever. And April 3 rd was no
exception. Steve “S.G.” Wood and his wife and musical
muse Rachel Lynn know how to craft a song. A very
catchy, singable, joyful song with words that actually
have a story to tell. Harmonies to die for. And are they
fun to watch! You can tell they actually get a lot of joy
out of this thing we call music.
You remember that feeling, right? You just got home
after buying a brand new album by your favorite band,
and you can’t wait to put on the turntable and devour
the liner notes-? That’s how they make you feel. (And I
just revealed that your dear reviewer is “of a certain
age”, didn’t I? That is ok by me as I LOVED my vinyl!)
SO anyway... to build excitement for Tropical Heatwave,
WMNF, our fabulous local NPR station and purveyor of
all things cool and musical, sets up musical pre-Heatwave
events. Well, imagine this writer’s excitement
when she saw The Hummingbirds were on tap to kick off
the Tropical Heatwave season! Can you say jump for joy?
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So, ANYway [part two] …
What kind of the music do The Hummingbirds do, you
ask? That’s a good question; thanks for sticking with me
here and asking. Their motto is “Southern Charm / Detroit
Grit”.
S.G. and Rachel Lynn play and create music that may
have a bit of a country flavor (read: old school country
flavor, Hank Williams SENIOR flavor) - but isn’t country
‘cuz they rock in a gritty way. Sweet acoustic guitars are
balanced out by dirty Telecaster riffs. Americana may be
the best label-? I dunno – you love music, you decide. I
highly recommend you buy a CD or download a tune or
two. My favorite is their latest, the “13 Days” CD.
The night we went to Mermaid Tavern they threw down
on “Tables and Chairs” (an award winning song, btw),
the Telecaster rocker “Waste My Time” and “Horses and
Rattlesnakes”, “13 Days (a tongue in cheek look at a brief
but intense relationship), “Nebraska Snow”, and more.
Even covered a Neil Young tune I didn’t know, called
“Don’t Cry No Tears.”
Magical. Just Magical.
P.S…. As was my goat cheese / golden beets /quinoa
salad for dinner at the cozy Seminole Heights institution,
the Mermaid Tavern.
Time to get a snack and put on “13 Days” again because
I’m a fan. A southern charm and Detroit grit kind of fan.
www.thehummingbirds.com
About the Venue: Mermaid Tavern located at 6719 N.
Nebraska Avenue in Tampa.
Photos by Jennifer Lane of JenMusePhoto www.mermaidtaverntampa.com 29

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HELP WANTED
Writers and Photographers Wanted!
Bay Buzz is currently looking for volunteers
who love our local music scene and
enjoys the craft of writing and taking pictures.
We need people who love to talk
with people, enjoy attending live shows
and writing. Must work well with deadlines.
Please contact Constance Hilton at
baybuzzmusic@gmail.com
Become A Patch Volunteer
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4923 20 th Avenue South - Gulfport

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