Scott Tady: NASH.V.ILL to rock Beaver & Ambridge; Idles amazed in Pittsburgh

If you've seen Byron Nash perform, you know why the Pittsburgh rocker headlines so many festivals.

Nash brings a riveting stage presence as a highly skilled guitarist and impassioned vocalist whose banter radiates positivity.

Nash headlined the most recent Pittsburgh First Night, as well as last month's big Barrel & Flow beer festival in the Strip District.

Next weekend, he entertains back-to-back nights in Beaver County.

Catch Nash and his rock band NASH.V.ILL performing Sept. 23 under the stars outside Beaver Station Cultural & Event Center. Tickets cost $30, which includes all your adult beverages or soft drinks.

Then on Sept. 24, NASH.V.ILL headlines Jambridge, the huge new music festival in Ambridge. NASH.V.ILL, including powerhouse co-vocalist Jacquea Mae, hit the Jambridge outdoor stage at 8:30 p.m., closing out a 12-hour concert in the 900 block of Merchant St., near Fermata Brewing, Merchant Coffee and Bridgetown Taphouse.

"Me and my band NASH.V.ILL are absolutely thrilled to be performing and headlining these events," Nash said. "For those who haven't caught us live yet, expect an explosive mix of funk, rock, blues, gospel and soul — all wrapped up into one power-packed set. The band and I are planning very special surprises and songs specifically for these two shows. If you like Aretha, B.B. King, Biggie Smalls and Led Zeppelin smothered in hot-buttered, old-school soul, then you'll love NASH.V.ILL."

The Beaver Station show begins with Los Gingos food truck at 6 p.m., followed at 6:30 p.m. by complimentary drinks, including seasonal beers and a batch of Nash's own BLQ Metal IPA produced by Helltown Brewing of Mount Pleasant. The last outdoor concert of the year at Beaver Station, NASH.V.ILL begins at 7:30 p.m. — or whenever me and co-emcee Eddy Crow of Beaver County Radio (99.3 and 99.7 FM) ― run out of material.

This past winter, Beaver Station hosted a stripped-down evening with just Nash and bandmate Jacquea Mae, and the crowd reaction was so enthusiastic, event manager Leanne Rogowski wisely decided to bring those two back, this time outdoors and with the full band cranking up the fiery, funky and danceable energy.

For Jambridge, admission is free, and NASH.V.ILL closes out an excellent lineup that begins at 10 a.m. with hometown rock star David Granati and his For Those About to Rock Academy. Then it's the Ambridge Steel Drum Band at 11:15 a.m., Too Hearted at noon; Prosperity Gospel at 1 p.m.; Mean Blue Planets at 2 p.m.; The High Level at 3 p.m.; Bobby Thompson & The Groove at 4 p.m.; Shy Birds at 5:30 p.m.; and Different Places in Space at 7 p.m.

Jambridge also offers three indoor stages; Fermata hosting Greg Campanyo at 10 a.m. and Eric Nassau at noon; Merchant Coffee with Through Binoculars at 11 a.m. and former "American Idol" Gold Ticket earner Eddie Erwin at 1 p.m.; Bridgetown Taphouse with the 10 p.m. after-party featuring 65 Rats.

Granati & the Guitar Show

The Greater Pittsburgh Guitar Show Weekend starts 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, with a pre-show party at theHard Rock Cafe, Station Square featuring national touring artistJimmy Warren and Pittsburgh openers Angel Blue and The Prophets.

The 14th annual guitar show is 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday (no Steelers game!) at Printscape Arena 114 Southpointe Blvd., at South Pointe near Canonsburg.  Vendors from around the country will buy, sell and trade new, used and vintage guitars CDs, vinyl, memorabilia and hard-to-find parts.

Right after the Guitar Show, at 4 p.m., Bubba's Burghers upstairs from the Printscape will present a free concert with Ambridge rocker David Granati and his band. Then from 5 until 7 p.m., Granati hosts an open jam session.

Idles wild & worth it

Intense, unpredictable and utterly exhilarating, British post-punk quintet Idles put on one of the year's top local rock concerts Tuesday at Stage AE.

Idles' frontman Joe Talbot fervently sang lyrics championing the working class and combating fascists. His two main stage moves were wild twirls of his microphone cord, and high-stepping in a tight, counter-clockwise circle to burn off energy. His voice packed an infectious vigor, firing up a maybe 80 percent capacity, indoor crowd. The twin guitars, bass and drums were loud, but you could make out most of his lyrics. Although his requisite ear monitor hampered him from hearing exactly what fans were shouting back at him, Talbot felt the love, and encouraged them to shout it out loudly.

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Before the opening song, Colossus," had finished, Idles guitarist Lee Kiernan leaped onto the upraised hands of fans to crowd surf as he continued soloing.

The night's other guitarist, Christina Maynard, filled in for regular guitarist Mark Bowen back home for the birth of a baby. Maynard played well, and by night's end joined in the crowd surfing, which couldn't have been easy in her asymmetrical cut dress showing a bit more leg on the left side.

As Talbot collected his bandmates' two guitars and bass guitar and slung all three instruments over his shoulder, Tina, Kiernan and bassist Adam Devonshire simultaneously crowd surfed halfway into the audience, pulling off a maneuver where they all three ended up standing together and holding hands, supported below by the arms of fans.

Just when you think you've seen everything.

Talbot took amusement that Pittsburgh is the native home of film star Jeff Goldblum, dedicating the song "I'm Scum" to him. That's the one with the line "I don't care about the next James Bond/He kills for country, queen and god/We don't need another murderous toff." Toff is a British slur slung at rich people.

Punk-rock attitude powered songs like the call-to-arms "Grounds" ("Do you hear that thunder?/That's the sound of strength in numbers"), and "Never Fight a Man With a Perm," ridiculing masculine toxicity.

As he began introducing the night's "penultimate song," Talbot realized he needed to explain to some spectators that meant "next to last." That song turned out to be the pro-immigration song "Danny Nedelko." After a bit of the band crooning "All I Want for Christmas" on a lark, they indeed played one last tune and then waved goodbye without any cliched, leave-the-stage encore.

Fine with me, as I was pretty wiped out by the point from the band's onslaught of intensity, their beats that made my body move, and the crowd interaction stuff like the everyone-get-real-low-then-at-the-same-time-jump-up routine.

Idles: Go see them next time if you're looking for a hardcore punk show thrill.

Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at stady@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Tady: NASH.V.ILL to rock Beaver & Ambridge; Idles amazed in Pittsburgh