| By BRIAN C. RITTMEYER Eagle Staff Writer BURGETTSTOWN- Twelve-year old Kirsten Franchuk of Butler went to her first concert Tuesday night. And it starred no less than her own father, Kevin Franchuk, the drummer. "I think this is like, awesome,’ she said. "I’m in shock my dad’s my first rock concert". Kirsten’s dad is part of the guitar rock trio Moses, which performed a Star Lake Amphitheater Tuesday before the main concert featured the classic bands Foreigner and Journey. The band Moses is named for its lead singer and guitar player Chuck Moses, a Butler native who now calls Slippery Rock home. The gig was the biggest yet for the band, which has played at bars and other venues throughout Butler County. It was the band’s recently self-released CD, "Moses," that convinced Star Lake to book it on the Levis First Stage. Located not far from the main gate, the Levis First Stage helps promote local hands and provides entertainment between the opening of the gates and when the main act takes the stage. "I kind of like this little show off to the side," Dave Powell, a concertgoer from Erie, said as he listened to Moses. "This is good entertainment before the show starts. It’s better than sitting around twiddling your thumbs." ME NERVOUS? Band members met at Franchuk’s modest Butler home around noon Tuesday before their convoy of a pickup, minivan and two cars headed for Star Lake. That’s compared to the four semis and three buses brought in by Foreigner and Journey. Franchuk, 41, insisted he wasn’t nervous, although Kirsten said later she could tell her father was. For Franchuk, an electrician by trade whose music has been a hobby, his ride with Moses the past couple of years has been a fun, if unexpected, one. This from a man who, thinking it was a prank call, hung up on a Star Lake official telling him of their show. "I never thought it would get this far," he said. "It’s amazing they would give us a shot like that." "I’ll remember it," Franchuk said. "Even if we don’t do anything again, I’ll remember it." Bass player Vimala, 37, who goes by her stage name only, has been having fun watching Moses’ dream come true. |
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| Make it or break it, local rock trio has a blast at Star Lake |
| 22 BUTLER EAGLE - Wednesday, June 9, 1999 |
| _____________________________________________ It's time. I believe in the music, and I'm glad people are finally going to be able to hear it' __________________________________ |
| --Vimala, bassist for the local band Moses |
| Band leader Chuck Moses, right, and basist Vimala of the local rock trio Moses perform on the second stage Tuesday at Star Lake. The band played before the main concert featuring the classic bands Foreigner and Journey. |
| "It's time," said the Erie native. "I believe in the music, and I’m glad people are finally going to be able to hear it." It was also belief in the music that convinced Dai Rosenblum, a Butler lawyer and friend of Moses, to bankroll their CD. "I knew they could not move forward without that CD," said Rosenblum, looking more like a roadie than a lawyer. "I really feel he has originality. He writes good tunes. They echo in my head." Moses’ sister, Chris, of Evans City said her brother has been dedicated to music as long as she can remember. "I always knew he had potential to be something big," she said. "He just always had a draw. People seem drawn to him." Although he has big dreams, including that rare record contract, had his mind focused on the day. "I feel good," he said. "I think the hand’s ready. "If this is the only time we ever play there, let’s have fun and enjoy it," he said. Franchuk’s wife, Jamie, wouldn’t mind having a rock star for a husband, as long as their life doesn’t change too much. "I’m so proud of them I could just burst," she said. "Even if they play nowhere else, this is just great." While Kevin may not say he longs for the stardom his bandmates do, Jamie knows he shares the dream. "The three of them together, there's just |
| some kind of magic," she said. "They really click." SHOW TIME With the gate opening delayed by Journey’s sound checks, Moses fired up his guitar shortly after 5:30 p.m. As the estimated 10,000-member audience trickled in, the band played two sets of their original work, with a few covers tossed in between, before Foreigner took the main stage around 7:30 p.m. While they may not have had hordes of people cheering in front of their stage although their friends and family did a pretty good job the band managed to turn quite a few heads and entice number of people to stop and listen for a while. Josh Kelley of New Kensington with his friend Jeff Shook of Springdale, Pa., said he liked the band’s rhythm and Moses’ vocals. "From what I’ve heard since the time we got here,, they’re good," he said. "They get your attention. It keeps you listening. You wonder what the next song will be," he said. "They definitely got potential." John Smith of Butler admire what he called Moses’ "good lead guitar." "They take me back to the days you used to be able to hear music like this more often," he said. |
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