Mayhem in the farmland: Rogue Live

Andersen Beck
Apr 15
3 min read

A gonzo account of Rogue's second barn show

In a barn somewhere in Renfrew PA, the acolytes of Rogue convene.

On Saturday morning, I had the pleasure of joining the Rogue boys for breakfast at Christy's Diner in the heart of Elwood City. In the cold, gray Pennsylvania morning, we talked through plans for the long-awaited show they'd be putting on (see previous article for reference). I spent the day with the band as part-roadie and part-journalistic-attaché.

Joining us for breakfast were Toby Nickles, Landon Newton, Landon Oldenski, and former band member Joey Amrhein. Let it be noted that Newton and Oldenski were both 45 minutes late. Christy's is Rogue's breakfast spot of choice, and I was honored to be invited. After our hearty meals, we rolled out to Newton's home to begin the arduous process of show-setup.

Newton's father decides which of his sticks he must sacrifice on the altar of Oldenski.

At Newton's, we began breaking down the in-house recording studio so we could move it to the barn where they'd be playing. It can't be understated how impressive their setup is here. The Newton abode is a music-lover's playground, filled with an array of instruments and sophisticated equipment. Between two sedans and a pickup, we were able to pack a drum set, speaker setup, a few amps and a few guitars. We caravanned the equipment damn near the length of Butler county to the farm of Alex Bedell.

After dropping off our stuff here, the group splintered and I accompanied Toby and Newton to bassist Mike Easterling's house to get the remaining accoutrements. Annoyed by having to backtrack after driving so far, we flew like Arabian warhorses from Hell across the backcountry roads and terrorized drivers on Route 68. I watched from behind as Newton pulled a high-speed right-side shoulder overtake on Toby. The poor woman in the Hyundai Santa Fe in front of

us must've been afraid for her life.

After liberating some amps and guitars from Mike's basement, I split ways with the boys for a few hours to rest before the long night ahead. The boys set up the barn and ran a soundcheck with Mr. Newton.

I arrived back at the farm with some buddies at 7 p.m.. There were already probably three dozen people on time for doors. In the hour before showtime, I estimated another 40 people showed up. There was a fairly even ratio of guys to girls; the crowd was mostly Seneca Valley seniors, but dotted throughout were juniors, kids from other local schools, and graduate bums such as myself. As the sun set over the hills, everyone socialized over drinks and a bonfire.

At 8 p.m., the screech of amp feedback drew everyone into the dim barn and Rogue began their set with a cover of Numb, But I Still Feel It. The boys were in their element throughout the show, only taking one five-minute intermission midway through the hour-long show. Interspersed between covers, Rogue played some killer originals soon to be recorded and released.

The mosh pit was packed and the crowd was really into it. To pull off a show like this all on their own is truly an impressive feat.

Seeing such a turnout for a local show, I can't help but smile and feel a sense of pride for these guys. They put together professional level concert on their own steam, with successful grassroots promoting and skillful tech management. Just as well, I feel a sense of pride in the concertgoers for their support and solidarity for local art. Guys like Zach Goldman and Mason Loeffler running around with their cameras for the love of the game made this journalist feel a little less alone in his regional pursuit of art.

After the show ended, people stuck around for hours by the fire chatting and having a great time. I left late to get some much needed rest. That concludes my coverage of the event, here's some more pictures from the evening.