Scott Tady: Hopewell house lands in movie's party scene; new-look Ghost Hounds impress

Let Hollywood history show a Hopewell Township house, off Hartford Drive, served as the site of a frisky basement makeout session in "Drive-Away Dolls," the Ethan Coen road-trip comedy opening this weekend in theaters.

Oscar-winner Coen ("O Brother, Where Art Thou?") directed and co-wrote this comedy caper that's set in 1999 and starts out in the mean streets of Philadelphia.

The story centers on Jamie (Margaret Qualley), a free spirit who decides to get over yet another breakup with a girlfriend by taking an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee with shy friend, Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan). A case of mistaken identity puts them in the crosshairs of clueless criminals.

Viswanathan radiates in her portrayal of a bookworm just starting to comprehend how deeply she needs to unclench.

In the time-honored Hollywood trope of mismatched adventurers, Qualley plays a party animal, though her unnuanced performance took me awhile to accept, and I never quite fancied the laid-on-extra-thick Texas accent.

Matt Damon adds star power; as does singing superstar Miley Cyrus in an uncredited appearance. Pedro Pascal (HBO's "The Last of Us") pops up, though he's ultimately underutilized.

Coen goes for over-the-top, and the film doesn't skimp on sex or violence. While I much appreciated the brisk 84-minute runtime, I wished there were more laugh-aloud moments.

Ghost Hounds' new lineup rocked The Rox

Ghost Hounds debuted a new lineup last weekend at the Roxian Theater.

With three members making their first Ghost Hounds appearance, it took four or so songs for the Pittsburgh blues-rock band to hit full stride, beginning with a nifty guitar intro from founder Thomas Tull igniting a fiery "Baby We're Through" followed by a rollicking "Bad News Travels Fast" that unleashed the keyboard wizardry of Center Township's Joe Munroe.

The slower, smoldering "When Your Shadow Touches Mine" showcased the fine vocal range and entertaining stage mannerisms of Savnt, the singularly named new singer. A former finalist on NBC's "The Voice," Savnt's entertaining personality and enthusiasm steadily grew on me. He winsomely makes eye contact with fans and has a cool way of gently touching hands of female spectators pressed closely to the stage.

Savnt's got big shoes to fill, replacing Ghost Hounds' charismatic frontman Tre Nation, but I believe he will succeed. He won me over, as did new drummer Sydney Driver. I still miss the sizzling strokes of former lead guitarist Johnny Baab, though new guitarist Tyler Chiarelli proved to be a good showman and skilled in his own right.

Bassist Bennett Miller remains a driving force outside the spotlight, with 2023 addition Kristin Weber adding nice fiddle textures.

My advice to the Ghost Hounds for future shows is to turn up the volume for Weber and Munroe. After a lighter role in the sound mix for the first part of the McKees Rocks concert, both got to cut loose and shine, particularly some smooth, dazzling organ work from Munroe on "Little Calamity."

Ghost Hounds wisely have kept in their set their customary blazing cover of Cliff Richard's "Devil Woman".

Hitting the stage at 9 sharp, Ghost Hounds showed appreciation to fans who've stuck with the band, and even braved a winter storm warning, by launching with an abbreviated version of Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'" with Savnt emphasizing the "So glad we made it" line to encompass everyone in the building.

I was singing "so glad we made it" after a post-concert drive home in three inches of snow with unplowed roads from Stowe Township to Freedom.

Ghost Hounds arguably are Pittsburgh's most successful band of the past several years − having toured Europe and North America with the Rolling Stones, Guns 'N Roses, ZZ Top, Bob Seger and Garth Brooks.

Yet the band also has detractors who've taken to social media decrying how billionaire Tull's connections have enabled Ghost Hounds to skip the typical trajectory of startup bands touring in smelly vans and playing in gritty clubs. I think those naysayers miss the whole point of Munroe's presence, a Beaver Valley Musicians Hall of Famer who after paying his dues for decades gets the chance to showcase his top-tier talent throughout the world.

I've witnessed Ghost Hounds from the ground level, covering the band's first local show at Jergel's Rhythm Grille, then Pittsburgh's Rock + Relief music festival, onward to Hartwood Acres and warming up sold-out crowds at PPG Paints Arena and the then-Heinz Field.

They've always been quite entertaining to watch, including the Roxian show, and have put out some good music, too.

Yes, it was a little odd hearing Savnt mentioning one of "our" albums that preceded his involvement in the band.

An official explanation from Ghost Hounds for what sparked such a drastic lineup change might have eased the transition, though after seeing and enjoying that Roxian show, I've decided to embrace the new lineup.

I think western Pennsylvanians should be proud of Ghost Hounds and root them on through continued success.

Band of Horses bring unbridled joy to The Rox

I'm still surprised how many live music lovers have told me they haven't seen a Roxian show.

They missed another good one Feb. 12, for an evening with Band of Horses.

The Seattle indie-rockers played two sets, devoting the first to acoustic songs beginning with singer Ben Bridwell alone on stage for "St. Augustine," then adding keyboardist Ryan Monroe for the next song, "Part One," and eventually the entire five-man band sailing through a stripped-down but harmonically and melodically rich batch of songs with upright bass, twin guitars and drums played with brushes.

After a 30-minute intermission, Band of Horses returned and rocked hard, cranking the volume but not losing the crispness as distinct instrumentation rang out on songs like "Monster," with Bridwell on pedal steel, a stomping, searing "The First Song" and "The Great Salt Lake."

Bridwell's voice − somewhat pretty and typically attaining a well-balanced emotionality − shined particularly bright on "Warning Signs" from 2022's much-praised "Things are Great" album.

Whether standing in general admission, seated in the balcony, or a little of both in the skybox, Band of Horse fans granted the band hearty applause.

Maybe I'll see you at The Roxian on March 1 for Trombone Shorty. Parking is more plentiful now that the drug store catty-cornered from the venue is closed and you're allowed to park there.

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Beasts of The 'Burgh returns

Supporters of hard-hitting Pittsburgh rock will flock to Stage AE this Saturday for “Beasts of the ‘Burgh 2” led by Moon Township's metallic pop-punk band Chip & The Charge Ups, joined by Dream the Heavy, Neverwake, andSpinning Jenny.

Showtime is 8 p.m. in the venue's cozy The Club at Stage AE setting.

“’Beasts of the ‘Burgh’ is like Monsters of Rock, but with Pittsburgh bands,” Chip Dominick,vocalist and guitarist of Chip & The Charge Ups and curator of the event, said. “The audience will beelectrified by four 30-minute sets of these bands’ best material, so it will be all killer, no filler.”

Dominick says the quality and diversity of styles will make this an epic show.

"Dream the Heavy blends ethereal rock and dense rhythms to form a danceable foundation to support singer TK Mundok’s stellar showmanship," Dominick said. "Neverwake serves up radio-ready modern rock with enough metalcore influence to satisfy fans of heavier sounds. And Spinning Jenny delivers female-fronted, arena-worthy hard rock that perfectly balances the gritty and the pretty. There is a common energetic rock thread among the bands, yet enough sonic diversity to keep the night from having a single dull moment."

He's also excited about the move to the Club at Stage AE.

“Artists from all around the world strive to perform at Stage AE, so the fact that the Stage AE management saw the value in supporting an evening of Pittsburgh-based music is an honor and a privilege."

Advance tickets are $15 and available from any of the bands, through the Chip & TheCharge Ups webstore (thechargeups.com/store), or from Stage AE. Tickets will also be available atthe door for $18.

Scott Tady, entertainment editor for The Times, is reachable at stady@timesonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Tady: New-look Ghost Hounds impress; Hopewell house ends up in comedy film