Introducing THE Pencilstorm Hall of Fame Class of 2016

It wasn't easy, but after thousands of emails, hundreds of beers, countless text messages and even a cold stare or two around the Pencilstorm office, we are proud to announce the 2016 class of THE Pencilstorm Hall of Fame. As happy as we are for the winners, I'd like to remind those that didn't make the cut that there is always next year so don't give up hope. And thanks to all who packed the CD102.5 Big Room Bar for the induction ceremony and an amazing set by Willie Phoenix and The Soul Underground. 

THE Pencilstorm Hall of Fame Class of 2016:

Willie Phoenix   (Click here to read Ricki C. making the case for Willie)

Galaga               (Click here to read Colin making the case for Galaga)

Guns and Roses Live from The Ritz 1988    (click here to read Big $ making the case for GnR)

The CD1025 Andymanathon      (more on this coming soon)

Goodfellas "What's So Funny About Me?" scene.  (Click here to read Wal making the case)

Mean Mr. Mustard's AC/DC - Cult night. ( Click here to read Wal making the case ) 

Mr. Show - Episode 22 "Show Me Your Weenis  (more on this coming soon)

The Knack - Get The Knack  (Scott Carr explains why he supports The Knack) 

Ice Cold Canned Beer  (more on this coming soon)

Pencilstorm Hall of Fame Nominee: Galaga

The Pencilstorm Hall of Fame winners will be announced Thursday April 14th at the CD1025 Big Room Bar. Happy Hour 6-8 pm with Willie Phoenix and The Soul Underground playing a FREE show at 8pm sharp. Click here for list of all nominations.

Space Invaders was cool. Galaxian was even cooler. But, Galaga was the coolest of them all. It's The Beatles of video games. Nothing fancy. Just one button, one joystick and the truth.  And just like The Fab Four, it's still relevant in the year 2016. If a bar  has room for just one video game, chances are you will find Galaga. Hell, I stopped in the Four String Brewing Taproom last week and take a huge guess what ONE game they had in the back? Uh-huh. And I played it. Duh.

The video game class of 1981 was pretty amazing with iconic games like Donkey Kong, Frogger and Defender all making their debuts along with one of my personal favorites, GORF.

But Galaga has stood the test of time and deserves to be part of the 2016 class of the Pencilstorm Hall of Fame. - Colin G. 

Above: Galaga. The Beatles of video games. Below: Dragon's Lair. The Emerson, Lake and Palmer. of video games.

Pencilstorm Hall of Fame Happy Hour Featuring Willie Phoenix and The Soul Underground. Thursday, April 14th - CD1025 Big Room Bar. 6-9pm FREE.

Please join us Thursday April 14th at the CD1025 Big Room Bar as we announce the very first class of THE Pencilstorm Hall of Fame. Even better, Hall of Fame nominee and music legend Willie Phoenix and his band The Soul Underground will be playing a set starting at 8 pm sharp. It is also your first chance to pick up a copy of Willie's new CD "Blues My Soul".

Doors are at 6pm. The Hall of Fame announcement will happen at some point and then Willie takes the stage at 8 pm.

To review: 6-9pm. FREE. CD1025 Big Room Bar. Willie Phoenix. All your favorite Pencilstorm Contributors. Booze. Food.

 Miss this and you are truly a world class jackass.

 Did I mention it's....FREE!! Click here for info on the Big Room Bar

I hope to see you there. - Colin

My Twenty Favorite Springsteen Songs on April 12th, 11:36 A.M. - by Colin Gawel

I'm sitting at Colin's Coffee getting stoked for tonight's Springsteen show and I decided to write out my twenty favorite Springsteen songs. They had to be off the top of my head and the pen could never leave the paper. This sort of thing happens with too much coffee and too few customers. If you want some real Springsteen stories, like the time I hung out with the Boss one on one for about an hour. Click here.

Off the top of my head. My twenty favorite Springsteen songs. They aren't ranked but..this is the order they popped into my head.

Darkness on the Edge of Town

Badlands

Backstreets

The Rising

Reason to Believe

Brilliant Disguise

Leap of Faith

Long Walk Home

Stolen Car

From Small Things Big Things One Day Come

Atlantic City

Straight Time

I Wish I Was Blind

Promised land

Bobby Jean

Tougher Than the Rest

Two Hearts

Wrecking Ball

I'm Going Down

My City of Ruins

(Shit. I forgot Thunder Road)

Colin Gawel wrote this at Colin's Coffee. He is taking his 12 year old son Owen to his 2nd Springsteen show tonight. If you would like to discuss further, please come to the Pencilstorm Hall of Fame party at the CD1025 Big Room Bay on Thursday April 14th. 6-9pm. Willie Phoenix playing at 8. FREE. Details here.

ANNOUNCING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE 2016 INDUCTEES TO THE PENCILSTORM HALL OF FAME

The nomination phase is over

The ballots are in and counted.

It’s time to announce the winners and induct them into the most prestigious Pencilstorm Hall of Fame.

You, the fans, are cordially invited to attend this once in a lifetime event. April 14 at the Big Room Bar in Columbus, Ohio. Happy Hour starts at 6pm and the one and only Willie Phoenix will headline the event with a one hour set beginning at 8pm. In addition to the announcement of this year’s inductees, Willie will be releasing a new CD, “Blues My Soul.”

This will be the greatest three hours in Columbus history.

More information is available here.

Pencilstorm on Springsteen: Our Top Five Stories So Far

A very wise band from DE-troit, Michigan once said, "The time has come for each and every one of you to decide whether you are gonna be the problem or whether you are gonna the solution."  (I fully realize that adage may have originated elsewhere - like Voltaire, or Benjamin Franklin, or a Marvel comic book - but being a West Side rock & roll boy, I only know it from The MC-5.)  I thought of that quote last Friday when Bruce Springsteen cancelled his North Carolina show over the issue of LGBT rights, and reminded me of those long-lost days when rock stars cared more about social issues and less about how many of their tunes they could peddle to car company commercials, in order to sell their souls to the highest bidder.

So, as a kind of preview to Tuesday's E Street Band show at Value City Arena (there's that highest bidder thing, again) we at Pencilstorm thought we'd post links to our five favorite Bruce stories we've run in the past.  (Later in the week, sometime after the Willie Phoenix show Thursday at the CD 102.5 Big Room Bar during the Pencilstorm Hall of Fame festivities, Ricki C. will be providing his review of the show, which is taking place exactly 40 years & 1 week after the first time Ricki saw Springsteen, April 5th, 1976.)  

Click here to read "The Perfect Age For Rock n Roll Pt 2"  - Ricki C. describes seeing Bruce for the first time in 1976. This whole series is a must, must read. 

Click here to read "My Chance Meeting With Bruce or His chance Meeting With Me" - Colin G. once hung out with Bruce, one on one, for about 45 minutes. Go figure.

Click here to read " A Review of Bruce Springsteen Cincinnati 2014" - Ricki C reviews Bruce 38 years after seeing his first show.

Click here to read "In His Passing, Clarence Has Given Bruce the Gift of Music Everlasting" - Before there was Pencilstorm. Colin wrote this review of the dazzling new E Street line-up on the Wrecking Ball tour for Colingawel.com

Click here to read "Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Veteran's Memorial, 1978" - Ricki C on his favorite Springsteen show ever.

a little video action from the current tour