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 Thursday January 13, 2011 Troy Record By Stephen Douglas CAPITAL UNDERGROUNDS SPIN DOCTROR- Capital Underground kicked off the Local Music Concert Series last month at The Armory. The series continues this Saturday at Bogie�s on Ontario Street in Albany. The second show should be an even better deal than the first according to series organizer and local musician, Ralph Renna. "Its 10 bands for 10 dollars. We knocked the price down. Thirty-six bands are on the compilation CD. Anyone that pays for the show becomes one of the first ones to get the CD." Despite the smaller than predicted crowd, Renna was pleased with the turnout of the first show and is excited for Saturday. "It was really cool for the bands to play the Armory. We had around 300 people in and out throughout the day." Saturday�s show kicks off at 3 p.m. and will last all day. Shawn Rosko of Mechanicville�s In The Casket, thinks the scheduling of the shows will open it up to more fans. "For people that have kids, it may be easier to get a sitter in the afternoon than for a show that goes until 1 in the morning." Fans will also have the opportunity to see new bands according to Rosko. "We�re trying to help get the scene back to what it was in the �90s. Shows like this really help out. They help bring audiences the new bands and they help bring new listeners to some of the older bands that people may not have heard of." Andrew McCauley of Heal These Wounds says that shows like this are important for the good of the local music scene. "It�s good. It�s been pretty divided for a while now. It�s a good thing to get different genres together. The local scene definitely needs some work because its, but it seems like Ralph and some other people are putting in that work." The Armory was originally supposed to be home to a series of three concerts, but Renna decided to change things up after a management change at The Armory. This Saturday�s show has been moved to Bogie�s and the third show has been canceled for now with hopes of an even bigger show replacing it. The move to Bogie�s was a no-brainer as Renna promotes and plays many of his shows at the legendary local venue. "It�s probably the best place for the show because if you have 300 or 400 people, the show is full. Bogie�s basically offered us a great deal to have the show there and have it all day." While the venue is smaller, the absurd amount of entertainment will remain. "The comedians and magicians will still be performing. The break dancers still want to come even though I told them there wouldn�t be much room. Everybody�s still on board. The only thing we�re not doing is the random acoustic acts popping up in the crowd. It should be cool." Renna said that the move from The Armory to Bogie�s caused a small shakeup in the lineup, but replacements were not hard to find. The lineup for Saturday�s show has a louder feel to it. "This show is a harder side of the scene. Mostly metal, thrash and hardcore bands." The rest of the lineup will be filled out by Nephalu, Outlaw Mystic, Maggot Brain, Accusations of the Insane, Distopic, Amalgama and newcomers, Vicous Rotten Hell Bastards, Many of the bands are featured on the compilation album, but there�s a chance for more local groups to get in on the action in the future. As for the delayed third show, Renna has big plans for the finale of the concert series and beyond. There will be a second compilation called The Soundtrack to the Underground. The first compilation will be given out this weekend. "Its something that should be given away for free. I don�t mind putting the time and effort into it. If someone is a fan of one group, they�ll hear about another. Its more of getting the word out there and spreading these bands names. It�s a great way to reach people you wouldn�t reach." "There�s a void for a festival. There�s no EdgeFest or Big Day Out so I�m planning a festival." Nothing is set in stone, but he wants to do something large that combines local bands with major national acts. "I don�t want to shoot for 1,500 people. I want to shoot for 30,000 or 40,000 people." Renna wants to be the one to help local bands reach the next level. "Things get bigger every day. Bands are getting known every day. I�ve got to figure out a way to make this bigger for our bands. How do we become the next Austin or Seattle? How do we get these bands all over the world?" Capital Underground Concert Series continues on Saturday at Bogie�s, 297 Ontario St., Albany, Doors open 2:30 p.m.$10 at the door. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Washington Avenue Armory kicks off concert series Thursday, December 09, 2010 Troy Record By Stephen Douglas This Saturday marks the beginning of the Local Music Concert Series at the Washington Avenue Armory. This series takes place on Dec. 11, Jan. 15 and Feb. 26 and features all local musicians. Local promoter and radio host Ralph Renna says this is the perfect opportunity to help show the world the potential of the music scene in the area. "In the 80s, Los Angeles blew up as a music scene worldwide. In the 90s Seattle had a local music scene that went worldwide. It�s only a matter of time before the world recognizes Albany and Troy and upstate New York for the multi-genres of music that we have here in the Capital Region." Renna says that the local music will speak for itself. "We�re better than half the stuff you hear on the radio every day or TV. Society tells us this is what you should be listening too. It�s only a matter of time before this music scene pops. If we can get local musicians, put them on the radio, get them in the newspaper. Now I�m bringing them all to a bigger stage. Now it�s a concert featuring these bands, not just opening for national acts � they are the focus." There will be 30 bands over the three concerts. Renna say the bands that were chosen all have a sense of the importance of the local music community. "We wanted bands that don�t have an attitude. For all three shows we have all 30 bands promoting all 30 bands and all three shows. Bands from the second and third show are coming out to the first show. We have more a scene unity." The bands that will be showcased at the first show are Bullet Proof Messenger, The Dirty Stayouts, Fort Rooster, The Museum Guards, The Garden Variety, Letchworth, Heroes and martyrs, Prospect Exit, Cletus and Nidus. All the bands will be featured on a compilation CD that will be available in January. The compilation CD is important for helping to expose fans to all the bands. "In this digital age, it�s really tough to get someone to pay for a compilation of unknown bands. We have to basically force it upon them. As a musician myself, I�m going to put my band on this CD and pay to get on it as well." The CD will be available at future shows as well as shows of the individual bands. The local comedians from Comic Syndrome (comicsyndromefunny.com) will help Renna host the shows. The comedians will help keep the fun going between sets. Renna says that people who attend will be treated to wall-to-wall entertainment. "You go to a show, you see bands play and then you stand around and listen to the CD player. I want there to be entertainment through the whole thing. "When they�re not on stage, you might see a guy walk into the middle of the crowd with a boom box and a piece of cardboard and just start break dancing. Magicians will be walking around. There�s going to be entertainment inside of the entertainment. There�s not going to be a minute in between 2 o�clock in the afternoon and 9 o�clock at night when these 10 bands are playing that you�re not being entertained." Renna says that the concerts will also be used as a sort of job fair and networking opportunity for local musicians. "Bands that come and try to get on these shows are going to be there to support the bands that are playing. While they�re there, there will be recording studios there, walking around handing out business cards. They�ll be screen printers there to help bands get t-shirts. Promoters and clusb will be there. Bands can network with other hands, meet people to record their stuff and print their t-shirts." Not only is this a chance to showcase local musicians, promoters from all over the area have also teamed up with Unity House to help collect toys for needy children this holiday season. From now until December 22, you can drop off toys Savanah�s, Northern Lights, Bogies, Step Up Presents, Dublin�s in Troy, the Washington Avenue Armory and the Unity House. Basically, this event will have everything. It�s a chance to promote local music, build a community and give back to those in need. It�s a huge event and Renna says it�s the next logical step for the Capital Region�s music scene."It�s just basically another step into how big this thing can actually be." Visit www.capitalundergroundradio.com for more information. ------------------------------------------------------------ Capital Underground Live! Concert Series December 8, 2010 a by Andrew Gregory- Times Union /Crumbs Blog Back in February, modern hard rock station 104.9 The Edge was executed by Albany Broadcasting without warning. There wasnt even time for listeners to toast the last rock song with a shot of Jager before their ears were sent up the country. The Edges demise and reincarnation as The Cat didn�t slow down former DJ and assistant production director Ralph Renna. If anything, he got a little extra time in his 25 hour days to devote as empresario to his seemingly 100s of projects in the local entertainment field. Ive not heard Ralph described as a bon vivant, per se, but over the years he�s been a tireless promoter of the local music scene as: a musician, DJ, event promoter, graphic designer, writer, artist developer, radio & television show host-creator-producer, voice-over artist, special event host, audio/video technician, entertainment booking and management, marketing specialist, branding consultant. Just reading that list would tire out a lesser man. But Ralph turns it up to 11 this Saturday, December 11th, at The (Washington Ave.) Armory F.Y.E. Theater for the first of an initial trio of monthly shows planned under the Capital Underground Live! banner. Featuring a double digit load of bands from around the area, the event is also planned as a job fair of sorts for local musicians. Along with entertainment by comedians, magicians, jugglers and other forms of artistry, musicians can check out what local recording studios, booking agents, merchandisers, and clubs can offer to help bands market themselves. Doors open at 1:30pm with the show beginning at 2:00pm. Tickets are available in advance at The Armory box office and local F.Y.E. stores, as well as from the participating bands, which are: BulletProof Messenger, Fort Rooster, Cletus, The Garden Variety, The Museum Guards, Letchworth, Prospect Exit, Heroes and Martyrs, Dirty Stayouts, and NiduS. ------------------------------------------------------------ 
The first in his "local music concert series" will be Saturday, Dec. 11, a rapid-fire celebration of hard-rock and metal music featuring 10 bands playing 30 minutes apiece. Then, on Jan. 15 and Feb. 26, also at the armory, he will renew the series with 10 different bands for each performance -- a total of 30 bands in all, most from within a 50-mile radius of Albany, some just starting out and others having played together for a decade or more, he says.A promoter, musician and host of the weekly "Capital Underground" music show at Savannah's, Renna is an energetic supporter of the Capital Region music scene who thinks nothing if not big. "There'll be jugglers," he says. "There'll be magicians. There'll be break-dancers. There'll be comedians on stage in between bands. I wanted to turn this into more of a spectacle. "Then I decided to take it one step further and turn it into a job fair for local musicians. There will be representatives of recording studios, booking agents, clubs. There will be screen printers for T-shirts, graphic designers. There will be people there who can help bands market themselves better." Renna takes a breath, chuckles and continues. "So it's going to be like a local music-job-fair-convention-freak show," he says, "because having 10 bands just wasn't good enough." The concerts will take place in the F.Y.E. Theatre portion of the armory. It's a space for about 1,200 patrons sponsored by F.Y.E., the national music chain. F.Y.E. stores are selling tickets, and so is the armory box office. That, again, wasn't enough for Renna. He's having members of the bands sell them. Based on how many tickets they sell, the bands get to pick where they want to play on the bill. So the lineup in order of appearance won't be determined until the day of the show. "By doing three shows, I have 30 bands promoting all the shows instead of 10 bands promoting one show," Renna says. "Everyone's supporting each other." Jesse Downing, bass player for BulletProof Messenger, one of the bands playing the first show, says bands often view the music scene "from a competitive slant rather than a unified perspective. Competition is natural and needs to exist, but unity tends to improve things for all bands involved. In our opinion, the unification of this area's music scene is long overdue."Downing describes the band's music as "modern hard rock with an electronic twist." Formed four years ago and based in New York City, the band has two members from upstate New York and considers the Capital Region a second home, Downing says. 
Cletus, also in the first show, started eight months ago when four musicians came together to "pursue a rock project that was to be bare bones and all about the music," says Ryan Murphy, the drummer from Albany. "From the get-go it was established that the music would be a collaboration of different styles and that in no way would the term pop rock be associated with it." Murphy says Cletus embraces the concept of the 10-band show."Bands will be able to connect, and their fans will be exposed to more than just the same bands playing the same bills," he says. "It also gives everyone a chance to see and experience these bands in something other than a club setting. There will be a big stage and big sound." 
What's more, starting at the Jan. 15 show, Renna plans on giving away a two-disc CD, "Capital Underground: The Album Volume 1." Still in production, it will include one song each from 40 Capital Region bands, all of which are chipping in to pay for the CD so Renna can give it away at Capital Underground events. He says he has 70 bands interested and is already planning Volume II."This is something I've wanted to do for a long time," he says. "Local bands are constantly asking me to put out a local-music CD. I wanted it to be free, so finally I pulled out the calculator and figured out how much it would cost and how much each band would have to pay. "No one's going to make any money off it. I look at it as the scene investing in the scene." ------------------------------------------------------------ Five Questions for Nov. 9, 2010: Ralph Renna Published: Tuesday, November 09, 2010 By Danielle Sanzone Ralph Renna of Troy is an internet marketing specialist with Essential Internet Marketing LLC and CEO & President of Ralph Renna Enterprises which specializes in voice overs, audio and video editing, and Web design and maintenance. A graduate of Troy High School and the New School of Radio and Television, he works with capitalundergroundradio.com and is a former radio assistant production director at 104.9 The Edge. He is engaged and lives near Hudson Valley Community College. Q How did you get into radio? A I�ve always been a music fan and for as long as I can remember I have always been fascinated by radios. My mom said I used to call them �the voice behind the box with the knobs.� When I was young, I made tapes and comedy bits. I went to school for radio and went from not knowing how to send an email to now I can maintain a Web site. Q Do you miss being at The Edge? A You become friends with the people and get accustomed to coming into the office daily, but you can become successful more quickly on your own than by working for someone else. Q What is capitalundergroundradio.com? A We do specialty programs with local artists of all genres. And we�re planning to start other similar sites. Q Hobbies? A I play in three bands. And, thanks to my fianc�, I�ve grown to appreciate the simpler things in life like apple picking, the outdoors, and visiting historic sites. Q How does someone find their voice for radio? A You either have it or you don�t. And you need the right personality. I did not find my voice for radio until about my fifth or sixth year into working in the industry. I turned the microphone up higher than usual. I ended up finding the right pitch and tone in my voice. People might recognize my voice from the Star 101.3 Morning Crew and from Albany Broadcasting stations like Fly 92.3 and B 95.5. ------------------------------------------------------------  OCTOBER 28, 2010 www.Nippertown.com Capital Underground Live Local Music Concert Series at the Washington Avenue Armory Ralph Renna local rocker and one of the most tireless promoters of the Nippertown music scene is thinking big these days. For some time now, hes been regularly producing his weekly Capital Underground Live shows at Savannahs in Albany on Wednesday nights, as well as his weekly acoustic music meets comedy Monday Night Madness evenings at the Villa Valenti Pub in Troy. But this winter Renna is upping the ante considerably by invading a considerably larger venue for some headbanging showcases the Washington Avenue Armory in Albany.The Capital Underground Live Local Music Concert Series is scheduled to take place monthly on Saturday afternoons at the FYE Theatre at the Washington Avenue Armory. Doors will open for the all-ages shows at 1:30pm with the music beginning at 2pm. Tix are $13.75 in advance & at the door. The concert series will kick off on Saturday, December 11 with a whopping, 10-band line-up that includes performances by Bulletproof Messenger, Nidus, Cletus, the Garden Variety, Heroes and Martyrs, the Dirty Stayouts, Letchworth, Prospect Exit, Fort Rooster and the Museum Guards. On Saturday, January 15, the roster of bands will include Heal These Wounds, Street Sweeper, Wasteform, Nephalum, In the Casket, Distopic, Maggot Brain, Armor Column, Accusations of the Insane and the Harrowing. And on Saturday, February 26, the armory will be rattling to the sounds of Dead-Lift, Sofa Kingz, Purifier, Lunic, Vomlette, the Broken, Skeletons in the Piano, the Ameros, Scharling and Dolabra. Advance tix are available at the armory box office and FYE stores, as well as from the participating bands. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------  OCTOBER 26, 2010 DAILY GAZZETTE SCHENECTADY NY Bands join forces for Armory showcases Gazette Reporter ALBANY Ralph Renna is bringing local music out of the clubs and into arenas the Washington Avenue Armory, to be exact. Rennas Capital Underground Live production company known for its Wednesday night local music showcases at The Dublin Underground and Monday night acoustic music and comedy shows at Villa Valenti Pub in Troy is sponsoring a series of three shows at the Armorys F.Y.E. Theater at 195 Washington Ave., featuring 10 local bands from 2 to 9 p.m. The first of these will be on Saturday, Dec. 11, featuring Bullet Proof Messenger, The Dirty Stayouts, Fort Rooster, The Museum Guards, The Garden Variety, Letchworth, Heroes and Martyrs, Prospect Exit, Cletus and Nidus. The Saturday, Jan. 15 show will include The Harrowing, Accusations of the Insane, Distopic, Street Sweeper, Nephalum, In the Casket, Heal These Wounds, Wasteform, Armor Column and Maggot Brain. The final show, on Saturday, Feb. 26, features Dead-Lift, Lunic, Sofa Kingz, Dolabra, Purifier, Skeletons in the Piano, Scharling, Vomlette, The Broken and The Ameros. For the performances, a curtain will block off the arena at the first section of bleachers, reducing the Armory to about one-quarter of its usual size. This is the F.Y.E. Theater, which will hold somewhere between 500 and 1,000 people. At the moment, these are the only three shows planned, although Renna hopes to make these performances a monthly event. The Armory and the F.Y.E. Theater are going to be doing a lot more shows both national and local Renna said. What Im trying to do is Im trying to bring more of a scene unity the 10 bands playing each show are promoting it as a series as a whole scene. All 30 bands are promoting the three shows as a whole and are all coming out to each show. Tickets are $13.75 at the door in advance for each performance, and are available at all F.Y.E. locations through the Armory box office at 512-5203 or through any of the performing bands. BRIAN McELHINEY Gazette Reporter ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 
Music promoter Ralph Renna, right, interviews Ryan Muphy, left, drummer for the band "Cletus," during his "Capital Underground with Ralph Renna" Internet radio show at Savannah's in Albany, NY, on Sept. 15, 2010. (pics Lori Van Buren / Times Union) Ladies and gentlemen ... I am Ralph Renna ... and failure is not an option. Ralph Renna sent that message to his Facebook friends -- all 4,433 of them (and counting). He sends out lots of sayings and pronouncements, and they often deal with failure and success, sometimes at the same time: I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I now succeed. For Renna, one of the most formidable figures in the Capital Region music scene, life is a full-speed run through minefields, such as alcohol and drugs, which once consumed him. But don't distract him. "I cannot be surrounded by an ounce of negativity," he says. "I thrive on positivity. I thrive on doing the right thing." He has, apparently, done the right thing for a lot of people during his 22 years in the business, especially the heavy-metal and hard-core side of it -- working as a deejay since age 18, playing in bands, encouraging bands, booking and promoting concerts, writing a music column for the Troy Record and hosting the weekly music show "Capital Underground." When you go looking for comments about Renna, here's a sampling of what you get: "Ralph Renna is a folk hero in these parts, a rock 'n' roll Johnny Appleseed. If you need help and he can help, he will help. It's really that simple."-- Rob Skane, singer-songwriter from Niskayuna. "I've known and played with Ralph for almost a decade. He's a stand-up dude. He's helped my band tremendously, and I've got nothing but love for the guy."-- Eli Hargrave, of Skeletons in the Piano. "Ralph Renna is one of a kind in the entertainment business, putting others first and being someone whose word is his bond."-- Russell Davignon, founder of Comic Syndrome, a collective of Capital Region comedians And finally, Ted Etoll, co-owner of Northern Lights and leading force in the region's music business, describes Renna as a renaissance man."He has had just a tremendous, tremendous passion for the music scene on multiple levels," Etoll says. "He's a musician, radio personality, promoter, production guy. Ralph has done just about every single aspect of the business. "But maybe what I admire most about him is that when he got straight, he stayed straight. Everywhere he goes in this business, there's booze. Every turn you take, every person you meet, it's all built around alcohol and the other stuff that goes along with that. To stay sober and focused takes a strong man, and I admire him for that. God bless him." Renna, 40, says he's been straight since 2001, when a drug arrest in Troy, his hometown, rescued him from a three-year drug-and-alcohol binge. After serving two months in jail and six months in rehab, he came home, reformed his band Last Call and eventually returned to radio, landing a job at The Edge 104.9-FM. He started as a part-time deejay, but in a few months became assistant production manager for the parent company, Albany Broadcasting. He is perhaps best known for "Capital Underground," a show in which he interviews musicians and hosts concerts. Initially sponsored by Overit Records, "Capital Underground" began in July 2006 and now takes place Wednesdays at Savannah's/Dublin Underground.Renna produced the show for Time Warner Cable 1005 Local on Demand channel, and The Edge broadcast it on Sunday nights (as well as a second Renna show for a while, "Metalstorm"). The radio broadcast of "Capital Underground" stopped in February, when the Edge went country. Renna continued the show as an online broadcast, available at http://www.capitalundergroundradio.com. He left Albany Broadcasting last month. We spoke with Renna 12 days ago at 451 Hoosick St. in Troy, the office of the newly formed Ralph Renna Enterprises (http://www.ralphrenna.com). Q: What's your business all about? A: Media and marketing and promotions, audio and video filming and recording, voicing, writing, editing, producing, creating logos, graphic design. ... I'm still playing in bands and, in addition to "Capital Underground," helping book shows at Savannah's and Trick Shot Billiards in Clifton Park. At Villa Valenti Pub in Troy, I host Monday Night Madness. Q: How'd you get started in radio? A: After graduating from Troy High, I went to Hudson Valley for three days. Didn't want to do it. I got my money back and went to radio school a week later. I wanted a job that was fun, and I was always fascinated with music. The second week of radio school I was on the air at WVCR as a fill-in deejay. 
Music promoter Ralph Renna, center, interviews the band "Apathy Arising" on his "Capital Underground with Ralph Renna" Internet radio show at Savannah's in Albany, NY on September 15, 2010. Band members are Bonesteel, singer, far left, Liam Malone, Drums, second from left, and Ryan Butt, guita, far right. Bass player Jonathan Denaker is on couch but not in photo. Person in background was not in band. He was just listening to the interview. ( pics Lori Van Buren / Times Union) Q: How'd you get into hard-core and heavy metal? A: At age 18, I went to my first hard-core show. It was at the American Legion in Albany, and my buddy's band was playing with a couple of bands from New York. It was the first time I ever saw a mosh pit or 300 people in a room stomping their feet, swinging their arms, banging into each other, jumping on stage and diving into the crowd. But at the end, we were high-fiving each other. Q: Is that still your music of choice? A: I will never outgrow it. It's in my blood. But if I'm going to listen to something, I probably won't put in a Slayer CD. In fact, I went to see Slayer, Magadeth and Testament recently at the Glens Falls Civic Center. I left halfway through because I had a headache. And it was like, "Man, am I getting old?" Q: How did getting arrested change your life? A: The best thing that ever happened to me was getting arrested and being made to go to rehab. That rehab not only got me clean from drugs but also made me never ever want to do drugs or drink again.You try cocaine one day, and you let it get the best of you. I just got hooked, and then eventually pills, and sniff this and try that. I let it ruin my life. Now I let all the awesome things I can do rule my life. Q: What's your greatest achievement? A: The irony of being on the cover of the Troy Record -- Renna busted for rock cocaine -- and then five years later, on my five-year-clean anniversary date, I started my column, which they called "Renna on Rock." Everything's been uphill ever since. Tom Keyser can be reached at 454-5448 or by e-mail at tkeyser@timesunion.com. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 
Knickerbocker Ledger: What kind of a response have you seen thus far? Ralph Renna: At first I thought who would want anything to do with me if I cant put them on terrestrial radio. I looked into it and this way its better. Now of course its cool to tell people your band will be interviewed and played on the radio, but at most 1200 people would catch the show when it aired on a Sunday night on WZMR. Now online 24-7 for a whole week we are exposing your band to 1500 every couple of days, so the numbers of listeners have tripled twice,haha! Knickerbocker Ledger: You mention one day having your own radio station. What will Ralph Renna do differently than traditional commercial formats and how will that expand from what your internet radio show offers? Ralph Renna: I myself like a lot of others,like variety and we dont necessarily like,for example, Red Hot Chili Peppers because we can hear Under the bridge 10 times a day, we like the stuff that isnt over played, or never played. A lot of us listen to Pandora Radio online and create our own play-list. We also pay for Sirius /Xm to hear the abnormal! My goal is to take generic rock radio and mix it with more variety, make listeners more involved with creating play-lists that actually help program what is heard on the radio station through signups on a station website, so at any given time during any day you will hear Chili Peppers Metallica, The Sword, Nickelback, Slayer and Clutch, and out of nowhere comes Johnny Cash, maybe Alice In Chains, Hatebreed and Wu Tang Clan. Then maybe some rare unheard of artists. Local music could be featured for an hour a night rather than crammed into one hour a week! Knickerbocker Ledger: The Capital District is rich with talented musicians,artists of all genres.As a musician and local radio personality in the business for over 20 years,what in your opinion is the state of the local scene at this time? Where do you see it heading? Ralph Renna: As a promoter along with a few other promoters in the area, we try to help local bands build a following by booking them less than once a month in the area I try to follow this rule as well for the bands I am in but I wait a little longer Black John Wayne hasnt played locally since January our next show is in May. If people can come see you play once a week they arent going to come see you play every show! Being involved in Local Music Radio for so long there is more than one way to help a band rather than just play them on the radio, this is where I have over extended my self to help, If they want it! They in return as a band will give it back. For the first time in years I see more support amongst local bands. Different genres, metal/ hardcore punk, supporting the hip hop rock and it seems as a local scene, its all coming together as one! As long as this continues I only see more opportunities opening up for all! Ralph Renna is a musician, promoter, writer, artist developer, host , DJ, television show creator-producer, and a native force in our Capital Region. Check him out at www.capitalundergroundradio.com ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 
A second Albany Broadcasting band, hard-rock station The Edge 104.9, also flipped a few weeks ago to a country format, 104.9 The Cat. The flip left an excellent local-music resource, the Ralph Renna-hosted Capital Underground, temporarily homeless. But Renna is quickly back up and running, having smartly taken his act to the World Wide Web. The show is streaming at capitalundergroundradio.com, and reaching a larger audience than ever before. Sounds like a win/win. - John Brodeur ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 
BRIAN McELHINEY Gazette Reporter For more than 20 years, Ralph Renna has been a force to be reckoned with on the local music scene. And that's not about to change any time soon. While one of his biggest platforms, modern rock station The Edge 104.9-FM, has been replaced by a country format called The Cat, Renna is positioning himself to work around these changes and keep promoting local music. His Capital Underground Radio, which featured all local music and interviews with local bands at 9 every Sunday night on The Edge since 2006, has moved online to both his Web site, www.ralphrennarocks.com, and a new Capital Underground site, www.capitalundergroundradio.com. The free concerts sponsored by The Edge that Renna has hosted at The Dublin Underground on Wednesday nights since 2008 will continue on a trial basis without The Edge's sponsorship. And there's Capital Underground Television, which will continue to air on digital cable channel 1005. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Renna, who still works for 104.9's owner Albany Broadcasting as assistant production director, is continuing with Capital Underground. He first got on radio in 1988, and has worked for such stations as 102.3 WZRQ-FM Z Rock among others. He's also been running his own production company, Say Uncle Productions, since 2005, and about six months ago officially incorporated it as a business. For a while, he also wrote a weekly local music column in The Record in Troy. But even before that, he was active on the local music scene, promoting shows and playing in bands. Today, he plays bass for hardcore punk group Politics of Contraband; sings for metallic blues rockers Black John Wayne and hardcore metal band Last Call; and plays bass and acoustic guitar in the instrumental Ghosts of Godparents. Q: Where did the idea for Capital Underground come from? A: Overit Records [founder and owner] Dan Dinsmore had come to me to host Capital Underground, an advertising show all about local music. The first show featured our bands, Last Call and Clay People, which is Dan's band, with Idols Never Die and Dead Rabbits. We started promoting the bands to help promote the radio station -- hey, listen to 104.9 The Edge. So helping Overit Records host this on the radio station eventually led to the job I have here now. Q: What was your initial reaction when Albany Broadcasting decided to replace The Edge with The Cat? A: My reaction was like anyone else's -- I was shocked. We found out when it actually happened, five minutes before we could hear it turn to country. For me, personally, it was a big blow -- it is to the whole Edge staff. But that's radio; that's what happens sometimes. For the company, it was the best move, being there was four rock stations around here. But for me personally, nothing's really changed. I built up such a good reputation as a promoter and a local musician, and as a leader for the local scene. Q: What are your plans for Capital Underground Radio? Are you hoping to move it on to another radio station, or keep it online? A: I am sticking with [Albany Broadcasting] through the format change. There's been talks, but nothing is set in stone yet. They realized that Capital Underground was a very important piece to the building, so it may wind up on one of the other stations in the building; that idea has been tossed around. Q: Now that Capital Underground is no longer affiliated with The Edge, will the show's focus move away from hard rock and metal? A: We will stay Capital Underground Radio, minus 104.9 The Edge. We're sticking to the roots format of interviews and music, and that's that. It will be all genres of music, with more genres of music, more local hip-hop, more -- I guess a little more country, maybe, ha-ha. But definitely more hip-hop, since we're not limited now. Q: Did you ever feel that the show had become pigeonholed into the metal or hardcore scenes? A: That was my niche; that's me coming out of the hardcore and metal scenes. But it also worked against me, because I've had other bands on the show, like bluesy, acoustic folk. This is for everybody, and it took a while for that word to spread. We weren't afraid to bring death metal and hardcore bands in, and other stations weren't doing it. There's no reason why a genre of music should be excluded because of the nature of its sound. If it's FCC-worthy -- there's no vulgarities -- we're gonna do it. That's where we stood above the rest; we even had hip-hop, comedy, local writers, any form of entertainment. What other stations weren't doing, we were stepping all over it and bringing in whoever wanted to come in. Q: What do you think was the biggest factor that made Capital Underground a success both on radio and at the free shows at Dublin Underground? A: I've said this from the beginning: there are other local radio shows, but why mine works the best and why people remember me, is that I am what I do. Anything I could get for my band, I'll extend to other bands and help them out, from designing a flier all the way up to getting them a national show at Northern Lights. If I had the opportunity to pass that around, more than interview a band, but put on a show -- I'm here, here's my cell number, this is what I do, this is what I am. Q: Now that The Edge is no more, what happens next for the hard rock and metal scenes in this area? Do you see any other radio station picking up the slack? A: I've been working with local music, underground, hardcore, since 1988, so going on 21 years now. In January of 2010, I was told that Metal Storm [a three-hour show Renna hosted after Capital Underground] would no longer be a program at The Edge, simply because surveys told them there wasn't a market for it, which I do disagree with.There will be a place for it again, and somehow, I'll be a part of it, or if not a part of it, I'll be a supporter. It's one of the genres I love. I like the heavy stuff, so I'll throw on Slayer, but I'll throw Johnny Cash on just as quick. The Edge was not afraid of that, but they made the decision to switch formats. I'm still an employee here, and I'm lucky to have a job, one, and I'm lucky to have a job in radio, two.But, I've been here 21 years, and it's just the beginning, dude. I'm not going anywhere. Reach Gazette reporter Brian McElhiney at 395-3111 or mcelhiney@dailygazette.net. Copyright (c) 2010 The Daily Gazette Co. All Rights Reserved. Capital Underground shows go on despite loss of sponsor Author(s): BRIAN McELHINEY Gazette Reporter Date: March 14, 2010 Section: E On the first Wednesday of the month, local thrash metallers Amalgama headlined the first Capital Underground Live show not sponsored by The Edge, 104.9-FM. The weekly free performances had been sponsored by the modern rock station, with Albany Broadcasting assistant production director Ralph Renna as master of ceremonies, since July of 2006 -- initially at The Skyline in Albany and at The Dublin Underground (formerly called Savannah's) since May of 2008. But the sponsorship disappeared when The Edge disappeared last month. At 10:49 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 26, the format at 104.9 changed from modern rock to country, with Albany Broadcasting changing the station's name to The Cat. It was the end of a long history for The Edge, which had been under Albany Broadcasting's banner since 2006. Before that, The Edge -- in name and format -- was heard on 103.9, a Regent Communications station. Club plays host For now, The Dublin Underground is continuing to host the Capital Underground Live shows each Wednesday. Renna's Capital Underground Radio, a radio show featuring local music and interviews that had aired on The Edge since 2006, will be heard starting at 9 tonight online at www.ralphrennarocks.com and www.capitalundergroundradio.com. But for the local hard rock scene, the loss of one of the region's three modern rock stations is a hard blow. "Ironically, and sadly, with the sorry state of news affairs, I saw it on Facebook first that 104.9 went country," said Amalgama guitarist and vocalist John Salka the day before the Capital Underground Live gig. "Before that, I had thought, 'Why are they playing country music this morning?' I went to e-mail Ralph, because I thought it was very strange -- maybe I should call and find out about the show Wednesday. And as I opened it up I had an e-mail from Ralph saying the shows are still on." Caleb Bonvell, guitarist for Albany hard rockers Karma's Army, credits The Edge, Capital Underground and Renna for being "a big part of our success" over the past three years. The band has opened shows for such national acts as Trapt, Cavo and Tantric through its connection with Renna and The Edge. "I was definitely really, really disappointed when I heard the news the other day," Bonvell said. "On the one hand, sure, there was some number crunching going on; it's probably in the best interest of the business to change formats. But I really don't think any other station and person was doing it in this region. That platform allowed [Renna] to reach a lot more people and utilize that positioning. He is the reason that we have a rock and metal scene here; he is the backbone of that and he continues to be." The free shows continue to be a draw at The Dublin Underground. According to Renna, the March 3 performance with Amalgama drew the biggest crowd he's seen at the event yet. Joey Schaefer, one of the venue's owners, said the show is continuing on something of a trial basis. "In this business you have to constantly reinvent yourself," he said. "You don't force something that might not work anymore. We already have a plan A, B and C together; if it doesn't work, we'll move on to what we think is the next best move." Still popular Schaefer moved the free shows from The Skyline to The Dublin Underground when he took over the venue. The shows have remained popular throughout that time, but he says it's still too early to tell if the new setup will work. "Ralph's been in the business for 20 years, and people follow Ralph," he said. "It will be interesting to see how much that voice on the radio actually matters in the Wednesday night show." He insists that even if the shows do not continue, whatever replaces them on Wednesday nights will have a focus on local music of all kinds. "You know, The Edge all across the board wasn't necessarily all about hard music," he said. "Especially in the newer format, with Ralph's show, Capital Underground, it wasn't just a metal show -- we've had acoustic and rap with Capital Underground Live, jam bands, a bit of everything. I think that's what makes, what made it a success, and made it important -- you don't limit yourself to just one crowd." The Capital Underground Radio show's move online, without The Edge tag, might help open the show up to other genres of music, according to Renna and Albany Broadcasting general manager Chuck Benfer. The show was always open to musicians of all genres, but the stigma of it being a metal show kept some musicians away. "One of the things Ralph and I talked about was that it was a bit of a misnomer -- a lot of people thought it was mostly about metal or heavier rock," Benfer said. "In reality, Ralph features a diverse group of not even just musicians, but comedians and other acts. I think this actually gives Ralph a bigger platform." Albany Broadcasting is working with Renna to develop an idea to bring Capital Underground Radio back to the airwaves. Renna is still working for the company, helping with voiceover work on all of its radio stations, and hopes that the show will find a home on another station in the building. However, he has aspirations to one day own his own radio station. "I'm going to get advice; basically the first step is to get advice," he said. "I have dreams and aspirations to own my own radio station and do it the way I want to do it." One major boost to local bands was the annual EdgeFest held at Altamont Fairgrounds in the summer. The show gave local bands a chance to jump on the bill, opening for national acts. Benfer said he is still dedicated to helping local acts find slots in future Albany Broadcasting events, however. "We always look for that opportunity with all our radio stations, finding a way to bring in local acts," he said. "My 12-year-old daughter has a kid band, so I'm sensitive to the fact that young musicians are trying to find a way into the scene, and they'll always find it, whether it's as part of the [Fly 92.3] Summer Jam, or what. We'll find a home for local artists, and continue to support the music scene that way." Some on the local hard rock scene don't see The Edge's demise as such a big deal. Vinny Padula, bassist for Albany's Bishop, performed at Edgefest roughly 10 years ago, back when the station was owned by Regent. When the station switched over to Albany Broadcasting, Padula didn't find much interest on the new station, although he wholeheartedly supports what Renna has done with his shows. "Ralph had the local radio show, and Ralph is still gonna find a way to do it," Padula said. "I think you're going to see other local stations, such as 103.1 or 102.7 in Vermont, stepping up. Ralph will still do his thing. So there's not much of an impact at all." Potential to step in Other stations in the local market exist to promote heavier local music, including WHRL 103.1, WRPI 91.5 and classic rock station PYX 106. Jesse Downing, bassist with Bulletproof Messenger, has appeared with his band on both Renna's radio show and at a live show in January. He hopes that one of these other stations might step up to fill the void left by The Edge, but is confident that Renna will still play a large role helping out the scene. "Something tells me Ralph will have something going on his own, even not with The Edge," Downing said. "He always likes to be around and support bands -- they [The Edge] were the most supportive and personable with the local musicians in the music scene." Bobby A., of 10-plus years scene veterans Sosohuman, agrees with this sentiment. His band, since re-forming as an independent act in the past few years, has found Renna's radio show and the connections with The Edge to be invaluable to getting the band opening slots for national shows at venues such as Clifton Park's Northern Lights. "What's happening with radio now, you're getting spoon-fed whatever the powers that be want us to hear," A. said. "That doesn't just happen in the music industry, but the beer industry, the food industry. In so many different industries, guys that are players, that have the money, tell you want you're gonna have. If you don't like that, they take away things you do want. We need a very ground-level movement, guerilla-style -- it may be small, but that's what this country was founded on." Reach Gazette reporter Brian McElhiney at 395-3111 or mcelhiney@dailygazette.net. Copyright (c) 2010 The Daily Gazette Co. All Rights Reserved. NI�c /> | |
