From country to classics, Penn's Peak is rockin'

On Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. Penn's Peak welcomes The Land of Ozz, The Ultimate Ozzy Osbourne Experience with special guest Mystic Rhythms, Tribute to Rush.

At the center of The Land of OZZ is Stephen Desko, who will make you think you are hearing and seeing Ozzy live in the '80s and '90s.

Ozzy is famous for collaborating with some of the world's greatest guitarists. To create an accurate and worthwhile tribute, a world-class guitarist is required. Enter 16-year-old prodigy, Matt Stanley. Stanley re-creates the exact note-for-note leads and guitar sounds that are such a huge part of Ozzy's songs, with the same feel and technique as Randy Rhoads, Jake E. Lee, and Zakk Wylde.

The Land Of OZZ backing band includes seasoned players from the Philadelphia-area, including ex-original founding member of Led Zeppelin tribute band Get The Led Out and Hit The Ground Runnin,' as well as Pop Goes The '70s Paul Piccari on bass; Ex-Funhouse member Mike Stanley on rhythm guitar, from tribute bands Substitute, Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin', Like Totally '80s and Pop Goes the '70s Tommy "Stewart" Staszewski on drums; and from Like Totally '80s and Pop Goes The '70s Mike "Viv" Vivial on keyboards.

Mystic Rhythms is dedicated to bringing fans the most authentic and complete Rush experience possible.

From costumes to lighting to the instruments themselves, they strive to evoke the look and vibe of each of Rush's four decades. Most important is their commitment to the music.

Mystic Rhythms consists of three extraordinary musicians, each whose primary lifelong influence has been their respective counterpart in Rush. Now that Rush has retired, Mystic Rhythms is committed to keeping the excitement of a live Rush concert alive for fans around the world.

Working-class country

Montgomery Gentry will take the stage at 8 p.m. Nov. 19.

When Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry first burst onto the scene in 1999 with the defiant "Hillbilly Shoes," notice was served - country music had never seen a hard-driving duo like this.

Despite the millions of albums sold, the sold out shows and the scores of awards, Montgomery Gentry remains in touch with its working class roots.

"We are blue-collar workers and we lived the songs that we sing," says Gentry. "Because of that, our fans are able to make the connection and when they hear our songs, they know we are singing with passion and we know what we are talking about."

"With us it's what you see is what you get," Montgomery says of the duo's down-to-earth demeanor. "We don't act like we don't drink or cuss. We have faults like everybody else and that's who we are."

Who they are is a duo with 14 Top 10 singles and five No. 1s. Awards and accolades aside, it's their induction into the Grand Ole Opry in 2009 that means the most to them.

"Unlike other awards, becoming members of the Grand Ole Opry is something people can't take away from you," Gentry says. "Other awards come and go, but once you become a member of the Opry, you are a member for life - that's something that Eddie and I are very proud to be a part of."

The 'Dead' resurrected

At 8 p.m. Nov. 25 Dark Star Orchestra's Fall Tour East 2015 comes to the Peak.

Performing to critical acclaim worldwide for nearly 15 years and over 2,000 shows, Dark Star Orchestra continues the Grateful Dead concert experience. Their shows are built off the Dead's extensive catalog and the talent of these seven fine musicians.

On any given night the band will perform a show based on a set list from the Grateful Dead's 30 years of extensive touring or use their catalog to program a unique set list for the show. This allows fans both young and old to share in the experience.

By re-creating set lists from the past, and by developing their own sets of Dead songs, Dark Star Orchestra offers a continually evolving artistic outlet within this musical canon. Honoring both the band and the fans, Dark Star Orchestra's members seek out the unique style and sound of each era while simultaneously offering their own informed improvisations.

Dark Star Orchestra offers much more than the sound of the Grateful Dead, they truly encapsulate the energy and the experience.

It's about a sense of familiarity. It's about a feeling that grabs listeners and takes over. It's about that contagious energy. In short, it's about the complete experience and consistent quality show that the fan receives when attending a Dark Star Orchestra show.

"For us it's a chance to re-create some of the magic that was created for us over the years," rhythm guitarist and vocalist Rob Eaton explains.

"We offer a sort of a historical perspective at what it might have been like to go to a show in 1985, 1978 or whenever. Even for Deadheads who can say they've been to a hundred shows in the '90s, we offer something they never got to see live."