Yanora: A Debate Would Reveal Opponent Jones' Party Loyalty Is Shaky 
Concerning Mitch Morrison's Article, ``jones Refuses To Trade Punches With Gop 
Opponent'' (june 20), I Want To Reply To The Statements Attributed To 
Commissioner ``red'' Jones.

2 Related To School Board Members Hired

By ALAN K. STOUT; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Monday, July 01, 1996 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 2A 





SCRANTON -- It was appropriate that Edwin McCain chose to open Saturday
night's concert at The Montage Mountain Performing Arts Center with a song
from his debut album called "Bitter Chill." Saturday's show at the
mountainside amphitheater -- featuring McCain, The Badlees and The Allman
Brothers Band -- saw the crowd of 8,700 besieged with the most miserable
concert weather at the venue in recent memory. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 No fast-passing thunderstorms. No pre-show showers to make the seats wet
and the lawn uncomfortable. This show brought a cold, steady downpour -- all
night long. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Fortunately, the music being delivered from the stage was good enough to
prevent the evening from becoming a complete washout. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Allman Brothers Band -- amid the downpour -- opened its set with
"Statesboro Blues" and were immediately met with a roar from the crowd. The
band -- charismatic in mere presence due to its Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and
legendary status -- seemed to be viewed as old friends by weather-oblivious
fans. The audience frequently cried the names of original members Gregg Allman
and Dickey Betts. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The show featured the Allmans' trademark long songs and instrumental jams,
with drummers Butch Trucks and J. Johnny "Jaimoe" Johnson feeding off one
another's energy, and guitarists Betts and Warren Hayes trading off with
fiery, blues-inspired licks. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A humorous scene occurred when the rains -- falling harder than ever --
began to blow under the covered stage and towards the band, forcing the road
crew to move stage equipment while the group played on. Gregg Allman, playing
the organ with one hand while dragging off a cigarette with the other, was
actually moved by the crew while playing. Unfazed, he never changed his
expression. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Despite the miserable weather, The Allmans -- who played third -- only
slightly trimmed their normal 2 - to three-hour set. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 An enormous video screen placed behind the stage showed close-ups of the
band's performance as well as slices of Americana, such as photos of great
blues musicians and portraits of American Indians. And the Allmans rolled on,
dishing out heavy renditions of classics such as `Midnight Rider" "Blue Sky"
and "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McCain, touring in support of his "Honor Among Thieves" LP, offered a
rootsy and interesting performance featuring an eclectic yet grounded rock 'n'
roll mix. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McCain's act included the funky "Jesters, Dreamers and Thieves," the
swinging, soulful, saxophone-fueled "Don't Bring Me Down" and the newly penned
"Tip of My Tongue," which were all well-received. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 An inspired performance of McCain's breakthrough hit, "Solitude" proved to
be the set's highlight. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Regional favorites The Badlees were next. Performing selections from their
nationally released "River Songs" album, the group opened the show with the
breezy "Gwendolyn," then rolled into the stomping "Nothing Much of Anything." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McCain -- who befriended The Badlees when they toured with his group last
spring -- joined the band on stage for a performance of "Fear of Falling,"
with McCain and Badlees' vocalist Pete Palladino trading off verses on lead
vocals. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The radio smash "Angeline Is Coming Home" brought a roar from the crowd and
The Badlees closed the set -- rather appropriately -- with a gutsy cover of
the Beatles' harmony-laced "Rain." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 TIMES LEADER/CARA MENICHELLI &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Gregg Allman of The Allman Brothers Band belts out a song while on
keyboards Saturday at the The Montage Mountain Performing Arts Center. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Allmans Steady As Rain