The Youngstown Tramps

TRAMP: (noun) 1: a disreputable vagrant [syn: bum] 2: a person who engages freely in promiscuous sex [syn: swinger] 3: a foot traveler; someone who goes on an extended walk (for pleasure) [syn: hiker, tramper] 4: move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment.
Born in 2006, The Youngstown Tramps were formed by members: Ian Simon, Lori Hoelzel, Ed Pokrivnak, and Jon Locketti. It began in the summer of 2006 when old friends, Simon and Hoelzel, started making music together. Hoelzel had a book of old poems she had written in high school with which Simon blessed with various chord progressions. Of the songs they originally worked on were: “Believe Me”, “She’s Not The One”, “Outer Space”, and “Blue Angel.” All of which can be found on The Youngstown Tramps self-titled debut album except for “Outer Space” of which a good recording has yet to be made. After creating a few songs, the Simon and Hoelzel duo went seeking a drummer and found long time Youngstown drummer Ed Prokrivnak. Pokey, as he is known to his friends, has been the drummer of such local bands as Manifold Stud, Inspector 13, The Barking Hippos, The Trash Boyz, STML, and countless, countless others. Practice became like family fun night and the trio would get together again and again to rehearse their original tunes. At the very same time, Locketti was living three houses down the street where he was writing songs like, “Eddie Loves Debbie”, “Jack Kerouac”, and “Old Man.” On his own, after the break-up of his acoustic-punk-bluegrass band The Mill Creek Trio, Locketti was on the lookout for a new band. It was at the Draught House in downtown Youngstown that Hoelzel had first told Locketti about the band that she had already. And so, one summer night in late August at Cedars Lounge, weeks afterward Locketti asked Hoelzel if she still needed a bassist. And The Youngstown Tramps were complete… almost.
The first live show The Youngstown Tramps played was a Halloween show at the University Pizzeria in which, Pokey played drums for all three bands that performed that night. In fact, he was a full time member of each band: The Youngstown Tramps, STML, and The Chrissy McCree Band. This was a short lived sensation for him due to the coffeehouse stylings of Chrissy McCree which didn’t fit his liking and STML eventually faded away. The Youngstown Tramps played a show at Youngstown’s oldest bar, The Royal Oaks and another at the legendary Cedars Lounge. After the bands’ first performance at Cedars Lounge, Simon quit the band in pursuit of his new career, Tattooing. Determined to bring back the band, Locketti employed the help of ex-Mill Creek Trio member Zach Miller. Disinterested, Miller complained about the level of sound; he was more in love with acoustic music and referred to it as the most pure of all music. And so, Locketti realized that things weren’t working out with this arrangement. Moving on, friend and composer, Michael Walenciej joined the band and performed at The Royal Oaks. Thomping out bass lines on his Yamaha keyboard; it was a quick fix and kept the band on the road to being a lasting group. It was in the fall of 2007 when Walenciej went back to school at YSU and was too occupied with his major to find the time for the band. The Youngstown Tramps were dead again… for a moment.
Recalling the last performance as the Royal Oaks, Locketti was thinking about getting Simon back into the band. When Simon had heard about the fact that the Youngstown Tramps were playing without him; he made it a point to show up. After the show, Simon had a conversation with Locketti about all of the great new music he had been writing. Months later, Locketti visited Simon in Grove City and from that point began working pretty regularly on some new and some old songs. Pokey immediately came back into the picture too. It was some time before Lori reunited with the group and for that reason Locketti’s then girlfriend, Wendy Portis joined the band.
It was around Christmas 2007 that the Youngstown Tramps ventured into Jonny Sidewalk Studio and for two months they worked on their debut self-titled record. The result was a solid collection of the songs that had been hanging around for such a long time. It was a great relief for the band to have these songs finished because much new material had been surfacing and it was everyone’s intention to move onward and upward.
Currently The Youngstown Tramps are working on their second record. So keep your eyes and ears open.