Deep Freeze puts on an artistic clinic

In a scene reminiscent of "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton, the hosted "Deep Freeze," a kick-off to what coordinators Chris and Katie Senegeto hope becomes a monthly celebration of local art and music.

On display were vintage bicycles, art that varied from abstract to pinstriping, swing dancing and more leather coats and sideburns than a production of "Grease."

All the while, live music performed by The Von Horrorbles, The Speedkings, and The Noid provided a fitting background for this unique event.

"I'm having a fantastic time!" said Aubrey Gordon-Grossman, of Warminster. "It's nice to see so many people out here supporting local art, and local music."

Indeed, there was a steady flow of people throughout the duration of the event.

Early on, small crowds surrounded each artist's displays.  Dutch Dolan had quite a few pieces on display, ranging from drawings of angels to an amazing portrait titled "Little Red." 

Next to his display was Hot Rod Jen, from Bath, whose works ranged from pinstriping to a mosaic of the infamous Misfit's skull.  Jen is also a member of the Main Street Dropouts bicycle club, who graciously supplied many of the vintage bikes that were on display.

She explained that her club likes to help support local communities, and that in warmer months, they're often riding around town, frequenting local businesses.

When asked what she was doing in Lansdale, as opposed to Bath, she replied, with a smirk: "Bath has way too many hills."

The vintage bicycle display was a huge hit for those in attendance.  In fact, many people came out just to see the bikes.

"I came out to check out the bikes and drink a few beers.  I had no idea there would be so many!  It's really impressive," said Dan Ells, of PSI PROformance in Lansdale.

"The bikes are a great addition, and it's something I haven't seen at any other event," added Gordon-Grossman.

While the bikes and artists were well received, many came in support of the bands.

The Von Horrorbles began their set a little before 10 p.m.  The crowd was energetic, as the band went through their playlist of ear-ringing rock music.  They also debuted a new song, much to the delight of their fans.

Next up was The Speedkings, a Rockabilly trio featuring an acoustic upright bass.  While their frontman was heckled a bit for having a Pittsburgh Steelers sticker on his guitar, they performed extremely well, going as far as to induce some swing dancing within the crowd.

Last on the bill was The Noid, which is when utter madness ensued.

A birthday cake was brought to the front of the stage, intended for a woman in the crowd.  Tony Cadaver, singer for The Noid, jokingly pushed the cake into the girls face, which resulted in a huge mess on the floor, as well as anyone within the splash radius.

Despite the mess, The Noid continued its set in front of an amped-up, cake-covered crowd.  From song to song, numerous people fell as they tried to dance but couldn't gain any traction.  Eventually, Mike Ricciardi, who owns Third and Walnut, had them cut the set short, citing safety concerns.

The crowd wasn't too happy, as The Noid was just getting warmed up, but everyone understood Ricciardi's reasoning.

"Regardless of the mess, I'm happy with the turnout, and I'm glad everyone had a great time," Ricciardi said.

From that point on, people slowly left, as the band packed up their gear and the artists took down their displays.  It was an enjoyable night for all involved, and the only thing left to do was ponder what would be in store for the next event.

"For this being a first event, it's great.  I'm sure each coming event will only get bigger," said Nick Sosa, of Limerick, bass player for The Noid.

"It's  important for people to know what's going on, especially when it's going unnoticed," he said.

If the "Deep Freeze" turnout is any indication of what future events hold, the imagination and creativity on display won't go unnoticed much longer.

Please check out the photo gallery, as you'll have a chance to see all of the bikes, bands, and art that were involved in the event.