pkeith@altoonamirror.com
Thomas Michael Brunner performs as Elvis Chicken. The Altoona Area High School graduate bills himself as an entertainer and musician and is a recording artist for Canadian American Records.
When Thomas Michael Brunner returned to his family’s home after 30 years away as a nationally-touring musician, he fulfilled a promise to his late father and continued making music.
His most recent Hot Dog Boy’s “Saucey Sausage” is a heavy metal, five-song CD with a ukulele-backed commentary about his musical career and tribute to his late aunt.
Brunner has played bass and done standup on tours largely through the south, mostly in various bands. He’s lived in Ocean City, New Jersey, and Honolulu, Hawaii, and places in between.
When it comes down to it, was 2020 really a good year for anything? The most positive spin you could put on the year is that it gave some people more time to work on projects that meant something to them while the rest of their lives were on hold.
Music, like many creative pursuits, continued seemingly unabated through 2020. That certainly was the case in Lancaster County as musicians poured their hearts out into a variety of different albums and songs. Perhaps the worst aspect of a list like this is the stark reminder that many of these artists havenât yet been able to perform these songs in front of an audience. Live music â that is, where your eyes can meet the performersâ and you can breathe the same air, and itâs not on a laptop or smart phone â is deeply missed.