OurStage

"Dole is the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the band Scram. He is one of the most entertaining performers I have seen in years. Great fire in his playing and it shows in his performance that it's all about the Fans."

NO REASON, A band formed by Dole Shaffer and Rob Myers, are about to release their debut CD this fall and planning to tour soon after. Dole is a well known musician/songwriter from Springfield and is best known for his work with Scram. Rob has played with many local bands and the two teamed up in 1989 to form this band. The Cd has a classic rock feel with a hint of punk. Dole and Rob composed all the songs and Dole engineered and produced the project. This Cd comes high on my list of must hear.

Frozen Feet definitly deliver the total package on "RUNNING LATE" under the guidance of producer and multi-musician Dole Shaffer. The 11-song disc is a lush collection of roots-rock material that ranges from the rollicking, banjo-driven Simply Let Me Be Me, a tender acoustic ballad topped off with a weepy blues guitar track and rich background vocals. Shaffer's tasteful production and musical overdubs support the material without overshadwing the melodic and lyrical core of the songs. Promise Land , a strong radio-ready song in the Sheryl Crowe vein, is enhanced by shimmering electric guitar, harmonica, synthesized strings and a full drum set. Feel Free, a bouncy pop song that is equal parts with Paula Cole and Indigo Girls, is highlighted by a stinging guitar solo courtesy of Shaffer. Kristie Dykes, the lead singer and composer of Frozen Feet states that " We were so happy to know that we didn't have to bring in other musicians on this project because Dole could play any instrument with any style we could imagine. We are very happy with the way it turned out and our fans love it."

"Just buy a guitar and learn how to play" someone sang a time ago and that is just what Dole Shaffer of Dayton, OH. did. Dole started playing at the age of six and has never looked back. He has traveled all over the US and abroad with several bands throughout his career but now you can find him showing others how to do it right. Dole is the director of the audio recording program at The International College Of Broadcasting in Dayton and shares his knowledge with those who dream the dream. "Someone said to me that those who can't do teach and I thought that was a terrible thing to say," Shaffer states. "After all, how could anyone know how to do anything unless they have someone show them how it is done. I didn't create the music, it is just part of me and yes, someone was there to show me how. It is a great honor to pass on my knowledge and the reward of watching someone struggle then succeed in their dreams is priceless to me. Humans are the most intellegent creatures in the universe only because we say so, and maybe so but I believe that it is my duty to share my knowledge and will continue to create as well. I love what I do and am very proud of all my students. So when someone says you can't do something, use that energy in a positive way and I bet you will be a much happy person." Dole has been with ICB since 1999 and has developed one of the best programs in the country. The college offers three different programs in the media business, TV, Radio and Audio Recording, all with Associate Degree options. You can check out some of Dole's work at www.myspace.com/doleshaffer and tour the college at icbbroadcasting .com.

TREES "BACK TO ROOTS" BUGZY PEPPER RECORDS. This steller album combines modern production sensibilities with an eclectic streak and a classic rock attention to song writing and arrangements. "WITH WORDS" is bolstered by clean, funky electric guitar, hyperactive piano and a gospel-flavored chorus, while "ROCK AND ROLL GIRL" is a mid-tempo country rocker with multiple acoustic guitars, rustic harmonica and a soaring, southern fried guitar solo. This CD comes highly reccomended as one of my favorites of the year. Producing, engineering, co-composing and performing many of the of the instruments on this CD, it is no surprise to the Dayton music fans that this is the best work Dole Shaffer has done so far. The band consist of five members: Matty Monk: lead vocals/guitar, Dole Shaffer: vocals/lead guitar/steel guitar/banjo/mandolin/harmonica/keyboards, Brian Campbell: vocals/bass guitar, Justin Walsh: vocals/drums/percussion and Phil Mehaffey: piano/keyboards.

By Andrew McGinn Staff Writer Friday, February 06, 2009 Certainly, looking at a photo of those guys almost 30 years after the fact, the plumage was spot-on. And at the dawn of the 1980s, there was no bigger bird in town than Scram — a hard-rock creature of giant proportions that ultimately never got off the ground. "We were going after the big one," recalled guitarist Dole Shaffer, "and got real close." But long after the legendary local band broke up, Scram can still lay a three-pound egg. A 2003 reunion show featuring three original members at Casey's restaurant drew 1,000 people — maybe more. "I'm fairly sure we violated every fire code known to man," said drummer Doug Gibson. The band was just too big to be forgotten, which means an unexpected CD version of their lone 1980 album should find a captive audience nostalgic for the days when a local band could still get played on the radio. Retrospect Records, a Las Vegas-based hard-rock reissue label, will give the self-produced and self-titled "Scram" its CD debut in March. No one is more shocked than, well, Scram. "We all have our personal stash of 'Scram' albums sitting in our attics," Gibson said. "I thought it was one of those permanent relics." But for those fans whose turntables went the way of the male perm, Scram will be able to come alive all over again — the twin guitars of Shaffer and Alex Rossitto; the rhythm of Gibson and bassist Jeff Sandow; and, of course, the junior Zep wails of Kenny Aronhalt. "We were loud," Shaffer explained. "The term heavy metal hadn't been used at that time. We were just a simple rock 'n' roll band. We earned all the recognition we got." As Gibson remembered, "The ability to serve it up live was probably our strong suit." Not even Toto wanted to share a bill with Scram. With Scram slated to open for the Grammy-winning band at Memorial Hall back in the day, Toto decided at the last-minute not to have a support act at all. "People," Shaffer said, "were there to see Scram." Shaffer, who now spends most of his time as a producer and engineer in Nashville, took on the responsibility of remastering the LP for CD. Because the master tape was lost in a fire that consumed a Cincinnati studio, he had to master it from vinyl, taking out the pops as he went. "I felt 17 again," said Shaffer, who just turned 50 and became a grandfather for the second time. The process, he said, brought up all sorts of old memories. Most of them good. "Obviously," he said, "being the one who was kicked out of the band and the one to remaster it was a thrill." Shaffer was asked to leave Scram in 1981, marking the start of more than two decades of alienation from most of his old bandmates. He also wasn't asked to participate in the 2003 reunion. "I didn't see it going anywhere," he said, "so I lost interest. They saw that in me. "Ego's a funny thing. It takes a long time for a man to figure out what to do with it." While the dismissal hurt, Shaffer rebounded. "It broke my heart," he said, "but I took the anger and turned it into a positive energy." As for Scram, which packed Memorial Hall three times all by itself, the band rocked on with various personnel changes until 1982. "We were rock stars," Shaffer said. "That's when the problems started." The band, Gibson said, was undone by the bane of all bands — power struggles. "Then you start entering things into it like women," he said. "It was so typical. And we were so young and dumb." But little did anyone know, Scram did eventually fly. In 2005, band manager Dusty Jones received a royalty check for all of $12.61. "Upon opening it up and looking at the breakdown," Jones said, "it was for radio airplay in Taiwan."

By Don Thrasher Contributing Writer Friday, March 20, 2009 Musician Glen "Dole" Shaffer of Springfield has amassed a healthy discography over the years. Sadly, much of this output was released in the 1980s in limited runs on vinyl or cassette and has been out of print for years. On the up side, Shaffer recently inked a deal with Las Vegas-based Retrospect Records to reissue forgotten musical gems by his former bands Scram, No Reason, The Press and Beards Ghetto. "I got an e-mail in 2005 from this guy asking about Scram," Shaffer said recently. "He said he owned a record label and was searching the Web, heard the old songs and liked them. I was thrilled and excited, but I was more surprised than anything. "You get these sites sending you e-mails wanting you to sign up, and the next thing you know you've got yourself into something you're paying for. I was leery so I did some searching and Retrospect is legit. Some of their bands are kind of well-known." Retrospect Records was founded in 2003 with the mission of reviving lost hard rock albums. The label is home to little-known bands like Atomik Cocktail and Tainted Angel and better known bands like Mariah and Cleveland cult act The Electric Eels. The first release in Shaffer's deal is the self-titled LP from AOR-hard rock band Scram, which was released on vinyl in 1980. The re-mastered CD version will be out in April. The second reissue, the self-titled 1984 offering from guitar-heavy pop-rockers No Reason, will be released this summer. The CDs from The Press and Beards Ghetto will be out later this year. "Retrospect Records is bringing back the '80s and the '90s, more of the classic rock sound," Shaffer said. "We go through generation changes, and we've been through the grunge, the rap, the punk or whatever, but good old rock 'n' roll is something that always fills that gap." Shaffer, a former studio instructor at the International College of Broadcasting, is also a producer. He re-mastered the reissues with Phil Mehaffey at Cyberteknics Creative Studio in Dayton, where he is finishing up the latest albums from local folk duo Frozen Feet and R&B artist Al Holbrook. "I'm proud of what I've done," Shaffer said. "I'm not rich, but I'm content. I'm able to take care of myself, the phone is still ringing and people are coming to me, so that makes all the difference in the world." More info: www.myspace.com/doleshaffer. Rock Insider, by contributing writer Don Thrasher, appears weekly and gives a behind-the-scenes view of the Dayton music scene. Contact Thrasher by e-mail at donaldthrasher8@aol.com.