Eighteenth Hour

One thing is for certain, Allentown loves Eighteen Hour and Bon Jovi, and when the two came together Tuesday night at the PPL Center, it was rock and roll bliss.

For this special 30 city tour, Bon Jovi sweetened the pot by offering up the opening band slot to local talent every stop on this special 30 city tour. Submitted by video, their requirements were to prove they had the sound, substance, and style to take on arena shows.

For Eighteenth Hour, it was a natural fit. The band is no stranger to the arenas, and has opened for Three Doors Down, Collective Soul, Bret Michaels, Spacehog, and several other groups. The band took the stage full of energy and dazzled the crowd for a short set. - Diane Fleischman, The Valley Ledger, 2018

On Wednesday night, Bon Jovi will return to the Lehigh Valley for the first time in decades. The newly-anointed Rock and Roll Hall of Famers will take the PPL Center by storm as part of their “This House is Not For Sale” tour.

When they do, they’ll have some local company in one of the Valley’s veteran rock acts – Eighteenth Hour.

The quartet, returning from a year-and-a-half hiatus during which they’ve spent time writing and catching up on life’s events, will open for the Jersey natives with a 20-minute set beginning promptly at 7:30 p.m.

Drummer Tom Chaffier was the one who received the phone call to alert the band of the news.

“I was on my home phone, on hold, and my cell phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number, so I ignored it,” Chaffier noted. “I figured I’d check the voicemail while I was on hold, and it was from LiveNation or WZZO, and she was calling about the Bon Jovi contest. I hung up and called back, and she told us the news.”

His bandmates, excited by the opportunity, couldn’t believe the news.
“We thought he was bluffing,” said bassist Jim Touchton.

The band describe their mindset as “more excitement than nerves” heading into the big moment, and look at it as an opportunity to re-kindle the interest of old fans and introduce themselves to new ones in advance of new material, tentatively set for release later this year.
“We want to take full advantage of (the opening slot),” Chaffier said. “We want to go up there and give everything for 20 minutes.”
Eighteenth Hour’s new material has been a long time coming. Guitarist David Zullo notes that the band has had a few of the new songs written before their hiatus, and that they all share a common thread rooted steadily in rock.

Back on the scene
For those unable to make Wednesday night’s Bon Jovi show, local rock fans have a chance to catch Eighteenth Hour at a pair of noteworthy upcoming gigs. The band will perform an evening set at the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley on Friday, July 27 at 7 p.m., before performing inside the Musikfest Café at SteelStacks on the closing night of Musikfest, set for Sunday, August 12 at 7:30 p.m..
Frontman Geoff Houser notes that the band has become more selective about the shows they play over the years, a strategy that has worked in their favor.

“At one point in time, we were playing a significant number of shows per year,” Houser said. “We like the fact that we choose the shows we play, and we make sure that those shows have an abundance of people at them.”

Chaffier added, “We’ve been doing this long enough now that we don’t really seek shows. They just kind of happen with us.”
With new material and more performances on the horizon, Eighteenth Hour now looks to the future, and to re-immersing themselves into a growing and evolving music community.
“I think there are other bands now that are around that weren’t before, so we can do some joint shows together,” Zullo said. “From what I’ve seen, this is the best local music scene we’ve had since 2002 or 2003. It’s good to see a community starting up again.”
With more than 15 years in the game, Eighteenth Hour strives to be a part of that community, and to use their experiences and observations of a changing scene to help the next generation.
“One of the things we’re brainstorming now is how to help the group of bands that’s trying to get out there,” Zullo adds. “How do we use what we’ve developed in that context? We were very fortunate that 15 years ago, there were a ton of places to play. What can we do to help some of these bands get some exposure?”

Learn more about Eighteenth Hour at the band’s official website. For tickets to the May 2 gig with Bon Jovi, visit the PPL Center online. - Gerard Longo, LV Underground, May 2, 2018

Bethlehem-based band Eighteenth Hour has been chosen to open for Bon Jovi’s May 2 concert at Allentown’s PPL Center, it was just announced.

The four-man band, which plays both rock and acoustic music, was chosen in Bon Jovi’s competition of local and regional artists to share the stage for it’s the House Is Not For Sale tour.

The contest had bands audition by uploading performance videos n Bon Jovi’s website, and the Bon Jovi and Live Nation Facebook pages.
Those chosen “demonstrate that they have the sound, style and substance to open an arena show,” Bon Jovi says on its website. A different artist will open for Bon Jovi on each one of the shows on this tour.

It is the third time in recent years that Bon Jovi has invited local and regional artists to share the stage.

“Every great band starts small and builds their rep one show at a time,” Jon Bon Jovi said in a release. “That’s the opportunity we were given and now we want to pay it forward. If you’re ready for the arena stage, submit your audition tapes and join us in playing for the best audiences in rock music.”

Eighteenth Hour has won Lehigh Valley Music Awards for bother Best Rock CD and Best Original Band. It won radio station WZZO-FM 95.1’s 15th Annual Backyard Bands Competition.

It has performed at Sands Bethlehem Casino Resort, at Musikfest, at the Lehigh Valley Music Awards and area venues such as OneCentreSquare in Easton.

The band is made up of Tom Chaffier (drums), Geoff Houser (vocals, acoustic fuitar), Jim Touchton (bass) and David Zullo (electric guitar).
“We are beyond thrilled to be opening for Bon Jovi! It is truly an honor to have the opportunity to perform on the same stage as these rock legends,” Eighteenth Hour said in a release. “Thanks to WZZO and, of course, Bon Jovi for this opportunity!”

Tickets for the show, at $79.50-$184.50, remain available at www.PPLCenter.com and 610-347-TIXX. - John J. Moser, The Morning Call, 2018

While sitting at a pub in Bethlehem, Pa chatting with two enthusiastic gentlemen in an intense discussion on music of the past and today’s crop of new artists and sounds, it’s almost like I’m catching up with close friends. Being deemed the Lehigh Valley’s “friendliest” band is certainly not a stretch of the imagination for these guys. A modest group of musicians each outstandingly gifted in their craft may seem like a fantasy in the days where any citizen off the street could create an album with a drum machine in one hand and an auto-tuner in the other. It is more than refreshing to be able to go to a local coffee shop-type environment and enjoy seamlessly performed original music but an exception should be made in the case of Bethlehem, Pa’s based Eighteenth Hour. Selfishly, I would be more than happy to keep this local band of Geoff Houser (vocals and guitar), David Zullo (lead guitarist), Tom Chaffier (drums), and Jim Touchton (bass) as a bright shining gem all to myself and the tri-state area of Pa, NJ, and De, but a band as talented as this begs to be shared nationally. With over ten years under their belt, the now veteran local rockers are feeling fully satisfied with their latest album 6.
- 3encores.com, Kelly Nova © 2013

“For an unsigned act, Eighteenth Hour is pretty much playing in the big leagues. Just look at their latest string of victories. Their newest release, The Analog Sessions, is an ambitious stripped down blues-tinged effort that’s pricking ears and receiving praise.” - Origivation Magazine, Annamarya Scaccia, © 2008.

“As the title “The Analog Sessions” indicates, their new disc (the band’s fourth of original tunes) is a throwback to pre-digital music. The eight songs feature big distorted guitars, bluesy solos and dramatic acoustic ballads. “Sound the Sirens Off,” the most overtly blues song, is a standout. The opening track, “Come Back Later,” is also impressive. Here the guitars sound modern in a Foo Fighters sort of way while vocal harmonies add a soft touch over the heavy fuzz.” - The Morning Call, Josh Berk, © 2007.

“Unless you’ve been living under the Hamilton Street bridge for the past three years, you know who Eighteenth Hour is – a four man band from Bethlehem that has racked up more awards than the final installment of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy did at this year’s Academy Awards (including Best Original Band in this year’s Pulse Weekly Readers’ Choice poll). Read on to find out the scoop on the dirty side of the Lehigh Valley’s “friendliest” band.” - Pulse Weekly Magazine, Jenny Poust, © 2004.

"Don't be fooled by the laid-back look of T-shirt and jeans - Eighteenth Hour has a high-octane show to go along with hard-driving rock.

Frontman Geoff Houser works the stage with authority while David Zullo rips elastic lightning from his fretboard. The exhilarating thunder stomp produced by drummer Tom Chaffier and bassist Jim Touchton could cause Donald Rumsfeld to designate the city of Bethlehem - the band's home base - a haven for weapons of mass destruction.

Judging from audience response, it's a surefire method that promises a hefty harvest."
- The Morning Call, Tony Sienzant, © 2003.