Not so long ago, in a land far, far away (Los Angeles, to be exact) there were three, hip guys from Central Pennsylvania, in a pop band called Cherry Twister, who were invited to play in a festival called Poptopia.

While local crowds have long packed clubs in Central Pennsylvania to see Cherry Twister, fervent pop fans on the West Coast got their first taste of this talented trio during the annual Poptopia Festival in Los Angeles in early February.

Poptopia, a yearly gathering of a growing army of pop cultists, hosted over 100 bands that played at 12 venues over the course of a week. Cherry Twister soundly fit into the groove and showcased their talent to a laudatory crowd at Spaceland. Backed up by Mike Giblin and Ross Sackler, this yet-to-be signed local band brought Los Angeles crowds to their knees with Steve Ward’s luscious, melodic voice.

Considering that there were four other simultaneous shows with big names such as Gladhands, Splitsville and Wednesday Week, the Cherry Twister show was surely the event to attend. With many approving journalists and record executives seeking out new talent to rave about, it won’t be long until they join the ranks of pop fame with the likes of Matthew Sweet, The Raspberries and The Posies.

Of his recent western jaunt, songster Ward simply said, "It was loads of fun. LA rules."

Folks from the Harrisburg/Lancaster area can catch Cherry Twister at The Wire in New Cumberland on March 14th at 9 p.m. Check out their website at www.freeyellow.com/members/cherrytwister.com.