Kicking things off with this review from Show-Biz Shelley Sweet-Tufano, our East Coast FH Rep ...
The Lords of 52nd Street
In this glorious month of June, I will be revisiting a band and a duo that I saw, for the first-time, last year. I enjoyed both so much that not only do I want to see if anything has changed, but I just want to experience them again.
Last night I went to a rave appearance of The Lords of 52nd Street in my hometown of Milford, CT.
Last year, saxophonist Richie Cannata was ill and not able to perform. They assured the audience he would soon return. As it turned out, he is still battling this illness intently, after spending six months in the hospital with aggressive six day a week chemotherapy. Love and prayers I send to him and to the success of his battle.
Liberty DeVito and Russell Javors are still rocking this stage with the help of seasoned performer Doug Kistner on keyboards, newbie lead guitarist Anthony, bassist Malcolm Gold and singer Dan Orlando.
A change will be happening tonight. With the absence of Richie Cannata, Liberty and Russell have decided to play The Nylon Curtain album in full. This album gave them their best reviews and was producer Phil Ramone’s favorite. Says Russell, "And then we'll play the hits." Here we go!
Allentown
Laura
Pressure - which has Liberty standing and holding four maracas at the start before banging out the beat on his drum kit. PRESSURE!
Goodnight Saigon - a salute to the veterans in the audience who stood and waved as the helicopter blades began to whirrrrr.
She's Right On Time
The next three songs show the influence The Beatles had on Billy. Liberty and Russell affirm that their influence had a positive effect on his writing and performing.
A Room of Our Own
Surprises
Scandinavian Skies - where Anthony and Russell brought a standing snare drum each downstage to accurately recreate this recording.
Where's The Orchestra
As happened before, my memories went back to my son's love of Billy Joel and the sound of his music blaring out of the garage, turned jam joint, that he and his friends enjoyed. Both of my kids enjoyed the music of the 90's decade, but first and foremost was their love of 60's and 70's music (with some 50's thrown in). Nothing says music is limited in its time span.
Now on to the hits, Russell?
Miami 2017 (seen the lights go out on Broadway)
Movin' Out (Anthony's song)
My Life
Angry Young Man
Until the Night
Don't Ask Me Why
The Stranger
A Matter of Trust
Keeping the Faith
She's Got a Way
It's Still Rock and Roll
Scenes From an Italian Restaurant
The Lords of 52nd Street perform in the same key as the recordings. As such, seeing The Nylon Curtain performed in the same manner that we have heard it, was awe inspiring. When the hits started rushing out, the audience loosened up from their intent attention and rocked with The Lords. Again, the audience fascinates me. There are all ages and every one is involved in reacting and moving to the music and their memories. This band is FANTASTIC!
All done? They left the stage! NO!! Encore, Encore!
You May Be Right
Piano Man
Rave reviews were heard as I lingered to catch them. People went to the Chairman of Milford Performing Arts and told him what he already knew ... that they are unbelievable. Russell's staccato rhythm guitar, Liberty's wild and furious beats, and the additions of the four talented performers on lead guitar, keyboards, bass guitar and vocals make this a surprise appearance you should not pass up. See you next year guys?
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano
NE Correspondent-Forgotten Hits
Here’s a great deal from Record Research …
Their recently revamped edition of Top Pop Singles, 1955 – 1989, is now on sale for HALF PRICE for a limited time only …
Regularly $79.98, you can pick up a copy of the black and white edition now (and until June 30th) for just $39.98.
A welcome addition to ANY music library!
More details here: https://www.recordresearch.com/books/top-pop-singles-1955-1989/ (kk)
As we’ve shared along the way, The Rolling Stones have pulled out some real chestnuts to feature on their Hackney Diamonds Tour …
But Ultimate Classic Rock looks at ten they HAVEN’T performed yet (some for many years) that they’d still like to see them feature before the tour wraps up next month …
Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour launched without him Friday night … under doctor’s orders, Willie was advised to skip the show and get about four days of bed rest instead.
Fans were still entertained, however, by the likes of Bob Dylan and Robert Plant and Alisson Kraus, as well as Willie’s son Lukas’ band and a few others.
Plant and Kraus even performed a few Led Zeppelin songs for the tour opener in Alpharetta, Georgia, including “Rock And Roll,” “When The Levee Breaks” and “The Battle Of Evermore.”
Bob Dylan’s set included several unexpected selections, including a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Little Queenie.”
Nelson is expected to join the tour next week … and before things wrap up in September, John Mellencamp will be onboard, too. (kk)
Paul McCartney has added two dates in Mexico to his relaunched Got Back Tour …
Can a US announcement be far behind. (Rumor is Macca will return to The States after the first of the year)
Meanwhile, you can add Monterrey, Mexico on November 8th and Mexico City, Mexico on November 12th to the expanded list of shows for tickets will now be available. (kk)
I just received great news!
If you remember, my last review of Bowzer's Rock n Roll and Doo Wop concert had Bowzer sounding unoptimistic about there ever being another one. Due to his health, the changes in management at Mohegan and the aging of the performers, it made for a sad announcement on his part.
Well ... I just received notification that there WILL be a Bowzer's Rock n Roll and Doo Wop Concert here at Mohegan on January 19, 2025!
As I get the names of all the performers, I will let you know. I can tell you right now that Joel Siegel's Tokens are in!
I made a proposal to Mohegan that whether or not the concert continued after 2025, they should have a blow-out, all stops pulled finale, just as they did for Tony Orlando. I heard that the idea was looked upon favorably and made its way up to the topper most decision makers. That was where I had to back off and let them consider.
TODAY!!! It probably has nothing to do with my proposal, but I don't care. I am just so happy that this four hour spectacle is making a comeback. If it continues on, great. If is ends with a terrific finale, it at least, will be fitting.
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano
WTG, Shelley! (Wonder who’ll they get to sign on for a final big blast!!!) kk
Shelley also sent us this ...
>>>CB TV Program Guide
Now it finally all makes sense! Also, the fact that Roman Numerals came so easily to me. Does this also mean we may have "fiddled while Rome burned"?
Shelley
Our FH Buddy LJ Coon has shared this article from The Morning Journal, offering up the latest news on his screenplay “The Winter Dance Party Tour – 1959.”
Lorain, Ohio native’s screenplay to appear in Nashville Competition 2024
The date February 3rd, 1959, has lived in music infamy for 65 years as “The Day the Music Died.”
Forever immortalized in Don McLean’s 1971 hit, “American Pie,” musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson died in a plane crash on their way to the next stop of their 1959 tour.
Now, a Lorain native is looking to pay his respects to those legends of early rock and roll.
Lorain’s L.J. Coon has spent the past few years drafting his screenplay, “The Winter Dance Party Tour - 1959.”
A dramatized retelling of the events leading up to the plane crash, Coon recently announced that the screenplay had been picked up by the Nashville Film Festival.
Coon said his screenplay and a host of others officially are in the running for the festival’s 2024 Screenwriting Competition.
“This is going to be worldwide, this is going to be big, (and) this is going to be historic,” he remarked. “Our screenplay is in the running at the Nashville Screenplay Competition, 2024.
“The process will lead to a full feature drama production.”
Much of the tour’s story boils down to a number of horrific events in rapid succession, Coon explained.
The tour was badly organized from the start, with the performers crisscrossing the Midwest for 24 straight days during the most intense winter the region had seen in decades.
Following their performance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, on Feb. 2, 1959, Holly and others decided to charter a plane to get to their next location.
“It was a night that burned bright with some of rock and roll’s greatest songs and its brightest stars, and ended with the unthinkable,” Surf Ballroom staff said. “After their performance at the Surf Ballroom, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. ‘The Big Bopper’ Richardson, were killed when their plane crashed shortly after taking off from the nearby Mason City Municipal Airport.”
The hope for Coon is for the screenplay to become a fully realized feature-length drama.
The project already has the support of a few family members of the musicians who died in the crash, he said.
“Austin Allsup (will) play the part of his father, 1959 Tour Guitarist Tommy Allsup, in the feature drama,” Coon said. “Award-winning music producer Michael Knox is our 50s music coordinator … his father is Buddy Knox with the 1959 big hit ‘Party Doll.’
“And, Buddy Holly’s nephew, Randy Holley, has offered the Holley family’s interest in this feature drama production.”
Information on “The Winter Dance Party Tour-1959” will become available following the 2024 Nashville Film Festival, which concludes Sept. 25.
55th Birthday Celebration
September 19 - 25, 2024
From Tom Cuddy …
Kool & The Gang Performs A Medley of Their Greatest Hits For Juneteenth ...
https://youtu.be/FdmXPUu_BUY?si=j0IutJUO_FsSopgO
Billboard Magazine pays tribute to “fake bands” who scored charted hits over the years. This includes groups such as The Partridge Family and The Archies … The Blues Brothers (hmm … I’m not so sure about this one … these guys actually BECAME The Blues Brothers!) … speaking of which, what about The Monkees??? Shouldn’t THEY be on this list??? They were just four random actors chose to portray a rock group … that then actually became one … and toured for DECADES playing to sold out houses) … also on the list: The Wonders (“That Thing You Do”), The Chipmunks, The Muppets and Hannah Montana.
But what about Milli Vanelli?!?! Shouldn’t they have topped this list? They were the biggest fakes of all … yet still scored four Top Five Hits, including THREE #1’s!!!
Anyway, you can view the whole list (along with a brief synopsis on each of their selections) here:
https://www.billboard.com/lists/movie-tv-bands-fake-artists-charts/the-cheetah-girls/#recipient_hashed=fa7e92da6f6e66bffcf0bcbf863670c6eb37d7159eb4d0ea1e44fecd5ec87eeb&recipient_salt=3a1d6b09af3b92ad7e38f8327cf18febeb049fd1c9a251b66957a07d9375735c
The Second Disc is reporting that a new album of previously unreleased material by Jimi Jameson, former lead singer of Survivor (and Jamestown Massacre) is set for release.
This time Jameson takes on more of a country flavor.
The CD will also feature former Survivor bandmate Jim Peterik, who also wrote some of the tunes on the soon-to-be released LP. (kk)
https://theseconddisc.com/2024/06/18/jimi-jamison-unreleased-2007-album-iconoclassic/
David Salidor just sent us Micky Dolenz's updated tour itinerary for the rest of the year (he'll also be here in Chicago for The Fest For Beatles Fans for three days in August, which is where I'm hoping to catch up with him!)
MONKEE MICKY DOLENZ KICKS OFF HIS SUMMER TOUR THIS WEEK
Monkee MICKY DOLENZ kicks off his summer tour this week. Dolenz is fronting a new show titled MICKY DOLENZ: AN EVENING OF SONGS AND STORIES.
Dolenz debuted the show at L.A.’s Troubadour in April before a sold-out crowd. Check out the review from Goldmine here: https://www.goldminemag.com/columns/micky-dolenz-songs-and-stories-raises-the-roof-off-the-troubadour-all-for-make-a-wish
He’s also featured in a new movie in September called THE ZOMBIE WEDDING.
Check his web-site for locations and tickets: www.MickyDolenz.com
2024
Saturday, June 29th - Suquamish, WA
Friday, July 19th - San Luis Obispo, CA
Saturday, July 20th - Monterey, CA
Sunday, July 21st - Sacramento, CA
Friday, August 2nd - South Park, PA
Friday, September 13th - Clear Lake, IA
Saturday, September 28th - Florence, SC
Saturday, October 12th - Agoura, CA
Thursday, October 17th - Cincinnati, OH
Saturday, October 19th - Des Plaines, IL
Sunday, October 20th - St. Charles, IL
Wednesday, December 4th - Rutland, VA
Sunday, December 8th - City Winery, Boston MA (two shows)
2025
Saturday, February 1st - Meza, AZ
Friday, April 25th - Carmel, IN
We’ll let Shelley Sweet-Tufano and Chuck Buell “bookend” today’s Sunday Comments Page …
We're all familiar with the infamous episode from the WKRP TV series about their station's "Turkey Drop," a story based on a true radio station promotion where live turkeys would be dropped from a helicopter hovering above a shopping mall parking lot over waiting listeners who had gathered below to claim a free turkey. The only problem with that idea was, nobody knew that the farm-raised turkeys chosen to be tossed out into the air can't fly!
That episode spawned two of TV's most popular quotes.
(For your review, I edited those well-known quotes from that episode together!)
But long before that, there was the not-so-famous Idaho "Beaver Drop!"
It's a True Story.
In 1948, a large population of Beavers in Southwest Idaho had to be relocated. This was a time when animal relocation was in its infancy. So, how to do it?
The Idaho Fish and Game Department came up with a unique idea. A "Beaver Drop!"
The plan was to place Beavers in special boxes, attach a parachute to those boxes, make multiple flights over several days and drop the Boxed Beavers into the remote meadows of the Idaho Chamberlain Basin where the boxes would automatically open upon landing to release them into their new home.
"Operation B-Day" came and up and away they went and down and out from the plane they fell!
And . . . the plan . . . actually worked!
Unlike the disastrous "WKRP Turkey Drop," all but one of the 76 Beavers who were flown over and parachuted out survived!
Beaver in a Box!
Today, all the descendants of those "Original 76" Beaver Parachutists are still in the Chamberlain Basin and thriving!
You can view a vintage two-minute 1940s video of the Beaver Operation below.
CB (which Stands for "Charlie Beaver-Boy!")
OK, OK ... I wasn't going to do it ...
But I just HAVE to share my own favorite Beaver Video ...
Which I promise will keep you smiling thru the rest of your Sunday ...
Get ready to cry ... in the most satisfying way!!! (kk)
