MERRY KISS-MAS FROM GENE SIMMONS AND SUPER TEEN

Congrats to KISS for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! It truly is a Merry Kiss-mas!

WILD AND CRAZY NIGHT WITH STEVE MARTIN & FRIENDS

Blue grass music filled the hot and humid air in the Ozark hills last night and myself and the first lady was there to enjoy it. At the Black Oak Mountain Amphitheater in Lampe, Missouri (close to Branson) we were entertained by the one and only Steve Martin, the legendary Earl Scruggs and Missouri native Rhonda Vincent. Boy, we were really grinnin’ listening to their pickin’!

I can say I’m a fairly new bluegrass bandwagon jumper as I’ve only been a fan of the genre for the past decade or so. Bluegrass brings me back to my youth here in the Ozarks where banjo music used to always play in the background of every hillbilly souvenir shop and amusement park.

Last night only solidified my liking for bluegrass with this three act concert. Let’s start with the last act - Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers.


I’ve been a fan of Steve Martin ever since I walked around the house as a kid singing King Tut at the top of my lungs and acting out Martin’s patented Tut moves. Heck, he was on one my favorite TV shows, the Muppet Show (you thought I was going to say SNL) and starred in some of my favorite comedy’s like Planes, Trains & Automobiles and The Jerk.

Well, I can tell you he’s not a “Jerk” ‘cause he entertained us with an amazing concert that was full of comedy and top notch music. Most of the set list was from his Grammy winning album The Crow with a few new songs thrown in. He even plays an Egyptian classic at the end! (The Crow is a must buy, even if you’re not into bluegrass!)

The biggest thrill for us, was an impromptu meeting after the show. Steve (we’re now on a first name bases) was super nice and signed our CD cover and posed for a photo.


Um... unfortunately, the photo turned out way too blurry to post. Steve was one celeb I always wanted to meet and luckily the snapshot in my mind of said meeting is crystal clear!

The second act of the show was Country Music Hall of Fame member Earl Scruggs, who at 86 years is still playing a blazin’ banjo.


He and his sons along with some other amazing musicians played a slew of classic tunes including The Ballad of Jed Clampett. That made two TV junkies in the crowd very happy!

The concert opened with the talented Rhonda Vincent and the Rage who set the tone for the night.


Since she’s sponsored by Martha White Flour, Rhonda and the guys sang the famous Martha White song. Always happy to see anyone from my home state find success and she continues to be a major player in the world of bluegrass and country music.

Ok. That’s my concert report. The end!

LIVERPOOL LEGENDS BEATLES TRIBUTE BAND

It was Beatle mania here at the Lake of the Ozarks last week when Liverpool Legends performed at the Main Street Music Hall.



This fab four redux played all the classic Beatles hits from the British Invasion to the psychedelic end of the band.



After the intermission Louise Harrison, sister to George and the mastermind who created Liverpool Legends came out on stage and reminisced about her brother and the Beatles.


See the commercial for the Liverpool Legends concert that we saw last week here.

We really enjoyed the show and so did the audience, since everyone including my party, screamed like thirteen year old girls from the 1960's. (Luckily, no one fainted!)

Liverpool Legends perform regularly in Branson, Missouri. Watch Liverpool Legends perform She Loves You.

Below, check out a local news report from Iowa and then a fun car commercial from Springfield, Missouri -

50 YEARS AGO TODAY BUDDY, RITCHIE & THE BIG BOPPER DIED

Today is the 50th anniversary of that dreadful day when the great Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “Big Bopper” Richardson perished in a plane crash outside Clear Lake, Iowa.

Their last concert was at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake during the Winter Dance Party tour.


This historic ballroom was designated by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum as an official Rock and Roll Hall of Fame landmark. The ceremony took place just a few days ago.


Every music fan should put this place on their “must visit” list. The photos posted here are from my visit in 1997.