Holy Name hosted notable bands

The Tennis Shoe Tongue Band, which included
Escanaba resident Jim Lewis, at right, played the
Homecoming Dance at Holy Name High School on
Oct. 12, 1968.

By STEVE SEYMOUR

Escanaba's Holy Name High School hosted dances featuring a number of noteworthy rock bands before it closed in June, 1971.

Usually held at the school's multi-purpose room, the dances accommodated the growing number of bands which appeared as rock music increased in popularity during the mid 1960s.

Both local bands and groups from outside the area played at the school which enrolled Catholic students in grades 9 through 12.

Information about the dances was included in "The Crusader" student newspaper, published by Holy Name's Press Club.

An early performance by the Riot Squad came on May 18, 1966 when the rock 'n' roll combo entered a Talent Show which featured folk, pop and show music.

Formed just months before, the Riot Squad consisted of Jim Joque (rhythm guitar), Dan Curran (drums), Bob Anzalone (bass), Brendan Williams (lead guitar) and Greg Curran (vocals, keyboard).

Joque, Dan Curran and Anzalone were students at Holy Name, while Williams and Greg Curran attended Escanaba public schools.

With a number of personnel changes, the Riot Squad lasted into the 1970s, playing hundreds of gigs around the Upper Peninsula region.

The Trolls, another early rock band with roots in the Iron Mountain area, played the Homecoming Dance on Saturday, Oct. 1, 1966.

Drummer Jim Lewis, a 1966 Holy Name graduate, was a member of the Trolls for a brief period about this time.

The event required semi-formal dress with admission at 75 cents or $1.25 for couples.

Held at the Terrace on May 5, 1967, the Junior Prom featured entertainment by the Solidaires, an act from Green Bay.

A traditional graduation dinner-dance was held at the Escanaba Country Club on Tuesday, May 30, 1967. Couples danced to the music of the Living Ends, comprised of Bay de Noc Community College students.

The Homecoming Dance held Oct. 7, 1967 featured the Mutations. Little is known about the group.

The sophomore class sponsored a Christmas dance on Dec. 22, 1967. The semi-formal affair featured music by the Piper's Sons, from Green Bay. The group, which included Dale Anderson, recorded "Past Present Future" earlier that year.

On Dec. 27, 1967 the 12th annual Holiday Ball was held at the Terrace, with music provided by Just Us, another Green Bay group. Students from both Holy Name and Escanaba planned the Holiday Ball each year.

An Easter dance, featuring the Riot Squad, was held on April 15, 1968. Sponsored by the Press Club, admission was $1.

"Camelot" was chosen as the theme for the Homecoming Dance, held on Oct. 12, 1968. Music was provided by the Tennis Shoe Tongue Band. Holy Name graduate Jim Lewis played rhythm guitar in the band which was based at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menominie, Wis. Founded by Paul Rabbitt (guitar, vocals) and Bob "Hippie" Collins (bass), the band later shortened its name to the Tongue.

A Christmas dance, staged on Dec. 21, 1968 included music by Chestnut Street Cafe, according to a report in the student newspaper.

The 13th annual Holiday Ball took place at the Terrace on Dec. 27, 1968. Music was provided by the Ravelles from Iron Mountain.

Comprised of Carmella Altobelli (vocals), John Richtig (lead guitar), Tom Lucas (guitar), Rand Alquist (drums), Brian Alquist (organ) and Ray Broullire (bass), the Ravelles issued a 45 rpm single during the year called "Psychedelic Movement."

An Easter dance, sponsored by the Press Club, featured the music of the Tin Can Blues Band. Admission to the April 7, 1969 dance was $1.

The Collection, a group of three boys and a girl from Milwaukee, provided entertainment for the Junior Prom. The theme for the May 2, 1969 event was "Scarborough Fair."

Escanaba-based Upstairs to the Left played for the Homecoming Dance, held Oct. 4, 1969. Tickets were $1.25 each. The band included Mick Van Effen, Dick Peterson, Dennis Combs, Kim Erickson and Dave Berndt.

The 14th annual Holiday Ball was held at the Terrace on Dec. 27, 1969. The theme was "The Bells of Christmas," with music performed by Jones.

Teamsters Hall in Escanaba was the venue for the Junior Prom, held May 1, 1970. Music was provided by Renaissance Fair from Sault Ste. Marie. Theme for the event was "Windmills of Your Mind."

Renaissance Fair consisted of John Ordiway (guitar, trumpet), Gordie Moon (guitar, keyboards), Greg Myner (drums, sax, guitar, bass), Rob Benjamin (bass, drums), Larry Verrett (guitar, bass), Jim Rogers (bass, guitar) and Larry McGahey (guitar). Everybody sang.

During its career, Renaissance Fair issued three singles, including "In Wyrd," a legendary track among garage band collectors.

Milwaukee band Cold Train played for the 14th annual Holiday Ball, held at the Terrace on Dec. 26, 1970.

As 1970 turned into 1971, Holy Name High School would hear some bad news.

On Feb. 19, 1971 Bishop Charles A. Salatka of the Diocese of Marquette announced Holy Name High School would close at the end of the school year. The decision was recommended by the local and Diocesan Boards of Education, Salatka said.

Holy Name High School had opened in 1954, constructed with a $600,000 grant from Catherine Bonifas. Enrollment in 1963 was 639, with 28 teachers serving the student community. The faculty included Sisters of Notre Dame, Sisters of St. Dominic, Franciscan Sisters, Christian Brothers and lay teachers.

Despite the announcement, regular activities carried on at the local Catholic high school for the rest of the year.

The Junior Prom, with the theme "Colour My World," took place on May 8, 1971 at the Terrace. The popular Renaissance Fair made a return trip to Escanaba to play the last dance.

Weeks later, Holy Name High School closed forever.

Christmas album had fateful start

By STEVE SEYMOUR

Holiday tunes were far from the minds of most Americans in late 1963 as the country reeled from the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Yet, one of the greatest Christmas albums of all-time was released on Nov. 22 of that year, the day Kennedy was gunned down in Dallas.

Pre-occupied with a national tragedy, the record-buying public ignored "A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector," a splendid 13-song collection released by the legendary producer, featuring greatest acts on his Philles Records.

Spector had begun recording sessions for the LP at Gold Star Studios the preceding August, during a hot sweaty summer in Los Angeles. He summoned the Crystals, the Ronettes, Darlene Love and Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans for the elaborate undertaking, which took six weeks to complete.

The album opens with Darlene Love's take on "White Christmas," the holiday standard written by Irving Berlin. The Ronettes perform "Frosty the Snowman," Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans sing "The Bells of St. Mary" and the Crystals give their best on "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town."

The artists take turns for the remainder of the album, with Spector wishing listeners Merry Christmas during the closing "Silent Night."

"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," with Darlene Love on lead vocals, was released as a single, but failed to chart, doubling Spector's bad luck with the project.

As Spector compiled the album, a track he produced earlier for the Ronettes began its ascent. "Be My Baby" spent three months on the charts, reaching No. 2. Veronica "Ronnie" Bennett was the only Ronette to sing on this number, but it featured a full orchestra string section.

For a follow-up, the Ronettes taped "Baby, I Love You," in November and then left for England, where they toured with the Rolling Stones as their opening act.

Spector went along for the trip, enjoying the London party scene and being recognized for his "Wall of Sound" production technique which took mono sound to the peak of perfection.

The young producer returned to the United States on Feb. 7, 1964 on the same flight which brought the Beatles to New York City for their debut appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show and their first U. S. concerts.

In the Beatles' Anthology book, Ringo Starr recalled that day. "The first time I met Phil, we were all on a plane going to New York and that's when we realised how crazy he was because he 'walked to America.' He was so nervous of flying, he couldn't sit down. So, we watched him walk up and down the length of the plane all the way."

Pam Am Flight 101 landed at Kennedy International Airport to swarms of fans. The crowd was there to greet the Beatles, at the top of the charts with "I Want To Hold Your Hand," but for a second or two did Spector, not without an ego of his own, think the welcome was for him?

Later in the year Spector would produce "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" for the Righteous Brothers, while the Beatles would establish themselves as international superstars.

Although six years would pass, Spector would finally work with the Beatles as the group was falling apart. John Lennon called on Spector to produce "Instant Karma," which he recorded with George Harrison and Billy Preston in early 1970. The single reached No. 3.

The record's success led Lennon to ask Spector to produce "Let It Be," the Beatles' final album, released in May, 1970 on the group's Apple Records label.

After the dissolution of the Beatles, Harrison went on to record the triple-LP "All Things Must Pass" with Spector at the board.

Lennon utilized Spector for his "Imagine" LP in 1971.

Spector had married Veronica Bennett of the Ronettes in 1968 and insisted that Apple Records issue an LP of her songs, although a 45 called "Try Some, Buy Some," was the only vinyl to emerge from the partnership.

He also produced Harrison's "Concert for Bangladesh" set which received a Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1972.

With his close association to the Beatles, Spector arranged for his 1963 Christmas LP to be reissued on Apple Records, as SW-3400, on Dec. 11, 1972.

While the original release had a cover picturing the four acts performing the album's festive selections, the new package showed Spector photographed as Santa Claus.

Although I faithfully bought all the records by John, Paul, George and Ringo after the break-up, I didn't purchase "Phil Spector's Christmas Album," as it was then known, until years later.

The Beatles continued to release their solo albums on Apple until 1975, as well as other artists signed to the label, including Badfinger, Mary Hopkin and James Taylor.

As John Lennon stopped recording to raise his son Sean, Harrison started his Dark Horse label, McCartney signed to Columbia and Starr hitched his career to Atlantic. Apple Records faded from the scene.

Then, I spotted a large advertisement in Rolling Stone magazine which offered for sale the entire Apple Records catalog, both LPs and 45 rpm singles.

I dispatched my funds and was soon the proud owner of every record manufactured by Apple for the American market, including "Phil Spector's Christmas Album."

Spector's holiday masterpiece has since been released on compact disc several times. Newly remastered, the disc resurfaced on Oct. 26, 2009 with a Phil Spector Records/Sony Legacy label, after being out of print for two years.

However, Spector won't be resurfacing anytime soon.

He's serving 19 years to life at the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison in Corcoran after being convicted of the 2003 shooting death of actress Lana Clarkston at his home in Alhambra.

Born in 1940, Spector will turn 69 years old on the day after Christmas. Certainly, he's contemplating his life since he'll probably spend the rest of his life behind bars, despite his more than 25 Top 40 hits, working with the Beatles and releasing a holiday album millions of fan treasure.

That "A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector" was released on the day of JFK's assassination only compounds the irony.

Used recordings find new home

Iron Butterfly's epic "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"
was immensely popular all around the country,
including at least one neighborhood in Escanaba,
in the summer of 1968.

By STEVE SEYMOUR

Owning a store which sells used records and compact discs can have advantages.

That's because I get to look at the pre-owned product before it hits the shelves.

Occasionally, interesting things show up.

Recently, for example, one customer traded-in a dozen Iron Butterfly and Blue Cheer CD's, while another sold his old albums, including titles by Savage Grace and the Frost, two vintage Michigan groups.

You might not have heard of those bands, but I have.

They were very cool in the 1968-1971 period.

I lusted after those albums, but as a young student, didn't have the money to buy them.

Based in San Diego, Iron Butterfly first grabbed my attention when I heard "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" on the radio in the summer of 1968.

Wisely, Atco Records edited the original 17- minute album opus into a 3-minute single suitable for radio airplay and sale as a 45 rpm record for less than $1.

My brother Mark and I decided that the entire neighborhood would appreciate the song as much as we did.

So, we took the portable stereo I received the previous Christmas, pointed the speakers out our second story bedroom window and played "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" to our backyard audience. Then we played it over and over again.

We tired of the experiment after a while but I never stopped liking the song. Neither did the public, with the possible exception of our neighbors.

As a single, "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" reached the Top 30 that summer and resurfaced for another chart run a year later.

The song was written by Doug Ingle, Iron Butterfly's frontman, vocalist and keyboard player.

Legend has it that Ingle had a bit too much Red Mountain wine to drink the day he came up with a new song which included the words "in the garden of Eden." Ingle slurred the phrase, drummer Ron Bushy liked it, and a rock classic was born.

Iron Butterfly's baroque sound was wildly popular, and for a time they were the biggest-selling group in the history of Atlantic Records.

In the realm of "heavy" groups, Iron Butterfly was often compared to Blue Cheer, a power trio hailing from San Francisco.

Blue Cheer earned their early reputation with an updated version of "Summertime Blues," which surged onto the airwaves in the spring of 1968.

Originally, early rock 'n' roll guitarist and singer Eddie Cochran, who penned the number, took it into the Top Ten in 1958.

Comprised of Dickie Peterson (vocals, bass), Leigh Stephens (guitar) and Paul Whatley (drums), Blue Cheer revved-up Cochran's song and it became a smash for the second time.

The song was contained on their first album, "Vincebus Eruptum," today considered to be a cult masterpiece.

Like Iron Butterfly, Blue Cheer was a powerful live band.

The group's last U. S. tour came in 2007 in conjunction with the release of their "What Doesn't Kill You..." compact disc.

Another tour was in the works to support a recently released Blue Cheer video when frontman Peterson was diagnosed with cancer.

Sadly, the 63-year-old singer and bass player died on Oct. 12, 2009, putting future activity in the Blue Cheer camp into question.

While Iron Butterfly and Blue Cheer registered a handful of national hits, Savage Grace and the Frost achieved most of their success in Michigan.

Still, both groups were hugely popular in the hard rock scene based in southeastern lower Michigan in the late 1960s and early 70s.

The Frost recorded their "Rock and Roll Music" album live at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit.

Issued by Vanguard Recording Society in 1969, the disc contains some memorable music, including the title track, written by frontman Dick Wagner.

In fact, Wagner composed all the material on the LP except "Donny's Blues," penned by rhythm guitarist Don Hartman.

Vanguard couldn't capture the Frost's exciting live shows on disc, and as a label marketing jazz recordings, didn't have the expertise to promote a hard rock band.

While the Frost had the music chops to make it nationally, they broke up after three LPs.

Savage Grace, meanwhile, only lasted a few years, but issued two long-players, "Savage Grace" and "Savage Grace 2." They even managed a non-LP 45 called "Ivy."

The band was comprised of John Seanor (piano, harpsichord), Larry Zack (drums, percussion), Al Jacquez (lead vocals, bass) and Ron Koss (lead vocals, rhythm and lead guitars).

Issued on Reprise Records in 1970, their debut album included an innovative take on "All Along The Watchtower," the Bob Dylan tune which was also recorded by rock icon Jimi Hendrix.

Moog synthesiser innovator Bernie Krause, who worked with Beatle George Harrison, also lent a hand to the project.

Six other songs on the disc are band originals, with everyone sharing vocal duties, except Zack.

The band found "All Along the Watchtower" to be a concert favorite. They played several dates at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, some on a bill with rock band SRC.

After their second LP failed in 1971, Reprise cut the band from their roster of artists. However, Seaner and Koss stayed with the label for another year, issuing a self-titled album.

Jacquez is now a member of blues band Measured Chaos which has also played shows in the Upper Peninsula in recent years.

Whether you're talking about Savage Grace, the Frost, Blue Cheer or Iron Butterfly, they all have a story to tell.

As for me, I'm listening to a small collection of recordings I'd wished I'd owned since I was a kid.

Nighthawks' tour flies into U. P.

Washington, D. C.'s Nighthawks, from left,
Paul Bell, Pete Ragusa, Mark Wenner and Johnny
Castle, brought their roots and blues music program
to the U. P. on Dec. 6 for a benefit show to aid
local food banks.

By STEVE SEYMOUR

Fresh from gigs in Milwaukee and the Chicago area, nationally-known blues band the Nighthawks landed in the Upper Peninsula last Sunday.

The veteran Washington, D. C.-based group performed at the Terrace Bay Inn with proceeds benefiting food pantries at Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul Society.

Presented under the "Blues for a Cause" banner, the concert was organized by Escanaba resident Wendy Pepin, who has held similar benefits for the Delta Area Animal Society and Northwoods Airlifeline.

Hard-working road warriors, the Nighthawks delivered two raucous 75-minute sets, highlighting their diverse influences in blues and roots music.

Founded in 1972, the Nighthawks today consist of Mark Wenner (harmonica, vocals), Paul Bell (lead guitar, vocals), Pete Ragusa (drums, vocals) and Johnny Castle (bass, vocals).

Wenner founded the group with guitarist Jimmy Thackery, who left for a solo career in 1986. Ragusa joined in 1974, while Bell and Castle have been members for the last four years.

The band is touring in support of their "American Landscape" compact disc issued on Powerhouse Records, based in Falls Church, VA.

Released earlier this year, the studio album is a well-crafted combination of cover songs by the likes of Bob Dylan and Tom Waits and originals by Castle. Castle's "Jana Lea," a tribute to his wife, is one of the stand-out tracks on the disc and a crowd favorite.

U. P. fans welcomed the Nighthawks from shows at The Space in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Ill. and the Miramar Theater in Milwaukee where they shared the stage with Hubert Sumlin, guitarist for the legendary Howlin' Wolf.

The Nighthawks have honed their sound in thousands of one-night stands across the country, now including northern Michigan.

They launched their local show before about 150 fans with "Bring It On Home," a blues classic written by Willie Dixon. Made famous in the early 1960s by Sonny Boy Williamson II, the song was a perfect choice to highlight Wenner's outstanding skills on mouth harp and vocals.

Ragusa took the vocal spotlight next with "Matchbox," composed by rhythm and blues legend Ike Turner. "Where Do You Go," written and sung by bassist Castle, followed.

Choosing a number from their "Blue Moon In Your Eye" CD, the Nighthawks paid tribute to Bo Diddley with "You Don't Love Me (You Don't Care)."

Little Walter Jacobs got a tip of the hat with "High Temperature," a track from their "Pain and Paradise" album.

Saluting early rock 'n' roll, the band played energetic versions of Carl Perkins' "Put Your Cat Clothes On" and "Thirty Days" by Chuck Berry.

Songwriter Willie Dixon, got another nod with "The Same Thing," recorded for Chess Records by Muddy Waters.

The Nighthawks' show took a twist with the next two songs: Tennessee Ernie Ford's "Sixteen Tons" and "Woke Up This Morning." The latter tune is the theme song from "The Sopranos," a popular HBO television show.

"Night Train," a No. 1 R&B hit for Jimmy Forest in 1952, later covered by James Brown and others, closed the band's first set.

The Nighthawks kicked off the second part of their program with "Get Out Of My Life, Woman," by Chicago's Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Elvis Presley's 1961 smash, "Little Sister," followed.

The band performed "I'll Go Crazy," James Brown's 1960 hit, before moving on to Presley's "I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water."

Muddy Waters got his due with "Hoochie Coochie Man" and "Got My Mojo Workin'." Both numbers come from the Willie Dixon songbook.

The band returned to Bo Diddley for "I Can Tell," and added B. B. King's "Rock This House."

Folk rock innovator Bob Dylan's "Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I'll Go Mine)" and "She Belongs to Me" slotted next.

The Nighthawks gave the crowd a glimpse into their next CD, due in February, with a performance of Muddy Waters' "I Just Can't Be Satisfied."

They followed with "Big Boy," the opening track from "American Landscape."

"Shake Your Money Maker," Elmore James' last hit, closed the program, although the band returned for an encore with a holiday medley including "Blue Christmas."

Over the years, the Nighthawks have performed with many great bluesmen, including Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf's great contemporary at Chicago's Chess Records. They've been on the blues tour circuit with John Lee Hooker, Pinetop Perkins, Charlie Musselwhite and John Hammond.

In addition, the combo has shared the stage with Big Walter Horton, Otis Rush and Elvin Bishop.

But, don't pigeon-hole the Nighthawks as strictly a "blues" band. That word doesn't appear in the title of any of the Nighthawks' two-dozen albums. Still, their music is anchored in the blues-rock tradition, not unlike the J. Geils Band or George Thorogood and the Destroyers.

Wenner, frontman and primary vocalist, traces his interest in the blues to 1966 when, as an English major and harp player at Columbia University, he sat in with Slim Harpo, known for the classic, "I'm a King Bee."

In 1972, Wenner got together with a 19-year-old guitar slinger named Jimmy Thackery to form the Nighthawks. Playing up to 300 dates a year, they built a following first around the nation's capital, then on the east coast.

During legendary shows at D. C.'s Bayou Club, they brought in blues greats such as Jimmy Rogers and Otis Rush, and new performers like Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

After the show, I asked Wenner if the band had ever played the U. P. before. "No. Not unless Traverse City counts," he said.

With a bit of luck and local support, perhaps the Nighthawks' first appearance north of the Big Mac will be followed by a return engagement in the near future.

Concerts include travel decisions

For music buffs in the Upper Peninsula,
venues in Milwaukee, Chicago and other metropolitan
areas are hundreds of miles away. Increasingly,
concerts are being offered in the confines of the
U. P., closer to home for many fans.

By STEVE SEYMOUR

Traditionally, living in the Upper Peninsula has meant limited opportunities to see rock concerts by nationally-known acts, unless you're willing to travel.

That situation was ameliorated when the region's casinos began to aggressively book rock, country and blues performers.

Still, the U. P.'s sparse population, geographic isolation and small venues don't often attract music's megastars, who still require metropolitan amenities.

While urban centers may draw elite entertainers, I don't relish a trip to the big city unless I'm going to see one of my favorite rock acts.

Places like Milwaukee and Chicago offer world-class entertainment, along with crime, traffic congestion, parking problems, bad neighborhoods, over-priced food and lodging, etc.

By my reckoning, those negatives can be superseded by just a handful of names like the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Bob Seger, the Who, the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan and John Fogerty.

Yes, I've braved the big bad city to see all those acts in recent years.

The shows have always been great, but I haven't always appreciated the circumstances.

Take the John Fogerty show, for instance. As the former leader of Creedence Clearwater Revival, he's been one of my favorites since my teenage years, so I jumped at the chance to see him in concert in Milwaukee last month.

The trip didn't go without complications, however.

On arrival at the downtown Intercontinental Hotel, my wife Sue and I saw the police sealing off an area across the street with yellow "crime scene" ribbon. While waiting for show time in our room, an area television station topped its local news with the gruesome details of a murder elsewhere in the area.

After dark, we hustled the six blocks to the venue by foot, delighted to get into the confines of the theater.

Half a glass of Merlot following the show cost $10, a little steep for folks who remember Boone's Farm at 99 cents a bottle.

The next morning we took a wrong turn leaving the parking garage and got an unexpected tour of the inner city. Finally, we stopped for directions at a McDonald's Restaurant, just seven blocks from our exit north.

Other rock 'n' roll road trips have had their challenges, too.

At a Paul McCartney show in Chicago, I developed a stomach ailment after making the mistake of eating French onion soup for supper. I discovered that concert first aid stations are prepared to deal with many situations, but not the medical condition I had. I also found out the rest rooms at certain venues aren't very clean or plentiful.

On a trip to the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland I got a migraine headache and had to find clinic to treat me before I missed any of the activities on our schedule, which included a concert featuring many of the top stars of popular music, such as Bruce Springsteen, Chuck Berry, the Allman Brothers and many others.

Traversing the U. P. to attend music events, on the other hand, has been considerably less stressful.

Sue and I have enjoyed concerts and festivals throughout the area. Marquette's Blues Fest, held each year over the Labor Day weekend, combines blues with a tranquil setting on Lake Superior.

Driving to the Copper Country community of Calumet to see blues veteran Johnny Winter on a historic stage was a pleasant and unforgettable trip.

On another entertaining northern excursion we saw Sue Foley, Deborah Coleman and Roxanne Potvin at the Porcupine Mountain Music Festival in Ontonagon.

Seeing B. B. King at the Kewadin Casino in Sault Ste. Marie was especially rewarding since so many blues players have taken their cues from him.

The Island Resort & Casino has played a significant role in bringing some of the blues' most-recognizable performers to the north country.

Acts such as Kenny Wayne Shepherd, George Thorogood and the Destroyers, the Fabulous Thunderbirds featuring Kim Wilson, Jim Belushi & the Sacred Hearts and the Blues Brothers have thrilled packed houses at the Harris casino. Sue and I can attest to that; we were at the shows.

In fact, the casino has put on myriad concerts, with a wide variety of entertainers.

As rock fans, Sue and I have enjoyed local shows by headlining acts such as Three Dog Night, Beach Boys, Chicago, Little River Band and Creedence Clearwater Revisited. True, the bands didn't feature all their original members, but they put on fine performances nevertheless. Decades after their glory years, such groups rarely include all the founding members because people have retired, died, or moved on to other groups.

That wasn't the case with ZZ Top, a Texas trio comprised of Billy Gibbon (vocals, guitar), Dusty Hill (vocals, bass) and Frank Beard (drums). The original trio, founded in 1969, lit up the Island theater in a concert as spectacular as any rock 'n' roll show you would find, short of a stadium extravaganza by Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney or the Rolling Stones.

The local casino has also favored older solo performers including Bobby Vinton, Paul Anka, Lou Christie, Frankie Avalon and Bobby Rydell.

In a memorable appearance earlier this year, veteran rocker Joe Cocker belted out "With a Little Help From My Friends," "The Letter" and "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window" with a gruff abandon which delighted fans.

Actually, I've enjoyed concerts by artists as disparate as Joan Jett, known for the 1982 hit "I Love Rock 'N Roll," and country legend Merle Haggard, the "Okie From Muskogee."

Compared to an out-of state road trip, traveling to the Island Resort takes just 15 minutes for me.

Accommodating an audience of 1327, every seat in the house is a good one. In addition, the theater offers state of the art sound and lighting accouterments.

With reserved seating, spectators are able to arrive just minutes before show time.

Tickets for Island shows are moderately priced, especially compared to admission to those "big city" concerts.

Although I'll probably continue to attend the occasional concert in Milwaukee or Chicago, to be able to attend a rock, country or blues show close to home is a convenience all music fans should appreciate.