Ain't Nothin' But a Beach Party!

For those of you who happen to be climbing the cabin walls this long, dark, and sub zero winter, the first sign of relief is near. Saturday night, February 13th, the first rays of summer will be heard at the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts as "The Danger Brothers" promise to fire up the musical U/V index to tropical proportions. On the heels of Wendy's Old Fashion Rock n' Roll House Party 11, it's a night set aside for several reasons to ride the downward slope away from the winter solstice.

The Danger Brothers Band has been in existence for over 30 years as a must experience attraction before any Ohio State home game. It's gone now, but Hieney-Gate was a gathering that began early and defiantly stayed late! For lovers of authentic old time rock and roll, these guys are simply the best. With over 300 songs in their repertoire, they often act as if they wouldn't leave until they've played them all. In booking a band for this years pre-party, it just so happened that they had a rare Saturday night open in the month of February and as luck would have it, the 13th was it! The surf will begin to roll in at 5:00 pm as "Doc Rock and the Remedies" will open up in the Vern Riffe lobby with everybody getting a golden chance to win a five day Florida vacation by getting there early. Dr. John Lucas from the Sun Spot Tanning Salons will sponsor the event with free T-shirts, beach balls, and other great give-a-ways. While the night is somewhat dedicated to winter relief, two local charities will also benefit from the gala.

The Scenic Scioto Heritage Byway project as well as the Ohio State Alumni Association will share the profit proceeds from this year's beach party. According to local alum president John Smith, " We plan to use the money to help fund local scholarships from Scioto County. All money raised will go straight to that bottom line of helping our kids reach their educational dreams at one of our greatest institutions in the land." The Scenic Scioto Heritage Byway is in its 4th year of executing a massive tourist project to showcase both natural and historical attractions here in Scioto County. According to committee president Larue Horsley, "From all the monies we are able to raise, we get an 80% matching grant from the state. This show has become one of our major fundraisers to bring the deserved attention to all the unique attractions that our county holds." During the pre-party, there will be several events by both groups enabling concert- goers to participate in the fun! All tickets for "The Danger Brothers Beach Party" are $20 an available at the McKinley Box office or by calling (740) 351-3600. They may also be purchased at Ticket Master. The show begins at 7:30 PM.

The other level of putting on the show includes giving all attendees a first shot at getting tickets for what has become the premier vintage rock show in the nation. Now in it's eleventh year, Wendy's Old Fashion Rock and Roll House Party has showcased some of the biggest names of an era that just gets better with time. Tommy James, Three Dog Night, The Grass Roots, Wilson Pickett, The Temptations Review, Dennis De Young, Lou Gramm of Foreigner, plus many more artists have cumulatively performed 127 million selling recordings live and on stage at the VRC. This years line up may be one of the best. When booking the various acts from year to year, there are several criteria that are written in stone. Vern Riffe Director Carl Daehler explains, "We always go for the authentic article. There are many groups out there in name only. When you come to House Party, you are always going to hear and see the actual people who were responsible for making the hit songs. This year we were blessed in being able to not just get one, but two of the biggest names responsible for the icon songs in rock and roll."

During the intermission of sets by The Danger Brothers, the on stage announcement will be made as to who this years venue will be. Immediately following the concert, the McKinley box office will open up to begin selling tickets for the April 17th show. For those unable to make it to the Vern Riffe Center on Saturday night, the box office will again open up on Monday morning, February 15th at 10 am to begin selling tickets for the best seats in the house.

Scott Schmidt, owner of the local area Wendy's and corporate sponsor of the show has always been a huge fan. "I've been to every one of them and as a big music fan of old time rock and roll, I wanted to do what I could to help maintain the series to the level it's achieved. I'm proud of our involvement with Wendy's and what House Party brings to our community. I'm very excited about this year's line up and think all fans will also find it special."

It's important to point out that since the beginning of the series in 2000, Wendy's Old Fashion House Party has always been a non-profit event that is sponsored by The Vern Riffe Center for the Arts and Hometown Radio of Portsmouth. All the sponsor money as well as various in kind donations go to diffuse the ticket price of what has traditionally been a very expensive production to put on. Tickets are also donated to organizations throughout the community throughout the year for various charity causes.

Following "The Danger Brothers Beach Party," everyone is invited to a free after party gathering at Ye Old Lantern Restaurant sponsored by Coors and Budweiser. There will be free food and cold beverages in an effort to put the bash on winter and usher in another endless summer. Anybody with me?

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Steve Hayes is a morning radio host and a syndicated columnist for Heartland Publishing.  E-mail Steve your comments... Steve@SteveHayesMedia.com 

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