National Cherry Festival Offers Up Summer‘s Best Musical Investment

June 28, 2006

Investment strategies in today’s economic climate are a definite challenge. Yet one option that will yield a quick return in musical memories is three bucks for the 2006 National Cherry Festival Pin. The commemorative pin grants access all week to the Bay Side Entertainment Stage, and under current ticket prices, this year’s line up collectively would cost a concertgoer $240.00 for the week. That’s an 8,000% return on investment. But that’s financial stuff and this is the music industry and everyone knows some guy in a tie with a silver briefcase ends up with all the money anyways.
What is really important here is that for three bucks music lovers are going to be treated to a talented line up of new and classic bands-a little funk, some country, a taste of the blues and plenty of classic rock. Here is a slice of the musical pie line up for the week.
All shows are at the Bay Side Entertainment Stage located at the Open Space. Start times for the featured artists is 9:00 pm each night, with local entertainers performing in the early afternoon and evening.

Average White Band: July 1
Kicking off the week that is very funk and classic rock influenced is the Average White Band. The band got its start in 1972 and caught the attention of Eric Clapton who used them as an opening act. A couple of years later they would release their break out single “Pick Up The Pieces” that would enjoy several weeks at the top of the charts. The instrumental funk tune has become a staple at sporting events and retro-dance parties. AWB enjoyed much commercial success in the 1970’s scoring several hits including – “Cut the Cake,” “If I Ever Lose This Heaven,” “School Boy Crush,” and “Queen of My Soul.”
The group disbanded in 1982 with members joining others, including Duran Duran and Paul McCartney. They reformed in 1989 and have been touring ever since. AWB is one of the most sampled bands ever with their their music being used by well over 200 hip-hop and rap artists, including Janet Jackson, Bobby Brown, TLC and P. Diddy, and has influenced a whole new generation of funk and soul acts. Founder and vocalist Alan Gorrie says the mission of the band after 34 years remains the same, “We try to play music to get people up and dancing. If that happens, we are having fun and know we are doing our job.” Bring your boogieing shoes for this show.

Otis Day & The Knights: July 2
“Oh Baby You Make Me Wanna Shout.” Yes Otis my friends still call me DeWayne Jessieî Day & The Knights take the stage the second night. DeWayne Jessie reached rock star status in 1978 playing the role of Otis Day in the film Animal House. A successful actor who toured with off-Broadway musical productions, Jessie was offered the two-scene role in “Animal House,” that featured the famous toga-party rendition of “Shout.” After the release of the film Jessie became forever known as Otis Day.
“About two days after the film was released, I got a call from a guy in Rhode Island wanting us to come out on the road,” Jessie said. “I didn’t go, but then a Los Angeles based producer called and said to give it a try and I have been on the road ever since.” Otis Day & The Knights will perform all the party tunes from “Animal House” “Louie, Louie,” “Shout!” and “Shamalama Ding Dong,” along with other tunes of the era and a mix of originals. Yes bring your Toga outfit for this one. Mark Elliot of The Fox 94.3 FM is organizing the world’s largest Toga Party.

Eddie Shaw/Chicago Rhythm & Blues Kings: July 3
An Evening of Bay Side Blues has become a tradition at the Cherry Festival. This year is no exception. The legendary Eddie Shaw (a festival favorite) performs Monday night along with the Chicago Rhythm & Blues Kings. Shaw carved out a name for himself first with Muddy Waters and then as the sax player for Howlin’ Wolf. He was this year’s winner of the blues industry’s best instrumentalist award and continues to be a favorite on the blues circuit. This is a must night for blues fans.

Keith Anderson: July 4
Rick Shimel (Cherry Festival Concert Guru) has had a knack in recent years for booking up-in-coming country acts, only to have them become superstars after the ink dries on the Cherry Festival performance contract. A few years back he signed a relative unknown Trick Pony, who by the time they hit the Cherry Festival stage, had the number one song on the country charts.
Shimel has helped the Festival literally land a couple of country “bombshells” for this year. Keith Anderson won the 2002 Jim Beam Country Band Search and has been climbing the charts ever since. Last year he was selected country music’s number one new male artist and “People Magazine” has selected him as one of ‘ The 50 Hottest Bachelors.’ Anderson has enjoyed success by penning the Grammy-nominated song “Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?),” recorded as a duet by Garth Brooks and George Jones. Expect Anderson to perform his hit “Pickin’ Wildflowers” and several other tunes that are sure to climb the country charts.

1964 (Beatles Tribute): July 5
Wednesday’s at the Cherry Festival has become ‘1964 Night.’ Hailed by critics and fans alike, as the most authentic and endearing Beatles tribute in the world, 1964 The Beatles Tribute has become the highlight for families at the Cherry Festival. 1964 reels off Beatle hit after hit while performing in era attire. Band members know they are just actors playing a role, but for thousands between 4 and 104 who flock to their shows the magic of the Beatle’s music is captured all over again.

Bomshel: July 6
The second country act to take the stage this week will be Buffy Lawson and Kristy O, better known as the duo Bomshel. These two sticks of dynamite bring a progressive country sound on Thursday night.
Kristy O got the idea for Bomshel when attending her first Fan Fair in 2004. In her previous band, Kristy had been reprimanded for climbing lighting rigs, jumping onto tables, kicking over chairs, even finding a strong-legged fan to let her ride his shoulders while she played a solo.
But, at Fan Fair she felt a revelation when she witnessed firsthand the enthusiasm of country audiences and their desire to just have fun. She became determined to put together a band that understood how a dynamic, spontaneous stage show could excite fans and add a level of excitement to country music’s sincerity and song-oriented style. “I met with a lot of singers. It just never felt right for one reason or another. I wanted a singer with the presence and the confidence to pull off what I had in mind. I wanted somebody who would walk out there and with one look the audience could tell, she’s a rock star,” said Kristy O.
A few months later she met up with Buffy and the rest is history. “I was so impressed with her. She played me ‘The One That Got Away.’ I bawled my eyes out. She played song after song that knocked me out. I knew she was the one. She was talented, gorgeous and one of the nicest and funniest people I’ve ever met,” said Kristy O. “Ironically I found out later that ninety percent of the songs I had originally brought in to have Buffy sing were actually written by her.”

Bring your boogieing boots for this concert and look for hits “Bomshel Stomp”“It Was an Absolutely Finger Lickin’ Grits & Chicken Country Music Love Song,” “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk’ and “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy),” to get you dancing.

Grand Funk Railroad: July 7
The self-proclaimed “American Band” Grand Funk Railroad brings their high-energy classic-rock show to the stage on Friday night. The group got its start in 1968 when Terry Knight and The Pack members Mark Farner and Don Brewer left the band to form Grand Funk Railroad with then ? and The Mysterians bass player Mel Schacher.
In a few short years Grand Funk reached the pinnacle of success in the eyes of the fans by selling millions of albums and selling out Shea Stadium faster than The Beatles. But the critics were not buying it. “Rolling Stone panned us as a commercial creation of Terry Knight, who was our manager in the beginning,” said drummer Don Brewer. “Knight thrived on irritating the critics and felt any publicity was better then none.”
By 1972 the group parted ways with Knight and brought in Todd Rundgren to produce their new album. The 1973 song “American Band” from that album would become the group’s first number one hit. The group’s other hit songs include “Some Kind of Wonderful,” “Loco-Motion,” “Closer To Home/I’m Your Captain,” “Footstompin’ Music,” “Rock & Roll Soul,” and “Bad Time” all dominated the charts in the 1970’s.
“We were funk and R&B based where everyone else was blues based,” said Brewer. “It wasn’t something we set out to do, it just happened because of where we were from. Being from Flint we were into Motown more than the blues. We loved doing covers and putting our own twist on them.”
Those covers included the Rolling Stones “Gimme Shelter,” and Traffic’s “Feelin’ Alright,” both became staple songs at Grand Funk’s live shows.
Early songwriting duties fell on the shoulders of lead guitarist Mark Farner. Farner who lives near Petoskey is not part of the current Grand Funk Railroad and tours as a solo artist. Brewer was not willing to discuss Farners absence but rather the others who joined Grand Funk in 2000.
“Max Carl is a phenomenal vocalist, who spent years with 38 Special and Bruce Kulick, who was the guitarist in Kiss for 12 years, and Tim Cushion, who played keyboards for Seger and Robert Palmer,” said Brewer. “It is a great line up. We try to capture that energy we had 35 years ago and I feel like a kid every time I take the stage.”
Rounding out the current line up is bass player Mel Schacher who lives in Northern Michigan and is founding member of the band. Critics have looked favorably on the tour that began four years ago. But this has never been a critic’s band and more importantly the fans continue to come out and support the band.
“We are making a lot of new fans and I love it. We are also staying connected with our fans from 30 years ago,” said Brewer. “I see myself doing this until I die.”

Gregg Rolie: July 8
Gregg Rolie is the founder of two legendary rock bands Santana and Journey.
Rolie co-founded Santana with guitar legend Carlos Santana. During the groups heyday between 1968-1972 Rolie as the voice of Santana and keyboardist was actually more of a star then Santana. During the groups appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show it was Rolie that received all the airtime.
He left Santana in 1972 with 16-year-old guitarist Neil Schon to form Journey. Rolie was with Journey for 10 years before retiring to raise his young children. He stayed busy producing Santana albums in the 1980’s before launching his Gregg Rolie Band 10 years ago. His band features Michael Carabello another founding member and the original conga player for Santana. They are joined by Timbales player Adrian Areas son of original Santana Timbales player Jose “Chepito” Areas and internationally acclaimed Bassist and Chapman Stick artist Alphonso Johnson. Rollie and the band perform all the original Santana hits “Black Magic Woman” “Evil Ways” and “Oye Como Va.” Rolie is soft-spoken and because he retired to raise his kids he is often overlooked (he was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998) by many, but fans of Santana will quickly learn on Saturday night that Rolie was an essential element to the bands success (Santana failed to have another hit after Rolie’s departure until Carlos hooked up with Rob Thomas a few years back on the song “Smooth”). Fireworks will immediately follow Rolie’s performance though expect things to be pretty explosive on stage with this talented group.