Head East returns Saturday to The Horny Toad
By Randall Yelverton
Published: Friday, September 18, 2009 8:19 AM CDT
Head East, the first national act to ever perform at the Horny Toad, first played years ago on a makeshift stage made from several docks tied together. Plugged in and perched on the floating platforms, the band brought their rock and roll hits like “Never Been Any Reason” to lake rock fans. The band will return Saturday, Sept. 19, to a more stable and much larger lakeside stage at the Horny Toad as part of this weekend's Bike Fest.
Roger Boyd -- keyboard player, vocalist, and original member of the group since its inception in 1968 -- shared an experience from his youth that convinced him he wanted to make a career of rock and roll. While playing at a 4-H event with friends, Roger and his group brought out an array of simple instruments including a kazoo and jug. After playing a few traditional tunes, Boyd and friends broke into “All My Loving” by the Beatles and the girls in the audience went nuts. The man had found his calling.
Boyd and the group's original line-up first met while students at the University of Illinois in Champaign. Head East's first album Flat as a Pancake was self-financed and released on Pyramid Records, the band's own music label. The record gained traction in the newly formed album oriented rock stations of St. Louis and Kansas City. The track “Never Been Any Reason” proved very popular and helped Head East sell all the 5,000 records and 500 eight tracks they produced. The growing regional popularity of the band caught the attention of A&M Records who signed Head East and re-released Flat as a Pancake to a national market.
The group produced several other hits throughout their long career including “Since You've Been Gone” and “Love Me Tonight.” Once a regional favorite, the group began to gain popularity nationally and their first album eventually went gold in 1978. John Schlitt, original lead singer of Head East and fellow classmate of Boyd, was with the group throughout its success in the 70s. After a long career with the band, however, he was let go from Head East due to, as Schlitt describes it, an “out-of-control drug and alcohol addiction.” Schlitt, after recovering from his addiction, would go on to be a part of the massively successful Christian rock group Petra.
Boyd today when not touring and recording with Head East is a professor of social work at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. Seeing the effects of drugs and alcohol on those he has known helped inspire the rocker to pursue a career in social work. The former full-time rocker confessed that at times he finds it difficult to make the regular switch from academic to rock mode. When his students ask him if he ever gets tired of playing the band's signature hit “Never Been Any Reason” he tells them “never.” (One member of the group opens shows with the claim that the track is “the rock and roll national anthem.”)
Over the band's 40-year career, the line-up has changed repeatedly, but Boyd believes the newest incarnation of the group “is almost identical in sound to when they started.” Roger Boyd says the band is unique in the fact that everyone in the group sings. Boyd promised to perform many of the band's biggest hits at this weekend's show in addition to several new tracks off the band's fortieth anniversary album. Head East will perform a free show Saturday evening, Sept. 19, at the Horny Toad Entertainment Complex as part of this weekend's Lake of the Ozark Bike Fest. For more information, call 573-365-5620.
Link to original story.
Friday, September 18, 2009
BIKEFEST: Eliminator to give bikers ZZ Top experience Friday at The Toad
By Randall Yelverton
Published: Friday, September 18, 2009 8:19 AM CDT
Dan Holloway and the other members of Eliminator aren't trying to break new ground. They offer fans the purest ZZ Top sound around.
“Our obligation is to stay very true to the music and look,” says Holloway. “We try to copy everything note for note and make people laugh and reminisce.”
As part of this weekend's BikeFest, the tribute band will perform Friday, Sept 18, at the Horny Toad Entertainment Complex. They will also share the stage that evening with Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band The Edge of Forever.
Holloway and company have enlisted the help of professional wig makers and costumers in order to get the long-bearded, sharp-dressed look of ZZ Top just right to satisfy the group's ardent fans. Before starting the band in 2005, Holloway locked himself away in a cabin in Laurie, Mo., to work on the signature blues rock licks of the group and to perfect a singing voice identical to his inspiration, lead vocalist and guitarist Billy Gibbons. In order to maintain the authenticity of their recreation, the group also uses all the same instruments and equipment as ZZ Top. “The beautiful thing about our band is that we have a great deal of respect [for ZZ Top]” says Holloway.
Eliminator takes its name from the best selling ZZ Top album of the same name that included some of the groups biggest hits like “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Gimme All Your Lovin'” and “Legs.” Attendees of the Eliminator can expect to hear these songs and more at Friday's show. Of Eliminator's show, Holloway said, “what we like to do is take fans on a four-decade ride.” The show consists of the band's top 40 hits and b-sides. Though ZZ Top states that “Legs” is the group's most popular song, Holloway finds that Eliminator gets the best response from the one-two punch of “Waiting for the Bus” followed immediately by “Jesus Just Left Chicago.”
In recreating ZZ Top's sound, Eliminator has tried to fashion the music more in the style of the group's albums than live performances. Holloway says that at times they, “sound more like ZZ Top than ZZ Top [does].” Dan Holloway finds that their crowds range from the group's original fans to younger folks who have more recently discovered the blues-inspired rockers. Holloway is a Kansas City native joined on the stage by Bobby K recreating the bass and vocals of Top member Dusty Hill. Kris Naz is on drums, vocals, and sequencer. The band will follow their show at the Horny Toad with an Oct. 9 performance at Grand River Autumn Rally in Urich, MO.
Eliminator will be joined on Friday evening by Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band Edge of Forever who take their name from the eponymous Skynyrd album. According to the band's website, “The name Edge of Forever was chosen due to the band not only playing the classics, but also keeping current with the newly reformed Lynyrd Skynyrd band and their music as well. These guys eat, sleep, and drink Lynyrd Skynyrd.”
The groups will perform free shows Friday evening, Sept. 18, at the Horny Toad Entertainment Complex as part of this weekend's Lake of the Ozark Bikefest. For more information, call 573-365-5620.
Link to original story.
By Randall Yelverton
Published: Friday, September 18, 2009 8:19 AM CDT
Dan Holloway and the other members of Eliminator aren't trying to break new ground. They offer fans the purest ZZ Top sound around.
“Our obligation is to stay very true to the music and look,” says Holloway. “We try to copy everything note for note and make people laugh and reminisce.”
As part of this weekend's BikeFest, the tribute band will perform Friday, Sept 18, at the Horny Toad Entertainment Complex. They will also share the stage that evening with Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band The Edge of Forever.
Holloway and company have enlisted the help of professional wig makers and costumers in order to get the long-bearded, sharp-dressed look of ZZ Top just right to satisfy the group's ardent fans. Before starting the band in 2005, Holloway locked himself away in a cabin in Laurie, Mo., to work on the signature blues rock licks of the group and to perfect a singing voice identical to his inspiration, lead vocalist and guitarist Billy Gibbons. In order to maintain the authenticity of their recreation, the group also uses all the same instruments and equipment as ZZ Top. “The beautiful thing about our band is that we have a great deal of respect [for ZZ Top]” says Holloway.
Eliminator takes its name from the best selling ZZ Top album of the same name that included some of the groups biggest hits like “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Gimme All Your Lovin'” and “Legs.” Attendees of the Eliminator can expect to hear these songs and more at Friday's show. Of Eliminator's show, Holloway said, “what we like to do is take fans on a four-decade ride.” The show consists of the band's top 40 hits and b-sides. Though ZZ Top states that “Legs” is the group's most popular song, Holloway finds that Eliminator gets the best response from the one-two punch of “Waiting for the Bus” followed immediately by “Jesus Just Left Chicago.”
In recreating ZZ Top's sound, Eliminator has tried to fashion the music more in the style of the group's albums than live performances. Holloway says that at times they, “sound more like ZZ Top than ZZ Top [does].” Dan Holloway finds that their crowds range from the group's original fans to younger folks who have more recently discovered the blues-inspired rockers. Holloway is a Kansas City native joined on the stage by Bobby K recreating the bass and vocals of Top member Dusty Hill. Kris Naz is on drums, vocals, and sequencer. The band will follow their show at the Horny Toad with an Oct. 9 performance at Grand River Autumn Rally in Urich, MO.
Eliminator will be joined on Friday evening by Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band Edge of Forever who take their name from the eponymous Skynyrd album. According to the band's website, “The name Edge of Forever was chosen due to the band not only playing the classics, but also keeping current with the newly reformed Lynyrd Skynyrd band and their music as well. These guys eat, sleep, and drink Lynyrd Skynyrd.”
The groups will perform free shows Friday evening, Sept. 18, at the Horny Toad Entertainment Complex as part of this weekend's Lake of the Ozark Bikefest. For more information, call 573-365-5620.
Link to original story.
Shooting Star to rock The Horny Toad this weekend
By Randall Yelverton/LakeExpo.com
Published: Friday, August 28, 2009 12:11 AM CDT
The Horny Toad Entertainment Complex is bringing long running rockers Shooting Star to the lake this Sunday. Led by vocalist/guitarist Van McLain, Kansas City’s own Shooting Star has been thrilling audiences with their rock anthems since their formation in the late 70s. Notable Shooting Star songs include MTV hit “Touch Me Tonight,” “Summer Sun,” and rock cautionary tale “Hollywood.”
McLain, like many rockers before him, experienced an epiphany while watching the seminal 1964 Beatles appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. With dreams of rock stardom, six-year-old Van and neighbor Ron Verlin began playing along to Beatles records. While in high school, the two formed a 50s cover band to capitalize on the nostalgia for the bobby sox era. With names inspired by Billy Haley and the Comets, the two formed The Shooting Stars featuring back-up dancers The Galaxies (no longer with the band.)
The group put together a demo of original songs which landed them a record deal with London-based Arista records. In a 2005 interview, McLain describes what happened next: “.We did a demo of a song I had written called “Take the Money and Run.” Arista/Bell records signed us on the strength of that song and we recorded a single... About three weeks before it was to be released Steve Miller came out with his song ‘Take the Money and Run,’ same title different song, and that killed our record deal.”
McLain and Verlin returned to Kansas City and the now renamed Shooting Star became the first American artists to land a record deal with Virigin Records.
Shooting Star became a staple of the newly formed Album Oriented Radio (AOR) known for its reliance on deep cuts off rock records. AOR fans embraced Shooting Star songs like the Moody Blues-inspired “Last Chance” and the violin-centric “Tonight.” The band’s songs, particularly on their first album, are notable for the distinct sound of electronic violin in solos and as a backing instrument. Shooting Star continued to record throughout the 80s, but finally broke up in 1987 after many years of recording and touring.
The group reformed briefly in the 90s and continued to play occasional concerts. Van McLain, after recovering from esophageal cancer, played a special concert and decided to reform the band. About the inspiring concert, McLain says, “In 1998, after I recovered, Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger and Jim Peterik of Survivor asked me to come to Chicago and play a cancer benefit for a young boy... I was so blown away with the crowd’s response to my songs that I decided to put the band back together and record another album.” The band recorded Leap of Faith which included the song “Let’s Roll,” a tribute to United 93 passenger Todd Beamer. This song was later adopted by Florida State University who made “Let’s Roll” the motto of their 2002 squad.
The band has featured many vocalists and members over the years, but McLain and Verlin are still together and rocking more than 30 years later. Shooting Star will perform 9 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 30, at the Horny Toad as part of the entertainment complex’s ongoing Benefit Concert Series. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster or at Tropical Sunsations on the 1st Floor of the Horny Toad. For more information, visit ToadCove.com or contact 573-365-5620 to reserve a table for the show.
Link to original story.
By Randall Yelverton/LakeExpo.com
Published: Friday, August 28, 2009 12:11 AM CDT
The Horny Toad Entertainment Complex is bringing long running rockers Shooting Star to the lake this Sunday. Led by vocalist/guitarist Van McLain, Kansas City’s own Shooting Star has been thrilling audiences with their rock anthems since their formation in the late 70s. Notable Shooting Star songs include MTV hit “Touch Me Tonight,” “Summer Sun,” and rock cautionary tale “Hollywood.”
McLain, like many rockers before him, experienced an epiphany while watching the seminal 1964 Beatles appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. With dreams of rock stardom, six-year-old Van and neighbor Ron Verlin began playing along to Beatles records. While in high school, the two formed a 50s cover band to capitalize on the nostalgia for the bobby sox era. With names inspired by Billy Haley and the Comets, the two formed The Shooting Stars featuring back-up dancers The Galaxies (no longer with the band.)
The group put together a demo of original songs which landed them a record deal with London-based Arista records. In a 2005 interview, McLain describes what happened next: “.We did a demo of a song I had written called “Take the Money and Run.” Arista/Bell records signed us on the strength of that song and we recorded a single... About three weeks before it was to be released Steve Miller came out with his song ‘Take the Money and Run,’ same title different song, and that killed our record deal.”
McLain and Verlin returned to Kansas City and the now renamed Shooting Star became the first American artists to land a record deal with Virigin Records.
Shooting Star became a staple of the newly formed Album Oriented Radio (AOR) known for its reliance on deep cuts off rock records. AOR fans embraced Shooting Star songs like the Moody Blues-inspired “Last Chance” and the violin-centric “Tonight.” The band’s songs, particularly on their first album, are notable for the distinct sound of electronic violin in solos and as a backing instrument. Shooting Star continued to record throughout the 80s, but finally broke up in 1987 after many years of recording and touring.
The group reformed briefly in the 90s and continued to play occasional concerts. Van McLain, after recovering from esophageal cancer, played a special concert and decided to reform the band. About the inspiring concert, McLain says, “In 1998, after I recovered, Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger and Jim Peterik of Survivor asked me to come to Chicago and play a cancer benefit for a young boy... I was so blown away with the crowd’s response to my songs that I decided to put the band back together and record another album.” The band recorded Leap of Faith which included the song “Let’s Roll,” a tribute to United 93 passenger Todd Beamer. This song was later adopted by Florida State University who made “Let’s Roll” the motto of their 2002 squad.
The band has featured many vocalists and members over the years, but McLain and Verlin are still together and rocking more than 30 years later. Shooting Star will perform 9 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 30, at the Horny Toad as part of the entertainment complex’s ongoing Benefit Concert Series. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster or at Tropical Sunsations on the 1st Floor of the Horny Toad. For more information, visit ToadCove.com or contact 573-365-5620 to reserve a table for the show.
Link to original story.
Puddle of Mudd to slay lake-front fans at The Toad
Rock fans to pack entertainment complex Sunday night
By Randall Yelverton/Special to LakeExpo.com
Published: Friday, August 14, 2009 4:21 PM CDT
Modern rock hits maker Puddle of Mudd will throw down its brand of hook-filled metal at The Horny Toad Entertainment Complex. Rock fans are sure to recognize Mudd’s rock radio staples “She Hates Me,” “Control” and “Blurry.” Lead singer Wes Scantlin, notable for his Cobain-like vocals, brings earnestness to his songwriting and performances that have endeared him to fans. Plucked from obscurity after Limp Bizkit front man Fred Durst heard his demo tape, Kansas City, Missouri native and lake enthusiast Scantlin returns to his home state in the midst of a multi-city summer tour.
Puddle of Mudd’s unique name is the result of the Great Flood of 1993. Much of Missouri was impacted by water damage including the suddenly muddy practice space of Scantlin and his band mates. Wes Scantlin and the original members of Mudd struggled for several years, releasing two albums on independent labels, but never finding success. The original Puddle of Mudd later broke up and Scantlin’s chances at a life in rock were fading. Wes was about to give up his musical dreams and head to New Orleans to manage the career of his then-girlfriend, when he was discovered by Fred Durst. Scantlin, on the urging of a friend, attended the modern rock Family Values Tour and, with the aid of a fake backstage pass, got his last demo tape into the hands of Durst’s body guard.
Scantlin was stunned when Durst contacted him and later signed him to Flawless, his burgeoning record label. Scantlin traveled to Los Angeles and the two put together a new group, one which has evolved over the years to include rock veterans such as former Guns N’Roses and Devo drummer John Freese. Puddle of Mudd’s first album, 2001’s Come Clean, was a multi-platinum smash and to date has sold more than five million copies. The album brought the group worldwide success and contained “Control,” the official theme song for the 2001 WWE Survivor Series, and “Blurry,” the band’s biggest hit to date. Concerning the band’s “overnight” success, Scantlin shared in a 2002 Billboard interview that “[i]t’s harder to get struck by lightning or something like that, than to become successful in this business. We are very fortunate.”
Puddle of Mudd’s success led to tours with such heavy hitters as Nickelback, Korn, Linkin Park, and Stone Temple Pilots. In 2001, the group was also featured in the Family Values Tour, the very same show Scantlin had once snuck into backstage. Puddle of Mudd followed up Come Clean with the albums Life on Display and Famous which yielded the hits “Away From Me” and “Psycho.” They have reportedly finished their long awaited new album that will be released later this year. This will be the first album that reunites the band with long-time lead guitarist Paul Phillips who left the group in 2005. Puddle of Mudd also includes drummer Ryan Yerdon and longtime bassist/vocalist Doug Ardito who has been with the group since Scantlin reformed the band in 2000.
Saturday night’s Horny Toad concert will be the band’s second lakeside show in a row following their Friday night performance at Midwest Rockfest in Wellington, Kan. Lead singer Wes Scantlin shared in a 2002 interview with Rolling Stone about his love for spending time on the lake. When asked by the reporter about a perfect day in his hometown of Kansas City, he had this to say: “[I]t would be hanging out at my parents' house on the lake, getting on my pontoon boat and getting some fishing poles and some beer and sandwiches and just cruising around on the lake …Come back home, do some barbecuing. Just some serious peacefulness.”
Puddle of Mudd will perform at 9 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 16, at the Horny Toad as part of the resort’s ongoing Benefit Concert Series. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster or at Tropical Sunsations on the 1st Floor of the Horny Toad. For more information, visit the Horny Toad website or contact 573-365-5620 to reserve a table for the show.
Link to original story here.
Rock fans to pack entertainment complex Sunday night
By Randall Yelverton/Special to LakeExpo.com
Published: Friday, August 14, 2009 4:21 PM CDT
Modern rock hits maker Puddle of Mudd will throw down its brand of hook-filled metal at The Horny Toad Entertainment Complex. Rock fans are sure to recognize Mudd’s rock radio staples “She Hates Me,” “Control” and “Blurry.” Lead singer Wes Scantlin, notable for his Cobain-like vocals, brings earnestness to his songwriting and performances that have endeared him to fans. Plucked from obscurity after Limp Bizkit front man Fred Durst heard his demo tape, Kansas City, Missouri native and lake enthusiast Scantlin returns to his home state in the midst of a multi-city summer tour.
Puddle of Mudd’s unique name is the result of the Great Flood of 1993. Much of Missouri was impacted by water damage including the suddenly muddy practice space of Scantlin and his band mates. Wes Scantlin and the original members of Mudd struggled for several years, releasing two albums on independent labels, but never finding success. The original Puddle of Mudd later broke up and Scantlin’s chances at a life in rock were fading. Wes was about to give up his musical dreams and head to New Orleans to manage the career of his then-girlfriend, when he was discovered by Fred Durst. Scantlin, on the urging of a friend, attended the modern rock Family Values Tour and, with the aid of a fake backstage pass, got his last demo tape into the hands of Durst’s body guard.
Scantlin was stunned when Durst contacted him and later signed him to Flawless, his burgeoning record label. Scantlin traveled to Los Angeles and the two put together a new group, one which has evolved over the years to include rock veterans such as former Guns N’Roses and Devo drummer John Freese. Puddle of Mudd’s first album, 2001’s Come Clean, was a multi-platinum smash and to date has sold more than five million copies. The album brought the group worldwide success and contained “Control,” the official theme song for the 2001 WWE Survivor Series, and “Blurry,” the band’s biggest hit to date. Concerning the band’s “overnight” success, Scantlin shared in a 2002 Billboard interview that “[i]t’s harder to get struck by lightning or something like that, than to become successful in this business. We are very fortunate.”
Puddle of Mudd’s success led to tours with such heavy hitters as Nickelback, Korn, Linkin Park, and Stone Temple Pilots. In 2001, the group was also featured in the Family Values Tour, the very same show Scantlin had once snuck into backstage. Puddle of Mudd followed up Come Clean with the albums Life on Display and Famous which yielded the hits “Away From Me” and “Psycho.” They have reportedly finished their long awaited new album that will be released later this year. This will be the first album that reunites the band with long-time lead guitarist Paul Phillips who left the group in 2005. Puddle of Mudd also includes drummer Ryan Yerdon and longtime bassist/vocalist Doug Ardito who has been with the group since Scantlin reformed the band in 2000.
Saturday night’s Horny Toad concert will be the band’s second lakeside show in a row following their Friday night performance at Midwest Rockfest in Wellington, Kan. Lead singer Wes Scantlin shared in a 2002 interview with Rolling Stone about his love for spending time on the lake. When asked by the reporter about a perfect day in his hometown of Kansas City, he had this to say: “[I]t would be hanging out at my parents' house on the lake, getting on my pontoon boat and getting some fishing poles and some beer and sandwiches and just cruising around on the lake …Come back home, do some barbecuing. Just some serious peacefulness.”
Puddle of Mudd will perform at 9 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 16, at the Horny Toad as part of the resort’s ongoing Benefit Concert Series. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster or at Tropical Sunsations on the 1st Floor of the Horny Toad. For more information, visit the Horny Toad website or contact 573-365-5620 to reserve a table for the show.
Link to original story here.
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